Chase walked through the kitchen looking it over, seeing the damage done to it by the Stingwingers. Behind him was Kendall, who had just gotten back from taking Eric over to the break room while police were looking over the area. "Looks like we won't be using this for a while," Chase spoke as he looked at some of the dents on the stove, most importantly a hole which was in the fryer where a pool of oil was now under. "How long do you think it'll take to repair all this, Kendall?"

"A few weeks at least," Kendall responded with a sigh, soon shaking her head. "The fryer needs to be completely replaced, and it looks like it might be the same for the stove with a few of the items on it. We're lucky that's as much damage as they managed, especially with the chance of the oil catching on fire."

Chase nodded, walking over to the locker rooms behind the kitchen as he saw Eric's notebook on the chair he normally took his breaks on. "At least it doesn't seem that they went into this part," Chase spoke, watching as Kendall walked past him and picked up the book, looking at it. "That's Eric's notes he's been working on from the writing on the cavern wall."

"He's lucky they didn't make it into here," Kendall responded as she opened the book, looking at the pages one by one, her gaze widening. As she continued reading it, she started reading parts from it, specifically marked out writings that seemed to not continue any further: 'Azure flame, potential connection to the Blue Inferno of 1222 within the Eastern region of Zandar. Scarlet Earth, potentially connected to the Earthquake in Orathan at 1220.' There were various notes like that in the writing, some marked out while others were underlined as if it would be a big part, followed with page numbers and initials of what Kendall guessed was books he was using to look over the stuff. "He's worked quite a bit on this, like he was working on a massive paper. More than that, each page seems to be written with almost no space left…"

As Kendall said this, she continued turning the pages, each one covered with writing from one end to the next, Chase moving over to see it as well. "I always saw him pulling it out during break, but I didn't know he wrote down this much," Chase spoke, the two looking over the pages as they started to shrink in text, but seemed more focused. "He must have brain stormed a lot to cover the pages like this."

"And more," Kendall responded as she flipped the pages, soon coming across the full translation of the writing on the wall, this one showing specific dates that they could've been written by based on how they functioned. As she was reading the last line, her brow furrowed in confusion at the areas underlined for it. "His finished translation is here, even faster than we did, but he underlined two parts at the end: 'The Azure flame is lost' and 'until the bow is returned'… I wonder what he was thinking."

"Well, we can't really figure it out unless we ask him when he wakes up," Chase spoke as Kendall nodded, closing the book as she handed it to him. Chase then took the book as he placed it in Eric's backpack, slinging it onto his shoulder as he walked to the exit with Kendall watching him. "I'll see if he can explain any of it when he comes to."

With that Chase left out the front as Kendall watched, soon walking towards the front as well before she heard the sound of metal steps behind her. "From what Nathan said, Eric always had a knack for research, so he was probably marking them down to focus his notes on later," came a voice, making Kendall turn around to find Zika standing at the exit leading to the loading area. "So then, remembering what I was told by Nathan, you're supposed to be the Purple Ranger. It's good to meet face to face."

"Zika," Kendall responded as she walked back to the table. As she did, she noticed the blue bow on Zika's shoulder as he walked in. "That's the bow Horn used… You took it?"

"Had to, the last thing we need is for them to keep it," Zika responded as he lifted his hand to the bow, plucking the string against his armor as he looked at her. "Since I wasn't around for when he was using it, just what did he do with the weapon?"

"Mainly he was firing bolts of energy from it," Kendall responded, soon hearing a sigh come from Zika's helmet as he pulled the bow off his shoulder, holding the center of it with both hands as he held the bowstring together to the handle.

"Good, then it still has some power," Zika responded as he tugged at the center, grunting as he did so before his arms went slack, chuckling. "Shame it's rejecting me too, I would've loved to see how it's other form is looking."

"Other form?" Kendall asked, making Zika nod as he let go of the string, causing it to speed back into place with a thrum as he looked over the bow. "More importantly, whose bow was it that it could shoot energy bolts from it?"

