The fortress of Ise was an imposing stronghold, home to the Oni Clan. Its black stone walls towered above almost every other building, stark and unyielding. The grounds were strangely devoid of trees. Despite this, the city within teemed with life, bustling much like Gifu. The difference was the air of gloom that hung over it... and the masks.
Almost everyone, except the peasants and laborers, wore them. Each mask was unique, covering most of the wearer's face, marking their identity among the martial artists of the clan.
The Oni Clan had mastered techniques widely considered forbidden and taboo. Body modifications, symbiotic parasites, rituals, experimental enhancement drugs, deadly poisons—here, these practices were not shun. In Ise, their practitioners could wear their craft and use their techniques as a badge of pride. Their motto said it plainly:
"No cost too great. No method beneath us."
At the city's heart rose the main palace, a towering white building where the Oni family resided. Their pure white palace is seen as a symbol of purity, home to Martial Artists that are said to have mastered harnessing the energy of their "deity", practicing the Immortal Dragon Art, reputed to grant near-mystical abilities.
Beneath the palace, however, lay a sprawling underground network, twisting and labyrinthine. It was a place of experimentation and prison for those unfortunate enough to fall into the clan's hands.
———
Bankei was woken by the clanging of his bowl on the floor.
Sigh. They'd done it again.
Could they at least show some respect to someone nearing their death?
He crouched down, picking the largest chunks of potato on the floor from what was supposed to be stew. On the bright side, the potatoes were cooked to perfection. Prison chefs improving, huh?
While squatting and eating off the floor, a sudden breeze brushed past him. Something moved beside him, a presence he hadn't expected.
He froze. Shock ran through him, almost making him gasp, when the figure raised a finger to its lips.
Shush. Calm down.
The man was young. Spiky hair, black fitted clothes, a tiger-mask covering his face.
"Oni Clan?" Bankei asked, suspicious.
The boy tilted his head.
"No? Then who are you? How'd you get here? What do you want?"
The boy's eyes flicked to the food scattered on the floor.
"…Were you eating that?" the boy asked finally, hushed.
Bankei nodded. "Want some?"
The boy produced jerky and berries from his robes. "Eat this."
Curious, Bankei took them. The jerky was tough but flavorful; the berries burst with sweetness. The boy waited patiently as he finished, watching silently.
The old man face looked tired, but his overall figure remained quite round. He was balding and had a long white beard.
"Thanks for the food. Now what?," Bankei said, finally.
The boy peeked through the cell bars. "Hold on. I'm breaking you out."
"No!" Bankei shouted, his voice echoing through the hallways.
Footsteps thundered toward them.
"WHAT ARE YOU SHOUTING FOR?" a guard roared.
By the time the guard reached him, Bankei was crouched over, frantically smearing the stew across the floor. "THERE'S NO MORE POTATOES! NONONONO!" he wailed.
The guard blinked, then sighed. "...You've gone mad. I guess even you couldn't stand being here," he muttered, disappointed, and walked away.
Once the coast was clear, the boy dropped silently from the ceiling.
Bankei straightened, wiping his hands with a dirty rag.
"Why'd you do that?" the boy asked, "My task is to come rescue you."
"From… who?"
"You're on death row!" the boy said, hesitating.
Bankei exhaled calmly and sat back on his straw bed. "I cannot leave."
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"It's my choice," Bankei said.
"As I said, my mission is to save you… it doesn't matter whether you want it or not," the boy said.
Bankei's gaze shifted. "You can try, but It's easy to yell and alert the guards."
The boy frowned. "What's your deal, old man?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you imprisoned? Why do you accept death?"
Bankei sighed. "Weren't you briefed? Are you new here?"
"…I don't need info when I can just break you out," the boy said, stepping forward. "Stop being stubborn and let's esc—"
"No."
Bankei swatted his arm away. The boy froze. Sure, he looked like a normal old man, but that was clearly not true.
Quickly, the boy took out and activated his scouter.
[Bankei: 4600]
"What the—? Martial Squire? You could've escaped in a heartbeat!"
A visible, faint white aura shimmered over Bankei's body, dissipating just as quickly.
"I told you, I cannot leave," he said, calm as ever, "And if you don't hurry, you can't either you fool. The Martial Masters are coming back from their expedition any day now."
The boy's eyes widened, "What?"
Bankei scoffs, "You are new to this. If you'd done your research, you'd know that this place not just a jail—It's also next to the Martial Master's quarters."
"I don't know how powerful you are or how you got in, but you should go while they—"
"The Masters have arrived!" A servant shouted at the halls, informing the guards and waking them up from their nap. They kept yelling as they ran even further down the dungeon.
Bankei and the boy looked at each other. "It seems you're trapped here with me for the time being."
The boy was still lost in his thoughts, thinking of his options. Eventually, he sank to the floor, defeated.
Bankei put his hand on the boy's slumped shoulder, "If it'd make you feel better, let me explain what that led to all of this."
"Tell me, what do you know about the Oni Clan?"
Merun shrugged. "Well… not much. It's a clan that specializes in poisons and techniques usually banned in other places right?"
Bankei's eyes twitched. "That much is true… What about the main family?"
"Nothing much either. Just that they have a cult following within the clan, and their technique is based on a shadow dragon. Some chuunibyou stuff."
"…Chyunibiyo?" Bankei asked, brows raised.
"Ah, it means pretending to have powers. Like…" Merun lifted his hands in front of his face, peering through his fingers. "I can't hold it back anymore! The black dragon sealed in my heart will consume my soul, and none will survive the destruction!"
Bankei stepped back. "What??? Why here?"
Merun laughed. "No, it's not real. That's what a chuunibyou is. Someone delusional."
Bankei exhaled. "I see."
He sat down. "But it's true. They do possess near-mystical abilities through their technique. Somehow, when they use it, their strength and toughness increase. Their reactions sharpen… almost like the Kinzoku's special technique."
Merun blinked. "Oh. Like Divine Arsenal?"
Bankei nodded. "Ah, so you've heard of that. But no… it isn't quite that powerful."
He rested a hand on his chin, thinking. "Still, it allows the main family to draw out power that shouldn't be attained normally. Their techniques appear very ominous and cause hallucinations to the lower realms.. That's why they've gained a cult following and formed their own religion within the clan."
"But there is a side of the technique people don't know about."
He closed his eyes. A sudden gust stirred the air. A thin veil of white aura surrounded him.
In his open palm, a small sphere of white energy flickered to life.
Merun's eyes widened.
Huh?
Is that Ki?