As the four traveled into the checkpoint town, what looked like a mob had gathered in the city's center where a demon tied to a wooden stake was getting covered in a strange liquid. The Red-haired demon looked familiar to Fonta.
“What are they doing?” Yang asked.
“Demon burning, while most are resilient to fire it just means they burn slower making the pain last longer. Its how demons are punished when caught trespassing in towns like this. We should keep going, stopping here would be bad.” Drie stated as he moved through the town.
“Fonta’s being oddly quiet.” Yang turned around only to notice that Fonta was missing and the young demon was teary-eyed though her mouth was held shut by force of will.
“Kid, when did he leave?”
“I blinked and he was gone.” Yang said with much concern.
Cries echoed from the center of the city.
“Gwaaa!”
“Eek!”
“Owie!”
“Stop!”
Squeak
“Did he just… they captured a demon, there has to be someone strong there for that to occur. I mean if he dies the debt is erased but I thought I'd at least get to trade pointers after he got some formal training.” Drie sighed as he stopped the carriage.
“Fonta!” Angel yelled as she looked through the out the carriage and saw that the small town was on fire.
----------------------------------------
Fonta had left the vehicle the moment he recognized the demon he also noticed the familiar stalking presence watching from a safe distance. This was likely a trap from the beginning. For whom, he didn’t know, but demons were more pragmatic than most, if the situation was anything like last time, the demoness dying would let the hidden attack be out of pure vengeance. Someone thought the demon's death would make their plans bloom faster. Wiping out a small town like this for daring to do such a thing was something he could see them do.
Moving with the swiftness of the wind Fonta darted to the top of a building and jumped over the large stake. His umbrella was opened as he fell behind one of the guards with the canisters like a shadow, his legs wrapping around his neck like a vice and taking him to the ground. Had he been angry Fonta might have snapped his neck.
There was no anger, just disappointment in their stupidity. “I Fonta Pain, am here to stop this execution! But I will give your leader one chance to convince me that this was just. If you can, I’ll kill her now, as I was the one who let her live. If not I’ll show you a fate worse than death.” Fonta held his umbrella to the unconscious guard’s throat and instinctively knew that he could hit a switch and cause a thin blade to shoot out and sever his carotid artery before retracting. From there he could then pull out a thin sword and use it like that. However, something told him not to do that here.
“It’s because she’s a demon. Death to all demons and demon sympathizers!”
Fonta moved the umbrella higher and hit a switch cutting into their cheek as he pulled the trigger and drew the thin weapon. These people had earned themselves two strikes, the third would be lethal.
“So, you’re saying. You’re going to kill me, because I have common sense. Why do you also look familiar?”
“You will burn with them you little brat.”
Deep breath Fonta. One breath in one breath out. His mind tried to tell him, as per usual, his second thoughts were left behind.
Fonta bounced forward, passing one of the guards and cutting deep into their legs from behind their greaves. Causing them to collapse as the oil they were using covered their body as well as Fonta’s blade.
“Gwaaa!”
One of the guards dropped their oil, drew their crossbow, and fired.
Fonta slashed through the bolt splitting it in half and causing his sword to catch fire.
One half pieced the shoulder of one guard and the kneecap of the other.
“Eek!”
“Owie!”
Moving forward Fonta cut into the crossbow guard’s face causing blood to shoot out as half his face was taken in seconds a kick knocked him into the crowd below.
“Stop!”
Fonta’s gaze fell on the man who led the group holding a torch above the demoness. As if ready to light the stake on fire.
“You have chosen death. Light that and you suffer the same fate.”
Fonta had been using half his speed due to the amount of oil on the ground. Though he'd been careful in how he moved, creating a spiral of oil around them.
“I’ll die killing a demon!”
Fonta placed his lit sword in its sheath and scowled as he felt a secondary use as a trigger similar to that of a crossbow fell down the curved handle.
