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Oh My Goddess (Thanatos and I)

Fancy_Brat

Pulsar
Joined
Jan 9, 2009
There is a tale of a great battle that occured in the land of Nippon, one between neighboring villages that were pretty much fed up with one another. One village, Kazemura, was rich in vegetation, while the other, Yukimura, was home to a famous blacksmith. Both villages were popular stops for food and weaponry alike, though there was always a great deal of tension between them. There were numerous occurences of assaults during exchanges between the two, and one day they had both had enough. Both villages had started to build up forces against one another, looking to take absolute control over the other. With a blacksmith and his apprentices in Yukimura, weapons were much more available, thus leading to a larger force. Seeing as they had a very slim chance of winning, the inhabitants of Kazemura had turned their hopes to the heavens. There was said to be a guaridan diety in a deep slumber, and their prayers were enough to awaken her. Fueled by their belief, the goddess had gone to battle, single-handedly annihilating the opposing forces. With this, Yukimura was now under the control of its neighbor. A shrine was built in honor of the goddess that aided Kazemura, where it is said she still resides to this day...

Present day Nippon...

Since the great battle between Kazemura and Yukimura, there had been a significant drop in assaults. There are still many residents in Yukimura who are outraged that they are to be controlled, but their actions are restrained, in fear that this goddess may come and wipe them out.

The village of Kazemura was just as lively as ever, having many people traveling in and out to get their hands on fresh fruits, vegetables, and other nessecities. The shrine had been built a little outside the village in a small remote area. A long path leads up to it, and many people still go to pay their respects. A giant lock had been placed around the doors of the shrine, with only the holy men of the village holding the key. They claim to enter inside every now and then to be in the presence of their guardian, though she has yet to be seen by the other villagers. At this time of the day, everyone was too busy manging their booths or carrying out their daily routines, so the area around the shrine was empty. It was truly a great place for meditation, as the sounds of the village could not reach here. There is always a gentle breeze blowing through the area, sending a few leaves scattering across the stone floor. The inside of the shrine was still a mystery to the other villagers, as they were not allowed inside of course. Another breeze washed through the area, carrying with it the faintest hint of a voice.

"Someone..."
 
Fancy_Brat said:
There is a tale of a great battle that occured in the land of Nippon, one between neighboring villages that were pretty much fed up with one another. One village, Kazemura, was rich in vegetation, while the other, Yukimura, was home to a famous blacksmith. Both villages were popular stops for food and weaponry alike, though there was always a great deal of tension between them. There were numerous occurences of assaults during exchanges between the two, and one day they had both had enough. Both villages had started to build up forces against one another, looking to take absolute control over the other. With a blacksmith and his apprentices in Yukimura, weapons were much more available, thus leading to a larger force. Seeing as they had a very slim chance of winning, the inhabitants of Kazemura had turned their hopes to the heavens. There was said to be a guaridan diety in a deep slumber, and their prayers were enough to awaken her. Fueled by their belief, the goddess had gone to battle, single-handedly annihilating the opposing forces. With this, Yukimura was now under the control of its neighbor. A shrine was built in honor of the goddess that aided Kazemura, where it is said she still resides to this day...

Present day Nippon...

Since the great battle between Kazemura and Yukimura, there had been a significant drop in assaults. There are still many residents in Yukimura who are outraged that they are to be controlled, but their actions are restrained, in fear that this goddess may come and wipe them out.

The village of Kazemura was just as lively as ever, having many people traveling in and out to get their hands on fresh fruits, vegetables, and other nessecities. The shrine had been built a little outside the village in a small remote area. A long path leads up to it, and many people still go to pay their respects. A giant lock had been placed around the doors of the shrine, with only the holy men of the village holding the key. They claim to enter inside every now and then to be in the presence of their guardian, though she has yet to be seen by the other villagers. At this time of the day, everyone was too busy manging their booths or carrying out their daily routines, so the area around the shrine was empty. It was truly a great place for meditation, as the sounds of the village could not reach here. There is always a gentle breeze blowing through the area, sending a few leaves scattering across the stone floor. The inside of the shrine was still a mystery to the other villagers, as they were not allowed inside of course. Another breeze washed through the area, carrying with it the faintest hint of a voice.

