Enter The Ninjaverse

CHAPTER 105

Author's Note:

This entire chapter was inspired by the song Yuki No Hate Ni Kimi No Na Wo from the RE:Zero Frozen Bonds OVA. In fact, that song in general was what developed all of the endgame for Harumi Garmadon. It's one of my favorite songs out there, and while I don't have anywhere in particular for you to start listening to it, I hope that if you do, you can start to feel how the chapter was structured much like that very song. After editing this was just short of Chapter 103's length. I hope that, regardless of the length, you all enjoy!

The trip that Harumi took through the void was far less chaotic than she could sense that she wasn't simply moving on one axis anymore, but rather two. Time and space were wrapping around her, giving her the sensation of motion that felt somehow both incredibly soothing, and wildly unnerving.

On her wrist, both her Borg Watch and the wristband she used were flashing. In her pocket, she could feel the stone, imbued with pure forward energy, that Acronix' had given her. She had one chance to do this. One chance to fight the Vermillion, to save her family, and to move forward in time before anyone saw her.

Normally, when the portals deposited her, Harumi could see a bit of light before she landed. This time, however, she felt her body moving in a different direction as she approached it. Like watching slides on a set tick forward in front of her, she saw images flashing by around her that glowed with a powerful energy that she couldn't hope to touch. She couldn't make them out, but she could sense their power, potential, and the future that she would be saving. They flashed by faster, harder, up until her eyes were completely filled with them, and her mind felt as though it had just blanked out.

Finally, Harumi felt the last push of force around her. She sensed the portal was arriving and angled her feet to land on them. With a burst of fresh air and warmth, she fell through a portal a few feet above the ground, falling forward and attempting to roll when she hit it. Her foot caught on something, sending her face-first into the ground instead.

"...Owh..." Harumi groaned out, pushing herself upright. When she turned to see what happened, her foot had been caught on a massive root that broke from the ground. The root was connected to a large tree that rose up into the air, its large, circular leaves forming a thick canopy above her.

Harumi took in her surroundings. She was right where she needed to be. The thick underbrush of leaves and bushes, the tall trees that blocked out much of the sunlight, the low-hanging vines and colorful flowers that adorned them, and the thick layer of humidity that burned through the air. She was in Hiroshi's Labyrinth. From the sound of the birds in the sky and the trickling sunlight towards her, she could tell it was perhaps late morning.

Normally, Harumi's first instinct would be to scan the area with her Borg Watch and determine a map. When she attempted to, though, she found the device refused to turn on. The immediate panic of that almost took hold of her, unsure what was wrong. Instead, she quickly summoned two Rhotatae discs in her hands and swiftly began cutting her way through the underbrush.

Harumi leapt up and into one of the nearby trees. With her discs in hand, she climbed up and towards the canopy. The sunlight got brighter the closer she got to the leaves, up until she was able to pull the leaves aside and fully ascend. When she pulled herself through, the vast blue sky spread out around her in a beautiful, panoramic picturesque view. Immediately, Harumi found the Endless Sea that bordered the jungle. Forming a mental map, she plotted her location. She was roughly a half mile from the edge and heading in the direction towards the middle of the labyrinth. The jungle was incredibly wide, large and confusing enough she could get lost if she needed to. It was big, vast, and had plenty of places for snakes to hide.