by Brandon Chen
Tobimaru sighed, looking around for a weapon since Gavin had shattered his blade earlier. He wrenched a stray sword from the ground, pointing it at Keimaro. He frowned, looking at Keimaro in disbelief. “Is he suicidal?” he muttered to his partner. “What could he possibly—”
Keimaro swept his hand in the air, and flames roared to life —but this time, something was different. The flames morphed from their warm colors into a pitch-black, swirling around in the air at Hidan. The Bount swept away with a gust of wind and vanished before the flames were able to hit him. Still, the mere sight of this fire was enough to make Tobimaru stagger back in fear. The boy moved on to Junko, who was staring in awe.
Junko jabbed with his dagger at the boy, but Keimaro saw everything coming. He grabbed Junko by his wrist, twisting and snapping it like a twig. He ignored the Bount’s cry of agony and yanked the man onto the ground, forcing Junko onto his stomach. “You’ve done nothing but make me suffer,” he snarled, driving his foot down onto Junko’s back, rapidly stomping on the man’s squirming body. “I’m sick of losing the people that I love. I’m sick of everything!”
Tobimaru snapped to his senses and sprinted at Keimaro to save his comrade. His eyes widened when Keimaro, with unbelievable speed and power, drove a kick into his diaphragm. The man doubled over, grasping his stomach, the air forced from his lungs. What? he thought. How is he able to read my movements so easily? The Bount raised his hand, using his telekinesis to choke Keimaro with as much pressure as he could muster.
Keimaro glared at Tobimaru and swept his hand, sending black flames that forced the Bount to disengage, staggering away before the dark fire could engulf him. The boy heard Junko’s whimpers of pain, and Keimaro drove his sword down into the Bount’s leg, skewering his flesh and pinning him to the ground. Blood splattered across the earth as the bald man screamed out in agony. His eyes were wide with fear, never having experienced such pain before. Tears streaked down his cheeks and mucus ran out of his nose as he raised his hand in an attempt to cast magic, but Keimaro knew exactly what he was planning. He brought his boot crashing down on the man’s second wrist, breaking that cleanly as well. “You look like you’re in pain, Junko,” he said, bringing his hand upward. Black flames began to coat his fingertips, and his eyes gleamed with malice as he brought his arm down. “Let me help you with that!”
His arm sank into flesh, cutting through Junko’s back as if it were nothing. In silence, Keimaro yanked his hand from the flesh of the Bount’s corpse, blood coating his skin as he staggered back. He swayed slightly, feeling everyone’s eyes upon him. His heart was pounding, and he felt his stomach giving way. His fingers tingled with an unknown sensation surging through his veins. His vision blurred, and he stumbled over the corpse at his feet.
Tobimaru shifted nervously and gripped his sword in front of him tightly, not quite sure what to do. He extended his hand and grasped Keimaro’s body with an invisible force, yanking the boy in his direction. Tobimaru’s grip on his blade loosened as he slashed his sword sideways as Keimaro was dragged toward him.
Keimaro blinked as he felt the abnormal tugging, as if the air itself were yanking at him. He grunted as he found himself staggering toward Tobimaru, and then he saw that the Bount’s sword was cutting at him. He raised his hand, hitting Tobimaru on the inside of the wrist in order to prevent the blade from reaching him. He swung his fist, catching the Bount in the cheek with a loud crack. Tobimaru took a step backward, his head snapping to the side forcefully. When he turned his head back to face Keimaro, his eyes were filled with a glowering hatred. He roared as he punched at Keimaro.
Keimaro’s eyes widened as he was thrown backward as if a cannon had slammed into his stomach. He rocketed several feet into the air before he felt something invisible grasping at him again. He gasped as his trajectory was completely changed while in mid-air. Defying physics, he was dragged back toward Tobimaru with incredible speed. His face met the Bount’s fist at full-force. The blow knocked Keimaro onto his back, and he slid past Tobimaru, groaning. Despite his audible response, the punch hadn’t exactly hurt. Normally he would’ve at least had a bloody or broken nose from such a direct hit, but it felt as if the entire blow had been muted, numbed somehow.
