PHALANX – the Shadow Chronicles

Year 249: Alter the world, Shadow!

 

The Guardian of the Crossroads appeared behind Shadow, who was in the Senzu patch, crouched, obviously taking care of the plants. The warriors was dressed in a white tank top, leaving her midriff bared, and a pear of white stretch pants that reached halfway down to her knees. The Guardian could see the titanium muscles ripple beneath the beautiful warrior’s even skin as she worked the hoe back and forth through the ground, removing weeds.

“You can talk to me you, know. Unless you want to join in and help me with this?” Shadow asked with a chuckle as she continued hoeing the ground.

“I do not think so, Child,” Guardian answered, her voice indicating just how she thought of the suggestion.

Shadow chuckled. “They help me unwind,” the warrior said, with a half-dreamy quality to her voice. She stood up straight, and wiped her forehead. The ShadowZone was quite hot this time of the year. Closing her eyes, the warrior took a deep breath. “I really like it here. So peaceful.” She opened her eyes, and looked out over the large lake that was located at the bottom of the hill her house and Senzu patch were located on.

“Unfortunately, there is a time where everything must end, Child,” Guardian said. “The time has come for you to add another big piece to the puzzle that is your total of skills.”

Shadow looked over her shoulder curiously, and raised an eyebrow. “That sounds promising, Guardian. What is it?” she asked with unbridled curiosity.

Guardian shook her head. “Unfortunately, we do not possess the in-depth knowledge we would have preferred, Child. All I can say is that it is an ability, totally unlike anything you already posses. It wields tremendous power, and endless possibilities.”

Shadow’s eyes went wide open now. “Something totally new, Guardian?” she asked, sounding interested. “In what way?” Shadow’s voice actually started to sound excited, and the Guardian smiled. It was so rare that Shadow got excited about her training. Usually, she was quiet, composed, and professionalism incorporate. Now she started sounding like the old Shadow, the one that had first started out on this Path of the Savior, almost two-hundred fifty years ago.

“I can not tell,” Guardian replied sadly. “It is a totally new and very unique ability, one that has arisen a mere twenty years ago, on only one planet in the entire universe. It involves the manipulation of matter and energy, but in what way, I am uncertain. Since it is such a new ability, we in the Afterlife are unable to find out anything about it. We must first receive the deceased who know of the ability before we can learn about it.”

Shadow’s eyes now flickered in interest. “Now this sounds like fun”, the stoic warrior said. “An actual new ability, one you know nothing about, yet wields great potential. Guardian, you have gotten me excited. What do I need?”

Guardian shrugged. “If I may suggest, dress in your black outfit, grab your sword, and maybe some of those damn beans that take so much effort to grow.” Shadow lifted an eyebrow at the Guardian’s outburst towards her precious beans. “The world you’re going to has been hit by disaster… there are parts of the world where you can use your bike, and there are others where you can’t. There will be local transportation available, and I’d suggest using that instead of using that monster-machine.”

Shadow dipped her head, closed her eyes, and concentrated. First, half a lake’s worth of cold water dumped over her, cleaning her from head to toe. Then, the black outfit in question floated from the house, and Shadow nimbly jumped into it. She checked her sword, and the bag of Senzus that hung from the belt. After finding it only half filled, Shadow made a swiping motion with her hand to the Senzu patch. A couple dozen beans filled the bag to full capacity.

“You never know when you’ll need those,” Shadow commented to Guardian. “Some trainings require only one, if that much. And then there are those sessions where I require a lot of them.”

“Always be prepared,” Guardian said approvingly. “Okay, this is your story, Child. You will be ported to this planet, and find yourself in a city, facing a huge building. It houses an organization called ‘HOLY’, and a subsidiary of it called ‘HOLD’. You are to ask for Captain Martin Jigmar, and claim to be what is called an ‘Alter User’. Express your desire to learn how to use your ability. Don’t be surprised at him… he’s an eccentric, and has a dark streak. That’s why you never, under any circumstances, are allowed to tell him just who and what you are.”

“You wish for me to lie?” Shadow asked dangerously, eyes tightening.

“No, Child. I wish for you not to tell the entire truth. What you say, about being an Alter User, and your desire to learn about the Alter Ability, is the complete truth,” Guardian replied.

Shadow immediately calmed down, and dipped her head. “Go in, and ask for Captain Martin Jigmar. I want to join HOLY so I can learn to use my abilities as Alter User. Got it.”

“I don’t know more than that,” Guardian said unevenly, obviously not liking it. “I wish there was more I could tell you, Child. But, given the stage of your training we’re now at, and the relative newness of this ability, we can not lose any time.”

Shadow shrugged. “At least I have a way to approach this man,” she said calmly. “It’s a story that’s better than most. Usually, you just dump me at a planet, and tell me to find this trainer, and ask for training.”

Guardian chuckled. “This time, we must be cautious, Child. Captain Jigmar is one of the leading experts on the Alter Ability, yet he can not be trusted. We must take care. It is also a very dangerous situation you’re in, simply because of the tremendous power involved with the Alter Ability. It’s very likely you can be killed if you make a wrong move. None of your present abilities stand much of a chance… safe maybe the ki. We can’t be sure. Child, you must promise me you’ll be careful.”

Shadow looked at her protector for all these years. This was the first time she had warned of such impending dangers. “I promise, Guardian,” Shadow answered. “I will be careful, and I will not disclose my identity to anyone.” Seeing that the Guardian was still a little uneven, the warrior continued. “I’ve pulled out of tight spots before. Don’t worry, Guardian. I don’t die so easily.”

“I can only urge you to be careful nonetheless, Child,” Guardian said, raising her hands. “Are you ready?”

“I am,” Shadow said, with a dip of her head. The next moment, she found herself facing a large building, with a geometrically interesting shape.

Shadow took a breath, and walked in. She was confident that she could handle most situations, yet there was always this trace of uncertainty. In her nearly 250 years, Shadow had seen, experienced, and learned many things that defied the laws of physics, and surpassed any sense of reason. Shadow emerged in a spacious room, divided in smaller seating areas.

In one of those areas, she saw a group of people, and Shadow decided that she might as well start with these people. Collecting herself, the mystic warrior walked towards the group. Having spent a lot of time playing poker with herself using the Multiform techniques, Shadow knew how to put on a perfect poker-face. On the outside, she looked cool, calm, and totally composed.

“I am sorry to trouble you,” Shadow said, recognizing the fact that these people followed Japanese customs. “I am looking for Captain Martin Jigmar.” Her gaze went around the small group. Her analytical mind immediately stored the faces and impressions she got from these people. The first was a blue-haired girl who seemed to have an exuberant personality, and an open, friendly face. The second was a man with darker hair of a color she had trouble identifying. It seemed something halfway between dark green and dark blue. He was just like her… stone-cold. The third person had red hair, wore a pair of red sunglasses, and his personality seemed… strange. He seemed to try too hard to be cool.

“Who are you?” the man with the strange hair-color asked.

“I apologize,” Shadow replied. “My name is Shadow. I am here to join HOLY, in pursuit of learning how to use my Alter Ability.”

The group immediately seemed to appraise her, and Shadow felt an odd discomfort go through her, as if a previously untouched part of herself was suddenly subjected to intense scrutiny.

