Autumn slowly faded into winter. The members of the family strong enough to enter the Yomi Cave did so while those who didn't make the cut were to use their skills with shikigami to guard the estate. Those able to succeed through the trial of the cave were allowed to proceed to the next step: obtaining a companion spirit. Hao had sent them out into the world, tasking them with finding and befriending a spirit. Out of those sent, so far only two had returned; Katsuro, bringing along the spirit of a previous imperial guard named Daiki, and Ryota, returning with the spirit of a kunoichi named Emi.
The extensions to the estate were, for the most part, complete. After spring came, there would be more additions if only for the sake of having a way for the poor to be paid, Hao had decided.
The day had seen winter's first snow and things had slowed down at the Asakura mansion because of it. Jiro and Taiki were the busiest, as usual, this time clearing the snow from the courtyard and around the gate, taking time to throw a snowball or two at each other every now and then.
Fires had been carefully lit in the various rooms of the estate, giving it a cozy feel. Hao was sitting in front of his personal fire in his room. He had pulled a loose string from his pants and was now dangling it above Matamune's face. The cat, noticing it swinging back and forth, rolled onto his back and began to swat at it, much to the priest's amusement.
He could hear the thumping and yelling before the people burst through his door. A young man, obviously a messenger by trade, collapsed onto the room's hard wooden floor, followed by a barrage of snowballs raining down. Jiro and Taiki, apparently the masterminds behind the bombardment, were running across the courtyard, hands on their swords, yelling at the man. Jumping nearly two feet in the air, Matamune made a dive underneath the blanket covering Hao's futon.
The messenger gasped for breath. "Lo...Lord...Asa...kura...I...I apolo...gize for...my...in...trusion...but...I must...give you...this..." The man stretched his arm out to Hao, handing him a folded parchment. Taking it, Hao attempted to steady the man. "Um...thank you, but, wouldn't you prefer to collapse near the fire, instead of here, in the cold?"
The young man waved his hand, a sign saying "I'm fine. I'm still alive but really don't have the energy or desire to move."
The Onmyoji shrugged. "Ah. Then, uh, make yourself at home." Matamune tentatively poked his head out from under the blanket, cautiously studying the situation.
Hao returned his attention to the piece of paper. Breaking its wax binding, revealing it to be a letter. His first order of business was to see who had sent him the parchment at such a time. The priest's eyes widened when he saw the signer: Emperor Ichijo. He had been to the Imperial Palace twice, but that was in passing, as he had never formally met the Emperor.
The letter appeared to be a request.
Sir Onmyoji,
First and foremost, I do apologize for this unorthodox letter. However, this is a matter of the utmost urgency.
A man only known as the "Sword God" has shown up to cause trouble; my intelligence network has not been able to collect much more information than that.
Regardless, I will present you with what we do know.
All we know of his past is that he was born here in the empire. At some time, he left to travel the world, apparently learning to use many types of swords and fighting styles in the process. He carries many different swords with him. Now he has returned to cause problems.
He is currently residing at the summit of Mount Hiei, where he has taken the monks of the Enryaku-ji temple as his hostages. Not even the temple's warrior monks were able to stand up to him. We are not sure of what his goal is, but his only demand so far has been to face the strongest warrior the empire can produce. He says that if his demand is not met, he will destroy the temple and perform the same actions to the Capital.
I am sure that you do not consider your profession to be very warrior like, but you may take interest in this: my network reports that he has used strange methods to conquer the temple. It was reported as seeming to be a type of magic.
That is why I decided to request this task of you. I have heard many tales of your skills and services in the surrounding areas. As his abilities seem similar to what I have heard of yours, I could think of no one better suited to this task than the Onmyoji Hao Asakura.
That is why I ask, no, I implore you: please, come to the aid of the empire.
Ichijo
Hao refolded the letter and slid it into the sleeve of his kimono. Pinching the bridge of his nose with his right hand, he contemplated his predicament. Certainly, he couldn't just abandon the empire, but this wasn't a typical job.
"Hm...abilities similar to mine... Could he be...a shaman?"
Standing abruptly, he glanced over at Jiro and Taiki, who were attempting to drag the messenger out into the snow. "I'm going to need the two of you to prepare the cart. Make sure you stock up on supplies, but do hurry."
They both nodded and pointed at the messenger. "What about him?" then, pointing to the broken shoji, "and what about that?"
The Onmyoji thought for a moment. "Inform Shinobu of this 'accident.' I'm sure he can arrange to have it fixed while we are away. Oh, and tell him to be certain that Matamune is taken care of in my absence. He turned to look at the cat, who in turn regarded him with puzzlement. "I apologize, my friend, but you have not recovered from your ailments, and I fear that this weather is absolutely not suited for you. Do not worry, I will be back soon enough." Hao smiled. "Until then, just remain warm and cozy. As for you..." he said, grabbing the young man by the collar and hoisting him to his feet, "My apologies for interrupting your rest, but I'm afraid I need you to come along, as well."
