[独] - [ Demon Country ] | [ Tensei Mountain Region ]

[Regenki]

Nabuya could feel pangs of hostile intent coming from Naoki during the initial precession of the warrior monks. Every single one of them, including the masked one felt off. Nabuya knew monks were super strange and probably the farthest thing from his preferred company, but here he was at his own god's behest. "Have fun." Nabuya cooed and waved as she wandered off between some buildings toward a pond in the overlooking cliffs. Likewise, he glanced back at Sakiyu but hardly said anything before wandering away as well. Something felt off to him that he just had to meddle in, and he still needed to find the temple's head monk to deliver this scroll to. Sakiyu sighed a lonely breath but seemed to quickly perk back up and walked to follow where the masked monk went to try and help with the ritual or at least be in less of a vulnerable position. She eventually found the correct building, feeling a thrumming pulse of celestial energy wash over her as she entered then closed the door behind her. Her eyes needed a moment to adjust to the dim lighting in the passages which eventually led her to the central ritual chamber. She was fairly certain she was deep into the mountain at this point, but the beautiful, well-preserved stonework made it hard to tell man-made from natural. Sakiyu gasped softly as she entered the room where thirty of the hooded monks stood or knelt at different intervals atop of a very intricately layered sealing matrix. The masked monk stood behind an alter at the other end of the massive underground chamber. They seemed to be uttering guttural, alien dialect as they coordinated the ritual to contact the mountain goddess that asked Inari to help her escape Otakemaru. Sakiyu did not know why a goddess would help her, but she was glad to present the Shotoren as a gift for her freedom. It seemed best that she waited on the sidelines until beckoned or addressed, for now. Sakiyu took time to examine her golden dragon tattoo as carefully as possible. It was the same, yet it felt so much different. It was almost like her right arm was somehow less heavy than it felt almost her whole life.

Nabuya wandered the surprisingly spacious Zancudo temple grounds. He wouldn't say it out loud or even spare a thought for it, but Nabuya felt a distant sense of appreciation for how well these monks utilized the mountaintop for their facilities. Especially given how remote this one random mountain was in these lands. It was too reclusive for his taste, however. As he walked about his senses bound to Naoki through his blessed legendary enchantment seal, unbeknownst to her, would alert him to her activity as she finished her Daoist meditations. He couldn't hear what was said or why, but Naoki summoned a shadow clone and sent it away to a distant land. Even her clones carried the camouflaged Hiraishin rite on them, after all. Although curious, he had his own business to tend to. At first he was going to ignore it, but then a very particularly unique spacial disturbance was pinged by his sensory skill. 'Yomotsu Hirasaka? Wasn't that one of Sandayu's abilities?' He thought as he stopped in his tracks, teleporting to where Naoki was half a breath later. As soon as he arrived a powerful repelling force was created between them. Something was trying to push him away while dragging Naoki away the dimensional void. He could sense a another strange power being exerted from the other side that felt like it was suppressing both of their abilities to the point of near enfeeblement. He could sense Naoki's recently dispatched clone vanish in that moment too. "Naoki!!" Nabuya yelled as he tried to force his way through the extreme resistance to reach her, but Naoki was gone before he could get there in time. That suppressing aura seemed to cease for a split moment and he attempted to teleport to Naoki once more. Instead he felt his body freeze up as he stood and watched the Yomotsu Hirasaka portal close. His visual and chakra sensory was overloaded with illusory images of the Rinnegan staring him into a temporarily pacified state. The portal finished closing then the genjutsu ceased, leaving him feeling a combination of confusion, frustration and the tiniest fraction of fear. Nabuya could recall several memories that had been inherited from Sandayu Genburyuichirosuke along with some of his power, and his gut feeling told him that this was his or even his Kage-slaying wife's doing. 'What do they want with Naoki? Isn't Sandayu off somewhere trying to be a god or whatever? I also heard that the Raiu clan had something to do with Kagami's death since that Arashi nin with the flying ship finished exacting his vengeance.' His thoughts were spinning over this. He strongly desired answers.

Normally Nabuya wouldn't even bat an eye if Naoki was just coming and leaving as she pleased. However, this time was different. There was interference and something led him to assume one of his few allies in this world wasn't coming back anytime soon. "Honestly, it isn't complicated." O-Inari grew tired of Nabuya's scattered sense of resolve and decided to manifest herself in her humanoid form. Her tails flitted behind her as she stood where the Yomotsu Hirasaka was a moment ago. The ears atop her head pointed forward to accentuate her condescending posture and tone. O-Inari reached out and flicked Nabuya out of his daze then set her hands on her hips to say, "She doesn't know we know, but you have no excuse. She was a servant of that woman and that audacious child of Evergreen and she did their bidding. Remember? Sometimes an oath of loyalty isn't so easily broken. No matter how liberated you mortals make yourselves feel." Nabuya finally stood upright again and scowled back at the avatar of his god reprimanded him in person. It was a more personal interaction than most people could experience with their own faith, but not necessarily one to be envious of. O-Inari's matter of fact, doomsaying didn't feel as helpful as she was trying to seem in the moment. "Don't get on me about this like I should have seen it coming, okay? It didn't exactly seem like they were just calling her back for tea and supper." O-Inari scoffed then retorted, "You never stop whining, do you little Nabu? What difference does it make? Are you admitting that you need one of these pitiful mortals around to feel content? Have you forgotten your purpose? Your destiny? That Uchiha's fate is her own, and if she lives then just be content that you just might cross paths again." She paused to let this sink in for a few moments. Nabuya's scowl was turned outward toward the distant valleys far below these peaks. "The flames of life..." She started their mantra, wholly expecting him to properly finish it. Nabuya gave a heavy sigh at first then replied, "Extinguished in an ocean of oblivion." Visibly pleased, O-Inari smiled and turned away. She brushed a couple of her tails past his face and decided to give him a clue about his main objective here in Zancudo. "The monk that presides over all the rest here is not of this realm either. His insight will aid you not only with the mountain goddess' daughter, but also in finding answers that will give us an edge in the war they're all waging with Jashin. The secrets of the Rinnegan are here, no matter how much Evergreen wishes to pitifully bury her shame." Nabuya's ears perked up at this news then he exclaimed, "So why are you telling me only now?!" O-Inari shrugged her shoulders then glanced back over her left shoulder and smiled coyly, "Even if you are my champion, I won't just make things easy for you. I want you properly polished and resolute for what needs to be done. We will weaken all of these meddling gods and watch them destroy each other. If Jashin wins, so be it." She turned to face Nabuya again, flexing her tails with incited fury, "I won't stand for Evergreen gaining so much favor with the likes of Zelel. Utu has suffered adequately with his death, and his foolish son will always be but a little spark in comparison." She promptly returned to her dormant sword form after speaking her divine decree. Nabuya rubbed the back of his neck to relieve some of his tension then gave a verbal reposte, "You really are such an envious being. Hahah... it makes us mortal sinners seem so harmless." He chuckled a little more then patted the sheathed sword tsukumogami on resting against his right hip. There was a slight growl in Nabuya's following breath as he turned from the reflecting ponds to get a new perspective on the Zancudo's layout. "Now then... if I were the in charge of a bunch of secular losers on top of a mountain, where would I be?" He needed to find the leader and something in his gut told him it wasn't that masked monk from before. "All of them went to the plaza for their ritual. Sakiyu seems to be with them..." Neverminding that for now, his emerald green eyes moved to the only non-rectangular structure on the temple grounds. "That looks like a good spot to start." Nabuya vanished and reappeared a few streets away from his target destination. The round building seemed to be about four stories tall, but he could sense more of the structure underground. A lot more, for that matter. It was time for some answers.
**MISSION - Narrative: Trauma [ S-Rank | 104 Sentences = 26 Posts ]




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Nabuya
O-Inari
Sakiyu



Quote:

 

[Regenki]

