A/N: 10k Words
I've been recently hearing that people have google open just to remember and know what the characters look like.
Might just post single time images of new characters that we meet, if they do have images in Arknights. Idk yet, though. Need thoughts.
***
The aching tunnels filled with moisture at the top leaking to the bottom were filled with nothing but heaps of garbage and debris. With the living standards around this area dropping like flies on a dead morning, Laurentina had to wonder how such a thing had happened to warrant such a thing. In Aegir, areas fraught with poverty had never existed, as if it were ever detected or implied—it would immediately be cleared out with a method of flourishing its economic struggles. There was nothing left behind, as an effective and prudent society needed everybody working at full capacity, including the conditions they underwent. So, it was quite disappointing when looking at this self-proclaimed "economic center" displaying its disgusting colors hidden beneath the flashing rainbows up above.
The monotone colors continued to burn. Gray, pale, burgundy, and peach—they were the most common sights she saw from the shattered rocks scattered no differently from glass. In fact, the way they were structured made her wonder if they really were just glass in disguise, as the concrete and asphalt make-up of them could hardly be compared to that of Aegir. Or maybe, her thoughts had been getting far too distracted recently when not in the activity of slaughtering a Seaborn. Maybe, just maybe. But patience was key, and that would serve to bring her a long way, especially with the foolhardy yet despondent Princess she had with her. The one whose black clouds surrounding himself were just as dark as his hair.
"...So, a bustling capital meant to display the greatness of the Grand Knight Territory, isn't this quite remarkable?" Laurentina crossed her arms and leaned slightly to the left, staring down the bowels that seemed to stretch on infinitesimally, "I hadn't expected much, but this certainly takes the cake. A cold, hard, and brittle cake—that's the best that I can grant them, unfortunately." The Abyssal Hunter huffed in both an unsurprised yet disappointed tone. The Kuranata child following her opened her mouth, before speaking.
"Uhm, Miss?" She tilted her head with a confused expression, "what are you talking about?" the little girl innocently asked with glitters shining in her eyes, as if she was gazing upon a volley of shooting stars up above at the skies.
"Oh, pay me no mind, Little One," the Aegir turned back with a dismissive look, "I was merely running my thoughts aloud about this city—or rather, country." She could smell it, the scent of well maintained gear sparked of steel and iron, along with the varying degrees of blood on their hands. "Say... what were you doing all alone out there, Little One? Don't you know it's very dangerous to be out alone without your parents?"
"Eh... ah... I heard a noise..." The Kuranata touched her fingers together, her pale ears drooping down while she looked away with a guilty expression, "so... I came to look at it..." The previous stare earlier had completely vanished, replaced by something completely different.
Laurentina clicked her tongue chiding three times while placing her hands on her hips, "ah, that's not a good thing now is it? You should listen to what your parents say, and not stray away from them. Do you know what would have happened if I had just been a teensy bit late?" She stopped in her steps to turn around and glance at the little girl.
"Ehm..." she continued fiddling with her two hands, keeping her eyes lingering elsewhere, "I'll... listen to mom and dad better next time..." The two anatomic structures keeping the Kuranata girl standing upwards shifted slightly. "Sorry..."
"Fu~ aren't you quite adorable?" Laurentina let out a huff of air before kneeling down, placing her two hands on the little girl's ears, causing the one receiving her touch to let out a small squeak. "Just be a good girl for your two parents, and there will be no problems rearing their ugly heads your way. You're far more honest than a certain someone, so I'll give you a few props." She continued petting the ears.
The Kuranta didn't know what to say, but she could definitely say in her own mind that the feeling she had received was a wholly welcome one. It was a warmth she hadn't felt in what was an eternity, "ah—who... are you talking about...?" Her ears continued to shift and twitch under the touch of the shark lady, before the latter had decided to stand back up, releasing her hands in the process.
"Who?" Laurentina repeated the question asked to her while dusting off her skirt, "well~ they're..." her mind moved back to a black-haired man, always sporting a stoic expression "... a beautiful Princess, yet also a terrible liar." She crossed her arms, letting out a small exhalation. 'With an ugly knight guarding him too,' her mind came back to a certain pale beast.
"A... liar? Aren't liars bad?" The Kuranata asked innocently, "she doesn't seem like a good Princess."
"Oh, a few little white lies aren't too bad, but maybe I should make him more transparent with me, what do you think, Little One? What are your thoughts on this Princess of mine?" She grinned while continuing her little walk, turning her head slightly toward the horse-eared girl behind her.
"Uh..." The girl found herself lost in her thoughts for a moment "...mom and dad would... tell me to be more up... upfront? Yeah! They'd tell me to be more upfront!" She pressed her hands together, "she must be a bad Princess if she is lying! You have to make her tell the truth!" The Kuranta spoke resolutely. In her head, an image of a long black-haired woman with about the same dress as the woman in front of her appeared, but in contrast to the Aegirl the one envisioned was much more malicious.
"More upfront?" Laurentina asked with an amused expression, "how knowledgeable." Teasing was a part of her own nature, but pushing boundaries when too far was not her forte. "More upfront, more upfront... I believe I could try that for a change." How should she do it? A few thoughts came to mind, all that made her giggle humorously.
"Miss?" The Kuranta child watched on with confusion, oblivious as to what had gotten the shark lady in such high moods.
"Yes, Little One?" She finished with her small fit of laughter before continuing to scan the scenery with her eyes. Everything was captured in it, like scenery before a high-quality camera, "excuse me for my hint of voracious laughter, I've merely chosen an option fit for my tasting."
