Hiding in Heaven

Da Mission:

Here he rises back up to his feet, using the tree as support, knowing the shallow cuts running diagonally from his hip and up to his right shoulder make his vision blurry; he tries his hardest to blink away the dizziness and sharpen his senses. The demon is still drawing near. He was close now. Too close. Finally taking the time to look over his injuries, they are painful, but his speed has allowed the wounds to be shallow at best, and with another steadying breath, he finally circles his hand around his sword's hilt and drags it out. He balanced the sword between his palms, and he shifted to his feet. The only thing he hadn't let himself look at was his ear. He knew that - shaking his head, Akaime banished that thought to the back of his mind. Some of it was still there. That's all he could focus on right now, so he could do this. Akaime's legs moved this time, and he is running. Not away from the danger, but towards it. Towards the demon who'd promised him death. Still, his diluted bravery was going to make him confront a psycho monster head-on.

"I see you've stopped running!" The demon's voice was drawing near. "Good, it's time to die!" 

"I wasn't planning to. I just needed to make sure I hadn't died a grizzly death but know I will end your miserable life." The demon snares at that as Akaime meets up with a Kyuketsuki in a final standoff. "You won't be laughing when I am done with you," he hisses, chest entirely bare except for the several tiny knives strapped to a belt crisscrossing his shoulders and waist. Akaime sighs again. "If you didn't like it, you should have killed me." Tensing his shoulders, he aims his sword at the demon's neck. "Now, I'll be taking your life if you don't mind."

The Kyuketsuki didn't see it coming. No one did. Not even in Akaime's dreams. As he put away his borrowed sword, he suddenly found himself tipping over to one side. Akaime's whole body was screaming, and he couldn't for the life of him see where that demon went until his eyes flicked and he saw the monster's head dismembered from his body.

"You were supposed to be dead!" The demon screamed again, sounding maniac and crazed. "Blood seer! How are you still alive? A promise has been broken! A promise has been broken!"

"What are you talking about?" Akaime marched over to the vanishing demon. "What do you mean I should be dead?" The devil was now laughing—a maniac little thrilling sound. "Oh, I wish I could be around to see the look on your face when the master finds out. It serves you right! Serves you right!"

"Who are you talking about?" Impatience was starting to color Akaime's voice. "The Kyuketsuki was supposed to have killed them all. It is what was promised in return for the master's gift." And with those final words, he died.

Akaime stood there dumbfounded. The Kyuketsuki is the one that did all this. Behind all of this. Dropping the sword, he fell to his knees, then to his side. Must be from the loss of blood. He might be dying, but thankful he was able to kill the beast. As his eyes slowly blinked close, as a vivid imagery of a tale from a centuries ago ruptured into the Chinoike's mind, making his body convulsively alert. While mere seconds passed in the real world; those seconds defiled reality as decades, upon decades, upon centuries were spent inside his own psyche as the man touched his forehead. What he could gather from that experience is that he was a target for some primitive evil. However, just his luck, he didn't have time to question anything as they were ambushed. Or better yet, just him.

This man chose to show him some sort of vision, and now, he basically left Akaime to die by these mutated humanoid creatures. How unfortunate for him. Backing away, the creatures ascended on him, screaming various things, but mostly 'die blood seer'. This was really the end for him, wasn't it? Closing his eyes as one of the creatures was about to pounce on him, but the pain never came. Slowly cracking his eyes open, he was met with the creature inches from his face with a sword positioned directly into its skull.

"Don't just stand there! Defend yourself!" Akaime didn't need another command before ripping the darkened blade from the temple of the creature as another one lunged at him. With one quick, downward slash, Akaime slit the body of the second one in half. He didn't have time to revel in his victory.

"Come! This way!" Akaime felt his arm being grabbed by a familiar voice. It wasn't long before he saw who the individual was, it was Hikari! Thankfully, it was a friendly face this time. Taking off with her, those hellish creatures were on his heels. Akaime felt like he was living one nightmare after another. The trauma he was building was at the breaking point of being severe. Maybe he should've never left home. Maybe he should've never opened that scroll. Curiosity literally killed the cat. So much death, he has seen, strangers who become friends are now just fleeting memories. He couldn't think about that. He had to survive. If not for him, for the memories of those he holds dearest. But for now, he just needed to escape.

"What are those things?" Akaime asked.

"I'm not sure but they must be another creation from Jashin, just like the Kyuketsuki." Hikari said as they rounded another corner.

"H-how do you know that?" Akaime questioned. Thoughts raced in his mind as could Hikari be in on it.

"I had a hunch, so I followed you. So, the incident from before just made it all too true." Hikari answered. Her answer made Akaime ease up a little. He would've been completely calm, if not for the fact they were being chased by multiple creatures. As they rounded another corner, they were met with a rather long corridor this time. Basically, flying forward, they rushed towards the end where a door was for it to be opened by a female with long hair who started performing hand signs.

