Moonlight Revelation

[Muragetsu]

Nihilum was taken by surprise slightly with the sudden in burst of the newer woman. Before their interruption, He could feel Sarah touching him. But it wasn't normal. To him it felt as if she was reading into him. Reading his very being. However this touching moment as swiftly ripped apart by Angel's outburst.

He could tell that the woman was blind, but she walked like this had a purpose. A misguided purpose, but a purpose none the less. He could read her very aura. It displayed her personality to him, which rang heavily with he words 'Entitled' and 'Privileged'. Two words that without a doubt he hated the most.

After her sudden accusation of his standing from coming from the Void, he decided to respond.

" Excuse me miss...But I believe you are clearly mistaken. I am not a demon. Demons are from the abyss and last I remember I am nothing like the Denizens of the Inferno. I may have no clear memory of who I am but I know one thing for sure and I am not an evil man...," He said in a plain and yet very calm and uncaring tone.


With his response the crowd around them all quieted down with the proclamation from the guard and their eyes all turned to him. Some of them seemed very surprised from his rebuttal. He figured that they half expected him to turn angry and lash out at Angel. Granted, very few of them would blame him for such a thing. But the very fact that he showed nothing but sincerity and grace in the face of such verbal poison would no doubt show him some favorable reactions from the public if he was to remain in the Light Realm.

Sarah reprimanded Angel for her violent outburst but she went on to continue slandering Nihilum, saying that she could sense his malice and dark intent, which he knew was a lie. Many people had described the aura of his powers to him before, to his request, and the answer was always the same or similar to the others. It was like it was nothing there at all, or like being sucked into a black hole, or like he shouldn't exist. It was always something to that effect but this? To the man this was nothing but misdirected anger.

Nihilum looked coldly into Angel's eyes and just said nothing to the woman as she proclaimed her promise and subtle threat to him. It didn't phase him at all, as most things often didn't but he decided to just treat her with kindness. If it didn't win him some respect, it would at the very least Irk the woman even more and teach her a lesson in not to judge people. As she left, before Sarah would try to call after her, Nihilum spoke up to the woman.

" You can come after me, if you wish Lady Angel. You can watch me...shadow me, have me under surveillance all you wish. I will even treat your guards and agents with he up most respect and care, maybe even give him food as an apology for having to be stuck to watching me all day. But I fear you are digging for something that isn't there at all. I bid you good day, My lady. "


And with that....He let the woman walk away in her huff, clearly angered beyond all belief.

Inwardly, Nihilum even cracked a smile.

 

[0VincentRayne0]

Angel​

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Sarah turned to Nihilum.

"I'm terribly sorry for that. I assure you that Angel is only looking out for what she thinks is best."

"And her throwing accusations is what is best?" Sarah quickly shook her head.

"She has reasons. History speaks for itself. Angel is only being cautious." Nihilum nodded then looked Sarah in the eyes.

"But it does not speak for me, my lady."

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Angel burst through the large doors into her home on the other side of the palace grounds.​

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"Get me Tomoko!" Angel yelled at her guards and a couple of them immediately sought after the person. Angel marched to her room, effortlessly, and threw herself, face down, on her bed. She didn't move until she heard someone approach her door. Angel could recognize the hesitant and clumsy footsteps of Collette's twin sister before she knocked on the door. People wondered why the strict and stern Collette was the easygoing and polite Queen's adviser and and the ditsy Tomoko was Angel's. The advisers are assigned and aren't given a choice. At first Angel wanted to change advisers but that was before she knew of the girl's split personality. It was the type of personality that made, even Angel, seem like a peaceful soul.​

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"M-milady? you called for me?" Angel sat up.​

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"You saw this, Nililum, haven't you?"​

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"Yes."​

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"What is your take on him? Is Sarah right to welcome him with open arms?" Tomoko shifted uncomfortably.​

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"You ask of my opinion?"​

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"Yes, of course." Angel said with an irritated voice. Tomoko nervously adjusted her glasses.​

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"W-well, I think that we should seek out Sarah's husband." Angel frowned. That was not what she was expecting to hear.​

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"Why?" Tomoko caught on venom in Angle's tone.​

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"B-because I fear he is the only one to talk any sense into the queen now. This man is from the Void. We know nothing about him, yet the queen is welcoming him with open arms." Angel's features softened and she nodded her head.​

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"Then send for Vincent. If the queen won't do what's best for the kingdom then I will."​

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Sarah and Nihilim walked through the palace gardens.​

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"It seems that Lady Angel has a quick temper." Nihilum said.​

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"She's not fully to blame."​

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"And why is that?" Sarah paused in her walk. "Angel was raised learning to protect and govern this kingdom. I was away and when it wasn't certain I was to return, Angel became the heir. Her nobility placed her at the top of the list. Even though most disapproved of it because of her blindness she quickly proved herself to lead the kingdom. I came back before Angel was to be crowned and I took the position she longed for. She has a quick temper and is not the best social person but she knows how to govern the kingdom even better than I." Sarah continued walking.​

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"What's the story behind her being blind?"​

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"So you noticed." Nihilum nodded.​

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"I'm observant. It's impressive that she can walk around like she does without a guide or some type of aid."​

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"She's been blind all her life. And the palace has remained unchanged for quite sometime because of her blindness. Angel has everything memorized and throws the biggest fits if a piece of funiture is moved, even an inch or two." Sarah smiled at remembering the past. Sarah paused again in her walk so abruptly, Nihilum almost bumped into her.​

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"What is it?" Nihium asked.​

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"If you were able to teleport here then there must be others from your realm as well. I must know everthing about the Void realm." Before Nihilum could answer a ring of shadow circled the ground around him. Nihilum looked at Sarah in surprised but the look on her face resembled his own. A man seemed to materialize in between Sarah and Nihilum. He glared at Nihilum through his dark tinted glasses.​

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"So this is the man from the Void." It wasn't a question but more of a confirmation. He absently ran has hand over his combed back hair.​

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"Vincent!" Sarah yelled. "What is the meaning of this?"​

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"If I would have known someone from the Void was here earlier then I would have come much sooner. I'm glad Angel contacted me. You trust too easily, Sarah. That's the same mistake that happened with Evelyn." Vincent put his attention back on Nihilum. "You are our prisoner. I know it sounds unfair but the Void is our kingdom's enemy and anyone from there will be immediately classified as an enemy." On queue several palace guards came and took Nihilum by the arms and escorted him to the holding cells.​

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The cells were in the palace basement. They were still neat and clean but cold as well. Nihilum sat on his bunk bed awaiting what was to happen to him next.​

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After a couple of hours a door opened leading to the cell blocks and careful footsteps approached. Soon Tomoko, leading Angel, came into view. The pair stopped in front of Nihilum's cell.​

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"You smell of taint." Angel said. "I'm told that I am too cruel towards you. That I don't need to be so quick to judge." Tomoko took out a couple of pictures and tossed it in Nihilum's cell. "Do you recognize these people? They are from your world as well." Nihilum picked up the pictures. One was a photo of Kai and the other was of Evelyn.​

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[0VincentRayne0]

Nihilum looked to Angel and for the first time in a very long time he was actually irritated and even a bit angry. But his face showed no signs of this. He was looking as calm and as emotionless as he seemed to everyone else. He began to speak, his words cold, calculating and even a bit unforgiving.


