[center]Kasumi and Zaria have a Blood Orgy (sans Orgy)[/center]

Taking in a deep breath, Zaria's eyes narrowed slightly. She placed a small knife against her hand, a blade not meant for dealing damage, and allowed it to neatly slice the skin. As the blood began to well out from the wound she concentrated and, using recently gained knowledge, formed it into a small ball no more than 4 inches in diameter. Well, it was a start. Tilting her head slightly she glanced around. Of course, for now, she had no target. It was a shame really because it would be nice to have someone to practice her newfound magic on. Preferably not someone who would kill her while she practised said magic. With minimal movement she shot the small projectile of blood forward and allowed it to soar through the air unobstructed. She was curious to see what happened upon contact. She hadn't had much time to play about with this, as it wasn't something she could just do anywhere. Many disapproved of such magic. A shame, really, as they were missing out. A light smile crossed her lips as it crashed into the first thing in its path, a hardy tree (she had decided a forest out with of civilisation but near enough to Toran was an apt place to practice), and burst outwards. At a best guess she would say the splatter was nine feet wide and she herself narrowly avoided being splashed with her own blood. Well, that would certainly be useful.

"It seems like you didn't relinquish your gifts either!" came the telltale tones of Kasumi from the woods near the small clearing that Zaria had placed herself in. While her body was not readily visible to those who did not possess the gift of Perfect Sight, her voice was carried throughout the small clearing by the dense nature of the trees and the echoes that they were known to provide. Perhaps Zaria would find it an unsettling experience, or perhaps she would find it amusing. Perhaps she would have another emotion entirely. It was always difficult to tell with people who did not follow the so-called "straight and narrow" path.

Kasumi had studied Zaria's magic quite intently, having seen that she was only a novice to the forbidden art, and had found it at least acceptable. It had been quite a shock to her to unlock the raw power of blood magic, as well as to get used to its somewhat unsavoury method of casting its spells, but it was hardly a difficult adjustment, and Kasumi had found it quite palatable after casting only a few select spells - it was strangely satisfying to imagine the carnage she could wreak with but a drop or two of her own essence. 

"People seem to think that Blood Magic is... Well, evil. It does have a lot of... Less morally acceptable elements to it, but all offensive magic can kill. Blood Magic is simply power to be used - it simply seems like people convert to the darker side because they crave power, hmm?" The voice came out again, this time accompanied by a body. Kasumi was bleeding from several locations, including the artery on her wrist, but it did not seem like she was in any sort of pain or discomfort. In fact, she seemed to be radiating with a dark aura of energy, clearly very much enjoying her newfound magical power.

"You don't seem like the kind of person to care about morals, though." She pointed out as a small globule of blood floated above her palm, twisting and turning in the air as if controlled by her thoughts. Kasumi found it almost mesmerising to watch, understanding the kind of power that she now held in her hand. Perhaps Zaria did too - and that was why she was there.

It was slightly unnerving to hear a voice echoing from the trees that surrounded, though soon enough she managed to put a name to it. She arched an eyebrow slightly and decided against trying to find the exact location of the speaker. The surroundings didn't exactly allow for that to occur easily. She didn't particularly like being in the company of one she could not see purely because she knew this person could, quite easily, end her life. Of course there was currently no motivation for that as far she was aware. Not quite a comforting though. However, she remained relatively calm on the outside. In fact she barely reacted.

"It seemed unwise to get rid of something so... useful," Zaria eventually replied in an even tone. It was certainly an interesting school of magic. It would take a bit to get used to drawing power from her own blood, however. She was quite thankful it had never been something that caused her to be squeamish. "It certainly depends on how it is used." She turned around the face the now visible Kasumi. It didn't take much to realise that the other was more experienced in the use of the magic and had been practicing for a longer period of time than Zaria had been. Interesting. "People tend to fear, and dislike, that which they do not understand and cannot control."

Zaria tilted her head with a smile crossing her lips. "Morals are useful, to keep up appearances. People tend to trust those with good morals. Or at least the illusion of them." Which was certainly one she managed to keep up in the company of most people. However there were some where that disguise was unneeded. "They only hinder in other situations. I do not understand the people who turn down things that would aim them in the name of morality." Her gaze was fixed on the blood that Kasumi twisted above her hand as she absentmindedly dug the knife she had deeper in the wound she had already created and began to draw power from the blood that continued to seep from there.

