Lord K
A.N./
I'M FINALLY DONE!
Been down with the flu, so I figured I'd put my time to use writing, and just churn it all out in one go and end on a degree of resolution, since people were apparently sick of things on SV, and I was feeling guilty for holding Harry up.
------------------------------
"Ow."
Opening her eyes, Norimune blinked.
Why was the world all topsy-turvy?
Oh, right.
Painfully, the Unrepentant Blade peels away from the tree trunk she has become lodged into upside down, and hits the ground like a sack of bricks.
"Again. Ow."
Shakily, planting herself into the ground, the nodachi then uses her true form as a crutch to rise to back to her trembling feet, while looking herself over.
'I look like I just got hit by a truck,' she thinks to herself. 'Feels like it too. I'm going to be black and blue in the morning.'
Which she is immensely thankful for, since it means her opponent probably wants get information out of her first, rather than just leaving her a puddle of messy gibs and steel shavings for everyone else to find later.
"Well. That was enlightening." Running her tongue along her teeth, the nodachi winces and then spits. What comes out is a lot of red, and something she's pretty sure is a tooth. Glancing down, she then notes a sizable chip in her edge. That's going to suck to fix. "And Embarrassing. That's what I get for letting myself go for 70 years I guess."
Still trying to shrug off the worst of the effects of getting taken down in a matter of seconds, the Unrepentant Blade shakes her head. "Way to say 'hi again' Honjo-"
Before the nodachi can continue her rambling, she is stopped by the tip of the sword that enters her field of vision, pointed down at her like a barrel of a gun. "Start talking."
"You know, most people normally ask me to sto-" The Masumune's frigid glare intensifies, as does her grip on her sword, causing the Muramasa to gulp fearfully at the realization of how much Honjo is definitely
not in the mood for her fucking around. "That'sNottheKyoshuYouGuysKnow!!!"
Honjo blinks, trying to process the Muramasa's statement. "Explain."
"She lost her mind! Somehow! Nobody ever figured it it out! It was those Unit-731 guys, I swear! That may as well
not be Kyoshu! She's basically an entirely different amnesiac kid with brain damage wearing someone else's face!"
"Then why are you here?" growls the Masamune.
"What?!" Norimune stares "We should be asking you guys that! We were here first! Why are big timers like you two slumming it in a place like this, rather than Tokyo or Kyoto anyway?"
Honjo glares "My patience is wearing thin,
mercenary. Especially so, when my allies are wounded or fighting."
Norimune blinks owlishly at that one. "Allies? Wait, you include
Juuchi in that statement?"
Somehow, her glare deeps, causing the Unrepentant Blade to shrink and hurriedly launch into a rambling explanation.
"Chisuheri practically lives over the hill these days! She works with the JNHRO, and we all take turns looking after Kyoshu, since she's basically the Tsukikomogami version of the Tard-Strength meme. No brain, even if she does have a lot of her old skill and powers, but it's only reflex! And even that's not always reliable! She forgets everything! In minutes- sometimes seconds even! I don't think she is even
capable of holding a train of thought long enough to modify memories now! Today's supposed to be Akutoku's day to look after her, but she's doing a panel event at the festival, and I was supposed to be looking after her, but then I lost her, and now I'm here, and Juuchi doesn't know because nobody talked to her, because nobody knew how she'd react, and nobody wanted to admit they're scared of her, buti'mmorscaredofyounow,pleasedon'thurtme!"
Honjo's gaze narrows, mind racing as she picks apart the nodachi's panicked flurry of words. "Why should I trust
you. You say the military did something to her. But you
fought during the war."
Norimune cringes, shame briefly replacing fear in her expressions. "Something I regret doing...."
"That's not exactly a convincing explanation of your story or innocence. Especially not when I find you standing over a kohai of mine, who has obviously suffered from
something at your hands."
"She attacked me first!" counters Norimune childishly. "I tried to get her to stop, but she wouldn't listen! And so I took her down as best I could without any lasting harm, I promise! Some milk and murtlap and she'll be fine, I swear!"
Honjo stares down at her prisoner, silent and assessing. While it's been a long time since she last actually interacted with Norimue..... she does remember that the sword has a tendency to come off as rather backhanded and confrontational to people who weren't familiar with her at times. Granted, she doesn't remember her being this sour and acerbic either.
Then again, Norimune was also supposed to be a luck magnet. Why would her luck let her get caught by and have the stuffing beaten out of her by a stronger sword spirit.
"How can I trust you?"
The Unrepentant Blade blinks "What?"
"How can I be sure, that whatever you say
isn't some modification to your memory that Kyoshu figured out over the 70 years I've been gone, or that you aren't in cahoots with her if the military made the rather unwise decision to let themselves get involved with her. We
all remember what happened with the ICW and the imposing of the Statute,
don't we?"
"H-Hey! I remember that, alright! My memories are fine! And I know who can prove my word! Umistubame and Kagotsuruhe! They're actually already on their way!"
Unnoticed by the two sword spirits, the menuki on Norimune's hilt briefly pulses with a faint golden glow.
Honjo raises an eyebrow. "Oh really."
"Yeah!"
"Then when will they get here?"
Norimune wilts uncertainly. "S-Soon. I think..."
Honjo narrows her gaze, causing the nodachi to panic. Meanwhile, her menuki dim back to their normal luster. "I'm not lying! Trust me! They'll be here before you know it!"
Which is right about when a Prius plows through the bushes on the other side of the clearing, partially tearing off it's fenders, before clipping whats left of a ruined bench, sending it into a spin towards the two swords.
Honjo backsteps away out of instinct, but beaten and wound, Norimune trips, leaving her to crab-walk backwards in fear, as the fish-tailing rear end slides closer and closer towards her. Finally, the car's skid comes to an halt, leaving Norimune starring at a bumper sticker bearing the caption "I Do My Own Stunts".
