The air was cold. Shivers ran down the spines of everyone in the vicinity, including the Tansu vessels. Tanjo was cradling Kaminari Nozomu's body, his tears dripping onto the lifeless form as muffled whimpers escaped the boy's throat. Nozomu's blood persisted, staining the soil and smearing against Tanjo's hands. Despite calling out to his father, the boy received no response.
No amount of naivety could save Tanjo from his current reality.
"Any more offers?" Regashi's sinister voice rang through the area, his eyes glimmering menacingly.
Nobody dared to move an inch, a million thoughts rushing through their minds. The true extent of Regashi's abilities were entirely unknown, and if Nozomu, the fastest and strongest of the remaining Tansu vessels, was utterly eviscerated in such a careless fashion, what could anyone else do? Reiwa was thought to have been the strongest—the peak of overall magic, with his potency overwhelming any kind of warrior or curse. However, Regashi was different.
Regashi hummed, tilting his head. "Am I going to have to choose for you?"
Yuso's Shirugeto eyes suddenly whirled uncontrollably, his Aura Sense fluctuating as Regashi's eyes landed on him. Should he lash out? Discharge beams or pentagrams? Or should the youngest Takuetsu simply remain still and let the brown-haired man decide his fate? Regashi's mere gaze was significant enough to instill indecisive worry and apprehension.
'Shall my head be split, too?' Yuso thought, clenching his teeth. 'I can't simply let him go on.'
With his grin widening, Regashi eventually redirected his gaze, his eyes sweeping over the nearby warriors. There were the previous Furusato rulers, Yuso—the last remaining Takuetsu—and three Tansu vessels remaining. Tanjo's presence was purposely ignored, leaving the teenager to mourn.
Out of the multiple warriors present, only one happened to garner Regashi's attention: Reberu Manabu. Her hands were close to the ground, her breath shaky. The principal peered at Regashi through her loose strands of brown hair that draped over her face as she scowled hatefully. Regashi could sense the Tansu Beast within her starting to leak out of her body, its magic emanating around her.
"Going to attack me, Turtle Girl?" Regashi taunted, surveying the vessel intently.
Manabu narrowed her eyes spitefully.
"Asami," Manabu called out to her childhood friend, ire fueling her words. "I need you for this."
The blue-haired woman perked up, erasing the apprehension from her body. Asami nodded, channeling her Tansu Beast's magic to prepare for the upcoming conflict.
"Whatever you need, Rebbie." Asami replied, waiting for further instruction.
The principal of Buraunmajikku paused, glowering at Regashi. It was obvious that a myriad of thoughts and doubts seized her mind, but the determination in her expression triumphed over any amount of hesitation that was built up inside her heart. Manabu slowly balled her hands into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms.
"Make sure he dies from this." Manabu requested, heaving inward.
*RUMBLE!*
The entire Earth quaked dangerously, with the ground fracturing and emitting a deep hum that would typically indicate that a natural disaster was taking place.
XXX
Kronos, the god of time, anxiously observed the confrontation happening between Regashi and the others from way above Earth, floating in space as his divine eyes peered down. He witnessed Reberu Manabu, vessel of the stone turtle Kesseki, unleashed a colossal amount of magic. At first, there were no signs of an attack taking place—but then, shortly after the planet started to shake, Kronos watched as three pillars erupted from the sides of Earth, emerging from the depths of the ocean or from isolated land.
The earthen pillars dwarfed all of the land on the planet, soaring high into space before curving downward and surging toward one particular part of Earth.
'It won't destroy Earth. She made sure to cushion the collision a bit. But…' Kronos mentally noted, peering into the future.
The goal of the pillars would surely be tested.
XXX
The sky was temporarily blocked as the pillars came crashing down, each of the three colossal attacks directed at Regashi Ketsueki.
With a look of interest, Regashi craned his head to view the impending pillars. The man stood still, waiting as the pillars grew closer at an impressive velocity. Slowly, Regashi stretched his right arm outward from underneath his Furusato Unit cloak. His middle finger and thumb were pressed against each other tightly, preparing to snap.
"Sucks, doesn't it? Having to hold back against someone simply for the safety of others?" Regashi queried, his eyes landing on Asami.
Asami readied herself, meeting Regashi's gaze as the pillars closed the distance between them and the ground.
"Heiki! Put up a barrier that covers all but him!" Asami yelled, calling out to the amethyst-haired vessel.
With a nod, Shototsu raised both of his arms and materialized a shield purely made out of wind around the pillars. When the pillars would collide with the ground, only Regashi and where he stood would be greatly damaged, while everything else outside of that radius would be unscathed.
Regashi's eyes bore into Asami, his grin widening into a wicked smile. The blue-haired vessel felt extremely unnerved, staring at the leader of the Furusato Unit. She knew he was planning something but was unsure as to what.
Just as Manabu's pillars were about to collide with the ground—*SNAP!*—Regashi snapped his fingers, resulting in him and Asami switching places. Asami found herself standing directly beneath the colossal pillars, her eyes wide as she was unable to brace herself for the impact.
