Kozuna
Mifune and I furtively scanned the area. Demons of all different kinds surrounded us at pretty much every angle and direction possible. Some were quietly hovering in the sky, others bathed in the lake of lava. There was no escaping their line of sight, and we knew we needed to play our cards carefully. Mifune and I barely exchanged glances, but I got the sense we knew exactly what the other was thinking.
"We were sent here against our will; told to seek out Emper. My name's Kozuna."
"And I'm Mifune."
"Sent here against your will?" Emper approached a little, the ground trembling beneath his steps. "Few are capable of transporting other lifeforms between the mortal realm and the Shadow Paths."
"Do you know the demon that warped us out here?" I asked.
"I have some guesses; however, I need more information for a proper conclusion. What did this demon look like? How did you encounter them?"
"He-" I averted my twitchy gaze. "He was inside my friend's curse seal, I think-"
"Ah. And what sort of seal would that be?"
"T-transformation?"
Is that the correct answer?
"Yes, I understand. So, he's awakened again, too." Emper chuckled softly. "The demon who sent you here is known as Ryuziro, the facet of transformation. One of the seven facets that dwell within Shadow Seals."
"'Kay, but why'd that dick warp us here?" Mifune folded his arms. "He said he could make use of us. What'd he mean by that?"
"It's quite simple, really. The Shadow Paths is a dying realm, and the demons are in desperate need of help. He likely sent you two here because he saw potential. And considering that neither of you appears to be shaking in your boots, surrounded by demons, I think I see it as well. So, why don't we make a deal?"
Almost sounds like he's got this interaction practiced.
Mifune almost turned away entirely. "Make a deal? Man, what do y'all think this shit is? Just let us the hell outta this bitch. We'll leave your precious Ryuziro alone."
"Hold on, let's at least hear him out."
Mifune rolled his eyes. "Are you serious, Kozuna?"
"Read the room, Mifune."
Mifune's gaze twisted to our surroundings until he groaned. "Tch. Riiight."
Emper laughed once more. His hoarse voice permeated the thick air. "We aren't so barbaric as to just attack you without reason. But, before I offer you two any deal, I must explain a bit of why I'm asking. Shadow Seals- what humans refer to as curses, the power of demons- were 'granted' to humanity after the death of Visutra, the demon who once watched over the Shadow Paths. I advise you both to get comfortable."
Comfortable? With an audience of fucking demons?
Mifune and I exchanged looks of slight discontent. We couldn't show too much.
"Go on," I quietly answered.
***
"About seven centuries ago, a terrible war took place within the mortal realm. A war between the inhabitants of the Shadow and Astral Paths. The demons and the celestials. That war ultimately tore the human world asunder and made it what it is today. The celestials, aided by humanity, murdered Visutra. And with nothing to contain his vast and awesome power, the human world became ground zero for the outpour of his demonic senten."
"The celestials?" I asked.
"Spiritblooded beings much like the demons, except they wield celestial senten, as opposed to demonic senten. Two variants situated on opposite sides of the same coin. But, as I was saying, when Visutra was killed, his senten surged across the planet. Nearly everything was either vaporized or irreparably warped. The celestials protected life on the human world from a horrific extinction, but not without an ulterior motive. They never act without an ulterior motive."
Are there any records of this? I mean, as much of a history buff as Yvira is, the most she's ever talked about were rumors of demons in books. Nothing more.
Mifune stretched and yawned, a display more of boredom than actual sleepiness. "So, what? Is this the part where you tell us the ulterior motive?"
Emper nodded slowly. "Of course. The celestials needed to contain the power of Visutra, and what better a vessel than your humanity? In the current era, humans refer to Shadow Seals as curse seals, but the term 'curse seal' is merely a meaningless placeholder for the true name. The celestials discreetly implanted that name- that identity- curses- into human minds. But onlyafter wiping all memory of war from humanity. But those 'curses?' They contain fragments of Visutra's power. Especially the original seven Shadow Seals. The celestials don't wish to be directly involved. Not anymore, at least. Wanted to wipe their starry hands clean after bringing ruin down on two different realms. They've even created stand-ins."
