Description: EADNI and her best bud RED ARREMER have been up to some crazy-ass bidness on Metro Bridge. Did you know they grew a freaking tree there? And I'm not talking some potted plant, or a christmas tree, I'm talking like CALIFORNIA REDWOOD size. It's bowing the bridge, folks, they aren't getting their deposit back. But what's more, there's an odd... -light- hidden among the roots of the tree, and on the other end: sunlight, cascading off the edges of buildings from the part of the bridge that never made it into Majigen. In other words, to the refugees trapped here, it's Home. Leave it to a monster hunter and a monster to find out just what the heck is going on -- and put an end to it before the bridge collapses!
The bridge couldn't last.
The Metro City bridge hangs over the surging river of blood underneath. Normally, it would be desolate, with half of the bridge stretched out over the blood into oblivion. But several factors had come into play. For example, the surface of the bridge was overgrown with a massive, white tree. It's naked limbs stretched out into the blood red sky, where skulls of various creatures, some humanoid, patrol the canopy, wreathed in flames. The tree's roots are now intertwined well over the bridge... and through the bridge, and down, down down into the blood below. Skeletons of unknown creatures filled the bridge top, scattered amongst the remains of the rusted cars. The monsters seemed to be gone from the bridge now, with the exception of a single red gargoyle, sitting on top of the branches.
In its place, there were people.
At one end of the bridge, the portion connected to the land, was now crawling with the hodge-podge of survivors. Human survivors; victims of the arrival of this foul dimension. But not dead, not consumed by the consuming darkness. The crowd of people were at a standstill on the bridge, huddled before the roots of the vast tree. They were staring past a field of skulls, each sitting on a spike, staring out with eyes of flame.
At the other end, there was light.
Sitting amongst the roots of the trees, amongst the tangle at the bottom of the trunk, there was light. Sunlight, in fact, pure, true sunlight, beaming out through the unnatural realm. From the depths of the light, two miltary drones begin to rise, emmissaries from the real world. From home. It was so close now, so easy to reach.
And between them?
A woman sits, smiling.
The ancient crone sits upon a root, dressed in a long burlap dress of faded woad. A shawl is pulled over her head; at her side, a large leather satchel embedded with the vague shape of human faces. Her features are exaggerated, with hard, knotted skin, an impossibly long nose reaching nearly to the ground, and pools of black for her eyes. Her feet are gnarled, misshapen stumps, her feet looking disfigured and almost crushed. Behind her, a homely hut sits at the base of the trunk, beside the portal to the world. It seemed that was all between the humans and their freedom.
But it would soon be obvious that it would not be easy.
As the two drones fly towards the tops of the tree, the old woman rocks her feet, looking upwards at them. A twisted smile spreads across her face, her narrow lips stretched too far. One of the two drones is suddenly blasted clean out of the air, a surge of fiery energy blazing forth from several of the flying skulls, disintegrating them into ash after they strike out. The other drone soon follows, as the red gargoyle dives from the canopy of branches. Lashing out with his foot claws, he grips the drone. Grabbing with his front claws, he simply rips apart the drone, hurling away the remains before the old woman's gnarled feet. She looks at the remains, before glancing back up to the crowd of humans. The smile is not gone, as she speaks aloud in a soft, grandmotherly voice.
"Well, come along, children."
"I'm certain some of you could make it~"
Abandoned after the fight on the beach--apparently the cult weren't interseted in keeping him after that little experiment--Argo made his way back to Metro City, where he'd set up operations in light of the darkstalker incursions happening in the city. He isn't thinking about money, per se--he doesn't really worry about that, since he's basically a hobo wanderer, or at least that's mostly what he is--but he's drawn to the dark and the unusual. He can't look away from it. So when he heard the fast-spreading rumors of an unusual tree growing out of--through--into--the Metro Bridge...
Argo is... untrusting, to say the least, when he hears people say that the tree is salvation. That it's safety. He knows there's a -river of blood- flowing underneath the bridge, right now, one of the many Majigen incursions that have transformed the city into a literal hellhole. And so, he set out to investigate.
He's amongst the 'survivors', only lightly disguised--barely at all, really, his clothing generally tattered and abused enough to pass as a 'refugee'. But he isn't really cowering like these poor, hapless souls, and that sets him apart a little.
