longer.blue

This is a story that's been told before, although it's likely you haven't heard of it. Years in the making, dense and complex. So, let's keep it short and sweet, in the simple vein as a tragic hero's origin? The Tiger Clan is what Takii was born into, a family whose ancestors were once the rulers of all humanity in a time before written history. They, alongside the Dragon Clan, were meant to be the nurturers and shepherds of humanity. That was the idea, but the Beasts turned out to hold just as many vices as the very subjects they were meant to be better than. A betrayal left the Dragon and Tiger clans as longstanding enemies with a vendetta that continued to this day, with the other Beast families left to take sides or remain neutral and perform their roles in the background. The Tigers would continue their task to assist humanity, preventing calamities and preserving a balance between the human world and the spiritual. The Dragons, meanwhile, focused on furthering their ambitions in ruling over humans from the shadows. Now, we go on to his Infancy. Takii Migakaze, the second eldest child to Osamu Migakaze, the only child between him and Isolde Leiter. His father had many wives, a tendency that seemed to run in the family if Takii’s own womanizing is anything to go by. Thus, Osamu came to have many, many heirs. The young Migakaze was second-born and untalented, as a result he was never meant to be the heir to the family lineage. His sister Setsuko meanwhile was the eldest, clearly gifted in physical ability. A mighty successor, worthy of the mantle. Setsuko was a prodigy by every measure, strong and attuned to her Bestial lineage yet without the drive to assume that responsibility. It was a shame then that she could not deal with that pressure and fled abroad, going to further her true passion of studying. Takii did not blame Setsuko for her decision, I don't share that sentiment. With the first choice gone, Takii was the clear runner up. Second eldest, and the only one of age to undergo the training required to become the heir of the Tiger Clan. Takii's mother had only recently passed away, having instilled in him the duty to protect his family. The boy dove headfirst into the training that his father put him through. He was still too young to understand the sort of pain that he would undergo, even once he'd undergone it all it would take a few more years for it to really sink in. Every failure brought a fresh scar upon Takii, not even an adolescent yet expected to perform feats not even a fully grown human could achieve. The Tigers were warriors after all, those of their lineage gaining bestial traits of their Clan's namesake along with incredible strength, speed, and reflexes. He would develop with time, a grueling six months that crafted him into the young leader that the world expected him to become. He set out to put this power to use, not just for his family but the world at large. The self-righteous nature of a boy who had yet to come to know the world, always trying to behave like the grown up he wasn’t. Time passed and his pre-adolescent self seriousness began to fade into the background, hidden by the lighthearted and always smiling mask he put on for the sake of others. He realized that the brooding approach wouldn't draw people closer, and to be a hero was to put on that confident front. And how beautifully he played the role! Entering highschool, he was already the charming ace athlete and all-around popular student that all admired. A bit of a playboy yes, but someone you could wholeheartedly trust. He kept up this little facade all the while he continued his work as Tiger Clan at night. Monsters lurked in this town of his alongside the various Beast families and their schemes. Little did they know that the young Tiger kept this city safe, repelling all those supernatural creatures that were drawn to this town by the sheer concentration of spiritual energy that centered there. Takii came to know the Dragon clan as his sworn rivals, the authoritarian and ruthless opposition to the Tigers that have opposed them for thousands of years. They were not the only big threat however, with time he would come to learn just how large the world could be... His legend truly began with the introduction of the Youkai Hunters into the playing field. They were humans who branded themselves together in order to slay monsters that would prey on them. Humans are a curious bunch, some would actively seek their own destruction if it meant preventing the world to change, others are so steeped in their own interests that they cannot see any other point of view. The Hunters had a bit of both, and then there was a group that was their complete antithesis... Cultists who would rather take on the power of monsters than fight them. A woman with the charisma to bring about a small yet devoted group of rabbit-mask wearing followers that would steal one of Japan's greatest artifacts. To the public a simple mirror, to those with knowledge of the spiritual that Yata no Kagami was a relic which could bring about the wielder's greatest wishes, or their deepest fears. She who guided the Cult chose the city with the highest concentration of youkai and monsters, Koumiya, as the place for her ritual. With the full moon high in the sky, she would ascend to the top of Koumiya's mountain and recreate the Parade of One Hundred Demons. A second coming of the age of monsters and men fighting savagely for supremacy. The Hunters turned a blind eye to the matter, Takii did not. On that night he scaled the mountain while finding opposition awaiting him near the summit. Ever the one to fight alone so that others would not get hurt, he still found himself with allies that stubbornly accompanied him on his journey to prevent a calamity. Near the summit he would find himself against a powerful foe, a swordswoman far more skilled than the Tiger. As a result of his own weakness, he would come to receive the scar on his face. Greater than that however, he would come to lose a dear friend. The whole ordeal had left him ragged and desperate. At the summit did he find the Cultist's leader wielding the sacred mirror. There was no hesitation when it came to his decision. With a mighty fist did he shatter the sacred Yata no Kagami into pieces, interrupting the ritual whilst also fracturing space. Both Takii and the Cultist were nowhere to be found by the end of it. Thus concludes the first act of his story. This has been your dear narrator…oh, but I can’t give my name yet. I’ve yet to be even introduced into the story yet, so let’s save the reveal for a little later shall we? Until then, please wait warmly and enjoy this grand tale of hardship and failure.