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Role-Play Name: Flesh and Blood
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The Promised Land[]
Punk Hazard. A territory that had always been the World Government's wild card. It served as a base for all of their secret operations. It was a place were chaos was apparent, from the fight of two of the strongest Admirals the Marines had produced, to the island's conquest by Muspelheim Heldleh. Now, it belonged to no other than Al Khalifa Ain and Umori Kenshiro as well as their respective crews.
The skies were awfully calm and so was the surrounding sea. The usual, intense eruptions from the volcanoes could not be heard, nor the cold winds of the Ice Lands. From afar, it would appear that for the first time in so long, the island was subject to peace.
"IBLIS!!!"
Suddenly, a screech resounded throughout the entirety of Punk Hazard, as a mass of blackened flames roared through the snow and ice, melting it as it met its mark. The atmosphere heated up to the point where even the Ice Land's cold diminished severly, at least for a moment. The attack left a scorching path of flames on its wake, and a large sized hole on its intended location.
"Tch."
Yet Ain did not seem happy with it. Not in the slightest, she huffed loudly for breath as she felt the strain on her lungs from using the attack repeatedly. Her red eyes were set on a singular person in front of her, a woman who had defeated her countless of times before, and today was like no other.
The woman looking down on Ain nodded as if in approval. The shadow she cast was massive, encompassing both the young woman and her partner, a man who she had met about a year ago, and had together already had shared life or death situations. While Ain stood up defiantly against her adversary, Umori Kenshiro laid down on the snow, inhaling and exhaling rapidly.
“Damnit Ain, just take a break. We’ve been training non-stop for days.” The man commented, his hair already had grown quite long. He clenched his sword, yet almost every muscle in his body ached.
“Oh...” A sweet, yet imposing voice began. “If you slack off so much, Kenny, Ain-dear will leave you in the dust. She’s already grown so much.” Silvenya stood firmly before the duo, holding her massive and finely crafted naginata. The beautiful woman’s presence was as fiery as Ain’s flames, yet calm as the snow that fell around them. However, both had already learned, that her calm demeanor could quickly turn into that of the most destructive storm.
They still couldn’t figure out what went through that woman’s head, though, even after being driven to near-death almost daily by her. After their defeat of Muspelheim, Silvenya arrived to the island to slaughter whoever had intervened against her subordinate. Yet after defeating them, she decided to stay, which only prompted the duo to keep attacking, until they realized a few weeks later, that Silvenya had no intention of leaving, and neither to kill them. She said she was “bored”, and didn’t mind helping the rookie pirates to get stronger, truly, a strange, childish woman in their eyes. But what they couldn’t deny, was the obvious and overwhelming power she possessed.
“Ain-dear, what have I been telling you?” Silvenya teased, waving her finger around mockingly. “Try and focusing your flames even further into your attack. You’re spreading yourself too much,” She winked.
“Oh there she goes...” Commented Kenshiro as he forced himself into a sitting position.
Huff. Huff. Huff
"Got it." Silvenya's advice was always quite helpful and Ain had admitted that it was no more than pure luck that the woman had decided to train...or well, play with them for so long. She had learned how to encompass her flames completely in Haki, yet somehow it didn't give off the effect that she quite wanted.
"One last time, Sil-san." Ain took a deep breath as she bent her buckling knees down, flames beginning to form within her as she opened her mouth, yet no fire was released.
Plop
She fell onto the floor. Her skin clashing against the soft snow, as she embraced its cold. While she wanted to keep going, Ain admitted that at this point she couldn't. After 100 tries of giving it her all, it appeared that she was at her limit.
"Well." she remarked as she looked at her dead legs with an expressionless face. "Sil-san it appears that my legs have given up. May I request a break?"
“Oh, of course my loves...” The massive woman smiled and walked towards a large rock, where she sat and began to fiddle with her nails.
Kenshiro observed Silvenya, and slowly scooted over towards Ain, who had collapsed just moments prior. “Tch! You always have to one up me.” He chuckled. “But to be fair, my devil fruit consumes a hell of a lot of stamina so...” He turned his head towards his side, grabbing his sword and sheathing it.
“But we’ve improved quite a bit.” He motioned towards Silvenya, glancing at her legs and arms, noticing several burns and scrapes. “Aah...Fufu...this maybe sound strange, but I kind of miss being at sea.” His eyes turned serious, and his mouth was shaped into that ominous smile Ain surely had gotten used to already.
“When we return, we’ll take over everything...” He then looked at Ain, confused until he realized, he had been thinking out loud.
"Perhaps," she grinned, glancing at Kenshiro, then her eyes moved to one of the many nearby buildings that were being constructed by their crew members. In a relative short amount of time, they had begun to turn Punk Hazard into an inhabitable place.
"Though it seems that we'd need a hell of more of an army for now. The Reapers may be doing well, Ken, but my crew is still dying, even our weapon factories have slowly halted." Ain was referring to the lack of staff needed to make the many weapons of the Chiba and Immortal Wraiths. It wasn't out of pity that she said it, no, she was simply stating the truth.
Kenshiro nodded, having been informed of the status and history of the Notch. Now it was up to her, to strengthen and lead such a crew. “Yes well...what you need is some powerful additions that would make the crew compete, no, surpass the previous generation. You need soldiers, and damn good ones.”
He turned his head to Ain, who continued to lie down on the snow. “I may have a suggestion, but...You can die in the attempt...”
“Have you ever heard,” he continued. “Of the Orc Tribe?”
"Orc Tribe?" Ain questioned as a mental image of the orcs popped into her mind. She hadn't run into them but heard about them very roughly, "Very little. I heard they're quite strong and...blacksmiths too." her eyes widened, as she said this.
"Where are they, Ken-san?"
Kenshiro nodded, as he went to pat Ain’s head, a habit he got out of nowhere. It seems Ain had become someone Kenshiro could trust as much as one if his crew, or like the sister he never had. “Their homeland is called “Orchinia”, a large island with incredible natural defenses, and has remained untouched by the Government nor pirates for centuries. Yes, some may go there and recruit an orc or a few, but the tribe as a whole has remained completely independent...”
He took a glance at Ain. “I can tell you where they are, I even have in my hands an eternal pose to the island. But, even with your strength, I could be sending you to die, Ain, if I give you their location. Orcs are powerful, Ain.” He then turned his head to glance at Silvenya.
“You once attempted to go after them, right?” Kenshiro asked the large woman.
Silvenya raised her head slowly to glance at the duo, and nodded. “Yes but, I was naive, and went for the entire tribe. I faced against multiple clans and even worse, against the Warchief himself...” She exhaled loudly. “The Hellspawn’s were driven away soundly.”
He turned to Ain once more. “There are ways you can take them over without risking so much. For one...go after a single clan. Fufu, they’re worth as much as an entire nation’s military. Even just a few dozen of them, can turn any crew of organization around...or you can try to bargain with them, “hire” them, so to say.”
Ain's eyes flickered between Silvenya and Kenshiro before settling on the latter. "A single clan...they could grant me the strength I need...Orchinia..." she thought out loud. "Sil-san, would you be against me going after them?" Ain asked her acting 'mentor' throughout her time in Punk Hazard.
Silvenya shook her head. “I don’t mind dear, I’ve lost interest in the Orcs a while ago. Besides...” She stood up, and stretched. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen my babies, I should go for a bit and check on the state of Pandemonium. Hopefully the old coot didn’t raze our territory to the ground in my absence.”
As Silvenya waved to the duo, she began to walk towards the bay. Kenshiro grabbed hold of Ain, and wrapped her arm around his neck. They walked towards the nearest building, sitting on some chairs while some soldiers came to tend to their injuries.
“If you’re determined, then I’ll have someone bring to you the Eternal Pose and a Map of Orchinia, Ain. But, you’re sure about this then?”
Ain nodded, fiery determination clear in her eyes. "Absolutely. I need to do this...for my crew's sake." it was incredible, the lengths Ain would go for a crew that most likely wouldn't do the same for her.
“Sigh” Kenshiro exhaled loudly, his expression quickly turned into a smile. “Alright, I’ll have the items ready for you once you decide to leave. But first...” He walked towards her, and tapped her in the head. Suddenly, he appeared to be just a few inches from her face, with an intense glare, a crimson aura emanating from him, forming several silhouettes around him.
“You better not leave before you’re fully healed, or I’ll do my best to drag you back, Fufufu...” In his own, strange way, Kenshiro stated to Ain the dangerousness of her quest and his concern for her wellbeing.
Ain didn't react even as Kenshiro approached her with the same glare he had used to intimidate thousands of pirates before. Her head bobbed back slightly as he touched it.
"Got it. Though Ken-san...please stop that, your face will wrinkle if you keep doing it."
“Yahahaha!” At Ain’s response, he leaned back and let himself fall unto the floor, exhaling loudly once more. His body ached all around him, but nothing compared to a few months ago, which meant he had gotten exponentially stronger. He knew Ain all too well at this point too, so he had a good idea of her strength.
She could definitely pull this off, given she had incredible reserves of strength even she had yet to tap into. “Well Ain-dear, all that’s left is to recover. As I said, I’ll tell someone to give you the stuff just before you leave.” He smiled, “I don’t want you sneaking out before you’re 100%, Fufufu...”
He turned his head to one of the soldiers nearby, “Oi, what does one have to do to get some food around here?!”
“Y-Yes sir, on it!”
Days passed and both Ain and Kenshiro had recuperated effectively. All it took were some dreadful days of rest, in which they focused on directing the construction of various buildings, roads and towns throughout Punk Hazard. While Kenshiro had focused on his own factories, associated with the Wung Family, Ain had focused specifically on building a weapon factory near the volcanoes. She had yet to decide its name but knew it would benefit her crew greatly. That was exactly why she needed one of the Orc Tribes.
Eternal Loge Pose at hand, Ain looked at the seas and the ship that had been prepared for her. The salty ocean mixed with the winds assailed her nose. Oh how she had longed the seas.
"I suppose this is goodbye, at least for now."
Kenshiro seemed to be embodying more of a elegant wear whenever he wasn’t training. He was dressed in a dark, immaculate suit, straight from Donatelli Designs. He stood in the docks, as he and some others saw Ain off. He too, was soon to leave for a short time. “Yes, don’t get yourself killed.” Kenshiro stated crudely, with a grin on his face.
“Let me know of any developments, Ain. In the meantime, I’ll travel to Paradise to overlook some “business” going around there. I won’t be too long either.”
Ain nodded, her face showing no signs of emotion. Yet Kenshiro more than likely knew that this...was just the way she was. She turned around and began to walk to her ship by her lonesome, again. It was something she was used to this since most of the Notch were...somewhere.
Waving goodbye one last time, her crew members began making the proper preparations for her ship to leave. Soon enough, she'd disappear her ship slowly moving away from Punk Hazard.
"Er...well that happened, didn't it Kenshiro?" Kagami Azuma stated as he watched Ain, along with several other crew members, leave Punk Hazard.
"So what now?"
“Er...Ain san!” A voice interrupted before Kenshiro could answer his young crew mate. A tall, blonde-haired man with an unusual mask covering his eyes dashed through and stopped just before them, watching as the Notch’s ship left him behind.
“Damn, Ken-san, she always does this...” Arthras turned to look at Kenshiro. “Can you talk some sense into her?”
“Me? Fufufu...I couldn’t even if I tried.”
“Sigh...” Arthras waved his hand in front of him, and suddenly, he was being propelled forward at great speeds, being carried by a large chunk of earth from the coast.
“Aaaiiin! You left me behind...AGAIN!” Arthras yelled as he approached the ship.
Kenshiro turned and simply raised his eyebrow at Azuma. “At least it’s never boring here. Let’s go get our own ship ready, Azuma-kun.”
He watched as several of his crew members gathered, as they too, would embark on a dangerous mission, the conquest of a nearby, yet nearly uninhabitable land known as Coldharbour.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Ken-san?” Minerva questioned.
“Yes, I’m sure. If we conquer that land, we’d have nearly secured a whole stretch of sea. Besides, Lucas and the Wung Family will provide support from straight above...”
The notorious crew embarked on their journey as Ain went on hers, unsure of what fate would bring.
Knocking on Death's Door[]
It took Ain several days to reach the dreaded lands of what she could only assume was Orchinia. Honestly, it would've taken less but given Ain's sub-par navigating skills, she'd have to make do with what she had.
The smell of sea breeze was apparent in the air, keeping her awake despite the many hours she'd endure of travel. She sat comfortably in the middle of her ship, starring at the sky. This was...oddly therapeutic. It had been a while since Ain had been at sea, and more importantly traveling like this. It reminded her of her earlier days as Belphegor.
"Everything sure was easier back then..."
Images flashed in Ain's mind, as vivid as they could be. Things that had passed before...she remembered them all with incredible accuracy. She remembered Freyja and Ascalon's warm embrace when she first joined the Notch, how they pulled her out of that...terrible incident she had gotten herself into. How they had given her a chance when nobody else had.
