Yami had left Rai's side to help with the others evacuating the building. Rai at this point was by himself as the others had left him to admire the emblem. The smoldering building filling his nose and the debris burning around him. Even though weaker, Rai's senses as a warrior were as sharp as ever and yet, in this moment of reflecting and thinking of the ever powerful Ashi Zenin, there was the feeling of someone else within this mostly isolated gym.
"An Otizawa surrounded by embers, no less the king…Impressive little lightshow." The voice echoed softly off of the mildly heat distorted walls-it came from above. Right where him and his father had sat was a woman cloaked in a striking red. Sitting right where Rai had been was the woman who had addressed him-a black haired, well dressed woman around 24 years old, with shiny red circular glasses and a wide smile across her model face. This woman had her hands folded over her lap and seemed pristine compared to the chaos that had just ensued. A perfect juxtaposition.
Matsumi nodded to Aladdin and Rai's orders. Latching on to Vermelha as he pulled her along, his head dripping a few drops of blood. But this red wasn't the only one that caught his eye, for a brief moment he saw a glimpse of that red clothing, running outside the building soon after.
Rai had turned his head towards the woman that remained seated at his and his father's previous position. His eyes were locked on to the woman who had randomly appeared as the culprit seemed to reveal herself or at least one of them. His hands dropped as the flames weakly panned out, his eyes however glowed brighter than the flames ever had, and more fierce than ever.
"You must be with them… the beings that attacked my kingdom and attempted to hurt my kids."
His blade that was just as famous as himself layed at his waste, he didn't see a need to use it unless this being was truly a threat to himself. "You've already made your first mistake. Remaining within my kingdom after this attack." Rai had projected his own energy across his kingdom for years, consistently training and honing his energy use and his Thunder God eyes to great lengths at the current moment in time.
"I bear no allegiances to the people against you Otizawa. I'm not wearing a mask am I? I show you my true face for a reason. I have an offer. But to be frank- I've got something you and your kingdom's future'll be thankful for."
Uesugi leaned back in her chair and put her feet up keeping her hands folded across her lap and his gaze downward at him. She raised her left hand and motioned out to him-her six silver rings glinting in the light and spinning as she held her hand out.
"There's whispers against you Rai-hushed tales about your health and wellbeing decaying. The years haven't been as kind to you as the land has, hm? You spent all this time with your family-building a life and legacy unto the ages…but, at the end of it all you must wonder what you could of done with the time you had wasted. Its common, wouldn't you agree?"
Uesugi's smile grew while she pushed herself to stand and propped her hand on the balcony railing. Putting herself up on this hand she cleared her throat. Under the obscured red lenses Rai could feel that Uesugi was looking down upon him-more than just her position would grant her, she spoke with this disapproval underlying in her tone. "Yosuke and Daisuke would of wanted to do more with their lives when they died right?"
Rai's eyebrow perked at the offer from the woman, the offer would bring any man to his knees with the prospect of more with their life then what was currently available, however, the life Rai sought was the one he currently lived. His family was something he yearned for and believed in completely ever since he was young. He himself brought peace to his own family before the events of the present day with grave sacrifice and the only thing that truly drove him was his kingdom and his family, this offer was simply too easy to refuse for the King of Ashina.
"You spout nonsense like you know what I've been through to get to this moment. Your offers mean nothing to my goals and resolve. So what about my health? With my physical health on the decline my spiritual energy only grows stronger and stronger. Get out of my kingdom before I behead you where you stand."
Uesugi seemed unbothered by the threat levied against her and tapped her ringed fingers against the railing. She passively spun the ring on her thumb-letting the soft metal shill of the jewelry act as the intermission between her thoughts. He was playing a bit of hardball with this nobility act-a stark contrast to what once was, is, and foremost Rai Otizawa. Another route was needed but there wasn't much she could do on such little information given, so with a soft sigh the ring spinning ceased and Uesugi spoke again in a more appropriate tone for the situation.
"I don't know what you have been through. I'll be plain and clear with that. What i'm interested in is your future, the future of you. The Spirit realm is eternal, or however you wanna refer to the afterlife." Uesugi's tone took on a skeptical edge but she raised her ringed hand and waved it in front of her face, clearing her throat from the smoke making its way to her nose.
"Not many people get to spend time in that place, not many people earn a chance to see said place. Some even know what that place is like while others are scared of it, what I mean is the inbetween..they cower before death for no reason other than fear. But you…" Uesugi pointed her fingers at Rai and spoke in an upbeat tone- somewhere within Rai something passed the feeling a shiver-esque sensation passing through his body. The words from the woman's mouth seemed to inspire, even amongst the damage she was surrounded by Uesugi seemed almost charismatic with her finger pointed at him and a smile across her face.
"You kept your family in such sustained peace-for years! Don't you want a reward for all that?…Daresay— for all the years you've added onto your family's lives, a chance of eternal life?"
Rai kept his stern expression as the feeling passed up his body, a flame of darkened embers remained coursing through his body as if it never left him from his days as a child.
He spoke out as Uesugi's offer reminded him of one he had when he was a child to become a Sage Lord for his old mentor, something that evolved into the Spirit World itself. The truth of all of this and the offer itself is that Rai would never be able to join the spirit world, his deal with The Oni many moons ago would restrict that offer and hold it in a chokehold. Something that he couldn't even say yes to even if he wanted to.
"I don't think I deserve anything, the mortal plane deserves years and years of eternal peace and I will be its Guardian. Even if I wanted to my body will never join the Spirit World and especially now upon this attack by your people- I will pass this offer. When my time comes I will guard this plane as a god, not as some weak spirit, for my children and their families of Ashina."
Uesugi lowered her hand and placed it on her hip instead, scoffing in a small show of annoyance. Under her glasses her eyes rolled and she placed her hand back on the banister-notably the ring she had on her thumb that was spinning earlier had the small symbol on it glowing red.
"Come on, you people and your roundabout ways…If it's no bother to you how much my words have meaning then perhaps anyone less fortunate than you can heed my advice."
Uesugi reached her right hand up and reached into her suit pocket, pulling out a small metal card the size of her palm and holding it up. There was text on the end facing Rai and Uesugi tossed it toward him, its weight evident from how quickly it fell from her position to his. It landed square at his feet with a soft clink. "Toss it away or burn it, try whatever disposing you want—it won't work. It's a gift…you deem it unworthy for some odd reason." She paused and nodded to herself.
"…Definitely fitting for you."
Rai slid the card under his foot and used his blade to tip it upwards and grab the card. He pointed his blade towards Uesegi. His desire to protect the people of his kingdom and his world foreshadowed this offer from the people that just harassed his kingdom. His aura reaching into the darkness of his body past the seal of the Oni. It emitted around his body in a darkness that Rai could control. After all these years he only managed to support siphoning its power rather than utilizing it due to the tax of the next usage… he smirked and spoke out to Uesegi. "I'll never be able to join your world. I suggest you leave this place now while you still have a chance Ma'am."
"Oh this is fun, this is what…this is your thing isn't it?"
Uesugi placed her hands together and laughed while she stepped back-keeping her hands near her belt and her smirk still present. She lowered her head and walked off of the balcony stage speaking out enough for her words to echo across the damaged distorted walls.
"There'll be time before the choice is made for you-food for your thoughts…we'll be waiting when they run out."
Rai watched Uesugi as the gym continued to burn, his resolve had him already focused on what this entailed. An offer post death, something he knew he had to think up for. If his soul was to join the spirit world, then what kind of freedom would that be?
We as humans cannot resist the temptation of possibility, perhaps just like him, we bend for it as if it was our last breath in our lifetime.