~Notes~
Guess who’s backk with the last two chapters of ToaLP.

Episode 55 The Legendary Second Phoneme

Kunai dashes aimlessly about in the empty, echoing hallways of the Castle of Kyreim, his eyes continuously roving about, searching for a way into the throne room.

He pauses briefly for a moment, doubling over and supporting his weight on a wall, cold and smooth to the touch. He breaths come in short, quick, bursting gasps, as he struggles to catch his breath. Kunai turns his head about, roving for an exit out of the hallway.

‘Damn…Ryuu…Arai…Silver, we all got split up! You all better be there when I come rescue Ivy!’ Kunai thinks between each hoarse, rattling gasp. ‘Speaking of which…I’ve gotta find a way in there! I hope no one else comes to stop me…’

An image of Shuriken laying on the floor, nursing several Steely wounds to the chest surfaces in Kunai’s mind all of a sudden. He shakes his head, attempting to rid himself of the image. ‘Shuriken, you idiot…we could’ve taken down Kimura together, and that would’ve been enough. Instead, you’re wandering around lost in your own hatred and bitterness over the loss of your sister…’

Kunai stares silently down at the floor for several moments, thoughts continually circulating through his mind, while his eyes merely gaze on blankly, reflecting the dark grayness of the stone floor.

‘What have I done on this journey…nothing but stand in the way and watch Ryuu fight, every now and then chipping in to help. What have I done myself? Help save the Chief, Nash, and the rest of their village from the Drake Paradox, learn how to wield a Dagger, and get the materials to make Myou.’

Kunai raises a shaking hand up to his head, rubbing his forehead softly. ‘My head hurts…how strong have I really gotten during all this time? I’ve sworn to myself to protect Ivy, but now look what’s happened…I let her get taken away by the Myougun. What will happen if I can’t save her in time?’

The old tattoo on Myou burns dully for a moment, nevertheless gleaming clearly and reflecting off Kunai’s eye. He raises Myou to get a closer look, running his fingers over the red rune. ‘Myou…Lord Kimura gave this weapon for some reason. But why? So I could get stronger, and save Ivy? Why would he go through all that trouble, if he was after Ivy anyway…it doesn’t make any sense.’

Finally, an image of Ivy, lying still and apparently sleeping appears in Kunai’s mind, her dark angelic wings folded over her, sitting still on top of her. Suddenly, her eyes pop open, revealing a pair of luminous yellow eyes, encircling a pair of blood red pupils.

‘Ivy…if I let her finish this Paradox mutation, then it’s all over! Her soul’ll be released, and…Kimura will have succeeded in stealing the Phoneme inside of her. I can’t let that happen. I can’t stand here second-guessing myself any further. With or without my friends, I can’t hesitate any longer, I’ve gotta go and defeat Kimura!’

Kunai begins running forward again, climbing a pair of stairs and exiting upon a balcony outside, where several rays of sunshine peer down curiously, groping its way into the vast empty hallway inside.

Kunai glances around, and at last notices a thick length of rope dangling from the floor above. He grabs the rope and pulls, noting that it’s strong. He then clambers onto it, and begins ascending up the rope.

Lord Kimura watches all this from a television set relaying security footage from all around his castle. He sits in his throne, watching as Kunai attempts to ascend the castle.

‘He’s getting close…’ Kimura thinks to himself, as he tilts his head diagonally to get a better look at the unmoving figure of Ivy, still encased in her cage of brimming blue electrical energy.

Lord Kimura narrows his eyes, squinting at the still form of Ivy, wrapped in her folds of dark angel wings. ‘Very soon, this girl’s Paradox transformation shall be completed, and I shall have my Phoneme. The Night World shall be opened at last.’

Three quick, short explosions, one right after the other, sound suddenly in Lord Kimura’s vast, richly decorated hallway. All of a sudden, three individual figures stand kneeling in front of their lord, wrapped in Black Gaia Capes.

Lord Kimura turns indolently to face these three new arrivals. “Shuriken, Arayu, Zack. What is the meaning of this? Why do you appear before me?”

“Our apologies, my lord,” Shuriken replies, standing up straight and bowing once more to Kimura, “We were unable to hold them off any longer.”

“However, your plan has succeeded well, my lord,” Arayu adds, “For I myself have taken care of the mage.”

“And I, as well, my lord,” Zack concludes, “I took care of the unanticipated Huntress. The two of them will trouble us no longer.”

“Very good,” Kimura praises, “However, what’s become of Kunai, Ryuu, and Ayame?”

