November 17, 2020:
Hello, everyone! Hope you all are doing great!
Sorry for being a day late, but yesterday I was very busy, so I couldn't upload the fic.
Well, my birthday passed and it was...ok-ish. Very few wished me happy bday online, but my family made me a small "Covid party", aka they came for like 20 minutes and then left, so it was better than nothing XD
Anyway, here is new chapter. No music. Hope you like it :D
Chapter 44: Encounters at Dawn.
It's been two days since the group left the Magical Library and emerged on the other side of the forest. Now, the smaller group of seven people, were walking across the grasslands close to the forest, walking towards the next town. They do begin to feel that the air pass the forest felt…heavier. Also they noticed the grasslands were slowly withering away.
"This is the effect of the Fire Crystal burning without the control of the Ice Crystal." Commented Strum, as he looked around.
"It is starting to feel hotter too." Said Iridia, noticing how everyone is sweating. "The heat from the Crystal is getting this far?"
"Yes, it even reached Balm City on the other side of the forest." Commented Duncan. "The heat in this continent will soon be unbearable, especially close to the crystal."
"How long until we reach the next town?" asked Steve.
"Probably in a few hours. We'll probably reach it soon."
"I see."
As the group keep on walking, Alan stayed behind. He had his head down, looking more at the ground than anything else. He just sighed again.
"Something wrong, Alan?"
The young man turned to look to his right and saw that Kristal was walking besides him, looking at him with some worry.
"No…it's nothing, Kristal." Said Alan in response.
"Don't lie to me, Alan. I know you." Said the blondie mage, looking at his face. "I know something is bothering you. You can tell me. Remember what we say on the ship weeks ago?"
"…Yeah, I remember." Said Alan, mostly remembering the hug they shared. Seems like Kristal also remembered that, as she blushed a little.
"Well, I s-said I will be there for you, so please, if something is bothering you, tell me. I want to help."
Alan looked at her and sighed again. It seems it is something normal for him, lately.
"I…you remember WHY I was depressed back then?"
Kristal blinked in confusion, before she remembered why.
"Oh…"
"Yeah." Said Alan. "Back then I was depressed because I was afraid that, at the end of this, you will all leave me alone."
"…and Vivian, Rubina and Sapphire just left us a few days ago…" said Kristal, as she understood.
"Exactly. I wanted to act strong in front of them so they wouldn't feel sad, and in the end I did. But…well, it happened."
Kristal looked at him with a sad look in her face. After that moment on the ship where he showed his biggest fear to her, she felt that fear on her heart. It will stay on her heart for the rest of her life.
"They…they had a reason to go, Alan." Said Kristal, trying to cheer him up.
"I know, I know. I understand that." Alan said. "That is why I am not that angry. Still, it happened. I guess that is life, eh?"
"You are going to be ok?"
"Yeah, I will. I still have you all…although not sure for how long."
"Don't talk like that! I'm sure we will meet again, right?"
"Yeah… yeah, I know we will meet again. It's just that… I don't know, I just want to think alone for a few moments."
"But…you were alone for almost a month, Alan."
"I know, I know. I just need to think about this. I know this is important, but I already miss them."
"Alan…"
"Don't worry, Kristal. I will get over it, eventually. I don't have that overwhelming fear of be left alone anymore, since I know we are all connected."
"Are you sure you are ok?"
"Yeah, don't worry, I will just have to be left alone and think. But thanks, Kristal, for worrying about me."
"N-no problem Alan-k…!" Kristal stopped herself before she continued, hopping he didn't hear it.
"What was that?" asked Alan in confusion.
"N-nothing! Nothing at all!" She said, trying to make him ignore what she was just about to say. "I hope you are ok. If you want to talk, you can tell me."
"Thanks, Kristal…"
"Oh?! What are you doing?"
Suddently, Kuarzo appeared between them, mischievously looking at them.
"Woa! Where did you come from?" asked Alan, as he was sure she was almost on the front of the group.
"Hehe, I noticed you were talking, so I came here so see that you guys are not doing anything lewd or something."
"As if!" exclaimed Kristal in embarrassment. "I am not you, sister."
"Ouch! That hurt, oneesan! Didn't knew you were that cruel!" said Kuarzo, before she got close to Kristal's ear to whisper something. "Also, I heard you almost call him 'Alan-kun'. Could it be that you are opening to him?"
Kristal just blushed a little.
"Just stop annoying us, Kuarzo!" exclaimed Kristal in anger.
"Ok, ok, I will go to the front again. Just wanted to say Master told me we are close to the next town. Don't do anything lewd!... and if you do, call me to join you!" Kuarzo said, before she run back to the front of the group.
"That sister of mine! I swear I will punish her somehow!" exclaimed Kristal, with a vein almost popping on her forehead, as Alan just laughed nervously, before he remembered something.
"Speaking of sisters, why didn't you told us you had an older sister?" Alan asked, causing Kristal to look at him as if she was caught off guard.
"Oh, well…like I said back then, she was missing since we were little. We though she had died or something."
"Ah, I see. Must have been very surprising to see her again. How did you recognize her?"
"Her aura. It was similar to the one we remembered."
