#the clan is my blood and the pillar is its master

[epsilonics]

ms fonda lee do you honestly expect us to believe that our dearest darlingest twink anden emery not once, not when rescued nor when subsequently gently threatened by the scarred, smooth-voiced, muscle-bound gont asch of the mountain clan, not a single time thought of gont's strength in steel and went 😳😳😳

[pxob]

cold hands warm heart

Sanemi Shinazugawa x Fem!Reader

MINORS BEWARE!

Word count: 8502

Category: Enemies to lovers, slow burn romance, angst and fluff.

Warnings: Manga spoilers (if you squint), mention of gore and blood, injury, violence, heavy swearing, slight sexual content and kissing.

Presented in the tranquil stone garden of the Demon Slayers headquarters were nine noble warriors, each with astonishing power and unwavering resolve. Masters of their own unique breathing techniques, they represented the pinnacle of the Demon Slayer Corps. Adorned with various strengths, each Hashira was devoted to safeguarding humanity from the terrors of Demons and pledging never to allow harm to befall the Ubuyashiki clan.

As Ubuyashiki stood on the engawa, the Hashira hung their heads low in respect. Their muscles tensed as they felt the powerful presence of another.

Suddenly, the gates to the Demon Slayer headquarters creaked open, and a gust of wind stirred up the silence. Two Kakushi scurried in, bowing low as their eyes fell upon the nine pillars and Ubuyashiki. They addressed him, "Ubuyashiki-sama, she's here," before swiftly leaving.

The Hashira’s sat in stunned silence; their eyes widened in surprise as they beheld the figure before them. Your presence was palpable, your power radiating from every pore of your being, sending shivers down their spines. As you drew closer, they could see the determination burning in your eyes, and the confidence with which you moved was almost otherworldly. Your footsteps were so quiet that you seemed to blend into the air around you, as if you were a being of pure elegance. When you finally reached Ubuyashiki, you bowed with such grace that even the stone garden seemed to hold its breath in reverence.

Ubuyashiki's gentle voice reverberated through the garden as he greeted you, "How wonderful it is to have you among us." His kind eyes scanned the gathered Hashiras before he continued, "Allow me to introduce our newest member," the weight of their collective gaze fell upon you. You stood tall and met their stares with unwavering confidence, “The Night Hashira,” he continued.

“I am deeply grateful for this honour, Oyakata-sama, and to stand among the esteemed Hashiras." As the words left your lips, a sudden surge of power erupted from within you, causing even the stoic Tomioka to choke in response. The air around you seemed to hum with electricity as the other Hashiras eyes widened in awe. Tengen let out a low whistle of admiration. "Well, well, well," he said, his trademark smirk appearing on his lips, "I think we're in for a real treat with this one."

“Please, make her feel welcomed,” as Ubuyashiki's words reached your ears, you couldn't help but feel grateful for his kind gesture. A soft smile graced your lips as you bowed your head in acknowledgement, hiding the emotions that threatened to spill over. "Thank you, Oyakata-sama," you whispered, hoping he could hear the sincerity in your voice. With that, Ubuyashiki left the engawa, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips, leaving you alone with the Hashiras.

You knew that earning their approval would not be an easy task, but you were determined to prove yourself worthy of your new title.

"Hello- Hi! I'm Mitsuri Kanroji," exclaimed the young woman with thick, greenish-pink locks, her voice filled with enthusiasm. She flashed you a bright smile. Beside her stood a short boy, half of his face obscured by bandages, with striking heterochromatic eyes. "And this is Obanai Iguro," she introduced her companion, who offered a polite nod in your direction.

“Shinobu Kocho,” said a young woman with hair in shades of purple.

“Ah, hello. It’s an honour to be introduced to all of you,” you said with a bow. “I apologize for my abrupt entrance,” you added.

Kanroji beamed with a warm smile, “Oh, no need to apologize, we’re happy to have you here! It's great to see another woman among the ranks. We'll finally have someone who can help keep these boys in line," she teased, winking playfully.

Kocho chuckled softly, "Yes, indeed. There's too much testosterone in this group. A little bit of feminine charm might do them some good," she added with a sly smile.

"This is ridiculous," a voice interrupted from behind you, causing Kocho’s face to turn sour.

You turned around to see a man with scars littering his body. Despite his rough exterior, you found his scars strangely attractive, a testament to the battles he must have fought. However, his attitude was far from attractive.

"You, a Hashira? We ain't ever seen you fight or train," he sneered, his eyes scanning you up and down with a smirk. "Who said ya got the capabilities? I've seen enough to know you're just a weakling who got lucky."

“Shinazugawa-san," the tallest one warned sharply. The girlish-looking boy spoke up, "He does have a point. If she proves herself, she might be worthy of our approval."

"You're entitled to your opinion," you replied calmly, your voice echoing through the garden as you met Shinazugawa’s piercing gaze. "But let me tell you, I didn't get here by sitting idly. I have faced countless demons and emerged victorious from each encounter. So, I assure you that I'm more than capable of holding my own in battle."

Your words hung in the air, and for a moment, he started prowling towards you, his steps slow and calculating, as if he was sizing up his prey.

As Shinazugawa drew closer, you couldn't help but notice the scent of sandalwood and lavender emanating from him, a combination that was both soothing and intense. It was a stark contrast to the scars that criss-crossed his muscular body.

Finally, he stopped a healthy distance in front of you, his eyes searching yours for any sign of weakness. You held his gaze, unflinching, until he finally spoke. "You talk big shit, but it’s all cheap," his teeth were gritted. "Actions speak louder than words, so show me what you can do, bitch," he spat venomously.

“Oi, Shinazugawa-san that’s enough-“

Your hand instinctively reached for the hilt of your Nichirin sword, a weapon crafted uniquely for yourself to better face the demons you were born to fight. Today, it was to confront Shinazugawa and his shit attitude.

“Stop them-“

As you drew your sword, you could feel Shinazugawa’s eyes on you, his body tensing in preparation for battle.

“I want to watch them though.”

The metal rang out as it left its scabbard, filling the air with a sharp, piercing sound.

“Tokito-kun, don’t say that.”

Without hesitation, Shinazugawa also reached for his own sword, a fierce determination etched onto his face.

“Himejima-san, please stop them.”

You knew then that this was it - a clash between two Hashiras, each one determined to prove themselves the stronger.

“Sto-“

With lightning speed, you charged towards Shinazugawa, your sword raised high above your head. His eyes widened in surprise as he barely managed to dodge your attack, but you were one step ahead. As he turned to face you, you disappeared from sight, only to reappear behind him in a flash of movement. Without giving him a chance to react, you swept his feet and tackled him to the ground, pinning his neck with the hilt of your sword, legs constraining his arms while you positioned yourself to straddle him.

Shinazugawa thrashed beneath you, his muscles straining against your hold, but you refused to let go. Your heart raced with adrenaline as you felt his hot breath on your face, but you held fast, determined to prove your worth.

“You know,” you leaned closer to Shinazugawa’s ear, your hair brushing against his cheek. “If you wanted to ask me out, there are better ways to do it than trying to kill me,” you whispered in his ear, low and dangerous.

He jerked his head forward in an attempt to brutally headbutt you, but you swiftly dodged, disappearing from on top of him in a split second, with your sword returning to its scabbard. Shinazugawa’s eyes were now glowing red, his appearance the embodiment of pure rage. "You fucking wish," he spat, the saliva landing beside you as he struggled to regain his footing.

“No, I do not,” you said firmly, your gaze fixed on Shinazugawa’s enraged expression. Turning on your heel, you walked towards the gates, leaving the gathered Hashira behind you.

“Well deserved!” exclaimed Rengoku, clapping his hands together in admiration. Shinazugawa growled in response, his eyes still glowing with fury. "Shut the fuck up, I went easy on her," he retorted as he stood up, dusting off the dirt and pebbles from his uniform and skin.

A week later, the Swordsmith Village.

“Seeing Shinazugawa-san that angry was truly painful for me,” Kanroji sighed, her expression pensive. “You must have really struck a nerve with him. No one has ever started a fight with him on first meeting.”

You sunk deeper into the hot spring, relishing the warmth as you tried to shake off the encounter with Shinazugawa.

Kanroji’s voice interrupted your thoughts, drawing your attention. "I haven't seen him since then, no one has," she said, her tone filled with concern. "I wonder if he's okay."

You lifted your head slightly, watching as Kanroji rested her elbows on a nearby rock and buried her face in her hands.

As you soaked in the hot spring, the sound of footsteps echoed from the staircase. Looking up, you saw a female Kakushi approaching.

"Kanroji-san, your blade has been restored," she said, bowing respectfully.

“Oh, how lovely! I'll be down there shortly,” Kanroji replied with a bright smile. Then she turned to you, her expression still joyful. “I hope to see you at dinner too! We're going to have such a feast, I can't wait! Just thinking about all the food makes me so happy!” As she spoke, she started to wrap herself in her kimono.

“Yes, I’ll join you. Please, go ahead,” you said kindly, as you began to submerge yourself into the hot spring, blocking out any noise that tried to penetrate your senses. You couldn't help but overhear muffled voices from above the water's surface. You recognized Kanroji’s voice, she sounded shocked, but there was a deeper tone that made your heart race.

No.

Oh god no.

You immediately popped your head up, scanning the area to see if anyone was approaching. Surely, Kanroji would have warned any potential visitors that a woman was currently bathing in the hot spring. But it appeared that she had not, typical love Hashira.

It had been a week since the incident with Shinazugawa, and there he was, standing before you. He looked just as striking as before with his artwork of scars and chiselled muscles.

You were gawking at him.

But you quickly regained your composure, realizing that you were both staring at each other in complete silence. His expression was one of shock, and you felt a rush of embarrassment wash over you.

You could practically hear Kanroji’s playful laugher. She’s going to get an earful at dinner.

He mumbled an apology, and you sat there dumbfounded. “What?” you blurted out confused.

"Like... walking in on ya takin' a bath," he replied, his words a little muddled.

As you looked at Shinazugawa, you couldn't believe that this was the same person who had tried to put up a fight with you. Just as you were about to stand up from the hot spring, the realization that you were completely naked hit you, and you quickly sat your backside down again, not wanting to expose yourself in front of him.

"Do you mind-" you began to say, but trailed off as you noticed Shinazugawa staring at you.

"Huh?" he replied, seeming to have missed your question.

"Just turn around for a bit," you said, feeling your face grow hot.

"Oh- oh yeah. Yeah, my bad," he said, quickly turning around.

"Shit," you muttered to yourself. “Sorry, could you pass that?" you asked.

"Pass what?" he asked, confused.

"My kimono, it's right beside you," you said, feeling a bit annoyed.

"What? Oh, yeah," he said, tossing your kimono backwards to avoid catching a glimpse of your naked body.

You quickly wrapped yourself in the kimono, skipping the process of drying yourself just to get out of the awkward situation. Your hair stuck to your face and the thin material of the kimono felt like a damp towel that made you shiver as your skin's moisture clung onto it.

You were freezing and Shinazugawa took notice.

As you made to pass him, Shinazugawa extended his arm to stop you, and you gave him a puzzled look. He then removed his haori and offered it to you. "You're freezing your tits off, take it," he said with a gruff voice.

You hesitated for a moment, looking up at him to find him looking anywhere but you. You felt a bit embarrassed about accepting his gesture, but the cold was too much to bear, right? So, you gratefully took the haori and wrapped it around your shivering body. The fabric was warm and devastatingly smelt of him.

He mumbled something under his breath, but you couldn't quite make it out.

“What?" you asked, looking up at him, hoping he would repeat himself.

He snapped back, "Said, get outta here."

You stared at him for a few seconds, taken aback by his sudden hostility. As you descended the stairs, you couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about the whole situation.

You turned back to look at Shinazugawa. He was still standing there, like a statue, and you couldn't help but notice that the tips of his ears were tinted red.

