Enter the Gates of the Dead (Mamoru, Remika)

Mission: https://www.narutoroleplaygame.com/t53701-dark-envoy#403134

The days had grown  longer and longer as the male sat outside of the inn currently in Kumo, his eyes placed upon a unknown stone that had been raised to the moon. In his dark, almost soulless eyes he stared through its orange textures racking his brain for any potential matches that might have came up in the past. None so far. Not even any of the unique gems and rocks from the Land of Moon paled in comparison to this treasure that he had been holding in his hand," What a complete mystery you are. Nothing compares to what you currently look like, nor have i ran into a stone with such an allure like you before. Makes me curious as to what your true origins lie," he pondered to himself as he began to toss the stone up and down into the air. He had stopped by a jeweler on the way back to the inn who had even been stumped by the stone, but could only remind himself of the legend of the Soul Stone. Such a silly legend could never truly exist, at least not to the scholar. He had spent much of his youth in Suna going over many legends so he knew quite a few in this world, but maybe...just maybe this was one that had escaped him. As he tossed it up one more time he would catch it and leave it snug within his right hand as he took in a deep breath and sat up. He wasn't going to get anywhere just sitting here mulling over something that escaped his realm of comprehension which was odd, but not uncommon in some fronts. From sitting down he would stand up and adjust his jacket a bit as he began to walk into the inn itself, determined to get a good nights rest and pick up the trail again in the morning. As he opened the door, he would not notice it then, but once he stepped through he would find himself in a land that was not quite his.

An orange sky and a landscape that had never been on any kind of map, chart or otherwise that the man had seen of the elemental nations. Curiosity struck his face as he looked around for a moment but felt an unfamiliar warmth in his hand. Looking down he could see beams of light slowly poking out of his hand and when he had looked to see, the stone had been emitting an eerie glow. Perplexed and confused, he would stick the stone in his inner jacket pocket and begin to investigate the area a little further. He couldn't see much in the way of people, landscapes, or even topography that would point him in the direction of where he needed to go yet he could tell he was not in Kumo. The orange sky gave it away. Nonetheless the Lightning Meijin would continue on his trek, looking around for anything that could lead him to the right place...or avoid being lead astray.

510 WC

No signs of ghosts, spirits or other strange creatures. Just him, alone with his thoughts. After the events that happened not that long ago Mamoru decided to send his servant away, allowing her to explore the island on her own. "It'll do you good, some time away from me, not having to follow me around everywhere I go". It would be a nice change of pace, no longer having to pick her words carefully when in the Kyuketsuki's presence. The Monarch knew she was always on edge around him, afraid she might say or do something wrong. So for the time being he wanted the woman to become more comfortable and find her own place. 

As the wind blew softly, Mamoru moved. Step by step he would slowly make his way back to the borders where they came from when their group arrived in Volcano Country. "Could this really be the place for us?" he wondered, questioning whether or not the Kyuketsuki would be able to find their new home in a village full of ruins. A lot of questions remained, but no answers as of yet. Time would tell, as they say. The only way for them to find what they were looking for, was to jump in with their eyes closed. Only the toughest of trials would provide them with the finest rewards.

Continuing his trek, the True Noblesse suddenly came to a halt as he spotted two individuals in the distance. "A change in the air" the Kyuketsuki noticed the difference in atmosphere, almost as if he ended up somewhere else than where he used to be moments ago. As he approached the duo, Mamoru immediately recognized one of them, the other a complete and total stranger to him. "Making friends already I see?". By then he joined Remika and the unknown man, standing two meters from his fellow Kyuketsuki, able to hear both of their heartbeats.

(WC: 320)

His steps continually brought him close to nowhere and the abyss far too quickly as he found that he was no closer to finding an actual landmark than he was finding a building or hut. Wherever this place had been it was different than the lands he had currently been in and the atmosphere gave him a slight air of dread...of death even. Being a former coliseum fighter he knew all too well what it was like to court death but that was figurative. In this place it felt more...literal to the point where if he had a keener eye he could see it himself. To his point however he leaned down slowly to pick up some of the...whatever he had been standing on and sifted it through his hands. Wasn't sand. Nor dirt. Maybe it was but it was dead. Then it had hit him like a sack of bricks. There had been no flora or signs of life for the entirety of his walk. In the distance he could hear wailings and if he had paid attention, he saw figures. Nothing that stood out as corporeal, but maybe dead all the same. Then the conclusion came to him. As he reached into his pocket however to confirm, a voice would ring out to him. Feminine. Alive even. The first voice he had heard since he had came here. It had a sort of allure to it, almost as enticing as death itself but as he turned to face the voice he would only give a smile," Only someone versed in death would give such an oddity of a riddle in its land of origin Though the lecture of if one is dead or alive depends on the person does it not?," he would stand straight now with the still glowing stone in his hands.

