Last Destiny Volume 1 Chapter 8

A group of travelers arrives at a shrine and meets a teenage girl named Psycho. They ask for her help in entering the shrine, but she suspects their intentions. Saru, one of the travelers, argues with Psycho about her abilities as a witch, causing her to become upset and run into the shrine. The group follows her and encounters imps guarding the shrine. They engage in a battle and are saved by a mysterious figure on a horse. The figure destroys the imps and causes the shrine to collapse. The travelers escape and are confronted by angry villagers. They manage to return to their ship and reflect on their experiences. Saru is amazed by his newfound summoning abilities. Chapter 8. It is no time before they are near the third shrine. The huge and unusual shrine is below them, carved in such a way it's as if the entire mountain were fastened to it unlike the prior ones. Kahira says, it's it. Heger says, Kahira, why don't we just land below and go in? Kahira says, not that simple. We need information as to how best to enter from someone who has been. Heger says, oh, the basic way. Understood. Mayuri says, ha, if you put it that way. She then turns towards Kayane and laughs. They land near some trees out of sight of people though because it is daytime they were seen in the skies. Heger notices a teenage girl nearby before they landed. Of course, Saru asks to be the one to gather information from her. As Saru leaves them to meet her, Mayuri says to her husband, Kayane, my love, I have not wanted to say it out loud, but I think Saru is a womanizer. She says while giggling. With a for sure expression, Kayane replies, I knew it from the start when he spoke to you out of turn. He seemed to really like Taika, but he does not seem as one ready to settle down, and they had an age difference. Saru says, seems to be some ways from the others has climbed a tree looking at the girl. She appears to be kneeling, perfectly still holding her head looking into the sky. He notices she has no expression and thinks she is a rather weird one. He decides to go over and introduce himself. When he arrives, she still does not seem to be aware he is near. Saru at this point does not have a desire to disturb her. At this point, noticing he is very pretty, he just wants to stare at her. She looks off into the sky without blinking as though it were a night sky full of stars. Smiling, staring at her face for a moment, it dawns on him that they have a mission. So he walks up close and says, what are you staring at so intensely if you do not mind me asking? The teenage girl, seeming as though someone cut off something and she just, the thing cut off, looks at him harshly. Saru just smiles back at her. The teenager dryly replies, I was in a state of meditation, complete concentration, on which, in training, you see. Saru looking down at her seriously. Saru is baffled, momentarily left with nothing to say as he can't take her words seriously. Then, finally, he says, I am a summoner of Nora. Saru, the teenager says, I am Psycho. What is it you are looking for, Saru? Saru says, how do you know I am looking for anything? Psycho says, because I know everyone in this land, stranger. This is my space. No one but my mother enters it. All of that being so, what are you looking for, Saru? Saru braces his eyes and says, okay, okay. I mean, we are travelers seeking a way into the shrine. From afar, Kahara says to the others, I don't think it's possible knowing how he would have it. Psycho says, travelers? A way into the shrine without gifts of approval? You all cannot be up to any good. Saru, about to panic, says, huh? But how can you know that? Psycho says, why? But by my concentration. Saru says, come now, Psycho, I'm older than you, and I know a thing or two about actual witches. Your mother may be one, but you, a witch in the shrine? That's ridiculous. There is no such thing. You were either born to be one or not. If anything, you are just a follower of Nishi who wants to be a witch. Psycho, whose eyes had been widening as his words cut deep into her flesh, bursts into tears. Saru steps back, looking in the direction of the others. He is not ready for the poor teenager's next actions as she takes off running. After pausing for a moment, he takes off behind her, begging her to stop, but she just continues running as fast as she can straight to the shrine. The others have started running after them as they notice she may help them after all. Psycho, once she reaches the shrine, heads toward the huge praying hand and to an opening. Saru, at first startled by this stops, then he goes in behind her. Through the passageway, they slide into a chamber. Once Kaira has gotten all the way inside and looks around a bit, he says, why do all these shrines look about the same inside? Saru walks up from the shadows, exhausted, and says, each shrine was supposedly designed on the inside by each of their own personal imps, so the imps all had the same taste. Kaira says, how would you know that, Saru? Saru says, remember, my friend, I lived and was raised near a shrine. Kaira says, what happened to the child? Did you lose her? Saru says, no, I just knew I needed to find you all. She's where the imp is, crying and praying to Nichi to take this place. He's a real follower of Nichi. Saru has a sorrowful expression on his face. He leads them to where they can hear the child's loud crying and mumbling coming from. She is in the chamber area, vast in