Reality's a Bitch(1x1 with KayKay)

[Chewy Rabbits]

"..."

But if her bet was wrong, she would essentially be trapping herself, and they would no longer be able to take her word for anything. Nemo's life would be forfeit, and she would be at a tactical disadvantage. If she was fighting to prove that the sects and the rest of humanity could live together, what would it mean if she couldn't even save one normal kid?

The martial artist began her calm walk towards the dome. There was no rush, 9:00 was far enough away. Whatever traps they prepared for her had better be significant, or she would simply slice right through them with a blade that was cold as ice and retrieve that boy who looked up to her.

Perhaps she could be a hero, just this once.

"Disillusioned? I'm not dis-anything! I can see clearly and I can see that you guys are bad as bad gets! You pick on those weaker than you and attack good people! You deserve to be stopped and Yukin's going to-ack!"

Nemo cried out as Rika jabbed him in the neck. This felt absolutely terrifying.

Not being able to move anything, not even his pinky finger. But he couldn't afford to show fear. People like these capitalized on openings like that! They'd see what upset Nemo and they'd keep doing it over and over again, be it until he gave them something useful or just to satisfy their jollies. Nemo had a first hand experience with what got Kouki's rocks off as the red haired man beat the ten year old to a bloody pulp with Nemo unable to do much of anything in resistance.

But the idea of sitting here in pain from his injuries while being at their mercy horrified him. They could have left him here to rot and he'd be unable to lift a finger to stop them. Not that he even could given how easily Kouki had made short work of him. But he had to keep hoping. Hope was the light at the end of the tunnel that all heroes prayed to. Hope is what would get them through tough messes like this. Hope is what resided within every true hero's heart.

He may have been a little kid.

He may have even been scared!

But he was not going to lose hope!

Yukin would be just like the angel from his dream! She'd come in here, take down whoever stood in her way and then when she found him? She'd pick him up in her arms and take him away from this nightmare! He just had to keep being strong not just for her sake, but because The Kid would never be afraid!

But...He hoped Yukin came soon.

~~Tokyo Dome~~

Astaroth soared through the air with the wind blowing past his face. Normally, the sensation would have been greatly welcomed. In the deep caverns of Hell, flying this fast would only leave you gasping for air due to Hell's intense heat and too weak to escape it's grip on you. But here you felt free, capable of going wherever you pleased. That was the rule that Nemo and Astaroth lived by. They'd go wherever they pleased and they'd keep eachother safe.

Though given Nemo's status as a ten year old boy, it was mostly the other way around, something Astaroth took in stride of course. He had seen children as the window into a future that could be much brighter than the peers that surrounded them and claimed to be grown up, yet they were no better than the children they claimed to look over. But he had made a great mistake. He had left Nemo alone and now he was with people that Astaroth had no idea who they were or what their business with that woman was.

But he didn't care one bit. They had his friend and weren't willing to give him up. Which meant he'd have to pry Nemo free. From all of their cold dead hands. Touching down near the Tokyo Dome, Astaroth entered with his tail coiled up and poised to strike in case any enemies tried getting the jump on him.

But much to his surprise? Nobody ever seemed to come. Where was everyone, weren't they supposed to be waiting here? Had that one on the phone simply been jerking them around? Smashing his tail into the ground, Astaroth let out a savage roar. Loud enough to be heard below the stadium as Astaroth tried to calm his mind. He wasn't going to get any closer to Nemo by stomping around in an angry stupor. Focusing his mind, Astaroth's wings began to flap as he picked up some sound.

Though it seemed to be coming from down below the floor! Baring his fangs together, Astaroth's eyes began to glow once more. Was this how they were going to play it? They'd hide under the surface like the cowards that they were with his best friend in tow! Smashing his tail against the ground, Astaroth raised his arms above his head and smashed it down onto the ground. The ground shook and trembled under the demon's mighty blows. Digging his claws deeper and deeper, Astaroth wouldn't stop until he got to where he was hearing all this noise coming from!

"NEMO!!!"

@Kaykay​

 

[Kaykay]

It sounded like something akin to rain. But rain underground? What the hell was going on? The people at the top floor of the underground of the Tokyo Dome could hear a sort of banging coming from the roof. They had been alerted to someone coming at this time, but this was how they decided to arrive? Did she even want the kid to live or what?

The floor suddenly opened below Astaroth, dropping him into the top floor of the Bakushin's lair. Men and women armed with knives, bats, and katanas surrounded the demon, though all of them looked rather surprised. The invader was supposed to be a woman, wasn't she? What the hell was this...thing? Some wannabe hero playing dress up?

"You're dead, fucker!"

The group began to close in on Astaroth, planning to slice and beat him down.

In the meantime, though, Yukin had arrived a little bit after the rampaging demon. The floor of the Tokyo Dome was missing, as was any normal traffic or security detail. So this was the level of influence they held. But that wouldn't stop her. Dropping into a room similar to the one Astaroth had, she extended her Qi to her blade and extended it. Like an over-sized meat cleaver, she swung it around in a circle, and corpses fell to the ground around her.

An instant death for the entire room.

Giving no time for them to sound any alarm for her, she began to proceed further into the base. They seemed to already be occupied with someone else. Was it the demon? She couldn't think of anyone else who would have a reason to be here. But he was none of her concern. She hid her presence as she began to skulk about the base, trying to find the room Nemo was hiding in. Only those she couldn't avoid were taken down. No need to waste energy fighting everyone in sight.

"Where are you, Nemo?"

@Chewy Rabbits​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

t sounded like something akin to rain. But rain underground? What the hell was going on? The people at the top floor of the underground of the Tokyo Dome could hear a sort of banging coming from the roof. They had been alerted to someone coming at this time, but this was how they decided to arrive? Did she even want the kid to live or what?

The floor suddenly opened below Astaroth, dropping him into the top floor of the Bakushin's lair. Men and women armed with knives, bats, and katanas surrounded the demon, though all of them looked rather surprised. The invader was supposed to be a woman, wasn't she? What the hell was this...thing? Some wannabe hero playing dress up?

"You're dead, fucker!"

The group began to close in on Astaroth, planning to slice and beat him down.

"Where is he...?"

Astaroth growled out as he rose to his full height which meant he was likely towering over those surrounding him. They had their knives, swords, bats. But it was all the same in this demon's eyes. They had made the mistake of taking something very near and dear to him and when he'd come for it? They drew their weapons and stood their ground. But Astaroth had seen better men crumble under worse conditions. He wasn't going to let these scumbags off the hook.

Taking a step forward, Astaroth's talons scratched against the metal floor of the base. It almost sounded akin to nails scraping along a chalkboard as Astaroth's tail coiled up, a sure-fire sign that he was ready to strike. His eyes glowing an almost ironically angelic white, Astaroth glanced around at those gathered as he drew closer and closer with every step he took furthering his menacing air.

"Where is my-"

One of the group, perhaps one who'd simply seen Astaroth as a crazed man in a costume, lunged forward. Raising his sword above his head he swung it downwards. The blade firmly wedged itself within the flesh of the demon's shoulder and a sickly looking-corpse like trail of blood oozed out from the wound. Gripping onto the blade with his claw, Astaroth calmly pulled it out of his shoulder causing blood to gush out from the wound and splatter onto the floor. Giving the blade a good tug, it snapped in twain as he gripped onto the shattered halve of the sword with his tail and impaled it into the nearest wall.

"Friend."

The man seemed quite put off by how Astaroth barely even seemed to acknowledge the wound he'd been given. But he didn't know what the hell this thing's deal was. Drawing a knife from his back pocket, he lunged forward and it was in the blink of an eye with what happened next. The man's hand was suddenly on the floor and Astaroth's tail had it's stinger coated in blood as he coiled it once more.

The man had barely been able to comprehend what had happened. One moment his hand had been there, then there was a brief flicker of movement, and suddenly it wasn't! Clutching at the stump, Astaroth picked him up by the collar and lunged forward as he sunk his fangs into the guy's throat and pulled back. Violently tearing open his carotid artery and spraying blood on both himself and those close by. Letting the body drop to the floor after that, Astaroth turned towards those that were left and bared his blood soaked fangs at them.

"So, I'll take it he didn't know. Which one of you does, huh? Which one of you kidnapped and hurt my friend?" Astaroth practically growled out the last part of that query as he got onto all fours and his tail curled up like a scorpion's tail as he charged straight into the crowd. He could feel swords plunging in and through his back. Knives raking bloody gashes across his chest. Bats smashing against his ribs. But the pain may as well have been dulled for the demon. He was running on pure adrenaline and fury!

Some tried getting the jump on him from behind. They stuck their swords into the demon's back. But they wouldn't be escaping unscathed. Astaroth's tail swung like a wrecking ball, clearing through all three necks and smashing a fourth grunt's head straight into and through the nearest wall. He preferred fighting on all fours like a savage beast rather than on his feet like a human. But as the knives came in, Astaroth raised his claws and watched as the knives snapped as he swung his claws outward and the blades cracked against the naturally hard plating.

Knocking one man into a crowd of his fellows, Astaroth leaped up and flapped his wings as his muscles began to bulge once again. His torso was absolutely coated in black blood from the wounds the Bakushin had been able to inflict on him. He hadn't even bothered removing the knives and swords from his back. His fangs were coated in a sticky red blood from all the throats he'd torn out and the bite marks he had left on those who had gotten too close to him. None of them had desired to tell him where Nemo was. It seemed they'd preferred dying by his hand. Loyal to the end he supposed.

It was admirable but only up to a certain degree. At this point it became less a matter of refusing to aid the enemy and more a meager form of petty resistance. If they couldn't slay the beast. Best to deny him what it is he seeks.

Opening his mouth, Astaroth let out another savage roar. One that would have certainly echoed throughout the halls. It did serve a purpose however rather than simply getting across his frustration with these people. It was also to let Nemo-wherever he may have been within this place to know that he was here and no matter how many bodies were thrown against him. He'd tear through all of them until his friend was safe within his arms. But the roar also served the purpose of absolutely terrifying those who stood before him.

