Episode 13 The Shuriken of Revenge

[Ransom Letter]
I have taken your friend hostage. If you wish to see her again, meet me in the center of town in front of the tallest tower. I will be waiting there.

Ryuu crumples the letter and hurls it to the floor, watching it float about the waterlogged ground before the words melt away, victim to the heavy torrents flowing down from above.

“The center of town at the tallest tower?” Ayame mutters curiously.

“That’s…” Ivy replies slowly. Suddenly her eyes widen. “Wait, that’s…!”

“The hotel,” Kunai finishes for her.

Ryuu unsheathes his sword, staring into its glistening blade while drops of rain splatter onto it. “Looks like a fight is brewing. We mustn’t waste any time in getting there!”

As suddenly as it had come, the rain dissipates, becoming no more than a light mist and overcast sky hovering over the darkness of the night.

Traffic buzzes by slowly, ignorant of the slick roads and instead cruising by at top speed. As a result, a large fountain of water seems to hover in the air as each passing car sends a draft of icy rainwater into the air.

Nearby the streetlamps lining the street remain well lit with their phosphorescent white light, never going out. Lost amid a huddle of hurrying people, a single, lone figure stands alone near one of these lamps, leaning against the post.

Ryuu and Kunai, leading Ivy and Ayame quickly enter this busy intersection, pushing people aside feverishly in their attempt to reach the hotel on time.

At last, the four of them reach the front door of the hotel, lit as usual with its bright interior lights. Kunai doubles over, panting slightly from the effort of running. He glances around briefly, searching for the kidnapper.

“There,” Ryuu mutters in a soft growl, pointing directly ahead at the lone figure standing by the streetlamp, apparently ignoring them. “Hey!” he growls, “Over here!”

The figure slowly turns his head, peering interestedly at Ryuu and Kunai. He then approaches them slowly, taking his time to reach them. When he at last meets them face to face, he pulls off his hood.

“Shuriken,” Kunai growls, “So it really is you. Dammit, didn’t you learn anything the last time we fought?! Lord Kimura is not going to grant you your wishes.”

“You lie,” Shuriken replies, “Lord Kimura would never deceive me! There is only one reason for my existence, and that is to revive my sister. If you are going to debate my existence, then I shall merely erase yours.”

Kunai growls, clenching his fist angrily. “What did you hope to achieve by kidnapping Sasha?”

“Exactly what I have done,” Shuriken whispers softly, “gather you all here. In order to kill you.”

“You…bastard,” Ryuu growls, “Tell us, where’s Sasha?! What have you done with her?”

“She is safe and sound,” Shuriken mutters, “For now anyway. She is imprisoned at the very top of this hotel tower. I have kindly summoned several Paradox to keep her company there. Don’t worry; they are full. However, I cannot guarantee that they will stay full with such helpless prey in front of them…”

“You…monster!” Kunai growls, lunging forward. However, Ryuu reaches forward, holding him back. Kunai turns to Ryuu angrily. “What?”

Ryuu shakes his head. “No, don’t approach him recklessly. Shuriken is a lot stronger than you think he is, Kunai. You only defeated him by pure luck last time.”

Kunai snarls angrily, staring at Shuriken’s expressionless face. “Then what’re we gonna do?”

“We fight,” Shuriken replies simply, leaping into the air and firing two Tobis without warning.

The crowded sidewalk suddenly screams aloud as once, as passersby yell in surprise and jostle past each other, attempting to push themselves out of the line of fire.

Ryuu steps forward, blocking the two stars with his sheathed sword. “Dammit, Shuriken! There are too many innocent people in the way!”

“What’s the matter? Are you not going to fight because of these worthless lives?” Shuriken sneers.

“Why you…!” Kunai cries angrily. He throws himself forward, and lets fly two Steelys headed straight for Shuriken. With an agile leap, Shuriken dodges them, allowing to land on the floor with a clatter.

