Chapter 17: The Beginning of the End

"I didn't think Lord Masahiro was the type of person to want an apprentice. Much less save a child." Cher hummed to the unnamed child, who was still weary of interacting with her fully.

"That's because YOUR version of Lord Masahiro isn't the one I'm looking for." answered the child, who raised more questions than answers.

"MY version? What the hell are you talking about, kid?"

"I meant exactly what I said! You mean you've been traveling this entire time with the guy, and not once have you questioned him about his ambitions?"

"I'm not sure if I even understand you anymore."

"Fine. According to legends, he gave his cells up for human genetic research and was eventually brought back through a process of reanimation. Which is who everyone recognizes him as now. Including yourself. For all we know, his real title isn't even Lord Masahiro. That title goes to his disciple."

Cher couldn't believe anything she was currently hearing. Throughout her entire career as a fellow researcher, she'd been paired with Lord Masahiro and worked with him to further develop the art of alchemy. She'd no idea the person she'd been around was a fake. Frankly, she couldn't just dismiss her own criticism and skepticism about the bizarre story, but she couldn't deny she was curious. So, sitting down in the chair across the table, she crossed her legs and straightened her back, as she stared at the kid.

"Then, who's his sensei?"

Sensei was the common word for "teacher."

"Huh?! You seriously don't know?! And here I thought researchers were supposed to be smart or something."

"You're pushing your luck here, kid!"

"Relax lady! You'd better be thankful I'm telling you all of this!" -the child sighed- "His name is...Inoichi Nikkari."

"!"

'Inoichi Nikkari?! There's no way in hell that man is- he's been dead for years now!'

Inochi Nikkari was a man completely shrouded in mystery, according to the new generation. However, because their teachings were occasionally linked through the history and stories of the legendary Inoichi Asuma, even the new generation feared his name, despite not knowing anything about his physical appearance. And those who knew what he looked like were either killed by a secret technique to keep his identity a secret, or were baited into receiving a curse seal put on their tongues to prevent further information from being leaked.

"Then who…who the hell is Lord Masahiro?!"

"Like I told you. He's one of his oldest disciples. I heard he had a wife and a son, before he left to study alchemy."

'So Lord Masahiro was a real person, only to be a loyal disciple of Inoichi Nikkari. But this still doesn't explain his disappearance or this kid's sudden appearance. But, since he's here, he could be of some use to me.' Cher thought to herself, before she found herself smiling at the kid, who was already walking to the front door of the hideout.

"Where are you going!?"

"Where does it look like I'm going?" the kid retorted immediately, turning to face Cher. "What I'm looking for isn't here. So there's no point in staying here."

"Perhaps. But we happened to be looking for different things, but they're tied to the same person."

"What are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a W- a Dog. A big one. His fur is as white as snow and his eyes as blue as the ocean. If you can help me find him, I'll help you find Lord Masahiro."

"A Dog? If you're looking for one of those, you can go to Jùzàiyīqi City. They have Dogs there!"

"You saw him there?!"

"How should I know? I don't pay attention to things like that."

"If they are there, then maybe we'll have a good chance at finding Lord Masahiro. Let's go, kid."

"Shoji. My name is Shoji."

"Shoji." -Cher walks over to the child and looks at him while grinning at him- "My name is Cher."

In Azure Valley, Kira had taken Tazuna and Riku back to his dwelling, where he was casually brewing a few cups of green tea, along with some leftover snacks he had saved during his days leading up to his upcoming exam. Tazuna and Riku both were externally astonished and internally broken when they heard the hard-to-believe story of their youngest friend taking down a complete stranger. From the way Kira animated his wild movements, the story started to become more and more unlikely, until it sounded nothing more than a child's imaginative dream. Nonetheless, Kira remained steadfast about his experiences, only to receive a pat on the head from Tazuna, who grinned at him.

"You did good, Kira."

"You're seriously rewarding him?!" Riku asked, obviously feeling the exact opposite, though it was for a completely different reason. "He destroyed half of the entire valley! And the forest is irreplaceable!"

"What?!" Kira barked, jumping back at Riku's words.

"It's not as bad as you think." Tazuna corrected immediately, quickly dismissing Riku's claims despite them being true. "There aren't any Animal Clans who occupy the Azure Valley. Don't be so frightened."

"Oh thank goodness! That's good to know!"

'This is exactly why this kid is the way he is now.' Riku thought to himself, as he watched Tazuna spoiling Kira, much to his dismay, 'The kid can't learn anything if you keep sheltering him!'

"So when are your exams?" Kira asked, as he poured the hot green tea into ceramic cups. "They can't be too far off if you two were given permission to travel."

"Kira. We're Wolves! Have you forgotten? We don't conform to the rules of the Humans!" Riku stated immediately as a growl could be heard from deep within his vocal cords.

"Then why are we even here? We've traveled all this way, only to get thrown into Human School!"

