Those who abide in the ten directions of all six worlds' trichiliocosm realms with the greatest power, brilliance, and strength- such as Maheshvara and so forth- faint and fall unconscious. lt is then that the great joyful Bhagawan himself assumes the magnificent aspect that causes great terror and fear. Capable of assuming any manifestation, he transforms into the great, blazing red-black Heruka. His heads, arms, and legs are equal to the particles in the trichiliocosm. Holding a variety of weapons, he sports three heads, six arms, and four legs. He enjoys the great charnel grounds and stands in the midst of an ocean of blood, upon a great mountain of skeletons, at the hub of a wheel in a great mass of blazing [fire, with [legs] drawn in and extended, [and] upon a seat of the male-female Maheshvara and the haughty queen of the charnel grounds. Some of these manifest clouds of wrathful maṇḍalas also become the glorious, great Vajra Heruka abiding at the eastern [wheel]. Some become the glorious, great Ratna Heruka abiding at the southern [wheel]; some become the glorious, great Padma Heruka abiding at the western [wheel] ; while some become the glorious, great Karma Heruka abiding at the northern [wheel] . All assume terrifying demeanors and, in a blazing expanse, shout the mighty sounds. They have three heads, [six] arms, and four legs and are standing with [legs] drawn in and extended upon seats of male and female gandharvas, yakșhas, cannibals, yamas, and so forth.
The assembly of great Heruka queens also abides with the individual kayas in the manner of embrace. Then the great haughty ones and others perform various great and menacing magical feats with ferocious minds. Their reviling cries in unison threaten with violent aggression. "Release us! Release us! Lords of compassion, what will you do with us?!" Lamenting in this way, they become extremely aggressive. Then with great joy, the Bhagawan [manifests] with nine heads, eighteen arms, and eight legs. Through the skillful means of compassion, he tames with a mighty voice and [becomes] extremely aggressive. Reciting hung hung hung, ha ha ha, and khahi khahi khahi, he removes the hearts and sense organs and takes out the internal organs of the unruly ones, such as Maheshvara and others. He severs and chops up all the limbs, consuming all their flesh, drinking all their blood, and masticating all their bones. Then by reciting hung hung hungjhyojhyojhyo eh ah ra li hring hring dza dza, all the realms of the world in ten directions- including space- are subsumed to fit within a single mustard seed.
- Guhyagarbha (Secret Essence) Tantra- (Vajrayāna School)
The intricate winding halls of the Volcano Manor lent themselves well to secrets- behind every tiny ridge of carved stone there could lie some hidden switch, some false wall that held blasphemous whispers behind it. Every nook needed to be thoroughly searched- and search they did, for hours on end- much to the confusion and suspicion of those who saw them.
"Ahem." An ornately-armored man looked down at them crouched on their knees, investigating a drawer. "...Can I help you folks with something?"
"Ah- erm, no need, Sir Diallos," said Zorayas, who had donned her human form once more, "I was only… showing our new family around!"
"Oh!" Diallos said, seemingly satisfied by this explanation, "Well then, tell me if you have need of anything- I'm happy to assist any newcomers to the manor!" He turned to Zorayas, giving her a fond smile- "And Lady Rya- do stay out of trouble, will you?" With those words, he walked past the four, entirely clueless. Relieved, they continued their fruitless search.
After thoroughly investigating the furniture, they moved on to paintings, turning and looking behind every single one. This, too, seemed to attract attention, as an unfamiliar man walked down the hall towards them.
"Ah- Sir Bernahl!" Zorayas announced with a clearly fake smile, overly cheerful. "I'm introducing these brave Tarnished to the artwork of our manor!"
Bernahl had an unimpressed look upon his face, as his eyes squinted in suspicion at the three new faces. "Is that so?" He sighed and shrugged, clearly not caring enough to pry further. "Well, who would I be to interrupt such connoisseurs of fine art. Welcome to the Volcano Manor, I suppose." He moved on, pointedly not looking at them as they continued to move paintings to look behind them.
After searching for a few minutes longer, Zorayas turned to look at a crooked painting- "Do be careful, would you? I'd hate to leave anything out of place in our search…" As she reached out her arms to turn the painting, she found them going through it instead. The painting and the wall behind it slowly faded out of existence, proving to be an illusion.
Rogier looked over in amazement- "How has nobody accidentally found this until now?"
