46 A Spear Boy In A Weeb Land

(Clone Cao Cao POV)

Have I ever just taken a second to admire the world around me?

While the original was heading to Shounen land to deal with the rogue Fallen that joined up with the Wizards Of Oz, I was tasked to roam the country to eliminate any monster I could see. So far, I had killed over a hundred by simply walking around, as my mere power was enough to erase them and add their being to my Land Of Shadows.

"You know I could come up with a new name for the realm as Land Of Shadows sounds too depressing." I think to myself as I finally reach where I want to go. Aunty M's Statue Emporium is the home of Medusa, a woman who fell for Poseidon and was cursed by Athena, the very goddess she worshipped.

It does make me wonder if the Greek god simply has a monster fetish, as nearly everyone they cursed either simply died of bad luck or was turned into a monster. I mean, Zeus cursed King Minos's wife to have sex with the bull that Minos would not sacrifice to him, which gave birth to the original minotaur.

Charybdis and Scylla were both cursed as a result of being either in love with Poseidon or his child. Not to mention Arachne who was cursed by Athena for boasting of her sewing skills, which, to be honest, broke rule number one of being a mortal as you never, ever call yourself more skilled than a god even if you were it will not end well. 

Yet as I entered the building, I observed the various statues and looked at the various victims. It seemed that they were all dead, as only their bodies remained. Most of them showed terrified expressions, and some were simply too surprised even to move a muscle.

To anyone else, they would just seem like very detailed statues, but I knew differently. From behind me, I heard a woman ask, "It's not often I get visitors here. May I ask why you have come?"

I then looked behind me to see Medusa, who looked more akin to her rider counterpart but was wearing a sash that hid her hair and eyes from view. I could see the writhing purple snakes beneath the cloth and smiled slightly.

"Well, I was just touring around the country and decided to take a break and found this place. These statues truly are very detailed. It's as if you caught them right in the greatest moment of fear or denial." My statement makes her almost flinch as her soldiers sag just a bit.

"Well, I can't help myself as I am just a very avid sculptor. It is an art I have perfected over my lifetime." I could feel the regret and acceptance in her words, and as I looked at her, I asked a question.

"If so, why do you wear the blindfold and sash? Are your eyes sensitive to light or something?" My question makes her fidget around slightly as she looks at another statute.

"You could say that many don't find my visage worth looking at. It is just something I got used to as I began sculpting, and while regrettable, it has been a staunch part of my existence till now." She then looks back at me as she asks another question.

"If you are looking to buy a statute, they are not for sale, but I can offer you a map to get back to town." I then shake my head as I sit down in a chair next to the statue of the scared satyr.

"I am fine, but thank you for offering, Miss?" My tone makes her almost trip over herself as she then snaps back to the conversation.

"Oh, I am Medusa. My parents named me after someone memorable, so I stood out. And while sometimes I wish I could change it, I could never muster up enough will to do so." I nod in understanding as I then walk over to her, silent.

"So, since I am taking a break here, would you like to join me for lunch? I have some meals I made myself in my bag." Medusa then shakes her head as she then gestures to another room.

"This Emporium has an eating area in that direction, so if you want, you can eat there as I have already eaten." As she says this, I can feel the hesitation in her voice, but then I grip her shoulder, and as she jumps away in surprise, I chuckle at her cat-like response.

She then frowns as she then walks up to me and says with a deadly edge, "I am not one to tease, sir, so I would suggest you stop this tomfoolery."

I simply smirked as she seemed fun to mess with, and as I took out a meal that I made, I offered it to her, and I saw her expression widen. "Take this as a thanks for showing me around, and I do apologize as I find myself a much more proactive person when I know how to get under their skin."

She seems to look at it with hunger, but then a small amount of sadness enters her frame as she slouches again. "Again, I thank you for the offer, but I've already eaten."

As she tries to walk away, I teleport in front of her as she brandishes the knives that she had in her small paint brush holsters, and as I catch the knives, she stops herself short and jumps away in alarm.

"Who are you? Are you another one of those demigods or an agent of Poseidon or Athena?" The pure vitriol from her voice is almost as poisonous as the snakes that are beginning to wake up.

"No, I'm not affiliated with them, but I am simply a third party interested in offering you a deal that I believe you won't refuse." Her knives do not lower, but her silence shows a willingness to listen further.

"You must have heard of the deaths of Ares and Artemis, correct? I was the one who ended them, so I have been scouring the country, looking for those who may join me and my group to create a home for ourselves, a place for misfits and monsters that the world and its damnable fate have cursed. I offer a place for you, Medusa, and in return, I may return your human form. The illusion you have on right now is very good but not perfect." My words cause her to pause as she then unwraps her hair sash, and I see all the snakes slither out, hissing in anger.

