There were many a time when Technoblade truly had felt peace. Be it when he had vanquished the Mongol hordes in Ming-Dynasty China, or when he decimated members of the Crusade bare-handed in a 1-on-10,000 fight. He could bring up a multitude of times when he fought and as a result, had felt inner peace.
Truly, it was in a conflict where he belonged. He knew that much, but ever since he had come to this world, he had found that his lust for bloodshed was… mitigated. Not entirely, mind you, but he had found himself calming down a hell of a lot more than he had realized. And while the voices were a constant, no matter how much he tried to get rid of them, he hoped that one day he'd be free of them.
Not a chance!
You're stupid!
Haha, L plus Ratio plus you fell off!
Technoblade let out a huff of air through his nose, as he stared down at someone he hadn't thought he'd see in a long time. Black and white skin met halfway, nothing bleeding over to the other side, a perfect harmony between the two shades. The man before him had one red eye and one green eye, both of which stared into his own blood-red eyes. He also had black and white messy hair going all over the place, with no hints of him trying to make it look more presentable. Which, seeing as who this person was, made sense. Technoblade did notice, however, that parts of his hair were starting to grey, most likely from stress. There was a crown sitting gently upon the man's hair, along with his black business suit, which showed that he was a businessman first and foremost, but either way, he still remembered the man as he had always had.
"Ranboo… Is it truly you, this time?" Technoblade asked, staring at his old friend with a hesitant gleam in his eyes. The half-and-half enderman smiled, revealing a small scar on his palm.
"This is when I stopped your blade from ripping my head off of my shoulders around a millennium ago. When we first met in Hell, when you had been recently crowned as King of Hell… Satan." As Ranboo replied with the answer he was looking for, Technoblade smirked. The Blood God, who had his hand on the hilt of his sword since the start of the meeting, placed his now empty hand in his lap, his guard dropped—something he only did in the company of those he completely trusted.
Ranboo showed up at the front door of his mansion, which was hidden deep within the woods of Kumitori mountain, around 20 minutes ago. Right now, they were sitting in the main lobby, sitting at the table with tea made by Mukago—Lemon tea, if Technoblade remembered correctly—which was what Ranboo had requested. At first, Mukago was hesitant, seeing as Ranboo was a stranger and someone that appeared to be a Demon.
Technoblade knew otherwise. The Ender King, or, in Ranboo's case, The Ender Prince, did share some similarities with the Demons of this world, but beyond that, they had nothing in common. When he put Mukago's fears at ease, he told her to make the tea, which had just been placed on their table 5 or so minutes ago.
While the prospect of Ranboo having known where they lived before him even knowing about it was definitely creepy, for however long Ranboo knew he was here, mattered not. What mattered was that they discussed the letter that he sent him around about a week back. But first, pleasantries were in order.
"It's good to see you, old friend," Technoblade replied, as Ranboo smiled, reaching his hand out for a handshake.
"Same to you, Techno. Same to you."
The Blood God reached out, and gripped him sturdily by the wrist, as did Ranboo, before giving each other a light tug, signifying that the feeling was mutual. After pulling away, Technoblade adjusted himself in his seat, crossing his arms as he reclined himself in his chair. "I read the letter…. Do you truly believe that I'd be foolish enough to team up with the enemy?"
Ranboo raised an eyebrow. "And risk the end of human civilization as we know it?"
Now that Ranboo said it like that…. Hell might not have been his domain anymore, seeing as he gave it up to that other Demon, Beelezubub, if he remembered correctly, he didn't want to make his workload even worse if all of Humanity were to collapse in on itself because that prick was awake again.
The only issue was allying with them. As far as he was concerned, The Demon Slayers were bastards, allowing children to work for them, to be specific, young children the ages of 11 or younger. Yes, he was aware that Nezuko was 14, and yes he realized how hypocritical that would be, but with Tanjiro having been dead, and with him supposed to be 15, or 16, he honestly couldn't remember, when the Demon Slayer Exam was supposed to happen, he would've been fine with it.
