[All 3rd/5th] Week ---: Footsteps of Thunder and Lightning

[Apeiron]

It was a day of rarities at the Fifth. No Man’s Land was silent, the huge expanse of land that was all of the Fifth Division’s grounds did not change. There were no explosions that rocked its flat and barren land, nor any yelps of surprise. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t any sound other than the rolling wind as it made another gentle sweep over the empty grounds.

The Dome wasn’t in sight, for a change. Or at least, it wasn’t obvious as it was before. The tall structure that gave hope and drive for both new and old founders alike was nothing more than a small hump in the otherwise smooth ground. The entrance to the facility was buried underground today, along with the other five floors. It meant that people were probably traveling underground.

Except for two shinigami who stood flanking the archway that marked the beginnings of the Fifth Division. They stood silently, their eyes swinging back and forth across the gathering crowd of Third Division members - the third rarity of the day - as they waited to be let through.

It was an exciting day for both the Third and the Fifth, as the Blitzkrieg Strike Unit had come to be evaluated.

“Listen carefully, please,” one of the gate guards droned on, “as the Fifth is far more than it appears. At all times, while you are not being evaluated, you must remain with the assigned escorts to your division while here at the Fifth. This is for your own safety.”

Off to the gate’s right, white light arched upwards in a pillar and died away. Where it had been was now a hole and Haresuno Uchiharu’s, Captain of the Fifth, poked his head through. “Wonderful! I’m just in time! Sosuke, how far have you gotten?” he said to the guard who had finished speaking.

“Just started, sir.” Sosuke replied, his bored-looking black eyes only slightly less bored looking in the presence of his captain.

“Good, good.” Pulling himself out of the ground, Haresuno closed the tenriku portal with a small flex of God Hand. “Captain Amaterasu isn’t here yet?” Looking around, it didn’t seem like it she was. It was fine, for now, but he hoped she appeared shortly. “Which of her officers are here, though? Step frward and make yourselves known.”

[390]

 

[Beaks]

"Mabara Tsubaki, un-frickin'-seated of the Third..." The former Captain pushed herself gently off the wall which she was leaning against, giving the Founder an impromptu wave as her sentence finished.

"...inexplicably present before any of her commanding officers."

[38/special]

 

[Chef Bryardee]

Starting from the rear of the crowd, one figure began sifting through the crowd, many of the Third Division members comprising the conglomeration looking back at him and quickly making way for him as he passed through. It was less in reverence for the man than it was simple courtesy. Many recognized him yet none bowed, nodded, or greeted him with respect one of his seat would expect; several weeks he had been absent from division grounds and, after his return, nearly double that time since he’d left his quarters. Having been sunken into the cot in his quarters for days on end without a shower, the one he’d taken earlier did little to wash him of his pungent stench.

Emerging from the crowd, the raven-haired man looked on Tsubaki and then the Fifth Division captain with lazy, crow’s feet-ridden eyes, giving a curt nod to either. He looked like a man fresh off of a weekend-long drinking binge with the rank breath and untidied hair to match. Both his keikogi and hakama were wrinkled and gave off their own faint odor.

All of this and the man wore a rather nonchalant look, as if he was trim and tidy from head to toe.

“Kagetoki Manzou,” he announced, pulling the cigarette from the crease of his ear and tucking it inside his uniform. “Sixth seat.”

[225/225]​

 

[Doc]

“Yoshinaga Gorou,” preceded the bearded samurai’s arrival alongside his comrades. More calm than the occasion might have deserved composed his stance and mood. In a stunning turn of events, there was no cigarette of any kind clutched in the corner of his mouth.

“Fif,” he cut himself off, “third seat,” he said begrudgingly.

53[53]​

 

[Apeiron]

Cyan eyes trailing from Tsubaki to Manzou then finally to Gorou. He took them all in and weighed and measured them by their appearance, their mannerisms, and their brimming eagerness to be at the Fifth. Manzou, especially. Whatever the captain’s impression of those who made themselves known was, he didn’t show it. But he did not try to cover the his surprise of the three most powerful members. Obviously, being a division while not being an official division lent to some sour attitudes.

