On a boat that they got a man, back at the town that was selling boats on the riverbank, at the Fjord. looks in the distance, Shiro exclaiming the water for fish "It feels so good!" Shiro stirred. he and Stats were curled up together. The sound of the flowing river woke him. he yawned and stretched, and jumped to his feet.
"Hey, Shiro! We're not here to have fun! Or look at the scenery" Keith said, even though he was.
"Okay, okay!" Shiro said. Puts his hand over his eyes, Aye-aye Mon Capitan"
"I never been tired before, nothing like this" Shiro thought.
While Shiro and Keith were enjoying the scenery, Stats slouched over the boat, with his glowing skin turn green as he looks unwell and moans. "Stats"
Stats, you call yourself a daemon, you're not supposed to get seasick" Keith says to him.
"Stats"
"Is it just me or does this feel pathetic, we will never find the samurai in this rate" Keith said as he wasn't sure how long they'd been on the boat. It seemed like only yesterday they were dealing with the Soul Piper.
Keith didn't want to think too much about that night. all he knows that Shiro is safe. Just in, Keith notices something, "what is it, it is something else"
"No," he thought as he didn't notice them at first but as they got closer, A thick bundle of spider web spans across the river, in front of them.
"Spider webs? Such long strands of it" Shiro said, reminded of the time, when they face Twyla.
Shiro and Keith silently glided past them. Keith sweeps the web with his hand but the bundle of web sticks onto his hand and he claws at it with his other hand angrily. He glares at the remaining strands and clenches his fist, looking worried.
Keith, is something wrong?" Shiro asks him
"Stats" Stats shouted
"Stats what is it?" Keith saw up ahead that the river's cliff edge, "Don't come near!" She said as she walks backward as a black thing attacks her but she dodges and falls downwards, a girl said, shrieking her head. But luckily Keith jumps in and catches her in his arms and lands on a rock by the river.
"Nice catch! Keith" Shiro said as the black thing retreats into the forest on the cliff.
"What was that thing," Shiro asked Keith
"I don't know, well whatever it is it's gone now" Keith answered Shiro.
"Umm... Thank you for..." the girl politely said until she notices Keith's eyes, "unhand me, daemon!" She shouted but as the girl slaps Keith on his head, causing him to loses his balance and both of them fall into the water.
Followed that, the group landed on a riverbank, "Jeez, what a freaking joke" Keith said, sits by the river and brushes his clothes angrily.
While Shiro sprays antiseptic on the girl's arm which was grazed "don't worry this will only sing a little bit, do you mind my asking what was after you just now"
"A Daemon know as a spider head, these mountains have been plagued by their evil presence since the Galra conquer the Eastern area, many villagers have been attacked as they take possession of corpse's heads". the girl explain
"I see, Keith, we have to do something to help," Shiro said
"Why should we do that, I meant the lady here never once needed our help" Keith argued
"Oh come on Keith, just because someone rude doesn't mean they need help but," Shiro said
"But what we should be cross the mountain before nightfall". Keith said, interrupting Shiro.
"What has gotten into him, I thought he wanted to check things out," Shiro thought
"I'm going home. There's no way will I be beholden to a demon!" The girl said, getting up.
"Stats, Stats, Stats, Stats"
"Shut up! You insolent beast, this is why I hate daemons!" the girl shouted at Stats
After that, the girl walks off and climbs up the cliff using a vine but the girl struggles with the climbing, as the vine snaps, she plops on the ground.
"Oh boy, let's help her out just this once," Shiro said
"But-" Keith began, he fell silent under the weight of Shiro's glare as the girl fixes the group with a hard-eyed stare. After several tense moments, she finally relented. "Fine," said the girl.
Later on in the evening. The group walks up a staircase leading to a temple. The girl piggybacks on Shiro, while Keith and she were sulking at each other and refusing to face one another.
"Huh! It's that temple, right?" Shiro Wondering, the Temple looks like a Japanese old style one.
"Wow! this place is nice!" Keith recalled the people he'd seen that morning as he and Shiro searched for food and places to stay,
An old priest, dressed in traditional robes of a Buddhist monk with a rakusu over them and a pair of waraji sandals, shuffles out of the temple slowly.
"Mauna? Who are these people?" The priest said
"Master!" Mauna said as she shoves Shiro aside and runs to him.
