Junior Tournament (3)

After the last fight a small pause was given, something about waiting for one of the participants (Chloe) to show up. I was honestly surprised that she wasn't here yet but it was a good enough excuse for me to give me the time I wanted.

Since seeing the news about the 'prize' for the competition I had a thought of going to take a look at said prize. Partially because I didn't have anything better to do and mostly because I am honestly curious about what a young Semiramis would look like.

As I move to look for her I ended up stumbling in someone I did not expect to see. He is a boy who is somewhat short for his age, with rather tanned skin and an athletic physique. He possesses ruffled black hair with red tips, combed back to expose his forehead, and wide, dark eyes with white pupils that appear dark red around the lower section of their irises. He also has a birthmark on the top left of his forehead, which originally looked somewhat like a graze. He wears a checkered dark turquoise and black patterned haori over a dark brown gakuran jacket, a white belt around his waist and baggy pants that extend into tabi socks, as well as zōri and bands of white cloth wrapped around his calves. He also wears a pair of hanafuda earrings, decorated by a red sun symbol.

"Sorry." He said as we ended up stumbling in one another. "I wasn't looking where I was going." He said.

"That is fine, my name is Tiandi by the way." I said while trusting my hand forward, already knowing that if this person is anything like his CANON persona he would take my hand right here and now.

And look and behold, he does just that.

"Nice to meet you as well, my name is Tanjiro, Kamado Tanjiro but just Tanjiro is fine." He said. "I saw your match just now, you are quite amazing. You must have trained quite hard to become so strong, but are you taking care of yourself well? To become so strong you must have trained a lot but taking care of yourself is also very important, just cultivating is not a good way of living." He said and I had a sudden impulse to take care of this boy due to the sheer innocence and goodness he radiated knowingly or not. Seriously, I can understand why so many people in the show like to call him too nice, he truly is too nice for his own good.

"I am fine." I said with a disarming smile. "I take good care of myself, no need to worry about that. But, I got to ask, why exactly are you here when you should be close to the stage waiting for the match to start?" I ask

"Oh, I was just worried that this Chloe I have to face in this fight was lost or in danger nearby so I went looking for her. No one knows where she is so I got worried." He said and, again, a desire to protect this innocence appeared in my mind. He is like a puppy watchdog that is big but you only see with it's puppy dog eyes. It is adorable regardless if the person is dangerous or not.

He can get screwed over WAY too easily in a world like this, seriously I wouldn't give him one year outside the sect to survive on his own.

"I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. I met her yesterday and she doesn't seem the type to be wounded easily." I said with a shrug, a simple truth really since she is obviously crafty and willy, she could either be hiding while waiting to do a grand entrance, playing around, or just lost interest in participating, even if the last one is doubtful at best.

"Well, if you say so." Tanjiro said hesitantly, not fully believing what I just said but not denying me either. "And you? Why are you here when your fight is after mine?"

"I wanted to take a look at the prize." I said honestly. "I wanted to see how she is doing, she must be quite lonely right now so I wanted to see how she is and if she is well. I do intend gaining her, but that doesn't mean I can't care for her."

"Well, that is rather gentle of you." A feminine voice said close to my ears and I instantly jumped away while poising to attack. Unsurprisingly the one responsible for almost giving me a heart attack was Chloe, she approached me very stealthily but also without a single hint of bloodlust, it is no surprise she managed to get close then.

As I repositioned myself I could see Tanjiro looking at Chloe and instantly his face got flushed red. Unsurprising considering she is dressing similarly to how she does in the anime, just a tad more conservative but not nearly as much as virtually everyone else.

What surprised me, however, was the fact that Tanjiro's first instinct was not to gawk at the admittedly extremely pretty girl but instead to take off his cloak and throw it at her gently.

"Please wear this, you must be cold right now and people might think badly of you because of your clothes." He said, and I again had come to the conclusion that he is ridiculously nice and good a person.

You see this, this is what a good person actually is. Fuck you, Eternal Heaven, you are fake goods in comparison.

"Oh, aren't you a nice boy. Should I play with you a bit?" She said seductively while getting close to him quickly and putting a finger underneath his chin causing him to blush furiously.

I smirk a bit seeing this teasing for what it really is and Chloe quickly laughs a bit seeing it before taking a step back.

"Jocking, just jocking. I just felt like teasing you a bit." She said and Tanjiro steamer without knowing what to say. She then turned to me and spoke up with an interested gaze. "Well, you are also quite an interesting boy too. You held back quite a bit on that fight just now, can you tell me why?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"No reason to injure someone like Kanao too seriously and her eyes showed that she was not there because she willed it so. I just wanted to try and force her to react properly like a human instead of just doing what she was told, it is not right." I said. "And you, how did you know that I was not going all out?" I ask.

"Simple, I learned an inheritance from the Power Creation Realm, it was collecting dust since no one could use it well but I ended up able to easily. It lets me copy weapons using profound energy by reading a weapon's history and constructing an equal using profound energy, I could read your sword's history and can see easily that you are more than strong enough to kill that girl much faster even if it would not be instantaneous." She explained and I nodded.