"Oh, okay... I just wanted to ask what you're doing here," the Kuranta girl continued to follow along, sometimes picking up speed when she fell behind, "I don't think somebody pretty like you would be here..."
Laurentina hummed, "well, a person can be curious at times, and other times not." Her Abyssal Hunter senses could pick up the sound of footsteps coming closer, even if they were a ways away from where they were at. If the whirring sounds entering her ears were anything to go by, then they were the people who had sent those obnoxious steel birds toward her way. 'They could hardly match Aegir's own.' She turned around toward the Kuranta girl still following her, before speaking, "Little One, do you know your way back to your parents?"
"Eh?" The Kuranta girl perked up, "well... yes, I know this place pretty well..."
"Then hurry along now, some unruly folk need to be taken care of, what guest would I be if I keep them waiting?" Laurentina motioned with her chin toward the end of the tunnel, "perhaps we could meet once more? Maybe I could even schedule you a small meeting with this Princess I was talking about...? Only if you go back to your parents, of course." A sly smile left her lips.
"The Princess?" The little child ignored the first sentence spoken to her, focusing more on the second one. Her eyes started to brighten slightly more when hearing the words spoken. She had never met a princess before, but if this white-haired lady knew one personally, then... "okay, I'll meet you again, then!" She gave off a small wave, before running past the Aegir, keeping her sights on the other woman before she came out of view, but not before shouting, "keep your promise, okay?!"
"I'm aware~" Laurentina cupped her mouth with one hand to enhance her voice while calling out to the parting child, "hah~ well, I guess he wouldn't mind." Her gaze turned back to one of the tunnels. The clanking of footsteps on metal was silent, but just faint enough that she could hear it. 'Skilled in stealthy movements, but it's not that impressive.' She commented in her mind after crossing her arms.
Even without her buzzsaw, the Abyssal Hunter was wholeheartedly confident in slaughtering all of them.
***
Ioleta Russel let out an impressed breath, clasping her golden-lined watch close when staring at the dust cloud that had been created after the flash of light. Between those two opponents, she was already confident in who would come out at the end of the battle, but the entire sight was still a spectacle to look at. Two budding youths, one that has seemingly lost their way, and the other who was seemingly guiding the other back on their path—however discreet it may be. A brisk wind blew past her face as the arid cloud before her started to disperse, making the Pegasus close her eyes.
'What a peculiar blade. Laced with tragedy, rage, and sorrow alike.'
There was no need to see anymore, she already had a good gauge of the black-haired man. The casual way he deflected all the attacks calmly and without a hitch, while also keeping his dreaded sword sealed for the majority of the fight. It was only near the end when her surrogate daughter had pulled her Arts Unit upwards and charged it far beyond the limits than even what the Pegasus was familiar with. All in all, a friendly battle between two contestants, one that looked to be a necessary one for Viviana's growth.
Opening her eyes once more, the entire clearing was as clear as a summer day. There was a ray of the sun which bore itself down on the two contestants, revealing them in all their entirety. All the plants and shrubbery which had been well-kept with Arts had been annihilated completely, leaving nothing but wilted and rotting leaves in their path. A few of them were singed by the edges, turning a charcoal color, but nothing else that required immediate action was seen.
The curtain had been lifted.
At the epicenter of the stage play that had occurred in a carousel of blades and unabated distortion of lights, were the two performers. They stood in stationary positions, as if it had been the end of a scene reenacted after countless practices and attempts—both occurring on their own separate leisure. Fushiguro Megumi stood with his blade drawn, the crawling chaos embedded deep within swirling in the air from where he was at, while his knees were bent, left hand upon his sheath. Viviana Droste remained standing up straight, her Candle Sword adorned with her Arts... having been split straight in half.
A sizzling sound was heard. A burnt acre of flesh could be smelt, before Viviana looked down with slight shock. The bladed portion of her Candle Sword which had been held as a staff was broken, but that didn't matter. What mattered much more was that Fushiguro Megumi's arms were sizzling, splotches of flesh being seen from underneath the charred black. The thought that he had charged in her attack without providing any means to defend himself filled her mind, completely overcoming the shock she had felt from the corrupted blade he had drawn.
"Your arm...!" Viviana called out with slight panic, watching the arm practically look like it had been charred well done. "We should alert an Arts Healer or a medic, perhaps my mother could provide—"
"It's fine," Megumi raised his voice but still kept the same neutrality that came with it. He exited his position which made the blonde-haired woman stop looking around and turn toward him with a worried expression, "it'll heal." His arms moved without a hitch, sheathing Ame-no-Habakiri sideways in front of him, leaving his black haori to flutter a small dance. Steam started to rise on the blackened hands leading up to his arm, one that possessed a green-ish hue to it. "I have... Healing Arts of my own."
"Oh..." Viviana stared blankly at the steaming limb, watching the unnatural aura start to coalesce around and mend the injuries that had been undertaken. It was a bizarre sight, completely so. She had assumed his abilities to lie in manipulating shadows as he had done so skillfully before, but to also possess capabilities of healing himself... and at such a rate too, was completely unfounded before. Now, she had to face the reality in front of her, and especially the strange feeling it gave off. One that was... calming, far more so than the previous one that Fushiguro Megumi had emitted.
