Chapter 9: Crystal Hollow

By Sharkbait2000

It was the next day after the fall of the illegal Coliseum. The morning sun cast a warm light over the clearing where Kuma, Amy, and Jagger had spent the night, with each taking turns doing watches in case Darkan chose to come back. Of course, Freedo and Luna were able to relax easily since they didn't sense any new sorts of dangers for the rest of the night. Fang and the other prisoners had already departed, each heading toward their respective homes. Now, Kuma, Amy, and their new ally Jagger the stegosaurus were preparing to embark on their journey to Kuma’s homeland, Nibel.

“Ready to go, you two? I know you said you’ll be parting ways half away but my Dad will still help you. He should be reading the letter by now.” Kuma said as he grabbed his bag and Freedo crawled to his shoulder. Amy grabbed her bag as Jagger came out of the tent with new clothing, a brown vest, and new brown pants, allowing him to hold on to his cards more easily.

“I’ll think about it. For now, I’ll go with numbers.” Jagger said.

So Kuma continues toward Nibel, with two new friends he made on the way.

“So Jagger, just out of curiosity, you mentioned before that you came from a place called Las Mesozoic? The land of the Ancient Reptile Clan?” Kuma asked.

Jagger nodded slowly. “Yeah… Las Mesozoic. It’s a place far from here, hidden deep in the mountains. My clan, the Reptilia, has lived there for generations. We’re a mix of all kinds of ancient reptiles—stegosaurus like me, raptors, triceratops, and more.”

Amy leaned forward, her interest piqued. “What’s it like there? Is it full of ancient creatures like you? By ancient, you mean beings before other species appeared, such as humans and others?”

Jagger smiled with a hint of pride in his eyes. “It’s a land lost in time. Dense jungles, towering mountains, and rivers have flowed since the dawn of the world. The air is thick with the scent of earth and the sound of life—birds, insects, and, of course, the roars of my kin. We live in harmony with nature, guided by the wisdom of our elders. Unfortunately due to the war, some of the clans split apart creating their own communities such they didn’t believe the way of our King. Since peace from other clans hasn't been possible since the Demon Cross was formed.”

“Aww darn really? Geez Kuma even though we helped the others before, the land is still difficult.” Amy muttered as she crossed her arms.

“It’s a long story, Amy but it has been like this for hundreds of years. Yes, I want to connect with everyone here but the dream may be hard but it is not impossible.” Kuma said.

Jagger was about to make a comment on Kuma’s answer when a dark portal suddenly appeared in front of them, making the group grow alert as they stepped back in defense preparing who or what might come out.


“Huh? Is Darkan making a comeback for Jagger?” Kuma said as Kuma and Amy got in battle pose, standing in front of Jagger to protect him

“If he is, I’m giving him a tease of my celestial magic this time!” Amy said.

“Tch… wait…” Jagger said as he sniffed the air, not recognizing Darkan’s smell. “This is someone else.”

“Right, you are!” The masked human girl said as she traversed through the portal, with her kimono clothing, showing the same purple crystal mark as Darkan had.

“That purple broken crystal mark…. It’s the same one as Darkan. Are they part of the same organization?” Kuma said as the second person came out with the same mask and wearing the thick vest, showing his white striped body with the same mark on the back of the vest, revealing it was a white albino tiger. “Who are you?”

“This is the chimera? Mmm… doesn’t look very impressive as Darkan said. Strangely, is he the target he wants to get?” The masked tiger said, ignoring Kuma’s question.

“Who cares, Sunny? The boss gave us a target and I’m raring to show off my new art!” The masked human girl shouted.

“Not your friends I assume, Kuma.” Amy asked as she could sense strong dark mana from these two alone, stronger than Darkan.

“You think?” Kuma said as he stepped back, feeling a little inferior to them, sensing their experience and mana just by scent and standing there menacingly alone.

“First-person moves win! I’m not going back there!” Jagger shouted as he grabbed a card and imbued it with his mana, throwing it toward the mysterious duo.

“Hmmm!” The masked white tiger turned his fist into a flat hand and swung it down diagonally, splitting the card in two, and causing two explosions happening behind the duo.

“What the? He didn’t even have a sword!” Jagger gasped at the sight of the tiger’s strange power.

The masked girl giggled as she grabbed a clayed bear figure. “Hehehe don’t take us lightly! Soul of bear, I summon thee with strings of my soul!” the masked girl shouted as the blacked colored strings came out of her fingertips, controlling a large dark aura bear with red glaring eyes.