"We're here to be National Guardians. Simple as that." Tazuna answered simply, as he took a small sip from his cup.

"What the hell does that even mean?!" Riku asked bluntly, staring at his close friend and self proclaimed king. "We've been stuck here in the same damn place for nearly a year and nothing has changed!"

"Change doesn't happen at first glance, Riku. For something as grand as our goal, it'll take time to see proper results."

"Yeah!" Kira agreed quickly, giving Tazuna a boost of unneeded yet comforting confidence, "after the exams, we'll be able to reunite with Ace and the others again!"

"You seriously ran off and actually made friends with those Humans?!"

"Well… not by choice. I just happened to meet them while you were arguing with that girl."

"Tch. That girl doesn't mean shit to me. She's only like that because she thinks I'm attractive."

"Who's to argue with that?" Tazuna asked boldly, causing Riku to nearly choke on his tea, while Kira smiled happily, before agreeing blindly.

"Yeah! You and Tazuna are the coolest looking Human boys ever!"

"Oh? And what does that make you, Kira?"

"The cutest!"

"Cliche." Riku teased, before laughing along with his friends.

After a while, Kira had fallen asleep on Tazuna's lap, his head snuggled up on the older one's muscular yet soft thigh, while he and Riku enjoyed the silence of the peacefulness of the valley and the natural beauty that came with it. Before long, Riku looked over at Tazuna, who seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts. As his mind drifted to the past, the Grey Wolf could see the image of his friend's mother, the Queen, through her surviving child. Seeing such a powerful image spoke a thousand words that he just couldn't form. If it hadn't been for the graces of his mother's convincing words of encouragement and nurturing nature, Riku wouldn't have survived for as long as he did. And neither would have Tazuna.

"Tazuna." Riku spoke up, before turning his full attention to the Arctic Wolf sitting beside him. "Once this is over, what are your next ambitions?"

"To get married and live a leisurely life." Tazuna answered, his tone being somewhat sarcastic, which nearly made Riku blow another fuse.

"But you're the king. You can't just give up that lifestyle! At least, not without bearing kids first."

"Are you suggesting that I follow through with the plan then?"

"What?"

Tazuna had long hated the ideas of arranged marriages, and such was a tradition that was founded by the Wolf Clan for many years, as a means of keeping the bloodlines strong and unified. Unlike most marriages from the other Clans, who simply married for power and control and dominance, Wolf Clans performed arranged marriages for Nation unity and for stronger alliances between the families and for the well being of their suggested mates. But arranged marriages were conducted very differently than those of the Humans. According to the Wolf Clan customs, once an heir became of age, they were groomed and given a purification bathe to symbolize their readiness for a mate and to strengthen their pheromones with chemical enhancing herbs and minerals added to the water. Afterwards, they were taken to their specific dwelling and were given gifts by potential males, who came to greet the heir and to win their favor. However, winning the favor wasn't simply through gifts. The heir based their judgement on natural skills and potential leadership, as well as mental strength. Once the heir chose their potential mates, they were given offerings to the Spirits, in exchange for their blessings. If the Spirits accept the pairing, the heir and their mate will be destined to live a long and fruitful life. However, if the exact opposite would occur, the Spirits would often plague the Clans for such a match and the heir would lose their ability to bear any future heirs. So such a selection had to be done with extreme caution and care.

Tazuna had long since been given a potential mate long before he was even conceived. This was a very special selection known as Early Selection, and was only given to those Wolves born on the night of the Blood Moon. Birthing an heir during a Blood Moon was an extremely rare occasion and occurrence, which usually was seen as a gift or a curse, depending on the circumstances of the kingdom at that time. It was only made a recent experiment that a Wolf heir would marry a Deer heir, even though the ties between the two Clans were already strong enough to be made official, even without arranged marriages.

In Tazuna's case, he truly despised marrying a female Deer, ever since he innocently declared his loyalty to Riku, when they were merely Cubs. Such a declaration was often seen as a cute gesture of close friendship between the prince and his personal guard. Even Riku saw it as such and harshly chastised the young prince for making the claim and saying it was "impossible" for two male Wolves to marry each other. Let alone fall in love.

"You know I don't like arranged marriages." Tazuna explained, as he looked down at Kira, before gently stroking his head.

"Regardless of that, you can't disobey your Clan. Your entire kingdom is dependent on that marriage." Riku hissed quietly, as he was already chastising his friend about eagerly wanting to disobey the rules of the Wolf Clan.

"That's what's so wrong with this world now."

"What… do you mean by that?"

"This world is too dependent on everyone surviving because of one person doing all the work needed to keep it moving. If everyone participated, then we'd be better off living in peace and freedom."

'Tazuna…'

"So that means, I'm not marrying Ha'lu."

"But even so, how are you going to explain it to your mother? Surely this is something she'd want. Right?"

