Story Notes:
This may become a bit of a Naruto crossover, but no characters from the series will appear, this I promise.
Angel of the Eternal Flame
Under the cover of night, a small unit of shinobi raced through the trees as they returned from their mission. Upon reaching the town, they wasted no time as they darted for the imperial palace. Without even alerting the guards, they made their way up to the emperor's sleeping quarters. While the rest stood outside, the leader entered without making a sound and kneeled before the emperor's bed.
"Sir, I know it is late, but I have urgent news to report." The shinobi spoke with an urgent tone in his voice. The emperor grumbled as he sat up in bed, "It better be good if you're waking me up at this hour." The shinobi, whose face was covered with a white mask that resembled the face of a fox, nodded, "We followed Ashton and Koga as you instructed. They encountered some resistance on the way, but managed to locate the leader of that bizarre cult. It was then that the leader confessed that their goal was to resurrect the Yamata no Orochi." The emperor laughed, "Fools. How could they hope to resurrect something that never existed?" The shinobi nodded, "I thought so too, sir. But even so, he attempted to slay Ashton and Koga. But they were able to overpower him and the leader was disposed of." The emperor nodded, "Thank goodness. I will be sure to reward them in the morning." But the shinobi added, "However, we made a disturbing discovery. It seems that the Yamata no Orochi does exist after all." The emperor gave the shinobi an alarmed glance, "And what makes you so sure of that?" The shinobi then stood up and raised his voice, "Because the Yamata no Orochi is standing in a great valley to the west as we speak!"
The emperor gasped as a trickle of cold sweat dripped from his brow, "It what?!" The shinobi then grabbed the emperor and carried him to the top of the pagoda. He then pointed to the west. What the emperor saw in the distance made his face turn white in horror. Standing against the moonlight was a colossal serpent. "One...two......eight?! It is indeed the Orochi!" The shinobi added, "It would seem that the leader summoned it with his dying breath." The emperor turned to the shinobi and shouted, "Send word to our allies! Every ninja available must move to destroy this beast! This is a national crisis! Have the soldiers standby to defend the townspeople!" The shinobi nodded before leaping from the pagoda to a tree below before making his way to the west with a swarm of countless of ninja as gongs were sounded throughout the town while one shinobi stayed behind to defend the emperor. "To think that such a demon existed... Do we even have the means to destroy it?"
Ashton stared up in sheer horror at the gargantuan beast that towered above him and his companions. "Orochi..... No, it can't be! Just what are you?!" Upon hearing his request, one of the heads of the serpent lowered itself to the ground and stared at Ashton from just a few feet away. Its black scales shimmered in the moonlight and its crimson eyes seemed to glow. But unlike a snake, its head seemed to resemble that of an eastern dragon, complete with a beard and long whiskers. The head then spoke in a confident raspy voice, "You may call me Orochi."
Ashton took a few steps back, "Orochi? Impossible... How can you exist?!" He then replied, "Did you remember what the High Priest said? Do you honestly believe that someone would go about spreading elaborate lies? There is always truth to legends." But Koga then shouted, "But how?! Something as massive as you must have surely left behind some evidence after death!" The wise old shinobi froze as the eyes of the Orochi looked over at him. "True. After my death, my body decomposed, leaving only my bones behind. And as you can tell by the size of my body, they are just as large as you might imagine. But Susano understood that my soul remained intact as destroying such a thing is virtually impossible. He knew that certain demonic creatures may try to revive me if they learned of my existence. So he, along with many followers and friends, underwent a deed that took several decades to complete. They chiseled away my bones, bit by bit, and cast them into the sea. But by some miracle, the High Priest discovered truth behind the legend and found a way to bring me back."
One of the other seven heads of Orochi spoke with the same voice, "But even though I am back in my prime, I could use some followers." It then looked down at Ashton, "It's not too late, Ashton of Green Mile. Will you become my guardian and follower? I will need all the followers I can get when I become the new king of this world." Ashton gulped as sweat trickled down his face, soaking his hood. But he then looked over at his eight servants, who were all looking over at him as if awaiting orders. They showed signs of fear, but he could also see faith in their eyes. He then glanced over at Koga. He nodded, showing that the decision was up to him. The viscount then looked back over at Orochi and closed his eyes. (Judging by the size of this beast, crossing the ocean would be no challenge to him. Eventually, he will invade Rohta. So if I am to protect my home, I must stop him here.....)
Ashton slowly looked up at Orochi. A moment later, he gripped his hood and pulled it from his head. "Susano, the man who slew the Yamata no Orochi, was a swordsman of the Far East." He then gripped the hilt of the Flamberge, "I have sometimes pondered if a swordsman of the Far West could pull off the same thing." He then drew his blade as confidence filled his face. "I think it's time we find out." He then pointed his zweihander at the towering serpent, "Orochi! You have no place in this world. Allow me to send you back to where you belong!" He then glanced over at his eight servants. They all nodded with a smile, showing that they would aid him to the end. Koga smiled, "If a mere swordsman could do it alone, then why not two shinobi and eight Pokémon?" But one of the heads of Orochi asked, "So you think you can kill me?" Another then smiled, "Go ahead and try."
Ashton held the blade out to his side as the Orochi raised all eight heads high. As they were now, there was quite some distance between him and the ten warriors. Ashton raised the Flamberge high into the air. "Together! Charge!" At that instant, he made a dash towards the Orochi after focusing his Chakra into his legs, allowing for greater speed. Aurora soon caught up with him and ran alongside him. Aurora spoke, "Quick, scatter!" Her timing was impeccable as one of the heads came down at them with gaping jaws. But Ashton and Aurora quickly dashed sideways as the Orochi slammed into the ground, partially burying itself. Taking the opportunity, Ashton leapt into the air and performed a downward thrust with the Flamberge, driving the blade into its head. Dark blood sprayed as the blade sank into the flesh, but the Orochi did not seem to flinch.
"Lord Ashton, move!" Cassandra called as she swung her head, creating a great Razor Wind. The blades of air slashed away at the Orochi's scales. But soon, he let out a loud hiss as the scales that had been sliced off shot towards the Absol like a hail of arrows! "Don't move, Cassandra! I've got this one!" Zandria dove in front of her and began slashing away with her claws to deflect the incoming projectiles. Each scale was about the size of a watermelon, but were still light enough for the Zangoose to deflect with little difficulty. "Man, those were huge! I bet you could make some good knives outta them." Zandria then turned to her rival, "Now that I think about it, you can use Flamethrower, right?" Cassandra nodded, "The last time I ever used it was the day Lord Ashton brought Ruby home, but yes!" Zandria smiled, "Great, then use it with me. I can use Flamethrower as well." At that instant, one of the heads made a lunge for them. But when it got close enough, the two ladies let loose with a double blast of fire, engulfing its face. "Oh yeah! I've never tasted roasted snake before!" Zandria said as the aroma of cooked meat filled the air.