"What's more troubling, is that I broke your sword," Megumi watched the talismans on Ame-no-Habakiri restore itself automatically, and then turned toward Viviana's snapped blade, pointing his finger toward it. "You... participate in the Kazimierz Major, right? It's not a good thing if you don't have a functioning weapon to battle your opponents..." a small wince could barely be seen at the corner of his eye, but he kept himself steady. "I'm s—"
"Please, it's fine," Viviana shook her head while letting out a sigh, it was hard to come to terms with somebody casually walking off having their flesh cooked until it was burnt by flames, "I have an extra replacement, even if it does not possess the same quality as this one. What matters more importantly is your well-being." Her gaze turned back to his limbs, watching it slowly heal himself, but not to an extent that his injuries looked like they didn't need to be treated, "I'm now aware of your Healing Arts, but..."
The voice of Ioleta soon interrupted the two, "you two put up quite the beautiful display, but eventually a show has to close its curtains once more." Their gaze turned toward her varying looks. Viviana looked with slight confusion, but let a breath of relief briefly escape once she saw that the Pegasus was carrying medical supplies needed to treat burns. Fushiguro Megumi...? He kept the same expression. As usual. "An excellent display of skill out there, Young Man. I can tell why Werner von Hochberg hired you to deliver the message."
"Thank you, ma'am."
"Now then, you two, it's best if we discuss all our problems at the table—once your injuries have been dealt with." Russel dismissed any worries that Viviana possessed with a wave of her hand, before motioning toward the inside of the estate. "The damage done to the garden is fine, it could be repaired in a mere day's length."
Megumi nodded without saying anything, while Viviana placed a hand over her chest in relief. That was before the two followed her in.
***
"A strange weapon you wielded back there, care to give a small story of what it could have been?" Ioleta placed her hand on a chair at the living room, watching as Viviana was applying ointment toward the burn wounds of Megumi. The green-ish white steam that had come from his limb had completely disappeared, most likely because he had found no more need to apply it. "Ame-no-Habakiri, was it?" Higashinese in origin, it only made sense.
Viviana spoke up after, "oh, that blade... yes, I'm quite curious about it, too." The Elafia woman never once tore her gaze off of the wounds he had sustained. Her suspicions had been assured when the black-haired man sat on the couch to have his injuries treated, that he had charged head first into her attack without any care for his defenses. A reckless move, but it must have been because...
"It's a Cursed Blade," Megumi did not sugarcoat his response, and gave the answer as it was. "A Muramasa Blade to be more precise, they have age old origins and tales back at home."
The other two glanced toward him with an interested expression, having not expected him to reveal the facet of information so easily. Its name had quite literally been spelt out for them, and provided a good enough image of what utilizing the weapon previously in his hands could entail. Although none of them had seen a "Cursed Blade" in person, they had read enough stories on the subject to be aware of the meaning.
"A Cursed Blade? Well, that is worrying," Ioleta said with a cautious tone, "such a weapon in your hands... you are aware of the dangers it possesses, correct?"
Viviana was starting to become aware of why the talismans were placed over it. If it was as similar to all the stories she had read that wrote about Cursed Blades, then...
"It can't influence me negatively," Megumi blew away half of their concerns with a single statement, "I've been using this weapon for the better part of almost a month now. Nothing bad has happened to me, and it's sealed off for a good reason, too." Another half-truth was spit out of his mouth, and it made him feel dirty doing it in front of the two. Especially when it was toward the Independent Knight treating his wounds at the moment.
"I see..." Viviana half whispered while moving onto the white bandages, taking out a roll and extending it "...still, a Cursed Blade, you can only find them in fables and stories long since lost to time. Not even some veterans in the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi can truthfully claim they had ever encountered one such object. To have one presented in front of my eyes..."
"Viviana is quite right," Ioleta nodded her head in agreement with both statements, "where exactly did you come upon the blade?"
"A battlefield."
The Pegasus woman let out a sound of acknowledgement, while the Elafia felt as if some of her questions had been answered.
"...So, in regards to your weapon, Viviana..." Megumi changed the subject, not wanting to delve on the subject of Ame-no-Habakiri anymore. Creating the Muramasa Blade was practically a spiritual crime, and would be heavily frowned upon back in Jujutsu Society, leading a warrant for his execution to immediately be put in place "...I want to fix it."
"Hm?" Viviana continued to wrap his arm with the bandages loosely, not turning upwards so she could keep her attention on tending to him, "you can repair it?" The sudden change in subject felt like a whiplash, but she was able to acclimate to the change, the same went for her mother; "while I thank you for your consideration, it was my suggestion for the duel in the first place. There is no need for me to take up more of your time..."
"It's fine, think of it more as a hobby," Megumi shifted his shoulders upwards while keeping his heads and arms steady for Viviana to finish wrapping them, "I was far too excited when wielding my weapon, anyways." Unknowingly—while he said the last part of his sentence—it caused the other two occupants to pay much more attention to it than he would have expected.
"Well, you two," Ioleta spoke up, "I have business to attend to, so don't cause a ruckus while I'm gone," she added with a tinge of humor.
Viviana kept silent in embarrassment, glad that the black-haired man in front of her was more or less oblivious to the sort of statements. However, she recovered quickly and finished wrapping the rest of the bandages, all the while her ears were granted the sound of her adoptive mother leaving the scene to attend to her business.
"Being a Grand Knight for Kazimierz must be really busy..." Megumi wondered if the Pegasus was on break when she had decided to watch over the two's duel.
"It is," Viviana said, before applying the bandages needed, "keep them loose, and make sure to keep your burn injuries time to breathe after some time." Once she finished applying the ones, the Elafian woman stood up and sat on the couch beside the black-haired man, and then pulled out a handkerchief to pat her forehead. "So... you're a messenger of Werner von Hochberg..." she started, "how did that happen?" She knew her own adoptive mother must have also been curious, but most likely didn't have the time to ask before her occupation got in the way.
