Betrayer of Kamigawa

The afternoon air of Hosenka was much cooler than it had been in the past. Suijin, a frequent visitor to this oriental tourist spot, found it pleasantly cool-- but not enough to still have him go around without wearing a shirt. His usual time in the town was often the same thing. Drinks with friends, visiting the sites, enjoying the hot springs, sleeping there while on jobs, luring beautiful and easy women for fun nights in his room who couldn't get enough of his natural charm.

For the moment, it was one of those rare times when he took the free time he had, and just reflected on things. The time becoming the guild master to Rakshasa was becoming easier, as would most be running a band of rebellious rogues in the face of Fiore. Still at times, he recalled his origin. His time as a monk in Midi, his training, his dedication to learn and how it clashed with the other. In the end, in his desire and frustration, he betrayed the monastery, stole its secrets and used them to achieve the magic he desired. TO be trained by real masters, not those who felt to bow to them.

As it began to enter twilight, Suijin found himself attending a new hotel and hot spring location. The golden moon. Like many places in Hosenka, they were luxurious, carried a rich eastern theme, -- and these had a far larger hot springs that made it more like a garden with a larger venue of gardens beyond. A perfect place to kick back and relax.

Adorn in his water- clothes, he had shifted them into a Kimono, accented with waves and a water symbol on his back. As a guy who rarely liked 'clothing', he had a fun sense of style with which ones he did wear and the fact it transformed around him. Dressed in the appropriate view with a half, opend Kimino-- he made his way to the hot springs, where he hoped he could get some well deserved rest...

... and maybe get lucky later that night.

WC: 350

Finally arriving in Hosenka, his journey there had been a fairly eventful one. Aside from running into a merchant and "trading" some of his stolen clothing for some new stuff that was more up his own alley, he now donned a sleeveless black leather vest and a pair of brown leather boots. While some mostly unintended intimidation had come into play when obtaining these things, the fact that everyone had gotten out of the exchange alive had been good for everyone, or so he imagined. Even meeting a strange girl that had been rather interested in what he was, he figured that was a tale for another time. Truth be told, he did not really know why he had come here, though it had been clear to him that this was the place that somehow changed Solmar from being a wandering hermit who wanted as little to do with people as possible into someone who would try to solve their problems for a small fee. Though that was not the life he had imagined for himself, especially not now that he had a body of his own and a direction of his own to pick.

Really enjoying the things he saw, he felt like this more oriental architecture was far more beautiful than the more rural settings Solmar always took them to. Though Vetis knew quite well that he had always been the reason why they never came to places such as these as Solmar was afraid of him coming out and killing everyone again, the demon could not really blame him for it. Still, the scents around the place were rather overwhelming for someone who had only ever eaten a single thing in his life, this thing being a recently baked apple pie. Just like back then, he was finding it hard not to give in to his own wants and needs as it was clear that what he experienced now was hunger. Another rather human factor that had come along with this body of his no doubt. Fortunately for him, his nose seemed to be among the senses that were rather incredibly fine tuned and could sniff out things from quite the distance.

While following his nose, he passed by a building that was putting out a lot of heat, the kind of humid heat that made wearing clothing annoying. Passing it by for the time being, he figured that getting something to eat was more important to him than sating his thirst for knowledge. Once he had eaten something, he would surely head back there, even if it were only to figure out where this heat came from. Simply continuing to stroll along, Vetis himself did not yet possess the ability to sense magical power from others, though many of those who ventured around him that could chose to wander around or away from him due to the fact that he had quite a lot of it. Unfortunately for him, he had not yet figured out how to bring about his magic, or maybe he simply hadn't had the right incentive to do so. Whatever the case, it did not matter, at least not nearly as much as finding a place to eat.


(536)

The spa town had a wide variety of attractions and distractions-- including plenty of restaurants. Suijin was not one with such a heardy appetite, even as a slayer. His habit was to having lots and lots of water. BUt even he required real food. Dressed in his own attire, he began to make his way towards the stalls for food as well. (Change since you diverted away )

He soon found a suiji bar that had a good variety of food that even he could eat. As he settled down, he was still aware of what was going on. A part of him just wouldn't rest.

"One water to start, please," he commented to the person behind the bar. While he got his first drink, Suijin couldn't help but feel a presence. A chill that went up his back that something was coming up for him. Nothing new, but at the same time, it was a bother to him and would put him in a bad mood if he wasn't careful. What could it be...?

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the town of Hosenka... a third stranger rolled in. He was dressed in a blue kimono as well with a lighter hue, brown hair that cast over half of his face. He had a calm but focused expression as he made his way into town.

THe look of someone on the hunt for someone.

WC: 235

As he made his way through the place, there was one thing that gradually returned to him, something Solmar himself had always been lacking in. Whether it was because of the two of them sharing the same body or not, but for some reason, Solmar had always been horrible at sensing magic power from people and things. While he was on his way from the Phoenix mountains to Hosenka by following the path through Sakuramori, Vetis himself had also been utterly incapable of doing so, sensing only slight glimpses of it. For instance, he had been able to tell that there had been no magic power coming off of the girl that had been following him around for some time, the one who refused to give him a name yet inquired an awful lot about him. That encounter had told him to be wary of those who had a lot of magical power, as well as those who seemed to lack it completely.

