Both Crnobog and Haru came out of the portal and into a modern warehouse. Not much was in it, just some boxes and machines. But what got Haru's attention was a large gate-like structure made of stone with unknown writing all over it, it was about 25 feet tall and it looked like it was two pillars connected by the stairs at the bottom. It looked old but Haru could feel the power coming out of it and it was strong.
"What is this place?" He asked, looking around.
"It's a warehouse I bought a few months back, it's mainly for storage and acting as a port." Crnobog said.
"A port? Are we near the ocean?" Haru asked.
"No child, when I say port I meant a dimensional port. Kinda like what we went through but the gate you see in front of you can let through a larger number of beings and items far larger than any portal I can create. It's kinda like a terminal port if you will." Crnobog explained.
"Oh, that's cool."
"Yes it is. Now as I said before, I have other things to discuss with you."
"Like what?"
"Well first is your training, we need you to—" But a guard in a black suit came up to them.
"Master Crnobog, you have a call."
"Can it wait, I'm in the middle of something extremely important here."
"The caller said it was important."
"Oh, for the love of… fine. If you'll excuse me Haru, it seems I have business to attend to."
"It's ok, Haru understands."
"Don't let the child out of your sight." He whispered to the guard before heading upstairs to a room.
"Who the bloody hell is it?" He demanded at another guard.
"It is the Chuuei child, he wishes to speak with you." He said.
"The stupid runt dares to interrupt me now?! He has some nerve… give me that!" He snatched the phone from the guard.
"What the hell do you want Chuuei! I am very busy with an important task so you better have a damn good reason why I shouldn't rip off your head now?" He yelled on the phone.
"I'm terribly sorry Crnobog-dono, but I wish to inform you that my Fighters… have failed to kill the child." Toutaku said.
"I'm well aware of your failure in killing him, but this time I am pleased that they failed."
"You…are?" He asked, shocked.
"Indeed I am, your blunder and your Fighters' idiocy has actually brought some good into this. If all goes well, I'll actually grant your wish to change your fate."
"T… thank you so much Crnobog-dono! I am very happy to hear this, when will I expect my reward?"
"In a day or so, now I must go now and don't bother me again. I'll contact you when I'm done with the matter I'm in."
"Of course Crnobog-dono. It has been an honor to serve you and I hope we negotiate again in the future."
"Indeed." Crnobog hung up the phone.
"Master, will you actually grant that human's wish?" The guard asked.
"Maybe, you see, he wishes to change his fate, a fate in which one of his subjects kills him. So, I'll simply kill whoever is going to kill him or kill him myself… or even both." He said with a cruel smirk.
"I see… and what of the child?"
"I'm going to reform him in my image. He is the last of a powerful clan, their powers rival even gods. So, why not train him to serve and be loyal to me?"
"And you sure the Great Master won't be displeased about this?"
"He won't, I know what I'm doing."
Crnobog went back down to where Haru was.
"My apologies Haru, I had to take care of a few loose ends."
"No problem, so back to what Crnobog was saying."
"Ah yes that, you see I… oh bloody hell." He grunted.
"What's wrong?" Haru asked.
"It seems we're going to have guests soon and not the good kind. Haru I believe you should stay here, I'll take care of our uninvited intruders. You three come with me." He ordered a few guards.
The four went outside and saw in front of them was Hakufu's group standing there.
"Well what do we have here?" Crnobog asked.
"So it was you, Crnobog!" Ignir said.
"If it isn't the two old relics of the family? I thought you two died years ago?"
"Cut the chit chat and tell us where Haru-kun is now!" Hakufu demanded.
"And it seems you brought some human pets as well. And as to where your friend is, you won't know that anytime soon. But what I can tell you is that he has chosen to side with me." The others gasped at that.
"That's a lie! You must have tricked him to be on your side!" Ukitsu said.
"Oh but he did and I only told him what he already knew. I didn't trick him at all into joining me. Besides, it was you humans that drove him away when you learned he wasn't human. You scorned him away and now he is mine to use as I deem fit." He said with a smirk.
"You will do no such thing to the child! We will set him free from whatever trickery you placed on him and you will pay for what you have done in the past!" Laufey snapped.
"And what can you, an old hag, a geezer, and a bunch of humans, do against a god like me?"
"A god? HA! Don't make me laugh. You're nothing but a worthless demon that took the powers of the real Slavic god." Laufey remarked.