"The bow belonged to the Azure Knight, Marianne." Zika responded as he looked over the bow, getting a surprised look as he put the bow back on his shoulder. "It may not mean much now given its current condition and the lack of anyone who can properly wield it, but it's a good thing we got one of the major weapons which connect to the Phoenix Galactabeast returned."

"So it's a weapon like the Transdaggers?" Kendall asked, making Zika tilt his head in confusion as Kendall looked at him. "They were weapons the Galaxy Rangers used in another universe which allowed their Galactabeasts to form together into a megazord form."

"I see," Zika responded as he looked at the bow. "Well, it's similar in the regard that it's used to transform the Phoenix into its megazord form, but it's nothing the sword that Marianne used. Without those two, the Azure Flame can't fully manifest."

"Azure Flame?" Kendall asked, Zika nodding in response as he kept his gaze on the bow.

"You could call it the energy which channels between the Phoenix Galactabeast and its weapons," Zika responded as he looked up at Kendall. "The Legends of the Phoenix hold that it is a bird of flame with different interpretations through the universe, and some of this is truth for the Galactabeast as well. The Azure Flame can be considered the lifeblood of its power, free flowing as the wind while still able to burn. You could consider it the power needed for the Azure Knight to morph, just like how you Rangers need the power of the Energems or Nathan and myself need the Magna Sword. For The Azure Knight, as the legend called Marianne, she needed both the sword and bow to channel the power completely."

"I see," Kendall spoke as she closed her eyes, thinking. Then, as if remembering something she opened her eyes, ruffling around her waist before pulling out the sheathed sword that Zika had given Eric as she held it out. "Speaking of weapons, Eric doesn't need this anymore, so you should keep it."

"Thanks, though I would've preferred getting it from him directly," Zika responded as he took the weapon, looking it over before lifting his head towards her. "How did his fight with Horn go, by the way? I'm guessing well since you're handing this back to me so casually."

"I don't really know," Kendall responded, remembering the situation she had found the fight in. "I was the one who made it to the two when it ended, but it was strange how I found them. Eric was unconscious while Horn was picking himself off the ground, and his sword was broken in half, looking like it was melted apart."

"I'm sorry, melted?" Zika asked as he lifted his hand to his chin, thinking over the process as he did so. "Do you think any of the other Rangers found him first?"

"No one else was nearby, and I couldn't find anything around the area either," Kendall responded as Zika stayed still. "I was actually going to look over the cameras in the zoo since the area I found them in was in front of a camera watching the exhibit beside them."

"That is interesting," Zika muttered, still clearly lost in thought before he nodded, looking up at Kendall. "Then if it's alright, I'd like to see it too."

-Eric, Seven Years ago-

The training area echoed with the sound of wood smashing together, two individuals fighting inside of a training ring at the center of the room. On one end was a young man, a younger Eric, who seemed to be moving like a ripple of flame through the fight with a sword, while the other was an older man in his forties who was wielding a long staff that seemed long enough to be considered a spear, his own style seeming to fluidly meet each of Eric's strikes. The two were fighting as if in a dance of elements, the fiery movements and strikes of the young man against the water-like flow of the older with neither side giving way. Then, an opportunity opened itself. "Eric, you're open," The old man spoke before he smacked his staff into Eric's side hard, sending him reeling out of the ring as the man sighed and stood straight as he watched Eric stagger up.

"No leeway on training then, huh," Eric muttered as he picked himself up, panting as he was kneeling on the ground, the only thing currently keeping him stable was the wooden sword as he looked up at the man, the grey-haired man having not even broke a sweat as he tapped his staff on his shoulder.

"You're slacking on your endurance training again," the man spoke as he spun the staff, making Eric grimace as he forced himself up, taking another stance. This had been the fifth time he had fought against his master today, and it hadn't even hit the halfway point of their usual training time. "You can't even hold yourself up properly after only this much."

