[BitP:R] Mortal World

[Shades of Gray]

Yuudai

The boy blinked as his hand was grabbed. A girl just... He thought, before being dragged away. What the hell? Maybe this is one of those "ghosts." Why'd I have to pick the crazy freshman...

"Hey, why are you running all of a sudden?" The boy asked, almost-but-not-entirely blushing. "Where are we going?"

[Purple Rose]

[Takara]

"Anywhere but here!"

She turns a corner and shoulders into the first classroom door they reach, throwing it open.

"Inside! And be quiet!"

[Frozen_Feet]

The hulking monster's eyes narrow as the two students flee before it. "Ye tryin' ta get away? Ah cannae 've dat, ye 'ear?" Strangely enough it does not run after them. Instead, it's eerie misproportioned face turns away, and it melds back to the shadows. For a moment, all Takara and Yuudai can hear is the sound of their own steps. After they settle into the abandoned class, all is quiet...

... for a while. "Foolish lil' brats", a low voice snarls from behind them. The twisted mockery of a once-friendly face that is its mask appears in one of the class walls, beady eyes glaring at the students, its misshaped mouth breathing foul, thick smoke into the room. "Ye cannae 'ide from lil' ol me, oh no! Ah can 'ear you breathin' 'n' twitcin' 'n' ruining mah school! 'n' Ah cannae stand it anymore."

Slowly, the rest of the creature follows its head through the wall.

"Ye need ta be taught a lesson. Ah'll make certain ya'll stay all nice 'n' still 'n' quiet from now on. Forever."

[riccaru]

Sora gave her look that said "Pull the other one, it has bells on it." Because there's a fine, fine, line between believable and outright ass-pull. Yoko seemed to be doing fine at dancing around it all the time, but she just went way over the actual part of the line, and set off Sora's common sense.

"Of course they are Yoko-chan. And I'm actually a spiritually-empowered demon that gained the ability to cause widescale destruction on accident."

The look on his face implied such sarcasm, such blatant sarcasm, that there's only the slimmest chance that she'll actually believe him.

Yoko blinks twice before turning around to look at everyone else in the room, then back to Sora. "Of course it was an accident. You mean you did it on purpose? No one gets to choose to be these things, they just are. My violin case actually turns into a giant dragon that shoots burning hot ash and eats ghosts. Oh, and I'm almost a hundred years old and can remove people's souls with my mouth." She stares at him, still not showing any hint of a joke.

[Terry576]

Yoko blinks twice before turning around to look at everyone else in the room, then back to Sora. "Of course it was an accident. You mean you did it on purpose? No one gets to choose to be these things, they just are. My violin case actually turns into a giant dragon that shoots burning hot ash and eats ghosts. Oh, and I'm almost a hundred years old and can remove people's souls with my mouth." She stares at him, still not showing any hint of a joke.

Sora grins.

"And I eat souls of demons that eat other people's souls. Obviously."

His face remains with a sarcastic grin, and he doesn't seem to care about the ridiculous conversation.

[Kasanip]

Erima

"W-what are you doing Takara?! I said RUN, not Hide!" Erima's stressed voice seemed to echo in Takara's ear.

The hollow janitor continued to pull itself the wall at Takara and Yuudai, reaching out with a gnarled hand when a small tag of paper flew like a blur between the students, and stuck to the wall with the sound PON!

Suddenly the approaching hollow stopped. It couldn't pull itself out of the wall here.


Behind them, standing with a hard expression on her face, was a girl in a second year uniform. Her ponytail was to display elegantly on her shoulder, but graceful features were cold as she breathed heavily.
Holding a hand of in a shape unfamiliar to Takara and Yuudai, she chanted an order.

"Shunbunten fuuinshiki: Samatagete!"


And she threw one of the talisman from her hand at the hollow, and hit the mask in the center with another PON!. There was a small flash of blue light.

Sayaka

She hit the hollow in the face, and there was a flash of faint blue light.

It's stressed. The seal won't last long with this kind of play. She knew.

She looked briefly at Yuudai and then the first year. What was Yuudai doing here with a first year alone in the classroom? She did not want to know what her classmate was doing.

"You two need to run! Go downstairs!" She ordered, pulling a third talisman from her hand. Already using two, with the Autumnal Seal, but there was no choice. But if she had time for misogi... but there was not time for such a wish.

She looked at the first year, and her eyes widened slightly. What is...that? An aura hung around the girl too, but it was different than a ghost. Very unusual and very very hard to see, but Sayaka could guess what it was. No time. No time! She repeated, looking back at the hollow.

But the momentary distraction had almost been enough. The hollow seemed to pull back, since it could not come forward, it would return into the wall. Now was their chance to run. Sayaka grabbed Yuudai's other hand and pulled on him, throwing a glance at the two of them.

