Chapter 4 - Dissident

Nature is brutal, wild, insatiable. It does not give truce or room for weak specimens, that is the absolute truth of the universe. Life itself is a violent spectacle, a frenzied waltz of death and constant rebirth, fine and precise like the movement of a Swiss watch. That is the philosophy of that woman who walks emphasizing every step she takes with her steely stilettos.

A voluptuous figure with abundant curly reddish hair, blue eyes with a deep gaze like the blue of the ocean on the high seas. If death were a model, she would be the perfect description of a one-night stand to die for.

"Wow, it seems that Freyja has lowered her standards a bit when selecting candidates. And I say it only seems to me because you know that appearances can be deceiving. Doesn't my lovely Lucero think so?" Those full lips with a wicked smile secretly announced their total dislike of Loa's new prospect. At the same time that a trembling Lucero chattered her teeth while her gaze was lost like that of a mouse looking directly into the eyes of a snake.

"Yuyu-yuki ... We must escape from here now!" - Letting all the air out of her lungs, Lucero implores a stunned Yuki to run for her lives. She incredulous by that image, she hesitates a few seconds in her movements and is seized by absolute panic.

Lucero was completely paralyzed, while the woman's left hand tightly grasped her shoulder while giving her a light caress on her face, revealing a set of sharp nails that sparkled with the light coming from outside. Fear had taken hold of the ancient astral entity, who knew himself vulnerable to such a situation. More so because of the unequivocal fact that the channeler she held in her arms was not responding in defense of the obvious threat.

"Ha ha ha ha, oh darling you look like a preschool girl who has seen the man in the sack. You tremble like a tender bunny, but it is not raining and there is a puddle here. Dirty little rat" - With disgust and anger, Lucero is thrown to one end of the room. The sound of bones breaking echoed as her fragile humanity was whipped so roughly.

"'Who do you think you are a bitch !?" - Anger invaded Yuki's body and mind, although she was not a friend that she loved, Lucero was a vulnerable being in her current situation. More so because of Adam's paternity instinct that existed in Yuki's consciousness, her emotions spiraled out of control. She clenched her fists, letting thin threads of blood escape due to the wounds she made of her with her nails nailed to her skin.

"Oh where are my manners, excuse me little wild kitten. My name is Hanabi, I am the guardian of Tokyo, as you can see my strength is more than enough to protect this territory and I do not need Freyja to stick her nose in my work" - A fleeting movement, impossible to follow with the gaze, only in this way could the moment when Hanabi got behind Yuki could be described. Her hands rested on her body in a hug that left no room for her to release easily. Like a snake curling over one of her victims, squeezing little by little trying to break her bones and tear the air out of her.

Barely able to breathe, Yuki tried with all her might to hold her breath as she gasped in pain as she was crushed by that deadly embrace.

"Yu-k-i, concentrate on the river" - Even alive, Lucero could barely make sounds similar to a whisper. With tears streaming from his eyes and spitting blood, he tried to convey her confidence to Yuki, hoping he could change the situation. For what is hope but a desperate attempt to achieve something similar to a miracle?

"Mmmm great, I should have brought my camera to capture this memorable event. The proud Lucero begging a little dog like you to save her. You know? There is nothing I enjoy more than crushing the hope of my victims. It is something I enjoyed in my previous life and I do it in this one too "- Lost in her monologue, Hanabi could not anticipate that that silence was not due to lack of air or because Yuki had given up all hope.

Yuki's mind was on that mighty river, focusing on being a rock that would stop the flow at that precise point. There was no room for anything else, she was one with the flow of power. Perhaps because of the heat of the moment, or it could be that it was a prodigy that appears from time to time; but her consciousness, she made contact with a being at the bottom of that river.

"What have you come here for, creature?" - The voice that came from the stream bristled every fiber of Yuki's being. An anthropomorphic figure with lion-like features stood in front of her in the middle of the stream. Her eyes met for an instant, just an instant without an audible word. It was as if it were an event predestined to occur, as if the universe had conspired to make it manifest. That homunculus turned into an orb, which embedded itself in Yuki's chest at the height of her beating heart.

"Now we are one flesh" - Those words that were spoken in unison, were the sign of a pact that ancestrally occasionally occurred with the Loa. In voodoo, the Loa were considered ancestral spirits of mother earth, who had a strong connection to the flow of life.

The Loa created by the astral entities are just a fragment of what actually constitutes a spirit from Gaia. They are like touching the surface of the mighty river of the flow of life, but the Loa who manage to connect with their spiritual part, have reached the depths of the whole.