Taiki and Jiro rushed to complete their errands as the priest towed the messenger along as he stepped out into the winter wind.
The path was eerily silent, the only sounds present being the occasional howl of the frozen wind and the crunch of the snow beneath his feet. In the few days it had taken to make the trip, Hao had sent the messenger ahead to the Capital in order to request lodging for Jiro and Taiki while the priest completed his assignment. Permission was hastily granted and the two were currently residing at the Imperial Palace, much to their pleasure, no doubt.
He silently paced along the long path, leading to the top of the mountain and the entrance of the temple, calculating what he would do once he reached his destination. So lost in his thoughts was he that he didn't notice reaching the summit, nearly running into the Enryaku-ji's door. Hao took a step back to glance around. The spirituality of the area was so thick he felt as if he was breathing it. The place was ripe with furyoku.
The priest pushed it open as silently as he possible could, not wanting to draw attention just yet.
"Why, I'm happy to see that you're finally here!" a stern voice called out.
Stepping out into the main grounds of the temple complex, Hao saw a man of a moderately slender build. He stood at least a foot taller than the Onmyoji, was obviously older by at least ten years, and had a considerable muscle tone. The only thing covering his torso was an old metal chest plate. The green pants the man wore were quite tattered, ending just below his knees. Hao noticed the boot's covering the man's feet were obviously not from his country.
The man eyed him with disdain. "Hm? What kind of a joke is this?" His eyes perked up as an idea hit him. "I'm going to assume that you were unfortunate enough to visit the temple at this time," he said while pointing to one of the temple's buildings behind him. "So, I'm going to have to ask you to step inside this building here and keep quiet."
Hao smiled. "No, no, that's not it, at all. I was actually sent here by the Emperor himself. Here's the thing, though. I'm not that much for fighting, so I was hoping I could perhaps serve as a go-between for you and Lord Ichijo."
The man burst into laughter. "Hahahaha, there's no way the Emperor could send you, unless he's grown senile! What does he intend for you to do, 'bless' me to death? Hahaha!"
The Onmyoji's smile widened. "No, I'm afraid blessings don't work that way."
The man chuckled slightly. "I suppose not. Still, you're going to have to enter this building behind me...or I'm going to kill you."
The priest frowned. "Well, I certainly can't allow that to happen. But I can't go into that temple, either. I really was sent by Emperor Ichijo. Do I need to prove that?"
"So be it," the man stated, drawing a sword from his back. The blade appeared to be nearly a foot and a half long and was wide, growing slightly narrower from the midpoint to the end. In the quick glimpse of it Hao had, the handle appeared to be wrapped in black silk. The sword appeared to be of Chinese origin.
The man charged. Closing the distance between the two of them, he leaped forward, thrusting the sword out in the process, aiming at the priest's midsection. "Stupid priest, you should have stayed at your shrine, helping people with 'ghosts!'"
The blade wasn't able to make it to the priest. A blue ogre with a single horn in the middle of its forehead and two downward pointing tusks from its mouth had appeared in front of him, blocking the point of the blade with its shield.
The man became excited. "Hm, that's interesting. I'd like to know the name of my opponent, if you don't mind."
The priest grinned. "It's Hao Asakura. Now, I've told you mine, you can show me the same courtesy."
The man chuckled. "I cast off my name a long time ago. You may call me the Sword God."
He then turned his attention to the ogre. "Ah, so this must be what a shikigami is! I had heard that you priest employed them, but I thought that was all just country bumpkin superstition!"
Hao smiled, pleased. "No, they are very much real." He pointed to the ogre. "This is my shikigami, Zenki. But, what I want to know is, how did that sword withstand the impact?" He had walked around the side of his shikigami. The sword's point was resting against the surface of the ogre's shield, not a scratch on either item.
It was the man's turn to laugh. "Because, this is the Sword of Goujian!"
Hao's eyes widened. "From the Yue dynasty in China?"
The man grinned. "The very one. This sword is over 1500 years old! It's magicked blade can't be shattered so easily!" Following an unvoiced command, Zenki slammed forward, forcing the man to slide backwards. He was not deterred however. "This sword was even created for the legendary king himself! Right...Goujian?"
As the Onmyoji stared in wonder, the spirit of an ancient Chinese warlord appeared behind the man. The spirit was dressed head to foot in battle armor. Scratches and minor cleaves graced nearly every inch of the armor, showing the culminating magnitude of the battles he faced when alive.
"You're a shaman!" the priest exclaimed.
Smirking, the man affirmed the statement. "Indeed. But so are you, so it's fine. Let's get on with this."
Standing in awe, the priest watched as the swordsman formed a hyoui-gattai with the warlord, transfusing him into the blade of the weapon that once belonged to him. The sword immediately began to glow with a faint red energy and the warlord's shoulder and shin guards appeared over the man. "Let's go, Goujian!"
With increased ferocity, the swordsman lunged at the priest, who gave a wave of his hand. Zenki immediately dashed forward, meeting the Sword God head on. The ogre continually slammed its shield against the swordsman's blade, but it wouldn't give way. Not seeing any other option, the shikigami began to lash out with its fists, its hardened knuckles not being cut by the sword.
