"Gracious, beautiful, and endless," Arturia calmly played an 'air' cello. It was as if the instrument was with her and in her hands, but it truly wasn't. But the honed instincts that came with boundless practice made the process far easier than she could imagine. "A never ending abyss that consumes all within its wake, a fervor that would rend all asunder... is this truly the depth of your soul, Fushiguro Megumi?"
It was ravishing, the sight of everything being covered by the black sheen created by the black chasm itself. Everything fell beneath the puddles that formed, into the ashen grip of the beasts formed from below. Nobody was spared from it, not even the greatest of warriors present in the entire structure could fight back against the army of shadows that continued to drag them.
A grave, sad, and pitiful grave fitting for such scum that had no future in the first place.
Arturia continued to smile calmly, feeling the shadows just barely scrape against the soles of her feet. Nothing seemed to bother her, all she felt was the true essence of somebody truly letting loose, a world where only their whims and decisions existed. To impose one's will upon the world was..."utterly fascinating..."
The screams of the damned, like sinners being wrought by hell's grasp. They continued to echo outwards, the slashing, biting, and ripping sounds rupturing all across the environment with the sounds of splashing water. Nothing could be seen, with the envelopment that had decided to pervade all across.
Whatever happened within the confines of this area, stayed within the confines of this area. Arturia knew that for a fact, considering not a single being could escape such a thing unscathed, especially with all the savage beasts roaming about. Birds, wolves, tigers, and all the like scampered about to capture the prey caught within the black liquid.
Apex predators of their own right, some of them were exactly as Arturia remembered from searching the news. Mainly, the tiger with the obstructed face, its keen and manic yellow eyes with a gaping maw. Multiple fangs stuck out of its mouth in a disgusting fashion, making it seem more like a beast of horror than a beautiful animal.
Truly fitting for an Apex Predator, Arturia mused to herself while imagining the notes of music that would play with her movements. A domain... she tested and tasted the word upon her tongue, letting the word reverberate across her gray matter. If she had to assume, then this sort of creation was Fushiguro Megumi's domain, and it had been expanded unto the world itself from his soul.
Amongst her thoughts, the cries of the wicked continued to die out amongst the splatters of blood and roaring of beasts. Not once did she heed the horrific acts happening in front of her, but instead; she embraced it. The suffering and sorrow that emanated across the building was a familiar and rancid feeling for the Sankta, but Arturia felt all of it drowned out by the absolute liberative feeling the woman felt from Megumi.
The chains have been broken and pulverized to a million sparkles of dust. It was a magnificent sight before Arturia's eyes, even if she knew it would last for this singular brief moment. Yes, she felt it, it was a lust for strength, the lust to grow indefinitely and incrementally in strength, A desire for power, to stand at the very top of the world itself.
To reach the heavens which she, herself, could barely see. Whatever his goals were, Arturia felt as if she could truly understand the full grandness of it. Or was it simply a brief flash of his broken mind forming a goal for himself? After all, his attitude and emotions shifted as much as the tides of the ocean.
There stood at the epicenter, like a king on his throne, was Fushiguro Megumi. Those unflinching and uncaring orbs, blessed with the grace of fate itself. Chosen by the Sacred Treasures to bear their incantation, the only suitable description would be a sovereign. There stood a spinal cord like structure, with a ribcage forming around it. Nerves continued to endlessly pour out, the only illuminating light within this hellscape.
"Bravo! Bravo!" Arturia called out with a passionate cheer, clapping her hands together. The sound mixed in with the dying screams of those unfortunate to incur the wrath of this monster standing before her, and the Sankta was there to witness it! "Truly, a manifestation of humanity's greatest will, the truest self unperturbed by any!"
Not a single gaze was sent her way, the despondent man simply content with watching the slaughter he was causing. There was no need for Megumi to care about the lives in which he snuffed out, they deserved it. Selfishly, the black haired man knew who he wished to kill, and who he wished to spare. As a result, he declared within his head over and over again, he would dangle the lives of humans unfairly.
Trash belonged in the garbage bin, and those truly virtuous were allowed to breathe once more in this twisted world.
The smell of sickly blood and organs spilling about was no different from a garbage man carrying the trash to put into a dumpster. If Megumi truly thought about it, and truly justified his actions, what different was he from them?
Not at all different.
Dehumanization, the greatest sin of humanity which allowed the most vilest of acts to be committed. Yet for the black haired man, it was the perfect way to rationalize himself with such a sight presented before him. One caused by his own hands, and Megumi was finding it to be terrifying.
***
What once was, was now nothing. The vibrant and extravagant hallways which spanned across the entire skyscraper were completely gone. Now stained with crimson viscera that bathed the room, and the scarlet ichor which refracted the fancy lights; it was the perfect scenery for an apocalypse.
"Are you satisfied?" Arturia called out, clasping her hands behind her back and walking towards Megumi. "Unfettered by all bindings, you truly are the most decrepit star I've met," the woman smiled softly. "Yet who could know? Such a decrepit star shines the most radiant black light of them all."
"I don't need to hear that," Megumi spat out, wiping his bloodied cheek while scanning the bloodied horizon. "There's nothing more righteous than what I'm doing here to any other self-indulged fool ." Self-deprecating... if his sister were here, she would hear them with scorn. Yet she wasn't here, she never would be here.
Insanity, the greatest part that made up a Sorcerer and their backbone. How else could they heartlessly slaughter other people in battle? How could they stoop down to such levels to leverage against their opponent?
The Ten Shadows user was starting to understand what Gojo Satoru meant, but why... Why did it feel so disgusting? How did the white haired man weaponize such a tantalizing yet depraved feeling?