Tobimaru turned to look at Keimaro and raised an eyebrow. “It seems you have benefitted from your friend’s death.”
Keimaro held out his hands and saw that, although they looked normal, they were solid steel, reminiscent of Yata’s metallic powers. Was it possible that when the light had struck him in the chest, it had been similar to how the meteor’s energy had transferred to him four years ago? It was quite possible. He looked at Yata’s unmoving body and gulped. Even after death, Yata was still with him, helping him to the very end. He clenched his hand into a tight fist and was suddenly gusted off of the ground by Hidan’s wind magic and was hurled across the entire courtyard, smashing into the dirt like a skipping stone.
***
Hidan appeared out of thin air beside his partner and whistled, brushing back his hair with a swift motion. “Wow, looks like he’s even more frightening, huh? Black flames and increased stamina from his friend. You could say that we are in a bit of a predicament, Tobimaru.”
“More than you know,” Tobimaru said, rubbing his wrist as he twirled his sword and watched Keimaro, who was beginning to get up. “Our attacks don’t do much damage to him anymore. He isn’t like Yata. Yata was incapable of avoiding or blocking our attacks, so he was practically a punching bag. We just waited until his stamina drained out. However, Keimaro will be harder to hit, and his flames are the ultimate offensive.”
“What’s with the black flames, though?” Hidan muttered. “He killed Junko without any effort. Should we be worried?”
“Black flames are infamous and are typically used only by demons. The flames are called the Kuroi Homura. They are the fires that burn within the depths of hell,” Tobimaru explained, watching as Keimaro slowly pushed himself to his feet. “They can burn through anything, even water. The only thing that can douse them is holy water. Other than that, the flames burn for eternity. But what intrigues me most about this is that the flames can be used only by pure demons. Keimaro and I are both half-human. How he’s managing to use them doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s because we have someone before us with quite some potential,” Kuro’s voice echoed. Kuro stepped from behind Keimaro as if appearing out of thin air. He tapped Keimaro’s shoulder with a light chuckle before vanishing.
***
The boy saw nothing over his shoulder, but he was sure that he had heard Kuro’s voice just behind him. He glanced to his right and saw Kuro walking forward with his hands folded behind his back. “What the hell do you want?” he snarled. “Did you come here to die like your friend?”
Kuro looked past Keimaro at his fallen comrade, Junko. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. Soon his sullen look was replaced with a small smile. “I suppose this is something that I had not anticipated. You have surprised me. You do have talent, Keimaro. As the creator of the Hayashi clan, I can assure you that what makes you stronger is your hatred. But, to think that your anger and hatred can reach such an extent that you can transcend your own humanity … now, that truly is something. What is it that triggered this?” His eyes scanned the area and locked onto the lines of dead bodies behind Yuri. “Ah. Friendship, bonds that were forcefully severed, I presume?” He began to walk forward and came between Tobimaru and Keimaro. “This magic is making you incredibly strong, I agree. We could use you.”
“Use me?” Keimaro scoffed. “After all that you’ve done to me? You killed my family, destroyed my village, kidnapped my younger sister, and killed my best friend along with all of my other comrades. They are lying here as corpses before our eyes. How dare you offer me a position to work beside you to accomplish your sick, twisted desires!”
“My desires, actually, are the same as yours,” Kuro said with a laugh. “You see, everything here is so simple. I left J
unko with a simple set of instructions. Create a monster. Make the monster suffer to the point that he lost his reason to live. And he created a monster, you.”
Keimaro cringed at the word. He gritted his teeth, glaring at Kuro.
“I wanted to transform a tranquil and peaceful life into a world of hell. You see, such a sudden twist of events, such forceful yanking of loved ones from one’s life can cause traumatic changes. Simply from looking into your eyes, I can see the type of person that you were before all of this happened,” Kuro said. “What happened to your family and your village—the Bakaara massacre, was it? That was what made you into a monster. A killer, one bound to revenge. However, we can give you back that life of tranquility. Everything that you’ve ever wanted can be given back to you. You see, that is the point of everything that we have done to you.”
“You’ve tormented me in order to force me to join you so that I can get everything back?” Keimaro snarled.