"You…knew how to read auras…since you were 5?"
"Yeah, it's actually very simple for us, and we learn it when we are young."
"Oh…wow…make me feel bad since I only just learned it." Said Alan, laughing nervously. However, Kristal took it seriously.
"I-Im sorry if I made you feel sad again." She said in a sad tone, as she looked down. Alan noticed this and just passed an arm behind her head and hug her with one arm, causing her to look at him surprise.
"Don't worry, I'm just joking." He said, smiling, although she noticed it was that sad smile again, the one she hates. "Come on, let's keep going, or Kuarzo will come again and annoy us."
"More like want to hug you again."
"Well…I don't mind that…"
"…pervert…"
Alan just laughed and shrugged. He can't deny he loves when Kuarzo does that. She will probably try to do that to cheer him up…and it works.
As they keep walking, Kristal stole some glances at Alan again, noticing his changes, specially his more well defined figure and musculature, not much because of his baggy clothes, but she can notice a little, since his white shirt looked more…defined on his chest. She stopped looking, as she felt her sister's glance from away.
Night have just fallen, and the group have arrived at the town, named Turous-El, a typical town with wood houses, taken from the skirts of the Forest of Illusion, as the people don't dare to enter it. Just like Balm, the town was slowly becoming a deserted place, as food was scarce, the water was polluted and the harsh wind was causing problems of health. They were about to leave the town if this continues.
The group have talked to the mayor of the town, and help him with the heat of the Fire Crystal. The group still have some Crystal shards that they could use, and thanks to them being enchanted by Sapphire, Vivian and Rubina before they left, they could be used immediately, so they erected a magic shield around the town, so they could live more comfortably, with water and good wind. Because of this, the rest of the people on the town decided to celebrate, and gave them all they could offer.
Now, the group rested on an empty house, one of the many houses left abandoned by people who already left the town, and they were relaxing.
It was 2 hours before dawn, and Kristal was sleeping in one of the rooms designated for the girls, the now 3 of them. She was sleeping when something woke her up: a small noise outside of the room. She slowly got up and opened the door to see what it was, when she noticed someone was going down the stairs. His dark and spiky hair was easy to identify.
'Where is Alan going?' she though, as she decided to follow him, lowering her aura so he could not detect her.
The human got out of the house and began to walk away, being followed by the female mage. She noticed Alan was getting OUT of the town, and wondered why, so she kept following him for a while. After being away for a few more minutes, they reached a place just outside of the town where a small forest is. It wasn't THAT big, but it's the last patch of trees in a while. Kristal hide behind a large rock, to see what Alan will do. Suddently, Alan's clothes changed to some white and blue ones, and then Alan began to move, kicking and punching in the air.
He was training.
'Why is he training so early?' She though in confusion, as she kept looking at him.
Then, she noticed his movements where WAY more precise than what she remembers. He punched and kicked, and then did the same in the air, then summoned his Keyblade to continue with an invisible combo that he just though about. She just couldn't remove her eyes from him.
'When did he learned to move like that? It looks so… different…' She though. After all, she was a mage, and she mostly know how mages fight. 'He looks so…strong…'
"Kristal, you can get out of there."
She blondie just jumped in surprise.
"H-How did you knew?" she asked, not knowing how she was find out.
"You just showed a little of your aura. That is how I was able to detect you." He said, turning to look at the rock. "Come on, you don't have to hide."
Knowing there was no need to hide, Kristal got out of her hideout, and Alan noticed she was only in her white t-shirt and pink shorts, that she normally uses to sleep.
"Why are you following me?" he asked, not in an angry tone, but in a curious one. "I thought I was very silent."
"Sorry, but something woke me up, and when I went to see, I saw it was you, trying to get out, so I was curious." She said, laughing nervously. "What are you doing here? And what are those clothes?"
"These are my training clothes that Master David gave me." Said Alan, looking at his clothes. "Its called a Gi, and it's to train martial arts. He enchanted my clothes so I can change them whenever I want, and they are more durable that before. Also I was training."
"But why so early?"
"I…I can't sleep…"
"Oh…still thinking about the other girls?" she asked, sounding a little sad.
"No, it's not that." He said. "Well, I still think of them but that is not the reason. Since I began using these new powers, I can only sleep for 4 or 5 hours now. I don't need more."
"Oh. So you literally can't sleep."
"Indeed. So I decided to just train until everyone wakes up." He said. "You should go back to sleep, Kristal. You need some sleep, since you have been on guard duty."
"It's ok, we mages don't need THAT much sleep too." Said Kristal, lying a little, since she was kind of sleepy. "I want to watch you train, if you don't mind."
"Uh? Sure, it's ok. Better yet, I can teach you the basics."
"Eh? Why?"
"Well, you are pretty strong, so I am sure some Karate will help you move. Also it make wonders to your body… I mean, look at me."
"I can see that." She said, shyly looking away. "So…what should I do."
"Alright, let's see."
Alan began teaching Kristal the basics about Karate, at least what he knew. He told her about the poses, the movements, the punches and the kicks, and how they were different to normal ones, as they are, supposedly, more direct and impactful. However, there was an…unexpected situation at hand: every time Kristal punched, her breasts bounced even more than usual, something that Alan noticed immediately.
