The sun was eerily shaded over by the thickening smoke, wisps of dust lifting high in the air. Hissing intensified the moment as Walter watched Sanshouuo with weak, resistant eyes. His teeth were trembling for a reason he couldn't seem to find. Nor could he think straight. His mind was completely clouded, just like the clouds of smoke blocked the sun. Walter watched as Sanshouuo's wounds began to heal, the three stabs he made on his torso withering away into skin like something godly had erased it. He could feel his intense energy fill the air thickly, and the scratches and tired marks on his body turn back to normal.
Walter stared hard, refusing to give up to a freak like him – because if he did, that would mean he was weaker than him. If he was weaker than him, then he's weaker than everything else he wanted to get at. This guy… Walter thought. What's with him? I can feel his strife to kill all over the air. It's lingering on the trees, the smoke, everything, he thought as Eric carefully helped him up. His feet felt sort of weak, and his back was still hurting from that combat move he made. "This guy is dangerous," Eric told him lightly in a whisper. "We have to get out of here."
Walter gritted his teeth in resistance. He narrowed his eyes as he denied what was happening. Damn it! he thought, clenching his fist tightly by his side. The grip on his own fist was weak as heck. I can't even beat this guy, Walter began to believe, the words falling down on him like a million rocks. Damn it!! Walter repeated in his mind once over. He pulled back as he let out a harsh scream. "I'll kill you!" he threatened in an uproar. Confidence poured through his body, wanting to rip the opponent to shreds, yet his body was in no condition to beat his speed at this point. Walter backed up, feeling the pain shoot through his side in anger. It seemed to warn him to not take it too far. Those were Eric's exact thoughts.
"Now, now," Sanshouuo began. "Let's not be so hasty," he suggested evilly as the immense power showed through the tone of his voice. His stare was hard on the ground, that scythed-looking bone sticking out of his body ominously, its large prowess threatening. His new legs seemed to comfort him as he played with his tongue maniacally. The power seemed to turn him psychotic. He laughed mockingly at Walter, who then gritted his teeth in even further anger.
Suddenly, Sanshouuo began to move. His steps were drunken and acrobatic, his feet stumbling uneasily. His steps were wandering off into every direction, his body swaying weakly as his arms swung as he seemed that he was about to fall after every inch he moved. It took a while to get used to Mode. I need to find Gaia, Sanshouuo told himself, his energy jolting into his feet as he suddenly reappeared at the side of a tree. His fingers clutched the wet bark as he stared back at the two Minors. The boys peered back as well. Walter's whole body seemed to tremble in uncontrollable rage. Sanshouuo smiled creepily. "I'll come back for your prey later," Sanshouuo told them creepily. His voice seemed more demonic than ever, if possible. "Prey is meant to be eaten, after all," he mumbled as he disappeared into the forest. He sighed as he left his "prey" behind. Hopefully, Gaia has finished with the other one, he thought as he grinned in deviance.
PoVS
Damn it, I can't get caught! Mark thought as he jumped upward into the air, the tsunami of dirt crashing down below. The rushing brownness piled against the trees and broke their bodies, their splintering remains trying to attack them in hateful revenge. The wave continued to brush by easily like a non-stoppable wildfire. Mark began to show beads of sweat as he felt the cool air rush against him. He fell back down, his bare feet touching the unsteady dirt that layered against the forest. He was able to change the landscape completely, Mark realized as he swallowed hard.
He stared into the distance, finding an amused opponent with the craziest smirk in history. The hard stare made Mark nervous. The wind began to pick up eerily, whistling against the trees as their heads swayed to the musical dance. The sun's light began to pick up as well, shining heatedly against Mark's feet, giving them some level of comfort.
