- Awakening -

Before his eyes, he sees a distorted image. White speck-like dots move rhythmically in random waves on a dark void. The bubbles flow up from his vision.

“(Bubbles?!)” Taro thinks, “(Wait a sec I-)”

He is suddenly jerked from his peaceful bewilderment, to being dragged out of the water.

“*cough cough” Taro coughs up. The stale water comes out the young boy.

“Easy! Easy!” Elaine assures him, “It’s ok! Do you remember what happened?”

“Whuh? I- I think?” he looks around frantically, “Where’s Shion? Akari?”

Around him, he sees a lot of familiar faces recouping from something.

“Akari’s ok.” she points to the resting red oni, “She’s just tired from the fight.”

The justiciar then points up. Taro meeting the direction was met with a large chasm of what used to be the inner sanctum and atrium. They all fell into the underground city.

“Lucky for us, most of our guys fell into the underwater lake, however Shion and the gray oni fell on that platform up there.”

Taro could hear fighting above them.

“I need to go.” Taro starts to get up.

“W-Wait!” Elaine stops him, “You’re hurt! You need to rest!”

“No! I need to do this!!” he insists,

“You… You must really care about those two,” she looks down at her feet.,

“You don’t know the half of it.” Taro continues to dust himself off to go.

“Fine, but I’m coming with you…” the justiciar demands,

The two continue to travel up the towers to find Shion and the four horned demon.

“Look there! Shion’s there!” Elaine shouts, pointing at the large serpent’s tail that hung off the platform.

“No… That’s...” Taro says, under his breath. ”We need to hurry. Let me on your back!”

She agrees and the two make haste to the platform. In due time they arrive at the scene.

Before them, they see the towering Ryo still standing although worse for wear and a defeated Shion sitting up against the corpse of her dead mother. Though one detail made Taro fear for the worst. The Serpent’s Tear sword was embedded in the giant’s snake’s body.

“You fought well… Serpent.” The damaged Ryo laughs and wipes the blood off his chin. “You lack the conviction like all of the rest. Your fate was sealed when you attempted to keep me from this snake’s corpse.”

He kneels low to lift her chin to him.

“A shame, I will make it quick.”

“No! Shion!” Taro yells!

“Again with the tricks boy?” Ryo without even looking, grabs the justiciar behind him,

The hope was for Elaine to grab the sword lodge from the serpent but Ryo was already wise to Taro’s ways. He looks at the knight and smiles.

“I wonder… Do you care for this one as much as the pale one?” he mused with a sadistic grin,

“You’re a demon…” Taro,

“That’s the idea. In this world strength gives the right. The right to rule, to choose… The right to live.” He reaches for his sword, but does not find it there.

“What is this?!”

He turns to find the blade sinking into the Serpent corpse. Try as he might, he could not prevent the blade from slipping away.

Ryo turns back and barks at Taro, “Another one of your tricks?!”

“No…” Taro keeps his eyes affixed on the giant snake.

“Wha- ” The four horned Demon turns and finds a far greater predator rising above him. He released the knight in wild anticipation. His eyes dilate, heart rate increases and beads of sweat rolled from his brow.

“Hahahah! It’s you isn’t it?!” he shouts, “THE GREAT SERPENT OROCHI!”

Like a child Ryo became exhilarated, he felt his moment had truly come.

“FINALLY!” Ryo continues, “A CHALLENGER WORTHY OF MY STRENGTH! WORTHY ENOUGH FOR THE KING OF ONI!”

The serpent glances briefly at Shion and then at the howling oni.

The oni prepares to pounce and laughs hysterically.

“GAHAHAHA-” He laughs before -

*CHOMP

The serpent swallows the oni whole. Taro could see the neck muscles flex, crushing the wayward king in mere moments.

Its head tilts to the side upon seeing Taro and the justiciar. Taro feels as though he were hit by lightning, all of his senses were telling him one thing and one thing alone: Run.

The snake arches its neck, as it slowly opens its mouth. A deep guttural hiss emanates from its massive body. It wants to attack. It wants to kill.

But a frail pale hand reaches out at the serpent. It looks to its side to see its child still lying there. In their delirium the child shakes her head. The snake returns its gaze to the young boy.

In a few blinks Taro’s vision goes dark. In this suspended state he hears a voice ring through his head.

With my daughter’s blessing you may live. However, seeing all that I have seen…

You cannot be allowed to interfere.

—

“Taro? Taro?!” The justiciar calls out, bewildered as her partner disappeared before her very eyes. “What did you-?!”

Upon turning to the snake she found that it was far closer than she’d anticipated. Its burning orange eyes bore holes into her. Elaine could hear her voice inside her head.

“Nothing would please me more than to give you what you deserve now…” The snake hisses, “However I am nothing if not patient… Your time will come.”

The great serpent picks up her daughter and puts her on her back. It slithers up to the grandest tower and coils around it. Orochi then roars in such a way that a great tremor was felt throughout the mountain, let alone the dungeon.

And the mountain roars back.
The underground city shook and vibrated. Sand, gravel, rock and stone made its way for the ascending city. The growing structure split the mountain in twine, consuming the small village and its humble dungeon. The tremors were felt throughout the land, far off kingdoms look in awe as a dark monolith grew from a distance. The sky scraper eclipsed any monument or mountain with its sheer height and presence. Its structure was similar to that of a corkscrew, the winding structures would splinter and form megalithic spikes like a thorny vine attempting to reach heaven.

“The end times… They’re here.” A refugee says looking at the monolith. All of the traveling villagers huddled together as the sky grew red.

The moon silhouettes Orochi who perches at the tip and arches her massive neck. A single grand wing splays itself out from her long body. She roars to earth below as well as the heavens above with a declaration; 

I am here.