Chapter Two
Window to the Soul
OoOOooOOoo
As Hao charged me in a final all-out attack, teeth bared and seething in rage, I retaliated with the combined efforts of all of the shaman population in the Patch's village. Every movement seemed effortless as if time had somehow stopped. But as I swung my katatana downward to slice the Spirit of Fire, Hao froze for a fraction of a second: he didn't block me. Confused as to why he would do such a thing, I stared him straight in the eye. What looked back at me was something that chilled me to the bone, so much that I froze as well.
Hao's eyes betrayed his enraged expression, his emotions clearly written for all to see. What shocked me wasn't the fact that he was expressing emotions that varied from his usual arrogant and cocky demeanor. It was that fact his eyes, deep pools of black abyss, gave a short window of opportunity into to see what he truly felt. Normally hidden behind a titanium curtain, Hao's emotions shown through in a mixture of loneliness, depression, and most of all betrayal. It felt like he could see into the depths of my soul as well, which, in all actuality, he could.
The moment didn't last long as time went back to it's normal pace and the oversoul-infused blade I held slashed though the air before I could stop it from moving. My feet collided with the ground and I released Amidamaru from Harusame. No sooner than I did so, the Spirit of Fire exploded with a massive burst of flames and a sonic boom to rival that of Anna's threat call. A blinding light surrounded me, making it hard to see properly. Immediately, I franticly searched for my brother, refusing to believe that he had perished alongside his oversoul.
Suddenly, I heard a loud crash from behind me as something impacted the earth with a tremendous force. I turned around to see a long rut in the ground, stretching for about ten feet in length. With growing trepidation and a rush of relief, my eyes followed it until the ditch's end where Hao lay on his side, covered in what I assumed was soil. Ignoring the warning from Amidamaru, I rushed over to him, my visibility increasing as the Great Spirits' light subsided.
To say the least, he looked like he had seen better days. What I had assumed was only dirt at first glance was in fact his own blood, staining his white poncho with the sheer amount of it. When he collided with the ground, he must have hit his head and blacked out.. Only a faint moan would escape him as I prodded his back. Bruises starting to form and various types of burns mottled Hao's body, almost looking like camouflage. His left shoulder was awkwardly angled, giving him the impression of a ballet dancer, although I knew the analogy was as far from the truth as anything could ever be.
As I rolled him onto his back, Hao moaning in the process, I realized with horror that the blow I had delivered to him did more than just hit the Spirit of Fire. Extending from his collarbone to naval was a massive gash that reminded me of the time when Faust cut open Manta. Luckily, no organs were poking out, only muscle. I took of the now not so white poncho Hao was wearing and carefully secured a makeshift pressure-wrap to staunch the blood flow, trying not to disturb anything vital. Other than the obvious, his pulse was erratic and his breathing was labored: not a good sign by anyone's standards.
As gently as I could, I lifted Hao off of the ground, gaining a weak groan from him as I accidentally touched one of his numerous wounds. At this point, I didn't care what he had previously done; I didn't care whether he deserved my help or not. What only mattered now was saving his life. With the remaining strength I had, I carried my brother bridal style and ran as fast as I could toward the far-off Patch hospital, hoping that it wasn't already too late to save him.
