The Hunt in Tallinn

Irvine ran with everything he had. Sweat dripped from his face as his endurance began to dwindle. He had been running for hours and at some point managed to jump realms to a lush forest like realm called Tallinn. He knew this realm. This was where Soljaris brought him for combat training in his youth.

He felt Xeno fall at the hands of the Voidwalkers hours ago and he ached with each blow that Xeno had taken during the fight.

Nightfall had come to this realm and it was time to rest.

He stopped in a small clearing and released Xeno once more. Xeno limped from Irvine's side. He was badly injured but with Xeno released, Irvine's body felt better and Xeno could heal faster.

"You OK Xeno?", Irvine questioned.
"Yes. Sleep. I'll stand guard."
And with that, Irvine layed head on a rock and slept.

*Zenma noticing Irv's wear abouts and decided to follow him through a portal of his own creation ,he apearing just outside of the area he was* .......*He still in his fox form decided to sit still for a moment and began sniffing around on the ground for the moment to try and learn thier scents* nya nya.

"Xeno meditated cross legged on the ground. He heard something but couldn't destinguish it from animal. He scanned for foes and gathered what power he could. From a standpoint he wad lucky to be sitting there. His arm was broken, his eyes were swollen shut, he had a large cut across his ribs and a stab wound in his leg.

As strange as it were, Xeno and Irvine's scent were nearly identical except for the mix of murder, blood and vengeance that Xeno carried with him.

Xeno scanned the air for anomalies and sniffed the air for unknowns, but judging by his looks, even if he did feel or sense something, it would take everything he had to fight.

As the night wore on Xeno could popped and cracked as Irvine dreamed and healed. As daybreak in the clearing arose and the early morning fog began to rise Xeno faded into a shadow on the cold damp ground and moved himself back into Irvine's subconscious and body, then Irvine awoke.

Irvine could feel the pain Xeno was in.

"You haven't healed conpletely.", Irvine spoke aloud thinking he was alone.
"No, we're out of juice. We have to find sustance.", Xeno replied aloud in response.

Irvine shook his head and looked in the direction of energy that showed signs of life.

"I'll take care of it, looks like we're back to hunting Seraida again.", Irvine stated as he began to walk toward what he could tell was a den of Seraida.

Xeno sighed mentally, "Gonna be a long day."

*He growling at the new comer before he came any closer and dashed of to were Irv and Xeno sat. As he aproached he began talking loudly* Nyanmaru! NYAN!!!!! * He appeared before them getting into a pounch mode haveing a mechievous look on his face.* Nya nya! * He growing a fourth tail now silver flames seeming to begin to dance on the tips of his tails.*

Irvine had been traveling for only a few minutes when the temporal energies from his past flared up and the smell of the Vulpix crossed his nose.
He heard the fox and turned around thinking of what he should do.

"They're gonna be killed here. They make to much noise.", he thought before a dark look came upon his face, "Looks like feeding will be easy thus time."

With that thought, we began to walk back towards the intruders,. He grasped at his shadow and began to change its shape. Before long Irvine sank into the ground and only his shadow remained walking, still attached to the ground, moving from tree shadow to tree shadow, virtually undetectable by normal means.

With each step his aura faded. Then after 10 steps, it vanished.

*His eyes glowing silver another tail apearing he sitting once the two vanished he licking his paw for the moment* Nya nya nya * His tails twitching back and forth and the flames begin to surround him his form changing to a completly different being. He sighing a bit senseing the two * And here I thought I could relax * He beginging to walk foward a silver flame forming around him makeing his cloths form. He wearing a white trench coat with a hood covering his face, silver runes engraved the center back the shineing a bit. He wearing all black underneath it glowing with a dark hue his silver hair growing long black tips forming at its ends, his eye shimmering a bit more. Dark magics flittering around in his aura that he was hideing.*

Irvine had completely vanished as the smell of Seraida was feint but there.
Three clydesdale sized cats were on the prowl and Irvinereadjusted his course to intercept them.

