Difference between revisions of "Beyond the Gods - The Strongest Hinokami"

Revision as of 18:58, 30 August 2023

The Thirteenth Hinokami

I watched the last offering go up in flames in the shrine at Arii.

"Rest in peace, all of you," I muttered, as I turned my back at the keepsakes that I had given to Squad Four.

My second family, that I had lost.

I made my way across the town, gazing at the distance.

"Hey! Old Man Yeling! Hello? Are you listening?" A girl's voice called out to me.

My gaze darted around passively, as my subconsciousness created an image of a young high schooler with unique purple hair who was waving, trying to get my attention.

"What are you spacing out for?" Shia pouted, crossing her arms.

"We're supposed to be picking out groceries for tonight, you wanted to eat curry, right? I can't make curry with only rice you know!"

I slowly raised my hand to the hallucination of Shia Megumi, one of my closest friends, only for her to disappear in the blink of an eye.

The image of my friend was replaced by another girl who was calling out to her boyfriend, as he rushed to her location.

The girl began scolding him for taking too long at a nearby shop and that they would be late for the coach.

I ignored the stabbing sensation that was welling up in my chest.

Forget her, Yeling. Forget them all.

They're all gone.

You need to forget about them.

This is your life. You're not someone who belongs anywhere anymore.

This is what it means to be liberated.

I continued walking down the trail until I reached a spot in the corner, the Shadows were huddled around, concealing a Mercedes-AMG sports car.

I was about to open the door but hesitated.

Last Son? Are you not returning to Lady Harriet's residence? The Shadows whispered in my head.

"No... there's something I need to do. Give me a few minutes."

Very well.

I turned around, following a wispy blue trail up a hill.

As I continued walking, the more my body was telling me to stay away, as if the Hinokami inside me was instinctively telling me to run away.

But there's no outrunning her. She wanted to talk. If she wanted to, she could slaughter me instantly as I was now.

I needed to play it safe.

I continued walking up the hill, the sounds of the village echoing like a drone in the background.

Until I reached the top, to see a ghostly blue apparition of a woman sitting on a bench.

She looked exactly like Anna, but I knew it couldn't possibly be her.

She manifested in the form I would expect: someone who would fill me with hope.

"First it was Loyce, now it's you. I don't understand what the point is for two of the Black Legion's biggest enemies to try and do a one-on-one when we're going to end up slaughtering each other in the end," I said to the apparition.

Vala smiled, turning around and resting her chin on her hand.

"Do not misunderstand my intentions, Hinokami. I wish to destroy you as much as I say. However, you are vital in Demon Lord Loyce's personal agenda. And with me being incomplete, I must rely on his intervention as my Vessels have yet to acquire the reasonable strength in bringing about my revival."

This was bad.

Vala had now manifested to the point where she could take physical form.

"Why are you here, then?" I asked, cautiously.

Vala tilted her head.

"You have gotten far stronger. Mahyako's blood runs prominently in your veins, much more than your sister's."

A surge of rage flooded my chest.

"Are you gonna attack me like you did with Hakah?"

"No. That fight against your sister and Outer Shadow Dainsleif was simply to gauge the strength of the enemy. As it stands, Loyce alone will be enough to crush you all. My intervention was never needed."

Vala spread her hands.

"After all, my purest nature is not to harm. I am Hope. To hurt others would go against what I stand for."

What you stood for?

The "hope" you stood for caused the divide between people who were blessed by things they didn't deserve and true, kind people to be punished to the point where they gave up, and became the scum that society despised.

I kept this to myself, but there was no hiding what I felt in front of someone like Vala.

"You believe you stand for something complex, but in reality, what you stand for is very simple. Your psychology is very simple, Yeling. In the end, you want to be accepted. Am I wrong?" Vala asked.

I made a fist.

Don't tell me...

Don't you dare tell me what I want and what I...

Vala's smile dripped with vile sympathy.

"My dearest Yeling. I want to see you destroyed. But that's the thing... as a Spirit of Hope, I don't need to worry,"

Level 1 Hinokami

Don't let your emotions overwhelm you... Yeling!

This isn't like any enemy you've faced before!

"There's no need to try and fight someone..."

Inverse

Don't do it!

"...who's already destroying himself..."

I lifted my hand at the ghostly figure of Anna.

Tsunami Rele-

"After all," Vala whispered in my ear, as my eye went wide in shock.

