Jacara shambled through the dark damp corridors, his mangled hand swinging and dripping blood, bone jutting out the sides. Each ragged breathe he took sent a jolt of pain. He illuminated his path periodically with a Scorch card, being careful to not alert anyone. 'Keep moving. Keep moving.' He repeated to himself. 'Don't stop. Yamada wouldn't stop. Don't you dare stop.' Belatedly trudging up the stairs, he found the castle hallways nearly pitch black, except for a few rooms. He forced himself forward, ever pushing forward. 'Find her. Find her. Yamada can take care of himself. Just find her.' Shambling into the first room, he found nothing but a war map and empty pieces. He took the lantern throwing it into the corner, letting the fire spread. He shook his head, the dizzy feeling getting worse. 'I'm losing too much blood. Find her!' He gnashed his teeth together. The searing pain invigorated him with a new found strength.
Ul'lanna cried as Kenpachi tore off her clothes, slowly drizzling an oil over, and licking his lips. He took his clothes off, lathering himself in the oil. "I'll go slow. Let's enjoy our time together." She let out a scream calling for help. "YAMADA!" Kenpachi played along, looking around. "Oh no. It looks he isn't coming to save you." He mounted himself on top of her, nuzzling into her neck. "Anyone else you want to call? Scream for me." He chuckled. She reeled back, closing her eyes. "JACARA!" Her voice breaking. He broke out into a mad cackle. "Do you really think that weakling could-" A golden spear appeared through his legs. He gasped, as Jacara let out a growl, pulling the spear back.
His genitals fell to the ground followed by a large torrent of blood. Kenpachi's eyes widened with pure shock. Kenpachi fell to the ground screaming in agony, clutching between his legs, his screams high pitched and girly. Blood spurted between his fingers. Ul'lanna's vision was blurred by tears, but she could see Jacara adorned in his resplendent golden armour. He shattered the chains on Ul'lanna. She quickly sat up, leaping off the table, rushing to Jacara. He collapsed onto her, the armour disappearing. She gasped at his weak and bloody face, the mangled hand with jutting bones. "Jacara! Jacara!" She called out desperately holding him. He wrote on her arm. 'Run.' She quickly stood up covering herself, standing over Kenpachi. He whimpered staring at her furious hollow eyes. "W-wa-wa-" A Fire gate emerged over him. "Scream for me." She growled, setting him ablaze. He thrashed violently, crying for help, as the oils caught on fire.
Ul'lanna took Jacara under his arm, walking him out. "Ya..." Jacara eked out. "We'll find him. I have to find you a Blessed." 'No time.' He wrote in on her arm. "You're going to do die, if we don't heal that. You've lost too much blood." 'Cut and cauterize.' He wrote. "You'll die from the pain." Jacara shook his head, collapsing to the ground, he nodded weakly. 'Dead already, if we don't. I trust you.' He summoned the spear from the Hero card. Ul'lanna crumpled a piece of cloth into his mouth. She cringed, grabbing the spear, heating the tip to a white hot stage with a Fire gate. "One. Two." Jacara closed his eyes. "Three!" She rammed the spear through his wrist. He let out a muffled scream, as his flesh seared away. Ul'lanna dropped the spear, holding his face.
"Breathe. Breathe. Stay with me. Please. Please." She fought her tears, seeing Jacara's eyes glaze over. "Don't leave me please. Jacara. I know we fight, but I can't lose you. Please!" She shook him by the shoulders. 'Damn it...you're making her cry...it hurts too much. It's too hard. Go to sleep. Run away. Dad always did that. Why can't I?' "Jacara! Jacara!" She called out. The fiery corpse of Kenpachi and the war room started to spread. Screams and shouts responding to the fire started to respond. "We can't stay here. Please, wake up. Please don't die!" She begged, tears streaming and snot forming. 'I have to help her...She's calling to me. I hate seeing her cry. How does Yamada do this?...How do you push through all the pain?' 'Because he's a monster. He isn't weak like you.' His thoughts betrayed him. 'He is a monster. I am weak...but I don't want to be...' Jacara coughed and gasped, placing a Fork card over his heart. A jolt of electricity shot through his body. He lurched forward, blinking with wide eyes, filled with a burst of energy. Ul'lanna gasped, hugging him tightly. He forced himself up, leaning on her. She quickly took his arm, increasing the flames behind them. 'I'm not dying here.' He wrote on her arm. "You better not!" She snapped, sniffling.
