 
Grind

By Roberto Santiago Rosado

Copyright 2013 Roberto Santiago Rosado

Smashwords Edition
Table of Contents

VOLUME I – GRIND

Chapter 1 - Grind

Chapter 2 – A New Beginning

Chapter 3 – Hinokami Heir Revealed

Chapter 4 – The Cold Blooded Warrior

Chapter 5 – A New Journey Begins... With a Brand New Friend

Chapter 6 – Unknown Enemy

Chapter 7 – The Shizuka Brothers Get Their Chance Chapter 8 – Death Awaits

Chapter 9 – A new Comrade

Chapter 10 – Sinister Plan

Chapter 11- A Ghost From the Past

Chapter 12 – Walking Into A Trap

Chapter 13 – Shizen No Megami Heir Pushed To Her Limit

Chapter 14 – A Warm Heart And The Cold Blooded Assassin

Chapter 15 – Destiny

Chapter 16 – The Power of the Hinokami

Chapter 17 – A Journey Back Home

Chapter 18 – Enemies Became Friends

VOLUME II – DARKER DAYS

Chapter 19 – Unfinished Business

Chapter 20 – Uninvited Guest

Chapter 21 – Masamori vs Tetsuya

Chapter 22 – Shizen No Megami

Chapter 23 – Reunion

#  VOLUME I – GRIND

GRIND

Our story takes place in the eighteen hundred's, a time when both political and economical structures were growing and developing into the modern models that we still see nowadays. A time when only government enforcers and officers were allowed to carry weapons and when warriors called Samurais walked the land. Samurais were disciplined warriors; they were the strongest warriors in the land, feared even by the government. They had to devote their whole lives to their discipline and training in order to become powerful and respected. But in this world something was defying those rules. Suddenly there was an easy way to become powerful, and when that happens, dangerous things happen.

The year is 1843; Jirou Himura is a 19-year-old boy who never met his parents. His mother died giving birth to him and his father gave him to his uncle Yoshinori when his was just a new born. His uncle raised him, as his own son and so far his life have not been all bad. Yoshinori is an expert on martial arts and has trained Jirou on martial arts since very young age. Being raised on these disciplines has helped Jirou to grow to be a very good athlete with excellent motor skills and top of the notch physical condition. He is a skinny not too tall boy but with a very strong body, heart and soul. He has long brown hair and brown almost red eyes. His skin is not pale, as he works and exercises under the sun every day. He doesn't talk too much; Yoshinori has taught him to always make his words count since he was just a little kid. So like his uncle he is a man of few words. He has a tattoo like mark on his left ankle. Yoshinori has explained him that it is a birthmark that runs in their family. Yoshinori himself have the same mark on the back of his left elbow. They live alone in a small house in the woods where they have to walk more than an hour to have any contact with other people. Jirou does this walk every day to go to the nearest village. He goes gladly to pick up the necessities for the house and because he can meet with his friends in the village and spend some time with them. Everybody in the village knows Jirou and Yoshinori and everybody likes them.

Jirou and Yoshinori also plant, hunt and fish so they have trade assets to go to the village and exchange for everything they may need. They live a simple life, but they have everything they need to survive. On their free time there is always training. Yoshinori doesn't let Jirou skip his training in martial arts never, not even for one day.

So far life has been simple and easy for Jirou and Yoshinori, but Yoshinori has noted that lately something is not the same, these last days Jirou seems very anxious, and the reason is because he remembers very well that when he was 10 years old, Yoshinori told him that his father will come back to see him when he reaches the age of 20. This was the only time that Yoshinori has told Jirou about his father, Jirou had ask several times as a child and also as a teen, but Yoshinori has never told him anything about him, except for this day almost ten years ago.

It was a long day for Yoshinori; Jirou was depressed because all other boys and girls on the village have parents or at least one parent, but not him, he had to live alone with his uncle. Jirou was so depressed and cried so hard that day that Yoshinori told him that his father didn't forget about him and that he will come back to the village when he reached the age of 20. That gave Jirou a ray of light in his loneliness and depression. Eventually he felt better enough or maybe forgot about it, or maybe it didn't mattered to him anymore, Yoshinori was just happy because the theme was never brought back to attention ever since.

Now, almost ten years have passed and Jirou haven't forgot that day for a minute. But he is very anxious because he doesn't know how he will feel or react when he meets his father. There are so many questions, why he hasn't show in 20 years? He doesn't care about him at all? Should he care about his father? Should he just treat his father like any other stranger? Suddenly he's decided, that's what he'll do, he'll just treat him like any other stranger, just like another ordinary person he just met. Yeah, that's the price he'll pay for no caring about him. That's it, Yoshinori is his mother and father, the other guy, is just another guy. So he is anxious to meet him and pay him with the same indifference his father has shown towards him through the years.

He was very anxious, but he just continued living his every day routine, just pretending he doesn't care at all. He focused on training, learning, working with his shores and hanging with friends just like every other day. Of course he haven't told Yoshinori that he remembers what he said ten years before and will not tell him. He doesn't want him to know that he cares. But he does, he cares a lot, it matters like no other thing has mattered before in his life. His father needs to know that he means nothing to him.

Yoshinori noted something different about him but haven't asked any questions about it because he knows that Jirou's father may show up any moment and doesn't want him to be charged with rage or apathy before he comes back.

But destiny would not let that meeting happen that easily. By fact destiny had entirely different plans for Jirou and also for Yoshinori. The end of life as they knew it began one rainy Tuesday. Jirou didn't want to get up that day, like something was telling him "don't get up, everything is going to end today". But he got up and went through the day like any other day. He went hunting in the afternoon like he does twice a week or so. But he would never imagine what he would see when he came back.

He returned home late in the afternoon with a couple of good catches, as it is common since he is a very good hunter. In the distance he saw his uncle engaging in combat a person he has never seen before. Both men seemed pretty banged up, like it had been a fierce battle. The person seemed to be using a samurai sword and was dressed as a samurai. He immediately deducted he has to be a strong opponent since his uncle seemed pretty bruised, but why? They never messed with anybody, they had no enemies, and they lived a peaceful life, so who is this guy? But that's the least important thing right now, so he threw the catches away and rushed in to help his uncle, he was kind of anxious, even happy, because for the first time in his life he was getting to test his abilities against a real opponent.

He was running towards his uncle when two other guys also armed with samurai swords intercepted him, also complete strangers. One of them told him to stop or die, so replied quickly and without any regret; "You move out of my way or die!" The other one noticed the mark that Jirou had in his left ankle and yelled to the man that was facing Yoshinori; "Masamori, we found another one, and he's also fire mark bearer". At that point Yoshinori realized that the thing he was most afraid of had happened, Jirou was back! He was trying hard to finish off these guys before Jirou returned, but now that he is back his main priority was to assure his safety, so he rushed and yelled; "Jirou, run, turn your back and run!!! Forget about me, just run!" Jirou quickly replied "No way, we'll beat this clowns!" and he received the same reply from Yoshinori; "just run! I'm not asking you, I'm telling you to run! I can handle these guys, just run!" As Jirou was turning his back to run away he saw Masamori striking Yoshinori with the fastest attack he's ever seen, and Yoshinori stopped the sword with his bare hands, but something impressed him more than Masamori's attack; he could swear that he saw Yoshinori's hands on fire! But he kept running. While he was running away he heard Yoshinori's voice once again; "Just grind! Get out of here and remember to grind through life! Those were your father's words for you!"

Jirou just kept running without looking back, he knew he had the other two guys chasing him, and he also knew that there was no way they could catch him, but he was hating it, hating the idea of leaving his uncle fighting alone, hating the idea of running away from the fight and hating those guys more than everything. Why did they say that he also had a fire mark? That was a birthmark that ran in their family. Are he and his uncle been hunted because of their heritage? He hated, he hated those guys like he never hated anything before, and just when he decided to stop and face these two guys, get rid of them and go back to help his uncle, he heard a great roar, followed by horrific screams of pain, he also felt an extreme heat, but the heat wasn't physical heat like the one you get from working under the sun, it was a heat deep inside his heart, he literally felt that his heart was on fire, he felt it with every beat, he felt the heat going through his veins in his blood, he felt the heat in all his body, even in his soul.

So he decided to face these guys, no matter what happened he had to defeat them, he decided to grind like his uncle had just told. So he stopped and turned back, but when he did, he saw both of them lit on fire and screaming in pain. Their whole bodies were on fire, they were human torches, and Jirou didn't know why. They were screaming in pain imploring Jirou to spear their lives, but Jirou didn't understand a thing. Then he look over the guys towards his home and saw the whole house on fire, nobody could survive that, he rushed back and heard his uncle again; "just keep running, I'm ok, just keep running! And just when Yoshinori finished these words he saw Masamori, with his body completely lit on fire, as he struck Yoshinori's chest with his sword. Both men then collapsed and lied down inert in the floor.

Jirou's heart was absolutely broken, suddenly the fire in his heart turned to ice, his face had no expression, so overcame by his emotions, hate, fear, anger and also by adrenaline he kept running into the woods. He ran and ran and never looked back, he didn't know where he was heading, he went by far deeper into the woods that he had ever been before, he just kept running, with tears running down his face, he just kept running, his heart never meant to stop, but his body eventually quit and he collapsed, and so did his brain, he passed out. He was alone in the woods, lying exhausted in the ground.
A NEW BEGINNING

Jirou awaked to a very comfortable and gracious melody from a music box. He slowly opened his eyes, he's sight was blurry, but as it began to clear he saw a young woman, maybe just a teen, younger than himself, she was sitting next to him listening to the music box. She was even more beautiful that the melody the box was playing. She was a thin girl with not a voluptuous body or curves but with a beautiful long blue hair and blue eyes. Jirou couldn't help to stare at her. She was lost in the melody, her eyes were opened but her sight was lost, she wasn't seeing anything, she didn't noticed Jirou was awake. Jirou stared at her for a moment and felt her, he felt her heart beating, he felt her sadness, and also her pain. He thought, why is she so sad? And immediately she came back from her trance, rushed and closed the music box and told him; "Excuse me I wasn't listening, what did you said again?"

Jirou was surprised; did he say that out loud? The girl didn't got an answer from Jirou so she continued talking to him, "I'm glad you're awake, I've been watching you since yesterday, you've been sleeping for more than 24 hours", and she laughed, "you must had been very tired". Jirou just said, "I think I passed out, you rescued me and watched over me for 24 hours?" "Yes" - she replied, and Jirou went on, "You don't know me, I could have been a Psychopath!" "I couldn't help it" - she replied, "Is my nature, I saw you in distress, I couldn't just let you there, besides, you reminded me of my little sister". "What? How could I remind you of your little sister?" -Jirou told her, and she replied; "It was something about the way you were sleeping, you were so calm, I could hear your heart beats, I could almost felt them." Then she remained silent for a second. "My name is Mikazuki Inoue", she said with a smile, and with a bigger smile she said; "but please call me Mika".

Jirou was glad, the mere presence of this girl in front of him made him feel a bit better, is like he almost forgot that Yoshinori was murdered right before his eyes. So he replied, "So where is your little sister?" Suddenly the big smile vanished from Mika's face, and the deep sad face came back.

As it turned out Mikazuki was 18 year old, and grew up in a secluded pacific village not far from where they were. Her village was target of constant attacks by mark bearers, looking to steal food, women, money, or anything they could, just for the fun it or to satisfy their hunger for power. Jirou interrupted her as she was telling her story; "Mark Bearers?" and Mika quickly replied, "yes, contractors just like you and me, you carry the fire mark right?"

"This?" – said Jirou, "This is a birth mark, it runs in my family, I've had it since I can remember. What are you talking about contracts?"

"You seriously don't know what's going on with the world?" – Mika was surprised. "There are god like humans that control powers over water, fire, earth, wind, ice and nature. They can grant contracts to ordinary humans that give them power over their respective element. In exchange the contractor has to kill humans with contracts of other elements to gain their power and grant it to their god. Since this started the Earth has gone to hell, everybody is constantly engaged in a struggle for power and the humans who refuse to get a contract are victims of these vicious power hungry contractors. I was afraid you were going to attack me when you woke up because I bear the water mark and that birth mark that you have, looks exactly like the fire mark". Then she went on in a whisper, "so we're supposed to be enemies". She lowered her head and remained quiet.

"I would never attack you" – Jirou firmly replied. "You helped me and watched over me even though I was a complete stranger and you saw my mark. You have a heart of gold and right know you're the only person I know in this world... I'll pay you back for this. I promise!" – he yelled, then Mika told him "Quiet! We're not alone".

And Mika was right; they were not alone, as soon as she noted that they weren't alone, out of nowhere something struck them and sent them both flying in the air with tremendous force. They both went down, but Jirou received most of the damage. He was struggling to get up and his vision was blurred so he could only see two figures in front of him. The two figures said together "We invoke the power of Raiden, the God of Lighting, to come down and strike the earth!" And a powerful, fierce and brilliant lightning came down and stroke Jirou directly. The lightning was so powerful that it blinded Mika momentarily; the only thing she could do was shout, "Nooooo! Jirou!"

These two guys were actually brothers, their names were Koji and Koichi Shizuka – the brothers were both in their 30's. They both had dark hair and they both had a robust body type with lots of muscles. Both were lightning mark bearers and both craved power deep in their souls. Raiden, the God of Lighting, granted the contract with power over lightning but they paid a price, Koichi paid his debt with his right arm and Koji paid his with his left arm. So they wonder this world together, Koichi was Koji's left arm and Koji was Koichi's right arm.

They were secretly spying on Jirou and Mika for a while, but what dragged their attention was what Jirou said about his mark. He said that it was a birthmark. It is said that whoever bears an elemental mark from birth is because he's the mark's heir. A successor destined to be the next god of the element in the mark. It is also said that whomever kills the heir will gain power over the element of the heir and the right to challenge the heir's god and become a god themselves. So these power hungry brothers were not about to pass on an easy opportunity to become gods.

One of the brothers, Koichi, said, "so this weakling is the fire heir, now we only have to take his head and we'll gain power over fire right?" Mika rushed to where Jirou was lying, she still couldn't see very clearly but managed to get to him and grabbed his arm yelling: "leave him alone!" But the man gave her a fierce knee to her stomach and an even stronger elbow to the face. She went down badly hurt while the man told her, "don't be impatient little girl, you'll be next." Then he stood quiet for a minute and proceeded; "We noticed you are a water mark bearer, too bad there is no water miles around here, right?" and he devilishly laughed. The other brother, Koji, was just watching the whole thing. Mika was badly hurt, but she told them again, with a firm voice, "leave him alone", and Koichi replied, "It doesn't matter anymore pretty girl, look at him, he's not breathing, he's already dead. That was our stronger attack and it was a direct hit, nobody can survive that. But don't be sad, you'll join him soon enough, just after I take his head off".

Koichi turned around, pulled a dagger out and started walking towards Jirou's body. Mika was struggling to get up as the man approached Jirou. Koji was just there staring with a devilish smile. The man reached to where Jirou's body was lying down, he put his foot on Jirou's head to hold it firmly and extended with his only arm to start chopping the head off the body. As the dagger approached Jirou's throat something happened. He stopped, "What happens?" Koji asked him from his spot, but no answer from his brother. He just collapsed to the floor besides Jirou's body; then Koji saw that his brother's elbow was completely destroyed by a slicing water blade created by Mika's power. The man was screaming in pain in the floor and told Mika, "impossible! How could you do that? There is no water anywhere near here".

Mika, now standing up replied, "you've never faced a water mark bearer before haven't you? I can control water, not only from rivers, sea or rain, but from everything around us, just know I used the water in the air, the moist in the air to create that dagger that destroyed your arm".

The other brother, Koji, his smile now whipped out of his face told her; "how are you standing up, I saw him brake your ribs, you should be crying in pain, you shouldn't be able to move!"

"I never told you how I paid the debt for my contract right?" – Mika said staring at him directly in the eye, "I paid my debt with my entire nervous system. I can't feel anything in my skin or my bones. So no matter what you do to me..." - she stopped for a second and then continued with a firm voice, "you'd better kill me, because if you don't..." - she's now looking at the man with cold eyes and so much hate that she injected fear into Koji's heart and continued; "I'll keep coming back for you." As she told these words, something was different about her, she was not the kind girl anymore, her words were possessed by hatred, and also her eyes, her heart and her soul. She truly scared the man. And she continued, "You know, most of your body is made of water, and right know you're facing a water mark bearer". The man collapsed screaming, "what are you doing to me?" and Mika revealed her attack, "I'm taking all the water out of your body, I'm slowly and painfully dehydrating you to death!"...

#  HINOKAMI HEIR REVEALED

Mika was not thinking, she was transformed, the only thing in her head was killing that lightning mark bearer, she was so focused on it that she forgot about the other brother, Koichi, and that was a big mistake. A big lightning stroked her again, this time knocking her out. The man with the broken arm, Koichi, had stand up and stroke her using lighting, he rushed to his brother Koji and after making sure he was alright he told him, "we were not careful and we underestimated these boys, but it won't happen again. I will take care of that girl right now." His voice was trembling; it was obvious that he was still in pain from his broken arm. He was helping his brother stand up but he was still weak from Mika's vicious attack. Just as Koichi managed to help Koji stand up they both felt extreme heat behind them, when they turned around there was Jirou standing up, his eyes on fire, all the heat they were feeling seemed to be irradiating from his body.

"What do you mean you're going to care of her right now?" – Jirou asked, his voice was trembling, but it was not from fear, it was because he was still recovering from the lightning strike. He felt his whole body burning, and he hated them, just like he hated the samurai that killed Yoshinori. The only thing that Koichi said was, "this is impossible I killed you, I saw you, you were dead!" So Jirou continued, "answer me! What do you mean? Are you going to kill her?" As he was speaking he felt his heart and his soul burning in pure fire, Koji and Koichi just stood still and gave him no answer, so Jirou proceeded, "Because if you're planning to kill her, you're going to have to kill me first!" As Jirou told these words his whole body burst into flames, extremely hot flames, the heat could be felt from miles away, the brothers retracted from him and Koji told Koichi, "We have to end this now, we can't let him get out of control". So they started performing their combined lightning technique once more. "We invoke the power of Raiden to come and strike down on earth!" The same lightning came down and stroke Jirou once again, and Jirou was knocked down again by it, but this time he quickly stood up, and with the speed of lightning itself he hit Koichi with a fierce upper cut that send him flying in the air and also the punch lit him up in fire. Koji went rapidly after his brother, he was screaming and rolling on the ground to put the fire out, Koji said, "come on Koichi put yourself together, we have to finish this guy up, one final strike this time we'll give him anything we've got!"

The brothers stood up one beside the other once again and started to perform one final strike when a voice was heard from the woods; "Koji, Koichi, that's enough!" They looked back and there he was, Koji rapidly answered; "Hiroshi stand back, this is not your fight, we don't want to pick a fight with you but we will if we have to." "Don't be foolish" Hiroshi quickly replied, "look at him, he's the Hinokami heir, I know you can feel how strong he is, even I can feel the heat. You have to withdraw!" Then Koichi realized they weren't in a good position and told Koji; "Koji, we're pretty banged up, and now we are facing two fire mark bearers and not to forget about the water girl back there, we have to retreat now and come back stronger in the future." So Koji finally agreed and the brothers took off empty handed. But they didn't like the idea of having to run from Jirou and Mika, they considered them to be lesser opponents, so they were pretty angry and they were already thinking about their revenge. They were not about to let this one slide.

Hiroshi was a fire mark bearer in his 40's. He was not as tall as Jirou but also had an athletic body. He had short brown hair with green eyes on a tanned skin. He wears and eye patch on his left eye. He was a good man who didn't think that the proper way to become strong was making a contract and obtaining an elemental power. But he had observed how Mark Bearers ruin innocent people's life for too long. So he decided to request a contract that came at the price of his left eye, which explains why he wears the patch. He has had the fire mark for more than 20 years, what makes him a very skilled fire mark bearer. He's not hungry for power, so he's not hunting other mark bearers or heirs. He's just helping and protecting innocent people from vicious mark bearers. He had engaged Koji and Koichi in the past and managed to best them, he speared their lives so that's why they respected him.

