Lexielai
Cal Bear
<p>
<strong><span style="color:#ff8000;"><span style="font-size:24px;"> Naruto! Evolved </span></span></strong><strong>A little twist I imagined as soon as I saw the skyscrapers and laptops in the recent movies for our favorite ninja series, </strong><strong><em>Naruto: The Last</em></strong><strong> and </strong><strong><em>Boruto: Naruto the Movie. </em></strong> <strong>We know how ninja fare in a quasi-modernized time. Of microwaves and refrigerators and digitized screens but where cameras are bulky pieces of equipment and people have to actually </strong><strong><em>run </em></strong><strong>places. What kind of story would take place in a true modern era of this world? A period where ninja are practically nonexistent, science and technology thrives, and the world is united under a single totalitarian state? That was the idea behind this pilot story, as an experiment with a potentially interesting piece of material. I hope you enjoy!</strong> Once, a long time ago, there was a time of great bloodshed. Of brutal, relentless violence that never seemed to end. Legends tell it ended with one man. No, not a man. A god. Nanadaime...the Seventh. <img src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/imageproxy/imageproxy.php?img=https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/bjl8rmxav0mebwt6psmd.gif&key=b827cbf538348940a423529925a8089bd5d9cb20c28e88b4fe050c49e7f9ec52" class="ipsImage" alt="bjl8rmxav0mebwt6psmd.gif" /> Historians concede that he must’ve existed; there’s far too much evidence originating from unrelated sources to indicate otherwise. It’s the nature of his existence instead that they ruthlessly debate back and forth, rarely able to agree on any point. The exception being that the historical community’s consensus scoffs at the idea that he had supernatural powers. The ability to walk on water, the capacity to obliterate mountains with the flick of a wrist, and the potential to be in two places at once—all, it claims, fictitious nonsense to exaggerate a much tamer tale. The Church of Nanadaism disagrees. He was the Child of Prophecy, our Lord and Savior from the heavens above, they preach. Sent by his father, the Sage of Six Paths, to destroy the devil Madara’s armies and cleanse humanity of its grievous sins. Millions of men, women, and children worship him as God made into man, the herald of peace in a dark era. Meanwhile public education teaches that Nanadaime, while a mythical figure, was the powerful first leader of the Nation. In prior times the continent had been split into the warring Elemental Countries until Nanadaime ended the war and united them under one flag. The flag of a Nation that still stands today. Important details like the <em>why</em> and the <em>how</em> are, of course, quite lacking. History rarely likes to make things easy for anyone. To historians’ credit, it isn’t unexpected. All this supposedly occurred a thousand years ago after all, and a few hundred years of battle would make any people wary of freely passing on too many secrets. It is truly a shame that such treasured knowledge from a bygone time is so rare, and heavily distorted by vagueness and contradiction when found. But in the bright sunlight of Konoha City, fleeing and laughing down the concrete streets, a young boy named Kurou could hardly give a damn with the law still on his tail. “Catch me if you can, assholes!” He taunted at his pursuers, who were dressed in the distinctive navy blues and greens of the Konoha Police. Kurou sped off once more, quickly skidding around a corner upon seeing more officers turning around the bend. He dashed between streets and back alleys, expertly navigating the urban sprawl like the back of his hand. </p> <p> <a class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image" href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_04/shiningsiriada_by_d_oppelganger-d8zsic0.png.5e3e907f7079f0f9cd105971c59e4440.png" data-fileid="116608" rel="external nofollow"><img alt="shiningsiriada_by_d_oppelganger-d8zsic0.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid="116608" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_04/shiningsiriada_by_d_oppelganger-d8zsic0.png.5e3e907f7079f0f9cd105971c59e4440.png" /></a> </p> <p> “Excuse me!” He called out, spinning to avoid crashing into an old woman and her grocery cart at the corner of “Watch out, coming through! Oops, sorry, I’ll fix that later!” He crinkled his eyes at the annoyed flower stand worker, rubbing his neck sheepishly. So caught up was he that he nearly face-planted right into the brute chest of another, quite intimidating officer. “Hold it right there!” The officer snarled. “You’re under arrest.” Kurou’s eyes widened in surprise. He was going too fast to stop in time. Thinking quickly, he fell to the floor and used his momentum to slide straight between the officer’s legs, flashing a mischievous grin at the slack-jawed man as he continued running