Yura shrugged. "I guess most people try to avoid touching the artwork." He peered down the dark hallway that stood behind the illusory wall. "I'll lead us- stay behind me." He drew his katana and crept down the passageway, slashing at a serpent snail that jumped out at him suddenly. "I doubt this place is going to be safe, lass. You still want to come with us?"
Zorayas held a resolute look on her face. "I'm the scout of the Volcano Manor- I guarantee you, I have been through more treacherous ground. Do not think me helpless."
"Very well then," Yura said, "Glad to have you." As he continued through the dank stone hallway, he finally emerged in a well-lit room- walls of carved stone, a floor with an intricate carpet laid atop, pews sat in front of and behind mountains of dripping red candles- this was undoubtedly some manner of church.
Rogier looked suitably impressed- "I must say, this is very well-maintained for something that's been sealed away for gods know how long."
Zorayas shook her head- "At times, Lady Tanith would seemingly disappear, claiming she had business elsewhere in the manor. She's almost certainly been taking care of it."
"Good to know, good to know," Rogier said. "Now, let's leave before she comes down and finds us, hm?"
Zorayas's human face blanched, seemingly nervous of earning her mother's disapproval- "Yes, let's."
The small church led directly outside- and it seemed this portion of the manor was built directly on the volcano below. Numerous half-sunken structures of stone and wood stood, somehow untouched by the broiling magma below. In the distance, there laid what seemed to be another church- this one considerably grander than the one they just stood in.
"I doubt these old places have anything of value," Rogier said, looking below at the ramshackle wood structures, "Seems like they're only torture chambers and living quarters for victims of Rykard's inquisition. Didn't seem like he cared much for them, given the state they're in."
Zorayas, meanwhile, had just made a grim realization- patrolling the ruined buildings below, there laid snake-people just like herself, carrying swords and shields. "T-they're real…" She faltered for a second before regaining her dedication- "I must find the truth behind this. Is Lady Tanith…" She seemed to shake off the thought. "No. It must be something else…"
Yura turned to her- "You doing alright, kid?"
She sighed. "I'll manage. I have to."
The four crept around the boiling-hot ruin, the temperature affecting everyone except Zorayas. Zorayas' invisibility charm proved useful in avoiding the guards- the serpent warriors patrolling the ruins didn't seem particularly strong, but none of them were particularly eager to kill one of her potential siblings.
Sneaking past the serpentine guards, they made their way up a precarious metal lift towards the temple ahead. A hooded monk stood in front of the church, armed with a mace aglow with flame- a stark black and white.
Rogier's eyes widened. "Black flame- a remnant of Death. Incomplete as it is, it can still wound gods- small wonder Rykard would turn to it," Rogier commented under his breath. "Doubt it'd be useful to us if we've got the real thing, though." He turned down to look at the Mortal Blade, still sheathed at Wolf's side.
Wolf assessed the monk in front of him- "...Is he dangerous?"
Rogier shrugged, "Can't say- but I don't think so. Monks of the black flame typically wear the skin of their marks- minor gods, mainly. Some ritual purpose or just a trophy, I don't know. For this one to only be wearing regular robes, I doubt he's anyone too important."
"We… we need to go in there," Rya said suddenly, her words said with absolute certainty. "It feels… familiar. This is where I'll find the truth." Before anyone else could say anything, she began to walk up the stairs to the temple, the others hastily following behind her.
"Kid, I don't know if just walking in there's a good idea- if there's a monk outside, there might be an apostle in there…" Yura hastily muttered to Zorayas, who continued to walk forward as if in a trance. She had made her way through the door, and the three entered behind her, blades at the ready- strangely, there was absolutely nobody inside. "...Or maybe not," Yura commented.
Zorayas continued to slowly step forward past the rows of pews, gradually approaching the altar that stood at the end of the church. Countless candles and braziers illuminated every stone crevice- and the centerpiece of it all, a reliquary with a great stone serpent lying atop. Even to the three warriors who knew nothing of this church, the scaled beast and the altar below instilled a sense of reverence- heretical gods dwelled here.
Walking up to the reliquary, Zorayas clutched the strange yellow mass that laid there. "M-mother…" she whispered softly, looking down at the object. She turned her head upwards, betrayed confusion on her face. "Lady Tanith… why would you deceive me so? Was I truly just your pawn?"
