Incarnate: Nishi

Sitting down in his booth, Nishi adjusted his shirt as he looked around, yawning as he looked at the table, running his hand along the edge, before looking around at how nicely the place was decorated to his aged sense of style.

"Certainly didn't spare any expenses," Nishi chuckled as he glanced to his right, a waitress slowly approaching.

She slightly bowed as she smiled, "Welcome!" She said gingerly, a respectful presentation.

My my, the women of this era are certainly beautiful, however, they certainly lack strength, nothing like the beast Yorozu.

Presenting the menu with both hands, she smiled warmly as she added, "Here is the menu."

Eyeing it for a moment, Nishi calmly took it from her hands and flipped it open, looking at it as his eyes widened, muttering to himself, "Such vast arrays of food available," He said with a brief chuckle, his gaze resting on a bowl of beef ramen, "What a stark contrast to my past life."

Noticing the price, he reached into his pocket, pilfering around as he grumbled at the lack of money, "How frustrating, it appears this vessel is quite underfunded..." Nishi scowled as he spotted the edge of something plastic in his wallet, "Hmm?" Nishi mused to himself, the waitress quietly watching with a hint of confusion on her face.

A debit card, Visa... Nishi said as he chuckled to himself, holding it up to the light.

Pulling out his phone, he opened his bank app, "Finances are... digital," Nishi said as he looked at the number on his phone, "12,120 Yen in... savings," Nishi repeated as he scoffed, "Won't be needing to save, so I'll just dip into that," He chuckled as he looked to the waitress, "Two large ramen beef bowls please," Nishi spoke calmly.

The waitress politely bowed as she spoke calmly, "Please wait a moment," Soon after walking off to tend to other tables.

Nishi's eyes drifted around the restaurant as he flipped through his new phone, looking through messages, until he eventually arrived at his mother.

A brief text, dated 3 weeks ago, and left on read, "Please come home son, it's been months, we're worried about you..." The message was one filled with worry, a concerned mother.

Nishi read it apathetically as he rested his head on his hand, the indistinct muttering around him echoing lightly.

Perhaps I could acquire a clan ground yet still, my vessel grew up in the sticks, it'd be easiest to start somewhere remote, especially to regain my cursed technique... Nishi smiled at that last part, exiting his messages as he checked how long it'd take to drive there.

A strong rattle of the table interrupted Nishi, who slowly glanced over, a pair of two men, both in work clothes stood there, one of them had a boot placed on the edge of the table, and an angry look in his eye.

"You got a lotsa' nerve spending OUR money so casually, Ike!" He said with a gruff tone, puffing his chest out as his eyes stared dagger into Nishi, his spiky hair smoothed and slicked back over his head.

The other man with him was the exact opposite, cold, calm, and collected, yet still he held a similar look in his eye, "Spending loaned money on food is indeed quite foolish Ike," He said as he adjusted his tie.

I get it, these two... Loan sharks they call em' now.

Nishi smirked as he glanced up at them with his head leaned back, "Bugs like you two love to come out of the woodwork at the slightest bump huh?" He said with a scoff.

"Huh?" The gruff man said as his eyes bulged with rage, "Ike, when'd you growa' pair?" He asked with a straight face tinged with hostility.

Looking at them both, Ike relaxed with his hands behind his head, squinting lightly at them both.

Nii and Tamashiro, the icy-hot combo, my vessel cut a deal with them to be able to pay rent... and now he owes them.

Nishi sighed as the waitress was hesitating behind them, holding the two beef bowls on a platter as she briskly placed the food on the table, "E-enjoy your meal sir..." She muttered as she felt Nii and Tamashiro's gaze pierce her, shuffling away briskly.

Reaching for the nearest bowl, Tamashiro grabbed Nishi's wrist, a firm grip, not a grasp, Nishi's eyes slowly moved to lock with Tamashiro's, "Move your hand," Nishi muttered as he narrowed his eyes, "I'm rather starved, it's been 1,000 years after all."

Tamashiro swatted the bowl from the table as he removed his tight grip, the bowl shattering on the floor as the atmosphere quickly shifted, that indistinct chatter from before silencing instantly.

Calmly, Nishi stood, a vein bulging across his forehead as he clenched his fists, "My ramen beef bowl..."

Tamashiro smirked as he got right in the booth, his face an inch from Nishi's, "What Ike, what're you gonna' do? Gonna' hit me? Gonna' bust my teeth in?" He asked as he turned his head to Nishi, putting his hand over his ear, "Come on tell me?" Tamashiro said in a mocking tone.

Nishi's eyes widened as they grew red with anger, the veins in his arms swelling as he grabbed firmly onto Tamashiro's face, leaning in and biting straight down on his ear, a jerk of his head ripping it off.