As you entered the room, Kanroji greeted you with excitement, exclaiming, "I knew it would work! Your best friends now!" You were still processing the encounter with Shinazugawa, but the aroma of the dishes brought you back to reality.

You noticed the variety of dishes laid out on the table, and your stomach grumbled in anticipation. "Let's eat, Kanroji-san," you sat down at the table, still lost in thought, but the food managed to distract you.

As you ate, Kanroji chattered on about different topics, her bubbly personality keeping you company even when your thoughts trailed away. You found yourself gradually relaxing, enjoying the meal and her company.

"Damn it," he muttered to himself, as he sat in the hot spring with his head tilted back, staring up at the night sky. Everything seemed to remind him of her, and it only served to further infuriate him. "She's so fuckin’ annoying," he grumbled, his frustration growing with every passing second. "Why the hell did I give her that?" He shifted his gaze to the stairs where he had last seen her, his jaw clenched tightly.

His Kasugai crow landed beside him, and Shinazuagwa peered at him, tracing his index finger over the soft feathers of his head.

“We’re going on that mission,” he spoke to his Kasugai crow, which perched on a nearby rock. Its beady eyes peered back at him, as if acknowledging his words. “Twelve moon, right?” Shinazugawa continued, his expression showing a hint of excitement. “Gon’ be a piece of cake,” He smirked.

Shinazugawa ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled deeply. “Need to get outta here anyways,” he muttered, gazing out at the surrounding landscape.

You approached the Flame Hashira with a respectful bow as he trained. "Rengoku-san," you said, catching his attention. He turned towards you with a smile and asked, "Oh! What brings you here?"

“Ah, well,” you said sheepishly. "I was hoping you could help me. I'm looking for Shinazugawa-san. Do you happen to know where he resides or where I could find him?" You paused for a moment, feeling a little nervous.

Rengoku expression softened as he noticed your nervousness. "Of course, I know where he lives. Would you like me to escort you?"

You nodded, grateful for the offer. Rengoku stood up from his seat and gestured for you to follow him. As you walked together, he asked, "Is everything alright? You seem a bit uneasy."

You hesitated for a moment before answering, "I just need to return something."

"No, Shinazugawa-sama is not here," the female servant informed you with a polite bow.

You pressed on, "Do you happen to know where he is?"

"He's on a mission," she replied.

You grew impatient and asked, "What type of mission?"

"It's something in relation to the Twelve Moon," she responded calmly.

You could feel Rengoku stiffen at the mention of the Twelve Moon. "Twelve Moon?!" you exclaimed.

The servant nodded, "Yes, he's perfectly capable."

"Shit," you whispered under your breath. "When will he return?" you asked the female servant, feeling a sense of urgency.

"It could possibly be less or more than a month," she replied in a respectful tone.

Your jaw dropped in disbelief. A month was longer than you had hoped.

"Why don't you give it to her instead?" Rengoku interjected, noticing your disappointment.

You shook your head, "It's okay, I'll return it to Shinazugawa-san myself," you replied with a small smile, determined to wait for his return.

Rengoku stared at you, his eyes widening for some unknown reason. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, both of your Kasugai crows swooped in, relaying the same message.

You both ran with fervour, your hearts pounding with urgency as you raced towards your destination.

Upper Moon 2 and 3 attacking a village to the west

Shinazugawa was there, alone with those demons. The thought of him facing those powerful beings by himself sent chills down your spine, and you pushed yourself to go faster.

As you approached the village, the scene before you was nothing short of chaos. Smoke billowed up into the sky, blackening the once peaceful atmosphere of the village. The sound of screams and cries of panic filled your ears, a clear indication of the destruction that had taken place.

As you ran through the streets, you saw houses that were once sturdy and intact, now reduced to rubble and debris. The lifeless bodies of citizens lay scattered among the ruins, their blood seeping into the ground beneath them. Some of the survivors were running frantically, trying to escape the horror that had befallen them.

Amidst the chaos, you suddenly caught a whiff of sandalwood and lavender, a scent that you recognized all too well. Without a moment's hesitation, you drew your sword from its scabbard, ready for whatever lay ahead.

"Rengoku-san, follow me," you ordered, as you began to sprint towards the source of the scent.

"It's not just Upper 2 and 3," you informed Rengoku, your eyes scanning the area. Weak demons were scattered all around, causing chaos and destruction. Suddenly, one demon leaped towards you, and Rengoku yelled out a warning.

With one swift stroke of your sword, you effortlessly decapitated the demon and continued towards your destination.

“Rengoku-san,” you said firmly. “Please take care of the civilians. I'll handle the upper moons on my own.”

Rengoku opened his mouth to protest, but you interrupted him, throwing him a reassuring smile over your shoulder. "I'll be fine," you said, your tone calm.

After a moment of hesitation, Rengoku nodded reluctantly, “Be careful.”

He circled back towards the heart of the village where the citizens were gathered, offering them his full support. Meanwhile, you were making your way towards Shinazugawa, but as you got closer, you felt a sudden drop in temperature, the air growing icy cold.

The ground beneath your feet was no longer dirt, but instead, it was now coated with ice.

Doma.

You sprinted towards the scene of the battle, your heart pounding against your chest as you saw Shinazugawa fighting fiercely against the upper ranks. He was holding his on, his sword gleaming in the dim moonlight as he expertly dodged and parried their attacks.

But as you drew closer, you could see that his movements were becoming more sluggish, and sweat was beading on his forehead. He was clearly tiring, and the demons were taking advantage of it. Doma casted ice into small particles, filling the air with a freezing chill.

Your mind raced as you realized the danger Shinazugawa was in. If he breathed in that ice, his lungs would collapse, he’d be unable to fight any longer. You opened your mouth to shout a warning, but before you could make a sound, Shinazugawa unleashed his seventh form.

In an instant, the air was filled with a gust of wind as Shinazugawa’s technique cast away the ice particles, scattering them in all directions. The force of the attack sent the demons staggering backward, giving Shinazugawa a momentary respite.

“Fifth form, Shooting Stars.” With lightning-fast movements, you darted through the field, attacking the two demons from every angle.

Your swordsmanship was unparalleled as you gracefully weaved through the air, moving with a fluidity that seemed almost otherworldly. The two demons were caught off guard as you darted around them, striking with a speed that left them reeling. Your strikes were precise, aimed directly at their weak points, and you took advantage of every opening with a calm and calculated efficiency.

"Doma, you little shit," you growled. Your eyes narrowed as you saw him chanting. You braced yourself for the worst as an enormous Bodhisattva statue surrounded by lotuses made of ice spawned from the surface you were standing on. You tried to dodge, but the ice vines sprouting from the lotuses entangled you, snaring all over your body and dragging you towards the statue, towards Doma.

You struggled to break free, feeling the vines tightening around your limbs and cutting into your flesh. You knew that if you didn't act fast, your bones would break under the pressure.

"Little Night Hashira, we meet again!" he exclaimed with a smile, completely oblivious to the fact that you were only seconds away from delivering the final blow. "You are still as gorgeous as ever, and you smell heavenly too," he added, his tone suggestive.

You had only crossed paths a handful of times in missions, yet he acted as if you were old friends.

Your grip tightened around the hilt of your sword, your eyes narrowing as you glared at him. His smug expression only served to infuriate you further, the veins tightened even more.

"You’re mistaken if you think I have any interest in your flattery, Doma," you spat blood. "I’m here to end your pitiful existence.”

Doma's expression faltered for a moment, but then he chuckled. "Oh, my dear, you’re always so fierce. That's what makes you so irresistible."

But before you could retort, your attention was diverted to Shinazugawa’s whereabouts. You scanned the area, but he was nowhere to be found. Panic set in as you realized he could be in danger.

You darted your eyes around, searching frantically for any sign of him.

"Looking for someone, Little Night Hashira?" he asked with a sinister tone, grinning. "Hm... Your little Wind Hashira, perhaps?" He giggled, clearly knowing something you didn't. "He's an amazing fighter, you know. Akaza wants to turn him. He'd be an amazing Upper Moon." His voice was taunting.

A searing pain erupted in your side, causing you to gasp for air. You looked down to see a deep gash across your abdomen, blood flowing freely from the wound. You gazed back at Doma, his fan covering his mouth as he hid his smug smile.

You tried to speak, but blood gurgled out of your mouth, choking you. “Where-“ you managed to gasp, desperately trying to finish your question.

“Where what?” he taunted, pretending not to understand.

“Is he…” you wheezed, barely able to speak as the pain in your chest intensified.

“Look over there, pretty girl,” Doma said, pointing with his fan. You turned your head to see Shinazugawa locked in a fierce battle with Akaza. Your heart sank at the sight of him fighting alone against such a powerful opponent.

Your attention was quickly brought back to your own predicament as the ice vines continued to tighten their grip around your body. The coldness was seeping into your bones and you could feel your strength waning. You gritted your teeth and tried to break free, but it was no use.

"Once Akaza gets his final blow in," Doma leaned in, bringing you close enough to see the spectrum of colours in his eyes. "We will turn him into a demon. If he refuses, well..." His smile faded, “We’ll tear every single limb of his off.”

You reached your breaking point, your mind became clouded. “Thirteenth form, Nightmare.”

Suddenly, the world around you transformed into a dark and ominous realm. The air was thick with the scent of fear, and the sound of screams and cries echoed all around you. Doma was now trapped in a terrifying nightmare of his own making.

The vines that had been tightly wrapped around you suddenly loosened, and the statue that Doma had created melted away at an intense speed. You plummeted towards the ground, hitting the hard surface with a deafening thud. You let out a silent cry. The impact should have caused numerous broken bones, but you refused to succumb to the pain.

As you surveyed your surroundings, you noticed that the shadow of Doma was writhing in agony, his face contorted with terror. He clawed at the air and his own face in a desperate attempt to escape his own nightmare. You took advantage of the opportunity and prepared yourself for the final blow, concentrating all your power into your stance as you chanted, "First form, Meteor."

"AKAZA!" Doma screeched, just as you were about to land the final blow on his neck, slicing through the skin. You could sense Akaza's presence from your peripheral vision as he swiftly moved towards Doma and took him into his arms. The force of your sword met nothing but air, and the ground where Doma should have been standing erupted into a deep crater from the sheer power of your attack.

You let out a string of curses, the words echoing through the empty air. Taking a deep breath, you tried to calm yourself down, but the pain you were in made it even difficult as bones were constricting your lungs. However, you refused to let it stop you from finding Shinazugawa.

You spotted Shinazugawa just a few meters away, his gaze fixed on you. He stood there, motionless, much like he did back at the hot springs. As you turned your attention towards him, you noticed Rengoku approaching you from behind.

You let out a raspy breath before collapsing to the ground, causing Rengoku to rush towards you, leaving Shinazugawa behind. As you struggled to catch your breath, Shinazugawa’s voice cut through the air.

"You lost him," he stated flatly.

Confused you replied, "What?"

Shinazugawa’s eyes widened as he continued, "You're so fucking useless. Why are you even here?"

Rengoku interrupted, his anger palpable as he yelled, "Shinazugawa! Can you not do this right now?"

Shinazugawa ignored him, spitting out his words with contempt, "You are so fucking useless, you should have died."

You stared at him, taken aback by his harsh words.

Your breathing became shallow, and your heart felt like it had dropped to your stomach. The weight of Shinazugawa’s words felt heavy, crushing down on any sense of self-worth you had left. You tried to hold back tears, but you could feel them welling up in your eyes. The pain was almost unbearable, and all you wanted to do was curl up into a ball and disappear.

“Why?" you choked out, your voice barely above a whisper.

"Quit the fucking corps," he said, his tone cold.

“Shinazugawa,” Rengoku removed his haori and quickly wrapped it around your bleeding torso. “She did more than you could have,” he said, his voice laced with a mix of anger and frustration directed at Shinazugawa. He held you close, trying to ease your pain as you groaned in agony. The wounds were deep and you could feel the blood trickling down your skin. Despite Rengoku’s efforts, the pain was still overwhelming, making it hard for you to focus on anything else.

