Help Was Much Needed

The same voice spoke again.

???: “I gave you a choice and you abandoned it. Just pitiful. You don’t even deserve a choice anymore.”

Astro recognized the voice slightly. Tension swirled in his stomach, but he calmed it knowing what he would have to face again.

The 5 of them appeared at the surface in front of the devilish monstrosity that was Shin. Astro promptly shifted to his stronger abilities and turned on his mana lines in preparation for what was to come.

Astro: “Welpen. Get out of here. He will kill us both.”

Welpen: “No. I’m not going anywhere.”

Astro: “You stubborn brat. This isn’t like it was down there. You have no idea how cruel this world can be. We can’t beat this guy. Go!”

Welpen: “No. I’m not leaving. I’m not leaving everyone here. What if he has Isara? I need to know.”

Naoki: “There’s no convincing him, Astro. He’s got strong determination in his eyes.”

Souta: “This isn't good. This doesn’t seem like it will be much fun. That guy is strong. Way too strong. He’s a…94!”

Octavious: “I-Is that Shin? His aura is piercing me already. I agree with Souta for once. This isn’t good. Bring me back to the tournament! Not splendid!”

Astro: “Stop joking around idiots. All of you run. I can hold him back for a few seconds. It should give you enough time. It worked for Claudia at least. She’s leagues above you guys though.”

Shin: “Are you all done talking? Can I say my peace of mind now? I just don’t get it. I don’t, I don’t, I don’t! I try, I try, I try, I try! Why is it the same with everyone? I give you choices and you just pick one. Is that the way everyone throughout the hundreds and hundreds of years thinks? Tch, I’m getting too worked up. Let me ask one question before I murder all of you. Why would you pick something that was presented to you? Why not forge your own path?”

Astro: “Huh? The hell is your problem. Your stupid little world down there is nothing but a speck among stars. I think I’ll go back down there and wipe it out myself later.”

Naoki thought, ‘I see. He’s trying to provoke him so that we can escape. We’re not going anywhere though. It’s pointless Astro. Even if we did try to run, he would kill us in a second.’

Shin: “The correct choice for you and the boy there was to go in the middle. Why let something dictate your lives. You disgust me.”

Astro: “Like it’s that obvious to go through the middle. Your logic makes no sense. You gave us options? I don’t even wanna hear that you freak. You’re so mentally weak it makes me sick.”

Shin: “Trying your best to provoke me I see. I don’t think it’s so hard to make your own path. When given an opportunity that you cannot decide on, why not pick a different option? God, it’s all the same with you all. And you, young boy, I expected better out of you. If I weren’t so busy in a meeting, then I would’ve come down and killed you myself.”

Astro: “You’re not touching this boy.”

Shin: “Ha! What an empty threat that is.”

In a flash, Shin whipped across the desert face to face with Welpen and swung his hand at him, which ricocheted backwards.

Everyone’s faces were in shock, not because he was blocked by a mysterious object, but because of how fast Shin was. They didn’t know he was right next to them until it was too late.

The 2 red orbs that Welpen had picked up in the games hovered in the air and glowed.

An unknown woman’s voice spoke out from the orbs. They weren’t chaplets, but something else unidentified by them, except for Shin.

Shin: “Sneaking into my own domain? Is that justified, Ezra Tohsaka, Queen of the Spirit Realm?”

The orbs continued to speak and argue with Shin as they hovered.

Ezra: “It’s been quite a while, Shin.”

Shin: “How about you come here with your physical body and I can slice it into pieces. Oh wait, I think I did that many years ago.”

Ezra: “You can’t touch my spiritual body and you certainly won’t be killing any of these people today. I’ll come back for the whereabouts of my actual dead body one day. You’re not the first one to kill me, Shin. Do not think you’re special. Like the man said, you and your illusions are a mere speck of what this world truly is. You’ve done a good job at hiding it, but for now, I will guide these people out of this place away from you.”

Shin looked down upon them with utter hysteria. He couldn’t contain the darkness in his eyes. Dark mana pooled out of him. He was cracking at the pure imagination of people trying to plot against him. He was more serious than he was when Astro came with Claudia.

Shin: “Darkness level 5: Absence of Light, Soul Erosion!”

Ezra: “Crap! Get behind me everyone! Soul Threat Manipulation!”

The powers collided, but Shin’s was too powerful. Everything around them was shrouded in black as if nothing else existed. A barrage of black rain targeted them from all directions. Ezra’s barrier couldn’t stop the intensity of all the rain. She wrapped everyone’s hearts with powerful deceased spirits in an attempt to corrode Shin’s powers.

One single raindrop dripped in towards Souta.

Shin’s eyes were pitch black and his hair was waving in the air. He took his hand in the air and sliced it diagonally. Souta did not even know what happened before looking down and seeing a large gash across his chest. Blood spewed out of him, but Ezra’s power worked enough to where Shin couldn’t get to his heart, however if they didn’t help Souta soon, then he would die.

He fell to the ground in pain.

