Shadow Bug

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Two Weeks Before the Kaimi Daja Executed Their Plan...

All the inner members of the Kaimi Daja had gathered in one of the homes owned by a human member, a hideout they frequently used. Everyone had assembled in the kitchen as Zero prepared to explain the plan again for Dylan, their newest recruit.

Zero: So, I'm going to go over the plan again since we just had a new member join us. The plan is for us to fight Joshua Egoshin and take his left "God Arm." If we can, we'll kill him too.

Dylan: (surprised) Huh?? Isn't that a suicide mission? Joshua Egoshin is a Level 1+ Lighter, right? How do you even plan to pull this off?

Zero: That's where Lokk comes in. (points to Lokk) His lighter technique could give us an edge.

Lokk: We won't know unless we try though.

Zero: Of course it will. It even worked on me, and you all know how different I am from the rest of you.

Giles: You don't have to keep reminding us. You'll make us feel inferior.

Zero: (cartoonish face) My bad!

Lorra: I don't mind either way.

Giles: Even if Zero told you to kiss his ass, you'd say the same thing.

Lorra: (annoyed) HUH?!

Gaki: (laughs)

Zero: Come on guys, no fighting.

Desmond: (to himself) Kids these days...

Zero: Now, back to the plan. To make this work, some of us will attack the Hunter Force Academy to create a distraction in case they try to call for help while we're fighting Joshua. So, Giles, Dylan, and Veto, you'll be the ones attacking the academy. I've already informed Annie and Karla, so they'll expect you. The rest of us will focus on Joshua.

Desmond: This sounds like a pain in the ass.

Veto: (laughs) Sucks to be you right now, old man.

Desmond: Shut up.

Zero: Now, for those fighting Joshua, the goal is to make him activate his left God Arm's power—the Luminary Sword. If we can cut his arm off while it's active, I should be able to use it after... I, uh, consume it.

Lorra: (cartoonish face) You say that so casually, like it's normal.

Zero: (cartoonish face) I know. I don't like it either, but it's the only way to take his power.

Gaki: I have a question. Joshua knows Harmonic Restoration, right? Won't his arm just grow back if we cut it off?

Jokita: Normally, yes. But from my research on the All Mother's parts, if the body part that makes them special is separated from the user, they lose that power and can't regenerate it—even with Harmonic Restoration.

Zero: Well, you heard it from him.

Gaki: How do you know so much, Jokita?

Jokita: I read a lot.

Zero: Look, I know this is a dangerous mission, but I trust you all to make it work. If anyone wants to back out, I won't hold it against you.

Gaki: Hmph. No kidding.

Desmond: It's true; this mission is dangerous. But we're too far in to turn back now. We all joined the Kaimi Daja because we hated how the world is and wanted to change it. I can't speak for everyone, but I'm with you all the way.

Zero:(smiling) Wisdom does come with age, doesn't it?

Desmond: (cartoonish face) I'm not that old—I'm 37.

Lorra: (smiling) Sounds old to me.

Dylan: (laughing) Right??

Desmond: (cartoonish face) Damn you brats.

Giles: (laughing) Calling us brats is such an old-man thing to do.

Everyone laughed as Desmond tried to defend himself and Zero could do nothing but watch them all and have a big grin on his face

Zero: (muttering to himself) I have faith in you guys

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Chapter 33: Joshua Egoshin vs The Kaimi Daja

Now, the Kaimi Daja faced their opponent: Joshua Egoshin, one of the country's four Level 1+ Hunters.

Joshua glanced to his left, noticing that the massive dog head that had appeared and engulfed the restaurant hadn't bled when he cut it; instead, it had started to fade.

Joshua: (to himself) An illusion? But it looked so real. (looks at Desmond standing with Zero) Must be his technique. I suspect it lets him create illusions that only last a moment. The dog didn't bleed, so they aren't actually alive. That's a powerful ability. If he can make perfect manifestations, I could be in trouble. (looks at the other Kaimi Daja members surrounding him) They all have high energy levels. They're dangerous. (looks at Zero) But how did he manage to assemble both lighters and shadows?

Zero: (to Joshua) Hey now, this isn't the time to zone out. You might get yourself killed.

Joshua: You think so? (to himself) Fighting here in the city could endanger innocent bystanders. I need to move this battle. The lake should be close by…

Channeling all his lighter energy into his legs, Joshua bolted toward the lake where he had previously fought shadow monsters.

