A Demon's Tale

Shiro: [AH!]

Looking at the charred field of grass around her, the girl clad in white observed the damage that she had caused with one simple word.

Shiro: [Oh no…Did the people in town hear that? It was kinda loud. What if Mom heard it? Oh. Oh nooooooooo. What if Mom DID hear that?! She’ll probably move over here in an instant, thinking there’s an enemy. But then she’ll see…well I guess not really see me, but she’ll know it’s me and I’ll get a whole lecture on what I did. This is really bad.]

While the dread of her mother noticing what she had done pressed it’s way into her brain, Shiro began to think of the action that was performed itself.

Shiro: [Still, it’s crazy that matōki abilities can be crafted even into something like this. I guess whatever you think of really is the ability you can achieve, but even then, to think that this was possible…]

She looked down to the katana, or rather what once was a katana in her hand. No longer had Storm rested in her arms. Instead, Storm had evolved into something much greater. A blade that many could not even imagine with their own minds.

Shiro: [...I’ll have to thank Kō when we leave later. Not just once, but a thousand times, just for making this possible.]

She smiled while staring down at her new partner. It responded with sounds of sparks and a bright green light beaming onto its master.

In that moment, Shiro Fuloreen had gained a brand new power of her own.

In that moment, her matōki ability was formed.

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A large cloud of smoke filled the room. The only place it had not affected was the orange barrier built by the eight year old fox girl. Rubble fell against the barrier as it continued to take form. After a few moments, the collapse of the ceiling had ceased, and the barrier was put down.

Kaoru: [That should be all of it.]

Nero: [I would have preferred if she warned us beforehand. I can only imagine how loud that bolt was without Kaoru’s helpful barrier. Not to mention the power of it as well.]

Kōkatsu: [‘S fine. Shiro knew I’d tell her to do it. More importantly…]

Before she could continue talking, a hoarse voice spoke from the floor.

Yoro: [Did Shiro’s move…work?]

Silvia: [...That issss a difficult matter to sssspeak of, Yoro.]

Yoro: [...Oh…I see…So it failed then…]

Kōkatsu: [She’s just decidin’ to egg ya on, Yoro. Don’t mind it. The move didn’t work though. Not because Shiro failed to use it properly, but somethin’ else entirely.]

Nero began to turn his focus from Yoro to the girl behind him, and witnessed the spectacle that Kōkatsu and Silva had seen.

Nero: [That is…!]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah. Exactly what ya think it is.]

Yoro: [I’m…confused…Please fill me in…]

Kōkatsu: [Sorry, that was my bad this time. The truth is…Shiro’s ability was never a move to begin with.]

Yoro: [Never…a move…?]

Much like Nero had done with her, she turned her eyes away from him…and saw it.

Yoro: [That….That is Shiro’s….ability…?!]

Gone now was the blade she had called Storm. Instead, a far greater sword replaced it. To many, they would likely not find its design practical. But for someone like Shiro, it was the perfect tool to move towards victory. In her hands was the same hilt as before. What followed from the hilt was not the same. A blade with spikes on both sides, perfectly giving a thunder-like expression to it. Beside each of the spikes were small rem gems that glittered with the blade’s light. At the very top of the blade had been a blunt side, but this did not matter to Shiro. Her strongest method of attack was movement. Therefore, to make her blade even stronger, she required only the sides. The green blade that gleamed even brighter than its predecessor, it’s name was–

Shiro: [Tempest. This is my ability.]

Daroma: [I see. Certainly a magnificent piece.]

Shiro: [This is all I need. With this, I’ll end this fight in a flash.]

Daroma: [Arrogance will be a mighty fall for one who is absorbed in it.]

Shiro: [There isn’t a shred of me being arrogant, or cocky, or whatever you could possibly imagine. It’s a fact. The moment you let me summon Tempest was the exact moment you lost. If anything, you were the arrogant one for accepting my request.]

Daroma began to adjust his stance. Moving one leg back and one leg forward, he firmly gripped the blade of fire in his hands. Shiro had done the same, however, she instead turned her blade to the edged side and moved her arms back while moving the edges to near eye level.

Daroma: [Let us begin then.]

Shiro: [Alright. Just know that I’m not exactly happy about killing you, nor do I want to. But right now, the lives of my friends are outweighing your own.]