"Any advice for a beginner?" 

"Abandon your reservations at the door. They won't help you here." Kasumi offered, channelling more blood into the small orb of blood that she was presently controlling, causing it to swell to a much larger size. It was not nearly large enough to ever be considered truly menacing, but it was a good indication of the lack of restraint needed to get the most out of the ancient magic that the two were casting.

"You can't be afraid of using too much blood. The conversation rate seems to be good enough to sustain a lot of power, even as a novice." She added, suddenly turning the ball of blood into a wave of sheer force, directed straight at Zaria. While it was not meant to cause any real harm, it was certainly a wake-up call as to the strength of the magic that she was wielding. If nothing else, Kasumi dearly hoped that Zaria would realise exactly what she had gotten into - and, furthermore, that it would excite her.

Zaria felt that she should have expected the attack, after all it was the style of teaching that went with the magic itself. Not to mention the person she had asked for advice. She had little time to react as the force hit into her and she pushed her hands above her face as an automatic reaction (not that it would help her much here). As the wave hit she felt a stinging pain, only increased as her back made contact with the ground. The sudden feeling of struggling to breath and the slight pain in her stomach due to this wasn't exactly pleasant but eventually this began to disappear. 

While the feeling hadn't exactly been nice there had been a certain thrill to being hit with that type of magic, to knowing it was something that she could control and would be able to use herself. It certainly got adrenaline pumping through her veins. A light cough escaped Zaria's lips as she pushed herself up so she was once again standing. "Thanks," she murmured, words sounding surprisingly genuine. She narrowed her eyes as she began to form another ball of blood and attempted to work out how Kasumi had created the force. Well, one thing was certain, she didn't have enough blood. The knife she held slipped down below her hand to her wrist and after a bit of adjustment to where she believed the artery was she dug the blade in. It took a bit of force but soon enough she had drawn the blood she needed and channeled it into the small sphere she had already created. If there was any pain, she did not notice it, only the thrill of what she was doing.

Once it had grown to a size she deemed large enough she concentrated on trying to change it into force as Kasumi had done. Suddenly, it occurred to her, and with her face visibly screwing up in concentration she let it burst outward and converted it into a strong force aimed at Kasumi. 

The Unrelenting Force that Zaria had just used was weak, but for someone who had just cast the spell for the first time, it carried a decent amount of force. Kasumi knew that she could avoid the spell with her quick reflexes, but it would not have been conducive to the training to do so. Bracing herself for impact, Kasumi let the wave hit her and was knocked back into a tree, slightly cracking its bark, before falling forwards face first. It was fairly obvious that the entire ordeal had hurt considerably, but the grin on Kasumi's face as she got up and brushed herself off was unmistakable.

"Not half bad, Zaria. Not half bad." Kasumi noted, stretching herself out slightly and hearing her spine audibly crack. It wasn't a bad crack, but it did indicate that at least some damage had been dealt. It was nothing that she couldn't deal with, but she made a note to have one of the populous Restoration Mages heal her injuries up. 

"Keep practicing, but give it some time. That magic takes a considerable amount of blood." Kasumi noted, before stopping dead still for a second and pointing in a direction deep within the woods. She had spotted a Mythin in the woods, and thought it best for Zaria to attempt to do something with it.

"You know, I've come across some... Rituals that involve the use of Dragon Hearts. If you kill that Mythin, I'll show you one of them." Kasumi offered, holding out a bloodied hand. If nothing else, she would keep her word about the ritual.

Though she knew the magic she had cast wasn't quite at its full potential Zaria was quite pleased with the progress she had made. If she continued like this she would certainly be able to use the magic well in combat. She was quite glad the force had been weak, anyway, as she didn't particularly want to cause any long lasting damage. Kasumi seemed like she was fine, though. At least it appeared she could deal with it. That was good.

"Thank you," Zaria nodded, eyes narrowing slightly as she forced the blood at her wrist wound to clot. With this done her gaze flickered over to where Kasumi pointed. She could just about make out what was being pointed out, taking a few moments to identify it as a Mythin. The ritual she spoke of certainly sounded... Interesting. She had heard of a few things like these, but had no knowledge of full rituals. If Kasumi did, well... Zaria certainly wanted to see one of these rituals. It could only provide some form of benefit to her. "These rituals sound like they are of an interesting sort. I will kill that Mythin," she smiled slightly, shaking the hand that Kasumi held out. "I will hold you to that promise. Oh, and if you don't mind, I'll borrow a knife." She moved forward and just took one of Kasumi's knives, assuming she would be fine with it. After all it was merely to... cut out the heart of the Mythin. Her own wasn't good enough to do so. With a slight nod she headed off into the forest, in the direction the Mythin had headed.

