Next Time (2)
"... I'm guessing you met Fu Lan's group? I guess- er..." Niloi was about to continue, not noticing Ciemnosc's aura, when Helala tugged what was left of his shirt, stopping him before incurring a self-brought calamity so to speak of. Niloi stopped, but he still ended up saying right after, "What did you do with her blades?"
"..." Ciemnosc looked at Niloi, offering no response whatsoever. Instead, his eyes seemed to want to rip off all of Niloi's body to shreds, though only Ciemnosc knew about it as he hid it well. Simply, he turned his body around a little and watched right where he left his commanding vehicle. But it was all empty, and he could only see his sizeable armored car far away lying on its right side a few tens of kilometers away down a hill…
‘I destroyed them… And now I have to walk.’ Ciemnosc thought in his head as he gave his back to his ‘enemies’, who in return waited as he seemed to have a moment, and Helala pinching Niloi’s injured arm, pulling his skin a bit off to see if that could at least make the dumbass of her boyfriend understand manners and awareness a bit.
“We don’t have many parts for, err… repairing cars, so we can only give you these few ingredients, hope it helps you.” Helala said, but hearing her words, Ciemnosc turned around without commenting a thing and with his eyes scanning over the slightly helpful ‘ingredients’ on her fair, bloody, and dirt-stained hands.
“We weren’t really trying to hit you, let alone capture you or something, but I- we’re glad that you are now at ease,” Helala said, pushing her hands onto Ciemnosc a bit more, feeling her nails almost breaking just by pushing them into his skin, crazy stuff. But it was more than natural that Ciemnosc wouldn’t let his body become touched, let alone susceptible; now.
Ciemnosc, still saying nothing watched Niloi before moving his gaze towards Helala’s pretty face, with a small stream of dried blood that had come out before when the big boom occurred, staining below the right corner of her mouth. He then took the materials and placed them in his Covert Space bags, which were damn lucky to not be reached by not the exploding Power Energy nor the two Elements colliding and being covered by his dark Power Energy.
“If I don’t kill you, what will you do now?” Ciemnosc spoke, finally saying something, but being quite creepy and terrifying as he did. It was…all too naturally coming from him though. But it still impacted both Helala and Niloi, who had seen him be rather passive compared to the him of now.
“We would…probably just go back to the Eagerburning Flames Sect, my sect,” Niloi answered while Helala nodded meekly and leaned on his body with her left arm encompassing his lower back overbearingly, possessively.
“Your sect, why,” Ciemnosc spoke again, not really asking, and with a very indifferent tone, with his Mortal swords nowhere to be seen anymore. Helala and Niloi looked at each other, and despite the struggle and debate in their eyes, Niloi was the big, hairy chested man to decide about it.
“My sect is somewhat… taking a neutral stance. We are staying out of…this kind of agreement,” Niloi said, but he was visibly uncomfortable. But before Ciemnosc could ask his doubts away, Helala said after drawing in a quick, cold breath. “But my sect isn’t, and I… I’m not in accordance… to those things, to make you… Well, all that.”
“Um.” Ciemnosc nodded a little to his words, his chest sinking a little, but just a little, and for just a couple of seconds before it all became… ‘normal’; once again.
“You could come with us if you would…” Niloi proposed, but Ciemnosc showed no reaction to his words so he looked at Helala, who in return looked at him also not knowing if to proceed or not and which was the correct follow-up. In the end, Niloi weekly finished his phrase, “...like to.”
“Hmf,” chuckling through his nostrils once, Ciemnosc then shook his. A grimace appeared on Niloi’s face seeing this and he half-nodded bitterly. But then, as if remembering something, or rather a lot of things, Niloi began saying with his eyes regaining vitality slowly and his tone becoming as active and almost as vigorous as always.
“Right… Ciemnosc, do not take any more detours, there are more groups like…the one you- well, that. There are groups waiting in ambush all over the way to the Little Lake, but that’s only surrounding the main roads that connect to the Little Lake’s direction. Just keep on the road and do not deviate. You’ll also get there faster and… and don’t think there aren’t new groups of your enemies within the Little Lake already… I saw reports and. Well… it’s not looking good for you.”
“...” Ciemnosc went silent back again, and Helala caressed her boyfriend’s arm while leaning on him. There wasn’t a need to say more. But Niloi still had something he wanted to say, and so, he added. “Our Eagerburning Flames Sect follows the sect master’s orders, but there are still some who are just willing and waiting for an opportunity to enjoy some benefits, namely to get you and study…you and also getting some benefits for helping.”
“I guess it’s kinda good in a way that you aren’t coming with us. We would’ve still…well, ‘fought’ for you even then. You see, even if the Preferential Light Justice Sect wants Helala back after seeing the change in the sect’s stance, they would have to come all the way out of their home, where they are king and queen, and come out into our home instead, where they are weakened, and we are even strengthened by the environment.”
“Though Helala and I are working for a way to counter such weakness, starting with her, that is something the Eagerburning Flames Sect has seen results only when we both cooperate and is not a one sided thing. The method you saw we employed was one of the ancient records that spoke about training one’s body to not be affected by a simple environment. But we’ve been failing so far.”