“Ryuu and Ayame were engaged in a battle in the library,” Zack answers, “We don’t know what became of them. As far as we know, they are still fighting, however, Ryuu undoubtedly will follow the same fate as the others.”

“As for Kunai,” Shuriken adds slowly, “I’m sorry, my Lord, but I could not contain him.”

“Very well,” Kimura repeats again, “That is fine. I never intended for Kunai to be killed, just held up long enough for the plan to fall into place. If all goes well, then I shall have Kunai become my apprentice.”

Lord Kimura withdraws his attention back to the security footage, watching through the security cameras as Kunai now ascends onto the next floor. “He grows close…very soon he will find this very hall, where I shall await him…and the Second Phoneme as well.”

“And we shall be readily available to assist you, my lord,” Shuriken mutters in response.

Lord Kimura sneers and laughs out loud suddenly, a chilling and rather disturbing cackle. “I shall not require your assistance. Kunai is hardly a threat to me. The condition he is in now, I will have no trouble killing him should he attempt to fight me. You three are no longer needed here. Disperse.”

“Yes, Master!” Shuriken replies, and together, the three of them vanish in three separate explosions of white smoke.

Lord Kimura watches as the smoke lifts itself toward the ceiling, borne by the air and disperses into nothingness in the sky. “Kunai…do not attempt to resist me.”

Shuriken, Arayu, and Zack gather outside in a brightly lit outdoors hallway in the castle, sitting down on the very edge of the platform overlooking the castle-city below.

Zack dangles his feet over the edge, peering down into the abyss below. He yawns lazily. “Too bad old Kimura didn’t need us anymore. I wouldn’t have said no to a fight back there.”

“Lord Kimura is powerful. It will not take all three of us to defeat one person,” Arayu replies.

“Yeah, he’s definitely stronger than ol’ Shuriken here, right?” Zack sniggers. “Too bad he couldn’t take down Kunai himself, heh.”

“Lord Kimura would have been displeased should he have killed him,” Arayu replies. “Shuriken was merely following orders to delay the Hermit.”

Zack peers over curiously at Shuriken, who is sitting on the floor, hugging his knees and wrapped in his flowing Gaia cape. “Hey Shuriken, you’re awfully quiet, what’s up?”

“I failed to defeat Kunai…” Shuriken mutters softly.

“Aw, don’t sweat it guy,” Zack replies, “You heard what Arayu said just now. Old Kimura wouldn’t have been happy with his ‘future apprentice’ dead. You weren’t supposed to kill him.”

“All the same,” Shuriken mutters, growling slightly under his breath. He clenches his fist tightly, so much that it begins shaking from the effort. “I was defeated by him. What is it about Kunai that made him stronger than me?”

“I can kind of understand,” Zack replies unexpectedly, “It’s cause he’s a man on a mission. He has something that needs to be done, and he’s not gonna stop till it is.”

A loud crackling suddenly arouses Lord Kimura’s attention. He turns from his television set to Ivy, levitating slightly above his throne. The blue lightning sizzles as it circulates around Ivy, illuminating her figure.

As the light intensifies around her, deep, thick, pitch-black scales can be seen covering her entire body, while her dark, angelic wings nearly double in size. Her ears become elongated and pointed.

“The Paradox mutation process… is nearly complete,” Lord Kimura hisses under his breath. “It is only a matter of time…before the Second Phoneme is mine!”

“It’s only a matter of time…before I defeat you!” The wooden doors into the hall slam shut suddenly, revealing a dark, lone figure standing in the middle of the hall facing Kimura.

Lord Kimura turns nonchalantly to face the entrance, gazing at the new arrival, unperturbed. “Welcome to my humble abode, Kunai.”

Next Time: Episode 56 Release! And the Angelic Paradox Revealed

Kunai: It’s time to take you down, Lord Kimura…

Kimura: You don’t stand a chance.

Kunai: There’s no way I’ll ever be your apprentice!

Kimura: Then so be it.

Episode 56 Release! And the Angelic Paradox Revealed coming soon!

Episode 56 Release! And the Angelic Paradox Revealed

A loud crackling suddenly arouses Lord Kimura’s attention. He turns from his television set to Ivy, levitating slightly above his throne. The blue lightning sizzles as it circulates around Ivy, illuminating her figure.

As the light intensifies around her, deep, thick, pitch-black scales can be seen covering her entire body, while her dark, angelic wings nearly double in size. Her ears become elongated and pointed.

“The Paradox mutation process… is nearly complete,” Lord Kimura hisses under his breath. “It is only a matter of time…before the Second Phoneme is mine!”