Immediately, Shuriken lands right behind Kunai, just as the last panicked pedestrian disappears around the corner. A chilling, steady wind blows by in the empty silence.

“Now the fight really begins,” Shuriken mutters, drawing three Tobis in his hand, while keeping Kunai immobile with his left arm.

Ryuu cries out loud, and attacks the air with a swift vertical strike aimed for Shuriken, but gasps in surprise as he meets the opposition of an Avenger.

Shuriken powerfully throws Ryuu’s sword back, and leaps over him, striking with incredible speed and power. Ryuu parries each blow, struggling to defend himself. ‘Dammit…he’s gotten a lot faster than I remember him being!’

“Ryuu!” Ayame gasps, rushing forth with her Geta poised to attack.

Shuriken dodges the attack and returns four Tobis as a counter. Ayame chokes, dropping to the floor with several bloody wounds protruding from her stomach. She stares behind her, where the Tobis have fallen to the ground grimed with her own blood.

‘Incredible…not only did he dodge my Assaulter, but he shot those stars so fast they went right through me!’ Ayame grasps at her wounds, coughing from the pain.

“All right, now my turn!” Kunai shouts, “Take this!” He flings two Steelys through the air, but Shuriken merely turns halfway and blocks them with his Casters.

Shuriken dashes up into the sky in flash, standing completely upright against the side of the hotel. He smirks down at his four pursuers down below. “I am only just getting started.”

“Ugh…” Ryuu growls, “Just what the hell is he? He’s standing against the side of a building…he can even defy gravity now? How strong can this kid get?”

“Come down here, you bastard!” Kunai shouts, waving his fist at Shuriken.

Shuriken merely returns the yell with another smirk. “In a moment.” He nonchalantly removes his Casters, and immediately a dark fog rushes out of it, surrounding his hand. “Come out, Phoebe!”

A shriek like a hawk pierces through the air, causing Kunai and Ryuu to clamp their hands over their ears. All at once, Phoebe the Dragon Paradox appears before them, hovering just above Shuriken’s shoulder.

“Phoebe?” Kunai mutters.

“No…he’s not doing what I think he’s doing is he…?” Ryuu gasps.

Shuriken takes a flying leap off the wall, shouting, “Paradox Fusion!” Immediately, Phoebe dissolves into a black fog again, but this time wraps herself around Shuriken, forming a coating of squiggly black lines all over Shuriken’s body.

With an elegant landing, Shuriken replaces the Casters on his right hand, and draws a set of Tobis, ready to attack. He stares at the shocked group, smirking evilly. In his right eye, a second pupil has formed.

“What…what’s happened to Shuriken?” Ivy gasps.

“He’s performing the Paradox Fusion,” Ryuu answers, “this is bad…”

“Why is it bad?” Kunai asks. “He just—wait…I’ve seen this before…”

‘“Let’s finish this, Phoebe!” Shuriken mutters, “It’s time to use our secret move!” Phoebe suddenly lunges forward, and grasps onto Shuriken tightly.

It quickly surrounds Shuriken, until he is covered with a layer of shadows, blended with Phoebe. Shuriken Hastes himself into the air, and creates an Avenger in his right arm as he does so.

Shuriken creates another one in his left hand, and launches both shuriken forward, sending them cutting through the air and slicing across the Triplicate’s wings.

The wings shatter as Shuriken double jumps and propels himself even higher skyward, and Shuriken watches briefly as the wings collapse and fall to the ground with a deafening crash.

“Paradox Fusion!” Shuriken yells, as Phoebe completely surrounds his entire body. Shuriken then lunges forward and creates one final Avenger, and sends himself flying through the eye of the Triplicate, shattering it and causing it to shriek in pain and agony.’

“Ryuu, what is Paradox Fusion?” Kunai asks feverishly.

