Chapter 53: Soul Hunting, Soul Rising
Junichi was marveling at the grand castle before him.
"There's no way this was built in FIVE MINUTES. Impossible."
A woman laughed. "You know? I would say the same thing, but I saw it happen."
Junichi turned to face her, and stopped.
She was a woman with long black hair, indigo blue eyes, she had scars on her face and... Wow...
"Holy... You have a nice set of-!"
Tits. Very big, and perfectly round... Don't blow this Junichi! She's really HOT!
"...Eyes. Very pretty."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure I do..."
Fuck. There's still hope... Try again!
"No, but I mean... You are really gorgeous! Seriously... "
She smirked. "That's nice to know, but I'm taken. Sorry."
Junichi sighed in defeat. "There are no single women here... It makes me sad."
She shook her head. "Next time you want to compliment my eyes, try looking at them. What you should have said was... You have nice boobs. Because that's what you were thinking... Who are you anyway?"
He shook his head.
Well, there goes that idea...
"I'm Junichi. I live at the Warrior's Respite, I'm Linn's brother."
She nodded
"I'm Loki, and I live in this castle. Hi."
Hiro zipped past them, riding on Max the Leviathan.
Junichi looked at them as they rode off.
"What is she up to this time...?"
Loki sighed. "I don't know, but you'd better catch up. She's a troublesome one..."
"See you then!" Junichi waved.
He ran after Hiro.
...
Hiro saw Junichi following her, so she made a sharp turn through some trees. There was a shortcut here that would help her get to the actual fortress of the priestess anyway.
She had just barely been ungrounded, so she didn't want to get caught doing things again.
She seemed to have lost him, and continued toward the shortcut. She found a way around the gates and into the area of the unguarded trials. She headed toward the last trial...
"Hiro!? WHAT are you DOING HERE!?" Yelled Tira.
"It's not safe."
Hiro looked at her, and saw that she was armed to the teeth.
"Right, and you're here just out on a stroll?" She said sarcastically.
She looked down. "No... I just... I just thought that since the priestess was alive, she would attack. So I'll come to her first."
Hiro nodded. "Then we're here for the same reason..."
Two sets of threads wrapped around both of them. Eiji stood before them...
"I saw you two running toward the Trials... And yes, it's a very bad idea."
"I've seen exactly what you have!" Tira protested.
"I can handle it."
"Then you didn't learn anything." Said Eiji.
"What part of HELL don't you get!?" He exclaimed.
"Do you really think that you could walk through it like it's nothing? Like a walk in the park? No. It's called torture for a reason!"
"So we just wait for her to KILL US THEN!?" Hiro yelled.
"See how that works out..."
Eiji dropped them.
"Fine, do what you want..." He said, his tone low.
Max had been silent the whole time, but was glaring at Eiji.
Eiji walked up to Hiro... His face grew more concerned.
"Before you do though, let me tell you something. I was in there for an an hour or two, three at most. That place is the definition of torture... Even that amount of time and I have nightmares about it."
He looked at Tira.
"Tira, try to reexperience what happened to you... How long you were there... Now look me in the eyes and tell me you're willing to do that again. Do it with a straight face." He said.
She looked down. "I can't say it..." She sniffed.
Her face went pale. "I tried not to think about it but..."
She sobbed. "Fine! FINE! You're RIGHT! HAPPY NOW!? What are we going to do when she attacks us? She has HELL IN HER HANDS! What the hell are we supposed to do then Eiji!? TELL ME!"
"I DON'T KNOW!" He yelled.
"But THIS isn't the answer."
Hiro sighed. "Then what is. You don't know, so what then? What now..."
He was angry... More scared than anything. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel what he felt, and experience that... Tira too, because she didn't need to be thrown back into that place.
"Not this." He said.
"You didn't answer my question." Said Hiro bitterly.
Eiji snapped. "STOP! Just stop get to be the HERO! FOR ONCE!"
Max bit him.
Eiji's wires shot out, but there was considerable damage done to his arm.
Hiro saw the blood, and froze.
What was she thinking!? If she couldn't handle a little blood, she couldn't kill a priestess.
"Do NOT walk so threateningly to HIRO EVER!" Max barked.
Eiji's hung his head... And started laughing. He only did this when you've really pushed him past the limit.
His threads became more prominent, surrounding his body.