Vala had suddenly disappeared from my line of sight, appearing behind me.

"You were always correct, Yeling. My greatest enemy has always been one who stands opposite to Hope. Opposite to kindness. Opposite to warmth. But what can you do? When you yourself are burdened with insurmountable levels of depression, loneliness, trauma, and jealousy? Twenty-six years old and counting, you've never been loved by a woman. Every group of friends you've ever made abandoned you. And as you fall deeper and deeper into that hole of yours, the more society and everybody condemns your pain. You cannot do ANYTHING."

"VALA!!!" I roared, spinning around in a feral rage, my hand inches away from incinerating a young African American teenager.

"DUDE!" Auxiliary Shadow Hellsing yelped, stumbling back.

I breathed heavily, my eye still wide in rage.

My ragged breaths were akin to a cornered animal, my stance and body language.

This world...

Everybody will die.

Everybody will die... they will all die! I'll kill them all! I'll-

PAT.

I felt a hand against my shoulder.

"Bro, you good man?"

I blinked, my rage suddenly subsiding. The horns on my head retracted back into my skull, and the rage that was overwhelming me, slowly transformed me into my Anarchy Form faded away.

"B- Bryce... what are you... where's Vala?" I clutched my head.

Bryce looked at me, confused.

"Vala? Dude, did that fight against Grond knock out a few brain cells or something? You were talking to yourself the entire time."

"What..."

I took another deep breath, ignoring the pain in my chest.

Twenty-six years old and counting, huh...

Ever since Loyce had transplanted Shenlong's Celestial Dragon physiology in my body, I felt myself being able to do things I never thought I could do. My strength and physical prowess increased substantially.

But if only being a god could have made me lose my hormones.

Because I really... truly... can't stand what I was feeling.

"Bryce, why are you here?" I asked.

"Well... see here, Sarah and Aaron went to go look for Siggie in Master Jun's world. So ion got nothin' to do other than to check up on Shiki. Figured since you're waitin' on Vicki to recover you could help me out."

"Hmm..."

I couldn't say I was really looking forward to dealing with this idiot's shenanigans.

I already had to deal with Aaron's goofball personality, and the number of times the moron had forced me into a non-consensual hug was more times than I wanted.

I heard Bryce Jackson Jones was even more of a loose cannon than his dolt of a boss.

"Hey. Why do you look like you're staring at a piece of trash right now," Bryce grumbled.

"I'm not."

"Yo eyes could have fooled me."

"Eye," I corrected him, lifting up the hair on my right side and showing him my empty socket.

Bryce flinched.

"JEEZU- I mean, I knew that. Yeah. I ain't scared. We don't get scared in the hood. Nah."

"Yeah, sure," I smirked.

Maybe hanging out with Bryce and dealing with the whole Shiki situation was a nice change of pace.

Anything had to be better than wallowing.

"Come. Just show me the way," I beckoned Bryce to the car, as Bryce made a squeaking sound.

"AYO... this yo ride?! That a MERCEDES?!"

"Yeah, why?"

"That shit is hella expensive, dude!"

"You drive an SRT Hellcat, you moron!"

"Yeah, but a Mercedes?! Bruh you stacked. What do you do for a livin' outside Auxiliary Shadow business? You a doctor or sum shit?"

I sighed, sitting in the driver's seat.

"Yeah, just because I'm Asian means I'm a doctor. And what? You stole your Hellcat?"

Bryce choked.

"The hell you just say?! That's rac-"

"So it's okay for you to mock me for being Asian but it's not okay for me to mock you for being Black."

Bryce turned to the side, pouting. I resisted the urge to smile.

Maybe being with Bryce wasn't such a bad idea.

We continued driving down the distance, as the Shadows began to warp us to another version of Earth. Shosuke Shiki's Earth. The sides of the car windows began to turn dark, and the interior lighting of the car illuminated our faces.

We were silent for a few minutes until Bryce piped up.

"By the way, isn't your name a girl's name?" Bryce asked.

I choked.

"Wha- What are you talking about?"

"Yeling. Ain't that a chick's name?"

"And how in the hell do you know that?"

Bryce puffed up his chest proudly.

"I'm into Asians."

"I'm not interested in guys."

"Not you, jackass! I meant I'm into Asian women. Or you know, women who look Asian. Like Sigur-"

Bryce suddenly paused, putting his hands to his mouth.

