omnituent

“I can destroy it just fine, but before I do, isn’t there something you owe me? It starts with ‘three’ and ends with ‘googolplex’…”

New Chosen One or not, he had no intentions of destroying the divine blade. Maybe corrupting it, making it impossible to steal and kill him with, but he rather liked displaying his trophies.

He also liked rubbing his victories in other people’s faces.

“He wasn’t that hard to trick and kill, his katana can’t be much harder.”

Though, if he was honest with himself, it would be endlessly entertaining to frame it upon his wall if only to challenge those foolish enough to think they could retrieve it and live through the encounter.

Aku skirted around the issue of payment for now. There were more important matters at hand than a few googolplex. The demon slammed a massive fist down on the stone outcropping just a few yards from where Black stood.  

“What are you DAFT? Is that hat of yours on too tight?? The sword was the SOLE SOURCE of his power! Without it he was as harmless as a lamb! At the very least place a curse upon the sword to prevent righteous hands from touching it!” 

defiantdaughter

Her father had never been this angry with her. She had seen him this angry with others, but to have his fury directed at her?

It was terrifying.

Aku set more buildings ablaze, and Ashi could only watch on in horror. She knew there was no convincing him (at least not when he was this riled up). And so, she teleported away, sending the father and daughter to a safe location as well. She just couldn’t take it anymore.

The hybrid had landed among the branches of a tall tree, far, far away from her father. Perhaps she took herself here because it made her feel safe and hidden. Drawing her knees to her chest, Ashi let out her cries, leaning against the trunk of the tree for support.

After demolishing the rooftops, Aku deactivated his eyebeams and turned to where his daughter once stood… only to find that she had vanished. The demon growled under his breath as he looked around for her but she was nowhere to be found. It seemed he had frightened her just as much as the townspeople. 

Luckily, his sense of smell was on point and he turned toward the forest. Like an arc of solid shadow, he streaked through the air away from the city to land amidst the trees where Ashi had hid. In his absence, the townspeople breathed a collective sigh of relief and some of them began to return with hopes of putting out the fires before they could spread.

In the meantime, Aku stood before the tree where Ashi had taken refuge. Though it pained him to see her in tears, he knew he had to be firm — it was for her own good. And so with hands on his hips, he addressed her sternly. 

“Ashi, you know better than to run away in the middle of a lesson,” he scolded. “And there is no greater lesson than the one I am trying to show you.

It is in your blood to rule in the ways of your father.

You are an Empress of Aku, a commander of tremendous power and the time has come for you to show that power to the world. When your people learn to fear you as they fear me, you will be a true Ruler of Earth.”

omnituent

“You’re right when you say it isn’t a TOY, demon–”

Black pulled it from the ground, tightening his grip. It was not a toy, but a tool– and though it would hurt him even by just holding the handle without a buffer, it would also hurt Aku. He was skilled enough with an English longsword, even picked up a rapier from time to time, so it wasn’t like the eldritch didn’t know what he was doing with a divine katana. Though the thought was there in his mind as well, Black Hat was confident in his ability to keep it to himself, and offered a thinly veiled threat in response to Aku’s demand.

“But who’s to say the one holding it now isn’t more dangerous than some heroic buffoon?”

“The sword is most powerful in the hands of someone who is pure of heart. You may have ended the life of one such individual but there are more where that came from. I do not doubt there are some who would go to great lengths to obtain that sword.”

The multiverse had proved in the past that it had no shortage of heroic fools. It wasn’t impossible that one of them might attempt to carry on the Samurai’s legacy as the new Chosen One. And as a tool of the gods, the sword would find its way into their possession. Of this, Aku was certain.

“Instead of playing around you should aid me in destroying it. Surely if it cannot be destroyed, it can be corrupted by the power and darkness of our combined magic.”