"Angel is my name. Don't think you are anything too special. I heard that you know of a cursed spirit named Gabimaru who raised you. Answer me while I'm still being nice, where is it?" She responded, gripping the trumpet in her hands.
The memory of Gabimaru wasn't good in Kaneyori's head, making him stare at her eyes and propose, "If I tell you, can you get rid of this thing in my head. I can't think straight with it interrupting my thoughts."
"Fine..."
Waving her hand over his face, the centipede started to burn, which made Angel very curious, "I don't understand this creature. How can it survive my divine light? Is it... A real creature and not a shikigami? But how can a regular centipede be one meter long? Unless?!"
"Arthropleura, explode!" From the ground, a voice resounded.
Inside Kaneyori's head, the centipede in Kaneyori's skull began to ignite, causing a bright light to form in Kaneyori's eye.
Then, Kaneyori's life flashed before him with a boom!
Angel jumped back, but was still hit with the explosion. From the ground, Kiyotomo's mangled corpse vanished, reappearing at his complete form as he wiped the dust off his robe, "The Nakatomi Clan does indeed have a few techniques which can be used by me in desperate situations. It was good thing Yoshi kept them around this long."
A look of surprise washed over Angel's face as she asked, "How is it possible for you to possess so many techniques and master them beyond the original? I would say you are talented, if I didn't know about your history."
"Hey beautiful, there's no need to mention the past. I am a new man, no longer associated with those Sugawara people. Just look at my grandson for example." He said this, making Angel turn and see the face of Kaneyori splatter all over the ground.
This made her sick for a moment, giving the old man the perfect opportunity to counterattack, using a different set of his original hand signs, "Domain Expansion..."
"Impossible! You can't cast a different domain and so soon! Unless...!"
He smirked and put three fingers near his heart, "Living Heart of Heruka!"
"Mother! I'll save you!" A voice cried out, bringing absolute horror on Angel's face.
This made Kaneyori grin even wider, launching his blood red barrier as Angel screamed, "Don't do it, Yoshiro!"
"Domain Expansion!" A black sphere was erected, blocking the red one from fully forming. But in a short second it shattered, as it wasn't even near a complete domain expansion.
This backlash from the destroyed domain cancelled the Ten Shadows Technique in Yoshiro, who was engulfed in the blood red domain. Then red spikes started to protrude and fire from the ground, piercing Yoshiro in place.
Stroking his chin, Kiyotomo questioned, "This brat's name is 'Yoshiro,' huh? Quite the coincidence, I must say. They even look similar."
"Jacob's Ladde-..." Before Angel could activate her attack, she froze as Yoshiro was being hanged in front of Kiyotomo as a human shield by bloody tentacles.
"Bastard..."
She put down the trumpet and allowed Kiyotomo to speak, "A beautiful woman calling me bastard? Well, I certainly have had better days. I might as well clear my head of this new technique, since my storage is starting to become full. Plus there aren't any witnesses..."
He brought his hand forward, facing Angel who had a defensive stance, whispering "Cleave."
As he said this, the air started to transform, and slice down on Angel's shoulder all the way to her stomach, leaving a diagonal gash. Without any energy left to support her body, she fell into the bloody floor, as the ceiling returned to its original color.
"Unlimited Void!" From a corner of the cave, a dying voice cried out with crossed fingers.
In that instant, Kiyotomo wide-eyed stared at a mangled corpse which spoke, as cursed energy filled the cave in an instant. Without a moment to wait, he crossed his fingers, but a moment too late.
The white domain splattered infinite information to Kiyotomo, the only conscious person still alive. In his mind, he realized he made a rookie mistake, as he saw Kaneyori brains all over the ground, it seemed that no one could recover from that with just healing techniques. Even now, Kaneyori's brain was a mess on the ground, indicating that there was no way he survived. Even cursed techniques couldn't perfectly revive someone.
However, now he saw a perfectly regenerated Kaneyori stood, with only an eyeball missing.
"Unless...!" Kiyotomo thought of the worse-case scenario and felt a sweat droplet fall onto the ground.
"I think I'll leave this part of me missing, as an unforgettable symbol of what I witnessed in the afterlife." Kaneyori spoke, as he approached his grandfather.
He had a look of ethereality, his missing eye was covered by his long white hair, flowing with each step.
Kiyotomo sweated as his life felt in grave danger. But the information kept him from moving a muscle. Yet Kaneyori waved his hand, allowing Kiyotomo to speak, "You actually dared to alter the conditions of your domain to allow me to speak?! Do you even realize this will overload your brain to share my burden, stupid grandson! I would know, since I spent years using Limitless as a coverup! Don't think because you got a lucky hit that you win!"
But moments passed and nothing happened. Kaneyori just yawned and let Kiyotomo ask, "How...? Is it your Six Eyes? But even so, your brain would explode or stop you from moving."