Desmond: (realizing what Joshua is doing) Ah!

Gaki: He's running!?

Zero: (smirks) He's trying to avoid civilian casualties. (to everyone else) Let's follow him!

Joshua reached the lake quickly, relieved to find no one nearby. Here, he could fight without worrying about bystanders. The Kaimi Daja soon arrived, and Joshua prepared himself to take them all on. But something unexpected happened—Zero muttered a word, and water started forming around his arm.

Joshua: (to himself) He has a water technique too? Ghost Transformation and Water Manipulation? And he did it without any chants?

Zero: (seeing Joshua's confusion) Looks like I surprised you. Let me let you in on my little secret. (releases his compressed energy)

Joshua finally sensed a type of energy from Zero, but it wasn't shadow or lighter energy—it was something entirely different.

Joshua: (shocked) What is this?

Zero: This is the fusion of shadow and lighter energy. NEXUS ENERGY.

Joshua: (stunned) Nexus energy? But that's impossible. Shadows and lighters can't have children, so someone with full control of Nexus energy shouldn't exist.

Zero: Yeah that's true, but that only applies to a shadow and lighter. But what about the conduits?

Joshua: Huh? What do you mean?

Zero:If a shadow and a lighter try to have a child, the shadow energy overpowers the lighter energy, killing the child before it can be conceived. But conduits are different. Since their energy is weaker, it blends instead of overpowering. So, if a shadow conduit and a lighter conduit have a child, they create an entirely new kind of energy—like the All Mother from 800 years ago. A Nexus Being. That's what I am.

Joshua: (to himself) Similar to the All Mother… This makes sense since shadows and lighters came from the All Mother. But we never imagined such a being could be born from conduits. (adjusts his glasses) I still can't believe it.

Zero: I only have a fraction of the All Mother's power, but it grows as I acquire more techniques. Right now, I'd say I'm at about 17%. And I can use Harmonic Restoration at will since the All Mother could heal the world from the plague, right? Being similar to her, I can do the same.

Joshua: (to himself) He was born with the ability to use harmonic restoration without proper training? And what's this about taking in techniques?

Zero: I have a technique called Consumption Mimicry. After consuming a small amount of someone's blood, I can replicate their technique. Every technique I take automatically becomes harmonic, so I don't need to chant. I have a permanent connection to the Nexus.

Joshua: (to himself) All this sounds unbelievable. He's just like the All Mother from 800 years ago. So unlike me, he has a permanent connection to the NEXUS. And he can replicate another person's technique by taking their blood and because of his energy they become harmonic techniques so they won't need chants. This is turning into something else. And considering he has Sanito's lighter technique that means he....

Zero: I got this water technique from a guy I beat up when I was ten. Some of his blood got into my mouth, and I gained it. I got the ghost technique from a hunter who pretended to be with us. I assume you knew him right?

Joshua: (no reply)

Zero: Doesn't matter; you'll see him soon. [WATER MANIPULATION: PISTOL]

Zero formed a gun with his hand, firing water bullets at Joshua, who deftly evaded each shot. The pistol technique fired six rounds at a time, and when Zero ran out, Joshua stopped dodging and reached for his sword. But before he could draw it, the other Kaimi Daja members attacked.

Desmond: [WHITE: FALSE REALITY, ELECTRIC EELS]

Desmond Gravy's lighter technique, "False Reality," allows him to bring lies to life—but only lies that exaggerate living beings or objects, not entire scenarios. For example, if Desmond were to claim there was a large snake in the room, his technique would manifest the snake, but if he attempted to exaggerate an event or words, those lies wouldn't materialize.

In this battle, Desmond conjured two medium-sized electric eels by claiming they floated around him. The eels immediately rushed Joshua, wrapping around him to prevent him from drawing his sword. They delivered jolts of electricity, temporarily numbing Joshua's body.

Though the effect lasted only a few seconds, it was long enough for the next phase of the attack. Everyone except Joshua quickly covered their ears.

As Joshua strained to break free from the eels, Gaki snapped the fingers of his left hand, releasing a piercing sound. This sound disoriented Joshua, impairing his vision and hearing and causing them to bleed, which left him unable to concentrate. Zero seized the moment, firing another water bullet straight toward Joshua's heart.