Jirou was still in flames, and was looking directly to Hiroshi, he may have managed to get rid of the lightning mark bearers, but to Jirou he was still a stranger. So he told Hiroshi, "I don't care who you are, just leave us know or I will kill you." "Relax boy" – Hiroshi replied; "if you don't, your power will consume you, you are the Hinokami heir after all." "Why does everybody keep saying I'm the Hinokami Heir!" - Jirou replied with anger, and the flames around him burned brighter, Hiroshi quickly told him, "you have to calm down, find peace in your heart and in your soul, otherwise your power will consume you, trust me, I'm not your enemy, just relax, find peace in your heart."

At this point Jirou started to relax and the flames covering his body, heart and soul extinguished as spontaneously as they came. He went directly towards were Mika was lying. She was unconscious but apparently ok. Hiroshi was just watching and at the same wondering why Jirou doesn't know he's the Hinokami heir, does his family kept the truth from him. So he wanted to find out how much Jirou knew about his heritage and told him, "I called you the Hinokami heir because you're the son of Mitsuo Himura, the Hinokami. I happen to know your father, he granted me power over fire, and you look just like him." "I don't care about my father" – Jirou replied; "he never cared for me, and haven't been interested in me in 20 years, I don't want to meet him or know him ever." Hiroshi quickly interrupted him, "You should want to meet him, you're the son of the Hinokami, that's why you have the fire mark without having been granted a contract, you are destined to become the new Hinokami or die". "What are you talking about?" – Jirou asked in disbelieve. "As the Hinokami heir you have to confront the Hinokami and kill him before your power reaches his full potential, that way you'll become the new Hinokami, if you don't, your power will consume you and you'll die."

Jirou stood still with no expression on his face, he was in complete denial of what he was hearing, it had to be a lie, Yoshinori will never keep something like this from him, he raised him like he was his own son. How can he not tell him this? Was it that nobody in the world actually cared about him? While his head was plagued with all these mixed feelings Hiroshi noticed the disbelieve in his expression and continued; "That's what happened to your brother Kioshi, I knew your brother, he was an incredibly powerful young warrior that fought by my side to prevent all injustices in this god forsaken world, but at the end he didn't had the courage to kill his own father and died consumed by the fire power. You don't want that to happen to you, don't you?"

Jirou was even more amazed, a brother, how can this be true, how can Yoshinori hide that from him for 20 years? What plans had Yoshinori and his father for him? Were they planning to hide the truth from him and just let him die consumed by fire? Jirou couldn't accept this, he didn't believed it, so he directed his frustrations towards Hiroshi; "Liar! You're a liar, that's not true, my uncle will not hide those things from me, he loved me very much, and protected my life to the end." "Your uncle is Yoshinori right?" Hiroshi quickly interrupted, "I happen to also know him, and you're right, he is a righteous man and I can't speak anything bad about him, I also happen to know your father very well and he is a good man, he loved your brother very much and I'm sure he love you the same way." "Don't you dare speak of my father" – Jirou replied with anger. "I've never met him, he haven't care to know me or if I was ok or even alive in 20 years, don't tell me that he love me, because we both know that's a lie!" "Listen kid I don't have any reason to lie to you" – Hiroshi replied, "I just met you, and if I wanted to kill you and take your power, I would have join the lightning brothers back there. I can't tell you the reason your father had to avoid any contact with you, but I assure you that it is a very good reason, you have to begin a journey to find your father and become the new Hinokami, if you don't, you're as good as dead." They both stood quiet for a while and then Hiroshi continued; "I have to go know, and you have to take care of your girlfriend, she took quite a beating, but she did saved your live."

Then Hiroshi turned his back on Jirou and began walking away, Jirou was just standing still with no expression in his face but Hiroshi turned around facing him again and told him; "Remember boy, maintain peace in your heart and in your soul, otherwise your power will consume you, and don't go telling everybody that you're the Hinokami heir, they will want to take your head off and become gods themselves." He paused for a moment and then continued; "The name is Hiroshi Takenaka, I'll see you around." Then he disappeared into the forest.
THE COLD BLOODED WARRIOR

More than a month has passed since Koji and Koichi had the encounter with Jirou and Mika, they have both recovered from the injuries suffered that day, but not completely, Koichi still can't move completely his elbow thanks to Mika's attack, and he's itching for revenge, waiting the day to encounter Jirou and Mika again. They still carry their way, walking from one village to the other looking for a quick hit on defenseless people to steal whatever they can. They also have the occasional encounter with other mark bearers which they kill whenever they can to increase their powers and when they see they can get killed they flee like they did with Mika and Jirou. But their power has increased since their last encounter with Mika and Jirou because they have kill several mark bearers, some of them have been during honorable fights, but much others were just killed using sneaky attacks on unsuspecting mark bearers like they first did with Mika and Jirou. So they are eager to encounter Jirou and Mika again and settle the score, particularly Koichi, who believes that have a personal score to settle with Mika.

They are wandering in the woods after the last town they visited paid a good booty when suddenly they hear somebody walking in the distance. They noticed a really strange and cold mist in the forest that day, it wasn't usual, it was almost like the mist was emanating from the person walking in the distance, like the mist was following him. They proceeded to follow him with caution from a safe distance. Then Koichi noticed the traveler's had a mark, a bearer's mark, the mark was in the left side of his neck. But this was a mark they have never seen before. So they figured there were two options, an ice mark bearer or an earth mark bearer. They figured the strange traveler had to be an ice mark bearer because of the strange, very dense cold mist that was emanating from him. It felt almost like a solid cloud. It was said that the Hikami (God of Ice) doesn't grant contracts to everybody, only somebody with the heart and soul as cold and his own will get a contract from him. So they decided to proceed with caution and watch from a safe distance, since everyone bearing an ice mark had to be a strong opponent. But their ambition for power will not let them pass the opportunity to kill this traveler and steal his power. They were murmuring to each other to plan an ambush. Since the ice mark bearer hasn't seen them they had the element of surprise. They had the attack planed, Koichi will face the mark bearer one on one from the front while Koji secretly sneaks from behind and delivers the finishing blow. So they went for it, the ice mark bearer was walking unsuspecting and Koichi stood in front of him. "Hey, is that the ice mark you have in your neck?" – Koichi said, but he had no response from the mysterious character. Koichi look closer and then it realized that the ice mark bearer was blind. His eyes looked dead, they were of a pale gray color and life couldn't be seen on them. It was obvious that he had no sight. "You're blind?" – Koichi asked with emotion, "today definitely is not your lucky day pall", he continued.

But this guy was not an ordinary mark bearer. He was only a kid; his name was Tetsuya Yukimura and he was only 16 years old. Being so young and already bearing the ice mark meant that he had no feelings in his heart. He was a monster. In fact he possessed the ice mark since he was 14 years old. He requested the contract from the Hikami (god of ice), it was said that it was almost impossible to get a contract from the Hikami, that everybody who had dared to travel to the ice land to request a contract from him had not lived to tell the story. Maybe Tetsuya requested a contract from him because he wanted to die. But the Hikami granted the contract because the Hikami himself feared the cold that he felt in Tetsuya's heart and soul. The Hikami granted the contract but took his sight as a payment for the debt. So he's blind since he was 14. His skin was pale, but not pale like ordinary white people are, it was pale in a non-natural way, it looked like he was already dead, like he was a walking corpse. He had long gray hair that falls over his shoulders that go perfectly with his pale skin and dead eyes to give him no expression at all. There was no possible way to read his expression, no emotion could be observed in his face, no hate, love, fear, anger...nothing.

Tetsuya was as cold blooded as they come. His parents were assassinated when he was just a kid and at a very young age he had to take care of his little sister. Just when he thought that life couldn't get any worst his younger sister was an innocent victim of a mark bearer's attack on their village. From that day his heart and soul turned to ice. He couldn't feel or love anymore. He seeks only revenge against all mark bearers and to do so he wants to assassinate all the Mark Heirs in order to challenge all Gods himself and gain all the powers for himself. He just wants the power and doesn't mind dying in the process, life doesn't matter to him anymore. The brothers didn't know it yet, but they were about to face possibly the strongest mark bearer in the land.

He was blind, but he had detected the brothers' presence long before the brothers noticed him. He had a razor sharp hearing sense, so he heard their plan when they were whispering to each other, and he uses the mist around him to sense his enemies. As an ice mark bearer he can control ice. He surrounds himself with that dense mist which is compounded of very small ice particles, for everybody else it was just a mist, for him it was a death trap, like a million ice particles ready to obey his every command at any time. He converts all the moist in the air into ice. And he can sense where every one of those ice particles are situated. So that way, he can sense everything in his surrounding, much better than anybody with healthy eyesight. He can see anything, even insects or how a dust particle moves, as the ice particles move he can sense them, he can see where they are, the exact position and distance from his body and how they are moving. The element of surprise the brothers were so sure about, was long gone even before the battle started.

Since the stranger didn't responded to Koichi he decided to perform a lightning attack straight from the front, but he noticed that the mist surrounding him was getting colder and denser. Then suddenly he found himself with a large and sharp ice dagger that had materialized from the air pointing right to his neck. It was like an ice spear and it was actually starting to pierce through his skin, so he said; "what the hell is this, how could you see me?" Koji could hardly see trough the dense mist, but he heard Koichi's words, so he decided to attack from the back, but then he noticed that Tetsuya was facing directly towards where he was hiding, he was astonished; How could he know his exact position? Then Tetsuya spoke to him; "I know you're there, and you're in range, I only need to think of it and you both will be dead in a second, but today is your lucky day". Koji tried to move but he realized that he couldn't move; Tetsuya had sealed his feet to the ground using the ice from his mist, he literally glued his feet to the ground with ice. Then strong winds, like hurricane winds, cleared all the mist away and the brothers could see each other. They both had ice daggers pointing to their necks. "Did you do that?" - Koji said, "do you also have power over wind? How is that even possible?" "I can, and is not impossible; all I had to do was kill the Kazenokami Heir (God of Wind Heir) and I claimed my right to have power over wind." – Tetsuya replied with a smile in his face, after he said this the mist came right back even denser and colder than before. "Like I said, today is your lucky day, if you're smart enough that is" – he continued.

And in fact, Koji and Koichi didn't know how lucky they were that day. If they had decided to fight Tetsuya, in fact they both would have been killed in the blink of an eye. But Tetsuya wanted allies. He was planning in taking all the elemental Gods down and taking all the elemental powers for himself. So he needed some allies, and for the brothers fighting along Tetsuya's side and rule the world at his side, or fight against him and die was a pretty easy choice. They were both convinced that with this guy at their side nobody could defeat them, and they will gain a lot of power from fallen mark bearers and heirs in the way. So they decided to keep their egos aside and live to fight at Tetsuya's side, and when the time was right they could easily betray him and kill him to claim all his powers for themselves. So it was a gain / gain situation. A very deadly alliance had been form.
A NEW JOURNEY BEGINS... WITH A BRAND NEW FRIEND

Jirou and Mika were on Mika's house. The house use to be where she lived with her family but now it was completely empty. Only Mika and Jirou were there. More than a month has passed since the brutal fight with Koji and Koichi but Mika was still not fully recovered. In fact she had two broken ribs and needed a lot of rest to recover. Jirou had stayed with her this whole time. He had paid back really quickly the favor Mika gave him when she took care of him in the forest. They had a lot of time to get to know each other, so now they knew each other's stories. Jirou knew how Mika's parents were murder by mark bearers when she was just a little girl. How she had to take care of her little sister all by herself. That was why she became a mark bearer; she didn't want to feel defenseless anymore. If mark bearers were coming to attack the village it was going to be her who protected her sister and the villagers.

The price she had to pay to get the contract was practically losing any sense in her body. She was never going to feel a warm sun dusk in her face, or the fresh crystalline river water in her body, or the breeze on her hair or a loved one's gentle touch on her hands. But no price was too high for the power to protect her loved ones; at least that was what she thought. But fate had planned a very bad move on her. The attack came while her little sister was playing outside with friends. When she arrived to the town her sister was agonizing. Apparently her sister tried to step up to the bad guys and it cost her life. When Mika arrived to the scene she reacted as cold hearted as she did when she was fighting to protect Jirou's life. With no expression on her face she faced a group of 3 to 4 mark bearers and annihilated them all. Then she took her sister's body and brought it back home where she said her last goodbye and buried it. The morning after that, she went to the woods were she used to go with her little sister to play and collect flowers and fruit. But she cried very hard until she collapsed.

From that day on, every day she went into the woods to wander the paths she used to visit with her sister and just feel nostalgic and remember her. In one of those paths was where more than a month ago she found Jirou lying on the ground unconscious. When she saw him from distance she thought she was seeing her little sister lying on the floor, at first she thought it was a mirage, but she quickly realized that it wasn't. But as she came closer she realized that it was a stranger lying unconscious on the floor. But somehow Jirou's unconscious body reminded her of her little sister sleeping. So she stayed with him and watched over him until he woke up.

Now Jirou knew this whole story, and Mika also knew Jirou's story. They both knew their pasts were not that different from one another. But this whole month that Jirou spent taking care of Mika he had his mind somewhere else. Hiroshi's words were bothering him too much. His father and also Yoshinori both new that if he didn't became a god he would die. They never bothered to tell him or to teach him how to use his powers or how to maintain them under control. Was he just let under Yoshinori's care just so they could wait for him to die? He never felt so alone in the world. Something inside him kept telling him that it was a lie, but there was overwhelming evidence that pointed to the contrary. Like for instance he could manipulate fire during the battle with Koji and Koichi, and also he saw Hiroshi wore the same "birthmark" that he and Yoshinori had, and it was also Mika's mark. It didn't looked like Hiroshi wanted to harm them, so why lie to him, or why to make up a story like that. But on the other hand; Why Yoshinori fought to the very end to protect his life? It made no sense. So suddenly it hit him, he knew what he needed to do. He needed to find his father, he needed to go after Mitsuo the Hinokami, he would demand answers from his father, and if what he was suspecting was the truth, then he would take his father's life. No remorse, no regrets. His father never came to see him in 20 years and if what Hiroshi had told him was truth he basically left him with Yoshinori to die eventually. So he would have no regrets in taking his life and become the Hinokami himself.

For the first time since Yoshinori died he had a goal in life, a motive to go on, a reason to live. He was very thankful of Mika for what she had done and he was growing very attached to her, but he needed to find out the truth. So he needed to go find his father. He knew that Mika was not completely recovered but he knew that she was well enough to take care of herself, and besides, she was the strongest woman he knew. She was a true friend and he cared about her a lot, but he had to do this.

When he went to tell her about his plans she couldn't be angrier with him, not because of his plans, nor because of his motives, but rather because Jirou was planning on let her behind. Mika told him that there was no way in hell she would let him go in this quest alone. Mika was not about to let Jirou go so easily. She had recently lost everybody she cared about and she was fine with not having anyone in the world, nobody to care about meant that she wouldn't have to endure trough the hell she had by losing all her family once again, but then Jirou came alone, and she felt very attached to him, she even thought that she was starting to fall for him. So she didn't wanted anything to happen to him, and knowing that he was the Hinokami heir she knew that he was going to attract other power hungry mark bearers like shit attracts flies. So she wanted to be there for him and fight with him and whatever happened, she wanted to be there with him, and if fate demanded it, she was going to die for him, she was determined to it. So she told him firmly; "You're not going anywhere without me, we will go through this together".

Jirou explained that he didn't want anything to happen to her and that she wasn't fully recovered but Mika didn't cared about any of the reasons she heard from him. She continued; "besides, everybody knows that the Hinokami can only be found in his fortress in the land of the eternal summer, and you don't even know where that is, so you need me, like I said, I'm coming with you." As she was telling him these words she was already packing her things to start their journey.

Jirou knew there was nothing he could do to make her stay, he was worried that she was not fully recovered and that something could happen to her but deep inside, he was happy that she will come with him in this journey. Suddenly he didn't felt so alone, and he felt that he had known her forever. In the short time that they had spent with each other, they had develop a very strong bond, and Jirou knew that right know she was his only family and the only person he cared about. He knew he would give everything for her, so somehow he was happy because at least having her by his side he knew if something would come up, he would be able to protect her, as he knew she would also do for him.

So they started their journey to the land of the eternal summer and for the first time in a long time Mika felt happy and her heart felt warm. And for the first time in almost two months Jirou felt that he wanted to be alive and enjoy every single moment with Mika. She even gave Jirou and old samurai sword that was a beloved possession of her late father.

One day she found Jirou training with it and she told him that the sword was his father's, Jirou immediately stopped training and gave the sword to her and told her he was sorry, and all Mika said was; "I want you to have it". That's how close they have grown. She was his new friend, but it felt like an old friend that he knew for a long time and care about her a lot. A new journey had begun, with a brand new friend.

#  UNKNOWN ENEMY

They started walking towards the land of eternal summer with a clear goal in their minds, Jirou was going to face his father and Mikazuki was going to be there for him, help him and protect him in any way she could. The road ahead of them was a long one. Mika knew it was going to take them at least two weeks to get there, and even though she was clearly injured she was not planning on delaying him a bit. So she was walking by his side like nothing ever happened to her. Besides, she didn't feel any pain, but she sure felt the fatigue from walking with two injured ribs, the lack of air and the low oxygen in the blood. But she didn't tell anything to Jirou, she just kept going like nothing was happening. She was just happy she got to do this journey with Jirou; she just liked listening to him, looking at him and his company. She felt like life mattered again.

After two days walking they were already accustomed to the tranquility of the woods, when they found a river and continued walking by the river. Jirou didn't know what Mika was going through, so he wasn't expecting anything unusual. But suddenly she collapsed to the ground. Jirou quickly asked, "What happened? You still injured right? I knew I shouldn't have let you come, don't worry, we'll going to find a village and I'll put you to rest, I'll carry you to the next village, you'll see." "Jirou stop it!" Mika replied, "Don't freak out, I'm ok, I just need to rest for a couple of minutes." Just as she finished saying that, she coughed and spited blood.

Jirou freaked out and continued yelling that he'll carry her to the next village and take care of her until she's fine, Mika interrupted him again but this time she told him; "Shhhhh... See that?" Jirou looked around him and noticed a strange white mist that was getting close to them. "There is somebody there, in the middle of the mist." – Jirou said. "Hey, whoever you are, come out! Show yourself!" – He continued.

A passive low voice replied, "So you are the Hinokami heir, you don't look like much." Jirou was astonished. Who was this guy? How did he know he was the Hinokami heir? Jirou felt the mist involving them, and Mika was still on the ground struggling to get up so he created flare that evaporated the ice in the mist causing all of it to fall as water on their heads. He told Mika; "This mist, it was made of ice particles, that's why it felt so cold". The mist started involving them again; Tetsuya was planning on attacking them, but just in the right moment a big flare melted two ice daggers that would have otherwise pierced Mika and Jirou's hearts. It was a fire mark bearer, he had saved their lives and now he was standing in front of them. "Move back!" – He said, "Get out of the mist!" Jirou took a closer look and recognized him, it was Hiroshi, "take your girlfriend and get out of here" – he said, I will handle this guy. "No way!" – Jirou replied, "We'll take care of him together". "Don't be a fool boy" – Hiroshi continued, "you don't know this guy's powers, in the condition she is, she's going to be dead in a minute, take her out of the mist, as far away as possible!" Jirou didn't like the idea, but he didn't want anything to happen to Mika, and she was struggling just to get up. He saw how that strange warrior created two daggers out of nowhere in that strange mist and he decided to put Mika to safety first, and then come back to help Hiroshi. "Ok, but I will take Mika to safety and then come back, Ok? Don't you die until I come back, ok?" – He told Hiroshi. "Just go" – Hiroshi told him. Jirou lifted Mika up, put her on his shoulders and started running out and away from the mist.

