The cold night air bit at their skin as Kaito led the rescue party deep into the Abandon Lands. Haru flanked him, eyes constantly sweeping their surroundings for any sign of movement. Two Elders followed closely, alongside royal soldiers brought up at the rear, hands never straying far from their weapons. As they approached the forest's edge, the darkness was absolute. the trees looming like silent sentinels, their branches reaching out like grasping fingers. The moonless sky, a vast expanse of inky blackness, offered no reprieve, the faint starlight hardly penetrating the dense canopy above.
Miles away, at the Gateway, Fukiko stood in silent, ferocious temperance, her eyes blazing with contained fury, observing the massacre of the gatekeepers. Bodies lay strewn across the ground, their forms twisted in final moments of terror and agony. Blood stained the earth, the wind swirled with the metallic scent of death.
She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she visualized the attack in her mind. It was clear some of the gatekeepers attempted to fight back, their weapons scattered around them. Yet, most were caught completely off guard, struck down before they could even raise an alarm. In comparison to the severity of their wounds, the brutality of the attack was swift, controlled, and planned.
Opening her eyes, she scoffed, placing a hand on her hip. Tsk! All cut down without a single burn… You really piss me off…
At the entrance of the Gateway, Izimaru knelt, his keen eyes examining the doorway and its hinges. His face tensed, puzzled by the conspicuous lack of security and lax maintenance of the prominent structure before him. This doesn't make any sense! This is the only portal to and from our realm, and it's treated with such obvious negligence? Why? How has this gone unnoticed for so long?
His brow deeply wrinkled, running his fingers along the unremarkable frame, searching for any sign of tampering. No forced entry. No signs of a struggle at the entrance. And meager gatekeepers stationed to keep watch…
Izimaru stood, dusting off his knees. Our clan never found reason to leave this realm. But it seems the others are of a different opinion. Kaito did well choosing a secluded location and layout that ensures privacy and secrecy rather than security.
He exhaled as he took in the full scope of contradictions surrounding him. A large, ancient seal dominated the ground, its Gordian-like pattern engraved into the flooring. Despite its obvious purpose, the seal bore no protective inscriptions or wards to guard against unauthorized use.
His gaze traveled up the marble walls, where the symbols of all the leader clans hung in neat rows. The clan emblems partially obscured by carefully cultivated vines that crept along the walls. How odd… by the way these vines and emblems were arranged, it blocks outsiders from viewing inward.
He shifted his attention to the ceiling, noting the absence of protective decorations and signal releases. Not even a physical barrier beyond that simple door.
Izimaru turned back, exiting the Gateway. "Wife! We're taking our leave."
Gazing upon his face, shaded in vexation, as he passed by, Fukiko nodded joining him at his side. "Will Koba be alright?" she inquired, her eyes low, smoke faintly filtering from her hands. "After everything that's happened, my distaste for the Chikas has become intolerable."
"He is our first-born. Trust that he'll find his way back," he replied. His eyes blinked, igniting a flash of a small flame. "We must go home at once! I can't stand the air here any longer. They're reckless! Did they think I wouldn't notice?!"
Izimaru abruptly stopped, his eyes glowing, looking back towards the Gateway. "A storm is coming Fukiko. The rumors of war are no longer speculation. We must prepare."
Without another word, they retreated from the Chika territory, melting into the depths of the night.
On a cliff overlooking the Chika border, Sora caught a glimpse of Izimaru and Fukiko's furtive departure. A tiny smirk played across her lips, a silent acknowledgment of the brewing tensions. As a cold breeze whipped around her, she shivered involuntarily, the chill seeping through her clothes. Mari, spotting her discomfort, stepped behind her. He shrugged off his suit jacket, gently draping it over her shoulders. His arms encircled her waist, pulling her close against his chest. Hunching over, he rested his chin on her shoulder, closing his eyes. "What are you thinking?"
Sora leaned back into his embrace. "That girl.. ummm Kaname," she replied softly. "I don't know if Kaito is taking us for a fool or if he's truly ignorant, but she's the farthest thing from a mutated mortal."
Mari nuzzled closer, his breath warm against her ear. "Hmmm, is that so?"
Playfully pouting, Sora turned her head to address him. "Dear, I've conducted my research on numerous specimens over the years. I've sliced, diced, and skinned every last one of them. You know how thorough I can be when I get excited. I'm telling you right now that her features don't fit within that species."