“It’s only a matter of time…before I defeat you!” The wooden doors into the hall slam shut suddenly, revealing a dark, lone figure standing in the middle of the hall facing Kimura.

Lord Kimura turns nonchalantly to face the entrance, gazing at the new arrival, unperturbed. “Welcome to my humble abode, Kunai.”

“I’ve found you, Kimura,” Kunai growls angrily, panting from the effort of running. He turns his attention to Ivy floating just about Lord Kimura, encased in her cage of electricity. “Let Ivy go, now!”

“I can’t do that, Kunai,” Lord Kimura replies softly. “Not until I extract the Second Phoneme from her, anyway.”

“Why are you so interested in that phoneme?” Kunai mutters, his teeth clenched tightly. “So what if Ivy has a phoneme in her? Why do you want it so badly?”

Lord Kimura turns to Kunai suddenly, with a strangely iridescent glow in his eyes. “Kunai. Are you aware of the existence of other worlds beyond ours?”

“Yeah. The Rift World. Your world. A world separate from mine,” Kunai replies. “And what about it?”

“Kunai…there are more worlds beyond the Rift and Maple Worlds. That is where the Third Phoneme exists, which is my true goal,” Kimura answers.

“You are quite aware that the First Phoneme was impartial; broken. The Second Phoneme stands before us, but with only a mere one-use limit. However, the Third Phoneme possesses an infinite wealth of use, therefore yielding a fountain of infinite knowledge. Imagine it…knowledge to the extent where you may learn anything you ever wanted to know.”

“So…you’re just using Ivy to get to the Third Phoneme, which is what you really want!” Kunai growls.

“Yes. Are you going to attempt to stop me?” Kimura asks.

“Yeah. I’m going to stop you with everything I’ve got,” Kunai growls. “There’s no way I’m going to let you take Ivy away!”

Lord Kimura suddenly begins laughing softly. “But Kunai…you cannot stop me. Instead, I suggest you join me.”

Kunai narrows his eyes, gazing back defiantly at Kimura. “I’d never join you!”

“But your friends are dead. You only beg for death if you wish to fight me. I suggest you join me, and become my apprentice, and we shall rule together,” Kimura replies.

“Wh…what?” Kunai gasps, his knees shaking and buckling slightly. He slumps to the ground, falling on his knees heavily. “What do you mean…‘dead?’”

Kimura smiles suddenly, a nonchalant, yet strangely bloodcurdling smirk. He turns and flicks his fingers lazily, summoning one of the television sets filled with security footage to float in front of Kunai.

The television suddenly begins playing footage of Arai and Arayu’s fight. Arai suddenly doubles over as four arrows enter his body, one after the other.

Kunai watches horrified as Arai stumbles over and collapses over the edge of the narrow platform, falling down into the immeasurable abyss below. Kunai gags, choking over his own shock. He stumbles onto all fours, breathing heavily. “It…it can’t be! Arai! Araiiii!”

“It is,” Lord Kimura replies softly. “Would you like to see more? We’ve yet to even scratch the surface of the fights of your friends Silver and Ryuu.”

“No. No! NO!” Kunai shouts, snapping his eyes shut and clamping his hands over his head, shaking violently the entire time. “Please! No more! I beg you!”

Lord Kimura smiles softly, gazing down at Kunai with a softened, fatherly expression on his face. “Very well, Kunai. I will show you no more. Will you join me now? In time you will see it is the better decision. You will see that it is your only hope of achieving what you most desire…”

“What I…most desire?” Kunai repeats, mumbling faintly to himself.

“The knowledge of a cure for the Paradox mutation. Is that not what you want?” Kimura replies, his voice growing even softer, even more melodious.

“A…cure…? Can you…really give me that?” Kunai asks. “Fine. Fine! Do what you wish with me! I’ll join you, just give me what I need!”

“That’s right…” Kimura mutters, “Come, come and take my hand. Together, we will rule…” Kimura slowly steps forward, his footsteps ringing in the hollowness of the hall. Kimura reaches out his hand, and Kunai gradually extends his as well, groping for his cold fingers.

“Don’t listen to what he has to say, Kunai,” a soft, deadly voice suddenly rings throughout the hall. The clashing noise of a sword suddenly rings throughout the hall, as the voice returns, speaking. “It’s all bull.”

Kunai opens his eyes, and stares up in awe as Ryuu stands before him, ruffled and scarred from battle. Over his shoulder he carries the limp form of Ayame and in his free hand, instead of his usual sword, he carries a Fairfrozen.

