I am alive and well, working through writer's block and maintaining a healthy work/personal life. My internet has also been bugger, but that was fixed quickly.
The stage was set, and the fight-happy gangster could not be happier. Raian could finally rid Japan of the foreign pest and run the Japanese underworld as he wanted.
Naruto and his company were enjoying the coastal town of Matsue and purchasing souvenirs to remember their time there. Bianca enjoyed tasting the candy and dried persimmons the vendors offered while Rachnera marveled at the jewelry displayed in the shops. Naruto also enjoyed himself, but he kept sensing that someone or something was watching him, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce.
"Rachnera, Bianca," whispered Naruto to his group, "Keep your surroundings in mind. I have a feeling someone or something is watching us."
"How can you tell?" asked Bianca, worrying about her safety.
"It's a sense you develop as a demigod," answered Naruto, "Some people develop it sooner than others."
"So, what do we do?" asked Bianca, looking around for danger.
"Stay close and act natural," answered Naruto
"Sir, I think they caught on," commented one of Raian's commanders, "should we stick to the plan?"
"Yes, paranoia will get to them," said Raian, smirking. They'll exhaust themselves faster, and eventually, they will drop their guard. That is when we will strike."
"That is brilliant, Sir." complimented the commander, with others piling on.
'One step closer to eradicating that foreign trash,' thought Raian, readying himself for battle.
Hours passed, and the Raian's mental warfare was getting to Naruto. He was constantly looking around, looking for any enemies; his head and eyes were starting to tire. Bianca and Rachnera noticed Naruto's behavior and started to worry. Bianca was new to the supernatural world, so her senses weren't as sharp as Naruto's. Rachnera was a princess, so she usually had guards looking for danger for her.
'Where are they coming from?' thought Naruto, looking around, 'there are too many spots to watch out for.'
"Naruto, maybe you should relax," commented Bianca, seeing Naruto's stressed state. "We're on a public street with other people around us."
"She's right," continued Rachnera, "it's too crowded, and the people will only get in the way."
"Normally, that would be true," said Naruto, noticing the crowd around them was starting to thin, "but we're dealing with someone that can control that variant."
Getting what Naruto was saying when they noticed the once busy street was now dead, the stores were now closed, and the vendors that once peppered the street were now absent.
"Where did everyone go?" said Bianca, starting to panic
"I see he's finally made his move," commented Naruto, hearing multiple feet coming closer, "I wondered if I would run into you, Raian."
"I see. Surprisingly, you were useless, gaijin," said Raian with various monsters behind him.
"A little birdy told me you were after me," said Naruto, referring to the message he received from Papi. I heard you're tired of foreigners taking over Japanese land."
"You, those other foreigners, have turned our once great country into a joke! We are now seen as anime freaks obsessed with giant breasts and being intimate with sea life!" yelled Raian in rage, with other monsters agreeing with him. "Once you are gone, we will claim our former glory and rise back to the top."
"What are they talking about?" whispered Bianca to Naruto.
"Raian, some of that stuff is on you," clarified Naruto in a dull tone, "Akihabara is literally a hub for video games, anime, and manga. Your own history isn't helping; you have a toilet monster, and a goddess did a strip tease for another goddess."
That statement threw the monsters into a loop, as it was true, and they couldn't deny it, but they held firm and stuck to their conviction.
"It doesn't matter, as we're enforcing the Iron Wall policy with or without the Emperor's permission!" yelled Raian, "Leave the blonde to me; you guys handle the other two.
"Bianca, run, Rachnera. "Take her and yourself somewhere safe," said Naruto, pushing his companion behind him. I'll distract them as long as possible."
"Stay safe, honey," said Rachnera as she threw Bianca onto her back and began to run.
"So, we're doing this one-on-one," asked Naruto as he put on his gloves.
"Yes," answered Raian as he loosened his body, "just like a duel back in the old days. A battle to the death, so let's see if you have any fight."
