Chapter 9: White Hawk's Wingbeat
"Without taking a single step, Nankobo Tenkai has drawn blood from the God of War!" Selene's commentary rang out, echoing the sense of surprise that had overtaken the arena.
Sliding his hands down to the base of the staff, Tenkai held it in both hands and pulled back, holding the staff over his shoulder in a position similar to how one might wield a scythe. He swung the staff through the air in one forceful motion, letting out another unseen attack. "Naraka Shorinji Kempo: Kamaitachi!"
As the attack, assumedly, soared through the air unseen, Tyr braced himself, placing his shield in front of him to block against whatever Kamaitachi was. Everyone saw Tyr flinch, as if a great force had slammed into his body, and he was pushed back a few centimeters through the stone and dirt. His shield had held up against Kamaitachi, but in the moments he had spent blocking the attack, Tenkai had once again vanished from his sight. Suddenly, Tyr felt something slam into the back of his right knee. Tenkai had slipped through his blind spot and brought the butt of his staff into an upward strike, trying to take out Tyr's leg. Then, as Tyr stumbled for that brief moment, Tenkai shifted his grip and weight to bring the top of the staff down in a downward strike, the shaft of the weapon ending parallel to his arm and the metal rings colliding into the collarbone of the Norse God.
"Damn, I'd been aiming for his face, but the size difference is getting in the way!" Tenkai thought to himself, dashing away from the brief melee to try and put some distance between them. "Monogenes, any thoughts?"
"Don't give him a chance to counterattack, go on the offensive right away!" his Aeon insisted.
Tenkai took a deep breath before charging in, though this time he opted not to go for an attack with his staff immediately, rather jumping into the air and going for a spinning hook kick that thudded against the Norse God's armor.
"Enough!" Tyr roared, slamming his shield-arm forward and bringing it down upon the monk, slamming Tenkai into the ground. The monk bounced against the ground from the force of the blow, coughing up no small amount of blood as the shock of the blow reverberated through his body.
Tyr brought the sword up, preparing for a downward stab with his sword, when Tenkai mustered up just enough strength to clutch his staff and swing it in the air between them. With another invisible slice, a deep diagonal slash opened across the bridge of Tyr's face, soaking his nose and the lower half of his face in his blood. As Tyr recoiled in pain, Tenkai began to distance himself from the War God once again, launching back onto his feet and retreating quickly.
"Tyr is struggling to keep up with the human's hit and run tactics! How is he landing these hits when his staff isn't even touching them?" Helios called out from above.
"How is he doing that, Prometheus? There's nothing special about his weapon, is there?" Pandora asked.
"No, it's the power of his Aeon: Monogenes , the only-begotten one. Or to be more specific, the spirit of isolation itself," Prometheus explained.
"In his life, he was already acquainted with a certain ability: Concentrated Breathing. The flow of oxygen is important in combat, it keeps your organs pumping and helps you to focus when landing a critical strike," Nobunaga further explained, his face still stuck in a near-permanent scowl. "He could maximize the effects of this, exciting his own body to the point of fighting like a monster. He was unparalleled on the battlefield before he took on that monk's attire."
"By timing his breaths carefully and taking advantage of his increased lung capacity, he can increase his body's physical capabilities. Combine that with Monogenes, and every swing of his staff disrupts the air currents around him, giving every attack of his a longer invisible blade of wind, able to even pierce through that pompous warrior's defenses," Prometheus said smugly. Pandora briefly wondered how much of this he had been able to plan for, considering he had only just met Tenkai earlier that day. "This ability of his is one we called White Hawk's Wingbeat."
Nobunaga looked distinctly like someone fighting the urge to vomit, Pandora noted, though she opted not to broach that particular topic at the moment.
"It's not his armor I'm worried about, personally," Pandora mumbled.
"Bah, you worry too much! What does a little girl like you know about proper combat anyway?" Hideyoshi brushed off her concerns.