" Your anger is displaced. You see shadows and demons where there aren't any and pass judgment on others because of your bitterness. I know of you history with the kingdom and you feel cheated and jaded because of it all. I understand it to a point. But there comes a time when you have to stop being a bitter little child because of it all and let it go. Serve your people with kindness they way they are meant to receive and not the bitterness they see within you all time...."


His words were direct and to the point. Instead of answer her question he read through her behavior and told her the words that she needed to hear, the words that others either never cared to say or were just too intimidated by Angel's attitude to get the courage to say.


" How...How dare you say such...," Angel began.


" I tell you only because of my willingness to cooperate. These bars only hold me because I ALLOW them to do so. With my powers I would warp out of here, or simple cause the cells and matter of the metal to age and degrade and simply walk out of here when I choose. The only reason I allow myself to be confined like this is because regardless of your personal feelings, I am not an evil man. Just because others that have come from the Void are evil and have malicious intent does not mean we are all like them. Many people there are just like all of you, living out their lives the best they can. Hell, you must remember I have no memory of myself until I ended up in the Void ten years ago so I may not even be from there at all."

"Maybe...Maybe he is not the devil we take him to be....,"Tomoko spoke up in the silence. Angel shot up a hand that begged Tomoko to keep her silence but Nihilum's voice soon followed.


" To answer your question....No. I have never seen either of these people before in my life. Even though I say that there are people like all of you in the Void, there is significantly less people. Everyone sort of knows everyone because we have to stick together to survive. I would of seen these two or hunt for food with him at least once in the last ten years if they were there or even alive. It is how society works out there..."


Angel took the picture back from the man and turned to walk away but then she turned to face him.


"I must tell you that if you did try escaping using any means of your...power then your cell would absorb and send all of that energy right back at you." Angel and Tomoko turned to exit the cell block. "Oh, and if you ever call me a child or anything close I will personally see you exhiled and then a bounty on your head. That way I can see you hunted. You should be used to it. After all, you are a barbarian." Angel stormed out of the cellblocks leaving Tomoko with Nihilum.

"I'm sorry." Tomoko apologized. "Angel is not used to outsiders since they aren't allowed within the kingdom and she's been here all her life. She has nothing but what she hears to go on as reference to deal with situations or people. There was a city on Earth that was almost wiped out by a large group of people. Those people were led by someone from the void. Before that there was someone who threatened to disrupt the balance of all the realms. He was also someone from the void." Nihilim nodded. He understood the situation. "Just don't do anything to keep yourself at her bad side and she'll eventually warm up to you. She's really not a bad person." Tomoko turned and exited the area. Nihilim was relieved that it only seemed to be Angel.


Angel and Tomoko quickly left after that, leaving Nihilum to sit quietly in his cell. He closed his eyes and began to meditate. He hoped that with any luck, at least one of them would listen to reason.


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Sometime later in the palace Angel was meeting with both Sarah and Vincent to convey what she had learned from the man from the Void. Sarah wasn't happy about the decision to put Nihilum in confinement when he had done nothing wrong, and Vincent knew it. But he did what he felt had to be done.

" So tell me Angel....what did you learn from him...."

"He says he doesn't know Evelyn or Kai. He implies that he has no alterior motives."

" Hmmm. Tell me....you find him to be lying? Does the sound of his words ring truth or lies to your ears?" Vincent added to his inquiry. Angel stayed silent for a while.

"No....As hard as I may look he doesn't seem to be lying at all. But he has amnesia. For all we know he could have been an evil man in his past and this memory loss state has reduced him to who he is now."


"Angel that is highly unlikely.....Amnesia does make you forget memories but it doesn't change the core of who you are as a whole. Even without your memories your truer self shows through, perhaps even more so than usual because there is nothing to hold them back...," Sarah said speaking up with her observation.


Vincent nodded to Sarah and pondered it over. He didn't seem to be a threat at all, if anything he could be a very great ally. Only time would tell from this point. Time and how they treated him.


"There is one more thing I should tell you..."


"Hmmm?"


"He controls Entropy..," Angel concluded.


"Entropy?! Come now, Angel.....," Vincent said.


" As much as I hate to say this, my lord, I felt it. You know that I can read auras. The energy his body gave off was vast and even a bit...frightening..."


They all looked at each other and a silence fell upon them, each of them wondering and thinking of many things but all three coming to a similar thought.


"Didn't Evelyn have a similar power?" Angel asked. "What does that mean?" Vincent pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Let's not jump to conclusions. We don't know if his traits are similar to hers. Evelyn's ability degraded and absorbed people's minds. And even then it was at a violent rate."

"He can't stay here!" Angel's outburst caught everyone off guard. "A-and that's a rule as well right?" Sarah and Vincent exchanged glances.

"Well, technically, you're right but he's under our care right now. We have to find more info on him and-"

"Then send him off while we figure it out. That could take weeks, months, or even years."

"Where would he go?" Sarah asked. When Angel was silent again Tomoko spoke up.

"We can send him to Earth. That place is neutral and excepts anyone and everyone."

"But we need someone to keep an eye on him."

"Contact the queen of Earth then. She'll handle it." Everyone contemplated the idea and Sarah broke the silence.

"Okay, then. It seems the best course of action and we won't even have to get the counsel involved. We just have to contact the Queen and prepare to transport Nihilim."

 

[Muragetsu]

Tomoko was slowly making her way down to the holding cells of the palace, a bunch of paperwork in hand. It had been decided that Nihilim would be transferred to the planet Earth where he would be able to live and find work. As she came upon his holding cell she found the man sitting silently on his bed, eyes closed and apparently lost in a deep state of meditation. She didn't want to disturb him, seeing as how he had been through enough already, but it needed to be done to move things along.