"Were you attacked by the Spider Head?" The priest added
"I went to put flowers on the graves of my parents and I had no choice to rely upon these wicked daemons to take me home... I'm sorry" Mauna asked.
"you still on that?!" Keith irked.
"Stats"
the Priest chuckled, and then, as if reading her thoughts, said, "Daemon you say, they don't look like much of a threat"
"Calm down! We're leaving right away!" Keith looks away, in a scoffing tone
"Oh no... You can spend the night at this temple."
"Master!"
"Now, go and prepare supper".
"But, yes sir". Mauna said, disappointed as she walks off.
"Please forgive Mauna, it seems she can't help but feel dread toward all Daemons I have cared for her since the day her father was killed of the spider heads as you know" the priest explained.
"Umm... are there a lot of Spider Heads in the area?" Shiro said.
"With the Galra invaded most of the planet, the number of Spider Heads seems to increase. In leaps and bounds..."
"Stats?!" Stats said as he tugs Keith's sleeve. As he didn't know that and wanted to take up his offer to spend the night here.
"Why do I have to let some stupid demon control my life?" Keith said, folds arms and look away.
"If you are worried I sealed this temple with sacred sutras, so the Spider Heads cannot enter. You can rest easy, after all, you are an ordinary human are you not" the priest replied.
"What" Keith was confused, he felt frozen by that comment, "I'm an ordinary human?, Are you are freaking kidding me".
"I can't sense the magic from you at all, you see, your physical appearance is one thing but," the priest said. "something is making you change"
"What?" he spluttered. "I'm not changing. You're . . . you're changing yourself!" In response, Keith branching out his dagger, "Whether I'm human or not, I feel like a good stab in the back" launching out at the priest.
"Patience" Shiro shouted.
Thump. Like doing a belly-flop in a pool, both Keith's arms and legs spread, and he hit the ground flat on his belly.
"Gyaaah!" he yelped pitifully like a dog whose tail had been stepped on.
"Sorry about that, Keith's not usually like that" Shiro said. "or never like that, he mostly feels like a brooding teenager sometimes"
But the truth was it didn't matter. Shiro's agreement had played right into his hands. He could tell by the way the priest has left scot-free.
Later in Nighttime, in a room in the temple. The group is having dinner, the meal that Mauna made. laying on Shiro's haversack with hands-on his tummy and rice on his face, Stats really enjoy Mauna's cooking. Even if she has a sharp mouth, she can cook.
"Stats"
Shiro sat on the floor, eating roasting fish that Mauna cook for them, normally he would be worried about gathering wood or striking flint to summon a spark or knowing how to fish that's one of the downsides. but that was not the focus here.
"Say, Keith, you've been acting strange today," Shiro said, feeling very concerned about his behavior, in the short while but slowly, he knew Keith would never act like this, sure he does act like the typical bad boy who clearly needs to be self-disciplined but seeing him nearly attacked a defenses old men clearly shown something was up.
"Night has fallen." Keith thought as he looks into the night, all worried like. "Who is that priest has he seen right through me?"
"Hey, I'm talking to you," Shiro said, concerningly
"Why I'm worried about it, I'll forget about it" Keith grumbled, took a deep breath, and pressed on.
"Forget about what," Shiro said, hovers near Keith's face. "What?"
"Keith... Could you be..." Shiro pauses searching for the answer, making Keith gets uptight "Afraid of spiders?!"
"Stats"
"I'm right, I get it made everybody freak out of one scary bug, but between you and me let's not attack people that offended you," Shiro said.
Embarrassed, Keith stepped forward and walks out of the room. "Where are you going, Keith"
"Shut up! I'm going to sleep alone!" Keith fumed, and a vein stood out at his temple, throbbing with anger.
"Wait are you sure," Shiro said, concerningly again.
"Look, if you don't mind your own business," Keith said but turns around, notices something, something scary. Enlarged spiders with human faces were hanging on the ceiling, starling at Shiro, Keith, and Stats.
"Statssss..."
"Darn it... I'm losing my sense of detection. " Keith thought as the spider heads peering everywhere.
"We're surrounded!" Shiro shouted.
Meanwhile, Mauna running hurriedly along a corridor, looking for her master.
