A/N: So uhh, might have accidently written 40 pages worth of words, the specific amount is 14k words. Me and my friend actually feel like crying attempting to read through the entire thing after typing it, so please, correct any sentences that don't make sense with its structure, or are redundant.
***
Those eyes, Megumi hated those eyes. The one that seemed to take nothing seriously, as if the whims of the world were nothing more than entertainment. It was at that very moment that he realized the person in front of him was beyond reasoning. Even if even by a slim chance there was a sliver of sanity, of calculated decision making in her, Megumi couldn't bother to find it.
Why? He didn't know himself. The black haired man was somebody who relied on logic and reasoning, yet at this moment he felt himself being overtaken by something. Irritation, the twitching and clenching of his fingers gave away the eighteen year-old man felt at that very moment.
'She wants a fight,' Megumi declared in his mind. Lappland was still persistent in seeing his unrestrained strength, one uncaring of the consequences surrounding it. '...If she wants that, then I'll give it to her.' He took in a deep breath, his body falling limp.
In the next moment, Megumi gripped the Inverted Spear of Heaven in his hand, letting the looseness of his body disappear in an instant. His muscles were burning with intensity from the blood flowing into them, further boosted by the strain he put on them.
Reinforcing his body with Cursed Energy, he darted towards the building Lappland was in.
***
Scatters of crimson scarlet, ones reminiscent of the bathing lights of an expensive garment placed over a luxurious yet flaccid party. A dance, one of great grandeur, known for their expressive mark on history and culture itself. From the soft tap dances of the old age to the wild and untamed flair of the modern age, they both pale in comparison to a singular one.
The dancing steps of war, stomping their feet and creating the greatest scar over all facets of humanity. Whether it be the Animal Kingdom or the civilization of 'people,' it is the most prominent and most ceaseless part of the philosophy it wished to preach. The philosophy of slaughter, to impose a will, unrestricted and untamed.
The will to bring upon harm, to dominate over one's opponent and bring upon a never-ending violence that escalates further and further. Until it is ended with the swift and silent draw of the pen, or until it balloons into a great pressure strong enough to eviscerate itself, it will all end the same; a small mark on the history books.
Nearly all conflicts ranging from the smallest of disputes to the grandest of spectacles are worthless in front of the passage of time. Yet at the exact moment of conflict, it is the greatest and most defined moment in anybody's lives, a scar that would never bereft itself from the wounds formed.
Two figures clashed within the small confines of a room, signaling the declaration of war against each other.
Spilt blood scatters itself across the scenery.
The streaking clashes of the instruments of war continuously made contact. Strays from the flickering of a heavenly blade and flashing of a beastial rendered all in their way nothing but spilt guts. Spirits were put into every strike of the blade, a burning passion in the heat of battle was developed.
No words were needed to be exchanged between the two, the meeting of their eyes the moment they entered a stagnant clash was all that mattered. Scraping together, they produced heated sparks that flew into the air, the marriage of two weapons, used as they were meant to be.
Perhaps if the scenario were different, they would have led their famiglia and clan into an all out war. Yet the two failures of successors did not care for such a thing.
Around Fushiguro Megumi and Lappland Saluzzo laid the torn and mauled corpses of numerous Blood Hound members, laid to rest and left to rot. Like splatters of paint from a magnificent artist ladened with the skills developed in modernity, it dressed the room in a euphoric sight never seen before.
Megumi met the smiling woman's gaze with his focused eyes, one not heeding to the whims of the maniacal woman in front of him. Stoicism was a way of thinking developed by a man named Zeno, to abandon all self-destructive thoughts and keep a sense of control. Yet at the same time, the Ten Shadows user was not one to hold such a thing in the long term, like a fish slipping from his grasp.
Deciding to break off the engagement first, Megumi applied a shocking amount of Cursed Energy into his arms to counteract Lappland's blow by pushing her off, which succeeded with his quick planning. Watching her be pulled back, he circled around her from the left, the room being wide enough for such an action to be executed.
The woman was on one foot after the unexpected force, but swiftly forced her body to move forward and stomp the ground, keeping a keen eye on her enemy. Yet, he moved so fast, the shadows trailing behind his forms in motes of fog and mist, his eyes leaving a trail of red.
Shadow Extension - Divine Dog: Totality
The claws of a predator, the swift figure ripping through the air burned deep into Lappland's mind. He was a wolf in human skin, no longer letting the confines of whatever regrets held deep within hamper his actions in any regard. To meet this as a sign of mutual respect, Lappland lashed forward with her two blades.
Megumi was one step ahead, holding the Inverted Spear of Heaven in a reverse grip, and slashing it in a sideways arc to deflect Lappland's blow. The moment they made contact, he shifted his body and applied Cursed Energy at a split second, a way of conserving its usage and refining it to a high degree.
Lappland could feel her blades being met with an immense force, throwing it off course and moving to the side slightly.
Megumi deftly spun around, lowering his posture and scraping his left hand over the ground and into a shadow puddle, pulling out Playful Cloud from it and ramming it into Lappland's side when he got back up.
BANG
Like the sound of a railgun firing off, Lappland was launched and sent crashing into the wall, yet it did not shatter under the weight of her impact. Her feet had already planted into the ground, dispersing all force before she could break open the structure behind her. The moment after, she vanished into a white blur, her rabid expression lingering in the air.
Unamused, Megumi spoke the chant for his esteemed companions to heed the will of their master.
"JEWEL OF PLENTY."
"JEWEL OF TURNING."
"DIVINE DOGS."
Puddles of the unstable abyss formed beneath his feet, his right hand still holding the Inverted Spear of Heaven in reverse grip, and his left hand holding Playful Cloud by one of its ends.
Lappland was right behind him, both blades stretched out and grinning at him, but two things she noticed was that his wolf features were gone; and that her instincts were screaming at her.
The divine eminence of the animals peering over the ground in shadowy forms erupted forth, cutting her off from slicing at Fushiguro Megumi.
An unstable Divine Dog bit at her arm, while another shielded Megumi from being sliced by Lappland's blades via sacrificing itself against it. Two others were already biting at both of her shoulders, while another two took a strike at her legs. Her movements have been completely restricted and slowed, letting Megumi once again turn around with shrunken pupils. His eyes were wide, and an anger held deep down lashed out at full force.
BANG
It was then again, the white haired woman was met with the price for holding back against her opponent. Lappland had assumed it would be just like the previous time, where she would need to rip through his exterior to bring him out to his fullest. But oh how wrong she was! The man had no qualms with letting loose his killing intent, barring all consequences!
Unbeknownst to her, Megumi was keeping his best efforts to keep the battle within this room.
"MIRROR OF THE DEEP."
"EXTENDING HORIZON."
"TOAD."
All that was needed was a few chants to summon his Shikigami in an unstable and strengthened form. It is said that the main art of Sorcery was the action of 'subtraction,' reducing the amount of steps needed to perform a certain technique. In Megumi's case, by increasing the Cursed Energy needed for his Shikigami's unstable form, he could summon their abilities with casual ease for support; not needing to halt his movements to call upon them.
By adding extra chants, he could strengthen their unstable forms. The reason why the Ten Shadows user didn't use chants when summoning their stable bodies was because it only improved their size and power for 15 seconds.
For unstable Shikigamis who only last for a few moments, it was as if the chants were made for them, especially with the Binding Vow he had in place.
Furthermore, for a weak Shikigami like Toad, it was perfect in setting up attacks, as in most cases, the Shikigami was only meant for support. Meaning it had no use to be out for a long time other than to be a distraction, so using an entire hand sign to summon them would be a complete and utter waste.
'You should abandon chants, they aren't even needed for your techniques, Megumi-chan. Getting your Shikigamis out faster should be a priority, spending any more time getting them out for a small boost isn't worth it.'
The words of the Strongest echoed into his mind, all the while the tongue of a shadow frog latched around the still flying Lappland's waist, causing her momentum to halt in an instant. However, the force transmitted through her was still there, making her crash into the wall and shatter it into a million pieces. The sights of another room filled with Blood Hound members were seen. Majority of them were flabbergasted.
'If Gojo-sensei can use chants and make it effective in battle, then I can do it too!' Screw whatever Gojo said, Fushiguro Megumi was going to do whatever he wanted!
Toad pulled her in with great force, towards the calm and still Fushiguro Megumi. Right when she got closer, he entered a combat position with snappy movements, but he already knew the woman was not somebody to be taken lightly.
It was shown the moment she recovered from the impact and instant pull-back, her hands still gripping the handles of her swords firmly. Lappland saw herself approaching the Ten Shadows user, and immediately swung her sword to counter whatever attack he would launch with his-
-Megumi melted into the shadows, her blade passing through the slog of shadowy liquid that fell to the ground. The sound of rattling chains filled her ears, the sound of wind splitting through the air like a sonic boom, an unceasing gale that...