“You’re an Alter User?” the girl asked her.

“Not yet,” Shadow replied. “That is why I am here. I was told Captain Jigmar is one of the leading experts in this field. I am confident I have this ability. Stranger things have happened to me. I wish to learn how to use it.”

“Very well,” the cold-faced person said, standing up. “I will take you to see the captain.”

“Thank you,” Shadow replied, following the man. First stage completed, Shadow thought to her self. I’m going to see him. Now all I need to do is convince him to teach me.

She didn’t feel the need to talk to her guide, anymore than he felt the urge to talk to her, so it seemed. Finally, they stopped at a door, and her guide opened the door. Shadow followed him in.

“Captain, it seems we have a new recruit,” her guide introduced.

“It is an honor to meet you, Captain,” Shadow said, bowing. “My name is Shadow.” So he’s part of HOLY. Why am I not surprised? Shadow thought to herself.

“You’re a Native Alter?” the Captain asked, seemingly appraising her. “Show it to me.”

What in the nine hells is a Native Alter? Shadow thought to herself. But I think he wants me to show him my Alter Ability…oh-oh. “I must apologize, Captain Jigmar. My Alter Ability is undeveloped. I am unable to use it as of yet.”

“What are you talking about?” Jigmar asked. “You either have the Alter Ability, and you can use it, or you don’t have it, and you can’t.”

Damn, Shadow thought to herself. “I am unable to use it, Captain Jigmar. Yet I know for certain that I have the Alter Ability.”

Captain Jigmar chuckled. “Is that so?” he asked, snapping his fingers. Suddenly, out of the blue, five men in white medical-like garbs appeared. Their faces were covered by masks, the eyes of which seemed to be lenses of some kind.

Shadow’s eyes went wide when five gigantic hands appeared, going at her. Immediately, she realized that this wasn’t a creation or teleportation of any kind… it was as if the very air changed into the metal-like hands! Shadow felt herself block the thoughts on the subject. She needed a clear mind to fight. One hand grabbed her arm, and pulled it straight. The second hand grabbed her other arm, and held that one out straight as well. A third hand grabbed her leg, while a fourth did the same to her other leg. The final hand grabbed her torso. Shadow could feel the strength in these bodiless appendages.

So THIS is the Alter Ability, Shadow thought to herself. Indeed a powerful ability… to create objects out of thin air, and use them as if they were parts of your body.

“Take her to a holding cell,” Jigmar ordered. Shadow’s closed eyes snapped open, and a fury filled them. The five men in strange masks froze, staring at her in shock. “I said, take her to a cell!” Jigmar bellowed.

“We…we can’t,” one of the men finally said. “She…does not budge.”

Shadow focused. Using Instant Transmission, he teleported out of the grip of the hands, and appeared right next to Jigmar. She drew her sword so fast that it seemed to teleport. Jumping over his desk from a complete standstill, Shadow’s sword lashed out at the nearest giant hand. The Alter halved neatly, and disappeared… only to reconstitute.

Now I see what Guardian warned me. There’s no stopping such a thing… you can blast it again and again, yet not stop it…unless… Shadow dodged at half-Divine Speed under one hand, and started to lash out at one of the hand-men.

She was halted halfway through her leap, by two thin, blue strips of unknown metal wrapped around her torso. She was thrown into a wall. She made a nice indentation, yet one didn’t spend a lot of time training in higher gravity without building up body resilience. Shadow merely dropped to her feet, and turned around. The straps of metal came from a humanoid-like droid, standing in front of her guide.

Shadow’s arms were still free. So were her legs. She was merely being held, not being restrained. “You will release me at once,” Shadow ordered. When her guide smiled coldly, Shadow sheathed her sword, grabbed the strips, and attempted to tear them off. Impossible! No metal can withstand this kind of pressure! What IS this thing? Is it his Alter? By the Gods of the Universe… now I understand, Guardian!

Shadow screamed, started powering up, filling the room with pressure of the ki as it expanded. She forced more and more strength into her body. The five hands disappeared when the hand-men were blasted backwards into a wall. Jigmar grabbed hold of his desk, and remained where he was. Her guide merely smiled, and didn’t budge. Neither did his Alter.

Shadow’s hair lifted on the winds of her life-force, and her muscles expanded in size as she forced more and more strength into them. The skin on her hands had torn, and her blood was now seeping onto the floor, yet still she continued. Finally, she tore off the strips of metal that clung to her body, and she fell to the ground. To her utter dismay, her guide laughed, loudly, and reconstituted the strips on his Alter. Pointed, they were now blasting towards her.

There is no way I can withstand them! Shadow realized. Dodge! She dodged, and the strips went right through the metal floor.

“Ryuhou! That’s enough,” Jigmar said, the metal strips disappearing back into the Droid-Alter’s body, before it too, disappeared. Shadow stared at the droid as its body seemed to be taken apart atom by atom.

Alter Ability… after 250 years, I’ve finally found the one ability that can take me on! Shadow’s mind grunted.

“She will be an asset to the organization… someone who can do the things she displayed here can be useful,” Captain Jigmar said. “Ryuhou, will you show her to some quarters?”

“Of course, Captain Jigmar,” Ryuhou, her guide, said. Shadow bowed to Jigmar, before following her guide once again.

Out in the halls, Ryuhou seemed to be more talkative. “You’re strong,” he commented. “Physically, I mean. It will be interesting to see your Alter, once you gain control over it.”

“That it will,” Shadow allowed.

“By the way, what was that? The thing you did to boost your physical strength? That wasn’t Alter.”

“I raised the strength in my body,” Shadow answered him truthfully. “And I am not at liberty to disclose anything else.” She still detested lying, so she chose to tell him the truth. Just not the whole truth.

“Very well,” he grunted. “Here we are. These are now your quarters.” With those words, he walked away. Shadow lifted an eyebrow at his back, shrugged, and keyed the entrance to her quarters.

 

Shadow had been here for months now. To the best of her guess, she had been in the HOLY HQ building for about eight months, time she had spent studying every bit of data concerning the Alter Ability she could lay her hands on. She had warded her room wit sheer magical forces, hoping it would block an Alter User named Eelian. His Alter gave him the ability of Far Sight – in other words, he could spy on her wherever she went, and she didn’t like it. So, she had warded her room with magical forces that would even keep the Charmed Ones out.

Shadow was sitting in lotus position – in mid-air – when a call came in. Calmly opening her eyes and extending her legs, the warrior lifted to her full height and pressed the intercom. “This is Shadow.”

“Shadow, report to my office,” Captain Jigmar said. “I have a mission for you.”

Shadow lifted an eyebrow. For the months she had been here, she had never been sent out on a mission. She hadn’t even been allowed to join the normal HOLY missions, which were, as she understood them, about capturing the native Alter Users that produced trouble for society. “I will be right there,” Shadow answered, shutting off the intercom, and checking her uniform. She was dressed in what appeared to be the standard HOLY uniform: purple jacket, white shirt, and black pants.

Seeing that everything was in order, Shadow legged out of her room, to Jigmar’s office. She had agreed with Guardian almost immediately. There was something off about Captain Jigmar, and she didn’t completely trust him. But, as long as he treated her fairly, Shadow was willing to overlook that fact. Nonetheless, she always kept herself on guard around him. She had never felt like that with a teacher before, and it concerned her.

