The mutant stood tall in the courtyard of the Shaolin Temple, draped in shadowy garments that fluttered faintly in the breeze. His pale white eyes locked onto Ikazuchi with eerie intensity.
"Yo, Element of Thunder!" the mutant said with a crooked smile.
Ikazuchi's eyes narrowed, his fists clenching. Electricity crackled faintly around his arms.
"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded.
The mutant didn't flinch. He stood eerily still, his expression unreadable – until that smile widened.
Then he spoke.
"Calm me…"
CHARACTER INTRDOCUTION
Name: Ghost
Age: Unknown
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: White
Height: 5'6
Weight: 159lbs
Occupation: Unknown
"Ghost, huh?" Ikazuchi scoffed, letting out a cold laugh. "That's a stupid name."
He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. "Not that your name's gonna matter."
Ghost raised a brow, intrigued. "Oh? And why's that?"
Suddenly–
Ikazuchi's eyes snapped open, two fingers aimed forward like a gun.
"LIGHTNING GUNSHOT!"
With a sharp flick, a bolt of lightning surged forward, ripping through the courtyard with thunderous force.
But Ghost didn't move.
Didn't dodge.
Didn't blink.
His body began to fade – his entire torso becoming translucent.
The lightning passed straight through him.
BOOM!
It struck a tree in the distance, splintering it apart in a burst of sparks and smoke. Monks around the courtyard scattered in panic.
Ikazuchi's eyes widened.
"W-What?!"
Ghost's torso reformed before his eyes, seamless and smooth, as if he'd never been hit.
"C'mon, Thunder," Ghost smirked. "You think something like that could take me out?"
Ikazuchi gritted his teeth. Sparks danced across his skin.
"Then how about this?" He slammed his hand against the ground.
"ELECTRIC TERRAIN!"
A surge of electricity erupted from beneath him, spreading like a web of crackling veins across the stone floor. Arcs of lightning writhed through the courtyard, lightning up the temple walls with radiant pulses of raw power.
And Ghost?
Still standing.
Still smirking.
Then – his body shimmered and sank into the ground, completely phasing through the electric terrain as if he were made of mist.
Ikazuchi spun in place, eyes darting across the courtyard.
"Where the hell did he go?!"
Then–
"Hi."
A whisper at his ear.
Ikazuchi turned – to slow.
BAM!
A fist slammed into his stomach with brutal force.
"Gah–!"
Ikazuchi crumpled to his knees, choking for breath, arms wrapped around his gut.
Ghost stood over him, calm as ever, his pale white eyes glinting with amusement.
"Not bad, Thunder," he said softly. "But you're gonna have to do a lot better than that."
Ikazuchi raised his head, glaring at Ghost through gritted teeth, fury in his eyes.
Ghost suddenly clapped his hands slowly, the sound echoing through the courtyard. "How about this…" he said with a smirk. "While you're still down there, struggling to breath, why don't I explain my ability?"
Then–
KRSHHH!
A tendril of wood erupted from the stone floor, twisting toward Ghost like a serpent. But before it could touch him–
Ghost's body shimmered, and he phased clean through the wooden vine, stepping back casually.
"Who's there?" Ghost barked, his voice now sharper.
Ikazuchi's eyes narrowed as he looked at the wooden tendril.
"Wood…?"
He knew instantly who it was.
He turned–
And there, rushing across the courtyard, was Moriya.
"Moriya!" Ikazuchi called out.
"I heard lightning when I was reading the scrolls," Moriya said, running to him. "I figured it was you. So I came to help."
Moriya grabbed Ikazuchi's arm, pulling him to his feet.
"You alright?" Moriya asked, checking him over quickly.
Ikazuchi nodded. "Yeah. I'm good."
Clap… clap… clap…
Both of them turned toward Ghost, who was now applauding mockingly.
"What the hell are you clapping at?" Ikazuchi growled.
Ghost grinned. "It's just… amusing. You–" he pointed at Ikazuchi, "–have so much power… and yet you still need help?"
Lightning crackled violently across Ikazuchi's arms as he clenched his fists in fury.
Moriya placed a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Ikazuchi. He's trying to use your anger against you."
Ghost shifted his hand toward Moriya. "And you–" he said with a sneer, "–it's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking."
Then–
"HYDRO VORTEX!"
A spiralling torrent of water surged toward Ghost like a crashing wave.
But Ghost didn't flinch.
Still standing.
Still composed.
And then, like mist caught in the win, he phased again. The water passed right through him.