Chiara and Laura danced through the air as one of the heads of Orochi pursued them. "Hey, Chiara! Want to try tying some knots?!" Laura called out. The Lugia nodded, "Sounds like fun!" They then flew away from each other and turned to face the head as it pondered which one of them to eat first. But then, Laura and Chiara's eyes began to glow a faint blue. The Orochi froze as a strange feeling came over him. "What is this sensation?!" But then, his neck jerked hard to the side, making him gag. Then his head began to curl backwards as he wound himself around his own neck. But then, another one of Orochi's heads came up from behind Chiara. "I've got this one!" The Lugia then turned to face the new threat and focused on it as Laura put on the finishing touches. A moment later, both heads were wrapped around each other. "What was that about?! You always were the dumbest of the eight!" But the other barked, "Shut up! If you didn't get involved, you could still be out there snacking on the others!" The two heads continued to feud with each other as Chiara and Laura laughed themselves silly.
Serenade stood her ground as one of Orochi's heads sent a flurry of sharp scales flying towards her. "OK... Focus." She then held out one hand and grabbed a scale with her mind when it was about to touch her before sending it flying back with a telekinetic pulse. But she did not stop there. With the dexterity and grace of a true master of the Gentle Fist, she sent every single scale back at the Orochi without stopping her arms. The scales dug into the flesh upon impact, causing his blood to spray here and there.
Koga leapt onto the neck of one of the Orochi's heads and ran up it with blinding speed as he pricked himself with a shuriken. Pressing his thumb into the drop of blood, he made several hand signs. "Come, my friends! Summoning Jutsu!" He then planted his hand against the Orochi as a puff of white smoke engulfed him. A moment later, a massive swarm of Golbat, Crobat, Venomoth, and Dustox began to circle the massive serpent. The bats bombarded Orochi with Screech, Supersonic, and other sound-based attacks while the Venomoth scattered a great cloud of Stun Spore while the Dustox bombarded Orochi with countless Poison Sting needles.
Laika and Aurora stood before Ruby as the Lucario gathered her Aura into her palms for a Focus Blast. Aurora sent a potent Hydro Pump splashing into the body of Orochi, soaking a large area. She then unleashed an Ice Beam, freezing the wet area solid. But one of Orochi's heads made a dive for the three girls. But before it could devour them, Laika let out a deafening Roar. The Orochi backed away slightly as it shook from the vibrations it felt from the Mightyena. "Lady Aurora! Lady Laika! Make some room!" Ruby called out as she held her hands out. Once her superiors had gotten out of the way, she unleashed a colossal Focus Blast that engulfed the entire head and neck of Orochi. But even then, the other eight heads did not seem to feel any pain.
At first, it seemed that Orochi was not quite as dangerous as the legend proclaimed. But as she watched the dust settle from her attack, Ruby tried sensing the Orochi's Aura. She gasped, "What's going on here?! His Aura hasn't weakened at all! It's like he hasn't been injured! The Yamata no Orochi..... It must be immortal!!!" As if to confirm her suspicions, the head of Orochi that had been engulfed in flames burst out of the blaze and snapped at Zandria and Cassandra. Although startled, they managed to evade it.
"Pesky vermin! Begone!" The heads of Orochi began to flail about as they swatted Koga's summoned Pokémon. They disappeared in a puff of smoke when struck. During the confusion, Koga made a dash for safety towards Ashton's servants. But once the summoned creatures had been dealt with, the Orochi glared at the nine allies. Aurora shouted, "You look as if we didn't even touch you! What are you?!" One of Orochi's heads replied, "I am what you call a true immortal. I do not feel the flow of time and I can only be killed if I let you kill me. Or if I'm too intoxicated to notice.....wait a minute." The eight heads looked at their opponents as the two heads that were tied up managed to untangle themselves. "Seven...eight...nine? Where's the tenth?!" Just then, one of Orochi's heads felt something being pushed into its scalp. Ashton was still trying to push the Flamberge as deep as he could in an effort to reach Orochi's brain. "HEY! Get off, you pest!" The Orochi then began to flail his head around as Ashton held onto the hilt of his sword for dear life. After about twenty seconds, Orochi finally managed to get Ashton to let go when he threw his head upwards, sending Ashton flying high into the sky.
The viscount stopped rising through the air at about 3,000 feet. Ashton then looked down as he seemed to feel weightless for several seconds. One of Orochi's heads had positioned itself right under him. "Oh no..." Orochi smirked, "It's been centuries since my last meal. I think I'll start with you, Ashton!" With that, Ashton went into a freefall as he screamed at the top of his lungs. Unable to do anything but watch, Ashton's eight companions looked on as if waiting for a miracle. But a moment later, one of Orochi's heads slammed his jaws shut on Ashton. He then gulped him down. "Ugh, I never was fond of that heavy fiber flavor of cotton. Why humans wear clothes, I'll never know." But Cassandra cried, "No...no....oh god, no..." When she tried to dash towards Orochi, Koga grabbed her, "Don't be foolish! He's gone..."
As he slid down Orochi's throat, Ashton slowly succumbed to the black abyss around him. "So.....this is how it ends... What a pathetic way to go for the legendary Vulcan Warrior." But soon, a kindly woman's voice spoke, "No... It does not have to end this way." Ashton spoke, "Who's there? Who are you?!" In his mind, he could see a vibrant array of colors as a magnificent bird appeared. "You can still protect them, my child." Ashton gasped, "You are...Ho-Oh..." She replied, "It is time you learned."
Ho-Oh spoke, "Your sister explained it to you already, did she not?" Ashton nodded, "She did, although I was skeptical at first." She then asked, "Do you recall your duel with the Night Hawk? Or the sinking of the Leviathan?" Ashton sighed, "It's all a blur to me." But a second later, vibrant images appeared before Ashton as if he was watching a real event occur before him. He saw himself with wings of flames extending from his back that flickered in a rainbow of colors. He watched in shock as he tore the Night Hawk's arm from her body and then gazed upward in disbelief as she was annihilated by the Crimson Blossom. Then, he found himself out at sea, the Perla Celeste and the Flying Duskull facing off against the Leviathan. He observed as he sent the Kyogre golem crashing through the entire ship with a single blow, reducing it to a pile of burning cinders, and sending the entire battleship to the bottom of the sea with a single strike. "That.....was my doing?"
Ho-Oh nodded, "Yes. The power of the Eternal Flame, my power, is yours to wield. But due to your lack of knowledge of its existence, you could only harness it when consumed with rage. The fires of rage bring out the power of the flames to its fullest. But you can still harness it at any time. You just did not know you had it." Ashton looked down at his hands, "Your power...is my own." She replied, "Yes, dear Ashton. You have grown much since I saved you 15 years ago. But you still have not realized your full potential. You can go much further if you use the resources I bestowed upon you."