As soon as he started running away Tetsuya yelled; "Don't let the heir run away!" And from the woods came Koji and Koichi out of hiding and started running after Jirou and Mika. Jirou noticed them but kept running, he was focusing only on Mika's safety.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi was focused on Tetsuya. He quickly retreated out of the mist; he knew it was the only safe way to fight this guy. But he quickly realized that the mist had extended for nearly a mile around, so there was no way of attacking him from outside of it. "I've been looking for you for a while now, you're Tetsuya, the famous Ice mark bearer, they say that you're the only ice mark bearer in all the world, is that right?" – Hiroshi asked him, but he was only trying to make him talk in order to locate him, since he retracted way outside the mist he couldn't see Tetsuya anymore. But it didn't work. Tetsuya had fought too many battles to fall in a cheap trick like that. "Ok, so that's how it's going to be" – Hiroshi continued, and just as he finished telling that, he saw a thousand ice daggers flying right at him carried by hurricane winds. He created a fire flare and managed to melt most of them and dodge some of them but he was reached by lots of them. Fortunately they had melt almost completely by the fire flare before they reached him so they barely scratched him. "Dammed, I fell for my own trick, I was careless, and I forgot he already took the wind heir, I can't be that sloppy against a guy like this. As long as I remain out of the mist and quiet, I'm out of his reach, so I can plan my strategy." - Hiroshi thought to himself.

Hiroshi pulled out a strange statue with two children embracing each other, the statue was made of stone and it wasn't too big, he carried it around in his waist bag. He pulled the statue out of the bag and evoked two fire spirits; "Fire Spirits Akio / Akira I evoke you!" – he whispered, and from the little statue two spirits that took form of little kids, 9 or 10 years maximum, materialized. "At your service master Hiroshi." – One of them told him. "Ok guys this is the guy we've been wanting to face, but we won't be able to attack him from outside the mist like we planned." – Hiroshi said, "he's more powerful than I though and the mist is much larger than we planned, so we'll have to attack straight forward from inside the mist!" – He continued.

Hiroshi decided to attack directly from the front, he knew it was almost suicide, but he thought that Tetsuya would never expect an attack like that, so he entered to the mist, and as soon as he entered Tetsuya detected him, and also the small child like presences, and immediately a thousand ice spikes and daggers came directly after Hiroshi, but the two fire spirits had created a fire bubble around Hiroshi that allowed him to get close enough to Tetsuya. Tetsuya realized them and used hurricane winds to blew away the fire bubble and at the very same time Hiroshi performed a very intense fire flare that involved Tetsuya's body in flames as hot as hell. As soon as the flare involved Tetsuya the mist disappeared completely. Hiroshi stood still, looking at Tetsuya's body burning in flames, but Hiroshi felt that this was too easy, he knew this wasn't the end of the battle, he knew Tetsuya was way too powerful to be defeated so easily.

The mist started forming again, Tetsuya's body was still in flames, Hiroshi noted the mist and immediately started retracting out of it, as the flames in Tetsuya's body extinguished, Hiroshi saw how Tetsuya was still intact. As he was retreating back from the mist, two strong ice daggers came after him, the fire spirits tried to melt both of them, but one of them stabbed Hiroshi in the flank. He was in pain and bleeding a lot, but he managed to retract back to a safe point were the mist could not reach. Hiroshi was bleeding a lot, he knew that if he didn't finish this battle soon he would pass out from all the bleeding and it would be over for him.

Whispering he told the fire spirits; "I knew I would not defeat him that easily, but not even a scratch? Come on!" Akio the boy fire spirit told him, "master Hiroshi, you're in bad shape, we should retreat now" while Akira the girl fire spirit told him; "his entire body was covered in ice, that's why your attack merely scratched the surface, you barely manage to melt the ice barrier covering his body". "That's it" – Hiroshi said; "Ok guys one last try, I still got enough strength to finish this guy off, I just need you guys to perform the fire bubble technique you performed earlier, but this time create that fire bubble around him, if you manage to melt his ice barrier, I'll enter the mist and finish him off with a strong flame!"

"Are you sure?" – Akio asked; "you'll have to be very fast to finish him before he reach you inside his mist." "Yes I'm sure, I'll put a fire wall around myself to delay his attack, and I will roast him! OK guys, let's do this!" – Hiroshi said.
THE SHIZUKA BROTHERS GET THEIR CHANCE

Meanwhile Jirou was still running from the Lightning Mark Bearers, he looked back and he saw that they were at a safe distance from the mist, and he realized that he wasn't going to lose the brothers while he was carrying Mika. So he stopped and put Mika down carefully leaning her against a tree and told her; "Stay here ok, don't try to move, I will take care of these guys and then I'll go back to help Hiroshi." "I'll help you" – she said, but Jirou quickly told her; "don't be a fool, you can't even get up, I can beat these guys no sweat, you'll see."

Jirou he turned his back on her and faced Koji and Koichi, They were both standing in front of him looking at Jirou and Mika, Koichi was the one who talked first; "Looks like the pretty girl still banged up from our last encounter, don't worry, I'll put her out of her misery just after we are finish with you."

Jirou just stood still without saying a word; he just looked at Koichi directly at the eye without telling anything. He was planning his strategy quietly. Koji proceeded; "we are eager to test this new technique we have been working on, will you mind helping us?" and laughed with sarcasm. They both raised their hands and yelled at the same time "Thunder Storm!" The whole area was lighted up with lighting, but just as they were performing the technique Jirou went running like the wind directly to Koichi, his speed allowed him to escape from the thunder storm technique and struck him with a strong kick to the chin that send Koichi flying in the air, but a strong electric discharge sent Jirou also flying back in the air stunned. Koji then started to laugh and told him; "we forgot to tell you, that's also a new technique, you won't be able to touch us without getting an electrical discharge."

Jirou didn't want to use his power over fire, he still had in his mind Hiroshi's words, "Remember boy, to maintain peace in your heart and in your soul, otherwise your power will consume you". He knew he could take these guys out using only his speed and martial arts, but he wasn't prepare for that technique, he was struggling to regain his composure when Koji told him; "look boy, today we'll take your head, and my brother will settle his score with the pretty girl back there ok? There's nothing you can do about it ok?"

But a woman's voice interrupted them: "You guys like to be bullies right? Two against one is easy right? You think you're tough, but you're just cowards!" The voice came from the trees. After these words, a strong root emerged from the ground and sent Koji flying in the air away from Jirou. "Hey kid, my name is Mori Akiyama, the current Shizen no Megami Heiress (Goddess of Nature Heir), I can see you're a fire mark bearer, but these punks own me big time, so I propose you a truce in order to kick these guy's buts!" - The same woman told Jirou with enthusiasm.

Mori was a 25-year-old woman, daughter of the Goddess of Nature and the current Nature's Mark Heiress; she had a voluptuous beautiful body and long, curly red hair. She was a beautiful woman. Even the nature's mark was beautifully incrusted like a tattoo of green leafs that was spread through her whole body. She had a very strong will, she was extroverted and was not afraid to speak her mind; perhaps she was even too sincere. She had learned to control and contain her power so well, that she was already 25 and hadn't yet challenged her mother, but her power over nature was so under control that it haven't consumed her. The lightning brothers tried to kill her in the past to gain power over nature, they did a coward attack on her while she was unsuspecting, but she managed to escape, so she had a score to settle with this pair.

"I'm not your enemy" – Jirou told her; "We don't need a truce... besides, any enemy of these bastards, is my dearest friend!" – Jirou said as he stood back up. "What do you think?" – Koichi told Koji; "They're two heirs, I think it will be better if we back off for now." "Are you crazy?" – Koji replied with passion; "Two heirs? When will we get another opportunity like this? If we get power over fire and nature, we'll be powerful enough to defeat Tetsuya and claim the wind power for ourselves! We'll be able to challenge three gods! The world will be ours!" Koji was blinded with an unquenchable hunger for power, and he dragged down Koichi with him. They decided to stood there and fight with all they got to defeat Jirou and Mori, like Koji said, if they defeated Jirou and Mori they would have power over fire and nature, alone with their power over lightning they would become unbeatable, they were even thinking on betraying Tetsuya afterwards.

They performed the thunder storm technique once more, this time captured both heirs in it, Jirou and Mori both took a hard hit, but it was planned, they led the brothers execute the technique so they stood still and Mori got them trapped in dense creepers coming out of the ground using her power over nature. The brothers thought they have won, but when they tried to move they quickly realize that their feet were trapped in Mori's creepers. Jirou quickly stood up and shook the hit of, he then went running directly at the brothers and with great fierce he stroke both of them with the samurai sword Mika had gave him. The sword was lit on fire, so the brother's bodies lit on fire while they fell to the ground each split in half by Jirou's fierce attack. Koji and Koichi were both dead. In the end their ambition for power had cost them their lives.

#  DEATH AWAITS

The brothers expired looking at Jirou's eyes. It was the last thing they saw. Jirou didn't feel any good on murdering them, but he knew that they were planning on killing him and also Mika. He was assimilating the situation when Mori interrupted the silence; "So..." – Mori said. "So what?" – Jirou replied, "so aren't you going to take their powers." – Mori replied. " How do I do that?" – Jirou replied. Mori was surprised, how could this guy be asking that? But she replied with her strong personality; "Are you joking? What? Where you living in a cave or something? Just put your hand in their chest and their power will be yours."

Jirou thought about it for a minute, and asked her; "Why don't you do it?" "I don't need the power of two scumbags like them." – Mori replied, "I'm strong enough by myself, I don't need to do that, I'm the Shizen no Megami heir!" Jirou then realized that he was going to need all the power possible to help Hiroshi defeat the ice mark bearer. So he decided to give it a try. When he put his hands on their bodies he felt as their powers entered his body. While he was doing this Mori was thinking; "Is this boy for real? Is this really the first time he took someone else's power? I guess he was not joking when he told me he was not my enemy, maybe he's not like other mark bearers."

Jirou took the brothers powers and looked back to where Hiroshi was fighting Tetsuya, he noted that the mist in the distance was covering a lot more space than it was when they ran away. He thought out loud, "Oh my god, Hiroshi still fighting that guy!" "What did you said?" – Mori asked, "Is someone that you know fighting the Ice Mark Bearer?" she continued, "I hope he didn't entered that mist, because if he did he's as good as dead". "Listen I need you to do me a favor, please take care of that girl while I come back Ok?" – Jirou asked Mori, "I have to help my friend and I'll be back soon ok?" "What? If you're planning to face the ice mark bearer in that mist you're already dead." – Mori replied.

Jirou didn't cared; he didn't care what anybody said about Tetsuya's powers, he just started running towards the mist. Mori was standing still, she was thinking; "this fool, is going to get himself killed." She then looked at Mika and saw her as she was trying to get up, Mika told her, "I'm not planning on leaving him alone while he go and faces that monster." "Of course girl" - Mori said, then she took Mika on her back and started running after Jirou. But they were losing him ahead, Jirou was really fast, faster than Mori, and because Mori was carrying Mika on her back it was even worst, she did the best she could to try to keep up with him, but it was almost impossible.

Just outside the mist, Hiroshi had his next attack all planned. The two spirits were going to held Tetsuya and create the warm bubble around him to melt the ice barrier around his body while Hiroshi burned him to hell. There was no time to loose, time was running out for Hiroshi, so the fire spirits entered the mist and ran quickly towards Tetsuya. Each one grabbed one of Tetsuya's arms. Tetsuya was surprised that they dared to get near him and quickly stabbed them with multiple ice daggers but the spirits kept holding his arms. "We're already dead." – Akira said. "There's nothing you can do to hurt us." – Akio continued. They created a fire bubble around Tetsuya and all the ice covering his body began to melt, they knew the time was right and yelled; "Master Hiroshi, we've got him, it's time to strike!"

Hiroshi entered the mist area, with his body lit on fire according to plan. As soon as he entered the mist, Tetsuya created ice spikes and daggers each one of them aiming to kill him, but Hiroshi quickly performed the fire flare technique and involved Tetsuya's body with the most intense flame he had ever created, while Tetsuya's body was burning, as fast as the flare was created a very big and thick ice spear drilled Hiroshi's chest. The spear was so big that Hiroshi's flames didn't melt it completely before it reached his body. As he was falling to the ground mortally wounded the flame covering Tetsuya's body extinguished. Hiroshi was agonizing, he knew that it was the end for him, but he thought that he had taken Tetsuya's life with him, but then he saw Tetsuya as he approached him barely wounded at all. The only thing that he could say was; "Damned, what are you?"

Tetsuya then look at him and told him, "My flesh have been frozen under a thick layer of ice for nearly two years now, ever since I obtained the contract I've been like this, you'll need a lot more time with that pathetic attack of yours to harm me." Tetsuya then kneeled at Hiroshi's side and put his hands on his chest to take his power. The fire spirits Akio and Akira where watching the terrible scene, their hearts were broken; they knew that they lost their Master.

Jirou arrived to the scene running like the wind at that exact moment. He entered the mist without thinking of any consequences, nothing mattered to him, he was just thinking of helping Hiroshi. Tetsuya noticed that he was getting close immediately but before he could react Jirou performed a giant fireball that melted down all the ice particles that formed the mist, thus leaving Tetsuya blinded for a moment. At that moment Jirou saw Hiroshi lying on the ground and Tetsuya with his hands on his chest, without thinking Jirou dashed to Tetsuya with incredible speed and stroke him with a huge kick to the chin that sent Tetsuya flying in the air. He landed more than 10 feet away from Hiroshi. Jirou was sure that he gave all he got in the kick but noted that somehow Tetsuya's face was intact. Tetsuya quickly incorporated back with a smile in his face. "You're too late Hinokami Heir, his power is mine". – He said. Jirou stood between Hiroshi and Tetsuya and looked Tetsuya straight in his dead looking eyes and said nothing.

"Soon your power too will be mine." – Tetsuya continued while the mist started generating again and heading straight to where Jirou and Hiroshi were standing. Jirou was ready to battle Tetsuya with all he had, but before the mist could reach Jirou, Mori's voice came from the woods; "Not today Tetsuya, Today is your time to die!" A strong root formed from the ground just beneath Tetsuya and hit him fiercely sending him flying in the air. But before Tetsuya's body touched the ground a storm of ice daggers were flying in hurricane winds directly towards Jirou. Jirou stood still using his body to protect Hiroshi who was lying on the ground, but Mori created a wood barrier with thick, log like roots that emerged from the ground. "I just told you, not today, today you're mine, forget about the fire mark bearers, I will be your opponent!" – Mori insisted.

Tetsuya was a very clever warrior, he would not let himself get angered by Mori's words, so he studied the situation carefully and thought to himself that he was facing two mark heirs and not to forget the water girl who as per Koji and Koichi, was a handful herself, Jirou and Mika were back and accompanied by Mori, so he figured out that the brothers were probably dead, so he figured that the obvious choice was to retreat. He smiled again and told Jirou, "Someday you'll run out of people to fight your battles, and that day, you'll have to face me." Tetsuya then turned around and walked away.

Mori's first reaction was to go after him, but Jirou stopped her, and told her, "Please let him go, we need to take care of Mika and Hiroshi." Just after he told her that, heavy rain started pouring down, it was probably from the fireball that evaporated all the ice particles on Tetsuya's mist.

Jirou approached Hiroshi's body, he was under the rain, and he was fatally injured, with his last breath Hiroshi told the fire spirits who were by his side the whole time; "Akio, Akira, if you got any debt remaining with me, I want you to pay it forward to him." He was pointing to Jirou. They both agreed firmly; "Yes Master Hiroshi." He then closed his eyes and passed away.

Jirou's body was completely overrun by anger, he wanted revenge, he wanted Tetsuya's head. He took a tiger's fang necklace from Hiroshi's neck and put it in his own while a tear came rolled down his face, then suddenly his body lit on fire, and more than just fire, a giant ball of fire started emerging from him. Mori asked to stop it but he couldn't control it. Fire kept coming from his body. The whole area was going to turn into hell itself if Jirou couldn't stop. Mori started retracting from his side when a giant wave of water came down from above and extinguished the fireball. It was Mika, she was injured, she was weak, but when she saw Jirou in trouble she reacted automatically and her body found the strength to create that giant wave. "Try to calm down Jirou, you don't want to be consumed by your power." – Mika said, she was breathing heavily and leaning on a tree.

In the distance Tetsuya was calmly walking away, but he could feel the heat from the giant fireball, and he knew it was Jirou's power, and even though it was a display of the great power Jirou possessed, Tetsuya was glad, because he knew that it could only mean that Jirou was on his way to lose control of his power and be consumed by it. So he knew where he could find him in the near future.

#  A NEW COMRADE

Jirou took the little statue from the fire spirits and asked their story. It turns these fire spirits were once humans. They were twin brothers and Hinokami Heirs a long time ago. They were so powerful that they were consumed by their power at the very young age of 10. The fire element was so powerful within them that they turned into fire spirits. But they weren't aware of what happened so they turned into residual energy spirits.

They were unaware of their surroundings, they were just repeating the same day over and over again for eternity, their final day on earth. They were stuck haunting their old house. Destiny brought Hiroshi near the remains of their old house and he immediately felt the fire element in the surroundings. So using his ability to manipulate fire he brought the spirits to the world of the living and they broke their repeating cycle, Hiroshi had save them from an eternity of repeating the same day over and over again, the day they had died. In return they offered to stay by Hiroshi's side until they consider their debt with him to be fulfilled. They now live within the statue and Jirou could invoke them whenever he needed them.

So he took the statue and put it in his bag. He told Mori and Mika to please help him give Hiroshi's body a proper burial. After the burial they went to a little village nearby, so they could let Mika rest. Mori and Jirou were alone, and Mori asked him if he really was an heir. Mori then told him her story. Mori was the Shizen no Megami heir, one day she would have to kill her mother in order to become the Goddess of Nature. Her mother had train her very well since she was a little kid and she was prepared to face her when the time comes. She was so in control of her power that she already was 25 years old and her power hadn't consumed her yet.

Her case was very special. Unlike any other kid, Mori had two mothers and no father. She had her birth mother and the Goddess of Nature. The Goddess of Nature loved to live in peace and harmony with nature, and she always said that men couldn't do that. She said that men were destroyers of nature. So she despised them. She couldn't live with the idea of man putting a seed on her, so when she decided to have a daughter she used the power of nature to plant her seed on Mori's birth mother.

Since she was the Shizen no Megami (Goddess of Nature), Mori's birth mother died giving birth to Mori.

Jirou interrupted; "So your mom died when you were born? Just like my mom, she died when I was born!" – He was surprised. "Of course your mom died when you were born dummy, you're an Heir." – Mori said, but Jirou remained quiet in disbelieve, "Oh my God, you didn't know" – Mori continued, "when an heir is born the mother dies during labor, every woman who gives birth to a god heir will die."

Jirou was astonished, how could this be? Who planned this twisted reality? Suddenly he was consumed by hate, his heart and soul were overcome by hate, hate for his father. How could he do this? He impregnated his mother knowing that she would die during labor? This guy was a jerk. There was no doubt, his path was now clearer than ever, he had to continue his quest to find his father and kill him. He was thinking about this and without noticing it, his hands were starting to light on fire; "Jirou calm down" – Mori said, then he noticed his hands were on fire and extinguished it. "I don't know what is happening to me, but lately I can't control it, fire just flows out of me" – Jirou said. Mori looked at him and told him very seriously; "That's not good, that's not good at all, in fact that's really bad, it means your power have begun to consume you".

Jirou looked at her directly in the eyes, his eyes were crystallized, and told her; "Then I guess there is only one thing to do, I have to find my father, and kill him." His heart, soul and mind were determined so there was no backing down. "Tell Mika I'll be back for her ok?" – He said, and he took the samurai sword, his bag and continued his journey.