Faces flashed in her mind. Anna, Gerhard, Laszlo and more. All her senses aided her in doing so. The images of the Shichibukai war flashed in her mind, the smell of gunpowder, the waves of heat, the screams and struggles of those she considered cremates.
"Huff, huff, huff." Ain breathed loudly, her lungs barely managing to release the air she had built up. Her face was covered in dirt, and her hair, messy and disheveled. Dry sweat plagued her skin, allowing many random particles to cover her skin. Her usual armor was broken, and blood escaped from everywhere. Her head, her neck, her hands, and even her legs.
While some of it was her own, it was mostly those of her cremates. Dead bodies stacked up on the floor like there was no tomorrow. Courtesy of Lancaster Hecate and Qasarhog Yanbaal. They were alive and well, noted by the clanging sounds of metal clashing, and the loud roars and explosions that the remaining crew could see from afar. It was quite literally a massacre. Water, blood, paper, ice. It covered their respective battlefields creating a rather odd combination of elements that Ain witnessed.
It made her feel angry, weak, worthless. Her superiors were fighting, giving it all they could and what was Ain doing? Nothing, she could do nothing, other than watch Gerhard protect them from the attacks that many of them ended up injured by. Her knees buckled yet she still took steps forward, albeit slowly. She had to help, this couldn't be the end, could it?
THUD.
Ain's knees fell onto the floor, followed by her body. Weak. Too weak. She felt its cold embrace, that was oddly, quite comforting. Even if she wanted to help, what could she, a mere foot soldier do? She wouldn't even be enough to serve as a sacrifice. No, she'd only get in the way, right? These thoughts plagued her mind, yet she still tried to slither across the ground, her hand reaching out helplessly.
Before the dark overtook Ain's consciousness, she could hear a muffled sigh and steps that approached her.
A blink was all it would take for Ain to regain her vision, like her body had somehow skipped across space and was laying over a hospital bed. Should she look around, she would be met with Blumenthal Gerhard's figure examining her body.
"So even y'were hurt..." Gerhard spoke, his hands were bloody, no, not just his hands, there was red all over his chest and neck. The place was much quieter, despite the rumbles far in the background, after all, this was the farthest to the battlefield.
Attempting to quickly raise her upper body from the ground, a stinging pain made itself known all across her body.
“W-where am I, Gerhard-san?”
"Ya' in pirate heaven-" Gerhard's cheeks puffed and he held his voice in. "Nah nah, but for real, we on Annunaki's border... fight's still on." His hands traveled across the surface of her body, emulating the energy of his Devil Fruit through them, one with Chaos and the other with Order.
Through the former, Gerhard broke down any pieces of tissue and bones that were already damaged. Through the latter, he instantly reformed them into a proper shape, the pain was surely there, yet, given his quick work, it was to be gone soon. Sweats went down all over his body, meshing with some of the blood.
"Don' move much, I may break'cha apart."
Her body went through a strange transformation, the pain somewhat dissipating as Gerhard worked his magic. Yet anguish still filled Ain's face.
"I-I have to go Gerhard-san. I have to help Ascalon and the others!" she proclaimed.
Gerhard's eyelids almost shut down, stopping halfway through, he knelt a bit in order to look at Ain at face level. He had to commend it, someone of her player level wanting to go back to that phase. It was certainly daring, almost suicidal.
Definitely suicidal.
"Ain, ya' not calm," Gerhard's voice was a bit quiet, but, still audible. He tilted his head and stared into her eyes. "D'ya think y'll do much like tha?" "N-no..." she responded, glancing quickly at Gerhard's eyes time and time again. Like a Doctor scolding a child patient.
"So what am I supposed to do? Sit back here and watch them lose their lives?! Gerhard-san, how exactly are you so calm?!" her voice lost its usual cool, and calm tone. She had lost her composure
"Ain, th' examination's over, but," Gerhard sighed, almost walking away, he restrained himself. "I needa' touch ya', s'that ok?"
"Do as you must, Commander." Ain responded, her face showed visible worry, sweat forming on her temples.
DamoranianToday at 5:34 PM Left hand on the mattress, Gerhard moved his right hand to cup Ain's shoulder. There it was again, that same sensation from before, the sensation of Order, not accompanied by Chaos. "Ight now... Cap'n's doin' a personal fight... we were ta' retreat, I've called all soldiers."
That sensation began to spread from her shoulder and all over, one that could halt the air, stop a tide, quell a flame. Order made true to its name. And that same capability extended over to whatever physical thing Gerhard touched, including other human beings. Ain's racing heart, blurry mind, they were no exception as targets.
"Y've done yer best, a'ight?" Gerhard nodded at her, looking at her eyes yet again to observe any changes in her pupils. "Y've done yer part..."
The strange sensation caused by Gerhard powers tingled her body. It was an odd feeling, yet one she repressed through gritted teeth as she quickly turned around so that her back faced Gerhard.
"My pwaff wafn't enuff." she said through muffled words, her mouth biting the covers of the hospital bed. Unbeknownst to Gerhard, tears streamed down her cheeks terribly. She sniffed loudly, a sniff akin to that of an unfulfilled child at a doctor's office. Gerhard tried but could he really deal with this patient?
"Ain," Gerhard muttered out, putting his other hand on her shoulders, it employed the same ability, so that its effects increased several folds. "If ya' go out 'ere, y'll be killed."
Approaching her a bit more, Gerhard spoke in a slightly louder tone. "Are ya' listenin' to me, Ain?" Though his voice was like that, the ability of his Devil Fruit spoke otherwise, if she wasn't going to be a helpful player, he might as well calm her down to unconsciousness yet again. "Cap's got Boss Ascalon... everyone's back..."
Ain was brought back to reality by the loud thud of her ship, against the ground that she could only assume was Orchinia. Her eyes adjusted to the sky, and what stood in front of her. Her ship had quite literally hit a rock, and she had failed to notice. Chills ran down her spine as she shook her head, attempting to forget those terrible events. It seemed like they had occurred only yesterday.
Preparing the ship as she usually did, Ain jumped from it to the rocky grounds of Orchinia. Were only land, barren and soiled could be seen. From afar, she saw constructs, and perhaps, life? She walked towards it with the naivety of a child, or perhaps she was just that confident in her strength.
"Are you coming?" she asked Arthras. Despite not appearing it, she was quite glad she had brought someone with her.
“Of course, Captain!” The masked man asserted. He was a new addition, but he already respected Ain and referred to her as captain, as he felt she had done more than others to deserve such a position. However, he was nervous, if the legends he heard about the orcs were true, they were supposed to be terrifying monsters.
“Huh, at least there is a bunch of rock around.” The shores of Orchinia truly defined the mysterious land beyond it. There was barely a shore in the only accessible path they had in front of them, no other way in being visible from their position. Steep cliffs surrounded the island, with terrible sea conditions. Even beyond the path, only darkness was visible. However, it was also said that Orchinia was a land of endless beauty and riches found in the soil, but for now, what he saw was anything but appealing.
Arthras walked alongside Ain, traversing the dark and narrow path inland. And before they could even reach the end of it, a massive structure stood before them. “Uhh...Ain-san...”
But it was no rock, rather, once the fog cleared, it revealed the figure of a massive humanoid, far wider than both Ain and he combined, and about three times their height. The figure exhaled steaming air from his mouth, his muscles almost seeming unreal. It held a massive axe on one hand, larger than either of them, as his glowing red eyes lowered and glared on both of the intruders.
“So...” Arthras gulped. “This is an Orc?!!” Arthras himself was astonished, at the imposing presence emitted by a single orc. “And there’s a whole tribe?! Shiiiiiit...”
"Stand back, Beelzebub." Ain commanded as she took a single step forward. "Would you please take us to your tribe? I wish to subdue you under my command." she asked bluntly, her eyes matching the Orc's gaze.
The orc raised an eyebrow at Ain, which looked like a toddler in comparison to the large behemoth. It then glanced into the sea, noticing Ain’s ship in the distance.
“You...” Arthras was startled by the orc being able to understand and speak their language, or did they?
“Are not welcome!” With a swift movement, quite unnatural for someone of his size, the orc had raised his axe and swung it down at Ain with astounding force. However, the orc was suddenly sunk in place, as if the earth itself had sucked him in.
“Scaaaryy!” Arthras waved his hand, and the ground followed his command, creating a hole under the orc, and closing him in, leaving only his head exposed, forced to look up to both Ain and Arthras.
“Aah...Much better.” Suddenly he realized he had disobeyed Ain’s request, and had interfered. “Oh! Haha...Eh! My bad, Ain-san. It was a reflex-“
“Craaaaaaaa!” With a small tremor, the orc rose up from the temporary prison Beelzebub had created, his anger quite literally causing his skin to steam. “Raaaaaaargh!” Once again, the orc swung his axe, this time horizontally towards Ain’s body in order to cleave her in half, the sheer force of his attack slicing the air itself.
“Aaah! I messed up!” Arthras placed both hands on his head and began to panic.
Ain remained calm, even under her subordinate's antics. The ground shook, as the orc was pulled out of the hole, its instinct telling it to attack the intruders. He swept his arms, aiming to cleave Ain with its axe, yet the Ember Phantasm had other plans.
Jus as the orc slashed his arc in her location, Ain jumped onto the axe using it to propel herself forward. Her fist coated in a combination of what could only be flames and Haki cocked back as she travelled in the air, before she delivered a powerful blow straight to its head, causing the orc to travel backwards, a sizable distance, before it fell unto the ground. Utterly defeated.
"It's ok." Ain gave Arthras a thumbs up, before she continued to walk towards the nearest village. Yes! She couldn't scold her crew, if she were to become captain. Kenshiro had told her that being supportive was most important. Ain forced a smile, unbefitting of her.
Under his mask, Arthras’s eyes widened after witnessing Ain’s display. “Oh shit, oh shit. I better behave, if not...” He said to himself as he walked closer and took a glance at the orc. “It feels like he could get up at any time. This things give me goosebumps...”
He walked out of the narrow entry-way with Ain, and after a short moment, they were able to take a glance at the true beauty of Orchinia. Arthras lowered himself to his knees and placed a hand on the ground, and quickly stood up surprised. “A-Ain-san! I can’t believe it. The amount of precious minerals in the soil here is just...unreal! Calling this place a goldmine is an understatement!”
The landscape had a reddish colored soil with large and encompassing mountain ranges. The flora felt ancient and unbothered by modern civilization. But to think Orcs didn’t have their own technology and weren’t civilized was a mistake many made. Arthras inhaled deeply, and exhaled. “It smells so nice here, or...” He glanced at Ain. “Is it her perfume?” He thought to himself.
Suddenly, something seemed to catch his attention, prompting him to lower himself to the ground again. “Ain-san. About a kilometer from here, right in front of us. Three more of them, and by the feeling of their footsteps, they feel much stronger than tusky over here...”
It was a land unlike anything Ain had seen, and her mind raced in strange ways, as she thought about using the minerals for her crew. Yet her focus returned as she felt the presence of the orcs, Arthras' words serving as a reminder.
"Do you reckon their leader is amongst them?" Ain asked, as she gazed in their direction.
Arthras placed his palm on the ground once more. “Hmm, I don’t know if there’s the leader, but if what Kenshiro said is true, then the leader should be much stronger. These feel very tough, but nothing we cannot deal with. Let me, Ain-san.”
The young Hell Knight placed both hands on the ground, and for a second nothing happened. Until suddenly, the ground before them began to shake violently and split apart. This was due to Arthras’s Devil Fruit power, which allowed him control over earth. And thanks to his proficiency, creating earthquakes and fissures were things he could do without much problem.
“Don’t worry Ain-san, the quake won’t affect us. But it’ll make the orcs retreat back to their village, and we follow them there.” He smirked. “But I’ll sink em’ once they lead the way...” While seeming like a guy who got frightened or impressed at small things, Arthras in fact was a capable strategist and powerful fighter, and with the great control he has over his devil fruit power, a simple adjustment on his personality could make him a force to be reckoned with. While they could just wander around the island, Arthras had already sensed several powerful auras around, probably belonging to native creatures, as such, he decided to just follow the orcs, in order to not waste energy fighting meaningless battles.
In the distance, the three orcs were taken aback by the ground shaking violently. They looked at each other and ran back towards their stronghold, as the earthquake almost seemed to trail slight behind them.
“Now we follow!”
"Heh." Ain gazed at Arthras as he communicated with the Earth through the powers of his Devil Fruit. In that moment, when he was bent down, with both hands on the ground, the boy appeared completely different. As if he had been replaced completely by another person. The ground shook near the orcs, causing them to rush back to what Ain could only assume was their safe haven.
