World Tree MUSH

    Those who are new to Hinomura will find a place somewhere between 'very large village' or 'very small town', depending how they want to look at it. It sits at the far north of the province that contains Arashi-no-Moto's capital, not far from the border with the next province north. Snow rests quite solidly on the ground, the cold grip of winter clamped tightly on the region. The people of Hinomura seem tense; not quite panicked, but they don't seem very comfortable loitering outside for long.

    There are two major landmarks to be seen; a tannery on the far east side, and a large shrine on the north end that bears strong resemblance to a Shinto temple. The urgent request mentioned 'in front of Hinomura Shrine' as a gathering place, and the three women dressed as shrine maidens would seem to mark this as the right spot. Especially given that one of them, a woman in her late 20s or early 30s, is dressed for battle; a light archer's chestplate is strapped on over her outfit, with protective gloves on either hand, and she carries a bow and a quiver of arrows on her back. What's more, at her left side is a sort of sheath full of strips of paper. Her expression is grave, the look someone preparing for battle.

    Those who were here previously will have some additional context, of course. The villagers weren't this tense about a bandit camp somewhere nearby-ish. And the shrine maiden armed for battle is most definitely Hisa, the woman who posted this particular request - and the one for the bandits as well. When last they were here, she was warm and welcoming, almost motherly. It's a stark contrast to her current demeanor.

    But at the very least, when she notices offworlders starting to arrive, Hisa tries to put on a welcoming look. Mostly it just ends up in the neighborhood 'subtle relief'. She turns to the other shrine maidens, says something to the two of them that sends them heading back into the shrine, and then turns to wait in welcome.

    Another worthwhile note for those on their second visit to Hinomura, is the complete lack of other help. No samurai from the capital, or even basic soldiers. No sign of Matsu, or any members of the Shuzenji clan.

    "Dibs on the horns and-or claws." Valerian says as he twirls a scalpel between his fingertips casually, sitting on the steps of the shrine in the cold weather. He is dressed no differently for the winter than ever, which is wearing his apron, heavy pants, a tunic, and goggles. There is his 'trademark' cloth-wrapped bundle a few feet away, laying across the stairs as he taps a boot against the ground. 

    "If you let me have those, you won't even have to pay me a single mon for any other work." He says with a wide grin, continuing to flick the scalpel around his fingers as he stares out over the village.

    A returning sight, the white-clad warrior strides up to Hisa, as the shrine maiden waits for those responding to the call. Aquila hovers along beside the Assassin, her armour summoned save for the helmet, which reveals the grey hair and magenta eyes of the shinki.

    Once close enough, Piera sweeps a bow at the waist, flourishing one arm out as the other holds at her waist. "Signorita, I have arrived as requested. I hear you need help with some kind of creature?" she asks, straightening and doffing her hood.

    Dante wasn't sure about the shrine. Usually religious places tended to be a threat to demons, even half bloods like him. If he bursts into flames, it's gonna be Matsu's fault.

    In any case, he whistles sharply and waves at Hisa. "YO! You the client?" He asks, the white-haired devil hunter having his sword clung over his back.

    "So what's the job?"

    Once again the sleek, purple, form of what may now be a familiar gunship around Hinomura can be seen descending from the skies.
    [This is a bounty more appropriate to your level of skill, Lady.]
    Samus murmurs a vaguely affirmative noise at her ship's onboard AI as the gunship touches down outside the town.
    The Hunter arrives shortly after, descending from the ship's ramp, a tattered cloak worn over the broad shoulders of her Gravity Suit, fluttering in the wind as she approaches the shrine.
    "Hisa. I'm here."

Misaki arrives early. She's coming already transformed, though her weapons remain unsummoned. The magical girl makes sure to bow deeply to the gate and go through the proper steps of purification. She takes of her hat as she approaches the shrine proper, bows again and making a modest donation to the shrine, though how much use twenty-first century money will be to them she isn't sure of. She continues going through the formal motions as she's been taught them.

Then, the formal matter of showing her respects to the shrine over with, she leaves the shrine to approach the armored shrine maiden she saw before, and bows once more to the woman. "I am Misaki Sakai, I am looking for miss Hisa?"

    Seeing Misaki pay proper respects at the shrine comes as a mild, but very welcome surprise to Hisa; she leaves the girl to it while others arrive. Some hint of amusement filters through the shrine maiden's worn look when the Juicer makes his request, and she nods in affirmative. "Of course, Lord Valerian. I'd be happy to let you have whatever materials you like." Even just a small smile can help bouy a dour mood, and she's been on watch (and on edge) for days. Piera receives a brief bow in response to her greeting, and then Dante in turn is given a nod. "That would be me, yes," she replies, both to the demon hunter and Misaki alike. To Samus, she offers another bow of the head; the Hunter's armored presence is reassuring in the face of this particular threat.

    Then, in answer to Dante and Piera's questions, Hisa explains, "An oni. A large and muscled yokai, of roughly human intelligence and foul-tempered. They are destructive and cruel, and the only question is whether it will abuse and terrorize the villagers first, or skip straight to killing them. They are extraordinarily strong and durable, and I'm the only shrine maiden in Hinomura with the training and experience to risk such a dangerous extermination. I sent word to the capital, but I'm afraid we can't afford to wait for help with a yokai like this."