"She may be human, but Pandora was created to be the personal assistant to the God of the Forge himself. And more importantly, she is my familly, so you would do well to show her some respect," Prometheus's tone turned harsh, and Hideyoshi fell silent as a chill entered the air around them. "Explain, please, dear sister."
"Those relics Tyr is wearing, each of them is a Divine Treasure of the Norse Gods. Designed by the dwarves to be capable of even killing Gods," Pandora looked to her brother-in-law, ignoring the daimyo's comments. "Svalinn, Tyrfing, Valshamr…Tenkai will have to get through all three of them somehow."
"As much as it might burn Vulcan up to hear this, no piece of armor or weapons is perfect. Everything has a weakness, it's just up to Tenkai to find it," Prometheus said.
"That last attack should have cut his head in two!" Tenkai thought.
"Your wingbeat has an ideal range. Too close and it can't build up enough force to pierce the enemy's defenses, too far and it loses its efficiency," Monogenes explained. "Go on the offensive and prevent him from getting too close."
"Easier said than done," Tenkai mumbled to himself.
"How long do you plan to retreat?" Tyr roared. "Face me head-on and end this farce!"
"I'll keep it up until one of us is too tired to move, obviously!" Tenkai mocked. "I thought you were a master warrior; it should be obvious what I'm doing!"
Tenkai inhaled, sliding one foot back and preparing the same stance that he had taken upon casting Kamaitachi earlier, but Tyr would have none of it. The Nordic God advanced, placing his entire weight behind his shield for a charging shield bash. Tenkai had to interrupt his attack, stepping back, just in time to see that from behind the shield Tyr's other arm was bringing the tip of his blade forward in a fierce stabbing gesture. Tenkai found himself ducking down to avoid the stab, wincing as despite the blow missing entirely, a wave of discomfort came over him. It started out as a faint heat, before shifting into a momentary feeling of nausea and vertigo.
But now that Tenkai was close to the ground, he had left himself open. A boot-covered foot came up, colliding with his face and knocking him back. The sword he had just dodged came down in a vertical slice, just narrowly missing a direct slash through the monk's left arm. Though the sword only grazed him, that same wave of discomfort rattled through the monk's body.
The sword that he had so narrowly dodged collided with the ground, breaking the stone. It was now, through bloodied nose and watering eyes, Tenkai could see the sword's runes glowing a faint orange. Even the ground where it now touched seemed to be giving off a faint glow, and he could have sworn he saw some of the clay and stone in the earth beginning to soften and turn to mush.
"Truth be told, you're not the only one who was holding back a few tricks," Tyr explained. "I carry the hopes of the Norse on my back, and I do mean that literally. The Divine Arsenal on my back is proof of that hope and trust. I had hoped to do this without relying on them, but you seem insistent on dragging this out."
"Gods above, do you ever shut up?" Tenkai spat out. His fake civility and politeness that had been fading since the match's start was not present at all. The Master with Buddha's Compassion spoke through gritted teeth. "Everyone gets it, you pompous golden boy! Everyone loves you and you've never had to struggle in your life. You talk about honor and duty and everything just goes your way, is that right?"
"That insincere tongue of yours is gone, it seems. Is this the real you I'm speaking to, not the facade?" Tyr asked. "I knew thinking you to be truly Enlightened was too much to ask."
"What the hell would you know about me anyway?" Tenkai snarled.
The audience began to stir, confused at the sudden shift in demeanor. The Gods babbled and bickered among themselves.
"And this is the guy that was supposed to be the one closest to Buddha?"
"I mean, the bad attitude is actually kind of close to the real deal."
"Dude's totally lost it, hasn't he? Poor human, but what do you expect against Lord Tyr?"
Likewise, some of the humans struggled to understand just what they were seeing.
"Is Tenkai-sama okay? This isn't at all what I expected him to be like," said one Buddhist monk from the stands.
"Maybe he's trying to impart some kind of lesson or wisdom? Surely there's something to this change," said a courtier who had once known Tenkai in life.
The Three Great Unifiers looked down, mixtures of concern and sorrow on their faces.
