Still in the Memory of Finn,a flashback of 7days ago.
As they descended the weathered stone staircase, the scent of sakura blossoms enveloped them, a tranquil oasis in the heart of the bustling temple. The cold morning breeze whispered through the trees, carrying delicate petals that danced around them like ethereal ballerinas. Their footsteps echoed through the serene landscape, a gentle counterpoint to the tension that had hung between Finn and Mako mere moments before.
Xiao Yong Huo broke the silence, his voice infused with warmth. "Finn, you've been distant lately. Is something troubling you?"
Finn's face remained a mask of stone, but frustration flickered in his eyes like a shadow on water. "I'm fine, Master Xiao. It's nothing."
Xiao's smile widened, his eyes sparkling with gentle amusement. "Oh, still simmering from your encounter with Mako, I presume?"
Finn's voice remained flat, a stark contrast to the coiled tension in his words. "Not in the slightest. He wouldn't have been much of a warm-up..." He paused, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again, his gaze piercing. "In fact, 'warm-up' is an overstatement. He is less than nothing."
Xiao's smile grew, a mix of amusement and curiosity in his eyes. "Lesser, indeed. And what makes you so certain of that, Finn? You shouldn't look down on others simply because you are superior."
Finn let out a dismissive "Tch."
Xiao's words flowed like honey, his voice wrapped in wisdom as his smile deepened. "Besides, you were in the wrong. You cannot keep skipping training, especially Quan. It is a tradition every monk must partake in each morning, regardless of their rank or status."
As they walked, Finn absorbed Xiao's words, his stoic face betraying no emotion. "To what end is this so-called 'training'?" he said, his voice laced with disdain. "I am well beyond that level. I am the Reincarnation of the Six. I shouldn't be settling for such petty things."
"True... but as a monk, discipline is paramount, not optional, my son," Xiao's voice carried a soft, unwavering tone. "How do you think your brothers perceive your actions when you deem their practices beneath you?"
Xiao stopped walking, his words hanging in the air like sakura petals. Finn took a step forward before realizing Xiao had halted. He turned, meeting the old man's gaze, which watched him from over his shoulder.
Finn's voice was calm, but edged with anger. "Are you calling me a monk? Don't make me laugh. We both know you never saw me as one of them. Or one of you."
Xiao's smile remained warm, his eyes half-closed in their perpetual gentle gaze. "Of course I see you as one of us. What could have made you think otherwise?"
Finn turned fully to face him, his expression intense. "If you did," he said, running a hand through his hair before letting it drop to his side, "then why do I still have it?"
The air grew thick with tension, but Xiao's face remained a mask of warm serenity. His voice was gentle as he replied, "Finn."
He placed both hands behind his back, lacing his fingers as he stepped closer. Finn's eyes narrowed at the movement, but Xiao paid his scrutiny no mind. As he drew near, his smile dipped slightly, and he placed a light, gentle hand on Finn's shoulder.
"You asked why your hair was never shaved, Son," he said, his voice calm and summery. "Simply see it as a sign of respect."
Finn's gaze drifted to the hand on his shoulder before returning to the old man's face. His expression was stoic, his voice calculated. "Respect..."
Xiao's smile didn't waver. "Yes, Finn. Respect for you as our savior. Respect for you as the Reincarnation of the Six. You are not bound by the same faith as ours." His voice took on a low, sharp tone. "But remember this, Finn... that does not make you any less of a monk."
Finn's voice carried a hint of anger, though he remained calm. "You say that as if it's simple. Yet the other monks... they believe you're just pampering me."
Xiao's voice was gentle. "Finn, they are just—"
"Just what!?" Finn cut him off, his voice rising. "They presume I'm your pet, just because you adopted me. They know I am the reincarnation of the grand masters, yet those bald-headed bastards still show me no respect! They criticize me, call me arrogant, call me disrespectful!"
Xiao's smile had vanished, his gaze locked on Finn's, his expression unreadable.
Finn continued, his voice thick with frustration. "You say I should acknowledge them as my brothers, yet they show no respect for me. How is that fair?"
Xiao's expression remained unflinching, his eyes now filled with a deep sadness and pity. His palm still rested on Finn's shoulder as he managed to utter a single word: "Son..."
Finn's response was immediate, his voice sharp with a rare, undisguised anger. "Don't 'Son' me!."
Xiao's eyes widened slightly, a soft "Ah!" escaping his lips.
