#two expert swordsmen

[favoritenintendocharacterbracket]

Favorite Nintendo Character 2: Round 1

[eggyboyoart]

NU: carnival harem and if they would/would not fuck their clone

[RATED +18]

EIDEN;

yes. he is unbelievably pro clone-fucking. he canonically fucks his clone (SSR Salacious King). While I haven't got Salacious King and idk what the intimacy rooms are; I know for a fact that Eiden (both of them) are having the time of their kinky little lives.

I imagine that they’re both teasing and confident, manoeuvring around each other with expert ease. Since eiden himself is incredibly versatile already, its not hard for them to fall into a sexy rhythm...

Eiden is also pro clansmembers-fucking-his-own-clone-in-front-of-him and pro clones-fucking-the-clansmembers (my boy is versatile).

ASTER;

Aster is pro clone-fucking in the way that both him and his clone are ganging up on Eiden or Morvay. Imagine with me; one Aster behind Eiden, nibbling on his neck and the other in the front - torturing him with some toys. Thats Aster, baby.

They end up with their focus split, torn between watching their partner fall apart beneath them and sneaking glances toward his clone while hes not looking – secretly checking himself out.

Eiden ends up covered in bites and passed out from exhaustion at the end :))

MORVAY;

YES YES YES YES YES YES

THEY GET SO FREAKY. mmm incubus x incubus.. it starts off a little hesitant, with both of them wondering if they could feed off each other’s ‘essence’ and soon after - like Aster, they both ALSO end up ganging up on Eiden – damn near fist-fighting each other to get to Eiden’s ‘prize jewels’.

Eiden ends up ABSOLUTELY exhausted at the end. Its like that meme with the shriveled up man next to other person sleeping.

this isn't the exact meme, but its the same vibe.

YAKUMO;

ohh.. sweet baby yakumo..

hes so hesitant, he most likely got the idea from Eiden asking both Yakumos to double-team him. Yakumo usually struggles with 'possessive' snake instincts and weirdly enough, its the same with his own clone (despite the fact they're the same person lol).

however.. a little after Yakumo x Eiden x Yakumo's Clone.. both yakumos sneak off into the night for some 'private exploration'.. neither of them speak of it out of pure embarrassment, but the suspiciously snake-shaped bite marks on each other’s neck do not go unnoticed..

EDMOND;

hes offended that you would even suggest such a thing. he is a righteous man of noble intentions, he would never even think of such perverted acts- get your mind out of the gutter, you scoundrel-!

while edmond doesn't necessarily feel attracted to himself sexually, neither of the vice-captains can resist sneaking a little peak around the back.. but overall, nothing beyond some subtle glances.

eiden tries to convince them both for some 'regulation' but he doesn't get very far when two blushing swordsmen put their blades up to his throat.. (better luck next time, big man)

OLIVINE;

... :3

this busty priest has probably never really thought about his own attractiveness too much but... is his chest really that voluptuous?

honestly? olivine is probably the one to bring this up to eiden. both priests approach the grand sorcerer quietly in the evening, mumbling about 'essence regulation'.. thats really just an excuse though. hes both insanely embarrassed and intensely aroused at his own sounds and squirming body ('does he really sound like that?').

eiden also has a good time when he gets to see two busty priests pressed up against each other and making out (LUCKY BITCH)

QUINCY;

ahh yes, our resident bear..

i don't believe he would be particularly interested in fucking his own clone, unfortunately. I just don’t think that he is his own type.. but, with a low mumble of 'troublesome..', he could be convinced/teased into tag-teaming eiden or a certain cheeky fox..

in this situation, i imagine one quincy leant back against the headboard, eiden/kuya on top of him and the other quincy behind eiden/kuya with double penetration orr.. both quincys spitroasting eiden/kuya :))

either way, the clones are less focused on each other and more focused on their partner.

KUYA;

soo, the myth, the man, the legend - our local mischievous fox yokai..

i believe this would start off relatively simply, with both kuyas ganging up/sexually torturing eiden in possessive competition. similarly to yakumo, his jealous instincts are not curbed when faced with his own clone and they both spend the whole time exchanging quips and witty remarks while just plowing eiden.

but after.. i believe both kuyas sneak off to 'hate-fuck' essentially. its bitter, aggressive and honestly violent with how rough they get with each other and in the end.. i don't think there is a winner here.

GARU;

okay.. desperate bottom x desperate bottom AHH-

its wild how they go at each other.. honestly, eiden probably walks in on them frotting – the room thick with the scent of sweat and slick and a sight so erotic that eiden is mystically compelled to join (honestly bro? me too).

honestly, if i can get a little 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂.. its wet. they're both drooling, from their mouth and.. down there.. and honestly, eiden is too. and if both wolf yokai desperately cling to their master, whining so sweetly.. who is he to deny them?

KARU;

honestly? I do believe that within karu is a man capable of being on top. It takes a lot, some self-given pep-talk and enough teasing – I do genuinely believe karu would be able to successfully dominate someone, though in more of a ‘whimpery top’ kind of style..

that’s sort of what happens when eiden tries to get under both karu’s skin, sliding up to them with his usual audacity. Eventually, both karus come to a mutual agreement that there is strength in numbers and agree to take the grand sorcerer down.

It ends in a similar position as quincy’s – spitroasting eiden though with a lot more whimpering and drooling from all parties involved.

BLADE;

My other, beautiful pookie..

This story starts with some good old fashioned exploration. At first, its purely curiosity – poking and prodding at each other with eager fingers and excitable eyes. But once one of them press on a particularly sensitive spot, its all over for them. Once one of the e-droids gets the idea, the other is all too eager to delve right into the good stuff.

Eiden probably walks in on them right in the middle of the act – the two tangled up and sweaty, and they’re more than happy to extend a hand to their darling~

DANTE;

The identical Sun Lords are appalled at the very idea. They are not interested in each other like that, at all – and truthfully, they end up barely getting along due to both of their stubborn natures.

Though, the one thing they can agree on is that eiden needs to be taken down a peg. This probably ends up as a mixture of Quincy and Kuya’s scenarios – with both Sun Lord’s less focused on each other but more so on tormenting the frustrating ‘grand sorcerer’.

Spitroasting is probably the way to go here, with eiden’s mouth being put to ‘better uses’.. it looks like they’re finally getting along :))

REI;

(I don’t know much about rei so forgive me lol)

Fascinating.. they spend a majority of the time researching each other, jotting down notes and findings as they debate and theorise. Eventually (to no ones surprise), this research ends up becoming ‘research’ – if you know what I mean, wink wink, nudge nudge..

Interestingly enough, I don’t see eiden being involved at all here, nor do I see either of them topping the other.. I think its mostly ‘experiments’ that rei more-so wanted to perform on himself, that has now been made easier using his body double.

Either way, with both intelligent minds - their time researching has actually proven to be rather productive, which leads rei to seriously consider finding a way to regularly clone himself..

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

⭐ Bonus poll time ⭐ - One Piece edition

My limit is 3 characters per fandom so these three get a bonus poll instead. If the limit didn't exist, they would've had the chance to get in (Law got four submissions, Shanks three and Tashigi got two).

Propaganda:

For Law:

Relies both on his sword and his powers and became the youngest Warlord of the Seas. He can conjure spherical "rooms" where he has full control over anything inside- up to being able to use teleportation and soul-swapping. There was also that one time he straight-up removed hearts from multiple people's bodies without harming them, his powers are great for medical purposes (like operation) or, well, whatever non-fatal dismemberment qualifies as. Law is completely unaffected by Hancock, a female Warlord so beautiful her power can turn anyone even slightly attracted to her into stone (this works on nearly every man and multiple women). Luffy, another unaffected character, is canonically asexual and aromantic so this could mean Law is aro/ace, gay or both. Either way, he's a great possibly-queer swordsman!

When he uses his fruit powers, his sword is never wrong. And he can cut what ever he wants however he wants. Like the still-beating hearts out of sailors. Or give in needle prick of anesthesia

looong looong sword

For Tashigi:

A lady swords man?! Who looks like Zoro's dead friend grown up?! She is very knowledgeable about swords and handles hers well. Honestly it's been a while since her skills have been displayed but she has been moving up the ranks of the Marines and her fighting is with a blade. Amazing in Lougetown and Punk Hazard.

She's a good fighter and is reasonable/cares about justice unlike way too many Marines. Tashigi has big lesbian vibes and is both badass and clumsy which is a funny contrast.

For Shanks:

He is the only Yonko without a devil fruit power which means his skill with a sword (and his haki use) must have carried him up there. He often dueled with Mihawk back "in the day" but they don't now...See Shanks lost his dominant arm protecting the future chance of liberation and had to basically re-learn the all that. Love!!! Amazing!!! Best!!! Imagine being top-tier and having to re-learn and then youre top-tier again!!

Shanks used to be one of the greatest swordsmen out there but he's strong enough that even losing one of his hands didn't stop him. He has strong divorced energy with Buggy and (depending on who you ask) Mihawk, who he used to fight regularly back when they were evenly matched- for reference, Mihawk is THE best swordsman in the world so it must have taken expert skills to come close to this level.

[bluewaltz]

🧋 — [ Kamisato Ayato. ] 👤 — [ gender neutral reader. ] 🏷️ — [ fluff, slice of life, comedy. ] 📜 — [ scenario. ]

"You don't believe me?"

