A thin fog shrouded this section of the city, creating a haze of grey over the ruined stone buildings and splintered wood. What buildings were left even partly intact seemed like they could fall over at any moment while others already crumbled away at the slightest disturbance. Piles of wood and stone lay near the buildings and bits of it scattered across the roads. More than once they passed a pile of rubble with a dark puddle leaking out from under it or a half rotted limb protruding out from the mess of materials.
The ground beneath their feet was uneven, broken up by solid black roots scattered among the twisting vines carpeting the ground and deep cracks or gashes large enough for even Vajra to fit into with ease. The marks were undoubtedly made by the thing in the abyss, the gouges on the solid stone cliff that its gigantic claws left were still fresh in their minds. Parts of it rose above others, supported by thick branches as if there were something growing underneath and stained in black spatters and pools. A few of the branches flowered with dark leaves and pale golden flowers giving off a sickly sweet scent that left the humans among them complaining of dizziness after getting too close.
There were no dolls here, thankfully, but the faintest stench of iron and rot clung to the air in their place. It wafted from the ruins around them, from beneath collapsed buildings and the vines snaking underfoot and the roots and branches among the ruined road. The smell of death only broken by the sweet scented flowers. Kid once thought the first section they entered looked like a massacre. This was so much worse.
Black Star, ever the curious one, risked a glance under one of the raised parts of the road. It disappeared deep below the ground, the rotting stench stronger as it wafted from below. His nose scrunched up and teeth bared in disgust at the smell. One hand quickly covered his nose, and he stood back up. "Smells horrible! Would not recommend doing that." The joking tone was obvious as he turned to face Kid with a bright grin.
His enthusiasm was met with an exhausted sigh from the other boy. "You shouldn't do that Star, what if the branches collapse while you're sticking your head under there?" Kid's concern was valid, but he couldn't help the pout on his lips at being reprimanded for such a little thing.
"Then I'll just pull my head out before I get squished!" He clapped his hands together loudly, the sound bouncing across the ruins. Realizing this, Black Star flinched. They were supposed to be quiet, like a stealth mission. Even though he still thought fighting the creature and its followers was the best option, he was out numbered three to one in that regard. At least it was good practice. An assassin was supposed to be able to sneak around easily so treating this like stealth training made it easier to accept.
"Sure, sure, and if that fails?" Kid responded in a lighter, sarcastic tone as he rolled his eyes.
Picking up on it, Black Star said, "Guess I'll die then." Kid covered his laugh with a cough. His grin was still visible though and pride swelled in Black Star's chest at the sight. Even in the murky fog, with his hair messed up despite countless attempts to fix it and the scrapes and tears and dirt on his clothes, Kid still looked good. Moreso with a smile. One he brought to the other's face too!
With renewed energy, he bounced back to their group, following along as their unwilling chaperones searched for a good place to rest. It took some time, but eventually they settled for a woodshed hidden in the back corner of an old, overgrown courtyard coated in a thick layer of ice that made the ground crunch under every step. It was the first building they had seen intact and having four walls and a roof over their heads would be a blessing.
The dirt floor earned a grimace from Kid but Asura slapped a hand over his mouth the moment the younger reaper tried to voice his complaint. "You already slept on the ground. Shut up and deal with it." He peered around warily. A pile of firewood was stacked against one wall, covered with a large tarp. On the other side, a body lay curled in a pool of blood beside an open first aid kit and a sizable hiking backpack. It's fingers clutched tight to the familiar strand of teeth and claws in their hand. The teeth lay scattered near the corpse, fallen from the broken ends of its rawhide string.
Asura shuddered, taking a moment to weigh his options before deciding it was better to enter. He was quick to take the tarp and cover the body, then settled against the back wall. Vajra joined him quickly, letting out a sigh as he settled down. The boys followed their lead, huddling together next to the weapon. Thankfully, no one thought to point out the relatively modern clothing worn by the corpse. Voicing the obvious always made it much more terrifying.
"Should we start a fire? There's plenty of wood here." Kid suggested, watching Asura's expression closely.
After a moment's hesitation, he nodded slowly and stood to help bring the wood closer. A small fire was lit, and once it was, Asura hurriedly piled some excess wood into the small, square windows. Deciding that wasn't enough, he rooted around until he found another bundle of tarps and an old tool. The tool was jammed under the door handle while the tarps were tossed over the windows.
