Slay your Reality

-12 hours after the escape-

Raizo had been walking alone at a location that was hundreds, perhaps thousands, of miles away from the grounds of the Revolutionary Army. Trying to figure out where to go next, the young Stormbringer was passing through a small village. Despite his great powers while in his Fury of the Storm state, the youth tried his best to conserve stamina for the long journey ahead of him. For some reason, he felt weary like there was a bout of fatigue weighing on him that he has not acknowledged for the past week or so.

Dealing with his apparent dark side, running into the Sapphire Phoenix, having a trial, and even being put to death were all just too much. It was a heavy burden to deal with in too small of a time frame. No person should have to face such obstacles but life has never been easy for him and he often had to force himself to come to terms with that time and time again.

The sun had disappeared over the horizon painting the skies in different hues that were mixed with orange, yellow, pink, and even purple. In just about an hour or so, the sky will be blanketed by the covers of dusk and the moon shall take her reign in the darkening skies above. In fact, as he adjusted his gaze to the darker portion of the skies, he could already see the moon phasing into view.

*Gurgle gurgle*

"Damn…good thing I'm in a town. I guess I can stock up on supplies and get something to eat," he said to himself looking around the small populated area. Given his attired and the fact that he was carrying weapons, Raizo received glares of caution and suspicion from all different directions. It seemed like anyone who carried some form of armaments around these parts was viewed as trouble. Well, it didn't help him that he wasn't in the garb of a soldier from the Empire either so there was no telling what these people were feeling toward him right now.

Wanting to desperately escape the vision of the townsfolk, Raizo spotted a sign belonging to a tavern with an inn. Though he had no intentions of sleeping the night away, it would do some good to at least have a chance to rest even if it was for a few hours. Reaching into his back pocket, he dug around hoping that he had some form of currency on his person. Feeling something, he pulled out small, circular and metallic objects that represented the nation's generally accepted currency. A few gold coins? That should be able to get him what he needed.

The boy ever so casually eased the door open ringing the bell as he stepped inside. Talk about a rustic establishment he expressed on his face as he peered inside. Everything was wood from the tables to the chairs and even the flooring. It had a rather old-fashioned smell that would cause someone in their older years to appreciate it but for someone who was his age, it was something that just offered a warm meal and probably a place to sleep.

"Welcome sir, may I seat you at a table?" spoke a friendly female with blonde hair and green eyes dressed in neatly-stitched rags. Judging from her appearance, she must have come from a low-income family but given the looks of this village, it was obvious that there was not anyone of note from the Empire that maintained the upkeep of this place. Nodding at her offer, the girl motioned for him to follow her leading the male up to a table that was off to the side of the bar.

"Please have a seat; I'll be right back to take your order. May I bring you a glass of water?" she spoke kindly.

"Yes please, thank you," Raizo smiled slightly so that he wouldn't give off too much of an unfriendly atmosphere. As he unlatched his blades and laid them down beside himself, the male peered around the establishment studying his surroundings. He wanted to make sure that he knew exactly what kind of environment he would be letting himself dwell in even if it was for a little while. It was surprisingly empty but given the hour, most people were probably in their homes with their families and the lack of travelers showed just how popular this place was.

"Here's your water sir," the girl spoke coming back with a glass of clear fluid neatly topped with four ice cubes contained inside. As she placed it on the table above a neatly folded napkin, she pulled out a small pad and a writing utensil. Raizo reached for the glass immediately taking a large gulp due to his immense thirst.

"What would you like to eat, sir?" she asked sweetly.

"What do you recommend?" he replied in a low tone wiping his mouth from the water remaining on his top lip.

"Given our inventory, I recommend the beef stew with mashed potatoes and biscuits. It may not be much but it is still one of the best dishes around."

"Sounds good to me then," the youth replied, "Also, is there a place I rent a room for a few hours to rest?"

"Yes sir, we have spare rooms here if you'd like to rent. Please allow me to get your order in then I shall have a room prepared for you."

"All right, thank you."

Nodding happily, the female then went to what appeared to be a window behind the bar placing the sheet of paper with his order on it. She tapped the bell which signified that an order was placed before she went upstairs. From the corner of his eye, the male saw another individual working in the kitchen grabbing the paper to examine it before looking out to see Raizo sitting at his table quietly. Giving him a curt nod, the man went back into the kitchen to get to work on providing the boy with a good meal.

