Walking the Harshest Path for Freedom [Contract Search]

[Toraono Michino]

Michino curled up with the scroll a little tighter hearing the berating words of the demon. His heart was racing faster than he thought possible for a human and was sure that any minute he would keel over from cardiac arrest before the demon could stab him. His breath was becoming rattled as he tried to think of anything to fight back. Inside of his body was the power to do battle with this demon - toe to toe even. He was a Toraono and the demon tiger clan of Sunagakure feared very little if anything at all. Yet his body was still frail, still young, still unwilling to match the power he had rolling around inside of him. If only Owari was here…
The demon roared his demands at the child but his stunned fear kept him from handing back the scroll even if he wanted to; which he didn’t. The boy was traversing the depths of hell for his friend but as the dangers became more and more real with the presence of his other half stretching further away all that remained was the fear of his own mortality. Ninety percent of his body had already decided it wasn’t going to win and that giving up was the best option. Perhaps here the demonic side that he grew up with could find a better living here and he would no longer be a burden on the village he thought he was...

However, the other ten percent of his mortal soul, refused to give in.

As the demon screamed his outrage and began to drive the spear towards the boy his head shot up and eyed the surrounding area. The ability to break down a room and seemingly slow down time was a gift that had been passed down to him from the Ryuu blood flowing through his veins. He saw the monster, the weapon, the closed in walls and the torches. Without actually formulating a plan he saw an opportunity and decided it was no or never to act on it. Michino’s pointed ears twitched and at the last second his brain forced his muscles to move. He could feel the tear in his left calf as half of his nerves that wanted to remain paralyzed fought with his survival instincts. The blade and it’s blue aura rushed past his face and cut into the right side of his chin causing an explosion of pain to wrack through his body. For a normal person this undoubtedly would have brought them back into reality, but for a war clan bred child it only further triggered his survival instincts. With his good leg he shot down as much chakra as he could and launched himself at the demon. At about half way up the beast’s arm his small foot touched down like a feather and a second push propelled him towards the creatures neck. With both hands clutching the scroll tight to his chest he opened his mouth as wide as he could with a crazed look of both fear and hatred mingled in his irises. As soon as he could his teeth latched down into the creature’s neck. His feet landed on the demon’s shoulder and with as much force as he could muster he strained his legs, back, and with a swift violent motion jerked his head to attempt and rip out the creature’s very throat with the power of a corner driven mentality. Until the beast began to bleed he would not let go. Knowing already that this still wouldn’t be enough to win, the moment the creature started to remove the boy he darted back towards the wall right beneath one of the torches. The bitter poisonous blood of the beast bubbled out of his mouth but his pounding heart refused to let him think about anything but escape…and saving his friend.

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

The guardian prepared to strike down the boy where he stood when surprisingly, it was the demon whom was on the recieving end this time. He smiled as he prepared the spear for a finishing blow when Michino seemed to gain a newfound confidence against the behemoth starting his own assualt. His teeth pressed on the demon'neck firmly in a brutal manner. Roaring in pain and outrage, the monster brought a hand up and slammed it into the Sunan' back with what force he could muster."YOU DARE...TO TOUCH...ME?!"The bookeeper said glaring at the battered boy as he stumbled and began tosway, the crimson blood pouring out of his neck. It seemed the shinobi had hit a vital spot with his teeth and it was clear who would win this battle."NO...No....YOU...WILL...........burn......"The giant said softly as he began to fade from the word of the living. With what strength he had left, a giant hand seized one of the many torches in the room and flung it at the ground which instantly set the room alight with a roaring blaze that encircled the duo. Screaming as the fire overtook him, the guardian collasped consumed by the blazes.

The Sunan's little demon friend was nowhere to be seen, perhaps he had fallen during the battle? The inferno roared on increasing in size as it rushed towards the boy. The door he had come through was now visible although it was cut off by the fiery blazes. He would have to find a way out. Such a task was not easy in his state. The demon's palm slamming into his back had broken several bones and the shinobi would find himself not able to walk properly and in very much pain. The internal structure of the room began to collaspe around them as the fire raged eating away at the walls and anything in it's path. Smoke began to filter in clouding any possible vision. This was not something a simple Water jutsu would solve. You would need an fleet of bucketts to put out a inferno of this caliber.

