Destined For Doom

Chapter 29 - Power

-29-

-Power-

Akane shifted back to his tangible form, leaping through the crumbling window of one of the low-set structures. The concrete apartment buildings were in ruins, completely neglected for the many years; it was something of a miracle that they had held up for this long. The mist from outside thinned on the ground floor, and he sprinted through the rubble in a desperate attempt to escape.

"You can't run from me Akane," Kento called from somewhere out in the fog, "It is pointless to try. Don't make me hurt you any more than I have to."

Akane did his best to ignore the threat, listening carefully to his surroundings and keeping his footsteps as quiet as possible. A slight whistling filled the air, barely audible as something flew towards him. On instinct he dived forward, only barely avoiding the bladed part of Kento's chain as it tore clean through the concrete walls. The sides of the many chain links were also sharpened, and ripped through the solid wall like it was made of thin wood. The entire section of the structure started to collapse around him, showering hunks of broken stone and wood down as he stumbled into a run.

The chain-hook broke through the concrete again, snaking through to find Akane amongst the falling debris. Akane knew it for certain, the god was toying with him. Kento could kill him in an instant if it was what he truly desired, but the death god was fonder of mentally breaking his targets; he would torment them with the knowledge that at any moment, he could end their lives. Still, this didn't mean he was going to take it easy on Akane.

The Shinigami pressed his attacks as fast and hard as he could, pushing Akane to the very limit while not outright killing him. Still, he kept running. As the blade punched through the concrete in front of him Akane turned sharply, heading up and through a crumbling stairwell. The wood was rotten and falling apart, but it held his weight as he bounded to the second floor. Kento's chain ripped through the stairs with ease, coiling with a life of its own around the central pillar as Akane ran. When he neared the top it went suddenly taut, crushing the centre in a shower of splinters.

The chain retracted back to Kento, and Akane was forced to leap the remaining distance to the second floor. He fell into open air as the stairwell dropped out from underneath him, his hands clasping to the concrete edge as he tried to haul himself up. Splinters dug into his fingertips, but he barely felt them. His muscled burned, and his breath came in short, ragged gasps as he pulled himself up to the second floor.

The chain tore through the wall in front of him at high speed, not giving him a second to rest and regain his strength. Akane rolled to the side, feeling the air displaced by the weapon flow past his cheek. At the Shinigami's will the weapon curled back in mid-air, coming back around on the other side of Akane at great speed. His light armour saved him from being cut to ribbons by the razor-edged chain links, but the weapon still wrapped tightly enough to immobilise him completely. With his arms securely bound to either side of his body, the chain started to retract at great speed towards the wall. Akane braced himself, his body numb with pain as he smashed through the weakened concrete. It wasn't enough to break bones, but it still hurt like hell.

He tried to shift out of his physical form as he flew through the open air, but he was too weak; the Shinigami had won. The wind was knocked out of him as he was slammed into the ground, still entangled in the Shinigami's chain. Kento looked on calmly, not even breaking a sweat while he dealt out his punishment.

"You neglect my teachings," Kento shook his head, sounding more disappointed than angry, "Do you remember nothing?"

Akane was slammed into the ground again, his head smashing against what was left of a crumbling road. He saw stars as the chain dragged him towards his former master. The Shinigami's weapon coiled like a snake, raising Akane off his back and onto his hands and knees. He panted, looking down at the ground as Kento's weapon uncoiled from his body.