"Form switching?"
Akane raised an eyebrow as she watched her brother practice with increased fervor. She sat on a log in the forest of Mount Benizakura with Ran sitting peacefully next to her. Her hand gently stroked her soft fur.
"Yeah. It's not like I'm losing anything. Form switching just allows me to add more variety to my form. Switching between two-sword and one-sword styles. It's like a river branching from two to one and back to two," Shin said.
"What a poetic way to describe 'I want to add more moves'," Vivi said, hovering in the air above them.
"Hey! I've been fighting with one sword all my life! I can adapt one sword to this new style. Besides, I'm starting with swords and then switching to guns," Shin said.
Training with his sister had been the norm now. It had gotten to the point where Shin needed to be reminded to go to his grandfather for training with his Matoi Kajiri. And that was something he already did here with his older sister.
He shifted his foot and began to work on his swings.
His movement resembled water in full flow, fluid yet powerful. Each strike arcing through the air with a satisfying whoosh.
Shin's movement and fluid footwork granted him great flexibility and freedom to move around the field, whilst maintaining the strength of his swings by deriving power from his center all the way to his arms.
"You might want to properly align your body there, bud," Akane said.
"Huh?" Shin stopped mid swing and saw his sister looking at his feet and shoulders.
Her Perfect Combat Vision was always capable of catching flaws in any style.
"Your shoulders and feet aren't properly aligned. If a more experienced fighter saw this in the heat of combat, they'd exploit it and knock you off balance. Did you forget the basics of fighting?" Akane asked.
"Er… sorry, Onee," Shin said.
He realigned himself and continued working.
"I heard from Vivi that Akeno called you the other day," she said.
Shin's eyes widened and he miscalculated his next step, tripping over himself and falling face first.
"S- Shin!" Akane got up and rushed over to him.
"Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling next to him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just surprised by… that," he said.
Akane blinked and saw her brother's ears were slowly turning red.
"Oh? What's wrong with me asking if Akeno called you, huh?" she asked, flicking his forehead.
"O- Ow! Onee!" Shin's hands flew to cover his forehead. "But it's not that… I…"
"Relax, I'm not here to pry. I was just making a statement. You don't need to react so harshly," Akane said, letting out a sigh.
She got up and held her hand out.
"Oh…" Shin said, grabbing her hand.
"Unless, is there something going on?" Akane teased.
A small mischievous smile appeared on her face when she saw Shin's face slowly turn red.
"There is! So… tell your Onee what happened," Akane said, leaning in to see her brother's flushed face.
"Nothing happened! I just talked to Akeno is what happened. Nothing out of the ordinary really went down," Shin said, trying not to look at his older sister's face.
Akane raised an eyebrow.
"That face means that something happened. Come on! Just tell me what happened," she said.
"No. Can we just focus on the training?" he replied.
His face was flushed and red in embarrassment. He did not need to tell his older sister about his newly discovered feelings for the Queen of Rias Gremory. Akane's overprotectiveness was very well known to him and everyone else in the entire school. One did not live with the Most Terrifying Female Existence and not know the reason why she was called that.
Shin shivered.
Akane sighed and let the topic go.
"Fine. But I will find out what you're hiding. It's only a matter of time." she playfully flicked his forehead.
Shin frowned and raised his hand to touch his forehead.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're trying to hide the fact that you have a crush on Akeno Himejima," Akane said, placing her hands on her hips.
It was a simple trick. Shin's reaction would say everything. She knew her brother well enough to know when she got the answer she wanted through his face.
And a reaction she got out indeed.
Shin sputtered and almost dropped his training swords again. His blush had intensified and filled his entire body.
A full blown nuclear blush.
Akane smirked but at the same time felt something stirring inside her. Perhaps it was her instinct as an older sister to protect her precious little brother yet at the same time, she felt extremely elated for her younger brother.
"So you do have a crush on Akeno Himejima!" she said, eyes lighting up.
"S- Shut! I- It's not like… I… ahhhh! Ahhhh!" Shin grabbed fistfuls of his hair and looked away from his sister in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.
"Aw, come on. Don't hide from me like that. I think it's cute," Akane teased, wrapping her arms around her brother's neck.
A feline smile graced her features and she poked her younger brother's reddened face.
"So when can I expect to be called Auntie Akane," she asked.
"O- Onee! I haven't even… we're not that far!" Shin stuttered, freeing himself from his older sister's hug.