"My mother has always been the one to follow the rules. That much I do know and respect her for that. But she also encouraged me to follow what I believe, as long as it's for the greater good and not for my own personal gain."

"Heh. It's no wonder you remind me so much of each other. You two even sound alike."

"But…"

"Hm?"

Tazuna paused for a quick moment to gather his thoughts, as he placed a hand over his beating heart.

"I don't know why. But I feel this strong emotion that I'd never felt before. Or, maybe it was always there and I never bothered to pay attention to it until recently."

"What emotion?! You're not sick or anything, are you? Do I need to craft a remedy for you?" Riku asked immediately, an instant look of worry crossing his face.

"I'm fine, Riku. I'm not sick or anything." Tazuna answered with a small laugh, as he shook his head slowly. "It's nothing like that."

"Then what kind of emotion is it?"

"Young Master..." spoke a voice directly in front of the two Wolves.

Looking down, the Wolves noticed a small blue tinted crow with a single ruby pendant hanging around its neck. Its recognizable eyes stared at the Arctic Wolf with disbelief, as it couldn't contain his emotions, as it spread its wings over Tazuna's neck, hugging him.

"Muir? Is…that you?" Tazuna asked, clearly not expected to be reunited with his attendant and messenger.

"It is, Young Master! I've looked for you everywhere!" Muir acknowledged with joy, as he cawed softly, feeling the same sensation of soft fur he long missed.

"How the hell did you get here? How did you know we were here?" Riku asked, as he asked the Crow the important questions.

"Master Guard Riku. I've been wanting to see you again. You see…"

Muir acknowledged the Grey Wolf, who was given the special title by Tazuna's father. As he explained his journey to find the young prince, he explained thoroughly about the events that transpired since their sudden disappearance. The kingdom of the Northern Region has been thrown into disarray due to his father's absence, but with the help of Tazuna's mother and Riku's father, they managed to keep the Wolf Clan a float. And it was during his travels through the Azure Valley (or at least what's left of it), he bumped into Kira, who spoke of an Arctic Wolf, who claimed to be a prince by mouth of a Grey Wolf.

"That's a relief." Tazuna spoke calmly.

"A relief?! How is that a relief?" Riku scolded harshly, growling at Tazuna. "Without a proper ruler, anyone can take over the throne and directly challenge Her Highness!"

"As much as I hate to disagree with you Young Master, but he's right." Muir agreed, before bowing apologetically, before continuing. "But without a proper male heir, then your position as heir is already in grave danger. General Akiyashi and Royal Guard Ha'ta, can only do so much. You must return home!"

"Muir's right. You've avoided your responsibilities long enough!"

"I can't leave." came the response that shocked Riku and Muir to their very core.

"WHY THE HELL NOT?!" Riku shrieked, waking Kira, who groaned sleepily.

"My job isn't finished here. I can't abandon the Humans when they haven't been taught a proper lesson."

"Young Master! You can't do this! Have you forgotten your entire existence was only made possible BECAUSE of the Humans?! They were the ones directly responsible for your kingdom's fallout!" Muir argued, clearly worrying for the mental state of the bionic Wolf, who seemed so calm and collected about the situation as a whole.

"As long as I wanted revenge on the Humans for what they've taken from me and destroyed, we were given this strange ability for a reason. Which means, if we abandon our task now, we will lose all sense of purpose and our efforts will be wasted."

Riku and Muir looked at Tazuna with a look of disbelief, shock, and disgust, respectfully. They had been engraved with the task of keeping order within the kingdom and the ones who made sure the oath of the Wolf Clan would remain the focus for the future generations. However, because of their traumatic experiences brought about by the Institution, and their mysterious cloaking abilities, the Wolves couldn't help but feel a strong sense of urgency pulling them closer to their enemies. Fight as hard as they might, it was the String of Fate keeping them from sinking.

"Just let us become National Guardians. After that, we'll return home and settle things within the Animal Kingdom."

"You're starting to act just like them!" Riku growled, causing Muir to caw loudly.

"Y-You're seriously going along with this?! Doing so will be a direct opposition of the Animal Kingdom!"

"He's always been that way. Once he's got his mind set on something, there's no chance in hell anyone's changing it. Besides, it's my responsibility to keep him safe. I can't choose to abandon him."

"Well, as Young Master's loyal messenger, I'll take full responsibility of sending the message to the Royal Family!"

"You're coming with us." Tazuna ordered immediately, confusing the defenseless Crow even more.

"Huh?! Why me?!"

"Why not you?" Riku asked with a narrow eyed stare, as he glared at the Crow. "You dare defy the heir?"

"You were just doing the same thing a few minutes ago! And this time is different!"

"And how is THIS different? Do enlighten me."

"Because I have nothing to do with the Humans!"

"Defying the heir is a direct insult to Ok'u! You'd better bless the Spirits for allowing you to keep squawking!"

