A lot of events in this chapter, let's go! Also, we're approaching 5k views on Ao3, loved reading the comments on them, and thanks to everybody who mass Voted on TSSoT in the past week, I also love replying to all the comments that you guys drop, because Wattpad's comment system is my favorite out of every fanfic site. :)
Without further ado, here's the chapter.
***
The sun's brow seemed to be creased downwards, shining up above in its azure heights with no soft white dashes obscuring its divine light. After the fluorescent flash of light inside of the arena had died down after speaking its eulogy, all there was left amongst the usually rambunctious crowd was a brief passing of silence—fraught with only mutters of disbelief and registration of what had occurred before their eyes. Through a luminary disguise, the accursed being hid their face underneath its overbearing shadow, as if foretelling of a twilight doomed to approach the Major.
A square hammer slammed the nail into the coffin, just as the scenery completely settled in the irises of all the spectators. The fairytale was one of humiliation, a bad ending where the dragon had overtaken the knights despite their grandest endeavors, standing upon a mountain of corpses that was their unrighteous victory. Bearing its crimson gazes upon the masses, they could all tell their days were numbered under the carnage ruled claws of such a vast beast, beyond even their mortal minds.
"—I...uh t-this looks to be a victory for the two Independent Knights! Viviana Droste a-and Fushiguro Megumi! With their... erm, combined efforts of twisting the shadows and bending light in unison with each other, they were able to claim victory against their opponents! Everybody, everybody, let's give them a round of applause—!"
Silence begets its presence to be known, and it did. Amongst the weary and awestruck crowd of the purest flabbergast, only a few echoes of celebration were made amongst the more unknowing—or perhaps the more apathetic of the sparks of war's true meaning. Whether they would come to know such things in the meantime was insignificant, as the two contestants who stepped off the arena emblazoned with the title of champions could hardly spare an extra tip toward their reactions. They had entered naught for the auspicious glory, or the plasters of digitality that appeared on yellow journals, but just to be.
"...That was... disappointing," Megumi said with a bored voice, his sights meeting the bowels of the metal tunnel dressed in the artificiality of night once more, "I thought knighthood stressed honor between two contestants?" The black-haired man had already dispelled his sword crafted from the blood and tears of his enemies.
"You don't quite fit the moniker either," Viviana placed a hand over her mouth with an amused smile, wanting to obscure her expression, "but it's for media and publicity, nothing more, nothing less. The standards of knighthood have fallen far beyond light's reach, and those exact sights you have witnessed have—admittedly—brought some of my own pessimism toward the Major. Still, an excellent fight, if you hadn't gone so easy with me back then, I would be in the same position as your opponent, wouldn't I?"
"Take it as you will," Megumi dodged the question far better than Ryomen Sukuna had dodged Kashimo Hajime, "well, you were right anyways. You very likely would have been able to defeat both of the contestants today, without much of a hitch either."
"I have your excellent smithing skills to give credence to, I doubt I would have been able to accomplish such a swift victory without it," Viviana replied. "It was an excellent addition, it makes me more curious to know what exactly you had done? A very... wide range of Arts applications—I've never seen such superb ones performed before."
"It's... very complicated to explain," Megumi shrugged his shoulders, glancing off to elsewhere, "an ability that came from genetics, you can't get it from anywhere else, or learn from anywhere else."
"Still... to improve an entire Arts Unit's function in just a few seconds. You made the process look so flawless, too." The edge of Viviana's lips continued to stay turned up, her fingers caressing the handle of the Candle Sword sheathed by her side, "a truly remarkable gift. Once more, I thank you for creating and granting me such a magnificent piece of art. Have you ever considered an occupation in such a field?"
"...No problem, and no, I've never really considered an occupation in creating Arts Units and weapons." Megumi shook his head while speaking, "I just... can't see myself settling and staying in a shop, doing nothing but making weapons as the world passes me by. If anything..." it scared him, making the ever ringing bell in his chest quiver with a primordial dissonance. His words ended there, the call of his lips advising him to keep it shut lest it utters something which provoked his inner turmoil.
"If you don't wish to speak upon the matter, that is fine with me," Viviana spoke with an understanding voice, "then, about your Arts from earlier. Did you find a new way to creatively use it? I know you hold the capabilities of traversing them to an extent, and to call upon your weapons—but to summon them in such large quantities—is a terrifying visage to fight against." Her thoughts trailed back to a path in her memories not too long ago, where she vaguely saw from the corner of her eye what were hundreds of weapons dropping from the side and on top of the Left-hand Knight.
"I came up with it recently, there's no doubt about it," Megumi admitted, "if I hadn't told him to dodge, he would have died with his injured state. I didn't want to see that happen, even if they were... an... unscrupulous person." The black-haired man took a few moments to choose his words carefully, before falling back on one that he remembered his sensei using before.
