Fallen Stars
Mystery Fifty-Seven
R&R
They all arrive at the gold dust bath.
Draco: Hop in!!
Before hopping in, Draco is all smiles, he is immediately confronted, face to face with IX,
IX: Great to finally meet you, Draco.
The presence coming from IX overwhelms Draco, Draco stands in a cold sweat. In the blink of an eye, his entire life flashes through his mind like a flood of vivid memories.
He sees himself as a small child, sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by scattered action figures. Sunlight pours through a nearby window, casting long shadows across the room as his imagination bursts the toys with life.
The scene shifts. He's a little older, standing in the doorway of their home, watching his older brother walk away. The boy raises his hand instinctively, fingers outstretched, but all he can grasp is empty air as the distance between them grows.
Another memory rises. He's on a rooftop with Vega, the sky painted in warm shades of orange and gold. The wind plays with their hair as they sit side by side, legs swinging freely. Laughter spills from their mouths, echoing into the open sky while the city hums softly beneath them.
Now he's racing through a narrow alley with Wrath. Their footsteps pound against the pavement. They chase after a group of kids, all frantic and terrified, their hearts pounding even louder.
Then he's on the basketball court. The ball is firm in his grip as Vega shouts a play out and Wrath signals from the wing. Two more figures move in sync beside them, their faces blurred by memory but their presence familiar. The synergy between them is perfect on the court, each move flowing into the next, they're all locked in.
These memories flash one after another, a reminder of the life he's lived.
Draco thinks in another split second he may have to fight, but IX speaks again.
IX: The Don said you would be here. Don't worry, we are allies of Perseus.
X comes sprinting over, only to trip and crash face-first into the ground with a loud thud.
X: Dracoooo!
She pops up almost instantly, rubbing her forehead, one eye squinted shut in pain. Her gaze locks onto him, scanning him from head to toe with curiosity and disbelief.
X: You're Draco? The one Percy talks about with so much respect?
Draco shrugs, a bit caught off guard.
Draco: Perseus talked about me?
X: He wouldn't shut up about you!
Her expression sharpens as she narrows her eyes, her bright amethyst eyes scanning him.
X: You're safe! I won't kill you! You don't meet the criteria!
Draco: …
X glances to her right and immediately freezes when her eyes land on Lich, standing silent near Draco.
X: But she does…
Her voice drops, sharp with intent. Her hand slips beneath the folds of her robe, fingers curling around something unseen.
Before she can act, a firm hand clasps her wrist. IX stopping her, extremely calm.
IX: That's enough. She's with him.
X groans, frustrated, pulling her hand back with exaggerated reluctance.
X: You never let me have fun!
She pauses, eyes narrowing as she tilts her head toward the sky, as if sensing something in the air.
X: Wait… you feel them, IX?
IX's expression remains the same, his tone low and steady.
IX: Yeah. I felt them the moment they arrived.
He turns, already moving.
IX: I'll take care of it.
Without another word, both of them begin walking away, walking away in robes.
IX calls back over his shoulder.
IX: You owe me one, Draco. I'll let the Don know we ran into you, if he ever gets out.
Draco blinks, muttering under his breath.
Draco: Gets out?
As the pair pass by, Wrath locks eyes with them. His glare burns, electricity crackling faintly around him, humming with restrained fury. His body remains still, but the air around him pulses with tension.
They step into the open, sunlight spilling down on them like a spotlight. Chrome-plated cars surround the area, each one gleaming under the midday sun. Dozens of armed soldiers form a perimeter, rifles locked and loaded.
Commander Homam stands at the front, barking through a megaphone.
Homam: Come out with your hands up! All of you! You're surrounded!
IX doesn't flinch. His gaze sweeps over the soldiers, unfazed.
IX: Hmph. Surrounded? All I see are corpses.
A ripple of unease passes through the soldiers. Fingers tighten on triggers. Eyes widen as a lone soldier murmurs in fear…
Jeremie: Oh shit…
X gently tugs on IX's robe, eyes flicking nervously toward the line of guns.
X: Don't go all out, okay?
IX replies without looking at her, voice calm and cold.
IX: I never go all out. I'll hold back, like always.
Meanwhile, inside the building, M5 and the Sins gather at the upstairs window, peering down at the confrontation unfolding below.
Wrath's face twists in disbelief.
Wrath: He's been chasing us this whole time?
Vega remains silent, his eyes narrowing.
Outside, IX calmly unfastens his robe, letting it drop behind him. Underneath, it's revealed he's dressed in his usual outfit, hoodie, durag and jeans. Pulling his baseball cap from his hoodie and putting it on, turning it around.
IX: I'll go easy. One percent... of one percent.
Homam lifts his arm high.