Taking in a deep breath, Haresuno turned to the crowd of Blitzkrieg members. His deep bass voice grew loud as he began to address them all, “Members of the Third! Welcome, welcome, welcome! I am Captain Uchiharu, Haresuno and this...,” he flared his hands out to his sides so as to draw their attention to the vast open ground behind him. Puzzled whispers fluttered about, but nothing so unusual. Many of the shinigami from the Gotei only gave the Fifth a quick glance and laughed. The division grounds had no wall to protect them, save for the small one that marked their gate. If ever Seireitei was sieged, the Fifth was surely the first to go. “...is the Fifth Division.

“As Sosuke has no doubt warned, No Man’s Land - the grounds currently behind me - are more dangerous than they appear.” As if to demonstrate, the captain reached into his sleeves and produced a small ball. He flicked it into the air, a showman’s display, before he caught it and rolled it up his arm as if by magic. “If, however, any of you do not want to believe me then feel free to wander.” The ball dropped behind Haresuno’s back from his shoulder, and bounced away towards the division grounds. No sooner had the ball crossed past the gate’s threshold than lightning - fierce and sudden and dangerous - shot down from the clear blue sky and smote the small ball.

Smiling, the captain finished by saying, “The Fourth is in desperate need of willing casualties.”

Not far away from where the captain’s hole had been, the earth crumbled and seven founders pulled themselves out of a freshly-dug hole. They lined up next to one another, each one carrying a brown wicker basket.

“Today should be the day that the Third Division - the Blitzkrieg Strike Unit - comes home. However, that is entirely up to all of you. By the Soutaichou’s command I have been assigned to proctor the re-training of the Third. To that end I have cleared my division grounds today of all my members, so that you all might feel at ease. I have also developed a test that each and everyone of you will participate in. If I am satisfied with your performance than my report to Soutaichou Inuzuri will be a positive one. I don’t think it is necessary for me to say what will be there if I am not happy.”

Dropping his right hand, Haresuno’s left shifted and directed everyone’s attention to the seven shinigami standing patiently in a row. “Each basket here is filled with the numbers one through seven. Members of the Third will step forward and draw a number at random. Then, each group will follow one of the gate guards to their starting positions where the next phase will begin.”

[947]

Expect a PM from me shortly.

 

[Rob]

“I don’t believe in chance,” Nana responded in a flat tone as she appeared in front of the casket, drew one of its tickets and nodded softly in Haresuno’s direction. She had been brought up to speed... somewhat by her friend, but that didn’t mean she was told everything.

Because that would be spoiling, right?

And no one liked that.

Well, Haresuno didn’t like that... which she then assumed made no one in the Fifth like it either.

As she showed her piece of paper with the kanji for two engraved on it, Nana followed down the guard that had come to pick her up and went to her designated lane. The sooner they could get started, the sooner she could go home.

[125]

 

[Chef Bryardee]

The deafening crack of the thunderbolt woke the raven-haired man from his lethargic stupor, forcing his eyes open to their extents. He looked up, wondering where the shot of lightning came from, wondering how in the world the Founder captain had subjugated nature itself---and why his own division grounds were spiked with such dangerous traps. Both onyx eyes narrowed, roaming over Haresuno, assaying his rather nonchalant and buoyant demeanor. The nobleman’s devious, seemingly misplaced smile made him recoil internally. No sooner, however, did the sixth seat step forward, thinking along the same lines as his captain: the sooner this was over, the better.

One footfall came down, and the knee above wobbled, though, he didn’t let it show. The untold number of weeks spent in his half-stricken condition had taken their toll; he’d need to at least scratch the surface of his former self not to end up in the Fourth Division’s infirmary---once again.

Eventually, the man made it to one of the basket bearers, pulled a slip of paper from within, and read the kanji printed in bold lettering in the center: 七. Before Manzou could find his lane on his own, another Founder addressed him, and waved him toward his designated starting point. The sixth seat lumbered to the entrance, and was quickly bitten by the cold wafting through it.

Almost immediately, his delirium was shed and a clearer focus came to him. Shit, he thought to himself. Manzou readied himself, rolling his shoulders, stretching his lower extremities, ridding himself of what thoughts had left him sleepless for days on end now.

[264/519]​

 

[Doc]

“An honor, Uchiharu-dono,” Gorou said with a slight bow. Upon receiving his lot he took a moment to study the character scrawled upon the parchment. Whether or not the number three was a good omen remained to be seen. One last time he glanced and nodded at his comrades before following the gate guard down the designated path.