Raggedly, Norimune lets out a sigh of relief. "Hail Hachiman, Jesus and Buddha. Praise be the Saints and peanut butter, thankyouthankyouthankyou."
Honjo meanwhile, finds her interest being focused on the two occupants of the vehicle, each of whom are looking at her through the cracked windscreen with shock and impassiveness respectively.
"I think we picked the wrong end of the park," observes Kagotsuruhe dryly.
Umistubame curses, not even bothering to physically get out of the car, but instead dismissing her avatar and then resummoning it outside. Rounding the car, she then finds the pale and bloody Norimune, unsteadily using herself as a crutch to get to her feet once more. Awkwardly, the sword grins.
"H-Hey. Umi-chan. How's my favorite imouto doing?"
The Waterwitch Blade doesn't answer, her face running through a range of expressions such as outrage, disbelief, exasperation, and fury, until finally all she can do is just eye smile as she marches towards her sister silently.
"Oh hell-" Realizing that her sister has literally transcended rage, Norimune cringes. "Umisu-"
Before the younger sister can even say another word, Umistubame abruptly cold clocks the Unrepentant Blade, fast enough that even Honjo has a hard time realizing what has happened. Norimune actually spins in place for a moment from the force of the punch, before her avatar goes cross-eyed and vanishes. Before the battered nodachi left behind can even begin to tip over, the Waterwitch blade then smoothly grabs her sister's true form and tosses it into the car.
Observing all this, Honjo purses her lips with uncertain displeasure.
"I see.... then I suppose Norimune was right, and things
have changed since I was last home."
Umistubame groans with frustration, as she begins fishing around in her pockets for something. "You don't know that half of it. I've graduated from herding cats, to nekomata while you've been gone apparently. Have you seen Chisuheri? She's taken a shine to wearing tailored suits since you last saw her."
The Masamune pauses as something then occurs to her. "I... think I did... but I thought she was someone going to help fight Kyoshu."
Umistubame grimaces as she pulls out various slaves and potions, and after a nod of permission from the Honjo, then kneels down by Tsukikari's side and begins hurriedly applying them. "You do realize that Juuchi left Japan
before Chisuheri became all about peace and love, right? And that she also considers herself one of Kyoshu's primary protectors and caregivers. Just putting that out there, because apparently we're all operating on things we all thought everyone else already knew or had been told because it's such common knowledge today."
Honjo pauses, not really sure what to say to that. Suddenly a lot of the dots become easier to connect, and everyone's reactions to them wanting to prepare for a confrontation with Kyoshu start making sense under new lights. "....Oh."
Awkwardly, she casts about for something to say. "Well.... at least she is better armed and enchanted than most for facing Juuchi, even if she can't outright negate or no-sell her.
Umitsubame cringes. "Actually, Chisuheri welded herself into her scabbards during the war, as a middle finger to those who wanted to manipulate and exploit her like they did to Norimune." Honjo recoils, both in horror at the thought of what could drive someone to do that to themself, and also mild regret for her comments and disbelief toward the Unrepentant Blade.
"So yeah..." finishes the Waterwitch Blade, as her hurried medical ministrations at last seem to quell the worst of Tsukikari's pain. "She got her wakizashi back out of necessity during Blood Week, but other than that, she's basically half-gimped."
From the car, Kagotsuruhe then speaks up, frown of concentration on her previously inexpressive brows. "I hate to interrupt, but.... I've been trying to get a sense for the emotions in the area, and I really think we ought to get moving. Like.
Now."
Worry flickers across Umitsubame's features. "Chisuheri?"
The Blade of Hopelessness nods. "I'm picking up a lot of fear and pain. Call it a hunch, but I don't believe she's doing to good."
As Umitsubame moves to stand, the Waterwitch Blade looks to Honjo. "Stay with the kid. If we can handle Kyoshu, we can handle Juuchi."
The Masamune shakes her head. "I'll come with you. I've been with Juuchi for most of the past few decades. She'll trust me enough to listen once calmed down, and I can actually take her in a fight. You stay with Tsukikari and look after her."
"Actually," interrupts Kagotsuruhe as she points at Tsukikari, who is now awkwardly trying to sit up, and blinking the worst of the lingering stinging and potions out of her eyes. "We should probably bring her. Considering the emotions I'm picking up from who I'm guessing is Juuchi, we're going to need that kyu gunto if we want her to calm down. At least, not without someone dying."
Still in a fair amount of pain and discomfort, Tsukikari takes a moment to look around owlishly, noting the fact that there is now a half-wrecked car in the clearing, and two new sword spirits she doesn't recognize standing alongside Honjo.
"Wait, who needs to calm down who? And who are you two?"
Umitsubame and Kagotsuruhe share a look.
------------------------------
Kyoshu screams as Chisuheri falters.
Cuts cover her hands and forearms, where in spite of all her techniques and skills, nothing has proven to be definitively capable of stopping Juuchi's blade. In defense of another, she can only turn aside blows for so long, before she has to block rather than redirect or dodge.
Blood wets the pavement around her as she resolutely climbs back to her feet. Blood enough, that any human would be incapacitated, if not dead. But Chisuheri is no human. She is a Muramasa.
Unsheathing her Wakizashi, Chisuheri then stabs it into the largest of the puddles of blood that have been slowly growing around her. In a manner reminiscent of a liquid metal robot from a film Tomokako once tried to make her watch, blood seeping from her wounds and staining her suit reverses it's course. Meanwhile, the pools at her feet, and even some of the closer stains upon the ground, begin to congregate and roll towards her blade, like liquid metal to a magnet.
Then Kyoshu gasps. "L-Look out!"
Throwing herself to the side, the Bloodlust Blade is just in time to avoid the icy blast that hits the ground where she was standing.
