Southern Frontier

The South Frontier of Echo, tundras and icy plains are common. The lands of the Negative Spirits, and all sorts of twilight creatures.

Black Land
Shion's travels takes him to the tall mountains that mark the edge of the Southern Frontier, at the same time, the curtain of darkness that spread over the horizon is now a blanket that covers the skies so much so that the blue clear skies further north are dim and pale. The very air Shion breathes is laced with thick negative aura, and occasionally he can hear faint whispers of darker spirits lurking just beyond his ability to sense.

"So this is the south," breathes Shion, observing his surroundings, "It reminds me of home... just a little. The air's a little heavier than I'd like, but... It's like after the Dark Samurai entered the lands..."

Off in the mountain pass leading into the lands, there is heavy snowfilled landscapes, in fact, a snow storm seems to be on its way. After a while, heading through this pass and into the snow, a shape ahead of him appears, a cloaked figure. After a moment, the figure emerges, darker than almost any definition of 'dark' he'd seen before. Barely visible on the figure's back is a flickering image of a scythe, which becomes more visible as Shion gets closer. Shion can absolutely not sense anything standing in the figure's presence, as though his senses regarding aura had completely shut down out of nowhere.

"....Stranger... ...you smell of the ill tempered Lord Endlos. Who are you?"

"A possible ambassador," says Shion, shrugging, "Honestly, I'm just making sure there isn't a brewing conflict, but I'm willing to mediate if I need to."

"My business is my own. The king has soured relations of his own accord. He refuses to believe my explanation regarding a incident with one of my subordinates and insists I had something to do with it. If he chooses to be an infantile brat, that's his business, not yours. Sainan has lost his sanity and is not fit for duty. That is a common occurance amongst the spirits here. It is the king who brews conflict, and I shall only heed diplomacy from a direct official, not a stranger swordsman."

"Eh, imagined as much," shrugs Shion again, "Don't get me wrong though, I'm doing this as a neutral party. I could possibly get him to see your side of the story, though that's neither here nor there. Really I'm just here out of curiosity and partially for possible diplomacy, but that's also here nor there."

"....." The figure leaves without a word, disappearing in a flash of red light that for some reason, makes Shion's neck hair stand up sharply.

"Hmmm..." Shion explores the area.

The area is largely bleak, tiny clusters of houses occasionally hidden deep within tight and obscure valleys. Occasionally a ripple of denser air flows by, and he briefly sees spirits flicker in and out of sight, some of them deformed and malevolent in appearance.

"As if the sword struck and the earth bled its agonizing life onto the world, marring its once beautiful flesh with the scars of pain..." recites Shion.

Shion becomes aware of footsteps nearby, but the source isn't clear.

He reacts slightly, a faint distortion present around his body. "Hopefully, a kindred spirit to whom I can recount many a tale..."

The noise continues, until finally a man in battle worn armor appears as though he had popped out of the snow.

"You shouldn't be out in the open. There are too many ravines where you can be spotted and yet the observer is hidden. I've been watching a while now, stranger."

"Ah," he replies, "Though I do not see a reason to conceal myself, I am willing to take advice. May I ask who you are?"

"A native, names aren't important. The negatives will gladly have you for a snack, if you are not cautious. A master one may be, but even the greatest warrior can die from a simple mistake. Perhaps the common spirits do not frighten you, but I would be wary of traveling in open areas. You haven't been attacked yet, have you?"

"Attacked? No. While I was expecting such a thing to happen at some point, it has yet to happen," Shion explains as his form begins to flicker and appear unstable. His presence, too, begins to flicker, as if he was never there in the first place.

"...Beware the Negative Wind Spirits..."

Shion nods before his form and presence are completely erased, his footsteps up to that point fading from the snow.

The man walks down through the ravine he had come, the ravine lay in such a way only at a specific angle could it be seen.

Shion continues onwards, his steps not marking the snow as he looks around.

Occasionally, he spots a well hidden ravine, and occasional houses, but he finds nothing of major significance.