"Tenkai, what's going on? This isn't like him at all," Ieyasu said.
"Has he lost his mind?" Hideyoshi roared, slamming his hands down on the rail blocking their balcony from the drop to the arena below.
Nobunaga remained quiet, a look of rage and discontent on his face as he watched the monk struggle.
"I have always been alone. Even when people did want me around, it's not like I could say that they were really my friends or that they even cared. I was useful to them, that's it. Even before..."
July 1582
Tenkai laid on the side of a dirt path. His robes were little more than tattered black rags, hanging off of a mangled and damaged body. His arms burned, covered in thick burn scars, and it had been so long since he had found decent food or water that he could scarcely muster up the energy to stand on his own. How long had it been since those bandits found him, weary and lost, and taken to using him as their punching bag? Why had they not just killed him?
Tenkai could faintly hear the sound of a cart approaching, before suddenly stopping. His consciousness fading, Tenkai could faintly see a man looming over him, in elegant black attire and possessing a shaved head, though it was all the ailing monk could do to utter a single sentence at him. "Kill...me."
When Tenkai woke up next, he was lying on a bedroll in the midst of a small wooden room. His chest and arms were bandaged, and his rags replaced by fresh clothes. A dull ache reverberated through his head as he slowly sat up.
"Ah, you're awake. It was rather touch and go there for a while, you had people worried," said the man who had saved him. "How rude of me, not introducing myself. Funaki Kagemitsu."
"Thank you for your hospitality, but I need to go. It won't be safe for you if I stay here," the injured man said, slowly trying to rise as he winced in pain.
"You'll end up passing out on the side of the road again if you try to leave in this condition. Stay here, until your wounds heal at least," Kagemitsu cautioned, moving closer to the injured man.
"There's nothing for you to gain from helping me. I have no name for you to use to get ahead, no family to pay you in exchange for my life…In truth, you would have been better off leaving me to die back there," Tenkai said.
"I'm not helping you because it will benefit me, you fool," Kagemitsu sighed. "It's just the right thing to do. I'm trying to follow the example set by the Buddha. I have no need for whatever clout your name carries. Rest, heal, and keep me company for a time, and we can call it all even."
Tenkai wanted to argue, but even as he moved, he felt the stinging pain in his burns and cuts return. He knew that Kagemitsu was telling the truth. As much as it pained him to take advantage of this man's hospitality, some part of him didn't really want to die just yet.
"Tenkai." the pained man croaked out. "That's what you can call me for now. But as soon as I can walk again, I'll be back on my way."
Tenkai stayed with Kagemitsu for a time, healing his wounds and helping out around the temple that the man called home. He had ended up at the Ryuuko-ji Temple, living among the monks there. He could see that many of them wondered what had happened to him that led to his being there, but none dared to ask. They brought him food and helped him to change his bandages, as if he were any person in need.
Even as his wounds healed, his body now covered in burn scars and the remnants of sword-wounds, Tenkai opted to stay at the temple. He enjoyed the isolation, the lack of questions or expectations put upon him. It got to the point that he was found in the temple's gardens more often than not, tending to crops rather haphazardly.
"Not a farmer in your past life, huh?" Kagemitsu's voice called out to him.
"And here I thought you weren't going to ask questions about my past life?" Tenkai responded, grimacing at the hoe in his hands. It was true, he had no idea how to use the damned tool, settling for tossing it aside to look at his once-savior.
"I did agree to that, but I also thought you would be only a momentary visitor, not a permanent fixture," Kagemitsu said, taking a seat on a nearby rock. "I'm not complaining, but if you are going to stay here, I should know at least a little about what you're running from."
"Who says I'm running from anything?" Tenkai asked.
Kagemitsu scoffed. "I found you half-dead on the side of the road. Clearly there's something more going on with you. You don't want to share it, that's fine. Plenty of people come here looking to escape something and end up turning their lives around, trying to be like the Buddha. All I ask is that you don't do anything to impede or endanger the progress they've made. Or the progress you've made."
Tenkai paused, feeling a lump develop in his throat.