“I stopped, are you happy?” Fonta couldn’t make it across without the risk of slipping.
“Too late.” The stake was lit. Fonta raised his weapon and pulled the trigger feeling an ache in his body as his chi was used and a third meridian was forced open as his body began to expel black liquid through his pores like oil and rapidly flowed to the ground.
The Fire, the oil, the rope tying up the demoness, and the stake holding her, as well as everyone save on the stage at the time wearing cloth and silks. Which included the town head but didn’t include Fonta or the demoness.
Fonta walked over to the leader, kicked him in the head, and pressed the white hot umbrella tip against his chest as it dug into him slowly. The blade wouldn’t pierce his heart but it would cook him. Fonta considered killing him as his adrenaline faded. Instead, he burned a line into his torso causing him to squeak in pain.
“You were going to put someone through this pain, for passing through. Can you stand, being roasted to death for days, dying of dehydration before getting slow roasted? Are you a cannibal? I won’t feel bad killing you. But it would be dirt I’d rather not deal with. Ya see, if I have to come back here to see you. Ya better hope I’m not mad, otherwise I’ll kill you, then wipe out the rest of your family. You’re doing what cultivators call courting death.”
The mayor panicked. “What are you going on about?”
“You see, had you just cut her head off, or done something swift out of sight and humane. I wouldn’t have tried to step in. What you do now, making a spectacle out of a lynching, do you really thing there aren’t demons here waiting for you to do something like that. You won’t receive support from the city states if you start the war by killing one of their nobles. They are here and they are waiting. Thus killing you and ridding the world of your bloodline would be for the good of humanity. Do you accept death or will you learn from your mistakes?” Fonta pushed the umbrella, getting a louder scream before the man passed out. Fonta burned an X on their cheek with his blade.
Fonta then got back up his gaze looking at everyone causing fear to ripple through the mob below. He then retrieved the unconscious demoness and threw her over his right shoulder.
“All right all ye weasels have to the count of five to make way before I fight my way through. Ya got it?”
The people didn’t move so Fonta pointed his weapon to the side with his left hand, in an attempt to get them to hurry only to pull the trigger and fire a ball of concentrated flames that destroyed a section of the town and continued off.
The other demon had been hiding in that general area earlier but Fonta couldn’t sense him now. He’d gotten it right, that demon had been. Moments later he noticed various figures slip out from the crowd and points of the town. Fonta knew a setup when he stepped into it. He could recognize when someone is using people to serve their ends. While he hadn’t figured out Yang’s goal yet, he was being used for some purpose he didn’t understand.
The townspeople didn’t care at this point as the purple-haired boy was scarier than any demon they’d seen could hope to be.
Legends of this would be passed down and embellished as the wrath of the Tyrannical Tyke. The meaning of tyke would also be debated for centuries and it was accepted that the urban legend was both at the same time.
Fonta however returned to the parked carriage and got in. His expression was angry as he entered the vehicle.
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“What happened?” Yang asked.
“Their place was swarming with demonic agents. This was a trap to give them reason to invade. I imagine when someone important dies, people in power use that power to get revenge. The fact that people are watching her tells me she could be someone important.”
“What told you there was something wrong?”
“Street smarts. I know when people aren’t telling me something or when something is amiss. Though I don’t exactly know what’s wrong.” Fonta added with a squint towards the other two who seemed quite fishy.
The red-haired demoness woke up confused, a nine-pointed star glowing on the side of her neck like a magical tattoo. “Why am I alive?”
“Why are you asking that?” Fonta asked.
“You! You're the reason my mission was a failure!” The demoness withdrew a dagger and swung it in an attempt to push Fonta away.
Fonta used his umbrella to disarm her in a single motion. “I won’t kill you. That would cause more problems.”
“Why did you interrupt my execution!”
“What would you have gained from death?” Fonta kicked the dagger off the carriage.
While Fonta had been distracted the Demoness had drawn a second dagger which she used to cut into her own throat.