"Whatcha doin'?" Black Star asked curiously.
"Blocking the light. I am also worried about the holes in the roof but I can't block those unless you and Vajra don't mind dying from smoke inhalation." He responded, tilting his head back to inspect the small holes above them.
With a chuckle, Vajra said, "I think I like breathing. Thanks for the offer though." He gave a thumbs up and shuffled around to a more comfortable position. Patting the ground, he waved Asura over to sit with him. The reaper gave one last look at his handiwork before giving in and settling next to his partner.
"Hey, I can take first watch if you guys are tired." Kid volunteered, eyeing Black Star as he yawned and stretched his arms overhead. The other boy cut it short, acting like nothing was wrong. He could only roll his eyes at that. "If you're tired then sleep Star. I'll wake you up if something interesting happens and you'll be more ready to fight them if we need to."
For a moment Black Star hesitated as if he wasn't sure what to do. Staying up was what he wanted so he wouldn't miss out on anything else. But Kid was right. If he got his rest now, he would be ready for anything the city had in store for them. "Works for me! It never hurts to have more energy." Asura sighed, opening his mouth to argue against Kid and most likely insult Black Star once he finished talking.
He was cut off by Vajra shushing him. "You should rest. You've been too on edge, it has to be exhausting. Let Kid take watch at least for a short while. I'll even stay up with him if it makes you feel better." Even if he wanted to argue, Asura found he couldn't. Vajra was right after all, having to be alert all the time in fear of whatever was around was tiring. And now he had a real reason to actually be paranoid. The added stress of a very real threat was doing him no good.
"Fine," He relented, pressing as close to his partner as possible. "But if anything happens, anything at all, you will wake me immediately." The firmness in Asura's voice was unusual even if the jab to Vajra's side was not. He was never one to give outright commands so seriously. But it was more than he expected the reaper to give so he agreed easily.
Grumbling under his breath, Asura crossed his arms and closed his eyes. The tension in his shoulders stayed and Vajra knew he wasn't really trying to sleep this time. Black Star, however, had no problems falling asleep once he'd wrapped his arms around Kid's middle and rested his head on the other boy's stomach. He was snoring away in seconds despite the situation, with drool trailing from his mouth. A disgusted look crossed Kid's face and he hurriedly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to stick under Black Star's head.
Silence settled over them, broken only by the occasional snort from Black Star and the crackle of their fire. Kid watched the flames dance about, casting long shadows against the wall. From time to time he would tense, almost certain that one had looked too much like the silhouette of a human, but there was never anything there. It didn't stop the paranoia from building in the back of his mind.
The pricking feeling of eyes watching them made his skin crawl. A faint presence that was almost certainly imagined had his eyes flickering about as unease settled in his gut. Was that faint static real or imagined? Is that a shadow outside the window? He could only play with Black Star's spikey blue hair to remind himself that he wasn't alone here. The rise and fall of his friend's chest brought a wave of relief, but he would find himself glancing over to the corpse that shared this space with them. If they couldn't get out, that could be Black Star. It could be Vajra. Or Asura. Even himself…
The gentle tap against his leg almost made him leap out of his skin. His heart raced as he glanced down, but it was only Vajra. The man's hand rested partly on his leg, but he moved it quickly as if he worried it would be an annoyance. "You alright? You're looking a bit pale. Er, more than normal I mean." The concern shining in his eyes put Kid at ease and he sighed.
"I'm…" For a moment he was going to brush it off with a simple 'I'm fine', but he stopped before the words could leave his mouth. Because he wasn't fine. He was worried and stressed and… and afraid. Afraid for himself and for them. Afraid of the city and it's secrets. Afraid of the things that could be lurking around every corner they turned or whatever door they opened. But how could he express that?
Even as he choked on his words, Vajra responded with a quiet, "I understand. You guys are very similar in that way." The silence settled over them again, Kid unsure what to say and Vajra not sure how to continue. He glanced over at the man curiously to find an unreadable expression on his face.