Mika was resting in the other room, and he was not planning on telling her he was leaving, he knew that if he did, she was not going to let him leave alone. He knew that she was going to go with him. As he was walking alone towards the land of the eternal summer he felt a hand in his shoulder; "Where do you think you're going without me?" – Mika said, and then he felt another hand in the right shoulder; "You guys are not planning on leaving me alone here, are you?" – Mori said.

Mori was a heir, so she never got to meet her mother, also all mark bearers and heirs she have met in the past had tried to kill her, and all normal humans were afraid of her. So she have lived her whole live alone, her only companion was her mother the Shizen no Megami, for Mori she was her mother, her father, her friend, her everything. So she felt so relieved when she met two mark bearers that didn't care that she was a heir and had no intentions or ambitions for her powers that she couldn't left this opportunity pass. She didn't know what it was like to have friends, and she felt immediately that Mika and Jirou were her friends. So she told them; "Don't look at me like that, of course I'm coming with you, besides, I save both your assess back there so I'll stay with you until you pay me back, ok?"

Since Mori met Jirou and Mika she felt like she knew Mika for a long time, she felt something very powerful attracted her to Mika, so she decided to continue the journey with them.

Jirou was kind of happy that they were both coming with him and told them; "ok, but when the time comes, I will take my father by myself ok? You both have to promise you'll not interfere ok?" Mika quickly affirmed but Mori just kept walking beside them without saying anything, and they continued walking to the land of eternal summer.
SINISTER PLAN

Tetsuya was walking in the same direction that Jirou, Mika and Mori were. He was walking towards the land of eternal summer. He knew that Jirou's power had already started to consume him; he felt it when he met Jirou and he knew that the big flame that he felt after he walked away was undeniable proof of it. Tetsuya knew that Jirou had only one option, and that option was to face and kill the Hinokami before he was consumed by his power. If he was going to take him down and challenge the Hinokami he had to intercept Jirou before he could reach his father, the Hinokami. Tetsuya's ambition was to become a god, not only become a god, but to gain all the elemental god's powers. The only way to do that was to kill the heirs and gain the right to challenge the gods. He had already kill the Wind Heir, and he knew that the Hinokami and Shizen no Megami Heirs were together, so this was too good of an opportunity to let it pass. He went to the land of eternal summer and waited them there.

But he would have to plan his movements very well, because he knew that together Jirou, Mika and Mori would not be easily defeated. He didn't know how yet, but he knew that to succeed he would have to find a way to split the trio and kill the heirs separately. If only he could split Mori from them he was sure he could easily handle Jirou and Mika, but how? He also had to take Jirou before he reunited with his father; obviously a fight against a god and his heir was never a good idea. But this didn't stop him, he would have to figure out how to split them later, for the time being, he would just concentrate on getting to the land of eternal summer before the heirs did, and once there, he would figure something out. The thing that he didn't know was that destiny was about to play a card in his favor.

He was so thoughtful as he was walking that he got careless, his mist was not so vast and dense as he always maintained it so it wasn't covering as much distance as it usually do. Suddenly a stranger jumped in front of him. He was surprised, nobody have caught him off his guard before, but he acted like it wasn't much, he didn't wanted to give that stranger any confidence, he just stood still in front of the stranger without saying anything.

"So you're Tetsuya" – The stranger said, "I heard you are in a quest, a quest to conquer all elemental powers and to become an almighty god." Tetsuya just stood still with no expression, but he was surprised, he didn't knew this man, and he never told anyone outside the lightning brothers his plans to kill all the heirs and kill all the gods, so who was this man? "You know the Chikyu Rei (Earth Spirit) is not happy about that, and she has send me to stop you." – the man continued.

This man standing in front of Tetsuya was Masamori Kobayashi, the samurai that have killed Yoshinori. The man that despised Mark Bearers and hunted them for sport, fate played a bad move on him, The Chikyu Rei brought him back to life as an Earth Mark Bearer. So now he was a mark bearer, the very thing he despised and hated, and on top of that, he had to fight for the sake of the gods. Earth Mark Bearers are different from other mark bearers; The Chikyu Rei's mission is to assure that balance and harmony exist between the Earth elements to prevent the destruction of the world. Whenever something is jeopardizing that harmony the Chikyu Rei chooses worthy warriors and grants them the Earth mark to stop whoever or whatever puts the harmony in jeopardy. Because the earth mark is not requested with a contract, Earth Mark Bearers don't have to pay a debt, so they bear the mark and their bodies are intact, just like heirs.

Masamori was nearly dead after the fight with Yoshinori, he was waiting for his dead to come and passed out because of the extreme pain from the burns through all his body. But he woke up in peace and with no pain at all, his body was completely healed, he was sure he was dead, but instead he was in the presence of the Chikyu Rei, who rescued him and reconstructed his body completely, the Chikyu Rei told him that the power of one single mark bearer could destroy the world, this mark bearer was Tetsuya, he was planning on killing all the heirs and take the power of all the elemental gods. The Chikyu Rei gave Masamori his body and his life back; she also gave him the earth mark, on exchange he had to stop Tetsuya. That's how Masamori became a Mark Bearer, the very thing he spent his whole life fighting against, even worse he was bearing the earth mark in his forehead, for everyone to see he was a mark bearer.

Tetsuya finally spoke; "If she wants to stop me, she should have come herself." Then he remained quiet for a minute and proceeded; "Can I have your name? So I know whose life I will take today?"

"My name is Masamori Kobayashi, an Earth Mark Bearer and a Samurai, I know everything there is to know about you, and your journey ends today!" – Masamori replied as he draw his sword.

But Tetsuya knew this guy, he had heard a lot about him, this was the samurai that killed Mark Bearers because he despised them. He had no elemental powers but even without elemental powers he had managed to kill multiple mark bearers. So Tetsuya knew immediately that he wasn't happy carrying that earth mark in his forehead.

"I know you Masamori, and trust me, I'm not the real enemy, right now, I could be your only allied." – Tetsuya said, "I know you despise mark bearers, I also do, Mark Bearers are animals, they killed my whole family and ruined my life, they made me took grown up responsibilities at a very young age, and then they murdered my 8 year old sister right in front of me. I'm just like you Masamori; I requested this contract only so I could be powerful enough to kill Mark Bearers, I haven't take a human life in my entire life. You're right, my plans will put the balance of the elemental powers at risk, but it will also end this madness forever, Mark Bearers will never exist in this world again." – Tetsuya said. "Your cheap word games will not fool me, don't take me for an idiot." – Masamori quickly replied while standing firmly in front of Tetsuya with his sword pointing and his neck. "You know I'm not playing, and you know what I say is true, I know deep inside, you want to stop this madness as much as I do, it will be much easier to let me conquer them all and then kill me right? Only then this nonsense will end, if something is not done, you know this will never end, one god after another, they will keep coming and Mark Bearers will ruin innocent people's lives forever" – Tetsuya replied.

Masamori was standing his ground in front of him, but what Tetsuya said made much sense to him, they were actually similar subjects, they actually had similar way of thinking. "We can end this Masamori, but I need your help, I can't do it alone, I need your help, right now the fire and nature heirs are walking towards the land of eternal summer accompanied by a powerful water mark bearer. I need your help to take those heirs down. If we can separate them we will be able to kill them. I need you to take the nature's heir while I take care of the fire heir. Come with me and we will restore peace in the world."

Masamori was astonished of how much sense this kid was making right now, he was not just another power hungry jerk, he actually wanted to end this nightmare that had been going on for too long. Tetsuya noticed he was thoughtful and told him; "I'm not rejecting your challenge, I'm just offering you to postpone it, after we take all the elemental god's lives then we will have our showdown, and you'll have your chance to kill me."

After hearing those words, Masamori put down his sword and told him; "How do you know they are heading towards the land of eternal summer?" "I know the fire heir is losing control over his power, so he has to go there and challenge the God of Fire, or he'll die, we need to get there before they do and plan our next move." – Tetsuya answered calmly. Masamori couldn't believe that he was actually making an alliance with a mark bearer, but this kid reminded him so much of himself and his words made a lot of sense to him so he decided to accept his offer and help him take the heirs down.

#  A GHOST FROM THE PAST

Mori, Jirou and Mika were closing in to the land of eternal summer. Jirou was somehow anxious; he didn't know what he was going to say when he finally encountered his father. Right now he was overcome with hatred for him. Maybe he will just attack and kill him without saying anything, or maybe he will curse him for everything he has caused, or maybe it was better if he didn't plan anything and let things flow naturally when the moment comes. Anyway we has anxious and quiet the whole trip.

On the other hand Mika was worried sick about Jirou. She knew that he was in danger of getting consumed by his power at any time. So they needed to get to his father fortress as soon as possible. But even if they get there in time, what will happen? Jirou will still have to kill his father in order to survive, what if his father kill him instead, she could not even think of having to watch him die in front of her. So she was also quiet trough the whole trip.

Meanwhile Mori was trying to get words from both Mika and Jirou but without luck, so she also stayed quiet. Instead she was walking and admiring Mika, her delicate thin body with large blue eyes and long blue hair seemed beautiful to her, even though Mori had a much more voluptuous type body, Mika's simplicity had her fascinated. So she kept walking and quietly admiring her new friend. But the silence of the trip was suddenly interrupted by a voice outside the group, a voice from the past; "There you are! I was really worried trying to find you." Jirou stood perplexed as he heard these words, he was sure he recognized that voice. It was Yoshinori, as he told these words he embraced Jirou with a hug that Jirou didn't return. Jirou was paralyzed, he didn't know what to think, "I saw you die." – Jirou said in disbelieve. "You definitely don't know me." – Yoshinori said with a smile; "You need mush more than a single Samurai to take me down".

Jirou forgot for a moment of all the rage he had towards his father and also towards Yoshinori because he was actually happy that he was alive. After all, Yoshinori raised him like his own kid, so he gave back the hug but much stronger than the first hug Yoshinori gave him, as he gave him the hug, tears were rolling down his face. "How did you survive?" – Jirou asked.

Turns out he didn't die in his fight with Masamori, but was badly injured, he lost a lot of blood and passed out. The fire that exploded in the house the night Masamori fought Yoshinori attracted the villager's attention. They rushed to their house to help. When they got there they found Yoshinori badly injured but he was still alive. They took him and took care of him while he recovered. When he was able to move again, more than a month had already passed, and by that time, Jirou was nowhere to be found. He was very worried so he went out to look for him.

Jirou was happy Yoshinori was alive, but he needed answers, he needed to know if what Hiroshi and Mori had revealed about him being an heir was true and more importantly if Yoshinori knew. So he asked; "So, is it true that my father is a god? That I'm an heir? That I will perish if I don't kill him? Yoshinori didn't replied. "Is it true? Answer me!" – Jirou yelled. "I guess it makes no sense hiding the truth from you anymore then" – Yoshinori replied. Jirou was devastated when he heard these words, it meant that it was true; Yoshinori, the man he loved as a father and in whom he trusted, had deceived him his whole life. He felt he was dying, that there was no sense on continue living anymore, but Yoshinori suddenly continued; "Your father had a son years before you were born. He called him Kioshi, he loved him very much and raised him as a powerful Hinokami Heir, but when the time came for Kioshi to become the new Hinokami, Kioshi didn't had the strength to kill his own father and was consumed by the power of fire."

"Mitsuo, your dad, was devastated by the lost of his son, he lost any will of living, and that's when he met your mother. He loved her very much, and your mother also fell in love with him. But he told your mother that he couldn't make her his wife, because he was the Hinokami, and he didn't wanted anything bad to happen to her, that if he got her pregnant she would die during labor, and he could not let this happen. He will not forgive himself."

"Your mother was devastated, she only wanted to be with Mitsuo, they kept seeing each other but they couldn't consume their love. But your mother couldn't resist anymore, and one night when she was alone with him, she seduced him and they consumed their love. That was the night you were conceived. The next morning they knew that what they had just done would bring horrible consequences, but they didn't care, they just embraced each other and enjoy the moment of their lives. The next nine months Mitsuo never left your mother's side, he wanted to cherish every moment they spent together, they both knew she would die as soon as you were born, but neither of them brought the theme to conversation, never! They just enjoyed each other's company to the maximum while it lasted."

"I know this because your mother, my sister, told me all about it days before you were born. I was angry and needed an explanation from her. Why she agreed to have a son for the Hinokami? Then she explained me that it wasn't Mitsuo's fault, but her own. I hated you Jirou, before you were born, I hated you, but after I heard your mother's words that hate quickly became love. I finally understood that this was what she wanted and that I would always remember her when I look at you."

"Your mother loved you very much, she never met you, but she loved you like you can't imagine. Her last word before she died was Jirou. So that's how we named you."

"Your father was very depressed after she died, and didn't want to continue in this world. He truly wanted to die, but he couldn't allow him to perish because if he died you would have died consumed by your power eventually. He didn't wanted you to have the same destiny as your brother Kioshi, so he told me to take care of you and never to told you anything about him, he gave me the fire mark to protect you and teach you how to use the powers. That way when the time came, you would have been able to end his existence without any regret. At least that way you would survive and at the same time free him from his existence in this world. He only told me to told you to grind trough life, never let anything stop you, and you'll be able to accomplish anything."

Jirou was confused, he had so many feelings running through him that he didn't knew how to react, but something didn't added up, why Yoshinori never told him about it? He didn't know until three months ago that he had power over fire, how would he be able to defeat his father if he never told him. So he asked Yoshinori, "What about you? Why you never told me I was the heir? You knew I would die consumed by my power!"

Yoshinori took a deep breath and continued; "I had a different plan than the one of your dad, I thought that you both could coexist, I thought that if I never showed you how to use your power and you never used it, your power would have never awaken and you would not be consumed by it. Your father told me he would be back in 20 years to fight you, and I was planning on proving him that if after 20 years your power haven't awake, then it meant that you two didn't have to fight, that you could live together as father and son. That is what my sister told me the day she told me the story, it was her last wish."

As Jirou heard this he was overcame by his emotions and tears rolled down his face, they were tears of joy, because he actually always had a family that loved him, but they were also tears of sadness because he comprehended that his father was a great man, and that he will have to end his life. It was a mixture of feelings that he hasn't experienced before. Mika realized that he was suffering and quickly comforted him and embraced him with a hug; She felt the suffering in Jirou's heart in her own. These two kids had a connection they didn't know or understood yet, but sometimes they felt their hearts could beat together as one.

Yoshinori continued; "As soon as I could get back on my feet I went looking for you, since I didn't find you, I went to your dad and told him what had happened. He sent his comrade and friend Hiroshi to look for you, and to make sure you were ok."

"So that's why Hiroshi sent me running away and stayed to fight that Ice Mark Bearer, even thought he barely knew me" – Jirou thought to himself. "I've got bad news for you" – Jirou said while he was still on tears, "Hiroshi is dead, he died trying to protect me from an Ice Mark Bearer, but he died an honored death." "Wow, that will devastate your father, Hiroshi was his friend since they were little kids" – Yoshinori said, "don't worry, that ice mark bearer will pay with his own life, I promise!" – Jirou quickly replied.

"You shouldn't be worried about that right know" – Mori interrupted the conversation, "You'll power has started to consume you, we need to find your father soon" "This is something he has to do by himself." – Yoshinori told Mori, "you can't help him win this battle, he has to go by himself, if he doesn't defeat his father by his own merits he will be consumed. So let him go alone, is not very far from here, another two days walking and he'll be there." "I don't care" – Mika replied; "I will go with him, when the time comes he will face his father on his own, but I'm going to be by his side."

Jirou was still on tears, but he gave Yoshinori one last hug and continued walking. There was no hate in his heart towards his father anymore, but he knew what he would do, he will put a stop to this sickening cycle. He would become the Hinokami to finally free his father from this world and will not give any more contracts. He will never have a son; he will just fade with time so everybody will forget about this nonsense. He will be the sacrifice to stop the suffering. No more fire mark bearers or heirs. That was his new goal. As he walked away Mori and Mika were both by his side and Yoshinori watched them disappear in the distance thinking; "You really remind me of your mother, you have the same determination."

#  WALKING INTO A TRAP

The trio decided to stop for the night; that could probably be the last opportunity to have a peaceful night rest between friends in the next few days to come. Jirou needed the rest, he needed all his strength to face his father, he was lost in his thoughts, his mind was flying away trying to assimilate all the information Yoshinori revealed. He knew he needed to face his father, but now he wasn't sure it was the right thing to do. He was as quiet as a grave that night.

Mori was still intrigued by Mika, there was something about her that she felt attracted to, she wanted to know more about her new friend, so she tried to create conversation; "It must be pretty handy in battle not having to feel anything..." "It's a curse!" – Mika interrupted her, "This is a curse Mori, don't you dare insinuate that there is a good angle to this curse, I can't feel the wind in my face, I can't feel the water running through my body, and I can't feel cold or warm even if I'm dying out of it." Then a tear dropped down his face and she continued; "I didn't felt my little sister's last caress as she passed away, I had her in my arms, she was touching my face with her eyes looking away in the distance, as if she couldn't see me anymore, but she was touching me and feeling I was there with her, and I couldn't feel a thing."

Mori comforted her and embraced her in a hug, as if she understood every single word Mika just said and the only thing she said was "I'm sorry", and she also started crying as she said these words, and didn't wanted to let go of her, she kept holding her tight, and Mika knew she was for real, that Mori was a real friend. Then she saw Jirou lying down quietly and lied down by his side. Mori saw that and told them; "Well I guess I'll give you love birds a little space." So she gave them some room and sat down away from them, but stayed awake to watch their sleep until she also fell asleep.

The next morning Jirou woke up to the same melody that he woke up the day he met Mika. "I love that song," – he said. Mika closed the music box immediately, and Jirou told her; "don't close it, I like that melody." "Her name was Haru," – Mika said; "My sister's name that is, she used to fell asleep listening to this music box, somehow you remember me of her Jirou, when you're asleep, I look at you, and I can remember her, I feel I can almost see her, that's why I have to listen to this music box when I see you sleeping, that's why I had to help you the day I found you in the woods". "I wish I could do more than just remind you of her." – Jirou replied, and then he told her; "come on lets go, we have to find my father."

They continued walking, but after that night, they were closer than ever. The three were one heart beating together, Tetsuya was right, there was no way this trio could be beaten fighting them together.

As they were walking they saw a figure in the distance, it was just standing there immobile, as if it was waiting for them, they proceeded with caution, and as soon as they got close enough, the person told them; "My name is Masamori Kobayashi, an Earth Mark Bearer and a Samurai, I'm the person who will end this senseless violence and hunt for power, and the way I'll do it, is taking all the God's Heirs lives, Mori Akiyama, you're the Shizen no Megami Heir, your journey ends here!" Jirou recognized him immediately, this was the samurai that fought Yoshinori, and he knew that they had to be careful with this guy, he was a handful for Yoshinori, so he knew he was going to be a handful for anyone who fought him. He had unfinished business with Masamori, so he said; "I'll be your opponent, I'm also a..." "Don't be stupid." – Mori interrupted him before he told Masamori he was also an heir. She continued; "you don't have time to loose with this clown, go and fulfill your destiny, I'll handle this guy, don't worry about me." Masamori then looked towards Jirou and Mika and said, "I don't have any business with you two, but if you try to interfere I'll have to kill you." "But I have business with you pall!" - Jirou replied quickly, but Mori interrupted him again, this time she told Mika and Jirou in a quiet voice to prevent Masamori from hearing; "Don't be a fool Jirou, if you fight this guy, you could be consumed by your power, the process has already began, I'll handle it, I promise you I won't die, I'll catch up with you guys after I'm done here". "She's right, we have to hurry and find your father or you'll die." – Mika added.

Jirou didn't wanted to leave Mori to fight this guy alone, he knew he was a great warrior, he saw him overpower Yoshinori, but the girls were right, he needed to find his father, so he agreed; "Ok, but you promised you'll not die, remember your promise, you'll catch up with us later, ok?" "I promise" – Mori said. So Jirou and Mika rushed towards the fortress of the God of Fire that could already be seen in the distance. As they were getting farther away, Jirou yelled; "I'll see you in a bit Mori, hurry up and finish this guy and catch up with us ok?" And they disappeared in the distance.