Some dropped their weapons, some stepped back, others simply froze up on the spot. What was this abomination they were forced to fight against? It had the body of a man, claws sharper than any tiger or lions and tough enough to break steel weapons as if they were toothpicks, black horns like a bull straight from the deepest circle of Hell, and a tail curved like a whip with the tip of it resembling a scorpion's stinger. All in all it seemed like something you might have seen in your worst nightmare. But it spoke just like a man. It had demanded to see where that boy they had detained was being held. But...They couldn't hand away that information. They had their orders.

But did the orders apply when you were being mowed down by a beast that spoke like a man and fought like an animal. All the Bakushin kept their eyes glued onto Astaroth as he stared them down in return.

There were no more words to be had as far as Astaroth was concerned. He had offered them chance after chance to drop their blades and tell him what he wished to know. But just as Nemo's goodwilled nature was spit back into his face, Astaroth's wariness of humans only became more cemented with their violent response. But if this is what they wanted?

Violence, Astaroth could do violence.

Having heard the roar, Nemo's eyes widened as there was very little else he could do. Due to Rika's machinations, Nemo couldn't move any of his limbs which left him in the same seated position he'd been forced in since he got here. But he knew that roar all too well. D often made it when he got angry about bad things. Like people getting hurt and the two of them being unable to do anything about it. But if D was here then that meant...

"Yukin!"

@Kaykay​

 

[Kaykay]

Just as the Bakushin reminded Astaroth of his hatred of humanity, the demon did the same for the sect members. This demon was like the materialization of what they perceived the rest of humanity as, demons that tore through them with not a hint of regret. Monsters in human skin that wouldn't hesitate to kill someone purely for the skill set they or a family member possessed. So in turn, they would become the oppressors, the monsters. The ones who were called humans were simply the ones who were stronger.

So they persisted, trying and trying again as they tried to kill the monster. But it wasn't working, he shrugged off their weapons, their strikes, everything!

Crashing through a wall, a man with red hair rushed in with an incredible punch, his body lighting up with a blood red aura as he struck the demon like a tank shell, intending to send him flying straight out of the building and into the earth surrounding it!

"Here, fucker. You enjoy spilling blood? You want to fucking dismember my friends limb from limb?! I speak your fucking language, so come and get it!"

---

It didn't take long for Yukin to detect Nemo's presence. Her Qi had long expanded throughout the building, giving her an idea of just about everything that was there. This made evasion easy, at least, against the majority of the ones around. Most were martial artists hardly any better than normal people, but there were a few who could be called masters of their craft, like the one she'd killed in the subway. From them, she'd have to remain wary.

She soon made it to Nemo's room, opening up the door. There was no one around, so it should've been safe. But why wasn't there anyone near Nemo?

A foot planted itself firmly into her stomach, folding her over, before a knee crashed into the side of her head, slamming her into and breaking the wall behind her. Yukin was embedded into the underground as debris flew here and there as a result of the strike. Rika Masaki glared her down, a dark blue aura surrounding her limbs.

"So...who are you?"

"I have no obligation to answer."

Without wasting a moment, Rika attemped to grab Yukin with a bubble similar to the one she'd carried Nemo in, but a light blue aura surrounded Yukin's own body. The earth around her exploded, freeing her as she dashed forward and called her sword to her.

The bubble missed as Yukin moved in and swung her sword, aiming to cleave Rika in two. She wouldn't lose this fight, even if her opponent was at this level.

@Chewy Rabbits​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Crashing through a wall, a man with red hair rushed in with an incredible punch, his body lighting up with a blood red aura as he struck the demon like a tank shell, intending to send him flying straight out of the building and into the earth surrounding it!

"Here, fucker. You enjoy spilling blood? You want to fucking dismember my friends limb from limb?! I speak your fucking language, so come and get it!"

Blades sunk through and mutilated flesh, bats battered and broke bones, knives sliced and sheared both. But it was all just part of the process. The process being of course cutting through this seemingly never-ending wave of trash until one of them decided honor or pettiness wasn't worth their life and told him what he wished to know. But given how many seemed insistent on making him into their ravenous blood-hungry pincushion, that'd be a long time coming. But it was no skin off Astaroth's nose.

Swinging his stinger around like the Grim Reaper's sickle, he sent more and more of these determined fools to an early grave. One that could have been avoided had they simply told him what he wished to know. But such was the resilience of the human spirit. When used for the right causes, Astaroth supposed it was worth of respect. Fighting for a cause no matter the odds in order to bring about the greater good. But how could these people have interpreted what they'd done as serving the greater good? They had beaten a child as he knew Nemo would not have gone quietly into their possession, taken him away from his parents who no doubt were worried sick about their child's well-being and all to draw out a hated enemy of theirs?

Astaroth detested serial killers, especially ones that preyed upon children. They were as low as Astaroth figured humanity could sink. But these people brought it to depths the demon hadn't even thought possible. They believed they were in the right and were willing to lay down their lives regardless of the morality of what they'd done. Almost admirable, wholly sick. As a trail of viscera an blood soared past Astaroth's eyes, he bared his fangs and roared once again.

"RAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!"

If these people could not see the need to be reasonable even as their fellows were cut down in increasingly brutal and savage ways? Astaroth saw no alternative course of action. Even as he felt a blade bite into his stomach and tear a wide swath across it, he refused to yield. The window for talking any of this out had been closed and nothing would open it. When this was all said and done, there would only be the sound of the blood running out of the bodies and onto the floor below.

But in the midst of the battle or rather the slaughter, something burst through the wall and Astaroth barely had enough time to react. The newcomer had came too close too quickly for a swing with the tail. Wondering what could have been going through his head to charge the demon so boldly, Astaroth lifted his right claw up to try and deflect the incoming blow. Much to his surprise however, the blow smashed right into the unarmored section of the beast's arm and the flesh gave way under the impact. Twisting as bones ruptured and cracked due to the strain. Taken aback by this relatively powerful show of power, Astaroth dug his talons into the ground and reaching back with his free hand, he let loose a fireball to blast a hole into the wall to allow him to get some distance.

Breaking off the impact before it grew any worse, Astaroth's talons skidded across the ground as he glanced up at the man who had attacked him so brazenly. His mangled right arm was evidence enough of why the man felt so emboldened to do so. He was stronger than the others for sure. He may as well have been in a class all his own. But that aura Astaroth picked up from him and that attitude. He desired spilling blood in any shape or form. An excuse to do so was just the cherry on top. But what amused Astaroth more was the notion that these had all been his friends that he'd been mowing down.

"Heh..."

Clutching his left claw to the gaping wound on his stomach as blood continued to spill out, Astaroth couldn't help but sneer at the notion. He supposed that even the darkest of souls found camaraderie somewhere. But he knew that this human didn't give a damn about the corpses surrounding him. He just saw an opponent worth his time and decided to get mixed up in it.

"Your friends, huh? Guess that'd explain why they refused on telling me where the boy is. They've gotta be depraved and emotionless to be able to stomach standing around someone like you..." His tail reared up and actually took a few swipes at the portion of his arm that Kouki had damaged. Blood squirted out and painted the ground a corpse-like shade of black until the arm itself eventually fell to the ground. No point keeping it around if it was practically dead weight by that point.

"But you're even worse than them. You want to know how I know that? Because you're the one who did it."

Astaroth sniffed and took a step forward with blood spewing from his fresh stump and running down his stomach as his tail smashed the ground behind him. "I can smell his blood on your hands. You hurt him didn't you? Hurt someone who had no chance of fighting back...How do you think your friends felt as I slaughtered them? They were probably hoping you'd come and save them any minute. Defeat the big bad monster and go about your business.."

Digging up huge trails of dirt within his talons, Astaroth's muscles seemed to bulge and his eyes grew red. The very image of this crazed battle-hungry lunatic pounding away at Nemo. With the boy likely doing his damnedest to resist. It stirred up a feeling within Astaroth that was usually only reserved for the worst humanity had to offer like child-killers and the like. But this man like them showed no reservation for what he'd done and in fact seemed to try and paint Astaroth in the wrong!

It was at that moment that Kouki may have noticed an aura lingering from Astaroth as well. One that seemed even far more wild than his own and with a pitch black intensity to it that Kouki may as well have been staring down the Devil himself as Astaroth channeled his aura not because scum like Kouki deserved his full power. But because he needed to be at his peak when getting revenge on the man who dared hurt Nemo.

The aura even seemed to manifest an image reminiscent of a monster even greater than the one standing before Kouki. One that trained it's gaze right upon him and if he paid close attention? It sounded as if it roared as well!

As Astaroth continued to close in on Kouki and steadily closed the distance between the two of them, thoughts ran through his head. It'd been so long since he had seen a human capable of rendering this much damage to him. Not that Nemo had ever been able to see anything like that. He didn't wish to make the boy worry when it wasn't necessary after all. But there was always the possibility in that attempting to rescue Nemo, Astaroth might have inadvertently been sealing his own grave. He may have had a regeneration ability but it didn't make him immortal, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Eventually, wounds would catch up with him and he would fall. But he'd already been taken by the hands of Death once and the afterlife hadn't been too pleasant. But it was worth going through it as many times as he had to do to save his friend's life. As his tail continued to drag lazily along the ground behind him and the blood flowing from his wounds seemed to have no end, Astaroth couldn't help but idly flashback to the first time him and Nemo had met. He opened up that window and Nemo looked like Christmas had come early. Someone who wanted to be his friend? It might as well have been a miracle.

"Let's be friends til the end of time!"

"...Yep, friends til the end of time."

An existence that was there simply to make sure Nemo's life wasn't as filled with the same tragedies and woes as his own had been?

Yeah, he could safely say that was an existence worth living.

Digging his talons into the ground, Astaroth flared his aura as he glared down Kouki. His tail coiled up and prepared to strike when the moment was right. Whether Death claimed him during this fight or after, he would see to it that Nemo's assailant paid for what he had done! Pointing a claw in Kouki's direction, the demon growled out.

"Every blow you laid upon Nemo. I'll return every single one, TENFOLD!"

"RAAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHH!!"

