Episode 4- Mental Change
A voice speaks inside the mind of Kibo. The voice sounds like Noir Drew, but lacks a connection to the dragon. "Judgemeeeent, why do yoouuu refuuuse to juuudge", the inner voice commands. Kibo yells out and explodes from the ice using his profound strength. Senju laughs, the symbol glows on his wand, then he freezes the air around Kibo, encasing him in more ice. "Break out again! This is fun!", Senju exclaims. Kibo explodes out of the ice again, just to be frozen solid again. Kibo feels his stamina lower with each break out attempt and starts breathing harder. "Let's end this, I don't work for free", informs Senju. Senju raises his left hand in the air. More air freezes around Kibo, creating six finely crafted swords pointed at Kibo. Chizu finally musters up strength from the shock of the moment, and crawls to a far corner in the room near the door. Kibo calms his breathing and thinks within himself, "I can't die again. Not like this. The dragon claw, I can create it and make it disappear. What else can I create or make disappear? Is this power limited to only my hand?"
All six swords stab into the ice, creating a large explosion of dust-like ice particles flowing through the air. As the ice clears, there is no trace of Kibo or his previously knocked off helmet. Senju looks around the room and sees nothing except a Chizu, who is staring at the ceiling above Senju with a frightening look. As Senju starts to look up, he is immediately met with two dragon scale boots colliding with his face with extreme force from Kibo who is now equipped with his helmet. The monocle breaks into pieces, and his cane launches away. The impact makes Senju start falling towards the ground. Before Senju hits the ground, he quickly waves his left hand, freezing the ankles of Kibo. As Senju slams his back towards the ground, Kibo disappears into black smoke, then reappears in front of Senju roughly ten feet away and out of the ice. Kibo staggers and struggles to keep his balance as he tries to stand. Kibo disappears into black smoke once again and reappears two feet closer to the fallen Senju, with a better grasp on his landing. Senju stands to his feet and spits out blood, with an irritated look in his eyes. "Wonderful, you can poof now", says Senju. Blue veins show on the neck and hands of Senju as he throws off his jacket and rips off his shirt. Blue veins are seen running from hand to neck on Senju. "Have you ever wondered what happens when you eat the unhatched egg of an ice dragon?", asks Senju. "Power! You gain the power to rule over these have-nots called mankind!". Senju spreads his legs, extends both of his arms to the side, then closes his hands creating fists. "I think it's about time I got serious!", exclaims Senju.
The temperature in the room drops dramatically. Small sections of ice start to form all over the room. Kibo dashes to the locked door in the room and kicks the lock twice. The lock falls off after the second kick, making the door crack open slightly. Kibo looks at his mother, "RUN", he says. Chizu quickly runs out of the room without a word spoken to Kibo. A lightning fast punch hits Kibo with so much force that it sends him flying, crashing into the wall. Senju runs forward towards Kibo and leaps into the air. Senju hits Zero in the chest with both feet making him burst a hole through the building and land in the street outside. Rain starts to pour down as Kibo slowly rises to his feet. The jaw on the helmet of Kibo opens, as if responding to his will. Kibo spits out blood, then the jaw closes tight. The inner dragon voice speaks to Kibo, "Yooouuu have been shoooown that an animaaal isss simplyyy a state of miiiiind, and nooot a creaturrrre that sssstalks the woooods. Yooouu, even afffter deeeaaath stillll mooooove as a huuuuman to fight animaaaalsss. Beeeecommme what they feeeaaaarrrr; a strooonger animaaaaaaaal".
Senju stands at the hole left in the building. "Did you see the look on dear mother?", Senju asks. Senju clenches his fists as a thin, flexible, but hard layer of ice coats his skin and hair. He becomes crystal blue all over his body except for his pants and shoes. Senju breathes a cold wind from his mouth as he gives a sinister smile. "I know that look very well!", continues Senju, "It was FEAR!". Thunder rips from the sky as onlookers clear the nearby area and pack up the stands containing fruits, meat, and magical accessories to sell. "Your own mother fears her cursed child! Your existence is laughable!"