The black and white robes billowed around Nabuya's body as another mountain breeze passed by him mid stride. There was an irate tick in the back of his head about his disconnection to his partner in crime. He couldn't even detect the rite he'd put on her, let alone call himself to it wherever Naoki had been taken to. The empty stone street of the Zancudo temple leading up to the tall, round building was swept clean- he didn't even see a patch of dirt from the wind. "Tch... tidy a** busy bodies." Nabuya slowed to a halt and pivoted to face the large arch bordering the double stone doors. He took a deep breath and studied the doors for a moment. Sure enough, there was a intricate sealing matrix which locked the building up tight. Nabuya smirked and reached out toward the doors. "Gift wrapped, and even with a bow!" His body briefly glowed with golden light as his Uzumaki ancestry was exerted to take control of the seal, revealing all of its secrets in that brief interaction. His hand touched the mid line of the stone doors and they immediately yielded to him as the fuin lock was eased open with disturbing familiarity. The thick stone doors slid apart along the stone track that supported their linear motion. With a Hiraishin mark left under foot at the doorway, Nabuya strolled into the windowless building with only the late afternoon light of day at his back. The paltry midday glow only filled a very angular portion of the front of the building. He looked around the room and throughout the structure with his tremor sensing skill. All he could see were rows upon rows of bookshelves that reached the ceiling and much of that quickly faded to black beyond the entryway. The shelves were filled with seemingly endless bundles of scrolls stacked on the shelves with a few books here and there in between. 'Looks like a bunch of traps were connected to how that first seal was opened. Neat. None of them seem armed right now... but I'll steer clear anyway.' The doors automatically slid closed again, denying any further light or other contamination into the literature-abundant facility. He could go back if he felt like unlocking it again.

He glanced back at the doors, noticing a humming bird flying past but it seemed to have become stopped in mid flight. Its wings were clearly visible but he only has a second and a half before the doors finished shutting, thereby closing the curtains on that temporal phenomenon. "Hrm... this definitely will be interesting." The Solo Flight technique would be activated to lift him off the ground and he proceeded to float as he investigated the first floor of the... labyrinth library? It seemed that they fanatically treasured their literature given the nature of the traps he could detect. If nothing else, Nabuya remained impressed by the level of skill put into every sealing art he'd seen since arriving on this mountain. He formed an ox hand seal and molded his raiton chakra into shimmering wisps which manifested around Nabuya in a dense swarm before being scattered into the maze's to light up its corridors. He knew there were even more passages below the dense stone foundation of the first floor. However, he hadn't been able to detect a normal or even secret passages to go that way. There was a silly door-making ninjutsu he had learned, but he decided to wait on that. He also knew he could just use that Mayfly technique to slip through the ground. "Might as well check out the rest of what's up here too." He formed a hand seal and created a shadow clone. The clone flew ahead, navigating the maze of stone bookcases with similar sensory skills in effect. Leaving his doppelganger to handle that matter, Nabuya returned his attention to the subterranean passages and rooms that seemed to go on and on for as many floors as he could sense. "Ha ha ha... this place is insane. At least you can read yourself to death if you get lost." Nabuya continued to systematically scout the first floor for any sign of a means to go below. He was picking up on a sort of pattern that seemed to lean toward the southeast area of the floor.

Nabuya's shadow clone made it to the second floor only to find it was just another layer of massive bookshelves made into maze-like passages. Annoyed, he activated flew through the passages until he reached middle of the second floor maze. The clone flew up to the ceiling and sensed the area of the third floor above. After confirming an all clear as best he could, he activated the Hidden Doorway Technique. At first he felt a significant amount of resistance during the process of forcing open a temporary passage, but applying a bit more chakra made it much easier. He slipped into the next floor, finding even more of the same. The almost cartoonish portal closed behind him as he observed more musty books, old scrolls, tall bookshelf corridors and still no windows. "Gods be damned. What is in all of these ******** books and scrolls that they need so damn many?" He wondered aloud and flew up to the third floor's ceiling. Nabu tried to sense what was in the next floor but found that his senses were being jammed. Not even the natural energies of the structure could be discerned. "Oooh, secrets? Don't mind if I do!" He proceeded to activate the same technique as before and slipped into the peak level of the strange temple archives. He flew up through this hole made in the floor like last time. He flew into a blinding flash of light as he entered the next room space and the hole closed right behind him again. The clone fell to the ground as his Solo Flight technique was nulled. His eyes adjusted to find himself standing in a very different setting than the last three. There was a giant pedestal with various inscriptions chiseled into its surface. Resting atop of the pedestal was a crystal sphere that had to be about twenty feet in diameter. Countless other identical crystal spheres that were only about one foot diameter each could be seen orbiting the one at the center of the room along various elliptical axis. "The ******** is all this though...?" He asked nobody in particular as he got back to his feet and looked around where he stood. The walls, floor and ceiling of the room seemed nonexistent as the space appeared to resemble the endless, dark expanse often referred to as the heavens. Nebulous projections of astral gas clouds would fade in and out as they rolled through the room like a fancy smoke effect. Bright splotches in the nebulae were easily identified as stars. He turned around as he felt a presence appear out of a nebula that was passing by. "Begone." A black hand reached out and caught his face in an inhuman grip. "The fu-?!" The clone tried to struggle free but his assailant exerted a strange power and obliterated the trespasser. That curious power would block the return of energy and all memories from returning to the original Nabuya. However, it wasn't enough to stop him from sensing a little of what was within five feet of the clone up to that point.

In the meantime, Nabuya finally discovered a summoning formula tucked away in a slightly conspicuous room amidst the first floor part of the labyrinth. The room carried the same slightly musty smell as was with the rest of the maze. He took temporary control of every seal he could detect in the room with the powers bestowed upon him by his Uzumaki heritage. As he did so, Nabuya approached a waist high pillar of carved stone with a perfectly rounded crystal set into its peak. Nabuya could tell from analyzing the room's fuuin matrix that the crystal was a conduit to trigger the summoning function. However, he could also tell that because of how precisely designed the matrix was, even a slightly incorrect output would likely summon someone to a random place connected to here. 'I'd be assuming a lot to say that it might only drop me somewhere else in the tower. Whoever made this place seems big on filtering their visitors.' Honestly, Nabuya enjoyed the tests, but so far only felt like his perception he was being tested. After attuning himself better to the sealing matrix in that room, Nabuya would finally set his hand down on the smooth, round crystal. Just as he did, his shadow clone was destroyed shortly after reaching the top floor, "Rude. I didn't even beat up any of your pet monks!" He was somewhat speaking to the strange yet impressive building he was now inside. It was either that or perhaps he just hoped the owner of this structure could hear him through the walls or something silly like that. He focused his sensory to the floor that seemed to best draw his attention. Then the room brightly glowed light blue and when the light faded Nabuya would find himself on one of the much lowest floors. He was careful not to overshoot himself to the last several floors where he suspected the hardest of unnecessary challenges. Little did he truly realize the gravity of the encounter he was about to have.

