Unlike the rest of the champions, Merlin was sprawled out on the floor, unconscious at the time of his summoning back into the world of the living. Whether it was fatigue or stress, none could deny it was a comical sight. The incubus slowly roused from his inert state, rising to his feet and rubbing his temple. He looked around him, seeing the other shinobi assembled, alive and well, and sighed in relief. The ordeal was finally over. But his moment of silent celebration was cut short by a throbbing sensation from his abdomen, to which he looked down at his stomach in mild confusion. It was not painful, but strong enough to draw his attention. Patting himself down, he then searched inside the pockets and folds of his robe to find the obsidian core he had been holding, only to find nothing. The possibility that he had lost it, or someone had taken it, was more concerning to the incubus than the bizarre pulsation in his body. A matter that warranted investigation. As such, Merlin chose to make a speedy exit, bidding farewell to the champions with haste.
"Well, all's well that ends well! Good job everyone. Perhaps we shall all meet again one day."
Having said his goodbyes, Merlin moulds his chakra and creates a pillar of wood beneath his feet that rises into the air, taking him from the bottom of the decrepit cavern to its entrance. Stepping down onto the stone walkway, he would traverse the mountain's numerous passageways until he finally emerged from its dark depths. The sunlight washed over his skin and its warmth permeated his body, provoking a shiver from the incubus. Taking a moment to savour his long-awaited freedom, he turned right down the mountainous path, heading west.
Emerging form the portal Hei lands on his feet, if only for a moment. Falling over to his knees and catching himself with hands just before hitting the ground. His gazes watching a trail of ants as they marched on. Small creatures, just going about their routine under the purest form of survival. Thinking back to the events that have transpired what was the meaning of it all? He has now experienced death twice, albeit alternative versions of death, twisted in a shattering reality. The entire process was difficult to comprehend. Is humanity.. no mortality just ants in the grand scheme of things? Even himself, having gained longevity and Six Paths Senjutsu. Witnessing the world unfold over centuries. Having traveled through space and time to seek out new beginnings.. was it all, pointless? In all his endeavors that he has endured, nothing has ever came close to what he had just experienced.... The powers of divinity.. He couldn't help but feel insignificant as he looked up at those who control it's power. Standing back to his feet he remained silent, the image of the void spiraling beneath the cavern. It felt different. It's power also felt beyond comprehension yet it brought him comfort; though he couldn't understand why. Perhaps it was the balance between what his understanding of Divinity and the Void are. Perhaps it was something else. Taking in a deep breath, the fresh air flowing into his lungs. Feeling the wing against his skin as it caused his hair to flow gently. It brought a relaxing sensation that calmed his nerves, allowing him to collected his scattered thoughts. Although the raid was over, he still had a mission to complete. Hei began walking to the others. Not the champions, some of whom had already began leaving. No, he walked toward the ones who saved them.
"Thank you, for everything." he'd say, giving his gratitude for saving the champions. "Would one of you happen to be Malthus?" he asks politely, before adding. "The disciple of the Twin Fates that defected?" speaking as if to indicate that he had some prior knowledge of him, but didn't know what he looked like.
The Champions returned from the Underworld victorious. Solomon's gamble proving successful. As the champions emerge and begin to depart, Solomon finds himself frozen in time yet again after exiting the portal. Face to face with Anu once more, Anu stands with arms open.
"Solomon, my dear Mage King. You have finally begun to act as the Gods wanted long ago." Anu raises his right arm out towards Solomon while speaking to him. "In the face of difficulty and unmitigated power, you did what was needed from you and though Irkalla is in danger, the world is safe and Enkidu proves to be a capable God himself."
Anu paused, walking towards Solomon as he lowers his arm. His expression hardened immensely, a seriousness to his tone to match. "There is much to celebrate from this victory, but you heard what he said. Abzu has awaken. Tiamat was already trouble for this realm, now the Primordial Father? I fear we may be too late, Solomon.
However. Perhaps you were right. Perhaps these... Champions can actually help save the world. With Phetra defeated, Imeroth is already planning his next assault. Abzu's voice has frightened him, fast forwarding his plans. Though I can see a general skeleton of the timeline, the exact details and events remain unclear. What is certain is for the time being, the Mainland is safe. You cannot wander back into idleness, Mage King. The time to fight is upon us." Waving his hand in front of Solomon, Anu causes the Mage King's place in time to rapidly rewind, taking his body back to the moment before Solomon sent him off. With Solomon's body now having it's former abilities reapplied, Anu manipulated the timeline and utilized his abilities to augment Solomon with Anutu, showing itself as a manifestation within his eyes. The newly purple and blue eyes matching Anu's own shone bright as Anu spoke to the Mage King.
( Anutu: Esalgia's ) - Divinity: Esagila's Wisdom
Type: Supplementary
Rank: Forbidden
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Anu uses his mastery over time and space to rewind someone's temporal placement. This means he is capable of moving forward or backwards in time to circumvent events applied to the target. This allows him to erase one's death or conditions placed on them as well as advance their temporal placement in time to forcibly age and effect the target. With this ability, Anu is capable of traversing the timeline as he sees fit, returning to or advancing to any point and altering beings how he wishes.
Type: Supplementary
Rank: Forbidden
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Anu's Authority over Time and Space allows him a greater control than Igigi and even other Celestials. This control lets him manipulate being and exist outside of the timeline, allowing him to effectively remove people from their own deaths and replace them where he sees fit in the timeline. This causes it to be likened to time travel although Anu is actively manipulating the timeline when using this skill.
"I returned you to before you entered Irkalla, your body and skills at the same point they once wore. However," Anu started, raising his left hand to Solomon's forehead "That is not all. Your ability to use the Dead Bone Pulse has been lost, unfortunately. In exchange, the very power I gave you continues to course through your blood, empowering your being still. While the cyan blue glow has left you, the powers have not and now... those eyes you have are unique, Solomon. The abilities they carry with them will be a source of great pain and power. Keep them safe. We will be in touch when the time comes."
Departing, Anu's spirit fades into a golden smoke as time around the Mage King resumes, as if he was never frozen. Solomon and Enkidu stand amongst the remaining champions, the purple tinted eyes of Solomon shining bright.[/Spoiler]
(Dōjutsu: Satorigan) – Eye Technique: Eyes of Revelation
Type: Supplementary
Rank: S
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A (-10 per turn)
Damage: N/A
Description: The Satorigan, or the Eyes of Revelation (の目啓発) is a Dōjutsu unique to Solomon, awakened after being exposed to Anutu. The outer iris of the Satorigan is hued in purple, while moving deeper inward focuses into a deep blue. The Dōjutsu is a direct evolution to the Tenseigan, once thought to be the final form of the Byakugan. Like other Dōjutsu, the Satorigan has the ability to perceive chakra and the chakra flow of individuals. Solomon’s ability to perceive and track other targets is increased by six times while the Satorigan is active. Among its primary benefits is the utility of a near 360º diameter field of vision, with the only exception being above the first thoracic vertebra; its telescopic sight affords the user the ability to see up to three adjacent landmarks away; the Satorigan also grants Solomon visual immunity to Genjutsu. In exchange for control over Gravity through the Tenseigan, activation of the Satorigan affords Solomon access to a series of techniques collectively known as the Lemegeton, or the Greater Key of Solomon.
The Dōjutsu is intrinsically connected to a separate reality outside of the axis of time known as Ars Paulina, a throne world created through a combination of Solomon’s authority with Anutu and Yin-Yang. It is there that his Seventy-Two Demon Gods of the Ars Goetia reside, powered by a mystical energy derived from Anutu called Sephiraton, the Flame of Enlightenment. The Satorigan can perceive interdimensional entities, allowing Solomon to visually see these Demon Gods, while those with Anutu or the Atavistic Fire are able to sense their presence. The Flame of Enlightenment is a powerful demonic energy controlled by the Satorigan and the demons that reside in Ars Paulina. It is neutral to all elements and non-elemental interactions, inflicting its damage through unique curses, afflictions, or blessings, while it manifests usually on focal point. The supplementary effects of Sephiraton can be interchanged at its user’s discretion. Visually Sephiraton appears as a dark violet and blue flame, matching the color scheme of the Satorigan.
Note: If Solomon is in Tenseigan Chakra Mode when the Satorigan is activated the mode is forcefully deactivated.
Note: Activated passively but remains active indefinitely afterwards if the user chooses to. The user is able to change between their Dōjutsu without spending a move.
This post marks the beginning of my mission using these storyboard elements:
- Uncover the truth (3)
Summary: Kōtetsu meets Marzan in order to uncover the truth.
