Camille, Hugo, and Neil emerged from the Moving Bazaar.

  “There they are,” Marcus said, pointing. He and Gina rushed down.

  Camille and Neil kept walking towards the duo running in. But they soon realised that their captain had stopped. They looked back – the Zaatsu was standing with his head bowed. He had hardly moved five feet after emerging from the tunnel.

  “Bro?” Camille tried but could not get his attention.

  Marcus stopped where Camille and Neil were but Gina kept going. “Master Baylis!” she said, panting, as she stopped in front of Hugo. He looked up. “Master Baylis, I have a message from Master Norma.”

  He looked to his right – the direction from which Celestial Ki was still radiating. “He used the Diamond…”

  “What?”

  “I can feel a Celestial Ki residue in the air. It’s strong. Very strong.” The Zaatsu looked at her once more. “What happened?”

  “Oh…” She waited a moment before gulping. “Yeah… well… I’m not sure. But… ah…” She glanced back at Marcus. “We felt a weird sort of a wave of energy a few minutes ago.”

  “What’s the message from Master Norma?”

  “Right. Well, Master Naji has discovered hundreds of wizards of the Devil’s Hearth hiding inside a forest in Romania near Cluj-Napoca.”

  Wide-eyed, Hugo kept staring at the Sokidu. Camille, Marcus, and Neil walked over as well.

  “Everything alright, bro?” Camille asked.

  “That forest…”

  “What about it?”

  He looked at her then looked away whispering, “A ritual site…”

  Before the conversation could move any further, however, Neil said, “Guys…” and pointed at a cloaked figure approaching from afar. They could not see a face. They could barely sense any Ki radiating from the person either. All they could see was the white cloak and a walking cane.

  “It can’t be,” Hugo whispered and moved a step ahead.

  Although taking slow steps, the person with a slightly hunched back approached the Zeta Squad quickly. He looked up – white beard, overgrown white brows, a mole on his left cheek and scars on the right – they were in the presence of a legend.

  Half bowed, the Zaatsu smiled. “Master Al Gohari. I didn’t expect to see you here, sir.”

  ‘Did he just say Al Gohari?’ Camille was confused. She had met Mustaqeem Al Gohari just a few days before. But this old man in the white cloak looked different. ‘He looks… older…’

  The Mystic emeritus looked at the young Sokidu and smiled. “Confused by my appearance, kiddo?” he asked, his voice raspy and deep. “I had worn one then which you’d recognise… similar to the famous photographs of the ‘80s.”

  Placing a hand on Hugo’s shoulder, he took a deep breath. His smile slowly disappeared. “What do you make of it son?”

  Hugo met his eyes. “I can sense Celestial Ki. It feels like the Diamond was used. Faris says they’re at Hoia-Baciu – the infamous ritual site… no telling what the Alchemist may conjure up over there.”

  The 80 year old shook his head and whispered, “Ambris Ferrer… they brought Ambris back to life.”

  Hugo froze. Not in disbelief but in understanding. His jaw tightened, knuckles whitening as old battles clawed their way back into focus.

  ‘Celestial Ki…’ he thought. ‘That demonic ritual site. Derek never wanted to raise an army. He only wanted to raise one.’

  “But how?” he asked. “How did his soul not move on? We were there when he was put down.”

  Mustaqeem shook his head. “Have I not told you from the beginning that evil lies within us, boy? But it doesn’t matter anymore how his soul was trapped. For now, you need to focus on the future.”

  “Without understanding who did this?”

  “Look, son…” he sighed. “It doesn’t matter anymore whether the Eye played a role in this, whether the Outsiders could or should have done something, or even if the Order might have had a say – all that matters is that you have to stop him. You know his demonic agendas. You know what he wants. If he gets his way, millions will get slaughtered!”

  Hugo moved a step away. “But how?” he asked. “How can I stop him? Master Yang, Ford, and yourself… even you guys together had trouble doing it! Had he not met Marion he would’ve definitely won!”

  “Son, listen to me…”

  “With all the politics, the manipulation, the secret agendas… it’ll be even worse now!”

  With both hands on the staff, Mustaqeem nodded. “True… but you’re not alone. Not anymore. You have made friends, powerful friends, close friends. They will all help you turn the tables and eventually come out on top. And by the way, your Mystic, Ella, has been rescued by Faris. He teleported her far away from the commotion in Hoia Forest. You have to get to her first.”

