Book 7

bla bla bla = Izark's language
bla bla bla = Noriko's language
("bla bla bla") = Noriko's thought
["bla bla bla"] = Izark's thought

Izark's arm fell to the floor. Izark cried in pain.
    "It missed", Banna swung his sword again,"Again!".
Barago saw Izark and turned back to stop Banna. Zena threw something to Banna to stop him for a while then she called Garya who was chasing the men,
    "Garya! Izark has....".
    "Don't care about me. Noriko......", Izark shouted.
The men took Noriko to the horses then they went away.
    "Noriko!", Banadam chased them.
    "Banadam, come back. Don't be careless, you can't chase them", Agol tried to stop Banadam but Banadam didn't listen to him. Suddenly Agol realized that Garya and Barago didn't follow them to chase the men.

Garya helped Barago fight Banna.
    "Damn. There are two persons. Okay, it's enough for this time. That girl will be a sacrifice to Mr. Mokumen so we will get greater power. At that time, I'll show myself again", Banna ran away.
Izark was surprised
    ["WHAT? A SACRIFICE?"].
Suddenly, a strange energy blocked the door and stopped Banna. Agol arrived at the house and saw the strange energy was spread over the room. Izark stood up and took his arm. Agol saw Izark's eyes have changed like the cat's eyes then Izark yelled and stuck his arm back to his body. A great energy came out from his body and pushed the others.
    ["Dark energy comes out from my body. I can't stop it.....can't stop it. NORIKO!!"]

Izark's hair became white, his hands changed like a monster's hands. Izark yelled again and moved his hand that was cut. The hand has stuck back with his body and can be moved normally again.
    "Monster!", Banna became afraid and ran away.
Izark chased Banna and left the others who were still in fear and surprised.
    "Is that thing Izark?", Agol asked to the others.
    "His eyes, his hair, his hands. WHAT IS THAT STRANGE FORM?", but the others didn't answer him, they all were still surprised.

    "Damn, where did they go?", Banadam lost the men.
There are two people near him, so he asked them about the men but they didn't see anything.
    "Hey, what's that?", asked one of them and pointed to the roof.
    "A Man!! There is a man jumped down from the roof".
Banadam saw the man landed near him.
    "Izark?", Banadam called the man.
The man looked at Banadam, indeed he is Izark but his face changed. Banadam was surprised, Izark didn't say anything and left him.
    "Do you know that man?", asked one of them.
    "Sorry", Banadam took the citizen's horse, "I'll return it later".
Then Banadam chased Izark.

Meanwhile, Two men wearing black veil took Noriko inside the temple. Each of them held Noriko's arm.
    ("Is Izark all right? I have many questions spinning in my head. Why didn't he answer my questions? But in such weak condition like that, you always come to rescue me")
    "Are you afraid?", asked one of the men.
    "Of course, she is. She doesn't know where she will be taken and what will happen to her", said the other.
    ("No ! , I'll keep on trying. If not, Izark and the others, who have protected me, will not forgive me. I may not be afraid. No matter what will happen, I'll face it as best as I could")

Noriko was taken to a place with many pillars supporting it. In the middle of that place, there was a pond. In front of the pond, Wazarotte and Tazashina were standing.
    "Is this the girl you said, Tazashina?", asked Wazarotte.
    "Yes, no doubt on it".
    ("These are the persons that Zena told us. Why did they kidnap me?").
    "Her face is like foreigner. Let me see her", Wazarotte touched Noriko's chin.
    "DON'T TOUCH ME! Why do you force me to come to this place? What do you want to do? You are a coward!".     Wazarotte laughed, "What a funny girl, she shouted with fear"

    "So Sir Wazarotte likes a girl like her?"
    "Ha ha ha, that's right. Unfortunately, Mr. Mokumen has already asked for her"
    "Who is Mr. Mokumen? I don't know him, I never meet him before"
    "I'll tell you, little girl", Tazashina walked to the pond.
    "Mr. Mokumen please come out. Compared to the last sacrifice, this one is more perfect" The water in the pond was making a whirlpool and then it made a pillar of water with a mask at the top.
    ("Is this Mr. Mokumen?")