"Well, are you going to ask her out when we get back?" Akane said.
"I have… bigger things to worry about, Onee," he replied with a deadpan expression on his face.
"I know. Just because you have to deal with Issei and Irina doesn't mean you can't pursue Akeno," she replied.
"But… I don't want to be the me of now when I ask her…," Shin said quietly.
Akane went silent at his statement. She reached her hand out and flicked Shin particularly hard in the forehead.
"O- Ow! What the hell?" he stumbled back and looked at her in shock.
"Stop putting yourself down. Everyone has flaws and no one is perfect. Take me and Riser for example. We fight sometimes. I can be a bitch and he can be an ass but at the end of the day, I wholeheartedly accept every part of Riser, even his flaws. Do you know why?" she asked.
Shin had an inkling as to what she was going to say but said nothing.
"Because I love Riser. I love Riser, flaws and all. Loving someone involves a lot of compromise. But don't ever change the person you are just to please another person. Don't ever compromise your integrity because someone asked you to. If she can't accept you for who you are right now, then you're better off finding someone else, Shin-chan," Akane said.
"Onee…" this was the first time Akane had ever given him advice beyond fighting.
It made his heart feel warm that even after their fight, their relationship had gone back to what it was. If he had to be honest, Shin just felt even guiltier at how he treated her.
"Though… if I were you, I'd just take the leap and ask her. At least, even if she says no, you'll have let her know how you feel," Akane said.
"I… we'll see, Onee," he replied.
"Now, come on. Ran is here. We can continue training to evolve your Matoi Kajiri," Akane said.
Shin nodded and sat down in front of his older sister.
"I wonder how Asia is doing," Shin said absentmindedly.
Unbeknownst to Shin, Asia had also been training.
The blonde girl panted as she fell to one knee, using her training sword as support. She was in the training yard of the Furude Manor. A large expanse of land located in the back of the house. The signs of training from various generations of the members of the Furude House could be seen practically everywhere. Slash marks. Old craters. Recent craters. Generations of people living here had been recorded as scars in the property and in the land. And with Asia, new scars would be recorded with time.
Her adoptive mother, Akari Faulkner nee Furude, was a harsh woman. It was only natural that Shin and Akane turned out as strong as they were. The woman before her was the former Lavender Star, having retired without finding an heir as Asia realized.
Of course, that meant that she left filling the position of a Star to her Sponsoring God.
Not to mention that Akari Faulkner was also a master in the art of the blade. Had her daughter not been born, she would be the strongest user of the Onigari-Ryu and the most powerful descendant of Akatsuki Furude.
"Asia! Focus!" her mother barked at her.
"You're as hard on her as you were on Shin and Akane," Rowan said.
Asia's green eyes turned to her adoptive father.
Despite his deceptively relaxed stance, her adoptive father was as strong as her mother. The former Cobalt Star who retired without an heir. The man was more relaxed than her older brother on a regular day. But from her training with him, the man was as harsh as his wife, if not more so at times. He praised sparingly during training and when he did, it was because he found something worth praising. But, he was a kind and caring father overall.
The only thing Asia found was that Rowan liked to mess with his wife way too often.
"R- Right!" Asia said, holding her practice blade in front of her.
"Shift your feet outward just a smidge," Akari said.
Asia looked down at her legs and nodded, shifting her feet apart just a bit more.
"Good. Now, begin." Akari held one hand behind her back and held her practice blade in front of her.
Asia charged at her adoptive mother with blinding speed, darting from space to space.
Shinsoku had been a technique she was getting used to. The ability to use ki or magic to enhance her speed. It was something she thought only experienced fighters could do. She jumped into the air and thrust her sword toward Akari.
And with her enhanced speed, tunnel vision was still a problem she had yet to overcome.
Akari parried each strike expertly.
She swiped her blade at a speed Asia could see.
Asia's green eyes widened considerably when she saw her mother's arcing blade heading toward her face.
She performed a backstep, gaining some distance between them before lowering her stance.
Onigari-Ryu: Senkoki!
Putting more power into her legs, Asia leaped into the air and thrust her sword downward, focusing all her forward momentum on the tip of the blade.
Akari narrowed her eyes and sidestepped, avoiding the attack.
Asia impacted the ground behind her, causing a large explosion of dirt and sending fragments of earth flying.
Akari and Rowan observed the aftermath of the impact and were pleased with what they saw.
A short fissure was seen in the ground before Asia.