If he did manage to escape through the door, on the other side was none other than Harkonim himself along with 2 of his trusted men, or rather, demons. A hand stroked that beard of his as the wise creature waited to see what would transpire behind those doors. If the Sunan had managed to defeat the book-keeper, obtain the scroll and escape sucessfully, then they could continue. The trial was not over yet. E nodded to one of his companions and the spirit began to chant, a strange symbol appearing on the door, a black outline of a circle. It was a seal of sorts. If Michino did not escape in time, the doors would be sealed forever with him inside left to be consumed by the fiery hands of death. Nodding approvingly, Harkonim clasped his hands together in front of him and waited...waited to see what fate had in plan for the young boy.
[OOC: You must escape the fire within your next 2 posts or face other IC consequences]
[OOC: Michino's back is severely injured from his fight]

 

[Toraono Michino]

Michino felt something snap in his back when the demon dropped his palm down. The youth took a sharp breath of air followed by a scream pain that splattered past the demonic blood in his mouth. As he dropped from the creature onto the ground he felt other bones and joints pop and break. He rag dolled across the floor and felt his vision fade immediately into black. The young teenager didn’t have a chance to know what his defeated opponent did to light the fire or even know that anything burned around him until he felt the heat starting to blister his back.

The searing heat brought his eyes to open and before he remembered his injuries he leaped forward. The sudden pain nearly blinded him again as he fell to the ground scrambling to get a grip on his currently reality. Was he still in Hell? A quick glance around with one eye told him that, yes, he was at least still in some kind of danger. The smell of burning demonic flesh was one that was worse than the smell of rotting corpses and between the heat and his opponent’s burning corpse Michino was about ready to throw in the towel and just let the flames consume him - he had tried really hard after all.

But was it his hardest? The demonic blood in his body thumped against his heart forcing both eyes back open. No, not yet it was.

Tearing a bit of cloth from his pants he gritted his teeth through the pain long enough to raise his left arm up and held the right hand tie the cloth around his face to help filter out some of the smoke. His left side nearly collapsed from the pain of performing the task but the tenacious Toraono side kept his mind ticking through the hurt.
Trying his hardest to not think about how bad his injuries was he began to look around frantically for something. The little demon that had showed him the path and seemed rather distraught at the appearance of the guardian didn’t deserve to perish in the smelly blaze that had consumed the room. He dragged himself as close to the fire as he dared and called out to the small creature knowing not his name,
“Little devil! Where are you? We need to get…” he coughed as his eyes tried to look through the fire for him, “Out of here…before the fire…eats us.”

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

The calls for the devil went unheard as the flames lapped out at him, smoke increasing in volume as the strcutre began to diminish. Pieces of debris began to smash down creating shuddering sounds as they fell narrowly missing the Sunan. Soon, the root cause for the demon's mysterious dissapearance was revealed. His spirit form lay unconcious near the edge of the fire which approached dangerously close. At some point during the battle, he had been knocked out cold and was now in danger of becoming ashes. However, time was of the essence here as his window to exit began to close. The seal that had been placed on the door from the outside activated creating strange runic markins on the surface. They glowed brightly forming a circle in the middle which slowly began to fill. It was perhaps the only thing visible among all this smoke and dust. In all the chaos, a voice would sound, cold and brittle but blunt."Greetings,
Mortal. I am Sayumi, Harkonim's messenger and in his stead, I have been instructed to do the following.
The seal you see upon the door is your key to salvation. Escape before the seal fully comes into effect and Harkonim will await you on the other side. Fail to do so and you will burn in here like the other souls who have tried. Do not exit without the scroll. Good luck to you, Michino of the Sand."

As quickly as it had come, the omnious voice cut off and there was silence except for the noises of burning flame and debris crumbling. On the other side of the door, the demon leader waited patiently stroking his beard. In his hands, he turned over the razor he had been given shaking his head and grinning. No mortal had ever suceeded in this task. That scroll was bound to curse anyone who touched it. To master it's powers was something out of this world. Almost unheard of. Placing a hand upon the door, he felt the heat so close to the door so much so it could quite possibily break through. Harkonim could solve all this with a few abilites and all would be said and done. A trial was a trial however and if he perished, oh well. He could keep the razor as a trinket or sell it off to some otherwordly merchant for a fine price. It wasn't often he came across items like this. It was laughable to think about, to imagine that a Sunan could make it through the tests. What a foolish dream, first, the key test than he had been challenged by the scroll guardian which was revived every time the flames claimed a new soul.

