《Youko Advent》 Prologue - A Stitch in Time Saves Nine I hate the color red. It¡¯s the color that¡¯s brought by war, the color that invades the sky after long hours of toil, the color of the spilled blood of my parents, and worst of all, the last color I ever witnessed in my life. I was born as the only child of a couple struggling to get by in the slums of a huge city that congregated all of the world¡¯s filth, the phrase ¡°if you can walk, you can work,¡± was both the lullaby of my kind as well as the mantra the slavers used as they served out a rigorous course of abuse. By the time I was ten years old my body was riddled with scars and lacerations, even more than the average slum rat, so much so that it would be harder to find a place on my body that wasn¡¯t bruised or torn most days. I seemed to have the unconscious need to help others, all the while knowing the sentiment wasn¡¯t one easily shared by those under these circumstance. If I look back on my past its hard to say that I don¡¯t have regrets, I was near indiscriminate in who I helped and that caused almost as many people to be hurt as the amount that I¡¯d helped. Towards the advent of my fifteenth birthday is when i started to lose my vision, it began with just my left eye over the course of several months the right began to follow it, getting hazier and hazier by the day. Maybe that¡¯s why I became so indiscriminate in my actions, I knew that toiling was in itself not enough to leave my memory, and a blind child in the slums is basically a corpse with a pulse. So I worked harder, harder than when before I would carry over 50 Kilos of whoevenknowswhat in boxes that smelled like death and decay, now i continued until my bones started to ache and my fingers tore. Now that I think about it, I¡¯m glad there¡¯s no one to mourn my dea¡­my death. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m dead, a poor lamenting ghost, a worthless wraith, but how did I pass? No, wait, I can recall, my racing heart, the insane ramping up of my blood¡¯s tempo. One second, an instant,seems to take years to pass, like molasses making its way through the artic, time slowly lurches forward. The rhythmic sound of boots hitting concrete creeps closer. One step. My heart goes wild. My breathing tenses. I wasn¡¯t prepared for this. Bloodlust. My senses went into overdrive. I couldn¡¯t see anyone on the lone side street, but my senses recognized the danger. I tried scanning over the area with my half-dead eyes, but all that I could make out was that to my right was a concrete wall and that the bright red color of it, like scarlet paint heavy, viscous, only served to heighten my sense of cautio- The familiar sound of a blade slicing through air caused me to take a small leap forward, narrowly stopping me from meeting an untimely end by way of slit jugular. My heart leapt from my chest. Even with my sight near gone I could tell that the assailant was a thin man, like a singular sheet of paper, like the edge of a blade, too lithe, too sharp.The only features of his that I could see were those graced by the moonlight, shining silver condolences between us, just his eyes could be made out, a dull glow of wine colored pupils glittered with insanity. Is this where I die? In his right hand a knife was gripped with such strength that the fingers that grasped the hilt of the blade were blue, and looked as if they would be torn apart at any moment. The man gathered strength into his feet and lunged at me, blade glinting an ominous light. I couldn¡¯t run. A cold sweat made its way down my spine, like an army of spiders crawling on my back, I could do nothing but stand there in fear, the slightest movement could spell instant death and even my cold shivers must be repressed so as not to take even one more step towards the sinking abyss. He was a demon, a creature existing solely to reap life. The gleaming edge of his weapon was again aimed at my throat. I ran toward him. Not to embrace death¡¯s frosty calling, but to defy it, to call out for any vestige of luck that could be granted. This wasn¡¯t a fight. It was a prayer. A sacrifice. A whole hearted dedication to survival. As we approached each other I sharply dropped towards the chilled asphalt, the baleful blade whistled curses as it cut a shallow mark above my eye. I tried to steal the knife but was greeted by a swift kick to the gut sending me half a meter back. The air in my lungs flew out violently. Blood creeped over my left eye, covering it in thick sheets of warmth. Death makes his way over to me, in a slow, gloating manner. I forced myself up and ran to him. No skill or thoughts backed my actions, I was motivated by fear. I had to fight or I¡¯d die. Those eyes,like Vodka flooding a glass, called for me. Hysteria was his modus operandi and I was engulfed by it. My fist made a wide arc towards his face, and he graciously accepted the punch, to him it was nothing, not even cause enough to flinch. As he received a punch from me, I was graced with a present too, his knife, digging itself into my side, blood leaked from the wound at an uneven pace. Fast. Slow. The scarlet life spilled freely from my body. He reveled in my pain, not letting the chance to twist in the blade fly by unattempted. I let out a howl of pain. He was intoxicated with my agony, and continued to push the blade far enough in so that the cold steel of the hilt kissed my festering wound. My consciousness sank. I could hardly keep my eyes open. Warmth seeped out of my body. Suddenly his body went limp. As if a demon had been expelled from his body. There was no strength in his arms to keep the knife twisting inside me. In a single slow, tortured motion I rip the blade from my body. His eyes regained their lost luster and evil will, but now without weapon he was less of a threat. Even in my shaky arms, a knife is still a weapon. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He didn¡¯t fear me, or rather he felt no need to. Who was I to this man, this Killer, this monster? He was bathed in a moonlight so thick it seemed to be have its own force of gravity. There was no movement, aside from the continuing pitter patter of my blood hitting the oh-too-cold ground, his presence alone was enough to engulf me in the abyss of death but my will to live hadn¡¯t relented. The next minute was a blur, it was a brawl, a carnal clash where a flesh and blood human barely survived as he encountered the monster. A classic tale. A definite ending. Only a human can kill a monster. It became hard to tell whose blood was recklessly scattered along the ground, his or mine. My shaky legs hollered that they wanted to quit, but my will forced them to hobble on. My hearing was shot. All I could taste was the ever present flavor of iron. One Step. One instant. Thats all it took. As the ambulance, as scarlet as my ever flowing blood ran me over and my life ended. The world was empty, a whitewash void filled with blank, sterile darkness like the inside of a catacomb. The darkness reduced my strength, sapped it from me, integrated me, a synchronization, a baptism within darkness. ¡°What is this feeling,¡± the words wouldn¡¯t leave my lips but still rang out clearly, as if painted by my conscious cravings. I wondered, searched, craved, wondered, and attempted to recall in all of my desperation what it was that brought me to my current situation. ¡°Was I abandoned?¡± I prodded at my mind insistent on sorting my way through the shaky memories that so clouded my thoughts, I could do nothing. It took all of his concentration to merely stir the darkness, the primordial chaos that so surrounded me, but even that was paramount to a fly¡¯s kiss on a mountain, an insubstantial nothingness. Amongst murky recollections and haze covered ideas not yet ripe enough to be considered thoughts, fragments of memories like so many ice shards were clearly visible, from them I learned about myself. I learned of my appearance, or at least what I looked like before whatever freak incident had left me drifting aimlessly within chaotic neutrality, I was a meager man, not a circle too thin or a head too short, yet with a face too plain to be recognized if one were to pass by me. ¡°Who am I?¡± I let the words find place outside my lips. I asked knowing fully of my past self, my trials, tribulations, and the futility of it all. I knew that I fell in between and under standards, not smart enough, not handsome enough, a nameless grunt, a cog in the machine that even when missing goes unnoticed. Never the elephant in the room, or rather, I¡¯d have killed for that attention. In the void there was nothing, or rather, everything existed in the void but in that fullness of existence the occupants lacked what would make them singular. Could one call it poisonous? The atmosphere of overwhelming absolutism, truth, righteousness, personality, all of these become simply words, they lose their value in this reality. What did that mean of I, so small in the world, was I destined to be converted, dissolved, truncated into this otherwordly mix. I felt weight, in this inconsequential antediluvian mix this mortal soul felt mass, yet it was not my own, in the end i was hardly able to keep my own consciousness from mixing into the aether, rather, i had already begun to be submerged and melded within the nothingness, how could i resist being pulled into the crowd now when my entire life had simply been a stream of flows by which i¡¯d be flung into then tossed out, around, and through. This weight was what i was forced to rationalize as another stream of consciousness, another person. It wasn¡¯t hard for me to come to this conclusion, the darkness told me, even as it eroded my very being it spoiled me with knowledge, i knew what this other ¡°person¡± because of this knowledge. It was the being that humans revered as ¡°God.¡± ¡°I suppose you already know what happened, but I¡¯ll inform you anyway, because of an accident on my part you¡¯ve died. You should know that I did interfere for a moment, but fate had other plans for you. Most times when people die they are subject to be consumed by the void, to be mixed into it and from there become pure and recycled back into the matrix of fate. You would call this cycle reincarnation. There are some cases though where a soul has a strong level of innate purity, this usually happens when one changes the lives of countless other people for the better. You happen are one of those people.¡± This¡­ god wasn¡¯t very long winded and definitely shied away from being considered curt, but he had a sort of utter indifference to his being that was so far beyond human comprehension that he became seemingly blatant in how he nearly outright refused the courtesies that humans impose upon themselves. I knew that this ¡°god¡± had never opened his mouth, yet the words that he spoke were crisp, clear, and directed at me, this in itself could be considered a miracle, it allowed me to find myself in the muck, just these few words from ¡°god¡± were enough for me to become myself. ¡°So what happens to me?¡± I spoke without reverence, why would I waste my time standing on ceremony, especially considering that this ¡°god¡± didn¡¯t seem to care one way or the other. ¡°You will be reincarnated keeping all of your memories of your human life as well as being granted a special power that will assist you in the life to come. It has been decided that you shall be reborn in a world outside of my control, it is a place known as Verdani Yongnian.¡± In the blink of an eye the presence of god disappeared and my soul began racing through the darkness on its own. Chapter 1 - The Day Lady Luck Frowned Hey RoyalRoader, my favorite penguin army, Its me again, Wow Its been a whole 2 weeks and I''m finally back, this chapter should raise many more questions than it answers, hopefully in a good way. If you''d like to read updates for this novel as quickly as possible then please come view my website at Youkoadvent.wordpress.com _____________________________________________________________________ ¡°From one zone of darkness to another,¡± I sigh. After my, less than pleasant, meeting with god my soul began dashing thousands of miles in no direction. On and on I drift until finally I reach a sort of Thick area in the void, like a membrane made to keep intruders out. It¡¯s a place thats both empty and dazzling, similar to the feeling of peering into the Grand Canyon. An atmosphere that confuses both time and space, up and down don¡¯t exist, just boundless hereness. After reaching the zone I finally stop moving. The entire world shifts, what was once a dry, barren darkness becomes clear, defined, as if wiping away the mist over one¡¯s glasses, an entire universe unfolds before me. Then it happens... My soul falls, dropping at an insane speed. Past clouds and trees, deep into the mountain range of a continent passing too quickly to see. Its almost how odd it is that with all this flying I¡¯m neither confused nor surprised, probably because I¡¯ve had time to get used to being pulled around the same way a toddler¡¯s stuffed bear would, not to mention even calling it flying doesn¡¯t quite seem to be right, its more of a drifting feeling, with this whole weightless, pressureless gig. My conscious starts to fade. I feel cold, an odd feeling considering that just a short while ago I was completely cut off from all sensations. I was just born, that is the obvious call, it explains why I can barely open my eyes, and how my body feels so heavy and difficult to move. Opening my eyes is difficult, having a sense of weight after so long is almost mind boggling. I can tell that someone has picked me up, but I can¡¯t see them. I feel overwhelmed, the image of a solitary white plain completely overlays onto my own memory, it was there for an instant then gone, replaced with only the faint sensation of frigid air filling my lungs, a phantom recollection of something I¡¯ve never experienced. The longer I feel the warm grasp of someone holding me the more clear the image becomes, what was once an empty snow-stained plain became an entire village. Houses were built in a myriad of styles with each being more posh than the last, some were made in a style similar to European manors, others were made mimicking traditional chinese architecture, and a few of them sprinkled around the village were an interesting mix of the two with Japanese Villa esque atmosphere and a Victorian mansion look. The scenery was so vivid as if I¡¯d known it all my life. Then it went away. My weight is shifting, it looks like I¡¯m being handed off to someone, I can hear faint whispers of a language I¡¯ve never heard of, it sounds like a mix of Romanian, German, and English. From hands bursting with rugged warmth, to a pair so frighteningly delicate they almost felt as if they are made of ice, except a natural warmness was there, a mother¡¯s touch, even in those crystalline hands I could feel a motherly warmth. I can feel her cold hands leading me into a loving cradle. As I¡¯m nestled snugly into her bosom I can feel the warmth of familial love, a sensation I¡¯d long forgotten. The rhythmic thumping of her heartbeat signalled the coming of that overwhelming sensation. A familiar thought, a recognizable theme, a beautiful young woman cradling a newborn baby in her arms, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered to it, teardrops ran from her eyes, as they fell from her cheeks, pale as a ghost, they began to freeze in an instant and become sapphire gems. My body is lifted and brought closer to my mother¡¯s face. Beautiful, though an excellent word to describe her, lacked the impact of her visage, and isn¡¯t enough to describe her. She¡¯s a woman of grace, this can be seen from her neatly combed silver hair that reaches down to the small of her back, the fact that even while sad her posture is a picture of perfection, like an ice sculpture, and her clothes while seemingly simple look like they¡¯re woven from something similar to silk. She was the purest image of an invincible beauty, the kind of woman that men would happily risk their lives for, but she wasn¡¯t human. It was obvious just by looking at the eight fox tails that unfurled restlessly behind her. The woman in the image lifts her child up to her head, I unconsciously raise my arm, foregoing the oncoming discomfort, and wipe away a tear from her eye. A moment later the infant in her arms did the sa¡­ Is that me? My attention moves from the woman to her child, whenever I move he does too, its pretty obvious. What gets me though is how it is that I¡¯m able to see myself from the outside, but I know that I shouldn¡¯t worry about things that I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Milady,¡± a voice comes from the other side of the room but I¡¯m unable to tell who its from my view above my mother and myself. In my ears the words sound foreign and impossible to understand, but like this I can recognize them clearly. ¡°It is time for him to be tested,¡± in her voice I hear a tinge of resignation, but I¡¯m more worried about what the ¡°test¡± is. Solemnly my mother stands up and start to walk in the direction of the voice. As we moved out of the room the vision began fading out. We walked down the coffee brown halls, each of our steps letting loose a hollow thump with every stride. From off to the side I can hear the sounds of people talking, the distilled murmurs of the average joe as a celebrity walks a brisk stroll past them, ¡°So her child was born today eh?¡± One voice chided causing a domino effect of people talking, within their own circles, all together it seems that only about a hundred people were actually in the area. ¡°If its her child then he¡¯ll definitely perform well.¡± ¡°That mutt¡¯s probably contaminated the Priestess¡¯ pure blood.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see that mutt anywhere.