Birds screech, ominous howls reverberated in the cold pine glen. Tigreal's unaware what Hanzo wants with them but one thing's for sure: he lusts for blood.
Freya succeeded to stand. She staggered to go where Tigreal is. She grunts as she pushed on, desperately forcing herself to reach them. Tigreal felt that he'll lose consciousness any moment. Something cold rushed down his face, overlays his vision with film of fresh blood.
Halfway through, she completely lost her balance, landing with a sickening crack. "I-I'm so…. I'm so s-sorry." She said between her sobs, wounds constraints her movement. The ninja in his soul state was delighted as the place was filled with sound of helpless and despair.
Exasperated, Hylos shown signs that he's still alive despite of how severe the wounds he took. Freya used her remaining strength to reach out to him. He opened his mouth but no words came out.
"More blood, more flesh" Hanzo sniggered. Tigreal noticed the curved line appeared under his palm that encircles them. It glows with red elixir, part of Hanzo's power.
Muffled screams and shrieks of confusion---- someone lunged inside the circle, pulling them outside the area. Couple of slashes was seen in the circle flickering in reddish color. Freya slammed in the sturdiest tree where the girl in turquoise blue yukata brought her.
"Remain hidden." She ordered and swiveled forward with serious stares. "Your friend is safe; we'll get you out of here."
On the other side, Tigreal stood on awe when a shadow ninja brought him in the thicket. He didn't have a chance to thank him because he quickly shifted to his clone. "Kagura! Behind you!!" he cautioned. Kagura briskly flee to avoid Hanzo, leaving her umbrella behind to slow him down. A smile formed in her lips. The demon blood is going out.
"Hayabusa, now!" Kagura commanded. Hayabusa showed behind Hanzo, who recently reverted back to his body. Shots of panic struck him; he sprinted forward, craving for demon blood to defeat them easily. He felt a prickly pain as the shadow strikes his body which gradually decreases his speed.
Hayabusa reverts to his normal state at shoot glance to a female ninja whose concealing herself. "Your turn" he mouthed.
"HIGANBANA!" She casted a scarlet lotus flower at enemy's area.
"H-hanabi..." Hanzo recognizes whose magic immobilized him. "I should've killed you when I've got the chance."
"Unfortunately, you lost your chance." She jumped down the tree and showed herself.
"I see, you saved my hopeless preys." He chuckled.
"Well, I guess you could replace them" His face gotten more serious; determined to take them down.
"Two ninjas and an onmyouji....." Hanzo drawled. "A satisfying amount of demon blood can be obtained from the three of you." The Akakage regenerates, slowly regaining her strength.
Hanabi and Kagura communicated through an eye contact with smirk on their faces. After a while, they diverted their gaze to Hayabusa.
"Get them out of here, snot-nose." said Hanabi.
"Make use of the time while we distract him." Kagura encouraged Hayabusa to do the best he could to save Freya and Tigreal. "Don't worry Haya, we'll be fine."
Hayabusa didn't hesitate to follow the two. He left with faith and trust to Kagura and Hanabi's capabilities. First, he directed himself to the tree where Kagura brought Freya. Seeing that she's unconscious, he decided to carry her and darted towards the Thicket where he hid Tigreal.
"Can you walk?" he asked him. Unlike Freya, his wounds are not too visible. His clothing gave him more resistance to Hanzo's attacks. However, his forehead is wounded.
"I can." he answered. Hayabusa led the way out. He refused to shout for help, which would raise Hanzo's awareness of their escape. "I can't bring you to Iga. You'll not be safe there." he thought of an alternative way and place where he can a let them rest. He noticed Freya as he run; she's starting to lose her color.
"Take us to King Estes." Tigreal said. He tries to keep up with Hayabusa's speed. The shadow ninja stopped when he heard Tigreal's footsteps stopped. Breathing heavily, demanding more air.
Wind blows, pair of footsteps in ascending sound can be heard, indicating that it's approaching them. Heart throbbing---- Hayabusa thought of his companions. What happened to them? Did they succeed to stop Hanzo? Whose footsteps are those?
"She's here...."
"Who?"
"Irithel. Behind you-----" Tigreal warned Hayabusa. He gasped when an enormous, sharp fangs of Leo was zoomed in his face.
"Why are you here?" That woman nearly killed them in the woods, where their forest lies. And now, she's offering help "What's with that perplexed look warrior? You can trust me."
Hayabusa sees a ray of hope "Please take over, they need me." he pleaded knowing that Irithel can help them more than he can. Her tiger can be used as a mode of transportation. "Take them to King Estes."
