Chapter 4: The Fate that Saved a Life.
After being out for a while, Blaze's eyes gradually fluttered open. His body was throbbing in pain from the fight against Chouka. It took him a while for his eyes to adjust to his surroundings as he the Houndour found himself sprawl out on a large branch staring at the ground...
...which was 200 feet below ground level.
"...!" Blaze quickly raced clung onto the trunk of the tree. His heart was literally pounding out of his chest by how high he was. "Where the heck am I?"
Blaze scanned the forest filled with massive trees that were taller than the one he was on. Another thing he realized was that everything around him was different yet familiar.
"Am I...back in the TOON dimension?" The Houndour asked. He realized that he was puffing more often. "The air in this place is a bit thinner than normal. Am I on top of a mountain or something?"
He shook his head. "Focus, first...I need to figure out how to get do-"
BOOM!
Blaze subconsciously jumped from the blaring sound of an explosion in the distance. He sighed in relief not realized that he's suspended in the air until he stared down. "...I didn't mean it like...THHHHHAAAAAATTTTTTT!"
Blaze's voice drained out after he plummets down at 32 feet per second.
After recovering from his fall, the Houndour decided to explore the area a bit. He was amazed when he discovered some interesting things. There was a long canal made entirely of cloud stretches across the forest. Another section he came across look like two giants fighting each other. Debris and craters were everywhere, and he was even felt his skin crawled to find one of those giant trees uprooted from the ground.
After a few hours of walking, he noticed that it was getting dark and quickly try to locate a place to stay for the night. He had to deal with a couple of wolves but one good flamethrower causes them to flee the terror.
He was able to spot a small empty den under a tree. Once he curled up comfortably into a ball, he tried to fall asleep. He hoped to get some rest after his beatdown he got from Chouka and ending up through a weird and dangerous forest. However, Blaze was generally worried about Ericha and the others on Earth.
"It's all my fault..." Blaze mumbled sadly to himself. "...Ericha and her family are being tortured by the FBI, and that heartless must be terrorizing them…
...all because of me…"
With his mind filled with guilt, Blaze was able to fall fast asleep but not without shedding a small tear.
The first thing the Houndour heard after a long night rest were people shouting outside above the den. He slowly stood up and staggered out of the hole to find the entire area covered in a misty fog.
"Fog?" Blaze questioned oddly while scanning the area. Thanks to Mizella's antiques of getting rid of him, Blaze had a sixth sense to figure out any weather changes by sniffing the air. "No, it's mist. The density feels pretty low and it's much more opaque than a fo-"
"Hello...!...Anyone?!"
Alarmed that he wasn't alone, Blaze quickly scurried into the den. He peeked his head out to find a silhouette of a person through the mist wandering past his hideout.
"...That sounds like a girl," Blaze thought to himself quietly. "Maybe If I follow her, she could lead me out of the forest…"
Blaze emerged out of his den again and starred that the direction the figure went to. "However I shouldn't let her spot me. I don't want to scare her."
Sneaky and quietly, Blaze ran ahead until he spots the figure in the distance and changes his pace speed. The mists cover for him for a couple of minutes but didn't until it suddenly disappeared.
Blaze was able to get a glimpse of the figure which turned out to be a young girl with long black hair tied into a ponytail. She wore a black sleeveless green shirt and purple pants.
"Oh crud," Blaze cursed when he noticed her stop in place. He quickly zipped into the bushes just as the girl turned around with her hands erupted in dark flames.
"Show yourself!" The girl shouted acting threatening. After a long minute of silence, the girl slowly turned around and continued on her way.
Blaze peeked his head out from behind a tree stump looking a bit relief. "Okay, I shouldn't be spotted unless I want to get another beating."
The Houndour continued to follow the girl for what seems like a couple of minutes. He kept himself hidden behind trees, bushes, and giant roots. The two could hear explosions across the forest floor and Blaze overheard the girl commenting about the island becoming a war-zone.
