Trial by Aquarius

[13:06:33] It’d be months before the wounds would come to any significant recovery… It had plenty of time to think as well.
Traumatized by what should’ve been its end, it was ensnared in constant mental loop. Forever damned with the realization that he wasn’t strong enough. He didn’t deserve to live, if he couldn’t enforce him Will to live over others. Why didn’t he see this coming?
Why wasn’t he stronger?

No, there was no way he could’ve beaten the elemental, for it had transformed just moments after arriving… It was already on the brink of Koardom: Far more capable than he.
Which left him to ponder heavily, what had he, in vanquishing such maleficent foe?
With one as deadly as Bakuyu… What hope did he have of measuring to omnipotence? Perfection was naught but a frivolous dream, far too wispy to be grasped…
--and for him? He was blind still, even to the nature of his own element.
(Vile Yokai)
[13:06:33] As strong as he had become, he didn’t evolve fast enough…
But wasn’t that reason enough to break from his trend? To take to consumption of instances far stronger than non-magus humans? To absorb… Full blown yokai to accumulate power? No, needed more than that, he knew of his potential well enough to know that he could claim so much more!

He had almost taken down this elemental, just before he became a Kaor!
‘No… I won’t let it happen again. I won’t allow myself to be hunted. I won’t let him find me in this state of unreadiness.’ He said unto himself.
If anything, he could take upon others of the same, albeit less matured stature.
‘I will evolve… I will become perfect… And if I need to consume others of my race to accomplish it, then so be it, Devourer… I’ll play your game.’
(Vile Yokai)
[13:06:33] It was a feeling he knew all too well; The sensation of mana deprived his person, lacking the ecstatic pleasure of consumption. He had samples of it for so long, and could understand why he would fall prey to another wishing to experience it once more, but he had a higher purpose, did he not?
He was not born to be one’s sweet release, amounting to naught but an iota of accumulated power, but instead, for evolution-- To forget this conundrum in place for newer, more prominent ones… To rise up to higher calling…

He knew it was out there, but as to what it’d be, he couldn’t fathom… Not yet…

--and with such in the back of his mind, he set out for the journey; He had healed up for the most part, healed via absorption of lesser kindred, over an extended period of time. He was going to win, he was going to have to fight fire… With fire…
He needed subsistence to grow… And the only prey he’d find most beneficial was the ilk that’d trouble him along the fringe of his capacity: Elemental-class yokai.
(Vile Yokai)
[13:07:24] Navigation through the Trystle Caverns was a long and grueling process, but not one that went without reward-- In the form of light: An exit, and through it, one would find, not the grasslands of the southern prairies, but rather the sodden Deadlands of Valmasia. Clearly, it made a mistake, but to turn back and risk running into Bakuyu again for a familiar direction? That would be suicide!
… But there had to be a way back… Travel turned east, where one’s venture was rewarded with the bones of centuries.

They were partially submerged for the most part, but numbered en mass-- Absolutely troublesome to one whom had feared the unknown, though to consider such applying to the common yokai, was a long-shot. The nameless beast was feeling brazen, enough so that he ventured in the direction of the cadaver-ridden pathway… Only to eventually come to an impasse… Or rather, a drop-off.
(Vile Yokai)
[13:07:24] The road lead straight into the ocean, an oddity in all right. Why would any human design a paved road to lead to absolutely nowhere? It stepped closer, only to…. Catch glimpse of something.

It was akin to a glimmer, a freckle midst the aquatic element, gleaming -just- enough to wince his eyes… And thus, akin to simplistic creatures, he approached, enamored by mere curiosity alone…

--But curiosity could kill more than mere felines…
The water’s surface burst into a mist that caught the nameless beast by surprise, soon spawning tendrils from the deep to wrap about his arms; A violent tug-of-war had initiated in that instant, vying for the poor beast into the waters that it so foolishly approached, only to be pulled away from.
(Vile Yokai)
[13:07:24] It would not let go, taking to its fullest advantage underway, and slowly… Using his evolutionary advantage and garnered strength to drag this unfortunate Gigai into the waters…

Struggle along the surface grew more subjugated, more peaceful the deeper they descended. Down below, the insectoid held itself breathe, eyes focusing forth to bear witness to this Kraken-esque Aquarius…

Tentacles swayed about to keep its drifting figure facing its prey, to keep it vulnerable to its immediate attempt to consume.

