[BitP:R] Mortal World 2

[nothingclever]

Kina Yoshimoto - Houheiden Shrine

Kina looks up at Ken in response. "I've...never really had friends." She smiles slightly, sort of joking and amused, hiding her sadness at the situation. "I don't...really know what's going on. I wish...I wish I could help a bit more."

Watching Valeria work through her powers, Kina shakes her head. "I...don't think I'd really want powers. No...they'd be too much." She smiles slightly, this time in a completely natural way. "I don't think I could use them very well, anyways."

"Well that makes two of us. I haven't really had any either, just acquaintances..." A little grin gradually began to form on Ken's face as he thought about how silly and contrived the next thing he'd say would sound. "Would you mind being mine?" he asked with a tinge of feigned apprehension.

[Kayne650]

Suddenly, a bright silver bolt flew right past Michiko's head and grazed Elder's cheek. As it passed, a woman appeared by Michiko, as if she had been there the whole time. A bracelet with eight silver beads dangled from her left wrist. She held a massive white bow in her left hand, the weapon easily six feet long. A glowing silver cross hung from her neck, shining with what appeared to be pure reiatsu.

"Hold, beast." She said in a commanding voice. Michiko would recognize her as the science teacher at her high school. "You shall harm no one else tonight. I shall see to that."

Her voice turned to Michiko, her expression hard and cold, unlike any Michiko had seen on her face before. Her eyes didn't leave Elder for a second. "Are you all right, Inagawa-kai-san? You're not hurt, are you?"

She looked around Elder, her eyes cold and murderous when she noticed the body at Elder's feet. She addressed the stranger beside them, noticing him for the first time. She had felt an odd presence, and she was glad that it was a human. "I don't know who you are, but you seem to be on our side. I need to get her out of here," she said, indicating Michiko, "Can you distract that? I should be able to return soon." The whole time she spoke, she kept her bow trained on Elder. Neither her gaze or her bow ever left the beast.

[Kuroimaken]

I'll need to have the others look into this later. She doesn't look like an ordinary medium.

"...I suppose. Be quick about it."

With that, Hakusai drew a second "revolver" and started shooting a quick barrage towards Elder.

[Kayne650]

"Thank you for your assistance, sir. I should be back shortly."

For the first time, Mayumi's eyes turned from Elder to look at Michiko. "We need to leave, Inagawa-kai-san. You're in too much danger here. Are you ready to go?" Mayumi extended her right hand to Michiko, inviting her to take her hand. Mayumi's left arm still held her bow, pointing it at Elder.

[tgva8889]

"Well that makes two of us. I haven't really had any either, just acquaintances..." A little grin gradually began to form on Ken's face as he thought about how silly and contrived the next thing he'd say would sound. "Would you mind being mine?" he asked with a tinge of feigned apprehension.

Kina smiles. Her head turns, and her eyes glisten slightly as she catches Ken's gaze. "N-no. Not at all." She holds out a closed hand that trembles slightly, but quickly opens.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Michiko

What the...?! It disappeared!

Again shock flies across her normally unflappable expression, but it fades when it appears behind her and lays Soshi down on the ground. It was a small mercy that it didn't have any foul designs on her subordinate, but it didn't change the fact that it was facing her now...and if it could move that fast then she didn't hold out much hope.

"You heard me just fine." she says softly, feeling fear claw at her resolve, make her begin to sweat with anxiety. What could she do? What did she need to do? Part of her...already knew there was no helping Soshi anymore, all she could do was ensure that he had a proper burial so his soul could rest in peace. And she could avenge him...if she could. But how? The bat was back down on the street again and she didn't...trust the strength of her own gift against such a creature.

Still..the muscles in her legs tensed as she prepared to rush this abominable creature and do her very best to get Soshi away from it. Then a thought struck her...about the same time that her science teacher showed up...and someone else she didn't recognize. Quickly she blinks, trying to process this new information before she acted. It seemed that she had a way out after all...escape wasn't good enough though.

