Disclaimer: I do not own Taimanin series.
Five Days Break – 18
Kotaro hit the ground hard. He didn't think of a landing strategy.
The crimson blade dropped a short distance away.
His body relaxed not caring about the growing aches or the swelling burns. Kuchiki had been defeated, that alone made the pain worth it.
Still...
The Nameless Evil Eye stayed awake. It didn't close despite the threat had been eliminated.
Kotaro titled his head, looking at the burning wooded mass combined by Kuchiki's body and other vessels' traits. He had a feeling the eye was trying to hint at something. His strongest resolve was to kill Kuchiki. The Evil Eye wanted to see it through to the end.
Was it really not over?
"Young Master!" His attention drifted to Saika, who came to his side. "You're okay, I'm glad."
Overjoyed, she wanted to give Kotaro a big warming hug. But Saika decided not to give in to her emotions. Kotaro was wounded, his clothes were already dampened with red stains, which spoke volumes of what he'd gone through. She'd refrain from touching him carelessly as not to cause more pain.
"You did well, Fuuma-kun." Asagi said with a smile on her face. She offered him a hand for support. "Can you stand?"
"Ack!"
His trembling hand fell back down, Kotaro groaned. Now that the adrenaline was gone, the exhaustion eventually caught up.
"I'll have the pilot pick us up. Emily will check on your wounds."
"Y-Yes."
"Let us take it from here, you can let the team know about the details once you get some rest." Saika added.
Kotaro would agree.
He can't drop his guard just yet, he has to make sure this whole thing is truly over. Biting the lip to brace through the injuries, he tried to get up, his gaze fixed on Kuchiki's burned corpse. He won't look away until the flame reduced that thing to ashes.
Saika read his thought, her arms went around Kotaro's back to hold him up. She would give a long look at his face, as if she was captivated by the right eye that finally sees the light of day.
"What is it?" Kotaro noticed.
"It's nothing." Saika wiped something wet from the corner of her eyes. "I'm just happy. You've finally achieved a milestone, my dearest Master."
Awakening a Ninja Art is a common thing for Taimanins.
Kotaro's case was not the same to those who struggled to find their own powers and saw the use of it as the sole purpose of their lives. There were others who knew how hard he had been trying and got no result.
In order to let go of the unhealthy obsession, to stop chasing after a Taimanin's standard, he eventually embraced the ideal that a life without Ninja Art was natural. He gave up, accepting his position as the Useless One-Eyed. Even with the desire to prove himself, Kotaro couldn't get stronger on his own. Which was why, becoming the Captain of the Task Force brought out the best in him.
That will change now. As a leading figure of the team and on his own, Fuuma Kotaro can finally become a capable Taimanin.
[Saika, come in.] Tokiko spoke up. [Did you find him?]
"Yes. I found him, the Young Master is wounded but he's okay. And good news! He's..."
Saika stopped the words as Kotaro held up his hand, signaling her not to speak out what she intended. The awakened Evil Eye stared into hers, she heard the unvoiced meaning behind his action.
[He's what?]
"Nevermind. We'll be on our way back to Gosha soon."
Saika turned off the earpiece while Kotaro continued to observe the burning corpse.
Crack!
They tensed up.
The crack on the chest, where the flame had yet to cover, opened up. It was the same pale hand stretching out and hung loosely, letting the rest of the body drop down on its own. Instead of a large disfigured mass, what appeared was just a skinny humanoid figure.
Even though Kotaro had aimed for the head, Kuchiki was still alive.
No.
This was different.
The Ashen Monster didn't say a single word. It was struggling, breathing raggedly through tiny gaps where the mouth should have been. It no longer had a face, it looked just like another wooded creature. When it finally stood up and trudged slowly towards Kotaro, there was a flower growing in the middle of its chest.
Kotaro paled.
The Ashen Flower blossomed from Kuchiki's new body.
This was truly the end result of everything the monster had done. The Great Ashen Tree and its Flower, both saw him as nothing but a tool. He wanted to become the second coming of the self-proclaimed deity, yet he was made into another container of the Ashen Flower.
The Nameless Evil Eye highlighted what remained inside that body. It saw nothing, Kuchiki's soul was gone.
It was just the Ashen Flower keeping that thing alive. It took over that body. It was moved, driven by an artificial instinct.
"After all that blessings, you would never expect this. Didn't you, Kuchiki?"
Kotaro muttered words that now has no more meaning to a hollowed vessel.
