Ray was in his study, making phone calls. The sad part was they where all cancellations. Transports, food, supplies, everything required to maintain an army of super soldiers. Already frustrated with his “defeat” earlier today, Ray also had to deal with another issue.

 

“You can’t possibly stick me with him/her!”

 

Akasuki and Gail had both replied the above statement while pointing a quivering finger at each other. “I’m not changing my mind, you’re both going together. I don’t trust either of you enough to run the show while I’m away. Besides, you deserve each other…” Gail pointed at ray. “Now you listen here buster, I’ve known you for over 600 years!” “That’s not the point Gail, you’re a good person, but you know nothing about politics and business. You haven’t forgotten that I am not only the guild master, but I’m also the accountant? Not to mention I’m also president of Silvermyth banking, Silvermyth produce, Silvermyth transport, and Silvermyth snacks, all for the sake of cutting costs? Yes, the bounties pay for a lot, but you have no idea what it’s like to take care for all my ‘children’. It’s not a responsibility I trust to anyone.” The half-demon grit his teeth. “Very well Ray, I can get along with Akasuki if it’s really what you desire…” Gail bowed his head as a sign of respect. The samurai just shook her head as she thumped her foot anxiously with her arms crossed. “ So uh… what now?” The vampire picked up the phone and started to dial another number, he had to cancel an armored transport. “You will go with Gail and help prepare his ship. Then you’ll leave for Kabracia, for that’s where all three brothers will eventually reside. I’ll give you further instructions from there. “ …Coward…” “Excuse me Gail?” “N-nothing Ray, I’m just thinking of something. I’ve gotta go see D.” The half-demon and Samurai left the office. “…Revenge should never be a reason to kill anyone. “ Ray said to the door Gail left out of. “Why is it that after 600 years, you still haven’t learned that?”

 

A lone maid strode down the hallways of the Silvermyth guild. She was easily in her early sixties, and was overweight too. This made wasn’t the cute, cuddly kind of maid that most of us would like to see working in an establishment like this. She had a big frown on, and several birth marks along the side of her face, and a scar to boot. Not a very cute girl at all, and she didn’t pretend to be. “Hello Mrs. Flats!” The maid turned toward a Jr member that called out her name. She shot him a glance that knocked him over, and then proceeded toward a small vent. “Ray’s got another thing coming if he thinks I’m going to get a stupid robot to clean these ducts! It would be faster if I just opened this here screen and blasted air into it.” Flats dropped an air compressor to the ground and grabbed a hold of the air hose and was ready to start cleaning. She slowly pried the vent open and got ready to clean. “Say g’by dust bunnies!” with the vent opened all the way, Flat’s could see several big, black dust bunnies. Each one had a big yellow eye, and several black tentacles. “…Oh crap, Beholders!” Before she could shut the vent, dozens and dozens of the demons began to pour into the room, knocking her away from their entryway. “Sound the alarm! We’ve got company!”

 

The maid crawled into a corner as several beholders clustered around her, opening there mouths revealing rows and rows of sharp teeth. “You little monsters, I can’t believe it’s going to end like this!” Before the demons could tear her apart, they where all cleaved with a single swing from Gail’s scythe.  “…Maybe next time, you’ll use the robot?” Akasuki sliced threw a few more beholders with a stylish twirl of her blade. “Let’s give assistance, not advice in a crisis, eye Gail?” “Sounds good to me…” Gail assumed a battle position. “Anybody else wanna help? I’d hate to take all the fun for myself…” The half-demon then performed a twirling dance of death as he entered the thicket of the foul beasts.

---

You're just mad because I'm sexier

Hearing the alarm blaring, "Now this is what I needed a little stress relief!" says Might looking for some demons. I thought you wanted to build some trust, says Might's inner-demon.

"Now's not the time Raizen!" says Might as he gets into a blade battle with a demon. jumping back Might feels his power start to surge, "Not now Raizen!" you sure that you should be talking to me we don't want anyone thinking you're crazy now do we? finally cutting the demon down using his sword, You couldn't resist using me could you? asks Raizen with an air of superiority in his voice. "Go to hell." says Might looking for any survivors. I wish i could instead of being cooped up inside a pathetic human body. you don't even remember wgo you really are. "That part of me is long dead got it!" Uh Might. . . "What!" No need to be rude but we're surrounded.

