Journey of the First Tama-Artist after words:
Everything in the cosmos is from an Existing Matter, and it's because of this that it exists —even Chaos. However, the desire of most men is to seek what doesn't exist, hence why most of them die.
If one wants to live, they should seek what exists and alive. Through this, all the matter in their body will dissolve into a single origin, making them perfect.
This also occurs to Tama —gifts to creations. They might appear to the world of matter as intricate jewels, of various colours and shapes, that give those who are brought into existence power. That said, unless one understands and absorbs the matter in that Tama, they will never reach true perfection.
My friends scattered over the world; those of generations to come, I leave this mystery of existence in your hands, so that you may manumit yourselves from the autocrats hidden among you. However, I know that in a different age, most will take the art of Tamaism to harass others; I've no problem with that.
If you want to save yourself, get strong in wisdom and strength to understand the mysteries in my book.
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'Tama surely is something that makes one stand at the apex of humanity.'
Lucien can't get the images that transpired a month ago straight for him to understand:
The Hill Cat shook greatly as blood gushed out from the hole they had dug. Before anything happened, the Shojo —Shinji's love interest— appeared in a instant, snapping her fingers; transporting everyone to the top of a giant eagle in the air.
The scene is still vivid in Lucy's mind... it's not like he can forget things in the first place.
—Will I ever be able to defeat someone like her?
Lucy experiences a slight pause in his movements, at such hypocrisy. It's a question people would wonder if he is mentally sound, depressed, or having challenges in life that prompts him to perform such a suicidal task.
Dropping the issue, he sings along the village anthem with the others:
"Past the great rivers, you're my only one, my hope, my home..."
...it is embarrassing to say the least; however, it's mandatory that every mortal sings it during their training sessions
Wapaa!!
A loud whipping sound echoed from behind Lucien, as one of the mortals got lashed for slacking, leaving him screaming:
"Spare me, great lord! I will do harder this time!"
Wapaa!!
Another whipping sound echoed, as a Tama-Artist roars:
"Shut up you, lazy bastard!"
It's the youngest Bushi in the group, who wasn't included in picking Lucy and the others. Thanks to being 24, he still has a lot of energy, flaunting his arrogant young master aura.
"This is your work, preserving your life! I'm a Tama-Artist, I don't die! It's you who die fighting profound beasts!"
The ugly one is lying with a devil's grin on his face, and lashes at the poor soul again. Even as someone born a mortal, he doesn't show mercy to his kind —he is whipping his brother.
Such are the acts of power«««
Lucien doesn't spare them a glance, he knows that if one is weak, even worms will call you their son.
With a clear mind, Lucy continues to swing and strike his new silver otsuchi in the air, creating large gusts of wind around the dirt training ground. (1)
Unlike the others who came with him, Lucy uses a hammer. Also, no one is willing to exchange blows with him: they are scared of the rumors, but the giant hammer in itself sent shivers down anyone's spine. At the end of the day, he trains alone in the vast training ground, with nearly one hundred thousand people.
On a brighter note, his power is taking up less fatigue, and his martial art is drawing out color —although far away from perfection. The moves are starting to link, and his hammer is blending in with his footwork; giving him an advantage boost.
—Part of it is because of Shinji's advice.
Lucy doesn't want to deny it, but the beige-haired young man is good at choreography. When he advised Lucy, he talked about it in a whimsical manner to not hurt his feelings —that made it more insulting.
—He is helpful most of the time... if only it weren't for his flaw he would be a great person.
Taking a glance at the Main Character of the story lazily playing with arrows, evading the Tama-Artists' sight, Lucy sighs lightly.
He knows that when Shinji discloses his illness, he would be impaled to death... worse, crucified before being rolled on fire like a piece of meat.
They are rumors around it. The most recent case is about a guy who suddenly caught malaria being put on the rack —ropes were attached to his joints, pulled hard until he ripped apart into four segments.
The most haunting statements are that sometimes the Tama-Artists would skin a person alive, living him to die from hypothermia. Moreover, the common one is that they feed a person milk and honey; apply honey to his body like lotion, tie him up in the forest: the victim would either die from the combustion in his stomach or insect bites... better, both.
Surely, human cruelty has no boundaries.
Although Lucien is skeptical about some stories —they sound like myths to scare the newbies— since a blind person is being kept here, he didn't try to taste the waters, he is already on their boundaries.
Unfortunately, some tried getting sick recently... and their human waste was never seen after being guided to the peripheries of the training camp... maybe, there are the meat they ate for dinner last night —let's live for the reader's imagination— since Tsukino and Tento did see weird eyeballs in their dishes.
Anyway...
Time passes, and the only sounds echoing through the training ground are that of the village anthem, clash of blades, gushes of wind and the breathing of men, alongside faint arrow whispers.
When the sun begins to set, casting a golden glow over the landscape, a loud drumming sound echoes through the military camp, and almost everyone rushes out of the training ground, with their weapons in hands.
The remaining individuals, however, are waiting to receive their daily initiation from the samurai. Soon, the Bushi arrive, swinging their whips and making crisp sounds echo in the air.
"You know the drill! Everybody, line up!"
The group lies on the ground. Meanwhile, the Bushi laugh like angels taking turns whipping demons and sinners in the underworld. Withal, it's the sinners holding the whips, and are beyond cruel as some are hot enough to burn through one's skin.
After an hour, or so, of continuous lashing, the mortals are sent to the wheat field, before being brought for another round of whipping.
This has been their new life since arriving at the camp. What else could they do? One has to suffer the consequences of being weak in such a world... and at the point, whipping doesn't hurt any more.
One can only imagine how much they were beaten to reach such a level.
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(1) Otsuchi — a war hammer used to bang large doors.