"Uh…Kristal...?"
"Yes?" asked the blondie in confusion.
"They are…uh…I don't know how to say it but…they are…bouncing…"
"Uh? What are boun-" she started, before she understood what he meant, and quickly hugged her chest with both hands. "You pervert!"
"H-hey! I'm not the one who is out in her sleeping clothes without a bra!"
"…what is a bra?" she asked in confusion, causing Alan to look at her even more confused.
"Uh…you know…the clothes that you use below your normal shirt so your breasts don't bounce?"
"…I don't use any of those."
"Then how do you keep them in place with no bra?" he asked. "Now that I remember, when you and Kuarzo use their outfits, even if they show that much cleavage, they don't bounce THAT much."
"A-Are you telling me you noticed THAT?!" she asked, starting to blush in embarrassment.
"NO!...I mean yes, it's hard NOT to but…uh…"
"…baka…"
"Yeah…sorry…"
An uncomfortable silence formed between both of them, evading each other's looks. Alan though he just screwed up again, and just sighed in resignation. He was thankful that they were far from the town, or they would have wake up everyone around them.
"I-I if you want to know…" Kristal said, almost as a whisper. "It's enchanted clothes."
"Uh?" Alan asked.
"Y-yeah, our clothes are enchanted so they, uh, don't bounce much…"
"Ah! I-I see! Makes so much sense now, hehe…" he said, trying to laugh, but it only sounded awkwardly.
"You really are a pervert, Alan."
"Yeah…I don't think I can deny that." He said, trying to find a way to solve this. "But I can't help myself when I am with a cute girl like you and I just, uh…"
Noticing he just blabbed that out without knowing, Alan looked at Kristal, who was evading his look, and a deep crimson blush on her cheeks was notable, even at this hour.
"I-I see…" said Kristal, as she slowly just removed her hands from her chest and took a deep breath. "Y-you really think I am…cute?"
Now not knowing what to say, Alan started to panicking. Should he say yes? Obviously saying no was NOT the correct way, but if he say 'Yes', what would happen?
'Well, there is no other answer so…' he though, before looking at her. "Yeah…I think you are a cute girl, Kristal." He said, causing her to blush even more. He knew he himself wasn't any better, but he tried to continue so. "I…I like…uh… I like you…"
Kristal turned to look at Alan with surprise, her cheeks completely red, wondering if she heard that.
"You…" she started. "You…like…me…?"
"Y-yeah!" he started, then continued. "Yeah, I mean, I also lik-" then he stopped, as he suddently realized something. 'Wait. If I say 'I also like everyone else', she will get mad… No, I need to continue.' "No, forget it. There is no way…"
"Uh? What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.
"There is no way you could like me too. I mean, as friends we are ok, but I…I think…asking for more…it's impossible…" he said, laughing nervously, trying to hide his embarrassment. 'I'm not good at this…'
Kristal turned to look at him. He was different from the one he met weeks ago. Back then he was more shy and timid, but he showed that courage on the most dangerous situations. And now, even if it was hard for him, he was saying something he normally wouldn't do. He has changed…
…and so has she…
"T-to be fair…" she said, as she grabbed one of her own arms with her other, while shyly looking to the ground. "…I…I kind of like you too…"
That answer caused Alan to turn to look at her so fast he could almost feel his neck snap. That was NOT the answer he was expecting.
"You…you do?"
"Y-yeah…" she said shyly. "I-I don't know, but I think you are…ok, I suppose. I kind of like that…"
"Oh…well! I…I must say I didn't expect this." Said Alan in surprise. "I'm… I'm glad to hear it."
Now both of them didn't knew what to do. None of them knew what to do after what they just say. They said they liked each other but…what does that even mean? Are they a couple? Are they still friends since 'like' is not THAT big? Are they still something?
"Hey, Kristal…" said Alan, trying to say something.
"Yes?" she asked, expectant to what he wanted to say.
"Sorry if I sometimes say stupid things. I sometimes can't keep it to myself. It's just that…I…well…"
"I understand." Kristal stop him. "I know you weren't that much vocal back on your world, so this must be new to you. To be fair…this is the same for me."
"Really? But you seem to love to talk to anyone."
"Yeah but…I don't know, you are…different. I feel…something about you, not only now, but…when you are in danger, I…I feel something."
"When I'm in danger?" he asked with confusion and intrigue. "What do you mean?"
Kristal looked down, wondering if she should tell him. It was something that was nagging her for a while, and maybe it was time to tell him.
"I don't know." She started. "When you are in danger, I feel like something is pressing on my chest, squeezing my heart. I felt it when I meet you, back on the wind temple when you were about to die, and the same when that illusion of Exus attacked you. I…I couldn't help it…I…I…"
Suddently, she got close to him and looked deeply into his yes…before she placed her head on his chest and pressed her body against his. This shocked him so much, as he didn't expect that.
"Kristal…?"
"I…I don't want to lose you!" she started, as her cheeks turned even more red. "I just don't know why, but when you are in danger, I feel like I will lose something very important, and I felt it even when I just meet you. And it was so strong that I…I don't know, I am so confused. I just…don't want to lose you!"