along. “Nice try,” Kurou teased. “Better luck next time.” Still, for all his ducking and diving, they were gaining on him. He pivoted immediately upon seeing another pair of officers round the corner, but there were more behind him. His eyes darted to his left towards a small alley. This part of town was unfamiliar to him—he didn’t travel this far out often—but that was his only way out. It was a risk he’d have to take. To Kurou’s dismay all it led to was a dead end. He stopped before a tall brick wall and looked around, searching for any other escape route. There were none. A voice laughed maliciously at the entrance to the alley. “Well, well, looks like your luck’s run out, kid, “ the officer mocked. Kurou chuckled. “Jiro,” he acknowledged, putting on his most irritating smile. “Pleasant to see you again. Hope you enjoyed the present from last time.” <em>Okay, Kurou. Think. </em>He thought, swallowing the lump in his throat as subtly as he could. A sudden nervousness wracked at him on the inside. Kurou knew he was totally, utterly screwed. He was trapped with no way out, and there were way too many Konoha Police for him to evade or fight. Jiro’s face contorted into an ugly scowl. “You brat!” He said furiously. “It took me weeks to scrub off that paint off my house. You know how much it cost to repair the damages? When I take you in there’s going to hell to pay.” “Tch. Orange is a good color, Jiro. You should appreciate true art insteading of carelessly screwing it up sometime.” The banter was relaxing. Comforting. Settling back into the familiar patterns of trading quips with aggravated officers helped Kurou calm down and start thinking of a way out. <em>That garbage bin...and that window...it might be just enough. </em> The other policemen started moving further into the alley to apprehend him but moved carefully, wary of any sudden surprises. Jiro’s frown deepened. “Better shut that little mouth while you still can, kid. We’ll see who’s laughing when when you’re crying for mommy in Konoha Central.” Kurou instinctively stepped back. His eyes drifted between each officer as he retreated until he had no space left to move, pressed up against the hard wall. His pursuers were close enough for him to see the faint outlines of their eyes behind their protective visors. Above, patterned on a silver plate over their foreheads, rested the ever distinctive spiral insignia of the Nation. He breathed. It was now or never. Kurou burst into motion, leaping atop the garbage bin he spotted earlier and pushing himself off it into the air. One of the unsuspecting policemen yelped in surprise as he was used as a springboard to jump across the alley. Kurou’s foot briefly made contact with the edge of a high windowsill he wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise, and using it, he expertly rebounded off it to the opposing alley wall and then again to vault onto the top of the brick hurdle. “Don’t really feel like visiting prison today,” Kurou said mockingly atop his new perch. Jiro’s teeth gnashed in barely contained anger below, and a tinge of glee made Kurou’s grin grow wider. “Maybe some other time. Catch you later!” Fully intending to make his escape with style, Kurou stepped back and <em>dropped</em>. He had aimed to collapse into a roll and run off with his prize. Instead he caught the briefest glimpse of a pair of surprised scarlet eyes just before he collided face-first into a mouthful of raven hair. Kurou tumbled hard onto the unforgiving concrete. He vaguely perceived another body plunge along with him, but didn’t really process it. He groaned. His muscles ached and he felt sore all over. Sharp pain shot through him every time he tried to move so he gave up, taking a moment to lie there and process what just happened. Something roughly tugged him by the collar of his shirt, and before he knew it, Kurou was inches away from two red eyes attached to the slender face of a young girl. </p> <p> <a class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image" href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_04/wallhaven-157639.jpg.12ed4d60a8a5a5859c03228c29c79b80.jpg" data-fileid="116609" rel="external nofollow"><img alt="wallhaven-157639.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid="116609" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_04/wallhaven-157639.jpg.12ed4d60a8a5a5859c03228c29c79b80.jpg" /></a> </p> <p> A particularly livid young girl. “Watch where you’re going, idiot!” She screamed into his face. Kurou reflexively tilted his face away to avoid the spit first. Murderous woman second. “Watch where <em>I’m</em> going?” Kurou repeated incredulously. “I’m not the one who runs into people who are going down. Maybe you should think twice before you start running up walls!” Kurou blinked. Something seemed off with what he just said. Was it normal for people to be running vertically? She rolled her eyes. “Pfft. Whatever. I don’t have time for nitwits like you.” “Takes one to know one...pretentious little witch,” Kurou mumbled under his breath. Scarlet eyes twitched. Kurou groaned for the second time as she slammed him harshly into a nearby pole. His back felt like it was on fire. No pain was going to stop him from meeting her challenge though. He met her furious red orbs with his most defiant stare. “Who the hell do you think you are? You-you-you jackass! Did nobody teach you any manners? You should treat ladies wi-” Expertly, Kurou tuned her out to focus on more interesting things. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted something small and black approaching fast from behind her. It shined into the afternoon light, and Kurou had a sudden feeling of <em>bad bad bad</em>. “-going to drag you to your knees and make you apologi-” her voice off mid-sentence as he immediately tackled her to the floor. “Ack!” Something whisked through the air above him and hit the pole they just vacated with a metallic clink. Kurou took a moment to collect himself, just as startled as she was. He wasn’t really sure why he felt the urge to do that. Curious, Kurou looked up behind him to inspect whatever it was he seemed so keen to avoid. It was a knife of some sort, but not like any he’d ever seen. It’s sleek, diamond-like blade narrowed into a handle wrapped by white bandages with a circular tip at the end. On it was some sort of weird flapping paper strip. It looked like those good luck charms the ladies at the shrines liked to give out. Kanji was inked on it in a character that looked suspiciously like explode...and it was burning? He turned back to look at the mysterious red-eyed girl, about to ask her what that was. He started feeling a little concerned when he saw her face morphed into wide-eyed panic. <em>“Move!” </em> Before Kurou could even register he felt a sharp push throw him into the air. Time seemed to slow as he felt his stomach drop and something forcefully tug his collar. He saw her grab him with one hand in mid-air, the other contorted into some sort of weird shape with the index and middle fingers pointed straight upwards like a gesture in sign language. “Body Flicker!” She called, lips moving almost faster than he could see. The words rang through his ears, but he didn’t have much time to ponder them. Kurou’s world abruptly lurched into a messy blur of colors. Trees, concrete, brick, streetlights, cars, and people whisked by in an instant. By the time his eyes adjusted the world returned to its normal state of being and he was not-so-gently tossed onto the floor. “Stop throwing me into things!” He yelled as soon as he rolled to a stop. If his body hurt before, now it was just begging for holy mercy. His ears caught the distinctive boom of an explosion, and against his better judgement, he looked up. “And hey! What the hell was that just then?” He demanded, snapping his head back and forth to find the weird girl with scarlet orbs. Kurou found her perched atop a street light. She was crouched, fingering something in a pouch attached to the back of her waist and looking deadly serious at something off in the distance. “Hey, are you even listening to me?” He shouted, clammering to his feet. Being tossed around like a ragdoll was quickly rising to the top of his “Never Again” list, but damn if he wasn’t going to get some answers. He suddenly froze as a figure just...appeared in front of him. It was a man, or it looked like one anyways, clothed in a black uniform. On the man’s back, the side facing Kurou, rested a sword in its scabbard. With a calm, fluid motion, the man unsheathed the weapon. It’s gleaming surface reflected light into his eyes, but Kurou kept still, wary of the guy with a <em>frickin’ katana</em>. “Seina Hanamai,” the man dispassionately addressed. Kurou’s eyes flickered to the mysterious girl’s—Seina’s—narrowed scarlet irises. She didn’t seem surprised by his presence. “There’s nowhere left to run.” Seina’s fingers drew another one of those diamond-like knives from her pouch. “Who said I was running?” She countered, holding her blade in a reverse-grip. A streak of bright yellow electricity seemed to arc off the dark steel Seina clutched for an instant, but that must’ve been a figment of his imagination. There was no way that was real. Somehow Kurou had a sinking feeling he was going to be wrong. Seina and the man spent a tense moment sizing each other up. She smirked. “You’re even more of an idiot than that nitwit if you’re going to face me alone,” she ridiculed. He could’ve swore her gaze swept over to him upon mentioning “nitwit.” Kurou could be patient when he wanted to. Right now, however, he was annoyed, confused, and feeling really, really irritated. He didn’t put much resistance to letting his impulsive side take over. “Yo, shut up, little witch,” Kurou interjected in deadpan. Seina glared, but the man didn’t react in the slightest. Kurou had a feeling he was being completely dismissed. He didn’t like being ignored. “Now listen up, katana dude. I don’t know what kind of weirdo costume party you came from, but you better leave the girl alone,” he snapped. Seina seemed taken back, almost flattered. “I’ve got beef with her first, so I get dibs.” Abruptly all his accumulated goodwill with Seina drained away with a scowl. He reached out to grab the man, but his fingers only trailed through thin air. <em>What?