Showing it to the unknown female he would begin to toss it in the air as he continued," Though we are very much as they say, far away from home. These stones have something to do with the puzzle, but the picture remains clouded nonetheless. I wonder if I am ecstatic to see another living being...or terrified. I haven't decided it yet," though his train of thought stopped the moment a second would come into the picture. His eyes, void of color, would slowly slide over to the new arrival who had been a male. Judging from his words they seemed to already know each other which would either put Ikumo at an advantage or disadvantage depending on how this went. He was never one to intentionally make enemies, so why not make an ally. Stuffing the stone back into his inner jacket pocket, he would introduce himself to the both of them,." Seeing as you two might already know each other it seems I am at a clear disadvantage in having the opportunity of introducing myself. I am Ikumo. Wherever this plane of existence might be, i would rather have allies, no matter how temporary, than enemies. Let us see what this dead world has in store for us and go onto our separate ways shall we?," he would leave it at that but also give them time to make their own decision on the matter.


543 Wc
TWC 1053

This one seemed interesting, mentioning the idea of becoming temporary allies while at the same time giving out his name. There was no change in the man's heartbeat, chances were he indeed decided not to hide his identity as he introduced himself. A slight smirk appeared on Mamoru's face upon hearing Remika use the name she had chosen for the more mundane world, at least she wasn't foolish enough to simply play along with the first stranger they stumbled upon. "I was about to say, you were never the type to befriend people" the Kyuketsuki couldn't help but tease his fellow Noblesse.

As the three of them stood there, all having noticed the strange and sudden change in atmosphere, the Monarch figured it wouldn't hurt getting the formalities out of the way before they could focus on the situation at hand. "Mamoru Ito, the responsible one out of the two" he introduced himself while pointing at Remika who still stood close to him. The female Kyuketsuki, remaining rather silent up till then, suddenly spoke up as she stared in the direction of an impending figure. "Compose yourself, we've dealt with worse". He listened as his sister mentioned the stones and the possibility they were the cause of it all, making him wonder what to make of it.

Without thinking, almost as if it was a reflex, Mamoru grabbed the stone and started channeling chakra into it, not aware of what might happen. Doing so, he experienced something he never had before, using the unique object which allowed them to cross the boundary to what appeared to be the spirit realm. No longer the reality they knew, but an unfamiliar setting to them all. Whereas the True Noblesse wasn't certain yet, he knew now. They had been sent there for a reason, a cause bigger than what one would think or even expect. 

(WC: 312, TWC: 632)

He didn't know whether to be nervous or humorous at the fact that his "smell" wasn't to the females taste, but he had enough common sense to make a tasteful remark," Well I did shower today in a nice lavender and plum soak at the bath house so maybe those two smells are worthy of your palette perhaps?," or maybe because the scent that she had gotten off of him reeked of Lightning. Either way he would not probe any further into her meaning of the matter for if she wanted to elaborate she would have, just a keen observation based on how she stood and carried herself. With the arrival of the other male, he would listen to their brief interaction to gather two things. The first being that they were very well acquainted with one another, siblings even. And the second being the male had a sense of humor even if it did border between playful and probable murder. He couldn't size up either of them honestly because there had been a keen air of mystery surrounding them, plus he wasn't too sure if the tables had turned on him could he defeat them both. Come out alive? Sure. Kill them? Not probable in his eyes at the moment. Then again he was not one that would pick a fight just to see who had been stronger, he was far more intelligence than that. Either way with the introductions out of the way he would further listen to Mamoru as Remika had confirmed his assumptions about the stones. It was quite odd that he had heard a so called legend about them and here he was living it himself, This was a unique case of irony that the Lightning Scholar did not think he would experience yet he was.

Besides the point he would look onward to the imposing figure coming toward them and smile," One thing is for sure. These stones play a key part in our being here...and our leaving. Whoever or whatever that figure is probably is the keeper of these lands or worse- an enigma that needs to be dealt with before we can leave. Either way, we might as well see what needs to be done about them before we can depart. Shall we?," he would inquire before walking forward to meet the figure half way.. As he walked closer and closer to the dark enigmatic figure he could only feel that something needed to be done about them. Whatever their intention had been was not good or in any way a boon for their home. Ikumo figured this could be solved with words but if it came down to fighting...well he did not have an issue breaking an outer entities face in. Once they were roughly 3 meters apart the figure would stop and float five inches above the ground, looking at Ikumo. Once thing that brought on a look of disdain about the figure was that Ikumo could not TELL if the figure was looking at him for he could not see any eyes or any facial features for that matter, no. It was just the general feeling of SOMETHING looking at him that drew him to this conclusion. Silence filled the air for a moment and it was Ikumo that broke it," What are you and why are you in these lands? The feeling I get from you is not one that promotes....peace, but danger," the scholar would simply exclaim. There was not a hint of sarcasm or maliciousness from his voice yet what came next might have well been a declaration of a fight.

There was no mouth that moved but Ikumo could clearly hear the words from viciously from the figure as it spoke.

"My master shall walk the world of the living and trample upon your meager bodies if you try to stop me..."