Alan, still surprised, just could smile, as he slowly placed his arms behind her back, and hugged her against him.
"You won't lose me, Kristal." He said, as he hugged her tightly. "I will not go anywhere. Our hearts are connected, remember?"
"I know." She said. "But I still don't want to lose you. I don't know why I feel that so hard, but I do."
"I don't want to lose you too, Kristal. I will try to protect you... even though I know you could kick my ass if you want."
"Hehe, I know…"
Both laughed for a few seconds, before they noticed again how they were. Her body was tightly squeezed against his, her breasts pushed hard on his chest, something both noticed. However, Kristal didn't pull back. Instead, by instinct, she pressed them even harder to his chest, as he looked directly into his eyes. Time seem like didn't matter, as they, slowly, moved towards each other…
…and then they realized what they were doing and stopped, before both make distance between them.
"S-sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!" said Alan, as he evaded her look.
"N-no worries. I-I didn't know what I was doing too." Kristal said, as she deeply blushed and looked away.
Both didn't knew what just happened, but a strange force was pulling them closer to each other, like if they were on trance. It was just when their faces almost touched that they realized that, and stopped.
"I…I think we should go back." Alan said, scratching the back of his head. "No point in trying to train right now."
"Y-yeah, I understand." Kristal said, scratching her right cheek. "Maybe when can train later, in another time?"
"Sure, we can train another time. Also you are free to use one of those magic clothes so your chest doesn't bounce. Not that I don't mind, of course."
"Pervert."
"Says the one who pressed them on my chest a few seconds ago."
Kristal just evaded his look as she tried to contain her blush, but failed.
"W-whatever! J-just don't expect I do the same again, ok, Alan?"
"Alright, alright! I won't." said Alan, as he just laughed. "I will just have to keep that experience deep inside my mind…along the one when you hugged me against your breasts."
"Baka!" she exclaimed in embarrassment, as Alan just laughed.
"Anyway. Let's go back and-"
"H-help…"
Surprised, both young ones turned to look back at the forest close where they were training, and they saw someone emerging from it. A woman, redhead, wearing what looked like Japanese clothes… or at least that would be, since her clothes were torn, almost to shreds. The kimono, which was supposedly to be white, was completely gone, leaving her only in a pair on bandages to cover her relatively big breasts, and a baggy Japanese red pants. Her body was covered in bruises and blood was coming from many of her wounds. Blood was coming from her head, covering her right eye. She was caring a weapon, a spear, on her left hand, while the right one was holding a wound on her chest.
Looking at her, both Kristal and Alan immediately went to help. She looked at them and smiled, before she lost foot and fell to the ground, although Alan managed to catch her before she hit it.
"Hey, hey! Are you ok? What happened?" asked Alan in confusion. The girl in his arms was breathing hard, and she coughed some blood as she tried to speak. Looking at her chest, he noticed a piercing wound on her left breast, close to where her heart is supposed to be. "Her lung is punctured, probably her heart too. Kristal!"
"On it!" said the blondie mage, as she placed both hand above that wound. "Curaga!"
The healing green magic emerged from Kristal's hands and into the girl's chest. She winced in pain as the healing spell was working its magic on her. After a few more minutes, the wound on her chest was gone, as many of her wounds around her chest.
"Cured her wound, but she is still weak." Said Kristal.
"We need to take her to the village." Alan said, as he carried the girl, bride like. "Bring her weapon. It's obviously very important to her to not leave it in her state."
"Ok!"
Kristal took the spear of the girl while Alan carried her, and both of them began to run back to the town, to seek for both Masters. As they were running, the girl in Alan's arms slowly opened her eyes and saw the face of Alan, a face that she will engrave on her mind as her hero.
She slowly opened her eyes as the sunlight came in through the window. She noticed she was not sleeping on a hard surface anymore, as she felt the softness of a bed on her back. Her eyes got used to the light, when she noticed something: a green glow around her, like energy.
"Uh…what?"
"Oh, you are awake."
She turned to her left and saw a silver haired girl, wearing a white and blue magician's outfit. Her left hand was open, and from her palm was releasing that green energy that surrounded her. As soon as she saw her awake, the silver haired girl stopped what she was doing.
"Who…are you…?" asked the redhead weakly, as she tried to get up, only to feel a sting of pain on her side. "Ow!"
"Don't move!" said the Silver haired mage. "Your wounds are healed by our spells, but your body is still weak and in pain. You will fully recover by tomorrow. So just rest."
"No, no, I'm fine, I'm a trained warrior, so these kind of pains are nothing to me. I was just surprised." Said the said, as she still decided to at least sit on the bed.
"But…"
"It's ok, Iridia. Let her be."
The silver haired girl, known as Iridia, turned back to look at the door of the room, to see a blond mage in green mage uniform, along with another male, this one with purple hair, with a purple mage uniform.
"Master Strum, Master Duncan. When did you get here?" asked the silver haired girl in confusion.
"We felt her energy wavering, so we decided to come and see if she was ok." Said the purple haired man. "And I see she was waking up."
