Act: 29
The walls were no longer able to hold their structure and started to fracture causing the ceiling to fall onto him. Shizu turned around running out of the room and back to where he had fought those creatures. Even in that room, the walls were collapsing. Leaping over the rubble that came from above he managed to not get hit by anything else, thanks to his improved movement capabilities, once he reached the door that started it all, jumping up and kicking it with his right leg, destroying it in the process. He stopped to turn around when he landed and stared as the entire area was caved in, though that wasn't the end, the entire cave began to collapse on top of it. The sound of all the other monsters could be heard clear as day, the sound of their clashing assuming that some monsters had been fighting amongst each other and others screeching because the rocks may have collapsed on top of them or worse.
Shizu wasted no time and ran forward, thinking that trying to go up would be pointless because he would most likely end up being smothered by the rocks. He hoped that the same light would bring him out like the last time he entered the place.
No other monsters were seen since he was at the deepest level of the cave. Not only finding no light to get him out. His heart rate started to increase as he panicked, while going forward some routes were blocked off by the rubble. He had no other choice but to keep forward or take another route, going back was out of the question because there wasn't anything behind anymore, and if he slowed down, he would be caught and crushed to death.
"Oh, please God help me! Why aren't there any other ways leading out!"
He became more anxious by the second.
The route became much narrower and fewer opposing paths showed. He didn't stop running until a huge part of the wall fell forward in front of him forcing him to stop and slide slightly, dashing to his left into a smaller pathway that led him to a dead end. He quickly turned around hoping to go that other pathway on his right. But it was too late, that area already caved in, and his fate met an end as he looked up and saw huge chunks of rocks falling on top of him.
His body froze. Forcing himself to move the only thing that came to mind was punching the rocks. Looking up he punched with everything he had, continuously striking over and over, doing that started to turn the rocks into pebbles, which began to fill all the way up to his ankles. Over and over more rocks fell onto him.
'I can't keep going... My body hurts too much to continue doing this... All this fighting and punching is wearing on my body… My arms are even too numb to feel.'
His body finally gave in. The pure stress and overload he forced on his body to withstand finally gave out and Shizu dropped his arms staring up at the rocks as they fell down crushing and piled upon him.
Outside of the entrance of where the cave was, it closed shut and the ground sunk in. Soon coming to an end indicating that the cave fully collapsed, showed no signs of ever entering or exiting it ever again. It completely merged with the ground, and all monsters residing inside died. And the ancient room turned to nothing, unable to surface information regarding its mysteries.
A person in a dark robe with an hourglass in their left hand stood in front of the cave, shaking their head.
"I assume I should take it from him? After all, he's dead and this was one of the things that were needed. Now to mention all of this to the Master? I wonder what his reaction will be?"
"Activate, Hourglass V."
Her hourglass lit up a clear color and with her right hand she reached out, the clear energy spewed out like a string going up to her hand. And with a flash of that same energy, it had seeped into the ground where the cave was, lighting up the floor. A few seconds passed by as her string was searching for something. A glint of the same energy started to flash further in the distance, walking over to where it was shining. Her power levitated some of the rocks and gravel and in a bubble coated with her energy was the same small silver crystal covered in fresh blood. Placing it in her hands she quickly turned around after hearing a noise and feeling the presence of strong Star energy.
*Voowsh*
The Master appeared behind her walking over to her, with his palm facing out. She quickly placed the crystal in his hands and the Master had put it in his pocket.
A super faint and muffled sound came from the ground.
"Give... It- Back! Don't yo-u dare-."
The Master spoke, responding to the voice.
"Don't disappoint me, boy. Prove your worth and get out. Then I will consider giving it to you. To which reminds me you do have a tournament coming up. Win it. For now, I will be using it for its main purpose. Power and my future."
The Master walked around.
"How Da-re you! You- Bastard!"
"A dead being that's holding onto a pointless life, screaming only for its power to be used. It should give up on living, it's far overdue. You have two hours to get out alive and if you do so I will refrain from using it until your tournament and if you win it, I will return it unused. If you fail, however. I will use every ounce of its strength and break it into a million pieces, so it'll never return. This damn."
Underneath the rocks, the Master saw a bloody hand with chipped nails sticking out reaching for the crystal.
"I said give it back-!"
The Master walked up to his hand. Ferociously stomping on it. His hand resisted but soon dropped and stopped moving.
"Times, ticking. Shizu. Prove that your parents didn't fail when making you. Please let me be right in seeing that you have much more to value."
*Voowsh*
The voice became distant.
"I'm still here for you after all I did not leave. Like-"
And like that, the Master disappeared. She looked back at Shizu's hand which hadn't moved.
"Hm. Sorry."
*Voowsh*
She disappeared leaving him alone in the rubble.
[ Your time starts now ]
The Master's faint voice echoed throughout his head, knowing that he couldn't sit around and do nothing; he did not have the time to do so. But he couldn't move no matter how hard he tried, his body was unresponsive, and with the sheer pain he had to endure all this time no one wouldn't mind giving up. He himself wasn't sure if he was fully conscious or if it was something else moving his will to continue.
- - - -
The organization's hideout.
The Master stood, staring out of a large window looking over a particular part of Japan. He stood waiting as the other members all arrived, along with the newest member Un.
Yumi quickly ran over to her sofa jumping and laying on her stomach. Kyoko walked over to their mini bar, sitting down, and asking for their bartender to give her a drink while glancing at the Master. Saburo casually leaned up against the wall and stared at the Master. Un walked over to the table by the sofa with two large bags in his hands and sat them down.
The Master spoke without turning around.
"Un, it's been a while, what is it that you bring us today."
He responded calmly.
"The new outfits. Heh."
He pulled out new black trench coats that went up to their ankles and masks with unique detail for each member and a number on the center of the mask indicating what member they were and symbolizing when they joined. He tossed a coat and mask to others and walked up to the Master, kneeling on one knee, and giving him his stuff.
- - - -
30 minutes have passed since his encounter.
The sun started to set off in the distance, the sky lit up a blood orange color with the wind blowing ever so gently through the trees.
"..."
Shizu never moved.