“You wished to see me?” Shadow asked as she entered the office. A second man was also present. He immediately sent shivers down Shadow’s sixth sense. That man was definitely trouble. Big time. He wore a pair of light sunglasses, his hair was short and meticulously combed, yet his eyes and his entire face radiated something that sent Shadow’s brain into overload. She had met all kinds of evil on her journeys… and this guy took the top without ever saying a word.

“Muyjou-san, this is Shadow,” Jigmar introduced her to the man. “Shadow, we’ve got a mission of great importance for you.” Shadow ignored the fact that the man wasn’t introduced to her.

“Yes,” ‘Muyjou’ picked up. “This is Mimori Kiryu. She is a mainland princess, taken hostage by a hostile Alter User. We want you to return her.” Shadow resisted the urge to gulp, or shiver. Muyjou’s voice literally sent every sense had had concerning evil into overload. She wanted to strike him down on the spot. He had put a picture on the desk, and Shadow picked it up. Focusing on the beautiful face on the image rather than on the sheer evil that permeated the air around Muyjou helped calm her nerves. “She was taken by this man, called Tachibana Asuka.” Muyjou put a second picture on the table. “He uses the ‘Eternity Eight’ Alter. The data concerning him is in the computer, as is the data concerning Mimori.”

Shadow dipped her head. “Very well,” she said, getting up. “I will return Mimori-san, as soon as I have familiarized myself with both.”

Jigmar nodded. “Good.”

Shadow dipped her head at him, shivered inwardly as she did the same to Muyjou, and left the room, resisting the urge to run like the wind. Calmly, she walked to her room, downloaded all the information concerning Mimori and Tachibana, and left the building as soon as she could. She didn’t want to be anywhere near Muyjou. There was something… something dark about him. Dark, and of immense power. Shadow didn’t want to contemplate it too much.

She was walking along the road that led out of the city, when a neon-pink state-of-the-art looking sports car of radical design hauled over next to her. One wing-door flung opened upwards.

“Where are you going, Shodaw-san?” the red-haired man with the red sunglasses asked.

“It’s Shadow, Straight Cougar. Please remember that,” Shadow said neutrally. She never knew whether or not the man was playing when he garbled up everyone’s name. At least he does it with everyone, not just me, Shadow commented to herself. “I’m going out of town.”

“Sorry,” Cougar replied, sounding apologetic. “You know I have a thing with names. Anyway, want a lift?”

“Till just out of the city,” Shadow said, hopping into the empty passenger seat. “Important mission from Captain Jigmar,” she elaborated when Cougar looked at her. Cougar’s Alter, taking the form of the car, was racing through the streets of the city at tremendous speeds, and soon, they were outside the large city in which the HOLY building was located. Cougar’s method of stopping, pulling the car sideways so it almost toppled over with speed, didn’t impress Shadow too much.

“Ten seconds! I made the world smaller again!” Cougar crowed. Shadow smiled slightly, an opened the wing-door.

“Thanks for the lift, Cougar-san,” Shadow said as she got out of the car.

“No problem,” he answered as she closed the door, and walked off. Now dressed in plain clothes rather than her HOLY uniform, Shadow made her way across the desolate wastelands that lay outside of the city. As she went, her mind pulled up all the information she had collected over the last months. Shadow had been forced to learn many new things to fit all the data into: medicine, physics, and so forth.

Recap, Shadow’s mind noted. Twenty-two years ago, a natural disaster struck this region of the world, creating the island known today as ‘the Lost Ground’, since all civilization broke down, and the economics were in shambles. Over the years, the mainland created a city… the only city in the Lost Ground, and is therefore called ‘the city’.

Next subject, Alter. After the disaster, approximately one percent of the children born on the Lost Ground have an ability called ‘Alter Ability’, a form of energy that enabled the Alter User to manipulate inert matter, and reshape it into different forms. There is tremendous energy involved, and some Alter Users can do tremendous damage.

The power itself comes from a sort of ‘Alter Dimension’… information on it is sketchy. Different people have different kinds of Alters, catalogued in different classes, after the damage they do: D, C, B, A, S.

Only people born here in the last twenty-two years have the Alter Ability… now I wonder how I, a two-hundred-fifty year-old mystic warrior, can possibly have the same ability. Shadow shrugged. Must be one of those Universal Savior thingies.

Further information available on Alter Users: the Alter seems linked to the subconscious mind. It can only be accessed the first time through an emotional trauma, or life-threatening situation.

There is a definite limit to the Alter Ability. It can not be raised indefinitely, like Ki. Instead of a person’s Alter limit declares the strength of the Alter created. Shadow shook her head. “All that study, and that’s the best I can come up with. It’s still not known how the Alter Users link to the Alter Dimension, or just how an Alter User manipulates matter, and sometimes energy, with the use of the Alter Energy.”

Shadow continued to think as she went along her business, acutely aware that she shouldn’t do anything out of ‘normal’. Eelian was possibly watching her. As well as the satellite placed into high orbit.

It took her a couple of days before Shadow hit the jackpot. Perched flat on her stomach on the top of a mountain, she watched a small shack in the depths. Her hawk-like vision enabled her to see things clearly where others wouldn’t have seen more than some spots.

“That’s him,” Shadow muttered to herself. “Tachibana.” She took a breath, and felt the rush of combat go through her. You’re going down, asshole. Shadow got up, and calmly walked down the mountain.

“Tachibana Asuka, where is Mimori?” Shadow asked coldly. “In the name of HOLY, release her, and allow me to return you both to headquarters.”

“I can’t do that,” Tachibana answered calmly, looking into her cold green eyes. “I don’t know you. What is your HOLY serial number?”

Shadow’s eyes tensed. “Final warning. Return the princess.”

“Eternity Eight!” Tachibana called, his form outlined by a rainbow-like shine. At the same time, a slab of rock nearby vanished in the same rainbow-like light. Eight small green spheres rotated lazily in the air before the Alter User. “I can not return her if she does not wishes to go.”

“Like I should believe that,” Shadow said coldly, and charged. She saw the spheres move, dodged them, and continued her strike against Tachibana. She was faster than him. She was faster than just about anyone. Suddenly, his hand made a strange jerking motion, and Shadow felt something cool spread along her spine. She froze in mid-swing.

“My Eternity Eight controls life,” he explained gently. “I will now take over your body and mind…”

He will WHAT? Shadow’s mind barked. She clenched her fist, her face twisting in strain as she did so. She was fighting for control over her body. Her fist clenched. And raised. She grabbed at the sphere, and forcefully tore it from her forehead.

Tachibana’s eyes went wide. “WHAT? With nothing but physical strength?” he gasped, taking a step back. He raised his hand. “That wasn’t at full power. Eternity…” a slab of rock disappeared, and reformed into an elaborate bow focusing around his outstretched arm, “Extra Shot!” he screamed, letting go with his free hand. All eight spheres blasted at her, slamming into her forehead one by one. Shadow could feel her consciousness being overrun. She felt the control slipping. She could feel herself being lost, his mind superimposing over hers.

How can this be? she thought to herself. I…I am the Universal Savior! I can’t lose like this! My… my mind is too precious! It can’t end like this! She snarled as she forced herself back up on her knees. Tachibana put on big eyes, and increased the force on his Spheres. I will NOT let it end like this! I need the energy… I need the Alter! If I have it, I need it! Now!