The two combatants continued trading blows in this manner until the blue shikigami gained the upper hand. Lashing out with a powerful blow against the blade, the ogre was able to knock the weapon out of the swordsman's hand, sending it spinning until it stuck in the ground, yards away. The shikigami followed up with a punch to his chest, sending him flying backwards.
Hao gave him a look of concern. "Do you wish to talk this out now?"
The swordsman began to chuckle. "Did you forget these other swords on my back? This is far from being finished."
Reaching behind himself with both hands, he drew two more swords from their sheathes. In his left hand, he held a wide-bladed shortsword. "I highly doubt that you have ever heard of this sword," the man stated. "It is known as Durendal. I came into contact with it when I visited the land of Europe, in the Holy Roman Empire. This sword was believed to only exist in legends but, I assure, it is certainly real."
In his right hand was a menacing looking weapon. It appeared to be a solid piece of metal, consisting of a handle slightly over a foot long, and ending in a wickedly curved hook. "And this," he said, regarding the sword, "is a sickle sword, better known as a khopesh. This weapon fell out of favor two and a half millennia ago and was nearly forgotten. However, I discovered murals depicting the weapon when I ventured into the ancient land of Egypt and decided that I wished to revive it."
Immediately following, the spirits attached to each weapon made themselves known. The light green energies surrounding Durendal began to coalesce, forming a knightly figure. Upon seeing the priest as his opponent, the knight bowed to him. Hao gave the spirit a friendly nod, returning the sentiment. The swordsman gestured towards the spirit. "This is Cecil, a knight who once chanced upon the Durendal much in the same way that I did."
The golden energy swirling about the khopesh began to bend and contort, until they took on the shape of a large bird. It gradually started to condense, growing smaller and smaller before taking the form of a human. As the features began to fill in, the shape became that of an Egyptian warrior priest. "And this," the Sword God stated, motioning to the newly formed spirit, "is Hondo."
He continued. "I do apologize, but I feel it necessary that I at least explain a little about these weapons."
The priest shook his head. "It's perfectly fine. Personally, I enjoy the history lesson. It is quite fascinating."
The man grinned. "Ah, good. Let's continue, then."
Kicking against the ground, the swordsman rocketed himself forward, crossing his weapons in the process. Zenki charged as well, shield at the ready. The Sword God met the ogre with full force, striking out with Durendal, as the shikigami thrust its shield in front of it.
Blade and shield collided thunderously, stopping the momentum of each dead. Using the sword's tip against the flat shield as a point of balance, the man pushed off, spinning to his left as he did so. Taking advantage of the centrifugal force, he extended with his right arm, grabbing the priest's right shoulder with the hook. Its point tore across the Onmyoji's flesh as the swordsman pulled his weapon back to him.
Hao couldn't stifle the grunt that escaped him. Zenki, catching on at once, slammed the shield into the side of the man's head, knocking him back. As the priest peered around his shikigami, he saw that the swordsman was unharmed. Foreseeing the attack, the man initiated his over soul at the last second. Cecil's glowing armor now covered his entire body, protecting him from attack.
The Sword God smirked. "And this is only the first step." The golden energy emanating from the khopesh extended itself to swirl about the swordsman. They converged at the man's back, extending outwards to each side, forming wings. "Look, Hao Asakura! These are the golden wings of Ra, the Sun God!" he shouted as he lifted from the ground, the wings granting him the ability to hover.
"Hm, that's an interesting ability," Hao noted, clutching his shoulder.
"Ha, that's not even the half of it," the swordsman said. "I'll give you one last chance to go into the temple."
Hao smiled. "Pass."
The man smirked. "Fine."
Concentrating his furyoku on his immobile wings, he propelled himself forward. Weaving around the shikigami, the swordsman lashed out at Hao, who was barely able to dodge the full force of the strike. Regardless, the priest still took a shallow cut across his upper left leg.
Try as it might, there was nothing Zenki could do. The man always hovered just out of reach before dive-bombing at the priest to attack, before quickly regaining altitude. The ogre was dumbfounded to the point of simply looking from side to side, not knowing quite what to do.
"Remain calm, Zenki," the priest's voice resounded in the ogre's head. "Just stay next to me and wait for the command." The shikigami did as it was told.
Following previous patterns, the Sword God swooped in to attack once more, seeing an opening between the priest and ogre.
"Now!"
Extending its arms, the ogre managed to grab the man around his ankles. Tightening its grip, the shinigami slung him backwards, slamming the swordsman into the ground with tremendous force. Dazed, the man rolled onto his stomach, struggling to regain his bearings.
"I'm sorry," Hao began, "but I'm going to have to clip your wings." Not giving the swordsman time to react, a red shinigami, almost an exact duplicate in build to Zenki but having two horns and upward pointing tusks, attacked. Using two quick strokes of its ax, the new shikigami cleanly cut the two wings off at their point of origin.