'So I'm in a war-like world?' Blaze summarized after the carnage in one part of the forest he came across yesterday. 'If that's the case then I'll have to be extra careful around her-...'
Blaze along with the girl starred at a gruesome scene on the side of the path. Leaning on the tree were fresh bones of a human being. The foul odor of the corpse caused swarms of flies to hover around which resulted in him being dead recently.
He could hear the girl gagging a bit as she took a step back. "W-Who would do such a thing?"
'You and me both,' Blaze agreed with her. He wasn't a big fan of dead bodies or killing either. Heck, he survived the forest by eating berries and fruits.
Blaze suddenly picks up a familiar yet threatening scent. He looked around thinking of where it would be coming from until he looked up.
Dangling above the bones a few feet above was Chouka. His tail was wrapped around the branches and his arms gripping unto the tree like he was hugging it upside down. He was waiting patiently as he glanced downward at the corpse.
What made it more frightened to the Houndour was that heartless looked twice as big than before and terrifying with his fanned out cobra hood with an eye pattern on the back
'"Please don't go near it, please don't go near it," Blaze pleaded quietly, hoping the girl would have some common sense not to come any closer to Chouka's eyesight.
Unfortunately, the young girl's curiosity got the better of her as she subconsciously walked towards the corpse. His body wanted to run at her and warn her about Chouka's trap, however, his mind felt unsure. 'I couldn't defeat Chouka once, what can I do when he's this big?'
The girl wasn't even that close to the corpse until she suddenly froze into place. The Houndour could hear a gasping sound coming from her. "...What…? Why..can't I...move?"
That was the second warning Blaze sensed. He knew it would be a matter of seconds until Chouka would attack her. The final sign was when he noticed Chouka lowly creeping downward preparing to sink his fangs into her head.
"LOOK OUT~!" Blaze shouted as he revealed his hiding spot and dashed towards the girl.
Time slowed down between the three of them. At the same time Blaze sprung into action, Chouka lunged down at his victim who despite being paralyzed, was able to slowly turn her upper body towards Blaze. Luckily the Houndour's speed made it invisible in her eyes and delivering a massive headbutt straight into her stomach.
"PFT!" The girl coughs up saliva from the impact of the headbutt, while Blaze grunted in pain. It was enough though to keep her away from Chouka's path as he lunged right into the ground engulfing him in a dust cloud.
Meanwhile, Blaze and the girl were comically tumbling across the forest floor a couple of feet away from the dust cloud until they landed to a halt. The girl landed on her stomach with her arms and legs sprawled out like a starfish. while Blaze was on her back, slowly staggering up.
"I keep forgetting headbutts goes both ways," Blaze groaned while rubbing his head. He got off of her and quickly rolled her body like a log to the side of the pathway right behind a tree. Once he thought it was a safe distance, Blaze turned to the girl again who was now face up but her arms were still above her head and her legs were straight. Her eyes had two black swirls, which was similar to Pokemon fainting in battles.
"Sorry, but it's better than being eaten," Blaze apologized quietly and made it back on the path.
"Ssso It seems that using hosssstiles can get you out of the open," Chouka chuckled. Blaze got into a threatening stance once he noticed Chouka's glowing red eyes glimmering in the dust cloud.
Without a word Blaze ran ahead with Chouka slithering behind him. He would always look back hoping that Chouka was targeting him and not the girl.
Blaze continued to run until he into an opening of the forest. Blaze turned around as Chouka emerged out of the forest.
"Ssso, it seems as though you risk your life to save a complete stranger," Chouka summarized. "You love to caussse trouble for otherss around you."
"What was I supposed to do, just stand by and let you eat her alive?" Blaze retorted, glaring at him. "I may have lost to last time, but I'm not going to lose to you the second time!"
Chouka glance at Blaze for seconds until he broke the silents with a chuckle. "I can sssee the fire of determination in your eyess mutt. That motivates me more to snuff your pathetic flames out!"