"Ah crap there's 30 of them!" says Might looking around realizing that he'll probably need help. You could just use my power you know. together we can take care of these fools in a dance of death. "Whatever I'd rather die then go back to that life!" Says Might charging. There's no way i'll survive this without help, but i'll die in this form!

---

"Welcome to the eye of the storm"
"You're slow"-Might Psychic Force 2012

Check Out my RP Psych School
Or read my fanfiction: Eye of the Storm
"All psychicchers must die"

Victor had been idly whiling away the time in the main hall when he heard the alarm. Immediately, his glance shot to the doors and he cracked a smile, baring his fangs.
"Well, well, it seems I can get in some real practice..." His hands wandered through his robes, checking unseen weapons. Satisfied that he was fully armed, Victor put his shades on and left the hall, looking for the disturbance.

He quickly found the beholders, who seemed to have entered through a ventilation duct. Gail had come to the rescue, as well as a student by the name of Might. Victor's right hand flashed down to his waist and he produced a long bladed, serpentine dagger - Rapture, his trademark blade. As thirsty for blood as its master often was, this dagger had taken countless lives. Today, it would take a few more. Vic kicked off the wall and leapt past Might into the battle, driving Rapture into the head of the nearest beholder. He immediately ripped the dagger out and swung for his next victim, the blade cleaving through its neck. He continued into a spin, reaching into a pouch on his waist with his left hand, and threw a trio of darts at three approaching beholders, the cruelly serrated blades slamming into the creatures' heads. The monsters dropped as they ran and Vic proceeded to jump over another and land beside Gail, glancing at him through his shades.

"How the hell did these things get in!?"

---

Which side of the divide do you stand on? Find out in this Harry Potter/Star Wars crossover, Divided Worlds

Wow. I've been here for over a year. :]

she heard the alarm and when going to take a look she saw nothing.when she turn around she saw some rare creature in front of her.she take a step back what the *** are you she said.and stampt in it whit her siccors a your not strong she said.she opent the door back to look if every one was ok.but instand of seeing people she a holl group of these thing.o i think your now stronger but that is not holding me back.she kicks and punch and stabs till there all dead.pff that was fast over.and now go see if somebody needs help.the most of the hallways where clear in one hallway see saw might and a other guy but there were fine.going to see if alexandra was fine and yes she was.he still everything ok.yes she said you.yes.and what are this little creatures.i don't know to she said.come lets find out mauby some one else know it.i saw somebody in the other halls mayby the know it.he might do you know what these creatures are?

setting the daggers aside, killrock hunched over. just a little, situating his legs difrantly and pointing the Agito to his aponent while grabbing the wrist of his sword hand. "Its over..."

"BEN-KAI!"

The Delsabre was taken back as Killrock performed the same actions as about thirty seconds before.

Normally, when activateing a photon blast. a creature would be summond and perform one attack. however. after evolved comunication with his mags. and a little assistance from a mechanic friend Killrock had modified his Photon blasts. by quite some bit.

with an exspolsion of energy (not enoph to make a real creater. just throw alot of dust and any one around him backward.) the Delsabre was forced back from his started assalt. and than...music began to play. a heroic kind. like the kind when the hero of a movie is about to knock the evil dure on his ass. (in this case. its from bleach).

the Dust fell back to the ground in wire framed pixles. Killrocks steel chest was now replaced with large speakers.  the Mag's now seemed to have spread open revealing the photon energy wich was stored inside. the Agito seemed to Emit an invisible flame. a faint amount of photon energy courced threw the blade and Killrock had upgraded his Statistics useing the temporary Photon energy his mags had stored.

if Killrock could. he would be smirking right now. "ready?" Recieving noanswer the mags let the photon energy burn from the slit, like openings in them, and the Android was prepelled falwards. "Banzai!" the Delsabre mooved to defend but somthing happend.

*Error*

the Delsabre was replaced with a ugly Beholder. its moulth gapeing open as it was attempting to take a bite out of killrock. "Oh well your all the same to me" not slowing for a second. the Hucast spun his Agito in a verticle spin. efortlessly "dis-asembleing" the Demon. "Haha!, such a waist of photon energy!" he turned around. about ready to dis-engage his photon blast. when another Beholder fired red beams from its longer tenticles. wich Killrock took in the chest. unfortunatly. it destroid the Radio speakers that had replased his chest.

"yoooooooou, are going to be happily hung on my DOOR!" he again flew falwars readying another slash.

