[center][h3]House By The River[/h3][/center] [center][b]NO PLACE LIKE HOME[/b][/center] [center]~ [@Restalaan] (SKA), [@Rezod92], [@Nakushita] ~[/center] As [u]Skarsneek[/u] and [u]Kerry[/u] fought the bulk of the Varjans, [u]Yuki[/u] and Samael had infiltrated the occupied house and had to tangle with some archer Footmen inside. The Oni and her companion were victorious, but they found no sign of the family taken hostage. They emerged from the home and told [u]Skarsneek[/u] and [u]Kerry[/u] the news. The male Goblin feared the worst, and began searching the unusually large bonfire. He found naught but ash, but they could be from the wood. Just then, the man arrived to the scene. "[color=fff79a]Yokai! You've beaten them! But... where's my wife and son?[/color]" "[color=0072bc]...hehe...hahaha...[/color]" The cold laugh came from the now-conscious Kalaj. "[color=0072bc]...hahaha-- argh![/color]" He tried to get up, but that only caused his body immense pain. The Scarce legionnaire realized he was stuck on the ground, but he continued laughing. "[color=0072bc]Your... *cough* your family... in there, in the flames.[/color]" Kalaj revealed. "[color=0072bc]Burned them as an honor. They stood and fought to the death, both your teenage son and your wife. Sure, they were cornered, but you... you ran away... YOU LEFT THEM TO DIE! AHAHAHAHA![/color]" "[color=fff79a]YOU MONSTER![/color]" The villager took an axe and brought it down on Kalaj... only for the legionnaire's thick armor to completely block the attack. "[color=0072bc]Hahahaha![/color]" He swung again. Blocked. "[color=0072bc]You're... pathetic! A weakling![/color]" Another swing. Blocked once more. "[color=0072bc]You have monsters fighting for you! How can you call yourself a man? Ahahaha![/color]" The man kept swinging the axe, but he was simply too weak to even dent Kalaj's armor. The sight was pathetic, in all honesty. The taskforce was watching a man fail to kill an immobilized person. [hr] [center][h3]Unknown Sawmill[/h3][/center] [center][b]THE HEADMAN[/b][/center] [center]~ [@Hammerman], [@AzureKnight] (ATS & HIN) ~[/center] This sawmill was always going see battle in the wake of the Varjan invasion, but one would probably have not foreseen Shizuyaman bandits duking it out with yokai here. While the yokai taskforce took their enemies down non-lethally, Sorae was not yokai. She would rather die than become one, but such thoughts did not occupy her mind at the moment. Right now, she was lost in her rage. Slicing and dicing through the untrained thugs foolish enough to stand in her way. Fortunately, only a few came her way. Some were swiped away by the purple flames of [u]Atsuha[/u], others fell to the ground from [u]Hinami's[/u] shuriken and there were bandits carried by conjured winds and spun in the air by [u]Lunatea[/u]. But there were still some fighting force left, the remaining Wako bandits that Sorae pointed earlier had joined the fray. A couple of them shot their arm-mounted crossbows at Sorae, only for the yokai to witness something extraordinary. The last Tokinomiya retracted and stood on one leg, like a crane bird. The bolts then passed through her harmlessly, as if she was an illusion or apparition. Unfortunately, [u]Hinami[/u] was behind her so she was hit by the bolts instead. Fortunately, her sister had cast a protective spell on her so the bolts bounced harmlessly from the Jiangshi. Of course, one cannot miss the purple coating on the bolt's heads... [hr] [center][h3]Shizuyama Wilderness[/h3][/center] [center][b]THE HEAVENLY STRIKE[/b][/center] [center]~ [@Restalaan] (GRI) ~[/center] [quote=Gringor Ironhide][color=f7941d][b]"BRING OUT YOUR STRONGEST, GRINGOR IRONHIDE IS HERE!"[/b][/color][/quote] The Varjans were about to attack but the sword student [u]Gringor[/u] pointed at brought up his hand to stop them. The standoff was accepted. The sword student, alone, confronted the male High Orc, standing right in front of the latter barely a meter away. His hands were on his blade's sheathe and hilt. The rest of the camp waited to see who would strike first, and who would win. [u]Gringor[/u] and the sword student stared at each other for a few intense-- *WOOSH* The sword student suddenly disappeared in a blink of an eye, and the male High Orc felt a powerful slash on his body. His monstrous physiology protected him, but the attack still hurt. Behind [u]Gringor[/u] was the sword student, who nodded at his allies. The prompt to attack the High Orc in earnest, starting with four zealous Brigands with swords. [hr] [center][h3]Terauchi Temple[/h3][/center] [center]~ [@AzureKnight] (SHI) ~[/center] [quote=Shizuka Kannazuki][color=0072bc]"Everything you've done will follow you to the afterlife anyway. Live and repent, Kasseros Telmar. To continue to live through disgrace, ridicule, hate, fear, shattered dreams, and even a broken heart. That is what it means to be human. It may surprise you that many mamono understand this viewpoint as well."