A white light radiated the room.

Shiro: [Hm!]

Daroma: [...!]

Daroma attempted to take a step forward, but was met with a jagged sword moving towards his headpiece. Readjusting his blade, he narrowly stopped Shiro’s attack before it could connect, sliding across the ground from the impact. He had moved so far that he was now only inches away from the pillar behind him. All the while Shiro continued to push against his sword.

Her friends sat there with their mouths agape. None of them knew if they should speak, but they could not contain the words that clawed at them. The sight they had witnessed was like no other.

Nero: [I…I might be confused. Did I blink perhaps?]

Kiyomi: [If you blinked, then I think we all did as well…Was…Was there even any time between that?!]

Silvia: [Sssshiro….moved in a mere ssssecond…No…Lessss than that…]

Raising the grip she had on her kimono, Kōkatsu stared in awe at the beauty of her closest friend’s power. Between now and the moment they had first fought, it was as if Shiro had advanced herself by a hundred years.

Kōkatsu: [She was already fast anyways, but that…that made her previous feats look like baby steps. Not jus’ that, but the force of her attack…Silvia and Yoro, neither of them could do shit to this guy…Yet, here’s Shiro, who managed to push him that far…He’s even takin’ her more seriously…]

The clattering of metal filled the air in the room as a struggle between blades continued. While Daroma continued to tighten the grip of his sword, Shiro looked down on him calmly.

Shiro: [What’s wrong? Can’t keep up?]

Daroma: [Your power…was much more than I had anticipated. However, I understand it.]

Shiro: [Oh? Do tell.]

Daroma: [On its own, speed is a tool that can be used in conjunction with power. To amplify the speed of one’s attack, a much greater force is built up. The air tries to force its resistance against it, but that only creates a powerful end result. From there, the speed of the attack will heighten its force. However, your attack did not end there. When a bolt of lightning strikes an area, it has a doubled force of impact attached to it. There is first the result of the hit, but what follows is the delayed force that the lightning should have presented from the very start. Along with this, heat is created as a result of its speed, causing an even larger impact than one might predict. This is the very reason behind fires created by such an element.]

Shiro: [In more simple terms, you’ve realized just how much power both a person, and a sword using electricity would have.]

Daroma: [Correct. However, you should know that this will not decide the result of the fight that easily.]

Shiro: [Need I repeat myself? You’ve already lost. It’s just a matter of bringing you to the other side.]

Repelling Shiro’s tempest, Daroma attempted to cleave Shiro in half from the waist. Due to the pushback she had received however, the perfect opportunity to use her highly flexible body had come into view. Shiro flipped herself backwards, moving past the blade by a few centimeters. From below, only an inch away from touching the ground, she moved her blade in between her legs, and flew back to her original position to face Daroma with an upward slash. Unprepared for the quick follow up attack, he received a brutally chiseled line across his armor in an instant. The damage to his headpiece now perfectly connected to his armor as they had been given a line of connection from her.

He attempted to slice downwards toward the girl, but she moved out of the way in the same fashion that a person would if they had seen someone running in a hurry. The invisibility from her first attack came back to haunt him, as she cut off one of the shoulder pads without having the time to even register it.

Like a merciless predator, that invisibility appeared once more. This time however, it had chosen to spare him. Without even a second passing, Shiro returned to her original position from the start of their match with the same stance she had performed.

He did not have any words for what was occurring. There were many things he could answer or speak of. But for the first time since he gained the ability to think, Daroma was confused at the scenario playing out before him.

Though she had said there was not a trace of arrogance within her, Shiro let her arms rest. Instead, she moved her unoccupied left hand up and repeatedly curled her fingers in a hook motion, taunting him.

Shiro: [Need me to slow down?]

Daroma: [Despite what you have said, you seem to be getting rather full of your own self.]

Shiro: [I wouldn’t say that. If anything, I’m just disappointed that Yoro wasn’t kidding. That’s all it takes to get rid of your fire? I was hoping for something more, but I guess this fight isn’t gonna be all that fun for me. Don’t worry though, I’ll at least make your conclusion a real spectacle, even though it’ll be a quick one.]

Using the electricity stored within her blade, Shiro launched out two devastating slashes of lightning through the air. Focusing his attention to the attacks at hand, Daroma quickly dispersed of the magic, only for a cloud of smoke to form. Before he could even see, he felt a great sweeping attack against his legs, forcing him to kneel down.