"I believe it must be deeper than that?" Arturia leaned towards him with a playful expression, or as 'playful' as it is from her usual expression. "Is this yet another mask put upon your previous one? Or how you truly feel? Not even I can tell." Despite what she felt earlier, it felt like there was something she had been missing entirely.
"Aren't you quite talkative?" Megumi lightly kicked a rapier laid by his side, the silver gleam of the prized weapon rusted red. "Maybe if you spent that energy doing something truly productive, you could've made a meaningful difference. Instead of playing that instrument of yours."
"Harsh," Arturia chirped out, "but I'm not one so infallible I do not take criticism. I simply heed where my emotions take me, there's nothing more productive than to move in accordance with your own desires."
"Emotions... you always-, actually, why am I even talking with you?" Megumi looked at the ceiling with a tired look. "I don't have time for this, I'm leaving." With his actions today, he would have barely any time before the backlash hits.
Something else caught his attention, though, as there was a shifting on the ground. One singular Lupo man had been twitching their limbs, barely alive amongst all the other corpses laid strewn or eviscerated.
Megumi and Arturia turned to stare at them, different looks plastered on both of their faces.
Before Arturia could open her mouth and walk forward, an invisible barrier was formed between her and the barely alive man. It came from Fushiguro Megumi, his sturdy arm stretched out, and his red-marred eyes staring deep into her soul. One singular thought rang out in her head from his posture: stay back.
Taking a step forward and squatting under the shaking and bleeding man, Megumi opened his mouth, "send this message back to Siracusa, or whatever backwater country you're from." His tone was harsh, a burn which seared itself deep within their brain. "Do not set foot in Lungmen, or else they will be maimed the same way the previous fools have been."
Unable to oppose the monster before him, the crippled man could only shakily nod his head in agreement. After all, their life laid upon a thin thread that decided whether or not they fell into the abyss that was Fushiguro Megumi.
Putting strength into his leg muscles, Megumi stoically stood back up, before stepping over the man. That was enough for today, he was starting to run out of time, and such a thing was something he sorely lacked. Getting out of Lungmen should be his next priority, as long as he isn't obstructed by anything else.
Arturia hummed to herself, watching the black haired man leave with not another word to give to her, or to the situation. One thing was for sure, she definitely wanted the man to visit Leithanien. "We'll be fated to meet again someday, I'll be sure of it."
The woman picked up her cello case, before making her own exit.
***
The setting night sky of Terra shone down two iridescent moons in the form of a celestial light. However, such things were being counteracted and blocked by the barrier of mankind's insolence, their artificial lights battling against them in a stagnant battle. The stars were no longer viewable, but for sure, the moon would be ever present in this rotating world.
Megumi stood atop the skyscraper which held the gathering of depraved criminals, squinting his eyes to take full view of the neon city. The gazes, those abominable gazes from the shadows were peering into him once more, both calculating and cold. Like an ice cube falling through his back, the black haired man almost shivered when experiencing them.
There was bound to be a battle, that was what Megumi's instincts were telling him. These people that resided in the shadows would never let him exit this city that held no place for him. Staying on top of this skyscraper without acting was only stalling the inevitable. Who would gain the first move, him or them?
The choice was his.
Making up his mind, Megumi wouldn't let himself be caught off guard by them when leaving Lungmen, and neither would he let them dictate whether he lived or died. In fact, Fushiguro Megumi would be the one who would hold that sort of notion over them, and his declaration would come in the form of...
...Spiking his Cursed Energy into the sky, making the King of Curses imbued energy fire off like a beacon up to the dark ether composed of falsity. The corrupted and disgraced eminence pervaded all across Lungmen, sure enough to make all of its citizens feel a chill down their spines and retreat back home.
Well, if the streets haven't already been discreetly evacuated by whatever efforts these shadow people put into place. Megumi narrowed his eyes, seeing and sensing disparities within the air, the shades themselves shifting. However, these people were merely hiding within them, and as the man blessed by the Sacred Treasures, the shadows were his domain.
"Are you going to attack me, or not?" Megumi narrowed his eyes, reaching his hands to receive Dragon Bone after it shot out of his shadows. There were many options presented for him to face off these opponents, yet at the same time... "alright, I get it now." With a glare of his eyes, he pointed a finger gun toward something swiftly making their way towards him.
Shadow Extension: Tiger Funeral
With the blast of a bulleted flame, a battle ensued.
***
Ch'en jolted in her sleep, letting herself sit upwards with a blanket wrapped over her. The woman's mind was in a daze, a small hangover going through her mind like a hazy fog clogging somebody's thoughts. Touching her head to alleviate the pulsing sensation, Ch'en looked around with a confused look. The first thing the dragon lady registered was that she resided in her personal office, having been set down on a soft couch.
"What the... what the hell?!" The woman's voice was tired at first, before her eyes fully rejuvenated itself and she truly realized what had happened. "That..." she remembered, getting drunk and a certain black haired man taking advantage of that. He had knocked her out... "That damned bastard!"
Reaching into her pocket, she fished out for her phone and pulled it out, clicking the power button and searching through it. Ch'en widened her eyes when the tracking app showed an inconclusive for Megumi's location, which meant, "oh... that slimy bastard..." The dragon lady gripped her phone together, the advanced alloy making it up starting to crack.
"Captain...?" Hoshiguma called out to the woman from her office chair, having been sorting out Ch'en's paperwork for the other woman. "...Something happened?" The Oni lady could only conjecture a few things, and none of them seemed to be positive, as evident by the Superintendent's behavior.
"Ha~, did something happen?" Ch'en sarcastically replied, feeling a tick mark forming on her forehead, "what was the last thing you saw Fushiguro Megumi doing?" The woman made sure to emphasize his full name, before setting her phone on the desk... very gently.
