Uchiten
Rooftop - amidst the battlefield of the warrior gods
Ketsumoto Uchiten was entertained. A smile stretched across his face beyond what would seem physically possible, painting an expression of extreme joy. Sitting in the air few centimeters above the dull grey floor, one leg held up by the other, hand under his chin, a little maniacal light shone behind his shades. His eyes were wide, taking in every detail of the cataclysmic clash happening so close to him. For a given value of close, because were he to stand closer than the tens of hundreds of meters from it he was now, he was certain to walk away worse for the wear. But even danger of serious injury or death would not dissuade him from watching this.
An impossible battle the likes of which he had never seen, godly powers and their holders colliding again and again with an intensity that only grew greater every second. A radiant, beautiful, remorseless and ruthless contest of wills, completely unnaffected by the extreme destruction it caused with every span. It was magnificent, unmatched, and glorious. Even if the powers involved were too much for him to join on a whim (and doing so would likely cause a disservice to the fighters, not to mention be incredibly rude of him), being this close and perceiving the exchange of blows was already extremely satisfying on a personal level. He could not remember the last time he enjoyed himself so much!
Besides Uchiten, with feet standing firm on the ground was Zan, eyebrows twitching, single eye wider than his master's as he too watched the spectacle. Cold sweat ran down his face and shaking wracked his body from head to toe, fear bearing down on him, but still a feral smile of excitement remained on his face.
The two were watching the confrontation from inside the boundaries of a simple square carved on the rooftop of a tall building. Its four sides were oriented according to the cardinal directions, and its area covered almost all of the surface on which they stood. The barrier, enforced by the power of Byakko, Genbu, Seiryuu and Suzaku, had so far prevented any harm from coming into the space it guarded. The powerful shockwaves, falling pieces of the destroyed mountain, and lashing typhoon winds had crashed uselessly against it, mere byproducts of the fight that they were. If an attack from either of the golden warriors came against it in earnest, it was doubtful it would hold without strain, but for the moment it was sufficient, keeping the top of the building mostly safe from the unfolding cataclysm.
The rest of the construction couldn't be said to be in as much proper form. Large parts of it had been sheared by the winds of Karna, the stray weapons of Gilgamesh had rent through it and destroyed it, and the effects of the fighting in general had reduced it to little more than a crumbling tower; the top floors somehow held in place, all but floating in clear defiance of the laws of physics as the boundary field sought to maintain the integrity of the absolute territory it protected.
Uchiten had had the luck of bearing witness to the opening blows of the conflict between the great heroes through the eyes of one of his familiars (soonafter shred to nothing by the backlash); and of having managed to secure a good observation point a safe distance from it before the environmental damage escalated.
Now, they were enjoying the view for all it was worth.
"Don't be foolish. Even if you are an old and powerful youkai, you are not their match. Were it anyone else, maybe, but even their sheer strength surpasses your own. As they are, you would keep up for no more than a few strikes before being obliterated; against either of them." Uchiten said, breaking the silence after taking a glance at his shikigami.
The oni responded between heavy panting. "No... if, if I...." and as he did, his free hand ever slowly rose, drawing near his eyepatch...
Until it froze from the iron tone of his master that left no room for questioning.
"Zan."
Then, suddenly straighting himself and pulling his hand back to his side, the youkai of slaughter hid his rampant excitement behind a professional face, and lightly lowered his head. The onmyouji's smile had shrunk, and Zan could tell so from his master's voice alone.
"My pardons." he offered in repentance.
Uchiten's piercing gaze once more slid to him, evaluated him shortly, and left to focus back on the fight, accompanied by a dismissive hum from its owner. Zan, too, returned his attention to it, silently securing his growing bloodlust.
As they both beheld it with their full attention again, the perimeter of the battle was surrounded by a transparent dome of magic, and the responsible made himself noticed by the leaking of power and his grandiose show. Zan frowned. Uchiten showed no outward reaction, and like his bodyguard, kept his concerns on following the brawl.
Inside his mind, he had a single thought of interest and let his smile grow larger again.