“This mana… it feels different than any opponent I faced so far, besides Darkan. Is this dark magic?” Kuma said.

“Never underestimate Crystal Hollow!” The girl squealed as she sent the puppet bear toward the trio, controlling it with her strings.

“Everyone scatter!” Kuma commanded as the trio jumped away from the bear ground pound attack.

“Crystal Hollow?” Kuma mumbled to himself until he saw the tiger coming at him at the last second, shooting out a fireball at Kuma.

“Oh crap!” Kuma said as he grabbed his sword and slashed the fireball in half then sent out a barrage of ice spikes on the floor, toward the tiger.

The tiger used one hand in the shape of a circle as he slipped his other hand through the circle, summoning the plant vines, and blocking the ice barrage.

“So he has fire and plant magic? At least I have good countermagic for these types of magic.” Kuma said, holding the sword in a reverse grip, preparing for more of his fire and plant attacks.

“That's what you think…” The masked tiger grumbled as he clapped his hands together then closed them into fists and violently shook his hands. The area where Kuma is currently standing started to shake as he tried to keep his balance.

“What?! Earth magic too?” Kuma said as he saw his opponent getting close to him, with his fist aiming at him. “Damn it…” Kuma grunted as he kept his balance, barely dodging the fast-paced punch, and grabbed the arm, throwing the tiger off. “I don’t get it! How do you have 3 types of magic?! Everyone gets two types! One from their bloodlines and one choice of their own.”

“Not bad.” The tiger praised as he landed on his feet.

“That's true but we're no ordinary opponents!” The masked girl shouted as she commanded the bear to attack Amy and Jagger.

Amy and Jagger kept their distance as the giant puppet bear kept trying to slash them.

“I had heard of this. It is like puppeteering but with Dark magic.” Jagger said as he threw a card with electric effects but the bear easily canceled the attack.

“Well, you’re half right! This beautiful artwork of mine is Soul Puppetry! This design of the beautiful bear of the Amaterasu. I had to have its soul!” The girl squealed as she commanded the bear to unleash a heavy black flamethrower attack.

“Star shield!” Amy shouted as she called Luna out and blocked the fire from harming Jagger and herself.

“Geez. That would be bad if that got us. Good one, Amy!” Jagger huffed as he sent out a thunder element card to attempt to paralyze the puppet bear but failed. “Gah! That bear is so strong!”

“Hahaha, no one can beat my work of art! My dear teddy bear get the girl!” The masked girl giggled as the bear charged at Amy’s shield and started to body slamming it.

“Aim for the caster, Jagger. That ought to break the spell!” Amy shouted as the bear kept pounding the shield as it started to crack. “And hurry up, Luna can’t hold it much longer!”

“I’m trying! All of my cards have no effects!” Jagger shouted!

“Amy, Jagger!” Kuma said as he saw his friends’ are struggling even if it is 2 against one!

“You don’t have time to worry about others, Chimera! You are coming with us!” Masked Tiger growled as he kicked Kuma in the back, pinning him against the floor. “You fight well, but you are dealing with forces you don’t understand!”

“Gah! Damn it let go of me!” Kuma grunted as he was forced to watch his friends in danger.

The shield is about to go out when a large impact hits the bear as if it was punched with strong force, disappearing in thin air, and giving out the last proud roar. The impact caused the sand from the ground to scatter, messing up everyone’s vision.

“W-what?! My teddy bear?! Who dares!?” The masked girl shouted as she looked around to see who the attacker was.

Kuma, Amy, and Jagger were confused about what just happened as the bear was mysteriously defeated.

The area cleared when everyone saw a large walrus, with brown skin, his tusks with a white mustache and beard, wearing a black tank top and blue pants with his left mechanical arm glinting in the sun.

“Huh? Rufus! What are you doing here?” Kuma asked as Masked Tiger was still pinning him down with his foot.

“I was ordered to watch you to ensure you’re safe. Good thing your father did.” Rufus said as he got into battle pose, clenching his fist.

Kuma mumbled to himself, thinking his dad didn’t trust him too much on his own. Good thing he did or the fight would have gone worse.