    She shifts her quiver on her back a bit. "The oni was last seen somewhere to the northwest, three days ago. It may have moved since then, but they don't tend to be subtle, so we should be able to track it easily if we can pick up its trail. "We might have to-"

    Screams erupt from somewhere over on the west side. Panicked screams. And then a noise somewhere between a bestial roar and a man's battle cry. Hisa's face falls. "No, no no no-" And in half a heartbeat, she's off and running towards the sounds, fear and worry writ plainly in every movement.

Misaki listens to the explanation of the problem, but as soon as the word oni is mentioned she summons Joyous and Marvelous. As soon as she hears screams, she's moving running towards the source of this noise while preparing to showing the area in rapidly flashing light as soon as she's sure the oni can see it.

    Valerian drops the scalpel into his apron, "Correction! There's a second type of Youkai." He adds on to Hisa right after, as if trying to alleviate the mood, "There's also the other type of Youkai, where it's an adorable girl who gets drunk a lot, but not in the obnoxious 'Woo-Girl' kinda way, but the adorable sort of drunk." He adds as he slaps his knees and stands up. 

    "Three days travel to even pick up the trail? That's going to b-" He cuts off immediately as he hears screaming from the west side of the city. His head perks up and he pulls down his goggles to cover his face, "Show time, people." He states in a serious tone. 

    Unwrapping the bundle of cloth and leaving the wrapping at the steps, he takes off running with the chainsaw in his hands, aiming to try to get there BEFORE Hisa, since he worries she's a normal human and less durable than him. And he really does not want her, specifically, to get eaten.

    "Sup. Dante, son of Sparda." He nods and introduces himself. That goes for chainsaw guy (who he recognizes) and the power suited woman. He has to admit, power armor and a cloak are a baller combination.

    He grabs his greatsword and nods as Hisa explains things. "Been a while since i killed Oni, sounds pretty simple enough to me. Red or blue?" He asks, just as the sounds of battle reach his ears.

    "Crap." He chases after Hisa in a sprint, grabbing Rebellion from his back. "I think we just found our beastie!"

    Piera listens. Aquila summons her helmet and clicks the visor into place.

    Then something attacks the town.

    Hot on Hisa's heels the Assassin pair take off too, legs pushing the human, and vernier jets propelling the Shinki. "Go high. Strike from above." clips Piera, sending the Shinki soaring skyward. Once closer to town, Piera draws her sword, the metal singing as it leaves the scabbard and glinting in the light as it catches it. "Try not to die." she offers to Valerian and Dante, though the Human is probably the most suceptible to that out of the group.

    Hisa explains what an oni is. Cruel and foul tempered creatures prone to malice and destruction.
    The Hunter's helmet-clad head dips in an understanding nod, before she nods to the others in greeting.
    "We'll handle it." She says.
    "Samus. Samus Aran." That's an introduction to those that don't know her, such as Dante and Misaki.
    And then come the screams. Samus' head snaps towards the west end of town. Hisa is already moving. Samus shifts her footing, lowering herself like a sprinter on the block for just a beat before she's off, breaking out into a full-tilt sprint towards the sound of that roaring cry, cloak tossed free and left to flutter in the wind behind her as she picks up in speed with every new step.

    As everyone makes a mad dash towards the outskirts of Hinomura, there's a crash and a sound of splintering wood, followed by a throaty, "HAAAA HA HA!" of cruel amusement. Hisa is surprisingly quick on her feet for a human woman, but she can't compare to a man with dragon blood, the last daughter of the Chozo, the son of Sparda, or a magical girl. She's easily keeping pace with Piera, at least, but the others will arrive first.

    The scene is well on its way to 'carnage' already. One home has been smashed already, and another is being splintered open by a great metal club as they arrive. The oni is a towering ten feet tall, muscled almost to the point of grotesquery, with deep crimson skin, a shaggy mane of white hair, and a cruel and demonic visage; he leers as he obliterates the top of a house, leaning in to peek over the edge with a sadistic grin. "YOUR LITTLE MATCHSTICK HOME WON'T SAVE YOU. GIVE ME THE WOMAN AND I'LL THINK ABOUT-"

    "Lord of Storms, lightning that splits the sky, bless my arrows that they strike true and banish evil!"

    Hisa's shot is impressively accurate, especially at that distance. A spell sigil of some sort weaves itself in front of her bow, and when she looses the arrow, it's wrapped in a corona of yellow light. The arrow pierces the oni's shoulder, and he howls in furious pain, stumbling back and looking around. "WRETCH! WHERE ARE YOU?! I'LL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!"

    With his attention drawn, Hisa calls out, "Lure it away from the homes if you can!"

    "Don't plan on dying. Then again, few people do." Valerian grins at Piera. 

    As if to capitalize on Hisa's arrow staggering it back, Valerian says, "Right! Get it a safe distance away." 

    He digs deep and dashes forward. While it is stumbling back, the Dragon Juicer moves in close to it and draws a fist back, "Hey big guy. How about fuck right off, yeah?" 

    And then his fist comes forward in a massively powerful haymaker aimed at its midsection. that, on a bad day, has enough to blow a car halfway down a city block. Valerian is aiming to send it sliding down the streets of the western side of the town towards the outskirts of the city before it can do more damage.

