Yo readers and possible reviewers, I'm MHR, MadHatterRed, one of the writers between MHB and MHR. This is one of the first stories where I'm properly introducing myself since all the other ones I did, I did under MHB's pen name. Now we still work together but I have my own pen name for my stories. Sorry the first chapter was super short but it served as the prologue in a sort of way. Actually, it was more like the hook for the entire story to get everyone into the feel of the setting and stuff. Nothing too deep and important yet but there might be some revealing facts and more interesting pieces of information in this chapter.
Again, we're still in the past. The present might not come in this chapter or it will. I write on the spot and create and mold it as I go there's no guarantee.
Nevertheless, please enjoy and read until the very end.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or any of its characters.
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Kagami's P.O.V.
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Even though he really didn't want to get up, he still had to.
Kagami yawned as he sat up in bed, tired and wanting to blow something up. His dream of life six years ago when that teen had rescued him was still clear in his mind, leading him to the memories he had spent with him afterwards, surviving and learning from the stranger as he gradually got to know the older male. That time was over now after four years and he hasn't seen him in two years already, the male promising that they would meet again when the time was right. But when was that, Kagami didn't know. All he knew was that he would have to wait, which he didn't mind. He was sure his long ago partner would join him again. He never broke his word. After all, they had an apocalypse to beat.
Reaching over to the worn out, wooden nightstand by his bed, Kagami grabbed the black roses that floated there in their own just a few centimeters above the surface, glowing with an inner, black-violate aura that was other worldly and ominous. Yet, over time, he had grown fond of the black flowers, the gifts and momentoes of his time with his instructor. He never went anywhere without them and he never let anyone else see, much less touch them. Not that there was every really anyone around to do so.
With another yawn, Kagami carefully grabbed one of the flowers and then released his grip, the flower moving on its own to hover over his skin as the tips of the stem was barely even touching his palm. He stared long and hard at the flower, just observing how the light seemed to come from the black petals, how it looked so delicate and mysterious, the way it felt cold when he touched and grazed a finger over the flower. It was just like his instructor, something so out of place and impossible but intriguing and drawing attention. Even though sometimes, Kagami overlooked the fact that his instructor could have been right behind him and he wouldn't notice.
He would do this every time he woke up. Kagami would just study the black flowers until he really had to get out of bed. Black roses that resembled his mentor in a way that went beyond just simple appearances. Other worldly was the only way to describe it and him, his mentor. He felt that the roses were vital to his instructor but he hadn't the time to ask. Not before the Parasites had attacked.
Sighing and shaking himself of the dark memories, Kagami let the roses float off of his hand and onto the table again, sitting up and running a hand through his red and black hair. He had somewhat copied his mentor and dyed the ends of his air black even though the older male had dyed all of his hair black. When he felt that his hair was sufficiently combed with his fingers, he got up, still wearing his 'hunting' clothes.
Hunting clothes was the way his mentor had referred to them because they hunted down Parasites in their attire. It consisted mainly of their black cloak that concealed everything from prying eyes, black jeans that were loose-fitting to allow free movement and a black shirt, again loose. He also wore soft, black leather boots, and depending on where they were, regular shoes or nothing at all. It really depended on what they were dealing with at the time. The only things he didn't have on were his sliver, spiked gauntlets and weapons belt.
Kagami stretched his arm as he moved to grab the gauntlets on the end of his bed. They gleamed brightly in the moonlight that filtered through the space where a window would have been. In the white light, the silver metal seemed to radiate its own white light, blindingly bright and beautiful and mesmerizing. He could never thank his mentor enough for the items.
The gauntlets fit his hands perfectly, always readjusting as he grew older. Kagami next grabbed the belt that held his two silver handguns. Buckling on the belt, he pushed his cloak to the side to pull out both of the guns. Like the gauntlets, they gleamed and reflected the moonlight with a bright, white light when shined on at the perfect angle. They were the only bright items of his everyday attire. Usually, with his mentor, everything was black but when he trained Kagami for two years, he had given him his very own weapons, weapons that Kagami fought with effortlessly and with perfection. After all, a man was only as good as the weapons he fought with.
