Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): In the Shadows of the City - Chapter 1, session 2a ( KSK)

[Justin OOC]

The next day and the following one passes quickly, with each of the teams killing dozens of smaller oni in their assigned patrol areas. Kaori knew it was now time for her to fight her duel with OPnimaru's "Original Master"

Each of the other teams went on their assigned routes, but Skye and Ken were unable to find Kaori at all after school. This didn't bode well, considering they both knew of the challenge she'd been issued.

(both of you may make mind checks (+ area knowledge) DC of 12 t start looking for Kaori. It is sunset, and there will be demons about, so splitting up may not be the best of options.)

The winds above the appointed meeting place were cold, buffeting Kaori around slightly. From the Shadows of Mikari building's air conditioning units, A demon lord emerged.

"I see you've come alone as asked. This pleases me."

He tosses a dark black shape at her which she seems to almost reflexively catch. a quickl look reveals that it is a mahogany bokken, almost the exact same weight as Onimaru.

"I hope you don't mind, but one should not fight with the thing being wagered in the fight. These will serve."

[Adrian Moss]

Ken came running up to Skye, a grimace on his face.

"I haven't seen her anywhere around here."

He looks off at the fading light.

"This isn't good. What are we going to do? We can't let her fight alone. Something must be done before we are witled away one at a time."

Ken looks around, plugging away and pulling scraps of information from his memory.

"I think I know of were we might look.

Click to reveal..

Area Knowledge check: (22:10:30) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d6 and gets 6,3 +4(mind) +2(Area Knowledge)=15

[z-Skye]

It had been a long, bad day for Skye. Not only was her mother still under the weather, but school had been awful. And now, Kaori had gone running off to deal with the demons alone. Damn her stubborn head!

"Fine, lead on," Skye said, feeling really, really weary. She hadn't slept last night, but that wasn't the reason her feet were dragging as she followed Ken. She was numb and felt empty.

[Justin OOC]

Ken begins making his way towards the buisness center of the Ward and the buildings there unconsciously. He vaguely remembered something about "the top of the world" and recalled that some of the taller buildings in Tokyo were there.

Skye seemed very down about the whole state of affairs, and this wasn't boding well for them as neither of them were really impressive or skilled warriors.

His fears were quickly born out as a small pack of four hounds came racing around the corner straight at him and Skye.

(Roll init, atacks and defenses and your reactions)

[Kaori Aoyama]

She quirked her eyebrow at the Demon Lord who seemed to be lacking a description so Kori wasn't quite sure what he looked like. He was a demony... thing, kinda guy.

The high wind fluttered her lose fitting hakama and long hair. "Wagered?" She asked calmly. "You seem mistaken demon. You claimed to be the rightful owner of the blade, and you challenged me for it. Now you offer me a weapon incapable of harming you, ensuring your victory? You have no honor."

"I've wagered nothing. I'm here to right the wrong against the Aoyama Clan and the murders you committed. Onimaru stays with me." She lowered the bokken into a text book Ryouichi-Ryuu defensive posture. "If you desire the blade, earn it."

[Justin OOC]

The demon frowns. It is you who must earn it child. I can Kill you without touching you, take onimaru from you with but a command, but That isn't my way."

He doffs the leather Jacket he had been wearing and smiles. His body is the image of human perfection, his white hair billowing in the wind, his clear blue eyes appraising Kaori's stance. Across his bare stomach and chest she can see a great black tattoo with the look of an eight-headed dragon. He smiles and drops into his own stance, and Kaori can feel his eyes going over every inch of her dissecting her stance.

"Now, let this trial begin."

(Pic of the Demon Lord

http://orochidragon.zip.net/images/Orochi02.jpg)

(OOC roll init and your attacks and defenses.)

[Adrian Moss]

Ken readies himself with his ... fists. He stammers over the summoning and the hounds are upon him.

(19:02:42) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d6 and gets 3,2+4=9 Initiative.

(19:02:49) (Adrian): Oh, wonderful.