Homam: Ready…
In an instant, dozens of red laser sights pin onto IX and X.
But before a single shot is fired, IX is already moving.
He vanishes from sight as a blur, then appears mid-lunge, his body like a bullet aimed straight at Homam.
Jeremie: The Butcher coming…
A dark spiral of energy whirls to life on his fingertip, pulsing with death and pressure, cutting through the very air around it.
IX: **One Finger ZzyxX- Duppy's Touch**
In a flash, the spiral on his fingertip erupts.
The wave tears forward in a violent cone of destruction, the ground ahead instantly erased. The terrain is shredded and lifted, the air shrieking as if wounded. Chrome vehicles are flung skyward like toys. Soldiers are pulled into the air by the sheer force, their bodies spinning wildly before being torn apart mid-flight by invisible spirals carving through the atmosphere.
Commander Homam barely has time to scream. He is caught in the center of it all, dragged into the heart of the wave. His body twists, stretches, and then rips piece by piece, shredded by the same force that consumes the land beneath his feet. Torn metal, shredded uniforms, and bloodied limbs rain across the field, then vanish into the roiling spiral storm.
The initial blast radius is gone within seconds. Two miles of ground are annihilated, reduced to raw, broken terrain and rising clouds of dust and ash. But the destruction doesn't stop there.
The cone continues to spread, expanding outward with merciless intensity. Everything in its growing path is either vaporized or flung into the air. Trees uproot. Roads are split open. Concrete crumbles and buildings collapse. For twenty miles beyond the point of impact, the land is torn apart, leaving behind a vast scar that stretches to the horizon.
Soot rises in dense black waves, curling into the sky like the aftermath of a volcano. The air is thick with silence, smoke, and devastation.
From the shattered window above, M5 and the Sins stand frozen, unable to speak.
Their eyes are fastened to the aftermath, so wide it seems they might pop from their sockets. Wrath's electricity has faded. Vega doesn't blink. Even Lich steps back slightly, her usual stillness replaced by something more cautious.
They had never seen IX before, but after this, they'd never forget him. A silent trigger that led to an unstoppable catastrophe.
IX's face tightens in a grimace, eyes narrowing as he surveys the wreckage.
IX: Shit... Queen's gonna be real annoying about this…
X hops excitedly beside him, practically glowing with pride.
X: Good job!!
Without a word, IX glances back at Draco and the others. He lifts two fingers giving a peace sign, with a flat expression.
Then, without ceremony, he grabs X by the collar of her robe. She flails wildly in the air, kicking her feet.
X: Hey! Let me down-!
But before she finishes the sentence, they both vanish in a blink.
A beat of stunned silence.
Regulus throws up his hands.
Regulus: And he just leaves like that?!
Minutes pass. Workers move through the hall, carefully installing new glass to replace the shattered window.
Meanwhile, M5 and the others rest in a gold dust bath, the tension of the battle slowly melting from their limbs.
Envy sighs, sinking deeper into the shimmering grains.
Envy: He was… insanely strong. I'm jealous.
Draco leans back, arms behind his head.
Draco: Good thing he got that guy out of our way.
Vega, eyes half-closed, mutters without looking up.
Vega: We'll most likely be blamed for it though.
Draco: Eh. Whatever happens, happens.
Draco notices Wrath, who's oddly quiet. Asking, "Everything ok, Wrath?" Wrath remained silent for a moment, feet soaked in the golden dust. Regulus watches as he finally begins to speak.
Wrath: Will we get that strong…?
Everyone gets quiet…
Greed suddenly perks up, stretching.
Greed: Let's get back in high spirits! We fought a minotaur and won!
Everyone nods in agreement, a spark of pride returning.
Envy: We gained some treasures.
They nod again.
Draco: We shared the spoils with Draco.
No one moves. Only Draco nods.
Draco: Oh wait. That was only me. ONLY I SHARED!
Greed leans over and whispers to Regulus.
Greed: Wanna go get some snacks?
Regulus immediately imagines shelves of desserts and candy, eyes lighting up.
Regulus: Yeah!
Greed and Envy hop out of the dust and walk with Regulus toward the exit. As they leave, Wrath calls out, half-submerged in gold grains.
Wrath: Grab me some too!
Off to the side, a television plays in the background. The screen shows a local news broadcast, the anchor's voice calm but grim.
Anchor: If you're just tuning in, we're reporting a homicide. Shay is on the scene. Transferring to Shay now-
The feed cuts to a reporter standing outside a suburban home, sirens flashing in the background.
Shay: Yes, we're here at the home of chess prodigy Erika Oread, who has been arrested after a domestic disturbance. Neighbors reported a loud argument between Erika and his mother. Witnesses say Erika allegedly pulled out a knife and began to-
She hesitates.