"Nilhilum...Can you hear me?"

The man stayed silent to her words, unstirred and unmoving even in the slightest. The Guard that was on duty at the time stood up from his chair and walked over to Tomoko.

" He's been like that for the past several hours. The man as a deep well of concentration unlike anything I've seen...Try making a bit more noise. It should get his brain to react to the sound..."

She thought it over and then gave the bars a tap. The metal rang out a sound through the cell and Nihilim's eyes slowly opened. He turned to face her and the guard and just simply starred at the two, not saying a word, as if he was waiting for them to speak.

" I'm sorry to disturb your concentration, I really am, but I have some news for you. We are letting you go and soon you will be transferred to a new place where you will be able to live and find work for yourself there as well. It's a planet called Earth in the middle realm. It is a neutral ground where anyone can go and everyone is accepted there."

Nihilim only continued to look at her but gave the slightest of nods in acknowledgement. They fact that he was so silent was unnerving to her a little, but she just took it as he didn't feel like talking or had much to say. She slipped a packet of paperwork to him to read over and sign a few things with a pen.

" I just need to you to fill out these as much as you can and I will hurry along with them to get you out of this cell. I know it can't be pleasant down here..."

He slowly turned his gaze to the paperwork and read over every detail, flipping through the pages and signing where needed. It looked like standard procedure and all of the information was pretty straight forward. After he was finished he handed it back to her so she could be on her way. She gave him a small smiled and began to make his way upstairs until he spoke to her.

"Wait a minute..."

Tomoko stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to face him.
"Y-Yes?..."

" My Scythe. I would like it returned to me. Not only is it a great weapon that has been with me a long time, It was one of the only things I was found with when I woke up without my memory. I'm sure you understand what that means to me....," He said a calm and direct tone.

" I understand...I would have to get more paperwork for you to fill out so you can have a permit for it. Scythes are unusual weapons and not many places allow their use. But with your cooperation so far and the fact you have shown no aggression at all will all but make sure I can get it back to you with Lady Angel and Sarah's blessing."

She soon left and Nihilim reverted back into his mind, resuming his meditation and reaching the calm state of his mind. Soon he would be gone from this place and well on his way to Earth. A new place meant new opportunities to find clues to himself and his past.

He only hoped he was heading in the right direction.
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Angel was sitting in her quarters when Tomoko returned with the signed paperwork. She sat up strait in her chair and looked into her direction.

" So tell me....how did he take it?," Angel asked.

" F-Fine from what I could tell. He didn't speak to me at all nearly. When I arrived there he was in a deep state of meditation and the guar said he had been that way for several hours. After rousing him out of his trance I explained our decision and all he did was nod. He took the paperwork, read it entire and signed where it was needed them handed it back to me," She replied.

Angel sat there pondered over his behavior and looked back over in Tomoko's general direction.
" His calmness is unnerving isn't it?"

" I suppose, My Lady...I do not know what to really think of it..."

"It is to me. I cannot put my finger on it. It 's either he is planning something with great intricacy or he's just really that patient and reserved.."

Tomoko sat down the paperwork on the desk and sat down next to Angel. " He did say one thing before I left..."

"Oh?"

"Yes. The only thing he said was that he wanted his Scythe returned to him. According to his account, when he woke up without his memory it was the only thing that was found with him. It seems very special to his and he didn't ask for anything else at all."

Angel pondered this over and stood up to pace around a bit, thinking over the thought behind such a request. Tomoko looked over Angel and decided to ask what was the matter.

"Does this trouble you, My lady?..."

"It does not trouble me as much as it intrigues me. It wouldn't surprise you to know that I have had some researchers pry into that weapon and run some tests on it. It is a very powerful weapon indeed. It's made of a metal they have never seen before and it nearly unbreakable. The jewels that are set into it house wells of mana and energy that are similar to the very energy I can sense from his body. If I didn't know any better I would say that it's literally a piece of him..."

" I told him that even though It would take a bit more paperwork for a permit it would be returned to him before he left. Should I resend that or let it go through?.."

" No No...let it go through. If we can bring him to trust us by keeping our word than it will make it much easier to keep tabs on him down on Earth. I do not trust this man at all but this is becoming a very delicate matter and we have to treat it as such. I say the less we provoke him the better..."


Angel sat back down a let go a great sigh as she let Tomoko go about the rest of her normal duties. She didn't like this. She didn't like it at all but for now she just had to go with it.

 

[MorrowsWings]

“You got the wrong person, Mister Gabriel. And I don’t fight. There’s no reason to.” Yu said. He was about to turn away and dismiss him when he sensed movement, and instinctively retreated half a step back.

A thin stream of blood flowed from his chin, as Yu touched the new wound he had received. He was not mistaken – that was clearly a perfect kesagiri , a diagonal cut. It was clear by observing his stance that Gabriel was a trained warrior- and could have learned the Two Heavens.
As Yu contemplated on his next course of action, Yuki, hearing the commotion, stepped out.

“What’s going on, Yu? And who is this?” she asked.

“Some person who claims he tracked me down so he could fight me. He insists upon a duel, but I’m not interested.” Yu responded, then leaned closer to her.

“He apparently knows the Two Heavens.” Yu whispered, to Yuki’s alarm. She stepped in front of Yu.

“If you don’t mind, I will be your opponent in his stead. No one gets away with threatening my loved one.” Yuki said, drawing her swords out.

"You must be Yuki. Yu's petite flower" Gabriel said in a flirty manner

"Spare the pleasantries." Yuki glared at Gabriel with her swords pointed at him.

Her response drew a grin from Gabriel. The prospect of facing another Two heavens user certainly excited him. It would be a battle to remember, for sure, though Yu was his target.

“I don't get enjoyment from fighting women but if its to him I'll do it.”

With that, Yuki charged at Gabrial. He blocked with ease.

"Not the in house Gabriel" Abby said from a meter or two.

"Oh thanks for reminding me, Abigail" Gabriel spins the blade and sneaks his left arm and flips yuki over his shoulders. She lands on her back. Gabriel stabs the ground with his sword right next to her face.

"Now young lady. This is between your husband and me." Turns to Yu "If you don't have more people to send I would like to fight you"

Yu merely stared back at Gabriel, and gave the slightest of grins. Gabriel sensed something and spun away just in time to avoid having his head cut off. Yuki was back on her feet, katana dripping blood. Gabriel moved his hand to touch the flesh wound above his left eye.

