The bull dragged its hooves on the ground, kicking up dirt as it prepared to charge. Its eyes gleamed with fury, red flames flickering across its body. Smoke billowed from its nostrils with each snort, filling the air with the acrid scent of burning. The people standing with Princess Imani froze, their breath caught in their throats, too afraid to make any sudden movements.
The bull let out another loud roar, the sound echoing through the abandoned palace courtyard, its power reverberating in their chests. The soldiers tensed, their weapons aimed at the massive beast. With a sudden lurch, the bull took a step forward, and that was all the soldiers needed. Beams of energy erupted from their firearms, slamming into the bull with precision.
The bull was caught off guard by the sudden attack, its massive frame shuddering from the barrage of beams. The force of the energy blasts pushed it back, but it quickly steadied itself, the flames on its body intensifying in response. While the bull was distracted, the Qi soldiers took the opportunity to pull Princess Imani and the other explorers back into the safety of the palace.
From the entrance, Princess Imani watched anxiously. "We have to get them out of there," she urged, her voice filled with worry.
"We will, Princess. But you must stay here where it's safe," the leader of the Qi soldiers responded firmly.
Outside, the soldiers continued their assault, but the bull had had enough. With a deep, guttural snort, it flared its nostrils, and the flames along its body surged even brighter. The beams that had once pushed it back now fizzled out, disintegrated by a barrier of pure, flaming Qi. The bull roared, and a wave of scorching energy burst outward, sending the soldiers to their knees as they struggled against the overwhelming heat.
Suddenly, a shield of Qi formed around them, created by the six elite Qi soldiers from the Obarisiagbon Clan. Their collective effort blocked the flames, allowing the soldiers to recover.
The bull snorted again, lowering its head, preparing to charge. But before it could move, something shot past the soldiers with blinding speed. Thanos sprinted forward, his body radiating with Qi, his gauntlets sparking with energy. The earth cracked beneath his feet as he hurled himself directly into the path of the charging bull.
With a guttural roar of his own, Thanos met the beast head-on, slamming his gauntleted hands into its massive horns. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground. His muscles strained as he held the bull in place, his feet digging into the earth as he wrestled against the creature's immense strength. For a moment, it seemed like a stalemate, the bull's flaming Qi clashing against the sheer force of Thanos' will.
With a fierce shout, Thanos pivoted, using the bull's momentum against it. He spun and flung the beast to the side. The bull sailed through the air and crashed into a nearby stone wall, which collapsed under the impact.
Thanos exhaled heavily, his muscles pulsing with adrenaline as he glared at the rubble. "Stay down, you cow," he muttered.
But the bull wasn't finished yet. It burst out from the debris, its flames even more intense, its eyes blazing with fury. It charged again, faster this time, its entire body consumed by a fiery aura.
Thanos readied himself for another round, but before he could move, Shino appeared beside him, his katana gleaming in the light of the bull's flames.
"You're too battle-hungry, Thanos," Shino said with a smirk, his voice calm despite the chaos around them. "Let's finish this in one strike."
Shino stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his katana. His eyes narrowed as he muttered under his breath, "Sword of the Mind, Sword of the Mist."
In an instant, everything fell silent. The sounds of the battle, the roar of the flames—everything ceased, as if the entire world had been muted. Even the bull's flames seemed to calm, flickering as if in fear of the swordsman approaching it.
With a smooth, practiced motion, Shino unsheathed his katana and brought it down in one clean arc. The blade cut through the bull's neck with such precision that the beast didn't even have time to react. Its massive head hit the ground with a thud, followed by the rest of its body.
Shino swung his blade once, flicking the blood from its edge, and sheathed it with a satisfied sigh. "I'm making my way to junior captain soon if you don't up your game," he teased, patting Thanos on the back.
Thanos scowled. "Nah, that ain't right. You stole my kill."
"And you let me steal it," Shino shot back with a shrug.
