Like a marching sound, Uri looked on fiercely through his mask, spotting Kaen not too far as well as his nefarious golem made of molten lava base. One would have feared such as sight like this but it was nothing Uri would flinch over. In fact, he felt the beckoning sounds of his surprise. All cards would have to be dealt on the table now as he began to feel a different sort of thrill. A kind of regret was also peeking from within his heart as he began to understand the situation he was in and he wanted so badly to make up for his shortcomings. But the marching sound of the grim reaper was far too close to ignore. If things were to span out and he would have to spend his entire life force for this, then he would gladly take out the threat that stood before him. No excuses there.
With the sky cleared from the vanishing water sphere that domed in on them from earlier, it would begin to feel as though something hot was penetrating through the air. Strange, considering the dispersal of the water dome had invited the chill of the mountain to sweep past them. Although the opponent may be like him, one who can compensate the weather’s frigid grip with their fiery soul, but this was not just their own doing. No. It was something far more destructive and alarming than anything Uri had done before.
He grinned beneath his mask as a hand quickly brushed across his neck, casually activating the headset that he wore and well hidden. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to call in the first place. He always thought it was a form of defeat and he had vowed to never again fall. But his communication was always connected to Shuuten for when he would really need him. Unfortunately, he would not be able to see those stormy grey eyes that belonged to his raven haired lover who was away in a special mission in the other side of the world. Thus, his communication link was connected to none other than the direct superior who mentored him to find his worth beyond his power.
At that point, the ferocious golem attempted to sludge a limb at his direction, making Uri dodge upon realizing the brutal force. In addition, he saw that Kaen could see through his attempt to hide and quickly aimed at him, a certain amount of chakra beginning to syphon quickly. It would be foolish to think that Uri would be so easily captured by such an attempt. The lithe black clad shinobi would jump into the air and show his agile form as he retaliated upon evading the other’s attempt. A quick release of energy stemming from his body surged past his hand as he swing out, lending an invisible force of slicing aura that trailed across the ground, jagging the surface as well as striking through at the enemies that stood before him. Such intense heat that would slice at them would quickly breakout like a spreading fire that would try to eat up at whatever fire that they strived to live on.
But there was something else that breathed danger upon their necks. It was close.
At that point, Uri didn’t realize that the headset had already connected to the other line. The spent energy around them was interfering with what he could hear, but he would be as clear as day to the other.
“Captain,” he started, voice low enough so that the opponent wouldn’t hear beyond simple murmuring, while a few gasping breath would be evident through the receiver.
“Sorry. I’ve found the anomaly that was reported along the border and took the initiative to face it. I’ve fought him before, I know that much, but it’s different. His bloodlust is unlike I’ve seen before. That’s why… I want to stop him on his tracks now.” He paused to sigh as he stood his ground and looked up to the suddenly brightening sky above them.
“You should know where I am right now. I’ve lit the sky so brightly. I’m sorry for disobeying your order. I don’t think I can be anything more than a weapon after all.”
Strange how the sight was quite beautiful.
“I never thought my flames were this beautiful. Why just now?” He unconsciously spoke and sighed as the large blue circle of light hang over the heavens as it continued to build upon itself, larger and larger, generating both blue and orange flames towards the core of something that was descending in immense speed. The approach was such that the converging chakra was beginning to chip on the headset, making small cracking sounds over the receiver.
“Don’t worry…. I’m not afraid …..to get to hurt…. I’ll stop him at all ….cost. Just please.. don’t let anyone…. else get hurt because of… me….” A large crack would seem to signal the explosion of the headset as the heat around them intensified. Uri broke the device free from him and threw it on the ground, as he glared at the opponent with the rushing blue meteor in the background.
“You’re not getting away from here unscathed,” he declared just as the collision came descending in a blink of an eye.
The explosion would rock the earth, its trembling force and shockwave would reach kilometers from point of impact. It’s blue flames would ravage across the surface and on its wake, a vast burnt land with dead trees and flames across the ground… blue and death like they were the same.
Uri would find himself thrown from the explosion some distance away, crashing through trees and burnt ground. He felt his chest ache, a few broken ribs probably, and his mask falling off when it broke from the impact. Blood spilt from an open wound along his eyes as he began to come into terms with that powerful explosion and push himself back up. He would not forget such a sight when he saw the blue flames erupt. He felt a little proud that he created such a devastating force, but he also felt bad at the ruptured land and the dismal sight of destruction.