Now sitting alone, Raizo's mind began to drift into his thoughts trying to discern his next step. He knew that above all things he wanted to find his mother to answer all of the questions that were racing around in the back of his head. Where has she been for all of these years? What is this whole ordeal with the Sapphire Phoenix? Why was she an enemy of the Revolutionary Army? These and many other things swirled in his mind creating a massive vortex of confusion. It was difficult to try and maintain a calm heart right now but he knew that he had to just deal with it because the road ahead wasn't going to get any easier.

Though it has only been half a day since he has seen their faces, his mind dwelled on the condition of his friends in Night Raid. His escape probably made things difficult for them. After all, he was sentenced to death and cheated his way out of it so because of his association with them residual backlash is to be expected. He chuckled to himself in that instant, 'to be expected'? It was almost as though his own feelings painted him out to be a traitor. He knew he didn't do anything wrong, it was just a political smear campaign that Fujitora cooked up. Something wasn't right about him. It was a little too well calculated but he would worry about him another time. His final thought then dwelled on Leone. The female was strong but he wondered just how much it was affecting her if at all. She was strong, perhaps too strong but he knew she had a soft side; however, he did lie to her after all and that was probably something that would affect her more than he wanted to admit.

After about fifteen minutes or so, a man came out carrying two dishes that were covered by lids. Approaching the youth's table, the man sat them down before the youth and pulled the lids away unveiling the dishes contained underneath. The man with dark brown hair and blue eyes with skin tanned by the rays of the sun smiled proudly at his culinary work. Everything before the boy looked delicious, even Raizo had to admit that.

"Dinner is served," said the man in a haughty tone before backing off. Raizo grabbed his utensils immediately as the sting of hunger plagued his body. Making a few motions in gratitude for the meal, he immediately began to dig into the plates before. As the flavors warmed his mouth slinking down to satiate his pallet, an overwhelming flavor took over his mind relaxing the tension that was felt in the boy's body.

"How is it?" the man asked waiting for the boy's feedback. Raizo swallowed his initial bites before taking another sip of water to clear his throat before speaking.

"It's excellent. Thank you for the meal," he bowed his head appreciatively. The youth continued eating after that. Satisfied with his response, the man walked off to give Raizo time to enjoy his meal so he could focus on polishing up the bar a bit. The silence proceeded after the sound of dishes pinging against each other as Raizo wasted no time savoring every bite of his meal. Taking into account that he has not eaten since last night, this meal was a godsend for his currently fatigued self.

Ten minutes or more went by and the youth finished the last of his meal. Downing the rest of the water, he belched softly. Taking a moment to breathe and let his food settle, the male leaned back to relax. Seeing that Raizo had finished, the chestnut-haired male came back over to the table.

"How was the meal?" he asked with a smile gathering up the empty dishes before the meal.

"It was delicious; truly, it hit the spot. You have my thanks," Raizo replied reaching for the glass but upon remembering it was empty, he let it go.

"Hang on a sec, I'll take care of that for you," the gentleman spoke carrying the dishes away to the back then returning with a pitcher of water to pour him. After topping his glass, the man then went to grab some ale for himself and joined the boy at his table.

"Haven't seen someone of your like before," he began, "Are you just a traveler passing through?"

"Yeah, more or less," Raizo replied before taking a swig of the cold refreshment.

"I see. The name's John. Good to meetcha," he spoke extending his hand. Raizo reached back and shook the man's hand with a firm grip.

"I'm Raizo, nice to meet you as well."

"Raizo, gotcha. Judging by the looks of ya, you seem to be a soldier or a mercenary; probably the latter since you are the only armed individual around these parts and you don't have an Imperial uniform. "

"I guess you could say that. Aside from the weapons, how could you tell?"

"That look in yer eyes son, it's the look of a man who's burdened by the weight of taking a life…or many lives. Believe it or not, I used to be a soldier myself. I used to serve in the Imperial Army under Budou some years ago but got sick of the way the Empire did things so I left. I heard Budou was killed by one of those kids from Night Raid. Hard to believe it though, that man was one tough son of a bitch."