"JEWEL OF PLENTY."
"JEWEL OF TURNING."
"TETHERING WEAVE."
Shadow Extension - Divine Dog: Totality
BANG
...Slammed into her body this time, enhanced with the strength of Cursed Energy and Divine Dog: Totality.
Megumi had entered the shadows and appeared by her side, completely averting the danger of her sword swing, and counter-striking with Playful Cloud. Incantations also worked for Shadow Extensions, furthering their effectiveness.
Launching backwards, Lappland could feel her body gliding through the air like an unstable kite, crashing into the open room that was made before. With the cracking sound of bones that weren't her own, she realized she had been launched into the body of five Blood Hounds, reducing their bodies to nothing by bloody paste.
'What the hell are those words?! Is that what's making them stronger?' Lappland's eyes flickered, analyzing what the stone faced man was doing. 'Haha~! Interesting!"
The other Blood Hound members who were brandishing their weapons froze, the shock of having their comrades' blood slicking across every inch of their body was too much for their minds to register.
Lappland broke into a laugh, a voracious laughter that echoed across the room and bounced off all facets of it, stretching her legs upwards and launching herself upright. Her hands still held onto her blades, the weapons that would determine whether she held victory in this battle or not.
"BEE REPELLING SCARF."
"RELENTLESS PRESSURE."
Shadow Extension: Piercing Ox
Fushiguro Megumi was already rushing at her like a raging bull, twirling Playful Cloud around his body like he had used the weapon for years of his life. Unknown to even the man, the muscle memory of Ryomen Sukuna, who mastered multiple weapons back in the Heian Era bled into him.
It was merely provoked in response to the precarious situation he was in, mixing in with the amount of experience he had with the three-sectioned staff.
Lappland could feel the crushing pressure emitting from the approaching tornado of terror, the sound of rattling chains being sent off into sonic lashes. She grinned, placing both of her swords by her waist in a drawing motion, and dashing straight forward to meet it!
SHING
Her blades met the open air, the Lupo looking on in confusion as the man hadn't committed to clash, and instead lowered himself to slam the weapon into the ground.
Right after, he slid it across and went for an upwards blow.
BANG
Lappland was quick enough to block it, but was knocked backwards due to the immense force Fushiguro Megumi had built up from his approach.
Piercing Ox by itself as a summon could only charge and strike in one direction. However, for Shadow Extension, Megumi could continuously charge forward to build up power, but his striking potential isn't limited to one direction. In fact, he could change the direction of Playful Cloud and attack from different positions, despite having only one way to move.
Megumi needed to use these chants, seeing how he was overpowered by her in their last encounter. But the path of a Sorcerer was filled with trial and tribulation, adapting was what any Sorcerer worth half their salt could do.
Once his attack was done, he took the time to fully extend the three-sectioned staff and swing it across the room, to catch the stunned Blood Hound members off guard.
"CASKET OF THE HEAVENS."
"UNDYING FLAMES."
Shadow Extension: Tiger Funeral
Flames appeared on Playful Cloud, sparks of fire coalescing together in a pyre, immolating in itself to form beautiful flames seen only from the most astounding of Japanese paintings. Megumi swung with all the force he could, the massive gale produced from the swing sent gigantic waves of flames across the room. It blasted against the figures of the other enemies, turning them into nothing but charred corpses.
He reached his hands into the air and continued to spin it while twirling, his black haori fluttering within the air and his hair shifting along with his divine movements. The fires of Tiger Funeral still stayed, forming an orange tornado above his head. Like a cultural dance, he found himself immersed into the act.
Lappland was already circling around him, leaving an afterimage from where she had been sent back. Having to avoid the flames that would sometimes lash out to her position, she had already moved around enough to reach his back two times. The white haired Lupo couldn't help but admire his fighting style, it seemed like an art, one that dedicated their entire existence to it.
Beautiful, more beautiful than any noble or cultural sword style that came from Siracusa. Although Lappland was more so a sword person than an any-other-weapon person, she couldn't help but find the way he used the three-sectioned staff to be a magnificent display of its use. It was a complex weapon that required a large amount of training, yet when used to its fullest... the strikes he delivered were strong and swift, wild and unpredictable.
Lappland immediately slid to the side when a vertical wave of flames was sent her way, Playful Cloud slamming at where her previous position was. The rancid smell of burnt flesh, hair, and skin from the Blood Hounds became more prominent; leaving the both of them to smell the disgusting atmosphere.
It didn't matter to them, because a greater heat and disturbance echoed in their bodies, one filled with the fever of battle.
Within a split second, he was pulling the flaming Playful Cloud back, Megumi gritted his teeth as white flames erupted from Lappland's swords and clashed with his guarding form. The Shadow Extension turned off, leaving him advantageous against the white haired Lupo.
One thing he learned to appreciate from Playful Cloud was how good it was at lashing out without much precision, the wistful movements of the chains letting it do the work for him. So Megumi lashed out three blows, all of which were blocked or deflected by Lappland's swords.
The two continued in their dance, Megumi shooting out a slew of purple electrical currents that bounced off the walls, or arcs of flames from Playful Cloud meant to distract the Lupo.
Lappland had to simply swing her sword in wider arcs to disable the elemental abilities, while giving chase to Megumi after he had decided to make distance from her. Eventually, the two were bursting through walls while running around each other in circles, and lashing out with attacks that would be defended against by the other.
"Divine Dogs."
The window-filled hallway they found themselves in was strewn with the corpses of the Blood Hounds laying about, was immediately covered in shadowy pits. From within them, Divine Dogs bursted outwards, numbering five in total. Megumi didn't have time to use chants this time, wanting to send them out as soon as possible.
Lappland pushed Megumi back, sending the man skidding from the force and having to let his arms recover from the burning muscles he was starting to feel. Exertion of one's own body was not to be taken lightly.
She twisted her body and leapt into the air in a sideways spin, dodging two Divine Dogs that attempted to scratch at her. Then, when she landed on her feet, she spun around and deflected three which were attacking her in a circle, aiming to bite her.
The force she exerted cracked and shattered the windows all around, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. The glimmering lights froze in the air, as the world between the two seemed to slow down.
Lappland met the gaze of a man who had nothing to lose, the immense and unbridled anger held deep within his eyes. In her own, a sense of excitement and reevaluation of him came, he was simply hiding who he truly was! All it took was a small amount of provocation, and voila! There he was lashing out like a wild wolf!
"Piercing Ox."
"Rabbit Escape."
Lappland blinked in surprise, watching him drop his weapon and switch between two hand signs in a quick movement, before the world turned to normal, the glass all falling at normal speeds. An immense wave of shadows encompassed the floor, thousands of rabbits clumped together rushed towards the white haired Lupo.
She clicked her tongue in anticipation, as if amused by what he was doing. Twisting her body, her arms flowed like the river and struck out into a barrage of slashes, like the claws of a beast ripping at the air. The rabbits found themselves dispersed by her Arts ability, the distraction being far too easy to deal with-
-Until her eyes met that with an Ox, a rage deep within the Shikigamis' charge that Lappland felt her body being slammed by it. The internals of her stomach rattled with his, causing Lappland to let out a laugh of glee outwards when it had made contact.
CLAP
"MIRROR OF THE SHORE."
"BILLOWING SEA."
Shadow Extension: Max Elephant
A jet of water immediately made her eyes come back to focus while she stabbed her blades into Piercing Ox, making the animal grumble out in pain. Right after, Lappland moved her head to the side, feeling the graze of water nick her on the left side of her cheek. Right after, she moved it to the right to avoid it from dragging and slicing her head clean off.
Sliding back from the unrelenting force of Piercing Ox, Lappland found the Shikigami disperse into the shadows, while the jet torrent moved back to attempt another attack on her. However, she leapt into the air to dodge the lower splash of water directed by Megumi.
SLASH
When she landed on the ground, she could hear the incessant sounds of a blade slashing the ground, a hypersonic fury making itself known. Looking upwards, she grinned as she saw him spinning that weapon in all of its glory through the extended chain. A weapon and fighting style far more unpredictable than the three-sectioned staff itself, a blade forged by the heavens.
BOOM
Megumi launched the weapon forward in a straight arc, feeling his body slightly tilt to the side due to the amount of force he exerted from it.
Lappland's eyes slightly widened further, seeing how she couldn't fully dodge it due to having just landed on the ground, she forced herself to parry it with her flaming white blades. Her blades clashed against it, rattling against the blade and then the chains that continuously continued to extend. A heated friction was produced, shaking her body and sending motes of orange sparks flying around.
"Divine Dog: Totality."
