RolePlayerRoxas

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Kubo Emi

Thankfully, Rika had made short work of the remaining beasts as planned, more or less. Emi was relieved that they didn't have to waste too much more time on them, that meant she could focus on the more pressing matters. She glanced over ehr shoulder, towards the devil that the others were throwing themselves at. It greatly irritated her to see Kaeru tackling the monster like that - reckless as that attack was, Emi could at least recognise it was a joint manoeuvre to take the monster down. She was annoyed that Andrea had yet to just end the fight herself, sparing them the trouble of fighting like that to begin with.

Shirokami's mocking chuckle resounded in her head again, making the fox-eared operative click her tongue in annoyance. She was sure that her contracted partner was chiming in only to indicate how unfair her thoughts truly were towards her demonic ally, but Emi sure as hell wasn't going to acknowledge that. Instead, she watched the bout for another moment, pressing her lips tightly together. Now that she had a moment, the other pressing matter became more apparent by the second: This partially-constructed building was at risk of having whatever was built fall on top of them all.

"...Rika-san," Emi could not recall her new colleague's full name, she could apologise for the informal address after the mission. She briefly turned her head towards Rika, "I'd suggest escorting Honda-san out of the building, before it all comes down on top of us."

Getting their most vulnerable conrade out of harm's way, just in case things went too far south was important, and assigning Rika to guard her at least kept them both out of immediate danger, now that the beasts were dealt with. The fox-possessed operative turned towards the battle, quickly making her way down the burned, smoky corridor. Hopefully, with her assistance, they could quickly subdue that fiery menace and evacuate...!

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Kubo Emi

As the three demons encroached upon Rika, Emi suddenly lunged from the mostly-uncontruscted room, kicking one of the beasts on its side. With a disgusting yelp, it slammed into the nearby wall, alerting the other two to Emi's presence. Raising her clawed hand, blue flames flickered to life on her fingertips, soon followed by her mystical flames erupting from the floor, separating Rika from the demons. She could have opted for trying to burn the demons directly, but it seemed too risky; sure, the monsters might burn out eventually, but having two or three of these things going berserk while aflame would not exactly help the delicate situation. The chaos was already threatening to bring the whole building down on their heads as-is.

What Emi was aiming for, was simply a distraction. Dissuade the creatures from approaching her, and turn their attention towardss Emi herself. Then, with her blue flames dispelled, Rika copuld strike them from behind, allowing them to easily dispatch these mutts and clear their escape route.

With the two remaining demons turning towards her, Emi glared at them in return, a twitch of her finger letting her flames die down behind them. Giving the downed demon one more stomp, she cloaked her hands in the blue flames, ready to fend off the remaining beasts.

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Kubo Emi

Emi had a lot to complain about already, but it was going to have to wait for now. The initial wave of beasts were dealt with, but now more were on the way. Accompanied by the demon leading the pack. Emi narrowed her eyes as the loudmouthed monster spat out its' meaningless boasts and threats. Like she was going to be intimidated by something of this level. Ugh, she shouldn't think of the demon like that; it may not be the worst monster she's faced down, but it was a monster, nonetheless. Complacency was their worst enemy.

The beasts came charging, and Emi stepped forward, flames flickering on the tips of her fingers. One of the monsters leapt at the fox, intent on clamping down on her neck, no doubt. She had little time to formulate much of a plan, but at least she was capable of recognising how straight-forward and telegraphed the attack was. The thick tail seemed to expand in volume, curling around Emi's body to form a small, surprisingly sturdy shield. The demon's fangs clashed with resistance like steel, Emi gritting her teeth as she swung her hardened tail to the side, throwing the beast into an adjoining, square space, soon to be a room or office.

"Honda-san, I'd suggest directing your demon towards the main target," Emi noted to young woman, turning towards the room she'd thrown the charging beast, "the rest of us will deal with the beasts. Stay behind us."

Ignoring the infuriating chuckle echoing in her head, the foxlike agent raised her hands, the flames intensifying as she pointed her palms at the recovering beast. Before it could launch a second assault, she blasted her foxfire magic at it, pelting the howling demon with her blue flames. It was knocked off-balance, but it irked Emi that she didn't seem to do any appreciable damage. No doubt the creature was burned somewhat, but it was hardly going to dissuade the rabid freak from attacking further.