While she has the presence of mind to take her wakizashi with her, it's been a long time since she was in a situation where rationing her supply of blood was an issue, or that taking damage was a consideration to worry about at all.
Precious carmine she could have used to heal herself, now becomes dead and unusable. Frozen puddles upon the ground, that Juuchi now slowly strides over, eyes gleaming with madness normally only ever seen in her less worthy wielders.
"I don't want to do this Chisuheri.
Step aside."
Pushing herself to her feet, the Bloodlust Blade resheathes her wakizashi, and falls into a trembling jujistu stance. "Juuchi! Listen to me! This isn't the Kyoshu you know!"
"And how am I supposed to believe that when
you don't even seem to know how to wield yourself properly!"
Chisuheri's vision wavers, a light headedness settling in that's more than just a sign of blood loss. Until the edges of her vision start fading or becoming tinged with red though, she'll determinedly keep fighting.
She's operating more on willpower than anything else at this point, and she doesn't have much more blood to expend if she's to keep healing and repairing herself. If Kyoshu weren't nearby, she'd almost be tempted to break the peace-bond on her katana, and give in to the blood rage long enough to recoup the strength to flee. With how much blood she's already lost though, she can't trust herself to differentiate between friend or foe, or stop herself if she does too much damage. Never mind if her rampage took her out of the park...
Realistically the idea was rather slim one anyway. Her vs Juuchi was a match up she wouldn't hedge her bets on, even on a good day.
"Last chance," growls her sister as she begins circling, trying to find an opening to strike at Kyoshu once more.
Chisuheri lets her actions speak for themselves, and slowly begins to match the other blade's movements.
Juuchi sighs.
And then without a word, their fight recommences.
Chisuheri narrowly dodges the slash intended to cut her down from neck to hip, then tries for what at first looks like an attempt to disarm, but is in fact a fake-out into a joint-lock in response. Hampered by her injuries and blood loss however, her movements are just too slow.
Deflecting her sister's attempts, Juuchi retaliates with a fist to the chest that crackles with lightning. Winded and twitching from the attack, the way Juuchi's hand balls in her shirt makes the Buddhist's instincts scream. Light flares around her hands, as she grabs Juuchi's blade, moments before the her sister's thrust connects with her skin. Chisuheri's efforts to stop the move she herself has used more than a few time in the past for up close and personal kills, isn't quite successful however.
Though Juuchi fails to run her through, the greatest of the Muramasas is also not most blades. In spite of the protections around her hands, blood begins to leak through her fingers, and inexorably, the point slowly starts to slide closer and closer to Chisuheri's chest.
"J-Juuchi! Stop!"
The younger Muramasa doesn't reply, and finally, with her strength failing and fearing impalement, Chisuheri is forced to give ground. Her exhausted trembling increasingly obvious as the Bloodlust Blade takes a step backwards, the sign of her inevitable victory nearing brings a gleam to Juuchi's irrational gaze.
Seeing Chisuheri then shifting her footing a second time, her grin widens as it looks like she might even just be able to drive the Bloodlust Blade all the way back to her real target. For a moment, she wonders if killing Kyoshu would undo her effects over everyone still alive. That would be the kind of happy ending everyone else would deserve.
Then to her shock, Chisuheri's foot lashes out, very nearly catching her in the gut. Shocked and enraged, Juuchi's reaction is natural for any Muramasa. She attacks.
"ARGGGH!!!!"
"Chisuheri!" Kyoshu looks on with terrified horror, as her sister now receives a wound to her calf, unlike all the rest of the Bloodlust Blade's more grievous wounds up until now, this one does not repair itself to a merely superficial condition. After a few moments, the worst of the damage is reversed, but then it halts, still in a rather debilitating state.
Looking down at her wounded foe, Juuchi gives a smug smirk as she sees Chisuheri's gaze briefly flickering from her usual green to red, all while she blinks rapidly for some reason. "Well.... There's the Chisuheri I know. Glad to see she couldn't remove all of you I see."
Watching as the Bloodlust Blade proves definitely unable to stand, when attempting to do so causes her to collapse back down with a muffled howl, Juuchi grins. "You just stay right there oneesan. Your younger sisters need to have a
talk." Slowly, her gaze turns to Kyoshu, who looks up at her with trembling terror as tears roll down her face.
"I've thought of a wonderful present for you Kyoshu. A little something to give you now that I'm home." Ice crunches under her feet, while Chisuheri's blood slowly drips from her blade as she stalks towards her prey. "A gift I found on my travels, that I'm quite adept at giving. But then. I learned from the best." Kyoshu whimpers as madness gleams in Juuchi's gaze. "Shall I give you despair?"
Kyoshu's eyes widen.
"RAGGHHHH!!!"
"What the- ARGH!" Something collides with Juuchi's back, and for a brief moment, panic flares as she feels steel briefly brush the neck of her avatar but fail to find purchase with all the panicked flailing.
Grabbing her attacker and flipping them off her, Chisuheri hits the ground painfully, wakizashi in hand and green eyes speckled with red. Juuchi rewards the Bloodlust Blade for her efforts, by stomping on her hand hard enough that she lets go of her smaller half, then delivers a violent kick to her sister's face to stun her.
"I WON'T BE DENIED!"
Juuchi moves to turn back to Kyoshu, to then trip and fall instead. Looking down, she sees Chisuheri, grasping onto her boot with one hand. Her eyes now almost fully red and with blood streaming from a broken nose, the Bloodlust Blade looks positively feral, as she snarls with a furious determination to halt her sister.
"LET! ME! GO!"
Punctuating each word with a kick, Chisuheri finally seems to slump lethargically. Releasing her hold from Juuchi's boots, the daisho sword set disarms her avatar of her true forms, and then hurls both blades away from herself, while curling into a ball as shudders and flinches run through her body.
