The night sky above the distant skyline of Thalos was glittered with stars. But Kaito's eyes weren't looking at either of those things. They were glued to the massive ship in front of him. The sheer size of the vessel was overwhelming, unlike anything he had ever seen.
"This… is insane."
His words barely left his lips as he stood at the base of the ship. It was sleek and seemed to have advanced technology humming through its very frame. Talon had her arms crossed as she observed Kaito with a smirk.
"First time seeing a big boy ship, huh? Don't worry, rookie. Wait till you get inside—it'll blow your mind even more."
Kaito glanced over his shoulder at her, half skeptical but undeniably excited. It was clear she was entertained by his awestruck face, but he couldn't help but play along as he smirked back at her.
"Yeah, sure. Can't wait to see… co-captain."
"Hmph."
With a flick of her wrist, she signaled him to follow as they moved toward the loading ramp. Stepping inside, he felt like his jaw might hit the floor. The corridors were lined with high-tech consoles, holographic displays flickering with data streams. He'd seen ships before, but nothing like this.
"This… this is like something out of a dream."
Elysia interrupted as she helped Finn into the ship.
"I'll take Finn to the medical ward for more healing."
Elara nodded. She turned her head back towards Kaito as they continued to walk into one of the central common areas of the ship.
"I'll introduce you to Jinx, our engineer and the owner of this ship."
Kaito opened his mouth to respond, but before he could get a word out.
BOOOOM!!.
"SHITT!!!" A voice from the other side of the ship yelled.
A short alien woman with pale orange skin and long green hair rushed over as she manipulated a holographic interface embedded in her wrist. With a quick tap, she deactivated whatever had triggered the explosion.
"I knew I left a mine out here somewhere. My bad kid."
Elara let out a deep sigh.
"Jinx, I swear, if you blow one more thing—"
"Chill chill cap, accidents happen! He's still alive isn't he? Isn't he? Right?... Kid?"
Kaito didn't move.
"Okay well… I didn't mean to kill him. BUT, on the bright side, my mines made from Dextran dirt ac–"
"…help..me…"
Jinx's ears perked up.
"Heeyyyy kid! Look who made it!"
She extended her cybernetic arm helping him onto his feet.
"Name's Jinx. Engineering genius, explosive expert, and all-around badass."
Kaito rubbed his head and then took her hand.
"I've really gotta think about whether joining this crew was a good idea..." He thought to himself half jokingly.
Despite his grumbling, Kaito couldn't help but feel intrigued by Jinx. Her huge personality in a small orange body seemed to match the chaos she caused. She tilted her head as she looked at him.
"Wait a second... you're not an elf. You're human?"
"Uh, yeah... name's Kaito."
"Huh? No shit! Nice to meet you kid!"
Before they could chat further, Elara cleared her throat.
"Where are Kaeline and Viro? They should've been back by now."
"No idea. I think they went out for something. Didn't really hear the details." Jinx replied nonchalantly.
Talon interrupted the conversation as she walked closer to her.
"MAYBE if you weren't so busy playing video games, you'd know what was happening on your own ship."
"MAYBE if you didn't have such a big stick up your ass, you'd actually find someone who could tolerate you." Jinx replied immediately.
Rorik paused his flexing session in one of the monitor screens and began to instigate, sensing the opportunity for some drama to unfold.
"Oooooh! Talon, you gonna let her say that to you? I meannnnn… I know my co-captain definitely wouldn't let that slide. Na-uhhh."
Talon's eyes narrowed and she locked eyes with Jinx. For a moment, it seemed like they were about to lunge at each other, but Elara stepped in, clapping her hands.
"Enough, both of you."
Grudgingly, Talon and Jinx backed off, muttering under their breaths as they walked in opposite directions. Kaito, still feeling the aftereffects of the explosion, watched on.
"Do things always explode around here, or am I just unlucky?"
"Sorry about that. Jinx tends to leave things lying around."
Before he could contemplate his life choices any further, Rorik stomped over. His broad shoulders seemed to take up half the room. He slapped Kaito on the back, the force of it nearly sending him crashing to the floor.
"Welcome to the crew, kid! If you survive Jinx's traps, you'll survive anything!"
"Yeah… comforting." Kaito replied sarcastically.
Talon rolled her eyes as she leaned back against the wall.
"More like if you survive this crew, you'll survive anything."
Elara crossed her arms, casting a sharp glance at the others as if she wanted to scold them. The dynamic between the crew was becoming clearer to Kaito. Each member brought their own chaos, but there was a sense of unity beneath it all. Jinx walked up to him and nudged him in his side.
"Don't mind them kid. You'll get used to us eventually... maybe."
Kaito glanced at her, then at Rorik and Talon, and finally back to Elara. He let out a long sigh while smirking, accepting his fate.
"Let's just hope I'm not dead before that happens."