size, playing as the other shrines on her knees in a fetal position with her arms outstretched. There are various steps leading to this area. The energy sources that the imps were in are to the sides of her. Suddenly, she rises slowly in silence and turns toward them. Her eyes are bloodshot red, and she has been crying profusely. She braces her teeth as intense magical energy crackles before her. She screams, I will do my Lord's bidding. With all the magical energy in her being, she musters up a huge-sized fireball, which launches at the group. It crackles with lightning. Mayuri prepares a spell to counter it, while Kaien slides forth on the ground toward her. As he reaches close, he releases his sword from the handle and knocks Saeko unconscious with the butt to her head. He is then mauled by an imp who laughs viciously. Mayuri finishes casting an ice spell, which counters the fireball. Then she screams her husband's name. Another imp mauls certain, and the group realize they have their hands full. Laughter is heard as the sound of the imp's claws are heard scratching against the walls as they run about. One of the imps says, you bunch shouldn't have come here. We have specific orders to protect the realm at all costs. We are aware a bunch has been going around destroying our Lord's shrines, our homes. You all must die. Kahira says, ha, finally we have drawn their attention. It is a good time if anything. Come out of the shadows. Face us. Face the face, cruel one. Kahira speaks loud and clear, but his look is of no joy. It's dead serious. Both imps rush at Kahira's cause most of the group call out his name. Kahira is not distracted. He swings his rather large sword around, causing the incoming creature to leap back from him. He charges his staff, the one to his left. Kaien, bloodied, comes up from behind and completely swashblasts, finishing the creature with both his swords. It screams echoes throughout the area. The second imp cuts Kaien down, laughs in his face, and tosses him away. Mayuria, without hesitation, quickly casts the lightning spell, which drains most of her remaining energy. She collapses. The intense lightning seems to crackle from all directions and the entire area is brightened. The imp is swiftly fried to death. The group that is still on their feet look over to Mayuria, astonished. Kager rushes over to heal her, while Kahira gives Kaien ether for his wounds. More scratching of the surfaces can be heard. Another imp calls out, this is far from over. You all will die today, make no mistake. A large roar is heard, where laughter would have been once the statement is finished. Kahira at once drinks some of the ether, while Kaien rises and braces his two blades. Kaien is ready. Kahira says, Saru, you are a summoner, right? Saru says, yes I am, but I'm afraid. Kahira says, we are in need, and at some point you have to trust in yourself. Saru then nods his head. Saru begins to concentrate to a point the strain is obvious. Kahira and Kaien both come on to either side of Saru in order to guard him while he conjures. Saru's eyes shut and his nose begins to bleed. Mayuria, fully healed, casts a double water spell in the direction of both imps, causing them to scatter from attacking the guys. The sound of lightning is heard but not seen. Then there is dead silence, and a valiant headless figure on a horse appears behind Saru who falls. The figure pulls his sword, and upon his horse leaps over the guys across the air. The imps both leap at it at the same time. The figure's speed is blinding. It stabs both and cuts them in half. The figure puts up its sword and grabs the imp's throat while still up on his horse, leaping into darkness. But that is not all the figure did. A vanishing point seems to tear at the fabric of the area. The shrine begins to fall on itself. Everyone is speechless at what just occurred, but realizes they must get out of the area at once. Heger reveals Saru is mortally drained as he begins to heal them. As they make their way out of the fallen diversion of the shrine, they see the village people gathering. The village people have stones and begin to throw at them. Kayin, who is carrying Saku, places her down and watch certain people, presumably her family, drop their stones and rush over to her. Kahaira is carrying Saru but has not awakened yet. Heger was not able to fully heal them due to the state of things at the time. They run as quickly as they can back to their ship. Mayuria blocks their path by casting an ice spell, which forms into a field of ice. Many of the villagers panic as they witness the entire shrine fall into itself, as they never thought such a thing was possible. Once on the ship, everyone is exhausted. Kahaira places Saru down and says, Dang, Saru, you can get mighty heavy after a while. Slowly opening his eyes, Saru softly replies, Huh, sorry about that. I can't believe I survived. Kahaira says, That was your first time, wasn't it? Saru says, Yes, it was the most unbelievable feeling. It's as if I was that thing, that being. I mean, it listened to me and did everything I asked. It even caused the fall of the shrine. I was disembodied. Mayuria says, It seems too dangerous. As she looks down at him with worrying eyes, Heger says, Sounds like quite the experience. Your personal energy, spiritual and magical as a combined force, came close to being extended. I gave as much as I could, but I need to finish healing you. At that, he sits behind him and starts healing.