The Nara listened carefully to the man's words, curios to know more about the situation in Irkalla. If the man's words were truthful, the situation seemed to be more dire than expected. The Nara had questions, one's that he himself would need to figure out.
Before he could respond to the mans question a set of people arrived, if you can call them all that. It was a mix of beasts and humans, a familiar face and some loud characters. It was quite convenient that the Inuzuka made an appearance, especially given the topic Horus had brought up. It had been some time since they last saw each other, but the last vivid recollection Shirou had was of the time the Inuzuka recovered from an explosive situation...
Nodding to his clone, Shirou would leave Kotetsu and the questioning to him. Shirou himself would respond to Horus' invitation.
Investigating this Fox seems like a wise choice for the moment. Based on Kōtetsu's word, we should be able to navigate rather peacefully. The Nara contemplated how the rift will function. While he trusted what the Inuzuka was saying, there was a lot more to discover regarding the actual mechanics.
Shirou would head towards the rift entrance while his clone stood behind the Inuzuka and the man, awaiting their hushed convo to conclude before approaching them.
Horus moved towards the man with the white hair, close enough that only they would hear his words as he spoke of what he found in the other rift (Hiruko rift). With that he would enter the rift, hoping his two new team mates would follow suit.
The Nara listened carefully to the man's words, curios to know more about the situation in Irkalla. If the man's words were truthful, the situation seemed to be more dire than expected. The Nara had questions, one's that he himself would need to figure out.
Before he could respond to the mans question a set of people arrived, if you can call them all that. It was a mix of beasts and humans, a familiar face and some loud characters. It was quite convenient that the Inuzuka made an appearance, especially given the topic Horus had brought up. It had been some time since they last saw each other, but the last vivid recollection Shirou had was of the time the Inuzuka recovered from an explosive situation...
Nodding to his clone, Shirou would leave Kotetsu and the questioning to him. Shirou himself would respond to Horus' invitation.
Investigating this Fox seems like a wise choice for the moment. Based on Kōtetsu's word, we should be able to navigate rather peacefully. The Nara contemplated how the rift will function. While he trusted what the Inuzuka was saying, there was a lot more to discover regarding the actual mechanics.
Shirou would head towards the rift entrance while his clone stood behind the Inuzuka and the man, awaiting their hushed convo to conclude before approaching them.
With his chakra starting to replenish, Alucard kept his hands clapped together to finish the meditation. While he did, he listened to what Kōtetsu said to him. Indeed, the failure of actually ending the giant flying pickle right there in the Kaizoku sea had meant the destruction that the Tobusekai was now victimized of. The theory of simply having made it "angry" was not something that he agreed with. They clearly knocked it out and it fell straight into oblivion, the query was more aimed at if Kōtetsu knew anything of what happened straight after as they had went on separate ways after what they thought was a victory. But it wasn't really his business, all he knew was that the man infront of him had most likely grown stronger ever since. He did agree that it was somewhat their misjudgment that costed countless of lives for the time being. Perhaps they were destined to battle it again, but for now, it was time to get stronger.
You know, through these rifts we could perhaps reward ourselves with the power to take down that flying pickle once and for all. I am quite the man to hold grudges over my own mistakes and i can't look at what's happening over there with a clear conscious. How's about you come with me as a return of the favor i came with you?
As he kept his hands together still, he looked over at Lilith and and the fylgjur.
Those two though.. at this level, they're short of being an obstacle.
He continued gathering chakra for just a few more moment.
The Inuzuka’s strength had increased greatly since they last met, and now he had more than enough power to fight against the Bašmu on equal footing. Still, he hesitated briefly before giving his answer in regards to the man’s request. He’d already defeated the beast within the rift and his business here was done, but it was true that he owed Alucard. Two years ago, Kōtetsu had neither needed or wanted his help in the fight against the Beast of Rot, but the man had been dragged into his own affairs yet proved himself to be a useful ally. As a man who always repaid both kindness and vengeance in equal measure, it was obvious that he’d help Alucard to repay him for his own assistance in the past.
“Fine,” the Inuzuka agreed. “And like you said, it’d be best for Lilith and the Frylgjur to remain here.”
The approach of Shirou’s clone didn’t escape Kōtetsu's notice, and he turned his attention to it after addressing Alucard. The last time they’d met was during the raid of Irkalla, and they’d seen neither hide nor hair of each other since. “What?” he grumbled, already annoyed at the idea of being bombarded with more questions.
