A/N: Going back, I realise there’s some formatting errors in the last part. UGH. Anyway I will still be filling this even when the third part of the kinkmeme rolls around so don’t worry about me abandoning it.
***
If there was something to be said about daemonic encounters, it was that the magic allowed her to see it as a sickly ball of red light in her mind’s eye. Still, she was unsure of its abilities or if it would corrupt her with a touch. Daemons were practically unheard of in the city, due to the brightly lit wall that surrounded it. She herself did not fight any in her travels as she made sure to conduct her business in the daylight.
Hearing the creature move, she was willing to keep her distance until she knew what it was capable of. Suddenly, she felt something hard scratch her cheek, the wound stinging. Raising her dagger, she made a weaving motion, ensuring that she deflected the rest of the projectiles away from her face. Jumping out of the way, she caught one in her hand and ran a thumb over it. The daemon was throwing coins, the familiar texture helping her mind make the connection.
Distracted momentarily, she barely rolled out of the way, feeling the distinct rush of air from an unsheathing katana past her. The crowd gasped and she hated to think how close she was to the blade. Gathering her momentum, she ran at the edge of the arena, kicking off the wall and striking at the Ayakashi’s shoulder, eliciting a cheer from the crowd. Removing her dagger from the creature, she pushed off and skidded backwards, planning her next move.
‘Daemons can use weapons?’
A small dagger wouldn’t be enough at this point. Analysing her situation, the daemon was most likely a corrupted general that wasn’t laid to rest correctly, sensing the rage and evil seeping from its body. Wielding a katana, the creature would have a range advantage whilst her close combat weapon would be too much of a risk to use. Sweat sliding down her brow, she realised she was frightened. Wiping it off, she breathed in and out, focus was the key and she needed to use the Armiger.
In order to disguise her magic, she turned with a flourish of her robes, pulling off her hat and throwing it into the air. When she thought the crowd was sufficiently distracted, she pulled off her robe, summoning her star from under it and splitting it into two. The princess would have to make quick work of the daemon, as she felt the skin on her face burn and curl away from the wound.
Sayuri ignored the whistles coming from the observer’s stands, feeling indifferent to her naked upper body. She had never seen her own body before, she felt none of the unnecessary societal shame.
‘Act as if the weapon is a part of your very arm.’
Remembering her mentor’s words, she swinged her right arm in a graceful arc, throwing the first shuriken, following the motion by thrusting her left arm in front of her and releasing the grip on her second shuriken. They cut through the daemon with ease as it hissed, returning to her hands. Unrelenting in her assault, she rushed at the creature, twirling with her arms out, slicing it like a whirlwind. She yelled, ferocious, bringing the star back into one, pinning the daemon’s midsection to the wall.
Throwing her dagger in the air, she spun and kicked it, the blade landing squarely in the creature’s throat. It dissipated, the red glow of light she saw vanished and she deemed it safe to move. There was a stunned silence, until she gathered her robe, hat and weapons and left the arena. The cheers of the crowd followed her out.
She really needed medical attention.
***
The Promoter was cheerful, the fight having drawn a lot of interest- and gold.
“Most impressive, Whispering Blade! Here is your cut from the fight. You have now moved to the gold tier, congradulations!” he exclaimed in his strange made-up words.
Sayuri frowned as she pocketed the coins, touching her cheek. The skin was on the verge of going necrotic, until the curing elixir she had administered just moments before worked their magic. It was disgusting to think that they had shackled daemons in this place, ready to be unleashed on fighters for entertainment. Dark magic- an evil that snuff out the spark of life in a heartbeat- it was too cruel.
“I will be back later to accept my next fight.”
She did not wait to be dismissed by him, for she was feeling uneasy and needed a break after her ordeal. Wringing her hands, she thought about passing by the delicious smelling noodle stall next the inn nearby. Being careful not to trip down the stairs, she thought about her purpose and how the greed and boredom of man would lead to shackling unnatural horrors in the capital. The air felt lighter, the further away she walked from the arena.