While she felt the impact of the weapon, Megumi quickly chanted for his most trustworthy companion without doing any hand signs. From the shadows in front of him, an aberration flew upwards, taking the form of a werewolf. Its eyes were hollow, its entire body encompassed in vantablack. From what should be its fur was the flowing shadows that resembled flames, a primordial savagery emanating forth.
Lappland was open, having to force her weapon to slide against the Chain of a Thousand Miles and slash at the unstable Divine Dog: Totality.
SHING
Her sword slid against its claw. Right after, Lappland felt all strength leave her arms, the force they exerted on each other having been completely equal. But that was what went according to plan for Fushiguro Megumi, making him rush forward while dropping his current weapon.
"SNAKE REPELLING SCARF!"
"JEWEL OF LIFE!"
"SOARING THUNDER!"
Shadow Extension - Nue: Totality
Reaching below once more, the nodachi known as Dragon Bone shot outwards and into his arms from a puddle. Electricity crackled around the weapon, the engine fueled by Cursed Energy propelling it forward. Like a flash of a jet engine going off, Megumi swung in a wide 90 degree arc to catch Lappland off guard.
It was promptly blocked by a grinning Lupo, Divine Dog: Totality having already dispelled due to its teetering nature. One that hung on existence non-existence with how he had summoned it.
Arcs of electricity flew around the room, the focal point being the clash between Lappland and Megumi, the latter gritting his teeth and letting out a yell. It was a scream that reverberated across the room, bouncing off the shattered wood and carved metal.
The white haired Lupo met his yell with voracious laughter instead, "hahaha~! Yes, yes! molto bene!" Her Siracusan dialect and accent leaked through from the intense excitement she was feeling. Like a volcano erupting, she pulled her face closer to his head, their foreheads nearly touching.
The strands of black spiky haired mingled with the wild nature of white, their eyes piercing into each other. One in silent rage, and the other in unfettered delirium.
Zen'in and Saluzzo.
The one who was forced to leave it all behind, and the one trapped in the cage of her own making.
"SCARF TO WARD OFF ALL THINGS."
"BOUNDLESS MULTIPLICITY."
Shadow Extension: Rabbit Escape
Fushiguro Megumi broke off into three different copies, shadows stretching out of his body. The two clones that came out bore the same expression as him, face frozen in a wide-eyed state, one of extreme concentration and irritation. One of them held Playful Cloud in their hand, while the other pointed a Glock in front of Lappland's face.
SWING
BANG
The echoes of two attacks rang out in the hallway, Lappland for the umpteenth time being caught off guard. The man's arsenal was vast, as endless as his own potential with whatever ability he possessed, one that could never be called Arts!
Impact, a heavy impact made contact with her cheek, and the force of Dragon Bone launched her forward. The bullet fired off from the firearm did not do much to her, but she'd be damned if she didn't say the three-sectioned staff hit like a truck. However, Lappland wouldn't falter there, and stood her ground, moving her body in a way to redirect the charge blow of Dragon Bone.
CRASH
The ground blew up into splinters, Megumi's clones having been recalled due to the strain it put on his Cursed Energy reserves. He injected more energy into Dragon Bone, the engine firing up once more and gaining dominance over Lappland, the lightning from Nue: Totality giving him an advantage.
Lappland felt her nerves being fried when in close contact with the weapon, knowing her Arts would temporarily reignite itself once more. The effects of that large dagger, she didn't know what it was called, had been a huge pain in the ass to deal with.
Dragon Bone turned around and slashed upwards, sending both Megumi's and Lappland's arms shooting up into the air. Taking advantage, the Ten Shadows user pulled his blade back and took in a huff of air, the Shadow Extension of Nue: Totality ending. Thrusting his weapon forward, the distance between him and Lappland split.
The white haired Lupo wouldn't be caught off guard however, and raised her now ready blades in an 'X' shape, halting the nodachi dead in its tracks. She did so by crossing the blades together like scissors, leaving a tight wedge where Megumi was unable to push it further.
"Haha~! Without your little tricks, you're just a little pup, aren't you?! Che carino!" Lappland taunted him with a wide smile, feeling the shaking of their arms and weapons at the deadlock they found themselves in. Entertaining, absolutely euphoric, the dance between the thread of life and death, an all absorbing passion that completely enveloped all!
The face-off between two apex predators only seen in the legends and fables of Siracusa. The wolves that once ruled the land with great power, immortal beings that had clashed with each other and left mountains shaking in their wake!
Lappland continued laughing, watching the struggling expression of his, seeing the beads of sweat forming on his skin. The focus of Fushiguro Megumi was fruitless in all regards. All it took Lappland was one move, to break him out of that trance, letting herself fully overpower him. But of course, seeing him struggle was too much of an amusing sight to let go-
"CLEAVE."
Immaterial slashes made their mark into existence, cutting through the heart of the world from the tip of Dragon Bone. Distortions of the air echoed forth, an unnatural bending of air one could barely see from a close observation. Like all other times, black tribal tattoos appeared on Fushiguro Megumi's face.
Lappland's instincts screamed at her, begging for her to break off and give up the contest of strength. For the first time in her life, the woman's expression turned shocked, before her head moved to lower-
SHING
-It felt as if a visceral blade had nearly passed through her entire head, like a knife through tofu. Her wolf ears were scratched, sprinkles of blood littering in the air while a small portion of her hair was trimmed. That wasn't what bothered Lappland, though, but it was the monster that stood in front of her.
A black outline, a rippling aura that made all bend to its will. Four dots of red eyes peered out from Megumi's face and his body distorted in black and white scribbles. The sensation of standing upon a mountain of corpses was far more prevalent. Yet this time, he sat at the peak, like a ruler who looked down upon everything that didn't interest his eyes.
...No, that was inaccurate to say... He looked down with scorn and anger, the actual emotions that emanated forth from his stressed body. The frustration and malice echoed from him seemed to demand Lappland that this was her battle for survival, not his.
It was like a curse, a curse from him to her, one that bore deep into her skin. Her flesh felt like they were a sliced piece of meat, frying on the surface of a heated stove. The stoic and immovable expression of his had completely shattered, the euphoric glee coming off so suddenly, that it was like an unpredicted car crash.
Lappland was at a brief loss for words, was it truly her who was supposed to enjoy the most out of this bout? Or whoever this freak was?!
Her emotions battled against each other, her face frozen in a deaf smile. Should she feel the same amount of glee as him, or feel the primal fear clawing at her? It was-
While the white haired Lupo was stuck in her dilemma, Fushiguro Megumi was having a mental turmoil of his own. The world came to a lull, as if making room for the two to fall deep into their own vices.
.
.
.
.
.
He remembered it, his unparalleled form, the one that brought the King of Curses from his bloodied throne. Arm stretched back, fingers clenched into a tight grip, the mark of a true warrior. When humans were first born, what else could they use but their own body to defend themselves against any and all threats?
Predating all weapons that were crafted from the ingenious mind of humanity, the true apex of nature, was the cold hard body of oneself. The principle of martial arts ingrained into his flesh, etching further deep into his bones.
The pink haired man that Megumi remembered was magnificent, the brightest star that shone into the sky. The eye of the storm that blasted away anything around it with a great display of destruction. Yet deep within, was a calm and serene sun shining through, the most pure of hearts he had ever laid his eyes upon.
So once more, he called out to his friend, to the singular person he would follow with his entire life. Even if it were to the edge of the world, the ends of the universe, they would continue to fight together no matter where they were.
...So once more, the Prince of Black Sparks shall aid his Envoy.
BLACK FLASH!
Thunderous flashing of black and red, forming at a singular point where it had been aimed. Perfectly timed, perfectly focused, perfectly formed, everything was perfect in its execution. Just as Megumi remembered from Itadori Yuji.
He felt as if his spirit was truly with him.
His battle was Yuji's own, no matter what distance separated them from each other.
Lappland widened her eyes, watching the world's colors bend to the will of the one fist that directed itself at her midsection. It was a familiar sensation, yet different. The feeling was like the space in between the fist and her own chest was being bent. The sparks of black gorging into her body soon turned into unstable lightning that ripped through the building, particles being sent off in its wake.
A spiraling motion, that was what the Lupo felt when inevitably, the force dispersed.
Her eyes laid sight to him once more, as if she had completely given up on defending against the unstoppable force. It seemed as if everything she knew of him had changed the instant she did so, instead of the malevolent figure that had ingrained itself deep into her mind... it was... a pink haired man?
Scars ladened upon his face, a stern expression that held the weight of the world itself.
Lappland couldn't delve on the thought much further, as her thoughts cut off when the impact fully settled, her vision turning off like a light switch. It flickered on and off, unceasing on what her body wanted her to do. There was no need to analyze the fight anymore, there was no need for her to indulge in her excitement.
