Arrival to a New World/Azure

=== Appearance of the Vigilantes, Azure ===
Inside a liquid filled tube, a male figure drifts gently in sleep, his cream colored hair drifts about idly, his face obscured by a white mask, with a cyan insignia on its front.
Kado. A woman's voice rings in his head.
What is it? The male responds, the faintest of reactions from his mind begin to wake his body.
We have a situation that requires your attention.
I'll be down at command after I've woken and am ready.
Will see you there.
The male named Kado opens his eyes, the only sign of them are the white pupils peering out from his mask that are so common among the Shapeshifter race. He allows himself a moment to feel the suspending sensation of the liquid, the presence of which is the only way he's ever slept soundly for many years. Not doing so... ...is often problematic for him. With a mild sigh, he drains the tube and emerges from a glass door, stepping out into the square room that is his home.
Simple furniture decorates it, and aside from the tube, there is little else of significance in the room aside from a circular pad, a transporter. He eyes it quietly.
It has been seven years since the incident that shaped the course of his life, the dark memory of his past that clings to him like a omnipresent cloud, and each night, the nightmares torment him. He can feel the agony of the moment his old family betrayed him, rippling through him in faint echoes of memory.
He closes his eyes. He knows for a fact that he'll likely never get the chance to exact revenge for what they did, yet the ghosts still linger. ...But a life left behind is one not missed.
He opens his eyes, and after donning a black bodysuit and white robes, steps onto the transporter, soon after appearing in a long hall, now the faint echo of voices throughout the central command can be heard. He feels for his multiple weapons, his four katanas, two plain with average wrappings, and two special ones, a black one with ornate details on its guard and sheathe, and a red one with elegant flame patterns carefully woven into the wood sheathe.
...Momentos. He clenches his fists lightly and proceeds down the hall, toward the first meeting that he, Kado, the leader of Azure had attended in several months.
On his way in, he can hear a woman patiently trying to reassure someone else in the room that the meeting will start soon, but an important visitor needs to arrive first.
Despite this woman's reassurance, the person shes talking to doesn't even appear to be caring, or listening. Instead he is taping his fingers lightly on his thigh, sighing with slight annoyance. He had been waiting for quite some time now, and always carried a rather bored and tired demeanor, which could easily be heard in his tone of voice. The only thing that escapes his lips as the woman speaks to him are occasional sounds of confirmation.
A few minutes after this, the person hears footsteps become audible as not a moment later the door opens abruptly, and a white masked individual wearing white robes with a black bodysuit underneath with four katanas strapped to him walks through the opening without pause.
"Let's get this meeting over with, we have important matters to attend to." The male's voice is surprisingly quiet but noticeably in command of its presence, his voice has caught everyone's attention.
Yes, let us proceed with affairs. The well known voice of Azula rings out in everyone's head in the room, a woman who coordinates the entire operation of Phoenix from afar, almost no one has ever seen the co founder.
Along with the male, there is a purple haired woman with green eyes, Oliv Walker, the former leader of ADHS and now the head of Squad 2, and scores of armored soldiers of the Azure Foreign Affairs Unit.
For the first time in quite a while, the man being reassured lets a small smile creep upon his face, cocking his head ever so slightly as he hears Kado's voice. The smile quickly fades however as he turns to him, nodding. He eyes the various people in the room, and speaks to himself in his mind. "Looks like the show is about to begin." 
"Let's review the intel." Kado intones.
The central display desk shows imagery from the minds of a number of Azure agents who seem to have been taken by some manner of humans who crossed through a rift. A few details can be discerned, such as a vague location, the details of the humans, vaguely, as well as some manner of lettering spells what seems to be 'MCCP'.
"From what we can tell, this occured around the mountains of Azure. It doesn't give us anything specific, but we do know they were using rifts. We may have to start restricting rift usage depending on how far this situation escalates. It may slow our activities in other realms, but right now this is a potential security risk."
Kado looks among the group. "I have called you all to conduct a search for the rift's location. You will be outfited with spacial fluctuation seekers and deployed to the most probable locations we have selected. ...Anything further? I value any additional insight."
The male, who is known as Mizora stepped forward slightly. His tone was quiet and distant, but oddly warm. "Do we know whether the MCCP are anticipating our arrival? Surely they have some sort of plan in place."