“Ryuu! I…I thought you were dead!” Kunai gasps in astonishment, gazing up at Ryuu.

Ryuu smirks, shaking his head slightly. “It’d take a hell lot more firepower to kill me, Kunai. Anyway, sorry I’m late. Other business kept me.”

“What happened to your sword?” Kunai asks.

“Shattered to bits,” Ryuu replies gruffly. With a heavy sigh and a groan, he places the unconscious figure of Ayame down on the ground, laying her there neatly. “Anyway, I took care of Ayame. She shouldn’t regain consciousness for a while more.”

“So you are not dead after all,” Kimura mutters menacingly. “I see. Then it seems that I am robbed of an apprentice. Fine, I shall kill you both here.”

With a flash and a flicker, Kimura draws a gleaming blue sword out of thin air. He holds it in his right hand, glaring down at the other two before him. “Kunai. It seems I have no choice. You shall be my enemy. Grow strong, Kunai. Grow strong so that one day you may challenge me…assuming you live past this day.”

Kunai bares his teeth, bracing himself for an attack. He draws another couple Steelys, prepping himself for full on attack from Kimura.

The dulled red seal on Myou burns brightly once again, engulfed in a seemingly angry crimson flame. Kunai stares at the fervent glow of the seal written long ago by Kimura, disguised as Azuma.

Lord Kimura glances at the luminescence of the seal as well. “Kunai… Do you want to know why I created Myou for you so long ago?”

Kunai stares Kimura fixedly in the eye for a moment, curiosity consuming him. His lips slowly move, thought regrettably to his conscience. “Wh-why?”

“It is because you are a strong one, Kunai,” Kimura replies softly. “For a mortal, you are bathed in the holy depths of the phonemes. Even though you may have been tempted many times, you have never crossed the threshold into darkness. It draws my curiosity. You are a worthy apprentice, and a worthy adversary. I created Myou in the hopes of molding someone who would one day be strong enough to defeat even me.”

“What? Why would you want there to be someone stronger than you? If that happened, you’d be overthrown!” Kunai gasps in amazement. “Why would you want that?”

“There is nothing to win without an opponent. And the worthier, the better,” Kimura replies. “I am not evil, Kunai. I merely crave strength others fear.”

“That’s quite enough,” Ryuu says into the impending silence, stepping between Kunai and Kimura. “You’re filling Kunai’s head with a load of crap. Are you going to fight us or not?”

“I don’t need to fight you,” Kimura replies, “For Kunai hasn’t become strong enough yet. The day I draw my weapon against you will be the day Kunai becomes strong enough to defeat me. And he hasn’t proven that he is yet.”

Kimura returns to the top of his throne, gazing down intently at Kunai and Ryuu, surveying them gently with his dark, piercing eyes. “Kunai. You still haven’t realized your true potential and power yet. You’ve still yet to tap into the true power of Myou.

“Do you want to know how to access it’s true potential? Without it, you will never be able to defeat me,” Kimura continues.

Kunai remains silent, staring into Kimura’s eyes. Kimura continues. “Kunai, you may have noticed the strength of Myou fluctuates depending on your emotions. Right now, you’re at a heightened sense of alert, and Myou is lending you strength. However, it is not nourishing you yet with its full power. I promised you a weapon of unmatchable strength when I created it for you, didn’t I?

“To access that power, Kunai…you must have bloodthirst. The yearning to kill me, Kunai. Only with that will you be able to defeat me. And to do that, you must first become strong, Kunai.”

Kunai blinks suddenly, surprised at this latest bit of news. “To…kill you?” he mutters. “You actually want me to become a worthy rival for your sick, demented pleasures?”

“Call it what you like, Kunai,” Kimura replies softly, his dark eyes gleaming ever so slightly, “But life is nothing but a long, continuous game of chess. Only by defeating your opponent can you move on, and live. Each time a loss is dealt to you, you draw closer to losing.”

Kimura smirks suddenly, and slowly begins laughing out loud, turning into a loud, maniacal cackle. He waves his hands upwards, at the gleaming figure of Ivy.

Both Kunai and Ryuu draw their weapons, their muscles tense from the apprehension. Kimura snaps his fingers, and a host of five Humanoid Paradoxes emerge in the ground between himself and the two others.

Kunai and Ryuu start in surprise at the sudden attack. They raise their weapons, and begin combating against the relentless assaults of the Paradoxes.