Grabbing onto Arthras' hand, and bending her knees slightly, Ain exploded forwards at incredible speeds, each leap nearing her closer and closer to the orcs. Her raven hair billowed in the wind, as she extended her arm, her subordinate holding on to it. Eventually, she stopped as a village came into view. It was...truly something different from what Ain usually saw, even across all her years going on expeditions.
Into the Stronghold[]
There it was. For the first time in a long time, an orc stronghold in view for beings of other lands. Truly, most invaders fell miserably because of the fact they came in numbers and proclaimed their supposed superiority. Those that came in small numbers were often dealt with by the creatures of the land. Farmland and plains as far as the eye could see. In the middle, a massive structure, a wall that seemed to reach the heavens, and that could endure the strikes of all but the mightiest of warriors.
Even at a distance, the moment the stronghold came in view to the duo, the orcs, warrior and farmer, noticed their presence. Some stared and continued on their duties, while others raised their crossbows and pulled out their axe. There was a certain feeling those capable of weaponizing their spiritual energy gave off, and here, it was everywhere. Children, women, slightly aged and young, were capable of using what on the outside is known as Haki.
The three orcs from earlier ran to an even larger sized orc, telling him about the mysterious quake, for sure. But the veteran orc soldier chose to ignore the patrols, and instead continue towards near the edge of the hold, where Ain and Arthras made their presence known. Arthras felt and saw the dozens of orcs approaching, their presence at least twenty times greater than the one they met at the entrance. And their size, nearing three times his own.
The eldest looking orc of the group walked forward, as his men stood back, mounting their “wargs”, wolves almost twice as tall as Arthras himself. He looked down at the duo, glancing for a few seconds of each. He inhaled loudly, taking in their scent. With a low grumble he prepared to speak, liking the large tusks that protruded from his own mouth.
“Gruuuh...What is tha’ business you have here on our land? Speak up!” The hulking creature stood defiantly, yet confident, his massive arm resting on his sheathed axe.
"Sure. I have come here in search of a work force. Men and women to work under me." Ain stated her eyes unwavering even at the presence of the Orc. The heavy breathing of their wolves fell upon Ain and Arthras, as if a strange, hot mist had engulfed them, yet Ain didn't seem to react.
"To put it bluntly, I want you all to join my crew."
At her declaration, some orcs seemed to chuckle while the one in front simply stared. He straightened himself and squinted his eyes at the duo. He knew the woman was serious and meant the words she spoke.
“Who are ya’ but some puny creatures?” The orc spoke. “Ya’ may be someone out dere’, but ere’? Ya’ nothing but prey...”
He turned his back to them. “We are not savages. We will allow ya’ da’ speak with our leader. We have been...Hrrmmm, hired by some of ya’ puny race in da’ past...” He began to walk, leading the duo into the stronghold. However after a few steps, he stopped and looked back.
“Or do ya’ want to try your fate by force?”
"Thank you. As for that matter...well, let's see how it goes." Ain confirmed. If possible she'd like to avoid a fight but hiring a work force would not come cheap, whatsoever.
Arthras simply stood beside Ain and nodded. Truly, thoughts of creating a massive sink hole plagued his mind. That’s how pirates are, right? He could force the orcs under them. But, would he survive such an attempt, rather, was it advisable? There were children and non-combatants who would be affected.
“Ah...” He began. “Y-Yes.” That was all he said before nodding again and walking towards where they were being led. One of the orcs glared back at Arthras.
The duo was led into the stronghold. It was as massive, or even larger than other, outside island cities. Marketplaces, workshops, homes as far as the eye could see. The delicious smell of a warthog being cooked, or the hammering sound of the local smiths, for such a fierce, warmongering race, the daily life of an orc didn’t seem as different as one would think.
As they entered a massive building, the duo were greeted by even larger, and stronger looking orcs. Entering a wide hall, at the center sat the chieftain, in a large throne. The previous orc went over to the chieft, and spoke with him in a rough, guttural language. Arthras looked at Ain, then at each at the orcs, in particular at one that was considerably smaller than the rest, but felt much stronger. Of course, not even close to how the chief felt. He wondered if even the both of them could take down such a monster.
He shook his head back when he realized he was staring straight at the orc. “Oh wait, I have a mask on...”
“Hrrmmm?” And orc questioned as Arthras spoke out loud.
“N-nothing, sir, mister orc...”
The orcs looked at each other and glared at Arthras once again. They moved closer as the chief waved his hand for them to do so. He grumbled lowly before beginning to speak.
“My men terr’ me you are rooking for a workforce. Many have tried to do that...” He pointed at a large basket filled with skulls at the edge of the hall. “Werr’, you see how they ended up.” He inhaled deeply.
“I smerr’ your strength. Hmmm...what can you offer us, woman? Or do-“
“Chief...If I may.” The smallest orc in the hall spoke as he walked forward. He was bare chested, and carried nothing more than a katana on his waist.
“Ret’ them prove their worth first, chief.”
The large orc chief glanced at the swordsman orc, then back at the duo. “Gromash is right. Before any further tark’, you need to prove you rot’ are not some pires’ of shit.”
Another orc turned to address the pirates. “Any objections, humans?”
Ain remained quiet for a while, the room being filled with tension and silence as everyone awaited for her answer. Her eyes were closed, yet her mind's eye wasn't and with it she was able to visualize the strength of every single orc in the room. Powerful. That was the only way they could be described. And the smallest orc? Even more so. He would prove a difficult opponent to Ain or so she assumed just from her intuition. Yet there was one aura, one figure that towered over all. It was that of the chief's. Her eyes opened once more, revealing red orbs.
"Yes." Ain took a step forward, her figure overshadowing that of Arthras'. "If you wish to probe my strength, then I too, wish to assess yours. Chief." Her gaze pierced through the swordsman's, landing on the seated giant.
"I can offer you no more. No more than strength, and a guide to your tribe's prosper. Will you accept this challenge, chief?" It was a bold move, risky and something Ain wouldn't have done previously. But she had trained under Silvenya considerably, and boldness was what the Notch required.
"Am I to win, your clan will serve under me. Any objections?"
The orcs looked at each other in confusion. Did this woman really challenge the leader? Even Arthras was questioning her decision by how he frantically began scratching his head. The chief simply continued to glare at her, while the swordsman orc lowered his head, almost as if he knew what would happen next.
With a thunderous thud the orc chief placed his foot on the floor, standing from his seated position. It was no surprise that, he towered over the orcs in the hall, a whooping 29 feet in height. He removed the cloak wrapped around his body, revealing a tattooed body, and muscles so dense that made any piece of metal look like mere plastic.
"I want muscles like-" Arthras shook his head at the strange thoughts that came to him.
"You're brave, woman. Not many have the guts tha' charrenge' the chief! But it is my duty to accept your request. Honor and Blood."
"HONOR AND BLOOD!" The orcs howled.
"Honor and-" Arthras muttered to himself as if wanting to be a part of the chant.
"Take the woman to the stage, and announce the GUL'TAK!" The chief exclaimed as he walked towards a back room. Arthras and Ain were led outside to a massive arena. Just minutes after the challenged was announced to the stronghold, the stands began to fill up with orcs. The arena was large, and warrior orcs stood around it, accompannied by their wargs, massive wolves they used as mounts. Ain and Arthras would be sat under a tarp, alongisde several weapon racks with masterfully crafted weapons for her choosing.
After a while, the chieftain, Itragkur walked to the stage, announcing himself and the challenge ahead to a wild crowd. The sounds of drums resounded all over, signaling that the match was soon to begin.
The swordsman orc approached the pirate duo. "There's no going back now. This is a sacred duel. You may pick any weapon you want. When you do, step into the arena, your opponent awaits.
Burnt Flesh[]
"..." Ain remained incredibly quiet. The sounds of the orcs chanting, willing up their chief who Ain had so boldly challenged. It seemed but a moment ago that they were all having a peaceful discussion and now here she stood. In an arena, against a man who would easily be thrice her own size yet she showed no signs of disturbance or worry.
Grabbing unto an axe, which had caught her attention due to its unique design. It seemed light yet durable, truthfully a weapon crafted by the orcs. This was why she needed their help, their power. Yes, this is why she found herself in this situation. To fight for her crew's survival.
Twirling it around like a toy, Ain familiarized herself with the axe that laid on her left hand. Her sword remained sheathed, by her side as she entered the arena.
Chieftain Igraktur turned over to Ain. He was standing in the middle of the arena as the crowd cheered on. His relaxed and composed presence from before suddenly turned like that of a wild beast. He had been covered by symbols on his body made from animal blood, a ritualistic act. Suddenly, the drums stopped and everyone went quiet. The howl of the wargs suddenly shook the very arena, signaling for the duel to begin.
Igraktur swung his two axes, as he took several steps towards his opponent. “Lets see what fate the gods have decided for you.” The massive orc towered over Ain. He suddenly cocked his head back as he took a deep breath, his abdomen and chest expanding greatly. A few seconds later, he leaned forward, opening his mouth and letting out a deafening and thunderous howl that surpassed the one from the wargs just moments prior.
This was a skill used by orcs in battle, their Battle Cry. They screamed with all the strength they had, their unique body structure and vocal chords can produce very loud noise and even emit frequencies not heard by others, yet that affect the environment and the bodies of those who hear it. Because of it, this battle cry could cause momentary paralysis as the body of those who it was directed too was put into a confused state, throwing its system into disarray by forcing the body to go into “survival mode”. The chief directed his howl at Ain, and should she be caught in it and affected, at the minimum it would paralyze her body for a second, making it hard for her to counter Ifraktur’s two deadly axe slashes that were sent her way, cutting through the ground as they approached her.
First came the deafening, thumping howl that escaped from the orc's lungs. It rung loudly in Ain's ears akin to a thunder strike, and almost as if one had hit, Ain found herself paralyzed. Her eyes moved from her arms down to her legs, as she tried to move each individual body part but failed to do so. She could feel as her body seemed to be stuck in place, a shock traveling throughout her being every time the thought of even moving crossed her mind.
Igraktur's axes razed through the ground lifting debris upwards as it demolished the terrain they stood on. Each axe appeared to be the size of Ain herself, and as they approached her sides, they seemed to become bigger and bigger, and she? Completely dwarfed by each axe.
"Busoshoku: Koka" Ain stated as her entire body became pitch black, hardened by her own will. The axe's clashed against her skin, and yet oddly enough they did not pierce through. Instead, they reverberated against her life armor, allowing a single chance for Ain to approach.
Her knees bent slightly, confirming that the paralysis had stopped. The ground cracked under her pressure, as her lower body turned into what could only be considered a demon. Her skin turned orange, and her nails grew sharp, before they were set ablaze. She exploded towards Igraktur like a cannonball, spinning her body as she flew towards him. As she did so, several slashes of pressurized wind and flames traveled towards the man. While some were due to Ain's weapons, others were formed by the sharpness of her claws. While each slash was powerful on its own right, Ain aimed to tackle the man if he managed to deal with him, tumbling him down to the ground.
Igraktur instantly noticed the woman’s toughness and her subsequent transformation. The crowd gasped and some of them even got more excited. The orc chief watched as had previously covered herself in her armor, something the orcs learn to do since they’re children. He grunted and grinned as he took a step forward.
Ain blitzed towards the orc chief in a slicing vortex that sought to blast anything in its path. Even the ground below as it travelled forth towards him. Coating his axe in a similar armor, Igraktur’s busoshoku Haki seemed a bit different. It wasn’t solid, in fact, even after coating his axe, it continued to flow and ripple, like the ocean’s waves. He placed his massive axe forward, turning it towards its wide side, clashing against Ain’s slashes. A second of struggle was all it took for the orc to swing his arm upwards, sending the blasts high up in the sky, revealing Ain had closed on him, ready to hit him.
However, it possibly was something that wouldn’t surprise Ain, seeing as she’d been training against a woman three times her size, but sometimes massive and bulky individuals didn’t automatically correlate with slowness, which was a something that was often thought of orcs. Faster than some could process, Igraktur swung his axe towards the incoming woman, cutting through the air as it aimed to aim to strike the pirate just as she reached her target, as she hit something many times tougher then a stone wall, Igraktur’s Haki coated abdomen. He could’ve tried to parry or dodge her in some other way, but he needed to show her the truth, their difference in power.
He was slid just a few inches backwards because of the impact, yet that didnt slow him down from continuing to thrust his axe to attempt and hit her from the side using the top, blunt part of his weapon. And at the same time, his other axe was swung down at blinding speeds, seeking to cleave the woman should she evade the orc’s initial strike. The Haki on his the axe of his downwards swing would reach Ain even before the weapon itself, with enough piercing and focused power to form a crater and slash for meters on end wherever it struck.
Ain unraveled herself after she so unelegantly clashed against Igraktur’s powerful stomach. Although she had little time to react, she could tell that his haki was different, way different than her own. While hers was much like a powerful, darkened flame, his rippled outwards and she was able to identify this correctly.