    Tazashina took a sword and spoke to Noriko, "To gain the power, you are needed, Noriko"
    ("What does she want to do so she took out the sword? What does she think? Don't be afraid Noriko! Be brave!").      "So if you care about your life, you can cry as loud as you can. With this sword, you'll be killed. Understand?"
    ("Will I die here? It's all right, but there is something troubling my mind. It's about Izark. In a condition like this, I usually call him for help but I can't call him. For the last time, I want to prove it.........Izark.....")
    ["NORIKO!"].
The place was shaking. 
    ("Huh? Izark is coming! He really comes")

Banna ran inside the temple where the other men were. He asked the guards to close and lock the door. But Izark broke the door. The men were surprised, they saw a different man than they had seen at Zena's house.
    His white hair, his eyes and his claws made the men stunned, "Is he a monster?".
Izark moved forward and jumped over the men but one man also jumped and tied Izark's foot with his whip. The rest of the men ran towards Izark who has fallen down. Izark raised his tied foot and spun around. The whipped man were spun and hit the other men. Then the whipped man was flown away so Izark was freed from the whip.

The men gave spirit to each other.
    "Don't be afraid, this has no effect at all"
    "That's right, we have got the power from Mr. Mokumen"
    "We will be given a greater power by sacrificing that girl"
    "Don't let him go to the sacred temple"
    "If we attack together, we will not lose"
A crack appeared on Izark's forehead.
    ["Only because of that meaningless reason......Those men took Noriko from my side, Noriko who healed her wounds with great difficulty, Noriko who made every effort to be healthy"]
    "Go to hell, monster!. That girl has already been ours", the men attacked Izark together
    "NO KIDDING!", Izark shouted, the crack was opened.
Izark released his power and pushed the men. Some men were pushed to the wall and some others were still able to stand. A horn has appeared on Izark's forehead.

    "What? the man that Banna told has attacked this place?"
    "It's different, Sir. He is not human, his face and his strength like a monster. Your ten guardians have to use full power to fight him", said a guard.
    ("I understand. Izark's existence I felt was chaotic. It's different from usual. He will not attack before is attacked first. There must be something that forces him to come to this place")

Wazarotte asked Tazashina to carry on the ceremony but Tazashina can't do it because Mr. Mokumen was confused. He wants the intruder is defeated first so Mokumen gave the men an extra power. The men, who were fighting, were surprised.
    "My power has increased!"
    "Mr. Mokumen has received that girl"
Izark was surprised.
    ["Is that so?"]
    "We are undefeated!"
    ["Noriko, I haven't told it. I haven't told it to you. Forgive me, forgive me for hurting your feelings"]

The men attacked Izark with their new power but they have no effects on Izark.
    ["Disturbing! They are annoying"]
    "NOISYYYYY!", Izark snapped, the scales on his shoulder became big.
    "DON'T TRY TO STOP ME!", Izark released his power.
This time all of the men were pushed away.
    "BE GONE. BE GONE, ALL OF YOU!".
The power released by Izark caused many explosions. Banadam, who has arrived in front of the temple, was surprised.

The effects of explosions also reached the place where Noriko was. Mr. Mokumen came out from the pond and went to find Izark. Meanwhile at Izark's place, the roof has collapsed and fell on the men. Izark jumped over the ruin and searched for Noriko
    ["Noriko, Noriko!"]
    ("Izark...Izark...What happened? Can't you hear my voice? I can hear Izark was calling but my answer didn't reach him. It's strange, very strange") Izark ran into Mokumen
    ("What is this? I felt many kinds of emotion. Sadness, anxiety, anger, hatred, restlessness")
    ["Enemy! Enemy again! How far will they disturb me?"]
    ("He is out of control and becomes wild. Izark....Izark.....Is it because you are forced to? Do you help me because of compulsion?")

