This just in. Asi made an oppsie by loosing track of the chapters. I apologize! It appears I made an mistake. The correct chapter should be uploaded now.
"What the juice was that all about?" Howard stood in front of his friend. Their eyes met. His was that of concern with a mixture of anger evident on his face. Randy's hand is coated with blood, his face covered in bruises from the fight in the cafeteria. All because Bash wanted to make a backhanded comment about them. Typical teasing from Bash. Something they were normally used. This time, Howard barely contained himself. Wanting to pounce Bash and tear his chest open. Fortunately, this time. Howard just sighed, his claws scratching the table. Furthermore, Randy clenched his teeth. Trying to control himself.
It didn't work. Randy got up and attacked Bash without warning. Leaving Howard sitting there stunned. His anger long forgotten.
Their emotions had been on an all time high since that ritual they had performed several weeks ago. Randy just scoffed at him, pushing past him to get away.
"Hey! I'm talking to you, Cunningham!" Howard shouted after him. He instantly grasped his friend's arm tightly. Not intending on letting him go.
Randy whipped around to face his friend. His face reeked of annoyance, "What is it?! What do you want now?!"
"What was that fight with Bash all about?! That was uncalled for!"
"He deserved that." Randy seized his arm back, "I may have gotten in house suspension. But, it was worth it."
"Shoob!" Howard's pupils turned red with anger, "I don't like Bash either. You punching him over and over again isn't going to prove anything!"
"It proved that I was stronger than him. That I'm not the one to be messed with, Howard. If you have a problem with it. We can settle this right here and right now."
"Fine by me." Howard's claws sharpened. His eyes turning red.
"Leave him ALONE!" The Ninja snapped. He could feel the intense hatred radiating from his friend. It made him panic.
"You'll pay." Howard finally spoke in a demonic tone. It was something the Ninja was familiar with, "You will all pay for using us!"
"Finally." The Sorcerer could feel the Tengu emerging from its host, "There is no use in hiding any longer bird demon. Come out and become one with me instead!"
Howard screamed once more. Wings protruding from his back. He was emerging. But, not the way the Sorceress was expecting him to.
The Ninja finally managed to break free from one of his chains. If he didn't stop this now. This could be disastrous.
"Go!" The Ninja shot a glare at both Viceroy and Mcfist. He would have to deal with them later. He didn't want any casualties from Howard's blind rage. They didn't deserve that fate. Even if they did take part in bringing back the Sorceress.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Mcfist pushed Viceroy out of the way without a second glance back at his henchman.
"Sir, wait!" Viceroy scrambled to his feet and ran after his boss.
"Pathetic." Sorceress spat towards their direction, "I should never allow myself to stoop so low as to align myself with a bunch of mere mortals."
"No. You've made a mistake just by summoning me." At long last, his transformation was complete. The tengu extends his wings as if it were stretching, "All you humans do, is use my power for your benefit. Well no more!"
Just like that, he swatted the Sorceress away like a fly. The Sorceress had no time to react as her body made contact with the window.
"You're next." The Tengu approached the still struggling Ninja. The Ninja looked up at the Bird demon with a pleading look.
"Howard! You're being unfair! I totally beat you in that level! Fair and Square! You have no right to smash my gaming console!" Randy shouted, waving his hands in the air in frustration.
"I'm not being unfair!" Howard retorted back, crushing the controller in his hands effortlessly, "You cheated!"
"I did not cheat!" Randy exclaimed angrily. What the juice has gotten into him? He was calm at first, Now Howard was upset?! Over something as petty as this? Sure, Howard would get annoyed if he won a round. Never this bad! He suspected the Tengu had something to do it. After all, Howard is still adjusting.
"Howard, chill. It's fine. It's just a game, remember?" Randy said, trying to bring his friend back into the real world.
"I am chill!"
"You are not chill! You're getting angry for nothing! Howard, just listen to me for once!" Randy tried reasoning with him. He could feel his own anger boiling up. The faint sounds of the Nomicon can be heard beating in the background.
Wait, Nomicon.
"You frustrate me so much, Cunningham! Everything you do makes me so mad!"
"Just calm down, Howard." Randy warned as Howard drew closer to him, "This isn't you. Remember? It's the Tengu."
"The Tengu...?" Howard frowned, "Oh-" The red-headed teen sighed, "Oh." Howard finally calmed down enough that it no longer looked like he was going to murder his friend.
"Sit down and relax. Do you want a Mcsquiddle?" Randy offered to his friend, "Sour flavor?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, I'll be right back." All Randy heard was an audible grunt from Howard. The teen quickly scooped up the book in his arms and runs out the room.
"This was all a mistake, Howard." The Ninja finally managed to free his other arm, "I'm so sorry, Howard. I'm sorry. I did this to you."