It was a full moon, the perfect night for Kagami to keep moving and traveling to Tokyo. Before, when he was still ten and moving and running on his own, he had always traveled by day. It was at the time that he dared to confront the Parasites that attacked like mindless, rabid dogs. Only during the day did he feel safe and confident enough to even lift a hand to the Parasites. After training with his mentor, he had learned to adapt to his mentor's way of thinking and moving.
Unlike him, Kagami's instructor had lived in the night, using the cover of darkness to kill and the safeness of light to sleep. It had been weird and illogical to Kagami at first until one night, he realized that his mentor would move much faster and stronger in the night. He learned that the older male actually saved up his energy during the day and let it out at night when the Parasites couldn't see or smell him as well. Moonlight seemed to affect their senses for some unknown reason that only his mentor knew of. All he knew was that attacking at night, though maybe riskier, was far more efficient.
So that's what Kagami did. Like his instructor, he now lived and survived in the night, the darkness his territory and the light his refuge. If attacked in the day, though groggy, he could see the Parasites coming at him.
Kagami gave the handguns a few experimenting twirls before popping open the cartridges and making sure they were full. He placed them back in their holsters and then checked the back carriers of the belt where the four extra boxes of bullets were. All four were there. Then he made sure that the two throwing knives were still strapped to his lower left leg, one on the inside of his leg and the other on the outside. When he felt them, he moved his hands to his other leg where the large dagger was, nearly as long as half his leg and stronger than any metal his knew of. He actually didn't know what it was made of but he knew that it cut through everything with the same frightening ease of a knife through butter, just like his mentor's broadsword did.
Ah, it wasn't there.
Kagami just kept a hand on his leg for a few more seconds, not really processing the fact that he could feel his leather strap he used to tie the dagger onto his leg but he couldn't feel the dagger itself. Slowly turning to the bed, he saw the dagger lying innocently (or as innocent as a killer knife can get) on the bed, the end buried deep into the mattress where his leg must've shifted and in doing so, stabbing the poor bed.
Again, Kagami just stared. What was his teacher's lesson about sleeping with the dagger? Ah, right, don't. It can stab you as you sleep. Yeah, that was the lesson.
Kagami sweatdropped at forgetting something so obvious. Standing straight, Kagami groaned quietly at the thought. If the blade had sliced through his vital arteries in his thigh, he would have bleed out in his sleep. Really, who the hell kills themselves in their sleep because they slept with a knife on? No one. It was stupid, it almost made him feel embarrassed. Walking back to the bed, Kagami pulled the dagger out from the mattress, slipping it into the sheath at his leg and tightening the strap before pulling the pant leg down.
With all weapons accounted for, Kagami then preceded to grab the black roses before crushing the petals and watching as the black light died, the stems losing that inner light along with the now lifeless petals. Throwing the black petals to the ground at his feet and onto the floorboards, Kagami placed the stems into an inner pocket of his cloak before zipping the opening shut so they won't fall out. Whenever he had to crush the flower, he felt sad, for some reason, like something inside him was being crushed as well. Right now, though, he had to concentrate on moving forward.
Kagami then slung the small bag over his shoulder that contained a water bottle and a few bags of chips for food before moving and exiting the apartment. In the halls, he was quick to move, knowing that Parasites could attack at any moment from either the countless rooms or from behind him. Without the moonlight, he was horribly vulnerable since it was dark and his senses still weren't as good as a Parasites. Besides his sense of smell.
Parasites. They were the biggest part, the most influential part of the whole apocalypse. There were a lot of stories as to how they came to be. Everyone knew that they had originally been humans from stories about how some still had clothes on. Some said that scientists accidently created something that made humans turn into these ugly, black masses that attacked other humans. Other people said that aliens took over humans and used them as hosts to try and spread their control and take over more humans. There were even a few that thought it was a disease but then, why wasn't Kagami one of them then? Personally, Kagami thought that they were in his way and needed to be removed. That was all to it, he thought. If something really vital was important in getting rid of them, then he wanted to know. Other than that, he'll leave the whole why's, how's, and when's to other people.