You saw black.

“Is she in a stable condition?” Ubuyashiki inquired with a deep concern etched in his voice.

“Yes, Oyakata-sama. The Kakushi just arrived in time to prevent further blood loss,” Rengoku replied.

“I’m glad. She fought valiantly, didn't she?” he remarked, with a tone that suggested it was not a question. Ubuyashiki was well aware of your formidable strength, which could rival even Himejima, if not, surpass him. However, even such strength had its limits, and you were not invincible.

Shinazugawa sat in silence during the meeting, his eyes fixed on a spot on the floor without even a single blink. Ubyashiki addressed him, "Shinazugawa?"

Shinazugawa jolted out of his trance, "Oyakata-sama."

Ubyashiki asked, "What did you tell her?”

Shinazugawa hesitated, swallowing hard and opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. Eventually, he managed to say, "I told her she was useless."

Rengoku interjected, "Please continue, Shinazugawa-san."

Shinazugawa glared at Rengoku and continued, "And that she should have died."

Ubuyashiki turned to Rengoku and said, "You may leave now, Rengoku."

Rengoku looked at both Ubuyashiki and Shinazugawa, and replied, "As you wish, Oyakata-sama."

Once Rengoku was out of earshot, Ubuyashiki confronted Shinazugawa, "Why do you express your concern through hostility, Shinazugawa?"

"I don't understand, Oyakata-sama," he responded.

"You care for her, do you not?" Ubuyashiki questioned. "She's finally opening up to the other Hashiras, enjoying their company, and communicating more. Yet you try to push her back into the hole she has been desperately trying to climb out of. Do you not see the emptiness in her eyes? She looks so hollow, and you only seem to make her feel more disconnected from this world."

"She's not my responsibility. She made her own decision to get involved."

"You are a Hashira, Shinazugawa. You have a responsibility to your fellow demon slayers, especially one who risked her life to help you."

Shinazugawa’s jaw tightened. "I didn't ask for her help."

"But you needed it," Ubuyashiki countered. "And now she needs yours."

Shinazugawa opened his mouth to argue, but Ubuyashiki interrupted him. "I understand that you are not used to showing kindness, but that does not excuse cruelty. She deserves respect, and so do you. Please think about that, Sanemi."

The use of his first name caught him off guard, and he stared directly into Ubuyashiki's eyes, unsure of what to say.

“You may go, Shinazugawa,” Ubuyashiki said with a hint of sadness in his smile.

Time passed in a blur as days and nights blended together, but fragments of memories kept you grounded in reality.

You struggled to open your eyes through the hardened mucus that clung to them.

You heard the clatter of a plate hitting the ground, causing you to turn your head in the direction of the noise. Your eyes fell upon Kocho, who was standing by the door.

“Two months,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion as tears welled up in her eyes. Her vulnerability caught you off guard. “You were unconscious for two whole months, and I was losing hope that you’d ever wake up.” She slowly made her way towards you, kneeling beside the bed where you lay recovering.

“Every damn day there was an ohagi on your table that I had to clean up,” she said with a hint of annoyance. You gave her a quizzical look, wondering what ohagi had to do with anything.

“I'm sorry,” you said, even though you weren't entirely sure what you were apologizing for.

You remembered then, “Shinazugawa-san and Rengoku-san?” Kocho handed you a glass of water, which you eagerly gulped down, relieving your dry throat. As you drank, Kocho continued to speak.

"Shinazugawa-san deserves a beating," she said with a hint of anger in her voice. "I offered to create new scars for him, but Himejima-san told me not to." Despite her words, she gave you a sweet smile, a contradiction to her previous statement.

“I was scared,” she admitted. "You were in such a bad condition," she added.

“I'm fine now, Kocho-san,” you replied with a reassuring smile.

“You certainly are. We made sure to take care of you every single day," she said, before adding, “Oykata-sama would visit every day too. We often caught him doing so.”

“He didn't have to,” you said, shocked by the revelation. Kocho smiled softly. “He cares for you deeply, just as he does for all of us. After all, he sees us as his family-”

“You're awake!” Kanroji bursted into the room. “How are you feeling?” She was bouncing with energy. “Meals without you just weren't the same.”

“Kanroji-san, thank you for the ohagi,” you bowed your head. “What ohagi?” She asked with a smile.

You stared at her, “The one on my table every night, according to Kocho-san?”

“I never brought any ohagi. But if I had seen it, I definitely would have eaten it all!” She retorted with a playful grin.

As you stared out of the window, the gentle breeze rustled the curtains, and you breathed in the fresh air. Suddenly, your stomach grumbled and you found yourself craving some ohagi. "I could really go for some ohagi right about now," you murmured to yourself.

As night settled in, you took your first few steps after being stationary for two solid months. You had lost a considerable amount of muscle and weight during your recovery, but Kocho assured you that your training would come back to you in a few days.

You padded softly towards the window, staring into the gardens of the Butterfly estate. The night sky always had a calming effect on you, especially when the moon is full. The beauty of the moonlight shining onto your face made you close your eyes and bask in its presence.

You felt a subtle shift in the air as the door silently opened, a clear sign of someone skilled in stealth. Without hesitation, you turned your head towards the door.

White hair and a scarred body. In his hand, he held a box wrapped in furoshiki cloth. As he walked in, his gaze immediately went to the bed where you had been comatose.

Not finding you there, a flash of panic was evident in his eyes as he began to scan the room. Finally, he noticed you standing there, looking at him with a stunned expression.

“Shinazugawa-san?” You said softly.

He dropped the box in surprise and walked slowly towards you. His scarred face was twisted in a mixture of surprise and guilt. He reached his hand out, but you flinched, taking a step back.

That immediately stopped him in his tracks. He let out a bitter laugh and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m so fucken stupid,” he muttered, his voice laced with self-disgust.

“Yeah,” you choked out, your voice cracking as tears welled up in your eyes. You couldn't bear to look at him, so you turned your back towards him, staring blankly out the window.

"Please look at me," he whispered, his voice barely audible. You couldn't bring yourself to do it, your gaze still fixed on the window. He said your name, your first name, in the most tender voice you had ever heard.

“Please.”

The moonlight cast a soft glow around you as you turned to face him, illuminating your figure. Tears continued to flow uncontrollably down your face as you gazed at him, and the sight of him only seemed to intensify your emotions.

His body was taut, restraining himself from taking a step towards you and enveloping you in his arms. He respected the invisible boundary you had created. His eyes softened when he looked into yours, a stark contrast to his usual gaze that made your stomach churn. His moods were so volatile, but in this moment, it seemed as if he was trying to convey something deeper, something vulnerable.

He was clenching and unclenching his hand, his eyes pleading with you as he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry." The raw emotion in his voice made your heart ache.

“I should have never said any of that, I’m so sorry.”

"I just-“ he paused, his voice cracking. He rubbed his face vigorously before continuing, "I don't know. I don't even know you," he let out a sad, bitter laugh. "What the fuck am I doing?"

“You're not useless," he said softly, his voice filled with remorse. He repeated the phrase again, as if trying to erase the hurt caused by his previous words. "You shouldn't die either, fuck, why did I ever say that," he muttered, his eyes full of remorse.

You stared at him, not knowing how to respond. He looked away, his gaze fixed on the ground. "I don’t want you to die. I said those things," a tear fell down his cheek. "I said it because I didn't want you near any of this shit."

“You’re so fucking strong, I know,” he said, his voice breaking. “But I still worried. You almost fucking died, holy shit.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “You hit that ground, fractured a shit ton of bones, and yet you still moved. I was so fucking scared, I just wanted you to stop but you didn’t. You kept on going and I couldn’t bear to watch it go down.”

You took a soft step toward him. “You almost had him,” he continued, tears streaming down his face. “But when that other demon left me, I thought he was going to finish you off. You had no idea how fucking scared I was.”

"Two months, I came here every single day," he choked out, "and you never stirred. I was terrified," he whispered your name.

"I didn't want to lose-" he was cut off by the gentle touch of your hand on his scarred face. He snapped his head towards you, eyes widening in shock.

“But you did,” you said gently, your voice breaking as tears continued to flow down your face. “The moment you said those words to me.” Your words hung heavy in the air as you both cried, the pain palpable.

Your hands were trembling as you wiped away his tears. Shinazugawa took hold of your hands and brought them to his lips "I won't ever say that shit again," he promised. He pressed a soft kiss onto your hands. "If I ever say anything like that again, these beautiful hands of yours can land the final blow on me."

“Shinazugawa-san,” you said. Shinazugawa gently released your hands and brought his own to your face, wiping away the tears that threatened to spill from your eyes. His hands were so large, almost enveloping your entire face, and they were warm and comforting. You couldn't help but nuzzle into them, savouring the feeling of safety and reassurance that came with his touch. It had been a long time since you had felt this kind of comfort.

"Sanemi," he said, and you looked up at him, questioning.

"Please, call me Sanemi," he added with a gentle smile.

"Sanemi," you said softly.

He averted his gaze, his cheeks turning a soft shade of pink under the moonlight.

As you gazed at him, the world suddenly tilted and you felt yourself losing balance. Your legs gave out and you began to fall, but Sanemi's quick reflexes allowed him to catch you before you hit the ground.

"Careful," he said, holding you tighter as you were bundled in his arms. His strong arms enveloped you, making your heart race. You couldn't help but blush at the sudden situation, grateful that your hair was hiding most of your face.

Sanemi remained in the position that he caught you in, not moving a muscle. As you rested in his embrace, you found yourself entranced by his familiar scent once again, feeling yourself becoming drowsy.

"Sanemi..." you murmured, your eyes drooping.

Sanemi stiffened at the sound of his name, realizing that you were about to pass out. He looked at you in panic as your eyes shut. "Hey, stay with me," he called out, but you didn't budge. With a swift motion, he lifted you up and carried you to the bed, surprised at how light you were in his arms.

Sanemi skidded to a stop, almost colliding with Kocho. "What are you doing here, Shinazugawa-san?" she asked him with a flat expression.

"She passed out. I don't know what happened. She was standing, then she fell and passed out in my arms. Kocho, please help." He pleaded desperately.

Her expression turned concerned upon hearing that, and she quickly made her way to your room. Upon entering, she found you peacefully sleeping on the bed, tucked into the covers. As she checked your vitals, she noticed the box that Sanemi had dropped when he first entered the room. Looking up at him with realization, she said, "You were the one bringing the ohagi."

Sanemi's frustration boiled over, "She passed out and you're concerned about that damn snack?!"

"She's fine," Kocho said reassuringly. "She's just extremely iron deficient. Since we've been administering vital minerals through injections, her iron intake has been insufficient, among other things," she explained.

“No wonder she’s so fucken light,” Sanemi pieced together.

Kocho nodded, then turned her attention back to Sanemi. "What are you really doing here?" she asked again, her tone serious.

“None of ya business," he said, still keeping his gaze fixed on you.

"You said some really terrible things to her, Shinazugawa-san," Kocho reprimanded. "If I hear even the slightest whisper that you've caused her any harm,” she gave him a sweet smile. “I will gut you.”

Sanemi smirked at that, “I’d like to see you try.”

Kocho gave you one last look before sending Sanemi a vulgar gesture and leaving the room.

As you turned on your side, you felt a slight dip in the bed. Cracking open your eyes, you were met with the sight of a sleeping Sanemi. He sat on a stool with his arms resting on the bed, which served as makeshift pillows. He was softly snoring, and it was clear that he must have been watching over you until he fell asleep.

A gentle breeze wafted into the room, causing his hair to fall over his peaceful face. Without hesitation, you reached out and brushed his hair aside. The light touch made him choke on a snore and slowly open his eyes.