Kōtetsu, surrounded by his three ninken who had dragged him through the golden portal, groggily rose to his feet. The agony he'd felt just moments ago as his body was ripped apart by Phetra was still fresh in his mind. He'd been brought back to life, but something inside of him felt broken, and he instinctively knew he would never be the same. Quickly checking over Sif, Sirris, and Solair to make sure they were alright, he noticed that the core was missing from the color around Sirris' neck. Unsure if it had been left in the underworld or if another had taken it, he decided to deal with that at another time.
He took a moment to familiarize himself with his surroundings. They were back in the Threshold, where they had set out from months ago. Merlin, Lucifer, and Panthalassa had already left, leaving only six of the original group remaining. The know as Soloman appeared different from how he was when he had come to the group's aide. The blue glow that terminated from his skin was gone, and the color of his eyes had changed from their blue-white color to purplish-blue. The Inuzuka looked away from him and turned his attention to Enkidu, the one who disposed of Phetra and brought them all back to life. Near him was Marzan, creator of the God-Slaying Tools, and the man needed to meet. He could immediately identify him not just by his hazel eyes and dark skin, but by the intense gaze he held that betrayed his age.
As someone blessed with immortality, Marzan was one of the few that could remember the information Kōtetsu sought. Freeing him was one of the reasons for joining the others in the underworld, and he'd died twice for that purpose. "Marzan," he called as he moved towards him, ignoring the sudden pain that pulsated from the back of his left hand. He attempted to direct the man out of earshot of the others before posing his question. "I need to know the truth. I need to know about the first Children of Tiamat," he said, holding the man's gaze.
The battle was over finally. Naruto stretched his arms towards the sky and placed them behind his head with a wide smile. He was thrilled that despite the enormous adversity the Champions faced, they had triumphed over the challenges that were placed before them and ultimately came out victorious.
What was now over the horizon for them? Only time would tell but as the champions all individually took their leave going in varying directions. Naruto walked over towards Hei, and held his fist out towards one of his old friend gesturing for a fist bump. They had made it out alive and now it was time to return home.
"Yo! Hei, you wanna travel outta here together? Hehehe"
The battle was over finally. Naruto stretched his arms towards the sky and placed them behind his head with a wide smile. He was thrilled that despite the enormous adversity the Champions faced, they had triumphed over the challenges that were placed before them and ultimately came out victorious.
What was now over the horizon for them? Only time would tell but as the champions all individually took their leave going in varying directions. Naruto walked over towards Hei, and held his fist out towards one of his old friend gesturing for a fist bump. They had made it out alive and now it was time to return home.
"Yo! Hei, you wanna travel outta here together? Hehehe"
Hei turns to face his old friend, smiling as he rises his hand out and bumps his fist. No words were spoken but in that moment of contact the information was relayed. He still had a mission to complete and it might still take some time. I would be clear to Naruto that Hei had changed, but in the end things were going to be alright. The fist bump acting as a send off to Naruto, as if to convey he can go on without him, and that he'd catch up shortly. Then, using his Rinnegan, Hei will activate a portal to back to the land of lightning, the Clans' HQ (Dainashi 175), for Naruto, and any other of their clan members to enter if they so wish.
( Yomotsu Hirasaka ) - Underworld Slope Hill
Type: Supplementary
Rank: S
Range: Short - Long
Chakra: 40
Damage: N/A
Description: The user is able to open rifts within the fabric of space which allows them to instantaneously transport themselves anywhere. When used, the user's eyes glow red. The openings can also be used to connect two different spatial locations within the same dimension or create a pathway that links two dimensions together. Similar to Kamui, Yomotsu Hirasaka allows the user to utilize these spatial tears to retreat, perform ambush attacks, and many other possible tactics. Unlike Kaguya's version, the user can only travel fully through these portals, unable to partially emerge through them. The user can also utilize this method to drag their opponents to another location with them.
Note: This can only be used 5 times an event, once every 4 turns. The user can only travel to locations he has already traveled to, unable to use this to go to places he has never been.
Note: Can only be used by Urashiki Otsutsuki bios.
Then, turning back to the group he was just addressing, he simply nods to show respect and apologize for the interruption.
Emiya did not immediately begin making conversation upon returning to the land of the living. Instead he simply sat and soaked in the final moments within Irkalla. He knew Phetra's attack hit it's mark in the center of Hei's chest, that it spread out from him like a malevolent lightning chain, that the remaining Champions fell swiftly like dominoes immediately after. Emiya was soon to follow his ally's death, a searing heat from the darkened lightning bolt impacting his chest, followed swiftly by a crushing cold sensation that overtook his being. It was a feeling that he had become quite accustomed to in the depths of that hell. The cold embrace of death. And yet, as the entire afterlife system had been thrown into disarray, falling to Chaos itself, as life had been given to the very embodiment of the concept of death, there was nothing that followed. No torment at the hands of a Judge, no burning hell within the plains of suffering, nothing to indicate he had actually died, only the muted, tinnitus-drowned muffled speech coming from Ereshkigal and Phetra as they stood defiant against one another. Emiya couldn't really make out what they were saying, and it probably wouldn't matter either. They had failed. Emiya had watched as all his friends and allies fell, and the only one left standing was using everything in their power to hold back the chaotic tides from beneath Ganzir. Hope was dwindling by the second, but not extinguished entirely. Even as a dark ominous presence was forcing it's way to the surface, declaring it's slumber over, and stating it's numerous titles and name, Emiya held out for a miracle. He had fallen so many times, and rose each time even more determined to succeed, but he was not the Hero of this climactic battle. A shimmering golden portal tore it's way through the sea of chaos, and stepping forth into the sheer insanity and uncertainty of Irkalla in that very moment were Enkidu and Solomon, the former matured to the point that Emiya needed a moment to recognize him, and certainly couldn't call him a child any more, and the latter radiating a blue glow that somehow seemed foreign even to himself.
Despite being rendered all but useless, Emiya still watched as Enkidu fought the fully-empowered Phetra overhead, her unbridled wrath only matched by her unburdened strength as the taxing task of keeping her stolen Divinity in check, while Enkidu simply fought with a strength that eclipsed that of the Usurper of Irkalla's altogether by virtue of it's source. As he did, Solomon staged a rescue all his own, saving both Emiya's target and another unknown figure and successfully stealing the limelight from the Champions. As reality grew more unstable by the second, Solomon, Enkidu and Ereshkigal fought against the very concept of primordial chaos to ensure their certain tapestry of reality was the victor, and in the end they succeeded, Phetra's body seemingly disappearing into the Void below. As Solomon exchanged some seemingly meaningful words with Enkidu, the latter released an energy that revived the Champions, and allowed their expeditious exit from Irkalla, save one, Ereshkigal who remained behind to try and stem the tide of Chaos from engulfing all of reality. Despite being locked away for millennia in a state one could hardly call "life", to have such strength, Emiya was in awe of Ereshkigal's strength and conviction, and only looked away from her graceful final stand to admire her spear as it radiated the authority of Irkalla itself, even now granting the Champions with the Blessings of Kur. He couldn't help but wish he had more time to get to know both her, and her weapon more, but sadly it was not meant to be. A brief glance as everyone evacuated through the portal was all time could afford him.
In an instant the Champions found themselves back in the Threshold, the entrance to Irkalla sealed shut. Some remained, most likely to do the same as Emiya, reflect on what they just went through, or to start revealing their true motives for entering Irkalla. As Kotetsu seemingly had business with Marzan, Emiya simply picked a rock, and collapsed against it, not from any form of fatigue or exhaustion, but from the sheer magnitude of everything he had just witnessed, and become privy to. There was also the matter of his ever shifting, and rapidly destabilizing mental state he had to consider. Seeing as he had all the time in the world to reflect, but could lose himself to one of a number of Alter Ego's at any moment he decided that was the more pressing matter. Some of the thoughts he had whilst in Irkalla were weird to say the least, while others were downright counter to everything he believed in. During the Twin fates encounter the thought of harming his allies and friends crossing "his" mind was a chilling experience to say the least. It was clear Emiya had been harboring multiple personalities for a while now, his time spent as Muramasa being the most prime example, and yet to think that a part of himself could be capable of such thoughts warranted investigation. The only way he could think to directly confront these aspects of himself was through a meditative technique used for mental image training he learned by chance from a strange woman he met in his travels. Taking a more composed posture, Emiya gathered Chakra and released it throughout his body, expelling it in the form of a steam shroud faintly evaporating from his body. To anyone present it would simply appear like he was taking the time to decompress, but in his mind Emiya was hard at work getting to the bottom of these seemingly contradictory voices.