Tachibana frowned when he felt how much she was fighting back. He increased his concentration, channeling more and more Alter into the small green spheres embedded into Shadow’s forehead.

Shadow could feel something give. The next moment, she screamed. Tachibana took a step back when Shadow’s body became engulfed in a brilliant rainbow-aura, and four slabs of bedrock disappeared from the ground around her. The matter coagulated in front of Shadow, in the form of a cybernetic Samurai warrior, fully dressed in metal armor and wearing a helmet that covered his complete face as well as his head. The eyes were hidden behind black patches.

With the emergence of her Alter, Shadow could feel the hold of Tachibana’s Alter being to slip. Her Alter, inexperienced, was fighting off the mind-control capabilities of Tachibana’s well-trained Eternity Eight. But this was her mind, and that was what made it even. Her fist lashed out, and she grabbed the green sphere, crushing it in her powerful grip.

Shadow’s eyes stood ferocious when she looked up at Tachibana.

“What?” he grunted, pointing at the rock again. A new sphere replaced the one that was lost.

“Alter,” Shadow said coldly. “Destroy him.”

The Alter dipped his head slightly, and materialized a sword in his right hand. The Alter charged, and Tachibana raised his hand to block, the eight spheres rotating furiously, creating an Alter-Shield that blocked the strike of Shadow’s Alter.

The attack broke off. “So, you’re an Alter User too, huh?” Tachibana asked, not sounding too surprised. “Don’t think you can win against my Eternity Eight!”

“Samurai. Destroy him,” Shadow ordered coldly. The Alter charged, faster than before, and dodging the sphere-shield as he leapt towards their opponent. His left hand planted firmly into Tachibana’s stomach, who bent over in pain. The samurai’s right hand, holding the sword, came down. The handle of the sword drove into the Alter User’s back, forcing him to his knees. The Samurai kicked Tachibana in the face, sending him sprawling back.

The samurai stood over him, sword pointing straight at the Tachibana’s throat. Shadow calmly walked up to them. “You did well, my Alter,” Shadow told the Samurai. Shadow drew her own sword, reversed it in her grip, grabbed it with both hands, and prepared to drive it through the man’s skull. Given her strength, she could drive it all the way through to the handle.

Suddenly, a dark-haired beauty threw herself out of the shack nearby, and rushed to Tachibana’s side. “Tachibana-san! Please! Speak to me!”

“Urgh,” the man grunted in pain. The beauty’s eyes, furious eyes, looked up at Shadow, who was still standing in the ‘strike to kill’ pose.

“How could you do this?” the woman shouted. “All he did was try to protect me!”

Shadow was still standing there, her small frame holding up the sword as high as she could, both hands on the hilt, blade pointing downwards towards her opponent’s head. Still, she hadn’t struck. There was a time where she wouldn’t have hesitated to strike. But, experience had tempered her. “He kidnapped you. At least you seem to be well-treated,” the mystic warrior commented, shifting her eyes back to the injured man. “Please avert your eyes. This will not be pretty, and I do not wish you psychological or physical harm, Princess.”

“Don’t call me that!” she shouted. “I gave that up when I remained here. My name is Mimori. And this man rescued me! He protected me! He didn’t kidnap me… I ran away! I was forced to run!”

“Really?” Shadow asked, not convinced. Something inside of her told her that there was something wrong here. She had heard of Stockholm Syndrome, where the kidnapped pulled for the kidnapped, but this seemed… different. “And why were you forced to run?”

“I…I hacked the HOLY database. I know why they do with the Alter Users sent to the Mainland. They experiment on them!”

Shadow lifted an eyebrow. “Lies. They are sent to specialized institutions to hold them.”

“I have evidence,” Mimori said. “I can show it to you… Please… you have to believe me.”

Shadow grip on the sword wavered slightly. Something definitely was amiss. If this was a delusion, then it was a pretty convincing one. “Show me the evidence,” Shadow said coolly. “I have my doubts concerning this. I have been warned of Captain Jigmar, yet I have no reason to believe that he would go so far as to lie about the entire purpose of HOLY.”

“Believe it,” Mimori said angrily. “But first, couldn’t you help me? Help me carry him inside. Then I’ll show you the evidence while I take care of him.”

Shadow still stood there, sword facing down at the man’s skull, her Samurai holding his sword at the man’s throat. Shadow closed her eyes, and willed her Alter to disappear. The Samurai vanished, seemingly taken apart molecule by molecule, disappearing into empty air. Shadow released the grip on her sword, and sheathed it. “You would do best not to lie to me,” Shadow said gruffly as she lifted the man with no effort, and followed Mimori inside. “I do not react well to liars.”

Mimori produced a computer chip, put it in the computer, and told Shadow to just go through the information. Mimori herself grabbed a first aid kit, and started work on Tachibana.

For half an hour, Shadow’s eyes flashed over the data. Finally, the missing puzzle pieces started to fall together. All the gaps she had found, all the records she hadn’t been able to access… and now she knew why. With every passing letter, her rage grew. It started out as a hot-cold feeling in the pit of her stomach, spreading out through her body. It filled her veins with ice water, and filled her nerves with fire. After she had finished, Shadow coldly legged outside.

Making sure she was far enough away from the house Tachibana and Mimori shared, the mystic warrior crouched, and snarled. Ruby-red ki welled up around her as the world trembled. Flames reached for the skies as she released her anger. At the same time, her body glowed in the multi-color rainbow aura of the Alter Ability. Four slabs of rock disappeared from the ground, and formed into the Samurai.

Shadow released her crouch, yet the scowl of pure rage remained visible on her face. “Jigmar… your days have been counted! I will destroy you!”

Finally, she took a breath, and squelched the anger inside her…for now. The Samurai dispelled. Shadow re-entered the house, and approached the couch where Mimori was working on Tachibana.

“Here. Give him this,” Shadow said, extending a Senzu bean. “It will heal him.” Mimori looked up at the warrior, confusion on her face, as well as doubt. “Trust me. As I trusted you, I ask you to trust me.”

Mimori took the small bean, and slipped it to Tachibana. The moment the man swallowed, his eyes opened completely, and he sat up straight. He looked at his hands. “Wha…what happened?” he asked dazedly, looking around, and noticing Shadow. Snarling, he threw himself at her. She simply sidestepped.

“Tachibana-san! Please don’t!” Mimori yelled. “She didn’t know! She gave me… something… that healed you!”

Tachibana released his stance, and look from one woman to the other. Shadow remained impassive, but he saw something else in her eyes. A smoldering anger, directed solely towards one person. And Tachibana had a pretty good idea which person that was.

 

A couple of days later, Shadow was meditating on the couch while Mimori was working on the computer. Shadow let her mind go over what she had learned since coming here. Mimori held a wealth of theoretical information on the Alter, while Tachibana had a lot of experience with the practical side.  She had learned a lot of from both.

