Bound by Duty

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Unfortunately, Otis was not doing quite so well as Lily. She had a way with weapons, while he...well, he just didn't. He was holding his own, but the small creatures seemed to sense that this was an easy target. "Yama, can't you help?" The young man shouted back over his shoulder, as his mentor chose only to recline at the base of a tree. He was certainly alert, but doing a rather good job of playing his role as a casualty.

"I'm afraid I'm bleeding out, Otis. Any physical strain would only hasten my death. What would slow yours, is if you would use that brain of yours to fight, instead of relying on brawn you simply don't have." It was a fair chastisement, and one that would not ordinarily have needed to be said. Otis usually knew his limits, but it seemed that now he was left completely without support, he was panicking just a little bit. Rather than thinking things through, he was simply hacking at his opponents, becoming the personification of a flail, and not in a good way.

Thankfully, the instruction of his superior did seem to galvanise the young man, his determination and form reaching a new height as he would not allow himself to be bested by these silly little creatures. Now, rather than simply striking at each one that got too close, Otis began to actually think about what he was doing, back pedaling slightly as he refused to be bested by any of these monsters.

Otis drew them back, into an area where the trees tightened together, the older trees having grown rather large - perhaps almost too large for their own good. But, it suited Otis, who had the impish things just as packed as the trees were. With this done, he was now able to take a sweeping strike and take out a good swathe of them, a second maneuver with the flail taking out yet more. This was not exactly a heroic way to win, but it worked, and it was just what Yama had been looking for in the pencil pushing student.

"Ah, Lily. Done already, are you?" Yama wasn't surprised, as she was more than proficient in battle, and no doubt a part of her had enjoyed showing off her skill to the young and impressionable Frey. "I take it she didn't let any of them get close to you, Frey?" He nodded in response, turning his attention briefly to Otis, who seemed to have exerted himself rather a lot more than Lily had done.

"I know it may not seem like this was even worth your time, but you must be aware of your comrades at all times. You forgot that on your last mission, and if one of you had been injured, the consequences could have been dire." Yama explained, even as he readied the portal for them to return home. He was certain the lesson would sink in, as these prospective shinigami were not stupid. Now, he had only to ensure Ophelia got the same message.
 
Lily and Frey arrived just as Otis had surrounded himself and the demons between a group of large trees. It almost looked like he was being overwhelmed. Lily gripped her spear, ready to jump in at a moment's notice when Otis successfully killed each demon, using the enclosed space to his advantage. Lily breathed a sigh of relief and regrouped with her team, giving Otis a thumbs up for being able to manage by himself.

"What? We're not going to find a human soul while we're out here too?" Lily complained, but still followed the others as Yama opened the portal. Once again the were greeted by a Guardian who would escort them through the Bridge. As they walked, she provided them with updates about the ongoing situation: they were currently engaging the demon in combat and this one has proven to be stronger than they had predicted. If they were to rate this demon, it would certainly be in the top twenty.

Lily scoffed. "No sweat. I'll kill that demon in a heartbeat and—"

There was a distant clang! followed by shouts that steadily grew closer. The Guardian told them that was the squad fighting the demon. Immediately, Yama, Lily and Otis readied their weapons; Yama even cast a charm that allowed him to grow a second pair of arms for extra measure. They surrounded Frey before continuing on. Soon the confrontation was in sight and Yama's team could see five Guardians chasing a giant serpentine demon. Lily's breath hitched when the demon spotted them, froze for one second and made a sharp turn right for them.

"Keep going!" the Guardian shouted, charging towards the demon with her baton raised.

Yama grabbed Lily, forcing her back into the present and urging them to run until everyone had successfully crossed back into the Shinigami realm. Lily was hunched over, catching her breath as the adrenaline still coursed through her system. As Yama closed the portal, she checked to see if her teammates were okay. Fortunately, the look of shock and fear on Frey was the worse the entire group had suffered of.

"That was close," Lily sighed, leaning on her spear.

"Too close," Yama muttered. His second pair of arms dissipated as he turned to his students. "Rest up and we'll meet later to discuss the mission. You also, Frey." He pointed at the redhead before walking away. He decided to check on Ophelia and ask her to come to the team meeting. Even if she did not participate this time, he figured it would benefit her in some way if she showed up.


With the new addition to her pursuers and the fledgling Shinigamis gone, the demon who called herself Ajatar fled. She barely made it out of the Bridge, closing the portal within barely a millimeter of her tail. Aware the Shinigami were reopening the portal, Ajatar continued running until she no longer could, hiding inside the trunk of a tree. Ajatar's initial plan to use the host body to bypass detection failed, but she survived to try another day. As she nursed her wounds, she mulled over the group of young Shinigami she saw in the Bridge. One in particular stood out; it was a familiar face according to the host body's memories. The memories showed a much younger version of this face who was often times around that accursed, idolized Shinigami. She couldn't believe that murderer could have someone he cared for very much.

Ajatar licked her lips when it dawned on her just who exactly this was, a wide smile spreading across her face. Oh, how much sweeter my revenge will be, Ajatar thought.
 
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