13
Chapter 13: A Chapter Concludes
Chapter Text
The bone sword sits before me and I gaze at it in rapturous awe. It's beautiful, a masterpiece, something far beyond what I could have conceived. I blink noticing that my hand had grabbed the handle without me even realizing I had begun to move. I shiver as my fingers wrap around the grip the sword being more comfortable in my hand than anything I had felt in this life. A feeling of excitement and acceptance pulses through me originating from the sword, underneath is boundless anger, thankfully not directed at me.
As I pull the sword free the skeleton holding it crumbles. The dust is swept up by the wind and swirls off away from the clearing. Around the clearing the crystal trees start to dim, the Oni being puppeted by the blackened crystals test the boundaries of the sanctuary. Every moment the crystals dim more and the Oni come closer, the barrier that kept them out slowly fading. They flood the valley, pouring through the entry like a flood until all those that remain are outside. Sitting and waiting for the chance to devour and assimilate the only being left, me.
As the field keeping them out gradually fell, crumbling into motes of light, I went through a few practice swings with the sword getting used to the dimensions. My Touki roared into existence, covering me in its warm embrace, my blood pounding in excitement. The barrier finally collapses and the Oni scramble toward me, crawling over each other in a stampede that should be horrifying. The only feeling running through me was anticipation.
The first group reaches me and with a wide smile I swing the bone sword horizontally, the beasts bifurcated in mid-air, a shower of blood raining down on me. The sword cut through them like they weren't even there, I lick my lips the warm coppery flavor filling my mouth. The others continue their charge not hesitating despite the fact they're outmatched. I leap forward and palm the face of one and crush its skull before kicking its corpse into the crowd.
I rush into the passage created by the improvised projectile feeling claws clashing ineffectually against my body. My arm whips out to my right cutting a swathe through the group on that side, chunks of the earth and a blast of wind erupting in the wake of my sword. I tilt my head backward and a fist snaps past my face. Reaching up with my left hand I pull the owner across my body and into the sword in my right as it returns to my center.
A large grouping rushes me from behind but I see their approach easily with my Ki sense. Deciding to have some fun I spin, throwing my sword into them spinning like a buzzsaw. The sword flies through, blood spraying and flesh parting in its wake, before embedding itself in the side of the valley. The ones with the most rationality stayed back, using the fodder to gauge my strength. With the lesser creatures slaughtered the remaining four attack, seeing my loss of a weapon as a chance to kill me.
How wrong they were. The first leaps at me mouth agape attempting to rip my throat out with its teeth, probably. Instead, it dies pathetically as I duck under it before shoving my arm through its chest. Its body flops off my arm and it begins regenerating so I stomp its head into a pulp. My ears catch a whoosh of air and I catch the kick aimed at my head. I shove the leg upward and push the Oni back, he falls into another and they snap and roar at each other.
I snort at the animals that they've become. If they retained more intelligence they may scratch me but alas they're no more than beasts in this state. The dangers of spiritual corruption, I suppose. As they struggle to get up a shadow engulfs me as a boulder blocks the sun above. Grinning, I jump towards it and cock a fist back. My punch plows through the rock and it detonates under the force, a hailstorm of stone raining down from the once large boulder. I can't help but let out a hysterical giggle as I realize how anime-esque that was.
Gravity catches up with me and I roll until I face the earth during my descent. One of the remaining four is attempting to climb the side of the valley to reach me faster and three are growling at me from the ground. A corona of flame erupts around me as I turn myself into an Oni-meteor. As I hit the floor of the valley I slam my fist into it and blast my Youki into the ground. A sphere of pure heat manifests, sweeping out and turning the Oni and corpses nearby to ash.
The sole survivor propels itself from the valley wall, a feral scream coming from its mouth. In a way, you have to feel sorry for such creatures. Tricked into this valley by the promises of the Elder, entering with the goal of becoming a Sage, only to succumb to a fate worse than death. Eternal hunger, living a cursed existence, becoming akin to zombies. Oh well, now they can enter the cycle of rebirth. I catch its arm and slam it into the ground, wrenching the arm sideways I break it at the elbow, and shoving the forearm down I pierce its throat with the ulna and radius.