He gave you a sluggish smile, then gently took hold of your hand and pressed his lips against it, just as he had done the night before. Your body froze as a rush of warmth washed over you, making you feel a little flushed.

“Mornin’,” he said groggily, his voice sending shivers down your spine.

“Good morning,” you replied quietly, your stomach fluttering at the sound of his voice.

He ran his hand over his face in an attempt to wake himself up. "Let me get you some food," he said, his voice still thick with sleep.

You were about to protest and get out of bed yourself until he said, "Sit your pretty ass down."

You sat down.

Two weeks later

You approached the well-trodden path that led to a destination you had visited a few months earlier. As you neared the entrance, you politely knocked on the sturdy gate, which was soon opened by a female servant, who peered out cautiously.

As she recognized you, her eyes lit up with familiarity, and she quickly bowed low in greeting, gesturing for you to come inside the manor.

She led you through the house and towards the kitchen, the clanging of stones and ceramics hitting each other growing louder with every step.

"Shinazugawa-sama has a keen interest in domestic activities," the servant informed you. You couldn't help but suppress a smile at that. As you reached the entrance of the kitchen, she said, "I'll leave you here," and smiled.

You walked into the kitchen and were immediately hit with the aroma of various dishes. As you looked around, you saw Sanemi's godly figure standing at the counter. He wore black a hakama, a shirt nowhere in sight.

He was entirely focused on his task, his eyes fixed on the fishes in front of him as he sliced them with precision. You couldn't help but admire him, the way his muscles flexed as he worked and the sweat that glistened on his skin.

The servant's words from earlier made sense now - Sanemi had clearly been invested in domestic activities lately, and he seemed to have a talent for it.

You crept towards him until you were close enough to wrap your arms around his waist. Sanemi's body tensed for a moment as he jolted in surprise, causing him to almost drop the knife he was holding mid-air.

He quickly recovered, turning around to face you with a look of mild annoyance mixed with amusement. "Don't sneak up on me like that," he grumbled, though the corners of his lips turned up slightly.

As you chuckled, your breath tickled Sanemi's skin. "Couldn’t resist," you murmured, moving closer to him. Your lips brushed against his skin as you traced the scars on his back with feather-light kisses.

Sanemi's body tensed and he let out a choked sound. However, he didn't push you away. Instead, he slowly turned around to face you, his eyes meeting yours with a hint of desire.

You smirked at his reaction and began to detach yourself from him, intending to playfully tease him. However, before you could take a step away, Sanemi quickly grabbed your wrist.

You couldn't help but let out a surprised gasp as he pulled you closer to him, your bodies now pressed together. His grip on your waist was firm but not rough, and you could feel his warm breath on your neck.

You tilted your head, gazing at him through your lashes, "You fucken minx," he growled.

Your hands trailed up his thick arms, fingers gliding over the defined muscles before wrapping around the back of his neck. You played with his white hair, tugging at the strands lightly as you gazed deeply into his eyes. He couldn't help but flicker his gaze between your eyes and lips.

"I'm a minx now, Sanemi?" you playfully teased, emphasizing his name.

"Fuckin' don't start this," he ordered.

Your eyes flickered to his lips before returning to his gaze. "I really want to kiss you, ‘Nemi," you admitted, your voice low and sultry.

Sanemi's grip on your waist tightened, and he leaned down until his lips were dangerously close to yours. "Do it," he said, roughly.

Your heart raced with excitement as you finally gave in to your desire and pressed your lips to his. His taste was a sweet addiction that you couldn't get enough of. "Finally," he cursed, his lips parting to deepen the kiss.

As your bodies melted together, Sanemi lifted you up, your legs instinctively wrapping around his narrow waist. A soft moan escaped your lips as his tongue traced your lips, seeking entrance, and you eagerly granted it.

He set you on the counter and your hands trailed up to tug on his white hair, eliciting a low growl from him. He bit your lip in warning, and you couldn't help but let out a whimper of pleasure. The intensity of the kiss was overwhelming, and you were completely lost in the moment, consumed by your desire for him.

"’Nemi," you whimpered, feeling his lips trailing a path down your neck. You couldn't help but pull on his hair, urging him to continue as he left a trail of kisses and nips on your skin. Your heart was racing with desire as he found a sensitive spot on your neck and began to suck on it. The sensation was so overwhelming that you had to clap a hand over your mouth to stifle the sounds that threatened to escape.

"Lemme fucken hear," he rumbled, pulling your hand away from your mouth.

"I wanna hear everythin’ that escapes your pretty mouth, every moan, every gasp," he murmured in your ear, his breath hot against your skin. "I wanna know that I'm makin’ you feel good." The intensity in his voice sent shivers down your spine, and you couldn't help but let out a soft moan as he nibbled on your earlobe.

"’Nemi, the food-" you began.

"Fuck the food," he said.

Notes: This is my first post on Tumblr, as well as my first foray into writing. I'm not sure how it will turn out in the long run, but if you happen to be reading this, thank you for taking the time. I hope you have a lovely day!

[dreamofthestars]

jade city (fonda lee)

“The clan is my blood and the Pillar is its master,” she whispered. “I have a lot of regrets in life, but those oaths aren’t one of them.”

[nighteyed]

The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master.

[teartra]

“The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master”

[angelfruittree]

okay this is going to be a long one i have so many thouuughtttss!!!!

also I guess spoilers for anyone else reading this ask xoxoxo

ANDEN MY LOOVE!!!! at the start when he refused to wear jade I thought.... oh no.... this is going to come back to haunt him but my guy stuck to his guns!!!!! obsessed with him putting him putting that creep remi in his place 🤭 his relationship with niko 😭 him standing up to hilo on his behalf 'its what lan would have done' KILL ME!!!!! anden being to niko what lan was to anden.... Im SICK.

shae storyline with maro.... weirdly I think this was one of the scenes that had me sobbing the most, her doing what needed to be done so he wouldn't be hurt craaazzyyyyy. luuuuuv woon and shae so glad she got everything she wanted in the end! - even tho shae and ayt mada should have made our sloppy style-

hilo..... what a character. watching him grow throughout the series and seeing him become pillar but still being as ruthless and violent ever. no ones doing it like him. some of the shit he did was CRAZY. I started pacing when it was revealed lan had a son because I just knew that that was NOT going to end well. BUT HILO AS A DAD????? RU????? dont get me started on ru that was EVIL. him pushing niko away just as he did anden when they didnt live up to his expectations 😭 but he turned up at the airport!!!!!!

that ending.... anden and shae sharing jade 'is there anything you want me to say to lan?' 'the clan is our blood and the pillar is its master' WEN SITTING UNDER THE TREE WHERE THEY WERE MARRIED!???? i honestly couldnt think of ending where it didn't happen this way. lan being the pillar that hilo never could be but hilo being the pillar that a war time kekon needed and now war is over....

i had to leave him until last...bero that fucking cockroach. i dont know why i actually believed mudt had done it, had finally got him. when I read 'bero was in the hospital for over a month' i think i rolled my eyes so hard i saw my brain. in the end I couldn't actually help but warm to that sad little guy. him meeting niko and driving anden to the twice lucky and him just being NOTHING to these people.

honestly I could go on this was a 10/10 series and I think im going to have trouble picking up any other book for a while. the characters are so vivid I feel like im in mourning

LYS OH MY GOD.

SOUL CRUSH CHECK IN: ARE YOU OKAY???

ANDEN AND "anden being to niko what lan was to anden.... Im SICK." THIS actually made me start shuddering god niko niko so like hilo actually, so painfully like him! Anden not touching jade really fucking stressed me out for so long but he refused to be defined by it, he carved his own path (actually niko and anden and hilo ARE THEY NOT ALL FOILS FOR EACH OTHER PLEASEEE)

Im still not ready to talk about Ru.. "its okay andy. just say what needs to be said"

"Ru had always seen himself as whole even when she could not" no i genuinely... the way Wen's trauma of being a s********* tried to have its way with Ru and it never did and he was brave and good and kind and he was important and omg i am actually sobbing typing this- the way no one goes for the last bun -(RU actually destroyed hilo -i'm sobbing im actuallly crying im not ready to talk about him. "if only hed been a coward just once" i was actually nearly sick reading this arc as well actually im not sure i knew a moments peace reading this series lmao ( i still cant be coherent about it )

Okay you know in jade war when hilo goes to 'escort' niko back into .. i was listening to that on the street and fully KEELED OVER ive never been that gagged in my life.

WEN AND SHAE??? HELLOOOO that fucking arc nearly gave me a heart attack i COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I WAS READING.

"felt her brothers irreprescible jade aura..." no lys im not okay this has reopened the wound

PLEASE BERO WAS A VICTIM BUT ALSO THEE VILLAIN OF this series in my mind like just a banal and and unkillable evil like a bug nothing grand about him just a virus!! hes responsible for so much!!!!!! began the story and ended it!!! please we donnt have to ever stop talking about it though i am unstable

NO ONE CAME OUT UNSCATHED THAT IS THE THING.

[2dayihaveaheadache]

Obikin AU. The idea of Anakin as Macbeth and Obi-Wan as King Duncan, quite the lovebirds, never quite left my headspace. So here it is.

Lord Anakin of House Skywalker, Thane of Cawdor, has been injured on the battlefield fighting off the rebellion in Scotland, led by Count Dooku. The Count has been exiled for various years due to his political activities as a separatist. Years ago, he had been Anakin’s mentor and even helped the young man to knighthood. He is to Anakin more than a father than any other man had ever been. Now, the mentor and apprentice are forced to meet again on opposite sides of the battlefield. Both are willing to sacrifice everything, their title, their honor, or even their life for their beloved ones and their beliefs.

In the Aftermath, Ahsoka Tano remains to save what has been left of Anakin, only the shadow of the man, that he used to be, physically and mentally drained.

I.

A few miles north of Nairn, the land drops in close to the hillside bank of the coast and molds the spikes of stone and deep clefts to a rutted cliff. Murray Firth, the people whispered to each other behind closed doors in the fishermen’s villages around, is a chasm, the maw of a leviathan. Only the forsaken are damned to cross its path and fight the wave crests every day. When the fog hangs low over the coast, only the spikes of the slate-grey stone peak out of the veil like the rotten teeth of a Sea Monster. The air tasted of festered fish and salt from the fishnets spanned between the huts. Life was hard, the people haggard, the skin weather-beaten, the eyes without a sparkle of hope.

A horse neighed and two riders peeled out of the thick fog, darkly dressed in cloaks and leather armor. Their faces were hidden under a hood but their swords were openly shown in pride. Steel that carried a title as it carried the shed blood of its nemesis. They were royal horsemen, the burgundy emblem of the royal house embroidered on their back, riders of the king’s brigade. When they passed the gate of the settlement, two wooden pillars pushed into the muddy ground, the smaller one of them unveiled herself. Under the hood had been hidden a girl in the bloom of womanhood, the hair braided with blue and white beads in the custom of clan Tano.

“I am Lady Ahsoka Tano, first to her name, ward of the Thane of Cawdor of the house Skywalker.” The girl dismounted from the horse and let herself fall to her knees, her cloak disappearing into the mud. She had stretched out both arms, her palms of her hands upwards, and placed the iron sword on them. A gesture like a prayer. “My warden has been injured and I am begging for shelter.”

II.

Heat and the smell of burnt coal hit Anakin’s nose as he lifted his eyelids. Some Straw tickled the back of his neck. He had been laid out in a barn and undressed. He felt utterly exposed and vulnerable in his linen undergarments without his leather armor. The steel of his sword was nowhere in sight. Yet another smell was recognizable among the others. Anakin had spent enough time on the burnt earth of battlefields to sense the misery of the wounded in the air. Now, however, he smelled of dried blood, which seemed to mix again and again with fresh one. An open wound. As he straightened up, pushing himself up on the cot made of hay, he discovered that the linen had been pushed up to his collarbones to reveal a gaping sore on his chest. The wound had missed his heart by a mere centimeter. A new scar in his collection, he grinned.