"He... walked into the LGD Headquarters with you drunk off your mind, and left you in my care. He said that Lin is out there observing him right now," Hoshiguma recalled what he had said, but was starting to believe that it had all been falsified. Especially with how angry a certain dragon lady was.
"His tracker is gone," Ch'en spoke out with an emotionless voice, far too angry to show even a hint of a sign. "Crushed? Probably, considering there is no signal being given off to show where it is." The Superintendent knocked off the rest of the blankets on her body, before a determined gaze came upon her face.
Hoshiguma let out a long winded sigh, pressing her fingers against her forehead, "what now? We're gonna go searching for him?" She honestly didn't know why Megumi had decided to break his tracker... was he leaving Lungmen entirely?
"Either that bastard had left Lungmen," Ch'en fixed her clothes while walking to where her weapons were usually stored, "or he's out there doing something... absurdly stupid." Grabbing the treasured Chi Xiao and attaching it to her waist with her black sword, she paused for a moment when taking a look at her hand. The infection was still gone.
"Alright, so we go around searching for him..." Hoshiguma clarified her goals, "...unless we have some other way of finding him. Should we contact Lin in that case?" The woman was already stressed out from dealing with Blood Hound related matters, but this one shouldn't be too hard to deal with, right? "...Captain?"
Ch'en blinked out of her stupor, before rubbing her eyes, "it's just exhaustion from waking up. Yeah, just about what you said, we're gonna find that brainfucked bastard." Spouting out a Lungmen profanity for good measure, the dragon lady was sure she'd make sure to stab her blade deep into his thigh for running away.
Hoshiguma was starting to wonder if she should help Ch'en in capturing him, or stop her from lobbing his legs off. But with how things were going, she doubted they could even find the man with how large Lungmen was.
Sighing to herself one last time, the Oni lady picked out her own phone, ready to call Lin for a search party that needed an utterly abrasive man. Scrolling through it for a second, she pressed the call app and brought up the mouse lady. "Let's hope this doesn't end badly..." but with what she was feeling right now, Hoshiguma wasn't sure herself.
***
Lin blinked a few times when glancing at her ringing phone. It was from an unusual caller, one she wouldn't expect from the LGD. Usually, it would either be Swire that called her, and very rarely did Ch'en ever decide to dial or bring up her number. But what completely subverted her expectations was that it was Hoshiguma.
Picking it up with a swift motion while enjoying her tea, she accepted the call and brought it to her ear, "Madame Oni, I wouldn't have expected a call from you." Lin kept her tone polite and professional, one expected from somebody as refined as her.
"To cut it short, Megumi's tracker is gone, and he's probably running away from Lungmen," Hoshiguma's words were no lie, making the mouse lady listening to her have to do a few couple double takes.
"...Pardon me?" Lin slightly felt her chest sinking, and her mouse ears twitching with disturbance. "Could you iterate what you just said...?"
"Megumi is probably leaving Lungmen without alerting anyone," Hoshiguma clarified for the woman once more, keeping the same level tone as she did before. "At this rate, there is bound to be something big happening with his exit," a brief pause came before she spoke once more, "oh, right, Ch'en also mentioned that he asked for the Blood Hound's location; the gathering that we discovered not too long ago?"
Lin stared at her still steaming tea, realizing the implications of why Megumi would ask for such a thing. A disbelieving look left her eye, "absurd... absolutely absurd..." the woman muttered to herself. "Where is his location right now?" She would have a civilized talk with him at this rate. 'What could have led to such a thing happening?'
"Zero clue, we're trying to find out, and we'll need your help. As much as Ch'en wouldn't like me saying something like that," Hoshiguma's voice continued to hold some haste to it, "are you in it or not?"
"Of course I am," Lin stood up from her seat, slowly drinking the rest of her tea instead of savoring it. Letting the liquid pass down before placing down her tea cup, the woman went through the method she could use to find Megumi. "Just give a second, and I'll have this sorted out."
"Understood," with those words, Hoshiguma hung up the call.
"Hmph," Lin wondered if they also contacted Swire. It was very likely, but such thoughts weren't needed at the moment. Right now, she was going to find where that man had run off to.
***
Lappland watched with great interest. No, rather, great interest was an understatement of what she felt at the current moment. The struggle she saw from the black haired man was always a sight to see, and the Lupo was witnessing it in all of its glorious splendor.
Atop the towering skyscrapers of Lungmen, multiple black figures chased after a black haired man himself, donning a black haori and white outfit under it. Despite the distance Lappland held between him, she could see the struggle and frustration in his eyes, facing an opponent that completely outclassed you.
Despite the intriguing sight, Lappland felt her tail swishing in discomfort. Her body screamed at her to act, a dissatisfied foreboding feeling if she hadn't. Based on what she could tell from this battle, Fushiguro Megumi would eventually be one the losing side despite all of his utility. The enemies attacking him were just that powerful, even if he were using that majestic dragon of his.
What was even worse for the man was that they looked to be holding back, not holding any kill intent for reasons Lappland didn't know. Perhaps they wished to capture him? But what purpose did that hold?
Well, one thing she knew for sure, was that Megumi was bound to lose in the long run of this battle taking place.
Now Lappland was stuck in a dilemma, whether to rush out there and attack those SpecOps monsters chasing after him, or stay where she was at...
Oh, well, the answer was already damn obvious!
"I'll go save that little wolf when he really needs it, you'd better pay me back for it, though." Lappland grinned while taking a seat at the ledge of the building she was on. Placing her elbows on her knees and propping her head with both her hands, the white haired Lupo was content with watching.
But if things got bad for him, she'd come swooping in like the prince of a Victorian story, saving the princess in her dire time of need! Oh how romantic!