From behind, a rush of dirt came again, looking for its prey. Mark easily dodged, jumping to a tree's bark as the small wave of dirt followed. They seemed to grow in numbers as he jumped to the next tree, getting closer and closer upward. The rustling of their movement gave away their presence. Soon, Mark found himself desperately trying to dodge a flurry of those waves, flipping and dodging in the air just barely as he found them coming at him. He cried out as he was suddenly gripped around the ankle by a wave of dirt that constricted to his ankle. He took a sharp gasp as he was pulled hack, getting spun in a wheel of anticipation. Gaia let out an amused chuckle. He seemed to hold the laughs back now.
Damn it! Mark thought. I'm caught! Soon, he was swung across the dirt field, flying through the air like an arrow from a bow. Wind rushed past him as his limbs hung in front of him, unable to do anything. His fluttering clothes were cooling to his warming skin. It was the only comfort at the moment. Clouds swam slowly in their celestial ocean above slowly and lazily, as if having an everlasting tiredness. It wasn't like blocking the sun was the most stressful thing in the world. Nor was moving.
Mark found his body closer and closer to the floor until he felt a surface against his back, the fluttering of his clothes stopping. He was taken by surprise, not finding himself in a pile of hard, packed dirt, but instead a moving patch of mud. "Mud…?" he cried out blankly as the churning, brownish liquid began to rise and surround him, overtaking him in darkness. He took his last deep breath as the stench of wetness and soil cornered him. Darkness enveloped him as the last filter of sunlight was blocked out.
Outside of t he overwhelming darkness, Gaia backed himself up against the trunk of a tree. It made a hollow clutter as the thorny wood nicked at his back. His tail wavered in the air playfully as boredom entered his thoughts. Suddenly, a wound began to grow in the palm of his hand, the grey-brownness replaced with a dark redness. Blood began to leak out like a tiny teardrop. He picked up his hand and looked at it. He scoffed, narrowing his eyes. Bending downward, he placed his hand on the dirt ground for a while, pressing the suspiciously wounded hand against the surface hard.
He sighed as he waited. This is getting intense, he told himself. He looked backward, his blackness eyes hard past the trees, engaging in a thoughtful search that tried to confirm his wonder. I can feel Sanshouuo's crazy energy from far away, he told himself. It seems as though he's coming after me, Gaia realized. Just how far did those two kids push him? Gaia turned back to his hand and picked it up from the floor. He looked at its palm, and it was woundless now, the only thing abnormal about it was the dusty dirt caking his skin. He smiled.
Sanshouuo's energy is so thick, he told himself. It's almost unbearable. The tense feeling of it gave Gaia an anxious feeling, something uncomfortable that he'd rather live without. It didn't cause him to think straight anymore.
Back in the muddy sphere of darkness, Mark tried hard to see. The only thing he heard was the echoing sound of slithering mud as icky-ness splotched downward from the "ceiling." Mark thought hard, trailing his fingers carefully against the domed wall. It was a small sphere he found himself locked up in, and there was only a little bit of air left to breathe. The strong stench of soil and damp air never left, and now, muddiness was caking his clothes. This mud, he thought as he felt his fingers ran through it once more. It was somewhat pleasing to do that. It kept him company, and took his mind off things. It's not ordinary mud, he told himself. It's packed tightly yet constantly flowing. It must have Gaia's ability's energy in it.
Mark sighed. He wondered if Gaia was going to let him suffocate in there or attack from the outside. Either way, Mark knew he had to get out of there fast. But how? On top of that, he began again. The air's becoming short, which leaves me bare minutes, or even seconds before I begin to feel more uneasy here. Mark began thinking hard, lifting his fingers from the slimy wall. He had lost his nervous habit, and felt the anxiety pour back into his emotions as he sighed tiredly.
Back outside of the solitude of Mark, Gaia watched the sphere of brownish mud form a perfect sphere. Better end this fast, Gaia thought to himself. I want all the fun to myself. He felt kind of guilty that he had to destroy something so perfect and round, though. It was a disappointment. If only there were easier ways to kill, Gaia thought.
