Peace Before Death
Even in his condition, nightmares didn't leave Yakura alone. He woke up with a scream. That caused Shoo to wake up.
Shoo: WHAA!? WHAT IS IT!?
Yakura: Don't worry, it was just my nightmares again.
Shoo: Wow dude, you have been seeing these nightmares like a thound year and they still make you scream?
Yakura: They always throw every bad part of myself to my face. My screams are not because of pain or fear, it is because I want to escape from the person I was.
Shoo: Oh, sorry. Now, can I ask you that, what in the world did you do there?
Yakura: It was an old trick I learned back than. It is called "Peace Before Death". I read about it and asked Shimana to how to do it. After a lot of practices, I managed to do it. I tried it on a few soldiers, but Riigoo was also there at that time. He doesn't have a strong mind like Shimana's, but it was not possible to manipulate him. Even so, he got effected. It was just for a second, but he got effected. This was to time that they put their guards on against me. As for the effect: You focus really high amounts of energy in your hands. It might sound easy, but it is a lot more complicated. I done that part after trying for 2 weeks. The energy will shine like a dia... LIGHT. After yoou stored enough energy, you clap your hands really fast and that causes something like a barrier to spread around you. This barrier effects everybody who has made a contact with it. What it does is: It calms minds of all who has effected and makes them hallucinate. The hallucination is mostly the things, people and environment they desire. With this, their bodies will not function the way they normally would. They will be only in a blind joy. Never show any sign of anger, sadness, grief or something like that. They will not react to anything around them. That includes the real ones and real ones. Even if you go with a knife to them, they won't try to defend them. The hard part is this requires so much energy, that it would kill if a normal person used it. And the second hardest part is, their minds are all connected to the users. In order to keep them calm and unresponsive like a plant, the user must keep calm as much as possible. Even a little lose on focus, even a little imbalance on the emotions can cause them to get back to normal. Which is why I don't really use is trick.
Shoo: You should work on its effects, so it doesn't blur our minds.
Yakura: Sure, sure. I doubt that's possible, tho. Even Shimana was not be able to control it perfectly.
Shoo: Does Kowata knows this trick?
Yakura: Of course he knowgh... Oh right, THEM! We should go check them immediatly.
Shoo: You got that pretty quick for someone whose mind is in a very bad situation.
Yakura: What do you think I have in my head. Just a plain human's mind? Come on!
Shoo: Yeah, sorr... Wait a minute. I think that pointed at me, too.
Yakura: NO TIME FOR TALKING! DUTY CALLS!
They started to flew to Kowata and others location.
Yakura: How is your wound?
Shoo: Not as painfull as before, but it needs to be patched up or it will get really bad.
Yakura: As soon as we find them, we can take care of you.
Shoo: Well, well, well, look at that. The Stone Hearted Yakura is caring for someone.
Yakura: Well you are a help for me, it is not wise to let an ally die... That and your friends would think I killed you.
Shoo: Oh, come on! They wouldn't think like that.
Yakura: Seen so many, heard a lot of promises. But in their desperate moments, they are not really generous.
Shoo: What caused those desperate moments?
Yakura: ...Yeahhh I might be the reason for some of them, but still they are not generous as they seem when they got into trouble.
Shoo: Dude, you can start with your attitude towards us for protecting us.You seem like you are protecting us, but you sound like you'll kill us when you find the chance.
Yakura: I don't really need to act polite to the people. I am not on a quest to make friends. They can think whatever they want, they can be scared of me or fond of me. It doesn't matter to me. Besides the people you see are really rare exceptions. You didn't see everbody I interacted with.
Shoo: Well, at least trust us. Sure we kinda wanted to kill you at first, but that's because we didn't know who you really were.
Yakura: Hmm. I think I can do that.
Shoo: Good. Now you can focus on your weakness, instead of us.
Yakura: What weakness?
Shoo: You know, the crystals. That corrupts your mind.
Yakura: It is not my weakness, everbody is effected by them. You, me, Kowata and even those monsters.