The Mighty Heavenly Sword Region had dozens of inheritance techniques from the Power Creation Realm, but most of them were completely and utterly useless since there were mysterious requirements to advance on them like the right mindset, body-type, soul, and other things. In exchange, these inheritances were usually much stronger than the techniques most disciples learn but cultivating them is so hard that it is usually not worth it.

Heck, many of the current techniques of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region are watered-down and weaker versions of the original inheritances from that secret realm but with much lower requirements for cultivation, and that by itself already secured us the position of one of the four strongest sects and mostly comparable to the whole of the Heavenly Demon Continent, even if we would not be able to fight their Imperial Family's full might based exclusively on them having the bloodline of the Golden Crow, and even that was only barelly.

If we could create a generation that managed to cultivate those inheritances properly then we could well dominate this whole world. Actually, that is not such a bad idea. Dominate the entire world, make the sect the strongest, only for me to kill the bastard who calls himself my father, his cohhots in being inmbreed idiots who are failures of the genetic roulete, and make them fall on the height of their power. It could be highly amusing to do that and this world does have many good things in it.

The Dragon God Trial.

The Phoenix Trial.

The Golden Crow Trial.

The Evil God Seeds.

The Heavenly Medicine Manual.

The World-Defying Heaven Manua first part.

And not to mention whatever may be hidden in the sea, on the Azure Cloud Continent, and what is left in the Power Creation God secret realm. Honestly speaking, this world alone might as well have as many inheritances as the entirety of one of the regions of the Realm of the Gods. And I fully intend in obtaining all inheritances as possible, but not for myself alone.

That is stupid, no one can get that many inheritances and properly train in them, trying is stupid. Instead getting a group around me for it would be m-

"Hey, you there or not?" Chloe said as she started shaking her hand in front of me. I quickly refocused in the situation in front of me.

"Sorry, I got distracted." I said.

"Yeah, I could see that." She said with a huff. "Normally people don't just space out while looking at me, are you that much entranced by me?" As she said that a teasing smile came to her lips.

I chose not to comment on that one, no need for it really.

"So? Will you two go to the tournament grounds now or not?" I ask.

"Well, I guess we could go, no point in staying here like this anyway. Not that I really want to win." Chloe said.

"Why not? Don't people usually enter tournaments to win them?" Tanjiro asks.

"And why do I even need to win this one?" Chloe asks. "I mean, the prize is good for you men and all but I don't really feel like taking another woman's V card, not even sure how I could take it and I don't feel like having a slave." She said with a bit of disgust at the end there.

Tanjiro's face palled at it before turning to me.

"Is this what you are after in this tournament? A slave for, for, for THAT?!" He asks scandalized, probably not having figured out what the prize meant until now.

"Not quite." I said and he already got all flushed in anger by my admission. "Calm yourself men, I don't intent to force anyone to do that with me. The girl that is the prize would be 'delivered' for someone regardless of anything else, that is how important she is." I point out to drive my point. "Even if she was in her homeland it would likely still be the exact same, if it is like that I can at least take her with me and ensure that she will not be abused and give her a good chance to live her life more fully instead of abused, that is as good as another race can get in out continent unfortunately. I can't change that fact so this way it would be a bit better in comparison."

Tanjiro was still mad but nodded in understanding.

"Well, if I win I will set her free." He said confidently. "No one should be a slave."

"If you can do that then it would be great, but I would rather not risk the girl's life and as far as you know it might be safer to be with you than 'free' as you mentioned." I countered. He doesn't seem to see that the girl would likely just be take by some other sect and either forced to bear childreen or, after having her primordal ying taken, be used for alchemy to create some pill, there are some bizarre shit like that and never doubt people's ability to be shitty and create fucked out things. Seeing him confused I just clasped Tanjiro's shoulder. "Don't worry too much about the future, let future you decide his own problems. There is no point in worrying too much about it." I said and he nodded before turning to Chloe.

"So? Let's go to our fight?" He asks.

"Sure, I might have no need for the prize but I would like a good challenge and you are interesting." She said and the two went ahead to the tournament grounds. I was about to go with them when a pigeon landed in my shoulder slowly, I let it as I get along with animals without much issue.

But the little fucker pecked my cheek.

"The fuck, you bird-brained idiot? I am not food, you blind stupid rat with wings."

Needless to say, there was no one around.

"I see, so you really hide your thoughts well." The bird opened it's mouth and spoke, I raised an eyebrow at this. "I am the said 'prize', and I must say, of all those around you are likely my best bet to not end up even more miserable. So, how about a trade? You win and not take me and I promise not to kill you too soon." She said. "I might even help you when I feel like it. Oh, and in case of doubt this is just a little use of my clan's mental technique that let me control small animals and communicate via them, I can teach you this in exchange for you not trying to take me by force."

"Well, this is an interesting proposition but I would rather we talk face to face before we decide anything." I said with the same gentle smile as before.

An amused laugh came from the pigeon before it started flying away.

"Very well, do it as you please. We can talk after you win, or not in case you fail, we just have to wait." She said through the pigeon before leaving with one last message. "My name is Semiramis, keep it in your mind because this might become the name of your strongest supporter in the future if you play your cards right."

Well, at least she would be rather interesting.