The swordsman laughed aloud. "So, you had another one at your disposal. That's rather underhanded!"
The priest offered an apologetic smile. "Well, I had actually underestimated you. I didn't think you would have so many skills at your disposal." Hao motioned to the red ogre. "This is Kouki, another shikigami of mine. I can assure you, he is the last one under my control."
Kouki added to the statement by slamming the blade of its ax down, slicing Durendal in half. Zenki continued the trend by slamming its shield down as hard as it could, grinding the upper half of the swordsman's khopesh into dust.
The two ogres followed up with kicking the man, sending him flying through the wall of the building behind him. Hao called his shikigami back over to him.
Slowly, the man reemerged from the hole he had made. Blood was streaming down his face and he was holding another sword in his left hand, obviously drawn from the sheathe hanging from his left hip. Both he and the weapon were surrounded by a purple glow.
"Hmph, I'm glad I was able to pull this a little before I hit that wall." The blade of the weapon was curved greatly forward, with the cutting edge on the inside of the curve. "This weapon is known as a falx. This weapon was obtained near Greece. I've heard that various cultures in the land wield this type of sword, but I obtained this one in Thrace. The Thracians were a warrior culture; they revered their fighters above all others. This blade belonged to a warrior named Gerome, who was so attached to his fighting way of life, that he remained bound to the weapon after his physical life came to an end. Plus, they knew how to protect the body," the swordsman added, turning to reveal the shield that had formed on his back, defending him from the bone-breaking impact of hitting the building.
With his right hand, the swordsman slid the sword from his right hip's sheathe. The sword appeared to be at least half a foot longer than the khopesh he had previously held, with a long, slender blade. There was no hand guard and the handle was white, giving it the appearance of being made of bone.
"And this sword is called a dha. I acquired it on a visit to the vast Indian subcontinent. It once belonged to a headhunter of the Naga people, named Naajy. His way of life was incredibly dangerous. As such, he had to devise many ways of defending himself. Now, having his spirit with me, those abilities are mine."
Hao's shoulder sagged a little. "I suppose this means you aren't going to want to talk now..."
The Sword God grinned. "Of course not. I'm nowhere near losing." Zenki and Kouki charged.
As the two ogres closed in on him, the man dashed forward, as well. He threw up his dha and slid it under the blade of Kouki's ax. Hooking the underside of it, he managed to lock it in place, preventing the ogre from using it against him. The swordsman continued by lashing out with his falx, at the moment Zenki threw its right fist, cutting the shikigami's arm off at the elbow. Twisting his wrist, he released the lock he had on the ax and, spinning, caught Kouki with the blade, above the left knee.
The ogres dissipated and, as they fell, the man charged through the mists they left in their wake, homing in on the priest.
Hao backpedaled to by a few more fractions of a second. "I'm surprised that you managed to break through my over soul," he said. "That's never happened before." His mind added, "and it's going to take a few seconds for me to bring it back."
"Well, you've broken enough of mine. It's time I got a little payback!" the Sword God shouted, thrusting his dha at the priest.
Hao bit back a curse as he threw up his right hand in a sutra position, index and middle fingers pointed up with his ring and little fingers curved down and the thumb curled against his hand. Lines traced themselves into a five-pointed star in front of him. The various parts of the star were filled in with a glowing green light, Hao's furyoku.
The dha hit the star with full force, but couldn't penetrate it. In response, the man struck out his his falx, as well. Annoyed, he began a flurry of strikes against the makeshift shield, but did not seem to make any headway. That was until he noticed the priest's slightly labored breathing.
"I'm going to need a bit of time to call back Zenki and Kouki. I can't concentrate on both that and maintaining a strong shield. It's going to be tough, but I'll either have to wait for an opening or divert enough furyoku to the task while hoping the shield remains resilient enough," Hao pondered as the man began to unleash another assault.
Under an unrelenting barrage, the shield began to weaken. Using considerable strength, the swordsman sliced with his falx, causing the first few inches of the blade to stab through the star.
Hao found his opening. "There!"
Focusing a quick burst of furyoku, he forced the shield to shatter outwards, using the spray to temporarily blind the man. Jumping back, the Onmyoji channeled his energy into the two talismans once more. The two ogres became a part of the physical plane again. At once, the shikigami put their revenge into action. With the man off guard, Zenke extended its shield, resting it against the flat side of the swordsman's falx. Catching on, Kouki swung its ax forward, connecting with the blade, and snapped it. The shield on the man's back faded away as the upper half of the sword fell to the ground.
The two ogres attempted to perform the same actions on the dha, but the man had regained his composure. Tossing aside the broken hilt, the Sword God focused on the blade he was still holding, using the speed its lightweight design gave him to fence off against Kouki's large ax.
Taking a few steps back to give himself some room, the Sword God stopped, staring off into the distance momentarily, as if in a daze. As if suddenly remembering something that should not have been forgotten in the first place, he held the dha out in front of him, waving it, giving the two ogres a sign to come at him. They complied.