Silvenya had told her many times, and she had seen it too, that some people could externate their haki, cause it to ripple through the air. As she straightened her posture, falling on the ground, Ain was greeted with both axes, aiming to cleave her from different directions. Almost as if by instinct, she covered herself in Haki once more her head, and her side, specifically. Igraktur’s axes connected, first sending her flying sideways before she was shot down like a fly. Smoke rose through the arena as the earth cracked, quaking as Ain collided with the floor.
Yet as the smoke dissipated, no longer was Ain there. She was replaced by a sizeable beast. Her skin had an orange hue to it, claws had formed on her hands and large horns on her head. Her ears grew pointy and fangs protruded from her lips. A red mane of hair flowed downwards, matching the color of her tail. What was more, she had grown to the size where Igraktur could barely look down on her, being separated by no more than a few feet. She had become a nearly inhumane beast. Blood poured from her arm, yet she seemed to not feel the pain that Igraktur had caused her.
Without even saying a word, Ain cocked both of her fists backwards, as the atmosphere suddenly rose in heat. Her entire arms, and even legs were engulfed in flames, as a second later, she released it all forward. Her fists appeared as no more than a blur as she launched a barrage of blazing fists towards Igraktur. They had no specific aim, other than to pummel the orc. What was more, the air would appear to twist around near Igraktur and confuse him if he did not defend himself properly, leaving him nearly defenseless to her strikes.
From a mere human to a demon, Ain had transformed before Igraktur's very eyes. Her blazing heat had reached all the way to him, and coupled with the fact she had endured his hits, the orc was surprised. He let out another roar as the scorching woman commenced her counter attack, and hit himself in the chest, bracing for her strikes. The orcs were proud and battle hungry, but they weren't stupid, especially a chief. As if to take a challenge, he dropped his axes in front of him, and puffed his chest. He intended to take Ain's attack head on.
Bracing himself, his entire abdomen and face became covered in a thick, flowing layer of Busoshoku Haki, until it seemed to solidify into a greater version of itself. Almost as if a wall had formed from the orc's body, Igraktur's front side was incredibly reinforced by his spiritual armor. Ain's barrage came like rockets, the first hit causing even a small explosion, as did the dozens that followed afterwards. For a moment it seemed Igraktur was standing his ground, until his feet began to be slid backwards, Ain's attack was pushing him away, slowly but surely. "Graaaaaah!!" The orc exclaimed in the middle of the attack, almost as if demanding Ain she hit him with more.
As she continued pummeling, Igraktur suddenly began to lower his upper body, and cross his arms over his chest. "Were her strikes really hurting him?" In a powerful move, Igraktur opened his crossed arms wide, sending a massive gust of wind that aimed to push her barrage away and even stumble Ain herself from her distance. With another roar, the Haki subsided yet remained on his arms, as the hulking orc dashed forward towards the nearly equally large Ain, grabbing his axes on the way, as the streaks from his Haki began to hit the ground below. Like a juggernaut, Igraktur continued to dash towards Ain as he swung his axes in a downwards motion, as if preparing to release a flying air attack. But as his arms came downwards, his axes would fall unto the floor, in an attempt to feint and trick Ain as his true goal was to use his body, who had achieved a thick armor of Haki once again, to ram himself unto her and smash her right unto the coliseum walls win unbelievable force.
Ain’s relentless onslaught had made contact time and time again with the orc, yet each time one of her fists made contact, why did she feel so…powerless? A coating of haki protected Igraktur from further damage, before he forced an opening on Ain’s guard. She was pushed backwards, skidding across the ground and as she rose, she was greeted by a raging Igraktur, dashing towards with the same ferociousness of a wild animal.
In those moments of sheer anger, Igraktur’s intent became as clear as day. Ain breathed deeply aiming to calm herself, despite her instincts telling her otherwise. Instead of waiting for Igraktur’s axe ‘strike’ to collide, Ain ran towards him, the air around her warping around as it heated up immensely. It wasn’t something she put much thought in, it was just…how her body worked. Igraktur dropped the axes, yet they made no sound as they fell, being replaced by slidding sound. Much like her Kenbunshoku had dictated he attempted to ram into Ain, a haki armor protecting him from the heat, yet his eyes remained uncovered. He would notice as how Ain’s figure became blurry, almost unnoticeable.
Then, from behind Igraktur’s charging figure, his very two axes shot forward in diagonal motions. They were hardened by Ain’s will, and loaded with the Ifrit’s heat, perhaps the first indicator to Igraktur that he was in danger. They carried her strength wildly, and unlike the trained axe wielder that she usually was, her attacks carried no technique behind them. While her arms were at work, her tail shot forward aiming to wrap itself to one of the beast’s legs.
Igraktur’s senses caught a glimpse of Ain’s next move, truly a scheming one she was. She was faster than him, as such, she managed to evade being crushed and slipped around him, targeting his back. Yet, he grinned to himself as his Haki receded. Some would’ve taken this brief chance to protect the point of incoming impact, but not Igraktur, he wanted to show how far apart they truly were.
He left his back uncovered and unprotected, letting Ain’s scorching axes hit their mark. He simply flexed his back, his muscles bulging so much he seemed to grow in size. His axes hit and got stuck on his skin, he let out a roar in response to the scorching hit, but Ain would realize, the blades only sunk superficially, in fact, they became stuck. He turned around as he in fact covered his leg in Haki to protect it from Ain’s blazing heat, and his axes were still stuck on his back. He wanted to show the sheer density and nigh indestructibility of Orc skin and muscle.
As he turned, the axes still stuck and burning on his back, he aimed to pummel Ain with his bare fists, covering them in so much dense Busoshoku they seemed to double in size, as he aimed a barrage at the Ifrit, almost as a way to tell her, she needed at least his level of Haki control and strength to ever hope to truly cut through him.
In a display of power, or even arrogance one could say, the orc covered himself in a layer of Busoshoku and his own muscular physique to completely tank Ain's own attack. In that moment, he seemed to become even...bigger, as if to prove that no matter how strong Ain got, the gap between them was still...too strong.
His movements were slow, yet they weren't sluggish, Ain let go of the axes as she was met with a barrage of darkened, willful fists. Enhancing her own hands, she parried the first fist, and the second, and then the third, but with each fist she stopped the next one seemed to become faster and faster until her eyes couldn't register the movement and her body, his power. She attempted to sprout her wings to protect herself yet at that point it did not matter. Igraktur pummeled Ain intensely, leaving several undulations on her body and the air around them as the pain settled in, and Ain was shot backwards like a cannonball.
"AHHHH." she roared powerfully as she sunk one of her claws unto the arena's ground, causing it too crack intensely under her might. Her body was bruised, bloody, and weakened yet she refused to give up, to leave the arena, and most importantly to lose against such an opponent.
Perhaps she brought this upon herself, by claiming so confidently that she wanted to fight the strongest. She shook her head, realizing that now was not the time to doubt. Her claw was coated in a deep black, hardening around it like a knight's armor. She raised her arm, darkened flames surrounding it as it heated up the surrounding the atmosphere.
She swung it downwards in a powerful stroke. The result was a claw-shaped trio of black flame slashes which traveled rapidly towards Igraktur, each one the size of the man himself. They tore through the ground with no interruption, sizzling anything it touched almost instantly. While her flames and Haki weren't in tune with each other due to the level of control that required, instead Ain coated her haki in flames much like Silvenya had taught her, improving its potency and usual lack of control.
Without knowing whether her attack connected or not, Ain blurred to the side, her wings carrying her upwards as she positioned herself behind Igraktur once more. Flames surged from within h"er, specifically her lungs, expanding as she took a deep breath. Crackling sounds could be heard even by the audience as if Ain's insides were a furnace.
"Iblis" she thought to herself as she opened her mouth, revealing the monstrosity within. The air around Ain heated up tremendously, twisting and waving around as an immense, focused inferno of flames emerged from within her. It spun powerfully through the air aiming to completely envelop Igraktur in a torrent of flames. She breathed heavily afterwards and sweat dripped down her temples, not due to the heat but due to the focus releasing the attack took her.
Igraktur widened his eyes at the sight of Ain brushing off his attack. Maybe...just maybe, this woman could have “it”. There was something about her that made the orc feel as if he was fighting a monster, and not a human. As she prepared her claw for her next attack, Igraktur braced himself. He had decided to take on the defense for now, not because he was forced to, but because he wanted to test the woman for himself.
The crowd was cheering loudly yet their screams and growls felt distant as the massive orc focused all of his senses on Ain. The fiery slashes were released from her claw, tearing through the earth and burning it at the same time as they made their way towards the orc. He armored his arms and body, yet the heat was so incredible it was making it hard to breathe. Even a seasoned warrior as himself would be in trouble if those flames lingered around him for too long.
Turning to the side, his eyes flared red as he raised his right arm, clashing against the large and fiery slashes as it sunk his feet slightly on the ground due to the force. However, the reason he turned his body was because of Ain’s true intentions, as she used the slash to try and distract Igraktur from her next attack.
Appearing behind him, now his left side, she released a scorching breath of flames that sought to incinerate the orc. Having no time, he raised his left arm, coating it in a dense armor of Haki as he released it outwards, clashing against the flames before they touched his skin. He forcefully grunted as he forced Ain’s slashes to disperse, fully turning around to cover his face with that same arm as the dispersed flames from their clash was still becoming a bit unbearable.
As the blast ended, Igraktur’s Haki coated fist was steaming. It seemed that even with his Haki released outwards, Ain’s power managed to push him back. Not only that, from his shoulder and parts of his legs steam also emanated. Igraktur glanced at his slightly burnt body and grinned. He wished to address the woman right there, but the battle was still ongoing.
As Ain took several breaths after the attack, Igraktur inhaled and exhaled as well, truly impressed with this young warrior. He crouched down and with a powerful movement that trembled the entire arena, Igraktur sunk his fingers and hands on the ground, his Haki seeping on it as it traveled underground. His muscles bulged as Igraktur raised his arms, lifting the entire porting of the ground before him with Ain with it into the air!
Once again the arena trembled wildly, Arthras even fell on his back because of the shock. The mighty orc chief had lifted a massive portion of rock into the air with basically his raw strength. As the chunk of earth was sent flying, he cocked his right fist back, before drawing it forward as it tore through the air, sending a massive shockwave just from a single punch that sought to tear that same piece of ground he had lifted high up, with Ain along with it.
"Tch." Ain muttered between her sharp teeth. Her Haki, which she had trained for months, still did not compare to the strength and control that Igraktur possessed. Her rage could be felt, even through her void like expression. Then, suddenly a massive piece of rock tore through the air, and flew towards her, at such speeds that dodging, even for Ain, would be impossible.
No, instead she boosted off of the air, in a manner akin to Geppo, her wings supporting her with every flap. Her acceleration was as fast as the rock itself, and through her horns, she was able to pierce through the rock like a bullet. Beneath the rock, laid Igraktur, his fist cocked back and Ain knew, she could do nothing but greet his challenge equally.
She brought her own fist back, her fingers retracting back as her nails shortened. She coated in a deep layer of black, representing her own will, and as Igraktur would release his fist, which made the surroundings reverberate, Ain would too, causing both of them to clash. The combined forces of their punches created an even bigger shockwave that shook the entirety of the arena, as orcs and other bystanders would fall to the ground.
She felt it, terribly so. Igraktur's strength and impact struck her not from outside, but from within. The force of his punch seeping through her insides and rattling them immensely. Smoke rose, and Ain was pushed aback as a result, painting the floor red as she coughed up blood.
As the smoke cleared, a figure stood between her and Igraktur, a figure cloaked in white. They were tall, and horns sprouted from their head. They said not a single word but instead gazed at Igraktur as if expecting a response.
The massive orc retracted back his aura, as he looked down on the mysterious figure before him. The crowd was shaken up and the smoke still permeated around the seats. The chief orc let out a low grumble, though the mere vibrations of it made the smoke disperse completely. He glanced at the newcomer, with a surprised look in his eye. However, he said nothing, instead, some figures appeared beside the unexpected appearance.
“Gromash, stop.” The chieftain spoke as he commanded the swordsman orc to stop after clashing briefly against Arthras, who defended Ain as the swordsman aimed to execute them for interrupting a duel.
The chief walked back, picking his axes from the ground. He walked back as he swung them on his hand, pointing one of them towards the person standing between him and Ain. “State your business. You have interrupted a sacred duer! If I don’t rike your answer...” He said in a demanding and thunderous tone.
"My name is Momotaro. Though you probably knew that already, isn't that right...Chief Igraktur?" Momotaro stopped, his body relaxed and calm, as his eyes met the chief's carefully. "I have come in the name of Das Dev, in order to take that child back to Yomisora."
Arthras seemed to relax once he noticed it was his comrade who had arrived. Gromash withdrew his sword, yet his face was one of surprise, after hearing that particular name.