"You know?" He laughed.
"I am really starting to get tired of this trend..."
His expression darkened.
"I have been cooked alive, EATEN alive, SWALLOWED ALIVE, FUCKING DIGESTED!" He screamed.
He laughed more. "Electric currents melting me... ALIVE! The whole time on a broken FUCKING LEG!"
He was shaking. "Then I was pushed around, and beaten up... Treated like a small child."
He looked up, and his eyes filled with a bloodlust that Hiro had never seen. Black wings shot out of his back.
"To be bitten by you when I'M NOT EVEN IN HELL!? Well, you see... I WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT!"
They lunged at each other, and Tira ran to Hiro.
"He's you're boyfriend, and Max is YOU'RE friend. Do something."
She was calm. "Eiji's right, and this was stupid. If she attacks us, we'll figure it out."
Hiro was still frozen.
"B...Blood... So much... No. NO!"
She grabbed her hand and sat down.
Tira shook her. "Hiro. HIRO. Move, now. Do something, because I'll just get in the way. You are the only one who can stop them..."
Hiro looked up at her.
"That's right." Said Tira.
"And if something happens to either of them, can you live with that? If it's the blood you're afraid of, stop it. Stop the bloodshed. Do it now. Face this, or one of them WILL die."
Tira's resolve seemed to empower Hiro.
She stood, and looked at Eiji. His arm had healed, and he was in...
A third stage!? That wasn't possible.
Max had to back down, but if he did, Eiji might still attack him. But if Hiro tried to stop Eiji, Max might still hurt him before she could stop him.
The world stopped, giving Hiro a moment to think.
I can't stop them one at a time, or one will get hurt.
I can't stand in the way, or I'll get hurt, solving nothing.
What about in pixie form? Good question.
So far I only have good enough spells to slow them down, because I can't injure them. They're both important to me.
It will have to work. If anything, it might buy me enough time to calm them both down.
The world moved again, and Hiro shifted.
She blasted them away from each other, knocking them both down.
She shifted back. "Max! That's ENOUGH!" She yelled.
He backed down.
Eiji stood to fight again, and Hiro tried dispelling his wings. She had a hunch that they might be some form of armor... Or a source of magic in this mysterious third stage.
It worked, and Eiji collapsed to the ground.
Hiro caught him.
"Eiji, are you okay?" She asked.
"You're right, and this was a bad idea."
She looked down. "I froze up at a little blood... This priestess would destroy me."
His lower lip was trembling, and he looked up at me.
"I didn't want you to feel so weak... You aren't. I'm sure if you were to face her, you would win. Before that... That's what I'm afraid of."
He looked at Max.
"Would you willingly sacrifice her sanity, and put her through torture for a soul? Max... Would you do that to Hiro?"
He looked down.
"No... I would not. I am sorry Hiro... Would it hurt you?"
He looked away. "Of course it would..."
Leviathan's had moments of coherency... You just had to hit them in the right spot. Hiro was Max's. He would never want to see her in pain, and could verbally express that.
Eiji sighed, trying to keep his tears in.
Hiro hugged him. "No need to do that." She said.
"I'm here..."
He cried into her.
In all truth? Most of the cause for his outburst was a feeling of powerlessness. A feeling he hadn't quite shaken since his encounter with the lowest plain.
Tira sniffed. She felt powerless too...
Like there was nothing she could do to help anyone with anything. Part of this was because she still liked Eiji, and wished that he would listen to her words too...
Most of it was just how she felt. Her entire life was nothing but a worthless waste so far in her eyes... She never did anything major, or really helped in big ways...
She walked away when no one was looking.
Junichi ran to them.
"What!? No." He said.
"That's not happening! And... What happened?"
"Nothing..." Eiji sniffed.
"I decided not to go in." Said Hiro.
"Eiji was right, it was stupid... Right Tira?"
She turned around. No Tira.
"T-Tira!? Where did she go!?"
"Do you think she went in!?" Eiji exclaimed.
"Oh good lord!" Junichi groaned.
"What the hell part of 'Stay out of trouble' don't you kid's understand!?"
He sighed. "Would she have gone in?"
Eiji looked down. "I'm not sure."
Hiro stood. "Well, what do we do!? Do we go in after her!?"
"Not yet." Said Junichi. "That would be reckless, and she may not even be in there. We'll check the grounds, the castle, and the Warrior's interior. Either way, you're not going in."