Emi had no doubt she could subue her opponent. Even someone with her level of strength was likely to defeat a mere Beast in a 1v1 scenario. Though that right there was the issue that plagued Emi's thoughts, no matter how much she tried to focus solely on the task at hand. All because this idiot fox that wanted a Contract simply refused to cooperate, she can't properly utilise these powers the same way that-

Daydreaming again~?

Emi gasped, immediately manipulating her tail once more, enlarging it as she swung it over her left side like a fist, punching back the beast that had charged at her once again. The sickening howl and cracking sound indicated that she managed to subue the monster, at least. Thanks to Shirokami's timely warning.

How utterly infuriating.

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Kubo Emi

Emi's expression during the trip could be witnessed notably souring with each passing minute. Part of the reason was certainly due to the unheard, prodding comments inading her thoughts, courtesy of her contracted spirit. The slightly more obvious reason could ost likely be attributed to her sitting directly across from Andrea. Being so close to the demon always made Emi uneasy, it was still difficult for her to view the demon as an ally. A useful asset, certainly, but not really someone she could place her trust in.

Not that you're listening, but we're there now~! came the unwelcome voice once more, and Emi exhaled silently. Indeed, a moment later, the vehicle was slowing to a stop, the field deploying soon after. With everyone exiting the vehicle, Andrea had taken the initiative and charged onward. Emi hated how that had earned Akira a respectful complaint for later, though she was at least aware of how unfair it was to act like Akira had total dominion over the demon, especially when she could barely utilise the infuriating fox that had suggested contracting with her in the first place.

Natsumi, at least, was putting her own abilities to great use, giving the team a better field of view to spot incoming attacks. Emi shouldn't fall behind. Clenching her left hand to her chest, she called out to Shirokami, Come on out, already.

In a momentary transition, Emi's lengthy, pitch-black hair changed to a brilliant white, starting from the roots. Her nails lengthening, sharpening into distinct claws, a white, fluffy mass seemingly growing from her lower back... with her own transformation done, Emi swept her gaze along the construction site, keeping alert for any sudden attacks. They'd have to search a bit for the gate, but for now, it'd be best to clean up the pests already on the prowl.

Should she take one of the rookies with her? With Natsumi taking to the sky, and Andrea decidedly caring little for formation, it left herself and Akira on the ground with Kaeru and Frederica. Well, given the latter two's inexperience, sticking as a larger group might be safer, but inevitably slower. Ugh, this was infuriating, she just knew Katsuro would've figured this out long before they even boarded the van!

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Kubo Emi

"Eh? Uh, no, I wasn't..." Emi hadn't realised she was staring so hard at the unfamiliar girl, momentarily flustered. Kaeru was one of their newest additions, and those cute looks, combined with his friendly demeanour, were quickly proving to be an effective combo against the strict woman's heart. She managed to recover quickly enough when Akira spoke to her at least, shaking her head in response, "I'm afraid not, I only just-"

When Ayako addressed the gathered agents, Emi immediately shut her mouth and stood to attention, intently listening to her words. She couldn't help but reflexively clench her fist at the mention of a Devil-class, but otherwise she betrayed no hint of her emotions. Up until Ayako made it clear that the rookies were coming along with them, that left her somewhat conflicted. Even if the Devil was supposedly a low-level one, she hated the idea of inexperienced fighters accompanying them, it felt far too risky... no, that line of thinking had to be wrong, right? Her superiors disagreed, and it simply meant that Emi would have to do her job, and keep them safe. As long as they stuck close to their more experienced counterparts, and only engaged the beasts, there shouldn't be an issue.

"You will handle the small fry alongside one of us," Emi noted, sounding a tad harsher than she meant to, glancing over her shoulder, "playing the hero is a nice sentiment, but do not over-estimate your abilities before your first deployment."

She only wanted to remind Frederica that she could rely on her comrades, but who knows how her interjection was received? Her expression only soured for seemingly no reason, as Emi felt like she could hear an amused chuckle, echoing in her mind. Ugh.

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Kubo Emi

Emi stretched as she took a walk around the building, arms raised to the ceiling, letting out a soft sigh. She'd been sitting at her PC for a few hours, passing the time with riveting report write-ups, double-checking the branch's budget and expenditures, ensuring that the new hire's orientation was properly scheduled... it wasn't overly difficult for Emi, even if she felt her computer literacy couldn't compare to the general populace. Still, there were plenty of days where it was all she could really do - which was a good thing in the context of her job, but she'd have to pay more attention to her health at this rate. It'd really suck to be called out to the field and her back was to ostiff for her to move or something.

