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jigokulogs2022-06-18 11:30 am
jigokumods) wrote in jigokulogs2022-06-18 11:30 am
Entry tags:
June 2022 Event Plotting PART 2
Who ⬤ The selected teams
What ⬤ Finding the source of the cursed energy and putting an end to this.
When ⬤ /waves hands vaguely
Where ⬤ Kaigo no Bou
Content Warnings ⬤ Horror imagery, possible gore.
The tower that is Kaigo no Bou is an intimidating sight on normal days, but the way its black figure cut into the deep crimson of the cursed sky made it that much more imposing as the teams approached. Evidence of just how devastating the initial waves of the cursed energy had been to the nearby buildings was on clear display, everything looking warped and disfigured into shapes no longer identifiable as anything built for humanoid needs. Even the streets themselves seemed twisted and knotted, turning into something more like jagged slopes than thoroughfares. Even the entrance of the tower has been shifted from its original glass displays to a giant steel gate that Toraguma struggles to open for the rest of the group.
Within the tower itself, it's much the same. The Enma officers that had been brought along to help navigate each team would find themselves struggling just slightly, almost immediately, as the interior of the building was a menagerie of rust and decay. It was if the building was rotting, but not as a structure, but as a once living thing now reduced to a cadaver for them to navigate.
Well... it could be worse. Time to split into their teams.
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But all things in due to time, he guessed. Besides, they still had other matters to deal with. He'll go quiet with the rest of the team. Keeping a tab on everything still. So far so good... he thought to himself as they all did the creep through halls. Pasting the twitching forms of the manifestations, past that one grinning face-thing pressing against a glass pane.
Sneaky, sneaky. He ducks behind cover same as Hu Tao. Thank goodness he regularly wears dark colors.]
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Already on the other side of the gap they were crossing, chalice in hand, as if they'd been waiting for the rest of the group the whole time, despite having been behind them not a moment ago.
It didn't seem like a teleport; rather they'd all felt it, hadn't they? The sudden movement in the otherwise stale air. Could the they really move that fast?
Probably not a great time to question it. The stairs leading to the 88th floor were ahead, and there was still another manifestation between themselves and their goal. It would be a lot harder to sneak up the stairs, but attacking the manifestation would probably only draw the attention of the others. ]
I don't suppose anyone has any ideas... [ The Daitengu whispers. ]
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That wasn't good. As soon as he saw the silhouette of that figure opening its briefcase, it was clear this was all going to shit.]
RUN!!
[If someone was next to him, he was grabbing them and hauling ass towards where the Daitengu was waiting. The figure had disappeared, morphing into a giant three headed dog that charged through the other manifestations.]
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Not when the manifestation formed into a hilichurl and there was no escape.]
Aiya, how troublesome...!
[She shouted before running as fast as she could toward the Daitengu. Although, she did have to look around to see what the others were doing.]
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[He was cut off as soon as the breath left him to form the words. They were immediately followed with the click of his tongue.
So much for sneaking indeed.]
Right behind y'all!
[Drawing his revolver again and firing at the creature as he backpedaled quickly with the others. Going quiet apparently wasn't an option now. Unfortunately that also most likely caught the attention of anything else around them.]
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No, no, no--
[Minato's never seen monsters, before coming to Hell; the one yokai he's acquainted with has never manifested in a visible form. What he's afraid of is--]
[--what he's afraid of is failing here, failing the people depending on him, and this time without the option of reversing time and trying over and over and over]
[The hilichurl dissolves into a river that crashes down on the manifestation on the stairs, sweeping it down the distorted halls towards the other monsters before they can descend on Billy. As the river ebbs away, Minato comes up the rear of the group, urging them up the stairwell to the final floor.]
We're nearly there, come on, come on...!
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[ Still, they'd manage to keep the chalice from being swept up in all the chaos, and the groupd was gathering once more. They had some time before the rest of the manifestations on the floor collided on their position like a swarm of extremely upsetting ants. Once everyone was back in the group and behind them, the Daitengu reached into their sleeve pocket, pulling out a two talismans. ]
Let's hope Tenkohime's gift pays off!
[ One is thrown to one side of the stairwell. The second to the other. Both immediately glow a bright, violet color, a wall of spectral sutras streaking between them, forming a physical barrier. ]
I don't know how long that's going to hold up, so let's get up to the office, quickly!
[ The Daitengu practically pushed the others onward if they weren't already running, following up behind the group. The great metal doors that lead to the Enma's office were just ahead, and the top of the stairs, though clearly covered in rust and rot. They'd still move, however, whoever getting their first finding them easy enough to push open.
Inside was... Well. It was the Enma's office. Almost pristine in how little it had been touched. The dark lighting sconces, the massive windows in the back, the water fountain, even the sand garden, all of it had remained nearly perfect.