“Paradox Fusion…” Ryuu mutters, “is a very rare occurrence. But since Shuriken has so much control over this Paradox, he can activate it by will. I learned about it when I was an apprentice of Alcaster. Since Paradoxes can attack the soul directly, it can therefore make direct contact with it. There are three levels of Paradox Fusion…Shuriken is currently in Level One, Body Sharing.”

“Body Sharing?” Ivy asks.

“In Level One Paradox Fusion, also known as Body Sharing, the Paradox fuses with the user’s soul, sharing the same body. This is the only safe method of Paradox Fusion because the Paradox and the Soul remain separate entities sharing the same body. In this case, the Paradox merely lends power to the user.”

“Well what happens in the other two levels?” Kunai asks.

“Level Two is known as Soul Fusion. The two souls fuse into one soul in one body. In such a case…the Paradox now gains access to the body’s functions, and can use it to attack, however the human soul still has the majority of the power of the body. Level Three…”

“Yeah?” Kunai asks tentatively.

“Level Three,” Ryuu mutters, “Named Paradoxical Residency, in which case one of two things may happen depending on the compression rate of the user’s soul. If the human soul is not held together tightly, the Paradox will take full control of the body like a virus, and the user will become a Level Ten Humanoid Paradox.

“However, if the user’s soul is compacted tightly enough to not fall apart…an even worse thing happens. The human will retain command of the body, but the fusion will progress to fuse with not just the soul, but the external body as well.

“In other words,” Ryuu stops, pausing momentarily. “In other words, Shuriken will become a Level Fifteen Paradox, just the same as Ayame had been.”

Kunai’s eyes widen at the news. Ayame rises from the ground with a groan, her hands bloody. Ivy stares in simple shock, unable to move or say anything. “Then…we’ve gotta stop this!” Kunai cries.

“There is nothing to worry about yet,” Ryuu replies, “Shuriken currently only knows how to activate Level One, I believe. Unless the Paradox Fusion begins to evolve, he cannot become a Paradox himself.”

“Are you done talking?” Shuriken growls in a hoarse whisper.

“You’re…” Kunai grumbles, “gonna give Sasha back!” Kunai lunges forward armed with several Steelys. He launches them ahead of himself, but Shuriken merely blocks them with a wave of his hand.

Kunai aims his foot forward, poised to kick. Upon impact with Shuriken’s Avenger, Kunai jumps backwards and raises his fists. “Damn, fast…” he mutters. Kunai jumps recklessly forward again with relatively the same move.

Shuriken easefully blocks each subsequent attack without a word or blink of an eye. He smirks as Kunai finally doubles over at last, weary and out of breath.

“Now it’s my turn to attack!” Shuriken howls. Kunai’s eyes flash as Shuriken stares him straight in the eye for a brief moment. Then Shuriken lunges, his Avenger poised to attack.

Kunai swerves to avoid the attack, but reacts much too slowly; as a result, Shuriken grins as his Avenger makes direct contact with flesh, tearing into Kunai’s shoulder as puddles of blood splash forth.

Kunai falls to his knees, choking from the sudden rush of blood in his shoulder. His entire body convulses violently, unable to maintain a fighting stance. ‘Those eyes…’ Kunai mutters to himself, ‘I recognize that yellow light in them…’

“Damn,” Ryuu growls, raising his whole sword, “Damn you, Shuriken!” He lowers the gigantic blade, as it breathes into life with currents of fire, ice, and lightning brimming in it.

“DIE!” Ryuu screams, “Triple Elemental Attack!” Ryuu cuts the air with his sword, and an explosion of red, blue, and yellow erupts around the entire boulevard, causing the ground floor windows of the hotel to burst. The people inside scream and run away from the scene.

As the smoke from the explosion clears, Shuriken remains standing on a small island in the midst of a gigantic crater created by Ryuu’s attack.

“Powerful,” Shuriken mutters in a low voice, “but your power wasn’t concentrated. Instead of where, it hit everywhere.”

“Damn,” Ryuu growls, “Shut the hell up! I don’t need some amateur like you lecturing me!”