"Yeah, he was a bit slow on the draw from what I've heard. Although he was formidable, he just fell short in the end," Raizo spoke reminiscently as his mind flashed back to his epic showdown with the powerful general and how he unleashed his trump card state of Fury of the Storm. That fight was probably the second greatest fight of his life, the first being a taboo event that could not be uttered to the common man.

"That's what makes it so hard to believe but the truth of it all spread like wildfire. Now the entire nation is just devoured by this ridiculous civil war. Gotta tell ya kiddo, quiet villages like this are a dime o' dozen so be sure to enjoy yer peace while ya can, got it?"

"Cheers to that, if only such peace could last."

"Aye, 'tis the way the world works I suppose. Where's a kid like you headin' anyways?"

"I'm heading northwest. I'm looking for someone in that direction."

"Northwest eh? I hear there's some new army or something that is out in that direction. Luckily for us, the borders to the lands that way is days away."

"Is that so? How many if you could be precise?"

"Let's see, if ya take the safest route by foot…I'd like to say about 6 days. By horse, it would be about 4 or less if the animal is well prepped and fed."

"Is that the shortest path?" inquired the male wanting to get to where he wanted to go as quickly as he possibly could. The man clasped his hands together almost as if something was troubling his mind.

"There is a path but it ain't one I'd recommend to anybody. No one who has walked that path comes back alive save for one person and some people question the person's sanity."

"That sounds tragic but it is not going to deter me from going this route. How long would it take then?"

"3 days by foot, shorter by horse but you'll have to venture yer way through the Nightmare Forest"

"Nightmare Forest?"

"Aye, it's a place where nothing but danger beasts of the highest caliber roam freely. Some say that it is nothing but a stomping ground for natural selection where survival of the fittest is the main principle. Also 'tis said that the stench of blood and death never fade away from that place and that the gods themselves fear enterin' its clutches."

"Sounds like a bunch of spineless cowards if gods fear a bunch of crazed demons but that's just my opinion. How long would it take me to get to my intended direction if I were to cross through there?"

John merely stared at Raizo with his mouth gaped open in shock. Did this kid not know fear? He wasn't sure if this was bravery, arrogance, or just plain stupidity. The younger generation certainly had its share of colorful characters and this boy definitely was one of them. Staring into his red eyes, the older gentleman saw his seriousness and determination. There was also something else that he could see in that crimson glare. They seemed to carry a fire burning within them but also a feeling of emptiness and despair. What on earth has this kid gone through to have a gaze like that? He didn't know but he wasn't going to try and argue.

"Well, it should take anywhere between one to two days, that's with minimal monster encounters while on horseback. Three days is a fair estimate assuming ya can survive against whatever lurks around in there," the man explained. Raizo then cracked a smile.

"You'd be surprised at what I've survived against but thanks for the information," he replied.

"Ya seriously have a death wish don't cha kid? Sure ya look mighty strong but ya seem like yer tryna tempt fate."

"It wouldn't be the first time. Death has a habit of trying to reap her ugly head around my way but I always manage to slap the bitch around a few times."

"Well damn, ya sound like quite the comedian. Try not to slap her too many times, she just might bite back."

"I'll keep that in mind," Raizo finished before drinking his water. The girl from earlier came back down the stairs over to the table interrupting the two.

"Excuse me, but the room you wanted is ready for you," she spoke politely. The old man smiled at the female nodding in approval. Judging from the looks of it, it seemed like they were father and daughter or something. Raizo was looking down at his hands smiling just a tad, thinking about his own father for a moment.

"Good work Charlotte," John smiled, "That's my girl!"

"Father, not in front of the customers it's embarrassing!" she blushed. John couldn't help but hug her close for being so cute. It was a heartwarming moment.

"Charlotte huh? Well, I'm Raizo and I want to say thank you for being an excellent server tonight," the male spoke respectfully. Flustered, the girl waved her hands and hid her face.

"Haha kids these days and bein' bashful. Come on now, yer becomin' a woman so no need to act all flushed!"

"Father!"

The trio then chuckled over the loving moment shared between father and daughter. Looking at them, Raizo couldn't help but have a moment of sentimentality recalling the memory of his own father. As he cast his gaze downward, his mind tried to take a trip down memory lane but he immediately shook that feeling off. Reaching into his back pocket, the youth pulled out two gold coins and laid them down on the table before John and his daughter.

