Inaho Arc: Revelations

~Makoto observed the girl from behind Manami and Nao. He rubbed at his unkempt goatee and grumbled here and there as if some thought was coming to fruition.~ "Some people have a *natural* ability to ward off the power of the necklace... but it does not last for long." ~He stated as he adjusted his glasses before closely examining the girl in front of them all.~ "Although, it doesn't last forever." -Makoto confirmed and condemned the girl's resistance as futile. He crossed his arms over his chest as he glanced down the street as if he were trying to pick out last glimpse of Hayate before he was truly gone from sight.~ "She may already be too far gone; her thoughts may not be her own."

**The girl's condition seemed to align with what Makoto said. She was growing increasingly agitated as Team 2 began to surround her; despite their best intentions. She was as disgruntled and on edge as someone who had just witnessed a massacre. Her eyes sputtered in every which way before landing on the boy in front of her; and then quickly to the girl beside him. She seemed to soften at the sight of the boy in particular. "You..." She spoke as her eyes fixated on his own. She slowly raised a shaking hand to just try and get a feel of his morphed face. It was almost as if she had seen it before.- "I saw you." She paused. "Nao....." She cried in a whisper as a warm smile came across her face. "You must leave. It isn't safe here!" She pleaded as she began to fallback into her hypnotic frenzy.**

Hayate and the unknown man touched down much farther down the road than where his team was originally placed. It didn't take the two long at all; they both seemed to be exceptionally fast. Hayate landed on the main street, a hand placed at his hip as he looked up to a colossal building that stood just before him. It wasn't anything on the level of a skyscraper but was easily the most noticeable and prominent building in Inaho. It had a long set of stairs that extended from its green main gates and down to the main street. It had a very temple-like construction to it; with a long red tiled roof that extended well over the core foundation of it. There weren't any windows at the front but did have two guards at the main door with two bright torches on either side of them. The guards were much closer to what this unknown summoner was like. They were more keen and alert than the others; however the temple still maintained a very dim presence. It too was still under the shroud of the necklace.- 'Its power extends to the entire village... even their Lord's office.' -Hayate thought to himself as he glanced over at the cloaked man in front of him. He was standing in the first few steps in. His face was as robotic as they came.- "This way, Leaf's Bane." -Hayate winced at his nickname. The man made his way up the stairs in which Hayate quietly followed. Inside the office was had something very cryptic about it. Unlike outside, the hallways didn't have any torches or lights lit for any hope of seeing. Still, the man he was following proved to know exactly where he was going. The only sounds Hayate could hear were the sounds of their own feet hitting against the marble floor. It was a well decorated place. Hayate had known the Lord of Inaho to be a very exuberant fellow. He preferred color and decoration more than anything else. If anyone was taking this influence of the necklace the worst it had to be him. The two entered a larger room with a single throne perched in the far corner of it. There was too much space for just two people to occupy it. Hayate's blue eyes intensified; he could feel a large push on his back almost as if the weight of the necklace's will was becoming stronger. The blonde man, stern like a brick, didn't move a muscle after he stopped just a few feet before Hayate. Both of them were looking forward, Hayate towards the man, and the man looking straight forward; a scornful smirk on his face. The man veered to the left and swung his arm out open but was quickly deterred by the firm grasp of Hayate's hand. A faint sound of a blade sticking into a thick sack of meat echoed through the thin corridors of the office building. Hayate slowly inched his kunai further into the small of the man's back. The man's eyes widened in shock as Hayate leaned over his shoulder to thrust the kunai the rest of the way.- "How long has it been, Gen." -Hayate words were full of scorn and emotion as the moment he released his kunai the man's body morphed into water and pooled down at his feet. Suddenly, Hayate heard a faint noise of struggle in the room opposite of this one. He ran through the hallway, slammed open the door and heard a loud thud on a closet door to his left. Once he opened it, there was a man with a brown sack of his head and roped tied at his arms and feet.- "What?!" -Hayate gasped as he saw the inner part of the door and closet lined with explosive seals that were already on their way to burst. (The explosion wouldn't happen until my next post)

DivineZiel: -With Nao listening to Harley behind him, he then looked towards the girl, watching her eyes go crazy. Hearing her voice fill his ears with only "You.." he then looked back into her eyes, making full contact. Seeing her hand from the corner of his eye, he then leaned forward a bit to allow her to feel his face as he kept his eyes on hers. Her next words caught his complete attention and then she said his name. The hand felt familiar in some weird way but, he then saw her smile though, it didn't last long as she told them..or rather him what they probably already knew. Seeing her begin to fall back, Nao reached around her and laid his hand around her lower back and kept her perfectly standing and pulled her up more as he then asked "Where did you see me?" He wondered while he then shook his head to his own question and said "Forget that actually.." Letting a bright smile creep along his lips he began to stand up as he looked down to her, his face slowly transforming still, he said "Don't worry. We'll be settling everything here, soon." Keeping his eyes on her, he then held out his hand to her and asked "Come with us, at least until we can find somewhere for you to fully hide. Oh! Have you happened to see a necklace, one not like any others you've seen before?" Looking back to Makoto, Nao thought about how his question was a bit..unqualified to be a good one, so he said to Makoto "Old man, give her a bit of an explanation on what it looks like, aye?" Nao stood there for a bit as he kept his hand out to the girl and raised his eyes from Makoto to the sky as he stared at the cloud, feeling the same pressure as before beat down on him. It had changed a bit and lightened up for some reason while Nao then felt differently.."I feel..like this is home...." he said with no hesitation out loud as he stood there, letting out a soft smile and closed his eyes slowly, until they were fully closed.-

Dissolutia:  As she stood quietly behind Nao, she would closely eye the young girl. She looked up and seemed to recognize Nao, which was strange. Manami never thought he knew her… Looking at her touch his face she squirmed slightly but shook it off to turn back to Harley as he spoke. “Yeah… We can’t leave him alone. But obviously if Sensei left us alone he believes we’ll be okay… He wouldn’t leave us here would he?….” she bit her lip as she looked around. Looking back at Nao he suggested that the girl should come with them, “Yeah, This place looks to sketchy… Your free to stay with us” Manami’s voice was gentle and calm… Or was she just skeptical about this area. It was a weird feeling it was giving off… Mostly Manami really on high alert, not knowing what this place could hold for them. It made her anxious in a way, but she was not afraid. Trying to gather thoughts on what to do she blinked as Nao felt like this place was home. Maybe it was just her… But Manami felt this was too gloomy a place to call home, it could’ve made her run out of the village. Manami thought maybe it had something to do with his past and thats the reason why that girl knows him. Cracking her knuckles, Manami waited for her sensei making sure to watch out for anything suspicious.

(ongoing)