What they didn't know is that Masamori was well aware that Jirou was an heir, that he played fool pretending that he didn't knew him, because his actual objective was to split them, and he accomplished it. And also he knew very well everything there was to know about Mori. So this was going to be a tough fight for Mori.

Jirou and Mika were running towards the Hinokami's Fortress, and suddenly Mika stopped. "What's up?" – Jirou asked, but Mika didn't answer, she just pointed forward towards the direction where the God of Fire's Fortress was, and then Jirou noticed it. There was that white mist. It was getting closer to them. Jirou knew it was Tetsuya. "Dammed", Jirou said, "I want to get even with this guy so hard but I can't deal with him right now!"

"We meet again", they heard from the distance, "Hinokami heir, today I'll take your head, and then I'll go and kill that father of yours." They had walked right into Tetsuya's trap.

"That will never happen!" Mika said charged with emotion. "Go and meet your father Jirou, you're too close to stop now, I'll handle Tetsuya." "Don't even say that Mika."- Jirou said, "There is no way I'll let you fight this guy alone". Mika heard this and replied, "Don't be a fool, don't take me for a weakling, you know I'm not, I can even beat you if I wanted to... Besides, this what I came for... right?" Jirou knew that Mika was right, if he stayed to fight Tetsuya he would be consumed and die. So he thought of it, and realized that at that moment, he trusted Mika more than anybody else in the world. So with his head down, he said; "Very well, but hurry up and take care of him, I want you to see me become the new Hinokami." As soon as he finished these words Mika jumped in his arms and kissed him. This was the first kiss for both of them. But for 30 seconds, their hearts were synchronized, they were beating together, and for 30 seconds, they forgot everything that was going on around them. Even Tetsuya disappeared for 30 seconds; he was so insignificant, that he didn't existed in their world for those 30 seconds.

Jirou continued walking towards his father's domains, but Tetsuya had something to say before he left; "You know this is just a little set back, I will take care of this little insect, and I will take the head of whoever survives between you and your father. You haven't changed anything."

Jirou stopped and with a big smile in his face he replied; "That's never going to happen, because..." he stopped for a second and then continued but this time looking at Mika in the eye; "You won't survive this fight!" Then he pulled out the statue that Hiroshi gave him, invoked the fire Spirits Akio and Akira and told them; "Look guys I've got one last favor to ask from you, fight at Mika's side today and your debt with me will be paid in full, after today you're free to move on". "As you wish Master Jirou." They both replied. When they saw they were going to fight Tetsuya, they were glad to have an opportunity to avenge Hiroshi's death, so they told him, "And we get to fight this jerk, its payback time! Ok Mika let's do this!"

#  SHIZEN NO MEGAMI HEIR PUSHED TO HER LIMIT

Jirou continued on his way to meet his father, and even though he believed in Mika and Mori with all his heart, he was worried, he was sure they were going to win their respective challenges, but he couldn't help it, he was worried a lot. He tried to keep focus and continued towards his goal, he could see his father's fortress closer and closer. It was a high building almost reaching for the sky, strong, completely built in rock. He was impressed by this fortress' architecture, but something else was in his head, he was too worried. He knew he wouldn't be able to beat the Hinokami with his head preoccupied in other matters so he thought to himself, "Come on Mika and Mori, finish up soon and meet me there." Then he tried to stay focus on his goal.

Meanwhile Mori was looking at Masamori right in the eye. "So are you ready" – Masamori asked. "Does it matter?" – Mori replied, and Masamori quickly added; "Of course it matter, I would never attack an un-expecting opponent, so be on your guard." "Just let me ask you a question before we begin" – Mori said; "something is not right here, you're an earth mark bearer, yet you seek to end all the heir's lives, that doesn't makes sense, I thought that earth mark bearers were supposed to seek harmony and balance between the elemental powers, if you kill all the heirs you'll achieve the contrary, all the elemental powers could end up in the hands of one single god. That could lead the Earth to destruction."

Masamori looked at Mori with a sarcastic smile on his face and told her; "You are absolutely right, the Earth Spirit seeks harmony between all elemental powers, but, on the other hand, I think that harmony and peace in this world can never be achieved as long as we have mark bearers running around abusing innocent people in a non-sense and violent hunt for power. In the old days, if you wanted to be powerful so you could defend yourself and protect the people you loved, you had to train hard and become stronger every day. Now days these freaks just make a contract and they are granted with god like powers. No wonder why they all become bullies. Therefore I will end this madness myself, I'll make sure that no mark bearers will walk this earth ever again." "Yet you're here intending to kill me when I have never take advantage of an innocent person, or abuse my power, furthermore I fight to end for the same injustices you despise." – Mori answered.

Masamori stood quiet for a minute and then proceeded; "It doesn't matter, you're a heir, and if I let you live, one day you'll become a goddess, who will grant contracts to mark bearers who will abuse innocent people, and this violence will never end! The cycle will never end, unless I do something about it. So be on your guard, cause here I come!"

Masamori then dashed with incredible speed towards Mori performing a kill swing with his katana. Mori was surprised by Masamori's speed, she wasn't expecting him to be so fast, he almost caught her with the attack, her power saved her, a root emerged from the ground and deflected his attack while Mori retracted a couple of steps. Mori though: "Damned! I have to be careful with this guy, he is dangerous." But Masamori didn't let her catch her breath, just as Mori was thinking that, Masamori was charging towards her with the same speed as before, this time when Mori tried to move out of the way she realized that her feet were grounded, she was buried down to her knees and she couldn't move. Masamori had use his power over earth to immobilize her and reached her with tremendous force, this time Mori encapsulated herself in a cocoon made of roots and wood that emerged from the ground to save her, but the attack was so fierce that the sword penetrated the roots and reached her. She made a big root emerge from the ground were her feet were stuck that send her flying into the air far away from Masamori.

She was hurt, the attack didn't affect any organs, but the sword did manage to cut a lot of skin and she was bleeding badly. She couldn't land on her feet; she was hurting a lot. She quickly incorporated back to her feet and climbed to the trees to hide and plan a strategy to fight Masamori. Her tattooed mark would help her blend with the trees. Masamori came immediately looking for her to the place where he saw her land, she wasn't there, but he saw her blood on the ground, he knew she was hurt, so he said; "I'll make a proposal, just surrender and I'll grant you a clean painless death." But after this he quickly realized that he was trapped, his feet were captured in dense creeper, created by Mori's power over nature, then a "spear like" root attacked from above, but Masamori quickly cut the creepers with his sword and moved back just before the spear could touch him, but another spear emerged from the ground and managed to hurt him. Thanks to Masamori's ability, it didn't hurt him much, he noticed when the spear emerged from the ground and took a step back. The spear just barely scratched him.

He knew this fight would not be easy, he had to be on guard at all times, that attack would have killed him if it reached him, but he would not let Mori believe he was worried about losing the fight so he told her; "I know you're hiding up in the trees, if you want to defeat me, you have to come a face me, you won't do it by hiding." Mori knew that was the truth, but she remained quiet trying to figure some way to defeat him, she was still holding to her wound, the last thing she wanted was for him to notice blood dripping to the ground. Then she heard a roar followed by tremors from the distance. She looked back and saw a huge earth slide coming her way. Masamori used his earth power to bury the whole area of trees where she was hiding, "Give me a break!" – She thought to herself, and quickly jumped from one tree to the other to move out of the way of the slide.

But Masamori's plan was never to catch her with the slide, instead he was planning to lure her out of hiding, and it worked perfectly, she came out of the trees and immediately noticed that he was standing right in front of her. She knew she had to figure something out quick. He was standing right in front of a tree and so was she; they were approximately 20 feet away one from the other and between two old thick Sakura trees. Masamori noticed something different about Mori, her mark seemed different, it looked like real leafs, like the mark had materialized into real leafs emerging from her skin; then he noticed that she was exhausted, and he figured out what was happening. "It looks like fate is not on your side today Akiyama, look at yourself, your power have begun to consume you, you're slowly turning into wood. So there's no point in continuing this fight, there is no future for you my dear. It looks like this is over, there is no point for me to keep fighting you now." - Masamori said that and placed his sword back into its sheath. As he turned his back on Mori he heard her say; "Don't turn your back on me, this is not over." Mori then attacked with a dozen of "spear shaped" roots that came down from the tree behind Masamori, he noticed them right away and managed to dodge them or cut them with his katana before any of them could reach him. Then faced Mori again and pulled out his katana once again. He knew that she was exhausted and she was done, but he realized that she wasn't going to let him walk away, he knew he was going to have to kill her, so he decided to give it one last attack, but he was going to make sure that this next attack would end the fight.

"I admire you Akiyama," Masamori said, "you're truly a honorable warrior, you remind me of myself, but you have to learn that sometimes there is just no point in fighting." Masamori then dashed directly to her again, Mori was ready to retract to the trees when she noticed that her feet were buried again, she was trapped again. When she looked back up front she saw Masamori charging full speed towards her, but she didn't used her power to escape, or protect her this time, instead she waited for his sword to cut through her, like she was just hoping for it to end. Just like he thought, she couldn't let him leave her alive, she was going to make him kill her. His blade went easily through her body, like if he was cutting trough butter. He heard her sight when he pierced her skin, "Ahhh", she moaned and then her head fell backwards like there was no life left in her body.

Masamori was not happy of having to kill her defenseless like he did, but she pushed the fight to the end, like the worthy opponent she was. "You died a honorable death Akiyama, and I'll make sure everybody knows that." – Masamori said. Masamori then started pulling back the katana out of her body when he noticed that it wasn't moving, then he realized that Mori was holding it with both hands and that his feet were both trapped in thick creeper, then he heard her say; "I've finally got you" with a trembling voice, she was in a lot of pain, but in order to catch him, she sacrificed her own body, she took the strike but moved her body slightly to the side when Masamori was approaching her so no vital organs were affected by the attack.

Masamori was astonished; "It looks like I underestimated you Akiyama" - he said, "It is so funny, I never underestimate anyone, and here I came to underestimate the Shizen no Megami Heir." He finished these words and two "spear shaped roots" drilled his body from tree behind them and nailed him to the ground. Mori then walked away from him, and he could do nothing to stop her, he just stood there, dying, nailed to a sakura tree.

Mori pulled the sword out of her body, she was in a lot of pain, but managed to pull out the katana and throw it away. Then she collapsed hopeless, waiting to die. While in the ground she laid on her back looking to the sky as her body was turning into wood, flowers and leafs, her life was fading away, and she whispered "Mika, Jirou, I'm sorry, I'll not be able to fulfill my promise, please forgive me." As life was escaping her body, with her last breath, before closing her eyes for the last time, she saw a woman figure appear floating in the sky in front of her, maybe her mother, but she couldn't see her clearly before she lost her sight. Her body completely disappeared; it turned into a small hill made of beautiful plants and flowers. Nature had consumed her, following her dead, a rain of Sakura Flowers dropped from both trees between which's Mori and Masamori were lying.

#  A WARM HEART AND THE COLD BLOODED ASSASIN

Meanwhile Mika was keeping her distance from Tetsuya, she knew that if she let herself get caught in the mist the fight was as good as over. She was out of the mist so Tetsuya couldn't find her, he needed her to come closer or make some kind of noise so he could spot her. So he started to talk to her, hoping that she would answer and that way he could spot her; "You think you're brave for stepping up for that pathetic Hinokami Heir, but you're just a fool, there is no reason for you to die too, just leave, I don't have any business with you."

Mika didn't take the bait; instead she was planning her move with the fire spirits, she told them whispering; "Do you remember the day we met? Jirou made a flare that consumed Tetsuya's mist completely. If you guys can do a flare like that, I could jump in front of this guy and use my power to finish him off." "I don't know if we could do it that big." – Akio said, and Mika answered; "just do the best you can ok?"

Mika had a canteen of water she brought for the trip, so she was planning on using that water to attack Tetsuya. "Do you think you can pierce through his ice shield?" – Akira asked. "I'm sure of it!" – Mika answered enthusiastic.

So they started with the plan execution, the spirits jumped into the mist and made a flare that burned the mist, and just like they planned Mika jumped right in front of Tetsuya, opened the canteen of water and a water spear formed immediately and moved full speed towards Tetsuya, but something didn't work out as planned, the flare that the fire spirits had created wasn't strong enough so the mist wasn't completely consumed and Tetsuya wasn't completely blinded, so he saw the whole thing, including the water spear. He used twister winds to blow against the water spear directing it back towards Mika as millions of water drops, like a fierce rain at hurricane speed, then he quickly transformed the water drops into ice. Just like that, Mika's attack had backfire and a million ice needles were heading directly to her.

Akio and Akira quickly melted the ice needle rain using their power over fire, but Mika was in range. Immediately a thick ice dagger was heading directly to her chest, Mika dodged it by jumping back but the dagger managed to pierce through Mika's calf. The spirits helped her out of the mist to a safe distance.

"You don't have to do this." Tetsuya said; "Why are you risking your own life for that guy?" he proceeded. Mika was listening clearly but wasn't saying anything. She knew that if she said something, Tetsuya would know immediately her position. Her injury was bad, it was a thick dagger that went through her calf completely, it destroyed her calf and she was losing a lot of blood. "You think you're doing the right thing because you think you love him." – Tetsuya continued; "But there is no such thing as love, is just your brain messing up with you, it isn't something real, it just makes you weak, it makes you vulnerable." "Shut up!" – Mika yelled; "You don't know what you're talking about, love is what keeps me going every day, if it wasn't for love I would not be here. I had lost all will to live, and didn't care if I lived or died, but then Jirou came along, and I started caring again, I found a new motive in life, and if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here fighting you!"

"And if it wasn't for that you wouldn't be here facing death!" – Tetsuya replied quickly; "You think your pathetic feeling is what keeps you going, but the truth is that it is what is driving you to your doom. I used to be like you, I had a loving family you know, and I lost it all thanks to guys who doesn't care about anything in the world, they took everything from me, I even had to watch my little sister die, can you imagine that, I was only 14, and they hold me and made me watch while they killed her! She was only 10! What is this world we're living on? But deep inside I thank them, because only then I understood how this crazy world works, in order to survive, you can't have any sentimental bonds with anybody, they will make you act out of instinct instead of rationale. That's why today I'll survive and you'll perish." The conversation with Mika made Tetsuya forget about the fight for a minute, she spoke and he could have spot her, but the theme in question really touched him deeply, he really wanted her to know how he felt.

"Don't you tell me about losing your family." - Mika replied firmly. "I have lost it all, my little sister died in my arms and I couldn't even feel her last gentle touch over my face. But if I abandoned every hope and started hating everyone I will just turn into the very think I hate. Love doesn't make me weak; instead it gives me strength to go on even when I lost everything I cared about. It gives me hope that someday I will meet my family again and everything will be like before, and it gives me the strength to grind through everything you throw at me because I know that when I beat you, I'll be able to see Jirou again, so be assured that there's nothing you can do that will stop me!"

Tetsuya was confused by Mika's words. She had penetrated deep through Tetsuya's heart and soul, she made him feel uncomfortable, until now he thought that he was a special case, that he was unique and that he had every right in the world to be angry. Mika was menacing that, she had the exact background as he had. They both had lost their families, they both had to grow up very young to look after their little sisters and they both had to watch them die. But Mika showed him that she had the strength to continue living where he couldn't continue anymore, somehow she made him feel that she was stronger than him, for the first time since he became an ice mark bearer he felt insecure. Mika's reaction to the pain was the exact opposite as Tetsuya's. Mika had a warm heart, ready to give everything for a person she cared about; she had a pure soul. Tetsuya lived the same hell Mika lived at very young age, and because of that his heart and his soul turned ice cold and he will not be able to love ever again. It was almost poetic that these two warriors faced each other, one looking to take the live of the person that the other one wants to protect.

Tetsuya didn't like the feeling of insecurity, Mika was now a menace, and he wanted to take care of her quickly. Mika was careless; she let herself get involved in the conversation, so Tetsuya knew her position. He was angry, he was confused, but for the first time, he felt fear, he was afraid of her, so he exploded in rage.

"Shut up and Die!" – He screamed while creating a violent twister that headed directly towards Mika, the twister had thousands of razor blades made of ice flying in its powerful winds. Mika was lying in the ground where the fire spirits had bring her, she was struggling to stand up because she had no strength in her right leg were the ice dagger had pierce her calf. When she saw the twister coming full speed at her she tried to get out of the way, which she did, but the twister managed to reach the right part of her body, cutting and slicing her skin with a thousand ice razor blades and sending Mika back to the floor. She was losing a lot of blood, and even though she didn't feel any pain she was getting weak for all the blood she was losing. Her eyes sight was starting to blur, she knew she needed to figure out something quick or everything would end there.

"You have to remain quiet Mikazuki." – Said Akira with a quiet whisper. "I know I let myself got caught in the moment" – Mika whispered; "But it won't happen again." Then she looked into her canteen and noticed that there was only little water left, and proceeded; "I think I figured out a way we can beat this guy, but I need your help." "We should get out of here while we can Mika." – Akio said. "You're in really bad shape, there is no shame in saving your life, you have to retreat to treat your injuries and finish this guy later." "I'm ok, don't worry about me, I know we can do this." – Mika replied, and then she continued; "I need to get close to him, I need you guys to create a hot bubble around me, so I can run through his mist without getting caught by his ice, do you think you can do that? If I can get close to him he's mine." " We can do the hot bubble but his ice will still pierce your body before it gets completely melted, if we do the bubble too hot it will burn your skin." – Akira said. "Just do it as hot as you can, I'll be fine." – Mika replied. "We'll hurt you Mikazuki." – Akio insisted, but Mika quickly replied; "I'll be fine, don't worry, lets finish this guy!"

Meanwhile Tetsuya was just waiting for Mika's next move, she was out of his range but he knew she was still there, and he also knew she was in bad shape, that she was probably bleeding to death, so it was just a matter of time.

Then it happened, Tetsuya immediately sensed Mika as she entered the mist and started running full speed towards him, "but how can this be possible?" – He thought. "How could she even be standing? Who is this girl?" He tried to stop her throwing everything he had at her. Mika was holding both Akio and Akira by their hands and they were performing a really hot bubble around her that was protecting her from the ice, but some of the daggers were still piercing her body, the thicker daggers weren't melting completely before reaching her, the damage was not much, but she was literally running against hundreds of ice needles piercing all her skin.

Mika finally reached him, she had Tetsuya inside his warm bubble, she grabbed him by both arms and so did the fire spirits. Tetsuya couldn't understand how Mika was on her feet after all the damage she had taken, but there she was standing right in front of him, ice daggers continued entering the hot bubble but they were melting and were reaching Mika's body only as tiny ice needles. Mika was trying not to faint, she was weak from her wounds and all the blood she had lost, but she raised her face looking him face to face and told him; "This ends now!" Tetsuya was truly afraid, he had never been afraid of anybody before, and he was trembling in fear of Mika, she withstood everything he threw at her, and she was still in front of him, she had taken enough damage to be unconscious, but she was still fighting. He was terrified of her; his body wasn't responding anymore, he was trembling in fear. He even thought that she was somehow immortal.

After Mika told him that, she opened the water canteen and with the little water left inside she formed a bubble around Tetsuya's head. He couldn't breathe, he was suffocating and the hot bubble around him didn't let him do much about it, he thought he could blew the bubble of his head using his power over wind but instead he just waited for his death to come, he was too afraid to do anything. He was convinced that there was nothing he could do to defeat Mika. Without knowing it Mika had won this fight the moment she told Tetsuya about her story. Tetsuya felt somehow lesser than her. He felt she was able to deal with something that cracked him. That's what made him afraid of her. He felt weak. He was there with the water bubble around his head, he stopped attacking Mika and in a couple of minutes he passed out from suffocation.