"What the hell is this glow? What are you doing you fucking liar cat?" - By pronouncing these words, Yuki manages to free herself from the deadly embrace in which she was imprisoned. Standing face to face with Hanabi who couldn't believe what her eyes saw before her.

A look that radiated fire just by looking at him, a murderous instinct that let flow a clear message that caused panic in which until a few moments ago she had an air of a fatal woman: "It's my turn to return the favor"

A punch penetrated Hanabi's belly, making her vomit from the spasm and disfiguring her face from the immense pain she felt as she left her projected from her, breaking several supporting pillars in the construction. Which resentful for her damages, she began to shake predicting that she would soon collapse and leave them buried.

Hanabi's face was the vivid reflection of panic, almost indescribable terror flooding her senses as she tried to crawl backwards, pleading with Yuki to stop. But those pleas fell on ears deafened by the uncontrollable fury that now gripped her. Her spirit form was incomplete, without limiters or conscience that governed her, she was dealing blow after blow to Hanabi. Taking her from one side of that room to the other without giving a truce or time for her to counter attack.

"Do not believe you damn stupid that you can defeat an elite warrior with your simple brutality" - Holding on to a beam that protruded from the roof structure, he gave a vertiginous turn that dislocated his wrist but that pain did not compare with the pride of warrior who had been broken by what she considered a brute beast.

Gaining a little distance, she blew into Yuki's eyes a cloudy mist of poisonous miasma that gnawed at her corneas leaving her screaming in pain on the floor as she frantically threw blows into the air.

"I recognize that this battle I will not be able to fight it victorious before you wild kitten, but the next time we meet you will not be so lucky. I will tear your head and I will put it next to the others like a beautiful trophy, believe me I will enjoy every second observing your expression of agony "- Just as he arrived, Hanabi disappeared in the midst of the confusion without leaving a trace to follow.

Stunned at what her eyes witnessed, Lucero could not believe that in a few seconds that enormous power would manifest itself. It seemed impossible even, but it was then that she remembered that incident in the hall of reminiscence. When Adam manifested that primitive form of the astral body and was equal for a few seconds in strength against it.

"I see why you wanted him to be the next Loa, damn Freyja you never tell me the interesting parts of your plans" - Exclaimed Lucero, as he dragged himself with much effort to approach Yuki, who due to the enormous effort made, lost consciousness.

"I just hope that this gossip can give us a shield" - Those words finished speaking as the entire structure of the building fell on them. Causing an incredible noise that alerted the surrounding houses in the area, who called the emergency services to report the collapse of that abandoned building.

The silence that preceded that daunting scene was only broken by the sound of the sirens of the emergency teams rushing to reach the area. The crowd of spectators gathered in the vicinity of the collapsed building, being pushed aside by members of the urban emergency corps who began to search frantically among the rubble.

After an hour of searching, they were able to find what appeared to be the inert bodies of two young girls who had been trapped in that collapse. The rescuer seemed dejected at such a scene, to the point of wanting to call forensic services to collect the bodies.

It was then that a slight hissing groan made his expression change from pessimism to astonishment: "It's impossible" - He thought to himself that brigadista while he couldn't believe what he saw. With barely blood-soaked vitals, these young women breathed heavily through the cloud of dust and debris.

Completely tense at the situation, he sent for his companions to bring the stretchers and transfer them to a hospital quickly. Not far from that place, perched on the ledge of a building, Hanabi put her hand to her abdomen trying to contain the pain while she observed the situation very carefully.

"I think you exceeded your mission, my servant" - Freyja's serene voice slipped like an inaudible whisper into the tumultuous mind of Hanabi, who bit the nail of her thumb with an expression of hatred in her eyes that did not leave doubt for your discontent.

"Where did you get that garbage, you fucking liar?" - The pain very similar to that of a shot in the legs consumed all the body of Hanabi who collapsed on the floor of the roof while she tried to contain herself. Freyja would not tolerate any insubordination even if it was the most precious piece on her board. She, well, knew very well what happens when discipline is relaxed in the ranks of servants.

"I have plans for her that you do not need to know, you just have to follow my orders as my faithful guard dog. It is clear my beloved Hanabi" - A slightly sinister laugh escaped from Freyja's voice, who was observing through an orb in his chambers, while darkness covered his face.

That night bathed in the light of the full moon, the paths of Yuki and Lucero began to be glimpsed in the midst of the storm clouds that would come later.