"Master," a female voice called out, panic resonating in it. “You are not to be up again.” Someone leaned over him and pushed him back onto the hay. Where the hands touched his skin, a gentleness shook Anakin to his core. The tenderness of the hands of a beloved one. “’ Soka?”, he asked weakly, his voice hoarse and only a rasp shadow of its usual strong character. “Yes, it’s me, Master.,” the girl assured him, running a wet cloth over his feverish forehead. She lowered her head so that her Master could see her face, and recognize her as his savior.

The youthfulness had disappeared from her features, her tanned skin was stale, and her lips bitten. The expression of sorrow had appeared in her eyes, which otherwise were brimful of life. The girl, his ward, who had always been a source full of bubbly youthfulness, suddenly seemed to have aged years. “Soka…,” he tried again, bringing one hand to her cheek. “Are you unharmed?” A weak smile curved her lips It did not reach her eyes. “Of course...,” she broke off, voice high-pitched and on the verge of crying. For a moment, she turned her head away. A single tear ran down her cheeks.

When she turned back to him, her voice was firm, the weakness overcome. " You’ve won the battle. Count Dooku fell by your hand. When you raised your sword against him, it seemed as if two comets were colliding. Two warriors armed with blood-stained steel and blessed by Fortuna with a talent for dueling. He was the one who had taught you the art of the sword back when you were a knight’s attendant, wasn't he?"

Anakin just nodded absently. Years had passed since his days as a lad on the Orkney Islands of the noble House Dooku. He had spent his days in the Yard of Notland Castle, often falling into the sand of the training ground when the Count had beaten him once again. Wooden sticks clawing into one another. He remembered the excitement when the prince had watched him from afar, the urge to flex his chiseled upper body, and then the Count punishing him for his state of distraction with yet another epic defeat. Years later the Count had committed treason on the Scottish Crown and with that on Obi-Wan, the lad, his ward, the prince, that he had parented like his own son, the man who was to Anakin like a brother.

Ahsoka continued with her battle report. "You have surpassed him in his own art, beheaded and thus killed the traitor of the Scottish crown."

Beads of sweat stood on Anakin's forehead in the heat of the coal-fired barn. He straightened his back, suppressing the sting in his chest and the smell of fresh blood tickling his nose. The wound had been ripped open again by his movement but he wanted to get his head clear. He was now the slayer of a traitor, a war hero. An incredible sadness filled his core. He had killed the man, who had been like a father to him, and now would be honored for it. Granted a title. Sweat prickled on his skin.

"Then why am I here?", he asked, looking around the barn, catching no glimpse of his sword. Ahsoka had wisely put it out of his eyes, not wanting to burden him with the sight of the Count’s blood. It would be dried on the steel by now. The air in the barn tasted bitter on Anakin’s tongue as he swallowed, like coal and burned wood.  

"Count Dooku was a deceitful man. He was aware of his age and the weak flesh, that came with it. Should your steel overpower him, an ambush had been planned. His army, the troops that had landed a mile north of Elgin were not the only ones, that had become pawns in his game. Thousands of mercenaries attacked us after his death, all led by the young Lord Maul.”

A vision of a young man came to Anakin’s feverish mind. A face adorned with black inking, the Celtic runes of an old Tribe. Lord Maul, a second cousin to King Kenobi, had recently inherited his family title. Some evil tongues whispered that witchcraft had been involved as similar Celtic runes had been found on his father’s deathbed. The young lord was the wielder of a claymore, that was told to have been forged in a volcano in Iceland. A vicious weapon, spiked with thorns of steel to almost appeal like a flail. “A Norwegian Lord fought on the battlefield?”

“Yes, under the Banner of Dooku’s noble house. The Count must have conspired with the Norwegian crown. For centuries they have been trying to claim the Scottish throne. Now that King Obi-Wan, the heir of the royal House Kenobi has, not wed yet and therefore no legitimate offspring has been born, they sense their chance.,” Ahsoka explained with a lowered voice.

"But enough of the war, Master. Your wound needs to be cleaned." She glanced at Anakin’s chest and the gaping wound, which seemed to only worsen by the minute. His skin was pale, almost yellowish by fever. The wound was inflamed. She bent down to pick up something from the floor of the barn. A bottle of brown, scuffed glass. “Smells like home, doesn’t it? " She grinned, and a piece of her former mischievous self glimmered underneath her expression. The bottle was uncorked with a pop and the burning smell of homemade Schnaps rose. Anakin grimaced.

“Normally, the two of us would have celebrated our victory in a tavern with that.” The cool liquid hit Anakin's feverish skin and he bit his lip to suppress a cry of pain. It burnt to his core, fighting the inflammation. ”Not finished yet, Master," Ahsoka warned him, "The worst is yet to come." Without a thought, Anakin reached for the piece of leather that Ahsoka gently handed him. A mouthpiece so he would not bite off his tongue in Agony. Closing wounds with fire was no unknown custom to him. When he had lost his hand, he himself had burned off what had remained of the stump with his own heated blade, most of the pain suppressed in the adrenaline of the moment.

This time, when the metal of the sword heated in the coal fire touched his skin, he bent his back in agony until his muscles and sinews were impossibly stretched. The pain penetrated him through and through, his mouth torn open into a silent, shrill cry. The world became a single white panorama before his eyes. The moment seemed to drag on forever until Anakin had lost all sense of time, place, and identity, trapped in an eternal cycle of pain, heat, and anonymity, crying out for help, although only a few seconds had passed.

The color returned to his vision as the metal left his skin. His body collapses, suddenly battered by exhaustion that slackened his muscles and tendons. A hand moved up to his chest, hesitantly brushing over the spot where the wound had once been. A new scar in his collection. He turned his head to his ward and grinned, “Indestructible. A Skywalker is indestructible.”

He fell back into the cushion of the hay. “Has…”, Anakin tried again but Ahsoka broke him off too soon, tenderly brushing with a wet cloth over his feverish forehead. “A messenger has been sent. Lord Palpatine has ridden to court and brought King Kenobi a word of your epic victory. He knows about your remains here in Nairn and sends his best regards.” Then she leaned closer and almost whispered. “He fears your wellbeing, Master. He is frighted to see how much you are willing to sacrifice for him.”

“I…”

“You love him, Master, I know. He is your family. You grew up together as lads in Orkney Island. That is a bond, you share, similar to brothers. This attachment clouds your sense of judgment and your self-preservation instinct. This love, I fear, devours you from the inside.” Ahsoka had started to fidget with her fingers in the middle of her sentence. Then she fished an envelope out of her pocket, the seal still unbroken.

“A messenger brought it for you. You shall read it in the privacy of your chamber, no other eyes than yours shall see its content. A letter from the king and yet not from the king, a message from a lover.”, she paused. “Promise me to care of yourself whatever may be written in it.”

Anakin nodded even though deep down he knew that he could keep no such promise.

.... that's the snippet. Hope you enjoy it!

[mistwraiths]

4 stars

The clan is my blood and the Pillar is its master!!!!

Overall, this book is an excellent sequel to Jade City, with the years passing, the world expanding, and the situations the Kaul family deals with.

Personally, I liked this one a little less than the first book only because there is so much going on political and with war off-screen but being explained on how that affects Kekon and its allies and its clans. There are chunks that are just negotiating deals and talking about it that are just a bit boring.

I do think this book is a little slower in the action than the first, but there is still plenty of surprises along the way. It's very enjoyable to see this family grow as the years pass. I'm still shocked at some of the deaths.

My favorites this time were Anden, Wen, and surprisingly Hilo! Hilo has absolutely grown into the Pillar and a father and husband. Wen, ugh, I just LOVE her. And Anden, I love how he decided what he's going to do next! I really enjoyed seeing Espenia through him. Shae is still a good character and I love her, but she really went through a lot in this book. Also, Niko and Ru and Jaya, I can't wait for them to grow up! Hopefully we see that.

Definitely can't wait to finish the series!

[rinkive]

hilo on his knees screaming “the clan is my blood and the pillar is its master” outside kaul estate after lan’s death 🤝 the entire clan chanting it for him outside kaul estate as he lies on his deathbed

[booksaremyadventures]

“The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master. On my honor, my life, and my jade.”

- Jade City

By Fonda Lee

[epsilonics]

kekonese ppl: is he... you know... unlucky

[kyogre-blue]

Dragonspine lore

Just gathering all this in one place, for my reference.

Information about the Frostbearing Tree, from the Frostbearer catalyst:

When the daughter of the priestess of Vindagnyr was born beneath this white tree, the king in the verdant mountain was filled with joy when she received her blessings. Surely, the blessing of Sal Vindagnyr would be everlasting, just as the undying silver-white tree whose roots pierced the earth.

When the nail that froze the world descended suddenly, and that tree, too, would be shattered by it, that girl took the most complete branch, thinking to breathe new life into the tree that once overshadowed a nation.

But in the end, the grafted life could not flourish. The cutting snowstorm eventually covered the moonlight like a curtain of countless blades...

A long, long time later, yet still long ago - when the deathmatch between the dragons of darkness and wind was decided at last, when corrosive blood stained the ashen valley red, the tree, at last, remembered that it had not died with that entombed city,

And it extended its greedy roots towards the warm ichor that irrigated the land. And as a certain someone poured a crimson essence upon it, the tree that should have long died remembered its past, and bore a single fruit from the gathering of all its might...

Here for those who dwelt in my safe shadow, for the priests who eulogized me, for that lovely maiden who oft painted upon my form, for all the happiness they could not possess - I enjoin them all into this crimson, icy fruit.

To the ones who can render recompense upon this poisonous world shall it go, and may they carry my innocent, bitter fruit as they enact justice.

To summarize: Long before Durin, the Dragonspine was called Sal Vindagnyr. It was a prosperous, verdant kingdom that worshipped a Leyline tree. However, one day the Skyfrost Nail fell from the sky, breaking the tree and engulfing the mountain in perpetual ice. The last princess of the kingdom had preserved a single branch from the tree, which lay dormant until the mountain was tainted by Durin's blood. Absorbing the tainted blood, the former silver Leyline branch sprouted into a crimson Frostbearing Tree...

The Ancient Writings on the tablets:

"...far from snow and strife, and came upon this verdant paradise. A monument was laid down in this place, and it was named Sal Vind[agnyr]..."

"...guided to where the pale white tree stood. That month, the underground waterway..."

"...dreamed of the black dragon that blotted down the sun, and knew it to be an omen of doom. That same month, the outlander..."

"...its soul, and Starsilver its bones. But the one who could wield it, the ice-breaking outlander, Imunlau[kr]..."

"...attempted to heal the Leylines, but the tree had already withered. After burying the princess..."

"...without result or reply, Varuch proceeded on to the summit..."

"...snow whipped across the skies. The pillar that fell from the heavens was riven in three..."

"...ended. There is no more need for records. Yet I regret nothing more than having been unable to watch her finish the fresco within that great hall..."

To summarize: The people of Sal Vindagnyr tried to stop the perpetual snowstorm, including the king (named Varuch) heading to the summit himself. However, only an outlander named Imunlaukr was able to wield the Starsilver weapon they forged for this. He was too late, and the princess had already died. Somewhere along the way, the Skyfrost Nail was split into three pieces, which is how we find it.

From Snow-Tombed Starsilver, the claymore in question:

Tainted black blood dripped from the blade of his greatsword, as he trudged through now-foreign snowy paths.

But when he returned to the great hall of that mountain country, naught but ringing deathly echoes welcomed him.

"So even here, there is nothing left for me to protect... You who dwell in the heavens, you must wish for naught but to watch our ashen suffering here below. In that case, then let me help you pass the time with a song of iron and blood."

The outlander left the Starsilver originally meant to shatter snow and wind alike between the frescoes. Then, he descended the mountain to search for a land full of war and strife - a place he might paint red with blood.