"Here's for the meal and the lodging. I may not be staying for a long time but do keep the change as thanks," he said. Looking at the two gold coins, the girl and the man both stared at him in shock thinking that he didn't have to pay this much for such trivial things.

"Hey kid, this is nice and all but ain't no way I could accept this much," John said in protest. Raizo held up a singular hand.

"Don't worry about it. Where I'm going, such funds would be a waste anyways if I'm fated to die. It's better to let someone else have it that is better off than I," he

"Tch, you cheeky brat," he chuckled, "Alright fine but let me at least get ya some items that you might find worth having on your journey. I'll have my little girl bring 'em up to ya later. For now, get yer ass some sleep. You're gonna need it kiddo."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Raizo grabbed his two weapons and got up from his table. Charlotte then led the way upstairs to his room where he would reside for the evening. As he walked inside, the girl soon retreated out to give him some privacy. Once the door was closed, the youth laid down his blades on the floor and took off his haori, hanging it up on the wall. He walked into the bathroom taking a moment to wash his face in the sink. As he stared at his reflection for a moment, he could see the fatigue on his face. A few hours of sleep should do the trick. The instant he woke up, he would leave no questions asked whether it was the middle of the night or early in the morning.

Once he finished, he was about to lie down when a knock came on the door. Walking over to open it, it was the same little girl carrying a small satchel and an old, brown cloak. She stared up at the man and found herself hesitant to speak but quickly worked up the nerve.

"My father told me to bring you this. Inside you'll find some rations and medicine for your journey. In addition, he wanted you to have a spare cloak to keep you warm. Where you're headed, he said it gets pretty chilly. Please accept them, Raizo-san," she explained as he accepted the items graciously. Bowing in respect, the female wished him a good night before walking away. Once alone again, Raizo inspected the goods finding a lot of helpful things inside. In addition, there was a note written by the man.

"Kid,

In case you decide to leave in the middle of the night, I packed a couple of things that might be helpful for yer journey. 'Tis some medicine that I found helpful when I was in the field and some extra food to make sure yer ass is in tip-top shape. From one soldier to another, I wish ya the best. I'd say all of this myself but ya seem like the type to leave without sayin' farewell. Be sure to stop by sometime when yer done doin' whatcha need to. I'll make ya an even better meal next time.

-John C."

Raizo smiled as he read the note. Looks like he was found out before he did anything, but he had to give the old man credit for still being sharp. Some instincts never fade no matter how old you get. He may not have been a straight-up soldier like the old fellow but warriors could easily identify with one another.

"John C. huh? Guess I won't be seeing him after this but I'll leave a note saying my goodbyes…no that would be too generic. Would it? Eh whatever, this scene isn't going to last too much longer anyways." He thought, sitting the things he had acquired down beside his swords. The youth would then lie down on the bed and close his eyes letting his mind drift off to slumber.

As Raizo slept, his mind would soon take his stirring thoughts and refocus them into dreams. All of his worries that stemmed from his ordeal with Night Raid soon came into his mind. He saw all of his friends in chains each being led in front of a firing squad and being executed one by one. Desperate, Raizo tried to run and stop the men from pulling the trigger as he saw each one die. The worst part about it all was that it was like they would come back to life as he did only to be gunned down once again. In the distance, he saw Fujitora's menacing glare staring down upon him laughing as he was forced to watch.

NO! STOP IT! He cried out in his mind but he didn't do him any good at all. Each one died horrifically as their bodies lay torn asunder by bullets bleeding profusely from their wounds. Each corpse stared wide-eyed at him as his gaze was cast upon them. When his eyes cascaded over toward Leone, he could see the blonde still breathing even if it was just barely.

"Rai…zo…" she whispered to him in his dream.

I'm here, stay with me!

"It's…your fault. You killed…us…"

What?!

"Your…fault…Why did you do this?"

Leone…

"You…should have…died…"

That was the last thing she said to him before dying in his arms. His mind was then taken back to that day when he found out his clan was slaughtered. The vision of Assana lying dead in his arms came to him causing him to spiral back into the midst of that tragedy. What did this all mean? Why was he having memories of this? He accepted it and moved on, right? No, it was just the fact that Leone dying in his arms reminded him of that day. It hurt, it truly hurt. His enemies then stood before him mocking him. Fujitora, Aquilo, and Yuki…all of them traitors in their own right just stood there laughing at his misfortune.