As instantaneously as a Hiraishin teleport, Nabuya next found him on an underground floor of the archive that seemed to follow its own rules at an immediate glance. A heavy, dark fog covered the out limits of some kind of Gothic-inspired fortress architecture. The detailed stone work and abundant energy resonation in the area immediately told Nabuya that this was a dimensional space that had been specifically cultivated and developed with the owner's intentions deeply integrated. The Zancudo archive structure seemed almost plain in comparison, but Nabuya had no intention to back down. He moved forward to locate the one he was sent here to meet in the first place with his guard up to the max. He didn't know what killed his clone, but he was determined not to suffer the same demise. A mountainous vibe remained attached to the foggy fortress. The air was crisp and fresh, as if he was outside rather than underground in a building. The fog was thinner and easy enough to navigate his way to the main gate. Everything beyond about two hundred feet around the perimeter of the dark, yet regal citadel was completely obscure by the dark haze. He grumbled aloud as he approached the main gates, "Damn... I might not hate it here." A Hiraishin rite became concealed as the same color as the ground he presently stood upon as he finished verbalizing his loose admiration. Shortly after, the large, double-doored wrought iron gate pulsated with energy before willingly opening its sealing matrix. Then it opened autonomously with an eerily welcoming timing. A powerful pressure could be felt emanating from within this sub-dimensional fortress, likely from its master. Nabuya felt this tense atmosphere and the potential of dying while meeting what or whoever was running this shindig. Well, he would have feared for his life if he didn't know that even he was able to piggyback on the semi-immortal blessings from Evergreen and Zelel that many in this world often took for granted. Nabuya entered through the gates but they quickly closed and locked behind him once he was inside. "How... homely." He muttered to himself as he looked forward again from glancing back at the closing outer gates. From there he walked up the winding path through some kind of black-leafed garden. Seriously, everything but flowers and fruits were black-toned. The trunks and stems of all the trees, shrubs, and flowers seemed to be more of a dark gray, but their leaves were gloomy enough to make the night sky jealous. Their unique, almost alien looking buds, flowers and the occasional fruit all seemed to have darkly beautiful contrasting colors with shaded splotches visible in their textures. Just feeling the natural energy from them made it plenty clear to Nabuya to steer clear. "Those things're more alive than any plants back in the other world.." As much as he wanted to let his aggressive curiosity run rampant right now he knew he had to focus on the task his deity set him to.

He climbed a the dark stone steps up to the main event within this gothic kyuden, finding that the main doors were already agape after he finished navigating the garden path. There didn't appear to be anyone else around at all, except probably the owner. He couldn't sense any presences up to this point, and everything had been weirdly calm since his arrival despite the lingering tension. The only illumination in the entryway were scattered pale red orbs of energy that glowed about as brightly as your average household light bulb. Nabuya's eyes trailed from the stained glass decorating the entryway to the far end of the room and back. There was nobody, still. He sighed and said as he started walking further into the residence, "Damn... I'm starting to miss the creepy monk mimes back up topside. This is just weird on a level all its own..." He rubbed the back of his head after speaking his mind again. Eventually he reached another pair of doors at the other end of the entry room. After a moment of inspection he determined it was safe to interact with and cautiously made his way into the next room, which would probably be some kind of main hall. Unlike the previous room, Nabuya could immediately sense a looming priority in the main hall. His chakra and natural energy senses were going haywire while his eyes locked onto a round, blackstone-enclosed pool at the far center of the room. A massive, bright, silvery-violet flow of energy seemed to move vertically through the blackstone well. Its glow filled and cast long shadows from the pillars set throughout the room. He saw no other doors, on the first or second floor. There were a few more stained glass windows, but the characters and images on the windows in this room were all too unfamiliar to be of any use. All... except one. While walking deeper into the room he spotted gold-pelted, thousand-tailed fox depicted in one window and immediately felt a kinship toward it. "Friend of yours, O-Inari?" He asked nonchalantly, calling the tsukumogami to change from her sword form back to her humanoid form again. She also looked over the detailed stain glass painting and chuckled, "Ara ara... I haven't used that form in eons. How very impressive. Even the fuin markings are almost exactly right." O-Inari's three tails swished to each side just over the floor as she finished studying the art. "Remember, boy, offer that scroll in exchange for information about Tengakure of this world. Don't ask anything unnecessary and, for your sake, don't pick a fight you can't win. Otakemaru should be plenty for you to scratch that itch, you battle junkie." Nabuya shrugged and crossed his arms until she was finished enjoying herself. That was usually all he could ever do around her in moments like this.

While the two were busy with the stained glasswork, a localized dimensional shift took the form of shadows in the room congregating behind Nabuya and O-Inari. The shadows gained mass then form as they rose up into vaguely humanoid shape before the pitch blackness faded into slightly lighter shades. A masculine figure stood about tall at six feet and almost eight inches tall. A long black jacket was worn over his fitted dark clothing. His face was entirely covered by a white mask with a long but thin, red-lipped smile and pure darkness in the eye slits. There weren't any other remarkable features to the mask besides a slightly scorched cut running down across the left eye slit. Not a sound was made as he manifested, and nothing about his presence was detectable, irregardless of either Nabuya's or O-Inari's sensory abilities. After sizing up his guests, he took a moment to study the symbols on Nabuya's back which he easily translated to read "Peerless". This part of his observation led scoff, ever so slightly, "Hmph. Audacious." Nabuya quickly spun about and summoned Eihei into his right hand, believing himself ready to fight the surprising presence then and there. O-Inari was much more calm about the greeting and also turned to face the master of this place. "Greetings Master Zerva." Zerva- or rather "Master Zerva," as he was referred to, would shift his attention from the sword-toting whelp to the divine avatar that accosted him and replied, "Greetings, Lady O-Inari. I trust that my information was worthwhile to you. It appears that the girl has arrived ahead of schedule." Nabuya lowered his sword once he noticed how chummy the two were acting, shooting a skeptical frown at the fox woman after the last bit that had been spoken. He had his suspicions with those fox spirit guides flitting about in the latter parts of the adventure with Sakiyu. Even Naoki seemed to suspect he had something to do with it. 'Either live your role or do not, but failure to acknowledge your own failings is enough to prove you are not peerless, boy.' Nabuya returned his attention to the masked man who seemed to keep his attention solely on O-Inari. 'That was definitely his voice, but how did he...?' Nabuya's thoughts trailed and he went back to standing with his arms obstinately crossed over his torso. He hadn't had his telepathic connection hacked like that before. It was just slightly uncomfortable. O-Inari got a chuckle out of the interaction then replied to Zerva,"Yes, thank you. It was lucky that she took the opportunity on her own. Now Otakemaru has lost one of his precious swords and will be less of a threat to Suzuka Gozen and Zancudo." The masked temple master shook his head, "No, your champion still has to fulfill the rest of our deal. I also overheard that he has a request to make an offering for." O-Inari started to reply to this, but Nabuya interjected, "That final term of your arrangement better be about stomping that ugly golden demon dude. Nothin' else." O-Inari abruptly smacked Nabuya upside the back of his head with one of her tails, "Do us all a favor and just be silent until I say otherwise." Nabuya managed to brace himself just in time to avoid being knocked over onto his face and grumbled nonsense under his breath. He walked back over to the Senrai O-Inari stained glass depiction to preoccupy himself, summoning the scroll containing a fragment of Utu's memories. He twirled it around on his index finger and softly whistle random tunes. 'Gotta assume this was hand-picked by O-Inari just to deal with this Zerva dude. Sucks for his mind-reading a** that I dunno what's inside.' Nabuya looked back over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at Zerva just in time to be noticed behind O-Inari. His attention snapped back forward as his thoughts back-peddled a little, 'But dammit if it isn't way too epic that he can just ******** jump into other people's minds! I mean, I kinda can but it's annoying because it's a stupid ninja technique. Ugh... I need to regain my kido arts. This s**t is lame.' He was here to prove the superiority of his clan's powers and barely had a handful of the ones considered at least good. Other than that, he had his kenjutsu and way more ninja arts than he thought he'd bother to master. To say he felt unbalanced was quite the understatement in his book. Even so, he knew he was powerful and full of purpose, and those were plenty solid comforts.