Parasites was the name that people had given the monsters that attacked normal humans. No one really knew why but the survivors that Kagami had met, those that grouped together and traveled, had used that same term and so had his mentor. Now, he no longer referred to them as just creatures or things but as Parasites. It would be useful to know why they were called that but he resolved to find out later. Right now, he just worried about killing them.
Parasites were indeed the most threatening since there was so many of them but the next most populated threat was the Wind Spirit. Really, whoever thought up that name was really naive or just blind because to Kagami, those things were far from spirits. In all actuality, they were more like dragons. Yes, dare he say the word of all fantasies, the creature from bedtime stories, a dragon.
They were only like dragons though. They weren't the really long, snake like creatures Kagami heard from most Japanese and even Chinese myths. They were more like the American type dragons, shorter and a whole lot more blood thirsty, the bastards. They were, of course, black like the Parasites and other creatures that sprang up to cause the apocalypse. Except they didn't have that same, leathery skin but hard, iron-like scales. Spikes lined their backs from their neck all the way down to the edge of their tails, the spike becoming smaller at the ends. At the base of their neck though, their was a hollow the where skull began and where no spikes were, most likely due to the fact that there wasn't really bone where a spike could sprout from. The main difference between the male and female were, of course, the parts but also their facial structure (a relief since that meant you didn't have to run under one if you wanted to know what sex it was). The males usually had large horns on their foreheads, thick and curving at the tips. The females didn't have horns but their eyes were always blue, unlike the male's black eyes.
These 'Wind Spirits' (the name still made him scoff at some man's foolishness) weren't actually a danger to Kagami. Before he met his mentor, they had been, attacking ruthlessly and killing countless people. The survivors' group that he had been apart of once had their numbers reduced to half their original numbers because of one such attack where they were surrounded by nearly a dozen Wind Spirits who attacked at once. They couldn't do a thing but run and hide. Hope and pray.
Kagami learned that his mentor could tame Wind Spirits. At first, all he could think was that it was horrendous and sickening that his mentor would do such a thing, to bond with the creatures that killed so many of his friends and fellow survivors. He had spent two days giving his mentor the cold shoulder and only now, when he looked back on it, could he realize how childish and foolish he had been during an apocalypse. Only after looking back on it had he realized how frantic his mentor had been to get Kagami to trust him and to talk to him again. Not that Kagami would notice it. His mentor's face was always so blank and his voice, though strong, clear and low, was always monotone.
When Kagami had gotten over his stupid tantrum, he had agreed to learn how to tame and ride Wind Spirits. He learned how to make the saddle for one from blankets and leather, how to bond with them so that they won't kill him and instead help him. He also learned all the secrets of Wind Spirits. The older the Wind Spirit, the bigger they were. They did indeed breathe fire and the bigger they were, the longer they could hold a flame blowing from their jaws. The smaller Wind Spirits couldn't hold a fire for as long nor was their fire as strong or hot as a larger Wind Spirit. They weren't particularly smart unless you became so close with one that you could communicate. Other than that, they only cared about sating their hunger and finding a place to sleep. Kagami also learned about their weak spots, places best to aim for if they proved threatening. As far as Kagami knew, he could kill one in front of another and still bond with that second one.
No one other than his mentor had ever bonded with Wind Spirits. After meeting several survival groups, Kagami knew that other humans were only hostile and scared of the dragon-like creatures. It was because of his mentor's words to never let anyone learn how to bond with a Wind Spirit that Kagami never taught other humans about it. Before, he thought it was selfish of his mentor but then he learned, humans were fickle, they could use Wind Spirits and become even worse than Parasites. Kagami found out when he once saw humans slaughtering other humans for their food, and for the humans as well. Cannibals. It was disgusting. It hurt.
Parasites and Wind Spirits weren't the only top predators of course. The next threat would be Colossals, again, a term that all survivors used unless they were too isolated from other humans. Colossals were a whole lot more rare and Kagami had only ever seen one once in his entire life, even including before he had met his mentor. At that time, his mentor had only muttered a few words to him about Colossals before cutting it down without hesitating.
