Chapter 7

As they walk, Tom stayed behind the man. They are walking at the streets of Hometown, and now approaching that public volleyball court he used to see everyday when he goes to school.

Crowfire. That was the man's name. And now, he was his regalia, and he is his master. Crowfire believes he was already dead. Is he really dead? He didn't think so. If that was what Psyche said to him, he might better believe it. But why would Crowfire hit him earlier when he said he remembers? Nothing is making any sense. For him, since things start to become out of ordinary, he should stick to what he has been told.

This isn't the past, he murmured in himself. But it is only one thing he was sure, it is another world, a different one from where he really was. He just thought it was impossible, but now, he was already here.

Crowfire stopped. He had a sudden grip on his phone. Tom bumped behind him.

"Tom, I know this is weird for you. Right know, you and me have a special connection, a bond that will last as long as I exist." Crowfire said. He tilted his head aand continued, "So what you feel connects to me. If you are in pain, so I am. And when you are guilty, I got stung and have blights."

Tom listened. The man was very gentle with his words, but Tom sensed the dread behind his lines, a cowering fear the man tries to keep all this time. He felt his trust, in contrary through him.

"Those blights, if I had more than I could bear, I'll die. But we need to fight and survive. This world has been changed before you entered here. Please accept me as your new father, and I will take care of you." Crowfire said. He stopped and looked him from behind.

Tom didn't know how to respond. The more things he hears, the more everything doesn't make sense.

"Another oracle holder." Crowfire mumbled. He heard his phone produced cracking digital sound. He saw the message right in the screen. He gritted his teeth. Sweat immediately ran through his forehead.

At that moment, Tom realized it was already dark. The only ones that give them light through out the way are the street lights. The two of them stopped right under a lamp post. The alleys are all silent but the wind howls while the breeze came over.

Tom looked at the dark alley. The light from the street light cannot reach it. From there, the two of them heard sounds. These are taps on the hard road. It was getting louder, and coming closer to them.

Tom peeked at Crowfire's phone and he saw this in the screen:

9.45: Crowfire calls his regalia as the enemy reveals in the light.

9.47: Crowfire attacked Lion King with Tom

9.49: Lion King flipped his body and drew his regalia, Simba.

9.51: Lion King stabbed Crowfire on his belly. Simba slices Crowfire's neck. Tom breaks in pieces.

9.53: CROWFIRE DEAD END

"Wha-what?" Tom staggered backwards when he read the text message. It was already 9.44 in the evening according to Crowfire's phone.

Crowfire's hand was trembling. His body shakes while his teeth grit really hard. The sweat drips on his forehead despite the cold blow of air around him. Will I win this? The thought just uttered in his mind.

"We are not gonna lose. We beat Lion King in the nationals before." Tom immediately blurted out and put his palm on his master's back.

Crowfire took a deep breath and his eyes darted back to the screen. It was already 9.46. The messages changed.

9.47 Crowfire calls his Regalia.

9.48 Lion King attacks.

Then it blurs...

"Come Tom." Crowfire shouted.

A gust of air brushed behind him. A blurred shadow whizzed behind. The shadow hit his head. A slit passed through his forehead. Crowfire flipped his body and jumped in the air. His arms reached Tom as he turns into a sword blade. He grabbed him and landed rolling on the floor. He immediately bent his legs and sit while the sword blade is on his mouth.

"Oh, it is my first time seeing an oracle holder around here." At a short distance, a blonde man appeared and stepped on the light. He was wearing a maroon jersey jacket. On the left side of his jacket was a cross stitch, Lion King. He raised his hand and caught a boomerang flying with sharp blades on its two ends. He said, "It has been a long time since I have seen you, flightless chicken..."

Crowfire wiped his forehead with his arm. He didn't realize the blood gushing out from his head. He held his sword on his hand and stood.

"How long you have been an oracle holder, Lion King?" Crowfire said. His teeth still gnash. He looked at the man sharply.

"Oh, don't be so scared, my destined rival. It was just yesterday when I met that new reincarnation of Hera, Psyche." Lion King starts to take his steps, one by one every after his words until he was a meter close to Crowfire.

Tom as a sword can still read the messages from his master's phone.

9.58: Lion King plays his regalia boomerang behind his back while talking to Crowfire.

10.00: Crowfire dodges the boomerang. He jumped in the air and rolled again.

10.02: Lion King started to run towards Crowfire. Crowfire gripped Tom and waved it on Lion King.

10.04: Lion King dodged Crowfire but missed to get away further

10.05: Crowfire slashed Lion King's arms and stabbed his chest.

10.07: LION KING DEAD END

Tom narrowed his eyes. There are little shadows of bits, moving behind Lion King, floating and whizzing the air. His eyes bulged out.

Lion King rolls the boomerang on his hand. He tossed it back and forth while his eyes are following.

