Advent Of The Lightning Emperor - The Fang Regalia & Echoes of the Black Dream Hole
The rain was drumming a frantic rhythm against the rusted corrugated roof of the abandoned warehouse, but inside, the atmosphere was much louder.
"You stupid little punks, I have just about enough of your bull!"
Beast Master Shido slammed his fist onto a heavy wooden crate, sending a cloud of decades-old dust into the air. He glared down at Icky, the leader of the Kagerasmaru gang, who was trying—and failing—to look nonchalant while nursing a bruised ego.
"Listen," Shido barked, pacing the concrete floor. "The Devil's 30/30 is about more than just ATS. You got to have balls to do this. You have to trust, and you have to have courage! Did you really think I wouldn't notice you were using the Fang? It’s scary as hell, I know. It's enough to make anyone freeze up. But still, you can't give up!"
Icky shifted his weight, looking away from Shido’s intense gaze. He bit his lip but didn't argue. He knew Shido was right.
Shido sighed, his anger venting out into the damp air. He walked over to a makeshift workbench where a bizarre array of equipment was laid out. He pointed a scarred finger at a cluster of metallic needles hovering slightly above a glass plate.
"Look here," Shido said, his tone dropping from a roar to a sharp, analytical lecture. "I see the needles are being magnetized by the electric force The Lightning Emperor gives off. The atmospheric charge is off the charts because of him. But we can't let that distract us."
He turned back to face the small crew gathered in the dim light.
"We came here to get back something that was stolen from our client," Shido reminded them, his voice steady and grounding. "These jobs are like putting a puzzle back together. You work, and you work, and you start to see the image emerge... but you don't really know what the real picture is until you lock that final piece in place. So stick with the job until the end."
"I don't understand what you are doing," a cold, smooth voice cut through the damp air.
From the shadows near the back entrance, a figure stepped forward. It was Helios, his white robes catching what little light filtered through the cracked windows, his horn gleaming softly. He looked at Shido and the rough-around-the-edges mercenaries with a mixture of profound sorrow and urgency.
"I won't accept any delay in the plan," Helios added, his eyes wide with a desperate worry. "But he's gathering children using violence! Madame Vadiane's shadows are sweeping through the city as we speak."
Shido frowned, crossing his arms. "We're here for the client's asset, Pegasus. We aren't running a daycare charity."
"You don't understand her," Helios pleaded, stepping closer, his voice trembling with the weight of the tragedy he was trying to prevent. "Her intentions are good. She truly believes she is saving them. She wants the children to have eternal happiness... inside the Black Dream Hole. If she succeeds, their energy will be trapped forever in a state of stagnant, unchanging slumber. You must help stop this puzzle from being completed!"
Shido looked from the floating, magnetized needles, to a chastised Icky, and finally to the mystical guardian standing before him. The picture was finally starting to emerge, and it was far uglier than any of them had anticipated.
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