Colossals were gigantic (hence, their name meaning large), humanoid creatures that almost looked like Parasites, only they were more grey than black and of course, larger. Their definite size was unknown since most have never seen them and others that did, all reported different sizes. The one Kagami had seen was as tall as the buildings that reached the sky, so tall and large that its slow movements looked even slower to Kagami as he stood right below it. When he had run into an abandoned building to protect himself, he realized that it really did move slow and did none of that running and screeching that Parasites did. From the building, he learned that Colossals were actually deaf and nose blind. It relied totally on its eyesight and once its eyes were gone, it was virtually harmless. Unless it tried walking around. Then you would have to run and take cover since it couldn't see where it was going.
So the Parasites, the Wind Spirits and the Colossals were the most threatening of the apocalyptic creatures, things that people tended to refer to as Black Creatures all together.
Kagami cursed as he heard the faint thudding of footsteps above him, most likely two stories up. Without a doubt, he knew, Parasites or one of the lower type apocalyptic creatures were running around in the apartment complex. Before long, they would stumble upon Kagami and rip him to shreds. His only reassurance was that they had no chance of smelling him through so many walls. Actually, since it was finally night, they would be able to smell him even if they were right around the corner of the hall.
Kagami, on the other hand, could smell everything with his nose. The rancid breath of Parasites was always strong. Wind Spirits smelled like smoke and burnt meat. Colossals, sadly, smelt like the sewage system. A sewage system full of dead animals. Right then, Kagami could smell the breath of Parasites and he could hear they awkward gate as they ran. Unlike the day, they screamed at night when they could see their prey. They would start screaming only when they saw Kagami or some other unlucky human within the apartment complex.
Still running, though keeping his steps light and barely touching the ground, Kagami sped through the complex, searching for a way out. His heart was beating a little too loudly and fast for his liking. Not only that, but despite his training, he couldn't stop his irregular breathing. He could feel the Parasites, their presence that sent shivers up his spine, as they came nearer to him. Most likely feeling his vibrating steps as they traveled through the floor and walls.
Just like on the night he was saved, mindless terror had a grip on Kagami. He knew that the Parasites were literally in every corridor and he felt scared. Just plain scared for his life. He slowed down, closing his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried slowing down his erratically beating heart and shaking hands. One would think that he should have gotten over this but he was always scared. Always scared when he knew without a doubt, he was trapped.
Power. Strength. Breathe. Kill.
Kagami let the words run through him, his mind reorganizing itself, his heart slowing, his breathing calmed down. The same trick his mentor taught him. The quiet terror of night, receding to the back of his consciousness. The night was his territory now. He could breathe. He could fight. He could live. He could kill. Black roses and their sweet scent of vanilla filled his senses.
The screams came from behind him.
High pitched, fear-inducing screams of the Parasites. Kagami's eyes snapped open and he saw everything. Spinning around, Kagami ran straight at the oncoming threat who were running at him, limping and looking as sickening as any night.
Kagami didn't waste a second. Unlike his mentor, he attacked with a yell of defiance and strength, sending some of the Parasites reeling from the sheer power behind his voice. Taking that moment to advantage, Kagami brought his fist down upon the first creature, smashing its skull in and giving it a few holes as well. It crumpled to the ground. Dead.
Momentum still strong, Kagami used his other fist and bought it into the gut of the next Parasite, sending it slamming into the ceiling and falling to the floor without getting back up. Dead.
His right fist again, made a large arc before pulverizing the side of the skull of another screaming Parasite and it went flying out the window, shattering the glass. Dead.
Only two more. With a feral growl and only filled with rage that was usually sedated by terror, Kagami grabbed both the Parasites by their necks and squeezed, holding them above the floor as they flailed and kicked in vain while grabbing at Kagami's silver gauntlets, now stained red. With that thought and another squeeze, he cracked both necks. Dead. Dead.
Dropping them to the ground, Kagami looked at the black deformed bodies of what once were humans and his anger ebbed away, slowly but surely. The cloud of red that had come over him dissipated and left him to think.
Soon, other creatures would follow these ones and he couldn't stay around too long for that. Looking at the window that the Parasite fell out of, Kagami nodded to himself before climbing out of the building and jumping, three stories up and landing heavily onto one of the cars.