Note that the Imunlaukr clan is also mentioned in the Sacrificial Greatsword description. They were a clan that sought battle in the belief that it would amuse the gods and joined the new Mondstadt that Venti created after Andrius melted the ice across the region. Interesting point: This is also the description that says, "On the cliff facing the eastern sea, the ancestors worshiped the masters of Time and Anemo together." It also again brings up "brave warriors stained black with blood."

Purely speculating, Sal Vindagnyr was probably BEFORE the rebellion in Old Mondstadt (they are mentioned fleeing "snow and strife" to settle in Vindagnyr, which sounds like Mondstadt pre-Andrius unfreezing it and the Archon Wars, respectively). So the founding clan perhaps picked up these traditions of "fight for Celestia's amusement" from this specific dude after he left Dragonspine.

There's also this image of the inner chamber and the frescoes that the princess had been painting, which I saved from a tweet that doesn't seem to exist anymore (not mine):

Completely irrelevant small point: The eight letters outside the great hall which you have to make light up spell "veremini," which wiktionary tells me is second-person plural present active indicative or imperative of "vereor," which means "to revere" or "to dread."

Aside from this, there is a series of Ruin Guard remains which spell out, "For the nation, we can't forgo this skyborne power, but we failed." We know the Ruin Guards were created by Khaenri’ah, so they were probably sent to retrieve the Skyfrost Nail after Sal Vindagnyr had fallen but were unable to make it through the ice and snow. 

Most of this isn't particularly relevant to the main storyline, but there are two points that link back to the ongoing themes:

Even though this was before the Cataclysm, Gold, and Durin, Imunlaukr fought something with "tainted black blood," so the whole business with tainting is OLD. Gold wasn't the origin as such, they just used it. Imunlaukr particularly seems to have thought that going the Abyss (assumed) might have some answers re: the Skyfrost Nail.

Both the Frostbearing Tree and Imunlaukr consider what happened to Sal Vindagnyr to be unjust, and Celestia's fault. Now, this might be just their bitterness at what feels like meaningless suffering, but it could also be that the Skyfrost Nail didn't fall on them accidentally. (AKA Khaenri'ah was not the first or only case of human nations getting slapped down by the divine.)

[sinegard]

THE CLAN IS MY BLOOD 😩😩 AND THE PILLAR IS ITS MASTER 🥺😭😭😭 ON MY HONOR 😤 MY LIFE 😳 MY JADE 😩😩

[duhragonball]

Battle Tendency Liveblog: JJBA Ch. 71-76

Let the joy of love give you an answer

And I will hold you when you're lost Just walk on to the light 1938 Bizarre Summer Every road will lead us to a memory of

Great Days

When I started reading the Battle Tendency Manga, one of my goals was to find connections between Part 2 and the others, because I feel like Part 2 is sort of isolated from the rest.   You never hear anyone talk about the Pillar Men in Part 3 or 4, and Joseph Joestar never appears again, save for an entry on a genealogy seen in JoJolion.

But thematically, there’s a lot of connective tissue here.   I already pointed out the scene where Smokey steals Joseph’s wallet in his first appearance, echoing Joseph’s final appearance, where Josuke steals his wallet in Part 4.   And I already mentioned the Italian connection.    Hirohiko Araki’s love for Italy is pretty well-known in the fandom, but only two JoJo parts have the distinction of taking place on Italian soil: 2 and 5.

But there’s other, subtler connections.   Joseph’s Clacker Volley relies on angular momentum, much like the “Spin” techniques used in Part 7.    But then you also have this moment in Battle Tendency where Caesar explains Hamon to Joseph, and compares it to the way a discus thrower spins around to gain distance on his throw.   In the same vein, the fictional Ripple techniques used by all the good guys is just an extension of something natural.    Everyone gains energy from respiration and blood circulation, but Hamon users can amplify that many times over to do amazing things with that energy.    It’s very similar to the lessons Johnny Joestar learns about “Spin” in Part 7.   I never really thought “Spin” had much to do with Hamon, and conceptually they may not be related, but the way they’re presented to the audience is very similar.

More Part 5 connections, you ask?   Well how about a trip from Rome to Venice?  No assassins on the train this time, so Joseph doesn’t have to steal 100 cars to finish the journey.

And how about a meeting with a mysterious person wearing a strange disguise...

Who turns out to be a lady?  What’s weird about this is that when I went through JoJo in order back in 2017, I never noticed the Lisa Lisa/Trish connection.   There was just so much crazy stuff happening in Parts 3 and 4 that I forgot all about how Lisa Lisa debuted.  

So yeah, let’s get back to the main plot.   I mean, I was going to talk about some connections with Part 6, but I seem to be drawing a blank.   Joseph’s parents died when he was very little, so there’s no way for him to have a contentious reunion with an absent parent.    There’s no way for his mom or dad to reveal that they were looking out for him this whole time, but they couldn’t tell him how or why.    I mean, Lisa Lisa kind of reminds me of Jotaro.   They’re both stoic badasses who smoke cigarettes.   But that’s kind of a stretch.  

Anyway, Joseph convinced the Pillar Men to let him live for another month so that he could give them a better fight later on.   To hold him to that promise, they implanted poison rings in his body, which will kill him in exactly 33 days, unless he defeats the Pillar Men and receives the antidote.   Caesar realizes that they both need more training to face the Pillar Men again, so he takes Joseph to Venice to meet his Hamon Master, for more training.   That’s Lisa Lisa.

I’m confused as to why Lisa Lisa wasn’t brought in a long time ago.   The plot progression of Part 2 implies that she only heard about this crisis when Caesar contacted her for more training, but we’ll soon see that the Ripple Clan has known about the Pillar Men for thousands of years, just as the Pillar Men knew about them.  

Actually, now that I think about it, why didn’t Straizo recognize the Pillar Man in Mexico then?   You’d think he would have taken one look at the guy and said “Oh shit, these dudes are back,” and forgotten all about his dreams of becoming a vampire like Dio.  Maybe Straizo had just lost all perspective by then.  Well, we’ll see if that gets explained later.

Anyway, Lisa Lisa starts the training immediately, by putting a mask on Joseph to control his breathing, which is a vital component of Ripple/Hamon stuff.  One thing Caesar explained to Joseph before they left for Venice is that their Hamon powers were about equal.   The only reason Caesar’s seems stronger is because he’s learned to concentrate it into smaller points, like his fingertips.   Joseph, on the other hand, has to express his Hamon power through his entire hand, which reduces its effectiveness.   Caesar compares this to the spray of water from a water pistol.   The smaller the nozzle, the more powerful the stream.

As for Speedwagon, well he just flew back to New York.   Joseph forbade him from telling Erina about the bind he’s in, so Speedwagon simply tells her that he’s bumming around Italy for a month.  Meanwhile, Lisa wants the boys to climb the Hell Climb Pillar.

So the Ripple Clan has this island castle off the coast of Venice, which they built in 39AD to train their students.   This was after the Pillar Men wiped out most of their guys, so I guess they wanted to really ramp up their training for the future.   Lisa opens the front gate and the first step inside takes you into this big pit full of oil, and she just kicks them inside without a word.   Ha ha, Lisa Lisa is awesome!

So the object of the Hell Climb Pillar is just to climb out of the pit.   Except the only way to do that is by clinging to a sheer pillar in the center and ascending 24 meters (about 79 feet).  Oh, and there’s some sort of fountain built into the pillar that keeps it covered with oil at all times.   The only way to make this work is by using Hamon power to cling to the oil and work your way up.  

Caesar is familiar with this test, and he at least has a general idea of how to do it, but he’s never attempted it before, and he knows a lot of students have died in the attempt.   The first thing he figures out is that it’s such an exhausting process that if you fall off part way, you won’t have enough stamina to start over, so you really only get one try at this.  

He spends most of his climb, however, worrying about Joseph, because Joseph’s Hamon skills are so rudimentary that he doesn’t even know how to cling to the pillar in the first place.   Fortunately...

Hermit Purple?   In my Battle Tendency?  It’s more likely than you think.   Joseph tries ripping his shirt and fashioning a makeshift rope for himself, but Lisa cuts it with a dagger before he can even try to use it.    I’m somewhat skeptical that this would have worked anyway.   She may have only foiled his attempt for his own benefit.   Joseph might have wasted a lot of precious energy trying to use this trick before giving up and doing it correctly. 

So, after all other options are exhausted, Joseph finally follows directions.  He watches Caesar for a while, then realizes that Caesar has been clinging to the oil with his fingertips, and not his palms.   It looks precarious, but Joseph remembers what Caesar told him about the water pistol and figures out that this is an application of that concept.    So he quickly catches up to Caesar, only to discover that the pillar gets harder to climb around the 18 meter mark. 

Around that elevation, the Pillar “protrudes”.   I think that means that it gently widens as you go up, something you can’t really see until you’re already climbing up there.    So now you’re not climbing straight up any more at a 90-degree angle to the ground, you’re more like 95 or 100 degrees, making it that much more of a struggle to hold on.  

But things get even worse when Joseph discovers a small crack in the pillar.   It’s the only handhold on the entire pillar, so he figures he can get a firmer grip on that and rest a bit.   Big mistake, because it’s booby-trapped, and when he touches the crack, it turns on this high-pressure stream of oil at the 20-meter level.   Oil just spews out from all sides of the pillar, and the pressure is so intense that when Caesar sticks a pen into it the oil stream cuts it in half.  

Joseph thinks Caesar is angry at him for his blunder, but Caesar’s actually worried for Joseph’s safety.   He only knows one way to get past the oil stream, and he isn’t sure Joseph has the skill necessary to pull it off.    See, you can use Hamon to cling to the oil, but you can also use it to repel the oil, and protect yourself from the high-pressure stream.   But Caesar now has to use use both of those principles simultaneously.   He has to cling to the pillar while moving through the stream.   He ends up doing this mid-air jump thing, and it works, but now he has to haul ass to get to the top of the pillar.   It’s not just for his own sake, but Caesar feels that he has to convince Lisa Lisa to call off the test to save Joseph’s life.   He doesn’t know how to do the trick Caesar pulled off, and Joseph’s the kind of guy who might get desperate or frustrated enough to do something drastic and get himself killed.   But when he reaches the top, there’s no one around.

But he needn’t have worried, because Joseph’s drastic idea actually works.    He apparently can’t repel and cling at the same time like Caesar, so instead he just clings.   Instead of passing through the oil stream, he clings to it, sliding across the flow of oil to the edge of the current, then flipping over it, where the pressure is low enough that it won’t hurt him.   Then he bounces off the top side of the oil stream and clings to the outer wall of the pit.  

Everyone is impressed, except the walls of the pit are even harder to climb than the pillar, and Joseph can’t quite make it to the top.    Caesar saves him with just 10 cm to go.   

Joseph is still sore at Lisa Lisa for putting him through all of that, but she tosses him an upside-down glass of water and Joseph is surprised to find that he can hold the water inside the glass with his Hamon, something he couldn’t do back in Rome, when Caesar told him they needed to train.    So now Joseph’s finally on board with all of this, and Lisa introduces the boys to he assistants, Messina and Loggins.   They put Caesar and Joseph through a grueling three weeks of training montage, until finally...

...They go shopping!  Some guy with a pompodour tries to steal a necklace from Lisa, but she catches him and lets Joseph deal with the guy.   Joseph covers the dude in mustard and then he complains about her carrying around a bright red stone like that for pickpockets to see.    Wait... red stone?  Yeah, it’s the Red Stone of Aja.

On their way back home, Lisa explains the backstory of the Pillar Men.    They created the Stone Masks to improve themselves, and tested the technology on humans.    No one knows how the Stone Masks work, but the “bones” that jut out of them somehow bring out “latent power” in the human brain and it turns them into vampires. 