What sets him apart more is the way he eases through the crowd, subtly pushing them back until he's at the front of the crowd. Hands in the pockets of his tattered trenchcoat, he walks forward slowly, as if designating himself a representative of these people.
He isn't, really, at all. He doesn't really have their welfare in mind -as such-. He won't be helping them relocate. But he can't let them walk into the bosom of demons and monsters, either. His head lifts and dark eyes track the movements of the Red Arremer as it swoops down. He recognizes the demon--has fought lesser versions before. But there's something about -this- one...
And then he turns his attention to the old woman. Who is, most assuredly, much more than she looks like. He riffles his mental files and does recognize her, from research, not personal experience. This...
... This is not going to be good.
This whole thing, beyond the shadow of anyone's doubt, has been an unmitigated disaster. Stealth skills will only get you so far when the land is this corrupted and the people are in this much danger. The entire time she's been in here, she's stuck to the shadows, watching...calculating. She doesn't quite understand what in the world is up with this bridge, but the fact that this place seemed to be an exit of sorts was a good enough sign for her.
Unfortunately for her though, a bridge is one of the really difficult places to remain unseen. You could go over the top but judging by the amount of interference here, that would probably get her spotted pretty quick. Underneath the bridge? Sure, but falling into a river a blood sounds like an absolutely terrible idea if she were detected in any way. Not to mention, this old woman...it wouldn't be good to assume much gets by her if she has auto-targeting skull lasers.
Azumi looks down towards herself and shoves a hand into a few of her ninja suit's pockets for a quick inventory check. Some water...two knives..and one smoke bomb. The rest of the things she had were used in one situation or another, and procuring more things was...difficult, to say the least. Not seeing any other way, she leaps down onto the bridge's land connected end and makes her way towards the congregation, moving very carefully. She crouches on all fours, using whatever long-since-abandoned cars to keep her cover. She slides her fingers into her pocket and draws out two kunai, nestling them between her fingers.
Things were probably about to get violent.
There is something about that Red Arremer.
The signs are subtle. The Red Arremer were well established as independent demons; while they would often be convinced into service, they would be just as pleased to sit lotus style, legs crossed, and wait and watch across the spanses of the hell dimensions. That is, until prey drew near. But some could be... compelled into service. As the remains of the drone are tossed at the old woman's feet, there is a flare of energy over the creature. Arcane runes burn on the gargoyle's body, the runic scratches searing with emerald light. And just like that, the wards flicker away.
It looks like someone went too close to the old woman.
The woman casts her black eyes over the crowd, scanning the people with that smile on her face. All it takes is for a face in the crowd to break through. All it takes for a single man to meet eyes with her. The old woman stares straight into Argo's own eyes. Tilting her head to the side, she slips from the root. Landing on both feet, she steeples her gnarled fingers. Immediately, the skulls turn towards the stranger, both high and low.
"There is something special about you child~"
The woman's tone is soft and sweet, almost as if she was stroking the man's ears with those twisted fingers. Her frame was slight and bony, but as Argo would know, looks were very decieving right now. She shuffles forward a step, glancing around. There was not much on the bridge to hide, but there were at least massive roots, there were at least cars. And more importantly, a hag's eyes are never good. The old woman could not see Azumi; but she could see Argo.
And all her attention was on him now.
"My name is Eadni..." She states, singling out the man in the trenchcoat. Already, the crowd was backing up, 'helping' the woman as they fail to back up the strange man. The crowd was likewise unaware of Azumi; it seems that ninja training was not underrated. The gargoyle flits back up to the branches, his stoic gaze staring out over the bridge as he assumes the lotus position. "But that does not surprise you, does it?" Eadni continues, standing her ground. "You may call me Mother. You should call me Mother. But most importantly... you should tell me your name..." She takes a deep sniff, and her posture straightens. Her gaze focuses towards the general direction of the creature on all fours, running along unseen. And with her, the skulls all turn in the same way. Eadni speaks aloud, a sing-song upon those withered lips.
"Children, children, don't draw near~"
"Can't you smell a wolf is here~?"