Just as the two were upon him, preparing to take the man's head off, Zenki with a clothesline, Kouki with its ax, the swordsman ducked into a low crouching stance. As the shikigami overshot him, the man used all the strength in his legs to rocket himself upward. In the process, he dragged his blade along Kouki's back, neatly splitting the ogre in half. Following with a spinning horizontal slash, the man cleaved the top of Zenki's head off.
"That's the second time I've broken your shikigami, Hao. Maybe you're the one who should be listening to my demands."
"But I've never demanded anything from you..." Hao mused to himself.
Again focusing his energies, the Onmyoji summoned his two ogres back from the talismans.
"Not giving up yet, hm?" the Sword God taunted. "Works for me."
The ogres attacked in unison, Zenki in the lead, holding out its shield, and Kouki following close behind, its ax at the ready. Using the speed his Naga warrior spirit gave him, the swordsman dodged and weaved around the shikigami with ease. Allowing the ogres to stumble by, the man lunged forward at the priest, driving the thin blade of his weapon into the Onmyoji's chest.
The figure of the priest melted away instantly, leaving the swordsman looking around, confused.
"That's another ability that took quite some time to master. I haven't given it a name yet, but all I do is condense my furyoku to create a copy of myself. It's rather useful for situations such as this," Hao announced as he grappled the man from behind.
"Now, Kouki!"
With his arms locked above his head, there was nothing the Sword God could do as his weapon dangled in his grasp. The slack allowed the blow Kouki struck against the blade to shatter it completely, sending fragments of it flying in all directions.
Letting out a cry of rage, the swordsman slammed his right heel into the priest's right shin, causing the grapple to weaken. Slipping free, the man added to injury by driving his left elbow into the Onmyoji's ribs, forcing him to stumble backwards. Taking a step forward from the falling priest, the swordsman drew yet another sword, placed vertically upside down on his back, and, turning, lashed out with it, cutting the priest across the abdomen.
The blade of this sword appeared to be of the same shape as the Durendal was, albeit shorter. It was obviously a one handed sword, as the handle was far too short to accommodate two hands.
"I know that you're absolutely dying to learn about this weapon," the swordsman taunted, gazing at the priest grasping his stomach.
The man held the sword up, admiring it. "This blade is called a gladius. It was the devastating sword used by the fearsome Roman legion as they went out on conquering expeditions to expand their great empire. This particular one was once used by the legionnaire Decimus Caelius Severus, a Centurion who commanded an entire cohort of soldiers. His skills were honed in the undying flames of war that constantly engulfed his life." He continued to add, "there's no way you're going to win."
The priest sighed. "I'm not out to 'win,' I just want you to come to your senses. Let's go, Kouki, Zenki."
Each of the ogres dashed forward, Zenki to the right, Kouki to the left, ready to sandwich the swordsman. They never got the chance. A flurry of sword strikes lashed out at blinding speeds, shredding up the two shikigami. "And now I've destroyed your ogres once more, priest."
Before Hao could act, the swordsman was upon him. The slashes were swift, seeming to come from nowhere. Not even realizing it, the priest had sustained two cuts across his chest and another on his left shoulder. Unable to aptly set up a defense, there was nothing the Onmyoji could do as the Sword God plunged his blade into his stomach.
The blood erupting into his mouth was nearly strangling, Hao noted. He staggered backwards, struggling to regain his balance, but to no avail. Falling to the ground, he remained motionless, the impact causing him to go numb.
"Are you finally dead, priest? That took a while." He bowed towards Hao. "I apologize for looking down on you. You were certainly the best opponent I've had in quite some time. Now then, I can begin my revolution...my clan will be restored."
"I'm...glad...to hear...that," Hao sputtered.
The Sword God stared in amazement as the priest raised into a sitting position without the use of his hands. "I certainly wasn't dead, and I'm not a god," the priest stated. "I used my furyoku to seal off the wounds you inflicted. Well, the more damaging ones, at least." The Onmyoji grunted. "Doesn't make it hurt any less, though."
Standing up, Kouki and Zenki reformed beside him. Waving both of his hands, star patterns reminiscent of the star emblem forming the priest's furyoku shield appeared on both shikigamis' heads. As the Onmyoji drew his hands back towards himself, the ogres began to turn translucent. The shikigami eventually faded away, leaving only the items they carried behind, Zenki's shield glowing with a faint blue energy, and Kouki's ax glowing red.
Holding out his left arm, the shield hovered over it, blue tendrils extending from the back of it to hold it in place. Upon reaching out to grab the poleaxe, its blade began to change shape, compressing itself into a smaller form and extending outwards, taking on the shape of a naginata.
"Ah, so, does this mean that you're going to fight me now?" the Sword God inquired.
Hao nodded. "That's right. The best way I can think to make you listen to reason is to go all out."
The swordsman grinned. "Haha, that's nice to hear. Now I'm excited!"