  “But what about Ambris?”

  “Ambris will move towards the Palace. Renekom will intercept but he too will get humbled.” He grimly shook his head. “The attack may well be devastating for the Eye.”

  “What about Faris and the sisters?”

  “Their fate is already sealed, Hugo. But Faris will buy you time. Make it count.”

  Hugo looked at his teammates. They stared at him. No one spoke. Even Marcus, who rarely stood still, had gone rigid.

  The Zaatsu looked back at the legend, his breath running. “I can send a contingent to Ella,” he said. “And then move to Romania with Neil and Marcus. We could assist…”

  Mustaqeem calmly shook his head. “No.”

  “But they could die!”

  The Mystic moved closer. “Their fate is sealed, Hugo. You must do as I say!”

  The cane fell to the ground as he placed his hands on the Zaatsu’s shoulders. “I have had visions, son,” he said, whispering. “Visions, Hugo.” His gaze widened as he stared deep into Hugo’s eyes. “I have seen these kids, your students, your squad – I saw them as the harbingers of light, the conquerors of the future, and the saviours of the present.”

  He squeezed the shoulders gently as his gaze narrowed. “Dark times are upon us. You must do as I say.”

  Arms akimbo, Hugo stepped away and looked far into the desert. Shaking his head, he said, “How the hell could we let this happen?”

  “The Devil’s Hearth has been here for decades, son,” Mustaqeem explained. “They’ve been hiding amongst the plebeians but their influence has gotten stronger over time. The Cult Wars period allowed them to expand unchecked, then the Ambris struggle, and then the destruction of the Outsiders. This is the failure of your predecessors, son. It is not your fault. The Eye and the Parliament had been so blinded that it became tough to even trust the people standing next to you. We were so caught up in tussling with the hypocrites and their politics that global matters remained neglected.”

  After a pause, he looked at the squad and said, “Don’t waste time, young ones. Go and save the world. That is your destiny!”

  Gusts of wind pushed dust and salt to rise from under the Mystic’s feet. It began orbiting him.

  “Wait!” Hugo said and looked at him. “What about that bounty hunter, the White Bolt?”

  Mustaqeem smiled. “If fate deems fit, your paths shall cross again…”

  In a flash, the Mystic vanished.

  “Gina, you’re with me.” Hugo snapped his finger thrice. “We’ll locate Ella. The rest of you, draw the teleportation circle.”

  Marcus stepped closer, clutching his cloak. “How’s that possible, Master Baylis? You can’t just bring back someone like that…”

  The Zaatsu did not reply. Camille watched him – she watched the way his jaw set. He finally closed his eyes and began searching for Ella’s Ki signature.

  Elsewhere, with the location pinpointed, the Seear and his aides attempted to teleport straight to the Hoia-Baciu forest. However, just like Faris and the Seredums earlier, their Ki bounced off the forest and sent them 200 miles south of the forest.

  “Where are we?” Renekom asked. “This isn’t the forest…”

  Michael looked around. “Something sent us flying way off target.”

  “There must be some sort of a defensive layer on the forest itself,” Obadiah added. “We never got in.”

  Inside the forest an intense, fierce battle raged on. At the ritual site Derek and several of his generals, backed by Ambris Ferrer himself, viciously attacked Faris. But the Mystic was not about to give in easily.

  “Well done, Faris,” Ambris said as the Mystic blocked his knee and pushed him away. “You’re using the amulet to good effect.”

  Faris had summoned the Mantle Vinculum – an amulet gripping his wrist that provided a direct connection with the Universal Ki.

  Leaping back, the Basilisk nodded. “Excellent!” he said as he landed and steadied himself. “You’re even fusing the stagnant Celestial Ki the ritual left behind… bravo!”

  The Mystic took a deep breath and straightened his stance. “You’re not the only one with tricks.”

  And then the battle raged once more. A sword shattered, an arm bleeding, hamstrings punctured on his right leg, and a couple of broken ribs – Faris was getting hammered. But he was not backing down. He had taken out four wizard generals, had broken Derek’s arm and put a sword through his shin, and had even landed some heavy blows on Ambris. The Mantle Vinculum had formed a stern layer of Universal Ki around his Ki networks which not only strengthened his attacks but provided a shield against attacks as well.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “My Alchemy has no effect on him,” Derek said, standing next to Ambris. “His defences are tough to penetrate.”

