Chapter 113
Hiccups POV:
It's been two days since I killed what I now knew to be an Oni demon and his amanojaku and received rewards from the fox for it and since I received the gifts my day has been pretty busy with me needing to deal with the villagers along with trying out my new gear. When it came to my new gear I was beyond impressed with what I could do with it, especially the sickles that would come in handy when I was trying to capture enemies. When it came to the sickles they're good for both ranged and close combat since the sickles could slice through metal with little difficulty and the chains allowed me to swing them around and attack enemies at long distances. When I was doing this, I learnt I could do the same thing to others that the oni did to me when I accidentally landed it in the shadow of a guy and ended up pulling him to by his waist. He forgave me though and said it was an understandable mistake when mastering new weapons of such power.
Not long after this happened I learnt another ability of the sickles that scared me a bit since after I learnt about the power a small boy came running into the village being chased by a large wild boar. I threw the sickles at the boar stabbing them into its shadow to stop it and focused on stopping the boar before it squealed in pain and I realized its shadow was being sucked into the chain. I then noticed a ring around the middle of the handle that had the Japanese symbol for drain, I twisted it to a symbol meaning capture and it stopped draining the boar before I pulled the sickle back into my hand. The poor boar ran away squealing in fear as I looked down at the sickles and knew that that ability should only be used against demons or monsters. After that I could turn the ring to a symbol that read blaze to ignite the blades and chains with the black flames but this time they didn't even feel hot, despite this I knew the flames were still lethal to others.
The sickles themselves weren't the only lethal part as the weights on the other ends were also pretty powerful weapons which I learnt when I hit a sheet of metal that three feet thick and a sizable dent was put into it. Along with this when I threw one of the balls next to a straw training dummy one of the villagers set up for me the ball immediately turned to the side and wrapped around the dummy without me even trying to make it turn in another direction. Another thing was like the sickles they could sink into the shadows and restrain whatever was that is making the shadows. All in all, these sickles were definitely going to come in handy for future battles and the local leather worker was even kind enough to make me holsters for them so I could carry them on my waist after I discovered the blades fold into the handles. The holsters were made onto a belt made of black leather with red Japanese symbols for black flame stitched into them and had hooks behind them for me to roll up the chains onto. When I first tried it on it fit perfectly and I also learned that the chains automatically wrapped around my arms when I took out the sickles so it would make things a lot easier for me in the future battles when I needed them.
Then there was the shell of the kappa that I knew was going to come in handy in both battling and traveling in this land with its abilities. The abilities that could be used for offense were pretty powerful starting with how I could make the blades rotate around the shell that could then be either used to fight enemies up close or at a distance by throwing it. When I threw it however I learned I could summon it back to me which lead to the discovery that the blades couldn't harm me which was a major relief considering how it flew right at me and nearly took my head off. It was during one of the times I was practicing tossing it a little boy was chasing his dog and ended up running right into the path of the shell and would no doubt kill the child. As it got near the child however it slowly changed the way it was flying so it went around the child and behind him, this was something that both me and the child's parents were grateful for. From there I began doing some tests and learnt that I could control where the shell flew by will if I focused a bit and urged the shell to go where I want it to. It took me all afternoon to fully get the hang of using it and now I could control which way it flew as if it were nothing and if how I was able to use it against some straw training dummies while at the same time using the sickles it would definitely be useful in battle.
When it came to travelling though it had two other features that I knew would help me when I was going through this strange land with the first ability being something I discovered when I was practicing controlling it in the air. I learnt that when I put it down it could float one foot in the air allowing me to hop onto it and use it like a surf board for the land and it was pretty fast so using it to travel on long roads was a possibility. I knew this ability would no doubt earn me a few looks from people in other towns who didn't know what it was so I couldn't use it in those places but I also couldn't carry the shell since that would also earn some looks. While I was thinking of ways to conceal it I jokingly put it on my head as a joke but was surprised when the blades retracted into the shell, the bottom of the shell pulled in so all and all the shell looked more like a helmet of some sort than a weapon. In other words, I'd be able to walk through a town without drawing too much unwanted attention since the shell also covered my face and kept the sun out of my eyes. All in all, my new weapons were definitely going to be helpful in the upcoming battle against Akuhei. As for the village I'd been staying in, after the attack it was discovered that only three homes were burned down so no major loss as the owners were able to stay with friends in the village. Besides that, the people had begun treating me as if I were royalty with a few women trying to flirt with me, children play acting out my battle or asking me to tell them of my adventures and some of the males asking me for tips on fighting. It wasn't anything I wasn't used to though after my past adventures and dealing with fans from the past. Besides that, there was a few advantages like with the village tailor who was kind enough to make me a new kimono like the one I had before and even made the wrap a bit wider to conceal my sickles.