Yura, thoroughly out of his depth and completely unsure what to say, tried to think of something to console her. "Ah, kid…" He paused for a few seconds as her grimacing face turned to him. "Well… in truth, it was Tanith who put us up to finding you and figuring out what was bothering you. She was worried for you- I truly doubt that she does not care for you."
"W-why then, would she see fit to lie to me?" Zorayas asked, clenching her fists together.
Yura had nothing to say. For the next couple seconds, nothing but silence and the crackle of flame was heard in the church. Rogier supposed it was time for him to try and say something- "...Maybe she wanted to hide it for a good reason?" Zorayas did not respond, and Rogier grimaced- okay, he had no idea what to do here. "Or, uh…" Rogier stumbled on his words, desperate to think of something else to say. "...maybe you could ask her? I mean, if you feel that that's a good idea. If you tell her that you know she lied to you, maybe she'll reveal the truth."
"...Yes." Zorayas spoke with newfound determination. "I must confront her- surely, all those years of kindness were not lies. And if they truly were- I must find out on my own terms. I thank you all for going out of your way to bring me here. Let us now return." She turned away from the altar, and began to leave.
"Ah, well, actually…" Rogier called out to her as she walked out of the doorway, "...We'll be staying here a little longer."
Zorayas turned around to face them, small smile on her face- "Is that so? Well, far be it from me to comment on someone else's snooping. Once again, I thank the three of you- I can finally lay this matter to rest, one way or another." Saying this, she turned and left.
Yura spoke first- "Good for her, then. Hope the girl gets her closure."
"I as well," Rogier said, but then frowned slightly, "I'm going to miss the invisibility charm, though. Guess we'll have to fight our way around here now."
"Indeed you will." On the opposite end of the temple, black flames manifested in the air- from them, a figure clad in a sickly-pale white emerged. Tormented faces seemed sewn into his leathery robes. He held a giant rapier in one hand, a familiar black flame in the other- the church was not as unoccupied as it had seemed.
"The girl is gone now. I doubt the lord cares for her, but I do not wish to be the one to earn his ire by killing her. Still, she has robbed the amnion from its reliquary- and such iconoclasm cannot go unpunished. You will have to take the fall, I'm afraid. I am deeply sorry." His deep voice was almost mirthful- he did not seem sorry in the slightest.
Rogier, putting on his most charming smile, tried to speak with the skin-clad man. "We're all reasonable individuals here. I fully understand that you can't just let us go after the altar has been stolen from. But- as we aren't the true perpetrators, perhaps we can come to an arrangement? Or a… lightened punishment, perhaps?"
"Of course." the giant man spoke with an undercurrent of joy, "I'm not a savage, after all. A lightened punishment… so it shall be." His voice had an element of refinement to it- that, combined with his corpulence, made him seem like a noble of sorts.
Rogier, eager for a way out, continued. "Good! Maybe we can consider giving you something in retur-"
A rictus grin grew on the pale man's face- with his pallor, he resembled a moving corpse rather than a man. "I will wait until after you are dead to skin you. Small mercies, yes?"
"H-hold on now!" Rogier began to panic. "Why are you even following Rykard, anyways? I thought you Godskins followed the Gloam-Eyed Queen?"
"Indeed." The noble gave a small nod, "Rykard is a bumbling fool playing at godhood. Still- we are aligned in our interests, and he is useful to us. We wish to see the gods lay slain under our feet- including each other, more likely."
"E-exactly!" Rogier exclaimed, "You know that you're both too ambitious. Eventually it's going to be you or him, right? Well, why not kill him now, before he grows too powerful?"
The noble snorted loudly. "Do you think the Queen has not considered this? Please, spare me your attempts at deceit. With a tongue as forked as yours, I should be surprised you are not with Rykard yourself. Now, dutifully accept your punishment- else I shall withdraw the mercy I have given you. I personally have not experienced the pain of flaying- but I can assure you, it is a most exquisite suffering." He slowly raised his rapier aloft.
"I suspect negotiations have failed," Yura sighed deeply as he spoke, drawing his blade. Wolf and Yura charged forward at the noble, whose defensive swordplay was able to block most of their swings, while Rogier launched spells from behind them. Wolf cut forward, blade aflame with hatred- but the fire was almost completely subsumed by the noble's own black flame. The foe was strong- but it was clear he couldn't keep up forever. He shot down pillars of black flame and stabbed wildly with his rapier, but he simply wasn't able to keep up with the three of them. Attacking was a losing battle- jabbing at one would mean exposing himself to the attacks of the other two. With no choice but to retreat, he found himself trapped in a corner. He seemed out of breath and littered with wounds- although oddly, none of them seemed to bleed.