It caved in as he landed and the windows shattered, sending glass pieces everywhere. It was a good car too, Kagami realized, stepping off it and trying to avoid destroying his boots. A blue Ford truck, actually. Too bad he messed it up.
Kagami looked around warily, knowing that the scuffle he just had upstairs wouldn't go unnoticed. So far, nothing had appeared but he could now hear the screaming of more Parasites throughout the entire apartment complex. Well, they heard everything and now their searching. But it was a full moon wouldn't best Kagami when he had the moon at his side. He, like his mentor, now fought with the strength of ten men doubled when he fought at the full moon. No, he wasn't a werewolf but it was pretty damn close considering he became a whole lot stronger.
Kagami felt relief flood through his entire system. The fright of being trapped had always been his worst weakness. The suspense when he thought he could make it out alive, only to know with all his being that he was going to get caught. This was where he was supposed to be, out in the open where there were no corners to hide behind, nothing to pop out of.
The street was all shadows and white light from the moon. It cast an ominous look onto everything, making it all seem both frightening and alluring. It was a street that had been ravaged, torn apart. The buildings looked haggard and deathly, cars along the curbs were hollow and empty. There was no life anywhere. But the environment made him smile. A savage and ruthless smile tinged with contempt and pity.
Both ominous and alluring. The stars were like millions of white lights that filled the sky. The moon was beautiful and looked like a white, round portal to somewhere brighter, more white. The white light that fell to the ground was soft looking unlike the sun. It gave everything a ghostly, yet soft look. Screams and screeches of the Black Creatures filled the night. Such a terrifying yet darkly ethereal. This was the apocalypse and Kagami felt he belonged. Ah, to what? He didn't know. It just felt right to be standing where he was.
Kagami knew that the Parasites were going to come crawling out of the buildings and running along the streets at any moment. Sadly, for him, he was in the more infested area of town where Black Creatures were everywhere and humans were nowhere. He would have to hotwire a car to get out or call a Wind Spirit. Both improbable. Kagami sucked at hot wiring cars and he couldn't be sure if there was a Wind Spirit nearby to here him.
It was worth a shot though. Making sure his hood was over his head, Kagami took a deep breath in and then a deep breath out. The dark world and Black Creatures were all around, unseen but there. He knew it. He could feel them. They were coming and they were hungry. They were always hungry.
Energy. It was like a fire in Kagami's veins. Something warm and unruly that didn't want to be restrained. It was Kagami's job to restrain and control it. This energy gave him the power to do anything he wanted to. And gave him the power to perform the Calling. Focusing on the energy in his blood and body, in his mind and heart, Kagami took a few more deep breaths. He needed to gather enough of his inner energy to convert it into the power that he needed: the power his mentor referred to as the Calling.
Power. Energy. Breathe. Deliver and control.
Kagami still knew why the dragon-like Black Creatures were called the Wind Spirits. Even if they were most definitely dragons and Kagami still thought of the name as so cliche, their name was fitting in a way. They flew through the sky on their great wings and if close enough, it felt like the wind was being controlled, bent to the Wind Spirit's will. Depending on the Wind Spirit's intentions, the wind was anything, from calm to wild, from soothing to assaulting.
Kagami learned to control the wind to call to the Wind Spirits. His mentor taught him what he had to do to get them to obey, to come when he wanted them, to fight when he needed them. And so he let the energy do his bidding.
It was like a thousand fires that burned with the intensity of the sun were suddenly lit across his skin. It was feverishly hot, both inside and outside him. His mind was buzzing from the overdose of warmth. Knowing that he finally had the energy and power, Kagami raised his arms, the blood from the Parasites dripping from his metal gloves and onto the ground, sizzling. He had harnessed the energy and now, all he needed to do was whisper the needed incantations to make the winds do his bidding.
The incantations were in another language to which the name he knew not. All Kagami knew was how to speak it to a considerable degree. He knew enough words to make certain commands and do certain things. There were different types of incantations and the one he was going to execute was categorized as a Sensory Incantation.
Sensory Incantations were not difficult to do for Kagami besides the fact that they could burn as he performed them and that he had to hold the energy for as long as he wanted the incantation to keep going. Meaning if he stopped, the incantation did. They were the easiest to perform, though, for Kagami.