The main difference between Western and Eastern monsters was intelligence. Eastern monsters tended to live long and evolve further, learning fighting techniques and how to better blend into society. At the same time, their Western counterparts were reckless and had shorter life expectancies.
The Kure family's roots are in a tribe of Oni. Sure, they were strong, but as the years passed, the Oni noticed that hunting humans became more challenging. So, they sent a spy, the most human-looking, into a human settlement to observe and report back. The spy in question was female, and she discovered that humans started using martial arts and weapons to defend their land and themselves better. She returned to the tribe and told the others about what she saw. The tribe was conflicted about what to do: keep hunting the humans or try a different route. A split was created, and sides were taken: the more human-looking ones wanted to try and join the humans in their advancements, but the more traditional Oni wanted to stay due to their roots and honor.
The side that integrated into the human side saw how incredible martial arts were and wanted to experience more, so a new tradition was made: integrate as many fighting styles as possible. Years passed, and they had superhuman strength and durability thanks to their Oni ancestry. While having the human instinct to adapt to changing times, they became a clan and force not to be messed with. They become soldiers for the Japanese military or mercenaries for hire, becoming unmatched and legendary. Raian seems to inherit the more oni-like behavior of his ancestors and the stubbornness that humans naturally have.
This tenacity and stubbornness worked against Naruto. Raian's approach involved physical force and supernatural endurance, while Naruto's consisted of keeping his opponents at a distance and trapping them in his strings. Naruto had decent durability, but his strength was below average compared to other demigods his age. His durability was an oddity, as he could withstand metal weaponry.
Naruto used his strings to create footholds between the building, but Raian countered by destroying the walls around them, shoulder-charging when Naruto got within range. Every time Naruto tried to retread and set up a trap, Raian charged forward to close the distance and keep the fight close-range.
'Okay, think, what can you do,' Naruto thought as he dodged, 'you don't have many close-range options, and the only reason you are still conscious is because of your durability. Every time you try to create distance, he closes it in seconds. What should I do?!'
Meanwhile, Rachnera and Bianca hurried through the labyrinthine streets, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Rachnera's spider legs moved frantically, navigating the narrow alleys with practiced ease. Bianca clung tightly to her, eyes wide with fear.
Just as they thought they had put enough distance between themselves and their pursuers, they found themselves at a dead end. Rachnera's heart sank as she saw the high walls blocking their escape. The footsteps echoed behind them, growing louder with each passing second.
"Bianca, stay close," Rachnera whispered, her voice trembling. She positioned herself protectively in front of the girl, her eyes scanning for any possible way out. But the walls were too high, and the only exit was back through their pursuers.
As the first of their enemies rounded the corner, Rachnera braced herself. "I won't let them take you," she vowed, her resolve hardening. She knew she had to fight to buy more time for Naruto, even if it meant risking her own life.
In the tense seconds as their pursuers approached, something odd popped up: Bianca began to laugh. As the daughter of Hades laughed hysterically, the whites of her eyes began to darken, her brown irises changed into a bright silver, and her olive skin began to pale.
"Bianca?" asked Rachnera, looking back worried.
"It looks like we're having a party," said Bianca, with the shadows of the alley coming closer to her, "so let's make this party memorable."
A lone shadow began to lift, revealing a leather-wrapped sword handle connected to an Egyptian khopesh made of Greek bronze with a stygian iron edge.
"So, who's going to start," asked Bianca, doing a few practice swings, "because I am raring to go."
The monster hesitated as the sword's aura gave them the creeps, telling them it was terrible news. They weighed their options; some ran, while others chose to fight and began to charge.
Bianca began to laugh again as she charged into the battle, taking wild swings and killing monsters left and right as the edge of her sword absorbed the essence of those who were cut. Rachnera stayed back and watched as the once timid Bianca became a fighting maniac who charged into battle while laughing joyfully.
'What's happening to Bianca,' thought Rachnera as she took out the stragglers, 'is this her demigod blood awakening?'