Finally reacting, Tamashiro shouted in pain as he hurled himself out of the booth, aided by Nishi tossing him. Tamashiro rolled around on the ground, holding his ear as he groaned in pain, punching the floor momentarily as he gritted his teeth, growling out, "I-IKE YOU FUCKING NO GOOD GOD DAMN RAT..." He said as he continued to groan out in pain, his legs kicking into nearby objects loudly.

Nii nudged into Tamashiro with a foot, "Stand up," Nii warned with a cautious tone, wide eyes plastered onto Nishi watching him chew up the ear he'd stolen.

Right as he looked up at Nishi, was right when he swallowed, wiping his mouth clean of blood, "...4 out of 10, needs some fear," Nishi said as he grinned at Tamashiro, blood staining his teeth as he ran his tongue over them.

Reaching into his pocket, Nii drew a switchblade, flicking it open, "Ike's acting exceedingly odd Shiro," Nii said as he pointed the blade at Nishi, "Almost as if he's a different person," He said eerily calm.

Tamashiro grunted as he stood, pulling a pair of brass knuckles out of his pockets, "Fuck this guy, let's drag his ass outside and beat him to death!" He shouted in anger, his eyes bloodshot and his right ear bleeding profusely.

The both of them lurched backward as Nishi stepped out of the booth suddenly, standing in front of them as he glanced down at his other beef ramen bowl, "Had you spilled the other, I would've plucked one of your eyes out, count your blessings..." Nishi grinned as he lurched towards Tamashiro, striking with a straight punch into his forearms, Nishi a bit surprised that he'd blocked the attack.

Suddenly, Nishi felt pain come from his left side, noticing Nii had stabbed him. Acting quickly, Nishi grabbed Tamashiro by the wrists pulling both of his arms apart as he hurled his head forward, ignoring the pain in his side as he blasted his head into Tamashiro's face, his nose instantly turning purple.

Nii pulled the blade free with a quick motion, swinging straight for his neck, "Got you," Nii said calmly.

"Not quite," Nishi muttered, noticing the blade racing towards his neck as he twisted his hips, putting Tamashiro straight in the pathway of the stab, forcing Nii to halt.

Tamashiro strained and struggled against Nishi's grip as he looked on baffled, "Since when has Ike been this fucking strong?!" He said with confusion, trying to knee him desperately.

Nii circled right as Nishi lurched forward, kneeing straight into Tamashiro's knee, causing Tamashiro's leg to lock up, "S-SHIT THAT HURT!" Tamashiro irked out in pain as Nii merely nicked Nishi's neck.

Twisting his wrist, Nishi turned Tamashiro around, shoving him away as Nii thrust forward again with another stab, Nishi's eyes widening in frustration as he forced his hand in the pathway of the stab, full-on grabbing the knife and his hand.

"You're getting real annoying with that knife you louse," Nishi said as he pulled Nii's hand away, punching Nii straight in the jaw with a left hook, an arcing swing that rattled his brain, evident by how he fell straight backward, landing in a booth dazed, a couple cowering next to each other by the sudden intrusion.

Nishi looked at his hand, noticing the blade firmly embedded in it, "To think I've lost so much power that a normal knife can pierce my skin," Nishi winced as he pulled the blade out, tossing it to the ground with a clattering noise, "How pathetic of me."

Tamashiro and Nii slowly pulled themselves together, Tamashiro growling out to Nii, "Who the fuck is this guy, there's no way he's Ike, that guy couldn't fight to save his life!?"

Nishi scoffed as he put a hand out, placing his other on his hip, "Before you so rudely interrupted my dinner, I was still getting used to this vessel, I'll have you know that my name is Nishi Obara, Ike is merely my vessel who I've taken over."

Nii and Tamashiro seem to pause for a moment, slowly looking at each other as Nii retorts, "Who?" A puzzled expression on both their faces.

No way, they don't know that name, the other one- Nishi froze as he realized that Kawasaki never specifically said he knew.

Nishi's eyes flickered for a moment as he put a hand on his chin, resting the other below his elbow, "You two have never heard of the Obara clan?" He asked as he put his hand out.

Both of them shared a look before Tamashiro scoffed, "You've lost your mind, that's gotta' be it, you've gotten better at fighting cause you're a fucking lunatic," Tamashiro grinned as a faint sweat coated his forehead.

They both breathed heavily from a mixture of damage and exhaustion, their gaze settling on Nishi who sighed, "A shame, looks like my descendants have failed me," Nishi groaned as he stretched, "But as fate would have it, some dumbass let me incarnate into this body, so I won't fail again."

Nii glanced to Tamashiro who shared a nod, both of them putting their weapons up, Nishi commenting with a squint and wide grin, "Good, you're gonna' fight in unison now!" Nishi said as he clenched his fists.

Time to use these stepping stones to start climbing up the mountain again. Nishi thought to himself as he licked his lips.

"Show me your flavor!" Nishi shouted at the two as he clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he dove toward them with a wide wingspan.

With this fight, I'll rekindle my control over cursed energy, I just need these two to push me!