  “Indeed…” Ambris looked over, his gaze narrowing. “Derek, my senses may not be as sharp right now, but did I just sense Renekom?”

  “Yes, my Lord. But don’t worry. They’ll have to walk in on foot if they want to get in. This place is teleportation proof.”

  “Did he do it? Did he become the Seear?”

  “Yes, my Lord. And the first thing he did was blame everything on the Outsiders and shut them down for good.”

  “Isn’t that lovely.” Ambris nodded as he moved ahead. “Time to end the opener to let the main attractions take centre stage…”

  As the Seear’s group tried and failed once again to teleport in, Ambris fell back and used the last remnant of the Xoitique Diamond to completely rejuvenate his Ki. And then he burned beige…

  “Shit!” Faris whispered as he pushed two wizards away. He immediately unleashed a Ki wave aimed at Ambris but it was deflected by a wizard.

  “What’s the matter, Faris?” Ambris said as he widened his stance. His Ki aura burned like a flame and kept growing until a huge blast pushed everyone away. When the dust settled, Ambris stood flanked by two basilisks…

  Faris gulped thinking, ‘Here we go…’

  The basilisks were not beasts of flesh and blood. They were colossal constructs of condensed earth Ki – Ambris’s favoured element and the only one he ever utilised. The serpentine forms carved from vibrating energy shed dust with every movement from their stone-like scales. Such manifestations were the apex of elemental dominance, achieved only by those whose strength could force raw Ki into a stable, living pattern.

  The radiating Ki was so strong that it even pushed away the Celestial Ki residue.

  “Just two?” Faris taunted, grinning. Sweat dripped on the side of his face. “I know you’re rusty and don’t wanna transform yet, but at least bring all three out…”

  Ambris Ferrer had earned his infamous title not merely for summoning the basilisks, but for what he could do beyond it. When pressed far enough, he did not call the basilisks into the world – he became one himself, collapsing his own Ki and body into the same immutable archetype. That knowledge alone was enough to make even veteran Zaatsus and Mystics hesitate.

  The wizards watched in awe. Derek stretched his arms wide. With an ear-to-ear grin on his face he exclaimed, “Behold! The earth element manifests for your Lord and Master! Behold, the basilisks!”

  ‘He’s already much stronger than me,’ Faris admitted to himself as he observed the serpents. Each basilisk towered above the battlefield. Their layered scales resembled fractured stone rippled along its length, grinding against one another with a sound like shifting bedrock. Gemlike eyes glowed faintly from within their heavy skulls and radiated pure elemental, earth Ki. Wherever they moved, the ground cracked and sank, as though the earth itself was yielding in recognition.

  The Mystic threw away his one remaining sword and began charging his Ki. The Mantle Vinculum glowed amplifying his strength, but the sharp layer of its Ki had now begun to dwindle. The Celestial residue had been pushed away by the summoning of the basilisks and Faris himself was only getting weaker. The weaker the user, the less effective the amulet.

  “Come, Faris,” Ambris said. “Let us show these wizards how Martial Artists duel!”

  As he then nodded, the 60 feet long basilisks rushed at the Mystic who jumped in the air and unleashed a Ki wave at one. It barely had any effect. The creature shook it off.

  Faris landed on the ground. ‘It needs to be more concentrated than that…’

  Ambris laughed as he began walking towards him. “Even Warren needed to concentrate his Ki onto a single point to penetrate the rock hard exterior of my serpents. What made you think a puny attack like that would do any damage?”

  Still miles away from the Hoia-Baciu forest, the Seear’s group had also sensed the summoning. They began running towards the source.

  “Leave us Derek,” Ambris said. “Take some wizards and prepare a warm welcome for the idiots approaching. I will be with you shortly.”

  As the Alchemist left, one of the basilisks sank into the ground. It appeared as if it had dissolved into the earth beneath. The other one began tapping its tail on the ground releasing small localized tremors which not only shook the ground but shook the Ki within everyone around. It caused the amulet’s Ki layer to falter and forced Faris to jump and levitate.

  Ambris engaged him midair. Even with his concentration divided into the two beasts, Faris still found it tough to get a clean hit.

  ‘God damn this prick!’ The Mystic remained frustrated.

