[center][hider=Murakami Seiji]
[hider=5'8"/173cm*150lbs/60kg*Eyes: Dark Brown][img]https://i.imgur.com/VXm6IJZ.jpg[/img][/hider]
[h1][color=steelblue]🕈 Murakami Seiji 🕈[/color][/h1]|| [b][color=steelblue]Age:[/color][/b] 20 || [b][color=steelblue]Gender:[/color][/b] ♂ || [b][color=steelblue]Race:[/color][/b] Human || [b][color=steelblue]Lineage:[/color][/b] Full-blooded || [b][color=steelblue]Sexuality:[/color][/b] Straight ||
[h1]🕈[/h1]
[h2][color=steelblue][b][P O W E R][/b][/color][/h2]
[h3][b][u]Gydroibolg[/u][/b][/h3]
[b][i][sup]The Sword of Distortion[/sup][/i][/b]
[hider=2'6"/76cm*Double Edged][img]https://i.imgur.com/XeJb0n1.png[/img][/hider]
(Sealed Form)
[hr]
[list][*][b]Summoned Space[/b]
The sword is called freely from a pocket dimension, perhaps Seiji's astral body. If it moves more than 25 feet from him it returns automatically to that space. If he is disarmed or drops it, so long as it is not bound in place he can freely return it.
[*][b]Mundane Masterwork[/b]
Compared to swords from Earth, it is at the peak of quality. Though it can't be said to be "enhanced" in any supernatural way, its sharpness, durability, balance, etc. are all at the greatest level possible for earthly steels and a sword of its dimensions.
[*][b]Special Ability:[/b]
[hider="Warp Spasm"]Rather than a native ability, it might be more accurate to call this power an Artifact gifted to Seiji by his contracted Demon. Nonetheless, as it was born from his essence given shape and strength by her power, its magic is his own. Its name, a bastardization of Welsh elements, can be translated as "Twisted Cleft," and it is not coincidental that it shares its etymology with legends such as Excalibur, Caladbolg, or Gae Bolg.

The sword embodies a perversion of ideals, a "Distorted Heroism." Seiji's desire to be a hero was originally founded in upright morals and imitation of exemplory figures, both fictional and real. But, his own neurosis and hubris grew over time, and as a result those ideals are now tainted, muddied with the refuse of human nature. Such a thing is certainly abstract in its conceptions, but can be defined by examples of philosophical questions: If Heroes use violence to Defeat Evil, and violence is also seen as evil, is a Hero just a popular brute who rules by strength? Are they any different than a tyrant just because the masses love them? If Heroes are defined by a self-sacrificial nature, is a Hero truly no more than a tool wielded by the cause or the people he fights for? More obvious distortions like this are the extremism, arrogance, or outright mistakes of otherwise heroic figures, people who wanted to do good things but found that their intentions paved a road to Hell. Seiji has begun his journey upon that same road.

The power of the sword has been greatly diminished by several factors, not the least of which are Seiji's own unfamiliarity with the ability and the limiters placed on it by Gello's domain. Right now, all he can manage is to "Twist" something within his influence. A nail held in his fingers can become a screw. A metal bar in his hand could become a spring. If he stands in water, he could generate a small whirlpool, and do the same with a stiff breeze blowing past him to create a short-lived whirlwind. While it seems to be a mere parlor trick compared to some of the greater magics of even a half-demon, there is a strange hint within its nature that points to something much darker.[/hider][/list]
[h1]🕈[/h1]
[h2][color=steelblue][b][P E R S O N A L I T Y][/b][/color][/h2]
|| [b][color=steelblue]The Face:[/color][/b] The Everyman || [b][color=steelblue]The Soul:[/color][/b] The Explorer || [b][color=steelblue]The Self:[/color][/b] The Ruler || [b][color=steelblue]The Ego:[/color][/b] The Hero ||
[hr]
[hider=Beliefs]Seiji believes that all people are created equal, but has a...unique take on the concept. For instance, if someone were to ask him "Do you think men and women are equal?" he would probably shrug and answer "Do you think spoons and forks are equal?" He also believes that where there's a will, there's a way, but holds the opinion that other people who believe that phrase fail to consider what happens if someone else's will is to get in your way. His sense of justice is...perhaps too developed, and too hard-line.[/hider]

