[BitP:R] Mortal World

[InyutheBeatIs]

This one...is not anywhere near as rational as the previous hollow. It just sits there and roars in defiance, flailing about like a fish out of water.

[Kuroimaken]

ROCKET PUNCH TO THE FACE!

"...two."

[InyutheBeatIs]

ROCKET PUNCHED IN THE FACE!! The mask is cracked at this point, the foot is pressed in more on his back as his skin buckles even more due to lack of reiatsu. Its roars are muffled now.

[Kuroimaken]

"...three."

With that said, Hasunaga's face assumed an even darker expression. Tossing the cigarette butt towards the Hollow,

"Might as well give you one last comfort... before your trip to the underworld."

The foot holds the Hollow down while the two fists reel back. They shoot forward, palms closed as though in prayer, wedging themselves smack in the middle of the Hollows' mask. Then, they start pushing in opposite directions, and once the mask has sufficiently spread, they twist, gripping at its edges and trying to rip the mask in two.

[Terry576]

[Sora, With Yoko]

Sora frees himself from Yoko's grip.

"Forget it Yoko. I'm done with this. I'm done with people treating me like I'm insane, and by now? I'm done with you. What the hell do you want to know about me? Why my eyes are red? Why I treat pain like it's nothing? What do you want?"

[InyutheBeatIs]

It succeeds only too well. It reveals the face of...a dog? Yeah, a dog. This was once the spirit of a dog, it seems. It looks up at Hasunaga, both relieved and furious. It seems the dog was afflicted with rabies in life.

(OOC: That can happen, right?)

[nothingclever]

Ken was unfazed by Sayaka's announcement. He already had a few run-ins with the being(s) behind the doors. They weren't anything this bad but he at least had an idea of what to expect. Now he knew what to call them and had discovered several students who could also see them. Ken was actually somewhat pleased with the situation. Standing their ground and fighting whatever was hounding them sounded a lot better than running away from it in a panic and hoping for the best. He was eager to get things started and see just how strong he had become. "I'll help you. I don't really feel like dying."

[Kuroimaken]

It succeeds only too well. It reveals the face of...a dog? Yeah, a dog. This was once the spirit of a dog, it seems. It looks up at Hasunaga, both relieved and furious. It seems the dog was afflicted with rabies in life.

(OOC: That can happen, right?)

(OOC: I suppose. What's weird is that it ended up as an ape. )

"Sleep well, pooch."

And then, it was time to fracture its skull. Forever.

[InyutheBeatIs]

(OOC: I suppose. What's weird is that it ended up as an ape. )

"Sleep well, pooch."

And then, it was time to fracture its skull. Forever.

(OOC: Hollows are wacky things. And its a shark-ape thing with a serrated arm. )

And its skull is fractured. Forever. It bursts into pieces, without explosive force, just sort of implodes. It being the hollow.

[Shades of Gray]

Yuudai

More talk of ghosts? Yuudai wondered, shaking his head. I mean, they can't exist... But at the same time. The boy looked at his classmates. They all seem to believe Sayaka. I guess there's no choice. He sighed, gathering his resolve. He was afraid, but would not let that show. Real men have no fear.

Yuudai let his bag drop the ground. "I-" He reached inside the long bag. "I'll fight, Sayaka." Yuudai said with confidence as he took a sword, a Ninja-to, out from the bag.

[Purple Rose]

[Takara]

The gymnasium. It looked so different in the dark. Felt so different now. A Monster, what has Sayaka called it? A Hollow. A masked monster. It was hunting them and kept at bay by failing seals. Takara's heart pounded in her chest. Her entire life she had been able to see spirits. Her family maintained a small shrine. It was all part of her life; dealing with the other side. But this... How did she never notice things like this before? Was this masked monster merely stronger than the others she had encountered before?

Takara stroked her scarf repeatedly, running it through her hand. She could feel Erima's predatory energy. The Tsukumogami and her had been through fights before, but never against an enemy as powerful as this one.

The girl set her expression firmly.

"I've never seen a Monster as... dangerous... as this one before... But I can and I will fight."

Eri... I know we are not supposed to do this when other people are around, but we have no choice. I... I need you to become monstrous for me.

Takara closes her eyes for a moment, focusing on her breathing. She feels her spiritual energy and grabs a hold of it, directing and focusing it. Her muscles tense and she feels her entire body bristle with energy. She may not look it, but she has been training for years in the martial arts. She can be fast and strong when she needs to be. But she has something more.

She has Erima.

Takara extends her reach, coaxing not only her spiritual energy, but Erima's as well. She nudges and prods and directs in ways that she has learned to. She gives a command to her companion's form. Be Fierce. Be Feral.

Be Dangerous.