  Suddenly, Ambris moved back. The burrowed basilisk’s eyes appeared right underneath Faris. Concentrating as much as he could, the Mystic unleashed a focused Ki beam on the ground. It went through the two beams that came out of the glowing basilisk eyes.

  While he was able to pierce through the creature’s hard skin, the Ki beams it unleashed struck him directly.

  It burned. It hurt. He grunted.

  Thrown away by the impact, he eventually hit the ground face down.

  “Stay down, Faris.” Ambris did not move in to attack. Evil as he may have been, the Basilisk always respected foes who could put up a decent fight against him. “I’ve worked with you and now I’ve seen you fight in your prime. You have honoured yourself by facing me and proving your mettle. Now, yield.”

  It took a few seconds, but Faris found the strength to finally stand up. Half his shirt had been burned off, the Mantle Vinculum had been shattered, and he was bleeding all over. His Ki reserve was waning – defeat was imminent. The one remaining serpent came and sat behind Ambris.

  The Basilisk nodded. “You took one of them out even after battling against us all together. You should be proud of yourself.”

  Panting, barely able, Faris spat blood then gulped. “Why don’t you just finish it?”

  His hair swayed in the wind while his legs shook from the strain. He clutched his dwindling left arm with his right hand, waiting for a decisive blow.

  “Sweat, blood, wounds, and scars…” Ambris smiled. “A warrior cannot ask for more…”

  As he raised a hand, four wizards moved ahead. “Finish him off,” Ambris ordered and began walking away.

  The wizards uprooted large stone walls which encapsulated the Mystic. He did not even have the Ki to dig through the ground beneath. The walls tilted and shut off the space overhead as well. There was no way to escape. And then the walls began closing in.

  Faris fell down to his knees. ‘This is it,’ he thought but then sensed Ambris’s basilisk vanishing. The brute was now moving towards the Seear’s party which was about to engage the wizards at the edge of the forest. ‘That’s convenient.’

  In the complete darkness, with the tiny bit of Ki left in him, Faris summoned an evocation. A mole, six inches big, appeared in front of him. With a hand placed atop it, the Mystic imprinted a Ki signature for it to locate – Ella Clay. She had been teleported away from the forest, to the other side of city of Cluj-Napoca.

  ‘One last dance…’ With the last of his Ki, the Mystic transferred a bit of his consciousness into the tiny evocation. His hands then fell to the sides as he sat kneeling, waiting for the walls to cave in.

  “I’ve made my piece,” he whispered. “I’ve done my part and am grateful. My time has come. So, take me and show me the truth…” He closed his eyes. “I leave it to you, Hugo…”

  The walls slowly kept caving in and crushed the freelance Mystic to death.

  The Seear and his aides entered the forest from the western edge. 500 meters from the ritual site, they were met by the first batch of wizards. They proved tough, but fell to the might of the Eye’s leadership. Then arrived the Alchemist.

  “Derek, the tongue-man,” Renekom said. “Or should I say Derek, the Alchemist?”

  He chuckled. “How about Derek, your angel of death?”

  Zaatsu Obadiah Moore and Mystic Dustin Flores attacked. Trees and vines rushed at them. They easily countered and remained unscathed but before they could move closer towards the Alchemist, more than two hundred wizards suddenly attacked from all sides.

  The Zeta Squad had come under much scrutiny by the leadership which was now witnessing similar odds – or perhaps, even worse odds. The battle of Spain saw only two Zaatsus and one expert Mystic, assisted by Sokidus and a bounty hunter, go up against three dozen of these wizards. Moreover, Hugo had remained occupied by Derek. Renekom and his group were all experts of the level of Hugo or Faris, maybe even beyond. But faced against more than 200 wizards, all of whom had been strengthened by demonic influences and arcane charms, they were getting overwhelmed.

  ‘What is this?!’ Renekom thought. He had faced impossible odds before. This felt different. Not chaos – coordination. ‘Someone planned this knowing exactly who would come.’

  Frustrated by the relentless, continuous attacks, Obadiah unleashed a huge Ki blast. It had a fifty meter blast radius and used up nearly half his Ki. The result – most of the wizards were burned to a crisp. However, before they could regroup or recuperate, more trouble arrived – another five hundred wizards led by Ambris Ferrer himself.

  “What’re you doing, Derek?” the Basilisk asked. “You dare attack the leader of the arcane world? Such insolence!”

  He giggled. Derek joined in. All the wizards too.