[hider=Desires]His core desire is a paradox, as he wishes to connect with others but hates to feel fenced in or contained. He wants to find out more about himself through exploration and experience, but is afraid of standing out too much or being left behind by others. If one were to question his goals in life, he wouldn't be able to give a clear answer, but a few things that came to mind might be vague phrases like: Being part of something successful and fuliflling, becoming a great person (like a Hero), seeing wonderful things, and maintaining solid, down to earth values.[/hider]

[hider=Strategy]His strategy to achieve those goals and desires is very simple: bust ass. This is something that has only recently come to be a strong part of his life philosophy--the realization that while working hard doesn't guarantee success in life, successful people have more than likely put forth some kind of effort that normal people have not. Sure, someone might be born into money, but if they don't make the right connections and learn how to invest, that wealth can easily be taken from them or lost. However, Seiji's methods tend to be rather simple minded, brute force oriented. He hasn't learned enough yet to really know how to do it any other way, so when he runs up against something he can't exercise power or control over he immediately feels discouraged.[/hider]

[hider=Fears And Weakness]
While he doesn't like being in the spotlight, he also dislikes the idea of never being someone who stands out from the crowd. He doesn't want to be bothered by others, but he also doesn't want to be someone who never accomplished anything and became just a face in the background. He also fears that he doesn't really know himself, or that his personality isn't "genuine," and is just a collection of cliches and behaviors he's learned over his life.

He can never settle for anything less than the best. This perfectionism holds him back and, ironically, makes him more likely to give up before he even starts, to procrastinate, or to obsess over something far past the point of usefulness. Even if he manages to accomplish a goal, he can't stop looking for something else worthwhile. It is very difficult for him to ever feel content. He doesn't like people to find this out about him because he doesn't want to seem like a "tryhard." He wants to present the image of someone who can do it all with minimal effort.

Very rarely does he feel like he fits in, or like he is among friends. He holds himself apart from people because he is afraid of their reactions, and doesn't have much self-esteem. He tries to hide it with apathy, snark, and witty humor, but it's clear from his body language when he's uncomfortable.[/hider]

[hider=Strength and Talent]
Though he doesn't think so himself, Seiji is actually quite adept at reading other people and empathizing with them. Sometimes he projects a little too much of his own thought process onto others' actions, but if he's given enough information about a person he can draw conclusions with surprising insight. He doesn't feel that he has to agree with someone in order to understand why they do what they do, and can ask pointed questions that others might shy away from to get to the heart of a problem.

His independent streak might sometimes border on contrarianism, but never let it be said Seiji can't march to the beat of his own drum. While he doesn't ever feel "confident," it's clear he has some degree of "competence" in a few fields--though they probably aren't fields one would consider pragmatic. He doesn't consider himself as brave, but doesn't usually hesitate to speak his mind when provoked and can be as stubborn as a mule on matters that disagree with his values.

And though it is a double edged sword, Seiji is also no stranger to responsibility. In fact, he often takes so much onto himself that he won't let others share the burden. But he feels that he has to "make everything right," no matter what, and while sometimes he is rigid or narrow-minded in this regard, he will never give less than 110% of himself if he truly believes the effort is worth undertaking.[/hider]

[h1]🕈[/h1]
[h2][color=steelblue][b][H I S T O R Y][/b][/color][/h2]
[i]"My name's Murakami Seiji, and I'm just your average, every day guy...and boy am I pissed about it!"[/i]

[hider=The Long Version]Seiji never stood out among his peers. He wasn't athletic or sickly, he wasn't academic or stupid, he wasn't attractive or ugly. He grew up in Tokyo, the middle son of three, raised by a strict, somewhat absent salaryman and a lenient, somewhat overprotective stay-at-home mother. His older brother was wild and irresponsible, his younger sister was spoiled and talented, and Seiji was just...kind of there. As a child, he loved video games, books, movies, and going on trips to his grandparents' home in the countryside. Some of his fondest memories were hiking the mountains with grandpa, or running through the fields after grandma. In middle school, his grandparents died and his father chose to sell the old family home so as to invest in the childrens' college funds.