"To be fair, you made me hop with an extra fifty pounds around the entire gym before we even started this," Eric panted as he slid his feet into place, preparing for another attack to hit him. Instead, the old man lowered the staff and walked to the side where some chairs were, one of them having two bottles of water on it as he took the closest one and took a sip. The moment he realized that he wasn't going to have to immediately fight again, Eric's form slackened and he started to sway.

"You still haven't reached the precipice of what the training is meant to show," the old man spoke as Eric fell back on the ground, panting as he was trying to catch his breath. "Your form is perfected for the weapons and styles you wanted to learn, but you've yet to master the elements within those forms."

"What does that even mean, Master Manō?" Eric asked as he picked himself up by his elbows, looking at the man.

"You know the motions and your mind understands them, but your body doesn't understand the meaning behind them," the man responded as he lifted the staff in his hand again, resting it on his shoulder as he walked to one of the training dummies. "Your style is something that's meant to be a part of your body, same as mine is with how I fight. If you ever face someone with that style, you should be able to hold your own even if they're stronger than you, that's how well you understand the movements. However, your body doesn't move in the same time as your mind, and it leaves you unsynchronized with each move. If a master of an art ever faced you, you would lose completely."

"Why is it important though?" Eric asked, making the old man chuckle as he looked over to him. "It's not like I'll ever have to fight someone with any of these techniques."

"The possibility is never zero," Manō responded as Eric watched him spin the staff a few times. As Eric watched the staff spin, it seemed to have a silver glow start to resonate from it before the man swung hard, slashing the dummy into two as if he had used a blade. It was something that put Eric in shock as he looked on at the training dummy, a solid wood post which he had never been able to cut with a real sword now resting on its side as the man lifted his staff, looking back at Eric with a grin. "Do not mistake my words, your form is well on the way to being mastered, but you still have yet to even begin the second half of the training."

"How in the world…" Eric spoke as he looked at the dummy while still processing what had happened, Manō laughing as he turned from Eric and walked along the line of dummies. Snapping out of his daze, Eric turned his head to Manō. "What kind of power was that?"

"What you're meant to achieve, so you still have a long way to go with me." Manō responded with a grin, looking at Eric as he looked back in shock. "Think of it as that calming feeling you've been getting recently in the training, but more focused. You simply move it to your weapons or body, and from there you unleash it in one go."

"I'm pretty sure it's not as simple as you're making it," Eric responded as he finally stood up, leaving his sword on the ground as Manō walked to a weapon rack near the dummies. Then, setting his staff down on it, he grabbed two wooden short swords and tossed them to Eric, making him catch them in surprise.

"That's why we're training you to an inch of your life, that way you can understand it," Manō responded as he picked his staff back up, spinning it before he took a ready stance towards Eric, who lifted the daggers up in surprise when he saw Manō readying up. "Now protect yourself, we still have another forty minutes of training!"

-Present day-

"…Just in… Amber Beach Zoo will… after damages to the building," Eric's hearing was going in and out as he felt himself coming to, slowly opening his eyes as he held his hand up to block the light above him. He felt he was on something soft, the sound of a tv going beside him now clearer as he picked himself up. "…Reports say that the zoo will reopen within the next week due to the minimal damage at the dinosaur pins, but with several exhibits closed off for repairs after the monster attack, including the café which suffered severe damage to its equipment."

"Well…" Eric started, stopping from his statement as he felt how dry his mouth was. Just how long had he been passed out? More importantly, where was he now? He soon picked himself up, finding that he was on a couch as he focused on remembering what happened before, muttering aloud to himself on it. "I was at the zoo, cooking at the café, and then… Oh jeez, I bit off more than I could chew again. I'm not going to hear the end of this from my brother…"

He then laced his fingers together and closed his eyes, silently cursing himself as he rested his head on his hands, his thumbs resting on his temples. As he was contemplating the situation, his mind went to the memory of his last days of training before he went to finish his studies. 'Forget my brother, I'm going to be hearing Master Manō gloating on being right this entire time if he ever hears I passed out while fighting that monster,' Eric thought to himself, soon looking up at the area he was in. It was the rest area for the zoo, the small tv which was put in playing the news at the moment, the clock above it showing that he had only been out for at least an hour. 'Well, at least I didn't sleep for too long.'