"I think we can call it a day from here." Akari rested her blade on the shoulder.
"I… I can still… keep… going!" Asia said.
Her chest heaved up and down as she took in copious amounts of air. Sweat flowed from her forehead like a waterfall, soaking her clothes. She wiped some sweat off her brow and gulped, trying to wet the inside of her extremely dry mouth.
"You're tired. I don't want to train you to the point of collapse," Akari said.
"I…" Asia gripped her blade tightly and sighed.
Her mother was right. She needed to take a rest.
However, Yasuo's words from the day prior had planted a deep seed of self-doubt inside her. It replayed over and over inside her head like a broken record. Asia took a deep breath to calm herself down.
Now's not the time to snap, she thought.
She blinked when she felt a hand softly stroking her head. Her green eyes moved upward to meet the violet eyes of her adoptive mother.
A warm feeling filled Asia's chest and she felt at ease.
"You're doing well for someone who started learning the Onigari-Ryu at such a late age. Truly, the fight you had with Kokabiel must have pushed your body to the edge," Akari soothed.
The Law of Sentience had allowed her to sense the distress and turmoil that was brewing within Asia but she was not as callous as to pry into Asia's mind without her knowledge. Akari might have been a protective mother but she was not to that nosy.
"I just want to be able to help Shin and Akane," Asia mumbled.
Akari nodded.
She's facing the same issues as Shin is but it's different for her, she thought.
To her, Shin's issue stemmed from his inferiority complex toward his older sister. An inferiority complex that mixed into his adoration and idolization of her. Such a mix locked away any feelings of jealousy that Shin felt towards his older sister to the point that it only required one catalyst to bring it all out into the open. To her understanding, that catalyst came in the form of the God of the Abyss, Yaldabaoth.
But for Asia, her problem was different.
Akari sighed.
"Everyone has their own way of progressing. Shin-chan and Akane-chan were all in the same spot as you at some point. You'll find your reason to keep going and get stronger because of it," Akari said.
"What about you and Father? What were your reasons?" she asked.
Rowan smirked as if it were an obvious answer.
"You three of course. Me and Kari. Our reasons for fighting and getting to this level of strength," Rowan continued. "Was to protect what we had. Each other. And our kids."
Akari smiled at her husband's words.
"He's right. For us, our strength is each other and you and your brother and sister," Akari said. "So don't think that just because you can't master this means that you're without a home or place, let us become your strength and push you forward, 'kay? Because that's what family is for."
Asia's eyes widened and she nodded, feeling much better than she did yesterday.
But her doubts still remained and she was determined to prove herself until the end that she had earned her right to be a member of this family.
"Don't worry too much about it, okay? Just rest up. We'll continue your training at this time tomorrow," Rowan said.
Asia watched as the two entered the house, leaving her alone in the yard. She stood there for a few seconds, looking at her calloused hands.
These were wounds she could have easily healed with Twilight Healing yet…
She clenched her fists.
Making up her mind to continue practicing magic and swordsmanship later, Asia walked into the house, preparing to go to her room to get ready for her post-workout bath.
As she walked down the hallway, she absentmindedly reached into the air before her.
A blank black talisman appeared in front of her and landed gently on the palm of her hand.
Asia held it with great care.
The books she had read had told her what this was.
A Black Talisman.
According to the book she had read, Black Talismans were proof of a Shikigami and proof that the user possessed a Mystic Gear.
"You shouldn't dwell on the past, Master. Learning from it does very little to change your current situation."
Asia blinked and looked to her left.
The whole reason for this entire ordeal. The reason she had spent the past 2 days racking her brain. While Shin was unconscious, she had been studying the entirety of the Furude Family's history.
"Mori… I told you not to appear in the house when I'm outside my room. My family will think I'm crazy," Asia mumbled.
Mori.
Mori was the girl she had met in the forests of Mount Benizakura during her first day in Serikawa Village.
The girl that had saved her from the Inuhoo. The spirit she had asked to be her Shikigami. And the girl who had snuck a Black Talisman into her shorts without her noticing it until she went to go do her laundry.
Mori had been in and out of her life for the past few days since her brother had become unconscious. When she took care of him, Asia felt the scrutinizing stare of the spirit behind her, watching her intently as she kept her older brother stable.
"Are you still fighting for the approval of the others in this village?"
Asia sighed.
This was another thing she had learned about this rather annoying spirit.
Mori was incredibly gloomy.