"Betrayal…it's always betrayal. What is the point of dealing with people if they only betray you in the end?"

[Don't let this get you down boy.]

"Indra?"

[You're stronger than this. A storm is coming but it's time for you to face it head-on.]

"What are you talking about?"

[You will find out soon enough. The day of your reckoning is coming upon you. You must decide whether you will face the heart of the storm or be destroyed by it.]

"You say that like it's an easy decision."

[No one said your path was going to be easy. The moment you became my vessel, I knew that you were destined for great and unfortunate things. You know what you must do. Trust your instincts, they haven't failed you this far.]

Raizo's eyes then sprung open. His crimson hues peered through the darkness staring above at the unfamiliar ceiling. His brow was soaked in sweat due to the stress of the dreams he had. Wiping away the moisture, he gradually sat up in the middle of the bed. He didn't understand the nature of what he saw in his sleep. Was it born from fear? Regret? Or blame? He didn't know but he knew that he could not dwell on it. Stretching, the male got up and walked over toward the window moving the curtain away to see what it looked like out there.

The moon was raised considerably high into the sky heading westward. Its fullness illuminated the night sky completely. Given the position, it had to be way past midnight but dawn was still hours away. Calculating the time in which he arrived here and this point in time right now by using the moon as a reference point, he estimated that he slept for about six to seven hours tops. Though he probably should have rested a little longer, Raizo was the type of person who once woken from sleep would not fall back asleep. Just as John predicted, he would be leaving in the middle of the night.

Raizo continued to stretch in order to stir his muscles from their slumber the gathered the materials lying on the floor. He put his haori back on and latched his swords on his waist. Hanging the satchel over the shoulder across his chest, the male then put on the cloak flipping the hood up. Grabbing his shoes last, he slipped them on and was ready to go. He took a spare piece of paper and quickly wrote down a goodbye message deciding it was better to leave something as opposed to saying nothing at all. Either way was generic but in his mind, he wanted to at least give them a form of thanks for their hospitality.

Thinking that the exit was probably locked up for security's sake, Raizo decided to quietly take a more scenic route by jumping out of the window. A second-floor leap was hardly a concerning jump so he casually opened the glass pane leading outside and stepped through onto a small ledge. Closing the window back, the youth would then jump and land easily on the ground below. Turning toward the building, he bowed in respect for the hospitality then began to make his way out of the small settlement. Given the sheer silence, he surmised that everyone was safely in their beds sleeping. Following John's directions, Raizo marched on in solidarity toward the Nightmare Forest.

Time slowly passed but the position of the moon hardly changed. In fact, Raizo used its general direction as a compass of sorts to head forth toward his intended direction. Since the moon was gradually headed west, then that means that he should maintain his course in which the moon was 60 degrees off to his left side. Maintaining this marker, he eventually came upon the dreaded woods that the gods supposedly feared. One thing was for certain though; the place reeked of blood and death.

The pungent odors melded together in an unexpected harmony that seemingly fit the air of the place. Focused on passing through, Raizo maintained his focus. Whereas any regular human being would probably be nervous or shaking with fear at this point in time, the youth remained focused with a steely composure. The woods seemed to move around him almost at all times despite the fact that the breeze of the area was as still as it could get. Aside from the leaves trembling ever so casually, there were various sounds of growling, howling, and every other imaginable beastly noise coming from sources all around the male. Smelling the scent of new prey, the things that lurked within these woods stirred from Raizo's arrival.

The assassin continued his headway moving faster than before by taking off in a brisk run. He was not trying to escape per se but he preferred dealing with whatever wanted to come at him in a wide open area that didn't have nearly as many trees around. No wonder why hardly anyone came through here and lived, they had no way of identifying the movement of whatever called this place home before getting anywhere. One thing Raizo figured was a good thing about this situation was the fact that it would be a perfect opportunity for him to get a good workout and test out some moves that he hasn't really had a chance to use in full-on combat.

"Come on, just a little more should be enough," he said to himself as he continued dashing forth along his chosen path through the woods. Getting a quick chance to look on his left and right side, he could see the motion going on around him meaning that the beasts here had taken an interest in him. Good, the more the merrier. He was hoping that there would be a ridiculous number of them coming after him so that he could body all of the creatures in the most horrific ways possible. Danger beasts are always meant to be slayed; it's just that damn good of a workout.