"Master! Master, the Spider Heads!"Mauna shouted but instead finds the Master face down on the ground with spider webs all over him
"Master! They got you"
Back at the room, many spider heads appeared everywhere, surround Shiro, Keith, and Stats.
"Darn it," Shiro said, unsheathes his sword, "they just keep on coming!" delivering a kick at a spider.
"Dang that priest! Whatever happened to his sacred magic seals?!" Keith said unsheathes his dagger. However, the dagger suddenly felt heavy.
Noticing the struggle, Shiro wondered and thought "why does Keith's dagger feel so heavy all of a sudden".
"Stats"
"I know buddy, I feel the same too" Shiro agreeing
Shiro and Keith are slashing at some Spider Heads with their weapons. They spew webs at them, but they wave them away. But that wasn't enough as more Spider Heads surround Shiro.
"Shiro looks out," Keith said as they spew webs at him. He has a hard time trying to fend them off and becomes mostly covered on the web, particularly over his head.
"Keith, hold on, third from Aries" Shiro shouted as he does his breathing technique to attacks some Spider Heads
The Spider Heads back away and Shiro tries to drag Keith from the scene. He has a difficult time as the web on him is also stuck on the ground.
"Keith"
"Stats"
After escaping, the gang runs in a dark forest where Keith still has some web over his head and hair as they stop in a clearing within the forest.
"Looks like we're not being followed right now" Shiro gushed. The spider heads had been one of the unexpected things he'd ever seen. his heart was still beating hard in his chest from all the excitement-or, at least, he hoped it was from the excitement and not because of Keith's bad attitude
"Damn!"
"Keith... What's wrong?" Shiro said as he reaches for the web on Keith's head.
"Shut up!"
"Something's wrong with you today!"
"You guys had better worry about yourselves first". Keith said as he pulls away from the web from his hair
"Stats" Stats said as he was frustrated by Keith's attitude towards Shiro since he was worried about him too.
But Keith didn't care about what he had to say. "If you wanted help as usual you better think again," he said as he continued removing the Web way, showing a shocking appearance
"Keith," Shiro said shockingly stare at Keith as his hair appears Brown.
Back at the other room, Mauna felt useless as the Spiders with their human heads loom around her old master.
"Mau-na," The master Priest said, gathering up all his strength to look at her and said. "Please run away-I cannot hold on to the spider heads very long- please hurry."
"But master I cannot just leave you," Mauna said, tears welling from her face".
"but you can, run to Shiro and Keith, at least you can save your self.." the Master said, with the last of his strength, passed out.
With that out of the way, Mauna ran as fast as she could hoping to find Keith and Shiro. But they were already having their own problems already.
"Keith," Shiro said in surprise
"Quit staring," Keith said as he was sitting under a tree and remove the last bundle of the web, revealed the appearance of change, his hair and eyes was Brown
"What's happening to your hair? And your eyes, they're no longer purple anymore" Shiro said
"Stats, Stats, Stats" Stats plops on Keith's head and tugs
"You're lucky I don't have my Powers anymore" Keith apologized.
"Lucky", Shiro asked "Keith what's wrong with you".
But Keith didn't answer him. Angered he grabbed the collar of Keith's jacket.
"There's something you're not telling me". Shiro growled.
There's nothing to tell, this how lost my Powers" Keith yelled as throws Shiro's hands off his collar.
"Your power, what do you mean". Shiro said
"Because it's life threatened for half-daemon like me". Keith said, finally explain himself.
"Like me, Like you, l don't understand" Shiro narrowed his eyes. Keith might be an amazing fighter, he might even be just the slightest bit off, but this attitude had to go sometime.
"That's right you don't, it's only when noon is dark, it was the reason why I was so rude to the priest because he knew that I will be wearing without the moonlight, you must think of me as a terrible person" Keith included.
"What no, I just wish you could open up to me more, we talked about this" Shiro said, he was really hoping to Keith to open up more as his friend, not as some host to keep him contained.
"Hey, it has nothing to do with you, That's how I've lived until now! It's the only way I know how to protect myself!" Keith shouted and barely glanced in his direction.
"I guess you're right but," Keith said
"But what" Shiro growled. "Stop being so proud and stubborn if it wasn't for that we're in this mess right now!" Shiro shouted, points an accusing finger at Keith.
