Act: 21
Frozen in place, shocked to witness the sight that bared upon him. Staring at his camp in the distance watching as hordes of creatures aimlessly destroying and scouting the area as if they were in search of something. However, they looked like actual monsters, not any kind of animal. Dark tall blue, reptile-like with large gills sticking out from their face on both sides of their cheeks, and in one hand they carried an arrowhead-tipped spear and some with short swords, jabbing, slashing around the trees and bushes within the area.
'What the hell... There's no way that's considered a forest monster I have seen. Hmm… Could they be from what I saw deep within the cave... No. That's not the same body shape I saw from that shadow or what I heard.'
A few of them huddled around looking at the little bags Shizu had left out in the open and some which were hidden. The bags contained his spare food alongside some other stuff that he planned to use later. With their mischievous behavior, they tore open his bags seeing only food. Upset with what they found they started kicking the meat away with their bill-toed feet and continued searching...
Shizu looked confused, not sure if he was wanting to approach the horde. Still exhausted, drained from his time in the cave. In his current condition, he would surely have a hard time taking down three at once or maybe even one depending on how strong they are. He thought to himself again and decided it would be best for him to find a different place to stay for the night, hoping they would dissipate by morning.
*Voowsh*
As Shizu proceeded to turn around and look for someplace else to stay, a loud noise came from behind him not once but twice, startling him. He looked back quickly to see two of the hooded figures from last time standing in the middle of where the monsters were.
'Two of them! Why the hell are they back again!? The monsters are not even fazed or bothering to attack... Forget all that- I wanted answers from our last encounter and I will not let them get away from me this time!'
Desperate for his answers Shizu didn't think twice about approaching them and stopped from going the opposite way and ran right straight towards them shouting.
"Hey! You! Don't you dare move from that spot, I have questions to ask you freaks and I want answers!"
As he shouted, the group of monsters that were searching around turned and gathered their attention to where Shizu was, proceeding to squeal while rushing at him. Although one of the monsters jumped out of the bush to his right, with its spear directly at his face.
Shizu's caught off guard, slowly turned to see the monster about to stake him in the head.
"Shit!"
With heavy fatigue, he obviously couldn't react to the monster in time, and falling backward was his only choice to avoid getting stabbed.
*Voowsh*
The hooded figure appeared standing behind the monster. Reaching their hand out and grabbing the monster by its head, in an instant, they popped its head like a balloon splashing its brain and remains that covered their glove and the rest over his face and clothes. The other monsters that were charging at Shizu stopped moving and stood in place after seeing their master kill one of their own kind in front of them, feared and confused wondering if that wasn't the right target they were assigned to hunt.
"Hmph."
"Are you serious right now!? More guts on me, I've had enough of that already!"
*Voow-*
"Wait!"
*-sh*
He looked behind frantically to see the hooded figure back to where they had originally been standing as if nothing happened and somehow in the exact same spot as if they never moved.
"Ok... One second then. You better wait right there for me!"
Wiping the blood and chunks off his face. Then immediately removing any remains from his shirt with both hands. He couldn't waste an opportunity and started to loot the headless monster lying on the ground. Once he finished, all that was collected from it again was more meat that he decided to save for later and an odd blue stone he didn't pay any mind to.
The hooded figures waited patiently to see what he had to offer, wondering why the Master was so intrigued. Finally making his way to them Shizu looked at both while maintaining a safe distance and this time aware also keeping a small eye on the other monsters that stood like statues. This time he was ready for anything even if it drained him.
Shizu noticed a slight difference in the hooded figures, they were not all the same, the one on his right could be around 4'9 and the other one on his left was slightly taller. Opening his mouth, he spoke first to break the ominous silence between them.
"So...! I finally caught you! Explain yourself. What did you mean when I first met you! Well, that one of course!"
"..."
The voice of a calm stern woman spoke from his left...
"Catching us? Not likely at all, you see I allowed myself to stay here and keep you alive under my Master's orders. And to answer your question I haven't spoken to you at all until now. So, I am unable to help you there."
Shizu still kept his guard up and looked slightly confused.
"If it wasn't you! Then it had to be you over there who's not saying anything!"
The one on his right spoke with a somewhat insane tone to her voice.
"Nope. You've got the wrong person; it seems you're out of luck. Say Kyoko what do we have to do with this kid anyways can't we just kill him already. I bet the Master can find another. I would love to make some Art out of him!"
Kyoko glanced back over at her with an irritated expression.
"Don't get so comfortable now. First off "Yumi!" Refrain from saying our names so carelessly and second if you didn't want to join you could've continued collecting Stars, the Master needs him alive."
"Collecting Stars! Just who the hell are you people, and you keep saying this Master person. I'm not some trophy of yours, Master, or grunt. I'll take that guy down and you! Make it the both of you!"
Kyoko sighed.