Finding the noodle stall and settling herself in a stool, she was about to order when a large, muscular man sat next to her and loudly greeted the cook. Pursing her lips in annoyance, she just decided to wait until the pair stopped exchanging conversation to order.
“…and, bring me another bowl for my new friend here!” she jumped, unsure if she was being addressed. “Saw you fighting in the ring today. Was sad that the Taskmaster put you up to the daemon fight.”
‘Ah. Probably a spectator who saw my breasts earlier.’
Sayuri turned to the voice, acknowledging the man’s presence, preparing to staple his hand to the stall if he tried anything sleazy.
“Ah, you might know me already. Seen me around the ring, yeah?”
“I have not.” she laced her fingers together nonchalantly, facing him fully. Just a fellow competitor.
The man sputtered, recognising the meaning behind her milky white eyes and she couldn’t help but giggle, making people uncomfortable was amusing in its own right. The cook placed the noodle bowls in front of the pair, eyeing them strangely. Delicately, with the poise of a royal, she slurped her noodles up silently as the man devoured his bowl in embarrassment.
Time had passed and it would seem like he had something say, as he had shifted in his seat uncomfortably many times.
“W-well! I think your fighting style is very elegant. Nothing like I’ve seen before. You’re in the gold tier right? I would love to face you in the ring.”
She thought it nice, that her fighting style had turned a few heads in awe.
“Your accent. Where is it from? Do you always buy noodles for pretty girls?”
The man huffed at her comment and then formally introduced himself. His name was Amicita and he was the cousin of the current head of the warrior clan from the west. The Amicita clan had served the royal family in the capital city in the past and he had come here with some clan representatives to discuss trade agreements at the banquet next week. He himself had partaken in the tournament to find a purpose, because he felt that he would find it there.
Listening intently, she thought it interesting that the royal family had servants in other lands.
“What does your clan pride itself on?”
“Well, we boast strength mainly, wielding the mightiest broadswords. The scriptures say the Gods gave the first Amicita the power to lift mountains.”
“Curious. What does bashing skulls in a tournament mean about having purpose?”
“I don’t know, but I have a hunch. To your earlier question, I buy noodles for the competitors I want to get to know.”
FILL: Black Chrysanthemums [6/?]
***
If there was something to be said about daemonic encounters, it was that the magic allowed her to see it as a sickly ball of red light in her mind’s eye. Still, she was unsure of its abilities or if it would corrupt her with a touch. Daemons were practically unheard of in the city, due to the brightly lit wall that surrounded it. She herself did not fight any in her travels as she made sure to conduct her business in the daylight.
Hearing the creature move, she was willing to keep her distance until she knew what it was capable of. Suddenly, she felt something hard scratch her cheek, the wound stinging. Raising her dagger, she made a weaving motion, ensuring that she deflected the rest of the projectiles away from her face. Jumping out of the way, she caught one in her hand and ran a thumb over it. The daemon was throwing coins, the familiar texture helping her mind make the connection.
Distracted momentarily, she barely rolled out of the way, feeling the distinct rush of air from an unsheathing katana past her. The crowd gasped and she hated to think how close she was to the blade. Gathering her momentum, she ran at the edge of the arena, kicking off the wall and striking at the Ayakashi’s shoulder, eliciting a cheer from the crowd. Removing her dagger from the creature, she pushed off and skidded backwards, planning her next move.
‘Daemons can use weapons?’
A small dagger wouldn’t be enough at this point. Analysing her situation, the daemon was most likely a corrupted general that wasn’t laid to rest correctly, sensing the rage and evil seeping from its body. Wielding a katana, the creature would have a range advantage whilst her close combat weapon would be too much of a risk to use. Sweat sliding down her brow, she realised she was frightened. Wiping it off, she breathed in and out, focus was the key and she needed to use the Armiger.
In order to disguise her magic, she turned with a flourish of her robes, pulling off her hat and throwing it into the air. When she thought the crowd was sufficiently distracted, she pulled off her robe, summoning her star from under it and splitting it into two. The princess would have to make quick work of the daemon, as she felt the skin on her face burn and curl away from the wound.
Sayuri ignored the whistles coming from the observer’s stands, feeling indifferent to her naked upper body. She had never seen her own body before, she felt none of the unnecessary societal shame.
