Paternal Nycthemeron

The title of Lord of Darkness... The namesake was bestowed upon the very first Ushiromiya by his subjects hundreds of thousands of years ago, after he purged the light of a long-forgotten kingdom using his Dark Blade, Mystletainn. Ever since, the title has been passed down through countless generations. The title is not simply hereditary, though it is true that only those with Ushiromiya blood can obtain it. Rather, one may only acquire the moniker through the spilling of blood - that is to say, ritual combat. At any moment, a member of the Ushiromiya family may challenge the current Lord of Darkness to a duel for the throne, and this declaration may not be denied under any circumstance. However, such a proclamation is not to be made lightly, as the battle shall be waged until one party is slain. These battles may take place over the course of years after the challenge is originally uttered, or they may be over in naught but a few brief moments... It all depends on the individuals involved. From father, to son, to brother... Each consecutive challenger emerges stronger than the one before them, and thus a bloodline of unparalleled warriors is born. 

Keheh... Father's Day, then, is something of a touchy subject to members of the Ushiromiya family... The current Lord of Darkness often possesses multiple concubines in order to produce multiple heirs, and due to the inevitable strife in their future, these heirs often never bond with either of their parents. Such is the harsh reality for those born into a legacy soaked to the core in blood such as this one. 

On the topic of my father... His condition has gotten worse, year after year. What originally started as a mere curse by one of his various nemeses gradually evolved into a tumorous blight that has rendered him far weaker than he once was. When we sparred in the past, he would merely stand still with a sense of disinterested leisure, as the force of his superiority deflected my attacks autonomously. To this day, I have never landed a single blow on him... I no doubt would have required thousands of years of training, experience, and techniques in order to stand a chance against him... However, nowadays, it's as if his very aura is being sapped by the parasitic magecraft that afflicts him. His physical prowess is still unmatched, and I would be loathsome to face him in a serious conflict, but the day that I will defeat him is nearing ever closer. ...And when that day comes, I shall not hesitate to take his life, and claim my rightful place as the next Lord of Darkness.