Incarnate: Nishi

Steam flickered across Nishi's body as he exploded from where he stood, zig-zagging toward the curse at breakneck speeds, his eyes never leaving the curse.

The curse is huge; I can easily take advantage of that, Nishi thought with a smile, watching as the curse swayed in place. A faint crunching noise was barely audible from the curse as blood poured from its grotesque lips.

Ducking barely in time, Nishi took a glancing blow to the head, hurling himself backward as he ground to a stop, his shoes grinding against the asphalt. Perplexed, Nishi's eyes narrowed on the curse, taking note of two large whisker-like tentacles that protruded from the sides of its face.

That's odd, this curse isn't all that high of a grade, so how come it's so fast? Nishi pondered in confusion as he assumed a defensive stance.

A whisker launched forward, swatting into Nishi as he ducked under it, diving into the curse as he quickly slid underneath its belly, kicking up into it with a full-force blow. Its underside warbled almost like a jelly, the impact spreading out across its fat form, Nishi's eyes widened quickly as his mind raced.

It took that?! Nishi thought, hardly any time to finish his thought as the curse started to ragdoll on top of him, its massive form abruptly going slack, threatening to crush Nishi.

Rolling out from underneath the curse, Nishi pushed off from the ground, spinning to a standing position as he held his arms out in front of him, narrowly catching a whisker in his hand as he struggled against its strength.

"Faster, stronger, and more durable than expected, what is happening?" Nishi thought aloud as he gripped the whisker tightly before it instantly wrapped around his hand.

Uh oh. Nishi thought to himself with a plain expression.

Ripped forward at a shocking speed, Nishi was blasted straight into a tree, fragments, and chips of wood flying through the air, before being pulled back and hurled into a water fountain, an eruption of part rubble part water pouring out from the impact.

Water sprang forth in small streams, pouring over his body as Nishi slowly glanced up at the approaching curse, blood trickling from his recent wounds, some of them reopened, "Little shit... I get what's happening now," Nishi said with a cough, profusely coughing as he groaned, standing from the Nishi-shaped impact site.

Curses are born from negativity, their strength directly is in relation to the population of an area, I neglected to realize how staggering of a difference there is to the sheer number of non-sorcerers that exist in the world now... Nishi grumbled as he cracked his neck, the curse shuffling forward yet still.

Focusing on keeping these wounds from getting worse...

Conserving strength and being efficient...

Nishi glanced to his feet as he adjusted his stance, sighing as he glared up at the curse, its whiskers coiling in the air eagerly.

Suddenly, blood trickled from Nishi's body much faster, a red heat eating and gnawing at Nishi's aura as he glanced up with an eager grin, "That's how NOBODIES fight!" Nishi said as he abruptly laughed, a blush spreading across his face in excitement.

Adulterate that negativity... and breed only thoughts of complete victory!

A whisker launched toward where Nishi stood, lashing at the fountain as what remained of it was shattered into countless pieces, a plume of rubble and dust spilling out in excess. As the dust cleared, Nishi nor his body was anywhere to be seen, the curse's large and bulging eyes darting around as they widened.

"B-b-b-b-bol-bololbolol?" It seemed to utter in confusion.

"UP HIGH!" Nishi shouted from far up in the air to the curse, coming down like a furious meteor.

The curse's eyes erratically raced to meet Nishi, a half-growl half-howl echoing out as both of its whiskers coiled through the air to meet him. Nishi drew his fist behind his back as he fell, and a flare of his familiar heat surged around his fist, "In this era, they call it kinetic energy," Nishi said as his grin never faltered, "So I'll rename this attack..." Nishi's eyes only sharped as he took a deep breath.

The whiskers slashed straight into Nishi's body, gouging his flesh as blood splattered thickly into one of his eyes, forcing them shut as he gritted his teeth until blood seeped from his gums.

- Like a coiled spring releasing its tension or a car barreling down a highway, Nishi's cursed energy possesses the properties of kinetic energy, which during the Heian Era allowed him to compensate for the bizarre nature of his cursed technique, amplifying his strength, speed, and durability to levels on par with the sorcerers of his era...

Abruptly, Nishi accelerated through the air, almost like the stages of a rocket, his body rippling through the air as his arm looked as if it were almost vibrating, be it from excitement... or something else entirely.

It's been too long... Nishi thought with an indulgent- almost euphoric smile.

"KINETIC LARIAT!" Nishi growled out, plowing his fist straight through the curse's face, carving into it as if it wasn't there, its body tore in two as a gush of purple blood sprayed gruesomely.

Sliding across the asphalt some distance, eventually coming to a stop as he held his fist outward as he exhaled fully, a light tingle jittering in his fist as a purple rain showered the area.

Flicking his hand, he glanced back at the mangled body of the curse, its body already beginning to disappear, "If this is how Osaka is, I can't wait to see Tokyo," Nishi commented with a smile, his stance quivering a bit as he recentered himself.