“Kid!” Yang yelled.
The pink-haired girl panicked a bit but in time she summoned one of the floating eyes which sealed the wound but did nothing else as it vanished.
“Angel, can you check her for more sharp objects?” Fonta said after turning around and seeing the blood running out of the carriage. He’d immediately begun trying to staunch the bleeding.
“Angel? Whose that?”
Fonta pointed to the girl with pink hair. “You. That's your new name. Your name is Angel now, I’d throw you a welcome party but I’m sure the nearest bakers would rather throw me in an oven than bake you a cake.”
Angel frisked the demon and found quite a few pointy implements on her person which were well hidden in places Fonta wouldn’t have known where to look.”
Fonta collected the needles, finger-length blades, a carving knife, a sword breaker, two stilettos, a few blow darts, and a necklace with seven sharp stars.
“I think she can keep the necklace. It can’t hurt anyone.”
“Let me see that.” Fonta snatched up the necklace and did a few practice swings with the jewelry scowling as he sliced through the top of a barrel full of rice. White grains spilled everywhere as Fonta pocketed the item. “It counts as a weapon.”
“Fonta… I get that you're experienced but your display of power is quite high. To think you could use flame arts.”
“Oh that was unintentional and one hundred percent a function of my weapon. It absorbed all the fire that would have burned the area to ash then made it stronger somehow. Though it did use a lot of energy to do that.”
“Fonta…let's make an exchange. My talent lets me mimic the arts and techniques I see, so as long as the target is willing to let me learn it or unaware of my ability and/or presence, I can pick it up if I watch it done at least once.”
“I didn’t agree to that. But I’ll keep it simple. If it can be considered a weapon I have a basic understanding of how to use it. I am a weapon master of sorts. Nothing strange about it.”
“So you get a head start on learning how to wield weapons. Can you show me what an unconventional weapon is?”
“Yeah yeah, but you’re going to have to help me read that manual you gave me.”
“...It’s literally just pictures.”
Fonta opened the manual and scowled as he looked at a banana dancing in the center of the page as various peanuts fought against armies of grapes. The pictures moved and eventually, the soldiers lay in mass communal coffins for both sides. Somewhat shaper-like bread that had been cut.
“I see that. But what do they say?”
“It's the manual of waves, a version of my family's style.”
Fonta squinted as he watched the images morph into a man with a top knot doing various sword forms. “Huh… That's a first.”
“What?”
“Move with the water, my body is the ocean, my arms and legs represent the waves. The blade points towards the moon.” Fonta handed the book back.
“Can’t do it?”
“No, it’s incomplete and not suitable for me. My legs are too short to use it right.”
“Show me what you picked up.”
Fonta looked at the unconscious demoness and squinted as he withdrew some rope making sure to tie her up.
“Angel, if she wakes up, call for us.” Fonta helped Yang down from the cart. As he got the chair down and then picked up Yang, an odd expression crossed his face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Did you gain weight?” Fonta immediately felt a chill on the back of his neck.
“What ever do you mean?”
“This is a marriage plot isn’t it.” Fonta felt a warm breeze on his neck and scowled.
Yang looked at him as though he’d grown a second head. “I wouldn’t know. I am a dude afterall.”
“...I didn’t mean you. If I learn this style I’ll have to marry into the family or be on the run from your family.”
Yang shook his head. “Word things better.”
Fonta sighed. “No, I don’t think I will. You still seem odd to me.”
“Odd in what way?”
“I can’t put it into words. But something feels off.” Fonta scowled.
“Fine, if you must know, it’s because I have two new prosthetic feet. They are very light weight but I can’t walk on them yet. My limbs haven't finished healing yet so I’m not supposed to walk on them yet.”
Fonta felt the last piece click in his mind. “Oh, you’re the one being used in this marriage part and I assume it’s to someone much higher on the totem pole.”