Putting his arm out, slowly, the skin strangely began peeling off and went into the air as yellowish dust. The skin tone of his forearm suddenly became a bit more pinkish as the yellowish dust gathered in his fist, which he clenched tightly with both hands. He sighed as he continued to look at the perfect sphere, somewhat restraining himself to go on with the murder. Yet he knew that there would be no enjoyment once Sanshouuo showed up. He had to do it – now. There would be other times I would have to make another perfect thing, Gaia thought as he put his hands together, and then pulling them apart to make a clayish spear. The hard, yellow clay was cragged and uneasy, molded from his own skin.
"Hey," Gaia shouted out, pulling the spear ready at his shoulder. He grinned evilly as the unbalanced weapon of clay chose to dangle impatiently like a triple beam balance's scale. His tail began to waver with the breezes playfully, and somewhat anxiously. Gaia was sure the kid couldn't hear him. At this point, his hearing will be muffled by the thickening mud. The longer he waits to get out, the harder it'll be to do it. He's definitely still in there, Gaia told himself. A wider grin grew. A more demonic one that showed a somewhat version of fangs. His eyes crinkled in readiness for enjoyment. "This is the end," Gaia said. "You die, now!"
With a burst of energy and a loud battle cry, Gaia thrust the spear through the air, heading directly for that "perfect" sphere. As he felt the heavyset weapon leave his fingertips, he watched as it torpedoed toward the large mud ball. He heard its threatening screech as it shuffled through the air. It's cragged, triangular point seemed to glimmer just a tiny bit from the sunlight, barely noticeable. Its thick body was as hard as stone.
Then, finally, it was heard. The loud crack of the clay spear against the hard, thick mud. The sickening burst of mud once the weapon dug deep into it. The long explosion of brown that reminded Gaia of his brother, long waves of powerful wind blowing his hair backward. Blackish birds rushed upward from their trees they called home in a rush. They seemed panicky, their wings fluttering frantically as the loud explosion echoed through the trees, blow-drying their heads in a free beauty caress. The ebony birds leaned upward as they left behind their feathers, too eager to run away. The flapping of their arms would remain in Gaia's ears forever as a memory.
A wide grin grew on Gaia, and a proud one at that. His pure, black demonic eyes seemed to twinkle in the rising sun. "He's dead," he said to himself amusingly. He played with his tongue again, the long redness squiggling in the air, licking around his lips. He seemed pleased, having the enjoyment he had so longed for in the past. The explosion calmed down, and the dust and dirt finally settled.
Gaia began to slither forward, the tip of his tail dragging lightly on the floor limply. It seemed to have a mind of its own at times, the first minute hyper and excited, the next, bored and lazy. Just like the clouds. He neared the patch of dirt and smiled even wider, if possible. He tried to restrain himself from bursting out in laughter, as he sensed his brother was coming nearer and nearer. He would be pleased to hear that one of the preys was dead. He never was one to enjoy prey like they should, Gaia thought to himself, scoffing mockingly at the apparent foolishness of his partner.
He sighed as he peered around, trying to look for something that would keep him company as time passed by. He wanted to seem bored out of his mind when his brother had come. Maybe he had killed those two as well, Gaia thought. He hoped he hadn't. He wanted to enjoy this more. They had been bossed around by him for so long. He always seemed to go first when they came across prey. Then, he would always kill them in seconds, or the prey would surrender, and then be killed in seconds. They all shared the same fate. Rarely did he let them go first. This was a time to enjoy, not to waste. Gaia began to wonder why he and his brother had worked for him anyways. Probably only because he was the most powerful – and most feared danger locked up in the horrid place they now called home. Gaia sighed. Why us? We get treated like shit, he thought.