“I meant to slice off everything above that part. Seems I missed.” Shaking the blood off the sword edge, a technique who Gabriel recognized as chiburi , she charged and blitzed him with a barrage of blows, only to see Gabriel counter each and every one of them. Changing tactics, Yuki attempted to disarm him by executing an Autumn Leaf Strike, but Gabriel managed to hold on to his blades steadfast.

Parrying another blow, Yuki got to the point where she drove her blade along Gabriel’s, pushing it aside and trying to strike for the heart…when Gabriel lowered and rose his sword in a pattern, dispelling the strength of the blow, and Yuki had to retreat to avoid being skewered.

Great Wave..a skill used to weaken a strike from a blow. And how he recognized the Autumn Leaf…Flint and Spark Strike..

“How did you learn the Two Heavens? It wasn’t taught to anyone who did not pass the Circle of Three.” Yuki asked.

“Times have changed, Yuki. I learned it from an old man in Brazil… and tweaked it to suit my own style.” Gabriel responded.
“What was his name?”

“..Masamoto Takeshi.” Gabriel replied without hesitation, to Yuki and Yu’s shock. The head of the Ho-Oh no Ryu was still alive. And he had taught the Two Heavens to an outsider?

“If Masamoto sama decided to teach you.. then you probably aren’t any ordinary person, either. Not giving it my all would be disrespect.” Yuki said, pointing her blade at Gabriel.

“That would be for the best..if you don’t want to die, that is!” Leaping into the air, Gabriel smashed his swords down onto Yuki’s. She struggled to hold up against his strength as they fought for supremacy.

It wouldn’t take long. Attempting to execute iaijutsu to surprise Gabriel, she evaded his guard and stabbed him in the stomach. But he didn’t as so much flinch. With his free left hand, he swung down, slashing across Yuki’s chest in a perfect kesagiri attack, as Yuki flew back.

Yu, rushing to catch her, managed to do so before she fell.
“Yuki! You okay?!” Yu asked, alarmed, to which Yuki nodded. She was winded, but otherwise fine. He turned to glare at Gabriel.

“Nice stare there, Yamase Yu. Now do you have a reason to fight me?”

He gets to his feet after moving her to safety, and slowly approaches Gabriel. Without warning, he threw a punch, which Gabriel promptly intercepted. More blows follow, but Gabriel catches his fist.

“Peace has cost you strength. Victory has defeated you.” He said as he flipped Yu over, leaving him winded on the ground. Gabriel sheathed his blades, cracking his knuckles as he approached Yu.

Getting up, Yu lashes at Gabriel, who counters and breaks off. Screaming in rage, Yu charges at Gabriel and smashes his fists into his body time and again, but Gabriel doesn’t move. Pausing for a moment, Gabriel found his opening. His arms shot out, smashing Yu aside.

Rising, Gabriel gazed coldly at the writhing human in front of him.

“You fight like a child. Whatever the rumors I’ve heard about you can’t be right.”

Spitting blood, Yu flexed his fists as the two circle each other. All of a sudden, Gabriel reaches out and grabs Yu’s throat, pinning him down once more. He pounds him until he’s motionless, as Yuki watched on, helpless, with tears streaming from her face.

Gabriel rose and turned to Abigail.

“What a disappointment. Breaking a broken man.”

Abigail looked at the apparently unconscious Yu and shook her head before turning away. Both of them made to leave, when Gabriel held up a hand. Hearing pants, he moved to see Yu, swaying unsteadily.

“I wonder which will break first…Yamase Yu. Your spirit –“ Gabriel started, as Yu threw another punch, but missed – as he grabs Yu and lifts him high.

“..Or your body.” –Gabriel finishes as he smashes him down. The sounds of a few bones being broken rang out.

Yuki, shocked, ran over to Yu and tried to get a response from him, but failed.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM, YOU BEAST!?” she screamed.

“Just giving him a wake up call.” Gabriel answered casually, taking one last look at the hollow eyes of Yu as he initiated conversation with Abigail, both of them walking into the village, leaving a broken Yuki sobbing.

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Last past part coming soon

 

[0VincentRayne0]

Faith
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When Nihilim warped to Earth he instantly fell to his knees. It was as if gravity was heavier or his legs suddenly got weaker in an instant. Myabe it was both possibilities. It didn't take long for him to realize he was both at spear and gunpoint. The platform Nihilim stood on greatly resembled Sarah's kingdom. People surrounded the platform casting suspicious glares at him. The crowd parted and a woman stepped forward resembling the description Sarah gave him. With a wave of her hand everyone pulled their weapons away from pointing at Nihilim.

"Can you stand?" The woman's voice was soft yet hardened at the same time. She stretched out her hand and Nihilim took it. "I am Faith. Welcome to my Kingdom." Faith's hands were ice cold but the weather here was quite warm.

"Thank you." Nihilim said.

"Do you think you are able to walk?" Nihilim felt his usual strength returning and he nodded. "Then follow me. We have much to discuss." Faith turned and starting walking with Nihilim following close behind. Now that he looked about, he saw that the Earth Palace was noticably smaller than the Light Palace. There were also less people. But the individuals here looked a lot different. Many of them had wings on their backs. Others just had long, pointed, ears. On occasion Nihilim could see a person with small, miniture, wings above their ears. Faith just had the pointed ears but they were only a fraction of the length of the others.

After walking a bit more Nihilim and Faith arrived at the palace. Inside were several women dressed in light armor and armed with either a sword, lance, or bow. They were standing guard and upon seeing Faith enter they all bowed their heads.

"Do you know where my assistant is?" Faith asked one of the women.

"She should already be in your office, milady." Faith nodded and ascended the large stairs in the entrance room with Nihilim following. There were several flight of stairs in the tall palace. The two entered a room at the back of one of the long hallways on the top floor. There was a woman sitting in one of the chairs across from a large desk.

She had dark brunette hair tied into a ponytail with several bangs still hanging losely. The most distinguishing feature were the tattoos that started at the side of her neck and ran down the length of her right arm. The woman was also dressed in nothing but black clothing. She looked completely different than any other person in the Sky Kingdom Nihilim had seen thusfar but her skin did hold a pale tone similar to Faith's. Nihilim guessed they were related somehow.

The second Nihilim walked through the door the woman stood up suddenly and glared at him. He saw that her eys were completely black and before anything happened further, Faith stepped inbetween the two.

"Jill, this is the man i talked to you about. He means no harm." As if snapping out of a trance, Jill's eyes suddenly returned to a normal ice blue color.

"I'm sorry." Jill apologized. "He just gives off the same smell as the people from Ergon."