"There are much better things you could be doing than gaining their approval. Hoping is a fool's errand… my Master."
And she was also incredibly pessimistic.
"Furude Akatsuki's descendants… have grown rather vain… "
Another one of Mori's odd statements.
Asia bit down a retort.
Instead, she walked through the house with an invisible spirit following her through, watching her with dull jaded eyes. Oftentimes, those dull jaded eyes drifted to the sight of the village and Asia could see pinpricks of disappointment within them.
She was a complete 180 from the girl she had met in the woods.
As she strived to figure out ways to learn about her new shikigami, Asia heard something bounding towards her. The pitter-patter of small feet was unmistakeable and she almost thought it was Ran if she didn't know Ran was with her older siblings.
The sounds of yipping could be heard.
She looked down and saw a pink fox running towards her.
The fox had 4 tails in total with a red streak on all four of them.
"Youkai?" she said absentmindedly.
The kitsune happily ran up to her, running around her in circles and nipping at her socks like an eager hound.
Mori observed the youkai with disinterested eyes and focused more on Asia's reaction.
She had seen many people come and go into the forests of Mount Benizakura. She had seen youkai get taken and youkai being abused by their so-called masters. How would this girl react to an errant familiar? More importantly…
How would this kitsune's master act?
"Master, are you really going to look for more familiars when you already have me?" Mori asked, hovering next to Asia.
"Er…" Asia didn't know what to say.
Between her now apparently jealous shikigami and this random pink fluff ball licking her hands, she didn't know what to do.
"Tenka!"
"Tenka?" Asia looked up and saw her cousin jogging toward her.
Kureha had a daring choice of clothing today. She was wearing a sleeveless tank top with a rather low cut that revealed much of her cleavage. Asia could not fathom how those clothes could even begin to restrain such a large pair.
"Sorry about her. She likes to play with other people," Kureha apologized, grabbing the small fox by the scruff.
"Mou! Master! You never let me play!" Tenka barked.
Kureha rolled her eyes and set the small fox on her shoulder.
"Did you just finish your training?" Kureha asked. Her eyes drifted down to the black slip of paper in Asia's hands.
A Black Talisman? Already? Since when? Kureha thought.
"Yeah, Mom and Dad are… in the other room. I think they're in the other room," Asia replied.
"That means you're free right? Want to head out into the woods?" Kureha asked.
"Er…"
"I know this great spot where you can practice. Shin and I used to go there when we were kids. I still go there but I don't know if Shin does. He's still out training with Aka-nee after all," Kureha said.
Her eyes drifted over to the Black Talisman in Asia's hands.
"Besides, I can show you a thing or two about… that." she gestured to the Black Talisman.
Asia blinked and noticed that she was still holding the talisman in her hands. She sighed and made no room to dispel it. If Kureha knew, then it wasn't that bad. Shin and the rest of her family didn't know that she had a Black Talisman yet.
"Can I get changed first?" Asia asked.
Kureha blinked and looked at Asia's sweat-soaked clothing. Her eyes drifted down to the girl's bloomers and a teasing smile graced her features.
"Dang… you got some nice thighs, Asia-chan," Kureha said, looking down at her bare legs.
A blush crept onto Asia's face.
"Does Issei like lying down on them?"
"W- Wh- Huh!?" Asia sputtered, completely caught off guard by Kureha's words.
"Pfft, ahaha! I'm just kidding. You can go and freshen up then get changed. We won't be doing much physical activity anyway… unless, you want to~?" she teased.
"I- I'll be going into the bath now," Asia said, trying to keep a straight face as she walked upstairs.
"Okay, but don't take too long! I have to be back at the main house by 7 to prepare for the Ryuugami Kagura!" Kureha called.
"Tenka! Slow down!" Kureha called out.
The small three-tailed kitsune paid her no mind and pressed on. The three (four) were in the woods behind the Furude Manor. This was not the forest of Mount Benizakura as Asia quickly realized. The feeling of oppressive power was not as strong here as it was there nor was the bloodlust of the youkai that resided here. Her green eyes caught sight of several forest spirits that hid away the moment she spotted them.
"Ah, those are Mori-no-ko. They're children of the wood. They like to live in the woods away from Mount Benizakura. Away from the influence of the Evil Dragon," Kureha explained, standing next to her.
"Come on. The spot isn't too far away," she said, motioning for her to follow.