Kado's eyes look over toward Mizora. "That is yet to be seen, but this MCCP will not be taken lightly. That is why once we have confirmed the location of the Agents and this MCCP who took them, several entire AFAU squads and ATS units will be joining us as well. The ADHS will be joining us in force as well, of course."
Oliv looks at Kado. "You're talking about a small army's worth of our men. Do you really think it's that urgent?"
"If there are humans with rift travel technology able to reach our world, they must have some manner of advanced capabilities. I will not underestimate them, a full show of force will be given to our enemies. Any more questions?"
Mizora nods. "Not so much a question, but a show of support. It's best if these humans understand what they're dealing with, no? Underestimating humanity could very well be our downfall in a mission like this." He turns to Oliv, cocking his head. "I doubt any of us want this to end in failure."
"I suppose it is prudent to be on the safe side." She responds.
"Then it's settled. Report once you have reached the site designated to you and determine if any signs of struggle or a rift become present." Kado speaks.
"Dismissed."
Mizora eyes Kado a tad, before nodding as he places his hands in pockets. He starts to walk off, braid gently dangling behind him. As time passes and they are sent on the mission, Mizora is idly looking through the scene, albeit a little lazily. "Tsk. This is awfully trivial."
Kado stands on a mountain top, surveying the landscape. Report. Anything so far?
He groans a bit, and shakes his head. "No, not yet. This is starting to be a waste of time..."
Mizora begins to notice a faint blip on his scanner.
He cocks his head. "I may have spoken too soon." He starts walking towards the direction of the blip, at the ready.
Once he gets close to the source, he isn't able to see anything, but his scanner is going crazy, and he is able to determine that a large opening in space was created, likely a rift. There is also faint signs of combat.
He crouches down, head still cocked as he looks around the area. "Kado, I do believe i've found a rift. Not only that but it appears there was...quite, the scuffle here."
Location? Kado responds quickly.
Mizora gives Kado his coordinates. "Come quickly. Wouldn't want to dilly dally."
I will get there as fast as mortal means can, Kado's voice seems to remark dryly.
It doesn't take too long before the various Azure members start to gather at his location. Kado takes a bit longer, almost looking a tad winded, but regains composure quickly.
"Where is the rift's location?"
Mizora taps his scanner, before pointing to the exact point of the rift. "I know I said you wouldn't want to dilly dally, but take a breather."
Kado observes the scanner before looking at the location. "...Yeah, someone definately made a rift here, I can feel it. ...Get the ATS here now. We're opening this rift back open."
"Don't you just love tearing holes in the fabric of reality?" Mizora sticks his tongue out slightly, sitting down, and oddly chain like noises are heard. 
He sees multiple robed figures with masks appear, who begin assembling a part of odd devices, that soon begin to hum to life, and a fiery orange rift begins to tear open between the devices. The masked individuals now appear to stand guard. 
"In approximately one hour, the rift will be fully stable. Before then, the remaining reinforcements will be joining us. Sit tight until then, we will be going in soon."  
Mizora just nods, before scratching his neck slightly. He keeps eyeing Kado, before leaning back and closing his eyes.
Kado regards him in response, before quietly going off to be alone, sitting in a medative position quietly, ignoring attempts from a few agents to strike conversation.
Despite Mizora seemingly sleeping, he appears rather attentive of everything going on. Occasionally a spider or two will start crawling around.
After the hour has passed, Kado silently gets up and begins approaching the rift.
"Follow in after me." Without another word, he goes through, despite any protest.
Mizora quickly gets up, again chain noises being heard as he shrugs, going through the portal after Kado.
The group begins to appear within a forested area, and Kado frowns under his mask. "...Right. Begin setting up a perimeter. We're going to cloak ourselves, and once that is established, we're going to scout for the enemy. By we, I mean I. I will send for you if I find anything."
Various soldiers begin setting up their equipment.
"...We're taking our comrades back."
=== The Raid ===
Kado creeps along the forest, barely visible at times, as though blending with the very shadows. He has noticed a trail of footprints in the forest, and is following them.
From what I can tell... ...three males passed through here. Would fit in well with the scenario we picked up on.
He follows the footprints to a hanger door in the ground.
Right then. It seems there is an entrance with some manner of security behind it. I need someone to get access established. Bring a squad or two with you, I want this entrance guarded.
Mizora responds. I'll come in with a squad. Don't fret. He orders some to follow him as he makes his way to Kado, and when he arrives he walks over to the hanger door.
"Ah, you. Think you can get this open?" Kado eyes Mizora briefly.
