A/N This chapters' going to introduce our anti-hero, Linzang, much more than before, by having his POV detailed more than in the last chapter. Also, don't worry; this chapter isn't going to be just about Linzang! We'll get back to Yoshimori and Sen about half way through!
Also, this is a quick update because I couldn't sleep. I'm so excited, I've going to an anime convention! I hope I see a Sen there… I didn't see one at the last convention.
Chapter 12
The Troubled Souls of the Sweets Realm
I swung the staff again, sending another blast from one of the troops flying back into the crowd. Another blast flew at me from behind and I easily reflected it without looking. I looked up into the sky, the target is the demon disguised as Risa Kagami, but these infernal night troops are in the way!
Another blast of light accompanied by a fireball flew at me and I reflected them again, but, as always, the attackers avoided their own attacks. I tossed Umi into the crowd and in spun around like a shuriken flying around the troops. It hit several of the other troops before finally knocking out its target, the two pesky bald men.
Another blast of lightning struck me again and I looked up at the clouds around the academy. I sighed; these fools really think I hadn't trained myself not to be electrocuted, when I wield water? Imbeciles. I caught Umi as it returned to me and held it the air. A blast of water shot out of the circle in the staffs head. It crashed into a cloud and destroyed instantaneously.
I designed the staff to look like a kekkaishi's staff, just more elaborate. It's easier to sneak around that way, with people believing I'm a kekkaishi, not an ayakashi. I continuously shot the water at the clouds, destroying them easily with a single shot each.
Suddenly, several green wings flew towards me. I cut them down from the sky and sent a blast of water at the green haired woman, who was promptly protected by a kekkai from the man known as Masamori Sumimura. I glared at the man and I suddenly saw a huge shadow over me.
A giant baby ghost thing slammed its hand into me, sending Umi flying out of my hands. I heard the baby cackle happily at hitting me and I just sighed. No retarded ghost could even harm me, let alone kill me. I slide out of underneath its hand easily, being made of water has its advantages.
I reformed beside the baby and pushed it into a wall with a giant wave and it vanished. I walked over and picked up my staff and saw Gingross holding off two guys wielding giant weapons easily. He slashed one along the stomach and kicked away the other before walking over to me.
"These troops are in the way of our mission." He complained.
"If you can figure out a way to get up there be my guest, but it's not like we can fly or elevate ourselves with plants or ice, y'know." I said. He scoffed at me and jumped up into the trees just as another lightning bolt struck.
"OK! That's getting annoying, who keeps doing that!" I shouted, and then I noticed the bear ayakashi standing on top of the building chanting something. I tossed Umi towards it and it flew towards the bear with deadly accuracy, until a golden griffin ayakashi caught it in its hook tail.
"Not as strong without your staff, are you!" The annoying woman shouted from earlier from her spot riding the griffin. I sighed and walked towards the loud woman. More of the troops confronted me and I meekly swept them away with a wave and they'd crash into a tree or wall.
While I was distracted, a large black thing stabbed through my stomach and crashed into the ground.
I turned and saw the target behind me, in a spider-like form with the old man riding a top it. It looked at me; surprised I didn't fall from the strike and repeatedly hit me over and over again with its appendages.
I shot a large beam of water out and pulled my staff out of the griffins hook and sliced the attacker's blade-like arms off so I could move again. I flung the staff again, catching the old man's shirt and pinning him against the wall. The target frantically turned and ran to save the old man. I summoned another staff and pierced the targets back, pinning it the ground. I summoned another staff, and another, and another, and promptly stabbed the target with each to pin it to the ground.
Gingross landed beside me, leaving behind a trail of poison as he was pursued by Atora and her annoying loudmouth. He swung his rapier again, slicing through the unicorn ayakashi, but the thing just split apart and recreated itself.
I sighed, and made a wave the swept them away. I looked back at the target as Gingross slit its throat and it vanished, leaving the old man panicking.
"We can leave now, that is all we came for." Gingross announced as we made way to walk back to the portal.
"Stupid over-reactors." I remarked and turned to follow Gingross. A kekkai formed around us and we just cleaved through it easily as we walked away. Even the layered kekkai stood now chance against Gingross's blade. We entered the school and I tried to contact Xorin, but failed to gain communications with the castle. As if now ones in the castle. Those kids couldn't have eradicated everyone, could they? I don't care for any of them, only Leo and Christeenala; if it wasn't for her, Leo would have been treated poorly, but she made sure he was given meals and that he wasn't treated badly by other prisoners, and she tried on several occasions to have Xorin free him.
We reached the portal to find a suspicious man examining it. How did he break through the protective barrier? Only an ayakashi could… The man turned and immediately took a defensive stance against us.
"He's human, but he's got a… unique, almost ayakashi, aura about him." I commented. Gingross looked at me and back at the man.