Rorik burst out into an excited laughter.
"That's the spirit!"
He slapped Kaito on the back again, this time sending him crashing into the floor face forward.
Elara shook her head, but even she couldn't suppress the slight smirk tugging at her lips. There was something about this crew, chaotic as they were, it just felt right. Despite the insanity, despite the constant risk of explosions… this felt like where he was meant to be.
Once things settled down from Jinx's explosives and Rorik back breaking slaps, Elara gathered the crew and Kaito around the massive holographic display in the ship's main hall. A star map flickered to life. An endless expanse of stars and planets swirled above them. Kaito couldn't help but stare in awe.
"This is insane… I knew the universe was big, but seeing it like this? It's something else." He thought to himself in awe.
"Kaito, it's time you understood the stakes of the tournament we're about to enter." Elara said.
Her fingers danced over the controls, zooming in on their current location, the Sirius star system, then the planet they are currently on, Thaloria, then it's moon. The name Balos hovered over the hologram of the moon.
"The Grand Sirius Tournament. 128 of the deadliest fighters across this side of the galaxy, all competing for one thing this year… a Celestial Codex Fragment. An item of immense power, sought by star travelers, warlords, pirates, to even entire empires and factions. Winning this tournament means more than glory, it means control over something ancient and dangerous."
The air grew thick. This wasn't just a simple fight for pride or money. The galaxy's most notorious figures would be gunning for that fragment, and Kaito had just signed up to face them.
"Sounds like fun." He muttered out with a cocky smirk.
Talon chuckled.
"Oh, it'll be fun alright. Most of 'em will probably crush you like a little boy you are though."
Kaito looked at the hologram, but instead of feeling nervous, he felt a familiar excitement bubbling inside. He was ready for a fight, no matter who or what stood in his way.
"They can try. I don't go down so easily."
Elara, observing his growing enthusiasm, tossed him a small case. Inside were two sleek, transparent contact lenses. Kaito raised an eyebrow, inspecting the odd items.
"These will help you gauge the competition. They're CPI scanners—Cosmic Power Index. The CPI measures how much cosmic essence someone outputs, but how you use it is far more important. Put them on, and you'll be able to see the essence levels of anyone you look at."
Kaito wasted no time, carefully placing the lenses on his eyes. A brief flicker, and suddenly, the world around him shifted. Numbers began to appear above each crew member's head. Rorik's flashed first.
Rorik: 150,000 CPI
Kaito's eyes widened. He glanced over to Jinx.
Jinx: 145,000 CPI
He looked over to Talon who was casually leaning against the wall. But her reading seemed to be slightly bugged.
Talon: **?200,000 CP1
"Are you kidding me? You guys are monsters."
Rorik flexed his cybernetic arm, the metal whirring as he showed off with a grin.
"And what's your number kid?"
Elara turned toward Kaito. She tapped the controls again, and his own number flashed in front of him.
Kaito: 35,000 CPI
"35,000, huh?"
Talon snorted in the corner of the room trying to contain her laughter. Kaito heard this and glared at her from the corner of his eyes.
Elara nodded slightly after briefly observing Kaito.
"Not bad, considering you've had no formal training. But you'll need more than raw power to survive this tournament." Elara paused, tilting her head in curiosity.
"Have you heard about or studied cosmic essence before?"
"Farro taught me some of the basic fundamentals of it when I was a kid, but nothing more than that."
Elara nodded then turned back to the screen waving her hand, changing the hologram to what seemed to be an educational presentation.
"Cosmic essence is the energy that flows through everything in the universe. It powers us, gives us life. Each being has a different capacity for it, which is what the CPI measures. But what matters most is how you control and focus that energy. You've barely scratched the surface of what you can do."
She waved her hand again changing the holographic display, this time on a being, one he has never seen before. She zoomed in on more profiles and slowly he began to realize that these are competitors for the upcoming tournament. The first profile showed a massive, armored creature, bristling with weapons and scars across its scaled skin. His eyes were filled with pure aggression.
Croxar: 90,000 CPI
"Croxar. A warlord from Grethak-9. His entire race thrives on battle, and he's won dozens of death matches in the outer systems."
The display shifted again, this time to a female competitor with light green skin and glowing markings that pulsed with energy.
Gira: 110,000 CPI
"That's Gira. She's the champion of the Kolax tournament and known for her unmatched speed and precision. Her essence control is so refined that she can redirect her attacks mid-air. She could be a nuisance."
Kaito stared at the holograms. His CPI wasn't even close to theirs, and he had little combat experience outside of the street fights and the fight club.
"A nuisance? That strong? And not only that… they're just a few of the competitors? This is… amazing." He thought to himself, a small smile beginning to form on his face.
The sheer power they wielded was staggering, but Kaito couldn't help himself from grinning. Elara raised an eyebrow, surprised at his enthusiasm.
