Curse

My insides began to burn as strange tattoos began to creep up my legs and up my chest before stopping just above my elbows. A horrible pain began to assault my head as two horns broke through the skin on my forehead. Blood dripped down my head and into the hot water, dyeing it red. The pain slowly faded away and was replaced with an insane amount of power.

I flexed my hands and watched as a strange red-black energy danced around my body like lightning. Suddenly, the woman who had shown me the way to my new house, along with three other well equipped men, burst into the room with their weapons raised.

I looked over and tried to explain myself, but the woman brandished her spear and yelled "Do not speak, Demon!" before lifting her spear up to toss it at me. Her arm was grabbed by the old man with black eyes, filling her with surprise and them shame as she hung her head with a slightly red face.

The old man chuckled and said "So, I see you have learned how to use your Curse. It was pretty obvious that it was sealed since you were carrying your Cursed weapon on your hips." He threw me a vial filled with a red liquid before ushering everyone out so I could get dressed. I swished the contents of the vial around before taking the cork off and sniffing it.

It had a pleasant aroma, almost like an expensive wine. I swallowed the substance with a single gulp and felt a fuzzy feeling in my stomach as the tattoos and horns began to fade away. I moved out of the onsen and got dressed in a fresh pair of clothes that were laid out for me before moving outside.

The old man was waiting outside with a kindly smile as he was hunched over on a cane. I walked up and asked "Hey, can you tell me how I did that...Curse thing? I've had Onimaru my whole life and I've never experienced something like that before..."

The old man nodded his head and said "It is a skill that one may obtain after acquiring a Cursed weapon." The old man reached his free arm out and a katana sheathed in an onyx black saya appeared in his outstretched hand.

"This is my Cursed weapon, Shinigami. I am able to materialize him freely since I have mastered the abilities that his Curse gives me, and you will be able to do the same once you have mastered your weapon." He then let the katana disappear before walking away toward a large group of horned men sparring together.

"Hey, that thing I turned into, was that the same as you and your people?" I asked while absentmindedly rubbing my forehead. The old man stopped and laughed before saying "No, no we are a species known as Ogres. What you turned into was what everyone calls a "Cursed."

His explanation was rather vague, but I was able to make the connection between the Ogres and the Cursed. Although they were very similar, one was obviously some type of monster, while the Cursed were the product of a Cursed weapon's Curse.

We arrived at a large training field littered with wooden dummies and spare weapons. The old man walked through the field to a large open area before turning and saying "Now, I want you to show me how skillful you are with your hands, and then with your Cursed weapon's base form and Awakened form. Only then will I teach you about Skills, that is if you impress me." with a wink.

I clenched and unclenched my fists before stretching my body as the Ogres training stopped to watch me, some even laughing and betting on how badly I'll perform. So I decided to be a little showy.

I started slowly and performed the martial arts that Shino taught me. I began to speed up as my kicks and palm-strikes created a snapping sound every time they flew out. I eventually turned into a blur as my strikes began to create a fierce wind and my steps began to create solid imprints in the ground below.

I ended with an explosive punch that produced a loud bang, leaving the surrounding Ogres silent. Even some of those wandering the streets and the merchants came to see what the noise was, giving me quite the audience. I took a deep breath and turned my head to look at the old man, who was standing there quietly with an intrigued smirk.

He nodded his head and I took Onimaru from my belt and waited as the old man walked around and inspected the Ogres, most likely to find an opponent for me. He then turned and said "Well, looks like you will be facing me since no one else has the compacity to withstand your blows."

His katana appeared in his hand and its blade flew out toward my neck at a surprising speed. I brought Onimaru up and blocked the strike before stabbing out with the kunai in my left hand. The blade passed through his afterimage and a tingle on my neck alerted me to his position. I spun and blocked a ferocious slash.

I slid back from the force of his blow and found myself on the defensive. It was like he wasn't moving, yet his blade was moving impossibly fast, and I was completely relying on my instincts honed through battle. Without them I would be dead, no doubt about it.

I managed to trap his blade before sending it up and attacking with a quick combo of slashes and stabs, but I felt slow compared to the old man. Suddenly, I found the tip of his blade at my neck, a small drop of blood rolling down its surface.