"Riku. Muir. That's enough." Tazuna ordered immediately, as he was already in his Wolf form and snuggled next to Kira. "If you're going to argue, then go outside."

"My apologies, Young Master!" Muir acknowledged, bowing before hopping to his usual spot on the window sill to sleep.

"I hope you know what the hell you're getting us into." Riku warned, as he laid near the shojo door, as he was often keeping an eye out for danger.

"I promised to keep us safe. I don't intend to break that promise." Tazuna spoke quietly, as he looked over at Riku, before falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Kira had packed his belongings up in a chest and was awaiting Master Yao to see him off. Tazuna and Riku weren't with him during that moment, as they left early that same morning to hunt for whatever food they could catch. Muir had opted to stay behind, as he didn't trust the older Human and wanted to keep the Red Wolf well protected. As Kira stood in the garden, awaiting the red and golden carriage to transport him and his friends back to Jùzàiyīqi City, Master Yao walked up to the young disguised Wolf with a small wooden lacquered box.

"Master!" Kira chirped, visibly surprised to see the attractive man walking towards him, before bowing to him. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Kira." Master Yao greeted, as he smiled softly, almost sadly, at the young boy. "Are you excited to be a disciple of the Five Heavenly Sects?"

"Yeah, of course! But…"

"But what?"

'But there's no way he's ever going to truly witness the true nature of Humans!' Muir thought to himself, as he spied on the Red Wolf and the Human from a distant tree. 'Just what the hell are these Wolves doing?!'

"But I don't want to stop being your disciple! This past year has been the best I could've ever experienced! Through the training and punishments, and meditation practices, I can truly say it was an honor to be your disciple!"

Master Meng Yao swallowed a gasp that nearly escaped his lips. His always calm expression was now one of surprise and approval, as he felt his chest instinctively tighten as he stared at the boy, he groomed the once talentless stranger into a new breed of potential that he'd been more than proud to look after with stern yet nurturing training. A sudden memory of a past disciple shown through Kira's image, all but reminding the teacher of his past experience and the heavy cost it took on him as a whole. Burying the thought back into his subconsciousness, Master Meng Yao merily grinned affectionately at Kira.

"It was an honor to be your instructor. My home is always open for you. And your friends."

"!"

'How did he know about Tazuna and Riku?! Wait– did he see them in their true form?!' Kira asked himself, before immediately denying it. 'No! No! That can't be right! Tazuna and Riku left just before the sun came up, so they wouldn't be seen! And Muir had been with me the entire time. So there's no way he could've seen them this morning!'

"Calm yourself, Kira." chuckled Master Yao, who presented the box, "it's much too early to obtain Qi Turbulence. You still have an exam to complete."

"Right!" Kira gasped, straightening up, as his curiosity focused on the box. "What's in the box?"

'Is that a trap?!' Muir squawked loudly, before hiding in a nearby patch of canopy leaves, 'I knew that Human was up to something! And you trust him?! You're every bit as naive as I thought! But the Young Master has given me specific instructions to keep watch and not interfere.'

"It's a gift from me to you. Think of it as a graduation gift for being my disciple."

Kira smiles gleefully and bowed while receiving the box, which Master Meng Yao presented carefully. The box had a surprisingly decent amount of weight, despite the box itsf being relatively small. Kira felt the natural woodwork of the box, as it was crafted from cherry wood and smoothly lacquered with a brown substance that allowed the box to shine. It even had a delicate vanilla scent as well. On the lid of the wooden box, were the words:

"Keep your eyes to the sky. But keep your soul grounded."

Those were the words Kira had long remembered, since he found the inspiration he needed to reach a higher sense of appreciation for his friends and to protect those who were important to him. He never forgot about the Ox warrior, O're, and his Human companion, Yu'Bi, and the ambition he made to free them of their looping past. To himself, to grow stronger so as not to be seen as the weak link within his pack. And to his friends, to protect them if he ever needed to rise to such a challenge.

"This gift cannot be opened until you've reached your destination." Master Meng Yao clarified, giving Kira specified instructions with his typical calming voice.

Kira nodded silently as he smiled brightly.

Suddenly, a loud neigh immediately sounded behind Kira, who whirled around to see the red and golden carriage rolling with a bumpy motion down the path that led to the outer courtyard of the garden. It was then, he saw Yoshiko enthusiastically waving at him, the biggest smile plastered on her face. She looked like a fairy maiden with her gorgeously beautiful silk lavender robes and braided hair, which was pinned in a variety of small loops and buns and fastened together with jade and wooden hair sticks. Her face was even properly done with a thin layer of makeup, allowing her natural beauty to shine more prominently.

"Kira! Over here!" Yoshiko laughed happily, eager to be reunited with her new friend, who she hadn't met in almost a full year.