As the clouds dispersed, there stood Shiro, with her blade planted into the ground as her hands rested on the hilt. She tilted her head at the sight of her opponent.

Shiro: [Kneeling already? I’m flattered, but that’s not gonna be enough to stop me.]

Daroma: [...]

Every second of their fight was another second that the others could not fathom. They continued to stare while being unable to digest all of the actions Shiro had taken. While they were surprised however, an even greater shock forced them to jump as an eruption had occurred nearby.

Kōkatsu: [YAHAHAHA! OH, SHIRO…YA SURE ARE SOMETHIN’ ELSE!]

Nero: [What exactly do you mean, Kōkatsu?]

Kōkatsu: [She sees it. The path to her complete victory.]

Silvia: [Her complete…]

Yoro: [...victory?]

Shiro jumped back towards Daroma, and disappeared like she had many times before. This time however she had made herself visible once more, along with countless other versions of herself. Daroma sat there in confusion over the sight that was now unfolding before him. There were multiple Shiros that surrounded and moved towards him. He began to swing rapidly at her as she prepared her attacks, and his hits made contact. Rather, they had made contact, before the Shiro they had made contact with vanished as the hit occurred. The next step in her attack began, as countless pieces of his armor were destroyed from every angle. He had attempted to slash at the after images again, and again, but to no avail. Instead, his armor continued to receive damage from unseeable attacks.

Then, she had finally appeared in the flesh. Shiro stood a few feet away from Daroma with her back turned against him, tapping her blade against the ground.

Shiro: [I’m not sure there’s many repair shops that can fix something like that, buuuuuuuuuuuuut…]

Her gaze turned from the thin wall of fire in front of her to Daroma himself.

Shiro: [I’m sure there’s a lot of junk shops that’ll take it for free.]

As tight as possible, Daroma gripped his sword once more. A loud roar was produced from the fire in his hand. Daroma began to speak again, and for the first time, his voice had been much lower than ever before.

Daroma: [Don’t assume that you’ll win with this, child.]

Shiro’s eyes widened in surprise as he uttered those words. She was not afraid of him, nor was she much more focused on the battle at hand. The shock in her eyes had been produced by another emotion entirely.

Nero: [His composure…it’s…]

Silvia: [...gone.]

Kōkatsu: [...She’s won.]

Not just succubi, but many demons were known for their smiles. They had been notorious enough to coin the term, “devilish smile”. It was a smile that displayed a true sinister feeling. Though it was commonly thought to be focused only on demons with evil hearts, this was merely a misconception. Regardless of the matter, a smile such as that could be produced by any sort of demon with any affiliation attached to their name. Even a pure hearted demon would be able to produce such a smile. Pride, Wrath, Greed, Envy, Lust, Sloth, and Gluttony. The many sins known by the world, that demons themselves embodied the most. In a moment where one would feel the heavy sins written into their blood, a smile like no other would be produced onto their face.

From her birth to the very moment she stood in this castle, Shiro had never once adorned a face such as that.

Despite how succubi often acted, Shiro was an irregularity from the norm. She did not focus on any of the desires crafted into her body. Perhaps her mother had been the same, or even her ancestors, but perhaps it had just been her alone.

As she had stated to the girl who she views both as her closest friend and rival, she had an ironclad heart.

There wasn’t a single piece of malicious intent within her.

And yet…

At the sounds of Daroma’s words…

From the literal ends of Shiro’s cheeks was a curved object that looked like a moon.

Her eyes began to grow slanted, as if only now was she tired from the battle.

There was no moon-like object on her face.

She was not tired, or at the very least, she did not show it.

Instead, a smile was formed on her face.

A horrific smile that only made the friends in front of her grow more concerned.

A devilish smile.

Without even a second to waste, Shiro struck the ground with Tempest, creating a large plume of smoke once more.

Daroma: [I may have been caught off guard last time, but I know exactly where you are thanks to your matōki!]

Sensing her presence in front of him, Daroma jumped forward with a powerful strike being prepared from over his head.

Daroma: [This time you will fall!]

Striking the ground below him, Daroma created a crater that enveloped the area Shiro had been standing in. Had it made contact, Shiro would likely be crushed under the sheer force of it. There was a problem however. Shiro was no longer standing there, nor was she ever to begin with.