"Get down!" She screamed. Akaime, who was just heels behind Hikari, jumped to the ground just as she did. As they hit the ground a dragon made out of exothermic energies projectile out of her mouth as the rest of those creatures rounded the corner. The powerful blast literally left them in scorch and ruin, as their burnt bodies just piled on top of each other.

Akaime breathed a sigh of relief as he stood with Hikari.

"Thank you, so much for saving us," Hikari said. "I'm Hikari and this is Akaime."

"Yeah, this place is filled with creatures like that. Anyway, my name is Zarina." The fire-wielding woman said.

"What are you doing in this place?" Hikari asked.

"I was sent to learn about this temple and the Jashinists, but what I found was more wicked." Zarina replied. "The evil lord Jashin and his followers are going to sacrifice a baby from a nearby town. I don't know what to do." She added. So, now they are going to kill a baby? For what? Every minute in these forsaken lands, a new ordeal, a plot, is uncovered.

"Actually, I've seen you before." Zarina carried on.

"Me?" Akaime asked.

"Yes. Carved in the walls in a cave that one of the rooms leads into. I'll show you." Zarina said, leading them to the door that she walked through. Obviously, this piqued both their interest and they followed her. Moreso with Akaime for having dealings with him. Everyone knew that he was a Chinoike, but how. He still had so many questions that were unanswered, maybe this would help solve them. Plus, that vision that man showed him, it was Akaime fighting the someone. How could he know that? How did he get that vision?

Akaime felt himself grimace as he bypassed the half-eaten corpse sprawled out on the floor to his right.

He tried to ignore the mess of organs that had been ripped and scooped out of the open stomach cavity, but he felt his gag reflex twitch at the smell of it regardless; he already knew it was there so there was no point in pretending that the carnage didn't exist. He already knew that the hair and skin had been pulled off of the victim's mutilated head, already knew that his skull had been broken and pulled apart by eager fingers. Already knew that the soft brain inside had been torn out in scooped chunks by those same deranged fingers.

Already knew that what blood had been spilled, and there was a lot of it, had already caramelized to the old wooden floorboards underneath.

The smell was rancid and yet it was still fresh.

Despite being disgusted by it, Akaime found himself fighting to pull his attention away from it. He figured the girls were trying to ignore it too. Obviously, because Hikari and himself have already dealt with that but it seems Zarina has been exposed to it.

On that walk, he remembered that castle. Winding corridors, small, locked rooms, an array of puzzles, and a library that were built upward only placed more and more barriers in their way. And every new corner only revealed yet another wing of the dilapidated mansion, yet another wing for the three of them to explore, for them to potentially get lost in.

It didn't take long for them to reach the room, or should he say, cave. The cave was massive to say the least. Lit by eternal torches gave it a mysterious aura. The room's thick air felt haunting and evil. Akaime slowly walked around, and looked at the walls and their detailed, carved descriptors.

"See, look at that." Zarina told Akaime as she pointed towards the front of the room. It was almost an exact replica of Akaime etched in the stone wall of the cave. His heart immediately sank. What was this place? 

"They keep calling you blood seer. Maybe this has something to do with it." Hikari stated.

It must be. The stonework looks like it was just done, but masonry like this would've taken months, if not years, to complete. However, that was the only thing that caught his eye. There was another person carved into the walls. Someone familiar. Someone that he just met not long ago. In the carving in front of him, it was clear that Akaime was kneeling, no, he was praying. To whom you ask? He wasn't sure. But standing above him was that man with his arms crossed. Was Akaime connected to him? He never met him in his life, but this indicates...? What does it indicate?

Another detail also came to him was there was a strange emblem marked on both their foreheads. An upside-down triangle with a circle around it. That emblem, he has seen it before but where? Akaime questioned as he walked up to the carving and placed his hand on the emblem. That's right, he remembers it from his small village. It was carved in the doors and tattooed on the civilians. However, he wasn't old enough to know what it meant.

"Fear not my child, you will learn soon enough," a booming voice echoed throughout the room.

"Did...did you guys hear that?" Akaime nervously asked, feeling the sweat beads begin to form his hairline.

"Hear what?" Zarina asked, with both the girls looking in confusion.

With a blink, Akaime found himself in darkness but with two bright red rings looking straight at him. He could feel the fear rising up in him. Where is he? Is he caught in some type of genjutsu?

"No, you are not." The voice announced.

Dear god, could he read Akaime's mind?

"One day, you will have the same eyes as I do, but for now, find the other Chinoike named Manjiro. Your prophecy interlocks with his. And now you will help him, or you will die just like your clansmen. Don't forget, you are one of Jashin's Heirs." With that, Akaime was brought back to reality. Now he has more questions that need answered too. He was about to go insane.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, "are you okay?" Hikari asked him. However, he couldn't answer as the cave started to collapse.