As he ran forward, a silver energy swirled about the gladius he held, obviously the swordsman's syncing with the spirit of Decimus. He lashed out with the weapon, but had it solidly blocked with the shield of Zenki. The Onmyoji responded by thrusting his own blade at the man, which was dodged with effort, following up by using the long staff-like handle of the naginata to hit the swordsman in the face.
Stepping back, the glow around the gladius intensified, spreading itself out to engulf the man wielding it. Solidifying in various areas, a shield was formed in the man's hand, bracers on his arms, shin guards, a seemingly iron chest plate, and a galea on his head.
The two men stood silently facing one another, admiring the other's prowess, before launching into another flurry of attacks. Each dodged, sidestepped, parried, blocked, and attacked when necessary, not giving an inch. Occasionally, the combatants would manage to land a blow on the other, the damaging effects considerably weakened from the shear output of furyoku the two were exuding.
Hao, finally seeing an opening, capitalized on it, striking like a serpent at the blade of the gladius. The swordsman, seeing his mistake, quickly threw up his shield to protect the sword. Although guarding the sword, the shield couldn't stand up to the shear force produced from the thrust of the priest's weapon. Hitting the very center of the shield, it shattered upon impact, breaking like glass, due to both Hao and Kouki's combined furyoku being denser that that of Decimus.
The swordsman attempted to return the sentiment, but Zenki's shield proved to be too strong, it being a supernatural item to begin with, and reinforced by both demonic and shamanic energies. Bracing the shield with his forearm and perfecting his timing, Hao thrust it forward, deflecting the Sword God's thrust upwards.
As a follow up, the Onmyoji struck out with staff portion of his naginata, decidedly knocking the gladius out of the swordsman's hand. As the sword fell through the air, the priest performed a side flip, catching the weapon with the blade of his own, slamming it to the ground. He immediately mimicked the movement, using the centrifugal force collected in the flip to slam his blade down onto the sword, breaking it into many shards.
Not giving the swordsman time to act, Hao initiated a series of thrusts, striking quicker than a serpent. Completely defenseless, there was nothing the man could do but attempt to backpedal. The Onmyoji was precise in his attacks but light. His goal was to neutralize the man, not kill him.
Staggering back, the swordsman grinned at his wounds. "You certainly are something, priest. Now I believe you. You certainly were sent here to fight me by that emperor." He reached to his back, pulling out one more sword. Although the handle was a run of the mill black wooden one, the blade was the most unique one Hao had ever seen. Having a main narrow, double-edged blade, it also bore six extra blades protruding from it, three on each side.
The Sword God held the sword in front of himself. "This...this is my final sword, the Seven-Branched Sword. It is also the strongest of my weapons. This it going to be it; I'm going to put my everything into this final attack, which is why..." He reached inside of his worn out chest plate, producing a red, knife-shaped rock. "...I'm going to use this in conjunction with my sword. This is an artifact that I crafted myself. The manner that I created it with and the shape I made with it make it a perfect medium when creating a sword type over soul, making it perfect for me. I call it the Futsu-no-Mitama no Tsurugi." He grinned. "Before we end this, I'd like to know something. Where did you gain all your strength, Hao?"
The Onmyoji smiled. "You...most likely will not believe this, but I literally perfected my training in Hell. I found a way to enter a trance that would send my soul there, so I spent many months training there every day. And yourself?"
The Sword God chuckled. "No, I believe you. As for myself, while I didn't go to the actual place, I trained daily in a Hell of sorts, as well. I joined armies, fought in wars, became a sword for hire, and even stooped to assassinations, whatever it took to increase my skills."
Hao eyed him pensively for a moment. "Also...when you thought I had died earlier, you...mentioned your clan. What clan would that be?"
"It's because of those damn Fujiwara!" the man burst out. "Because of them, the Soga were wiped out!"
Some of the hostage monks had chanced to step outside of the building to watch the conclusion to the battle, while others tentatively stared out from the hole produced when the swordsman was driven through the wall.
"The Sago Clan was poised to create a line of succession of our own, but the Fujiwara had to conspire against us! It doesn't matter, though. I'll show them just how futile their efforts were, when I create an army of shamans to topple that toad they have on the throne now!" he continued. The swordsman looked at Hao with a sneer. "I would have asked you to join me, but you are quite obviously preoccupied with being a dog of the emperor."
The Onmyoji smiled. "No, I certainly wouldn't be able to join you."
Regaining his composure, the Sword God returned the smile. "That's fine. This has been an excellent fight and, if you sided with me, we wouldn't know how it would end."
He thrust the Seven-Branch Sword into the air. "Now, hyoui-gattai legion!" From the shattered and discarded swords, their respective energies swirled about. Each energy entered a different protruding blade, with the very tip gaining an electrical charge. The Sword God sneered. "The associated spirit with this weapon is Raijin, god of thunder. I've never had to use this technique in battle, but I'm quite certain that it will destroy you. It may even take this mountain with you."
The swordsman placed the knife-shaped rock into the lightning tip. The reaction was immediate, a glowing blade the width of six men and extending to the heavens was produced.
"What are they doing?"