It was only now that Kid thought about it. Maybe it was the quiet, or his mind just wandering, but for all the years he'd known the weapon he never knew much about him. Vajra was always just… there. He'd always been with Asura, or occasionally on his own. But even though he was known to be friendly and open, no one ever seemed to know anything about him at all. His constant presence was familiar and that's where it ended as he couldn't remember any time he held a conversation with him outside of extra lessons or general small talk.
"You don't really talk much, do you." The comment came out before he could stop it and the man in question turned to him with one brow raised and head tilted curiously to the side. Deciding he may as well continue, Kid elaborated, "I mean. You don't say much about yourself, do you? I've known you all my life but I don't think I know anything about you."
"Ah, I see…" He seemed to hesitate, shifting carefully to not disturb Asura's rest. "There's just not much to say though. I'm a human weapon who served as Asura's partner when the world's only defence was the Eight Shinigami Legions. I just got lucky that Asura liked me enough to offer me immortality of a sort."
Kid frowned at the answer, having hoped for something more. He guessed he would have to ask himself then, so he asked, "Yeah, but how exactly did that happen. What was it like being part of father's warlords? He mentioned you're a pretty powerful weapon even compared to other weapons and even called you a 'weapon fit for a god'."
At those words Vajra turned away, choosing instead to look at Asura curled against his side as if trying to comfort himself. "That's… not something I prefer to talk much about. It's already over after all." Though he offered a smile, it was strained and the tone of his voice told Kid that there would be no further discussion about the subject. The boy frowned at that but chose not to push in case he said the wrong thing. It got quiet again, the awkwardness almost too much. Fed up with the silence Kid tapped the older man's arm as he tried to think of something to say.
The static noise crackled out, low enough that he wasn't sure it was real to begin with. This time, though, Vajra also looked around curiously. "You hear that?" He asked Kid, shifting carefully and shaking Asura gently. The older reaper jolted awake, sitting up straight and glancing around quickly with wide eyes before he was able to relax again.
With a questioning look, he glanced between the two of them. It was Kid who hushed him, bringing a finger to his lips and mouthing, 'Listen.'. Asura obeyed and focused on the sound. The static was close. Very close. At first he feared that the creature had finally climbed out of the pit, but this was a different static. Unlike the spine chilling, echoing crackle preluding the beast's roars, this was much more… physical. It's sound could be followed and he was quick to pinpoint the noise coming from inside the corpse's hiking bag.
Slowly, he got up to retrieve it. A quick apology was sent to the dead for his intrusion and he unzipped the top quickly. Clothes and provisions and medical supplies were stuffed into every pocket haphazardly, clearly having been used before. Buried at the very bottom was a radio. Static crackled through the speakers, no longer muffled by the piles of supplies on top. Asura turned to the rest, almost jumping out of his skin when a loud snort sounded out with Black Star's waking.
After seeing it was only Black Star, Asura held the radio out to the others. "It's this. Do you think we can use it to call for help?" With a small smile, he began fiddling with the radio, twisting the knobs slowly as he listened for any other voices. His efforts were rewarded by silence and eventually he gave up, shoulders slumped and a defeated look on his face as he tossed it to Vajra.
The man stood up, taking a moment to brush himself off before he set a hand on Asura's shoulder with an awkward pat. "Don't worry about it. I'm thinking there's a high probability that we are no longer on Earth anyway so it makes sense we can't contact someone anyway." Disappointment dripped from his voice, accompanied by a sigh that was wiped away quickly with a reassuring smile.
"I know you're trying to comfort me but that's terrifying!" Asura flinched at the words, eyes wide at the suggestion that they weren't on Earth anymore. In a way, it made sense. With the portal and when he considered how a city this size couldn't be found even by countless people searching for it, then of course it wouldn't be on Earth anymore. It was a frightening reality, but still… if they weren't on Earth, then where could they be?
"Do you think it's like the witch's realm? They live in a pocket space, don't they?" Kid asked as he snatched the radio from Vajra's hands. It crackled with static again and he raised an eyebrow at the noise. Was that a voice or just his imagination?
Black Star rubbed the last of the sleep from and stretched his arms over his head as he stood. Now fully awake, he bounded over to the rest to join in. "Does it matter where we are? If we get a key it'll take us back to Earth anyway." He waved a hand dismissively and leaned heavily against Kid. When the boy moved out from under him suddenly, he was quick to right himself so he wouldn't fall flat on his face like the first time.