"Yo…shiko?" Kira asked, clearly not being able to recognize the girl right away despite having a near photographic memory. "Woah! Is that really you?!"

"Of course it's me!"

The carriage eventually stopped and Master Meng Yao walked over and opened the door for Yoshiko, who politely took his hand, as she stepped out of the horse drawn carriage. Kira had only met her very briefly and only managed to remember her name. She rushed up to Kira and hugged him tightly, practically crushing his still tiny body against her own.

"You just look absolutely adorable in your new outfit!" she squealed with excitement, causing Master Meng Yao to smile awkwardly at their interaction.

"Choking. Not…breathing!" Kira choked out, as he tried to wriggle free from the girl's unusually strong grasp.

"Oh! That reminds me! You haven't seen Riku around here, have you? I want to show him my new look!"

"What new look?" asked a familiar voice from behind her.

Yoshiko whirled around and saw Riku and Tazuna coming back from their unsuccessful hunting spree, as they couldn't raise suspension if they suddenly appeared with blood on their clothing. Tazuna had walked to Kira, who ran up to meet the disguised Arctic Wolf with the biggest hug he could manage. However, it was Riku who spoke first, his comment directed straight at Yoshiko, who was absolutely lovestruck when she saw Riku in his breathtaking beauty. He resembled a majestic swan in his cream and earth toned colored robes and ice white hair. His emeralds seemed to be brighter than usual, as he stared at Yoshiko, who smiled bashfully.

"Well? How do I look?" she asked, winking at the uninterested looking older teen. "Do I look more like a woman to you now?"

"You resemble a broken porcelain doll." Riku rudely admired, before crossing his arms over his chest. "Now get back on board the carriage or I'll tie you to the wheel and have you dragged back!"

As the farewells had been said, the carriage was ready to depart for Jùzàiyīqi City. Kira said nothing at first, as he tightly clutched onto his otherwise unopened box. But it wasn't until at the last second, did he suddenly speak up, forcing the carriage to stop automatically. Riku and Tazuna jolted from the rapid stop, as Yoshiko grabbed onto the seat to keep from falling.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Riku scolded loudly, "you nearly got us injured!"

"This'll only take a second!" Kira answered, before setting the box in his seat and opening the carriage door.

"Kira?" Master Meng Yao asked himself, before feeling the small boy tightly wrap his arms around his waist in a warm embrace.

"Thank you…"

Master Meng Yao looked down at his disciple and felt a hurtful smile cross his face. He'd only grown to know the young boy for about a year, but there were so many similarities he saw in the boy that resembled his last student. Instinctively, the attractive man wrapped his arms around Kira, returning the gesture and abandoning the greeting gestures to savor the microscopic amount of time they had together.

"I should be the one to thank you, Kira." Master Meng Yao confessed thoughtfully, stroking the boy's rust colored hair. "You've taught me so much more about myself than I realized. You're such an inspiration to those around you."

When the two finally separated, Kira smiled with tears streaming down his face, before turning back and joining his friends inside the carriage. By that time, he had dried his eyes and sat by the curtained window, hiding the mysterious box in his arms and against his small chest. Tazuna maternally stroked the kid's head, causing him to smile proudly and peacefully, as he finally found the meaning in life to continue with his journey.

"You really stopped the carriage to hug him?" Riku asked sourly, obviously unhappy with seeing the display of affection between a Wolf and a Human. "If you wanted to stay with him that badly, you didn't have to come back!"

"Are you feeling left out, Riku?" Yoshiko asked, flirting with the aggressive beast, who didn't waste any time to snap on her.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!"

As Cher and Shoji flew slowly over the country lands, the researcher was looking through the various files on her large holographic computer. Her face was focused on her work, her fingers clicking over the keyboard, which was also holographic. The spacious interior was barren, except for the airship's control panels and a seat stationed directly in the middle of the ship. This was where Shoji was lazily seated. He was bored. More bored than he ever felt in his young life. He'd been in the airship since last night, stopping only twice to refuel in top secret fueling stations that were located in an underground gas facility, that were directly responsible for providing gas and electric fuel to the Noble airships.

"Why are you so concerned about a Dog?" Shoji asked randomly and suddenly, as he couldn't withstand the silence any longer. "Is he a pet or something?"

"You could say that." Cher answered blindly, as she didn't stop typing on her keyboard, as more screens and surveillance appeared in front of her.

"Maybe the Dog ran away because he doesn't want to be found."

'This damn kid.' Cher thought, her eyebrow twitching with irritation, as she found herself bary holding herself together from the lack of sleep and extensive research she put herself through.

"I just don't see the point in that. Huh?"

Shoji noticed a flash out of the corner of his eye. But when he turned his attention to the view window near the sealed door of the airship, he was violently thrown to the floor!

BOOM!