The Alter is so… efficient, Shadow’s mind noted. No tremors or earthquakes, and virtually no loss trough sound, light, wind, or other natural phenomena. All that there is to it is the light rainbow-glow of the User’s body, and the recombination of nearby matter. The destruction is actually a side-effect of fighting with the Alters. When two Alter collide, the resulting devastation to the surrounding area is the result of dramatic detonation of the Alter Energies of the Alter Users. Two Alter Effects colliding result in massive electro-magnetic detonations, air-pressure changes, and damage to both Alter and Alter User.

That’s the strangest part… when an Alter gets hurt, so is the Alter User. It is possible… is it just possible… that Alter and User are linked more than just in mind? It is possible… I mean, the Alter is the result of recombination of matter under influence of Alter Energy from the User. It is probable that the Alter can only maintain its shape under continuous influence of Alter Energies form its User.

Shadow’s meditation was interrupted when Tachibana opened the door, and pushed a huge package of flowers inside. “This was at the front door. It’s from Cougar! The note says that there is information concerning Ryuhou’s whereabouts inside.

“Ryuhou…?” Mimori asked, jumped from her chair. “Ryuhou’s… Alive?” she asked, as if in shock.

“Yes,” Tachibana replied, dipping his head as his eyes went over the small note.

“Ryuhou’s… alive,” Mimori whispered to herself in statement.

Shadow couldn’t believe in what time they were in the car, going off in some direction or other. Whatever it was, she wasn’t about to be left out. Sitting relaxed in the back seat of the car, Shadow looked out the window uninterested. Her two companions, Tachibana who was driving and Mimori who was shouting directions, didn’t seem to be in any particular mood for conversation, so Shadow instead focused on herself, her training, and the Alter.

I find it strange. For the first time in 250 years, I don’t have a structured leader, someone to guide me… instead, I continuously find myself with people who have only one piece of the puzzle. What must I do to complete my knowledge of the Alter? How can I learn to master it in all of its facets, if the people who are native to it don’t understand it?

“Isn’t that HOLD’s transport plane?” Tachibana suddenly asked, looking out the side-window to an object in the air. Mimori looked over as well.

“What is it doing here?” she asked, when suddenly a large crate was parachuted out of it. Shadow lifted an eyebrow when the parachuted crate landed exactly in front of the car, forcing it to stop.

Now what? Shadow asked herself.

When Mimori and Tachibana got out, Shadow did the same. She wasn’t about to be left behind. The crate opened, sliding apart. A huge beast of a man appeared, wearing some kind of red bio-suit and a golden-colored band around his head.

“Hammer!” he shouted, balling his fists, and raising his arms. The two parts of the crate broke apart into atoms, creating flows of rainbow-energy moving around him. The energy solidified into matter, creating an Alter that was at least three stories tall. It held a horizontal center piece, three stories from the ground, two arms the size of locomotives, and the entire construction seemed to be carried by a sort of zero-gravity generator, to the best of Shadow’s ability to tell.

Suddenly, spikes shot out from the motor, anchoring the construction to the ground and giving it stability as it raised on of its locomotive-like arms in an obvious attempt to hit them. Shadow lifted an eyebrow at the size of the huge construction. So, they come in ‘big’ too, huh?

She nimbly darted out the way, while Tachibana engaged the ‘Hammer’.

When Tachibana’s Extra Shot failed to make any difference on the man, Shadow decided it was about time she joined in. Tachibana had been thrown to one side, in trouble, so Shadow decided it was safe to interfere. When Hammer was about to smash her friend, Shadow brought out her own Alter.

The Samurai lifted his blade, and charged the arm that was about to crush Tachibana. The sword cut neatly through the arm, cutting off a big piece, which disintegrated before it hit the ground.

“Hammer!” the man shouted, reconstituting the piece of arm that Shadow’s Samurai-Alter had cut off.

“Use your mind, Shadow. It’s the biggest weapon in the human arsenal,” Shadow told herself. “Samurai! Cut off those support spikes, and do an upwards slash!”

Samurai blasted off, slashed through the support spikes at the bottom of the construction, and came out at the back. There he made a 180-degree turn and jumped up, his sword slashing from bottom to the top of the Alter supporting Hammer.

“Hammer!” the man shouted, about to raise his Alter one more. Shadow’s eyes went wide when she heard something come from the man’s headband, to which the man replied by taking a jetpack out of his backpack, and flying off.

Shadow grunted as the man disappeared over the horizon. “Now what did he do that for?” she asked calmly, dropping her Samurai-Alter. “Are you alright?” she asked Tachibana, who nodded at her.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“He was called back,” Shadow said, looking in the direction of the man’s disappearance.

“Ryuhou!” Mimori suddenly shouted, running towards two figures. One tall, and one small. Shadow immediately identified the large figure as Ryuhou. Doesn’t anyone stay in HOLY anymore? The warrior suddenly asked herself. Ryuhou left, Mimori left, from what I can understand from their conversation, Shereece has left, Tachibana has left… Shadow shook her head. Not important. Who’s the little girl? Shadow’s eyes had been drawn immediately to the young brown-haired girl who accompanied Ryuhou.

“Shadow, this is Kanami. Kanami, Shadow,” Tachibana took care of that problem for her. Shadow dipped her head in Kanami’s direction.

“She’s still looking for Kazuma,” Ryuhou grunted. “I decided that it was best not to let her go alone. Shereece is protecting the village we came from.” It was obvious to Shadow that Ryuhou didn’t exactly like this ‘Kazuma’. In fact, Shadow thought it very likely that this Kazuma character would get his ass handed to him next time he met Ryuhou.

“Does anyone know what that is?” Shadow asked, pointing to strange green flames rising up from beyond the mountains Ryuhou and Kanami had walked from.

“Kigetsuki,” Ryuhou grunted. “That’s the village!”

“Get in, hurry!” Tachibana said, opening the door to the car. Shadow merely stared in the direction of the flames. A creepy feeling wormed its way up her spine.

“Come as soon as you can,” Shadow told the others, who stared at her. Shadow took a breath. Her ki exploded. Balling her fists, she lifted off into the air, and was soon flying in the direction of the flames. Why am I doing this? she asked herself. Hmm… because that village matters to the people who helped me. Loyalty.

Shadow touched down just outside the village, taking care to scout things out first. She saw that the village was surrounded by strange green poisonous flames, which seemed to originate from the floor, yet did no damage. Alter Ability, Shadow realized. The villagers appeared to be locked into a shed… Shadow could feel their kis. Weak, possibly asleep, yet stable.

Shadow found the man called ‘Kigetsuki’. He appeared to be in his late teens, early twenties. His mode of speaking and his manner of conduct rubbed Shadow the wrong way. He thought of himself that he was the greatest thing to ever walk the planet. Shereece, the blue-haired woman she had met that first day at HOLY, stood surrounded by three women. Shadow found no ki in them. Kigetsuki’s Alter, Shadow realized once again.

One female Alter had black hair, one brown hair and one was a redhead. The brown-haired one wore glasses. Shadow grunted to herself. Asshole. Can’t stand real women.

Shadow was just about to jump up and go in, when Shereece activated her Alter Ability. But, instead of materializing an Alter, she pressed her hand against the raven-haired Alter, and whispered something. Shadow could faintly make out ‘Eternal Devote’. The Alter sunk to her knees, moaning in pain. The two other Alters released Shereece, and raced to the fallen Alter.