Earlier today I'd left the village with a box lunch that had been made for me and was now on the kappa's shell travelling through the forest allowing the chochinbi in my arm to guide me. As I travelled though my prosthetic arm had been feeling different somehow as if it were storing power for something but I just chalked it up to the chochinbi acting up as we get closer to Akuhei's fortress. As I travelled though I wondered what Akuhei would throw at me next since I knew he wouldn't take the death of his forces lightly or me coming to take him down.
Akuhei's fortress
Nobodies POV:
Akuhei was once again in his throne room sitting in his throne with his hands clasped together as he thought back to what's happened between Hiccup and his forces in anger. For him it was bad enough when Hiccup took down his samurai and its mount along with the kappa he sent after him but now Hiccup had been messing with the operations that had nothing to do with him. It was yesterday he'd received word that his oni general Ikazuki and his amanojaku were all killed by none other than Hiccup Haddock when they were on a raid to capture some new slaves. If that wasn't bad enough because of Ikazuki's failure Hiccup now had control of the sickles he'd given that idiotic oni he trusted to succeed in a simple mission. The sickles were a very powerful weapon that he himself had enchanted after he killed the mystic who made them to begin with feeling they were too powerful for a mere mystic. Akuhei knew that the accursed fox spirit who'd been a thorn in his side for so long had taken them along with the shell of the kappa and turned them into weapons that would no doubt aid Hiccup Haddock in his quest against him. Akuhei sighed as he said.
"Maybe I should try sending beasts instead of soldiers as they might have more luck with their aggression." He raised his hand before the same map from before showing where Hiccup was, rose up from the floor and showed the small statue of Hiccup moving on it. "Should he continue on this path then I know the perfect creature to deal with him." He held his hand over the leather bag sitting next to the map on the table before a dark green statue of a curled-up snake floated out making Akuhei grin as he looked down at the piece. "Let's see how well you handle this serpent Hiccup." He then placed the peace down on the map directly in the path of Hiccups statue. "Hopefully my serpent will succeed where others have failed." He grinned down as the statue of Hiccup got closer to the statue of the serpent. "Prepare yourself Haddock for no man has ever survived against my Uwabami." With that said he lay back and watched the statue of Hiccup move.
Back with Hiccup
Hiccups POV:
I was riding the kappa shell down the path enjoying the wind running through my hair and the sun on my face as I rode down the dirt path. The feeling of this was nothing compared to flying though, but it was that thought that made me sigh in sadness since I was really beginning to miss my dragons, my animals, my island and those on Berk. I shook my head knowing I needed to first deal with Akuhei and then could return home to reunite with those I cared about and get on with my life. It was then I was brought out of my thoughts by the sight of a large mountain coming into view. I brought the shell to a stop and looked at the mountain knowing it would be safer for me to walk up the mountain so I rode the shell until I reached the foot of the mountain. When I reached it, I got off the shell before picking it up and putting it on my head making it turn into its helmet form. I stared up at the mountain once more and sighed as I said.
"This is going to take a while." I shrugged. "Well I love a good hike and it's not like I haven't climbed mountains before." I then began walking towards it. "And this will give me a chance to enjoy the scenery." With that said I began my long climb up the mountain.
Two hours later
It's been two hours since I began my hike up the mountain and I have to admit it's been nice to enjoy just taking a walk while admiring the view the mountain offered. When it came to climbing the cliffs, the sickles had come in handy as well since I was able to use them to help me climb by stabbing one into the wall before using it to pull me up higher, stab the next sickle above it and then pull the first sickle out and repeat the process. It was because of this that I learnt of another ability the sickles had or to be more precise their chains, this ability was they tightened around my wrists so if I let go they wouldn't let me fall. As I climbed though I couldn't help but feel as if something was watching me from higher up but I just shook my head knowing I was just being paranoid.
Now I was using the sickles to climb the side of a cliff and at this point I looked down to see I was at least fifty above the ground so it was quite a view. It was then I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of cracking stone above me and when I looked up I saw a few large stones falling down the cliffside heading straight for me. I quickly pulled my body against the side of the mountain to try and avoid the falling stones that were rapidly approaching. When they passed by me I felt a few hit my head but the kappa's shell protected me to the point where the only thing I felt was a small push and nothing more. When the rocks finally stopped I looked back up and wondered what could've caused that rockslide since they don't just happen for no reason meaning there might be something up there that caused the rockslide. To me this only meant I needed to get up there faster before whatever it is gets the chance to cause another one and began climbing again but this time I was climbing a lot faster.
When I reached the top I quickly pulled myself up and onto solid ground before I quickly walked away from the edge since whatever caused that rockslide might still be around. When I was a safe distance away I began looking around for any sign of life but the only sign of life I saw was the trees and other plants. I shrugged figuring that perhaps it was nothing special just the wind or something giving way that caused the rockslide but as I turned back to see what else was around I noticed some indents in the ground. I walked up to the ground and found there were scrape marks in the dirt and on closer examination I realized they were from the stones that had come down on me but the thing was these were drag marks. This meant that the rockslide was no accident and something intentionally pushed those rocks down on me showing there was something up here and it wasn't friendly. I immediately readied my sickles and looked around for the one responsible for the rockslide but I didn't see nor hear anything. It was then I noticed some markings on the ground near where the rocks were pushed. I walked up and kneeled down so I could examine them before realizing they were marks left by some sort of snake meaning whatever caused the rockslide most likely used a serpent's tail to move around. I took one more look around just to be safe but once again saw nothing and figured that whatever caused the rockslide assumed the rocks got me and left to go somewhere else. Knowing it was still out there I kept my sickles ready for a fight and didn't let my guard down for even a minute as I walked down the dirt path.
Half an hour later
It's been half an hour since the rockslide and in that time, I haven't seen any trace of whatever it was that attacked me but that doesn't mean I was going to let my guard down like I did in Hawaii which resulted in a giant spider getting the drop on me. It was then I finally reached the top of the mountain and looked out to see the view which brought a smile to my face since the view was truly a magnificent thing to see at this height. As I admired the view I heard the rustling of leaves behind me and quickly turned around with my sickles at the ready but saw nothing until my eyes landed on a small mouse running through some of the leaves rustling them. Seeing this I lowered my sickles and shook my head as I sighed while muttering.
"That rockslides made me too paranoid." I sighed. "For all I know whatever caused it left right after making it thinking it would kill me." I looked around at the surrounding trees. "Maybe I should find a nice quiet place to enjoy my lunch since this place is pretty nice." With that said I made my way into the forest but couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched.
One hour later
For the first time since the rockslide I was finally relaxing a bit which at this time was rare since I was on a quest to reclaim what was stolen from me. The only other times I truly relaxed was when I was sleeping and even then, I was on guard with my weapons at my side and ready to be brought out if I was attacked. The reason I was relaxed was because I was now sitting on a large rock in front of a sparkling lake that was being fed by a lovely spring waterfall flowing out of a small hill, all in all it was supplying a beautiful thing to watch while I enjoyed my boxed lunch from the village I saved from the oni. As I brought up my last rice ball to my mouth so I could enjoy it but before it could touch my lips my prosthetic began to glow and heat up meaning there was a yokai nearby. I quickly stood up and took my swords out while looking around for whatever it was that was lurking around the area ready to pounce on me but before I could even react something struck me in my back sending me sliding across the ground and into a tree. I opened my eyes to see what had attacked me only to be greeted by the sight of a snake with swamp green scales that were patterned with a black stripe running down the spine that branched out on the sides making points, between the branches were black spots, the snakes eyes glowed red with black slits for pupils but despite all this the thing that caught my attention the most was the fact that this snake was a bit bigger than a slitherwing and was currently glaring at me. I stared at it as I said.
"A giant snake?" I sighed. "Why not, I've already gone up against a giant spider in this land."
Nobodies POV:
Before Hiccup could ask anything else the uwabami lunged at him with amazing speed that was so fast Hiccup was barely able to dodge it but when he went to strike the uwabami with his swords he realized when he was struck by the uwabami he let them go out of surprise. Hiccup looked to see them on the ground near the rock where he had sat down for lunch meaning they were far out of his reach but luckily, he still had his sickles in their holsters. Hiccup quickly took them out and held them at the ready to take on the giant uwabami that reared its head back getting ready to strike. When it lunged at him he dodged to the side and brought one of his sickles down and stabbed it into the uwabami as it slithered past making the sickle carve into the skin leaving a large cut on the side. The uwabami pulled away and roared in pain bringing a smile to Hiccups face but that smile quickly fell when he saw the wound quickly sealing up as if it were never there to begin with. When Hiccup saw this all, he could say was.
"Well things just got a whole lot harder."
As soon as the words left his mouth he had to jump out of the way of the uwabami's head that had once again tried to snap at him right before he let the sickles hang by the chains and begun swinging them around in circles at his sides. When the uwabami raised its head ready to strike him again as he took aim at the head ready to strike it at a moment's notice. It was then the uwabami lunged at him but he dodged out of the way and quickly let the sickles loose towards the uwabami's head and smiled as they wrapped around the beasts' head. The uwabami was temporarily stunned by this but not too long however before it raised its head roaring and lifting Hiccup up with it as it began to struggle against the chains making him swing around with the chains. As he swung around he used the momentum of the swings to swing himself up onto the top of the uwabami's head. When he landed on the head he pulled the chains up as hard as he could making the sickles sink into the head of the uwabami while pulling the mouth shut. The uwabami began shaking its head rapidly trying to get Hiccup and the chains off but he held on tight and it didn't hurt that the chains were wrapped around his lower arms ensuring I can't be thrown off so easily.
Hiccup knew this uwabami had a lot of stamina so there was no chance of it tiring out any time soon so he had to come up with a way to take it down before it tired him out. However, Hiccup didn't get the chance to consider a way to take it down from his position on the head since while he was thinking the uwabami turned its head around and slammed down onto the ground making Hiccup let go of the chains or be crushed. In turn this made the chains wrapped around the uwabamis' muzzle giving it the opportunity to free its head and let out a roar before its eyes landed on Hiccup again. It glared at Hiccup as he pulled his sickles back into his hands and glared up at the uwabami while slowly edging his way towards Pirus and Ventus since they might be able to help him in this fight. Before he could reach them though the uwabami let out some sort of green gas towards him. Hiccup ran for cover not knowing what this gas would do if he came in contact with it but when he looked back he was glad that he got away from it since when it covered the top of a large rock the part that was covered melted showing gas to be some kind of acid. Hiccup kept running from it until the uwabami stopped spraying and glared at me as the acid slowly dissolved into the air.
The uwabami raised its head to lunge at him again as he stared at it before he began to wonder how he could take it down since it was able to heal so quickly. Hiccup then saw the shadows of the boulders for a few seconds and then he looked down at his sickles he realized away he could restrain the uwabami for a few seconds. He began spinning his sickles again so when the uwabami lunged at him he once more threw them at the uwabami and like before they wrapped around the beasts' muzzle but this time Hiccup didn't hold onto the chains and instead threw the weights into the shadow of a boulder that was deeply imbedded into the ground. This pinned the uwabami to the ground allowing Hiccup to get to his swords that he quickly slammed together by the hilts forming the double-bladed staff before turning back to the uwabami. The uwabami was still struggling against my sickles chains as he ran at it but had to drop to the ground and slide when it tried to hit him back with its tail.
When Hiccup reached the head, he smirked at the serpent before it opened its mouth ready to spray him with its gas but when it opened its mouth Hiccup shoved his double-bladed staff right into its mouth holding its mouth wide open. The serpent tried to shake its head and get the weapon out of its mouth but it wouldn't budge before Hiccup ran to the chains that were stuck in the shadows and pulled the weights out freeing the uwabami from them and allowing it to move its head around. Doing so it began swinging me around while trying to get the sickles off its head and getting the staff out of its mouth. Once again, Hiccup used the momentum to swing onto the top of the serpents' head but this time he slammed his entire body down onto the head of the beast making it fall to the ground bite right down on the staff that went right through the head. Hiccup didn't get much time to think about it though since the uwabamis' body turned to dust beneath him making him fall to the ground with his staff and sickles. Hiccup looked at the long path of dust that used to be a giant serpent before sighing and shaking his head as he asked.
"Is it too much to ask for me to be able to just sit down and enjoy my lunch in peace." He looked at the dust. "I wouldn't be surprised if Akuhei was the one behind this." Hiccup then looked down at his prosthetic arm and knew there were no more yokai nearby and let out a sigh. "At least I won't have to worry about facing any more beasts for now." It was then he saw something in the dust that was the uwabami. "Well what do we have here?" Hiccup kneeled down and brushed the dust aside and found two fangs. "Guess the most powerful thing about that snake was its bite." He shrugged. "Might make some decent souvenirs from this trip." He picked them up with his prosthetic but when he looked down at them in the palm of his hand they seemed to dissolve into the palm. "What the-"He was cut off when his prosthetic arm glowed as it shook while green gas came from the palm of the hand and then it dimmed and he knew what was coming. "Here comes the headache." Soon as he said that his prosthetic began glowing again followed by a major headache as knowledge flooded his head on what ability his arm had gained before it stopped making him stare at his prosthetic. "Well these abilities could come in handy."
Hiccups POV:
My arm now had an ability to release four different types of gas that were definitely going to come in handy depending on the situation I was in. There was an acid green colored gas that acted as an acid that could eat right through metal as if it were nothing so it'd come in handy for escaping or breaking in to places silently or as a weapon against monsters. Along with that there was also the near invisible colored gas that left the victim paralyzed the people of Berk who fell victim to speed stinger venom when they first attacked Berk but this would only last ten hours. This gas would come in handy during stealth break-ins since I'd be able to use the gas to paralyze people who were standing guard before they knew I was there and then leave it looking like nothing had changed while I did what I had to. Then there is the lime green colored gaswhich knocks a person out for a good six hours and I knew this gas would come in handy when it came to taking out large groups of enemies in a confined space. Finally, there is the fourth and final gas that was a yellowish green gas and the one that made me a little nervous since this gas was pure poison that could kill in an instant. I hoped I wouldn't have to use it to often except in hunting traps since the gas evaporates in seconds after entering the system leaving no trace and leaving the body safe to be taken and if needed eaten. I lowered my prosthetic palm and smiled as I said.
"Well these new powers are going to be helpful in future battles." I then rubbed my chin in thought. "Maybe I could design some sort of containers to hold the gasses for future use." I looked around. "Designs will have to come later though since I better get going before Akuhei sends another one of his beasts after me."
I walked up to my double-bladed staff and pulled it out of the ground where it was stabbed into while turning it back into Pirus and Ventus before placing them back into their hilts on my back. This was followed by me collecting my sickles and putting them back into their holsters and then walking over to the kappa's shell that was still resting against the rock I used as a seat when I was eating my lunch. Once the shell was back on my head I took one last look around at the area since it really was beautiful here before my prosthetic began shaking again and then stopped. I looked down at it and shrugged deciding it was just the new abilities settling in before I continued on my journey to reclaim what was taken from me.
Akuhei's fortress
Nobodies POV:
Akuhei was once more in his throne room staring down at the map and glaring at the serpent piece that had turned completely black and was now on its side as the statue of Hiccup moved past it. Akuhei snatched up the piece and gripped it in his hand before he used his powers to reduce it to dust, just like he had done with the kappa's piece. Akuhei then held his hand over the leather bag once more before a brown statue floated out of the bag and into his hand and looked down at it as he said.
"Hopefully you won't disappoint me like the others have for that shall cost you your life." He then dropped the piece onto the map to reveal some sort of creature with the head of an ox and the deformed lower body of a spider. "All right Hiccup, you may have bested my Oni general and my spider but let's see how well you do against a mixture of the two along with an ox." He looked down at the piece as it slid towards the beach on the map. "Hopefully my Ushi Oni will be able to defeat you while still offering you a bit of a challenge." With that said he turned to the mirror as the image of Hiccup shimmered into existence.
Back with Hiccup
Hiccups POV:
I was making my way down the mountain and smiled at the sight of what. Awaited me at the bottom of the mountain since at the bottom of the mountain was a beautiful beach. I smiled at the sight since it brought back fond memories of my days relaxing on the beaches of my own island but knew that before I could enjoy those beaches again I'd need to take Akuhei down first. Knowing this I began my long decent down the mountain side so I could at least enjoy the beach for a bit since it's always nice to enjoy a gentle walk after a long hike. With that in mind I continued my slow but steady decent down the mountain side.
One and a half hours later
I had finally made it to the bottom of the mountain and onto the beach smiling as I took the straw shoes known as sandals I'd been given to wear along with the socks. I smiled as I placed my feet on the sand and felt the sand between my toes bringing back fond memories from the days before Akuhei attacked me and stole my god made weapons and wings. I looked out at the ocean smiling at the sight of the endless waters that shimmered in the afternoon sun making the oceans beauty only increase as the waves crashed on the beach. I sighed wishing my time could always be this beautiful and relaxing but knowing how my luck is when it concerns things like relaxing I was never that lucky and only able to enjoy a few weeks of down time before it was off to some new exciting adventure. I picked up my sandals and began walking down the beach as I enjoyed the sound of the sand crunching beneath my feet. I let out a sigh of joy as I walked along the sand to continue my way to Akuhei's fortress.
It was then my prosthetic arm began to heat up and glow ruining my good mood since I knew it meant there was a yokai nearby and with my luck it was not going to be friendly. I quickly took Ventus out knowing Pirus's flames wouldn't be to helpful when there was so much water right behind me. I looked around preparing for a fight but I couldn't see anything that could be considered a threat other than the occasional crab but the worst they could do was pinch me. It was then a roar from above caught my attention but when I turned to face where the roar came from I was pushed down by something heavy that held me down against the ground while knocking Ventus out of my hands and the kappa shell off my head. When I opened my eyes again I saw a horrible morphed face of what I think was an ox staring back down at me with big eyes that were rimmed with red as it drooled down me with the drool dripping down from its razor-sharp teeth while its long tongue twisted around over its nose. It pulled its head back ready to rip into my neck but before it could I reached back and grabbed the kappa shell and pulled it back to me and held it between my face head and the beast. The beast slammed its head against the shell before pulling back and looking down at the shell while growling allowing Hiccup the opportunity to move his prosthetic hand in front of the beast's face and spray a small puff of acid into it. The creature screeched in pain and backed away from me allowing me the chance to stand up and see what I was dealing with since I doubt it was a normal angry ox. When I saw what the beast was I knew I was right since the beast may have had the deformed face of an ox that was now red and burned on one half because of the acid but it had the lower body of a spider with brown leather like skin, six legs that looked to be made of bone on the lower parts being bone that formed pointed daggers. I sighed and readied for a fight as I asked.
"Why can't I ever have a nice quiet walk without some sort of monster attacking me." I then released the blades on the shell and made them start spinning as I pointed it at the beast. "Let's make this quick." The beast just roared and lowered its body ready to pounce.
Nobodies POV:
The ushi oni leapt at Hiccup as he jumped to the side dodging the pounce before he charged at it with the kappa's shell at his front. He slammed into the beast's face dazing it before swinging the shell at beasts' head as it backed up but the blades still contacted the skin of the beast leaving a scratch on its nose that wasn't too deep but it was still bleeding and was enough to get the ushi oni angrier then it already was. Hiccup stared at the ushi oni that was glaring at him as it stuck its long tongue out and ran it over the cut I'd given it before it charged at Hiccup with its front claws raised and ready to kill Hiccup. Hiccup wasn't ready for the speed the beast possessed as it slammed it claws down towards him but Hiccup jumped back dodging the claws before it raised it claws out of the sand towards Hiccup. This swatted Hiccup back into a boulder that was buried in the sand leaving him slightly dazed but he recovered fast enough to duck out of the way of the ushi oni's next strike when it brought its claws down on him. Hiccup watched as the claws came down on the rock and pierced the stone as if it were nothing.
Hiccup stared at the claws and how deep they were able to pierce the stone but he was brought out of his thoughts when the ushi oni pulled its claws free before turning back to Hiccup. Hiccup dived for Ventus but before he could reach the sword however the ushi oni slammed into his side sending him sliding across the sand and into the water. Hiccup sat up groaning from the strike but it was then a shadow landed on him making him look up to see the ushi oni coming down on him. Seeing the beast Hiccup quickly ran and dropped onto the water and slid down it in order to avoid being crushed by the beast. When he stood up he turned to see the ushi oni slowly getting up from the water and glaring at Hiccup as it dripped with water. Hiccup glared back at the beast as the blades on the kappa's shell spun rapidly as he pointed it at the ushi oni and said.
"Bring it on you overgrown cow."
The ushi oni glared at Hiccup and roared angrily before it began charging at Hiccup who raised the kappa's shell with the blades still spinning as he jumped out of the way of the charging beast and turned to face the beast as it ran past him. As the beast ran past he swung the shell at the end of the beasts' body making the ushi oni roar in pain as it slammed its claws into the ground to make it come to a scraping halt in the sand while Hiccup made another run for Ventus hoping to form the staff and roast the beast in a flaming tornado. Before he could reach his sword though the ushi oni jumped in front of him and landed right on top of Ventus glaring at Hiccup who knew he couldn't get his sword back as long as that beast was on top of it. Hiccup glared at the beast before charging at it again head on for the face of the beast that lowered its horns ready to strike back.
Hiccup didn't go for the head however as when he reached the beast he broke to the right and ran the rotating blades against the lower parts of the ushi oni's legs cutting the lower part off. When Hiccup was fully behind the beast he turned back to watch as the beast fell on its rights side making him smile as the beast slowly stood up. The ushi oni was now huffing out of its nose as it glared at Hiccup as he threw the kappa shell right at the beast aiming for its left legs the but jumped at him again dodging the strike.
As the beast flew towards Hiccup he quickly dived out of the way making the beast slam into the rock that was behind Hiccup dazing it. This allowed Hiccup the chance to pounce onto the back of beast's head as he held out his hand to summon the kappa's shell back to him. As he waited the ushi oni tried to shake him off but Hiccup held on tight as he caught the shell when it reached his hand while the blades kept spinning. As soon as the shell was in his hands again Hiccup slammed the shell into the back of the beast behind the head and it immediately began digging into the beasts' body as it screeched in pain. The screech hurt Hiccups ears but he just ignored it and pushed the shell in deeper until the beast let out one final screech as it dropped to the ground but as soon as it hit the ground it was dead. Hiccup smiled as he pulled the shield free from the beasts' body and looked around to see if there were any more yokai around but didn't see anything making him sigh in relief before he got off the ushi oni's body and collected Ventus off the ground.
He turned to collect his sandals only to find they were ripped up in the battle but before he could do or say anything his prosthetic began to glow and shake while heating up as it pulsed with power causing Hiccup immense pain. Hiccup grabbed onto his prosthetic and clenched his teeth in pain as he struggled over to a walk and pressed his back against it as he slowly sunk to his knees in pain. He closed his eyes tight in pain as he sat against the rock before he blacked out from pain just as the fox appeared and looked at Hiccup before her gaze turned to the prosthetic that seemed to be pulsing as the sides of the forearm seemed to come up forming barbs. She walked up to Hiccup to see he was alright but unconscious at the moment, seeing this she sighed as she looked at the prosthetic she said.
"I'll have to ask the blacksmith about this." She then turned to the ushi oni. "But first I need to deal with this beasts' corpse." The fox turned back to face Hiccup. "Excellent work Hiccup." She then walked over to the ushi oni and hopped onto it before flames engulfed both the fox and the ushi oni's body and then they were gone leaving an unconscious Hiccup behind.
2 hours later
Blacksmiths workshop
The fox was once again sitting in the forge of the blacksmith watching said blacksmith do his work on his latest piece for Hiccup made from the body of the ushi oni that Hiccup had slain only two hours ago. It was then the blacksmith looked down at the anvil and smiled as he placed his hammer down before turning back to the fox and nodding in confirmation. He walked up to the fox as he said.
"Well I've never had to build anything out of the materials you brought me but I believe they should serve Hiccup well in the future." The fox nodded.
"My apologies if this was difficult for you but if Hiccup is going to take on Akuhei then he shall need all the help he can get." The blacksmith nodded and smiled.
"No need to apologize as I enjoy the challenge since it gets boring here from time to time with nothing to do." He then frowned. "Something else is bothering you though, what is it?"
"When I left Hiccup, he had blacked out from pain caused by prosthetic that seemed to be changing."
"Changing you say?" The fox nodded. "Describe it for me."
"The forearm seemed to be growing barbs on its side." The blacksmith stroked his beard humming.
"Sounds like the Dragons Claw absorbed enough energy to mature into the next stage." The fox raised an eyebrow.
"Absorbed enough energy?" The blacksmith nodded.