    "I will not give her to you. That girl is mine.Take this!", Mokumen attacked Izark, but Izark could avoid him and gave a counter attack.
    "Fool! Do you think that attack can hurt me? I am water, I have no shape. It's useless, nothing can hurt me. That's enough, I'll dig a hole on your body", Mokumen changed like a drill and stabbed Izark's chest.
But it's useless, Izark can't be drilled. In fact, Izark released his power and blew up Mokumen.
    ["Destroy! Destroy all!"]
While releasing his power, Izark transformed into a black creature.

The explosions became greater and made the sacred place, where Noriko was, begin to collapse.
    "This is not Mr. Mokumen's power. This is the power of that man", said Tazashina.
The veiled men who held Noriko were surprised by the explosions and released Noriko's hands.
    ["Destroy! Destroy everything!"]
    "Argh!", something black came out from Izark's back and became a pair of wings.

    ("Izark!")
    Noriko pulled her hands and ran away.
    "What are you doing? Chase her!", Wazarotte shouted.
    "But the explosion increased. It's very danger, we don't know when the roof will collapse. It's the same as suicide", said the guard.
Back to Izark, "Argh! Argh!", Izark bent over the floor.
    ["It's painful. Why is my heart very painful? What do I look for? What do I want? What? I don't know, nothing can be seen. It feels grieved. There's nothing I can say, only anxiety comes in me"]
Izark shouted and caused more explosions. Outside the temple, a black shadow appeared at the top of the temple.

    ("At that time, I don't realize about the situation around me. There's only the other Izark's form in my mind. He has to be stopped or he will destroy himself. He forced himself because of me. If the explosion isn't stopped, it will involve many persons, who don't have connection at all. If that thing happens....")
    "Izark!", Izark turned his head and saw Noriko was running toward him.
    ("He is a kind person, he will suffer after this is over").
    "No...ri...ko", Izark looked at Noriko and then he saw the roof was about to fall on Noriko.
He used his power and destroyed the falling roof.
    "Izark!", Noriko shouted.
    ["Don't Noriko! With a body like this, if you touch me, you will hurt yourself. NORIKO"]
But Noriko didn't care about that, she opened her hand and hugged Izark.
    "Izark..Izark..please calm down"

Izark's body began to change. His wings vanished, his horn became smaller and finally disappeared, and his black hair returned. He has returned normal. Meanwhile the black shadow on the temple also disappeared. Izark got his sense back and he hugged Noriko tight. After a couple of time, Noriko released her hand and saw Izark was smiling at her.
    "Izark", Noriko smiled.
Suddenly Tazashina, who watched them, realized about something.

Izark and Noriko noticed the temple was about to collapse. Tazashina and Wazarotte were trapped inside the temple, but Tazashina called a chimo.
    "Goodbye Sir Wazarotte, if you are lucky, we will meet again someday", then Tazashina disappeared with the chimo and left Wazarotte and his men.
The temple collapsed. Outside the temple, Tazashina found Mokumen, who tried to regain his power after blown up by Izark, and made a strategy.

Banadam saw Izark came out from the ruin carrying Noriko. He looked at Izark and so did Izark.
    "Banadam, you also come?", Noriko got off from Izark.
    "Um...but I just watch it, I can't do anything. In this case, you are really terrific, Izark. This is all because of you, isn't this? Incredible, you can destroy one building. This is not human's deed", said Banadam.
Izark just looked at Banadam.
    "But.....", Banadam swung his hand and slapped Izark's back.
    "Your condition is very poor". Izark and Noriko were surprised and stunned.