Shuriken’s eyes glare dangerously red with a hidden fire and passion. He turns angrily to Ryuu, ignoring the fallen Kunai. “I shall make you eat those words!” Shuriken dashes forth, with his bloodied Avenger in hand.

Ryuu smirks as he raises his sword, easily deflecting Shuriken’s attack. With a flying leap backwards, Ryuu splits his sword into two, and arms himself, bracing for attack. “Try blocking two at a time!”

Ryuu hurries forth, and Shuriken meets his every blow with his own Avenger. Finally, Ryuu cries out in fury and strikes a particularly heavy blow. Shuriken again blocks it with his Avenger, but as a result of the impact, a large crack appears in the center, and the Avenger falls apart.

Kunai draws three Steelys, and narrows his eyes, searching for an opening in which to attack. He quietly transforms his Steelys into his own Avenger, and finally dashes forth, armed and ready to attack.

Shuriken turns at the last moment, and blocks the attack with a fresh Avenger, out-muscling Kunai and throwing him backwards. Kunai’s Avenger flies into the air with him, and lands on the floor cracked and broken.

“Pathetic,” Shuriken sneers, “your Avenger compared against mine isn’t even worth comparing! The fact that I was able to shatter it in one blow…means I am a lot more stronger than you.”

Kunai growls, rising to a sitting position from the ground and brushing debris off his shoulders. He bares his teeth angrily at Shuriken. ‘I hate to admit it, but…that counterattack amazed even me…’

Ivy rushes to Kunai’s side, gasping out loud. She wraps her arms around his shoulders, and a soft green light emanates from her Thorns, transferring to Kunai.

Kunai sighs peacefully as he feels the pain disappear from his wounds. He gently pushes Ivy away, and rises to his feet again. “Shuriken…this time I’ll defeat you for sure!”

“Just try!” Shuriken spits, and in a flash, the two of them meet in midair, striking at each other with an Avenger each. Kunai flips over in the air and lands back on the ground, as does Shuriken.

However, Kunai lands much more roughly than Shuriken. He stares at the Avenger in his right hand. ‘Damn…at least it didn’t break this time.’ A thin crack appears at the edge of the Avenger. ‘Shuriken’s strength is amazing…how did he get this much stronger?’

“No match,” Ryuu snarls, “Sorry Kunai, but this guy is mine for the taking!” Ryuu lunges forward, striking violently blow after blow with his twin swords.

Shuriken dodges each one, and finally counters with a Lucky 7. Ryuu parries both stars and combines his sword into one again. “Okay…if that didn’t faze you, then it’s time for the real fireworks to begin!”

A bright orange flame erupts along Ryuu’s blade, running from the very tip to the hilt. “Eat this!” Ryuu growls, and sends a whip of flame whistling through the air towards Shuriken.

Kunai, Ivy, and Ayame leap out of the way as the links of fire overwhelmingly sweeps overhead, singeing the very air. Smoke arises as the sword swings by, and Shuriken leaps out of the way only just in time, the soles on his shoes smoking from the flame.

“Ryuu!” Kunai cries, as two Tobis that had been obscured by the smoke, flies through the air towards Ryuu. Ryuu shifts to the side, unable to dodge in time. However, Kunai launches two Steelys himself, deflecting Shuriken’s projectiles and forcing them to fall to the floor with a soft clatter.

Shuriken stands alone, a grim smirk on his face as Kunai and Ryuu both stare determinedly back at him. Kunai grimaces, holding his shoulder wound as a fresh river of blood pours from it. ‘Damn you, Shuriken…you’re not even scratched.’

“Very well. You—” Shuriken begins.

“A-Ayame!” Ryuu cries, as a swift purple flash rips through the very air, tearing through Shuriken’s body and leaving a spill of blood on the floor.

Shuriken is left standing alone, a look of shock and surprise on his face. He raises a trembling arm to his chest, where an extremely narrow wound has appeared.