“Dev...” Igraktur murmured. “That’s a name I haven’t heard in a while...” He glanced at Ain who was still on the ground. “Hrrrrmm...I see now.” He placed his axe on the ground with great force, creating several ripples on it.
“Take her. but with one condition...That woman has to return, and I wirr decide then what to do with her. She came and charrenged me, she won’t get out of this that easy...” The massive orc stated as he took a last glance at the woman.
He turned around and gave some orders to his guards in their native tongue. Gromash took a step closer towards Momotaro and Arthras. “You may reave, but make sure to return.” He turned around. “I can terr the chief grew to rike that woman. He intends no harm when she returns...”
"Very well. How about this, in one month, she is to return here, and fight you once more. We shall not intervene next time. You know that at her current level, beating you is out of the question. If I may, Chief Igraktur, you know the only reason she hasn't died is because of her heritage." Momotaro added, smirking slightly.
"H-heritage...?" Ain added weakly, coughing up blood.
“Hmpf...” Igraktur scoffed. “So that’s what it was. I knew she smerred different. If you’re stirr weak when you return, Gromash here can teach ya’ a thing or two.” The orc said with a low growl.
“Heritage?” Arthras thought to himself. “Is she some sort of princess or something?”
"See you in a month then." Momotaro exclaimed cordially, as he grabbed Arthras so that he was closer to him and Ain. With a lift of his index finger, the ground they stood on began to rumble, before it cracked and was lifted up into the air at Momotaro's command.
Being injured Ain did little to move and instead remained on the chunk of ground that was pulled off as they continued to travel towards the sky. Momotaro pulled something out of his pocket and began tapping on it. They were on their way to the Oni mainland, Yomisora.
High in the Sky[]
Darkness leaked away from her vision, her hearing, any of her senses. Though the group approached the island gradually, not all of them were awake.
Thus, once her eyes opened, the complete opposite of that darkness came through. A searing light, seemingly white, only because of the many colors that meshed into this blinding flash. Behind them, after one's eyes got used to the illumination, there was another mesh, cold and hot colors.
Purple, red, many of their derivates composed the floors and the buildings, their tone reinforced by the existence of the aforementioned light sources. Most of the lights were blueish in tone, glowing out to their surrounds and painting the obscure atmosphere of the Dark Sea. Some of the lamps were spherical in shape, having either a single or a pair of edged horns atop them. Along them were several neon signs. They all almost outshone the stars in the sky above.
Almost seemed like another world, the buildings went high and tall, akin to skyscrapers, in fact, they even had sharp designs and were littered with glass windows. Apartments, complexes, enterprises, those buildings housed whatever they could, and some had horns like the lamps did.
Many of the complexes were far apart, leaving many smaller buildings standing between the skyscrapers. What seemed to be smaller islands floated above the less tall structures, a few of them had bigger versions of the neon signs, others poured a glowing water into the main land.
What many found within this scenery was something that took out their breaths. Horned humanoids, of all shapes, all colors, with one or two horns, walked by.
This was Yomisora, the homeland of the so-called "savages" of the Oni Tribe.
Ain looked wonderously, surprised by the sight that stood in front of her. She said no words, as she still felt weakened, but instead allowed Momotaro to guide them towards one of the buildings. After several minutes they found themselves in a room, a room where Ain was dropped onto a bed, Momotaro flicking his hand as if to singal something.
He kneeled down. "We are here, Chief Das Dev."
"UHOHOHO!" Chief Das Dev, the owner of such laughter, beamed with his arms crossed, standing quite a bit more than twice of Ain's height. White and red reflected the blue of a nearby lamp, the white of his extremely long hair, the pale of his skin, the red of his curved horns.
In fact, the room was relatively simple, a stark contrast with Dev's... rudimentary appearance. Desks were spread in an apparent random fashion, with horned individuals sitting behind them, looking at papers or glass screens with Den Den Mushi projections on them.
Dev spread his arms and smiled even wider. "Welcome to all of you!" A head gesture upwards, Dev knelt down to stand face to face with the other present individuals. "We equals here!"
"Someone call the medics." Momotaro remarked before he stood up once more, slightly alarmed by his almost childish chief. He motioned with his hands as if that would calm him down.
"W-where are we...? Who...are you?" Ain managed to say.
Blinks, Dev's eyebrows furrowed. "You have not even told her where and who?" Turning his head to the messenger of the medics, he commented swiftly, "Don't hurry too much, if we sound alarmed it will only trouble the girl."
Without moving further, Dev began to slowly inhale the cold air of the room. "Girl, do it like I do," A soft exhale, prompting his chest to shrink, "I can feel that you're just like us." More beaming, though he made sure not to rise his voice too much. "That'll stead all your senses, trust me."
"...Please?"
Momotaro facepalmed, kneeling once more as he realized his mistakes. "I must've forgotten sir! Forgive me! I will swim through 1000 oceans, live through 1000 hells so that you are at ease..." Momotaro appeared to continue grovelling yet everyone seemed to ignore it.
Waringly, Ain followed Das Dev, wondering what he meant by 'she was just like them'. With a slow, deep inhale, Ain took the cold air and released it. Her vision slowly returned, from blurry to clear. Little by little the thumping of her ear, the rattling of her bones stopped. Until she had a clear vision of what remained in front of her. Onis. "Onis...?"
"Um, we do not add an s for the plural, little one," Dev almost bit into his lips, staring intently as he corrected Ain. With a brief look at Momotaro, he waved at him, "Worry not, young one... I'm not even sure which of our religions possess a thousand hells and oceans...?"
A sigh passed in-between Dev's lips, which curved upward. "I was surprised, uhohoho!" He held his stomach for a moment, then, rest his hands on his hips, standing up and looking at Ain. "But yes, Oni! We are all Oni here," Dev gestured for everyone inside, some of whom waved at Ain.
"...The oncoming medics are Oni too, by the way, uhoho!" Dev winked at Ain. "Wow, well, this is basically the homeland of the Oni, Yomisora!"
"I see..." Ain raised her upper body, gazing at the many Oni, and the bright lights that radiated from the room's window. "Why am I here?"
Dev's teeth further sank into his lips, left, right, his eyes shifted between everyone in the room, his feet rocking up and down. "...Oh, um," This time, the movement of his eyes was frantic, another smile and a shrug. "How about you ask Momotaro-kun...?"
"Oh." Momotaro rose up from the floor, looking both at Ain and Das Dev. "It appears the Chief has forgotten-yomi..." his composure had returned, his greenish orbs falling on the both of them. "We've actually been observing you for a while, Al Khalifa Ain. I believe the chief requested your presence a few days ago when you battled Chief Igraktur...he said something about not letting them harm one of us..."
"One of us? What do you mean?" a tinge of anxiety could be heard in Ain's voice as she spoke.
"Oh, oh my Susanoo!" Dev cupped his horns and yanked them forward, bringing his head down, "How could I be so inconsiderate with my own blood?!" Back and forth, like they would pop off about any time, so much for the strongest parts of the Oni's bodies. What was he going to do next, dive on his side to break his ribs?
Dev let go of his horns and panted, "GAH!" A few pants, beads of sweat rolled down his pale face, he swept them off with his hand. Out of nowhere, an one-horned woman with green skin approached Dev and handed him a glass of water, "Thank you." Gulp, the liquid filled his throat and was gone just as soon, then, he threw the glass as well, chewing it.
"Hngh," Another gulp. "Young Momotaro is correct..." Dev let a long breath out, then, a burp, though, the sound coming out was of glass breaking. "Apologies, much has been in my mind, but... I had a feeling when watching your fight through a screening." The present workers kept on with their tasks, he didn't even need to look at them.
"...And it was more than the presence of the Oni within you, little one." Like earlier, Dev knelt down and rested his forearms on his thighs, joining his hands together. "You see, us Oni possess strong ties with the spirit!" Vibrant, white teeth flashed out at Ain. "It was feint, but now that you are here, I confirmed it... your resonance reminds me of one of my sons."
"W-WHAT?!" three voices echoed that of Arthras, Momotaro and Ain, albeit more quietly. After their ruckus quieted, Ain was the first to instigate, disregarding Das Dev's unusual antics.
"Me? An Oni? Wait...no....you're my....grandfather?!" Ain exclaimed as she realized what it meant.
Similar to a cat, Dev almost jumped back, yanking his hands away. "Huh?!" Those hands cupped his inflating chest, patting it, surely his heartbeat would slow down. "Aren't you jumping the gun a bit little one?!"
Without any reaction whatsoever, Ain continued to look at Dev. He was right. There was no way this...this fool could be related to her. "Maybe. I know very little about my parents, yet oddly...I remember most of it." she noted. Once upon a time she did have horns, but her very own tribe had convinced her that she had "lost" them.
A sigh, Dev cleaned the rest of the sweat away. "I heard you were intelligent... wow," Rear meeting the soil with a soft thud, he palmed his knees and breathed out, again. "Can I ask you what you remember?-" Some of the workers frowned at him, who spun his wrist. "-Asking if I can by already asking it."
Ain’s focus had left the real world, as images flashed in her mind time and time again once more…taking her back to those faithless days.
“Anisatan, for the last time, stop hitting those trees!” A woman remarked, her eyes falling upon a young, black haired girl, who was currently smashing her fist against a nearby tree, time and time again.
“I-I can’t stop. I’m too angry!” the young Ain answered, as she pummeled the tree, which seemed to have little effect on her.
“You’ll harm yourself, why must you do this?!” The woman responded. “I’m angry Adela! I’ve done nothing but try to prove my worth to the tribe and look at how they treat me! I wish I could just take these stupid horns off!” She kicked the tree in anger, nearly causing it to crack.
“Look Ain, I’m your caretaker, and I can no longer allow you to engage in this kind of behavior. Remember what your mother told you.
“Those horns are a part of you!”
“A-alright…”
The very next day Ain went back to the Khalifa Tribe’s town, attempting to stand tall and proud against the bullying. But it was more than she could handle, a few of the children teamed up on her, causing her to once more, be embarrassed about her horns before they beat her up.
That night. That night were she had cried so much, was the last time she remembered her horns.
Ain's presence returned to the real world, her appearance somewhat shooked by what she witnessed. "I recall it. I remember how the tribe...my tribe, chastised my horns, until one day, after many nights of wishing they were suddenly gone." truthfully, she recalled a bit more, about her mother specifically, but there were some things she just wasn't ready to share.
As if on cue, Dev pressed his palms on the air between them. "That's more than enough, little one," Perhaps if Ain's gaze lingered on him, she would find it that his eyes were dead set on her, though, they were not... intense. "It's very unfortunate that happened..."
Their very pride and physical trademark, shunned away like some kind of abnormality. Dev's muscles tightened while his mind delved further and further into the topic, though, he tried not to showcase it in any way.
"I wanted to ask more..." This time, Dev didn't smile completely, only keeping gazes with Ain. "Things your father may have told you, names..."
"Names? If there's one thing I don't remember, it's...whoever my 'father' is. He definitely had horns though..." she mentioned, it did make sense unfortunately. Ain had always had a physicality beyond what she knew, she was able to recall these very memories with ease...but she needed to confirm it. "A-are you sure, I'm one of your own?"
During the trip towards Yomisora, and the subsequent unexpected reveal, Arthras had remained absolutely silent. Not even a reaction came from him. He simply had his arms crossed and stood nearby when everything was unfolding. He was stern, focused, and professional, remaining neutral to the developments concerning his captain.
“What the shit?! What THE SHIT?! How did I end up here?! Ain-san, an Oni?! Her father?! Yomisora?! W-What should I do?! I haven’t said anything cause I don’t know what to say! I’ll probably look real dumb if I do! Oh no, another panic attack! Ooohhh God!”
Fact of the matter was, Arhtras was so shocked and nervous about everything he had various silent panic attacks and couldn’t even produce a single sound from his throat. He was taken aback by everything and was simply too overwhelmed to say anything. Yet thanks to his mask and overall appearance, to the outside he seemed as if he was unshaken, yet on his mind, he was anything but such.
Nod, Dev smiled again. "Yes, I'm very sure," He pointed at her, nowhere in particular. "However, I do not speak of your physical strength, your mental power, it harbors connections to us... only Oni do that usually!
"I see...." Ain noted. "May I ask why you pulled me out of batt-"
"Because at the rate that it was going, you would've died." Momotaro remarked. "Which leads me exactly to my next point. You're strong sure, but you rely too much on powers you don't understand." he continued matter of factly. "Oh, Chief, I told Igraktur, Chief of the Red Rhino Tribe that in a month she'd be able to beat him..." he scratched the back of his head nonchalantly.
Dev stared at Momotaro and Ain for a pregnant second, blink, two blinks. "Yes, you'd died, UHOHOHO!" He waved his palm at them several times and shook his head in laughter. "I-I mean, no worries on that, young Momo!"