"S-S-Sarveshaam Svaastir B-Bhavatu. P-Poornam Bhavatu, Sarve- Sarveshaam M-Mangalam Bhavatu."
Ignoring the oddity of the Bloodlust Blade hurling her own weapons away, and then the strangeness of her faltering attempts to begin reciting a Buddhist chant for health, peace and tranquility for some reason, Juuchi turns her gaze to the one thing she has eyes for. Panic begins to overtake Kyoshu, upon seeing the unhinged thirst for blood and vengeance for vengeance that fixates upon her.
"Ch-Chisuheri! H-Help! Th-Th-The crazy lady's going to get us! CHISUHERI!"
The Bloodlust Blade however, remains insensate to Kyoshu's cries, and continues to repeat her mantra over and over.
Slowly, like a specter of death, Juuchi rises from the ground. This time there won't be anyone to save her.
A maddened grin spreads across her face, while Kyoshu looks up at her, petrified with silent fear. "His name. Is
Harry. James. Potter."
Even gripped by the midst of quivering terror, the Sword of Faded Memories can't help look at her with trembling confusion. "Wh-What?"
Anticipation courses through Juuchi's veins, as she raises her blade above her head.
Which is about when a now thoroughly wrecked and beaten Prius explodes out of the frost coated bushes at the edge of the devastated field Juuchi's battle with her sisters has made. Dragging greenery and fence posts caught in what's left of it's bumper, sparks and plastic fly as the hybrid careens wildly between fallen tress and stumps. Fishtailing as the tires spin on the icy ground, it's engine protests the attempts to push it beyond it's economical ways at the hands of the driver and her passenger.
There is no hesitation from Juuchi. No fury, nor caution, nor even consideration for confirming whether or not those approaching are friends or foe. Turning in place, her deathblow intended for Kyoshu, then becomes a horizontal slash at the approaching vehicle. Savage glee fills her, as for the briefest moment, she sees the whites of the passenger's eyes as they catch sight of the crescent of magic cleaving through the air towards them.
Like a knife through butter, the roof of the Pirus is decapitated from the vehicle and peels away, but the greatest of the Muramasas isn't done there. Seeing the occupants duck down and knowing they will have lost sight of her, Juuchi slashes at the vehicle once more, this time vertically. With an explosion of sparks, shrapnel, and shredded plastic, the roofless Toyota is then cleaved in two down the middle. Each side tipping over and skidding along the icy ground, Juuchi grins at her handiwork as the halves slide by to either side of herself and Kyoshu.
'Job well done,' she thinks to herself with smugly unhinged satisfaction.
Right up until there is the whirring whistle of something sailing through the air, followed by the grating thunk of magically protected steel spearing into the frozen dirt.
Turning around, Juuchi then finds a Su Yari spear, embedded in the ground between herself and Kyoshu. Angled into the dirt slightly, as if thrown from the direction of the now empty passenger side of the Prius, the weapon almost seems intended to block her path.
And then with a hazy shimmer of light, the inevitable happens. The weapon's spirit appears, resolving itself into an avatar that almost takes her aback for a moment. It's like looking at a
disgruntled, slightly taller and lankier version of herself, who got a mom-haircut and couldn't be assed to dress up beyond what she wore around the house.
"I'm going to hope that was just an accident and not an end to the possibility of a diplomatic option." Giving a resigned sigh, Juuchi's not-quite doppleganger brushes herself off and rests a hand on her hip. "Hi Juuchi, long time no see."
Even as she tries to pose an aura of calmness and non-threatening presence, the unhinged look in Juuchi's eyes raises the hair on the back of her neck.
Meanwhile, details race madly in the mind of the greatest of the Muramasas, gaze leaping between the two sister she has already has at her mercy, and now this strange semi-clone of herself that has turned up. Why does she look like her? Why is she
obviously protecting Kyoshu?
"And who that fuck are you supposed to be?" bites out Juuchi. "Me but Stronger?" she asks sarcastically.
"Technically, I'm your diet-lite version." Looking at the katana, the spear frowns. "Juuchi, it's me. Umitsubame. I might not have had an avatar before you disappeared, but surely you remember me. I was one of the only other ones who could hold their own against Kyoshu."
The katana snarls and steps forwards. "Then you
understand why I
have to do this!"
"That just it! This isn't the Kyoshu we knew back then!" Juuchi pauses as Umitsubame spreads her arms, not reaching for her true form, but still moving to block Juuchi's path as well. "
Listen to me! You've got the
wrong girl. As far as anyone can tell, Kyoshu's been dead since the war!"
The Muramasa pauses. Staring as her mind whirls and hanging by a thread, she points her blade at her sister uncertainly. "And how are you sure of that!?
YOU KNOW WHAT SHE DOES!"
"What she
did Juuchi!" In spite of the weapon pointed at her, Umitsubame remains adamantly in place. "You haven't been here for almost four hundred years! A lot can change in just seventy!"
"That's not true!" Something tightens in Juuchi's throat. "Tsu-Tsukikari...."
The Waterwitch Blade holds up her hands, gesturing for her to calm down. "Your student is fine Juuchi! Honjo stepped in, and I saw to her myself! She'll be none the worse for wear in only a few hours!"
"NO! SHE'S JUST FAKING IT!
IT COULD ALL BE A PLOT!"
"Going on seven decades? Juuchi,
listen to yourself! You said you know how she operates. The only ones of us with worse self control were Chisuheri and Akutoku! She would have done something
long before now if she were still the same!"
Juuchi trembles, shaking her head and trying to wrap her head around the impossibility of the cognitive dissonance she is being presented with.
That's... that's not right... that can't be right.... Kyoshu.... Kyoshu always comes back to haunt her.... Kyoshu. Always. Comes. Back.
Kyoshu's
right there
She finally has her dead to rights!