In high school he discovered the internet, and thus began a downward spiral. By the time he graduated, Seiji was practically invisible in his class. But on the forums and image hosts, he had become an expert, nay a legend, in the art of [i]shitposting[/i]. He was also a pirate of the highest calibur, with multiple harddrives full of anime, games, and other things that probably are best left unsaid. And, it must be said, he was [i]extremely unsatisfied[/i] with the state of the world. He hated his own life, and though he had no real family problems the household dynamics were starting to fray at the edges as he spent more and more time alone in his room.

He became a Ronin, referring to young Japanese men who fail their college exams the first time around and thus have to spend the next year studying up to try again. Because of an early birthday in the academic year, he was already 19 as a high school senior, so being 20 as a college entrant made some examiners assume he had already failed twice over. From the distant window of social media he watched his classmates continue moving up in the world, while he stayed the same in a rut that got deeper with every turn he tried. Of the small handful of people he could consider friends, only one of them really knew the same struggle. The two jokingly made a pact one night, during a late night gaming session, to become Wizards together--a nerd-culture joke about obtaining magical powers by preserving one's virginity past age 30.

Little did he know his friend took that [i]very[/i] seriously. Though neither one of them were in the greatest state of mental health, Seiji's friend deteriorated at an even faster rate. The other boy started to disappear without warning, at first just for a few days, then for weeks at a time. Seiji started to fear that his best friend was probably moving up in the world too, and leaving him behind. In reality, his friend had somehow come into possession of an odd book from a shady store that apparently closed down and disappeared from the street corner the very night after Seiji's pal bought it. And he somehow met a girl.

Her name was strange. She didn't speak much. And the relationship between her and his friend didn't seem healthy. As time went on and he got to know her, Seiji berated himself for being envious--he convinced himself that he was projecting problems onto their relationship, because he wanted a girl like that. No...maybe not [i]like[/i] that. But he couldn't chalk that chain around her neck up to his imagination. 

He didn't mean to see anything by accident. He didn't mean to stumble into his friends' "laboratory" either. He tried to talk to his friend one night, though he was too cowardly to do it face to face. After a disturbing series of communications, Seiji biked over to his friend's house to solve this mystery once and for all. Here, he found an unholy ritual in all its gristly terror, and his friend well on the way to becoming something much worse than a wizard. From bloody carvings all over the walls, power gathered. Its existence seemed impossible, and yet for the first time since his grandparent's deaths Seiji felt his heart of wonder ignite.

The thing that used to be his friend had summoned a Demon. It did not seem to be the first time he had done so. Yet this Demon looked like nothing more than a girl, to Seiji--a girl who did not deserve to be enslaved, or worse. A girl he had started to consider a new friend.

He tried to save her.

"Seiji, what are you doing!? You don't understand!" A malfested hand knocked him aside like a cat batting a mouse--or maybe, he'd thought as he lay gasping for air as blood poured down his face and his bones screamed in agony, a tiger bitch-slapping a gazelle. "This is how we're gonna get back at them, Seiji! This whole stupid world, all these disgusting people! They don't deserve Heroes!" Despite his wounds he had managed to hold on to her. Even as he put his broken body between her, the monstrosity, the abomination grew until the roof creaked against its back.

"C'mon, Seiji! Instead of Heroes, let's be Demon Kings!"

The girl's breath was hot against his ear. He didn't know if he could trust her words, but at this point anything was better than dying or being eaten alive.

"What will you wish for?" He had barely managed to stand and roll them both out of the way.

"Shit, a weapon would be nice!" He coughed, and blood had speckled his lips. "Don't Heroes usually get some kind of Holy Sword to fight a Demon King?!"

"The Contract is Set! I, Empusa, agree to the terms of Seiji, House Murakami: He shall become my protector, and I shall provide him a weapon befitting his desires!"

He had already known those terms were too vague. But in that moment, he had also known that what his friend was doing was wrong. Empusa's true nature didn't change that. Though she withheld her secret from him, he felt that certain things about their friendship were still true. And, despite everything...the bitterness in his heart, the cold, harsh realities of life, the loss he had suffered...

