357 357. The revisit of the 'Underworld'.

[The Founding Flame: Arc 16]

A 'GINKEN' a weapon which consists itself out of 'Spirituality' and extend another human's power.

These weapons are created upon a Human's birth at which point they're then known as a warrior with a title of 'Spiritual Duelist'.

Over centuries over millions of 'GINKENS' have been born and over a consistent lifespam, these weapon have became known as a tradition that many people end up knowing, their existence requires a strong body, a strong mind and a well durable body and only if a human manages to reach these specific 'importances' the 'GINKEN' will reveal itself and connect upon another's wielder Aura, which is built out of 'Spiritual Force' or in simple ways 'Pressure'.

About 75% of the world's population remain alive with such weapon and 3% of them are known to have Demon Blood, the main source that embraces up a 'Half-Demon'.

In current timeline, a woman - a Godess and the enhancer of the first 'GINKEN' appearances named 'Zero' lurks around the World with 98% of the people unaware about her, and with it, people believe that the World's finally been cleared of Demons, however many of the early-arriving Demons are still standing among the World.

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City - Kirakira Street - Tuesday, 4:05 p.m.]

Several Duelists have been gathered in the middle of the Innerlight City's main street, while looking up at the screens.

"Huh? The hell's that supposed to be? Some sort of 'Universal Ability' or what exactly is that?" The woman wondered, looking up at it. "Doesn't look like a very pure 'Kineticism' if you ask me... But it might be worth obtaining it, I'm low on 'Kineticism' anyway." Sighed the man, showing the website. "You're really going to try and obtain that hellish ability? Do you think you would even be able to control it?" Questioned the woman while holding a bag in her other arm.

"Would or would it not matter, noone else is capable enough of controling that Anti-Demon weapon." Spoke the man, stepping aside. "Oh come on Torvald! You're way too observant about this simple weapon, is or is not necessary for your body. You're already strong enough, and who knows what kind of drawbacks that thing could bring..." The woman ran after him, when beginning to walk through the street.

"Setsuko, if I say that I'll receive it, I'm not going to back away. Besides, there's probably no one else who would actually dare to go back down into that stupid 'Hell'... Consider it guaranteed." Two of them passed through the street, when a man stepped before them, with a couple besides him.

"Have I just heard you talking about going to the 'Underworld'. How dumb could you be. You're already stupid enough so I recommend that you let the pros do it. That way you'll be able to stay alive in this beautiful city." Spoke the man, laughing crazily.

"Do you have some kind of problem?" Torvald wondered, having his right hand in the pocket, and due to the wind his white uniform waved, and his long orange hair alongside it. "Come on then, shut up! Nobody asked for your stupidity to bulge out, right at us." Angrily spoke Setsuko, while stepping to the front. "Come on then? Seriously, you believe we'll just leave. I'm not leaving, not until I break your noses, so that you got to worry of something else." The man stepped forward, tensing his palms and cracking his neck, when stepping in front of Torvald, smiling and looking down at him.

But, as for Torvald, all he did was looking at the man's chest, then slowly looking up. "I can crush a little mouse like you, just tell me where I should start." Laughed the man, when Torvald dared to speak. "Start on yourself, you'll get less hurt." And like any other punks and foolish people, the man instantly became annoyed at what Torvald spoke. "I think your head should do just fine." In seconds, the man reached for his left arm when Torvald closed his eyes and in instantly caught the man's fatter arm, when turning his left palm to face the man's wrist and then forcibly striking the man into the left arm's elbow, which forced his bones to crack and immediately made the man cry out of pain, once Torvald jumped and roundly kicked forward, knocking the man aside onto the floor, while everyone in that area became surprised and afraid.

"My arm! You little shit! I'll make you-" The man tried to convince Torvald, but right in that moment, Torvald kicked the man in the face when his teeth bounced forward and made him bleed from the nose, mouth and forehead. From that moment, Torvald grabbed a broken glass bottle when smashed it on the man's head, which injured him even more, causing the shattered glass to be cut into the man's brain, which instantly made him pass out.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" Tim came running from the group, when crouching right at the man who was knocked out. "Tim, stop! You shouldn't begin unnecessary fights!" Ayuka shouted, when running behind him. "What the hell were you thinking. Are you stupid? He needs an urgent hospitalization!" Tim shouted, when standing up. "Who're you? Some kind of his helper?" Wondered Torvald. "That's none of your concern. Don't you see, you just nearly killed this guy!" Tim shouted, while the people were looking at him.

"It really doesn't matter. He began the fight, I only defended myself." Torvald spoke, moving his left hand on his hip, and closing his eyes. "By almost 'killing' him? Even if he did attack you, you didn't have to go that far!"

"Just shut up and keep yourself away from me. It's none of your concern as you said it yourself." Torvald spoke, but the moment he said so, Tim reached for the man's collar and lifted it up. "Are you trying to provoke me?! Are you that stupid?" Tim questioned, when Torvald sighed. "Before you get hurt as well. Maybe you should let go of my clothes." Claimed Torvald when grabbing his wrist. "I'm not letting go of somebody who fatally attacked this guy!" But in the moment, he said so, Ayuka called out. "Tim, would you stop! We can bring him to the hospital, just don't star these fights in the middle of the city!" Ayuka called, once Tim's mouth shook.

