Episode 33 The Castle of Necroheim

Arai leads the way as Kunai and Ivy walk side by side. They walk slowly up the slippery mountain paths, which are still icy and clogged with snow. To their left, the valley of El Nath lies in a haze of gray fog.

Arai slowly steps forward, using his staff as support to prevent from slipping. He peers around, staring up ahead into the path up ahead. “We’ve still got quite a ways to go.”

“I hope Ryuu gets back soon,” Ivy says worriedly. “It’s so strange of him to just go walking off like this…”

“These cliffs are getting steeper and steeper,” Kunai pants. “How much higher do we still have to go?”

“The ground should even out by the time we reach the zombies,” Arai replies. “It’s still a very long way to the Triplicate, though.”

Kunai turns and flicks two Steelys at several nearby White Pang as they approach, growling threateningly. He turns back to Arai and Ivy. “You know what’s strange? How we don’t seem to be being tailed by the Myougun anymore. It’s like they’ve given up on us. We also haven’t seen very many Paradoxes lately either.”

“Yeah, I’ve been wondering about that,” Arai murmurs. He shakes his head, shrugging slightly. “I can’t imagine why they’d give up on us, though. Unless we’ve lost them in our detour to Azuma’s. It doesn’t seem very likely though.”

The three of them suddenly emerge on leveled ground. Kunai stares around in wonder at the scene as an assassin leaps over the heads of several clerics, chasing after a zombie. The assassin quickly sends several Steelys through the zombie’s chest, causing the other clerics to shout out in frustration and anger.

“That was my kill, you idiot!”

“Who you calling idiot?”

“That’s it, I’m gonna chase you guys all out!”

“I was here first! Don’t you see the zombie teeth littering the ground everywhere?!”

“Some people just don’t have common sense…”

Kunai sighs loudly as he stares at the multiple people at the scene, now getting into brawls with each other. “Talk about a hostile environment…”

“Hm,” Arai murmurs. “Let’s just get out of here as soon as we can. Maybe we’ll take a break once we get inside the mines just up ahead.”

Kunai leads the way as he, Arai, and Ivy sprint through the crowd of zombies, clerics, and assassins now pouring into the area angrily.

Ivy suddenly stops in her tracks as they near an empty clearing, where a large, derelict mine entrance is standing, creaking slightly in the wintry breeze. She stares up into the mountains just on her left, up at a large castle with many turrets and towers.

Ivy points up at the castle interestedly. “What is that?”

“The castle?” Kunai asks, glancing nervously at Arai.

Arai suddenly looks up fearfully at the foreboding shadow of the castle. He turns away, calling for Kunai and Ivy to do the same. “Kunai…Ivy! We have to get out of here.”

“Ivy! Come back!” Kunai cries out loud, as Ivy runs towards the castle, clambering over a short, rocky slope up towards the entrance to the castle.

“Stay back!” Arai cries. “You don’t know where you’re going!” He sends a blast of frost after Ivy, but misses, and instead sends several large boulders tumbling down.

“We’ll just have to go after her,” Arai mutters, grabbing his Dark Ritual and chasing after Ivy. Kunai follows suit as well, running after Arai.

“Arai! What’s the matter? Why’s the castle so dangerous?” Kunai gasps as he runs next to Arai.

“That…is the Castle of Necroheim,” Arai replies softly.

“Necroheim?” Kunai mutters. “I’ve heard that name in fairytales before…”

Ivy suddenly approaches the stone doors of the castle, staring up at it. Arai and Kunai quickly catch up to her, breathless. Together, the two of them each grab one of her arms and attempts to pull her away.

“What are you doing?!” Ivy cries in surprise.

“We have to get out of here,” Arai says fearfully.

Ivy’s eyes suddenly widen, and she suddenly hangs limp in the grip of Kunai and Arai. She stares up into the face of Arai, surprise written on her face. ‘I’ve never seen Arai so scared…’

A bolt of lightning suddenly jolts the sky, with a thunderous boom. The flash of lightning temporarily illuminates the dark terrain around the castle, brightening the dark, lonely hills deprived of tundra.

As the flash of lightning clears, a lone, dark figure can suddenly be seen standing atop one of these hills, glaring down at the three of them.

“Who’s there?!” Kunai cries out loud. He takes a nervous step backwards.

Arai raises his Dark Ritual, poised to attack. A resolute expression is set on his face; however, his hands are shaking slightly as they hold up his staff.

