Tanjo repeatedly blinked, confusion pinning his mind.
"A… creek?"
Appearing before Tanjo and the cloaked figure, a creek deep within the forest could be seen, water meandering through with minuscule ripples, the clear liquid cascading down the numerous rocks that inhabited the stream.
The jet-black-haired teenager didn't know what to make of the scenery, his eyes observing the peaceful flow of water.
"Here we are." The cloaked figure said abruptly, knocking Tanjo out of his daze.
The boy's eyes widened. "What?"
Stopping a few feet away from the gentle flow of the water, the cloaked figure turned around, eyeing Tanjo. "I said, we're here. You wanted to find Asami, right?"
Tanjo shifted his body slightly, his eyes darting all over. A stolid expression washed over his face as he said, "You're joking."
"No, I'm not. She is here. However, I need to know something before introducing you to her." The cloaked figure addressed, their voice steeled.
The boy craned his head to the side, his blue headband drooping to the side. Sharpening his eyes, Tanjo analyzed the cloaked figure intently. Why now, of all times, would this person want to ask him questions—especially since they walked for hours?
But, with the sudden claim of Asami residing near this creek, most of Tanjo's suspicions dwindled, his haste in finding the blue-haired woman overruling his sense of judgment.
"What is it, then?" Tanjo asked, his eyes tracking the cloaked figure.
The cloaked figure folded their arms, their gray sleeves draping downward. "Throughout our little journey here, mainly through our first fight and our encounter with those bandits—I noticed that your Aura Sense changed colors. From what appeared to be red, to yellow. Why is that?"
Shit. Tanjo's body froze, his thoughts racing back to Buraun; the fear that his village had felt from his Aura Amalgamation, and how it made the villagers react. Hostility and horror were everything Tanjo fought against, even when trying to become a warrior. But, alas, his naivety triumphed over his brains.
As Tanjo remained silent, the cloaked figure ushered the boy on, "Well, anything?"
"Ahm, it would be what someone could call an amalgamation?" Tanjo attempted to explain, a nervous smile tugging at his lips.
The cloaked figure stayed quiet, enabling Tanjo to continue.
"I was apparently diagnosed with… a disorder? One that allows me to—!"
The cloaked figure didn't let Tanjo finish speaking, interrupting him before he could elaborate. "—use every one of the four Aura Sense?"
The boy went still. With his thoughts coming to a halt, Tanjo struggled to utter anything coherent. "...Yes?"
The cloaked figure sighed, disappointment leaking from their voice. "Kid, I'm not stupid—what you just described is an Aura Amalgamation. I'm shocked that someone actually has it, much less a teenage boy."
"Wait, isn't that a bad thing!?" Tanjo jerked up, his eyes frantically surveying the cloaked figure's attitude.
The cloaked figure craned their head from the left to the right indecisively. "Yes, and no. But from your response, you've been given shit for it, right?"
"Not too much," Tanjo muttered, scratching the back of his head.
Once again, the cloaked figure sighed. "We have secrets, kid," the figure raised their hands to their hood, gripping the hem tightly. "The same goes for me as well."
*FWOOSH!*
Pushing their hood back, the cloaked figure revealed their face, surprising Tanjo. Upon realization, the boy's countenance grew more bewildered with every second, before his mind gave up and his lungs took part.
"YOU'RE ASAMI!?"
XXX
Absorbed in his shock, Tanjo failed to notice the unconcealed, blue-haired woman sigh for the umpteenth time today. His mind felt as if he had several malfunctions. The sheer thought of him not knowing the person under the cloak was the person he searched for boggled him immensely.
It was unknown why the woman kept herself concealed for so long, even during the fight against the bandits. Suddenly, something clicked in Tanjo's mind. She had the ability to manipulate water, a feat that nearly no warrior had—controlling an element, just like Old Man, the wind rogue from Ryakudatsu, and the rogue that kidnapped Mizuki.
"Stop staring at me, it's creepy," Asami claimed, knitting an eyebrow at Tanjo's expression.
A scowl marred Tanjo's face instantly. "You've been beside me the whole time! And you didn't tell me!?"
"Hey," Asami exclaimed, "you said it yourself, I like being away from the public. You kept hollering my name, so I needed you away from the rest if I wanted to show myself."
Tanjo palmed himself in the face, his duress decreasing slightly. "Damn it, I knew I had every right to be suspicious of you."
"Right, Asami replied, a small smirk forming. "So, you need me to train you, huh?"
The jet-black-haired boy perked up at the blue-haired woman's words, his eyes level with Asami's. Discarding every annoying thought that plagued his mind, Tanjo forced himself to forget his past encounter with Asami's concealed self and move forward.
Tanjo nodded. "Yes, I was told that you could help me. I'm not sure how much time I have left, as my source was 'very' cryptic, as stupid as that sounds, and I need to get stronger. Fast."
"You got guts strollin' into a small town with warrior gear, kid. Tell me, did you leave your village?" Asami questioned, her tone shifting softly.
Tanjo's shoulders sagged slightly, touching his headband. "Yeah. I'm not sure if I'm a warrior anymore, but I have goals I want to accomplish, and leaving was the only way."
Asami tilted her head at the boy's words. "And, what are those goals?"
Tanjo retracted his arm, his eyes locked on Asami. Ever since he first attended Buraunmajikku, this was the question that rang through his mind constantly. Whether the Old Man asked him, or life itself, Tanjo could never definitively explain his goals—or, he never used to be able to.
After the invasion, when Ms. Tassei had unlocked his hidden potential; which then lead Tanjo into losing Kit and meet Kronos, the boy told himself what he wanted to do. Despite being naïve growing up, he refused to back down from a seemingly impossible goal.
Ever since he visited Kit's grave for the first time, he decided…
"I'm going to destroy all of the hatred and grief that resides in the world, letting everyone have a chance to smile! And it'll all start with saving a child I failed to rescue!"
Asami chuckled lightly, closing her eyes in contemplation. "Happiness is something not everyone deserves, kid. What are you going to do in the face of a murderer?"
Tanjo's face hardened, seemingly prepared for this question. "I've done it once, and I'll do it again. If it's to save everyone else, I'll do whatever it takes—even if it means ending the life of an enemy!"
The blue-haired woman merely glanced at Tanjo, amusement brimming within her. "Smart, kid. Some fail to realize that the lives of the innocent will always be in danger with the deranged around. Heroes have villains for a reason, after all."
XXX
Floating thousands of miles above the Earth, surroundings full of stars and galaxies, Kronos looked down at the blue and green planet, his eyes drawn to one particular area.
A giant land mass of green, brown, and orange stood out on the surface of the Earth. The three nations: Adonai is the land of forests and mountains, with Shanti being the land of deserts, and Zebulun being the nation of flatlands.
Although pinpointing a specific location would seem difficult from such a far distance into space, Kronos smiled down at one of the nations—Adonai.
"It won't be long until Tanjo will gain the power he desires. But, until then, I still need to play my part in this whole fiasco."
With those words, multiple cracks appeared in the space around Kronos, swallowing his body whole.
XXX
Boy, have I been lazy. Small chapter, and didn't post for 5 days. Sorry. But, at least it gave me time to think of this chapter. So, it wasn't all for nothing… kinda! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the reveal of the cloaked figure! Will Tanjo truly get stronger? What role is Kronos playing? Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_