Chapter Four: Akron
The sun began to set behind the mountains, filling the sky with a purple hue. Shino reached the clearing within 2 minutes of the ultimatum, but was shocked at what he found. Standing before him was Hanyou man, only about as old as himself. He was wearing a black jumpsuit more or less, the pants held up by a red belt, the two flaps slithering in the wind like snakes on the prowl.
He stood atop a small tree, some 30 feet in the air. From the voice, Shino had expected to encounter someone much larger and more imposing. He need not walk up to the man to see that his opponent would barely reach his forehead in height. Shino laughed at the site of the man. "What's this, Kaine sends children as her warriors. Have I killed that many of your soldiers that you resort to such levels?"
Akron looked at Shino and smiled; his voice carried surprisingly well across the clearing. "Ah, Shinnigami Shino, I presume. We most certainly didn't expect your presence to be guarding that woman... nonetheless I will dispatch of you anyways."
Shino looked at Akron and laughed, "You?! Dispatch ME? Hah! We shall s-" Shino barely had time to finish his sentence before Akron was upon him. Wielding two wakazashi blades, he attempted to skewer Shino in two, only to lock blades with Shino's own katana.
"Such speed," Akron stammered, the majority of his strength going towards the power-struggle. "Higher then we... anticipated... for a mere half- breed. But you are not my rival." Akron smirked as a cone of flame shot out at Shino, the blast sending him crashing into the nearest tree with enough force to crack the trunk.
"Game... Over." Akron said triumphantly from a distance; his pride soon to be shattered as Shino rose from the ground. "Impossible!" Akron shouted, but his disbelief lasted but a second as he launched a second attack on Shino. This time, it was Shino who caught Akron off guard.
Akron didn't even have enough time to react before Shino countered. The idle body he was charging suddenly disappeared, only to reappear behind him. The sound of metal cutting flesh and clothing seemed to emanate for miles. Akron let out a cry of pain but did not falter or topple; instead he turned to face Shino again.
"I... don't know how this is possible..." Akron stuttered, obviously once again surprised. "You're... faster, than me... ME... no... No one will know of this... YOU MUST DIE!" A violent flame aura manifested around Akron, the heat of the flames caused trees yards away to spontaneously erupt into flames.
Akron laughed as he watched Shino, but the lack of emotion in Shino's face further enraged him. "DIE" he shouted as he shot off a wall of flame which seemed to take the form of a speeding train. The impact shook the frame of the earth itself as Shino was sent into a small cluster of trees which shortly toppled onto his fallen body. The trees burst into flames under the heat.
"No!" cried a woman's voice somewhere behind Akron. It was Xiaoli; apparently she had not listened and had stayed even when it seemed Shino had lost. Akron watched her in the distance, smiling all the while. He slowly walked towards her, but as she turned to run he was already upon her and had her by the wrist.
"What have we here... well, well, if it isn't the traitorous runt." A perverted glint came to his eyes. "A deep dark forest, no one alive around for miles... no one to hear you scream..." lustfully, he ran his tongue along the side of her neck, "I'd say your in a very... bad... situation..."
He took out a single metal chain and wrapped it around her wrists; melding the ends together with his flame to form an effective set of handcuffs. Violently throwing her to the ground, he laughed and looked down upon her. "Don't worry," he said, "It won't hurt... much..." He started to laugh manically, until a voice rang out from the clearing. "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!"
The sun began to set behind the mountains, filling the sky with a purple hue. Shino reached the clearing within 2 minutes of the ultimatum, but was shocked at what he found. Standing before him was Hanyou man, only about as old as himself. He was wearing a black jumpsuit more or less, the pants held up by a red belt, the two flaps slithering in the wind like snakes on the prowl.
He stood atop a small tree, some 30 feet in the air. From the voice, Shino had expected to encounter someone much larger and more imposing. He need not walk up to the man to see that his opponent would barely reach his forehead in height. Shino laughed at the site of the man. "What's this, Kaine sends children as her warriors. Have I killed that many of your soldiers that you resort to such levels?"
Akron looked at Shino and smiled; his voice carried surprisingly well across the clearing. "Ah, Shinnigami Shino, I presume. We most certainly didn't expect your presence to be guarding that woman... nonetheless I will dispatch of you anyways."
Shino looked at Akron and laughed, "You?! Dispatch ME? Hah! We shall s-" Shino barely had time to finish his sentence before Akron was upon him. Wielding two wakazashi blades, he attempted to skewer Shino in two, only to lock blades with Shino's own katana.
"Such speed," Akron stammered, the majority of his strength going towards the power-struggle. "Higher then we... anticipated... for a mere half- breed. But you are not my rival." Akron smirked as a cone of flame shot out at Shino, the blast sending him crashing into the nearest tree with enough force to crack the trunk.
"Game... Over." Akron said triumphantly from a distance; his pride soon to be shattered as Shino rose from the ground. "Impossible!" Akron shouted, but his disbelief lasted but a second as he launched a second attack on Shino. This time, it was Shino who caught Akron off guard.
Akron didn't even have enough time to react before Shino countered. The idle body he was charging suddenly disappeared, only to reappear behind him. The sound of metal cutting flesh and clothing seemed to emanate for miles. Akron let out a cry of pain but did not falter or topple; instead he turned to face Shino again.
"I... don't know how this is possible..." Akron stuttered, obviously once again surprised. "You're... faster, than me... ME... no... No one will know of this... YOU MUST DIE!" A violent flame aura manifested around Akron, the heat of the flames caused trees yards away to spontaneously erupt into flames.
Akron laughed as he watched Shino, but the lack of emotion in Shino's face further enraged him. "DIE" he shouted as he shot off a wall of flame which seemed to take the form of a speeding train. The impact shook the frame of the earth itself as Shino was sent into a small cluster of trees which shortly toppled onto his fallen body. The trees burst into flames under the heat.
"No!" cried a woman's voice somewhere behind Akron. It was Xiaoli; apparently she had not listened and had stayed even when it seemed Shino had lost. Akron watched her in the distance, smiling all the while. He slowly walked towards her, but as she turned to run he was already upon her and had her by the wrist.
"What have we here... well, well, if it isn't the traitorous runt." A perverted glint came to his eyes. "A deep dark forest, no one alive around for miles... no one to hear you scream..." lustfully, he ran his tongue along the side of her neck, "I'd say your in a very... bad... situation..."
He took out a single metal chain and wrapped it around her wrists; melding the ends together with his flame to form an effective set of handcuffs. Violently throwing her to the ground, he laughed and looked down upon her. "Don't worry," he said, "It won't hurt... much..." He started to laugh manically, until a voice rang out from the clearing. "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!"