[tgva8889]

Kina Yoshimoto

As they piled into the gym, Kina turned and looked around at the rest of her class. Pausing to bend over and pant a bit after their run, Kina eventually falls down to her knees, seemingly okay but still panting. She stares at the ground and closes her eyes, trying to make it hurt less.

Sakaya's words being to hit her like a freight train. These kids...they can see them? They can see the Hollows? All of them? What is this place? She raises her head to watch Sakaya as she places her talismans. The voices around her begin to speak out in defiance of Kina's own thoughts. Kina watches them ready themselves, preparing their weapons. From each of them she senses the familiar faint aura that she had felt all along, this time more pronounced as each one actively spreads out their energies to prepare for battle. How can they want to fight? Those things...how can they even begin to realize...?

"I...I can't." Kina's breathing is heavy, but her voice comes out clear. "I...can't do...anything..."

[Frozen_Feet]

[School]

Thunder keeps roaring as the students make their bold claims. They can hear something scratching an rattling the doors to the hall. The wind howls outside like some malicious beast. They can feel the pressure growing in anticipation of something horrible. Sayaka can feel an evil force lashing against her concentration. She can feel how her power is faltering - any moment now, her seals would break, and the beast would barge in...

Then, all of a sudden, the grim weight is lifted from their shoulders. Scratching, rattling, howling... they all stop.

Only the faint sound of raindrops drumming on the roofs remains.

A minute passes, then two. Then three. Then four, five, six... and nothing happens. The students are just left waiting in the dark. Did the monster just... go away? Are they safe now?

Uncertainty ensues.

---

Somewhere in the school, there is still student wandering around, all alone. She might have heard the roar and seen the darkening of the passages, but there's no-one there beside her, no-one to tell her what's happening.

All she knows is that all the doors are locked, and won't budge no matter how violent she gets. Wait... not all the doors. Some that lead back to the interior of the school are still open.

An unseen hand starts guiding Michiko Inagawa-kai toward the gymnasium...

[Callos_DeTerran]

Michiko

Ever since she had left the front doors to try and find other students, or even just a door that wasn't locked, things had become more and more irritating for Michiko. Her head had begun to throb like it hadn't in the longest time, as if Yuudai had spent the entire day yelling how cool everything was, and now the lights had the gall to flicker and dim just because of a little thunderstorm. Despite her irritation at events though...she couldn't help an icy tendril of fear that had begun to worm it's way up her spine, despite her usually iron-clad control over her own emotions.

This is ridiculous, it's only a little dark, there's nothing here that can hurt you. She chides herself, clenching her one trembling hand into a fist even as she checked another, inevitably, locked door with a soft sigh of disappointment. Who had locked these doors after all? It didn't make sense that a teacher or janitor would do so until they were sure that all of the students were out of the school, but that didn't matter. Michiko was becoming more then a little late for her club meeting and that was simply unacceptable. Wasn't there a door leading outside in the gymnasium? Perhaps it hadn't been locked yet...

============

Things were likely still tense inside the gymnasium with the sudden cessation of the Hollow's assault on the doors. Silence is a funny thing, when one isn't paying attention to it, then it's not much of a bother. It goes unnoticed and doesn't do anyone any harm. But when one is expecting something horrible to happen...it becomes a thing of terror all on it's on. Why wasn't there anything to hear? What did it mean? Where was the source of the noise now? Did it know something they didn't? Would Sayaka's protections hold?

That last question certainly seemed to be a 'no' as the doors leading into the gym on the school side begin to rattle once more before opening up slowly to reveal a slightly tall humaniod figure who steps into the light to show...black and purple-dyed hair and a stony expression on a rather pale face. Pale blue eyes appraise the gathered students, briefly flickering with recognition at the sight of Yuudai before passing on to the others. It looked like some of the students from the nurse's office was here as well, not to mention...Sayaka?

"...What's going on here?" She asks levelly, holding her school bag loosely in one hand.

Spoiler

Show

Kasanip, if the barrier would have kept out Michiko too, then just lemme know and I'll edit this post.

[nothingclever]

Ken noted Kaito's display of telekinesis but didn't feel a need to comment on it. Instead he offered Kina a hand to pull her up. "Everyone can do something. Just by being here you could draw attention away from the rest of us making it a little easier to do our thing. Or you could warn us if anyone is about to be struck from behind. You might not need to do anything anyway."

[Kasanip]

Erima

Erima felt Takara's hand and energy and grinned. A growing malevolence that almost surprised her. It was surge of blood-lust- an ancient and very true nature to her being. She was a tsukumogami, and all of the evilness that had come to her in 100 years had become her too. She could use that rage and that desire to devour here. So many targets...The stupid kids who were shaking in fear- they would know it! The shrine maiden...no Erima would strike first, and maybe it would horrify Takara, but was that a bad thing? Then she would destroy this abomination. Power. She had power. She was Power.