The man smiled and said "Impressive. Most people would have been defeated by the first strike, but you, you are special...I look forward to seeing you progress. Now, wake your Curse and use its Awoken form." I rubbed my neck and nodded before saying "Awaken, Onimaru!"

A black-red energy burst out from my body as Onimaru turned into his scythe form and the tattoos covered my body while two horns sprouted from my head. Thankfully, it wasn't as painful as last time. I twirled Onimaru around before leaning him over my shoulder as the old man sheathed his katana and said "Darken, Shinigami!"

A large amount of power began to radiate from his body as shadowy armor began to form over his body while a shadow-like flame enveloped his sword. His body began to bulk up as he grew from an average six feet tall to an astounding seven and a half feet tall. His armor completely covered his body while his eyes glowed a fierce red from under his helmet.

Our auras collided and created a suffocating pressure, forcing the Ogres to stand back and erect barriers to protect their houses. I had a small smile on my face as I felt my blood boil in anticipation. The old man returned the smile and said "Many people have never seen this form of Shinigami, but I have a feeling that you will be able to survive at least three hits..."

His body blurred and, with Onimaru's Curse flowing through my veins, I was able to keep up with his movements. Or I thought I was. I ducked a slash aimed at my head and realized that I was following his afterimage...

I swung Onimaru out in a tight arc and watched as the old man easily dodged and retaliated with a stab. I blocked the attack with the pole of the scythe before driving it to the side and slashing out with the butt spike. The old man grabbed the spike with his armored hand and swung me around and into the ground with frightening strength.

I recovered quickly and began to block his rapid-fire attacks. I deflected a stab and swept Onimaru out in front of me, creating a thick line of black-red energy that flew toward the old man. Before I even knew it I was already on the ground with my previous attack already dispersed.

Despite losing horribly, I began to laugh. It felt good having someone who is way beyond my skill level, considering I was one of the best fighters back on my continent. I accepted the man's offered hand and stood to my feet as the surrounding Ogres clapped and cheered with eyes filled with admiration.

The old man pat me on the back and whispered "Looks like you have quite the fan base already..." as he gestured over to a large group of female Ogres staring at me with starry eyes. It was rather uncomfortable seeing so many women with arms thicker than mine fawning over me, but hey, some of them are actually pretty cute.

"Alright everyone, that's it for today! Get back to work!" The old man's voice snapped everyone out of their daze and they immediately returned to what they were doing like nothing had ever happened. The old man looked at me and gestured for me to follow him as he walked toward his house with his cane.

It was confusing seeing this seemingly frail old man walking with a cane when he just whooped my ass. We entered his house and took our shoes off before walking over to a low sitting table and sitting down. The same woman who showed me to my house walked over with some tea before standing to the side with an indecipherable expression.

The old man sipped his tea with a pleased sigh before asking "So, young warrior, do you know anything about Skills?" I though the meant something like my skills in swordsmanship or hand-to-hand combat, so I nodded my head.

The old man set his cup of tea down and asked "Alright, so what is a Skill?" I found this question rather simple and answered "A skill is something that you obtain after a long period of training." The man paused for a second before saying "Yes and no. A Skill is an ability that, only rarely thought, can be gained from constant training or personal achievements. The most common way is when you are born and, usually, you will gain one or more Skills." He paused to take another sip of his tea before continuing.

"Other ways are Evolving, acknowledgement from the Voice of the World, stealing other's Skills with a Skill of your own, combining or evolving existing Skills, or if someone voluntarily grants you a skill. Sometimes, Skills manifest when certain conditions are met, such as making a contract with a Cursed weapon."

Seeing the confusion on my face, the old man chuckled and said "Here, let me show you a Skill of mine. Watch closely." He held his finger up in the air and a thin line of string began to weave around in the air before retracting back into his finger. "Actually, now that you mention it, I do remember hearing a weird voice in my head when I was waking up..."

I tried to remember the voice but, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't. The old man nodded his head and said "That was most likely the Voice of the World. Here, let me do something..." The old man held his finger out and said "Curse, Shinigami!"

A shadow shot out from his finger and pierced my chest before spreading around my body, however, a voice rang out in my head as it began to slowly fade away.

[Curse has been detected. Using Curse Resistance.]