"Well, let's proceed Xorin's way. Cut down everything in our way." Gingross said, before rushing the man with his sword drawn. The man suddenly had three snakes surrounding him and they managed to make a shockwave that pushed Gingross back.
"I knew he was hiding something, who knew a human could get so powerful." Gingross said, after he stopped sliding from the impact of the shockwave.
"The power of Karasumori, I know why Xorin tried to claim this place for the Guardians." I said, crossing my arms. I sensed another aura, another almost Ayakashi aura, but it's human to. And there's hundreds of ayakashi accompanying it. I turned and saw what I sensed coming down the hall. The snake man smirks and was picked up by one of the ayakashi and taken away from the stampede.
I created a bubble of water around myself just as the bug ayakashi reached us. Gingross used his quick-draw technique, slicing the ayakashi in a circle around himself, making an invisible barrier of sorts. We looked at each other and I nodded. I tossed Umi into the bugs and it sent a large wave flying down the hall, breaking windows and crushing the bugs. We both turned around to find a different man standing before the portal.
"I will not forgive you for harming a teacher of this school." The man said dryly. Gingross smirked at the man and I sighed.
"Don't play with him Gingross; just kill the guy so we could get moving." I said. Gingross looked at me.
"Impatient today, aren't we?" He said. I scoffed at him and he just laughed.
"Always ready to argue, aren't you." He said. I looked away.
"Just kill him won't you, you are the 'experienced superior'." I said. He sighed and rushed at this man. The man jumped out of the way as more bugs attack Gingross. Gingross cleaved through the bugs and continuously pursued the man. I walked towards the portal and looked back at Gingross just before entering. He slashed the man and ran over to me and we both entered the portal.
I looked around in the dark void inside the portal. "Something's wrong, the portal usually brings us to a white area that goes to the castle."
Gingross shrugged, "Looks like it's bringing us somewhere else this time."
I sighed, "Now how am I going to save Leo now."
Gingross pointed over to the side, "Go ahead, he's unconscious right there." I looked over and saw him lying there and ran over to his side.
"Leo, Leo, wake up." I prodded his side and picked him up and he opened his eyes. I missed those gorgeous blue eyes, and his soft brown hair, and the lion ears and tail never hurt either. He smiled at me and winked.
"This isn't right; shouldn't the seme save the uke? Not the other way around." Leo said. I blushed deeply and heard Gingross laughing behind me. Leo gently grabbed my chin and pulled me into a kiss.
He pulled away and I set him down just as the portal released us in some weird world made of sweets.
-x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x-
I looked around at the scene and found myself afraid of getting a sugar high.
"Yoshi! I'm hungry, nyan." I whined to Yoshimori who gave me the "I can't do anything about it right now, sorry" look. I sighed and let my eyes and tail droop.
Another explosion brought me out of my sad mood. Christeenala flew into a large floating cake and crashed into it.
"Shouldn't it have broken her fall?" I asked.
Hiba shook his head from his spot, guarding Gen, "While the land is shaped like cake and sweets, the masses are actually made of a thick earth-like substance." I nodded and jumped out of Yoshimori's hands onto the ground. It does feel like dirt.
I saw Christeenala fly by and slam Lilium away from us. I looked at Yoshimori.
"You should go help her, I'll be fine. She's been having trouble since we left the castle." I said. Yoshimori paused for a moment before hugging me and running off towards the fight.
"I want to help…" I turned and saw Gen mumbling feebly. Hiba gently laid him back down and the two started having a moment and I turned away. I looked out in the distance and saw an uncomforting sight, more guardians were coming. Christeenala and Yoshimori have their hands full with just the undying Lilium and Tsurosa.
The guardians jumped over to the cake we were standing on and Hiba and I immediately got in battle positions. I put down my guard when I saw the blue haired guardian from earlier. He hates Lilium and Tsurosa, so he'd make a good ally. I, throwing away all caution, ran up to the three guardians.
They're all so tall compared to me…. Of course I'm barely 5 feet tall, but still. They're all taller than Masamori. I looked at the blue haired one and his name came back to me.
"Linzang, I ask for your help." I said, bowing to the guy. I heard chuckles.
"I was gonna help you anyway little guy." He responded. I sighed and looked back at him, and saw the brown haired guy he was helping stand.
"Is this Leo, the man you were talking about saving?" I said. Linzang nodded.
"Aww, you talked about me... You're so sweet." Leo said, before bending backwards.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked, pointing at the weird display.
"Gingross, purple haired guy right her, had to give him anesthesia because he was in so much pain. He said he was thrown into a middle dimension by the Guardian Castle's destruction." Linzang said. I nodded and took the loopy Leo from him and set him down a short distance from Gen. I don't know if we can trust them fully yet.