"You know, it has been a long time we saw each other. What a pitiful reunion, we have, do you agree?" Lion King was almost dancing with his boomerang. The shadows behind him moved faster

Tom can't get the sense of what's written in the phone. But as he had observed, it somehow tells what will happen next. Lion King might have the same gadget as Crowfire, he thought.

Lion King threw the boomerang flying. It rolled in the air so fast. It's whizzing sound flips the wind. Crowfire's head turned and follow the direction of the boomerang. He gripped his sword tightly. The boomerang slowly disappeared; it goes further up in the dark sky.

Tom suddenly felt worried. He looked at Lion King. Lion King was having a zipped smile while gazing at him. He noticed the shadows behind him are still moving, and their movements were faster than earlier. Tom's eyes suddenly darted back to the phone.

10.03: Lion King's regalia Simba, impaled Crowfire.

10.05: Crowfire dropped to the ground.

10.07: CROWFIRE DEAD END

"Simba" Crowfire whispered while his eyes quickly glanced at the phone.

The sky lightened up.

"Hahahahah... Simba, kill Crowfire..." Lion King burst out laughing while his hands are spreading around.

Crowfire felt scared as he looked at up above the sky. The boomerang wasn't coming back. It is almost time.

Tom's eyes bulge out. He slipped through Crowfire's grip and flew before his master. Thousands of blades rained before Crowfire's eyes. It came from Lion King's back. Lion King was still laughing while the blades spread across him.

Tom's blade moved fast, whizzing, swirling the air around Crowfire.

The clatter of bouncing metal blades becomes very loud in less than seconds. Crowfire can't move. He can't even see Tom moving so fast. Hundreds and thousands of blades are approaching from all directions but he never felt anything to strike him. No, there's nothing that touches him.

Along with the blade raining was the light and sparks of Tom against those. Far from that point, he saw Lion King, who was still laughing.

"So, this is Simba, your thousand blades. You deceived that oracle, Lion King." Crowfire wiped his mouth and his forehead with his arm. The blood starts to dry up. "I thought that boomerang was it."

The blades won't stop approaching. Tom was still invisible, only the blur left of his movements was what Crowfire sees. Crowfire can't think of what he should do. Slowly, he felt being tired. He knew, it was because of his regalia. Tom was exhausting with his speed. Then, he felt a bone on his chest cracked.

"Ahhh..." he wailed. He gripped his chest with his palm and fell on his knees. He vomited blood and coughed very loudly.

"Crowfire." Tom gazed back at his master while clattering over the other blades. He was very tired. But he can still move. He can, but not for long.

A blade bumped on Tom. The edge of his sword body cracked.

"AHHHH..." Crowfire felt the strike on Tom through his chest. He fell on the ground flat,  then he started vomiting blood. His head bumped but he's eyes are still open.

"Crowfireeeee..." Tom wailed as the pain of cracking rapidly drives through his body. It was like his bones are all cracking one by one. He wailed while the thousand blades are still bouncing against him, "Ahhhhhhh... It...It...hurts... Ahhhhh..."

While Crowfire was on the ground, he looked the sky. With the light from the lamp post, he saw all the blades turned their direction to Tom.

"No. Nooooo... Please stop. Tom will die again..." Crowfire tried to stand up. He lifted up his hand on Lion King. Lion King was still having a grin while his eyes are stuck on his blades, flocking the lone sword.

"Come... Hammer... Thor..." words left Crowfire's mouth when his eyes darted on Tom.

The crack on Tom's blade branched. Then he..

….had broken in pieces. His pieces clattered over the other blades. Then he fell on the ground.

"No... Tom..." Crowfire tried to run through him but he faltered on his shoes.

The blades stopped from moving and all flew towards the back of Lion King.

Crowfire stood and grabbed Tom's pieces on the ground. His hands shook while holding those blade pieces. A great hollow pain struck his chest but he tried to endure it.

"Time for you, fallen crow." Lion King said and looked at Crowfire sharply.

Crowfire gripped the blades on his hands. The shard sliced his palms. His blood oozes from it. Tears brimmed on his eyes. He cannot do anything. One of his regalia was dead.

Lion King motioned his hand upward. His thousand blades directed their point edge on Crowfire. He was stunned as the glitter of lights suddenly shone up from the ground where Tom's pieces rest.

Crowfire stood up. Tom's pieces were lighting up, like fireflies. Then the ones in ground floated in the open air. Crowfire stood as the pieces stopped at his front. The ones on his bloody hands joined the ones floating and started to light up.

Lion King's jaw dropped. Crowfire stepped back. Tom's pieces were changing. Each piece is becoming longer, long lines of yellow light. As the light slowly fades, Tom's pieces drew and landed on Crowfire's open palms.

Tom became a pack of metal arrows.

"Ha... Ahh..." Crowfire had a sudden gasp of air as he absorbs what beholds before his eyes. He staggered back.

Lion King out of nowhere whispered, "An Insignia for Crowfire."

His eyes bulged out and never realized what will happen next.