The dance of war had waltzed into its next step.
***
Restricted, Fushiguro Megumi had always felt restricted. In some way, shape, or form, there was something that felt like chains wrapping around his body. A sickly feeling of not being able to move an inch of his limbs, trapped in the confines of his own mind.
Binding himself in his own mind, it was the greatest comfort Megumi could find for himself, the self deprecation...
...Now that he thought about it, why? Why was he even pondering this? What was the purpose of losing himself in his mind?
He had already decided after taming Tiger Funeral that he would break out of this sort of thinking, to let oneself free and unbridled.
Now, Megumi was going to act upon that impulse.
BAM
Megumi's own palm smashed into his right temple, his eyes shooting open with its pupils dilated. A smile creeped its way on his face, the excitement overtaking him in a surging heat.
"The road of a Sorcerer has many options..." it was completely dependent on what they wished to take. Whatever path to power they indulge themselves in, no option was wrong.
Stealing, copying, killing, cheating, lying, they were all options that one could abuse to gain power, a leverage over their opponents.
In this Sorcerer's regard?
"To hell with it, I'll take them all!" Megumi broke off into fits of laughter, continuously slamming his palm against the same area as before, "no matter what it takes!" It didn't matter if he had to stoop to the level of Ryomen Sukuna, his mind couldn't comprehend any guilt he was within this state.
Out of the smoke and debris caused by the Black Flash, Lappland shakily stood up, the sharp pain finding itself on the forefront of her entire body. "Hah~! A-aren't you just a damn piece of work?!" She yelled out, meeting the man's deranged expression with her own.
STOMP
Fushiguro Megumi had already made his advance, legs straining under the pressure he put onto it.
Lappland widened her eyes, barely raising her blades to block his forward, wait, no, he was strafing her left. His movements moved in a wild flow, until-
DISMANTLE
-Megumi's form lowered, swinging his left hand in a wide arc at Lappland's side, forcing the Lupo to lower her blade in a low guard.
It clashed against each other, producing a scraping sound of metal being ripped apart at the seams.
The Ten Shadows user continued spinning around while continuously strafing her, sending off another slash for Lappland to have to guard against.
Right after, he swiftly brought his hands together, calling out three words:
"Divine Dog: Totality!"
The puddles from below erupted forth, Lappland immediately jumped back when the werewolf shot out with its claws.
Megumi moved forth to stand beside him, his arms falling limp and his head pulled back. A neutral expression laid on his face, as if looking down on the Lupo from the highest epochs of mountains.
Divine Dog: Totality led a low posture, standing on all fours while one of its claws was half-clenched.
"It's 2-on-1!" Megumi opened his mouth, his tattooed face shifting along with it into a savage grin, 'Sorcerers always do it this way!'
"Damned bastard!" Lappland grinned in response, steeling her nerves against the Devil in front of her. "Playing this game again, huh?!"
BOOM
Left and right, both of her sides were flanked by the werewolf and Sorcerer respectively.
Shadow Extension: Max Elephant
The sound of clapping, the quick-fired piercing water shot forward towards Lappland.
Lowering her head, the move scraped her ears with a sharp touch, while Divine Dog: Totality plowed into her and crashed her through a wall.
Her blades were being held by the beast, the werewolf craning its neck and attempting to bite her head off.
From behind, the shadows distorted and out came Megumi, reeling is fist back to ready to cave in her skull.
The sensation of something approaching her back was already in place, making her adrenaline flare up and push back Divine Dog: Totality before dodging to the side. The white haired Lupo crouched down, going for a dual slash towards Megumi's exposed side.
In response, Divine Dog: Totality quickly recovered and charged straight towards her exposed back, while Megumi lowered arms towards his abdomen.
When the blade made contact, his reinforced arms bore the burden of it, making Megumi wince. However, he pushed through the pain and gritted his teeth, letting his Shikigami nail Lappland on the side of the head.
The woman lightly slid back from the blow with her head lowered, but shot it back up with a grin.
Megumi charged and rolled his fist back, Divine Dog: Totality following with. Once the two made it, they unleashed a flurry of attacks towards Lappland.
Having to deal with two opponents at once, she had to back away with quick steps and lash out with her dual swords in order to counter kicks, punches, and claw swipes towards her.
A motion of acing black and white viscera flew into the air, the three people finding themselves lost in the stupor of near mechanical movements.
Parry, block, redirect, the usually aggressive sword movements of Lappland had been hindered to a defensive position.
Megumi reeled back a powerful fist, the air cycling around it. A blue flame-like aura enveloped it, his pupils dilating.
Lappland knew this feeling from anywhere, having experienced the ungodly blow three times before. The concentration in his eyes made her instinct scream at her to put all of her attention on him-
RUSH
-He ran past her? What? Wasn't he...?
Divine Dog:Totality slammed a claw into her chest, making the woman reel and be launched back, passing even Megumi who had run past her.
Stabbing her swords to the ground and coming to stop, she saw the Ten Shadows user halt his steps and bend his body and back away. His body shifted to the side, not before pointing a finger gun at her, index and middle finger extending along with his upwards thumb.
Lappland raised her blades in a guard, expecting either slashes or flames to be sent out-
TAP
TAP
-But nothing was sent out.
Megumi held a smug smile on his face, having just finished tapping the air two times in Lappland's direction.
The Lupo had been baited by a feint for the second time.
Lappland felt her wolf ears twitch in irritation, the feeling of having been played like an absolute fiddle-
BANG
Divine Dog: Totality had already struck her from the side, sending her flying backwards once more. Then, Along with Megumi, it started charging the woman once more, moving left and right in a criss-cross pattern with each other.
They had already circled the entire building once. The amount of distance they made was a testament to that, the journey of the battle taking them anywhere.
Wherever there were any Blood Hounds around them, they had been quickly dispatched from stray attacks.
Lappland growled in both annoyance and watched their two movements. She had utilized the momentum of being hit backwards to shift herself in the air and turn away from them. Wanting to come up with a better plan, she started bolting to create as much distance as possible.
When she turned an eye to keep watch of her opponent. The Ten Shadows user's movements were unpredictable, interchanging positions with his Totality. Left and right, the Shikigami and its master moved in that direction while approaching.
Megumi paused before extending a hand forward into a finger gun position, but Lappland didn't respond to it, expecting it to be another feint. She was proven wrong at the very last second, when the distortions in the air formed.
DISMANTLE
Two shots of dismantle came out, Megumi's wrists moving only slightly to mimic the recoil of a pistol being shot.
It passed by the werewolf safely, and made its way to Lappland. The woman however, already had her blades ready to block it, her Arts fully active and dispelling the slashes. Some made it through, but all they caused was superficial on her arms and thigh.
"Tch," Megumi scrunched his marked face, before reaching into his spatial inventory for the Inverted Spear of Heaven.
The brief action of Lappland having to guard the attack caused her to be caught on by Divine Dog: Totality. Extending her legs into a wide stance, Lappland found her blades being knocked off course by the werewolf.
The two enemies engaged in an exchange of blows again, Lappland making space and moving in a way so Megumi would be faced behind Divine Dog: Totality.
However, Megumi had already moved fully around and was ready to support his Shikigami with the great dagger held in his hand. Deciding to go for a different approach however, the black haired man extended the Chain of a Thousand Miles and launched it towards Lappland.
The woman backed away from Divine Dog: Totality, leaving one blade to deal with their onslaught while the other parried the Inverted Spear of Heaven.
A clanging sound came out, the weapon being diverted off its course, and letting Lappland pull her full attention on the wolf looming over her. First, she parried the pounce it launched at her by crossing her blades over her body and striking them both out.
It worked in sending it backwards, two large gashes appearing on their body and making them growl. Turning around, the woman knocked away another blow from the Inverted Spear of Heaven's extended slash.
Shifting back to Totality, she lowered her body and dodged the swipe and went towards her head. The belly of the beast was exposed, and she lashed out with four quick slashes that sent epileptic flashes of light to echo across the room.
The dog howled, before Megumi widened his eyes and was forced to dispel it, not before unleashing a downward vertical slash with his spear.
Lappland felt the attack on her back, and leapt to the left while she still wasn't facing Megumi. Turning around after the ground was crushed below her, the woman smiled a vicious grin and rushed towards the now singular man.
Megumi clicked his tongue, pulling back the weapon and continued to make distance against the approaching woman by leaping back. His instincts told him of what objects lay behind, so he jumped and moved to the sides to avoid them, lashing out with the Inverted Spear of Heaven.