But that didn't matter now. Whether it was because he was around so many people now as opposed to before, he was gradually starting to sense the magic power of those around him, allowing him to discern which people might be considered a threat to him and which were fodder. Though he did not intend to actually hurt anyone, it couldn't hurt if he was at the very least aware of what was around him. As things were, there seemed to be only one around who was on a level close to his own, one that might be considered a threat if he got the drop on him. If that were not the case, Vetis figured that he would only become an issue if he were to use any magic in a place such as this. Given how his own magic was currently not exactly working, what with the demon slaying magic actually hurting him if he used it, all he had to go by were his physical attributes.

Turning to face the person the magic power belonged to, he noticed a guy who seemed to like the color blue a lot. Both in terms of clothing and in hair. When the man made his way into what seemed like some sort of diner, he figured he might as well follow him into the place as a strong scent originated from it. What with him looking for something to eat, it wouldn't really hurt him to check the place out. Not possessing any mortal currency to pay with, he reckoned he could make his way out so fast most people wouldn't even know he had actually left the building. After all, both his physical speed and strength were no laughing matter. Determining it to be better to eat first and dash off after than to actually eat and kill the person who might try to stop him from leaving the building, he just decided on entering and taking a seat.

From there, he could continue pondering on his next course of action while he decided what he wanted to eat. As most foods were entirely new to him and he had little to no idea as to what actually tasted good and what did not, he started browsing the menu while actively looking for things with pictures. From time to time, he made sure to check whether the guy wearing blue was still around. This, he did not do by looking with his eyes and being obvious, but solely by relying on his sense of smell, hearing and magical sensory. In that sense, he shared a lot of features with a predator. If he determined that the man might become a problem for him, he'd just get rid of him quietly and quickly, not looking to raise any alarms within the city. Taking his mind off of that for now, he deemed the cuisine to be more important as he returned to browsing.


(657 // 1193)

After finally deciding after a second glass of water, Suijin told the bartender to order two orders of Sushi-- an array of different types to enjoy as he rested there with his elbow against the bar, his chin resting against his fist. He rested there, eyes closed as he just listened to people come and go into the restaurant. His sense of smell worked to also help him relax as he smelled the food being cooked...

... but before he knew it-- he smelled someone familiar. Before he got too nervous, he soon recognized the scent.

Elsewhere in the restaurant, people would look one moment-- then find out their sushi was gone. Small samples of it missing in the blink of an eye. Suijin opened his eyes as he suspected who was doing it and heard people complain. Even the stranger, Vetis , would notice some of his suddenly gone in the blink of an eye from something fast, dark and fuzzy.

As one tried to take a hit on Suijin's plate-- he struck and reached out and grabbed him by the tail.

"HEY!" a voice squeaked.

Out of the shadows Suijin grasped the tail of a tiger-like exceed with black and ashen colored stripes on his fur. He wore a ninja outfit, very suitable to Hosenka. Suijin firmed his lip in embarrassment and amusement. "Kage," he greeted simply.

The Exceed had a smug but guilty look on his face, along with the bits of rice he had when he ate the food he stole. "Ehehe.. Hello, Tsunami Sensei," the cat said sheepishly, calling him the title he earned by the rest of the guild in Rakshasa.

Without much issues, Suijin plopped the cat on the free adjacent seat. The cat sat down as Suijin's order came in-- and in a silent act of generosity to his companion, he pushed one of the orders of his Sushi to the cat, making his tiger-eyes light up with delight.

Since Indra's leave from Rakshasa, Suijin had taken it upon himself to look after the cat. Though the cat was sad to see his former master leave, Indra had encouraged the cat to follow training by Suijin-- as the two had been close since before he formed Rakshasa. While he was not 'dead' as many would believe, the parting took time for the cat to really accept and accept Suijin as his new trainer as a ninja, even if it was a part-time thing.

Still, the cat had grown to enjoy Suijin's company. While his little tricks and antics often earned him ire from non-Rakshasa members, like the patrons of the restaurant. "You could of just asked. Money is nothing to worry about," Suijin asked as he popped in a tuna roll.

"Ninja's don't ask for anything." the tiger said proudly.

Suijin just chuckled as he ate and sipped more water.

WC: 479

When a bowl of complimentary bread made its way to his table, Vetis merely nodded at the waiter. There was no way the guy would know that he fully intended on not paying, considering how he had no currency to do so with. Taking out a slice of bread, he picked up a knife and stuck it into a bowl that seemed to be buttery in nature, mixed with spices. Figuring that the two were meant to be used together, he spread some of the stuff on the bread and slowly started eating it. As all of these foods were entirely new to him, he took everything one step at a time, a gruelingly slow step at a time. The same thing could be said for just about everything else he had been up to so far, and how he had taken things slow so as to better acquaint himself with it now that he was free. So as he was enjoying this new type of food referred to as an "appetizer", he barely noticed something sneaking up on him.

Once it got close enough to his table however, his ears picked up what his nose had missed due to the strong scent of garlic coming off of the bread. Looking down, he saw how a feline paw reached up to the bowl and took out a single piece of bread, snatching it up and dragging it under the table. Raising an eyebrow as he continued to eat, Vetis did not make any move against it, considering how he could have easily intercepted it and kept it from stealing from him. No, he wanted to figure out more about it and why it had picked him to steal from. Maybe it was because of the fact that he was not really radiating any magical power and that he seemed like just another random mortal man. Not following the cat with his eyes, as that would make it obvious to see that it had been caught, Vetis followed him with his hearing and a few quick glances at a time.