The incarnate fox goddess sighed heavily then returned her full attention to Zerva. "Yes, Nabuya is able and quite willing to deal with the Suzuka Gozen's gambit. Her daughter will be saved, and Zancudo will be remain secure." Zerva briefly stared at the hind side of Nabuya again then looked down at the kitsune. "Just try not to make a huge mess." Nabuya audibly snickered immediately at this directive, 'Like I ******** give a damn! Hahahahah!! If it gets in my way it might get busted up. Big deal. I'm sure his mysticalness can fix it with a snap of his fingers or whatever.' At this point he really didn't care if Zerva could read his thoughts or not. That was his own fault now. "The more skillfully this is resolved, the more lenient I might be with the boy's request." Zerva very plainly stated an incentive that at least one of these two would understand the value of. It was true that he could very easily restore the whole mountain if it were destroyed, let alone Zancudo or the piece of the Archive that was connected to that dimension. "Thank you, Master Zerva. That is very generous and Nabuya will do his best not to disappoint as he demonstrates his full potential in handling this divine matter. Won't he?!" Oinari gratefully embraced the offer and pointedly dared any sort of defiance from her devout in this very moment. Nabuya pouted for a moment and sealed the scroll away again. "Yeah yeah! Okay, I've got it. How ******** hard can it be to slap around a yokai god if I'm actually trying?" His inexperience was telling, but Nabuya's spirit faintly reminded Zerva of an old friend from thousands of lives ago. It didn't give him any confidence in the idea of the temple remaining intact after the battle. "Very well. You may use this space to prepare. You have an hour before I send you back to the surface to fulfill your end of the deal." O-Inari and Zerva exchanged bows then she went back to Nabuya. Zerva walked toward the energy well and would quietly go about his research. Nabuya curiously watched Zerva from afar but soon found himself being herded to a side of the room where a strange sealing matrix awaited them. "We've received an olive branch, child. Let us make good use of it." Once they stood upon it they were bathed in a silvery-violet light and transported away.
**MISSION - Narrative: Growth [ S-Rank | 246 Sentences = 61 Posts ]




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Nabuya
O-Inari
Sakiyu



Quote:

 

[Regenki]

The silvery violet light faded away from the pair. The transportation sealing matrix became inert. In that moment, the two would find themselves standing on a small island in a big pond. The pond was surrounded on every side by massive trees. They exuded the same strange energy as the plants in the garden of the interdimensional fortress. There were small sandy embankments dotting the surrounding shoreline, but the trees had largely overrun the area. The island they arrived on had to only be large enough for twenty people to comfortably move around at once. The water had a healthy aquamarine hue which allowed perfect visibility into its deceptive depths. There was a steep drop off into the pond on all sides of the island, limiting one's options to interact with it. On the island were only a few trees, some shrubs and several boulders. The biggest boulder almost doubled as a tiny hill to perch oneself on for a scenic view.

O-Inari stepped off the runed stone platform in the middle of the island first. She casually ventured a short ways from the water's edge then stopped to wait for Nabuya. Nabuya took a moment to look around first and said, "Pfft, prepare? How and why would I prepare for this fight? He hit like a-" A certain tension washed over Nabuya and soaked deep into his body, causing him to cease mid sentence. O-Inari didn't say anything in response as she appeared to be busy observing her surroundings, but exuded an air of seriousness akin to a parent expecting obedience from their child. He restrained his usual belligerence and stopped a few paces behind the divine avatar that inhabited his treasured sword. She knelt by the pond and used her fingertips to rhythmically tap the water's surface. When she finished she watched the neatly patterned ripples flow toward the trees on the opposite shore. "Nabuya. You should know better than anyone that Otakemaru wasn't using his full strength." Nabuya sucked his teeth and groaned, "Yeah? Well neither was I." She lowered her head and sighed, shaking it to each side at his childish response. Regardless of how confident and resolved Nabuya ever sounded, it meant little if he still didn't comprehend his own limits. "I'm aware." O-Inari turned to face her champion and warned, "However, the difference in what each of you can do at full strength is a problem. We need to cultivate your power more while we have the chance to, but we won't have long." Nabuya frowned but simply took the hint and quietly agreed to follow O-Inari's guidance. She took this as a good sign. Given the stakes, the magnitude of this opportunity, and all that she had done from the spirit realm to make it happen, this goddess was very pleased with his willingness to cooperate.

Shortly after the resolution of their conversation, the pond surface returned to a serene stillness. The sounds of wind rolling through the entire surrounding forest preluded a supernatural feeling that would briefly sink into Nabuya. Suddenly, everything became dead silent. Asymmetrical drops of water would rain in reverse out of the pond. Each droplet would hang in the air all around the island. They were tightly packed but none touched another. Nabuya came to stand beside O-Inari during a dramatic break in their dialog, giving a low, sarcastic whistle of excitement. He took the moment to try getting on with this next session of power cultivation, "Well, what did you have in mi-" O-Inari lowered herself into a bow and dragged Nabuya down by the back of his neck to roughly mimic the gesture. "It is an honor to be in your presence, Lady Suzuka Gozen, splendid progeny of Master Genbu and Master Seiryu." A small swarm of water droplets would converge on a point about ten feet ahead. Rocks and soil from the island's surface met the in mass water as it shifted and molded into a humanoid shape. There was a brief flash of soft, golden light and the mountain goddess completed her manifestation in this sub-dimensional space. Suzuka replied as the two stood upright, "The honor is mine, goddess Lady O-Inari and her champion, Nabuya Ichiyomida." She momentarily fixated her judging gaze on the young man as he frustratedly found his footing after leaving O-Inari's grasp. "Thank you for helping to orchestrate such a flawless escape for Sakiyu, Lady O-Inari. I couldn't have imagined Sakiyu capable of also retrieving one of Otakemaru's personal weapons as she fled. I'm truly impressed by your cunning." Of course, only O-Inari and Zerva currently knew how she pulled off this stunt. Suzuka Gozen was clearly satisfied with the results. "Nabuya Ichiyomida, thank you for taking the burden of escorting Sakiyu to Zancudo, and for your willingness to face Otakemaru again." She lowered herself into a low, appreciative bow for a few seconds then neatly returned to her graceful upright posture. Nabuya immediately felt conflicted about anyone, even a goddess out of the know, insinuating he was doing a task like this willingly. He figuratively bit his tongue and did his best to behave for the sake of his god's grand scheme. Still, he wouldn't return the respectful gesture before replying in a rather matter-of-fact tone, "It's my privilege to serve Lady O-Inari." It made enough sense to him to play along for the whatever reward they could claim from aiding Suzuka Gozen. Suzuka nodded approvingly then spoke, "Skilled as you may be, Otakemaru will not yield to the power you currently possess. Nor the power you carefully conceal." Nabuya's coy simper evened out into a neutral discountenance at Suzuka's reiteration of O-Inari's recent patronizing. It was hard for him to swallow twice, but he wouldn't turn down an opportunity to improve his abilities. This was triply true when considering the offer of two goddess to aid him. 'This'll either be really awesome or really disappointing. I like those odds.' He thought to himself while Suzuka Gozen raised her arms to the sky. The millions of water droplets rapidly spun counterclockwise on vertical axis until each had the smooth shape of an elliptical prism. Each began to vibrate at high frequency. This generated a droning chorus of hums that sounded deeper in tone than the alarm statues outside of Zancudo Temple. Suzuka Gozen's voice cut through the clamor as one would expect of divinity, reducing the background noise to a murmur. "My eyes reveal that you have a destiny rife with conflicts. However, that destiny has granted a distinguished strength of will to endure your future trials. This trait resonates with a Blessing of Kinryu. It is a badge of authority among spirits and the divine- even yokai." Suzuka brought her fingertips together to form a triangle seal with her hands. The gap between her hands was pointed at Nabuya and filled with a soft golden light. This golden light gradually faded from the goddess' hands as it was transferred to enshroud Nabuya. The aura was warm and invigorating. The glowing divine energy would become concentrated into new cosmic pathways for celestial chakra to gather into and flow from. Nabuya could feel a new source of power becoming one with him throughout the process. Once he was one with a tiny fraction of the infinite power of the cosmos, Nabuya felt no doubt that this was the same strange energy that virtually every divine entity he had ever encountered. It was like he finally found an important piece to a puzzle he was on the cusp of solving. The golden glow and cosmic pathways faded from view and the power effectively became dormant. Nabuya asked, "So now I can face off with Otakemaru at my full strength?" The goddess exchanged knowing glances then O-Inari answered, "Not until you have mastered the celestial power you've been blessed with." Suzuka Gozen interjected with further elaboration, "You must learn to harness the power of the Golden Body. With it, your body will be nearly indestructible. You will have a consitution on par with gods. Lastly, your armor and weapons will also become blessedly enhanced by Kohryu." She paused and added, "Lady O-Inari will have to guide you for what time you have left here. Please, do all that you can to prepare in earnest. For the sakes of the mortal and spirit realms, see an end to the threat of Otakemaru. When the water ceases to flow, the time for battle will be nigh." Suzuka Gozen radiated a golden glow before water and earth separated from her form. The rocks and soil fell into a small pile where the goddess has stood. The water that helped sustain Suzuka's form drained into the ground or off the steep edge of the island. The shaped water droplets became fluid and began a steady downpour back into the deep valley surrounding the small island. The refreshing rain had a hint of mountainous fragrance.

