Eclipse of the Chronicles

Chapter 6: Heart of Justice that Protects

(Scene opens with a flashback)

"You have quite the dog, young man," said a senior police officer to a young Charlie, who stood proudly with his dog, Buster, by his side. "Without his help, we might not have found those kidnapped children in this warehouse. He's a really good dog."

"Thank you, Sir. He really is," Charlie replied, as Buster leaned towards him playfully.

"He would make a great K9 dog if well-trained. If he likes, we can train him to be a K9 dog ourselves," the officer suggested, and Buster barked excitedly, as if understanding and approving of the idea.

Charlie was taken aback by how eager Buster seemed. "You really mean it, sir...?" he asked, and the officer nodded in response.

(A few years later)

Buster had become an invaluable asset to the Singapore Police Force, assisting in tracking down criminals and rescuing civilians. Charlie couldn't have been prouder of his dog. But one day, everything changed.

There was a knock on Charlie's door. When he opened it, he found police officers standing there, their expressions somber, their berets held in hand. Alarmed, Charlie invited them inside, desperate to know what had happened.

The officers sat on the couch, heavy with bad news. They explained that Buster had been tragically killed by an animal trafficker. The police had been tracking down a criminal involved in the illegal trafficking of animal organs. Buster had found the criminal before the officers could reach him, but the trafficker, in a desperate attempt to escape, had run Buster down with his truck, inflicting fatal injuries. The criminal had been apprehended and the animals saved, but Buster...

As Charlie heard the news, he broke down, his cries of grief echoing through his home, possibly heard throughout the entire neighborhood. A funeral was held for Buster by Charlie and his family. Days turned into months, and months into years. As Charlie's neighbor, who shared his pain, I welcomed him into our family, and our friendship deepened.

Then, a few days after the Fated Chronicle clash, Lilith found Charlie, who had just awakened his powers. Seizing on his grief, she attempted to mentally pollute him, her eyes glowing with a dark green light.

(Scene returns to the present)

Charlie arrived at Buster's grave in a park, laying down flowers as he knelt beside the stone inscribed with Buster's name. He struggled to hold back tears as he gazed at the marker. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw Stephanie, also carrying flowers.

"Steph?" Charlie said, surprised by her presence.

"Hi, Charles... I came to see Buster..." Stephanie replied as she approached the grave and knelt beside Charlie. They shared a moment of silence, grieving together.

"Buster and I were like best pals during my training at the academy," Stephanie reminisced. "Whenever I felt down when training got tough, Buster always provided me with comfort. We played and trained on operations together at the obstacle course. I felt so lucky to have him by my side. When I heard what happened to him, I made a vow that I would never let this happen again. That was what steeled my resolve to be the best officer in the academy."

Stephanie's memories of Buster and her motivation to become a better officer because of him brought the two closer as they recalled how they started a campaign to end animal trafficking, a cause that succeeded thanks to public support.

Suddenly, a few birds flew toward Charlie, and several squirrels approached him. Charlie embraced them, and Stephanie looked on in surprise.

Charlie explained that he now had the power to communicate with animals and could cast a protective shield spell to defend them from harm. He could even exhibit an animal aura, gaining the qualities of certain creatures. Charlie thought it was only fair to share his powers with Stephanie before their upcoming match in the Destined Chronicle showdown, a gesture she appreciated. However, she couldn't help but wonder why Charlie seemed different from the other Destined Chronicles, who all harbored resentment towards one of the Fated Chronicles. Stephanie believed she might be the target, given their connection.

"Let's fight to the best of our abilities, Steph... tonight... for Buster's sake!" Charlie said with determination.

Stephanie nodded in response, ready for the battle ahead.

The night of the third round of the Destined Chronicle showdown had arrived. Both teams were punctual, gathering at the arena with anticipation hanging in the air. Stephanie and Charlie stepped onto the fighting stage, while the rest of us moved to the spectator area. As Charlie prepared to face Stephanie, Amy wished him luck, sealing her support with a kiss before he headed to the stage. Meanwhile, we Fated Chronicles rallied around Stephanie, giving her our encouragement.

Unlike the previous matches, the atmosphere this time was noticeably more peaceful. Both Stephanie and Charlie regarded each other with mutual respect, a stark contrast to the tension of earlier battles.

"Stephanie Leong, Charlie Lim, raise your cards and let out your battle cry as we commence the beginning of this match..." Lilith announced, performing her usual gesture to start the fight.

"Let's settle..." said Stephanie, raising her card, which began to glow with energy.

"...old scores," cried Charlie, mirroring her gesture.

"DESTINY!" they both shouted in unison, raising their flag cards. Charlie's card depicted a shield with a lion's face and eagle wings.

"The time has come for the third match of destiny to begin..." declared Lilith.

As the match began, Stephanie wasted no time, using her metal manipulation powers to summon her crossbow from the weapons compartment. She opened fire on Charlie, who dashed towards a power-boosting power-up to amplify his abilities. With newfound strength, Charlie summoned several robot dummies, transforming them into mechanical animals—a gorilla, a hawk, and a rhino—each charging toward Stephanie.

With quick thinking, Stephanie used her powers to summon weapons that would help counter each beast machine's attack. She selected a shield to block the rhino, a mace to battle the gorilla, and relied on her crossbow to shoot down the hawk, which was spewing flames from the sky.

"Stephanie's doing great out there, isn't she?" I remarked.