</em> Kurou felt a gust of wind sweep past his face, throwing his auburn bangs aside. The cling of metal striking metal rang behind him. He pivoted in place and found Seina now suddenly at his rear, knife locked in place against the man’s sword. She was clearly struggling. Not only was he bigger and stronger, but he had greater leverage with his longer weapon. Now, Kurou liked to believe he was pretty fast. Growing up he was always more speedy than the other kids; he almost always outran his peers in races, and then started to consistently outpace adults once he got to his teens. Any bully that picked a fight with him quickly found that he wasn’t just quick on his feet either. Lightning Punch Kurou, they called him. But witnessing Seina spring into action, he had to make a hasty amendment to his understanding of fast, because most people moved. Seina <em>danced</em>. She and the man launched into a dizzying series of swipes, blocks, dodges, and counterattacks, flowing like water between weapon and body like there was no difference in between. Seina’s movements were deadly graceful, efficient yet as elegant as the steps of a ballerina. She twisted around a straight stab and retaliated with a horizontal slice that forced the man to retreat, but she didn’t let up on the offensive. Seina immediately dived in, lashing out with a ruthless barrage of rapid attacks her opponent struggled to deflect with his wieldy weapon, taking full advantage of her comparatively lighter blade. It seemed as if he managed to stabilize until she abruptly threw her knife. He managed to deflect it easily, but not before she clasped her hands together to run through a blurry set of different shapes and contortions Kurou couldn’t make out, ending with her palms embraced and her index and middle fingers pointing upright. “Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!” She announced dramatically. Kurou would’ve snickered at the ridiculous name if she didn’t just spit out a huge—holy crap is that real?—fireball point blank. The man leaped out of the way, but definitely did not escape unscathed. His black uniform was lit aflame in places, burnt holes in others revealing bright pink flesh underneath. For being hit in such close quarters, Kurou figured the guy was probably lucky to escape as less than a charred corpse. Seina had a small smirk on her face, probably pleased with being on the upper hand. It quickly disappeared when another three figures jumped down beside her opponent, similarly uniformed and equipped with their own katanas raised. Kurou gulped, sliding closer to Seina. The new arrivals gazed at Seina and him with narrowed eyes above concealing face masks, fanning out to surround the two of them in a square formation. “Friends of yours?” He quipped nervously. Kurou didn’t fancy himself as being particularly effective at blocking steel swords with his bare hands. “Hardly,” Seina snorted. “Here, take this. Don’t hurt yourself with it.” Kurou heard her rustle in her pouch and felt something cold and hard pressed into his palm. He wrapped his fingers around it, bringing it to bear in front of him. It was one of those unique knives she had used earlier. Kurou wasn’t much of a weapons guy. He preferred to brawl up and personal with his bare hands. Still, right now it was a blessing that he grew up on the streets. Any kid in the ghetto knew how to handle a knife. “Don’t make me laugh,” Kurou said snappily. “If a pretentious witch like you can do it, so can I.” “Tch. Keep your dick in your pants and focus on one thing at a time, nitwit.” He felt her gently elbow his side, not harshly enough to debilitate him but definitely sharply enough to feel it. The push subtly turned him to face the injured swordsman, who had managed to put out the fire by now but was definitely still recovering from second-degree burns. <em>You want me to take him, huh?</em> Kurou realized the hidden message behind her tease. He was a bit worried about how she’d handle three fresh enemies, but considering how well she fought earlier... “Hey! It’s not my fault you enjoy it so much. I keep having to bend to your will.” <em>Acknowledged. </em> Kurou felt the kick of adrenaline surge through his system. “Now I’m all fired up.” His lips curled into a grin. “Let’s dance.” Thanks for reading! Now, did you like it? Hate it? Enjoyed the dialogue, or found it dull? Thought the plot was cheesy? Think there needs to be more flashy explosions? Whatever your opinion is, please let me know below!
</p>