"Come on! Don't think this weak attack will stop it for long!"


Silently Sayaka wondered how many students were here. How many were under attack? She had to get to them and protect them. As they ran to the door, Sayaka threw another talisman on the door so that it would not be locked with them inside.
But she had a limited number of these tags she knew. She already could feel sweat on her back.

[Dorizzit]

Spoiler

Show

[School Hallways]

Kaito shook his head.

"No, if it comes to that, a door is probably going to be easier and less dangerous. But it'd take a couple of us, at least, to do so. Come on; like I said, there might be others about."

Kaito gestured for the whole group to keep moving.

'Somehow, I've ended up leader here...hoboy.'

[School Hallways]

Nakahiro stays near the back of the group, but continues to follow.

[Purple Rose]

[Takara]

Terror gave way to momentary surprise, then relief, then more fear. Who was this new woman, that she could stop a Monster with a talisman and an incantation? Did it matter? She knew Yuudai and was able to, at least, halt the Monster. Takara did not question the woman twice, she simply turned and followed as instructed.

I'm sorry, Eri. I thought we could shake it long enough to break a window... Can you feel the energy coming off this lady? She must be a priestess of some kind... Way more powerful than anyone in our family...

"Who are you? Have you fought those Monsters before?"

[KnightDisciple]

[School Hallways]

After a few moments of dashing down the hall, Sayaka, Takara, and Yuudai will almost run into another group.

Specifically, Kaito, Nakahiro, Valeria, and (possibly) Ayase.

"Takara? Sayaka? What are you all still doing in the school?"

Kaito starts to tense up; his gut instincts tell him something is off, and possibly about to go wrong.

[strawberryman]

[Hallways]

Valeria is still noticeably shaking... ...Ok, there's got to be someone doing all this... just a prank on the new kids, right...?
Don't fool yourself.
...
Wake up, already...
...r-right?

[Purple Rose]

[Takara]

A wave of relief washes over Takara as they run into other people. Of course, she quickly reminds herself that there is not likely anything...

But some of these people are different. She can feel spiritual energy radiating from them.

"No time to talk. We need to find a way out of the school."

[riccaru]

Sora grins.

"And I eat souls of demons that eat other people's souls. Obviously."

His face remains with a sarcastic grin, and he doesn't seem to care about the ridiculous conversation.

"They're not demons, Sora. They're called hollows. If that's true though, why haven't you gone after me yet? I just told you I eat souls." Yoko leans in close to him. "Let's go somewhere a little more quiet to continue, shall we Sora?"

Yoko stands at that and grabs Sora by his shirt again, ripping him from his chair to be drug out of the cafe. "Thanks for the soda!" She yells to Donovan before exiting.

[Prime32]

Ayase feels a buzzing sound in her head for a moment, and then something else.
This feeling... I didn't notice it until now, but... why didn't Denden say anything?
Denden, wha-
Zzzzzzz...


Behind her back, she quietly strikes her phone against the wall.

[Kuroimaken]

Teehee... oh, Ayase, you have such beautiful, supple sk-- YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOWWWWWWWCH!!!

WHAT THE HELL IS THE BIG IDEA, AYASE!? JEEZ!!

It then occurs to Denden that they're in a dark school with a thunderstorm raging outside. And the atmosphere feels heavy. REALLY heavy.

...when did my wet dream turn into a nightmare?

[Prime32]

"No time to talk. We need to find a way out of the school."

"Got any ideas?"

Teehee... oh, Ayase, you have such beautiful, supple sk-- YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOWWWWWWWCH!!!

WHAT THE HELL IS THE BIG IDEA, AYASE!? JEEZ!!

It then occurs to Denden that they're in a dark school with a thunderstorm raging outside. And the atmosphere feels heavy. REALLY heavy.

That's what I want to know. What's going on here? No one can get out of the school.

[Kuroimaken]

Nuuuu... I sense something... a presence I've not felt since...

Ever, really. Denden had never met Mori Souta as a Hollow Akumushi before.

Well, feels to me like someone is using spiritual energy on the doors and windows. That's probably why. But I can't tell who it is or how he's doing it.

[Prime32]

Can you tell where it's coming from?

[Kuroimaken]

I don't think so, it's not like we can just follow a line to a plug or something like that...

[Frozen_Feet]

Ayase's musing, and everyone else's too, is disrupted with a horrible roar that feels like it rattles the whole school. Doors suddenly bursts open and slam shut again in rapid succession, and the dimly lit corridor seem to grow even darker, the walls seeming to lean closer, creating a very claustrophobic feel.

Then, steps. Heavy, dragging steps, echoing from the corridor where Sayaka and her protegés just were. A faint smell of something burning drifts to their noses, just before thick smoke seeps into their vision from behind the nearest corner.

