Previous post.This post marks the beginning of my mission using these storyboard elements:
- Survive a Near-Death Situation. (5).
Musashi, on her way back to the Beachhead, came across yet another area of the Cedar Forest that was in the asphyxiating grasp of these crawling, ashen tendrils. The area, like several others she had been to thus far, was twisted and foreboding. The aura of the area twisted and writhed as if distorted and in pain, pushed and pulled in unnatural ways. Even the sound of Musashi's own footsteps, as she traversed the forest, seemed to be transmitting strangely, as it sounded like her footfalls came from overhead.
Normally she would dismiss it as an echo, but that was clearly not the case, as it was not following the original sound, but rather happening before it...as if her own foot falls were the echos. Even more disturbing was the fact that Musashi could sense another soul in this land with her.
Normally, this would be a cause for celebration - another individual, scoping out these newly discovered lands! A person to meet with, discuss discoveries, and rekindle one's adventuring spirit, and perhaps to help bolster each other. Or, like with Mirabelle as Musashi originally encountered her earlier, an individual in need of assistance, for which Musashi could try and swoop in and play hero, and be showered with praise.
...but that was not the case here. It wasn't quite something she could pin down, but whatever this soul was...was either an Oni, or something very much like one. Musashi's spirit was honed to the hilt, and she was on high alert. Myōjingiri was already drawn in her hand, as she skulked through the underbrush as best she could.
Even before when she had encountered the two previous Oni, they hadn't instilled this level of anxiousness in Musashi. It was as if her body was telling her to turn and run the other way, but she had to press on. She doubted anyone else knew yet of the Oni, and she would feel responsible if another met their end at its hand if she hadn't tried to do
something to stop it.
But the strange nature of the forest was making it difficult to conceal her presence as well as she had wished, as well as pin down exactly where the Oni was, even using her ability to sense souls. The strange distortion in this place was interfering with it, and anything beyond what was directly in front of her seemed suspect to accuracy.
Eventually, she came into a clearing, or what could best be described as such when one considered the relative density of the rest of the Cedar Forest in the area, containing a single larger tree, though it appeared stark white due to the thick amount of vines that coiled around it, doing...whatever it was that these strange plants that invaded this land were want to do.
Musashi steeled herself, as the distance between her and the Oni appeared to be shrinking...but what she saw in the opening ahead was not an Oni. It was a man.
Older, and wearing traveling garb, with his hood down, he stood before the great tree, and writing in a bound book of sorts, as if he was surveying the area.
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He seemed unsurprised at Musashi's presence - perhaps the nature of the forest made it so that he could have heard her approach for some time now? He was tall, standing head and shoulders over Musashi, and even his form radiated a composed power of sorts. At his hip was a large sword.
He seemed to finish what he was writing in the tome, before storing it in a pouch of sorts. Musashi was going to sheathe Myōjingiri, so as not to alarm the individual, though she could not shake the feeling that something was amiss. Musashi would have, at any other time, assumed the Oni was in hiding and warned the man.
But there was no other soul to be sensed.
Which could only mean that this man was an Oni? Or, perhaps, something with the same type of reading? She dared not be too hasty, with her limited knowledge of the Oni. It was entirely possible that this man had been "afflicted" as it were, and withstood whatever corruption lead to the creation of those creatures.
"Tis a fine blade you wield," commend the man, as he turned. His voice carried well and clear across the distance, even with the strange nature of the forest. It was deep, and brimming with power. "Many a year has it been since mine eyes have laid upon such a quality piece of craftsmanship."
His eyes glowed with a golden aura, and despite his apparent age, Musashi could feel a lifetime of honed combat prowess from him.
"Indeed!" replied Musashi, as she gently tapped the hilt of Myōjingiri, "it was made by me by a master smith across the ocean. He claimed that the sword would be capable of slaying a god...though, I've heard that claim plenty enough," she added at the end. She was not aiming to besmirch the immaculate craftsmanship that Marzan had produced, but rather to protect the blacksmith from further difficulty, if for some reason the Oni came looking.
"I see. Let us hope such a claim never needst be tested. Tales on the wind beget the approach of fell gods and their wrath upon the land, though tales of champions who rose to meet their strength have also met my ears. Tis good to see that humanity still has strength yet to muster," the man said, turning to look at Musashi.
The turn of phrase seemed odd to Musashi, but she considered the strange group of individuals she had encountered thus far. Emiya, Marzan, Mirabelle. It seemed there was a greater conflict afoot, and Musashi simply wasn't privy to its details. Her wonderings were cut short, though, as the man resumed speaking.