Ghost turned his head toward the new voice.
"Who's there now?" he asked, almost amused.
Ikazuchi, Moriya, and Ghost turned in unison.
It was Haruto.
He stood at the edge of the courtyard, his pouch open, chest heaving from exertion – sweat mixing with the mist still clinging to his hair.
"It's Haruto," Ikazuchi said, almost in relief.
Haruto jogged toward them. "Are… you guys okay?" he asked, panting.
Ghost grinned. "Well, well, well. Another Element shows up. Today must be my lucky day."
Haruto reached them, glancing from Ghost to his teammates. "What's this guy's deal?"
Ikazuchi turned to him. "We're not sure, but none of my attacks are landing. They just… pass through him."
Haruto blinked. "What?"
"Yeah," Moriya echoed. "What do you mean 'pass through'?"
"I mean exactly that," Ikazuchi said. "All my attacks… they just went right through his body."
Ghost clapped once more. "That's right!"
The three of them turned to face him again.
"He's completely correct. None of his attacks could touch me."
Ghost smiled wide, baring teeth now.
"That's because…" he said with a theatrical bow, "my mutant ability is Permaeation."
Their eyes widened.
"Permeation?" Moriya repeated.
"Exactly," Ghost said smoothly. "Permeation allows me to phase through solid objects by shifting my molecular state, making me intangible for short bursts."
He spread his arms like he was presenting a magic trick.
"With it, I can walk through walls… evade any attacks… and vanish into the environment like mist."
He grinned.
"Which is why the leader gave me the name – Ghost."
After Ghost finished explaining his mutant ability – Permeation – to the Elements, a heavy silence fell across the courtyard.
That is, until Ikazuchi broke it.
"…So that's why none of my attacks were landing."
He made a nervous smile, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Damn it… How are we supposed to fight someone when all our attacks will just go straight through him?"
"It doesn't matter," Moriya said firmly.
Ikazuchi turned to him, surprised. "Huh?"
Moriya stepped forward, eyes calm and focused. "If there's anything I've learned from fighting Shifter and Velocity… it's this – every mutant has a weakness."
"And it's up to us to find it," Haruto added, stepping up beside him.
Ikazuchi looked at them both – first Moriya, then Haruto – before nodding and taking a deep breath.
"Fine. Then let's take him down."
Haruto and Moriya nodded, and the three of them turned to face Ghost, who still stood with his arms crossed, watching them with quiet amusement.
Haruto smirked. "Let's do this – HYDRO VORTEX!"
Water burst from Haruto's pouch, spiralling upward in a twisting cyclone. The liquid churned wildly, and then – like a dam breaking – it collapsed forward. Becoming a roaring vortex that surged toward Ghost with elemental fury.
"LEAF STORM!" Moriya shouted.
From the nearby trees, a flurry of sharpened leaves exploded into the air, spinning with blinding speed. Each one shimmered with a natural energy, their edges glowing a fierce emerald as they converged in a lethal whirlwind toward Ghost.
Ikazuchi stepped forward, raising two fingers with intense focus.
"LIGHTNING GUNSHOT!"
A sharp flick of his fingers – the air tightened, crackling with raw energy – and a concentrated bolt of lightning screamed from his hand with a deafening THUNDERCLAP. The electric spear moved faster than sound, cutting through the air like a railgun.
Ghost's eyes widened.
"Shi–!" he hissed.
The leaf storm came first – and Ghost's body shimmered just in time. He phased, and the glowing leaves passed harmlessly through his body.
But then came the lightning.
Rather than phasing, Ghost dodged it – a clean, sudden side-step. The lightning bolt roared past him, shattering the stone behind him in a violent explosion.
And then – the cyclone of water.
As the roar of the vortex neared., Ghost didn't wait. His entire body faded once more, phasing straight through the ground as the water thundered above him.
"He's underground!" Ikazuchi shouted.
"Stay sharp!" Moriya called. "He could come out from anywhere!"
Haruto and Ikazuchi nodded, the three of them now standing back-to-back, scanning the courtyard.
Then – in a sudden, soundless ripple – Ghost emerged, phasing up from the ground directly behind Haruto, his fist drawn back, ready to strike.
But Haruto didn't hesitate.
He spun around, already drawing from his pouch, forming a shimmering blade of liquid.
"Liquid Slash!"
Ghost's eyes went wide. He jerked back – but not fast enough. The watery blade slashed across his cheek, drawing blood.
A red line bloomed along his face as he phased through the ground once again vanishing.
