The Lost Lord Ch. 16

"Flames of yore, possess thy simple blade of mine, unleashing your very essence, change the very properties of this sword and become one."

Tozomat was slightly impressed, there weren't many who could chant an incantation and form magic while also received the vicious blows of his flesh weapons. He spectated the effect that Archibald's spell had on his broadsword. The sword that was in Archibald's hands turned into a practically living embodiment of fire and metal mixed together, as if both could live in harmony. The sword seemed to dance harmonically in the flames the imbued the blade. It was then that Tozomat saw what his opponent was doing. On a separate occasion, Tozomat once fought a skilled mage in a duel at least one hundred years ago. The mage soon found the type of magic that worked wonders against Tozomat, fire magic. That mage discovered that while Tozomat could force his body to dodge blows from physical attacks, it didn't help against the pure energy of fire. Tozomat found it impossible to dodge fire's embrace, and his skin was singed and burned whenever the mage attacked with fire. In this case, if Archibald attacked with his flaming sword, Tozomat could dodge the blade section by manipulating his shadow to move his body at whim, but the sword's flames could still reach Tozomat's flesh and burn it to a crisp.

Archibald had pondered several ways to counter Tozomat's shadow manipulation, one being to block out his shadow from the sunlight. However, in this open area, that would prove impossible. He then came up with the idea of using fire. And luckily for Archibald, he had memorized a useful fire spell for this exact situation.

And thus their battle resumed.

"Just try bending your shadow to this!" Archibald sprinted towards Tozomat, with clear intent to annihilate his enemy. Once he was close enough, Archibald unleashed his sword, swinging in several directions, twisting the sword around in order to confuse Tozomat, even if by a little bit.

Tozomat reacted, but just barely. He swung his flesh spear up and blocked the sword. He then slashed his flesh sword at Archibald, attempting to hack at his side. "You forgot something..."

!!! Tozomat, at that instant, knew where Archibald was getting at, and he tried to manipulate his shadow, but he was far too late. Archibald, in a movement even a contortionist would wince at, dislocated his other arm and swung his fiery half-moon at Archibald. He hid the half-moon until Archibald found the perfect moment for it, which was now. The half-moon, originally from Chigaru's polearm, slashed against Tozomat, leaving a deep gash. The flames added on extra damage, burning the skin around the wound. This flame in particular, was favored by Archibald for thee sole fact that it avoided cauterizing the wounds it danced across, giving the same pain with even more damage. Tozomat widened his eyes, and coughed blood out form his mouth onto Archibald's body. "Now you... Say your damned goodbyes this time." Archibald said this as he readied his broadsword for the finishing blow.

-

"Hey! Tozo! Why are you doing this again?"

"Ah... Um... I want to be strong, like you. He-Hey! Don't laugh like that Asmodea."

Two demons were sitting next to each other. Both were young, especially for demons. The one named Asmodea was an especially cute succubus around the age of nineteen. She was a red demon with large breasts, perfect curves, and an all around beautiful body, even for a succubus. The one named Tozomat, or nicknamed Tozo here, was a short male demon at the age of sixteen; there wasn't much to say about him other than the fact that he wore an unusual blue pendant around his neck.

"I'm- *giggle* I'm sorry... Just, you just don't hear that very much. Hey! C'mon, you don't really want to be like me, don't you? I mean, I understand wanting to know some magic in this dangerous world, but magic of that weird kind? Just what are you thinking?" Asmodea said this as she finished up jokingly laughing at Tozomat's statement.

"I can learn what magic I want! I'm not good with swords like you are, nor can I go on very long with such heavy armor like you can... I tried shooting a bow before, and I almost hit grandfather in the eye. He said I have good aim, but not at the correct target. So my only hope lies with magic." Said Tozomat eloquently as he gazed up at the clear blue sky, observing uniquely shaped clouds.

"No, I get that much. Magic is an honorable path, especially the reserved dark arts. I'm asking why you chose to be the student of that old geezer Rasppo. I've heard stories about his shadow manipulation, in tribute for great power and unpredictable skills, it comes with extreme pain. Pain that resembles ripping your body apart at the very seems with your own fingertips." Asmodea was genuinely worried about Tozomat's wellbeing. While they weren't related, both shared a relationship on the level of the closest of twins.

