After Allison and Amy left, The prince and Yuri stood by the window, lost in thought as the moonlight bathed the scene outside. Yuri broke the silence with a whispered concern. "Bakari, haven't we stayed too long without knowing the full-bloods' plans?"
Bakari sighed, acknowledging the challenge. "Yes, but with my jet out of commission, we're stuck. While the full-bloods operate from the Star Glider, we're in the dark."
Yuri's determination didn't waver. "How about we focus on fixing the jet for now?"
"We could try," Bakari conceded, "but without a way to track them while they remain on the Star Glider, we're still blind."
Yuri pondered this, a curious expression on his face. "What did your father make that thing out of, anyway? And, more importantly, who knew that his jet could jump through dimensions?"
Their thoughts were interrupted as the girls entered the living room. Amy cleared her throat, drawing their attention.
She stood confidently, her pirate ensemble complete with a tricorn hat and a richly embroidered vest, channeling the allure of the high seas. Beside her, Allison moved silently, her ninja attire sleek and shadowy, her eyes sharp and alive with mischief.
"Do you boys want to join us for a party?" Amy asked, her tone playful.
Yuri raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Like a celebration?"
Allison nodded, an approving smile playing at her lips. "Exactly."
"What kind of party is this?" Bakari inquired.
"You know," Amy replied with a playful wink, "music, friends, dancing, and all the good stuff."
The boys shared a knowing glance, an unspoken understanding passing between them. Yuri tilted his head slightly in agreement, while the urge for new experiences welled within Bakari. Acknowledging this, he turned to Yuri, offering a quiet apology for the diversion.
With renewed excitement, Bakari faced the girls. "Count us in."
Amy's delighted shriek echoed in the room as she clasped their arms, drawing them into their adventurous fold.
Upon their arrival, Amy rang the doorbell, and moments later, the door swung open. A man greeted them with a warm smile.
"Oh, you came!" he exclaimed, pulling Amy into a hug. Bakari couldn't help but look away, wrestling with a twinge of jealousy.
As they pulled apart, the man acknowledged Allison with a friendly nod. "Hey, Allison," he said, waving.
Surveying the newcomers, he paused, then gestured to Yuri and Bakari. "And who are these guys?"
Yuri stiffened slightly, not entirely appreciating the scrutinizing gaze, but Amy quickly interjected. "These are our... old high school friends, Yuri and Bakari."
The man relaxed, offering a casual salute. "What's up, fellas?" They exchanged greetings with a friendly pat.
"Make yourselves at home," he added, stepping aside to let them in.
As they entered, a palpable wave of energetic conversation and music hit them.
The girls, intent on introducing them to more faces, handed each a red cup filled with an unfamiliar drink, urging them to try it.
Yuri took a sip and immediately spat the offensive liquid back into the cup, setting it aside with a grimace.
Bakari, equally disgusted, downed his quickly before passing it off to a passing guy.
The girls checked in, concerned, but the boys assured them they were alright, though Yuri whispered complaints to Bakari about wanting to be elsewhere.
During a sudden uproar, attention shifted as everyone glanced at their phones.
A nearby group of girls eagerly chatted about a spaceship spotted in the sky. Yuri and Bakari exchanged a look, voices overlapping. "Did you hear that?"
Bakari, sensing opportunity, suggested they investigate. Yuri, eager and insistent, grabbed Bakari's arm.
"Let's not waste time telling them. We find this, handle it, and go home."
Bakari nodded in agreement, and together, they slipped away as Amy glanced in their direction. She voiced a quiet hope that they weren't leaving without a word.
Once outside, they launched into action, their feet expertly finding purchase on the rooftops as they traversed the city with agile precision.
The thrill of adrenaline coursed through them, each leap carried by an inner drive to uncover the truth.
Nearing the city outskirts, Bakari abruptly stopped at the forest's edge. Yuri turned, frustration evident. "What are you doing? We're almost there!"
"I know," Bakari replied, his voice tinged with gravity. "But this is where my jet crashed."
Yuri's eyes widened. "You think they're looking for it—or for us?"
Before Bakari could reply, the Star Glider zipped above the trees, a sleek silhouette against the night sky.
The force of its passage whipped the air, a vortex of displaced leaves and snapping twigs testifying to its impossible speed. "There it goes," Bakari pointed out, urgency in his tone.
Yuri watched as it created a rift and vanished before their eyes.
Frustration boiled over, and Bakari slammed his fist into a tree, splintering the bark. "Hold on," Yuri urged, focusing. "I can sense one of them."
Frustration boiled over, and Bakari slammed his fist into a tree, splintering the bark with raw force. "Hold on," Yuri urged, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "I can sense one of them."