Shoo: Than why is it that you are the only one who can't stand them?
Yakura: It is because of the way they effect. Each mind has its own aura. These crystals mixes up the aura and the energy within the body. Think it like electrocuting someone, but much more effective. This causes physical and mental injury and pain. But most creatures doesn't have neither a strong mind, nor high amounts of energy. So the effect is so little, you don't even feel it.
Shoo: Can it cause permanent injury?
Yakura: No. All their effects are temporal. However the effect can last really long.
Shoo: Is there a way to overcome them for you?
Yakura: Shimana told me about some ways, but they are insanely hard. Having a solid and stable mind like a stone and having almost perfect balance throughout your energy. I tried a few times but failed. She, on the other hand, has overcome those things.
Shoo: It is interesting that you always talk about Shimana's good ways, not others.
Yakura: She was not like others. She was just.. It is hard having a mind like hers. Even she gets confused sometimes. And all her accomplishments has always inspired me.
Shoo: Were you two close?
Yakura: Kinda.
Shoo: And what do you plan to do... when you find her?
Yakura: I would rather not to think about this question. By the way check your map. Seems like we have arrived.
Shoo looked to the map.
Shoo: Yeah. This is the place, but I can't see them anywhere. Can't you sense them?
Yakura: No, that function hasn't returned yet. We should search them the simple way.
They looked around the placed. They saw traces of blood. A few meters later they found corpses of monsters and soldiers.
Yakura: You remember who gave you these information, right?
Shoo: Yes, why?
Yakura: I think Ishould have a little talk with him.
Shoo: Wait, wait, wait. You are gonna kill them as well?!
Yakura: No, no, no. I am not gonna kill them. I'm just gonna threaten them with death.
Shoo: Well, that's still not okay. Why do you want to take revenge on them?
Yakura: It's not about revenge, it is so they will be carefull to who they trick.
Shoo: Let's just focus on finding others for now.
Yakura: Right, I'll have plenty of time for that.
Shoo: Hey!
Yakura: Fine, fine! Let's just go.
They searched the area for a while, but there was no sign of them. Yakura tried to contact to Kowata, however he still couldn't recover his mind.
Yakura: Seems like they left. We should check nearby places.
Shoo: What if they got captured.
Yakura: Another possibility, but either way we have to search some places.
Shoo: Right, let's go.
They flew again. While they were flying, they looked around. There was no sign of any monsters or soldiers. No corpse or no living. When they got close to a village, Yakura sensed Kowata.
Yakura: They are here.
Shoo: You can sense them? How? You recovered?
Yakura: No, but mind isn't completely gone. I can still sense his high energy.
Shoo: Okay, can you sense exactly where they are?
Yakura: I don't think I need to.
Shoo: What?
Yakura: Look there.
Yakura pointed a house that has many people around it.
Shoo: Oh, that must be it.
They landed near the house. People there took a few steps back and started to whisper. They went in the house and found the others. Shion and Kowata were on the beds. Akira was sitting near them.
Shoo: Guys, are you okay?
Akira: Shoo, man, I am so glad to see you. We're fine. You injured?
Shoo: A little bit, but that's no big deal. What about them.
Shion tried to get up.
Shion: Ouch! We're still alive.
Kowata: Your concern tells me that you go through the same thing as we did.
Yakura: Yeah, the ambush. But I am surprised you are in such a bad condition.
Kowata: It is quite embarrassing to ending up like this. I am ashamed of myself. And the amount of Mind Crystals they have found is concerning me.
Yakura: At least you are more resistant than me. They need ten times more crystals for you than me.
Kowata: Yet I am still vulnerable.
Yakura: I suppose you have a suggestion.
Kowata: We should priotise on being immune to those crystals, they are gathering more and more each day. Soon we will not be able withstand those.
Yakura: You have a point, but how? It is not really easy to be immune to those crystals. From my experience before: It is really painfull, requires a lot of crystals and time. Which we don't have much.
Kowata: At the very least, we should try to gather some from...
Someone from the village comes to the room.
Villager: Excuse me, but I'd like you to leave right now.
Shoo: What? How can you say that when they are injured.
Villager: Not all of you.
All of them except Kowata was worried that Yakura would kill him. But he was calm. He took a long breath.
Yakura: See Shoo? That's what I told you. Okay no need to worry, I'll leave now.
He spread his wing and jumped high. He tore up the roof, the pieces flew to sky, but all of them stopped in the sky and returned to the places.
Akira: Remind to tell him to teach it to me.
Villager: You can rest here, but please leave when you are healed.
Shoo: Wait we d-
Villager closed the door.
Akira: I think that is the reason why Yakura is so unsocial.
Kowata: That wasn't even half of it.
Shion: They did more?
Kowata: They pointed out that they don't like him, in a very impolite way. They tried to attack him, they helped the soldiers in order to capture him.
Shoo: What did he do to them.
Kowata: Nothing.
Shoo: Nothing... Yakura?
Shion: Are you sure we are talking about the same person.
Kowata: He is not the most gentle person in Taeoyo. But he is not violent towards innocent.
Akira: Do they still count as innocent? I mean they helped Absolutes' soldiers.
Kowata: They have their reasons to be angry and judgemental. Yakura does not have a great past. But the problem is people will not try to understand him now. He had suffered a lot and he is risking his life to save others. However people do not care about these parts, they have known his as a "monster" and seems like it will not change easily.
Akira: One more question.
Kowata: What it is?
Akira: Where did he go? We didn't plan anything yet.
Kowata: Oh... He will realise that and stop somewhere nearby. I will reach him as soon as my mind recovers.
Shion: Can your mind recover in any place. It is better for us to not stay here any longer.
Kowata: I do not need a specific place to recover my mind. And my body is better now. We can leave whenever you-
Suddenly people started to scream outside. Shoo ran to the window and saw vine soldiers, whom accompanied by vine tigers. Shoo hid below the window.
Shoo: T-there are vine soldiers and tigers.
Akira: Wait, how is that even possible. Didn't Yakura kill Shizen.
Kowata: They were just connected to Shizen, not bound.
Akira: Ohhhh... So we need to kill each-
Shoo: Forget it for now! What are we gonna do?
Kowata: Hold your voices for a second, I will try to hear them.
Soldier 1: TELL US WHERE THEY WENT! WE KNOW THEY ARE HERE!
Villager 1: W-w-who?! -- don't know -------.
Villager 2: P-p-ple--- spare --.
Soldier 2: YAKURA! HE IS HERE! TELL US!
Villager 3: I didn't see -----.
Villager 4: H-he was at the -----, b-but he left.
Soldier 5: THE TIGERS ARE GETTING HUNGRY AND I AM DONE WITH ALL THE PEOPLE WHO DEFENDS HIM! DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOODEN TOWN?1 IF YOU DON'T WANT TO END UP LIKE THEM, TELL US THE TRUTH!
The one who treated Kowata and Shion's injuries came in a rush.
Doctor: W-we are tell--- you t-- -------. Y-Yakura was ---- but he ----. How---...
Kowata concentrated more.
Doctor:
Soldier 5: What are they doing here?
Doctor: They came injured, I treated them, but I didn't know who they were. I swear.
Soldier 5: Tell the captian we found something good. And you. You should have know who you are healing. But don't worry this won't...
Kowata:
Shoo: What did you...
Kowata got out off the bed immediately and jumped from the window. It was hurting him to move like that, but he didn't cared. He went straight to the soldiers, which was about the kill the doctor. His body still needed time to come its full potential. But that didn't mean he couldn't do anything. He went there in a really high speed. He cut off the head off a soldier, who was about to kill the doctor. He than killed more soldiers and tiger around. All soldiers stopped and looked at him.
Captain: Sooo. I see you can fight. And I see you have a strange look. The Almighty Absolutes' have warned us about someone similiar to you. I guess you are that guy. So, before we kill you, tell us who you are.
Kowata: I would tell you my idenity, but I wonder if you would understand what my idenity means, what my EXISTENCE means?