Chuckling to herself at the terrible joke, Lappland began swinging her legs in anticipation, wondering how Megumi would make it out of a situation such as this. The man was always a box of surprises, and she doubted the dragon he created back then would be the end of it.
***
Megumi raised his hand upwards, letting Mizuchi take a blow from a Shadow Guard that had sent a sonic slash towards him. He watched on as blood spurted from the laceration ripping across the dragon's body, making him click his tongue in frustration.
He didn't like using his Shikigamis as a meat shield, but the Totality he used to cover himself had Round Deer as one of its additions. That meant that it had Positive Energy output on par, if not surpassing Ryomen Sukuna's Agito. Any damage sustained on it would simply heal, and destroying it molecularly as Gojo had done was the only way to truly kill it.
Mizuchi coiled around, before blasting the Shadow Guard off of its body. The attack didn't do much to the enemy, but it had provided a good enough distraction for it to rush back to Megumi, the latter having landed on another skyscraper not too far from the criminal gathering's one.
Two more shadows sprung upwards, whether one of them belonged to the same one Megumi had blown away was still an unknown factor to him. Turning around, he imbued Dragon Bone with Tiger Funeral's flames, letting the engine fire off an arcing orange slash towards the arrival.
It proved fruitless when they shifted in the air and dodged it, before becoming streaks of static.
Megumi gritted his teeth, calling for Mizuchi to coil around his body once more, the dragon once again being pincered from multiple sides. Its blood fell on the master, a growing bitter realization that he was completely out of the league of these people in terms of physical strength.
Dropping Dragon Bone onto the ground, he brought his hands together to form a tiger shadow puppet.
"Tiger Funeral."
Leaping straight out of the shadow below him, Tiger Funeral shot into the air with Playful Cloud, the Cursed Tool igniting with glorious flames.
On the side of Mizuchi, the Shikigami once more pushed back the Shadow Guards that had their blades ripping at its body, emitting a blue lightning that lit up the entire skyscraper.
Megumi had another Cursed Tool in his hands, the Inverted Spear of Heaven, before extending the Chain of a Thousand Miles. Building up its momentum by spinning it, he kept his gaze focused on the Shadow Guards flashing across the skyscrapers around him.
Being guarded by his Shikigami from all sides, Megumi felt a sort of security within them. However, for Tiger Funeral, they still had a high chance of being killed by these people. Mizuchi seemed relatively fine, as long as it didn't get completely pulverized.
When the wind started to blow the strongest, Megumi widened his eyes with focus, before lashing out in a celestial chain dance under the shine of Terra's two moons. A chaotic yet controlled movement was made, all of his Shikigami moving in tandem to not hamper its path.
A Shadow Guard had deflected a chain, sending sparks flying when their blade made contact. Right after, they were met with the vicious eyes of Tiger Funeral, its flaming three-section staff immediately lashing out with consecutive blows.
The Shadow Guard deflected them swiftly, before letting a singular thrust move past the Shikigami's offensive and graze it by the cheek. Their black raincoat fluttered in the air, briefly revealing their arms while they pulled back their weapon.
In retaliation, Tiger Funeral bore a more aggressive look, the flames on Playful Cloud burning up to a higher degree. Going for a low sweep, the staff tore apart the structure in which they were standing on, sending charred debris upwards.
The Shadow Guard leapt into the sky, the debris following along with it. However, they were forced to react quickly, as Tiger Funeral leapt up with great speeds, flourishing the Special Grade Cursed Tool in a rotational movement that built up its momentum. A vertical blow followed right after, sending them barreling towards the ground.
Right after, the Shadow Guard plunged their weapon into the skyscraper's glass windows, the blade seeping right into it like a knife through butter. They continued to slow down while their blade continued to draw a superheated line, and once their descent had stopped immediately, they leapt upwards and planted their feet on the windows. Standing sideways, the Shadow Guard looked upward to see a Tiger Funeral running down sideways on the skyscraper, practically defying gravity.
With a calm brandish of their sword, they prepared for another bout, this time not holding back.
On the side of Mizuchi, the dragon continued to flow through the air as if it were dancing. Arcs of lightning admitted from its body, chasing after a Shadow Guard that was moving across buildings to avoid. As a response, the dragon reeled its head back before firing off a concentrated water blast.
The Shadow Guard sensed it coming, turning around by bending its body and drawing its sword to meet it. However, to their surprise, it split off into multiple different paths before meeting their blade. Right after, the split water circled around them to their back, slamming into it and making them be sent forward.
Mizuchi crackled with lightning, the force of Piercing Ox assisting it in bashing into the Shadow Guard and sending them flying across the skies of Lungmen. It continued to pressure its opponent, chasing after with vicious lightning and malleable water.
The Shadow Guard continued to run across, deflecting blow after blow while they prepared their next course of action. What was for certain, the towering skyscrapers of Lungmen were in the worst shape they could possibly be.
***
Megumi redirected the attacks of the Shadow Guard with his chain dance, gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes while straining with his actions. With his two strongest Shikigami being occupied, and Tiger Funeral bound to lose its battle, the black haired man couldn't help but be nervous.
'My physical strength only barely matches theirs, if I make one misstep, it's over!' Megumi was glad that the Inverted Spear of Heaven could disable Arts, otherwise the opponent he was facing right now would have left many serrations on his body.
Pulling the chain back and swinging it horizontally, Megumi's haori moved in the wind with his movements, the cuffs of the outfit bending along with the trajectory. To his slight surprise, the Shadow Guard had leapt over it with ease, and moved through the air like a flowing petal. 'He's avoiding the rest of the chains?!'
The Ten Shadows user brought his hands together while still holding onto the Inverted Spear of Heaven, forming a rabbit shadow puppet.
"Rabbit Escape!"