He still wanted to be a Hero.

"I accept." His fate was sealed with a bloody kiss. He couldn't help but smirk against her lips. Not only was it his first time, but it happened just like the first episode of a damned anime.

They survived. Seiji's life changed forever. And all too soon, he found himself dragged off to Hell.

"Just think of this as like, a new school!" She had giggled. "Heroes have to Level Up, right!?"

"God dammit."

"Hey hey hey, watch the language mister! The big G word is a no-no around here!"

"God [i]fucking[/i] dammit."

He didn't want it to be [i]this[/i] kind of anime![/hider]

An absolutely average, unsuccessful, bitter and depressed loner for most of his life, Seiji's only claim to fame was his status as many forums' top shitposter. He and a fellow loser made a joke pact together to become Wizards by protecting their virginity from 3D Thots until age 30. But it turned out his friend took that literally. There was some shady business with a sketchy book shop, an old tome with that aged-paper smell tinged with blood and sulfur, and a hot girlfriend who popped up out of nowhere. Seiji got suspicious that such things were too good to be true when he saw the chain around the neck of his friend's new companion...and the blood and corpses in the guy's spare closet, that was a clue too.

To save his life, and the girl's, Seiji made a pact. He finally obtained the power to become a Hero, just like his favorite games and anime. Unfortunately, the girl dragged him to her house immediately afterward. And the house was in Hell. And she and her family were all Demons. And life got weirder from there.

[h1]🕈[/h1]
[h2][color=steelblue][b][P A R E N T S][/b][/color][/h2]
[h3]Murakami Soujirou || Murakami Chisami[/h3]
+Company man, Manager || Housewife, mother of 3+
+Strict, but distant. || Lenient, but overprotective+
+Mundane and Average. || Mundane and Average+
 
[h1]🕈[/h1]
[h2][color=steelblue][b][F A M I L I A R][/b][/color][/h2]
[u][b]Daughter of the Brimstone Forge, Infernal Arsenal[/b][/u]
[h1][color=orchid]Empusa[/color][/h1]

[b]THEIR ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP DYNAMIC:[/b]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I17QjIC6QJw[/youtube]
[/hider][/center]

[center][hider=Empusa Svartalfar]
[hider=5'2"/157.5cm*110lbs/50kg*Eyes: Bright Green][img]https://i.imgur.com/eBuSJdP.png[/img][/hider]
[h1][color=orchid]♡ Empusa Svartalfar ♡[/color][/h1]|| [b][color=orchid]Age:[/color][/b] ??? || [b][color=orchid]Gender:[/color][/b] ♀ || [b][color=orchid]Race:[/color][/b] Demon || [b][color=orchid]Lineage:[/color][/b] Full-blooded || [b][color=orchid]Sexuality:[/color][/b] Seiji (but not opposed to some fun with anyone ~ ♡) ||
[h1]♡[/h1]
[h2][color=orchid][b][P O W E R][/b][/color][/h2]
[h3][b][u]Chalybeium Diabolus[/u][/b][/h3]
[b][i][sup]The Infernal Armory[/sup][/i][/b]
[hider=Brimstone and Steel][img]https://i.imgur.com/WeR4mBF.png[/img][/hider]
[hr]
[hider="Artifact Creation"]
Empusa's special ability is to condense magic, demonic energy, alchemy, metallurgy both mundane and supernatural, and even the essence of living beings into specialized tools, most commonly weapons. If they are created solely from resources she has available, her own stores of energy, and so forth, they are beyond the greatest works of any human smithy. Their steel far surpasses the lost methods of Damascus, and even the microscopic edges made possible by carbon nanotube technology. The artistry of their work puts Masamune to shame, and their cursed power would make Muramasa scream in agony.

But when she is able to use the essence of another being in the forging process--whether through that given to her by a Contractor, taken from a defeated victim, or a few more "intimate" methods--then her creations truly shine. At their peak, with a strong enough essence, they could even surpass Holy weapons like Excalibur or the Lance of Longinus. Even if the essence is weak, they could still hold their own against such legendary blades.

