____________________________________________________________ Narrator: Two years ago on the island of Stabilo there is a large city known as Twilight City . It is the biggest city of all in Stabilo and it is the main city closest to the harbour towards the south and in the north lays nothing but sand for days and days which seem to never end as you cross it that is until you hit next city. In the Twilight City a bunch of bounty hunters set up a group known as The Twilight Dragons, a group that was to protect the City of Twilight from outsiders of the island such as pirates and other such evil. However during the first three years after it was started the organization started to do deals with pirates, slave traders, bandits and anyone they could make money from and at the same time justify their own actions by claiming it was for the good of Twilight. The people of Twilight were treated almost like slaves and had marshal law over them so it was almost impossible to leave freely. The true law enforcers had no power by this point as the mayor of the city worked directly for the Twilight Dragon and when the sheriff went to confront them one day turned up dead, cut to piece's the next day and was replaced with a coward. When their Ace Gun Mage learned some of their darker secret's he left the organization to become a simple bounty hunter for the city. That man's name was Zankai aged 18 and this is his tale of the events that lead him to leave Twilight City. ________________________________________________________________________ ???: huff huff (a man who is wearing a black woolly hat, grey shirt and trousers and carrying a broken sword in his right hand is running away down an ally way but then stops as he hits a dead end) oh crap (he turns around and points the broken sword at a man of 18 years old, with purple spiky hair wearing a black t-shirt with white sleeves, dark blue jeans with a gun holster on the right side that had a colt single action army inside and purple sandals walking just behind him smirking with his hands in his pockets) stay away from me, do you know who I am??? I'm Zora the blade master and I've killed over 30 people with my mad skills and if you don't stop you will be next to die by my blade I I - Zankai: Hmph like I care who you are or how many people you have killed, all I care about is the 50 grand that rides on your head and the thought of turning in a guilty man (Zankai draws his gun and points it at Zora) now give up now or I will shoot. Zora hesitates and then swings his broken sword at Zankai but to no avail as Zankai jumps into the air and shoots the sword three times breaking the rest of the blade of leaving nothing but the hilt and handle left. Zora falls to his knees and Zankai points his Gun towards Zora's head. Zora: Please no do- don't kill me I beg of you please no (Zora starts to cry and clings to Zankai's leg) I'm sorry just don't kill me. Zora continues to cry whilst still clinging to Zankai's leg and then Zankai kicked Zora hard towards the ally wall. He starts walking slowly towards and aims straight at Zora's head. Zankai: You b*stard how dare you say something like that, how man people have you killed that said the same thing huh HOW MANY? You're a real scum bag taking pleasure in the fact you have taken a life, counting how many victims you had acting as if it was something to be proud of (Zora moves backwards trying to escape however the wall behind him prevents him from moving far.) How many people begged and pleaded with you not to kill but you did so anyway, I SHOULD KILL YOU!!! Zora who is still trying to move backwards starts to scream out loud, Zankai stands right close to him points his gun right at Zora with his finger on the trigger ready to pull it. Zankai: But Zankai move's his gun out of the way and then punches Zora hard in the face which makes him bang his head on the wall causing a tooth to fall out and blood pour out of his nose. Zora: but but why didn't you shoot me? (Tears were still coming down his face and Zora wiped some way along with some of the blood near his nose) I mean you broke my sword, twice even the first time when you attacked me 20 minutes ago and then again just a few minutes ago so I was unarmed why didn't you kill me? Zankai: I made a promise to someone I cared about a long time ago that I would never kill someone even if they are scum like you. So I'm not goner break my promise for some scum like you besides it wouldn't matter it won't change the fact that the people you killed are dead so even if I did shoot you it wouldn't bring them back it would just mean one more life would be lost.
