Chương 30: The lost twin

A few weeks had passed since Thomas introduced them to Super Voyage Break. And despite all the training... They still hadn't mastered it quite yet. The morning sun hung over the guild's training yard. Mochi, Ace, and Amelia stood in the middle of the field, completely exhausted. Ace took a deep breath.

"Alright..."

"Again." His body suddenly ignited. Brilliant blue flames erupted around him as his magical energy surged. Ace leapt into the air and raised both hands. A massive sphere of blue fire began forming between his palms. Mochi looked up.

"Here we go!" Amelia nodded.

"Let's get it right this time!" The two rushed toward Ace from opposite sides. All three shouted together.

"MAGIC SKILL: SUPER VOYAGE BREAK!!" Mochi and Amelia extended their hands toward Ace's enormous blue fireball. Their magic began flowing into it Then.. The fireball suddenly disappeared. All three froze.

"..." Mochi's eye twitched. Ace's expression darkened. Amelia stared at her empty hands. Then.. All three collapsed onto the grass.

"Haaaah..."

"Haaaah..." Mochi stared at the sky.

"It's no use..." Ace sat up.

"Because you keep messing it up." Mochi's head snapped toward him.

"What did I do?!" Ace pointed at him.

"You're putting way too much energy into it!"

"You're trying to match my magical output."

"That's what's cancelling the technique out." Mochi frowned.

"Then what am I supposed to match?!"

"Amelia's output." Mochi stared at him.

"... What?" Ace sighed.

"You need to synchronize with Amelia's output, not mine." Mochi's eye twitched.

"Well maybe you should've said that before!"

"That could've saved us hours of failure!"

"Guys!" Amelia stepped between them.

"Maybe we should stop arguing..." Nearby, Thomas was sitting comfortably in a lawn chair. He was reading a magazine while sipping lemonade. He slowly lowered it.

"... They're going to kill each other before they master the technique I swear." Tony was sitting nearby with several books and alchemy equipment spread around him. He didn't even look up.

"You're probably right about that..." Thomas took another sip. Mochi stood back up.

"Alright." He cracked his knuckles.

"Let's do this again." Ace sighed.

"Fine." This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Amelia nodded.

"Okay." The three took their positions. Ace powered up once again. Blue flames erupted around him. He leapt upward. The enormous blue fireball began forming once again. Mochi and Amelia rushed toward him from opposite sides. Mochi looked toward Amelia.

"Match her output..." Amelia nodded.

"Don't overdo it." Mochi grinned.

"Got it." The three extended their hands.

"MAGIC SKILL: SUPER VOYAGE BREAK!" This time The energy didn't disappear. The blue fireball expanded. Mochi's eyes widened.

"IT WORKED!" Amelia's face lit up.

"We did it!" Ace smirked.

"It's about time.." The three looked at the massive attack. Then it suddenly began shaking. Ace's smile disappeared.

"... Uh." Mochi blinked.

"What?" The fireball began drifting sideways. Amelia's eyes widened.

"Wait..."

"It isn't going where we're aiming!" The gigantic blast slowly veered away from the training yard. Straight toward the forest. Amelia's face went pale.

"Oh no..." Mochi stared.

"Uh..." Amelia pointed.

"At this rate, it's going to burn down the forest!" Ace's eyes widened.

"Crap!" Thomas lowered his magazine.

"Well..." He took another sip of lemonade. He went to stand up to do something.. Suddenly... A flash of steel cut through the air. A hooded figure appeared directly in front of the runaway attack. He calmly drew a blade. Then... The Super Voyage Break was sliced clean in half. Everyone's eyes widened. The two halves separated. Then... The remaining energy exploded harmlessly high above the forest, creating a massive flash across the sky. Mochi's jaw dropped.

"..." Amelia stared.

"Did..."

"Did he just..." The hooded stranger landed gracefully in front of them. Thomas sat back down. His eyes narrowed with interest.

"Well..."

"Now this is an impressive fellow." Ace stared at the stranger.

"Who the hell is this guy?!" He looked toward the sky.

"That was Super Voyage Break!"

"Sure, it was incomplete..."

"But it's still no joke!" The stranger slowly sheathed his blade. Then he spoke.

"At last..." Everyone went silent.

"I've finally found you." His head turned toward Mochi.

"Mochi." Mochi pointed at himself.

"Me?" The stranger nodded. Mochi's expression became confused.

"How do you know my name?" The hooded man reached up. His fingers grasped the edge of his hood. Then slowly... He pulled it down. Everyone froze. Mochi's eyes widened. Tony stared. Even Thomas stopped drinking his lemonade. The stranger's face... Was identical to Mochi's. Same facial structure. Same eyes. Same hair color. Same hairstyle. The only major difference was that his hair was considerably longer, falling around his face and down toward his shoulders. Ace pointed at him.

"HE LOOKS JUST LIKE MOCHI?!" Amelia stared in disbelief.

"No kiddin'!"

"It's like someone made a clone of him!" Tony adjusted his glasses.

"That's... scientifically concerning." Mochi couldn't take his eyes off the stranger.