"It's probably because some of the people there were from The Void Realm as well." Faith pointed to a chair for Nihilim to sit as she walked around her desk and sat in her own. "To continue with what was being dicussed, I am sending..." Faith trailed off recalling that she didn't know what Nihilim's name was.

"It's Nihilim." He said for her.

"Thank you. I am sending Nihilim to Earth."

"Sending him to Earth?" Jill asked. "Don't you think that could either be dangerous for him or the humans?" Faith nodded.

"That is why i'm sending you with him." Jill didn't try to hide the surprise from her face. Before she could object Faith continued. "I need someone I know i can trust and rely on to keep tabs on him while he's on Earth. This is important. I am sending you and Nihilim to Japan, where the Guardians are, so they can also help keep an eye on him as well. I think you'll find it refresing." Faith opened a drawer from her desk and pulled out a folder and handed it to Jill. "That is your briefing on what to do once you get down there."

"So this is a mission?" Jill asked and Faith nodded. Jill gave a quick smile that was gone before anyone noticed.

"It's an important one that I was going to send you on anyway. Now you have someone to accompany you." Faith stood up and started walking towards the door. "I trust you can explain everything to him about Earth. I'd do it myself but I have much to do lately and I need to let mothe-the counsel know that our guest arrived safely." And with that Faith walked out the door and left Nihilim and Jill alone in the room.

 

[hoshinocomet]

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The next day, Yuki woke up to find Yu gone. His bed had already been neatly arranged. Wondering about his location, she had searched the whole village and asked almost everyone, before a boy pointed out to her that someone resembling Yu had gone off to the area near the Iga Mountains.

At once, she recalled that Yu underwent a stint with a ninja clan there during their days at the School of The Phoenix. It had been Masamoto’s idea to do so, as he felt that to know your enemy, you must become your enemy. He didn’t tell her of the secret until the dying stages of the war involving the Onikaru 7 years ago.

The injuries Yu had sustained, other than physical wounds, were fractures to his right arm. Still, Yuki couldn’t help but worry for him. Why would he head off there when the best option was to recuperate back at home? And his katana, Phoenix, had been destroyed in the Ergon-Human Battle. Though they were trained in taijutsu, she doubted Yu’s abilities to fend off any enemies now, after she witnessed Gabriel pummel Yu without much effort.

Though she did not know the layout of the Iga Mountains, Yuki decided to head out and look for him, whatever the reason, when she spotted Abigail running up the road towards her. Shooting her a fierce stare, she tried to ignore her, when Abigail called out.


“Please wait, listen to me!” she pleaded, panting from the extertion.

“I’ve got no business with you, especially after what your partner did to my husband.” Yuki replied coldly.


“I know… but I’d like to apologize for his brutality personally. Both of you didn’t deserve this. He never fought someone without thanking them for their time.” Abigail said, bowing to Yuki to express her remorse.

“A simple sorry won’t help. Yu’s now gone off somewhere, and I need to look for him. The best thing you can do for me now is to get the hell out of this village.”

“I’m sincere in making up for this. In fact I'm a black smith on the side. Have any weapons or the like that need fixing, I can get the job done in less than half the time normal smiths take.” Abigail said, showing off the tools of her trade from her pack.

Yuki stood there for a moment, staring at Abigail’s tools. If this girl is really what she says she is, she could be the one to give Yu a fighting chance. And she had apologized for what Gabriel had done.

This could be a gamble…one worth taking?

Fishing out a pendant, she beckoned Abigail over. Opening the cover, it revealed a metal fragment lying inside.
“This..is a fragment of Yu’s sword, Phoenix, forged by Shizu but destroyed due to certain reasons. Can you restore the blade to what it was?” Yuki asked.

Abigai's eyes light up with glee. “YES! I can’t pass up this chance to reforge a legendary blade from Shizu himself. I never thought... Wait, this village does have a forge, right? Its doesn't matter I'll make the forge myself if I have to. ”
“Yes, there’s one, though it has not been in use for a while now..”

“Aah perfect.” Abigail said, stretching out her hand to receive the fragment. Yuki handed it to her, but held Abigail’s hand for a while longer.

“Don’t screw this up.” She said, gazing into Abigail’s eyes.
-------------

 

[hoshinocomet]

----------
The next day, Yuki woke up to find Yu gone. His bed had already been neatly arranged. Wondering about his location, she had searched the whole village and asked almost everyone, before a boy pointed out to her that someone resembling Yu had gone off to the area near the Iga Mountains.

At once, she recalled that Yu underwent a stint with a ninja clan there during their days at the School of The Phoenix. It had been Masamoto’s idea to do so, as he felt that to know your enemy, you must become your enemy. He didn’t tell her of the secret until the dying stages of the war involving the Onikaru 7 years ago.

The injuries Yu had sustained, other than physical wounds, were fractures to his right arm. Still, Yuki couldn’t help but worry for him. Why would he head off there when the best option was to recuperate back at home? And his katana, Phoenix, had been destroyed in the Ergon-Human Battle. Though they were trained in taijutsu, she doubted Yu’s abilities to fend off any enemies now, after she witnessed Gabriel pummel Yu without much effort.

Though she did not know the layout of the Iga Mountains, Yuki decided to head out and look for him, whatever the reason, when she spotted Abigail running up the road towards her. Shooting her a fierce stare, she tried to ignore her, when Abigail called out.
“Please wait, listen to me!” she pleaded, panting from the extertion.

“I’ve got no business with you, especially after what your partner did to my husband.” Yuki replied coldly.

“I know…Gabriel’s always like that..I’d like to apologize for his brutality personally. Both of you didn’t deserve this.” Abigail said, bowing to Yuki to express her remorse.

“A simple sorry won’t help. Yu’s now gone off somewhere, and I need to look for him. The best thing you can do for me now is to get the hell out of this village.”

“I’m sincere in making up for this. Look..I’m a smithy..if you have any weapons or the like that need fixing, I can get the job done in less than half the time normal smiths take.” Abigail said, showing off the tools of her trade from her pack.

Yuki stood there for a moment, staring at Abigail’s tools. If this girl is really what she says she is, she could be the one to give Yu a fighting chance. And she had apologized for what Gabriel had done.

This could be a gamble…one worth taking?

Fishing out a pendant, she beckoned Abigail over. Opening the cover, it revealed a metal fragment lying inside.


“This..is a fragment of Yu’s sword, Phoenix, forged by Shizu but destroyed due to certain reasons. Can you restore the blade to what it was?” Yuki asked.

