Daisekel

On the trio marched through grassy knolls as Oranui lead the way forward with Tagunban close behind him and Petara trailing behind a half dozen meters. “So who where those men you attacked? They looked like Sea Tribe members to me.” Taguban questioned Oranui in Japanese. “Don't let their appearances fool you, they're pirates from the outer islands here to raid.” Oranui answered as they walked. “Outer islands?” Tagunban questioned further. “I'm sure you've heard tales of how the Sea Tribe invaded this land from an island home? We are only a handful of Islands among many in a vast sea, while we are the strongest tribe we are far from the only one even now. The cultures of the home islands are far less unified than those of Mikai Island. Another one of this island’s many curiosities of which I lack any theory for.” Oranui elaborated further in Japanese before taking a bite out of the heart he tore from one of the assailants he killed. “And why do you eat their hearts?” Taguban asked with a shudder before Oranui shook his head. “Why do you carry the severed head of a man on your belt and enslave his soul denying it an afterlife? Because even in this world you need power to truly survive. I felt it wrong to enslave a man’s soul for power, so rejected the powers of channeling mana to instead focus on my physical mana alone. To train physical mana one must maintain a strong body and eat the eat the hearts of his slain enemies to steal that mana from their soul. They way I see it, cannibalism is a far lesser evil than spiritual slavery.” Oranui chided Taguban for what he saw as hypocrisy. Taguban grunted in anger as he grit his teeth for the call out of his character. Taguban had suppressed the same thought as a teenager and didn't care for the reminder of the moral quandary that was the origin of his powers. “This man killed my father in a dishonorable way, my descendants can have his soul before his gods for all I care.” Tagunban hissed with venom in his voice. Before Oranui could respond Petara who had no understanding of the Japanese language but could easily sense the tension quickly stepped up between. “Either you need to learn Highland Speak or you two need to teach me whatever language that is.” Petara proclaimed to Oranui and then Tagunban in the Highland Language with exaggerated gestures to get her point across to Oranui. “I can't believe you were from another world this whole time and never told me.” Petara exaggerated her pouting to Oranui in the Sea Tribe Language. “You catch onto things too quickly for your own good. I never told you because you'd never listen to anything else I'd have to say again, not that you did to begin with.” Responded Oranui before both him and Petara shared a laugh as Taguban walked in ignorance. “So what exactly is your plan to defeat Aegata the Manhunter again?” Taguban asked Oranui in Japanese. “It’s more an idea than a plan I'm afraid, one that hinged upon two points. The first being that we need set this fight on our own terms not his; we have to fight him on a battlefield that plays to our advantages. Plenty of water for the Naga and plenty of trees for cover and this new Kapre spirit I've heard of. The second point is a new theory of mine, we need somewhere with many great boulders and stones. An arrow no matter hard it's shot from a bow can never pierce a stone, it will only shatter because the stone is stronger than the arrow. My theory is that his technique works by creating an initial wound with arrow before all the air compressed around the arrow rushes into the wound making it explode with violent force. Because the arrow can't pierce stone the air will simply whip away harmlessly. I am going to take cover with and throw boulders to maneuver him into a trap where you will finish off and Petara can do her ritual.” Oranui explained in Japanese as they walked before Taguban nodded and the plan was repeated in Sea Tribe speak for Petara’s sake. They would travel the rest of the day and that night as they camped and Tagunban slept out of his tiger skin cloak his dream would be invaded by Yawanu the Shaman. “Come to the village quickly Taguban, the Warchief rallies the tribe for war against the Tribe of the Buffalo. The chieftain is delaying things as long as he can but soon the clans will have to moot and decide for war. Return to us so that we can form a plan to counter his treachery.” Yawanu's shimmering image proclaimed before fading from Tagunban's mind. For now however Tagunban stored the thought in the back of his mind, no doubt with them camping all night tonight that tomorrow Aegata the Manhunter would be upon them, right where Oranui planned. The trio would awake with the first lights of dawn that crested over the ocean horizon as the waves beat upon the rocky beach. Camp was quickly packed as Taguban and Petara followed Oranui as he strode forth confidently until they arrived at a beach of many great black boulders before a veritable forest of small and low to ground wind battered trees. The wind howled unrelentingly in the ears of all present as Oranui turned on his heels and spread his massive tanned arms outwards. “This is the field in which our enemies shall die and Daisekel shall be brought to heel before us!” Oranui proclaimed first in Japanese and then in the Sea Tribe Language. It was then the trio set to work preparing the battlefield to their advantage, Petara carved about upon the largest and flattest stone at the beach a great managram of elaborate detail along with other spiritual symbols with the aid of the Tsentsak dart. Taguban with the aid of the Kapre rehafted Petara's spear with a black ebony handle that was sturdy and strong even if it was roughly hewn. While Oranui rearranged the great boulders of the beach as to create numerous cover zones and a natural funnel towards Petara’s managram; along with various piles of throwing stone to use in combat. When everything was set and ready as it could be the trio simply waited upon the stones in readied meditation.

