Chapter Six - kandouteki ni tatimukau








Thunder howled and shrieked among the distance. Murky shadows sprouted 
across the vast wilds of North Haven as rain plundered down from the 
heavens, gleaming like sparks of angry ember.

"This should be it, Gyro…" Caro shaded his eyes from the pounding rain under 
the shadows of his cloak, watching the outlined figure in the wild lash out 
light from the livid lightning of gold.

Drops of rain dripped from his hood onto the rim of his nose as he shivered 
to the coldness of this harsh storm, taking slow strides toward the shadowy 
figure in the far distance. "I've heard about North Haven from many people. 
It's said to be the perfect place to rest on this side of the world." His 
gait slowly continued onward, each step he took splashing cold water onto 
his balmy cheeks. Gyro's tiny ebony paws gripped firmly onto his tunic, 
mewing constantly in plea to get dry. "…It's also a good place to pick up 
companions…" He looked behind his shoulder to the darkness shrouding in the 
west. "And I could sure use some right now…Narneo doesn't wait for anyone, 
and he's certainly not going to wait for someone such as myself."

As those words were spoken, a flash of lightning and a shriek of thunder 
awoke them. Immediately, Caro gazed up into the sky, ignoring the rain 
pounding and throbbing onto his cheekbones as his cape fluttered and 
distorted.

Blind to the shadows, Caro squinted his eyes to see the figure of a creature 
elevated in the midnight sky, hovering at each strike of lightning that set 
before it. The monster drifted its massive wings upon the site of North 
Haven, bringing them forward to its chest as the talons it bore upon fell to 
the roof. Its chest glinted to the faint moonlight, a massive roar scorching 
from its throat like booming trumpets.

Caro's shoulders flinched as the wind picked up, his blonde hair rippling at 
his neck as his tongue compacted saliva. What in the name of hell was this 
thing…?

Blood poured down the rim of Caro's mouth as he bit his already sore lip, 
licking off the drops with his parched tongue. "Gyro, use your Furasshu 
attack."

Gyro slowly drifted from the setting upon its master's shoulder, squinting 
its tiny eyes together as a bolt of silver light surpassed its ebony body. 
The silver light crackled like a candle in the wind, showing a mere glimpse 
and shape of the monstrous creature. Ginger fur arose among its back and 
grew golden at its chest, ebony strips bleeding down its spine. Sharp 
crimson bulbs of light shone from its face as golden fur stroked down its 
forehead. Canines scraped down the side of its massive jaw. Emerald wings 
expanded from its back and relaxed at its hips, a carroty spine escalating 
the rim of the wings. Immense talons dug into the roof like seeking blood as 
it growled, Gyro's Furasshu attack fading back into its body.

"My God!" Caro pushed down the rim of his hood, rain drenching his blonde 
hair as it pounded and gushed upon it like bullets. He knew what this semi 
Uindii semi Rizaadon monster was…  "It's a Cnorkspa!" He took out into a 
speeding run toward North Haven, ignoring the rain punching and grabbing at 
his face as Gyro floated after him.

He boots wedged into the mud of the dirt road, and made it almost impossible 
to move. But after quite a few times of struggling, he eventually got free 
and took off running again.

The Cnorkspa was now clawing at the roof of the haven, pieces of ash covered 
in ember leaking from its jaws and partially spreading the roof on fire. The 
flames although soon gathered life and began grinding the building to black 
cinders. Screams poured from the building as shots of rifles echoed 
throughout the density of the wild.

Like fire the bullets sped, flying out from the roof like powdered snow in a 
blizzard. Only one of the shots fired actually hit the Cnorkspa; but even 
then the creature didn't fall…for its muscles were to strong, and its bones 
were to slick.

"Everyone out, now!" The door of the haven gushed open at that instant, the 
scene of grazing flames appearing in the locale of the edifice. Light 
officiated the darkness as an Burakki, with a golden scarf inlaid among its 
neck, dashed from the building, crimson eyes guiding its way through the 
shadows.

A sly-looking man as well took out of the burning building. Burgundy hair 
patched his scalp as it became enlaced with a blood-coated bandana. His 
emerald eyes looked drunk, and his clothes were almost unsanitary for such 
weather. His pallid shirt was ripped at the sleeves and torn at the neck, 
kaki pants bruised and scratched as they reached his knees.

Not far behind the rogue a beautiful maiden emerged. Dressed in a proper 
fashion of scarlet and ginger, her thick black-green hair rippled down to 
her shoulders, feeding on the wind soft and serenely. Her mahogany eyes 
feasted on Caro at once, more costumers of the inn taking out the door as 
women cried for their now dead husbands, and children no older than five 
cried from their burns.