Trapped in a corner of the now-ruined church which was littered with broken pews, the Godskin Noble had reached his limit. It was at this moment Wolf struck- jumping atop his hood of skin, he jabbed Kusabimaru downwards, decapitating the man. He leaped off of him, landing next to Yura, and then swung his blade to fling off the blood- only to find there was none.
The corpse of the noble rose, its neck a stump, and turned to find its head. Gripping it tightly, it firmly jammed the head back onto its neck, upon which the face's features began to move once more.
"How?!" Rogier exclaimed in a mixture of shock and curiosity.
"As I said earlier…" The noble twisted his neck, adjusting his head into place, " Rykard has his uses. We wished to attune ourselves closer with the skin of gods- he taught us how. The flesh is fluid, yet it remembers. Where it once was, it will continue to be. It will one day rot- but until that day, it will remain a vehicle of destruction, free to be molded." From the rolling folds of his round form, arms began to emerge, two on each side. From their hands, balls of flesh began to thin and sharpen, taking the form of blades. All of the arms began to ascend, six blades now pointing upwards. Spectral images of the blades lingered as they passed through the air. Suddenly, the noble charged, blades glowing with black flame.
Yura and Rogier immediately continued to attack the noble, while Wolf pulled back for a moment. Kusabimaru had served him faithfully, but this battle required something more potent. He sheathed Kusabimaru, and drew forth the Mortal Blade. Channeling hatred through himself, the blade began to burn with an all-consuming black and red flame.
The noble's head remained locked on Yura and Rogier as it continued to battle them, but one of the faces on its torso began to speak to Wolf. "A dog of Marika, are we? Was robbing our flame not enough? Now you seek to end us with it?" Despite the circumstances, the voice was as cheerful as ever.
"No." Wolf was very tired of having to tell everyone he met that his sword was not the Rune of Death. He vented his frustration by swinging at the noble- he intended to swing just as one of the noble's rapiers passed him, but the blade somehow lingered in the air even as it continued to move, injuring Wolf as it cut him. It was as if every blade left a trail, leaving a lingering cut in space itself that continued to wound any who touched it.
"Oho? You mean to say that you stole the Rune for yourself, then?" Several of the faces strewn on its body spoke in unison as it continued to swing six swords at once. "Delightful. Simply wonderful. I shall relish wearing your skin." It jabbed a rapier next to Rogier- as Rogier moved to the left, he cut himself on the space where the blade had struck long after it had moved. " Where it once was, it will continue to be," the noble recited in grim delight.
Well, Wolf supposed it wouldn't hurt to ask. "...How did you learn this technique?"
The faces spoke in unison as the arms swung in an otherworldly rhythm- "Feast upon the five meats and five nectars, until one knows flesh and filth. Know the skin of others inside and out." The faces gurgled with laughter. " That's what the technique said, at least. I only figured out what one of the meats was, let alone the nectars- and that's only because I ate human meat anyways! I guess my knowledge of skin and human meat was just that strong- I didn't need the rest!"
Wolf was genuinely surprised- most people tended not to directly tell you their techniques, though he supposed it technically didn't belong to the noble. Now he just needed to figure out how to kill him. It was impossible to attack the constantly-moving noble- every inch surrounding him was a blade. Every bit of space around him was being cut or had been cut, and he had made it so there was no difference between the two. He gazed down at the black-and-red flame emanating from his sword- the noble's blade would remain where it had cut previously. It was a lingering memory, something that should have died in the past yet somehow still remained. In other words, it was immortal- and he had the perfect counter. Fanning the flames of his hatred into the Mortal Blade, Wolf launched a devastating strike against the lingering blades, cutting their memory from existence. Yura and Rogier had occupied his arms, leaving the final blow up to him.
He charged forward, Mortal Blade dispelling the past-blades that remained, and sunk the Mortal Blade deep into the noble's body. It did not bleed- but he felt vitality drain from it. As he sunk his blade downwards, he felt a weak hand reach out to him. One of the noble's clasped fists released to reveal a small metal implement- a peeler of some kind. One of the dying faces on it spoke- "You have slain me- and so, you are a worthy successor. Do what is necessary."