Standing up again I wipe the blood from my face, absentmindedly licking at it as I go retrieve my sword. As blood goes it isn't as good as when it gets turned into alcohol but the sheer saturation of Ki inside it makes it a decent second on my rankings. Reunited with my weapon I cover it in fire and swing it at the pile of bodies. As I leave the valley the remains turn to ash, finally leaving this world.
Reaching the exit of the trial area took far less time than reaching the sanctuary at the end. This was likely due to the fact I knew the way and had killed everything inside. During the run through all the crystal trees turned to dust without the sword to power them. The sky warped and crumbled the distorted plane returning to normal and the fog swept through the area dissipated into the clear sky. I practically flew up the stairs eager to return to my mother and to finally be rid of the Elder, to finally kill him.
I had a lot of confidence that I could kill him now. After having beaten the originally Ibaraki, I sincerely doubted he could stand against me. If he could he would have killed Ibaraki and left this place by now. No, he was and will always be weaker than the ancestor. With a better grasp of his personality, now that I could reflect on his actions, I couldn't see him as anything but a coward. He enjoyed being the big fish in a little pond, to play at being strong while surrounded by the weak.
'You've got that right little one.' I flinch at the voice, stopping and searching for it. I sigh as I recognize the voice and see my Ancestor standing off to the side. Or at least a construct of him made from grudge flames. 'He did work up the balls to challenge me eventually. Got his shit kicked in and slinked away with his tail between his legs.'
I roll my eyes at the haughty tone he uses, an odd choice for someone who just got defeated by me. 'Don't forget to give us all a turn before he dies.' A crowd of specters coalesces around him their forms warping and blurring together with his. Byakko at least manifests separately, licking his paw idly, the casual air in his posture belies the fire burning in his eyes.
"As if I could," I grumble and the vengeful spirits disappear, Byakko too but not until he lets me scratch behind his ear. It's a weird feeling carrying them around with me but I already know I'll miss the company, most will leave when their vengeance is complete. Ancestor is the only one that will have a reason to remain. My chest tightens uncomfortably at the thought, them being my only companions other than my mother. I know it would be cruel to ask them to stay so I won't, I'll just need to find others to fill the void.
I come upon the village soon after, my max speed nothing to scoff at, and I take in some surprised looks when they see me. Obviously, they're awed by the sword so I ignore them and rush to my home where my mother awaits me. I'll reunite with her then go kill the bastard, I'm sure she'll enjoy watching. As the door swings open I let out a loud, 'I'm home!', only to be greeted by silence. I immerse myself in my Ki sense and find my mother at the Elder's house. What shocks me is the fairly small Ki signature in the house. I approach it slowly opening the door to the room I lived in when I was younger.
Swinging the door open my eyes widen as I take in the form of a toddler. What the fuck? I suck in a sharp breath and the little girl turns toward me from where she was… gnawing on a bone because of course, she was. The bone hangs loosely from the side of her mouth and her eyes narrow when she sees me. She growls the bone dropping, before sniffing the air. She must recognize something in my scent because her eyes light up and she runs over to me. As she hugs my leg I'm struck by how absolutely adorable she is!
She seems to be two or three years old and her skin is a faint red, closer to a permanent flush, a touch lighter than my mother's actually. Her hair and eyes are a deep purple I notice as she gnaws on my leg. Her horns are still small and stubby but that just adds to her cuteness. The real question is; why would my mother adopt a kid? I sniff the air and when the scents rush in I realize I'm a fucking moron. This isn't some random kid, she's my little sister!
I couldn't pull the tyke off me without hurting her so I maneuvered her till she was sitting on my shoulders. This meant she was trying to bite my horns off but meant I could move unimpeded, it wasn't like she could hurt me either. Was it stupid to bring a child to a place I was going to turn into a battlefield? Yes, yes it was but she's an Oni so she's tough; plus our mother will take care of her while I kill the Elder.