The viscount spoke, "You saved me... But why? I thought you circled the world forever to stay away from humans, not to save them." The phoenix replied, "Yes. When my sanctuary in the kingdom of Clavice was destroyed by those who wished to enslave me, I fled. For centuries, I have wandered. But I could not ignore something as precious as you." Ashton blushed, "Precious? Whatever do you mean?" She explained, "I heard your mother's pleas, and I could not ignore them. But when I saw you myself, I knew you would guide the kingdom of Rohta into a new era of understanding if you survived. Perhaps even the entire world. I could not allow you to die when you had so much to live for."
The phoenix came closer to Ashton and embraced him with her wings. "Dearest Ashton... My Angel of the Eternal Flame. You are still needed in this world." Ashton closed his eyes as he listened to her voice. "You have the greatest gift I could ever grant you in your possession. And you know how to use it. Now go, Angel of the Eternal Flame. Lead this world out of the darkness and into the light of the future." Ashton slowly opened his eyes, now just as red as hers. "I will. Thank you, my lady. I hope we meet again someday."
Ruby screamed as Chiara tried to restrain her, "GIVE HIM BACK!!! RETURN MY MASTER TO ME!!!" But the Orochi cackled, "Sorry, but that's out of the question. But if you want to see him again, I suppose you can join him in my belly!" One of Orochi's heads dove for the nine companions with gaping jaws. But just before he could reach them, he froze. "What's this I feel?" The head reared back as the head that devoured Ashton began to show signs of discomfort. It groaned, "Oog...I don't feel so good. Feels like heartburn. Or maybe gas..." At this, its neck began to bulge as it struggled to keep its mouth shut. "I...can't...hold it!" With a massive roar, a massive stream of fire exploded from its mouth like a colossal Flamethrower. And at the end of the blast was a spiraling form that rose into the sky. To the shock of Koga and his eight companions, the flames opened up to reveal a pair of beautiful wings of fire that radiated a rainbow of colors. And attached to those wings was Ashton, whose eyes were now unmistakably red and the Z-shaped scars under his eyes had become bolder.
As smoke poured out of the mouth of Orochi, its head shouted, "WATER!!! I NEED WATER!!!" It then thrust its massive neck towards the sea, where it submerged its head and started to gulp away, despite the extremely salty taste. Koga gasped at the magnificent angelic form that hovered above them as it steadily flapped its wings to stay aloft. "Ashton..... What have you...?" Serenade in particular was stunned by what she saw. (What is this? Every time before, this side of him always frightened me. But now...he seems to be...an angel... I've never felt such a reassuring presence.) All of Ashton's other servants were silent with awe. The very sight of their master flying above them put their hearts at ease.
One of Orochi's heads shouted, "What are you?! How do you have wings?!" Ashton calmly replied, "I am the Angel of the Eternal Flame." The Orochi gasped in shock for a second, but soon smirked, "Oh, so this is the power of the Eternal Flame. The phoenix finally rises from the ashes. This should be most interesting indeed. I wouldn't be surprised if you have a spicy flavor to you now." The Orochi's eight heads rose up as if readying themselves for combat. "I have often wondered what Ho-Oh would taste like, but I suppose I'll just have to settle for you instead!" Ashton grunted, "Really? Too bad you'll never know." With a flick of his wrist, a rope of fire shot out from Ashton's hand and grabbed the hilt of the Flamberge, which was still embedded in one of Orochi's heads. He yanked the blade loose and quickly retracted the rope of fire and took his sword in hand once it came close enough. With a swing of his blade to remove the blood, Ashton gave Orochi a confident glare, "A snake can only reach so high. But if you are lucky, you just might get a chance to fly in the talons of a phoenix."
Ashton made a sudden dive to the ground as two of Orochi's heads pursued him. But just before he hit the ground, Ashton changed direction and flew just over the surface while the two heads slammed into the ground with a crash. One of Orochi's heads fired a flurry of sharp scales at the viscount, but Ashton turned himself over and slashed away at the scales while flying upside-down. "Come now! You'll have to do better than that!" But one of the Orochi's heads shouted, "So I shall! It's no fun if the prey does not put up a fight! Don't disappoint me!"
One of the heads that crashed into the ground suddenly burst out of the ground with open jaws, ready to devour Ashton whole. "Big mistake." Ashton turned over to face the Orochi. "Fire Style..." At the sound of this, the Orochi yelped and disappeared back into the hole. "No, not again! It was bad enough the first time!" But Ashton smirked, "Wise decision." But he then turned to the rest of Orochi and shouted, "Grand Fireball!" A fireball that was no smaller than one of Orochi's heads was fired from Ashton's mouth. Koga gasped, "I have never witnessed a Grand Fireball Jutsu so immense! Is this the power of the Eternal Flame?!" As Koga finished what he was saying, the Grand Fireball exploded into one of Orochi's heads. Out of the cloud of smoke it fell, a glazed look in its eyes. "Ouch..."
"Try this!" One of Orochi's heads opened its mouth wide. At that instant, a massive plume of purple smoke shot out at Ashton. "A Poison Fog Jutsu? Seems Orochi learned much while hiding inside the High Priest." He then made a few hand signs as a large sphere of fire appeared before him. "Wind Style: Fire Storm Jutsu!" With a swing of the Flamberge, a massive wall of fire engulfed the toxic fog and the head that it came from. Koga marveled at the combined elements. "A combination of Fire and Wind Style. Superb, Ashton! Simply superb!"
Ashton saw that about five of Orochi's heads were pursuing him and he took to the sky at high speed. Although the Orochi was gargantuan, it had a limit to how far it could reach. Once Ashton was out of range, he placed the Flamberge on his back as he curved back towards the ground. He then folded his wings over his body and then unfurled them as he went into a rapid spin. "Time to see if the move I used to sink the Leviathan will work here too." In a few seconds, Ashton looked like a large spinning arrowhead of flames as he rocketed towards the Orochi. "Let's see you take this! Phoenix Maelstrom!!!" The missile roared past the towering bodies as he clipped them, causing them to burst into flames. Serenade whispered, "The very same technique. What a sight... You really are a marvel, brother. If only Mother and Father could see you now."
Ashton came out of his attack and hovered in place by flapping his wings. All but one or two of Orochi's heads were engulfed in flames while the other two watched. "Tch, this is all too easy. But I can see why Susano got him drunk. That thing is much faster than it looks." But after a moment, the heads that were burning stopped writing in pain and simply stared at the viscount. "Easy? If I was the same creature that fell before Susano, yes. Perhaps I would be unable to kill you. But while I resided within the High Priest, I learned much. Allow me to share his knowledge with you." With this, all eight heads reared up and opened their massive jaws wide. Eight voices spoke as some sort of black aura began to form between the eight mouths, "Demon Art: Eight Paths of Ruin!"