Slash!
Before it comes any closer, the crimson blade passed through its neck. Asagi had picked up the sword and made the final stroke. The head rolled off and the body fell to the ground, limp.
"I saw what you did with this sword, Fuuma-kun. It seems my guess was right, this can kill the monster."
"Thank you, Asagi-sensei."
Asagi examined the weapon. As the strongest Taimanin, she had experience with a "Cursed" sword. Senketsu's hatred didn't affect her.
"I'm surprised you found one of Senketsu's Crafts. Most of his works were lost to history."
"I'll provide the details in the report."
Saika coughed into her fist to get their attention.
"Young Master, you ought to rest first." She looked to Asagi with a smile. "You will agree, Asagi-san?"
For some reason, Kotaro felt a chill. That didn't sound like Saika was making a request, it sounded more like a demand.
"Well, I do have a couple questions." Asagi's curious gaze met his Evil Eye. "I'll save them for when he's fully recovered."
"R-Right. I should get these wounds treated first." Kotaro awkwardly said.
Shortly, the aircraft arrived.
Asagi offered to help him get up. Saika, however, drew Kotaro over to her side, careful and gentle enough it didn't come off as being forceful.
"It's fine, Asagi-san~. I can take good care of the Young Master from here."
"My Captain is injured. It's also my responsibility to be sure of his well-being."
"One person is enough for the job, you can help us by standing over there and watch that corpse burn to the ground. That way, we can make sure the Ashen Monster don't come back."
"His safety is our priority. Don't be so overprotective, Saika."
"Ara~. It's my role."
"O-Okay! How about you both let me do it?" Kotaro volunteered.
"NO. You'll get on the plane." They spoke at the same time.
He stopped talking. The pilot's head popped out the cockpit door and gave Kotaro a silent nod.
"Just listen to them." What he might wanted to say.
If anything, an invisible pressure was filling the air. Kotaro didn't want to think it came from the two Elite Taimanins. That would be a scary thought.
"Do you have something to say about our friendly banter, Fuuma-kun?"
"I would love to hear your opinion on this, Young Master."
Nope! This is beyond scary!
Kotaro shook his head repeatedly. It hurt but he had to get that message through, no way he would want to jump in the middle of this friendly banter.
Crack!
Something broke. They all turned to the source.
The headless body of Kuchiki - No, the body of the Ashen Flower - was moving. Steadily, twitching legs and arms dragged on the ground and headed towards the plane. It stopped in front of them, in front of Kotaro and sat up like a puppet being ruthlessly yanked upward by a string.
It showed a rift stretched widely from the Ashen Flower's foot. After the wooded fragments around the torso broke down, the Flower began tottering. It came out, attaching to the head of a new body that had the form of a child.
It looked exactly the same like the faceless wooded creatures. But there was something disturbed about it. It raised hairs on the back of Kotaro's neck.
The Ashen Tree's consciousness was gone.
Though, it only truly dies when everything related to its existence is wiped off from the face of the world.
Kuchiki is gone. But the blessing that made him a monster continued to live on. The Ashen Flowers weren't just plants produced by the Tree. They were sentient beings with behaviors.
An endoparasite with supernatural abilities, this is the Ashen Flower's true nature.
It's ridiculous! It's insane! It made no sense and still, it's happening!
Such is an otherworldly bioweapon.
The Ashen Flower, the Great Ashen Tree and its abilities followed the norms of another world whence it came from. Kotaro saw those facts clearly, the Nameless Evil Eye pointed out those absurdities and he couldn't comprehended them at all.
Before Kotaro could even form words in his mouth to alert, Asagi had vanished from his side. The crimson blade appeared right above the wooded child, aiming for the Flower.
However, the blade went through the empty air and hit the ground. The impact shook behind the child as it ran ahead. Much to their surprise, the speed was surreal. The distance it had were only a few steps away from the cargo door.
Saika acted quickly, her bangs swept aside. Her Ninja Art froze its movement. The thing didn't possess a face, yet it had a vision that made contact with her Evil Eye.
Takeover is working!
"Asagi-san!"
At Saika's call, Asagi went for another strike, one that would surely kill it off.
He hoped this will really be the end. He expected an official death granted to the nightmarish existence from another world.
Then...
Everything suddenly changed as Kotaro's right eye shone.
His vision slowed down all things reflected in the eye. Asagi swung the crimson blade in slow motion. Saika was still.
