Chapter 3 - Mount Gajini
A giant mountain, known as Mount Gajini rests with its peak above the clouds. Kaze, Shokku and Fukusei are on their way. Many people have already began to climb the mountain. Hensai, Shinote and Shinrai stand near the bottom of the mountain. Hensai begins to talk with his team.
“Admittedly we are late to the climb.”
“And we lost a lot of time scouting.”
Hensai turns to Shinote.
“How’s the tracking going?”
Shinote looks troubled.
“A lot of those who I put a tracker on have died.”
“This climb shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
Hensai ponders for a moment.
“At least we got a lay of the land.”
Shinrai requests that Hensai explain their plan.
“Let’s go over the climb.”
Hensai begins to briefly explain everything that they have discovered. Far away in the mountain, a shadowy figure forces a man into killing his friend while Hensai explains to his team who to look out for on the mountain.
“We should watch out for Kodo’s squad.”
“His brainwashing power isn’t something that I’m equipped to deal with.”
“His power appears to be limited to one at a time but its highly advanced.”
“If you see his group then avoid them.”
Kaze and the others can see the mountain and are heading towards it as Hensai continues explaining.
“I have no doubt that Kaze’s group will be coming soon.”
“But I’m certain they won’t have Neutraliser with them.”
“So, we don’t need to worry about them too much.”
“However, there’s no knowing what Fukusei’s power can do at the moment.”
“I’m not too worried about their group.”
A bunch of bullet-riddled corpses lay on the mountain as a bloodthirsty Kemuri smokes a cigarette whilst Hensai continues his explanation.
“We also need to look out for the two people known as Kemuri and Ryukku.”
“At this point, I don’t even think they’re going after the power enhancer.”
“They have ambushes set up all over the mountain that they’re using to slaughter indiscriminately.”
“They seem to be here for the sole purpose of killing.”
“I would rather we avoid a confrontation with them.”
Hensai looks at his team.
“Hopefully that clears everything up.”
“Let’s move out.”
Later on, Kaze and his team arrive with camping gear on their backs. Fukusei looks at Kaze and Shokku.
“This is a long climb so I hope you’re both prepared.”
Shokku laughs mildly at Fukusei’s concern.
“I have survived for many days in the desert.”
“This climb will be a breeze.”
Fukusei is quick to respond.
“Not when the mountain’s crawling with hostile power users.”
They begin their climb; the journey is long and progress is made very slowly. Time passes by as they get further and further up the mountain. Fukusei stops for a moment and Shokku and Kaze pause also.
“Hold on.”
Kaze wonders why Fukusei has stopped.
“What is it?”
Fukusei points at a bunch of corpses lying in the road. Kaze is shocked at this and wonders who would do such a thing. Shokku is surprised and did not expect anything like this to occur.
“I did not expect to see this.”
Fukusei remains calm.
“People are taking this competition very seriously.”
Kaze further comments on the situation but can’t bring himself to finish his sentence.
“This isn’t even a murder.”
Shokku notices Kaze and finishes his sentence for him.
“This is a massacre.”
They keep walking up the mountain whilst the images of the bodies haunt Kaze. Kaze can’t get over it.
“I can’t believe the number of bodies we passed already.”
Fukusei is still calm and collected, unaffected by the corpses they came across.
“I can.”
“People go crazy for power.”
“The Ringmaster is a perfect example.”
Kaze looks worried by knows the truth in Fukusei’s words.
“I guess you’re right.”
Something else is bothering Shokku.
“I am shocked that we haven’t been attacked yet.”
Being as snappy as ever, Fukusei knows why this is.
“That’s because we’re late to the climb.”
All the traps have probably been activated.”
“And we’ve passed at least half of the contestants.”
“Their corpses, that is.”
Before they could continue the climb further a dark hand comes from Fukusei’s shadow and proceeds to grab one of his legs, preventing him from moving.
“Huh?”
The same thing happens to Kaze and Shokku as they are stuck in place. Before they could think, the hitman known as Kemuri jumps out from a hiding spot and holding a gun, ready to shoot.
“We got some more live ones!”
Kaze recognises Kemuri and recalls that Kemuri took somewhat of a liking to him. Kaze acts to try and stop Kemuri from killing them all.
“Wait!”
“Kemuri it’s me!”