Ashton instinctively folded his wings around his body for protection as the Yamata no Orochi finished his chant. At that instant, an unimaginably horrific wave of demonic Chakra was fired from the space between the eight heads of Orochi, engulfing Ashton. Ruby screamed, "ASHTON!!!" But when the black aura disappeared, Ashton could still be seen floating above the landscape, dark smoke emanating from him. He unfolded his wings, gasping and groaning in pain. One of Orochi's heads smiled, "I'm surprised you still have a body. Anything else would have disappeared." Ashton grabbed the Flamberge by the hilt and lunged at Orochi, slashing away at its necks while they tried to intercept him. But after several dozen slashes, once of the Orochi's heads knocked the Flamberge out of Ashton's hands, sending it flying towards his nine allies. They jumped out of the way as the blade struck the ground, leaving it standing up. One by one, the Orochi's heads overwhelmed Ashton as they struck him over and over with glancing blows, sometimes grazing him with their fangs and allowing their venom to seep into him. After a painful few minutes, one of the Orochi's heads sent Ashton flying upwards like before, but this time another head rose up to intercept him. "You put up a good fight, my prey. If you're still alive after this, I just might have you as an appetizer!" It then opened its mouth wide as black Chakra began to gather between the gaping jaws. "Demon Art: Final Breath of the Doomed!" Before Ashton could react, a massive blast of evil power engulfed the area right in front of the Orochi's face, sending Ashton flying to the outskirts of the valley. He hit the ground with a deafening crash. "ASHTON!!!" Ruby screamed in tears. In desperation, she and her 'sisters' made a dash for the area where Ashton fell. Koga stood silently for a moment, but soon followed them. "No... Ashton, you must live. Even if you can't slay the Yamata no Orochi, I want you to at least survive and escape this land."
Ashton crawled out of the crater that had been formed from the impact. He groaned and gagged as blood poured down his face, his wings trying to lift him from the ground. He rolled over onto his back as he watched the Orochi looming overhead. "No way..... Not even Ho-Oh herself could hope to stand against this beast. If only I had a nice big pool of sake or wine." One of the Orochi's heads called out, "So you still live? I'll be sure to savor this meal. But before I devour you, I'll give you one last chance to defeat me. Go on, have at it. That is, if you have the means to try!" Ashton slowly climbed to his feet, "I do have one last trick up my sleeve. But if I use it...I will surely..." Tears began to trickle down his face, "Master Koga, what should I do?"
Several days earlier, Ashton had paid a visit to Koga's home. "I've never seen so many scrolls in my life. Did you write these yourself?" Koga smiled, "A few of them. Most have been passed down from shinobi that lived long before our time." Ashton smiled, "Interesting. Hm? This scroll...won't open..." Koga walked over to him, "Ah, this one has been sealed to prevent the unwise from learning them. This scroll is filled with a variety of forbidden ninjutsu. But I suppose I could show you." He then pressed his hand to the scroll and made a hand sign with his other hand. "Release." Ashton then tried to open the scroll and found that it was easy to do so. Inside, he found a large cache of seemingly devious information that made him feel a slight chill at the sight of the consequences that were inscribed next to the various jutsu. But at the very back of the scroll, he found something that made his hair stand on end. "This... This is...?!"
Koga came over to his former pupil and took a look at what he had found. "I'm not surprised that this one scared you. Must be a scary thought, coming face-to-face with the spirit of death." Ashton glanced up at his sensei with a look of fright, "You must be joking! There is a summoning technique that allows a man to acquire the powers of death itself?!" Koga nodded, "Yes, but at an extremely heavy price. Read the rest of it." Ashton looked back at the scroll and read it over. When he read the part that explained the consequences of performing the deed, his face went blank. "No way... Such a fate...is unthinkable..." Koga then placed a hand on Ashton's shoulder, "Yes, but the few who used this jutsu were very brave and honorable people who gave everything they had to protect everything that was important to them. Though this comes with a great price and is dark in nature, only the bravest and noblest would even consider using it. Something that even the most vengeful of demons would not dare to use."
Ashton looked back at the scroll and went silent. After a moment, he asked, "Master Koga, may I learn how to use this technique?" Koga gave Ashton a sharp glance. "I hope I never have to use it, but just in case nothing else works, I want to have a failsafe plan should my loved ones end up in peril. And this will surely be enough to protect them from any threat." Koga sighed, "Very well. All you need to do is perform the hand signs and that's it. Just make sure you don't use it unless you absolutely need to." Ashton smiled, "Thank you, Master Koga." He then looked back at the scroll and read over the hand signs that were needed to perform the technique.
Ashton glared at Orochi as he gathered his courage. "If I fail here, the entire planet will become Orochi's plaything. My family.... My home.... Everything. They will all be doomed to Orochi's whim." He then placed one hand on his face and slid it off, coating his palm in blood. He then did the same with the other hand as more blood trickled down his face. When he looked down at his hands, he saw that both of his palms were covered with blood. "Looks like enough." He then looked to the left and saw his eight servants and Koga rapidly closing in. "Forgive me....."
Ashton began making hand signs as he chanted to help remember the correct order, "Mi, I, Hitsuji, U, Inu, Ne, Tori, Uma, Mi!" He then pressed both hands together. At this point, Koga and the others had gotten close enough to get a good view of him. But Koga then realized what Ashton had done. "Ashton..... He didn't..." At that instant, red mist began to emanate from between Ashton's hands and escape into the air. A moment later, a pale ghostly form began to expand just behind Ashton as a number of glowing particles began to gravitate towards it from nowhere. A left hand formed that was a faint purple and was holding a necklace of red beads. Soon, the rest of the body formed. Everyone, including Orochi himself, stood aghast at the sight of a horned demon with black and yellow eyes wearing a white robe, its long wild white hair being blown by a gentle, unfelt wind. A faint blue mist seemed to be pulled out of Ashton's body and was directed to the space in front of the demon's chest as it took on the general form of a human. A second later, more spectral mist gathered at the demon's mouth and formed a tanto sword which had its hilt wrapped in white bandages. The being was transparent, a ghostly creature that levitated while cackling in an eerie and jeering manner as white spectral flames floated around it.
Ashton looked up at Orochi with a sneaky smirk. All eight heads looked on in absolute terror. "You.... You did not just...! You wouldn't dare!" All of Ashton's servants froze in fear of the demon that Ashton had summoned. Cassandra asked, "K...Koga... What in the world is...?" The shinobi shuddered, "That beastly apparition... Normally, it is visible only to the one who summons it. But when an offering of blood is made along with the required hand signs, it becomes visible to all." Aurora then asked, "But...what is it...?" Koga shuddered, "It's over..... Ashton has sealed his fate... That monster... That diabolical entity.....is the very face of death itself. The spirit of death. We of the Far East know it as Shinigami." Chiara gasped, "The spirit of death?! Impossible..."
