3rd Pov:
3 years later:
Inside the barren lands of Mato, on top of a large stone pillar overlooking the lands sits are boy in a lotus position with slightly dirty marital arts clothes, his tattoos outlining his face and arms gives him a devilish appearance, with a 2 lines scar over his left eye.
He sits there with his single working eye closed with his on his knees with the only movement around him is his black belt fluttering through the wind.
Sighing, he opens his eye to reveal his crimson pupil, his expression remains neutral but the slight narrow of his eye is evident of his mood, "where is that bastard" Xicor grumbles.
Over the years, Xicor has been training, surviving, hiding and searching.
Training his cursed energy control as well as training in barriers after seeing the demon defence forces barriers and remembering the domains and simple domains.
Surviving by having multiple hideouts in case one gets discovered, he gets food by sneaking through the demon defence forces bases while they are out as well as take some clothes from their dojo. He would find pools of water or puddles inside some caves scattered around the Mato.
They even have some building materials for any repair to the base as some of it is wooden so Xicor took some of that to make some other necessities.
Hiding from the demon defence forces as well as those people who are hunting him by drawing out areas they occupy and they pretty much occupy all of Mato, they split them into 10 zones, each one has a base with Chief in charge with Vice-Chief supporting them at the very centre of this place is the chief commanders base and they're strength is in another class compared to the chiefs.
So far they haven't discovered Xicor's existence but they are suspicious of all the stuff they had stolen from that they now put up cameras, making it difficult to infiltrate.
Searching for the oni Shuuki he named Unihorn, this name was a little joke for him as his emotions grow more and more dull over the years of isolation.
The only thing he interacts with are Shuuki with his taunts and comments to entertain his boredom.
Xicor opened his system as he eyed his templates with silent satisfaction and slight annoyance.
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[Choso Kamo Template: 100% ]
[Cursed Technique: Blood manipulation]
[Speciality: Kyokushin Karate]
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[Nanami Kento Template: 100% ]
[Cursed Technique: Ratio]
[Speciality: None]
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[Jinichi Zenin Template: 100% ]
[Cursed Technique: Missile Fist]
[Speciality: None]
―――――――――――――――――――――
[Ino Takuma Template: 0% ]
[Cursed Technique: Auspicious Beast Summon]
[Speciality: None]
―――――――――――――――――――――
"Without a mask, I can't use Ino's technique" Xicor grumbles.
Ino Takuma technique is a seance technique turns him into a spiritual medium, this only works if his whole face, other than the eyes, is covered by a mask. Once the mask is on he can summon and use four of the auspicious beasts, that being Kaichi, Reno, Kirin and Ryu.
Kaichi is a golden horn that can be used as projectile, which can track its target.
Reiki is a defensive technique that allows Ino to turn his cursed energy into water, this can be useful by nullifying attacks and increasing his mobility using the water on his feet.
Kirin removes the sense of pain, even though this sounds good for a prolonged fight it has a drawback that drains Ino's stamina as a cost.
Ryu is a Chinese dragon that can be summoned like a shikigami but after a certain amount of damage is taken, Ryu will dematerialise.
Xicor has attempted to use rags as a mask but they would always fall off by the wind before he can use the technique. He would have to be lucky to find a mask inside one of the demon defence forces bases or he would have to journey to the human world to get one and find another gate to head back.
Sighing again he gets up as his bones crack from the movement. Xicor rolled his shoulders a few times before leaping down while slowing his movement after a minute by stabbing his hand into the rock, while infusing it with cursed energy.
As he came to a stop, he press his feet on the rocky wall and leap forward at blinding speed. Xicor flew through the sky, his expression remained neutral like it was a repeated scene he'd seen in movie over and over again.
Xicor twisted his body around as he landed hard against wall, the impact alerted the Shuuki below who looked up only to find 7 red and black, massive fists come crashing down on them.
Jinichi Zenin's missile fist technique allows him to summon up to 7 massive fists made up of cursed energy with the same strength and speed his normal punches contain, perfect for a groups.
Xicor landed on the ground softly, despite the height, the area around him is scattered with craters and corpses of the Shuuki that got hit by his missile fists.
Some of Shuuki survived as they immediately rushed at Xicor. He glanced at one, placing a ratio line on one of them before his fist shot out and landed directly on a Shuuki's face.