Meanwhile, Naruto was backed against a wall in a different part of the battlefield. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his body was covered in wounds with blood running down from his forehead.
"Is that the best you got you, foreigner?" said Raian, not even sweaty or his body showing any wounds.
Raian showed more brutality by grabbing Naruto by his collar and tossing him into the building across from them, collapsing the wall the blond landed in.
"I may not look like it, but I have a few tricks up my sleeves," said Naruto, struggling to stand as his legs hurt.
"Like, what?" said Raian, thinking that Naruto was bluffing.
Naruto didn't answer as he touched the street, causing the road to flatten and move like a flag.
"What did you do?!" yelled Raian as he tried to steady himself but failed.
"Evening the odds," Naruto said as he stood up, "I set it up so we're fighting on the water's surface, constantly shifting, without a solid foothold to stand on. I have yet to see anyone overcome this obstacle."
"Filthy cheater!" yelled Raian in rage, and he tried to charge at Naruto but failed.
"One part of war is strategy," said Naruto as he calmly stood and unsheathed his sword. "You are stronger and more durable than me, but I am faster and can adapt more quickly."
"I hate fighting you smart fighters," Raian commented, attempting to steady himself. "Fighting is all about overpowering your opponent with brute force, not outsmarting them!"
"Nature says otherwise," said Naruto as he attacked Raian with quick and precise strikes, "water slowly withers away the stone, and most battles are won by utilizing the environment and resources. Your way of thinking is outdated."
"I show you outdated!" Raian yelled in frustration as his attacks only struck the air while his opponent danced around him, landing hits.
"You lost," said Naruto as he sliced into Raian's spinal column, severing some of the nerves and reducing Raian's overall strength by fifty percent. After Naruto delivered his hit, the blond restored the ground and began to walk away. Raian tried to chase after Naruto but found his legs couldn't support his weight anymore, and his body felt tired.
"What did you do," said Raian in rage as he lay on the ground, "What did you do to me!"
"I removed your sword," said Naruto calmly, "your strength was a weapon you used to dominate and command others, so I took it away. You will never be as strong as you should be, and the angrier you get, the worse your injury will be."
Raian's breaths came in ragged gasps as he glared at Naruto's retreating form. The realization of his defeat gnawed at him, a bitter pill he could not swallow. He had always relied on his brute strength, never considering that someone might outsmart him in such a manner.
"This isn't over," said Raian before he fell into unconsciousness.
"Hopefully, this will be the last," said Naruto as he continued to walk, "I swore I would only kill if my life depended on it."
Naruto followed the carnage to find his lost companions, but he didn't expect Bianca to run towards him and engulf him in a hug.
"Naruto! You should have seen how I kicked some serious monster butt!" said Bianca as she snuggled into Naruto.
"What did I miss?" asked Naruto, as this was very out of character for Bianca.
"Something awoke in Bianca," answered Rachnera, trying to process the change in Bianca.
"I can see that," said Naruto, trying to pry Bianca off him as she started to get handsy, "and I have a theory about what it is."
"What could it be?" asked Rachnera
"I think this is Bianca's Id." answered Naruto, "her suppressed instincts, emotions, and personality traits. We all have one, and Bianca basically accessed hers. It happens more often with demigods than you think."
"Then shouldn't she revert by now?" asked Rachnera.
"This is uncharted territory, as it usually happens to children of minor gods; Bianca is the daughter of one of the Big Three. All we know is that the two personalities could have merged. The best thing for now is to wait and see what happens."
"You smell delicious~," said Bianca in a flirtatious tone.
"and that's if I survive until then." Said Naruto, feeling Bianca's hand in his shirt.
It's done. I couldn't think of a decent fight scene, so I'll let the reader imagine how the fight should go. If any writers can write a fight scene that feels generous, I am willing to incorporate it into the story after reading it.
Have a nice day, and haters will be ignored.
#CatDaddy