¡± The examinees and their families whisper to each other at a volume obviously loud enough for us to here, aside from a momentary sharp grimace whenever the word ¡°mutt¡± appears she doesn¡¯t pay them any heed. Finally, we reach a large door made of finely etched gold, If I had to guess this would be where the ¡°test¡± takes place. My mother looked at me with her eyes the color of a starless night, suddenly a golden stream of light covered my body, completely covering me in its radiance. ¡°Can you understand me?¡± My mother asked, a hint of grief still stuck in her tone even though her voice was steady. I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you can understand since most children are given months to years before they''re made to take the test since it only takes place once every thirty years, you just happened to be born on the very day of the examination, I''m sorry but you''ll have to take it. You¡¯re going to take a few tests to gauge your future prospects¡­ to determine how talented you are. The test has four sections, the first reveals how many tails you have, this includes the ones stuck in your ¡®Astral Haven¡¯ which is the boundary between the physical realm and the spiritual one; the second displays your level of Senki, which is your ability to use the energy from inside your body to take in and affect the world; third is a test for your natural affinity, which just reveals the element or elements that you''ll find easiest to become one with; the final portion is a overall reading of your innate natural energy signature, which is different depending on your race, in our case, it¡¯s Divyne energy because we¡¯re from a special lineage of foxes bestowed divine status by the god Kasha, lower species of foxes have what''s known as spirit energy, and humans have what¡¯s known as Chi.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Judging solely from her appearance, I would never guess that she could be so long-winded, looking at face though, I notice that its visibly grown a shade redder or three, I guess she really isn¡¯t a talker. Beyond the golden doors is a room illuminated purely by fire, two row of braziers set up to form what looks like square brackets. There are two openings between the brackets, one on the side closest to the door we just opened, the other opening lie directly opposite leading to a single, empty velvet cushion that gave off a strange feeling, even though no one was there it definitely had a presence, I try to focus my attention on that spot but all I can¡¯t manage to see anything. In the very middle of the brackets is a hexagon radiating a strange, cold aura,not cold in the sense of a lack of heat, but cold in the same sense that a soldier back from a war seems cold, a kind of grim understanding of the world¡¯s underlying principles cruelly displayed to them. ¡°Place the examinee in the circle,¡± the words hung in the air for a moment, they containing no emotion, simply instructing, like the automatic voice on a public transit vehicle. We began walking at a slow pace, tension hung in the air, saturating it with electric pulse of excitement that sparks in my soul. After eighteen years of suffering, discrimination, and being treated like trash I¡¯ll be able to start over now. My mother placed me in the circle¡¯s center, stepping back from it after a moment, from all corners of the room the fire previously held in the braziers leapt forth, spewing heat licking every corner of the room, embers lashed out, spreading and changing colors, what was once a tranquil orange is now an acidic green that smells like pine trees and tungsten. The room freezes, my blood rolls, seeking out heat from the flames, they didn¡¯t comply. The intense cold was numbing my heart, refusing to let it become erratic in fear. ¡°WHO AM I?¡± A voice calls from inside the flame. ¡°Say my name!" It hisses like a serpent coiled and prepared to sink its fangs into its prey. My chilled bones began creaking in fear, the hardwood floor beneath me started to sink, the chilled air called out to me from inside my own lungs, spreading out it crystallized splendor, ¡°All one need do is call out to me, make the covenant with thy body, with thy blood, with thou given name. Beneath me the ground seems to lose its firmness, becoming like clay in its malleability, pulling at my infant body and trying to drown it beneath the earth. ¡°Call me, lend me your words and I shall be your sword,¡± A voice with the deepness of a mountain gorge said to me in a voice so low that it caused the room to vibrate. A heart rending silence rings out, wild flames are contained, the chilling cold is relegated, the earth attracting me to its depths loses its hold, the elements gave face to the noble that appears tearing through space. ¡°Holder of the contract, speak your wish, grant me thy name and bestow upon me its kind,¡± with each word the tremendous creature spoke an unknown energy slithered from its maw, a warm light that was as wispy as air, as hot as magma, as unrestrainable as water. A dragon. Scales as black as a starless night, eyes as inescapable as death¡¯s icy grip, a monstrous being. I want to speak. My voice doesn¡¯t work. ¡°My name is *****!¡± I scream out in my head but the words don¡¯t exist, I¡¯m unable to form the most crucial word. The world is in chaos, fire rampages thrashing and crashing around the room singing the world, Ice becomes a casket for my body, freezing my insides as the earth accepts me. The grand being watches as I¡¯m consumed. ¡°Examination 1 complete!¡± ¡°Examination 2 complete!¡± ¡°Examination 3 complete!¡± In a snap the flames immediately flickered out, the frost broke and my pulse normalized, the earth regained its toughness, and the dragon was nowhere to be found. ¡°What just happened!¡± My mind shouted out a question destined to be left unanswered. ¡°Results of Examination 1, Current Number of Tails : Zero, Level of Cultivation: None.¡± My mother¡¯s face darkened by a color, her expression gave off the idea that she knew this might happen. I can¡¯t imagine what the problem with having no tails is, doesn¡¯t that just make me seem more human-like? ¡°Results of Examination 2, Senki level: Zero, Absolutely no affinity for natural energy.¡± ¡°Result of Examination 3, Affinity for Fire, Water, Earth, and Destruction, all Superior levels; Affinity for Metal and Creation, Above average; Affinity for Wood, below average!¡± Finally good news, I want to jump for joy, but currently I¡¯m barely able to slightly turn in frustration, being an infant sucks. Three of the tests are down the drain, the last shouldn¡¯t take that long either, honestly, what kind of toddler is forced to see this, I¡¯m sure most would have long since passed out or began crying for their mommies. The magic circle began glowing. The runes around its edges began shifting and sorting themselves, moving at a pace that human eyes would never be able to process, and even now, my infant eyes aren¡¯t up to snuff either. I feel a sudden tug in my gut, but aside from that, everything remains peaceful. Its been four hours now and nothing has happened, I¡¯m starting to grow a little tired but aside from that i can¡¯t say that I feel any discomfort. Another hour passed; then two, four hours fly by. I¡¯m barely managing to stay awake as I stave off the boredom. ¡°Examination Four is Complete!¡± ¡°Results for Examination Four: Race confirmed. Half-Foxkin: Moonlit God Chaser subspecies. Divyne Energy confirmed as unreadable. Chapter 2 - Prelude to the Rising I¡¯m SOOO sorry guys, I honestly thought I could put out a bit more in shorter time but AP Exams have flanked me and shown me my place in the world. I don¡¯t plan on being so morbidly off schedule again but for the next few weeks its gonna be hard to promise I won¡¯t. Remember for updates around 3 or so days sooner you can always check out my website at youkoadvent.wordpress.com Anywho, this is the latest chapter of Youko Advent, more characters, more setting, less questions answered~ A Fiesta of emotional backdrops that you all so dearly love. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°What is justice?¡± The man in front of me shouts in his usual ¡°filled-to-the-brim-with-passion¡± tone, his disgust with me was hardly noticeable over his generally grim visage. A tall, stout man with hair of braided fire, fox ears drooping over his head as if to say that the exertion from standing up isn¡¯t worth the result. His body is built as strong as his namesake, Tera, implies. He¡¯s been my martial arts instructor for the past two years due to an order from the ¡°brass.¡± ¡°Doing what is right for the greater good and protecting the weak,¡± I reply the same as always, with a heart full of conviction and my face bracing for the impact that was sure to come. ¡°You Idiot, the only REAL justice is strength, what¡¯s the use of trying to protect the weak if you yourself are weak? What gives you the right to fight for the greater good when that very notion is set by those in power, the mighty!?¡± My teacher shakes his head, he always does, we have this same conversation each day, the same stupid back and forth. Yeah, it must have all started on that day five years ago, the day I became the clan¡¯s most notable failure in our three centuries of existence. The ONLY Foxkin in history to be born without a single tail, and of all things he, or rather I, just had to be born as a Moonlit God Chaser, the most respected clan of Foxkin, the direct descendants of the God of Canines, Kasha. Well, that¡¯s not entirely true, there have been cases of children born from fox-clans and not having any tails, but among all of them not even ONE was actually born INTO a fox-clan, in other words the children born without tails weren¡¯t foxes in the first place These five years of my reborn life can be described perfectly by the saying ¡°hushed tones, loud children.¡± While it is true that for the most part adults paid me no mind, that doesn¡¯t mean that they had no opinions on me. What the parents couldn¡¯t say in public their children certainly would, ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a worthless mutt.¡± ¡°Useless child of a lesser demon.¡± and the ever original ¡°Trash.¡± Constant verbal assaults like this would have crippled the mind of any ordinary child, but I¡¯m not an ordinary child. I know that all they¡¯re doing is goading me, and since I¡¯m too weak to fight back on equal terms, I¡¯ll just wait until I am strong enough. ¡°Rune,¡± my teacher shouts to me, forcing me to attention, ¡°today we¡¯ll practice using spears.¡± He finishes curtly, adhering strictly to the unspoken law that warriors conversed solely with their blades, which would make a lot of sense if he wasn¡¯t the martial arts instructor of myself, Rune Lyfen, the five year old. The blade whistles boldly past my ear, ¡°HALF A STEP TO THE LEFT AND I WOULD¡¯VE CLEAVED YOUR HEAD OFF WHEREAREYOUREYES,¡± Tera shouts, not halting the flow of his spear. Short range, mid-range, long-range are all his to command, if an area could be passed on the blade¡¯s endless revolution then it is his to control. I am part of his sphere of influence, just a millimeter too far, just a breathe to quick, and I¡¯ll die. The worst part of this was that his excellent control of the weapon means that I¡¯ll suffer before I get any real injuries. I swing wide, revealing a gap in my stance, which he easily takes as an opportunity to strike. A stab. I saw the strike coming, I begged for it, I knew the timing of this strike, Teacher¡¯s all out thrust. I dig my pivot foot into the ground, tucking my own spear into my side, side stepping into his strike. With just a glance he understands my tactic, calling out his tails, four blazing red apparitions, from his Astral Haven in an instantaneous flash of Azure light. Two were used to cover my eyes, leaving me blind as his other two wrap around my legs like snakes and trap my movements. One. Two. Three strikes from his spear, a stab to the gut, and two strikes to the side with force enough to shake my bones. Unable to take the pain I slowly felt my consciousness fade. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The faint scent of flowering quince, sweet, flowery, wispy wafts through my mind, the complete overhaul of thoughts in this soundless horizon engulf my mind. Light scatters, in the darkness I see a scene, a memory of time passed. That day, five long years ago, where the useless I was became a slave to the whims of others in this life as well. Those thin floors in the spacious 14 tatami room, the five ¡°Kitsune Elders,¡± my mother, and I. An out of body recollection. "Dost thou breach our proud lineage with the blood of a MUTT!?¡± The ¡°Elder¡± farthest away from us raised her voice. Based solely on appearance she would appear to be the last person one would normally associate with the term ¡°elder,¡± she was at most 130 cm tall (4¡¯3¡±) with starlight silver hair, her bangs were pulled off to the side of her head, framing it like a tiara as the rest of her luscious locks fell past the small of her delicate back. Her eyes raised a furious lilac trail matched with the intensity of her ear¡¯s frantic flickering of anger. If she didn¡¯t seem utterly furious or if she didn¡¯t speak in an extremely outdated tongue, I¡¯d have seen her as nothing more than a little girl. My mother was quiet with indignance, the air around her grew cold forming frosty mist but in an instant returned to its natural state. ¡°You will not harm my child,¡± was written plainly on her face. ¡°Umi, thou shan''t cover thy disgrace with this mask of ineptitude,¡± she spoke once more, this time the annoyance that stained her voice earlier seemed to radiate from her entire body, a dazzling gleam of light erupted from her body, in the time it took for me to take even a single breath eight glamorous steel colored tails with tips of fine gold were visible behind her. ¡°Thou hast left us cursed with a forwardness the likes of which death clears not. We cannot have such a pitiful youth represent us, nay, or thy clan¡¯s seventeen century long rule over this land hast been scattered to the wind. Such would give light only to a lack of power. What say thou doest? For tis not impossible for us, now, to hold a claim over this dominion? And though we We cannot have such a pitiful child represent us, nay for so long, the competition is but fifteen short revolutions from now. ¡± The elder looked at me for a moment bridled with rage so hot her gaze threatened to turn me to ash. ¡°Elder Shiki, perhaps you are looking at this problem from the wrong direction; that child, Rune, doesn¡¯t have any tails, but isn''t it true that our tails in themselves are mere supplementum to our mystical abilities? It is still possible for him to fight in the upcoming competition.¡± A second elder spoke up, among all of the people I¡¯d seen since having been born, he was the most befitting of the term ¡°fox.¡± He was a generally young looking man, the kind that wouldn¡¯t look out of the ordinary at a college campus, like the other four elders he had a head full of silver hair and eyes that were a piercing violet, but unlike the others whose expressions were a mix calm judgement and solemn sternness he alone had a smile on his face, the delighted eyes of a child flashed remarkably on him. ¡°Oh, and how is this disgrace going to lead us to victory?¡± The elder seated towards the middle of the group raised his voice, he was the eldest looking by far, what was glittering silver hair on the four others was a bleached white on him. Unlike the others whose bodies favored sleekness, his body was a hulking mass of muscle, expertly crafted from what could have been eons of training and experience. ¡°It¡¯s quite simple Boqin... we engrave battle into his very body.¡± The air around my mother shimmered as she summoned her tails and unconsciously used them to cover me. The corner of her eyes showed a sapphire tear but it was hidden behind the sternness of her features as he continued. ¡°Ah, rest, Umi, you know this is for the best, don¡¯t you?¡± His voice was a light, provoking jeer, a voice strewn with lies and yet held just enough truth for one to be unable to claim him a liar in earnest. The vision faded, the rewound time vanishing cracks in history becoming full. Chapter 3 - Miss the Trees for the Forest And so the time has come, a new update for your reading pleasure. Remember that I love two things, reader comments and people that check out my website for a cool, personal reading experience and to be my favorite person ever. Please visit it @ Youkoadvent.wordpress.com ____________ Neither hot nor cold, a strangely comfortable tingling feeling spreads through my body. The faint aches of today¡¯s bruises seem to fizzle out of existence. The feeling seems to seep into every pore on my body, mending my injured self. My eyes slowly open, hazily but surely, to see my mother, whispering out the words to a spell as she lovingly pets my head, paying extra close attention to my ears petting the backside of each right where the fur just begins to grow. ¡°Good morning.¡± she says after finishing her spell. Even though I wasn¡¯t so graced with a smile from her, I know it isn¡¯t because she is unhappy but rather because she doesn¡¯t smile often. I begin to stir, giving her a signal that I plan to get up in a moment, and she tilts back a bit. I lift myself up from her lap with a weak push. ¡°So I guess that means I passed out during training again,¡± my voice noticeably drops an octave the further I get into the statement. She nods in response, maintaining stable eye contact. ¡°So what should I do now?