"Someone..."

Nijo Minamiyori was no stranger to the legends. The stories he was told as a child when he asked where his daddy had gone off too. They always came back with the same thing, the Goddess had taken him to a better place.

Even back then something felt off about that story, something he couldn't quite put his finger on, his Father from what he had heard before was the villagers greatest warrior, something young Nijo had shown quite exceptional skill at himself. Though we're getting sidetracked. Nijo's father had been the best, why would the Goddess want to remove him from this earth in such a manner.

Having grown up in the village of Yukimura, he had been dealing with blades and other crafts of a blacksmith's forge for as long as he could remember. Gaining his first apprenticeship at a young young age with a swordsmith, he had loved it, every single moment of it. From that young age until present day, he had worked for that Master Swordsmith, practicing the art of folding the blade, the rites and ceremonies that went into crafting a Katana, it was no mean feat! It took quite a bit of study and work to even get that wave along the edge of the blade. Though not only did he spend his time making these artful blades, the other parts of his time were spent training both hand to hand as well as utilizing the finished product of his craft.

Slowly but surely people amongst the town began to whisper, that young Nijo, was following in his father's footsteps, those spoke these words with awe and fear. Awe to have a hero amongst them again, fear for the last time they had such a powerful warrior, half the men of their village were slain by the Goddess. The lie they told Nijo was to stop him from just charging off.

That is until one day, when his mother had let it slip, he had found her crying in front of an alter, today was the anniversary of his death, when he asked her why she seemed so upset, his mother finally broke down and told him the truth. It felt like his whole world was crashing in, everything he knew was a lie, his father wasn't taken from this earth like it was a great boon. He was killed by her with half of the men of this village. He kissed his mother goodbye, and her cries renewed thinking she was about to lose a son as well. Turning at the door after collecting his supplies, he would pull that mask half up his face. "Do not cry for me, I will come back."

His blood was singing for vengeance, and it was everything he had not to sprint straight to that temple. Though no, he slowly let his thoughts gather, as he walked the long path thinking about what he was going to do. The Goddess was a myth, wasn't she. The holy men claimed to have seen her but there is no way she could have come to life to destroy his father's assault. There had to be another way, he was determined to find out the answer.

Arriving at the temple, looking at the quaint little set up, how quiet and peaceful it seemed here. Moving down the path, he would drop to his knees, blade held out before him, still in its scabbard. Bowing his head. "Goddess, listen to me. I am Nijo Minamiyori, son of Kiato Minamiyori. I have heard of your treachery and seek a vengeance only your defeat can sate. To take from these people who believe in you, what you have taken from me so long ago."
 
The second Nijo had set foot in Kazemura, the villagers could tell that there was something different about him compared to the other travelers. His presence alone was enough to send shivers throughout their body. He seemed to demand respect and acknowledgement, which wasn't too hard for him to get here. Nobody had said anything though, not looking to question this individual. And because of how busy they were, he found himself at the shrine alone.

"Someone...is here."

The wind seemed to pick up in the area, though not to a dangerous level. It was still nothing more than a breeze. Perhaps Nijo had sensed it, but it was as though someone were watching him since he arrived, though there was nobody following him there. However, when he arrived the air seemed a little heavy. Was it because he was in the presence of a goddess? He had convinced himself that this goddess was a myth however.