Stand-ins?
"Alright, pause real fuckin' quick." Mifune began talking with his hands. "Why'd all this demonic shit slam us? Why the fuck was y'all's damn war taking place in our realm? OUR world?"
"What race would desire to bring calamity upon itself and its own home? The celestials painted demons as evil and tricked humanity into fighting alongside them. When Visutra was defeated, the celestials split and sealed the most vital pieces of him- the fragments containing his consciousness and divisions of power- into seven humans. The primary humans who aided the celestials in killing Visutra. They were rewarded by being turned into vessels, forced to pass down a piece of Visutra's consciousness as they died off. And, of course, the residual senten left in the earth sometimes infects humans. This is why some of your kind are born with dormant Shadow Seals. And those of you who are born with Shadow Seals remain subject to the possibility of becoming another facet's vessel. Meanwhile, without Visutra's power, the Shadow Paths is slowly deteriorating. Reaching the end of its lifespan. The meager power we remaining demons possess cannot sustain the realm much longer."
This is all so far-fetched. But, with Nikai having a demon inside of him, and Mifune and I being transported to another world?
"Okay, you've told us some truth, Emper. But-"
"Kozuna, you don't actually believe him, right?"
"Mifune. That demon- Ryuziro- he said I have two Shadow Seals packed into one. And they're supposed tocontain demons." I bit my finger for a second as I thought back on everything. "It just now hit me- when Nikai's Shadow Seal awakened, mine felt drawn to his. But it's not drawn to yours or anyone else's. My theory is that your seal isn't necessarily linked to Visutra, but for me, it's like the 'link' is there, but the demons are nowhere to be found."
Not that I'm complaining.
"What are you getting at?"
Emper's grinning fangs flashed in delight as he watched me unravel my own revelation.
My teeth clenched, and my eyes twitched. I didn't wanna believe the words I spoke. "In each of the original seven seals dwells a facet of Visutra. The reason I don't have the demons is that the person or people who had my seals before me are still alive- somehow.Has to be."
How was I even born with these seals, then? It's like the essence of Visutra is present enough to be noticeable. But if those demons were inside of me, I'd damn sure know it.
"That's about as correct as you can get, Kozuna. Though all Shadow Seals contain demonic senten, only the original seven hold the facets. Your seal has a more direct connection. A marking on the left hand indicates a hereditary seal. It's why you only have one visible seal but two senten signatures within. It's likely that people in your bloodline have those seals, and it's possible they're still alive and have those facets. But it's equally possible that you merely inherited the powers as a result of a genetic mutation. Those facets could be anywhere."
"All this talk has got me thinking. If Visutra's power basically obliterated the human world, then it should be able to reverse the damage, right? I mean, if Visutra's combined power can keep your realm alive, there's no reason it can't heal our realm as well, right?"
"Yes, precisely. That is what I wished to explain before making a deal with you two. The Hanakai are searching high and low for the facets, and I have taken on the duty of maintaining the Shadow Paths, lest the realms fall out of balance. But without Visutra, the Shadow Paths won't last much longer."
My lips pursed. I turned away from Emper for a moment.
I could accomplish my goal. We wouldn't have to live in a destitute wasteland anymore. But what if Emper's lying? I'd still need to hear the celestial's side of the story.
Mifune took a deep breath, gradually rubbing his face down. He was ready to dip, and I couldn't blame him. "Alright. Let's hear this deal of yours. Is it gonna get us outta here or what?"
I think I've learned some useful information here.
"Here are the terms. I will not only grant you two passage back to your realm, but I will also remove backlash from the usage of your seals and increase the raw power. All you must do in return is collect and bring the seven facets of Visutra back here, or have him revived from your realm. And do so within approximately five years."
"Annnd if we don't fulfill our end of the bargain?"
"Your seals will release stored-up backlash equivalent to all of the times you've wielded your abilities. Granting you a debilitating, agonizing death. More importantly, though, the Shadow Paths only has about five years left. Your time is finite, no matter what. Succeed, and you will not only be able to keep the boosts to your seals indefinitely, but you will also never need to worry about your own powers killing you. Failure is not an option. For anyone here."