*CRASH!*
Guilt welled inside Manabu as she watched her childhood friend be crushed by her colossal pillars, the shockwave of the attack completely shielded by Shototsu's wind-made barrier.
"Asa!" Manabu called out to the vessel of Suijin, her mouth agape.
Regashi raised right hand over his eyes, pretending to look deep into the aftermath of the collision. "Good job, Turtle Girl! She isn't dead yet, but it definitely left some damage!"
Regashi pressed his left palm to the back of Manabu's neck, squeezing it firmly. Manabu's eyes widened, gleaming with understanding. Her lower jaw quivered, and she refused to move. Regashi towered above her, a wicked grin stretched across his face.
"That was almost more pointless than the lot of you," Regashi spoke coldly, only for his voice to raise a pitch. "However, since you had the spine to attack me…"
*CRUNCH!*
With a gruesome sound of her flesh ripping and bones crunching, Regashi's hand dug deep into Manabu's flesh, his fingers wrapping around her spine and pulling it out through her back. Searing pain rippled throughout Manabu's body as she became numb, her eyes rolling back as she toppled over. Principal Manabu was dead, the magic in her lifeless form wilting away.
"Regashi!" A certain voice called out to the brown-haired man, his head perking up slightly.
Heiki Shototsu stood tall, his breath heavy as he glared at Regashi Ketsueki. The amethyst-haired vessel was visibly frightened, but his stance was firm and unyielding. His hair swayed due to the wind building up around him. He was finally facing his former boss—the man of a thousand punishments and many more abilities. Not a single member of the Furusato Unit dared to purposely anger Regashi out of sheer fear of possible consequence. Shototsu, however, was challenging the notion head-on.
"I'm done being your minion!" Shototsu hollered, saliva spewing from his lips. "I have no reason to keep working under you!"
He was always living in fear—a victim of his emotions. Shototsu resented himself, acknowledging his lack of bravery and assertiveness. He was always a follower, whether it was of his childhood friends, the village he was restrained in, or the maniacal man he was bound to until now.
Seijun Hotaru was dead, Kaminari Nozomu was dead, and Reberu Manabu was dead—Shototsu, despite hating his timing, bit his tongue and stood before the most powerful individual he has ever met.
"Interesting." Regashi mumbled, shifting his body to face the amethyst-haired man.
Shototsu leaned forward, his hands tensed as the wind swept through his surroundings. He had some idea of Regashi's capabilities. The torment he could inflict on Shototsu; the complete devastation that might ensue. Heiki Shototsu no longer feared the presence of death or agony. How could he, when Regashi Ketsueki's presence proved to be more detrimental?
"Don't forget your roots, Shoto." The sinister leader stated, his eyes glimmering.
"Grngh!" Shototsu keeled over, gripping his chest.
Blood soaked through Shototsu's black shirt as a wound in his chest opened once again. The day Shototsu was captured by the Furusato Unit, he was too weak to fight back. His Tansu Beast was stowed away, and he had not fully exercised his magic in ages, resulting in Itami's wood piercing through him with ease during the invasion that took place at Asahi. But, because of Regashi, Shototsu was never able to heal the wound. The leader kept it subdued throughout Shototsu's employment as a member of the Furusato Unit, constantly reminding the amethyst-haired vessel of his weakness.
Although the pain was incessant, Shototsu stood up.
"Come on!" The vessel shouted, blood flying out of his mouth.
*SHINK!*
Without warning, a barrage of spikes made of ice surged toward Regashi at a rapid pace. After humming with disinterest, Regashi raised his left hand toward the incoming ice, causing it to halt abruptly. His manipulation of the space around him made any offensive attacks immensely difficult.
"Serpent Girl" Regashi addressed Asami, looking at the ice before him.
With a hoarse battle cry, Asami lunged at Regashi from beyond the ice, forming spears made of ice and launching them at the brown-haired man. Unfortunately, the spears happened to melt before reaching Regashi, falling to the ground as small puddles. Asami grunted as she waved both of her hands, creating water that emerged from the ground and swirled around Regashi.
"Heiki! Chip in here!" Asami yelled vehemently, her teeth grinding together.
Shototsu placed his hands together, his gaze glued to Regashi. A small cyclone whirled to life between the amethyst-haired man's palms, growing with every second.
"Turn the water into ice! I'll continue the movement!" Shototsu hollered, pushing his hands outward and releasing a tornado.
*FWORRRSHH!*
Asami swiftly transformed her spiraling water into ice, which was immediately sucked into Shototsu's tornado. The giant cyclone ravaged the earth, becoming visible from beyond the atmosphere. Asami's ice was promptly carried by the current of the wind, turning them into a violent wave of sharp spears that traveled through the air erratically.
"Blast 'em, now!" Asami shouted, forming a Genso-Kyu in her hands.