Ashton laughed, "Yes, you know it too, Orochi! Even a true immortal such as yourself knows that you are powerless against this threat! I have summoned a force that absolutely no one is truly immune to! Not even you! You stand before your demise! Your hour of death has come!"
"Sir, I know it is late, but I have urgent news to report." The shinobi spoke with an urgent tone in his voice. The emperor grumbled as he sat up in bed, "It better be good if you're waking me up at this hour." The shinobi, whose face was covered with a white mask that resembled the face of a fox, nodded, "We followed Ashton and Koga as you instructed. They encountered some resistance on the way, but managed to locate the leader of that bizarre cult. It was then that the leader confessed that their goal was to resurrect the Yamata no Orochi." The emperor laughed, "Fools. How could they hope to resurrect something that never existed?" The shinobi nodded, "I thought so too, sir. But even so, he attempted to slay Ashton and Koga. But they were able to overpower him and the leader was disposed of." The emperor nodded, "Thank goodness. I will be sure to reward them in the morning." But the shinobi added, "However, we made a disturbing discovery. It seems that the Yamata no Orochi does exist after all." The emperor gave the shinobi an alarmed glance, "And what makes you so sure of that?" The shinobi then stood up and raised his voice, "Because the Yamata no Orochi is standing in a great valley to the west as we speak!"
The emperor gasped as a trickle of cold sweat dripped from his brow, "It what?!" The shinobi then grabbed the emperor and carried him to the top of the pagoda. He then pointed to the west. What the emperor saw in the distance made his face turn white in horror. Standing against the moonlight was a colossal serpent. "One...two......eight?! It is indeed the Orochi!" The shinobi added, "It would seem that the leader summoned it with his dying breath." The emperor turned to the shinobi and shouted, "Send word to our allies! Every ninja available must move to destroy this beast! This is a national crisis! Have the soldiers standby to defend the townspeople!" The shinobi nodded before leaping from the pagoda to a tree below before making his way to the west with a swarm of countless of ninja as gongs were sounded throughout the town while one shinobi stayed behind to defend the emperor. "To think that such a demon existed... Do we even have the means to destroy it?"
Ashton stared up in sheer horror at the gargantuan beast that towered above him and his companions. "Orochi..... No, it can't be! Just what are you?!" Upon hearing his request, one of the heads of the serpent lowered itself to the ground and stared at Ashton from just a few feet away. Its black scales shimmered in the moonlight and its crimson eyes seemed to glow. But unlike a snake, its head seemed to resemble that of an eastern dragon, complete with a beard and long whiskers. The head then spoke in a confident raspy voice, "You may call me Orochi."
Ashton took a few steps back, "Orochi? Impossible... How can you exist?!" He then replied, "Did you remember what the High Priest said? Do you honestly believe that someone would go about spreading elaborate lies? There is always truth to legends." But Koga then shouted, "But how?! Something as massive as you must have surely left behind some evidence after death!" The wise old shinobi froze as the eyes of the Orochi looked over at him. "True. After my death, my body decomposed, leaving only my bones behind. And as you can tell by the size of my body, they are just as large as you might imagine. But Susano understood that my soul remained intact as destroying such a thing is virtually impossible. He knew that certain demonic creatures may try to revive me if they learned of my existence. So he, along with many followers and friends, underwent a deed that took several decades to complete. They chiseled away my bones, bit by bit, and cast them into the sea. But by some miracle, the High Priest discovered truth behind the legend and found a way to bring me back."
One of the other seven heads of Orochi spoke with the same voice, "But even though I am back in my prime, I could use some followers." It then looked down at Ashton, "It's not too late, Ashton of Green Mile. Will you become my guardian and follower? I will need all the followers I can get when I become the new king of this world." Ashton gulped as sweat trickled down his face, soaking his hood. But he then looked over at his eight servants, who were all looking over at him as if awaiting orders. They showed signs of fear, but he could also see faith in their eyes. He then glanced over at Koga. He nodded, showing that the decision was up to him. The viscount then looked back over at Orochi and closed his eyes. (Judging by the size of this beast, crossing the ocean would be no challenge to him. Eventually, he will invade Rohta. So if I am to protect my home, I must stop him here.....)
Ashton slowly looked up at Orochi. A moment later, he gripped his hood and pulled it from his head. "Susano, the man who slew the Yamata no Orochi, was a swordsman of the Far East." He then gripped the hilt of the Flamberge, "I have sometimes pondered if a swordsman of the Far West could pull off the same thing." He then drew his blade as confidence filled his face. "I think it's time we find out." He then pointed his zweihander at the towering serpent, "Orochi! You have no place in this world. Allow me to send you back to where you belong!" He then glanced over at his eight servants. They all nodded with a smile, showing that they would aid him to the end. Koga smiled, "If a mere swordsman could do it alone, then why not two shinobi and eight Pokémon?" But one of the heads of Orochi asked, "So you think you can kill me?" Another then smiled, "Go ahead and try."
Ashton held the blade out to his side as the Orochi raised all eight heads high. As they were now, there was quite some distance between him and the ten warriors. Ashton raised the Flamberge high into the air. "Together! Charge!" At that instant, he made a dash towards the Orochi after focusing his Chakra into his legs, allowing for greater speed. Aurora soon caught up with him and ran alongside him. Aurora spoke, "Quick, scatter!" Her timing was impeccable as one of the heads came down at them with gaping jaws. But Ashton and Aurora quickly dashed sideways as the Orochi slammed into the ground, partially burying itself. Taking the opportunity, Ashton leapt into the air and performed a downward thrust with the Flamberge, driving the blade into its head. Dark blood sprayed as the blade sank into the flesh, but the Orochi did not seem to flinch.
"Lord Ashton, move!" Cassandra called as she swung her head, creating a great Razor Wind. The blades of air slashed away at the Orochi's scales. But soon, he let out a loud hiss as the scales that had been sliced off shot towards the Absol like a hail of arrows! "Don't move, Cassandra! I've got this one!" Zandria dove in front of her and began slashing away with her claws to deflect the incoming projectiles. Each scale was about the size of a watermelon, but were still light enough for the Zangoose to deflect with little difficulty. "Man, those were huge! I bet you could make some good knives outta them." Zandria then turned to her rival, "Now that I think about it, you can use Flamethrower, right?" Cassandra nodded, "The last time I ever used it was the day Lord Ashton brought Ruby home, but yes!" Zandria smiled, "Great, then use it with me. I can use Flamethrower as well." At that instant, one of the heads made a lunge for them. But when it got close enough, the two ladies let loose with a double blast of fire, engulfing its face. "Oh yeah! I've never tasted roasted snake before!" Zandria said as the aroma of cooked meat filled the air.