Confident that the man was sure to perish, he pocketed the razor and began to murmur a chant, a horrifying scene would be present before Michino because of this. A grinning face would appear in the fire as it rushed towards him seeking to burn him."Burnnn...burnnnnn."A new victim was ripe. The smoke took the form of a hand reaching out to the shinobi making a fist as it attempted to envelope the boy in it's chemicals, filling his nostrils with smoke repeating the same statement over and over again."Burnn.burnnn"It seemed that today would be no diffrent. A new victim for the scroll guardian. The trials remained secure. Michino had one shot to beat the system and it lay the life of his demon friend and his own, or perhaps both if fate desired.

 

[Toraono Michino]

Michino’s eyes scanned hard for the little demon and it took him longer than he had wanted to admit to finding it, but, there it was. Wasting the few precious moments the shinobi had he dragged himself through the heated flames and grabbed at the little imp. The fire and debris was closing in on him and he had only a few moments to even retrieve the little guy. Yet even as the fire crackled at the knuckles of his left hand his fingers curled around the small Youkai and pulled him out of the flames before painfully rolling on his back and scooting away from the fire with his still one good leg.

Now in the middle of the room surrounded by the heat he saw runes starting to glitter and mark themselves on the door. A cold voice spoke to him through the door and it did little more than mash his dreams like a potato. The Toraono was a teenager and knew so little about demons and the world aside from what he had read. Reading had been his only real strength growing up despite the near endless reserves of demonic power he had on tap; if only he also had a way to control it. Clutching the unconscious demon and the scroll closer to his chest he could feel tears beginning to well up and drip down on top of the things he held to his chest. A sob racked him which pushed the a broken rib further into his lung tearing a bloody cough from his mouth and onto the scroll. It was then that the face appeared from the flames in the attempt to rush along this process of death.

Avoiding it as best he could he swatted at the flames with his good hand and only earned burns from his actions. With his leg scooting back he avoided a piece of ceiling that crumbled down between himself and the face for a second and in that second he heard a voice in his head. Why not read it?

It sounded just like Owari, his demonic Ego trapped in the knife. Was that his own Ego finally coming back? Without time to ponder he smeared the blood across the scroll in a panicked attempt to wipe it off before he broke the seal and pulled it opened while keeping the little demon tucked in his elbow. His eyes scanned through it for anything and his soul screamed out to the old parchment in his hands, ‘I will trade anything to protect them.’

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

The few precious seconds he had wasted to rescue the tiny demon would cost him but Michino had done good by electing to skim through the scroll. The flames were at their peak, as the heat waves blasted away at Michino as the path of destruction continued. Upon opening, the scroll, the Sunan would be subject to a long paragraph that seemed to be written in some sort of a riddle. He would have to solve it quickly before the demon of the fire consumed him wholesome.Friends, friends. They are the people who accept silence over a converstation. Friends, friends. A relationship like this denies silly promises and lies. Friends, friends.You don't feel the need to second guess death or measure character. Friends,friends. Their love comes in wholes, not halves. Friends, Friends. They're the ones that guide you through when fate takes a turn. Friends, friends. The mediator of conflicts, fights, small and large, end in forgiveness, never a burn. Friends, friends. You are grateful for who they are and forgive them for what they are not."The scroll began to glow after completing the text as the scroll would rise into the air before vanishing with a poof of smoke and in it,s place, a small,crystal-blue orb dropped into the Sunan's hand and instantly, the flames wavered for a bit as if sensing the mystical power before them. Harkonim's voice seemed to speak from within Michino.Usseee it. Ussse the orb, ssshinobi of the Sand."

The face that had formed within the flames took on a look of concern and anger as it acknowledged what had just happened. In response, it attempted to burn away the Sunan but it would be dispelled by the crystal orb yet it seemed to do nothing. Eventuallly, the flames began to die down slowly leaving nothing but charred remains and debris along with the ruins of the room. The markings on the door began to fade and there was an omnious groaning sound of gears turning as the gates opened revealing the corridor within. Harkonim entered accompanied by two large spirits as he approached the Sunan saying nothing stroking that beard of his in a calm,collected manner. Extending a palm out, he offered the razor to the boy before gesturing for him to follow. It was time for the trials to be reset, for the promise to be fulfilled and for the great beast to be free once again. Stopping for a moment, Harkonim stared for a moment at the demon whom had accompanied Michino before shaking his head at the loss and continued to guide them through a winding,twisting pathway through the caverns deeper into the underground kingdom of the spirits. Soon, they were back at the door with the omnious keys yet this time was different. Instead of one lock, there was three. Still not speaking, he gestured for the boy to insert all three keys at once.