Shay: -it gets gruesome. Police arrived to find Erika standing over the body, hands up, covered in blood. He was shouting something about a manifesto and who encouraged him at the tournament-
Draco, still reclined, casually lifts a hand and signals to one of the nearby workers.
Draco: Can you change the channel?
The worker nods without hesitation. "No problem."
He flips the TV to a basketball game, where the crowd roars and the scoreboard ticks up. The three of them, Draco, Vega, and Wrath, sit watching the basketball game. Their bodies are relaxed, eyes half-lidded as they sink deeper into the gold dust bath.
From the side, Lich calls out.
Lich: You two.
Wrath and Vega glance over at her, their expressions reading one simple question. "Hm?"
Lich: You both said Draco shouldn't be letting just anyone join the group, especially without consulting you. So, are you okay with me joining?
They pause. A quiet moment of thought passes between them.
Wrath: Yeah. I'm cool with it.
Vega: I am as well.
Lich tilts her head slightly, surprised.
Lich: Really?
Wrath: You saved me during the minotaur fight. That says enough.
Vega: And I can already tell you have excellent battle instincts. You understand chaotic group dynamics better than most.
A slight red hue touches Lich's face, barely visible under the mask. Still, her subtle nod shows she understands and appreciates their words.
Draco grins from his spot.
Draco: So I chose right, huh?
Vega replies without looking at him.
Vega: Stay out of it.
Draco thinks ???
Wrath: The problem wasn't really with you joining. It's about getting the other two to agree. We have rules. One of them is that new members can only join if everyone agrees. Unanimous decision.
Vega: So you're in. Just not officially. Not yet.
Lich: I bet I can win them over, if they're like you all.
Both Wrath and Vega say a long exaggerated "Ehhhhh"
Wrath: We're nothing alike, one of them will just say no simply because we all agree. He's a fucking troll.
Vega sighs. The crowd on the tv goes wild again, as Kraz hits another shot!! Vega smiles.
Vega: He does it again.
Lich: You're a Kraz fan?
Vega: Of course! Best scorer ever!
Wrath: Let's slow down there.
Draco: Yeah, let's relax.
Vega: You two don't start up.
Wrath: Lich, you watch the NBA (Nexus Basketball Association)?
Lich: Of course!
Wrath expression changes to a grateful excited one.
Wrath: Settle this for us. Who do you think is the Goat?!
Lich: Hmm. I have three in the same spot. It'll be 1A, 1B, and 1C.
Wrath: Ok, who?
Lich: Jordanus 1A, Kraz 1B, and Labrum 1C.
Draco, Vega and Wrath: ??!!
Draco: I think that's a good list.
Wrath: Of course you do! It's wrong!
Vega: ...Not bad.
Lich: Wait, who do you all think is the Goat?
Draco: Jordanus.
Vega: Kraz.
Wrath: Labrum! Easy!
They all clash.
Draco: C'mon, Wrath.
Wrath stands up.
Wrath: No, we'll settle this now! Labrum is the all-time leader in points!
Draco jumps up.
Draco: So? Jordanus has more thirty-point games, forty-point games, fifty-point games, sixty-point games, seventy-point games! He's obviously the better scorer.
Vega: But Kraz has the most sixty-point games and eighty-point games.
Draco: Tch. You can make an argument for Kraz being the better scorer, but definitely not Labrum.
Wrath: Oh yeah, Kraz is so great. He racks up all those points because he takes so many shots! He has the most missed shots in history!
Vega stands.
Vega: Labrum has the most turnovers in gauntlet history. Let's not ignore his negatives.
Draco: That's true. Another thing that separates Jordanus from the rest, he's undefeated in the Last Stand. Jordanus is 7–0, Kraz is 6–3, and Labrum is 5–8! Haha!
Lich watches silently as they argue.
Wrath: Okay, we get it, he never lost. So what? That's a team stat! We're talking about the better player! Labrum is faster, stronger, and smarter!
Draco: We're not talking better player, we're talking who's greater.The greatest of all time!
Vega: Kraz is the better scorer and defender than both of them.
Draco: Maybe scorer. But never defender. Jordanus won multiple Lockdown Player of the Year awards.
Vega: Kraz won one but was robbed of another. Labrum has none.
Wrath: He would've won one if the league didn't hate him at the time!
Draco: Yeah, yeah.
Wrath: And scorer? Labrum is a pass-first guy! Of course it looks like the others are better scorers.
Draco: Here we go with the "pass-first" excuse.
Vega sits back down.
Wrath: It's true! You saw when Labrum actuallytried and went on that scoring spree? He was averaging fifty for three weeks!!
