Act: 30
'No matter what I do... It gets taken from me! For what reason!'
"..."
*Move. *
*Move! *
'Huh... That voice... I barely can hear it, but I feel it calling out to me. The same voice of that girl from the cave...?'
"Move! You must move!"
"Move!"
The voice spoke to him telepathically, with the remaining connection it shared with Shizu.
"You must! Move! Shizu."
That was the last thing the voice said before disappearing at the end of saying his name for the last time.
Determined. He built up some strength that he forced his body to produce, pushing himself to break a limit, going further than before. Clenching his fist that was sticking from out of the ground, he pushed down on it hoping to elevate himself upwards.
'Grwww!'
Tensing up his arm and hoping to break free his other arm from the ground, didn't work. Not a single thing worked. When he hoped to move his body, it would not listen, he wasn't able to push himself any further, and he couldn't break his limit. He knew this from the beginning.
'I can't move... I'm so sorry... My whole body has suffered so much... I sometimes wonder if this is the training I was meant to do or if I was caught up in some mess that didn't involve me...'
"..."
"AGRHH!"
Shizu's eyes and mouth shot open as he shouted ferociously. Breaking out his other arm from the ground, raising them and slamming them into the ground, and then using the strength in his arms to pull himself up. Sending signals of immense pain throughout his body, blood dripping from his nose, and the fact that he tried to stop his arms from shaking.
"I will never give up! You hear me!"
Slowly he began to emerge from underneath the dirt and rocks that buried him deep. His head came out first the more his hands went into the ground and soon his shoulders would be revealed with the rubble falling off his body.
"Ugh! AGRHH!"
With the last bit of effort, he raised his arms again and slammed them back on the ground a bit away from where his hands had dug in before. Clear yet unnoticeable energy began to manifest around Shizu once making contact he sprung himself up out of the ground flipping and landing on his feet but staggered onto his knees. His clothes were torn, almost to nothing, and his body was covered in dirt and a large amount of dried-up blood. He shook around to get the rubble out of his hair and ears and got some of the dirt out of his mouth along with letting out a few coughs and heavy breathing.
Standing up, he ignored the pain in his body, though he started to no longer feel it. Steadily opening his eyes, had death written all over them, not a shred of light shone in his amethyst-colored eyes, until he blinked, returning to normal.
"I need to get out..."
Shizu decided to make his way back to the mini-camp sight, this time knowing where to go. For how long he has been here, remembering the location was simple for him. He sprinted his way through the forest and soon arrived at his destination. The sky started to reach the brink of night and it was rather quiet than usual. Shizu felt a strange glare coming from his left, quickly turning around he stared at the bush and watched, ready to attack whatever was coming his way.
"I don't have time to waste. Show yourself!"
He shouted at the bush.
From him yelling the deer that had been peering at him, shook in fear from the loud noise and ran in the opposite direction.
"Hm? A deer, I thought for sure it was one of those monster boars...?"
*Tap*
Shizu turned around, leaping back about six feet away. After being gently touched on the shoulder.
'I couldn't even sense him...?'
Looking up he saw a person in a black coat wearing a white mask that on the right side of it was what looked like a waning crescent moon and the other half of the mask a black color that when staring at it, looked like a pathway to emptiness. The side that looked like a moon had something in place of where the eye socket would be. It was the letter one in Roman numerals.
"Who the fuck are you!"
'I can't win another fight... too much of this right now, it's kind of getting annoying. First the dark-robed people and now a whole new group of masked guys, ugh give me a break!'
"My my. Quite the language Shizu. Your reaction time has quite improved, I'm impressed and glad."
"Tch. How do you know my name?!"
"Shizu allow me-"
Shizu hoped that questioning him would keep him off guard. Dashing forward, going up to his face punching him right in the mask causing his head to bend back and knocking the mask right off his head. They flew back with blood shooting from out their nose.
"How do you like that!"
"..."
*Blank. *
Shizu snapped out of it. Staring at the masked man. Confused.
'Didn't I just...?'
"How rude. First yelling at me, next wanting to hurt me?"
"Just who are you!"
Shizu shouted.
"Did you forget now?"
"You again! Give me back my crystal now!"
"No need to rush. You managed to get out and that is why I am here. To congratulate you."
"I never asked for your acknowledgment!"
"Sure. If you want it back, as I said before win the tournament that's coming up. Understood. And don't bother attacking me again. You saw what happened firsthand."
*Voowsh*
The Master disappeared in an instant.
Dropping to his knees, he slammed his fist into the ground out of frustration over and over.
"Damnit!"
Shizu slapped his face.
'I mustn't lose focus now.'
Gradually getting up. Preparing himself for the next day. He started by taking off his clothes and jumping into the water like he normally would in order to clean himself. After getting out and staring at his terrible clothes. In the meantime, he got himself a little fire started so that he could cook any food that was still eligible to eat and some of the meat he collected in the cave.