Kyoshu's
did came BACK
That
thing! That
nightmare!
Kyoshu
always comes BACK
She can never be
free unless she's
dead!
KYOSHU'S RIGHT THERE!!!
And Umitsubame wants her to let her go?!?!?!
KYOSHU
She's
ALWAYS
So
COMES
Close
BACK
"Fufufufuf.... Dear Sister. As if you could banish me from your life."
Breath catching in her throat as talons of icy fear grip her heart, Juuchi looks up to Kyoshu, cold, wounded, trembling and
vulnerable upon the ground.
"
I will never be just a memory."
Instinct screams to Umitsubame, the instant she sees the shift in Juuchi's eyes. Grabbing her true form, spear meets sword as the last vestiges of rationality temporarily take their leave her elder sister's gaze.
"I WON'T LET HER WIN!!!"
Gritting her teeth, Umitsubame holds her ground, matching the greatest of their sisterhood blow for blow. In an eye-blink, the ground around them becomes broken and torn by slash marks and the concussive force of their blows, but the Watchwitch Blade neither gives ground, nor attempts to take it from her sister.
Even in the full hold of a fear-induced psychotic break however, Juuchi is still cognizant enough to notice that this fight is different from most. For one thing, Umitsubame's un protected true form resists all attempts to cut or cleave through her.
"SO YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN RESIST ME, THAT MEANS YOU CAN TAKE ME ON?!? IS THAT IT?!?!"
Edge crackling with power and flames, Juuchi hurls an incendio at Umitsubame, only for the Waterwitch Blade to counter with an Aqua Eructo. Fire meets water in an explosion of steam and mist that obscures the Muramasas' views of each other.
"No," comes Umitsubame's calmly level voice from within the fading mist, causing Juuchi to grit her teeth and snarl, blade held level and at the ready for the expected attack.
Movement shifts in the fog out of the corner of her gaze.
There!
Dodging aside the thrown projectile, Juuchi's brain then hits a speed bump as she attempt to process what's happening. Umitsubame has obviously thrown herself. But not only has the spear aimed too low and to the side, making avoiding the Su Yari with a casual shift child's play, but the spear has thrown herself at Juuchi haft first. Realization then hits her, and the katana spins about, just in time to catch sight of the spear refroming her avatar behind Juuchi's back. Catching her haft, and already facing the right direction, Umitsubame immediately reverses the direction of her thrown course into a slashing thrust. A movement that over-commits her, and Juuchi instantly capitalizes on to punish her. The spear's hand darts out, grabbing the katana's hilt to stop her blade's descent, but the motion also upsets her own attack, allowing Juuchi to easily dodge the blade aimed at her hip.
At least... that's what she thinks at first.
Because to Juuchi's shock, just as she twists away, her sheath goes in the opposite direction, the leather belt at her waist onto which she tied the braided sageo cord of her saya, now severed by the Su Yari's pin point and unorthodox targeting. Dropping her own true form to the ground, Umitsubame's hand lashes out with the speed of a striking sea serpent, and then grabs her sister's sheath, immediately then bringing it to the tip of Juuchi's blade, only for the katana's hand to catch her wrist.
Tussling, the two sisters end up face to face, blade and sheath between them.
"You think you can sheath
me?!"
"Not on my own," admits Umitsubame as Juuchi proves to slowly but surely be the stronger of the two. "But
she can."
"What?" Blinking, Juuchi at last looks beyond her immediate targets to kill, for the sake of everyone around her. Over the course of their struggle, Kyoshu has ended up to her right, rather than directly ahead of her. This also affords her a look to what was once her six o'clock and is now to her left. A flank that in her single-minded desperation to kill her elder sister, she has paid almost no attention to.
A sword spirit stands there. Calm and unphased by the scene before her, even as her clothing ripples in a nonexistent wind, and darkness slowly seems to exude into the world from her presence. At first Juuchi doesn't recognize the face or clothes. But upon sighting the black metal blade in the sheath at her hip, horror courses through her as she realizes who the shapeshifter before her is.
"Greetings Juuchi."
Reflexively, the greastest of the Muramasa, superior to all other sword of her sisterhood, tries to retreat.
To unabashedly flee, and put a safe distance between herself and the one Muramasa that even Kyoshu always feared.
But Umitsubame is still holding onto her hilt and sheath.
"NOW KAGO!"
With a flick of her thumb and the click of metal, Kagotsuruhe bears the first inch of her blade, and the seal is broken.
Immediately, Juuchi feels like she's been doused in freezing water. Pushed deep down and drowning, into the suffocating bone chilling cold. The temperature change is almost like a physical blow, and already she can feel the strength being sapped from her limbs as the air becomes clammy and choking to breath.
"n-no... NO!"
With all the will power she possesses, Juuchi
fights.
"I- Can't- Let- Her- WIN!"
Umitsubame stares in disbelief, as her sister not only
remains standing, but continues grappling with the spear to regain a hold of her hilt and sheath. "H-Holy shit! Kagotsuruhe! Give her more!"
Securing her hold on her hilt, the Blade of Hopelessness draws herself out to a full third of her length. Juuchi howls in defiance as the choking presence further crushes down with it's drowning weight. All traces of summer are gone, as her ragged breaths now turn visible in the near arctic air, while a creeping frost of
wrongness begins to crawl across the ground between herself and Kagotsuruhe.
"NOOO!!! I HAVE TO KILL HER!!!"
From a distance, she hears shouting. "What the-?! Where am I?! Wait- THE FUCK IS THIS?!?
ARE YOU TWO INSANE!?!?"
"Damnit, shut up and help us!" cries Umitsubame.
Blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin already beaten black and blue enters her field of vision, winding her with a punch to the gut before joining Umitsubame in trying to trying to force the katana's blade into her sheath. Eyes shrinking to terrified pinpricks, Juuchi watches as they manage to line up the tip with the saya and force in the first few inches of steel.