Upon doing this, a secret doorway in the cavern walls would reveal itself and the contents within. Inside the secret passageway, lay another scroll which was on top of a stone slab. Harkonim proceeded forward retrieivng the scroll and snapped his fingers at the Sunan, gesturing to the orb. It was time for the fusion to take place. The caverns were instantly alight with demon activity. A rare event like this was not common to see. Someone had passed the trials. It was impossible. This soon became the topic of converstation among the other lesser demons as they witnessed thier leader's actions, omniously silent in his demeanor for some odd reason."Why is ol'man Harkonim acting like that?""Shut up! Let's see what happens.""i heard he is the first one to survive the scroll-guardian's wrath."The instant chattering ceased as Harkonim raised his hands gesturing for silence placing one hand on Michiono's back and instantly, the bones in his back would began to mend realigning themselves and snapping back into place. It was time to begin the rituals.

 

[Toraono Michino]

The teenager’s vision was blurring by the time he started reading the scroll. He spoke the words out loud hoping that would help him comprehend what they spoke of but all they made him think of was the demonic half of himself stuck in that razor. He was on the other side of the door. Everything in his mind screamed at his body to try and move more but, as blood of his own wounds dripped on the open parchment he realized that it was probably the end for him. Seeking out into the desert to search for a god to help him only to find a hole full of the very creatures his religion told him to avoid. Yet even as death closed in on him there was something that not only refused to give up but also refused to acknowledge that the Youkai were all pure evil. It would mean that he was evil for sharing a heritage with them. Michino’s weary eyes looked down to the poor dead demon in his hand clutched it a little harder on the poor imp he had tried rescuing from the fire. The action inadvertently forced a small bit of the creature’s blood to pour from the burn wounds and mix with his own on the scroll.

A blinding purple light radiated suddenly from the scroll and Michino forced his eyes closed as the heat suddenly stopped being…well, hot. Only one hand still felt weight in it and as he cautiously opened his eyes again he found the nondescript blue orb in his hand. Something about it brought a feeling of control into the teenager’s body. As the face of fire turned to attack again the shinobi didn’t feel the need to dodge and sat there was the orb reflected the heat and anger of the demonic head. Calmly he raised the orb above him and let it absorb whatever energy it needed to force back the rest of the fire until it had all been reduced into cinders. The seal on the door started to receded and a piece of anxiety lifted off the boy’s shoulders for a moment. It was a brief moment of happiness before he heard the gears starting to turn revealing his exit and the demon lord that started this trail. He was quietly handed back his razor.

The very moment the blade’s case touched his hand there was a flare of power that signified the return of his strength. Michino was elated beyond what he had ever been able to express before at the return of his other half and surprisingly the demon Owari seemed to be on the same side. As the old demon turned away and walked the duo followed behind at a steady pace though it was more that apparent that the boy’s body had taken a beating. The only thing really supporting his mortal frame in this realm right now was the light purple aura that signified Owari tapping into the Toraono genes to keep him moving. When they neared the large door he turned his head to ask a question that was answered before he even had a chance. Looking at the three keyholes and the key ring he knew what they had intended though he couldn’t help but hesitate a little knowing where this got him last time.

Once all three keys were placed, turned, and the path open the boy couldn’t help but wonder what was next and how this would all help out in the end. With a single blink Harkonim was in front of him lifting the scroll off the alter and gesturing from him to follow up to the stone. Tentatively the teenager stalked up to the stone slab with the orb in one hand and the razor in the other. Breathing was hard as he held up both of the items until, another blink, and the old demon was no longer in front of him but placing his cold, cold hand on the mortal’s back. He could feel the icy energy of the devil pull his body back together and, using his own genes, return Michino’s health and energy. The entire process caught him in a silent scream as he felt his back twist and crack back into correct place followed by his ribs unbreaking themselves. A brief worry on how much this was going to take off his life crossed his mind when he realized that he really didn’t care anymore. The demonkind had traveled this far through hell to save his friend, he would keep walking stubbornly until his brother was free.