“How dare you, you walrus! You don’t appreciate my art?” Masked girl shouted as she grabbed another clay doll but this time it’s a dragon. “I’ll destroy you and make you part of my collection!” She shouted as she called out the soul of the dragon, a black glittering body with the same black aura with red eyes, roaring proudly as it went to attack Rufus Amy, and Jagger.

“A dragon. You don’t respect your elders too much.” Tuskarr calmly said.

“Shut up! Go draggy!” She commanded as the dragon raised his claws and attempted to slash Tuskarr he dodged it and clenched his fist and punched the dragon’s chest, pushing it back with such force.


As Kuma struggled against the masked tiger, Freedo, sensing his owner’s distress, grew into battle mode and lunged at the tiger's arm from Kuma’s fur, sinking his teeth in with all his might. However, the tiger didn't even flinch, effortlessly swinging his arm and throwing Freedo off. The small creature landed on his feet, growling defiantly, but the tiger dismissed him with a cold remark. “A pet? Good effort but nothing more than a nuisance.”

Kuma, desperate to turn the tide, shouted, "That’s not my only trick!" He pressed his paw against the tiger's mask, attempting to freeze it. But to his shock, his ice magic didn’t activate. “What the? My magic?!” Kuma's voice trembled with confusion as he stared at his unresponsive paws.

The tiger, seeing his opportunity, grabbed Kuma by the arm and delivered a swift, precise strike to his neck, knocking him out cold. “Next time, watch your opponent,” the tiger growled as he kicked Kuma onto his back, examining his face closely. “Strange, he had every opportunity to use that power he warned us about.”

Just as the tiger reached his claws toward Kuma, bursts of light suddenly shot at him. The tiger’s instincts kicked in, and he leaped to the side, barely avoiding the powerful rays that struck a distant rock, reducing it to rubble. The tiger quickly turned to see Amy, now standing fiercely with her wand in hand, her eyes blazing with determination.

“Interesting,” the tiger muttered, impressed by her sudden attack.

Amy didn’t waste any time, sending out more rays of light at the masked tiger. He skillfully dodged each one, then landed on another rock nearby.
“Whoever the hell you guys are! Get out of here!” Amy growled, her voice filled with a mixture of anger and fear.

Freedo ran to its master and whined as he licked Kuma’s face to attempt to wake him up.

The tiger tilted his head, observing her calmly. “Your magic is unique,” he remarked, his tone almost respectful. But then his voice turned cold. “But little girl, you can shoot me all you want. It won't do you any good.” He pointed directly at her, his gaze narrowing. “Plus, you should worry about yourself first.”

Amy turned around only to see the dragon slam its claw at Amy to the ground, knocking her out unconscious.

“Amy!” Jagger's voice rang out, filled with panic and desperation. But before he could move to help, the masked girl dashed towards him with frightening speed, her eyes locked on the stegosaurus as her next target. “You three are out of the elements, dino! Even if you have backup, you are dealing with forces you don’t understand!”

As Jagger saw the masked girl dashing towards him, he instinctively reached for one of his cards, hoping to counter her attack. But the masked girl was too fast. Before Jagger could react, she closed the distance in an instant.

With a swift, calculated motion, the masked girl delivered a powerful strike to Jagger’s chest, aiming directly at a vital point. The force of the blow sent a shockwave through his body, momentarily paralyzing him. As Jagger staggered, the girl followed up with a spinning kick to the side of his head, the impact knocking him off balance and sending him crashing to the ground. His vision blurred, and within moments, he too fell into unconsciousness.

The masked girl’s eyes gleamed with anticipation as she turned to her companion, “Perfect! Hey, Sunny! Since they’re not our targets, can I get their souls?”

Before the masked tiger could respond, Rufus’s voice boomed across the battlefield. “I think not!” he shouted, throwing a powerful punch into the air. The force of his punch created a shockwave that blasted through the air, hitting the masked girl and pushing her away from Jagger.

Rufus wasted no time. Recognizing the importance of Jagger to Kuma, he quickly moved to where the stegosaurus had fallen, scooping him up with his mechanical arm. He carried Jagger over and gently laid him down next to the collapsed Amy. Freedo, still frantic, continued licking Kuma's face and jumping on his chest, trying desperately to wake him.

“Tch… They are knocked out, huh? Even Freedo is trying to wake Kuma up? What to do?” Rufus thought as he stared at the powerful mysterious masked duo.

The masked girl giggled, her excitement growing as she continued to control the puppet dragon. “Oh boy, he sure is strong! Right, Sunny? I want him so bad for my collection.”