He then picked himself up, soon flinching as he felt a soreness in his body he hadn't felt since the first time he started training with Manō. "Hrm… yeah, definitely not telling Master Manō about his," Eric grunted as he rolled his shoulders, remembering the final moments of the fight as he felt some resounding pops along with the soreness from it. As he did, his mind soon wandered to the last strike he did, the sight of the faint glow coming back to him as he stopped moving for a moment. "Though I might have to, if that glow was real…"

'The technique I use is something that takes time to hone into after you've learned how to properly use the styles your body is best suited for,' Eric remembered Manō say when he had asked more on what he had used on the dummy, his gaze moving around the break room to see if there was any hint on who brought him here. 'Though the training process itself tends to take years to achieve results, not to mention the fact that it's better to start younger with the mental part so your body can adapt to it better. However, I'm sure you can achieve it if you're put in a place where you are forced to go to your absolute limit...'

"Though it's little good to know if I'm still unsure if I even managed it this time," Eric muttered to himself before he sighed, soon walking over to a water dispenser that rested across from the entrance as he felt his mouth was still dry. "Water first, then I'll figure it out…"

As he pulled a paper cup from beside the dispenser and filled it, he heard the door open as he lifted the cup to his lips and took a long sip. "Eric, you're up," came a familiar voice, making Eric turn to see Chase carrying his backpack into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I fought against a truck, and the truck won." Eric responded as he looked at the bag. Then, after moving to refill his cup, he nodded towards the tv. "I heard on the news that the zoo was hit pretty bad. The workers and the dinosaurs, are they-"

"They're fine, it's just certain exhibits and equipment that will take a bit to fix," Chase responded, making Eric sigh in relief as he lifted his cup, taking another sip while the other man continued. "However, the kitchen was damaged pretty bad, especially the fryer. It looks like it'll be out of commission for the next few weeks."

Eric processed the matter, looking over to her before he sighed, leaning back beside the water dispenser before taking another sip of his water. Then, lowering the cup, he finally spoke. "Guess that means I'm out of the job for the moment," Eric said, looking over to Chase with a grim smirk. "Can consider it my luck though, given I charged in without much of a second thought on the matter."

"What were you thinking when you vanished like that," Chase asked as he looked at Eric, who only sighed as he leaned against the wall behind him. "You saw the monsters appearing and the next second you were gone after you got all those people through the kitchen to get out."

"I was worried for everyone inside the zoo and wanted to get them out too, if possible." Eric spoke as he closed his eyes, Chase watching him as Eric thought through the events and his actions. "Originally, I didn't even want to get into the fighting, I still remembered how bad of a time I had in the cave, but I wanted to make sure that people could made it out okay. I couldn't just stay still unable to do anything outside of run like I did last time..."

"Was that why you fought against that monster," Chase asked, making Eric open his eyes and look at Chase surprised. "Kendall said she saw you near the café fighting it down the hallway."

"She did? I didn't even see Ms. Morgan at all during that fight…" Genuine confusion was in Eric's voice as he closed his eyes, trying to think over the event. "However, I wasn't able to get a good hold of my surroundings while fighting that monster, especially with how hard I was pushing myself to keep up with it, so I may have just not noticed her…. Either way, the reasons for me fighting it were personal. It considered the people in the zoo as nothing more than bait, and as a distraction at that from how it was talking about them. My emotions got the better of me and I got mad, plain and simple…"

"You fought a monster because you got mad?" Chase asked, making Eric chuckle before he flinched.