"Why are they just standing there?"
"That's so unfair! That brute has a sword and that priest is completely defenseless! He'll be killed!"
The watching monks' voiced resounded in Hao's head, their inability to sense furyoku evident.
The swordsman charged.
Hao, thinking quickly, reverted the naginata he held into pure furyoku and added its essence into the shield he had. The defensive item grew three times larger at once, gaining spiky protrusions in the process. Not wishing to hesitate, he mimicked the man.
The ensuing flash of light was blinding. Every monk gazing at the battle was forced to shield their eyes. Even from the Capital, the entire summit of the mountain was shrouded in the light, so brilliant it was.
As the light faded, the men stood, facing one another. The Seven-Branch Sword was dangling loosely in the Sword God's grasp, but he still held it, nonetheless. Hao's shield had been broken, shards of it scattered around him. Both men were covered in wounds, many of them severe.
Hao looked down to see the large gashes on his legs and the three gaping wounds on his chest. Looking back at his opponent, he saw that the swordsman wasn't unscathed, either. The Sword God bore a cut at least four inches wide across his entire chest. Another wound crossed his neck. To top it off, his left arm was missing, with his upper right arm covered in blood.
With his vision slowly fading, he fell forward. The last thing he saw was the swordsman grinning at him.
"W-what just happened?"
"Did that priest do that to that man?"
"W-what is that priest?"
"They were just standing there, then they look like that? How did that happen to that swordsman? That pries must be a demon!"
The monks' thoughts echoed in his mind as the ground rushed up to meet him.
His eyes snapped open. Quickly, priest raised up onto his elbows, looking at his surroundings. The pain shot through him like fire. Hao looked at himself. Where the wounds he believed had killed him had been, there were bandages. Gazing around, he saw that he was in a room, though he had no clue where. "The temple?" he pondered.
At the far wall, the shoji slid open, and a young woman walked in. Noticing him staring at her, she blushed, bowing immediately. "Oh, Lord Asakura, you're awake! Please, wait just one moment!" she exclaimed, rushing back out the door.
He waited patiently, as was asked of him. Struggling slightly, he managed himself into sitting upright. He was perplexed. "No, this can't be the temple. I had heard that it was male only," he thought. The room was far too exquisite to be at the temple as well, he noted.
A dark presence in the doorway caught his attention. Upon noticing who it was, he averted his eyes at once. Emperor Ichijo strode into the room, a jovial smile on his face. "Please, Sir Hao, look towards your friend!" the emperor greeted happily.
Hao complied and attempted to bow no matter how much it hurt, but the emperor's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "There's no need for that," Ichijo assured him. "I am greatly in your debt."
The priest's eyes widened. "No, no, my lord, I was only doing my duty, that's all. You do not need to waste your words of praise on me."
Ichijo chuckled. "You're just as modest as they say you are." The emperor proceeded to bow to the Onmyoji despite protests from the priest. "The Sword God has been slain, and it is all because of you. Truly, you have done a tremendous deed in protecting the empire."
The girl from earlier peered from around the emperor. Seeing her, Ichijo decided introductions were necessary. "Ah, Hao, this is Mizuki. She was caring for you while you were unconscious. She's the one who dressed your wounds."
The priest nodded at her. "Thank you very much for your care," he said.
She blushed again, did a quick bow, and hurried out of the room.
Ichijo laughed. "She's quite shy around outsiders. She was born and raised here in the Palace, learning medicine, so she doesn't really know much of the outside world."
Hao nodded before looking puzzled. "But... the swordsman was still alive when I blacked out. I had thought that I had either died there, or he was going to finish me off. I don't understand what happened."
The emperor appeared thoughtful. "Well, as you can see, he certainly didn't kill you. When my men arrived after seeing a flash of light at the top of the mountain, he was found dead. Perhaps he died from his wounds shortly after you fell unconscious."
Hao was contemplating the possibility of the suggestion when the emperor stood. "I do apologize, but I have many other matters that I must attend to." Hao nodded as he sighed. "Running the empire certainly takes a lot of time." Striding towards the shoji, Ichijo turned as if a thought hit him. "Don't worry about your fee. I instructed a convoy to send two hundred koku, thirty silk kimonos, and you may keep the carts that the items arrive in."
The priest forced his unwilling body to bow. "My lord, your kindness is far too great. However, my services can't possibly warrant a reward this vast."
Ichijo held up his hand. "You belittle yourself far too much. Please, if not as a reward, accept them as a gift."
The Onmyoji smiled, an act returned by the emperor.
"Ah, and feel free to stay and rest here as long as you wish," Ichijo added.
"Thank you, Lord Ichijo," the priest stated.
After the shoji had closed, he began pondering once more. "He was grinning at me, so he obviously had the time to walk that short distance and kill me," he thought. "So what happened?" He continued to wrack his brain until a memory hit him. "The shield! There were pieces of it around me when I fell. Hm, could Zenki and Kouki have remained in the physical realm a bit longer after I collapsed?"