“Maybe it’s Ryuu!” Ivy cries out loud hopefully.

“No, it’s not Ryuu,” Arai replies. “Ryuu would never bring so much fear to my heart.”

“Then who is it?” Ivy whispers frightfully, shifting to hide behind Kunai. Another flash of lightning suddenly illuminates the sky, and the figure takes an agile leap down to stand in front of the group.

As the flash of light clears, the figure’s face can be clearly seen: black hair, with bangs hovering over his luminous red eyes. He is wearing a neat suit of black, with a Seraph’s cape draped around himself.

Kunai and Arai gasp out loud. Kunai raises a shaking hand, pointing up at the figure in front of him. “You—You look kinda familiar! Where have I seen you before?”

“Azuma,” Arai murmurs softly to himself.

The man cackles suddenly, a cold, ruthless laugh. “That is incorrect. Azuma is long dead.”

Arai gasps softly to himself. “But that can’t be! You have to be Azuma! You look just like him…except for the blindness. We just visited to Azuma, how can he not be dead?”

“Azuma is dead, fool,” the man replies, a cold smile on his face. “I dressed myself as Azuma when I met you. Allow me to introduce myself. My true name is Lord Kimura…leader of the Myougun.”

Kunai, Arai, and Ivy all gasp aloud as one. “Leader…of the Myougun?!” Kunai cries out loud. He suddenly begins shaking violently, staring up into the cold face of Kimura.

Kimura slowly approaches Kunai, as he and Arai both take a step backwards, not allowing him to draw near. Kimura stops in his tracks. Kunai stares up at him defiantly. “Are you going to kill us, take Ivy as the phoneme?”

“I am not going to kill you, Kunai, nor am I going to take the girl,” Kimura answers, his attention completely focused on Kunai.

Kimura suddenly lazily reaches to his side, drawing a thin, long sword, glowing with a strange blue aura. He raises it, parrying a blow from a flaming sword.

Ryuu suddenly appears in front of Kunai, his sword locked with Kimura’s. “Ryuu!” Kunai cries aloud in surprise. “I didn’t even see you approach!”

“You all right, Kunai?” Ryuu mutters under his breath.

“Ah…yes,” Kimura whispers, a fiery glare in his eyes. “The famous Ryuu from the Joukai Elite. How nice to meet you again.”

“Again?” Ivy mutters.

“We met briefly,” Ryuu replies, his eyes straying over to her momentarily, “in Sanctum. The thirteen-pupiled beast, Kimura of the Myougun!”

Kunai gasps out loud, staring at Kimura. “Thirteen pupils? Then that means…”

“That’s right,” Ryuu answers. “The ultimate Hybrid: ten pupils corresponding to each class division, one for the two-element fire and poison, one for the two-element ice and lightning, and one for Beginner.”

“Then that means…he has the power of each class?!” Kunai cries.

“That is correct,” Kimura smirks, stepping forward towards Kunai.

Ryuu growls, drawing his sword, and forcing Kimura to flip in the air backwards, landing several feet away. Kimura smirks at Ryuu.

“Wait…so is he some sort of Paradox?” Ivy asks Ryuu questioningly. Ryuu does not reply, but remains standing, slightly bent over, panting heavily.

“No, I am no Paradox,” Kimura answers Ivy, his eyes now straying to hers. “The only Paradox stronger than the three Guardian Triplicates is—”

“Shut up,” Ryuu pants, his breathing heavy and ragged.

Kimura looks at Ryuu, a mocking expression of surprise on his face. “Ryuu…you mean to tell me that you’ve not told even your friends the truth of the Fifteenth Paradox?”

“The Fifteenth Paradox?” Kunai asks perplexedly, turning to stare at Ryuu. “What’s he talking about?”

Ryuu remains silent, bent over and breathing heavily. He eyes slowly close as his breathing comes in long gasps. He shakes his head, planting the tip of his sword in the ground and leaning on it for support.

“Heh, then I can assume I was correct in guessing so,” Kimura replies. He turns to stare at Kunai, Arai, and Ivy, addressing them. “The Fifteenth Paradox is the most powerful Paradox that exists…at one point she used to be human.”

“Human?!” Kunai gasps. Arai does not say anything, but continues to stare up at Kimura fixedly and silently.

“Correct,” Kimura answers, “for you see, she was a former member of the Joukai Elite. Indeed, of the three that remain alive to this day, she is one of them. The other two stand here.”

