One day a boy named Tatsuo was greeted by the wishing goddess. Sharon, an adventurer later finds Tatsuo unconscious by the riverside and saves him. Tatsuo reveals that he is searching for a person named Veloren Aund Gerfuden, and when he finds this...
"Did the amp. Core enhanced him to the point that he has...evolved?"
San: If that is the case, then...
"This power...I'm just like..." - Heymlir says with bated breath as his face lights up in admiration of his newfound powers. At this moment, both San and Heymlir's thoughts arrived at the same conclusion.
"Them...!"
San (thinking): Just what kind of item did you create here in this kingdom...Heymlir...?!
Heymlir begins to laugh and gloat to San about his powers - "Ha! Ha! Ha!...! You see that San...?! Finally, I'm just like those people....! It worked...! Now I too am gifted...! With this newfound power of mine no one will stop me! I can crush anyone! I can finally...
Heymlir slinks his head back in bliss – "Regain what I lost..."
Without missing a beat or saying anything, Tatsuo, Jayce, and Archer converge towards Heymlir at once. The black energy substance sprouts from Heymlir's back and forms itself into jagged, angular appendages with cybernetic markings. The prongs juts out, quickly striking and slamming against the three at the same time. The trio are pushed away, their bodies dragged by the black beams through the air as it slams them against the walls of houses, knocking them all out.
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Darren (shocked): No way...! You're kidding...! He took out those three at once...? Just like that...?
Heymlir: Yes...That's more like it...
Heymlir clenches his fist - "I knew I wasn't wrong...This...Is the power of science! I am now untouchable for the likes of you folks."
Even San was taken aback at the ease the three being dispatched by Heymlir – 'Those three...! That sort of strength is abnormal...!'
San: This isn't good...! It looks like I'll have to take it up to myself...To bring an end to you...Heymlir...!
***
Meanwhile at Dr. Crogsbell's laboratory, Victor finally regains his consciousness, but only to see the lab in ruins, and Dr. Crogsbell and Mearl injured on the floor.
Victor jumps from the couch: Oh my god! What happened here?!
He springs himself forward to check on the two: Mearl? Dr. Crogsbell?! Are you guys alright...?!
***
*Back to the fight.
San is struggling to keep up with Heymlir. Heymlir rains black tentacles at San, keeping him on the defensive as he parries and dodges.
San (thinking): I need to get to him...!
While evading and defending himself from Heymlir's assault through the field, San slowly advances towards his target.
Heymlir (thinking): Impressive. I guess I underestimated him.
Heymlir (thinking): Despite being old and out of his condition, he's still managing to keep up with me. I suppose that's a testament to his decades worth of experience and skills as a seasoned warrior.
Heymlir (thinking): But your time is up, San. While I...Will only continue to grow stronger...!
A black beam curves towards San but Darren intercepts it with a kick.
San: Lil' Chap... –!
Darren (immediately cutting San off): Just fight old man! There's no time to chat!
Sharon, who has recovered herself and Windie, also join the fray to keep Heymlir at bay. She picks up her bowgun and assumes herself into a sniping position. Sharon takes aim and begins to relentlessly fire arrows from the roof. Windie swoops in, launching wind blades at Heymlir. As if it was sentient itself, the black substance forms armor surrounding Heymlir to protect him from the incoming projectile attacks.
San and Darren continue to push their way as San fends off the black substance, with Darren providing cover by intercepting surrounding attacks with his kicks.
Darren glances over behind him to where Tatsuo lays unconscious with his body against the cracked walls of a house.
Darren (thinking): Damn...! Come on...! Did that attack really knock that guy out...?!
***
Slowly, Tatsuo's consciousness drifts into a dream-like state...
Within his sub-conscience, he finds himself surrounded by nothing but pitch-black darkness. He begins to look around as he turns his head. Then, from the darkness emerges a copy of himself who speaks out to him.
Tatsuo(???): Hey there...
Tatsuo turns his head and faces his copy.
"Tatsuo..." - Says the Tatsuo copy with a smile.
Afterwords:
Heyo~!! It's TMO88, back again and this time with a new cover, WOW! Just wanted to write this here since there's actually an error with the scene/drawing I posted here. The clothes Tatsuo is wearing in the story is still the white dress shirt with black long pants...But here, he's in his default attire, which is a rather grave error on my part. Now, I SHOULD fix it, yes...But at this point, I'm just way too lazy change Tatsuo's outfit in the picture. Normally you'd think something like this is just a minor discrepancy that could be hand waved off, which is why I'm not going to fix the drawing. But despite just being clothes, the default clothes that Tatsuo wears comes with special "properties", part of which would get activated in this fight. I won't expand any further as that would ruin the surprise, and may give major hints about Tatsuo's powers. Actually, now that I think about it, there's a hint that's veeeery easy to miss and ignore way back in the first chapter(s). Ignore that last line :)