"What?! You just expect me to accept this kind of actions?!" But when Tim faced behind, Ayuka spoke. "I know! You're upset, but really. If you begin unnecessary fights in the middle of the city, do you know how many people can die additionally? Think about it!" Called Ayuka, when Torval added back. "Yeah, you should listen to your lovely girlfriend." Claimed Torvald, which was still making Tim pissed, but at last he pulled his arm away. "Damn bastard...."

"Now, get out of my way, I was headed somewhere else, not to be stopped by such fools as yourselves." By that, Torvald pushed Tim aside, when Setsuko followed him. "You damn-" But right as he tried to grab him, Tim's left arm was grabbed, stopped by Ayuka. "That's enough! We've gotta meet up with Codey and Elliot at the Center." She spoke, when Tim's mouth once again shook, due to anger, once forcibly pulling his left arm away from Ayuka's grip.

"... That bastard ... Can't wait to get my hands on him, the moment I leave you..." Tim spoke, once helping the man to lean up against the wall and called the nearest ambulance.

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City - City Center - Tuesday, 5:00 p.m.]

Tim and Ayuka finally arrived to the meeting point. "We're here." Ayuka called, once both of them stopped in front of the monument that could work in opening the portal. "This was the portal that lead to the 'Underworld'. But we had Zero on our side last time. So maybe, there is a chance after all." Elliot explained, while sitting on a bench next to Codey, who was observing it.

"This was the place you and Ayuka came out of, right?" Wondered Tim, sighing. "Don't forget about Tsuneo, he helped us out too." Codey added, while Tim confirmed. "Oh, right, he. What even happened to him. I haven't seen him much in the 'Guild'..."

"He and his sister Ryoko... Both of them returned to their parents. They were shocked after hearing that their parents weren't dead... In any case, we should begin to think on how to enter the 'Underworld'..." Codey spoke, when Tim stepped forward. "Maybe it would need some sort of Activation..." The moment Codey thought about it, he summoned his 'Abyssal Essence' once reaching with his arm forward, but as much as he believed that would be the entrance, it was useless, when Ayuka looked around and reached into her bottom pocket, behind her, when grabbing a key. "My mother did gave me this... So maybe, it'll work... Although, it's not guaranteed." Ayuka claimed, stepping to the front. "W-wait. What even is that?" Elliot questioned, leaning onto the bench.

"It's supposedly a key that could open a portal, I'm not sure if it is the right one. But, we can try..." Ayuka claimed, when crouching before the monument, when immediately sighting a keyhole, in which moment she inserted it and twisted it, in which moment the key was eaten and instantly the portal began form, when Ayuka backed away, next to Tim and Codey.

"Is it actually working?" Codey wondered, while looking at it. "Seems so... But how long does it form-" But Tim's mouth where interrupted when the portal opened up immediately. "It's done. I suppose my mother managed to recover enough strength to open the portal within seconds. This should be walk-through-able..." Ayuka added when the four of them gazed inside of it. "I haven't been to the 'Underworld' for a while, wonder what happened to it, while we were away..." But at last, without time wasted, Torvald and Setsuko stalked them, when Torvald became annoyed.

"That girl's suspicious. She had the key to opening the portal as if it was her key item... Setsuko... Let's follow them, I believe that the 'abilty' we have searched for is indeed in there. Hurry."

"Right, got it!" The two of them dashed behind the four of our Heroes, when entering the portal, and within seconds, there was no sign of anybody.

[Underworld - Gateway - Tuesday, 5:02 p.m.]

Tim, Codey, Elliot and Ayuka came appearing from the red portal, when stopping right before the rocky hill's edge, came in contact of the view, but what has changed was surprising. There was no lava to be seen in the areas as if it was vaporized in similarities like water, and there were barely many places left to visit. "I see what they meant with the 'Underworld' not fully erased. It remained in the same rubble the last time we left. I guess the lava somehow disappeared." Tim claimed, when Elliot grabbed a white flag and began to wave it in front of his face.

"This is so hot. How the hell were you able to battle down here in all of those clothes?" Elliot's body was already watering, when Tim, Codey and Ayuka looked at him. "Trust me. If this is hot for you, then you don't want to know how brutally hot it was back then where there was still Lava..." Claimed Tim, when dropping down. "Be careful, there might be some Demons left and some cracked areas." Even after warning, the rest dropped after Tim when landing on the floor and stopped. "So, Codey. Where exactly do we need to go. I would've guess that you had the most ideal direction to go to." Tim claimed, crossing with his arms. "I'm not really sure where. But I'm quite aware that we should go into the opposite direction that the 'Jail Cell' stood."

And at last, the four of them accepted and without regrets, ran into the opposite direction, when Torvald and Setsuko arrived.

"So... This is the 'Underworld'.... What a lovely place..."

To be continued...