The Cnorkspa crawled like a spider down the edges of the haven, watching 
with crimson bulbs of light as the humans cowered away in fear from its 
hunger. As its talons became outstretched and its wings upbeat, the monster 
leaped; for it thrived and craved for blood... Human blood.

Everyone at once scattered as the fiend made its way to the ground, roaring 
and screeching flames as it looked for a helpless pray to feast upon.

An old man in his rising eighties leisurely walked away from the demon as 
his cane wobbled and quivered, his long white hair recoiling down to his 
bony exterior.

The Cnorkspa's eyes feasted on the man as its front legs hunched for a 
pounce, its slimy tongue ready to devour the man's blood and furrowed flesh.

Caro's eyes broadened in dread, his frail and weary legs pulsing him faster 
and faster towards the elder and the others. The Cnorkspa watched Caro's 
acts in pure annoyance, growling an inhuman growl from the back of its 
throat.

"Watch out!" As the Cnorkspa ambushed upon its prey, teeth bared and potent, 
Caro's body collided with the man's, pushing him down at full force into the 
face of wet gravel.

The Cnorkspa's sadistic roar hung into the radiant wind, echoing silently 
among the faint distance of plundering rain. Nothing, and it meant nothing, 
took away its food.

Incensed and furious, the monster's bared teeth feasted upon the flesh of 
Caro's arm, gnawing and tearing at his skin and bone as he thrashed and 
screeched in anguish. Blood dripped and gushed down the tear the Cnorkspa 
was making, the ruby eyes of the beast burning in relish as its tongue 
tasted the essence of his blood.

"Gyro!! Kage Kiri!"

The ebony Myuu's eyes squinted firmly, a shadowy mist pouring through the 
pores of its black fur. The mist shrouded in the place of a sphere, 
electricity pulsing through the outer edges as the orb immersed.  It was all 
too soon when the orb shattered into shards the shape of spears, stabbing 
the Cnorkspa in the back to release spurting blood. Blood now dripped down 
the side and rear of the creature, saturating the gravel in the crimson 
substance.

"Buraku, get it now!" The Burakki leaped into the air, its golden scarf 
floating through the wind as its dagger-like claws pierced and gnawed at the 
monster's flesh.

The Cnorkspa immediately let loose of Caro's arm, his blood dripping from 
its canines as it snarled at the Burakki.

Caro's arm seared in bitter pain, his right arm squeezing among the gash 
securely as the blood leaked through his fingers and smeared down to the rib 
of his arm.

The man he had knocked down looked up at Caro in thanks, but yet showed 
trembling fear. Caro didn't at all blame him.

Frozen air vapor fled from his breath as Caro's free right hand pressed to 
his back, his hawk-like eyes watching ever so closely as the Cnorkspa 
advanced on the Burakki.

"Saidon atashi yobu ano kage! Shirareru ano homen suru!" Caro's hand fled 
from his back in pressuring speed, emerging a glowing sword of shadowed 
light. His right hand gripped the middle as the light fled through his 
hands, the light fleeing the essence of fire. His teeth gritted as sweat 
dripped down his forehead, his right hand pulsing back the pain his left 
hand was receiving. "Saidon! Dete kuru!"  Swinging the brilliant sword a 
forth, shapes pulsed and strained from the light, each radiant figure 
glowing into the contour of a Saidon as they all merged as one. Like Gyro, 
the Saidon was a shadowed creature-merged from the killed Saidon Gyro and 
Caro had faced that one year ago in Tamamushi Sitei.

The rhino-like monster charged and roared, its ebony rock-crushed body 
trampling the ground at full force as it picked up dust.  The Cnorkspa's 
crimson eyes spotted this at once, soon turning away from the Burakki with 
an inhuman growl. Its wings fluttered, and it took to the sky, talons ready 
to break into the monster's rocky flesh when it would dive. The Saidon 
halted, and in confusion of not spotting the monster, began tossing its head 
back and forth as if it had been stabbed in the eye with an arrow.

Caro watched the Cnorkspa circle the Saidon like a vulture, squinting his 
eyes in anger as his left arm bled into the gravel. He needed a monster in 
the sky…


"Onidoruru! Dete kuru!" The sword's light coiled in black, gushing out the 
same silver light as a black bird of massive wings emerged. It constantly 
screeched its name in fury, ready to battle the fiend no matter what the 
cost. A glint spoke into the gleam of its eye as it dove toward the 
Cnorkspa, howling and screeching as its beak pressed into an angle.