(Genjutsu: Hyun Hwan Shim Yun Gon) Illusary Art: Outer Body Training Method Type: Defensive/ Supplementary Rank: B-Rank - S-Rank Range: Self Chakra: 20 - 40 Damage: N/A Description: Created by a secretive group within the World of Murim known as the "Artists Society", the Outer Body Training Method is a Genjutsu that allows one to train and practice martial arts in an almost meditative trance placed upon themselves. The Genjutsu comes in several Ranks, with each one adding more strength to the Genjutsu. The user starts by gathering an amount of Chakra equivalent to the usage they'd like to perform, and releases it as a steam-like cloak around their body. With this "cloak" they disrupt their own Chakra flow, and place themselves under the Genjutsu. Within the Genjutsu the user experiences a black void with minimal features they can determine upon casting, from the perspective of an astral-projection like illusory clone of themselves, and finally an mental image of an opponent, or group of opponents. The users "projection" can perform all the same physical techniques the user themselves can, such as Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, etc, and if the user isn't affected by a Paralyzing Genjutsu, it can even copy the user's own movements. The same is true for their "projected opponent", allowing the user to utilize what information they have on them to visualize a battle between themselves and their opponent(s), like a mental exercise. This has the added benefit of allowing the user to "overwrite" other Genjutsu placed upon them, provided they are weaker than the Genjutsu the user casts upon themselves. In the case of equally ranked conflicting Genjutsu, as is stated within the "Illusionary Arts" thread, both are neutralized, and immediately disperse. This technique also has another usage within combat, besides overwriting Genjutsu. It can be used as a form of "movement prediction", as, if the user and their opponent are about to clash in close-quarters, the user can quickly use what information they have about their target, and mentally test their own moves out, and attempt to "predict" how the opponent will react. There are flaws with this technique however, for example, if the user doesn't know their opponent, and every move they can make, they can easily be caught off guard. Even something as a simple change is style can result in disastrous consequences if the user heavily relies on it within real combat. It also doesn't provide any addition benefit to the user's physical stats, like their tracking or reaction speed. It can only be used purely to mentally test one's style against anothers.
Note: A-Rank and higher applications require two hand seals. Note: The A-Rank application is limited to 4 times per battle, and the S-Rank is limited to 2 times per battle. Note: This technique cannot be used to overpower Genjutsu of a higher nature, such as MS or Yin Genjutsu. Note: When used to counter Genjutsu of B-Rank or higher, the user has to deal with the following side-effects.
B-Rank: Unable to use this Jutsu for 1 turn. A-Rank: Unable to use this Jutsu for 2 turns. S-Rank: Unable to use this Jutsu for 3 turns, and perform Genjutsu A-Rank or above for 2 turns.
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At first there was nothing, a pure black void in all directions and nothing within the space to give it meaning or perspective, but slowly a shape began to take form within it. At first it was abstract, only the faintest glimmer of an outline of a person, composed of a faint white light, but with intent it rapidly took form. Before he knew it, Emiya could look down and see his own hands, his legs, the clothes on his body, and the countless details that accompanied such a sight. It was hard to condense into so few words, but Emiya essentially created a Genjutsu wherein his perception and memory of himself was given form, in a space he could control, and fill with mental images of others based again on his perception, memories and general information he had. That was the next step, but first he needed to give form to the blank void around him, and the answer was rather simple. This was to be a gathering of multiple iterations of himself, so what better place than the one they would all inevitably end up at? Slowly the endless nothingess at his feet faded away, and in it's place solid ground. It began with a tiny island of snow covered ground in that vast darkness, but as more of it came into focus swords began to take form. It was but a crude, hollow recreation of an image within his head, but it was enough. The collective with the individual. Reality with fantasy. Switching the outside with the inside, overwriting the world with one's own mind. The innermost thaumaturgy, and final Surge of the Surgebinders; Transcendance - Reality Marble. To Emiya it was a world encompassing an infinite number of swords, forced to seek tiny glimmers of warmth in an endless frozen horizon, and yet as other shapes began to take form, those of his "targets" for this Genjutsu, his Alter Egos, the landscape it warped, twisted, distorted, evolved violently as they all took form. The first to fully manifest, shroud in garb almost identical to his own, yet distinctly more refined, weathered by decades of strife, caused the landscape immediately surrounding him to change into that of an arid wasteland, but with a sunrise on the distant horizon. Taller than Emiya, with hair bleached white, and skin tanned, the first Ego, EMIYA, took form. Soon after, a figure all but indistinguishable to Emiya appeared. The world around him took on a form more akin to the Fields of Suffering, and more specifically it's Realm of Suffering, rather than the more familiar arid wasteland of EMIYA. Stood there in ceremonial garb, and an expression that could only be described as warm stoicism, was Muramasa. As the third took form, gears began to manifest overhead, creating a horrifying sound as their rusted form were only lubricated by what appeared to be blood, as EMIYA's familiar slice of the mental plane was twisted by design, each of the blades found within left to rot and wither away to nothing, drowned in blood. Stood there proudly amongst the carnage was a dark skinned man with a body one could only describe as rotting from the inside out, cracks in his form revealing a golden interior. The figure gave no name, but stood clearly ready to slaughter the other four presences present. Finally, on a landscape of hardened crimson mud that seemed to not truly be connected to Emiya's landscape but rather exist independent beside it, and with a sky of distant neon stars, there stood another with Emiya's features, though with blackened hair and skin concealed behind dark tattoos of a twisted nature. The smile he wore painted on his facade seemed as genuine a smile as any could muster, but there was no mistaking the intent behind it; this one harbored even more killing intent than even the previous Ego. With all of them gathered, and each one measured by Emiya himself, he gave each a telling gaze, before asking none in particular a question.
"What are you?"
"We are you." they all answered in unison, to their collective, mutual surprise.
The first to break from the collective stupor was EMIYA, the seemingly idealized version of Emiya's destination. Folding his arms with an exasperated sigh, and an expression of pure exhaustion at the situation despite the fact it had already begun.
"I think it's best if I do the talking for now. So... None of us aren't lying when we say we are 'you', but there's more to it than that.
If I had to describe it, we are your potential, wasted or otherwise."
Muramasa couldn't prevent himself from chiming in, "Speak for yourself, Archer."
"I do, and I will certainly not be lectured by a broken child's escapist fantasy, no matter how real they may seem."
Muramasa let out a scoff, but did not argue EMIYA's accusation. He was indeed nothing more than a fabrication who only came about to prevent Emiya's mind from destroying itself. At the same time the tattooed one wearing the crooked smile let out a loud, deliberate laugh, as though the infighting between them were actually amusing to him. The cracked one remained silent and still.
"Okay, potential and fantasies. I can accept that. What I can't understand is how. How does something like this even happen?"
"Are you so blind to your own convictions?" Shirō was not given the chance to ask what that meant before EMIYA continued. "Your ideal, your goal to become a Hero of Justice, that pursuit to save 'everyone' is so integral to who you are, it is so fundamental to your very being, that it could very well be argued that it is what makes Shirō Emiya who he is. But... With that intrinsic link between who you are, and that belief lies a fatal flaw. You might say it is a defect of humanity itself, but within that ideal are numerous methods one might take to achieve that result. We are each a version of you that could achieve that goal, but through wildly differing methods."
EMIYA let those words hang in the air for a moment, letting Shirō grasp what he meant with them. Each of these alternate personalities within him were, in a sense, a route he could take to achieve his goal? If he were a tree, they would be the branches reaching out towards his goal.
"I am the man you would have become if you continued down the path the Knights Radiants set before you. Rather than a savior, you will become a tool wielded by the likes of Agravain, used to excise threats to humanity with no regard to who they are, or what they did, or will go on to do."
"If that's true, you're basically telling me you're from the future, which is impossible."
"Is it though? I seem to recall a young girl with the power to make the impossible possible, and the war you fought to save her."
"You're saying Miyu did this?"
"Indirectly I suppose, yes. But make no mistake, the only reason I exist in this form at all is because of you.
If you hadn't relied on my power so much during the fight against the Ainsworths, I might have faded back into nothingness."
"Your power?"
"You can't be so naive as to think you made it this far on your own. All those times you that faint whisper from within?
Every time you threw yourself into harms way, only to miraculously unlock a new power? That was me."
"Bullshit."
"Evidently you can be that naive... Think about it. From the moment you touched those False Noble Phantasms you have experienced exponential growth, and unlocked powers you hadn't remotely shown any aptitude in at any moment before you did. That strength can't have come from nothing, and you certainly aren't skilled enough to unlock them through sheer determination."
"That's quite enough, Archer. Power lenderization aside, you are still fundamentally the same person, so any insult you throw at him is one you ultimately throw at yourself. Though perhaps that's the point, and you're simply using poor Shirō here as a proxy for how you feel about yourself, and a receptacle for your abandoned hopes and dreams?"
This time it was EMIYA's turn to scoff, as Muramasa levied his own accusation back at the idealized Hero of Justice. Despite achieving his dream, the cost was simply far too great to consider himself a "Hero". He would never admit it, but EMIYA hoped that Shirō would learn from his mistakes, and find another path to their shared ideal. The fact that a mere fiction could so accurately call him out was infuriating... But not incorrect. Emiya then focused on the one drowned in blood, and slowly breaking down to nothing.