---

if you like Halloween add this into your sig!

"I have no idea how these things got in." Says Might attacking a distracted demon. Coward. Shut up or i'll see what holy water tastes like. This reminds me of old times, don't you wish you coulld return to those old times with all of that power! That power couldn't protect her so why would I need your power!? says Might getting mad and stabbing his sword into the ground and letting lightning shoot up from the ground killing 5 demons. You couldn't protect  her because you were afraid of what you really were! screams Raizen. I was not afraid!

Liar do i have to show you how much of a coward you really were?! Says Raizen flashing memories of the day Might's first love Patty was killed before his eyes. You were afraid of losing control you were afraid of giving into me and that cost you Your beloved Patty! You had the power but were afraid to use it! "Shut up, just shut the hell up!" yells Might dropping his sword and falling on his knees clutching his head trying to stop the memories forgetting about the demons getting closer and closer to him.

---

"Welcome to the eye of the storm"
"You're slow"-Might Psychic Force 2012

Check Out my RP Psych School
Or read my fanfiction: Eye of the Storm
"All psychicchers must die"

when the two of them entert the hallway the saw sit some one.he might LOOK OUT?alexandra we most help him.the two of them run to those little *** and slacht them in two.when it was over mars ask is everything ok  and what are those creatures.

-"GYAAAAAAAH!!!"-

Afonos's fanclub scattered as the beholders infested the trainining yard in the fashion of ant swarms. Both sparring Silvermyths exchanged glances briefly, but as they were about to charge at the incoming fiends, a voice resounded throughout the arena.

-"Atta, boys! Why don't you let this one slip and carry on with what you were doing...?"-

*THUD*

Suddenly, an adult man landed a few feet away from them after having leapt from the stands. But D and Afonos recognized the individual as Nate, one of the academy's instructors. He was a guy with an everlasting carefree smile drawn upon his face, platinum blonde hair stylishly combed in layers up to mid-ear level and blue eyes. He was buffed, yet not disgustingly muscular. For an outfit, he preffered a blue long coat with a black button shirt unbuttoned by the neck and part fo the chest, jeans, and brown cowboy boots. He also wore a pair of black gloves in which the index, middle, and thumb fingers weren't covered completely.

-"...after all, it was getting interesting."- Nate remarked with a slight smirk before he made his way step by step towards the hordes of beholders.
Afonos and D couldn't help but watch what their superior would do as they merely stood by at the ready in case of any eventuallity.

As soon as Nate reached a certain point, he stood unmoving and smiling for a while, waiting for the pests to approach.

-"Sephirot, release...Keter."- Nate murmured to himself as he was then surrounded by a white aura that swayed his hair and coat, like dancing to an unexistent breeze.

-"I AM THAT I AM!"- Nate shouted with an excited grin now as the first beholders lunged at him.

*ZZZZZZZZZWWWWWWAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMM*

There was an immense flash of light that blinded both D and Afonos as they shifted their eyes to a side and covered them. When it was all over, there was a huge crater in the middle of the training yard.

-"Oh, man...Ray's not gonna like this."- stated Nate as he scratched his forehead with his index finger.
None of the beholders that were coming at him remained.

---

getting up and grabbing Raizen Might stands prepared to fight, Just because i failed in the past doesn't mean i was or am weak this time i'll protect those who are precious to me no matter who i have to face! that's right don't hesitate use that blade to carve a path for you to those who are precious to you! Spinning and cutting three demons down with ease holding the sword up to his face, why does this feel so light? Because i was using your doubts and fears to make the blade heavier, now dance a dance of death and destruction! whatever. Might jumps on to a demon's back and stabs it through the skull with his sword, jumping off and landing in a crouching position between 4 demons as they jump at him he spins cutting all 4 of them in to ribbons.

Seeing the last three demons after him he runs at them cutting the first one down spinning on his heel and cutting the third one down only leaving the second one. You're still far too kind hearted. I know but that's what Patty liked about me. as the second on charges throwing it's life away, might effortlessly dodges it's attacks and then cuts it in half. sheathing his sword Might goes off to look for the higher ups of the school in the hopes of planning an offensive against these demons.