As they kept walking, Asia began to notice signs of activity. Slash marks on trees. Felled trees. Scorched trees. Craters in the ground. This place had been used many times like the Furude Training Grounds. Yet, the atmosphere here was far more serene and relaxed than it was back at the manor.
"Mom and Aunt Akari used to train here apparently. When they wanted to get away from everyone. From the pressures of being the Clan Heiresses," Kureha said.
"Mom?" Asia raised an eyebrow as she ran a hand across one of the slash marks.
"Mmm, but you should ask Aunt Akari this. I only know this because Mom told me so. Now… where were we?" Kureha asked, scooping Tenka into her arms.
The small fox kit did not resist and instead, allowed itself to sink into the space between Kureha's breasts.
"You said we were going to practice?" Asia asked.
"Right. Let's go over what we're going to practice first. Take a seat on that log right there," Kureha said.
She pointed to a log behind Asia.
Asia nodded and took a seat, looking at Kureha intently.
"How long?"
"Huh?" Asia tilted her head in confusion.
"How long have you had a Black Talisman?" Kureha asked, sitting on a rock across from her.
"Er… ever since we got here. That day we went into the woods and I got attacked by the Inuhoo. I didn't even notice it until we got home," she replied.
"That long? That's a while now. Have you tried using it?" she asked.
Asia nodded. "But I can't seem to get anything out. No matter what I do, I can't seem to get it to work."
"Black Talismans are like that. But the thing you're trying to use it for requires you to have a bond with your Shikigami," Kureha said.
"Let's start from the beginning. What do you know about Black Talismans?" she asked.
Asia swallowed and took a deep breath.
"Black Talismans are talismans that are born from the bond between a Shikigami and its master. Having one is a sign that you have a Shikigami with you and that you can access Mystic Gear," Asia said.
"That's right. Black Talismans are talismans born from the Shikigami and the Master. The Shikigami infuses its power and creates an enchantment which the Master takes and inscribes it into a Talisman with their Ki. This is the basis for the Mystic Gear, an advanced version of the Charm Gear. I'm sure you know what Charm Gear is," Kureha said.
Asia nodded. "They're enchantments applied to the user's body or weapons in order to produce different effects or boost the person's abilities."
"Right. Mystic Gear is the same in a way but it is a spiritual weapon that allows us to wield the powers of the Shikigami or… in our verbage, Enchanted Guardian. Take me for example. I have Tenka and I also have a Sacred Gear-"
"You have a Sacred Gear?" Asia's mouth fell open in shock.
Kureha smiled and nodded. She brought her hand up to her left eye and covered it for a few seconds.
Asia sensed a shift in the air almost immediately.
"Dragon King," Mori said.
Dragon King? Asia thought. So her Sacred Gear is like… Ise's.
She removed her hand, revealing an eye with a pitch-black sclera and bright violet irises.
"We can talk about my Sacred Gear later. Let's focus on what we came here to do." She clapped her hands, getting Asia's attention.
"Mmm, right. Mystic Gears were created by our ancestor, Akatsuki Furude, who wielded the power of the First Enchanted Guardian, the Demising Black Dragon Moryo. Through careful planning and experimentation, she and the Dragon were capable of creating a spiritual weapon that could be created by the combined power of the user and their Shikigami. Thus, the first Mystic Gear came into existence. The Ryuuou," Kureha said.
"I've read about that. It's the legendary blade of Akatsuki Furude. Some books in the village even claim it's a holy sword," Asia said.
"BAHAHAHA! HOLY SWORD? Pfft… ahaha! That's just fanatic stuff. The Ryuuou is as much a Holy Sword as Yasuo Amawaka is welcoming to outsiders," Kureha replied.
"But… to simply put, you need to establish a connection with your Shikigami in order to produce a Mystic Gear. Brute forcing it with just a Black Talisman won't do anything," she added.
"Can I see your Mystic Gear?" Asia asked.
Kureha nodded and got off the log. She pulled Tenka off her chest before reaching into the pocket of her shorts to pull out a similar black talisman.
She swiped it in the air and held it before her face.
"Gokuengenpu: Homusubi! Come forth at once!" she chanted.
The talisman began to glow as characters and designs began to etch themselves on the blank paper. The heat around Kureha rose and violet flames began radiating from her hands and the talisman.
The violet flames then surged, consuming the talisman completely. Kureha closed her fist around the flames, splitting it in two and grabbing the other with her other hand. The flames shaped themselves into a shape reminiscent of pistols. As the fire died down, it revealed two pitch-black pistols with violet decals and a long barrel.