When the young woman was returning to her station, she spied Akira by the couches, and was immediately struck by conflicted emotions. As hard as it was to believe, Akira was both older than her, and her senior. The cute lady compelled Emi to want to strike a conversation with Akira, or at least pat the summoner's head... but Emi also desperately wanted to scold her for lazing around so sloppily! Feet up on the couch, who does that in a work environment!? It's like she's completely forgotten they're supposed to be ready at a moment's-

In a rare instance of discretion, Emi instead turned, and continued her walk around the building for now. Honestly, if it isn't Akira, it's Kaeru making her feel weird about ensuring everyone was ready and alert. Simply talking to her colleagues was still difficult, after all this time. She always had a gripe about their conduct to point out, but that's hardly her fault, right? Everyone here needs to be perfect, or it's the civilians that pay the price.

The alarm disturbed her pondering, making Emi jump. For all her talk of immediate action once those sirens wail, it still took her a moment to compose herself, before heading to the meeting room. The irony was not lost on her there. Well, she could always scold her reflection in the mirror later, for now, she marched to where she should be. It was fortunate her wandering had led her so close to the atrium, allowing Emi to arrive in mere seconds, with her colleagues arriving soon after.

"Fujikawa-san," Emi acknowledged the redhead's arrival stiffly, noting Akira's presence with a similarly-stiff "Honda-san". She pointedly ignored the demon accompanying her, merely counting away the seconds it would take for the rest of their small division to arrive. She opened her mouth to greet the next arrival, pausing when she realised she didn't know this girl's name. Or face. Emi tilted her head, wondering who she was supoosed to be, someone visiting from another branch, maybe?

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Fox contained inside

• Name: Kubo Emi
• Age: 20
• Gender: Female
• Appearance: Fun time is literally never
• Personality:
  Strict, sharp and seemingly an ardent supporter of 'no fun allowed', Emi is the type that will not tolerate anything she deems as tomfoolery on the job; they have a serious role to play, and screwing around is nothing but a distraction, and a massive threat to everyone's safety. It may not make her the most popular coworker, but she can take a little animosity, if it means ensuring someone pays proper attention to their surroundings. During deployments, too, she'll often remind everyone to keep to formation, don't try any heroics, and never disobey a superior's command. Not that Emi's been in a position to really
  
  During her off-time, Emi claims to be a lot more relaxed, though it's still rare to see her crack a smile, and she'll certainly still lecture any coworker foolish enough to invite her to drink - what if they were called into an emergency during a bar crawl?! Basically she's tough to hang out with, even when Emi tries to be a little more lenient, she's just far too used to being a nag. At the very least, Emi has a deep love for all things adorable. In contrast to her bland, orderly work station, her room is almost impossible to navigate, thanks to all the plushies and pillows she's collected. She doesn't mean to keep her fondness of cuteness a secret, it's just highly unlikely to get brought up much, given Emi's probably reminding you once again to stop slacking off when you could be called into action immediately.

• Skills:
  As far as work is concerned, she's pretty good at the administrative tasks, organising data, timetables and the like for the branch... as well as tracking to the second how much one's went over their allotted break times.

• Contracted Shadow: Shirokami, the Nine-tailed fox
• Contract Type: Possession
• Contract Rank: C
• Contract Abilities:
  When possessed, Emi's dark hair becomes a brilliant white, forming a thick, fluffy, white fox tail as well, and sharpening her nails into claws. At present, Emi has been granted access to 'three tails worth' of power from her Contract (though Emi only has one tail, it gets much more volumous with more power earned from Shirokami's judgment). As such, she's quite lacking in raw power, though her techniques lend her some versatility in combat, allowing her to support a team in almost any capacity that isn't heavy-hitting.
  
  
  • Foxfire: The bread and butter of Emi's abilities, allowing her to throw fiery projectiles at opponents, or concentrate the mystical blue flames into the tips of her claws, enhancing her cutting power even further.
  • Shapeshifting: Not so much a transformation of Emi's appearance, but a way to weaponise her tail, allowing her to harden the fur at will, and manipulate her tail's shape and appearance, often in the form of a shield she can quickly produce before her, though if necessary it can make for a nice club, too. As Emi gains access to more tails, the scope of her 'shapeshifting' increases as well.
  • Fox Shadows: A technique that allows Emi to summon fleeting clones of herself to confuse enemies. At her current level, they are no more than mere appiritions, swept aside rather easily, but can hopefully serve their role of misdirection. She can utilise two clones at present, with the number increasing with each tail, as well as their strength.

