Akuma No Kage: Season 4

Chapter 7: The Awakening

Jiyu looked down at her body, his eyes having no spirit at all, only demented. He then kneeled next to her, picking her up slowly within his arms. He stood up, with her in his arms. Afterwards he looked up into the sky and called out, "I'm sorry, Renji... But I've got a promise to keep... One that even I can manage..." He then turned around, beginning to walk towards the base. He walked past Akatsuki, who stopped right there, staring at who he held. He then spoke in a rather concerned tone, "Jiyu...?" He asked. Jiyu stopped, then turned and asked, "Yes?" His eyes were the same as usual now, though this was a completely new Jiyu. "Nothing... Good job..." He said, with a slight smile. "...Thanks." Jiyu responded, giving a smile of his own back. Akatsuki then turned around, walking beside Jiyu back to the base.

That was six months ago... Six, long, painful months ago. Now we've been able to create a completely new approach and strategy to this whole situation, Akatsuki asked Lee to train him, which Lee gratefully accepted. Now, Akatsuki can use wire almost as good as Lee can, I've discovered he has some very high adaptation skills... A horde hasn't struck lately, however... I explained what happened with Deatta, thankfully everybody understood. Though I knew what I needed to do at that moment, and that's all that mattered. Itami uses scimitars now. The scimitars have crimson handles, though I'm not surprised he chose such a color. Shokan has trained himself as well as his familiars. He's been learning how to physically fight. Although he still has a long way to go, he's doing good... Just like everybody else... Akatsuki even asked Yugure to teach him how to use a crossbow, though I think he's completed that training. We've become stronger... and we're one step closer... to defeating this apocalypse... 

Jiyu, Itami, Lee, Shokan, Yugure and Akatsuki sat around the table which remained in the kitchen. "Okay, so basically..." Shokan said, everybody facing him, "I've figured out how the zombies work. We'll start with trotters." Everybody nodded in agreeance to this. Jiyu's hair was longer now, down his back in a ponytail. He was also older, 16 years old now. Akatsuki's hair style was no different, though he had changed his attire a bit. He now wore the same scarf and trench coat which he wore that night, 6 months ago. Jiyu had changed his own appearance, as well. Now he wore a full sized, black trenchcoat which Itami had given to him. He had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, though. Itami had cut his hair so it was how it originally looked when he was captain, almost a year ago. He wore a full-body tight suit as well now, though on his legs remained black hakama pants. Akatsuki also wore black hakama pants now. He thought they were easier to move around in. Yugure wore a light grey fullbody tight. On her legs she also wore hakama pants, though they were dark grey. She had her tail in a single ponytail as well. Lee had cut his hair, now it went down to the nape of his neck. He wore a crimson vest and gauntlets of the same shade which went up to his elbows. Akatsuki also wore gauntlets, though his were a rather midnight purple shade. Lee also wore the pants that one would wear when preforming kung fu which were black and slightly baggy. Though they were tucked into the skinny black boots which he wore. These boots had crimson lacing as well. Everybody wore skinny black boots, though some were different lengths. Jiyu's went up his knees, a few inches from his patella's, while Itami's only went a few inches past his ankles. Akatsuki's boots also went a few inches past his ankles, and his hakama pants were tucked into them. Shokan was the only person who didn't have his pants tucked into his boots, which were midway up his knees. Yugure's boots were all the way up her knees. Shokan's hair was a bit longer, going just past his neck. He wore the same attire he had worn previously.

"Okay... Trotters can't move their arms, right?" Shokan asked, everybody nodding in response. "I've found out why... It seems that when they die, they actually die. Depending on what stage they're in and how badly they got bitten, they're classified into five different types of zombies. There's the first type; Trotters. Then there are Sprinters, then there are Variants, after them are Strongarms and then finally there are Abnormals. The Trotters are one of the three who have a chance of not being fully reanimated. Trotters may be reanimated, but only their legs are reanimated along with their jaws. They can't move their arms because they're not reanimated. Sprinters are also one of the three, only being reanimated in their legs and jaws as well. Though, their legs are reanimated stronger, giving them the ability to run at the speed of a healthy human if not faster. Variants, however are fully reanimated. They can wield swords but cannot wield guns as they can't see. They can only smell and hear, like the rest of the undead. They can run at the same speeds as sprinters. Then there are Strongarms who are also fully reanimated. Though they're mutated by chemicals and liquids to the point where their flesh becomes much larger and they gain great strength. They can wield weapons but are very slow. Then there are abnormals, who are like variants though don't attack humans. They have a chance of actually siding with humans, though they usually just wonder around doing nothing."

Jiyu sat on the edge of his bed. He was taller now by a few inches. He'd definitely grown more mature as well. He had a blank expression on his face, unlike the expression he used to have upon his face which was either frightened, angry or sorrowful. Then, there was a knock on the door, the knob turning a few seconds later. Lee walked into the room, closing the door behind him. "Yo." He said with a smile as he walked towards Jiyu. "Hey." Jiyu responded in his deeper voice with a slight grin. "Mind if I sit?" Lee asked, still smiling. "Not at all." Jiyu replied, smiling back. Lee then walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge beside Jiyu. "Do you mind if I ask what's up..?" Lee asked. Jiyu gave a slight sigh and spoke in a rather feint voice, "What do you mean?" He asked. "I mean how you've changed... You did the right thing six months ago but did anything else happen...?" Lee asked, triggering a memory Jiyu had. "Well... Yeah..." "May I ask what?" Jiyu gave a slight sigh in response, then spoke, "She said... I didn't have the strength to protect my friends..." "Well that's not true, sure ya' do!" "No... I don't. I do not have the strength to protect my friends and willpower alone won't do anything in this kind of situation. But I accept that and I've moved on, with one thought in my mind... I may not have the power to protect my friends... But I damn right have the power to avenge them..." Lee stared at him as he said this, a bit amused and astounded at what he had just said. He then inhaled lightly, speaking in a soft and light voice, "I see... So you've come to your senses and now you're hellbent to avenge your friends who have died upon the battlefield..." There was a long pause before Jiyu nodded and said, "Yeah... I guess you could call it... My awakening..."