Disclaimer. Okay I disclaimed.
Okay for any future reference im actually bending the characters age possibly but im trying to stay as true to his nature as humanly possible. Either way that stated time for chapter 3 finaly.
Also note that I reference title of chapter : area and or main plot "chap title" extra reference: I had someone once ask me why and simply put I dnt know.
I dont think I need to reiterate what happened last time. But thanks to the events blackstar is out and tsubaki is down. Leaving mifune to find the cause of the problem and put a quick stop to a near riot.
Ch3. the miasmal "lord of the dead" old one.
Taking ally ways was not part of his favorite hobbies, but after stepping out into the main thoroughfare mifune realized just how bad things had gotten. The students were not violent per say but aggressive towards one another. Discontented sneers and shoves of ill manner seemed very present in the streets he hopped sid would be able to transport tsubaki and blackstar without insiting an incident.
The air was thick with the tension and it seemed he was the only one of the crowd not being stabbed at by their former friends eyes. 'this is a very bad sign.' the crowed seemed to still themselves. His senses were hightening and the choking claustrophobia took over. Within a few seconds his senses registered an angry presence 'this spells trouble.' and then there was the rock. He didnt know who from or for that matter the intended target but it struck a young meister girl. And the riot ensued.
Waves of children once friends now charged swinging books and random objects at eachother. Weapons however were getting the upper hand due to their ability to transform into partial weapons and mifune could not simply allow the senseless violence to continue.
The swords were thrown, the tape was laid, and the sword god brandished his title. He took no satisfaction in fighting this fight but it seemed if he did not many would die. So he cleared the ranks. Wave after wave striking down former students and newcomers alike. Each blow a wound inflicted on himself as well as the opponent.
"enough!" he then levitated one of the swords and the tape surrounding bound the opposition to their places. "you are academy miesters and weapons. What good is it to fight amongst yourselves. Ive never seen such foolishness!" one broke free and he struck him with the blunt side of one of his blades.
"mifune!?" sid now emerged with the unconcious form of blackstar and supported an injured tsubaki. "everything alright out here?"
"they wont be going anywhere. Round up the faculty and have them escorted to safty. And preferably isolation from eachother. Im getting to the bottom of this before it gets any more out of hand." he straightened his posture and procured one of his sword bags. "ill be back for that when I return. Make sure they are not tampered with."
"i got it." sid surveyed the damages noting most of the students now completely knocked out and the few retaining conciousness blatantly too week to fight back. "sometimes that guy freaks me out."
he'd lost count of the years. Hundreds of times he thought he would never have to see this place again. Yet here he was forced to return to the dark recesses of this hell forgoten by time. A place even death it seemed had forgotten. The qliph. It wasnt a happy place the qliph. Nor was it sad. Nor was it neutral. It was a wrathful area. That seemed to watch in outrage at anyone foolish enough to endevor its steep climbs and treacherous terrain. Filled to the brim with monsters even witches would dare not disturb this place was as darkly forboding as the shinigami's cloak and only he knew who or better what made this place its preffered hunting ground.
Tartarus the miasmal. A creature of legend. And supposedly a true immortal it was tatarus that had created the qliph. He and lord death were at one time allies which is why mifune himself was no stranger to the shinigami's stories of conquest with an old friend before his council rose. Tartarus was a creature that not one living soul had laid eyes on in eons. His legend had faded into myth and myth into mystery then slowly into nonexistance. He like the qliph an area devoid of any human life was forgotten. No living creature had laid eyes on tartarus since before asuras incarceration. No one but mifune. And the sword god remembered the miasmal very well.
In his youth mifune remembered training. His sword master a very harsh man pushed mifune to his limits every single day until eventually he surppased him. And then mifune would seek out a new enemy who would prove even less challanging and his hunger for battle would stay dissatisfied. Wave after wave in numbers and skills of various quantity and quality and not but a few had matched him in his unnaturally long life. Only the two star clan assasins one of which was an arrogant child and the other an already dead man, and the miasmal. The legendary specter of the qliph. A story handed down to him by his swordmaster and his before that. An millenias old tale repeated until mifune out of arrogance and pride sought out the qliph.