"..." He silently trudges on.

After a few hours of wandering, Shion eventually becomes aware of a strange hooded being seemingly constantly at the far edge of his vision, always behind him. It maintains its distance, even if Shion approaches, it appears to with great ease, remain firmly an exact distance from him. Whatever it is, it is intent on following him, but equally intent to avoid confrontation.

Shion continues to look around, ready to take action if he needs to, but not putting on any aggressive airs.

"I wonder if there are more people to talk to..."

After a while longer, he takes another look, only to find the being is no longer in its prior position.

"Hmm..." He trudges onwards.

When he turns to continue on, the figure floats ahead in his path, now far closer than ever. A strange rippling of the air emits from it at this distance.

"Non-Existence Denizen or Concept Avatar," Shion asks, his eyes becoming grim as he purses his lips into a thin line.

The only response is an eerie laugh, the figure gains strength in appearance and rusted red chains form around, its limbs, head, torso, the whole body is restrained by chains. Out of thin air, several more chains appear like metallic snakes, audibly rattling. At one place on its chest area, all of the chains wrapping its body appear to meet at once place, in a form of 'X'. The figure itself is a robed being, its hood obscures any hint of a head, the insides of the robes are pure black, darker than any seen elsewhere, as if simply staring into its hood was staring into an abyss.

The chains suddenly lurch at him, growing jagged blades at the end, covered in a red aura.

"Of course, the former," he drones, jumping backwards as six swords materialize around him. He grabs two and crosses them. "Inferno Dance: Malefic Burst." Both weapons glow with black and blue flames before Shion's image flickers and he appears behind the figure, jagged crisscrossing lines of blue flame scoring the ground behind him.

The being warps instantaneously to a location opposite of him, and begins rapid firing bursts of destructive energy, each burst causing significant craters. A massive wall of chains forms around them, sealing the combatants off from the outside area, though the area the wall allows them is massive to say the least.

"Counterforce: Destruction Reverse." The flames on Shion's blades gain an unstable quality them as he dashes between the blasts. "Inferno Extension: Gnashing Hellfire Fangs." He makes two slashes with each sword, each slash followed by a black and blue set of teeth comprised of fire and energy that shreds space itself.

The red chains suddenly turn pure red, and the being suddenly Blinks right into Shion's space, which causes him to be shocked by incredibly raw and pure power, which repels him from its space at blinding speeds into the chain wall where he falls down. A series of red sparks fly from its chains, and the being now merely floats around slowly, circling him. As each spark occurs, less time passes between them.

"Heh, you're serious then," he smirks as a sharp feeling permeates the space. He stands back up and wipes his jaw before his demeanor changes entirely. "Luna Knife, Sol Sword, manifest." In place of the two swords he was once holding, a pale silver dagger with a rounded blade appears in one hand while a gold and orange sword with heavy sun motifs appears in the other. The four swords at his waist are replaced by a pair of oddly shaped blades, one with a mangled brown blade, the other with a blade that flares into the shape of an eight pointed star at the tip. "Crescent Fall, Rising Sun." Shion flickers, then vanishes, reappearing just to release a silvery blue wave of energy in the form of a crescent moon from the knife and let the sword glow radiantly.

"''I lok arvd o aaa euy daaaa... Sssssshion... di wv -illia!!" ''The being lets out a gargled tone as the chains glow again and spiral into a mass of countless blades which launch forward at Shion, slicing through the wave of energy, crackling with a red static as they travel.

"Counterforce: Tilt Reversal." Shion thrusts the knife foreward, creating a rippling craterized crescent moon of energy that bursts into into an innumerable nuber of blue spheres that begin to rotate extremely quickly and spin in place, repelling and tearing at all solid objects that come into contact with them.

The being strangely remains still and lets the attack hit it, though after a minute, it seems to absorb the energy. There is a silent pause, and the being seems to be motionless, the chains surrounding it seem limp for a moment. Then...