The Shuuki's head exploded with its body colliding with two others, Xicor gather around his hand as he blocked a blow from above before he swiped his arm forward, slicing the Shuuki that attacked him in half.
All of this gives him no benefit to the system, it is simply entertainment and a way for him to sharpen his skills in combat.
He pushed the arm away from him before he spun a high kick behind him, striking a Shuuki in the head that tried to bite down on me.
Its head jerked to side as blood spat out of its mouth, Xicor spun around the opposite side to land his palm, with fingers and thumb curled, directly on its chest.
The Shuuki staggered back Xicor didn't follow up with another attack as he jumped to the side as Shuuki leaped on his previous position.
As soon as Xicor landed, he raised his fist and used cursed energy reinforcement as a Shuuki's fist hit his side, pushing him a little against the ground.
Xicor glanced to other side to see another Shuuki sneaking up to the side as he grabbed the wrist of the demon next to him and threw it to the one sneaking over to him.
He clapped his hands together and fired a piercing blood that shot through a group 4 demons that were running towards him.
Xicor ducked under a hand swiping over him as he raised his leg high and kick the Shuuki across the face, he got back into a crouched position facing the demon before he threw an uppercut at the demon, infusing the strike with cursed energy.
He then stopped a Shuuki fist from hitting him before threw the demon at two others, Xicor leaped up high as his fist was coated in cursed energy before 3 massive fists appeared. Xicor shot his fist down to the Shuuki as they massive fists come crashing down on them.
Xicor landed down but as soon as his feet touched the ground, he was punch in the back of the head, his body bounced off the ground several times before coming to a stop.
Growling he got back up in a more colder mood, "I'm gonna enjoy killing you" Xicor said, his eyes locked onto the demon in front of him.
The demon responded with a roar as it charged towards him. Xicor stood there as blood covered his hand before he thrusted his hand out and blood shot towards the demon, the blood wrapped itself around the demon completely binding it.
The Shuuki struggled to escape but it could move its arms, Xicor's still open palm closed sharply as the blood began to constrict and tighten around the demon as it screamed out in pain before the binding abruptly crushed it, its bones snap at uneven joints and blood sprayed out like a fountain.
Xicor was about to attack another Shuuki but a blinding light, followed by the swirling of wind caught his and the Shuuki's attention.
Xicor narrowed his eyes as he leaped away towards the light, leaping from rock to rock. Once Xicor made to the location he finds multiple dead tree's on hill's with pink, almost glass like, fruits attached to its branches.
Corpses of Shuuki are scattered around it, all of them lifeless, at the base of one of the tree's is a beautiful woman with tattered clothing that almost leaves her naked, she has black hair reaching down to her waist but her eyes are hard to identify as she has her eyes closed.
Xicor remained hidden behind a jagged rock formation, he analyses the surroundings to find nothing but dead Shuuki and the lone unconscious woman.
Xicor hesitates to help her as helping would heal his mind from the loneliness but he doesn't know if she's apart of the demon defence forces as it is hard to tell if she's apart of it or not.
It could even be trap to lure him in and take him by surprise, he has been too cautious with any human presence, especially the woman who have abilities that could rival or even possibly outmatch him.
The only time he has spotted any men in Mato are the cleaners but even then, their self awareness is lacking as he can easily bypass them, while it is easy and simple it also annoys Xicor of how low the men he heard of in story's about the world wars fought and died for a world like this.
As his thoughts kept going around in his mind, 4 women in demon defence forces uniform arrived at the scene with what seems to a military vehicle.
The most notable one he eyes is a woman with short black hair with purple highlights and red eyes, Xicor eyes her as he senses the immediate threat she poses if he fought her.
'Must be a Chief' He thought as that person is in a league of their own compared to the others.
They carefully check her out for any injuries, after examining her they loaded her up in the back of the vehicle before driving off.
Xicor stepped out from his spot as he watched the vehicle growing smaller and smaller the further it goes, he turns his attention back to the tree while thinking of that blinding light.
"Was that her ability?" He questioned, his voice carrying through the wind.
He put the scene at the back of his mind as it will be something that would keep him occupied back at hideouts.