Naoki: “Souta!”

Welpen: “Mr. Souta!”

Octavious: “Damn it. This is insane. Who is this guy?! What is this place?!”

Ezra: “Don’t worry. As long as he doesn’t touch the heart, then he can’t use his Soul Erosion technique.”

Astro: “Ezra. We are helpless in this situation, but I can escape with 1 other person at a time. How long can you hold out?”

Ezra: “If he was actually trying, then he would’ve broke through by now. For some reason, even though he is mad, he won’t do anything beyond this, although I won’t be able to hold out for much longer. Can you take people in waves? I should be able to hold out until then.”

Astro: “No, but I’ll start with teleporting Welpen and then everyone else…Come on, let’s g–”

Shin: “AGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”

Ezra: “Wh-What? Impossible! His power is increasing! Astro, go! He’s about to kill us all! He’s getting serious!”

Astro: “Welpen! We gotta go!”

Welpen ran over to him and reached out his hand, but he wasn’t going to make it. Shin stopped the rain and sent one single raindrop corroded in blackness that would kill them all. It shook out of control and reached the outside of the barrier Ezra had created.

‘Crap!’ they all thought…

Natsuki: “Cupids Winding Arrow!”

An explosion lit up in front of Ezra’s barrier. Splotches of white cleared the darkness surrounding them. In front stood a man with white hair and armor. He held a double sided sword with a gold shard that shined heavily at the top.

Claudia: “Astro! Welpen! You’re okay! You’re here? How? How long has he kept you here? I didn’t think I’d actually see you both!”

Astro: “Relax. We’ll explain later. Don’t turn your back on the enemy. Who is this guy?”

Claudia: “He’s a Great Swordsman. His name is Natsuki Tooru. He agreed to help me.”

Welpen: "Claudia! I’m so glad. I didn’t think I was going to see you again.”

Claudia: “Huh? What did you tell the boy you big hunking piece of junk?”

Shin: “Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. You’re really starting to piss me off now. All of you people can go back to where you came from. If you don’t, I might end up destroying this whole place. Before I lose it, leave.”

Voices circled around Shin. It was his own voice telling him differing objectives. He knew Kastor was going to get mad if he destroyed everything, but his rage engulfed him. He wanted to kill everyone in front of him at this present moment. He didn’t care about what came next.

Natsuki: “Hmm…You are not all gone yet. Although it is small, I sense a shroud of love in you. Why do you hide it young man? Why not let it out and expand your love? Why choose darkness?”

Shin: “Love? I’ll show you love alright..Darkness level 2: Stillness.”

Everyone around Natsuki was affected like before. They couldn’t breathe. Natsuki perked up his chest and sucked in as much air as possible. In doing so, he blew outwards towards everyone. All of a sudden, everyone was fine.

Octavious: “Wh-What was that? I couldn’t breathe. It felt like I was being strangled.”

Natsuki: “I circulated wind throughout all of your bodies. From what I could tell right away, that ability he just used is made up of tiny little particles. They are so small that you couldn’t see them, so you unknowingly breathed them into your blood. I pushed it back out using my technique. All in the name of love!”

Souta: “N-Na…Oki…”

Naoki: “Souta!”

Natsuki: “Oh, that boy does not look so good. We need to get going. Claudia, we got your friends back and now we need to leave. That was what you asked of me. I do not wish to fight at this moment. I need to get back to my boss. Plus, I will not fight this man. Not only would I lose, but I don’t want to give up on him yet. This place is notorious around the world, however I don’t really care to hear about the drama that comes from this place. I will see him again and I will bring out the love within.”

Claudia: “Everyone grab onto me. We’re going…Felopsten!”

Everyone teleported back to Felopsten where the city was in shambles. Nobody had time to question it though. Natsuki followed suit back to the Association with Naoki and Souta to heal them both.

Astro: “Let’s go, Welpen. We’re not done yet. We haven’t found the girl.”

Welpen: “Yes.”

Claudia: “Huh? I come save you and I don’t even get a thank you? I don’t even get one question about how I am or what happened? It took me days to get to you both! I suffered just as much as you did.”

Astro: “We are thankful, but you don’t know what we’ve been through. What the boy has been through. How can you say that? He doesn’t know pain and he just experienced a hell lot of it. Just because we don’t say thank you doesn’t mean that we aren’t grateful. Stop acting like a selfish leader and a child just because you lead a city full of prostitutes.”

Claudia started to cry before it turned into a river of tears. She ran away from them and didn’t look back, hurt by Astro who she thought she was forming a connection with. Behind her cocky attitude was a soft girl on the inside that wanted to be loved.

Welpen: “Astro…Th-That wasn’t nice.”

Astro started walking the opposite direction without responding to Welpen. He didn’t care right now. In his mind, too much had been lost in the past and too much is being lost now. The past memories were flooding into him and all he could do right now is go forward with Welpen to accomplish this goal. What was to come was unknown and who he would see was a mystery.

Octavious: “Hey! Wait for me!”