Weapons are her true passion, but at a greater energy expenditure she can also make shields, armor, and tools for manual labor. Making more complex devices, or Artifacts with magical formulae attached, is far more intensive and takes too much time to be done without preparation. She can also easily replicate anything the human world can produce and optimize it, but modern technology doesn't seem to interact very well with the magical interference surrounding demon domains...
[/hider]
[list][*][b]Full Fledged Demoness[/b]
A graduate of Mistress Gello's Home, Empusa is a fully capable member of Hell's legions with all that entails.
[*][b]Magic[/b]
Though it doesn't come to her as easily as her forging abilities, Empusa has learned a great deal of magic. Her specialties lie in manipulating the elements of Fire and Earth, and her enchantments are befitting of her...physical assets.
[/list]
[h1]♡[/h1]
[h2][color=orchid][b][P E R S O N A L I T Y][/b][/color][/h2]
|| [b][color=orchid]The Face:[/color][/b] The Innocent || [b][color=orchid]The Soul:[/color][/b] The Lover || [b][color=orchid]The Self:[/color][/b] The Creator || [b][color=orchid]The Ego:[/color][/b] The Caregiver ||
[hr]
[hider=Beliefs]Empusa believes life must be enjoyed to be a life at all, and that such enjoyment can only be found with other people. She knows well the dangers of spending all one's time alone, having experienced long periods of isolation in her own forge, and firmly attests that the process of creation means nothing if those creations are not serving some purpose. If weapons and tools are made, there must be hands to wield them. Total freedom of action, expression, and intimacy are important to her worldview. This is part of the reason why she was drawn to Seiji--when she first met him, his friend brought her to the young man's house on an unexpected visit. From the state of his room, it was clear he had not left his seat at the computer in days. She wanted to pull him out of that dark, cluttered environment to see the true person underneath the baggy eyes and bad attitude.[/hider]

[hider=Desires]Empusa desires stimulation of many kinds, mental, physical, and emotional. Creating new Artifacts engages her mind, as does studying magic, but lately she's also found it quite interesting to try and figure out the complexities of the human heart. What stimulates her body need not be said in pleasant company...but as of late, she finds her heart aches in a way it never has before. Emotionally, she desires intimacy of various levels with various kinds of people--sometimes, including that spark of hate or anger to spice things up.[/hider]

[hider=Strategy]Her strategy can be said to be either nonexistant, or extraordinarily adaptable. Empusa is known to make rash decisions and act on feelings in the spur of the moment, regardless of any information she's been given beforehand. With that said, she isn't exactly stupid, and her inventor's mind quickly engages when presented with any problem. In the blink of an eye, a myriad of thoughts pop into her head, and she fires them off like bullets. Whatever doesn't work is hastily tossed aside, and she's always willing to try something new.[/hider]

[hider=Fears And Weakness]
Empusa cannot stand feeling alone or ignored, and after experiencing complete bondage to the will of another she also cannot stand to have her own independence hampered. However, she is sometimes too eager to please others in order to not be hated, and while she doesn't hesitate to spit fire in a disagreement, she can't take it nearly as well as she can dish it out.

Her lack of planning and forethought in the heat of the moment will often come back to bite her. For every masterwork she has produced, there are dozens if not hundreds of broken failures thrown aside. If she isn't careful with her behavior, she can do the same thing to any other kind of plan...and to people. She doesn't stress out about messing up--and by the same token, she doesn't make a special effort to be efficient or effective past the point of her goals.

She is also exceedingly impatient, and cannot stand being bored. She will often annoy others around her to the point of screaming if her needs are not being met, and some of those needs can be very...inconvenient. Especially to poor Seiji. That lucky sonnuvabitch.[/hider]

[hider=Strength and Talent]
Her creative mind is absolutely boggling. She will come at problems from angles that no one ever expected, and no reasonable person would ever consider possible. It is very hard to trip her up on a problem, even a two-sided ultimatum. Whether through sheer optimism, some spark of intelligence in that beautiful ditzy face, or just plain luck, she can and WILL come up with a third option.