He shifted from tree shadow to tree shadow until he connected to Nyanmaru's and awaited the ambush to come.

With Nyanmaru's senses, he should know the Irvine was there, just have no idea where he was. Being a shadow had its advantages, first of all, sight and sound become null and void.

(His name isnt Nyanmaru >_< )

*Already knowing were they were he glareing a bit as xeno and irv made there way into his shadow haveing been trained in the shadowrealm he was able to know were they were imediately.* Exactly what do you think your doing? Your intruding my personal bubble.....*He waiting for three to come *

Irvine steadily formed out of the shadows of the trees, rocks
and 'nyanmaru's' shadow. Irvine looked worse for wear, as
Xenos injuries conitued to harm him. 

"i apologize but stealth is needed for me here. To weak to
fight the creatures of this plain. Thanks for the warning
earlier, I am Irvine, who might you be?", Irvine spoke taking
a few steps away from the Fox.

(Changed his race around a bit so if you see something new thats why)

*Looking to him watching his form appear* Oh? well then why didn't you just ask for help hmm? * He smileing evily fangs apearing as his eyes began to glow a dark purple his hood falling down and fit itseld around his sholders. Short pointy ears reavling that he was a daemon. He growly loudly as a blueish black rune apeared on his forhead.*

"All the more reason for some excitement to ensue!"

*He spotting the three animals appear he smirking licking lips* Time for the hunt to begin! * And in a flash he dissapeared and reapeared behind one of them quickly sending silver and black flames around it he increaseing the heat so much it nulified the animals abbilities completely, he alreadying knowing what the were. He makeing sure not to touch any of them sent the other two a massive wave of silver and black flames* I am a Kuromeru Gin....* He quickly began to glow a bright silver his form now takeing the shape of a 6 foot one tailed fox Daemon his silver fur seemed like it was on fire and his tail blackend at the tip were it glowed a black and purple flame*

"I will not tolerate death to those who arnt ment to die yet"

*He growled out through a psycic wave that everyone could hear his silver eyes pouring out a black flame he sat there watching the animals fur knowing about the mercury.* I belive you can handle it from here no? * He eyeing the man from his pariphial vision*

Irvine smiled and at the scene that aged out before him. He had never scene a kyubi in true form. Irvine looked back and smiled at shadows then forward at the three seraida that were entangled by power and tormented by a cage of energy and flames.

"Perfect.", Irvine said with a dark mischivious grin as his bloodied aura flared out and consumed him.
A true sight as the shadows all around grabbed Irvine and began to fill his soul with darkness.

Irvine's skin and eyes darkened and his hair began to take a life of its own as a black haze descended from around him.
A vacuum began to pull all in its path from all around. The shadows were drawn to Irvine as the haze and shadows became moving streams of black filled ooze that entered into his feet.

With a burst of speed his blurred forward. His steps leaving behind small foot like craters.

He aimed towards the center of the pack, going for the center. As he took the step that placed him in the center of the three, he pulled a long black shadow blade from his side and gave a battoujutsu slash into the thick hide of the center Seraida. With that stroke leaving the sheeth, the shadows erupted like a massive tsunami around the othertwo and engulfed them in the thick black oils that were now there shadows.

The roars of the beasts were loud and echoing, the growls as snaps of teeth could be heard as the other two Seraida gnawed, clawed, and fought the entangling of their bodies.

Irvine's second stroke was the second of a battoujutsu slash, bringing around the second, shorter shadow blades cutting the head off the already struck Seraida.

The other two began to sink into the ground and the energies of their beings became integrated into Irvine's force. The helixs that covered his eye and left arm began to glow as the energies fused into his own.

A darkness had come of Irvine. Something that should never have been released. As the shadows began to deminish back to their origins, Irvine looked at the kyubi with evil malice then looked away towards the growls and howls of dozens of other Seraida who had been called by their fellow kin.

"Its time. We have 3 minutes til we find out just how strong we are.", Xeno's dark multiple voice spoke as he sheathed his blades.