On my approach, a lot of clues from before come together in my mind and my mood takes a downturn. I've been gone for a while without my mother knowing if I was dead or alive. The Elder, having lost his pawn, would seek another symbol to affirm his reign over his people. My mother has proven that she can bear strong children. With the threat he made when I snuck into his office in mind, this isn't a surprising outcome. It doesn't change the fact that I feel terrible that I wasn't around to protect her.
My little sister giggles in delight as I kick the door in, the wood breaking into splinters and covering the entryway. The servant woman who was in the room shrieked before paling when she saw me. I stalked past her towards the study, where I sensed my mother's Ki, and once I had passed by the servant she ran out the remnants of the doorway. My sister picked up our mother's scent and hopped off my shoulders, scrambling toward the familiar smell.
Amused I chase after her in time to see her tackle hug our mother. Our mother immediately looks distressed at the fact her daughter has come all the way here. When her eyes catch me she sobs, tears gathering in her eyes. I smile at her and say two simple words, "I'm home."
"Welcome home." The dam breaks and she begins crying earnestly, my little sister makes a noise of confusion as she's sandwiched in between us.
"Aren't you going to introduce me?" My mother looks shocked for a moment then guilt and shame overtake her emotions. I know why it happened but it still saddens me that she had to go through that, in an attempt to protect me.
"This is your sister. I haven't given her a name yet… I wanted to wait until you were back… If you came back. What happened? It's been three years since you entered the trial." I sigh at the confirmation of both my guesses.
"She's fierce, that will be good. Time moved much faster inside the valley, from my perspective, it's only been a few months." My mother nods accepting my explanation. Wordlessly she stares at the sword on my back, a silent question in her gaze.
"A trophy from the trial and our ticket out of here. I just have one more thing I need to do." Understanding what I mean my mother looks horrified and tries to protest.
"As if I'd die to that coward. I faced our Ancestor and won, this will be easy." The look of surprise and awe she sends me makes me preen, truly I'm the greatest! An idea strikes me and my mother and sister shiver as an evil smile stretches across my face. I tell my mother what I just thought of and her laughter echoes through the building.
My mother had dutifully followed my plan and taken any noteworthy items out of the building. Apparently, after I left the bastard kept my mother close, hoping she would spawn another strong child. This meant she knew where everything was. It pissed me off but it was useful since we didn't have to search. Most of the things we found were trash techniques he made, some art, and a few decent weapons. The best part of the haul was the premium blood sake! There was enough to last us a few years if we savored it.
Once the building was clear it was time to signal the Elder to return and what better way to do that than with a signal fire. Bringing my Youki to the surface I breathed out a torrent of fire toward the Elders home. I kept stoking my flames, making them hotter in order to melt through the protections on the building. Soon the pyre could be seen from anywhere in the village and I heard a scream of rage from the village center. It was music to my ears.
In his rage, he dropped his concealment of his Ki and I measured his reserves as he flew towards the remains of his home. What I found was unimpressive, his reserves were three quarters the size of mine and he didn't have the same Body Refining Technique to increase his strength and durability beyond normal. He was going to be fairly strong from simply being an old Oni, who having lived that long would have a decent amount of ability, but I clearly had him beat in the physical department. I assume he has some Youjutsu or Magic techniques in reserve but even then I could adapt.
"What have you done!" He roars as he comes into view. "The scrolls I kept in there were priceless! You've destroyed the foundation of our people. For that, you will suffer a thousand deaths before I'm finished with you!"
I snort at the idea that those pathetic techniques were important. I pull the sword off my back and drag it along behind me as I walk toward him, the edge carving nicely into the ground and the fires framing my image. "You're a pathetic excuse for an Oni, allowing our people to stagnate while you lord over them. No more. You will die for that, how long you live depends on your fortitude. Come, let's end this farce."