I never really considered that before, but I suppose the bony spikes in the masks are kind of analogous to the effect of being pierced by the arrows in Parts 4, 5, and 6.  Part 5 offers a partial explanation for the Stand Arrows by saying the heads of the arrows were carved from a meteorite found in Greenland, and there was an alien virus in the meteorite.   You get cut by this metal, and get sick from the virus, and you either recover with a Stand power or you die.   There was a text piece in Part 7 that tried to connect the Stand concept with Hamon, the Stone Masks, and “Spin”, suggesting that the latter three were attempts to achieve what Stands can do, and I guess that makes sense.    Maybe the Stone Masks were the Pillar Men attempting to invent whatever the alien meteor was supposed to do.   Except it’s not as advanced, so it can only do vampires instead of Stands.

Eventually, Kars’ experiments led him to the discovery of a particular stone that amplifies and focuses light.   He believed that if he could work that into his Stone Mask technology, then he could create a more powerful mask that would bring about greater improvements into his own body.   The problem was that he needed a bigger, more flawless stone than the ones that were available to him.   And that’s why they went to Rome to find one.   The 1st Century B.C. Ripple Clan couldn’t stop the Pillar Men, but they did manage to secure the stone they were looking for, and it’s been in their possession ever since.   Lisa Lisa holds it up to the sun and blows up part of her boat just to show off what it can do.

Joseph suggests that they just destroy the thing.    After all, it does them no good, and it means everything to their enemies, so why keep it around?   But there’s some legend that says it will be impossible to defeat the Pillar Men if the Red Stone of Aja is destroyed.

This seemed kind of hokey to me at first.   Lisa Lisa even admits that she doesn’t understand what that legend means, but she’s convinced that she has to protect the stone anyway.   But then I remembered Tonpetty, the leader of the Ripple Clan in Part 1.   He taught Will A. Zeppeli how to use Hamon, but warned him that it would lead to Will’s gruesome death.   Presumably, Tonpetty had some sort of gift of prophecy, and maybe it’s not far-fetched to think that others in the Ripple Clan had the same ability.   So maybe someone, a long time ago, foretold the ultimate fate of the Red Stone of Aja, and the Ripple Clan has been following that vague counsel ever since.

This might explain how the Ripple Clan knows so much about the Pillar Men in the first place.    It never made much sense to me how the Pillar Men would travel to Rome and this secret band of warriors would be there ready to oppose them.   It’s also kind of convenient that the Ripple Clan knows so much about the Pillar Men’s Stone Mask research.   I mean, the Pillar Men barely acknowledge humans as it is, so why would Kars deign to explain anything to them?   

Now that I think about it, this might be why the Ripple Clan turned to divination in the first place.   Their enemies were so mysterious and their motives so baffling that they may have had no choice but to consult fortune-tellers and psychics for insight.    And, one way or another, they managed to get some solid intel this way.   Kars really was doing R&D on Stone Masks.   He really did go to Rome in search of a “Super Aja”.    Will Zeppeli did die, as Tonpetti warned him.   Kars really did return in 1938, as the Aztec’s predicted.   And it really will be impossible to defeat the Pillar Men without the Red Stone of Aja.    Lisa doesn’t know how that works yet, but she knows it’s true.

But that’s not important right now.   For now, it’s time for Joseph and Caesar to complete their training by heading back to base for a final showdown with their instructors.   Joseph’s final test will be a battle with Loggins, so I assume Caesar has to take on Messina.   But when Joseph shows up for his test...

He finds two people on the battlefield.   One is Loggins, and the other guy is killing him.

And yeah, it’s Esidisi.  Who invited him?   Well, Joseph was going to fight him in a week or so anyway, so why put off tomorrow what you can do today?

[blacktwiste]

T H E G R E E N B O N E S A G A

"The clan is my blood and the Pillar is its master,” she whispered. “I have a lot of regrets in life, but those oaths aren’t one of them."

[dragonrajafanfiction]

The Red Well (Part 3) Hearts and Minds

This is it folks! The MC is EMPOWERED! @rurifangirl

The smoke of liquid nitrogen was gone and people finally saw the true appearance of the holy skeleton. It looked like a crippled embryo. Its swollen head had a large single eye. What looked like a tail was actually a flesh-wrapped spine. Its ribs protrude outside the flesh layer, so it must have used these sharp ribs to insert into the host's spine and manipulate the body when it was parasitic. The holy skeleton did not die under the blade of Gathering Clouds. It twisted and made a "hissing" sound. The golden eyes flash at you, but in the glass capture chamber it could not touch any host that could be parasitized. Without the power of a body it was so weak it couldn’t escape through glass.

King General used a strong flashlight and peered through the outer layer of flesh of the skeleton. Inside the half-developed organs were faintly visible.

You could still feel yourself shaking, not only in fear of this thing and its hunger for you, but in fear of Ruri Kazama who was even stronger. Now you finally understood why Ruri Kazama offered to take you here, rob Herzog of the fetal blood and give it to you. It wasn’t just about saving your life. When you stared into his swirling pupils of red and gold, you finally grasped that this was about more than just survival. He wouldn’t stop at Herzog and Chisei. 

World Domination.

With you.

You have a nightmare vision of this unstoppable hybrid, killing everyone you know, piling them up like hay. Z understood his true nature. He warned you several times and each time you felt you had a reason to ignore him. His last words were “This one’s on you.”

You thought you were smart, strong, and quick enough to change and control your situation. But you were nothing compared to Ruri Kazama. Nothing!

There was only one way to free yourself...

"Look at it, how beautiful it is! What a perfect way to evolve! Before it was executed by the Black King, it actively evolved to live in parasitic form! It perpetuated its existence in this way!" The king pressed his hands on the capture pod and glorified the ugly parasite.

"Ah Excuse me!.” A voice from somewhere in this massive cave spoke up.  “..if the god is a parasite ...... then how does it help us evolve?'' 

 "It's not enough to find a parasite, you also have to find a host and food for it." The King smiled, "Only a very few hosts in this world can be parasitized by the god, such as Izanagi and Susanoo, but unfortunately the ancient descendants did not understand the great meaning of this parasitism and killed the god before it completely evolved into the new white king. It is not the god in this form that can give us the path of evolution, but the White King after the evolution is complete! We will see the new king ascend the throne and open a new chapter in the world!''

Pillars of light descended from the sky, enveloping you, the King General and Ruri Kazama in them. The helicopter's rotor blades cut through the rain curtain, a loud roar echoing through the well. It was a black helicopter with the cabin door open, and Gen Chisei sitting in the cabin, his long black trench coat whipping and flying.

At the last moment, Hydra arrived on the scene.

 Ruri Kazama, who had been silent, seemed to wake up from a deep sleep. His eyes lit up, and golden mandala-like patterns seemed to turn under them. He slowly lifted his head and looked up at the black shadow that had fallen from the sky, the gale blowing away the fringes of his Kimono to reveal his ribbed chest.

"Brother! Brother! You've come to see me? Are you here for my graduation?" He laughed wildly in the wind.

"Or have you come for my enthronement ceremony?" His smile tightened into a malicious grimace, leaving only biting ferocity, "With your blood to stain my vestments with your sacrificial red?"

Just like that, Ruri seemed to have forgotten about you. But he already told you what to do. 

Hide.

The ancient and stern language descended from the sky, just like the language of God echoing in the sky. The field of “Majesty" enveloped the Red Well, and tens of thousands of stainless steel wall panels fell off the well walls, pressing the king's wrath on everyone's head. The rules of gravity were forcibly changed. Everyone felt ten times their weight on their bones. 

You flee. You flee like you fled the soldiers in Black Swan Bay. The huge metal plates smashed down on the helpless Devil Clan elites. But you were not affected and you had the Sword of the Gathering Clouds to aid you. The super sharp master blade cut through the thick steal plates like paper as you headed for the safety cabins. You didn’t understand why you were spared Majesty’s influence. Was this payback for rescuing Sakura on the Tokyo Tower? Or did Chisei understand that you weren't exactly a willing participant in all this?

All around you the moans of the members of the Devil Clan were echoing. They were like souls trapped in hell.  You pause in your flight.

A young man had managed to grab your heel. His tears were pooling under his eyes. They were tears mixed with blood. His jaw looked distorted and broken. His chest was whistling with blood. He couldn’t have been older than you were, but he struggled.  “Help… me…”

Before you could answer a massive shadow loomed over you and a steel plate came down and smashed through his neck like a guillotine, sending his head flying clear off the platform into the well below.

This wasn’t fair. These were people. They didn’t know Herzog was bad any more than you did as a Black Swan Bay orphan. Again, your mind superimposes Black Swan Bay onto the Red Well. If Herzog had taken you to the capitol as promised, wouldn’t he still be your beloved father? Would he not have infected you with his distorted visions of evolution? These people were just trying to survive! They were all that was left of the Devil Clan. Everyone else was in prison!

What was the difference between them and you? They were just like you! They were being slaughtered like animals and they were just like you!

The Red Well suddenly echoed with a mighty roar that came from your wide open throat. It was plaintive and piercing like the cry of a lonely wolf or a mourning mother over her fallen child. It was full of sorrow but also fierce frustration that this shit keeps happening and you want it to fucking stop! Your throat stretched and rattled painfully. If you could stop the world with your voice, you would roar until your voice gave out!

Your eyes explode into a kaleidoscope pattern of black red and gold as the blood in your body finally takes full hold. Ruri’s blood has replaced your own. That blood was yours now and all the power that came with it!

Ruri was laughing wildly from somewhere in the cave. “Do you hear that brother! It’s just as it’s written! A rib was taken from a man and from it was formed into a woman! See! I can quote fairy tales too!”

Your hands seize a firm hold of Gathering Clouds and you spin and a dazzling horizontal arc! The secret of this mighty sword is that it could control the wind. One of the first emperor hybrids wielded it to push a wildfire set by his enemies back into them, burning them to ash. In this case, the sword produced a wind so powerful it knocked back all the massive steel plates. Even though they were heavy in normal gravity and ten times heavier under the influence of Majesty, this dragon-tail sword blew those plates away like they weighed no more than feathers! They scattered like dandelion tufts blown by a child!

There was nothing in your mind other than stopping this mindless slaughter. You didn’t care about the Devil Clan versus Hydra. In this matter, you had to agree with Ruri Kazama. There were no good guys versus bad guys. There were good guys in Hydra like Sakura Yabuki and there were good people in the Devil Clan, like Chime and Chance. The only evil that led both astray were Herzog and Bondarev. They should be turning those weapons on them! 

Chisei did not come alone. The heavily armed Hydra members followed Gen Chisei out of the cabin of the helicopters. They fired at the shaft wall with grapple guns and hung high from them, but Chisei Gen fell straight down. Kazama Ruri stretched the fuchsia-red sword in the air, Chisei’s twin blades made a dazzling ray of more than ten meters long, and the three blades fought against each other. The violent sparks illuminate the faces of the estranged brothers. Chisei’s  face is indifferent like a stone carving, but Kazama Ruri’s is like a bloodthirsty evil spirit.

Around them, gunfire and explosions continued. The Hydra Elites hung in the air by their grapple guns and pulled the trigger before they had even completed their fall. A hailstorm of bullets fell from the sky. The moment Chisei jumped out of the cabin, “Majesty” was lifted, but the engineering team and gunmen of the Devil Clan were cut down and suppressed by gunfire before they could get up and dodge. The Hydra elites were not going to spare anyone in the well. They were thugs among thugs, and now, even though they dangled from ropes, they hold their weapons as still and stable as professional assassins. 

A hurricane of violence had erupted in the Well of Bones. Ruri and Chisei’s blades were like lightning, the gun battles were like thunder, and you were howling like the wind.

You ran straight towards the wall, and then straight up the wall. Your face is like the mask of Medusa and your hair quivered like black snakes. You didn’t care how fast you were running, it wasn’t fast enough! People were still dying! If this were just up to you and just about you, you probably could have killed everyone in this well much more easily. That was how you were taught in Black Swan Bay. But now you’d been infected with a new philosophy.