Children these days, always apologizing for stuff they should not. Meanwhile, those that ought to apologize said naught. Dev did not let a sigh escape his mouth, instead, he opted on responding Ain. "I'm sure that young Mom's words coupled with my interest in our similarities... should answer it, no? Then again, you must be tired, little one, do you want not to rest?"
"I do..." her upper body slowly fell unto the floor once more, yet she tried to remain awake and fully conscious. "But my crew needs me...they need me to win the orcs over."
Dev clapped his palms together, though not loudly. "Listen... little one, do you trust your crew?"
"Of course, as much as I would my own family."
"Then..." Dev's smile dropped, yet the tone of his voice lingered on calmness. "You could show your trust in them by leaving it to them. No?" He rubbed his hands together, slowly and gently. "If you go, you'll end up killing yourself."
Ain shook her head. "Right now, they're in shambles and I promised that me and Arthras here." she pointed at the scaredy teen beside here. "Would take care of it. What I need is something else...I need the power to protect all of them! The power to win!"
Finally the sight that Dev held was out, he closed his eyes and rubbed the temples of his nose. "I see that you won't change your mind... but, Ain-tan, you two can't go there alone!" No way, no way in the underworld was he going to let her just risk it all like that, not when he wanted to know.
"We can aid you... with our forces!"
Ain's eyes widened and before she spoke, Momotaro countered. "A-are you sure Chief?! I know this child might be related to you, but to aid her with our own forces?! Are you sure?"
Eyes open and smile wide, Dev waved at Momotaro. "Worry not, young Momo, uhohoho!" His hands fell to rest at his hips, he straightened his spine as if to stand taller. "We won't be forcing any warriors! We'll ask for volunteers!"
"Tch." Momotaro crossed his arms as he looked to the side. "Well...if we'll be supporting you. You might as well become stronger. Your training starts tomorrow Al Khalifa Ain!" Momotaro swung his sheathed sword forward, aiming it at Ain. "I will deem if you're worthy of our help!"
Dev blinked again and mouthed out. "Wow young Momo!! You took those words directly out of my mind- I mean, what attitude!!" He held his fists out, quite clenched, then, he gripped his horns and began to bow repeatedly. "IT'S THE ONI'S HONOR HUH!!!"
Letting go of the horns, Dev breathed and smiled at Ain. "What do you say little Ain?!"
Slowly, Ain managed to bow. "I thank yo....Zzzzzz" Her upper body fell on the ground with a thud as she fell asleep.
"You'll train too young man!" Momotaro motioned at Arthras.
Horned One[]
A day had passed since Ain's arrival at Yomisora, and she found herself well and rested as she gazed at the bright lights. Even amongst its open areas, which they had specifically sought for to train, its appearance hadn't changed much from the cities. She wore a white kimono, courtesy of the Onis that attended her and her raven hair was tied in a ponytail. Though what was most interesting were the two red horns that protruded from her head. They had grown during her sleep, almost as if her body had finally let its guard down. Almost as if Yomisora, truly felt like an accepting place.
"LITTLE OOOOOOONE!" Something akin to a cannon ball crashed against the open space Ain resided in, dust rose and disappeared just as quick, revealing the large form of Dev. However, rather than stand up, his head was sunk in the soil. Specifically, his horns, "...One second!"
Dev dug his hands into the soil as well and gripped his horns, "NGHHHH!" He pulled off again and again, "PARDON ME IF I FART- GAH!" Dev flew off the earth and landed on his rear. "How are you?"
"I'm alright." Ain assured, still gawking over the surrounding atmosphere.
"Where is she..." Momotaro tapped his foot anxiously.
"UHOHOHO!" Dev laid his fists by the sides of his hips, a chunk of earth visible atop his horns, dust fell over his face. "Worry not, young Momo!" One fist rose and was directed at Momotaro. "She will be here soon!"
Arthras truthfully didn’t sleep very well. All of the unexpected twists and turns had left him awake all night, though luckily, the mask he wore over his face hid his sleepless eyes.
Dev’s outburst and loud demeanor made Arthras twitch every now and then. He liked the guy, but he was too unpredictable so his body just shook slightly every time a word or action was made from Dev. Another advantage of his eye mask, is that he could stare at Ain’s body with her new kimono all he wanted, until his head twitched because of the sudden nervousness that plagued his mind should anyone notice him staring. However, same as before, he still had no concrete words to say about all this.
“N-Nice horns...Ain-san.”
A heel tapped on the floor. The sound ringing around the room. While Dev was an outspoken and headstrong Oni, the woman who began to walk down the wooden steps was anything but. Every step was calculated, perfected, to the point where she chose not to leave shadows as she walked. She was a woman of such self-control over herself and her life's direction that, even as a child, nobody had seen her in a state of panic.
"Hello." A voice echoed. Although her mouth moved, the sound appeared to come from elsewhere. "I am Das Vidya. It appears we are cousins, although I cannot remember us ever meeting-yomi."
She bowed, with her large horns clearly visible to Ain. By demeanor alone, she was an oddity among the Oni. But even more than that...her very existence appeared ephemeral.
Vidya the opposite? Arthras shaken with every word? "MY CHIIIIIIIIIIILD," Dev yelled as his body rocketed towards the descending Vidya, his arms wide open and his head wobbling left and right, tears streaming from his eyes. However, it appeared that he did not manage his own speed, for the moment he neared the stairs, Dev was already past Vidya and gripping nothing but the air.
"Ah." Dev's crying expression disappeared.
An explosion sounded from the wall to the side of the stairs, generating a small tremor on the location and bringing a small cloud of dust. Once it settled, Dev's lower body could be seen hanging from the cracked wall, one of his legs twitching in intervals.
Ain's eyes had little time to settle on Vidya, as Das Dev came flying into the room. From what she could tell her features, and even her demeanor seemed to match Ain's own. Perhaps they truly were cousins.
"Likewise. My name is Ain." Ain bowed, her eyes gazing at the wooden floor.
Momotaro remained in one corner of the room. "Now...since everyone's here. For the following month, we'll make you strong. Strong enough so you don't disgrace us against the Orcs. For the most part, you'll be sparring Vidya but the chief, me and...her will help out too."
Vidya noted Ain's hesitance as she looked on the wooden floor. Continuing to move across the floor without a single sound, nor a shadow. Vidya circled around Ain rather than facing her directly. Her gaze moved upwards and downwards. She was completely seeing through the woman in front of her. In some ways, Ain was similar to Vidya. Both were outcasts among the Oni.
But there was a key difference. Vidya was an outcast who lacked ambition, yet was the model of a perfect Oni. Ain was an outcast who possessed ambition, but had none of the traits needed to be a successful Oni.
"Strange how things work." Once more, Vidya's voice seemed to come from further away than where her body stood. "One of my cousins has fallen, and the other has resurfaced into the world." Vidya's grey eyes stared through Ain, but they were void of anything themselves. "I was surprised when they decided to have me enlisted as one of your trainers but...I can see why they did-yomi."
Cautiously eyeing Vidya, Momotaro moved away from the two and instead moved towards Das Dev. He tapped his exposed leg repeatedly. "Oi, Chief, do you know if she'll be joining us?"
"..." Meanwhile, Ain raised her body to stand upright once more as Vidya encircled her. Vidya's voice resounded strangely through the room, as if it came from somewhere else. Ain made no efforts at matching her gaze, but instead remained observant.
"OH!" Dev opened his legs to the sides and beat them together, producing a small push upon the hole he was in and thus making him land back on the floor. Legs glued, he turned to Momotaro with a swift spin, "Perhaps, young Momo!" Crossing his arms, Dev gestured for Ain and Vidya with a smile. "For now we are to observe!"
"Tapopopopo." Vidya's odd laugh encircled Ain before, suddenly, the Vidya that had been eyeing her up and down disappeared. Next to where Dev had been asleep in the wall, the sound of heels clicked once more, and another Vidya had stepped down the stairs. Shadow and sound in-tact, Vidya flicked her hair away from her face, which had been messed by Dev's abrupt hugging routine.
Bowing once again, "Apologies, Cousin. I just had to check if you were as foolish as Grandpa-yomi." A strangely sincere smile formed on Vidya's face. She was a lone woman among the Oni within this tribe. The only other woman she knew of growing up was her grandmother, so it was interesting to have someone her own age, and possibly someone who could align with her interests.
"As fellow women of the Das Tribe, let's show these men what we can do, okay Ain-yomi?"
Ain turned around following the sounds from the odd laughter to the sound of the heels, as Vidya came into sight once more. "Foolish...?" Ain's eyes then fell on Das Dev who as always, remained with a smile. "Ah. That's what you mean. Alright." she asserted.
"For the time that I'm here, I will be in your care." there was no place for pride when one desired power. Pride had almost gotten her killed, pride had nearly made her lose her crew.
"Right then." Vidya unfolded her arms and entered a neutral stance. She did not make a combat stance, nor did she bother to show her aggression. Instead, she provoked Ain to attack.
"Your first lesson as a practitioner of the Horn Hidden Fist is that you must never hold back. Learn to weaponize your whole body into a fist, and smash through every enemy with your full force." Vidya did not even tense her body. Was it a provocation because she thought Ain was weak? Or was she fully ready to embrace her blows?
"Come at me with your full strength in a single punch-yomi."
"Horn Hidden Fist?" Ain looked at her hand, before she curled it into a fist. She bent her knees slightly, and unlike Vidya, her body, or at least her arm was somewhat tense. Upon her request, Ain blitzed forward, cocking her arm back before she shot that very arm forward with as much strength as she could muster. The room surrounding her fist tightened, causing a powerful gust of wind to follow, regardless of whether the attack connected or not.
Vidya noticed the build up of Ain's power, the strength she poured into her arm and the posture she maintained. The momentum that she had exerted as she launched forward with her fist outright. Unfortunately...it wasn't enough.
At the exact point that Ain's fist was meant to land, Vidya had bent her knees slightly and outstretched her right palm. The palm clashed against the fist before she closed her fingers over Ain's fist, preventing it from moving. Ordinarily, Vidya would be pushed back, but she maintained her ground. The motion of her bending her knees and pushing her palm forward was accompanied by a twist of her pelvis and a forceful forward movement.
The entire body's strength was put into that one action.
"Not enough. Tell me what went wrong-yomi."
"Oh you aren't too dumb, that's good." Vidya thought, letting go of Ain's fist and flicking her backwards, once again shifting her hips and shoulders slightly as the air pressure from the maneuver caused the walls of the room to shake slightly.
"You can't just use one part of your body and call that your full strength. Strength comes from the sum of individual parts. It's profitable to combine all of your advantages." Vidya tapped her temple with her finger, thinking. "If I punch you with full force, it might be too difficult for you to recover...but the profit is that you'd learn with your body what I'm doing. What to do-yomi?"
Ignoring what she could only assume was a compliment...or an insult, Ain took a few step backwards as Vidya let go of her fist. "Hit me." the room grew silent for a second, as she bent her knees once more, her brows furrowing slightly. "Hit me as hard as you can."
"Well, prepare yourself-yomi."
Vidya could only say that as she took in a deep breath. The oxygen travelled through her body, and her normally pale skin temporarily went reddish before turning into its original colour. She had summoned an exorbitant amount of strength in merely a second, as she bent her knees and dashed forward.
Her right hand clenched into a tight fist and she pushed it forwards, aiming directly for Ain's torso. That wasn't all, though. The entire movement was powered by the anchoring of Vidya's left leg, the movement of her pelvis, the inwards and outwards motion of her shoulder. The Oni's entire body was being used for a single attack, and it showed.
Even prior to the attack being launched, the air around them began to shake in anticipation, awaiting for the impact it would make as it came into the view of Ain's body.
Ain's eyes widened as the environment shook around her, and Vidya's fist loomed forward at incredible speeds. Her body froze, even if she wanted to dodge, to protect herself, she couldn't bring herself too. Not only because to learn, she'd need to feel the entirety of her strikes, as her eyes focused on Vidya's movements, simply put, she couldn't bring herself to move under the presence of her strike.
The wind was pushed out of Ain, as she tried to regain her breath, saliva falling from her lips as she brought her upper body in response. Pain ached, throughout her entire body pain ached, and she was sure that even then, Vidya was probably not using the entirety of her power. She fell to the floor for a few seconds.
"I-I see..." She huffed loudly, recovering herself, as she stood up once more. "Again, please!"
---
Ain and Momotaro stood in the same training room where she had suffered under the powerful effects of Vidya's strength. It had left her bloodied, bruised but not beaten, at least not mentally. She wore a training outfit now, given to her by the Onis. Long, darkened pants, a white tank top and a red sash tying the outfit together. Sandals replaced her usual boots and her hair was tied in a long ponytail.
"Try to sense my strikes. Do not rely on your Kenbunshoku to do so. Are you ready?"
"Alright."
