Heart of Moving Forward (8) (submitted by reader Yuan Yi Xin Fei)
(Weather's little tip: This really was submitted by a reader.)
"Damn it, that guy..."
"Sorry to interrupt you. My apologies."
The sudden slap of a hand on the table startled the other diners. Takai Geki hurriedly stood up to apologize, then lowered his voice.
"So, what happened to that guy?"
"I badly wounded him, but I couldn't kill him. And I estimate he might be even stronger the next time we meet."
Senba Gari gathered his thoughts and shared his guess.
"And if we don't find him soon, things will only get worse. Who knows how many more people will turn into those zombies?"
"Got it. I'll contact my family and the police station and tell them to stay alert."
"Yeah. Let's keep in touch."
With that, Senba Gari left the restaurant to investigate for clues.
Takai Geki fell silent for a moment, then turned to Cirno.
"Cirno, if even that bastard Senba can't beat him, can the two of us?"
After losing to Cirno twice, Takai Geki's confidence had been shaken.
"I don't know how badly he was hurt, but if you master elemental control, you'll have a pretty good chance. And I can help you deal with him, too."
Cirno smiled as she spoke, occasionally stuffing more ice cream into her mouth.
"Thanks! Then I'll have to work hard, too!"
"Foolish servant, you've been using Spirit for a long time. As you use it, it keeps changing your body, making you more attuned to the elements. So you can start there."
Back in the woods, Cirno had an ice pop between her lips as she watched Takai Geki practice controlling the elements and offered him a reminder.
"Like this? Then, manifest!"
As the Beast Soul Driver appeared on his arm, Takai Geki felt the surrounding elements dancing excitedly. When he inserted the Azure Dragon card, the nearby wood element began to swirl around him.
Takai Geki stretched out his hand. A faint green glow appeared in his palm, pulsing with his breath.
"I did it!" Takai Geki exclaimed excitedly.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Next comes controlling the elements. If an enemy takes control of your element or drives it away with their power, your attack will be weakened or rendered useless. Likewise, if you can't control the element and its power becomes too scattered, it won't be able to suppress your enemy, and your attacks will be easy to dodge. You'll just waste your strength. That's also why you lost to me."
Seeing Takai Geki's progress, Cirno reminded him. Then she gathered the water element in the air and pressed it against the wood element. As the water element drew near, the green glow in Takai Geki's hand flickered.
He called on the surrounding wood element to join the glow and fight back against the water element, but as a beginner at elemental control, Takai Geki was quickly overwhelmed.
"I can't do it. I can't control it." Takai Geki's expression darkened. For the first time, he felt how weak his own power really was.
"Don't give up! Your power belongs to the Five Elements. You should understand the principles of the Five Elements better than I do, right?"
The Five Elements. Water and wood. Right—the Five Elements say that water nourishes wood. Wood should be stronger where there's water. Just like when I first fought Cirno, I can borrow my opponent's power to strengthen myself. Takai Geki put his thoughts into action, letting the wood element coil around and disperse the water element, then absorbing the scattered water element to help himself grow.
As the wood element absorbed more and more, the glow in Takai Geki's hand grew brighter. At last, it became a tornado that actively drew in and coiled around the water element. Flecks of light appeared inside the tornado. The card in the Beast Soul Driver glimmered, and the light took the shape of an Azure Dragon. The Azure Dragon roared majestically at the water element trying to erode it. As the tornado grew, the Azure Dragon became more and more solid. At last, the tornado shattered, and the Azure Dragon shot into the sky, scattering the water element around it. It circled Takai Geki once, then vanished into the air.
"Nicely done. You can train your other powers the same way. Once you've completely mastered the elements, you'll undergo a qualitative change."
Cirno gathered the water element that had been blown away and spoke to the excited Takai Geki.
"Yeah. Thank you, Cirno. Without you, I wouldn't even know how to find my way forward." With that, Takai Geki bowed to his teammate, Cirno.
What awaited him, however, was Cirno's forceful punch, accompanied by an equally scornful voice.
"Who gave you permission to call me by my name? You're supposed to call me Her Majesty!"
"If you turn into that, I'll definitely call you Her Majesty." Takai Geki wiped away his drool with a chuckle, already imagining what Cirno would look like after she first took human form.
"You pervert! Drop dead!" Cirno blushed with anger, then kicked Takai Geki flying.
"Ah, blue and white stripes..." After those words, Takai Geki passed out.
Heart of Moving Forward (9) (submitted by reader Yuan Yi Xin Fei)
(Weather's little tip: I don't know why, but I'm holding the Grim Reaper's scythe. I guess another head can become a toilet~)
"I'm in such a good mood! And I have so many fans paying attention to me every day. I wonder how many young girls have crushes on me!"
After saying that, the weather forecaster Little Weather sank into his daydreams. As he passed a corner, a sudden sound came from within.