Once it had become clear that he himself had not been the sole target as it went by various tables to snatch whatever it could get without being caught, it eventually got stopped at the table of the man in blue. Though it got stopped, it did not seem like it was being punished. In fact, he could swear that the two knew one another, which only became more clear once they opened up a dialogue and used names. "Kage" and "Tsunami Sensei", leading Vetis to believe that this cat, which was likely an Exceed like the one Solmar always had hanging around, was either his protégé or merely his pet. Watching things unfold as he tried to pick something he wanted to eat, he watched how the man in blue was laughing at something the cat said about being a ninja. Not knowing what a ninja was, he finished his slice of bread and got up from his seat.

Crossing his hands behind his back, he slowly maneuvered his way around some of the other tables, not looking to draw any unwanted attention to himself as he did so. Upon reaching the table where the man in blue was located, he sat down at the seat opposite to him. Placing both of his elbows on the table, he crossed his fingers right in front of his face as he just looked at the man and the cat for a little while. Without saying a word, he just sat there, staring them in the eye as he awaited their response. As he did not want to make it seem like anything was the matter to the other people in the diner, he reached for a piece of this "Tsunami" person's bread, spread garlic butter on top of it and started eating, making it seem like they knew one another. But all the while as he did so, he did not break eye contact with the man.

"I believe your furry friend stole something of mine, and I do believe stealing to be an infraction of the law here. Though it wouldn't be punished with incarceration, I think that it might get the both of you banned from coming back to this diner. And as I think neither of you would like for such a thing to happen, I imagine today's dinner will be on you. You know, out of the kindness of your heart, not out of self-preservation or anything."


(759 // 1952)

Despite Kage's little rude entrance, things seemed calm and no one really noticed-- at least till that stranger sat beside Suijin. Suijin was content to just ignore and leave him to his own devices. That was-- till he took a piece of Suijin's bread in front of him. That wouldn't be easily missed as Suijin glared to the man as he spoke. Kage too realized his error as he somewhat sheepishly looked to the stranger. The talk about rules, laws and re compensation made Suijin a bit more annoyed by the stranger.

"Excuse me? " Suijin said with a hint of a growl, not liking the tone the stranger said. "So petty over a little food. But since I am in a generous mood, " Suijin said as he reached into his pocket and took out a few Jewel for him. He handed it to the man, realizing he had to pay for Kage's reckless antics.

"Master, you don't have to pay for that! Ninja never regret what they take!" the cat said, reminding Suijin of how he learned Kage used to be a small time thief before coming to Rakshasa.

"Ninjas also don't get caught," he replied sarcastically which made the cat gasp at the zinger.

SUijin handed the jewel to the stranger. "Heh, you don't know me or my kind-- but we are never going to be resorted to incarceration, pal," Suijin said. If he didn't know better, he would of picked a fight but he wasn't into it for today. "Who are you anyway?"

The cat kept on his guard around the stranger, but gave a soft growl at him-- not trusting him. However, he would soon be the least of their problems.

As the two would eat in the restaurant, a presence came closer-- down wind from Suijin. So there was no way to detect him as swiftly as he had Kage. If any trace, he would of mistaken it for Kage as familiar. The odd half-faced figure approached the entrance to the restaurant, and soon spotted Suijin's long blue hair.

His expression tensed, but he remained emotionless as he approached.

WC: 356

Merely listening to the man and his cat as they spoke, part of him already regretted coming over, though reparations had to be made for the food that had been taken from him. Had this been anywhere else, any place less populated and less likely to turn into a whole scene, Vetis might actually have gone the other route to kill the guy where he sat before skinning and eating the cat. But as those were the kind of things that were usually frowned upon in modern society, he figured this was by far the best way to go about things. After all, if he were to be the one that got attacked, he would feel a whole lot better about mopping the entire diner with this man's organs. And since the man was obviously someone who possessed a form of magic, getting to do so might actually have been a load of fun. But that was something to worry about another day.

Taking the jewels the man handed to him without even really looking at the amount as he had no real knowledge on how much food he could buy with a single coin, he finished up the bread he had already started eating. Putting it into his pocket for later, he stashed the money away as he listened to the words the man spoke to him in a rather defiant tone, a tone that angered him to some extent. Not caring much for the machinations of mortals, he was quick to anger when such a lower life form spoke to him as if they were equals, or god forbid, they believed themselves to be his betters. So when the man told him that he did not know him or his kind, Vetis did not know what that meant, though he had spent plenty of years stuck inside of a human to know exactly what they were all about. Some deemed themselves to be different, but at heart, all mortals were just more of the same. Self serving to the bitter end, really no better than the average demon, the difference being that they were not afraid to admit it.

"Who I am is not that important, but since I don't imagine you'll forget it any time soon, my name is Vetis. As for your kind and me not knowing you, I couldn't care le-"

Just as he was about to pick a fight by saying he could not really give a shit about what some human believed themselves to be, or believing they possessed something that made them somehow unique from the others, he picked up on something right outside of the front door. As his ability to sense magic power was slowly growing, it was easy for him to seek out those that possessed magic power of a level above that of the common rabble that sat in this diner. Judging the source of this power to be below that of his own, he figured that it might be either equal to or above that of the man sitting in front of him at the same table. As a predator and a trained hunter of sorts, mostly due to Solmar's influences, it was not that hard to tell that this person was trying to creep up on someone. And since it wasn't him as literally no one had the slightest idea as to who or what he even was, the only one in the diner with a magic power to be tied to a somewhat accomplished man was that of the guy with the cat.

"Ahem, no matter, it's not important. There is however someone at the door, someone that seems like they have a decent amount of magic power. And since I have no idea who it is, I'd imagine they are here for you. So unless you want to cause a scene in here, I'd suggest you go out through the back door and see what this guy wants from you."

