"This thing is a lot more lighter than I was expecting," Toji murmured with a frown as he threw the spear, narrowing his eyes when it pierced through a solid rock wall and halfway through the tree on the other hand.
"Oh yeah, this is definitely worth it," He spoke with a grin as he walked over, but he was surprised when the spear ripped itself free and flew back into his grasp.
The pull nearly yanked his arm back had he not steadied himself, his smile widening as the weapon pulsed before he twirled it around his body.
"Ooh~ Yeah, I love you," he muttered before rolling his eyes when Wormy let out a disgruntled rumble from his side.
"I know, I know. Here you g-!", He quickly pulled the spear back as Wormy bit down on it and squealed in pain, narrowing his eyes when he saw the dark purple blood dripping from its gums as well as the malevolent energy around the spear itself.
"Okay, we're not storing this in you," He muttered with a frown as Wormy's wounds healed, wondering just how it managed to cut the cursed spirit.
'Wait, there are tons of stories of Kuruk hunting down every spirit he came across during his tenure as the Avaar so…could his anger for them have clung to his weapon? Damn, that would explain why it is how it is,' He thought, tapping a finger against the shaft of the spear with a hum.
It didn't just cut Wormy as it wounded the worm's energy, which meant that it was just as incredible as the Split Soul Katana.
"This thing hates spirit more than I do and yet, spirits protect it. Isn't that ironic?" he laughed, shaking his head as he rested the spear on his shoulder before looking to Wormy as it grumbled.
"Don't worry. It's not your fault. This one just hates any and all things spiritual, which means that we need to make a holster for this one," He spoke with a smirk, looking around and smirking at the few spirits glaring from the shadows.
Yet, as it lifted it up and pointed it at them, he cackled as they all quickly scrambled away, making his way back to his ship as Wormy rumbled from his shoulder.
"Yeah, you're right. It's time to get to the Fire Nation and get the last two artifacts. Wait, the Western Air Temple is in the Fire Nation, right?"
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"Is that person from the Water Nation?"
"No, he has the looks of a Fire Nation. Perhaps, it's a spoil of war?"
"He does look a bit young, but well-built. The soldiers get younger every year."
"They do, indeed," Two women gossiped as they kept on walking, Toji staying quiet with a smirk as he slowly ate his cow-hippo steak while Kuruk's spear leaned against the table.
Several Fire Nation civilians passed by his table, some eyeing his spear with confusion, but honestly, he did not care as he tried to finish his meal.
'The Fire Fountain City should be a good place to start,' He thought as he looked at the obscenely large statue of Fire Lord Ozai in the centre of town, lifting a piece of meat to his shoulder.
At the same time, Wormy's head peeked out from under his cloak and ate the meat, dipping back in before Toji turned his head to see a passing patrol of Fire Nation soldiers marching by.
'Okay, so my search for Roku's hairpiece was a bust,' He had spent an entire six months after he got Kuruk's spear to not only get used to both it and Kyoshi's warfans, but also search the entirety of Roku's home island from top to bottom in search of his hairpiece.
Unfortunately, the entire island was buried under ash and volcanic rock. The temple there was also abandoned, the sages most likely having fled it and taking Roku's belongings with them.
In other words, six months down the drain for nothing.
'And that just leaves me with one small hint. A few months ago during that same time, a collector bought Szeto's personal family heirloom, a ring that he plans to give as a present to some noble girl coming for it later today,' Toji thought to himself as he stood up.
That left him with one option, that being take the ring and get out before anyone could figure out that it was him.
'Now, if I was giving a ring to a noble girl, I'd have to live in a big mansion and the big houses are on the other side of town, right?', He thought with a hum as he placed a few coins down on the table, picking up the spear and stretching his back with a loud crack.
Slinging the spear onto the holster he had made in the past few months, Wormy rumbled as Toji walked out and onto the street, looking around and ignoring everyone who passed by looking at him.
'Big mansions are in the merchant's district and it's for a noble girl coming here so it's gotta be the biggest hous-Bingo,' he thought with a grin as he spotted the road that lead towards the elevated houses built on the side of the dormant volcano.
Okay, time for a little bit of a hunt.
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"Princess Azula, welcome to Fire Fountain City," A man with dark brown hair bowed lowly along with his servants, to which a young girl with black hair and golden-brown eyes just looked back with a dismissive gaze.
"Yes, yes, spare me the formality," she answered with an unimpressed tone, stepping off her palanquin while her two 'friends' followed after her.
"I expect that everything is prepared for the little…engagement."
"Y-Yes, of course, princess. The noblemen and several fine suitors will greet you in the courtyard by sundown, my lady. I even have the honour of presenting my own son as a-"
"Yes, how flattering," She spoke with a small, polite smile, hiding her irritation as she saw the man's pleased smile before turning to the two beside her.
"Mai, Ty Lee, let us get this over with. Tell the suitors that I will be waiting for them in the courtyard."