Ayame appears behind Shuriken, half-glancing back at him. Her Geta is raised in her hand, and the police badge on her chests glints, reflecting a far-off neon light.

Kunai stares directly into Shuriken’s cold face for a moment. “Ayame, you…”

“I attacked him straight through the chest with my Assaulter,” Ayame answers, “I have extremely good aim and precision all thanks to my training as a Hermit. And I have studied anatomy books countless times, there is no way I could’ve missed. I cut straight through his ribcage and continued right through his heart. Shuriken is dead.”

Shuriken collapses to the floor, as suddenly his chest wound explodes, and a shower of blood rushes uncontrollably out of the hole in his chest. Shuriken clutches it, screaming out in mortal pain.

Ryuu stares down at Shuriken with a look of pity on his face. Suddenly his face tenses, and his hands jerk back to the hilt of his sword, as Shuriken begins glowing with a faint red.

The flow of blood from his chest suddenly stops, and reseals itself. Kunai and Ivy gasp out loud as the wound seems to reverse itself. “Wh-What’s happening?!” Kunai cries in surprise.

Shuriken’s face darkens as he slowly rises to his feet, his head lowered as he clutches his claw in his hands. The last tiny droplet of blood falls from his chest to the puddle on the floor, and then his chest wound disappears entirely.

Suddenly the incandescence of red light about Shuriken flashes into a blinding white, and then darkens, slowly condensing into a ball of utter darkness that forms around Shuriken’s body.

Shuriken then begins screaming, even as he stands still and unmoving, as sharp skewers of inky darkness form about his wrists and his dark hair grows longer, and sharper. The lines of darkness about Shuriken’s body condense and form patterns of black flame along the surface of his skin.

At last the screaming stops, and Shuriken remains standing fixedly on this spot, still not saying anything. Kunai, Ivy, Ayame, and Ryuu gaze apprehensively at him, waiting for the next move.

Kunai turns anxiously to Ryuu. “Ryuu, what the hell is going on here?”

“He’s…he’s…” Ryuu mutters, “He’s progressed onto Level Two of Paradox Fusion!”

At that moment, Shuriken glances up at last, and opens his eyes, revealing only one pupil in his right eye. They glow a bright crimson, and do not return to their normal black.

“This…this power!” Shuriken gasps, raising his shaking hands up to his eyes, “I’ve become stronger!”

Ryuu growls, raising an arm to shield himself from the bright crimson light emanating from Shuriken. “Dammit,” he mumbles to himself, “Shuriken keeps getting stronger.”

Ayame spins around, as Shuriken lunges forward, panting heavily, thirsty for blood. She leaps out of the way, avoiding injury only just in time. However, due to Shuriken’s speed, the very ends of her long locks of purple hair are sliced off by his claw.

Ayame gasps, watching the fragments of her hair fall off. “How good is this guy?! I cut him straight through the heart…he should be dead by now! Instead, he’s the one that’s doing the attacking!”

“It’s the Paradox Fusion that’s giving him this power,” Ryuu growls, “if only it weren’t for that Paradox!”

“What’s gonna happen now?” Kunai asks, “Is Shuriken gonna keep progressing until he reaches Level Three? What happens if he becomes a Paradox?”

“A Paradox is a creature with no heart, no brain, no sense of what it is or where it is. It has no judgment and no common sense, it cannot think. If Shuriken becomes a Level 10 Humanoid Paradox, it will be easy to defeat him. However, if, as I fear, he will become a Level Fifteen Paradox, then Shuriken’s consciousness will remain active, and then his powers will be unimaginable.”

“So in that case,” Ayame replies, “We have to stop Shuriken no matter what, before he gets to Level Three!”

“Right!” Kunai, Ivy, and Ryuu cry as one.

Kunai grasps two Steelys, and flings them at Shuriken. Shuriken steps aside, and grabs them out of the air, stopping them with his very hands. Kunai gasps as he watches this, unbelieving.