The airship was knocked vertically, as sirens blared wildly and frantically. Cher was also thrown to the floor, her glasses cracking on impact and sliding to the other side of the airship. As both individuals struggled to get up, Shoji felt his head had a gash, as blood trickled down his face, causing him to groan in confusion and pain. He looked over at Cher, who hurried towards the airship's control panels and after fumbling with a few buttons and switches, she aggressively pulled the airship up from its rapid descent onto the ground below. The powerful fuel rockets that gave power to the airship, blasted the forest apart, the intense heat from the larger boosters setting the trees ablaze and melted any rocky material into pure lava. The airship bulldozed a path through the forest, before finally pulling up back into the sky and above the forest, or at least what was left of it.

"What the heck was that?!" Shoji asked frantically, as he tried to keep himself upright through the rough turbulence.

"It's another airship!" Cher answered frantically and hurriedly, as she turned the yoke control wheel quite hard and quickly, causing the airship to lurch to the right, nearly throwing the kid back to the floor.

As the airship circled back around, Cher activated Bird's Eye, which was an advanced scope surveillance system that each airship had a different variation of, according to where the airship was built and designed. She saw a large airship inspired by an incredibly large serpentine dragon, firing blazing heat lasers at the circular looking airship that Cher was operating. Thankfully, however, the female researcher was well trained with operating the complex controls of the airship, thanks to Lord Masahiro's tutelage. Lasers and bullets rained upon the earth, tearing apart the ground, vaporizing the nearby waterfalls and lakes, and ripping up the base of the Six Paths Mountain range. This particular mountain range was a natural barrier between the smaller Nation, Grotto Cavern Nation, and Watergate Bridge, which was a man made bridge that was once used as a backdoor supply chain during the First National War. It was also used to connect Grotto Cavern Nation to another smaller area known as the Waterfall Mist Nation.

"Huh? What the hell is that?" asked a rather confused and slightly carefree voice.

The slightly middle aged man was trekking his way through the border of the Central Region, as he had important business to attend to in Jùzàiyīqi City. Little did he know he'd wandered right into the middle of a power struggle between Nobles. He stopped and stared at the sky, which was lit up like an advanced laser light show! He appeared to be just like any normal individual, sporting fiery snow white hair and incredibly dark brown eyes, with a hint of red tint to them, if one were to muster the courage to do so. His shoulders were protected with plated samurai armor, resembling that of crocodile scales with an attached fur collar that clamped together over his chest. His stylized red and black clothing resembled that of a traditional samurai, including his hakama pants. On the left side was a golden dragon design. On the right, was a golden outline of a tiger. He didn't carry any weapons on his person, aside from an incredibly large longbow, a waterproof canister of iron tipped arrows, and a long nodachi sword strapped to his back.

His nodachi sword, in particular, was an incredible looking weapon that required an immense amount of upper body and core strength to wield, and even greater mental and spiritual strength to use and control it. Throughout the history of these swords, the Five Great Nations have had their fair share of weapon inventions, including the famous longbows, and advanced flying technology that could be used only by those who could infuse their qi within the metal gears and mechanical joints. However, those special weapons were only exclusive outside of the mainland, only a few years after the First National War.

Weapons then moved to the Nobles, who refined the use of alchemy to construct airships that were once used for military and humanitarian purposes. However, after the Nobles realized their fundings were rapidly being depleted due to the insanely high costs of the war efforts, they created a treasury among the Nations and only supplied the Nations with enough funds to get them over the tough hurdle of establishing their lives again. However, despite the truce that was set among the Five Great Nations and after a blank period of peace, the Nations remained at odds with each other, which caused a variant of different lifestyles to be established among the five areas.

The older man retraced his steps, before realizing just how powerful the airships' strikes and laser beams were against the fragile earth below them. Closing his eyes, he spiritually opened a variation of the Third Eye, which was his secret technique, Mind Force. This special variation of the Third Eye, allowed him to give him an internal view of any thick surface, be it a building or in this case, an airship. But aside from seeing through difficult materials, the Mind Force allowed the user to subconsciously control and/or communicate and track their marked targets by creating an invisible tunnel telescope with his vision.

Seeing through the invisible barrier of the airships, and through the enhanced metal frame, he saw Cher and Shoji struggling to keep their own airship a float, as they fired dangerously hot lasers. He knew the Nobles were an elite group of various highly valuable, power hungry families, who've had their own war waging on for many years. So many years in fact, that between the First and Second National War, the Noble War managed to weave its way through like an interlocking chain. They were also very advanced alchemy users who were also known for hiring researchers to gather better and grander information to use to further enhance their weapons and airships. But he also knew the Noble War had cost the lives of many people to be lost, simultaneously.

"Hidden Mist Cloak!"

By retracting condensation from the atmosphere around the airships and concentrating the moisture in the dense looking clouds, the excessive weight of the moisture created a thick layer of fog like mist around the airships, causing both occupants to seize fire. It also allowed those caught within this misty cloak to safely retreat, as their visibility was compromised to the point of nearly being blind. This was the effect of the allusive technique of the Hidden Mist Cloak.

