Walking in Circles

Hayashi, still stuck in his childish body, had been looking for his personal effects for well into the past three hours, leaving only two more before his aunt began the search for him. By a simple stroke of luck he had located the bag he needed right where he had left it. "About time." he muttered, reaching his hand for it, only for a strange black smoke to surround him. From the darkness, a cold, calm, calculating voice rang out.

"You finally came you brat." it said. "This bag is yours, yes? Then why can't I, Blackheart, the source of your Demonic might, open it? You sealed it with Demon magics, yet I can't even touch it." As the voice faded, the mist formed something, or rather, someone Hayashi never wanted to see again. He looked like Hayashi's teenaged self only void of all color, a long jacket, short hair, boots, the entire outfit he once wore, replicated in front of his eyes in the form of the most foul, most cruel, most vile thing to walk the Earth.

"Because, I'm not a Demon anymore." the child replied to his dark half. "You shouldn't even exist. Now, how about you scurry off before I end your life for good?" he asked, creating a sword of Essentiam Inferno. Rather then waiting for a response, he swung, the force creating a shockwave.

Blackheart drew a large broadsword as black as himself and readied himself for the strike, which did litle to his body besides a small cut which healed in moments. "Tch, you want it that way then? Fine." he growled before closing the gap between himself and his former host. "This time, I'll be the one doing all the thinking while you try to sway me." When the time was right, he slashed at Hayashi's neck

Hayashi blocked with his organic sword, feeling the slash as though it were himself that suffered the attack, a side effect of the Inferno that comprised the weapon. Finding that to continue with such a weapon was foolish, he changed his entire sword arm into a solid blade from the sholder down to where his hand should be. Using his short arm to his advantage in the close quarters, he slashed wildly, each cut inflicted healing in moments that seemed to be longer with each one. As the barrage ended, Hayashi smirked. "Finished yet? I already told you that you won't beat me, son of Adam or not."

Blackheart laughed madly. "Ah, so you do know who I am? Saves me time explaining." he said, coming down from his cynical humor. "I was first, so God should have taken my offering, but no. Abel always got his way, leaving me to wallow in shame and hate. Now we're here and now I can kill the desendents of Seth, one by one. Of course, you and all half-breed Demons are also my children, being creatures of sin and all, so as your ancestor, I demand to use your body as I see fit."

"How about no? I don't believe in a God, although I've seen Hell, I've seen the Devil himself. Scumbags one and all. And for the last time, I'm, not a Demon!" Hayashi yelled, the pain in his entire body too great to bear. ''Shit! The Inferno is expanding it's hold again.''

Blackheart took advantage of Hayashi's pain and impaled him with the broadsword. "So, the child of Margin and Yuki gave you her power. Problem is, it's a disease, killing the good cells and replicating every few days, until it consumes you." he said, happily pulling the sword from the boy's chest. "Judging by the look on your face, you only have a few weeks. Better find the cure..." he taunted with glee.

"Shut it..I'll find the cure...I'll live long enough to help Asuka come back to her senses. That alone is my wish...to make her happy again, to prevent the pain she feels." the bleeding child replied with a look in his eye like his father's. The blood running down his chest congealed quickly but painfully.

Blackheart stood where he was, amazed at the child's will to defend his friend. From behind him, he felt two more beings appear from nowhere, including one he never wanted to feel again. "Hello, Shade." he said with a mocking voice.

From behind a tree, a man in red armor and a young girl wearing a pink dress, walked forward. The man then vanished in a flash of light and when he was next visible, he had Blackheart by the throat. "Who are you?" he asked the shadow-man. The girl, however, was tending to Hayashi's wounds, which were covered in the Inferno and his own blood.

Hayashi didn't even understand what was going on, all he heard was Blackheart say his father's name when the girl started using Kido to heal his arms. Slowly, the reaction with the Kido stopped, but it delivered a rather unexpected side effect, it fully restored Hayashi's body to it's natural form, a teenager. To his shock, the clothing he wore was modified to fit his new form. "Who are you?" he finally managed, his mind slowed from pain and shock.

The girl smiled. "I'm Leathe. The guy holding the shadow freak is Shade. Who're you?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm Hayashi Kagekyo. Although...I'm impressed a little kid like you can heal me so easily." the fully restored ex-Demon replied. His body felt perfect, something that scared him. "You're quite good kid, I'm really glad you showed up."

Leathe blushed as he complimented her healing abilities. "You have the same last name as Shade, you related to hin?" she asked just as Blackheart came flying by and falling apart, returning to his smoke form and returning to Hayashi's cells, where the Inferno's infection was already going to assimilate him. Hayashi the walked over to the armored man. "That girl says your name is Shade, is that right?"

"Yes. My name is Shade Kagekyo, one of the Kensei, the Nero Angelo. You look like that shadow-being. Why?" Shade replied. He wiped the sweat from his face, although he barely fought, Hayashi had indeed weakened Blackheart's will, and therefore his power.

"He's my dark half, so he's bound to my natural form. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have places to be and Reikon Kyuuban to talk with." Hayashi replied, grabbing his bag. "Oh, and thanks for saving me." he added before running to Hama Town.

Leathe walked up to Shade. "Weird kid, isn't he?" they both said at the same exact moment.