"Nijo Minamiyori..." A faint voice resonated in the area, and he would be able to hear it if he paid close enough attention. "Nijo Minamiyori...son of Kaito Minamiyori, why have you come here? What is it you seek to gain?" The voice was much clearer this time around. It sounded very much like a woman's voice, sincere and gentle. "There is a heavy burden you carry is there not? Why does one unconvinced of a divine being come seeking the company of one?" Perhaps this was the goddess of the legend? It may have been a woman's voice, but she still had yet to reveal herself to him. "Tell me young one...do you truly wish to go against the heavens in order to carry out your desires? The death of an individual is bitter, with vengeance being even more so." the voice had ceased, as though thinking of what to say next. "Your scent is familiar. You carry the same scent of that man, the man whom you call Kaito Minamiyori. He had brought about his own fate, leading him to die at my hands. If you are here solely to carry out vengeance, I would advise you to return from where you came. If you still insist on meeting me in battle, I will not hesitate to strike you down, as I did your father before you."
 
The air was oppressive, not the heat in the air, nor the humidity. It was a presence he felt throughout his entire being, as if something was weighing down on him. Ignoring the effects it was when he heard the voice. No hearing it wasn't the correct term. It was as if the voice was inside his head, that caused him to jerk his head up as if suffering a physical blow. Eyes wide for just a moment, before narrowing.

"...So you do exist...."

Now granted to anyone watching it would be a little odd, to see the young man kneeling in the center before the shrine. Talking to himself, but he could care less. Let them watch, for on this day he would strike the very Goddess of legend down. Rising to his feet, attention directed at the shrine itself.

"Enough of your parlor tricks, show yourself.."

Though when that definite feminine voice continued, he gripped the hilt of that blade in a white knuckled grip. Teeth clenched. "You do not even deserve the right to speak his name. Step forth and I will do what my father attempted so many years ago." Unleashing that blade from its black lacquered scabbard the sunlight glinting off that folded steel. The blade itself inscribed with runes based from his own study. A weapon able to cut the flesh of the Gods. Suitable for the work at hand.

"One last time, come and let me show these people how it was a fluke you won that day."
 
It certainly was an odd sight. What made the situation even more strange was that she had not spoken to anyone else aside from the holy men that had come every now and then. Why then was she speaking to this young man, who had come for the sole purpose of defeating her? It was not as though she had to live up to her legend, and she knew that by killing him, it wouldn't really prove anything. Whatever her reasons were, she did choose to make her presence known to him today. "I can see that you have no desire to leave. Very well, I shall accept your challenge." The wind seemed to pick up just a bit more after she spoke, rattling the chains blocking the door. The lock seemed to open up by itself, letting the chains fall to the sides. The doors slowly swung open, and the sound of footsteps could be heard, much like wooden sandals. "Forgive me...I did not wish to offend you..."

The figure standing at the door to the shrine would probably catch him off guard as she made herself known to him. She took on the appearance of a woman in her mid-twenties, with long silver hair that seemed to shine brilliantly in the sunlight. Her eyes were a mysterious gold to compliment her hair. Nijo might have also been able to notice her other unique attributes: a pair of large wolf-like ears on her head and a bushy wolf tail. Aside from her remarkable appearance, she was dressed simple, much like a shrine maiden would be. At her waist was a long katana, still in its sheath, which bore the mark of a wolf srrounded by the calm wind. She was emotionless however, simply staring straight into Nijo's own eyes. She was able to captivate with her looks, though her presence was extraordinary, as if trying to strike fear into him with her gaze. She slowly approached him, stopping a few feet before him. "I am expecting great things from you young warrior. I hope that your efforts are not in vain, otherwise I will simply eliminate you." She gave him a slight bow before stepping back a few steps. She quickly remove the blade from its sheath, holding it in front of her. It was a truly beautiful blade, one blacksmiths alike could only dream of making. It seemed sharp enough to cut through the air itself, and while it seemed heavy for someone like her, she held it with relative ease. "We will start at your ready."
 
Finally. He took a moment to stand on one leg, then another, rolling his head around in a circle followed by a rolling of his shoulders. Limbering up, as that blade came up at a slight angle, holding it in a two handed grip. Watching as the locks disengaged and fell to the ground with the chains. Expecting the attack to come out of nowhere, the look of the Goddess though took him by surprise.