"I believe I can't. This woman is draining out of blood. Her wounds are too deep, she needs to be cured as soon as possible." Irithel watched Freya, resting in Haya's arms. She saw her twitched and slowly opened her eyes. She ponders her eyes to Hayabusa. "H-hylos.. Please save the centaur. I-im b----"
"I will, don't speak anymore. Please take them somewhere safe. ..."
"Mahar Pura." said Irithel.
Screams echoed from afar. All grew nervous, judging it came from the glen, the current battlefield of Kagura, Hanabi, and Hanzo.
"Kagura…." Tigreal exchanged places with Hayabusa who felt devastated.
"That's the nearest place I can think of."
"Well, I hope I'll hear news from you." he assisted Tigreal and Freya to ride at Leo's back. "I'll go first. Don't worry, I'll save Hylos."
Irithel proceeds to ride at Leo's back. "Be careful Leo, we're heavy." she spoke to the smilodon with smile in her face. Hayabusa took the other way, back to the glen near Iga. He hastened to arrive faster with an unwavering spirit to back-up his companions and rescue Hylos.
Little did they know, Hylos was nowhere to be seen in that place anymore
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Arms dripping with blood, shallow wounds are visible. The Akakage, Hanzo, was overwhelmed by their magic and coordination. He had inflicted them with damage too; Hanabi's tights were slashed open, leaving a medium-length cut in her thighs. Kagura's right shoulder and left arm was harmed too. His system starts to malfunction. He can't transform to his soul state for a long duration. Even though he's not at the advantage, he doesn't plan to give up.
"Is that all you've got? You might weaken me but I can still take you down." He glared at them and flashed through, heading to Hanabi's direction. Hanabi is currently looking at her wound, tying it with cap sleeves, unaware of Hanzo's upcoming blow. Kagura noticed his knock-down plan. Knowing Hanabi has no escape skills, She quickly teleports with the help of her umbrella.
"Hanabi!!!" The forest sent back a faint echo of Kagura's shout. Kagura held her tight in waist, transporting with her from direction to another as Hanzo chase them. With the help of Kagura's escape skills, Hanzo failed to catch them.
"Formidable." Hanzo was weakened by trying to catch and execute them at once. He held his demon sword tighter, his energy runs out. 'If only my blood would work.' He said in his thoughts.
"You're at disadvantage, Hanzo." Hanabi stated, looking down at him. "There are no creeps to farm or heroes to kill..."
Kagura and Hanabi bombarded him with attacks. Hanzo retaliated, he's the strongest ninja, they can't possibly defeat him. He carefully observed their movements, he doesn't stop to dodge their attacks, but there are some attacks that deals damage to his body.
"It's over." Kagura declared.
Hanzo was pushed back. Anger written all over in his face.
Game over. He memorized their combination and techniques.
"No, it's over, for the two of you." He started to wave his sword, aiming freely. He wishes to cut down everything he sees. He can predict their next move.
It is balanced now. No one's going to be unscathed.
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"Still awake, Freya?" Irithel checks her out with eyes focused on the path ahe navigates.
"Y-yes." she weakly said. Irithel place her left hand in her waist band, retracting something from it.
"Wear this to her. This'll help her regain a little amount of health." A necklace with a ruby red colored pendant was handed out to Tigreal recognizes it to be a healing necklace.
He immediately followed Irithel's instruction, carefully putting it around her neck so she can regain health without them falling off of Leo's back. "Fasten up, Leo..." Irithel said as they drifted in the left direction.
"Few more minutes. I need you to hold on." Irithel inform them she caught a glimpse of Mahar Pura, a kingdom in Eastern Lands, coruscates in pure gold with rich red accents, shining bright as the sunlight.
One of the castle guards who's strolling the area saw them. He held the reigns tighter and directed his horse to briskly run way back to the Kingdom. He quickly arrived at the castle's gate, hastened to get inside to reach the hall.
In front of the hall's door, indistinct conversation was heard. The soldier knows that he'll risk his life for disturbing their assembly. He remembered the condition of the three people he saw. Exhausted, wounded and not someone who would assault them; that's he sees them. He decides to knock, the volume that they'll hear. Voices fade, arguments rested. He opened the door with fear this might be his last day.
"Who gave you authority to disturb this royal assembly?" His face perplexed with the way his soldier acted. Before the soldier speak about his purpose, a voice in his back takes over.
"King Minsitthar, the goddess of war has paid you a visit."
- E N D O F C H A P T E R N I N E -