But, with Nezuko being the only option as a potential spy, he had to work with what he had. He couldn't go in himself, you know, because he was a Demon in their eyes, and well… being the former King of Hell made him a Demon in the more realistic sense, not the "eat your skin and bones vampire" mockery that the Demons here were, but that was neither here nor there.
He sure as hell wasn't going to send Dream, a literal Demi-God, and the son of The God of Dreams and Light, to them. Sure, Dream would thrive there, but his powers made him stick out like a sore thumb, and with his inability to keep his fucking mouth shut, he'd spill the beans before their plan could get underway.
At the time, Takeo was still in a coma—not that he was an option, and Hanako was a demon, which left Nezuko. And thus, he had Nezuko join them to be his eyes and ears within the Demon Slayers. And, if he was lucky, she would be able to locate their base of operations.
Which… if he was supposed to ally with them, would allow him to make them his allies far easier, even if it was temporary…. He let out a drawn-out, annoyed-sounding sigh. "I suppose that makes sense. But… what makes you think that the self-titled Demon King will resurrect? We divided his soul into a million different blue spider lilies across the continent of Japan, all of which bloom and wither only in the daytime, a time when Muzan's Demons cannot move. Only the ones I syphoned control from him can."
"Syphoned control?" Ranboo questioned. In response, Technoblade nodded.
"Yes, I took away his precious lower moons from him. Which, gave me access to his orders to them before they became my willing servants. He is unaware of my knowledge. But… after he killed the Demon I suspected of killing Tanjirou's family, that being Upper Moon Five, Gyokko... I am now left with only one suspect. Him. Furthermore, with his recent actions in trying to turn Nezuko into a mindless thrall, my suspicion only grows further," Technoblade explained. "I never trusted him from the get-go. I needed information about this world, and so I took six of his weakest members of the Twelve Kizuki and turned them into far more powerful Demons that serve me and me alone. They are far stronger than he will ever be, and the weakest, Hanako Kamado, is far stronger than even Upper Moon 1. And she is considered Lower Moon 6."
Ranboo's eyes widened, before the God of Life and Death laughed. "Oh my! Well, I'll be! It seems your smarts haven't died at all, old friend!" Ranboo said, nearly falling over in his chair with laughter. When he calmed himself, he gained a narrow-eyed expression, steepling his fingers as he sat, leaning forward to face Technoblade more directly.
"All he needs is one flower to join his soul back together. That was the flaw that the rite had. It took me a couple of hundred years to figure it out, but I have. If he eats just one flower, he'll be able to rejoin the rest of his soul, because he'll be immune to the sun, and he'll know the location of all the flowers he needs. We cannot allow this to happen." And then, he stood up. "I hope you understand the severity of the situation. We have one shot, one chance, or else all of Humanity will be done for."
Technoblade nodded silently. Ranboo turned around and began to leave. "Then I truly did not need to worry. Ah, here I was, thinking that you had joined Muzan Kibutsuji. That is a relief to hear," Ranboo said as his body began to glow purple. "Well, I'm off to go chat with my Priestess and Warrior! Let me know when you get word back from The Demon Slayers!"
And with that, Ranboo was gone.
Technoblade sat there, head lowered as he hummed in thought.
Ayo!
Ayo indeed!
5-D Chess.
Technoblade ignored their comments. He had to restrain himself. He knew that if he brokered an alliance with the Demon Slayers, Muzan would know. And when Muzan became aware, he would do everything in his power to kill everyone Technoblade cared about.
Not that he'd be able to, mind you, but….
"Ah… so it appears you do not trust my master? A shame."
A sharp metallic fan spread out against his throat, as Technoblade let out a sharp intake of breath, it turning to frost almost instantly. "Douma. What the fuck are you doing in my house?" Technoblade drawled, glancing over his shoulder to see the blond-haired, rainbow-eyed Demon smirk at him.
"Wilbur-san and I were told to come here by Enmu. And I overheard your conversation with that strange-looking Demon! I don't remember Lord Muzan making him, so that means you must've," Douma said, pressing the fan against his neck. Just behind him, Wilbur stood, arms crossed, eyes trained on both of them. "I knew we couldn't trust you from day one, but I kept my mouth shut. To think you were conspiring against our Lord from day one… how sad. We could've used your strength."