Nabuya and O-Inari were left to gradually soak in the fresh water shower, momentarily exchanging a silent stare. Nabuya had a feeling that he was going to dislike whatever boring task O-Inari was likely to give him. Mastering these mystical powers never seemed to lack in meditation sessions and other intensive mentally stimulating procedures. She could tell from the look on his face and through their soul bond that he wasn't looking forward to her instruction but still seemed compliant enough to see this through to the end. "As you might have guessed, meditation is necessary to attune yourself to the cosmos through the astral flow." Nabuya immediately let out a heavy groan and dropped himself onto his knees. There was no point in dragging this out with complaining. "The sooner started, the sooner finished." O-Inari chuckled, unable to help herself with Nabuya's almost disturbing change of character in this moment, "Optimism doesn't suit you, Nabu-kun." She clapped the bottoms of her hands together to manifest a barrier around the kneeling young man. It would effectively isolate him further to grant him utmost focus on this task. The barrier would also put him in a preservative temporal stasis to ensure Nabuya was anchored to the time of the dimension they originated from. Decades in this sub-dimension were mere minutes in Zerva's Repository. Minutes in the Repository were mere seconds in Evergreen's realm. To best manage her power, O-Inari returned to her sword form at Nabuya's right hip and would sustain the barrier until their time was up. 'Resonate with the worldly alignment you mastered with your senjutsu. Reach out into the heavenly void beyond. Feel for the divine will of the stars which govern the power you were blessed with.' O-Inari's instructions became less frequently reiterated as Nabuya gradually found the path to power he was seeking. Worldly alignment gradually evolved into cosmic enlightenment. He could feel the celestial energy lying dormant within and found ease in accessing these gifts once he finished fifty years of arduous focusing meditation. 'Most impressive, Nabuya. You've not only completely integrated the fractional power of the divine but even cultivated a masterful level of control over it.' O-Inari dispelled her stasis barrier, allowing it to shatter into thousands of particles which faded into nothing. Nabuya stood up and took a moment to check his body over. The celestial dragon mark integrated nicely alongside his Yozen markings. He slammed a fist into the other hand's palm. "Oh yeah! I'm super pumped for this rematch now!" A surge of power burst away in all directions from him when his hands struck each other. He wanted to preserve his strength for the fight, but Nabuya was quite excited to try this new power out.
**LEARNED - Tenryu Maku: Shining Impenetrable Body of The Gold Dragon [ 20 Sentences = 5 Posts ]

O-Inari telepathically spoke to Nabuya as the last tenth of the pond continued to fall around them, 'Not to rain on your parade, but we still need to talk strategy. There is no point in having a showdown between an unstoppable force and an immovable object.'. Nabuya lowered his head and groaned again, "Oh for ******** sake... fine." He shook his head and listened to O-Inari's ploy. 'I am not privy to every secret of the oni kijin, but I at least know that he has a substantial collection of treasures gathered from the mortal and spirit realms. His golden armor and the three legendary swords are among his favorites. You've already encountered a power of his armor when he briefly trapped you and Sakiyu in the Shadow Realm.' Nabuya mentally interjected, 'You helped the runaway princess steal one of the ugly b*****d's swords, but I haven't seen anything legendary about it.' The goddess quickly retorted, 'But you most certainly sensed it when we met her. Honestly, the Shotoren is sort of the runt of the litter between the three. Still, it's special countering powers should prove valuable in the upcoming battle.' Nabuya tucked his hands away into the sleeves of the black kosode worn under the white haori with its sleeves torn at the shoulders. He had his doubts but wouldn't completely dismiss the option since O-Inari seemed confident enough, 'And the other two swords?' O-Inari paused for a second then continued the short lesson, 'Daitoren is likely Otakemaru's favorite sword, also famously known as the Titan Slayer. Its blade can cleave through armies and bisect the most powerful of foes. Kenmyoren, the Purifier, is less known but I believe it will live up to its moniker so be careful considering how you reacted to Zancudo's Purification Barrier.' Nabuya found himself feeling a little envious of the other two badass swords that were just described. He already had an idea of how to win this fight without mindlessly clashing swords for a fortnight. He thought to O-Inari with an over-eager grin on his face, 'Steal his other two swords and he's just got fancy armor. I'll crack him open with his favorite swords. Now that's the kind of poetic irony I can get behind!' The rainfall seemed to be thinning based on the slowed pace of pattering noises. Their time here was nearly at an end. 'Nabuya...' She paused for a moment, 'If you can accomplish this task, you'll prove that you're truly capable of fulfilling your destiny. I know you could feel my looming doubt all along, but I want you to know that I am proud that you've made it this far.' Nabuya closed his eyes and listened to the last of the pond returning to itself or nurturing the trees and land. His expression became more somber as he soaked in O-Inari's praise. After several seconds he said aloud, "Thank you, O-Inari, for my freedom and for giving me purpose in this otherwise miserable existence." The spiritual bond between the tsukumogami avatar of Il Palazzo and the exiled upstart shinigami strengthened proportionately to Nabuya's growth. "It's time." Zerva's voice resounded through the sub-dimensional space as the last drop landed. Nabuya would become enveloped in a silvery-violet light. Fate had dealt its hand. It was time for the big event. It's the final showdown! Nabuya versus Otakemaru, who will win?! Find out next time!
**MISSION - Narrative: Growth [ S-Rank | 168 Sentences = 42 Posts ]




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Nabuya
O-Inari
Sakiyu
Zerva
Otakemaru
Suzuka Gozen



Quote:

 

[Regenki]

Silvery violet light dispersed from the stone paved intersection just outside of the building that the monks were performing there ritual under the hanya masked monk's guidance. He could hear the world in motion again as soon as Nabuya returned to this plane of existence. The trees' vibrant green leaves rustled against each other with each passing mountain breeze. Birds, crickets, frogs and the light patter of a cool rain could be heard in the ambience amongst other natural noises. "Talk about a calm before the storm." Then again, Nabuya knew that the outer layer of the Purification Barrier was the mystical eternal thunderstorm surrounding this mountain and several of its neighbors. That supernatural weather hadn't let up since they arrived. 'Then again, this setting is pretty good for me.' Of course he was talking about his mastery of the Kirin shinobi technique. "I shouldn't waste this chance..." Nabuya wasn't sure how much more time he had so he decided it was best to finish preparations to give this yokai god a real run for his money. Since their first encounter, Nabuya had been reminded of his unapologetic ruthlessness that worked best when used indiscriminately. Their next fight wouldn't just be another episode of toxic masculinity and self-satisfaction. He wanted to walk into and hopefully away from this fight knowing that he used every necessary ounce of power and each underhanded tactic at his disposal. A small platoon of shadow clones were created. They were paired off and sent out to prepare sealing formuli and other battle strategies lingering in Nabuya's repertoire.

