Chapter 63
Tomo shrieked out in surprise as the rotting hand wrapped its fingers around her ankle, holding her tightly. As its grasp closed the force of pressing against the living flesh caused the fingernails to bend backwards and fall out, landing on Tomo's foot.
"Ew this is gross ew this is gross ew this is gross" said Tomo repeating a mantra of displeasure as the rotting fingers held firm.
"What is this? Are you ok Tomo?" asked Takino looking almost bemused as the grotesque arm sticking up from the ground in front of him. "What-what's going on?" he said aloud, looking far less shocked then the person who was meant to be protecting him.
"Get it off! Get it off!" said Tomo stepping back and trying to pull her foot free. Instead with a grumble from below the ground she yanked the rotting hand away from the arm at the wrist, the brown-green fingers still wrapped around her ankle. "Eeeek! Get it off its smelly! It's really smelly!"
"This is it? This is what I am asked to face?" called out a man. Tomo glanced around as Takino backed away slightly. "I could take care of this with one of my dolls!"
"That doesn't look like a doll to me" said a grimacing Tomo as the fingers finally started to loosen.
"Doll?" asked Takino, shortly before he and Tomo fell back in surprise as something smashed up from the ground beneath. A rotting human figure with a green tine to the skin (and a potent odour) stood in front of the duo, missing one hand. Its jaw fell open almost as though in surprise. A short distance behind the creature the man with blond hair gave a faint tut. Botan seemed to be directing it at both the thing and the ninja in front of him.
"Ah it seems like the muscles have almost ran out for this one" commented the man. "The silly thing can't even keep its mouth closed now. Never mind, I have plenty more of them to use. Very useful tools."
"Is that-was that…a human?" asked Tomo. She'd seen people 'transform' into logs, ninja generate fire from nowhere and felt the rage of a powerful demon within her- but she had never seen the living dead before. "It looks like one. I guess."
"It was once a human" said Takino in a solemn voice Tomo hadn't heard before. "Before death and the untimely interruption of his rest."
"Huh? What?" asked the confused Tomo.
"In recent times there has been a plague on this area. People who stray too far into the wilderness find themselves attacked by other people who seem more dead then alive. Cemeteries and burial areas are found to be empty, hollowed out from beneath."
"So all this means?"
"Someone has been causing the dead to awaken, and has been using them as mere tools. And it seems the culprit is in front of us" stated Takino. He still sounded solemn, but Tomo couldn't detect any anger in his voice. No anger…but some disgust.
"So this…'person' is dead, or should be? So whatever I do it doesn't matter?" asked Tomo pointing with her thumb at the creature behind her. It stood as though slightly confused as its jaw cracked off and fell to the floor. Botan merely stood, waiting.
"That's correct" called out Botan who had grown bored of waiting. "They are nothing more then my slaves now. Yet in their slavery they are probably more dignified then they were in life."
"Sorry about this" said Tomo drawing back a fist. She closed her eyes and swung forward, feeling the clenched hand smash into the face in front of her. And then the resistance was gone with a faint squelching sound. Slowly she opened her eyes and gagged. The figure had been decomposing for so long that the punch had all but caused the head to explode. The figure fell to the floor, nothing above the ragged stump of a neck.
"Ewwwwwwwwwww" said Tomo in a high pitch whine, almost reaching the level only heard by dogs.
"This is who he asks me to fight" said Botan out loud, as though disgusted. "This is who I am asked to test."
"Is it wise to say things like that out loud?" asked Takino curiously. "After all since threatening us you've revealed you're working for someone. I doubt that this 'he' would be very happy with you."
"Whatever" said Botan clicking his fingers nonchalantly. From the forest on the edge of the path came a collection of growling, feral noises. Horrified Tomo noticed that the noises still had a faintly human tinge to them. She stepped closer to Takino as the shadows from the forest grew larger.
"So how far away is this place?" asked Fuka reaching up and scratching the back of her head lazily.
"We should be there soon" said Kaorin. "We have to follow a single path. I'd like to think we could do that without any trouble."
"Sure, sure" replied Fuka. "I just hope we don't have any steep hills to walk up. I'm in a lazy mood for some reason tod-"
She was cut short as a loud screech followed by a faint crash rang out from somewhere close by. The trio of girls looked at one another all thinking the same thing. That the noise had come from the same direction that Tomo had been heading along.
"What now?" asked Kaorin.
"We better go and help" said Sakaki taking a step towards the forest. She jumped back suddenly as the bush suddenly turned to ice in front of her, the once hovering flies falling to the floor as solid frozen specks.