"Yeah. Her wounds are healed, so she'll be fine. Her body is still weak."
"I see, I see."
"Oh? She is awake?"
More people entered the room: two blond and busty mage women, another woman with silver hair and also busty, and two males, one a mage and one with some strange clothes she couldn't identify. Something about this last one feel familiar…
"You!" she said, pointing at the male with strange clothes. "I remember you before I pass out. You were the man who brought me here…" she said, as she pointed to one of the blond females, the white skinned one. "Along with her…I saw you both."
"Yeah, seems you remember." Said the dark haired man. "My name is Alan, and she is Kristal."
"Hi there." Said the blondie girl. "I'm glad that you are better."
"Yeah, mostly…" said the redhead, as she tried to move, but still winced in pain a little. "Just a little sore. And who are you, guys?"
"Seems some presentations are in store." Said the purple haired man. "My name is Duncan, Spellcaster Master, and he is my friend Strum…"
"Yo!" said the blond older man.
"My student Steve…"
"Hey there!" exclaimed the white haired male mage. Something told her she shouldn't let him get 'too close'.
"You know my student Kristal."
"Hi!" said the blondie girl who saved her. Now the other male mage talked.
"Like my friend said, my name is Strum." Said the blond mage in green clothes. "And these are my students Kuarzo…"
"Heyyy!" exclaimed the other busty blond girl, this one dark skinned.
"…and my other student, and the one that has been healing you for the past day, is Iridia."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Said the silver haired girl, bowing a little.
"And my name is Dinara." Said the last girl, bowing a little too. "I am Master Alan's servant."
This last thing caused many reactions in the group, especially on the blondies, since one just snickered while the other one was looking furious, and the male, who looked so embarrassed.
"W-We agreed that you are NOT my servant, Dinara!" Expressed Alan in surprise, his face turning completely red. The mentioned girl responded to that by hugging his left arm, pressing her breasts on it, causing both blondie's reaction to increase.
"I know, Master Alan, but it is still fun to see your reaction." Said the dragon girl, as she smiled as innocent as she could, faking ignorance to what she just made. Alan just blushed more as she hugged his arm harder against her chest.
"I…I see." Said the redhead girl, blinking in surprise a little, before she just sighed. "Thank you all, for helping me."
"Don't worry about it." Said Duncan, ignoring the little scene from before, since he was used to the girl's reactions with the human. "However, may we ask your name? and could you tell us what happen to you?"
The girl sighed, and was about to speak…when a strong, rumbling noise was heard close by…and it come from her stomach.
"Seems like someone is hungry." Steve said casually, causing the girl in question to blush. "Good thing I just went to get some bread and potatoes for breakfast!"
"Well then, let's eat first, then hear her story after." Said Strum, and everyone seem to agreed.
The group decided to go downstairs of the house the people on the town allowed them to keep to stay and rest. They ate on the living room, and they immediately saw that the redhead was EXTREMELY hungry, as she devoured each and every bread and potato she could get.
"Well then, someone's hungry." Commented Steve, as he gave her a glass of juice, that she immediately took and drank in one go. "And thirsty."
"Let her be." Said Kristal. "She obviously had some hard times."
After a few more minutes, the group finished eating and so now they were expecting her to tell her story.
"So… who are you, and what happen to you?" asked Strum, now that everyone had just finished eating.
The girl just sighed, as she looked down at the glass of juice she was drinking. Everyone could see an immense sadness in her eyes.
"My name is Chisato…and I am a Squire from the Shiranui-clan." Said the redhead girl. "I am from Kyushu-Ho."
"Kyushu-Ho? The city of the Shiranui?" asked Strum with surprise.
"Yes, that one."
"Uh…who are the Shiranui?" asked Alan in confusion, as the only Shiranui he knows is a busty ninja with a sexy red revealing dress. "And what is this city? Kyushu-Ho?"
The female samurai looked at Alan with confusion and surprise.
"You don't KNOW who the Shiranui are?! Are you from another planet or something?!" asked Chisato in surprise.
"Actually I am. I'm from planet Earth." Alan answered, confusing the redhead even more.
"…what?"
"He is human." Said Duncan. "He comes from a planet named Earth."
"Wait! If he is human, then…" she looked in surprise at Alan. "…a…are you the Keyblade Champion we have been hearing?!"
"Yeah, I am." Alan nonchalantly answered, after knowing he was getting well known across the whole planet thanks to this world's communication crystal.
"Then…you guys are…"
"The team that is on the quest to fix the Elemental Crystals." Duncan said. "And our next stop is the Fire Crystal."
The redhead samurai looked at them in surprise, before she kneels before them.
"Please! I need your help!" She pleaded, surprising the group. "My friends…they are…!"
"Miss, please." Started Strum. "Just explain us what have happened?"
Chisato looked up at the group and then looked down, as she remembered what had happened before.
"As the majority of you know…" she started, knowing Alan knows nothing about them. "The Shiranui Clan is made of Fire Zombie Spirituels, that we use the power of souls and life energy to empower our weapons."
"YOU are a Zombie?" asked Alan in confusion, looking at her body and characteristics. "You really don't look like one." 'Man, Duel Monsters are WEIRD!' He though.
