Sweeper

Chapter 38 Power Burst

Story so far: Cervantes who is deep within Voltez's mansion crosses paths with Kato, the ever calm and mellow ninja of Bloodlust. Kato insists that the centuries out of battle may have affected Cervantes's combat skills and desires to prove so by toying with him. After a minor scuffle, Kato acknowledges that no such battle lag exists for his foe.

On the way back to Sheena's cathedral...

Gunther makes a detour to urinate beside a tall tree away from the rest of the group. Staring up at the half moon in the nighttime Purgatory sky, he begins to reflect to himself. “Something's different about Sakura since I've last seen her but I cant quite put my finger on it. Surely I cant be the only one to have noticed. Kivaa must be aware of this too. Where did this power come from and how did she get it?” Just as Gunther zips his pants up halfway, Carrie dives onto his back catching him by surprise.

“WHATCHA DOING?!” shouts Carrie with her arms wrapped around Gunther's neck. Gunther bites his bottom lip and his eyes enlarge. He holds his hands between his legs as he drops to his knees. Carrie hops off his back and hunches over in confusion. “Um...are you ok?”

Gunther falls over, crawling tightly against the ground. “I caught my balls...in...my zipper...!” Sakura and Kivaa who come from separate corners gather around Gunther. “Ouch.” says Sakura looking down at Gunther withing in his own silent agony. “I wish I could say I feel your pain, but I don't.”

“Agreed.” comments Kivaa nodding her head with her eyes closed.

Meanwhile within Voltez's mansion...

Cervantes hops down from the wall he previously stood on. He slings the broadsword he holds in one hand across his shoulders while still holding Kato's straw hat in the other. Kato stands across from Cervantes's with his arms folded, staring fiercely at his foe. The red scarf around his lower face wallows in the flow of the passing wind as does Cervantes's long black hair.

“Are you going to give me my hat back?” asks Kato maliciously. Cervantes releases the hat from his hand as the wind carries it over in the direction of Kato but he makes no effort to grab it from the air.

“...If you desired your hat then why would you not reach for it as it passed by?” speaks Cervantes.

“I'm still trying to figure you out.” replies Kato standing still with the same posture. “I find it interesting to learn about my opponent before engaging in combat. But I've figured you out. When I asked for my hat, instead of dignifying me with a response, you simply let it go. This lets me know you're the type who lets his actions speak rather than his words. Each and every word that rolls off your tongue is that to be treasured. Am I scratching the surface or am I just drifting out to sea?”

Cervantes ceases to budge. His expressionless face and blank green eyes remain in tact. “Nothing eh?” says Kato clinching his hands together creating a hand sign. “Then believe me, I know just how to ruffle your feathers.” A strong gust of wind generates around Kato gradually followed by a tall, dark purple aura flowing around his entire body. The combination of pulsation aura and fierce wind pressure wiggles the two thin strands of Kato's white hair hanging down across his forehead. The back end of the red scarf draped around his lower face wallows uncontrollably. Suddenly the dark purple aura takes shape of multiple serpents scattered around his body, twisting and turning at each second with a life of their own.

Hours ago...

Voltez sits on his oversized throne in his throne room. The corners of his extensive, wide black hair rests on the shoulders of his long red coat. He holds a drinking glass of thick red blood in his pale right hand, taking a small sip from the glass. With his left leg crossed over his right knee, the demonic vampire lord takes the glass away from his lips to speak to Kato who kneels down before him. “An unwanted guest you say?” inquires Voltez. “Who dares to enter the walls of my mansion?”

Kato kneels down in front of Voltez's throne sinking his head into his chin. The back end of the lengthy red scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face sits across his left shoulder. Part of his face is nearly shadowed by the wide straw hat resting on the top of his head. “...None other than your very own blood.” replies Kato. “Cervantes...” The visible anger consumes Voltez's face as he crushes the empty drinking glass in his hand shattering it to pieces. His fangs tightly clinch together.

“I'm not sure how exactly he got in past the rest of Bloodlust and entered the mansion.” continues Kato. “But rest assured I'm more than willing to show him the way ou-”

“You will do no such thing.” blurts out Voltez interrupting Kato's words. “If you were to fight this man, you will not return unscathed, if return at all.” His upset face shifts into a devious grin. “Grant him passage so that we may meet yet again.” Kato nods his head reluctantly to acknowledge his lord's words. “Very well.”

Cervantes remains standing across from the power-oozing Kato, seemingly unphased by the overflowing strength in front of him. His majestic black hair and the tail of his long leather coat of the same color is forced backward from Kato's wind pressure. He watches as the serpents made of purple aura slither around his foe, anxious to strike the nearest person.

“This is what I've been working on perfecting for years!” shouts Kato over the whistling wind around him. “Its a combination between black magic and ninjitsu! Many argue that the two should never be merged, but with the power it brings, I beg to differ!”

Cervantes lifts the broadsword off of his shoulders with his right hand, bringing it down to his abdomen to grip it with two. “...Very well. To compete with your power burst, I will release the full power of the Rhevbrandt Broadsword.”

Inside of Sheena's Cathedral...

Sheena peeks her head into the room where Eureka, who remains unconscious rests on a tiny cot. She is tucked comfortably underneath a white blanket all the way to her chin. As Sheena steps further into the room, each breath she takes can be visibly seen in the air in front of her. “Its freezing in here! Its quite common that room temperature drops severely when a vampire is present.”

Sheena's eyes immediately notice Eureka's regular colored face has turned a palish white. “Her face,” comments Sheena coming to a stop at the bedside. Her arms are folded behind her back. “She's getting lighter and lighter.” Sheena bends over and inches her face over Eureka's. “At this rate she'll be a vampire before-”

To Sheena's surprise Eureka's upper body suddenly pops straight up, sitting her upright. Her eyes have rolled deep into the back of her head. She opens her mouth letting out a long growl-like breath, revealing two newly grown fangs on the top row of her teeth. Her cold ashen left hand tightly grips the corner of the bed.

“Poor girl,” sincerely says Sheena putting her hand across Eureka's icy forehead. “You didn't ask for any part of this.” She gently lays the incoherent Eureka back down against the cot. “Damn you Voltez...!”