‘Act as if the weapon is a part of your very arm.’
Remembering her mentor’s words, she swinged her right arm in a graceful arc, throwing the first shuriken, following the motion by thrusting her left arm in front of her and releasing the grip on her second shuriken. They cut through the daemon with ease as it hissed, returning to her hands. Unrelenting in her assault, she rushed at the creature, twirling with her arms out, slicing it like a whirlwind. She yelled, ferocious, bringing the star back into one, pinning the daemon’s midsection to the wall.
Throwing her dagger in the air, she spun and kicked it, the blade landing squarely in the creature’s throat. It dissipated, the red glow of light she saw vanished and she deemed it safe to move. There was a stunned silence, until she gathered her robe, hat and weapons and left the arena. The cheers of the crowd followed her out.
She really needed medical attention.
***
The Promoter was cheerful, the fight having drawn a lot of interest- and gold.
“Most impressive, Whispering Blade! Here is your cut from the fight. You have now moved to the gold tier, congradulations!” he exclaimed in his strange made-up words.
Sayuri frowned as she pocketed the coins, touching her cheek. The skin was on the verge of going necrotic, until the curing elixir she had administered just moments before worked their magic. It was disgusting to think that they had shackled daemons in this place, ready to be unleashed on fighters for entertainment. Dark magic- an evil that snuff out the spark of life in a heartbeat- it was too cruel.
“I will be back later to accept my next fight.”
She did not wait to be dismissed by him, for she was feeling uneasy and needed a break after her ordeal. Wringing her hands, she thought about passing by the delicious smelling noodle stall next the inn nearby. Being careful not to trip down the stairs, she thought about her purpose and how the greed and boredom of man would lead to shackling unnatural horrors in the capital. The air felt lighter, the further away she walked from the arena.
Finding the noodle stall and settling herself in a stool, she was about to order when a large, muscular man sat next to her and loudly greeted the cook. Pursing her lips in annoyance, she just decided to wait until the pair stopped exchanging conversation to order.
“…and, bring me another bowl for my new friend here!” she jumped, unsure if she was being addressed.
“Saw you fighting in the ring today. Was sad that the Taskmaster put you up to the daemon fight.”
‘Ah. Probably a spectator who saw my breasts earlier.’
Sayuri turned to the voice, acknowledging the man’s presence, preparing to staple his hand to the stall if he tried anything sleazy.
“Ah, you might know me already. Seen me around the ring, yeah?”
“I have not.” she laced her fingers together nonchalantly, facing him fully. Just a fellow competitor.
The man sputtered, recognising the meaning behind her milky white eyes and she couldn’t help but giggle, making people uncomfortable was amusing in its own right. The cook placed the noodle bowls in front of the pair, eyeing them strangely. Delicately, with the poise of a royal, she slurped her noodles up silently as the man devoured his bowl in embarrassment.
Time had passed and it would seem like he had something say, as he had shifted in his seat uncomfortably many times.
“W-well! I think your fighting style is very elegant. Nothing like I’ve seen before. You’re in the gold tier right? I would love to face you in the ring.”
She thought it nice, that her fighting style had turned a few heads in awe.
“Your accent. Where is it from? Do you always buy noodles for pretty girls?”
The man huffed at her comment and then formally introduced himself. His name was Amicita and he was the cousin of the current head of the warrior clan from the west. The Amicita clan had served the royal family in the capital city in the past and he had come here with some clan representatives to discuss trade agreements at the banquet next week. He himself had partaken in the tournament to find a purpose, because he felt that he would find it there.
Listening intently, she thought it interesting that the royal family had servants in other lands.
“What does your clan pride itself on?”
“Well, we boast strength mainly, wielding the mightiest broadswords. The scriptures say the Gods gave the first Amicita the power to lift mountains.”
“Curious. What does bashing skulls in a tournament mean about having purpose?”
“I don’t know, but I have a hunch. To your earlier question, I buy noodles for the competitors I want to get to know.”
***
“Amicita… You had a shield?”
The Rogue smiled.
“Eventually.”