As if the cat wasn't already out of the bag.

I leaned back in my seat, looking out into the distance of the horizon. There was really nothing to do as the Shadows transported us. From what Aaron had told me, ever since Vala was regaining her essence, the Shadows were becoming weaker and weaker.

Which made moments like these that much more awkward.

I glanced at Bryce, who looked like he was about to explode from embarrassment.

"My name is a unisex name. Guys and girls can be named that way, but the name has been used for more girls than guys in Canaan. My parents thought I would be a girl before I was born," I said, breaking the silence.

Bryce glanced at me.

"Oh, I see."

More silence.

Great.

I was never really the social type anyway.

And Bryce always seemed to be the more vocal of Aaron's gang. It was only natural for things to be awkward between us.

"You know, Bryce is a Scottish name?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Ye. My ma's Scottish. My pop is African American. So I'm a mix. I just take after my pop a lot in appearances. 'Cept for the eyes."

Bryce winked at me, causing me to recoil in disgust.

But focusing in detail at his eyes...

They were...

"Green eyes?" I asked.

"Yeah. I got bullied a lot for it. Back in school, my classmates would always call me 'Sweet-ass Scotty'. Because I was technically half white and, at least in my version of America, we as minorities are kinda jaded."

I looked at Bryce.

I never expected... him to experience something like that. Bryce also struck me as someone who was very talkative and liked by everyone.

I guess... everyone had their own demons.

We finally arrived at the spot, only the place... wasn't exactly...

"This isn't a village," I remarked.

The entire place looked heavily modernized, just like my version of Japan. Cities and buildings that reached the skies.

And above all else...

"MAIDS! MAIDS EVERYWHERE! YELING!" Bryce screamed, jumping up and down.

Of course.

"Bryce, we need to locate Shiki's village. We don't have time for-"

"What would you like to have on the menu, Master?" A high-pitched woman's voice said from the corner of my vision.

"I'd like you, miss," Bryce replied.

"Oh jeez! You!"

What the hell was this idiot doing?!

I dragged the next heir to Count Dracula by the collar after he had finished paying the bill for the maid cafe.

"Stop! Hey! I'm not done enjoying this!"

"You've enjoyed plenty!"

"Let me at least try going to a love hotel next!"

"With who?!"

"I'll find someone."

"Like hell, you will. I heard you've been single your whole life," I grumbled.

Bryce stared at me, his face betrayed.

"Who told you that? Did Aaron tell you that?! That little SNITCH!"

I let go of Bryce, as he got to his feet.

"I'll find a girl, just you wait. I'mma lose my V-card I swear on MA LIFE."

My hand clenched into a fist.

"Do you really believe that?" I whispered, turning around and walking in the other direction.

"If you're looking for a girl, I can fill in the role," A girl's voice said behind us.

Bryce spun around like an animal.

"For real?!"

I smacked the Auxiliary Shadow over the head.

"You can't be serious!" I snapped.

Bryce clasped his hands together like a prayer.

"Come onnnnn, gimme a chance to lose my v-card man! I'm touch starved!"

That shouldn't even be something to say out loud.

Bryce turned back to the girl, who was wearing a kimono and had her hair braided back. She looked like she was in her early twenties.

"So, missy, what's yo name?" Bryce asked.

I resisted the urge to incinerate this vampiric idiot on the spot.

The girl blinked, causing me to narrow my eyes.

Well.

My eye.

"My... name...?" The girl whispered under her breath.

"Yeah, what's yo name shorty?" Bryce asked.

Something felt off.

"Hey, do you happen to know Bryce by any chance?" I asked.

The girl quickly shook her head.

"N- No! No... S- Sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else. I'm sorry."

"Say what?!" Bryce squeaked, stepping forward until his face was inches from the girl's.

"You was gonna go to the love hotel with me now you wimpin' out? You're not scared of black guys are you?"

...

What the hell did race have to do with this?

"Bryce, that's enough. She doesn't want to do it with you, respect her boundaries," I yanked Bryce away from the girl, who looked like she was about to cry.

The girl began running off into the distance, and I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a patterned bow that tied her hair back.

It sort of reminded me of Hakah's earpieces. Maybe I should buy her something while I was still here.

I shook my head vigorously.

Focus, Yeling.

We need to find Shiki.

I put my hands into my pockets, walking in the direction of a village with a depressed Auxiliary Shadow Hellsing behind me.