"I let myself get swept up by a cause I thought was just and turned my back on everyone I've ever known until I was on my own. I turned into someone I didn't like anymore; that's why I've come here, that's all. But I promise, I won't make trouble for you or anyone here, I just want to pay you back for taking care of me," Tenkai said. "If that day ever comes, I'll leave."
Kagemitsu frowned at that but kept his thoughts and comments to himself. It was clear to him that whatever path Tenkai had walked down before arriving here, it was one he intended to walk alone for now. Kagemitsu resigned himself to watching over the wayward young man. Tenkai did a little bit of everything at the shrine, helping others with their tasks and taking on extra work without any regard for his own time or health.
"Rest and self-care are an important part of life, my friend," Kagemitsu tried to advise him.
"It's not enough, there's still more I have to do, more I have to make up for," was the only response Tenkai ever gave the older man. Each time, it came across more feverish and desperate.
Tenkai ran himself ragged trying to help others, and yet still would spend so much of his time on his own or with Kagemitsu. People began to expect this type of work ethic from him, and while there were those who treated him as a workhorse, there were others who saw this as a shining example to live up to. They placed him on a pedestal, where few could hope to reach him.
"I'm a weapon, a tool. Only useful if I'm in service to someone else. That is who Tenkai is," he thought to himself. "It's lonely, but it's what I deserve. Until all the blood is washed from my hands…Until I can create the world of my dreams, a world of peace."
Tenkai's mantra is what kept him alive, even as the days of war that broke out across the country of Japan died down. Nobunaga was dead, Ieyasu and Hideyoshi were working together under Ieyasu's banner to unite the different lands. But still, peace had yet to come.
Bandits descended upon Ryuuko-ji Temple, samurai and soldiers wearing the banners of some minor fallen lord. With no war to turn to, so many of the once honorable soldiers who fought for their grand causes turned to other means of making money and shedding blood. The sanctity of the temple meant nothing to them as they treaded upon its ground.
Their leader, a one-eyed man with a thick mane of wild black hair, stood before them. "We've decided this is gonna be our next hideout! Only person fool enough to raid a temple would be the Fool of Owari, and he's rotting in the ground, the dumb bastard! So go ahead and bring us your valuables while we get ourselves settled, maybe we'll let you stay on as servants if you bribe us enough!"
The bandits laughed to themselves, even as Kagemitsu stepped up to respond to them.
"Sir, we have abandoned earthly attachments. We have nothing to offer but food. And we must insist that you take this foolhardy plan of yours elsewhere. You should give up on this whole endeavor and find yourself some respectable work," he pleaded. "We may be pacifists, but we are prepared to defend our home if need be."
The bandit leader snarled, reaching for his sword and preparing to cut through Kagemitsu in a single blow. In the span of those seconds, Tenkai had swooped in and placed himself between the two, pushing Kagemitsu away with his left hand and using the hoe held in his right hand to sweep the bandit's legs out from under him. As the armored oaf landed on the ground, the metal end of the hoe was placed directly at his throat.
"The only fool here is you. Now leave, and never return," Tenkai hissed, his tone more venomous than the other monks had heard since he had come to their temple.
"Kill this bastard, now!" the bandit captain roared out, just before Tenkai's foot slammed down on his head, knocking him unconscious and breaking the man's nose.
Kagemitsu and the others had been prepared to jump in, but they could only stand and stare as Tenkai began to defy human logic. With a single inhale, the monk dashed forward and swept out with the hoe as if he were cleaving through the air. Still only human, it lacked the impact his attacks against Tyr would one day have, but the force of the swing was enough that the hoe shattered and splintered against the bandits and knocked those three that were advancing to the ground. The familiar flow of oxygen and blood to his extremities made him feel almost at home, even amidst all the violence.
Seeing the man break a hoe across the bodies of their compatriots, several of the would-be-raiders fled, running into the horizon. The ones he had knocked down picked themselves up and fled, abandoning their leader. Tenkai sighed, exhaling and feeling fatigue set in. How long had it been since he had been in a proper fight?