  Obadiah steadied his breathing as he observed his surroundings, ignoring the hollow ache where his Ki should have been. The blast had worked – but that was just the first wave. If that was not enough, then nothing they had brought would be.

  “Ambris…” Renekom stood tall and stared in to the Basilisk’s eyes.

  “In the flesh…” Ambris looked around then paused. “What the hell are you trying to do here?” His gaze kept bouncing from one Martial Artist to the next. “If you’re all here then who’s left at Ayn?” He looked back at Derek. “Hey, Derek! We killed Yang and Marion. And you said the Outsiders are done for. Then who the hell has this dimwit left in charge of the city?”

  The Alchemist could not contain his laughter. “I’m not sure, my Lord. Hedish maybe…”

  The Basilisk observed the Seear. “You know you can’t beat all of us, right?”

  “Enough!” Michael exclaimed and charged. Dustin closely followed.

  Ambris chuckled as he easily blocked the old man Zaatsu and avoided the Mystic. His counter was swift and strong – a punch to Michael and a kick to Dustin. They flew away in opposing directions.

  Then, he rushed at Renekom. The Seear was considered one of the best Magicists of his age. However, the Ki shield he created burst apart with a sharp crack, fragments scattering like glass as Ambris punched right through it.

  It was not just the shield that had failed. He had. And for the first time in seven years, Renekom felt something colder than fear – the certainty that rank, title, and preparation meant nothing against a threat of this magnitude.

  “Block this!” said Ambris as his next punch smashed into Renekom’s face.

  As the Seear went sliding away, the rest of the group all attacked Ambris simultaneously. Derek and two wizards came to assist their leader. The Martial Artists could not land one meaningful blow while taking several strong hits.

  Eventually, Ambris leaped back. “This is getting boring,” he said and shot huge Ki waves at each one of the Eye compatriots. None of them had the strength to defend and the wizards made sure that they would not avoid. Direct hits – they all fell down.

  “Great shots, my Lord,” Derek said.

  Dustin and Michael saw an opportunity. They struck at once – one from either side. Renekom dropped from above with a raised fist to assist.

  Ambris caught the first two by their fists and squeezed tight. Bones cracked under his grip. The third blow cut through empty air as he turned.

  He spun, dragging the screaming bodies with him, and smashed them into Renekom, who had barely stood back up, throwing him away once more. And then he kept spinning. When he finally let go, the duo was flung away, tumbling across the ground and smashing into trees.

  Derek stretched his arms and called on the wizards. “Shut them down!”

  Multiple wizards moved in on each of the struggling Martial Artists. They released viscous demonic Ki which entrapped them in dense maroon energy clouds. All ten were then assembled in front of the Alchemist.

  “Time to end this.” Derek raised an arm. Broken tree branches rose from the ground and were turned into sharp blades.

  The Seear and his aides struggled to break loose. Until Ambris shouted, “Wait!”

  Derek immediately looked back at his leader. “My Lord?”

  “Move aside.” Ambris walked closer – Derek moved away. The Basilisk smiled. “With the amount of demonic energy you’ve assembled, we can take them for a ride.”

  “What do you mean, my Lord? These scumbags have been shown their place – beneath your feet, at your mercy, my Lord. Should we not end them right here?”

  “No. They need to understand the full scope of their failure.” He extended and arm and slowly recited, “XAKHFAMARSUSNAAM…”

  All of the viscous Ki hardened into a sphere. Renekom and all his partners were frozen inside. He strained against the prison – with muscle, with Ki, with will. Nothing answered. No resonance. No metaphysical echo. It was like the world had decided they no longer mattered.

  Ambris, Derek, and all the wizards laughed. “Like animals in a zoo,” the Basilisk said.

  Try as they may, the Martial Artists could not move an inch.

  “Your eyes shall remain open, Martial Artists,” Ambris said, taking a deep breath. His smile slowly disappeared. “Keep looking. I will take you along to witness the destruction… the destruction of everything you ever desired.”

  His face went still, but his eyes narrowed with fury. One corner of his mouth lifted in quiet revulsion, like he was restraining the urge to spit.

  “Derek,” he called without taking his eyes off the sphere prison. “Prepare your troops.”

  The Alchemist bowed. “Yes, my Lord. What shall be our first order of business?”

  “We attack the City of Ayn and the Regal Palace…”