....Fuck. That is quite possibly the absolute last thing she wanted to hear. Of course these people/hag/demon/things have supernatural sensing capabilities. That and considering that darkstalkers were EVERYWHERE in here, picking her out wouldn't have been hard. And she had the supernatrual sass to be spouting nursery rhymes at a time like this? She certainly has just moved to the top of the "Christ, why did you have to be here" list.
The Werewolf's fur stands on end when she hears the rhyme and her muscles constrict. It's officially go time. She rolls out from behind the cards into a clear line of sight with the others and the skull sentries. Clapping her hands together and performing a few hand signs, a light blue aura of wind gathers at her feet. Moving as quickly as she can, she stomps her feet, draining the chi away from her body and into the ground. It splits into four spots, each one underneath one of those rather convinent cars. Another hand sign violently tosses the cars in to the air and one more sign throws them towards the sentries. They were thrown in a delta formation, and aimed in such a way that they'd likely miss the congregation if she could help it, and take out as many as the skulls as she could manage.
Digging into her pockets the second the vehicles take flight, she grabs one of her two kunai and throws it directly towards the hag, aiming directly to the center of her foreheard. Hopefully she'd be too distracted by the airborne autos to note the finely crafted dagger speeding towards it's target.
COMBATSYS: Argo has started a fight here on the right meter side.
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|-------\-------\0 Argo
COMBATSYS: Argo has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Argo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Azumi has joined the fight here.
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Argo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Azumi
COMBATSYS: Eadni has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Argo 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Eadni
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Azumi 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Red Arremer has joined the fight here.
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Argo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Eadni
Argo didn't sense the werewolf, but to be fair, there -are- a lot of supernatural beings here. So he's just as surprised as anyone else when the werewolf makes herself known--and perhaps even a bit moreso when the werewolf clearly employs what he recognizes as Eastern techniques to... take care of some, hopefully most, of the sentries in a really spectacular way. He's... not really inclined to work -with- a Darkstalker, it's not his thing, but war, as politics, often makes for strange bedfellows, and in the interests of saving human lives, he'll just have to swallow his prejudices.
For now. As the ninja-werewolf continues by hurling those knives, Argo bursts into action himself. Clearly he isn't one of the cowed humans, as he moves, and just as clearly he's something more than human himself as he launches himself--not at Eadni but at the Red Arremer, drawing his right fist back, crossing the space a bit faster than even a fit human might and certainly making a far more prodigious leap than most humans could as he aims to take the Red Arremer down to ground level with a smashing downward right.
He doesn't know the werewolf but he'll have to hope she'll occupy this Eadni, because otherwise he's clearly hurling himself into a bad situation. Not that that's what he's thinking about right now.
COMBATSYS: Red Arremer blocks Argo's Aggressive Strike.
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Argo 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Eadni
Ninja magic.
Everything happens in a blur. A flash of fur flies into the air as Eadni finishes the rhyme, and immediately, the skulls focus right on the figure. Flames begin to intensify, as Eadni lifts up a finger, pointing towards Azumi. But as the hand signs come from the werewolf, Eadni's fingers pull dance to her bag, her right arm coming around. By the time the stomp comes, it is too late to undo the ritual. Her gnarled hand balled into a fist, she pulls it free from her bag as the cars fly up through the air, safely avoiding the refugees...
And plowing straight through the skulls.
Flame, asphalt, and steel collide with each other as the sentries react. Blazing forth with beams of flame, the flying skulls dive to smash into the cars. The vehicles themselves are cut up like swiss cheese; they are in pieces by the time they finish their roll against the trees. High above, upon the branches, the gargoyle lifts up to take flight, hovering in the air for a moment to dive on the arrogant ninja.
And is suddenly caught by a bounding Argo.
The creature hisses loudly as it throws up an arm, meeting the blow with its forearms. It's skin was tough, but so was Argo. Wings flitting wildly, he begins to fall towards the ground, in a hissing panic. Argo might find a brief moment of momentum... until the demon attempts to lash out at Argo. It's clawed forelimbs smash out as the gargoyle hurls himself at Argo, controlling his descent to bring Argo below it. Should the Red Arremer make contact, he would drive his lower limbs right into Argo, and then, using his wings, just smash him face first into the ground, and grind him along the street, until smashing him straight into a tree root.
Eadni, meanwhile, deals with her own problems.