"Hey! Maybe another family abandoned a kitten or puppy that's rummaging through the trash. Poor things. I just bought some fried chicken, so I'll give them some."
With that, he headed toward the corner. The closer he got, the stranger it seemed. The sound had come out of nowhere, and there wasn't even a fly in sight, let alone any cats or dogs.
"Was it just my imagination?"
As he wondered whether it had been his imagination, several tentacles suddenly appeared above Weather and pulled him into the air.
"Ahhh! Help!"
As Senba Gari rode Phantom, wondering where he could find clues, Phantom's voice rang out.
"Master, there's an unusual energy fluctuation nearby, and it's very similar to the energy signature of that one called Hastur."
"What? Has he appeared? Phantom, let's go. Manifest armor!"
"Armor Manifestation—Armament—Garuda!"
"Help! Somebody, please save me!" Weather stared at the monster in front of him, despair written across his face. The tentacles' bases were lined with fanged mouths, and viscous liquid dripped from their many mouths. As it drew closer, a wave of scorching heat washed over him.
"No! No! No!!!"
"Weapon Manifestation—Flame Feather Blade!"
The sudden mechanical voice startled the monster. A red figure then soared into the air, swinging its feather blade to sever the monster's tentacles. The tentacles binding Weather fell to the ground with him. When Weather saw that Divine had come to his rescue, he hurriedly thanked him, then staggered away.
"Has that guy learned how to create subordinates? This is troublesome." Divine stared at the tentacled monster in the air, his expression grave.
Flames danced around Divine and spiraled over his feather blade, forming a blade of light that shot toward the monster. The monster fell to the ground under the attack. Its tentacles flailed wildly as it tried to beat out the flames on its body, then it raised a leg and slammed into Divine. The impact sent Divine flying into a wall. The writhing tentacles then wrapped around him, sending blades of wind and electric currents through them to strike him again and again. Sparks flew everywhere.
"Damn it! I'll show you what I can do." Under attack, Divine pulled out the Diamond card and inserted it into the Beast Soul Driver.
"Armor Conversion—Armament—Diamond!"
A flash of ocher light passed over him, and a yellow-armored warrior appeared in his place. With a single sweep of his arms, the tentacles around him snapped. Divine roared, and a wave of gravity pressed down on the monster. Its flailing tentacles dropped to the ground, and its three powerful legs buckled beneath it.
Divine took out a Finisher Card and inserted it into the slot.
"Weapon Finisher—Heavy Fist Smash!"
As Divine drew back his fist, specks of light appeared over his right hand. Ocher energy coiled around it, lending it immense force as he struck the monster. Unable to escape, the monster was shattered by the blow.
"Phantom, analyze the area for anything else unusual. Also, check whether it's dead." As Divine gave Phantom his orders, he kept watch over his surroundings to make sure no other monsters appeared.
"The analysis is complete. This monster's body isn't as active as Hastur's, and the energy supporting it vanished when it was destroyed, so it won't revive. There's nothing unusual nearby, either."
After hearing Phantom's reply, he messaged Takai Geki and warned him to be careful, then rode Phantom onward to continue searching for clues.
"Ding-dong! The loli has replied!"
When his phone rang, Takai Geki awkwardly avoided Cirno's scornful gaze, then opened the message.
After reading it, Takai Geki turned to Cirno with a grave expression.
"Senba ran into them just now and fought one, but it was only one of that guy's subordinates, so he's fine. He told us to be careful."
"That soon? We should be careful, too. And you need to hurry up with your training."
"Got it."
Heart of Moving Forward (10) (submitted by reader Yuan Yi Xin Fei)
(Weather's little tip: Is this the so-called 'readers are better than the author' series? ∑d(｀?д?′?)о)
At dusk, Takai Geki and Cirno started heading home.
"Not bad today, foolish servant. I didn't expect you to learn the basics of using the Five Elements. Very good, very good."
"It's nothing. I learned so quickly thanks to your guidance. Ah, I can't wait to try it out. Just thinking about it gets me excited."
Takai Geki excitedly threw a few punches, imagining himself showing off in his next battle.
Cirno stopped as they walked, then closed her eyes and furrowed her brow as if sensing something.
"What's wrong, Cirno?"
"It seems there's a target you can test your skills on."
"What? Where?"
"This aura really disgusts me. It's filled with madness and evil."
"Follow me!" Cirno opened her eyes and raced off in one direction. Takai Geki followed right behind her.
When they reached their destination, they saw a monster rampaging there. The humans beside it had become corpses, slowly rising to their feet with fiery red eyes. Their shriveled bodies supported their movements. The monster in their midst had three legs, and its huge central mass was covered with disordered eyeballs and fangs. Tentacles waved above it.
"So this is what that bastard Senba saw? It's infuriating." Takai Geki's face twisted with disgust at the monster's evil deeds. He raised his arm and summoned the Beast Soul Driver. "Manifest! Transform!"
"Armor Manifestation—Armament—Azure Dragon!"