Ain's eyes were opened, yet the lights of the training room were turned off. Even then, she could see, thanks to the natural night vision the Onis possessed. Momotaro's voice boomed, and his figure could not be seen, yet as he slashed his sword with impeccable technique, strength and speed, Ain knew he was there as a slash of pressurized wind pushed her backwards.
It had happened before she could even imagine. She couldn't see it, even with her enhanced sight, much less hear it.
"Focus."
Momotaro released another slash, falling upon Ain's frame once more.
"Again."
Ain stood up, and time and time again, as Momo's sheathed sword continued to strike. It was frustrating, to be hurt so bad, to the point where she was quite literally, a punching bag. Regardless, she continued standing up, until, by the 50th strike.
Ain's eyes closed momentarily, her senses sharpened, not by her will, but naturally so. Her nose tinged, her ears following. She could smell it, it was faint, incredibly so, but it appeared Momo had a certain smell. The wind was disturbed by his slash, and her skin felt its slight change. When she focused, she could hear its soft tune and as she moved to the left to avoid the incoming strike...
BAM!
She was still pushed backwards, falling on her rear end. "Tch." slowly, she stood up once more.
"I'll catch you...Momotaro."
---
Inhale, exhale, actions so close, yet so far away, about exact ten seconds between one and the other. Above were darkness and many far away glows, stars, by the side were luminescent waters, below were more glows, though these were product of lamps and houses.
"Inner peaaaaace..."
Inhale, exhale, Dev's chest slowly shifted sizes in-between those, his eyes closed. He sat by one of the small isles floating above Yomisora itself, its grass was dark blue to contrast the waters. There was not much in terms of buildings atop this isle, which was not that wide, merely the size of a big street.
"Inner peaaaaace..." Dev opened his left eye to glance side-ways at Ain, "...Inner peace?"
Ain's right eye opened in a similar manner, as she suddenly stopped her pretending. After Vidya and Momotaro's rough training came...this. Was it supposed to relax her? Serve to help her withstand the morning's lessons, whatever the case was, Ain thought it was frankly, no more than lost time, at least currently.
"I'm sorry, Das Dev-san but, what exactly is the point of this 'inner peace'?
Ain might have been more correct than she could expect, however, she was not more than that because of the training's true lesson.
"Don't be sorry, UHOHO!" Dev suddenly slapped his knees, arching his head back in laughter, of course someone as rowdy as Ain found this so out of place. Someone who lived so long as a Pirate. "BUUUUT," He rose a finger, "One thing many don't train... is the mind."
"The mind? I understand one must attempt to remain calm at times, but what good is it in battle? No amount of mindfulness in the world will stop someone from killing you."
"Ah ah ah!" Dev swung that same finger. "The mind itself will not allow you to fire energy blasts or control things!"
Elizabeth sneezed somewhere.
Dev clapped his hands and closed his eyes again. "But, it's a powerful thing... At times we don't fall prey to our enemies, but to ourselves." He opened an eye. "Wise no? UHOHO!" It closed again. "We Oni pride ourselves in our telepathic capabilities..." Exhale, inhale, exhale. "Our breathing allows us to draw a bridge between our mind and body..."
"I see...I don't know if I can do as you all can."
"UHOHO!" Dev laughed, only to begin coughing due to having cut his own breathing too abruptly. "Arf, ah..." He breathed normally. "If you don't know, we'll just find out, little one!" While the exercize proceeded, Dev bore a big smile, chest going back and forth.
Once again, out of nowhere, Dev spoke more, though, this time his tone was tame. "Each Oni is one, yet, our horns link us... beyond one, we are all." Inhale, exhale, around them, to Dev, most of the sounds stopped reaching into his ears. "Just as I dive in your struggle, respond by sharing my inner peace..." Exhale, inhale.
"..." Ain remained quiet as she closed her eyes, attempting to follow his movements. Exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale. After a while, she spoke once more.
"Can you feel what I'm feeling Das Dev-san? This great rage that plagues my heart?"
Dev did just the same. "...No," Inhale, exhale. "But yes!" Along the cold particles of the Dark Sea, the glowing water also let some of its drops pass by their frames. "But, don't fear, it is more than rage..."
Ain appeared somewhat disappointed at his words at first, "If it's not rage...then what is it?"
"Your very reaction says it." Dev inhaled and exhaled, accompanying no one but himself, this time, the waterfall's droplets did not reach either of them. "Doubt."
"Doubt? Just what could I be doubtful of?!" her voice became louder, and her heart beat faster in response. "What I have is a rage that's followed me...no matter where I go"
Contrary to Ain, Dev remained there unbudging, still doing the same breathing. "Your rage is a reaction as well, it comes..." Inhale, exhale, Dev's form acquired a very faint glow, the water reached him not, but wet Ain's frame unlike before. "-It comes to settle your doubt, little one."
Ain's eyes widened at Dev's light glow, her expression surprised momentarily. "Can it be controlled? The rage...I mean"
By the second, the glow increased slightly. "...Yes, controlled, focused..." Exhale, inhaled, it grew again. "Accepted."
Such glow made no sound at all, or at least none that Ain had to perceive by then. "Each is one, but beyond, all." A sharp intake, Dev opened his eyes half-way and turned his head to look at Ain, the color of his irises was a bit more vibrant. Despite his interruption, the glow remained. "At the same time your rage takes all parts of your mind... it is only one of them."
Ain didn't quite understand Das Dev's words, nor did she think she ever would but there was something in the way he spoke, handled himself in the current situation that convinced Ain to give what he spoke about a try, so without saying a word, she closed her eyes, shifting her focus to her breathing.
"Inner Peaaaaceeee."
---
This time, Ain found herself in a place much different. A place akin to a traditional garden, just by the side of a similarly traditional house. Surrounding the area were several bamboo trees and a land a tad wider than the one she and Dev trained at.
Far from Ain, though not by a large margin, was a tall woman dressed in a red yukata and holding a fan in front of her face, the fan being yellow. Occasionally, she peered over it at Ain, "Hmmmm, you truly are more fierce."
This was Das Devika, Dev's wife and a dual-horned blue Oni. "Many of us find trouble when faced with this task..."
"..." Ain remained still, both of her fists at her sides and her knees slightly bent. The task was simple. Not only was she to regulate her body temperature amongst the great cold that the area they found themselves in of Yomisora brought, but at the same time, she had to note exactly how each of her body parts felt against the cold, and to feel that sensation equally across her body, as to develop part of her Oni abilities. She wanted to thank Das Devika, as she often did, but instead she remained focused on the task at hand.
Time to time, Devika walked by the area in random directions and paces, also holding her fan in order to block Ain's vision of her. "Good," She said once close from the rear, observing the vibe that Ain's body gave off, despite not using Haki. Being old enough, Devika was among the Oni that knew in-depths of their own physiologies, and that included the soul and mind.
Something stuck out to Devika, probably something that many would not perceive with naked eyes, a certain wavelength of a few muscles. "Not." With a stick in her other hand, Devika lightly hit Ain's right elbow and knee.
As her strike made contact Ain immediately grit her teeth, being more annoyed than hurt by the woman's stick. She was strict. Even more strict than Momotaro, and that was saying much. Ain's elbow and knee returned to be in tune with her other body parts. While she didn't think about it, being in a deep state of trance, the training was nearly over.
Walk, walk, walk, Devika's wooden sandals softly crushed the soil and grass underneath them, until she stood with her back facing Ain's front. "Yomi Kikan is much more than disguising our forms..." The fan closed and opened with a second of interval. "...It helps us dominate another aspect of ourselves."
Slowly turning around, Devika closed the fan, revealing her soft features and blue skin. "The body. The next step after the mind." Frowning, she carefully eyed Ain, not stopping even when she turned away beforehand during her walk. "Yours has gone long without embracing its true self... I'm certain the big-headed already lectured you on that."
Lecture, a smirk almost graced Devika's lips, though, if it did, it would have quickly vanished. "You remind me of my eldest son." Fluttering open and close her eyelashes, she allowed the fan to open and cover from down her nose. "Though, you are doing much better."
"Your..." Ain kept focused, she couldn't talk, she couldn't let her thoughts drift away from her body, not for a single moment, and thus as she cotninued to concentrate, every few seconds, she'd drop a word, as to not ruin her mind-body connection. "Eldest son?"
"Ohooo," Devika cooed, raising one of her eyebrows at the sight, she threatened to walk closer and closer, "It seems my conversation has piqued your interest." Dark blue eyes peered through Ain's features, looking out for anything that was out of the... ordinary. "I wonder if you are able to maintain it even as I converse."
Moments passed, Devika once again threatened to hit her stick against Ain, stopping very close to her being. "Oho, nothing out of place, it seems, it seems..." Another turn, she walked away from Ain, never truly looking away. "But, yes, my eldest son..."
Another sudden turn, quite many turns, Devika looked into Ain's own gaze. "Or perhaps you could call him your father."
Suddenly, Ain stopped her concentration, her senses returning to normal as she hoped to inquire about the man. "Not that I'm particularly interested but...what kind of man was he?"
Devika hid the fact she held a breath by using her fan again. "Sure you are not," her other hand rose the stick and waved it in the air lightly. No surprise Ain even went out of her focused state, perhaps Devika chose a bad choice of distraction.
Ah, the choices.
"I'm sure he dislikes me to this day..." Devika sighed, briefly shutting her eyes. "He is... Definitive about himself, a steeled fighter."
"..." Ain stopped, realizing what she had done, as she once more closed her eyes. Inhale, exhale. Her body warmed itself slowly. She had known all she needed to know. Devika's sigh, calling him a steeled fighter, it seemed that it was a past she didn't want to speak of, and despite not knowing her grandmother well, Ain could respect that.
"...You actually do not desire to hear the rest?" Devika peeked over with wide eyes.
"Whether I want to listen or not doesn't matter. Do you wish to speak of it?" For the first time, Ain broke little concentration from her body as she spoke, and while she was sure she'd recieve several smacks from Devika, the conversation appeared to be worth it.
"...You really must be his child." Devika shook her head lightly, sighing against the paper of the fan. "This steeled resolve of his is perhaps only surpassed by his love for his family..."
"He does not allow his family to be disgraced..." Fan closed, Devika retained her frown. "Even if such disgrace comes from that very family."
Within Devika's mind stood a cloaked figure with horns sticking out of his hood, by his hips was a sword and its sheath. "Still, he passed through the very trails you indulge in now. Soul, Mind, Body, he is the same in all of them."
Ain didn't smile nor did she look saddened. Perhaps, if she had been told this, many many years ago, Devika would see a reaction on her but the fact that her biological father would never actively form a part of her life was something she accepted long ago, when the Notch had taken her in. "Family......can......get through disgraces. Together."
Devika rose her other eyebrow. "Your grandfather's side is showing... Seems the lesson of One is All has accommodated easily within your mind..."
No muscles, no vibe, Devika only stated into Ain's eyes. Something exploded within them, but not really to destroy anything standing in their path, it was a focused blast.
Devika smirked. "Then show me your ability to lead through disgraces, my child."
Amidst one of the biggest settlements in Yamisora was a crowd of Oni. Many horns, singular or in pairs, many skin tones, dark and light, many ages, small and grand, the Oni stood illuminated by the lamps and stars.
Here in the settlement's main plaza they gathered for a special occasion, one invited by Das Dev himself, one of the Chiefs. He stood giant beside his granddaughter, Al Khalifa Ain, the two atop a makeshift platform to be seen far away. Even so, for the people that were not there close, Den Den Mushi, some horned, some winged, recorded everything and broadcasted to the entire island. Bright screens littered distant places, easily catching the citizens' attention.
"MY FELLOW ONI!" Dev rose his left arm, carrying out his voice everywhere with the aid of the screens, everyone cheered by raising their own left arms. "HERE AND TODAY, 1578, I PROUDLY INTRODUCE TO YOU ALL: AL KHALIFA AIN!!! One of our Chief candidates in Yomisora!!" More cheers, Dev lowered his arm and motioned for Ain.
Ain walked slowly forward, her face and body as relaxed as always. "Hello, I know my time here has been short, but you've all reigned me in and given me things that words can't describe. I thank you all, truly."
Everyone cheered, their smiles beaming before the platform holding Ain and Dev, even the people watching through the screens yelled out with such intensity that everybody's horns seemed to react. Most of those shouts were actually words, words for Ain.
"AIN-SAN!!"
"AIN-DONO!"
Dev cheered along, "UHOHOHOHOHO!" He clapped several times while hunching back and forth. "I see that y'all have skipped the question I wanted to ask!" Motioning for Ain again, he rose both arms. "A warrior such as Al Khalifa Ain, who has honored her existence! Who has risen in the ranks of both society and groups-" Everyone looked intensely at the stage, as if anticipating. "-IS SHE JUST A CANDIDATE?! ONI!"
"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!" Oni, elder and children alike, jumped as much as they could, their spiritual roars reaching out to everywhere in Yomisora.