The being suddenly makes a powerful earth shaking howl that deafens Shion and at the same time pierces his ears, the howl absolutely otherworldly. It continues to howl, as it glows red, and slowly, in the center of their arena, a red light grows on the ground, slowly spreading outward. Once Shion looks up, he sees that the moon is now glowing violently red, as the light now fills the whole arena space.

"Yare yare daze... I'll have to stop using the dull blades," sighs Shion, shaking his head. "Moon Song, Sun Dance." The weapons in Shion's hands change, the knife elongating into a thin sword with a gently curving blade, hooking sharply at the very end while the sword in his other hand coils and twists into what appears to be a longer, serrated corkscrew blade.

"Ingant! Kasack! Itami! Damasu! Seikatsu! Gyakusū! Can you see it...?"

Sudden a massive blast from the moon is fired upon the whole of the arena, beginning to blow a hole down and beyond the crust.

"Rending Slash: Lunar Eclipse." Shion makes a sudden movement that causes him to blur before a thin line of white splits the blast in half, the line traveling across the sky and parting the clouds, doing something similar to the ground before stopping after a certain distance and inverting all that it touched.

The being floats in place after the light fades. After a minute, it speaks.

"SSSsssssshion... ...this one is indeed strong... ....of course it is... ...it defeated one of them, how could it not? Khehehehehheeheeeee...."

"I wonder if it can see the links."

"The links connected to all..."

"Of course it can't... ...none of them see. They are all blind."

The being seems to be strangling communicating both to him and several other voices, which all seem to be coming from the being itself.

"The Neverending Fate. When shall you see the links and see the truth...?"

Its chains grow longer and begin to whip at him, Nonexistence energy surging through them.

"Rending Slash: Moonbeam." Shion makes a slash beyond the speed of light with the thin sword, the slash appearing as a silvery beam of light seconds after he seemingly teleports through the chains. The beam is actually a multitue of extremely acute slashes from the sword,  covered in a replenishing energy field. "...If a real fight is what you want, I'll give you one." Shion's eyes, become the color of sharpened steel as he looks at the being, an aura akin to a sea of swords erupting from him as countless rectangles of light form behind him.

"''Whimsical One... ...The Great Balance... ...The Judge... ....You are all... ...unnecessary..." ''Its voices hisses.

Red eyes glow beneath the hood, and a rush of energy comes out of the being, and the attack Shion unleashed is snuffed out, and suddenly his weapons feel incredibly heavy.

"As are you," taunts Shion, an eerie darkness creeping into his eyes. "The Sword of a Lost Era- No, the Sword Born of Strife, I am." Shion glows with a static like aura as his eyes darken completely and his skin gains a silvery-grey tint. The swords in his hands lose color and fade to black and silver while the rectangles of light behind him become vortexes of a chilling white mist like energy.

''"And that too, is useless. How amusing is your mortal titles, when they so poorly reflect the true meaning... ...you know nothing of pain. Nothing of strife... if you only understood the truth... you would be a sword of destruction." ''Again, his swords feel unnaturally heavy, to the point he cannot lift them.

"Indeed, I am when I choose to be. I know pain well, 'tis a lifelong companion of all that live," he returns, holding and raising  his swords despite their weight. "The wars of one are the wars of many, small errors growing into grand tragedies, all without meaning. And yet it continues and continues and continues until it becomes the very nature of those who sought to avoid it. I am man and I am blade, my weapon and I are one in the same. I am a weapon, forged to fight and made to sever. And yet I am a person who desires peace and wishes no ill will upon those I encounter. A blatant contradiction in the face of many, but one that accepts itself and its dual nature.

"Your words are empty to me, empty and hollow ringing.  The rantings of a nihilist selfishly believing that the only meaning in things is their ultimate return to the origin. If everything is pointless, you haven't truly lived to see anything."

"It is ironic... kesskiadhhagh... that a being like you would preach to me about pain..."

The chains seem to float ominously about the being, no difference in their behavior can be detected, even when one comes close and slices Shion's arm, there is a lack of hostility.