"Don't sound so dissapointed. And maybe, we'll see." He crouches down over to the hatch, placing a hand on it. ".....There is, definitely a whitelist of sorts. I can place us on it, getting in would be easy."
"See it done."
"Normally i'd ask for the magic word." His hand glows a bit, and he taps the hatch as if rewriting something. "But, this is urgent." They are granted access, and Mizora opens the hanger door.
Kado takes out a long white rod and plants it in the ground, flicking a switch. He leaps into a distant tree branch. "Get back."
Mizora does the same, just holding onto a tree by one foot and one hand.
The rod emits a high concentration of electricity in a very short pulse, but they can tell the facility's lights and power are out.
"Move in." Kado lunges into the pitch black facility, sword in hand, landing on top of a member of staff there and immediately gagging them and hiding in a maitenence closet, before beginning to interrogate them.
Mizora jumps in as chains dangle from out of his robes, hooking onto anything it could find as he caught himself and hopped down nearby Kado. He stays outside the closet, idly watching in case anyone came by.
The staff member ungags herself and looks at Kado in a confused state. "Who the heck are you? Are you a terrorist? If so, I'm the smartest one here in this facility."
Outside the closet, alot of commotion can be heard going on around the facility.
"Bruh, who turn't down da' lights?'
"I don't know, man. But it's dark as shit down here--WHOA! Gah! Fuck!"
"You ok there, bro?"
"No! I stubbed my toe onna damn tire!"
"Man, I hate stubbin' my toe too."
"You idiots! You all have flash lights in your visors!"
"Ooooooooooh, totally forgot about that shit."
"How do you forget how your equipments work? It's mandatory for you to know the functions of your equipment at all times! We gave all of you an infobook on all this!"
"Whatever whatever! We need to find out why the lights and everything went out. So let's start searchin' around."
"And while we're doing that, someone find the Secondary Power Switch. It's not everyday the lights sponaneously start to go off."
"Unless there's ghost."
"......."
"Do you think we should call--"
THWAAK
"No. No we should not."
"Veeeeeeery smart,I assure you."
"Point taken. Well, if you're as smart as you say, this won't be hard." He unsheathes his black blade, and the room brightens a bit, before then showing them a picture of the missing agents.
"According to our intel, these two went missing because of people wearing that same uniform as yours. We're looking for them. The quicker you tell me, the sooner I am out of your hair. Of course, if we don't find them, I can always take you in retaliation, and then you'll be at the center of a rather ugly standoff. I don't think either of us wants that."
His dark eyes narrow, the white pupils behind his mask narrow into half circles.
The staff member inhales slowly.
"I'm afraid I don't know about there. They must've just brought them in recently or they are just temporary visitors. But, I do know where they could be holding them nonetheless."
Mizora crouches down, placing his hand to the ground as a few small spiders crawl out from his sleeves. "Go." They crawl throughout the area, relaying information to him.
"Tell me and I will let you go."
"It's on D-5 and it's gonna be Room 510. It's all marked so you can't miss it."
"OH SHIT! SPIDERS!"
"SPIDERS?! WHERE?!"
"RIGHT THERE MAN!"
Random shots are taken until they suddenly stop.
"Bruh, are you for real? There's only like three of these things!"
"But they're spiders! They could be venomous!"
"Or Radioactive. You should let one bite you."
"KYS..."
"Man, that shit old."
Mizora rolls his eyes as the spiders relay information. "Bumbling goons...." The spiders dissapear, off to look elsewhere. 
Kado strikes the person on the head, knocking them out. "Your assistance is appreciated."  
He silently leaves the closet. You done tormenting the children? I have a location. D-5 and Room 510. Tell me what you find, Mizora.
Mizora laughs. The tormenting was just a bonus, I have already begun my search. Sit tight, dark one. It takes a moment, but his spiders eventually come across the room. I have found it. Shall I search the room or relay directions?
We need intel on the situation. Search it, then once you're done, relay directions.
A spider enters the room, and sees various figures. He recognizes some as Azure agents, seemingly being interrogated. He blinks as his spider gives him the information. They are being interrogated. It doesn't look like they're getting much from our agents, however. Its just down the hall, and then all the way left from your position. Hop to it.
Kado begins to fade into shadows as he runs toward the destination, once he arrives at the door, he silently waits, hearing footsteps.