<strong><span style="color:#ff8000;"><span style="font-size:24px;"> Naruto! Evolved </span></span></strong><strong>A little twist I imagined as soon as I saw the skyscrapers and laptops in the recent movies for our favorite ninja series, </strong><strong><em>Naruto: The Last</em></strong><strong> and </strong><strong><em>Boruto: Naruto the Movie. </em></strong> <strong>We know how ninja fare in a quasi-modernized time. Of microwaves and refrigerators and digitized screens but where cameras are bulky pieces of equipment and people have to actually </strong><strong><em>run </em></strong><strong>places. What kind of story would take place in a true modern era of this world? A period where ninja are practically nonexistent, science and technology thrives, and the world is united under a single totalitarian state? That was the idea behind this pilot story, as an experiment with a potentially interesting piece of material. I hope you enjoy!</strong> Once, a long time ago, there was a time of great bloodshed. Of brutal, relentless violence that never seemed to end. Legends tell it ended with one man. No, not a man. A god. Nanadaime...the Seventh. <img src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/imageproxy/imageproxy.php?img=https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/bjl8rmxav0mebwt6psmd.gif&key=b827cbf538348940a423529925a8089bd5d9cb20c28e88b4fe050c49e7f9ec52" class="ipsImage" alt="bjl8rmxav0mebwt6psmd.gif" /> Historians concede that he must’ve existed; there’s far too much evidence originating from unrelated sources to indicate otherwise. It’s the nature of his existence instead that they ruthlessly debate back and forth, rarely able to agree on any point. The exception being that the historical community’s consensus scoffs at the idea that he had supernatural powers. The ability to walk on water, the capacity to obliterate mountains with the flick of a wrist, and the potential to be in two places at once—all, it claims, fictitious nonsense to exaggerate a much tamer tale. The Church of Nanadaism disagrees. He was the Child of Prophecy, our Lord and Savior from the heavens above, they preach. Sent by his father, the Sage of Six Paths, to destroy the devil Madara’s armies and cleanse humanity of its grievous sins. Millions of men, women, and children worship him as God made into man, the herald of peace in a dark era. Meanwhile public education teaches that Nanadaime, while a mythical figure, was the powerful first leader of the Nation. In prior times the continent had been split into the warring Elemental Countries until Nanadaime ended the war and united them under one flag. The flag of a Nation that still stands today. Important details like the <em>why</em> and the <em>how</em> are, of course, quite lacking. History rarely likes to make things easy for anyone. To historians’ credit, it isn’t unexpected. All this supposedly occurred a thousand years ago after all, and a few hundred years of battle would make any people wary of freely passing on too many secrets. It is truly a shame that such treasured knowledge from a bygone time is so rare, and heavily distorted by vagueness and contradiction when found. But in the bright sunlight of Konoha City, fleeing and laughing down the concrete streets, a young boy named Kurou could hardly give a damn with the law still on his tail. “Catch me if you can, assholes!” He taunted at his pursuers, who were dressed in the distinctive navy blues and greens of the Konoha Police. Kurou sped off once more, quickly skidding around a corner upon seeing more officers turning around the bend. He dashed between streets and back alleys, expertly navigating the urban sprawl like the back of his hand. </p> <p> <a class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image" href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_04/shiningsiriada_by_d_oppelganger-d8zsic0.png.5e3e907f7079f0f9cd105971c59e4440.png" data-fileid="116608" rel="external nofollow"><img alt="shiningsiriada_by_d_oppelganger-d8zsic0.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid="116608" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_04/shiningsiriada_by_d_oppelganger-d8zsic0.png.5e3e907f7079f0f9cd105971c59e4440.png" /></a> </p> <p> “Excuse me!” He called out, spinning to avoid crashing into an old woman and her grocery cart at the corner of “Watch out, coming through! Oops, sorry, I’ll fix that later!” He crinkled his eyes at the annoyed flower stand worker, rubbing his neck sheepishly. So caught up was he that he nearly face-planted right into the brute chest of another, quite intimidating officer. “Hold it right there!” The officer snarled. “You’re under arrest.” Kurou’s eyes widened in surprise. He was going too fast to stop in time. Thinking quickly, he fell to the floor and used his momentum to slide straight between the officer’s legs, flashing a mischievous grin at the slack-jawed man as he continued running along. “Nice try,” Kurou teased. “Better