Now surrounded by trees Zaria walked out a reasonably quick pace, calling out her Nevetta with a murmur. One of the charms around her neck glowed and the white rabbit appeared. Zaria had decided that it would probably be easier, and quicker, to take on the Mythin with her trusty Natrelmon at her side. She narrowed her eyes as she moved, trying to remain silent and work out the direction the Mythin was most likely to have gone. Finding seemed like it was going to be the most difficult part. She doubted she would struggle to kill it; Nevetta would be especially effective in this situation and her own magic would only aid this. The dragon didn't stand a chance. She allowed herself to feel pity for a few moments but quickly banished those thoughts. Its heart would be put to better use than the Natrelmon would. It was a sacrifice that had to be made. Not exactly a big sacrifice, actually. 

Movement in the corner of her eye, distinctly colourful wings darting past, notified her of the presence of the very thing she was searching for. The creature certainly wasn't making itself easy to find with the constant movement and attempts to hide. It was almost as if it knew that its death was upon it and was futilely trying to escape its cruel fate. She wasn't going to let it. It could only hide for so long. Turning slowly she tried to spot the direction the Natrelmon, similar to a gecko in appearance, had gone. Soon enough a slight movement gave it away. She had it now. "Use frostbolt." Her voice was barely above a whisper but her Nevetta heard, bounding forward and shooting a icy bolt of energy at the movement. It hit the Mythin square on before it had a chance to move, as her Nevetta was faster, almost completely coating it in ice. A smile slipped across Zaria's lips. That had been as easy as she had expected. It was a shame it hadn't been more of a challenge, but it did certainly allow for efficiency when collecting the heart. She didn't need to worry about failure. No, it would have been quite embarrassing if the creature had been stronger and her unable to kill it. Of course, there had never been a chance of that happening.

Quickly reopening the wound on her hand Zaria drew the blood that welled up and began to drip down off her hand into a small, but potent, ball of dark scarlet. She might as well practice her newfound magic on a live target. Even if said target had no chance would not offer any resistance due to being almost entirely coated in ice which did, of course, prevent any movement or retaliation. Still. It would be quite interesting to see the effects. Taking a few steps back, and having her Nevetta do the same, she shot the projectile at the Mythin. It hit with full force before splattering outwards and painting the trees in a sinister, but beautiful, red pattern. There was nothing quite like art made of blood. Zaria found that she was coming to enjoy this more each time she used the magic. Interesting.

Zaria got her Nevetta to shatter the ice before approaching the Mythin to make sure it was dead. It certainly seemed to be, or it was very good at playing dead. She would go for the former. Her blood would have done a lot of damage and the shattering of the ice that coated it would have only added to that. She took her time to work out where the heart would be, not wanting to accidentally destroy it due to an accidental slip or stabbing into the wrong place. When she was quite sure that she had worked out it she stabbed down, making a neat slice downwards and to the side. The blood of the creature did not bother her at all, it only added to the rather gory scene that was beginning to surround her. It took some careful manoeuvring to actually find the heart but soon enough she was cutting it out. It felt quite nice in her hand as she picked it up, and the carcass. She would rather keep it until she could discard it in some better manner, like burying it. It was possibly not the best idea to leave a dead dragon lying around in the forest. If someone find it who had knowledge of these rituals, especially if that someone was righteous and good morally, then there might be a problem. She returned her Nevetta as she collected the heart and body and headed back.

There was a certain amount of excitement flowing through her as she took a leisurely stroll through the woods on her way towards the clearing. She was interested to see this ritual and all it entailed, and the thrill of killing a Mythin... well, that was quite something. She hadn't expected to enjoy it quite as much as she did. She regretted not doing things like this earlier in her life, rather choosing to keep up the facade of being perfect and good. This was so much more fun. 

"I've got the heart," Zaria commented, quite aware that she was stating the obvious as she approached Kasumi and held out for her to take, blood now staining her hands. "And the body, though that is not the useful part." She smiled. "It was easy enough to get... Now, I am curious to see this ritual."

