Jet Lag [Entering Country]

[Sekuro]

Altitude dropping.

Propulsion slowing.

The cyborg, soaring through the grey clouds of the mountain range was running out of chakra.

Relying on it's Flight Attachments and it's chakra reserves to travel high above the ground below with relative ease, however, it was running low on chakra. Landing now would be dangerous for the cyborg. It's chakra battery cells were solar powered and the overcast from the snowy mountains would slow it's charging. Coupled with the extreme cold, and the cyborg could possibly succumb once again to the viciousness of nature.

[ Danger: Chakra Propulsors: 6%

Emergency Landing: Immanent
Running: Survival.prtcl
...

Steam began to eject from seams of the cyborg, mid-flight, as more panels modular panels would exit it's opened frame.


Running: Exo-Armor.exe
...
Installing Device Drivers...

As this was happening in mid air, the jet propulsors hidden beneath the cyborg's feet and shoulder blades receded into it's body. The black flight paneling began to wrap itself around the frame of it's body all while it was swiftly losing altitude.

Installation Complete: Exo-Armor.exe Installed successfully_
Running: Endure.jtsu_
...

Suddenly making contact with the face of a mountain, the cyborg had crash landed and was now tumbling down a steep snowy path.

Danger_
Danger_
Danger_

Message pop up alerts would cascade behind it's crimson eyes warning of the damage being done. After what seemed like minutes of tumbling, the momentum finally slowed enough for the cyborg to stop all together. He rolled once more before sitting up in the snow, a trail of disturbed powder being the evidence of his entry.

Location Data Updated: Moon Country_


[Entering Country]
[Topic Enter / Left]
[S Rank : 30 Minutes]

 

[Masaru Yuuto]

The frigid air clung to his skin, each breath harsher than the last. Two months had passed since his narrow survival and unexplained escape from the Abyss. His body was still weakened from… whatever that was. The sensation of foreign energies circulating beneath his skin had grown more pronounced with time, like a festering wound that refused to heal. His steps were slow, steady, and uneven. Straps tied to his shoulders connected him to a makeshift sled of broken wood and metal, frames that once formed the bodies of his puppets. New shapes lay hidden beneath a rough covering of branches, bark, and bramble.

The sting of defeat had not faded. His pride lay buried somewhere in the rubble. How much of himself was even left?

Uncertainty followed every movement, gnawing at the edges of his thoughts, digging deeper with each step. Too many questions remained unanswered.

"How did I survive those bastards?"

"What happened to my Frogs… why don't they answer my call?"

He stopped beside a frozen lake, a thick sheet of ice stretching endlessly before him. His reflection stared back from its surface, and he studied it as though it belonged to someone else.

"And what's with this face? I look at least ten years younger. What kind of sorcery is this?"

Yuuto had not only been torn from the Abyss and deposited in the Land of Water, he had been altered. His body felt lighter, faster, almost rejuvenated. As if time itself had been peeled back. Yet the trade was evident. Nearly a third of his original power was gone, stripped away in the process. Worse still was the strange, cursed energy coiled gently through his chakra network, invasive and unfamiliar. There was no clear explanation for any of it.

His low muttering was cut short as the air itself began to hum. A deep vibration rippled outward, distorting the space around him. Though he held no affinity for sound, the resonance pressed against his skin, unmistakable. Something was approaching. More precisely, something airborne.

Yuuto lifted his gaze. High above, a figure streaked across the sky, humanoid in shape or close enough to unsettle him. Distance obscured its features, but he was certain of one thing. Energy poured from it. Chakra, most likely. It vanished beyond his line of sight, and moments later a distant boom cleaved through the air. The echo scattered quickly, but the impact was undeniable.

They had crashed.

Opportunity was suddenly within reach.

He had seen no one during his time wandering the wilderness. No villages. No travelers. Not even signs of life. He did not truly have a destination, only motion, carrying himself through unfamiliar terrain. He had never set foot in the Water Country before, never endured winds this cruel or cold.

Whatever that was could be a clue. Or a godsend. Either way, standing still was no longer an option.

Yuuto formed a one-handed seal, chakra flowing into it with practiced ease. Upon release, his hand glowed faintly, a low thrumming of power as he activated [Chakra Sense] and turned toward the direction of the crash. It would take time to isolate the trail, especially weighed down by his equipment.

Hiking through this snow?

Wonderful.

---

-2 Hours Later -

Who thought it was a good idea to leave me in this frozen country with little to no clothes? Puppet Armor is not going to keep me alive forever…

He muttered under his breath, irritation bleeding into his voice as the reality of freezing to death became increasingly plausible. Still, he pushed onward. Signs of impact were growing clearer now. Trees bent and splintered unnaturally, warped as though they had bowed to the passing force of a violent shockwave.

As he drew closer to the crash site, the cold gnawed relentlessly at his focus. At this pace, he would not last much longer. Yuuto had no desire to draw attention to himself, but survival was beginning to outweigh caution. With a quiet breath, the veteran wove another one-handed seal. Chakra spilled outward, coating his body in a translucent sheen that mirrored its surroundings. Active Camo. An old ANBU technique. He could no longer access his full repertoire, but fundamentals endured.

Another technique followed. A current of scorching wind spiraled around him, pushing back the cold. A slow breath escaped his lips as warmth returned to his limbs. With warmth came resolve.

Yuuto continued through the snow until he reached a shallow crater carved into the cliff above. Something had landed here. That much was certain. Whatever it was had not stayed. He released the ninja wire acting as reins, the puppet sled settling softly into the snow behind him. Deactivating Chakra Sense, he searched the area. Nothing. At least, nothing he could perceive.

He approached the crater. Fractured stone littered the impact site, still warm to the touch despite the surrounding frost. Unnatural. He dropped down into the basin below, boots sinking into the snow. The signs were there. Something heavy had landed here. Someone. Most of the evidence had already been swallowed by snowfall. Wherever they went, they had not lingered.

For a brief moment, the journey felt like a waste.

“Well, I’ll be…” Yuuto murmured.

Lights flickered faintly through the snowstorm in the distance. A town. From here, he could just make out the silhouettes of clustered buildings.

Maybe luck had not abandoned him after all.

[MFT]
[Topic Entered / Left]