"And you?"
At first there was only silence, and a cold, heartless glance from the unidentified figure but after a moment of contemplation, as though he were trying to think of the best way to sum his existence up, he spoke.
"To save one is to kill another. That is all I am, and can or ever will be.
I have no name, though if you must give me a label, Alter is as good as any other."
It only took a moment for the realization to hit him, but Emiya immediately recognized this ideology. It was that of his fathers, Kiritsugu. The practical, realistic method that drove a man mad when he realized the limitations of such a philosophy. There was no need to further explore this man, he bore the weight of his sin on his shoulder, and carried forth in pursuit of his ideal in his own twisted way. That then only left the odd reflection of Shirō himself, the one who had been chuckling at the conflict between his fellow Ego's. Shirō stared intently at the unknown figure, and they simply stared back, giving nothing in return. Shirō returned his attention back to EMIYA.
"Since you're from my future, surely you would know who he is, right?"
"First of all you have long since deviated from the path I took. Asking me about any of this is pointless, as you've thoroughly messed up your own timeline to the point we can't be considered one and the same any more. And frankly I have no idea who, or what that thing is. The one thing I know for sure is that he is the one who is the least like you among all of us, and that includes your delusional daydream swordsmith over there."
Emiya looked over the landscape that the figure was generating with their presence. As noted before it wasn't actually "connected" to any of the others. It existed on the same plane, and within this same space in his head, yet it was clearly separate, distinct from the concept of "Emiya". It's own thing, an alien presence within an otherwise unified mind. They had Emiya's features, his face, his hair, his voice, but everything about them that was not a part of this crude disguise told an entirely different tale. Lurking beneath that familiar smile was a desire to see every one of them slaughtered. Alter could sense it, and was why he had been on edge from the beginning. This was a Genjutsu wherein one would fight vessels for information the user themselves had. It was only Emiya's unique situation that even allowed it to act as a form of communication between the five of them, but that original purpose remained, and he would not be the first to fall prey to the monster hidden among them. Even Muramasa was warily giving the branded youth the side eye, even as his distaste was directed at EMIYA. Seeing the futility in hiding it any longer, the dark haired youth spoke.
"I'm the truth that none of you want to accept."
Once more the words hung in the air, but rather than being an opportunity to let everyone present understand them, this was an execution, the words allowed to dangle by the neck as each pondered the exact meaning, and the one who spoke them reveled in the collective building fear as they attempted to understand something so fundamentally alien to them.
"Humanity are a cancer, a blight upon the world, and I'm simply the cure.
My name is Angra Mainyu, and I am All the Worlds Evils. I exist so that none of you need to recognize the evil within yourselves."
All at once each Ego drew a weapon, whether from the air itself, from their person, the ground at their feet, and aimed them directly at Angra, from EMIYA drawing a bow, to Muramasa drawing blades from the ground, to Alter drawing a pair of hand cannons, all were united in their collective desire to end this existence in an instant. Despite his features, he was not Emiya. There was no way any any version of Emiya could say such a thing. Even Alter, who would slaughter any he would have to to achieve his goal, still did so with the ultimate goal of saving humanity. As he watched each draw a weapon on him, Angra merely put his hands up in defense as he continued.
"Whoa, is that really necessary?! Sorry if I hit a nerve... So sensitive. Your friend Lucifer would definitely understand, but you?
None of you could ever... But I guess I'll try and help you to anyway, cause we're all in this together, right?"
None of them budged even an inch, ready to attack Angra at a moments notice. The only one seemingly willing to listen was Emiya himself. On some level this "person" was a reflection of himself. Perhaps he had a point...
"I am every Evil in this world. That's not just some catchy nickname, it's literal. Everything I am existed long before you could comprehend, and yet I did not exist until you, Shirō Emiya, a man so determined to save humanity that under the right conditions he would go to any lengths to achieve it, entered the Sea of Life. The God Child may have saved you from Her control, but you still did a pretty stupid thing, and I'm the result of that action. But I'm not so bad once you get to know me, I swear. My very existence is proof of every evil humans are capable of. Deceit, theft, murder, you name it, it's all me. That may not sound very nice to you stuck up types, but think about it for a moment. I'm every evil they are capable of, so then they can't be evil. My existence excuses all of humanity. In a way, I did your job better than you ever could, Archer. I saved every human that ever was, and ever will be. I provide a valuable service, pardoning every human of their every sin. Of course, since I am every evil, I need to act like it, so despite them being purely good, innocent beings, I will gut each and every last one of them with an honest to god smile on my face, but it's the result that matters in the end. Isn't that right, Alter?"
His tone was mocking as he pivoted from one Ego to the next, but when he came to Shirō Angra couldn't help but fall silent. He was the only one who didn't immediately draw a weapon after all, and it seemed as though his other provocations weren't getting a rise out of the youth. Perhaps once upon a time they would have, but not now. Not after everything they'd been through. Angra was partially responsible for the Champions victory over the Fates after all, so on some level he clearly cared, even if it was only to engage in slaughter for slaughter's sake. Emiya's response was rather blunt, and simple, but showed a sympathy Angra was not expecting.
"So you're a martyr. That's... I'm sorry."
"I'm not. It's fun. You should try it some time."
Things had clearly reached a impasse, where none of the Alter Ego's would be willing to converse with Angra, so Emiya deactivated the Genjutsu there. With a clearer grasp on what exactly had happened, and how each one operated, Emiya was content to leave things, at least for the moment. The only one among the Alter Ego he felt like he needed to pay attention to, simply because of his very nature, was Angra. Alter too, but only because the methods he subscribes to could rival even Angra's destructive tendencies. Emiya saw first hand what the Magus Killer was willing to do to eliminate a target after all. Between the two of them, he would need to maintain a constant awareness of his mental state, and be sure not to let one of them take control unless, somehow, the situation called for them. Returning to the Threshold, Emiya watched as Hei was making a portal for Naruto to utilize. Looking around, it seemed as though not much time had passed at all, his conversation lasting mere minutes, if that, and yet he had so much to think about now. With more pressing matters to attend to now that the uncertainty behind his mental state was somewhat cleared up, Emiya kept a watchful eye on Kotetsu and Marzan, but giving them their space, as he simply watched the rest of the gathered go about their business, curious about what exactly Solomon did in Irkalla, while equally interested in the kind of man Enkidu had become. Between the ferocious confrontation with Phetra to the compassionate revival of the Champions, Emiya was truly proud of the man Enkidu had become, and was thankful for Solomon's no doubt large part in keeping him on that path. With a smile, Emiya simply watched, tired of wallowing in self-pity, and repeating his failures, ready to tackle the next challenge whatever that may be.
Emerging form the portal Hei lands on his feet, if only for a moment. Falling over to his knees and catching himself with hands just before hitting the ground. His gazes watching a trail of ants as they marched on. Small creatures, just going about their routine under the purest form of survival. Thinking back to the events that have transpired what was the meaning of it all? He has now experienced death twice, albeit alternative versions of death, twisted in a shattering reality. The entire process was difficult to comprehend. Is humanity.. no mortality just ants in the grand scheme of things? Even himself, having gained longevity and Six Paths Senjutsu. Witnessing the world unfold over centuries. Having traveled through space and time to seek out new beginnings.. was it all, pointless? In all his endeavors that he has endured, nothing has ever came close to what he had just experienced.... The powers of divinity.. He couldn't help but feel insignificant as he looked up at those who control it's power. Standing back to his feet he remained silent, the image of the void spiraling beneath the cavern. It felt different. It's power also felt beyond comprehension yet it brought him comfort; though he couldn't understand why. Perhaps it was the balance between what his understanding of Divinity and the Void are. Perhaps it was something else. Taking in a deep breath, the fresh air flowing into his lungs. Feeling the wing against his skin as it caused his hair to flow gently. It brought a relaxing sensation that calmed his nerves, allowing him to collected his scattered thoughts. Although the raid was over, he still had a mission to complete. Hei began walking to the others. Not the champions, some of whom had already began leaving. No, he walked toward the ones who saved them.
"Thank you, for everything." he'd say, giving his gratitude for saving the champions. "Would one of you happen to be Malthus?" he asks politely, before adding. "The disciple of the Twin Fates that defected?" speaking as if to indicate that he had some prior knowledge of him, but didn't know what he looked like.
This post marks the beginning of my mission using these storyboard elements:
- Uncover the truth (3)
Summary: Kōtetsu meets Marzan in order to uncover the truth.
Kōtetsu, surrounded by his three ninken who had dragged him through the golden portal, groggily rose to his feet. The agony he'd felt just moments ago as his body was ripped apart by Phetra was still fresh in his mind. He'd been brought back to life, but something inside of him felt broken, and he instinctively knew he would never be the same. Quickly checking over Sif, Sirris, and Solair to make sure they were alright, he noticed that the core was missing from the color around Sirris' neck. Unsure if it had been left in the underworld or if another had taken it, he decided to deal with that at another time.
