Chapter 33: Wraith Riding 2

Hiro was walking around outside, wait...

Was she supposed to be doing that? Eiji was in reading Algebra 2. A 'mild punishment' via Chihiro.

I walked up to her. She was shoveling snow, and raking leaves.

"Um... Well, it's looking great. My question is... Your parents did tell you to do this, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "No! Not at all! I rake piles of leaves out of 3 feet of snow, just for a pastime!"

Yep, this was a punishment.

"Well, keep up the work." I said.

I turned, and saw Eiji running toward me.

"What are you doing!?" I exclaimed.

"You're supposed to be inside! READING."

He nodded eagerly. "I know, I need the next one!" He exclaimed.

"I found all of it so fascinating, I need to know more!"

I stopped.

He was enjoying this!?

"Hmm... Uh.. Ask Shisuta."

He nodded. "I'll get right on that!"

He ran back inside.

Hiro smiled. "I remember reading text books! The math ones were awesome!"

I shrugged. "Well, it seems Eiji will either move on to pre-calculus or trigonometry."

Hiro gaped.

"No! He can't surpass me!"

I smiled. "Sorry, but you have ground work to finish."

She began to rake faster.

"There's no WAY! EIJI! I'M GONNA READ THEM FIRST!"

She grinned. "Wait... I know how I'll get him to give me the books..."

I shook my head. "Don't even think about it. Six feet."

She rolled her eyes, and continued raking.

Eiji ran back out. "Kahn! I can't find them!"

I heard marching in the distance.

I stepped in front of them.

"Hold on... Do you hear that?"

Hiro nodded. "I do, it's gotta be Shinjitsu."

Eiji stood next to Hiro. "What does he want!?"

He marched up.

"Just who we're looking for." He said, looking at Hiro.

Kahn stepped up. His armor appeared, and his crossbow was readied.

"I'd like to see you try!" He yelled.

Shinjitsu smiled darkly. "Awwww... Is poor Lord Champion still sore over Lilith?"

I turned the crossbow, firing and decimating half of the army.

I dashed through the smoke, holding a sharpened Kunai to Shinjitsu's throat.

"What of it!?" I barked.

Shinjitsu laughed maniacally.

"Well... It's a shame... I-"

Nope, no more fucking idiotic speeches!

I slit his throat.

"Just shut the hell up."

Shinjitsu melted, and reappeared on the ground in front of Hiro.

She launched him back with a kick.

"What are you!?" She exclaimed.

He cracked his neck, and smiled.

"So it has to be this way..."

He slammed his palm to the ground, and master summoning runes spread around him...

By god! Was he INSANE!? No one can control a summon that large!

I pushed Hiro and Eiji back.

"Run, this is a master summoning!" I yelled.

Shinjitsu laughed. "This is about as powerful as I am! Well... Almost."

I looked ahead, and saw an extremely massive wraith. It was ten times the size of any wraith I had ever faced.

Eiji laughed darkly, then maniacally.

"Who exactly do you TAKE ME FOR!?" He yelled.

Silver threads shot out of his hands, and took control of the wraith.

A dark smile crossed Eiji's lips.

"Now then... Let's see how powerful you really are."

Surprisingly? Shinjitsu was able to hold his own.

"Impressive!" He exclaimed. "But can you keep it going!?"

I looked back at Eiji, and saw a bead of sweat drip down his face.

No, not for much longer he couldn't.

The others ran out.

"Look at THAT!" Shisuta exclaimed.

"Is that real!? Please say yes, I want to harvest it's organs..."

I sighed. "No, it's a summon... Sorry Shisuta."

NOOOOO! WHAT A WASTE!" She yelled.

She dropped to her knees and did that thing she does when her Alchemical dreams are crushed.

Karo put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll make you some Crispy Noodles to cheer you up. Right now? THERE'S A GIANT WRAITH HERE! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!"

Eiji's threads began to slip.

"Need some help?" Kuhn asked.

"Hey, me too!" Linn exclaimed.

Kuhn turned to her. "You said you wanted to see me ride wraith, well now's your chance!"

Hiro scoffed. "No way! That's impossible!"

He grinned. "Well, we'll see about that!"

Eiji's threads slipped.

I fired my crossbow at it's center, launching it skyward. Kuhn and I grabbed on, climbing on it's back. A frog jumped across it's back.

No...

It shifted into Hiro.

"Yes! THIS IS AWESOME!" She screamed.

"HIRO!? What are you DOING HERE!? GET DOWN, NOW!"

She laughed. "Punish me later! I'm in for the ride! WOOHOO!"

Kuhn clenched his fists. "I'm going to kill her..."

Something was off... The wraith.

It was FLYING!

"We've got trouble!" I exclaimed. "The wraith can FLY!"

"WHAT!?" Kuhn yelled.

He tried slamming it down with his foot. It brought the beast halfway down, and then it tried to shake us off.

Kuhn looked back at Hiro. "Just HOLD ON!" He yelled.

"YOU GOT IT!" She screamed.

The wraith shot up in the air, sending us all screaming.

"THIS HAS TO END NOW!" I yelled.

I grabbed one of my spears arrows, and jumped above the wraith. I slammed the arrow into it piercing it's back, and launching it to the ground.

The wraith was about to slam into the ground. For a split second, I saw Shinjitsu's face.

He was gaping, and backing up.

I gave him a smirk that said, "That could be you."

The wraith disintegrated into the ground, letting dust and chunks of ground fly everywhere.

Shinjitsu was gone as soon as it dissipated.

"That... Was AWESOME!" Hiro exclaimed. "Let's do it again!"

"You are in SO MUCH TROUBLE!" Kuhn yelled.

Hiro flinched. "Ooooh... No. Daaammmiit..."

Linn grabbed her by her ear, and dragged her back inside.

I shook my head.

Why is she always pulling stuff like this? And then she's surprised when they get angry...

I wondered though... She may have been safer on the wraith.

Shinjitsu was after her specifically. Why? I had no clue... I had a hunch, that it may have something to do with the dreams. He wanted her alive, because he didn't immediately try to kill her.

He has some strong protective magic on him... I wonder what spell that was?

I had to figure it out soon, because knowing him?

He'd be back.