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And with that Zora fell unconscious, Zankai picked up Zora and put him over his arm and suddenly Zankai felt tingle down his spine as if someone was watching him. Zankai took a look around him but couldn't see anyone in fact the only thing he saw was a grey cat down the ally way so Zankai shrugged if the feeling and started walking carrying Zora over his arms. After dropping Zora at the sheriff's and collecting his reward money Zankai started heading back down to the harbor where he had first met Zora and headed towards a tavern near by called The Kings Horse. Now Zankai didn't drink that much however he always entered the same tavern at least once or twice a day and it wasn't for the drinks, it was for the bartender that owned the place Sarah who was blonde, normally wore a red bandanna, was almost always wiping glasses at the front of the bar and in Zankai's eyes was extremely beautiful. Today when he entered there was only one customer in the corner drinking a pint and was reading the paper (headline: STRAIGHT JACKET PIRATES STRICK AGAIN) and as he saw her she was wearing a green t-shirt with a white apron over it, from what he could tell as she stood behind the bar was wearing a long brown skirt and as normal she was wiping a glass at the counter and had a tooth pick in her mouth. Sarah looked up when the door opened and smirked when she saw who was coming in and she put down the glass she was wiping and started pouring a beer.
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Sarah: Oh its just you I thought I might have a real customer
Zankai: Now that hurts I am a real customer and a loyal one at that
Sarah hands Zankai the pint of beer
Sarah: Oh loyal customer you say well thanks to your loyalty you scare away my other customers when you here they can't stand it when I serve someone from The Twilight Dragon's and leave, they also know what times you normally come and don't come in when you're here.
The man in the corner coughs and puts down his paper and heads towards the bar and hands Sarah some money and leaves.
Sarah: See there goes one now thanks to you
Zankai: Hey come on you know I don't work for the Twilight Dragon's any more and its not that bad I do buy quite a lot when I'm here so I make up for it in the end.
Zankai starts drinking some of the beer and Sarah goes back to wiping glasses.
Sarah: It's still annoying I could make a bit more money at this time of day if I didn't serve you
Zankai starts to giggle a bit
Zankai: Well It's nice by our self's besides I don't think your that annoyed about lack of people I just think your annoyed because of what I told you last time I was here.
Sarah almost dropped the glass she was holding and turned really red in the face, she hastily turned around and started wiping the glass harder.
Sarah: So so you remembered?
Zankai: Well I admit I was quite drunk but I remember what I said last night.
Sarah: Well you couldn't have meant it then like you said you were drunk and I bet you wish you hadn't said it last night when you woke up this morning.
Zankai: I only regret two things last night saying I love you drunk and the hang over headache that I had this morning. However the feelings I shared with you last night are my own and not that of alcohol and so I do love you.
Sarah turned around, she had a completely bright red face and she put the glass on the counter.
Sarah: But I'm older then you
Zankai: Your only 22 years old and I'm only 18 so its not that bad.
Sarah: You know I have Rose she's only 6 I don't know how she would handle having you in our lives
Zankai: Nothings going to change I swear I mean she already acts like my little sister and everything
Sarah stares at the ground and starts mumbling something
Zankai: What was that?
She stares up again and turns around once again.
Sarah: I will think about it
Zankai breaks into a dance of joy
Sarah: Zankai you idiot stop dancing like that you look like a fool.
Sarah smacked Zankai on the head which stopped dancing and rubbed his head and as he did he had the expression of a child on his face that made Sarah giggle.
Sarah: Ok let's start talking about something else
Zankai and Sarah started talking about things that had happened in the following weeks like how Zankai had quit the Twilight Dragon's and became a normal bounty hunter again the reason behind why he had done so. Sarah went and made ham sandwiches in the back and when she came back with a huge plate full of them they had started talking about there Family's.
Zankai: Hm? My brother, no I haven't heard from him since he left eight months ago.
Sarah: I wonder why Daisuke left I mean it wasn't like him never to say where he was going and I would have thought he would have wrote to you at some point to say he was ok.
Zankai: Truth is I think he might have gone looking for away to use magic himself I mean he was the only one that couldn't in our family. My Dad was a really powerful mage from what I heard and he could use a lot of attacking magic like fire and thunder whilst my mum could use defensive magic such as healing spells and barriers as well as some powerful attacking magic like my dad. So when my brother was born they thought he would be like them but he didn't even have any mana running in him so my parents couldn't train him in magic to be like them. Then when I was born a year later I had mana in me but it was quite weak it was only my training with my dad from when I was 4 till I was 10 with magical items and weapons that's strengthen it.
Sarah: That's when your dad went missing wasn't it when you were 10 and Daisuke was 11 right?
