by Aaron Oster
Aika wanted to disagree, but even she had to admit that shoving them in here and immediately separating them were hardly the actions of someone who cared. Even if the rewards were substantial, the chances of survival were slim, at best. It was only through sheer determination and a whole lot of luck that they’d even made it this far.
Roy felt her smaller hand slide into his and give it a small squeeze then. Aika didn’t say a word, but Roy could feel the sentiment all the same. It didn’t matter what he did or where he went. She would always stick by him no matter what. The gentle rocking of the raft soon had him drifting off. Right before he fell asleep, Aika abruptly sat up, jostling the raft and shaking him awake.
“What is it?” he asked, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.
“Look!” Aika said, her voice awed as she pointed out over the water.
It didn’t take Roy long to see where she was pointing, as it was obvious in the surrounding darkness. The water, which had been brown and murky all day, now glowed with a bright iridescent blue-green light, tracing along the trail they’d been following all day.
“What do you think it means?” Roy asked, eyeing the glowing trail.
“I have no idea,” Aika replied, hopping off the raft and into the water. “But whatever it is, we need to go check it out.”
Though it was the very last thing he wanted to do, Roy rose, stepping back into the water as Aika lifted the trailing pull-rope. Whatever it was, he dearly hoped it wouldn’t try to kill them.
33
Both the bear-man and Ferry stared as the man approached, his gaze flicking between the two of them and the pile of scattered corpses. Had someone been making assumptions, they would have thought Ferry had instigated the attack. After all, why would so many weak Artists attack someone obviously stronger than them? The bear-man was likely just passing by and happened upon the scene and decided to act.
But it seemed that the man came to a far different conclusion and was much faster than one might have thought.
“So, bear-man, care to explain why you’ve accosted this fine ferret-woman with a gang of thugs?”
The bear-man, still clearly in shock from having had his attack stopped, — and by a Red-Belt, no less— didn’t say a thing. He merely stood there, watching the approaching man with a mixture of fear and anger.
“No answer?” asked the man, coming to a stop before them and cocking his head to the side.
Now that he was up close, Ferry finally got a good look at him. He was tall, slim, and appeared to be quite young, but Ferry knew that was a common trait among powerful Martial Artists. The front of his black and white robes was open at the chest, revealing the hardened muscle beneath. The ease in which he carried himself showed that he was clearly someone of high authority. Ferry could pick some other things up as well, the more subtle details others might miss.
Like, for example, how his hair swept up at the temple on one side or the line of his jaw. There were some other similarities as well, and Ferry was quite certain that this was another member of Aika’s clan, the Tonde clan. Seeing as how she only knew of a single Tonde clan member who was supposed to be at Red-Belt, the logical conclusion was that he would be their clan head, Tonde Kaeru. What the clan leader was doing all the way out here was a complete mystery, though.
“Well, how about you? Care to give me an answer?” Kaeru asked as he turned to her.
Ferry shrugged, then pointed at her throat and made a light squeaking sound.
“Ah, you can’t speak just yet,” Kaeru surmised. “Not a problem, I’ve always been quite good with languages. In fact, it’s where I got my name from, but that’s a story for another time. So, please, tell me what happened.”
Ferry looked to the bear-man, who was still frozen but clearly looking for an escape, before turning her eyes back on the Tonde clan head. She then began to talk with her mind, gesturing as best she could to try and explain the attack and what she was doing all the way out here. The longer she spoke, the angrier the man seemed to become, and by the time she was finished, he was practically livid.
“You mean to tell me,” Kaeru said, whirling on the bear-man. “That you lured this innocent woman out here with the intent of killing her and selling off her pelt like a common animal?”
The bear-man, seeing that there was little he could do to save himself, simply shrugged.
“This woman was easy prey, and humanoid Beast pelts are far more valuable,” he said, unapologetically. “Your kind hunt and kill Beasts all the time, so I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“Last I checked,” Kaeru said, “the hunting of humanoid Beasts and Beasts who show signs of human intelligence is against the laws of this continent. So, unless I’ve missed something, you were basically trying to kill another human being and sell their skin, which is way worse than killing a Beast, as my kind does.”
The bear-man’s muscles tightened, but he didn’t otherwise move.
“So, what are you going to do to me?” he asked. “Are you going to kill me?”
“If only I could,” Kaeru said. “While I do hold the title of Supreme, I can sense that there are those in the city who far outrank me. I can probably kill you without repercussions, but this seems like a perfect opportunity to introduce myself and turn in a criminal at the same time.”
Before the bear-man could make so much as a move, the wall of water vanished, flowing around his back and pinning his arms in place before freezing solid. Ferry was completely awed by the spectacle and made sure to show the man deference as he turned back to her with an apologetic smile.
“I hope you won’t mind coming with me. I really do need a guide, and I’ll need your testimony to lock this man away.”
Ferry debated not telling him for just a few more moments, before deciding that if this man was willing to save a total stranger, she could trust him enough to let him know about Aika. With a few more motions and squeaks, Ferry explained who she was, that she was on a quest in the city, and traveling alongside Aika. The man froze when he heard Aika’s name, his eyes widening just a hair.