A narrowing of his gaze as he saw her step from the shrine, the form she had decided to take was captivating. Though he pushed any of those thoughts from his mind. This was about the here and now, the coming battle. Raising the blade just so, his own sword flashing in the light of the sun.

"I hope you are prepared....for years you have made that shrine your home, by now your skills should be as weak as the peoples faith in you." Oh yes, he was bringing into question both of the villages faith in this Goddess.

Stepping forward on quick feet, blade would drop down to his right side, still in that one handed grip, closing the distance to her in mere seconds, bringing all his training to the forefront as he readied his attack. A fierce upward angled slash from bottom left to top right.
 
The goddess allowed him as much time as he desired to warm up, patiently standing there prepared for battle. It was true that it had been a long time since that war when her abilities were at their highest. Since then, belief in her had dwindled a little, mainly due to the peace. Still, most of the villagers had faith in her, and that was enough for her. As far as she was concerned, she still had more power than any human could muster, and she didn't take his comment personally. In fact, she remained calm and stoic. "It is true that I have resided here since then, but I will show you what the power of my peoples' faith is capable of." She shifted her feet just a little bit, gripping the blade tightly in both hands. She probably was a bit rusty after not having to battle for so long, and he had to have been training day and night for this day. As he charged at her, she remained in place, bracing herself for him. Once he had come in close she took a quick step back, swinging her blade down against his in order to deflect his attack. Due to her unnatural strength, the contact may have been enough to make him stagger if he didn't catch himself. She quickly rushed at him, coming in low to swing at his waist.
 
Fancy_Brat said:
The goddess allowed him as much time as he desired to warm up, patiently standing there prepared for battle. It was true that it had been a long time since that war when her abilities were at their highest. Since then, belief in her had dwindled a little, mainly due to the peace. Still, most of the villagers had faith in her, and that was enough for her. As far as she was concerned, she still had more power than any human could muster, and she didn't take his comment personally. In fact, she remained calm and stoic. "It is true that I have resided here since then, but I will show you what the power of my peoples' faith is capable of." She shifted her feet just a little bit, gripping the blade tightly in both hands. She probably was a bit rusty after not having to battle for so long, and he had to have been training day and night for this day. As he charged at her, she remained in place, bracing herself for him. Once he had come in close she took a quick step back, swinging her blade down against his in order to deflect his attack. Due to her unnatural strength, the contact may have been enough to make him stagger if he didn't catch himself. She quickly rushed at him, coming in low to swing at his waist.

He didn't know what to expect, since from the training dojo, to an actual fight it was the first few attacks that attempted to sum up your opponent. Were they an aggressive fighter, or more of a defensive one, did they waste their time with fanciful moves that were all form and little substance, or did they cut to the quick with no wasted movements. He was a former and a latter, all his movements were keyed for their exact purpose, granted it left people watching a less than spectacular show. But he didn't believe in wasting energy.

The attack staggered him, though his body running on instinct at the moment, lifted both his arms raising the blade to deflect her mid-level slash. As soon as her blade connected with his, he would come around with a high chop, pulling his blade at the last moment. Hoping this little feint would fool her, as the real attack came low with a sweeping kick.
 
As Nijo knew, they were trying to get a feel for each other's style, trying to read their opponent from the get-go. The goddess's movements were clearly very graceful, which seemed fitting for her. Of course, there was still a great deal of force behind her attacks. If he allowed her to gain too much momentum, she would put on quite a show, but it may have cost him his life to see such a performance. As her blade clashed with his, she prepared for his next move, lifting her blade up. Her eyes shifted to catch his sweep near the last second, with caught her from behind. She shifted her weight back, using the momentum of the fall to land on her back before quickly kicking back up. She lifted her blade once more, circling him. She didn't give him much time to rest as she rushed him again, swiping at his knees with her blade, quickly following up with a kick aimed at his side.
 