¡± I try to maintain formal speech but it never really feels right. I stand up and pat down my training clothes, the once pure white gi is now covered in layers of dirt and blood, unfortunately all of it is mine. ¡°It¡¯s time to teach you ¡­ magic,¡± she pauses for a moment when using the word ¡°magic¡± which probably means that that word isn¡¯t very accurate. I smile, hoping for a teacher who wasn¡¯t disgusted with my very presence like Tera. She stands and begins walking out of the room prompting me to follow. The home my mother and I live in can be described using many words, but certain terms , such as ¡°house¡± definitely wouldn¡¯t fit the Japanese Villa style home; yet even that couldn¡¯t be compared the magnanimity of the building she led me to. This building is located far off and away from the bustling center portion of the township where most foxkin live and about a quarter mile from the shrine my mother frequents. While the building isn¡¯t quite a castle, I doubt the owner would take offense if it was considered as such, to be completely honest. The building looks like a giant tower, or rather a chinese pagoda wide enough to fit five football fields within and still have the space for a mall. My mother and I continue towards it, reaching the tall, pale, iron gate within minutes. As we approach, the gates open themselves welcoming us. ¡°The tower is big¡­ don¡¯t wander, you might die.¡± I nod and follow behind my mother. We walk quietly up around thirty floors. Upon leaving the thirtieth floor staircase we make our way through the floor in earnest, passing by many life-sized sculptures carved from fine jewels. After walking on the thirtieth floor for another hour we stop before a simple wooden door without any of the extravagant decorations that the floor is so garnished with. It is a almost surreal sight in how awfully it contrasts the entire floor I¡¯ve seen thus far. The door is so discreet that I would¡¯ve missed it in its entirety if not prompted prior. My mother opens the door, revealing a world of nature completely opposite of the snow covered mountainscape on the outside of the tower. Warm beams of sunlight pour their dazzling influence over the steppe. A gentle wind whistles warmly past my face as I stand in awe of the seemingly alternate dimension beyond the door. ¡°Come, your teacher is inside.¡± My mom speaks after giving me a moment to take in the sights. After another half-hour of walking, my mother¡¯s pace slows. She turns to me and says, ¡°be respectful,¡± before pointing ahead at the woman who would become my magic instructor, a familiar face. Familiar may not be the right phrase; for while I have seen her before, it was at an age where I rightfully shouldn¡¯t have been able to recall her, or at least the average child wouldn¡¯t. ¡°Umi, what hath kept this one waiting?¡± A woman calls out to my mother, her moonlight silver hair is further emphasized as it contrasts the vibrant green of the plain. The Fox-clan elder Shiki. Upon reaching the tiny elder my mother bowed respectfully. I followed suit, the expression of displeasure on her face eased. ¡°Grandmother, might this be the mutt in question?¡± A new voice chimes in, killing the quiet of deference. A young girl points her finger at me, tracing my outline with her eyes. My own silver hair stained with strips of black imperfections is reflected in her eyes, down to my stature, a thin body reminiscent of reed branches pulled back and held strong with tension. Compared to my teacher Tera who is built as thickly as a penitentiary door and whose muscles could put steel girders to shame; I am of a small stature, not quite stocky, not quite scrawny, just of a simple nearly womanly type of frailty. A being of dainty strength, possibly due to my age, or perhaps my mother¡¯s enamorous beauty. As she uses her gaze to appraise me, I respond in kind. A small child, easily fitting the role of Shiki¡¯s relative, her delicate features a near perfect match to the elderly foxkin: perfect molten gold eyes, a miniature figure donning a flowery yellow kimono, four tails the colour of twinkling stars each with a tiny indention of another color mixed into it like watercolor paint. ¡°Child of Umi, sit. This one hath not the time for trivialities.¡± Shiki says slightly annoyed, I follow her order. My mother takes this chance to leave. ¡°Hark, filthy Mutt, this one¡¯s name is Vera. We art kind enough to allow one as pathetic as thee to become our servant.¡± The young girl perks up as she spits out her outrageous introduction. I remain quiet, unsure if I should ignore her statement and blame it on childish immaturity. Yet even doing so much, it would still feel over the top. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± I speak politely, doing my best to avoid giving Shiki a reason to kill me. ¡°We gave our name only a moment ago, dare not tell us, thee hath maggots in thine ears t¡¯would explain thy mental inefficiencies.¡± Vera switches from subtle derision to more corrosive diction in the blink of an eye. ¡°Well then, Vera-¡± ¡°Mistress Vera! We doth not recall giving a pathetic pup such as thee the right to call upon us with such familiarity.¡± I shake my head and ignore her. ¡°Elder Shiki, I am eternally grateful for you giving me the opportunity to learn from you.¡± I bow deeply. ¡°How insolent! What gives a mutt like thee the right to ignore us?¡± Vera shouts in response to me ignoring her. ¡°Silence! The lecture shall begin immediately.¡± Shiki roars, quieting Vera. ¡°Elder Shiki, would you mind teaching magic from the very basics? I¡¯ve spent my life so far in physical training so I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll understand later concepts if I don¡¯t learn from the beginning.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. She frowns for a moment, crinkling her brows and most likely contemplating on giving me the evil eye, but chooses not to. ¡°Magic, or rather spells, art separated into several categories: the first separation is between spells that govern Living spirit essence and Non-living spirit essence, these spells art respectively Creation Magic¡¯ and ¡®Destruction Magic.¡± She takes a deep breath, fully preparing to tap into the various intricacies of magic. (Shiki) ¡°We¡¯ll break with Creation and Destruction magic later, anon we¡¯ll move to the next separation, spiritual energy and elements. Both Life and Destruction hast an infinite amount of elements that make them up, within them there art around eight primary elements that combine into many complex ones. The primary elements art Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Wood, Metal, Light, and Darkness; among them thou hast good affinity for seven of the eight, the exception being wood.¡± Shiki peers over towards her expression a mix of boredom and assurance in her intellectual observation. ¡°If I recall correctly I have superior affinity to Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water, and above average affinity for Metal, all together that¡¯s only five of the eight.¡± (Rune) ¡°Fox-clan members naturally hast superior affinity to Light and Darkness,¡± the old fox says with a frown as if only now realizing that I didn¡¯t know, Vera scoffs loudly. ¡°What exactly is an elemental affinity?¡± I ask knowing that now is the time to get a few questions answered. Hearing my inquiry, her ears perked up in a terrifying mix of anger and an ungodly desire to lecture, ¡°Wh- what¡¯s wrong?¡± I awkwardly mutter. ¡°Thy elemental affinity is how well thy soul reacts to certain elements; when trying to cast a spell if thou hast an affinity that is positively inclined towards the spells element than the effect will be more pronounced, if we lay-to the Fireball spell for example, a person with a higher elemental affinity t¡¯would be able to conjure a more pure, more hot flame as well as being able to cast the spell quicker as compared to someone with a lesser affinity.¡± She speaks quickly as trying to use all of the air in her lungs without wasting a bit of it. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then a higher affinity is good, right?¡± ¡°¡®Tis¡± She affirms strongly. ¡°Am I able to use magic?¡± I urged her for an answer but am rewarded with a frown. ¡°¡®Tis possible,¡± her face grows more unkind as she speaks and avoids a direct answer. ¡°Magic, thee truly hath nay a bit of pride, ¡®tis only fitting for an untalented mongrel. If one truly had any sense of pride in thy fox blood one t¡¯wouldn¡¯t hast any thought to lay-to the human construct of magic.¡± Vera leashed her displeasure on me, causing me to flinch. ¡°So, there¡¯s a difference between human magic and fox spells?¡± ¡°It seems that yea a mongrel such as thee hath a brain in its skull.¡± I endure the tongue lashing from Vera hoping for an actual explanation. ¡°Aye child,¡± Shiki answered with exhaustion. ¡°Magic is an ability used by humans in a vain attempt to recreate natural phenomena. There art also beings such as elves, fairies, wood nymphs and other such beings who can directly request nature to assist them. We foxes art above such things, fox spells art able to directly manipulate nature.¡± As she speaks the old silver fox walks toward me and moves her hand in my direction, directly touching my forehead. Light flashes, my vision is beginning to flicker, the image of a woman crying while holding a disfigured body. ¡°Dim,¡± she languidly screams between long sobs and gags holding the corpse and drawing it closer and closer to herself. There was no one in the area to see her, to hear her cries, to help her, to console her. Just an empty forest, bare aside from the newly fallen snow that continued to fall, as if to consume her. I want to help, to come close, to tell her that everything will be okay, but I can¡¯t. An old question comes to mind, ¡°if a tree falls in the middle of a forest and nobody''s around to hear, does it make a sound?¡± My answer is yes, does grief disappear simply because no one can see your tears, does pain vanish because a smile is painted on one¡¯s face? A star has fallen from the sky, and all I can do is watch. Maybe I don¡¯t have the right to be sad, after all I¡¯ve never met this person and their passing doesn¡¯t affect me in the slightest, but I know how important he must be. I take a step closer to her, the lone woman overcome with sadness. I want to help her. I want to give her strength. I can¡¯t. I know it. I know this vision, though not this memory in particular. The image flickers away, sorrow ebbs to its conclusion, frosty snowfall becomes a cool, wispy springtime breeze. ¡°Pray tell wherefore thou hath begun spilling tears,¡± Shiki asks in a tone that could almost be mistaken for genuine concern. ¡°She¡­ was so alone¡­¡± I stutter out on reflex, only now realizing the tears that have begun rolling off of my face. Shiki¡¯s face near instantaneously becomes a tone whiter as she recalls her delicate fingers from my body in a single stroke of lightning. ¡°Child, betoken me with thy vision,¡± she requests with a stern face. ¡°Grandmother? What hath the mongrel done?¡± ¡°Done¡­ haply nothing but be born under an absolutely horrid star.¡± ¡°I saw a woman, disfigured by her grief, alone on a snowy field¡­ she kept screaming ¡®Dim¡¯ I assumed it was once the name of the corpse she cradled in her arms.¡± The old fox grips my collar, rage coating her eyes. ¡°Grandmother¡­ what.. what has gotten into you?¡± Vera questions fearfully. ¡°Tepid Devil¡¯s Final Gaze,¡± Shiki says in her silky voice, anger flushing off of her face. Vera may have just saved my life. The small elder releases me from her grasp and begins to trace my body with her eyes, as if before this moment she¡¯d never actually gotten a good look at me. ¡°Thee wilt be a paragon in the ways of misfortune to be born with so much talent and so little ability to use it.¡± Shiki says, shaking her head in dismay. ¡°Grandmother, what is this ¡®Tepid Devil¡¯s Final Gaze?¡¯¡± Shiki turns her head to the young lady and before responding shoots her a warm smile that lasts for but an instant. ¡°Tis an ability that only the chosen few art born with, referred to by humans as ¡®Psychometry,¡¯ the ability to see another being¡¯s memories.¡± Chapter 4 - What Comes After the Day That fateful time has come again, a new release for my adoring fans. I feel obligated to warn you all that this chapter is going to be exposition central, more so than what I''ve done in previous chapters, but after this chapter the amount of "stuff happening" will increase, so bear with me. As Always Please comment whether it be constructive criticism or opinions on how much you hate vera (You''d be surprised how often I get that), also give me more ratings, I''d like to climb the Penguin Ladder. visit my website @ Youkouadvent.wordpress.com for more frequent updates... thats about it. __________ I feel lightheaded, a sudden stroke of dizziness. I fall, the stress of being forced to learn how to actively control my psychometry has put an ungodly amount of stress on my mind. My conscious is hazy. The young fox girl steadily approaches me, her footsteps a metronome. ¡°Come now filthy mongrel, is this all that you can do? Doth thou not wish to learn of thy father¡¯s fate?¡± Vera chants at my side. ¡°I... know,¡± I manage to mumble. Just breathing has become difficult, I can barely see, but it''s better than my last life. My sight hasn¡¯t left me here, using every vestule of energy left in my body I attempt to continue, beginning to reach out to the next item from the formerly gargantuan pile. ¡°Almost there¡­ only one more vision,¡± I groan pitifully. I barely have the energy to sit up so instead of wasting it I place my hand over a dagger the color of the evening sky. Red, the color of a blazing conflagration, a phantasmal existence, a weapon that cannot be touched. Can¡¯t be touched. ¡°Call¡­ name¡­ Only¡­ single step¡­ further¡­ at ... precipe¡­¡± A voice long forgotten voice rang in my head. Words muttered statically. The world goes black. Warmth, the wispy tendrils of regeneration wraps around my spirit. Refreshing springs of life energy pulsate from the wisps as my spirit gluttonously sucks it all in like a sponge. Colors explode wildly in my mind. Reds and greens dance a vicious tango of carnage, violently reacting, feeding off of each other and crashing into each other even more dazzlingly in turn. Icy blues and whites begin their somber tango, complementing one another, moving neither fast nor slow in their waltz of permissive frost. What is destroyed by the previous pair is halted in time by those following. Even purples, golds, yellows, and greys mark their way through my soul¡¯s perception; moving with fairy like grace, passing and sharing life to all scorched and frozen areas, rejuvenating what had once been a wasteland of the soul. One Time. Two Times. Ten Times. Twenty, even surpassing one hundred, the many colors interacted, weaving together, and eventually the many colors converged into a mass of ink black ¡°space.¡± ¡°...thy¡­ be¡­ t¡­ Fi...lthy¡­.Beast! Wake Up thee insufferable dog!¡± Vera¡¯s words snap me out of my trance. ¡°Honestly, what ever is this one to do with thee being such a weakling, we only made thou lay-to thy Psycho-whatever a measly one hundred and eighty-nine times for a period of ten seconds each. Dost thou wish for this one¡¯s good name to be tarnished! What would grandmother think of us were we unable to train a single mutt such as thee.¡± The white-haired heiress prattles on just close enough to me that I¡¯d be able to grab her in an instant and just far enough that she wouldn¡¯t be in the range of any of my more mundane movements if I chose to commit to them. ¡°Thank you for healing me,¡± I acknowledge her assistance and wait for the inevitable tongue lashing. ¡°Thou hast best not waste thy thanks on us, we had nay choice but to heal thee, more importantly what manner of freakish beast art thou, the sen-ki we used to heal thee with hast completely vanished. We cannot feel yea a trace of it from your body so thou hast completely absorbed it in an instant. That should be simply impossible.¡± Vera declares full of conviction, though it''s hard to take her seriously when all she does is scream at me. ¡°Why would it be impossible? I watched the energies converge. Since I saw that doesn¡¯t that mean it''s possible?¡± I rebuke her, traces of irritation beginning to show in my tone. ¡°Converge! Thee truly art blind to the ways of the spirit, the elemental essences that inhabit sen-ki are in opposition due to their natures, for thee to say that they hast merged is the same as to say water and oil were to mix.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue with you, just tell me¡­ did I make the quota?¡± ¡°Nay, thee were close, yet tales from one¡¯s past shall stay elusive to thee for at least one day further.¡± Shiki, who had previously been sitting to the side meditating after giving us the incentive of a history lesson on my mother, a subject that Vera was surprisingly enamored by. Apparently my prospects in the mystical category are actually passable in her eyes, which just means that I get to be worn to the bone by her three times a week in addition to my daily physical training. ¡°Dost thee know wherefore this child is so adamant that the restorative elemental essences in his body were fused together?¡± Shiki questions Vera, and though her expression hasn¡¯t exactly changed much from when she had been sitting on the sidelines, she gives off a different feeling from the indifferent airs she¡¯d had on earlier, her switch to teacher mode has been flipped. ¡°Firstly, explain the process used to cast the healing spell.¡± ¡°We started off by collecting elemental essence of water and fire, the water for its restorative nature and the fire to invigorate the energy that waned due to exhaustion. Then we gathered earth and wind elemental essence and allowed used them to strengthen the natures of the water and fire essences respectively .Then we bound all of the energy together using our ¡°will¡± to heal the pathetic mongrel.