It was after that sentence, that something blew through Douma's chest like paper mache. Douma coughed up blood, as Technoblade jumped up, drew his blade, and whispered.
"Blood Breathing – Red Mist"
Technoblades sword gained a misty coating of Douma's blood before he sliced the blade cleanly across Douma's neck. Once his head was cleaved off its shoulders, the misty shroud of blood coated his head, as Wilbur reached his hand out, and smirked.
"Combusting Vengenace – Distant Detonation"
And thus, Douma's head exploded via his blood being ignited by Wilbur's skin cells. Douma's corpse toppled over and disintegrated into mist, as Wilbur smirked. "So that's why you called the both of us. Never thought you'd trust me again after… well, you know, what Tommy did."
"Betraying me was Tommy's idea. Not yours. You're still my brother, even if not by blood. Speaking of blood… how'd you do that without being caught by Muzan?" Technoblade asked as Wilbur smirked.
"A friend of mine. Tamayo. She and her boy toy placed a thing on my neck so that Muzan couldn't track me, and then she got to work. I've been Muzan cell-free for about five days," Wilbur replied as he glanced at Enmu. "Yo, Enmu, pretend you heard nothing!"
"I'm loyal to Technoblade, and Technoblade alone. No one else. Not even Muzan Kibutsuji. That time has long since passed," Enmu responded, bowing as Wilbur shrugged. "Now, Lord Technoblade, I—"
"I told you to drop the lord part."
"Right. Technoblade, my apologies. The mission was a success. The Demon Slayer Base within the region of Kyoto has been destroyed. This means they have nowhere to run once we begin our raid! And then… I take it you have another plan afterward?" Enmu asked as Technoblade stood up.
"We are forming a temporary alliance with them. We share a common enemy at the moment. I've already sent a peacekeeper. We will not begin our destruction of them until this common threat is annihilated. Am I understood?" Technoblade asked, appearing more menacing to the smaller Demon, who nodded in agreement.
"I understand, Technoblade."
The Blood God nodded, gesturing for the Demon to vacate the premise. Once he left, he stared at Wilbur, who ceased to lean against the wall. "I take it that the peacekeeper is Hanako. I sense that she's pretty far away. Somewhere in that swordsmith Village, yeah?"
Technoblade nodded. "That is where she and a representative, preferably a Hashira, are supposed to meet. I hope that they can meet my conditions. Otherwise…."
"You'll have to show up yourself. And a battle will likely ensue, correct?" Wilbur asked as Technoblade nodded. "Damn… ain't that a bitch. Well, I'll leave you to it. Contact me whenever I'm ne—"
"Not so fast," Technoblade interrupted, grabbing him by the arm, and digging his claws into Wilbur's left arm. Wilbur gritted his teeth, glaring at Technoblade. "I am aware of your fight with Dream. You can have your revenge later. For now, you are allies. Am I understood?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Wilbur drawled, as Technoblade gripped tighter, drawing blood. His claws sunk deeper, as he began to give Wilbur his life essence. Wilbur cringed but felt more powerful as a result. Once Technoblade let go, the Blood God turned around. "You could've told me first, sheesh," Wilbur said, rubbing his arm as he regenerated.
"I can't have Muzan controlling you again. Therefore, my blood will prevent that. And, you'll be able to walk in the sun without reciprocation," Technoblade said, as Wilbur smirked.
"Thanks, bro," Wilbur replied, dipping back out of the house, as Mukago looked from the stairwell.
"I don't think I've seen you that angry, Technoblade," Mukago said as the Blood God shrugged.
"Muzan gets on my nerves, as does his lackies. And, if my plans are going smoothly, Kokushibo will come to me and request to join my side. Having Nezuko train under him was supposed to humanize him, and allow him to see what his so-called master had done to him. Expect him to show up in a day or two. For now, we continue on as normal," Technoblade stated, as he walked past Mukago, a wide smirk on his face. "Muzan thinks he's playing 4-D chess against me… but I'm playing 8-D chess, and he's none the wiser…."
TechnoGod!
Blood for the Blood God!