Chouka opened his mouth and fired a large stream of purple gunk out of his mouth. The Houndour quickly sprinted to the left, causing the gunk to hit the trunk emitting purple acid eating away from it.
Not giving him the chance to aim his Gunk Shot, Blaze adjusted his head at Chouka unleashing a massive stream of flame out of his mouth. Chouka gracefully dove out of the way of the incoming flames.
Still, on the offensive, Blaze dashed forward and jump while somersaulting. His body covered in flames like a wheel and zoomed towards Chouka, who reacted by swinging his large fist. Intensive sparks were flying as the Houndour collided with Chouka's fists. However, the heartless general overpowered winning the stalemate.
Blaze bounced once in his somersault form and quickly unraveled launching multiple Shadow Balls out of his mouth. The orbs made contact with the Chouka's body, which caused him to grunt in pain.
"I see you're determination to beat makes you a bit stronger than before…" Chouka stated grinned maniacally at me. "You better not disappoint me Blaze Inferno."
The Last Hound ~~~~~The Delta Saga
Cynthia groaned silently as she stirred from her slumber. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, only to find herself in a vulnerable and awkward position. She was lying face-up staring at the sky, with her arms above her head. She slowly lifts her upper body only to feel a jolt of pain in her head.
"Ugh...what just hit me?" She asked herself as she clenched the back of her head. Cynthia was known for being resilient, but still felt the throbbing pain in her forehead and stomach. 'Whoever attacked me, didn't hold back.'
Once she got to her feet, Cynthia sluggishly walked back to the path and noticed a big crater in front of the corpse.
"W-What the heck? Did someone tried to ambush me?" Cynthia questioned while scratching her head.
Her mind was interrupted by an explosion far in front of the path she was on. Without a word, she ran forward. While running towards the explosion, Cynthia tried to recall what she knew before she passed out.
"The last thing I remember before I was attacked was a fresh corpse of a human," Cynthia thought out loud. "Then there was an odd scent that got me curious. The moment I got close my body froze up on its own. I don't know Whoever's responsible for all this, but I'm going to make them pay."
After a few minutes, she noticed a clearing up ahead. An explosion got louder indicating that she was getting closer. Curiously, Cynthia continued towards the clearing the forest. Once she got there, Cynthia witnesses a shocking revelation.
In the middle of an open area lay a massive half-human half-snake creature with black straight hair reaching down to his shoulders. Its tail had a colorful linear of black and dark purple, with a black rattle at the end. What made it odd for Cynthia's case was a black and red heart logo on the back.
The serpent was towering over a small canine with short black fur and a red muzzle. There were white bands on its ankles and the style of a skull on its forehead. Compared to the snake monster the dog looked bruised and beaten and yet it still was able to stand on his legs.
'W-What's going on here?' Cynthia asked confused. She quickly hid behind a tree but peeked her head out to observe the two in a safe distance. "Are those two creatures part of the Upper Yard?"'
"It seems for the second time, I tower over you, Blaze Inferno," The serpent declared. His calm yet sinister voice made Cynthia's skin crawled with goosebumps.
"..." The dog known as Blaze only responded with a low growl, glaring at the creature with a determined look.
"Dessspite being in a different league you still want to fight me," The serpent questioned, intrigued by the dog's determination. "I admire a prey that has a ssstrong willed mind. However, you still haven't made a dent in my ssscales...Which is a bit disappointed."
"Why…" The dog growled in an irritated yet quiet tone. "...Why did you have to kill that guy and get that girl involved in our fight?"
Hearing this made Cynthia stiffed by the dog's words as the snake man answered. "To be honessst that guy was already unconscious when I entered the section of the forest fill with float ball clouds. Let's just say, he made a good night meal which made me ssstrong."
Cynthia covered her mouth, trying to hold back her gasp. 'That monster was the one who killed Satori...and tried to lure me to his trap?'
"That's a bit morbid, even for a heartless don't you think?" The dog asked bluntly.