"Got it, Azula," the bubbly, brown-haired girl known as Ty Lee spoke with a happy smile, the other girl who had her hair styled in twin buns just rolling her eyes as she followed after her friend.
Azula on the other hand just turned and began walking to the courtyard situated in the garden to the left, wondering just why her father decided to now try and get her into a political marriage.
Zuko wasn't in one and was allowed to roam about the royal capital like the buffoon he was, so why was she being forced into a marriage?
'Well, I suppose I should just get this over with and head back home,' There was a specific reason she was not throwing a bigger tantrum than she already was, that being that any suitor that she deemed worthy would have to face her in a sparring session.
If she won, they would inscribe into the Fire Nation army and serve a five year contract. However, if they won, she'd give them the opportunity to try and court her in the next year to try and convince her to marry them.
That was the one condition she asked of Father and considering that the man agreed to it, she assumed that the man was in agreement with her mindset.
'Unfortunately, it appears that my father will not be receiving a son-in-law anytime soon. Hah, very well. Let us get this over wi-Who is he?'
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'Azula of the royal Fire Nation army. I thought it was just supposed to be a random noble girl,' Toji thought as he walked through the crowd, Wormy tucked securely in his stomach while Kuruk's spear was stabbed into a safe underground location where it could not be found.
On top of that, the two girls with her appeared to be move with the grace of martial artists, making him smirk as he ducked into the crowd and towards his target.
With ease, he slipped past the nervous-looking guy, taking the ring and slipping it into the hidden pocket in his sleeve as he began walking away.
"You. Yes, you there," Toji stopped as everyone looked at him, turning his head to see the crowd parting when Azula passed.
"P-Princess Azula, I am-"
"I do not care. To the side," Azula spoke with a dismissive look as she pushed his former target to the side, Toji turning fully as the girl stood just a few feet away from him.
"Who are you?"
"Toji, princess."
"Toji. That's quite the unique name."
"I've been told it has Earth Kingdom origins."
"Are you from the colonies?"
"Yes, princess."
"And yet, you are stationed between the prestigious sons and lords of noble houses. Why is that, Toji?"
"I heard that there was a free sparring match here today and thought I'd see if it was worth my time," Whispers rippled through the crowd as they heard that, Azula raising a hand to stop the guards from approaching.
"You are not afraid?"
"Who is here to make me feel fear?"
"Quite the arrogant statement."
"I can back it up if that is what you're asking, princess"
"What rank are you? You don't dress like a soldier."
"That's because I'm not."
"Then, what are you?"
"Mercenary, bounty hunter, assassin, problem solver. I have many title and care little for all of them."
"Hmm, is that s-"
"Wait, is your name Toji Fushiguro?", Azula was a bit irritated as she heard Ty Lee spoke up, turning her head only to frown at the excited look on her friend's face.
"That is me, yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Gah! It is you! Holy fireballs, I am such a huge fan~"
"You know him?"
"That's the kid, Azula! The kid that your uncle talked about!", Ty Lee spoke excitedly and Azula' hid her shock as she turned to look at Toji's raised eyebrow.
"You are Toji Fushiguro? The Phantom Menace? The Ghost of Ba Sing Se? The Blue Monster of Gaoling?"
"Huh, I did not know I have so many titles. Yes, that is I, princess."
"How old are you?"
"I'm 17 now."
"…So, you were 9 when you eradicated the Crimson Sails Armada and 12 when you killed the Grand Secretarial and the Council of Five of Ba Sing Se?"
"Give or take, yeah. I didn't really care to remember dates and other things like that," The courtyard was silent as fear danced in everyone's eyes, realizing just who was standing in front of them.
A young man who has been responsible for the eradication of several Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom and Water Nation battalions simply because he was paid handsomely to do so.
"You killed Long Feng. I heard he was a master earthbender."
"Oh, he was. I was just better and-"
"Toji," Azula cut him off sharply, her tone a mixture of intrigue and challenge, but Toji smirked as he recognized the look in her eyes. After all, it was one he had in his gaze every single day.
The desire to dominate.
"You are not here to court me, are you?"
"Not in the slightest, no," A few nobles gasped and one lady even fainted. Azule on the other hand looked more intrigued as her lips curved into a small yet dangerous smile.
"You know who I am and yet you say that?"
"I did not mean any disrespect princess. I'm simply wondering if the princess of the Fire Nation actually lives up to her reputation," More people fainted at that and even Mai and Ty Lee now looked a bit nervous as they looked at Azula, who narrowed her eyes.
"You know, all of these suitors hoped to impress me. They're failed nobility, spoiled brats, posturing swordsmen and then there's you. The mercenary that dares to imply I should prove myself better than you?"
"You did say that it was a spar to see who was worthy, princess. I just haven't seen anyone who's worth sparring yet."