Skull for the Skull Throne!
Cheese for the Pizza!
What?
"What?" Technoblade thought, shaking his head. He needed to rest. He was tired and hadn't slept for a year. It was about time he rectified that.
xxXXxxXXxx
Tubbo was…. Well, saying that he was confused was an understatement. Slashing and de-arming a giant fat blob of a creature, he watched as its arm grew back. His eyes narrowed, as he drank a strength potion, before stabbing the creature through the stomach, twisting the blade, and activating Fire Aspect, incinerating the big creature from the inside out.
"God damn! That thing was hard to kill!" Tubbo said to no one in particular, as he sheathed his blade. He turned his back, unaware that the creature was regenerating and reaching out for him. when he realized it, however, it was too late, as its hand was inches away from his face. He recoiled, going for his blade, but before he could….
"RISING SCORCHING SUN!"
As that booming name for an attack roared throughout the hallway, the shine of a blade gleamed in the dark hallway, as the creature's head came toppling off, and hit the ground as its body began to disintegrate.
"Fuckin' hell, fat bastard!" A familiar voice rolled through the hallway, and Tubbo's eyes widened. The person behind the creature had blond hair with red tips, bright blue eyes, and… less than pale skin. He wore a black uniform and a white and red robe over his shoulders. In his hand was a long thin blade, with a strange flame-like guard, and a white and red hilt.
The man's eyes widened, as he spoke. "Tubbo…? Is that… you?"
"Holy shit! Tommy!" Tubbo said, all but tackling the sword-wielding Tommy. Tommy was quick to put the sword away before Tubbo crashed into him, embracing his best friend in a hug as they laughed.
"Holy shit! Tubbo! You're here!" Tommy cheered, before he quickly pushed Tubbo off, his expression now grim and confused. "Oh shit… you're here…. That means…!"
"What, Tommy?" Tubbo asked, and then, he realized what it was he was implying. "Oh, yeah… XD sent me, Niki, and Phil here. He… kinda shoved us through a wooden floor. I… I don't know why, but…."
Tommy cursed under his breath, although his grim expression stayed, his eyes gleamed with some form of Joy. "Well, at least you're here… and, at least you get to meet my other friend, supposing if she's—"
Another creature's head came flying in past Tubbo's shoulder, a sword impaled through its mouth. Tubbo looked over his shoulder to see a black-haired girl stalking down the hall, wearing a purple and black robe of sorts, wearing the same uniform as Tommy. She had off-pink eyes and slightly tanned skin. Next to her was Niki, who was a little tense after watching that.
"And that's the last of them on my end. How 'bout you, Tommy!" The girl called out as Tommy smirked.
"All clear! No sign of that brother, though. Do you think he got turned into a Demon, and we might've killed him?" Tommy asked as the girl shrugged.
"It's possible. We'll have to break it to those kids, though," the girl said, looking at Tubbo with slightly narrowed eyes. "Uh…. Niki, was it? He one of you guys?"
Niki nodded. "Yes, Tubbo is. And… uh, Tubbo. Have you seen Philza anywhere?" Niki asked as Tubbo shook his head. "Rats…."
"As lovely as this reunion has been, Tommy and myself are in the middle of a mission. So, if you two could exit the building and wait outside, that would be fantastic," the girl said, as Tubbo looked at Tommy. His best friend nodded, which earned a smile from Tubbo. Gesturing for Niki to follow him, the two left Tommy and the girl by themselves.
As they rounded the corner, Nezuko sighed. "That Niki girl can fight. That blade of hers is kinda like a Nichirn one, a Demon-killing blade. I wonder if it would be possible for others like that to be made," Nezuko quipped as Tommy shook his head.
"Unless you have direct access to literal hell, then I doubt that we could forge more of those blades for common folk to use," Tommy replied, unsheathing his blade. "So, should we just tell them that their brother is probably dead, or should we continue this wild goose chase?"
Nezuko frowned. "We'll do one more sweep of the house. If we can't find anything, then we'll move on. If we can't find him after this, then we'll leave the house, tell the two siblings that the worst happened, and then we'll leave. Sound good?" Nezuko explained as Tommy nodded.