Yamada awoke to a familiar scent and sight. Blood, smoke and darkness. He leapt to his feet, seeing the corpse of Osore beneath him. From the illuminated skyline. The Eight headed serpent emerged, hovering over him. "We cannot die yet. She gave us life to fulfil our vengeance." It growled. "Hear her call and wake up." "Who's call?" He look down to Osore's corpse. "She's dead! She can't call us." "Hear her call. Hear the call, who made us whole again." "What are you-" A roar rung out, not from the Serpent. He fell to his knees, covering his ears. The familiar roar rattled in his brain. "Hear her roar, remember who made you whole again. Remember who your serve and say her name!" "VASHA!" He screamed.
Foreaux spun back to see Yamada's headless corpse dangling from the hook still. He spun back with a sinister grin. "Did that image finally settle in? Your little monster dead?" She ignored him still staring over his shoulder. "What are you staring at-" He froze, seeing Yamada's torso convulse. Terrified, he fell off the table, scuttling back. "Wh-wh-wh-" His body convulsed once more. His armour flashed for a second, the weight ripping him from the hook. He crashed into the ground. Foreaux summoned a Fire gate, blasting Yamada's body with a stream of raging fire. Sweat trickled down his head, his heart raged against his chest. Yamada's body convulsed once more. Foreaux startled, stumbled back onto the table. Yamada's broken body floated into the air. He scrambled behind the table, placing the Dao against Karina's throat. "STAY BACK! I'LL KILL HER! I SWEAR I WILL!" His armour appeared, pulsating with azure energy. His torso convulsed and shook violently.
Yamada fell to the ground holding his ears. The roaring never ceased. "WHO DO YOU SERVE!?" The Serpent asked. He gnashed his teeth, rolling on the ground, feeling his head being crushed from every angle. "VASHA! VASHA!" He screamed, clawing at his skull. "STOP REJECTING HER! "ACCEPT HER INTO YOUR HEART! BECOME HER WILL!" Yamada forced himself to his feet, staring the Serpent down. "WE HAD A DEAL!" He shouted. The roaring ceased. All eight heads reeled back stunned. "I'M IN CONTROL TILL I KILL BEGRON!" He roared. "You can have my body after that, and only AFTER!" The serpent disappeared into the darkness. The Oeo, the Maelstrom, Yamata all disappeared. He was left in the darkness.
Four colossal slit amber eyes appeared in front of him. Yamada's presence barely registered as a speck to it. He could tell from the size alone that the Eight headed serpent was small compared to it. "Do you know who I am child?" It was a deep womanly growl, with an ethereal echo. "Vasha." He said trembling. She snickered. "You are fascinating child. You are the first to ever offer me a bargain." "Am I dead?" "Not yet. I can save you, but I will set my terms first." "Name them." "I will let you live your life. I will stop calling. I will let you claim your vengeance. In return, once you have claimed his life. I will take your heart." "Deal." Yamada growled, without hesitation. Vasha let out a deep snicker. "Show me you are worthy of Orochi's form." Her eyes disappeared into the darkness. Yamada was engulfed in a blinding light.
Yamada's body came to a stop, the energy ceased. Foreaux opened a Fire gate, cautiously holding his hand. Eight serpent heads emerged from Yamada's torso. Foreaux leapt back screaming, scuttling back. Karina was frozen in fear. A single head gently lurched over Karina, snapping the chains. She scurried off the table, covering herself. The singular head returned to the group. Foreaux stared at eight snarling serpents. "Wh-wha-wa-wa-wh-" With a roar the eight heads fused into one, before reverting back to his helmet, and he fell silent. A hot breath of air emitted out. "Find Jacara and Ul'lanna." Yamada said softly, his voice echoing eight times. She tried to reach out to him. He turned to her, his amber eyes glaring back at her, through the slits of his visor. Karina let out a small gasp. "I won't let you suffer anymore." Foreaux watched as Karina sprinted out of the room.