It's hard to bring her down, no matter what happens in life. She seems to always bounce back, and is uplifting to others around her as well. Of course, the fact that she's a Demon probably means that maybe you SHOULDN'T do what she's encouraging you to do...but c'mon, it'll be fun, right!? Of course it will! Let's go!

And, in more somber moments, she is genuinely kind. This trait is not often found among the denizens of hell, and Empusa is wise enough to only show this side of herself to those who have earned her absolute trust. To those people, she is perhaps one of the only true friends a Devil can have.[/hider]

[h1]♡[/h1]
[h2][color=orchid][b][H I S T O R Y][/b][/color][/h2]
[i]"You want to know more about li'l ol' me? Sorry boys, I'm spoken for! Oh, there's my man now--isn't he so cool!?"[/i]
Empusa was not traditionally "girlish" as a child, and was much more interested in playing with the big, shiny, sharp, and sometimes bloody instruments that surrounded her family's forge. In a volcanic environment where tongues of flame sprouted like grass, the Svartalfar beat infernal bronze into shape for the Legions of Hell. Among burly cyclopes, minotauros, and two-headed ogres, Empusa's first playthings were blades and bludgeons.

But as she grew up (and filled out), her seductive nature began to blossom as well. She left quite the pile of broken hearts--and impaled ones--in her wake during her schoolyard days at Gello's Home, and graduated at the top of her class. From here she took to the sorts of activities all Demons take to...until that day.

Where he had gotten the grimoire was anyone's guess. One reason Gello's Home existed now was for this very reason--to keep track of Human Contractors. Because if they didn't, not only did they risk the Humans misusing whatever powers they might be granted, but they also risked exposure to the mortal realm. At some point in history, probably during the medieval period, surviving Contractors and occultists had pooled their knowledge into this tattered little book. Somehow, it fell into the hands of what the modern day Humans in this land called Japan referred to as a NEET--a fat, greasy, neckbearded slob with nothing better to do but fall deeper and deeper into his illusions of grandeur. Whatever he learned from that book, there was no denying it was powerful. And it was a power that Humans had cultivated for themselves--Demons had helped them attain it, but they had mastered it all their own, and passed down their secrets. So it was no wonder Gello's agents hadn't marked this fellow already. What [i]was[/i] surprising, was just how proficient at it he had become.

Empusa found herself trapped in the human world, her powers and even some of her speech sealed away, and a slave to this unappealing waste of flesh. Luckily, he knew that if she shared any form of essence with someone else that she could use that power to try and free herself, so there were certain abuses even he abstained from. But he was clearly growing more powerful day by day...if left alone for a decade or so, this ugly bastard might actually become a threat even to Demons. Empusa kept a sharp eye out for anything, anyone, that she could manipulate or entice into helping her escape...and when she saw Murakami Seiji for the first time, everything else went out of focus.

She didn't have her powers, but she was a Demon, Satan-damn it! With good old fashioned psychology and charm, she pushed things along. Her "master" got along well with this young man, so he never suspected the seeds she had planted until the other boy had finally had enough. Murakami Seiji came storming into the house that day, and found her--along with what was left of the many sacrifices. Just like those Heroes the two youths always talked about in their video games, cartoons, and wild imaginations, he swept her off her feet. Even though his life was on the line, he didn't [i]have[/i] to accept that Contract. For her sake, he did.

But there was no denying now that his world would forever be changed. So to help him on this new path, she brought him to [i]her[/i] world.

[h1]♡[/h1]
[h2][color=orchid][b][P A R E N T S][/b][/color][/h2]
[h3]Volundr Svartalfar || Beadohild Svartalfar[/h3]
+Head Smith of Hell's Forge || Nag of Hell's Forge
+Stoic as the steel he shapes, but dotes on his daughters. || Fawns over Volundr. Whips her children into shape.
+Perhaps the greatest smith since the days of legend. || An absolute terror to any smith that isn't her husband.
 
[h1]♡[/h1]
[h2][color=Orchid][b][F A M I L I A R][/b][/color][/h2]
[u][b]The Distorted Hero, Wielder of Gydroibolg[/b][/u]
[h1][color=steelblue]Murakami Seiji[/color][/h1]
[/hider][/center]