HELLO! Sorry bout the long wait. I got no excuse. Well…except for the block and my desire to write a Blazblue and Naruto crossover. And a To Aru Majutsu No Index crossover with Zero no Tsukaima.

Chapter 5: Marduk

'What happened? I got shot in the head and… How am I alive? Where is this place?' The rapid questions never cease to fire away. I'm just sitting here with a gate in front of me. I go close to it and try to yank the handle to open it.

"What gives?" I shout. The gate is covered in invisible chains. "This isn't funny at all. Someone…anyone LET ME OUT!" I punch the gate in desperation. Though it showed no sign of damage, an audible and familiar roar echoed on the other side. My eyes widen from the familiarity.

'Not again… Not that nightmare again!' I snarl at the gate. "HEY! QUIT IT BASTARD!" I yell while slamming on the doors.

The gate's chains shatter from the impact from the other side. It seems I got it to stop…for now. What showed was the same monster in my dreams, emerging from the shadows of this place.

"So there was a reason YOU keep appearing." I had a suspicion, but I had to confirm it. "You're a part of me?" The aragami nods. It looks up and bares its fangs at me.

"And I'll be taking over your body now." It says menacingly. An unfamiliar feeling washes over me. Seeing it face to face compared in the dream is more terrifying. Snow-white fur showed splatters of crimson liquid. It's dagger sharp teeth also covered in blood. And eyes that were murderous and hungry. And it held an aura of death, while I felt an unfamiliar feeling enter my body. My knees wanted to buckle and my lungs demanded more air. Then it hit me. I was feeling fear for the very first time in my life. Having been stuck with the responsibility of protecting the Satonakas. Fear was second to protecting them. I never learned fear. I was sheltered; I was disciplined; I was…ignorant. All aragami hold an aura of death, but the beast in front of me stares with piercing eyes that dissolve my will to fight. Something Ben taught me to never allow to happen to myself.

It rears its body back, and it pounces at me within a second. I couldn't dodge the closing maw, and I waited for the bite that never came. The mouth was still there, inches from my face, but chains restrains its legs and kept its mouth open. Though it seemed effective, it bit the very chains restraining it, making it free once more.

"I've been stuck in your body for so long with no way out until now. And I WILL NOT LET THE CHANCE SLIP AWAY HUMAN!" It roared in anger and tried to kill me again. But more chains held it down from every angle. I had no idea what was going on at the moment, so I stared at the sight disbelievingly.

"INSOLENT HUMAN! RELEASE ME THIS INSTANT!" It roared. I raise an eyebrow.

"You think I'm that stupid?" I ask rhetorically. "Some intelligent being you are."

-Meanwhile on the outside-

The out of control body strikes the beast with consecutive punches; each making it reel from impact. The brutal punches lead to an uppercut forcing its head to fling backwards from the intense force. It's friend charges at my body, but my body intercepts the attack with a backhand at the right side of its face. The simple strike changes the aragami's direction as it rolls on the ground.

"RrraaAAAAAAAGGGGHH!" My body yelled at its temporary victory. But the two felines did not give up the fight and shot its balls of lightning towards my body. Due to the enhancement I got, my body easily dodged the projectiles aimed at me, and it allowed me to rush in a speed no short sword user can reach with years of training. I raked my clawed hand at the Vajra's face, effectively burning where my hand touched, and clenched it to throw it at its friend with a bit of exertion. Quite a feat I have to say, but it was hardly the time for celebration.

-Back in the mindscape-

"Hey… um…I'll talk to you later. Kind of hard to think while fighting." I sheepishly say to the chained aragami. It glared at me with the heat of a thousand suns, but I somehow ignore it. "Hey…quit glaring like that." I pout at it. "Here I am trying to be nice to my tenant."

"If being nice is chaining me, then I'll have to revisit the dictionary." It says with a smirk. And I thought monsters don't have emotions. This guy is an exception, cracking a joke like that. What a peculiar monster you are. What led you to be in me? Experiment perhaps?

"If you think I wanted to be in your body, then you have another thing coming." It snarled. "I was a peaceful aragami that never harmed humans. In fact, before I was in your body, I was curious about your species. I ventured out without harming a soul. Ogretails…they were another story." It said in a somber tone. Now why does a monster act somber? I'm here expecting bloodcurdling roars, yet here I am seeing said monster act like an old man.

"So you're saying humans captured you out of fear?" I questioned the restrained aragami. He nods slowly. Surely that event was a sore subject. But he quickly growls to show his still-burning anger.

"What's done is done. Fearing something you don't understand is a human reaction." He says in a matter-of-fact tone. "Though it's one of the many things I'll never understand about you feeble humans."

"Yet here I am trying to know you." I flatly counter the statement. The aragami chuckles. It was strange seeing an aragami chuckle with no hate behind it. "And humans aren't feeble, we're kicking your kind's ass aren't we?"

