I advise you to stand down."
Bakari stood firm, his gaze unwavering. "No," he stated, his voice final.
A crimson and black mask formed on his face, metallic angel wings flaring where ears should be.
A faint, shimmering aura crackled around him, tendrils of raw electricity dancing across his suit.
He aimed his hand.
The leader, eyes widening, raised his own hand.
A shimmering force field erupted in front of them, just as a wave of pure sonic force ripped from Bakari's palm. The wave slammed into the force field with earth-shattering force.
The air crackled, the stone floor buckled, and the very walls groaned under the strain. Dust and debris rained down as the force field strained to contain the onslaught.
The white-eyed soldier snarled, "This cherub is a monster!"
The leader, her form enveloped in a dazzling web of lightning, commanded with a voice that echoed like thunder, "Get him!" In an instant, she surged forward, a blur of electrifying speed.
Beneath his mask, Bakari's advanced tech system whirred to life, rapidly analyzing the imminent threat and calculating her astonishing velocity.
His gloved hand rippled, the surface shifting like bugs crawling beneath skin, as an orange energy sword materialized in his grip.
Two more officers zipped towards him, energy swords drawn.
Bakari's eyes narrowed, the fire inside them matching the blade in his hand. Good. Let's get this over with. No mercy. No hesitation.
As the two rushed toward each other, a vicious grin tugged at Bakari's lips—not the smile of a hero, but of a predator enjoying the hunt.
In a blur of motion, Bakari launched a precise strike—his orange blade slicing through the air with lethal grace.
He moved swiftly between the two guards, his sword cleaving through one guard's shoulder with a deft touch, and with a fluid follow-up, he grazed the other's head.
Brilliant blue blood sprayed out, lightly staining the ground beneath them.
"No!" the eyepatch guard roared, his grip tightening on his sword.
The prince, standing nearby, waved his hand nonchalantly.
From the shadows of his closet, a swarm of disc-shaped drones burst forth, whirring violently as they crashed into a guard, knocking him to the ground.
Bakari barely flinched, shielding himself from the drone's fragments.
I'm not a Movrod for no reson he thought.
He dropped into a powerful spinning kick, sending the assailant crashing through the wall with a thunderous crack.
Turning to face the last guard, Bakari exhaled a steady plume of steam from his nose, his breath visible in the tense air.
His fury was barely contained, but beneath it was something sharper—a cruel satisfaction. With a sudden, brutal punch, he sent the guard flying into the eyepatch warrior's foot.
The eyepatch guard stepped over the fallen man and sneered, "You're dead."
Bakari side-eyed him, voice laced with venom. "You think that'll scare me? Full breeds have been telling me that since my eyes were at my knees. But look at me now—I get to let my anger out."
His words weren't just defiance; they were a declaration. He didn't fight fair. He never had.
The guard snarled back, "We'll see how long you last."
Without hesitation, Bakari gripped his orange blade tightly and hurled it with deadly precision.
The guard raised his sword to slash it down, but in a blink, Bakari zipped forward and slammed a facepalm into the ground, the impact cracking the floor beneath them.
I don't need honor. I don't need rules.
With a grinding roar, the floor collapsed, sending dust and debris cascading into the darkness below.
Bakari's heart pounded not just with fury, but with something darker—pleasure in the chaos he created.
He landed hard on a flat platform midway up the grand staircase, dust and rubble scattering beneath his boots.
Leaping off the debris, he brushed his hands clean, eyes scanning the vast hall.
The thunderous echo of approaching footsteps reverberated up the stairs. Bakari whirled around, his gaze locking onto a figure materializing in the doorway.
A man of striking presence, with hair as white as freshly fallen snow and eyes that pierced like glacial ice, their irises a startling, unnatural purple.
He wore a pristine white suit, flawlessly tailored over a black turtleneck, accented with strands of pearls.
He surveyed Bakari with a cool, assessing gaze.
"What? They attacked me first!" Bakari exclaimed, his voice laced with indignation.
The white-haired man arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Absolutely.
A justifiable defense, I'd say. At least the suits performed admirably."
Bakari glanced down, a grin spreading across his face as he took in the extent of the suit's power.
"Yeah, it worked too well."
"That's good, but let's get out of here before the cavalry arrives." Yuri looked around, his glacial purple eyes scanning the scene for the quickest exit.
The palace groaned, a deep tremor shaking its very foundations, sending them stumbling.
The white-haired man's eyes widened, a hint of alarm flickering within their depths. "Don't tell me that's another explosion..."
A low, guttural rumble filled the air, an ominous crescendo building with terrifying speed – the unmistakable roar of a spaceship's engine, poised for liftoff.
In a blink, they whisked up to the roof, their feet skimming the tiles like whispers of a breeze.
They dashed through the rooftop access doors and stopped short. Below lay a city engulfed in flames and smoke, the plumes rising like mourning souls.