"That's a good attribute to possess," Viviana shifted her candelabrum to her other hand and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him another reassuring smile. The way his expression softened showed her his human side, and she was glad that her judgement appealing to the goodness of his heart hadn't been misplaced.
"Mhm," Megumi replied with a sound of affirmation, before stopping in his steps. Another set of footsteps, about two of them made their way through the tunnel, before he stopped to register who they were.
He knew one of them, which was spokesman Czarny, and the other person... he didn't know who they were, but the tag on their chest designated them as "spokesman McKee."
"Ah, Fushiguro Megumi," Czarny smiled, turning away from the compatriot he had just been speaking with, "it seems we both have our own designated persons which we wish to communicate with in private, a perfect split, wouldn't you say?"
The man named McKee cleared his throat, holding a formal posture, and turned toward Viviana, "Viviana Droste, Independent Knight. I have a proposition for you, it is in regards to sponsorships and a Knightclub I assume you would like to join."
Both Megumi and Viviana found their moods dropping, but they didn't show it.
***
Ioleta Russel stared at the screen she had been curiously looking at, closing her eyes in satisfaction as she recalled the recent events, "a dance between two allies, both dressed in dark and light—how gratifying it is for a mother to see her daughter grow up so well." The Pegasus nodded to herself with higher spirits forming, turning away from it. "Well, more duty calls, it seems I won't be able to meet those two personally again today."
Leaving the matter as it was, she began walking away. For her opinion on Fushiguro Megumi, she wholeheartedly tell he was a top brass warrior who had vacated the battlefield multiple times—where the extent of the black-haired man's experience lay, she wasn't completely sure. But enough assumptions were already put into place to be aware that he could potentially be the ally Kazimierz needs, in order to fix its current decrepit state.
***
"I didn't know you applied for the Kazimierz Major to help out a woman, my dear Princess~" Laurentina laid in the same bed as the black-haired man, teasing him as she poked at his shoulder. "And you've already begun seducing those hundred other unruly women who watched your match, hah~ what will I ever do with you?"
"She needed it, and I just felt like it. There's nothing more to that," Megumi let out a shrug while feeling the woman's delicate finger continue to poke at him. "I won't be participating much at all anyways, probably at most toward the beginning of the semi-final first match, before I leave. Also, I didn't seduce anybody."
"Oh? Hm, what a shame," Laurentina let out a disappointed sigh, "it would have been a spectacle to see my darling Princess barge through the rest of the Major, but alas, you find no interest in them, do you?"
"You're correct on that point," Megumi let out a small groan while draping the blanket over himself, "there's also the Armorless Union that I have to deal with."
"We have to deal with, and then we're hightailing it out of this country—just the two of us, hm?" Laurentina moved closer to him, resting her head on the pillow, "and off to wherever that pharmaceutical company is. Would have never expected Skadi of all people to work at one, heh."
Megumi couldn't give his opinion on the matter, because he did not know anything about the Skadi woman. Hopefully she was as amicable as Laurentina... Those were his thoughts before he fell asleep.
***
"Good, good, Mr. Fushiguro, your actions in the match have turned a great deal of attention your way," Czarny clapped his hands with a smug smile, "you've riled up the public opinion of yourself, and left a sore wound on the nation's pride. Now, you must throw the match against the Blazingaxe Knight, and the deal is finished."
"I understand," Megumi placed his hands in his pockets while listening to his words half-heartedly, "I bolster his reputation by letting him defeat the one who wounded Kazimierz's pride. Seems simple enough."
"Good, that's good to hear." Czarny smiled wider. "I'm glad you understand."
Megumi watched the other man walk away after his quick briefing. Toss the match against the Blazingaxe Knight? Oh, he'd toss the match, alright.
***
"Viviana," Megumi gave a small wave toward the Elafian woman walking down the halls. "How was your talk?"
"It was... about as ordinary as any other," Viviana closed her eyes, before reopening them, "I believe I would love to read more of the "Haikus" you've written. To get the tension out of our veins, after all." She wanted to avoid the subject, as it was a source of unneeded stress for herself.
"My Haikus...? Sure," Megumi walked alongside her, making their way toward her house, 'Haikus... I've come into the habit of writing them. Strange.' The black-haired man never had a passion for such things in the first place, but now... strangely enough, he did. 'I already know why, what am I questioning myself for?'
"Oh, and have you received your earnings yet?" Viviana glanced toward the black-haired man.
"Earnings?" Megumi raised an eyebrow, "I can receive earnings?" Well, that should have been obvious enough for himself.
"For participating in the Major, it is first and foremost a marketed event for the corporations," Viviana replied, "they would pay their participants for putting up a good show. In spite of whether honorability or knighthood lies in it."
"...Well, I guess I could go with it," Megumi responded half-heartedly, "I won't know what to do with it anyways. Probably spend them all on weapons."
"You possess great deal of interest in weapons, I've only come to that realization today," Viviana gave a small mirthful laugh, the calming melody entering the other man's ears, "Haikus, battle, and weapons; what an uncertain mix for a expressionless man such as you."