A flash of green light passed, and Spirit appeared in its place. He extended both hands, and sharp dragon claws sprang out. Spirit then kicked the surrounding Ithaqua away and crossed his arms, slashing at Lloigor. Lloigor staggered back in pain, while the surrounding Ithaqua swarmed toward them.
"Damn, this is a pain. It's hard to fight when I don't deal with these corpses. These monsters really won't let the dead rest." Green light flashed as Spirit's arms turned into thorns that wrapped around the Ithaqua. Bolts of lightning also passed from Spirit's body into them. Amid the flashes of electricity, the Ithaqua fell dead. Only Lloigor remained, standing in the distance.
Lloigor swung its tentacles, sending blades of wind at Spirit, while lashing out with other tentacles. Spirit nimbly dodged the wind blades and slashed at the tentacles with his dragon claws. But the tentacles were tougher than expected, and each cut quickly healed.
"Damn it!" Seeing that his attacks weren't working, Spirit pulled out a weapon card.
"Weapon Manifestation—Vine Dragon Staff!"
Green light flashed, and the Vine Dragon Staff appeared in his hand. Lloigor charged at him with its strength gathered. The staff gleamed with specks of green light. As Lloigor reached him and swung its arms, Spirit swung the staff with both hands. Green light and flashes of lightning accompanied the blow as it struck Lloigor in the abdomen, sending it flying backward. It hit the ground and lay motionless.
"Is it dead?" Spirit looked at the motionless Lloigor, then at the Vine Dragon Staff in his hand, before approaching it. As he drew closer, Lloigor, lying on the ground, lashed out with a tentacle and wrapped it around Spirit's leg.
The sudden attack caught Spirit off guard, leaving him dangling upside down in midair. A cloud of icy mist swept in. On contact with the tentacle, it froze into an icicle, and Spirit broke free with a powerful kick.
"I let my guard down. I didn't expect it to pretend to be dead."
"Foolish servant, use that White Tiger to deal with it."
"Understood!" Spirit pulled out the White Tiger card and inserted it into the slot.
"Armor Conversion—White Tiger!"
A flash of silver-white light passed, accompanied by a tiger's roar.
"Weapon Manifestation—Steel Fang Blade!"
"I'll finish you in one go!"
Seeing Spirit change forms, Lloigor waved its arms and sent blades of wind flying in every direction. Spirit's Steel Fang Blade struck one of the blades, then swept around in a circle, carrying the others with it before sending them back toward Lloigor. Hit by its own attack, Lloigor's tentacles were struck by the wind blades, and those above its head snapped off. Spirit pulled out a Finisher Card.
"Weapon Finisher—Metal and Stone Shattering!"
As the finisher activated, Spirit gathered the elements around him. The tiger's roar grew louder and louder, until a gigantic White Tiger formed behind him. The White Tiger threw its head back and roared, its huge beastly eyes fixed on Lloigor. The wind element in the air became transparent chains that wrapped around Lloigor. Cirno gathered the water element nearby, pale blue light flickering around her. Spirit swung his blade upward at Lloigor, while the White Tiger behind him leapt forward and collided with the blade's glow. Absorbing the blade's light, the White Tiger grew more solid. Cirno sent the water element toward it, and ice crystals formed over its body, making its aura even more fearsome. After the White Tiger pounced on Lloigor, the strange phenomena around them suddenly vanished. Lloigor crumbled into dust, and tiny ice crystals glittered in the drifting powder under the setting sun.
"Thank goodness!"
"Nicely done, foolish servant!"
"Yeah!" Spirit replied, then deactivated his transformation and walked toward Cirno. Cirno had been smiling, but her expression suddenly turned serious. She shouted, "Look out!" and shoved Takai Geki aside as she turned her body into mist to dodge a blade of wind. At the same time, she looked gravely up at the yellow figure hovering in the air.
Takai Geki looked toward the figure. Suddenly, his head felt as if it were splitting open. His eyes reddened, and he fell to the ground with a shout, writhing in agony.
"That disgusting aura." As the words fell, a black wind became a thick pillar and struck at Cirno. Cirno gathered the water element into an Ice Shield to defend against the attack. But the shield shattered almost immediately, and the remaining storm slammed into her abdomen. She spat blood and fell to the ground.
The yellow hat on Hastur's head lifted, revealing a pair of blood-red eyes fixed on Cirno. At once, Cirno felt an evil mental force assail her. Clutching her head in pain, she realized she couldn't win and ran to Takai Geki. She held him close, then transformed into a cloud of mist and disappeared. Hastur searched the area, then gave up and vanished with the wind.
Under a bridge, Takai Geki roared again and again, repeatedly pounding his head with his fists.
"The evil aura has invaded his mind. This is a little troublesome." Cirno, her head aching, gathered a cloud of icy mist in her hand and sprinkled it over Takai Geki. As the mist scattered, his distress eased. She then transformed into blue energy and slipped into Takai Geki's body.
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