"Let's just hope we don't run into any Demons, yeah?"
"Yeah…."
And with that, they went to scope the house out some more. In the back of Nezuko's mind, she really wanted that brother to be alive. She didn't want another family to be separated by the Demons. But… if that was what came of it, then she supposed that was just fate.
xxXXxxXXxx
Philza was a man of many things, and in his life as a man of many things, he had come across a lot of different fighters. He also acquired a lot of titles over the years, such as The Flying Death, The Crow Father, The One Who Speaks To Wind, Father Birb, and Annoying Bird Man. Those last two were given to him by Tommy, both of which he had treasured.
However, having a flail chucked at him, or an axe head, whichever his current blind opponent was keen on throwing at him, and being called a Demon was not one of them. He had been hit a few times in the arms and the legs by the things and even had the axe chop off a finger or two before his feathers retrieved said fingers. He was able to psychically stitch them back on using the threads of his cloak—which he had finally regained the ability to do after leaving the SMP, he had no idea why XD saw it needed for him to lose such a basic ability, but here he was—and now he was parrying said throws with his Netherite Longsword.
"You know, I'm sure we could talk this out!" Philza shouted, flapping his wings as he dodged to the right, barely avoiding yet another flail attack. "You know, 'cause killing one another is kinda not my thing!"
"You can convince me of your treachery in hell, Demon!" The blind man shouted, jumping up to his level, and slamming the axe head toward his neck. Philza parried this, before giving the man a good ol' roundhouse kick to the jaw, sending him flying into one of the buildings in this random village he had found himself in.
"Good graces, what the hell is up with this guy? I just wanted to talk!" Philza thought as he landed on the ground, walking toward the rubble and the man within. Before the man could reach for his weapons, Philza took them. The weapon was pretty heavy, easily the same weight as Steve the polar bear. He took the weapon, and, as Tommy would've said it, yeeted it into the stratosphere, or, in this case, the distant forest beyond the buildings, and into the trees.
"You've disarmed me… now what do you plan to do, Demon?" The blind man spat, as Philza rolled his eyes.
"First and foremost, I would like it if you'd stop calling me a Demon. I am not a Demon, I am a Crow-Man. Second, stop being dramatic, this isn't a kid's cartoon. And third—" Philza grunted, pulling the man up by the wrist, the man gasping in shock as he suddenly found himself standing up. "—I think we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Philza, Father of all Crows and Ravens, sworn protector of the avian race, or at least, that's what my children call me."
It was only now that he had noticed that the blind man was crying… but not crying like a normal person would, crying at a constant rate. It probably had to do with the fact that he was blind. "You are… not a Demon? But then, how was it that I could sense you like I sense Demons?"
Philza shrugged. "Probably because I'm not human? That might have something to do with it. I look human, aside from my wings, but I'm not human."
The man frowned. "Do you eat humans?"
Philza nearly choked on the air in his lungs, coughing a bunch as he looked away, before then readjusting his head to look at the tall imposing blind man. "W-What!? No! I'm not a monster, christ on a cross, is that why you were trying to kill me?!"
"Then…."
"You looking for me?" A voice called out, as Philza's eyes darted to his left. When he saw no one, he looked up, and atop the roof of the building behind them was a girl with dark black hair, pale skin, and orange eyes with writing in it that read as….
"What the fuck is a Lower Moon Six?" Philza blurted out, as the blind man immediately got into an offensive stance.
"A Lower Moon? How did you find this place? Answer me, Heathen!" The blind man spat, readying his flail and axe head.
"Whoa, hold on man! That's a child! Are you seriously going to kill a child?!" Philza said though a part of him would call himself a hypocrite for saying that, he didn't care right now.
"Do not let their appearance deceive you. Demons can take any form they want, including a harmless child," The Blind man said, leaping up to meet the Demon. He swung his flail, aiming for the child's neck, readying to shout something, only for the child to grab the flail and crush it like a ball of snow, before then leaping upward, and head-butting the blind man in the gut, spiking him like a volleyball, and sending him into the ground, leaving a small crater after the impact.
