Chapter 33: In the Ruins of Uzushiogakure
This the only chapter of the day guys, I am way too busy. And not having more than 2 hours of sleep is killing me.
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The acrid scent of smoke lingered heavily in the air over the smoldering remains of Uzushiogakure. The coalition armies, once so confident in their victory, now picked their way through the debris, their movements slow and cautious. The devastation caused by the explosive seals had reduced much of the village to ruin, leaving the village that had once been the pinnacle of sealing arts now nothing more than a graveyard of ash and rubble.
The soldiers from Kumogakure were among the few still combing through the ruins, their numbers significantly reduced after the blast. Led by A, the survivors searched desperately for whatever remnants of Uzushiogakure's knowledge might have survived—sealing scrolls, techniques, artifacts—anything that could aid their village in the ongoing war. Ei followed them, her steps unsteady, her body still recovering from her chakra depletion. The physical toll of the raid weighed heavily on her, but the need to contribute to her village drove her forward.
As Ei scanned the remnants of the village, something caught her eye—an intact structure, almost hidden beneath the debris. Unlike the others, it remained untouched by the destruction, its stone walls mysteriously preserved amid the devastation. Intrigued, Ei broke away from the others and approached the building, stepping over fallen debris and ash-streaked stone.
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The door creaked open with a soft groan as Ei stepped inside. The room was dimly lit, the only source of light filtering in from cracks in the ceiling above. The air was thick with dust, and the stillness of the place felt almost sacred. Her eyes scanned the interior, eventually settling on an altar at the center of the room. Three masks were displayed on it, each carefully positioned. The first two were red tengu masks, fierce and angular, but it was the third mask that drew her attention—a large purple oni mask with sharp red horns, its expression frozen in a ferocious snarl.
The mask seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, as if something ancient and powerful slumbered within it. Ei hesitated, an instinctive sense of caution bubbling to the surface. Yet despite the warning bells ringing in her mind, she couldn't resist the pull. There was something about the mask that called to her, something that demanded her attention.
Her fingers hovered above the surface of the mask before she finally touched it.
The moment her skin made contact, a surge of energy shot through her, and the world around her collapsed into darkness.
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Ei awoke to an expanse of endless white. The ground beneath her feet shimmered with an ethereal light, and the air crackled with the raw energy of lightning. It was a place beyond reality, a realm suspended between worlds. She turned her head, searching for any sign of what had pulled her here, and that's when she saw her.
Emerging from the horizon like a thunderstorm, a figure approached—tall, graceful, and emanating an overwhelming presence. Her long bluish black hair with a starry white underside cascaded down her back like a river of starry night, and her purple eyes with blue pupils glowed with a power that seemed both ancient and infinite. She wore a sleek battlesuit, white with glowing blue accents, 5 swords flying on her left side, and a giant halo on her back crackling with raw energy. This was Raiden Mei, but not the Mei Ei had once known. No, this was something far more powerful. This was her in the **Herrscher of Origin** form.
The aura she exuded was palpable, the weight of creation and destruction radiating off her form in waves. Lightning danced around her, twisting and arcing as if alive, bending to her will. The Herrscher's eyes locked onto Ei's, and in that moment, it was as though the very universe held its breath.
"You seek power," Raiden Mei spoke, her voice soft yet commanding, echoing in the vast emptiness around them. "And power you shall have. But know that the path you walk is one of conquest and destruction."
Ei's heart pounded in her chest. She had never felt anything like this before—this overwhelming presence, this sense of being utterly dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of the power in front of her.
"What… what is this place?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"This is the precipice of your evolution," the Herrscher said, her gaze never leaving Ei. "You stand at the threshold of true power, but only those with the will to conquer may pass."
Before Ei could respond, Raiden Mei raised her hand, and in her palm materialized a gem. It radiated with a deep, pulsating energy, a rich violet hue that seemed to hum with the power of lightning itself. This was the **Gem of Conquest**.
The sight of it caused Ei's breath to hitch. The energy it exuded was familiar, and yet it was far beyond anything she had ever encountered. It was as if it called to her, beckoning her forward.
Raiden Mei stepped closer, her expression calm, though her eyes burned with intensity. "This power is yours by right. But remember, Ei—power is not given freely. It must be taken."
Without hesitation, Raiden Mei, in her Herrscher of Origin form, reached out and pressed the Gem of Conquest against Ei's chest, directly over her heart. The instant the gem made contact, it pulsed violently, and the world around them exploded into light.
Ei gasped as an overwhelming surge of energy poured into her body. The gem seemed to melt into her skin, embedding itself in her chest. Her heart felt as though it were being consumed by fire and lightning, the power coursing through her veins like a raging storm. Her mind reeled from the intensity, every fiber of her being overwhelmed by the sheer force of the transformation.
Raiden Mei's gaze remained steady, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Wield this power well, Ei. You have now taken your first step toward true conquest."
The white world around her began to shatter, pieces of the void breaking apart like fragments of glass. Raiden Mei's form dissolved into the storm, her voice echoing in the distance. "This is only the beginning…"
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Ei's eyes snapped open as she took a sharp, ragged breath. The familiar sterile air of Kumogakure's hospital filled her lungs, grounding her in reality. The blinding brightness of the dreamscape was gone, replaced by the soft, artificial glow of medical equipment and the hum of chakra-infused devices. She lay in a hospital bed, her body wrapped in clean white sheets. For a moment, she felt disoriented, her mind still clouded by the vivid dream—or was it more than just a dream?
Her hand instinctively reached for her chest, fingers pressing against the spot where the Herrscher of Origin had shoved the Gem of Conquest. There was no physical mark, but she could feel something different within her. Something had changed.
The door creaked open, and A stepped inside, his usual stoic expression softening slightly as he saw Ei awake. B followed closely behind, his demeanor unusually serious as he watched her carefully.
"You're awake," A said, sitting down beside her bed. "You've been out for two days."
"Two days?" Ei asked, her voice weak. Her throat felt dry, and her limbs ached, though there was no pain. She had no injuries—just an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.
B leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. "Yeah, we were starting to think you'd sleep through the whole war."
Despite his attempt at humor, Ei could see the concern in his eyes. The last thing she remembered was the raid, the explosion, and then the mask… and the dream. But how could she explain any of that? The sensation of the Gem of Conquest still lingered within her, a reminder of the immense power she now held.
"You collapsed after the explosion," A explained, his voice low. "Your chakra was completely drained. We barely got you out of there in time."
Ei's mind raced, her thoughts tangled with fragments of memory. The battle, the mask, the dream of Raiden Mei… or rather, the Herrscher of Origin. It all felt too real to be a mere hallucination, and yet the details were too fantastical to believe.
"The mask," Ei whispered, more to herself than to them. "Did you find… the mask?"
A shook his head, his brow furrowing slightly. "There was no mask, Ei. We found you unconscious in the ruins, but there was nothing else."
Her heart pounded as she processed his words. Had it all been in her mind? Was the dream merely a manifestation of her depleted chakra? But no—she could feel the Gem of Conquest, its power thrumming beneath her skin. Whatever had happened in that dream, it was real. Somehow, she had been changed.
"We'll talk more later," A said, his tone softening. "For now, rest. You need to recover your strength. Kumogakure still needs you."
Ei nodded, though her thoughts were far from the present. The vision of the Herrscher of Origin still lingered in her mind, and the power of the Gem of Conquest pulsed within her like a storm waiting to be unleashed. Something profound had happened, and though she didn't fully understand it yet, she knew one thing for certain:
This was only the beginning.
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End of Chapter 33