A cool breeze set in as Tozomat sighed and shivered at the word of pain, "This pendant... It came from someone dear to me. A year or two before we met, mother died. I only saw a glimpse of the killer and saw a unique scar on his head, in the form of a star. Every part of his body was veiled and I couldn't even tell what color he was. Out of everything, that scar stood unique. Once I entered mother's presence, she was barely alive and the killer stood above her. The demon forced... Forced me to kill my mother. He laughed and left me for dead, though not until cutting me several times for his own pleasure." Tozomat's voice faltered at many times, though he summoned up the courage to speak each time he saw himself wavering.

Asmodea was deeply troubled, as she had never heard this story before. Not that she didn't believe in it, it is just that she never expected such a disturbing memory of his past. It was truly a memory of tears. She let Tozomat continued as it looked like he had more to say, though she wrapped her arm around him in a comforting embrace.

"I'm.. I'm a weak executioner. I wanted to kill myself many times because I killed my own mother. I could never bring myself to do it. Instead of ending my own life, there was only one way to pay for my sin."

"Sin? What do you mean? We are of the Sin of Lu-"

"I don't mean that. True sin, even for demons, is one that can never be erased. It is permanently inscribed in your mind, digging at your head like a corkscrew. Shadow manipulation, like you say, is extremely painful. Rasppo has agreed to instruct me, as he had never found a single demon with the resolve to put one's body through such torture in battle for the rest of its life. I will find the one who had me kill mother, and I will do the same to him. I will live my immortal life through eternal pain to erase my sin. I won't even indulge in the depravity of Lust. I will only look towards the purity of Lust, if any. I talk like an angel, don't I?"

"Hey now, don't beat yourself up. Even in Lust, you can find love... Romance, if you will. Let's both get stronger, ok? Strong enough to win the tournament of the decade. I'm sure that even in the position of the Pillar of Lust, we'll have access to information that may help us find your mother's killer."

"That is... A long ways away."

"Well, get your spirits up! There are only two ways to join the Pillar of Lust, that's by winning that tournament or impressing The Lord of Lust. And the latter of the two is supposedly far more impossible according to rumors. Shadow manipulation, if it's as unique as you say, it will be a powerful asset when you fight."

-

"You have really come far, 'lil Tozo!" Said Asmodea to her childhood friend, Tozomat. The two had been friends for as long as they can remember through the decades of demonic life. "Really, only one more battle and you will win! And that's no mean feat. I won last decade, though barely, thanks to the mistake my opponent made."

"Stop calling me that, my name is Tozomat. Please, I have confidence I'll win and join the Pillar of Lust like you did... Seduction of Lust. I'll just beat the nail with a hammer, it is as simple as that." Tozomat, though flustered, was quite thankful for Asmodea's presence. She acted like an older sister to him and took care of him when they were younger, even supporting him in his training and search for the demon with the star-shaped scar. Many times over he wanted to quit training in the art of shadow manipulation, is was very painful to have the feeling of body parts severed, bone piercing your body, and the feeling of being flayed. Yet he endured it for the sake of fulfilling is vengeance, though also thanks to Asmodea and Master Rasppo's support.

"As usual, overconfidence. HAH! Oh well, ye deserve it, young 'un." Said a gruff, raspy voice the belonged to Tozomat's teacher in the dark magic of shadow manipulation, Rasppo. "Heh, if ye do win, I wonder what'll ye be called? Bah, just get going, the crowds are getting impatient." Rasppo nodded his head while also downing a bottle of alcohol. He flicked his head off towards the entrance to a large arena where two opponents fought in the midst of a giant crowd.

Every decade, the location of the arena changed between the Circles of Sin. This decade, the tournament was located in the Sands of Sloth. As what you would expect of Sloth, the arena was less grand than the others, though it held the meticulous architecture of over millennia of work done upon it. It was well maintained despite being so plain.

Tozomat put on his clothes. He refused to wear armor, as it would impede his shadow manipulation in case he wanted to bend parts of his flesh covered by armor. Thus, Tozomat always made sure to wear a nice suit when he fought. It would leave a decent impression on those who spectated his fight with his final opponent of the tournament.