"It's not that I don't believe you, it's just..." You stared at the delicate flower on your plate, prodding it warily. "Do you really have to use your sword for this?"

"Precision and minute control of a swordsman's blade is imperative for us to be able to ascend to greater heights." Ayato smiled. "Of course, a simple paring knife is enough to do the job as well."

It was supposed to be a day where Ayato would finally be able to relax for one day and spend some time with you. That being said, he woke earlier than you, and he had prepared a meal for you before you even finished brushing your teeth.

In an attempt to make conversation with him, you asked him about the flower on the plate, and one thing led to another... well.

You stared down at the radish on your plate, then at the paring knife set beside it.

"I really don't think I can do it." You muttered. "Ayato, why don't you do it for me to see again? Slower, this time."

"Of course." He picked up the paring knife and with an elegant flick of his wrist, carved out a large piece of the radish. You watched as he tilted the radish this way and that, cutting out large chunks until it was unrecognisable.

"Now, look closely." Ayato started to thin out the pieces he cut, thinner and thinner until they were pratically translucent. In the blink of an eye, he was holding a perfectly shaped radish flower.

"You know, I know many chefs in Inazuma who would kill for a skill like yours."

Ayato carefully laid the flower on a plate, next to two others that he had carved for you to see.

"Well, most chefs in Inazuma are not expert swordsmen either. It is perfectly fine to carve flowers out of root vegetables with a paring knife."

"Do another one for me?" You asked, pushing a carrot towards him. "It's almost like magic."

"Of course," Ayato said with a smile on his face. "Though... if I do remember correctly, it was supposed to be my birthday today?"

"I'll cook all your flowers in a hotpot. The nice ones, not the ones you make."

"I will make sure my flowers are sturdy enough, then."

[turboacek-blog]

Could Zabuza join the Akatsuki?

Saw it on Reddit so just sharing my thoughts here as well with more detail

I think yes, but he would be the weakest

He doesn’t have a crazy technique like the rest so in a series of 1v1s he might lose to the other members due to things like Hidan’s immortality

But to be a member I think what it takes is their own power and the ability to capture the Tailed beasts as that’s the main objective of the Akatsuki

Zabuza even if only briefly did trap Kakashi without help, had high level water jutsus, and an impressive weapon

And we later found out what makes his special with it being able to regenerate with blood, so that’s a bonus

The comparison

Asuma on paper and even in showing is on par if not stronger than Hidan, but he lost due to Hidan’s ability, and I think Zabuza would be comparable to at least Asuma if not Kakashi who with the Hidan comparison could be a member so that’s the power argument

Then for taking Tailed beasts that’s where it gets tricky as it would be in part who is his partner if he joins

Because I don’t know if he can beat many of the Jinchuriki 1v1 (because honestly the TailedBeast scaling is weird with the cloaks and such)

With the caveat that early Naruto, and Fu at least in the filler was around chunin level so Zabuza could get them if they don’t transform

And he might have the element advantage against Gaara, Yugito and Roshi, as I can see a scenario where Zabuza has Gaara in a water prison making the sand worthless and essentially drowning him…

But as for capturing the Tailed Beasts, we haven’t seen enough from Zabuza to show he can do that from the two fights with Kakashi

Zabuza has room to grow/be expanded on

On the hypothetical side he could of gotten the part 2 boost characters like Kisame had where his water style gets a crazy upgrade or Zabuza could secretly be a sealing expert or his Hidden Mist jutsu is so deadly that it overcame the smell problem that Kakashi exploited or just something where his inclusion makes sense

So I think he can be one and if with the right assignments he could take a couple Jinchuriki like a Fu and Gaara, he would just have a harder time taking on tailed beasts and might have to rely more on his partner to do the final blow or etc based on what we’ve seen in the super early stages of the series

It overall reminds me of the power scaling community and how since Hashirama can make that giant wooden Buddha that was fighting against Susanoo armor Kurama his power level makes him the strongest Kage (outside Naruto) but the other Kage don’t have that giant wide scale attack that people view them as weaker

So since Zabuza can’t make a Water Susanoo or has these bordering world breaking abilities that can kinda exploit the system he’s viewed as weaker

Zabuza was a jonin and being a member of the seven ninja swordsmen he was probably pretty elite so I think he had a skill set made for killing but when it comes to capture I do think the water prison is enough for most Jinchuriki. But against the tailed beasts honestly very few can.

[tiny-cloud-of-flowers]

(last one i promise) (SORRY FOR ALL THE ASKS) for felix!! how did you come to see catarina as a sister ?? whats your favorite thing to do together when theres free time ??

(IT’S ALRIGHT, ANYONE CAN ALWAYS SEND AS MANY ASKS AS THEY WOULD LIKE TO!)

Felix: “Taking some time off from your usual expeditions, are we? Well, it’s good to see you in good spirits.

To answer your first question, that.. took a bit of time. You know what I was like back at the academy, after all. I didn’t actually get to meet Catarina until partway through the year, since it was only then that we ended up in the same house, but.. I’ll admit she caught my attention pretty quickly. She’s never trained as often as me, but we ended up arranging to spar together a lot, and that’s really how things got started. I’d say we have quite similar ways of fighting, so that common ground helped us to build up a connection, and then.. we started talking about other things than training, somehow. I suppose it was just- refreshing, to have someone around who had such an outside perspective. She may have roots in Faerghus, but the fact she wasn’t raised there, or raised to uphold the same typical values the Kingdom prides itself on - or even anywhere else in Fódlan - meant that.. there’s a lot I felt I could talk to her about, in a way I just couldn’t with others. Also, she wouldn’t hesitate to give me a piece of her mind, or say what she thought about things. Not many others were like that, so it stuck out to me.

By the end of the year, it didn’t feel like we had developed the same dynamic I have with my friends - and I wouldn’t necessarily say it was any worse or better, it’s just.. there was something different about it. Maybe it’s because it was just something shared between the two of us, not a piece of a larger group setting. A closeness that almost seemed more natural, or permanent, than just friendship, even despite the much shorter time we’d actually known each other. What I mean by that is that.. Rina and I can talk about anything, and it’d never feel like what we had could just suddenly fall apart, no matter what we actually said to each other. In fact, I don’t know if we’ve ever fallen out in a serious way; we may bicker a lot over little things, but it’s always more playful than anything else - never as tense or able to suddenly escalate as it could be with others. So, that’s.. really where the whole “sister” thing started.

Oh, and for your second question - we still train together, a lot. Catarina prides herself on being a difficult opponent to strike, and I’m very familiar with that by this point, but it doesn’t make it that much easier to get a hit in on her. Sometimes it can feel like I’m fighting a mirage of myself when she’s more on the offensive, which.. is a strange feeling, but I think it’s good. She also keeps trying to help me with the magic side of things, which usually results in her taking a pile of books out of the library and dragging me somewhere to go read them with her until one of us gets bored. ..I’ll admit that seeing her own spellcraft in action has helped me gain a greater appreciation of magic than I used to have, but I’m still not close to her own proficiency. Then again, I know I’d overpower her if she wasn’t using magic, so me having greater physical strength can still be more useful than her balanced and more agile style. And, the magic I do know how to cast is already far above what most swordsmen could use or expect from me, so I still have the edge in most combat situations, even without being an expert.

I.. hope that all of this answers your questions. Feel free to stop by again if you want to ask more.”

[wilygryphon]

Sora vs Link

An imagined scenario of a duel between Sora, Keyblade Master (unofficially) and hero of Kingdom Hearts, and Link, reincarnating hero of Hyrule and protagonist of The Legend of Zelda.

Stats:

Both are expert swordsmen.  While Sora is also well-versed in a range of spells, and his Keyblade can change into different weapons, Link carries an arsenal of weapons and tools on his person ("how" is anyone's guess, but it makes for some funny fanart).  The specific weapons depend on the game/incarnation, but recurring tools include a bow and arrows, bombs, a boomerang, and the Hookshot.  Link's primary tools are the Master Sword, an enchanted blade made to slay evil (and sometimes shoots energy beams), and the Knight's Shield, which, according to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, is canonically stronger than magic barriers conjured by two literal goddesses.

Sora possesses what can only be described as superhuman physical abilities (although they seem to be natural physical growth), allowing him to go toe-to-toe against similarly-superhuman opponents, enormous monsters, and Titans.  Link is strong and agile, but his abilities seem to be more realistic in regards to what a human at peak ability can accomplish, but he can boost his strength with magic gauntlets and speed with magic boots.

Link also possesses a range of spells in some games, sometimes through a magic rod and other times through enchantments gifted by Great Fairies.  While both heroes use magic, they run on a finite capacity of MP/magic energy.  Sora can replenish his MP with Ethers/Elixirs, or he can wait for his mana to charge back up over time.  Link, in contrast, can only replenish his energy with green magic potions (or, in one incarnation, he can drink Chateau Romani and have an endless supply).  They can both heal injuries with potions (the Potion item and Elixirs for Sora, and Milk or Red Potions for Link), but Sora also has a spell (Cure) that can restore his health.

Both Sora and Link are very intelligent warriors.  They can both analyze their opponents' attack patterns and react accordingly, and they can solve puzzles (shown most with Link in all incarnations, but also refer to Sora navigating Hollow Bastion and Wonderland in KH1).  Compared to most incarnations of Link, Sora has had more or equal experience, but both have been able to match up against adversaries with more training and experience than them.