Horus moved towards the man with the white hair, close enough that only they would hear his words as he spoke of what he found in the other rift (Hiruko rift). With that he would enter the rift, hoping his two new team mates would follow suit.
After having contemplated on his options for how and when to approach the cosmic tear in reality, Zhongli was invited to join the preexisting team that had seemingly been formed right before they'd enter the rift. With only a momentary hesitation for consideration, Zhongli merely nodded before following the pair into the rift as well, eager for an opportunity to learn more of its mysteries.
Seeing that Horus had confided in them, Shirou would return the favour, offering up his gathering in his own rift. He would discretely share the information with the two as the entered to challenge the beast.
On the outside, the clone would make contact with a grumbling Kotetsu. Based on what Horus had mentioned, the clone would ask Kotetsu a simple question. Would you happen to know why the gates of Irkalla have been reopened?
The Inuzuka’s strength had increased greatly since they last met, and now he had more than enough power to fight against the Bašmu on equal footing. Still, he hesitated briefly before giving his answer in regards to the man’s request. He’d already defeated the beast within the rift and his business here was done, but it was true that he owed Alucard. Two years ago, Kōtetsu had neither needed or wanted his help in the fight against the Beast of Rot, but the man had been dragged into his own affairs yet proved himself to be a useful ally. As a man who always repaid both kindness and vengeance in equal measure, it was obvious that he’d help Alucard to repay him for his own assistance in the past. “Fine,” the Inuzuka agreed. “And like you said, it’d be best for Lilith and the Frylgjur to remain here.”
The approach of Shirou’s clone didn’t escape Kōtetsu's notice, and he turned his attention to it after addressing Alucard. The last time they’d met was during the raid of Irkalla, and they’d seen neither hide nor hair of each other since. “What?” he grumbled, already annoyed at the idea of being bombarded with more questions.
Alucard had capped his chakra count by now and stretched his fingers as he looked over the rifts entrance as Kōtetsu agreed to go in with him. He then briefly looked at his daughter.
As much as you love it, imma need you to lend me Darkiscie.
Lilith sighed, she wanted to go with him but as she already had learned from their previous rift, she wasnt just capable yet. These things were the real deal. She unsheathed the Yin sword and held it by its edge with its handle towards her father. With Kōtetsu also agreeing to leave her new friend, the frylgjur out there with her she addressed him and Alucard.
Be careful, we’ll look after eachother here in the meantime.
Alucard grabbed the sword and put it on his back, taking a step towards the rift before turning his head over to Kōtetsu. He then entered the rift.
Seeing that Horus had confided in them, Shirou would return the favour, offering up his gathering in his own rift. He would discretely share the information with the two as the entered to challenge the beast.
On the outside, the clone would make contact with a grumbling Kotetsu. Based on what Horus had mentioned, the clone would ask Kotetsu a simple question. Would you happen to know why the gates of Irkalla have been reopened?
Alucard had capped his chakra count by now and stretched his fingers as he looked over the rifts entrance as Kōtetsu agreed to go in with him. He then briefly looked at his daughter.
As much as you love it, imma need you to lend me Darkiscie.
Lilith sighed, she wanted to go with him but as she already had learned from their previous rift, she wasnt just capable yet. These things were the real deal. She unsheathed the Yin sword and held it by its edge with its handle towards her father. With Kōtetsu also agreeing to leave her new friend, the frylgjur out there with her she addressed him and Alucard.
Be careful, we’ll look after eachother here in the meantime.
Alucard grabbed the sword and put it on his back, taking a step towards the rift before turning his head over to Kōtetsu. He then entered the rift.
News of Ereshkigal’s plea had managed to reach even him whilst in seclusion in Annwyn, so there was no way Shirou wouldn’t have heard about it. The Inuzuka could still recall the last thing he saw as they fled the underworld years ago. Ereshkigal, alone, fighting against the Void’s encroachment. It seemed that after all this time she could no longer hold it back on her own, leading her to ask for assistance from the Champions of Humanity. It was a logical conclusion anyone could come to, but it seemed that he thought too highly of Shirou’s capacity for critical thought.