As he spoke, he had already started spreading garlic butter on a new piece of bread, figuring the guy in blue had no time to continue eating anyway. Besides, if he were to stay, he would just be making a target out of himself by sitting within such a closed space. Outside, they could have a talk like adults, or fight it out like men without actually breaking the diner from the inside out. If the diner were to break down, that would be very detrimental to Vetis too as he fully planned on feeding here today. For now however, he had done all he could to warn the guy, so he would just sit back and wait to see how things would unravel.


(790 // 2922)

Suijin didn't like this guy and how he handled himself. He could sense it-- the tension of a guy who wanted to pick a fight. Sure, Kage might of started it by his little misguided slight of hand, but still it was small potatoes to get upset over. This guy wanted a fight, Suijin could smell it. He didn't know if he wanted to get into one right now, satiationg the guy-- or buy him a drink for the kindered spirit he might of found. He just flashed a grin at him, one that only a shark could possibly make.

" Listen, pal...you have no idea who you are picking a fight with, but I am more than happy to show you the force of nature you just provoked. just what an animal I am when you come at me the wrong way.

Suijin never saw it coming-- due to the fact the person was down wind. IT was at this time that the god slayer was about to speak his own name... till someone beat him to it.

"Suijin Azurestorm," a voice said cooly.

The blue haired man froze at the sound of the voice-- a chime of smugness he never forgot. He swore in his mind like a scream, the scent now finally reaching him. And he knew who it was instantly at the very call of his name. The alarm was clear for Ventis to see as he continued to blabber on.

It was then all rational thought left Suijin's mind over the stranger-- and the beast emerged right then and there. He cast a glance behind him-- his eye transformed slightly to that of a dragon's as he saw the half-faced man. He recognized him as he saw the solemn judgemental stare of the man.

"WATER DRAGON ROOAARR!!"

In an instant-- the front of the restaurant exploded with a smash of wood and a deluge of water that poured outward like a violent flood. Few patreons were flushed out onto the street as chairs floated down the street. THe man in question was similarly tossed around-- but as the waters cleared from distance, he dug his heels into the ground to keep from being swept away by the violent flash flood.

From the front of the building, as people fled in fright from the sudden attack-- Suijin slowly strode forward, his fists tight with silent fury. From the back of the restaurant, left mostly untouched by Suijin's watery outburst, Vetis and Kage were left by themselves. Kage was surprised by Suijin-- the cat never seeing him be so quick to attack before. It was out of character to the slayer.

Then the cat looked to his right to see Vetis there too... now nervous that the man would pick issue with him stealing his food. "Um... Salmon roll? " the tiger Exceed asked offering him one.

An aura of water somehow materialized around Suijin as he stood there, looking at the kimono cladded figure with brown hair. He glared at him, his calmness verging on silent steaming as the man glared back.

"Minato... what the hell are you doing here? " Suijin sneered with an angry tone.

The man was completely at ease as he flexed his arm out after the violent whiplash of water he had experienced. "Hello, Suijin. It's been a while. It seemed time away has done nothing to curb your temper it seems. Surprising from a water user," he replied. "As to why I am here... you already know the answer... traitor, "

No doubt the fight would not go unnoticed, as would the dialog between them. Naturally, Kage heard the part about traitor too , as would Vetis.

WC: 619

Though his face wouldn't show it, he was delighted to see that the guy was taking the bait quite nicely. It was true that he was picking a fight, though he would have settled for someone paying his food, after which he would have been done with it. Things had however worked out even better than he had imagined, both managing to trigger the guy into becoming more hostile out in the open and even paying for his food prior to doing so. Taking another bite from his buttered bread, he listened on as the guy went to talk about himself and the force of nature he believed himself to be. Funny, as the guy clearly had no idea as to the kind of person whom he was talking to. Vetis knew for a fact that this guy was something he could take on in a fight and win, even though his magic was still fluctuating as his demon slayer magic refused to work without also injuring himself in the process. Instinctively activating his own magic once the guy started boasting about himself, something else happened.

The person he had sensed earlier, and had warned the self-proclaimed animal about, had made his way into the building as he addressed the guy in blue with his full name. Obviously, it did not really ring any bells whatsoever for Vetis, though that said, one could have yelled out the name of the person governing the magic council or the king of Fiore, and he still wouldn't have recognized the significance of it. When the guy who was apparently called Suijin responded to it by completely blowing away the front side of the restaurant, the other people who were still dining there got blown away along with it. Injuring quite a few in the process, it seemed that the attack had only done enough to knock the guy who planned on attacking Suijin away a fair distance before he managed to get his bearings and retaliate. As the people were running for their lives, those injured by the attack managed to crawl their way to safety, though they would undoubtedly inform the authorities that a fight was going on.

Looking to the side of the table where the cat still resided, it offered him a salmon, another type of food that he had never heard of before. While his magic was doing what it supposedly did best, it became clear to Vetis that this water magic Suijin used stood in stark contrast to his own magic in almost every way. Being of the water element was something that had become quite clear when the deluge of water rushed through the restaurant, but the fact that it was the kind of magic used against the holy light, that was quite interesting to him. Having never witnessed any God slayer magic before, he gave his magic the time to dig deeper into it, figuring out the secrets behind it and storing it within the magical codex. Though not a real, physical tome, it was in fact a pocket within Vetis's subconscious that stored up all knowledge that was magically gathered through Solch-o Gúl, the ancient elven magic left behind by Solmar's father. So as he started eating the salmon roll, he kept his ears sharpened on the matter at hand.