Yamada knelt down touching his own brain, blood and bone. The surreal feeling of touching his own life, didn't faze him. "What are you...?" Foreaux gasped, his entire body trembling. Yamada banished his helmet, his face still in the process of merging into one. He wrapped his gauntlet around Foreaux's throat, squeezing till his eyes bulged. "Water." He opened a palm sized Water gate, ramming his fist down Foreaux's throat. Gagging and crying, a torrent of water filled his belly. He convulsed till his stomach exploded. Going limp Yamada continued to fill him with water, till his body bloated and exploded with blood and guts spraying the room. He tossed the corpse aside. He stumbled out of the room, his vision slowly merging together.
Karina leapt through her Lightning gate, racing through the hallways of the castle. Stopping at the scent of smoke, she followed the flames, and shouting. Blitzing through, she found Ul'lanna and Jacara navigating the corridors. "Karina!" Ul'lanna called out. "We need run! Is Yamada okay? Where is he?" She froze. Even if she had a voice, how could she even answer what she saw? She nodded, pointing outside. "He's going to meet us outside?" A gale force of wind blasted the three of them to the ground. Ichibae emerged from the corner, his eyes bright amber, his clothes shooting into the air. "YOU!" He howled. "YOU KILLED MY SON!" As Karina and Ul'lanna rose to their feet, Jacara weakly flipped Ichibae off. He let out roar charging in. Karina opened a Lightning gate, firing a bolt of lightning. She sent him flying through the wall. The two helped Jacara to his feet, quickly racing outside.
"KARINA!" Ichibae's voice roared out. A bronze bearded Dragon exploded from the castle. His white mane flowing in the night sky. "HAND HER TO ME!" He lunged at them. Karina spun around opening her gate. Her eyes widened, she wasn't fast enough. He was going to crush them. Ichibae stopped being dragged under. "GOOOOOOOO!" Yamada roared, erupting from the castle fully transformed, with only one head. The two thrashed clawing and mauling each other before disappearing under the rubble.
Karina leapt through her gate bouncing down first towards the monastery. Monks raced up the stairs to investigate, what was happening. Karina stopped spotting two Blesseds, and took them by their scruff. She warped them back to Jacara, both completely dumb founded. "HEAL HIM!" Ul'lanna screamed. They wasted no time, both shaking their confusion and healing his jaw and hand. "Stay alive. I'll get us out of here." She said sprinting off. Jacara reached out to her. Karina also disappeared in a streak of lightning, bouncing through the night sky. 'I'm coming Yamada! Wait for me!' Ichibae flew into the air. A colossal Wind appeared in the sky and a Earth Gate emerged from the ground. Karina stopped shy in front of the castle. "MAGNUM OPUS!" Ichibae roared. "NO!" Karina screamed. "ROCK STORM!" Yamada was launched into the air with giant spiked pillars of earth. She watched his body filled the night sky. Everyone froze in awe and terror.
As spiked pillars shot out, as they touched the Wind gate, they shattered into jagged pieces. Flying back down at lightning fast speed. Yamada was riddled from all sides. Everyone fell to the ground, clutching their ears, as they pinged off his tough scales. Small pieces seeped through the cracks, slicing him apart. "YAMADA!" Karina screamed, summoning her lightning gate. "DIE!" Ichibae roared, sending Yamada crashing back down to ground. A sinister and malicious snicker reached everyone's ears. It sent a cold shiver down their spine. A Water gate appeared , that engulfed the entire night sky, blotting out the stars and even the moon. "You call that a storm?" His voice boomed.