[cultfaction]

Preview: The Swordsman of all Swordsmen (Eureka Classics- Limited Edition Two-Disc Bluray)

A tale of honour and revenge by a celebrated master of wuxia cinema, Joseph Kuo! Having witnessed the brutal slaying of his entire family as a small child, Tsai Ying-jie (Tien Peng, A Touch of Zen) spends several years wandering in search of those responsible. After years in training, he intends to use his expert swordsmanship to exact vengeance on Yun Chun-chung (Tsao Tsien, Dragon Inn) and his…

[fortnite-rosso-and-company]

Awaken and The Next

Sometime has pass when The Herald destroy Reality Zero but, hearing the news that the island is put back to pieces as The Last Reality are preparing for there next attack as they await for orders. As for the members of the Cubic Warriors transform through the Ecliptic Rays emitted by the dark from the Sentient Cubes on a dead planet but, now reborn to make it a home world The Last Reality and Cubic Warriors. They were able to control the powers of the Cubic Particles thanks to the Ecliptic Rays as more power is gained to The Last Reality to destroy other realities to leave nothing behind.

On the planet where the known Cubic’s that is in his new body known as Titan that possessed Giallo (Rosso’s Older Brother) but, in a robotic body as he meditates on a cliff as his appearance is training.

A chrome female warrior known as Lucia would like to be the next Cubic Warriors. Titan does potential in her as his fellow Cubic does. Lucia came to Titan as she is ready. “I am ready when you are Master Titan.” She said as she looks at the pyramid that was seen on Apollo.

“Then, I hope your ready Lucia. Because I won’t hold back as you shouldn’t hold back as well.” Titan said to her and nods. She then got in position and ready her weapon as Titan does the same.

“Now then. Begin!” Titan said as the two charge at each other as there blades clash and slash.

Lucia and Titan are perfectly match as they didn’t stop but, Titan could tell something is on her mind. He then swing his sword as the blades meet and pushes her back. “I can tell something is troubling you. Mind to explain.” Titan let’s her speak.

“It’s just- When you were separated from Giallo. You had been unsure of something but, I’m not sure my self. Though I know we’re doing it for our lord. Though that’s why I was unsure as well. You think it’s well. Wrong?” Lucia said as she wasn’t sure as well and she feels it’s not right but, could let anyone know as she feels she can trust Master Titan.

“I know what you mean but, it is not for me to decide. However I can’t let our lord down as he wants to destroy all realities. That is my purpose as a swordsmen.” Titan reply to Lucia question. Lucia then understood him. Though the two are unsure as well but, remains to keep to them selves.

As for Tartarus who is walking through the plants of which was planted from Herald. They reminded of her as he looks as he then notice that The Herald is awake and the two embrace each other.

“I’m glad you recovered my love. You had me worried when I found you by the tree that was once The Reality Tree but, I’m glad your alive.” Tartarus said as he felt comfortable when she around.

“Indeed. I did say that I would return Tartarus.” Herald said as she then removes the mask and kisses him on the lips. She then puts the mask back on him. The two then let go slowly. “Now then. As I recover fully. How about we do some training like we is to.” She add as she remembers there time together. She would win or he would win.

Tartarus then nods as they both summon their weapons as they both clash. As there blades clash from each swing.

As they continue to train and switch it up to hand to hand combat. Tartarus is an expert of Martial arts to which he teaches Herald and expert which may lead into a tie.

The two would continue as they both kept it up and awaited for orders. Though Tartarus is let’s Herald know the members of The Seven are corrupted and ready. As Herald plan had work and to have Origin back to where he is king now. They have not heard any news on The Cube Wueen but, in the far distance that Diavolo heard news of the queen. He then would await orders as he is now training the new recruit Bytes that The Nothing had brought to their side.

[pussymagnetmadara]

Why do I love Karin

Why do some fans of Sasuke devalue Karin and relay her to a comical background in the book?

First of all, your preferences are right to like Karin as a character or not, but to put down and devalue Karin to make Sakura shine instead does not serve Sakura as a character in any way.

I've read a lot of posts that devalued Karin as a kunoichi, as a woman and even the place she got in Sasuke's life, and whether you like it or not Karin was a full part of Sasuke's life as Kishimoto shows us several times.

The question I always wondered here is why Karin was introduced to be a character with such a great importance to be then reduced to Sasuke's old friend... Understand us here, as much as fans of the saga fight to defend the SNS in Kishimoto's book, the SasuKarin gets a significant place in the manga as well and Kishimoto left nothing to chance.

First, here are some canonical facts about Sasuke and Karin that are non-negligible:

- Karin is the kunoichi that Sasuke recognized and rated as the most powerful one he knew.

- Karin and her red hair as does every other canonical member of the Uzumaki clan, what was the main point here of implying that Karin was a member of that clan if not for Sasuke's interest in the Uzumaki clan itself with Naruto already.

-Sasuke always took care of Karin during their expeditions with the Hebi team and even more during the moments of the Taka team and I don't think here that he was taking care of her because he recognized her weakness, even if it is real to admit that Karin is not an offensive ninja but rather occupies a healer position. Beside that, it is not negligible also to underline that Sasuke had the faculty to regenerate his chakra much more quickly since the absorption of Orochimaru.

- Sasuke developed a new power from his MS for her and only for her. Canonically, we learn how the Sharingan works thanks to the expert of the Uchiha, Tobirama Senju. He explains that the loss of a loved one influences in the brain of the members of the Uchiha clan a surprisingly powerful chakra flow and then comes into conjunction with the optic nerves and thus unleashes the Sharingan, in other words, the eyes that reflect the feelings of the heart. So for Sasuke to be physically able to trigger such a power to save Karin, it is that he is canonically attached to her, whether it is simple friendship to a more powerful bond. In any case, a powerful bond unites them.

- Sasuke loves tomatoes and the color red, I let you guess who has red hair and the cold-bloodedness worthy of Kushina Uzumaki...well ok this one was rather a fun fact than an important canonical fact but still.

If you have never read the manifesto that Skania wrote about SasuKarin, read it, it is a pure gem of an analysis and no lies were used to support the facts, everything is only based on the canon of history.

Several other characters also talk about the Sasukarin and yes Sasukarin is not just a figment of our imagination...

For example: Suigestu loves to make fun of Karin's feelings for Sasuke because he knew how to see the true side of Karin tsundere.

He mentions at one point that

his passion is to cut things in two

and of course, this refers to the fact that he is one of the last swordsmen of the mist and for Samehada but

it also refers to Sasuke and Karin...

that he tries to annoy so that the two never have the opportunity to link in any way. So it is possible to believe here that Suigestu himself admits that Sasuke and Karin could become one thing, a unity.

Obito or Tobi still at that time, insisted that he understood why Sasuke had chosen HER, and why he had acknowledged her as HIS FAVORITE.

I can immediately see Karin's haters, coming up and meaning "yes But Karin is just a fan girl just like Sakura" or "Sasuke also tried to kill Karin".. and to both I answer a NO.

Karin is far from being a fangirl of Sasuke or at least not at all like Sakura. These two women have absolutely different behavior towards Sasuke. Where Sakura doesn't put any limit when it comes to Sasuke, Karin knew how to put some,  after being stabbed by Sasuke, she agrees to end their collaboration on the spot and is not willing to forgive him without a valid apology. Beside that, I also refuse to say that Sakura behaves like a doormat in front of Sasuke, I think that Sasuke's cold attitude and his multiple reproaches made Sakura grow up and pushed her to give the best of herself in order to be able to catch up the gap drawn between her and her two companions of the team 7. But no, we are not here to talk about Sakura. Karin is literally the definition of a tsundere, meaning she is cold and rigid or even mean on the outside but tender and sweet on the inside. Moreover, she never lets herself be driven by her own feelings but tries to make herself as useful as possible to Sasuke in order to please him. I would mean that one thing that Sasuke and Karin also have in common is their love language. Indeed, both of them would be at first sight of the type: "acts of services" because yes to make happy the people who are dear to them, they both like to make themselves useful. Karin is aware that she has been chosen by Sasuke especially to help him, but this does not prevent her from often contradicting his plans or moralizing him on some points, and Sasuke, unlike the hard and cold Sasuke that we could know with Sakura or Naruto even with Suigetsu, never means anything very mean to Karin, he keeps his calm with her.

Then, yes Sasuke has officially stabbed Karin but all this remains to be taken with a pinch. First of all, he didn't attack Karin directly but Danzo, who after realizing that Sasuke's hatred would eventually cause his loss, took Karin in a last strategic move in order to test Sasuke's will to end it all for good (the guy really has no scruples about anything). So he imposed a difficult choice to Sasuke, the one to choose between his reason and his ultimate goal to get revenge. I remind you that at this moment, even Karin didn't recognize him anymore and meant that he was now totally consumed by hate.

