***-Arisu's Prospective-***
***
Darkness brought forth a world I wished to forget.
Red marble pillars, brightly burning braziers, tatami mats and all sorts of elegant furniture. I sat on my knees on a small pillow sparing directly at someone who caused me no small amount of pain.
"Guess this means I died again"
This place was fit for only one kind of woman, the Goddess that brought me back to life in a way that served as punishment.
"Perhaps. What was the last thing you remember?"
Kuzunoha, a nine-tailed Kitsune from what I once believed to be a fairy tale, had reached godhood and now dwelled within the 'Pools of Reflection'. Her soothing feminine voice both haunted and comforted me.
She wore an elegant red kimono, decorated with amazing green and gold embroidery depicting nature. In her right hand, a smoking pipe, her left, a red spotted shallow sake cup.
A body practically identical to mine. Pure white eyes matching her long flowing hair, wearing her clothes in a manner that accentuated beauty, cleavage and all. She could pass as a supermodel where I came from.
All with the enlarged natural assets to boot. An aspect I wish she didn't force me to inherit.
And of course, nine fox tails behind her emanating glowing white spirit energy like a rising white sun on a red planet.
"I was- in a field. There were some Paladins… and a girl that looked Japanese. I'm pretty sure we won, right?"
***
Our environment shifted in an instant and we stood in a zen courtyard amongst perfectly raked tiny white pebbles. Large bonsai trees with leaves of three seasons let their growth by a sudden gust of wind.
"Hmm, walk with me"
Nostalgia clouded my mind as we wandered down never-ending garden.
The first and last time was almost a year ago. It felt like an eternity as we went over my entire life. After witnessing everything, she had asked me a simple question; 'If you could do it all again, what would you change?'.
My past life was full of regrets.
Although I lucked out and happened to be brought up by rich parents, they wanted me to exceed them in every way. Because they ran a large multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company, I was taught since birth how to take over.
Private tutors on call from dawn to dusk. Ambition sunk its teeth in once several teachers labeled me as a genius. In reality, it was only expedited education.
At least it came with a degree of freedom. Something I eventually abused to no end. My logic was simple; 'If I had to work harder than anyone, then I'd relieve stress on that same level'. That was the excuse I always fell back on.
It started when I was twelve, indulging myself in lust. Relations with one of my oh so expensive tutors. From there, it only got worse.
Experiences so degenerate and unpunished, only the greater will of the world could strike back. In the eyes of my out of touch parents, it was that initial intimate action that got me hooked. Therefore, the tutor was to blame.
Money poured into the pockets of those that needed to be silenced, legal threats to those that could not be bought.
Nothing could stop me ruining lives as I sought out pleasure. At some point I crossed a line and woke up to more than police followed by a multitude of press, each clawing to see the horrors left in an unstable individual's room.
Two entered, one left, the other gave up on hope.
It wasn't my fault. That's what I told myself, and yet I still refused to change. Then, at sixteen, I was diagnosed with a terminal illness, poetic justice.
'If I'm going to die, why stop now?'
Over two years later, once I had my fill and could no longer withstand the treatments, we took flight. Over a sea of clouds at sunset awaiting euthanasia, I looked out the window of my parents' private jet, and something looked back.
It wasn't from my world.
I was killed by a dragon, one that somehow escaped; 'Father Earth'. The barriers between both worlds weakening to the point where a monster could traverse between was an omen that the end of the worlds was approaching.
"Do you remember the answer you gave me?"
Nothing I could say would convey my frustration, so instead, I simply exhaled as a response to the Goddess question, exhausted by the idea of the predicament I was in.
How could anyone explain the plight of being stuck in the body of a weak spirit fox, barely able to transform into anything but an animal, let alone relate to it? Any other race would've been better than what I had become.
"You'd change everything, and so I gave you that chance"
"Why am I here? Is it another one of your tricks?"
"My-my, irritable are we?"
Our location reverted back to the dark red halls with the shake of her tails and sound of nine brass bells.
"You act like you've done nothing wrong"
"I only tilted the scales in a way that could grant you some much needed perspective as my very own envoy"
Once upon a time I had everything, including a body strong enough to take care of myself, now I could barely lift a few bags of rice and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't grow stronger, not physically.