Chiara and Laura danced through the air as one of the heads of Orochi pursued them. "Hey, Chiara! Want to try tying some knots?!" Laura called out. The Lugia nodded, "Sounds like fun!" They then flew away from each other and turned to face the head as it pondered which one of them to eat first. But then, Laura and Chiara's eyes began to glow a faint blue. The Orochi froze as a strange feeling came over him. "What is this sensation?!" But then, his neck jerked hard to the side, making him gag. Then his head began to curl backwards as he wound himself around his own neck. But then, another one of Orochi's heads came up from behind Chiara. "I've got this one!" The Lugia then turned to face the new threat and focused on it as Laura put on the finishing touches. A moment later, both heads were wrapped around each other. "What was that about?! You always were the dumbest of the eight!" But the other barked, "Shut up! If you didn't get involved, you could still be out there snacking on the others!" The two heads continued to feud with each other as Chiara and Laura laughed themselves silly.
Serenade stood her ground as one of Orochi's heads sent a flurry of sharp scales flying towards her. "OK... Focus." She then held out one hand and grabbed a scale with her mind when it was about to touch her before sending it flying back with a telekinetic pulse. But she did not stop there. With the dexterity and grace of a true master of the Gentle Fist, she sent every single scale back at the Orochi without stopping her arms. The scales dug into the flesh upon impact, causing his blood to spray here and there.
Koga leapt onto the neck of one of the Orochi's heads and ran up it with blinding speed as he pricked himself with a shuriken. Pressing his thumb into the drop of blood, he made several hand signs. "Come, my friends! Summoning Jutsu!" He then planted his hand against the Orochi as a puff of white smoke engulfed him. A moment later, a massive swarm of Golbat, Crobat, Venomoth, and Dustox began to circle the massive serpent. The bats bombarded Orochi with Screech, Supersonic, and other sound-based attacks while the Venomoth scattered a great cloud of Stun Spore while the Dustox bombarded Orochi with countless Poison Sting needles.
Laika and Aurora stood before Ruby as the Lucario gathered her Aura into her palms for a Focus Blast. Aurora sent a potent Hydro Pump splashing into the body of Orochi, soaking a large area. She then unleashed an Ice Beam, freezing the wet area solid. But one of Orochi's heads made a dive for the three girls. But before it could devour them, Laika let out a deafening Roar. The Orochi backed away slightly as it shook from the vibrations it felt from the Mightyena. "Lady Aurora! Lady Laika! Make some room!" Ruby called out as she held her hands out. Once her superiors had gotten out of the way, she unleashed a colossal Focus Blast that engulfed the entire head and neck of Orochi. But even then, the other eight heads did not seem to feel any pain.
At first, it seemed that Orochi was not quite as dangerous as the legend proclaimed. But as she watched the dust settle from her attack, Ruby tried sensing the Orochi's Aura. She gasped, "What's going on here?! His Aura hasn't weakened at all! It's like he hasn't been injured! The Yamata no Orochi..... It must be immortal!!!" As if to confirm her suspicions, the head of Orochi that had been engulfed in flames burst out of the blaze and snapped at Zandria and Cassandra. Although startled, they managed to evade it.
"Pesky vermin! Begone!" The heads of Orochi began to flail about as they swatted Koga's summoned Pokémon. They disappeared in a puff of smoke when struck. During the confusion, Koga made a dash for safety towards Ashton's servants. But once the summoned creatures had been dealt with, the Orochi glared at the nine allies. Aurora shouted, "You look as if we didn't even touch you! What are you?!" One of Orochi's heads replied, "I am what you call a true immortal. I do not feel the flow of time and I can only be killed if I let you kill me. Or if I'm too intoxicated to notice.....wait a minute." The eight heads looked at their opponents as the two heads that were tied up managed to untangle themselves. "Seven...eight...nine? Where's the tenth?!" Just then, one of Orochi's heads felt something being pushed into its scalp. Ashton was still trying to push the Flamberge as deep as he could in an effort to reach Orochi's brain. "HEY! Get off, you pest!" The Orochi then began to flail his head around as Ashton held onto the hilt of his sword for dear life. After about twenty seconds, Orochi finally managed to get Ashton to let go when he threw his head upwards, sending Ashton flying high into the sky.
The viscount stopped rising through the air at about 3,000 feet. Ashton then looked down as he seemed to feel weightless for several seconds. One of Orochi's heads had positioned itself right under him. "Oh no..." Orochi smirked, "It's been centuries since my last meal. I think I'll start with you, Ashton!" With that, Ashton went into a freefall as he screamed at the top of his lungs. Unable to do anything but watch, Ashton's eight companions looked on as if waiting for a miracle. But a moment later, one of Orochi's heads slammed his jaws shut on Ashton. He then gulped him down. "Ugh, I never was fond of that heavy fiber flavor of cotton. Why humans wear clothes, I'll never know." But Cassandra cried, "No...no....oh god, no..." When she tried to dash towards Orochi, Koga grabbed her, "Don't be foolish! He's gone..."
As he slid down Orochi's throat, Ashton slowly succumbed to the black abyss around him. "So.....this is how it ends... What a pathetic way to go for the legendary Vulcan Warrior." But soon, a kindly woman's voice spoke, "No... It does not have to end this way." Ashton spoke, "Who's there? Who are you?!" In his mind, he could see a vibrant array of colors as a magnificent bird appeared. "You can still protect them, my child." Ashton gasped, "You are...Ho-Oh..." She replied, "It is time you learned."
Ho-Oh spoke, "Your sister explained it to you already, did she not?" Ashton nodded, "She did, although I was skeptical at first." She then asked, "Do you recall your duel with the Night Hawk? Or the sinking of the Leviathan?" Ashton sighed, "It's all a blur to me." But a second later, vibrant images appeared before Ashton as if he was watching a real event occur before him. He saw himself with wings of flames extending from his back that flickered in a rainbow of colors. He watched in shock as he tore the Night Hawk's arm from her body and then gazed upward in disbelief as she was annihilated by the Crimson Blossom. Then, he found himself out at sea, the Perla Celeste and the Flying Duskull facing off against the Leviathan. He observed as he sent the Kyogre golem crashing through the entire ship with a single blow, reducing it to a pile of burning cinders, and sending the entire battleship to the bottom of the sea with a single strike. "That.....was my doing?"
Ho-Oh nodded, "Yes. The power of the Eternal Flame, my power, is yours to wield. But due to your lack of knowledge of its existence, you could only harness it when consumed with rage. The fires of rage bring out the power of the flames to its fullest. But you can still harness it at any time. You just did not know you had it." Ashton looked down at his hands, "Your power...is my own." She replied, "Yes, dear Ashton. You have grown much since I saved you 15 years ago. But you still have not realized your full potential. You can go much further if you use the resources I bestowed upon you."