He rushes me, although not in a mindless way as I had expected. It seems his cowardice honed his danger sense at least. He circles me prodding at my defense, gauging the reach of my blade. He feints and I swing diagonally downward as he evades. Seeing an opening he steps toward me and jabs. My other hand stops his fist dead and my grip becomes iron, holding him in place. I give a cruel smirk at the look of panic in his eyes and hit him in the core with the flat of my blade. His shoulder pops as his body accelerates while I hold his arm in place but I do make sure to let it go before it tears off.
"Do you need a weapon?" I say with faux innocence, "I can get you one if it would help."
He snarls and pops his shoulder back in. "I know techniques that you've never dreamed of! Don't get cocky brat!" He snaps his fingers and teleports behind me an array of magic circles lighting up as I turn my head. There are dozens of them and each fires a beam of magic at me simultaneously. My response comes in the form of pulsing my Youki across my body while tensing my muscles. This action causes the air around me to explode in an omnidirectional shockwave. The incredibly dense pressure wave shatters the beams and the environment in its path.
Sword intent wreathes my weapon in a shining silver as I swing it toward him, a crescent of silver cutting through the distance between us. He starts to teleport and barely makes it in time, a shallow cut appearing on his midsection where the attack connected. His arms wave outward and an angry red flame rushes to me hungry for my flesh. Almost contemptuously I retort with my own flames a bright white that swallows his assault.
While I dealt with that he formed a spear out of magic and I can see his Touki covering it. I tilt my head to the left as he disappears the tip of the spear passing through where my head was. Turning I hit him with a side kick and hear his ribs crunch under the force. He rolls backward with his momentum coming back onto his feet in time to block my slash with his spear. He's forced to abandon the weapon when my sword flares silver and slices through like butter.
He ducks to the right under my blade and spins, a foot lashing out toward my face. I smile and tilt my head downward gleefully watching as he can't stop his foot, so it's impaled on my horn. Laughing I flick my head to the left launching him off and watching him land awkwardly. "You're so slow. Is this really your best?"
He releases killing intent attempting to cause me to freeze but let loose my own cutting through his meager effort and stunning him. I weave my killing intent into my Touki, in the same way, I did against the Ancestor, a malevolent red glow enveloping me. His eyes widen and sweat breaks out across his form. He tries to teleport away but I move at my full speed always just behind him as he jumps through the village. The brief time between each teleport enough for me to catch up.
"What do you want!? I'll give you anything!" His teleports become predictable as his fear overwhelms him so it's no surprise when I cut off his arm after he makes a horrible mistake in choosing his location. When he appears above my home he loses a limb and the focus necessary to maintain that game. He tries to scramble to his feet but finds them missing as they're also separated from him. Clawing at the ground frantically with his remaining hand I crush it underfoot and kick him onto his back.
"Wait don't kill me! You don't want your sister to grow up without her father do you?!" I pretend to think about it before punching him in the throat. The chocked gurgle causing me to chuckle.
"A weasel, like you? Better to grow up without such a poor example, I say. Now without you running, we can play. Any suggestions before I start?" He opens his mouth to plead more but is cut off by me sliding my blade into his remaining arm. "Good! First, there's this really cool technique I saw in the memories of my Ancestor. I've yet to try it and he didn't actually know it so bear with me, okay?"
I kneel down next to his form my hand hovering over his right leg. My talent with Youjutsu has been hit or miss in the past but since this technique can be used in battle and is incredibly violent it should work. Maybe. I focus my Youki into my hand imagining the same I wiggle my fingers getting a feel of the flow of Youki and move my claws toward his leg. I frown when my claws simply puncture his flesh, fresh blood welling up around the wound. Then I remember who I'm trying this on and the smile comes back. "Hmmm, nope not quite. I'm not causing you discomfort am I?"