"I'm not leaving without him." Was all that she said...before diving towards the creature as the stranger began shooting...lasers at it, reaching out to grab hold of Soshi's arm while it was hopefully distracted.

[Kayne650]

Mayumi gasped as Michiko dove towards the body. She was moving way too close to the creature for Mayumi's comfort, but if she went to save the girl she wouldn't be able to fight the beast off; she needed both hands to fire her bow. So, she went for the next best thing.

Mayumi brought her hand to her bow, and pulled it back to her face in a gesture that passed in the blink of an eye. Before Michiko had gotten more than a foot away from Mayumi, five bright silver arrows were released from the woman's bow, each one shooting for a different target; one for each leg, one for the heart, one for the left lung, and one for the head. At this distance, Mayumi couldn't miss.

She wouldn't miss.

[nothingclever]

Kina smiles. Her head turns, and her eyes glisten slightly as she catches Ken's gaze. "N-no. Not at all." She holds out a closed hand that trembles slightly, but quickly opens.

Not missing a beat, Ken reached out and grasped her hand with one of his own and gave it a firm shake. While doing so he returned her smile. He found the unusual formality a tad amusing. "Well I guess that seals it. By the way, I'm serious about not knowing anyone particularly well. Although my recent actions might suggest otherwise, I'm not usually a very social person. I generally keep to myself, but I find the people here easier to talk to than most others because of what we've been through and have in common." He thought about adding that not being anywhere near as extraordinary as the cat girl also helped, but he was worried Heart Angel might hear him and be offended.

[tgva8889]

Kina returns the handshake, not particularly strong but not at all weak. "Oh...I hadn't really thought about it." Kina turns away and watches the others. "It didn't really bother or concern me. You'll act how you act... Not much reason to stop you...is there?" She smiles a bit and glances over before returning to watch.

Now that she was thinking about it, Ken's actions had been a bit odd. Kina had never really seen anyone act the way Ken had. And his actions towards the others were suspect. It wasn't something that bothered Kina much, but for a moment she is a bit distant-looking

[nothingclever]

Ken faced the spot where Valeria had shown her powers while turning towards Kina slightly. "I suppose so. If I do start to bother you at some point though, please tell me. I only teased Sayaka because it's so easy to do and I figure she can take it after getting a bit of an idea of how her father usually acts. I definitely wouldn't treat you the same way."

[tgva8889]

Kina looks up. "Huh? Oh...no, it's not...not a bother, not...not at all." She puts her hand on her shoulder and rubs a bit unconsciously. "It's okay, really." For a moment, Kina's mouth forms a perfect smile, genuine at every point. "Don't mind me...please." Her head turns up to face him for a moment. "I..." Her words stop in her mouth, and she decides not to continue. Instead, he looks back to Valeria and just smiles, watching her and the others.

"thanks."

[nothingclever]

Ken was at a loss for words after her stammered reply. Fortunately he felt it was best not to say anything more anyway. Instead he silently looked on with her waiting to see what would happen next.

[Kuroimaken]

Michiko

What the...?! It disappeared!

Again shock flies across her normally unflappable expression, but it fades when it appears behind her and lays Soshi down on the ground. It was a small mercy that it didn't have any foul designs on her subordinate, but it didn't change the fact that it was facing her now...and if it could move that fast then she didn't hold out much hope.

"You heard me just fine." she says softly, feeling fear claw at her resolve, make her begin to sweat with anxiety. What could she do? What did she need to do? Part of her...already knew there was no helping Soshi anymore, all she could do was ensure that he had a proper burial so his soul could rest in peace. And she could avenge him...if she could. But how? The bat was back down on the street again and she didn't...trust the strength of her own gift against such a creature.