Her blade was knocked to the side staggering him once more and the kick to the ribs sent him sliding back but he stillretained his footing. A grimace at the strength put behind that kick, but what was he expecting she was a goddess afterall.

Though he didn't hesitate to throw himself back into the fray, changing up the grip on his weapon one hand on the hilt with the blade pointed out the bottom of his long hand he would leap his right shoulder toward her as he made his revolution in the air, that twist of the body aiding in the momentum of the blade as it swung in a downward slash his intended target? Her shoulder his intent to let that Goddess cutting blade to sever her arm at its joint
 
With the strength put into that kick, she may not have needed to fight with her sword, though tossing aside her sword would have her forfeit. She turned to face him again, seeing as he wasted no time in jumping into the action. She noted the change in his grip, not thinking much of it at the time. She intended to move away, though she was still caught in the shoulder a bit with the blade. Her beautiful face had distorted a little in pain as she examined the wound. No normal blade would be able to harm her like this. It was then that she noticed the numerous runes on his blade. Luckily for her, she was still able to use her arm. If she hadn't move, she probably would have had to give in already. "I'm amazed...for you to have such a blade in your possession. It's been far too long since I've felt pain like this." Being that her right arm was slightly in pain, she had switched her grip to favor her left arm. "Once more." She once again went at him, sending a quick slash at his torso. However, she had used this as a way of getting n close, putting a little more force behind that attack to try and get him to stagger again. From there, she went to strike at his arm as he had to her.
 
"Though I doubted your existance....I am no fool. There are countless texts that go over how to actually harm a God or Goddess....I was not taking any chances!" Said through gritted teeth, the kick took all of his skill to dodge though even that didn't seem to be enough as it still grazed him sending him to the side. Blade just manging to rise and turn her attack though it scored deep none the less

The less...blood pooling down his arm and he almost lost the grip of that blade. Taking a few steps back to take stock of the situation. Congratulations she stopped his quick counterattacks and put him on the defensive.
 
"Hmm, is that so?" she asked, preparing herself once more. She didn't show the faintest hint of fatigue, and she didn't seem to break a sweat either. The only notable feature would be her blood soaking into the maiden attire she wore. Normally, she would be able to heal her wounds right away, though the blade had been specially made to harm her as though she were mortal. "If there are that many texts with ways in which to harm me, you had best try to recall them all." With the ways things were going now, it certainly seemed as though she had the upper hand, so he needed to find a way to get at her quick. without giving him time to rest up, she made her move again, going for a relentless assault of swings at him. They were more or less easier to read, though they had a great deal of force behind them.
 
Well now she was going for broke it seemed sacrificing form for rapid response and power, each hit drove him back each defelection just a little too slow a hair to late. A thought flashed through his mind. That he would fail much like his father had before him.


"No..."
said through clenched teeth, as a second wind seemed to burst through his form, filling his veins with a new found vigor, the last powerful sweep was batted aside, or at least attmepted, and he took his first step forward since she started the attack, putting everything he had behind his sword strokes, though he couldn't match her speed with power, he was hoping to just go with speed alone attempts to snake that blade inside her guard and cause grazing wounds.
 
For a while, it seemed as though he would not put up any more of a fight. She was relentless in her attacks though, not allowing him to take a break. He had come to challenge her, and she was going to make him work hard for a victory. She had gotten her hopes up for nothing it seemed, or at leas that's what she thought. "Hmm?" She could have sworn she heard him muttering something. Almost instantly, her last swing was knocked aside, to her surprise. For once he seemed to catch her off guard, leaving her open for a moment. Seeing his attack approaching, she instinctively went to block it off with her blade. However, he had already gotten a few hits on her by then, namely on her arms and a bit of her left ear. It took her a while to catch the pattern in his attacks, managing to knock an attack aside and create some distance between them. Her expression held a faint sense of worry, but she was not out yet. She was surprised with his sudden barrage, and it got her injured even more. Yet even with her wounds she still managed to retain her beauty. "It seems you've finally got some inspiration to fight. Show me the strength of the Minamiyori." Again the wind seemed to pick up around them, almost as if creating a barrier of some sort to lock them both inside. She raised her blade once more, but she did not approach him. Instead, she brought the blade down with a mighty swing, seemingly slashing at nothing. However, Nijo would get a hint by the way the grass parted. If he didn't move out in time, he'd be in a great deal of pain, though he wouldn't get any physical wounds.
 