Yuri followed the elusive energy signature through the dense forest, guided by instinct and determination.
As they pressed on, the gentle humming grew clearer, weaving through the cool night air.
They soon emerged onto an elevated plateau that overlooked a shimmering lake, its surface catching the moonlight in a dance of silver ripples.
At the water's edge, the moonlight cast a silvery glow on an imposing figure—a towering man with skin as dark as the night. His bare chest gleamed under the celestial light, revealing a physique carved from strength. His features bore the distinct elegance of Japanese heritage, with high cheekbones and a strong jawline. His eyes, a mesmerizing shade of gold, seemed to hold the secrets of the universe.
Adorning his powerful arms were golden gauntlets, shimmering with an ethereal light. He knelt, fingers sinking into the earth, lifting a handful of soil to his nose. The rich, loamy scent filled the air, and a satisfied smile played on his lips.
"This will do," he murmured, his voice resonant and profound, as if the very earth listened.
The prince, his voice a low growl, whispered, "Wait..." He paused, a flicker of something unexpected crossing his face.
"He's humming the song..."
Yuri listened intently, the familiar reggae melody drifting on the breeze.
Yuri squinted. "What's he doin'—" He paused, his eyes locking on the figure. "Is that Valdo?"
Bakari, taken aback, looked at Yuri in shock. "Yeah, that's him," he confirmed, his mind racing.
"What is a death row inmate doing with my family's tech, blasting it in the lake on Earth?" He smacked his lips in frustration and turned to Yuri.
"Yuri," he urged, jabbing a finger toward the criminal, "shatter that cannon."
Without hesitation, his hands sliced through the air, each motion deliberate and exact.
As he focused his energy, a stream of purple blood flowed from his palm, shimmering in the light.
With a swift thrust, the blood shot toward Valdo, who barely had time to glance up before the stream struck the cannon, shattering it into pieces.
The boys leapt down from the bank, their movements synchronized and purposeful, ready to confront the chaos below.
The stranger fully turned. The boys emerged from behind the tree. Yuri flashed his sword.
From his palm, Yuri crafted a double-edged sword of pure blood.
Valdo chuckled, wading out of the lake. "The king's heir and the chief's son... quite the reunion. Your fathers would be thrilled."
Bakari exploded, "What in the stars were you doing back there?"
Valdo's voice was a low rumble, filled with the weight of ancestry and otherworldly authority. "You're the prince of Pluton, not Earth. And I don't entertain ultimatums."
Bakari replied with a grin that spoke of mischief and defiance. "Fine, have it your way." With that, he and Yuri moved as one, leaping down from their perch with the grace of panthers.
Yuri's arm morphed in a flowing, organic motion, the skin pulling back as bone elongated and reshaped to form an axe.
It was as if his limb carried a metamorphic secret, hidden beneath layers of human facade.
The axe's edge glinted dully in the moonlight light, a silent promise of devastation.
Valdo, calm in his purpose, raised his arm with solemnity. An unseen force beckoned the dust around him, pulling it from the earth as if in servitude.
The dust swirled and coalesced, shaping itself into a lance that emerged seamlessly around his fist.
With cold detachment, he declared, "I don't hate half-bloods or humans. I'm just here for the thrill.
But if it's a challenge you seek, then let the sons of the Flamekeepers and the Vainbreaker show their worth."
He thrust the lance forward with precision, aiming to pierce Bakari's defenses.
Instantly, Bakari's gauntlet shimmered into life, projecting a shimmering energy shield.
It rang with a clear, melodic tang as it absorbed the impact—a sound somewhere between a bell's toll and a drum's deep thud.
In one fluid motion, Bakari reached behind him and withdrew two cylindrical hilts. With a sharp click, they sprang to life, emitting plasma blades that vibrated with raw energy. The plasma shimmered with a vibrant glow, blurring as they moved, like ethereal wings poised to defend him.
Valdo met the assault with formidable skill, blocking Bakari's plasma blades in an elegant yet forceful dance. He caught Yuri's descending axe mid-air, blue blood seeping from where it nicked him, his voice calm as he stated, "No, boys, this will not do."
United in their next move, Bakari and Yuri drove their knees into Valdo's torso. He staggered slightly, yet his smile lingered—amused, unyielding. Bakari seized the moment, hurling one of his swords toward Valdo with intent, only for Valdo to slam it into the ground with his dust-formed lance, the impact echoing through the chaos.
Undeterred, Yuri surged forward, blitzing Valdo with a series of rapid attacks. His timing was impeccable, interweaving with Bakari's strikes like a tapestry of orchestrated violence. As they engaged, Yuri held back, watching for the perfect moment, until a well-placed punch sent Valdo reeling towards Bakari.