[/color][/quote] "[color=ec008c]Lotta words just to say 'I'm too much of a chicken to kill anymore'. You've gone soft, swordsman![/color]" Kasseros replied as [u]Shizuka[/u] walked away. "[color=ec008c]You call me a coward, yet you walk away?! Afraid to take a life? Hah! Don't make me laugh! And who are you to speak for humans when you dilly-dally with monsters?! Have you nothing to say to that?! [sub]Come back here! We're not finished![/sub][/color]" [center]---[/center] [center]~ [@The Irish Tree] (LIL), [@Crowvette], [@AzureKnight] (SHI) ~[/center] (I'll let you three continue. Don't forget that any tales can be undertake anytime.) [center]------[/center] [center]~ [@The Irish Tree] (EUL) ~[/center] [u]Eula[/u] arrived in Otomo Village in the island of Akamagaseki at daybreak. The rising sun illuminated the small armada of ships docked on the port, with humans and monsters loading the vessels with supplies and armaments, while also arming themselves. One would think Lady Kyouko was preparing an invasion force if they did not know that all this was to counter an actual invasion force. Lady Kyouko quickly greeted the Automaton and took the latter to her estate atop a low hill. It was then explained to [u]Eula[/u] that the Varjans have surrounded the island of Shizuyama and while puncturing the blockade would be trivial to her forces, making landfall while the ports were occupied would be quite difficult and may result in more casualties than Lady Kyouko would like. Thus, [u]Eula[/u] will have to be teleported to the island, to the taskforce's base in Terauchi Temple, with instructions to help the taskforce and the Oja Clan as best she could. Leading the Automaton to the middle of a magic circle, Lady Kyouko and a hooded, but clearly powerful, individual combined their mana to cast a teleport spell upon the Automaton. The circle glowed and crackled with magic and soon, [u]Eula's[/u] sight was consumed by white... --- When the white resided, [u]Eula[/u] found herself in a chamber that was clearly Zipanguese in design. It seemed to be a shrine of some sort based from the statues and candles in one side of the chamber. A sliding door into the chamber opened and in came a silver-haired woman. "[color=red]Hello! Welcome to Shizuyama! I assume you are here as part of Lady Kyouko's taskforce?[/color]" The woman approached [u]Eula[/u] and happily shook her hands. "[color=red]Oh my, an Automaton? I must say, I haven't met one before in my life. Anyway, I'm Ayu and while most of the taskforce and Lord Takeshi Oja are out in their missions, some of them are here. You should go meet them.[/color]" [hr] [hr] [hr] [center]~~ TAKESHI'S JOURNEY ~~[/center] [hider=Kazenosuke, Dancing Blade] "Kazenosuke could deflect any attack with his spinning blade, and deliver slashes faster than the eye could see. I have no idea why he couldn't make it to Sanjo Beach. I know he's a ronin, but he still should have heeded my father. Well, his house is near Terauchi Temple. Not very near, but just follow the river near the temple and we'll find his home and then we can ask for his help." -Takeshi Oja [/hider] [hider=Yurine, Death Keeper] "Yurine has taken care of Clan Oja for as long as I can remember. Despite being a servant, I know she can swing her masakari axe pretty hard. I've little idea of her past but I know it involves tending cemeteries. She should be in Castle Oja but my father sent her to Onrai to begin enacting some way to protect the graves from being desecrated by the invaders. I know of a famous cemetery south of Terauchi Temple. We can begin looking for her there and she'll surely help us." -Takeshi Oja [/hider] [center]~~ TAKAMORI TALES ~~[/center] [hider=Teacher And Student] "Lord Takamori said that his traitorous daughter, Setsuna, is training Varjan archers in Ōmiya. I know this frightens him, even if he tries to hide it. If we don't find her and end this, there may be no stopping the archers, and no hope for Ōmiya Springs. We need to see Lord Takamori immediately." -Takeshi Oja [/hider] [center]~~ SORAE TALES ~~[/center] [center]~~ TALES OF SHIZUYAMA ~~[/center] [hider=Honey Trap] There was a villager woman, crying alone near a large tree within Terauchi Temple. "Yokai, could I speak with you? A group of bandits is terrorizing Sanjo. They slaughtered my whole family, like animals! They were killed at our home, near a river. I am Saki, please avenge my family and stop those bandits." [/hider] [hider=Empty Baskets] A villager woman sitting near a bonfire was muttering to herself when the taskforce member approached. "Poor Honoka, she'll likely starve soon. Oh, I didn't see you there. Err, Honoka's a widow, living alone in the outskirts of Yabo. Please, if it's not too much of a bother, do you mind checking in on her?" [/hider] [center]~~ LEGENDARY TALES ~~[/center]