Caro looked over at the man wearing the bandanna, lifting up a finger toward 
his monster and the Cnorkspa. The man's face was coiled in shock and 
confusion at Caro's actions, but soon looked up at his finger.

"Fire your rifles when Onidoruru catches it off guard. As well order your 
Burakki to attack it from underneath as it ducks. Saidon and Gyro will take 
care of the rest."

Speechless, the man gave a heavy nod, ordering the maiden besides him to get 
Burakki and order the men to gather up their hangers and rifles.  As she 
took off, her ginger dress rippled behind her like the wing of a bird. Blood 
and water drenched the edges, but still allowed her to pass through without 
any extra weight.

Caro saw her talking to the other people, who too looked scared and 
frightened, each mother hugging her child to her chest as the father's 
lifted theirs to their shoulders. She looked so beautiful in the wind…

"Young man!"

Caro's eyes narrowed as he snapped to attention, seeing the bandanna man 
staring straight at him with gleaming emerald eyes. "Your Onidoruru! It's 
not going make it if you don't keep up your attention!"

Caro resisted the rain on his face, snapping out of his daydream as he 
stared up into the sky.

The Cnorkspa was firing fiery blasts toward Onidoruru, causing the bird to 
tumble sideways, and flap its wings to send out its own shadow-based attack. 
Embers danced to the ground like fireflies as the collisions sounded.

Glowering and cursing, he grasped the glimmering silver hanger at his belt, 
thrusting it into the sky like a bird obtaining its wings.  It flickered and 
shone to the radiant moonlight, spinning like a boomerang as it stabbed into 
the Cnorkspa's torso, the blade gashing deeper and deeper into its flesh as 
it struggled and roared. Blood gushed and teemed from the heavens, the gash 
in the Cnorkspa's heart causing the beast to hover its massive wings aloft 
and scream in brutal agony.

Caro brutally turned to the gunmen. "Fire, now!"

Bullets howled and whistled into the sky, the rain slowly gesturing to a 
stop as the pellets scorched and walloped them in the chest.  One at a time 
the burning bullets struck the wild monster, causing the beast to plummet to 
its death on top the crown of North Haven.

Fire scorched and gashed the once standing building, the monster's massive 
flesh pushing down the roof as the rest flickered away into the ashes.  The 
midpoint of Rustah was now destroyed.

As the men began to advance toward the fallen monster, Caro signaled them to 
an end. "I'll go and finish it off. There's an old saying you know; a dead 
wolf's head still has the power to bite." He turned to the sky where 
Onidoruru glazed the sky and the earth where Saidon snorted, using a simple 
sway of his hand to make them disappear into the night air.

The building was now rummaged and burnt to ash, wooden pillars that had once 
supported the walls sustaining to the dirt and feeding on ants and worms.

Stomping viciously on a worm of fire, Caro continued inside the pile of ash, 
soon coming face to face with the crimson-eyed creature. Its back was burnt 
and sliced within the flames and wood, blood streaming from its mouth as it 
coughed and roared out blood in agony and fury. The wedged slice in its 
pallid belly ripped more and more open as it struggled under the massive 
pile of towering pillars, moonlit discarded blood drenching the timber. Its 
wings were crippled and torn, the skinny bones of its figure piercing from 
the boundary from the many bullets that had struck it on fire. Caro took to 
one knee as he stared at the dying creature, slowly shaking his head in 
grief. "You brought this upon yourself, you know." The Cnorkspa looked up at 
him with dying ruby eyes, Gyro's tiny paws wrapping around the edge of 
Caro's shoulder as he pushed his fingers into the bloody dirt.

Sighing, he walked up to the beast, eyeing his glimmering hanger clutched in 
the Cnorkspa's belly. Taking a deep breath, he grasped his fingers around 
the bloody knife, yanking and pulling to release it from the monster's 
flesh. The Cnorkspa yelled and howled in pain, watching with intense eyes as 
the knife released its bloody skin and took to the fist of Caro's belt.

"Sorry for this…but as I said earlier, you brought this upon yourself, and 
now I'm saving you from the slow pain of death." Caro grasped a carved arrow 
from his arrow-sac, pushing it between his fingers as he set his bow. The 
bowstring let off a slight musical tune as the Cnorkspa howled and withered, 
the arrow soon plunging into the air with a sharp whistle.

The Cnorkspa's sharp scarlet eyes let out one last blink as the arrow shot 
into its right pupil, stabbing the core of its eyeball as it fled into 
darkness, shedding blood down its once roaring jaw.