Unsure of what to do, he took the peeler from the dying noble as he collapsed to the stone floor below. He looked around- the temple was absolutely ruined, the altar being one of the few things that still remained. Peering at the peeler in his hand, he spoke aloud. "...He said that his technique requires knowing flesh inside and out- do you think he wants me to…?"
"Skin him?" Yura spoke bluntly, "Yes, I think that was what was implied."
Wolf paused, "The ability for my sword to remain where it has cut, to manipulate flesh… it is useful. Against Okina, maybe a valuable asset in defeating him. Do you think…"
Yura sighed deeply. "Kid, this is incredibly beyond my knowledge. My time as a monk didn't teach me the ethics of skinning dead men. Still…" He paused, grimacing at what he was about to say. "...So long as not harming a living being and not done with hatred or evil intent… I don't see why not. Just- let me walk out. I don't want to be here for that."
Rogier nodded, face blanching-"I second that notion."
The two walked out of the ruined church as Wolf kneeled next to the bloated body. He gripped the silver peeler and began at the legs, making an incision. The strange physiology of the noble made it relatively simple- the skin cut like thick paper, and the lack of blood made things considerably easier to look at. Within twenty minutes, he had a corpse that looked like a sinewy mummy in addition to a pile of cold skin. It wasn't a good job- any hunter or skinner would be able to call his work sloppy, even though they (hopefully) didn't have any experience with skinning people. He committed the sights and sensations he had felt while skinning to memory- whether that would be enough to learn, he didn't know. He sat down in his best attempt at meditation- his skin felt looser than normal on his body, but so far, that was about it. He visualised swinging his sword- comparing it to the sensation of peeling skin. As the peeler slowly cut through skin, it would not cut where it had cut previously- and yet the incision, the separation of skin remained. He needed to do the same with his sword- cut, and let the effects linger.
He stood up, prepared to test his technique- he took a deep breath, readied his blade, and sliced. For a single moment, he felt space bend slightly- his blade was everywhere he had cut at once. Suddenly, the sensation vanished- it had lasted less than a tenth of a second. That would not be sufficient. He could try to practice further, but he felt it would get him nowhere- this was a technique that relied on memories and experiences. He had only the memory of skinning the noble to draw on- if he wanted to improve, he would need more memories. He was not eager to skin another person. The noble had mentioned that the technique also called for eating human flesh- that, he did not wish to do in the slightest. Even if he had the desire to do so, whatever was left on the noble could hardly be considered flesh- merely desiccated sinew and bone. For now, he supposed, the technique would remain unlearned.
"You can come in now," Wolf called to Yura and Rogier, who obliged him.
Looking down at the skinned body, Rogier spoke. "I must admit, this is… less grisly than I was expecting." He turned his head upwards. "Seems there's a lift up. Wonder if our secret library's back there…" He got on to the lift, Rogier and Wolf joining him. They marched forward, exploring the lava-surrounded manor- without the invisibility charm, the snake warriors chased after them. None of them were happy about killing what might have been Zorayas' siblings, but she wouldn't be around to see them die, at the very least.
Venturing on for another hour or so, they arrived at what seemed to be the opposite end of the area under the manor- the last place they needed to search. The three let out a sigh of relief tinged with nervous anticipation- on one hand, they were nearing the end of this treacherous exploration. On the other, if they did not find the library they were searching for here, it was likely it never existed in the first place. Combing the area, two areas of interest stood out- on a balcony, there appeared to be a portal of some kind- on the other end, a charred room filled with scrolls.
Rogier perked up, eyes widening in joy- "Friends, I suspect we've found what we're looking for…" He charged into the room, glancing back and forth at the scrolls littering the area. He looked behind them, at several burnt bookshelves- "Damn. Seems a lot of it's been burned- yet not all of it, for some reason. Both of you- I need you to search through every single word of what's here. We have to find anything that could potentially be useful."
And so the next couple hours passed- what had been found so far was intensely interesting, but not yet anything of use.
"Let's see here…" Rogier said frustratedly, combing through the scrolls. "This method of power makes you insane. This one requires mass child sacrifice. This one's mass murder in general. Stabbing every limb in your body nineteen times- sure, why not. Oh, child sacrifice again. Turns you into a pile of flesh-goo. Makes you multiple people at once, fracturing your personality. Ah- makes you go insane, how original." Rogier sighed, "Surely there has to be something here that's not incredibly debilitating to yourself or others, right?"