It was this place he sought that would be a true test of his skill and power. The creatures that thrived here were dark and abyssal and the one to be feared above all was tartarus. In his first encounter with tartarus the miasmal the ancient entity laughed at him. Mocking him for his meager toys and foolish sence of pride. And in his rage mifune had challanged the ancient one only to be struck down with but a flick of the miasmal's wrist. He was infuriated but beaten. He remembered bowing in reverence to the miasmal who only laughed harder than before and challanged him to train in the qliph which was what now made mifune the sword god.
The creatures of this dark void were stronger than any normal man or even an average witch. Even the miesters of the dwma seemed weak in comparison to these beasts. It was here that mifune learned more than just his skills. He'd learned humility, caution, strength and a new respect for human life. The beasts were harsh yes. But even more so the environment was unforgiving. Providing no sunlight to speak of but a choking burning atmosphere the likes of which would be found in a scorching desert. And worse still the miasmal forced his hand. Using him as an interesting form of game in what seemed like a contest of cat and mouse. Mifune had countless times been found and fought with the miasmal as part of this game only to be beaten and mocked until one day he had found strength to combat the acient entity. He did not win persay, but had impressed tartarus, and as a result the miasmal relinquished him the title of sword god first and viewed him now not as a pupil but an equal. Reverance aside mifune left this place vowing to himself he would never willingly set foot in its forsaken bowels again. That vow though was now comprimised as mifune had identified one of the qliphs most common creatures far from its natural habbitat.
That sated he knew the miasmal would have known. And as such he broke his vow and entered this hell far deeper to seek out the only being in existance that he knew would have the information he sought. Tartarus was not a being of simple gestures though. He knew well there would be a price to pay for asking from this oddity of time. Likely he would want something in exchange for mifunes questions. And only few certain things entertained the ancient entity.
"tartarus!" he had climbed the highest of the qliphs mountains to the nesting grounds of the miasmal.
"well if the sword god has not come to call im not standing today." he appeared sudden from the wall in front of mifune. Blended with the mountains bone like structures. Camoflauged in a black cloak with skeletal armor protruding where the shadow like cloth did not cover. "very intriguing. And what have you returned for. Do you care for another game? Perhaps we shall enhance the dificulty this time. It has been ages since I last had company." the dark figure stood his full hight an intimidating few heads higher than mifune himself.
"i seek information old one. The snare flys have entered lord deaths domain. And the academy is in upheavle what pray tell would you know of this?" mifune was short but not hostile. He knew well idol threats meant nothing to this creature.
"ah. You have noticed my drones I see. They are of no concern to the meisters of the academy. They are simply my eyes and ears the world over. I am bored in my old age. So an entertaining show is sometimes refreshing." he laughed heartily raising a hand which sparked a large flame in the small pit mifune had not noticed between them. "come indulge me in the ways of the world sword god. Perhaps we will play later. For now I am amused at your return and wish to know of your travles."
"very well." he played patient and sat "tell me how long have you been watching?"
"oh Ive eyed the academy since lord death instituted it. You see we have an agreement the reaper and I." he chuckled amusedly. "he reaps the souls of the dying and I torment the souls of the guilty. Not a pleasure unless you know what they have done."
"and that is why the qliph is here? As torment to the damned." he quirked an eye in akward acknowledgement. "i see no humans or souls. What exactly do you do here old one.?"
"ah you would not see the souls no. but can you not feel the rage in this place? The hatred of life?" he stretched his arms in reference of the surroundings .
"yes... it is palpable." the sword god narrowed his eyes in question.
"where do you think the evil of the world goes when it dies? Souls are not just digested into a weapons system no. their power may be taken but a soul never truly gets destroyed. no. its sent here. To the qliph. And I mold it into a new world. To punish the wicked and cast them out of the land of the living." he became darker. "the trees. The mountains. The beasts. They are all part of the evil I punish. And as such they become part of the qliph. And not one soul here is free of its eternal damnation. No one but you my friend. As a living creature you are the only thing here that may leave this place."