    "I don't know what happened, but I know you are dressed in rags. It will cause shame if you walk like this in the town. Wait here till I bring you a shirt!", then Banadam went away.
    ("I don't understand. What do I feel right now? I don't want to lose from him, but the one who can save Noriko is he. Damn! He carried Noriko and his face expression seems to say the girl belongs to him, but he always hurts Noriko's feelings. He always pretends whereas in fact he loves Noriko so much. He likes to hide something about himself. There is something uncommon on it, because of that he can't say it. What is that uncommon thing? I'm bored, I don't know what to do")

    "Banadam acted kind to Izark", said Noriko then she noticed Izark was looking at her with a strange expression. Noriko laughed
    ("Izark's face seems to say , 'Is that so?' . Suddenly,I feel very happy. He, who used to act cold to me, came to rescue. Now he is standing right beside me and looking at me. Banadam has been kind to Izark, all the problems have gone. That's what I am thinking now. But I feel this happiness is just an illusion").

    "WHO IS THAT!", Izark shouted.
Noriko was surprised then she saw a woman came out from the back of a tree,
    "Tazashina! Izark, she is Wazarotte's prophetess who kidnapped me".
    " HAhahaha, it's very miraculous. The wave I felt just before has disappeared. You really didn't show yourself if it isn't needed. Because of that, nobody knows about the Tenjoki and Mezame who borrow human forms", Tazashina's words startled Izark.

    "YOU!", Izark approached Tazashina, but Tazashina has teleported herself to a tree.
    "Are you angry? So it is right, isn't it? You are the Tenjoki and Noriko is the Mezame!".
Izark chased Tazashina but Mokumen appeared and surrounded Izark with water,
    "Tenjoki? You are Tenjoki? Is that true? The monster who has the greatest power, is that you? You will not be able to defeat us, who have lived for hundred years".
Noriko tried to help Izark but Tazashina took her away.
    ["Noriko! Uh?"]
Izark felt strange.
    "We were careless so we failed. But now, we will show you the true power. We will enter your body and destroy you. If we can kill the Tenjoki, our name will be famous", said Mokumen and pushed the water to Izark's mouth.

Noriko, who was taken by Tazashina with teleportation, saw the animal on Tazashina's shoulder.
    ("This animal is the same as the thieves' leader had").
Noriko grabbed the animal, the teleportation failed and they fell down. Noriko bit Tazashina's hand and freed herself. Tazashina looked at her hand, she became angry,
    "If you aren't Mezame, I have killed you!".
Noriko suddenly realized
    ("I'm the Mezame and Izark is the Tenjoki?").

    "Tazashina", a man appeared, "Do you call my chimo?".
    "You came just on time. It's true, Doros. But that sweet chimo has been taken by that girl. Look! She hurt it", Tazashina pointed at Noriko.
Noriko realized she was still holding the chimo.
    "No..I dont mean to hurt it, but if I release it, I will be taken again".
    " Release that chimo!", Doros approached Noriko.
Noriko became afraid and released the chimo then she ran away while Doros was taking the chimo.

    ("Noriko. Forget all about our first meeting and your previous world, Izark said like that so he has already known about this all. So after knowing he can be Tenjoki, what is his aim searching for me?")
Noriko ran inside the forest, so Tazashina and Doros, who chased her, can't use teleportation because there were too many trees.
    ("The anxious face when he wanted to leave me, the cold attitude when I approached him, so this is the reason. But since I followed him, I always entrust my life to him. He is not monster but a kind person. There is a reason I was transported to this world and that reason made me survive. So this is the reason?")

Back to Izark and Mokumen. Mokumen thought Izark didn't do anything because he has given up but it appeared Izark was using his power to boil the water.
    "STOP! It's hot, my body was boiling. Stop it, I can evaporate and disappear".
But Izark used his power, the water evaporated and Mokumen vanished. Tazashina noticed Mokumen was defeated and Izark was coming so she combined her chimo with Doros' chimo to make teleportation that can teleport them to Rienka where Rachef lives. Izark saw Tazashina disappeared then he looked for Noriko and found her crying.