"Tenkai!" Kagemitsu called out, rushing over to him and grasping him by the shoulders. "What was that, are you okay?
"I'm fine, though I fear I might have made our problems worse. What if they return?" Tenkai said glumly.
Kagemitsu lightly slapped him on the back of the head. "Don't be daft, if they do, we'll find a way around it. We always have. But you saved us today, while we hesitated. That selflessness, that reckless desire to protect others…I'm glad I brought you here that day."
Tenkai felt his face flush, a feeling of finally belonging somewhere overcoming him; it was a feeling he hadn't experienced in quite some time, truth be told.
Time passed, and the monks turned in the captured bandit to the proper authorities. Eventually, word of what had happened there seemed to spread, tales of the monk who had defend the people of his temple from a vicious bandit. The tale began to morph and take on a life of its own; some variations said the one-eyed bandit was Date Masamune himself, and that he had fought to defend Lord Yoshihiro Asina himself. People began to imagine Tenkai not as a monk, but a proud man in shining armor, a defender of nobility.
The novelty of the rumors had long since worn on Tenkai's nerves long before Kagemitsu told him that a visitor had come, specifically to see him. Tenkai tried to blow it off, but Kagemitsu insisted.
"This is important, like life or death," he said grimly.
Tenkai stepped out, and standing before him was a retinue of retainers and samurai. Leading them was Tokugawa Ieyasu himself, the shogun. He looked at Tenkai seriously, arms folded. Tenkai turned pale, feeling a lump begin to form in his throat.
"It can't be…why would he be here?" he thought to himself, as Ieyasu dismissed Kagemitsu and all but his immediate vassals.
"So, this is the hero monk I heard so much about," the shogun teased. "Forgive me, but I don't see you standing up to Date Masamune. Well, not without losing a limb or two in the process."
Tenkai sighed. "Commoners do love to embellish, I suppose."
"Too true. Still, I came all the way out here just to see you. Not because of your great prowess at beating up two-bit criminals, but because I know there's a better use for you than wasting away out here," Ieyasu yawned, as if the entire conversation had already begun to bore him.
"I'm just happy to-" Tenkai began, before being cut off.
"Save me the humble shtick, I know who you are. I don't know why you're around here playing monk, but I want you close at hand. Not as a warrior, but an advisor. A spiritualist, even," Ieyasu explained, pacing around the temple's garden as he spoke. His stance was relaxed, Tenkai could swoop in and take the young daimyo's neck easily if he had a blade or sickle, he realized; this shogun knew he wouldn't do that, however. It was the only reason why someone like Ieyasu would leave himself open like this.
"I know, this is the part where you refuse. But I'm gonna make you an offer or two you can't refuse. Mount Hiei was burned down by Nobunaga and his forces, right? I'll see to it that it gets rebuilt. I can even arrange for some favorable placements for your little buddies here, and all you have to do is return with me to court," Ieyasu said, smiling still.
"Why me?" Tenkai asked. "Why go to all this trouble for me?"
"Because like I said, I know you," Ieyasu said, his tone turning cold. "I don't know if you're a friend or an enemy yet, so I wanna keep you close by until I figure it out. The way I see it, either we become the best of friends, or we end up at war again."
On that day, Tenkai knew he could not argue or go against the wishes of the shogun. He left Ryuuko-ji Temple and joined Ieyasu at the Imperial Court, where he spent the rest of his days as a magistrate and teacher, watching as the people of Japan flourished and rebuilt in the wake of the Warring States Period.
"It's because I was alone that I was able to do so much. Whether they look up to me or hate me, it doesn't matter. As long as Nankobo Tenkai is on his own, I will achieve my dream."
She had remained silent, but he could almost feel Monogenes' disapproving glare fixate upon him.
"My apologies, Tyr-sama," Tenkai said suddenly, slowly rising to his feet and straightening his posture. "I let myself regress into an old way of thinking for a moment. It won't happen again."