"What did you call me?" He said with anger.
"You heard her, you tricked the real Crnobog into his death and took his name and powers for your own. You couldn't defeat him so you backstabbed him and led him to his death. You truly are a pathetic, worthless, weakling low class demon that can't even get his own powers and has to kill and steal others." Ignir said.
Crnobog shook with anger as ice and darkness surrounded him.
"YOU KNOW NOTHING OF WHAT I AM! I may not be the real Crnobog but I'm superior to that old myth and more powerful than he could ever be!"
"Then prove it you bastard." Ryomou egged him.
"I don't need to do anything, especially to a human! My guards will take care of you. Kill them all!" Crnobog ordered his guards.
The guards shifted into their armor forms with swords and spears in hand. The group stepped back in surprise.
"Holy crap who are these guys?!" Koukin asked.
"Your death human!" One of them said charging at them.
They all split up making the guard miss them and they all got into fighting stance.
"Look at this, the humans actually think they can take us on. This will be a quick fight."
"Don't underestimate us, you pricks!" Hakufu launched the first attack.
Hakufu ran up to one of the guards and did a strong kick to his head but he blocked it with just his finger. Hakufu gasped at how easily he stopped her kick.
"No way!"
"Like that will do anything to me you stupid human." He chuckled.
"HEY! Don't call me stupid!" She yelled.
Hakufu spun around and kicked him in the ribs. This time he didn't block it and stumbled back a bit but it made little difference. Hakufu would be shocked if she wasn't jumping around holding her leg in pain.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, OW! Son of a bitch that hurts!" She hissed in pain.
"Forgot I was wearing armor? Truly you're the dumbest of your species. It will be a great joy for me to—GAH!" He was stopped by Ukitsu kicking him in the head.
The guard hit the ground hard and cracks could be seen on his helmet. Ukitsu landed and she just smirked.
"Not sure what you guys are but we're more than you think."
"Don't get cocky with these humans dumbass! They have strength and power that normal humans don't have, so get up and let's kill them already!" One of the guards said.
"Listen, you all should be able to defeat these grunts but leave Crnobog to us." Ignir said.
"Who the hell are you calling grunts you relic! I'll tear you into pieces!" The guard yelled at Ignir.
"You'll have to go through us first." Gakushuu said.
"Very well, I'll send your soul to hell first!" The guard charged at Gakushuu with his sword.
Gakushuu countered the attack by moving the sword away from him and slamming his palm on the chest piece of the armor but he retracted his hand from the slight sting of pain.
"Dammit, that armor is tough. Any attacks that include punching are basically worthless." He said.
"Then maybe this will work!" Saji kicked one of the guards in the gut and he fell to his knees holding his gut in pain.
"Looks like that did it." Saji smirked
"This works just as well." Ryomou said using a chi punch on a guard that worked.
"Then we should all focus on those attacks if we want to get through this." Ukitsu said.
So they split into teams. Koukin, Goei, and Hakufu, Gakushuu with Saji, and Ryomou with Ukitsu. Ignir and Laufey went after Crnobog, leaving the teens and Goei to battle the guards. The fight was pretty intense as they saw that these guards were far from human. They display the same type of power Haru had when he was the Kanto Beast. Inhuman speed and strength, their armor was nearly indestructible with every hit they landed, didn't even make a scratch, and the guards themselves seemed to just toying with them not even going all out and still the others were having a hard time.
"Goddammit, what are these guys?" Ukitsu said, slamming her foot in the gut of a guard.
"It's like they are tanks or something with that armor on. Any ideas how we can beat these guys with that armor?" Ryomou said, blocking an attack.
Goei strikes one of them on the side where they had no armor with a chi punch and he falls to the ground holding his side in pain.
"The under armor! Strike them where they have no armor!" Goei pointed out.
The others nodded and started to attack where they had no armor. And it seemed they might have a fighting chance. But the guards wouldn't let them have the upper hand for long. The group suddenly felt a large surge of power emanating from the guards at an alarming rate. The guards collected so much power that the others could actually see the power coming off of them. They also heard them growling and snarling at them though with their helmets still on they couldn't see their faces but glad they couldn't.
"You think you can defeat us, you pathetic humans? Not a chance in the inferno! We'll tell you all the true meaning of the word power!" One of them snapped.
"You all talk big but I'll still kick all your asses!" Hakufu said.