"Yeah. She's totally making full use of the weapons around her, along with her enhanced strength to wield them," Jessica replied, offering her support.

"Things are looking good for her," Queenie added.

The fight raged on, and Stephanie managed to break through the beast machines, landing several hits on Charlie, forcing him back.

"Not bad, Steph... but... I'm supposed to be a protector, not the protected. Here I go," Charlie muttered, steeling himself as he grabbed two blades from the weapons compartment.

"Fulfill the role of a destined protector and deploy defenses. Ultimate Chronicle technique, Shields of Destiny!" Charlie cried out, casting a barrier spell over his beast machines, enhancing their protection. Stephanie found herself on the defensive, struggling to deal with the reinforced beasts. She fought valiantly, managing to momentarily break through their defenses and shoot a few crossbow bolts at Charlie, but they were deflected by the machine hawk circling above.

"They sure protect you well, Charles... I know I have to get rid of them if I want to damage you, but they're under your protection, so it's tough," Stephanie called out.

"Protecting and being protected is what it means to fight side by side to attain victory," Charlie replied.

"In that case, perhaps overwhelming firepower is the answer. How about this? Justice prevails, Ultimate Chronicle technique, Full Arsenal Firepower!" Stephanie shouted, summoning every blaster weapon in the dojo. The weapons levitated, and with a surge of power, she pulled all their triggers simultaneously, unleashing a barrage of shots that pummeled Charlie and his beast machines. The impact knocked Charlie back, dimming the lights on his flag.

Stephanie braced herself, expecting Charlie to resort to a dark move like the other Destined Chronicles before him. But instead, Charlie simply rose to his feet, his lights nearly extinguished from the assault. Yet, thanks to his protection spell, the beast machines remained active. Exhibiting the speed of a cheetah, Charlie dashed toward Stephanie, deflecting her crossbow bolts and blaster fire with his twin swords. His beast machines charged alongside him, an unstoppable force.

"Steph... I have carried on Buster's will to protect others in my soul and gained the strength to move on into the future..." Charlie declared, his determination unwavering.

"HAAAAH!" Charlie roared as he slashed through Stephanie's blasters, landing a decisive blow that extinguished the lights on her flag.

"Winner: Destined Chronicle of Protection," Lilith announced.

The hologram scoreboard materialized again and the score was now 1-2, a point added to the destined chronicles side from the first one they've gained.

The match concluded, and despite our loss, applause filled the arena from both sides. As the cheers settled, Charlie reached out to Stephanie for a handshake. Before accepting, Stephanie looked at him with a proud smile.

"Charlie, I'm so proud of you. You've carried on Buster's will and strength to protect the innocent. He would be proud of you, too," she said warmly.

Charlie was touched by her words, his expression softening as he nodded in appreciation. As Stephanie reached out to shake his hand, she suddenly pulled him close, surprising him.

"You were never under her mental pollution, were you?" Stephanie whispered, her voice filled with curiosity.

Charlie smiled a subtle hint of truth in his expression.

(Flashback)

As Lilith found Charlie, who had just awakened his powers, she tried to mentally pollute him using her dark influence. However, the locket necklace around Charlie's neck, which held a picture of Buster, began to glow. Its light countered the darkness of Lilith's magic, shielding him.

Charlie had briefly lost consciousness but was revived by the soft nudges of his cats, who had sensed his distress and came to his side. When Charlie awoke, Lilith was gone, believing she had succeeded in her spell. But thanks to the mysterious power of the locket, Charlie remained free from her influence. Determined to understand more about the locket's origins, he traced it to a temple.

(Present)

Charlie arrived at the temple, its ancient gates looming before him. As he passed through, he was startled to see someone waiting for him.

"Glad you finally found this place...brother," a voice called out.

Charlie turned to see Daisuke, holding up a locket identical to his own. Stunned, Charlie demanded answers. Daisuke explained that they were indeed brothers from a previous timeline. In this timeline, he was taken in by the Lim family and Daisuke has been looking out for him for a while since he found him sometime between the fated chronicle clash. Somehow, their lockets had survived the destruction of that timeline and remained with them as they transitioned into the current one.

The lockets were crafted by Elder Trion, their grandfather and the first to receive the gifts of the celestial firebolt comet. With his powers, Elder Trion had imbued the lockets with a protective charm against dark magic, ensuring his grandsons would be safe from such influences.

As Daisuke spoke, fragments of Charlie's past life flooded back to him. Memories of their previous timeline surfaced, reconnecting the brothers through shared experiences and knowledge.

The two brothers caught up, sharing all they knew about Lilith's schemes.

"I won't stand by as she takes them captive... as she takes Amy," Charlie declared, his voice resolute. "For now, I'll act as a double agent, standing beside the Destined Chronicles and gathering more information."

Daisuke listened, but before he could respond, Charlie added, "One more thing, brother."

Daisuke looked at him, sensing the urgency in Charlie's tone.

"I think I may know why your ritual failed... Even with Luna's powers reversed, she couldn't have created the Destined Chronicle cards herself. She shouldn't have been able to give them the ticket they needed to partake in the tournament. The only way this could happen is if one of us told her about your powers—or was forced to do so under her influence."

Daisuke's face paled as the implication sank in.

"No way... It can't be..." he muttered anxiously.

Charlie nodded gravely. "One of the Fated Chronicles might have been possessed by Lilith."

(Scene cuts to black)