Still..the muscles in her legs tensed as she prepared to rush this abominable creature and do her very best to get Soshi away from it. Then a thought struck her...about the same time that her science teacher showed up...and someone else she didn't recognize. Quickly she blinks, trying to process this new information before she acted. It seemed that she had a way out after all...escape wasn't good enough though.

"I'm not leaving without him." Was all that she said...before diving towards the creature as the stranger began shooting...lasers at it, reaching out to grab hold of Soshi's arm while it was hopefully distracted.

Curses. He didn't expect the girl's bravery (or should one say recklessness?) to be quite so acute. One of the lasers barely "misses" her, curving its trajectory before it hits the girl. The way this went, Michiko would very much get herself killed.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Warehouse roof]

The Ghost Mask's warning shot grazes the beast's shoulder, but it doesn't seem to mind, keeping it's eyes on Michiko. "Well? Did cat take you-", it begins, when the silver bolt flies past it, leaving a bleeding scratch on it's cheek. At this, its eyes widen a bit.

"Oooh! A Quincy!", the beast exclaims as Mayumi appears before it. It's sounding.... happy? "I was wondering where you all went. Nice to see that tiny girl who came to visit me didn't just leave things hanging. Are you her mother, perhaps?"

Then, Hakusai begins fire at it - a move it certainly doesn't appreciate. It's form blurs as it darts up, and next time it's still enough to see clearly, he notices it's standing by his side, one white, black-clawed hand wrapped around his left "revolver". It seems to have few, smoking grazes across it's torso, so he didn't miss completely, but it's hard to say if the injuries are significant with such a passing glance. At that moment, it's also easier to see just how tall the beast is, as it towers more than two heads taller than him. "Didn't I tell I wasn't going to harm anyone anymore?", it hisses, and there's a sickening crunch as it squeezes the pistol, crushing it to pieces. "Why are you so intent to make me break my word?"

It could've been his wrist.

Then Mayumi shoots at it, and it has to move away from Hakusui to dodge. It's true, she doesn't miss; one arrow hits the ankle of its right foot, second pierces its left thigh, third hits it to the torso near its right shoulder, and fourth grazes its left arm.

The fifth one it catches by the shaft with its left hand, giving it a startled look, before snapping it like a twig.

It's form blurs again as it leaps beside Mayumi, and she can feel its cold hand wrap around her arm pulling back the bowstring - she feels it yanked almost so violently it's pulled out of its socket, and then her feet leave the ground as the beast attempts to throw her off the roof.

In all of this, Michiko is left free to do what she wishes, the beast leaving her alone expect for one passing mention: "Just leave it be and save yourself if you want to, it's not like he's there anymore..."

[Kuroimaken]

The creature was fast. Clearly he could not afford to underestimate it. Hakusai would need to step up his game if he wanted to make sure no one would come to harm.

Just then, Elder threw Mayumi off the roof with a ferocity that belied her words. Suddenly, he vanished, as a vicious, invisible pressure shot at the creature. Granted, Elder could still sense Hakusai's Reiatsu, but his method of attack sure would make it hard to pinpoint. Hopefully.

The downside of a hero is that his priorities make him predictable. Elder would be able to tell that despite his attempt at misdirection, killing it was not the Ghost Mask's priority. If Mayumi were throw off, an invisible cushion of manipulated light would keep her from being hurt too badly, besides the arm that is.

[Kayne650]

When Elder spoke to her, Mayumi felt a cold chill. A young girl met this beast? Surely Hinata hadn't met it, or she would have told Mayumi something. But that was a question for after this beast was gone.

Mayumi was surprised that her arrows were mostly grazes, and those that had hit didn't seem to have a real effect, but she was horrified when Elder snapped the last arrow in its hands. Then it appears by Mayumi, grabbing her arm.

It's so fast! Mayumi thought to herself, right before the beast wrenched her arm and threw her off the roof. She was about to create a platform with Hirenkyaku when she landed on the cushion of that light that the stranger had created. She stood up, grit her teeth, and reset her arm in the socket, grunting a bit at the pain it caused. Her arm had to be better for her to fire her arrows.