The masked tiger’s gaze remained fixed on Rufus, his tone low and threatening. “Move out of the way, Walrus. This has nothing to do with you. Leave, and we will spare you. We’re here for that Chimera.”

“And why would I do that? You two started this fight. True you may be strong but we both know, neither of us will leave this battle unscathed.”

“You’re mistaken if you think you can intimidate us,” the tiger growled. “But if you’re so eager to protect the Chimera, then you’ve made your choice. We won’t show mercy.”

Rufus tightened his stance, his mechanical arm humming with power. “Then let’s see who leaves this battlefield standing.”

Rufus braced himself as the masked tiger lunged forward. With a swift motion, Rufus unleashed a powerful punch, his mechanical arm humming with energy as it connected with the tiger’s attack. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, causing the masked tiger to skid back, his feet digging into the earth.

“Not bad,” the tiger muttered, clearly impressed but still resolute. He recovered quickly, darting forward again with a speed that belied his size, aiming a series of rapid strikes at Rufus. But Rufus was ready, countering each blow with his own, the sound of metal clashing against flesh reverberating through the clearing.

Meanwhile, the masked girl directed her puppet dragon with a wicked grin, sending it after Rufus. The dragon’s claws slashed through the air, aiming to tear into the walrus with brutal efficiency. But Rufus dodged and weaved, his powerful brawn allowing him to keep pace with the dragon’s onslaught. With a roar, he delivered a massive uppercut to the dragon’s jaw, sending it reeling back momentarily.

As the battle raged on, Freedo kept shaking Kuma as he finally woke up to see Freedo’s battle form’s face. “Huh? Freedo? When did I..?” Kuma mumbled as he looked around seeing Rufus fighting the mysterious duo, looking like Rufus had the upper hand.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Rufus saw it—a deadly strike from the masked tiger, aimed not at him, but at the defenseless Amy and Jagger. The tiger's claws gleamed with a fire, the force behind the attack enough to end them in a single blow. “They aren’t our targets so it doesn't matter.”

Rufus saw the attack was aimed at Amy and Jagger, he tried to be quick to save them but the Masked girl’s dragon kept getting in the way.

Kuma's eyes snapped open, his vision blurred, but the sight of his friends in imminent danger brought everything into sharp focus. He saw the tiger's deadly strike about to descend upon Amy and Jagger, and without thinking, he moved.

"No!" Kuma's voice rang out, filled with desperation and raw emotion. Without thinking for himself, the demon mark once again appeared around his arm and his face. But this time it’s more complete than the fight against the Shatterbeast, revealing the form alligator head on the mark around Kuma’s eyes as if it’s going full power for a brief moment

Kuma dashed toward his fallen friends, his instincts taking over. He raised his arms just as the masked tiger’s fiery attack bore down on them. In an astonishing display of power, Kuma's demon mark absorbed the flames, the dark energy within the mark devouring the attack entirely.

Rufus and the masked duo watched in stunned silence as Kuma stood before his friends, his body trembling with the power coursing through.

“So that's the full extent of the vessel’s power.” The masked tiger mumbled, impressed by his raw power untapped.

“I said… no!” Kuma growled as he swung his arms against the ground, unleashing a barrage of purple ooze toward the duo as if he were driven by instinct.

“Move!” The masked tiger commanded as they jumped out of the way of the attack the dragon was caught in the attack, melting it in a matter of seconds.

Kuma’s mark shrunk to the arm as if Kuma used all the power at once, lowering the strength of the mark.

Kuma turned and picked up unconscious Amy and Jagger as if they were light as a feather. And they were quickly dashed away toward the Nibel. Freedo turned back into small form and jumped on Rufus’s shoulder as Rufus quickly followed Kuma, thinking about what he just witnessed.

“Noooo we need to go after them! He’s weakened now!” The masked girl shouted as she tried to go after them but was stopped by her companion.

“Wait now, Maria. Our mission was to confirm if it was him.” Sun said as he kept his companion down. “And now we report.”

“But Sun! Ahhh damn it, I’ll get that girl’s soul one way or another.” Maria pouted as she crossed her arms.

Meanwhile, Kuma is still hopping away farther, carrying his friends toward safety, with Rufus and Freedo following them behind heading toward to Nibel. "Don't worry, guys I promise you won't die... not on my watch!"


Chapter 9 ended.