(19:02:58) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d6 and gets 1,4 +4=9 1st Defense

(19:03:09) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d6 and gets 2,1.

(19:03:22) (Adrian): Re-rolling using Divine Connection

(19:03:29) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d6 and gets 1,6 +4-1= 10 second defense

[Kaori Aoyama]

The wind was rough and danced through her clothing. Her gaze settled on the large man with impossibly large biceps.

Lost only in the moment each warrior measured the other with silent stares...

Click to reveal..

Initiative: 2,5 +12 = 19

Attack 1: 2,5 +9 = 16 (?? Damage)

Attack 2: 3,2 +9 = 14 (?? Damage)

Defense 1: 5,5 +9 = 19

Defense 2: 3,5 +9 = 17

Defense 3: 2,4 +9 = 15

[z-Skye]

Skye nearly cried when she saw the hounds. "Not again," she muttered in German. Still, she readied her fans. "Ken," she said just before she attacked, "I'm getting you another weapon, for your personal use. KamiKaze! Fury of the Western Wind!"

I'm going to get really tired of screaming that...

Click to reveal.. (OOC Rolls)

Init: 1d6=5, 1d6=3 + 6 = 14

Defensive roll: 1d6=1, 1d6=6 + 6 = 13

Attack: 1d6=2, 1d6=2

[Justin OOC]

Kaori and The Demon Lord cross blades in an explosion of motion, but neither one manages to actually strike the other. The clatter of Bokken echoes across the rooftop as he goes on the offensive, but through luck, she managed to parry both of his blows which litterally made her arms shake from the power of the hits.

"Very nice Miss Aoyama, but qut holding back. show me the how much you truly know."

-------------------

The First two hounds dove in at each of them catching Ken with a rake of its claws. (15 damage to Ken)

The onther of the first two barely misses Skye. Her attack killed the third demon, and flayed the fourth one severely.

(Adrian's turn)

[Adrian Moss]

Ken lept back and clutched his chest (the amulet) while calling out her name.

"Lindh, I need you!"

He knew this would cost him. He only hoped his spirit energy would hold out long enough for them to reach Kaori.

Click to reveal..

(22:10:17) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d6 and gets 5,6+4=15 Attack

22:08:30) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d6 and gets 2,4+4=10 first Defense.

(22:08:41) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d6 and gets 5,1+3=9 second defense.

[Justin OOC]

Lindh Emerges and immediately brings her bow down on the Demon next to Ken. She misses with the first strike but her upswing with the bow cleanly decapitates the hound as she moves to block the others from getting to Ken.

"Dammit. I really hate close quarters."

The remaining two hounds both turn in at Lindh and attack, missing her cleanly both times.

(Skye you're up then Adrian Keep in mind these things are really close to you.)

[Justin OOC]

Kaori and the Demon Lord meanwhile have their own private war going on. She slices at him and he ducks under the swing and when she brings it back down he brings his own blade up and knocks the bokken from her hand. "Come on now. If I can disarm you so easily with a bokken I could do it were you wielding Onimaru, or are you not taking this seriously?"

He brings the blade down at her again but she jumps after the Bokken and comes up with it back in her hands.

[Kaori Aoyama]

She dove and rolled up to her feet, bokken in hand. She silently cursed to herself but refused to give into his taunts. For a moment her mind lingered on drawing Onimaru and ending this battle in a single slash, but there was no honor in such things.

It was moments like these that she truly understood how little she knew. Her father's words rang loud in her mind, every belittlement, taunt, and put down.

With a shout laced with rage she went on the offensive, slashing skillfully with her 'blade' but ever where her sword went, his was right the to meet it.

[Justin OOC]

He parried her strikes with seeming Ease. "There's the fire your bloodline is known for."

He draws is arm back and slams thebokken into her side under her cross block and lashes out with his fist into her solar plexus, sending her flying backwards into one of the A/C vents, leaving a dented crater in the hood.

"Come on Get up, I know I didn't kill you with that."