"Why are you blaming out on me" Keith grumbled
"Because your actions have consequences, you could say no but no you didn't now look at us we're running for our lives"
Back facing the two, Stats looking determined and clenching his fists "Stats, Stats, Stats, Stats"
But something rustles in the bushes make Stats shrieks so much that he dashes back to Keith and cowers next to him, all scared like. Keith stretches out a hand to hold Stats while Shiro grabs his sword for the upcoming threat.
"Who's there!" Shiro said on the defensive
Mauna appears from the bushes, all exhausted. "Mauna, you made it out of there," Shiro said, welcome her into a hug.
"Please, you must return and aid the priest," Mauna said
"What, you want us to go back"
"he's still alive please, your Daemon is strong, I'm certain he can assist us," Mauna said.
"I thought you said you hated demons? Go rely on that priest's sacred sutras". Keith said.
"What happened to you? You look like..." Mauna gaps in shock.
"I've just turned human for a while! It's not fun" Keith said, resumed his usual bad boylike demeanor. "Shiro let's go, it's best that we don't hang on to a dangerous place does is this"
"What are you going to abandon my master," Mauna said
"If you put it like that yeah"
Shiro could not believe his eyes again, Keith wanted to abandon someone, just all because he was scared of being human or even wanted to show this the side of him.
"No, Keith"
"No, then you just heard what I said". Keith said.
"I did but I simply refuse to leave someone behind," Shiro said. "I can't do that, especially one who feels like a coward, just because he hasn't had powers.
Keith's eyes softened as he watched Shiro fight back and walk toward the waiting Temple, a solemn expression on his face.
"Shiro, wait," he said. Shiro stopped. Keith quietly moved to his side. "Shiro you cannot fight like this and there are millions of spider heads"
"True, but I'm not stupid, I know that the odds are not great, but I rather not do anything or do anything at all"
Keith granite on the thought, even though his appearance was different, he was still him.
"I'm sorry," he said, rising up, Keith went on and retrieve several pieces of wood to fight back. "Come on Stats"
"Stats", Stats said, with Ok, I'm joining with you look.
"You pulled the cross from the graves," Mauna said "Are you a blasphemous creep or what"
"Here!" Keith said as he thrusts his dagger at Shiro "You and Mauna can wait here! Even if my dagger is heavy, you can hit Spider Heads on their heads!"
"Okay but Keith"
Before he could answer back Keith already left, leaving Shiro to wonder about Keith's body being turned to normal.
"Will that the man save the master," Mauna asked Shiro
"Probably, despite his attitude being rude, he does have a good side, take care," Shiro said.
Back in the temple. Where the spider heads make their nest. Upon arriving in the room they just left, Keith and Stats arrived only to find their stuff wasn't there.
"Where did it go," Keith said, looking at the darkness among the hallways. "Hey, Stats" followed on command, Stats light up the wooden stick where Keith thrust it to the hallway. To their complete discovery, they find Shiro's backpack surrounded by spider heads.
"Stats"
"So that's why the spider heads didn't change after us, that They're dragging that bag around meaning their real Target was the crystal all along". Keith said, figuring it out.
Launching at them, Keith analyzes the right way in his surroundings, using the wood and lighting it thanks to Stats' magic they can burn those threads completely.
After removing the threads from the backpack, Keith went on his second Target, to find the priest. But as soon as he arrives there, he found thousands of spider webs surrounding the priest's body.
Looking at it with these words, "the priest is dead".
Back outside Shiro and Mauna were waiting for Keith, Shiro wanted to join them but Mauna was needed here.
"My master has been protecting this mountain from the spider heads with his balance magic ever since my father was killed, he also protected me as well". Mauna said to Shiro.
"He did that, that was very nice of him," Shiro said as he was trying to lighten up with the mood.
"He has held memorials for the for those who have been killed by the spider heads"
"Why, and despite all that, the spider heads have still attacked this place, It couldn't be couldn't," Shiro thought
Back at the temple, Keith tried to give out a hand to the priest. "Don't worry I'm going to get you out of here" he said then suddenly the Master's Hand becomes longer. Surprising Keith.
"Stats"
The master stretches out his hand and grabs Keith's neck, pinning him on a pillar.