Kemuri stops for a moment as he hesitates to pull the trigger. Fukusei and Shokku stay quiet as Kemuri looks at Kaze and thinks.
“Who?”
“Oh, it’s the bug boy.”
Kemuri lowers his weapon.
“Come out, Ryukku.”
Shokku also recognises Kemuri and Ryukku and wonders what connection they have with Kaze.
“Kaze.”
“Do you know these monsters?”
Before Kaze could answer, Kemuri turns his attention to Shokku and recognises him.
“Oh, it’s the CLA fighter.”
“This is quite the reunion.”
“Isn’t that right Ryukku.”
Ryukku looks uninterested.
“Hmph.”
Kemuri returns his focus to Kaze and Shokku.
“Did you two manage to heist that art museum?”
Shokku gives a disgusted glare towards Kemuri.
“I have no interest in talking to you.”
Kemuri finds his bravery amusing.
“That’s no way to talk to someone who has a gun pointing at you.”
Shokku looks annoyed and begins to elaborate.
“Do you not remember the last time we met?”
“You tied me to a chair and tortured me.”
Kemuri makes his gun disappear.
“I guess I wouldn’t be so friendly in your situation either.”
Kemuri then directs his attention to Kaze.
“It’s your turn, Kaze.”
Kaze is not sure what Kemuri is asking him.
“What?”
Kemuri explains what he means.
“What are you doing on this mountain?”
“Don’t you know everyone here is a bloodthirsty psychopath?”
Kaze sighs.
“I can see that.”
Kemuri continues to talk, much to Kaze’s annoyance.
“We don’t care about the power enhancer.”
“Then why are you here?”
“It’s better that you don’t ask.”
Kemuri holds some maps out in front of him and signals for Kaze to take them.
“We took these from some of the corpses.”
“You’re lucky I’m such an upstanding guy or…”
Before Kemuri could finish talking, Kaze slaps Kemuri’s arm away.
“I don’t need your maps.”
Kaze’s uncooperativeness annoys Fukusei who vocalises his opinion.
“You idiot, Kaze.”
“We need those maps.”
Ignoring Fukusei, Kemuri holds the maps out in front of Kaze once more.
“Last chance.”
As much as he doesn’t want too, Kaze takes the maps. Kemuri smiles at this.
“Ain’t I nice.”
“You guys owe us one.”
Fukusei can detect that Kaze clearly does not appreciate the gesture and does not like Kemuri. Fukusei decides to speak before Kaze can answer something rude.
“We will pay up.”
“That’s a promise.”
Kemuri likes Fukusei’s attitude and wishes that Kaze shared it.
“I like your friend, man.”
“He knows his manners.”
Kemuri turns to face Ryukku.
“Let em go, Ryukku.”
Ryukku releases the shadowy hands holding them all down. Ryukku speaks.
“You can go now.”
No more pleasantries were exchanged. Kaze and his group then began to keep walking up the mountain. Kemuri left some parting words as they began to head off.
“If you ever need a contract killer then you know who to call.”
Kaze responds quickly and quietly.
“Not in your life.”
Kaze, Fukusei and Shokku continue to walk up the mountain. After a while of walking, they notice a noise but can’t quite figure out what it is. Suddenly a crazed man runs out in front of them. Fukusei is instantly put on alert.
“Prepare for combat!”
The crazed man stops and begins to speak.
“No, wait!”
“I just want to get off this mountain.”
“My whole team is dead.”
Fukusei is suspicious and does not believe this man. Fukusei believes his mission is more important than anything else.
“Show him no mercy.”
This shocks Kaze who appeals to Fukusei to stop.
“Stop, Fukusei!”
Fukusei stops and Kaze looks at the man.
“You can go.”
To all their surprise, the man does not go but makes a request.
“I can’t go down by myself.”
“Can one of you come with me?”
Fukusei finds this annoying.
“No chance.”
“We’re heading to the top.”
The man continues to plead with them.
“Then let me come with you!”
“I promise I won’t be any bother.”
“I just don’t want to die here.”
The pleads to Fukusei fall on deaf ears.
“No.”
Kaze intervenes on this.
“Wait a minute!”
“You can come with us.”
“Just don’t get in the way.”
The man begins to cry and thank Kaze.
“I promise I won’t.”
The four of them continue to walk up the mountain. Eventually it reaches nightfall and they decide to set up camp for the night.