Erima delighted in that thought.
Takara felt a feeling like Erima's hands on her own arms, but they were burning and seething in energy. a hot, oppressive and dangerous feeling- Like Erima was pressed against her behind .

But even as Erima's energy seemed to threaten to overwhelm Takara, Takara's own spiritual power wrapped around Erima, and bound her.

?

The delight she had found a moment ago was confusion, and then a kind of obedience. Takara's spiritual power took Erima's own feral energy and shaped it, guided it with Takara's gentle touch. Of course she was her owner, and Erima's own spirit was something she could use. And even if she was to feel fierce and feral, she did not mind. If it was Takara, she would be a weapon.

And so Erima responded to Takara's control, but she was a fierce tsukumogami, and it was a feeling of danger and fierceness about her arms as the scarf changed.

I'm ready Takara.



Sayaka

And as Michiko entered, Sayaka's eyes opened wide in stress. The barrier she had tried to hold had broken when Michiko had opened the door.

"!! Michiko get down!"

[Frozen_Feet]

[School Gym]

Just as Sayaka shouts her warning, Michiko will feel a shove to her back, something pushing her further into the room with great force. And in her wake, darkness steps inside. The proportions of the room seem to warp as a massive, black creature stands before the doorway, towering above the kids yet still somehow fitting inside the frames. Two cold glints stare from a soulless dummy head, fixing on Sayaka.

"Ye."

The Janitor is trembling from rage. For a lifetime, he had served this school, and for what? No reward, no recognition, not a hint of respect had been given for it. Just abandonment and mockery.

And this girl is the worst of them. Shee'd tried to keep him from moving, keep him from doing his job within his school. His school.

Is this all his worth? Is he not even worth remembering anymore? Fine then. If he's going to be forgotten, then he'll make it so that the impudent brats before him will be forgotten too...

"Ye. Ye jeerin' lil' brat. Ye 'n' yer lil' friends", the monster roars with a hurt and broken voice, "Ye've made me angry! Insulted me one last time." Thick black smoke spews from its mouth as it rages, smoke smelling like tobacco and tar and sickness and burning flesh, clinging on the students clothes and making their eyes water.

"Ye've broken dem rules. Been real bad, kids", the horrifying form rages on, lifting a large, apish hand above its head. There's a mad and tormented shine in its eyes as it swings it towards Sayaka. "Ah'll make sure... make sure yall nevah be bad again. Nevah."

[KnightDisciple]

Kaito's eyes widen as the beast steps into the gym. Unconsciously, he takes a half-step back, before reaffirming his resolve, holding his place in their little group. His eyes watered slightly at the smoke; looking about, he realized they would quickly be in trouble.

As his eyes flickered about, they came to rest on several noticeable features of the gym. Specifically, the large windows that even now allowed the flickering illumination of lightning to case eerie shadows into the room.

Kaito takes several backwards steps, putting him at the rear of the group, giving himself more room to work.

He then gives a sharp telekinetic shove to one of the orbiting baseballs, sending it streaking through the air right at one of the windows. Another ball follows, to help increase the size of the hole. The third baseball targets a different window.

Kaito's face shows a bit of strain, but he's also getting better at moving things with his mind. This shows as two basketballs come flying in to orbit his person, followed by two more baseballs.

[Dorizzit]

Nakahiro

Nakahiro's eyes widen and he takes an unconscious step back in fear as the massive hollow enters the room. He draws a hissing breath into his body, then is hit by another wave of vertigo, this one much more mild. His eyes then narrow in recognition.

This thing...I've...seen, heard, felt, no, sensed it before. That was what happened earlier. What...what's going on?

His confused thoughts are interrupted by a loud crash. The noise snaps his attention back to his surroundings. Suddenly, his fear and confusion...don't disappear, exactly, but stop holding their previous influence on him. He attains a measure of tranquility, somehow.

"Kaito? I don't think this is a good time for vandalism."

[KnightDisciple]

Kaito gives off a light cough, waving some of the eerie smoke from his face.

"Trying to ventilate the room. Otherwise we might choke."

[strawberryman]

[Gymnasium]

Valeria stumbles back, falling over and coughing as the smoke filters into the room, and looking at the beast with wavering courage. There's no way I can fight that thing! What am I even supposed to do...

Focus. She blinks, snapping out of her fear if only for distraction. Who...?

Don't worry about it, just focus. Dig deep within for the answer... and call it out. Val looks to her hand, which has faint traces of black energy that oddly enough glows with a violet light. ...The... answer...?

She puts her hand to her forehead... and then, she's engulfed in a cocoon of black energy.

[Draken]

Reene watches the exchange through the security systems, with Gralster lurking in the space between worlds behind her.