“In order to open your eyes to the cruelty of the gods. Your family was doomed from the very beginning. Whatever Junko did to your family was going to happen either way. The Hayashi clan is doomed to be extinct. There is no way to exist in a world created by gods who want us dead. It is us or them, don’t you see?” Kuro exclaimed, growing louder as he spoke. “The objective of the Bount organization is to destroy the gods and take our place on their throne to govern over this world. With the power of the gods, we can bring anyone that you want back to you. We can help you achieve anything that you desire. Anything that you’ve ever wanted will be given to you. You can see your mother again, your father. If you join us, your younger sister will be reunited with you immediately.”
Mai.
Keimaro closed his eyes at the very thought of having everything that he had ever lost returned to him. Yata would return, his mother, his father, the people of his village. Everything could go back to normal. He wouldn’t have to keep seeking revenge. Wasn’t it the gods’ fault that the Hayashi clan was to be executed? If the Faar Empire hadn’t cooperated, they would’ve had some other force carry out their desires to burn down Bakaara. It was a hard decision. Join the people who had taken everything from him in order to get everything back, or fight against them because it was the right thing to do. His eyes opened.
“Well?” Kuro said.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to decline,” Keimaro said. “As much as I want my family back, I could never ally myself with someone that I hate so much. I would be itching to tear all of you apart every second that I spent with you.” He pointed his finger at Kuro. “I don’t care what everyone says about you. I don’t care if you’re the strongest being alive. I am going to be the one to kill you, and you will rue the day that you ever created a monster like me.”
Kuro raised an eyebrow in amusement and guffawed, grabbing his belly as he laughed hysterically. “You’re a stubborn one. Well, I cannot blame you. After all, I would feel the same way in your position. Though, you might decide to change your mind. Go on, I will give you this one chance at life. If the world doesn’t eat you up by the next time we meet, I will do it myself. Meanwhile, I hope that you will think of the offer.”
“What?” Tobimaru snapped. “You’re going to let him go?”
“If I kill him, then Junko’s intentions over these four years will have gone to waste,” Kuro said with a smirk as he eyed Keimaro. “Besides, I do see that you have what it takes to follow in our footsteps. You are much like me. I want my revenge. That is why I am going to destroy humanity and cast the world in such a dark shadow that they will forget what sunlight ever looked like. You can reject this offer and run off with your band of assassins. However, an age of darkness is coming. Are you and your friends truly strong enough to stand against it?” He laughed, clicking his fingers as he began to walk away, motioning for Tobimaru and Hidan to follow.
“In the meantime, we will keep your younger sister alive. That is, until it is ensured that you will not accept the deal. Then her use will be expired. Until next time,” Kuro said, stepping over the destroyed rubble of the wall that had surrounded Z’s mansion. “I wonder what young Mai will think of her older brother’s decision.”
Keimaro’s hand curled into a tight fist at his side, and his knuckles cracked. Without thinking, he launched himself forward at Kuro, his eyes crazed with mad hatred. He roared, swiping his hand as a line of hot flame moved with him. But Kuro was fast, countering and dodging his every movement. Keimaro released everything he had. He swung and slashed, punched and kicked, but nothing seemed to touch the Bount leader. Instead, Kuro stepped about, reading Keimaro’s movements like a book—and he smiled the whole way through.
Keimaro ripped his sword from its sheath and slashed downward, flipping through the air and bringing it into the ground where Kuro had been only a moment earlier. Flames radiated across the singed grass, blackening it to a crisp. He dragged his blade across the dirt, whipping it forcefully out of the earth at Kuro, but the Bount made sudden movements that seemed to freeze even time itself.
Kuro touched Keimaro’s wrist with hardly any force at all, and a spasm writhed through the boy’s body, forcing him to drop his weapon. He stared in disbelief at the actions of his own hand before a punch slammed into his cheek. With a second’s notice, he was tumbling. The world spun continuously as he was thrown across the courtyard, bashing through the remains of Z’s outer wall and smashing into the neighboring buildings. It didn’t seem like he could stop. He gasped, rolling through the wall of a house where he found himself on a wooden floor, the entire structure creaking loudly. He pressed his palms to the ground, his hands shaking furiously, his head throbbing. A ringing in his ear dragged out, irritating him.