The four of them sit around the fireplace as Fukusei debriefs them all.
“We made a lot more progress than I expected.”
“We will likely reach the top by tomorrow afternoon.”
“It’s appropriate that we take turns on guard duty.”
“Shokku is first on guard duty.”
Shokku is ok with this.
“Understood.”
Shokku then looks towards the man.
“You can sleep in my tent while I guard.”
The man gets on his knees.
“Thank you so much.”
“You’ve been so kind to me.”
The man gets into bed inside the tent that belongs to Shokku. The man smirks in a sinister fashion as though he has an alternate goal.
Nothing bad happens during the night and the morning comes peacefully. Shokku is the first to make light-hearted conversation.
“Did everyone sleep well?”
Kaze yawns before speaking.
“As good as expected.”
Fukusei does not answer but instead redirects the question back to the man.
“And you?”
“I slept fine.”
Fukusei looks around for the maps that Kemuri gave them. He’s struggling to finds them, which is peculiar because he is the only one who studied them.
“I could’ve sworn I left the maps here.”
Kaze sees them next to his tent and calls Fukusei.
“It’s over here.”
Fukusei finds it odd that its moved locations. However, Fukusei does not see the point in pondering over it.
“That’s strange.”
“There’s not much time so I think its best we keep heading up the mountain.”
Kaze nods his head.
“Let’s not waste time then.”
The four of them continue heading up the mountain. They all begin heading into an overgrown forest area of the mountain. Fukusei experiences a strange feeling as they walk through this area.
“Something doesn’t feel right.”
Shokku is also experiencing this strange feeling. It feels like they are being watched.
“I hate to agree but something is strange.”
Kaze has not noticed the feeling.
“What’s wrong?”
They all stop for a moment as Fukusei scans the perimeter. Fukusei hears someone moving around incredibly quietly.
“Wait a minute.”
“Do you hear that?”
All is silent for a short moment. Suddenly, the man who is with them begins to laugh. Kaze, Fukusei and Shokku turn around and look at him.
“You really are a bunch of suckers.”
“You fell for it.”
The man can’t contain his laughter and continues laughing even harder. Kaze begins to lose his temper.
“What the hell are you on about?!”
Fukusei directs his anger towards Kaze.
“I told you we shouldn’t trust him!”
The man stops laughing for a moment to continue mocking them.
“I looked at your maps while you slept.”
“You idiots.”
As the man continues to laugh, the well-trained Fukusei notices a figure behind a distant tree that has just poked its head out.
“Look out!”
“It’s an ambush!”
Before they could find cover or assume any kind of fighting stance, the ambusher leaves cover. The grass surround Kaze and his team rise to their ankles starts holding them in place in a similar manner to Ryukku’s power. Another ambusher shows himself. The second ambusher throws 2 razor-sharp grass discs at them.
Kaze is quick to act and quickly throws his leafcutter ants at both of the ambushers and commands them bite which knocks out both men simultaneously.
Fukusei is impressed with Kaze’s quick thinking in the situation.
“That was smooth.”
“Done like a true professional.”
Fukusei turns his attention to the man who led them into the ambush.
“Now to deal with you.”
“Uh oh.”
“Fukusei.”
“You’re right.”
“Kaze is a professional.”
“He will serve me well.”
The man suddenly drops to the ground and gets knocked out. It was if a possessive force had just left his body.
Another man reveals himself. Unknown to the others, this man is Kodo, one of the men who Hensai was trying to avoid on the climb. Kodo begins to talk.
“I need him anymore.”
Kodo releases his influence over the man. The man wakes up in a confused state.
“Where am I?”
The man notices everyone standing around him and gets scared. He stands up and begins to run away from the area. Kodo focuses his attention on Kaze.
“What can I do with you?”
Kodo begins to target Kaze with his brainwashing technique. Kaze falls to the ground in pain.
“Aghhh my head.”
Kodo smiles towards Fukusei and Shokku.
“Whatever your powers may be.”
“I’m sure they can’t kill me before he kills you.”
Fukusei uses his ability and makes a bunch of clones of himself. Kodo looks at the clones in awe. Fukusei points towards Kodo.
“Get him!”
Kodo looks on in surprise and confusion.
“Wait, what?”