Caro sighed. He hated killing things like this-but as Mihashi told him, 
sometimes it needed to be done for the sake of others.

"You saved us!" The bandanna man ran up to him with a careful stride over 
the broken pillars, his voice scratchy and forlorn, almost as if it had been 
used too many times under a drunkard's mind. A huge smile was pasted on his 
face as he seized Caro's fist to shake it, ignoring the infuriated look 
Caro's illustrated. "My name is Kaitou Skade, and if I'm not mistakin', was 
that the art of Shadow I was seein' out there? With you callin' upon that 
Saidon 'n all?"

Caro sighed, and let out a small nod, carefully taking his hand away from 
the man. "Yes, I was using the art of Shadow. That's what Shadow Trainers 
do, am I right?"

"Of course. But for a moment there, I thought you were an Ambitioner. Scared 
the hell outta me!"

Caro's judgment looked pungent as he stared at the man, placing his arrows 
back in their sac with haste. "Ambitioners use other art. Besides, I'm only 
in mere training…Ambitioners would have showed a greater power in the 
Element than would I." He gazed off behind Kaitou. "My name is Caro."

"Ah, that's a very interesting name indeed! Where'd you get it from?"

The blonde-haired boy narrowed his eyes. "My mother, no doubt."

"Ah… so you're from around Syaocale then, am I right?"

"That's right."

"Of course ya are. Most boys who look like you are from 'round there."

Caro was starting to get very annoyed with this man. "Right. Now, where is 
that man I saved? I want to know if he's alright…"

Kaitou laughed heartily, and placed a huge arm around his shoulders in a 
warm greeting. "You worry too much, kid. You should take a rest after all 
that summoning…"

Caro interrupted him in a voice of warning. "Just tell me."

"Don't worry about 'ol Habiku. He's one of me average costumers-has been for 
twenty straight years, and as I've seen it, he can practically survive 
anything! Hell, I've heard he's over three hundred years old!"

Caro's eyes widened in interest, the weight on his shoulders from Kaitou's 
arm no longer bothering him. "Really? Is he an Element?"

Kaitous laugh grew louder. "Habiku? An Element? Heh, you should stay with 
us, kid! You could make me laugh every day to keep me in high spirits!" As 
he continued laughing to Caro's utter displeasure, the crimson-dressed 
maiden wandered up to them, a filled gold-wove basket held in her smooth 
hands.

Kaitou looked up at her with a tight grin. "Well, ain't it sweet Akane. You 
got somethin' for ol' Kaitou in that basket, babe?"

The maiden glared at the man and stuck her nose into the air. "Of course 
not, you pig! It's for him." She smiled at Caro, handing the golden basket 
over to him within a gentle posture. Gladly taking the silo, Caro looked 
inside to see diverse assortments of rice grains and crimson ribbon, along 
with a few crumbs of gold and silver. Grinning, he shoved the money into his 
pockets, giving her his thanks.

"My name is Caro…I came here from Syaocale Village seeking partners to help 
me on my journey to Tabeon…" He cocked an eyebrow at Kaitou as the pervert 
tried to look under Akane's flowing ruby dress. "I thought I might need the 
help…considering the monsters out here are plentiful."

"But how come you need help with that? The way you took down that Cnorkspa 
with your Shadow Training was incredible…" Caro shifted uncomfortably. 
"Besides, why do you need to go to Tabeon? Isn't that where the Roketto Dan 
invaded those many years ago?"

Caro nodded. "Tabeon has recently reported to support the spirits of the 
Pocket Monster Kami…I think they recently spotted the Plant God up there 
recently performing acts upon Fushigidane to make them evolve into 
Fushigibanas…"
Akane's mouth parched. "Why would it do that?"

"To support the world's nature, of course."

"Oh yes…I almost had forgotten about the God's ways…"

The smell of fried pheasant filled the air with a glamorous scent among the 
burning haven, Caro's cerulean eyes picking up in alert.

Akane noticed this and grinned. "Don't worry…it's just some of the workers 
putting together a meal."

Kaitou adjusted his bandanna and nodded, taking his strong arm off of Caro's 
bony shoulders. "But of course, you and Akane can't eat with us normal 
folk."

Caro's head pulled into the air with warning, wondering why he couldn't eat 
at the feast with the other individuals. "Normal? What the…? But I had saved 
your ass you no good bastard…" Before Caro could swing a clenched fist at 
Kaitou, Akane held him back with strong hands, Caro's struggling meaning 
nothing to her authority.

