"O…—" Kuro's eyelids fluttered open. First the left, then the right. The world was blurry, unfamiliar, as if he had been ripped from one reality and placed into another. His muscles ached, and his head throbbed with a dull, persistent pain. He pushed himself up, his hands trembling slightly.
The room was dim, lit by a pale, flickering light. Shadows stretched across the walls, and a faint hum echoed from machines somewhere nearby. Every corner looked unfamiliar. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, feeling the stiffness in his joints. "I must have slept… a long time." His voice sounded weak, foreign even to his own ears.
Cautiously, he stepped into the corridor. The silence was oppressive, the air thick and cold. Every footstep echoed unnaturally against the walls. At the end of the hallway, a red light pulsed from a door, accompanied by a mechanical voice repeating over and over: "Error… Error… Error…"
Kuro's pulse quickened. He approached the door, his hand gripping the handle with a mix of caution and curiosity. Slowly, he pushed it open.
"This isn't good..the world balance is corrupting.." Uoshi was standing in front of a giant computer while writing some code. He then looked behind just to see who entered.
"Kuro..?" Uoshi said in disbelief. The lab was a sprawling room filled with monitors, cables, and machines he didn't recognize. The screens flickered with images of distant places. And then he saw it.
Flames engulfed cities. Buildings collapsed. People screamed and ran as creatures of unimaginable horror, demons, slaughtered everything in their path. Kuro froze, disbelief rooting him to the spot. His heart pounded so loudly he thought the creatures on the screen might hear it.
"What in the world happened.." he whispered, voice trembling.
"I will explain everything." Footsteps were heard behind, each step getting closer. Kuro and Uoshi turned around, staring at the person who stood behind them.
"Itoshi..?" Uoshi said, "There is no time for meeting or introducing myself. All you have to know is I'm Itoshi Yamasaki, the man who built this lab in front of you." He proceeded walking toward the computer. "As you can see, the world is being destroyed due to the unbalance of dimensions. The soul brigade community had been wiped out of existence; perhaps you don't even know them."
"I don't understand anything." Kuro screamed at the man, "Why is that happening? What is causing all of this?" He kept screaming in disbelief at what he saw.
"It's not my issue, nor am I the one who caused this. It's not in my hands anymore, anyway; the time is being consumed as we're talking. They'll make their way toward this lab soon enough, so I'll have to hurry and explain everything." As he was speaking, two people entered the room.
"Father.. Maruko?" Both Maruko and his father entered the room. She then ran toward kuro and hugged him, "You made us all worried.." Maruko's tears were pouring onto Kuro's shoulders.
"There is no time for this." Kuro's father had stated. "Itoshi, please explain everything" He then said.
"2 Years ago, there was a war going on. Soul brigade organization against Yami no Rengo (The demon's organization)." Itoshi stepped up to a chair and sat down. "This war ended with the demon lord's head down. The captain of the soul brigade slaughtered him along with most of his servants. However, the demon lord's last words were 'I will return.' Nobody understood this statement, and they were happy with the accomplishment of killing him."
Itoshi stared at the ground and said. "He has returned somehow.. and used an anonymous move against the soul brigade community, erasing them from existence. He revived his men and continued toward this world while you were asleep."
Kuro's fists clenched. "Then I have to stop him. I can't… I won't let this happen again. Lead me."
"So selfish, you're nothing to him. As well as the fact you lost all your power in the previous fight, even your devil powers are sealed away. Discovering the power in this world doesn't mean you're strong now." Kuro interrupted Itoshi's speech, "What can we do then.." In a heated tone.
Itoshi raised his finger, "There is a plan i made a long time ago." He then pointed at a machine behind Kuro. They all turned around to see the machine. "The soul brigade entrusted me to ensure your safety, saying you're the child of the prophecy. And to transport you back in time to save the world", Itoshi stood up.
"I'm not comprehending any of this..." Kuro nodded.
"This means you'll go through that portal and change the events of time", Uoshi explained.
"However, this machine transports the users not only a couple of years..but decades. Approximately, 500-750 years" Itoshi reached the machine and stood in front.
"Users..?" Kuro questioned. "Yes, only 3 people are allowed through it", Itoshi stated.