The clattering sounds of chains continued to clamor the battered building they were in. Lappland jumped over a chain, and parried the blade that was approaching her head. Right after, she had to duck her head to avoid her neck being caught by the extended chain, and then leaping forward. Once she was in the air, she turned sideways and spun while still floating, avoiding the dogs that erupted from the shadows.
When she landed, the woman found that Megumi had turned a corner and chased after him. However, the moment she made her way through it, lightning coursed throughout the hallway along with a large tide of water coming forth; mixing in with the chains to create a near inescapable attack. Lappland decided to meet it head on, activating her Arts for half a second to dispel the lightning and water without much difficulty. Her swords then laid by her side, feeling it scrape off the extended chains.
Out from the clearing of the dispersing water and lightning thanks to activating her Arts in impeccable timing, she saw the shocked expression of Fushiguro Megumi, making the Lupo flash him a smug look herself.
She pulled her swords back, moving slightly to the right when Megumi pulled the chain back, avoiding herself from being caught up in a cage he had made with their motions. Lappland shot her blades forward in a thrust, not before the black haired man twirled and brought the Inverted Spear of Heaven with him
Megumi felt his sides being barely cut by her blade. Even so, it drew a decent amount of blood and made him force him to have to put more effort to ignore the pain. Once he finished his spin, he dragged the elongated chain downwards with his arm.
Lappland avoided the blow by moving her head to the right, a chain passing by her head, giving the Ten Shadows user enough time to barely move back.
However, the amount of space granted between the two let him do a few more successive spins while leaping into the air, turning himself into the center of raging chains. A celestial chain dance then occurred, flashing across the hallways and tearing at the walls which held them.
Lappland had to stand stationary, using all the effort she could to deflect the attacks that came from all angles. She watched the elegant man, every tap of his feet on the ground and shift of his body painted him as the eye of the storm.
Every movement sent out a greater flurry of slashes from the chains and dagger. The metal chains reflected light, every movement of the unstoppable chains sending out glinting light to be wrought across the room.
If he were a woman, Lappland could definitely see this as one of the most gorgeous dances she had ever laid witness to. Shaking her head, the woman reminded herself that she was in a battle of life or death, against a man who had (supposedly) slaughtered thousands upon thousands.
Blasting through the objects with greater than ever seen before, the white haired Lupo struck out in an omni-directional barrage. She was emitting as much strength as possible and making all of the chains bent in unnatural angles, throwing off the sacred pirouette of Megumi.
Speaking Megumi, he widened his eyes when Lappland came closer, which made him fumble with the chains while gathering a desperate hand sign.
"TIGER FUNERAL!!!"
In that instance of his chant, Lappland felt her body nearly freezing from what rose in front of Megumi.
The shadows fell off of its body like flowing water, its grizzly yellow eyes that were perpetually wide. Its claws were sharp and monstrous, and the main body wasn't that of an animal; but a twisted but muscular form of a human. If said body of a human was muscular enough to match that of a gigantic Wendigo, this 'Tiger Funeral' passed the benchmark completely.
What stuck out the most were its gaping white teeth, sticking out of its mouth in a visceral and unnatural way. In all senses, what Lappland saw was uncomfortable to her senses, making her inner-self scream at her to run away.
Compared to the deathly, but human aura of Fushiguro Megumi, this one reeked of a true Apex Predator.
Tiger Funeral's fist was brought back for a devastating punch, nailing Lappland right on the mark.
BOOM
Flames combusted forth when it made contact, sending the woman nearly penetrating through the walls at the other end of the hallway. A cloud of smoke rose when an utterly loud crashing sound erupted.
Tiger Funeral breathed out an angered growl, steam leaving its mouth before it turned into flames.
"...Good job," Megumi panted, feeling the reserves on his Cursed Energy reducing when he summoned the new Shikigami. 'Black Flash restored a lot of my Cursed Energy, but all the actions I did earlier along with summoning Tiger Funeral have dealt a number on it...' Wiping the bottom of his chin, he stood back up.
He glanced down at his wrist, glaring his eyes when he saw the black tattoo mark, but quickly turned away. The high feeling of landing a Black Flash had already faded, leaving him sober at the current moment.
Without a doubt, this Shikigami was the strongest out of his entire Ten Shadows Cursed Technique. Barring Mahoraga, of course.
A sword flew at Megumi within the far away smoke screen, but Tiger Funeral already reacted fast enough to flick a back hand towards the object. It flew back to its sender.
Lappland's hand immediately raised upwards to catch it by the handle, the woman bearing a confident yet nervous grin, a contradiction in all of its presentation. "What do you have next, huh?" The woman chuckled when seeing the tiger Shikigami in all its glory.
"You always ramble on about ripping out my true self," Megumi took the moment to speak out those words, "I'll return the favor by ripping you apart."
Tiger Funeral followed along with his words by standing by his left side in a wide posture, its right arm shouldering around Megumi to guard him.
"Oh really? Heh~, I'll look forward to it then," Lappland flourished her dual blades, relocating her bones back into their proper place after having a few of them disjointed.
Megumi responded by spitting blood onto the ground. 'I need to finish her off quickly, I can't be content with just Tiger Funeral,' he needed a second Shikigami to support him. However, none of the tamed ones could keep up with her, and Divine Dog: Totality was injured and needed to recover.
Nue: Totality was a no go, its sheer size would screw everything over.
There laid two more choices...
Domain Expansion or Mahoraga. Those were the only two choices he could choose from-
-No, no, that sort of thinking was what a pathetic Sorcerer would rely on. Those weren't the only two paths he could walk...
Although a third option hadn't registered into his mind before, he felt his eyes flash in realization, seeing the third path forming right between his eyes. The road of a Sorcerer held many possibilities, any Cursed Technique could become useful in the right hands.
Ryomen Sukuna made use of Shrine to a god-like extent, despite it being miserable in anybody else's hands. How was it refined and constructed in such a way that it contented with Limitless? By using Binding Vows and getting creative.
...Binding Vows, creativity, the limits between the two were infinite, reaching up to the very stars. In fact, it didn't even reach up to the stars, that was a gross exaggeration, the limits of Binding Vows shot straight through the observable universe!
Why else had he prepped one before engaging Lappland in a fight?
A brief expression of ecstasy made its way on his face, laughing out voraciously when he remembered what he had done before. Droplets of blood fell from his forehead, trickling down and falling to the ground.
"...What are you laughing for, huh?" Lappland wanted to laugh along with the black haired man, but the uncharacteristic insanity permeating forth from him was unsettling.
***
Under This Binding Vow
Condition: Fushiguro Megumi can not use alive Shikigamis as a base for Totality.
Results: In exchange, Fushiguro Megumi can only use perished Shikigamis as a base for Totality.
***
Under This Binding Vow
Condition 1: All Shikigami (whether it be Shadow Extension, Unstable Form, or Full Manifestation) of Fushiguro Megumi included in a Totality have to have landed at least one blow to form.
Condition 2: All Shikigami included in a Totality will be temporarily weakened by 50% after the Totality ends.
Condition 3: Fushiguro Megumi has to include all hand seals of the Shikigami within a Totality to form it, beginning with the base Shikigami.
Condition 4: Fushiguro Megumi additionally has to state the name of each Shikigami within a Totality and in relation with the hand seals, beginning with the base Shikigami.
Results: In exchange, Fushiguro Megumi can create a temporary 30 minute Totality without the need for any Shikigami to perish, and can separate them at any time.
(Note 1: Dead Shikigami, if used as a base, do not require Condition 1.)
(Note 2: Divine Dog: Totality itself is the exception to all of these conditions, due to Divine Dogs' nature as the first Shikigami of the Ten Shadows. All other Shikigami included in Divine Dog: Totality if it were the base will require the conditions, however.)
(Note 3: Totalities only consisting of 2 Shikigamis, a base and an addition, do not abide by these rules, but the results still apply.)
(Note 4: The 30 minute limitation ONLY DRAINS when the Totality is summoned, de-summoning stalls the timer.)
***
He had completely forgotten about it when the rising temperature of the battle came to him! His perfect preparation had been set in motion the moment he exited the crowd formed around the idol.
How were Totalities formed? How did the first users of Ten Shadows create them? How did Ryomen Sukuna create Chimera Beast Agito?
The facts were written in the guidebook:
It isn't possible to combine Shikigamis and just create a Totality, it needs a basis (i.e. mythological creatures acted as one of the best basis for Totalities). It isn't possible to just combine all Shikigamis together because of this.
Abilities and appearances provided by Shikigami have to make sense to create the Totality basis (i.e. mythological creatures like a werewolf have to have animals or abilities from Shikigamis that make sense for it).
Megumi didn't know what the hell a Chimera Beast Agito was, but Sukuna had made it somehow. He could only assume the King of Curses encountered a Nue chimera beast from the Heian Era and took it as inspiration.
