WORLD TRAIN

"So NOW you decide to speak up?" Yuma furrows his brows. A pink aura rising from Yuma's shoulders. Ikati scoffs and kicks Yuma in the chin, stomping his face into the ground. Yuma looks up as Ikati grabs out a large sword, swinging it at Yuma's neck.

"No you don't!" Suddenly, a thread of energy, thin yet glowing, lashes out and wraps around the blade of Ikati's sword, pulling it back before it can connect with Yuma's flesh.

Ikati's eyes narrow as he turns, gaze darkening. The crowd gasps in confusion and excitement as a figure emerges from the shadows—Lumin, the Puppet Meister, stands tall on the roof, his hands raised, fingers dancing in the air like a conductor summoning his last symphony. He manipulates threads of energy with practiced precision, his face set in grim determination.

"Not yet, Ikati… This isn't how it ends!" Ikati sneers, his voice dripping with condescension.

"You've come to die alongside him, Puppeteer? How noble… but foolish." Lumin says nothing, his focus entirely on controlling the strings. With a flick of his fingers, Yuma is gently pulled away from the execution spot, the strings wrapping around his body like a protective cocoon, keeping him just out of harm's reach. Yuma hits the courtyard wall, muttering under his breath.

"Lumin… why?" Lumin looks down at Yuma, and for a moment, his hardened expression softens.

"Because I made a promise… and some promises have to be kept, no matter the cost." Ikati grits his teeth. Swinging his blade, cracking the ground under his feet. He lunges at Lumin, his massive sword swinging down with devastating force. Lumin reacts fast enough to dodge. The spectators rush from the arena as Lumin blocks another sword attack with a net of threads. 

"Quick witted, ain't ya?" Lumin smirks.

"I've always been that way!" Lumin releases the net, slicing Ikati with tense strings, but the wounds heal quickly. Lumin rolls out of the way.

"String Mantra! Slice N Dice!" Lumin swings his hand, slashing Ikati across the face with thin strings. 'Yes-' Ikati grabs Lumin's face and slams him into the roof below. Shingles flying into the air.

"Tempest Of Blade!" Ikati looks up, hundreds of small strings pulling bladed weapons towards Ikati. Ikati smirks and smacks them all away.

"Quick witted brat" Ikati turns to lock eyes with Lumin who appears behind him.

"Thousand Sheet pierce!" hundreds of tiny strings pierce hundreds of needle thin holes through Ikati's body. Lumin spinning mid-air.

"10,000-" Ikati grabs Lumin's arm, shattering it with ease, before kneeing him in the stomach, grabbing Lumin's head and slamming him face first through the roof below. Lumin hits the ground, coughing up blood. 'He's too… fast…'

-----

Lumin sits in a small rocking chair. Rocking back and forth, holding his newborn daughter in his hands. Her little eyes were black, her hair blonde like her mother's. Lumin calmly smiles.

"You're amazing, hunny" Lumin looks at his wife, who smiles at their newborn daughter.

"She has your eyes, Lumin" Lumin nods

"And your blonde hair"

-----

Lumin pushes debris off his chest, rising to his feet.

"For my family… is why I fight today…!" the ground slightly shakes under Lumin's feet. His clothes begin to unravel.

"For my wife, who didn't give up, even when it was hard!" Lumin's hair floats as he crouches, his muscles bulge as he jumps from the roof where he was just slammed through.

-----

Lumin rocks his newborn daughter. Calmly smiling. The room was dimly lit, his wife pale.

"Lua?... Are you feeling okay?" His wife calmly smiles, tightly holding Lumin's hand.

"Lui… Promise me… Promise me… you'll protect her." Lumin tightens his grip. Tears streamed down his face.

"Don't leave me, Lua!" Lua calmly smiles.

"Do it for me…?" Lumin gulps back the tears.

"I Promise!" Lua smiles as her eyes become heavy. Drifting to a close. Rain drips outside before slowly turning into a full downpour. Lumin lifted her cold hand up to his forehead and cried silently.

-----

Lumin blocks a punch from Ikati, his forearm shattering, blood splattering. Lumin slides back, tearing up. Sounds fade out and become silent. Lumin runs forward as his ears ring, both arms broken. Ikati football punts Lumin away. Lumin slams through several wooden crates before hitting a stone wall and coughing up blood.