Right as the Shadow Guard's foot touched his chain, and used it to propel towards Megumi, the latter had already summoned thousands of rabbits. The amount was so much that it shot upwards, like a pure white building had just been erected atop the skyscraper.
In response, the Shadow Guard began lashing out, slicing as many rabbits as they could to get a clear view of Fushiguro Megumi. Due to their senses and sight being hampered, they would sometimes be caught in the extended Chain of a Thousand miles, but quickly rattled the Cursed metal off of their body.
Blood continued to be strewn about as the thousands of rabbits started to dwindle in number with a black storm of slashes, the SpecOp member unrelenting in their barrage.
"Mirror of the Deep."
"Extending Horizon."
A voice echoed forth, despite the snow white fur of the rabbits obstructing any sound from traveling towards the Shadow Guard.
"Toad."
A reinforced tongue grasped onto their hand holding their weapon, the rabbits surrounding it having completely dispersed in a form of turning into liquid shadows. Attempting to use their left hand to pry off the tongue, the Shadow Guard found it far more difficult than they had anticipated.
Feeling something prickle at their back, they immediately turned around while falling through the sky, to be met with a large nodachi crackling with blue lightning.
Shadow Extension: Sea Dragon Mizuchi
Using a Cursed Technique Reversal (Shadow Extension) with a Totality merely disabled the ability which Megumi chooses to draw upon. The Totality still remained active, but its ability that was used for Shadow Extension was completely disabled for the duration in which Megumi used it.
Feeling the edge of Dragon Bone slam against the neck of the Shadow Guard, Megumi felt his pupils shrink while he injected more Cursed Energy into it, getting the electric engines on the blade firing off. It continued to rip at the armor of the Shadow Guard, the wind and force of the blow sending Megumi's hair flying back.
After the force fully settled in, the Shadow Guard shot backwards like a rocket, Toad's tongue still latched onto their arm.
Heaving its movements, the Toad spun around while carrying the dazed Shadow Guard with them, sending them circling across the skyscraper and above Lungmen's streets.
Megumi wished he could use Shrine right now, but he was undergoing Cursed Technique burnout. However, thanks to being conditioned to having his brain overloaded with 900 years of information, the burnout only made it so that he couldn't use two Cursed Techniques at once. Using a singular Cursed Technique while in this burnout state did not reduce their functionality at all.
Unlimited Void was both a curse and a blessing.
While watching the Shadow Guard being spun around, Megumi widened his eyes when they quickly recovered, some sort of aura-like shadow coalescing around their free arm. Right after, they ripped off the tongue of Toad with ease, before directing their course of being swung around to ram into a different skyscraper, stopping their momentum entirely.
The black haired man recognized it as a way for the Shadow Guard to get their footing back, instead of falling downwards and onto the streets. Preparing himself, Megumi spoke another chant before they charged him once more:
"Scarf to Ward Off All Things."
"Boundless Multiplicity."
Shadow Extension: Rabbit Escape
The Ten Shadow user split off into two other copies, with the real one being at the epicenter. Right after the Shadow Guard had launched off from their position at hyper fast speeds, they were immediately met with the sight of two Megumis reeling their fists back; while the center one entered a drawing stance.
Secret Art: Falling Blossom Emotion
Brandishing their blade, the Shadow Guard blocked and deflected the blows from the cloned Megumis with casual ease. However, the one at the center who they assumed to be the real one had a dark blue aura enveloping him, before the nodachi was fully drawn.
The engines flared up once more, the place splitting through the air with rapid accelerating speed, and made it towards the Shadow Guard. Much to Megumi's disappointment, the clones didn't do much to hamper their defenses, as they immediately raised their blade and shirked the blow from Dragon Bone.
A bass-boosted clanging sound came up from the rooftops.
However, that provided an opportunity for Megumi's two other clones to land a few blows with their fists on the Shadow Guards' side, the increase in strength provided by Falling Blossom Emotion being a good enough distraction.
With a flying thrust from Dragon Bone, Megumi felt the wind brush upon him once more. If he kept up with this sort of momentum, then he'd eventually win this fight!
But as if to crush the 18 year-old man's spirits, the Shadow Guard tensed up their muscles, slashing in a wide arc that completely cleaved through his clones. Right after, they moved their blade in a vertical position to block Dragon Bone's piercing thrust, letting the shockwave settle down for a moment.
Their black rain coat billowed in the wind, the mask placed upon their face slightly swaying underneath their conical hat.
"Yield," the Shadow Guard spoke out, mere scratches present on their advanced armor, "and you will remain with your limbs intact." A singular threat left their lips, if they could even be seen moving with the cover over their face.
"Tch," Megumi gritted his teeth, switching Dragon Bone from a thrust into a guard, grinding against the Shadow Guard's blade. "What do you want? Did Chief Wei send you?" His eyes settled into a glare, his physical strength starting to hamper.
If only he hadn't burnt out his Domain Expansion against those Blood Hounds.
"No," the Shadow Guard replied with confidence, not a single lie being detected from them. That was because there was truly not a lie, "it is with our own volition, that you stay within the confines of Lungmen." Although they didn't know what Wei Yenwu wanted them to do with Fushiguro Megumi, the best they could make of his intentions was to keep him in Lungmen.
"Ah... Hell no!" Megumi went for a kick imbued with Mizuchi's lightning towards the Shadow Guard's stomach, but found that it was promptly blocked when they released one of their hands to block it.
However, it proved to be a mistake when the electrical currents fired off like a railgun and sent them spiraling backwards.
Megumi clicked his tongue, before deciding to run around and-
-Tiger Funeral had been de-summoned. At that moment, Megumi widened his eyes, having realized the implications of what had just happened. There was a command placed on his Shikigami, that if they faced a lethal blow, they would automatically de-summon.
