SS rank Xalvathar: The Soulweaver

The group stumbled into the base, breathing hard. To everyone's shock, Liyana was already there, lounging smugly on a rock near the entrance.

Rowan blinked in disbelief. "Wait—how? I thought Zanele was the fastest!"

He glanced at the others, who were still catching their breath. "Then it should've been Haruto, and… you're dead last!" He pointed at Liyana with a mixture of confusion and admiration.

Haruto, scowling, jabbed a finger toward her. "She cheated!"

Finn, observing quietly from a distance, arched an eyebrow. "Cheated? How, exactly?"

Haruto, still fuming, threw up his hands. "We were running, and Takumi was in the lead. But Liyana used her Vera to create monsters—big, terrifying ones. We thought they were real, so we stopped to fight them. Turns out, they were traps she set to slow us down!"

Liyana shrugged nonchalantly, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

Haruto continued, his voice rising in frustration. "By the time we realized it was a trick, we ran again. But then we hit this huge gate. She used her Vera to heat it up, so we couldn't pass until it cooled. When we finally got through, there she was, sitting here like she hadn't done a thing!"

Finn studied Liyana, noting her flushed cheeks and shallow breaths. "Ah. That explains why you're so tired. You must've burned through a lot of Vera pulling all that off."

Haruto crossed his arms, indignant. "We still made it through, only to find her lounging here! I'm telling you, Captain, she cheated!"

Rowan, who had been listening with growing amusement, chuckled. "Cheated? Nah, that's just clever. She outsmarted you guys fair and square."

Takumi, clearly unimpressed, muttered, "That wasn't fair at all."

Finn smirked, his tone light but firm. "I didn't set any rules for how to get here. I only said the first to arrive would eat like a king. Liyana just thought outside the box. That's strategy, not cheating."

Zanele, groaning, admitted reluctantly, "Ugh, fine. She's smart. But still… it's annoying."

Haruto muttered under his breath, "Don't count me in on that compliment."

Liyana grinned wickedly at him. "Hey, Haruto. What's the sun made of?"

Haruto, caught off guard, replied without hesitation, "Heat, obviously."

Liyana's smirk widened. "And what's dumb made of?"

Haruto hesitated, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "...Dumb?"

"Exactly!" Liyana teased, bursting into laughter. "And that's you."

Rowan shook his head, grinning. "This team is going to be something else."

The Food Heist

Rowan approached Liyana with a plate of food. "Your reward, Liyana. Enjoy it."

She beamed. "Oh, I will. Every single bite," she said, casting a triumphant look at the others.

Nearby, Zanele leaned toward Haruto and Takumi, her voice low. "I've got a plan."

Takumi arched an eyebrow. "What kind of plan?"

Zanele smirked. "We're stealing her food."

Haruto looked skeptical. "How?"

Zanele's grin widened. "I'll use my Vera to create a smoke screen. Haruto, you grab the food. Takumi, you create a tiny explosion to distract her. Simple."

Takumi's eyes lit up with mischief. "I'm in."

As the three started to position themselves, Finn's sharp voice cut through the air. "What are you three scheming?"

Zanele, feigning innocence, responded with an unnervingly sweet tone. "Oh, nothing, Captain."

Liyana, overhearing, narrowed her eyes. Zanele only uses that voice when she's up to something.

The plan unfolded. Zanele conjured a thick, choking cloud of smoke, obscuring the room. Takumi triggered a small explosion, creating just enough chaos for Haruto to snatch the plate. It seemed like a flawless execution—until the smoke cleared.

Finn frowned, his gaze shifting between the culprits. "What just happened?"

Liyana stepped forward, her smirk practically glowing. "Oh, you'll see in three… two… one."

Screams erupted from Zanele, Takumi, and Haruto. "Rats! Dead mice!" Haruto shouted, throwing the plate to the ground in horror.

Finn's eyes widened. "What in the world—?"

Liyana doubled over in laughter. "They tried to steal my food, so I swapped it with rats and mice."

Finn sighed, rubbing his temples. "Clever. But why are their faces red?"

Liyana's laughter grew louder. "They actually ate one of the rats by mistake!"

Rowan, struggling to keep a straight face, chuckled. "Liyana, how'd you know they were up to something?"

"Easy," Liyana said with a satisfied grin. "Zanele only pulls that sweet voice when she's scheming."

Zanele, her face darkening with rage, summoned a massive energy orb. "Enough games! Hand over the food, or the whole base goes kaboom!"

Finn raised his hands. "Zanele, calm down. It's just food!"

Liyana sighed dramatically, holding up the plate. "Fine. Take it, you sore losers."

Zanele snatched the plate and began eating triumphantly—until Liyana's laughter started again.

Zanele froze mid-bite. "What now?"

"I hid a dead mouse in the food," Liyana managed between giggles.

Zanele's face twitched, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "That's it!" She roared, releasing a small explosion that shook the entire base.

As the dust settled, Liyana dusted herself off, still laughing. "Totally worth it."

The Rise of Xalvathar

Far away, in the depths of a dark cave, Xalvathar emerged from his 10-year isolation. Boredom gnawed at him, and his hunger for chaos had grown insatiable.

He stretched his fingers, the energy of Vera crackling around him. This was no ordinary power—it was a force of both destruction and creation. With it, he could shape the world to his whims.

"I've watched mortal kings for too long," Xalvathar mused, his voice a deep growl. "It's time I build my own kingdom."

Using his Vera, he conjured a vast, dark empire populated by four million creatures, each assigned roles as soldiers or citizens. His ambition was unparalleled, his desire for a throne of his own unstoppable.

But trouble loomed on the horizon. His lieutenant, Valkor, returned from a failed mission, barely alive. "Captain Finn and his squad decimated our forces," Valkor reported, trembling. "I'm the only survivor."

Enraged, Xalvathar clenched his fist, sending a surge of power toward Valkor. The lieutenant gasped as his heart stopped momentarily, only for the dark energy to restore him.

"Failures have no place in my kingdom," Xalvathar hissed. "Why shouldn't I kill you?"

Desperate to prove his worth, Valkor rasped, "I have a plan. We target Takumi's family. His mother. Destroy the bloodline and break their spirits."

Intrigued, Xalvathar's wrath cooled. "Bring me her head. Don't fail me again."

Valkor bowed, a sinister grin forming. "As you command."