But now she was too far from Michiko to help her, and the beast was still moving. She pulled a bead off of her bracelet, and a small grey cylinder from her boot, and vanished. Suddenly reappearing over Elder, she said something that Elder had probably not heard in a long time.

"A silver rod strikes the five-fingered stone bed! Gritz!" A mass of reiryoku exploded from her bead and surrounded Elder, forming an immense cross that trapped Elder within. Mayumi landed behind Elder, took the cap off of the grey cylinder, and activated the Seele Schneider. If Elder showed any sign of escaping, she would stab the beast with great prejudice.

"Change of plans, sir! I need you to get Inagawa-kai-san out of here! I can hold the beast back, but with my arm like this, I can't carry them. Get her and the body out of here, and get back here. I can't hold the beast myself for long, but I can hold it here for a while." It was obvious that this was a woman used to giving orders.

[Frozen_Feet]

The creature is indeed caught off-guard by the Mask's attack... for a moment. When it realizes its foe is no longer visible, it focuses, sending out a controlled burst of power - and when it reflects back to it, it paints a crystal clear picture in its mind of the scene unfolding around.

"You know, since you seem to be protectors of this town, may I ask you a question?", it asks, its head turning to meet Mayumi face to face as she casts her spell. "Why didn't you do anything abput the boy?" Then, the mass of Reiatsu solidifies around it, and it's trapped.

However, as it stands there frozen, an unnerving scene plays out. Its gleaming scales shift and shuffle, covering the burns, and black blood flows to fill the wounds left by Mayumi's arrows - in but a blink of an eye, it looks like it was never injured in the first place.

Then its form starts to waver, and the cross begins to tremble. Cracks appear along its surface as a great pressure starts pushing it apart from within. The beast turns to look Mayumi in the eyes, a playful glint in those dark orbs as it stares at her.

[Kuroimaken]

No time for regrets. No time for wallowing in self-pity.

Hakusai wasn't thrilled about the idea. The way he saw things, it wouldn't be long before the creature broke out. But Maiyumi was right. Michiko and Soshi (such as he was) were priority. And he'd just seen how fast Maiyumi could be.

With a wide gesture, he sought to envelop Elder in a large, black coccoon of "shadow". That should help, he thought.

"Don't you dare think of sacrificing yourself. It's not worth it."

With that said, he grasped at both Michiko and Soshi's body with a massive hand of "shadow", and created a construct to fly away with the two in tow.

[Kayne650]

Mayumi stands before the beast, horrified as its wounds vanish in the blink of an eye. This must be the regeneration that Shiori-baasama told me about, she thought to herself. Mayumi had never imagined that a Hollow could do it this fat, though. This was bad. Hideously bad.

It was already starting to break out of the shell. The Gritz wasn't the strongest barrier in the world, but it should have held the creature for longer than this! Even with the new barrier that the stranger had created, it wouldn't be long before the beast escaped. Mayumi grit her teeth and prepared. If she struck now, it would only break the shield even faster. She had to wait until right before the monster broke out to strike, and not a moment sooner.

Keeping her eyes on the creature, she called out to Hasukai. "You needn't worry about me; I have no intention of dying here." Mayumi returned her full attention to the monster. It wouldn't be long now. She just had to keep it here.

[Frozen_Feet]

The creature gives the cocoon of darkness a bemused glance as it obscures its vision. "Why is it so dark of a sudden?", a mocking question comes from under the barrier - and then the cross shatters, salty grey subtance gushing out with immense pressure. Some of it is spilled to the air, Hakusai and Michiko feeling it sprinkle against their skin like cold rain. Most of it washes over the warehouse roof in a small wave, splashing against Mayumi before flowing over the edges of the roof.

