CROWN OF SHADOWS: The prisoner within

Chapter 1 - The Madman's Return

Moonlight spills across a strange otherworldly valley. A lady dressed in shinobi-like clothing skidded down the slope, the grass kissed her tabi boots. She stealthily moves evading patrol units.

"They are really stupid if they think some stupid martial artists and some mages can protect this place from me", She murmurs as she hits her leg on the soft grass, the motion brings out three kunai.

She figures the ivy-covered wall is really sturdy so she decides to climb over.

Alas...she's finally in the tomb of the last martial emperor. Gold, diamonds, relics, energy pills all of them practically gleaming like something descended from heaven.

Alas....

.... she recalls.... Why she ran away from her shinobi village. The risk of being a runaway shinobi is real but its benefits are total worth it.

"Just one ruby... maybe two, just enough for bread and a roof for a year", She said but she had already gathered three large bags filled with loot from someone's place of rest.

The female shinobi then dusts the tomb of the former great alliance leader: The supposedly martial god who died at the hand of some villain from the

stories. "Hmph...you dare call yourself a god even though you died at the hands of someone".

Then she thinks the villain must have been an absolute monster if he even defeated this so called martial whatever.

She pauses as he eyes spots an obsidian crown with spiked edges at the top and some crimson like melted fang or solidified blood embedded on it...well she came unto a conclusion.

That's cool.

The shinobi was suddenly on a throne with the crown on her stepping on a pile of bones and holding gold feeling herself and all, pretending to be a ruler. Then suddenly the crown starts humming giving off that glowing dark aura vibe.

*In a totally dark place*

A voice is heard speaking in ancient tongue "seven thousand, nine hundred and seventy-one days 49 seconds."

"Seven thousand, nine hundred and seventy-one days 50 seconds"

"Seven thousand, nine hundred and seventy-one days 51 seconds"

A crack forms in the dark space as a ray of light makes the person...no the prisoner look up.

The prisoner was in chains, shirtless as thousands...no millions of formless shadow-like entities claw through him and drags him down as he makes a desperate attempt to reach to that crack.

After thousands of years, stuck in this crown no normal person would be sane because those years came with grueling pain and scars that are far edged even in one's heart but what kept this madman going was the thirst for revenge on whoever sent him to this absolute hell.

As he reaches for the crack the feel of his flesh tearing and regenerating almost instantly was a horrible feeling but he had that maniac smile as he finally grabs the crack but a shadow's palm gave him a donut gut then our boy gives them the middle finger as the whole dimension breaks apart

*Back at the martial god's place of rest*

Ps: The shinobi literally stole from a dead man

The shinobi is shaken as hell, she's sprawled unto the floor.

"What the actual fuck is going on?"

A tall terrifying dude just came out of the obsidian crown like a genie or something.

His hair was silver and maddingly long to the extent she could barely see his face but knew he was a male because he was shirtless and there were a lot of scars on his body.

"What the heck is wrong with you? couldn't you just come in here without fanatics?" she continued "Do you want me dead?"

She pauses realizing that she was busy bragging before that the mages and guards outside couldn't lay a finger on her.

The prisoner who came out of the crown was still stunned that void wasn't actually playing tricks on him and wondering if he's really outside that prison. Then he came to a conclusion, he must have gone mad after staying there so long because the first thing he supposedly heard was the growl of some woman or monster... he didn't really know.

Before he could think some more, the worst happens the guards caught the dazzling light when he came and -

BOOM

The first thing he meets when he arrives is a mob with pure killing intent, because not only did they fail to notice them entering the tomb's place but the shinobi put all her stolen loot on the tomb so as not to forget it.

"Look at the loot they stole". A mage blurted.

The shinobi quickly used an art to make it vanish. "What loot?". She held her stance ready because this night is going to be a long one.

"Hey, I recognize that kind of stance anywhere". A martial guard cried out.

"Well, if it isn't the runaway from the Yu clan", another followed.

"I suppose luck is on our side since there's a bounty on your head".

"I don't have time for chit chats", the shinobi said but her voice was now darker and more serious than before.

.... internally....

"Why the fuck are they only after me can't they see this genie bushy hair man", the shinobi screamed internally. She glanced at the dude who came out of the crown on her head. "I guess I'll just hold off for now and disappear"

An intense fight between the shinobi and the guards broke out. The martial art users charged in, the shinobi skillfully sidetracked them as she did a left slide escaping a near death punch which from impact alone made a big crater on the wall, if not for the kind of chi in the building the place must have clearly been a pile of debris right about now.

The shinobi put some distance between herself and the opponent as she did a triple back flip and started re-tying her belt partly because she felt cool doing that. The mages were busy chanting on some nonsense and she totally has low resistance to magic so she widely spreads her arms bringing out three long needles while a small smirk played on her lips. She notices the martial users were deliberately defending the mages then she noticed...they're deliberately trying not to wreck the former alliance leaders resting place as a foul smile spreads on her cheek but before she could continue, she saw the genie dude holding a man by the neck as he takes his sword then throws the man aside.

The dude cuts his overly long hair, now the hair reaches his back even though its still long. He takes a piece of the cloth he tore from the guy he was holding earlier to tie his hair back revealing his royal blue eyes.

He then clears his throat thinking that if not he didn't steal some useful memories from the mortal he threw away, he would have been able to speak their tongue

"It clearly seems mortals' disrespect bears no bounds"

"What's this madman talking about?", a subordinate of the leader asked.

But the dude just cracks up his fingers saying this is a perfect warmup after being in solitude for almost eight thousand years.

He smashes his foot on the ground as he lauches himself straight at one mage girl slamming his hand on her face knocking her out of the building, blood dripping off his hand.

"Urgh...tell me that was the weakest off you all" then he lets off one grin as he lets off a devastating aura saying everyone should come at him.

Thanks for reading.... see you at the next chp🥹. Follow plz