Sasuke's face during this event, tells a lot of things, I'm not sure that having to impale Karin with a chidori made him happy because Karin was never a target for him, quite the contrary, while he spent many moments watching her back and saving her life. But if you pay attention to the details, on the first panel, Sasuke tells Karin not to move, and on the second panel Sasuke throws his chidori sword to stab Danzo and hit him at a vital point but not Karin because Karin being smaller than him, he only stabbed her through and through but didn't hit any vital point concerning Karin so his goal despite his express need of revenge against Danzo for destroying his life, he didn't want to sacrifice Karin Because yes the word "SACRIFICE" has an important place in this part of the manga (I will certainly make a post about it)

Just look at his death glare:

Karin, after having been indirectly attacked, falls to the ground, exhausted from having healed Sasuke a few minutes before. And even if Tobi proposes to Sasuke to end Karin's life, possibly out of the goodness of his heart, but also so that she doesn't give any information about Akatsuki or Sasuke to Konoha, because yes Tobi doesn't know her personally and can't trust her as much as Sasuke does. I sincerely think that Sasuke never intended to end Karin's life, because, let's be serious, the guy managed to stab Danzo who was preparing another "Izanagi" and thus beat him in terms of speed, but takes a good 10 minutes to load a chidori again to kill Karin, clearly leaving time for Sakura and the others to arrive. 

We have known the boy to be more determined than that.

Even though in the end the final canon disappointed us all a lot by letting SasuSaku come in, I did enjoy Kishi's little joke in Boruto, hinting that Karin could have been Sarada's biological mother. I think all this was not done randomly, the fact that Kishimoto revived the ship war, was really to piss off all the fans of SasuSaku's ship and it worked well, I saw some of them having white hair and cold sweat when they read that for the first time, I laughed a lot guys.

Honestly, I appreciate that the current Boruto canon shows us a Karin who has matured a lot and has managed to get over her feelings for Sasuke. I also appreciate that the Taka team has always remained the same despite Sasuke's departure, Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo finally are best friends and I prefer their situation thousands of times over Sakura's, I mean it frankly; Karin has been much better served than Sakura here and I thank Kishimoto for that.

[adiabolikpastel]

I have some ideas/headcanons about the different kingdoms and clans that are in the Demon World, (I hope you like them).

Vibora's kingdom is to the west of the Demon World.

Viboras are the closest allies of the vampires.

They possess a lot of political and economic power.

Their castle is known to be extremely beautiful and elegant (the bastards like to show off their wealth and good taste).

Viboras are famous for the beautiful flowers that grow in their lands, however, many of them are poisonous, (Reiji loves to study the effects that the poisons of these flowers have).

Vibora's territory is very similar in architecture and landscapes to modern Germany.

Viboras are also known to have some of the most luxurious districts in the Demon World, specializing in jewelry, fashion and perfumery.

The boutiques in vibora territory are the most exclusive and elegant.

Viboras are excellent swordsmen, they are also expert users of dark magic.

The wolf clan is located in the north of the Makai.

Their territories are surrounded by huge snow-capped mountains and inhospitable forests that almost no one dares to enter. Nevertheless, its districts are quite peaceful and beautiful, (if I had to compare the wolf territory with any real country, it would be Romania).

King Eberto's castle is located deep in the forest.

Wolves are excellent hand-to-hand combatants and their monstrous strength surpasses that of any demon.

Wolves sell the best meat in the Demon World.

Wolves suffer from the most brutal winters.

Adler territory is located east of the Makai.

Adlers have several natural wonders, their spectacular cliffs and beautiful beaches (mostly unspoiled) are a major tourist attraction.

Adlers have a powerful military force, however, they prefer to maintain good relations with the other clans and avoid conflict.

They are a fairly wealthy society due to the fact that their mountains are rich in precious stones.

The castle of the adler king is located on top of a cliff by the sea, (something very similar to the Cair Paravel castle from the Chronicles of Narnia).

The bat clan's territories are south of the Makai.

They are the richest and most powerful clan in the Demon World.

Their territories are the largest and have all kinds of landscapes; from forests, rivers and mountains to beautiful beaches.

Karlheinz is the only king to own two castles: the Sakamaki family castle and Eden, both located on top of a mountain so that everyone in the Makai can contemplate them in all their splendor.

Vampires, like viboras, are expert users of black magic.

It is well known that vampires traffic in human beings, they sell them as slaves to the other clans.

The Founders' territory is in the farthest part of the Makai, beyond the north.

The Banmaden is the largest castle in the Demon World and is on top of a cliff by the sea, (like the adler castle).

The Founders are separated from the rest of the Demon World thanks to the high and extensive mountain ranges that surround their territory, (something like the Carpathian Mountains in Romania).

The Founders are obviously the most powerful demons that have ever existed, and if it weren't for the endzeit they would still be ruling.

I know my descriptions must have been somewhat repetitive and boring, but in all the official CGs where Rejet shows us what the demon realm in Diabolik Lovers is like, there are forests, mountains, beaches, cliffs and waterfalls, (also, all the architecture reminds me a lot of the gothic architecture of Germany and other countries in Europe). I think Rejet's intention was to create a luxurious world full of nature and beautiful landscapes.

By the way, sorry for my shitty english.

Before I dissect and dive into this - lemme just say - you, my sweet anon, are a blessing.

Whomever you may be, thanks for sharing all of your thoughts with me. You have gone so far above and beyond - Reject needs to hire you now. The vivid picture you have painted with these ideas are simply *chef's kiss* beautiful.

Due to the length of my response, I will place my thoughts under the cut.

Vibora

I think that a lot of your ideas are spot on with them! Since the Vibora are the current 'heads' of the demon realm, it makes sense for them to have a more luxurious kingdom. Considering their main ruler is Burai - who is seen as this picture of pristine, it stands to say that their kingdom would be immaculate.

The thought that this kingdom feeds into the idea of Gluttony is a big thing for me. I feel like your head cannons align with that! Having extravagant buildings and their natural environment's flourish.

I simply adore the idea of the architecture you picked out - Germany is a perfect idea. There is such a balance of industry and nature. I feel like the Vibora are a perfect fit for that! They are modern, yet still in the old ways.

When I look at the Mukai, I think of it as something connected yet also completely disconnected from the Human World. We can see that similarities, yet their way of living is something that has evolved past what we have now - yet looks like something we used to know. If that makes any sense! The Vibora clan, in particular I believe, has this vibe the most.

Their way of living is both evolved beyond what human's have - yet if you give them a smart phone, they have no idea what that is. Something so primitive - yet advanced all at the same time. Their proficiencies in magic have advanced their society beyond what other's have.

This is mostly due to the involvement of their King. Burai is VERY involved in the affairs of his people. Simply for the fact that they are a reflection of himself. There are no slums in the Vibora Kingdom - like we saw in young blood - as Burai does not allow those types to live in his immediate presence. While I don't think their is a wall around the Kingdom - he does toy with the idea often.

I think that only demons who can maintain a beautiful form are allowed to call this place home. While not all of them are Vibora, the greater population is. If a demon cannot present itself in a dignified manner, they are not allowed to live within the kingdom's boarders.

Wolf

The group of demon lords that I have thoughts about the least - and your head cannons got a good idea going! I think that the idea of them working more in a more natural environment checks out for them. When we think of a predator in nature, one of the top things people will say is a wolf.

Romania is so beautiful - and I think they embrace and build around nature, rather than try to be apart form it. That is an ideal location for the wolves! Building their communities as a part of their natural environment, and proving themselves by living in a more rough terrain.

While I do agree that there would be unity and peace under King Eberto, I think that fighting would be a traditional means of communication. Something like an unspoken language for all of them, that dictates a hierarchy. From all of the different major demon races, wolves are the only ones that actually have a pack. To them, there is nothing more important than their people. So, while there is no inner conflicts with one another, I think that authorities do get tested with the youth from time to time.

I think that, they more than any other, do not simply allow the child of their king to take over. While we do not know if Eberto is Gottfried's son, we do know that he is the current King. In the Wolf culture the strongest leads the pack. So, if Gottfried's children were not strong enough, they would not succeed their father.

Demons who are more in touch with their natural forms are the ones who live here. While that does not apply to those who would make trouble - more so those who simply wish to be in touch with their inner selves. So there are no rampaging demons - but do not be surprised if you see a more wolves, dogs, or cats before you see 'people'.

Adler

Oh my sweet birds~ I am sad that there is literally nothing on them - other than the fact that they exist. I have talked about them before: here.

The idea of their kingdom being full of wonder is what stands out to me! The views from high above the kingdom are like none other in the entire Mukai. They natural beauty of their territories' are awe inspiring. I love the idea of them having beaches! That's an idea I had never thought of, but can totally see.

As far as combat goes, I think that, yes they would have a notably capable military force. However, as you said, I think they would refrain from conflict as much as possible. They are truly neutral in fights, and while it was stated in Lost Eden that they were apart of the war, I feel they only get involved when they need to.

Money to them - isn't something they worry about. Sure, they kingdom stays thriving, but I believe it's mostly due to the individual work they put into it. My head cannon's for their society is a value of freedom. Their king does not force himself into their daily lives. He allows them to take care of themselves, and leaves it up to them to take care of their territory.

While sure there are rules in place, they are more so taught to the children and the way they are raised. They are brought up being taught that they are all individuals of a larger picture. That what they do matters and makes a difference for everyone - as such - be conscious of your decision. Live your desire's but do so in a way that wont harm others.

I agree that the castle of the king is up on a high location. It is rather large, but only for the fact that there is so much open space. The king does not keep himself locked away in the castle - rather - they move throughout the kingdom freely. Or they are simply away. I feel it can be a hard time to get ahold of him at times.