"You two sure know how to ruin a moment", the creature mutters as it steps out the darkness, giving a mournful look after Michiko and Hakusai. "I was looking forward to talking with that girl. Oh well, I guess it can wait for some other time..."

[Kayne650]

The instant the monster appears from beneath the darkness, Mayumi appears behind and above it, stabbing her blade downward into its back. As the blade nears the creature, it seems to grow, drinking in the beast's reiatsu.

It shouldn't grow this fast! Mayumi thought to herself. It grows through ambient reiryoku, but to grow this much, this creature must have monstrous amounts of reiryoku! What on earth am I fighting?

As she stabbed downwards, she hoped to plant the blade in the roof beneath them, thereby rooting the monster down. Of course, it could tear itself through the blade, which would work just as well for Mayumi.

"You won't be speaking to anyone, monster. I'm stopping you, here and now!

[Frozen_Feet]

There's one problem in nailing the creature to the roof - even though bolstered by its Reiryoku, the blade isn't long enough. It only comes out few inches out of the beast's chest as it staggers forward - then, it leaps up with such force that the Scheele Sneider is torn from her grasp.

"Ugh. You know, that stings", the creature hisses, standing few dozen feet above Mayumi, as it reaches behind itself to pull the sword-like arrow from its back. The wound seals itself as soon as it's out. "And what's wrong with talking? I mean, why won't we just go and have a nice cup of coffee and forget about all this...?" The creature sounds sickeningly sincere as it says that - maybe it's joking with her?

[Kayne650]

Mayumi cuses inwardly as the beast leaps away, taking the Seel Schneider with it. She only had so many of those. So, her brilliant plan of shoving the creature down with brute force hadn't worked. Honestly, she hadn't expected it to, but she'd found something most interesting: the beast's reiryoku enhanced the Seele Schneider more than any other Hollow she had ever fought.

And she still had three Seele Schneiders.

Mayumi glares upward at the monster, noting that it hasn't gone to pursue Inagawa-Kai-san. Apparently, Mayumi had presented herself as an appealing enough target. Now, to make sure that she didn't die fighting this thing.

"I can only assume that you're toying with me, Hollow." She called up to the monster above her. "What do you want here? What did you have to gain by killing that boy?" She pulled her bow back up in case of an attack, and felt a twinge of pain in the arm that the creature had wrenched. It would be a while before her firing was back up to par. She had to be carefully. She had to fight smart.

[Kasanip]

Sayaka and Haruaki

To Valeria

"Believe and have confidence in yourself." Sayaka said. Haruaki nodded. He seemed distracted, but spoke reassuringly too.

"...But have joy and comfort in things you love around you too. It is a unique skill to be sure. Like any skill it can be dangerous after all, so let's all be careful. That way we don't have more damage to the Shrine." Saying such a thing, he looked with mildness at Kaito.

Haruaki patted Sayaka's head with distraction, ignoring the annoyed daughter.

"Is there anyone else? You children should go home soon and work on your homework after all."

[Dorizzit]

Spoiler

Show

Of course Sayaka was to glare slightly at such a statement. But not at Kina of course.

Haruaki patted Sayaka's head with distraction, ignoring the annoyed daughter.

"Is there anyone else? You children should go home soon and work on your homework after all."

Houheiden Shrine
Exterior

Nakahiro nods and quietly steps forward.

"I haven't gone yet."

Taking a few steps more away from the group, Nakahiro turns back to face the assembled crowd. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in, then gently releases it. Holding his arms a bit out from his sides, his brow furrows momentarily in concentration before a white aura manifests around his body. He opens his eyes.

"This is my power. It isn't particularly easy to describe, but I'll do my best. Basically, I can empower any object I touch."

He tugs at one of his sleeves.

"What happens depends on the object. My clothes become armor."

He blinks a few feet to his left.

"My shoes let me do that."

He taps his glasses.

