Chapter 4: Fade To Black, Chapter 4 : Nature’s Pandemonium

           *FLASHBACK SEQUENCE*

A child was struggling up a mountain trail. The dark sky was clustered with stars and heavy snowfall. Howling wolves and human-made crackling fires kept the night far from silent. The child was frantically forcing her way this trail, with her mind racing, resulting in hyper yet dazed state. 

"This is who we are, Mashiko!" repeated in her head, ringing. 

"Muhan, control your daughter!" followed. 

"She's still young, give her a chance Norin" 

"If she can't help, she can't stay!" 

"It's here! Bumi, is here!" 

"Sorry, Mashiko. I have an obligation here. Just wait for me" 

"Don't baby her!" 

"Just leave, girl! You're of no use to us right now!" 

 

A slight growl she heard startled her, making her fall face down in the snow. She quickly rolled over on her back and saw five pairs of glowing eyes. The slight growl she heard earlier didn't compare to the growls whatever these eyes were attached to were making. Shivering in the snow, she equipped a small blade. She pointed it in the direction of the eyes, her whole body shaking. As the eyes wandered closer and closer, the outline of a pack a wolves became visible to her. 

"Go away!" The girl whimpered. 

The wolves got closer and closer. Until they were in position, ready to strike. The girl climbed to her feet, with her blade still pointed towards her canine foe. Among the five wolves, the leader fished itself to the front, sporting a dirty white coat and light brown eyes. The rest of them circled around Mashiko, until it commanded action. One by one each of the wolves swooped in and attacked. The first one pounced from behind and at the time she turned around to face it, another changed forward and bit the wrist the knife was in. She dropped the blade as the rest of the wolves bit into her flesh. The girl let out a silent cry as she was forced to the ground by the blood-driven beasts. Despite the dire situation, she was not in fear. Not of the wolves at least. The girl was feeling a certain feeling of emptiness and left her kin because of it. But in the middle of the snowy cold, she sensed something to complete her. As the wolves were busy trying to rip her flesh apart, she focused on the outline of a much larger beast approaching. Her and the wolves dwarfed in comparison to the beast. However, what she felt was shortlived. Because as the beast grew closer, she realized it was not the beast who could save her. It needed saving. The blood dripping from the beast became noticeable as it came into view. The beast had a variety of weapons pierced through it all over. It's eyes were almost lifeless as it limped towards her. Finally, it fell just a few feet from the girl as the wolves attacking her flinched in awe to this random beast. The leader of the wolves started to back away as the others followed. The girl and the beast made eye contact, while it was still able to. Because not too soon after appearing, it fell to the ground. Motionless. Defeated. A blue spirit levitated from it's body and floated towards the girl. The wolves didn't like the presence it projected, and retreated. The girl gained resolution from the blue spirit and resonated with it. Fully in sync, their spirits fused and it became one. The feeling of emptiness expired, and all of her wounds and pains were healed. In disbelief yet relief, she rose to her feet. And continued on her journey. The girl found her way back to the village she fled from. There, was a bloody massacre. Bodies with familiar faces piled. As she walked through it, she saw the carcasses of the people who doubted her. Considered her useless. Although her mind was filling with a thousand statements and questions, none seem to transition into actual speech. She stopped at one of the bodies. Her father's. His name was Muhan. She was sure he suffered the same fate as everyone else though, but for some reason, he opened his eyes. 

"Ma...shiko" Muhan whispered. "You are alive...?" 

Mashiko understood completely, but couldn't speak. So she nodded her head. 

Muhan looked around and saw all his bloodied and fallen brethren. Most noticeably, Norin, the man who planted the idea of Mashiko's uselessness.

 

"The irony, she lived past both of us" he stated with a smirk. 

Muhan fell back and closed his eyes. Until he realized something. 

"Wait" he said as his eyes widened. "That means Bumi is within you? Yes, I feel her" 

Mashiko and Muhan weren't alone. Muhan heard him. Mashiko looked up and saw him. 

"You failed, Muhan" he said. "I gave you all the assistance you asked for, and you still failed" 

Muhan looked up to see the man responsible, in the grand scheme of things. 

"Tabuke!" Muhan acknowledged. 

"No, she's within your little girl. Isn't she?" Tabuke realized. "Well then, I guess I'll have to-" 

                                 *SWOOSH*

Muhan sprung to his feet, equipped with one of the spears on the ground. 

"Run, Mashiko!" Muhan stated as he held the spear to Tabuke's neck. 

"Still can move?" Tabuke stated with a smile. "You're one tough bastard" 

Muhan watched his fleeing daughter with a smile as Tabuke's entourage surrounded him. 

"You can't take us all" Tabuke declared. 

"I don't have to" Muhan stated. "You'll never catch her. You must've forgot the LSA's border is not far from here." 

"Tch" Tabuke stated. "What a waste" 

Tabuke then released his aura of shallow and took the spear from Muhan. 