Meanwhile, Kimura proceeds to lower Ivy from her cage high above, Kunai and Ryuu unable to stop him from releasing Ivy. Kimura suddenly turns to Kunai and Ryuu, still smirking widely. “The Paradox transformation is complete. I present to you a Level 17 Paradox, the Angelic Paradox!”

The net of charged blue electricity disappears from around Ivy with a flourish of Kimura’s hand, and suddenly Kunai and Ryuu gasp aloud as one, as the behold the new, transformed form of Ivy.

She stands before them, her skin completely blackened and smoothened with feathers dark as the night. A pair of wide, seraphic black wings stretch out from her back on either side, flapping slightly. Ivy’s eyelids remain closed, though her lank hair hangs about her face, concealing it.

Kunai cries out loud, futilely. “Ivy! No!”

He suddenly flops onto the floor from a heavy blow by one of the Humanoid Paradoxes. He lies down on the ground, watching horrified as Kimura approaches the unconscious form of Ivy.

Ryuu falls heavily to the ground next to Kunai as well, having taken a heavy blow to the stomach. Instead of finishing them off, the five Humanoid Paradoxes stand guard in front of them, preventing them from getting any closer to Kimura and Ivy.

Lord Kimura slowly approaches Ivy, reaching out a slightly trembling hand towards her. He places his long, cold fingers on her shoulder, grasping it tightly as he reaches forward to take the now revealed phoneme.

Within Ivy shines a bright, crystalline prism of light, partially exposed in her angelic form. As Kimura’s hands close about her shoulder, the light burns brighter, illuminating the entire hall.

“At last…the Second Phoneme!” Kimura mutters under his breath.

“Ivy, no!” Kunai shouts again uselessly.

A chime of bells rings throughout the room suddenly, as Ivy opens her bright yellow eyes, filled with a set of three glowing red pupils in each eye.

Ivy turns to the direction of Kunai’s voice in alarm. She watches him lying on the floor intently, studying him silently for a moment.

Kimura gasps in astonishment at Ivy’s sudden reaction. “Impossible! She awoke!”

“It must be the Hybrid seal!” Ryuu growls, watching breathlessly. “It seems like it kicked in at last.”

“Ivy!” Kunai struggles to his knees, but the Humanoid Paradox in front of him pushes him back down. “Ivy…can you hear me! Please tell me you can hear me!”

“Kunai! Your voice! I can hear you! Kunai…I have to tell you something. I…I…I love—!” Ivy shouts, turning urgently to Kunai, however she is cut off as Kimura holds her mouth shut, and the light is shed from Ivy’s body.

The entire hall gleams suddenly, as everyone turns away, blinded by the intense light. All at once, the light disappears again, leaving Kimura holding Ivy’s limp, dead body.

In his hands Kimura holds a sphere of shining white light, apparently rippling outwards but remaining stationary in his hand, constantly swirling in a wavelike motion.

“At last, the Second Phoneme is mine!” Kimura shouts out loud in the stilled silence. “Now…grant me the knowledge! Open the gateway into the world known as Night!”

A great whirling of wind suddenly fills the emptiness of the hall, though no air has actually blown in. All at once, a great swirling portal opens up in the middle of the room, sucking everything in towards it.

“Through here!” Ryuu shouts over the commotion, grabbing Ayame’s limp body and taking a flying leap into the portal. Kunai pulls Ivy out of Kimura’s hands and follows as well, disappearing through the now closing portal.

Preview: Tales of a Lost World

Kunai: It’s all over…Arai, Silver, Ivy…they’re all gone! Ryuu! What are we going to do!

Ryuu: It’s no use. Lord Kimura has opened the gate to a world known as the Night World. No one from the Maple World has ever journeyed in there…this is bad. He’s sent the Naraku in there to seek out the Third Phoneme!

Kunai: Then…what do we have to do?

Ryuu: It’s simple. The race is on…find the Third Phoneme before the Myougun does!

~

Ryuu: There were once four worlds known as Maple, Rift, Night, and the Underworld. Each was once ruled by one sole master. However, long ago, a great terrible beast engulfed the four worlds and threatened to destroy each one. The four masters worked together and sealed the portals to the worlds up, forever shutting the doors and the knowledge of the four separate worlds.

Kunai: And now all of a sudden, we’re thrown into a journey to reseal these opened portals, find the Third Phoneme, and defeat the Myougun!

Ryuu: We must complete this mission no matter what. From now on, we are the Four Joukai: Ryuu, Kunai, Ayame, and Ivy!

Kunai: The race is on to save the four worlds and retrieve the Third Phoneme from the threat of the Myougun before it’s too late! It’s Tales of a Lost World, coming soon!