Kunai’s eyes widen, as he stares at Ryuu’s bent back. “So…that’s what Ryuu never told us…that the third Joukai member was…a Paradox.”

“Yes,” Kimura sneers. “Ayame was her name. She and your dear friend Ryuu were inseparable, they were even deemed most likely to become husband and wife. She was a Hybrid, just like your friend Ryuu here. However, she credits becoming a Hybrid to the Zakum Triplicate.”

“Meaning she was just like Ivy!” Kunai cries out loud, turning to stare at Ivy.

“Yes, and one day…” Kimura mutters.

“She was attacked again and became a Paradox,” Kimura and Kunai mutter simultaneously.

“Ryuu, of course, couldn’t bear to see his childhood friend become infused with evil. He has been living haunted in that shadow ever since,” Kimura whispers.

Kunai stares silently at Ryuu’s back, speechless. “Poor Ryuu…” Ivy murmurs.

Ryuu suddenly rises to his full height, but continues to shake violently. He pulls his sword out of the ground, and a swift current of flames and lightning course through it. “Kunai. You guys run and wait for me in the mines. I’ll hold this guy off.”

“A-Are you sure?” Kunai says nervously.

“Go,” Ryuu replies weakly. “Go.”

Kunai nods, and leads the way as he, Arai, and Ivy begin sprinting back down the rocky hills towards the snowy plateau where the zombies were.

Ryuu stares at their retreating backs as they slowly disappearing, growing smaller and smaller in the distance. Finally, he turns his attention back to Kimura. “You’re gonna die here, you bastard.”

“Ryuu, Ryuu, Ryuu. Please do not be mad that I spoilt your treasured secret,” Kimura replies with a smirk. “It was bound to come out sooner or later. You’re lucky I did not tell the whole truth.”

Ryuu grits his teeth, raising his sword. “That’s enough.”

“What’s the matter? I thought you loved Ayame. Does hearing her name bring back painful memories?” Kimura continues to smirk.

“I said that’s enough!” Ryuu growls, running forward and attacking Kimura.

Kimura parries the strike easily, and counters with a swift stroke, nearly decapitating Ryuu. He ducks just in time, and kicks Kimura’s feet as he turns, causing him to trip slightly.

Ryuu growls again, thrusting his sword forward in a stabbing motion. Kimura suddenly grabs the blade of the sword, using it as leverage to pull himself into the air and flip over to land behind Ryuu.

Kimura thrusts his own sword forward, with Ryuu countering the attack only just in time with the Joukai Guardian Seal. Ryuu bends over, panting heavily.

Kimura sneers down at Ryuu as he stands, barely able to remain on his feet. “I can see that all your remaining strength is concentrated into the task of merely maintaining your stance. Our fight ends here. You are in no condition to fight.”

Ryuu narrows his eyes, growling with hatred at Kimura. He thrusts his sword forward again, this time making a direct hit exactly on Kimura’s stomach.

Kimura remains standing still, no pain reflected in his eyes. He shakes his head disappointedly at Ryuu. “Till next time we meet, Ryuu.” Kimura suddenly disappears in a bright flash.

Ryuu bends over panting again, forced into a kneeling position this time. “A…hologram?!” he pants.

Kunai, Arai, and Ivy sit silently just inside the entrance to the mines. Ivy glances sadly at the Flyeyes hovering about the unexplained lit lanterns inside the mine.

Kunai stares broodingly out into the snowy ground outside, where it has begun to snow again. Suddenly he stands up, shouting in alarm. “Ryuu!”

Arai and Ivy quickly turn their heads towards the entrance, running to help the stumbling Ryuu over the threshold into the mine. “Ryuu! You look terrible,” Arai says, helping Ryuu take a seat.

But before he manages to take his seat, Ryuu stumbles forward, coughing out blood and falling onto the damp ground facedown.

“Ryuu!” Kunai shouts in alarm. “What’s wrong with him?!”

Ivy bends over Ryuu, feeling his pulse. She places a hand on his forehead worriedly. “He’s been poisoned.”

Next Time: Episode 34 Fire in the Ground, Fire in the Heart

Kunai: Ryuu…why didn’t he ever tell us about Ayame?!

Arai: He wanted to keep it a secret.

Ivy: Well, regardless of everything, we have to get going now. There’s a Triplicate to defeat!

Kunai: Your right! Next time, we open the door to the next Triplicate! Eh…what’s that smell?

Episode 34 Fire in the Ground, Fire in the Heart coming soon!