What Haunts the mist

It was said the Kaguya had been the strongest. The Hozuki had more of a mind for business but the true power and fear was of the bone wielders. Men and women more difficult to put down than the average soldier. Their bodies regenerating not just from what harm others could bring to them....but from the travesty they would put their own flesh through. Shaping their bones as horrifying weapons and leaving bodies skewered in their wake. To let a Kaguya close was to invite harm. Once they had led the village with one of their own as Kage. Their might had been indisputable. Yet with their most recent clan leader...they had fled the castle. Their powerful fortress had been abandoned over one man. One man who was half their blood and half Hozuki. The Nightmare that haunted the wicked and consumed their blood in penance. The commander of the anbu division called the nightmare brigade. A being who had spread such a ledger in red that few would even train under him now. Aside from those strong enough to join his brigade. Some whispered he was the hand of the devil himself. Few even willingly spoke his name without spitting after.

Lord Jaakuna Sero.

It was commonly known he resided at the Kaguya sovereign palace ruins. What had once been a pristine fortress with armed guards and the highest ranking members of the clan now lay in ruins. Those who had come before to do battle with Sero had found it....and in their turmoil time and time again he had torn them asunder. Consuming them and being on his way. Of this fate only a few had walked away. His student Blitz having limped away after their battle took half the castle. The grounds dirt was infused with ash and water enriching it as the burnt trees decorated it. Barren like outstretched claws. Yet the ground was coated in a sea of puddles and spider lilies. Between the edge of the blackened space where the woods began was a wave of red and blue. Cascading all the way up to the ruins. Half the castle torn apart and laying in shattered pieces of broken bone. The water dripping down off it from the moisture. Inside mold grew over burnt bone pillars in a long hall just passed the first ruined wall. There was no ceiling here as it seemed to have been ripped away. Water ran down one wall like a waterfall into deep cuts in the bone floor. At the end of the hall the wall was cracked with old blood long since stained where Blitz had hit it. 

What else was odd about this place was despite the sounds of old crumbling ruins and flowing waterfalls there was no other sound. Not one bird squawked or rat squeaked. No chittering of bugs or howling of wolves. Nature itself seemed to avoid this place. As soon as one would step foot across the boundary at the edge of the spider lilies they would understand why. A terror would grip them. As if they could feel there was something within those ruins. A beast that awaited them with hunger and malice being its only fathomable reasons for being. There was a beast within....Deep inside the ruins sat Sero on his throne. He had adopted black robes and had received his katana from Blitz once more. The brazers around the room burned in a dark purple flame as his hand held the sword at his side. His back stiff as his eyes would shift. His free hand on his lap as he sat barefoot in his rightful place. A being to rival the Kage. Awaiting those either foolish, brave, or both to come to his world.

The member 'Aika Ryuzoji' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Bunny Arrival' :

An invitation? This was one of the last things she expected to receive so soon after such an event at the gates, but nevertheless she would accept it. She'd put her hair into a bun with some amount hanging next to her face, put on an outfit that she was fairly fond of and made her way out.

As Reiko approached where the invitation led her to, she felt her heart beat faster as she noticed less and less ambient noises around her only when they all stopped. She really only heard her own footsteps on the dirt. She hadn't quite noticed the ash yet, but it didn't take long as she soon noticed the puddles, ash, and spider lilies. And immediately after she noticed the castle, half of it was just laying on the ground. A shiver ran up her spine as her breathing quickened.

She slowly approached until she heard a scream. Part of her wanted to turn tail and run but she ran forward until she could notice who it seemed to be who let out such a scream. But before she really even got close enough to even guess who the person at least a dozen meters in front of her was, she stopped. An all too familiar feeling washed over her that she hoped to not experience any time soon.

Terror.

Frozen in place, Reiko couldn't move. Her body just wouldn't let her as memories replayed in her mind as the terror that she felt kept her in place. A few tears slowly ran down her face as her breathing and heart picked up their paces.

OOC:

The member 'Reiko Rakujo' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Bunny Arrival' :

The two women would arrive and be struck with fear. The shadows would seem to dance as distant whispers echoed from within the castle. Sero would stir from within his throne room before his purple gaze would slowly open. He could feel them out there. He could taste the fear on the air. The slow dripping of water from the castle ruins were usually his only company. Yet a scream would echo down the halls as if they were an echo chamber. So two had arrived within his domain. Slowly he would rise from his throne and step forward from the shadows. The A dark water wrapping around his form as it clothed him in dark robes. His feet remaining bare as he moved forward. Each step let the dark liquid take on more of a solid form. His hand reaching out to grip the sword he carried on his way out. The glistening greatsword in hand he would step free from the throne room. Once he was in the outer hall his eyes would shift to the two outside. Most of the walls were gone and though he was bathed in darkness they would be able to see him shortly. 