¡± Vera answers immediately, filled with confidence. ¡°By diffusing and then reinforcing the original water and fire elements with earth and wind essences thou made a group of ¡°higher elemental essences¡± that carry the characteristics of the supplemental elements. Because the original elements of water and fire suppress each other it would be for them to be merged under normal circumstances, yet since they were strengthened and purified by the supplemental elements the suppression effect not only carried over but was greatly strengthened to the point whence the ¡°will¡± that thou used disconnected the elements and fulfilled the spell with them separately.¡± Shiki analyzes while giving Vera a smile of approval. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Excuse me, but what does that mean exactly?¡± I can¡¯t help but ask since it seems rather important. ¡°To put in terms thee may understand, consider fire and water as two people going in opposite directions, by adding wind elements to the fire and earth element to the water, we¡¯ve increased the distance between the two people possibly even one hundred fold.¡± Shiki replies patiently to which I respond with a courteous nod of understanding. ¡°I know that I saw the energies come together though, what does that mean?¡± ¡°It means you¡¯re a devil, or rather, thou hast inherited the blood of thy father who must have been a devil.¡± ¡°Must have been?¡± ¡°What? Dost thee expect that I know everything?¡± ¡°W-well no, its just that I don¡¯t really understand what a devil is.¡± ¡°To explain devils we must first examine mana. Mana is the word used to describe the presence of all elemental essence that exist in the world that art used to perform supernatural feats. When a person is born, they art given a set of elemental affinities, generally fox-clan members art relatively average in their affinities for elements that aside from light and darkness. In rare cases there will be a child born who has superior affinity for one element, which tends to be fire in most cases, that pup Boqin was one such being born with superior affinity in the Earth attribute.¡± She stops for a moment, giving me time to absorb the lecture, and after a couple minutes of silent rumination I ask her to continue. ¡°Mana is inherently neutral, this is true for all of the elements that make it up, including both darkness and light. ¡®Tis a natural force that fills the world, some areas, such as mountains, certain forests, and places of historical importance, hast a high potential capacity to hold mana. Yet, just because the environment is of a quality that it can effortlessly hold great amounts of mana dost not mean that its inhabitants art all able to, in areas that gather up enormous amounts of mana the animals art affected and may become inherently able to manipulate the mana present in their bodies consciously if they art able to do so then they may evolve into spirit beasts. The foxes in this village were born through such a method long ago. We¡¯ll come back to that later.¡± With the way that Shiki is spitting out information it¡¯s evident that she truly loves to teach, regardless of how difficult to approach her position of power leaves her seeming. ¡°Maybe she really likes giving lectures,¡± I sigh internally under the strain of having to process large amounts of information in such a short time. Vera wrinkles her nose unpleasantly in my direction. ¡°Thou just thought something rude,¡± she declares but is silenced by a single sharp look from her grandmother. ¡°What dost thou think happens if a living being is unable to process the excess mana that these environments radiate?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ do they explode?¡± ¡°Remember that mana is a sort of spirit that is present in all manners of life, having more mana in thy system than thy body¡¯s container can hold is a glass of wine overflowing. If thy body is supplemented with slightly more mana than it can process it will try to purge the energy, the most efficient way is to cast a spell. This method only works when the excess mana present in the body is only barely more than thy body¡¯s maximum, in the case that ¡®tis fractionally more than what thy body¡¯s container can carry, the mana will begin to change the organism¡¯s body so that it may be able to contain it. The problem with this is that since the organism is being forcibly changed from scratch it must go through a process to recreate its body from scratch, this step is generally far too painful for most animals to stay conscious throughout. Animals and plants that have been restructured by mana like this art known as demon beasts.¡± ¡°Between Spirit Beasts and Demon Beasts, which art stronger?¡± Vera asked, for the first time seemingly genuinely interested. ¡°Humans hast seen fit to categorize the two beings into multiple tiers, starting from the weakest being 1 stars known as ¡°Child Eaters,¡± 2 stars known as ¡°King Killers,¡± 3 stars known as ¡°War Enders,¡± 4 stars known as ¡°Lost Nobles,¡± and finally the strongest 5 stars called ¡°Ragnarok. Generally speaking when comparing Spirit and Demon Beasts at the Child Eater and King Killer tiers, demon beasts tend to be stronger partially due to their naturally overflowing bloodlust and partially due to the fact that most lower tiered Spirit Beasts tend to lean towards pacifism. On Higher ranking Spirit Beasts art far more powerful than Demon Beasts of a similar ranking, presumably due to far higher degrees of intelligence found in Spirit Beasts as opposed to Demon Beasts.¡± ¡°The names give off a sinister feel, but how strong is each tier?¡± I request earnestly. ¡°The actual amount of power able to be displayed by each individual spirit beast, but if I had to give the average strength of each tier, ¡®Child Eater¡¯ tier species art easily able to kill a dozen adult human males in an instant. ¡®King Killers¡¯ art able to destroy large homes of brick with a single punch. ¡®War Enders¡¯ art strong enough to split seas with a thought. ¡®Lost Nobles¡¯ hast been known to destroy small cities in a single night, and ¡®Ragnarok¡¯ tier beings art said to be able to destroy islands in the blink of an eye.¡± ¡°If the worthless mongrel and I were to be ranked in accordance, whence wouldst we be placed?¡± Vera¡¯s eyes sparkle with unbeforeseen brilliance at the concept of knowing where her strength reaches currently, so much so that she was kind enough to include me. ¡°You would rank amidst the upper reaches of the ¡®King Killer¡¯ tier, the boy strength should be within the bounds of an late ¡®Child Eater.¡¯ The small elder answers immediately, most likely having guessed the question would come beforehand. ¡°Many animals hath low intelligence and as such are more likely to become demon beasts rather than spirit beasts, but what doth thou believe would happen if another organism that wasn¡¯t quite an animal is infected by the overflowing mana of the enviorments that give birth to spirit and demon beasts?¡± ¡°An organism that isn¡¯t quite an animal but is intelligent¡­ do you mean humans?¡± ¡°Aye, similar to how excess mana in animals and plants can give birth to Demon or Spirit beasts, excess mana in human beings gives birth to beings known as Devils. Unlike demon beasts who operate purely on instinct, devils retain their intelligence from their lives as humans. Not to mention that all Devils art at least ¡®War Ender¡¯ tier with most being able to use magic.¡± Shiki concludes satisfied by both the quality and quantity of knowlege she¡¯d managed to teach today. ¡°Are you saying that my father was human?¡± I inquire to no avail, as the fox elder replies with an informed, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more once you¡¯ve earned it,¡± before shooing me off to go home for the day. Chapter 5 - The Moons Tears are as Red as Blood Part 1 So here we are again, a new release from yours truly after more than a month of silence, and of all things it a parted release... Yeah I''m the devil~ To be honest I had planned to post the full chapter when I was done but as more and more time passed and I grew further and further from my imagined ending of the chapter I decided to toss out the carrot because being ashed with the stick of no updates is a cruel thing. As you know, you can always check out my website @ youkoadvent.wordpress.com for more updates and faster releases. And remember that I love comments and cry myself to sleep when I don''t get any, so even if all you have to say is negative, please type it out. Thanks! __________ My chest tightens, fear grabbing hold of my heart as I pull the string back, the tension of the moment has lead me to focus all of my attention on my target. I can hear the demon beast¡¯s ravenous snarls as it tears through the carcass of a freshly killed wolf, charitably splattering juicy vermillion servings of carnage. My mission is to kill the creature, a hideous monster covered in fur matted down with gallons of blood. If its features weren¡¯t disguised by bloody wounds and old scars it would resemble the black bear that it was created from. ¡°Hurry up and do it.¡± Tera barks his orders calmly and naturally, as if he doesn¡¯t believe giving me a bow with no arrows or a quiver is out of the ordinary at all. ¡°Do what exactly, I think I¡¯m missing part of th-¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten to give you anything, that bow is all you need, have you not been training to control elemental essence? Even an idiot would understand what intentions I have for you. Do I have to spell it out for you? Kill the Demon Beast with an arrow made of elemental essence. ¡®Arrow¡¯ is singular: you only get one shot, and if you fail to kill it in one shot, I¡¯ll make you fight it with your bare hands.¡± I know he¡¯s serious, but it doesn¡¯t help that I¡¯ve never done something like this before, I look to him for advice but he begins before I ask. ¡°Hold the bow steady and keep the string taut, allow your feet to grip the earth.¡± He says with absolute disgust, yet years of training with Tera have conditioned my body to instinctively follow his directives. ¡°Close your eyes and feel the elemental essence surrounding you. Everything you need is there, let your ¡®Intent¡¯ give shape to the energy.¡± His words are a strange mixture of complete and total sense and proverbial nonsense that mix into a sour understanding. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. With my eyes closed the elemental essence in the area is clear to see, the essence clings to the ground like mist in clusters so dense they are almost palpable. By viewing elemental essence in its natural state I see just how right Vera was. In nature the differing types of elemental essence have the tendency to form large, simple groupings amongst themselves. Elements that would suppress each other would naturally repel and those that are compatible would harmlessly pass through each other. Yet, on no occasion would natural elemental essence combine, not compatible elements and definitely not incompatible elements. ¡°Imagine the arrow in its rightful place, let there be no misperceptions in your image.¡± Following his advice I gather elemental essence and try to picture an arrow. The energy obliges, between the string a lump of greenish brown congeals, quickly spiralling into existence. I immediately release the bowstring towards the bear-like monster, hoping that my aim is true. The demon beast in question is at most only thirty meters away from me and Tera. During the period of time that I had been preparing my arrow, the monster had already begun to voraciously tear into another poor victim; this time a true bear, felling it with a single mighty stroke of its paw. The sight of its savage maw gluttonously tearing into the meaty flesh of its third wolf made my stomach turn, slackening my concentration. Green streams of light begin to fluctuate around the arrow, pulsing brightly, alerting the beast to its arrival. Yet, it didn''t have enough time to maneuver away, for in the span of time it takes a bolt of lightning to strike the ground, the creature¡¯s head was met by the arrow. ¡°Confirm the corpse.¡± Tera immediately orders, leaving no room for arguing. The distance between us and the bear is short, but because of our high vantage point on a steep cliff it takes nearly ten minutes before I reach the body. The creature¡¯s body is a grotesque splatter of muscles bulging erratically in hellish spasms all across its enormous four meter tall body. I take a quick glance at its eyes, scarlet red pupils radiating murderous intent in my direction. For a moment I was frozen in place by its gaze, pure unabated killing intent spilled from the bear¡¯s eyes like lava following an eruption. With the speed and grace of a dying gazelle, I fall flat on my ass, the strength in my legs having vanished into thin air. The beast wastes no time in getting its revenge, wildly swinging its massive paw in my direction, splotches of blood still coating its claws, the scent of metal prominent all over its body. ¡°MOVE YOU IDIOT!" Chapter 5 - The Moons Tears are as Red as Blood Part 2 Hey loyal, and most likely starved for updates, readers due to a couple of complaints launched from your fellow noble penguins, I''ve been forced to rethink my upload speed to RoyalRoadl. Generally my rule has been that I''d upload the newest chapter, or in this case fragment of a chapter a week or two after its been added on my personal website, but its been brought to my attention that doing so makes it seem as if it takes months for short little 2kish word chapters to be released. So I''ll fix that. TL;DR - Faster releases on Royal Road, I''m a whore for comments. ________________ The creature smirks with its inhuman maw, still freshly baptized in blood. I have no defense against its powerful swings, but in a stroke of what could have been dedicated training or dumb luck I manage to roll backwards onto my hands and feet. The fight has begun. The Demon roars as it stampedes towards me, barrelling with the force of a cannon. Having been bathed in the monster''s killing intent, I barely manage to ease my heart as I deftly avoid the monsters large swings. The thought of its food being more agile than itself obviously angers the creature and it releases another roar powerful enough to split eardrums, as I try futilely to land blows against its near impervious hide. My breathing becomes more haggard in comparison to the rage filled demon beast, whose lust for blood is increasing with every moment. For the first time the demon beast lands a solid blow, tackling me into a nearby tree, with such tyrannical force that I cannot choke down the blood that erupts from my mouth due to the sheer force of impact. Beads of sweat madly sprint down my shirt, my vision begins to flicker in and out wildly. I can hear the monster scoffing at me with confidence, from our earlier clash its recognized that I can¡¯t do any damage to it. Its decided to play with me, stalking around the trees while plastering my body with malicious aura. Whenever I try to catch my breath, it comes from behind and attacks, forcing me to stay on my guard. Back and forth, side to side, the monster attacks from all directions, slowly whittling away at my stamina, leaving little nicks, bruises, cuts, and splinters in my flesh with every approach. Seconds pass at a snail¡¯s pace, dreadfully prolonging the encounter. My arms and legs have started to go numb from the pain I can¡¯t calm down, I don''t know what to do, its every action stresses its desire to slowly brush my life away, torturously. Fight. A voice from inside my commands, utterly uninterested in my wounds or exhaustion. With what pride do you call yourself a warrior? Its tone filled with indignation. If your legs are still attached then you can stand. ¡°Its not that easy.¡± I shout mentally. If your arms have not been severed then you have no excuse not to grasp for victory. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I want to.¡± My irritation grows. If your eyes have yet to lose their light then why do you not search for a solution! ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, not again, staying alive even if by a hairsbreadth is worth any price. You have nothing to fear, you have more than just punches and kicks in your arsenal. I don¡¯t care if I have to claw my way out of the pits of hell, or shuffle to keep myself together in ¡°that void, I just have to win.