The twenty shadow clones dispersed to work with utmost diligence. Otakemaru was most likely coming to them. Nabuya wouldn't assume the kijin still necessarily wanted to take Sakiyu back, but he had to assume that the warrior definitely desired the return of his sword, Shotoren. The real Nabuya waited on alert with his senses reaching out to their limits. You could say he was overseeing the clones' progress, but that was really just taking care of itself. Four pairs of the shadow clones were tasked with preparing some techniques to be used as needed after the fighting had begun. Their enhanced Liar's Brand seals would do plenty well to keep them almost completely off the radar until the chance to strike presented itself. Some of two of those four pairs had hidden themselves with ready in mind to crank out ninjutsu korabo combos. The remaining four clones of those groups simply had an array of other ninjutsu or genjutsu on standby. The remaining six pairs of shadow clones coordinated their own sealing matrix through a menagerie of individual and korabo'd fuuinjutsu. Otakemaru would have to watch his step or risk a variety nasty traps throughout the upcoming rematch. No punches were going to be pulled. As much as he hated to admit, he was a lot more at ease and reserved when preparing to fight mere mortals. As far as he knew, there probably weren't many basic fleshies who could handle everything he was bringing to this fight. It'd probably be considered overkill even in his own book, but he was also considering this to be a self-restraint that he no longer needed to subject himself to. What did it matter if it were a god or a mere mortal? 'If I have the capacity for victory then proving my superiority by any means is my privilege on the battlefield. ******** em all, their honor and pride too! Im gonna win and survive.' Nabuya clenched his fists with this thought.

He could detect a presence approaching him from the path to the right. In that instance his chakra senses felt conflicted with how familiar the presence was so he just used his eyes. Low and behold, Nabuya saw Sakiyu walking his way. She seemed confused, if not simply anxious in general. She called over to him as she came nearer, "Greetings, mister Ichiyomida." He visibly relaxed a little while keeping his guard up in other ways. "I was observing the ritual but I started to get a bad feeling so I came looking for you and princess Naoki. However, I can't find any sign of her anywhere." Nabuya's jaw clenched for a moment as he recalled the events leading to his last remaining comrade being abducted to gods know where. He looked her in the eye and feigned an air of regret before explaining, "Yeah, Nao had some family business of her own come up, or something like that. She hardly had time to explain before being summoned away." He shrugged it off, as if he was less bothered and more accepting of that issue than he really was. If nothing else, he was going to miss her haughty and witty remarks. Sakiyu immediately realized that this meant the burden to help her was solely on Nabuya's shoulders again. Naoki was not obligated to do anything for her, but at least there was incentive to try. Whether she was simply supporting Nabuya or even if she had an ulterior motive, she could tell from Otakemaru's previous hesitation that those dangerous crimson eyes would have proven invaluable in this fight. "I understand... and I am truly grateful that you and Lady O-Inari are still willing to lend your aid. The monks seems strong, but certainly not strong enough to hold my father back until their ritual is completed." She figgeted a little then rubbed the golden dragon markings on hee right arm before warning, "I can feel Otakemaru approaching. I don't know how much more time we have, but I know he is coming here." Sakiyu clenched the cloth-wrapped Shotoren in her dangling right hand while she worriedly lowered her gaze to her feet. Nabuya sighed at this pathetic display and tried to cheer her up in his own way. "Haah... look here Saki." She met Nabuya's emerald-eyed gaze as directed. "There's some scary s**t in this world, and beyond for that matter. It doesn't matter if you're strong or weak. Everyone has something to fear. I just don't give a ******** damn if someone thinks they're better or stronger than me. Even if they actually are. They won't always be stronger and I'm pretty confident that nothing in this shitty world will ever hold me back forever. You should stop stressing out all the time about s**t you can't control and just overcome any odds that come your way. Seek solutions when you have none, or create them as you go. You seem like a survivor to me, even if you are gullible and a little naive." Sakiyu listened and was surprised that Nabuya's tone expressed at least a fraction of sympathy. He was more matter of fact about things than any degree of tenderness, but it did draw her gaze up from the ground around halfway through his comments. Despite him strongly inserting his perspective in his advice for her, she did comprehend the important parts of what was said. Don't let fear or hesitation stop her from living. Believe in herself more. Find or create a path beyond the obstacles that come along. "Hey, wait! Nabuya! How do you mean that I am gullible and naive?" Nabuya just sighed as one of his lessons went right out the window, "Exactly that. Stop stressing out over things you can't control! That includes what others say and think about you. Sheesh, why would it even matter what I say to or think of you?" Seriously, they were still strangers and the only thing they'd done together since meeting was play damnsel in distress. Sakiyu blinked in confusion for a second then cracked a smile before finding a chuckle. "Heh heh, mister Ichiyomida is kinder than he lets on." Nabuya rolled his eyes, "What the ******** ever. Lay off." He hid his face for a moment, pretending to be looking around for anything suspicious. The clones were finished with their objectives by the end of the conversation with Sakiyu.

A troubling booming noise could be heard overlapping the thunderous roars that followed natural flashes of lightning. Sakiyu gasped as a primal fear began to grip her, "He's here..." A pulse of force echoed throughout the mountaintop. Besides the ominously stirring wind coursing through the trees, the abundant sounds of nature became muted by the supernatural tension that was growing. "Nabuya, do you think he can break the monks' purification barrier?" Sakiyu fearfully looked to her protector for a hopefully reassuring answer. Nabuya frowned slightly as his gaze shifted gradually around his vicinity. His was focus mostly on the source of that last boom. He could tell it was coming from above and whatever attack it was had incurred significant damage to that area of the barrier. Finally, Nabuya met Sakiyu's frightened gaze. He lied as easily as breathing, but giving others false hope was just not his style. "You know the answer to that better than I do. But at least I know he'll be the one feeling regret after today because I'm going to slay his ugly a**." A crude promise, but he had gone through a lot in a short amount of time to feel confident enough to trade blows with the divine. Otakemaru was just a yokai god. Even so, it was still quite clear to him what his level of power cultivation had reached. This was doable. In fact, he was rather certain that he could defeat or at least match the strength of the lesser gods. The shadow clones that had set the fuuinjutsu traps around the area dispersed themselves after completing their tasks. Nabuya said one more thing to Sakiyu as he resolved to take this fight seriously, "This is gonna suck, but you and that sword are bait. I just need you to lure your revolting pops somewhere that won't get broken up. There were some meditation springs near the cliffs up that way. Don't worry though. I'll make sure he never even touches a single purple hair off your head." Nabuya vanished before she could speak a syllable. Sakiyu's mouth hung agape for a moment as she absorbed her role in this spontaneous disaster. She recalled how Nabuya had handled meeting Otakemaru the first time. 'Otakemaru had Nabuya pressured throughout the last fight. I do not know I'd he could have done what he claimed then, yet somehow his confidence seems more... authentic. I pray for your success for both of our sakes, mister Ichiyomida.' With that she began running toward the cliffside meditation springs that Nabuya mentioned. She was certain that she knew what he meant even though she hadn't had a chance to look at them prior. The scared young woman arrived to the springs as quickly as she could. There was a deathly silence here as well, but at least there were hardly any structures aside from the rock formations and a few trees. Sakiyu assumed that Nabuya chose this location to better protect the temple, but even that seemed too considerate for her savior. Whatever his reason, she just hoped that things would go well this time. She had nowhere else to run after this. Nowhere that Otakemaru wouldn't sow widespread death and destruction just to reclaim his sword... and her.