"You do not deserve forgiveness." The bird demon leered over him. It used its arms, grabbing the Ninja once he freed himself.
The Ninja cried out when he felt pressure from the monsters grip, "I-I'm-this is all my fault. Please forgive me."
"I'm going to send you and the Sorceress to the Land of Shadows and see how it's like to be imprisoned for once." The Tengu jumped out the window, landing safely on the ground. The Sorceress was nowhere in sight. However, the bird can smell her.
"Howard!" The Ninja pleaded, "This isn't you!" He didn't want to hurt his friend. The Ninja had to figure out another way to deal with this.
"Howard isn't here!" The Bird snapped. Squeezing the Ninja harder, "He's gone!"
"NO! Howard is still there! He's stronger than you think!"
Suddenly, purple stank collided with the bird demon. Knocking it down a few pegs. The Sorceress emerged with purple stank engulfing her fists.
"You insolent bird!" The Sorceress roared, "All you had to do was obey me! That is all you are good for!"
This angered the bird. Its free hand swallowed up in flames. The demon's punch landed on the Sorceress's stomach. Making her fly away from the tengu.
"Howard. I know you're watching. I know you're angry. I should have come clean from the start. I just thought-We thought that it would best if your life was as painless as possible."
"It obviously didn't work!" The Tengu told through Howard's voice, "This all your fault!"
Purple chains emerge from above. The Tengu moved away from the chains effortlessly. Unfortunately, the chains redirect itself back towards the bird demon.
The Tengu was performing his next attack. Despite, not knowing how to counter the chains. The Bird braced himself only for the chains to bounce back on its own.
The demon turns its attention to the Ninja. The red lines on his mask glowed like the many times before.
"That was a close one." He heard the Ninja mutter under his breath. The Ninja protecting both of them? Why? Ah. His former host was inside him. That's why.
"I won't let you hurt him!" The Ninja glared sharply at the Sorceress; who landed on the ground with grace.
"It's too late for that, Ninja." She scowled. Twirling the stank in her hands once more. The Powerballs around her waist glowed intensely, "By the end of the day; you will be spending an eternity in the Land Of Shadows for the rest of your life!"
"I will make sure that both you and the Ninja will never return to this world again." The Tengu sneered. It's eyes focused on the orbs. Ah, so that's how she kept returning. This all made sense to him now. He should have seen that one coming.
Tossing the Ninja aside temporarily. He charged towards the Sorceress at full speed. The Sorceress conjured up stank to defend herself with.
The Tengu reached out and tugged the string that contained the orbs and yanked it off her. The orbs smashing into the ground.
"NO!" The Sorceress cried out, "MY ORBS!" she screamed out, weakening from the lack of power she once had.
The Bird wasn't done with her yet. He snatched her by the nape of her neck, "How does it feel Sorceress? To be weak and defenseless? It doesn't feel too good, does it?"
"Buddy." The Ninja coughed. Getting up from the cold hard ground. He flashes a concerned look towards his friend. There was no way Howard was still lost in the Tengu's mind. He knew that Howard was in there.
Somewhere.
"Let the Sorceress go. I'll deal with her." The Ninja limped towards the Tengu. His sword slipping through his hands, "She's powerless, now thanks to you."
"Don't try sucking up to me, Ninja. You will share the same fate as her." The Tengu warned. Keeping a close eye on his enemy as he approached.
The Sorceress remained in the Tengu's clutches. Unmoving. Which rang alarm bells in the Ninja's mind. Her shoulders were hunched like a haggard old lady. It didn't seem like she was a threat any longer.
"You did it, Howard. See? It's over. You won. She's not going to be hurting you anymore."
"You hurt me, Cunningham. Remember?" Howard spoke through the Tengu again, "Why?"
"Howard. I have no excuse. I thought-I thought we could be stronger together." The Ninja croaked. His lips quivering under his mask, "I thought this would be good for the both of us."
"Curse this child." The Tengu grunted in annoyance, "How is able to break free like that?!"
"He's stronger than you." The leather bindings securing his head unwrapped itself to reveal a disheveled Randy. "Howard will break free!"
"Your friend is lost in his own despair." The tengu snorted, "He made it evident that he didn't think of you fondly. This is his fate now. He will learn to accept it. Like the good host that he is."
"I won't let that happen."
"OH?" The Tengu laughed maliciously, "Do you want to end like this hag here?" The bird held up the Sorceress like she weighed nothing to it, "Actually, no. That is exactly what is going to happen to you-"
"No." Howard growled, "No, I won't let you. I won't let you!"
"You have to break free Howard!" Ultimately, Randy stepped in front of the Tengu. Weaponless. But, determined to bring his friend back, "Fight, so that you can kick my butt instead of the Tengu's!"
