Ghouldrake's Hunting

-At 2:50 PM,

Kira and Hakim stepped through the portal into the Guardian's chamber. The tall figure was already waiting for them, as if he had predicted the conversation before it began.

Hakim opened his mouth. "Guardian, I—"

The Guardian raised a hand, cutting him off. "You need a place to stay. I know. Unfortunately, I can't help. You'll be living with Kira."

Hakim blinked. "No. Absolutely not. I'll sleep in a training chamber."

"Not possible," the Guardian replied. "Other Crystal Forces use them, and some aren't friendly."

Kira crossed her arms. "Couldn't you do for him what you did for me?"

Hakim turned sharply. "Wait—you got her a place?"

"Kira didn't tell you?" The Guardian didn't sound surprised. "She's an orphan. Received her Crystal object while still in foster care. Rosie helped secure housing and a scholarship. Your situation is different. So—you live with her."

Hakim scoffed. "What, do Crystal Objects have a thing for orphans? Theo's an orphan too."

"Coincidence."

"That's your answer for everything."

The Guardian's expression grew impatient. "Good luck living together."

"This is outrageous," Kira muttered.

Hakim shrugged. "Guess I'll grab my stuff."

"You'll have to wait an hour," Kira said. "I need to prepare the house—and your room. And bring all the furniture from your old place. Since no one's using it, we might as well."

Hakim stared at her. "Wait—there's no furniture in your house?"

"Try buying furniture when you're the only one buying food."

Hakim smirked. "Don't worry. Feeling overwhelmed just means you need a man capable of handling things."

Kira glared. "I don't think you count as a man. You're—"

"Leave," the Guardian ordered. "Both of you."

The portal swallowed them, sending Hakim toward Mrs. Krizma's and Kira back home.

One Hour Later — Kira's House

Hakim entered through the portal, stepping into a nearly empty room.

"Well," Kira said, gesturing around, "this is your room now. Aren't you going to thank me? It used to be my gym."

He surveyed the space. "Good thing you got rid of it. It clearly wasn't helping."

Kira exhaled sharply. "Just get your stuff arranged."

"What about the rest of the furniture?"

"I'll handle it."

Her power flickered to life, furniture rising and sliding into place with precise, effortless motion.

The Next Day, 3:20 AM

Kira jolted awake to a telepathic voice.

There's been a break-in at a shoe store.

She sighed. "Let me guess. The thief has a shard."

Correct. I'll alert Decibolt. Get to the chamber.

It didn't take long before she and Hakim had returned to the Guardian.

"Where is this shoe store?" Kira asked, stifling a yawn.

"Sector 24. Block 1. Street 19."

Hakim stretched. "Sleepy? I know something that'll wake you up."

"Keep your crystal away from me."

They transformed and vanished.

Sector 24, Block 1, Street 19

A lone summoner stomped down the narrow lane, arms full of stolen merchandise and irritation.

"Pick up the pace, Needle Hair!" he snapped over his shoulder. "Who knows when those blasted heroes will show up?"

His summon, a tall woman with long strands of hair sharpened into metallic, flexible needles, strained under the load. Each braid curled like a tense serpent, carrying several pairs of expensive shoes she had wrapped up in her weaponized tresses.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" she hissed, half panting under the weight.

Before the summoner could retort, a ripple of silver light carved open the air. Kira and Decibolt stepped through the portal, their arrival as abrupt and clean as a blade slicing reality.

The summoner's eyes widened. "Great. They're here." He jabbed a finger at his servant. "Needle Hair, I release you of your existence!"

She flickered, then disappeared in a burst of dull white smoke.

Kira folded her arms. "Surrendering already? Good choice."

"Hardly," the summoner replied, yanking out a glowing shard. "She's not my best summon. Get ready to meet... Ghouldrake."

Light pulsed from the shard, forming the silhouette of a boy no older than fifteen. He wore a glove etched with a ghostly emblem.

"Spectro-Glove Horror—unleashed!" he declared.