Suddenly, a cracking noise took place behind Gaia. It was so fast, he had no time to turn around and look – not even take a glance he had time for. From the crack rose an ominous clothed leg that punched a hole in the ground from below. The clothes worn by it were fairly recognizable .They could only belong to the Earth Minor who had surprisingly survived. Mark. The foot tapped Gaia's back lightly, making him tip over as he was taken by surprised, choking on his own breath as he was about to fall forward. Suddenly, an arm rose from the ground as well, and from before Gaia this time, punching him right in the stomach as he was about to go down. He again was taken by surprise as he felt the pressure of the punch dig deep into his stomach. He had the air knocked out of him.
Gaia coughed out his own saliva as his eyes widened in shock and pain. He couldn't seem to breathe. Or, it would be more accurate to say, he had no time to. Then, as Gaia leaned more downward, another leg rose from beside the first leg. It went between Gaia's legs and kicked him right in the navel, Mark's heel digging deep into his organ again without a noise. The kick was more intense than both the punch and nick combined. It sent Gaia flying at least ten feet away, his body colliding against a tree's towering trunk. The limbs stuck out of their respective holes ominously, until a burst of energy struck through the midsection of the limbs, breaking the surface entirely and revealing the smirking Mark and his confident eyes. He squinted as dusty rocks clattered back downward, holding his hand in front of him as a sign that he punched his way out.
Damn it…! Gaia coughed out. He fell to the floor and supported himself with his hands. He retched uncomfortably, finding it hard to breathe at least once. His voice was thorough into his stomach as he followed the sickening noise with a round of coughs. He spit out his own saliva, trying to make himself feel easier. What the hell!? He screamed in protest to himself. Shouldn't he be dead!?
Mark got up on his feet, dusting his clothes off. He took a big whiff of fresh air and tried to remember it. He was finally out of that wretched, reeking sphere.
PoVS
"How long as it been?" Dirondo asked as she slipped easily into the room, taking a cautious step forward. She had told Minoa that she was coming as well, and had asked her to make the proper preparations. Dirondo silently closed the door behind her, making the sound mute with her wondrous sound powers. She had completely shut off the dreadful moaning of the door as it closed.
The room was completely highlighted in darkness. Thick umbra almost completely filled the whole room. For some reason, the dark corridors inside the room felt like they were painted with orange light, allowing them to see just a tiny bit. Minoa showed up as her shoes clicked against the hard plaster surface. She made no noise, knowing that it was a solemn time and not a moment for chit-chat. She hid her worry behind her pale eyes as she nodded at Dirondo. "Ever since we left the Minors," she whispered to the fellow council as both began to walk through the dim hall.
It was strange being in a place like this, Dirondo thought. She hadn't been to this part of the Inner World for centuries. She looked at the thin, seemingly barely secured prison bars adjacent to the orange brick walls and wondered if it was safe. The cages didn't seem to… user friendly. Their shoes clicked ominously, the only sound made as they continued to pace through what seemed to be the never-ending hallway. Dirondo gulped. She wanted to make some conversation. She didn't like worrying this much. "So," she began, placing her hands behind her back and twiddling her fingers randomly in nervousness. Her eyes seemed to wander off to the corner as she thought for something to say. She had all ready caught Minoa's attention. "How is your Minor?" she spat out randomly.
"I wouldn't know," Minoa said bleakly. Her voice was monotonous. It was only because she shared the same anxiety as Dirondo. She swallowed hard as her white hair fell over her face. She didn't care to brush it back.
"Oh, is that so?" Dirondo said weakly, her voice showing her panic. She felt embarrassed. Dirondo was always the more hyper, outdoorsy one. Minoa didn't ever seem to like her much. They continued to walk past the orange, empty cages, their shoes still clicking on the floor in their own unpredictable pattern. Dirondo's seemed to have a stronger snap to them as they made their way onto the floor. It seemed like a walk that lasted forever in a room that seemed to last forever. When it finally stopped, Dirondo was glad. Although, her panic hadn't worn a bit, yet neither did her physical energy. "Is that… him?" she asked, not believing what she saw.