A tremble comes over the old woman as she stares across the remains of her sentries. "Well done, my child~" She coos softly, her hand still balled into a fist. The kunai flies through the air, her other hand is a surging blur, whipping around much faster than the eye could see. The kunai suddenly smashes straight down to the ground, embedding into the tarry street. Eadni turns back at the werewolf, her left arm nearly twice as long in length. Cracking loudly as she writhes the narrow limb around, she lifts it up to point a finger at the werewolf. One of a half-dozen remaining sentries, far at the edge of the bridge, turns to face where Eadni was pointing. There is a half-second delay, before it unleashes a blast of emerald flame. "Tell me child," She begins, her voice so sweet.
"Are you a Buddhist?"
COMBATSYS: Eadni successfully hits Azumi with Shut Your Eyes.
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Argo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Eadni
Azumi's efforts with the cars were not in vain; they did exactly as they needed to. Even through the crushed debris though, it's clear she didn't eliminate all of them, and these cars were going to be a precious resource in this fight. Her fur bristles when the kunai fails to hit it's mark, knowing that there was a slim chance it'd hit an opponent such as this anyway. A full blown fight is inevitable now, and it looks like the first successful volley is going to be from the hag.
Lasers...were always a problem. Literally some of the fastest projectiles you could ask for. When the finger is raised, the muscles in her feet tense up, ready for movement. She pays little mind to the woman's words, as thinking about such things only distracted from the goal at hand. Eliminate this woman and her gargoyle friend. Despite this though, the laser keep to their namesake and fly towards her faster than she could move. The best she could manage is a pivot step, allowing them to pass along the side of her stomach, burning fur and clothing alike. She hisses at the pain and presses a hand to it, assessing the damage.
It's going to suck, but it's not life threatening.
First thing's first though, this woman had an advantage at long range and going in seems like the best strategy. Maybe at that range the lasers wouldn't dare fire at their master. She crouches down at all fours and sprints towards the hag, clawed feet scarring the pavement, sending out small waves of sparks. She leaps high into the air and using a hand, she throws out an explosion of wind behind her and changes her arcing trajectory into a sharp one, coming down on Eadni with a clawed dive kick.
COMBATSYS: Argo blocks Red Arremer's Bon Voyage.
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Argo 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Eadni
Argo doesn't waste time exulting in triumph. Demons like the Red Arremer are not so easily dispatched; Argo learned this early on his career, and has the scars to prove it. When the demon grapples him, Argo, not being able to fly or radically alter his movement in the air, focuses instead on minimizing the damage the demon can do--tucking his head in, twisting and throwing his weight around to force the demon's flight path off course. He still skips along the asphalt and that hurts, but it doesn't shred his back like a coarse cheese grater, and, after about ten seconds, he's able to wrest himself from the demon's grasp, flipping in midair and landing on his boots, skidding backwards with his left hand down to help provide balance.
"Demon," growls Argo, clenching a fist. Fighting aerial opponents has never been his forte; not the quickest or most agile around, he'll have to make do. Glancing at his would-be partner, or at least, temporary ally, he decides she'll have to fend for herself for a few more moments. Gathering himself he springs upwards once more, aiming to get above the Arremer, and force it down to ground level by aiming a slashing, downwards axe kick at the juncture of shoulder and wing. If he can -cripple- it's flight ability...
He, and these people, will stand a chance. If it doesn't start spitting fire everywhere. That's always a possibility.
<<Let me talk to it. I could... sway it, perhaps...>> The voice, that damned voice, whispering in Argo's mind, and he just sets his jaw harder. <<No. Get back, demon. You'll not tempt me today. Not here.>>
COMBATSYS: Red Arremer dodges Argo's Medium Kick.
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Argo 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Eadni
COMBATSYS: Azumi successfully hits Eadni with Heaven's Claw.
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Argo 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Eadni
Oh, Eadni needed her space.
Azumi had a good impression on the hag, as the skull unleashes the bolt of flame. As it collapses into ash, the other five skulls are already focusing on the ninja. But the ninja was upon her. The warding ritual that bounded so many here made approaching Eadni almost suicide; if it wasn't for Azumi's opening gambit, she and her faux partner could have expected a full volley of flame bursts. But as the wolf leaps in, her next gambit pays off. The skulls fix on her...