He noticed a colorful light came from the Ashen Flower.
A pathway was forming. It stretched out like a thread, it moved faster than the coming blade that would deliver death to the wooded body it inhabited.
And it was...
And it was...
And it was...
It was going straight at Saika.
A shocking fright blew up inside Kotaro. In that instant, he connected the dots.
Saika's Evil Eye, Takeover, allowed her to hijack the enemy's sight and movements. Thanks to the ability, she is able to form a mental bridge between her and the target she's in control.
Right now, there was a "pathway" connecting her to the wooded creature. The Ashen Flower was exploiting that connection. It was about to cross over to Saika's mind.
Kotaro's subconsciously moved. His right hand came up. Too slow! The wounds made it too unbearable sluggish against his will!
His jaw stiffened, teeth gritted in frustration.
In that slow world perceiving by the Nameless Evil Eye, he realized he could never make it in time. The other end of the invisible pathway was nearly there. Saika was within an arm reach from it. Damn it! He won't let it harm her!
With the Nameless Evil Eye, Kotaro knew a way to stop it.
But he would pay the price. By going through with it, his body would hit the limit. He might not be able to endure the pain, it could potentially break him physically.
Oh well, what do you know? If that can help him destroy this freaking artificial alien once and for all, it's definitely worth it.
[Igawa Asagi's Style: Koujinka]
He had moved faster. But this amount of speed was nowhere near enough.
[Koujinka (X2)]
He started to feel the burden on the body. Even though he was perceiving the world in a slow motion, the pressure came almost instantly. He could feel it pushing his whole arm backwards.
Kotaro couldn't afford to apply Body Hardening and Healing Arts on himself. There was not much left of his Taima energy pool. He had enough room to go all in with Hawk Art and one more technique.
[Koujinka (X3)]
Kotaro's whole body accelerated. Upper torso spun as he leaped forwards, the legs pushing him up felt like they were being chained down. The pressure grazed the burns on his face like knifes making shallowed cuts. It was a lot stronger, thicker. The air became a wall and he was forcing himself to go through it without even breaking the thing.
[Koujinka (X4)]
A giant weight leaned on Kotaro. He smelled blood inside the nostril. His breath hitched, the rib cage endured a crushing pain. His body heated up like it was burning.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Within the outstretched arm, sounds echoed sharply. His muscle fibers couldn't handle the overwhelming strain.
It hurts. It really hurts! But he won't stop! A bit more! Just a little bit more!
[Koujinka (X5)]
The intense pressure was merciless.
Eardrums burst. Blood veins exploded beneath the skin. The lightheadedness squeezed him. In about barely a fraction of one second, Kotaro's enhanced senses felt the excruciating pain coming sickeningly slow and torturous. It kept multiplying so much his eyes swelled up in tears.
Crack!
A bone broke somewhere. Maybe one. Maybe more than two. He couldn't careless. One more injury added to the worst, everywhere on his body felt the same.
The pathway was inches before her face. Come on! Brace this pain with all your strength!
[Koujinka (X10)]
"Got you!"
...
...
As Takeover seized the enemy's body, Saika couldn't blink. That action can cancel out her ability and Asagi will miss her target.
Then, she witnessed it all.
A hand shot up right before her. It came in a blur, packed enough force to create a strong gust of wind. It grabbed something her eyes couldn't detect.
A dent was made on the floor where her Young Master was once standing. He was gone. Saika couldn't react in time. She didn't notice Kotaro missing from her side until a bright red color drew her sight.
Gasp!
A distance away from the aircraft, he lied on the ground. Despite his clothes and body had been completely drenched in red, Kotaro continued to hold onto something with his trembling hands.
Out of shock, Saika had blinked. Takeover immediately lost effect.
The wooded creature dodged the blade by a hairbreadth, barely being grazed. Asagi noticed Kotaro's worst shape, she lost her focus and missed the mark.
[Crimson Art: Infusion]
Crimson Taima particles spread from Kotaro's hands. The energy born from a myth traced a line in the air and back to the Ashen Flower.
As the wave of energy struck it directly, the Flower convulsed shortly. Its faceless feature aggressively turned to Kotaro with a vengeance. The wooded creature went after him in a flying leap, outstretching arms readied to cause unimaginable consequences.
The others gave chase, they wouldn't make it. By the time Asagi and Saika caught up, the thing would have sunk its claws deep into him.