"Stop wallowing you idiot. The mission was to check up on the Devil Monk not get laid," I scolded him.

"My once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... in shambles bruh!!!!"

"Besides," I glanced at Bryce.

"Aren't you gonna save your first time with Sigurd?"

Bryce blinked.

"Wha-"

I smirked.

"So all that talk about getting it on with girls, but the moment I mention your crush you start stumbling all over your words. How adorable."

"AYO! DON'T CALL ME ADORABLE! I'm a hard baller, ya hear?"

"Yeah yeah. I hear I hear."

We finally reached the doors of a dojo and knocked on the door.

"Hello? Anyone home? It's Auxiliary Shadows Tidalflame and Hellsing!" I shouted.

"Intention?" A voice answered back.

"We're here to check up on Outer Shadow Devil Monk."

I heard the ruffling of sounds.

"Huh. You would have thought they would be more welcoming to us colleagues at work," Bryce muttered.

That ruffling...

No.

"Bryce! Get dow-"

SWISH SWING.

Bryce yelped, as I shoved him out of the way and deflected a katana strike with Tatsu, blue sparks from my Hinokami enhanced blade illuminating the garden of the dojo.

"What the hell?!" Bryce complained as I coursed the Fire God through my veins.

Level 2 Intangibility - Hellfire Embrace

I spun mid-air, unleashing a wave of blue flames which caused the attacker to retreat.

"Yeah. It's him." The hooded figure whispered into his coms unit.

"That's Loyce's Auxiliary Shadow. Calling for backup."

Backup?

Did these guys not know that I had defected from Loyce along with Vicki?

"You came here to attack us, didn't you? We're not afraid!" A man wearing a visor shouted, powering up.

A beam shot from his mask, but I had already anticipated it, appearing behind him.

"What the, he predicted my attack!" The Visor yelped.

"Of course, I've worked with someone who had powers similar to yours," I replied, raising Tatsu, but before I could do anything, a large hand appeared from a dark puddle on the ground.

"Wha-" I exclaimed when suddenly, Bryce appeared behind me, stopping the strike with his bat. Red electricity arced across his body as his fangs began to elongate. His red aura and my flames turned the dojo purple.

"Yo! Visor! Oni Emperor, it's me! Bryce Jones! He's on our side homies!" Bryce seethed.

You came to transpire with a Shadow of Inner Shadow Empire. Your transgressions shall be answered through death! A demonic voice rumbled all around us.

"Stop the cap, you old man! You just here cuz you think we comin' after Tokiko! Well, we ain't!" Bryce growled, swinging his bat and disintegrating the arm, causing the voice to growl in agony.

The two of us landed on the ground, narrowly dodging a katana swipe from the hooded figure.

"Bryce, you know these guys?" I asked.

Bryce positioned his bat, and his green eyes turned red.

"These three are Auxiliary Shadows to Outer Shadow Dagrun. Aux Shadows Visor, Oni Emperor, and Iaian. We gotta clear up this misunderstanding," Bryce replied.

Visor glared at us, his mask glowing with energy again, but I deflected the strike with Tatsu and raised my hand.

Level 1 Hinokami - 2% Inverse Tsunami Release

"YELING! DIDN'T YOU JUST HEAR A SINGLE WORD I JUS' SAID?!" Bryce screamed.

"Yeah. But sometimes, we just gotta use force to make em' listen."

"What kinda advice is that?! Bossman was right! You a straight-up arsonist!"

I fired the blast, which was sliced in half by Iaian but with great difficulty.

Iaian's katana melted into a puddle of goo.

We were in control of this fight.

A SS Rank and a S+ Rank, we were about as powerful as it was. I alone should be more than enough to take-

SWOOSH.

"What the-" I gasped, clutching my side. I took a step back, suddenly feeling extremely cold.

Bryce turned around to see a man in a dark blue yukata stand between us, his foot cocked back, which launched Hellsing away.

The man then spun back to me and tried the same thing, but I raised Tatsu.

Rain Style Kenjutsu - Form 1: Surface Slash

Green rainwater swirled around the blade, slashing at the man point blank, but to my disbelief, the attacker leaned back, dodging the slash with incredible dexterity, and aimed his fist right at my face.

I instinctively went Intangible, a blast of wind completely decimating my head.

I materialized through the opponent and took a step back.

That technique... those movements...

Everything was calculated.