He took a moment to familiarize himself with his surroundings. They were back in the Threshold, where they had set out from months ago. Merlin, Lucifer, and Panthalassa had already left, leaving only six of the original group remaining. The know as Soloman appeared different from how he was when he had come to the group's aide. The blue glow that terminated from his skin was gone, and the color of his eyes had changed from their blue-white color to purplish-blue. The Inuzuka looked away from him and turned his attention to Enkidu, the one who disposed of Phetra and brought them all back to life. Near him was Marzan, creator of the God-Slaying Tools, and the man needed to meet. He could immediately identify him not just by his hazel eyes and dark skin, but by the intense gaze he held that betrayed his age.
As someone blessed with immortality, Marzan was one of the few that could remember the information Kōtetsu sought. Freeing him was one of the reasons for joining the others in the underworld, and he'd died twice for that purpose. "Marzan," he called as he moved towards him, ignoring the sudden pain that pulsated from the back of his left hand. He attempted to direct the man out of earshot of the others before posing his question. "I need to know the truth. I need to know about the first Children of Tiamat," he said, holding the man's gaze.
"Introductions not necessary for an old man, huh? I see my reputation has not tarnished after all these years...." Marzan stretched his arms, almost lackadaisically. "Your question takes us back to a time of war. The first war. I'll spare you the pleasantries and answer your question, because clearly you're a very serious man." Marzan grinned somewhat, surprisingly perky for a man who had been imprisoned, and possibly tormented, for thousands of years. Perhaps the Immortal Humans had a different outlook on life and prolonged existence. "They were born when Marduk, Enlil, Nergal, and Inanna raised their blades at their mother, Tiamat. They are the First Beasts of this world: the Basmu, Beast of Venom, the Usumagallu, Beast of War, the Kulullu, Beast of the Arcane, the Mushahhu, Beast of Forbidden Knowledge..." Marzan's expression soured, his face darkened and his eyes lowered to the ground. "The Lahmu, Beast of Primordium."Malthus and Hei
"I am. But I am no turncoat. What I did was for the sanctity of Irkalla! Our hallowed purpose now tainted by this unleashed Void. It was I that sent Solomon the instructions to craft those devices and because of that I was imprisoned. Though the Spider promised me someone would come and pull me out of that particular hell. And for that I thank you." Malthus rummaged through his cloak pockets, fumbling with some strange device he had held on him. There were no discernable features on his face, hidden in the shroud of the cloak. Just his piercing eyes. He was humanoid but it was hard to tell exactly what he might truly be under that shroud. "I don't have much to offer you in terms of payment, but I can offer you this. In the Necropolis we used these talismans to control the most violent and ill tempered souls. A powerful device that affords the user incredible control over the charges." It was a small bronze talisman no larger than a small bookmark, thin and almost frail in appearance. "Keep it. I have no use for it now. The Underworld has collapsed and likely won't be ordered for some time, if ever. Make use of that before the end of the world comes."
VIA for Serpent:
(Mukō: Chikara Chūnyū) – Void: Power Infusion
Type: Void Infused Artifact
Rank: A
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Whenever the user uses a technique with a damage value greater than 100 they have a 20% chance to gain a single Void Infusion; this can occur a maximum of once every two turns.
(Mukō: Senmon Chūnyū) – Void: Specialized Infusion
Type: Void Infused Artifact
Rank: A
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Whenever the user uses a technique within a field of their specializations, they have a 25% chance to gain a single Void Infusion, occurring at most once every two turns.
(Mukō: Jinsoku) – Void: Swiftness
Type: Void Infused Artifact
Rank: C
Range: N/A
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Activated passively and consumes a single Void Infusion; the user’s ability to move in the Ninja World is strengthened, reducing the time it takes to travel between landmarks by 50%; this does not stack with any other source of travel time reduction. Lasts for up to six landmarks.
(Mukō: Ikari Wasure San) – Void: Wrath of the Forgotten One
Type: Void Infused Artifact
Rank: B
Range: Short – Mid
Chakra: N/A
Damage: 80
Description: Activated at the cost of a move and a single Void Infusion; unleashes a torrential maelstrom of natural flames from the user’s position up to mid-range. Inflicts 80 damage, but can be increased by 40 additional damage if the user applies a second Void Infusion to it.
(Mukō: Kenkō Chūnyū) – Void: Healthy Infusion
Type: Void Infused Artifact
Rank: C
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Whenever the user heals themselves successfully for at least 40 health in a single turn they have a 50% chance to gain a single Void Infusion.
"Introductions not necessary for an old man, huh? I see my reputation has not tarnished after all these years...." Marzan stretched his arms, almost lackadaisically. "Your question takes us back to a time of war. The first war. I'll spare you the pleasantries and answer your question, because clearly you're a very serious man." Marzan grinned somewhat, surprisingly perky for a man who had been imprisoned, and possibly tormented, for thousands of years. Perhaps the Immortal Humans had a different outlook on life and prolonged existence. "They were born when Marduk, Enlil, Nergal, and Inanna raised their blades at their mother, Tiamat. They are the First Beasts of this world: the Basmu, Beast of Venom, the Usumagallu, Beast of War, the Kulullu, Beast of the Arcane, the Mushahhu, Beast of Forbidden Knowledge..." Marzan's expression soured, his face darkened and his eyes lowered to the ground. "The Lahmu, Beast of Primordium."Malthus and Hei
"I am. But I am no turncoat. What I did was for the sanctity of Irkalla! Our hallowed purpose now tainted by this unleashed Void. It was I that sent Solomon the instructions to craft those devices and because of that I was imprisoned. Though the Spider promised me someone would come and pull me out of that particular hell. And for that I thank you." Malthus rummaged through his cloak pockets, fumbling with some strange device he had held on him. There were no discernable features on his face, hidden in the shroud of the cloak. Just his piercing eyes. He was humanoid but it was hard to tell exactly what he might truly be under that shroud. "I don't have much to offer you in terms of payment, but I can offer you this. In the Necropolis we used these talismans to control the most violent and ill tempered souls. A powerful device that affords the user incredible control over the charges." It was a small bronze talisman no larger than a small bookmark, thin and almost frail in appearance. "Keep it. I have no use for it now. The Underworld has collapsed and likely won't be ordered for some time, if ever. Make use of that before the end of the world comes."
VIA for Serpent:
(Mukō: Chikara Chūnyū) – Void: Power Infusion
Type: Void Infused Artifact
Rank: A
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Whenever the user uses a technique with a damage value greater than 100 they have a 20% chance to gain a single Void Infusion; this can occur a maximum of once every two turns.
(Mukō: Senmon Chūnyū) – Void: Specialized Infusion
Type: Void Infused Artifact
Rank: A
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Whenever the user uses a technique within a field of their specializations, they have a 25% chance to gain a single Void Infusion, occurring at most once every two turns.
(Mukō: Jinsoku) – Void: Swiftness
Type: Void Infused Artifact
Rank: C
Range: N/A
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Activated passively and consumes a single Void Infusion; the user’s ability to move in the Ninja World is strengthened, reducing the time it takes to travel between landmarks by 50%; this does not stack with any other source of travel time reduction. Lasts for up to six landmarks.
(Mukō: Ikari Wasure San) – Void: Wrath of the Forgotten One
Type: Void Infused Artifact
Rank: B
Range: Short – Mid
Chakra: N/A
Damage: 80
Description: Activated at the cost of a move and a single Void Infusion; unleashes a torrential maelstrom of natural flames from the user’s position up to mid-range. Inflicts 80 damage, but can be increased by 40 additional damage if the user applies a second Void Infusion to it.
(Mukō: Kenkō Chūnyū) – Void: Healthy Infusion
Type: Void Infused Artifact
Rank: C
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: Whenever the user heals themselves successfully for at least 40 health in a single turn they have a 50% chance to gain a single Void Infusion.
Hei takes the small bronze talisman and places it on his chain next to his lovers hearth. Tucking it under his clothing for safe keeping. "Thank you Malthus, I'll be sure to put it to good use." Hei then looks into his satchel of void artifacts and discovers what they are. A nice bundle of artifacts each useful in their own way. turning to Naruto before he leaves though the portal, he asks. "Are you ready to go?"
Hei takes the small bronze talisman and places it on his chain next to his lovers hearth. Tucking it under his clothing for safe keeping. "Thank you Malthus, I'll be sure to put it to good use." Hei then looks into his satchel of void artifacts and discovers what they are. A nice bundle of artifacts each useful in their own way. turning to Naruto before he leaves though the portal, he asks. "Are you ready to go?"