"You... You bloody priest"
"Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh" the priest chuckles a dark laugh.
And soon fangs appear around his mouth and he transforms into his true form, with a hemisphere of web-like limbs around his body as his original part of his body is in the middle of the hemisphere.
"So, you are the true leader of the spider heads," Keith said
"Looks like the rumors were true, about the half-daemon boy and the reincarnation samurai, you were making quite a stir in the galra empire".
"Yeah what about it, the empire," Keith said "don't tell me, you working for them"
"Heh, heh, heh, you could say that I was hired by one of them, she told me that you will lose your powers, and she was right."
Stats" Stats said as he flies off. Out of the Temple to find Shiro, but just before he witnesses, the master stretches his long neck towards Keith and bites into his shoulder.
"Stats" Stats shouted as his mind was telling him that he cannot save Keith by himself, as he flies off.
Back outside, Shiro wondered what happened to Keith as he was late as this time was in almost morning. "It'll be light soon," Shiro said. He glanced down at Mauna sitting next to him. She was looking out over the clearing for any sign of the spider heads, but he could tell she was tired. Her eyelids were heavy, he shifted his gaze to her and she quickly looked away.
"Shiro looks," Mauna said.
Coming out of the Temple was Stats who came with a manipulate warning.
"Stats"
"What, something must have happened to Keith," Shiro thought as he understands the warning.
"Ahh!" Keith scream, the pain feels like snakes, striking at you nonstop, He winces in pain and his head slowly droops backward. Vision getting blurry.
"How fortunate you protected the crystal for nothing with their power I can extend my life 10.000 years just like Zarkon," the Master said, celebrating his victory.
"Master...??" Manua said as she looked on in horror. The chill she'd felt earlier blossomed into full-fledged fright as Mauna and Shiro enter the room with Stats holds his dagger in his hands.
"What?" Manua gasped. "I do not understand"
"He was tricking us," Shiro told her
"Stats, Stats, Stats"
"Keith is what," Shiro said as he looks up to see Keith's body so different as to look frozen and turned sideways on the web. Keeping up the appearance that you look like dead.
"Keith! What did you do to him" Shiro asks the spider master?
"Heh, I gave him a full dose of my poison, looking him at him now, his organs are starting to dissolve".
Mind racing in Shiro's eyes as he rushes to Keith's side climbs up the master's limbs "Do you want to become my bite as well"; the master spews a bundle of the web at Shiro. But something unexpected happened, the web dissipates.
"What" the master Wondered "The web didn't surround him"
But that didn't matter how it might be safe now but Shiro was still around by the spider heads who are planning to get the kill on him.
"Keith" Shiro confronted Keith. "What possessed you to go and get tied up with a fight again? especially when the odds turned against you"
"Sh-iro," Keith said, coming weak from the poison.
"He still alive," Shiro thought, "Hang on, I'm coming," Shiro said as he continues climbs up The master's limbs towards Keith.
"Shiro...get away from me," Keith said, weakly.
"No way"
Keith stopped and rubbed his tired eyes. "I'm serious Shiro, is too late for me"
"No!, Don't give in, stop saying that you are weak" Shiro shouted
"I'm not giving up on anyone" Shiro leaps towards Keith with his hand outstretched, dissipates the web that tangling Keith, resulting in them both land on the floor, near Manua.
"Shiro, are you all right" Mauna put an arm around Shiro's shoulder.
"I'm fine, but Keith, we need to get out of here" Shiro put an arm around Keith's shoulder, planning to carry him to safety.
But Spider Heads gather near the door, so going outside is not an option, definitely not an option.
"This way, there is a small room at the rear of the Temple," Mauna said, the group darted from the area and dove from the spider heads, hoping to slip away before the master and his spider heads realized what happened. The group enters the small room and drags Keith inside, Shiro closes the door.
"There's got to be away," Shiro thought as he witnesses so many spider heads, until he got an idea, a crazy idea that might blow up in your face but an idea none the less, Shiro thrusts Keith's blade onto the door. Where outside, when the master touches the door sparks appear and burning his hand.
"Damn them they must have used the shield Eminem from the dagger, but no matter I have the," The master said that's as soon he looked behind, a certain item disappeared.