As Tozomat walked onto the arena floor, he could hear the announcer introducing him, "Aaaaaaaaannnnnnd here we have the young, the brash, the crafty, and the unpredictable (in a good way)... Tooooozomaaaaat of Lust! The demon mastering the honorable art of Shadow Manipulation!" Tozomat walked with a neutral face, while he was nervous, he refused to show it in front of the audience. He believed in dealing with neutrality with everyone he came across and refused to show certain emotions in front of people except when it was a person he cared for.

Tozomat was the first into the arena. He waited several seconds until he saw his opponent enter the arena. He had watched the fight of the person that he was about to face, and it wasn't very pretty.

The announcer then introduced his opponent, "And finally! Weeeee have both competitors on the arena! Let me introduce the lovely, the relentless, the smooth, and the merciless... Jaaaaaanr offfffff Envy! The Jotun who reigns supreme over her frozen arsenal!" While it there was quite a diversified audience and list of competitors, it was generally rare to have Jotuns take part in just about anything unless the Emperor of Envy commanded it. Perhaps the Emperor had her take part today? In any case, she was an opponent Tozomat had to eliminate.

Janr, as she was called, was quite beautiful, noticed Tozomat. He observed her in the moments before the battle begun. While he also surveyed anything that would be tactically useful to remember in a fight, he also paid attention to her attributes. Pale blue skin, of the hue of ice, was everywhere. She had one a fur coat that seemed to do little for warmth, as it seemed to do the opposite of its intended purpose. She also wore open sandals, an icy choker, and a hood that stopped on the middle of her head. The fur coat was quite thin, only providing a slim covering on her skin, but Tozomat took note that he felt latent magics on the surface of the fur. From what he saw from her fights, Janr formed weapons out of ice, provided the air was moist enough, she could form then anywhere. Though as the Sands of Sloth was quite arid, she could only form weapons in close proximity of her body, thus she could only form ice at least a little bit less than a meter away from her.

Once the two competitors were given the go ahead, both sprang into action, immediately making sure they got the first attack in. They continued for quite some time, ranging into at least thirty minutes of combat that never cooled down. Many times when Janr thought her ice was about to pierce or slash into Tozomat, he bent the flesh into a position that wouldn't get hit. Several times when Tozomat's fleshy weapons were about to hit Janr, she formed a small shield of ice to block the attack. Neither could get close enough to each other to deal a mortal blow. Of course that didn't mean they couldn't scratch or nick the other, even if by a little bit. Eventually both the Jotun and demon began to accumulate a small collection of cuts and bruises. After Tozomat was feeling slightly tired, that was when he decided to get creative.

Tozomat changed his left arm into a strange, fleshy whip, a whip that swung around crazily, wrapping itself around what it could get its... Hands on. Janr tried to form an ice shield to block the fleshy whip, but Tozomat deviated the course of his whip by a small amount, and the whip managed to land a blow on Janr, leaving a red mark on her smooth skin. That was when Tozomat gained the upper hand and the flow of battle tilted largely in his favor. The two exchanged blows for a while longer until Tozomat dealt the deciding attack.

Tozomat thrust his right hand, which was a bony and fleshy spear, towards Janr's bosom. She reacted like normal and formed an ice shield to block, and turned her attention towards Tozomat's unpredictable whip. However, Tozomat forced himself into extreme pain for this attack. He manipulated his shadow to have his right arm to splinter off into several different strands of erect bone tips, each parallel to one another. Tozomat had the multiple bone spears strike into Janr's chest, wounding her greatly. Once Janr reacted to the pain, she was left open for Tozomat's whip. He formed several wicked, fleshy spikes on the whip and struck Janr. It was extremely painful for both of them, Janr due to the wounds, and Tozomat due the shadow manipulation. In fact, the pain was so intense for both parties, that they both fell unconscious, Tozomat falling several seconds after Janr.

"Demons, demonesses, and humanoids alike! Tozomat dealt the deciding blow and won the tournament! Even if by a hairs width! Tozomat wins due to his opponent falling unconscious during battle, and the winner of this decade's tournament is Tozomat of Luuuuuuusssst!"