“You see….” Kuro’s voice was rather far away, but Keimaro could hear it clearly. The sounds of the debris crunching beneath Kuro’s boots mixed with the ringing as the Bount spoke. “You have potential. Never the potential to defeat me, no, but you do have what it takes to be at my side.” The man stood behind Keimaro, hovering over him with an evil grin printed on his face. “What do you say?”
“I say,” Keimaro spat, blood dripping down his lips, “screw you.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Kuro whispered, swiping his hand into Keimaro’s stomach with a blow that sent him crashing through furniture and slamming against the wooden wall of the house. “I see that you can take quite the beating now. Your skin feels like steel. Am I hitting a piece of metal?” He chuckled. “You seem to have gotten stronger already from when I last saw you—and that was what, an hour or so ago? That is very remarkable. What happened? Someone close to you died?” Kuro walked over and grasped Keimaro by the collar of his shirt, slamming him roughly against the wall and peering into his eyes. “That is what makes you stronger. Pain, agony, suffering. The point of everything that we are doing is to make you stronger. I don’t understand why you don’t see that.”
“That gives me all the more reason to hate you,” Keimaro snarled, glaring into Kuro’s glowing red pupils. “Perish in hell, scum. I’ll see you there in a couple of years.”
Kuro opened his mouth angrily, but then he paused, and a wide grin spread across his lips. “You have chosen to suffer, have you not? Pain in life is unavoidable. However, you have isolated yourself from society to the point where you have become an alien to those around you. Isolation leads to pain, and pain leads to suffering. And suffering leads to hatred.” He brought his lips to Keimaro’s ear and whispered, “Do you hate me?”
Keimaro’s eyes were wide when suddenly he was hit in the stomach with an enormous amount of force. He doubled over and was released, grasping his diaphragm. His eyes were watering uncontrollably as a roaring heat burst through his stomach. He felt sick, as if he were going to vomit. His chest and stomach writhed as if a fire blazed inside of him, burning out his insides. “What did you do…?” he snarled, his throat squeezing tight as he began to wheeze.
“You’re quite an intrepid young boy,” Kuro said, sighing as he slid his hands into t
he pockets of his torn black cloak, “but you aren’t prudent and lack the ability to think before you act. You see, there are a few things that you don’t yet understand. I merely unlocked your inner potential that has been dormant for all of these years. You will become stronger, but it takes responsibility and self-control to tame such angry fires that will roar within you. That heat that you feel right now in your chest, in your heart, is your rage. My offer still stands. It is understandable that you hate me and my organization, or even our cause. However, perhaps you should think about why you are angry. Pain is not a choice, but suffering is. You choose to suffer rather than press on with life and embrace what liberties and beauties exist in this twisted world. But I suppose that is what makes you and me one and the same. It has been years, and my hatred has grown over a long period of time. Just remember where your anger should be directed, and perhaps you will reconsider the offer. Otherwise, the next time that we meet, I will take from you everything that you love. You will be cast into such darkness and such suffering that you will be on your knees begging for me to offer you the position at my side once more. And when that happens, I will deny you. Do not make the mistake of defying me twice,” he said simply before he turned to walk away.
Keimaro winced as he watched the Bount stalk into the distance. “Come back here…,” he snarled, pushing himself onto his stomach. He felt weak, incapable of actually getting to his feet, but he wanted to catch the bastard nonetheless. “If you don’t finish me off now, I swear to god, I’ll rip you to shreds when we next meet!”
***
Tobimaru and Hidan were watching the scene from the courtyard while keeping their weapons trained on Aika and Yuri, making sure that they didn’t move a muscle. Yuri was barely conscious, but Aika was shaking and staring at Keimaro, who was lying on the ground. As Kuro stepped over the debris of Z’s outer wall, he clicked his fingers. In an instant, the building where Keimaro had been exploded, sending roaring flames soaring into the air. Wreckage flew outward in all directions with a shockwave of dust that swallowed the three Bounts up in an instant.