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! In less than in an instant the demon returns, fully ready to end me, shooting off in a mad dash towards me. The frantic beating of my heart is almost hypnotic, bit by bit my blood drips out onto the forest floor, giving me less and less time to react. I can¡¯t hold on for much longer. Tera won¡¯t save me. What can I do? What haven¡¯t I done? It appears in a flash, the black bear¡¯s body slams directly into mine with the reckless abandon of a wild boar. Grip the earth. My feet dig into the ground. Not enough. Feel the heartbeat of the world. I brace myself for impact, solidifying my stance. Become one with it. The words thrum loudly in my ears, faster than my heart, which is already threatening to jettison itself from my chest. Not enough. What more can I do? Accept it. A thought flashes in my mind, a breath before the impact. I am calm, confidently resting my eyes on the enemy. For the first time becoming one with the world. Earthen yellow streams of light traced themselves up my legs pooling just below my navel, compelling a strange feeling, like thousands of needles placed diligently atop my body and directing the flow of energy. With a loud Boom that easily overcomes the sound barrier, the bear slams its sharp claws into me intent on splitting my body in two, but what meets it is resistance. Chapter 5 - The Moons Tears are as Red as Blood Part 2 Hey loyal, and most likely starved for updates, readers due to a couple of complaints launched from your fellow noble penguins, I''ve been forced to rethink my upload speed to RoyalRoadl. Generally my rule has been that I''d upload the newest chapter, or in this case fragment of a chapter a week or two after its been added on my personal website, but its been brought to my attention that doing so makes it seem as if it takes months for short little 2kish word chapters to be released. So I''ll fix that. TL;DR - Faster releases on Royal Road, I''m a whore for comments. ________________ The creature smirks with its inhuman maw, still freshly baptized in blood. I have no defense against its powerful swings, but in a stroke of what could have been dedicated training or dumb luck I manage to roll backwards onto my hands and feet. The fight has begun. The Demon roars as it stampedes towards me, barrelling with the force of a cannon. Having been bathed in the monster''s killing intent, I barely manage to ease my heart as I deftly avoid the monsters large swings. The thought of its food being more agile than itself obviously angers the creature and it releases another roar powerful enough to split eardrums, as I try futilely to land blows against its near impervious hide. My breathing becomes more haggard in comparison to the rage filled demon beast, whose lust for blood is increasing with every moment. For the first time the demon beast lands a solid blow, tackling me into a nearby tree, with such tyrannical force that I cannot choke down the blood that erupts from my mouth due to the sheer force of impact. Beads of sweat madly sprint down my shirt, my vision begins to flicker in and out wildly. I can hear the monster scoffing at me with confidence, from our earlier clash its recognized that I can¡¯t do any damage to it. Its decided to play with me, stalking around the trees while plastering my body with malicious aura. Whenever I try to catch my breath, it comes from behind and attacks, forcing me to stay on my guard. Back and forth, side to side, the monster attacks from all directions, slowly whittling away at my stamina, leaving little nicks, bruises, cuts, and splinters in my flesh with every approach. Seconds pass at a snail¡¯s pace, dreadfully prolonging the encounter. My arms and legs have started to go numb from the pain I can¡¯t calm down, I don''t know what to do, its every action stresses its desire to slowly brush my life away, torturously. Fight. A voice from inside my commands, utterly uninterested in my wounds or exhaustion. With what pride do you call yourself a warrior? Its tone filled with indignation. If your legs are still attached then you can stand. ¡°Its not that easy.¡± I shout mentally. If your arms have not been severed then you have no excuse not to grasp for victory. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I want to.¡± My irritation grows. If your eyes have yet to lose their light then why do you not search for a solution! ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, not again, staying alive even if by a hairsbreadth is worth any price. You have nothing to fear, you have more than just punches and kicks in your arsenal. I don¡¯t care if I have to claw my way out of the pits of hell, or shuffle to keep myself together in ¡°that void, I just have to win.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. In less than in an instant the demon returns, fully ready to end me, shooting off in a mad dash towards me. The frantic beating of my heart is almost hypnotic, bit by bit my blood drips out onto the forest floor, giving me less and less time to react. I can¡¯t hold on for much longer. Tera won¡¯t save me. What can I do? What haven¡¯t I done? It appears in a flash, the black bear¡¯s body slams directly into mine with the reckless abandon of a wild boar. Grip the earth. My feet dig into the ground. Not enough. Feel the heartbeat of the world. I brace myself for impact, solidifying my stance. Become one with it. The words thrum loudly in my ears, faster than my heart, which is already threatening to jettison itself from my chest. Not enough. What more can I do? Accept it. A thought flashes in my mind, a breath before the impact. I am calm, confidently resting my eyes on the enemy. For the first time becoming one with the world. Earthen yellow streams of light traced themselves up my legs pooling just below my navel, compelling a strange feeling, like thousands of needles placed diligently atop my body and directing the flow of energy. With a loud Boom that easily overcomes the sound barrier, the bear slams its sharp claws into me intent on splitting my body in two, but what meets it is resistance. Chapter 6 - The Wind of Change is a Fickle Mistress Part 1 Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter, I''ve tons of excuses for why it wasn''t out sooner and I truly will dispense them on request, but for now all that''s important is that there will be a few more updates in the next two weeks. Enjoy. __________________________________________________________________________ Maia stepped lightly, using shundo once more, though not as far as before. She traveled through a hole torn in the space of the mountain range. Even though she only took a single step, her destination was greatly different from her place of origin. The sun¡¯s loving rays flickered gently through her midnight black hair as it whipped by the warm spring breeze flowing through the city. She loved the feeling of the wind as it tickled her ears, but at the moment she had no time to indulge in the sheer enjoyment of the moment. ¡°That man¡± had contacted her after so many years, which could still only be counted as a minor annoyance since she was at least still on the ¡°Bit Na¡± Continent, or rather, in the case she was on the ¡°Ou Doo¡± continent as she had been a decade ago she¡¯d have ignored him completely. ¡°He¡± had the nerve to command her. Among the people who call the city of ¡°Agnibrand¡± home the woman was well known as an adventurer. She was young, looking no older than twenty years old, but could easily be regarded as one of the city¡¯s most powerful adventurers holding the title ¡°Misty Fox.¡± Yet those things could only account for half of her popularity, the rest was naturally due to her inhuman beauty. Her hair was a lustrous raven black curtain that draped elegantly past her slim shoulders. Her almond shaped eyes housed a luxurious purple gaze so seductive even gods would swoon were they to be passed over. ¡°Since when have I stooped so low as to be at the beck and call of a brat like Daman?¡± She grumbled incessantly to no one. ¡°Were it not for my promise I would have turned and fled in any direction away from him.¡± As much as she hated being told what to do, she wasn¡¯t one to break promises. She was a person who could only be bound by duty, and restricted by vows. A woman free as the wind and as strong as lightning. To be powerful is to be restricted, when one has power they must hold an equal amount of responsibility, yet by the nature of her person such shackles are worthless, inconsequential things. She had long since chosen to be both strong and free. Her selfishness becoming far more than any man, woman, or god could rival or staunch. A wicked smile blossomed across her rose colored lips. While it was true that that arrogant fox, Daman, had requested for her to return, she was of no obligation to do so immediately. Having now solved her earlier complication, she strolled into a familiar building with a self-satisfied swagger. The guild hall was a building the size of a mansion, the reason given to anyone who cared enough to ask was that ¡°it needed to have enough space to allow large numbers of adventurers to stay in the case it¡¯s needed,¡± but she knew the real reason for its size was a show of wealth. Since the city of Agnibrand is the largest city on the ¡°Ou Doo¡± continent, the guild officials saw it as a necessary expense to cementing their position. The building was filled to the brim with endless torrents of chaotic chatter to the point where taking even a handful of steps into the building caused a mild headache due to her keen hearing. Today she had a purpose for coming, and as such she ignored the clamor of the first floor¡¯s dining hall and moved on towards the second floor where the ¡°mission board¡± is located. She glances over mission board for a moment picking a random paper with the word ¡°Subjugation¡± written on it in bold letters and brings it to the counter. ¡°Ms. Misty Fox, It¡¯s wonderful to see you again,¡± the clerk looked at the paper, a hint of surprise flashed across her face as she eyes the mission¡¯s rank. ¡°Are you sure you want to accept this mission?¡± The clerk probed ¡°Misty Fox¡± who in turn responded with a curt smile. ¡°Please confirm that the mission you are about to take is the rank 4-star Subjugation of a Hundred Headed Hydra that has taken residence in the Gekkou Mountain Range by giving me your guild card so that I can enter the mission data.¡± The fox complied easily, not wasting the time to as she was naturally very used to the process. The clerk accepts the small black card, scanning it with her eyes for a moment before chanting a short hymn, mana drew towards his body forming a ring around him. Once he had finished forming the words the energy flew towards her card at the speed of light, branding the information to her card. After accepting the mission, she leaves the quiet solace of the second floor and bounds towards the exit on the first floor only to be called out by an old friend. ¡°Hey Mohini, why don¡¯t you sit down with us and have a drink.¡± She smiled elegantly at him before chuckling, ¡°you¡¯re about a year too late, my name isn¡¯t Mohini anymore, it¡¯s Maia.¡± She corrected, obviously amused at his bewildered expression. ¡°I figured you¡¯d wait another two years before changing your name again,¡± he responded sourly. ¡°As if, before she changed her name to Mohini for two years she was Yuki,¡± one adventurer chimed in. ¡°Before that she was Priscille for a week,¡± another adventurer remarked while laughing. Causing the whole first floor to buzz with excitement, giving Maia the perfect chance to slip away. Maia once again frowned discontentedly, it had been five years since she originally took the mission to kill the hundred headed hydra, a mission that took her a grand total of three weeks to complete, the majority of which was just travel time. Since then she¡¯d decided to leave Agnibrand, and explore the continent once more. She¡¯d enjoyed the travelling, for Maia living off the land was as simple as breathing so travel through the forests and mountains was comfortable for her, even if there was a constant nagging in the back of her head whenever she thought of leaving the continent. It had been long enough that the message from Daman had faded from her memory and yet her subconscious self-denial to let her break her promise to him by leaving the continent. She had enjoyed her time immensely, after all her true home was all the roads of the world, both those paved and unpaved, and yet now she frowned. Only one thing could have brought about this reaction. She received another message, unlike the carefully and skillfully penned parchment which had found its way to her previously, this message was dreadfully short, to the point where Maia nearly had a mind to write back requesting more content even knowing it would do no more than inconvenience herself. This new message had contained only four words and a short signature. ¡°Please Help my Son.¡± -Umi After reading this letter she could not be said to be annoyed, she recognized Umi, and knew that even writing this letter must have been enormously difficult for her to the point where it may have even aggravated her curse. The most Maia could do was frown in displeasure, after all, she was not a cruel person, if someone she knew truly needed her help then she felt that she had no choice but to lend a hand. There was one problem though, she was far away from the sacred mountain where Daman and Umi were located. If she moved at the speed of a normal human it would take her another five years to get to the Gekkou mountain range which could only be considered as the halfway point. For any human it would take at least a decade to get the sacred mountain. Yet Maia was different, she was unique. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Distance in regards to people is a matter of perception, what is a short distance or a long distance is molded by a person¡¯s experiences. If one were to travel a mile every day to a stream to get water eventually the idea of that distance becomes nothing, as the trip is mandatory. Yet for a person such as a town¡¯s scribe, the prospect of travelling a mile away would far supersede their idea of a short distance. Maia scanned her surrounding for a moment, taking note that no one was near her she gathered Prana in a ring around her body. That zone became her Astral Haven, the home of her soul¡¯s most intimate creation. It was the chest in which she sealed her tails. The ring of prana shone with a multicolored light enveloping her entire body then suddenly dimming into nothingness. All that was left was a complete Maia, atop her head were two fennec-like ears behind her was a glamorous black tail. Maia¡¯s strength did not lie in her talent for arcane arts, but from her profound mastery of the movement skill ¡°Shundo.¡± The technique created by her predecessor, the Teumessian Fox, a legendary nine-tailed fox. When used by an ordinary practitioner ¡°Shundo¡± is a technique that can instantly move the user several meters forward in any direction whilst on a stable surface, yet when used by Maia not only can it be used in freefall, but ¡°shundo¡± can be used to move hundreds of Kilometers in the blink of an eye. The distance only increases whilst in her true form, becoming tens of thousands of kilometers in the blink of an eye. Maia thought for a moment. Under normal circumstances she would give up on the idea of going back, especially considering her history with that place, yet now she couldn¡¯t abandon that place, there was someone who needed her. She shook her head to dispel any thoughts of quitting. After having revealed her spirit beast traits her connection to the world¡¯s prana became exponentially more powerful. Thrusting as much prana as she could handle into her legs, Maia looked forward. A simple action, she simply stepped forward, yet the space that surrounding her ruptured, tearing and trembling before stitching itself back together, and yet she was gone. The beautiful fox was now fifteen thousand kilometers forward, in the cusp of the Gekkou Mountain range. Within the span of time it takes for a fly to flap its wings she had reached a location that would have taken any human at least half a decade to travel to. She loved to travel, to take in the unique sights and sounds of the world, marking every step into her memory and reveling in the pure bliss of exploration. As such she hated using shundo, it robbed her of one of life¡¯s simple pleasures. Yet at this moment she had no time to complain, she¡¯d already made her decision, excluding that sly fox she at least had to give face to Umi. Once again she gathered the prana around her body, unlike before however the concentration of prana on the mountain range was so pure that when collected by Maia, it condensed into a thick mist that radiated an oppressive golden light. Around her was a world of frost and snow, a familiar mountain, and a feeling of nostalgia that her circumstances allowed her to ignore. With her true form revealed many of her senses were sharpened, including her sense of hearing which was picking up the sounds of conflict a small ways away. As she rushed over she noticed that a short distance from the ruckus six fox clansmen stood observing. ¡°Should I even ask what that is?¡± Maia flicked her eyes toward the youth who couldn¡¯t possibly be older than ten years old. Obviously displeased with the sight of these particular foxes. ¡°It¡¯s our first examination, if a certain somebody hadn¡¯t delayed her return we could have given the boy more time, but that is neither here nor there.¡± One of the men responded, on his face a polite expression that couldn¡¯t mask the callousness of his words. His silver hair covered his eyes, but Maia knew what expression they were hiding, and even if she hadn¡¯t she didn¡¯t plan to spend any time trying to pry their meaning from him. ¡°You can¡¯t honestly have been so remiss of time that you would force a child who has yet to even reach maturity fight a demon beast.¡± It was apparent to anyone that she was agitated, she had been pestered by this man to return, and while it could be said to be her own fault for waiting so long it would be a fool¡¯s game to attempt to make her admit that wrongdoing. To her, the fault lies more with the fact that once she finally chose to return the boy who was under her charge was undergoing a life or death conflict with a beast that he was in no shape to defeat. Any attack he threw its way was repelled by the bear¡¯s tough hide, and while his agility was admittedly well honed for someone his age, a single mistake on his part would leave him vulnerable to the demon bear¡¯s tyrannical strength. ¡°The child is admirable no?¡± Another white-haired fox spoke, and despite her youthful appearance a hint of arrogance stemming from several millennia of experience was apparent. Maia frowned, as it seemed every single person the she wasn¡¯t in the mood to see all appeared in her presence at once. It was an absolutely abysmal situation. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call a child fighting a demon beast admirable, I suppose you¡¯re too senile to even understand that much.¡± Maia¡¯s tail ruffled angrily. ¡°In every generation there are those regaled as heroes, but to those whose vision extends beyond what can directly be seen, it becomes apparent that heroes are fools. It is not that they would smirk upon adversity but rather that adversity had long since become their comrade. It is not due to their talent that they are powerful but because they have chosen to exercise that talent by putting themselves into taxing situations, but I would not expect a kit such as thyself to understand.¡± The old fox Shiki expressed almost smugly, it would be hard to tell if she enjoyed the chance to speak with someone so freely or just entertained with the fact someone from the younger generation has the gall to lecture her. ¡°Dear sister, there is no need to dismay. If the child dies here then that is simply all he was worth, regardless we still have a replacement, and in your case that girl may be more compatible with you.¡± If Rune had seen the man speaking he¡¯d have recognized him to be the elder who had originally proposed training him after he had been born into this world. ¡°Don¡¯t you ¡®dear sister¡¯ me,¡± Maia nearly raged at the sly fox, ¡°How would Umi feel knowing that her only child died because of your recklessness. Daman, you can¡¯t truly believe that I would let my own brother kill a child for the sake of a shitty village like this.¡± Maia stepped forward intending to intervene in Rune¡¯s ordeal but was cut off by the five elders. It was at that moment that a golden radiance erupted on the battleground. All seven foxes looked over, an astounding portrait of shocked expressions was painted at that moment. Chapter 6 - The Wind of Change is a Fickle Mistress Part 2 The boy¡¯s entire body was covered in a golden light, his eyes had shifted from their original regal purple color to a primal crimson. The moon bestowed its celestial powers on his condition, caressing him with its cool light, slowly healing his wounds. The moon¡¯s silver tears did not fight and contrast with the golden energy and instead they equally nurtured his presence. He was not the weak child from moments ago, his entire body was going through a qualitative change. The demonic bear understood this, it had no choice but to kill the youth before he completely transformed. With unprecedented speed, it raked at his body. It would not, or rather could not allow this change to happen. Its instincts told it that failing to stop him here would cost it its life. Its swings were so powerful that they ignited the air, causing an explosion upon contact. The boy didn¡¯t move. It was simply impossible for him to deny the shower of natural energy, he knew that doing so would do more damage to him than anything that the demonic bear could possibly inflict. Even as the creature¡¯s claws threatened to rend away his life, he simply stood there, allowing the baptism of natural energy to reinforce his body. Contact was made, the boy hadn¡¯t moved as the demon ignited its claws. His body was stone stiff. Though he hadn¡¯t been able to completely repel the assault, he was alive. The only wound left on his body was a long jagged scar running across his chest, the pyre had forced this newly formed injury to be cauterized. It should have hurt, so much that a child such as his enemy would surely be paralyzed in agony. Yet there he stood, solemnly laying his hand over the burnt flesh with that same damn emotionless face. For a moment it flashed with the colors of reminiscence, and a great sadness welled up beneath the mask of dull stoicness, but that didn¡¯t last long. The onlookers wondered what that expression that briefly existed on his face meant, for someone such as Tera who had basically raised Rune it was an unfamiliar expression. It should be impossible for someone so young to have an expression that contained such profound sadness, as if reminiscing the death of one¡¯s past life. He seemed as if not to even recognize what should have been a near fatal wound, and instead it seemed as if the pain was a jolt that woke him up from a dream. What could the boy do but stand there? His body was washed over by the eternal energies of the moon and the strange pulse of golden power from his connection to the world. The demonic bear knew this was its chance, if a single attack wasn¡¯t enough it¡¯d use two, if two wasn¡¯t enough then ten would do, and if ten weren¡¯t enough then it would attack ten thousand times. The boy moved, even as the two grand streams of energy brazenly covered his body in their radiance he still managed to make a slow movement of his arm. Anyone who saw this movement would be hard pressed to think of it as an attack, it was far too slow, like the elegant stretch of a willow tree¡¯s branch bending under the pressure of the wind. In response to the beast who relied on powerful attacks with frightening speed, Rune countered with casual stretches of his arms. The calculative skill of which was supreme, knocking away each and every one of the successive assaults from the creature. This was a surreal sight even to the foxes who all had centuries of experience under their belts, not because of the fact that Rune was able to defend against the War Fire Grizzly. In fact, fighting a creature of that level should have been a simple matter for any Moonlight God Chaser, even one as young and inexperienced as Rune. What surprised them was the descent of the ¡°light of evolution.¡± This was a phenomenon exclusive to divyne beasts and their ilk, unlike spirit beasts whose bodies are modified, or rather, mutated versions of animals which originally existed in areas with high concentrations of Prana. Divyne beasts are born as the embodiment of a specific deity¡¯s power. Due to this, there are several species of foxes living in the village including the Brown Treadless foxes who are innately born with an affinity towards fire and strong control of their bodies¡¯ limited reserves of senki, Star Eater foxes who specialize in crafting illusions, or even Fleeting Comet foxes who are born with a deficiency in the area of senki control but are naturally gifted in the measure of Arcane skills. As a species of Divyne Beasts, Moonlight God Chasers are inherently different, even so far as to the methods where the two races go about creating tails in the pursuit of nine tails. Whereas a spirit beast species needs to gather large amounts of Prana into their bodies to the point of bursting, at which point the fox compresses the rampaging energy into a tail. Each time they do so the amount of Prana they need to absorb and the purity of which it must be rises up to the point where for some foxes even several centuries would not be enough time to form their last tail. However, the method for creating tails is different for Moonlight God Chasers. As a species created by the god of hunting and natural opulence, these foxes are born with what could be considered a special karma. For a child born as a divyne beast in a fox clan, the only way for them to gain a tail is to ascertain the very highest of their personal potential in one of the world¡¯s nine natural elements. Umi, for example, was born over three centuries ago with five tails. From the very moment of her birth she was destined to have no further accomplishments in the elements of fire, earth, metal, light, and darkness; this means that at birth she was able to control these elements with the exact same level of power and precision that she has currently. This wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing for a Divyne beast born as a fox. She was naturally talented in the arts of light and darkness and considering that both of her parents were pure blooded God Chasers. She was able to inherit part of their legacies, effectively filling in all of the knowledge of their specialties in the aspects of life, destruction, and fire which she had low talent for regardless. What was so shocking about this descent of the ¡°light of evolution¡± was the fact that Rune was effectively a failure as a God Chaser, this stemming from the fact that he was firstly not a pure-blooded God Chaser and secondly a Variant-subspecies. As a subspecies Rune was not granted one of the most basic blessings of a Divyne beast, a tyrannically powerful body. This moment of pure light reconstructing his form could truly be considered a second birth. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The onlooking foxes had no doubt in their minds that it must have been this battle on the precipice of life and death that led Rune to going through this astounding breakthrough. The duel between the boy and the beast continued, all the while the lights concentrated on the youth¡¯s body were quickly beginning to dim, the restrictions on him loosening and his movements becoming more swift and fluid. From the start the Grizzly had chosen to go all out in assaulting the youth, its claws madly shredding any bit of flesh they happen to make contact with. The youth didn¡¯t block, he paid no heed to simple injuries, following only his impulse to eviscerate the petty creature that dared to attack him. At first with the restrictions granted by the ¡°light of evolution¡± the boy¡¯s strength was restricted so much that with the greatest of his efforts he hardly had the strength to move his arms in an attempt to counter. His previous show of skill was only possible because of two things, one being his enhanced senses which warned the youth whenever the grizzly began to move, and the powerful restrictions forced on him by the light, which restrained his body in such a way that he couldn¡¯t draw out all of his herculean strength. Since the light had descended, something in Rune seemed to change. He no longer acted with caution, just aggression, casually tearing the bear limb from limb with such an overwhelming ferocity that the scarlet gore became a thick mist of destruction. The blood mist wrapped itself around the young fox¡¯s body as if to dress him before taking the form of four phantom-like tails. Out of all of the onlooking foxes only one wasn¡¯t surprised, Daman seemed to have guessed the origin of the ghost-like tails, and further watching them he confirmed his suspicions. These tails were the answer. It wasn¡¯t that Rune was born without tails, thereby making him a failure in the eyes of the fox-clan, but rather that his body was naturally rejecting them for some reason. It explained why after the ¡°light of evolution¡± touched the young fox that the apparitions were given hazy form. The fox elder thought for a moment, a dark glimmer shone in his eye, one that no one caught sight of due to the events unfolding before them. Rune didn¡¯t stop, shredding off every last morsel of muscle and fatty tissue left on the beast, his body was thoroughly soaked in the Grizzly¡¯s lifeblood. The creature itself had little time left and in a final act of desperation revealed the reasoning for its namesake as hot tendrils of fire erupted from its maw. Yet what was this to Rune, a Divyne beast who had just been purified by the ¡°light of evolution?¡± To him, this assault was just the last ditch effort of a frightened beast. Rune refused to stop assailing the creature even as each and every ligament in its body had been minced by his hands. All that was left of the creature was a ruined carcass He further bombarded the corpse with even more deft attacks till before long Rune¡¯s carnage led him to devour the creature¡¯s remains. Moments later all that was left of the Two star demon beast were its bones and its core, a red gem about the size of a fingernail. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a sign that I won¡¯t be looking for another apprentice,¡± Maia scoffed coldly towards her brother as she began walking towards the boy in question. ¡°That you won¡¯t,¡± he admitted begrudgingly, his fox-like smile seeming to dim with displeasure. To Daman this entire situation was a large exercise in futility. He had known from the start that Rune would survive the battle, though his prediction included loss of a few limbs, in the long run the child would have become far stronger. Now, however, an even more spectacular result had been achieved. The child was full-bodied and had even received his birthright as a Moonlight God Chaser. Just knowing these made Daman endlessly happy, especially now that his sister had basically just admitted that she planned to take the boy in as her disciple. An ominous roar shook the world, the child darted towards the fox clansmen at breakneck speed, the murderous gleam in his eyes growing ever stronger. Now that Rune possessed the body of a true Divyne beast, his travelling speed was monumentally faster, coupled with the fact that the foxes were only a few dozen meters away. It hardly took a minute for Rune to come in contact with the closest fox, Maia. If only confirming visually, Maia would definitely be the weakest among the group of Foxkin. Considering she was only displaying one of her six tails and that unlike everyone else in the group, aside from Tera who sported a scarlet mane of locks. Her hair was as black as a starless night, indicating that she was not a divyne beast of the fox clan but rather a common spirit beast. It is actually rather reasonable for someone with only a shallow understanding of the foxes to perceive Maia as the weakest amongst the group. This mistake is one that most would only have the misfortune to make once. Throughout the world there are countless tribes of spirit foxes born from the convergence of natural energies and normal animals yet this particular clan is special. The spirit foxes within this clan are all born as descendants of Divyne Beasts making them qualitatively different from your average Spirit Beast. Maia in particular is a notable irregularity as she is not only a Spirit Beast born from the matrimony of a Divyne Fox and a Spirit Fox, but she is also the inheritor of one of the clan¡¯s few legacies, the successor to the Teumessian Fox. Quantifying her in the same way one would any average Spirit Beast is akin to seeking death. As the boy in his frenzied state rushed closer to her, Maia revealed an exhausted expression. Even as the youth¡¯s presence was atop her she didn¡¯t waste the energy to match his vigorous punches, instead she avoided the blows, then grabbed onto his wrist and threw him towards Daman. The clever fox reacted immediately, molding Prana into six strips of light and capturing the lad mid-flight. Chapter 7 - Phantom of the Battlefield part 1 There was a concrete difference between the two of them, and yet as far as Rune could think, this was the first time he and Vera had ever truly been on the same level. ¡°Art thee ready Rune? We shant hold back, try thy best not to perish.¡± The fox princess spoke with her usual arrogance, and yet something was different. It was a subtle change, definitely not one that someone like Rune would ever catch notice of, but Vera had referred to him by name. The two wordlessly took their places on both sides of the arena. The ring was a floating plate of earth that was around twenty meters across by any side. The two youths locked gazes. Neither one wanted to make the first move, caution was ingrained into their nerves, but this standoff couldn¡¯t continue. Rune was the first to attack, true to his training he dashed forward towards Vera landing squarely behind the young fox girl and poised his arm to attack before suddenly noticing a flash of iridescent blue light starting to surround his body. Pale bolts of electricity flickered around him, immediately followed by a loud crack of pure thunderous energy. His reaction was quick ducking beneath the flashing bolt of power and kicking out a leg to trip Vera. The princess having anticipated this stepped back just out of his kick¡¯s range. This short exchange displayed the rudimentary differences between the fighting style or rather the Ideologies of the two youths. Rune fights in a simple, almost beastly, manner as taught to him by Tera, the idea that a single instantaneous strike that is as powerful as it is unpredictable has imprinted itself onto Rune, explaining why the boy prefers physical attacks over more arcane methods. Vera, on the other hand was raised with a certain sophistication. Her every action carries with it the grace of nobility and the decisive ferocity of a predator. To her it was necessary for each individual movement to be made as concise and effective as possible. If Rune¡¯s attacks could be equated to fire, always venturing forward without fear growing in both power and speed over time, then Vera¡¯s style would be water, simple, natural, never expending more effort than necessary. For a moment the two stopped, their previous exchange lasted for about as long as a snowflakes descent from the ground, and while neither of the two were injured it was also true that neither of them managed to land a satisfying blow on their opponent. Both competitors adjusted their posture before returning once more to their starting positions. There was no actual need to do so, yet both children followed their instincts. ¡°Thou art better than this one had expected, one supposes that even a filthy mutt like thee canst learn new tricks.¡± The fox princess chuckled lightly. ¡°Thank you, Mistress Vera. I¡¯ll try not to disappoint you,¡± Rune responded, not even bothering to hide his sarcasm. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The young lady dropped one of her arms to her side, gathering up Prana from her Astral haven. Strands of multi-colored light poured into her tiny hand. The lights converged in her palm accompanied by a flash of radiant brilliance. After a moment the light subsided leaving only a single decorative fan in the clutches of the beautiful lass. ¡°This is a technique of our Fox-clan, it converges the power stored within one¡¯s tails and creates a weapon out of that energy.