Elements: Age of Creation

A Familiar Face… Again

Hikaru's body tensed. His heart pounded in his chest as he locked eyes with the masked figure–the same one who had attacked him not even an hour ago.

His instincts screamed at him to run, to fight, to do anything.

"You!" Hikaru took a step back, his hands clenching into fists. "What the hell is he doing here?! He tried to kill me!".

Satoshi sighed, rubbing his temples. "Relax, Hikaru."

"Relax?! He nearly broke my ribs?" Hikaru snapped.

Reina chuckled. "Yeah… we probably should have mentioned this earlier."

The masked figure, still standing behind Hikaru, crossed his arms and let out a deep, amused laugh. "Man, you're jumpy."

Hikaru whirled on him. "Gee, I wonder why? Maybe because you kicked the crap out of me in an alleyway?!"

The masked figure lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, you got me there." Then, with a casual motion, he reached up and pulled off his mask.

Hikaru blinked in surprise.

The man beneath the mask had wild, reddish–brown hair, slightly messy as if he never bothered to comb it. His golden-brown eyes gleamed with mischief, and his grin was wide, borderline obnoxious. His face was sharp but youthful, and there was an unmistakable confidence in his stance–like someone who knew exactly how hood he was at fighting and enjoyed it.

He placed his hands on his hips. "Name's Teshii. Nice to beat–uh, I mean, meet you properly, newbie."

Hikaru scowled. "You could've just talked to me instead of attacking me."

Teshii snorted. "Where's the fun in that?"

The Wildcard of the Order

"Teshii wis the third member of the Order of the Elements," Satoshi explained, stepping between them before Hikaru could throw a punch. "He was testing you, Hikaru."

"Testing me?" Hikaru echoed, still glaring at Teshii.

Teshii nodded. "Yeah, I sensed you were different. And I was right. The Element of Light awakened in you during our little 'sparring session.'" He smirked. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Hikaru still didn't trust him. "You could have told me that instead of nearly knocking me unconscious."

Teshii shrugged. "Eh, I like hands-on learning."

Hikaru shot a glance at Satoshi and Reina, but they both seemed completely unbothered by this.

Reina, seeing his expression, chuckled. "You'll get used to him."

No, I don't think I will," Hikaru muttered.

Teshii grinned. "C'mon, newbie, lighten up."

"Don't call me that."

"Alright, Sunshine."

Hikaru groaned. "I already hate this.

Training Begins

"Enough bickering," Satoshi cut in, his voice firm but calm. "Hikaru, whether you like it or not, you have power now. And if you don't learn how to control it, you'll be a target for people who aren't as nice as Teshii."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Nice? That's what we're calling him?"

Teshii smirked. "Flattered, boss."

Satoshi ignored him. "Teshii is one of the best fighters I know. He's going to be your instructor."

Hikaru's stomach dropped. "Wait. What?"

Satoshi's gaze was unwavering. "Starting tomorrow, Teshii will be training you in combat and helping you master the Element of Light.

Hikaru's shoulders slumped. "You're telling me that he's my teacher?"

Teshii threw an arm around Hikaru's shoulder, grinning. "Exciting, right?"

Hikaru groaned again.

He had a very bad feeling about this.