It seemed that every rumor about the Fifth had been true. All manner of scenery greeted him as he passed, which flew in the face of all he understood to be natural when the mixture of forest and jungle terrain would suddenly be capped by an expanse of barren land.

A sudden stench caught the samurai’s attention. No sooner than his looking back up had the guardian left. Yet again he found himself caught in awe of the Fifth division’s marvels. Rarely did a putrid swamp inspire any kind of awe, but the only explanation for its existence amongst the division’s varied environments was that it had been created. Nothing in his mind could explain how such a thing could be possible.

Soon, however, his thoughts were turned back to the smell. Each time one of the sickening bubbles burst with a slimy pop it released a new stench to greet his nostrils. If he had to stay in that area, accompanied by that smell, for a while longer he’d end up regretting opting for a third serving of udon soup.

239[292]

​

so like

tryin to not waste time. also assumin' we're waiting for some kinda signal before we go?

 

[Beaks]

"Mmm. Tundra, plains, volcanic landscape...and I suppose you guys have a water level somewhere too, don't you?" Her comments on the scenery as she walked were apparently falling on deaf ears, as her escort either didn't listen or simply didn't care what her individual thoughts on the current situation were.

She didn't gamble often, but her money rested firmly on the latter.



[62/100]

 

[Apeiron]

The members of the Third continued to file through. One by one they pulled their lots and rushed to join their groups. Some - not all, but some - were lucky enough to have friends with them.

Then the groups moved, small armies of shinigami carefully being led across the dangerous grounds of the Fifth like cattle to slaughter. Eventually, all seven lanes were filled and dozens of shinigami stood patiently - and cautiously - behind their respective starting lines. They stood and the world was quiet, only the murmurs and whispers of what was going on breaking the silence.

The world was holding its breath.

Each lane was a particularly unique work of art, and Haresuno was very proud of his division for making it. Though it wouldn’t see the light of another day, in this one instant in time the Fifth had created a marvel for another division to revel in.

Seven lanes stood shoulder to shoulder in a circle, each lane guarded on its left and right by towering stone walls that reached upwards. Too tall to climb, but not so tall as to strike fear into whomever was near, the walls were the only thing separating the lanes from the conflicting environments. And they started out wide, giving each lane more than enough room to hold countless shinigami.

“Third Division, welcome to your testing grounds. When this race begins, five of you from each lane will attempt to make it down the lanes towards the end. A simple enough task. So simple, in fact, that your captain has decided to demonstrate.” Screens popped up out of the ground for every lane, each one flickering on and resolving with the image of Nana centered on its screen. “Captain Amaterasu, if you would be as so kind to demonstrate on my mark....”

Though he could not be seen, it was obvious that the Founder-Captain could see all of them.

“... Go.”

[1269]

 

[Rob]

A sigh pierced the heavens as Nana moved forward into her lane. Everything, from the tips of her toes, to the farthest ends of the strands of her hair told her that this was the single most ridiculous thing she had ever gotten involved in.

Demonstrating how to navigate a room filled with traps.

Traps put in place by none other than the Head Gardener, and Trickmaster Supreme himself.

Soft step by soft step, Nana proceeded further and further into the lane before finally disappearing from sight once. And again, and again, until...

Something clicked under Nana’s footsteps, and in the backwash of sounds - the crashing thunder that shook the walls to either side, the dancing firelight of burning rock - the ground behind the Third Division’s captain fell away into an empty black pit from where there was no return. Ahead of her, most of the lane did the same, but whatever mechanism had been used to hold up the ground until now seemed to refuse letting go. Here or there patches of hard earth still held, small plots of land that could be used as stepping stones but you wouldn’t want to stay on them. And there were a good many of them, some close together, and some further away, but all within jumping distance so that - if she wanted - Nana could skip from stone to stone.

The ground beneath Nana’s feet began to crumble slowly, the sound of the shifting earth like cracking ice under pressure. All around the woman, voices ranging from young and old, male and female, began to chant ritualistically, the air around her charging with power.

She had been about halfway through already when it happened, but despite what Haresuno might’ve expected - or maybe he didn’t expect anything of the sort, she couldn’t tell - she didn’t panic in the least.

In fact, as the ground beneath her crumbled under her feet, Nana remained perfectly stationary... hovering on the giant chasm now below her.

Another sigh escaped her lips as she began to take her steps with a little bit more stride this time. Still, as the ground slipped from underneath her, the Blitzkrieg Captain made no attempt at speeding things up.