“I’m sorry, can you please repeat that?” he asked. “I’m not sure I heard you correctly.”
“Aika of the Tonde clan is here in Light city,” Ferry repeated. “You are the leader of the Tonde clan, right?”
Ferry didn’t know if he heard exactly what she said, or if it was the motions or noises she was making that he picked up on. Either way, Kaeru seemed to understand what she was saying as his face broke into a wide smile.
“That is excellent news!” Kaeru said. “We’d thought Aika had died in battle, but it seems she’s been alive the entire time. Is Irusaru here with her?”
Ferry shook her head, then inquired as to why he would want to know.
“Oh, it’s probably nothing,” Kaeru said, waving it off. “We haven’t seen him in several months, but he has a tendency to just vanish whenever it pleases him. He’ll turn up eventually, but for now, let’s head to the main family’s compound so that you can introduce me.”
Ferry gave him a reluctant smile before turning her back on the alley and heading toward the main family’s compound. She was glad that she was still alive and happy that she’d get to see Roy again. She could only hope that this man wouldn’t react the way Irusaru had, though if he hadn’t returned to the clan since Roy had been forced to run away, Kaeru probably didn’t know about all that had happened.
She’d had an exceptionally long day, and Roy was probably starting to worry about her by now. She really hoped he was in a scratching mood because her ears needed some care, and Roy always knew how to scratch them just right.
***
“Why don’t you just kill the thing? You are supposed to be a Sage, right?”
Hermit resisted the urge, not for the first time, to obliterate the annoying and haughty Martial Artist where he stood. He’d finally learned the man’s name, though after fighting alongside him and the others for over fifteen hours straight, that was
hardly a surprise. The Cavern Beast was advancing rapidly towards the city and had reached 4th Dan Brown in the last hour. Its power continuously climbed, even as they all made a valiant effort to stop it in its tracks. If there was one upside to this Beast’s rapid advancement, it was that it had yet to learn to use Chakra. While one might think that that would be impossible, Cavern Beasts played by an entirely different set of rules.
They were creatures of pure chaos and destruction. Defying the impossible was what they did, which was why they were so dangerous. This creature seemed unstoppable. It had rampaged through half a dozen small towns and cities, all of which had been evacuated, as well as two major cities, not all of which had been cleared in time. Right now, they were on a direct crash course with Light City.
Even from here, some three-hundred miles out, Hermit could feel them— the teeming masses all slumbering, blissfully unaware of the looming threat just outside their gates.
“Hello? Are you even listening?” the man, whose name was Gaki – which in the old language literally meant ‘brat’ – yelled up at him.
The Cavern Beast chose that moment to break free of the tethers they’d snared it with and barrel right towards the man, mouth gaping open and ripples of distorted light dancing in its open jaws. Though he was sorely tempted to leave the man to die, Hermit’s Ideal simply would not allow it.
He dashed forward through the air, covering the distance between himself and Gaki before he could so much as react. His foot lashed out, catching the man in a sidekick and sending him flying. He was just in time, as the blast of rainbow-colored light tore through the spot he’d been occupying, ripping jagged cracks in the air and tearing a furrow in the ground.
Hermit retaliated, blasting the Cavern Beast in a spray of fire so hot that it changed from red to blue mid-attack, before turning a dark purple and then changing to be completely black. Normally, he might not have risked such a powerful technique, but the Beast was wide open, and none of the others were close enough to be caught in the blast. The Beast was also getting far too close to the city for his comfort.
The Cavern Beast, which they’d since named Time Ripper, screamed a horrible scream as its sides were roasted, and its face was engulfed in the burning black fire. It let out a blast of distortion, but Hermit’s Reiki-fueled attack would not be stopped by something so weak. He could see the others gathered in the distance but reluctant to approach, due to the intense heat and power pouring off him.
The Beast turned, trying to shield itself, but Hermit just turned along with it, pouring more Reiki into the attack and increasing the stream of black fire to a literal wave. Finally, for the first time since the fight had begun, the Beast dropped to its knees, roaring in pain and rolling on the ground as it tried to put out the searing black fire.
Its sides began to char, its skin and fur crisping up as its blood boiled within. Hermit had been avoiding using this attack because of the potential damage it could do to the surrounding landscape, and because of its aftereffects. This area would now be completely uninhabitable for the next hundred years or more, the air tainted with a poison invisible to all but the most powerful. It would seep into the ground, infecting it for over a mile around. This spot would need to be roped-off, and a wall would likely have to be built to keep intruders out, but by this point, Hermit knew there was no more time for half-measures.
The attack continued for the next couple of minutes until the Cavern Beast finally stopped moving. Even then, Hermit continued pouring fire onto its body, ensuring that it was well and truly dead before finally cutting it off. He breathed out a long breath, fighting to keep his limbs from trembling. Unleashing that much destructive force was extremely taxing, even for someone like him.
It was astounding how long the creature had survived under his assault. The amount of power he’d put into that attack could have melted an entire mountain to slag within seconds. This creature had managed to stay standing for three minutes and had then taken another two to perish.
“Finally!” Gaki yelled, being the first to approach. “That took you long enough! And why the hell did you kick me?”