Most of the residence in this kingdom are some breed of bird based. While there are a few that make their homes on the ground, most of the citizens have wings to get form place to place. Since they have an ocean, there are also plenty of semi-aquatic races that call this home as well.

Bat

While they are definitely the richest and most powerful - they do not show it. Since Karlheniz prefers to work in private - his kingdom reflects that. He does not see to the matters of this people, and frankly because of that, things have gotten rather violent. While none of them dare to challenge him - I think that there would be conflict with the different territories.

This kingdom is where you would see an over arching lack of community - and that's mostly because of the lack of a leader. While Karlheniz does enforce his own will, he does not govern his people. They are simply not to mess with him, or declare fights with others without him. I like to think there is a council of all the different races in his kingdom who run things for their own unique race inside the kingdom.

They all meet with Karlheinz once in a while - or at least his image - and present matters to him. To which he will either deal with or ignore. These select few would have been picked by Karlheniz himself, and they would be the ones who live in the 'castle' which everyone can see and have access to.

I think that Eden castle is more Karl's personal estate - where he have all of his work done. This is where he would entertain other leaders from the major kingdoms -but not for his people. Billy the demon could not get into Eden so easily.

The idea that they traffic humans is perfect. I think that the members of this kingdom do the most harm to the human world. Whether it's through kidnapping or simply tormenting in their own world - the Bat Kingdom's people are ruthless to these lesser beings.

This, I think, is because aside from the Bat clan - the demons of the kingdom are rather weak. They might find strength in numbers, but they are not too powerful. Not that something as weak as say a Lapin (rabbit demon) - but they are not strong.

With such a diverse landscapes, there are many different kinds of demon who call this kingdom home. While perhaps not the 'slums' of the Mukai, it's definitely the most crime ridden. Races that think for themselves and do not form lasting attachments thrive in this kingdom. In fact, a Bat demon is one of the more rarer sights to the population.

Founders

While their kingdom was great, all such things fall to ruin. The once immaculate buildings are now dilapidated and have crumbled to the ground. Since this kingdom lay beyond the mountains in the north, only those of the purest of bloods had made their homes here. The citizens have long since moved on from the area, having to make a home in the other kingdoms.

I think that the territory now lays abandon - a finally curtsy left behind by Karlheinz. While he did kill and de-throne their king, he left everything once that happened. Endzeit took the lives of the people who were of the blood. And the kingdom itself has become lost to history.

Other

While there is no official cannon of this, I like to think there is an entire underwater kingdom in the Mukai. There are so many aquatic like demons that could exists, and I believe they have a home as well.

[wedreamedlove]

For the 1st anniversary, there was a 16 Tacit Agreement Q&A. I love this mini-game so much because it gives the men so much life, there were lots of dishonest answers (looking at you Sariel). My result with Osborn was 62.5%.

Q1: Do you like plain water or carbonated water? [AGREE]

A: Plain water. I generally drink plain water after exercising. Of course, energy drinks aren’t bad either. But, no matter what it is, you can’t drink too quickly.

Q2: Between you two, who likes to be lazy? [AGREE]

B: [MC]. Does it still need to be said? If I can do it, then you won’t move. Little Expert Lazy Bug, that’s you. But I’m willing to serve.

Q3: Do you like sunny days or rainy days? [DISAGREE]

A: Sunny days. The umbrella before was too small, so I bought a large umbrella. Next time it rains and we go on a walk again we won’t need to worry about getting wet.

Q4: Between you two, who sings worse? [AGREE]

B: [MC]. Actually, your singing is still pretty good but compared to me you still lose by a little stroke. You’re not convinced? Sing a song for me to hear then.

Q5: Do you like offline shopping or online shopping? [AGREE]

A: Offline shopping. If there’s something I want to buy, I’ll go to the store directly to buy it. This is faster than online shopping.

Q6: Between you two, whose massage skills are better? [AGREE]

A: Osborn. Some massage after exercising can effectively remove fatigue. Looks like my skills really are pretty good, so in the future I’ll give you some more massages.

Q7: Do you like rice or noodles? [AGREE]

B: Noodles. I can instantly recover my energy when I eat a bowl of noodles when I’m hungry. Of course, other than noodles, there’s also soup dumplings, boiled dumplings, flower rolls... How come a certain gluttonous kitten is about to drool just from listening?

Q8: Between you two, who pays more attention to their image? [AGREE]

B: [MC]. Even when it’s your occasional messy appearance or when you’re scared, you always look good.

Q9: Do you like being alone or being together with others? [DISAGREE]

B: Together with others. Being alone certainly lets you feel at ease, but occasionally you’ll also feel restless, right? If you need it, you can call me anytime.

Q10: Between you two, who gets up earlier? [AGREE]

A: Osborn. Yep, you know that you need me to call you every time before you slowly climb out of bed. Looks like a lazy kitten is very self-aware.

Q11: Do you like showering in the morning or night? [DISAGREE]

A: Morning. In the future, I’ll always let you wash first at night then. Hey, why did you turn your face away?

Q12: Between you two, who has better interpersonal relationships? [DISAGREE]

B: [MC]. Are my interpersonal relationships good? I’ve always felt that good relationships are things that are elusive to me. But I’m happy you think this way.

Q13: Do you like roller coasters or pirate ships? [DISAGREE]

A: Roller coasters. I’ve always felt that pirate ships are kid’s stuff compared to a real ship. If there’s an opportunity, let’s experience the rough waves at sea together.

Q14: Between you two, who is better at managing finances? [DISAGREE]

B: [MC]. So, in your eyes, I’m not that bad in this aspect either. Looks like we both gotta learn this well in the future.

Q15: Do you like historical dramas or modern dramas? [AGREE]

A: Historical dramas. In the past, I always wanted to be those wandering swordsmen in historical dramas, but it was only after watching lots of them that I learned how hard it is to get to that point.

Q16: Between you two, who has better spice tolerance? [AGREE]

A: Osborn. I don’t especially like eating spicy food, but my ability to bear spiciness is really high.

[nothrones]

​&.   ABOUT  

​FULL NAME:     feng mormont.  NICKNAME(S):   the shadow.   AGE:    twenty eight,     month of birth not known as he was left at the doorstep of house mormont when he was roughly a year old.    AFFILIATIONS:   house mormont,  a retired group of mercenaries and sellswords of tyrosh previously known as the night travellers.   GENDER: cis-man.   PRONOUNS: he/him.   SEXUALITY:   heterosexual.        RESIDENCE:  he’s mostly on the road with hired assassin jobs,   but you can also find him in a small loft of the mormont castle.   OCCUPATION:     he’s a mercenary / assassin for hire.   while more skillfully trained than most mercenaries,  his price is much higher.   his kills are mostly the elite,  and some say members of some great houses are both his targets and his employers.   RELATIONSHIP STATUS:  single.      EDUCATION:      trained with mercenaries for fifteen years in tyrosh,  was originally sent there to train him only with trader services,  but he sided more on the side of the violent.   raised primarily in tyrosh,  he learned many languages and cultural customs.  CHILDREN:   none.   SKILLS: expert with knives,  daggers,  darts,  master swordsman,  expert horseback rider, master archer,  master of stealth and assassination, expert martial artist / hand-to-hand combat,  and highly strategic.      POSITIVES:     pragmatic,   meticulous,  observant,  protective,  and  disciplined.     NEGATIVES:    private,   reserved,  disloyal,  indifferent,  and  obsessive. TATTOOS:   multiples.   transcript of house mormont’s creed and alignment along his bicep,   knuckle tattoos with symbols for a bear and a sword.    SCARS:   a small gash on his left cheek from an old training session.   HEIGHT:   6′2.     ENNEAGRAM:    type six,   the skeptic.   MBTI:     ISTP,   the virtuoso.   INFLUENCES FOR THIS CHARACTER:    ubbe ragnarsson ( vikings ) , legolas ( lord of the rings ) , lu xin lee ( wu assassins ) ,  gaius chau ( into the badlands ) , grey worm ( a song of ice and fire ) , o-ren  ishii ( kill bill ) , and gale hawthorne ( the hunger games ) . 

  SOME BACKGROUND NOTES :   tw. child neglect,  child abandonment. 

I.     much of his familial background isn’t known,  but during a rainy night someone (presumably his parents) left him at the doorstep of the guard tower of mormont castle.   he was around one year old,  and seemed the perfect addition to an already growing ruling family.   he grew quite quickly,   and the elders looked on as he enjoyed his skills with wooden swords and archery,   favouring long blades in general.     eventually it was time to allow him more responsibility,    sending him to tyrosh with some trusted mormont swordsmen in order to spike a trade route specifically for house mormont.     the trade deal went sour,    but feng decided to stay in order to be fully trained as an assassin,     a mercenary,     and a man who might eventually find a place where he belongs.  leaving what was his home for thirteen years, he set out to become someone deadly.   arriving in tyrosh when he was thirteen and training for fifteen long years there.  he’s finally back on mormont land after so long,  eager to protect his family’s name and ready to fulfil some jobs he’s already been offered.