And then, turn away to protect their mistress.
Closed in, the hag hurls her fist down upon the kunai embedded into the ground. Her palm exposed, the strong scent of rot fills the air. The corpse dust is smashed down to the road. Smoke immediately burst upwards, followed by long tendrils of fungi curling up into waxy columns. The black mold envelopes the dagger, entwining as it begins to gain a sheen. Eadni sweeps her long arm around, attempting to deflect aside the diving kick.
And instead, it bowls her over.
The old woman was light. Smashed down hard to the ground, she crunches against the asphalt, her body contorting like a crushed spider. Limbs crooked in wayward angles, her jaw is slack, chewing the air wordlessly. But that smile was still burned on her face, still so sweet as her arms and legs begin to crack and snap. Rising back up, her body bears deep grooves from the impact, with pieces of the roadwork now embedded in her leg. Tilting her head aside, she stares into Azumi with those black pools for eyes.
"Thank you my child~"
The Red Arremer shrieks as Argo slips from his grasp, the dive coming with merely a little bit of the scrape art. The devil twists in mid air, slamming his back limbs hard against the root as he stops his momentum. Shooting past the kunai, Azumi, and Eadni, the creature recoils at the finger-like growths of fungi that suddenly burst. The black mold begins to boil around the kunai, shooting up skull-like puffs of spores. Facing the demon hunter, the Red Arremer stares at the man who had assaulted him. Just in time, it seems, as the drop kick comes. As the axe kick comes slamming down, the gargoyle suddenly shoots straight to the side, flying low above the ground in a sudden swerve. Glaring at the man, it suddenly shrieks again...
And this time, with meaning to the man.
<<"Wretched human! Wretched mortals! Why can't you let me be?!">>
The being hisses as he performs a U-Turn in mid air, pivoting to fly at Argo. Crawling on all fours as he drops to the ground, he quickly pulls up to two legs as he flings out a clawed arm right at the Demon Hunter. Clawing fiercely, he attempts to tear at him, tear as he hisses again. <<"I can not even hunger in this state, I can not even feed! I will rip your skin from your hide!">> And with those long nails, he threatens to do just that, right upon his arms.
While Eadni prepares her own assault.
The mold continues to grow, as the hag lurches towards the werewolf. "You have forced my hand too soon, yes~" She murmurs, moving with a blur towards the wolf. Her long left limb is sent lashing out towards the ninja, attempting to slam it roughly into her torso. The hag's form is clumsy, but still strong. Up close, the witch had little to defend herself. "But everything is in motion now, my children. The corpse powder has been planted, the tool has been chosen. The ritual has begun"
"And soon"
"All the little children can be saved~"
COMBATSYS: Argo just-defends Red Arremer's Medium Punch!
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Argo 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1 Eadni
Argo smirks at the Arremer. He can understand the demon speech but chooses to reply in normal speech, his rough voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'll leave you be when you go back to Hell, you monster," he growls. He's falling, but twisting in midair to meet the incoming demon, and as it slashes at him he catches it's arm, performing a nice little tuck and spin around the outstretched arm and utilizing the demon for a safe landing. His boots crunch on the asphalt as he spins around...
...and without pause lunges for the now-grounded demon. He's lunging low, leading with his left shoulder, but as he reaches his target he's planting his left foot for stability and using it as a fulcrum, turning all that momentum into power as he swings a right hook for the demon's body, following up with a left hook in the same low position--which also advances his right foot, which crunches into the gravel as he plants it, altering momentum and inertia.
That lets him convert into a left uppercut, which is the prelude to a right uppercut--and if that hits to blow the Arremer's head back, Argo will follow up with a chokehold slam, lifting the red-skinned being by the throat and turning around to hurl it on its back into the hard asphalt ground.
"I'll gladly help you find your way back to Hell!!" he growls.
COMBATSYS: Azumi dodges Eadni's Strong Punch.
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Argo 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1 Eadni
Azumi nearly loses her balance when the dive kick connects a bit more solidly than she was expecting. She kneels for a second, pressing her hand into the pavement as she looks at the crumpled form of the woman. A minor curse is uttered when Eadni not only pops back up, but obscures herself in a rather heinous smelling smoke (dear god having an improved sense of smell is totally a blessing and a curse). A glance is given back towards the skull sentries and their outright rejection of the attack angle they were given. The werewolf smiles internally, keeping an ear fixed back towards them in case they decide otherwise.