---

"Welcome to the eye of the storm"
"You're slow"-Might Psychic Force 2012

Check Out my RP Psych School
Or read my fanfiction: Eye of the Storm
"All psychicchers must die"

Upon hearing the alarm and turning the corner, Kiyo instantly walked into the conclusion of a battle between guild members and beholders. He recognized several of the combatants, one of them being the dhampir he saw from the theater and another was the person who introduced himself as Might. But just as Kiyo turned to leave, more beholders spewed forth from an open vent. With a subtle grin on his face, Kiyo cracked his knuckles and calmly strode into the melee.

"Well, looks like I'm not too late to have a good warm-up right here..." he quipped.
"You're not using your weapons?" murmured Kintoki.
"Like I said, this is just a warm-up"

Kiyo suddenly dashed forward with frightening momentum and smashed two beholders aside with a stone crushing tackle. He immediately wheeled around and jabbed his left fist straight into the brain of another beholder. Before the multi-eyed freak could even realize what happened, Kiyo vented his magic through his fist, exploding the monster in a fiery blast from inside its massive head. With a snap of his fingers, Kiyo's fists instantly ignited with his fire magic. From a spectator's point of view, it looked like Kiyo's hands were engulfed with raging flames, yet appeared completely unharmed by the fire.

"Feel the burn."

Kiyo dashed to the nearest beholder and cleanly karate-chopped the beast in half with his fiery hands. He quickly turned and delivered a mighty open-palmed strike into the central eye of another beholder before he wrenched it out. Without a moment's hesitation, Kiyo crushed the beholder's eye in his flaming hand and kicked the blinded monster into the air. He quickly pursued his helpless quarry, leaping up and snatching it in his fiery right hand, setting it ablaze with his Suzaku flames. Just as the monster began to melt, Kiyo hurled back down with tremendous force into another beholder, utterly pulverizing both his enemies. Then another beholder positioned itself directly below Kiyo and opened its gaping maw in an attempt to catch Kiyo with a fatal bite as he fell back down.

"So naive...."

Kiyo kicked his feet together and flowed his mana down to his legs, igniting his feet with the same deadly flames as his hands. He quickly plummeted down, crushing the foolish beholder under his flaming heels. He then reached back and grabbed another unsuspecting beholder from behind. With a mighty heave, Kiyo slammed the beholder into the floor, causing a crater and utterly flattening the poor beast with his overwhelming brute strength.

"Kiyo, be careful about your surroundings. We don't want to cause unnecessary damage to the guild."
"Oh, right. Sorry about that." Kiyo blurted out to the other guild members before ducking to avoid a sneak attack from another beholder. In retaliation, Kiyo dashed forward and grabbed the attacking monster before it could recover. "I don't think so..." Kiyo instantly set the monster on fire before he lobbed it into the air and slugged it in the face with a powerful wind-up punch. The sheer force of the impact sent the doomed beholder flying down the hallway at breakneck speed. Eventually, Kiyo spotted a distant guild member taking the initiative and slicing the airborne beholder in half with a baseball batter-like swing of a sword, finishing the job.

"Now let's kick up the pace!"

Kiyo shoved yet another beholder into the wall, dazing it and rendering it completely helpless. "ATATATATATATATATATA!!!!!" Kiyo instantly proceeded the pummel the monster with a storm of unbelievably fast jabs. To normal eyes, it appeared as though Kiyo's arms suddenly became blaze of blurry flames. After thoroughly beating the beholder into a fiery, bloody pulp, Kiyo delivered the coup de gras with a spinning back fist. A sudden growl drew Kiyo's attention back to the open vent. More beholders had spilled into the hall.

"C'mon! This battle ain't over yet! I'm just gettin started!" 

 

---

Epsilon startled awake in the auditorium seat. Somehow during the somewhat long-winded and far to dramatic speech he had nodded off. Oh he supposed he was being a bit too hard on O’l Ray, but Epsilon had a nagging feeling that he had recently awoken from a dream where he had been crudely taken from a developing story. The last thing he needed was to get into a situation where he had to kick some crazed demon’s aspirations.
    With that thought there sounded an alarm. “Now what the devil is that!”  Epsilon thought.  A glance around him answered the question as a bunch of teethy demons entered the auditorium. Even more alarming for Epsilon was the almost manic response from some of the “guests” left in the building. Like a gleeful bunch of lunatics they were assaulting these demons with assorted weapons and talents.    
    Epsilon did what he did best. He found an exit. Wandering down an empty hall he thought to himself, “The road is long and dark and deep, and I have promises to keep.”  He stopped and said. “Now where did that come from.”  Before he could think a large somewhat flatulent demon came around a corner and confronted him with bad intent.
    “Quickly” Epsilon shouted. He pointed.  “You go that way, and I’ll go this way, and we’ll corner them in hell!”  The demon, now worked up into frenzy shot off in the direction Epsilon pointed.
    Rounding the corner from which the demon had materialized, Epsilon tried all of the doors along the hallway hoping to find a vacant room he could hide in till things died down. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks.  The hair on his neck bristled as he heard  what sounded like a heard of those demons coming up behind him.
    