Here’s my chance. Shereece is exhausted. Her Alter takes a lot of energy out of her. Shadow jumped up, and crossed the last hundred meters in a single fluid wave of motion. She landed in front of Shereece, and grabbed a Senzu from her pouch. “Here. It’ll help you recover,” Shadow muttered as she handed the bean to Shereece.

“Shadow! But…how?” Shereece wanted to know, slipping the bean in her mouth.

“Long story,” Shadow said curtly. “Kigetsuki, you are to abandon your attack on this village, and return to HOLY.”

He stared laughing. “You know, no-one likes a dominating woman,” he told her.

“No-one but a real man,” Shadow shot back.

Kigetsuki apparently didn’t receive that well. He scowled. “Girls!” he shouted.

The three Alters engaged Shadow, who nimbly dodged out of the way. “This is something few people have ever seen,” shadow commented as she dodged under one of the Alter’s swings. “Samurai!” Shadow glowed in the Alter-light, and four slabs of soil disappeared, reforming into the Samurai-Alter of Shadow.

“I am not here for you!” Kigetsuki growled. “I am here for Ryuhou!”

“Then you’ve got me,” Ryuhou shouted, holding on to his Alter as it came down from above. “Shadow, this is my fight.”

Shadow dipped her head, and motioned for the Samurai. It disappeared.

“Good!” Kigetsuki shouted, lifted into the air by his three female Alters. The entire group landed on the balcony connected to a large building, and at the same time, Hammer reappeared in a swirling vortex of Alter Energies. Hammer’s Alter took up position next to the shed that housed all the sleeping villagers, and Shadow could feel her body tightening in response to the cold fury that pulsed through her veins.

“First, hand over Mimori,” Kigetsuki ordered.

“Orders of the Mainland,” one of the Alters said. “She’s as precious as a princess to them.”

 Shadow’s one foot pushed forward, as if the warrior was about to take a step. Taking a deep breath, Shadow returned the foot to its original position.

“I’ll go,” Mimori said, stepping out of the car. She ignored the protests of her companions, and walked straight to the group of Alters, which had by now jumped down form the balcony.

“Excellent! And now, Ryuhou, it’s your turn. Do you swear loyalty to the Mainland?” Kigetsuki sneered, now that his Alters has surrounded Mimori.

“I refuse,” Ryuhou grunted dangerously.

“That’s what I thought you would say,” Kigetsuki said cheerfully. At the same time, a floating Alter, seemingly composed like a giant metallic octopus, grabbed Ryuhou, holding his arms and legs immobilized. Two smaller Alters, basically a cube with an arm attached, started hitting him.

Once again, Shadow was hard-pressed not to interfere. Why does he fight back? What in the Nine Hells is going on here?

“Come on! Fight back! With your true power!” the man on the balcony sneered. When Ryuhou made no move to obey that order, the Alters released their victim, allowing him to fall to the ground.

“I see. If you hate obeying me that much, then…” he let the remark trail off, and snapped his fingers. Hammer nodded.

“Hammer!” The Alter whirled into position, and raised its huge arm, ready to strike at the building containing the hostages.

Shadow remained calm. Forced herself to remain calm. She ignored Mimori’s pleading for mercy. She ignored Tachibana, being held by one of the three Alters. But when Kanami ran to the giant Alter, begging for it to stop, and when she was cruelly intercepted and thrown to the ground by the red-haired Alter, something snapped into of Shadow.

Before the little girl hit the ground, Shadow was there to catch her. After lowering the girl to the ground gently, the warrior stood up, and drew her sword.

“I can tolerate many things,” she spoke coldly, ferociously, as everyone stared at her. Red ribbons of energy rose up from the ground around the warrior. “But there are two things I really take a disliking to. One. You do not lie to me. Two. You do not hurt children.”

The redhead Alter merely smiled, and crossed her arms. “Really? And what are you going to do about it?” she sneered.

Shadow flashed into existence in front of the Alter, which looked perplexedly at the warrior, before falling into two halves. “Kill you,” Shadow said coldly, sheathing her sword. Thank the Gods this idiot’s too arrogant to give his bitches a fighting chance.

“What? HOW DARE YOU!!!!” Kigetsuki snarled, raising his hand, and recreating the Alter Shadow had just destroyed. “How dare you lay your dirty hands on my beautiful girls? How dare you…”

But before he could continue, Hammer’s Alter suddenly lit up in a bright white light, before it started showing cracks. The cracks grew, before the Alter broke into a million pieces, forcing Hammer into using his rocket jet-pack, and disappearing almost immediately. Through the debris, a man was flying. He made a mid-air summersault, and landed on the rooftop of one of the watchtowers.

“Kazuma,” Shadow heard Ryuhou grunt. Kanami ran towards the watchtower, shouting “Kazu-kun!” over and over.

The man turned his head over his shoulder towards her, and replied, “Yo!”

Shadow watched, one eyebrow raised, at the commotion the man’s appearance caused. Kazuma took care of the octopus-Alter, created by a group of henchmen that were apparently here with Kigetsuki. Tachibana took care of the Alter Sister that tried to grab Mimori, while Shereece took care of yet another Alter Sister. The third one was intercepted by Straight Cougar, apparently having played driver for Kazuma.

The chaos raged, and Shadow found it amusing to see the man’s response.

“My perfect ladies! How dare you!” he shouted. “How could you hurt my ideal ladies? They’re nice, and obedient, and they do everything for me!”

Shadow smirked. She liked it when all she had to do was watch. He went on raging, and suddenly pointed his finger down towards the battlefield. “Ladies! Why don’t you show them your true power? Even if it’ll make your pretty faces turn ugly!”

This could be interesting, Shadow thought to herself. The three Alter Sisters glowed in the rainbow-effects of Alter Energy, before breaking into atoms, and recombining together. The resulting explosion lit up the night sky, and Shadow could faintly hear Ryuhou yell over the commotion, “It must be ‘Burning summer’”.

The combined Alter took shape amidst dancing orange-yellow flames. And the result… the result impressed even Shadow. Now THAT is one UGLY Alter! Shadow’s mind screamed. Looks like a cross between a dinosaur, a spider, and a slab of granite rock!

Suddenly, the temperature seemed to explode upwards, and the resulting winds tugged at everybody. But, where everyone was struggling to see, Shadow simply stood firm, arms crossed, looking at the ugly Alter. She could withstand hundreds of gravities. A little wind and some warm air weren’t going to bother her.

“He’s creating this heat with his Alter!” Mimori shouted.

“Yes! This is the true form of my Alter! Burning Summer!” Kigetsuki shouted, now having dropped form the balcony onto the monster’s back. Something blasted out form under its belly, and Shadow actually felt impressed at the sight of real molten lava spurting out towards them. It flowed like a river towards them, and Kazuma and Ryuhou were the ones closest.

The man was laughing insanely, clearly thinking himself the victor, when suddenly, his eyes grew wide at the sight of what happened next. Both Kazuma and Ryuhou were engulfed in a beam of energy, Kazuma’s yellowish-orange, Ryuhou’s bright white, standing firm, and not hindered in the least by the lava.

“How could they?” Kigetsuki raged. He calmed down immediately. “Yes! This is the power I was sent here to see! But…don’t move! Or did you forget about the hostages?”

Ryuhou’s power calmed. Kazuma’s power kept going. Shadow looked intensely at the man, and recognized what was driving him. She recognized his mind… the mind of the warrior. He knew what he was doing.

