Kioku and Mora dashed through the woods at high speed. They moved from tree branch to tree branch and occasionally to the ground so fast they looked like blurry outlines.
"You felt it too right?" Asked Mora suddenly. Kioku nodded and stared intently ahead. The feeling he had felt from that woman, it was familiar yet unfamiliar.
"Forget about that for now, we have to focus."
"Right."
The two emerged into a clearing that was created by the general's rampage and in the middle of it was the general himself. The moment he stepped into the open space, Kioku's shadow expanded to cover the whole area as he charged for the left and Mora shot upwards.
Kioku looked as though he was about to strike with his left hand but as the general raised his right hand to block, Kioku's right hand flared with dark energy and he struck below the biceps of the general's arm causing it to go limp. Kioku aimed a kick at the general's chest but the general raised his leg to block it in time.
Mora came falling from above looking to deliver a heel kick to the back of head but the general raised his left arm to block his foot. At that moment Kioku teleported behind the general with his fist ready strike.
"Hmph."
Red Arch exploded around the general sending Kioku and Mora flying back. Kioku raised his right arm and pointed it at the general.
"Let it flow."
A large blast of dark energy shot from Kioku's arm towards the general who reacted quickly and raised his greatsword to block the attack.
"Did you really think that would work?" Asked the general menacingly.
"No, but this might."
The general turned to his right and saw Mora pointing his hand at him. A blast of silver light escaped Mora's hand and struck the general causing a loud explosion that shook the area.
Kioku appeared next to Mora and gave him an impressed look. "So you managed to learn it too huh?"
"I told you shouldn't get cocky when I'm around," said Mora with a mocking smile. "How were you able to teleport like that without dissolving into your shadow?"
"I can teleport onto any space my shadow occupies now," said Kioku.
"Impressive."
"I know."
"But I'm still faster."
"Tch, keep thinking that."
When the dust settled the general was still alive and looked as if the attack had not fazed him. He could move right arm again and pointed his sword at the two, he looked down at them as though they were ants beneath his feet.
"I am Haiza, a general of Lord Nitram's army," he said pride flowing with each word.
"I don't know who you two are but you will know the price of interfering with ninth demon clan!"
"We'll see about that," whispered Kioku.
Two swords rose from Kioku's shadow and flew into his hand. He charged towards Haiza who raised his sword high and cleaved downwards but Kioku sidestepped and slashed his swords towards Haiza's neck.
Haiza reacted quickly and turned and blocked Kioku's attack and used the force of his turn to send him flying back. Mora came attacking from behind but Haiza had been anticipating the move and swung his sword backwards so fast it was as if the greatsword was a feather.
Mora blocked it but the force sent him crashing hard into a tree, Kioku appeared in front of Haiza aiming to stab his heart but a blood red spike rose from the ground and stabbed Kioku in his abdomen.
Haiza's fist stormed with red energy and he struck Kioku with incredible force that sent him flying into hundreds of trees.
"Begone."
♤♤♤
"Kioku wake up!"
'No....everything..hurts,' thought Kioku. 'I can't move a thing.'
"Kioku!"
'I don't...want to...go back, I can't do it, I-,'
"KIOKU!"
'Master....I'm sorry.'
Kioku suddenly felt warm, his body was healing. His Arch was flowing strongly and he felt the warmth of home, he opened his eyes and saw the woman they had saved standing over him with her hand on his head.
'This feeling, it's what I felt before,' thought Kioku.
'What is this.'
Kioku stood and gave the woman a long searching look. She gave him a quizzical expression which brought him back to his senses, he looked and saw Zeru sitting cross legged with his eyes tightly closed in concentration.
"How much longer until the portal is ready?" Asked Kioku, Zeru raised up three fingers and Kioku took a deep breath.
"No need to hold back then."
Kioku's entire body turned into darkness, his hair flowed with energy like Chaos and his pupils seemed to have become darker.
"Level Three Control: Hyper Shadow."
Kioku shot forward like rocket leaving an enormous shockwave as he did. A look of comprehension dawned on the woman's face when she had seen the form Kioku had taken.
"The two of them carry the scent but that one, his Arch feels as though from the Shadow Realm."
♤♤♤
Mora was breathing heavily as he faced Haiza who had a smug look on his face. He had blood flowing from his forehead, mouth and left arm but Haiza was still uninjured.
"Any last words?" Asked Haiza. Mora was about to say something defiant when he felt a familiar presence, one he had first felt on the last days of of his ten day training.
"Huff...heh....you might want...to look that way," said Mora pointing his left.
Haiza turned and raised his arms in alarm as Kioku came seemingly out of nowhere and give him kick that had even more power than the attack he had received from Haiza. Haiza went flying back hundred of metres, crashing through numerous trees and mid flight, Mora appeared in front of him with the Regetsu in hand.
"Hello."
Haiza screamed in pain when Mora slashed through his armour managing to draw a large amount of blood for the first time. Haiza managed to stop himself by digging his arms into the ground and he found himself in the clearing in which he and the woman had first been seen.
"Wha-," Before Haiza could finish his sentence Kioku appeared in front of him and gave him an upper cut that sent him shooting to the sky. Haiza flew high, he looked up and saw Mora who had his leg raised and wore a wide grin. Mora gave Haiza a heel kick to the back of the head that sent him flying back to the ground with a mighty crash.
BOOOOOOOM!
Haiza vomited blood and managed to stand after a bit of struggling. The moment he stood to full height however, two swords rested on either side of his neck, one bright as the moon and the other darker than night.
Kioku stood with his black form in front of Haiza with the sword Hakai had given resting on Haiza's neck. Mora stood behind him with the Regetsu resting on the other side of Haiza's neck. Haiza closed his eyes, before his death there was one thing he wanted to know.
"Any last words?" Asked Mora with an evil grin.
"Who are you?" Asked Haiza looking directly into Kioku's dark eyes.
The two slashed the blades, ending the life of the proud general.
♤♤♤
Fate watched the entire fight with an amused expression. He floated high above the scene and when he saw the two kill Haiza he opened his hand which had a peace of paper with a large M on it.
"One year, I wonder whether your choices will help you survive long enough for our next meeting," said Fate as he slowly faded.
"If you do survive, I wonder who you will fight for then, Chaos or Order."
Across existence, the leaders of different realms recieved a piece of paper similar to the one Fate had. The weaker leaders all cowered in fear and made arrangements to go into hiding. The strong however, did not run from the meaning of the message but all gave their forces one order.
"Prepare for war."