But that wasn't to say the influence wasn't there.
The Enma himself was at his desk, though it was more accurate to say he was literally pinned to it, massive spikes in his shoulders, hands, and lap embedded deep and wrapped in wrought-iron, blood-covered chains. The only reaction from the massive judge arbitor of the city was a simple shift of his eyes, but they otherwise returned to focus on the much more immediate concern ahead of him.
It was... difficult to even look at what was there. Like staring into too bright a light, it made the eyes ache, the lungs strain, to even percieve it. But there seemed to be a... person? A figure, humanoid like, bleeding shadow and black sick. Their aura was so tremendous it felt like it pushed back at one's person physically to even be near them.
The figure turned towards the group, slowly, taking their attention off of the Enma, and smiled.
A very wide (too wide), very bright (too bright) smile. ]
"Welcome! We've been expecting you!"
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Cain couldn't look quite directly at it or even make out anything about what it was. The voice was distorted and ringing-it was like when the Calamity came to close to their world, and all the laws of reality broke.
However, Cain was at pretty much his last straw, and this felt like the one behind everything. The reason for the frenzy. So even if anyone shouted out to him, he just brandished his sword, walking forward towards the figure that seemed to be pushing back just as hard.
The wolf at his side was growling and trying to nudge him back, but quickly gave up and just walked with him towards the figure, protecting him some from the feeling of frenzy that curled around his mind. He'd had enough of that shit, thank you.]
What the hell is your problem? Are you behind all this?!
[It took a lot of effort, but he was close enough that he could sense danger. It wasn't just all bravado-perhaps by doing this he could distract or shield the others enough for them to get the Enma free, and help the situation.
Plus, he really was angry.
He held his sword up at where the entity's head should be, trying his best to stare down at it from the edge.]
Stop this all now or I'll kill you where you stand!!!
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[He's never been into the Enma's sanctum, never even seen the Enma face to face, but the presence of the being, for a moment, makes him unable to move or even think. Cain's outburst gets his attention, though, and that makes his next move crystal clear.]
...
[Minato's not one for speeches. But he looks back at the rest of the team, then steps forward.]
Everyone, please. Get ready to go.
[His sword is drawn, with him and Cain forming a wall between the being and the others. If it buys the others even a second, or half a second...]
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Immediately, she grabbed a hold of the dagger before giving a confirmation toward Billy. She wasn't sure what he was going to do but she had to know he was fully prepared to attack.
With both Minato and Cain blocking the entity's view, she made her way toward the side before running over toward the Enma.]
Don't worry, we'll get you out soon! [With that, she started to cut the chains as swiftly as she could.]
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His breathing slowed, his mind focused itself.
No time for talking, not when the stakes were high as they are. His eyes moved here and there, then back to what the two in front of the entity were up to. Ah- right there is it? Yeah, he can do that, no problem. He just has to, right there. A slight shift of movement by Cain and time just seems to slow to a crawl to him.
Not like when using his noble phantasm, but more like the feeling he gets during a normal shootout when he was living. A single shot was all he would need, fast as lighting, and loud as thunder, he shoots. Sending the bullet buzzing past the Daitengu, whizzing past Cain's pony tail, cutting a portion of it off, and using Minato's sword to impossibly ricochet the projectile right into the entity's head.
Blowing it off, cracking it open like it was an egg in less than a split second.]
Pff hahahahaha! Nailed it!
[He'll follow it up by doing a fancy flourish.]
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Focused on the more immediate matter of Cain and Minato, the entity could only turn their gaze, just slightly, at the thunderous sound of the pistol firing before they felt themselves struck by the force of slug right in the forehead, stunning them and dropping them to the ground below. It was almost obscenely human of them to do so, so unlike what thing had caused this horrific nightmare to begin with.
And that was something the Enma seemed to know.
Saying nothing, as soon as the chains were free, the main's massive hand snatches the knife away from Hu Tao with well too much force than was needed. At worse she'd have a bruised hand, but that wasn't really the point. The point was the judge arbitor has taken the role of executioner in that moment, aiming to finish what the Daitengu's team had started, and deliver a killing blow to the profane god with that soul-powered steel.
Or at least he'd intended to.
Within another blink, a rush of wind sliced through the room, the Daitengu leaving the Chalice in Billy's other hand before appearing between the Enma and where the entity had fallen.
Everything is happening so quickly, it dizzies the senses. ]
Don't come near it! Even you, Great Enma, would meet your end if you tried to stab it now!
[ The entity was still on the ground, but the Daitengu had a point; the maelstrom of cursed energy hadn't stopped, not yet. It still spilled out of them like a miasma of death, seeping into the floor around them, black rot crawling out into the marble floor. ]
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Suppressing whatever urge she had to give the Enma a piece of her mind, it seemed that Hu Tao needed to put her charms to use! As she cleared her throat, she leaned in a little closer before giving the Enma a small smile. Was there even some sparkles in the background?]
