Heroes of the Holy War

The next day Akira leaves home at dawn. When he arrives at the river where he tested Kazoto, he opens his notebook and reads for a moment, then sets it aside and performs six Dancing Dragon techniques one after another. When he finishes he hears a branch snap and sees Elarina tumble down the hill. Akira chuckles quietly while Elarina brushing herself off says, 

"I thought I could catch some techniques. I've been following you since you left." Akira smiles and replies, 

"If you wanted to train, you could have just said so." He then takes the notebook and says, 

"I wanted to suggest it to you some time ago," opening the notebook to a page about four techniques of the 

"Seeker of Light." Handing the notebook to Elarina, he says, 

"You're a Sun Elf, so you have a greater affinity for these techniques." Elarina, reading the notes says, 

"But I don't know the dragon language. I only know human and elven." Akira scratches his head and says, 

"Hmm. I'll help you read it but you'll have to manage on your own from there." Elarina listens as Akira imitates the Seeker of Light techniques and explains the written notes. Elarina tries to perform the first technique, 

"Guide of the Sun," which involves summoning a spirit woven from light that acts as a spiritual guardian. The spirit has its own consciousness and intelligence, living within the user, and this technique allows one to summon it. It is one of the few techniques that can summon a guardian spirit. 

"How am I supposed to do this?" says an irritated Elarina, who isn't even close to performing the technique. Akira interrupts his meditation and responds, 

"I told you, hands to your chest and calm your mind. Find a peaceful place." Elarina doesn't understand but tries the technique again. 

"Is this really the easiest technique? What are the others like?" she thinks, then hears someone approaching. Akira surprised says, 

"You managed to focus after all," as Kaen emerges from the forest shouting to Akira, 

"AKIRA!!! LETTER!" When he reaches them, he notices Elarina and pauses before handing the letter to Akira which he was supposed to deliver yesterday. Akira opens the letter which reads, 

"Door. Demon. Azel. Today. Yesterday. Training. War. Will come. Sacred." The sentences are not a puzzle but a reference to the previous letter. Surprised, Akira says, 

"Alright, we're heading back," and they run back home where Giene is cleaning. 

"Do you know where the letter that came a month ago is?" Akira asks, to which Giene replies, 

"In your room." Akira quickly runs to get the letter and retrieves Gambla. Sitting in the main hall Gamble reads the new letter while Akira analyzes the previous one. Two hours pass, and neither Gambla nor Akira have any idea what the message might mean. 

"I'm done. I'm going to burn this letter," says Gambla, aiming for the lit fireplace, but then notices that the letter is not paper but Pyroper, a material that withstands temperatures up to 380 degrees. Akira immediately ignites his hands, revealing text on the letter, 

"On the 218th year of the Dragon, the 9th number of the Fallen Angels will come to you. On the 89th year of Taurus, the Holy War will begin. On the 219th year of the Dragon, I will come with Lyra. I hope you can hold on until I arrive. -Lian-" Upon hearing this, Gambla does the same, revealing the face of a man on his letter. 

"It must be him," says Gamble, to which Akira replies, 

"We need to str-..." but he is interrupted by a knock on the door. Unaware, Kazoto opens the door to a man with short black hair and a turquoise coat standing in the doorway. 

"Is Mr. Izumi or Garrett here?" he asks in a gentle voice with a slight smile. Kazoto calls for Akira and Gamble who approach the door hesitantly. The man greets them with a bow and says, 

"I would like to ask for your help." Gambla asks, 

"With what exactly?" The man pulls a horn from his sleeve and says, 

"In these woods lives a very rare species of deer. I wanted to capture them to protect them from poachers." Gamble thinks for a moment and says, 

"Alright. Come in, we'll get ready." The man enters and sits at the table while Akira and Gambla go to the library. 

"Do you think it could be him?" Akira asks, summoning his sword and searching through boxes. 

"The only thing that doesn't match is the hair arrangement, and he doesn't have red eyes with a black tattoo under them." After a moment of silence and searching through the boxes, Akira and Gamble find a beautiful rainbow stone. They place it on their weapons, which begin to emit bright light and transform into new versions. The shield shines with a rainbow under the light and is more shaped, while the sword transforms into the 

"Sword of Three Gods," incorporating the user's three elements: lightning, fire, and wind. After a moment Akira and Gamble reverse the weapon transformations, returning them to their basic forms. The boys then go downstairs, ready for anything. 

"We can go, sir… what was your name again?" asks Akira. The man replies, 

"I'm Leza Zanark. Just call me by my name." After a while, Akira and Gambla head into the forest with Leza. The atmosphere is tense as Akira and Gamble focus more on Leza than on searching for the deer. 