As the ground gave way under Astaroth's talons, the demon vanished in a blur as he charged forward. With his claw raised above his head, he swung it downwards at Kouki in an attempt to garner a sledgehammer blow on the human. He'd make him feel as bad as Nemo likely had! He'd regret ever staining his hands with that blood!
​

It didn't take long for Yukin to detect Nemo's presence. Her Qi had long expanded throughout the building, giving her an idea of just about everything that was there. This made evasion easy, at least, against the majority of the ones around. Most were martial artists hardly any better than normal people, but there were a few who could be called masters of their craft, like the one she'd killed in the subway. From them, she'd have to remain wary.

She soon made it to Nemo's room, opening up the door. There was no one around, so it should've been safe. But why wasn't there anyone near Nemo?

A foot planted itself firmly into her stomach, folding her over, before a knee crashed into the side of her head, slamming her into and breaking the wall behind her. Yukin was embedded into the underground as debris flew here and there as a result of the strike. Rika Masaki glared her down, a dark blue aura surrounding her limbs.

"So...who are you?"

"I have no obligation to answer."

The moments continued to click by. He could hear the screams and roars of the people who fought D and...Well D himself. Yukin likely took a stealthier approach as it was probably the more favorable option. D brought the brawn and Yukin brought both the brains and the brawn. The perfect package of awesomeness! But this was certainly quite the nerve wracking experience for the boy. The sensation of not being able to do anything but glance around with his eyes and speak was frightening. It left him in such a state of helplessness that really reflected just how out of his league he was.

"Yukin! D! Where are you guys?!"

Nemo cried out only to pause as he heard someone come into the room. He couldn't run up and hug her due to what Rika had did to him. But he refused to hold back the tears this time. His hero had arrived and she was going to save him! Then he could introduce her to D properly and they could be the tightest knit group of friends ever-But things couldn't be so easy. Watching in horror as Yukin was embedded into the wall, Nemo struggled to move! Not that he could have done anything to help! But this couldn't be how it ended!

Yukin was going to save him and they were all going home together! A prediction that got right back on track as Yukin called her sword to her and swung. He didn't like seeing people lose their lives even if they were bad. But this lady certainly deserved a beatdown! As for Yukin herself? She looked just like the angel Nemo had imagined her to be in his dream.

"Yukin! Beat her! Beat her like the villain that she is!"

@Kaykay






​

 

[Kaykay]

"Keh, yeah, that's right. I'm fucking depraved as hell. I'm a sadistic bastard. I'm the kid who tore spiders and mice apart cause it was interestin'. I live to spill blood! But you wanna know what makes that justice?! Huh, huh?!"

Kouki simply turned his body slightly, evading the incoming claw. What an amateurish attack. This was the kind of brute who relied on nothing but what he was born with. The teen could appreciate that, this primal fighting style, but he'd long learned the limits to such fighting. A certain woman had opened up his eyes...

With his body still glowing with energy, he slammed his fist into the demon's chin as he leaped off the ground. His own power and momentum added to the demon's own downward one, multiplying the force of his strike. But he wasn't done there. As he began his descent to the ground, his other fist came in flying like a nest of hornets, stinging Astaroth countless times without a single break in between. The downward strikes pummeled any lift the demon might have suffered back down to the ground, as if his fists were gravity itself.

"You damned fuckers brought this on yourselves! Don't you fucking dare talk to us as if you were humans, pigs! You want to talk revenge?! You fucking want to talk about revenge?! I'll fucking give you back our pain a HUNDRED fold!!!"

His body turned around as he gave the first break in his onslaught, but it didn't last long. His leg came swinging in to attempt to connect with Astaroth's temple. The legs were about three times as strong as the arms, so this kick carried force that made his previous strikes seem like mere slaps!

---

clang

The blade met a bare foot, the light and dark blue auras clashing as they did. Yukin's arm shook a little as she tried to press her Qi and sword forward, but against this woman it wasn't enough it seemed. The white haired girl lost the trade and was forced to jump back, Rika pushing the sword back with her foot.

That alone was problematic, but then there was the fact she'd had time to take off her shoes before the strike had even reached her. This was bad. She was physically completely outclassed.

"...Not bad."

"Likewise."

But there was more to fighting than just how strong or fast you were. Yukin's Qi flared, covering the entire room in an incredibly oppressive aura. It was like what Kouki had done, only much more intense, and colder. She'd have to apologize to Nemo later, but she had to win this fight!

Rika's Qi flared in response, more than doubling the aura flooding the room. Both of them individually could kill someone purely with their Qi flares, but they focused all of it on the opponent before them. The aura in the room was merely a side effect. The two almost seemed to be in their own world, a swordswoman and pugilist moving in their own time.

Too fast to see, Yukin darted behind Rika and slashed, her Qi enveloping her blade as she extended it to the ends of the room. A mere step or two wouldn't allow one to dodge this. But Rika hopped into the air, moving straight towards Yukin with a chambered leg.

Her leg swung around and met the extended blade of Qi. Yukin had snaked her Qi blade back around in an attempt to pierce Rika's chest from behind, but it seemed this blue haired girl wasn't foolish enough to fall for that. Rika's other leg came in like a bolt of lightning directed right at Yukin's head, but she evaded it with a graceful turn of her head and retaliated with yet another swing of her sword. She swung upwards, piercing the heavens with the speed and intensity of the movement.

Rika, being in midair, had no way to evade, and simply used her Qi to block the attack, but she couldn't absorb all the damage. She was knocked back a few yards before landing on the ground, but Yukin wouldn't let up. She pressed forward, staying just at the tip of her sword's range as she thrust her katana forwards, keeping her Qi small and focused on her blade. If she wanted to inflict any meaningful damage, it'd have to be like this. Her opponent was far too strong to take down with sneaky movements like the one she'd done before.

Rika held her hand out, and the blade stopped. The dark blue aura was focused entirely on her thumb and index finger, which grasped Yukin's sword and stopped it in its tracks. Yet throughout this exchange, not once did either of their expressions change.

It was like watching a battle between two robots who moved as gracefully as humans.

@Chewy Rabbits​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Kouki simply turned his body slightly, evading the incoming claw. What an amateurish attack. This was the kind of brute who relied on nothing but what he was born with. The teen could appreciate that, this primal fighting style, but he'd long learned the limits to such fighting. A certain woman had opened up his eyes...

With his body still glowing with energy, he slammed his fist into the demon's chin as he leaped off the ground. His own power and momentum added to the demon's own downward one, multiplying the force of his strike. But he wasn't done there. As he began his descent to the ground, his other fist came in flying like a nest of hornets, stinging Astaroth countless times without a single break in between. The downward strikes pummeled any lift the demon might have suffered back down to the ground, as if his fists were gravity itself.

"You damned fuckers brought this on yourselves! Don't you fucking dare talk to us as if you were humans, pigs! You want to talk revenge?! You fucking want to talk about revenge?! I'll fucking give you back our pain a HUNDRED fold!!!"

His body turned around as he gave the first break in his onslaught, but it didn't last long. His leg came swinging in to attempt to connect with Astaroth's temple. The legs were about three times as strong as the arms, so this kick carried force that made his previous strikes seem like mere slaps!

"Gets off on mutilating animals? Enjoys spilling blood? Revels in your depravity? Sounds to me like all the makings for a social outcast. One who lashes out at those who don't agree with your warped interpretation of the world!" Astaroth roared out as his claw went wide and smashed into the ground rather than Kouki's head. The blow however still carried quite the impact behind it as the shockwave kicked up by the blow spread outwards.

But one of the disadvantages of only having one arm would soon become painfully clear to Astaroth as the first blow socked him in the chin. The blow had enough weight behind it that it was through sheer luck alone that the demon's chin and lower jaw weren't turned into paste. A fang or two was certainly lost though as it was flung off to the side and sent flying to the ground. Before Astaroth could react however, the blows continued to rain down upon him. Kouki's fists may as well have been coated in tar with how much of Astaroth's blood he had on them.

As the demon crashed to the ground, his wings flapped uselessly while practically spewing blood from his mouth. Given how he was flat on his back and how weak he was after the repeated pummeling, it was a wonder he didn't choke on it. It also didn't help that the blood from his still fresh stump was continuing just as it had been. The same went for the stomach wound a lucky Bakushin grunt had been able to inflict upon him.

However, Astaroth was still alive despite it all and he wasn't going to go that easily. Rising to his feet as the kick came in for his temple, the leg smashed right into the side of Astaroth's head and for a brief moment, everything in the world seemed to pause. As if this would be the decisive blow and Astaroth would have toppled over.

...

"...No!"

But he refused to kneel!

Wrapping his tail around the length of Kouki's leg, Astaroth bound it tightly to prevent the punk from escaping. Using his claw, Astaroth began to tug onto one of his horns. "You talk of how I'm a monster in your eyes, how I'm such a pig...That I dare speak as if I were a human. But I'll make you see..ngh...the...truth. I'll open your eyes and show you just how..agh...BLIND YOU'VE BEEN!"

Ripping the horn straight off his head, Astaroth swung it like a dagger to pierce Kouki's leg. Seeking to drive it right into his femur and as far as it could go. Yet another avenue for blood to escape from Astaroth's body was opened by the action but as he unwrapped his tail from Kouki's leg and flapped his wings to blow him back and get some more distance between the two, Astaroth coughed up a wad of blood and bile straight onto the ground in front of him. But even with blood stained fangs and a wounded body, he still found the time to smirk.

"Heh, you know it's almost funny. I've already a foot in the grave due to you and your friends. But all I can think of is how refreshing it'll be when I've beaten you and rescued my friend. The warmth his smile will bring this cold demon heart. I bet you can't say the same. You wear the skin of a human but you're blind to the kindness and comfort that having a true companion can bring you. All you've ever known is how to fight and kill and enjoying every minute of it..."

Removing his hand from his chest wound, Astaroth let out a sigh of contention. He knew fully well that he wasn't embellishing his claim by any means. Having been forced to sever his arm, got a nasty cut across the stomach and now missing a horn? If he'd been a human, he would have dropped dead a long time ago. But that was it wasn't it?

He wasn't human, not anymore at least. Perhaps in another lifetime he had been. But all the same, that made him a better judge of humanity than someone like Kouki in his eyes. Someone like Kouki despised humanity but because they didn't mesh with what Kouki's idea of society should have been. Astaroth had a chance to live among humanity and see all their flaws laid bare. Having met his end and experienced his rebirth into the world as we know it through a demon's body, he'd already seen what humanity had to offer and gems like Nemo were what shined through the darkness which made him all the more worthwhile to protect.