Pulling in, its beak parted with intent to pierce his chest, responded to, by barring feet, catching the region abroad the mouth, pushing it back. Hands still ensnared, it could only hope to separate itself from this elemental, for even a ghost of a chance. What it needed first, was air… Which was something this entity seemed to knowingly deprive him of-- A hunting tactic that he couldn’t allow.
(Vile Yokai)
[13:07:24] ”Make no mistake.” It sounded off telepathically, ”I’m not going to be your mid-day meal.” He reared back his right arm enough to bring it to his parting maws. Water rapidlly filled his mouth, sinking down for his gullet where he’d only struggle further, but that would be where teeth clamped down on the tendril restraining him. The pressure, complemented by the esoteric element that siphoned ravenously at one’s vitality, threatened the integrity of the appendage-- And with another tug, it was torn short, earning a squeal from the beast, temporarily retreating deeper into the depths, oozing sanguineous clouds along the way.

This, was his chance…
All attention pointed straight up, straining to see the light of day above the lay of bouncing waves… And with seconds’ passing, he’d make it… Allowed to cough up water for a gasp for air! Though, it wouldn’t last, for another tentacle would eventually wrap around his right ankle and drag him back down.
(Vile Yokai)
[13:07:24] Thoughts were rocketing through its mind at a heart-wrenching pace; He had the potential…
He had the capacity…
So, why… Why did he feel fear?
He looked down to see the Aquarius sending its tendrils for him once more, answered with an extended palm from the Giga.
...Because it presumed itself incompetent?
Incapable?
Weak?
… Or was it a longing to ascend to something greater than what it felt able to measure up to?

‘I have taken upon magi far stronger than myself... ‘
He monologues,
‘I have survived, what I shouldn’t have… Not because I was lucky, but because I was better than the others of my very same ilk… Of my very same form…’
He went onward,

‘I am different… I know I am…‘
He snapped out of his daze to hone all attention to the Aquarius, ”And I’m not going to lose my chance at that, to sate your urges of hunger, inferior yokai!” It was a fool’s quarrel, to battle willingly with those of higher form than himself… But he did so, with determination.
(Vile Yokai)
[13:08:16] From the centre of his palm, manifested the cloudy miasma of the night: Opaque and amorphous within this aquatic element, ebonic in appearance-- With its fabrication from oblivion, it’d amass from an iota to span the circumference of his extended digits.
A blackened flash of pseudo-light preluded the streak of night scathing the waters with its polluting stature, piercing through tendrils that lurched out for his being.

One, after the other-- A volley would ensue, cutting it apart at the seems; All seemed to be honed upon, every part of this enemy, except for what was dragging him further into the depths itself-- Ensnaring his right ankle. However, granted the situation at-hand, he used it to his advantage wholly, to get down to this creature’s level.
Chunks of tentacles rolled about, further tainting the sea with a cloudy mesh of gore and blood, drawing forth sharks and affiliated chimera of the waters.

Midst the messings, barbed tendrils sought to pierce the flesh of the Giga-class… To find their sharpened heads suspended in their endeavor. Hardened shell skin, prevented one’s strife-- Earning a wan grin from one’s person; He had the advantage, even in a weaker form. Constrict at him, all one could, it could work at the platelet’s endurance, but it didn’t stop one’s nails from stabbing into the stubs of tendrils that were left.
(Vile Yokai)
[13:08:16] Maws parted to take bite into the inner-part of one’s many tendrils, just resting his head by its clamping beak. The claws that dug into the flesh prior, were keeping the body stable; Even if it was able to restrain him from swimming back up to the surface, tying them together and sinking them further, he pushed away at it, as to prevent it from landing a bite on him.

His own bite, suckled away at its lifeforce, slow at first, but as one injected more of his venomous brand of the transmundane, its pull grew with lethality.
He gnawed at it, drawing more blood that’d siphon at their Will. Fatigue was settling in…
This struggle… Was going to an end…
… And the nameless… Was only getting stronger…

With more mana added to its person, its bite only deepened its grooves.
It’s grasp, would prove insurmountable…
And in that moment, an anomaly would occur…

A Giga-class, had suckled away at the lifeforce, of an Elemental… Just like its mother before it-- Truly living up to the legend of Seiza in its prelude. There was an eerie calm… As if, forgetting the need to breathe…
(Vile Yokai)
[13:08:16] A mana-deprived cadaver would float, suckled dry of even the flesh within via magically influenced ability.

Finally, any grasp its figure had upon him was relinquished… And he was set free-- Able to ascend back to the surface.

He had done it…
Finally, he had managed to commit to the impossible.
This, was indisputable proof that he was worth more than what others had made of him…
He was to be a legend-- A titan amongst his own ilk.

When he had come to resurface… He’d take a gasp for air, as a new entity.
No longer was he -just- a yokai… Or even, giga-class… As he had proven, that form-power meant nothing in battle.
(Vile Yokai)