Finn's words tumbled out, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "You were completely aware of the hell I went through. I was put through training at the age of five, the moment you disclosed my identity to the other elders. I was born inheriting these powers, sealing my fate, stealing any choice I had in who I wanted to be. I was given one purpose: being a… savior. Tchs… the word irritates me."
The silence hung in the air as Finn's words settled. He took a deep breath, his voice regaining its sharp edge. "A savior is meant to be the purest of heart. I am not. I will never turn a blind eye to someone who wrongs me, let alone be their savior."
His words were laced with bitterness. "The monks have gone through training to achieve harmony, to detach themselves from hatred and evil. Yet, they hold such jealousy and envy against me. And you still call them my brothers?"
Finn's gaze was intense, his voice dripping with conviction. "You can only imagine how the outside world will be . I'm no savior. I'm just me. I could never be a savior to a world like this—a world whose people are consumed by hate ."
As Finn's bitter words hung in the air, Xiao's hand slowly slid from the boy's shoulder up to his cheeks as he gently cupped Finn's cheek, his touch warm against the cold morning air.
The serene smile returned to the Elder's lips, and his perpetually half-closed eyes stared directly into Finn's.
"Listen... Son," Xiao whispered, his low voice cutting through the tension like a blade. At his words, an involuntary shiver traced its way down Finn's spine. He felt his eyes widen, just a fraction, as the Xiao palm rested against his face.
"If The world wasn't so Peaceful Six Humans won't have Been give the powers of Gods to defend it….If It wasn't so Loved They won't have sacrificed they life to Protect it...."Xiao says his words carrying the weight of wisdom and overall objection on Finn opinion.
" Xioa Sensei…"Finn said clearly having no reply while stunned by Xiao's preachings.
Still Xioa continue "IF WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE WASN'T WORTH PROTECTING BY THE SIX YOU WON'T HAVE BEEN HERE,FACE IT.
Xiao's words landed with heavy finality, leaving a tense silence in their wake. "Your existence proves the second coming of Daikan, whether you like it or not," he said, his smile never faltering.
He let his hand fall from Finn's face and walked past him. His footsteps were unhurried as he stepped off the stone path and onto a grassy field, surrounded by blossoming sakura trees.
Finn's eyes followed Xiao's movement, his own gaze softening ever so slightly as Xiao's words settled within him.
Xiao's pace slowed as he approached a gnarled sakura tree, resting a hand against its trunk. His gaze drifted a few meters ahead, settling on a rune tomb. It was an ancient, weathered structure, its stone blocks fractured with age. Wild grasses grew untamed around its gaping, dark entrance.
Xiao's faint smile remained, his eyes fixed on the tomb. "Finn… come," he called, his voice quiet.
Wasting no time, Finn left the stone path and strode through the grass to stand at the Elder's side. His gaze followed Xiao's, landing on the mysterious tomb. "Yes, Sensei," he replied.
"THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE BLAZING WILL TEMPLE IS TO SECURE AND GUARD THE TOMB OF DAIKAN IF THE SEAL PLACED ON HIM WAS TO COME UNDONE.
He paused, his gaze unblinking. "It was no coincidence that I stumbled upon your village that day during my travels. I found a sickening slaughter... I thought everyone was gone, until I heard the cry of a baby from one of the homes. When I went to investigate, I found you. An infant, lying on a bed and wailing, likely from hunger, completely unaware that your dead mother lay just outside the door."
Finn's gaze remained unwavering. It was clear he had heard this story a hundred times over.
Xiao's voice lowered, becoming almost a whisper. "That is when I took you in and brought you here, to the very grounds where the one you are destined to defeat lies sealed. Won't you call that fate?"
His eyes intensified as he stared at the tomb, his smile finally faltering. "If the seal placed on Daikan were to break—which it inevitably will,will you run from your sole purpose as the savior? Or will you face it head-on, my son?" Xiao concluded, turning to face Finn directly.
Finn tilted his head back, his stoic face unblinking as he let the question hang in the air. A tense silence settled between them before he finally spoke.
"Tch... I'm not your damn son," he said, pausing for effect. "And yes, I will do anything to put an end to this burden of being humanity's savior. If Daikan were to crawl out of that tomb, I would carve a real grave for him this time." He finished with a look of calm, absolute determination.
AUTHOR POV
if I was to react to the this in my local Nigeria language I will be like Lol:(FINN AS HOW NAAA AS HOW NAA)Lol
BACK TO THE STORY
Xiao's warm smile returned. "Hm… Good. I like the confidence, haha," he said, chuckling lightly as he clapped his hands together twice. "I pray Lady Luck is on your side when you finally face him."
