Shinigami in Paris

07. Castle of the Stolen Kiss

Suspended beams, ropes stretched over a foam pit, soft high-rise structures, climbing walls, all kinds of twisting and turning things – the obstacle course was teeming with a crowd of people who wanted to go through the first stage of a long action quest. Like a wild animal, Naz instinctively felt the danger: from the far end of the hall, she, the Baroque woman, was looking at him. He felt her gaze on his biceps, glinting in the fluorescent light. A small shiver ran through his body.

"Naz, what's up, bro? Let's go!" Jules shouted to him, and jumped over the first obstacle.

The girls went ahead. Every now and then they strove to fall, but each time something magically helped them regain their balance. Helped everyone except for Naz, who continued to unsuccessfully try to cuddle Rose, and successfully catch various objects in the face. Shinigami are merciless! And they came again for their souls.

"There!" shouted Jalapeño and moved his hand to the sword in sheath.

"Wait a minute!" Big Jim stopped him. All around the room people were running, jumping and falling from all sides. "There are too many kids and kid-alts here. They are unpredictable. Hide your weapon until the right moment."

A majestic pyramid-shaped castle of soft multi-colored cubes and triangles rushed up to the passage to the next level of the action quest. Naz, Rose, Olivia and Jules were climbing to the top along with a dozen visitors.

Big Jim gave command to four henchmen – this time there were more of them: the spicy Cheongyang and the fiery Guntur joined the chili brothers Jalapeño and Habanero. They were climbing up the castle, approaching their target. Big Jim couldn't wait to see Tim's doomed face when he'd realize that he lost. But Jim lost sight of him. The renegade shinigami who had been climbing next to Rose a second ago vanished in thin air.

"Are you looking for me?" said someone to Jim's ear.

Shinigami cannot die from physical injuries, but they feel pain like all living beings, and Tim felt how his foot kissed the jaw of Big Jim, who right now was flying into the abyss. It must hurt.

Jalapeño turned out to be less adapted to flying. Tim was only able to throw him down couple levels lower. However, this was enough to gain the slight advantage necessary for four human beings to break away from the unseen pursuit.

Guntur launched his agile partner Cheongyang like a rocket. In one jump he appeared before the renegade shinigami. Fast moves, blocks at the last moment. Tim realized that he met a skilled fighter, with whom it is better not to fight. Besides, Habanero was already approaching from behind. And downstairs, Jim and Jalapeño came to their senses.

Leaping between the protruding structures of the multicolored castle, Tim escapes and fight with the overwhelming numbers of shinigami. They fall, but they rise, they fall, but they climb again. Tim is the King of the Hill.

An enraged Guntur pulls out his sword. One, two, three. Tim dodges but is knocked down by Cheongyang. These guys know how to work in combo. Big Jim and the others are also about to pounce on him, but Tim manages to wriggle out of the trap and knocks the sword out of Guntur's hands. Oh no! A sword that can teleport shinigami to the underworld. A sword which single touch can kill any living creature. This sword flies towards the children climbing up the castle.

Tim and all five shinigami realize their mistake and rush towards the kids. The agile Cheongyang is the fastest of all, he jumps, but his height is not enough, and the sword flies past the agile shinigami falling from the castle. Tim jumps out after him, a little more and... Fingertips touch the handle of the lethal weapon, but it slips away. The green-eyed shinigami drops down one level.

Two children are laughing merrily as they stand on the edge of the castle. The phantom blade flies exactly on one of them. Horror seizes the angels of death. Big Jim closes his eyes.