The Phantom Riser

CHAPTER ELEVEN - TARGET (2)

“I’ll say this one more time, leave now while I’m still feeling chivalrous. Or your grave will sit next to that Cherry Blossom tree of yours,” Kiro threatened with all seriousness.

Lea trembled. She sweated profusely understanding how perilous her situation was. She had just been let off easy but that wasn’t her worry. “You’re the one he spoke about. The Phantom Riser,” she muttered.

“Oh, this early? It took months last time before I got that name,” Kiro thought to himself. It was clear that a lot of things were happening faster than he anticipated. His knowledge was no longer full proof. But at the very least, the events were still occurring, only earlier.

Lea looked worriedly behind her leaving Kiro very puzzled. The only people behind her were Victor and Karenia. Lea rushed at Kiro who immediately put up his shield around himself. But that didn’t stop her. She kept running at him desperately. For a moment, it looked more like she was trying to save him than kill him. “Move!” she cried. Kiro couldn’t comprehend her actions. For a short instance, he felt a large amount of energy coming from their left. He engulfed them all in a large force field sphere, protecting even Lea. It could have been that she just happened to be in his range, because she was between him and his friends but Kiro had no problem protecting her from whatever was coming their way. After all, it did look like she was trying to help him and if it proved otherwise, he could deal with anything she threw at him. A large energy beam hit his shield and for the first time, it cracked and significantly so.

Lea released her illusion and Kiro ran towards Victor and Karenia and engulfed them in his shield. Since they were closer, he only needed a smaller sphere. The idea was so that he could preserve its thickness without having to stretch it out due to the distance between them. A second beam hit them and this time, the c***k was smaller. “We can’t stay here, my shield won’t hold,” Kiro said. He looked at his friends for ideas but they appeared blank.

“I can cover us, but you need to promise to get us all out,” Lea proposed.

“Sure. Do your thing,” Kiro wasted no time in replying. The next beam that hit completely cracked his shield. It was merely just staying in place. A finger was enough to take it down at that point. Kiro dropped the shield.

***

System Update

Lea Plone

Skill move: Misty Blanket; A thick fog is created over a wide area making it completely impossible to see within its range.

Active Time: 30 secs.

***

System Update

Kiro Ner

Skill move: Force field zone; force field spheres pop around a certain range creating a defensive cover that deflects incoming projectiles. However, they can easily be shoved aside/ destroyed, making it a low-level skill. It is however useful in places with low visibility to act as traps or to put off sensory type Risers as each sphere acts as an energy source.

Active Time: 30 secs.

***

They ran through the fog, with Lea navigating through. They quickly grabbed the other six people that remained. A few energy beams were shot in their direction, but Kiro’s Force field zone did a good work of keeping them at bay. By the time the fog cleared, they were long gone.

***

A long way off of where they previously were, Kiro, Victor and Karenia found themselves with Lea and six others. There was a total of three teams among the seven of them and only one was complete. Lea had lost one member of her team and so had the other incomplete team. But yet, there they were with the very people they had tried to kill, who were also responsible for the loss of their members. But in the same way, they also owed them their lives.

“You have a lot of explaining to do lady. Why did you help us?” Kiro asked. He still didn’t understand her sudden change of motives. It happened after she knew who he was. And the name she called him. Did she know him before? Through her sponsor? That shouldn’t be possible. Sure, he had friends that were Rangers and Knights, but that is at least five years into the future. There was no way anyone else could have retained their memories if it hadn’t happened yet. Unless…

“I could ask you the same thing. Why did you help us?” Lea asked.

“On a whim. You brought my attention to the threat, so I repaid the favour. So why?”

“Because he spoke about you, my sponsor. He said you’re a friend of his and that he would like to meet you again someday,” she replied.

They were all surprised at her answer. To the others, it was a shock that a sponsor was friends with a Riser. How could they have met? But Victor, Karenia and Kiro knew that this person most probably knew about Kiro’s reincarnation.

Kiro was the most worried of the group. It was a big setback that he couldn’t remember the conditions surrounding his reincarnation. Which meant that there could have been other people involved. The only thing he had were his memories before that. He had to make time to personally investigate that matter. But for now, he had a big problem in front of him. “So, who is this sponsor of yours?” Kiro asked, but from the expression she had on her face, he understood that she didn’t intend to spill.