The righteous philosophy of Caesar Gattuso! What was right mattered more than what was efficient. Human lives were worth more than the blood of gods! Your whole body felt like it was on fire as you cut through all the weapons of the Hydra members hanging on the walls. You were just as fast as Ruri was. Hydra leaders took aim at the Devil clan only for the muzzles of their guns to fall off and a strong breeze to shake them from the wall. You were able to easily outrun the bullets that strafed after you as you cut heavy weapons to pieces and cut them from their wires so that they would fall to the maintenance platform.

The surviving Devil clan members cheered as they crawled out from cover and picked up weapons to counterattack, and they aimed at the vital parts of the Hydra assassins, giving them fatal injuries while they were hanging in the air. But then those cheers changed to fearful confusion as this whirlwind of a woman descended on them and their weapons split in half even though they never saw you cut them.. “Stop fighting! Don’t you realize who the real enemy is?!” Your voice doesn’t sound like your own. It sounds like a mix of Ruri Kazama’s voice and yours, speaking double toned, like someone possessed.

“Traitor! She’s a traitor!” Someone yelled among the Devil Clan ranks

“Kill that Devil woman!” Came shouts from the Hydra elites on the wall.

Yelling erupted from every side of the well from both the Devil Clan and the Hydra elites. You’re suddenly enveloped by a hail of bullets from both sides who now viewed you as a dangerous enemy and united to fight against you. A rueful bitter voice echoed in your head. “Well, at least they answered your question. Their real enemy is you… apparently.” A strong wind burst out and the bullets of the Hydra and the Devil Clan shot back into their faces. Dozens of men on both sides on the conflict fell dead or seriously wounded in an instant.

You put one hand over your eyes. You cackled at your own despair. You couldn’t stop yourself laughing uproariously. Your laugh rose to an insane screaming pitch as you rose above the floor of the maintenance platform on a gale of wind like some sort of evil witch. “Fine… Fine! Have it your way. Tear each other’s throats and die here with no one to mourn you!” While you felt the evil of Herzog and the justice of Gattuso, you still had little patience for idiots.

“Leave her to me! I’ll take care of the rest!” A man darted forward. You could tell by his speed and the ferociousness in his eyes that this one was different. The sword he carried glow brilliantly as though it had been superheated. But to you he was just running like a child with a toy light saber. What mattered more was that he was a leader. He had influence.

You met him, but not blade for blade so as not to smash his weapon by accident. Instead you dodged while he struck at you again and again but you were like a ghost in the air. “Tell your men to stop fighting!” You say.

“I will not let you resurrect the god!” His blade suddenly burst into flames, extending its reach and sending a wave of fire at you. The fire ignites your dress, turning the white fabric to soot and exposing your midriff. Delicate white scales sparkled on your abdomen in the rain as though you were made of diamond. The man’s eyes widened in horror as you just absorbed what should have been a devastating blow.

“The god is already resurrected.” You tell him, your voice is shaking, pleading. The rain drops run down your face in a torrent. “You don’t understand its nature. I don’t think you can control it. If you don’t work together with the Devil Clan, you’ll never-”

Now it was the senior member’s turn to laugh. “Ha! Work together? Work with the greedy people who got us into this mess in the first place?!” He pointed the sword at you. His eyes blazing gold. “You’re just a child. We’ve been fighting this war for all our lives. Our sides were determined on the day we were born and I have sworn to follow my righteous path until I die!”

“These people are your family!” You scream desperately. “Chance’s real name was Ichirou Inuyama! He was Inuyama!”

You suddenly see his whole body glow like fire and his clothes burned away. Under his combat suit he was strapped head to toe in layers of plastic explosive! He’d prepared to meet a super-Devil like you or Ruri.

He howled against the wind. “DIE! DEVIL SCUM!”

Time seemed to slow as the raging ball of flame burned his body to ash and came towards you, and the roaring gale of Gathering Clouds bubbled outward to meet it. The force of the suicide vest was so powerful, the flames licked around your body, surrounding you in fire. But eventually, just as in the legend, the wind won out. The full force of the suicide blast flew away from you. Not only that, the blast was fed and accelerated by your ferocious wind until that fire  expanded into a fireball a hundred meters wide and heated up to nearly 2,000 degrees. It engulfed men and women who had thrown away their broken guns and pulled out knives and swords. If they didn’t have knives and swords, they fought with fists, feet, and bits of debris. They didn’t even look up when the ball of fire took them over and snuffed out their lives. The massive fireball left corpses and flames and devastation in its wake. 

But you didn’t mean it. You were just defending yourself.

A loud crash interrupted you before you could panic.  You jerked your head around and saw Chisei Gen standing under a shower of burning wreckage from a helicopter that was rolling down the wall. Gen Chisei did not dodge and it was too late to warn him.

 You run forward a few steps but the whirling blade that had broken off from the wreckage already chopped into Chisei’s shoulder, crushing the man flat to the ground as the rest of the blades cut in turn. Immediately afterwards, the crumpled black fuselage hit him and slid across the ground before finally crashing into the tall steel liquid nitrogen tank. Huge amounts of liquid nitrogen poured over the wreckage of the helicopter, frost spreading along the surface of the wreckage and rising up as a thick mist.

 The fuel tanks ruptured and the fallen wreckage was ignited. Electric sparks flashed and buzzed as if a thousand suns were burning at the bottom of the well, a wave of gas forcing everyone still alive apart.  Columns of light swept across the bottom of the storage well with columns of dust, fiery air currents and flying debris blew across the area.

The Hydra and engineering teams  of the Devil Clan were still fighting. They didn't even realize that the leader of the Hydra group had been killed in action. All of them were immersed in a great sense of mission and anger. No matter what the outcome of this fight was, no one could stop anymore. Even though you had the blood, the power, and the faith in justice, you felt lost and without any hope of victory.

You’re not even sure you wanted Chime to come back any more. Maybe this is for the best that he sleeps forever with his brother.

This was not Black Swan Bay. These weren’t little children running from explosions or cold-blooded men. These were adults. These people were choosing to kill each other. Even if they were deceived, they truly believed the deception. Even if you took all their weapons and tied them all up, they would still move and crawl on the ground in an attempt to tear at each other with their teeth.

The trap that Herzog had set was not this well. The burning man was right. The trap had been set and carefully laid in their minds and cultivated from the day of their birth. Just like the trap of the suicide pills. These people had to, not only choose to live and not seek death, but also choose to let others live and not seek the death of other people.

"So sad the end, ah... the family line that stretched for thousands of years, the guardian of Japan, just ended its mission.'' Herzog stands by the burning wreckage and laments in a poetic voice, "From now on in the world, there will no longer be any such thing as Emperor.”

"But no matter," he smiled faintly again, "Emperors were outdated anyway."

Ruri was strangely silent. With his brother gone, shouldn’t he be attacking Herzog?

Herzog hoisted the carrying case in his hand, the glass capture capsule is contained in that case. He has got what he dreamed of all his life. It is time to leave this well. You huff. What a magnificent bastard. He didn’t have to do anything to kill anyone here. Everyone was happy to do it for him, yourself included.

You stare at the sword in your hand. What a poisoned pill that sword turned out to be!

At that moment, a loud heartbeat came from behind him, like a sudden booming death knell, like something returning from hell! Hands covered in white scales pierced the metal skin of the wreckage of the helicopter, and crystal clear claws snapped around the head of the King General!

The flames in the wreckage sucked in and out, getting more and more fiery, as though something huge was breathing in the cockpit. Each time it inhaled a huge amount of air from within the wreck, it exhaled a gushing fire from it.

The suitcase fell to the ground. The King kicked and struggled. Not only is the pressure on that sharp claw increasing, but the sound of breathing was taking on a threatening aura. Kazama Ruri didn't move. Those dull, soulless eyes lit up again, and he watched with interest as the claw slowly tightened. The king's mask was crumbling, blood dripping down from the cracks.

The wreckage suddenly burst apart! The few people who approached the wreckage were immediately killed by the flying flames and debris.

Out of the firelight came the dazzling white shadow, someone who could no longer be called human. He was such a beautiful and hideous creature. He possessed gnarled muscles and rippling sinews that proclaimed what power was in this incredible body. The surface of the scales of his skin were like golden-red brocade in the firelight. The skin on his back split open. Slender bones opened up. Bloody wings stretched themselves out for the first time He was drenched in blood from this wing beat but the wounds on his back healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, after which the fierce and savage back muscles bulged.

The exoskeleton-encircled face could no longer smile or frown, and the newborn Chisei breathed up into the sky with a windy roar in his throat.

He was something between an angel and a devil, a mistake that should not have been made in this world.

 "Dragon's blood! You ...... you used dragon's blood?!" The General exclaimed.

Chisei’s voice was deep and echoing. "Yes, as an emperor, I can't kill you, but as a ghost, I can surpass the limits of an emperor." He said softly, "I've been a ghost slayer all my life, yet I didn't understand until this moment why those ghosts crave for power.''

He looked up at the dark night sky, rain pattering on that hard face: "When there is already boundless darkness where you are, how can you not fly to the flame?"

You gasp. Those words. Not those words! Those are Herzog’s words! Why was Chisei quoting the words of the dying Devil Clan? You reach out your hand. And then stop.  With a slight popping sound, the skull of Herzog broke like a water pipe. He threw the King's body on the ground and lowered his emperor-like golden eyes to observe. The corpse never moved a single bit.

The King surprisingly just died. And suddenly everything made sense. You were too occupied to think about it before. Didn’t Chisei fall helplessly before Ruri Kazama just hours ago? Didn’t Chisei always save Majesty to the end of the battle as an escape plan because it rendered him as helpless as a newborn kitten? In this instance, he’d thrown it out at the beginning! But he suffered no side effects. He wanted to kill Ruri Kazama so badly that he went against his own morals and principles.

Morals and principals were so troublesome. You think to yourself bitterly. They get in the way of efficiency. 

After what you’d seen of Ruri Kazama and after what you’d seen of the god. You didn’t believe you could survive here much longer and you didn’t think Chisei would win. It was best to escape while these two musclebound idiots solved their differences. Knowing them… they’d kill each other and you never got in the way of that before, and bitterly decide not to get in the way of that again.

Since Chisei didn’t suffer any from using his Soul Skill you decide to use your own Soul Skill. You press your foot to the ground and let the spiritual roots take hold without reservation. Mental filaments spread like vines and touch every part of the Red Well until you feel like you wear it as a second skin. You needed a way out. Then you could bury this place in magma. The magma wasn’t far from here. After all, it fed the god that caused all this. You would simply return it to its place.

A strange signature, like three footsteps, catches your attention. Someone had walked up near the rim of the well close to the machinery lift platform. You can’t see anyone, but they’re there. Who could be up there?

Your heart suddenly leaps into your throat and your memory throws up the scene on Tokyo Tower of Ruri beheading and then severing the body of the King in two only for it to pop up again in a second place! The person standing up on the platform was likely the real King! This body is a fake!

“Ha!” You snarl and take the Heavenly Cloud blade and strike the ground. It summons a huge tornado that lifts you off like a rocket. You really did have wings and you were going to  pounce on this King creature like and eagle and kill him for real. 

But this man was always prepared. What would he have for you? Bombs? Hah. Deadpool? Hah! There was nothing that could save him!

When you approach the rim of the well, it’s too late that you see the fine nano-fiber mesh that surrounds it. It wraps around you like a spiderweb, and clings tight as you collide with it and push with forward momentum. The Sword of Gathering Clouds slips from your grasp and goes falling back towards the well. Immediately your upward momentum comes crashing down onto the flat land that surrounds the Red Well and you roll several feet before coming to a stop next to an armored boot. Your hands are bound, your legs are bound. The nanofibers are crushing into your skin.

You stare up into the sky and a pistol is pointed right at your forehead. Herzog’s masked face comes into view. He waggles his fingers in greeting. “Hello.”