Zankai: Yeah it was just around the time my dad had finished training me with the Mana Gun and he made me swear an oath never to kill anyone ever no matter what and its something I stuck to and he use to tell me life was something to protected not take away. Then some weeks after we finished training he just disappeared vanished into thin air without a trace.
Zankai took a bite of a sandwich and gulped down some beer and continued talking.
Zankai: My brother was sad but not as sad as myself it wasn't that he didn't care about dad its just they were never close since he did more training with me then he did hanging out with him, it was as if they were friends rather then father and son. My mum, well I think she might know something but just didn't tell either me or Daisuke and I wont be able to find out because she wont talk to me any more since last year, she hated the fact I was in The Twilight Dragons and when I did confront her last may she told me never to speak to her again after I asked about dad.
Sarah: You know you never did tell me why you think Daisuke went to find away to use magic himself, I mean what makes you think that?
Zankai: Well a few years after my dad left me and Daisuke found a book and a skull ring in the attic under a floor board and nationally we had to take a look and being that I was 13 and he was 14 at the time we were curious at what it was and when we opened the book it saw it was kind of a mess there was random scribbles done by pen and the pages were torn quite bad in places and for some reason there pages covered in sand which we were never sure of.
Sarah: Sand? You're sure it wasn't dust?
Zankai: Yeah we were sure it was golden sand but it felt a bit different from normal sand, anywho we found a few pages that had the title Legends of Magic and Pure Magic of the World. We read that in old times that magic was a pure source of mana that came from the earth its self and that these days pure magic had begun to fade and that there were only a few pure spots of it left. At the time we never thought anything of it and all we cared about was using spells so we did take a look at them in the book but Daisuke had no mana to cast the spells and mine was still too weak to cast any and we left it at that. Then Daisuke brought up the Legends page about 8 months ago that day before he disappeared and asked me wither I believed in such things and I joking said sure why not and we laughed about it and he said he was going to go find them some day.
Sarah: So that's why you think he left so he could find these pure spots and then use them himself?
Zankai: Yeah I do, not that it makes much sense to do so in the first place. I think he might have taken the book and the ring but I don't know since I haven't been able to check since my mum wont let me back in her house and I couldn't ask her because we never told her about the book we thought she might have hidden it because we thought it might be dad's and that she would be mad if she knew we knew about the book and that we had gone into the attic since we weren't aloud in there in the first place plus she isn't speaking to me either so it doesn't help.
Sarah: Are you ever going to look for him?
Zankai: I don't know maybe some day but I couldn't leave here right now till I get some kind answer from you of course and ….
Before Zankai could finish his sentence the same feeling he got when he caught Zora had come across him but this time Zankai knew what it meant and slowly got of the bar seat pulled the 50 grand reward he had got earlier that day out of his pocket and put it on the counter.
Zankai: Keep the change
Before Sarah could ask why Zankai had give her way to much money for 3 pints and a dozen sandwich's Zankai ran out the tavern. He kept running as he left and headed up to a bunch of abandon warehouses that he knew about. As he reached the warehouses he quickly stopped and then slowly turned around.
Zankai: Come on out Viper I know you behind me.
???: Yes you're as sharp as ever Zankai of the Dark, The Yami King, The Ace GunMage of the Twilight Dragons.
A man stepped out of the shadows holding a giant katana sword that sparked of electric from the blade, Zankai smirked at the sight of the man.
Zankai: hmph Viper of the Light, The Hikari King, The Ace Lighting Blade Master of the Twilight Dragon's. Of course you do know I'm retired from the Twilight Dragon's and could care less about the title that I was given.
Viper: Its not over for you yet.
With that Viper points the Lighting Blade at Zankai.
Viper: Now draw your Guntetsu.
End of part 1
Part 2:
Viper is standing in front of Zankai holding his sword which sparks with lighting. Viper has long spiky green hair. He is wearing a small black jacket that isn't done up, on his left hand he is wearing a long black glove and on his right hand he is wearing a small black glove. He is also wearing baggy red trousers and brown boots. On his back is the Twilight Dragon symbol that's just hidden by his jacket. Viper is a rather large man quite tall and well built. The sword that Viper carries is a huge katana that has a yellow aura around it and it has electric sparking from it too.