Naruto hadn't taken his immediate leave as he wanted to oversee the conversations that were had amongst the champions. Though it was way over his head, he definitely was ready to leave and followed Hei as he stepped into his portal.
"Introductions not necessary for an old man, huh? I see my reputation has not tarnished after all these years...." Marzan stretched his arms, almost lackadaisically. "Your question takes us back to a time of war. The first war. I'll spare you the pleasantries and answer your question, because clearly you're a very serious man." Marzan grinned somewhat, surprisingly perky for a man who had been imprisoned, and possibly tormented, for thousands of years. Perhaps the Immortal Humans had a different outlook on life and prolonged existence. "They were born when Marduk, Enlil, Nergal, and Inanna raised their blades at their mother, Tiamat. They are the First Beasts of this world: the Basmu, Beast of Venom, the Usumagallu, Beast of War, the Kulullu, Beast of the Arcane, the Mushahhu, Beast of Forbidden Knowledge..." Marzan's expression soured, his face darkened and his eyes lowered to the ground. "The Lahmu, Beast of Primordium."
From the corner of his eye, the Inuzuka caught Solomon and Enkidu's departure, and though his attention was momentarily diverted the shift in Marzan's mood didn't escape his notice as the man broke from his gaze. Taking a step back, Kōtetsu did what he should have from the start, what the lingering shock of his gruesome death had caused him to overlook. "My name is Kōtetsu of the Inuzuka clan," he began, formally introducing himself to the immortal. "While this is the first time I've heard of the other four, I am familiar with the Kulullu." He reached to his waist and produced Final Shape, the calcified essence of the Kulullu that he had fought against months prior to his incursion into Phetra's domain.
"I fought against her spectral form in a place known as the Dark Tower, where she was tamed and turned into a champion for eager challengers seeking to prove their strength to face. From that battle, I gained her calcified essence." Returning the artifact to his belt, Kōtetsu decided to focus on the cause of Marzan's sour mood, the Lahmu. "The Lahmu... What made it different from the others?" He asked, his voice full of genuine concern for the surprisingly perky man whose grin had suddenly vanished.
From the corner of his eye, the Inuzuka caught Solomon and Enkidu's departure, and though his attention was momentarily diverted the shift in Marzan's mood didn't escape his notice as the man broke from his gaze. Taking a step back, Kōtetsu did what he should have from the start, what the lingering shock of his gruesome death had caused him to overlook. "My name is Kōtetsu of the Inuzuka clan," he began, formally introducing himself to the immortal. "While this is the first time I've heard of the other four, I am familiar with the Kulullu." He reached to his waist and produced Final Shape, the calcified essence of the Kulullu that he had fought against months prior to his incursion into Phetra's domain. "I fought against her spectral form in a place known as the Dark Tower, where she was tamed and turned into a champion for eager challengers seeking to prove their strength to face. From that battle, I gained her calcified essence." Returning the artifact to his belt, Kōtetsu decided to focus on the cause of Marzan's sour mood, the Lahmu. "The Lahmu... What made it different from the others?" He asked, his voice full of genuine concern for the surprisingly perky man whose grin had suddenly vanished.
"The Beasts are not like the Tailed Beasts, partitioned from one primordial source of energy. The Lahmu among them were particularly horrifying, produced by their Mother as if from a factory. Mass produced life that existed to consume information at an exponential rate, and with them their Divinity. It came a point that the Lahmu were massed produced Divinities that could even give the great warrior Enlil difficulty in battle. But they were all wiped out in the twilight of the war. The others, however, went on living." Marzan paused, his wary mind taking hold. It had been so long since he had seen natural sunlight. "The weakening of the veil that separates the Void might have disturbed the beasts that live among you...the first four. You must find which of them might still be loyal to the Primordial Mother. I'm not really sure where you can start. I've been locked away in Irkalla for so long now...but perhaps the greatest places to begin are where others were ended. The place where Marduk split the world." He gave Kotetsu a nod. That was all he could offer him.
"The Beasts are not like the Tailed Beasts, partitioned from one primordial source of energy. The Lahmu among them were particularly horrifying, produced by their Mother as if from a factory. Mass produced life that existed to consume information at an exponential rate, and with them their Divinity. It came a point that the Lahmu were massed produced Divinities that could even give the great warrior Enlil difficulty in battle. But they were all wiped out in the twilight of the war. The others, however, went on living." Marzan paused, his wary mind taking hold. It had been so long since he had seen natural sunlight. "The weakening of the veil that separates the Void might have disturbed the beasts that live among you...the first four. You must find which of them might still be loyal to the Primordial Mother. I'm not really sure where you can start. I've been locked away in Irkalla for so long now...but perhaps the greatest places to begin are where others were ended. The place where Marduk split the world." He gave Kotetsu a nod. That was all he could offer him.
As Emiya was finished for the moment analyzing his psyche and the oddities which had emerged within it, he noticed that Marzan had seemingly finished with Kotetsu. Though he had no idea what they had spoken about, the nod Marzan gave him seemed to come with a sense of finality. Emiya moved with purpose, making a beeline for Marzan and Kotetsu, but giving the latter enough time to add whatever he wanted to his farewells before Emiya introduced himself.
"Marzan? My name's Shirō Emiya. I'd like to say I joined everyone in the assault on Irkalla purely to rescue you, but that'd be disingenuous.
The only reason I knew you were being held captive in the first place is because I was directed by another as I need your help...
But I mean it when I say I'm glad to see you're out of there, in spite of any ulterior motives I have."
Without wasting any more time explaining what his driving force was, Emiya held out his hand and with a surge of Prana brought forth the Shattered Blessings from the End of the World, still bundled within his cloak. As the relatively small parcel was brought forth from the Throne, it landed in his hand with a telling clang of metal fragments rattling against one another, like a poorly handled parcel. He then unfurled the cloak, and spread out the fragments of Blessings across the cloak's intricately designed interior, lining them up to show Marzan his broken creation.
(Konagona Sekainoowari Kara no Shukufuku) – Shattered Blessings from the End of the World Type: Artifact Rank: E Range: Short Chakra: N/A Damage: N/A Description: It was said in ancient times that the end of the world would not come about at the hands of gods, but at the hands of humans. It was once an artifact katana rife with Void energy, and a noted member of the God-Slaying Tools. The blade has been shattered by Enkidu, and its Divine capabilities have been lost. The edge of the blade now could not even slice through paper, let alone Divine-class beings. Perhaps it can be reforged somehow.
"It's my fault it's this bad, and I hate to ask this of you after Gods know how many years you've spent in that place, but can you fix it?"
As Emiya was finished for the moment analyzing his psyche and the oddities which had emerged within it, he noticed that Marzan had seemingly finished with Kotetsu. Though he had no idea what they had spoken about, the nod Marzan gave him seemed to come with a sense of finality. Emiya moved with purpose, making a beeline for Marzan and Kotetsu, but giving the latter enough time to add whatever he wanted to his farewells before Emiya introduced himself.
"Marzan? My name's Shirō Emiya. I'd like to say I joined everyone in the assault on Irkalla purely to rescue you, but that'd be disingenuous.
The only reason I knew you were being held captive in the first place is because I was directed by another as I need your help...
But I mean it when I say I'm glad to see you're out of there, in spite of any ulterior motives I have."
Without wasting any more time explaining what his driving force was, Emiya held out his hand and with a surge of Prana brought forth the Shattered Blessings from the End of the World, still bundled within his cloak. As the relatively small parcel was brought forth from the Throne, it landed in his hand with a telling clang of metal fragments rattling against one another, like a poorly handled parcel. He then unfurled the cloak, and spread out the fragments of Blessings across the cloak's intricately designed interior, lining them up to show Marzan his broken creation.
(Konagona Sekainoowari Kara no Shukufuku) – Shattered Blessings from the End of the World
Type: Artifact
Rank: E
Range: Short
Chakra: N/A
Damage: N/A
Description: It was said in ancient times that the end of the world would not come about at the hands of gods, but at the hands of humans. It was once an artifact katana rife with Void energy, and a noted member of the God-Slaying Tools. The blade has been shattered by Enkidu, and its Divine capabilities have been lost. The edge of the blade now could not even slice through paper, let alone Divine-class beings. Perhaps it can be reforged somehow.
"It's my fault it's this bad, and I hate to ask this of you after Gods know how many years you've spent in that place, but can you fix it?"
Marzan was quiet as Emiya introduced himself, explaining his motivations for breaching Phetra's domain and rescuing him. All he could offer was a simple nod to acknowledge him, though not bothered by his ulterior motives. He had been a pawn of gods for thousands of years, another a day wouldn't hurt anyone. Or so he thought. But his neutral expression shifted toward one of curiosity as Emiya unfurled the cloak, the sound of ancient metal clanging against each other as if they were in a basket. And when the metallic shards were finally revealed, the sun basking on their form, Marzan could recognize them immediately.