That meant he was about to be attacked by a second Shadow Guard, despite already having to fight tooth and nail against just one of them.
Above the radiating skylines of Lungmen, bearing the brunt of all of the city's neon lights, Megumi felt at a loss of what to do. His senses were alerting him of danger, approaching from two sides, and unable to call upon Mizuchi if he didn't want a third Shadow Guard upon him.
He decided on his next course of action, to dip into his shadows and get out of the vicinity of this area. Right as he started sinking into the shadows though, a blade flew right at his head, forcing Megumi to turn it to the side and glance backwards.
A Shadow Guard, the one that disabled Tiger Funeral was already reaching their hands out, only a few sections of their cloak being singed. Their cloak billowed in the sky, small smarks of ember emitting from it, before their hand grabbed Megumi by the face and threw him outside the shadow.
'Shit! He's too fast!' Megumi was sent crashing through a metal door, and bursting through the walls around it, finding himself flying above Lungmen's cityscape. Thinking fast and recovering, he was forced to enhance his foot with Cursed Energy and kick off of it, jumping to a different skyscraper.
Once he landed on his feet, Megumi found that there would be no respite given to him, as another blade was thrown to block off his path of exit. A different Shadow Guard, one without the burn singes had leapt upwards, their form in between Terra's two moons in the distance.
"MIZUCHI!"
Megumi realized that he couldn't escape this situation on his own, and called for his dragon to come and assist him. Screw fighting two Shadow Guards at once, he had a higher chance fighting three at once with Mizuchi!
Thanks to how recalling his Shikigami worked, a puddle immediately formed around him and the dragon shot outwards and spiraled around his body once more. While under the protection of its gigantic form, Megumi reached for Playful Cloud and dropped Dragon Bone back into his inventory.
Shadow Extension: Tiger Funeral
The three-section staff lit up in flames once more.
Although his physical strength, even enhanced with as much Cursed Energy as possible, was inferior to Tiger Funeral, all Megumi had to do was create an opening to escape.
Right after Mizuchi had uncoiled and struck at the approaching Shadow Guard, Megumi spun and spent a lashing flame towards another Shadow Guard that had snuck around, waiting for the dragon to leave its master.
As usual, Megumi's attack was blocked with a deflecting blow, but that didn't mean he would relent in the slightest.
Rotating his body while spinning Playful Cloud around his body, the Ten Shadows user let the coalescing Japanese painting flames form a discrete barrier around him. Right before lashing out with multiple blows fueled by the previous momentum.
The Shadow Guard reacted quickly by swiftly dancing their blade through the air, deflecting the blows that sent flaming shockwaves across the skyscraper rooftops.
Mizuchi took the chance to move away from its opponent after bashing them to send a current of lightning towards Megumi's Shadow Guard. It was punished for it, though, being stabbed through the neck by the Shadow Guard it was facing, but such an injury would be healed in less than a second.
Right after, Megumi grinned while seeing the flash of light, leaping backwards into the air while casting a wave of flames with a wild swing of Playful Cloud. The chains whipped together at the visceral and snappy motion.
The Shadow Guard was forced to leap away from the arcing lightning, and was forced to block the tsunami of flames sent their way; the force multiplied tremendously by Playful Cloud.
A gigantic explosion occurred, both from the combined efforts of Mizuchi's lightning, making the glass from the skyscraper completely shatter into blistering motes of flashing lights.
Megumi paused for a moment when landing on his feet, finding this to be the perfect opportunity to run away-
-A blade passed through his chest, just barely missing his heart. The black haired man felt his pupils shrink, the metallic taste of blood running through his mouth. Or rather, it seemed his brain was tricking him into imagining that sort of taste, despite Megumi's sense of taste having been fried ages ago.
It was calculated, perfectly so that it wouldn't end the life of the man in front of the Shadow Guard. What was needed next was...
...For the other Shadow Guard to rush past Mizuchi, blade in the ready to pierce Megumi once more.
Mizuchi was alerted, rushing back in an attempt to save their summoner, but Megumi was not in a state to instantly recall it back.
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STAB
Megumi attempted to move out of the way, but a second blade passed through his shoulder, having been put in front of two pincering blades going through his body.
A large splatter of blood came spurting out, leaving a bloody mess in front of him.
Blood continued to flow out ceaselessly, the adrenaline in his body numbing the pain. There was nothing he could do, neither Shadow Extension, nor Mizuchi could provide the needed assistance to get him out of this mess.
Especially since Mizuchi was being blocked off by the third Shadow Guard.
The black haired man had to wonder why these Shadow Guards hadn't just run their blades through his body and split him into equal parts, but that wasn't something he could muse to himself at the moment.
There laid only one option before his eyes, two orbs that saw his entire life flashing before him. Megumi knew there was no need to sugarcoat the actions in which his desperation laid into all his life. A last resort, one where he was willing to completely throw away his life.
"Bastards... haha..." Megumi grabbed the blades impaling his body, a smile coming upon his face.
"Yield," the Shadow Guard in front of him spoke once more, their tone speaking their final ultimatum. "You've lost this battle."
"HAHA~!!" Megumi let out a final laugh, "I'm losing? You've got it all wrong!" A crazed disturbance made itself known within his eyes. "We're both losing!" A maniacal sound left his mouth, one devoid of any purpose to live.
Ever since his entrance into this world, there had been nothing for him to look forward to, not in the food he ate, nor in any hobby he could create.
That's why, there was no need to hesitate.
***
Under this Binding Vow:
Condition: The summoning Ritual of the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga will force the user in a state of suspended animation.
Result: All parties involved within the Ritual of the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga, whether possessing Cursed Energy or not, will be forced into a state of suspended animation.
