"You fear becoming a monster, yet you were born in a world that devours the pure… so tell me boy, which of us is truly cursed?-Malum
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**Southern Tribe, Center Section**
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The timid looking special division lieutenant looked up at the crumbled building, the rain dripped down the glass of her black glasses reflecting Kaida who stood atop the crumbling building.
She spoke out, in a shaking voice. "That's General Masayoshi's daughter… the current General of the southern tribe, Kaida Masayoshi". The other special division members looked up as well, the senior lieutenant miller spoke out. "These goddamn kids… piss me off with their tantrums."
The battle between Ikari, Asami, and Jason came to a pause… Asami and Kaida locked eyes for a moment, then Kaida shouted aloud. "I hope you know that while I respect you general Asami… but whether you're the northern tribe's general or not, invading my village and its people I've promised to protect won't be tolerated. Leave now, or I will consider you a threat that needs to be put down alongside this demon."
General asami continued to stare at Kaida, sensing the flickering red flame within her soul, without giving a response.
Ikari grunted, his eyes rolled to the back of his head in response to the crimson mark with the word "wrath" inscribed on it began to glow… he thought to himself, ("…Tch… this damn rain's getting on my nerves.")
"Aw come on now… don't go throwing a tantrum just because someone knocked over your doll-house princess!" Ikari shouted at Kaida.
Asami then spoke out, her voice was low and grimly while she replied. "One fellow general to another, I advise you not to get too big for your skirt child… don't forget you can only call yourself the supreme general of the southern tribe because you killed your sorry excuse of a father."
Jason's eyes were fixed on Kaida's fingers, looking at the small blue sparks flickering on her fingertips.
Kaida slid her foot across the tiles of the crumbling rooftop. Looking up at Kaida sliding her bare foot across the tiles of the crumbling roof, the lenses of her glasses had gotten foggy from the heat radiated from Kaida's body.
She took her glasses off and brought the back of her hand to her cheek, "?!"… Hinari had looked over to lieutenant raiser and whispered. "Lieutenant raiser… is what we're seeing real?"
The half masked man had turned his head over his shoulder, looking into the eyes of his junior. Unresponsive, he turned back around… and saw Kaida still standing in place, having not yet moved from her position.
Kaida's crimson eyes glowed redder, still not speaking a word as she glared down at Jason… he blinked.
Once. Twice.
The red rain had continued to fall from the black clouds. Jason had stuck his hand out, calling for the rain to fall on his palm… and it did, but it somehow felt dry before it began evaporating from his hand going up into smoke.
Ikari looked around at everyone, he thought to himself. ("Something's off… she's just standing up there. ?!") his thoughts stopped…
Just as he looked back up to Kaida, she started dancing. Her movements were slow and elegant, she slid her feet across the tiles with blue flames burning beneath her feet while she maintained eye contact with Jason.
Her scarlet eyes made everyone sweat, the timid and stiff special division junior lieutenant Hinari's arms shook… she dropped down to her knees, as her pupils dilated and shook.
General Asami gave a knowing look toward Kaida, an image of a long black haired woman with scarlet eyes, red lipstick, and a red kimono who had danced with the same movements Kaida was now exhibiting…
During the hundred year long blood war a thousand years ago, there was a belief that started after one of the war's fighters danced among fire beneath the dark clouds, that meant the protection of the heavens had abandoned the battlefield…
The dance of the flame performed by the dragon that danced beneath the dark clouds was a sight during the war that often meant that death had already chosen you.
A voice had then sounded in Jason's mind, ("this is that heatwave technique crafted back during my time 1,000 years ago, by that woman Kimiko Masayoshi. Hey boy, you'd best not take your eyes off your friend up there… and you'd best be glad that you befriended that girl up there")…
"Mama" the soft but high pitched voice came from behind Asami. She turned around to see a little girl no older than six, black hair with pigtails, black eyes, and a white dress on clutching a black bracelet.
Asami's eyes remained low and grew darker, though her mind traveled elsewhere…
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**1,000 years ago, golden age of sorcery**
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Asami's eyes were wide, rain flowed down her face with her mouth wide open as she rushed through a desolate small village underneath dark grey clouds…
"No, no, no… please" her voice was shaken… more than usual as she reached a collapsed straw house, with fire spreading around it… her eyes grew wider when the sight of a six year old girl with a white dress on played unresponsive beneath the collapsed home.
She clutched a black bracelet similar to the one Asami wore, at the sight Asami had collapsed to her knees and dropped her black katana, and let out a loud cry…
On top of the debris, a picture with Asami and the girl holding hands began to burn in the fire.
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**Back to the present, southern tribe center**
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The girl slowly began walking up to Asami, her voice was shaken while she said. "Mama… I'm scared, please hurry back home"…
Watching the sight unfold in front of them, junior lieutenant Hinari asked her senior miller "Senior… who is that child?".
He responded, "that's general Asami's daughter, she was killed 1,000 years ago at the hands of Malum during the blood war"
The black robed sorcerer with short black hair on one knee, cadet Sidra Nohara looked up at Kaida and said in a hushed voice. "Little bitch"
The little girl had reached Asami followed by the bloody shoe tracks on the ground behind her, and tugged on Asami's black over robe…
Asami just stared in silence at the girl, as the girl began to cry tears of blood. She then started screaming, "MAMA… THE BAD MAN'S HERE, I'M SCARED!!!"