[MFT]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

'Sileeencee....it is tiimee....to prepare...."</I><i></i>The old demon growled at the audience as he beckoned for Michino to face him, his palm extended as if expecting something."The razor..give it to me."<i></i>Once recieving it, Harkonim placed it on the stone slab very carefully and slowly brought one of Michino's hands to rest upon it."You have passed the trials. Youuuu did as I asked and we.... aaacknowledged. You retrieved the scroll as we asked and it benefited........... you in the end. I will do my due diligence and resolve the current issue of your friend. However....we havvee....a isssue. We ssseeent....one of our own with you and he....is no longer with usss...he died....for a causssse...a persssonal cause...of yours. Tell meee....how....and why....I ssshould help you now, mortal?/Harkonim's eyes bored into him, a look of distaste on his face. This was exactly what he didnt like and did not grant favors. Humans were animals seeking after their own personal glory and causes caring not who died in the process. It was for this exact reason the old spirit had half a mind to smash this razor that held so much value to bits and throw the Sunan to the lesser demons for them to unleash their rage upon the mortal. However, unlike most of his kind, the leader had a patient side to him and he would hear a reply before judging. With that said, he removed Michino's hand from the razor and shoved him lightly to the ground moving to stand in front of the razor staring down at the human.

<I>"Wee....trussted you. Youuu.. have a minute to come....up with aaa good reply. Tell me....whyyy..I ssshould assist..you after...you...threww my trust....back at mee....we take the death of one of our ownnn...very seriousllly."<i></i>Harkonim in secret knew ful lwell the cirumstances but was being aggressive on purpose. He wanted to see how the human would react. Would he lash out at the demon accusing him of going back on his word and the such or attempt to justify his actions. In a sense, the trial was not over yet. It was not over until the demon deemed it so. The other demons looked on in a state of shock at their leader daring not to speak sensing the anger behind his words. They had never known him to be so...ill tempered and aggresive. Some of the wiser, elder demons of the population nodded knowing full well what Harkonim's intentions were but offered no aid to the Sunan. The leader paced around the stone slab, one of his hands clenched in a fist as he brough it down near the razor nearly breaking the item into bits to gauge a reaction from the mortal. It was laughable to see sometimes, how easily humans were prone to emotions when it came to something they valued. It was laughable in a sense, he was in control here and could sway this anyway he wanted, however he was a fair ruler. He just wanted to see if Michino had been honest throughout the trials and if not, there would be other consequences.

The cavern was dead silent, eyes following the exchange waiting for an outburst from either of them. The dead,charred body of the small demon was placed in front of Harkonim, blackened from the flames. He looked down at it before glancing at Michino, his face glowering in a expression that demanded a explanation. The other spirits began to grow uneasy, some looking away unable to comprehend the fact while some of the older veterans watched, a dull expression on thier face as if this was something they had seen countless times."Explainnn....we are....not pleasssed."<i></i>It was time to give a verdict. Would Michino live to see his friend free or would old Harkonim throw him to the demons to be feasted on and suffer a similar death? It all depended on his answer. Words were the key factor in passing this test.

 

[Toraono Michino]

Michino wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He had been placed before the alter as if he was to receive something as the demons gathered. For a moment he dared to think his time in Hell was over only to realize he was being judged. Once again it was for the mistakes he had made for being useless in his ability to make clean decisions. The little demon had been taken away, his knife placed on the alter with the scroll, and a mad elder stood before him. The child could only look up dumbfounded for a moment after the question was asked. The creature’s fist came down suddenly to try and jar the boy from his stunned silence as it appeared Harkum’s patience continued to wear thin.

He had heard the whispers along the way describing his feat in grabbing the scroll to be impossible. Perhaps it was his human hubris that just assumed he would be walking out this situation alive and well but as his life had shown him many times over; he was often wrong. For not the first time he had deep regrets about coming out here into the weird part of the desert in search of some holy solution. Now as he knelled and stared up in terror at the demon who asked why he deserved anything at all. For a moment the child of Suna started to open his mouth to present some kind of argument but nothing would come. After all he had done in his life up to this point, including nearly getting friends murdered, he deserved to receive very little from anyone.
It was Owari that was the one suffering here. The demonic half of him that protected him and helped the boy draw out power was now trapped inside of a bladed prison; just as helpless as its physical half. So Michino took on a grim look and slowly stood to tuck his other knee under him to bow in apology,

“Then,” he said as his forehead touched the cold stone of the alter, “Take from my soul until you are satisfied. I wished nothing for myself as my goal in coming here was to free my friend from his bonds. I figured that of all creatures perhaps a demon would be able to release a demon but it seems that I again have made a mistake. Please, do what you will with me but don’t let Owari suffer in that blade any longer…”

There was no trace of violence or frustration coming from Michino; just hopeless regret. The demonkin child of the Toraono had lived a lot of his life lurching from one mistake to the next. Even though the demon he was trying to free had been responsible for ninety-percent of his problems the noble soul residing in the mulatto male would not allow him to seek anything but the creature’s freedom. The boy truly felt that even if the demons were tricking him out of his own soul in this moment he’d rather suffer eternally than allow his friend another day stuck.