The two airships chose to retreat in the opposite direction, as the older man soon dropped the technique, only after the range of distance between the airship and his directed Water and Wind Elements and combined qi, had grown too vast to keep the technique going. As he watched the airship vanish within the distant hillside, he couldn't help but get the ominous feeling that the treat of the Nobles were starting to regain traction within the world, which only started out of curiosity to repurpose the usage of alchemy and overthrow one another in a never ending thirst for power.

"Lady Kiyo should know about this." spoke the older man, before turning his attention back to his intended path into Jùzàiyīqi City.

In Jùzàiyīqi City, Tazuna and his friends decided to go out for a very late lunch at a nearby ramen shop. On the account that Yoshiko insisted she'd pay for the meal herself. As the small group walked within the city streets, they were distracted enough to not notice the attention they were receiving among the citizens and Academy officials, who looked like they hadn't changed much at all during the past year.

"Wow! This place hasn't changed one bit!" Kira exclaimed, as he saw the unchanged structures of the buildings and the dirt and cobblestone streets that he always found interesting.

"It's only been a year, Kira." Riku criticized dryly, as his voice seemed to also have a slight trace of excitement as well.

Yoshiko and Tazuna laughed amongst themselves, as they were slowly becoming adjusted to each other's presence. The disguised Wolves' discussion and teasing were soon picked up by several Academy officials, who were just having a leisurely conversation, only to stop when they sensed an overwhelming yet strangely familiar aura. As they looked over, they saw the disguised Wolves walking together, along with Yoshiko.

"Is that?" asked Ibuki Yamada, who was stationed at the entrance of the Academy itself.

"You bet it is!" another man named Negi Yamaki exclaimed with an unusual amount of excitement.

Ibuki and Negi were more thrilled than most, as they were the ones who often saw the Wolves more than the other officials. Since they were assigned as official Academy recruiters, they would often make trips to each sect, to send and receive important letters from Lady Kiyo, to do welfare checks on the disciples, and to give them messages regarding the future of the disciples reuniting once they got back to Jùzàiyīqi City. Much like everyone else around them, everyone within Jùzàiyīqi City were incredibly apprehensive, even horrified, of crossing paths with the three unknown students who just randomly showed up in the middle of absolutely nowhere. But although they'd done nothing specific to gain the recognition of everyone else, other than to simply pass the Endurance Exam and return to take part of the Five Heavenly Sects Exam, the majority of the people thought they wouldn't be capable.

"Do you think they have what it takes to pass the Five Heavenly Sects Exam?" Negi asked, as he shifted his attention to Ibuki, who was still watching the group grow smaller as they walked away from them.

"Who knows. It's just surprising how they managed to make it this far." Ibuki answered, as he couldn't help but feel an urge of power rush over him. "Even though, we still have no information on them."

"Well, that's to be expected. We don't even know where to start on that."

"Excuse me." spoke a gruff and deepened baritone voice from directly in front of the Academy signing stall. "I'm looking for Lady Kiyo's office."

Ibuki and Negi both turned their attention to the voice and both immediately stood up in unison, as they recognized the man who stood brazenly and proudly in front of them. His presence made Ibuki and Negi immediately bow in their deepest respects as they were seeing the man that was seen of great importance.

"Guardian Arakawa!"

Kira had downed his third bowl of ramen, as he greedily drank from his upturned bowl. Yoshiko and Riku stared in equal shock and irritation, as he placed the bowl down on the counter in front of him. He sighed loudly, finally feeling satisfied with being full of pork and noodles and hot broth. Tazuna, who sat on the opposite side of Kira's left side, merely smiled at the Red Wolf's newfound love of the Human food.

"Do you have any kind of respect?!" Riku asked aggressively, as he felt personally disrespected by Kira's unorthodox eating habits. "Have you forgotten how we taught you to eat?!"

"Now, now Riku!" Yoshiko begged immediately awkwardly, gently gesturing to him to calm down. "He's still a kid. Just let him eat however he wants!"

"He wasn't raised to have such indecent manners!"

As the two continued to have a passive aggressive argument about the concepts of having proper table manners, Kira and Tazuna watched with awkwardness, as they comically watched their two comrades play out their empty and pointless argument. It was at that moment, they heard someone laughing from behind. The Wolves immediately focused their attention on the stranger, only to be met with a familiar yet unfamiliar looking face. Or faces. The young adult standing just behind the group had insanely long red hair with several braids weaved through his hair to make him look more elegant and equally bright red eyes. His hair was in a high ponytail and was adorned with a beautifully decorated headdress that was designed to resemble a traditional Chinese lion. His inner robes were red and white, while the outer robes were black and decorated with golden leaf and cloud patterns. And strapped to his back, was a Japanese shamisen. His smile seemed to strike a cord with Kira, who immediately recognized the spectator.