"Cunningham," The Tengu could feel the boy clawing his way back into his mind. It mentally tried forcing him back. Unlike the last time, Howard kept returning.
"Shut up, you pest!" The bird demon swiped at the Ninja. This time, he ducked out of the way. The Tengu wasn't done. He raised its fist in the air and tried to squash the Ninja into a pancake. Only for him to move out of the way without much of an issue.
"Get out!" Gradually, the tengu's feathers started receding into Howard flesh. Its wings going into Howard's back.
Randy rushed to Howard's aid as his friend shrank to his normal height. Howard collapsed next to his friend. His head on the Ninja's chest.
"HOWARD! NO!" The Ninja screamed from the top of his lungs before he endured the same pain that the Tengu felt. His whole body felt like it was on fire. His vision blurred. The Sorceress stood over him, she smiled triumphantly at the fallen ninja before her. At long last, the Sorceress would make him suffer like she had all those centuries ago.
The Ninja could hear another pop of electricity. It was going to end right here. All because he performed that stupid ritual. He put Howard in danger because of it and now, he was paying the price with his life.
He heard a growl. A ping of anger swept through him. No, it was more than just anger. It was hatred. The Ninja could see the tengu attacked the Sorceress with all the strength that he had left.
"Howard.." He called out weakly before everything went dark.
Howard?! Howard?! Oh gosh! Someone help!"
Howard cracked his eyes open to see Debbie Kang cradling him in her hands. He couldn't move. He was too weak. He wanted to say something to her. He wanted to know what was going on and why did she have this panicked look on her face?
Debbie looked like she had seen a ghost.
"Please say something! Anything?!"
She reached out a bloodied hand towards his face. Woah, why was her hand so bloody? What happened to her?
Howard felt so cold and light-headed. Felt like a feather. He could still see Debbie crying out for help in the background. Swarms of students appeared in his vision. Staring at him with concerned looks on their face.
Soon, teachers approached him. One of them is Driscoll and Bannister. Both of them shooed the kids away from the scene. Driscoll had to physically remove Debbie from the scene. The next thing Howard recalled was being picked up by the paramedics that arrived shortly after he was discovered..
Howard woke up hours later to be greeted with a white room. The room spun for a few minutes until it finally settled. He tried moving only to be greeted with intense pain.
"Ow!" He hissed under his breath.
"Howard?" A voice sniffled beside him. Howard gradually turned his stiff neck to see his sister. Her eyes were irritated by the constant crying. Bags were under her eyes from the lack of sleep. All this time, she had been sitting next to him in hopes to catch her little brother awake and it had paid off.
"Heidi?" His voice croaked out, "What happened?" He gave her a weird look. He has never seen his sister cried like this before. It made him feel guilty.
"I was hoping you had answers." Heidi frowned; grasping her brother's hand gently.
"I don't?" Howard felt awkward just by sitting here and let his older sister caress his hand. It had been such a long time since she was this affectionate.
"Huh. Well, the teachers speculated you were in a crossfire of a monster attack." Heidi explained, "Were you trying to see the Ninja?"
"Ninja..." Howard paused. He didn't remember anything about seeing any Ninja that day. In fact, now that he thought about it. His memory of... Yesterday? Last Week? (Ugh, who even knows at this point) was bleak. "No. I don't remember. My head hurts trying."
"Your memory will come back eventually." Heidi's mood seemed to deflate even more when Howard couldn't recall anything.
"Where's dad?"
"At work." Heidi caressed her brother's red hair. Howard groaned; feeling embarrassed by his sisters sudden affectionate behavior, "He had been here all day, yesterday. While you were still asleep. He, in fact, thought you wouldn't make it. Both Mom and Dad did."
"Oh.." Howard sighed, "I'm tired."
"Then, sleep." Heidi moved her hand away from his hair, "OH! One more thing. Debbie was here too. She left you these." Heidi opened up the draw to pull out a bag of chocolate and a get well card, "It was so sweet! She wanted to stay longer. But, she had school. She told me to call her when you woke up."
"Debbie?" Howard turned his head away. His face turning a bright pink. Which sadly for him, Heidi took notice of.
"Do you like her?" A smirk spreads from ear to each as she inched close to her, "You can tell me.
"Ugh. Kang. Why was she even here?" Howard muttered, "Why?"
"Maaaaybe, she actually cares?" Heidi offered an explanation. Howard once again grunted at this suggestion.
"I don't know." Howard took the chocolates in his hands, "I don't know what to say."
"Say, "Thank you" When you see her Howard. It's common courtesy, afterall!"
"I-I-okay." He glanced at the bag before handing it back to her sister, "I'll eat it later. I don't really have the appetite for it right now."
"Okay, Howard." Heidi said, taking the bag back, "Are you going to sleep?"
"Mhmm."
"Good night, Baby bro."