From the gate, droplets of water fell at first. Karina watched as the first droplet struck the ground, cracking it apart. She turned back to the others. "RUN!" They were still completely frozen. It begun to drizzle, the droplets picking up in speed. Ichibae struck by a few droplets was nearly knocked out of the sky. He reeled back to unleash a breath attack. The gate had to be destroyed. Yamada leapt up from the ground, dragging Ichibae to the ground. The rain started to pick up even more. The Monks ran away terrified, as Yamada's storm, attacked indiscriminately. Destroying everything in his path. Striking the ground louder than steel, they ran clutching their ears. Yamada reeled back cackling, as the rain poured down. Ichibae laid beneath him, being picked apart, each droplet pierced through him. Only the size of a pin to him, he was helpless against the attack. His last image Yamada cackling as he disintegrated into a pool of blood at his feet.
Ul'lanna packed her ears tight with cotton, quickly strapping on her armour, and weapon. She took Jacara's deck of cards and cloak. Yamada continued to revel in his attack, the rain melting away the castle. Karina called out his name. Her voice drowned out by the storm. Ul'lanna found Jacara a slightly fixed jaw, and a feeble hand. "Heal him faster!" "WHAT!" They screamed unable to hear anything. Terrified monks sprinted past them as the Storm encroached closer to them. Karina appeared beside them, her thunder effect barely registered a noise. She pointed to Yamada, her eyes filled with anguish and sorrow. "SAFETY" Ul'lanna mouthed. "I. SAVE. HIM!" Karina nodded, carrying Jacara down the steps, with the Blesseds following. He craned his neck to watch her. Ul'lanna stared up at Yamada revelling in his power. Opening a Fire gate a few metres in front aimed at the expanding Water gate. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, remember one of Jacara's lessons.
"Magic has no limits. Its only limit is your understanding." Ul'lanna opened her eyes, sprinting through it. He watched as she turned into a raging inferno, illuminating the night sky as a bright star, barrelling through the Storm. He smirked seeing the water evaporate. Soaring past Yamada, she burnt his scales, and turned his gate into scalding steam. Ul'lanna emerged from the cloud. "WAKE UP YAMADA!" She shouted. Yamada awoke in the darkness, staring at Vasha's eyes. "We had a deal." "You can't blame me for trying." She snickered. "Get lost." He growled. He awoke, reverting his transformation, curling in covered in bruises and tiny scrapes. His entire body on fire. Ul'lanna stopped herself, dropping beside Yamada. "Are you okay?" "I'll live." He wheezed. "We need to leave-" "You're going nowhere!" Zhing hissed, emerging from the rubble, covered in blood.
"Stay back." Ul'lanna reached for weapon. "I need him. I need him to take my revenge!" "It's over. We're leaving." "Yamada, come with me. I can tell you about your family. I can teach you about your mother." Yamada forced himself up. "I won't let you hurt Karina, Gwyneth or anyone else. We're leaving. Earn your own vengeance." "NO!" Zhing shrieked, lunging forward. Ul'lanna unsheathed her weapon and stepped, in a flash, slicing Zhing's head off. His body fell to the ground, blood sprayed out pooling on the ground. "I hate everything and everyone in this fucking place!" Ul'lanna yelled, sheathing her weapon. Yamada fell onto his back. "Look on the bright side. It can't get any worse." The entirety of Kumo shook violently. Ul'lanna shot him a glare. "You just had to-" "Oh, how could I have known!"Yamada lagged behind Ul'lanna, holding his side. Pain radiating out every part of him. "Where's Jacara?" "Are you really worried about that right now!?"
Urkse was ragged, his beard and hair mangy and unkempt. He stood next to Valsko and the White Cloaked man, bound in cursed chains. "Urkse, has Encara ever told you the most common symptoms, that come from the people who stay in Kumo most of their lives?" He asked. "He said, they're prone to going crazy. Always walking the razor's edge of sanity." "I'm surprised you remembered." Urkse sucked on his teeth spitting at their feet. "Why did you have me wait here? Was it just to stare at clouds, Annorak?" He barked. Annorak shook his head disappointed. "Are you in such rush to die for your crimes?" He snickered. "Yeah, you should be begging me to stop like a good whore." Valsko jabbed. "You still haven't told me, why I should care about this place. Even Lyn doesn't care for this place." "Because the Islander, the breeder to be and NOT your son is up there." Valsko chuckled. "WHAT!?" He lunged to break the chains. Annorak struck Urkse to his knees. "Be patient, Urkse. You're about to bear witness to a power, not seen in over eight millennia." "I've already seen Yamada's powers!" "Not his. Hers." "What have you done!?" Urkse shouted.