***
All lights from the city of Lungmen flashing into the skies had turned off, leaving the world into nothing but an endless abyss. A void where it felt as if nothing existed, only the figure of Fushiguro Megumi and the Shadow Guards becoming present.
A force, boundless and bare in its grace held all parties at the epicenter in a tightening grip. As if the universal laws of a distant world had kept them in place. There was no symphony, there was no music, and there would surely be no grace within their deaths.
Balled fists gathered together, being brought in front of a crippled and broken man, ones with eyes shining so bright they could put any star to shame. Yet at the same time, it was the stars that shone the brightest that would implode into a black hole.
A black hole that would consume all in its wake.
"WITH THIS SACRED TREASURE..."
The blessed Incantation of Furu, the ten counting numbers which made up the divine Sacred Treasures. It was an echo that bled across the cosmos, shaping the primordial force that was once chaos, one that had existed since the Gods of Japan still roamed.
Cleared by the Heavenly Inverse Spear, now known as the shattered Inverted Spear of Heaven, the chaos which ravaged the earth had been cleared completely. Thus came the gods who used this weapon to forge the earth, and bring about an age where humanity could thrive.
"I SUMMON...!"
Bodhisattvas, Buddhas, beings of great renown, and those who have reached the utmost peak of human mentality. They stood in the state of Nirvana, becoming one with existence itself, and unbound by any fettered worldly desire.
They were so powerful in fact, that Deities themselves looked upon them with awe, entire races of such Deities dedicating themselves to protect the Buddhas and their teaching of Dharma.
One such being the Divine Generals, those who formed together to become the shield of the Buddha of Healing.
They were esteemed protectors venerated by Heaven itself.
Amongst all of them, despite their grand majesty, only one could stand out the greatest.
Out from an ivory cocoon of bathing lights, came forth a humanoid reptilian beast with the gaping teeth of a human. It's pale and gray skin infinitely reflecting the light of the moonstruck skies, painting a firmament of great divinity.
Upon its head lay the symbol of the Dharma, the Noble Eightfold Path revealing all secrets of the universe in a singular cosmic law. It wasn't dominated by any flaccid desires, no, the beast was the one in complete control of itself.
Attached to its right arm was a crude blade bandaged by white straps, yet it held its own significance when in the presence of such a great beast. Not just a crude blade, but a weapon that can part all terrestrial armies that exist on the mortal plane, with a mere gesture.
The howling of all Shikigamis accompanied it, revering the entrance of a being chosen by the tenth and final Sacred Treasure...
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...The one who tore the great Buddha off his empyrean throne...!
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...The hand that reached past Infinity...!
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EIGHT-HANDLED SWORD DIVERGENT SILA DIVINE GENERAL MAHORAGA
***
Ch'en watched from above, the skyscrapers aligning Lungmen's most commercial district having arcs of lightning and flames consistently flying about. However, at the moment, all of them seemed to cease.
"Hoshiguma! How's the clearing going?" She tapped into the radio, speaking to her companion. "Has every citizen been evacuated?" It had been easy to find where Fushiguro Megumi was, because of the blinding attacks being sent all across Lungmen's skies.
...Now what could cause him to crash out like this?
"They're all evacuated, Captain, should we send the rest of the LGD in?" Hoshiguma's voice came from the radio, the small sound of Swire issuing commands could also be heard from behind it.
"Yes, go ahead, I'll take the lead," Ch'en nodded to herself while speaking, before turning upwards. For some reason, the lights above had all flickered away, some sort of abyssal shadow overtaking everything above it. 'Just what the hell are you doing Megumi?'
There seemed to be nothing she could feel from up there, her instinct and senses completely betraying her at the moment. Ch'en's dragon tail continued to nervously sway, her right hand settled upon a humming Chi Xiao.
The blade was content to be drawn, not begging as it usually would be against the Ten Shadows user.
Ch'en had surmised it to be because Megumi was far atop the skyscrapers, so Chi Xiao couldn't fully bear the brunt of his presence due to the distance. However, it was heavy enough where the blade wouldn't lash out at her for being...
...Something was wrong, what was this earthquake happening?!
"Captain! Do you feel that too?! Captain!" Hoshiguma's panicked voice called out to Ch'en, the reverberation coursing all across the district.
Immediately, Ch'en felt her eyes widen, forcing her body to leap back as the entire skyscraper she was observing had collapsed.
The concrete stabilizing the structure and holding up had been turned into mist, the glass had all completely shattered into a cacophony of sounds, reaching upwards into a crescendo with all other happenings. It continued to fall and fall and fall... until nothing but an enormous dust cloud filled all of Lungmen's streets.
Just as sudden as its destruction, did Ch'en feel an immense wave of divinity blanket the area. It was like the boundless sky, whether it be night or day encompassing all of Terra in its wake. The dragon lady didn't know how to respond, her eyes barely even registering the dust from behind her shielded arm.
Amongst the rubble, something was coming out, all rocks and debris being lifted upon its back with hardly any effort. It was pale, white, and monstrously large, a being that seemed to be rising due to a celestial credence.
Chi Xiao SCREAMED to be drawn, an iridescent crimson light flashing all across the horizon. The blade was at its full power, a magnificent aurora emitting straight from it.
Ch'en had never seen nor felt anything like this before from the blade, for as long as she held this weapon in her possession. With tense eyes and sweat developing on the back of her neck, she drew the weapon from its sheath, calling out the phrase of a grandiose Sword Art.
"CHI XIAO - UNSHEATHE!"
When the red blade arced through the air in a magnificent waltz, all in its path were reduced to nothing but dust. It came and advanced forward, charging towards the otherworldly monster.