"Is that a compliment?" Megumi asked while rolling his eyes.
"Take it as you will."
"Of course... what will you spend it on?"
"Well, the outskirts of Leithanien aren't in the best condition compared to the interior..." Viviana drew her voice out, "many children don't have much opportunity for education in those parts. I already earn enough, and am under the care of my mother—so donating a good sum won't hurt."
"Donating, huh...?" Megumi stopped in his steps, making Viviana stop in tandem with his steps, "I guess I could also try that out."
"Oh?" Viviana tilted her head, before nodding, "you need not feel obligated to. But if you truly do, then I won't impede you."
"Thanks," Megumi had to reign in the feeling of wanting to pat the woman's Elafian ears.
***
The next day came, and so did his predetermined match.
"—The recent runner-up for this Kazimierz Major's champion after all of its other predecessors, the Minoan hailing from a land far different from ours, but bearing the same moniker of knights as Kazimierz does, dressed in his sanguine pride in the form of dashing plates of armor acting as his bastion, everybody give it up for BLAZINGAXE KNIGHT, KAZIMIERZ'S BLOOD-RED CHALICE—!!!"
On the other side of the arena arose a knight dressed in menacing armor which shone its vermillion light across the piercing beams of light invading the arena. His steps were cold and calculated, providing the most efficient energy control his body could give. The sound of metal thumping against the cold arena floor made of dirt continued to resound, sending up small particles each step of the way.
The crowd erupted into a cluster of cheers.
"—On the other side! Of! The! Arenaaaa~! We have our second main star of the show who stands alone as a registered Independent Knight, making rounds in the articles for his notorious deeds back in his previous match against his opponent, the Higashinese samurai who is challenging the very pride of Kazimierz's knights, and the first ever to be granted a title aside from knight itself, we haveeee~ THE CURSED SAMURAI!"
The cheers continued on, more in anticipation of the next contestant's defeat than victory.
A black-haired man dressed in clothes of similar color aside from his white martial arts gi stood up, a talisman plastered O-Katana sheathed by his side. The golden Dharmachakra above his head continued to float listlessly, unbothered by any of the worldly happenings around it. Neither the light of the celestial sphere could alter it, nor the thunderstruck sounds of the audience.
'Couldn't they have thought of something better for a title?' Megumi dryly complained in his mind, thanking whoever constructed the human body that his thoughts were a private thing. Not to some specific type of people, however, 'no, no... forget it, it's not that important.' He continued to silently convince himself that his title didn't matter, as the Major was only a temporary thing he was going to be involved in before leaving. 'I'm not attempting to win any trophy.'
But by the looks of it... it looked like he was going to win a golden trophy for being Kazimierz's most disliked man. Seriously, running back his memory, the Jujutsu Sorcerer wondered how he had even gotten to this point. It was unfortunate how sudden events could turn out like this, being brought into the limelight of a nation's most popular sports tournament. All in all, it served as nothing but another stressor and bother for himself.
"—Two warriors hellbent on gaining the championship trophy, and this will serve as the final round of the preliminaries before we reach the actual semi-finals and finals bracket for the 23rd Kazimierz Major! Who will make it through, will it be the Independent Knight Viviana Droste, the Cursed Samurai Fushiguro Megumi, or the Blazingaxe Knight Dikaiopoooolis~?! Well, that's enough commentary for now folks, the match begins in 3! 2! 1! START—!"
Once more, the spirit of entertainment had spiked up, far surpassing even the duo match from before, two different voices of the public mixing together in a battle never seen before amongst the masses.
"KAZIMIERZ!"
"Higashi!"
"KAZIMIERZ!"
"Higashi!"
"KAZIMIERZ!"
The Blazingaxe Knight stood at the opposite side of Fushiguro Megumi, simply holding their large handaxe when squaring his opponent down. He took a brief moment to gauge the man who looked like a corpse, taking in the casual posture that they had undertaken. In their brief respite of silence, there was an analytical gaze between two warriors, dissecting each other as would a surgeon upon an operating table.
That was before his voice echoed through his helmet, "I remember your name, Higashinese, Fushiguro Megumi, what is it that you fight for—"
Megumi hardly heeded his words or ploy for any conversation, as his body turned into a comet's sweep, the stardust trail being his black haori rippling across his body, "Dikaiopolis," he repeated the other man's name back at him, while his fist was reared back. Before his face was the knight's deeply crimson helmet, the armored man's eyes barely being seen underneath the holed dots.
With his profane movement in play, a right hook was delivered against the Blazingaxe Knight's right temple, leaving them reeling from the blow. Giving no time for respite, Megumi dropped up-side down, going for a Manji Kick, a taijutsu move utilized by both Itadori Yuji and Kusakabe Atsuya as he remembered. His foot moved from left to right, opposite of his previous fist's trajectory in order to "catch" their rattling head and disrupt their mental processes further.