"i trained for fifty years here. Do not kill a Seraida unless you want a dozen more. We subdue them then mass kill. They are pheromone hive minded creatures. Flames will due for a while until they adapt. They are unaffected by psychic ability at weak levels."
Irvine grinned as the sounds of massive creatures began coming from the tree lines. Dozens of spines silver coated muscled beats.began swarming from the trees, moving with agility and full strategic movement.

The Seraida split into three teams of four, moving into several directions beginning to flank the three.

(let's make this GOOD)

*Glareing at the new comer watching him smile* Do not presume you and I are the same fire demon.....My flames are entirely different from yours..* He sensing the large group split into three groups, he looking at Irv* Well now seems your plan has worked, makeing more come will be all the better.....* his fur begining to glow a bit*

I would surtantly like to see another shadowrealm master play... * His eyes peircing through the forest he watching the groups come closer and closer, he could hear the sound of their hearts pumping blood through their bodies. * Should do this more often * His tail whiping a bit as he sit sat his black flames now becomeing large it forming into thousands and thousands of balls that seemed to have a purple glowing tail and hue. He looked straight at the forest the balls shooting out in every direction aiming for them* Bring me their souls....

*His voice haveing a taste of hunger in it as he aimed them at the enemies *

"A master are you?", Irvine laughed as the 4 beasts before him grew ever closer. He awaited his timing as he readied his swing once more. He was still weak from earlier but he felt he could get something more from these things if he waited.

The appearance of the third individual and his show of power made Irvine hesitate for a quick moment. Long enough for the Seraida to split off again into pairs and begin to flank him.

"more the merrier.", he said slamming to a kneel with his palm buried into the think crusted dirt below.

Black spires pierced the grounds causing a small tremor as the earth exploded. Black, thin, and sharp the spires rose into the air underneath the predators impaling the first two within range. As for the other two, one lunged forward quickly and the other was only clipped as they descended upon him still.

"Their adapting quickly to our power. Soon they will be as fast and stronger than us.", Xeno said aloud, rolling sideways and cutting the tendon of a cat, who slammed into the ground and slid a few feet tumbling a couple of times.

The second cat roared, sending a massive sonic wave rolling across the ground colliding with the group. Xeno slammed his sheeth into the ground and held tight as the wave blasted a triangular crater line around him.

"What the heck.", Xeno thought looking towards the cat that now he noticed was a Beta. Second of the pack and much worse than the norms.

Betas were much faster at adaptation and strong in natural forms if magic. They were rare and very seldom does anyone ever escape due to being able to call all but the Alpha of a pride.

Xeno knew they might be in trouble.

Betas were massive in size and shape. The stripes that rippled across its sides and back were black and red moving in waves from nose to tail. Spines a arms length in width and length petruded from its back that lead down to a tail twice its own length with spurs splitting from its furr which can to a halt at the end of a massive spear. It paws were powerful and lean, with talons showing between each toe.

Within its outer surface, a thick hide capable of being hit with just about anything covered its hide. Dragonscale like but more flexible and not nearly as resistant to certain attacks, but its armor has made it the apex predator of the Sun in this realm.

It growled and knelt down to smell the ground as though it were judging us by our sense of smell, more than likely trying to sense fear, doubt or negativity. Which she caught wind of by Xeno alone.

It paced back and forth from one side of the clearing to the other staring at Xeno, then the others then back to Xeno. Almost like it was waiting for something.

Xeno glared at the Beta and smiled but not moving or taking his eyes off hers. Xeno had spent 50 years on this plain, he learned things no man should have on how to survive evolution at its core.
During the day, he had to run, fight, hunt and live to prepare for night.
During the night, he had to fight because hiding was not an option.

There were things in this realm that scared him. Betas were on the list but there were at least three other things in this realm that scared him more.

For a moment, both Xeno and the Beta had stopped and stared very intently at each other. Gauging the other, building anger, emotion, or just holding something to try and gain the upper hand.