"You are a very peculiar human, Sora. And no. You're not even close to the eradication of aragami." It smiled while baring its deadly fangs. "I dare say that SHE will end it sooner than I'd hope."

"She?" I repeat. The wolf shook his head as if saying, 'Another time.'

"Well later buddy. You won't give nightmares anymore right?" I hope as the chains release their grip on the wolf. I consciously willed the chains to stay within range, but the need was gone when I didn't see a muscle move from its bulky frame.

"No promises. And I'm not your buddy, but since you release me from those god-awful chains, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. I don't like it one bit, but you can use an extent of my power. But for today, I'll help you in beating those relatives of mine." I smile at the generosity. Despite its hateful glares and threats, this aragami was a noble beast, fitting for the original king of the Vajras.

"You're no monster at all." I say as I slowly disappear. Giving him a tender smile, I whisper, "Friend."

-General POV-

"I stand corrected, Mira. I thought he could be a mindless beast; a brat under my control. But he is too much like you and your husband to ever be controlled by…impure powers like mine." The beast says to nobody on particular. "And he is so much like you two it's almost uncanny. Something I wish would happen to many of your kind; I wish many of your species would try to understand first before blasting. I'll stick with one for now." He stared at the wasteland turn into a throne room. Cracked columns of marble emerge from nowhere, and banners appeared showing the wolf-like aragami. And at the center a round seat to accommodate for the beast. The seat was surrounded with wolf heads illuminated inside to give a ghostly presence. But the final detail was a statue of the aragami, posed to show a regal look on it. Though it may seem much for a change, this was what the jailor could do to show respect to its prisoner.

It smiled. "So much like you…friend." It stared off into the distance. "Maybe I should try to befriend him. Only those two could ever understand me, so why not their spawn?" It contemplated the thought and decided it might act on it, if he lost a bit of the hate produced by the incident.

-Outside-

Sora POV

The overgrown cats charged, and I stand there waiting. Heat increased in my body, and soon I was sprouting flames redder than blood. My muscles ached, but my right arm was where the most pain was. The oracle cells on my right arm spread and envelop what once was my human body. The sensation was weird…and painful. I endured, but it's something I don't ever want to feel again. I felt part of it, but at the same time separated from the cells. The cells took on the form of the beast in my mind. I transformed into the very beast I THOUGHT I despised. I gaze at my beast's successors. One of them is angered and charges. "Stay out of our way old timer! You may have been the original Vajra, but we've grown stronger than you ever could."

"Hmm…care to explain why you're so affected by a backhand slap from my human form?" It was irritated even more.

"DIE!"

Soma POV

'What. The. Hell.' I thought. First the rookie was out of control, and NOW he goes and becomes an aragami? I don't know what drugs Sakaki put in my food, but I do not like this hallucination one bit.

"Soma! Reinforcement is on the way. ETA three minutes." Hibari called through the transmitter. Curious, I ask who's coming. She hurriedly replied. No use hiding it in this situation.

"Lindow, Sakuya, and some of the defense squad. Shun, Gina, and Karel are coming as well."

"Hm…this might get complicated." I mutter. "Tell them to stay out of this for now. Sora is in control at the moment. And try to not let this info slip into the den." I try to suggest only to hear silence.

"…"

"Too late?" I ask the operator.

"…"

"Hah…great." I looked towards the white wolf in sadness. He'll be more of an outcast than I will ever be. But I won't let that happen. Or…I could make a friend. Damn those other guys thinking I'm a loner. Well…thinking about it, the first squad members are more like acquaintances to me. Yeah…maybe I'll make him a friend. Outcasts stick together.

Sora POV

I bite on its right arm, and I chuck him towards the wall next to me. The other then charges at my opening, but I didn't let it have the chance by jumping out of the way. It soon collided with the recently fallen Vajra.

"Take us seriously!" whined one of the Vajras.

"Can't." I deadpanned. "Not when both of you are making fools of yourselves."

"THAT'S IT!" one yelled while launching a ball of lighting. I scoffed, and smacked the pathetic excuse of an attack away.

"I won't play anymore." I say while in a pouncing stance. I charge at the Vajras with unrelenting force. Each of their lightning balls could not harm me. I bite one of them with bone-crushing force. It cries in pain, but I could care less. I add more pressure, and it cries more loudly. Its friend tries to bite me as well, but my right arm opens up and releases a pillar of flame engulfing the attacking Vajra. I then swipe my right arm, and three balls of fire attack the confused and burning Vajra. The one being held by my mouth tries to retaliate, but I throw it into the makeshift lake. I spew black liquid on the water's surface, and then hurled a fireball the size of a helicopter at the lake. The water then becomes a pool of flames, and in it a cry of a burning beast resides. The one outside the lake recovers from its sunbathing and tries to attack me with more lightning balls. And once I got right on its face, I reverted back to normal.