"Red, I suppose that's better than blue. Blue always means they come in a pair." Misaki mutters, guided by no knowledge but her folklore. She begins to weave a crude hologram that will not hold up to the slightest of scrutiny, but it's far out so maybe it works. Far away from the buildings is a recreation of Hisa, though it makes early three dimensional video games look high fidelity. Still, there's the bright light of a yellow light sharging up behind a spell sigil, and to further sell the effect Misaki is charging up Joyous to end a powerful ray of magic when this trickery 'releases' the arrow, aimed straight for the Oni.

    Eventually Samus skids to a halt, as she finally sees the offending youkai.
    He's large, but she's fought bigger.
    For a beat she observes the damage and terror that the creature revels in, only for it to cry out for blood when Hisa's arrow lands true.
    She does not wait any longer to take action, and no words are needed here.
    With a soft hum and whirr energy begins to build, gathering in a green spark of light at the barrel of her armcannon, growing in size and brightness, charging up a sphere of superheated energy.
    The Hunter leaps.
    No sooner than Valerian unleashes that mighty blow, she takes aim, intending to strike the very same spot the Juicer's fist landed with a scorcing ray of searing hot plasma.

    "Pretty sure that's gonna be hard to do!" Dante grins at Piera confidently as he takes off with the others. Sprinting full-tilt, he sees the beast. "Oh, Red one."

    Popping his neck, Dante whistles at the oni. "HEY, TALL RED AND UGLY!" He calls out, "C'MON AND HAVE A GO!" He rushes at the oni, his sword thrusting out to impale the oni's chest with a dash of speed!

    Piera lags behind, but that lets the more hardy fighters get aggro first. She continues sprinting as Hisa stops to loose her arrow, following up Dante, Samus, Valerian and Misaki's assaults.

    The Human Assassin ducks in low, aiming to slash across the backs of the Oni's calves, while emitting a sharp whistle, that causes an eagle-like shriek to come from above. The 1foot tall robot comes streaking down on overboosted verniers, her Bident pointed down like the sting of a great wasp.

    She's aiming for one of the monsters eyes, trying to weaken its ability to fight back by partially blinding it.

>> SUMMARY[Piera Forta] >> Hamstring Quartet... GO FOR THE EYES BOO!

    At the sound of Hisa's voice, the oni turns and begins a charge towards the shrine maiden that stops after precisely one thanks to Valerian. The opening allows the Juicer to get in and swing a punch that the towering ogre doesn't even bother to avoid. The good news is that this turns out to be a mistake; the oni very visibly feels it. The bad news is that Hisa wasn't exaggerating his toughness. He's heavier and more durable than a car by a wide margin, as it turns out, and might just be a match for Valerian in strength. The blow staggers the oni back a good several paces, drawing a "WHFF-!" of pain and surprise, but he never quite goes off his feet.

    However, Samus follows up by peppering what is already a pretty solid bludgeoning injury with a full charge of high-tech, high-end plasma, and the oni roars. The burns across his abdomen are pretty sizable, but he's not slowing down yet. He starts to raise his club, advancing towards Valerian and Samus, but that's when Misaki's blast slams into the monster's back, and he whips around with a furious howl. "YOU! HOW DID YOU-?!" There's a look between Hisa's former location and Misaki's current one; the shrine maiden has wisely moved, giving the illusion that the magical girl is the real deal.

    The oni begins a lumbering advance towards the faux Hisa, giving both Dante and Piera wide openings. He's impressively durable - enough that with a slight turn, he can change Dante's impaling stab into a deep gash across the chest instead; and while he may not be smart, there's a definite fighter's cunning there, because he retaliates with an utterly brutal club swing that could (and already has) smash a house apart. That, however, keeps him from noticing Piera and Aquila until it's too late. His hamstrings are, shockingly, too tough to easily cut apart - but the Assassin has still split his calves open.

    And his eye proves a lot less durable.

    "AAAAAAGH! I'LL POUND YOU ALL INTO PASTE! I'LL MAKE THE SHRINE MAIDEN EAT IT! I'LL BLEED THIS VILLAGE UNTIL THEY'RE BEGGING TO DIE!"

    He's not happy about losing an eye, and now he's flailing about with that tremendous metal club without rhyme or reason. A cart is smashed to splinters. The wall of a small restaurant caves in. He's trying to stumble in the last direction he saw Misaki's fake Hisa - but his sense of direction is just a tad off right this moment.

"I'm afraid that's not an option that's open to you, mister oni." Misaki approaches a little closer, charging up a pair of shots as she alters her trajectory slightly, taking deliberate advantage of the Oni's blindness by firing off the two beams of magical light and defying physics by curving them so they come from the same direction as last time. "Do you happen to have a more blue colored friend?"

    "God damnit. That was supposed to get him out of the village." Valerian scowls as he stares at the massive beast, "He's completely off his rocker. Someone focus on rescuing civs." 

    Valerian whips the chainsaw around and it screeches to life with the sound of machinery and a whirring blade. If he can't get this guy out of the village, he can take a page from Piera's book and try to hit him more effectively. 

    As the Oni staggers around and smashes his way through the streets, Valerian swings the whirling blade of the chainsaw right at the achilles tendon of its left heel. He's hoping he can sever it clean and take out mobility on that entire leg with a cleaving slash.

    For someone in a full suit of power armor, Samus is... Incredibly nimble.
    The Hunter practically backflips out of range of that mighty club, boots skidding furrows in the snow and dirt as she lands, one hand to the ground to brace her landing.
    "Watch his reach." She warns the others as she takes aim, bracing her cannon with her free hand. The muzzle splits open, and the red cap of a warhead snaps into place at mouth of the barrel.
    There's minimal recoil as the missile suddenly streaks from her gun-arm, shrieking trough the air as it is immediately followed with several more in a quick salvo aimed for the oni's center of mass.