But if this man, this monster was so far gone? Then he'd see Kouki just how ridiculous his superstition was. That it was a fool's errand to stand before a monster like he claimed to be doing. Astaroth's aura flared around him and despite Astaroth's heavily injured state, it seemed even more fierce than last time. In fact the aura managed to blend so perfectly with Astaroth that he seemed bigger, stronger, and even more beast-like than he had previously. His eyes still glowing that radiant angelic white, crimson blood dripped down from his fangs as the ground began to quake under his talons due to the power he was giving off.

"If what you see before you is a sea of bogeyman and you're the righteous one than show me! Show me where you draw your conviction from and strike me down, boy!"

Astaroth's already deep voice seemed to become even more distorted as he smashed his tail against the ground and bared his fangs at Kouki in a show of challenge!

The only question left was whether or not Kouki would stand up to the plate and accept!​

Rika held her hand out, and the blade stopped. The dark blue aura was focused entirely on her thumb and index finger, which grasped Yukin's sword and stopped it in its tracks. Yet throughout this exchange, not once did either of their expressions change.

It was like watching a battle between two robots who moved as gracefully as humans.

"Wow..."

It was awe-inspiring seeing these two women go at it like they were. The grace with which they moved, it was brillant. Almost like a dance of death with each move bringing the partner closer and closer to the end of said dance. Which would also mean the end of their life by extension. Such levels of skill were lost on the young boy who never believed he could replicate something on that level! But it soon became apparent that Yukin couldn't do this on her own! She needed help and D had to have been busy. Their was no other excuse for it. D may have been wary of humans but wariness or not he'd be right on the front lines fighting this woman alongside Yukin if he had a choice.

But had he know the kind of condition that his beloved best friend was in now, it might have brought even more tears to fall from the child's eyes. Which had been a bloody-red due to the stress of holding back his tears for as long as he had. Only to have let them all go at once. Which left it up to him. He couldn't stand by while the woman who had told him stories of wonder and amazement was beaten down like a dog. Gritting his teeth, Nemo struggled to move anything, anything at all! But it seemed like Rika's trick had taken Nemo out of the fight entirely. Or so it had seemed anyway.

Taking a page out of Yukin and even Rika's notebook, Nemo noted how calm both women seemed to be. Both of them were the calmest women he'd ever seen even if they walked from two different ends of the spectrum. So if he just tried to focus and...There!

Glancing down at his hand, Nemo noticed that his right hand was starting to clench, a sure-fire sign that he was making progress! Digging his nails into the floor, Nemo continued to work at it. He had to be strong, he had to be brave just like the people from Yukin's story!
​

A hero's adventures, even, to someone like Nemo. The time Sung dived into the river to catch them some fish. The times Jiang had covered her back while she flew into crowded battlefields. Underneath the violence and losses were fond memories and extraordinary examples of teamwork, and friends.
​

He had to be there for Yukin, just like all of her friends had been! Soon, he would have regained movement in his left hand as well. Then eventually his right leg and the left followed shortly after! He had done it against all odds and he didn't even know how! Unknowingly however, Nemo had managed to tap into his Qi. The very same source of energy that the two women in front of him were using in their very fight.

Shakily rising to his feet, Nemo let out a series of ragged breaths as his body still wasn't in the best shape after his beatdown. He likely had some broken bones and severe bruising after this. Seeing Yukin in danger however forced him to put all of that aside! When someone good was in danger, he had to step forward!

"Leave my friend alone!"

Rushing forward, Nemo leaped at Rika as he attempted to grab her around the waist. It wasn't much given Nemo's depleted energy and how weak he was. But locking his hands together around the woman's waist seemed like the most sure-fire way to stop her from hurting Yukin. Glancing up at Rika, Nemo glared. "Stop this! You don't have to fight her!"

@Kaykay





​

 

[Kaykay]

As Astaroth swung his horn, Kouki's body continued to glow with Qi. It focused on his leg, providing him with a sort of armor against the piercing weapon. But the blunt force still hit him, causing him to wince in pain as he pulled back, his leg aching as though it'd been struck by a metal baseball bat. But that wince quickly disappeared once the demon began to speak, replaced by a look of absolute mockery.

"Heh...heh...heh...Hah! Kyahahahaha! You're as fucking stupid as you look! Kindness?! Comfort?! Whose fucking fault is it that they're both gone, huuuuh?! I'll smash your bones, I'll crush your head, I'll fucking tear you apart!"

His Qi grew even larger, but at the same time seemed almost more tranquil somehow despite the animalistic expression on his face. He raised his right foot and slammed it into the ground in front of him, cracking the ground under his power. His red locks began to float as if there were a strong breeze coming from below him, his aura growing to match that of the demon's.

"A sea of bogeymen? This ain't a kid's fairy tail, asshole, this is gonna be a fucking extermination! Let's go, fucker!"

With a roar that sounded almost more draconic than human, He lashed out with his legs once again. But this time it was absolutely incomparable to his previous kick, like it wasn't even the same person. A blood red trail followed his legs' path due to the intensity of the Qi, the first kick aimed straight at the demon's chest!

"Dragon Bares its Fangs!"

One of the most powerful kicking techniques in the martial art world, the 18 kicks to slay a dragon. Though Kouki hadn't mastered the techniques, the fact he could use it whatsoever was a testament to his strength, strength to mow down armies with a single swing of his legs!

Down in Nemo's holding room, Yukin expanded the Qi in her sword, forcing Rika to release it from her grasp. If this woman could simply grab her sword, that was quite the problem. But she doubted it was that simple. Her Qi had to be concentrated in order to stop it so easily, which just meant that the thrust of her sword was too predictable. This was going to be a long fi-

"Wha-?"

Yukin couldn't believe her eyes. Nemo was...moving? She'd assumed Rika had used a pressure point strike given his lack of movement despite no bindings, but it required knowledge of how to breathe properly to get out of one. Knowledge Nemo did not have. Had he simply utilized a method of breathing by pure luck and chance?

But Rika hardly seemed to notice, as if some dust had landed on her back. Though her Qi was focused purely on Yukin, the remnants around her were still more than enough to blow the boy away, likely sending him crashing into a wall. The boy might as well have been a dust mite for the good it did him.

And for once, Yukin's expression changed.

It was still cold like snow, tranquil like a lake. But the edges of her mouth curved downwards into what was certainly a frown. The first sign of emotional humanity from the pair of fighters.

Yukin held her sword out horizontally in front of her, her right hand open as her palm was pressed against the blunt side of her sword. Unlike the other displays of Qi, however, there didn't seem to be anything obvious going on. There was no air, no pressure, no flashes of Qi. But one look at her gave away the intensity in her stance, the Qi that had been built up.

"Dance 1: Snowfall."

Like an illusion, the swordswoman disappeared.

Rika pulled her fists up, immediately taking a much more defensive stance compared to the hands down stance she'd been fighting with this whole time. She'd been in control of the pace of the fight, which was kept even only barely thanks to Yukin being a weapon user, but now Yukin had vanished from her sight? What was this?

Strikes came down on her from above. They weren't particularly fast, but their trajectories were absolute nonsense! How could a sword strike like this? Straight down towards her head, around to her back, curving towards her legs, slipping to slit her throat, it was snakes of blades were snowing upon her! She raised her Qi to block one, but found her body didn't give off enough passive Qi to deflect it, earning her a slice on the cheek.

Stomping on the ground to leap away, she was forced to retreat from Yukin's aerial assault.

"...That technique..."

Yukin landed again, this time her sword chambered at her hip as she crouched low to the ground, so low that most dogs would tower above her. But this time Rika knew better than to judge the technique by the strange stance preceding it. These sword techniques had to be...

"Dance 67: Absolute Flood."

Like a river current, she streamed across the room in a flash, her sword colliding with Rika's shin as the girl with the eye-patch blocked it. It wasn't over there, though. Water crashed in wherever water wasn't, flooding in to fill the gap and create an even distribution. Yukin's movements were the same. The room was the ocean, her opponent was the gap, and she was the force of water. She flew across the room, low to the ground as she went for Rika's footing over and over and over again.

Realizing her target, Rika jumped and took to the air, before Yukin simply jumped up and followed her with yet another slash. Rika blocked again, but the assault didn't let up. Even in the air, Yukin and her blade continued to dance in the air, like waves intent on crushing their target. Small cuts appeared on Rika's uniform, her Qi unable to completely block it all off.

"Dance 2: Thundering Rain from Heaven."

Yukin was above Rika in an instant, and her sword came crashing down, seeking to skewer her enemy from head to toe!

"Dragon Pierces Heaven."

Her foot flew up, meeting Yukin's blade and pushing it back! A draconic roar accompanied the kick flooded in a dark blue aura as it completely overtook Yukin's technique, sending her crashing through the ceiling. She flew up, up, up, even past the battle Kouki and Astaroth were having up above, before crashing out through the ground, above the dome, and into the air. Her body flew like a missile before she finally began her descent once more, crashing back down to the room in which she'd started like a meteor.

Rika's legs were glowing with her aura, except the size of it was larger than the woman herself. It was as if her Qi was another being entirely. Yukin coughed up blood as she propped herself up onto her knees and sword.

"18...dragon slaying kicks...?"

"Correct. Your Gentle Snow Fierce Water Sword is powerful. You may have even defeated me with more training. But the one who has more in reserve at the end is the victor. I would say to remember this, but this is going to be your final battle. Good-bye, Yukin Zheng. Dragon Fetches Water."

Rika whirled around before seeming to almost teleport behind the still kneeling Yukin, her leg flying to crack Yukin's skull open from behind!

@Chewy Rabbits​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

With a roar that sounded almost more draconic than human, He lashed out with his legs once again. But this time it was absolutely incomparable to his previous kick, like it wasn't even the same person. A blood red trail followed his legs' path due to the intensity of the Qi, the first kick aimed straight at the demon's chest!

"Dragon Bares its Fangs!"

One of the most powerful kicking techniques in the martial art world, the 18 kicks to slay a dragon. Though Kouki hadn't mastered the techniques, the fact he could use it whatsoever was a testament to his strength, strength to mow down armies with a single swing of his legs!