Viper: Now draw your Guntetsu
Zankai draws his gun and points it at Viper
Viper: What is that piece of cr*p that isn't your Guntetsu, why have you brought that with you instead of the Guntetsu?
Zankai: This piece of cr*p as you so put it was the first weapon that I trained with and its not a piece of cr*p its called Mana Shot.
Viper: That's right I remember now it's the gun that acquired before the Guntetsu, it draws the mana from your body and depending how strong your mana is determines how many shots you have and how strong each shot is. But do you think that thing has enough to beat me?
Viper begins to smirk
Zankai: As a matter of fact I do believe it.
Viper starts laughing
Viper:Ha ha ha, but a weapon like that wouldn't even scratch me, so how would you even be able to kill me with it hmmm?
Zankai: Kill you? Why would I do that, you know I wont ever take the life of another.
Viper: Hmph so your still stuck on the idea that killing is wrong, even deep down you have captured people knowing full well they would be killed by one of us.
Zankai: I know that, I understand that even by not killing my foes I still lead them to their deaths. That's one of the reasons I left and I know I need to atone for those mistakes, saying it was for the greater good doesn't wash away the guilt and the promise I know I was breaking even if I wasn't the one killing and kept telling myself I wasn't breaking the promise I gave my father. But now I want to make up for those mistakes and I want to live a life from now on without regrets doing what I feel as right instead of trying to justify my actions to myself as the greater good, after all no true greater good comes from killing.
Viper: Hmph enough of this I didn't come here to talk I came to drag you back even if I have to take you to deaths door.
Viper charges towards Zankai with his sword and swings it towards him. Zankai jumps out of the way and fires his mana gun three times. Viper swings his sword blocking the shots and sends a bolt of lighting from his blade. The lighting just misses Zankai by an inch, Zankai then throws a smoke pellet from his pocket blinding Viper. Zankai charges his mana gun and fires a medium sized mana ball towards Viper. The smoke clears from Vipers face and he see's the mana coming towards him but isn't able to react in time and gets hit hard and is sent flying back and he hits a wall of one of the warehouses.
Viper: Grrrr what a dirty trick something I should have expected from such a coward, NOW EAT THIS!!!!!
Viper fires off some more lighting from his sword, Zankai tries to jump out of the way but cant do it in time and is hit by the lighting.
Zankai: AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Zankai is also sent flying backwards and he two hits a wall of one of the warehouse's, there is a cut on his left shoulder and a small amount of blood is pouring down his arm.
Zankai: huff huff, that hurt you JERK!!!!
Zankai and Viper both charge there weapons, Zankai fires a huge amount of mana whilst Viper fires a huge amount of lighting. Both attacks are rushing towards each other and are about to meet and then there is a big explosion. Both Zankai and Viper cover their eyes with their arms, when the dust from the explosion clears there is an unknown person standing like a cross with a shield charm in each hand which has protected this person from the explosion. The unknown person is wearing a black cloak, a grey mask, black boots and gloves. It is unknown what sex the person in question is and the only thing known about the person is that they have long white hair. The unknown person then slowly crosses their arms.
Zankai and Viper: FACE!!!!!!
Face: That's enough you two, Viper what do you think your doing you know our orders are not to engage with Zankai for the time being.
Viper: Hmph like I care, this is how we deal with traitors and other such weaklings and either we depose of them or we take them back to headquarters.
Face: The Master has stated other wise with Zankai, he is to walk free until such time when he returns to us and so Master Haku has made it clear that taking him back by force or even killing him is forbidden.
Viper raises his sword
Viper: I don't care, I will bring him back now or kill him trying I don't mind which.
Viper starts rushing towards Zankai but Face simply vanishes from the spot and is now behind Viper with a knife to his throat.
Face: Are you going against the master because if so you should remember that it is punishable by death.
Viper looks down and can see the blade is almost on his neck a inch or two more would slice his neck. Viper slowly brings his sword down again, he turns to look at Face but Face has vanished again and is now standing by Zankai who has a look of shock at how fast Face can move.
Face: Good now that you understand head back to head quarters Master Haku wishes to see you right away. I must talk with Zankai first I will join you shortly afterwards.
Viper: Whatever I'm going.
Viper starts walking away but then turns away.