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

Harkonim glanced at him, the seemingly child-like shinobi before him. There was silence.....then a eruption of laughter. The old demon cackled shaking his head pulling Michino to his feet."Rise, you have passed the trials. Your demon friend will be alright. He is merely unconcious. The flames were a bit too much for someone of his size. This in itself was a test. I will now perform the rituals to free your friend from this item of darkness and mischief."<i></i>The old creature gestured to the crowd and several of them scampered onto the stage holding hands with Harkonim and they began to chant, a language indecipherable to any living human soul. One by one, they began to place their hand on the razor and it began to glow and shake as cracks began to appear in it."Oh great one.....lend this soul your blessing.......for he hass deemed himselff worthy of your power.....give to him what he seeksss......for he is one of the Chossenn."<i></i>The razor began to hover in the air, a bright aura around it as it began to revolve spinning faster and faster. Suddenly, there was an explosion as the razor blew apart into bits falling to the ground. Harkonim stepped forward waving his hands uttering something and the pieces began to mend themselves forming into what seemed to be a figure of some sorts. He glanced at Michino gauging his reaction."You wishhh...to seeee....Owari.....here and now thisss very moment/"<i></i>He asked his hands raised preparing to make some sort of gesture.

The figure seemed to be shrouded in shadows, faceless and completely blackened as it beckoned towards Michino."It ssseems to be calling to you, why dont you see who it is, Sunan?"<i></i>The elderly demon said giving the shinobi a gentle push as the figure shrouded in black nodded encouragingly calling out to the boy.Michino.......Michino......help me....The enviorment around him seemed to fade in and out and soon, it appeared Harkonim and the others were not even there leaving him and the figure there as it continued to call out to him.Michino....Michino...help me.......it is I......your comrade.....Michino......please.It walked towards him, hands extended as if pleading for something,Please....Michino......forgive me......I abandoned you.......don't leave me.The faceless person continued to walk towards him yet at the same time, it seemed like he was not getting any closer. Perhaps the Sunan had to take some course of action before anything could happen. As he listened to the person's crys for help, He seemed to be there yet at the same time, it seemed like as if the figure was a illusion of sorts.Michino....please. Help me. I don't want to be trapped in here. It is I, Owar-The last statement was cut off and a laughing began to resound around the mystical plane.You'll never get to him,boy. Harkonim and his magic can't help you here."

 

[Toraono Michino]

The laughter of the demons surrounding him brought up a deep reddish-brown tint to his cheeks as the tall teenager slowly stood up. He watched in morbid fascination as the demons gathered and began to chant. His heart started to race a little in anticipation wondering how much longer it would be until he was reunited with both himself and his best friend. Michino couldn’t help but look worried as the creatures each reached up to touch the weapon nor did it help when the cracks appeared. When the weapon exploded he could feel the weight of something drop behind him in an odd metaphorical sense. The razor was the only thing he had that had belonged to his mother and besides the fact it held his only friend prisoner he treasured it. A lot of him had hoped to see the blade back in his hands with Owari free of the prison, but, instead it exploded.

As he was trying to cope with the loss of a treasured item he fought through the distraction to focus on the more important task. The Toraono had long come to terms that his mother was dead and nothing was bringing her back. The demonic side of his ego that had been split away was alive and needed his help. With deep anticipation the teenager watched as the weapon transformed itself into a shadowy form. Michino’s heart leaped as he took a step forward after being pushed by the demon. Tears began to well up in his eyes as he reached out for Owari completely ignorant to the darkness starting to overtake them both.

