The Age Of Demons

Mission Stage Utsukushī And Xenthos

CRACK! CRASH! Xenthos was in a fight being swarmed by various demons, these demons were massive insects capable of flight causing them to rush him and try to attack him. He would swing at them and they would fly out of the way, making him angrier.

"Damn pests!" While Xenthos began to get angrier he suddenly saw the beasts fall from the sky and Utsukushī stood nearby on a small rock formation, the sun shining on her, she looked down at Xenthos before jumping down to meet him.

"You're very destructive aren't you but very strained at the same time."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Your temper is what gives you so much power isn't it? The style of gauntlets you use is very impractical for our day and age. You use the pain of lugging those around to fuel you but at the same time you use them to enhance your strength." Utsukushī looked at Xenthos as she sheathed her blade, she walked toward him.

"Have you ever tried investing your energy within yourself and not your weaponry?"

"The hell does that even mean?"

"A warrior's weapon is only as strong as the one who wields it, meaning your weapon should serve you and not siphon off of you." Utsukushī would raise her blade to Xenthos.

"Please hold this so I can show you." Xenthos looked at her and took a hand out of his gauntlet and reached out, he grabbed her blade.

"Ghn?!" THOOM!!! Xenthos's arm was yanked to the ground and his arm was pinned, he would look at the blade shocked for a moment before he tried to raise it up. Utsukushī squatted down, she looked at Xenthos who had been brought to his knees.

"This is what investing within myself has brought me, my weapon is forged to the will of my soul and its dance. My weapon can never be turned against me, it is my own will and as long as I am true to myself it can't be destroyed. Only with the loss of my soul will I then lose it too." Utsukushī explained this to Xenthos, she would reach out.

"Huh? Uh ahem, you've passed." She took her blade, her hand shaking slightly.

"By the way-" Xenthos began to stand and rub his wrist before soon lifting his gauntlet.

"Hm?"

"You know Axel correct?"

"He trained Ibaraki, Junsui and myself, he's my master." Xenthos spoke as he looked toward Utsukushī, she looked over at him.

"Well I've heard he's still alive and on a diplomatic mission, to The Divine Mount. Scientist told me a lot in her message about you and Ibaraki. Which is why during this mission I plan to train you, let's attempt to invest in yourself now."

"In the middle of a danger zone?"

"Of course, that alertness will make your investment that much faster. That way you won't be there for long, now follow my lead. You must sit down and be comfortable." Utsukushī pointed to a nearby rock and Xenthos leaped over and sat down, he had his right knee up and rested his right arm on it while his left leg hung down along with his right arm. She smiled and then began to speak once more.

"Now just relax, set your mind on a set period in your life. The happiest time that either has or hasn't come and now envision yourself there. Connect with yourself and remember what it is you wish to accomplish, that'll help you manifest your weapon." Xenthos took a deep breath and began to relax, he thought back to a time. A peaceful time, he heard birds chirping and wind whistling..the air smelt of lavender and various other bits of greenery. It smelt as fresh as it could get, Xenthos opened his eyes and looked around now being in a village.

"Of course, I chose this time." Xenthos would look around and see a handful of children running around, they were playing and while following behind a young man. The sun shining in this small hidden village, the man was very happy as were the kids. Black Crystal village, home. He looked around and then checked himself out, he was here. No doubt about it, he took a deep breath as he walked onward and followed the man and the kids. The kids were playing around with wooden swords and weaponry, the man watching them. He took a seat next to the man and watched the kids as the man looked at him, he'd say nothing to Xenthos and Xenthos would say nothing back.

"......."

"......" Both men held their silence until Xenthos spoke.

"When times were so much easier, now everything is hell." Xenthos sighed, he would look at the kids who came running back. The man smiled as the kids came back over, they didn't seem to notice Xenthos...or at least two out of the three didn't. Xenthos looked at the boy and the boy's eyes locked with him, his eyes began to glow blue and the boy's eyes gained the same glow. The man didn't say anything as the two stared at one another.

"What do you all want to be when you grow up?"

"Flashy! I want to be a slayer remembered for finishing off demons with bright attacks!" The Girl smiled as she held her slingshot, she grinned and the man nodded.

"What about you young one?"

A boy stood nearby as he held a sword, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"I-I Want to be kind when I grow up, I want to be a hero to everyone!"

"Very admirable, what about you?" He asked the last one, however the boy didn't say a word. He kept staring at Xenthos and Xenthos stared at him, both seemed locked in a gaze neither could break.

"Kid?"

"Hey are you okay?"

"Xen-Xen?"

"Xenthos. Are you alright?"

"I want to be strong, I want to become the embodiment of strength. To purge demons from this world with my own two fists." Xenthos of the past and present spoke together, Xenthos began to glow and he panicked a bit.

"Wait...wait..was this-" PHSOOOW! Xenthos appeared back in the desert, the sun had gone down. He heard the sound of a blade clashing against something, he stood up and began to sprint toward the sound. Upon closing in he saw Utsukushī fighting against some reptilian creatures that resembled giant crocodiles, there were three of them and they were all attacking her frantically snarling and trying to bite her. However she was much too fast for them, her blade breaking through their armored bodies though she was unable to kill any due to their constant assaults. Xenthos rushed in to help but as soon as he closed the distance another one burst from the sand and descended upon him. Xenthos grinned at it.

"I want to become the embodiment of strength." The last words he heard from his younger self.

With a fierce punch Xenthos completely destroyed his right gauntlet, he clenched his left hand tight and then thrusted it toward the ground, a burst of blue energy erupting and launching the demon into the sky. He leaped into the air raising his left hand, his gauntlet broke and he rocketed down punching the beast slamming it into the ground. Zipping down he cocked his arm back punching the demon and launching it into the other three sending them all flying. The shockwave was so sudden and intense Utsukushī was launched through the air, using the demons she stabilized herself by jumping off all four of them, launching herself down to Xenthos and sliding to a stop.

"So this is the power of self investment?"

"Something like that, seems your inner weapon was of no change. Your body seems to be your greatest weapon."

"Enough talking, we'll chat as much as you want after we kill them all!" Xenthos and Utsukushī both began sprinting at the demons leaping at the large monsters and attacking. By the end of it, they were sitting on a pile of the demons, Xenthos sat there watching Utsukushī as she began to slice off bits and pieces of the various demons they slaughtered.

"What the hell are you doing??"

"Zaibatsu's ingredients, he always calls out for new ones from fiends. It's a way to make side currency, the issue is the gathering especially because demons become tougher in death due to their residue build up." Utsukushī sighs as she then cuts open one of the various demons.

"What can I do??"

"Just tear them open for me, I'll remove their edible organs accordingly." At Utsukushī's request Xenthos began to tear open demons, at first it was tough but the more he finished the easier it became. Finishing the harvest the pair began to return to Valentina Village.