"—Already off to a start and the Cursed Samurai draws first blood will this determine how the rest of the match will play out, or is it merely a fluke on the behalf of the Cursed Samurai?! Well, I know I'm waiting in anticipation, but you! The audience wouldn't have to experience the same on IntraFlex if you buy the recent Premium Subscription deal—!"
There was a circle of blood that had formed around the two, despite the Blazingaxe Knight having been put into a disadvantageous position. Spikes of blood shot toward Megumi while he was still prone, forcing him to boost himself upwards and dodge them.
Just as Dikaiopolis recovered from the blow sent by the Jujutsu Sorcerer, he found a sudden 360 spin kick hit his instinctually guarding right arm holding his handaxe, his left hand also supporting the limb in order to take the blow.
Megumi used the Blazingaxe Knight as a platform to leap off of him, as a curved blade made of blood grazed just past his fluttering haori, before he snapped his fingers. In the midst of a barrage of blood attacks coming his way, shadow vortex portals opened up, firing off weapons toward his opponent.
The opponent in question raised their handaxe and swung with great force, turning into a barrage as they backed away while deflecting the multiple weapons coming his way while also utilizing his Blood Arts to form weapons to blow off their trajectory.
Megumi landed on the ground, crossing his arms over his body, and then spreading it outwards. A dome of obsidian vortices formed around the Blazingaxe Knight, before he grabbed Ame-no-Habakiri from his sash, still keeping it sheathed and then charging forward. His speed made him catch on toward Dikaiopolis quickly, the Minoan man having been occupied with dodging from all sides to avoid being pelted with weapons.
The Jujutsu Sorcerer now made his way toward him, swinging Ame-no-Habakiri as Dikaiopolis attempted to deflect it. A brief clash ensued, before they pushed off against each other, a blade from Megumi's vortex portal—a Zweihander—grazing the shoulder plates of his opponent.
Casually dashing around the Blazingaxe Knight and turning into a blur, Megumi continued his tactic against the Left-hand Knight of striking at open spots and vanishing, this time being assisted with the constant barrage of weapons assisting him on his every way.
Diakiopolis in particular utilized all sorts of applications of his Blood Arts, from using blood tendrils to catch the weapons flying toward him or utilizing blood-forged weapons in order to intercept the blades chaotically homing in.
A spectacle of dancing sanguine particles and pitch black ebony sparks of flaming water lit up the scene, bathed under the sunlight of the sun casting upon the mortal realm once more. Multiple cameras flashed on their scene along with the lights of the arena, fully accentuating the dance between a Jujutsu Sorcerer and a Kazimierzian Knight.
"—Woah! Look at those high speed blistering movements that make them hard to see, and the multiple delocalized vortexes forming and firing off at the Blazingaxe Knight! Best of all, they're both keeping their ground in this contest of strength, endurance, and agility! Are we sure this isn't the final match that we're watching, because this is completely out of this world—!"
The crowd's cheers and speeches eventually stopped, noticing that the Cursed Samurai known as Fushiguro Megumi had retreated for the first time in any of his fights they had seen. Sure, this may have only been the second battle, but the fact that the Higashinese samurai seemed to have been trampling on their concept of a knight since the last match had thoroughly left a bitter taste in their mouth. But perhaps, this time, the champion that they had all been rooting for and expecting to win the Major could...
"—This is the first time I've ever seen the arena so quiet... the audience is waiting in bated breaths for what our contestants will do next, and I have to admit ladies and gentlemen, so am I—!"
The commentator's own voice soon braked into a small whisper along with the crowd, a silent but overboiling sense of anticipation threatening to melt even the most heat resistant of alloys. Even mimicking the audience, the commentator leaned in from his position, at the edge of his seat and gripping at whatever object on his desk to stop himself from shaking.
In the arena, the two combatants continued to pace around each other, drawing an invisible circle which would be the battlegrounds for their unfettered destruction. The posture of the Blazingaxe Knight was steady but harsh, the clanking of his blood-forged armor producing a sound every inch of his step. For Fushiguro Megumi, his black haori became liquid in the wind, the sleeves and tufts being pushed back as a result. Unlike the other man, the Jujutsu Sorcerer produced no sound while walking, as a perfect establishment of his territory was being traced by the very moment.
"Why are you utilizing your blood manipulation like that?" Megumi stopped in his steps, and suddenly spoke, watching as the Blazingaxe Knight had also halted in his steps.
"My... Arts? Why are you bringing up the topic of my Arts?" The Blazingaxe Knight's voice was more wary this time, having been interrupted before. However, he decided to take the bite as they sensed no malice or fighting intent from his enemy, "you hadn't been so talkative before, Cursed Samurai." He pointed out.
"No, it just really bothers me how you use it," Megumi crossed his arms with a disapproving expression, "you create objects using your blood manipulation, yes. But that doesn't seem effective or efficient at all, when there is another application you can add to your arsenal. If you throw around those blades without a care in the world, they won't possess the same speed and attacking capabilities compared to another method that is much more efficient." He began running his mouth, bearing the same expression as before, much to the shock of everybody.