"You're eager to face them, but again you have to remember, raw strength isn't everything in this tournament."
Talon, who had been watching from the sidelines, rolled her eyes at Kaito's bravado.
"Yeah, because charging headfirst into people more than twice your strength is always a great strategy."
Jinx, now leaning against the console, chimed in with a grin.
"And don't forget—everyone in that tournament knows how to push their cosmic essence to the limit. Some of them even weaponize it in ways you've probably never seen."
Kaito turned towards Jinx tilting his head in curiosity.
"Weaponize it… what do you mean?"
Before Jinx could respond the screen shifted again, revealing the final image, the celestial codex fragment. It was a small crystal like rock. Its surface pulsated with mysterious glowing symbols. Elara continued with the brief.
"The celestial codex fragment is part of something much larger. Legend says whoever gathers all 12 fragments gains access to a power beyond anything imaginable. It's a map… one that leads to the cosmic heart."
Kaito stared at the hologram.
"The Cosmic Heart?"
Elara nodded.
"Yes, the cosmic heart. It has been rumored to be the source of cosmic essence itself and able to grant an infinite amount of wishes without any limitations."
Kaito's eyes widened in shock hearing this.
Rorik crossed his arms, his face now more serious.
"People have destroyed entire worlds trying to get their hands on this thing, but since the known knowledge of its potential existence for millions of years, no one has ever found the damn thing."
Kaito stared at the hologram, the weight of the tournament hitting him for real now.
"Destroyed… worlds?" He stuttered out.
Elara nodded.
"That's why this tournament is more than just a fight, Kaito. You're about to go up against some of your galaxy's deadliest fighters, and they'll all be after this fragment."
Kaito clenched his fists tighter, feeling the essence inside him heat up.
Her gaze softened for a moment, seeing the fire in his eyes. She knew the battles ahead would be grueling, but there was something in him that made her believe in him.
"That's the spirit. Let's get to work."
Elara led Kaito into the ship's training room. A vast expanse of high-tech equipment, glowing energy fields, and holographic targets floating in mid-air. Weighted dummies lined the walls, each of them infused with essence to simulate real opponents. She gestured for him to follow her to the center of the room.
"Cosmic essence is the lifeblood of all warriors, Kaito. You can increase your CPI through physical, mental, and spiritual training, but it's not enough. Mastering control over your essence is everything."
Kaito nodded, already feeling the chaotic essence swirling inside him, but it felt untamed.
"Let's talk about affinities." She said.
She raised her hand, and a small flame flickered to life in her palm.
"Cosmic essence is the base, but your affinity determines how you shape it. Every fighter has a primary affinity, fire, water, nature, wind, lightning, and many more. Some extremely rare fighters like myself possess multiple primary affinities. You can't develop any other primary affinity other than the one you are born with. No matter how much training you do, it is impossible. There's a more advanced type of primary affinity as well but we can talk about that another day."
Kaito's eyes followed along, fascinated by the possibilities.
"Sub-affinities are more specialized forms of their primary one. For example, someone with a fire affinity can focus their essence into powerful flame techniques. But if they train and develop it enough, they can gain a magma sub-affinity and manipulate molten rock like Rorik. Same goes for water users who can control mist or even blood if they have a sub-affinity for those. You can learn multiple sub affinities for your primary affinity through training, meditation, studying, and other ways. We need to figure out your affinity. Once we do, we'll start training your specific techniques."
Her eyes remained on him as she tossed a sleek training suit his way. The fabric shimmered slightly in the light, showing the advanced tech woven into its fibers. Kaito slid it on over his clothes and it meshed seamlessly to his body.
"Whoa, this is incredible! What kind of tech—"
Before he could finish the sentence, she vanished in a blur. He blinked, barely registering the wind displacement before her leg was already mid-swing aimed directly at his head. Instinct kicked in and he ducked just in time. The sheer force of her kick whipped the air around him and seemed to shake that section of the ship.
"Whoa—wait, we're starting already?!"
She said nothing and prepared for her next attack. He leapt backward, throwing up his arms to block her next punch, but the impact sent him skidding across the floor.
"So… heavy. How is she this fast? I can barely react!" He thought to himself as he gritted his teeth.
Elara didn't stop. Every time Kaito thought he'd found an opening, she was already six steps ahead. He barely dodged a spinning back kick, but she reversed it mid swing and caught him going back, sending him flying across the room.
"You're wasting your essence, Kaito. You're letting it slip away with every move. Focus. Control the flow of your essence, or you'll burn out before the real fight even begins." She said coldly.
Kaito clenched his fists tighter. He had the raw power, but it was unfocused, chaotic.
"I'm not giving up that easily." He muttered out, his teeth nearly chipping from grinding them so hard.
