Chapter 137 - Paintbrush And Canvas

"Back when I was still with the Six Blades, I have already heard of you two. All of my peers called you the 'future' of the Slayer Corps. I truly do wonder what went wrong with Adam Rosa's mind which made him do what he did, such a despicable act done by a calculated and calm, and soft spoken young man…what a shame." The Emperor said. 

"Heh. It seems even back then, I was known as the loud and rash one. Well, I cannot exactly blame them, that was how I spent my younger years, fighting every single battle possible and making every small thing and imploding it into something large enough to fight about. Bars, taverns, even on the road and on missions. I do admit I was simply intolerable in the past. Adam kept me grounded." Artorias said the last line with his head slightly turned down.

The Emperor placed his hand on the Basilisk Slayer's shoulder and nodded his head. "Those are all swept away by the sand particles of time, yet the memories remain. I hope you do what is right once you cross swords with your old friend. I am sorry to place this burden on you, but you have the highest chance of overpowering the Slayer in a one on one situation. Sure, Luken Regalia and Ignis Silva might be able to put up a fight against him, but those two cannot work together in a battlefield for the life of them." Emperor Nicholas said.

"I know what I must do, Emperor. It does not matter whether you tell me or not, my duties as a Slayer remains intact, my pride and honor will forever uphold the Corps. You have my word, sir." Artorias Khalil said as he waved the Emperor goodbye and shut the door to his royal chambers.

He looked at the window and focused on the spar between Yin Sohaya and Suna Izanami. The Emperor was pleasantly surprised at what he saw. He had already heard of the physical anomaly that does not have any Anima cells in the Six Blades' ranks, but seeing Yin himself move and evade every blow, it put a smile on his face. "He surely does not move like a C Rank Slayer, if I say so myself." 

Back to the courtyard down below, as they both duked it out, Zachary Lancaster was busy reading a book. Glancing now and then whenever they both got too rowdy. "Do I really need to remind you two to hold back? At this point, you are going to ruin the courtyard's floors. Seriously." Zach said as he shook his head in disapproval.

Yet his warnings were as good as unheard, Yin and Suna were not holding back, in fact, Yin was trying to do something risky, he wanted to activate the Nix Eyes without using his decay aura. "Zach, if I go too far, you've got our backs, right?" Yin asked the C Rank Fire Slayer. "Can you not see that I am reading?" Zachary replied with an annoyed tone.

"Suna, are you ready?!" Yin asked from a distance. "Yeah. Bring it." His white masquerade appeared out of thin air and covered his nose and eyes, both of his pupils were as white as the snow. "W-What the hell is happening to that young man's Anima cells?!" The Emperor was both fearful and in shock at this display of Anima cells. He had sensed them going rampant underneath Yin's bloodstreams, an unstable current was surging through him. 

But Yin was trying to contain his decay powers, even the gloves that the Commander gave him was getting eaten through by his hands themselves. He knew that it was a power that was meant to be controlled by him if he wishes to do well in the Slayer Tournament without actually turning his opponents into dust, he had to control his Nix Eyes with stamina and endurance, and most especially, his decay abilities.

"Do. Not. Activate." Those were the words that Yin Sohaya kept repeating in his head time and time again. Zachary even placed down his book and was on alert, if Yin mistakenly touched Suna and activated it, she was going to be in a world of trouble.

But the young lass was not scared at all. In fact, she took it as a challenge, she assumed the worst, that if Yin ever laid a finger on her, it would mean trouble. She dodged his blows while keeping her distance, Yin's body was grazed by her hand axe yet the wounds were already starting to heal.

"Even though I have seen it numerous times already, that healing and regenerative skill still surprises me." Zachary said to himself after witnessing his wounds exude steam as it healed. 

Their fight was interrupted by something, or someone, rather. Huge chunks of rocks flew out of nowhere in the middle of Suna and Yin, causing them to back off and see the person who threw them. Zachary took his grimoire and squinted his eyes. "Who's there!?" He shouted at the courtyard's entrance.

A person with dark brown hair walked out, he was wearing traditional oriental clothing for men. On his right hand was a paintbrush, while his left had a medium sized blank canvas. His neck had a couple of black tattoos on it, as well as his hands. It was only natural to assume that his whole body was covered in it. "Hm. It seems I may have miscalculated the situation. I thought for sure that there was a fight going on in this location. My apologies." The tattooed man bowed his head and walked back out from where he came from. 

"H-Hey! Wait a second!" Zachary raised his voice to catch up to him. "Did you need something from me, young man?" The tattooed person asked him with a deadpan expression and his eyes looked like it was closed while he was still awake. "How did you cast that spell where you threw those chunks of rocks without a grimoire on you? Your hands are filled with these art materials, I do not see a knapsack or bags on you to hide a grimoire in." Zachary Lancaster wanted to know how he casted such a spell. "Did he just throw those rocks with his bare hands? He does not seem muscular enough to do such a feat, judging from his hands, they are too tied to have done that." Zach thought to himself.

"Ah. I used the only things that are on the palm of my hands. Nothing more, nothing less." What he told Zachary left the young Fire Slayer in awe.

"I-Instead of grimoires, you use paintings?" Zachary was dumbfounded still. He had never heard of someone who did not require to read and touch grimoires before casting a spell, let alone just paint it into existence.

Yin and Suna were slowly walking towards the person, worried that he was terrorizing Zachary or something. But by the time they had gone close enough to them, the man was now explaining to Zach how his abilities worked.

"Y-You guys, this guy uses paintings to cast spells…I mean how freaking amazing is that?!" Zach said as he pointed at the person, making him sweat bullets and turning him red. "I am not used to this degree of compliments. I apologize." He said. 

"Keep your head up! Do not apologize, you should tell me how you manage to do that instead!" Zach was very enthusiastic, ever since he was a child, he never stopped picking up books and reading, so seeing something or someone which he knew nothing about was a breath of fresh air. He pulled the man by the hand to the courtyard to make him tell him how his powers work.

"Hoh? I see they have met Fen, this should be interesting." The Emperor saw who Zach was pulling with his hands. 

"Allow me to introduce myself first, before I will tell you how my spells work. I am Fen Kaori, a member of the Primal Hounds." His words made them doubt the truth of what he just said.

"Wait. How is someone like you in the Primal Hounds? I thought those guys were filled with rowdy extroverts who were thirsting for combat all the damn time…" Zachary said.

"To be quite honest, I was as surprised as you as to how I ended up in this organization. I mean I never really liked to fight ever since I was a kid, yet here I am." Fen replied back.

Yin was curious so he tapped Suna on the shoulder and asked her "I have never heard of the Primal Hounds before, what is up with them?" Yin asked her.

"Well, the Primal Hounds are unique in the way that they approach combat, they always try to make the life or death situation as 'fun' as possible, for lack of a better word. It seems pretty twisted to me but who am I to judge, right? We all have our own little ways of coping with life as Slayers.." Suna replied.