It was then that Raizo came upon what he was looking for. As the forest still surrounded him, there was a massive clearing that was along the path he had been traveling. Stopping in the middle of it, Raizo looked around him and waited to see just what this forest had to throw at him. As much as the old chef hyped it up, he definitely did not want to be disappointed. The ground shook in that next moment. The growls that he heard before soon grew louder and louder almost as if everything living here was stalking him. Soon, the beasts began showing their ugly faces. From giant ass three-headed dogs to giant snakes, bat-like giant vultures, hulking bears shaped like human beings, and so on all came out from the darkness surrounding Raizo in the hundreds or even thousands.

"Well then, looks like this is going to be a lot more fun than I previously anticipated," smirked the youth flipping the hood off of his head. A surge of electrical energy then began to enrapture his body at this moment. It was a hopeless fight for any other individual but when faced with dangerous odds like this, Raizo always seemed to laugh in its face. Striking a stance preparing himself for what may be the fight of his life, the male slowly drew his dual blades. The sharpness of their luster reflected the light of the moon. They haven't had a chance to really cleave anything in a long time so this would be a perfect opportunity to use them but…

"I've been relying on these things a lot lately, hopefully, they won't break. Times like this really make me miss my scythes. Actually, there is something I've wanted to try out in a fight. Let's see how this goes."

As Raizo's energy slowly spiked, the engulfing arcs of electricity stuck snugly to his body enrapturing his body with the power and speed awakened by the Calm before the Storm state. He placed his prized blades back in their appropriate sheathes. It was then that Raizo stretched his hands out to either side and began to channel electricity to his palms. The energy sparked wildly in the male's hands as he slowly took deep breaths to maintain his focus. The sounds of chirping birds—from the lightning—combined with the bellowing noises of the bloodthirsty beasts thus consuming the air. Amazingly, the demons weren't battling with each other for dominance. Raizo's eyes sprung open as six pillars of sparking energy were forged into six swords; three were wielded between his fingers on the left and right side.

"Talons of Judgment—Six Claws!" he thought.

"Well? I haven't got all damn night. Let's get this slaughter fest going. Tonight, many of you may think that I'm going to be your next meal but you're all going to wind up in the extinction zone," Raizo smirked, batting the electrical blades against one another. As the blades collided, the harmonious singing of birds combined with the clanging steel resonated. The melody caused the beasts to waver just a bit from intimidation. Crouching in an attacking position, Raizo took one final deep breath before making his attack.

The battle began between Raizo and the danger beast demon horde. All at once, the predators seemed to rush the youth from all sides. Enhanced by the 'Calm' state, Raizo boasted his prowess at the speed of light making it damn near impossible for these things to deal with him. It was almost sad because this fight would not last long but Raizo wanted to have his fun which was why he only kept himself in this form. It would be child's play to mop them up with his 'Fury' state but where was the fun in that? After all, he had to logically conserve his strength for the days he would have to spend here. Besides, it was just a fun ass workout at this rate.

So that he wouldn't completely overwhelm them, Raizo slowed himself just so the beasts could grasp an idea of his location. The bear creatures seemed to have caught on first by swinging their claws down upon him but every time they tried to strike, Raizo chopped off their hands one after the other. Against these beasts, it became a contest of whose claws were sharper in which the one who was a mere human was winning. Raizo swept at them with ease swinging from left to right and dashing around the monsters. Trails of lightning were left in his wake from each strike turning the monsters wounds into brilliant displays of light. The sparking trails never ceased in radiance until the wounded targets fell to pieces.

The beasts shaped like bears fell one after the other. Their blood and guts decorated the ground in which the fight was taking place on saturating the soil thus turning it into bloody mud. Taking a moment, Raizo stepped upon the head of one of the fallen creatures gazing at the serpents, three-headed dogs and vultures flying overhead. They all hissed, growled and screeched at the youth in outrage but didn't try to test their mettle against him just yet.

"Surely this isn't all that the Nightmare Forest has to offer me. I'm just getting warmed up if even that. Come monsters; show me what you can do! I'm only a human intruding on your territory. Show me the power you have that makes the gods tremble in their so-called heaven above!" he shouted with a growing grin. He shook the lightning blades off of whatever blood dripped from the hot surface though the red liquid just merely evaporated.