She was walking on air, and who was going to be telling her she couldn’t? Exactly, no one.

Then, as she reached a pebble about three quarters in, she disappeared into a flash of light and reached the other side. Then she disappeared again, but this time her entrance and exit into her shunpo set off a chain various kidou put up by whoever it was that thought doing something like that was a good idea.

Still, none were actually a threat to the woman as she was just too fast to be caught in their blasts, and soon she found herself on the other side of the lane she had been told to navigate.

Leaving her lane, she stretched her arms and legs for a bit before returning to Haresuno.

Rob: [320/445]
Zack: [185/1454]

 

[Chef Bryardee]

There was a notable lack of fanfare about the raven-haired sixth seat as he watched his captain stride with almost exaggerated casualness across the bottomless chasm beneath her feet. Seeing the ground split apart beneath her had made his already-uneasy stomach balloon. Even those beside him gasped and called out for her then, though many had managed to retain their everflowing or unmoving confidence in the noblewoman in spite that awesome display.

Manzou hummed to himself, and turned his head away once, biting his tongue as his headache began to flare up mildly. He looked over to Gorou, and shrugged.

If only we could all walk on air, he thought to himself.

[112/631]​

 

[Doc]

It was with awe that Gorou stared at the digital display. Everything about Nana’s explosive display of superhuman speed and agility was the stuff of legends. If he knew no better, and was as interested in Shinto lore as he had been he would swear that he had not only met but served under Amaterasu herself.

Were there any criticism he could make of what the monitor revealed it would be that the digital glare of the screen made properly making out fine details difficult. Looking directly at a spectacle rather than staring into the supposed innovation that was a television screen would always leave a more powerful impact on the senses.

Still, the ronin was impressed by what he’d seen and was well aware he wouldn’t be executing any such maneuvers. Another one of the marsh’s filthy bubbles gave a sick pop which was enough to bring him back to what he’d be facing when the signal was given. If he could walk over the finish line without losing his lunch over the stench he’d be able to forgive himself for not moving at the speed of sound and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

198[490]​

 

[Apeiron]

Siiiigh.

“Showing off a little, aren’t we?” Mentally, Haresuno made a note of Nana’s flight-step. That ability would be terribly infuriating, he thought. I’ll have to remember it.

Back on Nana’s lane, the ground which had crumbled away reformed. Chunks of earth freely floated back upwards from the dark pit they had fallen to, collecting back into one singular looking set.

At the end of every lane, something rose higher than the walls. A tower, sturdy and imposing, loomed over all of the tracks. With it were two figures at its height dressed in their pristine haori. Both Haresuno and Nana looked down on the seven lanes, each spaced perfectly from the next in a circle and sectioned off by the walls that every contestant saw to either their left or right.

To every member of the Third, Haresuno’s voice lifted up higher so that they could all hear him with stark clarity. “Each track is exactly one hundred and fifty meters long,” he announced. “All of you stare down towards the same end, though your obstacles and environments are different. This is the challenge I bring to you members of the new Blitzkrieg. Each and every one of you has exactly one minute to reach the goal with an outstanding grade. If you do not reach your goal in that time, however, fear not. You have an additional minute before you fail.

“Be warned, however. The one minute will not be an easy one, no will all the trials be the same. If you are not careful you will find more than missing roads to be a part of your problem. This is your moment to prove to me - and to the Soutaichou - that the Third Division is worthy of regaining itself as the Blitzkrieg Strike Unit.

“Because if you fail... You will all need to find a new home.”

The Founder-Captain gave them all a moment of reflection to weigh his words. Then, with all the regal authority Haresuno possessed, he lifted his left hand high into the air. Quick, sudden, he sliced his hand through the air and commanded the Third: “Go!”

The walls lit up with lights. Pictures of all the members appeared with time counters next to them. Meanwhile, the televisions that had been staring down Nana’s lane all switched to their respective tracks. The first waves of shinigami rushed past the starting lines, and already chaos followed.

Before Gorou’s eyes the swamp bubbled and churned, the dark waters bursting as something jumped out and grabbed the first unfortunate soul who tumbled into the vile liquid not but five paces away. More bubbles fluttered upwards before the water’s surface broke, and the frightened shinigami scrambled away.