At the mention of the key, the radio crackled to life. A quiet, broken voice sounded through its speakers with indistinguishable words as a faint blue surrounded it. Kid dropped it in surprise, the presence tied to it appearing too suddenly. The radio clattered to the ground, a startled yelp coming from the speakers. Frightened by the noise, Asura leapt back to a safer distance with his hands over his mouth to muffle his scream. Again the voice sparked to life, pale blue flickering around the radio as it spoke clearer than before. "...lo? Hello? ...an you… e now?" Kid shared an unsure look with Vajra and Asura, silently asking if he should respond or not.
Seeing their hesitance, Black Star rolled his eyes and stooped to pick it up. Before any of them could stop him, he held the button on the side down and brought the radio up. "You're still a bit jumbled but we hear ya now." Letting the button go, he waited for its response.
It came quickly, the voice easier to understand this time. "Goo…! Very good! But there's no need to hold down the button, I am right here." As if to illustrate that point, the blue glow surrounding it burned brighter for a second. The static fizzed for a moment as it searched for the right words. "Right. So you all are trapped here too? Of course you must be. You don't look like… like one of them."
"You mean the creatures?" Vajra asked, leaning forward curiously.
Kid chimed in with his own question,"Are you a ghost? Why are you in the radio? If you need help moving on, my brother or I could help you with that." He gestured to Asura, who inched closer as curiosity overrode his terror. The older reaper still kept a fair distance.
The voice laughed awkwardly at the questions, trying its best to answer them. "Yes, yes. I am a spirit now and I hid here when I died. Before I was a freelance photographer. I got a gig for a small archeology expedition. They got a hold of some old journal with information about Shangri-la and I was put on the team to find it. It would have been such a huge deal to uncover the famous 'lost paradise'." The spirit paused, its voice dipping into a darker tone as it continued, "Some paradise it turned out to be."
"Oh! We followed a journal too!" Black Star chirped, sounding too excited for their current predicament. He waved a hand in a wide gesture as he elaborated, "It was this little one that sorta looked like a book on lost cities at first, but the back was all about Shangri-la. Is that the one you guys had?"
At first the spirit didn't respond, but then it heaved a tired sigh that fizzled through the speakers. "That's the one. We all followed it here. Not just my group, but the other lost souls who hide here from Huli Jing and its followers."
"Who's that?" Black Star asked, tilting his head with his brows drawn up in confusion.
"Huli Jing is the Chinese name for a fox spirit." Kid explained for his friend and earned a small, grateful nod for his trouble. Then he turned to the radio again to ask, "So there's a fox spirit here?"
The radio hummed, vibrating in Black Star's hand. "Not quite? Huli Jing is just what they call it. I've also heard them call it Jiuweihu, Priest, Pillar, and even Burning Ghost. I think it is a human spirit like me." It hummed again, the spirit adding, "Or maybe it would be better to say it was one once. I truly don't believe it can even be called human at this point."
"Wait. So they follow this spirit? Then what about their god? That wolf monster with the skull for a head?" Asura asked this time, fidgeting with his scarves as he eyed the radio warily.
It went silent for a long moment as if thinking of a seconds ticked by, bit by bit, bringing an unease with the quietness. Finally the radio crackled to life again. "You mean that... thing… Huli Jing adores it so the others worship it as a god. It is an all consuming beast that lurks in the darkness. It owns this place, controls it entirely. There is nothing that escapes it's notice and nothing that survives once it sets its sights on them."
Asura's visible shaking caught everyone's attention. He held tight to his partners arm, gripping the fabric of his jacket hard enough to turn his knuckles white. Vajra didn't hesitate to pull Asura into a comforting hug in an attempt to help ease his fears. It seemed to do little besides making the extent of it more obvious. Kid shot a concerned glance to his brother for a moment before turning back to the radio.
There was another pause, hesitating as if unsure it should continue, but the distress radiated clearly in their strained tone, "I saw it when we took some keys, it tore the soul straight out of our guide's chest and ate it. I lost the others when we ran away, twisted my ankle on a root and got left behind. I barely managed to drag myself into here before it passed by. I don't think I was killed, at least not by one of them. I wouldn't be here if that was true."
