The abominable hinagon snapped a huge bough and used it like a club. The heavy end boomed into the ground and swept branches and needles away in a storm.
Kichi felt a sharp pain in her hand. A twig protruded from her palm. She plucked it out and looked up at the tornado of destruction.
The hinagon was on a rampage. It swung and hurled huge branches and even trees.
Red droplets hit her mouth and rolled into Kichi’s nose. But why did it all look upside down? Why was the blood from her hand dripping upward?
The hinagon’s muscles bulged under its white fur, and it ripped a small tree from the roots. The earth came up in the tangle, and a cloud of dust rose when the creature swung into the ground.
Masahide rolled out of the way. He crawled through a trough of broken ground and up beside her. “There’s a technique. When Felix stood against the gajasauruses, it wasn’t just luck that turned them back.”
Kichi pulled from the snags and landed upright. “What are you talking about?”
“The elemental druids forbode tandem magic. It was considered too destructive, but I think we could use a little destruction.”
“Do you know how?”
Masahide dodged the vast sweep of a tree. “Yes, but you must start so I can make the binding.”
There wasn’t much she could do. She scooped a handful of rocks and dirt and tossed a few fingernail-sized pebbles into the air, heating them. They glowed red and made tracings as they zipped about.
“Yes, now I’m going to shake the ground and bring up more. Be ready.”
The ground trembled. At first, a back-and-forth made it hard to stand. Then it shook the forest, and even the hinagon stumbled. It fell back when the ground began to split, and cracks spiderwebbed around it. The ground caved, and it went waste deep and struggled. Rock erupted in shards all around.
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She tried to stand but had to find a hold on the new rock pillars to pull herself up. It was like trying to stand on a wagon wheel while it turned.
Masahide sprang forward with his pure sword overhead. “Now!”
Now what? She knew he had raised the rock from the earth for her to head, so she did. Chunks of lava broke from the protrusions and spun. Soon, it was a deadly vortex in a shaking world. What are you going to do, Masahide?
Then, she knew what he was going to do. Her magic was seized, as sure as if his hands had closed around her ability and wrenched it away.
His sword caught drops of lava that glued together around the blade. It grew in size. The vortex followed its trajectory. Heatwaves ripped away from him as he sailed away.
The hinagon put an arm out to deflect the blade. Its fur, especially on the forearm, would never let steel cut, but the fiery blade went through like a whisper. A black line, without blood, appeared from its head to one thigh. Then, it peeled apart to collapse into two pieces.
Kichi ran up beside Masahide, and together, they plunged their pure swords into the corrupted creature. She released as the ring burst with energy, and a new one formed. Masahide held for much longer, but eventually, he stopped. Yet the two halves remained with the corrupted spirit within.
She backed away. “I can’t draw anymore.”
“It was too powerful for us to cleanse, but at least we’re alive.”
“We have the feather. Let’s get Ema.”
However, when they returned to the castle, Hisa found them, and she had eyes that could set fire to green wood. She grabbed them by the arm and pulled them aside. She looked at all the people leaving the dinner.
Tsunekatsu strode by and made a noise of contempt but smiled.
Hisa ignored him and whispered, “Gon is missing. It’s kinda your fault, Masahide, for leaving him without someone to raise him.”
Kichi
Level: 8
Focus: Prescience
Secondary focus: Lava+3
Weapons: pure sword - 5% pure
Items: Near Field Amulet (Prescience+2, focus)