The serpent chuckled tautly. "Aren't your species skilled in this kind of thing? I recall learning about how your species massacred thousands of innocent lives a long time ago."
"…" Cynthia can tell by the silents that the dog was taken aback by his response.
"Believe it or not that's your label," The serpent continued. "Houndours and Houndooms are creators of the devil himself to bring despair upon everyone. Even if you act in goodwill, you still have the blood of innocents in your paws."
The young dragon slayer felt her heart beating fast, panicking. 'Houndours? Heartless?... I get the feeling that this is an entirely different situation I've gotten involved in…"
Cynthia's thoughts were interrupted when the dog spoke. "...If you think I should just drop dead because of that, then you're an even bigger idiot Chouka."
Both Cynthia and the serpent were surprised by his response. Blaze's lips turn into a small smile. "I already can tell by how the others shunned me out back in my world due to my origin story. Even when I landed on Earth, I feel like I've been a burden to Ericha and others. I heard the FBI threatening Ericha during the schoolyard, if I didn't exist then she wouldn't have had to deal with those kinds of things."
"...But that doesn't mean that I'll just ignore you taking another life," He declared. "Once I deal with you, I'm coming after Emma and roast her on an open fire on the dance floor~!"
'...
…
..What?' Cynthia sweatdropped by the end of his speech.
Blaze eyes widen in the realization of how terrible his catchphrase was. '...That sounded a lot better in my head and the song "Fire Burning on the Dance Floor" was catchy.'
"Well...if you're serious of your determination," Chouka softly chuckled. It then got louder as he was laughing maniacally. "THEN COME AT ME LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TAKE MY LIFE BLAZE INFERNO!"
Cynthia peeks her head and noticed the dog charging towards the beast. 'The is still going to fight despite his odds... Not gonna lie, part of me wants to stay and watch the puppy kick his ass but…' Cynthia turned around and quietly walked away. 'Wendy and the others are still out there and with so many enemies, we can't let our guard do-."
Her body froze when she heard a thud. Cautiously, she returns to her hiding spot to find the dog collapse on his side, breathing heavily while holding his head in pain.
"Ah...no wonder you were only using long-ranged attacks during our second match. A headbutt is powerful yet a double-edged sword. " Chouka said realizing. The creature swallowed his right arms and brought it out. His arm was covered in a green slime that sizzled on his arm. "Granted you would've had a chance to beat me if you didn't ssssave that girl."
One drop of saliva landed on the ground causing it to sizzle eating the ground underneath. Blaze gulped in fear. Chouka raised his acidic covered arms. "It's such a shame, I was hoping for an intensssse battle. Oh well…Farewell Blaze Inferno."
Defeated Blaze closed his eyes as the Chouka swung down his fist above him. Time slowed down as Blaze's past flashed before his eyes: Spending time with his new adopted family, Meeting Ericha and hers, defeat Mizella and her heartless and watching Ericha and the other students graduation.
'...maybe it would be better if I cease to exist...I only bring despair and pain to everyone I come across…'
CRUNCH!
"…
…
…
…."
After a few minutes of silence, the Houndour leisurely opened his eyes to find himself a few meters away from where he stood. 'Wait I'm alive? But...how, I couldn't even move...?'
He took a few minutes to realize that he was in someone's arms. Upon looking up he recognized the figure with black long hair and was staring at him with her sky-blue eyes.
"Its...you…" Blaze acknowledged softly. Without a word, the girl walked towards a tree and gently set the Blaze down. "What are you…?"
"...Thank you for saving me back there," Cynthia beamed at the puppy with a gentle smile. The girl got onto her feet and glared intensively at Chouka.
"You again…" Chouka wasn't phased by the girl's murderous and glared right back at her. He raised his fist from the large crater he created.
"Let me return the favor…" Cynthia declared pounding her fist together while smirking. "By pounding this guy's scaley butt!"
Next Chapter: Worlds Clashing: Cynthia vs Chouka