The sun's first orange rays glinted off Ebon's straw hat. He'd been up long before dawn, examining his twin short swords, Yin and Yang. Each 25-centimeter blade radiated an intense cold that felt like frostbite against his skin.
These blades made him feel powerful, but also another feeling that he couldn't quite grasp yet.
Yet, Ebon felt as if the thing that these swords represent, balance, didn't suit him, he was not the one, no, he wasn't worthy to wield the swords of balance.
He returned the blades back into their scabbards, both as cold as the blades themselves. Now Ebon had the urge to hunt. To test these new blades with all he could, he felt as if he could take down an entire dynasty on his own.
Ebon knew he had a disadvantage, his inability to use qi, but it didn't stop him, he wanted to test his luck. Ashura, The Demon of The Poison Mist. The spear wielding bastard that Ebon couldn't get a read on for years, the one person he could consider his rival, the one person he knew or a fact was stronger than him.
He gritted his teeth hard, drawing blood from the inside of his lip as he bit down, trying to keep himself calm while thinking about him.
Ebon stood from his bed, stretching his body slightly before leaving his room, he closed the room behind him. He looked to his left, Gigi was already waiting for him. "You going to fight your best friend again?" she said playfully, releasing a huge cloud of smoke from her mouth. "Oh, and put that sword away." She pushed down the tip of Ebon's sword, which was inches away from her neck, ducking under them before getting close to his face.
"You'll still lose." She said before descending the stairs. Ebon's grip hardened before sheathing his blades, his demeanor becoming slightly more serious as he walked down each step, his hand gripped tightly on the railing. Those who saw him held their breath, they could feel the rage radiating off of him, it was like this everytime he faced Ashura.
Even though Ebon never spoke, his intent was always clear.
He left the Inn, closing the sliding door shut, but before it could close, someone from the inside grabbed the door, It was Gigi. "Don't mind me, just going for a walk." She walked outside of the inn, now adorning a long white doctor-like robe, "I'm not going to let you die like this, Ebon." She patted him on his back as they began to walk, her hand lingering moments longer than needed.
"Come back to the dojo." Ebon shook his head, not even looking toward Gigi. He hated the very mention of that place. "C'mon, you know he meant well. He could still teach you a lot of thin—"
Ebon's aura flared, his bloodlust so intense for a moment that she fell silent.
Ebon's rage was something nobody wanted to test.
It was palpable, like something people could reach out and grab. Ebon carried a lot of pent-up rage, especially toward Egura.
Egura had tried to take Ebon in when he was younger, offering him a place to return to after wandering. But Egura had made one crucial mistake: he'd removed the bandages covering Ebon's face.
Egura is the only person known to have seen Ebon's face, aside from the man who gave him the name Ebon. Yet Egura never speaks of it. Whenever asked, his demeanor shifts; he grows serious and doesn't answer. If you're foolish enough to ask about the face of that boy, you'll be banned from ever stepping foot in his dojo.
Egura was also the one who taught Ashura the way of the spear.
…
...
The mist that had rolled in was making their breaths shorter, their lungs feeling like they were full with each small breath.
Ebon and Gigi continued their "journey" to find Ashura once more, he's always hard to track, but you'll know when you're in his presence, it's unmistakable.
The death that follows him cannot be missed.
The terrain around them looked as if the undead would be crawling everywhere, yet it was barren, not a soul in sight. The mist around them was heavy, they could barely see more than 6 meters ahead of them, yet they could feel eyes piercing into the back of their heads. They were being watched.
From the depths of the fog, a deep growl was heard, it sounded animalistic. It was fast, clashing its claws against the blade of Ebon's sword, the creature was humanoid, it had tried to go for Gigi's neck with its claws but Ebon was fast enough to intercept.
The sound was like steel on steel, ringing uncomfortably in their ears.
Ebon lifted his leg and planted a kick into the creature's chest. It screeched, flying back into the dense mist.
It roared, unleashing an aura only Gigi could feel, it was qi. This unnatural, inhuman being wielded such evil qi that it materialized as an evil aura around itself. This thing is a ghoul.
The malice in its aura was so potent that even Ebon could see it. He brandished his twin blades, each one dripping with a visible coldness.
Ebon dashed forward, blades in a reverse grip, his body low and lethal, slashing upward to split the skull of the ghoul yet it dodged with ease, its claws aiming for vital spots on Ebon's neck.
Ebon was quick, raising one blade to deflect the ghouls nails while using his other to try and pierce through its stomach. Once the blade started to pierce the ghouls skin, drawing the slightest bit of blood, the ghoul jumped back, squealing loudly as it landed.
The ghoul started to chant, its voice was twisted, fractured and cut through the mist with an eerie ease, hoping to cast some sort of spell, but before it could, "Rancor!" Gigi's finger ignited in black and white flames, the skulls of the damned screeching as they flew from the fire, latching onto the ghoul and draining the life from every part they touched.
Ebon took the moment to take off the head of the ghoul in one graceful slash, beautiful in motion. He turned around swiftly, sheathing his blades as he turned around. "That's not how you kill a ghoul Ebon!" Gigi screamed, pointing at the creature that was once more lunging at Ebon, its intent to kill heavy.
Ebon spun, raising his blades in defense as he was blown back by the attack of the ghoul, the strike sending immense vibrations through Ebon's body. Its aura is more violent than before, whipping around violently, raising the earth around it. Ebon dug his sword into the ground, creating a trench as he tried to slow himself.
Ebon's mind is a blur right now, trying to remember the correct way to finish a ghoul for good until.. He launches himself forward, the ghoul rushing head to head with him. Ebon spun to the left, driving his blade Yang, into the skull of the beast from its temple.
The ghoul, dazed, tried to locate Ebon, kicking up dust as it spun around, but it was too late, his ice cold blade had pierced through its heart, the resistance on flesh and bone only feeling like paper to his new blade, twisting the blade with a fierce intensity. The mark left behind was gruesome, bleeding heavily with the black blood of a Dreadspawn. "That's more like it." Gigi said, walking up to Ebon and placing a hand on his shoulder.
Gigi extended her hand towards the corpse of the ghoul, creating a qi blade around her hand and plunging it into its back. She carved out its heart, holding the black mass in her hands before crushing it. "I take no chances." she said under her breath, wiping his hands onto her now blood stained white cloak.
"Seriously, you can't remember how to kill a basic ghoul yet you want to fight that monster?" She sighed and rolled her eyes, sticking her hands in her pockets as she continued to walk, "I'm not surprised that you've lost every time."
Ebon hated to listen to Gigi, yet he knew she was right. He sheathed his blades, what looks like frozen water vapor leaking from the scabbard as it is closed. He adjusted his hat and caught up to Gigi, continuing their search for The Demon of The Poison Mist.