A mischievous smile conquered her lips, transforming her curious expression into an exploitative interest. "Mari, she's a fascinating anomaly! One I must learn more about. Do you think Kaito will let me have her when this is over with?"
Mari remained silent, tightening his embrace around her. Sora shifted her head back forward, her breath forming a cloud in the cold air. "The more I think about it, the more I hope she doesn't survive this ordeal. I'd like her alive for my experiments, but her corpse would be more convenient."
He pressed a gentle kiss to Sora's cheek, eyes opened scanning the inklings of leaves drifting in the breeze. "Sure, …whatever you want, my love."
Back in the forest, the rescue party pressed on, entering the outskirts of the Abandoned Lands. They moved swiftly in muted silence, their presence concealed by shadows and skill, unaware of the danger lurking nearby. Suddenly, Masahiko's voice cut through the night, immediately drawing their attention. "Watch out!"
A whirling vortex of wind erupted between the group and the brushes, just as a pack of wolf yazumi leaped from their hiding spots. The surprise attack, thwarted by Masahiko's quick action, left both the rescue party and the yazumi momentarily stunned. The wolves, their eyes flickering with feral hunger, regrouped quickly, circling the rescue party. Their growls a low, menacing rumble in the darkness as more emerged from the dust.
Kaito was the first to react. Water coalesced around his hands as he nocked an arrow. The projectile, infused with his water ability, streaked through the air, striking the lead wolf yazumi through the throat. The impact exploded in a burst of pressurized water, sending it flying backward with its head exploding.
Haru drew his sword, flames dancing along the blade. With a swift motion, he sent a wave of fire towards a group of approaching yazumi. The wolves yelped and scattered, their fur singed by the intense heat.
The Elders moved in unison, their water abilities creating a protective barrier around the group. Tendrils of water lashed out, ensnaring yazumi and tossing them aside like rag dolls.
The two royal soldiers stood back to back, engaging the yazumi head-on. They moved with practiced precision, covering each other's blind spots, each strike finding its mark. But the beasts' savage frenzy proved formidable. In a horrifying lapse of judgment, the yazumi descended upon them, tearing through armor and flesh. The soldiers' screams were stifled short as they were mauled to death, their bodies disappearing under a mass of snarling wolves.
Witnessing the fall of his soldiers, Haru summoned fiery slashes from his sword, engulfing the yazumi. The smell of burning fur and flesh filled the forest as the wolves howled in agony.
As the battle raged below, Masahiko stayed in the skies. His eyes, sharp and focused, scanned the chaos beneath him. With a rapid motion of his hands, he summoned powerful gusts of wind, directing them at the swarming yazumi. The blast caught a group of yazumi mid-attack, hurling them back into the forest with bone-crushing force. Trees splintered under the impact, impaling their bodies.
He then dove towards the fray, swooping low to snatch the hidden yazumi by their tails, lifting them high into the night's sky. With a cold glint in his eye, Masahiko released his captives, plummeting towards the earth, splattering their bodies onto the ground.
The tide of battle turned against them as they stood outnumbered and tired. Unexpectedly, the yazumi's ears twitched, promptly ceasing their attacks to retreat. Confusion briefly ruffled through the rescue party at the yazumi's unexpected withdrawal, but their ignorance instantly enlightened as the ground began to violently tremble. A low rumble quickly followed in the distance before growing into a thunderous bellow.
Preparing for another attack on the retreating yazumi, Masahiko hesitated, his senses picking up on their sudden change in behavior. Looking back at the approaching shockwave, he promptly maneuvered his body with a burst of momentum, soaring higher, barely escaping the devastating blast reshaping the landscape below.
The group watched in horror as a colossal shockwave approached, scorching the earth and obliterating everything in its path. There was no time to run, no chance of outpacing it.
Reacting on pure instinct, Haru summoned a wall of fire, matching the heat and intensity of the impacting shockwave. Kaito positioned himself behind Haru, reinforcing the barrier with his water ability coating him from the sizzling heat.
The Elders, drawing on their last reserves of strength, created an additional layer of water protection. Their combined barriers held for a moment before shattering under the immense force, their skin flaking off covered in severe burns being blown back. Kaito swayed his right, sending water bubbles to encase the fallen Elders, protecting them from the lingering heat and debris.