"...Ghk, hm..." The Blazingaxe Knight, for some reason, continued to listen in silence to his opponent's words. He could see it even from a first glance, that the man known as Fushiguro Megumi was a trained soldier, who had seen countless bloodshed in the battlefield to the point where he was no longer phased by anything, and most likely possessed a great deal of wisdom in regards to techniques. "Go on." He was interested.
"—A-are they conversing in the midst of an intense battle?! What is this, I can't believe the Cursed Samurai is lecturing the Blazingaxe Knight on how to use his revered Blood Arts! Even more bizarrely, he looks as if he's listening to every word being sent his way—!"
"So, to utilize it as effectively as you can, you can clasp your hands like this, see?" Megumi clasped his hands together in the motion he would use for Piercing Water, pointing it off to the side as he slightly bent his knees, "make sure to have a small opening between your hands, so that it can shoot out effectively and be directed the way you want it. Take a good look, and see if you like it or not."
Shadow Extension: Max Elephant
A sonic boom was created at his hands, a torrent of aquatic death firing off between the gaps of his clasped hands. The water rippled across the arena, impacting the wall and causing a great deal of recoil to come across his body. As Megumi continued to casually drag it across, the enhanced alloys making up the walls of the arena were sculpted by it, etching an unnatural shape that seemed to be a symbol.
Dikaiopolis, the Blazingaxe Knight, watched the scene with a sudden realization. A fast technique that didn't require much effort, using the body itself in tandem with Arts in order to cause such a simple but effective attack that moved at such speeds, that it could most likely catch his opponents off guard.
"See?" Megumi unclasped his hand, the teal water from his hands dispersing and dissipating in the air as if they had evaporated, "why don't you try it for yourself? Come on, aim at me, I'll give you a free attack." The Jujutsu Sorcerer now faced the Blazingaxe Knight, pointing to himself with his thumb, the glitters of his crimson eyes looking like two paired stars.
"An effective application, I must say," the Blazingaxe Knight heeded his calls, bending his knee to plant his handaxe into the ground, before he stood back up once more. "Since you allowed me the courtesy to do so, then I will heed your suggestion." His hands clasped together in the same posture as Fushiguro Megumi, pointing it toward the aforementioned man. He then concentrated his Blood Arts, watching the strangely... excited expression of the other man...?
"Come on, do your best~ do your best~" Megumi could feel his excitement boiling at the familiar attack that he was teaching his opponent, in order to make him have a greater means of offense against himself, and in order to have a much more enjoyable fight. 'This is... a strange feeling?' A small conscious thought of his sanity personified attempted to tug his brain back to its normal stoicness, but his boiling blood amplified by Ame-no-Habakiri wouldn't allow it.
They renewed their clash once more.
***
"Maria... so this has been what's gotten you so interested, eh?" Vogelweide stroked his beard while staring at the scene, "a Higashinese samurai against a Kazimierzian knight, I've heard it circulating around the news recently, but to see it in person is pretty different."
"Hey, you think he's a real Higashinese samurai?" Kowal crossed his arms, the anthropomorphic white Ursus bear crossed his arms with an interesting expression.
"Not a clue," Vogelweide shook his head, "despite the skill he shows off in those matches, it's really hard to tell if he's actually a samurai or not. One thing's clear, though..."
"...Is that he's seen the battlefield?" Marcin walked up to the two standing close by Maria, the blonde-haired Pegasus who was absorbed in the footage in front of her. "That much can be seen from the eyes."
"Yeah, you got me right there," Vogelweide nodded his head, "was just about to say that too."
"Come on, we already know you didn't have that answer bubbling up in your head while you were thinking it over," Kowal crossed his arms and shot back toward the other man.
"Eh? I don't see you making an educated guess, either," Vogelweide gave him a single raised brow.
"Come on, you two," Maria softly called out toward the two bickering men about to devolve into a level only the primitive would resort to, "look at the match..." she watched with open eyes, the many tactics and techniques employed by the second between the two combatants, each taking advantage of everything they could.
"...Look indeed, both of them are monsters. Moreso the Cursed Samurai as the media is calling him," Marcin leaned his elbow against the bar countertop, gazing at what was happening. "Never thought I'd see a knight be lectured directly in the arena, what the hell was that anyways?"
"A new level of disrespect, I'd say," Kowal chimed in.
"They held mutual respect for each other, if you didn't see how the Blazingaxe Knight followed his teachings," Vogelweide spoke in a chiding tone.
"Enough you two," Maria spoke up again, far too immersed to hear their already developing means for another argument, "he... he doesn't look like he's even trying." The amount of ease deployed with each moment, and the closed mouth and unimpeded expression upon his face, "what did it take? Why is he participating in the Kazimierz Major?"