    The random flailing, at that close range, actually strikes true on Aquila, the diminuative robot taking a backhand and being sent flying clear across down, tiny shards of armour forming a comets tail in her wake. 

    Piera sees the hit, and in a moment of weakness, calls out her partner's name. "AQUILA!"

    Eyes shift gold, and flick to a fallen Fishing Spear that comes tumbling out of the broken restaurant. Sheathing her sword, the Assassin dives for the spear, bringing it up to hurl like a javelin, aiming for what she hopes it a vulnerable spot on the monster's back.

    Valerian then calls for people to help the civvies, and looking at the damage she managed, and the damage returned... "On it!" she calls out, turning from the battle, to let the supers deal with the monster while she goes digging for trapped survivors.

    Her eyes lim gold again, as she focusses her True Sight to try and spot the telltale signs of someone trapped under rubble, the faint movement of stone or woodwork, the sound of pained breathing.

>> GAME >> Piera Forta spends an Edge for: Enhancing True Sight

    Dante wrenches his sword free, before he's hit with the club and sent flying backwards. He skids across the ground like a skipping stone, before he pins his sword into the ground. "Ow..." He feels his shoulder out of socket, and he pops it back in with a grunt. "Now I'm pissed."

    He swaps from sword to guns, opening fire on the oni, aiming to annoy and disable the beast. "Will you SHUT THE FUCK UP?" he barks, as the oni keeps taunting. "I'm the one supposed to be trash talking people!" He calls out, aiming for the oni's eye.

    It's just like when he fought Agni and Rudra, except even MORE annoying because of this edgy prick.

    "I'LL LEAVE YOU BLACK AND BLUE WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU, SHRINE MAIDEN!" the oni roars. He's incredibly easy to lead around, following the curving shot from Misaki without skipping a beat. It's actually given him some sense of direction again, one-eyed as he is, and he starts stumbling in that direction at about the same time Valerian brings out his signature weapon. And oh, the roar he utters this time is on an entire different level. His legs are already lacerated; but while a common blade might not be able to sever his tendons, a chainsaw made to kill things as tough as dragons is an entirely different story.

    It's a testament to the oni's strength and toughness that he doesn't go flat on his face when he loses his foot. Indeed, his entire weight comes down on the stump, and he yowls in pain all again, stumble-turning around to try and smash Valerian. But though he yet stands, his mobility is quite literally hobbled. Samus is right to be way of his reach; that same fighter's cunning leads to him using it far more heavily now that he can't stumble after the others. He stumbles his way towards the Hunter, wounded enough on his front by now that, while the missiles chew him up further, he has no more howls of pain to give - only spiteful growls as he's slowly shredded by explosives.

    It's Samus' turn to be the target of his ire when someone else launches an attack. He's hobbling towards her when Piera delivers a swift spear of retribution; enough shots to his back have been landed by now that the weapon manages to pierce wounded hide and cut into muscle and vein beneath, a wound that leads him to round on the Assassin - only to see her fleeing. He stumbles after, but next it's Dante's gunfire pouring into him. Normal bullets would probably only annoy the colossal ogre, but these are far from normal. "I'LL ROAST ALL OF YOU IN FRONT OF YOUR FAMILIES!"

    Piera's eyes will show her that a great many people have already, wisely, run the hell away. There are a few huddled in their homes, and one older lady unfortunately trapped in the smashed remains of a building, but fortune seems to have smiled on her - no broken bones or deep gashes. However, one particular home near the rampaging oni has what looks to be a family inside, an adult and two children. So near as to be in direct danger, in fact, as the furious yokai rages about. Hisa is nearby; she's been biding her time while they try to lure the oni out, but now that it's injured and people are right in its path, the shrine maiden moves in again.

    Many of those present will be able to see it. Though the oni's strength is flagging, he's still furious and still trying to kill everything in sight, and the combined assault from people who keep dancing out of reach and people who keep attacking from beyond it is infuriating him. He swings his club in what almost amounts to a tantrum, seeking to smash the nearest shack just for the sake of smashing something; but that's the ramshackle house in which the family is huddled, one of the children screaming at the monster's proximity.

    The panic on Hisa's face is visible even at a distance. She draws a slip of paper from her hip holster and holds it out, already chanting, "Ebon-shelled Genbu, weave us a barrier to-"

    There's not enough time. A shimmering barrier begins to unfold between her and the oni, but it's smashed before it can fully take shape. The club visibly halts for just a moment against the half-formed protective spell, much of its momentum robbed; much, but not all. The rest of the momentum is absorbed by Hisa's left side. The crunch is sickening. It caves her body partway in, knocking her a good ten feet sideways. It's apparent pretty much the instant she lands that she's not getting up again... ever again.

    But at the very least, the club has been halted before it can smash apart the shack, or the people within.

When Hisa falls, Misaki rushes over, and either she doesn't realize or is unwilling to accept the facts. The magical girl gently picks the shrine maiden up to bring her to safety. "You guys deal with the oni, and find me a healer!" She yells, making what she's thinking quite clear.

    Piera dashes for the family... and then Hisa takes a fatal blow.

    Two allies down in such a short time, and nothing she could do to help either.