    

Nate’s blinding flash quickly spread throughout the whole training yard. Soon, Killrock found himself stepping through nothing but unending whiteness.

By this time, Killrock’s Photon blast had expired, his Mags shifting back to their original shape.

"Oh, well. This is a bizarre change of scenery..."

The Hucast turned his entire body around to scan this supposed new area around.

Just as he turned, his eyes met with a snake-like amber gaze that grinned back at him.

-"Hello."- greeted the strange man that had appeared so suddenly before Killrock.

"Hello lower life form." Killrock properly greeted, giving a slight bow while slapping his steel hand against his stomach and jerking forward. "Can you assist me on finding out where I am?"

-"Lower life form?"- expressed the man, falsely taken aback.

Upon better inspection, the Hucast was able to discern the man's features more clearly. His skin was a ghostly white color, contrasting highly with his black long lank hair, which reached and flowed down his back. Also, his eyes were a golden red color and bore a high resemblance to a snake's in form; red and gold eyeshadow make up on both eyelids, also complemented by a heavy amount of black eyeliner. Finally, for clothes, he wore a simple gray tattered hoodie, jeans, and worn out black biker boots, along with a most prominent red handkerchief wrapped on his head in the fashion of a peasant woman.

All in all, the stranger was highly androgynous, being more handsome than most men, yet more beautiful than most women.

"Hmmmm" Killrock studied him a bit more. "Yes...yes it would appear so. Don’t worry, it is not uncommon"

Now standing with a posture to let his steel chest to stand out, Killrock looked past the stranger. "Wouldn’t happen to know where we are would ya?"

-"Oh, we're still at the training yard. Would you rather be somewhere else?"- inquired the stranger as he eyed Killrock from head to toe.

"I’d rather be around....well..." processing the right term, he pointed to the white walls. "...a little more color?"

-"Why?"- asked the man in reply.

"White is so bland and boring, and it’s just not my style." he replied in a tone that hinted his words should have been somewhat obvious.

-"A walking trash can finds things boring? My, looks like the tin man finally found a heart..."- said the enygmatic individual with a wide grin on his face.

"Walking trash can?...I beg your PARDON!" he stomped. "I know every language, I can interact sub-consciously to a Mag. I have both investigated Ragol AND slew the "Dark Faltz" and above all, can put up with a Very useless Ranger and a Very annoying sounding Hunter Twenty four seven, three sixty five!" the Android began poking the individual. "Id like to see a low classed meat bag like you do THAT."

The man's face aquired a solemn expression unexpectedly as he stared attentively at Killrock.

-"Well...I can touch my nose with the tip of my tongue. I admit it's not as transcendent as your deeds, but it's surely more interesting."-

"Oh? Well, I can live without my ENTIRE body! Mr. Snake man...thing...what the hell are you?" he cockd his head to the side.

-"Hmm...glad you ask! You see, my mother was a lovely gorgon *whisper whisper* God rest her soul *whisper ends*. At a young age, she raped my father, a dashing young brave adventurer, right before ripping his head off and feasting on his entrails. Anyway, that got her pregnant with me, so you could say I'm a human-gorgon hybrid."- he explained with an affable cute smile.

".... Figures she raped him. Wretch probably couldn’t get laid with even the most desperate of people".

Killrock turned his back on him and began walking off. "Anyhow, I’ll be taking my leave."

The mysterious individual stood there pondering on what Killrock had just said and nodded.

-"Well, I would certainly not do my mother, so I guess you're right."-

By that time, the Hucast had walked away a considerable distance.

-"What about your parents? Was your father raped by a laptop?"- the man inquired from far away, more like a faint echo.

"Parents? Oh no no. I, much like your father’s great great great great great great great grand ascestor, had a ‘Maker’."