Now all he had to do was to find inspiration from the mythology he had read in his free time. Non-fiction books were his interest, and since mythological creatures were factually real in Jujutsu Society, Megumi had taken some time to read a vast amount of books pertaining to them.
The first listed Binding Vow was created just now, while the second one had been prepared in advance. So far, all of his Shikigami have landed a hit to fulfill the first condition... except for Round Deer.
Megumi needed Round Deer to fully conceptualize what he was going to create, so his next plan was to summon it in unstable form and land a blow.
"Tiger Funeral," the Sorcerer called out to the companion by his side, pulling out Playful Cloud and tossing it towards the Shikigami. "Charge her," he watched as it flash stepped right in front of Lappland, crossing the entire hallway.
The white haired Lupo reacted fast enough by pushing her body to the limit, deflecting a blow from a concentrated swing of Playful Cloud
BANG
However, she was forced to the side while diverting the Cursed Tool's course of direction, the Shikigami's strength far surpassing Megumi's by leaps and bounds.
'If I didn't have any Shikigami or Domain Expansion, Tiger Funeral would have killed me in ten seconds flat,' Megumi moved to support the creature, pulling out his pistol to conserve Cursed Energy.
Rapid-firing three shots at Lappland, the wolf girl didn't want to deflect the bullets with her swords, as it would keep them occupied and open to Tiger Funeral. Instead, she opted to move to the side while dodging or deflecting blows from the Shikigami.
Megumi continued tailing and firing shots along her way along with Tiger Funeral going for close quarters combat.
They all found themselves bursting through different rooms before returning back into the hallway.
With how wildly the Shikigami swung Playful Cloud, Megumi worried that the building was going to collapse.
Lappland in turn was having the most exciting yet fearful moments of her life, threading through the attacks of an animal far more ruthless than even her.
Seeing an opening not being formed for him with how defensive Lappland was, Megumi issued a mental command to Tiger Funeral to restrict her weapon.
Heeding his command, the Shikigami rushed forward, but instead of swinging Playful Cloud at Lappland, it grabbed both of its ends and lifted it upwards.
Lappland raised her blades to deflect the downwards blow, but it instead wrapped around her weapon. They were completely restricted.
"Round Deer!"
Megumi didn't bother using incantations for it, he needed to deliver the deer to land a hit as quickly as possible.
Lappland saw a... really weak deer charging out of the shadows. Instead of the Shikigami crashing against her form, it simply... pushed her?
Feeling great bewilderment while having a tug of war with Tiger Funeral, Round Deer had already dispersed and melted into the shadows.
Tiger Funeral raised one of its legs to send a kick towards Lappland while her weapons were immobile, but the slippery Lupo had already found the opportunity to slide her weapon through the small hole of Playful Cloud.
The feeling of pressurized air ruptured through the right side of Lappland, having already moved quickly enough to dodge it. "You almost got me!" She shouted out playfully, before slashing to the left with her left blade and scraping it off Tiger Funeral's side.
The Shikigami growled, backing away and heaving a breath. Right after, it blew a wave of flames toward Lappland, forcing her to back away further.
The wood from where she was at had burnt to charred crisp, the fire spreading throughout the hallway in a bright flash of light. The Lupo watched on as Tiger Funeral retreated back to its master's side.
Feeling the brief moment of respite pass her over, the wounded Lupo widened her stance by directing her blades outwardly to her sides. "Damn, this is getting difficult," despite the current scenario, Lappland still held a great deal of confidence in victory. All she had to do was slip past that blasted tiger and take down Fushiguro Megumi.
...But why did he look so confident, as if he were the one to discover the surefire way to victory?
"...What are you laughing at again this time?" Lappland narrowed her eyes while still smiling, seeing the man look euphoric.
An unnatural feeling that came to her...
"Great Serpent!"
"Nue!"
"Max Elephant!"
"Divine Dogs!"
"Piercing Ox!"
"Round Deer!"
Megumi had switched between hand signs while chanting out the names of the Shikigami included in his Totality.
For Great Serpent, it would be the base of the Shikigami. Nue was used to give it flying properties, turning it into a dragon that would match those of Japanese mythology. Max Elephant was added for its ability to control water, Divine Dogs for claws, Piercing Ox for a dragon's charging strength, and Round Deer for the antlers some Japanese dragons would possess.
To conceptualize the full being, he remembered Ch'en asking if he could summon a dragon; he had denied it at first...
But the inspiration Megumi drew from let the man summon exactly what he imagined.
Great Serpent: Totality - Sea Dragon Mizuchi (Great Serpent + Nue + Max Elephant + Divine Dogs + Piercing Ox + Round Deer)
Bursting forth from his shadows, a gigantic serpentine dragon made its presence known. Its entire head, resembling that of a Japanese dragon. The size of its noggin alone was larger than Megumi's entire body.
The dragon possessed a white and black draconic beard from the fur of Divine Dogs, its scales were colored white because of Great Serpent acting as the base, and along with pink patterns from Max Elephant gracing it. On the top of its head, Piercing Ox's horns and Round Deer's antlers laid atop, being held in a reverse horn position.
Although its color palette was a far offshoot from the actual depictions Megumi saw from Mizuchi, the general appearance nearly matched Mizuchi to a tee!
The rest of its body was still stuck in the shadow puddle, being too large to occupy the hallway. Instead, a small portion of its body and its entire head coiled around Megumi and Tiger Funeral defensively.
"How do you like that?!" Megumi yelled out to the surprised Lappland, despite feeling his Cursed Energy reserves completely draining, "you've lost this one!" A bloodied and maniacal expression came upon his face.
Both of the Sorcerer's sides were flanked by great and divine beings, one bearing the mark of fire and the other bearing the mark of water. Two empyreal creatures have now fully revealed themselves, forged from the hands of the Sacred Treasures.
On the other side Lappland had to stop in her motor functions and fully contemplate one thing in her mind...
...Had she encountered a literal Deity?
***
From the rooftops surrounding Sora's idol show, stood Lupo men and women 'discreetly' dressed in coats and hats. Some were wandering around, placing their hands in their pockets and acting as if they were attempting to get a clearer view. However, their true actions were far more malicious than what they showed off.
One of them in particular had pushed through the crowd, much to their annoyance, and reached the ledge. There was a small ledge positioned upwards to prevent anybody from accidently falling. Putting their hands into their trench coat, the sound of something clicking could be heard, but the crowd didn't hear it due to the cheering and singing.
A crossbow was pulled out, loaded with a bolt before they grabbed their trench coat and covered it. Pointing the weapon toward the Lupo dancing and singing on the stage, they fixed their weapon and calculated the trajectory of the wind.
Once it was fully stabilized and they didn't feel any rustling of nature's natural force, they placed their hand on the trigger and-
GRAB
-A hand aggressively latched onto their wrist, cracking it and pulling it away from pointing towards the idol. The person let out a scream, feeling their arm being twisted toward and the crossbow in their hand firing off into the sky.
"The hell-?!" They couldn't complete their sentence, when a brutal fist nearly caved in their face and sent them tumbling to the ground.
The other Blood Hounds froze from their positions, the crowd around them being just aware enough to back away from the scene and panic.
The Lupo gang members saw the white haired woman dressed in civilian clothing pull back her arm after completing the movement, turning to assess the rest of them.
"I remember you all," Saria spoke with no emotion, "the same group who raided Rhine Lab, right?" It was a rhetorical question, the woman not expecting any response from them.
***
"Texas," Exusiai spoke to her friend with a slightly more serious expression, "I see them, are you ready?"
"Yes," Texas replied with a resolute tone, pulling the handles from her waist, but not igniting them. "Don't scare the crowd," the last thing they wanted to do was alert the crowd with gunfire or by spilling blood. At most, they could knock out the enemies after Sora's life.
"Don't worry, I got a silencer," Exusiai waved her off while pulling out a suppressor and placing it over her KRISS Vector's barrel edge. "It'll be drowned out in the crowd, so let's go!"
Texas nodded, the two splitting up and making their way up towards the building. They didn't have to worry about Sora, since Croissant could always shield her from any attacks.
The idol also possessed excellent Arts control, having evoked an invisible barrier around her stage while singing. If they couldn't stop and crossbow bolts, her barrier would nullify their force entirely.
With those thoughts, the black haired Lupo leapt upwards and toward the buildings, ready to dispatch those who would dare to show their fangs at a time like this.
***
Lin Yuhsia stood by an unknowing Blood Hound member within the front crowd, her eyes closed in concentration. Feeling the man reach for an item with her honed senses, she didn't act in any way to halt it.
When he pulled out a sniper's crossbow compressed in size, they pointed it upwards the stage and pulled the trigger.