Tsubaki was graced with something less horrendous. As her fellow members fled down their pathway, the tranquil forest remained still. The eerie silence strange while to her left thunder roared like cannon fire, and to her right tiny popping sounds resounded against her wall like heavy lead embedding itself. Leaves rustled under the shifting weight of other Third members who had already crossed the start line. Beams of sunlight shone down through the partial breaks in the thick foliage, here or there the occasional glimmer or dark shadowy patch.

Manzou, staring down at the tundra street ahead of him, the pile of snow almost shin height for him, watched as his companions hopped through the snow. Somehow hoping that they could avoid problems. Some were brought up short by hidden dangers that were elusive to the sixth seat, but they carried on shortly - inching their way forward.

This was it. These were their trials. The race for the livelihood of the Third had begun.

[2072]

note: So, your time begins when you write your character passing the start line. Every turn is 12 seconds. I will be writing a turn at the end of every round. That means if you guys want this to be done and over with, all three of you need to post as soon as you’re able, and post well.

 

[Beaks]

"About damn time." The blade of abyssal energy formed in her right hand at the speed of thought, and was launched forward into the thick forest ahead without so much as an iota of hesitation. Those that ran in ahead of her knew what she was, and the risk that was inherent in being in her line of fire.

Or maybe they didn't. Did it really matter once the action was already undertaken?

The blade did its job wonderfully, knocking trees free of their roots and sending them flying like twigs at the mercy of a powerful wind. While it may have been more of a test of the woman's speed and prowess of footwork, the end result was arguably and literally much more straightforward...much like Tsubaki herself.

Tsubaki launched into a spirited burst of shunpou, rocketing forward through the freshly cleared path as two alabaster wings appeared upon her back. Traps, obstacles, threats...none of it mattered. She was going to reach the end of the Founder's gauntlet. Tsubaki already shouldered a considerable amount of blame for the current state of the Third Division.

She would not shoulder this.

[189/289]

 

[Doc]

Multiple problems presented themselves which would arguably take more than a minute to resolve. What first caught Gorou’s attention wasn’t the finish line but the monstrosity standing before it. When the signal was given to move, he charged directly at the threat, having drawn Gunshin from its scabbard along the way.

For all of the samurai’s assuredness that he could cross the line, his legs were neither fast nor agile. All he could boast was stability over speed, which flew in the face of everything to which Harersuno’s test was geared. Still, he would push his feet as best he could right into the swamp creature’s way. In the space of a single strike, he intended to fell the pungent monstrosity without stopping for even a second.

127[617]

so zetta slow!​

 

[Chef Bryardee]

Men and women garbed in black floundered through the field of white before Manzou, some running heedless through it while other moved with the utmost caution and timidity as they watched those before them succumb to the snares the Founder captain had left for them. Through the frigid, whipping winds, screams and belligerent shouts could be heard. The raven-haired man shook his head, taking in a deep, cold breath that chafed against his throat.

Looking down on the chalky ground, he thought to himself for a moment.

In one quick motion, Manzou unsheathed Tatsunokuchi and held it out to his side, stopping the officers who moved toward the starting line by the blunt edge of the blade. Without a word, the blade glowed a bright white and then dimmed to the darkest black until it seemed a void in time and space. The black streak expanded out a full meter into the cumberous form of its initial release, losing its stark lightlessness and revealing the obsidian blade beneath.

Along the ridge of its flat, the blade fissured and burst open. Jagged teeth and a driveling, slithering tongue were revealed, its mouth letting out a low and hungry growl. Suddenly, the mouth expanded outward with a dull grunt, the edge of its mouth running off of the edge of the blade until the maw was three times its original size.

Manzou twisted the enormous blade until the mouth was facing upward and shoveled it underneath the snow until its double-pronged tip scraped against the ground beneath. The glaciated precipitation fell into its maw, disappearing into its bottomless depths. Manzou ran forward, keeping the blade where it was, letting the ever-hungry blade consuming everything in his path.

Those who didn’t succumb to the putrid smell venting through that ravenous maw eventually followed behind the sixth-seat.

[303/934]​

---

For spoiling

Nomihōdai (飲み放題, Bottomless Cup): After paying 10% Reiatsu, the blade mouth explodes to nearly three times its size and creates a void in which anything that is eaten by it disappears into, essentially nullifying the attack. This mainly applies to all directly-offensive Reiatsu-based attacks (such as both categories of Kidō and Cero), but this also includes physical forms of reishi- and kishi-based matter as well. Tatsunokuchi can either catch projectile attacks in its maw, physically eat away at physical bindings around Manzō, or break the reishi down by literally licking it with its tongue. Any attack less than the cost paid is absorbed into the void.