"This is Homusubi. My Mystic Gear. It derives its power from Tenka and my Sacred Gear."
Kureha held one of the pistols and aimed it at a tree. She pulled the trigger and fired a shot.
But what came out was not a bullet nor an energy bolt. A small flame burst forth, traveling at high speeds before impacting the tree. The flaming bullet seared through the entire tree, exiting out the other side where it began to pierce through more trees.
"Homusubi is just the base form," Kureha said, spinning the pistol in her arms before blowing on the barrel like a cowboy from an Old Western.
"Base form?"
"Have you heard of the Matoi Kajiri? I think in common tongue it's… called Mystic Gear Armament," Kureha said, placing a finger on her lips.
"I have. I've seen Onii use it once when he fought against Kokabiel," Asia said.
"Hmm, that's right. A Matoi Kajiri is the full power of the Mystic Gear. It can be a transformation or a new unique weapon. The Master enchants themselves, allowing their body to become a vessel for the Shikigami's power. Take Shin and Ran for example. Their Mystic Gear is called Hirume and their Matoi Kajiri is called Nichibotsu Seiken, which is a transformation of the blade Hirume and whatever weapon Shin has on at the moment. Or Aka-nee and Hikari. Their Mystic Gear is called Setsuna and her Matoi Kajiri is called Hoshigami Kaseo. Unlike Shin's, hers is considered to be a transformation type Matoi Kajiri," Kureha explained.
Asia nodded, trying to commit them to memory.
From what she had learned so far, Mystic Gears were spiritual weapons forged from the synchronization of power between a Shikigami and their Master while Matoi Kajiri was the full power of the Mystic Gear infused into the user and changed into a stronger form.
"So it's like a Balance Breaker?" Asia asked.
"Mmmm." Kureha closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows. "Yes, it's like a Balance Breaker for a Sacred Gear."
Asia pulled the Black Talisman out of her pocket and stared at it for a few seconds.
"What are you thinking of, Master?" Mori asked.
I want to try using Mystic Gear with you, Asia replied.
"That's not possible yet, Master. Did you not hear what she said? A Shikigami and their Master must be in sync meaning that… we must be in mutual agreement with each other," Mori said.
Eh? Are we not in mutual agreement? Asia asked.
Mori shook her head.
"I have allowed myself to become your Shikigami but I never said I would lend you power. There is another way for you to gain a Mystic Gear and that's to subdue me and tear my power away that way," Mori replied.
Asia tried not to make her expressions known but Kureha noticed the furrowing of her brow.
I…
"Humans are naturally drawn to the promise of power, Master. The greed of humanity has not changed in the last hundreds of years since her death…" Mori said.
At the hands of her rival no less… after Suzaku stole everything from her…
I don't want to do that. I'll find another way, Asia replied.
Mori blinked and saw Asia's face break into a smile.
"You're a strange human, Master."
Asia turned to Kureha and slipped the Black Talisman back into her pocket.
"Did you talk to your familiar?" Kureha asked.
"Huh? How did you…?" Asia said.
"Some familiars prefer to communicate telepathically, even though they're capable of human speech. Tenka has the ability to talk and transfer into a human but prefers being in her fox form more often than not," she said, stroking the fur of the pink fox in her lap.
"That being said… I can help you summon a Mystic Gear. If you just need a place to talk to your Shikigami and try to work with them, I can give you that. We should also ask Shin and Akane-"
"No!"
"Huh?" Kureha tilted her head in confusion.
"Don't tell Onii and Onee yet. I want to… I want to surprise them!" Asia said.
"Umm… you know that lying to Akane is virtually impossible and Shin is pretty smart so he'll find out all by himself too," Kureha replied.
"Yeah but… I want to… I want to prove that I can be capable like they are! I'm always being protected by everyone around me. Onii… Issei… Onee. I… I want to be able to stand up for myself and protect them too!" Asia said, standing her ground against her cousin.
Kureha stared at her for a few seconds before nodding. She smiled at Asia's resolve and let out a sigh.
"I guess that I can't really turn you down when you act like this," she said.
"Alright then, your secret is safe with me. I promise I won't tell Shin or Akane about anything," Kureha promised.
Asia nodded her head elatedly.
"Master… why are you going so far?" Mori asked.
Because it's the only way I can keep pressing forward. I have to keep being better than who I was yesterday. That's what… I learned from everyone around me. Issei. Onii… Onii especially, Asia replied.