"SHE'LL COME BACK! SHE ALWAYS COMES BACK!!!"
Staring with disbelieving horror, Norimune watches as, in spite of the combined efforts of herself and Umitsubame, Juuchi not only continues to resist their efforts, but then takes what must feel like a Herculean step in Kyoshu's direction, all while the two of them continue grappling against her.
Watching these developments, Kagotsuruhe responds by drawing herself out to the two thirds mark. Frost now not only begins forming on the clothing of all those present, but even Norimune and Umitsubame break out into cold sweats, despite not being the intended target. As the first of the haunting screams of memory begin to echo in her ears, Juuchi thrashes and shrieks incoherently.
"SHE'LL FIND ME! SHE'LL TAKE EVERYONE AGAIN!!!"
Ice and lighting arc off her hands and blade as she casts whatever she can out of desperation while struggling against her sisters. Norimune curses as bolts run up her arms, while Kyoshu screams in terror as an ice arrow narrowly misses the side of her head by inches. Kagotsuruhe isn't quite as lucky, as though she deflects the majority of one projectile sent her way, the ensuing mass of shards still peppers her in the face, breaking her concentration. Before Juuchi can capitalize on the brief reprieve from the suffocating, downing cold, something grips her boot. Looking down, Juuchi only has a brief glimpse of white hair and green eyes specked with red, before the crawling Chisuheri drives a gold-lit fist into the back of her leg, causing Juuchi to collapse onto one knee.
Even with the combined efforts of four Muramasas, three of whom are now literally hanging off her, Juuchi still refuses to go down.
"WHAT THE ACTUAL SHIT!?! KAGO! JUST FUCKING BRUTE FORCE IT, BEFORE SHE KILLS US!!!"
The hand of the Blade of Hopelessness hovers uncertainly at Norimune's request, even as sweat begins to bead upon her brow. "But you'll all be caught as well!"
Grimacing and gritting her teeth, Umitsubame looks to her sister. "Norimune's right! JUST DO IT!"
Closing her eyes, Kagotsuruhe tightens her grip on her hilt.
Then she opens them,
a now hollow and craving look in her empty eyes, as she draws the full length of her disturbing, black metal blade.
To Juuchi, it is as if the sun were gutted out. No light, nor warmth, nor anything good in the world can exist in the presence of such
wrongness. The last vestiges of her strength begin to fail her. Someone is screaming, and she isn't sure if it is her, or someone in her memories. With panting gasps, she now finds herself on both knees, despite Chisuheri giving a shudder and releasing her. Soon Juuchi's vision dims, to the point that she can't even see Norimune letting go in turn, the nodachi's second wind slowly expiring under the soul-crushing weight pressing down on her. Neither is Umitsubame immune, despite the Su Yari seeming to suffer the least from the draining cold and suffocating hopelessness that their sister exudes. Sweat even beads upon the brow of Kagotsuruhe herself, while faintly her outline begins to waver. Shifting and blurring as her concentration is taxed, glimpses of featureless waxy white and living darkness offer hints at the true nature of the nightmare before her.
"n-no..."
She won't give up when she's this close!
Summoning the last of her strength and will power, Juuchi pours her all into one final attack.
Releasing her grip from her blade and sheath, Umitsubame's eyes widen in shock as the sword begins to slide home without any resistance. But in that brief window, with everyone else disoriented and crushed by the presence bearing down on them, Juuchi turns. Turns to face Kyoshu, who is now even more helpless and immobilized, just from the periphery touch of Kagotsuruhe's aura.
Time slows, even as a shape darts from the treeline, no doubt to protect the nightmare of her youth, now curled up into a ball and clutching herself as her once aristocratic lips move soundlessly. It's too late. The curse from Juuchi's hands is already in flight.
And then her heart stops.
Because skidding to a stop in front of Kyoshu, arms spread wide, but only just realizing the severity of the dark spell headed her way, is Tsukikari.
NO!
Movement, faster than Juuchi even, announces a flash-step.
HONJO!
Each heartbeat is an eternity as the Masamune slashes.
This is it!
She'll kill Kyoshu, and save Tsukikari from her own curse in a single swipe!
Except.... without any sign of effect, Honjo's blade passes through the insensate Sword of Faded Memories like a ghost.
Juuchi's mind freezes, even as the Masamune also passes through Tsukikari, before finally connecting with Juuchi's curse and deflecting it off into the trees.
Confusion courses through her mind, as with no more strength and mental fortitude to spare, the dual-pronged efforts of Umitsubame and Kagotsuruhe at last allow the Waterwitch Blade to sheath her sister's blade fully.
Now broken, defeated, and utterly helpless under the weight of the accumulated exhaustion, all Juuchi can do is wonder 'why?'
She was so close....
For the first time in centuries, as Juuchi's awareness leaves her and her avatar fades, she sinks into unconsciousness accompanied by the painfully familiar feelings of anguish and a despair she'd prayed to never experience again.
------------------------------
Cognizance and consciousness, are things she almost dreads as she realizes she is 'waking up'.
Kyoshu has won, she realizes with hollow, grating despair.
What horrible tortures and fates has she visited upon everyone she knows this time?
If she had an avatar right now, her stomach would be turning.
But then.... something flickers through her mind..... the oddity of the final moments of her fight.
What were Umitsubame and Kagotsuruhe doing there? Umitsubame was supposed to be resistant to Kyoshu's fuckery like her, and Kyoshu actually
feared Kagotsuruhe thanks to how well their older sister countered basically anyone with bad memories, or if given sufficient time to brute force through even the strongest of wills without the need for contact.
Speaking of resistance, what was
Honjo doing?
Did... Did Honjo save Tsukikari
and Kyoshu?
What the fuck is going on?