The next dozen attempts end up the same, with a fresh wound somewhere on his body. Eventually, his thrashing and protest stop and I realize he almost died from blood loss! Can't have that so I heal him up a bit with Ki and seal his stumps. I give him a jolt of Ki to the heart to wake him, knowing he'd enjoy seeing my success the loving grandfather that he is.
The next fifty or so times I try the technique go slightly better a faint 'pressure' appearing before my claws slide through. It isn't until the dawn of the next day that I get my first partial success. Attempting once more, I change the circulation of my Youki channeling it along my finger bones. A light miasma flows in wisps around my fingers, black, and reddish-brown smoke billowing upward. This time the 'pressure' slips around my hand and so does my hand slip through the flesh of his leg. In my excitement, I lose concentration as my hand wraps around his femur. Because of that when I pull on the bone it comes out in a spray of gore and covered in his blood rather than a pristine white bone.
Healing him enough to close the wound I stab the bone through the thigh I pulled it out of beaming at my grandfather. "Did you see that old man? I almost had it! Hey, hey, tell me how proud you are. Please?" Ah for some reason he started crying! He must be really proud!
Over the next few cycles of night and day, I gradually perfect the bone collector technique and before long he looks like a pincushion. All his bones having been removed and stabbed into him. Except for his skull and spine, of course, I think even with Ki healing and an Oni's vitality he'd still die then. My mother and sister visited often, we enjoyed meals together while my little sister wiggled the small forest of bone, occasionally taking one out and stabbing it into its home a few times. I couldn't help but be amazed at how adorable my sister was, little Shuten being the pinnacle of cuteness.
My mother experimented with poison creation through Yojutsu. She made good progress since she hadn't had a living target to use until now. Some of them were apparently really painful if the wails of agony were to be believed. I had to finish up soon because his eyes were starting to get that thousand-yard stare and his facial muscles kept slackening. The pain and healing were only doing so much to keep him lucid, his mind almost fully retreating by this point.
So it was with great regret that I unleashed my grudge flames upon him. Unlike usual, they manifested in individual forms each burning a little more away. The starved man from my first battle, the other children of my litter, the street rat girl from my second fight, the wolves, and so on it went. As each took their tribute he howled in pain, faint wisps flew off his body joining the flames. Each flared brighter, grey and black shifting to gold and blue, they smiled at me before fading. When they faded I felt that pool of hatred dip lower.
He died only halfway through the proceedings, such was the sheer number of aggrieved spirits. Yet he did not perish before a final visit from his father, the spirit joyously manifesting after hearing the plan in my thoughts. He agreed that it was the perfect final blow to shred what willpower remained in his son.
He appeared, formed from my flames and I focused all my attention on reigning the Elder's strands of consciousness in. What remained of him tried to slip my grasp, seeking the solace of the hazy coma-like state but my grip was too strong. He awoke with a sharp inhalation, pain racking him as his lungs expanded around the blade-like ribs impaled into him. What little color his complexion regained was lost as he took in the grinning form of his father.
"So the disappointment awakens. You were always a failure but I left my final hopes to you, wishing desperately that you could raise a generation that would surpass you. In the end, I suppose you succeeded. In light of this, I will give you a final gift." Before the eyes of the Elder, his bones are consumed by the black flames of his father, oozing together as a fluid mass, anger permeating them like a curse. "You're bones will become a weapon for my successor. Be proud, for this is the final honor you shall receive. You feel it don't you? Every spirit chips away at your soul a measure more, you're already so close to scattering, never to reform again. This is death beyond the samsaric wheel, boy. You will become nothing even more so than you are now. The only thing left will be this!"
Floating above the body of the Elder, reflected in those eyes which drip bloody tears is a pristine white bow, a hazy red miasma forming the string. Seeing the weapon he so despised, the weapon that he saw reflected his cowardice, formed from him was the final straw. His soul shattered then and there, the remains snapped up by the hungry specters that flit around his desiccated form.
I never felt happier yet more alone. I would push forward though; for I had my family, my Ancestor, and my first friend Byakko standing with me still.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone