Among the people who live for 80,000 years, there will be just three afflictions: greed, starvation, and old age. The Black Plum Tree Land will be successful and prosperous. The villages, towns, and capital cities will be no more than a chicken's flight apart. And the land will be so full of people you'd think they were squashed together, like a thicket of rushes or reeds. The royal capital will be Varanasi, renamed Ketumatī. And it will be successful, prosperous, populous, full of people, with plenty of food. There will be 84,000 cities in the Black Plum Tree Land, with the royal capital of Ketumatī foremost.
And in the royal capital of Ketumatī a king named Saṅkha will arise, a wheel-turning monarch, a just and principled king. His dominion will extend to all four sides, he will achieve stability in the country, and possess the seven treasures. He will have the following seven treasures: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the jewel, the woman, the treasurer, and the counselor as the seventh treasure. He will have over a thousand sons who are valiant and heroic, crushing the armies of his enemies. After conquering this land girt by sea, he will reign by principle, without rod or sword.
-Dīgha Nikāya 26, Cakkavatti (Wheel-Turning Monarch) Sutta (Theravāda Canon)
Caelid was a land poisoned by a seemingly incurable plague- the Scarlet Rot, as Rogier had told him. He was all too familiar with rot- he had come to this land as a result of trying to end the Dragonrot that immortality had brought. Yet, compared to the blighted wasteland that stood before him, Dragonrot seemed tame. Nothing but dull red stretched on as far as he could see- the Dragonrot could be cured through dragon's blood if it had not yet killed its victims, but this… the blight that crept across this land was terminal. Caelid was moribund- if not already a festering corpse.
Blaidd glanced at Wolf, whose eyes were flickering across the accursed landscape- "First time, eh? Never gets much easier to look at, sorry to say." He snorted grimly- "The influence of an Outer God, in all of its glory and splendour. Truly, they have only mercy and compassion in their hearts. Bastards." Blaidd let out a guttural snarl.
Rogier spoke up- "Well, I'm about as happy about the gods' meddling as you are, but it seems the fault lies with Malenia, more than anything. It was not any god's decision that she unleash the rot here."
" Bah. Don't be mistaken, I despise her as well," Blaidd sighed, "but if a parent were to give their child a torch, I know who I'd blame when houses start to burn."
"Fair point, my friend." Rogier nodded sagely, before turning to address Wolf- "I'll admit, I've only come here once or twice. A close.. er, former close companion of mine came here often, and I occasionally joined him. I've tried coming here alone, but I get chased out every time… I swear, those damn dogs can sense weakness. I'll be honest, I didn't expect to be back here without someone to protect my hide."
"...I'll protect you, then." Wolf crossed his arms.
Rogier gave him a gleaming smile. "Well, you've been doing a damn good job of it so far."
Blaidd growled lightly- "Oi! I think you mean we've been doing a good job. I've killed just as many of those godsdamned dogs as he did."
"Four," Wolf interjected.
"Hm?"
"You've killed four, I've killed six." Wolf had a small grin on his face- a rare thing, for him.
"Ohohoh, if you want to make this a competition…" Blaidd trailed off, turning to Rogier, "But anyways- what was that you said earlier, a former close companion? There's a story there."
Rogier's face morphed into a nervous grin as he rubbed the back of his head- "Ah, well, I shouldn't say former, exactly. We've just had a bit of an… intellectual disagreement. These sorts of things are bound to happen eventually. We all have our ups and downs, and the two of us… are in a bit of a down, at the moment. Nothing too permanent."
Blaidd snorted- "If you say so, man."
Rogier gave him a sharp look- "I do say so."
"Aye, touchy subject, I hear you." Blaidd rose his hands in placation, and the three rode on.
Torrent was managing fine, surprisingly- Wolf supposed being a spirit-horse meant near unlimited stamina, for there was no other explanation for how Torrent supported the weight of three men across such a massive distance. Wolf sat in the front, with Rogier behind, and Blaidd sitting at the very back- it was a tight fit, and not very comfortable for any of them.
Rogier shivered and looked behind him- "Gods, man, do you know how uncomfortable it is constantly feeling your armor on my back? It's cold! And hard!"
"Well, I'm ever so sorry," Blaidd said with mock sincerity, "but there's not much room for me to move here, so you'll simply have to deal with it." Wolf kept his gaze trained in front of him, consciously trying to avoid the conversation going on behind him.
"You could stand to take it off for a few minutes," grumbled Rogier.
Blaidd cackled, "Take my armor off- in Caelid?! Oh, you're funny." His grin grew teasing- "...Do you tell every man you meet to take off his clothes?"
"I- You…" Rogier sputtered, and turned his head forwards- "...Absolutely incorrigible. Fine, keep your armor on for all I care."
"That's what I was planning to do," Blaidd retorted.
A few minutes of silence passed in silence, and Rogier spoke once more… "Since you're a wolf-man, is your entire body covered in fur?"
"...Maybe. Why?" Blaidd looked suspicious at the question.
"It'd be nice to actually have something comfy to lean against, instead of cold metal," Rogier said. "We could both use you as a pillow." He grinned at Blaidd jokingly.
"Still on the armor thing, are we?" Blaidd groaned, "Should I be flattered you want to feel my chest that badly?"
Rogier wordlessly turned away from Blaidd, and punched his arm backwards into the wolf-man's armor, resulting in a large *clang*. "Ow," Rogier hissed.
"Do you know why that punch hurt you and not me?" Blaidd spoke patronizingly.
"...Because you're a wolf-man who's twice my size?" Rogier said, looking upwards at Blaidd's head.
"Yeah, that too. But mainly… it was because I was wearing armor." Blaidd smirked triumphantly.
It was at this moment that Wolf spoke up- "What's up there?" he asked, pointing at a temple connected to Caelid only through a thin strip of land.
Rogier's eyes glinted in recognition "Ah, this is where my companion visited. We should head south here to get to Radahn, but… would you mind if we stopped here for an hour? I'll go up to the sanctum alone, you two can wait here. I don't have much business with the clergyman, but… he might be there. If there's an opportunity to sort things out between us, I absolutely have to take it."
Wolf and Blaidd glanced at each other, sharing a look of agreement- Wolf turned back to Rogier and spoke. "...Will it be dangerous?"
Rogier hesitated, "...Probably not."
Blaidd interjected, "If it's not a definite no, then we're coming along."
"This really is more of a personal matter…" Rogier said weakly.
"Don't care. Now, let's go." Blaidd and Wolf began to walk towards the sanctum. Rogier, likely recognizing that there wasn't much he could do to stop them, followed.
The trip up to the sanctum was swiftly interrupted by a massive black and gold stone gargoyle swooping down directly in front of them. A rush of air from the creature's landing nearly knocked the three down, but they held their ground. Rogier gazed up at the stonework beast, and slowly began to raise his staff and rapier, with Wolf and Blaidd raising their swords in unison. Just as the group's blades were drawn, the gargoyle's head snapped on to Wolf and the stone creature began to lower itself- it seemed to be kneeling- to Wolf, in particular.
"O-oh. It, uh, seems to be friendly," Rogier murmured.
Blaidd turned to him- "You didn't know that was here!?"
Rogier hurried to defend himself- "It was always my companion who would come up here! I just stayed behind! He never mentioned fighting anything, and I assumed it was safe!" He took a deep breath, and examined the gargoyle "It… seems to recognize us as allies, somehow."
Wolf, noticing how the gargoyle focused on him in particular, raised the Mortal Blade from its sheath- the gargoyle's head followed it.
"...It recognizes the Mortal Blade," Wolf said softly.
As Blaidd looked surprised at the dim red blade, words started pouring from Rogier's mouth- "Ah! If I had to take a guess, it believes your sword there to be part of the Rune of Death! As for why something like that would make this beast recognize us as friends… well, the implications are intriguing, to say the least. "
Blaidd looked at Wolf, assessing him in a new light- "...The Rune of-"
"It's not," Wolf interrupted, "It's from the Land of Reeds."
Blaidd nodded, seemingly accepting of the shinobi's words. The three marched on forward to the Bestial Sanctum- and near its front doors, a man in overly ornate armor leaned against the wall.
The man spoke- "Ah. You. Didn't expect you to come all the way out here, after all you've said. Then again, it looks like you've had some help to make it this far. Nice to know how replaceable I really am."
Rogier had a pained look on his face- "It really isn't like that. If I had really replaced you, I wouldn't be here talking to you."
The helmeted man shook his head, "You've been swayed by Those Who Live In Death. Can't you see it? Why else would you turn away from me- after all the years we've known each other?"
" I turned away from you?! I-" Rogier's screams were cut off by a firm but soft voice.
"If I may…" Wolf quietly spoke, not fully understanding the situation, "Rogier came all the way out here for you. It wasn't easy to get here. It means a lot to him."
The armored man turned to address Wolf, before thinking better of it and turning back to Rogier- "Soft-hearted fool. The same attitude that'll get you killed by Deathblight. There's nothing in them left to fix- only to destroy."
Rogier angrily stormed slightly closer to the man- "We want the same damn thing, you idiot- to save them. Killing them releases their souls, but it just sends them straight back into the corrupted cycle of undeath- something needs to change."
The man scoffed, "Your ideals are nice, but they mean nothing. You think I wouldn't end the entire deathroot scourge if I could? But I can't. We can't. It's time you recognized that- a merciful death is the best we mortals can do . Your research will go nowhere."
Rogier took on an almost manic smile- "Ah, but it has! " The helmeted man's heat perked up. "Let me introduce you to my friend here, Wolf. He happens to possess a blade that acts remarkably like the Rune of Death- you know that root that we planned to visit together down by Stormveil? I am proud to tell you that it is no longer. Undeath can die- we have proven so."
The man let out a sigh, but his voice was lighter, somehow. "...You simply happened to come across someone who can solve all of our problems? You always were idiotically lucky, Rogier. Still, I remember what we theorized- Godwin's body has survived once, it's likely that it has formed a resistance to the Rune-"
Rogier clutched his hands into fists, "Before a few days ago, the idea of killing even a single fully-formed root was out of the question. We have made progress. We have hope. Is that not enough for you to reconsider?"
A pause. "...You have surprised me, Rogier. I may have acted… hastily." The admission seemed to pain him slightly. "Still, I think it is best if we continue to work separately, for now."
"...Are things patched, between us?" Rogier muttered.
"Perhaps they are not as bad as they were," the man conceded. He looked back at Wolf and Blaidd. "Allow me to formally introduce myself- D, Hunter of the Dead." A pause. "You have my thanks… for keeping this idiot alive. Truly, we do not need him to become another of Those Who Live In Death." With those words, he walked away from the sanctum.
The three stood in front of the sanctum, silent as death. Blaidd broke the quiet- "Well, we came all this way, might as well figure out what the fuss is." He began to open the door, and his eyes widened in terror- "Malik… Alright. On second thought, I think we should head back."'
Rogier looked up with renewed interest- "Oh, what's got your fur rustled up?" He pulled open the door, and a deep muttering growl echoed out-
"Oh, Marika… why must you taunt me…? It's safe, it must be, it has to be… Why, then, do I feel it elsewhere? I cannot fail again… I must not…My sin…"
Rogier looked on with wide eyes- "I believe that's the clergyman D told me of… he seems to be having a fit of some kind. I agree with Blaidd- wouldn't want to be around him if he lashes out. D told me he could be a bit... temperamental. "
Wolf nodded- "To Radahn, then."
Adventuring in numbers clearly had its strengths- extra hands meant more swords, and more than one mouth meant that you had someone to talk to other than yourself when things got lonely. It also had its negatives- one of which was readily apparent as Wolf stood before Redmane Castle. That being, it was far, far easier to sneak around with one person as opposed to three- especially if you were the only person in your group who had any training in stealth. Rogier apparently knew how to cast a sorcery he called "Unseen Form", but that still left the problem of Blaidd- whose size would make any amount of stealth a problem. A direct approach wouldn't be ideal, but it was likely the only option available.
As the group approached the bridge leading to the castle, though, they noticed a distinct lack of guards- living ones, at least. The bridge was the main choke point leading up to the castle- any fort that didn't station soldiers at choke points either didn't know what the concept of tactics was, or had no soldiers left to station. Wolf looked down at some of the bodies below- it was hard to tell, warped as they were by the Rot, but they seemed fresh.
Blaidd spoke up- "If I had to guess, we're not the first ones here. Looks like whoever came before us did us a favor and picked everyone off."
"Did a thorough job," Rogier added.
"...Will they be hostile towards us?" Wolf questioned.
"Eh," Blaidd shrugged, "It'd be stabbing yourself in the foot to kill the people you're about to fight Radahn with- any rational person would take any help they can get against that monster. Still… skilled warriors often aren't rational. Best case scenario, everyone waits until after Radahn dies before murdering each other for the Rune."
"Speaking of the Rune… either of you want it?" Rogier asked.
"Wouldn't really have much use for it," Blaidd commented.
"...Ranni promised me another item that could get me into Leyndell… but having a backup would be nice."
Blaidd snorted, "If you want to get torn to shreds by some of the strongest warriors to ever roam the Lands Between for a chance to get a 'backup', it's your funeral. Just don't expect me to get involved- I value my life."
Rogier smiled apologetically- "I owe you for destroying that deathroot, and I'd gladly help you get the Rune… but I'm not sure how helpful I'd be in a close range fight. I may be capable of fighting, but I'm really more of a scholar…"
The three entered the gates of Redmane Castle- bodies laid against the walls, blood flecked across every crevice of stone. Strangely, the blood seemed to eat away at the stone beneath it, and there was far more blood littering the area than the corpses present could provide. It made perfect sense for him to be here, of all places.
Wolf spoke, no inflection in his voice. "Okina."
"You know who did this, then," Blaidd said. "Do you know them in a good way or a bad way?"
His response took some time- "...Bad."
"Will-kill-you-on-sight bad?"
Wolf shook his head, "Regular bad."
Blaidd took a deep breath, "That should hopefully be fine, then. Wait until after the deed is done to kill one another."
Wolf nodded, and continued forward. It was a grisly sight- some of the bodies seemed to be instantly killed without a second thought- others, the suffering would have dragged out for minutes before death. When Okina wasn't brutal in his efficiency, he was efficient in his brutality. Still, for the sake of rallying against a greater foe, they would (hopefully) be allies, until Okina saw fit to turn his blade against him once more. Then again, maybe he would be the one to strike first- Melina had warned of the danger he posed, should he obtain Leyndell's flame. He had spared him once out of gratitude for teaching him control over himself, but there was no room for gratitude if the stakes were truly so high. An antechamber gave way to an open plaza, where familiar and unfamiliar faces stood. A man soaked in blood stood in the corner, everyone else in the room wisely avoiding him.
"Not even an appetizer, just a toothpick… gods, it's been so long since I've had something of substance… " With frightening speed, the wooden-masked man locked heads with Wolf. "Ah, hello, my semi-promising pupil. I'm just lamenting the poor quality of this fort's soldiers- but then again, I'm sure you've seen the results for yourself."
He gave a small nod, and addressed the man- no need to antagonize the unstable killer. "Okina."
Okina glanced behind Wolf- "I see you've brought friends with you. Not quite the highest of quality, but one takes what one can get. Tell me, have you come to slay a god?"
"Demigod, actually," Blaidd corrected.
"A word is what we say it is. Men have made gods out of less." He gestured to Radahn, feasting upon bodies on the wastes below, and then faced Wolf. "It is a testament to what I have taught you, friend. It has been corrupted by the rot- yet, in combat, it acts as it once did in life. Reflex is incorruptible."
Wolf stepped away, eager to exit the conversation- "Let me speak with the other warriors."
Okina hummed- "A prudent choice. I wonder how many will be able to speak afterwards."
The other warriors were an interesting cast- two, in particular, stood out. A shifty bald-headed man seemed wary of him, and tried to slink away whenever Wolf walked by. After seeing that he had been noticed, the man began to speak- "Look, I'm not looking for trouble, okay? I've met one person from the Land of Reeds today, and I assure you, that was more than enough! We'll work together to kill Radahn, and then we'll go on our merry ways and never see each other again, hm?" He wasn't in much of a mood for conversation after that… Wolf never even caught his name.
The next one, oddly enough, appeared to be some kind of jar-man.
The jar eagerly turned towards him-"Ah- now, what manner of warrior are you? No matter- allow me to introduce myself. I am Iron Fist Alexander. I hope I am not presumptuous in calling us compatriots- for on this day, the greatest of covenants will be formed. Truly, the uniting of the stalwart and iron-hearted in order to give the great Radahn one last hurrah- could there be anything more beautiful? Ah, if I had eyes I would cry!"
At least someone he met here was friendly. "Name's Wolf."
The jar-man bobbed up and down- easily excitable, this one. "Ah, a noble and agile beast- much like your companion there! Well, I should very much hope to see your skills on the battlefield! Steel yourself, for the greatest battle of your life awaits!"
With introductions out of the way, he turned back to Blaidd- "Done with the pleasantries?" the wolf-man asked. "We've still got a decent amount of time left. Get whatever you need ready, and then wait for it all to begin."
Nothing else left to do, he sat down at a nearby grace, and felt Melina materialize before him.
"It is nice to see you again, Wolf- and with companions. I have not known you long- but I think some company would do you good." She smiled softly.
"Thank you," he responded, almost reflexively, "I've found the one who seeks the flame under Leyndell."
"At the Radahn Festival?" She leaned in conspiratorially- "That would make sense, I suppose. I understand how chaotic this will be- if it is between your life and letting him go, there will be other chances to slay him. Still, should you find the opportunity…"
"My blade will not falter." His voice was certain- his words steel.
She looked satisfied- "I can ask nothing more. Now- do you intend on claiming the Rune? It will not be easy, but it will open the path to Leyndell."
Wolf thought for a second, and responded- "I believe the only person who will be an obstacle to obtaining the Rune is Okina, the flame-seeker… Killing him will resolve both of these matters."
"I have full confidence in your abilities- still, I wish you luck." Melina gave him an encouraging smile- "I suspect I will see you again soon- hopefully with plenty of runes to be turned into strength." Melina slowly began to fade away as Wolf stood up.
"Welcome, one and all! I see before me a wonderful cast- and every last one of you, champions! The stars have aligned- and you have heeded their call! The greatest demigod of the Shattering- Radahn! Tonight, we celebrate him- a celebration of war, an honorable death, the greatest closing act one could ask for! Now- the lift in front of you will take you down to the wasteland where Radahn fought Malenia to a standstill- step on, and become true warriors!" Having said this, the hooded man jumped down from a rampart down onto the lift, gesturing for everyone to get on.
They all obliged- though it was a rather tight fit, all of them huddled together. The lift slowly lowered, until it fell into place with a satisfying *thunk*- a wasteland of scarlet-tinged dust stood before them. This was a domain devoid of life- with the sole exception of the blighted behemoth before them. Unsurprisingly, Okina was first, with a speed that even he could not match- it seemed he had grown considerably since their last encounter. The rest of them charged together as one, with Wolf leading the pack- a pack that quickly split apart as Radahn began launching spears at them.
As they all grew close enough to Radahn, the fight had transformed into a vicious cycle- A few warriors would go in for an attack, while a second group waited for Radahn's attention to be diverted to launch an attack from behind. Radahn's legs were accumulating some damage- but the durability of a demigod is not to be underestimated. With a roar, purple sparks emerged, and with them, several large boulders that were launched, seemingly at random- Wolf noticed that the bald-headed man was no longer there.
Okina launched himself into the air and delivered a bloody slash to Radahn's chest- it was far from a lethal wound, but it had certainly dealt some damage. Wolf was not far behind, delivering flaming strikes to the gargantuan man's knees. Okina's mask obscured his face, but Wolf could swear he noticed a hint of satisfaction when Okina observed his movements. With fire tearing at his legs, Wolf lunged an incredible distance directly into Radahn's chest- the sword did not go entirely through, but it was a close thing. Oddly enough, Okina stepped back- observing. Rogier had fired some kind of blue projectile, distracting Radahn- giving him the opportunity for a followup.
He wouldn't be able to run his sword through Radahn's flesh, so a Shadowfall would have to do- pulling his blade out from the titan, he launched into the air, before dropping sword-first into Radahn's neck. A hideous roar emerged- not that of a man, but that of a wounded beast. As he jumped back down to the ground, Radahn flew.
Blaidd spoke up first, looking upwards- "Damn, didn't know he could do that. So… is that it, then? Don't know how we're supposed to reach him."
A few seconds passed in silence.
Everybody fled.
The meteor collided with the dusty wasteland with an ear-shattering explosion, dust obscuring the entire area. Wolf didn't know if everyone had escaped- but he knew that he had. For now, knowing that was enough. His vision would be useless for the next couple minutes as rot-stricken dust blotted out the air, but it was fortunate that he was trained to fight at night. First, he had to find Radahn- the behemoth wasn't exactly quiet, so that wasn't much of a problem. Alexander stood, still nobly fighting- spells were occasionally being thrown, so Rogier was surviving- and Blaidd had found his way back to Radahn as well. A wave of dark red appeared above them all- Okina was still kicking, for better or for worse. The next couple minutes were a battle of endurance- Radahn could not hold out forever, even the inhuman vigor of a demigod could falter. The dust began to clear- he needed to hold out for a few minutes longer.
Wolf and Okina had managed to make their way next to each other- Radahn was approaching death. This could very well be the last blow. A deep purple emanated from Radahn- suddenly, anyone in the vicinity of Radahn was crushed under the weight of unnatural gravity. Wolf remained standing- but he couldn't deliver any attacks like this, bound to the ground as he was. Blaidd slumped, his hand pulling fruitlessly as his greatsword that simply would not rise. Rogier was far enough away to be unaffected, but with nobody else attacking, Radahn could easily dodge his magic.
Okina was in a similar position as Wolf- he was strong enough and his sword was light enough that he could remain standing with his hand still on his blade, but he was much too weighted down to deliver an effective attack. Still, with heaving, shaky breaths, he held his sword tightly. With monumental effort, he raised his head so that his eyes were locked just below Radahn's head- his neck. His other hand reached for his blade. He closed his eyes. His body was entirely still.
His finger twitched.
A thin red line appeared on the neck of Radahn, and crimson fluid slowly began to drip. Eyes, filled with animalistic rage, grew dim. A titan collapsed.
Wolf's eyes glanced around frantically- the sword did not move, he was sure of that. There was a slight disruption in the air, as if imitating a sword swing- but nothing seemed to have happened that could have possibly caused Radahn to die. Even Rogier's magic, as unnatural as he found it, followed principles he could understand- the projectile was launched, and would cause damage if it struck. Yet, Okina had seemed to have simply willed the wound upon Radahn's neck into existence. A miraculous thing, but Okina didn't seem to be happy with it…
"Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! I still moved- that was supposed to be the one- have I not done enough? Have I not trained enough? Have I not killed enough? I have not yet split the body from the mind! No, no, no- it's fine, fine. This was not the tallest mountain- and I have gained reward enough." An orange light- a symbol of power- appeared in his hand. He sighed, and raised his blade preemptively- parrying an attack that the shinobi had just struck at him.
Okina's grin was bloodthirsty, not that it could be seen- "The rune, I presume?"
"Yes." No need to let him know that he also wanted him dead for other reasons.
Okina cackled- "A red blade, this time. Didn't use that for Radahn. Am I truly so special?"
Wolf didn't respond- he unleashed a Mortal Draw- resulting in red and black flowing through the air. Even if deflected, the nature of the attack would cause it to still inflict damage. The attack cut through thin air- Okina was so, so close- Wolf could see into the eyes of his mask- but he was miles away. Okina stepped back, and Wolf ran after him- yet even as he ran, and Okina paced, the distance between them only grew larger.
"What… is this?" Wolf grunted out.
"The dharma is tangible, friend. Those who can make the wheel turn have much to show for it. I am not yet a Wheel-Turning Lord, a cakkavatti- but I am something like it."
Wolf swung once more, flames covering his blade- it slid off the Rivers of Blood.
"As much as it galls me to say- your physical skill in swordsmanship is likely superior to mine. Such a thing is irrelevant, though- what matters is comprehension . Your attacks fail because you strike at the dhammacakka- you strike a wheel, and instead of breaking, it turns. To gain enlightenment is to realize that the self is meaningless- you are the universe as much as the universe is you. Once one makes such a realization, to make every ocean and river run red with blood and to make every mountain split and crack is as simple as flexing a muscle. I am not enlightened- but I have seen glimpses."