Daroma: [W-What…?]

For the second time, Daroma had asked a question.

For the first time, he had stuttered from his failed understanding.

He looked down at his armor to now see a white layer of matōki attached to him. It had confused him even further, as he was unsure of when it had even stuck onto his body.

Daroma: [Matōki…But…ho–]

There was not a moment to gather his thoughts however.

Because before he even could, a sword that was once thought to be blunt at the top had pierced through the chest of his armor using its acquired heat from the electricity.

Following this brutal stab, words from behind came to assist his understanding.

Shiro: [If an element meets with matōki, a brand new effect might be created. It varies from element to element, and even the style of matōki. But let’s say we used an explosive power based system here, for both factors. Two negatives, basically. What exactly do you think would happen?]

Daroma: [D-Damn–]

There was not a moment to stop it. Before Daroma could even react, Shiro pushed her blade even further while screaming a fierce battle cry.

Shiro: [WORIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!]

What followed was a large burst from within the armor, smoke pushing out of every crack and hole as the fire in Daroma’s hands faded away. The fire atop his head, acting as a spirit for himself, lost more and more of its ember as time moved. Joining him, his armor began to slowly turn to ash.

Defeated, Daroma quietly spoke to the warrior who stood behind him.

Daroma: [...Magnificent…I was not prepared for a technique such as that…]

Shiro gave a small exhale as she responded to him in the same quiet manner.

Shiro: [It’s a technique I used to sneak out on my mom. I just changed it up a bit so it was a sticky type of matōki instead.]

Daroma: [A sticky…type of matōki…?]

Shiro: [Not sure how else to describe it, but it’s a type of matōki that a good friend of mine taught me. She even tried to kill me with it once.]

Daroma: [...Hmh…I see…]

Looking down at the hands of his armor, and watching as they disappeared, he spoke to Shiro.

Daroma: [Warrior…Tell me thine name…]

Shiro: [Shiro. Shiro Fuloreen. Daughter of Goranio and Airi Fuloreen.]

Daroma: [If I must ask…]

Shiro: [Yes. Her.]

Daroma: [...I see…My loss was truly inevitable…No…From the very beginning it was…There was no hope of changing the future…This is not a power we possess…]

Dimmer and dimmer, the light atop of Daroma’s armor had grown closer to a torch-sized light.

More and more, his armor dissolved into ash. His chest and head pieces remained, being held in the air by Shiro’s Tempest.

Daroma: [Warrior gifted with the curse of a seer…Can you truly challenge the future our world shall fall upon…?]

Shiro turned her eyes towards the fading flame.

Shiro: [I’d like to ask you something while you still have time. If you can see ahead, then surely you can see something related to what I have.]

A small exhale was released, before Daroma spoke again.

Daroma: [...My question is answered…I need not worry…Farewell, brave one…]

Fading into nothing, Daroma had disappeared.

Not a trace of him was left within the world.

At the sight of her fallen enemy, Shiro gave a slow nod as she stood still for several moments.

Though she had begun to toy with her foe during battle, she had ultimately made sure to pay her respects to the fallen.

She began to walk back to her friends, a smile once again rising on her face, before Tempest disappeared into a cloud of smoke and Shiro collapsed against the floor below. Her friends quickly moved to check if she was alright at the very moment her body began to tilt forward.

The fourth and final battle in Daroma’s castle had concluded.

The fourth trial. The trial that was once considered impossible by all. The trial that had never been cleared in the history of the world.

That trial…was now completed.

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Shiro: [Hi…I guess it’s been a while since I actually talked to you.]

In front of Shiro, the figure she remembered more than anything made another appearance.

It kept staring at her like it always had, though she did not mind it this time.

The warmth that accompanied this sight had filled her body from within.

Shiro: [You know, this warmth kinda reminds me of earlier. There was someone I met with the same kind.]

No response, as usual.

Despite this, she continued to chat with the figure.

Shiro: [What? Are you jealous? I’m not exactly sure what you are, but I’ll let you know right now, the person I spoke to was a guy…I think! So how does that make you feel?]

Silence.

Shiro: [Yeah! I bet that makes you real mad, huh? Maybe he’s a friend of yours or something?]

No words were exchanged.

Within her body however, the warmth in her chest increased in intensity.