The gaseous mold that looked to be forming is...worrying, to say the least. Could she move away from it? Not too far, the sentries will become active again and the last thing she needed was more burns. Can the gas be countered in any way? Maybe if she had any fire but with wind...it's just going to have to do. The hag's speech is also taken into account, her expression hardening in the process.
Before she could contemplate too much on the next move, Eadni makes hers, a strong punch towards her mid-section. Normally she'd jest aboutthe poor form of said physical action, but she seemed desperate enough to risk this, maybe her prior judgement about the old woman's close quarters abilites proved correct. She ducks the punch with ease, letting the attack pass right over her shoulder. She surges upward, grabbing the woman's extended arm and in a fashion straight out of a karate movie, she judo-throws her directly into the ground, should the grab connect the way the ninja imagined.
COMBATSYS: Argo successfully hits Red Arremer with Fury Combination.
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Argo 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1 Eadni
COMBATSYS: Eadni counters Strong Throw from Azumi with When The Bough Breaks.
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Argo 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Eadni
The glamer was falling apart.
The more that the old woman was moving, the more deformed she was turning. The spores continue to billow as the woman throws out a clumsy fist. That sweet smile is still on her face as she retracts the limb, bringing her other arm up as Azumi dips down low. "No," She begins, as Azumi reaches up to snag the limb.
And suddenly, that long arm snaps around the wolf.
Lashing like a vine or a tentacle, it writhes around the werewolf."Do not be rough with mother, dark child~" She coos as her legs suddenly shoot straight down into the street. The woman pivots, heaving Azumi high into the air as she smashes her into the fungal pillar... and into her kunai. Again and again, smashing her like a rag doll, until the pillar simply explodes upwards into a billowing plume, taking Azumi... and Eadni's long arm with her. The old hag hangs there, a bloodless stump where her arm once was. There is no smile on her face.
As her face begins to slip off her head.
The Red Demon, meanwhile, finds himself gripped from behind. Trying to break away, trying to rise into the air, he begins to lift up. But there is no chance to flee. The uppercut stuns the Red Arremer long enough for the demon hunter to hurl the gargoyle to the ground, landing with a tumble and a shriek. And just as quickly, it rises up, struggling to take flight. Unable to take to the skies, he looks back at the man... and his jaw goes slack. Eyes burning, the Red Arremer bellows out a burst of fire, shooting it straight at the demon hunter.
To buy enough time to rise back up.
COMBATSYS: Red Arremer successfully hit Argo with Fireball.
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Argo 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Eadni
Argo moves to slide out of the way of the burst of fire--and loose gravel slides out from underneath his foot, dropping him to one knee and off-balance. And that fire is moving fast--it takes him in the upper chest, bowling him over and forcing him to roll lest he actually be set on fire. Singed, he rises to his feet once more, his eyes burning metaphorically as wisps of smoke rise off his damaged trenchcoat and reddened, blistered face.
The demontongue flows to his lips, a hissing, unnatural sound. <<You should leave this realm and go back to your Hell before I'm forced to take real action, demon... unless you owe the hag a favor? Surely you weren't so foolish as to be trapped like -that-...>>
Argo doesn't have the advantage but he presses anyways, seeking to draw nearer to the demonic being, flicking his right leg out to try and catch it in the chest with a boot-tip. The attack is almost more probing than serious, keeping Argo--and the Arremer--occupied while he converses. <<Surely Lucifer didn't relinquish your reins so easily.>>
Azumi, in her time as a demon hunter ninja, had seen all sorts of abombinations of mankind, demonkind and other kind. This...was the first time one of them had pulled a trick like this. She was genuinely surprised when the arm seemly whips around, ensnares her and starts beating the everloving consciousness out of her. She takes the full brunt of the fungal assault, up to and including the explosion at the end, sending her back-first into the air.
The pain was...immense, to say the least. Blood ran from her chest and her side, thanks to the kunai stabs. It wasn't enough to cause her to back off just yet, but she only had a few more shots in her before she'd need to think about escape...but should she? Leaving now would leave the portal in the hands of the enemy, and there are likely many people who could use to be evacuated, herself now included.
