*FWOOSH!*
Imawashiki's flames enveloped the area around the Tansu vessels, heating the air instantaneously. Kaminari Nozomu's lightning bounced off of his body incessantly, cackling every second; Asami assumed a fighting pose as spheres of water developed in her palms; and Reberu Manabu flexed her hands tightly, enabling stone spikes to protrude from below the earth.
Heiki Shototsu was still motionless on the ground, his labored breath being the only sign of life from the amethyst-haired Tansu vessel. His heart's pace was rampant, contrasting his mind entirely. Shototsu did not wish to raise a single violent finger, especially against his fellow Tansu vessels. Shototsu was unsure of what to desire—to go back in time? From birth, he and his only 'brothers' were mistreated; he was restrained as a weakened warrior in the village he lived in for many years; and not too long ago, he was forcefully recruited into the planet's most despicable group of rogues to ever walk in history.
What would Shototsu's efforts contribute if even his presence was out of his control?
"Don't be fools," Imawashiki spat, glowering at his opponents. "Your Tansu's powers are no longer developed... extinguished, forgotten. You've treated your beasts like pets, while me and Moeru have... aligned."
Asami clenched her jaw. "You got an advantage! Big deal! No sane man would brag about retaining his power for mass genocide!"
The fiery abomination huffed. "That's all this war is to you, isn't it? Murder? Your view of our plans is black and white—you're unwilling to change, which is the main reason why a war had to be initiated."
Nozomu remained silent, his royal blue eyes boring into Imawashiki's.
"If a better world is what you want, then fight for your home—not against it!" Manabu barked heatedly.
Suddenly, a new voice pitched in:
"This isn't his world," Nozomu said assuredly, his voice grave. "He doesn't see these lands as his own anymore."
Asami glanced at Nozomu with a bewildered visage, groping for words. "So that gives him the excuse to burn ours down!?"
The white-haired Tansu vessel kept his eyes locked on the fiery vessel. "It gives us the excuse to take him out."
Imawashiki listened to the rambling of his opponents, his brown eyes flitting to Nozomu, Asami, and Manabu simultaneously. As it appeared, a clash between them was destined to come to fruition, guaranteeing the death of any one of them.
The fiery abomination's eyes flashed ever so slightly. "Go ahead, see if that works."
*KRKKK!*
Without warning, a torrent of earthen spikes burst out of the ground and surged toward Imawashiki, prompting the vessel to turn his body into flame and allow the spikes to permeate through him entirely.
As Imawashiki distanced himself from the spikes and reformed his body into a solid state, he parted his lips to speak: "Pathetic attempt—!"
Unbeknownst to Imawashiki, Manabu had lunged from behind him and landed a direct blow to the side of the fiery abomination's face, her powered fist knocking him deep into the dirt.
*CRASH!*
"The boy I knew would never speak to us as if we were nothing but dirt!" Manabu hollered indignantly, looking down at the crater she created.
*FWOOSH!*
A hand wrapped around Manabu's neck.
"Then you need to let the past go."
With one swing of his left arm, Imawashiki flung Manabu through the air, leaving her tumbling across the bloodied battlefield. The fiery abomination's face was scratched by the principal's punch, only for the injuries to vanish as fire consumed his cheek.
"Rebbie!" Asami screamed, charging at Imawashiki angrily.
The blue-haired woman swung her palm at the fiery abomination, wincing as her arm passed through his torso. Asami redirected her body and launched an ice wall toward Imawashiki, freezing both the devilish Tansu and the fire he changed into.
"Kami! Now! While he's vulnerable!" Asami called out to the white-haired Tansu vessel in the distance, only to be left in silence. "Kami!?"
Nozomu was still not moving an inch. His eyes were glued to the frozen body of Imawashiki, a million thoughts racing through his head. Despite having Manabu tossed away with ease and Asami managing to freeze the fiery abomination, the man was unwilling to budge.
"What the hell are you standing there for!?" Asami cried, her eyes wide with panic. "Kami!"
*CRACK!*
A hand broke free from the ice—*BOOM!*—expelling a red beam of light that sent Asami soaring.
Imawashiki shattered the ice without difficulty, his fists clenched tightly. He surveyed his surroundings quietly, noticing that he had successfully subdued Asami and Manabu momentarily. A thought flashed in his brain: Nozomu.
The fiery abomination tilted his head to the side as he noticed Nozomu's static movement, narrowing his brown eyes in confusion.
"Are you giving up?" Imawashiki queried in a hushed tone. Despite the low volume and a great deal of space between them, the rogue knew that Nozomu heard him.
Shototsu, who was still lying on the ground, lifted his head to view the fight. The first thing the amethyst-haired Tansu vessel saw was Nozomu's stationary act, unable to reach a valid conclusion as to why he would refuse to fight.
'...What are you doing, Kaminari?' Shototsu thought to himself, analyzing the man intently.
'He's fueling himself.' A booming voice shook Shototsu's head, making him grasp his hair in agony.