They would not have to wait long as the voice of Aegata cried out above the roar of the ocean. “Do you have no sense of honor, traitor? How many souls must you pull with you to your damnation at my hand? How many times must you run away? How long will you betray and shame our tribe?” Aegata called out in stone toned mockery before Taguban stood axe in hand as he smacked his chest with his other hand. “It is you who betrays our tribe Aegata! There is no more running, this day we fight to the death on this beach!” Tagunban roared out with passion in the Highland Tribe Language as Oranui and Petara took their places behind boulder cover. An arrow shot forth from shimmering nothingness on the horizon straight for Tagunban before the arrow was met in its trajectory by an erosion rounded black volcanic rock. A gust of wind exploded around Tagunban's as the rock was blown away in a random direction to clatter upon the surface of its brethren as Taguban stood unharmed. “Unveil yourself Manhunter, your tricks will give you no succor in combat today!” Taguban shouted out as he entered his fighting stance axe in his hands and ready to strike. Yet more slow arrows rang out only for the wind battered trees that lined the shoreline stretched out to pluck what arrows they could from the air. The rest were grabbed by a lunging Oranui mid air as his physical mana flowed like the chaotic tides of the ocean through his body. “I am waiting for the honorable duel you seem to speak of yet never deliver Aegata the Coward!” Taguban proclaimed in an effort to anger the Manhunter yet no response came besides more arrows of which Taguban slid down the rock and behind cover to avoid them as they burst in gravel laden explosions. The Naga arose from the vast sea behind the rocky beach and let out a torrential blast of hyper pressurized water onto the shoreline. Sharp grasses and battered trees blew forth as the hillside the arrows originated from came down in a minor landslide onto the rocky shore. Aegata’s form shimmered and warbled into visibility as he leapt forth escaping the landslide with the speed and power of a longbow’s arrow. Before another of Oranui’s thrown rocks could Aegata's form another raging whirlwind like in their previous battle whipped up around his body and sent the rock speeding back at Oranui who lunged to cover to avoid it as it crashed and cracked into a million pieces against another rock. The Naga continuing it's unrelenting aquatic blast shot unto Aegata's whirlwind shield only for its water to be funneled into an even greater cutting beam that sliced through solid stone before Taguban channeled his mana into the Thunder Step, grabbed Petara and ran until the Naga stopped its marine assault on Aegata. As Aegata landed upon a large boulder he disappeared in an instant again to shoot another explosive arrow to Taguban, only for the Kapre to summon forth a sprouting tree to catch the arrow and explode into a hail of splinters. The Naga sent not a beam of pressurized water but a great wave as Taguban leapt into air and sent great arcs of electricity into the salt laden water as it crashed towards Aegata's boulder in a wave of thunder. Aegata reappeared in a flash as he leapt up into the air like a great updraft only for Oranui to do the same charging at him, a boulder held above his head ready to strike. Not having the time to draw back an arrow, Aegata channeled his mana into his hand and as Oranui closed the distance he thrust his palm out towards him with a defining explosion of air. The pressure wave hit Oranui worse than a charging rhino, especially to the soft tissues of his internal organs before he went flying in the other direction. “Oranui!” Petara screamed out in anguish before she spiritually ordered the Kapre materialize from a driftwood log and catch the Oranui’s body. The electric wave crashed onto shore and splashed upwards as it met the great boulders before Aegata and Tagunban landed on their own. The two men faced each other with burning hatred in their eyes before a plume of foul smoke blown by the Kapre with his pipe flew menacingly at Aegata's only for Aegata with a flick of the wrist to summon a breeze which blew away the smoke. Yet that was all the time Taguban needed to