Michino’s breath began to pick up. He continued to move forward and hold his hands out to the Ego, pleading with it to just take his hand. He couldn’t say why but the teenager just knew touching his shadow would draw it back to him and this entire ordeal would be over. They could go back to Suna and return to a normal life…or, what they considered ‘normal’ anyways. It was the least that was there to have hoped for.
Yet every step forward felt like two more extended between them. Before long a low-key panic began to build up inside the demonkin until he was sure that Owari was being pulled further away. Upon hearing the voice the boy felt the same ‘trigger’ inside of his heart that he had felt when battling the demon. However unlike last time where it was a moment of desperate survival this tug of his trigger came from a boiling anger.

Every step forward down here felt like it was going backwards and every time his hand grasped towards his prize it was jerked back like an adult teasing a child. A sharp tug in his chest drew tears of fury to his eyes as he broke out into a full screaming run.

“Owari!” the demonkin screamed out as his the blessing of his demon god wrapped him in a black hell fire he was normally only able to call out with the demon side that was being pulled away. The fire wrapped around his arm and shot out in the form of a clawed hand to grasp around his friend’s wrist.

“I won’t let you take him away!”

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

The shadow figure drenched in the mist appeared to stop as the clawed hand shot out enveloping the person whoever it was. You think you can get to him? You have lost before it has even begun, boy. It is over, now yield.The figure turned to reveal a face, a smiling face and this time, the figure seemed to retrace it's steps towards Michino grasping his hand."Michino...I am....so sorry....Owari said pulling the Sunan into an embrace, his voice soft and gentle."It was so lonely here....without you...I do not know what you did...but...it was so lonely..."He would say to the Sunan before turning to address the omnious voice that was here with them."Be gone..my freedom is assured here and as such, I have intention of listening to your demands."Boy, do you know what you are getting yourself into."I do indeed."He gripped Michino's hand and a bright aura seemed to radiate from him flooding the mysterious world they had found themselves in, There was a howl of agony from somewhere and suddenly, the duo found themselves ripped from the mystical plane back in the world of reality with curious demon heads peering out at them. Harkonim said nothing simply smiling and nodding holding up the cursed item which was now in bits and pieces. He made a gesture and the little demon who had accompanied Michino scattered forward smiling at the two.

"Youuu have done welll... Michino of the Sannnd. We have done asss promiseed but there is onee more thing....it is a requesst."Harkonim said eyeing the Sunan and his companion."We wissssh to offer you our servicesss...you have impresssed old Harkonim with your character......it is a rare chance......"The old lizard reached down pulling out an old rusty lockbox, his clawed hands gripping it tightly as he began to undo the locks. The rest of the demon community looked at Owari and MIchino nodding approvingly, some calling greetings to Owari who returned them out of good will."Annnd youuu..Owarii.....we know of the painsss you have endureedd...if it wasss not for Michino here...you would not be livng as it isss."Owari said nothing simply smiling as he turned to his companion nodding as if he knew something."Why am I not surprised, Michino? I was always here for you....always...and don't you forget that."He said giving the boy the smile as the demons awaited Michino's answer. What would he do?

 

[Toraono Michino]

The moment Owari’s hand grasped his own Michino could feel that warmth reconnecting inside of him. The Demon Fire flared up and around them as Owari spoke his threats and the two were back standing back in front of Harkonim holding hands. The demon removed his own and punched the human in the shoulder while mocking the homosexuality of the situation. For the first time ever in their relationship Michino laughed and threw a punch back. Like two brothers who hadn’t seen each other all summer the two were quickly picking at each other both physically and verbally until the old lizard cleared his throat and spoke up.

He impressed the demons? Michino’s eyes went wide and his jaw dropped a little. For a scant second all he could do was stare and make a dumb sound with his voice as his brain tried to scramble around the concept he was being offered. The demon side he had just journeyed through, lets face it, Hell to get back to him was hard to control but his powers could be trained. What the old man offered him was a way to control these powers and learn how to use them for the best of the Village like he had always dreamed…but it wasn’t what he came here for. The teenager’s mouth slowly closed and swallowed as a polite smile graced his face. His lips started to form the words to start a sentence of refusal when Owari slapped his hand on the stone table.

“Hell yeah we’ll accept!” he spoke for the two of them. The timid Toraono was about to let it go when finally he found his voice,
“But why? I’m honored they would offer such power but…I don’t really nee-”
“I do,” the demon-side spoke plainly, “If I learned anything here it was that we need to learn to balance our powers, and to do that I personally need to get stronger. I think these guys can help.”