"I helped him with an assassination attempt on his life."
"...Ah...?" Viviana looked at him, as if she had heard something completely absurd yet worrying at the same time. Because it was.
"So he decided to appoint me as his messenger, because the ones who usually get sent to Kazimierz are attacked on the way..." Megumi glanced at his arms, before cycling Reverse Cursed Technique once more. The aura was covered by the bandages this time, "most likely he saw me as capable enough to fend them off." Which he did.
"Still..." Viviana let her thoughts run on what she knew of the black-haired man. Fundamentally, he was a broken soul who had most likely delved through the battlefield countless times over, and didn't seem bothered using a Cursed Blade, while also having effective measures to hide his emotions and how he really felt. Pain was a non-factor for him, considering how he had brushed away being burnt by her Arts attack which had left both of his arms a pasted black mess. Hearing the revelation that he had helped her father with a cloaked attempt on his life was... it gave her complicated feelings. "How exactly did you two come to meet?"
"I was given a letter of invitation."
"A letter of invitation? From whom?"
"Somebody connected to him, that's all I know." Megumi shrugged.
"I see... I believe that's enough on this matter." Viviana shook her head. "It's best if we change subjects.
"You have an upcoming match for the Kazimierz Major, right?" The Sorcerer glanced toward her, taking her suggestion to heart, "when do you want me to repair your sword?"
"That again?" The Independent Knight could feel her lips connecting, "if you really want to repair it... then save it for when your injuries have been alleviated."
"...Okay, then."
The rest of the time was spent sitting there in silence, for not another word was uttered back.
***
His body was stronger and more durable, that much the black-haired man could feel. It was as if they were being supplemented more than usual with an outside source, but what outside source... he didn't know. Was that even an accurate assessment? To test the theory out, Megumi lifted his right hand, mainly the index and middle finger, toward where his neck was. There was an artery there that he could feel with the nerves located in his fingers, sending off fast signals to his brain—further enhanced by the fact that his body was practically "superhuman," even without Cursed Energy Reinforcement. There, he felt it, the high pressure exuded on his veins, and the fact that it could even handle it in the first place.
Well, he already knew the reason, there wasn't much reason to delve into it. Turning his gaze toward his chest—the place which held the two most vital organs for his body to function in its control over blood—a sense of unease overtook him. It wasn't something that he wished to talk about, not even in his own head, since the dreaded thought continued to peck at his brain the more he thought about it. Horrific, more horrific than the sights of Ryomen Sukuna that his brain would conjure like a spell, and cast it furthermore into his memories. Because this one... was a far more stark reminder of what the Sorcerer had done to himself.
In short... his blood flow increased, and there was a discrepancy in his own body that he had been ignoring for the longest time now. He already knew where to trace back the timeline, somewhere back in Sturmland when he had—nevermind—he shouldn't be thinking about such a thing in the first place. More mental stress added on to the stacking package of every other problem wasn't a good idea, and that much should have been taken note of for him. So, Megumi shook his head and glanced off elsewhere, toward the city of Kawalerielki in order to clear his mind and let his body relax.
Glancing downward at his calloused hand—that felt more like a boulder—he took note of the multiple burn streaks which had disgraced it, having disappeared without a single trace. Loss of blood never mattered to most Sorcerers because of Cursed Energy, and would further be trivialized when accessed by the miracle known as Reverse Cursed Technique. By utilizing Ame-no-Habakiri, Fushiguro Megumi could also make sure not too much blood exited his body. That could be easily relegated without much thought put into it, especially with all the different training methods he had unconsciously put himself through while making his journey toward Kazimierz.
'My overall body... has changed, not only the extra pair of eyes when utilizing Shrine,' his mood dropped further, "tch." He pressed his thumb against his index finger, before leading it toward his forward, and then leaned his head back when the pressure was applied. There was still faint moisture on the window, and the endless tracks of them across the many towering behemoths of humanity's innovation off in the distance. Normally, such sights would be impossible for the mitigated human eye to see, but this couldn't even be considered normal anymore. Still nowhere near the venerated worlds of two azure orbs, but it was better than nothing.
It was already obvious to him that he never in his life wished to see another X-ray scan of his damnable body again. Having forged it through the tribulations of mental hell, and countless deliberations with himself, Megumi could at least grant himself that much leeway, rather than consistently providing himself with headaches.
Tearing his gaze away from the city that now had ghastly fog encroaching on it, the Sorcerer moved away from the invisible pane which he had been gazing through. Staring through it was staring at another world outside of the one which he had resided in. A nice sight for the eyes to get completely lost in like a labyrinth, but spending too much of his precious time in such fallacious marks of pleasure wasn't something his mind would allow. There were many things he needed to do, such as repairing the weapon of Viviana Droste.
The elegant and dashing sword forged from the finest of silver and steel that he had ever seen had been destroyed by his own hands. Thankfully, it was merely snapped by the blade meant for splitting flesh and spilling blood, not the component meant for casting and circulating Originium Arts. So, it was possible for him to mend the two broken parts with relative ease. Give or take a few minutes and a couple cycles of his orbiting wheel of mythicality, the process should be more or less driven through without a single roadblock in sight.
So, it was best to get it over with as soon as possible.