"The Dragons Claw is a powerful weapon that absorbs the energy of any monster it faces in battle and with every victory Hiccup claims the Dragons Claw fully absorbs the energy that is released from the corpse and turns this energy into its own allowing it to evolve." He sighed. "I am afraid that when it evolves it causes massive amounts of pain to the wielder as it adjusts to its new form and power while aiding its wielders body to do the same." The fox nodded as the blacksmith turned around and took what he was working on before placing the items in a box before turning back to the fox with the box in hand. "Here is the product you came for complete, boxed and ready for use." The fox smiled at the blacksmith before placing her paws on top of the box.
"Thank you again for your hard work, time and I know Hiccup shall be grateful to you as well." With that said both her and the box burst into flames and vanishing from the forge.
1 hour later
Back with Hiccup
Hiccups POV:
I groaned as I sat up and rubbed my head in pain trying to ease the major headache I now had as I looked down at my prosthetic arm wondering why it began causing so much pain all of a sudden. My eyes widen when I saw my prosthetic was now laced with sharp barbs on the forearm, I turned it around as I examined it and realized it had matured making it deadlier like the blacksmith had told me about. I then tried willing the barbs down since they could cause some trouble with sleeves in the future and smiled when the barbs retreated back into my arm making it smooth again as if they were never there making me smile. I knew these would be helpful in future battles since I could stab my arm into an enemy smoothly, release the barbs causing damage and then pull them out causing major damage. I sighed wishing the transformation wasn't so painful but I knew there wasn't anything I could do about it, it was then I noticed a wooden chest at my feet. I slowly got up and examined the box seeing a message carved into the top which simply read 'To Hiccup from the Fox', Hiccup looked down at the box before pulling Pirus out and using him to open the lid of the box incase there were traps. When I saw there were none I looked inside the chest and found a pair of new boots and a scroll laying on top of them. Hiccup picked up the letter first as he put Pirus back into his sheath before opening the scroll that read.
Dear Hiccup
If you are reading this then you have already opened the chest and found the gift that both I and the blacksmith have gifted to you. These boots were made by the blacksmith using the carcass of the ushi oni you defeated and ushi oni is the name of the beast you have just slain only hours ago. The leather like material is stronger than any other material known to mortals while the bottom and toes were forged from the claws of the beast as were the blades at the back of them. These boots were also given enchantments from the dragon forges flames that mixed with the magic of the beast making them more powerful than they already were. Use them well Hiccup Haddock!
Signed
The fox
With the final line read the note burst into flames in my hands reducing it to ashes as I turned back to the boots in the box and pulled them out so I could examine them. (AN: For the form picture combat boots.) The boots were mainly made out of some type of leather that I recognized as the ushi oni's hide while the bottom and toes of the shoe was made of silver that I recognized as the claws of the beast. The toes were shaped like the hooves of an ox and on the sides of the ankles were four-pointed stars made of the same material as the bottom and toes but there was a fire red ruby in the center of each star. The things that caught the most attention though was the silver patterns engraved into the leather that looked like flames at the back while closer to the front was an image of a charging ox with a ring in its nose and how the boots seemed so hot while radiating power. I was grateful for the new boots since with my sandals ruined I'd have to continue on my travels barefoot which would be anything but comfortable for me with how rough the roads can be. With those thoughts in mind I put the shoes on without hesitation and I had to say that for shoes made from a monster's carcass they were darn comfortable and a perfect fit. Seconds after I put the second one on I felt them heat up as power seemed to surge into me and I knew these shoes were not normal and definitely had some sort of power coursing through them. I smiled knowing I was going to have a good time unlocking the secrets these boots held but for now it was best I got off this beach before any other yokai came out and attacked me. With that in mind I picked up the kappa shell, let it down so it hovered and hopped on before taking off down the beach hoping I'd at least be able to travel without any more trouble but knowing my luck that wouldn't happen.
AN: Hey all I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter and shall review kindly. I know things are rough on all of us with the corona virus going around but keep in mind, as long as we all look out for each we'll make it through this. I know life will never be the same for anyone but that's the thing about life, you can never stop it from changing so it's best to just do what you can to make the changes that are within your power good ones. In this case if you can donate money to the research programs that are trying to develop a vaccine and a cure for the Corona virus then do it. Till a vaccine and a cure can be found do your best to keep clean, avoid large crowds, don't go out unless you absolutely have to, wash your hands on a regular basis and when out in public places where a mask to avoid catching the virus yourself. The last thing I want is to find out any of you have caught the virus or anyone you care about so spread word on how to avoid catching the virus since the less people catch it the less grief there'll be in the world.