Excuse me, I can understand why you would be upset but I'm afraid we must not have time to waste! Would it be possible for you to hand me the knife? We are in a bit of a hurry...! Pretty please?
[While she was half expecting the Enma to disregard her, what he did next was shocking. As he handed her the knife, he gave a quick nod of acknowledge. Giving a small huff of pride, she knew she could do it!
Although, she didn't have a moment to lose. With the knife in her hand, she immediately rushes over to the nearest teammate she could get to.]
Someone, quickly! We need to stab them right now!
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Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! Spin, reload, repeat.
Continuously pumping lead into the entity to make sure it stays down.
Man, if he still had his servant bullets.... regular lead still does the job. Maybe he should also consider getting silver in the future? That's kind of pricey though, and he has to pay rent on the closet he calls an apartment. Also, just what does he want to eat after this?]
Hm... maybe I'll go ahead and grab some Udon with Saber....
[He's still shooting.]
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He was powerless, like this and-
He felt a little bit of his magic stir inside him. Since when had that been....but he had time for self hatred later. If even now he could give them another push so they could all get out of this okay, it was more than he could ask for.]
Minato!
[He didn't know how confident the man was in throwing the knife, and he already felt guilty for how the man had been by his side after freezing, even when pulling that stunt earlier. So he rushed over to Minato, grabbing onto his arms.]
Just let me help you, okay?
[And then Cain's arms were encircling him from behind, holding him close against the knight's broad chest. It was only briefly, as he chanted his magic spell, and then Cain leaned back to slide his hand up to hold the the one he was using to throw the knife.]
I can explain later, just-go for it-I'll help you aim!
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Ah, uh, Knightley...?
[With Billy keeping the entity in check, and Cain's magic flowing through him -- even with the nightmarish miasma coming off of the shadow, his focus feels crystal clear.]
...Okay. I trust you.
[The tantou's hilt feels familiar, the same way his sword does, even though the lifetime he carried either of them is long gone. The blade catches the light as it spins through the air, straight into the center of the rot--]
[It should have hit home. The balance is right, the angle is right, the entity isn't moving. But the knife stops dead in midair, as if it struck an invisible wall.]
[In slow motion, he sees the being raise its head out of the filth, and make a gesture.]
[He can almost see the force coming at him like a wave. There's no running from this, not without leaving Cain in the line of fire, so he braces for impact, with just a moment to regret he's going to break his promise to Tama--]
[He barely realizes Cain catching his weight, both of them going tumbling painfully across the room -- and the full force of the entity's backlash skims narrowly over their heads.]
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[ The Daitengu saw it as well, the sudden welling of energy that caught the knife, as if in Shirahadori. In that moment, they knew that only they had the speed needed to save this before that thing, whatever it was, either killed them all or... worse...
The breeze picked up, stirring across all of them, before they quickly shifted to where Minato and Cain had once been standing, pulling from their sleeve a fan in the shape of an autumnal momiji leaf. They knew they'd only get a moment, and they needed to make it count. ]
Begone!
[ With a swing of their arm, a gust so powerful it could only be considered the legendary Kamikaze itself erupted forth, pushing against the dagger with all the force the Daitengu could muster. If masks could sweat, the strain would already be apparent on them.
Push. Push. Push!
It felt like it wasn't enough, this thing was too strong. It still smiled (too bright, too wide), it still poured its sickening, dread influence into the air around them. The Daitengu could feel their body start to seize, their heart hammering well too fast in their chest. Their vision blurred, their lungs burned. But they kept pushing.
And eventually... something happened.
A scream, from deep below the bowls of the Kaigo no Bou itself, inhuman and pained, a death cry of a monstrous child born a grudge...
The entity's field faltered. The knife found purchase in their shoulder, and from that darkness a light so bright it seared the eyes of everyone in the room birthed. The light itself seemed to claw and nash, ripping at every bit of cursed energy it could, devouring ravenously, unyielding.
The entity... still smiled.
As their form started to fade, they smiled... and they laughed... ]
"They cannot save you."
[ And the light consumed everything, and all anyone could hear was a piercing trill of that laugh...
And then nothing.
Well. Not nothing. The knife clattered to the floor below, but there was no longer any light. The room was oppressively dark, but in the way the Enma had intended it to be. Behind the windows, the stars of the night sky were visible for the first time in what felt like ages.
It was normal. All was normal.
Both the Enma and the Daitengu collapse, though the Enma only to one knee. ]
Ah I do believe... we should get ourselves some help...
[ The Daitengu chuckled, though clearly trembling and spent. ]