"Then you are lost..."

Closing his eyes as it became all too clear that Kouki was to consumed within his own dogma to succumb to any kind of change, Astaroth decided he had to end this here and now. Every moment he stood here bleeding out onto the floor and listening to this human peddle this atrocious garbage and his vulgar taunts was a moment where Nemo's life hung in the balance. As Astaroth's muscles bulged again, he opened his eyes and raised his knee to meet Kouki's kick while his other talon dug deeply into the ground.

Forcing his own aura to counter Kouki's, a thin layer of it was preventing the kick from simply smashing straight through Astaroth's leg. But he knew it wouldn't be long before the aura gave way and his leg's armor was shattered as was the flesh underneath. Which is why he made to make this quick. The ground beneath both fighters was about ready to give way due to the immense quantity of power they were giving off. But Astaroth wasn't planning on dying here!

Letting out a roar of his own, his tail came swinging in once more as it knocked Kouki's incoming leg of to the side. As soon as Kouki's leg was knocked aside, Astaroth sought to take advantage while the human tried to regain his balance and probably let out a colorful expletive while he was at it. Lunging forward, Astaroth's claw lit aflame with hell fire as he forced it onwards, seeking to punch straight through Kouki's layer of Qi to grip him by the neck.

With Astaroth so close and his aura was overwhelming as it was, Kouki was right. Astaroth certainly couldn't call himself human, that's for damn sure!

"IT'S OVER!"

Putting all of his energy into the following move, Astaroth realized that being this close to Kouki left him wide-open for a counter attack. Which given how much energy these legs of his were giving off didn't seem like it'd be very pleasurable to be struck by. But any and all chances of taking the easy way out had left when Astaroth had to sever his own arm. It was now and never! He had wasted far too much time here! Seeking to lift Kouki up, Astaroth swung him downwards and sought to smash him straight into the ground.

With as much power as he could muster out of his mangled body! Which still would have been enough to send a resounding shockwave throughout the area. Continuing to hold down Kouki, Astaroth pushed him further and further into the crater that likely would have been made before pulling his hand back. It didn't even need to be said that Astaroth was in bad shape. From an arm that had yet to regenerate, a gaping stomach wound, a shattered horn and being thumped by one of Kouki's stray kicks which likely shattered quite a number of ribs and maybe punctured an internal organ, who knew?

But he had to keep moving forward. Despite the agonizing pain in his body begging him to stay back and rest up. Keep moving for Nemo. Looking back at Kouki, Astaroth frowned as he turned into his shadow form and began to slink along the wall. Despite all the trouble Kouki had put Astaroth through, he couldn't help but notice just how powerful the teen was.

"So much potential. Such a damn shame you're crazy."

​

"18...dragon slaying kicks...?"

"Correct. Your Gentle Snow Fierce Water Sword is powerful. You may have even defeated me with more training. But the one who has more in reserve at the end is the victor. I would say to remember this, but this is going to be your final battle. Good-bye, Yukin Zheng. Dragon Fetches Water."

Rika whirled around before seeming to almost teleport behind the still kneeling Yukin, her leg flying to crack Yukin's skull open from behind!

Why was it that this one-eyed woman fought? Why did her and her friends seemed so insistent on bringing Yukin's life to an end? To the point that they'd capture him in order to bring her here in the first place. But Yukin had done nothing wrong! She didn't seem like the type to hurt anybody unless they deserved it! Even as he was forced into the wall, Nemo whimpered but struggled to rise to his feet once again. He couldn't let this happen! He had to protect Yukin just like she had protected him!

"Stop it! I said stop it!"

At that moment, Nemo unleashed his own Qi even if he hadn't known it. He had just known that there was some strange sensation coursing through his body here and there that had allowed him to get up. Anything else after that was beyond the boy's comprehension. But if he knew this might have distracted Rika or even possibly saved Yukin? Then he'd take it! Rushing forward with his Qi still expanding outwards, Nemo held his hands outwards as if attempting to leap into Yukin's embrace.

He might not have been strong enough to stop Rika from doing what she was going to do! But he'd damn well be there for Yukin when she needed him! If this truly was the end? Then he'd hold her until he met his end too!

But there'd be no need for that as a black figure could have been seen moving along the floor just as Nemo leapt into Yukin's arms. The figure came to a stop behind Yukin and a claw raised out of the black mass and clashed against Rika's kick.

"Not bad...But your partner's kicks stung a whole lot more.."

Wait, could it have been...?

"D!"

"The one and only..."

@Kaykay
​

 

[Kaykay]

"Heh, guess I was...fucking useless to the end..."

Kouki's eyes rolled shut as he muttered under his breath. One good hit and he was down, huh? What a fucking monster. Those "humans" were always like that. Killing them by the hundreds or thousands with overwhelming force.

Those fucking bastards were just unstoppable.

---

Rika pulled her leg back as her kick was caught. He'd caught one of her dragon slaying kicks? The damage on her must have been even worse than she thought. She had taken the damage from multiple dances, after all. Her partner? The only other one of the Bakushin who knew these kicks was Kouki. So he'd defeated him.

"...Is he alive?"

That was the only question she had for him, and the only words she planned to give him. After his confirmation or denial, she would move forward, planning to crush the new target that had chosen to stand in her way.

But Yukin moved to intercept, breaking from Nemo's embrace. Her sword collided with the Bakushin leader's fist, the pressure and shockwave likely forcing the others back at least a bit. They might have both expended a great deal of energy in this fight, but neither of them was done.

"I do not like to double-team, but unfortunately I am incapable of winning this battle. Fight with me, Astaroth."

@Chewy Rabbits​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

"...Is he alive?"

That was the only question she had for him, and the only words she planned to give him. After his confirmation or denial, she would move forward, planning to crush the new target that had chosen to stand in her way.

But Yukin moved to intercept, breaking from Nemo's embrace. Her sword collided with the Bakushin leader's fist, the pressure and shockwave likely forcing the others back at least a bit. They might have both expended a great deal of energy in this fight, but neither of them was done.

"I do not like to double-team, but unfortunately I am incapable of winning this battle. Fight with me, Astaroth."

In truth Astaroth had expanded a great deal of energy trying to stop Rika's kick. But to let her in on that little factoid might have been detrimental to the fight. Not that his appearance helped mask anything like that. Pulling himself out of the rest of the shadow, Astaroth showed off his horrid body. The wound on his stomach seemed to have only gotten worse due to the demon being unable to sit down and tend to healing it. The same with his severed arm and the shattered horn.

"Heh."

Astaroth's footing grew unsteady and he nearly toppled over. Likely a result of his loss of energy and the damage he'd taken while trying to block one of Kouki's more powerful kicks. Digging his talongs into the ground, Astaroth coughed up a wad of blood onto the floor as he stared Rika in the eye.

"For what he did to my little friend here? I should have done a whole lot more. Maybe taken a limb off, ripped his eyeball out, even stabbed the fucker in the chest and ripped out his horrid heart. But I settled for just knocking him out. Bastard owes me an arm and a horn." The demon stated and it was the honest to god truth. Kouki was much stronger than any other human he'd faced before and if Astaroth hadn't decided to end it where he had, things might have only gotten a whole hell of a lot worse.

Nemo for his part was absolutely mortified at seeing how much of a disgusting state his friend was in. "D! Your arm, your chest, your horn! You can't fight her like this!" The boy shouted as tears burned at his eyes and Astaroth not wanting to see the boy upset when he was so close to being rescued looked over his shoulder. "Go ahead and cry if you want, Nemo. You can cry for the both of us. Devils don't cry but heroes do and can. I'll be fine and so will you. Now just hang on-"

Astaroth's tail snapped forward to try and cut off Rika's incoming blow. But it seemed like Yukin had that covered. Wincing as blood dripped from his various wounds, Astaroth glanced over at Yukin. "Not exactly a fan of it myself. Prefer fighting from the shadows. Her friend damn near tore me limb from limb. But I'll help you with this.." This woman didn't seem as monstrous as the boy had been. But something about the cold methodical approach she had even chilled his cold black heart.

"Let's go!"

Astaroth's wings flapped and sent a wave of wind flying straight towards Rika in an attempt to try and knock her off balance. Given that he was missing a limb and also bleeding rather badly, he needed all the advantages he could garner. Sprinting forward with his talons smashing the floor with each step, he came to a stop a few feet away from Rika. If there was one advantage to fighting her, it would have been that she'd keep the trash talk to a minimum. Something that his ears would thank her for.

But that'd be all the thanking she'd get. Given how she'd been able to hold Yukin off and that Nemo was in here? It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was either the head honcho or close to it. Which meant that had he tried rescuing Nemo alone? The results wouldn't have been pretty even if they'd have needed a whole army of grunts to die first. Even so, critically injured as he was, if Yukin and him lost here? Then Nemo would have to see his friends perish before meeting his own end.

That wasn't something Astaroth was willing to allow! His tail surged forward and took a rapid series of stabs at Rika to try and force her back and set up for Yukin to rush in and take her down.

"Get the bitch so we can go home!"

@Kaykay

​

 

[Kaykay]

Rika uppercut Yukin's sword, knocking the blade upwards before following up with a knee to the gut. The swordswoman moved with the blow, taking away a lot of its power as she flew backwards. The blue haired woman stood her ground against the wind, planting both feet in the ground as she dropped her lips, lowering her center of gravity. As Astaroth lashed out with his tail, Rika weaved forwards, contrary to his expectations.

There was a natural delay between each strike. No matter how fast you moved, there was an opening between each attack. A set-up, the attack itself, and the recoil. Even moreso when the opponent was limited to a single weapon. Her eyes analyzed the set-up to each stab, allowing her more time to shift her body to avoid the blow and to move closer during the recoil of the attack. And soon, despite the difference in size, the gap was closed.

"Twin Dragon Fangs."

A quick low kick flew towards Astaroth's legs, soon followed up into a high kick from the other leg. Yukin stepped back in, dashing behind Rika as she performed her kicks. Her knees were bent, weight on the front leg, and her sword was now sheathed.

"Dance 20: Rain Soars Over Heaven."