Finn's lips pressed into a thin line. He turned from Xiao's side and began walking away, his feet carrying him out of the petal-strewn field and back toward the stone path. "Why would I need luck when I have the powers of the Six?" he called back over his shoulder. "That's an insult on my path, Xiao Sensei." With that, he stepped onto the stone road and walked until he was out of sight.
Left alone, Xiao simply stuck a pinky finger into his ear, twisting it to clean it out. He sighed softly.
"Oh, Finn... what a stubborn boy," he murmured to the empty field. "I just hope things play out for the best."
And so Hours drifted by, the morning sun giving way to the warm, orange glow of evening.
.
.
.
.
The scene finds Finn five or six kilometers south of the Blazing Will Temple many hours later, sitting on a sandy shore. He is in a deep meditative state, his right hand held to his chest in a solitary prayer. His eyes are closed, facing the setting sun as it dips below the horizon, painting the sky and the vast, unending ocean in fiery hues.
The silence stretched on, filled only by the rhythmic sound of waves washing against the shore as Finn meditated.
Suddenly, the crunch of footsteps on dry sand broke the quiet.
Finn opened his eyes, glancing over his shoulder. His gaze, as stoic as ever, fell upon Xiao standing a few feet behind him. The Elder's cheeks were flushed red, and his eyelids drooped more than usual. A wide, goofy smile was plastered on his face. He was obviously drunk.
Finn sighed softly, his eyes still on the swaying figure. "What is it this time?" he asked, his voice flat.
"Hey! Don't play dumb," Xiao slurred, his tone a mix of drunkenness and mock anger. "We both know I always bring back two Onigirazu rice sandwiches from my travels, and both are missing. Seeing as they're your favorite, I assume you took them."
Finn's lips pressed into a thin line. His gaze shifted from the drunken Elder to a nearby wooden hut, a simple structure of bamboo slats. It was Xiao's place—a shack where he came to relax, drink, and indulge in less savory hobbies, like his crude sketches of women.
His eyes returned to Xiao. "Well, you left the door open this time," Finn said flatly. "You probably stopped there this morning on your way back from your travel and forgot to lock the door, before coming to the temple."
Xiao's face went pale, his eyes widening in shock as he swayed on his feet. "WHA—?! Did someone actually go inside before you?!" he stammered, a note of real panic in his voice.
Finn folded his arms, turning fully from his meditative position to face the old man. "Relax," he said, his voice laced with disdain. "I checked using Hallow Repeat. No one saw your dirty art."
Authors POV
Remember Hallow Repeat the same time manipulation technique Finn used in Arthur's Village to investigate the cause of the villages Slaughter,just a reminder.
Back to the story
"Phew... glad that went well," Xiao sighed, his warm, drunken smile returning. "Haha, who knows what would have happened if one of the other monks had found my work."
Finn's expression remained unblinking. "You old pervert," he said, his voice flat. He sighed again, a sound of pure exhaustion. "Seriously, you're the Supreme Elder Monk... I've been covering for you since I was a kid, and you still haven't changed."
"Hey, cut me some slack, boy!" Xiao retorted, waving a dismissive hand. "We monks aren't allowed to associate with women or have families. Even drinking is out of the question, haha! We're meant to be perfect and pure in heart, but... A MAN'S GOTTA DO WHAT A MAN'S GOTTA DO! I'm just looking for a little escape from all that piety."
Finn slapped a hand to his forehead, all hope for the old man draining away.
"Take it like your destiny as the savior, boy!" Xiao declared with a sly grin. "You can't run from that, just like you can't run from being a man."
"Hmp Look who's talking. Don't you dare lecture me," Finn retorted, but a ghost of a smirk touched his lips. It was a rare gesture, a sign that despite his stoic exterior, he enjoyed the old man's company.
Xiao's hearty laugh echoed in the evening air, warming the space between them. "Haha! Say, Mako was pretty upset this morning after my intervention to your little drama ," he said, his tone shifting. "I suggest you make amends with him tomorrow."
Finn's smirk vanished, replaced by a frown. "Not a chance. He's the one who owes me an apology."
"Oh, son," Xiao said, his drunken words still rugged but carrying weight. His smile widened. "Like it or not, he was right. Besides the fact he's engaged to fight you, he was defending his master, whom you disrespected."