He reached out without even asking, still silent to Emiya as he held Marzan's own craftsmanship before him. He closed his eyes as his fingertips touched the cold steel alloy. Then he allowed his palm to run up alongside what used to be part of the blade's edge, and then down again. It was as if he was reconnecting with a long lost extension of his being. In fact, it was what ended up with him captured here in Irkalla in the first place. But something was strange about them. Their Divinity had been shattered; its intrinsic and most valuable property broken by whatever Divine force had targeted it. But the metal alloy gave off another frequency, something much darker alongside where its Divinity should have been. The Void. Someone, somehow, had suffused the sword with Void. "Thousands of years ago I called this blade Blessings. If you were directed here to save me then you must already know the series of weapons that this blade came from: the God-Slaying Tools. You wish it to be reforged?"
Marzan lifted one of the shards, bringing it close to his face as he opened his eyes to inspect it closely. It was a fine piece of work, some of his best. But the blade was also inherently different from when he had first forged it. It had been changed, just as metal undergoes significant chemical changes when iron is transformed into steel. Though the changes in this weapon defied simple causality. The first occurred when the Divine tool had been seeped with Void, and then again when it had been shattered. "This blade can still see the light of day. It can still be wielded. You've done well to keep it safe. But we will need to tend to my armory. This will be my thank you to you for you and your allies liberating me from the witch's grasp. Come, touch my arm. We shall go." He placed the fragment back in Emiya's cloak to hold onto, Marzan's eyes meeting his gaze.
Emiya was enraptured by the simple act of watching Marzan reconnect with his own creation, even though it was broken beyond belief he could still immediately identify the shards, and showed no reservations or shame in immediately inspecting them. Not that it mattered, but Emiya didn't care to stop Marzan either. This was his creation after all, and despite everything he'd been through it was hardly enough to stop someone from interacting with their property, never mind some jealous, envious entitlement to that property.
"It's clear you care about your creations, and their quality speaks for itself. This weapon took a direct hit from a God, and it's still intact, albeit in several pieces. I can barely get by with making crude imitations of existing works. They're so weak, I tend to fight around that, rather than solve the core issue which is their quality. Anyway, I'm sorry your Blessings was reduced to such a state. Truth be told if I was a little bit quicker, smarter, stronger, it might have survived the encounter that reduced it to this state, but that's a story for another time. I would like to see it restored."
As Marzan said the weapon could live once more, a spark of joy filled his heart, but at the same time Emiya hesitated. He didn't want to get excited merely because he was the first to grab the shards in the aftermath of his battle with Demetrias. The fact the Voidlord left the shards to begin with, while extremely lucky, didn't really imply a transfer of ownership. He abandoned the sword because it couldn't be used to harm Enkidu any more, and how it came into his possession was a fact the Lord was probably never going to divulge. Emiya may regret these words, but he felt like it was only right. If anyone should be allowed to decide, it was the swords creator.
"It may sound like lip service, but saving you really is it's own reward, if not for the fact that someone was saved from that place, then the fact that a smith of your caliber exists in the world. That alone makes me happy, the thought that there could be even more weapons like this in the world eventually. I only saw a fraction of what this sword was capable of in the hands of a Voidlord like Phetra. And while I'd love to see what it's capable of in it's full glory, it wouldn't feel right without saying if you wanted it back, I wouldn't refuse."
As Marzan returned the stray fragment to the pile, Emiya bundled them back up again, and placed his hand on Marzan's arm, and wholly expecting some kind of teleportation technique. It was how he spent several weeks before entering Irkalla, teleporting around Tobusekai like a mad man, so naturally he'd come to see the mode of transportation as rather mundane. It was either that, or Marzan was totally into Emiya, offering him a chance to inspect and admire the rippling muscles that went into the creation of the God Slaying Tools... Who could say?
"The Beasts are not like the Tailed Beasts, partitioned from one primordial source of energy. The Lahmu among them were particularly horrifying, produced by their Mother as if from a factory. Mass produced life that existed to consume information at an exponential rate, and with them their Divinity. It came a point that the Lahmu were massed produced Divinities that could even give the great warrior Enlil difficulty in battle. But they were all wiped out in the twilight of the war. The others, however, went on living." Marzan paused, his wary mind taking hold. It had been so long since he had seen natural sunlight. "The weakening of the veil that separates the Void might have disturbed the beasts that live among you...the first four. You must find which of them might still be loyal to the Primordial Mother. I'm not really sure where you can start. I've been locked away in Irkalla for so long now...but perhaps the greatest places to begin are where others were ended. The place where Marduk split the world." He gave Kotetsu a nod. That was all he could offer him.
Kōtetsu listened intently as Marzan spoke of the Lahmu and the threat they posed. Dealing with Phetra's divinity was difficult enough, and he struggled to imagine the destruction a mass-produced army of divinities could leave in their wake. If they were enough to give the god Enlil trouble in battle, then what chance could the Inuzuka and his ninken stand? As he thought about this, the immortal gave him a final clue that would aid in his search for the truth. He needed to go to the place where Marduk split the world. As soon as the words left the man's mouth, Kōtetsu immediately knew where his destination would be. He thought back to a few months prior to the incursion into Irkalla, to when the undead sacked the Last Bastion and he'd traced their origins to a rift hidden within an incredibly large chasm in the Kaizoku Sea.
"Thank you, Marzan," the Inuzuka said as he and his ninken turned to the east. "I hope you enjoy your freedom." Though his destination was set, there was one place he needed to go first. Home. Activating his fusion technique that allowed Sif, Solaire, and Sirris to merge into his body and he began walking away, he couldn't help but overhear the immortal's conversation with Emiya due to his enhanced senses. God-Slaying Tools, Marzan's armory...He would have to ask the swordsman about that in detail at another time, for he and Marzan had already vanished.
Techniques used:
Fenriru No Gimuzuke | Fenrir's Lesser Oblige
Rank: S
Type: Supplementary/Offensive/Defensive
Range: Short
Chakra: 40 ( -15 per turn )
Damage: N/A
Description: This technique was designed to rectify the weaknesses of managing multiple bodies within Battle. Many Inuzuka found that their Ninkens became easy targets for area of effect Ninjutsu techniques, and often experienced problems with defending from widespread attacks without compromising their Ninkens health or position. As such this technique was developed as a fix for these flaws. This technique allows an Inuzuka to enter into a lasting fusion with their Ninken(s). While fused the Ninken will inhabit the user's body and the user will gain the ability to use techniques that require 'Four-Legged Beast' transformation as a prerequisite and will also gain the senses of their Ninken. The Ninken(s) will be aware of the world through the user's senses however their mind and chakra systems will remain separate. The Inuzuka however will still be capable of tapping into their Ninken's chakra supply and will be capable of using it to bolster their own supply for future techniques. Lastly, fused Ninken can demerge from their host body at any point in time, and can also choose to re-emerge without cost. Merging and de-merging however is not instant, instead, it simply functions as a Ninken or Inuzuka walking outside of the host's body - and as such is far inferior to the merging abilities of Souma No Kou. One added benefit is that a host can have appendages such as tails or wolf ears that can prove useful in combat but are largely cosmetic, the main host can also be switched at will - housing the user and other Ninken(s) within a Ninken's body instead.
Note:
- Must be posted at either the start of the battle or in the user's biography, and is active at all times.
- In the case of deactivation (On the user's account or as a result of an enemy technique) this technique can be reactivated again at the cost of a move. Each reactivation will require more chakra than the last, doubling each time.
- This technique serves as the ultimate baseline form for Inuzuka clan members. After using another transformation the user is capable of reverting back to this form without completely canceling the previous transformation, instead, they retain the physiological benefits of the other transformation (Such as increased sensing and other abilities) and are also capable of re-entering the previously activated transformation without cost as it is still considered active. (Does not distort or ignore turn restrictions)
To say that the last few events in his life had been other-worldly would be a massive understatement. Shirou had exited the portal and remained silent, relaxing on the ground for a moment as the others said their good byes and began conducting their own business. He himself was in no rush, instead he wanted to savour his continued existence, for as long as that would last given the apparent state of the world around him.
A few minutes would pass before the Nara stood up and dusted himself off. It seemed that he would be the last to leave, a shame, as he would have wanted to invite the other champions of humanity to a celebratory feast, but alas. Perhaps another time. Shirou would begin his short travel to the village capital at a leisurely pace, going over the events that had transpired once again in his head.
Complete three B-Rank missions in the Badlands of Earth to gather the raw materials that Marzan needs to create these two weapons. Primarily ore, but also lumber. Then return. (1/3)
Isabella arrived at the mouth of the desolated canyons and mountains of the Threshold range. The giant black macaw shrieked, echoing across the desolated range. Her Sharigan activated, scowering the land, but it would prove itself inneficient. There had been signs of a great skirmish, the proportions of which Isabella could not compare to anything she has ever faced, saved, perhaps, her fateful battle against Madara Uchiha.