 “Shell Bullet… BURST!” Kazuma screamed, the Alter-appendage on his back rotating and creating thrust, lifting him into the air right above the molten magma, and his Altered right arm seemed to suck in raw energy from its surroundings. As he screamed, the thrust on his back changed, and Kazuma blasted forward at huge speeds, his Altered right fists extended towards the monster-Alter of Kigetsuki.

“More! More! Glow brighter!” Kazuma screamed to himself as he blasted towards his target. The moment he hit, it seemed as if some sort of detonation took place. Kigetsuki’s Alter seemed to liquefy, before disappearing. Kazuma himself was blasted backwards, and rolled over the ground until his body hit a nearby rock face. At that instant, his right arm changed back to a normal appearance, rather than the robot-like appendage it was while in Alter Form.

Kanami was with him immediately, screaming “Kazu-kun” almost hysterically.

“I…told you… to stop calling me that,” he grunted, but Shadow thought it was more of a game than actually being angry. As he held her with one arm, Shadow realized that his right arm, the one he Altered, looked bad. It was obvious the Alter took its toll on the man.

She walked up to them, and knelt to one knee. “Here. Take this,” Shadow said, extending a Senzu bean. “You’ll feel a lot better.”

“What is it?” he seemed asked flatly, not really knowing what to make of her.

“It’s called Senzu. It’s a bean,” Shadow replied. “It speeds up healing, and help you recover faster.”

“Cool. Thanks,” he said gruffly, grabbing the bean, and stuffing it in his mouth. “Mm…mm… not bad,” he said while munching. “Little bland,” he grunted right before swallowing. The next moment, his right eye, which had been closed ever since his Alter had disappeared, opened. His right arm didn’t have a mark on it.

“Wow! This is incredible!” Kazuma shouted, looking at his right arm, moving his fingers. As he stood up, Ryuhou walked up to him.

“Kazuma.”

“Yo, Long time no s…” Kazuma was saying, when Ryuhou punched him coldly in the face.

“What are you doing, you bastard?” Kazuma shouted.

“How dare you attack him while he had those hostages? Don’t you care about the people in this village?” Ryuhou angrily replied.

“I know I could do it! That’s why I did it!” Kazuma shouted, equally angry. He advanced upon the other man, and punched him. The two men started arguing, punctuating their arguments by punches.

“You believe in your luck too much!”

“Those people are fine!”

“I’m saying you’re an airhead!”

Shadow sighed, righted herself, and calmly walked off, tuning out the sounds of the fighting behind her. One of the last things she heard was Kanami shouted pleadingly for them to stop. The fighting stopped. Shadow smiled to herself. One thing was for certain… there was something about little girls that made grown men want to stop their fighting.

The next day, Mimori filled in Ryuhou and Shereece on what she knew. Shadow, having heard it before, didn’t really need to be there, but was present anyway, just in case something new popped up.

“They…they’re purified?” Shereece asked, shocked.

Mimori nodded. “Those Alter Users captured and sent to the mainland have their Alters purified, and changed, just to give them more power. It shortens their lives considerably, and most don’t survive the process.”

“That’s horrible!” Shereece said, her voice sounding revolted.

The conversation went on, and Shadow’s mind slipped away more than once. It was nothing new. She had heard all of it before. Quietly, she slipped away from the small house where Mimori was explaining things, and she made her way to a rock ledge overlooking the village. Shadow folded her legs, closed her eyes, and meditated.

For hours, the warrior didn’t budge, her mind and body in a state of total trance. Suddenly, she felt a disturbance. Slowly, Shadow emerged form the trance, and cast out her senses. Ryuhou and Kazuma. Why do those two insist on fighting each other? They’re the strongest Alter… Oh. Shadow immediately realized why they fought. Kazuma and Ryuhou have a perfect match in each other. They fight each other to gain strength and understanding…even if they don’t understand that consciously.

Just as the two warriors were about to activate their Alters, a second disturbance caught Shadow’s attention. It was barely a second later that the entire village was looking at the same disturbance.

Hammer appeared out of nowhere, his Alter materializing seemingly materializing out of the dust-storm his arrival had created. Now Shadow was convinced that Alter could work anything into anything. Shadow felt a growl escape her throat when she realized the brute was holding someone in his arms.

“KANAMI!!!” Kazuma and Ryuhou shouted at the same time. Shadow got up, and felt her ki rage around her. Kazuma had already jumped towards the Alter, his own Alter materializing in mid-flight.

“Take your hands off her!” he shouted, fists extended, propelled forward by his Alter. He struck a perfect bull’s eye on Hammer’s Alter, causing the robotic contraption to explode. However, just before Kazuma was to reach Hammer, the latter engaged a rocket-pack, and blasted away.

“No! KANAMI!!!!!!!!” Kazuma raged.

My turn, Shadow though, balling her fists, and screaming at the burning pain her power-up caused. She could feel the Earth falling away below her as she did her best to catch up to the enemy Alter User. Damn that asshole is fast! Shadow’s mind shouted. I wish I were in the Ki-universe. One thousand times more ki is what I need! There I could do mach 1 in my sleep!

Shadow managed to stick reasonably close to the rocket-powered captor. When he landed at HOLY HQ, Shadow was right on his tail.

“Release that child!” Shadow shouted, extending her arm towards the girl. Ruby-red ki floated in streams around her. Her enraged face gave her entire posture a rather evil impression.

“Hammer, take her inside,” a familiar voice ordered from behind her.

“Jigmar,” Shadow growled dangerously, turning around. Her ki-covered body suddenly glowed in the rainbow effects of the Alter Energy. Four slabs of concrete disappeared form the floor around her, and recombined into the Samurai-Alter. “You lied to me. You deceived, lied, and hurt innocent people who were only trying to defend their own homes. You did not adhere to any conventions concerning warfare, and carried out inhuman experiments on prisoners of war. For those crimes, I will now terminate your life-signs.”

Jigmar chuckled. “So you finally found out the truth… and your Alter. But, you see, there’s a flaw in your logic.”

Shadow’s fists balled at her side. “Elaborate.”

“My orders came form the Mainland.”

“Merely attenuating circumstances. The penalty stands,” Shadow spoke coldly. “Samurai. Destroy him.”

Jigmar chuckled, and started glowing. He, too, dematerialized a couple of slabs of concrete flooring. Shadow’s eyes went wide at what happened next. Jigmar’s arms, shoulders, and chest were covered in an Alter. In front of the man stood an Alter as well, looking similar to the enhancements on Jigmar’s body.

“The Mainland calls it…Aerious!” Jigmar shouted. Shadow merely drew her sword.

“Samurai. Wipe that smirk off his face.”

The Alter lashed forward, drawing its sword in mid-flight, adding more speed to it. It hit a barrier of air-pressure around Jigmar’s body. The man laughed.

“So that’s your Alter power? The control over air-pressure?” Shadow asked, recalling Samurai.

“Exactly!” Jigmar shouted. “Aerious! Now!” the robot jumped forward, and Shadow dodged at Divine Speed. The robot landed, and immediately gave chase. Shadow found herself switching to Supreme Divine Speed. What in the Nine Hells? How can it be that fast? This is impossible!