"It's the simplest way of explaining it," Eric responded as he lifted his free hand, looking at it. "I don't like seeing people get hurt, especially when it's for something as meaningless as that. Hearing the thing treat life that recklessly set me off, especially when wanting to use it as hostages for some scheme…"

As Eric looked at his hand, he remembered his discussion with his master when he said there wouldn't be a need for the training he went through, soon chuckling at the memory. "What is it?" Chase asked, only getting Eric shaking his head.

"Just remembering something I was told a few years back when I said there was no need for something," Eric responded, lowering his hand as he looked back up to Chase. "The possibility is never zero…. I suppose that's the case for training, too, since that fight may have finally broke that barrier I've had…"

"Barrier?" Chase asked as Eric soon patted around his belt, his eyes now more focused than anything else as he walked back over to the couch he was resting on before, searching around it. "What are you looking for?"

"The weapon I was fighting with," Eric spoke as he looked around the couch. "I promised the person who gave it to me that I'd return it…"

Eric then grunted as he laid on the ground, searching under the couch as Chase watched him confused. "Maybe he came by and grabbed it before you were brought here?" Chase asked, making Eric shake his head as he pushed himself back up, staggering a bit from the effort as his muscles were complaining over his motion.

"Doubt it, something in my gut tells me he would've waited till I was awake before taking it from me," Eric responded as he walked over to Chase, taking his backpack as he walked out of the break room, his mind focusing on his fight with the monster. As he did, he remembered how the monster had acted over him returning the Ranger's weapon to them, and the truth behind the bow they were using that he managed to talk out of him. "I'm going to go check around the place. Hopefully there's a chance that it was dropped along the path between here and the exhibit."

Then, before Chase had the chance to object, Eric was gone, his body practically screaming at him as he was moving quickly. However, his mind was on the weapon he had used, and more the worry he had over potentially losing it. 'I don't want to break my word and see him empty handed,' Eric thought to himself as he kept searching.

-Dino Lab-

"That's really Eric?" Tyler asked as he was watching the camera feed from the lab. In it he was watching Eric fighting Horn, his blocks and dodges in a blur with is swordplay while he managed to get strikes in here and there throughout the fight. Beside him was Riley and Shelby, Zika sitting in one of the chairs as he looked at the scene through his visor while Kendall was at her desk, controlling the screen as the fight went from hallway to hallway. As they continued watching, they saw Eric seem to roll around one of the strikes Horn threw with his mace as they moved into the exhibits area, the whirl of strikes seeming to be like a dance as Eric kept his gaze on Horn. "I know he talked about having trained in weapons before, but it's amazing he's moving like he is."

"He's even taking chances to attack when they're given, all the while using only what energy he needs to for the fight to keep up with it." Zika agreed as they watched Eric soon side step a heavy blow from Horn, using the same momentum to land a slash on the monster as it staggered forward to try to catch himself. "It definitely explains how he was able to deal with all those Stingwingers in the cave, too. His moves are made from an understanding of the weapon in his hands, like it's another part of him."

"Is that important?" Shelby asked, looking over to Zika.

"Massively," Riley responded in turn as he kept his eyes on the fight. "It's close to the same level as Xenowing when he was training to fight Doomwing. There's no flaw or energy wasted in each move, only using what's required to act for the moment. It's honestly amazing to see someone else at this level besides Xenowing."

"It's even more explanatory when you realize he's fighting like this while not morphed," Zika agreed as they watched the fight continuing. "We tend to focus more on the power we're given by the suits or equipment rather than our own skill, I know I'm an example of that thanks to my armor being able to take most attacks. With Eric, however, it's a level of skill that takes years of dedication to hone."

