This soon to be amazing story is about to begin so go ahead and start reading...
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Flames. They were almost everywhere he looked. He couldn't escape them, especially with the injury he tried so hard to cover. The pain was almost unbearable making him wish that the demon that had inflicted the wound had simply finished him off to begin with. Instead he was left to die inside of a partially burning building that did not belong to him.
The attack on Fahrmann wasn't expected. He along with his siblings, all being skilled in combat, were sent out to help defend the village, but they were all defeated. (Y/n) Zhen, the third son of the Zhen family's household head, was currently bleeding out as he sat against a wall in his family's shrine house. He was close to passing out and fervently wished the he could simply pass on to stop his suffering. He kept his spear near him, lightly holding on to it with his weak grip.
"That damned Ran. To think he'd get caught up with such a troublesome little brat. But it was unexpected for her to harbor so much power," a voice muttered. (Y/n)'s attention was naturally directed to the voice, but he couldn't pinpoint its source. Whoever had spoken was certainly nearby though. "No worries. I'm just going to collect the Zhen family's prized possession and make my escape before Ran realizes I've cheated him," the voice continued.
(Y/n) could now see the shadow of this person, no this demon, as they cautiously entered the burning building that had yet to fully crumble under the flames' wrath. He didn't have the energy to do anything other than stare at the demon as he entered what (y/n) was hoping would be his peaceful resting place. The demon immediately caught his gaze and for a few seconds, he continued to stare at (y/n) with narrowed eyes.
(Y/n) took this time to get a good look at his enemy as well. If it weren't for the bat like wings, abnormal skin color, and strange markings, this demon could have been mistaken for human. "So you're still alive, human? Such a pitiful state you're in. I'd end your suffering, but I don't like doing humans favors. That look in your eyes...you want to die, don't you," the demon said. (Y/n) said nothing in reply. Instead he slightly tightned the grip on his spear not liking what he assumed the demon was alluding to. Torture was not a way he'd like to be killed. The demon laughed at him and eyed him as if deciding what he'd do to him.
It was then that thebceiling began to creak a bit which put both of them on edge. "No time to do anything fancy. Guess I'll settle for something simple," the demon muttered as he walked closer to (y/n). Before he got too close, a sudden growl could be heard coming from the mini shrine alter that was already slightly on fire.
"Oh so now your family's guardian decides to speak. A bit too late for that don't you think, Zhu? He's as good as dead now," the demon taunted. It was already weird enough that the shrine alter growled, but for the demon to be adressing the alter and calling it by a name? That was quite strange. (Y/n) let out a sudden cry of pain having briefly let his guard down. He quickly used his remaining strength to catch hold of the spear that was now lodged in his previous wound. "The name's Ikari, your murderer, and don't you forget it," the demon spat as he pushed the weapon deeper into (y/n)'s wound.
If it weren't for the pain being so bad that he could not longer feel anything, he would have probably passed out right then. Ikari pulled the spear, (y/n)'s own spear, from the wound. "Now, Zhu. It's time you showed your ugly human helping face. With the Zhen clan wiped out, I'll have the right to claim you and your power you damn bastard," Ikari snapped at the alter.
"Do you hear me, boy? If you do then respond. I can hear your thoughts," an unfamiliar voice said in (y/n)'s head.
"Can't I just die in peace? Damn demons," he thought, assuming the voice was just another demon trying to mess with his head before his consciousness faded.
"Humans, I swear. Just give me the permission to lend you power. It'll save us both if you do. We'll just have to get through the repercussions later," the voice said as Ikari walked over to the alter.
"If it'll make you shut up and leave me alone, then do what you must. At this point, I could care less." Closing his eyes as he waited for death but it did not come to him. Instead an overwhelming power overtook him and he snapped his eyes open only to be surprised by a new presence in the room. An unusually large fox with fur darker than night and nine wildly swaying tails stood slightly glowing in front of him. The fox faced Ikari who glared right back at the fox after muttering a curse.