The soldiers footsteps move in quietly towards where Kado is. He doesn't hear their voices or their breathing, just their footsteps. But the voices he can hear comes from the other side of the door wheere one of the soldiers are yelling at the agents.
"Go on, say it! Say where your from? Say who you work for! Say what you eat! Say how you feel! Say how you're never going to leave this place until you give us some cotdamn answers!"
"Don't mind him, he's clearly frustrated."
"Hell ya, I'm frustrated! I'm pent up more like it! I should've released down at the Steamy Engine 30 minutes ago! Everyone knows how I spend my lunchtime! And everyone also knows I need an extra 10 minutes to unload!"
"That's when you're feeling courtious."
"Other than that, I'm wasting my time with these mutes!"
"Eh, we need to let them go anyway. Who knows when someone might come lookin' for 'em."
"Can't believe I missed out on a good time for this!"
They find no one when they arrive at the spot, and the scans don't pick up any sign he's there.
"Where is he?"
"He's here. Just tring to trick us is all. Don't always trust your eyes. They can be the greatest liars."
One of the soldiers knock on the door
"You guys ok in there?"
"I am, but this dude is not."
"I'm throwing a fucking fit!"
A large clancking nose can be heard inside the room
"Block the door and tell them to hurry up and turn on that switch."
"Yes sir."
They all notice an armed grenade at their feet.
"OH SHIT! GRENADE!"
"Run the opposite direction!"
One of the soldiers kicks the grenade away down the hallway. Everyone is bumbling to get to the right side of the hallway.
Right as the soldier aims his foot at the grenade, he thinks he sees a flash of red steel, right afterward, the grenade explodes immediately, killing all of the soldiers in the blast radius instantly.
The other two soldiers in the room hear the commotion.
"What the hell?"
"Quickly, arm yourself."
The two soldiers grabs their weapons from off the floor. One of them stands in front of the agents while the other stand behind. They both have their guns aimed towards the door
The soldiers don't see the door open, but a dark shadow pours from the door's seams and gathers into a vague humanoid shape.
"Drop the weapons, or you're next."
"Meh." One soldier drops his weapon
"Dude, what the hell are you doing?"
"Uuuuuuuuugghhh. Living. Duh.Besides, we were supposed to let them off anyway. Go on and take your folks back, Shadowman."
The figure looks at the other soldier. "Well? Would you like to be made into my combat dummy or are you going to drop your weapon?"
"No need, Shadowman. He can't do nothing to you anyway. Plus, he's too scared to pull the trigger. Get out with your men while you can before they find the Secondary Power Switch."
"Why are you helping him?!"
"Why aren't you shooting him?"
".....You know what?" Drops his weapon "I'm on launch break."
"Good. And let them try, the generators will still be busted, we saw to that. Maybe take better care toward who you go about harassing."
The shadow figure manifests into a robed masked man who throws shuriken at the bonds of the agents, who waste no time clothes-lining the two MCCP Agents and joining the masked man, who takes the two out of the room, melting the door and doorway together with his strange red blade, which gives off a furious heat.
"It's time we made our exit."
Kado and the agents can hear relatively heavy footsteps, as he turns to look. He sees Daikeim and Drake - whom of which is carrying one of the MCCP agent on his shoulder. "Well... They were easier than Jonas but it still wasn't him..." 
"Just have a bit of patience, Drake... He'll probably come here--" 
The two stop and look at Kado, silent at first. "...Be ready, Daikeim."
Kado's posture seems neutral, but one with a well seasoned eye notes the subtle shift in his posture that indicates his defensive reaction.
"Mind getting out of our way? We have a mission to finish." He says dully.
Drake drops the agent beside him, his hand resting on his holster while Daikeim actually accesses the situation, taking note of the fallen MCCP agents and the Azure agents beside Kado. "Depends if you've seen some blonde male, really thick accent around here."
"Haven't. We're not with these bozos." 
Daikeim faintly smiles. "Well, that's a relief... Drake, you can ease up."
"I know, I can understand them as well." Drake sinks his hands in his pockets. "Well I don't want to leave until that bastard is dead."
"We can either go after Jonas, tired and bruised from you know - fighting a war. Or, we leave, get accustomed to this place and come back when we have the advantage." Daikeim suggests, Drake goes quiet - thinking it over before sighing. 
"Yeah, fine... Besides, I'm fucking hungry... Let's go." Drake's stomach groans as he and Daikeim walk past Kado, the two speaking to each other in their gibberish again - later emerging out of the MCCP with few cuts and scratches on them.