"I would recommend you rethink your position on that little girl cause it'll be you to feel our full MIGHT!" One of the guards lunged at Hakufu at blinding speeds.
He struck her in the stomach making her cough up a lot of blood before kicking her straight into a pile of empty crates. The others gasped at how quickly the guard took her down and the power he wields.
"HAKUFU!" The others screamed as they ran after her.
But the guards wouldn't let them as they ran up to them and pretty much did the same thing to them as they did to Hakufu. One of them took both Koukin and Gakushuu by the shirts and held them in the air before throwing them to the warehouse wall. The second guard took his spear and slammed it on the ground making an energy shock wave and it slammed into Goei and Ukitsu knocking them both to the ground. The last one made a large fireball in the palm of his hand and threw it at Saji and Ryomou. Saji pushed them out of the way but the fireball exploded, throwing them near the others. The group struggled to stand back up as the three guards slowly moved to them with the intention to kill them.
"Well… this scene looks familiar doesn't it?" Saji joked but coughed up some blood.
"We… can't give up… Haru-san needs us." Koukin said shakily.
"But we can't even harm these guys… and their power… it's like they aren't…" Ryomou tried to finish her sentence but was interrupted by her coughs.
"As you can plainly see, we are far more powerful than you weakling humans. For we are the Dread Guards, an elite force with powers beyond anything you can ever imagine." The one in the middle said.
"Dread Guards? I never heard of you before." Goei said.
"Not surprisingly there, we don't make ourselves public so of course you wouldn't hear of us. We are a secret group as it were and we are everywhere." The one on the right said.
"And now you'll die like the many souls we've slain over the years." The one on the left said.
"We aren't done just yet!" Ukitsu said.
"Oh I doubt you have anything left in you—"
WHAM!
Ukitsu slammed her foot in the middle guard's helmet.
"You were saying?" She smirked.
The kick was so strong it shattered the helmet into pieces. He stumbled back holding his face while the other two guards stood stunned that a human had that strong of a kick to destroy a piece of their armor.
"Now I see why Master Crnobog meant when he said that these 'Fighters' were stronger than the other humans." One of the guards whispered.
"Why… you… little… WHORE!" The guard with the shattered helmet screamed and spun around.
When he turned around, the others gasped as they saw his face. His skin was crispy light brown with no eyeballs but had two little red dots in the sockets and jagged outer teeth. He looked like a cross between a zombie and a demon.
"What the hell!" Gakushuu said, astonished and creeped out.
"I'm gonna kill you nice and slowly you fucking weakling!" He said with venom in his voice.
But before he could do anything, something slammed into him and the others, throwing them to the ground. They got up and saw it was Hakufu that did it. But she changed, her eyes had a small slit and she was grinning evilly. They felt a large amount of power coming off of her that she didn't have before. Her clothes were ripped up a bit too. She was glaring at them with a smile that made them a little uneasy.
The spirit within her had awoken again.
"Crap, Hakufu is under the influence again!" Koukin hissed.
"Perhaps this is a good thing." Goei said solemnly.
"How is her being like this a good thing?" Ryomou asked.
"We couldn't defeat them under our own power, but maybe now Hakufu can defeat them now she's like this."
The others looked at her and knew she was right. If they had any chance to defeat them, Hakufu being under the influence would be their best chance to do so. The Dread Guards however thought it was just another trick.
"Well, looks like this human here is more than we thought. But it matters little now; you still have no chance in defeating—GAH!"
Hakufu slammed her fist in the Dread Guards gut. He recoiled in pain both surprised and shocked that she delivered such a strong punch. The other two were surprised by this but it didn't last long as the other Dread Guard launched a fireball attack on her but Hakufu jumped away from it and did a flying kick to his face. The next one swung his sword at her head but Hakufu simply moved to the right and punched him on his sides making him go down on one knee giving her another chance to slam him to the warehouse wall. The one without a helmet ran at her like a mad person and started to throw punches left and right. Hakufu just dodge them before sending another powerful kick to his face, cracking his teeth. A Dread Guard snuck up on her and slashes his spear across her back making her yell in pain. The other two took this chance and started to attack her with all they got. Hakufu was able to block or evade most of the attacks but it was still overwhelming her. She skidded across the pavement with bruises and cuts all over her body. Her breathing was ragged but she still kept her evil stare at them.
"Even with the Spirit in control she still isn't getting anywhere." Saji said.