"Damn, you Hashira are pathetic! And Muzan's scared of you? Wow, really, kinda stupid don't you think?" The child said, before jumping down from the roof and landing just outside of the crater. The Demon looked at Philza, who reached for his blade, just in case a fight was about to break out. He wasn't expecting back-to-back fighting, but—
"Oh! You're the guy Techno described to me one day. Green and white bowl hat, black wings, green and white striped haori… yup, let me guess, you're Old Man Philza, right? Or was it just Philza Minecraft? Can't be bothered to remember," the Demon shrugged, before looking at the guy in the crater. "Oh, and for your information, Mr. Swing-Happy, I just followed a trail, that's it. Nothing special. Besides, I'm not here to fight. I'm here to deliver something."
As she said that, she placed an envelope in his right hand, which he gripped to feel what it was. His eyes widened, before grunting, as he slowly began to sit up, a scowl on his face as he located and stared down at the Demon, probably using some form of enhanced senses. "A… Letter? From… who? And why… should I deliver it?"
The Demon Child rolled her eyes. "Because, unless you want all of humanity to eat shit and die, I'd suggest delivering that to Kagaya Ubuyashiki. Kinda urgent. My Boss, not Muzan, want's to order a peace treaty between his sect of Demons, which are all listed there by name and rank, along with himself and a few others that are part of our cause. If you reject the conditions and the alliance…. Well, I'm sure your master will know what'll happen."
She was about to turn and go when Philza placed a hand on her shoulder. "What do you want?"
"You know where Technoblade is?" Philza asked as the Demon Girl nodded.
"Yeah. Let me guess, you wanna come with me? Fine, but if I get stuck with chore duty because I brought you there, it's your wings I'm clipping, flyboy!" the child said, jumping up to a roof, before looking at Philza with a smirk. "C'mon, old man, get moving!"
And then, she was gone. Philza looked at the blind man and helped him out of the ground. Now that he wasn't fighting the man, he could get a better look at him. He was tall, really tall. He had to be taller than six feet, that's for sure, maybe seven feet, if he was assuming correctly. He had a giant scar going around his forehead, and, as was previously mentioned, he was blind. He wore a yellowish green haori, with Japanese script reading "Stone" going all over it. The Haori had a white line going around it, but that was all there was to talk about in terms of it. Underneath it, he wore a black uniform of sorts, with an open collar, revealing a purple shirt underneath. He also wore baggy pants, and he had bandages covering his lower legs, along with a pair of traditional Japanese shoes. Oh, and around his right arm were a pair of red prayer beads, along with a necklace made of them around his tree trunk of a neck.
The man grunted in appreciation, before looking down at Philza, a small mirthful smile on his face. "Thank you, Philza, was it? I am sorry for mistaking you for the Demon I was looking for. And… while I would normally pursue the Demon in question, this letter has become more important, especially if it means the safety of humanity is at stake. Before I go, I would like to give you a word of advice. Do not trust what those demons say. They will corrupt your mindset."
Philza nodded. "I'll remember that. What's your name? I'd like to know the name of the person who nearly kicked my ass."
The man nodded. "My name is Himejima Gyomei. It has been a pleasure to meet you, Philza," Gyomei said, before he walked off in the other direction, heading toward the exit of this strange, sword oriented as he was beginning to notice, village. Now, with no one in his way, he bounded after the girl Demon, who was going to take him to Technoblade.
-To Be Continued in- Bi-Annual Hashira Meeting-
I'M BACK! Like a father returning home with milk, I have delivered said milk. And now, I am off to go get cigarettes. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Till next time (and hopefully, it won't be another month away from now) see ya!
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Okay, real talk, the reason why I've been away for so long is that I've kinda started to slip in my enjoyment of both the DSMP and KNY, and yes, a part of that has to do with Technoblade's death. The only reason I don't drop this completely is because of the sunken cost fallacy. I've poured too much of my time into this only not to finish it. But, that does not mean I'm going to half-ass it. If I'm going to do this right, and keep by my promise to finish this fucking thing, then I'm going to.
So, yeah. Now that my real intentions have been made clear, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Till then, peace!