"What's the matter? Why can't you lift your 43445?"

"Is this all there is to the so called, 'Sword of Strife?'"

"Pathetic..."

"Hmm, I guess I could use a bit more power," says Shion, allowing his swords to vanish. A blue and white scabbard appears at his side with no sword within. "I guess I could use the new guy for a bit." He draws the scabbard and creates a makeshift hilt of energy for it before pointing the piece of equipment at the entity.

The being's fingers begin to spasm wildly, as fireballs begin to erupt out of nowhere at Shion, and it begins to move very erratically and swiftly, making it very difficult to keep track of where the fireblasts are coming through.

Shion closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before swiftly and precisely reflecting each fireball sent at him with the scabbard he holds.

The being begins to laugh sporadically, with an almost childlike tone. Its whole figure heaves with the force of its laughter, and red static begins to violently spark around the arena.

"Ah, you're angry aren't you," he asks putting the scabbard at his side as if readying an iaido technique.

The being's chains begin to glow, starting from where the chains all meet together at its chest, flowing outward to its edges, and then it begins to shriek wildly as they now glow solidly, and suddenly Shion feels a horrible twinge as he realizes it has somehow brought him into Nonexistence, as the scene dissolves into static.

After a moment, the being's robes begin to burn away in the environment...

"Great, this place again..." Shion sighs, gathering energy into himself and condensing it. "Enna, Zei, Alritz, Lyth, Kai, Syn..."

The burned away robes reveals a horned child's skeleton, which lets out a horrid shriek, before dissolving away as well, and from the energy surrounding him, a massive black knight appears.

"''I shall show you.... ....THE TRUE SWORD OF STRIFE!" ''A voice unlike the others echoes darkly, before the being brings down its gargantuan energy sword upon Shion, who is sent slamming down back into the arena, taking massive damage from the strike. The being descends, once again covered in the same chains, and robes.

It makes a less intense laugh, then begins to silently and slowly circle him, making no directly aggressive moves.

"Counter Guard: Avalon Reversal." The force from the strike sent at Shion is redirected at the figure at over seven times its original speed and force imbued with an power akin to infinite expansion and potential, the damage he took having been restored.

The being seems to idly float and dodge, though some of the floating chains get severed, which dissolve. It looks at the dissolving chains and seems to make a mildly annoyed noise, then the chains regrow.

It continues to circle him.

"Hmm, then my hunch was right. Tidal Dance: Flowing Current." Shion enters a stance with no defensive openings and closes his eyes.

The chains begin to slowly glow again.

A faint flickering quality begins to affect Shion as he maintains his stance.

The chains gain a flickering static and begin to lunge at him, small sharp blades on their ends.

Each chain that nears him is abruptly and clearly severed without Shion appearing to move.

It pulls back the chains, now letting out a more distinct growl of annoyance. The very air itself cracks from the force of the noise, and the immediate space of the being begins to ripple.

Shion shifts his stance to that of a one handed fencing type.

The ripples become bullet like projectiles that begin firing at him from the center of the disturbance, tearing apart anything they touch, even the air.

"How dull," mutters the swordsman as the projectiles are curved away from him then immediately bisected and diced to miniscule pieces.

The figure seems to make a sharp inhaling noise, before a explosion abruptly knocks him off his feet. Its fingers begin to twitch violently, as a red light begins to surround it.

The explosion is abruptly divided into four parts while Shion maintains his stance, even in the air. The sheathe he holds begins to glow with gold and blue light.

The light spreads into a solid dome of red around the being, completely tearing apart the space and time near it. A sickening laugh echoes from the creature.

"Quite done," asks Shion as a multitude of gashes appear on the part of the dome nearest to him. The light manifesting around the sheathe grows brighter and gains an oddly irritating quality.

The gashes appear to have no effect on the shield after a minute, and the being is begining to consolidate energy.

The glow around the sheathe begins to wrap around Shion as well.

Shion's vision begins to violently flicker from normal to red.

"..." Shion tilts the sheathe ever so slightly.