Elucard dashed through the training forest, once known as the Black Rabbit’s Blood Forest. With each passing tree in his way he juked to the side and used his Magi to form several leaves to send them forth at a target board hanging on the tree.

At first the leaves flew no further than inches from his hand, but as he concentrated on their shape harder, he was able to make each leaf stronger in structure, smoother in texture, and sharper on the edges. Essentially he transformed the leaves into daggers. An unlimited, hidden supply of daggers that came to him at his beckon call. With his new arsenal of weapons, he continued to practice.

Elucard leaped into the air and scrambled up a tree. He closed his eyes and imagined the trunk to warp and shape foot holds so that he could climb the tree faster than before. To his pleasure the tree listened. Once reaching the top he jumped off the top most branch and sailed through the air. Before landing on a bough he extended his hand and shot out a coil of vine that whipped around the tree branch. Elucard stiffened with the vine with his weight and swung across the ground, scraping the dirt with his heels. The momentum and speed that he gathered with his maneuver allowed him to toss his body forward and summersault towards a straw target shaped like an enemy body.

The assassin drew his ninjato and to his surprise it already flared with the Magi. Flickering emerald magic, it ebbed and weaved around the blade. Elucard smirked and within an instant he sliced through the target dummy, cleaner and slicker than his sword could ever hope to have done so.

Elucard took a knee. His Magi arm pulsed with pain and flooded once more with the ice cold sensation. He grabbed his wrist in discomfort. A welcoming voice called out to him.

His apprentice, Kyzo Haze strolled up from behind him, along with Elucard’s former right hand man, the tiger-like, Lear Crescenteye.

“Master, we missed you at the Mystic Fang for lun—” Kyzo stopped his sentence short and peered at Elucard’s strange new arm.

“Elucard, why is your arm glowing?” asked Lear, just as concerned as Kyzo.

Elucard grew a wry smile. How could he possibly hide his arm forever? “I’ve been selected to be Koda’s personal guardian—an elemental shroud for his new journey across the world.”

“So…this is part of becoming an elemental…shadow, was it?” asked Kyzo.

Elucard glanced at his colorful limb then looked back to Kyzo. “Shroud. No, this was more of an accident. Apparently I was meant to get a small dose of a mage’s magic, but Koda pumped me with too much.”

“So what can you do with this new found power?” asked Lear.

Elucard formed a red apple in his palm. “Hungry?” He tossed it to the yikahti’s open claws. “Here, try it.”

Lear sniffed the apple before taking a nibble. “It tastes like a real apple!”

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Elucard chuckled. “At first I didn’t know what to think of my powers, but I find them pretty useful. Can you imagine if I had shadow magic?”

“Boy, that would be useful!” laughed Kyzo.

Lear frowned and bent his ears back. “However, now is a poor time to be a mage.”

Elucard raised a brow. “What do you mean, Lear?”

Lear folded his arms. “You should get briefed by Captain Silvertail about this, but do you recall an underground radical group called the Spellbreakers?”

Elucard scratched the side of his face. “It’s been a while, but I do believe they were a concern we watched out for with the Anti-Rogue Ops.”

Lear nodded. “You should talk to Mave, they could be a threat.”

“Worldwide?” asked Elucard in doubt.

Lear nodded again.

“Then perhaps I will visit the harekin,” decided Elucard

***

Elucard found Mave in her ARO office. It once served as Wiccer’s office. Despite training, co-founding, and co-leading the Anti-Rogue Ops, Elucard was never graced with his own place of business. He never found pleasure in frivolous things such as dress uniforms, offices, or military balls. As a hardened assassin trained in the most brutal of regiments, the mission’s success was his office or military ball.

With a quick rap at the door with his gloved left hand. Mave’s upbeat sing-song voice gave him permission to enter. The Harekin captain stood up quickly and walked around her desk to greet her elven friend. Elucard gave her a wide grin. She pulled off the black armor and red cloak ARO attire very well. Not only this, but the limp she received from her battle with the fierce draconian, Ro-Tan, was barely noticeable at this point. Elucard spotted her famous cavalier hat resting on the corner of her oak desk. No longer the SMO deep blue, this time the hat was dyed deep crimson red.

“How are you doing Cap’n?” Mave said with an overjoyed smile.

“Retired, Mave,” corrected Elucard. “But I’ve been fine,” he lied.

Mave gave him a swift hug and ruffled his hair with her furry hand, leaving it a static mess. Mave inspected his freshly tailored and pressed bright blue doublet. “Still not an elf of taste, eh, Elucard?”

Elucard gave her a scowl before changing the subject. “I need to be briefed on the Spellbreaker menace that Koda may face.”

Mave nodded and gestured for Elucard to take a seat before sitting down at her desk. “The Spellbreakers have gone from a quiet concern, banging around in the underground to worldwide terrorist organization.”

“How big are we talking about? A hundred members? And what is their cause?”

Mave leaned forward and rested her snout on her hands. “They are at least five hundred strong. We don’t know their actual numbers or who leads them, but we do know their cause.”

Elucard’s mouth gaped open from the Spellbreaker’s size. “They were so small less than a year ago. How could they have grown so fast? What are they hoping to accomplish?”

“We believe they wish to eliminate the Mage Academy, or something to that degree. Either way, Koda is in grave danger if he sets off on this journey.”

“So you know of the king's trip across the world?” asked Elucard.

“I make it my business to know everything that goes on in this country.”

The elf nodded. “Very wise.”

“But if he still must go, I think he is in safe hands with a psychopath like you guarding him,” teased Mave.

Elucard bowed. Despite her insult, Mave was right. Koda was in good hands, or so he hoped.