***
Megumi sat in Viviana's room, having been invited in by the woman after he showed the Elafian woman his injuries had recovered completely, much to her shock. Although it was easy for her to come to terms with, the way that she nervously opened the door to her room made the Sorcerer feel as if he was intruding in her personal space. It was only after she had beckoned him inside that he took the first step. At first sight, he was displayed the sight of... a lot of Nearl plushies. The amount where he had to reconsider if this soft-spoken woman beside him was an obsessed fan of hers or not.
When turning toward her, he decided not to speak on the matter. There was both excitement and nervousness in her eyes that he could see, swirling together in those pure eyes of hers, that Megumi couldn't bear to give his opinion or statement on the matter. So all he did was sit by her study table, and place the broken Candle Sword on the object, and then get to work. He could have sworn he saw a deflated look on the woman when he gave no comment while walking through, but that wasn't something he should focus on at the moment.
While parted in two, the Candle Sword could no longer function as a bladed weapon to deter opponents and strike at found vantages to deliver upon a pathway to victory. While there was no doubt that it could still serve as an excellent Arts Unit to cast the vibrant flashes and twisted shadows that Viviana had access to, the fact remained that close-ranged fighting was completely off limits to her. To amend this, both the problem and the severed blade, Megumi had decided to repair the soul laid deep within the inanimate object, just as his eyes had seen it. By restoring souls back to their normal shape, naturally, the body would follow suit along with it.
So, the backbone of advanced Jujutsu Sorcery, leading up to the cervical spine that kept the entire foundation running on fullblast, would prove itself once more in why it was delegated to such an esteemed position. All in the form of a practitioner of its art reaching his hand out toward the two severed pieces, and gathering them together so that its two disconnected joints could vaguely "reattach" to its normal figure. Once that was done, the problem still remained that it was broken in two, and needed to be reattached somehow.
That "somehow" would be the usage of Positive Energy. In the form of multiple green-ish white threads gathering together to form a cloth of malleable "gas," the process had begun. By straining his reserves ever more, the Output of the technique would be bolstered to levels that would serve well enough to restore the broken bonds of the molecules keeping the blade attached. It would also serve to cycle out the accursed energy lingering between the two parts split in twain, removing the rotting stain which was plaguing and eating at the alloy. His actions would be watched by a certain Elafian woman, who had paused whatever action she had undertaken to wrap her head around the strange sight before her.
'I would have expected smithing, but not this...' Viviana watched the twirling embers of green and white rise into a focused tornado. The air bent before her sight, illuminating a faint passage across her room, and igniting some kind of feeling in her chest that she would have never expected to feel from the black-haired man. 'Is this truly his own doing?' Her gaze turned toward Fushiguro Megumi for the slightest of moments. It was the brief passing of a gentle breeze, one that carried feelings full of wonder.
All was right with the world, that was what the wisps of energy were whispering toward her, gossiping secrets that she could barely comprehend. First was the mountains of corpses and the dead eyes of a man, next was the constant ever changing wheel of the purest sun-kissed aureate, and now the natural rivers of water; painted a color which she found profoundly pure. However Providence decreed, this shattered soul in front of her had been granted an ability that completely defied his own nature. Or... maybe, just maybe... it was part of his being the entire time, and was simply buried deep in the layers of his soul, trapped by the Shadows who were clutching at his heart.
KLNK
"...Ah," Viviana let out a small sound, feeling her body lean back in a gunpowder-less recoil, as the same sound she heard so vividly from before resounded. Turning upwards, the brilliant shine of the golden wheel had just faded from existence, leaving only small motes of its dying rays shooting across the room. It sounded like the turning of wood against one another, or perhaps more along the line of chains being used to handle a lever.
All of them combined to lead a primordial echo to become the most prominent sound above all else in the room.
The smell of flames tickled her nose, and the shadows creeping in the corners of the room started to heed—naught her calls—but the man's in front of her. Shapes of various sizes and existence were flourishing in the bathing tar, while a glimmer of light was situated where Megumi's hand continued its machinations. Those essences of power mixed in with the verdant lifeforce his body lent toward her inanimate weapon, combining to create a forge of its own, uncaring of any coal, furnace, or tool needed for the process to work.
"I didn't take you to mean it like... this..." Viviana whispered out, feeling the heat of the candlelight produced by the small object she was holding to be insignificant before the one in front of her. She received no response, for she assumed the black-haired man to be unresponsive with the amount of focus he had spilled into this process. A process which she couldn't even understand herself.
Surprisingly for her, Megumi responded, "would it be okay if I add some adjustments to your weapon?" His voice casually flowed out, toward what could be a well-known acquaintance, yet no more than that.
"Adjustments?" She responded with a tinge of confusion, "I do not mind, but what do you imply by that?" Her voice was like the melody of a rural song, flowing into the ears of Fushiguro Megumi.
The notes continued to dance in his ear, while his focus still remained, "I think I can make it more effective for combat. Once again, if that's fine with you," Megumi repeated. He didn't want to make the woman believe he was giving her an unfair advantage in the tournaments, seeing how she held the honorable beliefs of a Chivalric knight.
"Do you believe it would grant me an unfair advantage?" The Independent Knight tilted her head while speaking, her pure eyes still glancing down and peering through the peachy lids which contained it.
"...Did you read my mind?" Megumi dryly stated, as his eyes travelled to look to his right. It was focused on the Elafia, who looked as serene as the flowers blooming upon a spring day. Like back at home, "it... would guarantee an advantage for you. A lot more compared to before."
"I thank you for your consideration," Viviana closed her eyes and nodded, content with taking in the natural sense of the scenery, with the turning ponds of the green energy, and the twisting churns of the shadows. "But... advantages and disadvantages, what separates them from one another?"