Bakari's gaze flitted across the chaos. The white-haired companion looked upward, his eyes tracing a sleek, crimson spacecraft descending gracefully from the heavens.
Its design was both elegant and ominous, the crimson hull gleaming menacingly against the smoky backdrop.
"Who is flying your father's armada?" he asked.
"I don't know. Let's go ask," Bakari replied, rushing to the edge with energy seething around him.
Suddenly, a shockwave hurled them backwards. Bakari shielded his face, bracing against the force.
He landed flat on his stomach, rising to mutter in frustration, "You've got to be kidding me."
The white-haired man knelt, steadying himself with a sharp, purple bone spike protruding from the back of his hand, as long and lethal as a sword.
"Bakari, you alright?" he called out.
Through the clearing smoke a menacing figure emerged, clad a vibrant, striped tunic adorned with bold patterns and metallic arm guards.
His hood shadows a stern face, and he wields an enormous, dark double-bladed sword with a decorated handle, resting confidently on his shoulder.
"General Ortega," Bakari muttered.
With a sneer, the General spoke, his voice deep and celestial, "Devils."
"Mortals disgust me—weak, fleeting shadows unworthy of breath.
But halfbreeds… they make my blood curdle and my stomach turn.
Abominations born of folly and sin, a blight upon this world."
Bakari's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, what did we ever do to you?" he asked.
"Exist," the General snarled, swinging his massive sword.
The white-haired ally intercepted with his spike, and the clash unleashed a shockwave, rippling through the air with a resonant boom, cracking the tiles and whipping their clothes and hair in a gust of tension.
Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the air, catching Bakari's attention.
His eyes shot upward to see his father's Starglider cutting through the sky toward a jagged rip tearing open the clouds.
As Bakari stood at the roofs edge, disbelief clouded his mind. "What are they doing?" he wondered aloud.
"Something we should have done cycles ago," he declared, his double-bladed sword poised for battle.
The General swiftly pushed the white-haired man aside, the spike carving a path on the concrete .
The general pointed his weapon at them menacingly. "Come, let me send you back to whence you belong," he taunted.
Yuri remained calm, glancing at Bakari. "Let's silence this fool." With a nod, Bakari activated his shoulder cannon, firing a blast that forced the general to leap aside.
With swift precision, he lunged at the general, his blade carving deep wounds.
Blue blood erupted from the gashes.
Bakari became a blur, covering the distance to the general in an instant. His fist collided with the general's side, a shockwave rippling through the air.
With a furious yell, the general swung his double-bladed sword overhead, his voice booming, "Filthy creatures!" As he slammed the blade into the ground, a massive shockwave erupted, rippling outward like a tidal wave.
The force lifted Bakari and Yuri off their feet, the ground splintering and debris scattering in all directions as the air seemed to shudder with raw power.
The general advanced, his eyes cold and unyielding. Bakari, struggling to rise, met his gaze with defiance. "You humans and your endless betrayals," he spat, his voice a low growl. "I will start the purge with you."
Suddenly, a blue, sparkling blood arrow sliced through the air with blinding speed, whistling between Bakari and Yuri as if guided by an unseen hand.
It struck the general with pinpoint accuracy, blasting a hole through his thigh and enveloping him in a burst of blood. His face contorted in shock and agony as the impact registered.
Orion emerged from the rooftop access door, wielding a sapphire blood bow that shimmered in the bright sunlight.
As he stepped forward, the bow began to shift, its form fluidly transforming into a massive greatsword. "Stay down, boys," he commanded.
Orion moved with blinding speed, his form a mere flicker as he closed the distance in an instant.
As Orion blitzed between them, the boys barely had time to react. The sheer force of his presence sent them sprawling in different directions.
Bakari, now on his stomach, glanced up in shock, trying to comprehend the whirlwind of power that had just torn through their midst.
Orions blade penetrated the general's chest, driving clean through to burst out his back.
The momentum left the general gasping, blue blood trickling from his mouth as he staggered under the force of the blow.
Bakari watched in awe—just like that, it seemed effortless.
In his final act of defiance, the general seized Orion's shoulder. "You're coming with me, traitor," he spat, as blue blood poured from his wound.
With a swift, decisive motion, Orion sliced upward, his sword cleaving through the general's torso, a vivid blue tearing through flesh and bone, sending a spray of blood and gore cascading through the air as it carved its path up to the shoulder.
Blood splattered across Orion as he gazed up at the massive aircraft vanishing into the swirling portal in the sky.
The boys approached him, and Yuri said, "Father, what's happening?" Orion addressed them, asking, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Bakari replied, "Orion, we are fine.
What's happening?" as he looked around, trying to make sense of the situation.
Orion's voice was heavy with gravity as he announced, "A rebellion."
"They're taking the palace," he continued. "I need you two to do something for me."