Uncertainly, she extended her awareness, to try and get an idea for her surroundings. The overkill, multi-layer sealing ward/enchantment thing, that is likely the work of at minimum four different contributors judging by the number of styles alone, is almost expected. Of course Kyoshu would want to make sure her 'audience' stayed in place for whatever unfathomable show of sickness and sadism she'd want to inflict upon Juuchi as a 'homecoming' for her amusement.
Outside of the temporary prison meant to contain her however.....
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! I CAN'T
FUCKING BELIEVE YOU! I CAN'T EVEN-! WORDS FAIL ME RIGHT NOW! REALLY! THEY REALLY DO!
ARE YOU SURE KYOSHU IS THE ONLY FUCKING RETARD AMONG YOU?!"
That.... Juuchi doesn't recognize that voice.... Nor does that sound like the kind of thing she'd expect from a gathering involving Kyoshu celebrating her victory over her long lost favorite sister to torment.
"S-Sempai- Maybe this isn't the best-
"HONESTLY! DO YOU OVERSIZED BUTTER KNIVES REALIZE
HOW MUCH FUCKING TROUBLE COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED
IF YOU JUST! FUCKING! TALKED TO EACH OTHER?!?! I DON'T CARE HOW WORRIED, SCARED OR EVEN FUCKING SCAROUSED YOU WERE OF HER,
OR OF HOW SHE'D REACT! BECAUSE THANKS TO COMMUNICATING INTENTIONS IN MANNERS BEYOND SWISH-SWISH-DEATH APPARENTLY BEING A BIT BEYOND YOU, YOU'VE FUCKED UP
AN ENTIRE GOD DAMN PARK!!!! THERE'S A FESTIVAL GOING ON
RIGHT NEXT DOOR, AND THE ONLY REASON THE AURORS HAVEN'T TURNED UP TO JOIN THIS PARTY OF FAIL AND AIDS, IS BECAUSE THEY'RE EITHER TERRIFIED OF JUUCHI, OR THEY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING WITH ME!!!
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE SUPPOSED TO HIDE THIS?!?!"
"To be fair," comes the unflappably neutral tones of Kagotsuruhe, "We kind of assumed that if she
did go after Kyoshu, she'd do her homework first. Study up on the target. Formulate a plan. Talk to people who would actually talk back. Generally behave a bit more rationally."
"WELL YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ASSUMPTIONS?!?!"
'Okay, what the hell?'
Now utterly lost and confused, Juuchi summons her avatar into being, looking with physical eyes, past the hazy rings of shields, wards and bounded fields that keep her contained and her magic dulled. What she finds though, only baffles her even more.
Off to the side nearest her prison, and obviously actively maintaining some of the various Shinto and Buddhist style barriers, is Chisuheri, being looked over by Haru as her wounds slowly heal. Still deathly pale however, the Bloodlust Blade sips blood from a transfusion bag via a straw, holding it in hands that shake like an addict going through withdrawal even as they take a hit.
Further off, Norimune sits quietly, bound in a multitude of plasters and bandages. At first she thinks the nodachi is supposed to be guarding her, but then she realizes the Unrepentant Blade is simply doing her own thing. Not quite looking at anyone in particular, head hung low, and with her sheathed blade slung over her shoulder for transport rather than the draw, seemingly lost in old thoughts, going by her thousand yard gaze.
Then she catches sight of Kagotsuruhe. Kagotsuruhe who is not only standing next to Shiromizu who appears fine and unharmed, but also a woman who plays havoc with Juuchi's senses. Life, death, humanity and divinity, form a living contradiction in the immensely pissed off and heavily scarred young woman in biker leathers, who also bears green hair, deer-like horns and white scales. Juuchi would almost be tempted to think her a mere hanyou, if it wasn't for the fact that the woman alternately feels like she should either be a low ranking kami, or a very powerful onryo. With a flash of realization, it then hits her that this is Shiromizu's sempai.
'Who apparently cleaned up very well for the wedding, if this is her usual kind of garb.'
Turning her gaze to scan the rest of the area, what she sees then freezes her in her tracks. At least for a moment. Then it leaves her mind struggling futilely to process what's going on. Because a fair distance away from her, is Umitsubame, kneeling beside Kyoshu, carefully checking over the Sword of Faded Memories' now bandaged wound and placing a blanket around the smaller sword spirit's shoulders in an almost
comforting manner.
For her part, Kyoshu doesn't seem to even register that Umitsubame is even there. Instead Kyoshu simply sits in place, knees up to her chest and hands balled in her hair on either side of her head, whispering the same thing to herself over and over again. Though too far away for her words to reach, Juuchi can still read her lips well enough to recognize her seemingly catatonic mantra.
"Just let me die. Just let me die. Just let me die. Please, just let me die."
Over and over, Kyoshu begs, with a gaze that stares past Umitsubame, and seems lost in another time and place with no idea why.
Something in Juuchi's stomach turns, even as her brain struggles to process the utterly incompatible and unfathomable gathering of people
who should be trying to kill each other.
Finally, Juuchi voices the whirlwind of confusion threatening to overwhelm her brain. "What the hell is going on?!"
"SEMPAI! YOU'RE OKAY!"
The joyous shout makes Juuchi startle in surprise and turn around.
"Tsukikari!" Shock and relief overwhelm her, although they are also swiftly followed by self-recrimination and guilt, as she sees the kyu gunto covered in damp bandages and potion soaked towels on the other side of the ring of barriers. "Are you okay?"
The younger sword spirit winces, but nods guiltily. "It still stings a bit, but I'll be okay."
Nervously and looking slightly ashamed of herself, Tsukikari then fidgets. "I'm sorry for worrying you. Norimune threw a whole can of bear mace and me, along with this old can of Stinging-Weep Gas and some other stuff that really sucked."