As it turned out, the two men were aware of one another, that much was quite clear. More so, they seemed to know each other from somewhere, though he could not really manage to figure out from where. Given how the two talked to one another, they almost made it seem like they had at some point been more than just mere acquaintances, given that he knew of Suijin's temper and finding it unbefitting of a water magic user. It wasn't until the one called Minato called Suijin a traitor that things started making sense to him in his head, because it wasn't all that normal for someone to outright attack the other in such a violent manner and putting themselves on the radar of the authorities in the process, not when they were old acquaintances. But as it turned out, one had fled from something and the other had come to either take them back or settle an old score, at least that was what Vetis managed to make out of all this. For now, he would just remain seated, fill his belly and see how things would unfold before deciding which side to join. Hell, he might just take on both of them if it struck him as fun.


(767 // 3689)

From the back of the restaurant, Kage looked in a bit in shock at Minato's declaration of Suijin. "T-Traitor?" the cat said, a little worried his new sensei was called that.

Suijin said nothing to the declaration of what he was. He neither protested or deny it. "I made my choice for a greater calling. Not one of futility like you and the other losers at the monastery. I have no regrets about my decision. " he declared cooly, his hands in his pockets. "So how about you quit whining like a pansy and stop wasting my time."

Minato glared at Suijin behind his long hair, and a flick of his wrist revealed something. From the edge of his kimono's sleeve... he produced a strange-looking pipe. A metallic pipe, of a bronze or golden color with a tassel hanging off it. Suijin's eyes glared at the tool, recognizing it as Minato's primary weapon for his magic.

"You know I cannot do that. You will pay for your crimes against Midi and our clan," Minato said calmly. "Surrender now. Or don't. you know I would be more than happy to put you down like the mongrel you are and drag your tail back to Kamigawa myself. "

Suijin just glared at the man, realizing he meant business. It didn't matter the 'similar' magic this foe had. He was still dangerous and not a simple foe Suijin could simply wash away.

"I got your answer right here..." Suijin replied and saw as the man reached to raise his pipe.

-- In a flash of a moment, Suijin extended a limb and it suddenly was covered in water. A tendril of water that extended well over his own arm. Where the water came from, no one could see as it came so fast.

By now Kage abandoned the mysterious Vetis, and ran out to see the fight. He was concerned now as the cat could see this person meant to truly take in his master. Suijin swing his arm forward, whipping around the wicked tendril of water that cracked like a whip. The appentage aimed right for Minato, aimed to strike.

POP!

The Water Whip met something in his way as he looked to see what was there. In the way of the attack was odd shaped spheres that seemed to come out of nowhere before Minato. As the mist from the water cleared-- they could see it.

Bubbles. From the pipe that he carried, Minato had blew out several bubbles that seemed to hover around him. Both Minian men seemed skilled in quick casting, as they were also wielding a variety of Water magic.

Though they appeared slow, Minato's magic bubbles seemed to make the slayer worried. Sweat showed on his brow, showing those watching that this guy was a serious wizard if he would get worried by a fight with him.

"You will pay for the dishonor you brought to us. " Minato said-- and with a breath, he blew into the bubble pipe. A wave of bubbles formed and multiplied, aimed to come after Suijin.

WC: 516

Still waiting for his food to arrive, Vetis was starting to get a bit antsy as things were not moving ahead nearly as fast as he had hoped they would. With most of the waiting staff and the cooks in hiding, the white haired figure came to assume that they were no longer planning on doing their job. Sighing deeply as this meant that he would never get what he wanted, he got up from his seat and wandered in the direction of the counter in front of the kitchen. Still quite capable of hearing as the two men moved around outside, it became clear to him that the two were starting to move away from their current location. Vetis truly could not blame them. After all, if they were to keep fighting around the place where they had just destroyed a restaurant, injured people and made a lot more of them run in fear of their lives, the authorities would find them in little to no time at all. And if they did, that would just make whatever kind of vendetta they were working out that much harder to do. Having seen some of the rune knights through Solmar's eyes, Vetis knew quite well that they were no pushovers and might be quite fun to fight sometime.

Leaving things for what they were for the time being, Vetis imagined that he would be able to catch up with them rather easily, as long as they kept going at this pace. If they were to speed up, he would still be able to catch up with them, though he might actually need to make an effort at that rate. Once he arrived at the counter, he saw how the waiting staff and the chefs were all hiding. Not giving a single shit about them or whether anything happened to them or not, he was by no means looking to be seen as one of the culprits that had destroyed this restaurant. After all, if they were to rebuild the place, he wanted to be able to come back there and dine without anyone calling the authorities on his ass. Smelling that there were dishes already waiting to be served and more still waiting to be put on plates and risking being burnt, he came up with a rather simple scheme that was bound to work. All he needed to do was make it look like he cared, which would not be all that hard.

"The guys who wrecked the place left through the front door and took to the streets. If you go out the back door, you'll be able to get to safety in no time. But there's no telling when they might come back, so you need to make a run for it right Now!"

Putting a bit of acting and volume into his voice, he instructed the staff to make their way out through the back, which they started to do without thinking twice. Even going as far as to thank him, he gave them a fake smile as he walking with them towards the back door. As soon as the last one was out, he closed the door behind them and turned his attention towards what else was in the kitchen. Taking the two plates that contained the two dishes that had been waiting to be taken to their table, he went towards the cooking plate. Taking a couple of steaks, a meatball and some roasted vegetables and putting them onto the two plates, he shoved everything onto a single plate and started chopping into the cooked meat to make sure that everything could just be picked up and dumped into his hungering maw. Also taking a fork with him, he wandered back to the counter and put his food down for a moment, digging in and deciding to pick a few things to try. While he was going about his business, he could tell how his magic had already started cataloguing another spell that had been used within the range of it, a range which seemed to be quite massive and expanded the more he used it.

