Ascending Fates: Rise Of The Sun God

Chapter 2: A New Beginning

Part 1

Leaping out of the dense forest onto the main road, Akio and Miroku look to their left and see the village. The fires from Mae's energy still burn furiously among the houses. They quickly run over to find Fuji and Mae. Miroku makes it to the scene of the fight slightly before Akio. What he finds is unlike anything he's ever seen from an energy technique, pure destructive power. He looked to his left first, observing the road where Mae had placed her feet and knelt down. The gravel road was completely melted, and still smoldering from the heat, showing that Mae had to have just been there recently.

When Akio catches up to him, they both look to the right. There they see the aftermath of Mae's new Variation, the lower half of Fuji's body resting against Mae's now roofless house. They each get chills up their spines seeing the devastation to his body and the surrounding area. From the waste up his body was completely obliterated, and burnt to a crisp at his hips. They didn't bother trying to move him at that point, he truly was dead. Holy shit, there's barely anything left of him. How could Mae have done this? I don't even know of a technique that could do something like this? Akio thought this as he saw Miroku kneel down next to Fuji's body, sighing as he did.

Miroku: "Shit..."

Miroku: "Akio," Now standing and turning towards his brother. "If your daughter really did this, there are going to be serious consequences. You know that, right?"

Akio: "I know. But you know as well as I do that this didn't happen for no reason."

Miroku: "It doesn't matter! She brutally killed a member of the family, she could be put to death just for that. But she also injured and scared Kenji for life, something that father and Natsumi are going to be furious about."

Akio: "I know, I know. I trust Kenji's words more than his brothers, but I just want her to be able to tell her side of all this."

They both pause to look away from Fuji's remains, looking over at the burning houses across the road.

Miroku: "They'll both have a chance to tell us what happened here as soon as we find Mae and bring her back to the Palace. Even then, we might have to wait for Kenji to recover to question him."

As they both stare into the inferno, Miroku asks a question.

Miroku: "What I really want to know, Akio, is why she just so happened to manifest her technique today? After so long of never being able to do it?"

Akio: "I really don't know. From what I can see here, whatever variation she used is completely different from any other that I've ever seen." His eyes now filling with astonishment. "It could be a totally new variation of our technique."

Miroku: Now quickly looking over at Akio with shock in his eyes. "Impossible! A new variation hasn't awakened in over forty years." And of all people, it manifested in her?!

Suddenly, two portals opened above the burning houses, interrupting their conversation. Each portal was nearly fifteen meters wide, with the other side being at the bottom of a lake. They both dropped a huge amount of water at the same time, quelching the house fires and sending water flowing past the feet of Akio and Miroku. What the hell? Akio thinks this as he tries to identify the portals, noticing its distinctive, glowing border that emanated a faint purple fog.

Miroku: "Shit," He grabs a large dagger out of his boot. "Whose portal could this be?"

Akio: "Wait."

The two portals instantaneously shut, cutting off the water, leaving the houses to smolder and smoke. Since Mae's energy disappeared, the temperature in the air had gone back down to the nineties, allowing the houses to slowly put themselves out. Directly above the spot where Mae last was, kneeling in the road, one portal opened. It was just large enough to fit two people through. As the portal moves downward, Masataka's head is the first to pop out. By the time it reached the ground, it revealed Mae standing on his right with his hand on her left shoulder. Showing both her father and Miroku her new appearance.