Mt. Iwaki Chapter 3

## Act 0 - Chapter 4

### Conflict

Takuya attends the meeting arranged by the elders, Yashamaru continues his battle against Raktabi.

### Outcome

Takuya gains an audience with the Three Elders, the past of Raktabi is revealed.

## Synopsis

A war council gathered amassing enough followers of demon and demon-hybrids to drive out the invaders belonging to a foreign land. The barbarians were not native to Japan in the slightest and they needed to be driven out from their home. At the bottom of Ajigasawa, found around the eastern region of The Sea of Japan, a temple leading underwater had been created for the Three Elders to meet without being disturbed by the watchful eye of humans or any physically inferior species.

Floating columns with triangle-shaped ends attached on the top and bottom sides rested in each corner of the room. Neon lights lit the way towards the temple that was in the front, which shared the triangle shape of the aforementioned column tips. Though the place was clearly ancient, the ambience seemed out of this world with a futuristic design. Something of this level had to have been crafted eons ago.

*"This is definitely the place."*

These words escaped an older looking swordsman who shared physical characteristics to Yashamaru, mostly notably their hair color and facial features. He was dressed in black and red colors wearing a crimson headband that formerly belonged to the strongest demon in the world. This singular object would become very important later on. One of the things that stuck out the most about him was his crimson yet tattered cape in addition to his golden gauntlets and metallic boots which echoed throughout the atmosphere with each step.

*"Lady Tomoe is ahead."* Two individuals with white hoods, decorated with numerous eyes on their garb spoke at the same exact time. Their hands were tucked into each sleeve to conceal their arms, these were the Tengu guards appointed by one of the three elders.

*" 'Preciate the info."* With that, the mysterious swordsman armed to the teeth with the traditional daisho carry system of samurai, consisting of a wakizashi and a katana, sauntered into the building.

Returning back to the battle on Mt. Iwaki, Raktabi seemed to have evolved as the battle went on, regaining his memories and his true identity as a martial artist who survived the oppression of American soldiers during the second World War. His flesh began to ripple like water, contorting in the most disturbing way possible until it ceased. His giant size began to shrink down to normal proportions and his tentacle hand was replaced with a normal appendage. His skin was darkened and his eyes were shot red with crimson, but he looked more like a human than anything. Though his body was here, in his mind he was back at the camp created by the United States Military to control Japanese-Americans.

In the vision he saw, soldiers stood on each end of the walkways holding rifles as they were instructed. Over 120,000 individuals who lived on the west coast had been abruptly abducted and taken to these camps where they had to survive in the poorest of conditions, malnutrition and excessive labor caused the deaths of many. Those who fell behind and didn't have the energy to keep going were shot and killed. There was no other way to describe hell on Earth but this very moment. In these repressed memories, he could only remember the face of a smiling young girl dressed in rags who shared an apple with him while he was starving and denied food from the soldiers. Light glistened and the memory shifted to a darker tone, he stood there helplessly in the sand as the same smiling girl from before had been carried away in a wheelburrow of corpses, her body riddled with bullet holes for disobedience. She had chosen his life over her own.

*"Akiko...the world took you from me. If I have to become a demon in order to avenge you, I'd gladly give my life to see you again."*

Yashamaru and the female swordsman noticed the archdemon opening it's clenched fist to gaze at it's palm, he stood in such a way that asserted his dominance and power. At the moment, the name Raktabi was nothing more than a false label given to someone who had been misunderstood by society. For years he endured and even got his revenge against the US Military but now he has returned to Japan, specifically this mountain which served as a battlefield between demon hunters and demons. His humanity was stolen from him or rather he gave it up to make things right for the woman he loved, now he is living an existence that only makes him a shadow of who he once was. He is no longer a man, but a beast driven by a desire to destroy everything in his path. Tears began to shed from Raktabi's eyes, his physical form now completely replaced by a lean physique with a crimson hakama as his waistguard. His feet were bare but his connection with the earth was strong.

"*That red aura of his must be the reason he was able to evolve, now is our chance."*

*"Wait, he's... crying?"*

Both of them turned their attention towards the melancholic demon whose physical appearance now embodied the definition of rage. He was conflicted, deeply about his circumstances and seeing the young woman only reminded him of Akiko. The moon guided them throughout the night, a single beat played and danced amidst the frozen winds of the stratovolcano. There was a toll to the afterlife and it was paid in the souls of the fallen, only the strong would prevail. A bit of Raktabi's cognition returned to him, now he was prepared to make the most of his martial arts since the exchange of ki between them triggered some of his past memories. It was only through battle that they got to learn more about each other.

*"That's right... I recall my name, please, do me the honor of one last match. This body will not last much longer, I must know what it feels like to truly be alive after losing it all."*

*"If I win, you gotta tell me."*

The martial artist took a solid stance of Ichiji Gamae. His right foot slid against the earth beneath his feet until it was forward, he made sure that his right elbow was also bent and his left fist was open towards the ground. This powerful stance allowed him to maintain lightness in his footwork while also being able to deal devastating blows. The fact that he was able to manifest an aura of might could only mean that he was an exceptional user of Ars Manus, an ancient art of combat that was once lost to time.

*"So it shall be, prepare yourself."*

*"Stay back. I can't let a lady like you get hurt. Leave this to me."*

## Trivia

### New Characters

* Akiko (Minor Character)
* ???

### Notable Moments

* A look into Raktabi's past, revisiting the Internment Camps of World War II.
* Understanding his motivations and reasons for becoming a demon, his pursuit of revenge for his love.