-

"Weh? Tis' you..." Said Tozomat roughly a week after he woke up from winning the tournament. He had received all forms of congratulations and already was accepted to the Pillar of Lust, though he had yet to receive his title and perform the required ceremony. He had fully healed from the battle and was now resting for the night in a grand hostel that was provided for him. He had reacted to a woman whom had entered the room while he was undressing for bed. It was the Jotun, Janr he had fought.

"I had yet to congratulate you on your victory over me. It would impugn my name if I did not honor the one who defeated me." She said this with complete grace that Tozomat did not expect to find on the battle maiden. He found himself attracted to her demeanor and it was only intensified was he reaffirmed how impeccable her looks were.

None of the wounds from the battle were present on the women, even the final blow he had dealt to her. He regretted that he had harmed her in the tournament, but it was necessary for him in order to win. This time around, the female Jotun was not garbed in her magical fur, but a garment that was designed for comfort and not battle. A Lavish coat that was outlined with thick, warm fur covered her upper and lower body. "Ah... Well, there's no need for that, milady." He decided to play it polite and cool, "In fact, I would feel it appropriate if I honored you for a battle well fought." He said this calmly with a quaint smile on his face.

He then remembered a fact about the Jotun people. It was a rumor that if one fought one of the Jotun maidens, and won in a death match, they would offer themselves to the victor. Was that what she was doing now? Tozomat saw that Janr shifted uncomfortably. It seemed as if that Janr was offering herself, but didn't want to initiate the process. How... Cute. Also, Tozomat got the feeling that Janr didn't seem to mind doing this. Generally, one would think that a maiden offering herself to the man that defeated her would do it reluctantly and would despise the man in question, yet that wasn't necessarily the case with Janr.

However, Tozomat was a complete virgin. Even for an incubus of the Land of Lust, he chose to devote himself to his studies and not delve into Lust like most did. If he ever was to engage in sex with another, it wasn't just going to be a common fling, he wanted it to mean something to both parties involved. "So let me begin by saying, you fought well in the tournament, I couldn't have asked for a more worthy and beautiful opponent." Tozomat never dished out compliments unless he meant them, it was a part of his neutrality. He let out an unintentionally captivating expression that seemed to make Janr more comfortable.

Janr started to feel that she might actually enjoy tonight. It was not that she didn't enjoy sex. Jotuns generally do not let themselves delve into lust and have sex unless law or honor demanded it. Very few of her people had sex for fun or for love. And it wasn't that she disliked Tozomat, he was a strong and intelligent opponent. In battle is one of the easiest ways to get to know someone, that was one thing the Jotuns truly believed in. It is said you can even divine one's reason for combat through a duel. Janr had herself attempt to understand each of her opponents through battle, yet none had a more depressing feeling than Tozomat, she was duly intrigued.

"Th-Thank you for your compliment, though you also fought marvelously. I was one of the top warriors among my people, at least according to them, and my confidence didn't allow me to believe I could be bested. Yet here I am, speaking to the one who did." Janr didn't know how to move the conversation further than this; thankfully her question was answered when Tozomat spoke next.

Tozomat honestly felt like he wanted to get to know Janr better, even in the coming weeks. He could feel his own lust growing from within him, his Sin required him to become more intimate. And since Tozomat felt that he actually liked Janr, why not? Very few demons kept themselves 'pure' until a certain time. And generally those demons were promised or had an arranged engagement. "Ha-ha, well, I seem to do better in a fight against some one that is equal to my skill. It felt like could understand you from fighting. That is what Jotuns believe in? You can get to know someone through battle? Allow me to be somewhat presumptuous when I say that you can get to know someone through something other than battle."

Janr was relieved, she was thankful that Tozomat seemed to be the one taking the lead. She just didn't know how to proceed in this awkward situation she created. "I agree, a duel is one thing, but there are many more ways to know someone."

Tozomat became increasingly aware of Janr beauty, as if she let out a strange pheromone that attracted him. He quelled his Lust within him, telling it wait for a small while. "May I offer you something to drink? I don't partake of many spirits, as I find them too intoxicating." Tozomat only drank alcohol that allowed him to keep his sense of reality. He also had to prevent Asmodea from drinking too much lest she got taken advantage of.

"Yes please, I don't mind if it's strong or not, do you have something that tastes somewhat decent? The Sands of Sloth is rather lacking when it comes to spirits.