“Mn…” Hearing something that at least gathered his interest, Ciemnosc’s eyes went lower as he hummed, appearing more human and alive to both Helala and Niloi. But, as it was quite dark all around and the sun would want to come out in several hours, Niloi finished up saying along with a slightly heavy sigh.
“Sigh!... Well, my sect isn’t trying to hunt you, but I’m sure there will be dangers coming from our side, just not as powerful as from the other 3 major organizations. I hop- we hope that somehow helps you, but now we must ret-”
“It’s okay, I don’t need you anyways.” Ciemnosc shook his left hand on Niloi’s face, his voice soft as he spoke. Though it made Niloi and Helala feel somewhat embarrassed, it was not a big deal at all. They lightly smiled at Ciemnosc, imagining what he had… seen, gone, and had to go through still. While Ciemnosc simply turned around and made his way towards his own commanding vehicle that flew the fuck away from before.
“Don’t use that thing ever again.” Ciemnosc left his words to trail on the wind, reaching those 2 from behind him, but even if they didn’t he wouldn’t have cared.
Step, step, step, step… …Whoosh whoosh…
As Ciemnosc began walking away, onwards his possibly unusable large than most-armored car, the two left behind by him, seemingly having found a large part of their unusable Power Energy, began to rush in the distance by dashing at what seemed to be their maximum speed seemingly in a hurry.
On the other hand, Ciemnosc walked up to his commanding vehicle slowly, without taking much time but also without really needing to take this much time when he could just run for it and reach it in just a bit more than ten minutes.
Meanwhile, he could see the incredible result from the previous explosion, the second he has gone through tonight and that was both more disastrous than the first and of a much larger scale; both by a difference of a large margin for that matter.
Brown was the only color all around as if it had all become barren and the entire several kilometers in radius had been turned upside down, the earth beneath, tens of meters underground seemingly making their appearance as the ground. Except, it wasn’t just that there was no such change happening, everything was still the same except for the lack of green all around that was abundant before.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Instead, it was the fact that this Elemental collision seemed to do a lot of damage to all surroundings. But it didn’t create even the tiniest of dents on the ground, let alone a crack or a crater anywhere around this new, strange area.
It was also all smooth and had a kind of mixed ‘design’, with hexagonal and pentagonal shapes as the floor, rather than the ground itself. And the dirt that was just grains and some very tiny traces of metal here and there became really toughened up. Whenever Ciemnosc stepped, a solid and stable sound that left one feeling at ease just by walking was heard and felt by him.
After studying for really just a little bit, Ciemnosc became a little self-absorbed in the characteristics of this changed land that had only been removed from its green, but anything else was fine. Well, the insects and fauna around were all gone as well.
… Arriving right before his commanding vehicle, Ciemnosc saw the large thing still resting on its right side, its belly showing towards him while he inspected it. The wheels, its belly, and even its left side were basically intact. Its front, rear, and top, as well as the right side of the large armored car, were however basically ruined.
“Sigh…” Ciemnosc put his hands to work, taking some materials out and using the ‘ingredients’ that Helala and Niloi gave him. He took out another forge and some tools for creating and crafting and began to work his magic. They were different ones since he didn’t really have time to pick up his other forge, cauldron, and he even lost the materials he was going to use for his Darkness element poisonous pill.
Processing some materials and ingredients, giving them shape and then moving around his armored car, easily sending them into his Covert Space bags and then taking it out once again, easily turning it about, Ciemnosc then managed to repair it a little. However, all he could do was to repair its top and rear, while the front and the right side were still in need of a fix.
Besides its outer appearance, there were obvious disruptions of the arrays within it, all around its motor and with the smallish cables connecting it to certain other little parts as well as to the 2 Synergized Equatrend Mobilizers, which were not that bad on the outside but were toasted in the inside. The collision between 2 contrary Elements never having made it so clear what kind of devastation they could bring.
All arrays around and within the commanding vehicle were also gone, with not a single trace of such remaining, his commanding vehicle had officially become a useless set of heavy armor that was not practical and was incredibly inefficient, a disgrace for all creations.
‘Ugh, it will take time to do.’ Deciding to fix it later after arriving at the Little Lake, Ciemnosc then stored his large armored car. And after giving a 360 glance at the changed lands one last time, he began walking towards the west with his back smoothly straight.
. . .
Yet, things really… seemed so bad tonight, this deep in the night.
And as Ciemnosc was walking, the cold of the soon approaching, invading snow from the west bathing him entirely but not a shred of cold visible on his body nor in the movements of such, he slowly heard a fast approaching motorbike…
“... … … … … … … …” Ciemnosc went fully silent, utterly silent; hopelessly silent.
… … TRRCCRKKRRR, TRRCCRKKRRR TRRCCRKKRRR…trckrr trckrr trckrr trckrr…
Whoosh, shing shing- thud thud!