Mika noticed he passed out and stopped the attack. She dissolved the water bubble and let him down to the ground gently. The mist had disappeared, Mika looked at Tetsuya and he looked different, the ice layer covering his skin had melt down, so his skin was not pale anymore, it had the natural skin color, he looked... human. Akira interrupted the silence of the three; "You have to finish him up Mikazuki, this guy will continue his plans if you don't". Mika was very weak, and she fell to her knees; "This fight is over", she said, "I will not decide the fate of this guy, his fate is what he makes of it, if he decides to continue the direction he was heading before, he'll perish and I'm sure he knows that". Mika collapsed when she finished these words and passed out, she was too weak.
DESTINY

Mika opened her eyes, her sight was blur but as it clarified she saw Akio and Akira, they had burn her wounds and stopped the bleeding. She remained unconscious for a couple of hours and then woke up to them. "Where am I?" - She asked, "We're not far for where the fight took place." - Akio responded, and then Akira continued; "We drag you here and away from where Tetsuya is lying unconscious, and then we burned your wounds, you must be in a lot of pain, but if we didn't you would have died." "Don't worry about the pain." – Mika replied; "I don't feel any pain." – she said with her voice trembling as she was trying to get up, but a head rush managed to stumble her back down to the ground. "Don't try to get up." – Akira quickly told her, but there was no way to persuade her, she had to go and meet with Jirou, so she stood up, and began wobbling towards Mitsuo's fortress.

The fire spirits began walking by her side so Mika quickly told them: "Your debt with Jirou has been paid, I'm deeply grateful for that, but you don't have to come with me." "We will accompany you Mikazuki, it doesn't matter if we're in debt or not, because we won't let you go alone in the shape you are right now." – Akira responded and they continued walking by her side, a smile was drawn in Mika's face and told them; "very well then, wait for us Jirou, we will be there when you become the new Hinokami."

Meanwhile Jirou was approaching his father fortress, as he was walking towards it, he felt the overwhelming necessity of looking back, he hadn't look back since he left Mika to fight Tetsuya, he truly believed that she would be able to take care of Tetsuya so he didn't have the need to look back, but in this moment while he was standing in front of his father's castle he had to look back before he entered to face Mitsuo. When he did, he saw the site where Mika and Tetsuya were fighting, and he was overcame by joy, but he wasn't joyful about what he saw, but rather about what he didn't saw, he didn't saw the mist, so with a smile in his face he entered his father's fortress.

Jirou was walking through a long, dark aisle with very high ceiling; at the end of the aisle he saw a big empty chamber. In the chamber he saw a black figure sitting in a throne like chair, he approached cautiously, as he was nearing the figure it transformed into a man in his late forties, very tall, maybe taller than himself, what Hiroshi said months before was the truth, he looked just like him, but with a lot of more muscle than him. Jirou immediately noted his sad face, it was something in his expression, Jirou was looking at his father for the first time in his life and he immediately knew Mitsuo's heart was broken, it was visible in his face that his father has had a sad life.

"Are you ready to fulfill your destiny Jirou Himura, second son and legit heir of the Hinokami Mitsuo Himura?" – Mitsuo asked before Jirou could say anything. Jirou just stood still with his look to the ground, and he didn't answer, so Mitsuo asked on more time; "I said, are you ready to challenge me and become the Hinokami Jirou Himura?" Jirou lifted his face and looking him in the eye told him; "Before we begin, I need to ask you something; why haven't you show to see me since I was born? Did I matter to you? Did you even care about me? I want the truth!" Mitsuo doubted for a second, he didn't know what to say, but he looked Jirou in the eye and told him with a very firm voice; "I'm the Hinokami, I've got bigger things to deal with." Jirou knew he was lying, but he didn't insist anymore and told him; "There is just another thing before we begin." Then Jirou took off Hiroshi's tiger's fang collar from his neck and gave it to Mitsuo; "I understand Hiroshi was a friend of yours, he died in the hands of a powerful ice mark bearer while trying to protect me." Mitsuo took a step forward and put the collar back in Jirou's neck. Then he saw that Jirou was carrying a sword. He took it out of the sheath in Jirou's waist and told him "This is a very good blade, Yoshinori gave you this?" – "It was property of the father of a very good friend, the father of the person who avenged Hiroshi's death" – Jirou quickly replied, he told him this because by deep in his heart he was sure that Mika had defeat Tetsuya.

Mitsuo gave the sword back to Jirou and asked again, "So are you ready to become the new Hinokami?" While he told these words he kneeled in front of Jirou and told him, "Then take my head!" Jirou was standing speechless with the sword in his hands, he said nothing and he did nothing. "What are you waiting for?" Mitsuo asked; "you want to die consumed by your power?" He was yelling at Jirou, but Jirou did nothing. He just put his sword back in the sheath and told him; "Stand up, I would never take your life like that, I will become the Hinokami, but I will do it by defeating you, and I don't want you to go easy on me, I will defeat you fairly."

"You're my son, there's no doubt about that." - Mitsuo told Jirou while standing up; "But I have to tell you something, as the Hinokami I have control over fire, but I don't govern the fire, rather, the fire itself lives within me, and, once I start fighting, there is no holding back, my power will try to protect my life by any means necessary, just like it did for you when you were being chased by those two samurais." Jirou was surprised. "What?" He asked. "You didn't know? - Mitsuo replied, that night, the night a warrior named Masamori Kobayashi attacked your uncle's house, you looked back and you saw the three warriors burning as human torches, that was your doing, your power protected you and your uncle." Jirou was astonished, speechless, that was his doing? Did he really was that powerful? "So once we begin..." Mitsuo continued, "There will be no holding back. So I'll ask you once again; Are you ready to fulfill your destiny?" Jirou looked Mitsuo directly in the eye and told him; "Let's do this!"

#  THE POWER OF THE HINOKAMI

Mika and the fire spirits were walking towards the Hinokami fortress, she was trembling, stumbling and wobbling, she was still very weak, but nothing would stop her from being by Jirou's side during his fight against the Hinokami. She was looking ahead and saw the fortress getting closer, and all she could think about was Jirou, she wasn't thinking about her wellness at all. "Please be ok Jirou." – She thought to herself, but suddenly she remembered Mori was fighting Masamori, "how could I forget about Mori? She thought, and then she stopped and looked back. "What happens Mika?" – Akio asked. She was looking towards the site were Mori was fighting Masamori and saw nothing but a quite tranquil forest. Then she thought to herself; "I'm sure she's ok, she's probably already there with Jirou, so I need to hurry up." Then she said to Akio; "It's nothing, let's just keep moving, we have to be there for Jirou." So they continued moving towards the fortress.

Back in the fortress Jirou and Mitsuo were looking directly at each other, Mitsuo ripped his shirt off and Jirou saw the fire mark impregnated in Mitsuo's chest, it was bigger than Jirou's, it covered his chest completely. Jirou wasn't planning on using fire to defeat his father, he had a point to prove, he was going to become the Hinokami to prove that he could end all this war for power. So he went ahead and attacked Mitsuo directly with a frontal attack. He dashed with incredible speed towards Mitsuo and used a fast and powerful upper cut. Mitsuo managed to block the attack, but he was surprised by Jirou's speed and power, Jirou didn't let him regain his composure and attacked him immediately with a powerful kick, this time the attack caught Mitsuo with his guard down and hit him directly on the chest. The kick sent Mitsuo flying in the air. But he quickly stood back up.

"You're strong." He told Jirou, "As I would expect from my son, but you'll need a lot more than that to defeat me." Mitsuo then created a giant ball of fire and threw it to Jirou at full speed. Jirou tried to dodge it, but the ball was too big and fast, it stumbled him, he could feel the intense heat from the fireball even been a fire mark bearer himself. He kept focus and charged at him again, but Mitsuo threw another fireball directly at him, this one smaller but a lot faster. Jirou didn't had time to dodge it so he deflected it with his sword and continue running directly towards Mitsuo and struck him again with another tremendous kick, again send it flying in the air, but this time he didn't came back to the ground.

When Jirou looked at Mitsuo he was floating in the air, his eyes were two fireballs and a fire halo was surrounding his body entirely. He charged directly at Jirou with incredible speed and gave him a tackle, his body was on fire, and with the tackle Jirou's body was lit on fire, the tackle knocked him unconscious but only for a few seconds and when he opened his eyes a fire beam was heading directly to him on the ground. He managed to get out of the way and stood back up.

Mitsuo's fire halo had become bigger and much more intense, and now it was shaped like a hawk, he threw an intense and big fire beam from the hawk's peak that would have destroy any opponent just by touching it, but the hawk form that Mitsuo has taken had a catch, it was slow, so Jirou dodged the powerful beam and with a powerful jump he reached the Hawk and swing the sword at the hawk's chest. Jirou felt that the attack had reached Mitsuo. He heard a scream and then he noted that the fire hawk was disappearing, leaving only Mitsuo's unconscious body falling to the ground. Mitsuo was lying lifeless on the ground, Jirou walked cautiously towards him.

Mika was still walking towards the fortress and she saw the fire beam when it busted out of the fortress destroying one of the walls. Mika was devastated when she saw the attack. "Was that the power of the Hinokami?" – She thought to herself. "Let's hurry!" She yelled to the spirits and started running towards the fortress.

Back in the fortress Jirou was standing by his father's side, he was ready to deliver the finishing blow when the fire halo returned to the body, Mitsuo's body elevated in the air once again, and the fire halo continued intensifying and intensifying, the heat on the room was unbearable, but also, the halo was so bright that it was difficult to see anything inside the chamber, the halo was blinding Jirou's eyes, he covered his eyes with his hands to try to see was going on, then what he saw amazed him, a giant fire dragon had materialized. Mitsuo's halo had taken the shape of a dragon. The dragon spoke, but it wasn't Mitsuo's voice anymore; "So you really think you can defeat the Hinokami?" - A sinister, deep and loud voice asked, this wasn't Mitsuo anymore; it was the fire itself controlling Mitsuo's body.

Just as this giant fire dragon was materializing Mika and the fire spirits entered through the aisle and made it to the big chamber where Jirou was facing Mitsuo. Mika was glad to see Jirou was ok, but then she saw the dragon and told the spirits; "What is that?" "That's the power of the Hinokami." – Akio quickly replied. Mika was terrified, how in the world could Jirou fight against that beast? She yelled out of instinct; "Hey Jirou, are you ok?" Jirou looked back and realized that she was there and told her; "What are you doing here, get out of here, you're in danger!" The dragon threw a giant fireball that Jirou was able to dodge, but it was so powerful that when it hit the ground the whole fortress trembled like it was being shake by a powerful earthquake. The ceiling began to fall, and Jirou yelled again; "Get out of here! I don't want anything bad to happen to you!" The fire spirits grabbed Mika by both her hands and started running back the way they came. Mika was terrified, she was sure Jirou was going to die, she was in tears, even the whole fortress was falling down.

Back in the chamber the fire dragon was trying to crush Jirou like a roach. It was trying to crush him with brutal force with his powerful claws. Jirou's speed was the only thing keeping him alive, but every time the dragon hit the ground the whole fortress trembled. It was just a matter of time before it ended up completely destroyed. The dragon then threw another giant fireball at him, Jirou was standing there and the fire ball heading directly to him, he was ready to dodge it again but then he heard a whisper in his ear; "Grind Jirou, just grind." Jirou closed his eyes and jumped towards the fireball with his sword pointing directly at the ball. As he was approaching the fireball his body had turned into a human torch. When he entered the fireball, he didn't feel the heat at all, he trespassed the fireball like it was nothing. His body was much hotter than the fireball, his heart and his soul were on fire, much more hotter and powerful than any fireball the dragon could ever threw.

Jirou went through the fireball and made it to the other side of the fireball flying at lightning speed directly towards the dragon chest, the dragon tried to stop him with his giant claws but Jirou pierced through the claws and also the dragon's chest. The sword went directly through Mitsuo's heart; his body was inside the dragon's chest. Jirou saw as he was striking his father's chest how the expression in Mitsuo's face had changed, it didn't look sad anymore, it look relieved.

The fire dragon began dispersing as soon as Jirou stroke Mitsuo's heart. The fireball the dragon threw destroyed what was left of the fortress when it hit the ground. Mika was observing from outside the fortress, she saw how the fortress collapsed. Everything fell to the ground. Nothing could have survived this. She was crying out loud, she was literally crying a river when Akira told her; "Mikazuki look!" Mika looked at what was left of the fortress entrance and saw Jirou walking out of the destruction with his father's body in his arms. Jirou was also on tears, as soon as Mika saw him she ran and embraced him. Jirou placed his father's body on the ground and collapsed in tears at his side. His body then was lit with a brilliant fire halo around him; it was bright as the sunlight and hot as the sun itself. When the flare extinguished his father's body had burned down to ashes and Jirou had become the new Hinokami. Mitsuo's soul was finally free to reunite with his wife and son.

Akio and Akira were watching this moment and when they saw that Jirou had fulfill his destiny they elevated and transcended gracefully. This was what Hiroshi wanted from them, to help Jirou become the Hinokami. Their debt with Hiroshi was finally paid. "Thanks Mika, thanks Jirou, we're now free to move on." They told as they were fading away. Jirou embraced Mika again in a tight hug.

#  A JOURNEY BACK HOME

Jirou was walking back from Mitsuo's fortress; he was carrying Mika on his back since he saw her badly hurt. "You don't have to carry me all the way back Jirou, I told you I'm fine, I can walk." – Mika told Jirou and he answered; "You're not ok, you just think you're ok because you don't feel pain, but you're pretty beaten, just look at yourself, you look like you were run over by an avalanche." Mika remained silence for a second, and then started to laugh out loud like she hadn't laugh in a long time, by fact, the last time Mika laughed like that, her sister Haru was still alive, she felt alive and secure again, she quickly contagion Jirou with the laughter and they were both laughing out loud. They felt that finally everything had passed.

They arrived to the spot where Mika fought Tetsuya and Mika quickly got down from Jirou's back. She was looking at the spot where she left Tetsuya and told Jirou; "You know, when I fought that ice mark bearer I didn't kill him, I left him unconscious right there, now he isn't there, I don't know if I made the right decision, maybe I should have finished him." "Don't worry about that guy anymore." – Jirou quickly said in order to calm her. "If he tries to rumble with us again, he's going to get it good, I have the power of the Hinokami now." Mika then smiled and told Jirou; "Besides I taught him a lesson, I'm sure he's going to think twice before messing with you if I'm around."

They continued the journey back and they were both looking to the place where they left Mori fighting Masamori, Jirou was still carrying Mika in his back and they were both pretty quiet, until Mika broke the silence; "Do you think Mori is alright, she didn't came to meet us." Jirou didn't know what to answer, he was thinking the same thing as Mika, but he wasn't going to make her worry more than she already was, so he told her; "I'm sure she kicked that guy's but, lets hurry to find her."

They arrived to the spot and they immediately saw Masamori's body nailed to the sakura tree by two wooden spears. Mika quickly got down from Jirou's back again and started calling Mori's name out loud to the woods. Then she saw the small hill of plants and flowers right next to Masamori's sword and told Jirou; "What's that? It wasn't there when we were here before." Jirou looked at the mountain without saying a word and then they heard a trembling weak voice; "That over there is your friend." – The voice was coming from Masamori. "You're alive!" – Mika said in disbelieve. Masamori was coughing hard and then continued; "She was consumed by her own power, so her body turned into wood."

Jirou grinded his teeth, but Masamori was already defeated so there was no point in killing him, he walked to where he was nailed, as he approached him, Masamori told him; "I will only ask one thing from you, please take my power before you kill me, I don't want to die a mark bearer, that's my only request." Jirou arrived by Masamori's side, took out his sword and cut the wooden spears that were nailing him to the tree. Then he quickly cut the creeper growing up his legs and asked Mika; "Hey Mika, you told me earlier that you were sure you could walk right?" Mika had her face all covered in tears, but she looked at Jirou and told him; "Yes I can." "Alright," – Jirou continued, "Because I will have to carry this guy to the next village, he needs medical attention." Then he lifted Masamori and started carrying him on his back. "Let's go Mika, I don't want this guy to die in my back, we have to hurry." – He said as he started walking.

Jirou was devastated, he had all these Mori's memories hanging around in his head, but what was really bothering him was that he thought that she didn't have to fight Masamori. "She didn't have to die, she didn't have to step forward for me, so I could become the Hinokami." - He felt somehow responsible for her death, but he wasn't going to crack down, not in front of Mika, not in front of his enemy, Masamori. So he continued walking towards the next village carrying the half dead body of Masamori. Masamori was thinking to himself; "Who are these guys, these aren't the typical mark bearers, maybe I was wrong, I shouldn't have judge all mark bearers for the actions of just a few."

They arrived and immediately found medical attention for Masamori. They led him under care and when they were leaving the room Masamori told them; "Wait!" But Jirou quickly replied "Don't speak, save your breath, you're in pretty bad shape." But Masamori had to speak his mind even if it cost him his life, so he told them; "Your friend fought bravely until the very end, she was the strongest opponent I've ever faced, and it should have been me who should have died back there, I'm only alive because luck was on my side, I wanted you to know that. Please tell the same to everyone who ever mentions the name of Mori Akiyama, please feel free to tell everybody, that she was the woman who defeated Masamori Kobayashi."

Jirou and Mika both leaved the room without saying a work. They continued walking towards Mika's home. Mika still had pink, swollen eyes for crying Mori's death when Jirou told her; "I have an Idea, if you want, you can come to live with me and my uncle Yoshinori, that way you won't have to be alone, there will be some work to do but..." Mika didn't let him finish; "Yes!" She yelled with tears in her eyes, but this time the tears were tears of joy. Jirou looked at her and continued; "As I was telling you, there will be some work to be done in the house, I completely destroyed it last time I was there." Mika didn't even seemed to hear these words, she was too excited, she was just talking about all the things she needed to do, get her clothes at her house, all her things, decorate her room, make a garden, maybe even get a dog, she was just talking and talking. Jirou just continued walking with her on his back talking and making plans for the future, he was glad she was going to live with him and Yoshinori.

When they arrived to Yoshinori's house he had already started to rebuild the house, he saw the two figures in the distance and before he could distinguish them he knew that it was Jirou, so he started running towards them carrying his false leg. When he got to Jirou and Mika, Jirou's only words were; "We have a new member in our family." And Yoshinori answered; "I believe she has been a member of the family for a while now."

#  ENEMIES BECOME FRIENDS

Several months have passed since Jirou returned to his home with Yoshinori. He hadn't use fire or granted a contract in his short time as the Hinokami. The same for Yoshinori or Mika, neither of them had used their powers. They were living simple lives. The house was now completely reconstructed, but it was a little different now. It had the woman's touch, and a dog.

Jirou's life had returned to what it was before everything changed, but with a new friend, so it was much better, they enjoyed each other's company a lot. Mika was deeply in love with Jirou, but every time they seemed to be having a close moment, Jirou quickly interrupted or walked away from her. And she understood, he was the Hinokami, and in a way he was protecting her, but she didn't care. She would die for him at any time, she had proven that the day she stood up and faced Tetsuya for him.

Jirou and Mika were working to make the garden that Mika wanted, suddenly Mika's dog started barking, Jirou looked at the trail that leaded to the house and he saw two shadowy figures in the distance, he got up to see if he could distinguish who were the strangers walking to the house, suddenly Mika passed by his side running directly towards the figures and screaming "Mori! Is Mori!" Then he realized that it was Mori, "how could this be?" – He thought to himself, but overcame by emotion, he also started running, they were Mori and Masamori. But Mori looked different, she didn't have the nature's mark over her body anymore. Mika rapidly embraced Mori in a tight hug, while Jirou stood in front of them. Masamori told him, "I found this nut job wondering around asking in every village if anyone knew how to find you." Mori, then also gave Jirou a well-deserved hug, and told him; "I always knew you two were a pair of love birds."