"The reason is simple, I am no longer the Kaneyori you controlled. I am dead, cursed with the grudge of dying without even having a dignified death with an intact corpse, yet burdened with the greatest fate. I was someone who only wanted to protect one thing, yet that thing was taken from the world itself. If this torture was my burden for my entire life, I could easily take on my own domain's burden with the Six Eye's help."
Kaneyori brushed his hair aside, which allowed Kiyotomo to see the inhuman and pale complexion of him. It certainly was obvious what had happened at that moment to Kiyotomo, "You cursed yourself to live until I die! Bastard grandson, you are a pain even after death!"
Kaneyori looked around the empty white room and answered, "Wrong, from now on I will not live or die for a single person. From now on, I will shed my human self and fulfil my destiny which I was given from birth. That is, becoming the god of this world who fulfils judgement on the scourges. There is no need to think about revenge anymore, or even her... Instead, I will use my duties to rid the world of filth like you just for the sake of my mission. But as a final parting, I will end you with my own two hands."
Putting his hands across Kiyotomo's neck, for the first time, Kaneyori felt peace.
"You... This path will be impossible. Without the protection and intelligence of a human, it is impossible to survive in this world without the Fujiwara eliminating you! Spare me and we can see this together, as family!"
Kiyotomo profusely sweated, as the grip on his neck tightened, "Sorry grandfather, but I have already seen someone on a similar path prove you wrong. A similar path... Yes, our paths are indeed destined in a way. Heh, fate is always cruel, isn't it?"
Not hearing the choking of his grandfather, Kaneyori kept talking to himself, "I wonder why that always is? Perhaps with this new body, I will never know. At the very least, I will do everything in the name of cleansing this world."
"But first..."
With a snap, Kiyotomo flopped to the ground as the domain of Kaneyori vanished, returning the world to normal. He went over the the son and mother pair and healed them using a revered curse technique.
"I will find that 'Ryomen Sukuna' and make him pay for killing all those innocent people."
...
???
A few days later, in the underground area of the destroyed Yue Clan were two figures in black robes.
"That crazy bastard... You can't be serious! I didn't think your brother was a masochist, but who am I kidding, aren't all martial artists obsessed with pain and courting death?"
Gabimaru looked in the cramped room at the massive marble pillar extending several meters in the air. On top of it was a strange apparatus made with stone tools which resembled a container. Connected to the bottom of the pillar were what looked to be handcuffs, ropes, and metal poles fastened together into the shape of a head.
Yue Fei squinted her eyes and explained, "Brother said this is how he gained his strength for what you called positive energy. It is how we defeat the evil spirits, since they burn them but heal humans. This is our secret technique to awaken that power, which we call yang qi. However, it took many months strapped in that device for Kai to finally have his willpower break and awaken it."
Gabimaru sighed and went into deep thoughts on his own.
This device would strap someone and force them into a state where they couldn't move. Then at random intervals, water would drop on their heads. Although it sounded harmless, this would usually drive a normal person to insanity after 12 hours. No matter how strong the body was, all would lose control of themselves after experiencing this device's true might.
'Chinese water torture... It isn't bad enough it has torture in the name, this thing causes sensory overload and targets the mind! Even I'm not sure I could last a day, forget a month or more. But the outside situation is getting worse, and there are small signs of Sukuna starting to actually show up around me. Shit! I can't get strong enough to beat Sukuna in a few months even if I work at day and night. What I need now is a method to obliterate a cursed spirit, and reversed cursed technique is the only way.'
"Why do you even want to try this method? It has a 10% success rate even with Kai. Not only that, but as a cursed spirit, wouldn't it be totally useless to have yang qi? It could even harm you... I think it's best not to do it."
After she said this to him, Gabimaru turned to Yue Fei and squinted his eyes.
She looked away from his gaze, answering, "Kai always kept this a secret, but there is another reason why we use such a strange device for awakening our yang qi. The truth is, at least according to our clan's beliefs, that each of us humans possess a yin element. Whether it is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water doesn't matter much throughout physical training, but to our ways of thinking. For example, my family usually grow up with Water, which represents temperance, creativity, and security as natural leaders. Of course, we don't know what comes first. Our Water might be hereditary or it might be the environment."
Gabimaru stood up straight suddenly and felt a wave of turmoil wash over him as he questioned himself aloud, "So this method won't even work on me? I can understand the reference to Tao, but this method involves a family method of Water Tao users, not Wood. Shit, again!"
Yue Fei paused, seeing Gabimaru begin to sit down near the marble pillar while contemplating something. She noticed his hands looked pale and cold, so she sat beside him and grasped his hands with her own. She felt a small chill, but rub her hands gently against his, causing a bit of friction to warm them.
He looked a bit surprised, but coughed and asked her to continue.
"The reason we use this form of water awakening is to force our mind to awaken yang qi in a way which forces our mindset to go beyond death, but grasp the very essence of our element through what we call 'Enlightenment.' However, it is likely that your Wood is still able to be awakened. In fact, Wood is one of the three methods I happen to know the full awakening method for."