    "I'm sorry.....I come late. Don't cry, it's over now", Izark touched Noriko's hair but then Noriko stepped back.
    "Sorry......forgive me. Forgive me. I don't know I am the Mezame and Izark is the Tenjoki and you can transform like that because of me, where as in fact you didn't want it. The Tenjoki who was terrifying because he has great power and was searched to be used as the weapon in war. You don't wish for it, do you? I know you hate all this, you hate these battles. And I am trying to take your attention, I have told that I like you but why don't you answer it? I don't know anything about your true feeling", Noriko cried.

    "Noriko. Calm down", Izark held Noriko's arms.
    "From now on, I'll strive alone. I have known the language and the habit"
    "Noriko, what the woman said is not true. Calm down, Noriko"
    "So, I may tell it? I may tell everyone that I'm not an island girl but a girl from the other world. I was transported and found myself under the golden trees."
    "NORIKO!"

    " Okay....okay! I'll tell you the truth", Izark held Noriko's shoulder.
    "That's right. I was raised and said that someday, I would be Tenjoki. I went to that forest because according to prophetesss, Mezame, who caused my transform will appear in that place. I came earlier than everybody else......to kill you. I never thought Mezame is a girl. you don't know anything, you don't have to be responsible for all of these"
    "I......will.......go"
    "Noriko, listen to me carefully! Our identities have been known. It's danger if you go now, you will fall to wrong hands. So if there's something happen, when ordinary men can't do anything, I am the one who can protect you. Don't think the bad ones"
    "Enough, that's enough Izark. Don't make a sacrifice for me again"
    "Nori..."
    "I really will go by myself. I will not give you any troubles anymore. I DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE!"

Noriko pushed Izark, she still cried when she left Izark. Izark was surprised, he just looked at Noriko then he looked at his hands which used to hold Noriko.
    "Don't be like that.....don't be like that.....".
Izark made up his mind and then he chased Noriko. Noriko has come out from the forest and ran along bridge's wall. Izark stuck his hand in front of Noriko to stop her. Noriko turned back and wanted to run again, but Izark raised his other hand to the wall.
    "Don't go!". Noriko was trapped between Izark's hands and the wall.

    "Don't go anywhere! I tell this, not because of duty!", Izark brought his face closer to Noriko's face and kissed her, "But because I love you".
Noriko was surprised.
    "I'm not lying. It's true after I met you, my fate was closer to Tenjoki. But as Zena said, there was no definite future. The future is made by our own hands. Maybe it can be changed. I haven't known what I should do. The only thing I can do now is protecting you. If there is something happens to you, someday I will not be able to hold it, so I still feel necessary to be monster. Please don't leave me, Noriko. Stay with me"
    "Please....", Izark knelt down in front of Noriko
    ("Izark")
    Noriko bowed and hug Izark, "I....will always be at your side. No matter what befalls, no matter what happens, I will always stay at your side".
As Noriko said the words, Izark cried.
    ("I don't have any power but I'll look after you with whole my heart. Auntie, and the rest of you....Goodbye....We will go together and try to change this fate")

    "Uh"
    "What's up?" ,asked Rontarna to Garya
    "Nothing, it's just my imagination. I felt I saw the two of them", said Garya.
    " Maybe they want to make sure whether we can go out from Guzena safely or not", said Banadam
    "They went away at once, no farewell at all. I used to think those Tenjoki and Mezame were just ordinary people", said Barago
    "I also don't know how to response it", said Jeida
    "Right now, the most important thing is to keep it as a secret", said Agol
    Zena also spoke, "I....Until now, I never thought about anything except the prediction. But recently, I have been thinking, why? why those two persons have to be the Mezame and the Tenjoki? Why?"
Noriko and Izark were watching them from the top of a hill then they continued their journey.

("According to what I have heard, three days after the collapse of the temple, Wazarotte and his men managed to be saved. His ten guardian also managed to escape with great difficulty. But they have lost the power given by Mokumen. Wazarotte and his men tried to establish his authority once more. The rumor said that they use Zena to find the true form of the monster but Zena has already gone away. They left only rumors, which spread over the countries")