Something is after them. And it's getting close.

[Prime32]

It's coming! Even without Denden's help, Ayase could tell that.

I have to stop the Akumushi... but I can't let anyone see...
The others can see a look of panic cross her face.

There's a bathroom nearby.
And then they see her run away.

[InyutheBeatIs]

[Around the school (I think)]

In front of the school appears to be a lone hollow. It looks like a woman in a billowing gown, with the mask being that of a cold woman asleep. Its hands are hidden by the sleeves, both arms folded in front of her. Around her seems to be a group of fireflies.

[Kuroimaken]

Hasunaga perked his left eye's brow at the sight. This was by far one of the strangest Hollows he'd ever ran into.

"Leave. I won't have you creating havoc in this place."

[InyutheBeatIs]

The female hollow turns to Hasunaga as he speaks. Upon closer inspection, the fireflies seem to cast off a cold mist as they fly, and the air is cold. The hollow breaths out, her breath from her mask visible as though it were a cold winter night. "You have made a mistake in interrupting my work, insect." Her "dress" seems to billow even more as though she were caught in a sudden wind as she lifts further off of the ground. The fireflies buzz erratically, forming icicles shortly before flinging them at the shinigami.

[Kuroimaken]

Hasunaga isn't a shinigami, but rather a strange-looking teacher. But perhaps stranger than this is how the icicles shatter before they reach him. Aside from the rain, he doesn't look the least bit bothered.

"Fine. I guess I'll have to show you a few new tricks."

With that, he started calmly walking in the direction of the "female". He calmly raised a hand, his fingertips shaping like a gun.

Gouka Gunshiki 27: Python.

With that, three blasts of focused energy fly towards the Hollow at decent speed. They seem aimed for her legs, torso and head, respectively. Looks like he's willing to test her before going all-out.

[InyutheBeatIs]

Oh, right. Forgot about that.

The hollow doesn't seem phased by the shattering, and nonchalantly flicks her wrist as though to issue a command, the fireflies forming shields made of ice to block all three of the blasts. "Is that the best you can do?" She says cooly, her breath still cold.

[Kuroimaken]

"..." Hasunaga's response is silence. He continues to quietly advance. The Hollow's mistake was, of course, to assume a frontal attack was his objective from the beginning.

There was about a 50-50 chance the Hollow would actually notice the follow-up. Despite making relatively little sound and being invisible to the naked eye (and, being made of spiritual particles, the rain wouldn't demonstrate its presence either), Hasunaga's gauntlet flying through the air was just as likely to be noticed by his opponent as not. As the enemy defended, he used the opportunity to attempt blindsiding it from the right.

[InyutheBeatIs]

"..." Hasunaga's response is silence. He continues to quietly advance. The Hollow's mistake was, of course, to assume a frontal attack was his objective from the beginning.

There was about a 50-50 chance the Hollow would actually notice the follow-up. Despite making relatively little sound and being invisible to the naked eye (and, being made of spiritual particles, the rain wouldn't demonstrate its presence either), Hasunaga's gauntlet flying through the air was just as likely to be noticed by his opponent as not. As the enemy defended, he used the opportunity to attempt blindsiding it from the right.

The hollow does notice, and arranges the fireflies to create a hand of sorts of ice to catch the gauntlet. The rest form a ball in front of her now outstretched hand, launching it at Hasunaga when it is formed.

[Kuroimaken]

Hasunaga gets suspicious then. A ball shape suggested it was going to burst afterwards. As such, when the ball hits, it shatters further ahead of him than the icicles did. It seems whatever he used to block the first attack had been driven forward to ensure the impact wasn't as close as the last one.

Meanwhile, the first invisible gauntlet struggles against the hand of ice, as though it were some strange form of armwrestling - its outline slowly appearing as the prolonged contact remains. The now noticeably younger-looking teacher changes the angle of attack, using his other gauntlet in a wide arc in an attempt to strike from behind.

[InyutheBeatIs]

Surprisingly, it doesn't. The hollow carries the "hand" to the same area that the fist swings at, lessening the blow as it shatters. However, she is still lifted into the air a bit by the blast. After she recomposes herself, she forms another block of ice to block it. The fireflies then fly around her quickly, casting off mist to stick to whatever it was that he is generating.

[Kuroimaken]

By this point, Hasunaga knew he wouldn't be able to keep his method of attack secret for much longer. So he decided to go all-out with it.

Rocketing forward, the boot of his invisible "armor" shot towards the Hollow's torso - while at the same time, the other 'boot' rocketed from above in what seemed to be a heel drop. Meanwhile, one of the gauntlets clawed towards the ice block, while the other began charging up for a more potent punch.