These types of spells (Kagami didn't like to refer to them as that since it seemed so fantastical like from a story book. When he told his mentor, he had been amused and started to tease Kagami by using it more often) were meant to call, repel or attack using the wind and other things that could affect the senses. The one Kagami was doing was a Calling for the Wind Spirits using the winds so that they literally called to the flying, Black Creatures.
My power = chi nathro
Winds = mosrumne
Whistle = ninko
Spell of Sense = Zanchin ni Pantethru
Those were the main words to his incantation and the words that held the actual energy. In all, the incantation he whispered was:
"Nou nish binda chi nathro sa binda sur mosrumne bon koroshin seenn ninko. Zanchin ni Pannenthru"
Let me use my power to use the winds and make them whistle. Spell of Sense.
The moment the last words left his lips, Kagami could feel the heat all over him intensify, making his skin prickle. Even through the slight haze of pain, Kagami could still hear it. With his eyes to the sky, a whistling sound filled the air and drowned out the screeching. It was a soft sound that rang clearly in the night. The wind started to twirl and twist around Kagami, making his cloak flap wildly and nearly push back his sood.
It was the whistling air. The sound of the Calling that he was trained to hear from his mentor.
Kagami held onto the energy for a little while longer, making sure the sound carried and hopefully, reached the ears of any Wind Spirit. It was a long moment with only that sound in his ears before he let it dissipate, along with the control on the wind and the whistling died away.
As the whistling died away, Kagami heard the Parasites again. They now knew where to go and they were coming right at him. He could smell their decaying flesh and other horrendous parts as they ran, getting closer and louder all the way. And they were coming from everywhere too. Including the apartment complex he had exited. Seriously, he slept with those goddamn things surrounding him? He was tempted to shutter.
There!
Kagami's head swiveled so that it was facing the sky. Unbelievable! Right there, with its huge flapping wings and great black body only visible because it blocked out the stars, was a Wind Spirit, flying right for him. It was an older one, if its great, hulking body was anything to go by. If Kagami were to guess, he would say at least seven years old (the size of a car)
Kagami's mind was reeling because he had been sure that he was in an area that Wind Spirits hardly ever intruded upon. More specifically, Colossal's territory. Wind Spirits, even if they were Black Creatures, didn't get along with the Colossals for multiple reasons. Because they don't get along and because the larger of the two are so stupid, Wind Spirits were the ones that avoided Colossals, that it, if they weren't pissed off enough to want to purposefully attack the other.
Kagami was suddenly very much aware of breaking glass and crashing sounds. Glancing in the other direction of the Wind Spirit, he processed the Parasites, leaping out of the building he had been in minutes before and falling to the ground of cars below. They poured out like a wave of black spiders, deformed and crawling over one and other, making the same sickening noises that would haunt the lone survivor for the rest of his life. Ah, they were going to get to him before the Wind Spirit could.
Running, Kagami sprinted to the oncoming Wind Spirit that flew through the air like an arrow while the Parasites followed him. He couldn't take them all on. Really, he wasn't that stupid (not that he would admit he was stupid to a certain degree).
Over time, Kagami had become incredibly fast, his feet and legs so much stronger than before and now he could easily outrun the average Parasite, even the slow moving Colossal. But the better-than-average Parasite was, of course, fast to a degree that pissed Kagami off. One of these very Parasites jumped at him from behind, its arms outstretched to grab at his legs and its mouth gaping as if it was aiming for his neck.
Kagami, without losing momentum and speed, twisted and grabbed the skull of the attacking Parasite before crushing its head in his hand like it was no stronger than an egg shell, the gauntlet providing the extra power needed. Sizzling blood like splattered onto him and covered the front of his cloak while several drops got onto his cheek. Disgusted and wincing from the slight burn the acid-y liquid inflicted, Kagami used his clean sleeve to wipe it off, only succeeding in smearing it and making it slightly worse.