"The crystal is gone"
In the room, Shiro kneels next to Keith,
who is lying on the ground. Manua sits near the door, leaning on a wall all exhausted, Mauna became discouraged. She'd run out of places to look because everywhere she looks at spider heads,
While Shiro thinking about the events that happened. "Keith, you're going to be okay," Shiro said, panicked.
"You may not shake him or the poison will circulate". Manua said as she looks for the crates, grabbing olive oil.
"Although it might be too late, his human body may not be able the handle it unless," Mauna said "Unless there might be a chance"
"Maybe if I, I know is a possible treatment but if I suck the poison out, he will be saved" She replied as she tested her shaky legs.
With that, Manua drinks the olive oil and begin sucks Keith's blood before a sudden rumbling came from the boxes.
"Could it be a spider head?" Shiro thought as he walked over there. About to attack.
"Stats, Stats, Stats," said Stats who appeared miraculously and brought back the quintessence Crystal
"Stats I'm glad you're okay and thanks for bringing them back"
"There that should do it," Manua said as she spins out the last remaining poison.
"Now the rest is up to Keith". Now tired from the sucking, Manua went back to the walls.
"Hey Manua, thanks for doing that," Shiro said.
"No problem it's the least I can do for him after the way I treated him," Mauna said
"Keith is dripping in sweat," Shiro thought as he takes out a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes the sweat off Keith's forehead just before Keith opens his eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry did I wake you up," Shiro said
"No you didn't, I'm so sorry Shiro," Keith said, eyes softened.
"No don't say anything you still have poison in your system", He told him "after all this my fault that we're in this mess"
"No the fault on me" Keith whispered. "You were right I was acting stubborn and full of pride, after all, I am a pathetic waste of a daemon"
"Don't say saying that about yourself. I told you before, I'm never giving up on you, keep fighting for you, so don't you dare start dying now."
"Shiro is it too much trouble may I lie on your lap. Keith replied, his dark eyes staring hard into the past.
"Huh? Okay." Shiro said, surprised
As time passes and morning comes, exhausted Mauna went to sleep by the door as light rays start to enter the room through the windows with Keith sleeping on Shiro's lap.
"Do you feel a little better?"
"Yeah maybe," Keith said, with eyes still closed.
"Okay, but Keith I," Shiro said before realizing that Keith was asleep but something has made his heart pounding so hard?
"You should probably get some sleep," Mauna said. Waking up. "I'll keep watch!"
"Are you sure?" Shiro said
"Of course, you've been awake all night" Mauna replied.
Mauna was right, to begin with, so that out the way Shiro went right to sleep. With Stats and Keith on hold.
But how did things turn on like this, Mauna still cannot believe it, she always remembers her master being a kind member of the Lord and her, but ever since they arrived in the mountain. Things have changed for her.
"Mauna, I know you're in there" The master called for her in a calm demeanor.
"You vile daemon, you deceive me didn't you!?" Mauna shouted at him, not wanting to be a fool.
"I, I just want you to understand, my body has been taken over by a dark Daemon for my magic"
"What do you mean exactly" she wondered
"They are after the quintessence Crystal". the Master said, continue to explain himself
"The quintessence Crystal, what is that" Mauna asked
"The quintessence Crystal is an evil Crystal which the galra empire is after, for that reason, the spider heads were hired and came to this mountain hoping the strength of the crystal," he told her
"And you think you can pursue them" Mauna felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.
"That's right in the sunlight the spider heads have momentary subsided, if I could boost my power with the quintessence Crystal I could get rid of the spider heads"
"I...I will not be deceived" Mauna said, putting your hands on her ears, trying to block out every sound.
"Mauna"
"Shut up" Mauna shouted, as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Such a shame, so your family was killed by the spider heads" Mauna remembering it like it was yesterday.
"Master" She remembered how were master was willing to let her stay at the temple after all solitude can be disheartening and hold a memorial service for her.
Shiro popped awake at the sound of someone's hitting the door so hard. To his chagrin, he realized he was leaning against the wall with Keith resting on his lap and later, crumbles of the ceiling fall onto the group as they started to wake up as more pieces of the ceiling fall down with the master hovers over the temple and breaks the door completely.
"Ugh"
"Mauna" Shiro shouted as he sees her knocked out on the floor with the door on top of her.