"I see," Kid muttered, shivering at the thought of the creature. He racked his brain, trying to remember if there was anything he'd ever heard of that could match what he knew of it so far. The form of a wolf only matched a werewolf or some other shapeshifter. But to tear the soul right from a person's chest? There was only one thing he could think of that could do such a thing. He peered over to his brother again, lips pressed into a thin line as he considered it. Asura met his gaze and they both seemed to come to the same conclusion.
Pulling Vajra down, Asura whispered quietly to his partner. Though Kid wasn't sure what he said, it couldn't be a good thing. Vajra's expression twisted from recognition to surprise and then, much to Kid's surprise, a well controlled anger. His grip on the older god tightened protectively, jaw clenched tightly and narrowed eyes pinned to something off to the side. The expression faded as quickly as it came though, Asura's near silent words now trying to calm him. Shaking his head, Vajra asked, "The key you stole. Where is it now?" His voice shook with a growl, turning his attention back to the radio now.
It took a moment for it to answer, but finally the spirit found it's words. "I had one, but it must have fallen off of the necklace somewhere on the way here. The others were with Lori and Kaimen. I don't know where Lori ran to, but Kaimen… he didn't get that far."
"OH! So you can tell us where to find it then!" Black Star exclaimed, shaking the radio excitedly and earning a startled yelp from it's inhabitant. Kid reached over quickly, grabbing a hold of his arms to stop him from shaking the spirit silly.
"I will if you do me a favor." The spirit stated, their glow dimming as their voice dropped to a whisper, sadness all too clear in their tone. Black Star and Kid leaned in closer to hear what it had to say. After a moment, they spoke up again. "Take my bag please. If you don't want to bring the whole thing, then at least take my wallet. If you make it out of here please try to find my family for me and tell them what happened to me. And if you can, return my ring to my husband too."
"That's it?" Black Star asked. His shoulders slumped, having hoped for something more interesting. But he quickly shook his head and smiled at the radio instead. "We can totally do that! It'll be easy. With me here you've got nothing to fear! I'm gonna get these guys out of here and get these things back to your family in no time!"
Kid nodded along as Black Star made his promise to the spirit. Though he wasn't entirely sure if they were trustworthy, he was willing to take a risk if it meant getting a key out of it. And whether or not they were trustworthy he or Asura would need to send them off so they would not be eaten by the creatures of this place.
"Alright then," Vajra shrugged, then added on, "But once we get more rest. We barely got the chance before you showed up." He gestured to both Asura and Black Star, neither looking very tired now for entirely different reasons. Where the boy was clearly excited with a wide grin on his lips, Asura's anxiety was almost palpable now.
"Oh, sorry. I'm still not entirely used to being a ghost yet. It's weird trying to control things. You should all get your rest then. Kaimen's body shouldn't be too far from here if I recall right, but you never know what we will find on the way." The spirit advised them gently. The blue aura around the radio flickered briefly with the static before cutting off completely. Their presence also faded away, leaving only the four of them in the shed with the crackling of their small fire.
Vajra was the first to break away, leading Asura back to their spot against the wall. He checked constantly to see if his partner was any calmer but the darting eyes and tension in Asura's shoulders proved otherwise. For once in his life Vajra wasn't quite sure what to say to comfort the other. Sure, they now had a lead to a key out of here, but it would be no good if they couldn't get to a door. A door probably guarded by a powerful spirit and it's followers while their soul stealing 'god' hunted them for sport.
Plopping down at Asura's other side was Kid, eyes hazy and unfocused as he stared at the wall. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them to make a place to rest his head. It seemed like he was lost in his thoughts, too absorbed in them to notice the weapon's worried stare. Black Star sat beside Kid, throwing an arm around his shoulders and jerking the younger reaper from his thoughts.
"Let's not all look so down, yeah? We might be able to get a key soon and you cowards can leave." He said, waving his free hand towards them all. Of course he would go with them, just to be sure everyone got out alright. But he still aimed to fight one of the creatures in this godforsaken place before that time. That priest of theirs would be a worthy opponent and he'd never battled against an actual ghost before. Would it be better to have a plan to fight a ghost?