"Interesting..."

[Purple Rose]

[Takara]

As the others step back, Takara steps forward. Her confidence is bolstered by the animal ferocity given off by Erima.

"Miss Sakaya, if I give you an opening, can you hurt it?"

Her body trembles slightly, not with fear but with anticipation. In the same way her calm and control filters into Erima; Erima's love of battle is infecting her. Without waiting for a response, Takara rushes at the Hollow towering before them. At her command, Erima stretches out, claws forming as the scarf becomes like a pair of bestial arms.

Strike at its legs, Eri. We need to give Sayaka an opening.

The girl tries to strafe the Hollow in an attempt to give Erima a good angle to attack from.

[riccaru]

[Sora, With Yoko]

Sora frees himself from Yoko's grip.

"Forget it Yoko. I'm done with this. I'm done with people treating me like I'm insane, and by now? I'm done with you. What the hell do you want to know about me? Why my eyes are red? Why I treat pain like it's nothing? What do you want?"

"Well, now that's quite rude. I was simply saving you from the monsters at school. All I wanted was to remove you from the building for a while, and to have a little chat. Is that really too much to ask for?" Yoko says innocently, her eyes darting back and forth from Sora to the windows.

[Terry576]

"Well, now that's quite rude. I was simply saving you from the monsters at school. All I wanted was to remove you from the building for a while, and to have a little chat. Is that really too much to ask for?" Yoko says innocently, her eyes darting back and forth from Sora to the windows.

Sora laughs.

"Bull. You're always going for the angle Yoko. Why chat with me? I'm sure as hell not the best choice to pump for information. And stop glancing at the damn windows. You look like you're gonna try and jump through them."

[nothingclever]

Ken stood still for only the slightest of moments to take in the form of the creature menacing them before mutely dashing towards it at an angle opposite of Takara's approach. As he did so he tucked in his head, lowered his body and assumed a compact defensive stance in preparation for any incoming strikes. Upon nearing the monster he pivoted on his right leg and leaned in to strike its side with a sharp hook. Whatever the result once he had completed his swing he cautiously leaped backwards.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Michiko's eyes narrowed at the sight of several most...peculiar things around the room, but just as she opens her mouth to likely deliver a scathing rebuke about weird activities on school property...something slams into her from behind. Blue eyes widen in surprise as she's flung forward, barely able to catch herself before she hits the floor.

What the hell was that...?!

With remarkable agility she springs to her feet and spins around, head snapping from side to side wildly in search of whoever it was that had pushed her so. To see...nothing. Nothing except for a shimmer in the air like it had gotten too hot, or a gas leak, not to mention her headache had gotten worse. Breaking glass caught her attention, giving her a focal point for her irritation.

"What do you think you are doing, breaking school property?" The second-year says sharply, pointedly avoiding mention of the hovering sports goods for the moment. That'd be processed later and acted upon. Something out had gained her attention...the shimmer had lashed out a tendril towards...Sayaka?!

What's she doing here?!

Michiko's sneakers drum off the gym floor as she gets up and sprints towards Sayaka on instinct, leaping forward at the last second to try and tackle Sayaka out of the way or (at the very least) take the brunt of the shimmer instead of the often sick shrine girl.

[KnightDisciple]

Kaito looks to Michiko with...annoyance...in his gaze.

"Didn't I just explain myself? I was creating ventilation so that we wouldn't all choke and die on the smoke from this beast. Seriously, I'm just trying to help, but no..."

He stays back, his eyes firmly planted on the beast. He's just waiting for an opening to toss his current projectiles at it...

[Frozen_Feet]

[School gym]

The windows of the gym shatter with a loud crash, more than likely alerting Aki and Hasunaga if they're still around the school. The cloud of opressing smoke also thins slightly as a draft of cool air pushes it around and causes whisps of it to drift towards the broken window - possibly causing some spiritually aware person to think there's a fire inside!

The Janitor howls in pain as Ken punches his leg and swivels his soulless mask to stare the boy face to face, putting the valiant lad in direct danger. Fortunately, this means its looking away from Takara, maybe giving the girl a better chance at sneak attacking the monster.

Unfortunately, it does absolutely nothing to divert the Hollow's blow from its course. However, Michiko's brave maneuver might yet save the intended target from the brunt of the blow - though it means the purple-haired princess herself will suffer the bonecrushing blow to her side...

[KnightDisciple]

In the confusion of various things going on, it had taken a moment for Kaito to clearly notice the odd transformation Valeria was undergoing.

"Val!"

He steps closer, then hesitates. Could she be undergoing something similar to his own recent awakening? Dare he interfere, no matter what? What if that energy hurt him if he tried to help her?

He stood there, uncertainly glancing between his friend, and the monster facing them all.