Michino’s smile faded a little but he nodded in acceptance. The youth knew there was no talking his bad side out of anything once he got it in his head to go through with it. Taking the demon’s hand into his own once again the two simultaneously breathed in and then out to relax their minds and Souls. It caused their presence to wobble as if they were made of liquid before slipping together into the form of one person. The Toraono retained all the features he had split but one of his eyes had a white glow in the iris to show that Owari was watching patiently as the boy walked forward to the old demon,

“We’ll gladly take your offer.”

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

There was an excited chatter that went up from the crowd as Owari stepped forward to grasp old Harkonim's hand who nodded silently seizing his hand shaking it as an confirmation of their allegiance. He then turned to the crowd assembled and uttered a directive in some foreign tonuge and almost at the drop of a hat, the Youkai one by one began dropping to the ground kneeling in front of the human and his companion. Harkonim slowly let go of his hand and slowly bowed his head, hiding a grin. It seemed though as if he was happy? The old geezer was diffcult to read. First, he had confronted Michino about the near death of his subordinate and now he was a bubble of joy. The great demon leader know knelt before them and now he slowly came up making some sort of weird gestures with his hand. There was an glow of light and and an scroll appeared in his palms which he offered to Michino making eye contact with him."Thisss will take you back to your realmmm...brave oness. Firsst, however, to seal this agreement, you must make your mark upon this parchment with your blood...to prove your dedication to this allegiancee..."As soon as the agreement would be done, Harkonim would hand it to them and putting a clawed hand on Michino's shoulder, he would grin for the first time during this entire counter and soon after this, the elder demon and his brethren would slink away into the shadows of the cavern leaving nothing but a dark,empty, cave as if nothing had happened.

Soon, the duo would feel the ground beneath them starting to shake immensely and there was a blast of cold air, they found themselves blasted out of the cavern right back at the entrance where all the trials had began. A skull lay nearby, it resembled the shape of the guardian that the boy had battled deep down in the cave. A sore reminder of what he had endured to survive thus far. Soon, there was a rumbling and rocks began to fall sealing off the entrance to the cavern. It was an omnious sign, perhaps the demon was sending them one final farewell message. Other than that, everything looked normal with the sun glaring overhead and the shadows dancing around here and there. Eyes would watch from an undisclosed location as the pair would depart from the location until they were out of sight, A smile crept across Harkonim's mouth as he turned and disappeared going his own path, clearly in a cheerful mood. The prophecy was fulfilled. They had found the one who was meant to be. His time would now be spend aidng the boy however best he could. It had been quite an experience even for the old demon. These types of things did tend to take a toll on people who had lived as long as he had,
[On behalf of the Contract Team, I would like to congratulate you on obtaining the Youkai Contract! It has been a fun and enjoyable experience and I hope I have provided a entertaining RP for you as we progressed through this search. Make sure to post your exit post in this thread, this will be my final post in this c-search. Once again, congratulations on your contract and don't forget to post up your custom summon whenever you have the time. It has been a fun experience RPing with you. Thanks!]

 

[Toraono Michino]

The feeling around the room filled Michino with a rush of excitement. Something about the entire thing felt auspicious to him, as if this was something that was meant to happen. Yet for the life of him the Toraono never saw himself ever joining in a pact with the Yuokai his religion was so fierce about hunting down. As if to spite said religion, as he pressed the tip of his index finger against the stone alter until an edge caused blood to well up, nothing about the heresy he was committing felt wrong. Michino pressed his hybrid life force against the parchment and felt an exhilarating force run his right arm as it connected to the parchment. For a moment a dark energy swirled around his body as he felt his very Soul connect to the contract.

In an instant it was done.

The old demon placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. The boy returned an awkward grin but the moment he blinked he found himself standing up in the cave he had come to rest in. It was as if he had awoken in the middle of sleepwalking and for a moment the kid remained confused as to if any of what he had experienced was real. Until he reached down for the razor and found nothing but the gloating pride of his demonic self back in his head. A cold rush of air suddenly exploded behind him throwing the teenager back out into the heated dunes. He landed with a dull thud and in the most un-ninja like way possible. As he pulled his head from the dirt the Toraono turned his eye just in time to catch the cavern entrance crumbling and falling in on itself as if to removed any evidence of its existence.

Gathering up his equipment that had been spewed across the dunes the youth called his journey early and returned a full month ahead of schedule speaking that, just like the old tomes spoke of, the pilgrimage was an impossible task.

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