The clones begin to rush towards Kodo. The clones jump and attack Kodo and knock him out which releases his influence on Kaze. The pain has stopped but Kaze is still on the ground with his head hurting.
“Ow my head.”
Fukusei extends his hand to Kaze and helps him get up off of the ground.
“You’ll be fine.”
Fukusei turns to look at the now unconscious Kodo.
“I assume this is Kodo.”
“He’s out cold so he won’t be bothering us.”
Kaze nods in agreement.
“Let’s keep going.”
The three of them leave the forest area and continue to head up the mountain. Kaze seems to have spotted the peak.
“Look!”
“It’s the top of the mountain.”
“We’ll be there in no time.”
As they continue to climb, a man with binoculars watches from a distance. Hensai puts the binoculars down as he begins to talk to his team.
“We’ll ambush them at the top.”
“They’ll have nowhere to go then.”
After a while, Kaze and his team reach the open mountain at the top.
“We made it.”
As they begin to walk towards the middle of the peak, Kaze spots a stone slab on an elaborate platform.
“That must be it!”
“Over there!”
“That stone slate.”
As they keep walking, Fukusei stops. Fukusei now bears a serious expression.
“He’s here.”
Hensai speaks.
“Hey there, guys.”
Kaze and Shokku turn around in shock to see Hensai and the others. Fukusei also turns around to face Hensai’s team. Hensai begins to monologue.
“I’d like to thank you for all the hard work you’ve done.”
“We couldn’t have reached the top without you.”
Fukusei assumes a fighting stance and readies himself for combat.
“Prepare to fight.”
Hensai interrupts Fukusei.
“I wouldn’t be doing that.”
Hensai and his team begin walking around Kaze’s team and towards the artefact. Kaze can’t contain his rage.
“I’ll kill you!”
“This is for Genso!”
As Kaze prepares to attack them, Hensai interrupts again. Hensai and his team stop moving towards the artefact and turn back to face Kaze.
“I wouldn’t do that.”
“Tell them your power, Shinrai.”
A glowing red orb appears inside Shinrai’s chest.
“My power is known as ‘Dead Mans Switch’.”
Shinrai begins to smile as Kaze looks at the red orb.
“My power is just insurance on my life.”
“Over the course of our adventures I’ve planted bombs inside 1000’s of people.”
“If I die, then they’ll all die too.”
“1000’s of lives will be on your head.”
“Ask yourself if it’s worth it.”
Kaze clenches his fist with rage. He knows that he would never hurt innocent civilians and Hensai knows this too.
“You scumbags.”
“There’s nothing worse than using innocent people as bargaining chips.”
Shinrai shrugs his shoulders and brushes away Kaze’s remarks.
“That’s their only value to me.”
“All of these people…”
“They’re just bargaining chips.”
Hensai begins to walk alone towards the artefact.
Fukusei bears a blank expression once again. Fukusei’s face is the clear mark of a killer, a man who would do anything to get what he desires. Fukusei mutters under his breath.
“I have a mission.”
Kaze looks towards Fukusei, scared about what Fukusei might do.
“Huh?”
Hensai reaches the artefact and begins to look at it in disappointment.
“I know what this artefact is.”
“A reversion slate.”
Meanwhile, Fukusei’s mind has become a powder keg. Fukusei continues to talk to himself.
“I won’t let him down.”
Kaze looks over at Fukusei again.
“What is it Fukusei?”
Hensai again expresses his disgust at the artefact before him.
“You can keep this junk.”
Fukusei snaps. Fukusei begins rapidly making clones of himself as he prepares to attack. Kaze attempts to stop him.
“Fukusei, no!”
The clones begin to charge towards Shinrai. Shinrai stands calmly as he calls Fukusei’s bluff.
“You wouldn’t.”
Fukusei’s clones grab Shinrai and begins beating him. One of Fukusei’s clones strike a fatal blow which makes it obvious it has killed Shinrai. Shinote screams at the death of his friend.
“Shinrai!!!”
Hensai hears the commotion and turns around. Hensai looks in horror at the sight of Shinrai’s corpse. Kaze grabs Fukusei by the collar and shouts at him.
“Fukusei. do you know what you’ve just done!!!”
Fukusei looks Kaze in the eye with a dead expression.
“I don’t care.”
From an aerial view of the mountain, one would see many explosions. All around the world, Shinrai’s victim begin to explode and die. From the peak of the mountain, the many explosions are heard. The sound of death fills the air.