"Don't know myself," Marcin took a glance at the now pacified Vogelweide and Kowal, but they were still sending death glares toward each other. "Glory? Fame? To prove a point? I don't know, but he looks... deathly angry, if I say so myself."
"...Anger...?" Maria whispered under her breath, gauging the expression of Fushiguro Megumi.
Deep seated beneath the expressionless mask that he wore, there were burning flames ladened deep within the campfires of his irises. A spark of rage that she could barely see and understand—that didn't seem directed toward his opponent—but toward something else. She didn't know, and the Pegasus wouldn't claim to understand what it truly meant, all she could do was speculate and watch from her seat.
...Yet why did she also see excitement and passion in those eyes?
***
A barrage of metallic snakes shot out of the vortex portals, baring their fangs as they latched upon Dikaiopolis' joints and armor plating, a strange energy emitting forth from it in a calm flaming aura of green-ish white. His limbs were locked completely in place, as Fushiguro Megumi continued to run circles around him, his speed building up to a tremendous amount from what he could see.
The trailing water was his guide, boosting his movement capabilities as Megumi watched the Blazingaxe Knight attempt to break out of his chains, but to a futile degree. The moment the Sorcerer saw him focus his endeavors in order to control his Arts from his localized position, he grinned. 'Can't use your Arts like this, now can you?' He saw it, the brief jolt of the red-cladded knight's helmet at the surprise that his Blood Arts were barely responding to it.
Why was that so? Simple, Positive Energy was being coursed through Samyojana in large amounts. If he had done so before making the Binding Vow where it no longer disrupted Cursed Energy based applications for Arts based applications, its imbued Cursed Techniques would have been disrupted. But with the Binding Vow? Only Dikaiopolis' Arts stability was being affected.
"—The Blazingaxe Knight that we all know to be an unstoppable bastion and possessing a masterful manipulation over his Blood Arts has been stopped dead in his tracks with chains?! What sort of chains are they in the first place, does the Cursed Samurai have an armory of a thousand weapons or what?! This is looking more grim for the Dikaiopolis as he's kept still like a sitting duck!
At that moment, Megumi's speed reached its peak, the usual Mach 3 that was attainable instantly by utilizing Noble Eightfold Path—but without it, the Jujutsu Sorcerer would require constant build-up along with the assistance of Ame-no-Habakiri's water enhancements, both internally and externally. When the area had turned into a black blur that his opponent could no longer attack, the Jujutsu Sorcerer decided to slow himself down a bit and reduce his Cursed Energy Reinforcement.
He had become too excited, and it wouldn't do him any good to kill his opponent. So when the time came, he launched toward the Blazingaxe Knight like a speeding jet, shattering the sound barrier and falling into a drop kick. The entire scenery became a blur to him as the immense force of the world passed through his face, sending a blistering heat wave around himself, but not enough to cause significant damage. The kick landed.
BOOM
The sound of alloyed steel being casually dented and digging into his opponent's skin and muscle was heard. From the impact, the ground ruptured upwards, sending pulverized debris as the wind continued to quake in the wake of just a devastating blow. Shifting with the force of a skyscraper being toppled, Fushiguro Megumi bounced off of Dikaiopolis' body in order to further disperse the force and not have his leg continuously stab into his body, performing a backflip as his opponent was sent flying.
BANG
The Blazingaxe Knight found their back slamming into the wall on the other side of the arena, a bloody streak having been left in his path as the rest of the power exerted found itself resting in a new home. A grandiose declaration of what was indisputably a victory echoed across the arena, shaking the audience to their core, and making those who were unfortunate enough to sit close to the site of impact nearly have a heart attack. A large dust cloud was kicked up, as if a giant had stomped and grinded their foot on the arena, sending all matters of debris upwards.
"—I... w-what? W-was that t-the s-sound barrier—?"
Megumi continued to stare on, once more having caused a great silence to find itself in the confines of Kawalerielki's most lively area—turning it more deathly silent than a graveyard or memorial. There was no cheer from the audience, only staring with bated shock at what was a monster standing in the arena, and the commentator shared the same sentiment. He continued to stand there with the same bored expression as usual, feeling the excitement from earlier dissipating.
'...That was... something,' the Jujutsu Sorcerer kept his posture steady, narrowing his eyes in the dust storm that had kicked up at where he had launched Dikaiopolis. 'Is breaking the sound barrier an unusual feat?' The black-haired man continued to bask in the silence with confusion, 'Dikaiopolis should still be standing up—albeit barely.' Just as the obstructive sight of dust had finally cleared, Megumi had been correct in his assumption.
There was the Blazingaxe Knight, armor completely in tatters as his helmet fell off in shattered bits. He possessed tanned skin and white hair, along with a gruff facial structure. The expression on his face seemed to give away that he was hardly holding onto his consciousness, panting and heaving as the eyes continued to flicker between opening and closing. That wasn't even mentioning the spazzing of his muscles, the way they twitched uncontrollably as if he were undergoing a mini seizure.