"There is not enough of the heart for us both to partake, I am afraid, but the knowledge of this ritual should be payment enough. It will advance your studies... Considerably, should you desire more schools of magic to learn and command." Kasumi noted, taking the heart in her hands and closing her eyes. It seemed that knowledge of Herbalism and Blood Magic were very well suited to this one particular ritual - and by using her magic to drain the heart completely of its blood, she felt it beginning to crystallise within her hands. As the whitish pallor began to creep through the crevices and veins, not unlike the cooking of raw meat, it began to harden and soon it was almost clear, tinged only slightly with alabaster tones, and very obviously crystalline. Any mage could feel the magical energy emanating from deep within it, and Kasumi gave it to Zaria to hold as she prepared the next step of the ritual. By taking some Commoner's Grass and some Sakuran Tea Leaf, and placing it in a pestle, Kasumi began the ritual, noting to Zaria that she would have to obtain these herbs from a herbalist such as herself, or another Herbalist - it was possible she could also find them in low quantities in certain stores, but Toran did not seem to have any such stores.

"The Heart must be ground into a fine powder." Kasumi stated, taking the heart from Zaria, and placing it into the stone bowl. It was with a slight reverence that she began to press the heavy instrument in her hand into the heart, slowly grinding it down into shards. She was obviously taking great care in what she was doing, and after a few seconds she paused briefly and flashed Zaria a toothy grin, taking a blood-soaked book out of her backpack. The pages had not succumbed to the tainting influence of the blood, and the writing was still visible, but it was quite clear that she had accidentally caught the book in the splatter of one of her bloodbolts - the story of how this happened would be left mostly to Zaria's imagination - and she began to read from a passage under her breath, allowing her eyes to dance across the cursive script with an almost instinctive movement. While she had not read this particular tome a great deal, it was clear that her background had involved many long nights reading ancient tomes by candlelight. If nothing else, that added another layer of mystery to the scion of the Touhou family - thief, murderer, scholar, and now a blood mage. 

"The book doesn't state anything about how gentle you should be, but the hearts are not designed to be crushed. It would be wise to be careful." She noted, almost dryly, as she focused upon grinding the heart down. Whatever Zaria's reaction, Kasumi would continue with the same precision that her eyes had followed the script of the tome with. She was a woman of many talents, apparently, though her most practiced talents were not ones that she was overly eager to expose to the big wide world. Zaria would know quite a bit about this particular feeling, Kasumi thought, as she contemplated the clandestine actions that Zaria had taken in the past, allowing her thoughts to flow with the rhythm of the grinding. 

"You can't have had a happy-go-lucky past, to kill a Mythin like that. What's your story?" She asked, bluntly, but the curiosity was hopefully evident. It was not like it had been an offensive statement, given what they were doing, but some people were wont to take offence of anything that they could. As she spoke, she looked up from the mortar and pestle, and flashed another of her signature toothy grins at her newfound friend.

"Blood, that of the imbiber, must be shed and mixed with the heart. I assure you, just from looking at this, that it is not going to be pleasant." she muttered, placing her already cut wrist over the bowl and allowing the wound to flow freely. The sanguinary liquid cascaded down into the bowl like a sea of crimson ribbons, hanging in the air as if to catch the light to draw attention to the unhallowed act, and the resultant splashing sound indicated that the ritual was almost complete. After stirring the mixture briefly, Kasumi took the heavy bowl to her lips and began to drink from it.

The reaction, as one might have expected, was one of disgust - the liquid was grainy, and swallowing it felt like drinking fire - as it slid down her throat, it left a coating that continued to gnaw away at her as she consumed the contents of the entire thing, throwing the bowl to the side as she did so. For a few seconds she held her pose, before beginning to cough somewhat violently. Any of Zaria's attempts to help at this point would be quickly brushed away by Kasumi, and after what felt to the Touhou like an eternity, she stood up and stopped coughing. 

While it was not as obvious to an outsider, the sheer power that was flowing through her body felt like magma roiling through her veins, like her bodily fluids were charged with immense streaks of lightning from the sky, and with a grin that bordered on the manic she looked up at Zaria. After a few seconds, she was lifted up from the ground by winds beginning to swirl and coalesce around her, until she hovered a solid seven feet off of the ground.