“Still alive?” He called out as he took off his vest protector as it was getting hard to breath. It would allow him to move faster this way with just his black coat on. And as if on cue, there was a sudden eruption from the ground as the lava creature burst through and attempted to strike him. Uri showed that he was far from being done with them as well. He easily avoided the strike at first but a sudden slip on soot on the ground created an opening for the golem to whip its giant arms at him. It struck through and he felt the pain reverberate across his back as he was thrown across the ground. And to make matters worse, to rolled to stand back up, only to have a giant wave of scorching heat rise up from beneath him. It slammed against his body in full force, springing him from his hold on the ground and into the air. It was a familiar pain and technique that he quickly gritted his teeth in anticipation. Immediately, he felt a shocking blast against his body upon near impact to the ground.
Thrown like a rag doll but his soul was far from giving up as he forced himself quickly to a stand and a run. Closing into his opponent, Uri would send forth the energy of the demon within and slash through air, the weapon revealing to spring forth from one of his armguards and release a slicing power that would reach its prey. Each strike was vicious and true, hoping to end the life of this grave threat. But with each of his action, he, too, felt the strain in his body. A faint voice that belonged to the demon Chika would echo in mind. A warning to how much he was pushing himself too far for comfort. Strange how the demon cared. Almost comforting…
As he skids along the ground after his successful barrage, he caught sight of the golem’s arms once more. This time, he was prepared and jumped off to avoid the inching collision. But perhaps that was what the enemy had in mind. He was herded to the right spot where he had no time to evade the launching of a fiery explosion at him from behind.
He gritted his teeth as he staggered forward, blood dripping from his mouth. Wounds all over his body were beginning to show as a darker color would spread across his black clothes. Liquid life force staining them and marking the ground on where he fell.
For a moment, his world blacked out until his sense returned like impact. He was lying on the ground, curled from the pain and impact as he tried to correct his vision. Panting as he pushed himself up with his arm, he couldn’t help but feel strangely nostalgic. A moment like this happened before and he couldn’t help but smile as he remembered the words of his captain. Back when he fallen to this near death state in the Sileo, back when he could have been spared from the suffering of living and uncertainty, the man known as Kaji had instead reached out to him with an open palm, inviting him to the fold. Not as the weapon he believed himself to be, but as a person.
Slowly coming to a stand, Uri turned to face his opponents without despair. Would he have told his Captain that he fell like a hunted monster, or as a hunter himself? He didn’t know. But one thing was certain, there were no such things as defeat reflected in his eyes. His crimson eyes were deep and cutting as they sought to burn the image of the redhead and the fiery golem before him. Not so much to torment him, but to recognize this figure as worth it. Even though his body shook from its weakened state, he kept himself composed as he raised his hand to aim at the enemy, each moving second felt like burning pain through his body. Slowly, his eyes flickered with blue flame as he, himself, would be lit in his fiery power. He would not go down fighting.
“What are you afraid of?!” He called out as he willed his flames to burst through his body and shoot out from his hands, breaching and burning air as it ran across like a flamethrower towards Kaen’s form. One last attempt to end everything.
But alas, the lava creature took the moment to strike at his immovable body. The large limb of fiery substance came whipping back and striking towards him with immense heat of its own. At first, it contested his flames but soon enough, Uri felt his power fade from within him. He watched as his flames ended from the tip of his hand and eaten by the incoming force of the enemy. He clenched his fist at the sight, but did not move away. There was no need.
“I’m not afraid to die.”
He was hurled from the force. He came crashing back to the burnt land a few distance away. He felt his body hot from flames, almost burnt, but not sure whether it belonged to him or not. Patches of his black coat burnt away to reveal his battered flesh as he lay on the ground prone. As each second felt like eternity, his every breath burning through his throat and chest, he watched the enemy approach in such agonizingly slow pace. He smirked at the thought that he had at least wounded the man to that point, but he immediately coughed out blood as he felt something within him give way. His body was not responding well.
Would dread take over?
No. He always thought of death as a dear old friend. So he kept his eyes on the enemy as he willed himself to roll to his side. Then, there he saw, amidst his broken hand where the armguard had been blasted away, was his golden bracelet that was given by Shuuten. A brief moment of regret overwhelmed him as he realized he would leave the man forever. But he knew better than to be a burden. He wished a small prayer that Shuuten would not mind his leaving for it was inevitable to begin with.
And with that resolve, there was nothing but defiance and pride written on his face despite his beaten form.