The tail of the Beta swooshed around for a moment, then branched into three individual tails attached at three locations adjacent from each other. Each carring their own barbs, spines and ridges as the others did and each one seemingly having a mind oof their own as each swooshed around each other and never once got in each others way.

Beta crouched low and growled deeply as Xeno glared at the cat.
This was a battle that neither of them were completely prepared for.
For the Beta, it was three on one.
For Xeno, it was a Beta.

Both sides stared at the other for just another moment before either made a move.

Xeno looked back at the others as they handled and subdued the other cats that were onslaughting them, then he looked back realizing that Beta had not called for any reinforcements.

"You and me?", Xeno smired
Irvine, inside Xeno's mind screamed, "Oh for the love of shade!"

Xeno grinned and readied his blade, "Ready when you are kitten..."

*He sighing deeply watching him for a moment * Aye that is what I said....do you doubt hm? I trained there for over 350 years....under someone *he trailing off for a moment watching the fire Daemon* Oi you just gonna stand there and stare like a idiot? * His flames orbs already hitting six of the cats ignitniteing them quickly burning them to death*

" I do not need to move to attack.... if I did, they would be dead already..."

*He looking at the beta Irv was focused on.* Oi your too slow...*Takeing doen another 3 getting bored by the minute.* " Hurry up and finish, I need to get back...*His voice makeing a yawn sound.*

Xeno sighed as the roar of the world ignited the realm.
"I said DON'T kill them. 350 years and you didn't learn that?!", Irvine yelled vanishing from sight and appearing behind the Beta.

He drew his blade as a tail came crashing down, impaling the terrain and hurling a boulder. His blade impacted the boulder, slicing clean through it. It began to split into two pieces as he amped into "Chain Gate". The first step of a powerful being known as the "General". Only two had ever made it up the "Gates", far enough to get the "General" as a commanding force and Zero was the second.

A black energy blade streaked through the boulder, shattering it into pieces as a tail parried it and was followed by a massive swipe of a paw.

Xeno shunted the attack just enough to dodge it and drew his second blade cutting the tail off. He dashed forward and held his blade high into the style of the hawk and with a single step surged forward with a Gatotsu strike.

The first long blade dinged off the hide of the Beta and was countered with a tail swing from the third of the three tails. It moved about 5 feet before the Beta roared a powerful blast of sound towards Xeno. This was a two pronged attack that Xeno couldn't escape.

He shifted his weight and the ground erupted in a burst of earth and debris as within a moment he appeared above the Beta with chains wrapped around his body, each one carrying a sickle.

"Last Rite: Chain Paralysis!", the world screamed and echoed as the floating chains darted and wrapped the Beta crushing it in anaconda like force that resonated bones snapping.

He was still falling from the 20 he appeared in as he took the Hawk stance again in mid air this time pointing straight down.

The earth rumbles as a gatotsu air style rained down into the Betas shoulder and pinned it to the ground. Shadows boiled out of the ground, coating the Beta like before with the Seraida and began to pull the Cat down into the ooze which quickly became transmuted into Xeno. the helixs all over his body lit up with flames and resonate sound as he looked back to the others.

(Xeno level increased by one)

The roar of dozens upon dozens of Seraida claimed the air as Xeno smiled and glowed with the evil that began to boil over in his heart.

"We shall claim them all..."

*sighs hearing him yelling he chuckleing at him on purpose.* oh? *He still aiming for them ignoreing what he said *

"I really do not care what you said..... ill be leaveing as soon as were done here..."

*Senseing something in a distant realm glareing a bit he wondering what it could be, he wanting to find Isil again to protect her.*

"Death...."

* Growling a bit the dark aura twisting and turning. He glad that he kept his flame with her so he could sense anything wrong that was around her.*

"Hurry up you fool..."

*Ignoreing the fire daemon now there being only the beta's left to fight.*

Xeno watched as Valiant vanished with a snide remark.

"Was he expecting a dragon?", Xeno laughed deeply as he watched the tree line.

There was a thunderous approach oncoming in the forest. The sounds of dozens of fierce and deadly beasts were inbound, following the pheromone trail of their fellow kin.