II.       his time in tyrosh was colourful,   to say the least.   most days were spent training underneath the hot sun,   while evenings were spent exploring the free city.   he began known as the shadow first in tyrosh,  as with any target he was given he was able to assassinate within the two day period he was given.   whether or not the target stayed with people,  or were alone,  there were never any witnesses,  or any sounds to convey his presence.  stealth and strategy were his most prominent gifts that he worked on,    swordsmanship, archery, and melee skills were crafted and perfected by the time he was twenty.  while he is present at most family meetings,  he remains in the background, happily so.  politics is not his speciality.

III.      loyalty is not necessarily a tool for him.  he’s loyal to house mormont and those they decide to align themselves with,  but that’s pretty much it.   employers are there for coin and gold,  the moment his task is fulfilled he will be indifferent once more.  there’s always a chain around his neck with a glass vile with sand from tyrosh. this is to remind himself, and others, that he will still have a family over in tyrosh,  even if they are only mercenaries and thieves. wanted connections would be: employers in high places,  perhaps,  or just mutual assassins.

IMPORTANT NOTE:     this is a man who has contracts all over,   not necessarily only operating for house mormont.  feel free to approach him with an offer or a target.     &.   he’s also just recently returned from tyrosh !!!  *   feng also has a semi-domesticated grizzly bear!! he saved him from a traveling act in tyrosh when he was a cub and now they are inseparable most times.  the large male grizzly,   also known as ‘fang’  can be found wandering around the nearest forest when feng is on a contract.   he is painted with the mormont sigil as to ward off any hunters in the area.  *

MORE POINTS TBA !!!

[subjects-of-the-king]

Romans versus “Barbarians”: A Military Comparison, Part Two

An Original Essay of Lucas Del Rio

Note: This is the second installment of an essay that will be four parts in total. The previous installment has already been posted on my blog. Each section chronologically covers the wars fought by the Romans in the events leading up to the dawn of the Middle Ages. A special focus is on how both the Romans and their adversaries, whom the former referred to the latter as “barbarians,” fought in terms of tactics and weaponry. In this segment of the essay, the focus will be on the Roman wars with the Carthaginians, Iberians, Macedonians, and Seleucids.

           The Roman Republic was in a strong position once it had secured control over all of Italy. However, it was not yet at this point the dominant power in the Mediterranean, or even in the western Mediterranean. For several centuries prior to the Roman unification of Italy, the title of being the greatest Mediterranean realm had belonged to Carthage. Located in modern Tunisia, the city of Carthage was initially founded by Phoenicians. A culture that emerged in the Bronze Age, the Phoenicians were Canaanites in the Levant who spoke a Semitic language. Their early history is poorly documented, but at their peak, they were expert sailors and traders. Some Phoenicians traveled as far as the Atlantic. Folklore states that a Phoenician queen, whose name has been disputed, founded Carthage in 814 BC. If this is true, the city was founded sixty-one years before the Romans claimed that their own city was established. Some historians believe that the conquest of the Levant in 538 BC by Persian King Cyrus the Great caused many Phoenicians to settle elsewhere, including in Carthage.

           Cyrus the Great was not the only conqueror whose actions led to an increase in the strength of Carthage while their ancestral homeland of Phoenicia declined. Later, in 332 BC, Alexander the Great seized the region from the Persians. Alexander ravaged Phoenicia, and those that were able to flee did so. In the years that followed, Carthage established vast trade routes, allowing it to grow and prosper as it sold dye, glass, and ivory throughout the Mediterranean. The Carthaginians had formed an empire by the 600s BC with colonies across North Africa. These endeavors led them to build a feared and formidable navy. They also developed a military, learning to vigorously utilize javelin throwing cavalry from their allies, the neighboring Numidians. Like many empires at the time, the Carthaginians employed chariots early on and would increasingly copy Greek and Macedonian phalanxes. During this point in history, there were still elephants in North Africa, and they trained these elephants for battle. Carthaginian war elephants were armored, had their tusks outfitted with sharp objects, and usually carried two soldiers.

           The Carthaginian army included native Carthaginians, who occupied all leadership roles. However, the bulk of its forces were foreign mercenaries. These included Balearic slingers, both Celtic and Iberian swordsmen, Cretan archers, and Libyan warriors who fought with axes. Eventually, these soldiers would end up fighting the Romans, although the two cultures had not always been enemies. In fact, prior to the Punic Wars, their societies had been close trade partners who were generally on positive terms. At the time that the Romans had largely secured control of mainland Italy, the nearby island of Sicily was almost entirely Carthaginian territory. This may have allowed both empires to do business with one another, but the close proximity of the island and the peninsula began to spark tensions. Pyrrhus had remarked after his defeat in Italy by the Romans that war between Carthage and Rome war was inevitable.

           The Punic Wars would not be the first time that Carthage had experienced a major military confrontation. Prior to the Punic Wars, the Carthaginians had to fight a Greek general named Agathocles. A former mercenary, it was actually with their help that Agathocles was able to establish his own military dictatorship. In 317 BC, he seized power in Syracuse, a colony of the Greek city-state of Corinth and the only major city on the island of Sicily other than Acragas not controlled by the Carthaginian Empire. Still not content, Agathocles invaded other cities on the island. While the Carthaginians managed to repel these attacks, Agathocles was able to escape with sixty ships before Syracuse could be captured. By doing so, he managed to bring fourteen thousand soldiers to Africa. At this time, Carthage was battling an uprising, plus its soldiers in Sicily were struggling to take Syracuse despite the absence of its leader. Agathocles was making impressive progress in conquering cities belonging to Carthage, but he went back to defend Syracuse once he realized his city was beginning to fall. He was forced to sign a peace treaty with the Carthaginians in 306 BC and agreed to give them their cities back, although he continued to conduct military campaigns elsewhere for the duration of his life.

           Like the war that the Carthaginians were forced to fight against Agathocles, the starting battleground of the First Punic War would be in Sicily. It began as a proxy war, as the Romans became involved in a power struggle on the island concerning Carthage. Mercenaries known as the Mamertines previously had employment with the monarchy in Syracuse. After their work for the city had concluded, they chose to seize control of a different city known as Messina. In an attempt to avoid facing the wrath of Carthage, the Mamertines went to the Roman Senate to seek an alliance. Even though Carthage and Rome had not previously been adversaries, the Romans now saw an opportunity to expand into Sicily and in 264 BC sent soldiers. Before long, the two empires had entered a state of open warfare. Both sides knew the strengths of their opponent and thus tried to keep the combat that they excelled at. Carthage had the advantage of a highly formidable navy, whereas serious naval warfare was something that the Romans had never previously experienced. On the other hand, the Carthaginians, with their dependence on foreign mercenaries, lacked a land formation of their own that could compete with Roman warriors, who fought in legions.

           The Carthaginian advantage at sea would not last long against the industrious Romans. Ships captured by the Romans were examined by Roman engineers, who learned how they could build their own. Unlike the Carthaginians, who sunk enemy ships with rams attached to their own, the Romans employed the tactic of boarding the Carthaginian ships with legionnaires. As the war went on, the Romans won battle after battle despite the brave efforts of Hamilcar Barca, a commander who is still celebrated in the field of military history. Because the situation in Sicily remained a stalemate, the Roman army invaded Africa directly in 256 BC. Carthage sought the help of a Spartan military commander by the name of Xanthippus, who helped repel the Roman onslaught, yet it was still not enough for Carthage to win the war. In 241 BC, the Carthaginians surrendered and were forced to give up Sicily, plus give the Romans tribute. However, despite this surrender, the Carthaginian Empire retained its sovereignty, as it had not yet been defeated.

           Much of what happened in the years following the First Punic War were not kind to Carthage. As Sicily had been one of its most important trade destinations, funds were lacking to pay the mercenaries that composed much of the Carthaginian army. Between 240 and 237 BC, a conflict occurred known as “the Mercenary War” in which many of their mercenaries revolted. While Carthage managed to defeat the rebels, the Romans took advantage of the situation to seize Corsica and Sardinia, two other major islands in the Mediterranean. The sea had become dominated by the Romans, who were now an unmatched naval power. However, the Carthaginians were still trying to reestablish themselves as a major power. They decided to colonize the Iberian Peninsula, where they founded various settlements, including the city of Cartagena in 228 BC that still stands today. Hamilcar Barca, the aforementioned general, played an active role in Carthaginian military operations in Iberia. His son, Hannibal, and his son-in-law, Hasdrubal, followed in his footsteps.

           Peace between the two cultures would not last. Hamilcar died in 228 BC, but both Hannibal and Hasdrubal would continue fighting for the empire they served. Silver mines captured in Iberia eased the strain on the Carthaginian economy that had been caused by the tribute owed to the Romans. The silver also allowed for the military to expand again. With Carthage resurgent, the empire would soon strike back. Rome, having recently defeated Celtic allies of Carthage to the north of Italy, were not worried about the possibility of another war. Hannibal led an army to seize a town in Iberia called Saguntum in 219 BC, which startled the Romans, as the Saguntines were their ally. However, while the move provoked Rome, nothing about this particular action by the Carthaginians was in violation of any diplomatic treaty between the two societies. If anything, the Romans had acted illegally by allying with these people, as the town was in a location that both sides agreed was to be reserved for the Carthaginians. Rome demanded that Carthage extradite Hannibal, which they did not. It was the start of the Second Punic War in 218 BC, in which the Romans would see plenty more of Hannibal.