The death of the Beast seemed not to affect him at all, his anger at Hermit seeming to still be at the forefront of his mind.
Hermit’s eyes swept over the remainder of their group. Geki was still alive, though injured, as were a dozen others. Three more had died in the fight, bringing their losses up to five. A further seven were too injured to continue and had been forced to return to Light City for treatment. In fact, the only ones not sporting any injuries were Hermit and, unsurprisingly, Gaki, the idiot who did nothing but complain. It was over now, so Hermit could fix that problem without feeling too guilty.
Gaki, like the idiot he was, was now prodding at the charred Beast with one of his fingers, commenting on how weak it really was and wondering why it had taken Hermit so long to kill it. How the moron had ever become a Gold-Belt was a complete mystery, but clearly, the man hadn’t done so because of any great intelligence. In all likelihood, it had more to do with his family’s wealth than anything else. Hermit suspected the moron was near the end of his advancement regardless.
The idiot in question turned on him then, his face livid as he gestured to his robes, which, while once pristine, now held a muddy boot-print in the center of his chest where Hermit had kicked him.
“You’re going to be paying for this, by the way,” he said haughtily. “Do you have any idea how much this cost?”
“Do you have any idea how close you are to death?” Hermit asked calmly.
“Are you threatening me?” the man asked, narrowing his eyes. “Do you know who I am?”
“I honestly don’t care if you’re Ikari herself,” Hermit replied with a shrug. “You’re an arrogant and spoiled child who deserves to be expelled from the clan. No one should have to deal with you on a daily basis, especially if you’re this much of an asshole all the time.”
“Excuse me?” Gaki spluttered, his face now so red that Hermit had to wonder if it was about to explode in a shower of blood. “I am Itachi Gaki, heir to one of the head families and sixteenth in line for the position of clan head! Now, I suggest you take a knee and beg for my forgiveness before I have you killed for disrespecting your betters!”
Hermit had to wonder if this man was the stupidest person alive. Either that, or he was completely color blind, had forgotten the events of the last five minutes, and had completely forgotten who he was talking to. Everyone here knew very well who he was, as he’d introduced himself upon arrival. They could all also see his Belt, which marked him as a Sovereign, not a Sage as the moron had called him. And, if they were pulling clan rank, then the only person who technically outranked Hermit, was Ikari herself and even that was debatable, as Hermit was the older one, and therefore entitled to the role of leadership.
There was a small movement behind Gaki just then, and Hermit felt his eyes widen just a hair. Gaki, thinking his threats had finally made it through, allowed an ugly smile to spread across his face.
“That’s right,” he said, spreading his arms wide, even as the charred Cavern Beast rose behind him. “Kneel before me, and I might just let you li…”
Gaki was cut off as the Cavern Beast’s mouth snapped shut around his torso, ripping him in half and ending the moron’s life in a single bite.
“Damn it all,” Hermit cursed under his breath as Time Ripper’s Core burned with power, advancing to 5th Dan and restoring it completely.
Even as they watched, new skin began flowing across the Beast’s body as it rose once again. It seemed that even with his death, Gaki had well and truly screwed them all.
34
Roy and Aika followed the glowing path for well over an hour, sloshing through the swampy water and looking everywhere for signs of attack. None came, and by the time the grass stalks thinned, opening into a small clearing in the swamp, Roy’s nerves were all but shot.
“What is that?” Aika asked as they entered the clear ope
n space.
The glowing path extended into a wide pool that seemed far deeper than the rest of the swampy water surrounding them. On the other side, Roy could see the grass stalks resume, but he was far more interested in the massive tree standing in the center of the glowing pool.
“Let’s go find out,” Roy said, sitting back on the grass raft and motioning for Aika to do the same.
Though he wanted to help, Roy allowed Aika to do all the paddling herself, knowing that it was a way in which he could make her feel useful. He was also exhausted, so the prospect of not having to lie on his stomach and pull with his arms was quite nice. Aika had no qualms about doing so and eagerly propelled them forward, towards the large tree.
It was very wide, its base looking almost bloated, and it branches sort and stubby. However, as they drew near, Roy could begin to make out small dark shapes hanging from the tips of the branches. Now thinking he understood, Roy ran his fingers through the water, scooping up a bit in his palm and examining it. There wasn’t so much as a spec of sediment, and when he took a cautious sip, he found it to be cool, clean, and fresh.
“I think our food and water shortage problem has been solved,” he said with a grin.
Aika flashed him a quick smile before concentrating on getting them closer to the massive tree. Only once the bow of their grassy raft bumped against the wide trunk did she sit up, craning her neck up the length of the tree to see where all the fruit was growing.
“Can you make it up there?” Roy asked as she examined the smooth bark.
“You better believe it!” Aika replied, stretching one way, then the other. “I’ll be back in a few seconds with dinner.”
Then she was off, leaping upward and running along the wide trunk. Roy had no idea how she was doing it, but figured Aika would let him know as soon as she returned. He watched her lithe figure reach the branches, then dash out onto them to gather the fruit. He had to admit that he was impressed as she flitted about, gathering everything in reach, before turning to come back down.