(Y/n) realized that his wound was no longer there although his clothes were still torn from the attacks he'd taken. "So you finally decided to make an appearance. You're a little too late. I killed the boy already so you're free to be enslaved again," Ikari spoke almost mockingly. The fox looked back at (y/n) allowing him to see his rage filled emerald green eyes. It was clear that the rage wasn't directed at him. Even so, (y/n) couldn't stop himself from flinching when the fox looked at him.
"Stand up, boy. Show this invader what the Zhen family is made of," the same voice from earlier said within (y/n)'s mind. He was no fool. It didn't take much thinking to realize that Zhu was the ninetailed fox standing in front of him protectively as if he were still in a fragile near death state. Zhu's voice was the one that he heard, and it must have been the fox's fault that he wasn't dead yet. Not that (y/n) minded that particular detail.
Following Zhu's instructions, (y/n) stood and picked up his spear as he. Meeting Zhu's gaze was easy, for the fox was eye level with him. Ikari seemed rather surprised although he still held his ground which (y/n) thought was rather stupid. Without reinforcements, Ikari would likely be murdered quite brutally by the angered animal.
"So he isn't dead then. What a shame. I suppose I'll have to kill him at a later time." As soon as he finished speaking, Ikari disappeared as if turning to ash only for there to be nothing left of him. With the threat gone, (y/n) saw no reason for him to need to stand anymore so he sat back down only for Zhu to turn to him. "Why do you sit there? This building is burning as we speak. I can only delay the flames to a certain point. We must escape," Zhu sort of said. The fox's mouth did not move, but (y/n) heard the words loud and clear. Howeve, he hesistated. The very second that he did, Zhu frowned at him which was an odd sight considering he was a fox. He morphed into a black mist-like smoke before surrounding (y/n) and disappearing altogether.
Another overwhelming power overtook (y/n), this time taking his senses and consciousness along with it. If it weren't for the strange sense of peace that (y/n) found himself in, he seriously would have thought Zhu had just killed him. His peace was suddenly ripped away from him and he regained control of himself finding that he was outside of the village that used to be his home. "You can take things from here. It's best that you find some sort of shelter soon," Zhu instructed, but (y/n) could not see him.
"Where are you?" (y/n) thought, honestly forgetting that Zhu could read his thoughts.
"Where do you think? I'm within you, residing within your soul. You are my temporary host since you are the last remaining member of the Zhen clan. You didn't honestly think the Haans were the only family with a secret source of power did you?" Zhu said. (Y/n) looked away from his burning village.
"I didn't know the Haan family had a secret source of power. Also, could you maybe go find another host. I don't like the idea of another being residing in my soul. That sounds weird," (y/n) nearly said aloud as he began searching for a new path to take. He wasn't too mentally stable at the moment and survival was the main thing on his mind now that he knew he wasn't going to die. Mourning for his family would have to wait until he regained his sense of despondency.
"I'm afraid you're stuck with me. I cannot leave your side since your soul is now what keeps me from being claimed as anyone else's source of power," Zhu said.
"I never said that you had to leave my side. All I asked if that you get out of my soul," (y/n) thought in reply to Zhu as he began to walk back towards the burning village. He was sudddnly stopped in his tracks against his will.
"Where do you think you're going? I didn't get you out of the village only for you to go back into it. You have to leave here. Your family and your entire way of life is now gone," Zhu snapped.
(Y/n) sighed in annoyance. Having a second voice in his head wasn't very pleasant. "Just shut up. I know what I'm doing. I won't go anywhere dangerous. All I need to do is find anything worth saving. It'll make surviving much easier." (Y/n) refrained himself from internally snapping at Zhu since he had saved him.
"I suppose you are right. I don't know too much about the necessities of humans. They're quite eccentric creatures," Zhu mused. (Y/n) simply rolled his eyes clearly annoyed at the fox's ignorance in the matter of survival. Having him around would get some taking used to unless (y/n) could somehow get rid of him. "You seem to have once again forgotten that I can hear your every thought," Zhu commented.
"Shut up," (y/n) said aloud without really meaning to. Surely, this was not permanent because if it was, Zhu might just drive him crazy.
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I'm really hoping this chapter wasn't terrible. Until next time you awesome readers!