"What does that mean..?" Maruko asked.
"Basically, Kuro Sato, Maruko Lomoshida, Uoshi Saruta. You all will go through and save the present." As Itoshi explained, Kuro stood up repeating "Wait wait wait.."
"What about you and my father? and what's happening to both of you!?" A hand was put on kuro's shoulder.
"Kuro, I've hidden this from you a long time ago..I'm actually one of the Soul Brigade people." He then proceeded, "I know all of this, and i served for a long time. Although my captain has stated you're the child of the prophecy..i play no part in this."
Kuro turned around. "There has to be a way you can go with us, right?"
They all nodded down, so Kuro did.
"You three need to go now, and one more information. Each individual will be sent to a certain location in the world. You'll meet again in a couple of years, but I'm putting my faith in you. As well as setting you back in time will allow you to train and gain strength." Itoshi stated while writing code into the machine.
"Everything is ready..shall we do it now, Porshu sato?" Itoshi turned back, facing the father of Kuro.
They both stood before Kuro and stretched their arms toward his shoulder, each one taking a shoulder. "Reikon Technique : Gift of life." Both glared red and white, as their life form were going through kuro. "We'll always be with you, lending you our strength..", Tremors shook the place all around.
Kuro shed a tear as they fully went through him. Uoshi started the machine, knowing the demons had found their lab. "No time for tears, we have to go!" The lab was shattering.
Kuro took Maruko by the hand and ran toward the machine. "Come on, guys, get on!"
Time froze, Kuro stared at Maruko and said, "Please take care of yourself until we meet again.."
They both got into the time machine as the lab fully shattered. The gates of the machine had closed, erupting energy all around the machine.
The third trio started fading away from the world. "PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!" Kuro roared.
The sight went blank. As memories of this world started flashing in front of Kuro, His father appeared in sight, his sister, and finally his mother.
Everything vanished as he was floating in mid-space. "Everything escalated quickly, i don't understand the confusion of this world. How did i gain powers from nowhere, and the world vanished unexpectedly..i wish my birth had been early; I would've gotten my answers."
An unknown voice, "Reborn.."
"Am i getting reborn into the past..? Hopefully i get my answers there.."
As he was floating in the middle of space. His body was pulled through a tunnel of spinning clocks. Years, decades, centuries flew past like leaves in a storm. Pain, dizziness, and a strange sense of vertigo overwhelmed him. He screamed, but no sound emerged.
"I feel..my body is tearing.."
Out of the sudden, his sight went completely blank. He landed on the ground, "Ouch..-!"
Kuro's eyes were opening slowly, "I'm dizzy.." Everything was blurry to him. His sight was clearing slowly until he was able to see all around.
"I'm in a forest..?" He kept observing around him. Kuro nodded at his body, raised his arm, and opened his palm. "Nothing changed about my body.." He then walked forward to one of the trees, leaning his arm toward. "My senses are there.."
He started exploring the place in confusion, "Am i already in the past?" Kuro noticed something and regained his memory. "Since my fight with Kasu, i haven't heard anything from this weird creature inside of me.."
As he was exploring a cave faced him, "I should go inside.." As he went inside, A massive creature, scaled like a lizard and towering over him, waited silently in the shadows. The lizard's size was unbelievable and massive. A voice in his head, "Lizardfolk.."
"Lizardfolk, huh..? WAIT, WHO ARE YOU?" The voice didn't reply to kuro. The creature roared, then it ran toward kuro.
"Welp i have to fight it.." He opened his palm and tried to trigger his ushi. "It's appearing.." He ran to escape the monster, "WHY DID I HAVE TO FACE THIS FROM THE BEGINNING!?"
Kuro was still running, trying to find an idea, "RESPOND TO ME YOU BASTARD!" The voice appeared again, "Unable to find an idea, one available way is to run."
"I ALREADY FIGURED THAT OUT!?" Kuro was already lost in the cave. A wall faced him, which he almost bumped into. "Tricks don't work twice.." He noticed, "WAIT THE MONSTER!" Kuro turned around and saw nothing. He let out a deep sigh, "I lost him.."
Footsteps were heard by Kuro; they were coming from the right direction. "!"
Three people stood on his right.
Chapter End.