"Heh, Mauna still believes in me, she was deceived so quickly and easily". The Master said as Web came out of his mouth.
"Oh no, the crystal," Shiro said
"I'm taking possession of the quintessence Crystal" the Master shouted. With the webs The quintessence Crystal going into his mouth and swallows it resulting in the skin of the master peeling off, revealing dark grey skin and bulging yellow eyes. He laughs hysterically.
Then the master reaches his hand inside the room to grab Keith and Shiro by their necks.
"Stats"
"This time I've finished you two off for good"
But before he could finish them off. The rising sun appeared and Keith's hair turning back to black and his eyes turning purple.
"So you're starting to regain your powers but no matter I still have the power of the quintessence Crystal," the master said, launching at him. But Keith tears the man's arms.
"What," he said to himself as Keith brand his dagger from the ground and cut the rest of the way.
"Finally, The moonless night is over!" Keith said.
"Keith you're back to normal" Shiro said the Masters's grip loose from his neck and ran straight to Keith.
"Well of course I'm back to normal, Shiro, now let deal with him"
"Right, it's time that we take back the quintessence Crystal" Shiro added, putting his sword up in attack mode.
"You think you won, think again"
"That is enough talking," Shiro said, flies towards the Master in attack position, slicing the head.
"You did you crushed the head" Keith wondered
"No, I didn't, the head is gone," Shiro told him
"!?" Keith thank, suddenly the head appeared into another portion of the body and started shooting webs, but Shiro dodges the webs.
"You scumbag," Keith said as he slices the head. But soon more heads have begun to multiply, forcing Shiro and Keith to slashes him many times as it counts.
Well, this was going on, Mauna has suddenly woken up to find Shiro and Keith struggling to defeat the master.
"What's going on," She said wondering until it hit her, she drew Keith's dagger and broke the protection spell.
"Man we're not getting nowhere," Keith said.
"The heads must be powered by the quintessence Crystal" Shiro added.
"We got to get the crystal back," Keith said.
"But how, how are we going to do that," Shiro thought until the answer arrived in front of him as he notices a blue glow emanating from the Master's tattered clothes.
"Keith I know what the crystal is" Shiro shouted, turned to look across the room.
"What you do," Keith said.
"Yes, we have to go to the head by the clothes," Shiro said
Upon hearing back from Shiro, the monster master using his hands to attack but he grabs Mauna and raises her into the air.
"Stats" Stats shouted.
"Darn it" Keith shouted back at the master. Scrambling to his feet, Keith launched his dagger, quickly, designed to throw his opponent off balance.
"Not so fast," the master said as he soon covered Shiro and Keith into entirely new web and absorb the dagger
"Now you two won't cost me any more trouble because you can't move anymore". the master growled, "that there's no place in the Temple for you anymore!"
"Stats"
"And If I were you I would rather cause any trouble for me or else tear Mauna apart" The Master, celebrating his victory.
"What" did she does heard the master threatened to actually kill her. Wasn't he going to use his powers to warren off the spider heads but what if it was a lie what if it wasn't the real story.
"I need to ask you something did the master already died"
The master answered the obvious question like it was nothing in the care of the world, "There never was a priest, there never was. All of this was to lure the half-daemon and the samurai who possessed the quintessence Crystal."
"You...killed my father and the rest of the villagers?!" Mauna said she sobbed
"You served me well...thinking that I actually cared about you, this is what you get as a gullible fool like you" the master added.
"How dare you! You terrible beast" Mauna said with tears in her eyes and turns around to stab him on the head with a piece of wood.
"You need not fear the Spider Heads anymore. Once transformed, you'll become one of us!" The Master said, squeezing her and preparing to launch at her.
"Cursed him... forgive me, father... I was such a fool..." Mauna realized it wasn't true. She pushed herself up to fight back and suddenly burst into tears as she weakened and drops the wood falls downwards and before a dagger wind inside his mouth.
"You're pretty determined for a human." a voice
"You...?" Mauna awoke to the sound of a heavy door creaking open. She was groggy and her thoughts were confused. A man strode toward her, concern etched on his face. His fist was inside the Master's mouth.
It was Keith and he is standing up, much stronger than he was before.
"We're your opponent this time," Keith said, "Give up, you nasty act is over"
The man growls as Shiro struggles to get out of the web where he sees a light swirling around the pinnacle, it was the quintessence Crystal.