Viper:You were lucky this time Zankai but next time we meet and you still haven't rejoined us I will kill so be prepared for that day.
Viper walks off, Face puts a hand on Zankai's cut shoulder and use's a healing spell and the cut stops bleeding and the cut is no longer there.
Zankai: Thanks, but what do you want to talk about because if its about coming back forget it and another thing……
Face puts a finger on Zankai's lips and interrupts him
Face: I haven't come to do anything like that I come with a warning in fact, Master Haku grows restless it's almost been 2 years since he last drank the Dark Holy Water and soon it will be time to take another dose. So if you're planning to strike you should do so before he gets a chance to otherwise it will be another 2 years before you can again and however it is unknown where the water is kept so you need to act quickly.
Zankai: And how is this a warning?
Face: Because I believe that Master Haku has worked it out and may try to take some insurance to make sure that you join him and don't go against him before that time.
Zankai: Insurance, what do you mean?
Face: Mainly this
Face puts a hand on the mask and slowly it brings it down off and as its being brought down the mask shrinks into a smaller mask which is worn like a necklace around Face's neck. The person behind the mask is reviled to be –
Zankai: SARAH! Don't tell me she's the insurance???
Face/Sarah: Yes the women you hold must dear in your life, there's a chance that she could be targeted but only has a hostage if you don't join him but I don't know if he will go threw with it.
Zankai:He wouldn't would he?
Face/Sarah: I don't know he may do, it depends when his patience runs or if he re-drinks the Dark Holy Water before you can strike.
Zankai: But why are you trying to help me?
Face/Sarah:By helping you I can free myself, you know I'm with the Dragon's against my will. I came here to defeat Master Haku but I lost that fight and in turn he placed a mark on my body that if I try to attack him again I would die and of course that ment I would have to work for him no matter what.
Zankai: I get it so you think that if I beat Master Haku before he can drink the Dark Holy Water or take Sarah hostage then maybe I can free you from the cursed seal but you know that the only way it could break if Master Haku breaks the seal or if he dies which you know I want be doing since I wont take his life.
Face brings the necklace back up, the mask grows again and Face puts the Mask back on.
Face: That's why if you do beat him you can take over since your still one of the four Kings of Twilight. That way you can disband the group or you can take charge and change how the group is. I can't see Viper, Makenshi or Kaiza doing the same that's one this city needs you to do what's right and that's why I trust you since you weren't taken into the dark side of power.
Zankai: But there's still one thing I don't get, how does Master Haku know about Sarah?
Face puts a hand on the mask again and it once more shrinks down in size back into a necklace. This time the person behind the mask was the guy from the Pub.
Zankai: I see so you told him.
Face/Man from Pub: Sorry I had no choice after all I am still Master Haku's spy as much as I dislike it and if I disobey it would still be my death as the price.
Face puts the mask back on.
Zankai: I should have known it was you, after all there's never any customers that time of day normally.
Zankai smirks and then sighs, Face then turns around and starts to walk away.
Face: I must go now before they notice I'm gone too long.
Before Zankai can blink Face disappears from spot. Zankai looks up in the sky and can see Face on the roof of one of the warehouse's and with another flash is gone completely from the area. Zankai then walks away from the warehouse area, it is not getting darker as he walks away. Zankai keeps walking until he comes across a small play area for children. He see's a bench for which he can sit on and sits down. Zankai yawns and then pats his belly as it starts to rumble.
Zankai (thinking): Ah I'm hungry that fight I had with Viper has worn me out, I didn't get a chance to recover from last fight with Zora. That's what I hate when I use to much mana, it makes me sleepy and hungry at the same time. I wish I stayed at Sarah's for a little longer though not just for the food I admit.
Zankai smirks
Zankai (thinking): But this isn't the time to think about such things, what Face wants me to do is near impossible after all I'm going to need a team of some sorts.
Zankai lays down on the bench and puts his hands behind his head and sighs.
Zankai (thinking): Can I trust Face though I don't even whither if it's a he or a she or its real name. Unless Face's parents were rather dull and decided Face truly is a good.
Zankai yawns abit and then falls asleep on the bench.
Mean while on the other side of the city out side Sarah's bar where Twilight Dragon's soldiers along with one of the Kings Makenshi.
End of Part 2