Turning to Kid he met the god's eyes, glowing faintly in the dim light, and paused. His blunder was quickly covered by a wide grin so Kid wouldn't notice his stare. "By the way! You know a lot about ghosts, right?" Kid raised an eyebrow, an amused grin gracing his lips at the comment. At least he was able to make the other boy smile like that!
Rolling his eyes, Kid answered, "I do. That comes with the job, you know." He gestured vaguely to himself and patted his friend's back. "I assume you just want to know how to fight a spirit? They're difficult enemies to deal with as they don't have physical forms that can be harmed. Using magic or manipulating your wavelength to attack them is the only way I know of to deal damage to a soul if you aren't a death god."
Black Star nodded, eyes closed and one hand stroking his chin as he hummed. "Gotcha. So I just gotta punch a ghost with my wavelength!" He leaned heavily against his friend with a sigh, glad to know he would be able to do something against them. "See, I told you guys I'd be able to protect you. Ya don't gotta get in my way now!"
"We're still going to stop you from picking fights. There were a lot more people here than we initially thought after all and if they were all spirits then you may be overwhelmed." Vajra pointed out with a shake of his head. It earned him an annoyed groan and he was pretty sure his words were being ignored on purpose.
"I think it's a demonic spirit." Asura spoke up suddenly from his place curled against Vajra's side. Though he didn't look up he could still feel their eyes on him. It made him shiver so he grumbled under his breath and held his middle finger up in Kid's direction.
The boy just scoffed and rolled his eyes at Asura. "You wanna elaborate or no?"
"Fuck you," Came the oh so eloquent response from Kid's older brother. Even though he said that, he shifted to a more comfortable position and spoke up again. "There are different types of spirits a soul can turn into. Most who realize they died before they can move on become lost souls or leave spiritual imprints. The ones who actively refuse to move on gain power and influence the longer they stay and can become other types like a poltergeist."
Vajra leaned forward, giving his full attention to his partner at the mention of ghosts. It took him a moment but once he thought of a question, he asked, "So what is the difference in a demonic spirit?"
Immediately, Asura turned his attention away from Kid to answer his partner. "To my knowledge, it's a spirit who turned to evil after their death and had been dead for a very long time. Their actions and power are equivalent to a real demon. Murder, devouring souls, and other such acts of violence can still corrupt the dead but unlike the living, they become beings of temptation and malice rather than falling to madness or becoming Kishin and are driven by a singular purpose or emotion."
"So in this case, an old ghost devoted to it's god became strong like a demon?" Black Star hummed as he scratched the back of his head, brows knitting together as he scowled. When Kid nodded in agreement with his words, he grinned to himself proudly until something occurred to him. "Would I be able to punch that guy with my wavelength and hurt 'em still?"
"I'd assume so, but it may be more resistant to the damage." Asura warned, eyeing the boy warily as he pumped a fist into the air. His excitement was expected, but the total lack of caution made Asura a bit nervous. Their main focus was to escape and he could only hope no serious fight would break out between them and the citizens of the ruined city or the beast of the abyss.
A yawn broke the grin on Black Star's face suddenly and he hurried to cover it with his hand. Kid grunted as Black Star threw all his weight against him with a tired groan. "Ah, yeah. Well I'm gonna go back to sleep then since you guys woke me up. I'm gonna hit that bastard with all my strength if I see it again." He didn't wait for an answer before curling up and using Kid's shoulder for a pillow.
"You should go back to sleep too, Asura." Vajra said, giving his partner a small smile. Asura only rolled his eyes and muttered about the order. Though it was unlikely he would be able to sleep, the break from any terrifying things would help on its own. Soon enough Kid drifted off too, leaving only Vajra to keep watch.
The radio crackled every now and then. The voice of the spirit, Adrian as they learned from its wallet, fizzed through to give them directions along the way. Buildings crumbled away more and more as they went deeper into the hazy city. From time to time the static faded to a rumble that shook the radio in their hands. Adrian would speak up suddenly and direct them along a different path when this happened, leaving them wondering what it was while being too uneasy to ask.
Kid had taken Black Star's free hand again to keep the other close. And as the fog thickened, he grabbed onto Asura as well.