"Then we'll have to end this." Koukin said.
"How? We could barely make a dent on them under our own strength." Gakushuu asked.
"Maybe not alone, but what if we gather enough Chi in a single attack. It seems Chi attacks affect them a lot more than regular punches and kicks." Ukitsu said.
"That… might actually work. But we need them to stay in one spot long enough for us to do that. Any ideas on how that's going to happen?" Ryomou asked.
"I might have an idea but I'll need Koukin-san's help for this." Gakushuu said.
"Me?" Koukin looked confused.
"Just follow my lead and take this." Gakushuu handed Koukin a metal pipe.
Koukin still wasn't sure what plans Gakushuu had but took the pipe and followed his lead. The two as quietly as possible snuck around the guards as they were surrounding Hakufu.
"I hate to admit this, but you put up a good fight, for a human at least. How in the Inferno you obtain such power is beyond me but it matters little now." The one without the helmet said.
"But now you will die, pity you could have made a good Dread Guard. Oh well." The one with the spear shrugged.
"Enough talk! Let's end this already!" The one with the sword snapped.
"GLADLY!" Shouted Gakushuu as he used a Chi blast to knock them across the pavement and next to some large and heavy crates.
"Now Koukin-san!"
Koukin swung as hard as he could and smashed the lower crate making the others tumble over and fall on top of the Dread Guards. Both Gakushuu and Koukin went over to Hakufu and saw she was slowly returning back to normal. She swayed a bit and fell into Koukin's arms. After a few moments, her senses came back to her.
"Are you ok Hakufu?" Koukin asked.
"Yeah though I feel sore all over… I lost control, again, didn't I?" She asked and the two nodded.
After knowing Haru's true nature and a little on his background, Koukin decided then and there it was time for Hakufu to know the truth of what really happened between her fight with Ryomou. Needless to say she was shocked and didn't really understand it. The news on that she had a spirit within her that could break free and control her was freaky enough but when they told her that it could make her kill people as well. Now that was just scary. It took her a while to come to grasp at what she has and in her own way, she accepted it as somewhat of an advantage to her. But she also figured that compared to what Haru has, this was just a random mood swing.
"I didn't hurt anyone did I?" Hakufu asked.
"Just those assholes really and speaking of, we better get ready." Ryomou said and the others minus Hakufu agreed.
The group stood ready near the crates lifting their hands at the down guards. The crates started to move meaning the Dread Guards were getting up. With little time to waste they gathered as much Chi as they could and combined it into one large ball. The guards finally got out from beneath the fallen crates looking pissed.
"Goddamn those weaklings! I just about enough of their existence, let's end… what the?" The one without the helmet looked up and saw the group behind a large ball of energy.
Without warning, they release the energy and send it flying towards the Dread Guards.
"I hate humans." The one with the sword groaned.
The ball hit them dead on; the energy overwhelmed them as it ripped through their very skin and bones. The ball exploded in a brilliant light that could be seen for miles. The other covered their eyes so the light wouldn't damage their sites. Once the light died down, they saw the Dread Guards on the ground not moving. The others let out a sigh thinking it was over.
"Well I can definitely say that was one of the toughest fights I've ever been in." Saji said, leaning on a crate.
"No arguments here. Those guys… or whatever they were sure were tough to beat." Ukitsu said.
"Now that it's over, let's find Laufey-obaachan and Ignir-ojjisan so we can get Haru-kun." Goei said.
"But where can they be?" Hakufu asks.
A sudden explosion at the other side of the warehouse caught their attention.
"Something tells me we'll find them there." Koukin said.
"It was useless." A low voice said.
The other turned to the guard without the helmet, he was looking at them with blood coming out from his mouth.
"What was that?" Gakushuu asked.
"You… may have… defeated… us three… but your… victory… is hollow!" He splutters out.
"Says the one on the ground who got his ass handed to him, we beat you and we'll get Haru-kun back." Hakufu said with a grin.
"Again… it is… useless… you'll never… defeat… Lord Crnobog… for… he is a… god… and you… are… mere… worms." With that the guard passed out.
"As much as I hate to agree with him, he's got a point. These guys were tough enough to defeat. But if this Crnobog is as powerful as they say he is. Then we are headed for some real shit." Koukin said.
"If it's true then we'll face it together. Haru-kun needs us right now and we can't let anything stop us." Ukitsu said and the others nodded.