Loud roaring echoed from the large cage at the end of the hall-like room. This cage was by far the biggest, and Dirondo couldn't believe they needed such a cage for someone they held so dearly. Her eyes shuddered as she figured out the answer on her own. Minoa had decided to tell her telepathically, which was usually not her thing. The roaring continued to echo off the walls and metal, the image of their loved person unable to be seen. The spacious cage they peered into seemed to be nothing but darkness, only a sliver of orange to reveal inside. Large wisps of air were being sucked in like a vacuum as some purplish, neon-like light bubbled from the darkness. Jeremy…? Dirondo felt like crying.
"He's only been making black holes for now," Minoa told her fellow council in a light tone. She was careful not to speak too loud. "Furthermore, it seems that he's crawled to the back of the cage. It seems as if he still has some of his will left in there. Maybe he's holding back his power with the tiny sliver of will he last left in him right now. That would explain why he only is using black holes."
"Maybe he is what we thought him to be after all," Dirondo thought. Minoa nodded.
"If that's true, then it seems that he most likely reacted to this," Minoa told Dirondo. She pulled out a golden, shiny lace connecting to a larger piece of gold. It glimmered slightly in the nonexistent orange light as it moved slightly, a certain red hint to it. It was the "locket" that Shintenmaru had handed Jeremy. Its red jewel in the middle of it twinkled lightly in faked vindication. "It's going to be hard to close all his gates," Minoa explained. Dirondo agreed.
In another room of the Inner World, Raikettei walked up to Shintenmaru as he caught his life-long friend pacing in the halls. "Hey," Raikettei called out as he brought his large hand to Shintenmaru's shoulder. Their voices were solemn, and darkness seemed to swallow them from every corner. Shintenmaru stopped. The sudden grip on his shoulder didn't take him by surprise. Without turning back to face Raikettei, he began to answer.
"What is it that you need?" Shintenmaru asked bleakly. His voice didn't seem too friendly.
Raikettei calmed himself to Shintenmaru's levels. "Things have been intensifying lately," Raikettei reminded his council mate. "Do you think they could be coming back anytime soon?" Raikettei gulped even at the mention of them.
"With the promise they made, I hope not," Shintenmaru answered, his voice still as dull and unenthusiastic. "We'd be better off that way. However," Shintenmaru continued, beginning to show some emotion in his words. "Sometimes I still wonder if… we made the correct decision with them."
"Of course we did, don't regret it!" Raikettei tried to knock some sense into Shintenmaru. Then, he calmed himself again. The Lightning Council sighed as he continued. "There was no way we could help it. With their demands from us, it was the best choice to do things."
"I see, but if they are…" Shintenmaru trailed off. His didn't want to complete his sentence. He moved on. "Your Minor is from the Kumoyama Family, is he not?" Shitnenmaru asked Raikettei. The Lightning Council seemed surprised at the question.
"Y-Yes," he answered, grumbling. That's right, Raikettei thought. Rick was from the Kumoyama Family. That meant…
"If they come back, he may have some problems with it. According to the rumors…" Shintenmaru trailed off once again.
"I know," Raikettei replied in acknowledgement. They apparently knew each other's sentences before they came from their lips. However, there still seemed to be a necessity to talk it out in person. "But… he may live to his family's current title, and become strong as a Minor with his Half Spirit and his abilities." Shintenmaru seemed to agree.
"We can't waste anymore time," Shitnenmaru said. "Go tell the others that if things get so much out of hand, we may have to get the other them to assist us immediately. I catch an eerie feeling that things are about to become much more intense," Shitnenmaru explained. Raikettei nodded obediently. Shintenmaru was the most strategic, which was why everyone obeyed him like he was the commander. Raikettei dashed away, his presence suddenly disappearing as the click-clack of his shoes faded away slowly into the darkness. Shintenmaru sighed lightly to himself and picked up his glasses. Then, he resumed his walk through the darkness.