Picking up her blood coated black katana, Asami cut right through the phantom in front of her and in the blink of an eye threw her body and blade right toward Kaida.
Just as she reached Kaida, she sent her blade right through the projected infernal afterimage… and brought her blade behind her as it clashed with Kaida's arm.
Asami spoke out in a voice sounding as if she needed to clear her throat. "Insolent piece of garbage just like your father you little whore… don't expect me to hold back on you because you're a child."
Kaida replied, "Don't compare me to that man… and don't tell me you already forgot my warning Miss Asami… I told you that if you continue to bring more danger to my home, people, and my friends I hold close to my heart… I will consider you a threat that needs to be put down by any means."
"You're protecting Malum's vessel and calling it a friend… and allowed it inside your village while he's the target of the entire universe, how exactly is that protecting your people General?"
Kaida smirked and replied, "I didn't think of you as someone who'd talk this much about matters that didn't concern you, apologies if I popped a vein."
Jason attempted to rush up toward the two… he shouted "KAIDA".
He then turned his head to see Ikari rushing straight toward him, Ikari ecstatically shouted "don't get distracted lil bro"…
Jason extended his arm, and his blade came flying to his hand as he blocked Ikari's fist.
Immediately on contact, Jason's eyes flared red. He then kicked Ikari back a few hundred meters…
Ikari caught himself and slid across the concrete ground and when he looked up, Jason's blade was inches away from his face. ("He threw his blade… trying to distract me")
Ikari dropped backwards on his hands, and kicked the blade backwards toward Jason who had appeared behind him. "Shit", the blade had penetrated Jason's chest.
Ikari's eyes suddenly went white… he stood up and only after he turned his back toward where he thought Jason was standing, there was nothing there…
The space around him had looked distorted, like how the air around a fire looks. He looked over his shoulder to see Jason rushing toward him, and swinging his katana right at Ikari's neck.
On contact with Ikari's neck, Jason's blade had broke in half. "Wha-?!" Ikari started cackling… "I understand… that girl from earlier, she must've used that move to distract both me and that other woman to turn the tides of our fight in both of your favors."
Ikari picked Jason up by his neck, and punched him in the stomach while slamming him into the ground… blood splattered out of Jason's mouth while his curse mark patterns started spreading even more.
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**Southern tribe, above the boarder's wall**
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Devoro's body was battered while he let out heavy breaths… he held his stomach while gazing at Aria who had little damage on her body, let alone her white robes.
("Dammit… getting beat by a child, how ludicrous.")
Aria spoke out, her voice was tinged with curiosity and worry. "You and that man down there came here with four others… where are they?, and where is Miss Aaliyah and Selene?"
Devoro replied, "I can feel your worry, but it's pointless… since you and that boy will be joining them at any moment now"
Aria looked at the dark mark on Devoro's stomach The symbol of "gluttony" inscribed on it… she then said, "you mentioned earlier that your brother ordered you all not to engage in combat with me, which implies that you all aren't confident in your ability to defeat me… but judging by the fact that the mark on your stomach isn't glowing like your brother down there, is it safe to assume that just like me, you are also holding something back?"
"Once again you surprise me with your deductive skills, and your level headed intelligence is even more impressive… it is refreshing to be matched up against a thoughtless meathead"
"And while you are correct in the fact that I am indeed holding back, I don't think that would change the fact that you're just too strong for me to defeat by myself… never would I have thought that a child would outclass me in power."
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**Hell Universe, Sixth Layer, inside the dark room**
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The room was shrouded in shadows, only a long table with seven seats was visible… Aphira sat on the right side of the table, her mark inscribing "lust" on her cleavage glowed a dark pink color.
Across from her Nakamake sat asleep, and at the end of the table to aphira's right sat Tengu, Whose eyes were pure white.
He spoke out in a grim tone of voice, "Devoro is about be defeated by the child… I'll have to step out for a moment and aid our brothers in speeding things along."
Aphira replied with a seductive voice as she smiled and said, "hmph… then what should we do until you all return?"
"I don't care what you do… though I suggest keeping an eye on Aaliyah and Selene, you both have imprisoned them within purgatory correct?"
"Then watch over those two, until I return… Avarus and Eris should be there with Athena and father's previous vessel asura by now."
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**Purgatory prison, near the heart of hell**
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There were hundreds of red see-through pods on each two rows of black rock… inside one of the pods closer to the ground, Aaliyah had woken up trying to focus her vision.
Sitting next to her, was Selene… seeing Aaliyah wake up, in a worried yet relieved voice Selene said "mom… you're awake" she hugged Aaliyah tightly while Aaliyah asked, "where the hell are we?"
"Those two brought us to Hell… and I guess they put us in these pods."
"Are you okay?"… "I'm good Ma, I'm just worried about you and Jason."
Aaliyah's eyes went wide a little, "where is your brother?". "He's fighting against the one with that wrath mark, they said they're gonna bring him and Aria here."
Aaliyah stayed silent for a moment, then when she finally focused her eyes in front of her… she saw a black haired boy Jason and Aria's age(17), with a black opened robe, black baggy pants, and black combat boots.
"Hey… isn't that one of Jason and Aria's friends?"
Selene looked over to the boy, and said. "Damn, it is… I think his name was Kairei.
To be continued in chapter 87…