Tsk, Nishi irked in annoyance, refocusing on controlling his bleeding.

"I would say that I'd kill you for reopening my wounds but..." Smirking as he saw the last fragments of the curse evaporate, he turned back around, walking away as he popped his neck, "...Seems I'm ahead of schedule," Nishi thought with a brief chuckle.

Stuffing his hands into his pocket, his eyes widened as he glanced to his feet, noticing a bloodied necklace, "Hmm?" Nishi mused aloud as he crouched down, grabbing it and holding it up to his gaze, "A necklace, must've been the brats."

Popping it open Nishi saw the boy with his face squished in between a man and a woman, each of them smiling, Nishi looked on a bit hesitant before clasping the necklace as he pocketed it.

Damn brat...

Several hours later...

Yawning, Nishi scratched at the back of his head as he noticed something eye-catching through a display window, a big grin on his face as he stopped in the street.

"Now that brings back memories," he said as he placed a hand on the glass, a jet-black kimono on the other side, just begging to be worn.

How many did I tear and rip mine asunder, how many times did my eldest daughter bring it back from the brink of desolation? Nishi thought as he glanced at the price tag, his smile fading as he scowled.

"35,000 Yen?" He said as he raised an eyebrow, "Prices have certainly become obscene in the modern era," Nishi commented.

Drawing his arm back, Nishi punched straight through the glass calmly, careful not to ruin the kimono as he pulled it off the display.

Nearby people seemed to recoil at both the sight and abrupt sound, many stepping away as they watched Nishi. Throwing it on, Nishi wore the kimono in a way that would bring shame to most, sloppy in every context of the word, the front left open lazily as he adjusted it.

"Looks pretty good on me," Nishi commented, looking at his reflection as he checked himself out, "If I do say so myself," he smirked as he began walking again.

Only a few minutes had passed, before Nishi stopped, in front of him were two police officers, a middle-aged man, and clearly a greenhorn.

The older man calmly put his hands out, his hands clearly ready, "We received a report citing a disturbance of a young man matching your description vandalizing a store and stealing..." He said calmly but firmly, "...We're going to need you to come with us sir, please put your hands behind your back and do not resist," he added firmly.

Scratching his chin, Nishi noticed the revolvers on their hips, grinning as he waved his hand, "I think I'm plenty fine as I am."

Grabbing a baton off his belt, the other officer quickly followed suit, "Please, put your hands behind your back and do not resist," the officer reaffirmed.

Save me please... these non-sorcerers are still as pestering as always, Nishi thought with an audible groan.

With a sigh, Nishi began to walk forward, ignoring them, "If you swat me with that baton, I won't hesitate to break your arm," he said calmly, "Move."

Both remained firm as the younger officer moved first, stepping in his pathway as he sweated, "If you do not stop I will have no choice but to use physical force!" The young man said as his voice shook.

In an instant, Nishi was in his face, his own face an inch from his, "Use it then, otherwise get ou-"

Nishi suddenly was struck on the shoulder, pausing as the older officer was already drawing his baton up for another swing, "Restrain him, Nakamura!"

Hurling his hands forward to grab Nishi, the officer grabbed his collar, trying to perform a shoulder throw.

Nishi responded by grabbing the young officer's throat, he held him up as the veins in his arm bulged, staring over into the old man's face with a scowl, "What did I say," Nishi said as he was struck on the upper arm, the old man battering him with the baton.

Grabbing the baton with his free hand, Nishi hurled it aside, the older officer watching Nishi in shock, grabbing the hilt of his firearm and stepping back, "Release him or I will be forced to empl-"

Nishi grabbed the old man by the wrist, snapping it like a twig, and before he could react, Nishi launched a straight kick right into his face, sending him hurtling into the brick wall behind him, knocking him out as the other officer fell unconscious.

I hate non-sorcerers, even with all the technology they possess now they are pitifully incapable of standing up to even this weakened state I am in.

Walking along, Nishi scratched at the back of his head, fixing his kimono, "Know your place, trash," he muttered as he stepped over their unconscious bodies.

"Now, where was I?" Nishi said as he glanced back, "Actually, probably should take their money," Nishi said as he took all the cash on them, pocketing it as he soon after began to toss a coin up and down as he walked.

"I'm torn between making my way north to Tokyo or heading back to my vessel's hometown to restart the Obara clan..." Nishi thought as he held a hand to his chin.

Reclaiming my lost strength and especially my cursed technique is a must in order to restart my clan properly, so I'm partial to going to Tokyo to boost my growth.

Groaning as he walked, Nishi sighed loudly and audibly, groaning as he walked down the street.

Catching the coin, Nishi declared aloud, "Fuck it, I'll head to Tokyo, reclaim some more of my lost strength, then I'll find a secluded area and restart my clan, all I need is my cursed technique, after that the rest will just be a matter of time," Nishi said with a big smile.

Suddenly his stomach grumbled as his eyes widened, "But first I need something to eat..."