“It could be that Ereshkigal needs our help,” he grumbled. “Think about what you witnessed as we left, and what will happen if Irkalla falls to the void.” Leaving him with that to ponder, Kōtetsu turned from the clone and followed Alucard. He glanced in the direction of Lilith and his creation, and spoke to her telepathically.
‘Be good, Muninn,’ he instructed her as he stepped across the threshold and once again returned to that night all those years ago.
Alucard and Kotetsu had emerged victorious in their encounter and as a result he had been granted an ancient petrified piece of wood. This item would probably be of use in the future and thus he kept it secret and safe. He felt Lilith's aura in the far distance as soon as he stepped out of the rift.
Hmpf, what're you doing out there?
He mumled to himself. He hadn't yet decided what to do, but he waited for Kotetsu to step out of the rift as well. They had again made a pretty good team, perhaps he would be interested in another challenge right away. Since the undertaking in Irkalla had been completed on Alucard's part, he wasn't really in a situation where he had a clear goal at the moment.
Having defeated another rift, Horus leaves through the way he came in. He graciously thanks his partners for their assistant in overcoming the tyrannical beast before placing the two items in his pouch. He explains how he wishes to return to the fight in the underworld and assist the forces protecting the living.
"If you need me, you know where I'll be.... good luck!" He spoke kindly before leaving for the the underworld.
Returning from the rift, Shirou would deactivate his prior active techniques and observe the rift. Noticing it was still there, he would decide to test out a theory and enter it once again.
Establish a relation with the dominion of Solanaceae (Custom - B)
Alucard took the lead and landed in the fire nation, or rather specifically where he and Kotetsu had once entered a rift to defeat the nine tailed beast. He placed a wide smile on his face as he waltzed through the ambience of white starlight that filled the area. It was not the rift this time he had come here but instead to interact and investigate the dominion of Solanaceae or maybe even have an audience with Aurelia herself. Since his Hellsing Clan was no more, he’d need to find an allegiance somewhere else - and what better place to start than in the center of the earth. Lilith remembered the time she was her last.. it was here they got separated for more than a year after Alucard had entered the rift.
Why.. here?
She let her voice out as if they were stalking prey. Alucard waltzed through the terrain and onto the roads that would lead to the white tower, expecting some sort of interaction. He turned his head slightly as he continued onwards.
After a few days, Alucard had found the white city of Solanaceae. Unchecked on their presence, they had proceeded without any resistance or complications. Lilith was looking at the city in awe, as her father checked in at the closest tavern ready for a drink and listening to the latest gossip.
This post marks the start of a mission (and mission arc)
Story Elements:
Explore an abandoned site (2)
Part 1
Coming from Qindong, Leblanc had arrived with a goal in mind, a plan of how she wanted to create her image, a legacy of her name. As she was travelling, ti began to rain, a light sprinkling that turned into a moderate pour to form puddles along the roads. The streets of Chungsu shimmered under the cool rain of autumn, a soft light pooling across pavements and spilling into the bricked cracks of the lower city roads. Every alley was a vein that ran toward the Goddess’s Rotunda, yet between those veins the underworld pulsed quietly. Tonight, LeBlanc moved there like a shadow in the corners. Her cloak drew wet trails over the stairs as she decended into a service tunnel long abandoned by the architects. Water dripped in slow, patient notes, echoing off pillars eaten by moss and the black fungus of the old cellars. The tunnels had once stored the city’s wine and grain, now they served rats and ghosts. Somewhere ahead lay the chamber she had purchased from a bankrupt vintner, a foundation for something new, a palace of secrets hidden beneath the Goddess’s marble feet.
The walls trembled faintly when she pressed her palm against them. Chakra lines answered, faint blue light rippling through the stones, showing the old seals still half alive. Someone had warded the place before the Cataclysm, maybe to guard contraband, maybe to hide something wiser. She moved her hands onto the wall to insert her chakra and reached into the pattern to rip apart the script.
( Kekkai Kireme no Jutsu ) - Barrier Shatter Technique
Rank: B - S
Type: Supplementary
Range: Short - Mid
Chakra: 20 - 40
Damage: N/A
Description: The user will insert their chakra into a active barrier to then interfere with the source and cancel the barrier shattering its shell.
Note: Must make direct contact. Regular Fuuinjutsu users can dispel Barrier Techniques B-Rank and below. Uzumaki bios can dispel up to A-Rank. Advanced Sealing Specialists can dispel up to S rank Barriers.