He called the two ogres to him. The shikigami manifested at once, awaiting orders from their master.
The priest smiled. "Did the two of you remain at the mountain after I fell unconscious?" Both nodded. "Then I wish for you to remember what conspired afterward."
The shikigami closed their eyes, remembering the events, as Hao followed suit in an effort to read them.
As the two men rushed one another, the Sword God cleaved downward with his oversized blade. The priest responded by thrusting his shield upwards, simultaneously launching some of the spikes at the sword and readying a spell. The familiar star like pattern appeared below the swordsman, sealing him in a barrier and carving him up with an assault of Hao's condensed furyoku. Losing his focus, the large over soul wavered, allowing the shield to break through at the cost of shattering itself.
Hao hit the ground with an audible thump. The swordsman continued to grin at him. As he sauntered forward, he allowed his Seven-Branch Sword to fall from his hand, clacking on the ground. Taking a few more steps, he picked up the knife-shape rock where it had landed after the breaking of his over soul.
"That was one hell of a fight," he stated, still grinning.
"You aren't dead, are you?" he inquired as he plopped down beside the Onmyoji. He reached out, running his index and middle fingers along the priest's neck to confirm. "No, no, you're still alive," he said after feeling a pulse. His grin broadened.
"Damn, can't believe it's all over for me. You're strong, Hao, really strong." His wounds were bleeding profusely, causing a small puddle to form around him.
Setting the rock on the ground, he reached inside his chest plate once more, producing a small piece of parchment. Finding a nearby piece of straw, he dipped it into his blood and began scribbling on the paper. He finished quickly and, apparently satisfied with the message, folded the parchment and tied it around the handle portion of the knife rock. He then casually slipped it into the priest's kimono.
Not able to keep his balance, he fell back. His breath became raspy after emitting a hacking cough. "You know, there really is a part of me that wanted to restore my clan," he announced with a smile, "but I think there was a bigger part that just wanted a good fight." He drew in air sharply. "Hahaha," he weakly laughed as his final breath escaped him.
"What a rush."
Hao opened his eyes again, a pleasant smile crossing his lips. He fumbled around in the folds of his kimono, but couldn't find anything. Upon checking his right sleeve, he discovered the knife-shaped rock and note. It must have been moved when Mizuki was treating his wounds.
He gently laid the artifact in his lap and unfolded the parchment. Reading over the message, his smile broadened.
"You should pick up a sword sometime. Take this one to start your collection.
-Sago no Nori"
Took a while to collect research on the various sword for this one.
The Sword of Goujian is an actual sword made during the Spring and Autumn Period of Ancient China. It was indeed made for King Goujian, a ruler of the Yue Dynasty. Apparently, even though it's over 2500 years old, it's still pretty sharp and barely rusted at all. It's currently in a museum in China (which is why I had it knocked out of the Sword God's hand instead of broken), though I don't know if it's on display to the public or not.
The Durendal is a sword of legend, supposedly used by a knight under the service of the Frank king Charlemagne named Roland. There's also a rumor that it belonged to Hector of Troy before falling into the hands of Roland. There's a town in France that has a building with a sword stuck in its wall. Some of the locals believe that that sword is Durendal.
A khopesh is a somewhat hook-like sword that was used in Egypt. It stopped being used as a weapon around 1500-1300 B.C. It then became a ceremonial item, seen on some murals being held by pharaohs.
A dha is a longsword somewhat similar to a katana (though the dha would be a precursor), that was used by the Naga people in India. The Naga did indeed practice headhunting, as they viewed it as proving the strength of a warrior. They didn't engage in cannibalism, though.
A falx is a type of forward curving sword that was mainly used in Ancient Greece, by the Thracians, Dacians and, eventually, the Romans.
Most everybody knows what a gladius is. You always gladiators using them in the movies, but they were used by Roman soldiers, as well.
The Seven-Branch Sword is a real historical artifact, though it isn't battle ready. It's more for ceremonial purposes. It was made in Korea and given to Japan in an exchange of friendship in around the 200s A.D. It is now one of Japan's national treasures and is not on display to the public. As far as I know, there isn't anything about the lightning associated with the sword. I just remember a similar sword in one of the Castevania games that had lightning properties.
I didn't include a katana in the Sword God's repertoire as the weapon had not yet been created. This fanfic takes place in the Heian Period (794- 1185 A.D.) while the katana wasn't created until the Muromachi Period (1392- 1573 A.D.).
The Sago clan was an actual clan in ancient Japan that was very prominent. However, they began to create elaborate palaces for themselves, deciding to become the sovereign rulers of the land, but the Nakatomi clan opposed them, assassinated some of their people, and forced them to disband. The Nakatomi reformed into the Fujiwara clan, setting up the order of succession for the Japanese Emperors. Emperor Ichijo was descended from this clan.
I know that Hao says the Futsu-no-Mitama no Tsurugi was obtained from a sword god, but I can't remember if the sword god was ever actually depicted in the manga. Therefore, I decided that I would take another liberty and make him into a very powerful shaman.