Sero would walk forward down the partially destroyed castle hall. The shadows seemed to stretch in darkness as he walked towards them. Concealing him at times for all but his glowing purple eyes. Only when he stepped into the light would he seem to be fully visible. However he would step out from the front doorway. Eyes cold and his face void of expression. Now it became clear to each of them the source of the fear. It was not this cursed place or the dead littering the grounds. It was the being that had come to stand before them. His chakra was an oily tainted thing. Dark and virtually dripping off him. The ground beneath his feet steamed where he stood in small tendrils rising up and dissipating in the cold air. Still his right hand gripped the majestic sword that stood on par with the seven swords. A weapon imbued with katon energy. Even as he held it a breeze would shift through the grounds. Warm as summer despite the cold mist hanging about. As if they stood before a great bonfire. It could easily be understood that he utilized katon on the highest level. If he wished it he would incinerate them. 

His purple gaze would shift slowly between the two. A confident swordswoman and another experiencing this kind of fear for the first time. The Abomination of Kirigakure stood before them now. When he spoke the whispers in the distance of the castle seemed to echo him. For anyone it would be instinctively clear they should not challenge him. Yet he had called for them. He knew a war was coming. He knew they needed to build their strength. However with the fear he could taste on the ear...he wondered if they would overcome it. 

"I am Jaakuna Sero. Commander of the Nightmare Brigade and if you can withstand my presence....your new mentor for the day. I will challenge you and push you. Many lose a part of their sanity this way. However there is power to be had. Will you remain....or will you flee?" The last word escaping his lips as a low growl. His jawline turning partially transparent like murky water to reveal his teeth. Returning to flesh as he revealed his Hozuki bloodline. His sensory told him  both had raiton in their chakra. He would need to display some caution here at least. 

Equipment:

The member 'Sero' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Bunny Arrival' :

The member 'Aika Ryuzoji' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Bunny Arrival' :

Sero would stand still though the ground would smolder beneath his feet. Thin trails of smoke rising from where the plantlife burned away. However there was only the one trail of burnt earth where he had walked. He did not seem to leave his castle often anymore. Kirigakure was a well functioning machine for every day threats. He had established a working force to eliminate bandits and slavers and their like and now he had even placed a student of his as Mizukage. His power was best suited for the larger fights like with Matabi as he had pinned her down the second time she encountered him. Still he held no pride there. He held no greed or anything beyond purpose. He was a weapon that the humans around him used. For others to gain his power they were to seek him out here. And most fled at the sensation he gave off. As did one of the two. The genin fled back to where ever she came. Into the woods to flee this beast and his ruins. The other though was more energetic. He sensed raiton within her and would be cautious of that. A jounin from what he understood. 

Still he would circle him with interest outweighing her fear. His glowing purple eyes would follow her slowly as he turned his head. The sword on his back however was the opposite of his appearance. A jeweled long sword with a long handle and a wide guard to look like a cross. However it was an incredible weapon like her own. It's own properties akin to the katon element. In a different way than her own its materials were designed to cut through defense and assist with his katon Ninjutsu. Both of their weapons suggested they were an offensive type. Sheer damage output in the service of the village. He supposed not many people within the village bothered much with defense. Blood stained their hands and souls and they did not care. Still as soon as she moved to be at a spot she would be harder to view his body shifted. Turning to a black murky liquid and then back to physical. Only now he was facing her again. Shifting his direction that he was facing without having to turn. Simply morphing into the correct physical form. He was not a vampire lord but the image he put off of having a human body was fabricated.

"I have no interest in any relationship with a human. They are vile, greedy creatures at their core and I find them to be easily twisted into something evil. Aika Ryuzoji is it? I will commit this name to memory. You hold your sword differently than most. Tell me Aika Ryuzoji, have you killed before? What was your reason if so?"

Sero wouldn't ponder on her reaction and words too much. He did not care if he was pretty. He allowed his chakra to mold his appearance as it saw fit and this was the appearance his chakra chose for his human form. He had no real need for beauty as it didn't serve him. His needs were purely for more power. Still he would watch in silence as she would unsheath her sword and perform a display of coordination with it. He noted the lightning and his fingers twitched slightly. He knew to be cautious of the element. Of his weakness for it and it was why he had trained the wind element to master levels. He was prepared to counter the weapon and would do so if she came too close. It was an easy thing to kill these humans. So many vitals spread over them. Yet so many naturally held an affinity for his weakness. In this case however he would note that none of her chakra was used. A troublesome ability indeed. However the sword talking would draw his attention more. An intelligent weapon was a first for him. It meant there was an item with a will of its own guiding her actions. 