"Technically, yes." Chisato continued. "We created the city of Kyushu-Ho, one of the largest non-capital cities on this world. It's the gateway to the Fire Crystal, so no one can enter in there without our permission."
"How so?" Asked Alan, but this time, Duncan answered instead.
"The Fire Temple is inside a large Valley, surrounded by mountains, called the Red Eyes Valley." Said the Dark Magician. "There is only one way to enter and that is from an opening between the mountains. Kyushu-Ho was founded on that entrance, since the Shiranui Clan decided to be the guardians of the Fire Crystal. It's really difficult to try and enter from another way, since the temperatures inside the Red Eyes Valley are really high, and the mountains around it are dangerous to climb."
"Ohh, I see." Alan said, as Chisato continued.
"That is right. No one can enter the Fire Temple without our permission…" said the young samurai, clenching her clothes. "That is why…that happened."
"What happened?" asked Strum.
"…the clan was destroyed… by Exus forces."
The group was surprised by this, specially the mages, since they knew the Shiranui Clan was a force to be feared, especially when fighting on their own city.
"What?! So Exus' army attacked you?" asked Strum, and Chisato just nodded. "When?"
"Four days ago." She responded. "We were attacked and in a day, the city was destroyed. I was the only one to survive." She said, as she began to remember what happened.
Inside the large palace, that served as the seat of power for the Shiranui Clan, the sound of metal against metal could be heard. A battle was taking place…
…if this was considered a battle at all…
Chisato, the young Shiranui Squire, had her clothes heavily damaged and bloodied from several cuts she had on her body. She was panting heavily, trying to recover her energies, as she took some steps back to keep distance from her aggressor…
…her own Master.
"Master Daichi! Please wake up!" she pleaded once more, as she has been doing the same for the last 20 minutes of battle. "I don't want to fight you!"
Her opponent, Shiranui Samurai Daichi, was looking fresh. He didn't had any wound or even a cut on his clothes, and he was walking menacingly towards her, with the same empty eyes that he had when he killed his own master.
"Chisato…" said Daichi in anger. "I didn't train you to be a coward! Fight!" he said, as he dashed towards her once more, his blade ready to cut her in two.
Chisato got on guard and blocked Daichi's strike. However, it was extremely powerful, and she was pushed back by it. Daichi then tried to do an horizontal cut to cut her head off, but Chisato jumped over him, passing over his head. He, however, expected that, so the moment she landed on her feet behind him, he made a vertical slash, and managed to made a deep cut on her back, cutting easily through the clothes, bandages and her skin, causing her to yell in pain and walk forward before kneeling.
"You are right now the last of the Shiranui Clan." Said Daichi, as he walked towards her. "You have to fight as one!"
"M-Master! Snap out of it!" said Chisato, as she slowly got up. She knew some healing magic too, so she used it on her back. It was better than nothing. "You don't want to do this! Please!"
"You still don't understand, eh?" he asked menacingly. "I am a servant of Lord Exus now! I will die for him! And my mission is to kill the Shiranui Clan! You are the last one…so prepare yourself!"
"I-I can't fight you! Master, please!"
"If you can't, then there is no reason to continue this." Said Daichi, as his blue aura, surrounded by darkness, began to flare up. "This is the end for you, my apprentice!"
Chisato couldn't move. His aura was at this highest, meaning he was completely serious. He was going to kill her.
She needed to escape.
Quickly, she grabbed a random shield from one of the dead soldiers, and wanted to use it to protect her while she escaped. However, Daichi acted in that moment.
"Good bye, Chisato!" exclaimed Daichi, as he grabbed his sword and pointed it towards her with his right hand, grasping it by the end of it. He bent both of his knees, right arm drawn back and left arm extended forward, with the tip of the blade touching the fingers of his left extended arm. His blade was surrounded by aura, and it ignited in flames. "Take my technique! SHIRANUI STYLE! PIERCING STRIKE!"
He suddently dashed towards her at high speeds, and she could only reach by rising her new shield. Daichi then thrust his right arm forward, using his sword like it was a spear, and it hit the shield squarely in the center.
…and it pierced it with ease, continuing its way, causing a deep cut on Chisato's left arm…and piercing her chest, just above her left breast, puncturing her lung and damaging her heart.
The flames of the sword caused a powerful explosion, destroying the shield and sending Chisato back… into a balcony, being send flying out of the palace and into the city below it, crashing into the ceiling of a nearby house and going through it.
Daichi walked to the balcony and saw the landing site of Chisato. He couldn't see her, but her aura was slowly disappearing. He closed his eyes and kept his sword, as he began to walk outside the palace.
"Good bye, my apprentice…" he said to himself, as he was sure he just killed her.
…but she wasn't dead yet.
Thanks to the shield that protected her from the blunt of the strike, and her own status as a Zombie-Type Spirituel, she survived the attack, and the fall down from the balcony. Inside the house, she slowly got up and began to walk away. Since the Elemental Heroes have just arrived, the invading forces were distracted, so she managed to get out of the way and escape from the burning city. She was wounded, but she still could walk. She set her destination to the closest town of Turous-El, and took two days to arrive in there.