"Even if he still couldn't beat Horn on his own," Tyler agreed, watching the scene as they finally made it to the area where Kendall had found the two. "He looks exhausted from the fight…"

"Skill can only go so far if you don't have the endurance to keep up with it, but that isn't the problem here." Zika responded, nodding to the scene they were watching. "If he was fighting regular people, he probably would've been fine, but Furio and the monsters under him can deal with regular blasters and bullets easy. His strikes up until now could simply be compared to bug bites, even with the blade I gave him."

As they continued to watch the fight, Kendall's mind went to Eric's current whereabouts, passed out in the break room. Because of that, Chase was up top while the others were looking over the camera feed to see what they may have wanted at the zoo, if there was anything.

"Well, if anything we got a good bonus from this event thanks to Eric, even if he couldn't win in the end," Zika spoke, tapping the bow which was resting at his side as he continued watching the fight, Eric dodging again on the screen as he soon was holding himself up by the sword.

"What is that, anyway," Tyler asked as he looked to Zika and the bow. Then, as he looked over the design of it, his mind started to inherently click something together as he remembered the conversation he had with Eric. "Wait, does it have to do with the lines Eric had deciphered?"

"In a sense, if it's akin to the writing that I heard so far." Zika replied, looking to the weapon beside him. "Like I told Kendall, the bow is part of a set for the Azure Knight that allowed them to harness the power and use the connection to morph. It was a heavy loss when it was stolen, and Marianne never forgave herself for it back then."

"But you have it now," Tyler responded as Zika nodded. "What do you plan to do with it?"

"If I had my say, I'd try to find someone who could use it so they can be the next Azure Knight," Zika stated, looking back up to Tyler. "It's not that I don't trust you all, but it'd be good to have more people on our side. However, Nathan has the final say on that, and even then it can't really be of much help without it's counterpart, wherever Marianne's line put it…"

"Hey, what's Eric doing," Riley interrupted, making Zika and Tyler look back to the screen to see Eric taking a new stance.

"More than likely his last push for the fight," Zika responded as he looked at the scene. Then, as if on cue, Eric seemed to jump forward in a rush, his strikes becoming a blur as Horn could barely move to dodge. As he did so, Zika soon nodded as he watched each step of Eric's attack. "There's a fault in his step and his movement's getting slower, though he's hiding it with his speed. Either way, he's more than likely to pass out sooner than not."

As the group continued to watch as Eric soon jumped back again, he soon drew his blade back in a final stance, his body seeming to sway side to side from exhaustion. Then, in a one final jump, he seemed to speed through Horn as the monster tried to block the attack with his sword, only to have the blade snap apart like a twig as Eric flew past him, falling forward into a roll and slamming into the wall. This left everyone stunned as they looked at Eric's body slump on the wall, Horn struggling to get up as he was looking at his blade and at Eric.

"How did he manage to use a strike like that?" Kendall asked as she looked at the screen from her desk, looking it over as she watched Eric slump on the wall. "Did the sword give him any extra strength?"

"No, the weapon was specifically made for Nathan's student, so it can't be used at its full capacity." Zika responded as he looked at the scene, trying to see any signs of what could've occurred. As they continued to watch while Horn was getting up, Zika's helmet hid whatever he was thinking under it. "Look at the way Horn's sword is, it's like it's getting warped from heat yet also cooled almost instantly…"

"What?" Riley asked, soon looking at the screen as Kendall paused the scene, trailing it back to the point of contact. From the look of it they couldn't see much outside of the break, however there seemed to be a blue glint from Eric's strike as it made contact with the sword, the point breaking through as it seemed like the blade was melting around it. "You're right. How did that happen?"

"I have a hunch thanks to that stance that he took near the end," Zika responded as he stood up, soon looking to the group before looking at the broken sword on the table beside Kendall. "Can I take a look at the sword for a moment?"

"Sure," Kendall responded before Zika walked over to the table, grabbing the hilt as he lifted the shattered piece to his helmet, looking over the warped metal. "What are you looking for on it?"

