Shinka High - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Burning Dagger

A trio of Sneasel were wandering around a mountain made from what appeared to be obsidian. The place was known for mysterious avalanches of obsidian (although the mountain itself never lessened in size), and the glassy stones could be used as throwing weapons for those incapable of ranged attacks.

One of the Sneasel gripped a fallen piece of obsidian. It was small, sharp on one end, a perfect projectile. Looking around, the trio found various similar shards, and started to gather when the stone beneath their feet started to move.

They jumped back, fearful that the stones were a trap, and almost instantly a Froslass emerged from the ground, sending earth spewing around. The Sneasel raised their hands, Shadow Claws emerging readily.

The Froslass cocked her head to the side, staring at them. The eyes, they noticed. Her eyes were crimson red.

Suddenly, the obsidian stones glowed with psychic energy and rose. When they were arranged perfectly, a sword of grass appeared in the Froslass' hands, and she cut them in half, forming dual obsidian shards. They dug into the ground before the Sneasel trio and stayed there.

The speedy Pokémon had the good sense to gather the obsidian shards as fast as their bodies could move and speed off.

There was stillness for a few seconds.

Then Desu stated, "Nice job. Didn't think you'd be able to channel your attacks in my body."

In Blade's voice, she spoke again. "Not as convenient, forming attacks like that physically rather than onto my blades, but it helps."

Desu's voice. "Would it be possible to form them over my arms as you would you own blades?"

Blade's voice. "Probably." The Froslass moved again, looking around. "Where'd we leave my body again?"

"It's in one of the crevices." Desu stated. As the Froslass started to move forward, Desu asked, "I highly doubt this is the right place. It's a mountain of glassy stone. It's a hunk of rock."

A sigh emerged in Blade's voice. "You do know that obsidian is formed from volcanic magma, right? And despite its glassy substance, this is only one of many dormant volcanoes in a ring of fire. The Volcano Field is within the ring."

Desu was silent. Then, "I feel a powerful heat coming off of these rocks, almost like fire itself." A pause. Then, "Fiery rock... fiery obsidian... is that another part of the Black Future legend?"

The Froslass nodded. "Dark Crater used to be a place of darkness and magma. When the magma cooled into obsidian, the White Yin threw fire upon it, to keep its heat and return the balance."

They approached an unconscious Gallade body. "Finally. Now you're going to have to help me here; the reverse-possession process is still kind of unfamiliar."

"Alright, just don't fight anything." A pause as the Froslass raised a hand. A blur of shadows flew from the Froslass to the Gallade; causing the Froslass to slump to the ground. Another, smaller blur shot back to the Froslass, and both rose.

Blade shook his head. "Well, how's that for a little spiritual exercise?"

Desu turned to the obsidian volcano. "I'm sorry, but I'm not coming in this time. I'll stay within the obsidian if I have to, but fire does not agree with me."

The swordsman shrugged. "Alright, but you'll still have to help me out when I get back. If this one's got anything like that Thunder Bomb, that's my skin burning away." He turned and gripped into the steep mountainside, then started to climb - with difficulty.

When he reached the top, he looked out over the field. It was dotted with light flames the colour of sunset. He peered carefully and saw a flame larger than any others in the center of the field.

That was his target.

He jumped and slid down the mountainside with little difficulty, then started weaving his way through the flames. They had a bad habit of appearing from nowhere, so Blade found himself jumping over rapidly appearing flames - and commonly falling into others, giving him slight burns.

When he approached the largest one, he could make out a figure inside it. Another canine figure, its fur a reddish-brown colour. Its face had a white plate and a yellow crest resembling a samurai helmet. Metal cuffs were along its ankles, and plates like a crater were on its back, from which emerged a long, smoky cape.

The wolf saw Blade and dropped its head. The flames around it withered down, and it asked, in a voice of fire, "Who are you, and what brings you to this field?"

Blade dropped his gaze. "I am Blade. A Shinkan. And you, on the other hand, are surely the fire roamer."

A roar like a volcano emerged as the wolf raised his head. Around him, the obsidian volcanoes burst into flames at the peaks - not lava, but flames - and threw the flames towards him.

"I am flame, conflicting pain! I am the Great Volcano Wolf, Entei! You may be able to climb obsidian, but can you defeat the flames of volcanoes?"

Blade threw his arm to the side and snapped the sword open. He swung both blades around him simultaneously, with the vertical one snapping open the second it lined up.

"I am the Shinkan of Swords! And I'm not going down without a fight!"

Entei roared, sending a powerful stream of flames towards Blade. The swordsman leapt out of the way; electricity he could null, but flames would only cause heavy damage to his swords. He shot towards Entei and leapt over the next stream of flame, then dug his blades into the volcano wolf's back.

But a surge of fire burst from Entei, sending Blade flying, his body searing with concentrated flame. Entei turned to him, but it wasn't a cocky grin so much as an angry glare.

"Strike me, and I unleash my inner phyre," he stated. "An ally will be healed, but a foe will only feel pain, forged from from the flames of a thousand volcanoes."

Blade rose, his body searing. Somehow, he managed to work psychic energy into his eyes. Dual Psybeams over his arms, which he angled towards Entei before unleashing. The rainbow beams struck Entei, causing him to rear back in pain. A physical strike unleashed the phyre; ranged attacks would not.

Entei glared at him. Magma rose from the ground, coating his body before he expelled it outward. Blade gripped it with a Psychic, then forced it back. It did little damage. He knew that he couldn't used a refractor attack against the phyre; it would only heal Entei.

Psychic energy lined Blade's swords, and he swung them both, sending sharpened arcs of psychic energy flying at Entei. The attacks struck him and forced him back. Blade kept throwing the Psycho Cuts, forcing him back as far as he could. If he could just get the Volcano Wolf near one of the obsidian mountains...

Entei wasn't going down without a fight. Streams of fire flew towards Blade one after another, but it wasn't enough to force him away.

When the smoky cape struck the side of the mountain, Blade let Psychics break loose.

An avalanche of obsidian fell from the peak. The Shinkan of Swords trapped Entei with a barrage of Psychic attacks as the glass-like stones struck him, eventually burying him under a pile of rocks.

Blade used his psychic sensory. The Volcano Wolf was making no attempt to rise from the stones, so Blade did it for him, throwing the obsidian away with several thrown Psywaves. Entei raised his head, staring at Blade with a ferocity.

"I have come here in search of indominant power," Blade stated. "You are the ruler of a Roaming Field, so I know that you have what I need."

Entei stared at Blade, hard. Then a pure wave of phyre emerged. Blade raised an arm, but the burst didn't hurt him; instead, he felt the burns over his skin fade, his body mending itself.

When the phyre faded, what was left was a fang.

He picked it up. It was small, no saber fang; he could hold it between two fingers. It was charged with flame, but it would act as little more than a very small kunai.

Remembering the Thunder Field, Blade gripped it in his left hand.

Flames coated his arm as the fang grew. Before long, it was the size of a dagger, and it was sparking with flames. As had Raikou, Entei's voice spoke in his mind.

This is the Flare Fang. It is stronger for jabbing blows; use it wisely, for like any blade, it will cut both ways.

Blade nodded, then sped out of the ring of fire. When he arrived on the other side, Desu was lying on the ground. Deciding to play a trick, he surrounded the area around her with psychic ripples.

With the lightest touch of telepathy, he whispered, in a heavily disguised voice, "Rise, cryokinetic, and face those which have risen."

Desu shot up like a freaking bullet.