[h2]Saber - Benienma[/h2]

In a single swing, Benienma came to understand the entire fighting style possessed by this puppeted version of Hijikata. Their previous clash had indicated he possessed a high degree of skill. He had been an opponent worthy of respect in terms of his capability with the blade, between two practitioners of swordplay. But for all the power that had been behind this swing, there was little of the technical skill that had once been there. Only the barest hint of it remained.

And the way in which the other Kiara spoke... it only served to make the fury burning in Benienma's heart blaze even hotter!

"The battoujutsu possessed by the enma is said to be used to sever the tongues of sinners," the redheaded Saber said, her eyes narrowing even as she placed one foot down, geta clacking against the floor as she began to redirect the shadow Hijikata's blade, "But it will sever far more then that when I reach you dechi!"

Unfortunately, the slaying of this most vile of sinners was becoming more and more complicated by the moment. Even as she deflected the shadow's blade, forcing it to the side, she detected a surge of magical energy. Kiara had gather a great orb or mana above her head, and from it issues a hail of arrow like projectiles, curving through the air towards the enma and towards her Master and the others as well!

With no choice to to disengage from her battle, Benienma sprang back as the arrows burned their way into the floor where she had been standing seconds later! She had to get there...!

The sheer speed at which the Tongue-Cut Sparrow moved whipped her ponytail through the air as she skidded along the ground, interposing herself between her opponents and her Master, the first Kiara, and Jason.

Smoothly, her katana left its sheath once more. Benienma had to intercept every last one! She couldn't let even a single shot get through!

Sparks flew as the first of the arrow-shaped projectiles struck the side of her blade, then the second and the third as she swung it up and back. Then more, and more, as the small girl's katana cut through the air over and over, back and forth, her feet shifting as as she adjusted her position to keep deflecting the blasts of magical energy. The moment even a few curved slightly to come from a different angle, Benienma threw herself into their path, blade flashing to deflect them!

Not a single one! She wouldn't let even one get past her!

[@PKMNB0Y][@RoleplayerRoxas]

[hr]

[h2]Mihama Nanako[/h2]

"Ah!"

Meltryllis had jumped forward and pushed her down.

Rather then intercept the shot directly, or dodge, the Alter Ego had gone out of her way to shield her body with herself.

For a few moments, Nanako was only able to stare up at Meltryllis. She'd gotten into a position to watch for threats. She'd broken off from the fight to put herself between potential attack and Nanako herself... for everything that Melt had said, for what she'd done with her virus... This wasn't what someone who didn't care a single bit about her would do, was it...?

Nanako tried to run through everything that had happened since she had summoned the Alter Ego.

The way she had spoken...

The way she had worded things...

This whole time, had Nanako missed something? It wasn't adding up. Someone who really thought she deserved that treatment with the virus just for that... Someone who genuinely believed that her only worth was as a bag of magical energy... would Meltryllis have even bothered to come with her and keep an eye on her when she went to get food if that was all? If... if that was really it... if Meltryllis truly had nothing but hatred for her in her heart and no concern for her wellbeing, wouldn't she have simply destroyed Nanako's ability to leave her apartment at all and left her nothing more then a battery? Given what Nanako had seen, she was more then capable of that, but she hadn't.

She'd gone with her even when she thought it was a bad idea...

The others had escaped.

"I'll get out of the way and let you fight, Meltryllis," Nanako said, finally, getting back to her feet and quickly heading for cover behind the nearest wall.

The figure in the crater sprang out of it, raising a shadowy crossbow as it sprinted, firing crimson bolts far more rapidly then any human could have!

[@PKMNB0Y]