"Yeah, sure," they replied in unison.
"I need you to go after them," Orion instructed. "Find out where they're headed and stop them. I know it's a lot to ask, but staying here isn't safe. Pluton is no place for half-breeds."
Bakari hesitated, concern etched on his face. "What about my parents?"
"I don't know," Orion admitted, "but I promise I'll find an answer." He placed a reassuring hand on Bakari's shoulder. "You need to go now," he urged, giving him a gentle push.
Yuri stepped forward, his voice filled with emotion. "Father..."
Orion gripped the back of Yuri's neck, pressing their foreheads together. "Go, my son. Get your prince to safety. This is all my fault—I didn't see it coming. But go, and don't let your guard down. Make them tremble."
Yuri nodded, determination in his eyes. "Okay, okay."
They separated, Yuri backing away. He kissed two fingers and aimed them at his father in a gesture of farewell.
Orion responded by pounding his chest, a silent promise of strength and resolve.
Orion bowed slightly, "My liege."
Bakari steadied himself in the cockpit and activated the flight mode.
Yuri coughed, his voice strained as he attempted to speak.
"How did we not see this coming?
Yuri mentioned that it's no shock they secretly disliked us; they've just been concealing it all along.
The jet roared to life. They blasted forward, slamming back into their seats as the speed climbed, hurtling toward the tear in the sky.
"Hold on!" Bakari shouted, urgency threading through his voice as the rift ahead started to close.
The jet surged forward at full throttle, the intense speed making it difficult for him to lock onto the coordinates of the star glider.
His fingers danced over the controls, struggling to stabilize the flight path against the relentless velocity.
They plunged through the narrowing portal.
The space between realms twisted and contorted around them—a tumultuous void of shadows and light, a corridor severed from all worlds.
Violet hues danced across uneven surfaces, creating a disorienting landscape that seemed to pulse with an unsettling energy.
Every path to other worlds was sealed, leaving no bridges, no connections, only an isolated expanse of swirling chaos.
"Bakari!" Yuri called out after every jarring jolt, his voice echoing in the strange, ethereal space.
The jet crashed violently into the woods, trees snapping like twigs. Yuri, arms wide, yelled desperately, "Bakari!" as chaos erupted around them.
The jet screamed as it plummeted, impacting the water with a catastrophic force.
The surface exploded in a churning vortex of white foam and black debris, the sound echoing across the still water like a death knell.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling outwards, distorting the moon's reflection into a fractured, shimmering mess.
Debris and oily slicks soon surfaced, painting streaks across the once-pristine blue.
Debris and oily slicks soon surfaced, painting streaks across the once-pristine blue. Yuri burst out of the water and placed Bakari on a tree trunk.
Bakari hugged himself, shivering with chattering teeth. Despite how he felt, he gave Yuri a thumbs up and said, "Nice save, Ri."
Yuri's suit was slashed and torn in multiple places, the fabric hanging loosely.
"Nice save, Ri," he said with a grin.
Yuri glared at him, her expression one of pure annoyance.
Yuri groaned, "As long as I live, I won't be flying with you ever again."
Bakari looked up at Yuri. "We did not die," he said calmly.
Yuri turned to face the steaming wreckage rising over the trees. "No, but they know we are here now, he replied.
Bakari made an exaggerated face, trying to lighten the mood. Yuri looked around.
"So, this is Earth," he mused, gently lifting her hand to examine it. "The gravity here feels lighter than I expected."
Bakari nodded, his eyes scanning the horizon. "It's fascinating to think that this is where half of our heritage originates," he said, a hint of wonder in his voice.
His mind was a whirlwind of worry, the image of his parents' faces flashing through his thoughts.
"The question is, where do we even start?" he muttered, his voice barely rising above the gentle lapping of the water.
His heart was heavy with dread, each beat echoing his fear of the worst.
Yuri, standing beside him, opened his mouth to speak, "I'm sure that's obvio—" but his words were cut short.
A sudden rustling interrupted the quiet, the sound of footsteps squelching on the wet grass.
Both Bakari and Yuri froze, their heads snapping toward the source of the noise.
Emerging from the foggy woods were two figures—two girls, their styles distinct yet equally striking.
They stood there, wide-eyed and tense, like startled deer caught in the headlights.
One wore a cropped hoodie and matching joggers, the soft fabric hugging her frame as she moved with quiet confidence, a baseball cap shielding her eyes.
The other sported a black crop top beneath an oversized white jacket, baggy cargo pants cinched at the waist, and chunky sneakers, her curly hair framed by a beanie with cat ears.
The thick fog curled around their feet, swirling with each cautious step.
Bakari and Yuri exchanged a glance, both unsure of what to do next.
As the girls' uncertain eyes met theirs, they both began stepping back, hesitant and wary, caught between fear and curiosity.