"I didn't know Kazemancy before." Was all she really spoke before she lowered herself to the ground, stumbling a little as she landed. The entire experience had been exhilarating enough to make even a seasoned adrenaline junkie like her feel truly alive. She couldn't help but wonder what Zaria would feel when she participated the ritual - she only wished to be there to share in the elation that she would no-doubt feel.

Giving only a nod to the first thing Kasumi said, Zaria watched carefully as she began the ritual. She was set on learning every single details so that one day she could replicate it herself. She was quite sure if she got one detail wrong then it would not work. As she held the now crystallised heart she could practically feel the power that came from it, the magic that would come from this ritual. Her eyes continued to stay fixed on Kasumi and the motions she made, as if looking away would cause her to miss something terribly important. She couldn't help but offer a smile in return to the grin as she regarded the book curiously. She was surprised it was possible to read from it considering how the entire thing seemed to be covered in blood. Blood wasn't exactly clear. She wondered how it had gotten there... Of course, there were a whole variety of scenarios that could cause such a thing especially were Kasumi was considering. It had obviously been due to a bloodbolt, but how that had occurred was not quite so clear. Zaria didn't let her mind drift too much when considering this, though, as she felt it was best to concentrate on the ritual. 

"I would agree with that," Zaria spoke softly. "It would minimise the risk of destroying it." Kasumi seemed quite... talented at this, although Zaria felt she shouldn't be surprised. She was beginning to learn that anything was possible where Kasumi was concerned; she was so surrounded by mystery that she could be good at anything. Of course, she understood more than most having such hidden talents. She herself certainly didn't show many elements of her true self to the world. As a diplomat it would not be wise to come across as anything but morally good. "My story?" She let out a light laugh. "I don't think you will find there much." She was certainly not worried about speaking of the darker side with Kasumi - considering all that had happened.

"My parents were merchants. My childhood was good enough, if restricted, and I spent a lot of time learning to socialise. Of course that is all very normal," she smiled slightly at the memories. Ah, yes, it had been so easy at first. "There is nothing particularly terrible to my past. I grew up in the shadow of a more talented sister, at least in my parent's eyes. I witnessed a murder when I was still a child." She shrugged slightly at that. "That was possibly the start of that. I truthfully wasn't scared, rather intrigued. It was mostly about the murderer's motivations. My research then led me down... darker paths. And I discovered things about those close to me." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I had a younger brother. He, rather stupidly, looked up to me. I am not ashamed to admit I used this devotion. The power was quite something, being the best for once. It was partly this that led me to being a trainer. But that is unimportant. He died, and I may have played a part in that. I can't say it affected me. I can't say that death ever affected me. But really, that is it. It is not particularly interesting... I'm sure you've got more of a story to tell." It was not really a question, but could possibly be taken as one.

The final steps were certainly interesting but the drinking certainly did not seem pleasant. Zaria pushed down the sick feeling she felt at the bottom of her stomach. If she couldn't watch it, how would she be able to do it herself? As Kasumi began to cough she moved forward only to be brushed away. Well, she was quite sure Kasumi could handle it herself. Zaria's head tilted as her curious gaze followed Kasumi moving up off of the ground. It was certainly impressive...

"You did not? Then I assume it did work," Zaria's eyes widened slightly, a grin slipping across her lips as she imagined the possibilities. To learn another spell school? That would be incredible. She was definitely replicating this ritual when possible, even if there were certain unpleasant parts to it. "What did it feel like?" she asked, trying to work it out but ultimately feeling. She doubted she would know until it occurred to her. She was quite glad Kasumi had chosen to share this ritual and moment with her. "I imagine it is incredible. To think so much power came from so small a heart." She was really quite amazed, and in awe of what had happened. 

"A bad apple, then." Kasumi retorted with a chortle and a blasé shrug of her shoulders as she coughed a little after consuming the product of the ritual she'd just performed. It wasn't necessarily an offensive statement, but Kasumi's awareness of certain social protocols was perhaps underdeveloped given her familial status as well as her nature as a lone wolf. The fact that she'd participated in a war and found murder to be something that she was certainly not opposed to also contributed to the fact that she was essentially a sociopath at this point. 