find a line of electrically charged salty water from his foot to Aegata. Tagunban who had never stopped channeling his mana since the Thunder Wave sent an electrical charge through the water that arced onto the arrows in Aegata's quiver that lost more and more of its number with each encounter. The pitch and sinew used to fletch the feathers onto the back of the wooden shifts then began to smolder before Taguban charged forward with the Thunder Step to keep Aegata occupied while his arrows burned. Aegata channeled his mana into his hand again and thrusted his palm forward to create another explosion only for Taguban in his feint to narrowly sidestep the blast and charge forward again. Taguban sent out waves of Thunder Mimics to mock charge Aegata while he closed in the distance and swung his axe. With a flick of his longbow, Aegata deflected the axe swing and charged another blast of air in his hand only for Taguban to retreat. Thus the dance of close combat began between Tagunban and Aegata, a flurry of axe swings, parries, exploding blasts of air and high pressure waves, dodges, and charges of both man and mimic. Taguban began to press his assault and Aegata found himself stepping back on the defensive until he created a blast of mana that didn't explode outwards but rapidly imploded inwards compressing the air around it into a tight point. The air rushed from Tagunban's lungs and in a flash of desperation he used the electric contraction of the Thunder Step to close his esophagus before all the air was pulled from it and his lungs collapsed. Taguban while maintaining his life began to black out and lose consciousness as Aegata charged forward grabbing a burning arrow from his quiver intending to stab it into Tagunban's heart only to be met by a speeding stone to the hand. Oranui and the Kapre lunged forward at Aegata their hands balled into fists before Petara lunged and caught Tagunban before he could fall entirely. Petara carried Tagunban off to recover as Oranui and the Kapre too Tagunban's place in the dance of close combat with Aegata. Though weakened greatly and bleeding profusely from his mouth, nose, and eyes Oranui wouldn't be caught by the same pressure wave technique twice, especially with the help of the Kapre keeping up pressure from behind Aegata. The back and forth melee went on before with a mighty mana reinforced punch Oranui snapped the top limb of Aegata's bow off completely. The Kapre then caught Aegata small body with his massive hands and held him in place as Oranui went to deliver another mighty punch only for Aegata to shoot two blast waves from his feet causing him to shoot upwards free of the Kapre's grasp before he placed a hand on each of the Kapre's ears. Before with another conclusive blast Aegata would blow the Kapre’s head off entirely in a shower of blood and gore before landing on Oranui's massive arm. Petara tears in her eyes and screaming from the death of the Kapre set Tagunban unconscious body down and charged with spear in hand and Tsentsak dart rushing before her. Turning the punch into a right hook Oranui sent Aegata's next blast wave wide of his own head and his body towards the path of the Tsentsak dart. Aegata turned his body and thrust out an arm sending another blastwave of air at the Tsentsak dart causing it to flutter away as colorful feathers shot off its decrepited form. Petara ran in with a spear thrust following the dart while flanking Aegata, Aegata leapt downward off Oranui's arm and so yet another dance of close combat began. Yet now Oranui's body began to wane in power and energy further while Petara had to take up the slack of both Oranui, the dead Kapre, and the unconscious Tagunban. Yet even still the pair had an undeniable synergy with their combat that came from years of traveling and training with each other. Oranui landed a punch here and Petara slices at Aegata there. Even still Ageata in his mastery of combat kept up more than well with the two as concussive blasts shook his opponent’s innards and slashes and stabs with arrows chipped away at their bodies. Then came what Aegata thought was his winning blow, another inward implosion of air stole the bloody air from Oranui’s lungs knocking him unconscious before he turned and