I apologize for these random update days. I will be honest, I got distracted with other fanfictions I'm writing and then there's school. So, please bear with me, I'll upload the other chapters as quickly as possible. Anyway, continue to enjoy.
Chapter Four
"A-Ash…" Asura stuttered and lifted Ash. "Why would you…? How…?"
"Asura don't fall for it!" Asura heard Vajra call then he felt a hard yank on his scarf.
Asura was forced to drop Ash as he was forcefully pulled back. That also cleared his senses; Ash's dead body was replaced by the monster he believed he killed. The dust turned back into the black fog.
Asura stared in fear and scrambled away. "I-I…" his fear was replaced by anger. "How dare you impersonate as Ash!"
The monster chuckled as it stood at its full height. "Your weapon has sharp eyes."
"Shut up!" Asura grasped his weapon and pointed it again at the monster. "You die today, creature."
"Creature?" the monster sounded hurt. "What an ugly word… my creator named me Kaledon."
"We don't care," Vajra told Kaledon as Asura shot.
The red beam hit Kaledon but has done no damage.
"Is that the best you can do?" Kaledon crouched. "Very well, my turn," Kaledon disappeared.
Asura stared wide eyed. He could no longer sense the monster's soul. What just happened?
"Asura, to your left!" Vajra cried.
With Vajra's warning, Asura barely had time to dodge Kaledon's attack. His attack tore his scarf and two layers of clothing.
"We'll have to resonate souls," Asura told Vajra; his hand shaking.
"You're trembling," Kaledon told Asura. "Do you truly believe a man with so much fear can defeat me?" he laughed. "I am fabricated out of fear itself! I feast upon the souls of humans through their fears. Even now, I am feasting upon your souls."
When Kaledon finished his comment, Asura could feel his body weakening. Just perfect. How is he going to defeat Kaledon now?
"I hate to say it but, we will need help," Vajra said.
Asura gritted his teeth. Not once did he ever have to retreat. But he can't keep this fight up forever, his soul is being drained.
"The next time I see you, your soul is mine," Asura said before turning around and running off. He felt both guilty and relieved.
Guilty because he has to leave a monster running around and relieved because he didn't really kill Ash. If that were the case, he would live with the guilt forever.
Speaking of Ash; Asura and Vajra will need her help.
Ash killed a second witch. She looked at the other two as she ate the soul.
The two witches had sweat bead on their foreheads. They stared in disbelief, Ash and Xavier easily killed their sisters.
"Look, I'm getting tired," Ash told the two witches. "So why don't you just surrender your souls and I'll give you very painless deaths."
"Cocky bitch!" the witch in purple shot a volley of bombs.
"Oh great," Ash thought then jumped up; she was then caught by Xavier.
"Stubborn aren't they?" Xavier asked.
"Witches never cooperate…" Ashe shook her head. She looked at the white eagle. "Care to finish this quickly?"
"The sooner the better."
Ash smiled as Xavier transformed into his mirror blade form, one that shows no reflective image.
"Alright," Ash announced and rested Xavier over her shoulder. "Who wants to go first?" she looked at the witch dressed in purple. "How about the one who rudely shot those bombs at me?"
"Well, it is only fair you return the favour," Xavier pointed out.
"That's true."
Ash didn't leave any time for preparation. She lunged and swung Xavier; cleaving the witch in half. Before the second witch could react, Ash stabbed her. The two witch bodies turned black then turned into purple witch souls.
"That couldn't have gone better," Ash commented as Xavier reverted. "I have to say, I've never seen an animal as a weapon, much less one that is considered to be mythical."
Xavier ate the two floating souls. "And I thought I would never meet a human who would kill for my survival."
Ash smiled then she saw a spot of red on the bird. "Xavier! You're hurt."
Xavier looked at where he was injured. "It's just a scratch. You shouldn't concern yourself with this," he looked back at Ash. "I've had worse wounds."
"That doesn't mean it should be left untreated," Ash protested.
Before Xavier could respond, his attention was taken elsewhere. "That doesn't feel natural."
"See? I told you that-"
"I wasn't referring to the wound."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you referring to?"
"I was referring to the unbalanced and de-formed soul. It's also coming this way."
Ash sighed and rested a hand on her hip. "Oh Asura… why can't you take care of this yourself?"
"Well, you can always ask."
Just as Xavier finished his sentence, Asura leaped into view. A part of his scarf was cut off and something tore his red jacket. He was wielding Vajra in his hand. Ash assumed he recently fought someone.
"Long time no see," she greeted.
Asura let out a long breath and dropped Vajra. Then, he hugged Ash.
Ash's eyes widened. "Asura, what are you doing?"
"I'm so happy to see you alive," he responded.
"Well of course I'm alive," Ash blushed lightly. "I'm not exactly the kind of person who would get killed easily. By the way," she gently pushed Asura away. "If you're running away from someone, make sure you lose them before coming to a friend."
Asura turned around and picked up Vajra. A black fog stopped several feet away. Oddly enough, it had glowing red eyes.
"What is that exactly?" Ash asked.
"A creature formed out of fear," Vajra answered. "It apparently feeds off human souls through their fear."
"Huh…" Ash crossed her arms. "And who was the idiot who made him?"
"A witch, young huntress," the creature in the black fog answered.
"Why am I not surprised?" Ash readied her bow with an arrow.
"Be careful Ash,"Asura said, with a trembling tone. "He couldn't get injured by Vajra."
Ash looked at Asura then back at the fog. She focused on the creature. It looked human. Other than the fact it had claws for hands, sharp teeth, glowing red eyes and the body was as dark as night.