"When someone has an upper-hand against another person?" Megumi replied. An alien sound that may be unfamiliar to Viviana, but was ironically familiar to him, continued to enter his ears.
"Do you think life can ever be truly fair?" The words left her lips while her fingers continued to fiddle with her candle's base, eyes never leaving the small flame. "There are those who are born with pleasantries others may not be lucky enough to possess, while there could be some others who are granted disabilities before they could even decide. Even then, later on, life-threatening injuries could be a possibility, no matter how slim they may be."
"...So, disadvantages are always a factor in life, no matter what?" Megumi spoke what he understood, and then received a small hum from the other.
"Knighthood has once stressed a "fair" battle between two opponents, but where is the limit? How long does it extend for?" Viviana questioned, to both occupants in the room, "does it lay with the gear one possesses? Perhaps one's own skill? The latter does not matter though, it seems. The code of Chivalry accentuates the "skill" of an individual who follows it, so of course it wouldn't count greater skill of one person to be an unfair advantage."
"In terms of gear, then?" Megumi watched the Positive Energy completely mend the blade he had severed in half before.
"I'm aware you are acclimated with the sponsor system of the Knight's Competition?" Viviana asked.
"If I had to hazard a guess with my limited knowledge..." He let out a small breath, still keeping the most amount of focus he could with the Candle Sword "...sponsored knights join a Knightclub, typically by suggestion of a businessman seeking to recruit them. That Knightclub is backed by the people who put money into it, right?" He received a nod from Viviana, prompting him to go on, "then that means they have access to greater advantages, such as better gear and provided information on their next opponents?"
"That is about as accurate as I'm aware," Viviana's voice continued its calming pirouette, "that is why many Independent Knights don't stay as one for long. Usually, they would find themselves at a severe disadvantage as time goes on, resulting in many who enter the tournament to vie for a sponsorship into a Knightclub."
"Hm..." A somewhat strained breath left his throat.
"In the Major... I don't believe there can truly ever be an equal fight. Nor would there be an equal fight on the actual battlefield, am I right, Megumi?" Viviana gently asked the black-haired man, turning her gaze back to him with soft eyes.
"...You're right."
"I believe the greatest part of knighthood is the inspiration it brings. The call and credence to other's bravery in the need to help others, not in the battles it stresses so much in the many novels I've read." Viviana closed her eyes, "have you heard of the story of 'The Last Knight of Kazimierz?'"
"I haven't."
"It's a small summary, but the main character in that fabled book had conquered everything, from Nomadic Cities, to mountains, to even the sea... yet many believe it holds no meaning, and it was merely the splendor of the prose of the many battles undertaken in the book that it holds any value," Viviana recited all that she knew of it, into a condensed form.
"Mmh..."
"But I believe the underlying message is more important than that. The true purpose that the novel was written for." Her tone held a more passionate gait that Megumi could have expected, but he hadn't much concentration to pay close attention to it.
"The underlying message...?"
"That is for you to find out yourself," Viviana called out with a hint of mirth, placing her index finger toward her lips in a "shushing" motion, "I don't know how much you would enjoy reading novels, but I believe it would be much easier to understand and interpret if you read it for yourself."
"Of course," Megumi deadpanned at the amused woman before continuing, "I prefer reading non-fiction books... but I guess I can take some time too..." his eyes narrowed at the Candle Sword, letting his words drawl for a second. It continued to drone while he analyzed the passage of the Cursed Technique and Cursed Energy being imbued, before his voice found its meaning once more "...read it."
"That's lovely to hear," Viviana smiled, a bright one. The recipient known as Fushiguro Megumi didn't know how to respond to it, as his lips thinned shut, "in regards to the improvements you add upon my Candle Sword... Knights should be able to reciprocate a gift given to them with appreciation, should they not?"
"Pardon?"
"I don't take you as those businessmen who seek out knights solely for profit," Viviana shook her head, "it would be more pleasant to view this as a gift, from one friend to another, wouldn't you say? The mere concept... holds a meaning far more inconceivable than what "profit" can ever give."
Her eyes were radiant, the purest pearls he had ever laid his eyes upon. The locks of her strands weaved into a fabric of pure elegance continued to tap its toes in a tranquil yet boisterous dance. His lusterless gaze finally met her own, his jagged and motionless spikes of wires intertwined atop his head shifted ever so slightly when gazing deep into the Elafia's very own soul. A pregnant silence invaded the room, all the while it continued to stay alight by two intermingling luminescence, content with the unlasting dream.
...Megumi had no words.
***
Laurentina walked through the confined streets of the slums while humming to herself. There was a tinge of blood at her fingertips while she moved to make her way back toward the hotel room Fushiguro Megumi had rented out. Cleaning it off was a first priority, seeing how she didn't wish to panic a few land-dwellers with how ferocious the smell was. Or maybe that was for her nose only, for others, it would be more of a subtle smell. Still, crushing in the heads and tearing apart the bodies of those unruly soldiers of the "Armorless Union"—as she had found out—was much more satisfying than she could have imagined.
While moving through the rocks scattered across the ground in fragmented pieces enough to put fragile glass to shame, she let out curious sounds when the sound of speech could be heard off in the distance. Taking a moment to make herself more stealthy, Laurentina moved closer to the wall while making her way through. In fact, this part of the undergrounds of Kawalerielki looked to be far more well-kept than she could have imagined it to be... and there were also many signs of life that indicated further involvement of people in these parts. While making her way through, the voices influenced by alcohol became louder and louder, before she could make sense of them.
