Author's Note: For the more details of why I decided to come back to this fic, please see my profile. To all my readers, again, I would like to say I'm sorry for the 6 years delay. I had no plans to continue it but then, I decided to return to it again. I modified the chapters a bit and decreased the length to make it more bite-sized and easier to read. I plan to make a release more often than I did in my first few chapters (and definitely as long as the wait between chapters 4 and 5). So, here it goes.

Disclaimer: I am a fan fiction writer. Anything written here is NOT official.

Chapter 5: Warriors' Cry

"Waaataaaah!" a shrill cry echoed through the damp cave as running footsteps followed.

A whoosh in the air. Slam! A heavy object impacted the ground causing the cave to reverberate with its sound as the soil floor shook. Bits of dust and debris fell from the rocky ceiling of the place.

A tenor voice yelled confidently, "It doesn't matter how many you bring. Give it up coz revenge will be mine!"

A whoosh in the air followed and footsteps again. A brusque yell erupted, "Stop moving around, you disgusting filth! It's irritating!"

Heavy footsteps followed as a tall, brawny humanoid figure approached another shorter muscular man. The humanoid figure, with brownish-scarlet skin, was gigantic, standing about seven feet tall and wielding an axe taller than himself. His metal-clad feet pounded heavily on the ground as he approached the lithe figure with a nunchaku, who danced around him in evasion, irritating further the heavy figure.

"You think you can really stop me?" the agile man challenged as he fixed his long, black bangs brushing his face. Suddenly, he rushed towards the giant, his nunchaku behind him as he prepared for a strike. The giant thumped his chest with his non-weapon hand and braced himself.

"I'll crush you, you pretentious fool!"

As the nimble man nearly approached him, the heavy man gripped his hands on the handle of his axe, lifted it up over his head and, with incredible force, swung it down.

Slam! Again, the ground shook and dust rained from the ceiling. The nunchaku wielder had sidestepped the attack and progressively advanced towards the giant quickly. He leapt in the air and aimed his weapon towards his nemesis' face.

-0-

Plants. Trees. Rocks. That was a while ago. Now, there were only rocks and stones and the loamy ground. It was hard to see through the darkness of the moonlit sky, occasionally shrouded by clouds.

But why were they upside down? Then, Maxi remembered that he was being carried by his captor, a woman as he saw her back. He was slung across her narrow shoulder. She was strong. Incredibly strong. Unnaturally strong to carry him.

His eyes felt heavy once again as he drifted to his slumber and the dream of fighting his nemesis.

-0-

The giant staggered with his strike but only with a few steps back. Maxi stepped on the bent knee of his enemy to push him upwards and leapt to strike again his head. However, while mid-air, he was caught by the neck.

He choked and struggled but the vice grip strangulating him won't let go. He felt the air trapped in his lungs refusing to come out and the air from outside never refilling it. His chest heave as he wheezed, trying to breathe. It ached with the effort uselessly exerted. His legs flailed helplessly, suspended in the air.

The giant let out a cruel laughter. "I'll strangle the life out of you. Now, squirm, scream and die!"

Maxi knew that the giant, Astaroth, was holding back on him. The giant could have squeezed effortlessly and his neck would have snapped like a twig. However, with inclination towards violence and viciousness, Astaroth held back to let him die slowly and painfully.

'I won't give him the pleasure of watching me scream as I die!' Maxi thought determinedly. With one hand gripping the wrist that strangulated him, he pummelled his nunchaku repeatedly with the other hand.

"You thought you could live through this, maggot?" the harsh voice of the giant bellowed.

"Ahhhkkkkkk!" he choked. He knew that he his life was ebbing away every moment his neck lingered in his foe's hand. He had to force his way into making Astaroth let loose his grip. Pummelling the wrist didn't work though the hand that gripped his nunchaku was sore and would bleed soon. Giving all of his strength into his arm, he swung it back and then threw the weapon into the giant's face.

Astaroth let out a surprised grunt as he staggered again, the grip on Maxi's neck lost. Maxi dropped to the ground. He had no time to cough or wheeze or catch his breath. Though weak and nearly fainting, he dashed forward and grabbed his nunchaku. He can't afford his weapon destroyed by his enemy as he predicted what he would do. Seeing a stone pillar nearby, he slipped into its shadow.

-0-

The trees seemed slanted to him as he opened his blurry eyes—fogged by his recent sleep. Then, it occurred to him that the land on which his captor walked was slanted. They were climbing possibly a mountain or a hill. There was a path that stretched behind them and as he caught glimpses on what was in front of his captor, the trail stretched ahead as well.

Where was he being brought to? Why was his captor on him? Was she on her own or did somebody sent her?

For once, his mind cleared a bit as it sparked with activity. He remembered her tune he last heard from Kunpaetku shrine. Is Kunpaetku alive?

Suddenly, another wave of drowsiness overwhelmed him and the reality in front of his eyes blurred. The boundaries between his wakefulness and his dream intertwined once again making it difficult for him to distinguish either.

-0-

The emotions of triumph and elation surged within her as Maki lifted up her staff to prepare for her finishing blow. She smirked as she saw the girl possessing Arahabaki helplessly lying under her feet. Natsu was weakened now and with one blow, she would be unconscious and Maki could bring her back as a trophy. Soon this girl will be a malfested and would join their ranks.

Soon...

"Aaakkk!" a yell was heard from Maki's side and as she turned, one of her ninjas fell down with a smoking stab wound on his chest.

"Urrrgh!" another death cry from behind her and she spun seeing only the lying form of another, souless and a paper talisman on his face. Maki turned to her right as another yell was heard from that direction. Another was downed with a smoking hacking wound on his back.