"WELCOME OUR NEWEST CHIEF: AL KHALIFA AIN!!!"
"I-" Ain stood in surprise, unable to believe how quickly the decision was made. She should've known, Onis were simple minded after all. "I will do my utmost best to protect Yomisora from anything or anyone that threatens it."
"AIN-SAN! AIN-SAN! AIN-SAN! AIN-SAN! AIN-SAN! AIN-SAN!" With each chant, the Oni's arms went up and down. Some wrapped their arms around another fellow Oni's neck, others hugged and danced, the rest touched their horns and smiled.
As everybody continued to cheer, Dev turned to Ain and knelt down in one knee, "Little one, I know that whether me, our family, or the island being proud of you is not the most that matters..." Rising his hand and inclining his head towards her, Dev closed his eyes, ready to pat her head. "Just as we believe in you, believe in yourself."
"T-thank you..." a sniff, Dev's hand felt comfortable in her head. For a moment, it was as if she was once more a child, and her mother spoke to her. They weren't related, though Dev carried that same smile..."I'll make you..., I'll make myself proud!"
"Very well, UHOHOHO!" Dev smirked wide, eyes closed with their corners wet, and eyebrows high, the feeling sipping into him was nothing foreign. And while he had had many descendants, they were each themselves, Ain was herself, she took no place within the family, she made her own. For a second, he whispered to himself, "Susanoo."
Dev clenched his free hand into a fist and opened his eyes. "We shall move mountains for you, my child, and that is nothing that you ought to retribute. It is our own free will."
Coming Home[]
The fated day arrived for Ain’s return, and the people of the Red Rhino tribe awaited the very same way as they had in their last fight. People surrounded the arena, and despite the amounts of orc that were there, it remained quiet. Peaceful.
That was until the wind whooshed powerfully, and from the sky, several figures landed on the ground. Or well, at least Ain and Momotaro did.
“Greeting, Chief.”
The orcs began to howl in excitement at their arrival. Igraktur and Gromash instantly peered their eyes at Ain, almost as if trying to look beyond her. The chief walked towards Ain, his steps nearly making the ground tremble. He glanced at her for a second, grumbling under his breath.
“You smerr...stronger. Arrmost like a different person from before, right Gromash?”
The orc swordsman nodded, resting his arm on his blade’s hilt. “Sir...Wirr you give me the honor of “testing” the woman this time?”
With a low growl, Igraktur glared at Gromash, interested at the suggestion of his second in command. Waving his hands to order the crowd to lower their cheers, he walked over to Gromash, and tapped him on the shoulder. The swordsman orc walked closer to Ain, clenching his blade and “sniffing” the pair.
“You seem to be determined to take our warriors out to sea. With a chance rike the one you had, you courd have easiry escaped and never come back...Yet here you are...” He began to pace around the arena, his long hair flowing as it complimented his imposing appearance.
“I sharr test if you are fit to be the warrior we have awaited for...Endure one attack. Just one.” He grumbled. He stood a distance away from Ain, placing his left foot in front, both hands clasping his sheathed blade. It seemed as if he already was preparing himself for Ain’s answer.
“If you say yes, I sharr attack. Prepare yourself, as I wirr attack just once...”
A compressed shock wave of air surged from Ain's position as she rose her right foot and placed it on the ground. There was no destruction to the environment, and it was by no means, supposed to harm anyone. It was merely a declaration from her, that whatever the orcs would throw at her, she'd accept.
Her fist remained at her sides, specifically held back next to her waist. She took a deep breath, as her eyes flashed a red glow momentarily.
"I accept."
Igraktur simply nodded to his second in command, as he walked over to a large seat covered in animal bones and decorations. The crowd was hectic, and there could even be some of them heard cheering over to Ain. Orcs were a proud warrior race, and after her last duel against their chief and her impressive display, they had continued to tall about the “flame demon” that had fought so valiantly. They sensed her fighting spirit, and now, they could even notice her growth at a glance. There was chatter here and there about some orcs fired up just thinking about the idea of their Chief and Ain leading them into glory.
The chief knew all this as well, and his opinion of her had changed after their first duel. Strength comes in many ways. He overcame her during their bout mostly because of experience. His mind wandered, thinking about how even more incredible she would be with the unique orc-style combat under her belt. Ain had grown from a mere nobody to the orcs, to someone they considered as a gateway to once more find glory in battle and leave their mark in the world. With a swing of his fist, Igraktur hit the gong, the duel had begun.
Gromash was already in position before the gong even rang. He was steady, tense, calm and focused. With a single inhale, Gromash’s harder than steel-like muscles compressed and tightened. Another exhale, then an inhale, and his entire body seemed to double in size, muscles and veins bulging as with a last breath, they compressed once more. The pressure exuded by Gromash made the ground crackle and the winds howl, as he prepared for a single attack to determine Ain’s worth. This power, this skill, wasn’t something only Gromash was capable of, no, it was one of many reasons that having an orc army at one’s side was so valuable. With physical strength that surpassed a fishman’s from the moment they’re born, which only increases with age and training, near-unbreakable skin and combat skills that surpass most warriors in the world, the orc tribe was truly a fearsome bunch. A single orc could easily be worth hundreds of human warriors.
Suddenly, calmness permeated. Even the crowd grew silent. Only a strange metallic sound resounded, yet it was produced by Gromash’s intense Busoshoku being gathered on his hands, as it extended towards his sword which he had slightly drawn from its scabbard. His hand and haki seemed to vibrate as the enveloped the blade, Gromash closed his eyes.
A single, dark, crescent shaped slash suddenly emerged, ripping through the air itself at astonishing speed. There was no sound, it trailed behind the slash. Gromash’s own movement would not be noticeable by the common eye. This level of swordsmanship was something few could even dare to compete against. Gromash was among the best swordsmen not only in their clan, but the entire orc tribe. An orc destined to not become a warrior, but a shaman, yet by sheer will and unrelenting training, Gromash proved that despite he could compensate his lack of a bulky and powerful body, by mastering skills that put him on par with even some orc chiefs.
Only a moment later would the screeching sound of Gromash’s vibrating attack would be heard. The powerful, crescent shaped slash would close the distance between him and Ain in the blink of an eye. However, due to the position of the attack, one couldn’t easily notice, the six other slashes trailing right behind the first one! Gromash’s attack had “divided” into seven slashes that would hit its mark one after the other with incredible power, each attack not only powered by the orc’s masterful Haki, but the vibrating aspect that sought to break through any defense through overwhelming skill. Once the first one reached Ain, the rest would follow with less than a second of interval between them, as the very arena seemed to screech and tremble from the orc warrior’s attack.
Almost as if she had left her body on the mortal plane, Ain's body remained without a single movement, or so it'd appear. The world grew silent, except for one metallic sound that focused on Gromash's hilt, and despite the sheer pressure, and killing intent that could be felt from both the sword and his person, Ain remained with her eyes closed. Had Grimash, or anyone used their Kenbunshoku for that matter, they'd notice that Ain's usually reddened aura, a metaphysical presence that represented her rage diminished, and focused around her figure.
"Inner Peace..."
Das Dev's words resounded in her head, and that very aura moved along her breath, expanding and releasing, expanding and releasing...Her body reacted to both her rage and her calmness, even as they were opposites. Muscles begun to tighten severely, even around her horns. She felt every fiber of her being harden naturally to its utmost potential. Her transformation had begun, and she could practically hear and feel the vibrations emitted by Gromash's 'slash'.
It was faster than she could ever anticipate, and although she had no intention to dodge it, had she not focused as intently as she did, she, much like any onlookers, would've missed the true nature of the attack. Even so, her eyes remained closed, and the first slash slashed right through her changing physiology. It collided with her bare being, cutting through part of her attire, and causing her to bleed underneath. What was more, as the slash made contact, her entire body rattled, as if it were being destroyed through the inside.
Ain made no attempt in denying the attack, it was almost as if she accepted it. Accepted the fact that it'd hit, accepted the fact that it'd damage her. Thus, there was no clenching of teeth, no mental remark. The other slashes followed in that very moment, with the second one producing the same effects, as her Haki begun to take form permanently across her skin in the form of markings. They continued to wrap around, as the third collided. Though it was when that very slash hit, that things begun to take a turn. Her eyes opened, and a blazing orb formed atop her head. The fourth slash clashed against her tightened being, hardened bones, and the will that thinly protected her body in a thin layer, dispersing as it touched her. The other slashes followed the same path, as at an incredible rate, the attacks that she had endured, the attacks that rattled her insides were repaired as well as they could by her own body, almost as if by command. The teachings of Das Devika ran through her mind.
She was able to repair her body through her Yomi Kikan because of a single fact, the fact that she had accepted the attacks. Because she allowed the rapid slashes to cut through her, it was more than enough for her to know their effects, exactly where'd they hit and exactly what they'd done to her. Pinpointing the exact location and root of the injuries, her body automatically attempted to reverse the effects, and while she wasn't completely 'reversed', it reached the point where not even blood could be seen, only the cuts in her clothes remained.
The world finally reacted, and through the cracks of the earth, the settling dust, Ain appeared, Haki markings, taller horns and a glowing orb of will atop them. To any onlookers it'd appear as if the attack simply hadn't affected Ain at all.
"...Damn it, I was too slow."
"She did it...she learned how to use Kishin Mode." Momotaro remarked, looking at Ain's appearance. She was truly closest to Susanoo, in that moment, she sparkled brightly, as if she was the god's own sister, Amaterasu.
"Does that satisfy you, Chief?"
Not just the chief's, but most orcs present in the arena widened their eyes and mouth. A woman with incredible courage and strength had challenged the Chief not too long ago. Yet this "person" was completely different from the one before. Ain was on a whole new level of strength, one which she acquired in such a short amount of time. Igraktur scratched his chin as he analyzed the situation. Kishin Mode, one could say it was an Oni's trump card, but it was more than just a powered up state. Gromash withdrew his blade as he observed Ain in her transformed state. Her presence, willpower, spirit, all had evolved to new levels. That inner rage was still there but...it was controlled and focused. If she had mastered that, Igraktur simply wondered how much more she could grow if she learned a thing or two from them.
Gromash nodded at Momotaro, and gave an "approval" look towards Ain. He sidestepped as Igraktur descended into the arena and approached the challengers. "Hrrrrrmmmmmm...It seems the Oni's put you through some intense training, you even smerr' different..." He looked down at the warriors, as a handful of orcs appeared behind Ain, yet with Igraktur's look, she would know they meant no harm.
"Pride is in our blood, woman." As the chief spoke those words, the orc shamans splashed blood at Ain's body, yet their hands never touched her exoskeleton. The sheer mastery the orcs had over their Haki allowed them, even during rituals, to control other things via their willpower. The blood began to form intricate markings all around her armored body, tribal and almost ritualistic.
"Different Orc househords' have their own ways of serectin' their champions. Some wait on a prophecy, others never even find one. We, from the Red Rhino search for someone with unique strength of spirit. Young one..." Igraktur glared at Ain. "Ever since you arrived here, I knew you had it in you. Many arrive and just desire to take control of us by force. Everyone thinks we’re just savages that just think of war. War is where we indeed put our strength and pride, but it means much more to us than just to destroy enemies…”
As the giant orc spoke, the crowd stood silent, as the shamans finished covering Ain in blood markings.
“It has been ages, but we have found a worthy champion! To guide the Red Rhino to new heights! Warrior!” He turned to Ain. “You have been chosen to guide ourr’ warriors. These markings represent the blood of our past. Wirr’ you become an honorary orc, rearn’ our ways, and carry our pride as if it were yours?! Scream it to the Nine Winds, if you’re up for it...You shall be known in our ancient tongue as “Kharzug”, after a Goddess of Fire, honor and freedom.”
The shamans placed a large, intricate and decorated axe in front of Ain, as part of the ritual. The handle of the axe was made of steel spikes, as a way to represent Ain’s blood pact with the clan.
Ain's face, and her posture remained as relaxed as ever. Her red eyes glowed powerfully, and she showed no reaction to Igraktur, even as markings began to cover her body, as if her blood had been hardened. It was almost as if she knew this'd happen, before it even occurred.
The flame atop her head still shone brightly, and slowly, it shaped itself into a crown. She opened her right hand, grabbing the axe and pulling it with ease towards her. First, her voice was quiet, yet at the same time everyone in the arena could hear it. "I promise to learn your ways, to honor your tribe, to become one of you..." With a swift movement, she brought her arm upwards, the golden axe gleaming in the light. A powerful roar accompanied that movement, before she brought forth her declaration.
"I accept your title. I am now Kharzug, and I will lead this tribe, and treat it as I would my own family!"
The audience roared, with even Momotaro clapping, a grin accompanying his expression.
"I did it Anna, this is but the first step...I'll make you proud..." she looked at her axe, and as she brought it down once more, just like that, she had achieved her goal.