Out of a hidden corner, Ayame lunges forward with her Geta again, but gasps as she meets the opposition of an Avenger. Ryuu attacks from yet a third direction, and swings his sword in a wide arc, aiming for Shuriken’s back.

However, everyone gasps out loud this time, as a shadowy, fibrous arm reaches out of Shuriken’s back and stops Ryuu’s sword in mid-attack.

“It…what?!” Ryuu cries in surprise.

“A hand just appeared out of Shuriken’s back!” Kunai gasps. ‘So this is the kind of powers Shuriken is getting at Level Two…I hate to see what happens in Level Three!”

Ryuu and Ayame cry angrily as they rush at Shuriken again, but as Shuriken parries each of Ryuu’s attacks with an Avenger, the hand protruding out of Shuriken’s back does the same to Ayame.

Ryuu retreats, pulling Ayame away. Kunai and Ivy rush to their sides, as Ivy raises her Thorns and casts Heal upon the whole party. “You guys all alright?” Ivy asks worriedly.

Ayame shakes her head, grasping Ivy’s shoulder. “Thanks for the Heal, Ivy.”

Ryuu grabs his sword, planting its tip in the ground and leaning on it. “Damn…we’re not gonna get Shuriken like this by ourselves. If we’re gonna do some damage, then we’ve got to blow him away with one powerful blast.”

Shuriken stands idly by as Ryuu whispers something to Ayame, Ivy, and Kunai each in turn. He smirks to himself as he watches them, eagerly awaiting their next attack. ‘This power…that’s coursing through me…I want more…I need more! I need it to defeat Kunai!’

Ryuu turns suddenly, and points directly at Shuriken. “Okay, plan start!”

Ayame dashes out of sight while Kunai jumps forward and fires two rounds of Lucky 7s. Shuriken smirks at the apparently weak simultaneous attack. “Is that—”

The Steelys that had fallen around Shuriken burst into life suddenly with a loud explosion that rocks the ground. Ayame suddenly reappears around Shuriken, running at top speed in circles around him, dropping what appear to be golden circles about him.

Another explosion soon ensues, and Shuriken becomes engulfed in a gigantic plume of gray smoke. He coughs loudly, waving frantically to clear his vision.

With magnitude of a colossal earthquake, another explosion follows with a deafening boom, and several nearby buildings collapse from the impact.

Ryuu now steps forward, his sword raised. “Finisher! Ryuu’s Triple Serving Elemental Buffet!” He cuts the air with his sword, and the explosion doubles in size, as it is bombarded with a blast of ice, fire, and lightning.

Ryuu lowers his sword satisfactorily, a smirk on his face while Ayame and Kunai stand idly by. Ivy watches worriedly from behind. “No one…” Ryuu mutters, “No one can have survived that attack.”

The smoke clears at last, and the lone figure of Shuriken remains standing. Ryuu, Kunai, Ayame, and Ivy all gasp aloud as one as he remains standing, unmoving, a grim figure of darkness and malevolence.

“How the hell…” Ryuu mutters.

The lines of black fire written on Shuriken’s skin melt and dissolve, forming into a pool of inky, fibrous blackness. They wrap themselves around Shuriken’s hands, wrists, arms, chest, legs, his entire body. Shuriken clenches his fist, feeling the strength of it.

The spikes running along Shuriken’s wrists lengthen in size, and his hair becomes a mat of indiscernible darkness. The Black Gaia Cape wrapped around Shuriken’s shoulders flaps idly in the cold night breeze.

The Avenger held in Shuriken’s hand cracks in half and shatters into a thousand pieces, only to be replaced by another one oozing out of Shuriken’s arm. The black fog transforms itself into a new Avenger, with a yellow eye engraved around a red pupil in the center.

Shuriken raises his head, opens his eyes, and brushes away several loose strands of black hair, revealing a pair of blood red pupils inside yellow eyes.

Next Time: Episode 14 A Twisted Soul

Episode 14 A Twisted Soul coming soon!