Taking the plate of food from the counter, he wandered in the direction the cat had gone, figuring that it would most likely be going after the other two to see what would be going down there. Once he looked around the corner by stepping through the ravaged portion of the restaurant, he saw that the fighting had continued, or rather, had now properly started. Seeing how the cat was trying to get closer to the fight itself, Vetis just kept eating as he tried to figure out more of what was going on. Based on what he could hear from where he was standing, the new arrival told the other that he would make him pay for the supposed dishonor he had brought to him and the other people that came from the same place they did. In a way, Vetis could relate to things a bit as he too had felt dishonored by how he had always been feared just for being alive, and how he had been treated as some sort of evil, demonic parasite that was only after the pain and misery of others. Firmly believing that this was the reason, or at least part of the reason as to why he had turned out the way he did, he could imagine some of what the human called "dishonor".

With a quick flash of light, he teleported from his spot in front of the restaurant to a place closer to them on a nearby rooftop. It was there that he sat himself down and continued eating, as there was still plenty left on his plate that he wished to try. Given the taste of the steak, he continued eating that first before it ran the risk of getting cold. While he ate, he just observed how one of them used a watery whip to assault the other, only to find himself set upon by strange magical bubbles blown from the pipe of the aggressor. Multiplying at a rapid pace, the bubbles continued moving towards their target while Vetis merely watched, interested in seeing what would happen next. Maybe once he finished his food, he might actually get involved with things himself so that he could use some of these strange new magics that he was witnessing here. Then again, he might not. Only time would tell.


(1082 // 4771)

Suijin saw the bubbles start to float towards him. While they moved with the wind-- by nature they were slow. He was not afraid of that-- but each power the bubbles contained. Minato's magic had a rather unusual effect. Not only did his bubbles have potent magical potential but he could change the effects they contained on the fly. It was impossible to tell what they would do or where they could end up due to their silent movement in the air.

The bubbles soon came and Suijin used his whips to swat the bubbles away. The lash cracked through the air-- and set off the bubbles. They flashed-- then exploded with loud pops, releasing an 'explosion' burst' that caused smoke in its place. All the more reason Suijin worked to avoid getting close to those. Even if they were water-- to eat an explosive bubble was one experience he didn't want to test.

While he knocked several out of the way, a few more began to drift and this time from up above. He saw them move into his line of sight and soon erupted---

--- SPLASH!

Where the bubbles should of detonated, a coil of water now surrounded the half-naked man. His magic acted more on defense than just sheer water power. Without even any direction from him-- the water acted as a shield and protected him, harming him with barely a splash across his body.

Normally, he wouldn't even paid any such mind to an attack like that but he knew his nemesis and glared at him crossly.

Kage was confused and worried. The claim that Suijin was a 'traitor' didn't settle well with him, as the water explosions caused a mist to settle on the battefield. "Tsunami-sensei! What does he mean? What is going on!" the little Exceed asked, worried and concerned why this one was so keen to fight Suijin-- more so than anyone else who was a deviant as he was.

Minato looked to the cat at the mension of Suijin being called Sensei. The man looked back to Suijin, disappointed. "The gall on you to take on a student after the crimes you done. Cat, be warned. You're so called master is not who he appears to be. "

"Leave Kage out of this!" Suijin shouted, a rare show of short temper as he stomped his foot to the ground, casting up water. It was then that moisture in the air overhead took shape-- and became several needle-like points aimed above Minato. "Water God Needle Rain!" Suijin shouted with a hand sign of focus like a ninja.

WC:435

Allowing his teeth to sink into the juicy steak, he savored the taste as he worked down the portion he chewed off, through which he instantly knew that he was not the kind of person that could spend the rest of their lives just eating plant-based food. While he ate, he continued watching the drama taking place in front of him as every minute that passed by further elaborated on the story. It was almost like watching some kind of movie or a play at the theater, or so he imagined as he had never really been to one himself but had only heard stories about it. As the fighting continued without anything showing whether or not there would be a clear winner any time soon, Vetis had to say that he was getting a bit bored with it, though the fact that he still had plenty of food left kept him from just up and leaving or potentially killing them both before doing so. With the way things were, magic being used left and right and spells being tossed about made it at the very least a bit more enjoyable.

By the time the drama started to culminate as anger and hostility grew to greater levels, it became clear that the magical bubbles were in fact quite volatile and explosive, at least from what he could tell. Witnessing the barrier of water, Vetis was provided with greater insights as to what this kind of magic was capable of, knowing only what Solmar's fire magic could do. With one of them being a demon slayer magic and the other being a god slayer from what he could tell, he felt like that kind of magic was more in tune with his own being. Since demon slaying magic was made specifically to deal with his kind, god slaying magic would reasonably be the type of magic that would suit him the most. For a moment, he barely heard a thing that was being said as he let the god slayer magic flow inside of his body. Though it was not for any specific reason, he wanted to know what it would feel like, as using demon slayer magic had felt to him like his blood was boiling inside of his veins. This was however not the case with the god slayer variant of magic, which was more or less exactly how he had imagined it in his head.