Kado and the two agents begin to make their way to the surface through a combination of stealth tactics and moderate combat, wanting to try and rejoin the reinforcements at the surface.
Mizora has been waiting idly near the entrance, providing directional support and giving information as to the best routes to take. 
Kado and the agents begin to reach the hatch, now making their way out.
"Mission successful. Do we have link to homebase?"
Mizora is quietly petting a small spider on his finger, with a faint smile on his face. "I believe so."
"...Lets get started on evac. I don't like how well that went."
Almost as if Kado was asking for it, he hears the faintest of 'click's. A bullet flies from the dense forestry around the headquarters and scrapes past Kado's mask, leaving a mark. "Oh come on! How in God's name did I miss that?!"
The Azure agents notice faint glimmers, reflections of light bouncing off of many... Many sniper scopes, sprinkled around in the forest and all pointing at them. 
With a faint signal of his hand, the Azure agents all turn on large personal shields, while Kado runs forward toward the snipers at high speed, hands on the hilt of a black blade.
A series of 'clicks' echoed through the forest as the snipers open fire on Kado, bullets whized by them all, some managing to slip past openings to land fatal blows.
The bullets seem to phase through Kado as though he were made of air rather than solid, and he leaps into the first group of them and draws his black katana, unleashing a huge wave of crippling darkness into them.
The soldiers barely have a chance to react before they sink underneath the darkness, their screams muffling out. From behind Kado and the Azure agents, a small squadron marches out - Rocket propelled launchers strapped and mounted over their shoulders.
"Ready! Aim! ...FORGET THE FORMALITIES, FIRE MAGGOTS!" The captain's orders are heard loud and clear as a volley of rockets are fired straight towards the shielding agents.
Mizora jumps infront of the shielding agents, grinning wickedly as massive chains shoot out from his robes at high speed, colliding with the rockets half way between the agents and the rocketmen. "Goodness, goodness. They might hurt themselves with all these toys..." More chains fly out, hurdling towards some of the rocketmen to impale straight through them. "I should hurt them first."
"Good save." Kado calls from the other end of the battlefield, cutting down the last of the snipers. "Soldiers, get a exit going now!"
The various agents begin to get to work immediately.
One of the soldiers looks at his commanding officer, grinning like an idiot. "Well, is this considered a CHAIN of command? Get it?" Sadly those would be his last words as one of the chains impales and wraps around the soldier, squeezing tighter before his body just crumples.
The commander takes off his cap and grips it tightly, face red with anger. "WHERE ARE OUR EXPENDABLES!? GET THEM OUT HERE NOW!" The radio on his strap picks up his yells and only a moment later, Azure and its two commanders are faced with a wall of soldiers. They begin firing almost instantly once ready.
The Azure Agents merely block with their shields, in the meantime, some of the soldiers see a small round ball roll under their feet, faintly hissing.
As the smoke begins to fill the area, blocking off sightlines. The commander begins screaming at his soldiers to keep firing, but quickly drain their ammo. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR ARMY HOW ARE YOU THIS BAD?!"
One of the soldiers yells through the smoke. "I thought we were expendables, sir?" The commander doesn't respond to him, instead ordering his men to fall back.
"I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY BECAUSE ONCE THE BIG MAN GETS WORD OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN UNABLE TO DO, YOU WILL BE TARGET PRACTICE!"
On the commander's way out of the area, a knife embeds itself in the back of his thigh, but the attacker, along with the Azure Agents and the myths they busted out, have disappeared, leaving a faint rift that evaporates away.
Some of the soldiers hoist the commander up, the exits of the facility open up, letting the platoons in all while the commander curses.
== Keeping Tabs ==
Kado and the assault team emerge from the rift in a operations room underground, and Kado immediately departs from the area to begin pouring over the mission's events. The various other agents take measures to finish their post operation assignments, and then leave to continue other affairs.
In Kado's private room, he examines the information he's gathered on the MCCP during the assault, and as the day goes by, begins set up for surveillance of the organization's activities. Once he has sent out the various intel forces, he gives himself some time to rest.
After about an hour of resting, he begins to quietly wander the streets, observing the passing crowds.
Above the city on a distant hilltop, a portal opens, with a figure stepping forth to observe it.
Sighing, Kalos walked to the edge of the cliff. This was a waste of time, it had to be. How could his master create a being like himself and idly fret over some god that allowed itself to be sealed in a sword?