“Yes, my grandfather was the child of a lady of the night and someone pretty high in the family though not a direct descendant. Regardless of that he managed to learn the family’s water arts to a high degree though he was barred from progressing further as his center was bound when he was younger. Essentially, grandfather wants me to assassinate the one who holds his seal, or become the next patriarch of our family.”
“How removed are you…”
“My grandfather’s father was the servant of the third in line of the leader at the time. That man had a small portion of the bloodline, but had a somewhat prestigious position. It is the previous third in line who holds the seal. So in the worst case scenario I have 1/128th of the original main bloodline. Do you know how talent rarity is determined?”
“Nope.”
“Ok, so if two parents have a rare talent it is all but guaranteed that the child will have a rare or better talent.”
“What are the rarities?”
“Trash, Decent, Uncommon, Rare, Unique. Legendary.”
Fonta scowled. “Nothing after legendary?”
“No. Not that I know of. Why?”
Fonta scowled. “Can you tell someone’s rarity by looking at them?”
“No. There are devices that measure innate chi quality but those are useless once you actually start on the path. My talent falls into, the unique category.”
“Fair enough, let's keep this a secret however.”
Fonta took a low pose his umbrella pointed downward and in front as his right hand was raised. He soon realized that he was adapting the style to fit him and switched positions. The umbrella was still held in the same hand only the handle was aimed at an upwards diagonal.
“This is the frigid wind stance. Using chi while in this stance efficiently chills the air where it slashes and would eventually freeze someone in blocks of ice as it progressed. I don’t have the chi for that so watch the movement.” Fonta slashed with the blade in an upward diagonal, chilling the air and sending a cool breeze forward towards Yang but otherwise doing nothing else.
Fonta then continued through the 7 movements of that stance which revolved around quick. The slashes, parries, and spin would be useful to someone with more chi. Fonta finished the first technique by moving into what appeared to be two separate combinations.
A step forward with a thrust towards the opponent's body, as they were expected to dodge, the user of the technique would rotate 360 degrees using the momentum to slice up their legs and let out a series of cuts. “Crimson Snow.” That was the name of that maneuver.
Moving onto the second, Fonta let out a series of sword thrusts as he waited for his friend Yang to pick up on them. His next moves were filled with stabbing attacks that were quite annoying to block and couldn’t be evaded without a decent movement technique. After the thrusts Fonta moved his blade back, appearing to move backward in preparation for a final thrust.
Fonta thrust his opposing hand forward as a dragon of ice shot from his palm and snaked outward into a tree before dissipating.
Fonta looked at his hands in surprise. “That…didn’t use my chi, but it did the magic thing.”
“Hmmm…It’s small, but to be able to use it at all despite not being a member of the family. What did you change?”
“The 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 11th pictures were lies. I fixed them but I don’t like the Tyrant of Winter, my arms are too short for it.”
“Is that so?” Yang winced as he got to his prosthetics and then grimaced in pain.
“Rest. If I need to do it again when you're healed I–”
“She’s up!!”
Fonta left Yang in the field as he moved towards the back of the carriage and hopped inside moments later.
The tied-up Demoness had a rag stuffed in her mouth and a look that made Fonta take a step back.
“What have you done?”
“She tried to command me to kill her via hierarchy. I stopped her from biting her tongue.” The pink-haired girl crossed her arms.
“Ah, good job.” Fonta patted her on the head, and a loud snap filled both of their ears as the beanie sunk down a bit
“Uh…”
“You broke my horn!”
Fonta shrugged then looked at the tied-up demoness.
“One problem at a time. Ok. Red one, you now work for me. No more of this self destruction, it’s inconvenient. Also if you die, how will you get your revenge?” Fonta squinted as he flicked the tattoo on her neck causing it to explode in green fire. The young demoness passed out again.
“You sure have a way with women…” Yang said as they arrived.