“Samurai!” Shadow shouted. The Alter charged the robot, yet once again met empty air as the robot dodged away from Shadow’s Alter. It lashed out with its foot, and kicked Samurai into the wall of the HOLY building.

At the same time, Jigmar raised his arms. Two air-pressure gauges came out of his shoulders, and suddenly pushed inward, literally creating an air-pressure front of unbelievable magnitude, and forcing it out along the captain’s outstretched arms.

Shadow managed to dodge it, and kicked in her ki to enhance her body. She could feel the Alter-portion of hr brain screaming. Samurai had gotten back on its legs.

“Samurai! Go!” Shadow shouted. “Hyper-speed attack!” The samurai drew a second blade form somewhere, and raced towards the captain at speeds extraordinaire. The Alter started spinning along its axis as it neared the man, creating a deadly tornado of shining Alter-steel.

“Aerious!” thee man shouted, outstretching his arm. The Alter dropped from above, extending completely behind its outstretched arm. Shadow was nailed to the ground when she saw the monstrosity hit her samurai. For a moment, both Alters seemed to be at rest, Samurai in mid-spin, and Aerious extended behind one fist that had struck the Samurai’s head.

Then, the fist moved downward, and Shadow could feel her Alter being ripped in half. “Samurai!” Shadow shouted when both halves hit the ground, the place where they were originally attached glowing in the rainbow-effects of Alter Energy.

“You’re nothing,” Jigmar grunted. “Not even worth my time.”

Shadow looked up from where her Alter had fallen. No matter what, it was a part of her. And Jigmar had just struck it down. Her ferocious-green eyes locked onto him. Me? The Universal Savior? Not worth your time? I will show you, you bastard! Shadow’s mind screamed as she forced her body to its legs.

She growled when she pulled out her Alter Energy. I need more! MORE! Shadow’s mind screamed as the two halves of the samurai recomposed into a fully functional Samurai. Shadow could feel something give. Something strong… something different…and something impossible to attain.

Shadow screamed loudly as she forced every bit of her Alter energy behind Samurai’s attack. The attack met the pressure-field of Jigmar, and bolts of lighting flew from the contact, ripping holes in the wall of the building, and clearing trenches in the floor, along with the trenches created by the summoning of the Alters.

Shadow snarled louder, forcing more Alter into the Samurai. She refused to give up, a treat that had made her survive for nearly two hundred fifty years now. Forcing the last remainder of her Alter into the strike, Shadow could feel the something give completely.

She found herself in a tunnel, disappearing both in front and behind her. The tunnel was circular, and seemed made up completely out of Alter Energy. Shadow breathed in. This place must be the Alter Dimension. I can feel it… I can feel myself reacting! This is what the Mainland scientists want! Only the greatest can enter this dimension! Those that do, emerge stronger than ever! Jigmar’s face entered Shadow’s vision. I must destroy him!

Shadow’s awareness refocused on reality, and she could see Jigmar looked shocked at her. Shadow guessed that the sight of her going to the Alter Dimension wasn’t pretty. She balled her fists. “How dare you!” she snarled.

Samurai Altered. It broke apart into Alter Energy, and recombined… into a Ninja.

“Aerious!” Jigmar hollered.

“Ninja,” Shadow simply said. The two Alter engaged each other. The Ninja’s attack was blocked by the pressure-shield of Aerious, while Aerious’ attack was simply sidestepped by Ninja.

Jigmar apparently wasn’t so confident now. He raised his arms, and shot another one of his pressure-balls at the fighting Alters. Just against Aerious, Ninja was even. But, with Jigmar in on it, the Alter had problems dodging from two sides at once. Shadow, disliking the man even more now that he was ganging up on someone, or rather something, joined in the fry.

She managed to kick Jigmar away from the fight, causing the man to skid slightly along the floor, before jumping to his legs, and extending both his arms towards her.

“That was cowardly,” the man berated her.

In response, Shadow simply made a couple of motions with her arms, and thrust them out towards him. Sub-Zero’s freezing techniques met Jigmar’s air-pressure Alter. The ice formed around the bubble, completely surrounding Jigmar.

The moment she stopped, Jigmar shattered the icy prison, and attacked her with a barrage of air-pressure blasts that sent the warrior running. She felt a tug in her mind, momentarily breaking her concentration. Jigmar had attacked her Ninja-Alter.

The laps in concentration was all Jigmar needed to slip a hit in on Shadow. The air-pressure didn’t exactly do a lot of damage to her high-gravity body, yet still sent the ill-prepared Shadow sprawling into the wall of the building. At the same time, her concentration fell completely, and Jigmar’s Aerious shattered Shadow’s Ninja. It felt as if someone was ripping her brain out to Shadow.

She forced herself to her legs, and prepared to charge Jigmar in the blind fury she was in now. But, while she was forcing herself to ignore the pain, Aerious took advantage of her lapse in concentration to the outside world. Aerious’ fist landed in shadow’s stomach, causing the warrior’s eyes to open fully, and a gasp of breath to escape her lips.

Shadow growled, and grabbed Aerious in sheer reflex. She lifted it into the air, and prepared to smash it against the wall, when Jigmar shot a pressure-blob into her. She dropped the Alter, and immediately felt it smashing her face. Over and over again. Incapable of raising any kind of protection while being pummeled like that, all Shadow could do was scream.

Finally, Jigmar called off Aerious, and watched Shadow. “I’ll have someone dump her,” the man said coldly.

Unknown to him, Shadow was far from dead, like he thought she was. Somehow, she managed to get her broken hand on a Senzu bean. It caused the warrior a lot of pain before she could force the tiny thing into her broken jaws, and even more pain to swallow it. As soon as she did, she could feel the tiny bean heal her.

Shadow felt immediately the power-boost associated with being beaten to near-death. “I will kill him!” Shadow growled, and prepared to charge the building.

Instead, she found herself in the ShadowZone.

“GUARDIAN!!! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” Shadow barked at the woman in white.

“Your training is complete, Child,” the guardian replied calmly. “You have learned the Alter Ability.”

Shadow’s voice sounded ferociously angry. “I am not done yet!” she growled.

“You are, Child. Captain Jigmar has another purpose to fulfill, as do the others,” Guardian replied levelly, seemingly unfazed by Shadow’s anger that made the floor tremor below the both of them.

“I failed, Guardian! How can I, as a two-hundred fifty-year-old Universal Savior LOSE against a normal man with an Alter?” Shadow said, her voice now sounding more angry at herself than at the Guardian. She bowed her head. “Don’t answer that. I was a fool. I used a technique I did not have under full control, and relied too much on it. I am too used to fighting alone. I was unable to take the strategic implications of an Alter into consideration.”

“You see, Child? You did complete you training. You now know that no technique is infallible, and everyone who gets too sure of himself can lose. You learned two valuable lessons… one was the use of the Alter, and the second was to teach you never to underestimate your opponent.”

Shadow nodded dejectedly. “You are right, Guardian. I was complacent. It will not happen again. I swear.” She looked up at the white-clad woman. “May I know… what happened to Kanami?”

“She was freed, Child. Do not worry,” Guardian answered.

Shadow nodded. “Thanks, Guardian. For both lessons.”

Guardian smiled. “You are welcome, Child. You are very welcome.”