Senju extends both of his arms and opens his palms. Rain drops start to pause in the air. The rain drops freeze and combine into razor sharp swords made of pure ice that point towards Kibo. As more rain falls, more swords form. "The cane helped me focus and channel my power. But no, no, no, you need some FEAR beat into you!" Kibo lets off a battle cry and charges at Senju with immense speed.
Kibo throws a right hand at Senju but Senju dodges to the left. Senju kicks with his right leg at Kibo, but Kibo does a short leap over the kick. While airborne, Kibo slashes with his left hand, then right hand, but Senju uses his ice enforced forearms to block both slashes. Before landing, Kibo gives a right foot kick to the forearms of Senju, making Senju slide backwards. Through the icy layer on Senju's face, his eyes glow light blue. Two blades rip through the rain towards Kibo. Kibo disappears into black smoke before the blades land as they pierce the concrete street. Kibo reappears behind Senju, quickly releasing a downward slash with both hands using more force than he ever has. The slash forms a dark light energy "X" from the path of the slash, slashing again, as it collides with the back of Senju. The slash penetrates the icy layer of Senju as blood cascades from the back of Senju. The dark light energy surprises Kibo, as he looks at his hands. Senju leaps and rolls forward as ten swords dart towards Kibo. Kibo does a tucking roll backwards and while mid-air, disappears into black smoke. Kibo reappears behind Senju, quickly forms a large dragon claw with his right hand covered in black scales, and swipes downward at Senju. Senju quickly turns around to block the massive claw with both hands open. Senju looks surprised for a moment, then his eyes glow as he sends blades flying from the right and left sides of Kibo. Kibo teleports backwards to avoid the blades and Senju freezes the large claw left by Kibo, making it fall to the ground and shatter. Senju flails his arms wildly sending blade after blade towards Kibo. Dashes to the right and continues running to dodge the lethal swords.
The moment slows down. Kibo leans back to slide under a sword that flew in front of him. Rain slowly bursts on his crude, dragon scale armor. He then gets to his feet to jump over two blades that came in front and the back of him. While in mid air, he rolls horizontally to dodge three blades that came down from above him. As he lands on the ground he disappears into black smoke, then reappears a short distance forward and continues running.
The moment returns to normal as Kibo runs with incredible speed while swords repeatedly pierce the ground behind him. Kibo leaps on the top of a hut made of stone with straw covering on the top, then leaps directly towards Senju. "GOTCHA!", shouts Senju. Senju strains and yells a terrifying yell, as he quickly drops the temperature of the area around him. The pressure lightly pushes Kibo, leaving him suspended in mid air as ice forms on the front of him. Senju ends his scream, then extends both arms outward with open palms, as all the swords that have pierced the ground form into a giant fist made of dense ice. Above Kibo, another large, dense fist forms. Senju then claps his hands together, making both fists launch at Kibo from above and below. Kibo gives a powerful slash to the giant fist above him, as a stream of dark light traces after his slash. The fist above him splits into two pieces while the fist below him violently knocks him higher into the air. After some time, Kibo starts falling towards the ground. Senju puts his left hand over his right forearm and forms a long, five feet ice spike extending from his right hand. Senju thrusts upward as Kibo gets close enough. Kibo disappears into black smoke behind Senju, but when he reappears, he hits the ground hard due to the momentum, creating a crater underneath him. Kibo ignores the pain and quickly turns over as Senju turns around to stab him with the ice spike. Kibo catches the ice spike with both hands before it can stab him. The two struggle for a while then the eyes of Senju start to glow. Kibo uses his right foot to kick Senju, launching him backwards hard. Kibo rolls to the right as ice blades pierce the ground at his previous position. Kibo quickly gets to his feet and runs towards Senju while Senju runs towards Kibo.
Kibo feels a sense of enjoyment as he runs towards Senju. At this moment, there is joy, there is excitement, there is purpose. A warm feeling, cradled and surrounded by a pleasant darkness. An overwhelming urge to defeat this creature in front of him and relish victory in his demise. To be the animal that wins. The animal that marks its territory in death. A baby eating its first piece of meat. A human that is no longer virgin. To let go of all that is moral, and let the beast take over. Give full reign to the inner voice.