"Told a foolish little princess that Jacara simply wants to go home, and the answer to that resided with the one, responsible for keeping her entire kingdom afloat." "What are you on about?" Yan ripped the chains out of Elise. "Take us to the Citadel!" She ordered. "Let me be with Jacara in his home!" Elise slumped onto her knees. The wounds across her body instantly healed, her helmet glazed over. Ul'lanna and Yamada froze on the stairs with the shaking stopping. A Wind gate engulfed the entire sky. Urkse stared on stunned, as the clouds parted from beneath Kumo, being sucked into the gate. "Now. Where will you go Elise? West to your Creator? Or East to your Saviour?" Annorak asked with a gleeful smile.
Elise let out a scream transforming. Yan was eviscerated into a bloody mist from the explosion. Kumo started to fall. Yamada gnashed his teeth together, transforming into the Serpent Knight. Taking Ul'lanna in his arms the two flew down towards the courtyard. They found Jacara unconscious, his jaw still broken, but set. His hand now healed, but sickly in appearance. Yamada dropped Ul'lanna off, quickly taking off. "HARBINGER!" He shouted flying off. "Damn it! It's just a sword!" She shouted. Karina guided the others down the stairs, down towards the monastery. Yamada flew towards the courtyard, finding Xia standing beside Harbinger. He returned to normal. "Why do you walk down his path?" She asked, clenching her fist. "What are you talking about?" "Why are you like him!?" "LIKE WHO!?" Yamada shouted. "HAKAI! YOU ARE NOTHING, BUT DESTRUCTION! YOU BRING DEATH EVERY WHERE YOU GO!" "I don't care who he is. I'm taking Harbinger, and leaving." "I CAN'T LET YOU LEAVE HERE!" She screamed, charging in like a feral beast.
Karina streaked across the sky, kicking Xia across the face. The force snapped her neck. She fell limp, twitching and convulsing. "Karina." 'Are you okay?' She signed. He nodded. "Yeah..I am." She bolted to Yamada, hugging him tightly. "I'm alright." Kumo started to plummet. Ul'lanna jogged over with Jacara on her back. "We need to leave now!" "There's good people here. People that aren't apart of their craziness. We can't just leave them here!" "Yamada!" She snapped. "Even you at full strength, could not summon a gate that big! This entire place is slowly falling! We need to leave now!" Karina kissed Yamada on the cheek. 'Go. I'll take care of them.' "Karina..."
'Take what you can and go.' She signed before leaping away. Yamada tied Harbinger onto his back. "Carry him, I'll get us the supplie-" Elise burst from the castle. Her transforming blotted out the sky. "Never mind! We're leaving now!" She let out a deafening roar, her gate whirling into action. The castle island plummeted to the ground first, shattering. The granary island fell next. Everyone held their breaths, bracing for their fall. With a beat of her wings. The last island flew mach speed. The sonic boom launched everyone westward. Yamada and Ul'lanna were thrown violently off the island, with others. Using the chain on Harbinger, he pulled Ul'lanna in close, the three plummeted towards the ground, among the debris of rock. Summoning his wings, Yamada covered them both. Urkse watched on horrified as the island disappeared with a sonic boom.
"So you choose, your saviour in the end. How valiant of you Elise." Annorak snickered. "JACARA! JACARA!" Urkse cried out. He collapsed to the ground see the remnants of Kumo explode into the ground. Valsko winced, before cheering. "WOOO! That was amazing! Ooooh, she makes me so proud to have the same affinity. Did you see that gate!?" He jumped. "Cheer up Urkse. He most likely died a quick death." "Valsko. What did I say about tormenting the broken?" "Do it?" "Yes, but correctly. Observe. At least Jacara, will never knew what a monster you are." "Ahhh, that was way better than I what I did." Urkse laid on the ground tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry....I'm sorry..." He whimpered.