Starring:
Shuuren (as Tadashi)
Date: March 13, 2013
Summary:
None given.
"I Am Become Death"
Unknown location
Moments after being pulled through the seal in the cave that was built
to keep the Crawler and his minions contained, Tadashi opens his eyes to
find himself in a place that can only be described as infinite darkness.
The only bit of light comes from the cracks in the seals, and that does
very little for providing any kind of field of vision. At this point, the
only thing he can really on is hat he can sense, and that… Well, that is
more disturbing than even what was outside the seal.
The level of killing intent that can be felt in this place is simply
unreal, even for a seasoned shinobi. It's as if the world was built on it,
drowned in it eternally. Still, there is no room for choking here. Outside
this seal, the door to the cave was closed, something he ordered Banshi to
do himself. Even if he could go back out of the seal on his own, he would
face the full onslaught of the swarm of the Crawler's minions out there.
Failing to convince the creature to hear him out in here could lead to
even more gruesome results… If he doesn't pull this off, he's likely
going to die.
Now comes the voice, the maddening voice that broke a man that many
respected as one of the strongest shinobi alive. "We have granted your
wish. Darkness will swallow you whole… Watch us fly into your heart."
And then appears the disturbing visage of the Crawler himself, like
something one would only read about in a horror story… Bone-colored
skin… A face that looks like a combination of three monstrous skulls…
Talon-like hands and feet. "The light that you bring will die. The light
inside you will die. All that you are will die."
Staring up at this creature, Tadashi narrows his eyes. Instinct would
tell one to run away as quickly as possible, but he came here for a
reason. He cannot leave until that is accomplished. "Now that we are face
to face, I believe it is time we talked."
"Would you like to see the future?" it asks, and suddenly its presence
would extend, and it would seem Tadashi has been instantly moved into
space, staring at the Earth in front of him. Definitely a Genjutsu, but
too powerful to break out of easily. The world seems normal for a moment
before some sort of dark ooze starts to bleed out, beginning at the point
where the island sits and spreading out in all directions in a massive
flow that slowly begins to cover and devour the planet. "Darkness will
spread across the world. We will snuff out every last light, smother every
breath from every mouth, and stop the beating of every heart."
As this Genjutsu gets more intense, Tadashi finds his stance shaken and
falls down to a knee. With a grunt, he brings his hands into a seal and
says, "Kai," while attempting to flush the chakra of the beast out. For
once, though, it doesn't seem to be working. This thing's chakra is
overwhelming.
"You are tainted… The stain will never wash out… The sun will never
shine on you again. Tainted… broken little toy," the Crawler continues
to taunt the masked man as the ooze-covered world suddenly bursts into
flames in front of him. "He bleeds light and hope. It's a beautiful
sight… Tell me, are you ready to die now? The rest of your kind will
soon follow."
Continuing to attempt to stop the invading chakra, Tadashi groans out,
"Tell me something… Are you suicidal… or just a fool?" While he would
have likely continued to struggle against the Genjutsu, it seems that
piqued the creature's interest enough for it to stop and hear him, if only
because it plans to rip him to shreds if he doesn't have a good reason for
his question. Taking the opportunity to stand back up, Tadashi looks up at
the Crawler sternly, saying, "If you managed to pull something like that
off, you'd die wouldn't you? Maybe not quickly, but the source of your
life would be cut off permanently for the sake of one gluttonous feast.
That seems like a foolish plan to me, unless you actually plan to die.
With that in mind is the reason I have come. I know you've made a contract
with at least one other in the past, and I believe we can work something
out pursuant to both our interests."
"You mean that fool who charged in and fought the Children on his own?
His contract did little to appease us," the Crawler states, almost
sounding disgusted that he would be offered merely that. "That is only a
start. Your kind may not go extinct, but I /will/ be leaving this place
one way or another. If you want the seal to remain to keep the Children
from ravaging your lands, I must not remain behind it."
Tadashi stares sternly at the beast as it speaks, taking in what it
says. If it were to leave on its own, it has to know it would be attacked
on sight and eventually taken out, especially without the backup of its
minions… So there is only one solution then.
"What will it be then, mortal? Will you make this deal, or will the
future I showed you come to pass?" the Crawler asks as it stares down at
Tadashi. One of its hands extends out, a large scroll materializing within
it that he then sets on the ground and rolls out for the masked man to
sign. "The choice is yours."
Really, there's not much of a choice here. If he refuses, he's probably
going to die here. Not that he wouldn't fight back, but the number of dark
creatures that the Crawler can call within this place is probably almost
infinite. This thing wants something much more than it demanded of the
last person that it pulled in here, but what must be done must be done…
Looking down at the scroll where there is but one signature, that of
Maikeru, Tadashi gives a nod then removes his gloves and bites his thumb
to draw blood and sign his name on the scroll, followed by covering his
hands in the blood and leaving his handprints on the scroll as well. "It's
done," the masked man says as he stands back up and looks up to the
creature, giving a nod. "Shall we begin then?" he asks as he removes his
coat and shirt to leave his torso bare.
With a dark laugh, the Crawler exclaims, "Watch us fly into your heart."
An aura of dark chakra then flares up around the creature, growing into
massive proportions before suddenly flying forward to latch onto Tadashi
and hoist him into the air as this chakra of pure evil begins to flow into
him…
Mission… complete.