"Inform me, traveling swordswoman. Have you met creatures from beyond the pall? Gods or Demons that sing of the fountainhead, with supernatural abilities?"
The man's speaking mannerisms took Musashi a moment to decipher, but when she realized what he was talking about, her guard dropped ever so slightly. Was this man a hunter of Oni? Perhaps the reason she sensed a similarity to them in him as proximity?
"Indeed. I've defeated two thus far," explained Musashi, as she recalled her encounters with the Oni. "They were both rather...unique individuals. One was like a mole and spoke in prose, and the other a multi-armed abomination who seemed to also have a unique mannerism to his speech. The first was in the Iron Penninsula, deep in the mines, and the other was trapped upon a Mountaintop in Tobusekai."
"I see. That is a vast distance between those two. "Oni" you called them? A fitting designation, indeed. How did you lay them to rest? From my encounters, their regeneration is remarkable, and to strike them down through it must mean you possess incredible skill."
"Ehehe," laughed Musashi at first, as she thought back on the encounters. "It was a bit of luck at first, to be honest. The Samurai in the realm introduced me to Senkenjutsu - The Alone Way. It appears that the use of Natural Energy inside the Kenjutsu form produces a potent petrification effect - one more powerful than their regenerative abilities. It can help close the gap between what appears to be the difference in physicality of a regular person and an Oni, as well," she explained.
The man seemed contemplative for a short bit, but ultimately unsurprised. With the massive sword on his hip, perhaps he already knew of Dokkodo.
"Ah, so they were foolhardy and left themselves open to their weaknesses. Tis no surprised they would find themselves at the end of such a fearsome skill. I doubt knowledge of the natural blade is widespread enough to yet be a concern. I suppose you would be good a good test bed for if I should orchestrate this knowledge lost," he said, slowly unsheathing his massive blade.
Musashi's battle instinct flared to life, as she activated
( Fudōchi Shinmyōroku ) – The Unfettered Mind. Such a thing probably saved her life as suddenly the man was gone in a flash, bearing down on Musashi as he unleashed a powerful blow with his sword, which her enhanced speed only just allowed her to dodge.
"You're an Oni!?" came Musashi's response, both a question and a realization. His strange form aside, the ability to shapeshift - even a common ability amongst Shinobi - had escaped her mind for consideration. She cursed herself for letting her guard down, as she wielded two of her other blades in hand, having reflexively went for the swords she was accustomed to over Myōjingiri.
"Faster than anticipated," said the man, reaching up and lowering his hood. In his right eye was a designation of sorts, almost as if branded there.
UPPER ONE
Musashi was not sure of the significance, but the anxiousness welling up within her was telling her she did not want to find out. Even as Musashi evaded his strike, she had observed it: he watched her every movement. He chose not to redirect his blow to strike Musashi out of a sort of idle curiosity at best. Most likely...he did not consider Musashi even close to a threat.
She eyed the ground where his blade had struck, and the crater that had been rent. It was an odd sensation, watching the visuals of his blade be in one place, the sound in another, and the presence of his soul seemingly yet in another, all while appearing human, yet possibly being Oni.
She gripped her blades tightly - unsure of the difference in strength.
"Come, you seem to hold a bold ambition in your breast. Show me thine strength. The strength of one capable of felling not one, but two...'Oni'."
Musashi's blade became cloaked in the mystical force of
( Dokkōdō: Kakusu Shinjitsu ) - The Alone Way: Hidden Truths, the ability of one of her blade allowing her to augment the technique in such a way that it benefited from Unfettered Mind, increasing its cutting force substantially. Rushing forward, she swung the natural energy infused blade at the man. While a demonstration of Dokkodo was no doubt what he was after, its forces were the only surefire way that she knew of how to handle an Oni. She would have to indulge him.
She rushed forward, swinging her cloaked blade from left to right across the man’s torso, but watched as he effortlessly evaded her attack despite his larger frame. She followed with a counter-thrust from her off-hand blade, but a mere twist of the man’s wrist deflected it.
The difference in speed and strength between them - even with her enhanced state active - was astounding. Planting her foot, she brought both blades downward simultaneously in a two pronged attack, using
(Kenjutsu: Ichimonji) - Sword Technique: Straight-line.
The man seemed to vanish from sight, his tremendous speed being far above what Musashi was capable of tracking, with her blades coming down once more into empty space. He struck her in the back with the pommel of his massive blade (
(Suiryoku) - Thrust) and Musashi was momentarily stunned by the force of the blow.