    Without thinking about the consequences, a glimmer of golden metal is brought out of its pouch, slipped around her wrist and clasped into place. Eyes glowing golden as she bellows in anger, the Assassin reaches out a clawed hand toward the Oni, triggering the power of the Kinetic Bracelet and attempting to stop, or at least slow the Onis flailing while lifting it off the ground. The pressure from her telekinetic grasp grows ever more intense as she pours her own life force into a desperate gambit... maybe, just maybe she can avenge the shrine maiden before she joins her.

>> GAME >> Piera Forta spends an Edge for: Using the Kinetic Bracelet

    Dante's guns, meant to kill demons, are like miniature cannons. Blasting away, Dante tries to whittle down the oni's defenses, but Hisa's attempt doesn't end so well. "Hisa wait-!"

    And then Hisa is smashed, possibly fatally. He's only known this maiden for like an hour tops, but Dante's fury is evident as he switches back to his sword. He tightens his jaw before rushing the oni again, this time swiftly scaling up the oni's back while he's been halted. He brings Rebellion down into the oni's back, and then moves to try and cut open the oni's body from behind, splitting him open while he's distracted by the others.

    The fist of the Oni slams into the side of Valerian's face, landing a heavy impact. It even manages to draw blood, which streams down his face to his temple as he blinks a few times from the sheer force of the blow. He shakes his head a bit to clear the stars and cartoon birds before getting ready to fight again. 
    Something changes in Valerian when, of everyone on the battlefield, it is Hisa who makes the ultimate sacrifice. Some part of him is used to losing allies on the battlefield in abrupt and gruesome fashions. That comes with the life of a Juicer, and doubly so the life of a Juicer Mercenary. But it's always gut-wrenching when someone whose death could have been avoided is lost in service of something greater than themself. 

    There's a massive thud as Valerian drops his chainsaw. He tilts his head a bit, "H-Hisa... get up..." He murmurs distantly, rotating his gaze a bit from the Oni over to her crumpled body. And then he runs a hand up his face, through the blood, and slicks back his hair, "She was just being a hero. What gives you... the right?" 

    As he walks forward, his body-mass increase. He gains almost a foot in height and probably doubles in mass and weight as his muscles grow. The juicer cocks his head to the side. He stands almost 6 feet tall from the sheer gain in muscle and his clothing looks way less baggy. 

    There's no elegancy or agility to his next maneuver. Valerian lunges at the creature, moving quick like a constrictor would to encircle him. Arms that are as big around as the average person's thigh wrap around its neck as he slowly starts to twist, "Look at what you did. I want you to look at her as they all kill you. I want you to remember this when you go to hell." 

    And then he does not break the Oni's neck. Instead, like a man wrestling a bear, he just keeps the massive monster in a headlock for whatever everyone else wants to do.

>> GAME >> Valerian Railton spends an Edge for: Actually Dialing up his Juicer Medication to a setting beyond 'Baseline'

    Things... Things go so wrong so fast.
    In spite of the sheer damage output this group has, in spite of the injuries mounting up on their collective target, the sadistic oni is now hellbent on such revenge that he may not even care for his own life anymore- simply wishing such terrible retribution upon his attackers that he ignores his own self-preservation out of the desire for more wanton bloodshed.
    Such a creature cannot be allowed to continue its rampage.
    Even on one foot the oni comes, and when he comes for Samus, she leaps away. Even a glancing hit from that club would be devastating. And it is, unfortunately a glancing hit from that club that launches the Hunter, slamming her into the mud and snow some feet away with stunning force.
    By the time she looks up... It's too late.
    Hisa raises her barrier.
    The youkai smashes through it.
    The sound of bones breaking does not make Samus flinch, but she can only look on, breath held, as the shrine maiden is sent airborn by the blow.
    "..."
    It is not a pretty landing.
    Gauntlet-clad fingers slowly curl, as the last Chozo Warrior starts to pick herselfup. Her breath comes heavy in her chet, pupils dilating as something wakens inside her. Something deep, primal, and deadly... A killer instinct.
    "Nngh..."
    In an instant, without second though, ignoring the damage to her armor and body, she lunges, left hand coming alive with a sickly purple glow.
    "Rrrrrgggghhh...!"
    And then she leaps, throwing herself hand-first for the oni's face as Valerian holds him in place.
    The last metroid hungers.
    And as she aims her outstretched gauntlet she rams her fingers into the oni's wounded eye... And begins to siphon his very life away. Merciless, relentless, thirsting, Samus' voice rises into a shout of righteous fury as she intends to drain the oni dry of every last ounce of strength and life he has in him.

>> GAME >> Samus Aran spends an Edge for: Metroid Siphon - Devouring the oni

    Picking Hisa's body up is probably an unnerving experience. There's... nothing there. No life. No movement. It's not quite in the right shape for a human body. It's not hard to find a safe place to take her; the oni's about to have a very bad day, so even just a few dozen feet away is probably safe at this point. It's definitely quieter.

    A device that robs its target of kinetic energy turns out to be precisely the right counter to an oni. He has quite a lot of it, but with Piera putting her life on the line and the ogre badly wounded, he doesn't have enough. "WHAT?! WHAT SORCERY HOLDS ME?! I'LL CRUSH YOU, SORCERER!" he roars, slowly lifting up into the air in flails that grow more labored with every moment. It's the perfect setup for Dante - the perfect opening for the silver-haired swordsman to split the monster wide open from behind.