Hiro gaped. "But she's my FRIEND! You can't just-!"
"No." Said Junichi.
"And I won't say it again. Both of your parents, and myself, are pulling their hair out over how involved you already are! No one wants to see off their children... And no one should do it as many times as they have."
Hiro looked away.
"I know that..." She sniffed. "I'd just feel horrible if something happened to her!"
She burst into tears.
"I REALLY don't mean to mess up so much! I just want to help, and do the right things! But I mess up ANYWAY! I CAN'T DO SHIT RIGHT! SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE!?"
She cried into herself.
Eiji hugged her, and Junichi knelt down next to her.
"No... That's not true!" Said Eiji.
What you did for me just then? When Max and I had gotten in a fight? That was right..."
"You got in a fight?" Junichi asked flatly.
Eiji sighed. "Yeah... It sucked."
Junichi put a hand on her shoulder.
"You don't 'Mess up' all of the time. If you would just ask for help more, you wouldn't be in half the trouble you're usually in."
She sobbed. "But... But I don't want anyone else to get hurt!"
Eiji pulled her in. "Well, I don't want you to get hurt either..." He said.
"None of us do." Said Junichi.
"So if we fight, we do out together. No sneaking around, and going off alone... Working together will prevent almost all of this tragedy... Let's just look for her back on the grounds, and then we'll make a decision, okay?"
She nodded. "Okay..."
They all stood.
"I'm going to start searching the castle, you search the grounds, alright?"
Eiji nodded. "Right."
Junichi ran off.
"Max, can you search the gardens?" Hiro asked.
He gave Eiji a subtle glare.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
Hiro nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."
He ran off.
Eiji sighed. "I'm sorry for yelling at you..."
Hiro shook her head. "I'm not mad Eiji... I still..."
She blushed.
"Still what?" He asked.
"Hey guys!" Tira yelled.
"You two holding up okay?"
You could tell she had been crying, but they decided not to bring it up.
Hiro ran to her, and hugged her.
"Don't just run off like that!" She exclaimed.
"We were all worried that you'd gotten yourself stuck in the trial!... Tira..."
She sighed. "Sorry, I'll try not to do that again."
Hiro looked at her and smiled.
"Oh, and thanks for what you told me earlier. If it weren't for you? I wouldn't have done a thing! You have such cool things to say, and it's really inspiring!... I wish I had your composure..."
Hiro was startled as Tira sobbed.
"Really? Because I was starting to think I was pretty useless..."
She cried. "Thank you so much! It's like I always mess up, and I just get in your guys' way... And you just said..."
She continued to cry.
Hiro hugged her, and stopped to think for a moment.
Not ten minutes ago, Hiro had been all broken up about the same thing. She knew that Tira was really awesome, and definitely not worthless...
Though she often felt that way about herself.
...Maybe like Tira, Hiro was worth something too.
Tira stopped crying.
"You should get over to the castle." Said Hiro.
"Junichi is looking for you."
She nodded. "Right, I'll get on that now."
She ran off.
Eiji walked up to Hiro.
"Is she okay?" He asked.
Hiro nodded. "Yeah, she's good."
She looked at him.
"What about you? Are you okay...?"
He shook his head.
"Nope, I'm not... But I'll try to do better."
She smiled. "You really are so honest! It's a good thing..."
He smiled, and gave her a kiss.
"You know...? I think the sunlight suits you..."
He smiled. "Did you know they look really pretty when you're happy? Right now it's even better, because the sun makes them sparkle..."
He blushed.
"Okay... That was incredibly dorky I know... But I was saying that... Oh, um... Dammit... Just-"
She laughed, and kissed him back.
"Don't worry about it, I thought it was nice."
He leaned her up against a tree, and kissed her softly...
Eventually they just sat in the shade of the tree...
Hiro leaned into Eiji, his arm wrapped around her.
He turned her face, and kissed her again...
She felt sparks flying in her chest as the embrace continued...
She could sit here forever with him...
...Well, maybe not here.
A circle of Kurayami soldiers surrounded them.
They stood. "I think we stayed too late." Said Hiro.
Eiji nodded, flipping out his threads.
"I think you're right."
A woman walked through the crowd of men, and grinned maliciously at them...
The woman shifted into Kaihn.
"I just love playing priestess!"