She did not mean to, but tears came streaming down her face as this warmth occurred.

She wiped the tears away, only for more to come.

Shiro: [...W-What…]

And then, the word that was always forced into her mind appeared.

I’m

Shiro began to panic as she noticed.

Shiro: [Wait a minute…ARE YOU–]

She could not speak to the figure any longer.

The world of the vision had begun to fade.

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As she slowly opened her eyes once more, Shiro felt the softness beneath and above her. There was a silk-like feel to the warmth that pressed up against her back and chest. As she raised her eyes, she tried to recall everything she had felt.

Shiro: [That’s…weird…I can’t remember what happened this time…There was a vision…I think…? I’m not entirely–]

Her thoughts were cut short at the bright lights that filled her eyes. As the blurriness began to fade, she saw different colors standing around her in the room. More had become visible shortly after, and she could finally see it. The bright smiles of her friends around her.

Yoro: [Shiro! You’re okay!]

Yoro quickly hugged onto Shiro with tears in her eyes. Her clothes now gained a new drenched layer of water and snot as she continued to bawl her eyes out. As Shiro looked at her surroundings, she noticed that she had been brought to an inn by those around her. She then focused her attention on Yoro, and returned a hug back to her.

Shiro: [Yeah. I’m alright. It’s all thanks to you, Yoro.]

Yoro: [I was so worried…I was so worried…]

Shiro moved her eyes up to face the other friends around her.

Kōkatsu: [Honestly, what a big crybaby for a girlfriend ya got, Nero.]

Silvia: [You were crying before sssshe had woken up, Kōkatssssu.]

Kōkatsu: [I hear snake wine is good during this time of year. Maybe I should try some.]

Kōkatsu began to tease Yoro, but Silvia made a swift counterattack in her defense. To counter Silvia’s own counter, Kōkatsu displayed a scary gaze towards her while presenting a threat. Silvia merely shrugged her shoulders and backed down, looking now at the awake Shiro.

Silvia: [It issss good to ssssee that you are alright, my friend.]

Shiro: [We may have fulfilled our terms, but you didn’t think I’d leave you empty handed now did you?]

Silvia: [Hmhmhm! No, not at all.]

Nero: [I’m very glad you’re okay, Shiro. I was worried that your ability might have done too much to your body.]

Shiro: [Nah. Tempest is fine in terms of usage. I was just a little too tired from all the traveling, plus fighting Daroma both times. I guess there also was some stress and screaming involved as well.]

Nero: [Well regardless, it relieves me to know that you are okay!]

From behind her friends, came a towering kitsune girl. She kneeled down towards Shiro while introducing herself.

Kiyomi: [It is nice to meet you, Miss Shiro. My name is Kiyomi. Thanks to both your assistance, along with the help of my Lady, I have been freed of my shackles. I am forever in your debt.]

Shiro: [You don’t need to worry about paying me back, Kiyomi. Seeing as you’re Kōkatsu’s child now, I think that fills my mind with enough joy as is. There’s no need to go further.]

Kiyomi: [I thank you, Miss Shiro. Despite what you may say, I will assist you if needed no matter what!]

Shiro moved her eyes to the other child in Kōkatsu’s family, who stood in between her family.

Shiro: [I hope I didn’t cause too much trouble for you, Kaoru.]

Kaoru: [Not at all, Miss Shiro. It was difficult, but I believe there was a sense of fun in that battle!]

Shiro: [Hehe! That’s the spirit!]

Then, finally, the final member of the party moved over to speak with Shiro beside her bed.

Shiro tapped on Yoro’s shoulder, and Yoro, who still had a sad face riddled with tears, moved back to where Nero had been.

Kōkatsu: [...I told ya we were gonna conquer shit together, and look at us…]

Shiro: [We beat the fourth trial, huh?]

A smile rose on both of their faces as their fists moved at the same time, meeting with each other in the middle.

Kōkatsu: [Ya fuckin’ bet we did.]

Shiro: [So now…]

Kōkatsu: [All ’s left for us…]

Shiro and Kōkatsu: [...is the fifth!]

With cheers filling the room, a new wave of victory had passed through the party. It was a feeling they had yet to experience with any victory before.

An achievement in something no others had obtained, the party had beaten the fourth trial, and in only two weeks at that.

This was a victory that only they were capable of.

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