"—Hey, hey! Have you heard of the latest news, haha~!"
A male voice spoke up rambunctiously, from the small opening in the side of the tunnel where she had come to.
"What do you mean latest news? The Kazimierz Major? Pretty interesting, especially that blonde-haired woman that made it on a Red Wine issue..."
Another voice, female this time. She assumed both of them were Kuranta.
"No! Not that! The one relating to us Bounty Hunters, don't you know?!"
"Eh? Us Bounty Hunters? What's so important about that? What, we got somebody out there to kill us now?"
"Probably?! Haven't you heard, all of the elite Kazimierzian Bounty Hunters have been killed! All in one day!"
"...Excuse me? The fuck? Who was that from?"
Laurentina was starting to find it slightly more interesting, keeping an amused smile while listening to their banter.
"The Walking Catastrophe, ever heard of her?"
"The Walking Catastrophe? What...?"
"There's rumors that she could split 50 mountains in one swing! It only makes sense that she was the one who tore apart all of those elite Kazimierzian Bounty Hunters, I even have the image to show you their corpses!"
"Eugh, disgusting, don't show me that shit while we're eating. Do it on a mission or something... still, to have all of the elites killed...? I don't believe that shit of a rumor, but... ugh... things don't look good. Do we have a name?"
Just as Laurentina had become bored of their conversation, and was about to make it out of the tunnels and back to the sprawling surface of Kawalerielki and its abundant lights, a single word made her pause in her steps.
"...I heard her name was... Skadi or something..."
Her muscles locked in place while her crimson orbs widened. Just as a single step was about to be taken, her body had frozen as would somebody in the frozen winterland of the far north. A single word was needed, perhaps a coincidence, or a one-in-a-million chance, but these people had mentioned a name that she knew like the back of her hand. At this moment, the blood flow in her body spiked, while the glow of her eyes started to intensify, turning toward the closed door of the underground tavern.
She needed to hear more, and she would do it more directly.
***
'I need to be more creative with Ame-no-Habakiri.' The thought came to Fushiguro Megumi suddenly, while standing in the destroyed garden of Ioleta Russel's estate. Perhaps "destroyed" was too much of a stretch, but the grass did look like it had withstood a year of neglect, leaving it to turn into what were essentially dead cells of plants waiting to rot in the soil. 'Maybe they have some sort of—what are you doing? You're getting out of track,' he narrowed his eyes after, pressing the butt-end of his Cursed Tool's handle against his forehead.
There were many possibilities with Ame-no-Habakiri, being akin to a Pandora's Box of opportunities rather than misfortune. To start off straight, the Sorcerer knew of the vortex capabilities of it, being able to access his Endless Well of Shadows, which let it maneuver through shadow puddles it forms, and be able to manipulate water in general with Max Elephant's essence. Not only that, but it could boost the efficiency of his blood flow—and in general—control his blood and organs to a much more effective degree than normal.
While it posed a great risk when utilizing a double-edged blade of an ability, the countless practices he had done with Reverse Cursed Technique made the whole process of training it much easier. A level of mastery had been achieved over the times, and the Sorcerer was confident that he had reached a level he could be satisfied with. So now... what else was there to do with this weapon, other than shifting the tides to his side and bypassing any clashing sparks of an enemy's blade?
'...Can I use the Endless Well of Shadows offensively?' His thoughts came back to his spatial inventory of shadows, which could store an infinite amount of items. The only bar of limitation was that he had to bear the weight of it himself, and the fact that it also acted on the material world. 'I access it to reach for weapons, and that can be done through a medium of shadows. I'm already capable of calling for my weapons with just a thought, and by forming a vortex portal just by my hand—in the shape of the weapon I need... so... what if I applied it to Ame-no-Habakiri?'
A light-bulb lit up, illuminating his brain, and sparking all the electrons stored inside. His blood flow peaked at that moment while his eyes widened, leading to an uncontrolled reflex of his hand carrying his cursed partner through life and death to clench. It was at that moment why Fushiguro Megumi understood the machine gun fire nagging of his teacher. For a moment, the black-haired man berated himself for letting all the bullets bounce off his skin rather than sinking inside. Because they were a medicine that he had been ignoring and forgetting, since he had completely forgotten the concept. Just one word... one. Simple. Word
Interpretation.
What is needed for a Cursed Technique to flourish? Definitely Cursed Energy Reserves and Output, that was supremely important, but that didn't mean everybody with a deep well could become the strongest. Okkotsu Yuta's existence testified to such a statement. Then was it creativity? Yes, creativity played a large part, and what did creativity lead to in general...? Interpretation, the factor which can be built-up by both creativity, Reserves, Output, and Refinement.
The key ingredients combined into one to create a magnificent dish, and Fushiguro Megumi was ecstatic to feast on it. The one of his own making, dabbled with the salt of the Ten Shadows' own flair and his own rampantly running mind. He would go the extra mile every time when it came to becoming stronger, because the satisfaction gained was a pure shot into his bloodstream, a liberating feeling that told him that progress was still there to be made, and it was simply up to his hapless brain to fill up the bar.
'Ame-no-Habakiri has access to vortex portals, and is imbued with the general shadow manipulation abilities of the Ten Shadows Cursed Technique... so that means it must also have access to the Endless Well of Shadows,' he reiterated in his mind the capabilities of his Cursed Tool, turned into a pseudo-Muramasa Blade. 'I can use the shadows as a medium to extract items that are stored in the Endless Well of Shadows, so if I utilize the extended water splashes of Ame-no-Habakiri...'