The next customers that saw fit to strike were the three-headed dogs. They came at the youth in packs numbering…well it was hard to count from all of the eyeballs but a rough estimate could be at least around 50 or so. They charged the Stormbringer head-on without delay trying to bite and claw at the thunderous threat before them. Entertaining their boldness, the male merely smiled and just maneuvered his vessel left and right thereby dodging all incoming strikes. It was sad in his eyes because they couldn't even touch his cloak. As they saw fit to strike and miss as a pack, Raizo now had the mutts at his back while the snakes faced him from the left and right. The vultures loomed overhead as well waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"Alright, well then since you just want to play the waiting game still," Raizo stated, letting go of his blades. The swords soon dissipated into nothingness freeing his hands for whatever he had next up in his arsenal. He fixed his gaze up above focusing on the bird-like demons cracking a sinister smile. Gathering strength to his feet, he used the head of the bear as a platform and leapt high into the sky straight for the flock.

"Since you won't come down and say hello, I figured I'd come up instead," he spoke meeting the feathered creatures face to face. The first crow that seemingly leads the pack was delivered a lightning-imbued uppercut into the monster's beak from below. The impact instantly forced the head of the beast to snap back causing a loud echo of bones being shattered to spread throughout the air. As the beast went flying in the other direction before inevitably falling to the earth, Raizo seemingly glided in the sky. As the beastly, avian creatures scattered about, they went into a frenzied state trying to attack the male with their own deathly sharp talons. Maneuvering effortlessly, the male casually swept aside their onslaught of attacks. Latching onto one of the beasts, he climbed upon the one bird's back while it flew desperately to shake him off.

"Relax, I just need a lift for a bit," he shouted out. Watching the others within the demonic flock attempt to go after him, the youth clutch the body of the beast he was riding harder sending electrical surges into it. Contorting from the pain, the monster moved the way its driver liked flying around its fellow kind in an aerial chase. Gripping harder, Raizo forced the beast to climb as high as it could thousands of meters in the sky. Flipping it around, the male caused the beast to dive sharply toward the ground with the rest of the flock following suit. The pressure of the air hardly played a factor against the male's enhanced body right now hardly causing him to phase. Masterfully, the youth controlled his heartbeat as he rapidly descended. Any normal human being would have died from the changes in oxygen levels in their lungs as well as probably suffered a heart attack from free fall but Indra's Judgment enhancing the trained assassin simply allowed Raizo to deny these laws.

Injecting more arcs of electricity into the makeshift steed, Raizo increased the speed of his descent until he was just about a hundred meters or more away from the ground. Pushing off of the bird, he forced the beast to drop down onto the ground like an impulse grenade. The moment the beast hit, it detonated like a bomb sending a few waves of electricity across the ground and stunning the surrounding creatures. As he listed in the air, the other members of the avian flock raced past him.

"Scorch Torrent!" he shouted aloud discharging lightning from his hands like bright, zig-zagging chains. The electricity lunged forth locking onto every beast in the air thus shocking them with hundreds of thousands of volts. The beasts fell to the ground one by one causing a rain of charred flesh and roasted meat. As he descended almost in a graceful manner down to the mess of flesh below him, the serpents and dogs recovered slowly from being stunned by the lightning bomb fixing their vengeful gazes up toward the Stormbringer.

"Ah, I never did give you all a share did I? Well then, allow me to rectify this," Raizo chuckled seemingly halting himself from falling anymore with his arms stretched. Angling his body and turning toward the side, the youth put his hands together with the bottom of one palm touching the bottom of the other forming an open jaw shape. He forced more energy to gather to his hands generating a sphere of concentrated thunder. This was something that he had learned in his fight with Budou when the man used his signature technique—Solid Shooter. Though it took some practice, the youth copied the technique in his own way in which he could control the potency of the energy produced based upon his powered state.

"Ruin Unyielding!" he yelled before twisting his body back into the correct position and thrusting his arms forward. The ball of electrical mass then barreled forth at an unprecedented speed soon colliding with the mass of demons below. A radiant explosion then took place as energy quickly destabilized into a bomb with enough force in its state to wipe out an island of sorts but was surprisingly contained to create a large crater that spanned for a solid mile or two. The trees were gone as well as the corpses of all the creatures that dared to reveal themselves to Raizo. Seconds later, the boy landed on the ground on the far side that was opposite of the direction in which he came.