"—This... erm, this is uh... I have to say folks, this looks to be a c-complete and utter loss on the side of—"
Before the commentator could finish his speech, Megumi raised his voice toward the crowd and the commentator himself, using Cursed Energy Reinforcement on his vocal cords to amplify the message he was about to deliver.
"I forfeit the match!"
Megumi's voice echoed across the arena without anything to dilute or tamper with it, cascading in the earbuds of everybody present—whether they were matching the match digitally or not. A greater wave of shock passed through everybody present, and more murmurs started to break out as a result. Uncaring of what they thought, the black-haired man turned around, having technically honored the deal between him and Czarny, so there was no need for him to waste his time any further.
"—Eh, huh? D-did I hear that properly, the Cursed Samurai... forfeited the match? Seriously, what is going on with this year's Major—!"
Megumi, despite hearing the entourage of sounds forming an orchestra of a chaotic hurricane, could care less about the situation. There was something that had been matching him with bated malice, and he had detected their presence ever since he made his way to the arena. He already knew who they were, and he was going to take that matter into account where it was coming from. With the constant dangers surrounding him, public opinion and fame was the last thing he cared about.
The backlash... he could take it. It never mattered to him in the first place. As he stepped out of the arena, the confused screams and conversations amongst the stands continued to echo all across Kazimierz, to both the physical, and digital world.
Nothing too bad... that was his assumption.
***
[Cursed Samurai Breaks the Sound Barrier Three Times Over in the Arena Matches, DEBUNKED!]
BY RED WINE
201.2k Views
During the critically acclaimed match of the Blazingaxe Knight against the Cursed Samurai, the latter miraculously defeated the former in what people believe to be a rigged match! This is further proven by the fact of an absurd scene circulating across the Kazimierz intranet with the absurd feat of "breaking the sound barrier three times over," as it was recorded.
Furthermore, the special effects have been rampantly becoming more advanced as editing software has been progressed over the course of Kazimierz's spiking economic conditions, leading to possible tampering with the footage and misleading videos to drown out the raw and unfiltered footage! All scenes should be taken with a grain of salt and educated scrutiny in regards to what is spread across the media, as hilariously overperformed feats exaggerated as one would in a local tavern bar are just as common on the intranet as they are in actual person.
Let us take a moment to reflect on what information we view to be truly eligible and fact checked, and not rely on strange assumptions. Now, let's begin debunking the multiple stated facts by internet armchair scientists.
First of all, the blur created by the Cursed Samurai as he was circling the Blazingaxe Knight was obviously a twisting of his Shadow Arts in order to make it look like he was moving faster than usual, and should be in no way indicative of his overall movements. It has been shown in previous footage that the Cursed Samurai is capable of moving his vortex portals.
Second of all, the "sonic boom" that came when he had begun speeding up and when he had landed the kick against the Blazingaxe Knight must have either been edited in for exaggeration effects, or because the Cursed Samurai had stored wireless speakers in his vortex portals in order to produce such a sound.
Third of all, the sudden twist in movements while moving at the speed of sound is such an impossibility that it should be looked on with further scrutiny compared to the other facts, and the Cursed Samurai's body without any protection should have snapped his legs after abruptly changing directions!
Fourth of all, if the Cursed Samurai could move at three times the speed of sound, why hadn't he done so before?
So based on all these facts, do you truly believe the Cursed Samurai had pulled such an absurd feat as shattering the sound barrier three times over? We will leave that conclusion to your well-educated mind.
[Related Articles]
—The Match Against the Blazingaxe Knight and the Cursed Samurai Was rigged?! The REAL Reason Why the Match Was Forfeited!
—A Great Hit to Kazimierz's Pride! Are Higashinese Samurais superior?! Capable of Moving Three Times Faster than the Speed of Sound and Slicing Nomadic Cities in Half?! The Legends of the Most Famous Samurai's Accomplishments!
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***
"Roy, you fucking bitch," Platinum placed two hands over his face leaning back on the couch while letting out a groan, "did you send a grunt to spy over the guy you're attempting to assassinate? Are you stupid? What the hell is going under that thick skull of yours?!" He crashed out, yelling constant insults just as his hand had finished ragging down his face.
"What? What's so wrong with that?" Roy crossed his arms with a genuinely confused expression, knowing that Platinum becoming this angry that he talked as informally as Centaurea was rare. Not even when he was ranting toward the CEOs who would complain about failed missions.
"Armorless Union Hidden Headquarters one and three have been completely wiped out," Platinum crossed his arms, stating the facts as they were, "it has just been reported to me, that they have all collapsed and nothing but blood and gore could be seen. Worst of all? The documents have all been taken."
"...Eh?" Roy blinked a few times, letting the information process through his mental CPU, "w-what? Destroyed? Come on man, you can't be joking like this, haha~ h-how could something like that happen in the first place?" Despite the confident flair he kept up, finding out that two of their bases have been destroyed within a single day was...
