Chapter 36 - Mystery Man with Green Eyes

In a pit darkness where malice filled the world, a massive shadow had been leeching away at the dark dust until it finally recovered its former size. After that, it then spun around in a tornado of darkness that soon converged into one spot, shrinking itself into a small humanoid shape with red eyes and flaring teeth.

Then, coming from a rift that connected to the human world, a gentleman dressed in white attire appeared in the form of a crow that landed in front of the humanoid shadow, where it then magically transformed itself into a human again.

"White." The shadow said eerily and then lashed a hand forward that stretched itself towards the white gentlemen, who only changed himself into a crow once more and flew above the whip-like hand.

"Now, now, my dear dark monster, don't be too hasty to kill your own comrades." The white gentleman said as he flew high above to the ceilings of the dark cavern.

"Comrades?" the shadow asked as it retracted its arm. "A comrade would have been there to help when it saw an ally trapped within a glowing prison."

The crow spoke as it flew closer and around the dark shadow, only to eventually land on its shoulder. "I am aware of that misfortune. But there was little that I could have done in that situation. I'm not the fighting type, you see? Honestly, I tried my best and even convinced the silver knight to help you out."

The shadow barred its red fangs. "I suppose you did." It said in a crispy voice. "But why are you here now? What new plan have you thought of?"

At that, the crow flew from the shadow's shoulder and yet again, it transformed into a white dressed gentleman who smiled as he bowed his head, tilting his hat in the process. "We have already begun to move. I've sent the other three in various locations to wreak and cause havoc. I, myself, have already started to kill those from small villages."

The shadow folded his hands. "I thought you said you weren't the fighting type." He said as he tilted back his head.

The gentleman smiled as his thin moustache twisted to the side. "Killing and fighting are two different matters."

"Shrewd as always." The shadow said and then looked to the rift that had been made, most certainly using the dead bodies from White's victims. "So then I suppose you've come to pick me up then."

"Indeed I have. I believe that you'll be able to cause more trouble than I can." White said as he turned and flew in the form of a hawk, through the portal that lead to the human world.

The shadow smiled with horrible red teeth and followed behind.

~

Maya Aerite, accompanied by Lelita Natura, as well as a few other gifted whose names she hadn't bothered to remember, made way for a little village near a river. The group had been placed in charge of the entire district to the South East of the capital and recently, they've heard reports of people disappearing in the middle of the night.

According to the villagers, persons at random would claim to see a bear or wolf roaming outside of their homes. And when they went after the beast and followed it into the nearby woods, they would never return. Most found it difficult to believe that groups as large as five persons would have been beaten by a mere animal. After all, most villagers were natural hunters, skilled with bows and knives that were usually coated in a numbing agent that would render their prey immobile after just a few shots or cuts.

So as it were now, the group of Gifted had gone through the woods and into the forest of oak trees where they eventually found the trail of blood that lead to a pile of bodies. And on top of those bodies was a glowing sphere and a rift beside it.

Maya tensed as she saw the dark form leave the portal and look around with red eyes.

"No way." She thought. "Why is that thing here?"

"Hey…" the creature said in an eerie voice as it looked to the two girls that lead the group. "Don't I know you two?"

And at that, Maya wasted no time. She quickly surrounded the group with her winds and flew away into the sky. As she went by the villagers, her winds also picked them up and soon enough, Maya's winds carried a horde of people that scream and shouted, into the far distance.

~

"Well, she went quickly. Do you know her?" The crow asked, nested safely on a tree's branch.

"Yes, we've met before." The shadow replied.

"Should we go after her?" the crow asked.

"I don't see why not." The shadow said as he dissipated into nothing, separating himself into millions of tiny particles that soared after the white haired girl.

~

"Maya!" Lelita shouted. "Where are you going?" the girl asked as she peered back to the forest. She, for one, had yet to see the shadow's human form until now. So she did not realize that the small malice beast that came from the rift was actually the same mass of darkness that they fought when they had been in Hell.

"We can't beat that thing!" Maya shouted back. "Our best bet is to run! I'll pick up as many villagers as I can and then go straight back to the capital."

"Oh…" A horrible voice said from behind. "Leaving so soon, are we?" a floating head asked from behind.

Lelita saw that it was the same head of the creature from the forest. And at that, she aimed a beam of light towards it. But that, as it would seem, did nothing to the creature and it only continued to laugh like a madman.

"Stay for a little bit, won't you?" the creature asked as the other Gifted along Lelita blasted their powers toward it.

~

Maya had been there at the battlefield and she knew all too well of the monsters' ability. So she kept a surging wind that continued to push back all the invisible particles that would come together, had she done nothing. Luckily, an Aerite's ability was a perfect counter for the creature so as it were now, Maya only had to keep ahead of it.

But that, too, was proving very difficult since the more person's Maya picked up, the more difficult it became to continue at such tremendous speed.

Something else had to be done or else they would soon be in a great deal of trouble.

But what? She didn't know.

By now she had already collected most, if not all, of the villagers in this area.

Maya looked at the laughing face behind her and turned around. She shouted with all her might as she sent a final wind that would carry the people for a few miles more. "Run!"

And at that, Maya sent away everyone else with the wind as she stayed behind to face the malice that approached.

And soon enough, the creature converged into one spot and walked towards Maya.

Of course, the blessed Aerite funneled her strength and sent a tornado towards the creature that would hold it in place for some time more. And when the winds extinguished, she would send another. And another. Then another. Until her strength would run out and she would be left at the monster's mercy. But by then, the villagers would have gotten far enough away to be safe. With Lelita's help, Maya was sure that they would survive.

She smiled as he continued to fuel her mighty winds at the monster who continued laughing despite it all.

"You really think this can hold me?" the monster said as its eyes glowed and at that moment, Maya's eyes widened in fright.

The monster then opened a third eye and coming from the far distance, where the little Rift remained open, a surge of malice fumed into the creature and it became muscular and built. But more importantly, it became strong enough to the point where it could resist Maya's winds.

And slowly but surely, it continued to walk through the storm that Maya had created.

What was she to do? It was too soon for her to die. She hadn't bought enough time.

The creature was only a few steps away now. And it smiled oh so horribly as it reached out a hand to the young woman who sharpened her eyes and fanned her winds with all that she had, which impressively managed to push the monster back a few inches.

But just when Maya had lost all hope, a glimmering green light shone between her and the creature of darkness. And what came after that green light was a tall man dressed in a white, baggy robe, and who had white curly hair.

At that, for fear of hurting the man, Maya ceased her winds. "Move out of the way!" the girl yelled at the man who only looked at her with unimpressed, green eyes.

"Why should I do that?" the man asked with little care for the monster in front of him.

"Because…"

"Because of me!" the shadowy monster yelled as he slashed a hand of malice towards the man.

Maya hadn't the time to react. There was nothing that she could do to save the man…

What? A green light shone once more but this time, Maya saw it wrap around the monster as its hand neared the man's face. And then the monster just stopped.

At that, the man turned towards Maya and asked. "Little girl, I don't think that you should be fighting monsters such as these. Where is your family? Did it kill them?"

Maya was too surprised to even say anything. But she did remember the horde of people she sent soaring in the direction of the capital. And at that, she made to go towards them.

"Hold on now!" the man shouted as he looked towards the young woman that flew into the sky. "Would you mind giving me a lift? I don't exactly know where I am and some help would be nice."

Maya still didn't reply to him. She only picked him up with her winds and off the two went soaring into the sky.