Flashes of black and crimson light emitted upon impact, illuminating the world in a vibrant afterglow. A shockwave emitted, all coalescing into a singular point that contracted, and then expanded in a shower of black and white.
In this monotone world, all color no longer existed, right before the permeating gleam returned to its normal form.
Destruction was left in its wake, a cascade of luminescence being the only thing that remained, and the screeching of Arts echoing forth...
...That was until...
KLNK
The turning of a wheel, a rotational force that bends all laws to its will. Just as the Dharma encompassed and governed existence, so did this singular wheel as its representation, heed all to follow it.
Under the explosive energy of the Dragon Slaying sword, arose Mahoraga. Its gaping slash steamed and boiled, completely being enveloped once more by its vast regeneration. As if nothing had even touched it, the beast was unperturbed.
Ch'en watched the beast with bated breaths, her eyes taking in every fiber of its being. Wing-like protrusions from its eyeless face, its gaping mouth twisted forever into scorn, and towering form that held a sort of endless power underneath the skies.
"Ch'en! We're heading in!" Hoshiguma called out to the woman, having heard all of the distortions of audio from where she was at. "Lin and Swire are on their way too!"
The dragon lady couldn't respond, a primal fear overtaking her at the moment she laid sight of the Divine General. However, Ch'en gritted her teeth, eyes forming into a glare as she gripped Chi Xiao once more, feeling all of its power enter her form.
"...You're going down," the blue haired Lung lowered her form, the trance of battle having completely overtaken her. Ch'en's eyes glowed, a terse focus upon the unshifting beast.
Until it moved.
The pile of rubble underneath it immediately blew back, its maw opening wide into a heavenly scream, and its bladed right hand stretched over its body and ready to strike.
Ch'en jolted, sending off a charged slash from Chi Xiao, the blade sending off multiple slashes in one motion, all sent out to ravage the beast. Instead of seeing it be diced into a million pieces, the flickering slashes only served to carve at its skin, the beast's wheel starting to rotate ever quicker when being hit with the barrage.
Raising her blade into a block, Chi Xiao's energy completely covered her form in some sort of translucent red barrier, shielding her from a vertical downslash from Mahoraga. The force sent the entire ground caving in, making Ch'en wonder if she was going to be blasted down to Lungmen's sewers.
KLNK
The wheel finished its rotation as the slashes all completely dissipated, the beast moving in an axis from its back foot, reeling back for a mighty blow.
Ch'en deflected the Sword of Extermination ever so slightly, moving to the side while it cleaved the ground into an ever-growing fissure. Twisting Chi Xiao, she raised it into a vertical guard to block the punch.
BOOM
Her body reeled back despite having blocked the blow, making Ch'en squint her eyes and let out a yell. Once the punch had fully settled in, she found herself skidding past the streets, before planting her blade on the ground.
Mahoraga had already dashed to where she was, circling around her to attack the dragon lady from the back.
'Shit!' The speed was far too staggering for Ch'en, making her have to resort to an attack that she wasn't too confident in using.
"CHI XIAO - SHADOWLESS!"
Her blade echoed with a ruby gleam, the blade flashing into multiple motes of streaking lights that could barely be seen. They were like strands extended forth, drawing through the air to assault the Divine General.
Mahoraga stomped their feet, halting their steps and sending the landscape altering in its wake. Reeling its right arm back, the monster roared and sent off a barrage of punches on its own, clashing with the attack in violent and callous fervor.
It sounded like the sound of supersonic jets echoing throughout the battered streets of Lungmen, the attacks continuing to send a force that shattered glass and the buildings around.
...Atop its head, the wheel began to turn, while Mahoraga continued its relentless barrage.
Ch'en creased her brows while letting out a battle cry, putting in more effort with her next blow to redirect the Divine General off course. Twisting her body, Chi Xiao shot a flame-like path behind her, spanning such a wide distance it could cover an entire building.
Bringing the sword into an upwards slash, the wave blew through and past Mahoraga, clashing with the Sword of Extermination once more. Putting in as much effort as she could, Ch'en was able to barely send the beast's upper body backwards.
Having stunned it even for a little moment, Ch'en leapt backwards as fast as the gale blowing across Terra's highest mountains, leaving nothing but a blue and red blur in her wake. Once enough distance was made, the dragon lady sheathed her weapon once more... concentration becoming one with the blade.
With a heaving breath...
"CHI XIAO - UNSHEATHE!"
...She poured her entire being into this singular attack, an effort formulating her magnum opus' very being. The ripples lashed out from Chi Xiao, cresting into a razor sharp tsunami which propelled forward from her impeccable draw.
Mahoraga stared down the mountainous streak, stamping its feet on the ground to regain its footing. There was nothing it could do to dodge an attack of this magnitude, and tanking it was always an option...
...However, what was a general but somebody who could make the most of their resources?
KLNK
The third and final rotation, the mouth of Heaven and Nirvana had both spoken.
With a glittering flash of celestial gold, the blade attached to the Divine General's right hand was erupting with energy. A force of nature potent enough to make even the greatest of dragons bow to its will, a technique forged through centuries of training and heritage...
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SWORD OF EXTERMINATION - UNSHEATHE
A slit in the air itself, splitting even the tiniest of molecules in its wake. The ever growing golden slash crashed forward, against all obstacles in its path, and that included the attack from Chi Xiao that dared to bare its fang against Yakushi's greatest.
BOOM
Red married with gold, an irradiance formed into a singularity, making the world itself halt in their resounding clash.
Ch'en watched the scene, hands shaking despite holding the famed Dragon Slaying sword in her hands. Chi Xiao, the techniques engraved and made for the weapon...
...It had been copied.
Staring through the sheen of light that had erupted forth from the clash, Ch'en could only stare blankly at the grinning and sadistic mouth of Mahoraga.