Rise of the Spiritualist: Entry 12

Rise of the Spiritualist: Entry 12

Rise of the Spiritualist: The Personal Accounts from the Events of Shiro-Ryu High School from the Memories of Leonardo Yarafen Krilangi

Twelfth Entry.

As I stood up, leaning against one of the cave walls for support, I kept my eyes locked on Joachim, who was still chuckling madly to himself. As I watched him, he began to rise into the air, totally unsupported, as spirit energy began to swirl wildly around his body. Power from all six of the primary elements began to flow into his body, and the elements began fusing into each other as I went from surprised to horrified. This fool was letting loose a power that was forbidden by warrior monk society, for fear of the destruction it would wreak upon its user and anyone or anything around him or her. There was, of course, nothing I could do to stop him; the fusion of the energy around him would rip my body apart if I got too close. All I could do was watch as the power of Chaos gradually formed around him.

As Chaos matter began to build up in his body, I realized that I couldn't fight Joachim in such a small space; I needed to get to a larger chamber to avoid being crushed by the sheer mass of the power of Chaos. I began running deep into the catacombs of Lereshrana, knowing that Joachim would eventually begin chasing after me. I ran for minutes on end without finding another large area, afraid that my foe would catch up to me and maul me before I could reach a safe place.

Finally, I found a massive chamber created by one of the fallen skyscrapers, one that would serve as a proper full battleground for me against the foe I would soon face. As I entered, I found myself walking across the steel frame of one of the destroyed buildings; just as I had done before, I used the earth chakra to fill in the empty window slots and create a solid platform on which to stand. By this time, however, I was growing uneasy; the flow of spirit energy was growing distorted, and I could easily tell that Joachim was near. I prepared myself carefully for his approach, taking an adequate stance and getting ready to use chakra, but nothing could have made me ready for Joachim's dramatic approach.

As Joachim closed in on the chamber I was in, the spirits around me fled in terror, afraid to be caught in his dread aura. Though I couldn't see him, it almost felt like he was everywhere in the huge chamber at once, bearing down upon me with his madness. Finally, he stepped into my line of vision as he emerged from the tunnel, and I looked into the hollow eyes of pure Chaos. The energy of the forbidden seventh chakra element had warped his skin, covering him in a rubbery purple-black hide, and his hair was streaked back and split into several hovering tendrils that seemed to act of their own accord. He didn't seem to even have a face anymore; his nose and mouth were gone. The only eyes I think he had didn't even look like eyes anymore; they were large black spheres on the skin where his head had been, and I didn't see them moving at all.

"Are you scared of me, brat," Chaos Joachim said to me, his voice twisted by the destructive energy. "You ought to be; this is Chaos, the greatest power Forte had to offer me. This beautiful new form is the epitome of human evolution; with this power, I have become superior!!"

At the moment the word 'superior' left his vocal organ, whatever it was, spiritual energy exploded out of his body, nearly throwing me off my feet. As I tried to maintain my balance, I saw Chaos Joachim launch a huge blast of fused energy at me along the broken catwalk. Almost without thinking, I leaped off the side of the platform, grabbing the edge of the walkway with both hands as I began to fall. I held on for dear life as the energy flew towards the opposite wall, then felt my eyes widen as the energy shot turned around and flew right back at me. Doing the only thing I thought would save me, I held out my one hand and called upon my manipulative chakra to attack the energy in the blast.

"ZEKKENMA!!!"

As I cried the incantation, wind energy began gathering into my hand, flowing directly from the energy blast into my body. Although I knew the risks this strategy involved, I was willing to take the risk to stay alive. As the energy diffused from the Chaos blast, energy of the five other elements began to fly off in random directions, creating various random changes in the environment. Fire and ice scorched and froze patches of the walls, while lights and shadows shone upon the ceiling in gross, shapeless figures. A thrill of fright shot through me as earth energy hit the walkway, and the section of earth I was holding onto gave way under my weight.

For a while, it seemed like Joachim had won. I was falling into some dark abyss deep beneath the earth, in a place where no one could save me, while Forte stole from my people the greatest destructive secret in our society. All hope seemed lost.

Then I heard a familiar voice.

It was Ryden's.