Yue Fei smiled and puffed her modest chest out, making Gabimaru chuckle shortly. She quickly realized why and looked down at the ground pitifully.
"Metal requires what Kai called the Iron's Maiden. Water requires the Ocean's Droplet method that you see. Wood requires Life's Seed method. This method requires you to implant a tree seed into your chest, allowing the roots to dig into your body until the plant is satisfied. Then, we deprive the plant of sunlight but keep you healthy, until either you or the plant survives in the end. If the plant dies, you will have a 5% chance of awakening Fan Yang Mu, like my brother's Fan Yang Shui."
"What? Only 5%? Why so low, considering the amount of time a plant takes to die I would expect a higher chance than the water torture. If you consider the amount of time and pain for the plant to mature, it's simply unreasonable that only 5% of people can survive."
She heard this and looked at the ceiling with a sigh, "It's not that they can't survive, it's that they do survive. The problem is that this method is supposed to open the mind to Enlightenment towards their element, but it lacks two essential components which cause a 95% failure rate even after completing the process."
"What are they?"
"For one, they must know of a perfect tree seed species to implant. If you plant an oak tree when you are suited for mahogany, you can't awaken your element. I don't know why, it's just that it happens for Wood and Metal users that need specific materials for their methods."
A flash appeared in Gabimaru's eyes of a fight where he felt close to this 'Enlightenment' and felt a tree in his head. Perhaps this was the tree he needed. At least it was better than nothing, which excited him, "So what's the second reason?"
"In our belief of Tao, awakening requires grasping your element. Grasping your element requires you to enhance your mentality closer to that element and fully realize the scope of it. A long time ago we helped the Sugawara awaken one of their Limitless users, learning that he had a Metal affinity. We used a unique metal to pierce his vitals, and he managed to touch that 'Enlightenment' before dying to an assassination. A similar situation happened with a Wood user's awakening."
She picked up a stone from the ground and showed it to him. Gabimaru stared as she dropped it, seemingly too heavy for her. Yue Fei then continued her explanation.
"The reason these people succeeded and many others failed was that they understood their 'Enlightenment' of Metal or Wood. Metal meant insecurity towards self, and conquering the world using others around you as enemies or allies. Wood requires the mentality of turning all negative relationships into positive ones, fostering growth and positivity at all times. The main issue where 95% of people fail is usually because they do not possess this mentality or it changes while having the roots burry into their decaying bodies."
"I... see. So the problem is my mentality in the end? These methods by this clan of Taoists are made to pull these thoughts out during dangerous moments to awaken a Reversed Cursed Technique. The problem is that they use a method of dividing people into elements and use their way of Tao to push their limits. Is this how Gojo Satoru awakened? Maybe he was also a Metal Tao."
"Gabi, what will you do?"
"It's quite a coincidence that these methods you showed just happened to be rooted in Tao beliefs, but perhaps it's fate. There might be other methods in this world, but 'that' decided that bringing me here was the only way to avoid my doom." Gabimaru thought back to his fortune being written.
'It might be worth looking into the hand of destiny, which not only helps me at times but screws me at times. It's fortunate that at least Fei knows the knowledge her twin left behind. Perhaps he might reveal more if he is alive like she believes. Though... I doubt Sukuna would let others go so easily... Wait! Has anyone ever had trouble escaping Sukuna? No! Not even Mahito, who was specifically given multiple warnings by Sukuna, was able to avoid dying to him, so why can't Yue Kai?'
"I believe your brother is likely alive, but recovering. He might have enemies that will target us, so I recommend that we grab a fig tree seed and go back to my hometown." His words made Yue Fei smile with a hopeful look, "Thanks, Gabi."
Gabimaru brushed off the dust on his clothes while standing up. He began to contact a few trustworthy people in the Nakatomi Clan to arrange a sacrifice to teleport him. He also contacted Livia to teleport Yue Fei after she collected her belongings in the next few days from her broken clan.
"You didn't mention it, but where is your hometown exactly?" Yue Fei also got up and followed Gabimaru who fastened his sword more tightly around his waist, determination on his face.
Before Yue Fei could hear his words, he had already begun to fade into a blur of sounds and colors, vanishing from this place.
"Heian-kyo! A place where I was born and raised, twice!" His figure disappeared in a bright light, leaving the room dark in a flash once again.
Yue Fei didn't hear his words, but instead stood in the empty dungeon and questioned herself, "So what do I do now? Gabi didn't leave any directions... I did notice he spoke Japanese, but that scope is too big to narrow it down..."
However, she felt relief when she saw a note of instructions for their plans.
Although the burden was lifted from her chest, she still couldn't help but wonder how he wrote that fast.
"As expected of Gabi, he is talented in everything! I also need to work harder!"
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Great job