She turned to swing her blades, attempting catch him with a scissor like cross-slash…and watched as with a single downward motion, he shattered her blades (
(Gaishu Isshoku) - Armour Sleeved Single Hit), breaking both of her masterwork swords like twigs at their midpoints.
It was astonishing; the man danced around Musashi like she was a complete novice; and his overwhelming force made it appear like she was trying to cut through a mountain with a toothpick. Her mind raced, as she tried to weigh her options. This Oni was obviously far beyond her capabilities. Whatever "Upper One" was, it was mighty. And though she felt she had to make an effort to defeat the Oni here, perishing would accomplish nothing.
Escape might be the only option available to her, but how would she do so with such a clear difference in strength and speed? If there was not such a massive physical discrepancy, maybe she could out skill him, but with such a dramatic difference, that was impossible.
She would have to make an opening. Gritting her teeth, Musashi sheathed what remained of her blades, and drew Myōjingiri, holding the blade in her grip tightly. The man swung his blade once more, likely aiming to shatter this blade too, but would find no such thing was possible as Myōjingiri was nigh-indestructible. When Musashi's blade held, and his blade was stopped in its track, the man's face hardened in focus ever so slightly.
She would slide her blade off the man's own, and try and strike low, at his knee, but like earlier he was simply too fast. His massive sword was twirled about and reoriented, and he intercepted Myōjingiri. This dance would go on for a few more blows, before Musashi realized that it was a fruitless endeavor.
Needing even more force, it seemed, she would sheath her blade, and then redraw it, all in a blindingly fast motion. In doing so, she would invoke her ultimate technique, a powerful warrior spirit that filled the space; a Niō (
( Fudōchi Shinmyōroku: Taiaki ) – The Unfettered Mind: Annals of the Sword Taia ).
Musashi saw the smallest display of surprise from the man, despite his stoic countenance. "Come forth, my roaring blade!" cried out Musashi, as the warrior spirit of Taia swung forth with tremendous might; its blade would cleave a tremendous portion of the forest, clearing way a tremendous path.
"Oh, a passing measure of strength thou doth possess," came the voice of the man, in the clearing; she could see the wounds on his body rapidly regenerating. She doubted that the attack had caught him off guard - he took it head on to measure its might. "Let me display the vast difference between a lowly one like yourself, though, and one who looks upon the divine."
(Anutu: Ode ni Chūmon) - Divinity: Ode to Order
A golden wave washed through the clearing; it's speed was immense, beyond what Musashi could track, and washed over Musashi as well. But she did not feel anything, as there was no damage inflicted upon.
But then, the sudden recoil, as she felt her might wrought from her, as her Unfettered Mind ended, and Taia vanished...only to reappear around the man, cast in a golden hue; as if the man had stolen her guardian spirit from her. "A fine bit of might though doth wield. My respect you have earned, but it this is all humanity has to offer then it seems my worry was misplaced. Begone; normally I would extend our lord's blessing to you for respect for your skill, for your strength befits my lord, but your knowledge must perish here."
Musashi, drained as she was, prepared for the attack, letting out a flash bomb (
( Kemuri Senkōdama ) - Smoke-Flash Bombs ) that blinded the man momentarily, as she dropped down. The blinding flash seemed to be enough, as the blade of Taia swung high, overhead, and demolished another large portion of the forest.
Even more, though, fortune appeared to be on her side, though perhaps it only appeared that way to the swordswoman, for the truth was far more dire.
A massive earthquake suddenly shook the area, with enough force that the air itself seemed to even become unstable in this already confounding area; even "Upper One" seemed taken by surprise, perhaps by the natural phenomenon and Musashi's employment of the technological tool, as Musashi felt a massive airburst as the Taia swung again, but this time wildly into the air above.
Taking advantage of the chaos, she would leap away; the confounding nature of the area masking her retreat as the roar of the forest overshadowed any noise she could make, as trees fell in swaths and the ground churned with unimaginable strength; boulders brought to the surface and soil loosed like water, not to mention the extra devastation wrought as the man used Taia to strike Musashi, now unable to get a clear grasp of where the woman had gone.
Musashi ran as fast as she could, not really caring for the direction. She had explored enough of the Outer Lands that she could reorient herself fairly easily, she thought, once she was safe.
Outmatched, drained, and saved by divine intervention, Musashi treated, her heart pounding in her chest and sense of foreboding starting to set in....
Leaving Landmark for Stranglevine Woods (269).