Syanic Earth 5: Azir Citadel Arc

Prologue: The Lost Chickadee

"What the?" Shien awoke in a dark prison with his hands and feet in shackles. "Where did the Federation take me?"

He touched his neck to feel a metal collar tightened around it.

"So you're Mivangeline's boyfriend, hmm?" A pink-haired girl with glasses holding a scepter entered the cell with two White Death guards. "I should've known she would get one instead of me."

"You know Mivange? Who are you?"

"Oh, me? I'm the High Visionary of the Global Federation of World Justice, Myuuna Joltiarre. A great honor it is to meet the last Niang in person."

"Let me go! Avian Form: Riflebird's Wingbeat!" Shien struggled to break the chains.

The shackles didn't budge but shocked him with electricity in response.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, little songbird," Joltiarre laughed. "We designed those shock collars specifically for the Vultau and other unnatural martial artists."

He growled. "Why don't you release me? I'll punch you for calling me little!"

"Aww, feisty. No wonder you're Mivangeline's type. You have a handsome face, but why she picked a tiny pig like you is questionable."

"Grr! What does your Federation want from me? Mivange and I fought together in the Syanic Earth. We made a pinky promise to date in real life! How dare you ruin it!"

"A date?" Jealousy filled Joltiarre's wrath, who smacked her scepter into Shien's cheek. "For years, Mivangeline stole men's attention from me. I shouldn't have taught her the path to being an idol, but I didn't know she would be better than me! That whore!"

"Take that back," Shien spat blood on the floor.

"What did you just say?"

"Take that back, you jealous loser. You don't scare me. Mivange is far prettier than you!"

Joltiarre slapped Shien in the face. "Oh, I'll teach you to respect me. Do you know why? Cause I have a surprise for you."

Shien felt the cold winter shake his heart as a familiar blue-haired girl in a yukata walked in. It was Kyrinna.

"You'll be a stress reliever for the Cerulean Countess," Joltiarre grinned at Shien's silence. "Not so funny now, huh? That ought to put soap in that mouthful of yours."

Kyrinna sent him flying with an icy punch in the stomach. Shien struggled against his shackles but got electrocuted.

"W-why?" Shien coughed out blood. "What do you want from me?"

"Since your father killed her father, it's an eye for an eye," Joltiarre held Kyrinna by the shoulder.

She told her in Japanese. "Enjoy your payback. I know how long you waited for this moment, but remember to keep him alive."

So Kyrinna hates me because my dad killed hers? But that can't be it. Fanghui kills anyone with my last name. There's something up if they're keeping me alive, and I'm sure I'm not just here to be a punching bag for this stupid ice queen! Shien thought until Kyrinna grabbed his hair and slammed his head on the wall.

***

"Ugh, whoever made Emphynixyion deserves to be shot! Level 799? Pianissimo, my ass!" Thalamoid threw her Syanic Earth pod across the garage in Xneong's hideout. "That final boss was too damn hard. I almost died like 20 times!"

"You should be thankful that you're alive at least," The Korean High Envoy changed the tire of his eagle-headed motorcycle.

"Not only that, Shien is still alive!" Thalamoid punched the wall. "I wanted to sneak and behead him during the boss battle, but because of that freakin one HP deal, I couldn't do anything!"

Xneong sat on his bike and tested the engines. "Calm down, Thalamoid. You'll get your chance."

"Isrina! You had to give birth to that stupid Little Chickadee? I wasn't enough?" She kicked boxes around.

"Hey, hey! Those are my toys!"

"Does it look like I goddamn care about your fancy gadgets, Xneong?"

He shoved Thalamoid to the wall. "Listen, I already know the oh boohoo story of how Isrina abandoned you. So you can cut that little spoiled brat attitude of yours!"

Xneong pushed her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Look, we both want Shien dead. We're in this together, but let's stay calm and cooperate, alright?"

The Korean High Envoy gestured a hand to Thalamoid.

"Fine! I get it," She slapped his hand off.

Xneong fumed as he typed into his computer's database to access cameras and all communications across the globe. "I tried warning Fanghui not to help Joltiarre pop open those three sarcophagi, but he thinks I'm crazy. Now, we got to save the world ourselves."

"So what's the plan?"

"We find Shien and kill him before Iagen and the Prognosticus Trinity find him. Without Shien as the host, the Omaunukai demons cannot return to our world. We'll prevent the Revelation Concerto from happening!"