    The yokai howls, in rage and pain that he - that it - can no longer put into words. It has no way to resist when Valerian wraps it in a crushing grip. It can only struggle in vain, pinned into absolute immobility by the combined might of a furious Dragon Juicer and an active Piece of Eden. There is nothing it can do. No escape from the utter livid fury of the last daughter of the Chozo... the last Metroid.

    The howls turn from rage, to pain, to panic. And then, they fade. The oni stops moving. The vibrant crimson of its skin dims, dulls, fades to an ashen grey. And then, it crumbles away, skin and muscle and everything else turning to dust in Valerian's arms, leaving behind just the battered remains of the thing's skeleton.

    It is only in the silent aftermath that the sound of approaching hoofbeats can be heard. A galloping horse, winding its way up the street from the village's southern entrance. Those of keen eyes can see the familiar livery of a Shuzenji guard, astride a horse - with Matsu seated in front of him, held tight. The horse is breathing hard, great clouds of steam in the winter air, as if it's been ridden hard the entire way here. It might just be the worst timing possible.

"Please, someone get a healer, before..." Misaki cries out, unable to accept that it's already too late. She only barely registers the oni's passing or the arrival of new people, just trying to protect and find a healer for that which no longer needs either.

    Dante is covered in blood by the time he's on the ground again, prying his sword loose and landing in a crouch. Blood pours over him, his hair stained with it, his already crimson coat even more crimson, his clothes ruined. The way the bounty hunter screams, her rage as she gives the oni a draining to remember, it fills him with nothing but grim satisfaction.

    He's only known Hisa for an hour tops, and yet seeing her in a heap like that was enough for Dante's cheery mood to nosedive. The oni falls to dust, and he brushes blood and dust from is shoulders as he approaches Misaki, placing a hand on her shoulder, softening some despite looking like he just went through a slasher film.

    "I'm sorry, kid. She knew the risks." Dante says softly. "She gave her life willingly."

    Valerian still holds on to the skeleton for a few moments, as if expecting it to come back to life to take one more thing from the people of this village. But eventually he lets go and stands up. He nods to Samus, as if in approval for her finishing the job, and then looks to Dante, and nods the same way. He then tilts his head over at Piera, and nods a final time. 

    He lifts a boot up and then brings it down on the remains of the skull, trying to shatter it in a massive stomp that also risks cracking the ground underneath it. And then the Juicer drops to a knee and begins to actually deflate, decreasing in size back down to his normal height and bodymass as steam comes from his mouth in the form of heavy breaths from the exertion. 

    "She saved a lot of people. She's a hero."

    As the Oni turns to dust, the Assassins grip faulters, and she collapses to one knee, panting heavily as the dull report of hoofbeats, and the panicked shouts of Misaki come to her as if through water at a great distance. In the fugue, she unclips the bracelet, secreting it back in its pouch before succumbing to the darkness. The white-clad warrior falling face first into the street.

    Aquila emerges again, limping on a broken leg actuator, missing an arm and most of her armour. She hobbles towards Piera's prone form, before collapsing beside her partner.

    Samus' breath can be heard, hissing from her helmet's speakers. What can't be heard is the thundering of her heart in her chest, the roar of blood in her ears as she wholeheartedly focuses on ending the oni's savage existence. Her war cry slowly dies as the oni's life ebbs, fades, and is summarily devoured by her iron grip, rendering the monster into little more than dust and a skeleton, before she rips her hand from the dead yokai's eye socket.
    Looking at her now, it's as though the oni had never so much as touched her. The dent in her armor is gone, any injury she had beneath it, vanished in entirety as the creature's life now sustains her.
    Valerian's nod is solemnly returned as she flexes and clenches her fingers several times, the purple-pink aura fading from her digits as she lowers her hand.
    It is as Piera collapses, that the Hunter arrests her fall, both arms catching the Assassin and holding her as though she weighed nothing in the arms of her power suit. Just to keep an ally from faceplanting so unceremoniously into the snow and dirt.
    Words are said. Praises are spoken of Hisa's sacrifice. Samus has none. Just silent melancholy.
    "..."

    "Where's Hisa?" The first words out of Matsu's mouth as she approaches within earshot, the healer not having noticed Misaki yet. The guard tries to slow his horse, but the exhausted creature takes it as an opportunity to just stop outright. It gives Matsu a chance to look around, to see the exhaustion and the blood and the look in everyone's eyes - and that more than anything else sets her to worrying. "Where's Hisa? Where- Hisa?!"

    She finally sees the shrine maiden's body, limp in Misaki's arms - and in the next instant, the haggard-looking waif slides right off the horse, falling face-first in the dirt. She pushes up to her feet without even bothering to grab her dropped cane, and then she starts limping, hobbling, rushing as fast as she can with a half-useless leg in a mounting panic towards the magical girl and the shrine maiden. "Hisa?! HISA?! WHAT HAPPENED?! PUT HER DOWN! PUT HER DOWN I HAVE TO HEAL HER!" Right past Samus, right past Piera, right past Dante, right past Valerian. Straight towards Misaki and the body of someone who is, evidently, very dear to the waif.

    The guard slides down off his horse; yelling, "Lady Matsu, no! You can't, she's gone! You can't-" In the near distance, more horses are arriving, those who came a little more slowly. A few attendants, a few more guards, even a samurai to judge by the armor.