• Brief Backstory:
  Hailing from the countryside, one could say her childhood was relatively uneventful. Demon attacks to their quiet part of the world seemed an impossibility, and even if there was danger... well, surely the DDF would arrive in time to save them, right? And on top of that, her older brother, Katsuro, was a member of them too, and he was super strong and awesome, so if he were visiting home, it was safer than safe! So until Emi's early teens, she was quite the cheerful, carefree kid with nary a worry to consider.
  
  In a stroke of bad luck, when Eri and her friends had been listlessly wandering the outskirts of their town to pass the time, disaster finally struck. A demon had arrived - a Devil class. From Emi's recollection, there was just a sudden, explosive force from within her town, and the rising crescendo of panicked yelling, soon followed by fleeing residents. Emi found herself running towards' the disturbance, her home was on the other side of the small town after all, and Katsuro was visiting home. He would definitely take care of whatever had happened.
  
  Indeed, he had immediately engaged the monster in battle, fiercely defending his home from the demon. Coming across their battle, Emi watched from what she believed to be a safe spot, witnessing just how powerful her brother was... and how utterly frightening a Devil-class demon could be, even for an A-rank like him. Transformed into a fox-like creature, he valiantly fought the demon, even when it became clear to Emi that he was losing ground with each passing moment. All she wanted to do was cheer Katsuro on, assure him that he would win, no matter what. Her cry, meant to rally him, only served to give the demon an easy target instead.
  
  In a flash, the devil had thrown something towards Emi's position, some sort of magic blast. Stricken with fear, all Emi could do was watch her impending death... until her view was blocked by her brother, taking the hit for her. And then, before he could recover from the hit... the devil's arm had pierced him. Emi's memories are a little hazy, given she passed out not long afterward, but was able to corroborate that, while the devil believed itself to be the victor, Katsuro had unleashed one final strike to the off-guard monster, injuring it enough to flee the scene. Reinforcements from the DDF arrived soon afterward, but it was too late to save him from his grevious injury.
  
  Ultimately, casualties were relatively low, given the small population, though plenty were injured and traumatised from the experience. Emi especially, having blamed herself for getting in the way, forcing her brother to sacrifice himself for an idiot like her. After his funeral, DDF personnel visited Emi and her parents to offer their condolences - accompanied by a mysterious, fox-eared woman. This youkai, a nine-tailed fox, had been the one her brother made a Contract with, and now she was offering the same contract to Emi.
  
  Emi had a lot of mixed feelings about it, and even in the present day, she doesn't really get along with Shirokami, but the young girl had coem to a decision: She wasn't going to be a bystander, leading brave fighters to their death. Her mistake robbed the world of a sorely-needed hero, it was her duty to replace him. It's been a struggle for Emi, who seemed totally incompatible with the contracted fox spirit, and possessing nowhere near the same level of power or finesse that Katsuro had, but Emi has stuck with the DDF, determined to do what she can.

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Fox contained inside

• Name: Kubo Emi
• Age: 20
• Gender: Female
• Appearance: Fun time is literally never
• Personality:
  Strict, sharp and seemingly an ardent supporter of 'no fun allowed', Emi is the type that will not tolerate anything she deems as tomfoolery on the job; they have a serious role to play, and screwing around is nothing but a distraction, and a massive threat to everyone's safety. It may not make her the most popular coworker, but she can take a little animosity, if it means ensuring someone pays proper attention to their surroundings. During deployments, too, she'll often remind everyone to keep to formation, don't try any heroics, and never disobey a superior's command. Not that Emi's been in a position to really
  
  During her off-time, Emi claims to be a lot more relaxed, though it's still rare to see her crack a smile, and she'll certainly still lecture any coworker foolish enough to invite her to drink - what if they were called into an emergency during a bar crawl?! Basically she's tough to hang out with, even when Emi tries to be a little more lenient, she's just far too used to being a nag. At the very least, Emi has a deep love for all things adorable. In contrast to her bland, orderly work station, her room is almost impossible to navigate, thanks to all the plushies and pillows she's collected. She doesn't mean to keep her fondness of cuteness a secret, it's just highly unlikely to get brought up much, given Emi's probably reminding you once again to stop slacking off when you could be called into action immediately.