Her right thumb flicked the guard of her sword as she pulled it out with her dominant arm. She stepped in with her right leg, accelerating the stroke and closing the distance between them. With Rika in the middle of an attack, Yukin was finally able to connect with a power blow of her own, causing a large gash on Rika's back.

But she had done her own part to evade as well, moving forward as far as she could during the swing. The cut wasn't deep enough to hinder her significantly, but in a prolonged fight the blood loss could prove fatal. So she closed her eye for a moment and let her aura envelop her, her Qi quickly healing off the wound.

But Qi reserves weren't unlimited, and between her dragon slaying kicks and the healing of such a wound, she had to hit that limit sooner or later.

This time, Yukin took the initiative.

"Dance 3: Formation of Snow."

Appearing almost instantly behind Rika, Yukin thrust her sword forward, but the attack wasn't quite fast enough despite the incredibly quick movement. A kick met the blade, the two Qis struggling to overwhelm the other.

@Chewy Rabbits​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Rika uppercut Yukin's sword, knocking the blade upwards before following up with a knee to the gut. The swordswoman moved with the blow, taking away a lot of its power as she flew backwards. The blue haired woman stood her ground against the wind, planting both feet in the ground as she dropped her lips, lowering her center of gravity. As Astaroth lashed out with his tail, Rika weaved forwards, contrary to his expectations.

There was a natural delay between each strike. No matter how fast you moved, there was an opening between each attack. A set-up, the attack itself, and the recoil. Even moreso when the opponent was limited to a single weapon. Her eyes analyzed the set-up to each stab, allowing her more time to shift her body to avoid the blow and to move closer during the recoil of the attack. And soon, despite the difference in size, the gap was closed.

"Twin Dragon Fangs."

"Damn it!"

The tail continued to swerve back and forth in an attempt to stop Rika's approach. But something about the girl's movements seemed to make it far too hard even with him working his tail to the bone. As she stood right in of him, Astaroth swung outwards with his claw to try and cleave the woman's head clean off. But his swing went wide and ended up hitting air as his talons came loose from the floor and he started to stumble back.

His wings flapped like a storm as he tried to regain his balance. But then another kick smashed him right in the jaw and a fang shot out from the side as the demon crashed to the ground. His tail splayed out behind him, Astaroth watched as Yukin re-engaged with Rika and the demon could do little but attempt to catch his breath as he clutched at the stump. "Why do they always go for the jaw...?"

Rushing over to Astaroth's side however, Nemo wrapped his arms around the demon's waist as he looked up at him. "D! You're too hurt to keep fighting!" The boy exclaimed as the demon shook his head from side to side. Gently pulling Nemo off him, Astaroth rose to his feet. "I can't just stand by breathing air and bleeding out while this girl risks her life. Not just for me but for you..." The demon growled as he rushed forward as he raised his claw up to try and smash Rika into the wall while she was caught in the stand-off with Yukin.

@Kaykay​

 

[Kaykay]

While before Rika had been overwhelming Yukin's Qi, thanks to Astaroth she'd missed her chance to finish the sword wielder after her huge attack. A kick like that required high amounts of Qi, and now she was on close to equal ground on that front compared to Yukin. The two were locked in the power struggle, neither able to pull back lest the other's Qi follow through and blow them away.

But the tie was soon broken as her body was lifted and slammed into a wall. No visible reaction was garnered, not a grunt or wince of pain. He might as well have just struck the wall as far as he could sense.

But Yukin could sense it. The stand-off had exhausted both of them, and Rika had gained nothing for it. The slam had been effective.

"Heavenly Dragon Fights in the Wilderness."

A whirlwind picked up around Rika, as if she had been surrounded inside a tornado. But it wasn't mere wind that battered Astaroth. What would be wind was a kick, a literal hurricane of kicks slamming the already injured demon. She wasn't the type to say anything before killing someone. It was too common an occurrence to bother. So her kicks went for the kill immediately, even if her opponent was weakened.

Yukin flew in with her sword, meeting the hurricane in Astaroth's place. With her speed and technique she managed to deflect the more fatal ones, but kicks landed on her arms, legs, and back. Her sword began to fall to the ground as the white haired girl fell to the ground, her arms and legs purple with swelling. But she hadn't done all that without purpose.

"Get her."

The dark blue aura around Rika faded, leaving a girl with quivering legs before the demon.

@Chewy Rabbits​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Yukin flew in with her sword, meeting the hurricane in Astaroth's place. With her speed and technique she managed to deflect the more fatal ones, but kicks landed on her arms, legs, and back. Her sword began to fall to the ground as the white haired girl fell to the ground, her arms and legs purple with swelling. But she hadn't done all that without purpose.

"Get her."

The dark blue aura around Rika faded, leaving a girl with quivering legs before the demon.

"So, it's finally over huh..? About time."

Watching once again as Yukin saved his demon ass from a potential beatdown that his body wouldn't be able to cope with, he glanced over at the weakened and vulnerable Rika. If he were a true bastard of a demon, he'd have absconded with the woman by now and likely had his way with her. Perhaps he'd have killed her right after. After all, demons were nothing more than the ultimate conclusion that a human's sins take after their departure and in a way that was true. Every demon looked remarkably different from the next with Astaroth standing out among the crowd. Being both humanoid while remaining bestial at the same time.

But he'd still committed sins like all of the others down below. One he wished he could go back in time and do-over. That's what everybody would have liked with their mistakes right? Just a nice reset button for all of your misdeeds. Was comical enough in pieces of fiction but not so much in reality. You did good and you were rewarded for it by going up to meet the Big G himself at the Pearly gates with St Peter there to accompany you. If you did bad then you were sent down below with nothing but the smells of fire and brimstone to keep you company. It was a miserable existence after your earthly demise.

Though where had God been throughout his life? Wasn't he supposed to watch over his children? Or had Astaroth been a bad seed right from the very start and Hell had a designated demon form with his name on it when he perished? Who could really say for sure. But now that he was up and about again even if it was from the pits of hell, Astaroth knew one thing clearly enough.

He didn't need no god.

"There is no God. I shall not revere Him. I shall not pray to Him. I shall not believe in Him. I shall not crave His blessing."

Words that Rika, Nemo, or Yukin would never hear. Not that they'd understand even if they had heard. They were just the thoughts of a demon who was considering taking a life in front of the very boy he had sworn to protect. What kind of image would that set in Nemo's eyes? Would he no longer see Astaroth as his best friend to be? Would he instead see him as a monster with dark grisly blood who committed unspeakable barbaric acts of cruelty on those who might have otherwise changed?

There were the kind of thoughts rushing through Astaroth's head as he started forward. His talons raked the floor as he walked towards Rika with his tail dragging along him. Eventually reaching her, Astaroth's tail reached out to wrap around her waist and pin her arms to her sides. He didn't desire to get punched. Didn't have to worry about the kicks at least. Though one thing was for sure, now that he got a good look at her?

She looked just as human as Yukin or Nemo. So what was it that drove her? To do such things that would be considered terrible in the eye of the average person such as beating and kidnapping an innocent child? What was her motive in all this? That redhaired boy seemed to enjoy whatever idea was thrown his way so long as blood was spilled. But he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit pitiful. This woman had extraordinary talent. Enough so that even working together, Astaroth was worried about their chances.

Yet she used it for such horrendous things. No doubt that if she were to die? She'd become a demon worth fearing. But perhaps there was no need for that. Why embrace demonhood when you were already a living a monster wearing human skin? Deciding that he had wasted enough time pondering, Astaroth roughly pushed Rika's head to the side as he dove his head downwards. Tearing the fabric savagely from her left shoulder, he dug his fangs right in on the return bite. He could feel the blood oozing into his mouth.

Perhaps it was due to all that energy she had stored within her even though it was fleeting at the moment, or something else. But Astaroth had closed his eyes and let his fangs reside deep within Rika's shoulder all the while he had her at his mercy with his tail and her legs unable to muster up any more ki. Something about her blood just stood out to him. But he couldn't stop like this. He had an obligation and that was to the safety of the people he cared about on this wretched planet. Digging his fangs deeper, he pulled back and let the crimson rain spray freely as it blasted his face. Unwrapping his tail from Rika's waist, Astaroth roughly tossed her to the floor and stomped his talon into her back for good measure.

Digging his talons around in the flesh on Rika's back just to make sure, he ripped them free as he turned towards Nemo and Yukin with blood staining his face, human blood at that.

"Well, she won't be getting up for a while. Best we get out of here while we can.." The demon muttered as he extended a claw towards Nemo who seemed reluctant to take it. Confused by the boy's action, Astaroth realized he couldn't afford to be too coddling given they were likely on a timetable here. Who knew when reinforcements might have been arriving?

"Nemo, come on! We've got to get going!" The demon shouted but still Nemo refused. The boy had exhausted himself with his previous outburst of Qi and was struggling to stay standing up let alone move. But something about the savage way his beloved friend had torn into that woman's flesh was something else...She'd been a bad woman but Nemo felt that were was potential for a kind soul. At least more so than that redhaired jerk that nobody liked.

"Nemo.." But the boy refused to go, instead clinging to Yukin. The image hurt Astaroth more than any kick or punch or weapon. Had he been far too savage for even his friend to take? Though the truth was that Nemo had never seen him this badly damaged let alone and then to see him bite into Rika's succulent flesh? No wonder the boy was so afraid. Reaching out to ruffle Nemo's hair, the demon nodded. "All the while I was fighting, I was thinking of you, Nemo. I saw so many things that could hurt you. I never should have let one of them be me..." With that, Astaroth wrapped his tail around Yukin's waist and lifted her up onto his back. Provided she got to sheath her sword first after all.

Getting what Astaroth was hinting at, Nemo climbed onto Yukin's back and gripped tightly onto his friend. He still didn't know what to make of Astaroth's latest actions but he was right. This wasn't the best place to be discussing it. "Yukin? Are you okay..?" The young boy asked as he knew full well by sight alone that Astaroth wasn't doing so well. But the demon seemed to carry on despite his gruesome menagerie of injuries.

Whatever Yukin's response may have been, Astaroth's wings flapped as he soared out of the room and back towards the impromptu entrance he had made earlier.

"I'm not in the best shape so the flying might get a little turbulent. Just hang on!"