“As long as there is a bit of what remains, you can count on me. And I can’t pass up the chance to reforge a legendary blade from Shizu himself. This village does have a forge, right?”

“Yes, there’s one, though it has not been in use for a while now..”

“It’ll be fine.” Abigail said, stretching out her hand to receive the fragment. Yuki handed it to her, but held Abigail’s hand for a while longer.

“Don’t screw this up.” She said, gazing into Abigail’s eyes.

***
Yu almost collapsed with exhaustion after trudging through another area thick with undergrowth. The stronghold of the ninja hadn’t changed after all these years. Coupled with his broken right arm, which he had in a sling, made the journey more difficult. But he was determined to reach his destination.
On the way he had acquired a long branch, using it as a makeshift staff. Pushing aside a bush, he gave a sigh of relief. There was the hot spring he had been looking for, famed for its healing properties. So far he hadn’t told anyone, even Yuki, about it.

The incident with Gabriel had reminded Yu about how weakened he was. He couldn’t afford to be in this state any longer. He was a warrior, and should act like one.

With some difficulty, Yu took off his clothing and immersed himself into the spring’s waters, and could feel its effects almost immediately. But the healing would take some time and he wouldn’t appreciate outsiders.

As soon as he felt he could drop his guard, Yu felt a prickly sensation down his neck. His ninjutsu training had taught him not to ignore such signs. Pretending to be comfortable, Yu subtly looked around. It seemed that there wasn’t anyone, but he thought he sensed movement amongst a bush.

Someone was definitely out there. Ninja? He had trained with one clan, but there are others, and they may not recognize him.

The silence was deafening, but Yu realized he had no choice. Thinking it could be a ninja ambush, Yu clasped both hands together, middle fingers entwined, thumbs and little finger extended in a V-shape..the Ryu seal, a sign of friendship amongst ninja. He winced as he felt his right arm twitch, but he had to hold the sign so that it was visible.

Yu waited for a response, but again, there was nothing. Had he been wrong?
He’d lowered his head, when a shadow flew over his head, and held a tanto to his throat, so fast that he couldn’t react. Yu remained absolutely still, aware that any further movement could result in his death.

The ninja, dressed from head to toe in shinobi shozuku, spoke.

“Who are you, and how do you know the location of our springs?”

The female voice sounded familiar to Yu.

“I was a member of a ninja clan here. To be specific, it was Soke’s.” Yu answered confidently. Almost immediately, he felt the pressure of the knife off his neck, and the ninja turned his head to face her. Pulling off her hood, it revealed a striking girl of twenty with spiky black hair and eyes as black as midnight, and Yu’s jaw almost dropped upon recognizing her.

“Hana…long time no see.” Yu said, as Hana grinned in response. Back then, during his ninja training, Hana had been his longtime partner, and Yu knew her as a playful, spirited and cunning girl.

“Its very good to see you too, Yu. And I was beginning to wonder when you will ever pay us a visit back here. Anyway, what are you doing -” pausing, she took a brief glance at Yu’s wounded arm and a look of concern crossed her face.
“You’re wounded! Who did this to you?” she asked, enraged.

“It’s a long story. As to why I’m back here after so long? If you got time, I’ll tell you.” Yu said.

“I’m all ears.” Hana nodded, and she listened rapt as Yu gave a brief recount of the events that had happened over the past few years, from him joining Ancora Insitute, to Faith’s abduction, his temporary defection to Ergon, and his eventual redemption to seal humanity’s victory over the enemy.

After a moment of silence, Hana spoke.

“I didn’t know you’ve been through so much, Yu. I’m sorry I had to hear that.”

“It’s fine. Perhaps the war had made me see what I really was like on the inside. I wasn’t strong enough to be able to protect the ones I love. Now…I want to change that. I want to be able to fight. Otherwise, Yuki would be disappointed with me.”

“I’ve heard you mention her many times. What’s your status with her now?”

“Oh…we got married.” The moment he said that, Yu swore he caught a flash of disappointment over Hana’s face.

“I see..congratulations! Anyway, I should assist you with your wounds.” Hana said, as she put one hand on Yu’s shoulder, and with the other, formed a hand seal for Sha , one of the symbols used in Kuji-In, or ninja healing.

Yu could feel a warm tingle spread throughout his entire body. He’d recalled how his leg had suffered a nasty gash during a ninja training mission, and Hana used Kuji-In to speed up the recovery process. Astounded by this, he decided to learn the art as well.

After an hour, Hana lifted her hands, sweating from the exhaustion.

“There, that should do for today. Coupled with the healing spring’s effects, your fractured arm should be fully healed within a week or so.”

“You still have healing hands.” Yu said, nodding in thanks. Blushing, Hana leant in closer.

“I know I’ve said this, but I’m glad to see you again. The clan hasn’t been the same since you left..”

“What’s wrong? Is Soke-san alright?”

“He’s doing fine, but his old age is starting to take a toll on him..”

Yu frowned at knowing his old ninja grandmaster’s fate.

“Don’t worry, he’s strong. We’ll need to elect a successor soon. I should be going back to the village now, or do you need me to guide you back down?”

“No, I can manage, thank you.”

“Alright then. See you tomorrow!” Hana said, and with a leap, she was gone. Yu didn’t even tell her that he had planned to come to the springs every day. Rising out of the waters, he swapped his old sling cloth for a new one, and got dressed before heading back to the village. Today had certainly been eventful.

 

[0VincentRayne0]

Jill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

​

Jill and Nehilim sat in silence. Jill finally let out a sigh and stood up.


“Come on. We should leave as soon as possible.” Jill looked Nehilim over. “I trust that you are prepped already.” He nodded.


“I didn't exactly bring a suitcase with me. All I have is this.” Nehilim gripped his scythe and Jill nodded.


“Very well. You will follow me. We have to warp to the ground level. That is where the humans dwell.” Jill turned and exited the room, walking at a brisk pace and Nehilim followed.


“So what are humans like? Is the ground level anything like this place?”


“Human's are quite like children. They are spontaneous. Most of them think only for themselves. They are also weak and easily influenced. They fear the unknown greatly. So whatever you do, you must not use any power you possess while on the ground level of earth. They have been known to persecute and kill those that possess any power.” Nehilim's eyebrow furrowed.


“Why don't the people with power just overthrow the humans? If the humans don't possess any abilities then surely they can be overthrown.” Jill halted and looked back at Nehilim. The look in her eyes only showed wisdom in experience. It was like she was remembering a painful past.