Not giving us much of a choice. I'm not sure there's another way outta this place, and there's no way anyone's coming to save us.
Mifune raised his hand plainly. "I've got a couple more questions."
"Speak."
"If the facets could warp our asses straight to hell, why can't they just teleport themselves to the Shadow Paths and be done with it?"
That's… actually a good point.
"It's because they're facets. Fragments of Visutra contained within Shadow Seals, and within human bodies. If the facets had their own physical forms, they'd have no issue returning to the Shadow Paths. They can affect other organisms and the outside world, but a facet can never overtake their host completely."
"But flingin' us through dimensions somehow works?"
Mifune didn't sound convinced, but all Emper did was breathe deeply.
"I wouldn't care to make a deal with you two if the facets had the power to reach the Shadow Paths on their own, Mifune. There'd be no reason for this extended conversation."
"Fair, I guess. Now, my last question. Have any other humans made deals with you before?"
I didn't even consider that.
"You're more astute than I gave you credit for, heh. You two aren't the first. In particular, among other humans, a few members of the Hanakai have made deals with me."
What sort of deals? Backlash and limiter removers, like us? And what do they need to do in return?
Mifune's mouth pressed flat. After a beat, he turned toward me and begrudgingly nodded. I was on the fence just like him, but it didn't seem like there was any other way out.
Together, we answered, "We accept your terms."
"Excellent. Two more souls to the cause. Now, hold still."
Emper reached forward and tapped our foreheads with two of his long, gold fingernails while speaking in that same weird language that Ryuziro did. The very tips dug into our skin slightly and drew blood, and that was when I felt my heart throb. The strength and stamina returned to my body, my senses seemed to heighten, and it felt like I could see the whole world around me. Even the flow of senten through my blood felt invigorating, and my seal glowed more than ever before.
Really hoping this decision doesn't come back to bite us later.
"Hm. Mifune, your seal is similar to another strange oneI've encountered. I can alter the properties of your powers to the extent I promised, but-"
"Yeah, whatever. You said what needed to be said. Let us out this bitch. Clock's ticking, buddy."
Emper exhaled deeply. "Very well. Dri."
Again? Dri?
The nearby demons backed away. After a beat, a reddish-black, swirling portal opened up to our right. Within the liquid-like whirl, we saw the imagery of the nighttime desert on the other side.
What does that word mean? How does it just summon portals outta nowhere?
Mifune crept closer. "So, we just step through? We won't get killed or turned into demons or something, right?"
"I promise you'll be fine, Mifune. You can rid yourself of the over-skepticism. But, before you two depart, I do have a suggestion. I recommend joining Ryuziro and his vessel in their endeavors. You'll find accomplishing the task I gave you much easier."
"Wait a minute-"
Despite more questions popping into my brain, Mifune yanked me through the damn portal, and the portal fucking vanished the instant we'd crossed back into the sandy dunes. Our only means of getting answers vanished along with it.
I rubbed my forehead desperately.
Didn't even figure out WHY the demons and celestials were warring!
***
I mean, I'm glad we're back in our world, but I still have more questions! Not like we're getting another chance to do THAT again anytime soon!
"Eyes up, Kozuna. Look who it is."
Mifune pointed toward the sky until my gaze followed.
"Ryuziro…"
He's still controlling Nikai's body. But if what Emper said was true, I'm guessing his powers are incredibly limited right now.
"Heh! I've been waiting! Are you two ready to get going?"
I nodded slowly. "So, the Hanakai's ultimate goal is to resurrect Visutra?"
"Indeed, right. And now that our goals are aligned, I assume you'll be joining us?"
"Hah!" Mifune scoffed, taking a knee and pressing a hand against the sand. "We're not buddying up with your fuckin' cult, dipshit."
I see what he's doing.
"Yeah, what he said. We make our own choices."
Forcing us into that bargain is manipulative. We don't have a reason to do things Emper's way or Ryuziro's. Let's see just how much more powerful we are.