As Kaitou snickered a short chortle and let out a parting hand to the maiden 
Akane, Caro kicked the dirt and veered it at him, sending it rolling his way 
like smoke. "That s*** bag…" Caro scowled. He hated it when people 
segregated him from others, only because of his Shadow element. It was 
almost like prejudice to him-stupid and uncalled for. He never did anything 
to others unless they deserved it.

Caro turned to face Akane within a stern look of passion, holding up his 
hands as if he was to surrender to something he had done wrong in the law. 
"What the hell is going on? No one in Syaocale Village ever did this kind of 
crap…"

Akane sighed, and took his arm back into her hands, pulling him over to 
another side of the ridge. "Caro, now that you've left the place you're 
familiar with, it's time I settle you down to a place you're not."



Caro crossed his legs in the grass. The icy and murky lawn was a relief to 
the sweltering feeling descending inside his stomach, his hunger growing at 
the sweet aroma of roasted pheasant and spiced apple pie descending from the 
fire.

"You must be hungry." Caro nodded in union, offhandedly watching Akane 
settle next to him by the flickering flames of inferno. To the orange flames 
her face shone ashen, causing the frame in her face to stick out in her 
cheeks. "I'm cooking some rice for you and Gyro." Looking at the bonfire, 
she picked up a moss-shrouded stick and prodded the flame, causing pieces of 
ash to spark into the air, down casting to the earth like fireflies. "Is 
that alright?"

Caro grinned smugly. "Yes, that's fine with me."

"Great. I thought you might be a little agitated that people like us can't 
eat at the feast." Getting a burgundy engraved basin from the roof of her 
dress fold, she began pouring the newly heated rice for servings, listening 
to the plop each spoonful made as it entered the bowl. Quietly, she handed 
it to him. "I hope you have chopsticks in hand. I currently don't have 
anymore besides the one I use."

Cupping the basin in his hands, Caro placed it on his knee, feeling the 
bottom of the cup surge heat into his leg. "Well, I don't exactly have any 
on my hands at the moment." He laughed vigorously. "Gyro ate them thinking 
they were dried meat jerky."

Akane giggled at the ebony creature sleeping on his shoulder, listening to 
its tiny snores as its paws gripped onto its master's shoulder. "Well…in 
that case…" She grinned menacingly. "I wouldn't see any harm if you use 
mine."

Caro's smile grew bigger. "Oh really…? If that's the case, I'm really 
looking forward to this meal."

Laughing heartily, she took a wooden pair of chopsticks from a pocket in her 
flowing ruby dress, handing them over to Caro. "You know, if Kaitou saw me 
giving you these, he'd screw your neck."

"I'd like to see him try." Caro gladly took the chopsticand began filling 
his mouth with the white rice, chewing gradually as he gazed over at Akane's 
curious look. Consuming the rice, he continued, "He fears magic, right? 
Well, if that's so, he has no other chance but to fear me-or why else 
wouldn't he allow me, you, and the other Elements to eat with their feast?"

Akane bit her lip and took the chopsticks from Caro for an instant, taking a 
few swigs of the tasteless rice. "It's not the magic that he fears of us, 
Caro. It's the element of the Shadow." Arching an eyebrow, she gave the 
chopsticks back to him. "The Shadow element is very powerful…"

"Yes, but it doesn't mean that Shadow Trainers share that power…" He set the 
bowl besides the bonfire, setting the timber utensils inside of the basin 
within a quick arouse. "It's only the Ambitioners and that one Kami… Am I 
right?"

"Yes…that's right."

"Then why the hell is he blaming it on me?"

Akane paused, shook her head, and arose to her feet. "We should go check on 
Buraku. He probably wants to see you."

Caro cocked an eyebrow as he also took to his feet, pushing his fingers 
inside his kaki pants as he slouched his spine. "Buraku? You mean Kaitou's 
Burakki?"

"Yes, that Buraku. You know any others here?"

"No, I'm just saying that it's kind of odd that we're in the middle of a 
decent conversation, and you change the subject to go check on a Burakki."

Akane chuckled vigorously, leisurely turning toward the mist of the night. 
"I don't believe you, a Shadow Trainer, hadn't yet sensed it…"

Caro's eyebrows raised in curiosity, his cerulean eyes flickering like 
glimmering embers in the night. "Sensed what?"

Her ebony-green hair glistened to the heat of the fire as she turned to face 
him, grinning brightly as Caro's curiosity grew. "He's a Kami, Caro. The 
element of Darkness."