Chrono Vanguard

Chrono Vanguard - Chapter 3: Poisoned Shadows

The woman with the hourglass was called Yuki and she was apparently poisoned by one of the Cuchillo. Yuki's condition worsened with each passing second. Her strength faded, and her voice grew weaker. As Emi and the Chrono Vanguard tended to her, they listened intently to her fading words.

Yuki gasped for breath, her eyes filled with urgency. "Listen carefully," she rasped. "Temporal Eclipse... after Emi's powers... the code to unlock the watch... Two Timeflow Orbs... but they need... three more."

Her trembling hand pointed to a tattered map. It marked a date - September 23, 2005, in a village left in ruins by war. Yuki continued, "Temporal Shield... Temporal Duplication... Time Restoration... find them... before Temporal Eclipse does."

With those final words, Yuki's eyes closed, and her breathing ceased. The poison had taken its toll, and Yuki, their only connection to this dark world, was gone.

Emi and her team stood with deep sincerity at Yuki's grave, paying their respects to the fallen ally. Their mission now carried even greater weight as they understood the significance of the Timeflow Orbs.

With renewed determination, they activated Emi's Timeflow watch The Chronoportation Watch, targeting September 23, 2005. As they arrived in the village, they found it still scarred by the echoes of war. Abandoned homes, overgrown plants, and the traces of battles long past painted a haunting picture.

Their search for the Timeflow Orbs began, a task complicated by their need to avoid altering the timeline further. Each step felt heavy, as if they were walking on the fragile threads of history. Days turned into nights, and their hope began to wane.

Concealed to them, Ryuga Darkstrom, one of the 15 Cuchillos, had infiltrated their mission. His orders were clear: eliminate Yuki and seize the Timeflow Orb once Emi obtained it. He watched from the shadows, gathering intelligence.

After six days of fruitless searching, the Vanguard found only one of the three Timeflow Orbs - the "Temporal Shield." Frustration and exhaustion began to take their toll. They considered returning to their time with their single find, but the looming threat of Temporal Eclipse encouraged them to press on.

Just as they considerd their next move,Ryuga revealed himself. He was one of the feared 15 Cuchillos, the 15th ranked among Temporal Eclipse's strongest warriors. His mission was clear: acquire the Timeflow Orb at all costs.

Rei the ninja and Kenzo the viking, the most formidable in their squad, recognized the danger. They knew that facing Ryuga would be their heaviest battle yet. With conviction, they urged Emi and the rest to escape with the orbs, understanding that they were outmatched.

The battle against Ryuga began, shattering the surroundings. The sheer power of the 15th Cuchillo was overwhelming. Emi desperately wanted to help, but she felt helpless without her watch, her time-traveling abilities sealed.

The battle raged on for hours, with Ryuga toying with his opponents. Emi watched in frustration, her heart aching for her friends. Then, in a moment of vulnerability, Ryuga made a critical error.

As the battle with Ryuga reached its climax, the situation seemed dire. Emi's inability to participate weighed heavily on her. But in a sudden twist of fate, Emi's latent powers surged to life.

Strong bolts of lightning arced from her outstretched hands, striking Ryuga with incredible force. The 15th Cuchillo cried in pain, gravely injured. The unexpected surge of power forced him to retreat, unable to maintain the fight.Emi, shocked by her newfound abilities, rushed to her injured comrades. Kenzos condition was grave, a gaping hole in his chest, and Rei was exhausted and barely able to move.With Ryuga gone, Emi's team tended to their wounded. They had succeeded in repelling the threat, but at a great cost. The destruction they had caused in the past weighed heavily on their consciences.

With their broken watch and no way to return to their time, they were stranded in 2005. Their mission to retrieve the Timeflow Orbs remained unfinished, but they had a new priority: finding a way back home. The shadows of the past and the uncertainty of the future closed in around them, and they knew that their journey was far from over.

[To be continued...]