The script flared, then melted away like frost. The smell of old dust and wet iron rushed out. Inside the chamber the air was heavier, a stagnant pool of time itself. Shelves lay toppled, barrels split, and shattered glass glittered like ice under her lantern. A dozen faded banners still clung to the wall, the sigil of the old vintner’s guild curling in decay. She walked among them slowly, tracing fingers along the wreckage, already imagining velvet curtains and black lacquer tables where spies would once sit to trade lies for ryo. A faint shuffle stirred the dust behind her. Two silhouettes lurked at the archway, street scavangers maybe, or worse. She turned her head slightly, the Sharingan blooming crimson.
Type: Supplementary
Rank: C - A Rank
Range: Short-Long
Chakra: 15 - 30 ( -5 per turn for 1T and 2T, 10 per turn to keep active for 3T )
Damage: N/A
Description:
One of the Three Great Dōjutsu (San Daidōjutsu), the Sharingan is the kekkei genkai of the Uchiha clan. Unlike the other Dōjutsu, not all members of the Uchiha Clan possess the Sharingan. This great Dōjutsu seems to awaken only on exceptional Uchiha members and only in times of great stress. Once awaken, the pupil turns red and a single tomoe (巴) seal appears around the center pupil. As the user masters and evolves their eyes, the tomoe (巴) seals increase, topping 3 per eye. The main ability of the Sharingan, like any other Dōjutsu, is to enable the user to see the flow of chakra. This ability is further improved as the Sharingan gives color to chakra, enabling the user to differentiate chakras from different people or from different sources. Although the user can see chakra through matter, he cannot see beyond dense matter or in long distances. Coupled with the ability to see chakra, Sharingan users gain acess to an incredible clarity of perception that enables them to read insanely fast movements or minor details, enabling them the ability to foresee in an easier way, traps, incoming attacks, etc. This clarity of perception is so great that a Sharingan user can sometimes start performing a counter to an attack that is still being performed, enabling the counter to be launched only a split a second after the attack. This clarity of perception leaves Sharingan users able to track high speed movement easily as well as to read through handseals. This last ability enables them to learn techniques much faster and sometimes copy them directly from the enemy, as long as the user has the necessary chakra affinities and requirements to perform it. Finally, the Sharingan is often linked to Genjutsu and mind-manipulating illusions, mostly because the user can, mostly through Eye Contact, directly and precisely use his chakra to manipulate the enemy's chakra flow. In return, the users clarity of perception gives him the ability to more easily decipher visual illusions cast upon him and see past them. The Sharingan has a great cost to the user though. The chakra consumption disables its use for long periods of time and, even when the user grows stronger, it's still hard to keep it active for long periods of time.
Note: The user, if he hasn't gained full mastery over his Sharingan, will need to spend a move to activate it, although as long as he has chakra and enough stamina he'll be able to keep it active until the end of the match. If the user is Sannin Rank or above and has gained his 3 Tomoe Sharingan and held it for one month, he becomes able to passively activate it, meaning he'll no longer spend a move of his 3 per turn.
Note: To avoid direct Eye Contact and be able to focus only on the body movement below the chin, the opponent needs to have mastered Taijutsu to possess the necessary skill
Note: C rank usage is for 1T Sharingan, B rank usage is reserved for 2T Sharingan. A Rank usage is reserved for 3T Sharingan.
Note: Predicting the nature of a technique or what it exactly is requires the user to either know the technique or that its a cannon technique.
Note: Danzo and Kakashi bios activate the Sharingan by removing the covers in their respective eyes and suffer a +10 chakra consumption per turn penalty
Note: The user is bound by the abilities and limits of the stage of sharingan he possesses, stated in the rules of the KG.
Rank: D
Type: Supplementary
Range: Short
Chakra Cost: 10
Damage Points: N/A
Description: The user performs two handseals causing it to appear as if a swirl of leaves surrounds the opponent. The swirl eventually falls away, and after a few seconds, the opponent sees the image of whatever they fear the most, shocking them and potentially causing them to faint.