luck next time.” Still, for all his ducking and diving, they were gaining on him. He pivoted immediately upon seeing another pair of officers round the corner, but there were more behind him. His eyes darted to his left towards a small alley. This part of town was unfamiliar to him—he didn’t travel this far out often—but that was his only way out. It was a risk he’d have to take. To Kurou’s dismay all it led to was a dead end. He stopped before a tall brick wall and looked around, searching for any other escape route. There were none. A voice laughed maliciously at the entrance to the alley. “Well, well, looks like your luck’s run out, kid, “ the officer mocked. Kurou chuckled. “Jiro,” he acknowledged, putting on his most irritating smile. “Pleasant to see you again. Hope you enjoyed the present from last time.” <em>Okay, Kurou. Think. </em>He thought, swallowing the lump in his throat as subtly as he could. A sudden nervousness wracked at him on the inside. Kurou knew he was totally, utterly screwed. He was trapped with no way out, and there were way too many Konoha Police for him to evade or fight. Jiro’s face contorted into an ugly scowl. “You brat!” He said furiously. “It took me weeks to scrub off that paint off my house. You know how much it cost to repair the damages? When I take you in there’s going to hell to pay.” “Tch. Orange is a good color, Jiro. You should appreciate true art insteading of carelessly screwing it up sometime.” The banter was relaxing. Comforting. Settling back into the familiar patterns of trading quips with aggravated officers helped Kurou calm down and start thinking of a way out. <em>That garbage bin...and that window...it might be just enough. </em> The other policemen started moving further into the alley to apprehend him but moved carefully, wary of any sudden surprises. Jiro’s frown deepened. “Better shut that little mouth while you still can, kid. We’ll see who’s laughing when when you’re crying for mommy in Konoha Central.” Kurou instinctively stepped back. His eyes drifted between each officer as he retreated until he had no space left to move, pressed up against the hard wall. His pursuers were close enough for him to see the faint outlines of their eyes behind their protective visors. Above, patterned on a silver plate over their foreheads, rested the ever distinctive spiral insignia of the Nation. He breathed. It was now or never. Kurou burst into motion, leaping atop the garbage bin he spotted earlier and pushing himself off it into the air. One of the unsuspecting policemen yelped in surprise as he was used as a springboard to jump across the alley. Kurou’s foot briefly made contact with the edge of a high windowsill he wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise, and using it, he expertly rebounded off it to the opposing alley wall and then again to vault onto the top of the brick hurdle. “Don’t really feel like visiting prison today,” Kurou said mockingly atop his new perch. Jiro’s teeth gnashed in barely contained anger below, and a tinge of glee made Kurou’s grin grow wider. “Maybe some other time. Catch you later!” Fully intending to make his escape with style, Kurou stepped back and <em>dropped</em>. He had aimed to collapse into a roll and run off with his prize. Instead he caught the briefest glimpse of a pair of surprised scarlet eyes just before he collided face-first into a mouthful of raven hair. Kurou tumbled hard onto the unforgiving concrete. He vaguely perceived another body plunge along with him, but didn’t really process it. He groaned. His muscles ached and he felt sore all over. Sharp pain shot through him every time he tried to move so he gave up, taking a moment to lie there and process what just happened. Something roughly tugged him by the collar of his shirt, and before he knew it, Kurou was inches away from two red eyes attached to the slender face of a young girl. </p> <p> <a class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image" href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_04/wallhaven-157639.jpg.12ed4d60a8a5a5859c03228c29c79b80.jpg" data-fileid="116609" rel="external nofollow"><img alt="wallhaven-157639.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid="116609" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_04/wallhaven-157639.jpg.12ed4d60a8a5a5859c03228c29c79b80.jpg" /></a> </p> <p> A particularly livid young girl. “Watch where you’re going, idiot!” She screamed into his face. Kurou reflexively tilted his face away to avoid the spit first. Murderous woman second. “Watch where <em>I’m</em> going?” Kurou repeated incredulously. “I’m not the one who runs into people who are going down. Maybe you should think twice before you start running up walls!” Kurou blinked. Something seemed off with what he just said. Was it normal for people to be running vertically? She rolled her eyes. “Pfft. Whatever. I don’t have time for nitwits like you.” “Takes one to know one...pretentious little witch,” Kurou mumbled under his breath. Scarlet eyes twitched. Kurou groaned for the second time as she slammed him harshly into a nearby pole. His back felt like it was on fire. No pain was going to stop him from meeting her challenge though. He met her furious red orbs with his most defiant stare. “Who the hell do you think you are? You-you-you jackass! Did nobody teach you any manners? You should treat ladies wi-” Expertly, Kurou tuned her out to focus on more interesting things. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted something small and black approaching fast from behind her. It shined into the afternoon light, and Kurou had a sudden feeling of <em>bad bad bad</em>. “-going to drag you to your knees and make you apologi-” her voice off mid-sentence as he immediately tackled her to the floor. “Ack!” Something whisked through the air above him and hit the pole they just vacated with a metallic clink. Kurou took a moment to collect himself, just as startled as she was. He wasn’t really sure why he felt the urge to do that. Curious, Kurou looked up behind him to inspect whatever it was he seemed so keen to avoid. It was a knife of some sort, but not like any he’d ever seen. It’s sleek, diamond-like blade narrowed into a handle wrapped by white bandages with a circular tip at the end. On it was some sort of weird flapping paper strip. It looked like those good luck charms the ladies at the shrines liked to give out. Kanji was inked on it in a character that looked suspiciously like explode...and it was burning? He turned back to look at the mysterious red-eyed girl, about to ask her what that was. He started feeling a little concerned when he saw her face morphed into wide-eyed panic. <em>“Move!” </em> Before Kurou could even register he felt a sharp push throw him into the air. Time seemed to slow as he felt his stomach drop and something forcefully tug his collar. He saw her grab him with one hand in mid-air, the other contorted into some sort of weird shape with the index and middle fingers pointed straight upwards like a gesture in sign language. “Body Flicker!” She called, lips moving almost faster than he could see. The words rang through his ears, but he didn’t have much time to ponder them. Kurou’s world abruptly lurched into a messy blur of colors. Trees, concrete, brick, streetlights, cars, and people whisked by in an instant. By the time his eyes adjusted the world returned to its normal state of being and he was not-so-gently tossed onto the floor. “Stop throwing me into things!” He yelled as soon as he rolled to a stop. If his body hurt before, now it was just begging for holy mercy. His ears caught the distinctive boom of an explosion, and against his better judgement, he looked up. “And hey! What the hell was that just then?” He demanded, snapping his head back and forth to find the weird girl with scarlet orbs. Kurou found her perched atop a street light. She was crouched, fingering something in a pouch attached to the back of her waist and looking deadly serious at something off in the distance. “Hey, are you even listening to me?” He shouted, clammering to his feet. Being tossed around like a ragdoll was quickly rising to the top of his “Never Again” list, but damn if he wasn’t going to get some answers. He suddenly froze as a figure just...appeared in front of him. It was a man, or it looked like one anyways, clothed in a black uniform. On the man’s back, the side facing Kurou, rested a sword in its scabbard. With a calm, fluid motion, the man unsheathed the weapon. It’s gleaming surface reflected light into his eyes, but Kurou kept still, wary of the guy with a <em>frickin’ katana</em>. “Seina Hanamai,” the man dispassionately addressed. Kurou’s eyes flickered to the mysterious girl’s—Seina’s—narrowed scarlet irises. She didn’t seem surprised by his presence. “There’s nowhere left to run.” Seina’s fingers drew another one of those diamond-like knives from her pouch. “Who said I was running?” She countered, holding her blade in a reverse-grip. A streak of bright yellow electricity seemed to arc off the dark steel Seina clutched for an instant, but that must’ve been a figment of his imagination. There was no way that was real. Somehow Kurou had a sinking feeling he was going to be wrong. Seina and the man spent a tense moment sizing each other up. She smirked. “You’re even more of an idiot than that nitwit if you’re going to face me alone,” she ridiculed. He could’ve swore her gaze swept over to him upon mentioning “nitwit.” Kurou could be patient when he wanted to. Right now, however, he was annoyed, confused, and feeling really, really irritated. He didn’t put much resistance to letting his impulsive side take over. “Yo, shut up, little witch,” Kurou interjected in deadpan. Seina glared, but the man didn’t react in the slightest. Kurou had a feeling he was being completely dismissed. He didn’t like being ignored. “Now listen up, katana dude. I don’t know what kind of weirdo costume party you came from, but you better leave the girl alone,” he snapped. Seina seemed taken back, almost flattered. “I’ve got beef with her first, so I get dibs.” Abruptly all his accumulated goodwill with Seina drained away with a scowl. He reached out to grab the man, but his fingers only trailed through thin air. <em>What?