Killrock was referring to God, but his maker was no god. Just a mechanic with a lot of time on his hands. " I am man made.".

The half gorgon was no longer visible in that instant, yet his shouting voice was still audible as the white flash began to dissipate.

-"Oh, I see! So you're a Meat Bag senior's little pride! And to think every part of that body of yours was once forged by Meat Bag hands, how ironic!"-

The whiteness all around Killrock finally gave way to reveal the Jousting Arena. He paused to process.

"Well...actually...I was made by steel hands wich the meat bag opperated..."

Shrugging, the android continued onwards.

---

if you like Halloween add this into your sig!

when the alarm had sounded, Tobias had still been in the middle of fighting with Maria. Refusing to stop, even as the demons began to pour into the training room through the vents, Tobias dead-locked the two of them so that the were next to each other, making it easier to talk to her.

"Don't stop fighting me while you kill them." Tobias said, releasing a some of his magic so that he could use it to attack more at once.

"Don't come crying to me if I hurt you to bad and you can't defend yourself!"Maria yelled as the broke apart, and started to attack both the demons and each other.

The training room was circular, and the demons treated it as such, moving in a circle as they slowly closed in on  the two of them.
 Tobias acted on instinct alone, slashing at the creatures, sending them flying as he did so or simply freezing them in mid jump, then throwing a strike at Maria, which she either blocked or avoided while she herself attacked the demons. It would only have taken a short time to work their way through them and return to fighting each other, but they were using blunt swords, so it took longer then they expected, though not too long. Once they had finaly killed the last of them, they were both out of breath, but they still held a small sense of acomplishment.

"Thats enough for now, I think." Tobias said, balancing on one of the frozen pillars of demons. He tossed his swords over to the rack, where they landed perfectly in their places. and turned to leave.

"Oi! Tobias, what about this mess? Silvermyth will be mad if you just leave it like this!" Maria called to him as a reached to door. Tobias turned around, glancing at the numerous bodies of the demons and the blood stains on the wall. He released more of his magic and muttered a few words under his breath, causing the blood on the floor, walls, and even the cealing to vanish.

"There. You take care of the bodies, I'm going to go get some lunch." He said, turning his back once more and heading out of the room. Outside, they were still fighting the demons, though there were now much less of them. Tobias left the fighters to their work, choosing only to freeze any Beholder that jumped at him in a flash, causing them to thunk to the ground and lay still.

<You shouldn't have left her with all those bodies> Naol said, sounding happy; he was often bored unless they were training or in a fight.

"She's fine. she knows the levitation spells and the disposal ones. She'll be done in about twenty minutes."

<Run into your room and grab your swords. Your going to need them, I think, and your room is right here.> he replied as Tobias froze two more demons. Tobias sighed but ducked into his room momentarily to grab his swords, freezing and drop-kicking a few more Beholders as he did so. <And don't use magic so much, your going to tire yourself out.>

"Fine." Tobias said, drawing his swords from their sheaths and slashed two demons in half. "Have it your way." And with that, he started running down the hallway, slashing as he went. 

---

Relax. You only live twice, you know.

"I grow tired of this." Vic was done with these worms. Slicing through another handful of beholders that were in his way, he decided to find a sparring partner in the jousting arena. He jumped up and ran along the wall past the battle, returning to the floor once he was clear of the beholders. He looked back for a moment and gave a mock wave before running down the corridor in th direction of the arena, hoping to run into someone who was up for a fight.

---

Which side of the divide do you stand on? Find out in this Harry Potter/Star Wars crossover, Divided Worlds

Wow. I've been here for over a year. :]