The first man froze mid-step, pupils widening as the genjutsu bloomed like red silk across his mind. In his vision the cellar erupted into fire, barrels screaming like dying beasts. He dropped his knife, stumbled, and fell to his knees muttering prayers to Aureliana. The second fled before she could put another illusion onto him, his shouts fading up the stairs. LeBlanc sighed softly; sometimes fear was the cleanest weapon as she weaved seals with her hands. She crouched near the fainted scavanger, searching his pockets. A set of counterfeit permits, stamped with Haesu’s dock insignia, fell out. Even the rats of the city carried pieces of the larger web. She pocketed them carefully, proof that the coastal trade still flowed through hands willing to sin. She walked the room once more, forming seals and looking for clear clean spots, marking its corners with faint sparks of flame to dry the dampness.
( Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu ) - Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique
Type: Offensive
Rank: C
Range: Short
Chakra: 15
Damage: 30
Description: The user first performs six hand seals Rat → Tiger → Dog → Ox → Rabbit → Tiger and they create a volley of small fireballs, which are sent flying in an unpredictable manner assaulting the enemy. In addition, the flames are controlled one by one with chakra, so avoiding them all is extremely difficult. Shuriken can also be concealed within the flames, creating an unexpected secondary surprise attack. Like the flames, the shuriken can be controlled with chakra. For the most part, however, this technique is used as a distraction.
The petals of fire drifted from her fingers, tiny bursts that caught on cobwebs and burned with orange light. When they faded, warmth lingered. It would be enough until she could bring craftsmen down to rebuild. For now the room belonged to her. She placed one black rose on the cracked counter, a symbol and a promise both. Above, thunder rolled across the Rotunda. The rain thickened, pouring through gaps in the stones like tears. LeBlanc tilted her face upward, feeling each drop cool against her skin. A whisper ran through her thoughts, perhaps from memory, perhaps from something older than memory, beauty grows best in ruin. She smiled at that, a small crooked smile that even she did not fully trust.
By the time she climbed back to the surface, the city was wearing mist. Statues of angels loomed through the haze, their marble eyes reflecting the lantern light like watchful spirits. LeBlanc walked north toward the merchant quarter, her cloak heavy with rain and dust. Each step left was quickly washed away by rain, erasing any trace she had been there or where she was going. With the plan starting to take form, she looked to enact the next step.
Ruins of Chungsu. Arthur, Order of the Golden Amputation
How long had it been since any soul dared venture this far? Months? Years? The tally was lost in the fog of Arthur’s advancing age. Yet, he'd witnessed the trickle of arrival of fools, seekers, or just the lost emerge from the maw of the Great Rift that scarred the nearby landscape. Why the unending pilgrimage? Was this persistent intrusion another tedious act in the gods’ divine, self-serving play? He spat a curse onto the dust at the very thought of those arrogant, self-centered scum. He would give anything to see their pathetic pantheon erased, a goal he clung to, hoping beyond hope that his fierce daughter, Mara, could still achieve it.
His thoughts drifted, a silent prayer cast toward the fiery maiden herself. How fared she in her relentless crusade? Did the furnace of her will still burn with the singular purpose of their destruction? Was she safe? The familiar, inescapable tug of his fatherly instincts was a constant ache. For now, his purpose was simpler, less glorious: to watch, to inform, to wait. He was no warrior; his true value lay in his obscurity. No one looked twice at the hunched, gray-haired man, just another forgotten villager, a harmless old fool. He just needed to bide his time, to keep his gaze sharp, and find those few whose hearts were truly primed to join their silent, inevitable cause.
The land turned bleak the further Giyu went south. The lush countryside had first given way to a blackened and burnt forest, and then it gave way to low, flooded fields and the carcasses of trees blackened by fire. The river that had begun as a dark stream now widened again, but it was still slow and heavy. The faintt seals that had gflowed in the current before were now gone, their trail swallowed by the reflection of a ruined skyline ahead; Chungsu.
Broken pillars and fallen temples jutted from the earth like ribs from a buried giant. Stone and iron lay twisted together whre towers once rose to the sky. The air felt stale, and every smell stung to Giyu's nose. He walked along a half submerged road, his reflection fractured in the puddles. The silence of the ruins were deafening, broken only by the slow drip of water from the ruins and the currents of winds flowing through the ruins and the trees.
Giyu finally reached what looked to be the outskirts of the old city, where he found signs of habitants, faint or faded boot prints pressed into the mud, the remains of a campfire, smoldering against a collapsed wall. Giyu grabbed the smoldering embers feeling it and smelling the ash crumbling between his fingers, it was no more than perhaps a few hours ago since someone was here. Whoever was here did not come for scavening, but were living here, off the land.
