Chapter: The Shadow Plain and the God-Tree Tyrant
Tiny glimmers of light, like stars trapped in an oil-slick sky, shimmered across the endless expanse of the Shadow Plain a realm of shifting black and violet, still and vast. The air hummed with an eerie silence, unbothered by time. In the middle of it, Sakamoto sat cross-legged, his expression both amused and winded.
"Oh boy," he exhaled, rubbing his chest. "That explosion that fell from the sky would've wiped us out real clean, if I didn't move us down here"
Standing on the surface of the shadow drenched plane was Cain, dusting himself off, his shoulders tense. "Hey, Sakamoto," he called. "I can't thank you enough for saving us from that blast but we need to go back. We've still got business to finish with Shiva."
Sakamoto lazily stretched and cracked his neck. "Oi, that's not a problem," he said, standing up with a small hop. His cloak swirled around him. "Well then shall we?"
The others nodded silently: Cain, cloaked in righteous fury; Ravenfeather, his long hair dancing in the windless plain and Dakun, adjusting his strangely layered outfit of mismatched leathers and silks.
A sharp metallic clatter echoed a giant chain rattling somewhere in the blackness. Cain jerked his head in its direction. "What's that?"
Sakamoto made a goofy face, scratching the back of his head. "Eh, don't worry about that."
Without waiting for a reply, he closed his eyes. A pulse of black energy surged from his feet, rippling outwards like a shockwave, and swallowed them whole. They vanished in a blink.
Greenland Now a Wasteland
A blight of broken earth and ashen skies, Greenland no longer bore resemblance to its old self. A massive silver dome, crackling with defensive energy, stood in stark contrast to the desolation.
Arcade stood in front of it, arms behind his back. "Hmm," he muttered, voice silk over steel. "Not enough to break through, is it?"
He lifted his right hand and From the air, six giant white rods materialized each humming with godlike pressure. With a flick of his palm, they shot downward.
The dome shuddered.
One rod, larger than the rest, pierced clean through the shimmering barrier and crashed into the Suha War Room, impaling an officer through the skull with sickening force. The room erupted into chaos systems deactivated, officers scrambling backward. Minister Alfred barked over the noise: "Don't be afraid!"
Outside, Arcade nodded slightly. "Very well. Durable, but not unbreakable. I'll bury it then and everyone inside."
But before he could act, a burst of dark energy exploded behind him.
Sakamoto, Cain, Ravenfeather, and Dakun materialized from a distortion of black energy. Their sudden arrival warped the air.
Arcade turned slowly. His lip curled upward.
"Survivors?" he said, almost disappointed. "These little creatures made it through… and my warlords didn't? What kind of power did you borrow?"
His eyes scanned them then stopped. Sakamoto.
"Oh, you," he hissed. "You're no different from your father, are you? Always the one to save the show."
"Huh?" Sakamoto tilted his head.
Arcade turned back to the dome. "There's something inside I want. You lot can run off or die."
He extended his hand, A grotesque eye opened on his palm, glowing with hunger.
But the four didn't budge.
"Very well," said Arcade.
The ground trembled and a wave of Shen energy exploded outward from his body, distorting the very air.
Cain, Ravenfeather, and Dakun dropped to their knees. Their chests heaved, mouths gasping for air, Blood leaked from Cain's nostrils the pressure that was emitted from lord Arcade himself was the very cause of this incident.
Inside the dome, Suha officers collapsed like dolls. Minister Tenzy, blank-eyed, whispered to himself: "The dome… it's supposed to shield us from his Shen. But it's broken through… what kind of power does he have now?"
Meanwhile Only one person stood unaffected and that was Sakamoto.
He raised an eyebrow, arms out. "Hey hey hey what's going on with you Shaman Hunters?"
No answer they Only choked still.
Arcade stared, impressed. The eye on his palm closed.
"To stand tall under even a trace of my Shen…" he mused. "Ichabod, it seems you left something worth keeping behind."
His voice turned cold.
"But I'll be returning your little creation back to you."
He snapped his fingers.
Three white rods shimmered into existence and blasted toward Sakamoto with impossible speed.
In a blink, Sakamoto summoned a shadow clone some distance behind him and instantly swapped places with it. The rods pierced the ground where he'd been.
When he landed, his eyes went wide. "What the hell was that? His attacks are… stupid fast."
But then his eyes locked onto the fallen trio. Cain, Ravenfeather, Dakun.
Each of them stabbed in vital spots.
Arcade's voice rumbled. "You seem to be stronger than the others. Good. Do you see now? In a world of survivors only strength matters."
Sakamoto screamed. "No! Cain! Funny dressing guy!"
His rage ignited, He swapped again this time appearing directly behind Arcade, the Luton sword coming through from his shadow plain and he immediately grabbed it and He swung downward with a roar.
Arcade tilted his head, spotting him casually.
He caught Sakamoto's wrist mid-swing and slammed him into the ground, leaving a crater.
Then he yanked him up by the collar and kicked him hard, launching him backward.
Sakamoto tumbled like a ragdoll and skidded to a stop, coughing violently. Blood pooled in his mouth.
"What kind of strength is this…?"
Arcade blurred.
In an instant, he reappeared in front of him, his voice venomous.
"You're nothing like your father. What did you inherit? The genetics of a farmer?"
Sakamoto tried to punch him but Arcade caught his hand.
"What a weak punch."
Sakamoto grinned.
From behind lord Arcade, his shadow clone reemerged, carrying the Luton sword the sword moved but no one could see who moved the sword it was Sakamoto invisible shadow that did so. It stabbed forward, the blade aimed at Arcade's back aiming to strike his heart from behind.
It connected and snapped on impact the sword broke into two.
Arcade didn't flinch rather he educated Sakamoto,
"My body is made from the God Tree. Do you think a mere sword would scratch me?"
He drove his fist into Sakamoto's gut. Bones crunched. Sakamoto's eyes bulged as he was launched again this time he slammed himself into a rock and broke it into pieces.
"You need to sit still."
Arcade turned away.
"I've lost interest in killing you. You'll live to join the new world I intend to create."
A sleek white rod formed in his right hand. He walked toward the dome.
⸻
Inside the Suha War Room
Monitors flickered. Alarms blared. On one of the screens,Sakamoto bruised up, broken, but he was still forcing himself to stand.
Mika, a young Shen developer working as a healer,who has just stepped into the office with a few medications for fighters who were injured froze at the sight,Tears welled in her eyes, and in her thoughts Sakamoto has always been someone she admired even before he became a hunter and he was one of the reasons she also wanted to be a hunter as well.
"He… he can't do this alone…"
Nearby, Minister Alfred snapped, "How's Sir Varion?"
A soldier ran in, saluted. "Not good, sir. He won't be up anytime soon!"
"Shit," Alfred muttered. "This is bad."
⸻
Outside, Again
Sakamoto staggered to his feet. Every breath rattled his ribs.
"I know you and pops had your history," he growled. "Even if I never met him that doesn't give you the right to talk about him like that."
He raised his hand.
Energy swirled.
Blue flames Then orange Then the churning abyss of black flames. They circled him like a storm's heart.
The air thickened.
End Chapter.