Haru and Kaito stood their ground, channeling every ounce of their power into maintaining a shield against the relentless onslaught.
In spite of their head start, the blast overtook the fleeing yazumi, vaporizing them in an instant.
As the shockwave dissipated and dust settled, Masahiko descended from the higher atmosphere. "Kaito! Haru! Are you alright?"
Kaito, his clothes singed and face streaked with soot, nodded in acknowledgment. "Masahiko. Glad to see you made it."
"What in the realms was that?" Masahiko demanded, gesturing at the devastation around them.
Haru, kneeling beside one of the injured Elders, looked up. "Whatever it was, it came from the direction Pioto was known to frequent."
Kaito's eyes narrowed at this information. "Then that's where we need to go. We might find answers there... and possibly Yasushi and Kaname."
Masahiko scoffed. "You can't be serious. You want to head towards the source of that insane blast?"
"We don't have a choice," Kaito insisted. "Our mission-"
"Your mission," Masahiko interrupted, "is the result of your own failings. I'm not risking my life because of your embarrassing and neglectful parenting skills, Kaito! As the leader of the clan, this entire situation is your fault."
A tense silence fell over the group. Kaito's jaw clenched without argument.
Masahiko continued, his tone softened, looking at the injured Elders. "Besides, those two, their burns are severe. If it goes untreated, they won't make it through the night. It's best I stay behind and tend to their wounds."
Haru stood, placing a hand on Kaito's shoulder. "He's right about the Elders. They need immediate care."
Kaito concurred. "Very well. Masahiko, please see to the Elders. Haru and I will proceed towards the roots of that blast."
As Kaito and Haru prepared to leave, Masahiko called out one last time. "Kaito... despite everything, if it means anything… I really do hope you find them. And I hope they're okay."
Kaito paused, turning back to meet Masahiko's gaze. A moment of understanding passed between them before Kaito and Haru set off, their figures soon swallowed by the haze of destruction.
Running at top speed, Kaito and Haru approached the epicenter of the shockwave, their footsteps muffled by ash and debris. The devastation stretched as far as the eye could see, a hellscape of twisted metals, woods, and shattered earth. Wisps of smoke curled from smoldering craters and debris, casting an eerie haze over the scene, its depths glowing an eldritch red. The stench of burnt flesh and smoldering debris encapsulated each sniff.
"By the Titans," Haru breathed, his voice hardly audible over the crackling of small fires that dotted the landscape as they stared at charred, disfigured, dismembered bodies and body parts laid scattered everywhere on the ground.
They moved forward with trepidation, forced to step over and around the gruesome remains. Panic gripped Kaito, his eyes searched frantically for Yasushi among the carnage. His composure on the verge of breaking. "We need to find them, Haru. They have to be here somewhere."
Haru moved beside Kaito, his own gaze scanning the wreckage. "We should separate," he suggested, his tone grim. "Cover more ground."
Kaito nodded, his throat tight. "Be careful. We don't know what else might be out here."
Veering left while Haru took the right, Kaito picked his way through the hecatomb. His mind frantic, his heart pounding harder than drums.
YASUSHI! YASUSHI! WHERE ARE YOU??
Images of Yasushi, broken and lifeless, flashed before his eyes, each one a dagger to his heart.
PLEASE!! PLEASE BE ALIVE! I CAN'T LOSE YOU!... NOT LIKE THIS!!
"Yasushi!" Kaito called out, his voice hoarse. "YASUSHI!!?"
A glint of movement caught his eye. Kaito rushed forward, hope surging in his chest, stumbling over debris and limbs, only to find scavenging vultures snacking on their decomposing meal.
Shooing the vultures away, Kaito fell to his knees, eyes trembling as he turned over the charred corpse. A sigh of relief broke with suffocation realizing it wasn't Yasushi.
Before his next thought could manifest, Haru's voice broke through. "Kaito!"
His heart leapt, but his legs wobbled, dreading the alternative. "Over here!"
Steeling himself, Kaito sprinted towards Haru's voice, pushing through his anxiety as he crested a hill of rubble.
"Look!" Haru pointed to a small body lying atop a mountain of carcasses.
"Yasushi!" Kaito rushed forward, closing the distance in mere seconds. He reached his son's unconscious, broken body covered in cuts and bruises. His hands trembled, checking for signs of life. Pressing his ear onto Yasushi's chest, the strong, steady pulse beat of his heart sent a wave of relief crashing over him.