“That cannot happen. If it is one thing the humans are superior in, it's at adapting. They already outnumber ability users, one hundred to one. Once they figure out how to repel our power then the war turns into a one sided slaughter. This has happened several times throughout human history.” Jill turned back around and continued walking.


“And the Guardians?” Nehilim asked.


“Guadians are humans that possess great power. They are chosen to protect Earth from anything involving the Realms.” Nehilim silently nodded taking all this in. “We are here. Now let me warn you that the place where we are warping to has a very dense population within a small area. So if you are overwhelmed then I suggest only going out at night to slowly get used to being among the people.” Jill stepped onto a small platform that resembled a smaller version of the other ones that took Nehilim from the Realm of Light to this one. Nehilim stepped on after and in a bright flash of light they were gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

When Nehilim felt the ground beneath his feet again he once again felt gravity's pull to be slightly stronger. But there wasn't much of a difference this time. He looked around and saw that they were in front of an apartment building. Jill looked around.


“Well, this is kind of a dangerous. Just warping us to an open area like this. Hopefully, no one noticed us because it's dark out.” Jill took out a paper from her pocket and looked at it, then at the building. “Well, it seems that we were warped to our destination.” Jill walked up the steps, with Nehilim following behind, to their room. Jill already had the key. When they walked into the room there was already furniture in the small apartment.


A table in the middle of the room with a small television in the corner. There was a desk against one of the walls with a nice computer sitting on it. There were dark, closed, curtains over the window and Jill pointed at them.


“You see those curtains?” Jill asked in a serious voice.


“Yeah, what about them?”


“Under no circumstance do you part those curtains or even move them.”


“It's because you're a vampire.” Jill nodded. Nehilim looked around. “Where do we sleep?”


“You sleep here. In the middle of the floor. There's a futon, bed, stuffed next to where I stay.” Nehilim looked up and saw an area that resembled and open, upstairs attic. It was just large enough to fit a person or two.


“So that's where you sleep?” Jill almost chuckled.


“I don't sleep.”


“Really? Then maybe I should sleep up there and you can have the rest of the room to yourself. That way you have room to do whatever you do while you're awake.”


“Are you sure, Nihilim?” He nodded his head and he saw the closest thing to a smile appear on Jill's face. “Well, you should get some rest. We have quite a bit to do tomorrow. I want you to be rested up so you can make a good impression on the Guardians.”

 

[0VincentRayne0]

Rebecca

coming soon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

 

[hoshinocomet]

The next few days, Yuki always found Yu already in bed by midnight. When she attempted to ask him of his whereabouts, all she got was a vague answer. Angered by his apparent nonchalant behavior, she eventually refused to sleep with him.

Her attempts at tracking Yu proved futile, for he had managed to cover his tracks with the ease of a ninja. Yuki, however, had not trained in ninjutsu, and always got stuck in the undergrowth.

Yu…what are you up to? Why won’t you tell me?

Yu may be keeping something from her, but Yuki was doing the same, holding secret the fact that Abigail was reforging his sword. Luckily, the forge was located some distance away and Yu never suspected anything.

Meanwhile, back at the healing springs, Yu examined his right arm. The discolored bruises have been steadily fading, and he could close and open his fist. Although bending his arm was still slightly an issue, he no longer felt any pain.

“Your healing rate is amazing…even with kuji-in, I’ve never seen anyone recover that fast.” Hana remarked.

“Im that lucky, I guess.” Yu replied, though he knew that wasn’t the case. Though he was “free” of the sinister Mark of Ergon, it seemed that it had left him with some curious regenerative abilities.

He was almost there. Soon, he would be able to fight once more. As he made to leave the spring, he felt a prickling sensation on his neck, and glanced at his surroundings.

“Saw something?”

“No…I think I was mistaken…” Yu said, as his gaze trailed off. He had learnt to trust his insticts, and something was wrong. But what?

He looked up into the sky and realized that it had turned a pale gray, with storm clouds on the horizon.

“Seems we lost track of time..its going to rain cats and dogs soon! I’d hurry if I were you.” Hana said, helping Yu finish wrapping the new set of bandages around his arm.

Nodding his thanks, Yu pulled on the wide brimmed straw hat he received from his ninja partner and made his way down.

***
On the crest overlooking the village where Yu lived, five hooded figures stood, glancing at the settlement. One of them approached the figure at the front.

“Is this the place?”

“…There’s no doubt. My sources have been extremely reliable. This is where he resides now.”

“So then…what are your orders?”

“Lay waste to everything. Force the pathetic humans to reveal Yu’s location until he comes out of hiding…”

The figure bowed and signaled to the three others behind him. One by one, they vanished in a swirl of dark energy.

The lone person remaining withdrew her hood and drew her weapon – a chainsaw black as night, etched with various runes. She glared at what was before her, before allowing herself a satisfactory smirk.

“Time to have my revenge.”

 

[0VincentRayne0]

ASTRID
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
​

There was a knock on one of the villager's door. The people of the home answered and saw a man with black eyeliner and short hair standing at the door.

"Who are you?" The man of the house asked and the stranger smiled.

"There is a gathering in the center of the village. It would be in your best interest to attend." With that the stranger walked away and moved on to the next home. The man that answered the door and his wife went to see what was happening in the center of the village. When they arrived most of the villagers had already been gathered. In the middle of the confused and worried crowd were about a dozen more outsiders.

"All of them talking at once is giving me a headache." Astrid said rubbing her fingers against her temples. The man that was going from house to house finally stepped beside her, done with his task.

"Are you sure it's the noise of the crowd that is giving your head pain? I think putting up with Amy would cause anyone strife."

Amy was a different than everyone in Astrid's group. She was obsessed with the pop music, anime, and video games that came from Earth. Pretty much anything that involved electronics and entertainment had her immediate attention. She was more particularly interested in anything that came from or had to deal with Japan. Even now, after climbing from the bottom up for several years, she was a successful popstar in Japan and was even well known around the world and arguably had the largest fan base of any other current artist.

"Are you sure it's okay for her to be in on our operation? She doesn't see eye to eye with the others." The man asked again.

"Sid, you worry too much. Everything has been planned out carefully and all possible options explored. In fact Amy is a very valuable asset to us. The fact that she has so many loyal fans will benefit us when we need them." Astrid explained.

"And what about gathering the others?" Astrid put up a finger.