           Hannibal first gathered an army in Iberia, which included many Iberian mercenaries. Prior to his death, Hamilcar had been trying to build a more effective army for Carthage after the defeat in the First Punic War had largely been the result of a weak one. Due to the strong presence that the Carthaginians now had on the Iberian Peninsula, recruiting the locals for the new war would have been a logical choice. Most obviously, the region was fairly close to Italy, which Hannibal intended to invade. Additionally, the Iberians were fierce warriors who had mastered fighting as both infantry and cavalry. Like their Roman counterparts, Iberian infantry carried large shields, were heavily armored, and threw javelins at their enemies before charging. By the time of the Second Punic War, it had become clear that Roman legionnaires were some of the best melee infantry in the known world. However, the Iberians had some advantages in melee combat. Legionnaires were still generally armed with spears, and those that fought with swords still carried a now outdated variety long used in Greece. Years later, legionnaires started to be equipped with a type of sword that they called the “gladius hispanicus,” a weapon, based on the Iberian “falcata,” that would also famously become common in brawls between gladiators.

           As previously stated, the Iberians were also very skilled at fighting on horseback. Like the Spanish cavalry that would later exist in the region many centuries later, the Iberians had a combination of both heavy and light cavalry. Whereas the heavy cavalry wielded both lances and their signature swords, the light cavalry threw javelins. Hannibal, of course, had a variety of soldiers in the army that he amassed to invade Italy, with ninety thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry. He also mustered forty war elephants. Carthaginian war elephants had previously been of the variety indigenous to North Africa, but it has been theorized that Hannibal acquired Asian elephants for his campaign against Rome. If this is true, the elephants were likely supplied by the Ptolemies, the dynasty that then ruled Egypt. The Ptolemies were on friendly terms with Carthage and had trade routes with the east.

           The Second Punic War was arguably the greatest threat to Rome for centuries to come. Hannibal knew that he could not give Rome the chance to invade Africa, as it had done to win in the First Punic War. He therefore decided that his first move would be to march his troops directly from Iberia to Italy. In doing so, the army commanded by Hannibal had to cross over the Alps, which resulted in twenty thousand soldiers dying. It was probably especially disappointing to Hannibal that only one elephant survived the journey. However, this did not stop him. Rome expected his weakened army to be defeated quickly, but Hannibal proved to be a tactical genius and won countless battles. His army wandered and ravaged Italy until 203 BC. Like Pyrrhus years earlier, the main reason for his defeat was his inability to replenish fallen troops after major battles. Carthage did little to provide support to Hannibal, and he failed to find many allies among conquered Italians that he expected would want an opportunity to revolt.

           Rome would defeat Carthage in a similar manner that they won the first time. After Hasdrubal failed in an attempt to reinforce Hannibal, the Romans invaded Iberia and then Africa, conquering all of the Carthaginian Empire except for its capital city. Hannibal had arrived with his army, but it was too late. In 202 BC, Carthage was forced to agree to another humiliating peace treaty. From 149 to 146 BC, there would be a Third Punic War, which occurred when Rome was making various rather absurd demands. Perhaps the most bizarre of these was that the Romans wanted the Carthaginians to abandon their city and found a new one further away from the sea. Carthage had also declared war on the Numidians, which the Carthaginians were forbidden to do according to the prior peace treaty. This time, Carthage was very weak, and the Romans chose to raze the city once and for all.

           During the lengthy span of time that the Roman Republic waged war against Carthage and its colonies, the world of classical antiquity saw other violent conflicts elsewhere. Several dynasties with roots in wars that had occurred decades before the Romans united Italy would be among the next barriers to Roman expansion. The story of these dynasties begins with Alexander the Great, the Macedonian conqueror who defeated the entirety of the Persian Empires. His death in 323 BC without an heir left the mighty realm that he had built without anyone to succeed him. Decades of violence they called “the Wars of the Diadochi” followed, with several former generals of Alexander carving out pieces of his domain. Even his homeland of Macedon was not spared. Macedon and its new line of rulers became known as “the Antigonid Dynasty,” even though Antigonus was killed in one of the wars. Philip V, who was one such ruler, went to war with the Romans in 215 BC in hopes that he could help Carthage contain the rising power of Rome.

           Ten years after the start of the first of the Macedonian Wars, Rome made peace with Macedon. Unlike the Carthaginians, who had lost territory fighting the Romans, Philip V was able to gain some. However, further warfare between Macedon and Rome would favor the latter. The Macedonians began to militarily annex various Greek city-states in violation of the peace treaty, prompting a declaration of war by Rome in 200 BC. Rome brought elephants, which along with Roman legions, the Macedonian phalanxes were helpless against. By 196 BC, Rome had won, and the Romans assumed control of most of Greece. An additional two wars also ended in Macedonian defeats, with the ultimate result being full Roman control of the region. Another, more powerful successor state to the realm of Alexander the Great, known as “the Seleucid Dynasty,” also fell victim to Rome and its legions.

[demonslayedher]

I've been thinking a lot about Nichirin swords recently (cuz swords are neat), and that got me to thinking about the Hashira swords. is the 'Destroyer of Demons' Kanji engraved on their current blade, or do they receive a new blade upon reaching the rank of Hashira?

Swords! SWOOOOORDSSSSZZZ---I mean, *cough* yes, let's talk swords.

I've also wondered about whether they get new swords upon becoming Pillars, or perhaps more say in the unique characteristics and modifications of their swords, or if the swordsmen in general do as much as possible to preserve their swords. After all, an engraving can be added to an otherwise completed blade, so this doesn't tell us much about whether the blades are new or not.

My conclusions are, "hmm, yeah, probably" to all of the above.

Haganezuka may give us the mistaken impression that all swordsmiths are passionately offended when bad things happen to their hard work. Since they were all raised with the mission of supporting the swordsmen who are regularly putting their lives on the line, I'd like to think the others are more accepting of the fact that the battles their works are subjected to are powerful enough to necessitate the ongoing production of swords, even if they'd ideally like to make swords that would never break and fail the Corp members out on the battlefield.

While Pillars might have special privileges for getting very specific in their requests, or perhaps requesting more swords over and over to suit their desired modifications, I don't think most normal swordsmen would be told "no" if they made requests to better suit their Breath style. Ultimately, it's about taking down demons, and the swordsmiths are there to make that happen. Sure, maybe some of them may get annoyed by fussy swordsmen, but others may embrace how it challenges their creativity and craftsmanship.

As a couple examples, Shinobu and Mitsuri were already using swords suitable for their unique Breaths before they earned the Pillar title. Furthermore, their swords were made by the most esteemed swordsmith in the whole village. Granted, their special sword treatment might had only because they were cute girls with highly specific needs, but still.

As another example, Inosuke had double swords from the start. It's possible Kanamori only made two standard swords in the first place because he was given two pieces of ore, and then made adjustments later on according to Inosuke's tastes based on how Inosuke might had removed the hand guards and handles himself. Or, it's possible Kanamori was sensitive to his new client's needs from the very get-go, having listened carefully to a crow who watched Inosuke in the Final Selection so he could build a good understanding of this unheard of Beast Breath. He might had heard how Inosuke used his flexibility and preferred a rough grip, and made the handles as simple as possible so nothing would get in his way. Upon knowing how beat up the blades were, he might have been thoughtful in making adjustments to prevent that wear and tear on future blades. Poor Kanamori.

CORRECTION: Kanamori did bring Inosuke more swords with beautiful handles. Poor, poor Kanamori.

Conversely, since we never see anything of Zenitsu's swordsmith, it's possible that was a once-and-done sort of deal, like "oh, Thunder Breath? One solid Thunder Breathing sword, coming right up. Those never stay out of their sheath long enough to need replacing." And, since Zenitsu has perfected the one strike he makes with it, he's probably never needed much maintenance on it.

Going back to the question of Pillars getting new swords or keeping their old ones, I feel it's all up to personal preference. Muichirou doesn't seem attached at all to any given sword, it just needs to be one that suits him. Mitsuri, requiring a very unique sword, probably isn't able to use anything else temporarily while waiting for a replacement or maintenance. Giyuu, on the other hand, looked for any Water Breath swords once his broke in the battle with Muzan, he can work anything basic. Even if he had the swordsmiths engrave the one sword he's always carried, he probably borrowed another standard sword (like Tanjiro did while staying in the village) to keep working during those times. (I feel like Iguro may be one of those swordsmen who abuses his privileges, sending swords back over and over until they're up to his standards.)

For Rengoku, at least, I've looked into that in more

detail here. Tl,dr; since he uses a different sheath before and after becoming a Pillar, I find that makes a good case for him using a new sword after becoming a Pillar. His hand guard does remain consistent, and it matches his fathers', while his father still has his own sword (not the same one passed from father to son, entirely different swords in the first place, just with identical characteristics upon Pillarhood). Senjuro's sword had a simpler overall design, not the usual Flame Breath handle either. (Was that Nichirin blade like his training wheels, or something? Aw... that's okay, Senjuro, I never learned how to ride a bike either.)