He had been so lost in the offensive, the fact that she had been falling back spurred him on even more as he pressed his attack. That blade a flurry, though with each swing of his blade his stamina was fading. Though he wouldn't let up...he couldn't. Drawing on reserves he didn't even know he had he pressed it further and further, unknown to him that wind picked up its pace. When she blocked his last attack and jumped back. Only to slash her sword at...nothing. He figured the battle was getting to her, perhaps something had happened to his vision, locked in a tunnel vision of his own rage, he didn't even see this attack for what it was as that mystical attack struck him full force. His grip on his blade loosening almost dropping it to the ground as he hit a knee. One hand to his chest as he gasped for breath, the pain wracking through his body was excruciating his nerves alight with a fire that seemed to cover his entire body.

Sounds of pain escaped through gritted teeth as he pulled himself upright, slowly rising to his feet once more. Still feeling the effects of that attack, but he couldn't quit now. A staggering step, then another, slowly his body was coming back to him, the pain pushed aside in his mind somewhat to allow him to function, as that sword came back to his side, his pace picked up closing the distance at a sprint another feint with the sword as if to attack high, though in all reality he dropped low, his shoulder down aiming for her midsection. A tackle as it were.
 
It was a truly interesting technique she used on rare occasions. As Nijo had just experienced, the pain was almost unbearable, though it would start to fade slowly. The real miracle about the technique was that it did not actually do bodily harm. In that time, she would normally go in for the kill. However, a demonstration wouldn't hurt, though for Nijo it did. She watched as he endured it, slowly staggering to his feet. She was surprised to see how quickly he had recovered. The pain was sure to be great still, though perhaps his determination had driven him. Slowly but surely he made his way towards her, and she expected a reckless assault with the way he was moving. As she expected, his swing high was quite easy to read, and she raised her blade to block. In turn, it left her completely open for him to take her to the ground. She let out a little grunt as she hit the ground, still holding onto her blade. Though it would be harder to use it effectively like this.
 
Straddled her body a knee on either side of her abdomen, as one hand rose up as if to strike her right in the face, just a good solid punch. Though he couldn't follow through, instead he backed up off of her and adopted a fighting stance once more. Blade held at the ready, though he would wait for her to make her next move, wondering just what other tricks she had up her sleeve, and if that intense pain he had felt earlier had caused any internal damage he just wasn't aware of.
 
The goddess had braced herself for a hit, seeing him raise up his arm as if to strike her with it. The blow never came, and instead he had gotten up off of her and gave her room before moving to a fighting stance. She slowly moved to her feet, brushing off a bit of dirt from the backside of her clothing. With another swing, she sent that invisible wave towards his legs. She was quick to pursue it, almost using it as a shield. Once she had gotten closer, she lept up over it, using the momentum of a front flip to bring her blade crashing down on him.
 
The wave he had just managed to avoid with a leap, with barely enough time to get that blade up in a sembelance of a defense from her skyward assault. Knocked to a knee, teeth clennched muscles in his body straining against her strength.

Slowly, he rose back up to his feet, fatigue running rampant through his body, as he could feel himself fading fast though he refused to let her win, for one he just didn't want her too, the second reason was simple....he had no idea what would happen to him if he lost. So with their blades locked looking eye to eye.

"Just yield."
 
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