Three white orbs shot from the glove's symbol and plunged into the boy's chest. Mist erupted around him, thick and swirling. When it faded, he had taken on the form of a ghost, his entire body wavering like a translucent flame while wearing a super suit that matched his ghostly presence.

Ghouldrake drifted upward, his form half-solid, half-smoke. A frigid breath escaped him, spilling white mist through the entire store until the aisles vanished behind a curtain of ghostly fog.

"Can you see where he went?" Decibolt asked, scanning the haze.

Before he received an answer, a sudden impact cracked against his chest. Ghouldrake materialized out of nowhere, kicking him violently to the floor.

"Kinetic Punch!" Kira snapped, lunging forward.

Her fist struck empty air. Ghouldrake flickered out of existence and reappeared behind her, striking her down with the same playful cruelty in his voice.

"With Ghost Mist and Phantom Leap combined," he taunted, his laughter scraping at their nerves, "you'll never see me coming! Hehehahhe!"

He darted between them, peppering both with quick, mocking strikes.

"This is so much fun! You're totally defenseless! Hehehahhe!"

"Sonic Blast!" Decibolt fired back.

Ghouldrake twisted aside with ease.
"Not even close! Hehehahhe!"

"That laugh is so annoying..." Decibolt muttered.

"Oh, you don't like my laugh?" Ghouldrake gasped dramatically. "Too bad! I'm a ghost—scaring and annoying you is my job! Hehehahhe—hehehehahhe—HAHAHA!"

Decibolt jumped, slammed a punch into the ghost, and hurled three Sonic Discs at him. Ghouldrake Phantom Leaped away, sailing through the mist with wicked delight.

"How dare you interrupt my ghostly giggle! Time for my next move!"

The mist disappeared.

"Ghostly Possession!"

He dove straight into Kira. Her eyes flashed white as Ghouldrake seized control of her body.

"Let's see if you can hit your own teammate!" he said through her voice, attacking with her limbs.

Decibolt dodged, circling behind her.
"You think I won't attack her just 'cause she's my teammate? Sonic Blast!"

The blast launched her through the window. Ghouldrake flew out of her chest with a grunt.

"Urgh!"

"And that," Decibolt said, "was payback for the full-body repulsion you hit me with yesterday."

Kira stood, brushing glass off her suit. "As if one of your attacks would cause me pain."

Ghouldrake hovered, smirking. "Time for my third attack—Phantom Blade."

A sword formed from dense white mist. He lunged at Decibolt, slashing wildly. Decibolt narrowly avoided each blow until Ghouldrake disappeared and reappeared behind him. He feinted, baiting Decibolt into turning to block, then slashed from the opposite side—landing a clean hit that sent Decibolt crashing backward.

"Now you."

He leapt at Kira, who raised a molecular wall to intercept him. Ghouldrake vanished again, reappeared behind her, and swung—only for her to grab his arm mid-strike and hurl him across the street.

"Whoa."

Before he hit the ground, he teleported again. She attempted a back kick, but he flickered in front of her instead and punched her sharply in the gut.

"Gotcha."

He unleashed a rapid barrage of punches and finished with a kick that slammed her into the floor.

"Now don't take this personally—but I have to finish you off."

Shelves, streetlights, and nearby debris lifted into the air, all pulled by his spectral force. He hurled everything at once. Kira countered, pushing back with molecular force. The collision detonated into a massive blast that sent all three of them flying.

"Well, that didn't go as planned..." Ghouldrake muttered. "I think it's time for my next ghostly attack."

He rose again and exhaled another wave of ghost mist across the battlefield.

"He's using that ghost mist again," Decibolt said. "Deci-locate!"

He activated his scanner. The interface blinked empty.

Strange... I can't locate him or Kira.

"Decibolt..." a voice drifted through the fog.

"Who's there?"

"It's me, Decibolt."

The Council Leader stepped out of the haze.

"Council Leader? W-What are you doing here?"

"You failed your mission, Decibolt."

"What?"

"You failed to train and protect your Chosen One."