The viscount spoke, "You saved me... But why? I thought you circled the world forever to stay away from humans, not to save them." The phoenix replied, "Yes. When my sanctuary in the kingdom of Clavice was destroyed by those who wished to enslave me, I fled. For centuries, I have wandered. But I could not ignore something as precious as you." Ashton blushed, "Precious? Whatever do you mean?" She explained, "I heard your mother's pleas, and I could not ignore them. But when I saw you myself, I knew you would guide the kingdom of Rohta into a new era of understanding if you survived. Perhaps even the entire world. I could not allow you to die when you had so much to live for."
The phoenix came closer to Ashton and embraced him with her wings. "Dearest Ashton... My Angel of the Eternal Flame. You are still needed in this world." Ashton closed his eyes as he listened to her voice. "You have the greatest gift I could ever grant you in your possession. And you know how to use it. Now go, Angel of the Eternal Flame. Lead this world out of the darkness and into the light of the future." Ashton slowly opened his eyes, now just as red as hers. "I will. Thank you, my lady. I hope we meet again someday."
Ruby screamed as Chiara tried to restrain her, "GIVE HIM BACK!!! RETURN MY MASTER TO ME!!!" But the Orochi cackled, "Sorry, but that's out of the question. But if you want to see him again, I suppose you can join him in my belly!" One of Orochi's heads dove for the nine companions with gaping jaws. But just before he could reach them, he froze. "What's this I feel?" The head reared back as the head that devoured Ashton began to show signs of discomfort. It groaned, "Oog...I don't feel so good. Feels like heartburn. Or maybe gas..." At this, its neck began to bulge as it struggled to keep its mouth shut. "I...can't...hold it!" With a massive roar, a massive stream of fire exploded from its mouth like a colossal Flamethrower. And at the end of the blast was a spiraling form that rose into the sky. To the shock of Koga and his eight companions, the flames opened up to reveal a pair of beautiful wings of fire that radiated a rainbow of colors. And attached to those wings was Ashton, whose eyes were now unmistakably red and the Z-shaped scars under his eyes had become bolder.
As smoke poured out of the mouth of Orochi, its head shouted, "WATER!!! I NEED WATER!!!" It then thrust its massive neck towards the sea, where it submerged its head and started to gulp away, despite the extremely salty taste. Koga gasped at the magnificent angelic form that hovered above them as it steadily flapped its wings to stay aloft. "Ashton..... What have you...?" Serenade in particular was stunned by what she saw. (What is this? Every time before, this side of him always frightened me. But now...he seems to be...an angel... I've never felt such a reassuring presence.) All of Ashton's other servants were silent with awe. The very sight of their master flying above them put their hearts at ease.
One of Orochi's heads shouted, "What are you?! How do you have wings?!" Ashton calmly replied, "I am the Angel of the Eternal Flame." The Orochi gasped in shock for a second, but soon smirked, "Oh, so this is the power of the Eternal Flame. The phoenix finally rises from the ashes. This should be most interesting indeed. I wouldn't be surprised if you have a spicy flavor to you now." The Orochi's eight heads rose up as if readying themselves for combat. "I have often wondered what Ho-Oh would taste like, but I suppose I'll just have to settle for you instead!" Ashton grunted, "Really? Too bad you'll never know." With a flick of his wrist, a rope of fire shot out from Ashton's hand and grabbed the hilt of the Flamberge, which was still embedded in one of Orochi's heads. He yanked the blade loose and quickly retracted the rope of fire and took his sword in hand once it came close enough. With a swing of his blade to remove the blood, Ashton gave Orochi a confident glare, "A snake can only reach so high. But if you are lucky, you just might get a chance to fly in the talons of a phoenix."
Ashton made a sudden dive to the ground as two of Orochi's heads pursued him. But just before he hit the ground, Ashton changed direction and flew just over the surface while the two heads slammed into the ground with a crash. One of Orochi's heads fired a flurry of sharp scales at the viscount, but Ashton turned himself over and slashed away at the scales while flying upside-down. "Come now! You'll have to do better than that!" But one of the Orochi's heads shouted, "So I shall! It's no fun if the prey does not put up a fight! Don't disappoint me!"
One of the heads that crashed into the ground suddenly burst out of the ground with open jaws, ready to devour Ashton whole. "Big mistake." Ashton turned over to face the Orochi. "Fire Style..." At the sound of this, the Orochi yelped and disappeared back into the hole. "No, not again! It was bad enough the first time!" But Ashton smirked, "Wise decision." But he then turned to the rest of Orochi and shouted, "Grand Fireball!" A fireball that was no smaller than one of Orochi's heads was fired from Ashton's mouth. Koga gasped, "I have never witnessed a Grand Fireball Jutsu so immense! Is this the power of the Eternal Flame?!" As Koga finished what he was saying, the Grand Fireball exploded into one of Orochi's heads. Out of the cloud of smoke it fell, a glazed look in its eyes. "Ouch..."
"Try this!" One of Orochi's heads opened its mouth wide. At that instant, a massive plume of purple smoke shot out at Ashton. "A Poison Fog Jutsu? Seems Orochi learned much while hiding inside the High Priest." He then made a few hand signs as a large sphere of fire appeared before him. "Wind Style: Fire Storm Jutsu!" With a swing of the Flamberge, a massive wall of fire engulfed the toxic fog and the head that it came from. Koga marveled at the combined elements. "A combination of Fire and Wind Style. Superb, Ashton! Simply superb!"
Ashton saw that about five of Orochi's heads were pursuing him and he took to the sky at high speed. Although the Orochi was gargantuan, it had a limit to how far it could reach. Once Ashton was out of range, he placed the Flamberge on his back as he curved back towards the ground. He then folded his wings over his body and then unfurled them as he went into a rapid spin. "Time to see if the move I used to sink the Leviathan will work here too." In a few seconds, Ashton looked like a large spinning arrowhead of flames as he rocketed towards the Orochi. "Let's see you take this! Phoenix Maelstrom!!!" The missile roared past the towering bodies as he clipped them, causing them to burst into flames. Serenade whispered, "The very same technique. What a sight... You really are a marvel, brother. If only Mother and Father could see you now."
Ashton came out of his attack and hovered in place by flapping his wings. All but one or two of Orochi's heads were engulfed in flames while the other two watched. "Tch, this is all too easy. But I can see why Susano got him drunk. That thing is much faster than it looks." But after a moment, the heads that were burning stopped writing in pain and simply stared at the viscount. "Easy? If I was the same creature that fell before Susano, yes. Perhaps I would be unable to kill you. But while I resided within the High Priest, I learned much. Allow me to share his knowledge with you." With this, all eight heads reared up and opened their massive jaws wide. Eight voices spoke as some sort of black aura began to form between the eight mouths, "Demon Art: Eight Paths of Ruin!"