"Ironic. The neet Goddess talking to me about prospective? Say it isn't so"
"How else am I going to enjoy watching your antics? A human soul in a kitsune's body? There's bound to be compatibility issues"
"Look, I'm doing what I can to find and stop this apocalypse that's meant to be drawing near. The least you could do is help me out. Those 'issues' are really starting to cause problems for people that aren't involved. Innocent people"
"Yes-yes, I see the anger in your soul. I'll see what I can do. However, those seeds I planted are yours to cultivate and prune. Only when you accept the fruits of your labor, can you enjoy its sweet taste"
Getting a straight answer from a creature known for its cunning behavior seemed like a pointless task. She'd point me in the right direction blindfolded and expect me to draw a map.
"Mess with me all you want, but I swear if-"
"Make no mistake, those coals beneath your feet were laid by you. Every step taken has been of resistance. Watching you find out you're not a narcissist in the traditional sense was rather entertaining"
"Just fix this damn body"
So she's seen everything? Cold hard bi-
"Did you forget our first meeting so quickly? Those thoughts will get you in trouble"
"Would you like me to start listing off the horrible things I've just found out knowing you've been watching me this whole time? Let's start with all the perverted fetishes you have"
Barely a smile behind gritted teeth kept me from biting her head off. If both of us knew what had occurred over the course of a year, then Kuzunoha shouldn't push her luck. She was a Goddess, yes, but one bound by heroes.
Specifically, the man that dropped my body into her pool. A wizard powerful enough to freeze me in time, on the very brink of death so my soul could be recovered. Besides, if all else failed, Enda wouldn't mind adding the tails of a Kami to her mantle.
It'd been a while since she killed a god.
"All business I see, very well. Any change made could result in unforeseen consequences. Weaving soul and foreign body has granted you advantages that would make other envoys jealous"
"Spare me. I'm not doing this for clout. Save the world or die trying, that was the price I agreed to pay. Can't do that with a body that needs to sleep as much as it stays awake"
"I'll see what I can do"
"Thank you"
I'd been holding back the feelings of pure hatred, embarrassment and vitriol for so long with nobody to talk to. Yet here I was, face to face with the woman that turned me into a Kitsune and caused inconceivable pain.
"Answer me, why am I here if I'm not dead?"
"Enda was about to do something rather reckless. With a flick of your wrist, it was stopped. Thank me later"
The implication that she could take control of my body at any time made me uneasy. All the more reason to have a stronger connection to it.
Gods believe every move they make is correct. As her goal aligned with mine, I believed her, even if I found her methods deplorable.
"Alas, we appear to be out of time. I'll be in touch"
In an instant, our spiritual connection was severed.
***
I awoke to a world without color. Patches of black, white and grey formed all the details. This was my awakened state, wholeheartedly powerful yet inconceivably weak.
In a dueling ring within a staging village attached to a large fort. Broken-Blade without a doubt. The location of an infamous battle that led to a Relics destruction by the hand of a Yokai.
Under normal circumstances, a Kitsune couldn't even compete with one of Enda's copies and because I was part god, part spirit and part moral, my body operated a little differently.
The single advantage I possessed; Speed. Faster than fate itself.
And when the world loses all color, it stands almost entirely still. Time itself had not stopped, no, it was only me moving at the speed of red light.
This ability had two glaring flaws. First, I couldn't control it. When someone's life was in danger that was nearby or I had bonded with, that's when it activated. The only exception was if I ate a 'Berserker fruit'.
Secondly, each time this occurred, my senses faded completely. No touch, sound, smell or taste. Only sight which lacked color.
As such, I came to instinctively know what needed to be done and reached into my left sleeve. Inside, a hidden grip clipped onto my forearms armor, the handle of a tachi.
An honor-bound Relic that came with its own set of rules and advantages.
Both blade and grip could reconfigure themselves for length aligning with my cause, as each inch separated itself into four sections. If needed, the thirty inch blade could be one hundred and twenty, or merely seven if so desired. The Relics name; 'Unforged'.
A single thread of red light kept all the pieces together like razor blades glued to a whip, as each shard stuck to my armor following the arch of my arms underneath the white robe.
When the weapon was drawn and configured into its base tachi form, I coated it in my Aura, as if cleaning blood off the blade. A process that would be a whole lot easier with a scabbard.