"..." Mori chose not to gratify Asia's statement with a response.
"Let's do that tomorrow. I have to go to the Shrine for the Ryugami Kagura and a place like this isn't really safe," Kureha said, getting up and dusting herself off.
Tenka was forced off her lap and landed on the ground with the grace of a feline.
"Not safe? But we're near the house," Asia said.
"I don't want to take chances. The Shuen Cult is becoming more active so it's better for us to be in town. Besides, aren't you dancing in the Ryugami Kagura with us? It'll be good for you to get some practice," Kureha said.
"I… Um… Huh," Asia said.
"Come on. Let's head over to the Shrine!" Kureha wrapped her arm around Asia's shoulder. "Who knows… maybe the Shrine Maiden outfit and learning the dance can help you wow Issei! Learn to use those hips of yours-"
"K- Kureha!" Asia said.
"Bahahaha!" she laughed at Asia's embarrassed face as the two walked out of the woods.
The forests of Mount Benizakura were off-limits. That was the decree of the town council. Of the current head of House Furude. Yet, a few individuals broke these rules due to their sheer strength. The former Furude Head, Tenma Furude, and the Vermillion Star, Akane Faulkner. Both monsters in their own right and both ignoring the rules due to their capabilities. Yet… he was walking alone in these woods.
He walked a path he had practiced many times. People called what he was part of a cult but it was not that. This was not a cult. This was a movement. A movement to purify the village and return it to the rightful heirs of Akatsuki Furude.
After a few minutes of tracing the woods, where the green leaves of the trees slowly turned blood red. He arrived at the base of the mountain.
Mount Benizakura was the place that held the sealed form of the Demising Black Dragon, Moryo. A Divine Entity twisted into an Evil Dragon by the lies of the passage of time. The current Serikawa had forgotten how Moryo defended them but they had not.
He walked into the chamber, seeing that other members of the group had arrived. All of them wore black cloaks and hoods with the kanji for "End" woven into their cloaks. Shuen. That was the name of their group.
The sound of muffled struggles and screams caught their attention, causing them to focus on the altar before them.
There was a woman strapped to the altar. Bound and gagged. She was nude, her clothes having been removed and her modesty exposed to the entire audience in the cavern. She struggled and writhed, attempting to break her bonds to no avail.
"Welcome Brothers and Sisters."
The voice of a man called out from behind the altar.
Yasuo Amawaka walked up to the altar.
"Tonight, we grant the Divine Dragon another offering. Only by offering them the blood of the impure can their wrath be quenched and the power be granted unto us. The power to return our home to a place where only the pure children of Akatsuki Furude reside!" Yasuo spoke.
The hooded members all cheered and chanted in agreement.
"This… pile of impure excrement. This whore who dare make her way into our town and seduce one of our pure children cannot be allowed to breathe any longer!" he said.
Roars of agreement and excitement erupted around him.
"We offer this impure life to the Divine Dragon of Serikawa!" he chanted.
"We offer this impure life to the Divine Dragon of Serikawa!" the crowd repeated.
"May this soul quench your wrath and grant unto us…"
"May this soul quench your wrath and grant unto us…"
"The Divine Providence of our Ancestor!"
"The Divine Providence of our Ancestor!"
With those words, Yasuo unsheathed a katana and brought it down on the bound woman's chest, piercing her heart and killing her instantly. He dragged the blade downward, cutting her open and causing her intestines and other organs to spill out.
Blood poured from her body and traveled down the channels before collecting in pools at their respective locations.
The pools of blood triggered the magic seals inscribed into the chambers and caused them to glow brightly.
The crowd reacted in awe as the violet light traveled from the altar, deep into the heart of the cave.
"May this impure blood satisfy your thirst, O' Divine Dragon, Moryo!" Yasuo said.
And the response he received was an unholy, ear-piercing roar.
Shuen
A reformation movement of exorcists from Serikawa devoted to the Black Dragon Moryo,
They wish to return the village to a state of purity.
How much blood they intend to spill knows no bounds.
However, it is all for a just cause in the end.
For purity of blood is the only justice left in the world where the Himejima are revered.
Just a few translations before I let you all go:
Homusubi means "Fire Spirit".
Gokuengenpu roughly means "Hellfire Revealing Charm".
Ryuuou means "Willow Cherry".
Anyway, that's it. Like, subscribe, follow, you know the drill.