"Guys, come on!" Zarina screamed as she ran out of the room, which Hikari and Akaime followed suit. Zarina led them through corridors, but it seemed this place was falling apart faster than they might it out, but before long they finally found something.

"In here!" Zarina alerted Akaime and Hikari. In just a couple feet in front of the blood seer was some sort of platform guarded by rails and at the center was some sort of lever. Rushing forward, it seems like it was the end of the line as they had nowhere to go at this time. However, Hikari apparently had other plans.

"Hold on!" She screamed as she pulled the lever. The platform roughly jerked, shoving Akaime onto the nearby railing as it quickly rose from its stationary position with force. Akaime fell to one knee as the duo ascended to the upper levels of the workshop. The place was apparently on the way to self-detonating.

They quickly arrived at the rooftops. Now what? The place is literally falling apart. Oh yeah, he must've forgot they were all basically ninja and can jump from three stories. Or could they? It didn't matter as it was almost like the plot was saving them, the man appeared on something that seemed like a massive sleigh. While he might've left him to die at the beginning, he was thankful he came back in the end. Jumping on with the girls, he relayed the message of what he learned inside the factory. 

Of course, Akaime found himself in another fucking building filled with death traps, creatures, and puzzles.

Akaime could hear himself wheezing through gritted teeth and strained breaths as he struggled to carry himself as fast as he could down the crumbling corridor around him. His entire body ached and throbbed from their sudden assault in the factory to try and save Ureshii.

Adrenaline and shock were keeping him afloat for the time being, keeping him from focusing too much on the pain, but there was no guarantee that he could keep her body running, sliding and stumbling over the breaking ground floor beneath him. It was taking every bit of strength to force his legs to move. He could feel them shaking and burning with every new step, just barely able to take the next one in balance. The threat of them collapsing out from underneath him was constant as he felt the sharp, hot pain course through him. It felt like his muscles were straining not to tear themselves apart by the strands as it was almost like acid pouring in from the inside.

There was so much pain...

He could feel himself gagging through hard breaths, feeling the clutching pain in his stomach as his body urged itself to throw up.

But if he stopped, he was as good as dead. As was this baby, who was finally saved from some woman. He didn't even know where anyone else was. After the fight, he and the girls got separated when the floor gave out. Only he was lucky to have fallen on the staircase with the baby.

Akaime was stumbling as he tried to navigate the narrow twisting corridor with half-blackened vision. He could barely see more than a few feet in front of him and he could only hope that there was as much space between him and the creatures he thought there was. At least enough space for him to escape with, to avoid their clinging hands and screaming voices.

But he caught sight of the black shadows to his right. Caught sight of elongated fingers reaching out from a collapsed entrance way, ripping themselves off of the crumbling brick wall.

He nearly slipped as he ducked and threw himself around the next corner, cutting his fingers on the brick wall as he used it to counter his motion, barely avoiding the long fingers that scratched the surface of his back.

Akaime stumbled in the aftermath of the risky motion, hot pain bouncing from his ankles to his knees to his hips and back down again. He managed to keep himself going, more out of fear now. He had to keep moving, no matter where this corridor would drop him off at. It could be leading him and the baby right into a dead end for all he knew but he didn't really have a choice right now!

Akaime had to keep trying.

He had to keep going.

He had to get out of here!

Another stumble, another shot of pain shooting around inside of him as Akaime struggled to regain his footing. He pushed himself up, pushed himself to keep going- only to feel a burning sense of coldness rush up along his left arm. He yanked it back, never looking back but knowing full and well what was there and knowing that he had to get away from it at all costs.

As he raced forward, he saw a set of stairs leading up towards a door. Please be it. Please be the door to sanctuary. Midway up the stairs, the floor underneath him finally gave way, resulting in a tremor on the stairs. Akaime slid back and hit his side against the railing. Screaming out in pain, he lunged up as the staircase collapsed and descended into darkness.

Akaime managed to grab hold of the ledge where the door was, but his body was too weak. Too weak to pull him and the baby up. Was this the end, was all this terror and suffering led up to this. It can't be, can it? It was almost as if the god himself heard him as the door opened. A blinding white light burned his eyes. As his eyes quickly adjusted to this light, he saw a familiar figure. It was Hikari! Once again, she saved him by pulling him up and through the door.

Falling forward, he was outside. Never in a million years was he ecstatic about being in the harsh winters. Zarina was there but she too was badly wounded, the woman had defeated basically a small army, and he was there with Hikari and the baby. It was almost a failure, but they succeeded. The fellowship went back to the town where the members got the medical treatment they needed. Akaime stayed around for a minute to converse with the other party members before he finally returned to the temple. Figuring it had collapsed, but it was still standing. Was it all in his head?

TWC: 3,185
Claiming:
+62 to AP (31 x 2 for being maxed stat)
+6,000 Ryo (from mission)
+2,000 Ryo (C-Rank MN)
+30 AP (from mission)

Approved