Haruto let out a short chuckle. "Training with the monks was worth it."
Ikazuchi snapped toward him in disbelief. "WHAT?! HOW?! You only trained with them for half an hour!"
While Ikazuchi grilled Haruto about his sudden progress, Ghost re-emerged, phasing up a few metres away, clutching the side of his cheek.
His smile was gone.
"They're better than I expected," he thought grimly, eyes narrowing on Haruto. "Especially the Element of Water…"
Then – he smirked again.
"No matter. I'll just take out the other two first."
His gaze locked onto Moriya and Ikazuchi. Cold. Calculated.
The real fight… was just beginning.
Meanwhile…
In the refectory of the Shaolin Temple, Hikaru and Reito sat side by side at a long wooden table, steam rising from their simple meal. Bowls of tofu and rice sat before them, paired with a mixture of five neatly arranged vegetables – lotus root, bok choy, carrots, mushrooms, and daikon.
Hikaru poked at his food with his chopsticks, his expression less than thrilled.
"Um… Reito?" he asked cautiously.
Reito glanced over, still calmly chewing. "Hmm?"
"Do you… eat this every day?"
"Yep," Reito replied without hesitation, popping another piece of tofu into his mouth.
Hikaru blinked. "Do you not get bored of it?"
"Nope," Reito said again, unfazed.
Hikaru just stared at his half-finished bowl, sighing quietly. His taste buds longed for his mother's homemade miso soup and teriyaki salmon.
Then–
"So… Hikaru."
Hikaru turned to him. "What is it, Reito?"
"Teshii mentioned something earlier. I think he called it… the Order of the Elements."
Hikaru blinked, caught a bit off guard. "Um… yeah. What about it?"
Reito set down his chopsticks, his blue eyes genuinely curious. "Can you tell me more about it?"
"Oh… sure," Hikaru said, sitting up a little straighter, trying to recall how Teshii usually explained it. "Well, the Order of the Elements is… uh… a secret organization."
Reito nodded slowly, waiting for more.
"They… search for ten Elemental Warriors."
"Ten Elemental Warriors?" Reito echoed.
"Yeah." Hikaru began counting off on his fingers. "So far, we have me – the Element of Light, Haruto – the Element of Water, Moriya – Element of Wood, Ikazuchi – the Element of Thunder, and you – the Element of Ice."
He paused, trying to recall the remaining ones. "Then the rest are Fire, Earth, Air, Steel, and Darkness."
Reito leaned back slightly, absorbing the information. "I see."
Then something crossed his mind.
"How about Teshii? Isn't he an Element too?"
Hikaru smiled and shook his head. "Nah. Teshii's more like our trainer, our guide. He teaches us how to control our powers, strategize, and deal with battle situations."
Reito looked back down at his rice, quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I understand now."
Hikaru smiled softly. "It's weird, I guess. We all came from different places… but the Order brought us together."
Then–
The door to the refectory burst open with a loud clack!
Hikaru and Reito both snapped their heads toward it.
A monk stood in the doorway, chest heaving, face flushed with urgency. His eyes darted around the room until they landed on Reito.
"Reito!" he called out, nearly stumbling as he rushed toward him.
Reito immediately stood up, concern flashing across his face as he took in the monk's panicked expression. "What's wrong?"
The monk struggled to catch his breath. "There's… four… people… fighting in the courtyard."
"Fighting?" Reito's tone sharpened. "What kind of people?"
The monk nodded quickly, still panting. "Three of them… they're controlling water, wood, and thunder!"
Hikaru's eyes widened.
"Haruto, Moriya, and Ikazuchi?" he thought, heart racing.
"And the fourth…" The monk hesitated, eyes narrowing as he tried to recall. "He looked… strange."
"Strange?" Reito asked. "How so?"
"I… I don't kn–f"
Before the monk could finish, Hikaru stood up abruptly, cutting him off.
"It might be a mutant," he said firmly.
Reito turned to him, startled. "A mutant?"
"I'll explain everything later," Hikaru said quickly, already heading toward the door. "But right now, we need to get to Haruto, Moriya, and Ikazuchi."
Reito stared at Hikaru for a second, then gave a sharp nod. "Let's go."
Without wasting another moment, the two bolted from the refectory, feet echoing against the stone floors they raced to the courtyard – where battle awaited.
Back to the Battle…
The clash between the Elements – Haruto, Moriya, and Ikazuchi – and Ghost raged on in the courtyard of the Shaolin Temple.