Xicor leaves the area and heads back to one of his hideouts as there is nothing for him here. Walking inside, he finds the usual junk he has taken, clothes placed up on a string, a makeshift shelf is against a wall with various foods and bottles of water on them. Next to the shelf are scrapes of wood and sticks
In the centre of the room is a used campfire with burnt wood and ash on it with stone encircling it. At the back of the room is a makeshift bed with some rips on it, while not comfortable, it's useable scattered around the bed are pieces of paper with crude drawing that almost look child like but some are more clearer.
Xicor's sighs as his nose breaths in the all too familiar scent of ash and home, "home sweet home" he muttered in most enthusiastic way possible but it came out dull.
With experienced movement he walks around the room and begins to create a fire. The process was simple and repetitive that it didn't take him long.
Xicor sat there, staring at the flickering flames as the heat flowed around the room, he rubbed his eye to get his focus back.
His other hand drifts over to piece of paper he drew of himself, his family and his friends but their faces are rubbed out multiple times that they were ultimately left like that with another piece of paper but it has himself, Kazu, Kyouka, Kazuma and Renna.
He held the paper in front of him as he examined every detail to ensure it's perfect, his thumbs rubs against the paper before he places it back down but his hands lingers for half a second but ultimately retreat back.
He sighed as he continued to stare at the fire, "I don't want to forget you" Xicor muttered.
He sighed again as he moved into his bed a let sleep take over him, which is only place he can find peace.
In a different location, the woman who Xicor found but let the demon defence forces take is currently inside cage using talismans as to keep her in, her clothes are completely gone leaving her naked.
The woman, Yuno Nano begins to stir from her unconscious state to reveal her green eyes, the eerie atmosphere immediately gets her alarmed as she sits up and examines the place she is in.
Around her are very thick ropes twice as wide as her arms wrapped together in a square with numerous talismans attached to the ropes.
The only source of light she has is the ceiling light directly above her, making it difficult to see further from her spot.
As she was about to call out if anyone was there, an elderly voice cut her off, "I see you have awakened"
Yuno flinched at the sudden voice, her eyes slowly drift to voice to find an elderly woman with two young women, all in similar white yukata's each of women beside the elderly woman almost look like sister with how identical they look with only difference being their hair styles, all three are sitting on their knees.
"W-Who a-are you" Yuno stammered, her fragile and confused mind not being able to keep up with what's been happening to her.
The elderly woman ignored Yuno's question, "You're are currently inside the Onmyou Agency, this place is a research facility into studying the Shuuki" She began, her voice moved with practiced precision, almost like she's done this before.
Yuno blinked several times, 'A-A place that studies S-Shuuki but w-why am I here?' She thought, confusion written all over her face.
Seeing her confusion, the elderly woman lifted her right hand and pointed at it before pointing at Yuno's right hand.
Still confused, Yuno looked down at her right hand to find it completely different, her nails have become sharp claws, hard red stubs formed on her knuckles and wrist.
She looked down, horrified, as she brought up her over hand to cover her mouth from the shock but she quickly found out her other hand has formed the same way.
Afraid, she checks her whole body to find black patches all around her but they are more prominent on her backside, like virus spreading through her body.
"W-What's happening t-to me?!" She exclaimed, tears ready to burst.
The elderly woman ignored her distress and continued, "this type of accident doesn't happen in the human world, our leading theory of the cause is Mato's miasma but we need to do more research in order to find a cure"
Yuno couldn't accept the reality she was in and clutched her head, "No!" She screamed, shaking her head as if to try and awake from a nightmare.
Again, she was ignored by the elderly woman, "As a precious specimen, we ask that you cooperate with us in our research"
Yuno's closed eyes reopened as she clocked in on a single word, "Research?" She asked fearfully, looking back up with tears at the corner of her eyes.
The elderly woman didn't say a word, she simply waited and watched, with her closed eyes.
Yuno stared at them as if they were crazy, fear completely evident in her voice, "N-No! Cure me! T-Turn me back into who I was before! P-Please!"
Elderly woman's voices completely remains neutral, not a shred of emotion as she address Yuno, "If the research advances, we should be able to find a cure for you and for others in the future"
She and the two young woman behind her bend down with their hands on the wooden floor and hands close to the ground, "Until then, please cooperate with us, for the good of humanity" she said in an almost pleading way.
Yuno stared at them with wide and fearful eyes as sweat trickled down her face, her lips quivering and so is her body.
She was backed into a corner, even if she said no, they'll do it anyway, that much she was certain of. So with furrow brows she took a deep breath, "O-Okay... I'll cooperate"