"It's not my fault—"

"There you go again with excuses," the Council Leader snapped. "Maybe if you didn't waste so much time squabbling with that girl, you might've achieved something. Do you think Poler is wasting time like this? He's training his Chosen One while you stand here, failing! You both argued about who's superior—now I see it clearly. Poler is far better than you."

"Poler is not better than me!"

"And that ego?" The Council Leader sneered. "That's your real flaw. Always convinced you're the best. But the truth? You're a failure. A hot-headed failure."

"I'm not a failure!"

On Kira's side.

Kira blinked through the thick fog.

"I can't see a thing..."

A glowing door appeared before her.

"What the—"

She pushed it open and stepped into a dimly lit room. A man and woman stood inside, speaking softly.

"Mom? Dad? Is that you?!" Kira rushed toward them and reached for an embrace.

The woman shoved her backward. "Ugh, who are you?"

"It's me—Kira, your daughter!"

"Oh... Kira," the woman said with a cold smile. "You're still alive?"

"Yeah... and I've missed you so much."

"Looks like we don't have that in common," the man replied.

"What do you mean? You didn't miss me?"

"No. Why do you think we abandoned you?" the woman said.

"But... the caregivers said you died in an accident..."

"That's what we paid them to tell you."

"We wanted a boy," the man added. "Instead, we got a weak, pathetic girl."

On Decibolt's side

The Council Leader duplicated, forming a ring of identical figures around Decibolt.

"Your services are no longer required," they chanted. "You failed your mission. You're useless."

"Ghouldrake! You're behind this, aren't you?!" Decibolt shouted. "You're gonna pay for messing with me—Supersonic Decibolt!"

His form shifted as he transformed, launching a sonic disc at one of the Council Leaders. The illusion dissolved into mist.

"You attack your leader?" the copies hissed. "Not only useless—you're a traitor. Useless traitor! Useless traitor! Useless—"

"SHUT UP!!!"

He fired disc after disc, shredding the illusions.

"I'm far superior to Poler!" he roared. "And if he says otherwise—give him one of these—Deci-Cannon!!!"

The blast carved through the fog, clearing a path.

On Kira's side

Her "parents" multiplied into a crowd surrounding her.

"Useless. Pathetic. Weak. Unworthy."

"This isn't real," Kira muttered. "Ghouldrake is messing with my head."

Her aura flared, heat rolling off her in shimmering waves.

"Well... now that he's seen my soft side... time to show him the hard, fiery side!"

"Eat this!!"

She charged, unleashing punches and kicks. The figures dissolved into mist.

"Your punches are weak," one illusion taunted. "A boy could do way better."

"Can a boy do this? Full Body Repulsion!!!"

A shockwave burst from her, obliterating the illusion. A new path revealed itself.

Kira and Decibolt emerged from the mist at the same time.

Ghouldrake hovered above them. "Oh, you're out. So—how was it?"

"I'm gonna rip you apart!" Kira shouted, launching herself forward and uppercutting him into the air.

"Gravitational Kinesis Attack IV: Cyclonic Gravity!"
She twisted the gravity field around him, pulling him into a spiraling vortex.

"Sonic Storm!!" Decibolt shouted, firing discs into the vortex.

"Decibolt—get ready to toss me!"

She sprinted forward, leaped, and he flung her even higher.

"Kinetic Punch Barrage!!!"

The punches rained down like meteor strikes, smashing Ghouldrake into the pavement. He burst into yellow smoke.

"N... Needle..." the summoner stammered.

"You should've surrendered when you had the chance," Kira said, pushing him back with molecular force and knocking him out. She landed heavily, drawing a long breath.

Citizens leaned from balconies and windows, clapping.

"Woooo!"
"Whoaa!"

Kira activated the tracker on her Galaxom. "Only two shards on him."

She opened the small portal and dropped them in and lifted the unconscious summoner.

"I'll take him to the station."

Decibolt tilted his head. "Why haven't you used that attack before?"

"It's a new one I thought of. I didn't even know if it would work."

She opened a portal. Together, they stepped through.