• Skills:
  As far as work is concerned, she's pretty good at the administrative tasks, organising data, timetables and the like for the branch... as well as tracking to the second how much one's went over their allotted break times.

• Contracted Shadow: Shirokami, the Nine-tailed fox
• Contract Type: Possession
• Contract Rank: C
• Contract Abilities:
  When possessed, Emi's dark hair becomes a brilliant white, forming a thick, fluffy, white fox tail as well, and sharpening her nails into claws. At present, Emi has been granted access to 'three tails worth' of power from her Contract (though Emi only has one tail, it gets much more volumous with more power earned from Shirokami's judgment). As such, she's quite lacking in raw power, though her techniques lend her some versatility in combat, allowing her to support a team in almost any capacity that isn't heavy-hitting.
  • Foxfire: The bread and butter of Emi's abilities, allowing her to throw fiery projectiles at opponents, or concentrate the mystical blue flames into the tips of her claws, enhancing her cutting power even further.
  • Shapeshifting: Not so much a transformation of Emi's appearance, but a way to weaponise her tail, allowing her to harden the fur at will, and manipulate her tail's shape and appearance, often in the form of a shield she can quickly produce before her, though if necessary it can make for a nice club, too. As Emi gains access to more tails, the scope of her 'shapeshifting' increases as well.
  • Fox Shadows: A technique that allows Emi to summon fleeting clones of herself to confuse enemies. At her current level, they are no more than mere appiritions, swept aside rather easily, but can hopefully serve their role of misdirection. She can utilise two clones at present, with the number increasing with each tail, as well as their strength.

• Brief Backstory:
  Hailing from the countryside, one could say her childhood was relatively uneventful. Demon attacks to their quiet part of the world seemed an impossibility, and even if there was danger... well, surely the DDF would arrive in time to save them, right? And on top of that, her older brother, Katsuro, was a member of them too, and he was super strong and awesome, so if he were visiting home, it was safer than safe! So until Emi's early teens, she was quite the cheerful, carefree kid with nary a worry to consider.
  
  In a stroke of bad luck, when Eri and her friends had been listlessly wandering the outskirts of their town to pass the time, disaster finally struck. A demon had arrived - a Devil class. From Emi's recollection, there was just a sudden, explosive force from within her town, and the rising crescendo of panicked yelling, soon followed by fleeing residents. Emi found herself running towards' the disturbance, her home was on the other side of the small town after all, and Katsuro was visiting home. He would definitely take care of whatever had happened.
  
  Indeed, he had immediately engaged the monster in battle, fiercely defending his home from the demon. Coming across their battle, Emi watched from what she believed to be a safe spot, witnessing just how powerful her brother was... and how utterly frightening a Devil-class demon could be, even for an A-rank like him. Transformed into a fox-like creature, he valiantly fought the demon, even when it became clear to Emi that he was losing ground with each passing moment. All she wanted to do was cheer Katsuro on, assure him that he would win, no matter what. Her cry, meant to rally him, only served to give the demon an easy target instead.
  
  In a flash, the devil had thrown something towards Emi's position, some sort of magic blast. Stricken with fear, all Emi could do was watch her impending death... until her view was blocked by her brother, taking the hit for her. And then, before he could recover from the hit... the devil's arm had pierced him. Emi's memories are a little hazy, given she passed out not long afterward, but was able to corroborate that, while the devil believed itself to be the victor, Katsuro had unleashed one final strike to the off-guard monster, injuring it enough to flee the scene. Reinforcements from the DDF arrived soon afterward, but it was too late to save him from his grevious injury.
  
  Ultimately, casualties were relatively low, given the small population, though plenty were injured and traumatised from the experience. Emi especially, having blamed herself for getting in the way, forcing her brother to sacrifice himself for an idiot like her. After his funeral, DDF personnel visited Emi and her parents to offer their condolences - accompanied by a mysterious, fox-eared woman. This youkai, a nine-tailed fox, had been the one her brother made a Contract with, and now she was offering the same contract to Emi.
  
  Emi had a lot of mixed feelings about it, and even in the present day, she doesn't really get along with Shirokami, but the young girl had coem to a decision: She wasn't going to be a bystander, leading brave fighters to their death. Her mistake robbed the world of a sorely-needed hero, it was her duty to replace him. It's been a struggle for Emi, who seemed totally incompatible with the contracted fox spirit, and possessing nowhere near the same level of power or finesse that Katsuro had, but Emi has stuck with the DDF, determined to do what she can.

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