"So... why do you want to protect the deer?" asks Akira. Leza responds, 

"I'm someone who values animals more than humans." Meanwhile, Gamble finds tracks and blood. 

"Yo, Akira. Check this out," he says without turning around, and as Akira approaches, he is punched in the stomach, hitting a tree and coughing up blood. Leza, removing his coat, says, 

"I guess that's enough... time to have some fun." With these words, his eyes turn black, and tattoos appear under his eyes. Shaking his hair loose, he approaches Gamble who is unfazed by the situation. Smirking slightly and pressing his forehead against Gamble's, he says, 

"Just try your best, alright?" before kicking him far into the forest. 

"Maybe I should introduce myself. I'm Azel Kranaz." Akira, summoning his sword, says, 

"Akira Izumi. Sword Hero and S+ class Fire Warrior." Gambla, activating Seraume and tattooing his hair on the left side, says, 

"Gamble Garrett. Shield Hero and Low Royal Class Mage." Azel, surprised, responds, 

"Oh, we're giving ranks? Hmm..." He thinks for a moment and says, 

"1st Moon of the Fifth Star." Gamble, taking advantage of Azel's distraction, attacks him with the spell "Spark," and Akira pierces him from behind with his sword. Azel laughs and pulls the sword through his body, then attacks Gamble with it, who perfectly blocks the attacks. 

"Switch!" shouts Akira, and the sword Azel was swinging switches places with Akira, who hits Azel square in the face with a wind orb. Azel, getting up after the hit, says, 

"I guess I need to step it up," then disappears and grabs Akira by the hair, throwing him against a tree. As Gamble chants a spell, he is nearly beheaded if not for Kazoto, who tripped Gamble. As Gamble fell, Kaen jumps from the bushes, performing the 

"First Technique of New Flames - Sun Wave," cutting off Azel's hand and slicing his chest. 

"Hohoho. You've mastered the New Flames," says Azel with a smile before kicking Kaen through a tree. As Azel regenerates his entire arm, Kaido stabs his hand into Azel's back. Vomiting blood, Azel thinks, 

"He knows exactly where my heart is... she's dangerous," tensing his back muscles and preventing Kaido from pulling out her hand. Azel jumps up and, upon landing, breaks Kaido's arm on a rock before releasing her. Kaido screams in pain, and Azel smiles psychotically. His laughter is interrupted by Kazoto throwing four shurikens at him, which explode. Kazoto grabs Kaido as Kaen repeats the first New Flames technique, cutting Azel's cheek. 

"Damn, I missed," says Kaen, saved from a blow by Akira performing the first New Flames technique, cutting off Azel's arm again and pushing Kaen away with wind. Akira then pushes himself away from Azel. As Gamble tries to decapitate Azel with his shield, Azel regenerates his arm and uses magic to pull an entire tree, throwing it at Gamble. 

"Why did you leave the house?" asks Kazoto, to which Kaen responds, 

"Better this help than none." Kaen pulls a green crystal from his pocket, crushing it in his hand over Kaido's arm, which regenerates when the crushed crystal absorbs into her arm. Akira sighs and signals to Gamble to occupy Azel for a moment. Gamble immediately rushes at Azel, who yells with a smile, 

"You're up to something! Trying to kill me! YES YES YES! I love this feeling! Pain and fear for life! Try harder!" When he stops Gamble, he approaches with a terrifying smile and says, 

"KILL ME!." Gamble doesn't react to

At his words, the shield holding Azel explodes with mana, pushing him back and burning his skin. 

"Do you understand the plan?" Akira asks, and the kids nod and spread out. Akira runs to Gamble to relay the plan. Meanwhile, Azel digs himself out of the rubble, thinking, 

"I can't play around for too long, or HE will be here soon." He then rushes at Akira, who isn't ready for the attack and gets knocked far away. Gamble takes the opportunity to stab Azel in the back with his shield, then jumps back as the shield explodes, destroying the surrounding trees. When the dust settles, Gamble summons his shield and just stands there. As Azel gets up, Kaen and Kazoto fire flames and lightning at him from their hiding spots. Azel smiles, quickly gathers black mana in his hands, and forms a ball that absorbs Kaen's flames and Kazoto's lightning. 

"Cool, right? I call it the Infinite Void. It absorbs all the mana it touches." After that, Gamble turns away and starts walking back."

Annoyed, Azel yells at Gamble, 

"What's this? Are you giving up?" Gamble doesn't say anything and keeps walking. 

"You don't intend to fight anymore?" Gamble stops and remains silent. 

"I get it... you're scared because I showed you my most powerful technique! Yes! I have the most powerful spell, so you're scared!" To which Gamble looks over his shoulder and shouts, 

"You have the most powerful spell. But I have Akira." With those words, Akira jumps out from behind Gamble, wearing a flaming cloak.