"Hahaha! I knew I recognized that loud voice from somewhere!" Ace acknowledged rather playfully, as he smiled even more.

"Ace! Woah…you look so different!" Kira gasped suddenly, before smiling back with happiness.

"Wait a sec."

Ace quickly walked over to Kira and gazed at his face seriously, as he tried his hardest to remember the kid's face. Once he saw exactly who Kira was, he couldn't hide his excitement any longer.

"Kira?! Woah! I almost mistook you for a girl!"

"Eh?! I'm not a girl!"

"Why can't you be? It's not fair that a boy like you can be so freaking cute! You're even cuter than Yoshiko!"

Yoshiko turned to Ace with a murderous aura surrounding her, causing Ace to freeze instantly. He already knew he'd been set on the top of Yoshiko's death list. And before anyone could stop her, she immediately summoned her incredibly large mallet and stomped her foot, displacing the earth around her shoe. Ace never got the chance to explain himself, before being smacked out of the ramen shop and across the street. He crashed into several vendor stalls, completely destroying them beyond repair. Yoshiko's temper flared wildly as she walked out of the ramen shop, only to be stopped by Shun, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere!

Shun was about the same height as Riku, only two inches shorter, being only six feet two inches tall. Yet despite how tall he was, his appearance still appeared different yet the same as the same time. His raven black hair was shimmering with tints of blue and purple when the sunlight refracted off his hair. His hair was also up in a high ponytail and adorned with a silver branch-like headdress made of iron. His robes were the exact same as Ace's, only his robe decorations were white instead of golden.

"Relax. He's done nothing wrong." Shun spoke, his typical monotonous voice being recognizable to her and the Wolves.

"Huh?" Yoshiko asked simply, her sudden temper flared was immediately distinguished, as she stared into Shun's ink black eyes.

When Yoshiko looked over Shun's shoulder, she realized the road and vendors were completely untouched. Ace was hiding behind Shun, who slowly appeared over his best friend's shoulder with a lopsided smile on his incredibly handsome and mature looking face. The Wolves had been left in complete shock as they just watched the entire scene seemingly vanish as soon as they blinked! It was as if the entire short violent fight had been nothing but an illusion.

'No way!' Riku gasped as his subconscious tried to peer within Shun's qi circulatory system, before discovering something astonishing. 'His qi system! It's not qi at all! It's chakra!'

"Anyway!" Ace spoke, derailing the conversation to a more laid-back and relaxed one. "Shun and I just got back a couple of nights ago! So when we heard you guys would be coming back, we wanted to see ya!"

"You heard about us returning?" Kira asked curiously, causing Ace to nod confidently.

"Yep! Everyone's waitin' for ya!"

"Why the hell would we want to meet with you? Or anyone else for that matter?" Riku rudely asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"R-Riku!" Kira shouted, surprised he'd be rude enough to disrespect the others who'd been waiting excitedly to meet them.

"I wonder how you managed to get into the Five Heavenly Sects Exam." Shun retorted calmly, as Riku growled aggressively.

"What the hell did you just say?!"

"Your temper is sickening. There's no way you'd have the patience to become a National Guardian."

"Go to Hell!"

"H-Hey Shun!" Ace immediately shouted, wrapping his arm around his close friend's shoulder, as he tried to deflect his emotionless aggression. "Why don't we go and check out the shopping market! I saw some really cool items for sale!"

"Didn't we already go there yesterday?"

"Aw come on! I want to buy a new fan!"

As Ace and Shun walked away from the group, Tazuna turned to Riku silently, who clicked his tongue in disgust. The two senior Wolves knew they had to undergo intense pressure and harassment against those others around them, since it wasn't any secret that they were essentially thrown into the Academy by chance without having any prior training or history with the Five Great Nations.

"So that's the deal, huh?" asked a free-spirited sounding man, who was visiting Lady Kiyo and Aki. "Nice! Nice!"

'Seriously? This guy is Mi'lady's choice? He's not actually dignified as a National War Hero.' Aki thought ideally, as he stood beside Priestess Kiyo's desk, as her assistance.

The man in question was the free-spirited, carefree, and excitable person with a boisterous personality. He harbored glossy, dark chocolate colored hair and milk chocolate colored eyes with a hint of hazel. His overall attire had reflected that of a samurai, complete with plated shoulder armor, fur collared jacket that fastened in the front of his chest, and modern stylized Chinese hanfu. On his back, he also held a long ootachi strapped to his back. As he casually stood in front of Priestess Kiyo, the meeting was only briefly interrupted by the office door swinging open. The unknown man's visible excitement was evident, as he smiled with pure happiness.

"Hiroshima! You're here too?! It's been a long time, my dear friend!"