He walks over near her and smiles as he looks down at her noticing his attack loosened her outfit, revealing her ample cleavage.

"I see you've aged very well as well, I seem to remember that about your ancestor as well. She was beautiful too, and delicious."

[z-Skye]

The rushing hounds were way too fast, and Skye felt panic surge through her nerves. One of her fans opened as wide as it could, and she held it before her, defensively.

Please, God, oh, please, don't let it hurt me, oh please!

Click to reveal.. (OOC Rolls)

Activating Forcefield

[Justin OOC]

He hound dove in and it claws raked across the barrier field errected, but failed to penetrate the shield of air.

(Ken your turn)

[Adrian Moss]

Seeing Skye in trouble, Ken ran up and kicked one of the beasts. Once more, he was reacting, not thinking. Skye could parry a Hellhound slash with one of her mighty hands while Ken had ... his fists, and not very mighty fists at that.

Click to reveal..

(15:29:18) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d6 and gets 6,3+4=13 for the Kick!

[Kaori Aoyama]

"You lie." She coughed up a bit of blood as she tried to shake off the impact. Her gi was indeed knocked open exposing her cloth wrapped chest. With a figure like Kaori's it was understandable why the demon took notice. "You know nothing of my ancestors!"

She leapt up and her weapon came down hard in a vertical strike. The Demon blocked it easily only to find with his defenses over his head nothing protected his exposed mid section. With precision Kaori's sandled foot smashed harshly into his solar plexus lifting the massive creature up off the ground for a moment.

Realizing her plan he took a few steps backward and barely manage to avoid the aerial roundhouse kick. She apparently still had some fire left in her, and was capable with more than just a sword.

Click to reveal..

Attack 1: 6,6 = 21

Attack 2: 6,2 = 17

Defense 1: 1,6 = 16

Defense 2: 1,6 = 16

Defense 3: 3,4 = 16

[Justin OOC]

The kick to his chest knocked him back slightly and he chuckled. "So it would seem it isn't just the sword there's some real fight in you."

He looked to her and smiled. "IF my words are not true then why do they vex you so? Or is it possible that you know the truth in your heart?"

His return attack is staggering as he catches her in the right side first then lashes out with a foot and hits her hard in the left side, sending her back across the rooftop.

"It must annoy you to no end to know I'm toying with you. Come now one final cross of the blade."

[Kaori Aoyama]

Gasping for breath she attempted to stand. Every time he hit her her body tumbled like it was hit by a car. This opponent was incredibly strong, like nothing she'd ever been trained to battle. Then again, she was never trained for battle, only to master an art form of perfecting the self so that she then pass it on to others.

Her arms were rickety and shook and she put her weight on them, her knees wobbled and threatened to give out as she stood up. Droplets of blood trickled from her nose and lips filling her mouth with a tangy iron-like taste.

"But, grandfather, demons aren't real." a young Kaori giggled as she looked up at her maser who was reading her a bed time story. Tell me a story about real people. That's who I'm gonna go up against one day. Kaori Aoyama! Grand Champion of the Wolrd!" She threw her arms up triumphantly.

"You would use our techniques to become the ideal champion?" He furrowed his brow and looked at her, displeased.

"Well, it makes more sense than sitting around waiting for demons to appear." She smiled and giggled at him.

"The human soul has greater need of ideals than for the real. It is by the real that we exist; but it is by the ideal that we live." He shook his finger at her playfully scolding her. Remember this my granddaughter, only a warrior on the path of honor and purity will be able to summon his soul's ideal into this world and manifest their inner strength. This is your lesson for today."

She remembered his words, and then remembered his current condition. Blind, weak, and the last of her family still living (as far as she knew).

It finally dawned on her: she was fighting for herself, not for any honor or justice. She was fighting simply to get revenge, and her anger had clouded her mind and taken tipped her soul of balance.

Steady and now focused she cleared all the anger from her heart, her grandfather's words resounded in her mind like a echo of hope that despite her beating, this battle wasn't lost, not while she drew breath.