"What?" it says in shock. I had the same reaction, but I ignore it for now and proceed to pound it into the very ground it stood. Bringing my right arm down, I forced a jet of blood-red flame to add extra force to my strike. When I did make contact with the monster's head, the monster was pushed to the ground, causing the floor to crack and dent into the shape of the Vajra's chin.

"Well this arm does have perks besides looking cool." I say to myself. The arm I would've feared in my nightmare plastered itself to my right arm, and if I willed it, my left could be the same. I look down at the fallen Vajra. Raising my right arm, I aim it at the neck of the feline monster. With a swift strike, I puncture the once hard skin, and I grab the core, rendering the Vajra, incapable of moving or living.

The other Vajra emerges from the sea of flames, extremely infuriated. Seeing my human form only made it even angrier.

"Give up. Please." I say to it. It rejects by trying to bite me. I grab my katana and activated the inducers. The look on the Vajra's face was priceless when I slashed its face with a weapon besides a God Arc. There was a visible gash on its nose, and it roared in pain. Me being right in front of it irritated my ears. I punch it to silence it, but to no avail. It head butted me at forced me away from itself.

"My punches do almost nothing…hm. How can I- That's it!" I shout in a mighty revelation. A small idea popped in my head. Albeit the idea being a suicidal one. I grabbed six of my bombs and inserted it into my arm like reloading a shotgun. After each bomb, the temperature in my arm and around the area, started to rise. And due to extreme heat, my armlet's bindings melted off and released my arm from its hold. And at my sixth bomb, the heat felt like a miniature sun at the palm of my hands. The area around me steamed, and parts of the plant bubbled from the extreme heat. I smile at the newfound ability of my bombs and prepare to strike.

The recovered aragami shakes its head in annoyance and anger before it gives a deafening roar. I really hated roars. I have delicate ears; I like my ears. I listen to music with 'em. Put my headphones on and I can hear music perfectly on the lowest setting. This one, wanted to implode my eardrums at the painful decibels it releases from its vocal chords, assuming it has one. Disregarding the roar, it rushed at me blinded with rage. It never prepared itself for a counterattack should its primary strike fail, and it was something I was ready to exploit.

At the last second, I duck under a mighty swipe. Seeing the chance, I punch its face with all my might. I expected it to fly away on impact, but instead I went through its body. I pushed through cleanly like a spear. Whatever flesh I made contact with during the attack, just burned off at the slightest touch. Holding on to the core, I push my hand where the chest cavity is supposed to be, and I release the built up explosive in my arm. It resulted in complete eradication of the Vajra. No trace of flesh was on the battlefield, all of it either evaporated or burned.

Staring off at my right hand, I see the oracle cells enter my wrist, where the armlet used to be and returned to its normal complexion. The rugged armor of my aragami arm burned off, and the heat it gave off was gone. After the battle, the shock of dying and fighting as an aragami sunk in my mind. And it was not a pretty sight as I look throughout the plant. The fatigue of turning into the Vajra also sunk in, causing me to go to sleep, and leading me back to the familiar face of a certain wolf.

"That reminds me… I never got your name." I told the behemoth.

"I don't have one. Your species gave me one." The beast replied. Curious from the beginning, I ask what it is.

"Marduk."

"Nice to meet you, Marduk. From now on we're partners." I boldly proclaim.

"Oh what gave you the idea?"

"We're working together to fight the aragami, so technically we're partners. But if you're against fighting your kind, then it's fine if we're not partners if you wish." I sincerely say to the beast. "And because I want to show you not all humans are bad."

'You have no idea, kid.' The beast sighed. "Okay. I'll take on your offer on being partners. Much better than jailor and prisoner relationship." I smiled. I knew the bulky wolf wasn't that bad. Well…after the initial 'I'LL KILL YOU' phase. Somehow, every monster who is supposed to be a friend is like that. God knows why.

"So…any idea when I'll wake up?"

"No."

"Glad you don't beat around the bushes, Marduk." I say to my new partner.

Omake: Marduk and Kurama

"So we're inside teenagers." Kurama started.

"Uhuh."

"We can talk to them in their heads."

"That's right." Marduk answered.

"We can give them our powers. And want to get out of their bodies."

"YEP."

"So why is this not a borderline Naruto crossover?" Kurama asked his friend. The two beasts look at me.

I thought of the idea! I didn't realize till later that this was so close in similarity!

"Tch. So you say… Marduk! Sleep?" suggested the Nine-tailed fox.

"Sleep." And so the two great quadruped beasts slumbered without a care in the world.

Chapter over guys. Sorry for the wait. Really I am. At least for some people, I'm not dead. And if you're interested in the other works I have, go look for it. The name of the Blazblue/Naruto crossover is 'The Fox and the Squirrel.' The TAMNI/ZNT crossover is called 'Zero's Ace.'

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to work on my other chapters. Bye bye.