Without warning, I flashed electricity out of my seal and whipped a thunderbolt at Ryuziro, electrocuting him in midair. And I was shocked at the sheer speed of my own attack, let alone the fact that it was enough to clip his wings.
Ryuziro plummeted toward the ground, smoking and twitching, but he didn't get far. A rising spike-wave of ice cascaded forward and caught him in place, leaving the demon immobilized and unable to do much. Mifune smirked as he stood back up. Ryuziro looked stunned and out of it.
With our limiters removed, he's no problem. Buuut-
Mifune tapped my shoulder, but I'd already noticed. Together, we turned directly toward Centra Highlands. Up there, two familiar faces were perched on the cliffs. Orion glared down judgmentally, seated with his arm over his knee. And a grinning Nazun stood tall, arms folded.
"Koozunaaa!" Nazun called, locking eyes with me.
***
Nazun jerked the sword from his back and leaped down the mountainside without a care in the world! He descended quickly, releasing a gust of soul-wind from his sword to break the fall. He slowly rose from one knee after landing, and pointed his blade at me in particular.
"I've been itching to finally get my rematch with you!"
My gaze swept over to Ryuziro for a second. He was out cold- literally. His body gradually began reverting back to Nikai's, allowing me to relax a little, but we still had those Hanakai fuckoffs to deal with.
Someone rescued Nazun at the last second, before. We gotta make sure no one escapes this time. I'm willing to bet Nazun will focus on me.
"Hey, Mifune, can you take Orion- the guy up top?"
Mifune half-pointed at Nazun. "Can you handle this joker alone?"
"Nazun's no problem."
"Oh, I'm not a problem?"
A battle-crying Nazun sword-slashed one of his classic mini whirlwinds my way. And I dispelled it immediately with a booming thunderbolt that pierced the soul-wind and glided past Nazun's skull. Smoke swirled in the aftermath, and Nazun's eyes fell wide open. I stood there with a half-smile and pulled my palm back to my side, staring Nazun down.
"I see… You're not the same fledgling I fought before. Orion!"
"Already? Seriously?" Orion flickered from the mountaintop to Nazun's side, arms crossed. "It'd be better if we operate independently. Supporting you limits my own powers, Nazun."
"Nah. Kid's too damn smug. Let's show him what it looks like when two curses work in harmony."
The grip around Nazun's sword intensified. Wisps of silverish-black soul-wind flared out from his fist. And in moments, it poured out like crazy. I already knew what was coming when the winds whipped furiously, a product of soul-wind swirling around to form the Soul Colossus, its sword, and its black armor. But that wasn't it.
Both Nazun and Orion stood inside the anchored base of the avatar. And when Orion rested his hand on Nazun's shoulder, bright, flickering flashes of light erupted from within.
Mifune hadn't ever seen the Soul Colossus firsthand, as far as I knew. But we both got front-row seats to the third stage. The Soul Colossus' body and blade grew larger, trimmed with black-bordered, gaseous gold. Orion's light had wrapped itself around the first layer of armor. And in that form, the Soul Colossus became radiant enough to make the moonlit, barren desert bright as day.
I couldn't help but wonder what the point was. Mifune twisted a foot and sent a tidal wave of ice spikes racing toward the Colossus. However, his empowered ice shattered into a rain of melting droplets in the blink of an eye! I almost missed it. And before Mifune had a chance to process, the same blade that burn-cut his ice to nothing came crashing down on our heads!
My body moved on its own. I tackle-snatched Mifune out of the way and narrowly managed to avoid us getting fucking cleaved down to atoms. We glanced back to find a fissure in the earth, venting black soul-wind like bonfire smoke.
Too close.
"Witness the power of the Lightbound Colossus, Kozuna!"
"Pretentious as hell, Nazun."
"And a dumbass name," Mifune added.
It's definitely faster, but it still doesn't match my speed. The real issue is the increased level of destruction. If I'd reacted a second later, we'd probably be dead and burnt crispy. This is the combined power of two Hanakai Shadow Seal wielders, then?
No biggie.