She hunched low and started her dash. She would meet this demon head on and end this battle. Her focus was keener then it had ever been! The winds felt different, the sounds seemed clearer, and her vision seemed crisper as all of her senses came together.

Her aura, from the demon's perception, grew larger and larger and she seemed enveloped in the pure power she had contained within herself. He grinned as he noticed the dark taint that licked the edges of her soul.

Her sword grew heavy and she pivoted her foot and spun her hips about to add momentum to the slash as she barreled down upon him with a 180 degrees of pure soul fueled force. She remembered this technique, but, from where?

His sword met hers with equal momentum and as their power combined the ki from each exploded into a visible ball of force that tore almost everything off the roof.

Ki winds swirled around them as they suddenly seemed matched for strength until the walls of positive and negative refused to hold any longer and they were expelled from one another in a violent blast of energy.

Click to reveal..

A lot of rolls I forgot. +6 to the attack, spending 60EP. +3 to the attack for all out, -3 defense for the same. Total was 24.

[Justin OOC]

Both attacks connected, though hers was far more dramatic. The bokken drew a thin red slash down his chest as his own rested edge against her exposed neck.

"You've got potential, I'll say that much."

He pulls the sword away and the thin cut begins healing immediately. "You can keep Onimaru. In time it will show you its true power and the truth of just why you can wield it safely. I'll be back then, to see how much you've truly learned, and how good you are with your sword."

He picks up his jacket and smiles.

"Have fun playing warrior, Kaori Aoyama. Your friends will arrive soon. Clean up the city with them do your best to be an honorable warrior. It will make your fall so much sweeter."

"Though you did not bargain for it, I have returned your grandfather's eyesight. The remainder of your family shall stay with me for now." He vanishes in a wisp of shadow-like smoke.

-------------

Ken hit the wounded hound as hard as he could with a kick, but it didn't seem to do much. He narrowly managed to pull the leg out of the way of the Hound's jaws. The first hound rushed at Skye, only to be met by Lindh. Lindh takes the hit to her chestplate shrugging the rake of claws off and putting an arrow straight between the hound's eyes. The remaining wounded one attempts to run but trips and Lindh puts an arrow through it's heart. She looks to Skye and Ken.

"Are you both alright? I sense an immense demonic presence on the rooftop of this building. We need to check it out."

[z-Skye]

Skye sagged with relief, right until Lindh spoke. "The roof? Of course it has to be the roof..." She looked at Ken. "We'll never make it if we take the stairs." She'd die before she reached the top. "Get Lindh to carry you. I'll follow, in, um... the elevator, I guess. Go! Kaori needs us!"

[Adrian Moss]

"Lindh, carry me up there!" Ken directs.

"Skye, be careful. We can't afford to lose you either."

With that Ken ran into Lindh's arms and hung on tight.

[Justin OOC]

Lindh nods and wraps her arms around Ken and begins flying up to the top of the building, barely hiding her blush at the way Ken had just embraced her.

Not more than a handful of seconds later a Cerberus emerges from around the corner of the building, and turns to look straight at Skye.

[z-Skye]

"Nein," Skye gasped, pushing herself back against the building. Her fingers closed around her fans hard enough to hurt and turn her pale skin white. "Neinneinneinneinnein!" But it was too late, the Cerberus had seen her, and Skye knew she didn't have what it took to take it out alone. She was in deep trouble.

The fans throbbed under her fingers, and Skye looked down at them. The Cerberus was turning toward her, leisurely, taking its time. "What?" she whispered to the fans, and as before, she suddenly knew what to do.

She twisted her fans hard, the backs curling around in an odd scooping motion. At the same time, she whispered, "KamiKaze! Blessing of the Southern Wind!"

Her feet left the ground. Skye gasped and looked down, and pure instinct dropped her back to the ground.