"The crystal is merging his body," Shiro thought
"Keith, we have to hurry Crystal's powers is blending inside of him" Shiro shouted
"What" the master reaches out four of his hands and surrounds the three with a smirk on his face and doesn't even flinch.
"He going to squeeze us" Shiro shouted as he was getting crushed by him.
"It was my fault I was so stupid to believe this Daemon and I helped it become even more powerful," Mauna said.
"No, it wasn't your fault, you didn't know," Keith said.
"How do you know, you just a daemon, how do you care for someone like me," Mauna asked him
"I don't actually, sometimes we all need a hand, even if you have to ask someone who stubborn and stupid just like me," he said quietly.
Suddenly everything starts to get smaller around Keith and Manua.
"Keith, Manua" Shiro shouted trying to reach them.
"Fools I'm going to squash you now"
"I got to think of something fast or else we're done for," Shiro thought
"Shiro do you see where the crystal is," Keith says, trying not to get a crush.
Upon listening to him, looks around of s cage of arms, Shiro discovers that the crystal is still in the main part, the real head. So concentrating his magic over one move. But have to deal with the crushing.
"Soon, the Power of quintessence Crystal will surge through me and none of you can stop it. The master said, excitedly.
"We'll see about that, Sixth from: Cancer" Shiro shouted as he slashes the master in a crab-like attack. Resulting in the master's body suddenly falls apart and explodes and the Spider Heads minions also dissipate with the quintessence Crystal falling on the ground.
"We got it we got the quintessence Crystal back," Keith said, excited.
"I don't know why you're happy about it but I'm glad we're safe," Shiro said
"The quintessence Crystal, I would get all this power back after all I'm still alive," the master said, reaches towards the group.
"Oh shut it, you're over," Keith says to the priest, stabbed him, and disintegrate into nothingness.
"It's over, they did it they save me," Mauna said to herself
"Hey why are you looking at you got your revenge on this guy," Keith said, looking at her.
"Yes, it is," Manua said, smiling for the first time ever.
Later on in the daytime, arrived at the riverbank. Keith, Shiro, and Stats return in their boat, while Mauna stands on the riverbank. Finally free.
"This far I go. The village is close by". Mauna said.
"Really? Then take care." Shiro said, bidding farewell to her.
"Keith... Thank you. I'll remember that there are good daemons, too." Said Mauna, looking uncomfortable but happy now the less.
The boat moves along the river with Keith, folds his arms, and said: "Forget that! All daemons are bad but some of them are good".
"I won't forget, Keith! I won't forget what you did for me" Mauna shouted in the distance.
Keith looks at her sideways and turns his back towards her when rather than saying goodbye, he raises his hand to wave goodbye without turning around. Before sitting at the front of the boat, with arms folded, Shiro and Stats sit behind him.
"Keith...seems to be okay now." Shiro thought, thinking about last night, where Keith laid on his lap. Shiro looks intently at Keith, with his face resting on his hand. Wondering about his feelings about him.
"Hey Shiro what's wrong," Keith said, notices Shiro, looking at him and turns around.
"Oh nothing I'm just glad you're okay," Shiro said
"Oh really you do, well you have nothing to worry about me, I knew we're going to be okay" Keith continue on. "But now that I think about it, how did that Daemon know about my weakness"
"I don't know that either but the master did mention the galra" Shiro said
"You're right but still, let's keep it as a secret" Keith said
"A secret are you sure," Shiro asked him.
"Yeah we don't know who to trust," Keith said
"Ok, alright," Shiro said, agreeing but it the Galra have allies. Then who knows what type of danger they might go through.
Stats slouched over the back of the boat, with swirly eyes, looking seasick.
"Stats"
"Keith I think we could stop, Stats doesn't look good," Shiro said.
"What no way! Let him get over the seasickness". Keith said, arguing with him.
"That's it I'm turning around," Shiro said, putting his foot down.
"What no. Give me the paddle" Keith said
"Keith, I'm the adult here" Shiro shouted,
"Stats"
"Now you have done it" Shiro continues to be the bigger man or at least trying to.
But secrets high, secrets low, what kind of adventures waiting now for them, as the journey continues by the River Bank.