"He's alive," Kaito choked out as he carefully gathered Yasushi, hugging him closely, tears stinging his eyes.
Haru exhaled, but lost focus hearing a sound drifting on the wind - laughter, weak and ragged. Haru's head snapped to the side, eyes narrowing.
He moved a short distance away from Kaito and Yasushi, his piercing eyes enclosing towards a cluster of fallen structures.
Propped up against a boulder, he found Zei crouched with both legs and arms broken, surrounded by charred bodies. What was left of Lee's corpse laid resting on his lap.
Zei smiled, his eyes bright with a manic gleam seeing Haru approach. "Ha Haa! How long has it been? You've grown, Haru! Or should I say Captain Haru! Hahahaha!!"
He wheezed, blood speckling his lips. "Hahahaha Can you believe it? Wasn't today just full of surprises Hahahaha!"
"Where's Kaname?" Haru demanded, his voice harsh.
Zei's laugh dissolved into a wet cough. "Oh, you'll find her. But I doubt you'll recognize what she's become."
Steam exhaled from his mouth, looking downward at Lee. "Become? No…, what she is!"
Before Haru could press further, the ground beneath them shuddered, the earth collapsing into a yawning crater at the heat of the shockwave.
Kaito rose, cradling Yasushi, and processed towards the crumbling noise.
As he navigated the treacherous terrain, the ground sloped downward, arriving at the edge of a tiankeng-like crater. At its center, a small figure stood motionless.
He stopped abruptly, swallowing his breath before expelling a strained whisper as dread pooled in his stomach. "...Ka…k…Kaname?"
Sensing Kaito's gaze, she turned to look at him. Her eyes met his forcing him to stumble back, nearly dropping Yasushi.
The sight of her, her eyes, her aura had undergone a terrifying transformation. Her pupils dilated to an impossible degree, black as the deepest void, seeming to swallow all light. The remaining iris formed a mesmerizing ombre of blue-greens and greys, swirling in unnatural patterns. The veins in her sclera had grown large and thick, visibly pulsating with each beat of her heart.
Blood caked her skin and clothes, steam rising from her body in tendrils that twisted and coiled in the air around her. The ground at her feet was scorched in sinuous patterns, as if branded by some unknowable force.
The scene before him made his blood run colder than any winter wind.
The trees surrounding the clearing began to sway violently, their leaves torn free in a whirlwind of green and gold. The temperature plummeted, an unnatural cold seeping into the very marrow of the earth. In the distance, a low rumble grew, building to a clamorous rumble, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
Izimaru and Fukiko hastily made their way along a winding forest path towards the border. Sensing the rumbling of the ground and increase of wind pressure, he grabbed Fukiko, pulling her close behind him as he summoned a protective ring of fire around them. The blast of superheated air slammed into his barrier, parting around them like water around a stone.
Fukiko's temper flared. Her eyes widened in shock. "What the hell was that?!"
Izumaru's expression hardened, maintaining focus on the cracking barrier. "Something unnatural."
The sky above them ominously darkened, the peaceful twilight giving way to roiling storm clouds.
Sora and Mari stood frozen in horrified awe. The horizon before them erupted in a blinding flash, followed by the rise of a prodigious mushroom cloud. Its massive column twisted upward, bands of angry red and sickly orange swirling within its core. The cap spread outward, a malevolent umbrella that devoured the very sky.
Mari's grip on Sora tightened, stopping her from motioning forward in excitement. "Mari!" she breathed, her voice mischievously enthusiastic. "It seems my days of boredom are over!"
Lightning then began to crackle within the cloud's depths, each flash illuminating the roiling mass from within. The distant rumble of thunder grew louder and more insistent, transforming the tense night into a raging tempest.
The remnants of the shockwave became a warm breeze stroking Airi's cheeks as she sat in her rocking chair, extinguishing the flame from her lighter. She watched with calculating eyes the mushroom cloud rising on the horizon, its eerie light molding long shadows across the land.
She lowered the lighter and leaned to the side, her face resting in the palm of her hand, cradling her blushing cheeks. "Ahh, good girl… "You've done well."
The chair creaked softly as she gently rocked back and forth gazing out at the distant devastation. Her eyes glinted with pride and dark anticipation.
"Hurry home now, our time together is running out."
…And I have so much more to teach you…
- -