"Well then, I think I overdid it just a little bit but I'm sure that's not everything that this forest has to offer. At least I hope not, I got two more days to kill here after all," Raizo sighed while patting his person. The aura of electricity soon dissipated from around his body. The boy felt his satchel was still over his shoulder and none of the contents within were lost. His blades were also in their proper place so all was well. Putting the hood back up on his head, the youth turned to walk down the original path set toward his destination. Beads of sweat dotted his brow ever so slightly but he had no wounds on his body whatsoever. Judging on the position of the moon, he figured that not much time had passed…fifteen minutes tops. It was then that he heard more demonic cries echo in the air and a familiar voice spoke to him.

[That was rather impressive boy but the storm is still coming. Before you reach your goal, you will have to face perhaps the greatest challenge of your life.]

"What the hell are you on about now Indra?" Raizo asked annoyed.

[Something that I did not finish in my time amongst you humans; a battle that is thousands of years in the making—this battle will test whether you are truly worthy of my power.]

"With all the shit I've gone through so far, I don't think there is much that can bring me down but your words are duly noted."

[Good, because the reward of finishing this trial will boost your power significantly for the future.]

"Don't insult me; just who the hell do you think I am? I don't lust for power or strength; I just use what I have and take what I need so I can protect the ones I care about."

[Hahaha, I forget you are one of those that aren't hungry for that. You've come a long way from being a vengeful brat. Perhaps this test will prove easy for you after all, Crimson Harbinger.]

"Heh, you gods really do enjoy underestimating humanity don't you?"

[Of course, you all share similar nature after all but you're surprisingly interesting.]

"Because my life has been nothing but a struggle, I know what it means to be at the bottom staring at the top. No matter how skilled I am at killing or have how many lives I've taken, there have always been obstacles in my way that I had trouble trying to overcome. I've seen a glimpse of what the top looks like and honestly, it terrifies me. If it wasn't for the ones around me that chose to believe in me, I probably would have been dead many times over. It's not about hatred, anger or revenge that carries you through life. Sure they may be decent motivators but they aren't things that can keep you going in the long run. Eventually, you're going to have to move on.

I know that I have to deal with the ones who have betrayed me, my honor as a Blood Wolf demands that. Blood is the price to pay in this world of corruption but that's not going to be my creed forever. I will make things right but I'm already looking to the future past all of this. The only reason I can do that is because of my friends in Night Raid and my family that are so far away but with me in my heart. They are the reason I can exist as I am because even in my world of darkness, they are my light and they guide the way."

[I see, you really have come a long way Raizo Arashi. Perhaps you are destined to be my vessel after all.]

"Perhaps but I've got a long way to go. I'm still at the bottom looking up seeing the silhouette of gods, people stronger than gods, and even my other family. Someday, I'll be able to stand beside them and face any challenge that is thrown my way but until then, I'll just keep looking forward pushing on and on. Nothing will stand in my way, I control my own fate," Raizo spoke in determination. He was completely focused and ready to go forward with his life. It was rather funny because almost a year ago, he wasn't like this at all. Now, he was different. He still didn't perceive himself as a symbol for good or some kind of hero but someone who would do whatever it takes for the people he cherished in his life.

"I'm proud of you."

A voice echoed in his head. He stopped and looked around carefully not knowing who it was. It could not have been Indra for the god was never that sentimental. No, this voice sounded like a woman that carried a nurturing tone almost like a mother. It was just one simple line but it was enough to cause Raizo to shake all over and nearly fall to his knees. He wasn't sure if it was fear or what but it brought tears to his eyes for a moment. His heart fluttered instantly from warmth that he had not felt in a long time. Just who could it be? Did his mother somehow reach out to him? No…this warmth was both familiar yet awkwardly distant.

"Don't lose sight of yourself. I am always watching over you."

Raizo shook his head and stood up on his feet. He wiped his eyes from the tears. The warmth continued to envelop him almost like someone was hugging him from behind. He didn't know what it meant but after catching his breath, the youth continued walking forward. In the distance, a faint demonic roar could be heard as well as the booming of thunder. A storm was indeed coming.