The Parasites' screeching filled Kagami's ears and he muttered curses in annoyance. When didn't they just shut up. Howls and cries that haunted him every other day of his life and it was pissing him off. Kagami was so overcome with the feeling of adrenaline and irritation that he was tempted to pull out one of his guns and start blowing the mother fuckers up but he had to refrain. It was the part of him that hadn't gotten enough sleep that was influencing him.
Yeah, when Kagami was tired, he started blowing shit up. Smooth.
Kagami's feet pounded on the ground, sending periodic jolts through him as he ran hard, blood pumping loud in his ears and Parasites chasing him for his human flesh. The Wind Spirit roared its authority and almost made some of the Parasites halt in their race but the nearly mindless Black Creatures still didn't stop. Even though some did trip over each other in surprise.
The Wind Spirit wasn't far now, and it wasn't slowing down either as it came speeding towards Kagami. Realization dawned on the survivor as he realized what the flying Black Creature was trying to do. There was no time for it to land and it definitely didn't want to deal with the pest called Parasites (Kagami knew only too well) so it wasn't going to land. Kagami was going to have to jump.
A feral grin like a tiger's made its way on Kagami's face. If he was good at anything, it was jumping and even his mentor admitted that he had a talent in the area of using his legs.
As both Parasites and Wind Spirit closed in on Kagami from both sides, he built up the energy from his blood and forced it towards his legs, concentrating and giving more power for his jump that would have to carry him at least twelve feet into the air.
"Lous chi nathro sa chi darong. Zanchin ni Pruro." Kagami whispered, letting the words slide from his lips like it was his first language. The energy in the words leaving a buzzing kind of feeling on his lips.
Give my power to my legs. Spell of Body.
Once Kagami felt the strength in his legs grow, he jumped.
Parasites grabbed at him as he shot into the air and the Wind Spirit dived at him.
So close. For a heart-pounding moment, Kagami felt suspended in time. A Parasite had its fingers digging deep into his calf, his own arms stretched up and almost touching the scales of the Wind Spirit, his blood still pounded in his ears, mind clouded with adrenaline, his breath hot and coming quick. He was living in this moment in time, and then he let the world speed up again.
Kagami crashed into the Wind Spirit's leg and it snapped its wings full length, shooting upwards and away from the Parasites, beating furiously with its mighty wings and climbing into the sky with more power than Kagami could ever call forth from his body alone. The Parasites that had jumped fell to the ground and Kagami kicked at the one that held stubbornly to his leg. It went screaming as it fell to the asphalt and not long after, a sickening splat as it came into contact to the ground.
The wind roared in Kagami's ears and he cheered, eyes almost watering from relief. He was free and off the ground once again! His mood must have been infectious because the Wind Spirit roared a heartfelt cry of victory, as if it accomplished some impossible feat and came out on top of all other beings.
Kagami laughed at the Black Creature's roar before climbing up and pulling himself into the space between two spikes at the Creature's neck. He was still wary of Wind Spirits but at the moment, he didn't care. He was in the air, the open space around him and the threat far, far below him. He couldn't care less that he was riding a bloodthirsty beast. He couldn't complain either since he was occasionally bloodthirsty as well.
The Wind Spirit leveled off and steadily beat its wings, flying through the air with ease. Kagami made sure to keep his body low and practically against the Wind Spirit's back since he could pierce himself on one of the spikes if the Black Creature suddenly jerked or was attacked. With one hand, he held onto the spike in front of him and stared at the world below him.
He was still tired and felt like blowing something up.
Nevertheless, Kagami felt at ease up high and in the air since there wasn't a space up here where an enemy could hide before jumping out to attack him. Out in the open, that's where he belonged. His previously racing heart had slowed down and he could hear the steady tha-dump, tha-dump, tha-dump.
Kagami gathered some more energy from his blood and let it collect before letting it pour into the words that he was about to whisper.
"Nou nish binda chi nathro sa binda sur mosrumne bon koroshin seenn ninko bon chidon blaerto. Zanchin ni Pannenthru"
Let me use my power to use the winds and make them whistle and speak my thanks. Spell of Sense.
Kagami's hand that wasn't holding onto the spike rose and reached out to the winds around Kagami. Again, the energy from his words converted, controlling the winds and the same whistling sound from before filled the air. Warmth covered and nearly burned his skin.