Giyu rose to his feet as he followed theriver, he could hear movement in the distance. Hand on his sword, eyes tracking the movement through the fog and the scattered boot prints, he came through the area and the village that had formed, it seemed rather peaceful. He could see a multitude of figures going about their afternoon, as he stepped through the fog. He let his hand dropped from the hilt of his blade, as he looked around, where these survivors of the demons or whatever else happened here? Giyu wondered as he stood in the middle of the place seeing the habitants, he thought this was no way for anyone to live, clearly something terrible had happened to the people.
The land turned bleak the further Giyu went south. The lush countryside had first given way to a blackened and burnt forest, and then it gave way to low, flooded fields and the carcasses of trees blackened by fire. The river that had begun as a dark stream now widened again, but it was still slow and heavy. The faintt seals that had gflowed in the current before were now gone, their trail swallowed by the reflection of a ruined skyline ahead; Chungsu.
Broken pillars and fallen temples jutted from the earth like ribs from a buried giant. Stone and iron lay twisted together whre towers once rose to the sky. The air felt stale, and every smell stung to Giyu's nose. He walked along a half submerged road, his reflection fractured in the puddles. The silence of the ruins were deafening, broken only by the slow drip of water from the ruins and the currents of winds flowing through the ruins and the trees.
Giyu finally reached what looked to be the outskirts of the old city, where he found signs of habitants, faint or faded boot prints pressed into the mud, the remains of a campfire, smoldering against a collapsed wall. Giyu grabbed the smoldering embers feeling it and smelling the ash crumbling between his fingers, it was no more than perhaps a few hours ago since someone was here. Whoever was here did not come for scavening, but were living here, off the land.
Giyu rose to his feet as he followed theriver, he could hear movement in the distance. Hand on his sword, eyes tracking the movement through the fog and the scattered boot prints, he came through the area and the village that had formed, it seemed rather peaceful. He could see a multitude of figures going about their afternoon, as he stepped through the fog. He let his hand dropped from the hilt of his blade, as he looked around, where these survivors of the demons or whatever else happened here? Giyu wondered as he stood in the middle of the place seeing the habitants, he thought this was no way for anyone to live, clearly something terrible had happened to the people.
Ruins of Chungsu. Arthur, Order of the Golden Amputation
Well this was a new face. A young man in a traditional samurai like attire had arrived, though they seemed to be alone. Arthur watched as the young man searched the surrounding area. What could they be here for? Surely not to face what was in there by themselves? Maybe they were here for that divine thing that were spouting nonsense before
Arthur sat on his porch on what was left of his home, resting into his rocking chair. Lighting his pipe, he took a deep breathe before exhailing several rings of smoke. It was time to see what this stranger was after.
Ruins of Chungsu. Arthur, Order of the Golden Amputation
Well this was a new face. A young man in a traditional samurai like attire had arrived, though they seemed to be alone. Arthur watched as the young man searched the surrounding area. What could they be here for? Surely not to face what was in there by themselves? Maybe they were here for that divine thing that were spouting nonsense before
Arthur sat on his porch on what was left of his home, resting into his rocking chair. Lighting his pipe, he took a deep breathe before exhailing several rings of smoke. It was time to see what this stranger was after.
The ruins of this place stretches across the landscape like a graveyard, it's once grand towers laying crumbled and half buried in the dirt and overgrown with thick vines. Giyu walked through the makeshift town built from driftwood, and remnants of a fallen city. He saw several people here who lived off the land and seemed to manage to get by.
He walked and followed the current of the small river, an offshoot from the main one. Leading away from the main area of the living quarters, the pathways werre shallow, the stone beneath it marked by age and ash. Giyu walked until the sound of water thinned, until he reached what looked like the end of the small stream, a cracked basin of stone, circular and wide, fed by no source. In front of it stood a small wooden shrine, its tiny roof cracked open yet it still housed three small statues that Giyu identified as resembling deities. He could see that the small wooden beams had been warped by many years of rain, and the offering bowl below it still held wilted or withered lotus flowers. Someone had tended to it recently.
Giyu walked towards it with slow steps, the sole of his sandals scraping across the stone. The faint scent of incense still lingered, mingled with dust and rot. The figures carved into the shrine's stared at him with blank pitiless eyes. One hand rested on his sword as he gazed up at them.