Bakari extended his hand, manipulating electromagnetic forces with a sweep that slammed Valdo into the ground, disrupting the very earth beneath them. "You give up yet?" Bakari taunted, his voice steady despite the chaos.
Valdo, slowly rising to one knee, chuckled. "I see you've picked up the family business. But are you using tech for this?" His words grated on Bakari's patience, prompting him to swipe his hand through the air, dismissive of Valdo's provocations.
Suddenly, Valdo was gone, hurled through the forest by his own force. "No!" Yuri shouted urgently. Bakari scanned the area, vigilance heightened. Dust swirled ominously around the clearing.
Valdo materialized behind Bakari with ghostly silence. "Bakari, behind you!" Yuri yelled, sprinting to close the distance. But it was too late. Valdo's grip locked onto the back of Bakari's neck, forcing a pained yell from him. Yuri's axe lay embedded in a tree, a testament to Valdo's speed, and Bakari dangled helplessly.
In an instant, Valdo slammed them both into the ground with monumental force. The earth caved beneath their impact, leaving a massive crater in its wake. Bakari's body was wracked with pain—each nerve alive with agony. His back felt numb, his head throbbed violently, threatening to explode from within.
Standing over them, Valdo proclaimed with unsettling confidence, "Without Orion, the king, queen, or any royal blood, there's no stopping what's to come. I've already won. You're weak, but not for being half-breeds. That should make you stronger."
Bakari, barely clinging to consciousness, longed for Valdo's tirade to cease. Yuri extended a supportive hand toward Bakari, yet Valdo's cruel grip twisted it viciously, prompting Yuri's anguished cry. As Bakari's eyes blinked open, determination hardened his expression.
With reckless resolve, Bakari tore the energy core from his suit and jammed it into Valdo's thigh. Valdo howled, retaliating with a brutal stomp to Bakari's chest, drawing crimson droplets and intensifying the searing pain. Valdo wrenched the core out, inspecting it with curiosity. "Hmm," he mused, before noticing the rapid heating.
The core began to scorch his palm, and he dropped it with a reflexive curse.
Time slowed for Bakari, watching as the core descended toward him—a moment stretched into eternity.
It detonated upon impact, the ensuing plasma blast engulfing the area with blinding intensity.
The explosion was a symphony of light and sound, a thunderous chorus that consumed everything within its reach, marking the forest with its indelible power.
After the blast had subsided, Valdo staggered to his feet amid the smoldering remains of the once-lush forest. The air shimmered with heat, the trees around him crackling with the remnants of the scorching plasma burst. Half of his body was a testament to the ferocity of the explosion, charred and blistered, his flesh a patchwork of raw agony.
He screamed—a primal, tormented sound—and limped toward the sprawled prince, his gait a predator's angry lope. "You sly bastard," he growled, through gritted teeth. "So devious…I almost respect it." His hand hovered, trembling with menace, mere inches from Bakari's vulnerable throat.
Just then, a tremulous voice cut through the acrid air, causing Valdo to freeze. "You touch him, and I'll make sure you regret the day your father met your mother."
Valdo turned his gaze toward Yuri, whose bone armor hung in tattered remnants from his body, one half of his face an ashen shadow of its former self. The raw burns etched a grimace into his features, yet his eyes burned with unflinching resolve. Sizing up the situation, Valdo retracted his hand, nodded a begrudging acknowledgment of Yuri's threat, and then leaped into the sky, disappearing into the smoky canopy of the forest above.
Yuri watched him vanish, then stumbled over to Bakari, dropping to his knees beside him. "No, no, no," he murmured, horror-stricken at the sight of his brother. Bakari lay there, his body scorched, purple blood seeping from where his right arm had been severed, staining the earth below.
"Come on, brother. I'm not losing you," Yuri urged, gently cradling Bakari's head. "I need you to breathe."
Bakari's eyes, brilliant with unshed tears, met Yuri's. "I can't, I can't—" he whimpered, every word a battle. "It hurts…it hurts so much…"
"Shh, you can," Yuri coaxed, his voice tender but firm.
"Don't talk like that. We've barely started this journey. Do you think my father sent us here to die? No, we're meant for more. So breathe."
Collecting courage from his brother's words, Bakari swallowed hard, forcing air into his lungs.
Each breath was a laborious wheeze, his body steaming as it commenced the arduous process of healing.
"That's it, you're doing it," Yuri encouraged, his eyes shimmering with emotion. "You're doing it."
With a groan, Bakari rolled from Yuri's grasp, coughing as the air returned to his tortured lungs.
Despite the pain, despite everything, the flame of life flickered stubbornly within him, refusing to be extinguished.