Elara's eyes narrowed slightly at his resolve. She raised her hand and a subtle red glow surrounded it. Kaito's CPI scanner flickered in his eye, displaying her power level as 250,000 CPI.
"250,000 CPI… No wonder she's so fast." He thought to himself.
But before he could finish processing that thought, she relaxed her control ever so slightly, letting a tiny drop of her true essence pour out. In an instant, the red aura around her intensified.
Her CPI shot up from 250,000 to 400,000 CPI and the entire ship felt like it began to tremble.
"400,000… How is that even possible?" Kaito thought to himself as he watched in awe.
"CPI doesn't tell the whole story. Experienced fighters can suppress their true base levels, keeping opponents guessing. What you see on the scanner isn't always the full picture."
She settled her essence, bringing her CPI back down to its usual level.
"Your raw power is impressive, but you're wasting it with reckless movements. Control your essence, or it will control you."
Kaito nodded. He could feel the wild essence swirling inside him. It felt as if some was leaking out with every move he made. He needed to focus, to condense that energy.
"Alright. Let's go. I'm ready." He said confidently.
Elara nodded and without warning, she vanished again, but this time he was prepared. As her fist flew towards his face, he ducked, narrowly avoiding it and retaliated with a sweeping low kick aimed at her legs. She easily leaped over it, but Kaito was already on his feet, throwing another punch.
They clashed before exchanging blows.
"Good. Keep that focus. Don't let it slip." Elara said calmly, effortlessly blocking and dodging everyone of his strikes.
In the midst of the battle, he could feel the change—the essence within him was still leaking, but not as much. He was condensing it. But he wasn't fast enough. He still couldn't match Elara's speed or experience.
She saw the improvement, but she didn't let up. Instead she sped up, launching a flurry of strikes. His focus wavered for just a moment and that was all she needed. Her fist broke through his defense, grazing his nose before stopping just short of delivering a full blow.
Kaito froze, gasping for air with eyes wide like a deer in headlights. He couldn't register the punch coming.
"Damn… You got me." He said between breaths.
But Elara didn't move. Her fist remained near his face. Her eyes were locked onto his chest.
"What… is that?" She thought to herself with an intrigued look on her face.
Kaito blinked in confusion.He followed her gaze, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, at least not to him. But Elara's expression had changed. She was no longer focused on the sparring match.
"Uhhh… captain..? What's going on?" He asked hesitantly.
Elara stepped back, her gaze still fixed on him. There was a slight tension in her stance now, something she hadn't shown before. She had sensed something… something deep inside of him that she couldn't fully understand, but what she did know… is that it was dangerous.
After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice calm as always.
"Training's over for today."
"But I was just getting the hang of it—" Kaito tried to say.
"Another time, Kaito. I just remembered something important."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and left the training room. Kaito stood there, watching her leave, confused and catching his breath. For now, all he could do was guess. He left the training room and made his way to his quarters.
"Did I say something wrong? Does my breath stink or something??" He thought to himself as he walked inside his room.
He fell into bed and stared at the ceiling, his mind racing. Everything was happening so fast—joining the crew, the tournament, trying to control the growing power inside him.
But in the end, sleep eventually claimed him and he fell into a deep slumber.
Not long after, he jolted awake, his breath catching in his throat as his eyes darted around the room. But this wasn't his room nor was he in his bed.
He was floating… in space.
The void stretched out endlessly in all directions. There was no ground beneath him, no sky above.
"What the? Am I… in space? But how can I breathe?" He tried to speak, but his voice seemed to be muffled.
His heart pounded in his chest as panic began to set in. Then, through the haze of confusion, he noticed something—a blacked out figure, barely visible in the distance. It exuded a presence unlike anything he had ever felt. It was as if the very fabric of reality twisted around it, warping the space between them.
It felt terrifying.
It felt overwhelming.
And it felt... connected to him.
"Who... who are you?" He asked.
The figure remained silent for a moment. Then a distorted voice began to echo around him. It was as though the figure was speaking through a thousand voices at once, each one overlapping.
"What are you saying? I can't understand you."
He tried to move forward, but no matter what he did, the distance between them didn't shrink. He was stuck floating in place, trapped where the space itself defied him.
"What the hell is going on? Who are you?! What do you want?!"
The voices grew louder, but the words were still a scramble. Suddenly, without warning, the figure vanished.
"Wha—?"
In an instant, the figure reappeared directly in front of him.
For the first time, its voice broke through the distortion.
"I found you."
Kaito's entire body froze. The words sent a jolt of pure terror through his spine.
The figure began to shift again and before he could process what was happening, a sudden wave of energy surged through him, sending him hurtling into a gigantic red giant star.
"No... I can't... I need to..."
But he couldn't do anything. He fell into the star, seeminging to be swallowed by it before it went supernova. The blast spreaded out countless light years, consuming the figure, entire worlds, stars… everything.