"Cease this charade! The fake politeness, the attempt at imitating honor, it infuriates me like nothing else!" Tyr shouted. "Show me the true Tenkai, end this!"
Tenkai took in a deep breath, feeling the flow of oxygen course through his body. Blood began to pump more vigorously; his heartbeat began to increase in frequency. Tenkai launched himself forward, in one fluid motion launching the three smoke pellets at Tyr. As they exploded, he rushed into the smoke and released his inhaled air, pushing the spear forward in a full force stabbing motion; rather than multiple quick jabs, this was one single thrust. "Naraka Shorinji Kenpo: Mikoshi-Nyudo!"
The staff broke through the smoke and, with the increased force of the wind and Tenkai's own Concentrated Breathing technique, it finally broke through the God's armor and Tenkai could feel the metal tip of the staff pierce into the God's flesh. Blood spurted out of the gap in his armor, blood coming directly from the God's ribcage that the staff had pierced through.
"I told you not to take me too lightly. Sure, it isn't your head, but this is just the start. I'll create the world of peace we always dreamed of, and then-"
Tenkai was cut off as something slashed into his chest. Tyr, in a moment of rage, had brought his sword around and finally landed a decisive slash across the monk's chest. Tenkai leaped back, clutching his chest and wincing in pain as he felt it spread from the wound. It was a fairly shallow cut, but it ached as if the cut had pierced through his very soul.
"I have had enough," Tyr growled. "I detest using this weapon; one would not use a cannon to hunt for rabbits, after all. But you have mocked this combat and me for long enough!"
Tyr rushed in, going not for a shield bash this time but for a powerful stab, not unlike when Tenkai had unleashed Mikoshi-Nyudo moments earlier. Tenkai was now on the backfoot, backing away rapidly and trying to side-step the oncoming attack. He felt his back hit something solid, and realized he had backed himself against one of the custom arena's many trees. At the last second, he had an idea; he rolled to the side and watched as the sword pierced the bark of the tree, embedding itself deep into the trunk. Tenkai knew what he had to do next, prepare a rapid blow to damage Tyr's arm while he tried to unbury the sword from its place in the tree.
But Tenkai froze, unable to complete this stratagem as he saw what the sword and its runes did to the tree. The tree began to lose color, leaves turning to their autumnal colors and falling and the bark turning a sickly gray. The tree itself began to rot and fall apart in front of their very eyes, withering until little was left but the carcass of a mighty tree.
Tenkai was on the defensive again before Tyr could even prepare his next move, stepping back to put some distance between them. But Tyr did not let this deter him. Putting his full force into his legs, the War God leaped into the air and brought his sword down in a downward stab. Not aiming for Tenkai this time, but instead the ground. The sword pierced into the ground, and the runes glowed even brighter, as the land began to crack and give away under its weight. A flood of light shined through the cracks as what could only be described as pure, necrotic energy flushed through the ground. "Curse of Three Evils: Dead Men's Flood!"
The ground collapsed, and the wave of energy washed over Tenkai, eradicating the land where he had been standing. The monk's robes were in tatters now, skin singed and smoke coming off of him. He was still standing, but only just. In the last possible second before the flood of energy had connected, Tenkai had aimed Kamaitachi at the ground, distancing himself from the blast in time to avoid being vaporized by it.
Still, Tenkai winced, the aching in his chest still spreading from that initial cut. He looked down through the cut in his robes and could see the skin had turned gray around the wound, the blood already blackening. Tyr began to rise from the position in which he had landed, calling out to Tenkai.
"You wanted to know about my tricks, human? Tyrfing's power is the Curse of Three Evils. Two more times of being touched by this blade, and you will die."
After much delay, here we are: The first peak at some of Tenkai's backstory (we're gonna be experimenting with how backstories and flashbacks are done for this one) and the reveal of the first of Tyr's three Divine Treasures. So much time spent trying to figure out fun abilities and techniques for them both. Anyway, I promise the next one will be much more action-packed, I just wanted to use this one to introduce some of Tenkai's inner conflict during this round.