Still she would put it away and it would be silent once more. Sero would listen as she spoke of never having taken a life before. A life at a shrine sounded peaceful. Yet what need was there to learn the art of combat if there was only peace? He would shift slightly and his own sword would seem to fall from his back. The massive blade plunging into the ground behind him as its own sharp blade would dig it in place. He would move away from it to stand over a dark shadow in the fog. It would part to reveal a rotting body there. Exsanguinated by how hollow it appeared with a hole in its chest. Yet the flesh itself was missing bits and only a horrified expression remained behind sunken eyes. He would snap his fingers and it would ignite in purple flame before him. His glowing purple eyes shifting to look up to the woman. 

"Right and wrong are always changing. It's more of a viewpoint of the individual. However for me my enemies are killers. If I try to spare them I lose the advantage. They will try to kill me without holding back so I should do the same. It is true that most however cannot hold their own against me. Breaking them is a simple task. Perhaps for you it is the same. However I can state with certainty that this enemy will never attack me again. Death offers certainty. There will be others who foolishly tread up to my door with killing intent....their bodies will join the ashes of my garden."  

Sero would stand beside the purple flames as they incinerated the body. His gaze settling on the screaming girl as he would wait patiently. Her antics would be noted but he did not seem to care to react. She would of course wield her sword once more like an inexperienced girl with a toy only to be chastised by it. Sero was no fan of a weapon that generated electricity. It was dangerous for him. He was aware of his weakness of course. Any Hozuki was from childhood. He had measures to deal with it but there was always going to be that weakness. That chance that someone could finish him with raiton. His eyes shifted to the sword with a hint of disdain for it behind those glowing purple eyes. Given the chance he would destroy such an item. However the others in the village would chastise him. Besides it wasn't an uncommon element and it would do little to ensure his safety in the future. However he did not flinch or raise a guard. He simply remained aware of the threat. However unintentional it might be. Her reaction to a dead body however was puzzling for a jounin of the mist. 

She would put it away again and this time request that they stop with the dead bodies. An amusing request given that she could not see through the fog blanketing the ground to truly see the horrors around them. It was not just a simple matter of one or two assassins he had dealt with. Not even criminals but Kaguya who had come for his head from the old leadership he had chased out. Indeed the acers around the castle and within the walls themselves were littered with such bodies. Often people came to slay the beast that slaughtered the wicked of these lands. Often they were confident they could handle the monster within the castle. Always these would be assassins were wrong. Always the paid the ultimate price. However their bodies held nutrients even after he insenguinated them. Nourishing the lands around the castle for those spider lilies. A flower he was fond of from a book. A book he had read time and time again alone in that hospital. His humanity leaving him day by day until he became this. Still she would pose a question to him and he would let his eyes rise to meet hers. A cold gaze to match a cold voice. 

"You could in most cases. However in some like myself a lost limb is temporary. Some can regrow or reattach such things. Even fewer still can return from having their head removed. However I know not of anyone who can return from being incinerated. You have not killed and fear the dead. You draw your sword like a child at play. How in this world did you ever make the rank of Jounin within the mist?"

Sero would listen to the girls words. His eyes trailing across her movements in what appeared to be a lazy way. Yet they seemed to see everything. As if those glowing purple eyes looked beyond the flesh and sought the soul. Indeed he was using his chakra sensory. Waiting for flashed of chakra use as an early warning. He was never one to let down his guard. Not with an actual threat present such as that sword. Even if he could not normally be cut in a damaging way the electricity was dangerous to him. She was also already a Jounin Which meant in terms of skill with her blade and how close she already was if he did not forsee the draw or use of chakra he could actually fall here. However he would not allow such an outcome. He did not age or breath except to talk. He did not need food or shelter....just an ever present source of water. In kirigakure his form and life was sustained indefinitely. Constantly absorbing the high moisture in the air.  She spoke of her dragon god and he noted this one among the many these humans worshipped. A merciful god she said. 

As if these humans deserved a god. 

Sero would move finally as he returned to stand next to the blade with the gleaming clean black surface of the wide and long blade. "If your Dragon god would forgive all equally then they are Naive....and you are as well for following such beliefs. There are souls too decrepit to forgive. This world is filled with monsters and a kind heart cannot always prevail. You fear becoming a monster..." He would slide his hand to flow slowly down the front of his blade. A sheen of water mixed with lines of fire of varying heat and the shadows painted a moving picture as he spoke. A depiction of a temple along the blade and people worshipping peacefully. A figure worshiped as suddenly more figures approached. Seeking the riches the temple may offer. The member of the temple offered them food and instead were attacked. Murdered one by one depiction after depiction. These murderous figures faces would distort to look like demons. However the slides would shift as the demons faces turned to fear as a new demon approached. This demon consumed them one by one as they tried and failed to flee. Behind him the temple would fill once more with worshipers as he faded. All of it zooming out to show a cycle forming as it all began again. 

"When the Naive cannot defend themselves and falter....a monster is needed to deal with the new monsters...men thinking themselves beyond the law...or even as gods. Sometimes a monster can even consume a god...Sometimes something like me comes along....Sometimes the world needs a monster like....me."