Wolf continued to strike, but none of his attacks came close to Okina. Okina stood less than a few feet away, but when Kusabimaru cut into where he should be, the attacks always seemed to fall short. Okina may have been directly next to Wolf, but he was an eternity away- suddenly, he swung his blade, and he was close once more. Such an attack provided an opportunity, however- a flaming palm struck Okina's leg, and his concentration broke for a moment. Wolf sliced at his torso as he recovered, and delivered a glancing blow. Okina reeled-
"...To cut without hate, one must cause, but not experience effect. To cut without form, one must experience effect, but not cause…" The words were muttered hastily- not said to Wolf, but repeating them to himself, like a mantra.
Okina's uncanny ability to manipulate distance and position was not without flaw- it appeared to require intense concentration- concentration that was difficult to maintain as his injuries ate at him. It was a powerful skill- but it was unwieldy in the hands of Okina, who hadn't yet mastered its usage. Okina had overextended himself, and his faltering concentration seemed to have other consequences. Blood spurted from his wounds- far more than there should be in any body.
Wolf spoke direly- "You have let your hatred run loose."
Okina swung manically, blood lingering in the air- "Just got… a little… carried away…" The blood staining his body ate away at him- skin was being corroded away. He was weak- Wolf sliced across the front of his chest, and he was unable to dodge.
Okina collapsed to the ground, hacking up blood that bubbled as it fell. He seemed to fold inward on himself, muscles shaking as they struggled to move. Wolf raised his sword to deliver the deathblow- and Okina began to whisper.
"Cause without effect, effect without cause…cut without form…" The words were practically a prayer, for how reverently they were spoken. His hand still on his sword, Okina's body grew entirely slack. His body was completely motionless- his breathing was halted, and his fingers still.
A swipe manifested in the air, and a deep gash embedded itself into Wolf.
Still holding his blade in the air, he collapsed. He felt his knees sink into the dust beneath him. Okina shakily rose, pushing his blade against the ground for support-
Okina laughed, though it resembled more of a wet wheeze- "I give you my thanks, little warrior… every time we meet, you allow me to hone my training. It is thanks to you that I can finally, truly cut without form. To kill you would be a disservice to myself- a chakkavatti must recognize opportunity where it arises. Let us meet again. Train diligently, friend- for if I find you to no longer be a challenge, I will not show mercy twice." Instead of turning back towards the lift, Okina began to walk towards a cliff on the opposite side of the wasteland- he stepped upon a rock, and walked up the sheer cliff-face as if walking upon a staircase. Wolf grimaced- Okina had gotten away, and gotten substantially stronger. When they met again, he would likely be stronger still. Even worse, he had escaped with the Rune- it wasn't usable in its current state, but if activated, it could confer physical power reminiscent of Radahn.
Wolf felt two shadows loom behind him- "Y'alright there?" he heard Blaidd say, "We both ran over when we saw you two fighting, but it looks like we weren't fast enough." Wolf shakily stood up, looking down at his torn flesh kneading itself together-
"...I'll live."
Rogier sighed, "There's a relief," he turned to Blaidd, examining the wolf-man curiously. "Why'd you run over, anyway? Could've sworn you said you wouldn't get involved in any fights for the Rune."
Blaidd turned his head away- "Yeah, well, didn't want the bastard to die fightin' for it. Not a lot of good it did, anyway- we were too late to help."
Wolf sighed deeply- "...This was not an ideal outcome."
Blaidd shrugged, "Eh, things went to shit at the end- but Radahn's dead, and we're all still alive. We got what we came here for, anyways- look up." Blaidd pointed towards the sky. Wolf raised his head and gazed upon the stars above- they streaked through the sky, leaving radiant trails in their wake. They were countless- pale blue shining against a backdrop of inky darkness. Standing upon a devastated battleground in a land forever cursed by rot next to the armored body of a titanic demigod, clutching at a wound that stretched across his chest, he could only describe the scene unfolding in the sky with a single word-
"Beautiful."