Nevertheless, losing focus had almost cost me my life before, so I launched forward.
My target was a steel dagger wielded by a young Yokai I was familiar with. Her troubles, struggles, trials and tribulations stacked high enough that I found it shocking she was still alive.
Unfortunately, in trying to kill someone in cold blood, I had to take action against her. Moving at speed to save another was risky for all involved.
The white robes around my body hardened into an angular shell for this express purpose, like a race car's exterior shell designed for aerodynamics in mind.
Although it did make me partially look like a paper origami crane for a brief period of time, most would never be able to conceive the sight.
Step by step, dirt kicked up in slow motion and I performed a perfect overhead strike through tempered metal.
I knew the Orphan wouldn't be able to withstand the blast force resulting from my actions with his malnourished body, so I twisted my body and let the Oni take the brunt of it. This wasn't without a chance of her death.
This world is brutal, and I had faith that the girl was more durable than anyone yet knew.
Task complete, boots slammed into the ground, a hidden exoskeleton within my padded black under armor aided with stopping abruptly alongside my robes changing shape once more similar to an umbrella.
Gravity brought everything back to normal before anyone noticed. Color quickly returned to the world.
They say to be 'awakened' is to have the will of one's soul made manifest. Such a ridiculous power to deny fate its inevitable harvest was mine.
***
Crap! Too fast!
I fell onto a large wooden log with a thud, failing to slow down quick enough before exiting my awakened state.
A loud bang rang out as I broke the sound barrier and both duelists found themselves knocked down. Pain, nausea, and tingling flushed over me.
After vomiting over the fighting rings barrier and cracking a small red rock on my neck, I checked to see if everyone was okay.
"Damn, that's one less card up my sleeve"
Developing an allergic reaction may have been one the unintended side effects Kuzunoha was referring too. Or it may be something else, but it was best not to dwell on it for now.
Both concussed… No broken bones by the looks of it- they'll be fine
Ota was certainly banged up, blood running down her forehead with bruises beginning to form over her already scared body, yet she still breathed, erratic as it was. I had plenty of supplies to heal her if needed. Even if it was crude and unrefined, unlike healing potions.
Sadly, that type of aid severely lacked effectiveness on Yokai, and more so on my annoying body.
"Wha-what happened?"
The Orphan looked at me confused, showing concern for the woman who tried to kill him. At this point, I couldn't tell if he was naive, stupid or perhaps a bit too caring.
His battered shirt slowly stained itself with his blood.
A familiar, yet rare, hum of an approaching unclaimed Relic called out. Like a dog picking up on a high frequency, this Fox Envoy body picked up on certain sounds and smells greater than most of the population.
One glance off in the distance, movement of two objects spurred enthusiasm.
"Congrats, both of ya. I've only seen a few, even so, two at the same time is a first"
Relics, items that choose their master and hold inconceivable power. To receive them at such an early turning point could be the best, or worst thing to ever happen to them. Superstition or not, conflict would be drawn to both of them.
Enda probably wished to adopt the boy just to keep an eye on him, using all the excuses in the book to justify her gaze. Nobody sends a fortune to a Witch who owns an entire city and expects their wish fulfilled.
Yet someone sends her that scale along with a letter, requesting protection of an unnamed boy that lives in a town that by all rights should be flourishing.
Now that unremarkable kid had earned himself something that'd grow alongside him.
Maybe I should look into his family
Two thuds and a scream of pain later, a Relic landed besides both Ota and Orphan. Wet meat slammed the ground outside the ring, Eyebore's arm.
Knowing what chose the Orphan, I understood Enda and her thirteenth Copy's desire to stop him from picking it up.
Ota received a red stone known as the 'Heart of Defense'. If she could cultivate something worth protecting, it'd serve her well.
"Wait!"
Enda desperately shouted out, having run to the edge of an overlooking marble balcony attached to the large stone castle of Broken-Blade Fort.
She should have known there was nothing anybody could do once someone was chosen. Yet emotions always flourish before logic can take control.
This boy received the very thing her lover once used to defeat a threat that seemed poised to destroy the world. Almost ninety years later, she still grieved for her loss.
***
"ARGHHAA!"