Hands outstretched, Kalos just shook his head. Regardless of how foolish the task, his master had given him a task only he could accomplish and he would do it to the best of this ability.
Closing his eyes, the man reached out beyond the physical, grasping firmly upon the threads of life that connected to this area, and for just a moment, connected to the souls wandering the city, including the one he sought.
Indeed, there was a something deeper within him, the hints of greater power. His master's interest wasn't completely unfounded, it seemed. That didn't mean this man was anything besides, however. Kalos would learn soon enough. With a thought, his body glowed in ethereal light, and a moment later became light itself before setting off into the air. Arcing over the city, Kalos descended quickly, his gaze never left the man's back as he fell like a star, coming closer, closer, closer...
Kado, walking through the streets, quietly contemplates to himself for a while, before that familiar tingle crawls into the back of his head, that gut instinct that something was behind him. Knowing full well what might happen if a brawl were to start in the streets, Kado takes a quiet breath, before coming to a complete stop, his arm shifts in his long sleeve, grasping the handle of his black katana.
Kalos speeds towards the sword holder faster, drawing his arm back and clenching it into a fist as he aimed at the head.
Kalos flies right through the sword wielder and crashes into the ground in front of him, after which, they pull a black colored katana out from their sleeve and point its blade towards Kalos.
"I generally don't reccomend charging in against an unknown enemy, but that's just me. As for you, who are you, and what do you want?" He says in an even tone behind a white mask, all that can be seen inside is white pupils.
Kalos appears not to acknowledge his words, as two more streaks of light shoot at the man's back. At the same time, Kalos focuses on the shadows at his feet and leaps forwards for another punch, the darkness starting to swirl and twist behind him.
Kado responds by throwing several spheres into the ground, causing a large smoke screen to cover a good portion of the street.
From behind Kalos he can feel several sharp objects whirling toward him.
The ground behind Kalos erupted in shining, tilted pillars of light as he reached towards the two shafts flying down towards him, blocking the projectiles' path. Gripping the light in his hand he swept his arms in a wide arc, dispersing the smoke in an act of pure strength. Psh, parlor tricks. If youre not embarrassed, then I am for you.
The lights in his hands solidified, forming a pair of blades as he focused on his next strike, the shadows at his feet becoming more excited.
Kado stands on a nearby building a good distance away behind him, hand on his sword hilt. "If you're serious about fighting me, we take this elsewhere. I won't endanger my people over whatever petty desire to fight me you possess." He says evenly.
Kalos blinked away, and the man was lifted off into the air from behind. As he found himself hanging over the mountains, Kalos spoke. "This has nothing to do with desire. I'd rather be doing something productive with this existence of mine."
With that, Kado was thrown towards the earth, followed by a trio of shining Spears.
Kado smirks behind his mask. This is more favorable. He couldn't have given me a better stage.
Without warning, he turns around in the air, his back toward the ground and facing up toward Kalos, and begins making hand signs, before clapping his hands together and disappearing into a large cloud of smoke.
Kalos lands on the ground, and grits his teeth. "More tricks...fine." Slowly, Kalos' shadow spreads, extending over and around the mountain in many threads. Kalos focuses a mass of light into one of his blades and throws it, the weapon exploding on contact with a rock formation, turning it to ash. "Hide if you want. If I ruin your body by accident, it's your fault."
Without warning, an eagle screams and divebombs him, its sharp talons raking into his face briefly before just as quickly flying away, soaring high into the air in moments. The eagle then lands, almost deliberate, on an area where the shadow touches, and it changes form into Kado, whose black blade is drawn.
"Have at thee, if you must insist."
Kalos clutches his face for a moment before pulling his hand away. He examines his palm and smiles, apparently satisfied before turning his attention back to Kado. Leaping skyward, Kalos commands the shadows at the man's feet to erupt around him, forming a sphere of darkness around Kado as his light blade cuts through it.
The darkness around Kado seems to tear and shred, and Kalos' blade is parried by a now shimmering black blade, shadows writhing around it, while the entirety of Kalos' shadow had seemingly disappeared. Without warning, Kado clenches his hand and hurls a black sphere of darkness into Kalos' chest.
Kalos is pushed back slightly by the attack, his hands outstretched and grasping the sphere, but he manages to divert it enough to advance again, a sweep of the sword arm forming an arc of light aimed at Kado's midriff.