"Any ideas Xavier?" Ash asked as she backed away with Asura.
"If this creature can survive an attack made by Vajra then perhaps it has the power to regenerate," Xavier guessed. "A full on frontal assault should give us the opportunity to see what is this creature's weakness is."
Ash took a deep breath. "There is nothing to fear but fear itself," she thought to herself. "There is nothing to fear but fear itself. This creature is nothing more than a weak copy. It can be killed. But, it is powerful."
Ash shot an arrow. She saw it stick to an eye. The creature flinched then took out the arrow. The eye regenerated.
"It doesn't feel pain," Ash said.
The creature charged. It moved so quickly, Ash couldn't dodge. Her life was saved by Asura who pulled her out of the way.
"Are you alright?" Asura asked.
"I'm fine," she shrugged out of his grip. "Xavier!" she put away her bow.
The mirror blade landed next to her. "A problem, Ash?"
She pulled Xavier out of the ground. "Come on Asura. Our combined strength should be able to kill this thing."
"Should?" Asura asked.
"We either stop this thing now or we let it run wild. I'd rather die trying," she charged.
"Ash wait!" Asura reached out to grab her.
The creature within the fog just waited for Ash. When she less than two feet away, the creature swiped his arm, hoping to either grab or harm the huntress. As fast as this creature moved, Ash was faster. She slid on the ground and swung Xavier against the monster's legs. She saw the creature lose balance.
"That was awfully rude," the creature commented as he regenerated new feet.
"What in the world?" Ash asked in surprise as she stopped herself just outside the fog.
"Pain," the creature began. "That is what most humans fear. Pain can lead to bruised bodies, lost limbs and even death. But what do you fear huntress?"
Ash took a deep breath and held Xavier in both her hands. "There is only one thing I fear and that isn't pain!" she lunged again.
Asura watched, frozen with fear. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Ash was fighting Kaledon rather well. She isn't afraid of him…
"How can she fight him?" Asura wondered. "Isn't she getting weaker? No wait…" he remembered the time where Ash killed the witch and he didn't sense her soul. "Where is Ash's soul? It isn't within her body nor is it anywhere nearby."
"Snap out of it Asura!" his weapon snapped. "Are you seriously going to let her take your kill? Ignore whatever you're feeling now and get in the fight. Ash is going to need help."
Asura nodded and joined Ash in the fight to kill Kaledon. Even with his help, Kaledon was difficult to fight. It's as if he could sense the two meisters and predict their movements.
"Alright, we need a new plan," Ash breathed as they were knocked away from Kaledon.
"Do you have a suggestion?" Asura asked.
"Well…" she looked at Asura with gold eyes filled with fury and bloodlust. "Since we can hardly do any damage outside his body, why not attack on the inside?"
"And how do you plan on doing that?" her weapon, Xavier asked.
"You and I will create a hole in this creature's body and Asura will use Vajra to blow him from the inside out."
"I don't think that's a very good idea…" Asura said.
"Well, it isn't like we have many options," Vajra responded. "Let's give it a go. What do we have to lose?"
"Our lives!"
"Then it's settled," Ash said. "Asura, get ready to use Soul Resonance and when you see an opportunity, don't hesitate to take it. If you do, I'll be very upset."
Asura nodded. "Alright, just… be careful please."
She winked at him. "Aren't I always?" she ran into Kaledon's fog.
"Ready Asura?" Vajra asked.
"Yes," Asura prepared his soul to link with Vajra's.
Soul Resonance is a skill weapons and meisters use to create a large amount of power. That power can be used for an immensely powerful skill. Asura planned to use a compressed beam attack that has always left a catastrophic outcome.
Asura held his hands together, as if he were praying, and held Vajra in between. As Vajra and Asura sent their wavelengths back and forth, two red glows appeared behind Asura. The two glows formed into two open eyes and two other red glows appeared under the eyes.
"This is good," Asura told his weapon as they kept they attack stable. Any interruptions and Asura would lose control which would lead to killing him, Vajra and possibly Ash.
"Now we have to wait for an opening," Vajra responded.
Asura slowly nodded and closely followed Ash's fighting pattern. She had her back to Asur which was a perfect position. He saw her deflect one of Kaledon's claw swipes then she rammed Xavier into him. She then pushed Xavier up which resulted in creating a large gash that spilled… black blood?
"Now Asura!" Ash cried as she leaped away from his sight of fire.
Asure released his energy. The two eyes behind him fired two red lasers that headed straight for Kaledon.
Kaledon had only enough time to re-attach the top sector of his gash but not the rest of it. The red lasers engulfed Kaledon and his fog in a white explosion. Asura didn't move as wind rushed by him.
Within a few minutes, the white light subsided and the wind became calm once more. Where Kaledon once stood, there was a crater filled with floating human souls.
"That was pretty tough," Vajra admitted and turned back into his human form. "It's pretty lucky of you to run into Ash when you're in trouble. The witch, Kaledon…" Vajra looked at Asura and offered him a smile. "I wonder what next?"
Asura walked towards the crater of human souls. He saw Ash among them with Xavier standing next to her. He wondered what they were talking about.
"Asura?" Vajra grabbed his shoulder.
Asura jumped away in surprise. "Don't do that."
"My apologies, I forgot you were jumpy."
Asura looked back at Ash and Xavier.
"You can talk to her later. Lord Death will be pleased to hear of Kaledon's ultimate end. He would also want to know about these souls," Vajra told him.
"Yeah…" Asura looked at Vajra. "Let's go back; it's been a long day for both of us. We will need rest."