Yura sighed deeply- "Research notes aren't coming along much better. They turned into deranged rambling about twenty minutes ago. Still, that technique the noble used was definitely Buddhist. There has to be something."
Wolf, scanning through some scrolls himself, suddenly paused. "...I think I've found it."
Yura and Rogier peeked over in excited curiosity- "What does it say?" Rogier asked.
Wolf scanned through the scroll- "Well, it's an expedition log… but it mentions encountering some old scrolls in the 'Land of Shadow', wherever that is. Said they belonged to Buddhists of some kind."
"Really? What'd he do with them?" Rogier asked eagerly.
Wolf shrugged. "Don't know. Let's keep searching."
They continued for thirty minutes more- until Yura came across something incredibly disheartening.
" Ahem. " Yura cleared his throat to get the other two's attention. "This is a scroll from Rykard's later days, definitely. He's not… all there. And I quote… 'Therefore I Rykard the Righteous Ender of Gods and Great King Above the "Greater" Will Do Hereby Eradicate the Foreign Texts of Barbarism in Cleansing Flame- the Wyrm is Complete, and All Else is Heresy upon Heresy.' Seems after he lost himself, he burned a lot of the scrolls he found from his expeditions."
"Damn it all," Rogier swore, "So we're back at square one."
Wolf paused in thought- "...Maybe not. There could be more in this 'Land of Shadow.' From how he describes the expedition, it sounds like it's in the Lands Between."
Rogier groaned. "Well, it's something, at least. Now, we just need to find wherever the hell it is. Before that, though, let's leave- I bet that portal in the other room's a way out- it'd be inconvenient to have to walk here every time. Let's leave through it before we wake Rykard- he's probably sleeping in the lava around here somewhere."
And so, the three stepped into the portal, clueless as to the fate that awaited them. They arrived in an incomprehensibly large stone cavern- fossilized corpses formed pillars that jutted an incredible distance upwards to the cave ceiling. Chandeliers, incredibly ornate and impossibly large, hung from stalactites- a perfect balance between glorious opulence and hideous cruelty that seemed to encapsulate the entirety of the Volcano Manor. Laying in the center of it all was a humongous serpent- through its face was not yet visible, the three knew perfectly well who it was.
The serpent twisted its head backwards, revealing a somewhat human-like face. "Little champions, little morsels… become one with the Serpent King, as family…"
Volcano Manor was home to a significant number of portraits of the Praetor- this face, though warped by his new serpentine nature, was undoubtedly the same as in those portraits. As he spoke, an inhuman hand reached into the maw of the serpent, pulling out a colossal blade covered in limbs and faces, writhing in blinding agony.
Rykard swung the blade carelessly, his expression unreadable. Each strike of the blade cleaved the ground below, upheaving the magma beneath it. Flaming red skulls emerged from his mouth- the manifested hatred of the thousands Rykard had consumed. The three tried desperately to dodge, narrowly avoiding certain demise. Wolf thought helplessly as to what to do- his only ranged options would do nothing against such a gargantuan foe. The lava surrounding the serpent prevented him from getting too close, and any attempt to grapple on to the snake ran the risk of Rykard grabbing him midair. He would likely be surprised by him grappling the first time, but any subsequent attempts and Rykard would wise up to it. This wasn't the Great Serpent of the Sunken Valley- Rykard was supernaturally strong, and as Wolf was currently, he couldn't defeat him in one deathblow.
He could try his new partially-learned technique- he visualised the sensation of skin leaving one's body, and he felt his own skin ripple slightly- but not enough to manipulate it. Same with his sword- there was no lasting cut, no matter how hard he tried. He would have to make do with what he had. Just as he was testing his technique, Rykard's attention pivoted from Yura to Wolf, and his sword swung down, narrowly missing the shinobi. As the sword struck the ground, writing red flesh splattered off of the blade- twisting arms and twitching heads struck the ground below. What remained of the countless who had attempted to defeat Rykard before, reduced to bits of charred meat. He thought back to the words of the noble- as far as he knew, there were two ways to practice the technique- skinning people, and eating human flesh. He had done one, so… no. Was he seriously entertaining this idea? He tilted his head up from the viscera, looking at Rogier and Yura- both desperately attacking the serpentine demigod in vain. He turned his head down once more at the meat below.