Kado counters with a wave of darkness, but as soon as it disperses, Kalos is beset upon by a large wave of fire, and when he looks back at Kado, he has drawn a red katana as well.
Kalos leaps back, avoiding the flames. He glares at the new blade Kado wields and spawns a set of 6 more light swords, firing them all at the masked man.
Kado responds by throwing small grey balls at Kalos' face and turning transparent, the blades going through him just as an incredibly foul odor blasts out from the spheres, along with a burning sensation in his eyes, a dense carpet of smoke covering him.
Kalos glared as the smoke enveloped him. His eyes grew dim, the discomfort affecting him fading as a black, sickening aura trailed off of his form. With a wave of his hand the aura expanded quickly, devouring the smoke. A moment later, a dozen shafts of energy crashed into the earth around him from above, each erupting wildly into searing ribbons of light.
Kalos feels a sharp blade press against the front of his neck, while being pressed against his assailant from behind, he also feels a short blade pocking against his back.
"Don't. Move." Kado's voice says coolly. "Your head will come clean off otherwise."
For a moment, Kalos' aura explodes forth, equally oppressive and gentle, like a hand on a the shoulder and heel on the back, only for it to wink out as if it'd never existed. The blade in his hand disappears, and Kalos laughs. "Well you didn't meet my standards in the least, but you'd make for an excellent stage magician, or even the royal trickster. Those are the correct terms, yes? I'm fairly certain they are..."
"Then your standards are that of a novice." Kado releases Kalos and kicks him away. "A warrior is quick, efficient, through deception and quick wit, he will overcome a thousand men with the stroke of his finger. You clearly aren't the normal sort, but you're also clearly not used to a *real* fight, one where power means nothing if an ordinary man can still snap your neck."
Kalos steps forwards and turns without much trouble, brushing off his back as he faces Kado. "Well I didn't have long to prepare. The best I could manage were a few images of raging warriors throwing greater and greater waves of energy at one another, and countless people carrying swords, I didn't go digging for details...besides, if I actually thought you might kill me, we wouldn't be talking, now." Kalos smirks. "I knew you were an interesting fellow. I'm glad I picked you."
Im less glad I didn't get to rip your soul out of your body and erase it, but master would be displeased. Can't have that, nope.
Mind your attitude, Kalos. His master's voice warns in his head. You have much to learn from him, you might consider studying him and how he fights. Plus, he is crucial to my investigation, and thus, he is an asset. Any harm to my assets is unacceptable. So long as they maintain their importance, at any rate. I also see you were more attentive to him than the sword. It doesn't seem to have acted up at all during that fight, but be keeping an eye on its activity and energy levels. I have suspicions, but until I can confirm them, your orders are to assist and monitor his growth. He may be the answer to what I seek.
Kado's eyes seem to gravitate to Kalos as this mental conversation happens.
Interesting... he has an ally that can almost reach my mind from here... ...curious. Indeed, this group will be interesting to watch. You should ask about her. We will continue this conversation later.
"Very well..." Kalos said with a sigh, observing Kado. "So. Who are you, anyway? Besides a wierdo with a thing for masks."
"Curious that you should ask that question, given that you attacked me I would imagine you'd already know such a thing." Kado says curtly.
"I'm someone who has important things to be doing, like protecting the weak from people who are only interested in causing them pain. If you will excuse me..." He turns his back on Kalos and begins walking toward the city.
I should have invested more in your diplomacy.
"Perhaps you could use some assistance with that?" Kalos asked, cocking his head to the side.
Kado turns his head. "I was talking about you. You're not messing with me now are you?"
Kalos scoffs. "Unless you count yourself as weak, I haven't the slightest intention of hurting anyone. I'm innocent, like a newborn..." He bats his eyelashes as he says this. "So yeaaaah, I'm all for it, if you'll have me. What say you?"
". . ." Kado seems at a loss for words. "...Come with me, but attack anyone else and you'll be more than a little sorry." He begins walking back toward the city silently.
Kalos chuckles into his hand as he follows the man. "Promises, promises..."
"...Do you seriously not know how to contain yourself in the slightest? You'll creep everyone and their mother out." Kado grunts.
"Describe your skillsets while we're at it." Kado idly kicks a stone down the street.
Meanwhile Mizora returns home, where a woman waits for him, her normally red hair seeming to fade to white at the roots, with only splashes of red at her tips. Her skin is also becoming an almost albino color, she looks at him, faintly distressed, an almost ravenous look in her eyes.