¡± The little mistress informed Rune, naturally unconcerned that he would be able to follow suit. ¡°I don¡¯t think that fan is much of a weapon,¡± Rune blurted awkwardly, in his previous life he had heard of ancient martial artists using fans as weapons but those were iron bladed fans made for war as opposed to the thin ornamental tool the heiress clutched. Vera ignored him, raising the fan up above her head behind opening it in a single fluid motion. Within the fan was an illustration of a glamourous silver moon, the beauty of the portrait was enough to steal souls. Instantly a several legions of fiery spears materialized behind Vera, they were created in the blink of the eye. Appearing in the brief lapse of thought between when the princess had opened her fan captivating Rune¡¯s sight and the next instant when he regained his senses. *CLAP* The silver haired princess elegantly shuts her fan while bringing down her arm to signal the spears descent. Dozens of lights flashed in the sky as the spears rained down in mighty conflagrations of power. If nothing else Rune proved himself to be a master of evasion, ducking past numerous bolts of fire in rapid succession, this could however have been due to the fact that the spears themselves weren¡¯t aimed at Rune specifically they were simply aimed downwards. Seeing as the crisis was evaded Rune naturally decided to concentrate on Vera again, but not a sight of the princess remained. This wasn¡¯t a good sign for Rune, when it came to close combat he could barely be considered her equal yet as far as long-distance battles were concerned he wasn¡¯t even worthy of being called her opponent. It was simply impossible for Rune to win a fight where he couldn¡¯t see the enemy, making matters worse was the fact that Vera¡¯s legion of blazing spears hadn¡¯t disappeared, and persistently blazed orange radiance. The heat generated by the several dozen lances wasn¡¯t enough to cause a Divyne Beast like Rune to feel light headed but it was more than enough to distort his vision trapping him within a heat haze. Chapter 7 - Phantom of the Battlefield Part 2 *Ttring* The pure and clear bell chime resonated softly in Rune¡¯s ears. It wasn¡¯t an incredibly distracting sound, just seemingly ever present. What could Rune do, the heat distorted his vision making his eyes unreliable. At this point Vera had naturally used her power to bend light and hide her body making it impossible for Rune to catch sight of her regardless of the heat. Vera smirked mischievously as she directed her powers to increasing the sound of the bell¡¯s ring, her plan was simple, she would overpower each of Rune¡¯s senses before finishing him off in a single quick action. This is the way that a true fox-kin fights. Deception and treachery are natural, after all foxes are not the same as wolves who attack their enemy in groups. A fox-kin¡¯s battle is one with style, a scene with a certain mystifying substance. Not only does a fox rob one of their senses and alter their perceptions a fox also terrifies with their presence. They inspire fear. This was the first time Rune had truly fought a member of the fox tribe, and naturally he was unprepared for it. While Tera¡¯s lessons on survival were useful they hadn¡¯t included many methods of how to break apart illusions. That of course is something to be expected considering the harshness of Rune¡¯s upbringing, it was no stretch of the mind to assume if taught how to break out of illusions, the specialty of Fox-kin, that Rune may have attempted to run away. *Ttring* The gentle chime carried a hint of malevolence as its pitch ceaselessly increased. It was time for the next stage in Vera¡¯s plan. The young miss effortlessly opened her fan once again displaying the illustrious moon illustration, however now the image seemed to have changed, instead of an all encompassing silvery figure a thread of darkness began to encroach upon the image¡¯s innate perfection. Like tiny threads of spider silk the darkness congealed in the moon¡¯s center in a shape that Vera herself couldn¡¯t read, yet if Rune could see it he¡¯d have recognized it to be the symbol for water in a certain eastern dialect (Ë®). Rain began to fall, quelling the wrath of the spears. Thick layers of mist flooded the arena. From the time he avoided the blazing spears till now Rune had not taken a single step from where he stood. There wasn¡¯t much that he could do within the heat haze but mist was different. While stuck in the heat haze Rune was forced to suffer through distortions of his perception of vision, he couldn¡¯t trust himself to identify anything correctly but now with the mist existing instead of the heat waves Rune found that his vision was completely unhindered. Now that his vision was secured it was time for Rune to take action. In an instant Rune gathered senki into his legs and made an enormous leap into the air far higher than the mist could cover. He had gotten away from the mist but was now confronted with the fact that he was still unable to locate Vera. He knew instinctively that if he were to be trapped within the mist again that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get out again. What could he do then? There was only one option left to him, to disperse the mist somehow. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. For someone like Rune whose training was mostly centered around physical strength there weren¡¯t very many options available for him to exploit. The young man knew that the only way to clear out the mist would be to use an attack with a large area of effect. Seeing her prey escape her trap, even if only momentarily, only served to annoy the young fox princess. Without a moment¡¯s delay Vera once again called up prana from her Astral haven, this time channeling it to her free hand to create a second fan. Vera hastily opened the two fans, the fan in her dominant hand displayed the symbol for water (Ë®) and the non-dominant the symbol for light (¹â). Using the two fans as a medium Vera began bending the elements, in less than a second she had created two clones of herself by manipulating the mist to create a basic body and the bending the light around them in order to mimic her form. The young girl flicked her wrist, closing the fan in her dominant hand. The two clones jumped high in pursuit of Rune Rune tensed as he saw what appeared to be two Veras flying out from within the mist. Immediately he firmed his resolve and decided to try out an ability that he had recently acquired. With a mighty huff the young man breathed a large gulp of air into his lungs before processing it using his senki and releasing it as waves of billowing fire in a manner reminiscent of the final attack of the final desperate attack of the Hellfire Grizzly, dispersing the now apparent clones. This however had no effect on the mist. He tries again this time with the intention to condense the waves of combustion into a singular blast to make a fireball, even with his clumsy control of senki and last minute adjustments he somehow manages to create the correct effect and the explosion caused by the fireball was enough to disperse the rolling mist. Vera, was inwardly shocked to see that Rune could breathe fire, an ability which by all rights shouldn¡¯t have been possible for him considering the fact that he still had no tails and simply shouldn¡¯t have been possible for him otherwise. This astonishment however was short lived as she simply did not have the time to worry about something that she wouldn¡¯t be able to make sense of. Rune, seeing his fireball disperse the mist lands, and begins to scan the scene for traces of Vera. In his ears the familiar sound of a bell chimes. *Ttring* It was a clear sound, with no obstructions and under normal circumstances may even have been considered calming like the lull of a snowflake¡¯s descent, but to Rune the sound was a warning of an unavoidable doom. *Ttring* The bell sounded once more, but this time Rune was not conscious to hear it. Chapter 7 - Phantom of the Battlefield Part 3 This took a lot longer than expected so sorry for that, I promise the next chapter shall be released soon as it''s mostly finished now. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°Rise and shine sleeping beauty,¡± an unfamiliar voice roused me from my slumber. ¡°Are you up?¡± She called again, naturally aware of the answer before hand but still choosing to probe. ¡°Yes,¡± I affirmed blandly causing her to huff in displeasure. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Are you in pain?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°You alread-¡± ¡°I know that I¡¯ve asked you this question before and I¡¯m sure you know why I¡¯m asking you again.¡± She prompted, a speck of amusement audible in her voice. I didn¡¯t respond. I had nothing to say to her, I was already sick of going through the motions of meeting someone only for them to hate me later. In a moment of weakness I let out a sigh. ¡°You know, you¡¯re a surprisingly bad liar,¡± she chuckled matter of factly, in any other circumstance I may have become upset by someone intentionally prodding me like this, yet when this unknown woman was the culprit I could hardly muster the effort to be annoyed. ¡°Are you scared of opening up to me?¡± She cooed softly, unbeknownst to me at the time a devilish smile adorned her lips thoroughly contrasting the somberness of her voice. Since I had yet to even look at her there was no harm in cracking a smile,though thinking back to it even if I were looking it''s unlikely that would have been a deterrent to her. ¡°Scared?¡± The question hung in my mind for a time as I contemplated the thought, rolling the notion around the same way a wine connoisseur would appreciate the flavor of a product. Was I scared? Not that I could tell, but that could be my pride talking, it could be that some instinct inside of me is telling me not to trust another one of these foxes especially seeing how trusting one of them has never gotten me anything remotely better than nearly mauled to death via bear. ¡°Well don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she giggled casually completely breaking off the tension that had begun to skulk its way into my thoughts. ¡°What do you want,¡± I sighed in defeat. ¡°When I was younger I wanted to travel, to go any and everywhere I please.¡± She answered glibly. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°That...nevermind¡­ What do you want with me, are you my next teacher here to tell me it''s time for my training immediately after I wake up?¡± I stressed this time letting out far more exasperation than I would have preferred. ¡°You think what that pup Tera and that senile loli have been putting you through is training?¡± Hearing my question the mysterious woman began to roar with laughter. I shot a glare at her. ¡°What!¡± Her eyes rebuked me, ¡°you can¡¯t seriously believe that you¡¯ll get any serious training done when the people doing the so-called ¡®training¡¯ aren¡¯t even sure if they¡¯re going to kill you yet. You¡¯re lucky that you¡¯re Umi¡¯s son, the child of the village¡¯s own saintess is an impossibly hard to shake position.¡± ¡°Saintess?¡± I questioned immediately, ¡°What is a saintess?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, just how little do you know?¡± She started, her eyes glowing with white hot traces of righteous indignation. With a leap she rose up seemingly intent on bringing justice to my ¡°teachers.¡± ¡°It''s okay miss. If I just keep listening to what they say I¡¯ll become powerful enough to live on my own accord.¡± The words were spoken flatly, as if even I didn¡¯t believe in their validity. Her eyes once more smoldered with rage, blazing incomparably brighter than before, her entire countenance swiftly turning a madder red. ¡°I refuse to let you stay with them any longer, a kid like you should be dreaming of the world, not cooped up in a smarmy village like this chained down by more invisible chains than he can likely count.¡± Her fingers were claws on my shoulders, even though she had hooked onto me it didn¡¯t hurt, what did hurt however was her gaze. She looked at me as if I were a bird locked in a cage, or a starved animal at a zoo, nothing but endless pity. If my previous life prepared me for anything then it was without a doubt, knowing how to deal with negativity. Be it self-abdication, the collapsing moral integrity of one¡¯s peers, or the gazes of contempt from people based purely on one¡¯s physical ability, or rather in my case it has always been my body''s inability. I may be crippled, both now and in the past, but I have my pride. ¡°I¡¯ll be your teacher, that¡¯s how it was supposed to be.¡± A hazy pink aura flushes out from the mysterious woman¡¯s body. ¡°No.¡± Side Story 1 - Genesis (Volume 1 End) Its been a long time coming but Volume 1 is finally complete, or rather the first draft of volume 1 is done. THere are plenty of errors and probably a ew logical falacies, but I have faith that any RoyalRoad reader who pics up on one of these issues will be quick to throw it back into my face with a sneer and a laugh. __ Long ago, in a time before people, planets, and even gods there was a single unending chaos whose existence inadvertently maintained the stability of the dimension¡¯s space and for hundreds of trillions of years, it did just that. Within the confines of the primordial chaos, there was no sound or light, no air, and certainly no living creatures. The only thing present in this void was an energy known as ¡°The Will¡± and later redubbed ¡°The Way¡± or ¡°The Dao.¡± This chaos has existed longer than any records, be they of man or god, could describe. From its genesis it had always remained in the same state, tranquil and undisturbed. Yet one day the chaos began to stir, rotating and rotating in an endless vortex. For an unimaginable amount of time, the stirring continued unceasingly before slowly ceasing. Once all things became still, as they had been in the beginning, a cataclysm occurred. The vortex that once infinitely circulated "The Will" within it now gave birth to a consciousness. It was an existence without a body, yet it contained a will. It was a being that existence became the catalyst for the Age of Gods. The consciousness recognized its power to be limitless, both in vastness and potential. Yet due to the strangeness of its creation, it would be impossible for it to fulfill the one desire that blossomed forth after its birth. It was impossible for it to take any large actions. Continuing on with its duty to maintain stability expended much of its attention. So it devised a plan; If the being could not, of its own ability, fulfill its desire then, it would create beings born purely with the purpose to do so. The being named itself ¡°Primal God¡± in reference to the primal chaos from which it gained its initial awareness. Though the Primal God was without a body, and thus lacked a proper conduit by which to master channeling its power through, its boundless energy allowed it to create lesser beings with a similar consciousness to it. The Primal God stressed its control over the vast space and created nine bodies for these consciousness¡¯ to live with each vessel bearing a distinct color. The Primal God gave its children one command, to fill the void from which it was first created. It conferred upon its children the title of ¡°Second Generation Deities.¡± These children of the second generation were all different from the Primal God, even though they were created in its likeness they managed to swiftly develop personalities and goals separate from their original purpose. The Primal God who had disbursed all its accumulated energy to create the Second Generation Deities had given them only one directive before falling into an eternity long slumber, ¡°Create a beautiful world.