Ashton instinctively folded his wings around his body for protection as the Yamata no Orochi finished his chant. At that instant, an unimaginably horrific wave of demonic Chakra was fired from the space between the eight heads of Orochi, engulfing Ashton. Ruby screamed, "ASHTON!!!" But when the black aura disappeared, Ashton could still be seen floating above the landscape, dark smoke emanating from him. He unfolded his wings, gasping and groaning in pain. One of Orochi's heads smiled, "I'm surprised you still have a body. Anything else would have disappeared." Ashton grabbed the Flamberge by the hilt and lunged at Orochi, slashing away at its necks while they tried to intercept him. But after several dozen slashes, once of the Orochi's heads knocked the Flamberge out of Ashton's hands, sending it flying towards his nine allies. They jumped out of the way as the blade struck the ground, leaving it standing up. One by one, the Orochi's heads overwhelmed Ashton as they struck him over and over with glancing blows, sometimes grazing him with their fangs and allowing their venom to seep into him. After a painful few minutes, one of the Orochi's heads sent Ashton flying upwards like before, but this time another head rose up to intercept him. "You put up a good fight, my prey. If you're still alive after this, I just might have you as an appetizer!" It then opened its mouth wide as black Chakra began to gather between the gaping jaws. "Demon Art: Final Breath of the Doomed!" Before Ashton could react, a massive blast of evil power engulfed the area right in front of the Orochi's face, sending Ashton flying to the outskirts of the valley. He hit the ground with a deafening crash. "ASHTON!!!" Ruby screamed in tears. In desperation, she and her 'sisters' made a dash for the area where Ashton fell. Koga stood silently for a moment, but soon followed them. "No... Ashton, you must live. Even if you can't slay the Yamata no Orochi, I want you to at least survive and escape this land."
Ashton crawled out of the crater that had been formed from the impact. He groaned and gagged as blood poured down his face, his wings trying to lift him from the ground. He rolled over onto his back as he watched the Orochi looming overhead. "No way..... Not even Ho-Oh herself could hope to stand against this beast. If only I had a nice big pool of sake or wine." One of the Orochi's heads called out, "So you still live? I'll be sure to savor this meal. But before I devour you, I'll give you one last chance to defeat me. Go on, have at it. That is, if you have the means to try!" Ashton slowly climbed to his feet, "I do have one last trick up my sleeve. But if I use it...I will surely..." Tears began to trickle down his face, "Master Koga, what should I do?"
Several days earlier, Ashton had paid a visit to Koga's home. "I've never seen so many scrolls in my life. Did you write these yourself?" Koga smiled, "A few of them. Most have been passed down from shinobi that lived long before our time." Ashton smiled, "Interesting. Hm? This scroll...won't open..." Koga walked over to him, "Ah, this one has been sealed to prevent the unwise from learning them. This scroll is filled with a variety of forbidden ninjutsu. But I suppose I could show you." He then pressed his hand to the scroll and made a hand sign with his other hand. "Release." Ashton then tried to open the scroll and found that it was easy to do so. Inside, he found a large cache of seemingly devious information that made him feel a slight chill at the sight of the consequences that were inscribed next to the various jutsu. But at the very back of the scroll, he found something that made his hair stand on end. "This... This is...?!"
Koga came over to his former pupil and took a look at what he had found. "I'm not surprised that this one scared you. Must be a scary thought, coming face-to-face with the spirit of death." Ashton glanced up at his sensei with a look of fright, "You must be joking! There is a summoning technique that allows a man to acquire the powers of death itself?!" Koga nodded, "Yes, but at an extremely heavy price. Read the rest of it." Ashton looked back at the scroll and read it over. When he read the part that explained the consequences of performing the deed, his face went blank. "No way... Such a fate...is unthinkable..." Koga then placed a hand on Ashton's shoulder, "Yes, but the few who used this jutsu were very brave and honorable people who gave everything they had to protect everything that was important to them. Though this comes with a great price and is dark in nature, only the bravest and noblest would even consider using it. Something that even the most vengeful of demons would not dare to use."
Ashton looked back at the scroll and went silent. After a moment, he asked, "Master Koga, may I learn how to use this technique?" Koga gave Ashton a sharp glance. "I hope I never have to use it, but just in case nothing else works, I want to have a failsafe plan should my loved ones end up in peril. And this will surely be enough to protect them from any threat." Koga sighed, "Very well. All you need to do is perform the hand signs and that's it. Just make sure you don't use it unless you absolutely need to." Ashton smiled, "Thank you, Master Koga." He then looked back at the scroll and read over the hand signs that were needed to perform the technique.
Ashton glared at Orochi as he gathered his courage. "If I fail here, the entire planet will become Orochi's plaything. My family.... My home.... Everything. They will all be doomed to Orochi's whim." He then placed one hand on his face and slid it off, coating his palm in blood. He then did the same with the other hand as more blood trickled down his face. When he looked down at his hands, he saw that both of his palms were covered with blood. "Looks like enough." He then looked to the left and saw his eight servants and Koga rapidly closing in. "Forgive me....."
Ashton began making hand signs as he chanted to help remember the correct order, "Mi, I, Hitsuji, U, Inu, Ne, Tori, Uma, Mi!" He then pressed both hands together. At this point, Koga and the others had gotten close enough to get a good view of him. But Koga then realized what Ashton had done. "Ashton..... He didn't..." At that instant, red mist began to emanate from between Ashton's hands and escape into the air. A moment later, a pale ghostly form began to expand just behind Ashton as a number of glowing particles began to gravitate towards it from nowhere. A left hand formed that was a faint purple and was holding a necklace of red beads. Soon, the rest of the body formed. Everyone, including Orochi himself, stood aghast at the sight of a horned demon with black and yellow eyes wearing a white robe, its long wild white hair being blown by a gentle, unfelt wind. A faint blue mist seemed to be pulled out of Ashton's body and was directed to the space in front of the demon's chest as it took on the general form of a human. A second later, more spectral mist gathered at the demon's mouth and formed a tanto sword which had its hilt wrapped in white bandages. The being was transparent, a ghostly creature that levitated while cackling in an eerie and jeering manner as white spectral flames floated around it.
Ashton looked up at Orochi with a sneaky smirk. All eight heads looked on in absolute terror. "You.... You did not just...! You wouldn't dare!" All of Ashton's servants froze in fear of the demon that Ashton had summoned. Cassandra asked, "K...Koga... What in the world is...?" The shinobi shuddered, "That beastly apparition... Normally, it is visible only to the one who summons it. But when an offering of blood is made along with the required hand signs, it becomes visible to all." Aurora then asked, "But...what is it...?" Koga shuddered, "It's over..... Ashton has sealed his fate... That monster... That diabolical entity.....is the very face of death itself. The spirit of death. We of the Far East know it as Shinigami." Chiara gasped, "The spirit of death?! Impossible..."
Ashton laughed, "Yes, you know it too, Orochi! Even a true immortal such as yourself knows that you are powerless against this threat! I have summoned a force that absolutely no one is truly immune to! Not even you! You stand before your demise! Your hour of death has come!"