Mika was in tears, and so was Mori. Then Jirou asked Mori; "How is this possible? Why you don't have your mark anymore? Are you a ghost?" And she quickly replied; "You think I will let myself get killed by this idiot?" (While pointing at Masamori) and then she continued; "I woke up in the presence of the Earth Spirit, she told me that my body was almost dead, but she had two missions for me in this world and that if I accepted she would reconstruct my body. The first mission was to find and kill the one you call Tetsuya, apparently she gave this mission to some pathetic samurai who didn't finished the job." Masamori only stood there listening without saying a word, he was just glad that Mori was alive. Then she continued; "The second mission was to talk some sense into this idiot (referring again to Masamori) who apparently got confused when she gave him the earth power and did the exact opposite of what he was supposed to do. So you see, in a way, Masamori's saved my live by not fulfilling his duties as an earth mark bearer. It seems that Masamori is on the right track now, so I need to find and kill Tetsuya and Masamori is coming with me!" – Mika and Jirou were just happy they were both ok, so they didn't noticed Yoshinori looking from the distance. "But before we do that" – She continued; "I have to go find my mother and tell her that I'm no longer the Shizen no Megami heir, and that my power is now the power of Earth, so we can coexist in this world." Masamori interrupted her and told Jirou, "excuse me, I need to talk to Yoshinori." And he started walking towards Yoshinori. Yoshinori was standing outside the house looking carefully to the scene, Jirou was thinking; "I totally forgot that Masamori and Yoshinori had it going last time he was here." So he stood looking at their reunion while Mika and Mori were chatting emotionally. Then he saw them shook hands and he was relieved.

That afternoon they had dinner together and stayed at the house with Yoshinori, Mika and Jirou. In the morning they left to find Tetsuya. They started walking through the same trail they came. Mori suddenly stopped, turned around and told Mika; "You know girl, if you ever get tired of Jirou, you should come with me, I guarantee you it'll be interesting." – "Okay!" – Mika answered smiling. Then Masamori told Jirou; "Hey Jirou, remember what I told about telling everyone how Mori defeated me? You're not allowed to tell that anymore! She's annoying!" "Okay!" - Jirou also replied laughing. "What?" – Mori said and gave Masamori playful punch to the shoulder that leaved him in pain. She continued walking and leaved him behind. Masamori then waved one last time and continued walking trying to catch up with Mori as they disappeared in the distance.

#  VOLUME II – DARKER DAYS FOR MIKA AND MORI

# UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Almost three years have passed since Jirou became the Hinokami and until now things have been quiet. But from some time on, strange things are happening. All volcanoes in the area have become active; most of them have erupted devastating entire villages, forests, plantations and everything on their way, forest fires have been exploding out of nowhere even villages have erupted on fire with no logical explanation.

All these things had the Earth Spirit wondering if the Hinokami was out of control, or even alive. So she sent her Earth Mark Bearers to investigate. The last assignment that the Earth Spirit had given to Mori and Masamori was to stop Tetsuya, but through all this time the boy was nowhere to be found. But they didn't lose all this time just looking for Tetsuya, Masamori had trained Mori in the arts of sword fighting, and she had made incredible progress. So they were both walking towards Yoshinori's house wondering if something had happen to Jirou. They were really worried, they knew that Jirou was incredibly powerful, and along with Mika and Yoshinori it would be almost impossible that somebody had defeated him and taken his powers, but the truth was that all the late occurrences were related to fire, so they couldn't help to be worried. This was a very quiet voyage; both Mori and Masamori were pretty quiet.

Not far from there a dangerous meeting was about to take place. A young man called Ryota Kaneko was walking along side the river where Hiroshi and Tetsuya battled three years before. He was of normal size with pale skin and blonde hair. He had two kunai knives attached to strings hanging from his wrists. He was walking alone, silent as a tomb. Standing there also alone was Tetsuya as if he was waiting for him. Ryota saw him from distance and continued walking in the same direction but with caution. Ryota knew very well who Tetsuya was, but he wasn't afraid of him, so he approached him and stopped in front of him.

"So you're Ryota Kaneko, son of Raiden the God of Lighting" – Tetsuya told him. Ryota smiled and told him; "Looks like you know me very well. And who might you be?" Ryota knew who Tetsuya was, but he didn't wanted Tetsuya to know it, so he played dumb. "I'm Tetsuya Yukimura, Ice Mark Bearer, all mark heirs will perish by my power, so be prepared."

Ryota was the Lightning God Heir, and he knew well of the rumors of the ice mark bearer who wanted to kill all the heirs, he also knew very well that Tetsuya killed the God of Wind Heir, but Ryota was not afraid of a challenge, he always looked for worthy opponents to test his abilities, so he wasn't bothered by Tetsuya's confrontation, on the contrary, he was quite pleased, he had been hoping to cross paths with this Tetsuya for some time.

"So be it." – Ryota answered while readying himself for battle. Tetsuya just stood in front of him without making any move, like he was waiting for Ryota to make the first move, and he did, Ryota threw a lot of thin wires that created a web, almost like a spider web, all around Tetsuya. These wires were made of copper and they were as thin as hair, so he could handle them very easily even though they were made of copper. But Tetsuya didn't reacted; he just stood in front of him. Ryota then threw his two kunai knives aiming for Tetsuya's chest, the daggers were stopped by an ice wall that Tetsuya created in front of him, but the objective of this attack wasn't to stab Tetsuya, tied to the knives were more of Ryota's wires with two little iron balls at the end of both. As soon as the knives got stuck in the ice wall, the iron balls went around Tetsuya wrapping him in the copper wire. Then Ryota gave him a powerful discharge trough the copper wires using his power over lighting.

Just meters away Mori and Masamori were walking, and this last attack captured Masamori's attention. He saw the blaze in the distance, so he rushed to the site. Mori told him, "Wait, what are you doing? Where are you going?" but Masamori quickly told her, "be quiet, something is going on over there, come on!" So Mori also rushed after him.

They got to where Masamori saw the blaze coming and he saw Tetsuya facing Ryota. The attack was very strong but Tetsuya managed to avoid getting caught in it. When he saw that the kunai knives were attached to copper wires he created two ice walls on his sides and avoided any direct contact with the wires.

As soon as Masamori got there Tetsuya looked exactly in the direction that Mori and Masamori were hiding and spoke; "So you finally decided to show up." Masamori and Mori remained quiet in hiding. "Was he talking to us?" – Mori said, but Masamori quickly told her to be quiet. He was looking carefully at Tetsuya, he looked different, his skin wasn't pale anymore, and also that dense mist that followed him around everywhere wasn't there. "I know you're hiding there, in fact I detected you two since you where meters away, so just come out." – Tetsuya insisted. "How is this possible?" – Masamori was thoughtful. "How does he know we are here? He isn't using his mist!" Masamori was quiet and thoughtful but Mori broke the silence and jumped out of hiding to the opening where Tetsuya and Ryota were fighting. "You're right, we are here, and what are you going to do about it?" Masamori wasn't surprised by Mori's reaction, that was just the way she was, so he also came out of hiding, and as soon as he was on the clear Tetsuya told him "You and I have unfinished business, I know you fulfilled your part of the deal, you took care of the nature's heir, but I still working to complete mine, I had a little set back, but it will be done."

Mori heard these words and reacted immediately, "What? What is he talking about? You made a deal with this monster to kill me?" Masamori remained quiet. Ryota was standing quiet observing the situation but he finally spoke, "This place just got a little too crowded for my taste, so I'm getting out of here." And he ran into the woods. "Answer me!" - Mori was demanding an answer from Masamori.

"Ah, you didn't know?" – Tetsuya said, "your friend and I made a deal a while ago, together we would destroy all the Gods, to do it, we would going to get rid of all heirs, he would start with you, and I would take care of the Hinokami Heir, he completed his part of the deal, I don't know how you still alive, but you aren't a heir anymore, but I had a little set back and never got to fight the Hinokami Heir. But now there is another chance to terminate the Hinokami Heir"

Mori couldn't believe these words, how could Masamori be an allied to a Monster like Tetsuya, she was in denial. "Is that true?" – She asked, but Masamori didn't answer her, instead he answered Tetsuya; "How is it possible to have another chance? Jirou became the Hinokami the day you were defeated by Mikazuki Inoue." "You don't know?" – Tetsuya proceeded, "The one called Mikazuki Inoue is pregnant, and soon will give birth to a new Hinokami Heir, I was on my way to find her, and kill the heir before he's born." "Do you think it'll really be that easy?" – Masamori quickly replied; "Jirou will not be easily taken down, and I know that Mikazuki alone defeated you last time."

"I know I can take both of them, but I won't have to. See, the rumor is that the new Hinokami is offering limitless power to however kills the unborn heir, he is even granting contracts to thugs so they can go kill the heir, so I figured, destiny had finally played a card on my deck."

Mori was perplex, she couldn't believe Tetsuya, it was impossible, Jirou would never do something like that, so she took her anger against Tetsuya; "Shut up! They're all lies! You don't know what are you talking about, you don't know Jirou or Mika, so shut up and face me!" And she stood in front of Tetsuya defiantly.

"Get out of here." – Masamori said. He was serious, he didn't look at her directly, instead he was looking at the floor, but he was dead serious. "We don't know if this is true, but if it is, Mika would need all the help we can give her. And we know something strange is happening with fire. So go to Yoshinori's, I will take care of Tetsuya." Mori wanted to fight Tetsuya, she wanted to kill him, but what Masamori said was true, she needed to rush to Yoshinori's house and see if everything was ok, so she agreed; "Ok, I'll leave, but you and I will have a little talk when you come back. You and I have a lot to talk about, so be prepared, because if you don't give me the right answers, I'll kill you myself!" After Mori said these words she left in a hurry. Masamori knew that she was dead serious, he was sure that he would have to fight Mori after this, but for now, he needed to focus on Tetsuya. So he addressed him; "You got one thing right, we have unfinished business, as I recall you promised me that we could have our fight after I helped you separate Mori from Jirou and Mika, so like you said, I fulfilled my part of the deal, so today you'll face me." Masamori was standing in front of Tetsuya and he drew his katana. Tetsuya had that devilish smile in his face, and he told him; "Have it your way then. Be prepared."

#  UNINVITED GUEST

Meanwhile Mori was running as fast as she could towards Yoshinori's house. All kind of thoughts were running through her head; "Was Jirou really the cause of all the strange happenings? Was Mika OK? Did Masamori really conspire with Tetsuya to assassinate her and Jirou?" She had lots of mixed feelings; anger, frustration, fear, preoccupation, but her priority was to assure Mika was OK. She was hoping to just get there and find everything to be like the last time she was there; Mika, Jirou and Yoshinori waving at her from the house. And if everything was OK, she wouldn't relax, she would get back to help Masamori and then she would have some things to talk with him. If what Tetsuya said was true she was not going let him out easily. She was planning on let him know a piece of her mind. So she continued running while biting her lips.

The house started appearing in the distance as she was approaching the trail that leads to it. She was looking carefully and hopefully as she was approaching the house, but nobody could be seen from the distance. The house looked dead empty. She started to worry, so even from distance she started calling Mika's name. As soon as she started yelling, Mika's dog could be heard barking from the house, and it was suddenly a relief, it was a sign of life from the house. As she was getting closer she heard Mika's voice calling her name; "Mori!" Then she saw her figure also running full speed towards her.

They embraced each other in a tight hug in front of the house. Mori then looked at her and told her; "You're pregnant! So it is true, there will be a new Hinokami Heir!" She was only three months or so pregnant, and her figure was just starting to look pregnant, but Mori noticed immediately. Mika just looked down and said nothing, so Mori proceeded; "Where's Jirou? Is there something wrong? Has something happened to him?" And then Mika asked Mori to come inside the house. They had a lot to talk about.

As soon as they were inside Mika started telling her the story. It turns out Jirou started having a weird dream, it was a repeating dream and he was having it for the last year or so. Instead of a dream it was more like a nightmare. He saw himself being killed by Mika. He was seeing Mika walking towards him, he was unable to move, he could only observe, as Mika took his live with his own sword. The sword that used to belong to Mika's father, the sword that Mika had given him. It was bothering Jirou too much. He started losing control; he was confusing reality with the world of his dreams. The dream was so recurrent that he started being stressed whenever Mika was close to him. And then when he found out that Mika was pregnant things only got worse. He was losing his psyche. He was being consumed by the idea of Mika dying and also having a son that will be raised just to kill him in the future. He isolated himself; soon he stopped talking to Mika or Yoshinori. He was a different person. One day he disappeared without saying a word to Mika or Yoshinori. They waited for him to come back, but after a few days they accepted the idea that he wasn't coming back. Then Yoshinori went out to try to find him about two weeks before and hasn't returned neither. Mika was angst, she was afraid, she didn't know what was going to happen, if she was going to see Jirou or Yoshinori again, basically she was afraid of being alone in the world one more time. So when she heard Mori in the distance calling her name, tears of joy immediately started running down her face and she rushed to her arms. In Mori's arms she felt warm and secure, she hadn't felt like that in months.

Mika's dog started barking again, the barking was so stressful that it interrupted their conversation, Mori quickly told Mika; "Quiet, I think somebody is outside." She decided to go outside to investigate but asked Mika to remain inside the house. When she got outside she saw two strangers standing outside the house. One of them told Mori; "We are looking for the Water Mark Bearer, we have a message for her". "You're not seeing her! So you can leave the message with me." – Mori replied emphatically. The same guy then told her; "we don't think you'll like that..." As soon as he finished these words two kunai knives came out of both of the stranger's guts. They both started bleeding copiously and then a strong electric discharge ended their lives. Mori stood paralyzed and astonished, and she heard a voice coming from the trees; "I made our lives a lot easier, now we can have a worthy battle." Then the figure of Ryota appeared in front of Mori. "You're the guy that was fighting the Ice Mark Bearer." – Mori said.

It turned out that after Ryota disappeared back there, he didn't leave the scene; he just hid and watched from a safe distance, so he found out about the Hinokami Heir. Then he followed Mori all the way to Yoshinori's house also from a safe distance. Mori was too preoccupied with Mika's safety to notice him. He took care of the thugs in the blink of an eye using two kunai knives attached to copper wires, like the technique he was using against Tetsuya. In that instant Mori realized that because of her, Ryota was in front of the house looking for Mika, at that same moment Mika came out of the house, "Mori what's happening? Who is this guy? She asked, and instantly Ryota threw a wire around Mika's belly, and he gave her an electric discharge, but Mori managed to cut the wire using her katana just before the discharge could affect Mika. "Don't even think about it!" - Mori told Ryota, "I will be your opponent, leave her out of this!" And she stood between Mika and Ryota. "I never back up from a challenge." – Ryota answered, "but after I'm finished with you, the Hinokami Heir is mine."

Mori was standing in front of him with the katana in her hands. She told Mika, "Get out of here, I'll catch up with you, this guy wants to kill you!" "I'm not leaving you here alone Mori, I'll fight with you, I can help you!" – Mika replied and Mori quickly told her; "I know you can help, and I know you are strong Mika, but I can't let you put your baby at risk, just leave and go to the Rain Forest, I'll meet with you there. Don't talk to anyone. Find Ume Akiyama; tell her that I sent you. I'll meet you there." So after analyzing the situation Mika decided to trust Mori and leave for the sake of her unborn child.

Mori was standing in front of Ryota, looking at him directly in the eye, he was immobile, so she told him; "I don't know whom you are, but you're making a big mistake boy." "The name is Ryota Kaneko, Lightning God Heir." He replied. "May I ask who are you?" "My name is Mori Akiyama, Masamori Kobayashi's disciple in the art of sword fighting, and an Earth Mark Bearer, you'll regret facing me in battle!" – Mori replied.

Ryota smiled and told her; "we'll see about that." Then he threw his copper wires in all directions, creating a "spider web type" net around Mori. The web was restricting Mori's movements, it leaved only a straight line between Mori and Ryota, so without thinking it twice Mori started a frontal attack, she ran directly to Ryota and made a powerful swing using her katana aiming for Ryota's chest. But Ryota stopped the sword attack using only his hands. He had winded in his hands more of the copper wire he uses, so he was able to stop the sword without even scratching his hands. Then, grabbing the sword he gave Mori an electric discharge that sent her flying back in the air. Mori fell to the ground and immediately Ryota threw two kunai knives at her while she was still lying on the ground. Mori tried to dodge them but one of them caught her in one of her legs. Mori was in pain but quickly cut the copper wire attached to the dagger before Ryota could give her another electrical discharge.

"Dammed!" - Mori though. "I will need to plan a strategy to defeat this guy." Then Ryota spoke to her; "The discharge you received was minimal, yet your movements were erratic while trying to avoid my attack. Which resulted in an injured leg. Now your movements will be more erratic. The next discharge will not be so weak; it will completely stop your heart. This fight is as well as over." Mori stood looking at him without saying anything, but she knew that what he said was true, so she needed to plan a strategy fast. "Looks like I will have to use my earth power to defeat you." She said, and created two giant rocks from the ground. The rocks were floating in front of her. "You think that you'll defeat me throwing rocks at me?" – Ryota said, but Mori just smiled and threw the rocks one to her left and one to her right, completely bringing down the net that Ryota had created and allowing her to move around him. "Do you think a strategist like myself would come up with such a simple plan?" - Mori said smiling while starting running around him with the katana on her hands, then she came at him from the right side, she faked and attack with the katana aiming to his neck and when Ryota went for it and tried to stop it bare handed like before, she threw herself to the ground and kicked him with furious strength to the knees, throwing him to ground. Then she incorporated in front of him to give the finishing blow with the katana, but Ryota quickly evoked lightning and she had to jump back to avoid getting caught in the lighting.

"I have to give it to you, you're not an easy one." – Ryota said while incorporating back to his feet. "You'll see, I'm full of surprises." – Mori replied trying to sound confident, but she was badly hurt, she was losing blood and had to come up with something fast. "Ok this time I'll finish this!" - Ryota said and evoked lightning one more time, and a furious, intense lightning came down from the sky to strike Mori. The whole sky turned gray from the power of this attack, all Mori could do was to create a huge cocoon with soil from the ground to protect herself inside. When Ryota saw this, he knew that this was his opportunity and threw two more kunai knives with copper wire attached to them directly to the cocoon. The knives penetrated the cocoon easily and Ryota knew the battle was over. Then he applied a huge electric discharge to finish her off.

Ryota then started retracting his daggers from the cocoon thinking; "This girl was a handful, she was very powerful, I can't wait to take her power." But when he finished retracting the knives by pulling the copper wires, he immediately noted that there was no blood on them; "What the hell?" He thought to himself and from behind the cocoon Mori appeared flying in the air delivering a blow straight to Ryota's chest with her katana while telling him "You let your guard down!" Mori never protected herself inside the cocoon, she faked that, instead, she created the cocoon and stayed behind it so Ryota couldn't see her waiting for the moment to attack. As Ryota fell to the ground fatally wounded Mori told him, "I told you before; do not expect me to go for a simple strategy, but you underestimated me twice in the same battle." After that, Mori put back her katana in the sheath and started walking away. "Wait." – Ryota told her with a trembling voice; "You can't leave me like this, give me a honorable death. Take my head and also my power." But Mori wasn't planning on give this guy an honorable death and neither was she going to take his powers. She hadn't taken anyone's powers in the past and wasn't planning on starting now. That was against her principles, and regarding the honorable death, she didn't though he deserved it, she was disgusted by the way he attacked Mika's belly cowardly, so she told him; "You're not worthy." And began her journey to reunite with Mika in the Rain Forest.

#  MASAMORI VS TETSUYA

Meanwhile not too far from there, Masamori was facing Tetsuya, they were standing in front of each other; "I thought we were on the same page." Tetsuya said; "We had a plan, and I know you completed your part of the deal, the objective remains the same, to get rid of all Mark Bearers for the sake of this world." "We were never on the same page!" – Masamori quickly replied. "You just made me think you were right, that our goal was the same, but in the end I realized that you were just using me to achieve your own selfish goals. Besides, we can't judge all Mark Bearers based on the acts of just a few!" And Tetsuya promptly replied; "I see your little friend has brainwashed you. Let me tell you something, the guy that you saw when you arrived here is Ryota Kaneko, he is the God of Lightning Heir, when he ran away earlier, he didn't leave, he stayed hidden in the woods, I felt his presence, and after you send your little friend to the Hinokami house, he ran right after her, so right now, chances are they are fighting each other, so whoever wins, one of the heirs will die, making my objective one step closer, there's nothing you can do, even if you kill me, they will just keep on killing each other, the craving for power eats them, I just want to end it once and for all!"

