"Haaaaaaa...haaaaa…" Deep, unfathomable breaths were taken as if air itself was free for only a limited period of time. A small body was drenched in sweat and blood, and could barely stabilize itself in the sky.
Tsumi was silently looking around. She was in an area bereft of black knights, trying to catch her breath. She wasn't the only one here, with several others in horrid conditions also breathing heavily.
A haziness emerged in her eyes. She felt that she was the last child on the battlefield. For as far as she could see, only the older clansmen were around, mostly young adults and the middle-aged. The young simply had weaker bodies and strength, resulting in a mass genocide event of the younger generation.
Was she the only one?
"Akio…" she quietly muttered.
"We'll be switching out in eight seconds. Ready up!" A voice reminded belong to a middle-aged woman. This place was the strategic resting location etched out by the Kitsune Elders, but they could only stay for an incredibly short period of time before swapping out with the others.
If it wasn't for their impeccable coordination, something like this was impossible amidst the sea of black knights.
Tsumi and the rest nodded. She swiped her hand in the air, summoning her katana from nothing. Patting her chest, her armor disappeared and reformed instantly, completely repaired.
"Let's go!" The voice shouted. The older woman rushed out first with a roar, her blade gleaming with a viciousness. Her valiant charge was met with a fierce aggression of enemies. She directly split two knights in half with her blade.
Thawk!
Her roar was abruptly stopped as an arrow pierced through her skull. Bits of brain matter, blood, and lifeforce sipped out instantly. Her body was sliced into three pieces by two knights before they soon found other targets.
Tsumi clashed with one of these knights, but her strength wasn't like before. Her sword snapped in two, causing her expression to shift.
"Die!" A rough yet feminine voice sounded from the knight's helmet as it bore down with its two-headed axe towards Tsumi's head. She could do nothing to stop this and no one had the spare time to help her.
"Was this...the end?" Her mind calmly thought. She wanted to close her eyes, but all her training in life told her to remain aware and eke out a chance for survival. Wrecked with weakness, she felt the rushing wind of the axe above her skull.
Klang!
A violet figure appeared before her. His hand was wielding an arming sword. This arming sword was odd, as its blade was completely violet in color, but it glowed with the shades of the rainbow. It was illusory as if it wasn't real.
The most notable about this figure was its tall and imposing stature, and tails that flickered about endlessly in a hypnotic rhythm.
Tsumi subconsciously counted the number of tails, and her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
"T-ten!" Her voice quivered in shock.
The figure turned his face half-way, allowing her to see a pair of beautifully orange eyes, a jade-like countenance, and a distinguishable handsomeness. A smile hung at his lips, "you noticed?"
This voice sounded unlike any she had ever heard, but she felt an intense familiarity to it. It was profoundly confusing. Her mind relaxed all of a sudden and her memories flowed through. Then, instinctively in a playful way, as if she was safe within the village, she mocked, "Of course I noticed? Who could miss those things!"
Her eyes suddenly widened.
The violet figure laughed, it was carefree and confident.
A name flowed from her lips overflowing water, "Akio!"
Indeed, that figure was Akio. His body had been changed somehow into a matured version of himself, and an overflowing sensation of power and strength flowed within him. He looked towards the black knight who was still struggling to remove its axe from his grip.
"Die." He swung his arming sword with one hand, and the knights entire body exploded like a balloon filled with of black blood and metal.
He turned towards Tsumi and smiled, "didn't I say to stay close?" With that, his expression turned serious as he looked at the figure on the throne. He could feel a pair of eyes focused on him and it was filled with ill-intent and desire.
"For now, go back to Sis and wait for me obediently, okay?" He reached out towards Tsumi and pushed her small body away. A violet glow shrouded her as her wounds seemed to heal unnaturally. Her previously lost arm recovered, wounds on her body disappeared, and her samurai armor vanished, replaced by a cute kimono of earlier.
"I never got to say this, but I really like it," Akio commented as his eyes, filled with warmth, appraised. A regret in his heart was lifted.
"Akio, w-"
"I said go to Sis and wait obediently, or are you unwilling to listen to your husband?" Akio lowly said.
"My…" blushing lightly, she thought for a moment and nodded. She let the violet glow carry her like a comet away. Her young heart was conflicted, but she knew what she had to do. If Akio had to pay attention to her on the battlefield, he would be distracted. Not to mention, he was obviously different and more powerful than before.
With Tsumi out of the way, Akio turned towards the figure in the throne. With a step, he traveled like a beam of light. All knights in his path had their life ended in a blink. He arrived directly before the figure on the throne.
The figure had a crown and dressed in a king's armor that was a little gaudy, but definitely presented his prestige and ranking well. The figure looked towards Akio's new form with interest.
"The thief returns," a kingly voice filled with darkness sounded.
Akio frowned, but his eyes flashed with killing intent enough to dye a thousand oceans red in blood.
"I, King Caliburn IIV, has returned for the grail. We will have it; we will retake the day!" His voice was dominant as he slowly rose from his throne.
"You will die this day," Akio confidently retorted.
King Caliburn fully rose, his height a full three meters, towering Akio's new form by quite a bit.
"You have to yet to truly witness our power. We are not like before thief." Surging shadowy darkness emanated from King Caliburn's body.
"You may have a shadow of my King's Legacy, but I have the truth." He held out his hand and a sword materialized from his shadowy darkness and produced a jet black arming sword. This sword was, in size and shape, the same as Akio's. However, it looked real.
"Come, thief." King Caliburn swung the arming sword ferociously at Akio. Akio swiftly replied, clashing using his own sword. A sonic boom was produced with their point of contact as the epicenter.
The entire battlefield was affected. Kitsune and Black Knights alike was sent every which way without the ability to control their bodies as they were affected by the booming explosion. Many of them bled from their ears and eyes.
Akio and King Caliburn vanished. They moved at such high speeds that only the constant explosions from clashing contact hinted at their location and fight.
Clan Lord Kaito, Elder Hiroji, and Elder Eiji looked towards Akio and the fight with shock in their hearts. However, just as they had their own speculations, they felt a flow disconnect from their bodies. Their eyes returned to its normal color and their teeth were once more white and clean.
"The Ceremony has ended!" In the hearts of every Kitsune, they cried with happiness.
Decisively, Clan Lord Kaito shouted, "Full Retreat!!"