Click
Click
However, nothing was shot towards the idol who was still casually singing and dancing, evoking a deep emotion within the crowds.
"...What?" The man pulled his crossbow in front of his eye, looking at where... where his bolt was supposed to be? There was nothing loaded in it, and the Blood Hound member could've sworn he had loaded it before.
"Looking for this?" Lin opened her eyes and dangled a crossbow bolt in front of her.
The crossbow user took a moment to register what he was seeing. A Zalak lady with pink hair and a black dress, an emotionless expression...
There was no doubt about it, it was Lin the Violet herself.
"Fu-," the man couldn't even complete his scream, before a swift chop to his neck cut off the airflow in his body.
***
Sora waved her hands on the stage, moving along with the beat of the music she had been practicing for the past week. The cheers of the crowd energized her even further to move beyond what her natural movements could achieve.
She had experienced first hand what the people of Lungmen when walking around the streets were like, distracted by their phones and looking at the latest news of the city. Mainly for any updates on the mythological-like creatures having appeared out of nowhere.
The Chimera Bird and Shadow Tiger, the former numbering in what people assumed to be at least three, while the Shadow Tiger was a completely new factor.
Most conversations and gossip were related to them, but never were they positive. Conspiracy theories rang about every corner of the streets, citizens contemplating whether they should move out the city, and people walking around like there was a looming bomb threat.
The scene in front of her was a complete change from what she had seen, a splendorous invocation of humanity's spirit and vitality. It completely triumphed over the fear and anxiety held by the masses to an unprecedented degree.
Letting herself loose, Sora would remember this as potentially the greatest idol show she's ever ha-
CRASH
The sound of a building being torn in half echoed in the distance, ripping through the sound of music and cheering like a coarse blade.
Sora paused her singing and steps, seeing smoke rising up into the sky a distance away, but not too long where the sounds couldn't be heard.
The crowd slowly stopped what they were doing and turned their heads towards the sound, adrenaline settling in their skin.
Music was the only thing that rang out in the scenery, along with the faint sounds of whispers.
A white blur flew through the air, nobody being able to clearly make out who it was. It flew past the stage and crashed somewhere, the sound echoing in everybody's ears. Although it was barely able to be seen, all the people knew what had been thrown. A body.
Panic ensued.
***
Lappland found herself laying on the ground, injuries enough to kill a common warrior. Her body didn't conform to her will. Blood was dripping from her forehead, the only response she could let out were small chuckles.
Never would she expect the man to clap back with such force against her threats that it had left her beaten like this. The new arsenal of... chanting and increased potency was strange, something completely new from him.
Fushiguro Megumi, the man who controlled what seemed to be mythological beasts, a man seemingly blessed by Fate itself. Whoever the hell he was, Lappland was sure to sear his image into her brain.
'Haha... ugh... I-I'll be sure to tear him apart next time...' The white haired Lupo grinned to herself, while continuing to stare at the afternoon sky. She had been too conformed with her current strength level, believing herself to be capable enough to run Siracusa up and down, while still being able to escape with her life.
However, inside of the city, even if she were one of the biggest fish; the warriors and opponents outside of it still had potential to surpass them. She'd heard rumors of the Special Forces inside Lungmen and Ursus, but they were just that, rumors.
Seeing Fushiguro Megumi, a nobody without any title, Lappland fully realized the scale of Terra.
Sniff
Sniff
"That... familiar scent..." Lappland felt her ears twitching, her body rioting against her will to stand up. "Texas...!" Standing up with staggering and shaky movements, she realized the other reason why she was here. "I can't fall yet! I need to see her!" The woman gritted her teeth while maintaining a smile.
"Damned bastard," the images of the dragon and tiger continued to flash into her mind, while she limped toward the scent of her first obsession.
Next time, the fight would be different, she swore on it.
***
Saria dusted her hands, watching the bodies of all the Blood Hounds laid across the rooftop. The citizens had already made room for her or moved off the building, leaving her to deal the absolute work on them.
"Wow~," a water torrent slowly rose from beside her, a perfect figure of Muelsyse coming upwards. "It's always nice to see you in battle, you cleared them all out in thirty seconds!"
"Call the LGD," Saria curtly replied, "we need them arrested, and hopefully gain any information pertaining to them."
"Hmph," Muelsyse held a sulky expression and crossed her arms, "I compliment you and get no reply back? Fine~, I'll call them." The Elf turned away her head with a harrumph.
Saria ignored her words, opting to continue keeping an eye on them. From her peripheral vision however, she could see other people beating up the Blood Hounds on the other rooftops of the buildings.
Seeing how the gang members had been set up for failure the moment they decided to attack a damned idol show for some reason (Saria still didn't understand why), it was a rather amusing sight.
"...Hey, do you feel that Saria?" Muelsyse's clone broke away from the offended act from earlier, before turning her head around. "I- doesn't that feel..." It felt like something was descending from the sky-
CRASH
Something blew behind the idol stage, causing a loud sound to erupt from the back stage. The two recognized it to be a body, their vision and reaction time far superior to any standard citizen.
Frantically turning to where it had come from, Saria assumed a combat stance while Muelsyse slightly squinted her gaze to see...
A large dragon bathing under the light of the sun, its gracious presence dancing above the skies.
"Saria...?" Muelsyse could only assume where it had come from.
"I know," The Vouivre kept a guarded stance, wondering what would happen next.
***
Lin Yuhsia blinked owlishly, having already cleared out her portion of Blood Hound members. What she saw was a literal dragon dancing through the decently faraway sky from the idol stage.
The citizens who were in front of the stage had quickly dispersed, fearing for their lives under what seemed to be heaven's wrath descending upon them.
However, some people at the back of the crowd had pulled out their phones to record the scene, making the people who were attempting to exit the scene yell at them for their stupidity.
The mouse lady tensed when the dragon lowered to the ground of where it was at, rose up to the sky and then...
Shot a torrent of water at where the opened area in front of the idol stage was. The ground cracked, forming a fissure but not reaching Sora or any of the civilians, steam unnaturally rising from where the impact was.
The crowd froze in their steps, Lin pausing her movements along with them. A deep seated primal fear was invoked in their body when the figure within the steam rose up.
The infamous Shadow Tiger that had sagged some poor sod out of a hotel room, nearly all civilians in the crowd recognized what it was.
Lin was wondering why she had decided to let Megumi go on his own.
***
Texas and Exusiai stopped what they were doing at their position. The two had met up again when they finished clearing the areas where they saw the Blood Hounds, but had to stop in their step when the crowd started screaming and running.
They were confused at first, but instantly felt the looming presence in the sky, watching as it spat the Shadow Tiger onto the clearing the crowd had made.
"...Hey," Exusiai called out to Texas with a more grim look, "isn't that...?" She actually didn't know if it belonged to Fushiguro Megumi, the man who worked for the LGD. After all, in the video that was recorded, the man was assaulted by the tiger.
"We have to protect Sora," Texas narrowed her eyes, pushing through her primal instincts that were heeding her to stop. It didn't matter if she faced down an Apex Predator such as... whatever that thing was, her duty was to protect Sora.
She stopped what she was doing when the beautiful dragon from earlier flew towards the Shadow Tiger and crashed into it with a sonic boom.
The orange beast grabbed onto the face of the dragon while being pushed back, before the latter flew up into the air while carrying the tiger.
An ascension to the skies, the flames of the tiger continued burning at the dragon while water was surrounding the dragon.
The water looked like it came from traditional Higashinese paintings, whirling around its form as if it was part of its very being. The bearded dragon then opened its mouth, firing off a torrent of water that shot the tiger farther above the sky.
In response, the tiger let out a roar and supercharged its flames, counteracting the water by burning it up into steam.
However, it found itself completely overpowered later, the torrent of water completely enveloping its body. The Shadow Tiger was completely obscured from everybody's sights, the citizens having all halted their steps in fear.
All they could do was watch the scene unfold, the evaporated water and trickles of blue liquid falling from the sky, a rainbow cascading across the scenery.
Serenely, the water dragon flowed through the sky once more, as if dancing. Nobody felt any malice from it, even as it slowly descended to the ground.
Although the people didn't feel anything vicious about it, it didn't stop them from shaking and backing away further from it.
The dragon looked at everybody with its bulging eyes, as if assessing them with a vast wisdom inaccessible to humans. Turning away, it set its sight to the stunned idol on the stage. Eventually, it tilted its head and slowly flew to the Lupo, making her slightly eep in shock.
Texas and Exusiai were about to act, while Croissant was ready to come out from backstage and defend Sora if need be.
However, their worries were for naught when the dragon flew calmly around the girl, safely coiling around her while creating a wide range of motion for her to stand in.