Thanos grumbled under his breath, but the tension broke, and the team took a few moments to recuperate. The bull was dead, but they couldn't afford to let their guard down. They scouted the area thoroughly, ensuring there were no more threats lurking nearby. Surprisingly, they found nothing else, though the eerie silence of the abandoned estate made them uneasy.
After a while, Princess Imani and her team rejoined them, and the group began to explore deeper into the palace. As they walked, one of the researchers, clutching a set of old scrolls, excitedly shared what they had discovered.
"Through these messaging scrolls and documents, we've confirmed that this estate belonged to Himejima Gyu, an old warlord and one of the original members of the Seven Great Families," the researcher explained.
"Legend has it that he was a master cultivator and blacksmith, known for creating powerful techniques and schools. One of his most famous techniques was the Seven-Layered Golden Body, a technique that made his skin impenetrable, like gold. He passed it down only to his direct descendants. And till today the Himejima clan still use this technique, as it has solidified their stay in the family even with the blessings from the gods. "
As they walked, they came upon an archway with bold letters inscribed above it: *Himejima Blacksmith School*. The letters seemed to shimmer as if they were alive, ready to leap off the stone at any moment.
"Himejima Gyu was also a renowned painter, and sculptor," Princess Imani added, marveling at the craftsmanship. "It's said that he reached such mastery in his art that his drawings could come to life and fight for him. This must be one of his creations."
They ventured into the building, finding a large hall filled with blueprints for armor and weapons. Further inside, they discovered rooms full of rare ores and weapons, meticulously preserved despite the passage of time.
Then, as they entered another room, they noticed a mechanical box resting in the corner. One of the soldiers reached out to touch it, and a strange noise echoed through the chamber. A voice, soft but commanding, spoke from the box.
"To those who have found this place, I am Gyu Himejima, the last lord of this estate. I leave this message as a gift to the future. The weapons and armor you see before you are no ordinary tools of war. Each one was crafted by my own hands, and each has been imbued with sentience. They will choose their wielder."The voice paused, then continued, more somber now.
"The Himejima clan once ruled these lands, but not without cost. Long ago, we faced a bitter conflict with a rival clan. Though they were smaller, they were cunning, and we underestimated them. After losses on both sides, we reached a truce. My Himejima family, were only a branch of the main Himejima clan, and we didn't want to vring the main branch to resolve our issues for us, and as part of the agreement, we chose to leave this place. Our legacy, however, remains. These weapons, this knowledge—these are my gifts to those who come after. May you wield them with honor."The room fell silent once more as the voice faded, leaving the explorers and Qi soldiers in awe."Looks like we've stumbled upon more than just an old estate," Thanos said, his eyes scanning the weapons around him."Indeed," Princess Imani replied. "These are the treasures of a warlord—Gyu Himejima's final gift to the world. Alright everyon, don't be shy pick one the rest will be taken to the palace."
"Your majesty are you sure the weapon should be distributed like this, should we not get the king's permission?" One royal guard asked.
Princess Imani gave the guard a blunt stare, causing the guard to take a step back, "my authority is enough."
Everyone moved round the room touching various weapons. But Thanos hadn't touched anything yet, he was busy looking for something. Thanos enjoys fighting with his fists, and although he knows how to use other weapons he prefers the gauntlets and that is what he is searching for. He looked around hoping to find at least one pair gauntlets. It would be no surprise if he found none for there are very few bare knuckle fighters or soldiers.
Thanos went deeper into the armory, and stumbled upon a door and beside it on the wall was a parchment and on it was written to the valiant warriors like me who do not fear to get within arms length of the enemy.
Thanos opened the door and walked in and to his surprise he found the room filled with gauntlets. He counted about thirty. He quickly walked around excitedly touching every one he came across. Until he laid his eyes on a pair of golden gauntlets. He placed his hands on them, feeling the beautiful patterns in them. He attempted to pick up the gauntlets, only to hear a loud voice in his head, " Who dares claim me, the Empyrean golden gauntlets ?!!!!"