Fate: The Rise of Shikama Douji

[The Land of Shadows]

The beautiful woman with purple hair and an angry face stared at the young man with blue hair. The woman possessed an extraordinary beauty, as if she were a goddess . Her eyes were fixed on the weapon in the young man's hand: an odd and black spear that emitted an aura of decay. Scáthach, the queen of the Land of Shadows, had not seen her Shikama Doji since their last meeting thousands of years ago. In this time, Scáthach had grown immensely, both physically and mentally. She had transformed from a young girl into a mature woman who had seen everything—a god-slayer whose hands were stained with the blood of deities. But this power came at a cost. Scáthach was caught between life and death; she could no longer die like a human. She had become immortal, and the weariness of this long existence had worn her down. She sought someone who could release her from this torment—someone like her own teacher.

Scáthach frowned as she stared at the spear in Cú Chulainn's hand. With the wisdom of the Wisdom of Dún Scáith, she saw the nature of this spear، a spear created by her teacher. This spear possessed extraordinary power, but this power was not a gift-it was a curse. Scáthach knew her teacher's character; he never gave anything for free. Everything related to him came with a heavy price. This spear rotted its wielder from within, destroying both body and soul.

"Where did you find this spear, my foolish student?" Scáthach asked, her eyes onto Cú Chulainn. Cú Chulainn trembled under the cold, piercing gaze of his teacher. If there was anyone he feared more than anything else, it was this purple-haired woman.

"This spear is a family treasure of one of the Red Branch knights. It is called 'The Spear of Finality.' He gave it to me. Three kingdoms will soon attack Ulster, and this spear will help me defend my land." Cú Chulainn explained, but his explanation only deepened Scáthach's frown. Her foolish student didn't understand what he had done. From the moment he touched that spear, his fate was sealed. Scáthach could do nothing but sigh. The bond between Cú Chulainn and the spear was unbreakable.

"This spear will demand a heavy price from you. I've always told you that everything comes with a cost." Scáthach said angrily. Cú Chulainn was the one she had hoped would one day be able to kill her, but now even that hope was lost. Her foolish student had placed his hand upon something taboo.

"It doesn't matter. I need this power. With this spear, I am sure I can win. If you have nothing else to say, I'll take my leave." Cú Chulainn persisted stubbornly. Scáthach sighed again and watched him go.

---

Time passed, and the day of the invasion by the three kingdoms arrived. All the men of Ulster were incapacitated due to a goddess's curse, leaving only Cú Chulainn to resist the vast army of the three kingdoms. His spear turned everything it touched old and decayed instantly. Days and weeks went by as Cú Chulainn fought alone against the massive enemy force. He was forced to slay Fergus mac Róich, once his teacher, and Ferdia, his best friend. These blows deeply wounded his spirit, yet with a broken heart, he continued the fight.

The war dragged on for weeks, and eventually, the army of Queen Medb was defeated, and the sacred cow was returned to Ulster. But Cú Chulainn was no longer the young man he once was. The spear had rotted him from within, turning him into a weary old man as if decades had passed.

Seated on a large rock, Cú Chulainn sat with wrinkled skin and white hair. From a handsome youth, he had become a tired old man. Scáthach appeared before him, her face furrowed with displeasure and sorrow. She knew the flames of life flickering within Cú Chulainn were about to extinguish, and today would be his last. This was the price of power.

"Was it worth it, my foolish student?" Scáthach gazed at Cú Chulainn. A few seconds passed, and Scáthach realized Cú Chulainn had died. Her question remained unanswered. Scáthach looked at her student's corpse and sighed. Suddenly, Cú Chulainn's body crumbled into dust, leaving only the black spear behind.

Scáthach picked up the spear and stared at it. "Everything has a price, my foolish student... even power." She took the spear in her hand and returned to the Land of Shadows, where she waited for perhaps someone someday who could release her from this eternal torment.