"Divine protectors," he muttered. His voice was low, almost mocking in its rough voice. "Yet they watch while the rivers rot and the people drown."
He reached into thre bowl and lifted one of the decayed lotus offerings between his fingers. The petals crumbling at his touch, scattering into the water below. "Your worshippers pray for mercy, and you give them silence. Perhaps the demons learned cruelty from you."
He stood there for a while, the sound of trickling water echoing like breath through the hollow basin. Giyu picked up the three figurines staring at them before he threw them into the air and with one swift motion drew his blade, slicing the three statues in half, before sheathing it again.
"A shame I cannot see the death of the gods, even twice." Giyu says as he spits on the shrine. "I guess I will have to settle for demons." He finishes as he turns and walks back toward the makeshift village.
The ruins of this place stretches across the landscape like a graveyard, it's once grand towers laying crumbled and half buried in the dirt and overgrown with thick vines. Giyu walked through the makeshift town built from driftwood, and remnants of a fallen city. He saw several people here who lived off the land and seemed to manage to get by.
He walked and followed the current of the small river, an offshoot from the main one. Leading away from the main area of the living quarters, the pathways werre shallow, the stone beneath it marked by age and ash. Giyu walked until the sound of water thinned, until he reached what looked like the end of the small stream, a cracked basin of stone, circular and wide, fed by no source. In front of it stood a small wooden shrine, its tiny roof cracked open yet it still housed three small statues that Giyu identified as resembling deities. He could see that the small wooden beams had been warped by many years of rain, and the offering bowl below it still held wilted or withered lotus flowers. Someone had tended to it recently.
Giyu walked towards it with slow steps, the sole of his sandals scraping across the stone. The faint scent of incense still lingered, mingled with dust and rot. The figures carved into the shrine's stared at him with blank pitiless eyes. One hand rested on his sword as he gazed up at them.
"Divine protectors," he muttered. His voice was low, almost mocking in its rough voice. "Yet they watch while the rivers rot and the people drown."
He reached into thre bowl and lifted one of the decayed lotus offerings between his fingers. The petals crumbling at his touch, scattering into the water below. "Your worshippers pray for mercy, and you give them silence. Perhaps the demons learned cruelty from you."
He stood there for a while, the sound of trickling water echoing like breath through the hollow basin. Giyu picked up the three figurines staring at them before he threw them into the air and with one swift motion drew his blade, slicing the three statues in half, before sheathing it again.
"A shame I cannot see the death of the gods, even twice." Giyu says as he spits on the shrine. "I guess I will have to settle for demons." He finishes as he turns and walks back toward the makeshift village.
Ruins of Chungsu. Arthur, Order of the Golden Amputation
“What a unique individual,” Arthur thought to himself, the smoke from his pipe curling up to meet the bruised afternoon sky. He’d been watching the young man since the stranger’s arrival. The air here was thick with the scent of ash and a lingering fear. His attire alone was a call for attention. At first, Arthur remained sat on his porch, a fixture of the old wood, rocking lazily on his chair. He puffed on his pipe, drawing in the dry, familiar comfort of tobacco, his gaze fixed on the young man. Clearly, this young man had a bone to pick with the Divine.
But then again, Arthur mused, you couldn't trust anyone in these times. Trust was a luxury only the dead could afford. Every strange face, every misplaced word, every shadow could be a signpost to betrayal. The whispers about Mara and her Order had grown louder in recent weeks, spreading through the remote towns like a slow burning fire of rebellion.
Arthur's heart beat strong like a drum. What if this was one of the demons in disguise, a piece of deliberate, attractive bait, meant to draw Mara or one of her lieutenants out of their careful hiding? A careless word now could unravel years of meticulous silence and sacrifice. He settled the pipe between his teeth, the wood warm against his lips. Instead of giving anything away, he’d test the young man. He let the chair rock to a stop with a gentle thud and slowly lowered his gaze to the young man who was now standing by the old well.
"What's a young lad like you got to do with those divine creatures?" Arthur’s voice emerged with a tone of a tired old man who’d seen too much. He didn't raise the pitch, didn't let the question hang with accusation. "Don't wanna go throwing your life away now do you, boy?" He spoke easily, a soft warning masked as a gentle observation.