@Kaykay​

 

[Kaykay]

Rika couldn't even resist as Astaroth bound her arms. She couldn't blame him for being cautious, but in the end it was unnecessary. Her body went limp in his grasp, hardly having the energy to react to the vicious teeth that ripped through her skin, a mere low grunt escaping her. She could feel her bones smash under the pressure, her body no more powerful than anyone else's in its current state.

No resistance was offered she was pinned to the ground. Would she even make it out alive with this kind of blood loss? So everything she'd done would be for nothing, huh? Rika tried to clench her fists, grit her teeth, but they wouldn't respond. Damn it. Well, she could apologize in hell, then. Her consciousness slipped away, leaving a one-eyed 18 year old girl bleeding out on the ground.

That wasn't enough for Yukin, though.

The presence of a young boy wouldn't be enough to dissuade her from doing what was right. She slowly reached down to bring her sword up. The enemy was unconscious, a clean slice at the neck would end everything. This would be all it took!

But in the end, she slammed her sword into the ground.

"Next time, it will be a simple duel between us, and only us. And my art will be victorious over yours. I will make you understand, with my blade."

Even if Rika would never hear it, it was a promise to herself. The fact she could not take on someone so close to her own age annoyed her, and as a fellow martial artist, she could understand the direction she was coming from. And in the duel, she'd felt the heart the girl had. The Dragon Slaying Kicks and her blade had been all the communication the two of them needed. Despite appearances, the two were far from robotic dolls, in heart and soul.

As Nemo asked of her condition, she simply nodded and sheathed her sword. She'd been through worse, unfortunately.

She did not wish to impose upon the demon any more than she already had, though. With Nemo still on her back, she decided to get off. It was not anything personal, but she had her own pride. She could walk out of here just fine on her own.

But, well, flight naturally made things faster, so she would put up with it just this once. With no Qi to do the work for her, she clung onto Astaroth's back with her own hands.

Meanwhile on an above floor, Kouki had woken up. It was just a single blow, so the damage was overall pretty minimal. Just rattled his brain a bit and blacked him out. Looking around, the base was a bit of a mess. Nothing irreparable, as far as his admittedly limited knowledge on the matter told him, but a large amount of them had been killed and their own attacks had done quite some work on their base. Rika herself had caused an absolutely obscene amount of damage. Was that her Dragon Pierces Heaven? It sure looked like it.

How was she doing?

Quickly gathering his wits, he jumped straight down through the hole Rika had made previously, arriving to see her in critical condition.

"Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! Fucking assholes!"

A monster roared into the night, his red aura flashing to light up the nearly empty room. Those bastards had dared done this, to her? To Rika? He'd tear their guts out, choke them with their own entrails, eviscerate them and incinerate the remnants!

"Don't you dare fucking die on me! I won't let that shit happen agaaaain!"

His Qi poured into her, quickly sealing up the wounds the demon had left her. Fortunately for them, it seemed, she was still drawing breath, so Qi healing was effective. The red-haired teen panted, suddenly still feeling the fatigue from his previous battle after expending his Qi to heal his leader.

Rika's eye blinked before she finally propped herself up, pushing herself onto her knees. Realizing Kouki was in the area, she immediately tried to stand up, only to falter and almost fall as the boy caught her.

"Fucking idiot."

"...I lost. I apologize."

"Who the fuck are you apologizing to? You're the leader, asshole."

"...Understood." She took a pause as she looked around the room. "The repairs will be expensive. We will require the use of a significant portion of our funds in order to get this base operational once more."

"Gah, save it. I don't give a fuck about that shit. C'mon, let's get the fuck outta here."

Rika's arm resting on his much higher shoulders, the two slowly trudged their way out of the ruined battleground.

@Chewy Rabbits

​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

The flying was relatively smooth for the most part. Given that Astaroth and Yukin-well, mainly Astaroth had made quite the mess of the place, the fact that they managed to escape without too much trouble was a welcome sight. Though Astaroth had long since reached the point of collapse, he continued flying. He had to get away from this place. Full of people willing to throw their lives away for a cause Astaroth could neither understand or wanted to understand.

Then he ran into people like Kouki who seemed to enthrall themselves into this lifestyle because it seemed like this was the only avenue that he could his sick kicks. He said it once and he'd say it again: it was a damn shame that someone so talented was so crazy. The same went for the woman who he had fought against alongside Yukin. No doubt that had she not been so tired from having already been wound up in a fight before he showed up, Astaroth doubted that he and Yukin would have been able to take her down. But that wasn't a scenario he was too keen on speculating any further given the horrid outcomes that likely followed Nemo in that case.

Speaking of which, the boy had been relatively quiet for the most part. Clinging to Yukin, Nemo stared despondently down at Tokyo as Astaroth left the dome behind and took to the skies.

"..."

Nemo's face was a mess of cuts and bruises that would likely alarm his parents once he did return home. That thought had been residing in the back of his head ever since Yukin and Astaroth defeated that woman. He couldn't say that he had been kidnapped by an evil group of martial artists who had a grudge against one of his friends. Even if his parents DID believe him, he'd likely never be allowed to see Yukin again and that wasn't something Nemo ever wanted to picture going through. Yukin had done so much for him. He didn't know the story of why Rika or that mean man wanted a piece of her but Yukin fought tooth and nail to get him back.

The same went for Astaroth who had no stake in this whole thing to begin with. He couldn't have cared less about Yukin or her backstory with these goons. But they had Nemo and that's all the excuse he needed to go on a rampage and in the process? He had lost an arm, one of his horns, and had a gaping wound on his stomach that only seemed to be getting worse and worse as time went on. He'd never seen his demonic friend in such a state of terrible affairs and the sight absolutely chilled him to the bone. But nobody seemed to question Nemo on his silence and he was appreciative for that. He simply clung tighter to Yukin and waited until Astaroth landed in an alleyway across from Yukin's home. Too much of a risk of being seen if he just landed near or right at the house.

Letting Yukin and Nemo climb down at their leisure, Astaroth's body struggled to stay standing. He was running on empty and he damn well knew it. His right knee felt like it wanted to give out after being forced to try and endure one of Kouki's more powerful kicks. That wasn't even taking into account the other damage he hadn't even gotten a chance to sit down and heal. But he had to try and look strong in front of Nemo who stared at him instead of making his way over to Yukin's home.

"Nemo, you need to get going to Yukin's place. She can bandage you up, stitch you up, whatever needs to be done. Then you gotta go right to your parent's. They're worried sick and if you go there looking like Death Jr, they're going to be mortified and I think they've been through enough."

Almost funny given Astaroth's current status but it was true. He knew what it was like to worry over a loved one. It was one of the plights that never left him even after he had left behind his humanity at death's door. But Nemo didn't budge from his spot. Not having the energy to physically reprimand him, Astaroth bared his fangs. "Go!" He shouted but instead of running away, Nemo ran towards the demon and embraced him in a hug. The gesture pained the demon as it irritated some of his many wounds. But he couldn't help but feel touched by the gesture.

"Nemo..."

"You said back at the Dome that demons don't cry. So I waited and I waited as you two fought. I tried my best to hold back the tears as much as I could. But now that it's all over, I...I can't bring myself to cry anymore. I've seen enough today, Astaroth and I wish none of it had to happen! Some of those people may have been bad! Rotten to the core even! But the one with the eyepatch! She...She didn't seem like a bad person! I know, I know she kidnapped me! I could tell though through her fight with Yukin and then with you that she knew a thing or two about fighting. Maybe it was something she trained hard at because it's all she feels she's good for. I wish we didn't have to fight her.."


This time it was the demon's turn to be speechless. He had felt the same way about the eyepatch woman. She knew how to fight and would have likely defeated him and Yukin were she at the top of her game. But she wasn't and in order to make sure he could escape with Nemo and Yukin in peace, he had to maul her. Ripping into her shoulder with his fangs and feeling her blood running down his throat as he dug into her flesh. It wasn't something he was proud of and she'd likely have the scars from his fangs and where his talons had raked bloody gashes in her back. Just a reminder of the monster who had intervened in affairs he knew nothing of and whom had now brandished himself an enemy of whatever group they belonged to.

"I wish we didn't have to fight either, bud. Sometimes, their isn't any other way. It's sad but true." Was all Astaroth could think of to say. There was no way that Kouki would have just let Astaroth go on his merry way to rescue Nemo. Just like there was no way Yukin could go in and walk off with Nemo as easy as a jaunt through the park. Fighting was a necessity, an often brutal and even bloody necessity in these types of situations. As Nemo absorbed this food for thought, he stepped back and walked past Astaroth and towards Yukin as he took one of her hands into his own.

"Astaroth may be right, Yukin. Fighting is ugly, something I think that should be reserved for when you're fighting the lowest of the low. Like that redhaired guy who beat me up in the first place! But sometimes I guess their really isn't a way out of a scenario without punching someone. I really wish it didn't have to be that way but it's like The Kid from my stories! He fights to protect the innocent and those who can't fight! That's what you did today! You fought for me, Yukin! Just like I knew you would!" Gently squeezing Yukin's hand, Nemo glanced up at her with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.

"Even when things looked their bleakest, I thought of you! My best friend who'd get me out of any trouble I might be in! Whether it's big or small, many enemies or even just one, whether it's by yourself or with help, you'll throw yourself in harm's way to protect those who can't protect themselves and that's what makes you the Angel in my story, Yukin. You put others above yourself and I could only aspire to be as wonderful as you."

Wrapping his arms around Yukin's waist, Nemo pressed his head against her stomach.

"I love you, Yukin!"

The gesture wasn't that much of a surprise to the demon given how much Nemo liked to do for others. He even had sympathy for the apparent ringleader of the nuttos who had kidnapped him in the first place. So to proclaim that Yukin was his best friend? Why the hell not? "Well, I think we're all pretty acquainted at this point. Now, why don't you go get treated? Then you can go home and lay in your nice comfy bed and-"

"Watch Paradise Kiss with you!"

"..Heh, yeah. Now, go on!" Astaroth motioned for the boy to scamper off and so he did. Running off from the alleyway to Yukin's place, Astaroth sighed and watched as Nemo eagerly ran inside. Knowing that the boy was no longer watching, Astaroth slumped down onto his rear as his wings closed around him.