With the bubbles around, Vetis figured that no one would be able to tell if he were to cast a spell of his own in order to see how that might work itself out. Placing his plate of food in his lap, he concentrated his magic into his hand as he pointed his finger towards his intended target. Maintaining his focus, he merely followed his target as he patiently waited, picking up and chewing down another piece of bread with his other hand. Once his magic had properly registered the spell that seemingly created needles out of water, Vetis got an idea. Utilizing the same spell Suijin used in the same area he used it, the amount of needles multiplied as his own needles joined the ranks. Though they seemed just like those Suijin used in every way, the only difference would likely be that Vetis's own were stronger as he believed himself to be the more capable magus at this point in time. Once Suijin would make his needles rain down upon his target, his own would simply follow for greater effect. Now, all that remained was to see it play out and decide whether this kind of magic was worth keeping around for future use as he continued emptying his plate.


(621 // 5392)

The lazy guy was stuffing his face. Meanwhile...

The rain of watery needles shot down as Minato blew out of his pipe. The bubble in fact encompassed him, protecting him with a powerful shell of water magic. Normally, this spell could of pierced armor, but in this case it just sliced into the bubble a bit-- looking like a porcupine before it popped with a splash. Water drizzled down around the monk as he looked at Suijin bothered. For a bubble, it was surprisingly durable as the two wizards faced off.

All the while Kage was confused to the clash as Minato soon spoke up. "Dispecable of you, Suijin-- taking on a student when you disrespected your own so much. Exceed, whoever you are... you are wise to not follow this one. How can he be called a master when he stabbed us-- his masters and mine in the back to steal the power we safeguarded for his own. "

It was there on the table now. Suijin's past. Suijin had indeed stole the key to learning his Water God Magic from his own monastery where he used to live. After all his time, he choose to take the power. It was his own reasons and his own interest. The look on his face clearly showed he didn't deny it and wasn't regretting it.

"Quit acting like I killed them," Suijin grumbled at Minato, "I delivered as much as they did. I earned that power 10 times over, and I was denied. I have no regret for what I done so shut up already. "

MInato scowled at him. "I think its about time you shut up. " It was that time that a stray bubble had floated overhead. THis one came behind and would sweep up to Suijin to try and capture him. If it contacted, it would contain him inside.

"Master-- look out!" Kage called out. Despite that fact, the cat was still loyal. If it did shock him of Suijin's past, any different from Indra's-- he didn't mind as he gladly jumped in the way,...

... and was soon stuck in the bubble. The cat was now a floating ornament in the air as the bubble moved about, making him look like a snowglobe.

"THat does it!!" Suijin growled as he formed hand signs. "Ryujin Shark-Frenzy Feast!" he shouted. From the water at his feet, it pooled and growled-- soon becoming three vicious looking water dragons that roared out at Minato. With the simpel gesture, the three heads sprung forth to try and attack Minato at once.

Clearly seeing the danger of three incoming water dragons, Minato finally had the sense to jump clear and move, as the projectiles with life of their own gave chase.

WC: 463

"Yaaaaaaawn!"

Making sure his voice resounded through the street they found themselves in quite audibly, Vetis got up from his seat on the rooftop. Taking his empty plate and throwing it like a discus into the bubble that was keeping the exceed locked away while moving the earth in front of this Minato person upward like a wall. Though it would not last, it at the very least managed to take the brunt of the damage as the water dragons crashed into it. By the time the exceed would have fallen back to the ground, and do as cats do, which was to land on their feet, all hostilities would temporarily be halted as the demon had really seen enough of these childish and pointless outbursts. Though he liked having a show while he ate, once his food had run out, he really was no longer in the mood. As much as it had served to get him some free food, as well as some spells to gobble down and magic to unconsciously delve into, what was going on around here simply needed to stop for the benefit of everyone.

"For the past… five or so minutes, all you've done is run around, destroying part of this city and injuring other people along the way, entirely without giving a shit in the slightest. During your petty and childish rampage, you've been going at it about how people took what wasn't theirs, attacking one's pets and beliefs. So tell me, can you not see the sanctimonious, self-righteous bullshit you're spouting?"

As he finished his speech, he actually chuckled a bit at the thought of him apparently being the designated person to have to break it to these guys that people should not be behaving in such a manner. Sure, he might have been a demon, though there was no fun in such wanton destruction without a clear purpose or someone in particular to hurt over it. What these guys were doing was just a hissy fit over spilled beans while just carelessly destroying whatever happened to be in their way, and that just did not sit right with him at all. No, ever since the moment when part of the restaurant he was sitting in had been blown away from around him in seconds, part of him had been figuring out whether or not he should kill one of them or just skip the coin flipping and straight up murder the both of them in cold blood. But the more he got to hear and the more destruction he witnessed, the clearer the solution became. Since these two wanted to behave like children, he would treat them like children by inviting them to play a little game.

"Regardless of whether your infantile little minds can grasp such big words and their meaning, I suggest we take this outside of the city and turn this into a game. A simple game that is, so as to not give one of you a migraine. We'll continue the fighting in the open fields outside of the city, and if the two of you can defeat me, you can continue fighting one another. If I beat you, I'll decide whether or not I'll kill you or not. How does that sound for a fun game?"

Showing a crooked smile while his eyes radiated with a simple and straight forward murderous intent, he pointed towards the large fields on the far side of the city. Through they would most likely not understand, this would benefit them greatly as it would take them away from this place before any authorities could get to the site to detain them. Instead, they would be able to focus on helping the injured people and would be able to start assessing the damage done to Hosenka while the two mages would be able to stay out of a holding cell. Even though he was technically not that old yet, and had been forced to sleep most of the time in which he had been "alive", he had only really had a body of flesh, sinew and bone for a few days. As such, he was still experiencing what the world was like and what he was like when he got to be his own person, though he already felt like he was more developed than these two. Once he had pointed to where it was he wished to go, he shot one more glance their way before he headed over to the designated location.


