Corruption of the World [4]

As the first operation has ended and is accomplished, we came back to Phoenix and took a break, blood from our coats drips on the wooden plank, "Geez, can't you even clean your clothes?" Scarlet pulled us up to the cabin, "Sorry, we were in a hurry…" I chuckled and took of my mask.

"Does that mean you got caught?" Scarlet clenched her fist, "Huh. No, we were playing tag, me and Astro." I pointed at him and Astro was exhausted, "Man, Shadow I didn't know that you're good at running." He stood up and went to the faucet to clean his mask, I followed him from behind.

"Yeah, I always played tag with my little sister before, so I am an expert on that game." I smiled as I played the memories with my sister in my head, the bright sunlight resting on my shoulder and with the gentle breeze make me fall asleep under the tree.

The tweeting of the birds echoing in a distant and the sound of laughter with my family. How didn't I cherish such a precious moment?

"Shadow, we're here right?" Astro pats me on the back and smiled at me, "Huh?" I looked at him as he smiled and pats me, "You're literally crying right now, Shadow…" he handed me a coffee and smiled, "I am crying?" I touched my eyes and tears dropped on my finger; I blushed in embarrassment and wiped my tears.

"Come one don't cry, Shadow!" Astro pats my back harder and laughed, "I didn't knew you would also cry." Scarlet interrupted and crosses her arms, "I know that you would also cry" she approached me and handed me a cup of chocolate.

"Thank you." I received the chocolate and thanked Scarlet, "Shadow, I think you should need to quit being an assassin...." Reaper scratched his neck from behind, "I don't want to ruin the mood but Shadow....."

"....if you don't wanna be here then go and quit." Reaper took my coat and brushed off the blood, "What do you mean?" I raised a brow and frowned, "Reader, if you don't want to break a leg then stop talking useless stuff that are less useless than you." Scarlet approached him and tilted her head.

"What did you say, you monstrous gorilla?!" Reaper clenched his fist and widened his eyes, "I don't want to say it again" Scarlet took her dagger out of her boots, "Why would you kill me? I was just recommending him to quit if he doesn't want to get hurt." Reaper laughed and raised both of his arms aligning his shoulders.

"S H U T U P." Scarlet laid a blow on Reaper's head, "Now you've done it. Are you still going to wait for Hollow?" Reaper stood up and shouted

"He doesn't care about you or them, he doesn't care for all of us!" Reaper held out his dagger and cracked his neck, "Let's do this, Scarlet!!!" He licked his blade and laughed like a maniac, meanwhile Scarlet just stood there quietly, "Here I come!!!!" Reaper dashed towards Scarlet, I panicked and so I ran after him and hooked both of my arms around his waist and pulled him to stop.

"Wha--!" Reaper looked behind and we stumbled on the plank, "You punk, why did you do that?!" Reaper punched my jaw and shouted, "I said shut up Reaper, you're a total tumultuous orangutan." Scarlet clenched her fist and gripped Reaper's collar.

"You jackass--" as he was about to finish, Scarlet punched his face, and locking his legs so he couldn't run away, she laid another blow and another until Reaper's face is all crooked and full of blood, "Don't make me angry if you don't want this to happen to you." Scarlet stood up and wiped her fists.

Reaper was there, laying on the wooden plank with his face covered in bruises.

Me and Astro sat there at the bench and looked at Reaper, we had the same thought: I knew this would happen if she goes mad....

"Astro, let's go and train?" I stretched my arms and looked at him, "Yeah let's go, our first training would be connected to the water element." Astro looked at Scarlet and Scarlet sighed, "Fine, I'll fight you." Scarlet shook her hands.

"Wait, fight HER?!" I pointed at Scarlet and Astro nodded, (I just witnessed her immense power earlier, I am no match for her.....I might break a leg.)

"So let's go?" Scarlet cracks her neck and pointed at the ocean, "We'll fight you on the ocean?" I tilted my head and she nodded, "No one will be able to see us here on the ocean, she lowered the dragon and the dragon didn't sink on the water.

"Why aren't we sinking?" I looked down below and raised a brow, "It's a normal thing if you use your water element, you have to be with the water so the nature will consider you as one of them and you'll never sink, watch this." Scarlet jumped down from the cabin and landed on the surface of the ocean

"See?" Scarlet raised both of her arms and tilted her head, Astro chuckled and jumped next and he succeeded, (Seriously, I didn't know that since I was studying in Damoca....) I sighed and scratched my neck.

