[b]Miyama Town - Abandoned House - Jacob  Ainsworth[/b]

[@Reflection]

Oh, how thoughtful! While he did have some eyes out there, ready to warn him, Jacob was never one to say no to more security. With a life that he led, a certain degree of caution was necessary. A truly good man knew how to balance pleasure and professionalism.

“I appreciate it very much, my dear Rider!” Jacob said with a graceful bow. A pity, he was looking forward to speaking with this man a bit more. The stories he might hide. The darkness that was within his soul. The experience and view of a man from ages past, where people were more drowned by the Sin of Ignorance. Oh well. There was always night time, where he would definitely join him.

For now however? He had some business to do. While the familiars he had around were meant to protect him, by finding his enemies, this item of Rider left him with a bit more leeway. And who would suspect some innocent black dogs? Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing at all, good sir!

“Well, it would be foolish to not check the obvious places.”

Sending out all of his dogs would be foolish. If only for his peace of mind, he kept one of his dogs in the vicinity. Naturally it would be the dog that could actually fight in some way. If nothing else, it can serve as a solid distraction. The other dogs? Well, even if they were taken out, it’d tell him that they were taken out. With a mental command, he send the two of his three dogs into two different directions. One, towards the East, hurrying to the local shrine that was on top of a potent leyline. The other, towards the opposite direction, to enter the grounds of the Church. It was a classic location for things to get... interesting after all. And at last, one to the bridge connecting to Miyama Town. It was where people went and left and a clear vantage point.

With that done and said, he picked up his tableware and made sure to clean them thoroughly. It would be difficult to replace this tea set after all. taking the few minutes to relax a bit, he then moved back to his latest acquisition. Her breathing was labored, her voice hoarse from the meaningless screaming that would not leave these walls. Looking up, a faint light of consciousness was in her eyes. Jacob hummed. Rather resilient! Splendid!

“Well. Where were we?” He chuckled lightly before spreading his arms, an apologizing expression on his face. “Of course, I haven’t forgotten about you, my dear. But you know what they say, a gentleman has to pay attention to all of the guests of the house!”

“W-why... ?”

At her voice, filled with hatred and confusion despite its weakness, Jacob took a deep breath. Excellent. But he had to focus for now. Using her blood and some hair strings, he began to draw some circles on the ground. There were many elements added to it from his own research and his experiences. But to him? It was a painting, a thing of beauty. Because of that, he focused on perfection. Art had to be given the attention it deserved after all. For him, it felt merely like minutes as he finished the details up. With that done, he pulled out a knife, perfectly clean, as he ran his finger over its pristine edge.

“Do you know about the importance of sacrifices?” Jacob asked and chuckled to himself when he glanced at the woman. “It’s quite interesting. Back then, humanity was divided as ever. Continents were practically different worlds. Yet, they managed to develop in similar ways!”

He raised his hand and began to count with his fingers.

“The Aztecs. The Norse mythology. Ancient Greece, all kinds of religion.” He nodded to himself, twirling a second knife in his other hand. “Well, it is only natural. What could be more powerful, to have more meaning, than extinguishing a life for one’s gain? Of course not always were it humans that had to be culled, but it has the same principle.”

As horror dawned in the woman’s face, Jacob smiled fondly. Ah good. She was beginning to understand. Going down on one knee, he began to wave his knife in front of her eyes, the other one tapping at the ground in a rhythm.

“Of course, you cannot sacrifice just about anything. It’s like food. While yes, we could subsist, in theory, of a pile of slush that has all the nutrients the human body requires... but there would be no meaning. No culture, no emotional content!”

“Thus, you are fortunate,” he whispered, his voice like a good natured father. As she began to struggle against he restraints, wheezes of fear echoing against the walls, Jacob stood up, spreading his arms in joy. “I am not just killing you. I am not just torturing you. If I did, you would be just like most people these days. Mediocre. Not realizing the true value of the world.”

“There is still life in you. But do not worry. I will make sure that your sacrifice will be of the utmost quality. After all... “

The effects of his Boundary Field reinforced her terror. Quality required quality after all. Thus, he raised his knives, a wide smile on his face as he aimed them at her.

“Only the most distilled, purest fear, untainted by hope or determination, can make my Black Dog less hungry.”

“Now then, my little pup needs growing... “ He touched her skin, shivering and ice cold in his eyes. “Apologies for the delays. Shall we~?”

The screaming began anew soon after. But this time it was not screams of merely pain. It were the screams of someone’s existence being broken down and distilled into a fine wine.

Ah... There was nothing better but the classics to start off a good day!

[b]Fuyuki Park - Kawakami Gensai[/b]

[@Lucker13]

Gensai narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. The way he phrased his words made it sound like he already knew who she was. Or rather, that he was specifically summoning her. If that was true, well, she thought with a smile, she was somewhat flattered. After all, compared to other legendary figures, she wasn’t as good in her humble opinion.

Her smile wavered a bit. Or was she his last choice? What kind of catalyst did he use anyway, in case her assumption was correct? Shaking her head, she made an effort to dematerialize her swords, but still keeping an eye out for threats. Crossing her arms, she couldn’t help but huff.

“With all due respect, I quite like my clothes as they are.” She sighed, shaking her head. “But I suppose if my master demands it, I should be eager to comply. I do see the logic after all.” Tilting her head, she hummed in thought. “If I may ask the first question... are you aware who you have summoned? You give the impression you do.”