"and that is why you havent killed me? Im no fool tartarus. I know well what this place does to one who stays here." he glared knowingly.
"and yet here you are. Free of the madness and death of my relm. But youre not here for training. Of that I already know. And obviously you arent here on a friendly social call so I assume you are here about the conflicts between the miesters and weapons. Am I not correct?" a low rumble became the ancient beings voice.
"yes. But im also curious as to why youre pets linger in the world of the living." mifune's patience grew thin.
"as I said I have watched the world from here at my post since the qliph was formed. Ive been silent for thousands of years. But recently the witches have begun to move on my teritory. Necromancy is as you know a forbidden art. But that is because it interferes with my world. I am not fond of my quary being taken from me. The meisters the reaper controls are not adequately suiting their purpose. So I am watching their progress. I intend no movement yet. But warn the reaper. If such blantant disregard for my law is not quelled soon. I will unleash my wrath. And I will spare not one soul that interferes. Sword god. You know all too well what im truly capable of. Warn your employer my patience grows thin with his methods of correction. I am a patient man. So I will for now let death have his petty war. But when the time comes. I will move. And any witch miester weapon or other entity in my path will be rent assunder. But that has yet to pass." the miasmal's tone was both calculated and calm but even mifune's bravado was shaken at his blunt threat he did in fact know the miasmals rage was not something to be taken lightly.
"so of the conflict in the academy? The meisters and weapons are not simply having a disagreement. They legitimately hate one another. Once insepperable friends are now turning on eachother. What do you know of this old one.?" he tried to shake the feeling of intimidation.
"it is witch magic to be certain. I do not interfere with such children in the prime of their lives. That would be bending the rules. However the witches are not completely at fault. Though it is their magic that brought this there Is deeper power causing the disruption. Something even beyond my control. The witches have dug simply too deep and now I fear they have found something they shouldnt have. Or perhaps something found them." he cupped the chin of the dark mask he wore and mifune took a moment to study him.
He was well over seven feet in hight, that was obvious. He was presumably muscular under all of the armor and black which was his attire. Large bone covered hands protruded from the cowl he wore and what appeared to be a small human skeleton hung limply as if crucified to from his chest. A dark hood covered his head laden with a spiked crown representing his athourity in the qliph and a mask resembling a demented human skull covered the upper portion of his face, the lower half being covered with a dense black cloth that made facial recognition impossible. Upon his shoulders could be seen the skulls of some large horned creature resembling what appered to be a malformed human skull but less thick and rounded almost flattened to the miasmals massive shoulders, horns protruding downward from the temples. On his back was a seiries of spear like bones that carried chains and lanterns of various shapes allong with more skeletal appendages and parts. His knees were outfited with ornate emblembs of evil skulls whos eyes were enlaid with rubies and teeth of saphires. The massive boots the over sized creature bore were bone like in material and carved with almost root like designs which vaguely rose to make human shapes within their design. And lastly upon the skeleton crucified to his chest was a pendant shaped like a massive human heart that glowed an intense ruby red at all times.
"sword god If my mere figure isnpires such awe I can only imagine what you would do should I unleash my true power." the massive creature let out a roaring laugh. "but I digress. I am worried for the world outside the qliph. But it is against the balance for me to interfere. It is with my most humble request that you assist me in rectifying this situation. The witches must be stopped before whatever entity that theyve revived comes to life."
"and what would you have me do? I am a faculty member of the dwma. Not a mercenary." he sighed.
"and as such it is your duty to make sure that the meisters of the academy do not suffer the fate of the worlds woes. I ask that you seek out the grand witch and propose a treaty of sorts and end this foolish use of necromancy. I would not enjoy having to leave my post to destroy both sides. So I ask that you stop my coming and end this before I am forced to take drastic measures" he crossed his large arms calmly.
"they will not agree to a treaty with death." he scoffed.
"then perhaps its time you showed them your title." the dark lord laughed as he vanished into the night. "do this for your beloved students. Or their fate will be as this place."