"You are our trophy, you know. Dancing in our palms, If I wanted to, I could let these monsters of mine rip you apart, down to the bone and you wouldn't be able to do a thing."
'These are her monsters... I've never been so confused in my life right now, first the cave and now these guys, ugh what a pain this has been, I don't even know if these guys can answer my questions. How many are there...?'
"How are you controlling them? That's impossible, monsters should be from another world. And unable to wander around carefree!"
Kyoko chuckled briefly.
"So much you don't know, lucky you. The truth won't be so pleasant when you find out. So why don't you just join us and learn the easy way? Saves us both time."
Shizu, was still confused by what he had heard. Raised one eyebrow easing out a sigh.
"Why the hell would I join you? I don't think I'm going to be in good hands especially if you think I'm just some trophy, tool, or whatever!?"
Yumi stepped forward and slowly began to approach Shizu. A faint sinister feeling of energy was emitting from her and as she got closer it worsened. Way worse than any monster he ever encountered so far.
"I know you can sense it better than any other human or Ranker. I really think you have no other choice. I'm pretty sure the Master won't be too upset if you are missing a few limbs. He he he."
"Get close all you want, you, your Master, and miss trophy Koy-. Whoever you may be like hell I'll let you take my limbs or capture me. I will just take you both down even if I'm in this condition!"
Shizu bent his knees slightly, getting into a stance ready to attack anything that would be a surprise or straightforward attack.
"Yumi stop. That's enough, I would like to not upset the Master if he does want his limbs intact. He will lose everything-"
Kyoko glares him in the eye, making sure she has his attention.
"A failure of a child no one cares about, your friends, teacher, Shishou, and that pink-haired slut. None, nobody! Ah ha ha! The only thing you stand for is being a tool, in the end, dire to be used by everyone!"
Shizu's eyes widened, flaring with anger. Recklessly letting his emotions provoke him. Within seconds he dashed around Yumi and ran straight to Kyoko.
"Who the hell do you think you are talking to like that, like hell you know anything about my Shishou or my friends!"
"Humph. You're the one who doesn't know your surroundings well. Totally unaware of who really is by your side and who isn't."
Leaning slightly back with his left arm he went for the strike to her face delivering a devastating punch.
"...Canvas Corpus..."
*Smack*
"Now now, where are your manners? Haven't you heard it's wrong to hit a lady?"
Yumi appeared right in front of a Shizu with half of her body sticking outside of a huge canvas dripping with paint inside and to what seemed to be an empty void.
*Crack*
Although when she caught his punch her wrist snapped, breaking backward from the sheer impact, and causing her bone to stick out from her wrist.
"Ho."
Shizu pushed his body a bit further putting more effort into the punch trying to launch her and that canvas away from him. For some odd reason, the more strength he released nothing was moving or sending her backward.
"Why the hell aren't you moving! Argh! Move dammit, what the hell are you made of steel!"
'It must be that canvas that is halting her movement but is she seriously going to sit and let me continue opening her wound. If it goes on any longer, I'll end up making her hand fall off.'
Shizu decided to put in even more strength than before.
"Who cares even if I make your wrist fall off, one less hand I have to worry about!"
*Sigh*
Exaggerating her sigh, Yumi proceeded to roll her eyes in front of Shizu before turning her head and looking at Kyoko. Her tone went from usually loud and insane but now it became serious and irritated.
"This kid is way beyond not worth our time. You won't even need to bother using your Star on him; it would be an honest waste. How can the Master see him as important."
She looked back at Shizu, dead in his eyes.
A voice coming from behind him with the same tone as Yumi was heard.
"I don't see why I just don't kill you right now? Who the hell would miss your weak ass. That was the most pathetic punch I've ever seen in my life."
His eyes slightly widened as he started to realize the Yumi in front of him, slowly melting like paint falling from down a canvas and now onto the grass creating a puddle of mixed colors.
Turning around he sees another Yumi standing with an incoming punch, landing a direct hit on his jaw sending him into a tree and denting the bark which causes it to bend forward a little.
*Ach!*
"That's all you've got kid! That punch you landed should've destroyed my portrait copy, I put little to no energy into it hoping to show off more of my Star! I wanted you to entertain me. Just so you know that copy had durability no better than a weak old tree I just knocked you into."
She walked closer to his curled-up body on the ground which had him grunting in minor pain and discomfort, everything hitting him all at once.
"All this training you're so-called doing... What did you achieve, what progress have you made so far. Huh? Because it sure seems like you made nothing change, pathetic."
Reaching down she grabs him by the shirt, lifting him upwards, taking a good look at his miserable face and left eye bruised shut with blood dripping from it.
"So light, all that blood loss sure is paying off huh."
"..."
A pause while she stared at him, and he had no type of reaction or struggle.
"I've decided. You're better off dead, Master can find someone new to replace you. Sleep forever you disgrace of art!"
*Stab*