 

[Apeiron]

The forest quickly bent under the weight of Duskdrinker as the abyssal sword sliced cleanly through the air. All before it was rote and familiar, simply something in its way that should not have been. Bark exploded and leaves scattered to hundreds of pieces while the air trailing the sword tried to catch up, a furious gust that could not hope to catch up.

For Tsubaki, her path was clear, her counter continued to run, and the world behind her slowly reformed at its own will.

00:00:12​

---

Gorou’s straightforwardness was something to admire. In a single motion his sword was drawn and he rushed the waters where the swamp-thing had burst forth, and as he drew near with his feet splashing hard against the muck and water, bubbles rose and the filth of the water churned. The creature appeared once more, but the shadows of the swamp hid its features. It was larger than a human and stood on two legs with what looked like seaweed clinging to its skin.

Two large arms reached out as if to snatch Gorou, and stopped. A moment of hesitation as the creature then barrelled forward at the samuari - its intent now to crush the third seat.

His counter continued to run.

00:00:12​

---

The snow for Manzou was no trouble. Tatsunokuchi did a its job, faithfully clearing a path ahead of its master and setting off every trap as he went ahead.

The first was unseen, but not unheard, the snapping of wire crystal clear as Tatsunokuchi devoured what must have been a hair-thin line hidden under all the snow. The world lurched unexpectedly and where Manzou stood now threatened to drop him to his left where an endless pit opened up before him.

The distance forward was still heavy with snow, as if gravity had no hold over what should have been loose flakes falling in clumps, but the left was open and inviting.

Meanwhile, his counter continued to run.

00:00:12​

[2409]

 

[Beaks]

Well this is certainly worth my time, Uchiharu.

There was annoyance in it, but not the common brand usually associated with the times that others attempted to deceive her, misdirect, or just generally lie. It was the rare sort of ire that came when she was either involved our outright forced into something that at the most basic of inspections proved to be something unapologetically and flat-out not worth her time.

While the trees behind her quickly sought to righting themselves Tsubaki quickly dismissed and resummoned the blade, hurling it forward once again into the now dramatically less populated forest ahead. Her forward momentum continued to build, though as to what it was all for was anyone's guess.

[118/407]

 

[Chef Bryardee]

In the midst of his straightforward dash, the floor inclined away from Manzou’s feet rapidly. His stomach dropped, filling him with a queasy feeling of shock as the chasm opened up beside him. There were helpless cries from those behind and in front of him whom had fallen to the unfathomable depths below, disappearing in the abysmal and insurmountable trap laid for them. Manzou, no more better or cognizant than they, slipped and slid down the icy slope, speeding quickly toward the same unknown end. Only his haphazard thoughts were left to save him.

As he fell over the edge, Manzou looked over to it and reached out at that fading branch of hope. Where his reach was limited, however, that of the basilisk was not nearly as inconvenient.

Black flames spit from his form, almost imperceivable against the bleak backdrop that threatened to swallow him whole. The fire coalesced and condensed around his arm, forming another, much more copious and scale-ridden copy of his own arm. White bone talons peeked through its burly fingertips and shot forward, clasping onto the inclined edge of the pit. More members fell in, unable to fight gravity or think quickly enough to escape. The basilisk’s other arm manifested off of his other shoulder, easily catching the two in its broad grasp.

There was a brief moment spent in relief as the two opened their eyes to find themselves spared that humiliating fate. Before they could thank the sixth-seat, though, the arm reared back and tossed them the breadth of the pit and back onto level ground.

For all he knew, the man had likely thrown them right into another trap, though, two distant thuds were all was registered. After taking in a deep breath and scaling the rest of the ground’s skewed edge like a kid on a jungle gym, Manzou made it back onto the planar, snowy surface.

The two he had rescued earlier were nowhere to be seen, though, through the harsh and icy winds ahead, the frightened screams continued. Manzou shook his head to the side and bit his teeth---not for their insipidness... but for his own.

Even while on even ground, his stomach had yet to leave his throat.

[370/1,304]​

---

Used Kouken.

SORRY FOR EXTRA LATENESS AND BROKEN PROMISES, HARE! STILL BUDS, RIGHT?!​