¡± This was the Primal God¡¯s desire, to see the cold and desolate space be transformed into a place that housed life. It was a wish or rather a yearning that blossomed from the core of its existence. A strange idea coming from a being that simply ¡°appeared¡± within the confines of the primordial chaos, how could it possibly have a concept of beauty, nonetheless its final wish was delivered to its children. The nine-second generation deities were left with a choice: they could choose to work together and create a single large world, using each of their individual talents and skills, or they could each individually work to create smaller worlds in an attempt to fill more of the void. Naturally the first instinct of these deities was to work together, between the nine-second generation deities there existed no ill will. These beings were naturally unaware of what steps were required to build a ¡°world,¡± in fact each of them hardly knew how to do more than operate their own powers. Since all of them were created at the same time there could be no hierarchy based on ¡°age¡± and yet someone had to take control. The 9 Deities: Grey, Brown, Purple, Black, White, Red, Green, Yellow, and Blue stood together in confusion. Naturally these colors were not the names of the deities, or rather it would be more accurate to say that they simply didn¡¯t have names. It had never been necessary for them to have names, ever since the first instant of their creation they had been able to communicate telepathically with one another. While they did not possess a hive mind, it was still remarkably simple for them to share experiences and thoughts. Unfortunately, even though the ability to communicate via telepathy was available to the deities that did not mean that there would be no differences in perception and perspective. Each deity was unique; having been constructed in such a way that their combined abilities could rival the Primal God, they were naturally shackled by the same kind of regulatory force that their progenitor had been. The Grey Deity was given the ability control gravitational motion and weight. The Brown Deity was able to create many forms of earth seemingly from nothing. The Purple Deity could do something with primal energy. The Red Deity had absolute control of temperature. The Blue Deity was made to be able to control water and its nurture of life. The Green Deity created the seeds for thousands of flora and could accelerate the speed at which they grow. The Yellow Deity could control electricity and magnetism. The White Deity was granted the ability to set foundational rules within a defined area. Finally, the Black Deity was given the most restricted ability, the condensing and combining of the abilities of their fellow second-generation deities. The Black Deity was the only one of its contemporaries whose ability was limited by the need to have the permission of all of their ¡°siblings¡± at any given time to use its ability, meaning that a lack of approval from any of the other deities would completely cripple its capability to use any of their powers. There was an extremely loose balance of power between these deities, not only were all nine of them extremely inexperienced with their powers, but they were also unaware of the abilities of their ¡°siblings¡±. The deities spent millions of years getting a feel before testing the effects of their individual abilities and making conjectures on how they could serve to create a world. The deities spent millions of years learning, tirelessly exploring the limits of their powers and practical applications of them. The deities spent millions of years growing, both in skill and emotional strength. Back when the nine deities were first created, they were only able to manifest a basic recognition and understanding of ¡°self.¡± Their self-awareness could not even be compared to a human infant. When creating them, the Primal God decided to leave them with that ¡°flaw.¡± After all, in an endlessly vast and empty plane of existence, there would be nothing that could harm them anyway. What harm could possibly come from allowing them to develop their self-identities over time? In the end, to both the Primal God and the nine Second-Generation Deities, the concept of time flowed a manner that mortals could never comprehend. Eventually, enough time passed for several of the nine deities to have confidence in their own abilities and they gradually began to convene. First was the White Deity who after about fifty years was followed by the Blue Deity who came while dragging along the Red Deity who had planned to spend the next trillion or so years creating a ball of gaseous heat they would name ¡°Sol.¡± The Blue Deity decided to take it upon itself to bring the Red Deity along to meet their siblings first. Within the next few centuries the Purple, Green, and Yellow Deities joined the group in rapid succession. After waiting for around seven millennia with no sign of the Grey and Black Deities showing themselves; the seven, who had gathered together, decided to begin preparing for the imminent genesis. First, the assembled deities discussed just what kind of world model they would make. They began in the broadest sense, by discussing just what exactly their creator meant by ¡°world.¡± If what the Primal God wished to see was the space in which it originally awoke to find filled with many dazzling new sights and wonders, then it may actually benefit the deities more to work separately. In particular the Red Deity voiced out a plan where the deities would make universe centered around the ¡°Sol¡± that they were originally planning on creating. This idea was hastily shot down due to the fact that the use of this model would first and foremost drastically increase the value of the Red Deity over the others, they would be a near sure-win for a leader position if and when the next opportunity presented itself. The Deities were hardly shortsighted and knew that whatever decision was made by them would determine how well they would complete their purpose. The idea was raised for the gathered Deities to wait on the two remaining Deities to join their collective or even to actively seek out their ¡°siblings,¡± and while it was met with opposition at first from the White and Blue Deities, the other five agreed that it would be best to gather in full before any major decisions were made. As if beckoned by the decision the Grey and Black Deities appeared almost immediately after the agreement was finalized. Even though the two Deities appeared a full fifty million years after the other deities had already convened no one amongst them was interested in voicing a complaint.The conversation starts up again. The next ten thousand years were spent with no solution in sight. The Red Deity¡¯s patience had finally ran out leading them to leave prematurely . Brown followed soon after, unable to stand how the conversation was stagnating with no conclusion in sight. The next to leave were the Blue, Green, and Yellow Deities who were interested in working together with the Brown Deity who¡¯d left just before. Leaving only the Grey, Purple, White, and Black Deities together. The last four Deities chose to do something that no one from the previous group had felt comfortable doing, completely revealing the limits of their abilities. The powers of these beings were originally a secret, there was never really a reason for this, simply that the moment the Primal God imbued them with their abilities it had also given them the freedom of decision. They were able to communicate telepathically and so it would never be a problem to explain their unique gifts to one another, but looking at it another way, there had hardly ever been a need for any of the nine second generation deities to share the information on their own powers without compensation. When the three other Deities heard about the restrictions placed on the Black Deity¡¯s power they all instinctively frowned. The Black Deity expected such, they knew what kind of reactions their siblings would give them, and originally they felt that they were ready for the pitying looks. They were wrong. The Black Deity had an idea, but for it to work it would need to combine all of the different ideas given earlier, to satisfy this idea it would elect itself to be leader of the project to create a world, and would leverage the fact that if any of its siblings disliked the direction that all it would take to stop the plan in it¡¯s tracks would be for any one of them to stop giving the Black Deity permission to its power. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. With the Black Deity leading the helm the group of four went about contacting their siblings one by one via telepathy. Only one thing needed to be said to convince the others, ¡°there¡¯s a method to make all of our ideas come to fruition.¡± The possibility having their ideas come true was more than enough incentive to convince them to listen. With the allure of having all of their suggestions coming true hanging over their heads, the deities who previously abandoned the group of four returned within the time it would take to boil a kettle of tea. After taking up the mantle of leader the Black Deity immediately sat and listened to the ideas. Wild ideas were spat out by the other deities, everything from planets with a core that was both Molten and solid, planets with varying gravitational pulls, oceans of stars, and even an enormous sunflower rooted in a once empty plot of space whose center would be the very Sol devised by the Red Deity were stated and the Black Deity spent extra care to listen and find ways to implement them all. The next four hundred and ninety-six trillion years were spent by the nine in full-on creation mode. A plan that was drafted using the ideas gathered from the deities that was not deviated from by even the tiniest margin. First, they created the so-called ¡°Ocean of Stars¡± that was requested by the Blue Deity, next was the Red Deity¡¯s long awaited ¡°Sol¡± project, the original ¡°Sol¡± that they had imagined was created rather quickly with the help of the nine deities, unfortunately the gasses emitted from the big ball of heat were hazardous. Fortunately the Green Deity was very resourceful and suggested making a giant plant that would sprout from the ¡°Sol¡± and convert its fumes into something harmless. This resulted in a change in the name of the eventual product from ¡°Sol¡± to ¡°Sunflower.¡± Next, it was decided by the nine that at least for the moment there would only be one planet in the galaxy. The majority of the Four Hundred Quadrillion years were actually spent on the construction process of the planet. The Nine Deities had all of their initial ideas satisfied, but seeing the galaxy completed as they¡¯d hoped only served to add an even more fuel to their creative fires. Suddenly making just a planet wasn¡¯t enough. This entire galaxy was created by the joint effort of the nine-second generation deities, but now they wanted to work on their own again. On that planet created by the mutual effort of the nine deities, there were no living being save the vegetation requested by the Green Deity. Who among the nine wouldn¡¯t want to create the first creature to walk upon that soil? Aside from the Black Deity who was denied use of their power by one of their siblings, all of the deities began to create species of animals to represent them on the planet, the so-called Divyne Beasts. The Red Deity used a seed from the Sunflower to create a pair of Golden Crows. The Blue Deity used a liter of water from the planet¡¯s first freshwater spring in order to create a pair of azure and green Turtle-Snakes. Unlike the two previous deities, the Brown Deity didn¡¯t need a catalyst in order to create their Divyne Beast, a pair of mammoths. The Purple Deity created a Manticore The Grey Deity created a pair of Kirin. The Green Deity created a serpent of Ouroboros. The Yellow Deity created a pair of azure phoenixes The White Deity created a pair of white tigers. Each of these Divyne Beasts were innately gifted in controlling the laws regulated by their parent deity. Each Divyne beast species was placed on a continent which would become their home, it didn¡¯t take long for each of the species to create offspring. With each successive herd of offspring born to a Divyne Beast the more they began to idolize the deity that gave birth to them, this idolization lead to the consolidation of a new strain of energy which came to be known as ¡°Faith Energy.¡± In small doses Faith Energy had no noticeable effect on the deities, and indeed none of them had even realized when they first began to absorb this power. Over time, however the deities began to notice one by one that their original powers began to strengthen, even if only incrementally. Suddenly a silent competition to gather more faith energy was started amongst the eight participating deities. This competition lead to a certain problem facing the light, for species like the Turtle-Snake whose body color can be either Green or Blue had no idea which deity that they should focus their idolization on. This resulted in a feud between the Green and Blue Deities, it was by no means the only one of such feuds. The Black Deity was naturally the last to know of the situation, since they were incapable of creating a Divyne Beast they were naturally also unable to absorb Faith Energy. It had taken them more than two hundred thousand years to notice the subtle tensions between its siblings, and even then they hadn¡¯t learned the full situation until the White Deity figured the time had come for their ¡°leader¡± to step up and find a way to curb the bad blood between the siblings. The Black Deity¡¯s solution was simple if the root of the problem was that the Divyne Beast¡¯s didn¡¯t know who specifically to pledge their faith towards, then giving its eight siblings names would solve the issue. The Red Deity was given the name Conrad. The Blue Deity was given the name Inna. The Green Deity was given the name Aethir. The Purple Deity was given the name Uriel. The Brown Deity was given the name Ila. The Yellow Deity was named Era. The Grey Deity was named Xipil. The White Deity was given the name Shiro. The Black Deity never considered a name for itself. Somehow this system works to remedy the different deities. Inadvertently though it lead to the Black Deity¡¯s siblings to once again feel pity for it. What had the Black Deity given all of them? The chance to make their wildest imaginations roam free, the ability to create a lasting life on their planet, and even a name. Any one of these things would garner never ending praise not just from the nine second generation deities, even the Primal God would be impressed if it were awake to see just how little time it took for them to create such a massive world. The eight deities made a decision, not only would they all give the black deity permission to use its power, they would also willing offer up a small portion of their own individual strengths to be used in the process of creating the Divyne Beast. Having received not only the boundless affection of its siblings and the permission to use its abilities, the Black Deity wastes no time and immediately begins to create a being who¡¯s body is compatible with the aspects of all nine second generation deities. With the birth of a new Divyne Beast soon to come, the remaining eight gods formed together in order to make a new continent for this Divyne Beast to live on. Out of nowhere an impossibly dense swarm of ¡°Dao Energy¡± began to ripple out from the direction of the Black Deity. The other Deities didn¡¯t even bother to guess what could have caused this strange predicament, but when they arrived they immediately learned what transpired. The birth of a new Divyne Beast had been completed, the species created by the Black Deity was a single silver furred fox with a thousand tails. The Black Deity named her Yuzuriha. Simply looking at Yuzuriha left all nine of the Deities stunned, they¡¯d never imagined they that would find a being with more potential to create a universe themselves, they believed even less so that the creature that so defeated them would be the baby Divyne Beast that they just gave permission to be created. Yet, it was impossible for Yuzuriha not to shake the confidence of the other deities, she was after all the only being ever created in this world that so vastly outstripped her create her. This was to be expected though, in history there have only been two being that have grasped the abilities of all of the nine second generation deities without limits, the Primal God and Yuzuriha. She was not someone the Deities could allow to live. ¡­. ¡°Is that enough yet?¡± the hazy spectral outline of an immortal being lazily ventured the question. There wasn¡¯t much of a response, only sound of a blade whistling through the air and the scent of burning hair. ¡°You¡¯ve already gotten paid for the last three jobs why can¡¯t you trust me a little,¡± a coquettish voice responds lightheartedly. ¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse me about not finding the creation of the universe a very interesting conversation piece. Not to mention that child¡¯s history shouldn¡¯t even be given at this low a price.¡± ¡°You think my hair counts as a low price?¡± She responded swiftly armed with righteous indignation.¡± ¡°Your hair is part of your identity, something you obviously don¡¯t care much about Maia, no if I recall correctly it''s about time for your next change, no?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Tyshira,¡± the fox stated matter-of-factly. ¡°Masterful Teacher, so you really do intend to take the boy under your wing?¡± The deity¡¯s spectral form, for a moment seemed to frown, if it had it would have been impossible for anyone aside from Maia, or rather Tyshira to see. ¡°So then I take it this will be our last transaction? ¡°Course not Hitogami, if Umi¡¯s child can¡¯t gain insight into the Shundo technique¡¯s most powerful attribute, dimensional movement, then he obviously wasn¡¯t meant to learn it. I have a feeling we¡¯ll still have chances to talk in the next two or so decades. Oh right, one last thing before I forget. Why did you choose to cash in your only ¡®Truck-Kun¡¯ reincarnation token on him; moreover, why send him to that damn village?¡± Hitogami stayed silent for a moment, most likely contemplating on how to answer her question without flat-out making her irate. it was rare to find a person who isn¡¯t dead or directly created by them who can also speak freely to them. ¡°Well, originally the person to die wasn¡¯t going to be that ¡®Felix¡¯ no, he goes by ¡®Rune¡¯ now. The person who was originally planned to be sent over was that man who was supposed to kill Rune. When the plan was altered it didn¡¯t take it to mind too much, especially considering how powerful his soul was, but even with all that he was still not as suitable as that murderer so I gave him a little ¡®push¡¯ by gifting him an extra ability.¡± ¡°Are you saying that saying that you planned to release a killer into my home?¡± ¡°That human¡¯s soul would have been cleansed by original chaos. Only it''s innate curiosity and naturally higher sense for natural elements would have remained.¡± ¡°Does this mean that you expect something big to happen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just repaying my debt to you, this world isn¡¯t in my jurisdiction so my power is limited.¡± ¡°Thanks for trying.¡± The deity¡¯s form faded away.