"I'll try!" I shouted at them and they nodded and waved their hand as a gesture og going down, (Be shapeless...) I sighed and closed my eyes to relax and to hear the running water, (.....like water!) I heard a drip ringing into my ears and so, I jumped.

As I could feel the wind gushing towards me as I jumped down, I slowly opened my eyes as the tip of my feet touched the water, I opened my eyes fully and I have landed successfully without sinking.

(I did it!) I looked at both Scarlet and Astro, they smiled and nodded at me. "Now, what's next?" I looked at Scarlet, "We'll fight, in...3....2....1" she took out two pieces of wooden sticks from her back and whipped towards me, I dodged.

"That's so fast!" I stood up and Astro threw me another wooden stick, "You should need this." he clenched his fist along with the wooden stick and aligned his feet along with his body, he dashed towards Scarlet and pulled his arms against his chest and swung it towards Scarlet's arm but she blocked it with her wooden stick.

"Getting rusty on martial arts?" Scarlet looked at Astro with her mask covering her face, I rushed in to lay another blow, I stepped side and swung my wooden stick, aiming at Scarlet's back but she blocked it with another wooden stick on her left arm.

"Tch!" I hopped back and ran backwards as she approached me with both of her weapons, I blocked both of it with my only weapon, Astro sneaked towards her back and swung his wooden stick but Scarlet hopped towards the right side, I stood up straight and swung my wooden stick on her face, I laid a blow.

She stumbled on her back, I raised my hand to pull her up, as I held my hand towards her she swung her wooden stick, and I stumble down with my left hand injured, I stood up quickly.

Astro kept approaching Scarlet and didn't manage to lay a blow, I dashed towards them and held my weapon as I swung it down towards Scarlet she stepped slightly back and I struck the water, my relaxation with the water was ruined, I lost my footing as I was sinking down the ocean.

I swam towards the surface and managed to breathe, "Shadow...." Astro ran towards me to help but Scarlet hopped in front of him and took out her wooden weapons, "What? He's going to drown." Astro clenched his fist along his weapon.

"Move." he stepped towards me but Scarlet swung her weapon and Astro dodged, "Wha--!? Shadow, if you can still do the spell, do it." As I nodded he smiled and fought Scarlet, I tried to relax and do the spell over again, (Let's do this!)

I stood up and ran towards Scarlet, I swung another attack, "Ho. You aren't bad." Scarlet pushed me away from her with her elbow. "Tch." I knelt down to breathe, Astro began to sink.

I dashed towards Astro to save him, "Shadow, behind you!" I looked behind and Scarlet was there preparing to swing her weapon, I widened my eyes as I was shocked on how fast she get there, I tried to block it with my weapon, but it hit my right shoulder.

"aak!" I held my shoulder and released my weapon, Scarlet stopped and pulled Astro and carried him at her back, she then raised her hand on me, I held her hands and pulled me up, "You two aren't that bad." Scarlet patted my back and we came back upstairs.

I panted and laid out a big sigh, "Astro are you okay?" I looked at him and he nodded, he took out his mask and his black hair came out, "Yeah, I'm okay" he smiled and patted Scarlet, "Man, you're a real assassin, Scarlet!" he chuckled and Scarlet was quiet.

"I'm sorry, I might've hurt both of you earlier." she looked down then Astro and I looked at each other, "It's okay, we definitely learned a lot from our fight!" he smiled and raised his arms, "Let's go and travel back to Neidelberg, we'll now begin phase two." Astro pointed north and smiled.

"Yeah well, what is your plan?" I looked at him and he wore his mask once again, "We're going to make a distraction connected towards Brendan." he wiped off the water from his mask and patted my back, "So we're going to destroy one of their divisions?" I tilted my head and he laughed.

"Nice one Shadow. I knew you had it in you." he stretched his arms, and walked beside Scarlet who is driving the dragon, "Shadow, let's go." Astro looked back at me and I smiled.

(Wait for me, Mom, Dad, Ellie.....I am going to avenge your death soon, I'll take it on George, I am going to kill him.)

TBC...