Her wounds well getting worse. Her lung was punctured and her heart scratched, only keeping it beating with some problems thanks to her healing spells. But her magic energy was running out, and she was feeling the pain in her chest getting more intense, until she couldn't handle it anymore and passed out, just outside of the Town. Thankfully, a man and a woman saw her and helped her.
Chisato sighed at this. Remembering it was painful, more than her old wounds.
"So while we were training, the city was being attacked." Said Iridia. "How could that happened? The Shiranui Clan should be strong enough to defeat an army of Heartless."
"It could be." Said Duncan. "However, the Ice Barrier Clan also got destroyed."
"The who?" asked Alan in confusion.
"The Clan that protected the Ice Crystal. They were destroyed by Exus Forces. They weren't as strong as the Shiranui Clan but they were someone to fear too."
"Oh, the girl that the Sage of Ice was part of?"
"Exactly." Said Duncan, before he turned to look at the redhead samurai. "But the Shiranui Clan is stronger than the Ice Barrier one. How can an army of Heartless by pass your walls? Your city is protected by a spell that should stop a Heartless Invasion."
"Because the walls were destroyed not by Heartless..." said Chisato.
"Then who?"
"…a Legend…A Blue Eyes White Dragon."
The group looked at Chisato in shock, but the most surprised ones were Dinara and Alan, because they knew exactly why.
"So…Reed attacked the city." Said Alan, trying to contain his anger. This confused Chisato.
"Who is this … Reed?" asked the redhead. Instead of Alan, it was Strum that answered.
"It's Alan's cousin, a human, who controls the dragons."
"What?! A human?! How can it be?!"
"He is under Exus's control." Said Alan. "He is under a spell that mind controls him, making him believe Exus is the savior of this world. Under his spell, Reed managed to control three Blue Eyes White Dragons."
"They are my siblings." Said Dinara, confusing Chisato. "I am a Blue Eyes too, but we parted ways several years ago."
The redhead looked at both with some sadness, before looking at Alan directly.
"I see…so we have something in common then." She said, causing the group to look at each other in confusion.
"What do you mean?" asked Alan.
"My Master was mind controlled too. Under a spell, he betrayed us and killed Lord Hayato."
"What?!" asked Duncan in surprise. "Shiranui Shogun Hayato is dead?"
"Yes, killed by his student, Samurai Daichi, my own Master. He fell under the spell when he and a group of people went to explore behind the outside wall, as there were reports of those dark beings attacking small farm lands close to the city."
"Heartless, eh?"
"Yes, those. Seems they were ambushed, and only he survived. They said they took him to Exus castle and he was brainwashed there, before sending him back. It's magic was so subtle that not even our Sages and Monks detected he was under the influence of a spell."
"Who told you that?" asked Duncan. "How do you know he was mind controlled that way?"
"A woman told us. She attacked the palace while her servants fought outside against our forces."
"A woman?" asked Alan. "Was she a tall, white skinned woman, with long black hair, revealing clothing, large shoulder pads and very big breasts?"
"…yeah, that was the woman that attacked us."
"I see! So it was Exia! That woman is nothing but trouble!" Alan exclaimed. Kristal, however, only looked at him with indifference.
"You HAD to mention her breasts?" asked the blondie mage.
"Well…it's a characteristic of her, right?"
"I agree with the human." Said Steve, causing Kristal to look at him menacingly.
"Anyway…" Duncan interrupted. "So Exia, Reed, his Blue Eyes and an army of Heartless attacked the city. I suppose the Sage of Ice joined them too."
"Yes, she did." Continued Chisato. "We were so surprised when she attacked us too, but now after what happened with Master Daichi, I understand that she too must be mind-controlled."
"Yes. It will be hard to fight them, since the Sages have left us to complete another mission."
"They weren't alone."
The group looked at Chisato in confusion once again.
"What do you mean they weren't alone?" asked Iridia.
"Other than them, there were other 5 beings." Said Chisato, clenching her fists hard. "They were skeletal beings, like demons."
"Demons? Skeletons?" asked Strum in confusion…before he realized it. "Don't tell me…"
"Yes: they were Archfiends."
Duncan and Strum grinded their teeth in anger.
"I see, so the Archfiends have been released." Commented Duncan. "This will be harder."
"Who are they, Master?" asked Kuarzo in confusion. Strum turned to look at his student and began to explain.
"They are a group of dark fiends that live on the mountains on the southern-east part of the Asgan Continent." Said the Chaos Command Magician. "They are fiends that since the beginning were under Exus' command, being directly under the control of one of Exus General, named Ha Des."
"Dark Ruler Ha Des?" asked Alan in surprise.
"You know him, Alan-kun?" asked Kuarzo.
"Not personally, but I played against some Ha Des decks back at home. They were a pain to play against them."
"Yes, Alan." Said Duncan. "Dark Ruler Ha Des is the second in command of Exus, probably higher than Exia. However, we are not sure if he still lives, as the history says he was heavily wounded in the battle 2000 years ago, and was presumed dead."
"Even if he died, the Archfiends were still under Exus command." Said Strum. "After Exus was sealed away, the Archfiends were pushed back more and more, until they were back into their castle: Pandemonium, a demonic castle in the mountains."