"But—" Finn started, but Xiao cut him off, his voice suddenly calm and smooth as butter.
"You did disrespect Master Zhi this morning. He wasn't pleased with your response. So, hate them or love them, this is my request," Xiao said, his smile never wavering. "At least it will put a stop to all the talk about me pampering you."
Finn's gaze faltered, momentarily defeated. He quickly regained his composure, his expression once again an unreadable mask. "Whatever. I'll do it. It's not a big deal."
Xiao nodded, his warm, soft smile remaining. "Good. Now go get some rest. It's getting late."
Finn rose unhurriedly from the sand, his stoic gaze locked on Xiao. He bowed his head slightly. "Yes, Sensei."
Xiao nodded in return, his half-closed, drunken eyes watching him. "Good night, son."
"Good night... Fath—"
Before Finn could finish the word, a colossal ray of light tore through the clouds from the east. It erupted from the direction of Daikan's tomb, painting the sky and the entire atmosphere in the sickening, purple glow of dark energy.
Then, in an instant, the ray of light subsided. It transformed into a vast, transparent barrier of purple energy, stretching out to both sides as far as the eye could see, and climbing high into the sky until it vanished into the clouds.
A thick, dark purple fog then erupted from the ground at the barrier's base, rolling forward like a heavy smoke. It rose over a hundred meters into the air, advancing slowly until it had swallowed half of the Blazing Will Temple.
Finn and Xiao watched, their eyes wide—even Xiao's perpetually half-lidded ones snapping open. The sheer force of the approaching darkness shook the air around them, sending ripples across the surface of the ocean.
In that moment, Finn's breath hitched. "Agh!" He collapsed to his knees in the sand, a hand clutching his chest while the other flew to his nose, which was now bleeding freely. He coughed, wracked with pain.
Xiao, still drunk, was at his side in an instant, placing a steadying hand on Finn's back. "Finn... are you okay?" he asked, the words rushing out, his voice thick with concern.
Finn lowered the hand from his nose, revealing the blood smeared across his palm. He replied through gritted teeth, his voice tight with pain. "...Tch. Not so good..."
He forced himself to his feet, his gaze never leaving the darkness that now shrouded half of the temple. "...The s-seal... it's broken."
Xiao nodded, his expression unnervingly calm, as if he had expected this. "I see. So what is this darkness, then?" His gaze intensified as he stared at the phenomenon, his hand still rubbing Finn's back. "If the seal has broken, that means Daikan must be free."
"H-he..." Finn managed, but Xiao continued, oblivious.
"We have to protect the temple before he—"
"HE ISN'T OUT YET!" Finn snapped, cutting him off.
He took a heavy, pained breath, his hand pressed harder against his chest. "Yes, the seal is gone... but he chooses to wait inside his coffin."
Xiao looked at him, his face a mask of confusion. "I... I don't understand."
Finn coughed again, more blood dripping from his nose. "What you see now... is merely his aura. His presence,I know…cause I can sense it."
Xiao's eyes widened slightly in dawning horror. "You mean... this is just his Reiki hitting the world now that the seal is undone?"
Finn slammed his fist into the sand in frustration, his own eyes blazing. "My Reiki is depleting... and the bastard isn't even out yet. Damn it!"
"Ah. Oh no, that's not what should be happening now ," Xiao murmured, the gravity of the situation finally sobering him. He gave Finn's back one last, firm pat. "Just stay here, son. I'll go help the others while you rest."
As Xiao took a step forward, he felt a sudden resistance. His own shadow on the sand seemed to anchor him, halting his movement instantly.
"What?!" he gasped, staring down at his feet.
Finn looked too, his eyes widening slightly. At that same moment.
then a figure appeared on the cliff ahead, silhouetted against the darkening sky just above the treeline.
It was humanoid, but monstrous. It had long, upright ears with two antennas and a slick, purple skin. Its face was a blank slate—pure white eyes, no nose, no mouth. Instead, a gaping, enormous maw filled its stomach, lined with rows of sharp teeth and a purple tongue, drool dripping from its lips. The creature was naked, lacking any reproductive organs, and wore only a belt that seemed to be made of a living cloak of shadow, its knotted ends swaying in the breeze. It regarded them with a dead-serious expression.
Finn's eyes widened. "Ah."
"KIBA," Xiao said, his tone suddenly calm and collected, his gaze unfazed. "Also known as Shadow. His seal has come undone, too."
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