"Can we just focus on one thing at a time. For now we deal with removing an immediate threat." Astrid saw her sister moving towards the middle of the crowd while holding up her hand and everyone grew silent. Rebecca was hard to get along with at one time. In essence the girl was worse than Amy in her views of humans. Even to the point of coming to earth to observe them and collect data to prove that they were a race that could be talked to and could live in harmony with other races. But then she was almost killed by the very man they were tracking now. Yamase Yu had taken Rebecca's eye and pierced her heart. He had left her for dead. Luckily Rebecca required further steps to fully be vanquished. Astrid's sister had been recovered and through magic was given a new eye. And with the new eye was born also a hatred for Yu. Yu also killed any personality of kindness or morals the girl had before as well. Rebecca personally wanted to slowly make Yu suffer and die a painful death.

In truth Astrid was a little jealous of her younger sister. People seemed to he much more intimidated by the silent type rather than someone with a short temper. Astrid guessed the reason was that if Rebecca did something out of anger it was sudden and unexpected. Where with Astrid there was foreshadow with her anger coming forth first followed by whatever actions she took.

"People of this village," Rebecca began "we have gathered you here to inform you that there is someone that resides in or around this place. He has been on the run for a while. We have very reliable intel that points to this village being his current resident." Rebecca brought out a large photograph of a man. An immediate murmur broke out among the villagers. Rebecca held up a hand and once again there was silence. "This man, Yamase Yu, is a wanted man. He has a very outstanding warrant for the killing of many men and women of secret agencies as well as being one of the main conspirators of the terrorist organization that attacked a city in England prior years before. He is a very dangerous man and a reward would be given to anyone that aided in his capture. It is believed he may have a female accomplice as well. She is also to be arrested for questioning. Remember that this man is an international criminal and a terrorist and with your aid he can finally be arrested and charged for his crimes." Sid leaned towards Astrid.

"Your sister is a good speaker." Astrid nodded.

"That's the main thing that she's known for. No one has seen her fight because she goes for a person's main weakness." Astrid tapped a finger against the side of her head. "She knows how to get into anyone's head. And she won't hesitate to beat someone from the inside-out."

 

[hoshinocomet]

There were murmurings amongst the crowd, most of which recognized Yu’s portrait. Some of the villagers visibly shrank in fear, whilst others bore confused expressions on their faces, unsure of whether to believe in the facts Rebecca had just spoken. But doubt had been sewn amongst their hearts, and Rebecca could see that.

“If you hand him over without resistance, I can promise you all that a generous reward will be given from our leader.” She continued, as arguments started to break out. Eventually an old woman called out for silence, and stepped forward to face her.

“Whoever you are looking for is not in this village. Leave us be.” Obasan said. Rebecca just stared at her coldly.

“Hand Yamase Yu over and your people will be safe.”

“From people like you? Never!” Obasan raised her cane and hit Rebecca’s left leg, but she didn’t flinch. Instead, her eyes flashed and the next instant the old woman fell to the ground. None of the villagers stepped forward to help her, fearful of suffering the same fate.



“Should we tell her? I don’t want to die…”
“He’s a criminal all this while? No wonder he had that shady look about him..”
“We should have never accepted him in the first place!”

The noise level rose again as the villagers bickered amongst themselves, as Rebecca allowed herself to smile slightly. The humans’ hearts were weak, still. All it takes is a little push.


Additional footsteps were heard and everyone turned towards Yuki, who was striding down the path.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered…” she then saw the figures in front of the villagers and froze upon seeing someone familiar. Her expression turned to one of utter shock, as Astrid grinned maliciously and stepped forward.

“Long time no see, Mizumo Yuki.” Astrid gestured towards Rebecca, who pointed a finger at Yuki.

“She is the accomplice I mentioned earlier who assisted Yu in hiding.” Rebecca said, and the villagers gasped.

“What are you talking about? Yu isn’t here. If you’ve come to stir up trouble, please leave us now!”

Even as she said so, Yuki readied one hand on the handle of her katana. Back then, when she fought Astrid in the ruined halls of Arachnid Academy, she was almost overwhelmed by her strength. Seeing her again out the blue left her speechless.

“Yuki, how could you do this to us? Harboring a criminal without our knowledge…”
“You’ve endangered us all!”
“Yeah, that’s right!”

Yuki looked at the crowd with desperation.

“You guys believe all that to be true? They don’t have a single piece of evidence to back up their claim!” she said.

“Oh I assure you, we do have evidence. Rebecca, if you please.” Astrid gestured.

Reaching into the folds of her robe, Rebecca pulled out a oval shaped device and pressed a button, which projected out a holographic footage. As it played, the color visibly drained from Yuki’s face.

The footage was of Yu murdering innocent civilians during the Human-Ergon battle. While Yuki knew of his actions then, witnessing them first hand was another matter altogether.

After a moment Rebecca switched the projection off and swept her arms outward in a gesture of triumph.

“People…after seeing this, do you truly believe me now? Yamase Yu is a menace to be exterminated. He will eventually reveal his true colors and kill you all.”

At this, the villagers didn’t hesitate any longer. Two of them grabbed hold of Yuki while the rest fanned out to search for Yu. As Yuki struggled in the villagers’ grip, Astrid walked up to her.

“You seem pretty happy, living out your pathetic life.” She says, and slaps Yuki across her face.

“These four years, I’ve never forgotten how he turned his back on us. I still don’t know why Evelyn chose him…a human! Then all she got in return was her death.” Astrid seethed, backhanding Yuki again. Grabbing her face, she drew nearer.

“Tell me where he is.”

In response, Yuki quickly rear kicked the two villagers holding her hostage and spun away. She had barely gotten out her sword when it made contact with Astrid’s chainsaw. Metal grated against metal, before they broke from each other.

Amy and Sid advanced slowly, but Astrid held out an arm.

“I got a personal score to settle with her. You two go search the village.”

“Ive got a concert in two hours. This better be quick.” Amy muttered, as she and Sid leapt over Yuki. She tried to stop them, only to meet Astrid’s chainsaw again. The force of the blow knocked her to the ground.

Astrid leapt upon her, determined to land the fatal blow, but was blocked by two blades crossed on top of each other. She cursed and retreated.

“Who?!”
Gabriel stood before Yuki, a smile on his face. He slipped into a reverse Two Heavens stance, all the while keeping his gaze on Astrid.

“I didn’t ask for your help.” Yuki said, getting up.

“Sheesh, cut me some slack already! Im sure you got more important things to tackle. I’ll handle the chainsaw babe – you take care of the ones with her.” Gabriel charged at Astrid before Yuki could respond, and she turned and ran, hoping she wasn’t too late.

If they find Abigail, its all over…