"Ash Phantom: The Legend Reborn"

Kaen yawned, rubbing his eyes as he pushed himself off the bed.

He shuffled toward the bathroom, his feet dragging. The cold water hit his face. He picked up the brush.

As he stood in front of the mirror, foam around his mouth, his eyes locked with his reflection.

"Tonight... there's a fight," he mumbled, voice quiet but steady.

"I will perform my best."

He stretched his arms high above his head, breathing deeply.

"Today, I can prove myself..."

A pause.

His gaze softened.

"My big brother has already proved his worth. Now... It's my turn."

He lowered his hands, water dripping off his chin. A faint sigh escaped his lips.

"I feel bad for big brother Auren. I hope... you'll get some vita soon."

A flicker of warmth crossed his expression.

"I dream that we three brothers—me, Veon, and Auren—become the charm of this city. The three gems of Ryuki."

A deep breath.

"This... this is the life I used to dream of when we were little."

A soft smile crept in.

"We all played together... laughed together."

Then silence.

His smile faded.

"...but the saddest day was when you were marked with no magic ability. That day broke all our hearts."

He looked down at the sink.

"Father… he changed after that. He taught us to ignore you. To treat you like nothing."

His voice cracked slightly.

"Big bro Auren… I'm sorry."

He swallowed, the guilt sinking in.

"You used to come to play with me after that. But... Veon and Father shouted at you."

He gripped the edge of the sink.

"And even I had to show you a bad face."

Kaen shut his eyes.

"This house... for years it felt empty."

"...It became suffocating."

**************

Auren is busy in market, picking groceries..

************

Veon, Sia, and Mekamaru sat around a table in a quiet room, somewhere deep inside the dojo. The air was heavy. No lights flickered—just the sound of the wind brushing against the wooden walls.

Veon leaned forward, his voice low."Tonight… even if we're going to lose intentionally—"his fingers tapped the wood, "we should still deal some damage."

Mekamaru cracked his knuckles."Leave that to me," he said with a smirk."I'll make my body giant. At least I'll break one of their walls."He leaned back in his chair, arms folded."Let me handle that shit. Tomorrow… we'll show them some no-mercy stuff."His voice held confidence. His body language? Bold, unshaken.

Sia nodded, half-smiling."As expected from you, Sir Meka. Your fighting experience will come in handy."

Veon shifted slightly, his tone serious again."We'll stay alert. Maximum intensity. Even an insect—"his eyes sharpened—"can't escape our vision."

Sia laughed lightly."Amazing…"

Then her voice lowered."So listen… as per the last intel, there'll be some Seers. And a few guards. Their side of the forest isn't sleeping."

Sia – "Seer will catch us… There's nothing we can do about that. So the best option I see is a sudden attack. Or—if somehow we can dodge their sight—we can move forward quietly. But honestly… it looks hard."

Veon – "Is there any way… any trick… that stops the seer from noticing the army?"

Mekamaru – "We'd need a magic spell for that. But it's rare. That spell can hide movement, but only for a short time. During that time, we have to reach their wall. Once the effect ends… the seer will be able to sense our position again."

Sia – "What kind of spell is that?"

Mekamaru – "It's from the Scholar Plateau. Made by Bachan. He's a genius scientist. He's created that spell… and many others too. But—there's a catch."

He paused, leaning back, crossing his arms.

Mekamaru – "If an elite seer is present… the spell won't work. Elite seers can break through it. They'll still be able to see us."

Veon – "I have something for that. To detect elite mages… I have an ability. It's my Perspective Spear Ball. It rotates around me… and tells me the strength level of people nearby. It doesn't give exact positions, but…"

Sia – (nodding) "Still. That'll come in handy."

Sia – "We have three units. If their elite shows up… we'll send the first unit to face them. Elite versus elite."

He leaned forward, pointing at the table like drawing lines in the air.

Sia – "Meanwhile, the other two units will march toward the wall. One unit will focus on holding off the towers and guards… the last one will aim to enter inside."

A pause.

Sia – "But we should not break the wall. If we do… and then retreat… Yuzen will take it as a challenge. It'll ruin the plan."

Mekamaru – (nodding) "You're right."

Veon – "I'll blow the whistle. That'll be the signal for everyone to back off and retreat."

Mekamaru and Sia nodded silently, their expressions firm.No more words were needed. They understood what was coming.

**************

Knock knock.

Bachan – "Who's there?"

Sakura – "I'm Sakura. May I come in?"

The door creaked open. Bachan stood there with a goofy grin on his face.

Bachan – "Hello, Sakura. What brings your crazy ass here?"

Sakura chuckled softly – "Nothing much. I just came to get your seer-repelling spell, you old ass."

Bachan burst into laughter – "Hahaha! Ass dealing with ass!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow awkwardly – "Stop with this ass-ass talk, seriously..."

Bachan – "So... you guys going to battle?"

Sakura – "Yeah, tonight. But it's not a full war. Just... an action to their reaction."

Bachan – "Hmph. Yuzen's always been a pain in the ass for our city. We gotta find a way to shut them down for good."

Sakura – "That's why I'm here. Along with the seer-repelling spell... give me something special too."

Bachan – "Heh... I thought you might say that. Come with me."

He turned and walked down the creaky hallway. They descended a spiral staircase into his underground room. With a flick of a rusty switch, the lights flickered on. Shelves upon shelves of scrolls and glowing relics shimmered behind glass.

Bachan moved to a sealed case and opened one glass shell with care. Inside was a glowing green spell scroll. The moment he took it out, the air thickened. A smoky haze surrounded them.

Sakura, eyes narrowed – "What does this spell do...?"