Dante's words barely register to Misaki, but hen Matsu says she has to heal Hisa, the magical girl immediately follows those instructions. "There was an Oni." She explains, "He was attacking civilians to bait her out, and she protected them. Please, heal her before..." Yup, still hasn't processed it.

    Valerian rubs his face as he slowly pushes himself back to his feet and staggers a bit. Going extra hard on the Juicer stimulants still takes a lot out of him, even after all these years, but he manages to at least stand up. 

    He looks towards Matsu and then turns away from her and heads back down the main street. He's actually heading in the direction of the incoming attendants and guards, standing in the center of the street with his arms spread out as if to bar entry. 

    "She is not... the Phoenix Maiden right now. She is a girl. Give her... privacy." He pants out exhaustedly. He seems determined to run interference for Matsu so she can be vulnerable for once in her life.

    Dante doesn't bother trying to stop Matsu. He's figured out by now she's some kind of super healer, it's all that he needs to know. Valerian handles interference with the guards, and Dante just motions for Misaki to shush softly. Matsu deserves at least a time to grieve, if she can't do anything for Hisa.

    Samus holds Piera for a moment longer before her helmet visor picks up motion at her ankle level. Attention shifting down to the battered shinki, she gingerly lowers the Assassin to lay on her back on the ground.
    "Can I leave her with you?" She asks Aquila as Matsu... Staggers to Hisa's broken body.
    While she had seen the girl's capacity to heal before, she's not entirely certain how, or even if, Matsu can go anything for injuries of Hisa's extent...
    When was the last time she had felt the sting of loss, herself?
    Memories of Gray Voice and The Baby bubble to the fore as she lets Piera go. In the next moment, Valerian isn't alone, the bounty hunter now standing at his side to fend off the attendants.
    "Leave her be. At least for a few moments."

    "I heard about the oni, that's why I'm here, just- just get out of the way!" Matsu will probably regret being so harsh later. For now, the only thing in her mind is Hisa's body, and the sensation of her stomach dropping out as she gets a better look. Unlike Misaki, the tiny little girl doesn't lapse into denial. No, she accepts it all too quickly, and all too bitterly. "N... no, not... not you too. Not you too, not you too! DAMMIT NO! AFTER ALL THIS TIME!" Sobs wrack the young healer's body.

    The guard halts before Valerian, but he grimaces, looking past the Juicer. As the rest of her small entourage saunters up, the samurai frowns. It's a new face, a younger man than Enrou was. "Move it. We can't have the Phoenix Maiden wasting her power on-"

    Matsu Shuzenji erupts into flames.

    A torrent of fire floods out of her hands. Gentle, healing flames, intense and yet somehow not painful. Her voice lifts up in a scream of grief as she begins to pour all of herself into her healing fire, so much that the bandage on her left arm just burns away - and the smell of burnt flesh starts to fill the air. Her body catches fire. Heedless of the mounting injury, of the pain she's causing herself, Matsu pours out more and more healing fire, so intense and bright it becomes painful to look at. "COME ON, DAMMIT! I- I CAN'T- NOT YOU TOO! I CAN'T LOSE YOU TOO!"

    The attendants are starting to panic. "S-stop her!" "Lady Matsu, no! You can't-!" "She'll kill herself! We have to-"

    But whether Valerian lets them by or not, they're not getting to her in time. Matsu burns herself away with uncanny quickness, a bright shining bonfire of healing that consumes her very body. It only stops when she has nothing left to give; when there is no part of her that isn't burnt. The flames around Hisa's body fade to nothing.

    And Hisa takes a sudden, shuddering breath. Her eyes remain closed - but she is breathing. She is whole. She is alive.

    Matsu's horrendously burned face pulls into what might be a shade of relief. "Th... thank... goodness..." And with not another word, she simply... keels over. No longer breathing. One life for another, her body still smoking.

    Dante...was not expecting that. At least until Valerian had brought up 'phoenix maiden.'

    He moves to cover his face when the fire erupts, and he's speechless as Matsu practically burns herself to ash until she's left a charred husk, while Hisa's injuries are knitted together magically.

    He lets out a breath after it's all over, stunned. "Holy shit..." is all Dante can mutter in shock.

    A life for a life. A debt is repaid.

Misaki has a front row seat to the spectacle. And when she realizes what's happening, she is shocked. She doesn't step away from the flames, but when Hisa begins to breathe again she lets out a sigh in relief. Until she realizes the cost that has been paid. "Why?" She sobs.

    Valerian stares at the guards and attendants, "If you try to pass me, I will knock you out. I can take most or all of you. In this moment, I am going to let that girl be a teenage girl and do something selfish. Whatever that is." Valerian has suspicions, inklings, but no confirmation until it is already over. 

    And when it's over, he lowers his arms, "You can go to her now. She made her choice on her own, with no thought to the politics. She deserves that." 

    He reaches into his apron and pulls out a pack of cigarettes, sticking one in his mouth and lighting it tiredly.

    Aquila is low on battery, low on structural integrity, but a steel in her eyes tells Samus that Piera is safe with the little Shinki. Her one remaining weapons is summoned, a handblaster, and the smallest Assassin forces herself up from the ground to stand guard over her partner, sparks coming from the stump of an arm, and the shattered leg.