Within minutes, Xeno counted 10 massive shadows exiting the trees from in front of him and looked behind him to see the 20 or so more coming from behind him and from his left and right.

At this point, Xeno and the fox were surrounded and he could feel the motives of each and every member of the pack, death.

It seemed like the world was getting smaller as the flanking packs and charging cats closed a tight circle around the two interlopers. Each 'interloper' readied themselves by gathering energies and focusing their minds to this battle. Both of them had something in common now. Destruction. With the number of cats that were on the incoming, there was no way to subdue them or kill them all simultaneously. This battle would be enduring and extremely long.

Xeno's power soared higher as the chains around him began freely darting at cats freely, like scorpion stingers or snakes that snapped like whips and struck with lightning speed and precision as Xeno pulled his second blade and charged into the ever increasing hoards of the Seraida.

His gatotsu strike was powerful, but when combined with battoujutsu and sakuchi, it became terrifying. He thrusted his blade down the throat of the nearest cat and spun around quickly bringing his long blade to the neck of the same Cat.

Each cat seemed like they were getting bigger but this was an illusion played by numbers and sight displacement. Xeno rolled to a side and flipped backto avoid multiple strike. Tails and claws streaked the air, Xeno could only duck, dodge and avoid the strikes. Each paw had five long seraided talons at each end driven by the force of a train. To block one of these attacks would be like playing with a piledriver.

Xeno switched to a counter attack style and pushed himself back and down into a roll to give him some distance from the pack of cats that had grown out of control.

Spreading his legs a bit, lowering his shoulder a bit and holding both blades like a spinning top. The long blade was held in normal form to the left and across his body just below his chest. His second blade was held in a reversed style in unison to create a circular look to his style when looked down from above.

He began focusing his power and the chains slowly retracted into his body as the Chain Gates were disbanded. The shadows began to dance and the wind began to blow as an electrical storm approached from the north.
His combat attire of black pants, shirt, and boots shifted from inside to the outside of his body creating a lighter and more flexible suit of armor.
As he focused his power, the helixs on his arms began to glow a bright blue which gave him a halo effect.

The cats growled as the crept to him. They were getting ready for a team assault. Each cat was seperated by a small gap which created false openings. They stayed low and stared at Xeno as they studied his stance and smell awaiting the time for the perfect strike.

A black line blazed around Xeno in the instance of th cats rush. Its mass filled with the shadow of flames but more representing power as it flare up. It rose into the clouds and then down again dragging lightning and thunder down with it. The lightning crashed all around Xeno, created glass spires the jutted up from the contact, then shattered into millions of shards by a sonic wave from the heavens that caused dust debris and glass to blow out like a sonic nuclear blast.

Xeno braced knowing it was coming and in the instance the glass shattered he began to let his energy seep from his body causing him to spin. As he spun, the shadow flames created a bubble around Xeno as the rotation of the energy pulled all the glass and shards of earth and debris into it.

"Kage Fuuton Kaiten!", he spoke sending the debris that rotated around the shadow bubble into the air causing a twister effect in every direction.

The kaiten attack parried the attacks and pulled the cats into the rotation long enough to have the energy of their own force to be counter reactive. The blast sent out, sent glass and debris and cats to fly away, cutting anything and everything in the path of the tornadic shadow winds.

Blood, bones, guts, skin, furr and cats blasted outwards back into the tree line as the winds carried them, leaving a spiral like crater beneath Xeno and leaving Xeno on one knee.

The helixs no longer glowed as the power in Xeno's body faded along with his aura. He was weak. He used his most powerful defense in hopes to escape. He could feel the reserves of his shadow abilities being tapped as his sights began to fade.

He began to sink into the shadow oils that had taken four seraida lives and he cursed ever using it. The Seraida had gotten the last laugh as the will power of the four had taken control and began to consume Xeno. Xeno didn't both to fight the spiritual power of the assimilated feral cats instead, he let them take him and soon he vanished into the pools of shadow oil and was not seen again in the area.