Once again, Tetsuya's words were making much sense to Masamori, but he wouldn't let him drag him into his words games once more, besides, he was still curious about how could Tetsuya felt him and also Ryota from such great distance, without using his mist. So he asked; "How do you know that he went after Mori? I saw him running away." "He just ran to a safe distance and then he watched how our encounter unfolded. You know, the first time we met, I was new to using the power of wind, but know I am much more experienced with it, I use air from the surroundings to sense and see everything. I use the airflow and how the particles move to sense everything around me, so I have 360 vision almost a mile around!" – Tetsuya replied. "So basically I'm facing a blind opponent with no blind spots, no big deal, I know that Mikazuki Inoue defeated you, so I will too, and I'll not spear your life." - Masamori responded excited, but Tetsuya promptly replied; "Mikazuki didn't defeat me, I defeated myself, for a moment I thought that she was immortal and I let fear get the best of me, but soon later I realized that she was not immortal, instead she was bleeding to death when she fought me, I could felt the spirits carrying her away from me and she was unconscious. If I hadn't paralyzed and hoped for death, I would have kill her, and I will the next time I face her." "That's enough!" - Masamori yelled with anger while initiating the first attack. He performed a direct frontal attack with the katana, but Tetsuya easily blocked it with an ice wall. Immediately after that, tens of ice spears materialized from the ice wall, but Masamori destroyed them using his katana before any of them could reach him. Then Tetsuya threw an icy wind chill that would freeze anything on its path, Masamori tried to dodge it but it got one of his legs. It was frozen. Masamori didn't have feeling in it. Before he could plan his next move, Tetsuya sent hurricane winds carrying hundreds of ice daggers directly towards him. Masamori managed to hop using only one leg to escape the attack. Masamori then realized that he was going to lose this battle if he didn't do something. He knew that the stronger opponent that he ever faced was Mori, and though about how Mori defeated him, she was injured and back against the wall just like he was just know, but she managed to plan a strategy and defeated him. So he analyzed the situation and came up with a strategy of his own. He used his earth power to blow dust from the ground into the air to mix it with the air particles and partially blinding Tetsuya, since the air was carrying dust particles Tetsuya was not reading Masamori's attack as quickly as before, allowing Masamori to get near him and engage him in close combat. He started attacking with the katana and it was clear that the strategy had work, Tetsuya was blocking the attacks at the last moment and he started backing up from Masamori's attacks. Masamori saw an opening to the right side of Tetsuya's neck and went for it with the katana, but Tetsuya caught his katana in an Ice Wall at the last moment and created an ice spear that stabbed Masamori in the chest. Tetsuya had also planned a strategy, he led a clear opening for Masamori to attack so he could read where he would be next, then he created the ice wall that captured Masamori's sword inside it and performed the final attack. Masamori fell to the ground agonizing while Tetsuya told him; "Like I told you, nothing will stop the killings, this only prove my point, even if you would have kill me you'd have still prove my point, the only way to stop the madness is to destroy all the Gods." Masamori was in really bad condition, he knew it was his time to die, he was spitting blood, but with his last breath he told Tetsuya with a fading voice; "No matter what happens or what you do, if you face Mori Akiyama, I guarantee you'll die. So don't go there." These were his last words as life escaped his body. Tetsuya got near him to take his power and while smiling he was thinking to himself; "I don't care about dying, I will not stop until I achieve my objective or die in the process."

#  SHIZEN NO MEGAMI

Mori was moving towards the rain forest as fast as she could. She was worried about Mika and was wondering if she found Ume Akiyama like she told her, but her wound was hurting horribly, she was practically walking in one leg. She was also thinking about Jirou, a lot; "Dammed Jirou, how can you be so out of your mind, I'm going to get you myself and bring you back to Mika even if I have to drag you!" She was decided, she was going to make sure Mika was OK and then she was going to get Jirou, she was going to make him realize what he had done, so even with the killer pain in her leg she was moving forward.

Far from there, in the land of eternal summer, Yoshinori had a similar idea, he was standing in front of the Fortress that used to be Mitsuo's domains, it was completely reconstructed, Jirou had used his powers to elevate it again even mightier than before. Yoshinori was standing outside of it and he was completely sure that Jirou was inside. He had a sigh and he entered the fortress. He was walking through the long corridor that leaves to the big chamber, it was silent and dark, but a light could be seen at the end of the corridor inside the chamber. When he got there, he saw Jirou sitting in the throne like chair that used to be Mitsuo's. Jirou was looking directly at him but didn't seem to notice he was there, so he spoke to him; "Jirou! What happened to you? Are you listening?" Jirou's eyes were red, like they were on fire, and he was murmuring something, Yoshinori got a bit closer to try to hear him; "Mika is going to die, she going to kill me and then she'll die, she's dead, she's dead..." He was repeating this again and again. "Jirou is me, can't you hear me?" – Yoshinori told him again, "Mika are you here, is that you?" - Jirou replied. The fire had complete control over his body, he was there, but he couldn't even distinguish reality from his own fantasy world. Yoshinori was worried, Jirou was no longer the kid that he had raised, the fighter and lovely kid that he knew, the kid that would grind trough whatever life could put him trough. "Jirou you have to come home, Mika is dying slowly every day you're not with her, I haven't seen her smile since you left, just come back with me!" – Yoshinori said, but with no answer from Jirou, he just kept murmuring about Mika's dying. He was out of his senses so Yoshinori decided to grab him and drag him back with him, but when he grabbed Jirou's arm he screamed like he was in horrible pain and an enormous, intense flare irradiated from his body. The flare was so intense it could be seen from miles away, from the distance it looked like a volcano had erupted. Yoshinori was caught in the flare and his body was burned to ashes almost instantly. Jirou didn't even realize that he had killed his uncle, the man who raised him like he was his own child.

Miles away from there, Mori was getting close to the rain forest and she saw the giant flare in the distance. She thought that another volcano had erupted, "Dammed Jirou, come to your senses, you're out of control." – She thought to herself. In front of her, she saw the fortress of Ume Akiyama, the Shizen no Megami, Mori's mother. The fortress was a magnificent piece of art. It was completely created out of nature. It was build from trees, plants, roots and lots of flowers. It was beautiful, the whole fortress was alive, it was a living fortress, there, the Shizen no Megami lived in harmony with nature. Mori had not been there in almost three years, so she was amaze by its beauty. She was perplexed and forgot for a minute everything that was going on. Suddenly she heard Mika yelling her name, "Mori! Mori you made it!" Then she saw her running towards her. They were both glad that they were OK. Behind Mika, Mori saw her Mother Ume, she was as beautiful as ever, and despite the fact that she was in her late forties she looked much younger. She had a voluptuous body just like Mori and also had red hair, but without the curls. She also had the nature's mark all over her body; just like Mori used to have hers, but instead of just leafs Ume's mark also had all kind of flowers.

"Mom!" – Mori exclaimed and ran towards her mother. For a moment they were calmed and felt save.

After the joy and emotion of the reunion with her mother and also with Mika, Mori was thoughtful, so lost in her thoughts staring out of a window that Mika noticed immediately; "What's wrong Mori?" – She asked. Mori looked at her, hesitated for a second and then proceeded; "I'm worried about Masamori, I left him fighting that ice mark bearer when I went to find you. We had set up a rendezvous point for the case that we got separated during battle. We had always planned that if something happened and we got separated we will meet here. That's why I told you to come and look for my mother here. I only wish he is ok, the last words I said to him weren't kind, and now I regret that. I want another opportunity to talk to him. If he died, he would have died thinking that I hate him, and that's not true." As she told Mika these words, tears ran down her face, she hugged Mika and started crying. "But you guys are Earth Mark Bearers now, he will be ok right? The Earth Spirit will not let him die right?" – Mika told her. "I'm afraid the Earth Spirit can't do anything." – Ume said as she joined the conversation; "See the Earth Spirit just gives you the Earth Mark, if the body has been damaged, or even if the person is dying, is the mark itself that reconstructs the body when it gets attached to it. But if your friend was already an Earth Mark Bearer, then that is no longer a possibility." After these words both Mika and Mori just kept staring out of the window hoping to see Masamori's figure appear in the distance.

#  REUNION

Several months passed, Mori, Mika and Ume were living peacefully in Ume's fortress. There was a time when Mori wanted to go and try to find Jirou but Mika didn't let her. She told her that she knew that if she left she would not come back, just like Yoshinori. She told her that she wanted her to be with her until she gave birth. They had gave up hope that Masamori would come back, they knew that Jirou was still out of control, but they wanted to be out of sight until Mika gave birth.

Mika was nine months into pregnancy, so she could give birth anytime. She was outside the fortress with Mori, she was listening to Mika's music box, the one that used to belong to her little sister Haru, Mori was lost in thoughts listening to the melody when Mika told her; "Listen Mori I have a favor to ask you, I know what my fate is, my days on this world are counted and I'm prepared for that." – Mori was looking at her directly in the eye without saying anything, Mika proceeded; "I need you to take care of her, promise me that you will take care of Haru." "Haru?" – Mori asked. "That's her name, the name of my baby girl." – Mika quickly replied, and Mori asked; "but what if he's a boy?" "I know it's a beautiful baby girl, I see her every day in my dreams." – Mika told her, and she proceeded, "After she's born, I need you to talk some sense to Jirou, I want her to meet his father, I want them to live together, promise me!" "Of course I promise" – Mori replied firmly; "I will talk sense to him even if I have punch him until he comes to his senses, and I will take care of Haru, I will love her like she's my own." Mika smiled and told her; "One last thing, please give this to her, this is my gift to my beautiful Haru." Then she gave Mori the music box that used to belong to her little sister. "Tell her that I will always love her, and that no matter what, I'll always be with her." – She continued. Mori agreed with tearful eyes.

A couple of days later Ume, Mori and Mika were in the house when Mika started feeling contractions, it looked it was finally time for the new Hinokami Heir to arrive to this world. Mori and Ume were making all the arrangements when suddenly the front entrance door of the fortress was blown up to pieces fiercely and they both saw Tetsuya's figure standing in the front entrance; "I finally found you." – Tetsuya said with that devilish smile on his face. "Oh great, it's you!" – Mori told him; "What happened with Masamori? What did you do to him?" – She demanded an explanation from Tetsuya immediately. "Your friend decided his own fate the moment he decided to fight me. He should have stuck to the plan." – He explained. "Bastard!" – Mori yelled and stood in front of him. "See I've been eager to find you Mori Akiyama." – Tetsuya continued; "You've earned quite a reputation, with his last breath your friend warned me not to come after you, he told me that if I face you in battle he guaranteed that I'll die. On the other hand when I found Ryota agonizing, drowning in his own blood like you left him, before I took his head and claimed my right as the Lightning God Heir, he implored me to find you and kill you. Apparently he was not happy of you leaving him to die a slow and painful dead. So now I have power over Ice, Wind and Lightning elements. And after I'm finished here I will have the power of fire as well. My plan is coming together. But I have to confess, at the beginning, this was about taking the Hinokami's Heir life, but now, things are different." He then paused for a second and continued; "Now I'm just eager to fight you! So show me that power of yours!" Mori was standing in front of him completely consumed by anger; "Bastard! You'll regret coming here! I will avenge Masamori's death!" - Mori yelled. "Mori stop!" - Ume interrupted; "Go to your friend. Make sure she's fine. I will face this demon!" Then she faced towards Tetsuya and told him; "So boy, are you ready to face the Goddess of Nature?"

"I can't let you do that mother." – Mori interrupted and stood between Ume and Tetsuya; "This is my battle, I can't let you fight it for me, the Earth Spirit brought me back from the other world and gave me a mission; To take care of this Ice Mark Bearer. Since that day, it was our destiny to face each other in battle. I implore you, take Mika to safety and make sure her baby girl is OK. I will meet you once I'm finished here." Ume was not surprised; she knew her daughter very well and she knew that there was nothing she could do to stop her. Once she had decided to do something there was no way to stop her. So she took Mika to a room in the back of the fortress so she could have her baby.

Mori was still in front of Tetsuya, took out her katana and told him; "To be sincere, I was also eager to face you in battle. So let's give you what you came for." Tetsuya then created a fierce twister filled with razor sharp ice blades inside, it was destroying everything inside Ume's fortress as it passed. Mori dodged it easily and moved towards Tetsuya with almost super human speed to perform a katana attack that Tetsuya blocked by creating an ice wall. Then he gave her an electric discharge that sent her flying in the air. She hit the ground hard and was hurting a lot. She was trying to incorporate herself when Tetsuya sent an ice spear that she barely dodge and after that followed a chill wind at hurricane speed carrying thousands of ice daggers. Mori intercepted most of them with her katana but she was reached by many of them, hurting her right arm and leg.

"You're disappointing me." Tetsuya said, "I was expecting so much more from you, so far, you're as pathetic as your little friend." Mori remained quiet, she was angered, but she wasn't going to let Tetsuya drag her into his words game. So without saying a word she ran towards Tetsuya once more to perform a katana attack similar to the first one. She was running at incredible speed, Tetsuya sent ice daggers that she dodged and attacked him fiercely with the katana. Tetsuya blocked the attack once more using that ice wall, but this time Mori attacked him without taking the katana out of the sheath, so when the attack was blocked she quickly took the katana out of the sheath went around the wall and struck him with an attack that pierced through his skin on the flank. She knew that Tetsuya was blind, and even though he could sense her every move, she knew that he wouldn't be able to distinguish if she was using the katana inside the sheath. So she used this to her advantage and performed a second surprise attack that managed to reach Tetsuya. The first attack was meant to be blocked. Tetsuya screamed in pain and performed a powerful electric wave that shocked Mori and sent her back in the air once again. He was in pain. This was the first time that somebody had cut him since he became an ice mark bearer. Mori hit the ground hard once more, but this time she was knocked out unconscious by Tetsuya's powerful attack.

Tetsuya was on his knees, bleeding badly and he was in a lot of pain. He then incorporated back on his feet and began walking towards Mori. "You bitch, you'll die this time!" He then threw a big ice spear at her. He was in pain and he was angry, so he was going to kill her cold blooded while she was unconscious in the floor, but the spear was stopped by a wave of thick roots that formed from the house's walls. "Stop!" Ume yelled. "I won't let you kill her like that! I will be your opponent!" She then stood between Mori and Tetsuya. Tetsuya was breathing heavily as Mori regained consciousness. She stood back up with the help of her mother. "Mother, what are you doing here? Go back to Mika." – Mori told Ume. "He attacked you cowardly, so I protected you" – Ume told her. "I will end this once and for all" - Tetsuya said with an angry voice. "I will kill both of you together!" He then started to create a huge twister as cold as his heart. He was badly hurt, and he knew he had to end this fight quick. Just as the twister was starting to form Mori and Ume could already feel its powerful winds and chilly temperature, on top of that, they could hear Mika screaming from the other room, she was starting to give birth. If they didn't do something to stop the twister it would destroy the whole fortress.

Mori took out her katana and started running towards him, this time she had no plan, no strategy, she was just going to attack him with good old brute force to stop him from unleashing that destructive twister. But before she reached him something happened. Something entered through the ceiling. It destroyed the fortress's ceiling; it entered like a meteor with destructive force and speed. Mori and Ume were astonished, Mori recognized the figure immediately and she yelled with joy; "Jirou!" "What is this guy doing here?" Tetsuya thought. "Dammed this is bad."

Mika heard Mori scream and her eyes covered in tears, but they were tears of joy. "Jirou you came back!" – She screamed with enthusiasm.

Jirou was under the control of fire itself, his body was a mere puppet of the power of fire, he entered with such force that he obliterated Tetsuya's twister before he could unleash it. His body was covered in an intense fire halo that was menacing to burn everything in the fortress. But he was still mumbling nonsense words; "Mika is here, she is trying to kill me, she will kill me, she will die, Mika will die." Tetsuya smiled again and told Mori; "The fool doesn't even know he's here, he will kill all of us without even noticing." Mori then told Jirou; "Keep it together man, there's our enemy." She was pointing at Tetsuya. Jirou then started walking towards Mori and he was still mumbling the same things about Mika dying, so Mori told him; "There he is! He's the one who wants to kill Mika!" And she again pointed at Tetsuya. Then Jirou faced at Tetsuya and started walking towards him. "You killed Mika?" He was just repeating this over and over while walking towards Tetsuya. Mori heard Mika screaming from the other room and went to her immediately, it was happening, she was giving birth. When Mori got to her side, she was crying: "He didn't recognized me Mori, he doesn't know me anymore." "Don't be foolish girl," - Mori told her; "don't you understand? He used whatever consciousness he had left inside him to come here and save us. Even from distance he felt you were in danger!"

On the other room Tetsuya was throwing everything he had at Jirou. Lighting, ice daggers, spears, everything, but Jirou's halo was too powerful; he just kept walking towards Tetsuya. Mika's baby was already coming out of the her body when she yelled; "Jirou! Grind! Always remember to Grind!" In the other room Jirou could heard these words, the consciousness of Jirou inside him heard these words loud and clear. When he heard these words the fire halo around him took the form of a huge, intense tiger. A beautiful tiger made of fire. The tiger's fang from Hiroshi's necklace was hanging in the mouth of the tiger just where the fang was supposed to be, then he crushed Tetsuya with brute force and bit his neck, the fang penetrated Tetsuya's neck like butter and the intense fire halo burned his body to ashes. There was nothing he could do. At this same moment, in the other room Mika gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Mori received the baby and gave it to her mom. While the baby girl opened her eyes, Mika told her "Hello Haru," after she said these words her eyes closed and life escaped her body. One life saw the light for the first time and the other one extinguished. Mori grabbed Haru and cried a river over her best friend's dead body. At the moment Mika died, what was left of Jirou's consciousness inside his body also died with her, so his body that was now the God of Fire and the Heir of Lightning and Wind was completely out of control. It started destroying everything in the fortress, so Ume screamed; "he's out of control! I need to drive him far from here!" And she tried to catch Jirou's attention to drive him out of the fortress.

In the other room Mori was crying inconsolably by the side of Mika's body when Haru interrupted his crying with a contagious baby laugh. Mori stopped crying for a moment and looked at her and saw her looking up and laughing. It was a laughter that contagion Mori almost instantly. The baby was seeing her parents. Mika and Jirou's spirits were both behind Mori looking at their baby girl. And they looked peaceful and happy. Mori felt something but she looked back and couldn't see anything. But Haru saw them clearly; she kept laughing and smiling, and just seeing the baby's happiness made Mori felt happy.

Mika and Jirou elevated and transcended together like it was destined to be from the very first day they met. The God of Fire was out of control, and now it was stronger than ever, but with Haru, it also came hope. Mori suddenly wasn't sad anymore. Instead she was happy, she held Haru and embraced her tightly; she knew that she had a promise to keep, a promise to her best friend, and that a lot of work was ahead of them, but she was sure that she and Haru were going to be just fine. Mori then opened the music box that Mika gave her and Haru's eyes closed to a deep sleep listening to the Melody that her mother, Mikazuki Inoue, loved so much.

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Grind came to me in a dream and it's the first work I've ever written. I couldn't sleep until I got it out of my head and put it in black and white. Once I started working on it, it practically wrote itself, it was like the story already existed and it used me to come to life. My beloved wife, Vane, draw the illustrations giving life and personality to the characters. Every illustration was first hand drawn by her, and then digitalized. Feel free to contact me at anytime at; jirou_rdq@hotmail.com or on www.facebook.com/roly.dq

Thanks for reading!

\- rsr
