Akuma No Kage: Season 4

Chapter 5: The Grey, Grey Sky

Renji climbed until he reached the top of the cliff. He stood, walking a few feet away from the edge. He looked upon the man who wore the mask, who looked back at him, although his eyes could not be seen, it was fairly obvious that he stared back. Then, as suddenly as Renji had arrived, he drew his sakaba sword. The man drew his own two blades, pointing them both at Renji, as Renji pointed his own at the man. Then, as it began to rain, the clouds grey, lightning struck. Then, their blades clashed just as quick as the lightning had struck. Their blades swung forwards and backwards, each of them guarding themselves from the other, as well as attacking their opponent. Their blades continued to clash, faster and faster than the previous, until they were swinging as hard and fast as they could. Please... Jiyu, don't come up here for your own good... Renji thought as he continued to brawl against this man.

Meanwhile, Jiyu held onto the rock which was cracking. Then, as his heart began to beat faster, the ledge broke off. I'm... I'm... He thought to himself, though couldn't come up with an answer. I'm... a fool... I'm an idiot, I'm stupid... I'm weak and have to have my friends protect me... But... He thought, finding his answer, soon converting his thoughts into words, "THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL I'LL DIE NOW!!" He called out in a rush of adrenaline, as he climbed up the rock which had just began to fall. He kicked off the surface, landing on the rocks above him, catching them just barely, then beginning to climb them again. Akatsuki looked up, watching Jiyu, then called out, "Jiyu... Come down..." He knew what Renji was thinking and he intended to follow this plan. Jiyu then looked down, stopping his climbing, staring down at Akatsuki, "No, damnit... I'm going to help Renji fight... I'm going to kill that man..." "You can't interfere with Renji's plan, you idiot... If you won't come down here on your own... Then I'll have to force you to come down here..." "...I'm not coming down..." Jiyu said, stubbornly. "Then you've left me no choice..." Akatsuki said, running up the rocks swiftly, towards Jiyu. He drew his blades back, ready to swing them at Jiyu as he ran towards him. Jiyu readied himself, placing his own blade infront of him, ready to guard whatever attack Akatsuki might throw. Then, they heard a gun shot, immediatly stopping their actions and speaking in sync, "Renji!" They then began climbing faster up the rocks.

The two arrived at the top of the cliff, only to see Renji who aimed his gun at the man. He turned, seeing the two, "I told you two to stay down there!" He called out. Jiyu ignored him, running at the man with his blade drawn, ready to swing as hard as he could. Then, Renji ran at the man, who had turned his attention towards Jiyu.

"Damn... These are harder to shoot than zombies..." Deatta told herself as she reloaded her sniper rifle, aiming down the scope at the soldiers. Then, she heard a gun shot. She aimed her rifle in the direction of this sound, ready to shoot whatever was there. Then, she saw what was happened between Akatsuki, Renji, Jiyu and the man in the mask.  She then grunted, aiming at the man, seeing Jiyu's and his blades clash. "Damnit, move Jiyu... I can't shoot... I might hit Jiyu..." She told herself, swinging the rifle onto her back, slipping out her two knives, holding them backwards. She then stabbed them into the rocky wall, beginning to climb up. As soon as she got to the top, she began running towards the situation.

Renji ran at the man, as he fought Jiyu. Akatsuki ran as well, noticing that Renji had began. "There's nowhere to run now!" Renji called out, drawing his blade. He was ready to swing. Akatsuki drew his own blades, ready to swing as well as he ran at the man. Jiyu's and the man's blade clashed together swiftly. Akatsuki ran at the man, arriving to him first, swinging his blades at the man. The man then withdrew one of the blade's which he used to fight Jiyu with, now swinging it into Akatsuki's blade, adjusting it as he swung the second blade, doing this with each clash. Then there was Renji. He also ran at the man. There was seemingly nowhere for the man to go this time. Then, the man summoned strength from what seemed out of nowhere, throwing Jiyu and Akatsuki to the ground, kicking up a bit of dust.  Then, Renji swung his blade at the man. He guarded himself from this swing with his own blades. Then, Renji was charged full of Adrenaline as he noticed Deatta running to the situation. He then switched from his two handed grasp to a one handed grasp, swinging his blade at one of the man's blades, catching the other one between his thumb and index finger, holding it stationary. "I will defeat those who threaten the future and destiny of humanity..." He said, looking up afterwards straight to the man. He then jumped up at the man, slamming his heel into the man's gut, throwing him back several feet. Though the man caught himself, running back at Renji as soon as he did, swinging his blades at him. This time, Renji quickly sheathed his sakaba sword, catching both blades, crossing them like scissors. He then used his grip to flip over the man, running a few feet behind him, afterwards throwing two kunai's into the man's back. Though they'd been caught in some kind of vest, afterwards falling to the ground. The man turned around rather slowly this time, pointing his blades at Renji. He then ran at Renji with such speed. Renji caught both blades, though he had to use all of his fingers this time, sliding underneath the man. The man then swung one of his blades backwards, towards where Renji was, cutting his stomach. Though, by now Renji was already in the position he needed to be in. He had the advantage. Then, he threw 5 Shurikens at the man, one after the other. Though they all got caught in the same thing that his kunai's got caught in, falling to the ground afterwards.

The man sheathed his blades, lifting Renji by the neck, constricting his neck quite tightly. "Goodbye... You unlucky fool..." The man said in the same distorted voice. Then, in an instant, a blade ran straight through Renji's neck, his head falling to the ground, blood squirting out. Deatta stopped running, staring at what had just happened, frozen in horror. Jiyu and Akatsuki did the same, but the look on Deatta's face was one that somebody could never forget. Her mouth agape, her eyes demented. Then, the man pulled out a large pistol quickly, aiming it skywards and pulling the trigger. Though no bullet was shot, no it only emitted a sound. 

Suddenly, the soldiers below began to run back through the valley, as if this loud sound which was emitted from the pistol was a signal to retreat. Then, the man looked down at Deatta, then to Akatsuki, then to Jiyu. As he stared at Jiyu, he spoke in the same distorted voice, "I'll be seeing you later..." Then he vanished as the ground trembled, the soldiers walking away. The three looked at him as he vanished, seeing only a small, light grey piece of hair. As grey as the grey, grey sky...