Realizing what was happening, she whirled towards the direction of her remaining ninja guard who yelled out a choked cry as a blade protruded on his chest from behind. He fell on his face revealing a figure in black behind him with a dagger on each hand. The figure dashed quickly to Maki who somersaulted away and landed a few yards from Natsu.

Maki let out a girlish giggle, "So, you're still up to your old tricks, Taki. Fast as ever but almost always late as ever. I was just about to make a trophy out of your student. She would make a powerful ally on our side."

The figure pulled down the black cotton face mask from the face revealing one with a feminine feature, small dark brown eyes and thin lips. Before, only the curves of her body within the dark tights she was wearing revealed her gender. Her hair was concealed in a bun to hide its length.

"Your schemes will end soon, Maki. I won't let you and your master succeed," Taki declared.

"Oh, do I have one? I'm really one of those free agents that work independently."

"Give up the bluff! I already knew that Toki is alive. Whether you tell me or not where he is hiding, I will know for sure."

"Oh, he is alive? That is good news."

"My business with you is over for now. You shall leave or I shall make you."

"Unfortunately, my business is far from over. You see I want you dead and I want the girl as a trophy."

"Very well then. It's your choice," Taki answered confidently.

Maki merely grunted a laugh and took a wide stance as she held her staff, one hand on the back end and another a few inches from the first. And then her expression changed into ferocity.

"Raaaaaagh!" she cried as she sprinted towards the new comer. She swung her staff to the right and then to the left as Taki moved her head back to avoid each strike. With fury, Maki spun and swept her staff to the ground trying to catch the latter's feet and make her topple. Taki somersaulted over her and landed behind her. She shot her feet towards Maki's back in three successive kicks causing her to stagger at the first two strikes and topple to her face with the last. As she turned around, there was Taki jumping at her with one blade glowing a blue color, on a back handed grip, trying to plunge it into her flesh.

With alarm, she rolled sideward to evade. A sharp pain shot from her side from where she received a powerful kick causing her to skid farther.

Taki stood still as she watched Maki jump to her feet and resume a defensive stance. The latter eyed Taki's blade glowing a light blue color.

"Rekki-Maru," she said as she recognized it. "One of the blades I know that can kill a malfested with one strike. Its ability to counter evil with its mystical power is very well-known."

"You guessed it right. And you know why it's the main blade I'm using against you now."

Maki laughed again, a high-pitched laughter, "You're pathetic if you think that you could defeat me with one strike. My powers have grown since our last meeting. Though you have defeated me before, think twice before assuming that this battle would be easy. Your blade would have to strike my flesh first before it can bring its effect on me."

"We'll see," was Taki's only reply.

"Try this!" Maki yelled as she spun her staff, producing three human sized cyclones that quickly whirled towards Taki. Taki ran towards them and leapt over them, spinning with her body tipped horizontally as she did so.

Seeing her evade the cyclones further enraged Maki and she sent cyclones upon cyclones upon her who leaped and somersaulted over each one.

"Ryah— Ryah— Ryah!" she yelled as she produced and sent each one to her opponents. Taki ran and leapt and ran and leapt, evading each one. She had difficulty getting near with Maki because she moved about as she sent the twisters to her. Each time Taki was able to get within three yards at her, Maki would leap away and use a twister as a distraction.

Finally, as Taki closed the distance with her foe, she jumped over Maki as she was about to send a cyclone to her. Landing behind her, she swung her glowing blade, Rekki-Maru to slash her back.

Clang! Maki was able to turn around and block the attack in time with her staff.

"Not so easy as you think!" she snarled.

"Perhaps. But still my blade will dig into your skin sooner or later," Taki answered.

Maki chuckled as she spun and kicked Taki with the deformed foot. The latter was thrown off and skidded. As she pushed herself up there were four cyclones headed her way, in two columns and two rows. As she got up, she leapt, higher and longer than usual to evade them all. She landed on one knee.

She lifted her head and saw Maki's staff descending on her. She rolled to one side and leapt towards the other kicking and slashing at Maki at the same time.

"Aaahhh!" Maki screamed in pain as the Rekki-Maru blade sliced the flesh of her arm. She leapt back as she sent three more cyclones at Taki and inspected the wound inflicted upon her. The attack had burnt her skin and threatened to spread, creeping and expanding. She needed the power of Soul Edge to fight it back. She stared fiercely at her foe.

She had no choice. She had to raise her flag in defeat lest she would be overwhelmed with the effect of Taki's weapon. With that, she jumped from roof to roof away from her attacker and disappeared into the shadows.

Seeing that Maki had gone, she ran towards Natsu and inspected her. She was pale. Though the pool of blood was not much, the curse of Soul Edge must have been spreading through her body. Taki rolled her to her side and saw the nasty wound at the upper back, near the left shoulder. There were dark colored veins creeping around the wound like gnarled roots. It must be treated soon or else the malfestation would spread and overwhelm her.

Taki placed her student into a prone position and placed the tip of the Rekki-Maru blade inside the wound. Natsu stiffened a bit with the pain inflicted on her. Taki was reassured. That was a sign that there was still consciousness in her.

The older swords-woman took a deep breath and placed both hands on the handle of her blade causing it to glow even brighter. Slowly, the gnarled veins paled in color and disappeared. The wound was still there but atleast it was rid of Soul Edge's infestation. She took the younger warrior and placed her over her shoulder as she ran towards an abandoned house. Inside, she searched for and took two pieces of cloths: one large enough to bandage the wound and another to clean it.

-0-

Fine

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Author's Note: So... There it is. Chapter 6 is coming soon. Thank you!