"I have no biased for you Linzang; I don't see this as good will. I only wish to assist the Guardians' Ice Queen." Gingross said. Linzang shrugged and jumped into battle beside Gingross.
I watched the battle, sure to be epic. I just hope my precious Yoshimori doesn't get hurt.
Gingross jumped in and swung the poisoned sword, just missing and flying above Lilium's head. Lilium kicked him aside and grabbed Tsurosa and tossed her towards Linzang. Linzang blocked Tsurosa's repaired claws with his staff and tossed her away with a swing of his staff. A blast of water flew at Tsurosa who chopped through it easily. Tsurosa angled herself to fall back down on Linzang, but was hit away in s surprise attack from Tsurosa and caught in a kekkai and exploded by Yoshimori.
Lilium grabbed Gingross and flung him towards Yoshimori. Christeenala jumped down and caught Gingross and set him down on a cake before jumped at Lilium. Lilium summoned her whip and whipped it at Christeenala as she approached. Christeenala swerved, avoiding the whip, before being knocked away by a horizontal swing.
Lilium jumped by Linzang and snapped his neck with her whip by bending it into a noose. Linzang fell over in a puddle of water and reformed, grabbed Lilium's leg and cutting both of her legs off with his staff. Lilium fell down but quickly pooped back up to dodge Gingross's sword by bending backward Matrix style (Yeah, I saw that movie). She grabbed his arm and flung him into a floating cake nearby. Christeenala flung several of her ice spears towards Lilium, but Lilium spun like a ballerina, making her whip flail around her wildly in a 360 degree attack.
Tsurosa jumped out of nowhere, miraculously regenerated from being destroyed by a kekkai and slash Christeenala, slicing her fake head off only for it to regenerate quickly. Christeenala pushed Tsurosa back with an icy wind shockwave and Yoshimori caught Tsurosa in another kekkai. Tsurosa cleaved through the kekkai and dashed towards Yoshimori.
Linzang sent a watery tentacle and grabbed Tsurosa, and promptly slammed her into the ground. Tsurosa jumped out of the dirt and dashed towards Linzang and slashed him in half, but he reformed himself with water. Lilium jumped onto the ground in the center of the fight, next to Linzang, and created a circle of giant vines around herself.
The vines grabbed Christeenala and Linzang before they could react. The vines froze around Christeenala and shattered easily. The vines started absorbing the water from Linzang before Yoshimori cut the vine apart with a kekkai.
Gingross swooped in and slice Lilium's head off. Lilium recovered it quickly, but staggered from the poison. Tsurosa jumped in and slashed Gingross's arm off, sending his poisoned sword flying into the ground next to me. Tsurosa sliced Gingross's head off and he faded away in a black mist like all the other guardians before him.
Tsurosa posed confidently and avoided Linzang's tossed Umi staff and landed on one of Lilium's plants.
"I killed you bitch, you're dead!" She shouted happily with a crazy laugh. Lilium jumped down and suddenly changed direction, her legs turning into a huge stretching vine and she flung towards Yoshimori. Christeenala grabbed her vine-leg thing and pulled her back, sending Lilium flying to the ground as she was inches away from stabbing Yoshimori's forehead.
Tsurosa jumped to the ground and ran towards Yoshimori with her claws sheathed. Yoshimori backed up and created a series of kekkai walls. Tsurosa cleaved through each of them easily and just before she could slice Yoshimori's head off, she stooped.
I pushed Gingross's sword deeper into her heart. She coughed up blood and pushed me away. She stumbled backwards and pulled out the sword. Suddenly, she started fading away like the Gingross did moments ago. She looked at herself and panicked.
"I-I don't want to die yet!" She shouted teary eyed. She looked at me.
"I won't die to a bastard like you! I'm taking you with me bitch!" She shouted and towards me as she faded away, the black specs of her being fading away behind her as she ran towards me. I scrambled onto my feet and picked up Gingross's sword and held it in front of myself for protection.
"Die!" Tsurosa shouted.
"Calm down, Tsurosa!" I opened my eyes at Lilium's shout. Lilium's arm shot out and stabbed Tsurosa in the chest and suddenly Tsurosa stopped fading and started regenerating. A plant fell weakly to the ground and faded away in the black dust, like Gingross or Lilium's plants when they're severed from the ground or Lilium.
Tsurosa nodded at Lilium in thanks and looked back at me with a sinister grin. Yoshimori jumped in front of me and put his arms up defensively. Tsurosa looked at him and laughed.
"I got a fucking two for one deal here!" Tsurosa shouted and she dashed towards us. I tossed Gingross's sword in the air, hoping it would land on Tsurosa. I heard a loud clang and Tsurosa cured. The clang was out of the ordinary. I opened my eyes again and saw a floating shield in front of Yoshimori and me and gasped.
"Ca-Cognizine's shield, d-didn't it vanish with him?"