Suddenly Hayate found himself floating in a realm of complete blackness, void of anything other than sparse slivers of red light spotting his view. Where had the son of Akashima traveled to? Oddly he felt completely at home in this space as if he had been here before. For what seemed like minuets he drifted weightlessly until as if by the work of a god he found footing on a transparent floor. The Shinobi stood upright and as he did the red lights around him began to flicker and he heard a familiar voice.
“You have failed…†the raspy voice of the Corpse King scratched at Hayate’s ears. “This man Shinsou Vann Osiris has led you far from your path. Now you must suffer as I correct your folly.â€
“What do you mean?!?†Hayate yelled as he suddenly remembered where he was. This was the mindscape that he and Yamato shared. This was the very place where the seal binding the two together was located.
“You have always known that the day would come when you would have to prove your worthiness to contain me, today is that day.†As the ghostly voice finished a figure appeared some fifty feet from Hayate.
“I see…†the Shinobi said as he saw the form of his father, the projection of the last holder of the Corpse King. Yamato always did favor his father and mentioned it frequently, it was only suiting that he would take his form. “Then if that’s the case, I’ll do anything if it means avenging my clan, even if it means forcing you to obey.â€
Outside Hayate’s mindscape the titanic visage stood almost completely still as red steam billowed out from under its spectral helmet. The farmers that had been hold up below had all retreated farther into the underground waterway and the Brotherhood soldiers above stood in complete awe at the mighty size of Hayate’s avatar.