'...Kaze?' Shototsu reminded himself of his Tansu beast, recognizing the voice within his mind.
'Go. Hold Moeru's vessel off as he fuels himself.' Kaze, the Tansu Beast, ordered emotionlessly.
Shototsu exhaled. 'I can't fight anymore, Kaze. I'm not a machine like you.'
'You rely on life too much. Fight now and you'll win after. Trust me, hold Moeru's vessel off.' The Tansu Beast's voice radiated through Shototsu's head one last time, leaving the amethyst-haired man alone.
Slowly, Shototsu picked himself up from the ground, indecisive on whether he should be regretting every second he took to stand up or relishing these moments as potentially being the very end.
Imawashiki eyed the amethyst-haired vessel. "Are you to oppose me as well?"
Shototsu inhaled deeply, standing tall. "If that's what will end this faster."
*RIP!*
Gripping onto his top, Shototsu ripped off the top half of his garb, exposing the hole through his body, given to him the day he joined the Furusato Unit.
"This wound has left me weak for so long… I want it gone." Shototsu declared determinedly, glaring at the fiery abomination.
Imawashiki shook his head. "Regashi himself leaves that wound on you for a reason. There's nothing you can do to rid yourself of it."
Shototsu angled his knees.
"But getting rid of you is the next best thing!"
*WOOSH!*
Swiftly, Shototsu dashed toward Imawashiki, brimming with fury. Initially, the amethyst-haired vessel phased through the fiery abomination upon swinging first; however, the man refused to cease his attacks and continued fighting.
'Kaze, a little boost?' Shototsu called out to his Tansu Beast.
The thunderous voice returned. 'Take him to the skies. I'll help you then.'
Nodding resolutely, Shototsu gnashed his teeth together.
"Fuck your fire!"
*WHOOSH!*
Shototsu expelled a barrage of wind at Imawashiki, blowing the fiery abomination's fire away and into the sky. To resist the wind, Imawashiki became tangible once again, only to be tackled by Shototsu at that exact moment.
The two were passing the clouds from Shototsu's single leap, with Imawashiki being held in the amethyst-haired man's grip.
"You have me now, Shoto. Do something!"
Shototsu looked into the fiery abomination's eyes. "Gladly."
'Use this efficiently.' Kaze's voice rang in the man's ears.
*FLAP!*
Breaking through the skin on Shototsu's back, a pair of white wings sprouted outward, flapping in the air with an astounding amount of force. Each feather attached to the wings was as elegant as the clouds and made flight as easy as standing.
Shototsu puffed his chest. "These skies don't belong to you anymore!"
*BOOM!*
In Shototsu's palms, two purple beams were discharged and made contact with Imawashiki's chest, blowing a hole through his mesh shirt and his body. The fiery abomination had pain etched onto his face, with blood spilling from him.
*FWOOSH!*
Imawashiki quickly attempted to overwhelm Shototsu with a cyclone of fire, only for the flames to be dispelled in an instant by the amethyst-haired vessel's wind. A new sense of life shimmered in Shototsu's eyes, glimpsing at his hands gleefully.
He wasn't powerless; he was no longer the minion that was barely sufficient. He was a man with enough power to shift the tides of even the strongest feuds, including the Tansu's.
"Don't run now!" Shototsu yelled as he flapped his wings mightily and chased after the fiery abomination.
The two scuffled in the air for several moments, their bodies dashing across the skies at unparalleled speeds. Imawashiki's fire was proving to be fruitless as Shototsu's wind overpowered it every time a flame was present.
Imawashiki's breath became labored with ire. "Stop this!"
*BOOM!*
In a fit of rage, Imawashiki resorted to firing a red beam of light at Shototsu. Unfortunately, the fiery abomination put too much power into the beam as it exited Earth and blasted a sizeable hole straight through the moon.
"Is that your idea in mind!? Destroying everything we know!?" Shototsu screamed at the fiery abomination, his eyes bulging at the sight of the damaged moon.
Imawashiki clenched his fists. "Manabu could fix that a thousand times over if you guys just complied!"
"It wouldn't have happened in the first place if you weren't so twisted!"
As the two Tansu vessels bickered, red scales started to emerge on Imawashiki's body, his skin hardening with every second. It was only the side of his face, but the scales were noticeable enough to Shototsu.
'What the hell is happening to him…?' Shototsu thought to himself.
'It's exactly what Kanden's vessel realized long ago.' Kaze spoke solemnly inside Shototsu's mind, referring to Kaminari Nozomu. 'Imawashiki is not the boy you grew up with who happens to have changed his name… it's—-!'
*FWOOSH!*
"I never said I was at my peak, Shoto!" Imawashiki roared, his right turning yellow. "I'm far from showing my dormant self!"
'...The Tansu Beast itself.' Kaze finished speaking, making Shototsu's eyes broaden.
"Moeru took over his body…" Shototsu whispered, a pang of shock coursing through his veins.
In Shototsu's eyes, the fight was only starting.
XXX
Another chapter down, more plot is revealed! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I can't really gather the energy to type more so stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_