Type: Supplementary
Rank: C - A Rank ( A )
Range: Short-Long
Chakra: 15 - 30 ( -5 per turn for 1T and 2T, 10 per turn to keep active for 3T )( 30 ; 10 per turn )
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.
What she was witnessing, was the invasion of the Thralls upon the Overworld, coming from the great chasm that served as a portal between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Upon it's gaping mouth, sand had gathered, picking up the blood from the fallen humans, mawled through like petty lifestock to the undead. Her Sharingan could feel traces of chakra, yet she was unable to recall the true horror of what had ensued, for she was not there. Arriving near the chasm, she swapped her Doujutsu, and the navy blue whirls of the void bloomed with her Shinkaigan.
Type: Supplementary
Rank: A
Range: Short – Long
Chakra: N/A (-10 per turn)
Damage: N/A
Description: The Shinkaigan (深海), or the Abyssal Eyes and the Eyes of the Abyss, is the Dōjutsu Kekkei Genkai that appears in the Voidseers. Two conditions must be met to awaken the Shinkaigan. The first is that one must become Void-touched; this is achieved when one becomes Void-touched. The second is by gaining sufficient knowledge of the Shinkaigan and the Voidseer’s innate abilities. This is a key characteristic of the Shinkaigan, noted by Solomon to be “eyes of knowledge” rather than “eyes of trauma,” making it distinct from the Sharingan. The Shinkaigan possesses a unique connection to the Void itself. Its abilities exist in both space and time separately. This comes to be because the Void exists both as a separate dimension and a state in time. Rewinding the clocks far enough would cause everything in the universe to eventually converge onto the Void. The Shinkaigan is the only way one can view the Void directly, peering into it to gain intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the universe as it is today. Without the Shinkaigan exposure to the Void and Shinkaigan Dōjutsu causes one to lose Sanity; though, like a double-edged sword, the Shinkaigan user also suffers a loss of Sanity. But because their eye allows them to perceive and cognize the Void differently from other humans, they lose Sanity at a slower rate. In the left eye the Shinkaigan allows the user to visually perceive lifeforce and lifecycles of anything, including inanimate objects. It derives this ocular power through the nature of the Void itself. The right eye allows the Shinkaigan wielder to view the Void as a physical space, perceiving it not as a point in time but a location. The wielder gains enhanced visual acuity, able to track targets at four times their speed. Though unlike other Dōjutsu it lacks the ability to perceive chakra. Activation of the Shinkaigan grants the user access to their Voidseer Dōjutsu, affording them the ability to use powerful temporal and spatial abilities.
Note: The user is able to passively activate the Shinkaigan after holding the Dōjutsu for one month.
Note: Gazing directly into the Shinkaigan causes a loss of 5 Sanity per turn unless the user also wields the Shinkaigan. Those who have completed Taijutsu training can avoid these effects by breaking eye contact with their opponent.
She could know follow the lifecyles of the invasion, the battle of the Champions and the Bijuu, even if she could not name any of these events or see them clearly. All she could sense and see was death and distraught. She could see blood, seeping into the rocks and sand, she could see splintered rocks and scratched out signs. Death permeated the land, and the portal to the underworld was blocked yet pulsating with power.
She picked a spot so heavy with death and blood that it's cursing pressure was palpable, through her Yin sensory. With a string of 6 handseals, she charged her Earth Chakra across the vicinity, and then slammed her hands on the ground. It split appart easily, with tremendous rumble and quake, creating a deep scar in the land, so profound that light was unable to reach the bottom of it.
Type: Supplementary
Rank: C-A ( A )
Range: Short-Long
Chakra: 15-30 ( 30 )
Damage: N/A
Description: The user will first perform the required hand seals Rabbit → Boar → Rat → Horse → Tiger → Snake and slamming the hands on the ground, the user can, by flowing concentrated chakra into the Dragon Veins flowing underground, tear the earth apart, creating large chasms by raising the earth in two oposite sides in the desired location and then splitting that piece of earth through the center. The length, width, direction, and curve of the chasm are all up to the user. Manipulating the Dragon Veins requires fine chakra control, but if one has such skill, they can use this technique to divide the space between the enemy and their own team in two, destroy enemy camps or defences, and even to attack.
Note: This does not split the earth appart directly to cause opponents to fall in the fissure.
She jumped in, a ball of bright fire appearing atop her index finger, illuminating the path as she adhered to the walls of the newly made chasm, entering deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth. The ground was particularily permeable here, and, with her Shinkaigan, she could follow the lines of blood that drenched the soil and fused with the earth. The Portal and it's mysterious power impacted the land, shifting the rock and ores with tremendous violence, and the myriad of wars and skirmishes that followed had unnaturally fused with them.
Type: Offensive/ Supplementary
Rank: E-Rank
Range: Short
Chakra: 5
Damage: 10
Description: This Jutsu was developed using the special paper Sensei possess to assess a Shinobi's Elemental Affinity as a basis. The user focuses Chakra in their finger/ hand and, by performing a small gesture that best represents the Element they wish to replicate, they produce a small, raw form of the desired Element. While this technique lacks any significant "punch", the technique itself can be used to attack the opponent in a variety of ways, making this Jutsu's true strength lie in it's users imagination. The following is a list of basic examples from the 5 Elemental Natures. Note that these are simply basic examples, and not the sole usages of the technique.
Fire: The user can snap their fingers, using the heat caused by the friction to make a "lighter" from their finger/ thumb. Other uses include low heat Fire's, such as Ash.
Wind: The user can twirl their finger around, using the rotation to create a mini-vortex on their fingertip. Other uses include basic variations of Wind, like small gusts or blades.
Lightning: The user can rub their fingers together, using the vibration to mimic a small electrical charge. Other uses include basic variations of Lightning.
Earth: The user can ball their hand into a fist, compressing their Chakra and make a small rock or pebble. Other uses include softer or lighter variations of Earth, such as mud, dirt or dust.
Water: The user can, using free-flowing movements with their finger, mimic the flow of Water Chakra and create a "stream" of Water in the air. Other uses include basic variants on the Water Element, such as syrup or oil.
Note: Can only be taught by x iiiMPerFeCT
Feeling the warmth of the underground, like an hellish landscape between the zenith of the Overworld with the Underworld, proped her Earth Chakra outwards, partially grinding the hard rock into gravel and sand, continuously probing with her chakra until she found something that was neither. The face of the rock fell away, revealing a rip of iron ore, it's vein marring the naked black rock with the color of Blood. The Hematite vein was pressured and hard, akin to Tungsten, yet completely unphased by the extreme heat that was being felt By then, even Isabella was sweating from the boiling temperatures around, and touching the iron ore would singe and sear her skin if not carefull, as she has started to take some damage. The blood of the fallen had permeated the iron ore, and it had become hardened and crimson. She named this Hematite strand Blood Metal Ore, and used her Earth Chakra to dislodge great pieces of it, as the surrounding bedrock desintegrated away from the scarlet veins.
Rank: A
Range: Short-Long
Chakra Cost: 30
Damage Points: N/A
Description: This Jutsu is based on the Earth Chakra's abilities to harden or soften any earth feature. By slamming the user's palm on the ground, or on any thrown or erupted earth structure, the user is able to harden or soften the said structure, all at once. The technique is based on the user's chakra reservations, and thus the area and volume of the feature the user wishes to change varies with it.
As described this technique has two variants:
(Buru no Ai Naguriai ) Bison's Love Fist, which allows the structure struck by the right hand to harden immediately. Basically, any soft structure, such as Sand, Gravel or Mud (Created by Earth Release (Canon Element), not Mud Release (Custom Element)) will turn into rock.
(Ushi no Nyuujou Kissu) Cow's Milky Kiss, which allows the structure struck by the left hand to soften immediately. Basically, any hard structure, such as Rock, Harden Mud or Earth will turn into sand.
*Can only be used 3 times per battle*
Pulling out a scroll, she wrote the kanji for Earth and dubbed the scroll Blood Metal Ore. A single handseal activated the inscription and she sealed within the scroll large quantities of the crimson ore, enough for many a weapons and tools for Marzan to use. She felt tired, but content with her findings, trecking up the dark chasm to the surface, where she breathed freely again, despite the air of death and desolation, and the heavy scent of blood that exuded from all around and even from her Sealing Scroll.
Rank: B-Rank
Type: Supplementary
Range: Short
Chakra Cost: 20
Damage Points: N/A
Description: The user takes out a scroll, and writes the name of the element they wish to seal in it. They then make four handseals, and a vapour comes out of the scroll, envelops the technique they wish to seal and seals it back into the scroll.
Note: This technique can only seal one technique up to S-rank per usage
Note: This technique may be used only thrice.