"That sounds…earie familiar…" says Alan, more to himself, remembering a certain Final Fantasy game. "Why didn't you guys killed them instead of sealing them away?"
"We can't: The Archfiends are immortal."
"What?!" asked Kristal in surprise. "You mean we can't kill them?!"
"No, can't kill them." Said Strum. "However, we CAN destroy their bodies. It's their Hearts the ones that refused to die, and will in time reform their bodies using the dark energies from the world. It won't take too much, probably a few weeks. It's because of this that they were one of the most dangerous of Exus Forces."
"Since we couldn't kill them, we had to seal them." Duncan continued. "The mages of old destroy their bodies, sealed their Hearts in tombstones deep in Castle Pandemonium, and then sealed the whole castle beneath the earth, hoping they will never return."
"So Exus or Exia must have unsealed them beforehand." Said Kristal.
"We heard rumors of strange earthquakes in that area made by the villages close to the Archfiend Mountains. Just after the battle of the Water Temple. All contact to those villages has been lost."
"They must have released them after the battle at the Water Temple." Said Strum. "That is why we never heard of them during our travel at sea and only made contact with them again on Balm City."
"They were increasing their forces…" said Alan to himself. "We need to stop them. How long until we reach the Fire Crystal?"
"Two to three days if we run." Said Duncan. "It's two days to reach Kyushu-Ho, and then we have to walk, since the sand in the valley will make it difficult to move."
"Then we should be ready to part tomorrow to reach it and find Exia, Reed and the army!" expressed Alan with determination.
"Wait, why tomorrow, Alan-kun?" asked Kuarzo in confusion. "Why don't we go now? We are rested."
"Because we have to wait until she is fully recovered." He said, pointing at Chisato, who looked at him with confusion, something he saw immediately. "You want to return to your home and see what you can do to help, right?"
"…Yes…" she said shyly, looking down at the floor. "I don't know if I can do something but… I want to save Master Daichi! Please, let me go with you!"
"Alan." Said Steve. "Remember we are short of time."
"Did that stopped us from staying in other villages or training on a Library?" asked the human. "I know we are short of time, but didn't Master David told us that Crystal still will last for a little longer? Maybe a few weeks?"
"He did." Said Strum. "However, the shield around the Temple will collapse in a few days. If it does, Exia and her army will be able to enter and destroy the Crystal."
"Don't worry, they will wait for us."
"…why do you say that?" asked Iridia in confusion.
"Because they are the kind of people that will GLADLY show us our failure at our faces. They will want to see our faces when the Crystal breaks BY THEIR HANDS. They will make sure they have the advantage, so we have to be prepared to beat them at their own game."
"…makes sense, I suppose." Steve shrugged as he said that, before looking at his teacher. "So…we go tomorrow, Master?"
"I suppose we will." Said Duncan. "It will help since Iridia used her healing spells for a whole day, so she can recover."
"I am not tired, Master Duncan." Said Iridia in response.
"But your magic aura is low." Said Strum. "We need you at 100 percent if we face them."
"As you order, Master."
"So it's decided." Duncan announced. "We rest today, and tomorrow in the morning we leave for Kyusho-Ho. In two or three days we will arrive, so be ready. I expect the battle of the Fire Temple will be as difficult if not harder than the one we had in the Water Temple."
"It usually is." Said Alan. "But we will not fail this time! Right?"
"RIGHT!" exclaimed Kristal, Kuarzo, Iridia, Dinara and Steve with determination, while Duncan and Strum only smiled in agreement.
"Thank you!" exclaimed Chisato, as some tears began to fall from her eyes.
Alan smiled, and looked at outside the window, in the general direction to where the Fire Temple was supposed to be. He was determined that he will break the future that Kristal's sister, Kunzita, predicted. This time it will be different. This time they will save the Crystal. This time they will beat their enemies. This time he will save his cousin. This time…
…he will not fail…
End of Chapter 44
Chapter 45 Preview:
Alan: hello! Alan Here! We approach the city of Kyushu-Ho, when Heartless and Exus Soldiers try to face us. They will not prevail!
Steve: I will take care of them! Shadow-!
?: EXCLUDA BURNING!
Steve: Wait, what?!
Don't miss the next chapter of The N-Warriors: Shadow Realm Saga: An unexpected newcomer.
Alan: No, seriously! Does anyone else have a secret that should be revealed?!
Author Notes:
AND DONE!
Well, what do you think? Did you expect one from the Shiranui clan to survive? That is also another reason why I decided to post their chapter weeks ago, otherwise it would have been the one last week. Well, Chisato survived, barely, and have explained her story to the group. Will they be able to save her Master?
And now, Kristal reveals to Alan that, for some reason, she worries SO MUCH when he is in danger. This is not only so they can be together (well, it is, kinda), but there is also a reason why SHE feels like that, but not him. What could it be? Why is the reason? And could it be linked to how did Kuarzo fell in love with him so quickly? Those questions will be revealed WAY later.
Anyway, I hope you liked this :D
See ya next time!
-SaiyanX logged off!-