</em> Kurou felt a gust of wind sweep past his face, throwing his auburn bangs aside. The cling of metal striking metal rang behind him. He pivoted in place and found Seina now suddenly at his rear, knife locked in place against the man’s sword. She was clearly struggling. Not only was he bigger and stronger, but he had greater leverage with his longer weapon. Now, Kurou liked to believe he was pretty fast. Growing up he was always more speedy than the other kids; he almost always outran his peers in races, and then started to consistently outpace adults once he got to his teens. Any bully that picked a fight with him quickly found that he wasn’t just quick on his feet either. Lightning Punch Kurou, they called him. But witnessing Seina spring into action, he had to make a hasty amendment to his understanding of fast, because most people moved. Seina <em>danced</em>. She and the man launched into a dizzying series of swipes, blocks, dodges, and counterattacks, flowing like water between weapon and body like there was no difference in between. Seina’s movements were deadly graceful, efficient yet as elegant as the steps of a ballerina. She twisted around a straight stab and retaliated with a horizontal slice that forced the man to retreat, but she didn’t let up on the offensive. Seina immediately dived in, lashing out with a ruthless barrage of rapid attacks her opponent struggled to deflect with his wieldy weapon, taking full advantage of her comparatively lighter blade. It seemed as if he managed to stabilize until she abruptly threw her knife. He managed to deflect it easily, but not before she clasped her hands together to run through a blurry set of different shapes and contortions Kurou couldn’t make out, ending with her palms embraced and her index and middle fingers pointing upright. “Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!” She announced dramatically. Kurou would’ve snickered at the ridiculous name if she didn’t just spit out a huge—holy crap is that real?—fireball point blank. The man leaped out of the way, but definitely did not escape unscathed. His black uniform was lit aflame in places, burnt holes in others revealing bright pink flesh underneath. For being hit in such close quarters, Kurou figured the guy was probably lucky to escape as less than a charred corpse. Seina had a small smirk on her face, probably pleased with being on the upper hand. It quickly disappeared when another three figures jumped down beside her opponent, similarly uniformed and equipped with their own katanas raised. Kurou gulped, sliding closer to Seina. The new arrivals gazed at Seina and him with narrowed eyes above concealing face masks, fanning out to surround the two of them in a square formation. “Friends of yours?” He quipped nervously. Kurou didn’t fancy himself as being particularly effective at blocking steel swords with his bare hands. “Hardly,” Seina snorted. “Here, take this. Don’t hurt yourself with it.” Kurou heard her rustle in her pouch and felt something cold and hard pressed into his palm. He wrapped his fingers around it, bringing it to bear in front of him. It was one of those unique knives she had used earlier. Kurou wasn’t much of a weapons guy. He preferred to brawl up and personal with his bare hands. Still, right now it was a blessing that he grew up on the streets. Any kid in the ghetto knew how to handle a knife. “Don’t make me laugh,” Kurou said snappily. “If a pretentious witch like you can do it, so can I.” “Tch. Keep your dick in your pants and focus on one thing at a time, nitwit.” He felt her gently elbow his side, not harshly enough to debilitate him but definitely sharply enough to feel it. The push subtly turned him to face the injured swordsman, who had managed to put out the fire by now but was definitely still recovering from second-degree burns. <em>You want me to take him, huh?</em> Kurou realized the hidden message behind her tease. He was a bit worried about how she’d handle three fresh enemies, but considering how well she fought earlier... “Hey! It’s not my fault you enjoy it so much. I keep having to bend to your will.” <em>Acknowledged. </em> Kurou felt the kick of adrenaline surge through his system. “Now I’m all fired up.” His lips curled into a grin. “Let’s dance.” Thanks for reading! Now, did you like it? Hate it? Enjoyed the dialogue, or found it dull? Thought the plot was cheesy? Think there needs to be more flashy explosions? Whatever your opinion is, please let me know below!
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