Fonta pulled off the beanie and noticed that the horn had fallen out, the root of said horn attached to it as the area it had grown from closed as though it never existed as hair replaced what was lost. Though there were now two pointed protrusions on her back.
Fonta swung the horn and nodded. “Decent weapon. You can tie it to a stick for a nice spear.” Fonta added then looked away.
Angel took the horn and looked as though she’d start crying.
“Fine, I'm sorry my ogre strength broke your horn. Do what you will.” Fonta grabbed the collar and hit the release.
Angel did start crying much to Fonta’s irritation.
Fonta held out the collar. “Pretend to sleep if you want, I don’t get it. But you’re still a demon. Wearing one of these means you are working for a powerful or rich human. Shouldn’t do anything to you, but you likely won’t be burned at a stake unless you go about murdering people. So do me a favor and stay out of trouble. I won't save you, a second time.” Fonta said coldly as he put the collar on and closed it. From there he cut off the rope.
“What do you want?” The demoness asked.
“You, not dying anywhere around me. So survive, other than that you’re free to go. Should take you two days to find a nice secluded ditch far far away from humans.”
“Arera, that is my name. I owe you my life.”
“No, you don’t, and I never asked for your name.”
“Hey two names that both start with the A, character.”
“Angel, do you want a different name?” Fonta asked,
“Angel is mine. Tell her to change her name.” Angel crossed her arms as though irritated about something.
“Fine, we’re changing your name Arera, since your a demon, how about Demia?”
“No. Let me keep my name.”
“All right, we’re voting. All in favor of Demia? Raise your left hand.” Fonta said jokingly.
Only Angel raised her hand not getting the joke.
“I’ll change it, just let me pick it, Zareraz. There it’s demonic and nothing like Angel.”
“Too many letters. Your nickname is now Zara. Your formal name Zareraz, welcome to the bin.” Fonta scowled.
Yang sighed. “Are you building yourself a harem?”
“No of course not, unless you plan on abandoning me when you get your feet.”
“I’ll be frank. The second I get feet. I’ll be going to a new city. Luminocity is bigger than our home but its still small potatoes. I have three rotations to be ready for the courting trial. Which means late awakened stage or early Nascent more than likely.”
“The what now?”
“Essentially, every branch member as well as some new blood are allowed to participate in a trial to gain the right to wed the current patriarch’s eldest daughter.”
“Interesting, what else do you get if you win?” Fonta nodded.
“A talented wife, prestige, cultivation resources, grooming to be the next to inherit the head position. Family ties, and all kinds of equipment for personal use.”
Angel crossed her arms as she looked at Fonta. “Oi. You aren’t planning on participating in the trials, are you?”
“Of course I am. Will there be fighting?”
“Fonta…are you my rival?”
“Hmmm? No, look Yang, you aren’t much good in a fight yet. Thus I had a plan, we both entered and I helped you get to the top while fighting all the competition.”
“You mean some of-... No you mean what you say. Battle maniac. Do you want to marry into that family?”
“I could care less about that, but if you win, you can help me save my sister when we get strong enough?”
Zara scowled. “You have a sister?”
“Yeah, your people kidnapped her for some reason. Pisses me off but I’m going to have to save her eventually. First I need power and connections to get to her. Then I just need to fight my way home.”
“What do you mean?” Angel asked.
“I had a younger sister, she was taken by the demons for some reason.”
“She can’t be your sister. That would mean someone messed up the scry.” Zara scowled.
“Well she was, and I’m older. Why are you looking at me like that?” Fonta took two steps back.
“Nothing. If it’s what you say, the demons may eventually come for you as well.”
“Ah, a way in, but I still need to get stronger. What can you do Zara?”
“Negative summoning, Curses, Debilitation, and Ice-Fire Magic.” Zara added.
“So the opposite of Angel.” Fonta looked towards the roof.
Yang sighed. “A self sufficient group.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Fonta leaned against his umbrella and helped Yang into the vehicle.