As Kibo runs towards Senju, his helmet starts to change. The mouth plate on the helmet opens to reveal a long violet tongue as Kibo lets off a roar more akin to dragon than man. A dark purple light glows from the eyes of the helmet. The dense claws grow longer on each hand. Black smoke forms from the mouth of the beast that is now Kibo. The black smoke swirls into a ball, then fragments of dark light start to form. Senju gets a sudden shock as he runs towards Kibo. As if from a reflex of impending death, Senju dissipates the ice spike on his right hand while running and points both palms towards the ground. Suddenly, a large pillar of ice launches Senju high into the air. At the height of the launch, Senju extends both arms outward and uses the rain and fallen ice blades to summon a gigantic ball of ice that blocks out the sky above. Dark light energy swirls faster in the mouth of Kibo as Senju continues to build the gigantic ball. Senju launches the ball at Kibo as a stream of black fire blasts from the feral Kibo's mouth. The meteor splits into two pieces as the blast cuts through with ease. The two split halves of the ice ball slam into nearby stalls, huts, and stone buildings, causing massive damage everywhere. The black fire from Kibo continues forward, hitting Senju in the chest, rapidly burning him. While in agony, Senju tries to use both hands to form ice in order to combat the blast, as he screams out with all his might. The black fire slowly melts parts of the thin ice layer on the skin of Senju. The blast ends and Senju starts to fall towards the ground. Black smoke appears above the exhausted Senju, then Kibo appears giving a powerful downward right fist to Senju, sending him darting at the ground below. As Senju falls, he tries to materialize ice to reduce the impact of the fall but still ends up smashing the ground hard. Kibo begins to fall, then disappears into black smoke, and reappears right above Senju, landing both feet on his already damaged back. Senju's head pops up as he coughs out blood. Kibo teleports beside Senju and gives a powerful kick to his ribs, sending him rolling and tumbling at full speed. Senju slams his back into a seemingly hard wall until he notices black dragon scales piercing through him and extending from his chest. Kibo had teleported again after kicking Senju forcing Senju to collide with the extended dragon scales on his back. Kibo does a hard spin to the left that forces Senju off of his back, tumbling forward. Kibo roars a terrible roar that sounds more beast than man as one animal claiming dominance over another. Kibo smells the blood dripping from Senju as he lays on the ground motionless. "SSSStand up and continue! What is the use of your coins of blood when you are DEAD!", Kibo shouts.
Thunder cracks and rain falls as the demonic Kibo walks slowly towards Senju. Through all of the rain and destruction, surviving residents come out of broken homes and rubble to look at the two in the rain. The ice layer is mostly dissolved from the body of Senju. Kibo kicks over his body to turn him around, reaches down to grab his neck, then lifts him off of his feet. The pressure forces Senju to regain consciousness and use the little strength he has left to grab at the strong right arm of Kibo that holds him up. Grandoria residents crowd closer to the two slowly. Senju spits blood at the face of Kibo, making Kibo violently throw Senju into the ground. Senju slowly tries to stand but can only get to his hands and knees. "What happens now Mr. Zero Justice!?", says Senju, then he coughs out more blood. "I am necessary to the nation! Look at these people! Rats that love their wheel! Lovers of scraps! I'm simply a gear, attached to a bigger gear, that is indeed attached to a much larger gear! I am how the world works!" Kibo roars a beastly roar, then quickly grabs at the neck of Senju with a power right hand. The two look each other eye to eye. All Senju can see is a frightening void of purple light from eyes with no trace of humanity. A thin aura of dark light surrounds Kibo. "THAT'S WHY THERE IS ZERO JUSTICE!". The aura around Kibo jaggedly snaps towards the eyes of Senju, burning his eyes relentlessly. Senju yells out in fright and pain and gets thrown to the ground by Kibo. The monster that is now Kibo crouches over Senju and repeatedly slashes at his chest with his claws like a wild animal. Senju can see nothing but darkness as he tries to form ice on his chest to counter the wild slashes. Ice and blood rip upwards and splatter on the face of Kibo. Kibo stops and lets off a mighty dragon roar as thunder and lightning boom in the sky.