While we're talking swords, in real life nowadays, different parts of the sword are usually entrusted to different craftsman. After the blade is forged, it's sent off to the handle maker, while someone else will make the hand guard, someone else would make the sheath unique to each sword, someone else still would be the expert engraver, etc. Someone else would had made the iron ore in the first place, too. I wonder about the division or labor or expectation of expertise in multiple skills among the KnY swordsmiths, especially given how this is such a way of life for them. Kotetsu's family having a particular skill set they've been entrusted with makes me think there may be some specialization for different parts of the process to make them churn out blades faster, but with the level of pride they take in their individual works, it also wouldn't surprise me if they're expected to be able to take full responsibility for a product, right down to delivering it personally, maybe even performing all the upkeep and repairs at whatever location is convenient for their clients. Or it could also be that Haganezuka's perfectionist obsession is what drives him to go that far, and maybe Kanamori only went along that one time to keep an eye on Haganezuka and meet this Beast Breath fellow he was curious about. Poor Kanamori.

Since engraving blades really started to take off once swords were treated more and more as works of art, and since only Pillars have their swords engraved, my guess would be they don't have anyone solely responsible for engraving. Instead, this may be a skill common among the swordsmiths, so that should any of their clients become a Pillar, they're ready to make that adjustment, be it to an existing sword or to a new one.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #187

Today on Fate and Phantasms we’re making Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami Munenori, living proof that you can prevent spoilers by spoiling other things. Anyways, he’s an Inquisitive Rogue to defeat his foes with facts and logic, as well as a Samurai Fighter to defeat his foes with a goddamn sword because he’s in the saber class.

Check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: Domo Arigatou, Kaa-san Roboto

Race and Background

Yagyu beef is still a Human, but he’s a Variant Human for the extra skills. This gives him +1 Wisdom and Dexterity, as well as proficiency with Investigation to put that big brain to work. That’s not enough skills though, so grab the Skill Expert feat for another +1 to Dexterity, as well as proficiency with Animal Handling for your riding skill and doubled proficiency with Perception. I know we didn’t get regular proficiency yet, but it’s happening at level one so it’s fine.

Yagyu might have been as rich as a noble, but that doesn’t mean he was one. We’ve been using Mercenary Veterans for swordsmen for a while now, and I see no reason to stop now. This background gives him proficiency with Athletics and Persuasion.

Ability Scores

First up make your Wisdom as high as possible. Yagyu’s a clever boy, and wisdom-based skills are the more applicable part of that equation for you. Secondly, your Dexterity has to be good- Yagyu is a master swordsman, and he’s not exactly swinging a greatsword around. His Intelligence is also pretty solid, but it’s just lower since it’s not quite as directly helpful for the build. Yagyu’s Constitution isn’t half bad, he’s got to be tough to survive feudal Japan. That means his Charisma is pretty low- he’s scary, but not much else. That means we’re dumping Strength. He’s an old man, and we don’t really need it for the build.

Class Levels

Rogue 1: Starting off as a rogue nets us a couple extra skills, more than we’d get from multiclassing in later. Rogues start off with proficiency in Dexterity and Intelligence saves, as well as four rogue skills, like Deception, Insight, Intimidation, and that Perception we mentioned back in the Skill Expert feat. Told you not to worry about that.

They also get Expertise in two skills for double their proficiency bonus. Double down on Insight for more logic and Intimidation to put that logic to good use scaring the crap out of people. You also get a Sneak Attack once per turn, dealing 1d6 extra damage as long as you are using a finesse or ranged weapon and either A) have an ally next to your target or B) have advantage on that attack. It’s complicated, but we’ll make it real simple soon enough.

Oh yeah, you also get Thieves’ Cant. It’s a language.

Fighter 1: Okay, the underhanded stuff is done for a while. Bouncing over to fighter gives you the Dueling, adding 2 to damage rolls with a one-handed weapon, like a short-sword, which you can now wield since you’re proficient with martial weapons. You also get a Second Wind each short rest that will heal you as a bonus action. Taking a break when you need one is smart. You’re smart, so you take breaks when you need one. That’s the transitive property.

Fighter 2: Second level fighters can use all that break-taking to push themselves once per short rest, making an Action Surge to take two actions in a single turn. Fighting your hardest can also be the smart thing to do sometimes.

Fighter 3: Third level fighters get their martial archetype, and as a Samurai you learn to unleash your Fighting Spirit, spending your bonus action to gain some temporary HP as well as advantage on all your attacks for the turn. You can do this three times per long rest.

You also get History proficiency. It’s almost cheating given that you’re a historical figure, but hey, we had to get another proficiency here.

Fighter 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to bump up your Dexterity.  Your sword uses dex, your armor uses dex, it’s just a really good ability to improve upon.

Rogue 2: Going back to rogue lets you stuff even more into a single turn thanks to your Cunning Action, letting you dash, disengage, or hide as a bonus action. I’m not saying you’re faster than a monk now, but you could definitely keep up with one for a bit.

Rogue 3: Third level rogues get 2d6 in their sneak attack, and they get their roguish archetype. as an Inquisitive, you gain an Ear for Deceit, so your insight checks to determine lies always get die rolls of at least an 8. You also have an Eye for Detail now, letting you spot hidden creatures with perception or find clues with investigation as a bonus action. You’re really getting a lot out of those things, huh?

Continuing the bonus action train, you can use Insightful Fighting as a bonus action, forcing a contested insight check against a creature’s deception. If you win, you can use sneak attacks against that creature for up to a minute without needing advantage or a nearby ally. Your fighting spirit has limits, but you can use this one as many times as you need- just keep in mind you can only target one creature at a time.

Rogue 4: We’ve got more feats we want, so use this ASI to become a Defensive Duelist. Use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for one melee attack, potentially avoiding the attack entirely. You need to be holding a finesse weapon, but somehow I don’t think that’ll be an issue for you.

Fighter 5: Fifth level fighters finally get their Extra Attack, letting you attack twice per action. You can still only use your sneak attack once per turn, but now missing once isn’t the end of the world!

Fighter 6: You get another ASI now, so lets grab Keen Mind to show off how clever you really are. Your Intelligence bumps up by 1, and you’re really good at keeping track of yourself in time and space thanks to knowing which way north is and the number of hours left until sunrise or sunset. Most importantly, you have a photographic memory of the last month.

Fighter 7: Seventh level samurai are Elegant Courtiers, giving you proficiency with Wisdom saves to prevent your emotions from getting the better of you. You can also add your wisdom modifier to persuasion checks now. I’d prefer that to be intimidation, but if you can’t talk your DM into that it’s not the end of the world.

Rogue 5: Fifth level rogues get an Uncanny Dodge, using your reaction to halve damage from one attack. Defensive Duelist would reduce the damage more, but even enemies score natural 20s sometimes. Also, your sneak attack grows to 3d6. It’s been a while, just wanted to make sure you remember that.

Rogue 6: At sixth level you get another round of Expertise; double down on Investigation to be a clever boy and History to prevent your party from repeating it.

Rogue 7: Seventh level rogues can deal more damage with 4d6 sneak attack, and they can avoid consequences of using that damage thanks to Evasion. If you fail a dex save you only take half damage. If you succeed, you take 0.

Rogue 8: Use this ASI to max out your Dexterity, giving you the most accurate and deadly swordplay available to mere mortals. It also makes your AC good as a side effect.

Rogue 9: Ninth level inquisitives gain a Steady Eye, giving you advantage on perception and investigation checks as long as you move at half speed that turn. It’s not quite Reliable Talent, but it’s still pretty useful. This also means your sneak attack grows to its final size, 5d6.

Fighter 8: Use your final ASI to bump up your Wisdom for better Insightful Fighting, Wisdom saves, and perception checks.

Fighter 9: Ninth level fighters are Indomitable, letting you re-roll a failed save once per long rest. Even when you fail a wisdom save you succeed it, that’s how solid your mind is.

Fighter 10: Tenth level samurai get a Tireless Spirit, so if you start a fight without any Fighting Spirit, you get one back for free. Also, your fighting spirit gets a bit better, giving you 10 temporary HP when you pop one.

Fighter 11: Your capstone level is simple, but effective. Another Extra Attack lets you attack thrice per turn, up to six times with action surge.

Pros:

With a maxed out attack stat and plenty of attacks per turn, you can dish out pretty consistent damage, especially if you use your fighting spirit to fish for critical hits. 6d6 per turn without spending any resources is nothing to sniff at.

As befitting any rogue, you’re also very skilled out of combat, lending insight and knowledge to the party.

I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating- mixing a fighter’s health pool with a rogue’s damage reduction techniques makes for a very solid combo, especially when you throw Defensive Duelist in as well for an even higher AC and Fighting Spirit for extra health to chew through.

Cons:

You have great AC and some extra health in reserve, but that doesn’t change the fact that your HP is rather low for a front-line fighter. Your damage reduction makes up for it, but it’s something it has to make up for, you get me?

You’re too focused on your sword. It makes you really good with your sword, but not very flexible in combat. If you’re playing to character, you’ll have trouble with flying creatures and those that resist or ignore nonmagical attacks. (Assuming your DM doesn’t give you a magic weapon. Hopefully your DM’s nice enough to notice you’d be hosed without one, but for a guide like this it’s best to assume the DM gives you nothing.)

You need your bonus action to activate your fighting spirit, cunning action, eye for detail, and insightful fighting. Similarly, your reaction is split between opportunity attacks (which are super useful for rogues with their sneak attack), uncanny dodges, and defensive duelist uses. Basically, your main action is too simple, but everything else is really complicated for some reason, and you’ll have to sort all these options out for yourself.

Hey, nobody said being smart was easy.