He took a deep breath inwards. All things are one- and to become one with everything, one must accept everything- beyond concepts such as "pure" and "impure." The idea was uncomfortably close to what Okina believed, but it still held truth. He slowly reached down for a glob of the scorching reddened meat. This was no different than eating a fine meal- all things are one and the same, or so he reassured himself. He sat in meditation, the other two still managing to draw Rykard's attention. He slowly raised the meat to his mouth- that's all it was, meat. Don't think about where it's from. He placed some of it upon his tongue- it was burnt beyond recognition, to the point of near inedibility, yet it faintly tasted like pork. He thought upon the sensation- this was once a warrior- no, many warriors, who thought themselves capable of challenging the great serpent. They wore armor and wielded weapons- and then they themselves became a part of a weapon, and now here they were, sitting upon his tongue. Such is the malleability of flesh, and of reality. He swallowed the charred piece of flesh slowly.
He stood up, mind reeling. His flesh felt looser upon his skeleton than it ever had- if he called for it to bend, it would. He turned to Rogier and Yura. "Distract him completely- make him forget I'm here."
They obliged- Yura charged recklessly, magma scorching his legs as he sliced into serpent-flesh. Rogier pelted rocks at Rykard's eyes using gravity magic- which he had noticeably improved with. With nothing left to do, Wolf readied his grappling hook- the serpent's head was just above Rykard's face, and one of its fangs would serve as a good grapple point. Now, he just had to hope that any venom still in its mouth wouldn't be corrosive enough to eat through the hook. With Rykard suitably distracted, he fired his hook which wrapped around the tooth of the serpent. He pulled himself upwards, landing at the top of the serpent, with just enough room to stand.
He felt his back ripple- if slicing down the serpent once wasn't enough to put it down, he would simply have to do it more. Four arms shot from his back- he felt a constant stinging sensation. His body was rejecting the transformation, unnatural as it was- but that was fine. He hopefully wasn't going to need long. He drew the Mortal Blade, allowing his hate to course through it and the blade to burst into deathly flame. He formed blades of flesh on five of his arms, making them touch the Mortal Blade, engulfing them in black-and-red flame. It was excruciating for him- but for Rykard, it would hopefully be fatal. Jumping downwards, the Mortal Blade and five equivalents of it sunk into Rykard's scaly flesh, and began to make their way downwards. Like a cadaver being skinned, Rykard's serpentine flesh began to unravel. The black-and-red flame of death lingered where the blades had previously cut, serving to solidify the fatality of the wound. Rykard, growing swiftly aware of his new mortality, began to panic, gurgling in pain all the while.
Rykard sputtered helplessly- " The claw! Bernahl! It is mine! It was always mine! Never yours! Give it- now! I need it!"
Wolf dismounted from Rykard as flaming cuts continued to devour his scaled skin. Buddhists weren't supposed to get satisfaction from fighting, let alone fight at all- but there was something enjoyable about the way swords cleave their way across such giant foes.
Feeling his back pulse in agony, he withdrew four of his arms, his body returning to normal- he had done it. He had mastered a technique that had allowed him to thoroughly kill Rykard- and hopefully Okina. All it required was eating human meat…
"Hey, kid." Yura lightly punched him on the shoulder. "It's a good thing you did there, alright? I doubt that was pleasant for you- but what you did saved us. Rykard would have killed us all if you hadn't… done what you did."
"...What did it taste like?" Rogier asked suddenly.
"Pork." Wolf replied without much of a thought. "And ash. Mostly ash."
Rogier's face grimaced when he saw the viscera that surrounded the body of the colossal serpent- "Yeah, well… I'll take your word for it. Not too eager to try it myself." Silence filled the room for a few seconds. "Ah, well… as for better news- " Rogier rummaged around the corpse of Rykard, emerging with a glowing object. "...you, my friend, are now the holder of two Great Runes!"
Wolf nodded in satisfaction- "...We can reach Leyndell, then? Get there before Okina?"
"Well… hopefully," Yura said. "There's only so many Great Runes, but it's possible he's somehow gotten two by now as well. Still, we can only speculate for now."
"Well, for now, I'd say that was a job well done," Rogier exclaimed. "Now…" he turned to the portal they entered from, "it seems like we'll have to make our way back. What are the odds that Tanith knows we just killed her lord?" He gave Wolf and Yura a nervous grin.