"Eek!" Sakiyu winced as another violent surge of force resonated throughout the mountaintop. "That one felt... stronger. It's almost time." This time, the buckling chatter of the rocky landscape and creaking of trees could be heard as the most recent explosive boom faded back into the overhanging thunderstorm. Sakiyu anxiously kept her attention on her surroundings. Bright red light illuminated the meditation springs. Another loud boom echoed throughout the area. Sakiyu looked up at the source of the imposing disturbance and her jaw dropped. What she saw was a slight break in the storm overhead. Crimson lightning crashed against the purification barrier with a fearsome figure at the epicenter of it all. A few moments later, Otakemaru was wreathed in the lightning and struck the ground several feet away from Sakiyu. Sakiiyu reflexively jumped back out of fear, putting as much distance between her and the source of her agonizingly extensive trauma. Flashing streaks of interwoven gold and red danced in a towering stream. The ground was marred with scorch marks and patches of crude glass. The lightning dispersed moments later to reveal the golden-armored oni god. "Daughter... rrgh." The kijin growled after addressing Sakiyu. The ground could be felt trembling underfoot in response to Otakemaru's hostile presence. Surging sparks of crimson lightning randomly arced across his large body. A black haze spilled from the sockets jewels at the elbows of his gauntlets. The storm overhead seemed to fill back in and Zancudo returned to its dreary atmosphere. Meanwhile, the purification barrier repaired itself to prevent further trespassing. "This is your last chance for amnesty, daughter." Otakemaru held his right hand out, obviously demanding the return of the Shotoren. Sakiyu started to drag her back foot forward as if it were natural to yield to such an ultimatum, but she stopped herself. "No. Not ever again." Instead, she unsheathed Shotoren and took a firm stance in challenge, "I won't seek your forgiveness! I refuse to support your tyranny ever again!" Sakiyu was resolved to be free of Otakemaru or die trying now that she was so close.

Otakemaru growled again, immediately enraged by Sakiyu's defiance. "Grraagh! You've spent too much time with that audacious mortal." Otakemaru furiously closed his upturned, outstretched hand. "I will take back what is mine. I refuse to let you go to Suzuka Gozen." The closed hand immediately tensed into a tight fist. "I will break you of your insolence and you will never defy my will ever again." Otakemaru's eyes brightly shone like the sun and moon as he began to project his power. The mountain winds took a violent shift as they pushed and pulled against the small structures, vegetation and other objects around the meditation springs. Sakiyu retreated another couple steps back as she found courage through her fear of dying. "No! I won't be your pet slave anymore." She kept Shotoren at the ready to do whatever she could to defend herself. The golden dragon markings exposed on her arm began to glow brightly in response to her conviction and its power would be hers to bear if she could control it. "Cease your insolent remarks. I've no qualms against using force to return with you and that blade." Otakemaru spat as took a step toward his progeny and began to draw the crimson sword at his left hip. "Prepare yourself!" With that warning he leaned forward to begin his charge. Sakiyu felt a bead of sweat dripping down the side of her face. This was truly the greatest challenge she'd have been determined to face to the bitter end. 'Nabuya...' She hoped with all her heart that he was true to his word. As the first of Otakemaru's footfalls in Zancudo landed the ground around him began to glow. The radiant golden symbols organized into a sealing array sprung its trap. Many golden chakra chains sprung up and immediately bound the kijin. Each arm was held down by seven chakra chains. Each leg became bound by eight more chains. Finally, his body and neck were targeted by another ten chakra chains. These chains wouldn't just severely hinder Otakemaru's mobility. They would also rapidly enervate their hostage. Otakemaru would feel his divine life force being draining away. Powerful, natural energy reinforced spikes of earth simultaneously formed with astonishing speed. The countless blades of rock would further pin Otakemaru in place as they either pressed against his golden armor or managed to break a few exposed areas of demonic flesh. The chakra chains dragged him down into the earth spikes to synergize the korabo'd fuuinjutsu traps. "I can smell your desperation. To resort to such meaningless subterfuge." He wasn't entirely convinced that this was Sakiyu's doing. Nor would he endure the shame of being caught in a trap for long if he could do anything about it. "Hrrrmaahrgh!!" Otakemaru grunted as he wrestled to break free of his restraints.

Nabuya saw his opportunity to strike when he sensed the triggered fuuin trap. The deft movement of the Flying Thunder God Slash would teleport him to Otakemaru with O-Inari drawn in her odachi form. He teleported just to the left the kijin using the hiraishin rite left behind from their last battle. He was only visible for the most brief of instances before initiating a Blade Dance with every intention to cut Otakemaru to bits, "This audacious mortal told you to remember his name, retard!!" Otakemaru immediately felt the drain from the chakra chains that coiled around his body and bled midnight blue blood from the wounds inflicted by the rock blades. "You wretch!" As soon as Nabuya made his move Otakemaru would counter. Celestial energy radiated off of his body. Just before O-Inari's blade could reach him this energy exploded outward over a small concentrated area. Nabuya was knocked backward and rolled back to his feet. He slid a couple yards further even after finding his footing. Rocks from the trap tumbled and clattered last him. A tip of one earth blade flew past his face and left a shallow gash on his left cheek. "Not bad, ugly." He ignored the blood slowly running down to his jawline. "I've no time for your nonsense, pathetic mortal." Otakemaru dismissively glanced away from Nabuya to scowl at Sakiyu. Shotoren chattered in her unsteady grip as the kijin's daughter just glared back at him. "That so?" His voice rang out from Otakemaru's right as O-Inari's tip was thrust toward the kijin's neck through the gap in his armor. The Flying Thunder God Slash yet again facilitated his attack, this time in the presentation of a precise "i" Strike. Otakemaru managed to brace himself at the last moment. He flexed his neck muscles to limit the depth of the thrust followed by a slash into and across his throat, respectively. A thin beam of pale white light flashed from the right tip of the golden ring attached to the back of his armor. The concentrated attack would easily burn through most obstacles, including an presumptuous swordsman. Faster than light, Nabuya teleported out of harm's way to another hiraishin rite. Otakemaru ignored the seeping midnight blue fluid leaking from his wounds. His glowing heterochromatic gaze moved about as he awaited another haphazard attack against him. "I will never fall to such pathetic attacks. You're outclassed, mortal. Face your doom with the dignity of a warrior." Sakiyu was starting to feel just a little of Nabuya's confidence as he managed to land a few attacks that actually seemed to hurt her father. The wounds weren't enough to turn the tide of battle, but it was enough to fan the flames of hope for victory. "His name is Nabuya Ichiyomida!" Sakiyu screamed at her father. He dared to speak of dignity when he couldn't even remember an enemy's name or face. She hated his superiority complex, but it definitely made for an aggressive clash against Nabuya's own overconfidence. Just as Sakiyu's voice faded into the restless winds, there was a brilliant flash of light. A pair of powerful lightning bolts converged on the golden-armored kijin. They flew down from the sky and were upon Otakemaru at least as fast as the light beam attack he'd just used. Otakemaru unleashed a pained howl in response. Golden lightning streaked through a downward-angled arc as Nabuya reappeared out of a Full Step to execute a brutal slamming slash against Otakemaru's body. The shadow clones that cast the Kirin technique would disperse after the attack. "Grraaagh!" The oni god roared and caught O-Inari's blade in his left hand. "I will savor your soul!" The nine foot tall yokai growled. He firmly held Nabuya in place as he caught a breath. Nabuya smirked and used this time to transfer a Seal of O-Inari upon Otakemaru's hand. The fuuin tattoo grew to cover the left hand all the way up to his elbow. Nabuya gladly also took the opportunity to keep the banter going, "Go ahead and try, idiot." He held the oni at bay in their momentary deadlock. Nabuya was looking for a good opportunity to break free of the kijin's grip and press the attack. It was too easy to keep Otakemaru off balance. As long as his opponent continued to fight emotionally he could make opportunities to stay in this fight. So far, everything was going fine even if he hadn't yet landed any decisive blows.