Draco: So he's playing without giving full effort? How is that the GOAT?
Wrath: He feeds his team! Kraz is selfish and cold, and so is Jordanus!
Draco: What? Remember when Jordanus played point guard for twenty games and averaged a triple-double? He could do that all the time if he played that position.
Wrath: Twenty games, wow! Labrum did that easily when he played point too! For a whole season! He's the better all-around player! A master at it all!
Draco: A master of everything is a master of none! Jordanus and Kraz are masters of scoring and defense, with a little playmaking!
Wrath clenches his fists, ticked off.
Wrath: Fuck this.
Wrath: **Wrath Style - King's Wrath**
Electricity starts sparking around him.
Draco: **Mysterious Style - Mysterious Light**
Draco: Excuse me for not wanting to support a team hopper!
Wrath: We all can't support gambling addicts like you and Jordanus!
The clash erupts, lightning and light colliding, shaking the space around them.
Vega, arms crossed, sighs.
Vega: This is why Kraz fans are the best. We know our guy is great, and the GOAT, and we can be calm about it.
Wrath & Draco: Yeah, right! He's third!
**One Week Later**
They reach Dorado's office, all geared up and ready.
Inside, a team of researchers buzzes around a massive machine. It towers over the room with four long antennas and a wide circular opening at its center.
Dorado: Ready to leave?
Everyone, in unison: Yep!
Dorado: Great.
He claps his hands. The researchers immediately scatter, leaving the opening clear. One by one, the group steps into the chamber with their gear.
Dorado: And of course, I have to hit you with the usual boring safety warnings. Blah blah blah. Sixty percent chance one of you dies horrifically. Blah blah blah.
Lich: What??
Dorado: Yeah, you know, the usual.
Greed: That is far from the usual!
Draco: We're still doing this, right?
Wrath: Yeah. Sixty percent isn't that bad.
Vega: If I told you to bet everything on black with a sixty percent chance of losing, would you still do it?
Wrath: Hmm… yeah, probably. Sixty's not too high. If it was, like, seventy or more, then I'd worry.
Vega's eye twitches.
Draco: Hit it, Dorado. No second guessing. It's the quickest way, and we're already cutting it close.
Dorado: You got it!
He slams the big red button. The machine rumbles to life, electricity sparking and forming a glowing cage in front of the portal.
Dorado: This will hopefully land you right in front of the kingdom!
Everyone: Hopefully?! You don't know?!
And just like that, they all vanish.
**In a Location Called:
Abz Acre**
A mossy enclave, surrounded by ancient stone. The group reappears mid-teleport deep in overgrown vines and tangled brush.
Wrath appears face-first into thick vines, gagging as he pulls leaves from his mouth.
Wrath: The hell is this place?
Envy looks around, then touches a nearby vine. It reacts instantly, slithering away and pulling back the tangle around them. The whole clearing begins to open.
Envy: I've been here before.
She clears the area completely.
Envy: It's about a two-week walk from the Tiamat Dynasty. We just need to head north.
Draco: Damn it, Dorado… I mean, thanks for getting us kinda close.
Vega: We need to hurry.
Draco: Right. The tournament starts next week. We've gotta haul ass.
Greed's eyes light up.
Greed: I'm so excited! I love tournaments!
Lich: Then let's not stall. Let's move.
They all take off running. Vesta, Greed's massive ice shark, bursts out. Greed leaps onto her back just as she lunges forward. Envy rides smoothly atop a twisting wave of plants.
Apocalypse erupts out of the card, now even bigger in size. Draco hops onto its back to catch a ride.
Only Vega and Lich's companions don't pop out, until-
A flash of electric fur. A monkey-like figure appears, Zeus, snatching Wrath by the collar and tossing him on its back with ease.
Wrath: Yaha! Who does this remind us of?
Draco and Vega burst into laughter as they all speed off together.
[The next time we see M5 and the Sins, they'll be arriving at the tournament's entrance. But before that… let's meet someone else.]
**Carme Citadel**
High above the streets, on a cracked rooftop ledge of The Tower, a figure lounges. His legs swing in the air as he lays on his stomach. He's giggling, locked into a game on his phone, tail swaying behind him, a monkey tail.
A voice echoes from below.
Kineko: Akazaruuuuuuu! Hurry up and get down here!
Startled by the shout, his attention breaks. On-screen, his character dies.
Akazaru: Nooooooo!!! Fuuuuckkkk!!
[And That Is The End of The:
Sins of A King Arc!!
So Close To The Coveted Title,
But First, We Meet Someone Special!!]
Mystery 57 Fin
"I would rather live in a world where my life is surrounded by mystery than live in a world so small that my mind could comprehend it." - Harry Emerson Fosdick