This time, instead of just holding the winds so that they whistled in the same soft, tone, he put control more control into his hold and made the note rise and fall several times before cutting off the energy and his grip on the wind altogether. It was the same incantation and spell he used the first time that night, the one he used to call the Wind Spirit with a few added words so that it instead made the wind whistle his thanks quite literally.
Kagami watched as the Wind Spirit twisted its head so that one big, black eye was staring back at him. It was like an endless void that glittered with mischief, that eye. Its horns stuck out of its forehead and if Kagami hadn't been looking for it, he would have missed it.
A small carving in the horn on the left side of the Black Creature's head, a carving that looked suspiciously like a simple rose. The lines, he knew, were filled in with blood, long dried up, so that the carving was easier to see. Kagami immediately knew what it meant and even after two years since he last saw his master and this particular Wind Spirit, he knew that carving to be the stamp of his instructor that taught him the art of energy and power and who saved him all those years ago.
A low rumble vibrated through the Wind Spirit below him and Kagami smiled, knowing that the Black Creature was conveying its answer of 'your welcome'. He used his hand that wasn't occupied to pat the hard scales of the Creature's shoulder and it straightened its head so it was facing forward again. This Wind Spirit he now rode was none other than Kage, the Black Creature that had bonded with his mentor and that had created a connection of trust, friendship and loyalty that would have been thought incapable of the single-minded creatures.
"No wonder you were so close, huh?" Kagami muttered, still rubbing Kage's shoulder and knowing that the other could hear him but chose not to respond. "You're stalking me, aren't you?" Again, no response and it almost made Kagami frown. "He told you to, didn't he?" This time, Kage did respond with a deep shudder that made Kagami's teeth clatter. "I knew it! That bastard's trying to look out for me even if he's supposed to be asleep! Man, won't you two ever learn that I can take care of myself?!" Kage turned a dark eye at him that clearly said, It didn't look like you were doing too good with that.
Kagami wanted to laugh at that look. Only Kage was smart enough among the Black Creatures to obtain the ability to show expressions. Heck, even Kagami's mentor wasn't as good as Kage when it came to showing expressions! Instead, Kagami just sighed and shook his head while Kage turned back forward.
Despite his protests, Kagami was actually relieved that his mentor was still looking out for him, even though both of them have long since parted. Even across miles and miles, he still felt that his mentor/ partner was working with him as they both strived to be stronger. When they would group up again is when his mentor has finally agreed that both he and Kagami were strong enough that when combined, would be enough to change the tides of this one sided war with the Parasites, the Colossals, most Wind Spirits and the lower types of Black Creatures.
Kagami knew he could be stronger, heck, he knew he was stronger than almost every human out there, but he was nothing without his mentor who was something else entirely. So Kagami was going to have to train himself. He was going to pass the test of surviving, find the survival group, Seirin and become stronger and then group up with his mentor. By then, he would have earned the right to fight with the Light gear instead of the Shadow gear that his mentor fought with. Then, maybe he'll learn what his parents had wanted from him, what they had talked about before they had died.
Kagami let his mind wander. He clutched the spike of Kage's neck with his right hand and leaned over the great beast's body, letting the wind pull and tug at his cloak but not whipping off his hood. It filled his ears, the wind did, with the sound similar to a soft roar but a lot like a low whistle. His muscles, usually so tense, were now relaxed and he breathed deep, enjoying air that was so fresh, it made him smile uncharacteristically soft. His eyes were closed as he listened and let his body be free, the image of black roses glowing a deep, dark purple clear behind his eyes.
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A/N
Okay, sorry this chapter was so short but I'll make the next one longer maybe.I don't know but I hope it's long enough. Anyways, please review because those are like, my life. Thanks for reading!
Tell me if anything is wrong with this chapter, please! Like details or something. But things like this sci-fi, fantasy clashing will be explained in later on chapters.
Tell me if I made spelling errors or grammar mistakes, etc. I tried getting them all.
Note: I don't really plan on it but the first few or several chapters could go on Durarara! Style meaning all of them are like the opening. Sorry I can't give more details than that.
Recommendations accepted. Pairing undecided and possible summary change.