A few hours passed. When he finished eating and obviously putting his clothes back on, he rested on the ground staring at the Stars as they shined bright in the sky.
Raising his hands up in the air with his fingers spread out. He tried to reach for the Stars, closing his hand and placing it on his heart.
'Can you see me now? If you are watching.'
*Mother...*
Closing his eyes for a split second Shizu fell deep in sleep.
- - - -
Organizations hideout.
*Voowsh*
Abruptly the Master appeared by the entrance. Surprisingly for the first time laughing in a sinister tone. The other members were relaxing around, some even wearing their new masks. They all looked over at him somewhat nervously about what happened. Kyoko greeted the Master's return with slight confusion in her voice. For the first time, they heard their Master laughing like he was genuinely enjoying himself.
"I am filled with joy. Out of this world."
Kyoko was the first to respond, setting her drink down.
"What is it Master that fills you with such satisfaction?"
"My precious Shizu. He he he. He's perfect. He escaped before the time ran out. He tried to attack me. For the first time, I barely used my Star against him. This is wonderful and nothing more could have filled my desire."
Everyone in the room was shocked except for Un. Knowing that they never saw him use his Star firsthand. Let alone what it could be.
"My Shizu. Oh, I wish I didn't dodge your attack, I want to know how that punch would feel on my face. He is perfect. He was pushed to the edge. Powerful and he doesn't even know what he is fully capable of or what it is in."
Yumi spoke up, sitting up from the sofa she usually lies on.
"You can thank me, Master, I helped push him!"
Under her mask, she was smiling uncontrollably out of joy ready for her to be praised.
"You did what?"
The sinister joy in his voice changed to pure coldness.
"Huh? I helped him get stronger. I and Kyoko were there. I almost made an art piece out of him because of how pathetic in power he was but I could say I made him better, plus the hole I put in his stomach was fixed so it's all good his tolerance is probably better now?"
"..."
Kyoko accidentally spits out some of her drink as she stays quiet.
"Yumi. Come here."
Yumi stepped off the sofa and walked up to the Master, standing about a few inches away from him. Looking up, staring at the mask hoping she was making eye contact.
"..."
She put her head down a little for her praise. Although saw something dripping on the floor, she remained confused now.
*Drip*
*Plop. *
*Drip drip. *
"Never. Again. Do that. Without. My permission. When did you plan to tell me this? Kyoko."
The Master was filled with anger in his voice. The space around them felt heavy and hard to breathe, this being the aftermath of his Star energy just from his words. Yumi was confused, until after a few seconds a sudden pain went through her shoulders as she began to shake, looking down she saw a puddle of blood with both of her arms lying on the floor.
Kyoko made some noises under her breath out of pain as Yumi looked over at her to see that her arm was also resting on the counter, not attached to her shoulder.
"I will not allow you to harm my Shizu. I am the only one who will make him suffer badly unless I say so. Do I make myself clear!"
The Master disappeared into the flooring with a shadowy portal underneath him.
"Damn Yumi! Why did you have to say something? Look what you got us into now, Fuck this hurts really bad."
Yumi dropped to her knees, gritting her teeth in pain and tears welling up in her eyes.
Saburo shook his head, casually looking away.
"Yumi. Hold on, I'll fix your problem that I got dragged into."
She stood up and used her other hand which was still attached.
"Hourglass V."
The Star appeared above her hand. Moving her hand on top of the hourglass she pressed down into it activating an ability.
"Reverse."
Energy spiraled around Yumi's shoulders and around Kyoko's. The blood that spilled out revered flowed back into their body and their arms reattached.
Kyoko deeply sighed leaning up on the counter and catching her breath.
"Argh, I can't believe I had to waste energy on this. Bartender Drink please and make it heavy!"
"Thanks... Kyoko..."
Yumi stood up rubbing her arms, waltzing over to her sofa, and plops down headfirst into the cushion. Kyoko takes her mask off to drink away the pain she was feeling.
"Don't even say anything Saburo."
She said with her face pressed in and saddened tone.
He chuckled.
"I saw that coming the moment Yumi opened her mouth, I bet you did to Un."
"Pff, who knew he would get so mad, I don't want to hear it- let it be got it!"
- - - -
Morning.
The sun rose, waking up Shizu from his long-awaited slumber. His eyes gradually opened to a peaceful forest, nothing was out to get him, and he felt no kind of negative energy anywhere. Nothing felt odd, it was all. Normal for once.
He thought to himself for a while, shifting on his side and watching the trees gently shake.
'I think it's time I leave and get out...? I don't know how long it's been, but I can safely say the Master knows something about our tournament and it's yet to begin.'
Shizu grinned.
"Alright. I'm coming home! Just you- wait, I will save you too!"