    Samus can trust Piera in Aquila's care, then. Simple as that.
    But the Hunter's head turns to watch.
    Matsu suffers- Matsu gives her own life so that Hisa may live. One tragedy is traded for another.
    The last Chozo Warrior sighs.

    There are a few gasps among the entourage when Hisa starts to breathe again. It's more than they were expecting. But it still came with a cost none of them are happy about - even if the reasons for that displeasure may differ. "Lady Matsu-!" Valerian finally lets them by, and the attendants go dashing past him, only to slow to a stop as they draw near Matsu's smoldering form. There's not even the faintest question as to whether she can be saved. They look on with mixed expressions; horror, shock, irritation, grief, one or two even retreat into a stony poker face to hide their true sentiment. But the Phoenix Maiden lies before them on the ground, unmoving, slowly smoldering.

    Wait, isn't she smoldering a little more...?

    A tiny tongue of flame dances up her arm.

    Parts of her body begin to smoke. Then to catch fire. The glow of flames fills the street as more and more of the fire appears on her figure. The heat starts to grow, melting the snow directly around her, Hisa and Misaki. More and more flames, more and more intense, enveloping Matsu's form, engulfing her. The flames suddenly surge, a brilliant corona of fire.

    It doesn't burn Hisa. It doesn't burn Misaki. It lifts Matsu into the air, the flames pouring out of her, bright enough to hide her from view just as they did Hisa but minutes before. The fountain of fire pouring off of her briefly, very briefly, takes the shape of a great, flaming bird, graceful, elegant. Then it all disappears, winking out, and drops Matsu back on the ground.

    Her body is whole... no, more than that. She stands steadily on two feet, her left arm is bare and uninjured after the bandages burned away. Her figure is less gaunt, her face much less worn. She looks whole, and healthy... and her hair has turned a snowy white. When the girl opens her eyes, they've turned from that pinkish color to a vibrant, clear vermillion. Confused for a second, Matsu blinks, looking down at her hands. "I... what? What's... what happened? I'm not dead...?"

    One of the elder attendants drops to her knees, uttering a soft, "...Lady Shuzenji..." Not 'Lady Matsu', but 'Lady Shuzenji'. It's echoed by another, awe in her voice.

    "Man. You people really suck at knowing how phoenixes work," Valerian says with a tired laugh, perhaps trying to cut the tension a bit as he drops his cigarette and snuffs it out under the toe of a boot. 

    "Matsu. Looking much less beaten down. Contact me if you ever need help again. I'm out for the day." He raises a couple of fingers in a lazy salute and then starts marching down a side street. He figures he can circle back around to Matsu another day, she is likely about to be VERY busy.

    Dante tries to keep on a brave face, chuckling at Valerian's joke. "Thought I was supposed to be the wiseass." He grins, finding a kindred spirit.

    He nods to Matsu as the maiden is restored, no, IMPROVED. She looks like a human goddess now. "I dunno what exactly happened, beyond the whole phoenix thing, but if you need any help, that offer goes for me too. I'll do whatever I gotta to help things out." He fishes a card from his coat, glad it's not soaked with blood, before grinning and offering it to the maiden. "Here's my card, kiddo. I'll see you around."

At the display in question, Misaki bows towards the obvious power. "Suzaku..." She mutters faintly, mostly in shock. Identifying the purifying bird of flame as the Vermillion Bird of the South. "Thank you for saving miss Hisa." She speaks as she kowtows, "Please forgive me for being so impolite and giving undue reference in my prior request to heal her."

    Samus was just about to turn away. When her visor picks up on further thermal energy rising.
    She watches on, curious and bewildered as the fire rages anew, and from the flames... Matsu is reborn.
    This time, the Hunter's sigh is one of quiet relief as she turns away.
    "You know how to reach me, if you need me." Is all Samus says as she starts making the trek back to her gunship.
    She can come back for her pay later, after things have calmed down.

    Matsu looks Valerian's way, and utters a confused sound before looking at herself again. "...I'm... what?" She flexes her left arm, frowning, then gives her right leg a kick, a shake, a stomp. "...I'm not burned." It's a mix of relief and total, utter confusion, especially after the juicer told her she looks better. Dante hands her a card, and she just kind of gives him a baffled nod.

    But it's Misaki's reaction that really puzzles her. "S-Suzaku? I'm not... I-I mean I have Her within me, but I'm not- I'm just Matsu..." She glances down at Hisa and frowns. "I'd have healed her no matter what, she's like my sister. She practically raised me after my parents..." A pause, and then, softer. "She's all I've got left."

    One of the attendants approaches, and Matsu immediately shoots the woman a sharp glare that stops her in her tracks. "I'm not moving from Hisa's side until she wakes up. We need to get her somewhere warm." A pause, and then a glance at the others. "...if anyone else needs healing, get over here. Or get them over here, if they can't do it themself."

    "Eh. I'm fine." Dante waves off the offer. "No hard feelings, i just heal quick. Not everyone has that luxury, better you focus on the rest of the wounded. If that's all, I think I'll take my leave." He says, stowing Rebellion.

    THen he notices some civilians looking disturbed at him and it registers to Dante he's covered in blood. "...I could use a bath, though. And a stiff drink, too."

"Sorry. Uh." Misaki collects herself and recalls that one of the attendants called her Shuzenji. "Lady Shuzenji." She stands up, dismisses her transformation, revealing her school uniform, and makes a proper bow. "I am Misaki Sakai. Please forgive me for failing miss Hisa."