Vines and branches squished and crunched underfoot with increasing frequency as they followed Adrian's directions to the best of their abilities with such low visibility. How long had they been walking? It was hard to keep track of the time here. Even without this heavy mist obscuring their view, they soon realized that there was no day or night. The light was always the same no matter how long they walked.
When the radio crackled again, they thought nothing of it. But instead of Adrian's familiar voice, a chorus of quiet whispers flowed out. Their words were muffled by the static, hazy and unclear at first until they rose in pitch steadily. Now they could hear words, jumbled and spoken in many different tongues. Asura's grip tightened on Kid's hand and the younger reaper peered up at him warily. In a quiet tone, Asura translated the words he could catch, "Run. Hide. Leave."
"It's coming," Adrian spoke with a quiver in his voice, "There's a building to your left with enough still standing to shield you."
Static crackled through the air, the faintest tremors shaking the earth beneath their feet. Tightening his hold on Kid's hand and the radio, Black Star led them to the left. It wasn't too long before he found the wall of the building, only just managing to stop before he walked right into it. He followed it, dragging the back of his hand along the length of the wood until it hit the frame of a small doorway. He was quick to push it open and dragged the line of people inside after him.
The door clicked shut behind them quietly and he felt himself being pulled back against the wall. Before he could ask, a large, gloved hand clamped over his mouth. The tremors had escalated to a quake accompanied by rhythmic thuds and scrapes as its claws hit the solid stone. A sharp inhale came from his left, undoubtedly from Asura. He still had Kid's hand held tight in his own and the shaking he felt through it didn't feel like it came from Kid. The older god must have grabbed his brother much like Vajra had done to him.
A low rumble echoed out across the emptiness. He felt his body tense immediately, shivering as if he were frightened by the sound. It dragged on, increasing in pitch as the creature drew near. The earth trembled, shaking the building and raining bits of ice and dust from the ceiling. The rumbling turned into a guttural growl that set his nerves on end, his mind screaming to "Run! Leave!"! Vajra's shaking hand held him in place, making him unable to leave no matter how desperately his brain wanted him to run for his life. From the quivering of the man's hand, he assumed he struggled against the urge as well.
The growl died away, thudding steps following into the distance with an unsettling sound like a hyena's laugh. Somehow that shook him more than the growl. Was it… mocking them? He couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through his body at the thought. Curiosity tugged at him, and he wormed his way free from Vajra's grip to crack open the door and peer out. Though it was farther away and obscured in fog, the hulking black shape in the distance was still visible. Light and shadows alike bent towards it as if following in its steps, swirling in the mist with each swish of its tail.
It was all he was able to see before being dragged back inside and squished between Vajra and Kid as they were all held tightly by the weapon. Seconds and minutes passed, but Vajra didn't move. He was about to ask why when the faintest sound reached his ears. It was a creaking, squeaky sound like the creak of a wooden doll's joints. Closer and closer it drew, accompanied by the thudding of countless footsteps and the quiet clicking of bone on bone following the beast's path.
At some point Asura weaseled free and positioned himself at the door, peering out cautiously. The creatures from the bridge shuffled on by in a hoard of dark figures and the vague shape of animal skulls muddied by the haze of white. They seemed unaware of his eyes tracking and counting each one he could make out. With every minute the macabre parade continued, his trembling increased until he felt he could barely stand without the door's support.
Only once they too had finally passed did his legs give out. He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and reached back over to where the others were. His hand latched onto the first person he could grab to reassure himself that they were still there. Someone reached down to grab him, their hand cold. Kid then. Slowly he stood himself up again with the help of the door and Kid. Though his legs were still unsteady, he was able to stand again.
Static crackled again before he had the time to say anything. They all tensed for a moment, waiting to see if the beast had returned. Instead Adrian's voice came through the radio, the blue aura returning around it. "All clear. But we need to be more cautious now that it's here. We can cut through this building though."
Asura nodded quickly, taking Kid's hand in one of his and seeking out Vajra with the other. Once they were all together they moved on, following the spirit's directions and carefully listening for the sound of it's thundering footsteps approaching them again. From high above on the building's remains, the shadowy figure dressed in a white kimono watched them leave with it's skull face tilted to the side and tail swishing in amusement. It chuckled to itself, raspy and more like a bark than a laugh, before it disappeared in a swirl of white mist.