"Track down that girl and capture her" Tabuke commanded. "I'll take care of this bastard myself" 

His entourage all built their shallow aura as well and leaped after Mashiko. 

"You'll never get her" Muhan stated, laughing. "Never. And once she learns and understands what Bumi is capable, you won't be able to beat her neither" 

"I will" Tabuke stated. "But lucky enough for you, you won't live to see it" 

                                      *SLICE*

                     *A FEW MOMENTS LATER*

Mashiko was frantically running once again. However, her pursuers were alot more lively.

"Get her!" One of them stated. "Don't let her get away"

 

At the border of the region awaited a team of militia equipped with firearms. They fired at Mashiko's pursuers. 

"Master Inyo, our bullets can't pierce their shallow!" One of them said. 

"Don't worry" Inyo replied. "I got something special, Douma crafted them himself." 

Inyo revealed a gigantic crossbow, about the same size of him. 

"Who is going to be able to operate that? Douma's not here!" One of them replied. 

"Don't worry, we have somebody." Inyo stated. "Shira, it's time" 

Shira appeared from behind and walked up to the front. 

"I can lift it, but I can't aim it" Shira stated. 

"Don't worry, Douma made this one to where you don't have to." Inyo replied. 

Shira nodded.

"Let's go Kintaro!" Shira stated. 

You are reading story Fade To Black at novel35.com

Shira's muscle definition increased as his hair turned darker green. 

"Okay everyone, infuse your shallow energy into it" Inyo advised.

Everybody held their hand out as their shallow energy flowed towards the crossbow. 

"That's it, it's ready." 

Inyo used his shallow to pull the string back and fire.  

                                  *SWOOSH*

The arrow soared through the air as it overflowed with shallow energy. One by one, the arrow slammed into the pursuers.

                                  *SWOOSH* 

As it cut through one, it fully disintegrated him. 

                                 *SWOOSH*

It flew through another, having the same effect. 

"That thing is amazing" Shira stated as he watched it stop all the pursuers. 

"Douma is a genius, he found a way to make it home in on anyone with shallow energy. As long as we aren't in the direction it's facing when it's fired, we'll be fine." Inyo explained. 

"That's amazing!" Another one of them said. 

"Wait" Shira thought. "What about if that girl also has shallow energy?" 

"What?" One of them replied. 

"She could be like one of us" Shira stated. 

Inyo took a second and thought of the possibility, watching the arrow. As it cut through the last pursuer, it became clear that Shira was right. As it remained in the air, and was heading for a still-sprinting Mashiko. 

"Damn, Shira was right" one of them commented. 

"What do we do?" Shira stated as he looked at Inyo. 

"The only way to get it to stop is to produce a force greater than its own" Inyo stated as he began running towards Mashiko. 

"That's impossible, you'll never make it there in time" Shira stated as he leaped after him. 

"Hurry!" Inyo called out to Mashiko as she ran towards him. 

Mashiko was fast, but the arrow was faster. And it didn't take long for it to close the distance. Soon, it was directly behind Mashiko. 

"No!" Inyo stated as he leaped for Mashiko. 

Mashiko turned around at the last second, just before it collided with her and - 

                                       *BOOM*

The arrow stopped an inch away from Mashiko's face.

 

"Wha-" she stated as she looked around her.

Everything had stopped. The snowfall was paused. Shira, Inyo, and all the others had stopped. But Mashiko was the only one who seemed to noticed. Confused, she walked towards them and touched them. Both of them were freezing cold to the touch. 

"It's my Absolute Zero" Mashiko heard a angelic voice say. 

"What?" Mashiko replied. 

"Here" the voice replied. "Once you grab this staff, everything will resume" 

A blue, thin staff with an orb connected at the top appeared in front of her. Mashiko reached out for it, but then looked back and the frozen Shira and Inyo. 

"Hmmm" she thought. 

Mashiko had moved both of them out of the way of the arrow. Then, she grabbed it. Time resumed just as the voice said. 

"NOOO" Inyo stated until he realized that Mashiko was safe. 

Shira stood in place, until he noticed as well. 

"Wait, what happened" Shira stated. 

"I stopped it" Mashiko stated. 

"You stopped it?" Inyo stated. 

"I just heard a voice and -" Mashiko started to say. 

"There's the arrow right there" Shira pointed out. 

Mashiko looked behind and glanced at the still frozen arrow. 

"You really did this?" Inyo asked. 

"I think I did" Mashiko said. 

"Wow" Inyo replied. "Whatever kosho you have is amazing" 

"What's a kosho?" Mashiko replied. 

Shira and Inyo stated to see crows surrounding in the air. 

"I'll explain later" Inyo stated. 

"Yeah, right now we need to go" one of the others stated.

You can find story with these keywords: Fade To Black, Read Fade To Black, Fade To Black novel, Fade To Black book, Fade To Black story, Fade To Black full, Fade To Black Latest Chapter