"Bold words coming from a possible liar. And I have dealt with liars before." I then nod to her and summon a mental connection to Scylla back in the Land Of Shadows.

As I connect, I hear her yell in happiness, "Cao Cao! What do you require of me?" I smile at her eagerness to help as I then ask.

"I'm going to send a portal for you, and I simply need your presence to prove a point." I could feel her disappointment as she sighed.

"All right, but one of these days, I'm going to have you bend me over and-" I then cut the line as I wonder how long I can keep these thirsty women at bay. I then summon a portal using sorcery, and as the ring forms and Scylla steps out, I am immediately hugged again.

"Scylla, as much as I enjoy the hugs, can you help our friend here understand the weight of my offer?" She then nods and lets go, and as Medusa seems confused about this woman's identity, I explain.

"Well, Medusa, meet Scylla, a woman I have cured and made a partial human again. If this does not prove the validity of my words, then listen to the woman herself. I will leave you two alone for now." I then head over to the eating area and wait for Scylla to give her the pitch. But what she doesn't know is that regardless of whether she joins or not, I'm still going to help her both out of pity and the fact that she looks like fate Medusa.

I wonder how the original is doing right now?

(Cao Cao POV)

Getting to Japan was easy as, with my concealment and control over my power, I could walk through Kyoto and not be found out by the Yokai, but as I headed over to the location of Tobio Ikuse, I simply watched as the kid was a wreck after losing his friends and with the previous loss of his grandmother earlier in life the kid has some issues.

As I used my all-seeing eyes to look closer, I saw his sacred gear, Canis Lykaon, the wolf that Zeus punished for feeding the Olympians the flesh of his sons. It makes me wonder if the Greek pantheon gave his soul to God as punishment, as they knew he would be used as a weapon for the rest of his life.

As I analyzed the way the shadows moved, I then manipulated a bit of my power to reach the dog, who then summoned a blade toward me. Since I stopped, it could not locate me, but I got what I needed as my Archmage core had seen enough to recreate its shadow manipulation and severing blades. 

Smirking at my new power, I summoned a singular shadow blade, cut a small slice along my palm, and watched as my body adapted to the severing concept and healed itself.

It would take some time for my body to adapt to it fully, but thanks to pain resistance, I barely felt it, and as my body re-aired itself, I found that my cells had framed a pseudo conceptual wall around each cellular bond, blocking severing attacks. 

So, after copying his power, I noticed that the blades had begun to change themselves, becoming more akin to blades of light. I placed one on my spear and saw it slightly evolve itself to be able to sever with just its normal strikes.

Although, with my now infinite severing knives, I wonder if I could cosplay MCU Hela with the infinite swords she could spawn.

Chuckling to myself, I then left a small familiar to watch over the kid in the form of a raven, similar to what Itachi did, as while it had been a couple of days after the cruise liner was assaulted, it wouldn't be for a few months that Slash/ Dog would begin. But I would not wait that long as those people may be in possible danger due to the lack of empathy of the Wizards Of Oz.

For now, this was enough as I then spread my magic sense over the area and found what I was looking for: a stray devil.

"This is where the fun begins," I mutter to myself as I make my way across the city of Tokyo towards the warehouse district near the west side of the city.

(Indra POV)

 Let it be known that I am a benevolent deity in the presence of those worthy of it, but this is absurd.

My plans for that vampire girl are now ruined because of that upstart brat Cao Cao! Yet I can't fault the kid for this move as it was a chink in my armor. What is vexing me is how he knew about her. I expected the vampires to be disappointments, but this is just absurd!

My anger was showing as storms had begun to rage over my divine domain, but then that damn Monkey showed up and said, "Let me track the kid down, Indra. I always wanted to battle that spear user." I allowed him to do so, and he then left on that dragon of his Yu Llong.

It's almost funny how contrarian my emotions are right now as well. I simultaneously feel proud of this kid, but I am also greatly angered by how much he is annoying me. Even now, I can feel Shiva's gaze towards me, being one of smug superiority.

Damn him! And that ridiculous foresight of his!

What's worse is that I can no longer keep track of him as he has somehow managed to hide himself from my sight, and even that damn prison is no longer remaining in the same place. Taking a breath, I simply sighed in disappointment as while this was a setback. It mattered little as such a small advantage means little to beings like Shiva.

I will have my war eventually, but for now, I want to see what else this kid does. First, I have to wait for that annoying Monkey to help me find him after he stops getting drunk and losing those stupid sunglasses of his.