Entry #16

The skies above the dojo darkened, flickering with violet arcs of lightning. Odei stood in the center of the training field, arms folded and a wide grin on his face.

“I’m giving you the mastery of the element of Lightning, Louis,” he declared.

Joaquin blinked in surprise. “What? Already? Isn’t he supposed to undergo a trial first?”

“I want him at his best,” Odei replied, pounding his fist into his open palm. “And the easiest way to do that is to grant him access to lightning now.”

Louis stepped forward, nodding solemnly. “I accept.”

Their hands clasped—energy crackling between their palms.

Odei’s eyes sparked. “Good. Now—give me your best.”

In a flash of blinding light, the terrain shifted.

The squad found themselves standing in an ethereal dimension: a vast plane of shimmering violet, stretching in all directions, the surface humming with live current. Above, thunderclouds rolled endlessly.

Mira gasped. “Where are we?”

Odei’s voice echoed. “Welcome to my domain!”

Louis drew his sword, bracing himself.

Odei grinned. “The rules are simple: just fight me.”

Louis nodded. “Then let’s give each other a good one.”

He rushed forward, slashing with a flame-coated strike—but Odei vanished in the blink of an eye.

“What?!” Louis skidded to a halt. “He’s fast—too fast.”

Before he could react, a fist cracked across his jaw, drawing blood.

From the sidelines, Joaquin tensed. “He’s toying with him…”

Gabriel squinted. “I can’t even see where Odei is moving!”

Mira sat calmly, observing. “I can.”

Joaquin turned to her. “You can?”

“Yeah,” she smiled, activating a faint glow in her eyes. “Thanks to the Magical Art: Eye of the Tiger.”

Joaquin chuckled, proud. “You’re working hard on your magic, huh?”

“I want to help Mister Louis, however I can,” she said. Joaquin patted her head gently.

In the arena, a barrier of lightning encased Louis.

“Condensed Lightning Energy,” Odei said from afar. “You can’t escape that.”

Louis threw everything he had at the barrier—fire, water, wind—but only lightning made a dent. Focusing, he gathered lightning energy into one concentrated strike.

The barrier exploded, and Odei vanished again.

Another attack came from above—but Louis had learned. He dodged, blade raised.

The chase continued. Odei's lightning walls surged forward, crashing together as Louis narrowly escaped by leaping skyward.

“It's about time you showed your weapon,” Louis said as he clashed midair with Odei’s lightning-forged knuckles.

They traded blows, moving faster than mortal eyes could follow. But Louis had seen the truth.

“You’re drawing speed from the field,” he said, slamming Odei into the ground. “You’ve wired this whole domain with electrical current—it’s not a trick, it’s an advantage.”

Odei stood up, rubbing his neck. “Nice counter. But try this—Divine Art: Thundercrack!”

A flurry of punches surged toward Louis. He blocked what he could, but many found their mark.

From the sidelines, Mira cried out, “Mister Louis!”

Louis staggered back, bloodied and bruised. “I’m not done yet.”

With one breath, he vanished—so fast even Odei’s eyes lost him.

“What the—where—?”

From behind, Louis struck. Dozens of slashes from multiple directions forced Odei to defend with everything he had. His knuckles cracked under the pressure.

“Damn,” he muttered. “They’re fading…”

Louis floated in midair, calm. “There you are.”

He raised his hand—and from it, summoned a Pure Lightning Construct in humanoid form.

“Strike.”

The figure dashed forward, slicing and pounding with unmatched ferocity. Odei struggled to fend it off, but his weapons disintegrated under the assault.

A final blast of lightning surged from the construct, knocking Odei flat.

When the storm cleared, the arena shimmered back into reality.

Odei lay on the ground, laughing. “That… was awesome.”

Louis limped over, smiling. “Maybe not honest work, but I’ll take the win.”

Mira rushed over. “Mister Louis, you were amazing!”

Gabriel pumped a fist. “We saw the whole thing!”

Louis dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. “I… may have taken a few hits.”

Later That Evening

The group gathered around a small fire as Odei poured tea with an electric kettle that hummed softly.

“So,” Odei said, passing a cup to Louis, “where are you off to next?”

“We were planning to head to Vishap after I learned wind from Aide, but we detoured to Olentzo’s post when it got raided,” Louis explained.

“I think it’s time,” Odei said, “that you all learned the truth about us.”

Joaquin leaned forward. “Your origins?”

Odei nodded. “My siblings and I… we weren’t born the usual way. We were created by our father’s essence—Imaginae Energy. A power of pure creation.”

Gabriel's brows furrowed. “And your mother?”

“She wants that energy. She fears it—because it can change everything, even her rule. That’s why she tried to kill us. That’s why she killed Ran.”

He looked Louis in the eyes. “And that’s why she’s watching you.”

Joaquin nodded slowly. “Then that energy is also what fuels magic?”

“Exactly,” Odei said. “It’s what your mage Mira is tapping into. And the reason Louis was chosen—he might be the only one capable of facing our mother.”

Louis finished his tea. “Before we head to Vishap, we’ll stop at Lamia’s post. She holds the element of water, and it’s time I earn from her.”

Odei raised his cup in salute. “To the New God, then.”

In the still silence of Lamia’s Post, the snow fell lightly upon the temple’s polished stones.

Lamia stood by the edge of a reflecting pool when Olentzo arrived, his breath forming mist.

“You’re here again,” she said softly.

“I’m going to kill my mother,” he replied.

Lamia’s eyes widened. “Why now?”

“Because she isn’t even truly our mother. She killed Ran without remorse. She doesn’t belong in our family.”

“Then let me go with you,” she said, stepping forward.

“No.” He shook his head. “You’re a god now. You have responsibilities. Louis is coming here for his trial. He’ll need you.”

She paused. “Will I ever see you again?”

Olentzo looked away. “Just… wish me luck.”

Lamia reached out, but he had already turned. With a whisper of wind and frost, he was gone.

Entry# 16 End