Sora blinked owlishly, not knowing what to take of the situation, watching the dragon continue on as it wiggled in the air, up and down in what she could only assume to be a dance. The silent crowd and still blaring music made her do only one thing- and that was to continue her performance.
The crowd watched on in awe, as the woman danced along with the movements of the dragon, a celestial sight taking place in front of them. Seeing no danger present, they slowly walked up to the stage in a stupor.
It helped that the music continued to play on, Sora's unhindered singing echoing across the area they were in once more.
It was splashing small droplets of water in the air, mixing in with the confetti emitted from the stage's machine and creating a greater sight than seen before.
The Shadow Tiger had been 'killed' by the dragon, that much everybody present could register. The malevolent being that had knocked an innocent man through the street and supposedly killed him for all they knew...
Seeing the dragon dancing along with their beloved idol, they could only assume it was a benevolent guardian sent by the gods to fend off the other creatures that had appeared in Lungmen.
That day, a heavily construed misconception was born amongst the cheers and cries of the audience.
Like the light of a deity descending, the droplets of water from the dragon continued to fall down on the smitten crowd.
Sora didn't know what had happened, or why this dragon wanted to dance with her, but she did what she could do best. Perform.
***
Megumi laid on the ground of some alleyway, feeling icky from the dried blood around his body. Not only that, but the physical exhaustion and backlash from using so much Cursed Energy had fully settled in.
He was breathing more slowly, half-lidded eyes staring up at the sky. He already knew Mizuchi and Tiger Funeral were going to be seen by the crowd the moment it had collapsed the building by launching Lappland out of it.
Hell, he didn't even know that would have happened, being completely unaware of the dragon's charge. It was enhanced with Piercing Ox's ability after all. How it worked was that any straight charge built up power, however, to a slower degree compared to the original Shikigami. Why so? Because it could change directions while charging.
However, changing directions also had its own disadvantages, immediately losing its built up power and resetting it back to zero. Although it still instantaneously continued to build up energy when turning, every turn would still reset its strength to nill.
A small price to pay for creating a Shikigami that could heal, shoot lightning, emit highly pressurized and specialized water, holds the strength of Divine Dog: Totality (combined with all the other included Shikigamis), and Great Serpent's enhanced size.
It was even better that it wasn't as large as Nue: Totality, because that meant it had more power concentrated into a singular point. The Shikigami far surpassed Tiger Funeral in both support and power, making Megumi hold no regret for making the Binding Vow.
Going back to the topic of everybody seeing the dragon, he had decided to make a last ditch effort of not making the populace of Lungmen lose their minds. The Ten Shadows user had put on a show of the Shikigami fighting and 'killing' Tiger Funeral, and showing it off as a creature that meant no harm to the people.
...It also included making it dance with the idol, Sora, but he held the least faith in that. But briefly seeing and hearing the crowd's fever spike up once more, Megumi breathed a sigh of relief and hid in an alleyway.
"Ugh..." he grunted when the numbing effects of adrenaline, and a dash of Black Flash, had completely faded from his body. "...How am I supposed to explain this to Ch'en?" The black haired man nervously thought to himself. He was also sure Lin Yuhsia would look at him if he were the most reckless person in the world.
...Well, Megumi sort of was...
But that was besides the point, he needed to come up with a good excuse. Although he had already lessened the negative impacts of a literal dragon appearing in Lungmen, Megumi still had to deal with them.
The man was about to stand up slowly, but immediately jolted upwards when he heard footsteps coming his way. Turning to it, he was met with the sight off...
"Arturia...!" Megumi's eyes widened, adrenaline pumping into his injured body once more. He was about to reach into his inventory for his Glock, but remembered the words of Lin. 'Attacking her would cause a political crisis between Yan and Leithanien with whom she has backing her.'
At that very moment, the black haired man wanted to curse politics as a whole, hoping some Cursed Spirit was born from it and slaughtered every politician involved.
"Oh? Aren't you in quite a bad state?" The Sankta held the same consistent smile as before, an instrument case held in her left hand. Settling the case to the ground, she spoke, "ah, that was quite a show you put up, bravo," she clapped her hands, her soft voice echoing in the alleyway.
Megumi glared at her, keeping an eye out for any suspicious movements, "what the hell do you want?" This wasn't a time for him to fall for that same trick as before.
"You've heard of what would happen if you were to strike at me, correct?" Arturia playfully tilted her head when she finished clapping.
The man continued to keep the same temperament, "what makes you say so?"
"There's no need to be so tense," Arturia picked up her case once more before approaching him.
Megumi could only make theories and guesses on what she was doing here. Although he could attack her with no consequences before his current scenario, he was connected to the LGD now, and he was sure Arturia already knew so.
Being observed by the three top high-ranking LGD officers, him lashing out at her would be considered to be incompetency on their part, and they'd shoulder some of the blame. All Megumi could do was rely on a worst case scenario if she attacked him or played her instrument.
"As much as I'd love to play for you again," Arturia clicked open her case and reached into it, nearly causing Megumi to pull that out, "I am afraid I've been suggested not to." Her hand pulled out a white letter instead.
He looked on in confusion, his fists already clenching while he leaned against the alleyway wall. "What are you...?"
The woman handed the letter to him, making Megumi stare at it in a stupor, "an invitation to Leithanien stamped by Werner Von Hochberg, the Kurfürst of Sturmland, I grant to thee." The woman found his reaction to be utterly amusing while she 'graciously' handed the letter.
Megumi stayed silent, staring at the letter. What the hell was a Kurfürst? Werner von Hochberg sounded like a German name, but he couldn't understand the importance it held. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to tear the letter apart-
"If you tear the letter apart, I'm afraid you might incur the ire of somebody you shouldn't, there is a detection Arts on it after all," Arturia held her free hand to cover her mouth in an amused expression. "The invitation lasts for a decade if the power of House of Hochberg remains stable, so accept this gift graciously, would you?"
The Ten Shadows user was nearly starting to become sick of this woman, "I'm not coming," he declared, "use it on somebody else, you sick woman."
Arturia giggled to herself in response, "whoever it makes contact with is marked by its Arts," she simply stated, before pushing it onto Megumi's chest.
The man, injured and exhausted, couldn't react fast to her swift movements, making his eyes widen. "You..." A strange sensation filled him, as if he had been marked.
"Well~," the woman chirped to herself and let her hand go, making the letter fall to the ground. "I'm afraid I have other places to be, I hope we meet again, Fushiguro Megumi~," she gave a bow, barely lifting the corners of the skirt. Lifting up her musical case, she began walking away.
The man stared blankly at the letter sitting on the cold alleyway floor, once more cursing his entire existence.
***
Ch'en blankly stared at the cheering crowd, watching the idol on stage finish her last step, a fucking dragon dancing along with her.
Was it special effects? An illusory Arts? Absolutely not, that much the dragon lady could tell. What she could also tell was that it belonged to Fushiguro Megumi, the aura it was emitting bearing the same similarity as his other summons.
'What is going on...? What did he do...? Did he lie about not having a dragon?!' The last question was, certainly, absolutely, and without a doubt the least important of the three. That much Ch'en surely knew.
Watching the idol performance end, the dragon then rose into the sky, as if throwing open invisible wings and then bursting upwards. It felt a trail of sparkles of cooling blue water, reflecting the light of the sun and forming miniature rainbows across.
The crowd cheered on, shouting haphazard chants Ch'en could barely make out, something about a benevolent sea dragon.
Shaking her head to break herself out of the insanity she was witnessing, the dragon lady quickly drew out her phone and looked at Megumi's location again.
'There he is... that bastard, he has some explaining to do,' feeling her irritation rising, she pocketed and ran to his location.
***
A/N: Did Lappland get hit by the off-screen Cursed Technique? Yes, it just goes to show how powerful Mizuchi is, even if she were extremely tired from fighting Megumi's increased abilities and Tiger Funeral.
If you wonder what Mizuchi looks like, you can search up the actual mythological dragon and put the colors and features of the Shikigamis I used on it.
Also, I hope you guys like the chants, I used the ten sacred treasures for them. Because Tiger Funeral doesn't have a sacred treasure linked to him, (Divine Dogs take up 2 treasures, leaving only 8 for the other Shikigam), I decided to make one up: Casket of the Heavens.
Because of how many mysteries surround Ten Shadows and Totality (what the hell are the rules for it? Gege stated there were rules on an information page) I let my imagination go a bit wild.
Also, wtf is an AGITO??? I searched up any mythological references for the name, and couldn't find anything! All I found was Kamen Rider stuff and a latin word meaning 'I move.'
So if Gege is gonna make shit up, then so will I.
In regards to my friend, he wrote 12chapter with me and then dipped from writing. That damned bastard...
I still love him though (no homo).