Almost like everything was set up for another-

SWIFF

The man appeared in my vicinity again, this time in my blind spot.

Shit!

I didn't even have time to exit my Intangibility!

Another punch ripped my wispy form again, smashing and leveling an entire field of trees.

All the kinetic energy was directed at my fire avatar... but to have the residual shockwaves do this much damage...

This had to be-

I took another step back.

One Strike Kill.

"SHIKI YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Bryce growled, red electricity booming from his body.

"Perfect matchup, bitch! I'm all fired up!"

Bryce shot forward, as Shiki materialized away with that same blinding speed.

I watched as The Devil Monk's fist connected with Bryce's face right away, causing his eyes to roll into the back of his head, but Bryce hung on, clutching against Shosuke's wrist and shedding blood.

The blood began entering his mouth, making his red aura glow more violently.

Shiki seethed, twisting and turning out of Bryce's hold with unparalleled fluidity, then launched another punch that caught Bryce square in the head, smashing him into the ground and leveling it.

Shiki raised his fist again, as I shot forward, but Shiki didn't flinch at all.

As if he knew I wasn't gonna make it.

KABOOM.

I yelled in pain, my eye enlarged as I stared at my side.

A red patch had formed.

"What-" I smashed into the ground, clutching my side in agony.

No way...

That hit he had landed earlier... that chill...

It was a delayed response!

Shiki swung his fist again against Bryce's face, but suddenly, the Devil Monk recoiled, his body wracked in pain.

"Ya like that, don't cha'. Eh. Shiki?!" Bryce snarled, getting to his feet. Blood poured from his head, but a violent grin plastered his face.

"I call it the Blood Link. Hit me all ya want. The damage gets split in two. I take half, you take half. You can't take hits can ya? Yo little frail ass body!"

Shiki limped back, bracing himself again for another punch.

"Ya got better fighting skills than anyone in The Black Legion. But yo durability is weak as shit!" Bryce chuckled, putting his bat against his shoulder.

"Aight. Fun's over. We gotta talk, homie. Yeling ain't on Loyce's side no more so-"

"No. You traitor. You die. Shi-ne!"

"The hell you on about?! Just listen to me, dude!"

No. Oni Emperor grumbled, towering over the dojo and glowering at the two of us.

We cannot take that risk. My daughter... I cannot risk anything else.

"That's right. Loyce's Shadows have destroyed the Black Legion beyond repair! We're all on our own now! We can't take any risks, Bryce. You just being with the Tidalflame is already bad enough news!" Visor shouted, appearing by the Emperor's shoulder.

"As long as Tidalflame is here, we can't let anyone near our Lady!" Iaian said.

Shiki raised his fist at me.

My blood began to boil.

"I'm not with Loyce... did Aaron not tell you idiots nothing?"

The Shadows maintained their hostility. Vala's words began resonating even stronger.

Every group of friends you've ever made abandoned you. And as you fall deeper and deeper into that hole of yours, the more society and everybody condemns your pain.

No...

"You can't be serious... I can't believe it..."

I've been shunned again.

Rage began coursing through my body, my aura growing more violent.

"Wa- Wait, Yeling! Lemme talk to them! Don't do anything drastic man!" Bryce pleaded, but we were far beyond bargaining.

"SHUT UP!" I roared, the flames causing everybody to recoil.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two - COBALT ASSIMILATION

A horn sprouted from my head.

"I will show you just how powerful I am. You didn't listen to Bryce. Maybe you shouldn't need to listen again."

Visor blasted a beam right at me, but the beam instantly disintegrated from my flames.

"Did he just... incinerate light???"

Oni Emperor growled, launching a punch at me, but his fist melted on contact, causing him to roar in agony.

I turned to Shiki, who appeared in front of me, but his stance became weaker, and his breathing suffocated from the intense heat my Stage Two was emitting.

I raised my hand in front of The Devil Monk.

Level 1 Hinokami: Demon's Prison

Shiki became trapped in a blue and purple fireball, suffocating and retching for air.

"I'll kill... I'll kill..."

"Yeling, stop!" Bryce shouted at me, but the voices began to fade away.

I'm never allowed anything.

Never.

And as you fall deeper and deeper into that hole of yours, the more society and everybody condemns your pain. You cannot do ANYTHING.

If I'm not allowed anything.

If even living is considered a sin...

Then no one is allowed to live anymore.