"No way..." He took a cautious step forward.

"There's no way..." The stranger's lips curled into a smirk. Mochi's eyes widened further. He knew that expression. That face. That voice.

"... Zeal?" The stranger's smirk widened.

"It's been a while, brother." Amelia stared between Mochi and Zeal, still trying to process what she was seeing.

"Wait..." She pointed at Zeal.

"You have a brother?!" Mochi nodded.

"Yeah." He gestured toward Zeal.

"Everyone, this is my twin brother, Zeal." Amelia's eyes widened.

"Your twin?!" She quickly composed herself and gave Zeal a polite bow.

"Uhm... nice to meet you." Zeal gave her a small smirk.

"The pleasure is mine." Ace folded his arms.

"Huh." He looked between the two brothers.

"He's way more polite than Mochi." Mochi's head snapped toward him.

"I heard that!" Thomas chuckled as he approached with Tony.

"Well, hello there, young man." He looked Zeal over.

"I couldn't help but overhear."

"You're Mochi's twin brother?" Zeal nodded.

"Yeah, I am." He extended his hand.

"My name is Zeal." Thomas smiled and shook it.

"Thomas."

"A pleasure to meet you." Tony raised his paw.

"And I'm Tony!" Zeal looked down at him.

"A talking dog?" Tony grinned.

"Yep." Zeal nodded thoughtfully.

"... Interesting." Mochi snickered. Zeal's expression became more serious.

"Anyways.."

"I came here because there's something I'd like to ask of you." Thomas raised an eyebrow.

"A request..." He glanced toward the others.

"Alright, then."

"Let's go inside and discuss this properly." Zeal nodded.

"Sounds good." Thomas turned toward the guild hall.

"Everyone, inside." The group moved inside, gathering around the dining table in the cozy living area. The room's warmth from the crackling fireplace contrasted sharply with the tense atmosphere that had suddenly descended. Zeal sat at the head of the table, his tall and broad frame giving him an air of authority. Mochi sat beside him, looking up at his brother with a mix of curiosity and anticipation.

Amelia, Tony, and Thomas leaned forward slightly, waiting to hear what Zeal had to say, while Ace stood at the back, arms crossed. Zeal took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the room before locking onto Mochi.

"I need your help, Mochi," he began, his tone grave. Mochi blinked in surprise.

"Help? With what?" Zeal's expression darkened.

"To take someone down. Someone dangerous." The group exchanged confused glances. Amelia furrowed her brows, her hands resting on the table.

"Who exactly are we talking about?" she asked. Zeal's voice was steady, but there was an edge of urgency as he spoke.

"A man by the name of Dr. Hogsthawt." The name echoed in the room like a thunderclap. Amelia and Tony shared a look of disbelief, while Thomas's face hardened. Even Ace, usually stoic, raised an eyebrow. But it was Mochi who spoke first.

"Dr. Hogsthawt... I feel like I've heard that name before," he muttered, his brows knitted together in thought. Zeal nodded grimly.

"You might have. Hogsthawt is a mad German scientist."

"A tyrant. A man who's climbed his way to the top of Mooresville by any means necessary."

"His dream is to mass-produce an army of robotic soldiers and use them to conquer mankind. And he's dangerously close to achieving that dream aswell." The room fell into stunned silence. Amelia clasped her hands tightly together, her voice trembling slightly.

"A robotic army? That's... horrifying." Tony leaned back in his chair, trying to process the gravity of the situation. Mochi then questioned..

"If this guy's such a threat, why don't you just take him down yourself, Zeal?"

"You seem more than capable for the job than I am." Zeal hesitated, glancing at Mochi before answering.

"That's the problem. I can't." Mochi tilted his head, confusion clear in his expression.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"Why not?" Zeal's jaw tightened. He placed his elbows on the table, interlocking his fingers as he explained.

"It's not about strength. It's about rules. I'm one of the Seven Sages." Amelia's eyes widened in recognition.

"The Seven Sages?"

"I've heard of them before.."

"You mean the legendary travelers?"

"The ones said to roam the world, Voyagers with immense power?" Zeal nodded.

"That's right."

"However, being a Sage comes with restrictions..."

"We're protected by the Government Tri commision and recieve funding yes..."

"Their protection is absolute, but it comes with a steep price." Thomas raised an eyebrow.

"And what's that price?" Zeal's gaze hardened.

"We're forbidden from engaging in direct conflict with one another." If a Sage attacks another Sage then.. we don't just lose protection."

"We become the IRS's number one target."

"I don't know how I feel having to live life with a target on my back..." The room fell silent again as everyone processed the enormity of the task ahead. Mochi clenched his fists, his determination shining through his expression.

"Alright""If this guy's as dangerous as you say, then count me in. I'll help." Amelia and Tony nodded in agreement.

"Us too," Amelia said firmly.

"We're not going to let some maniac take over the world with killer robots." Thomas calmly said"Well then" Zeal's shoulders relaxed slightly, a genuine smile breaking through his serious demeanor.

"Thank you. All of you. We'll set off for Mooresville now if that's okay."

"The quicker the easier"