Ota shouted in pain as the gem entered her chest and attached to her heart. Twisting, contorting, her fingers dug into the dirt. No amount of struggle eased the immense fire spreading under her skin.
Minute after minute of unwavering agony, the experience shocked onlookers to the core.
This entire event drew the eyes of almost all that resided within the Fort. Each individual watched in silence as the Oni was tortured by her new power that sought to weave itself through her body.
Whatever hatred they felt before towards the young girl that could only scream through her suffering faded from their eyes, replaced by an emotion the Oni would despise all the same, pity.
Finally, it stopped and she too was left unconscious like the boy.
"Let's leave while we can"
"Right"
Eyebore, with a tourniquet around the base of her right shoulder, spoke up as she walked past, leaving behind her arm as it turned to dust. Kneeling down next to the Orphan, she tried to pick him up with a limb she no longer had.
Without saying a word, I helped lift the boy over her shoulder, using what little strength I had. Somehow, he clung to his Relic despite being asleep.
Thirteen was in shock, unable to grasp recent events.
She probably knew that 'Forgotten Hero' guy
Deciding not to dwell on it, I walked over to the Paladin who fidgeted with every step I took closing the gap.
"You, what's your name? You're real name"
"Uh!- it's Tsumugi. M-Makino Tsumugi…"
"Well, Tsu-Chan, I'm Himura Arisu and I suspect you're not from here"
"How'd you!- I-"
"We'll talk later, without onlookers"
Tsumugi eased up as I sheathed my Relic back from where I drew it like some sort of practical disappearing act. It caught her by surprise, yet she enjoyed the quick gesture as if she believed I'd done it to entertain her.
Either way, she didn't feel threatened by me anymore, so with her help, we lifted Ota up and carried her by our shoulders to the stables.
Luck would have it that a cart and animal was ready to go.
A 'Newt' was attached to the front. Not the kind used in a witches brew, rather, a big lizard that resembled more of an Ox than anything else awaited our arrival. Stubby legs, tired eyes and a spotty pattern with vibrant colors.
These simple minded beasts of burden made for excellent tamable animals suited for a variety of tasks, or so Enda says.
"So, -urgh!- been around Boree for about a year, right?"
"!"
The Japanese girl looked at me as if I was some sort of mind reader as we lifted Ota onto the back of the bland wooden cart.
"There was a rumor floating around when I first got here about Boree trying to summon people and implant 'Blessings'. Turned out to be true according to one partially nosey Daemon"
I turned to the girl that had no particular look of power swelling within. Their experiment must have been a bust, and so she was thrown to the wolves.
"Anyway, I'm sorry for scaring you back there. You kinda remind me of someone I used to know- back before all this stuff. Come, ride shotgun. You haven't forgotten what that is right?"
"No!- I- I'm just a little overwhelmed"
After positioning the Oni safely on the back, she made her way down to the left side of the cart.
Eyes fixated on dirt and rock, a mouth nervously trembling. It'd take time to build up a friendship, aided with a little piece of mind.
Yep, definitely Japanese. Must have been in highschool before she was sent here. Best I can do is at least offer her a place to stay
"Hey, ya like books?"
"Yeah…sort of"
Tsumugi refused to make eye contact, even when helping her up the front bench of our cart. Almost as if recalling a bittersweet occurrence from her past.
As soon as Eyebore lifted the unconscious Orphan up next to Ota, I offered the girl a bit of hope.
"Well then do I have a deal for you!"
Looking to the back of the cart, Eyebore was applying some basic first aid, bandages and disinfectant to the duelists. Her identical clothing to Enda was seemingly stocked with supplies in their weird quiver pockets.
Need to come up with a name for the kid at some point too. I don't want to risk Enda calling him something stupid
A facet of this worlds culture I found interesting was the insistence to only use healing magic in times of need. They preferred to let their bodies heal naturally, like setting a bone, as they believed it allowed them to grow stronger.
***
After a minute passed, Enda joined us with her staff in a regenerated arm. It always struck me as odd that Irminsul was never completely absorbed by the Destroyer all those years ago. Irmin was a twig, sure, but the power held within him wasn't anything to scoff at. That, and that it grew a personality.
With the flick of the reigns, we set off back home with two new soon-to-be residents.