Without even needing to look back, Ciemnosc saw how she jumped away from her motorbike that was already semi flying in the air towards him and landed just a few dozen meters away behind him. Her body spun laterally in the air a little while she had her black dagger ruler and black sword. Their first contact with the air as she joined the butts of their handles together was incredible as the sound alone was cutting air like nothing and accelerating her falling speed.
When she reached the ground, there was a lot of dirt that was lifted. And the grass under her feet was flown away, with a 40 cm diameter with the soles of her feet as the epicenters, leaving only dark dirt left to be seen. It was then that she yelled her lungs out and with such sternness.
“Ciemnosc!!”
…crrrt, step tap tap…
Holding his arms right below his shoulders at his sides with his palms, Ciemnosc slowly turned around, at the pace he wanted and however he wanted it, and it was very slow with a lot of pausing in between. With a not pleased expression on his face, he looked back at the oh so gorgeous Valeria who looked at him with his black dagger ruler and black sword at her sides aiming at the ground.
They were just like they had always been. The dagger ruler was 39 cm long and 8 cm wide with a thickness of 2 inches. Not a dagger, but not just a ruler either. Both types of weapons were there, both mixed in once and creating quite a formidable quick weapon for multiple purposes. It was really great, but the one holding them, the one who wields them, she was more incredible herself - in all of Ciemnosc’s knowledge.
Then her black sword, despite its length, was genuinely not a long sword nor a greatsword for that matter; but it did have a resemblance to both. Length of 2 meters, a width of 10 cm, and from the get-go they were already both, bathing in orange flames.
“The explosion led me to you, and after beating those two up, they told me how to find you, and they basically betrayed the 4 major organizations’ union,” Valeria spoke, her voice still loud, but not shouting or yelling anymore.
“I beat them up first,” Ciemnosc said back, and Valeria, in return, nodded and lightly moved a bit towards her left with a couple of steps. Ciemnosc instead lowered his hands, his Mortal swords falling in his hands that gripped their handles so damn strongly they began cracking even with just his hands alone.
“You can’t leave… me,” Valeria said, already propping herself up to a fighting stance with her left hand holding that ruler dagger in her left hand and her black sword in her right hand. Ciemnosc wagged his swords with their tips aiming at the ground.
For a moment, he felt as if really damn tired, his forearms light and from his elbows to right below before his shoulders began too heavy. Sensations of flowing through but also stifled in his chest, at his sternum, not feeling his lungs and his knees weak, while his instep felt too heavy as well, and his jaw felt as if it could just fall open if he didn’t exert all his strength.
Swish, swish.
Ciemnosc’s Mortal swords didn’t surprise Valeria in the slightest. Instead, she showed delight in her eyebrows, arching up and her eyes mesmerized at the beautiful steel from the swords. As Ciemnosc formed up in his straight stance, Valeria looked at him patiently and more calm than ever, as serenely as Ciemnosc began to look at her while he felt his strength returning to all of his body without a little portion lacking.
With his battle prowess at its fullest as he held his Mortal swords with dark Power Energy covering him entirely, from the back, his forehead, and his lower abdomen, Ciemnosc softy and so quietly spoke. “Then I won’t.”
Crrt, ccrrrrt.
Both separated their feet furthermore from their previous position. Both looked into each other’s eyes with not even a natural disaster being capable of tricking their gaze away from each other. Her beautiful warm brown hair flew, her black eyes brave and loving. His darkest, pitchest of black colors as his hair tranquil, his darkest eyes absorbing and consuming.
Dash, dash!
Both of them sent their bodies towards the other at the same time, only needing a few second to meet each other, with only their left and right foot impulsing them lightly from the ground as Valeria and Ciemnosc flew through the air respectively with just that one movement right and above the ground level.
Her dagger ruler and black sword burst into orange flames, his Mortal swords deathly moving through the air with dark Power Energy covering his body as her body was covered by her Power Energy of its traditional and universal appearance, simply transparent and of a whitish resemblance but still see through.
Their eyes, however, never left each other, even as sparks as large as her black sword flew about with the contact of their swords’ and dagger’s blades.
CLANK CLANK- PHSSIYAAA…
“...” - “...” They both, still with locked eyes onto the pair of the other, visualized their black and their dark, setting the world and all of those in it aside and nonexistent for this moment; for this very little world of theirs. And along with the large sparks dimming out, yet with their arms, hands, and whole bodies not retracting any bit of strength and instead putting more and more into it.
…pitter-patter. PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER PITTER-PATTER…
The rain that was already falling and, coincidentally, was supposed to fall on the ground at the exact same moment they were to clash against each other. Became suspended in the air all around them in a 4 meters radius, while in the rest of their little world, the rain did at least begin to pour down to the ground.
As their shoes began to become wet, soaked in just a moment’s notice, their extremely powerful bodies for their own level were still deathly locked against one another, the other’s weakest and most vulnerable spots being aimed at despite their obvious stagnance.
And from far away, two blurred bodies that were seemingly posing without emitting any strength… were slowly covered by the downpour, deluge, of their little world; all of it falling upon their shoulders.
…
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Let It Note's Rain: I got lost with 'Dreams Are Only Real As Long As They Last' from Aesthesys.