Behind him Lozo could hear the sound of mud sap down and hit the ground. Since his encounter earlier, he had felt Old man Ji's presence lurk behind. And anytime he attacked his attacks doubled. Not of his strength but of another, another who wasn't really there. He didn't wish to acknowledge it, because if he did, he might never see old man Ji again, let alone feel his calming presence.
Thus, as he charged in for the attack, Lozo didn't dare look back. He only launched his fist full of anger towards the cracked creature, in hopes Old man Ji would lend him his strength. But something didn't rhyme well with their situation. Lozo couldn't help but feel a sense of inadequacy. His jumps, his punches, his kicks all of that to the very pain that wanted to brutally end the creature before him, a wave of flutily flashed in his mind. He panted heavily and frantically as though he was suffocating, his knees had given into the stress such that he couldn't rise from where he knelt. Behind him the force of old man Ji had grown faint and was quickly sapping away.
As for the creature, its dark smile still edged on its face. It didn't seem deterred or even see him as a danger. More of, to it, his presence and a mosquito's weren't so different. Both wanted to puncture the body and even if they did what would one small measly mosquito do but be annoyingly persistent.
"Oh! Heime, do you want to hear my hymn?" the creature asked.
'Who is he talkin— 'Lozo paused abruptly on seeing the obsidian haired Saint arrive.
The Saint's eyes, condescending as ever, loomed around the supposed battlefield. The boy was breathing heavily and what looked like a mud figure loomed behind him. Kar on the other hand stood tall and joyous as the two danced around the well.
"Quite playing with your prey, Kar. Hurry up and finish this." Heime ordered.
"No. First both of you must listen to my song." Kar rebuked in a childish tantrum.
Lozo knelt a few meters away. The smoke had gotten to him and a ceaseless cough had now joined his heavy breathing.
As he looked at the two debate on his life, he realized something… they were toying with him. It must have been a habit of some sought for them to toy with their victims before finishing them. That eerie feeling hovered again. He was inadequate to handle the situation… and he knew it deep down to be true.
"We are needed back at the fief mansion. Hurry up and delt with him." Heime ordered once more.
"No! he said he'd listen to my hymn and I won't disappoint him." Kar continued, his childish demeanor still irritating.
Heime's eyes narrowed.
"Do you wish to show this boy mercy? Are you going to defy the wishes of the lord." he asked curious of Kar's answer.
"Mercy—No! No! I already showed him mercy when eliminated the flaw that had crawled into his hands. Mercy, No!" Kar answered.
"So why do you wish to prolong his suffering?"
"Because he said he'd listen to my Hymn. Right?" Kar said as he turned towards Lozo.
The strength in Lozo's legs had finally given in. he had crumbled to the ground barely even kneeling. His voice was stifled because of his dry throat and the flaring pain shooting from his abdomen. The conversation by the two had become painful to listen to especially since to them, the flaw was the one person he had always thought to be special.
"You see Musubi!" Heime said unsheathing his blade. "You're prolonging his ending. I'll give him one that suits him." He added already inches away from Lozo ready to finish their earlier fight.
The blade in his hand hummed as it dropped. This was the last time it would ever be drawn to fight this opponent and its joy was exhilarating.
Lozo's eyes closed as the mud creature behind him unmorphed from its human form back to plain mud. It was done.
"Enough!" Kar's voice boomed.
Time seemed to stop as his voice echoed in their hearts, both Lozo and Heime. It resounded and sang in a rhythm they had both heard once in their lifetime. The unique day each of their lives shifted from the normal to the Harmatia. The day came to Lozo as flashes of pain and Heime as flashes of joy.
Then Kar began to recite.
Be ready all who are sinners at heart,
For the mistakes of the distant past are a must
You who live and protect as saints,
Beware the light of eightfold strands,
For by its third name the dark will come,
Be ready all who are sinners at heart,
The will of the past must be heard,
He who lived as an empty heart,
She who lived as a compassionate heart,
Heed their warning of the forgotten past,
For by its third name the past will come.
A sudden brush of brush of wind rushed past both Lozo and Heime. Gentle as it was a single graze felt like a thousand razor blades had just been abruptly rushed on their bodies sending both writhing in pain on the ground. Lozo experience was far worse compared to that of Heime, but each experienced their fair share of pain. Heime's blade had been swirled out of his hands and planted into the ground, where it hummed uncontrollably in unison to Heime's pain.
Kar stood unflustered as he watched the two tremble and shake in fear and pain. His eyes were filled with scorn and distain. He watched as the so-called Saint pull his dark hair in pain trying to make sense where the pain was coming from. On the other had Lozo was near death as white foam made its way up his mouth dripping onto the mud pile that used to be his guardian.
Kar walked closer to where the two trembled. He could feel the pain through the dark threads sown into his ember body. He crouched down looking into their internally tearing eyes. Then he spoke.
"My name is Kar Musubi, a mere Messager for what's to come. As I have sang to you my hymn and you have heard it, so have many others across the lands. They to now know the pain both of you now know and have felt their futures intertwine with the dark threads. Lucky are you for you have received the Hymn of Dark threads, use it to sow a desirable future…"
"Huh?" Kar said raising a brow.
Coming in at blurring speeds, two projectiles aimed for Kar's head. One a shimmering blade that hummed its way through the air and the other a large boulder etched with symbols across its under surface.
Kar smirked. His dark teeth never really a joy to see but had always carried a hint of mystery.
He slowly rose, his eyes still demeaning the two in pain around him. He slowly raised hand towards the two objects daring at his life and with a twitch, they each broke and shattered.
The smirk on his face grew into a jaw-wide smile.
"Lozo Jurei! Heime Hervor!" he called out their names.
"My sole wish to sing to you has come to an end." He said, letting out a huge sigh of relief." Now it's up to you two. Use your anger and hatred, use your joy and wish to protect and cut these dark threads, guided by my hymn protect the universe's greatest force."
***
The description of slowly fading into death's hand is known by few. Well, that's because only a few people manage to escape it grasp. Death, in this world filled with pain and suffering, sometimes is the easiest way to escape the futility of this world. It promises peace quiet and serenity far from all the chaos that loom in living world. A fast get away to an eternal peace. But the easiest way is usually never the best way.
You see the world provides something that triumph all the suffering in the world. Something people hang on to as they fade or even wake. A driving force that has saved many from taking the easier path to their problems.
And that force is what was pushing Lozo's heart at that very moment. His senses were numbed with only blurs from his eyes. He couldn't feel nor hear anything at all. His body was no longer his own.
The blurs feeding from his eyes on showed specks and smoke floating around. He was moving yet not by his own will nor body. As he continued to look around he met the hideous face of the demon Kar. His glowing cracks to his blurred vision were as if he was staring directly into the sun, his head fell to the direction Kar was walking in.
Ahead the stone remains of the well scattered all over. A memory tried to flash but faded to black. The forward motion stopped and was replaced by free fall.
His body met the waters of the well as he faded into a dream. A bright light shone and the night went silent.
In his mind only one thought persisted. The thoughts name was Hinari.