“Very well. Why did your five groups band together?” Kiro asked.

“We were actually six groups. We were brought together by someone very powerful. I don’t know how, but he is already way more powerful than everyone else. Even more powerful than you. His name is Isaac. He’s the one with the laser ability,” she replied.

“Isaac? Not Jovak? Are you sure he didn’t give you a fake name?” Karenia asked.

“Energy beam, not lasers. His name is Isaac Wayne. And he is a very troublesome opponent,” Kiro replied.

“You know him?” Karenia asked.

“Yeah.”

“How? Sponsor?” Lea asked.

“Let’s agree that there are things that we can’t disclose,” Kiro replied. Lea wasn’t satisfied with the response but she also knew she was in no position to complain.

“We were supposed to be the distraction. Get your attention without committing ourselves so we don’t get hurt. That was the plan. I think one of his members can mask energies. I’m not too sure. But the Ascient wasn’t the target. You were, Kiro.”

“What?”

“I don’t know why, but the Ascient was just a bonus. He wanted to take you out. I didn’t have any problem with it and so did the other members. Until I confirmed that you were the Phantom Riser that my sponsor spoke about.”

“He will come after you, you know that right?” Karenia said.

“Not if we pull them away,” Victor said. He seemed to have finally gotten himself together. “We are clearly the more important target. Surely you shouldn’t have a problem escaping, miss…?”

“Lea. Lea Plone,” Lea replied.

“Right. If they split up to chase both of us, it’ll be to our advantage. But with your ability, you should be able to get out of their radar long enough till we take them out,” Victor suggested.

“Take them out? I thought we were supposed to be running away,” Karenia said.

“Not this time. I was completely useless last time, but not this time. We need to show the rest that we are a group that they should stay clear of. Isn’t that what this game is all about?” Victor said.

Kiro smiled wholeheartedly. Victor was finally coming along. “You’re right. We are not running. We are stronger than that. We only ran the last time to get you guys out of the way. We can take them on. Right guys?

“Sure.”

“Let me at them.”

“There you have it. Stay safe Lea and the rest of you. I hope our paths cross on better circumstances,” Kiro said.

“I hope so too. Thanks a lot.”

***

A few minutes after they split up, Kiro stopped to talk to them. “There is something we need to get after we take care of these guys. Even before we find the special items. A map.”

“Okay. There’s only one?” Karenia asked.

“Of this one yes. You can easily get a map on the store.”

“There’s a store!” the two chorused in surprise.

“I told you there were other things to spend your coins on.”

“So, what can we buy?” Karenia asked.

“Let’s focus on levelling up quickly for now. By the way, you should have gotten a notification from the system.”

***

System Update

Karenia Zari

You have been gifted 800 coins for defeating 8 opponents

***

“You’re right. I just got 800 coins for defeating 8 opponents! How did you know!” Karenia exclaimed.

“That would be an extra reason to want to kill each other,” Victor responded.

“I was actually talking about something else, but that’s good news. Level up again. And Victor, you’re behind now. You need to step up.”

“So, what were you referring to?”

“Your title.”

***

System Update

Karenia Zari

Title: Prodigy

***

“My title is---”

“Prodigy. The only thing better than that is Ascient. Normally it would be the best but an Ascient actually exists now.”

“Is it the same as before?”

“It is.”

“So, what’s your title Kiro,” Victor asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t have one before until way later. And it wasn’t anything important.”

“You seem really good with your ability. You’re just a level three but you can do so much with it,” Karenia said.

“My memories. I still have all my experience with using my ability so I can manipulate it to its fullest extent. They may be low level but I know how to maximise their uses.”

“You are going to be very dangerous,” Victor goaded.

“I’m already very dangerous,” Kiro gloated. But a notification took the smile out of his face.

***

System Update

Kiro Ner

Title: XXXXXX

***

“What? My title is… that’s not possible,” Kiro thought to himself.

“Are you okay?” Karenia asked. She could see the worry on his face.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

“So, who is this Isaac Wayne really?” Victor asked.

“He’s a very dangerous individual who was later to be known as ‘The Decimator.”