Hensai gets angry and prepares to take down Fukusei and the others.
“Take this!”
“My third power ‘Pin Pull’!”
Kaze thinks back on that name. Kaze is sure he has met someone else who uses that power. Kaze remembers, Pin Pull was the power of Bakugeki, leader of the CLA.
“I’ve seen this.”
“Hensai killed him too?”
However, unlike Kaze, Shokku was strongly involved with the CLA. Shokku looks on in horror, hearing that his former leader has been murdered by Hensai.
“It can’t be!”
“The leader’s power!”
Hensai uses Pin Pull and throws a rock at Fukusei. Fukusei notices this and quickly creates a clone in front of him. The rock explodes but luckily Fukusei used the clone to take the damage from the explosion. Fukusei still gets pushed backwards by the explosive force.
Shinote runs towards Shokku in an attempt to attack him but Shokku smacks him backwards.
Hensai looks towards Fukusei and Kaze.
“Land and Sea!”
Pillars of earth begin to come out of the ground. Hensai launches pillars at both Kaze and Fukusei.
Before they can dodge it and continue fighting, Hensai quickly goes over to Shinrai’s corpse.
“Shinrai…”
“You served me well.”
Hensai takes the ring from Shinrai’s corpse and proceeds to put it in his pocket. By this time, Kaze and Fukusei have dodges the pillars. Kaze launches his counterattack.
“Gold scarabs!”
Hensai notices this and quickly grabs a handful of tiny stones from his pocket as the gold scarabs head towards him.
“Oh no you don’t!”
“Pin Pull!”
Hensai uses the same pin pull barrage attack that killed Yogan. Kaze knows this attack will kill him and destroy many of his insects if he doesn’t act or continues to attack Hensai. This forces Kaze to fully transform and scatter the insects around.
Hensai now turns his attention towards Fukusei, the murderer of his friend.
“Devils Left Hand!”
A giant evil floating hand appears in the air above Hensai.
“Eliminate Fukusei!”
Fukusei creates a bunch of clones. The clones begin to run towards and fight the giant hand.
Hensai knows that the odds are not in his favour.
“Shinote!”
Shinote looks towards Hensai.
“Huh.”
“We’re out of here.”
Shinote looks towards Shinrai’s corpse and then turns back towards Hensai.
“We can’t leave him.”
Hensai continues to march his orders.
“He’s already dead.”
“Let’s move out.”
Shinote reluctantly nods in agreement with Hensai.
The Devils Left Hand suddenly disappears as Hensai switches powers.
“Land and Sea!”
Hensai uses his power to allow himself and Shinote to begin scaling down the mountain swiftly.
Fukusei gets angry at this.
“You’re not getting away!”
Fukusei moves forward but before he could continue to pursue Hensai, he gets punched in the face by angered Kaze and blacks out.
Some time passes and Fukusei wakes up. Fukusei looks around as he realises what just happened.
“What the hell!”
Fukusei looks at Kaze and Kaze stares back.
“I never thought I’d say this Fukusei…”
“…but I hate you.”
Fukusei does not care about Kaze’s comment and begins to look around for Hensai.
“You idiot!”
“Where’s Hensai?!”
Kaze clenches his fist as he looks at Fukusei in anger.
“Hensai?”
“You killed thousands of people!!!”
Fukusei looks unaffected by this comment.
“It’s a small price to pay.”
Kaze unclenches his fist.
“It’s always a small price to pay when you’re not the one paying it.”
“I’m taking this artefact and I’m dealing with Hensai…”
“…without you.”
Kaze has not finished.
“And if you plan to let more innocent people die…”
Before Kaze could say his next words, a flashback entered his mind. The flashback was Rai telling him ‘…then I’ll kill you’. The flashback played in Kaze’s mind as he uttered his next words to Fukusei.
“…then I’ll kill you too.”
Fukusei remains silent. Kaze touches the reversion slate artefact and the inscription on it changes.
“What is this thing?”
“I guess I’ll figure it out later.”
“We’re done here.”
Kaze picks up the reversion slate and leaves the mountain with Shokku, without saying a single word to Fukusei. Fukusei crouches on the mountain.
“The mission hasn’t changed.”
“If you have to be collateral damage then so be it… Kaze.”