648
TWC: 1,701
[Mission WC Completed]
:10,000 Ryo / 50 AP/17 Stats acquired
1,701 Words toward Raiden's Blessing S rank making it 1,701/2750

Having crossed a boundary to the spirit realm it was only a matter of time before they would find out what happened, the only thing Mamoru could do for now was to guess, not knowing what to expect. Regardless of what might or might not be the outcome, the Kyuketsuki kept up his guard the entire time, better safe than sorry. One could never know for certain what dangers would be lurking in the dark, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. A silent assassin, striking from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, impossible to predict his moves. The only thing for their prey to do was to hope to live another day.

Regardless of what would take place, Mamoru closely observed everyone's moves for the time being, paying the utmost attention to everything going on around him. Calm your nerves and remain cool and collected at all times, it was always one of the first things the True Noblesse told his students and the ones who decided to follow him in the past. And what good teacher would he be if he didn't follow his own advice? To be in control of your emotions, even when staring death itself in the eyes. In the end it could be exactly that what would save your life. Keen decision making, something the Monarch possessed.

Standing there, the Kyuketsuki witnessed the same as everyone else, an imposing figure that started to approach the three of them. The man known as Ikumo decided to speak up, appearing to be of the same mind as he mentioned the stones and his guess that they were both their way in, as out. "Might as well" Mamoru agreed to the suggestion of finding out what role the strange figure had to play in all of it and what would be required of them in order to be allowed and leave. After all, everyone knew how much he hated surprises, all the more reason to get out sooner than later.

Determined to find out why and how they ended up in the spirit realm, Mamoru followed behind Ikumo as their own group began making it way to the dark, enigmatic figure. Still unaware of its intentions, the three of them continued closing the distance between the envoy and themselves. Whether they were dealing with a what or a who didn't matter, at that point every single one of them would be able to feel the sinister aura that was aimed at their direction. "I think it's safe to say we can agree that whatever that is supposed to be, isn't human" the True Noblesse voiced.

Once there was nothing more than three meters separating both groups from one another, the figure came to a halt as it suddenly floated in the air. "Neat trick, you should teach me that sometime". All jokes aside, it was quite the sight to behold. No eyes, mouth or any other facial features for that matter, almost as if it was darkness itself staring at them. "Man, you are one ugly motherfucker" Mamoru couldn't help but show his disgust. The True Noblesse had seen plenty, but nothing of the sort. In the meantime Ikumo had taken the opportunity to finally ask the questions they were all curious about. What and why the figure came to their lands.

He hardly expected an answer from someone without a mouth, but stranger things had happened ever since arriving in Volcano Country. Ikumo tried his hardest to approach with reason, using a rationale the monster wasn't worthy of. What happened next was something he never saw coming, a result he didn't expect nor could even begin to hope for. A smirk appeared on Mamoru's face upon hearing the figure's response, the True Noblesse bursting into laughter, tears of joy running down his face as he tried to compose himself after witnessing the ridiculous turn of events which started to play in front of him.

After a couple of minutes he was finally able to regain his composure, wiping away the tears from his face. A mischievous grin appeared, the Kyuketsuki spreading his arms wide almost in a provoking manner. "Your master is already here, standing in front of you". Talking about a master in the presence of the True Noblesse, a foolish mistake. He wouldn't allow anyone to compare themselves to him, even if those in question were otherwordly or not. "What are you waiting for? Bow, you worthless dog". Last he checked the figure only missed facial structures so kneeling shouldn't be an issue.

Another smirk appeared on his face upon hearing Remika's suggestion. "Why dear sister, I couldn't have said it better myself". He would then allow the female Kyuketsuki to take the stage, listening how she tried to persuade the creature by attempting to convince they weren't so different from each other. It was clear as day that it was nothing more than a distraction, a show to keep it busy. The veil was about to close soon, the only thing they needed to do now was to keep the monster at bay, make sure it would be unable to cross boundaries between both worlds.

Wasting no time Mamoru would suddenly lunge forward, his sharp claws slashing at the creature and ripping out its throat until there was nothing left to recognize. "I told you to bow". The blood had splattered all the way up to his face, like how a painter would paint his canvas. "Where's your master now?" the Monarch asked, taking deep breaths as the predator within tried to take control over him. His first kill since his slumber ended, leaving him with only one question, how many more would follow until his thirst became satiated?

Now that the veil slowly started closing it was time for the three of them to return to their world, the mission of stopping a catastrophe successfully coming to an end. "I guess that's our call". Using his spirit stone before it turned into a soul stone, Mamoru almost started to miss Volcano Country and the servant he had to leave behind. "We could be heroes, just for one day". A different role than the one he was used to, but if it meant stopping the world from ending it was a change he would welcome. 

(Exit)

(TWC: 1685)
Claims:
- 1500/1500 Ninjutsu Amplifier (B)
- 185 towards Genjutsu Release
- 16 stats to Chakra
- Mission rewards (10.000 + 10.000 Master bonus ryo, 50 AP, Soul Stone)

Thou hath been

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