Azumi finally recovers from being sent airborne, flipping around to land on her feet, albeit hard on the pavement. She takes a knee for a moment before standing, issuing the woman a heavy growl for her actions. Her fur begins to rise and she starts to take a step towards her...but she stops.
Thinking of a better plan, she takes a deep breath and tosses off the arm around her torso, throwing it over the side of the bridge. She grabs the single remaining smoke pellet and throws it to the ground, covering herself and the immediate area in smoke. But rather than move, she stays within the cloud and closes her eyes, focusing on herself while being obscured.
~I need time...~
COMBATSYS: Azumi gathers her will.
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Argo 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0 Eadni
COMBATSYS: Argo successfully hits Red Arremer with Light Kick.
Grazing Hit
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Argo 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0 Eadni
The ways of witches are wily things.
Eadni does not even notice her arm missing, as it is hurled away. The black pools of her eyes were enduring, but her face... her face was slithering down her chin. Where the broken stump of her arm was, her true nature begins to reveal itself as tarry sap begins to bleed. Fresh shoots of a planted tree burst from her shoulder, as she begins to grow taller and taller. She makes a lunge towards Azumi, uprooting her feet from the road...
until she hurls down the smoke pellet.
Her charge stops dead. Eadni turns aside, refusing to enter the smoke. "Wretched child, I thought you wished to play with mother?~" She coos, her face melting away into her hardening skin. Backing up, she moves with long, delicate strides, her height already breaking 7 feet. "Wolfkin are always so tumbling, even as mere pups. But if you don't wish to play... then I can finish what I have waited for~" Standing over the remains of the blasted spores, the black mold swirls around the kunai, now embedded with the strange substance. She bends down, easily wrenching the knife free. "This is a way out, my dear. But so much more."
"I'm summoning a Leviathan, my sweet children."
And she throws the knife into the tree. A trail of spores trickle behind the dagger as it is flung in the air. The kunai digs deep into the trunk of the tree. The black mold suddenly erupts across the entire tree in deep veins, the black contrasting with the white. The tree begins to immediately waste, as pieces of the bark falls off. The roots begin to shudder, and soon begin to wither.
And pieces of the asphalt fall into the river of blood below.
The refugees begin to scream and panic, as the bridge begins to fall apart. With the tree being destroyed, the bridge becomes... unable to support itself alone anymore. A chunk of road lands with a splash below, as the hag turns towards the cloud. The Red Arremer, eyeing the fire that strikes his opponent, begins to flutter up into the air. But to it's visible surprise, Argo speaks to it with hissing... and it understands. <<"You speak the tongue of demons?!">> It blurts out. As the kick comes, it pulls hard to the side, diving low to evade. Taking a glancing blow to his abdomen, he circles around the demon hunter, taking a new interest in this. <<"You must flee then. Run! She compels me to defend her! She will trap you if she lets you live! She has ways of controlling-" The runes flare up suddenly, as the creature bolts. Lunging straight at Argo, he simply attempts to slam into the demon hunter, to lift him high in the air... just as the ground below begins to fall apart. Should he get the man in his clutches, he will rescue him briefly... before attempting to strangle him in those claws.
"Leviathan are creatures born of souls."
"To summon one, you must provide souls, collecting them together into a creature of intense power~" The words comes from the figure that was growing taller and taller. The hag's face was gone, absorbed into the thick, wooden hide of the creature. In its place was a knotty facsimile of a face, a nose so long. Where there was smiling lips, there was now a line deep into the stump of a face. That stump spreads open as it speaks, rows behind rows of jagged splinters, intermingled with iron teeth forced into the maw. And in spite of the creature now reaching nearly 9 feet tall, her arms and legs thin, wood-like limbs, with long twigs for claws... the voice was just as soft, as warm, as motherly as ever.
"I suspect a bridge full of them will do~"
COMBATSYS: Eadni takes no action.
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Argo 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Red Arremer
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Azumi 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0 Eadni
Story continues in: [UG:FINAL] RISE OF THE LEVIATHAN
Log created on 21:38:55 04/26/2015 by Eadni, and last modified on 00:10:57 05/18/2015.