The amethyst-haired vessel nodded, materializing a Genso-Kyu of his own and discharging a potent blast at the same time as Asami. As the two beams of light connected with the massive cyclone and ice—*BOOM!*—a violent explosion tore through the battlefield.
The previous rulers of Furusato were quick to brace for the shockwave of the explosion, but they doubted that their magic would be enough to barricade themselves from the danger of the two Tansu vessels' blast.
*VRRMM!*
Fascinatingly, the kings and one queen never felt the impending shockwave as a crimson-red pentagram shimmered to life in front of them, taking the brunt of the explosion.
"I can't keep up with the current events!" Tsubasa Mibojin, the first ruler and queen of Furusato, yelled, squinting her eyes cautiously.
Once he shielded the previous rulers of Furusato, Yuso deftly flapped his feathery black wings and soared toward Tanjo—*VRRRMM!*—creating another pentagram that protected the teenager from Asami and Shototsu's attack on Regashi. Yuso grumbled irritably, glancing back at Tanjo with a vexed stare.
"Tanjo! Stop mourning and help fight!" Yuso hollered the boy's first name for the first time, letting his Shirugeto eyes whirl rampantly.
Tanjo was unresponsive, his face veiled by his jet-black hair. His blue headband swayed in the intense wind, along with his oversized gray cloak. The current reality of the world was catching up to Tanjo, and he appeared to be struggling internally. Yuso wondered if it was the same boy he fought—Tanjo was persistent and morally unrelenting, not letting the worst of things exacerbate any situation he found himself in.
Intelligence and emotional strength were two vastly different mental skills.
Eventually the debris that was lifted into the air subsided as the cyclone filled with ice dispersed. A deep crater was punched into the dirt, with Regashi kneeling in the center. Regashi's cloak was shredded with shards of ice lodged in his flesh. Blood trickled down his form as he breathed heavily. His green eyes were dimmer than usual as he held his left arm securely.
Asami and Shototsu were shocked by the effect of their attack, not expecting it to truly injure Regashi to such an extent.
"Now!" Asami yelled, angling her knees and leaping down into the crater.
Reeling her right arm back, Asami let ice grow around her arm, molding it into a thick spike. She traveled at speeds much faster than light as she charged at Regashi with a venomous glare, ready to strike the man down once and for all. Shototsu, on the other hand, did not move from his spot. He was bewildered by the relative ease behind Regashi's injuries.
When Asami closed the distance between her and Regashi, she shoved the icy spike that grew from her arm into the man's chest. Perhaps she was moving far too fast to feel it, but Asami failed to acknowledge exactly when she plunged her spike into Regashi. Her enhanced hearing did not pick up the sound of flesh ripping, nor did she feel Regashi's body weight opposing her movements as she impaled him.
"...What?" Asami gasped, her eyes landing on Regashi.
Surprisingly, with her icy spike lodged within Regashi, Asami noticed that there was no blood or fatal wound. She could not even feel Regashi's body, despite her arm tearing through his torso. It was as if he was not truly there. Regashi tilted his head up, his emerald-green eyes shining brightly.
"I must thank you for being such a good influence on Tanjo and Shoto." Regashi commended, grinning horrifically.
Before Asami could move a muscle, Shototsu's voice rang through her ears as he screamed, "Asami! It's not real!"
Asami's eyes widened as she saw a silhouette behind her. Spinning around hastily, the woman felt a hand clutch her shoulder tightly as she saw Regashi standing in front of her with his jaw unhinged.
*CHOMP!*
The remaining warriors, except for Tanjo, watched in horror as Regashi bit Asami's head off, his mouth stretched open enough to swallow it entirely. Asami's headless body flopped onto the uneven ground of the crater, her blood spilling into the earth. Regashi closed his mouth after chewing for a moment, wiping his lips courteously.
"I could taste the serpent in that bite." Regashi stated, humming pleasurably.
Shototsu fell to his knees, the wound in his chest overwhelming him. His vision became blurry as pain pulsed throughout his body. Physical and mental stress made it impossible for the amethyst-haired vessel to think straight. He was the last Tansu vessel alive—barely so.
"Why did the gods create… this…" Shototsu huffed, his consciousness fading.
Regashi ambled toward Shototsu, exiting the expansive crater in the ground. The leader of the Furusato Unit tilted his head, looking down at his former henchmen. Shototsu was in a pitifully pathetic state, unable to assume a fighting stance.
"Though you were mostly useless, you had some use for me. Had." Regashi spoke calmly, placing his hand on the vessel's head.
Shototsu groaned as he suddenly felt his soul being absorbed through the use of the Kekkan no Sosei. Regashi had the curse locked away within his body the entire time, watching as the last vessel's soul was swallowed into his palm.
"You're fired."
The light in Shototsu's eyes disappeared as he fell limply, indicating his death. All of the Tansu vessels and their beasts were officially dead, all of it because of one man: Regashi Ketsueki.
XXX
Regashi has been known to be pretty brutal and downright terrifying, but these fights only highlight just how strong he is! Who will face him next? Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_