Progress.
Evolution.
Excitement.
His veins were a kettle pot, storing the expanding vapors of water ready to burst out at a moment's notice. With how sturdy the material was keeping it steady, it was kept inside, and the heat was soon turned off. There was no need to show a weak part of himself in the form of uncontrolled immaturity, so Megumi closed his eyes and let the steam slowly exit his body in the form of small exhales. Two hearts beat in unison inside his body, filling his merged lungs with the oxygen it needed slowly, for the serene sense of Nirvana to overtake him—inside this rolling garden of desolate leaves.
The sun still did not peer out the horizon of grey cotton, being overtaken by its own domain which it had supposedly held absolute dominion over. Hardly any extension of its million fingers could find its way toward him, leaving him casted in the darkness of Terra's gloom. Yet deep inside, the spirit continued to burn strong, even if it were for a fleeting moment. So with this newfound conviction sprouting like a green bud in a passage lost to time, the dashes of white blocking his cerulean sky have finally found itself parting once more in his mind. For the light up above to provide ample nutrients for this new developing plant.
'Alright,' Megumi placed his hand on the handle of Ame-no-Habakiri and took a stance. Without any pause to deliberate whether the position taken was the best he could possibly muster, the Sorcerer chose to let out an arcing slash in that very moment. There was no need to pay much regards to something like that in an actual fight, especially when his body had already been conditioned by the rocks and stones of constant training.
It was a flicker, and then a flash of dying colors, before it had been let out of its penthouse.
SLASH
It was as any usual slash he had sent out with the Cursed Tool, letting out an slash which heralded a touch of instant death, and marred by the drops of crimson blood. The faint groans of the Cursed Spirits begging for their release from the prison was heard in Megumi's ears, clamoring into his brain and producing an irate sensation that continued to pulse across his patterned organ. It didn't matter, he had experienced worse by bathing in the ungodly luster of a thousand Cursed Spirit's excess. Such an experience was commanded by an unruly tyrant, fraught with nothing but malice against his existence.
"Didn't work..." Megumi resheathed his blade, letting the seals of the talismans settle in so that the Cursed Spirits were once again muted. When he had analyzed Ame-no-Habakiri back in the hotel room he had occupied with Laurentina, he had realized the next morning that a lot of people had left the vicinity for "unknown" reasons. The reason was obvious enough for him, so he had decided to imbue multiple talismans with Barrier Techniques meant for keeping Cursed Spirits at bay, so that they would forever be clawing in the confines of his blade—but they would never be able to influence the outside world with their scratches.
It was only when he had unleashed Ame-no-Habakiri's decadent splay of prowess that it became more prominent.
"Let's try again," Megumi entered another stance, 'I want to keep the offensive portion of the water slash, because it aids in cutting power and provides a larger range of attack... but this is more difficult than I thought.' Difficulty... Now that the word rang once more in his head like a bell being hit by a massive hammer, he had come to realize just how much difficulty had mattered less to him now. Whether it would be achieving a nearly impossible feat such as combining Falling Blossom Emotion and Simple Domain, or taming the Divine General known only as Mahoraga; he had done it all.
So...
...If honing his sword strikes with the best capability was all that was needed at this moment...
...Then he would succeed without a hitch!
SLASH
Megumi's knees were bent, letting out a cross-slash within a moment's breath. The air flowed through his nostrils and into his multiple lungs, the element of nature that was necessary for human life. His crimson jewels stained by years of malignance widened at that moment, gazing upon a sight that almost made him lose composure in an uncharacteristic display. It was at that moment, a deep-seated sense of satisfaction corrupted his body, like a sweet feeling of ruin coursing through his veins.
How provocative, the kiss of self-indulgence was.
"There we go—" A small huff left his lips as his stance remained in a kneeling position, before he stood back up "—A quick successive conjuration of the items stored in the Endless Well of Shadows, and then dispelling them." Ame-no-Habakiri's killing edge was sent back into its seal with a clack and a click.
His eyes had seen it, the faint sparkle of photons that shouldn't have existed in the wave of the colorless abyss that his slash was. Despite it only being one instance of it, the fact that it had presented itself in front of his eyes like a roasted turkey upon a silver platter was enough. It was no longer a fancy dream forever out of his grasping finger-tips, it was directly on them, provoking him in order to prove his worth to it. A challenge... if the feat needed to accomplish was a challenge for himself, then the Strongest Sorcerer of Tomorrow would gladly partake in it, with vested interest that would make even the King of Curses huff in amusement...
...A third slash...
...A fourth slash...
...A fifth slash...
...A sixth slash...
...Until the thousandth slash...
...He wished for it. He lusted for it. For a blade which would sever the Curse attached to his very life...
...Yet furthermore, he would perpetuate that Curse, springing forth to life one fetus anew.
***
Under this Binding Vow:
Condition: Fushiguro Megumi's Endless Well of Shadows applies two times the weight on his body.
Result: Fushiguro Megumi's increased weight from Endless Well of Shadows no longer affects the material world, only his own body.
***
Later on after his training, he would give his promise to Viviana to attend her tournament show tomorrow, before returning back to his hotel room. Hopefully nothing bad had happened with Laurentina, that singular stray thought came past his head while making his way through. The streets were as familiar as he could imagine, and that had left him satisfied, especially with the rigorous training that would have split his limbs and corrupted his mind with a Curse never seen before if he had done it when he was younger.