"…Well, he's dead," Mai muttered audibly as Azula's eyes had a cold gleam in them, the girl humming as she nodded and raised a hand.
"Very well, I accept your challenge. Clear the courtyard," Immediately, the paved courtyard was cleared in seconds, Ty Lee removing Azula's cloak before joining Mai and the rest of the spectators at the edges of the new battlefield.
"Would you want me to hold back and make you look better, princess?"
"No, I wouldn't want you making excuses when I do defeat you."
"Oh, I like you. This is going to be fun," Toji spoke with a smirk as he crouched slightly, rolling his shoulders while Azula flicked her wrist.
"I will, however, give you one last chance to bow and apologize for your words."
"I will give you one last chance to impress me with your skill, princess," Toji retorted, smirking as challenge danced in Azula's eyes before she lunged forward.
Jet-blue fire exploded from her heel and sent her rocketing across the courtyard, Toji leaning to the side and spinning as her fist skimmed past his face.
Spinning with him, both of her hands blazed before she punched forward, launching dual streams of flames at him. However, Toji just ducked under them before sidestepping when she brought her hands down, rushing past her and flicking a finger against her right wrist.
Azula scowled as there was a surprising amount of force behind him, making her shoulder jolt as her hand smacked against the ground before she hopped back as Toji brushed away the singe marks on his clothes.
"You have good control, princess, but your footwork's predictable."
"Is that so?", She murmured before blurring forward again, leaping into the air with a spin and letting flames roar around her in a corkscrew pattern.
Bringing her leg over, Toji planted his own foot before vanishing, appearing beside her midair and kicking her leg to the side before bringing his other leg around and landing a heavy kick to her chest.
At the same time, Azula grunted as her flaming palm impacted his chest, the blows sending them both flying through the air and onto opposite sides of the courtyard.
Yet, as Toji rose, Azula narrowed her eyes as she saw Toji's clothes burn away to reveal only a slight burn on his chest where her palm had hit.
"So you can take a hit," Azula muttered, hiding her grimace at the pain in her chest while Toji smirked as he rolled his neck while fully tearing away the remnants of his shirt, leaving his upper body bare.
"I really liked that shirt, you know? Also, you hit a lot harder than most firebending 'masters' I've fought against. You got any tricks or is that it?", Toji asked, watching as Azula inhaled before letting out a slow exhale.
"I was planning on keeping this civilized, but if you insist," She murmured as she crouched down, extending only her index and middle fingers while curling the rest of her fingers back into a fist before she began to move her arms.
Gasps echoed in the air and both Mai and Ty Lee looked surprised as sparks of electricity began to dance around her, Toji's smile widening as he stomped down and felt her separating her positive and negative chi before rubbing the two against each other.
With the sharp crackling of lightning, Azula snapped her wrist outwards and launched a bolt straight at his chest, but to her surprise, she watched as Toji raised his right index and middle fingers at it.
'Ah, I suppose it was to be expected of a commoner to be that idio-What?!', She thought in surprise when Toji took her lightning and raised his hand into the air, everyone looking just as surprised as she did as he redirected it back up into the sky.
"You…you redirected it?"
"Never tried it, actually, but I wanted to see if I could. Thanks, you just helped me prove that lightning can't hurt me. Until we meet again, princess."
"Wh-!", Azula grunted in surprise as Toji leapt slightly before stomping down on the ground, unleashing a devastating shockwave and a cloud of dust that obscured everything.
As the dust began to settle, Azula gritted her teeth as he was gone, swinging her arm out and shouting for the guards to hear.
"Find him and bring him back! Preferably alive!"
"Yes, Princess!", The guards shouted as they sprinted across the courtyard and out into the city, the girl clenching her fist as her jaw tightened.
"That arrogant bastard."
"Huh, I think this is the first guy she actually liked."
"Gah! That is so romantic~! A powerful bad boy mercenary who refuses to bow and the fire princess who wants to kiss him and then kill him~"
"In what way is that romantic?"
"Ty Lee, Mai, shut up."
"I-"
"Ty Lee~"
"I ship it," She giggled, earning a smirk from Mai and a growl from Azula.
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"So, that's the level she's at, huh?", Toji murmured as he hopped from rooftop to rooftop, his cloak back over him and his spear back on his back as Wormy rumbled.
"Yeah, she's a good challenge for Toph, but I'd give it to Toph. No, it's not just because Toph's my student," Toji responded with a roll of his eyes, shaking his head as Wormy just rumbled and poked at his bare chest with his head.
"Yeah, we got to get a new shirt too. Fire Nation women fight dirty," He murmured, dropping down and smirking as he made his way to the first clothing store.
There was no need for him to stay any longer. He had Szeto's ring and now there was just one thing left.
Yangchen's staff.
A/N: And we end it off here~! A quick introduction to Azula and her trio and she now has a target she wants.
Next chapter: Upside down.
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Ba-Bye~!