"My glasses let me analyze the spiritual energy of anything I'm looking at. My umbrella...can do several things, but they are all destructive. I'll refrain from demonstrating."

He shrugs.

"Any questions?"

[Frozen_Feet]

[Warehouse roof]

"Me? I didn't have anything to gain", the creature replies, bringing the stolen scheele sneider before itself, dark eyes examining the weapon appraisingly. "I killed him for the same reason I assume you're trying to kill me now - to protect people of this town. It was a lesser evil, so to speak."

"I see you are furious because I killed him, but what about the people he killed?" It lowers the weapon to a guarding position, shaking its head slightly as it observes Mayumi. "Are homeless people not important, or did they just slip under your radar? I mean...."

It moves so fast, it almost seems to be in two places at once. Giving her little time to think, the beast leaps beside Mayumi, swinging the stolen blade in a wide arc to sunder the bow in her hands. "What would you have done in my place?"

[Kayne650]

Mayumi stops as the beast speaks to her. The people he killed? Was there something she had missed? She would have to examine the body and see if that was true, but currently the fact still stood that this monster had killed a boy.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Beast. But if he was a murderer, than that was a human affair, and one that you should have..."

Then it attacked. Mayumi quickly brought her bow up to guard, and laughed inwardly at its decision to use a Quincy weapon against a Quincy. The blade clashed against her bow, and Mayumi used her reiatsu to push away the weapon. "Did you honestly think that that would work? I created that weapon." Suddenly she jumped back to an adjacent rooftop, leaving a small trace of reiryoku in the Seele Schneider. As soon as she was out of range, the weapon detonated, leaving a ten-foot radius of destruction as well as a smoke screen. "In the future, don't use a weapon that your opponent created."

Activating her reiatsu sense, she pinpointed the monster's position and fired several volleys of arrows into it, twenty in total, each one heading for the creature's mask.

[Frozen_Feet]

The beast quirks an eyebrow at Mayumi's words. "It usually does", it manages to say, before the blade shatters in its hand. The blast seems to stun it for long enough for Mayumi to gain distance, but when she shoots her arrows, grey energy pours forth as a thin stream from the smoke, washing away the glowing arrows before striking her.

"A human affair? Next you tell me you take Hollows to court every Tuesday around here", it mocks, flexing fingers of the hand that had held the stolen blade - if it was injured, it sure isn't showing anymore. "He was as much a monster as I am. Tell me, what prison in this realm can hold a one like me?"

[Kayne650]

Damn, Mayumi cursed inwardly. Why isn't anything working? What is this creature made of? None of her attacks seemed to be working. They didn't even slow the monster down! It was just toying with her, and it didn't look like there was anything Mayumi could do about it.

Of course, Mayumi hadn't tried everything yet.

"Take Hollows to court? What are you talking about?" Mayumi asked, confused. Was the boy a Hollow? No, he was certainly a human, his body had stayed after his death. Was it possible that he had been a living Hollow, like Sora? It was possible that she had missed that, but it would be very embarrassing if a Hollow had noticed what a Quincy had missed.

"As for what prison can hold things like you, that seems like a rhetorical question. Creatures like you don't belong in the Mortal world at all."

"But you speak with more eloquence than any Hollow I've ever seen. Who are you?"

[Frozen_Feet]

The beast darts forward, a white hand grabbing Mayumi's bow and pushing it violently against her chest. She can feel her foothold slipping on the platform she's created. "Who am I? Well, that's a tad hard to answer shortly", it says, suddenly rooting itself in thin air and pulling the hand holding her bow back, hoping the sudden change of momentum will be enough to wrench the weapon from her hand.

"But I can tell you what I am. For now, I'm your worst nightmare." It's free hand aims a punch below her sternum in an attempt to break her breath. The beast's half-flayed face is now so close to Mayumi's own, she can feel its cold breath against her skin. "I can hear your heart racing, dear. You really shouldn't hesitate like that."