A stunning pulse of celestial energy momentarily paralyzed Nabuya. "Perish!" Otakemaru focused massive amount of celestial energy into an empowering aura. The oni pulled Nabuya up by his sword to take him off balance. Then his free hand was swung in an arc to crash into the exposed side of the man's body. This punch would slam him into an angled downward arc. Then Otakemaru would intercept Nabuya's fall with a powerful rising knee strike. He had every intention to make Nabuya suffer from each blow. The knee strike would lift Nabuya back up into the air. He'd hang midair for half a heartbeat before Otakemaru finished the combo with a brutal elbow drop. All of the power stored in the celestial aura would be unleashed with his final strike. Most mortals would be obliterated before they even hit the ground from such a viscous attack. Nabuya wasn't most mortals. Otakemaru hadn't realized that Nabuya had mastered a technique to free himself of such debilitation. By the time Otakemaru's fist hit him he'd already called on the power of the Shining Impenetrable Body of the Golden Dragon. A gift from Suzuka Gozen to ensure he had a chance to fight Otakemaru on even footing. Nabuya was intent to put the kijin on the defensive more than in their last fight. Just activating this power wasn't all he did, however. He kept O-Inari's wisdom in mind. He had to fight as smart as he was strong. Otherwise, he had no way of facing such an adversary in earnest. The stakes were high enough, but Zerva's conditions also loomed in the back of his focus. He had to keep damage to Zancudo to a minimum. Apparently his support was just worth that much, and somehow he could bring himself to sorta believe it. His mastery of the After Image Art and the Shadow Clone technique allowed him to leave a shadow clone behind to endure the whole attack in his place. The clone dispersed just as its body bounced off of the shattered stone brick pathway. 'Oops.' Nabuya thought as he landed about halfway between Otakemaru and Sakiyu. He summoned O-Inari out of the kijin's grip. The odachi reappeared in his left hand. He just grinned at Otakemaru for a moment, "That all ya got, fugly? Heh heh! Some lousy kijin." The demon growled at the provocation and regained his stature. O-Inari realized that this was a clear flag for the battle to escalate. She telepathically communicated a fair reminder to Nabuya, 'Don't forget what I told you about Daitoren and Kenmyoren. They are very powerful swords.' There was a brief pause then she added, 'I'm going to try to get one for ourselves.' The sword glowed then manifested beside Nabuya as O-Inari's humanoid avatar. 'Try to endure by yourself for a while~' She cooed playfully, but only to show that she did trust him to see this through. O-Inari teleported to the hiraishin rite invisibly tattooed onto Sakiyu's palm. Nabuya's aureate-scaled flesh resonated with the exerted manifestation of his golden chakra and he replied ever so confidently, "I've got this." Nabuya summoned his backup sword, Eihei, into his left hand to replace O-Inari. Otakemaru reached for the red-hilted sword at his right hip and growled praise, "Nabuya Ichiyomida. I recognize your warrior spirit. If you value your life by the sword then you should consider my words carefully." He slid a crimson sword from its sheath. It was swiped across the air in front of him. A strong wind blew past Nabuya as well as O-Inari and Sakiyu. Sakiyu shielded her eyes from the small debris blown past her. She quickly realized that her father's most favored weapon was about to join the fray. "We should give them some space. Nabuya will be fine." O-Inari suggested before grabbing Sakiyu and jumping a little under a hundred feet away. Nabuya's tattered white haori and loose black clothing billowed and flapping noises in the wind. Otakemaru held Daitoren out to his left, toward the cliffs. The ancient runes on along the entirety of the large blade glowed for a moment. Then the blade disintegrated into crimson energy particles. These particles shifted about into the form of an ethereal blade which had to measure about fifteen feet long and five feet wide. "Yield and swear fealty to me, or taste your demise at the edge of Daitoren, the Titan Slayer." Nabuya immediately guessed why the stories of this sword mentioned being able to annihilate whole armies. He figured that such a feat was considered low-hanging fruit in capable hands. Most of Otakemaru's adversaries would at least consider his forceful offer. However, Nabuya's stomach turned at the thought of giving this worthless, ugly monster any of his loyalty. Then there was the simple fact that he just wasn't the loyal type in the first place. "Tch... you were sooooo close!" He shrugged, seeming to have obviously dropped his guard. "I'm not the serving type, Otakemaru. Partner would've had a nice ring to it but you're too dumb to think that far ahead." Otakemaru scowled at Nabuya's blatantly disrespectful reply. His left arm would blur out of sight and a scarring crimson and gold light would fill an eighty foot area. Anything caught in the attack would be cleaved apart. Otakemaru's left arm slowly crossed his torso as Daitoren was pointed back out to his left. The pair of rapid back and forth swipes of the ethereal blade were a terrifying sight. 'The sword spirit will weaken without her owner. I'll have her submi- hrm?' Smoke cleared and revealed a greatly disturbed natural environment, but Nabuya remained standing where he was before. Nabuya gestured a yawn with his free right hand as Eihei was held down at his side. His blessing passed on from a divine decedent of Genbu and Seiryu was really paying off. There was hardly even a mark on his body, and his paired legendary shinigami spirit armors were able to resist the damage just as well. "You know, technically you will only ever hit me if I let you. Even if you do, I doubt it'll hurt at all. Just like that last one. Pathetic." Nabuya chuckled at this notion and glared at Otakemaru. "C'mon! Show me what you've got!" The kijin responded to this with a, echoed, primal roar. The mountaintop quaked under the power of Otakemaru's war cry. "Die!" Golden light exploded out behind Otakemaru and propelled him toward the contemptuous interloper at godly speeds. He swung the sword down upon Nabuya but would strike another cloned afterimage. This time it was a shadow clone set to detonate with the Shadow Clone Explosion technique. The concussive blast wouldn't do much damage, but it did launch the kijin backwards about twenty feet. Otakemaru regained his balance only to feel the sting of Eihei blade tip digging into his supernaturally durable flesh. Nabuya was waiting precisely where he knew his opponent would be forced to be. His attack had found another gap in Otakemaru's armor. This time it was just under the breastplate. "You're tough..." Nabuya had angled the strike to pierce through his ribs but was pushed back along with the yokai at the end of the blast. "Damn you!" Otakemaru howled and spun around. Nabuya's sword quickly fell out of its shallow wound. At the same time, Otakemaru swung Daitoren around to cleave right through Nabuya. Celestial energy precisely burst from the ring on his back to propel the attack. Nabuya raised Eihei to block the attack. He channeled chakra into it the katana to completely mitigate the force of the attack. This alone made it excessively easy for the rest of his defenses to endure the attack. Otakemaru's glowing heterochromatic eyes shone brightly as he expressed a seething disdain for the human. Even so, he had to admire the craftsmanship of straight-edged kodachi that was somehow responsible for how easily Nabuya could resist his attack. The kijin was certain to collect such a prize after taking its owner's head and devouring his soul. In that moment of admiration, Nabuya had deftly left another shadow clone behind to handle the clash of blades. Near-simultaneously, he teleported behind Otakemaru and reappeared in a Flowing Stance with Eihei sheathed. While the two were busy with their clash he channeled chakra into his stowed blade. Then he performed a lightning-fast iaido. Eihei was drawn from its scabbard and unleashed a ghastly wave of demonic purplish energy. This energy wave would pass through Otakemaru and the shadow clone. The clone dispersed due to enervation while Otakemaru was merely weakened by another fraction of his remaining power. "I can do this all day, Old-takemaru." Nabuya's right hand hovered over the handle of his sheathed sword. He was ready to attack or defend at any moment. "Rrrgh... damn it." While no physical damage was inflicted by Nabuya's attack, it did still leave a gash on the kijin's soul. The battle was intensifying for all warriors present, and it was only a matter of time to show who could withstand the pressure.
**MISSION - Narrative: Bonds [ S-Rank | 388 Sentences = 97 Posts ]




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Nabuya
O-Inari
Sakiyu
Zerva
Otakemaru
Suzuka Gozen




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