"Come to think of it, that Dhampir has a point. Killing small fry like this is simply too boring." Kiyo said as he advanced toward the open vent, catching and tearing apart any beholders in his way with his muscular, fiery hands. When he finally approached the vent's opening, he delivered a blazing roundhouse kick to the front-most beholder, pushing it and its monstrous companions back into the shaft. Before the hellish beasts could recover, Kiyo reached into his tunic sleeve and drew out a small, ornate scroll that had many intricate phoenix patterns drawn on it. He chucked the curious article at the base of the vent's hole and held up a hand in a prayer-like gesture.
"Phoenix that guards the nest...." he whispered. In response to his command, a large, egg-shaped fireball sprouted out from the scroll and hovered at the entrance of the air-duct. Then a beholder snarled in defiance and charged into the spherical flame, only to reach the other side as a pile of fresh ashes. "There....that should last for about an hour or so. More than enough time to discourage any further attacks from this end...."
Taking a moment to recompose himself, Kiyo began to breathe in deeply, as though he was meditating. After clearing his mind, he  extinguished the flames on his hands and feet and reverted back to his laconic, apathetic facade. He turned to the few guild members who remained in the battle.
"Sorry about the trouble, but I must take my leave for the moment..." Kiyo said in his earlier indifferent tone. Without waiting for reply, he turned and casually walked away as if nothing happened. And nothing really did happen for the next few minutes, save for the occasional foolhardy beholder that had the misfortune of crossing Kiyo's path. But as he neared the guild's training facilities, a sudden, timid moan drew his attention to a dim, nearby corridor. When he poked his head around the corner, he met a surprising, and rather grisly sight in the darkened little hallway: a human body lying face-down in a puddle of blood. Driven more by curiosity than anything else, Kiyo moved closer to investigate.
With a snap of his fingers, he set a small, but very bright flame around his left index finger, lighting up most of the corridor and revealing everything in plain sight, most notably, the body. What Kiyo discovered would have horribly disturbed most normal people, the body was of a slim, young girl dressed in a now-bloodstained kimono. But this ghastly scene apparently had no effect on Kiyo whatsoever as he moved closer to the body and examined it, even having such cold apathy as to kick the poor girl over onto her back. He quickly noticed that the girl's lower torso was perforated with exit wounds from punctures. Most likely, something attacked the girl from behind.
"Kiyo...do you not have respect for the dead?" implored Kintoki.
"Sensei, why should I care when no one does the same for me? For all this time, I've only lived for myself and quite frankly, I like it that way. Besides, that girl's probably long dead. Her spirit's most likely passed on by now." Kiyo replied with a slight brusque, sardonic tone.
"Watch your words Kiyoshi. This shrine maiden is still alive."
"Shrine maiden?"
Kiyo took a closer look. Through the many bloodstains, he could see many elaborate and simplistic designs and insignias that decorated the girl's bloody red and white kimono that identified her as a shrine maiden. Out of curiosity, he flicked the girl's long indigo hair aside and inspected the face, which was completely unmarred by wounds but was distorted with a pale look of shock and sorrow, like someone who expected a long life but died prematurely. Despite this, the girl had remarkably graceful features and clear, sapphire-blue eyes that looked like the clear mountain lakes that reflect the northern sky. Yet something about the maiden's eyes deeply disturbed Kiyo, as if they pierced directly through his dispassionate exterior and stared straight into the core of his soul.
He quickly closed the girl's eyes shut, stood, turned, and walked briskly away from the girl. But a blinding crimson light from his ring stopped him in his tracks.
"What do you think you're doing, Kiyoshi?"
"I'm leaving."
"Have you forgotten that she is still alive?"
"Someone else will find her."
"Why must you be so rude to others?"
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's not my fault that most people in my life were jackasses."
"Sakata Genryuusai Shigekuni Kiyoshi!!!! Do you dare disgrace your ancestor!?" the light ignited into flame and a sudden, excruciating burning sensation began to sear into his right hand.
"Alright...I got it...." Even with his powerful endurance, Kiyo gritted his teeth from the sheer agony of the punishing blaze, holding back a string of expletives that would have gotten him into deeper trouble. The pain and fire soon passed, allowing him to go back to the maiden's near-dead body. He reached under his tunic's collar and retrieved a larger, more ornate scroll. He began to whisper silent oaths. As he did so, he raised his left hand and bit the back of it hard enough to draw blood. With one deft move, Kiyo unfurled the scroll, dripped several drops of blood on it, and then slapped his hands together in prayer.
"Phoenix that rises from the ashes...."
The scroll suddenly detonated in a shower of gilded, crimson powder that covered the comatose maiden. Smoke began to rise from her body as the wounds miraculously healed in a golden light.
"There. Satisfied?"
"Now take her to the medical facilities."
"You know what-"
"Comply." the ring glowed once more with a threatening light.
"You senile @sshole." Kiyo silently muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Kiyo bent down and unceremoniously scooped up the healed girl like a scientist would with an unwanted specimen. He then walked back out of the corridor and sprinted toward the nearest medical office, not wanting to waste anymore time on this troublesome maiden.

 

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