If the two somehow got it into their skulls to disregard what he had said and continue in the city, he would just come back. But if he was to do so, it would be without warning, and he would actually tear their heads off of their shoulders and shove them down their open neck holes. If that point was to come, they would have wished for the authorities to arrive and get taken in instead of being at the mercy of the demon. But as he ventured towards the next location, he imagined they would at the very least be clever enough to understand that it was in their best interests to not stay in a crowded city where they had just caused a ruckus, destroyed a lot of buildings and injured a lot of people. Having both Vetis and the magic council and their rune knights to worry about, they should probably consider themselves happy if the knights were to be assigned to the case, seeing as how dies irae would probably not take them in for questioning or to take them to be detained. Chances were that they would be taken out on the spot for what they had done, and for good reason.

Arriving in the fields between the Sakuramori area and Hosenka, he would wait for the slowpokes to get there too. With a full stomach, a ton of magic power to burn through and a new outfit to boot, he was about as ready for a little brawl as he was going to get. Now all it took was for him to wait for his fellow brawlers.


(1027 // 6421)

The fight between Minato and Suijin would of pressed on as he would have tried to lure Minato into a false position. The water dragons swam and sought out the enemy, in a chase to try and catch him off guard. Regardless of his attacks, the fight was at a stalemate with the two equally skilled foes. Even worse now that Mintato held the cat 'hostage' now -- even though he doubted Minato would even result to such dishonorable acts than use Kage to get him to submit.

However, the fight suddenly died at the ominous and somewhat full of himself voice that spoke out. Suijin and Minato stopped, and turned to the source, finding the man at the top of the roof of the restaurant they were in. he proposed to take the fight out of the city-- and threatened to kill them if they didn't.

However, Suijin had a simple reply for the guy. He glared at him, for the time being putting his hate down for Minato. Even Minato, aware of the threat of this man-- had Kage's bubble now float a distance away from them.

All the while the cat continued to claw and thrash inside to try and get out, having a temper tantrum which was muffled by the bubble's shell.

Suijin narrowed his gaze at the stranger. "Do I look like the kind of guy who gives a crap about opinion-- or who does what he is told?" Suijin said with arrogant pride, but with firm resolve. "If I don't listen to my friend here, you can bet I won't listen to you, jackass."

*Presuming you use magic to move them to the other location*

By the time it took the three to get to the meadows outside of town, thus leaving the citizens to deal with the aftermath of the fight between the two mages, Vetis had already gotten a bit impatient. For a moment, he was sure that they might try to call his bluff and not show up as invited, which would really not have worked out well for them. No, he was not bluffing when he claimed that he would simply kill them both and move on if they did. Right now though, as the two guys and the cat reached the agreed upon location, he had but one thing in mind. Punishment. Feeling that it was really what they deserved after wrecking the place where he himself had decided to eat that day, as well as hurting so many people and maybe making it so that he could not show his face around the place again, the demon also figured that he should try to make this fun. While punishing people was about as much fun as a demon could get, he instead had a different kind of fun in mind. Given the various magics he had witnessed up until now, he wanted to see which of them would be worth using and which would be worth keeping.

"You really don't know how to properly read a situation, do you?"

Though he hid it well, there was very little that could infuriate Vetis more than a human that did not know his place. Even after being kind enough not to kill them on the spot, which was probably what the two of them deserved after all of the damage and hurt they caused out of sheer self-preservation, he still acted like Vetis was the underdog and was merely boasting. Speaking of boasting, when Suijin called him a jackass and stated that he was not the kind of person to care about opinions and did not do what he was told. Strange, seeing as he had still come here. But that didn't matter, he would get what he deserved soon enough.

"I was going to go easy on you, but seeing as you've got the audacity to call me names after destroying part of the city and injuring people over some petty squabble, I've decided that I'm going to break your face open with the other guy's face. Now let's see what you've got."

Sprinting towards Suijin, he had both of his hands at the ready to just strike him square in the throat with one of his fists. Keeping his eyes locked on the one with the blue hair, he only needed to rely on his sense of smell and hearing to keep track of the other guy. Figuring that he wouldn't be so dumb as to keep his eyes off of him as he could very easily get a few hits in if he did, the goal was not so much to harm him. Not yet at least. His provocations, as well as his charge which were aimed at Suijin were only meant to distract the other guy and lull him into a false sense of safety. Once he got close enough, which was not that hard for him given how incredibly fast and nimble he was on his feet, he would suddenly release a blinding mass of light that was, as implied, to temporarily blind the guy and mask a teleportation spell. It was one of the more nifty tricks he had devised when practicing which magics he could and could not use. Appearing right beside Minato, Vetis breathed in and out a second later, releasing a powerful torrent of water from his mouth.

The attack was the same one he had seen Suijin use against him earlier, though the sheer amount of magic power Vetis possessed amplified the velocity with which it moved, as well as the raw force behind it that would aim to blow the guy away. If he was weaker than he looked, the attack might very well rip him apart in the process, though he did not imagine the attack would be as strong as to do such a thing straight from the get go. No, all of this, if anything, was to make a point out of not starting shit in places where people who had nothing to do with it could get hurt. But more importantly, it was to show anyone who as much as looked at him wrong that Vetis would not stand for it. They were mere humans after all, and he was a demon, and one who was quite fed up with all the bullcrap.

"Now for you, water man, since you don't like being told what to do, I'm going to let you decide whether you want to fight seriously now or if you want to run like a cowardly dog, 'cause I'm not sure if your "Friend" is going to get up or not."


(828 // 7249)