leveled a palm at Petara after dodging another spear thrust. The Naga let loose multiple blasts of pressurized water only for Aegata to blow them away in turn as he avoided Petara’s thrusts and haft strikes. It was then Tagunban awoke to see Petrara wounded and desperate fighting Aegata alone. Oranui and the Tsentsak dart on the ground and the Kapre obviously dead before them. It was then something truly awoke within Tagunban spirit that had been long dormant, his father's burning wrath and passion which until now he could only weakly mimic, the ferocity of tiger which tried to devour him as a boy, the pride of the Axe Clan and its techniques, and the full weight of experience and power within his soul from his previous life as Yamaguchi Kagetora which had stayed in reserve until now. It was in that moment that Tagunban became not just a great man but a warrior, a slayer, he who was destined to tread upon this savage world on bare feet and conquer forth. Combining the fullest force of both the Thunder Step and his physical mana much like Oranui had Taguban burst forth faster than the speeding eye could ever process and sank his late father's axe deeply into the head trophy and hip of Aegata the Manhunter before he could react or deliver his killing thrust into Petara. The sank the whole of its pointed blade into the man with a spray of hot blood and a meaty sickening thunk. Taguban then channeled nearly the whole of his remaining channeling mana into a great electric execution of Aegata as his body spasmed violently before it began to smoke and fry under the electric current, yet Taguban cruelly channeled the electricity away from Aegata's mind and heart keeping the man's alive and conscious throughout the attack. When he finished Aegata fell forward paralyzed before Taguban grabbed him by his hair and dragged to the managram Petara carved into the flat rock. “Petara, the ritual!” Taguban roared out in the madness of adrenaline before Petara steeled herself and coated her hands in the Kapre’s blood before smearing it on the carving of the rock. Petara then chanted prayers in the Buffalo Tribe language as Taguban planted his axe in Ageata’s heart finally killing the legendary warrior who never lost his pride or unstoned his face in his final moments.

When the axe finished its descent into Aegata's heart Taguban would find his spirit in the same paradoxical void he did in his death as Taguban. Though this time his form was certain, physical, and grounded. Besides him was the paradoxical form of Aegata's soul which existed in a state of great dignity. Before them stood the great leopard dragging the skeleton of a man whose roar shook the paradoxical realm and Aegata's soul from it. “You do not dwell amongst the dead again, why do you intrude upon my realm interloper!” Daisekel roared in maddening fury, yet Taguban stood tall and steeled in his nerves. “I demand answers from you Daisekel and I will not be denied!” Taguban shouted back over the roar of the leopard. “You stand brave in the face of death in spite of knowing its bite before? Very well I may entertain your satisfaction.” Daisekel growled as the leopard sat and held the skeleton up as if it were sitting too. “Why was the Warchief of the Tribe of the Highlands, Oranui, myself, or others sent to this world after our deaths?” Taguban demanded of the Twa. “To bring new mana and new ideas into this stagnant realm. I brought you here to shake this pitiful to its very foundations, to conquer what you may and bring new life and death into this world!” Daisekel roared once again. “Then I demand you give me the power to conquer as you see fit, to conquer the trickster warchief!” Taguban demanded with his own roar. “You demand?! Demand! You demand nothing of a god mortal! Had you not sent a powerful soul before me I would take yours for your insolence. Begone pathetic mortal!” Daisekel roared out in fury as his paradoxical realm began to crumble. “Then to hell with you petty god!” Tagunban again roared in return before he woke up on the beach again. There he laid beside the dead body of Aegata as Petara knelt, chanting prayers. The unrelenting waves of the sea against the rocky beach in sharp relief as Taguban began to come down from his adrenaline.