She'd not mastered the art of sociopathy to the extent that Zaria had, though. Kasumi seemed to have been foisted into circumstances that had put her in a position that she had no inherent control over, being a war veteran and all, but Zaria's story was simply one of exploitation in order to achieve greater goals, irrespective of the damage that that would cause to other people. Kasumi's sociopathy was less manipulative, less thoughtful, and far more impulsive. Still, Kasumi would not judge Zaria for how she was - she saw no need. If Zaria tried to betray her, she was confident that she could end her life before major damage could be dealt.

"Yes, it worked. The mixture tastes like fire and power, and it flows through your veins like raw magic. Elation is the only word I could use to describe it, and I've been chasing thrills for as long as I can remember." She replied, truthfully, but she left the initial feeling unspoken. The body language shared between the two, as well as the looks that they'd shared, spoke volumes more than whatever words the talented linguist Zaria could add. Kasumi had never been particularly good at being eloquent, but her direct style of speech coupled with her willingness to cut people had gotten things done efficiently.

"But my story... Well, I'm the scion of the Touhou family, I also happen to be the Fox-Faced Thief, I assassinated a lot of people during the war and I compulsively steal things. Like your PDA." Kasumi spoke, extremely dryly, before pulling a PDA out from her backpack and handing it to Zaria. It was, indeed, hers - stolen by her masterful self during the confusion that had happened with Dark Aesni. She had obviously been far to preoccupied to notice, but Kasumi's joy came from actually stealing items, not in keeping the items that she stole. Giving it back to Zaria had no downsides from her perspective.

"You could say that," Zaria spoke smoothly, arching an eyebrow. She certainly did not seem offended though that was mostly because she was beyond such things. She did not see the point in taking offence to words spoken to people she did not care for, and there were few whose opinion she truly valued. And she was sure Kasumi had not meant it as an offence anyway. Thinking on it, part of that was a lie. She did care about people's perceived opinions of her considering the facade she wore from day to day. After all, if she was hated she would have to find that out and change accordingly. Whatever was easiest to allow herself to use her natural skill in speech to her advantage - knowing opinions was useful there. It allowed her to gain alliances with the right people and manipulate the rest.

She tilted her head at Kasumi's description of how it felt. "I am certainly looking forward to when I manage to replicate this ritual, then. Though the consumption of the product certainly didn't seem as pleasant." She smiled slightly. The words only further contributed to what she had gotten from watching the entire thing. Truthfully she was glad she had not participated - after all, something could have gone wrong. She didn't want to be the first to try it out. This way she gained the knowledge and would get the magic she wanted without having to possibly risk her life. After all, something could have gone wrong. Some of the instructions didn't seem to be very clear. It was not that she wished for Kasumi's death, certainly not, just that she was rather it was someone else. Self preservation and all.

"Well, it is certainly a more... interesting story," Zaria replied neutrally. "I imagine being the war had an effect on you." She kept her tone as neutral as possible. The war had not particularly effected her, beyond causing some fluctuation in the market which damaged her parents' business slightly. "Oh, I didn't even notice it was gone." She took the PDA slowly, before checking to make sure she had everything. Though she was quite sure if something else had been taken Kasumi would have let her know. It seemed she had no interest in keeping the items themselves. "Thank you for returning it. You are certainly a very skilled thief... I doubt there are many with that talent." It was a surprisingly truthful compliment. Most of the time her compliments were used to merely toy with people, get them to like her. It was a good manipulation technique. "And thank you also, for showing me that ritual."

"I got to perform it. There's no need to thank me." Kasumi nodded, before handing the blood-soaked tome over to Zaria.

"You can keep it - Commoner's Grass and Sakuran Tea Leaf are the herbs needed to activate the power of the heart, as well as the blood of the imbiber. I suspect it is easier for us Blood Mages, but in truth I don't know. It's something you could certainly... Experiment with." Kasumi offered with a nod before turning around and floating into the air again. While she had only had Kazemancy very briefly, she was extremely adept at magic anyway, and picking up the very basics of flight had been easy enough.

"I added my number to your PDA. Call me if you need anything, sweetcheeks." Kasumi called as she finally dashed away from the ritual site, feeling significantly better than she had done earlier. She'd managed to fit almost all of her compulsions into one neat little package, had used an ancient ritual to acquire a new school of magic, and had gained a reasonably strong ally who could help her practice some of the more delicate parts of Blood Magic. It was fortunate that Kasumi had chosen to follow Zaria into the woods, after all.