With a many-throated roar, the Cerberus charged. Skye's heart pounded as she twisted her fans against and yelled, "KamiKaze! Blessing of the Southern Wind!" She shot up thirty feet in the air. Shrieking, she fought not to panic and drop herself again. She twisted her fans again and rose higher still. Sick with acrophobia but unwilling to get near that creature, she looked up and kept climbing. For a while.

[Justin OOC]

The three of them ROse into the air and quickly rose to the roof of the building. There they found an uninjured yet winded Kaori. Lindh set down and released ken and called to Kaori.

"Warrior Aoyama are you alright? I sensed a massive demonic presence up here, what has happened?"

[Kaori Aoyama]

"I am fine." Kaori said, regaining her footing. She was quiet, almost depressed. "The Demon Lord got away."

Kan caught a fairly good view of what Kaori did absolute best to cover on a consistent basis until she composed herself and straightened her gi. She didn't seem to notice his observation, luckily.

[Adrian Moss]

"You'll get him next time," Ken responds cheerfully. "We encountered some hounds on the way here and the others are out on patrol. Shall we return to the Temple grounds to see if anything else has changed?"

[Justin OOC]

Lindh shakes her head. "We still have time, and there are a great number of demons still around. We can do some serious good still tonight."

[z-Skye]

When they reached the roof, Skye dropped to her hands and knees. Ok, I've found something that scares me more than the demons, she thought as she struggled to keep her dinner down. She'd always known that she didn't like heights. But the phrase 'didn't like heights' meant something completely different when she was flying than when she was on a tall ladder.

"Is she serious?" she asked Ken, looking up at him. She didn't even care that she was still on her hands and knees, though as she felt better it became more uncomfortable.

[Justin OOC]

Lindh nods and looks to Skye. "Yes, I am, though if if My Master wishes to call it a night I will do as he commands."

[Kaori Aoyama]

"Skye, people need us." Kaori said softly placing her hand gently on her shoulder.

[Adrian Moss]

"If people need help, we go and help. It is our duty. Now, if Lindh can carry Kaori and me to the ground, Skye can you make it back down too? Lindh?"

Ken looked resigned to the fact that he would be in combat yet again, which was a rather humiliating prospect. He still looked sturdy enough to carry on.

[z-Skye]

Kaori's gentle statement did nothing to help Skye. She pinched her eyes shut, swallowed and slowly stood up. "I'll try," she squeaked, feeling her knees go weak. Could she do it again? Could she fly again?

"I'm glad you're ok," she said to Kaori, giving her a smile. If she was going to die, she was going to make her last action a kind one. Then she lifted herself in the air and started down with Lindh carrying the others.

[Justin OOC]

Lindh nodded, knowing she might be able to carry them both down. Bright light enveloped her and then faded as her armor disappeared. It was now much easier to tell Lindh was an attractive woman, and she looked to Ken and Kaori. "Alright we should be able to make it now."

Carefully wrapping an arm around each of them, she began her descent. Anyone alive to take a camera would have thought the entire thing scandalous, but when they finally set back on the ground Lindh smiled. "Let's not do that again unless we have to."

White Light envelops her and the silver-white armor is back, as is her bow. She seems to be looking around searching for something....

[Adrian Moss]

Ken self-conciously looks away as Lindh has her armor removed. It was something he best not think about. When they were thankfully down and she was more comfortably attired, he noticed her looking.

"What is is Lindh? Did you lose something, or are you looking for some of the demons, like the one we left down here not so long ... ago."

Ken looks around too.

[z-Skye]

Skye shook as she landed on the ground, but she managed to stay on her feet and simply pant in fear. "Ok," she said after a moment, "where'd the Cerberus go?"

[Kaori Aoyama]

"Cerberus," Kaori asked, adjusting Onimaru in her sash. "What Cerberus?"

[z-Skye]

"The one that chased me," Skye said, showing her extreme disregard of the ideal "Keep your allies up to date." "Do you think I would have flown up by myself? I was running from that thing."

She looked around, then pointed where Kaori was standing. "Last time I saw it, it was right there."