"Thanks...For helping Nemo and everything. The kid has so much faith in humanity. I've already done this song and dance. I've seen how low and how high humans can go. But that boy makes me re-think the whole human thing. Maybe the race isn't as bad as I thought.." Astaroth murmured thoughtfully before his head seemed to lull forward until he caught himself.

"No need to worry about me in any case. I just need a minute and I'll be in tip top shape. Just didn't want Nemo seeing me slumped up against a wall looking like I got ink flowing out of every orifice." He'd say jokingly referring to the coloration of his blood. "Now, I think you got a best friend to tend to, heh.."

@Kaykay​

 

[Kaykay]

Yukin could only sigh and smile. Certainly idealistic, having that kind of idea about the woman who headed the group that had kidnapped him in the first place. The kind of group who didn't fear using fear, terror, and power to get what they needed, though if she was honest she could hardly blame them for going the way they had.

That was the way the majority of martial artists went nowadays, after all.

Besides, she wasn't the type to just meaninglessly throw away her life for others. If it would suit her purpose, others would die if it was for the greater good. Many held that philosophy when it came to their enemies, but she would even allow her allies to throw away their lives if that was what was required. It had happened before, and she was certain that wouldn't be the last time.

But what good would involving this kid in that world do for him? If he saw her as an angel for now, so be it.

Ruffling his hair as she hugged him, her hand glowed with a bit of Qi as she began to patch up his wounds. She was practically out of energy, but for relatively minor wounds like his, it wasn't out of her reach. The wounds were still incredibly serious by normal measures, but they were inevitable on the battlefield.

Nemo just didn't belong there.

"If you wish to fight and spill blood, aspire to be like me. That is the path on which I am set. Do not become me, do not mirror me, do not do as I do. Become your own man who looks to me as another, an equal. That is the best path for you."

Sounding a bit like an older sister, she gave Nemo some advice. His personality wouldn't match with using her as a role model. Sooner or later he'd lose that naivety, and when that happened she hoped that he would not become like many of the other men in the world, prejudiced, biased, and unjust. The purest of souls were the easiest to lead to corruption.

As Nemo scampered off, Yukin crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. She didn't particularly care to be alone with this beastly looking creature, but at least it seemed to possess intelligence and...she could not say if his intentions were good, or simply heavily focused on Nemo. There was an important difference between the two, after all.

"...You can regenerate off those wounds in a mere minute? I highly doubt that."

Extending her arm towards him, it glowed light blue before a warm sensation would flood the demon, restoring the pieces he'd been missing to a degree. But due to her current state, she couldn't quite make it a 100% heal, and even then it took a lot out of her. Sweat covered her body as she seemed to quiver slightly, like she'd just run a marathon.

"I am willing, at least, to heal even a one time ally from his wounds. Do remember to pay me back for breaking my things, however."

With that, she slowly began to stagger back towards her apartment to take care of the boy for the night. Hopefully she could talk some sense into him too so he would avoid this kind of trouble in the future, but for now his health took priority. Mental and physical.

@Chewy Rabbits​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Extending her arm towards him, it glowed light blue before a warm sensation would flood the demon, restoring the pieces he'd been missing to a degree. But due to her current state, she couldn't quite make it a 100% heal, and even then it took a lot out of her. Sweat covered her body as she seemed to quiver slightly, like she'd just run a marathon.

"I am willing, at least, to heal even a one time ally from his wounds. Do remember to pay me back for breaking my things, however."

With that, she slowly began to stagger back towards her apartment to take care of the boy for the night. Hopefully she could talk some sense into him too so he would avoid this kind of trouble in the future, but for now his health took priority. Mental and physical.

Nemo happily returned the warm embrace and milked it for all that it was worth. Perhaps it was due to his somewhat sheltered life style or just his natural optimism, but Nemo tried to find the good in almost everybody. The key word of course being almost. To him people like Kouki were completely irredeemable and had to be stopped whenever they popped up.

They'd hurt innocent people and likely get a giggle out of it. Those were the kind of people that Nemo hated. The ones with zero lack of any and all decency for any live other than their own. What gave them the right to see everybody as below them? In Nemo's eyes everybody was equal. Whether you were a demon, human, or maybe even an alien if those things existed! You were all equal and nobody was lower than anyone else!

Which is why Yukin's statement how if he wished to be like her, it'd mean following a life of spilling blood made him frown and glance away from her.

"..."

The silence reigned once again between Nemo and his comrades. He knew Yukin was only trying to look out for him. From what it seemed like, she was familiar if not with Rika but with the group in general. The same went with how they knew Yukin. So they'd likely been fighting for quite some time and he didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure all of that out. But was she afraid that he'd grow up and make enemies like that? That he'd have to perhaps save his own 'Nemo' from danger and what if he failed where Astaroth and Yukin had not? He'd have to likely carry the guilt of that failure for the rest of his days.

But even so, adulthood was quite some time away from now. He was ten years old for crying out loud! Of course, it wasn't often that Nemo was proud of his age. In fact he disliked how it made people take him less seriously. He had just as much of a right to speak his mind as an eleven year old, a twenty year old, or even a sixty year old. The stigma against him, a small child risking life and limb every other night walking the streets of Tokyo with only a toy cutlass and a demon guardian to watch over him was at times too much for Nemo to bare. Like the gangsters from yesterday who had believed Nemo to just be a cocky kid. But he only acted as he did because he knew these guys were the bottom of the barrel level filth. They enjoyed doing what they did, picking on those weaker then them. The red-haired man actually reminded Nemo quite a bit of those guys. Though he was obviously far stronger and far more monstrous.

As he could feel some of his wounds healing up, Nemo's body still had aches here and there. But his hug on Yukin only grew tighter as a silent acknowledgment of the healing and what it was doing for him. She could have just left him to ache and feel miserable at the same time bodily. But what had done wonders for her in combat was now doing her well in caring for her friend. Finally breaking off the hug, Nemo scampered off to Yukin's home and slammed the door shut behind him. Slumping up against the door, Nemo glanced across at the wall.

"Am I...Just too weak?"

Given that Yukin hadn't entered yet, it was clear Nemo had nobody to address. Nobody but himself that is. He doubted he would have been able to go through processing these complicated thoughts if he hadn't gotten a chance to sit and think by himself once again. Though the feeling of a closed door to his back with no one around him did make him feel uncomfortable. Rika had watched over him but obviously there wasn't much room for conversation between the two of them. Nemo had told her his relationship with Yukin, nothing to lie about there and nothing that hurt Yukin in any way and instead he'd gotten slapped for his troubles.

But when he'd been able to get himself up during the fight between Yukin and Rika, he felt a strange sensation. Energy of some nature running through his body and allowing him to rise up despite what had been done to keep him in place. What had he decided to do with this newfound energy however? Why try and stop the fighting however! Rika hadn't shown herself to be as bad as Kouki and hadn't nearly abused him to the point of nearly dying like Kouki had done. So what was wrong with giving her a chance?

Wrapping his arms around Rika's waist, he told her to stop the fighting! All she had to do was lay down her fists and let him go with Yukin and Astaroth and they didn't have to fight! It was clear that Yukin had her differences with this group but couldn't something have been worked out that didn't involve bloodshed? Who could really say for sure, Nemo didn't have all the details and likely never truly would. But that energy had seemed to have faded after his attempt to stop Rika. Only to feel a re-jolting due to Yukin's healing. But what was happening to him?

As he debated all these hard thoughts, he heard the door opening and quickly made his way onto Yukin's bed. With bruises still scattered here and there on his face, he waved towards Yukin as she entered.

"Ah, hellooooooo nurse! Ready for you to patch me up, Yukin!"

Watching from the outside as Yukin stepped inside, Astaroth frowned sheepishly. He had coiled his tail up as if to strike the second Yukin raised her hand to him. Would she draw his sword and attack him now that Nemo was safe? Or would she do what she had done and save his life? His wings flapped tiredly as he glanced through he broken windows he made through his furious roaring. But even a creature of the shadows noticed how awkward it may have been to simply peep in on Yukin and Nemo at this point. He hadn't even gotten to thank her properly before she walked off to tend to Nemo. But it was due to her that his missing arm had reformed somewhat and one of his horns was well on it's way to recovering.

Though that couch of the woman's seemed quite comfortable. He hadn't been able to even sit down upon it since he'd come here for more serious reasons. But now that the battle was over and they had won the day, Astaroth decided he'd keep true to his word of Yukin's request. For now though he wanted somewhere to rest his head that wasn't a grimy alleyway. Resuming his shadow form, Astaroth crawled through one of the shattered windows and re-formed as he collapsed atop the couch with his tail slumping over the side.

"So...Tired..."

@Kaykay​

 

[Kaykay]

Out of Qi as she was, it seemed she'd have to patch the boy up the old fashioned way. She wrapped medical tape around the bruises and cuts on him, pressed his acupoints to clear up any potential issues the Bakushin may have caused him in that regard, and wiped away the blood with a washed cloth. She was no nurse, but she'd had her share of patching up injuries.

"That should be sufficient to keep you somewhat comfortable."

She threw a glance Astaroth's way, noticing the demon just use her couch without permission. Did he not have a home of his own? Surely he could make some money being a circus act or something with an appearance like that. But it didn't particularly matter if he decided to stay for a single night. She was far too tired herself to care anyway.

Taking a seat on the bed herself, even Yukin couldn't manage to keep herself sitting straight, collapsing onto the bed in a rather ungraceful heap. She'd worry about appearances...tomorrow. But even as she laid down tired, she spoke to Nemo. She had to say something after getting some boy involved in this mess, even if by mistake.

"Are you alright, Nemo? I am sorry to have involved you in this. I only meant to defeat those thugs on the street, never to involve you in this world of terror, fighting, and bloodshed. However, once I have cleared them out and completed my mission, you will no longer have any connection to it. After tonight, I cannot recommend you stay with me any longer. Understood?"

Her voice was calm and gentle, but a little melancholy. She'd seen enough kids make the mistake of being born into this world of fighting and xenophobia. Born without a chance of being able to settle in with everyone else.

She wouldn't drag someone into it if she could help it.

@Chewy Rabbits​