"I'm afraid we can't allow that to happen" said Kline appearing to face the girls. Beside him Shuzo removed the other glove that he wore. With a quick series of hand signs he produced a spear of ice that Sakaki narrowly dodged, the point slicing into the tree behind. Despite its thin diameter the ice spear didn't shatter.
"Eh what's going on?" said Kaorin out loud.
"Ew ew ew!" said Tomo ducking under swipes from the 'undead', leaping up into the air and unleashing a spinning kick that knocked a head clean away from the neck. She landed back on the floor, staring into the lifeless eyes of the detached head. Suddenly she felt herself slump, felt a sudden tightness in her chest as the memory of Kuraigu's bloody neck, head torn away returned to her. She felt some of the bloodlust, but more then that felt the horror of the things she had 'seen'. The urge for blood was returning, but the power was nowhere to be found.
"Tired already?" asked Botan. Tomo was just glad he didn't let out a stereotypical villain laugh. Instead he merely seemed to smirk. Actually, that pissed her off more then if he had just laughed. Overconfident jerk!
"I am afraid that I have plenty more dolls for you to deal with" said Botan staring at Tomo.
"Oh really?" said Tomo, trying to focus, trying to get rid of the mental images. "Why don't you fight me yourself huh? Are you scared? Why don't you go one on one with me?"
"Because I don't have to" said Botan shrugging. "I like these clothes so I don't really want to have to get them dirty. Oh and you have company" said Botan pointing at something behind the girl.
Tomo grunted as a yellow skinned hand with flayed flesh struck her across the neck.
Kline did little at all as Shuzo marched forwards, blasting out sharpened fragments of ice. Sakaki leapt back but Kaorin was too slow. She gasped out in pain as one of the ice particles struck her in the leg. It was like being hit by shrapnel!
Fuka ducked and rolled along the ground, drawing out a knife. Taking a momentary aim she threw it at Kline. The man didn't even flinch, performing a hand seal with his hands still behind his back in a relaxed manner. Fuka watched in disbelief as the knife suddenly stopped and fell to the ground.
"What the heck?" she asked out loud.
"Are you ok?" asked Sakaki as Kaorin yanked the ice shard from her leg.
"Yeah I'm ok, it just stings" said Kaorin holding up the shard. Even though it had been stuck in her leg it hadn't melted at all. It still felt cool in her fingers. "Who are these guys?"
She was startled as Fuka suddenly appeared behind her.
"That guy over there…the one who's just been standing there…there's something strange about him" muttered Fuka.
"There's something strange about both of them" replied Kaorin, standing up, grimacing as she felt pain shoot across her thigh.
"However they use ice…and we have fire" said Fuka. "Sakaki!"
Sakaki nodded and taking one silent breath performed a series of her own hand seals. For more powerful attacks she still found herself dependant upon the use of the hand seals, not able to produce large flames with a single click. Well…none large enough to take care of these guys. Finally she thrust forwards and shot a great length of fire towards the two men.
"Ha fire melts ice, we win!" said Fuka.
"Silence!" said Shuzo, unleashing his own attack. The three girls stood in stunned silence as the flames suddenly froze in midair. Just as suddenly as they had froze, the sheet of ice suddenly shattered and fell to the floor.
"The different elements mean little when the differences in power are so great" observed Kline quietly.
"What now?" asked Kaorin.
"Run!" said Fuka pulling out a small black orb. She threw it to the floor and a great puff of black smoke suddenly filled the pathway.
"How very crude" said Shuzo.
With the swish of one hand the smoke around Kline vanished.
"Do we follow them?" asked Shuzo, looking to Kline.
"No, let them go for now. As a child I was never one who took any joy from crushing ants."
Fuka ran through the forest, smashing branches and other miscellanea out of the way, creating a path for the other two. Sakaki wasn't running at full speed, if she had been she would have been leading the charge. Instead she had stayed back with the limping Kaorin.
"I seem to keep getting injured" joked Kaorin in-between taking deep breaths.
"Should I carry you?" asked Sakaki.
"Huw-wha-say you?" replied the instantly flustered Kaorin. She found herself battling between the knowledge that if she did say yes Sakaki might be hindered, and the heart felt feelings of wanting to be close to Sakaki, tight in her embrace or resting upon her elegant back…
"N-no I'm fine" said Kaorin forcing back the tears of disappointment. Up ahead Fuka came to a stop. Slowing down Sakaki and Kaorin came up alongside the girl and found themselves looking out onto a pathway. Tomo and the man Takino stood there, fighting off about a dozen people.
"Let's help" said Fuka. Looking across at the battle she saw a blond haired man. From his demeanour she could tell he was the leader. He turned slightly, his back now facing her. He was just within leaping distance…