The Elements were breathing heavily, visibly overwhelmed and struggling to keep up.
Ghost, in contrast, stood completely still – arms crossed, face unreadable, barely a scratch on him, beside the cut on his cheek caused by Haruto.
"Look at that," Ghost said with a smirk. "Already tired."
Ikazuchi gritted his teeth, electricity crackling along his arms. "No…!"
But suddenly, his body gave out. He collapsed to one knee, gasping.
"Ikazuchi!" Haruto and Moriya called out in unison.
"Damn it…" Ikazuchi growled, clutching his side.
Ghost's eerie white eyes widened, and his sinister grin returned.
Then – without warning – he charged.
Haruto and Moriya immediately stepped forward.
Haruto swept his hand through the air, water spiralling into a compact, glowing sphere of dense pressure. Then, with a flick of his fingers–
BOOM!
The orb launched like a liquid missile toward Ghost.
At the same time, Moriya slammed his hand on the ground. "ROOT SNARE!"
Vines burst from the earth, racing to entangle Ghost's legs.
But the mutant didn't flinch.
The water orb phased right through him as if he were a ghost – literally.
And the vines?
Ghost simply leapt into the air with unnatural agility, evading them completely.
"What?!" Moriya gasped.
Ghost soared above them – then descended fast, grinning as he fell directly toward Ikazuchi.
Before anyone could react, he landed hard, grabbed Ikazuchi by the ankles – and phased.
"What the–?!" Ikazuchi shouted as his lower body vanished through the ground.
Ghost phased halfway into the stone floor, dragging Ikazuchi down with him. Only Ikazuchi's upper body remained above the surface – his legs completely trapped.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Ikazuchi roared.
Moriya spun toward him, panic in his voice. "IKAZUCHI!"
He raised his hand, commanding the roots beneath the ground to reach Ikazuchi and help pull him free.
But–
BAM!
Ghost burst from the ground under Moriya and drove his fist into Moriya's stomach.
Moriya doubled over, falling to his knees, breath knocked out of him.
Ghost stood tall, looking between Moriya and the half-buried Ikazuchi.
Then, slowly, he turned his gaze to the last one standing.
Haruto.
Haruto's eyes widened.
Ghost's voice was casual, smug. "Now that these two are out of the way… it's just you and me, Element of Water."
Haruto didn't hesitate. Water spiralled from his pouch, dancing around him in smooth, controlled arcs. He was ready.
Then–
BOOM!
A blast of light energy slammed into Ghost from behind, sending him flying backward into a tree.
But instead of hitting it, he phased right through and vanished underground.
Haruto blinked. "What was that?"
"HARUTO! MORIYA! IKAZUCHI!"
They all turned toward the voice.
It was Hikaru.
He was running across the courtyard toward them, and behind him – Reito.
"Hikaru!" Haruto called out, relief flooding his voice.
"Are you guys okay?" Reito asked.
Before Haruto could respond–
"DO I LOOK OKAY?" Ikazuchi shouted from the ground, still stuck waist-deep in the stone floor.
Hikaru and Reita stared at him, dumbfounded.
"Um… Ikazuchi… what happen–"
"DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HAPPENED! JUST GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
Before anyone could move, Ghost rose slowly from the ground again – eyes narrowed, teeth gritted.
"Damn it," he muttered. "Didn't see that attack coming…"
"So… that's the mutant, huh?"
Before Hikaru could say anything else–
"You must be the one causing the strange things in the temple."
"Huh?" Hikaru looked at Reito, surprised by the sudden accusation.
Reito's face was serious. "Right before you all arrived… odd things were happening around the temple. People were tripping over nothing. Sacred scrolls were going missing and reappearing in strange places."
He turned to Ghost.
"It must've been him."
Hikaru narrowed his eyes, turning to face Ghost.
Ghost only laughed.
"Yes… that's right," he said gleefully. "It was me."
Reito's tone sharpened. "What do you want from this temple?"
Ghost raised his hand, pointing at them all.
"What do you think?" His grin widened. "It's obvious. I want the Elements."
A tense silence fell over the courtyard.
Then–
"Well then."
Hikaru and Haruto turned to Reito. His eyes were closed.
"If it's the Elements you want…" Reito opened his eyes slowly – calm, cold.
"Then come and get them."
Ghost's expression twisted with excitement. He leaned forward, poised to strike.
And Reito?
His arms began to freeze over with crackling, layered frost.
His blue eyes gleamed.
The Element of Ice was ready.