"Guess who discovered he was being spied on? Guess who had decided to track down the route of the Armorless Union grunt who couldn't cover up their damn tracks because you couldn't get a more effective person? Guess who has broken the sound barrier three times over in the Kazimierz Major?" Platinum crossed his face with a ghastly expression possessing the boundless might of a volcanic rage.
"Run that last part back again?" Roy blinked again, "breaking the sound barrier three times over? Now that's just some exaggeration—"
"Take a look," Platinum spoke emotionlessly, flashing his phone upwards toward the Lazurite. The footage was already prepared, a clip of the scene that had played over the Kazimierz Major, "this is your target, and he's most likely already aware of our potential locations, our motives, and everything in between."
Roy watched the scene play itself over and over again, a constant repeated motion of a hamster running upon their wheel. The vicious sound of sound being murdered at the break-neck motion of the black-haired man, and the impact that came with it. From the footage alone, even his movements were impossibly difficult to track. The undeniable shockwave of distorted air and the thundering sound that came with it.
It was then the Lazurite opened his mouth, "hey~ so uh, why is he in Kazimierz again?"
Platinum clenched his fist and closed his eyes, "we need to contact them. You've already screwed us over a thousand times over." It wouldn't do him any good to have an outburst at the moment.
"Them? Do we even have a means of contacting—" Roy let out an exasperated breath, but the moment his sentence was completed, a beeping sound came from his communications device. It was a familiar one, a specialized sound for a message that had been sent to him, and boy did it send a shiver down his ivory spine "—oh..."
"...Answer it," Platinum's voice became more grave, his index finger twitching beyond his control, before he clenched his fist tighter in order to reign it in. "We're dealing with a normal target at this point."
***
"You did not meet our conditions," Czarny spoke in a neutral tone while referring to the black-haired man, the ebb of the night sky having made itself known upon the city.
"I threw the match, you said to throw the match." Megumi kept his arms crossed with a bored look, having already finished his business with a few of his targets, "that's all there was to it, and I went with it. Do you think you have room for complaints?" The black-haired man turned an uncaring expression toward the Kuranta.
Czarny let out a sigh, moving one of his hands to pinch the bridge of his nose while he glanced upwards, "I meant to throw the match by making the Blazingaxe Knight look as if he had won a splendorous victory, not as if he had barely made it out with his life—before his opponent forfeited for an unknown reason that is making the media buzz about with their uneducated assumptions."
"Whatever, you should have specified it more clearly next time," Megumi turned away from the other man, uncaring of what they thought. "If you see me as a conman, then I'll take that as a compliment. Just as you will forever be a cold bastard spokesman for the K.G.C.C. ruining lives as you please—I'll take that notion kindly myself—ruining your own just as you have done with others." He gave a glance back, high crimson orbs widening in the purest wrathful gaze that he could channel forth toward the other man, which was by flaring up his Cursed Energy.
Czarny, who bore the brunt of it, felt sweat developing on the back of his neck while his pupils constricted. There he was, standing in an endless chasm of the abyss, where no senses were present and where he could see nothing... except for the thousands of eyes off in the unforeseeable horizon, narrowed in disgust and disdain. In the center of it was the blacked out figure of the black-haired man—no—thing that he was just gazing upon. There were four white gleaming eyes staring at him, while crimson marks aligning parts of his black outlined body were flickering on and off.
The stench of blood pervaded the area, filling his nostrils with a putrid smell that would have even his dirtied hands grasping in order to block it out. However, no movement responded toward the commands nor demands of his brain, leaving the Kuranta as stationary as a statue standing up high in heavens. Indeed, one that showed immense tower and might, but also one that was nothing but an object that could do nothing.
At that moment, when his eyes finally blinked, Czarny found that Fushiguro Megumi had completely disappeared from sight, letting him jokingly grab his chest and heave out a frustrated air. His heart was racing, rivers of blood at the center of his body rushing outwards in order to fill up the lost oxygen he had lost. Letting his body recover and attempting to understand what had happened, the spokesman for the K.G.C.C. felt his phone ringing, before regaining his composure and taking the call.
The phone beeped "...hello?" Czarny spoke out with a perturbed voice, before clearing it into his fist. "The Armorless Union, I presume?"
"The Cursed Samurai," a deep voice that he couldn't recognize came through, making the Kuranta immediately know who they came from, and become more tense as a result. "Fushiguro Megumi, he is our next target after the many obstacles he had proven toward the Armorless Union. Are you involved with him?"
"...I was not aware he was the one who had... been," Czarny kept as calm as possible, but could feel the sinking sensation in his chest start to develop again. From one near-heart attack, to another it seems, "involved... with those matters. I merely took upon his request to participate in the Kazimierz Major."
"Do. Not. Be involved with the man any further. Are we clear?" The voice asked.
"Of course, crystal clear." Czarny replied.
At that moment, the phone beeped, the call ending.