"The details of the strike," Zika responded as he turned the blade over, looking at each warped part before he nodded, setting it down. As he did he raised his left hand to his helmet, the sounds of clicking seeming to go off under his horn as he looked it over. "There's few styles that are taught in the galaxy which can manage that kind of attack, and even fewer that are taught here on Earth."

"But there are some," Kendall asked as Zika continued turning the blade over, looking at it as he nodded. "Like what?"

"Channeling for one, or the ability to connect to your spirit beast within," Zika responded, making them look at him confused as he looked up at them.

"There's the Jungle Fury Rangers in another universe who use that ability to morph and fight, but this doesn't seem the same," Riley responded, only getting a nod from Zika as he set the blade down.

"Agreed, which leaves one other option," Zika responded before Kendall's communicator went off, making her open it as she listened in. "What's up?"

"It's Eric, he's gone off to find the sword you gave him," Kendall responded as she looked over at Zika, only hearing him laugh as he turned to the entrance.

"Those two really are related," he muttered absentmindedly, making the group look at him confused as he paused, flinching as he looked to them. "Before you start another set of questions, I'd say ask Nathan on that for a better answer. I already messed up one issue today, I'm not putting myself in another."

With that he turned and, with the doors opening was gone, leaving the group in silence before Kendall sighed, soon typing into the computer as she pulled up the web browsers again. "I'll go and start searching for what may have happened when Horn was around." Kendall spoke as she looked over the screen. "He confirmed that this was meant to be a distraction, but we still need to know what."

-Eric-

Eric was leaning on the wall as he felt his body aching, having walked around the building several times in the potential paths he would've been taken to the break room by to try to find the sword he was given. 'I can't believe I lost it,' Eric thought to himself, his fists clenching as he pushed himself off the wall, walking to the exit. 'Out of all the things I could do with something given to me, I lose it after passing out from a fight…'

As he walked through the hallway, his mind trailed to the fight that he had through it, his mind going through every strike and parry he made, the force of each blow he did, before finally reaching the final strike before he had blacked out. He still felt like he could feel that calmness he felt in the last strike, as if the sense was currently in his chest but refusing to spread out at the moment. "Just what is that feeling," Eric muttered to himself as he walked out of the building, soon looking back at the building as he remembered the fact he left Chase back in the break room. Sighing, he pulled out his phone and started texting Chase that he was going home. "I shouldn't have left him like that…"

He then turned and started walking along the side walk, his gaze soon going to some broken branches by one of the trees near the zoo's entrance as his mind wandered, remembering the last strike again and the training he had with his master. 'I can try for it later,' Eric thought to himself as he started walking past the branches, heading to the bus station. As he sent the message to Chase and started to put his phone back in his pocket, however, his mind soon went back to his training, and what Manō usually said: If you feel you're at the precipice of something in your training, latch onto it and focus. Eric then stopped directly beside the broken branches, his gaze soon looking at one that was in front of him before he shrugged, pulling his phone back out as he started flipping through the contacts. 'He doesn't have to know that I fought a monster to do it, but he should at least know that I may have actually taken the next step in my training finally. He might have some tips for it now.'

With that Eric started walking along the path again, all the while unaware of a set of eyes gazing at him as he started his way back home


Holy crap I can work on documents in here again! Haven't been able to upload on this version of the story for months with no understanding on why. Every time I tried to save a document it just went and broke, unable to let me in. However, now that that's fixed I can finally get back to posting chapters again! \o/

In all seriousness though, this one and the one before were fun for me since I had been pondering on how to reveal that Eric and Nathan were brothers. I had originally planned it for much later on, but it wouldn't make sense for Zika to not already know given how well he and Nathan know each other, so it was a matter of 'should I go around the bush on it or should I let it work itself out? Obviously we already saw the end result here, but it's still something that bothered me initially.

Regardless, the job is now done and I get to finally continue writing this thing like I wanted to. For the moment, however, this is Ron signing out!