The Nameless Evil Eye reflected the Ashen Flower on top the wooded creature. Kotaro could feel it's smiling at the inevitable result. It wanted to take him out for everything he'd done to the Great Ashen Tree.
"Fine."
He won't look away. He will keep staring at it death in the face. He's not afraid of what it's about to do. The moment that thing does its worst to him, he'll put it in a wrestling hold and never let go so others can finish it off.
"Come here and get it!"
Jolt!
The Nameless Evil Eye tingled, returned to a colorless state.
It changed. The shape of the eye switched to a spiral pattern. Within that vortex, a tiny spark flared up coming into existence.
It happened so quickly as if the sunlight heated up straight away and caused a fire. Without a high concentration of temperature, it consumed the first thing at which Kotaro fixed his gaze. Despite the body of the wooded creature was burning, it neither emitted smoke nor heat.
The eye saw everything and yet, his mind couldn't follow the appearance that raged darker than Ingrid's flame.
It was too abnormal to be described by the definition of a fire.
It was too ferocious to obey the rule of nature.
It was the epitome of darkness that will never let anything extinguish its existence until nothing is left.
[F!?m$ K& ar#'s Style: B#a_! F%^m*]
Shortly, there was nothing left.
What appeared reduced the Flower into thin air along with the wooded creature it inhabited. Not even residue ashes remained.
Shifting his gaze to the giant mass, it happened the same way. A pitch-black presence took over Ingrid's flame and swallowed everything whole. The Dark Flame couldn't put up a match and was snuffted out so easily.
Kotaro couldn't remember the name whose ability wiped clean the otherworldly lifeform. The knowledge opened up in his mind but the most crucial parts were blocked away. Not all was given by the eye.
"What was that!?" Asagi's voice came up. She and Saika had made their way to him. "Fuuma-kun!?"
Kotaro didn't know the answer, he felt too dizzy to think about it.
"You..n.g...M..a..ster...st...y...ith...e...!"
Saika was trying to say something. Her words couldn't get through him, all he heard was the rain dripping even though above them was a sunny blue sky. He saw tears in her eyes, Asagi had the same distressed expression as she spoke into the earpiece.
They tried to get him up. He lost too much strength in his body to move, lifting a finger had never been so difficult.
The right eyelid began to close, too heavy to hold it up. The Nameless Evil Eye had no more reason to remain awaked.
"...don't..."
Before the eye fully closes shut, his mouth was moving, saying words he needed the only witnesses at the Ashen Tree's Peak to hear.
"Don't tell others about...this eye..…"
Kotaro wasn't sure if he had said it right, he no longer heard his own voice.
With his resolve fulfilled, Kotaro slipped into the darkness behind the eyelids.
The battle against the Ashen Tree was truly over.
…
…
…..
…..
A white ceiling. A bed. Medical kits and bandages, including a blood bag transfusion.
When Kotaro came to, those were the first thing he saw. The place looked like one of those rooms in the intensive care unit of the medical institution underneath Gosha Academy.
Laying still, he felt stiff everywhere on his body. Arms and legs wrapped in thick layers of tape, he could hardly move aside from turning his head to look at the window, or at least a hologram that mimicked the view outside.
The Sun was bright in color, yet it painted the sky in a dim shade. Dusk or dawn, he wasn't sure of the timing.
"You finally woke up."
Kotaro startled. The room was incredibly still he had no idea another person was there with him.
Groan!
The stiffness on the neck hit him cruelly, he had to turn slowly to the owner of that voice.
It was a young woman with blond short hair made into two braids. She was wearing a signature blue Taima-suit inside a white coat.
"Kurenai?"
Shinganji Kurenai sat next to his bed. The small book in her hands closed as she focused her attention on Kotaro.
"Good morning, Fuuma."
"Morning?" He blinked. The last time he lost unconscious was also in the morning. "Kurenai, how long have I been here?"
"You've been here for three days."
Seeing the confusion on his face, Kurenai gave a short explanation. Kotaro nodded at her words, loosened up and let his head sink deeply into the pillow.
"Three days."
He pondered about it. Three days spent inside the intensive care unit.
"Wait! THREE!?"
Kotaro totally forgot. It has been three days since the chaotic event at the hidden town of the Great Ashen Tree.
Before he even has the chance to enjoy his own quality time, the hard earned five days break was long gone.
/
Author's Note: I have fun writing the interaction between Saika and Asagi. Kurenai will be next.
Thank you for reading. Take Care!