Juuchi feels her train of thought derail itself for a moment, as suddenly her brain races to figure out the situation with this new reveal of her mistaken perceptions. "Wait, what?"
Tsukikari nods. "Yeah. Apparently we.... kinda of made things worse for each other. B-But in my defense, she was just so irritating and- and- arrghhh!"
"Yes, that does rather match most people's first impressions of The Unrepentant Blade," chips in Honjo as she makes an appearance, approaching to join Tsukikari at the barrier by the kyu gunto's side. "Granted, I believe that statement could describe the average first meeting with
most Muramasa Blades in general."
Juuchi simply stares, too baffled, confused, and lost to even think about rising to the open jibe.
"Honjo? Y-Your here too?" Head practically spinning, she looks from the Masamune, to the distant Kyoshu who is only just being calmed down by Umitsubame, to Honjo, and then back to the does-not-compute Sword of Faded Memories once again. "What the fuck is going on here?!?"
"Apparently a failure of intelligence gathering capabilities and diplomacy on multiple parts," is the Masmune's dry reply, before then flushing slightly in embarrassment. "Admittedly including our own."
Juuchi just stares, bewildered and at her wit's end. Finally, she voices the one thought her brain keeps fruitlessly supplying. "....what?"
Honjo opens her mouth to answer, but before she can, movement interrupts them. Storming towards them, her face a portrait of irritation and exasperated fury, is the green-haired biker dragon.
"Oh good! She's up! Now let's get this out of the way before the Aurors finally find their balls, so we can all fuck off home uninterrupted!"
Honjo straightens up, but doesn't quite seem certain how to handle the dragon's way with words. "Ah- Mizuchi-san. We were just about to-"
"I don't wanna hear it!" Interrupts the dragon with a growl. "I'm done with this shit! I did one-twenty through a school zone just to get here, after everything
is already over anyway, and to find you
fucked up the home of a friend of mine! I'm going to have a
dozen fucking speeding tickets after today!"
"You know," observes Kagotsuruhe as she glances at the bits of automotive plastic and steel now scattered across half of the park. "If we're tallying up personal costs from this event, no amount of magic is going to save my car at this point."
From afar, Norimune looks up, broken from her funk. "Don't you drive a Prius?"
"Yes."
"Then nothing of value was lost."
The mizuchi meanwhile, ignores the byplay and continues her rant. "Frankly, after this clusterfuck, I wouldn't trust you lot to order a pizza without somebody getting stabbed."
"Hey, who told you about that?! And that was Akutoku's fault that time, not mine!"
"
Not. Helping." grits out Umitsubame through her teeth furiously, from where she is still beside the now mostly calm (but still rather teary and now immensely confused) Kyoshu, causing the Unrepentant Blade to quieten.
The mizuchi snorts as she turn to look at Juuchi. "Right. So. To pardon the pun, it's time to cut through all the bullshit. Pick yourself up."
Juuchi stares. "What?"
The dragon roars. "YOU'VE BEEN SAYING A LOT OF
WHAT TODAY BUTTER KNIFE! HAVE THEY BEEN SPEAKING TO YOU ONLY IN
WHAT OVER IN ENGLAND?!"
Juuchi is so confused. Nobody has dared speak to her is such a way in... she can't even remember. More than that though, after everything this day has thrown at her.... she doesn't know whether to break out in tears, or just start praying this whole terrifying, baffling and insanely fucked up day is only an overly long nightmare.
"N-No!"
Maybe she's still back in the box, waiting for Harry to find the three of them, and finally snapped?
Scales begin creeping across the bridge of the mizuchi's nose as she angrily marches towards the barrier, while the sclera of her eyes bleeds into toxic black.
"THEN PICK YOURSELF UP,
AND DRAW!!!"
Looks of alarm spread through out those gathered, as the confusingly dark aligned mizuchi, then strides straight through the bulwark of barriers and wards meant to keep Juuchi contained.
"Hey!"
"What the hell?!"
"ARE YOU MAD?!?!"
"Sempai? SEMPAI WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!"
Juuchi blames the fact that it's been a stressful day on what happens next.
Even if the mizuchi seems to anticipate it and is totally nonplussed, Juuchi still has to take a moment to realize she just stabbed the minor water god in the shoulder.
The not all that powerful, but still
very old water god.
Who, according to the ominous black blood that clings to her blade more like muddy poisonous sludge than actual carmine, is also somehow dead, yet not.
Idly, some part of her notes that it's been a while since she saw somebody with double immunity to Kyoshu. The larger part though, points out that the last time she stabbed something this ancient and exotic, she was also in a much better mental state and level of preparedness.
"-the hell
are you?"
The mizuchi takes a step forwards, ignoring the the fact that she is driving herself further onto the sword.
ssslorp
Trembling slightly, and more than a little intimidated about the undead god pissed off enough to not even give a fuck about impaling itself, Juuchi then finds herself stumbling back up against the transparent walls of her prison. Practically eye to eye, with a rather irritated minor kami, with her true form stuck in it's shoulder.
Then the mizuchi speaks. Talking in no tongue of humanity, but in the language of water, and air and stone. An ancient, elemental sound of magic and nature, that though the Muramasas are too much the refinements of man to speak themselves any longer, they remember and understand in the iron of their steel. Something Kyoshu would never have been able to implant, and any speaker of which, would have been too primordial and alien compared to the human mind, for her to influence.
"Harken, iron and earth molded by the mad swordsman, named Ten Thousand Cold Nights, for I am The Embroidered Long Ago River. Receive thine words, and know them right. Verity, without illusion or colluded intent, for no ill will borne to thou or thine house. The one thou seekth is no more, and the grudge once justly born, sheds only innocent blood from an untarnished soul in it's place."
Wincing, the mizuchi then coughs and rubs at her throat. "Urgh, I hate doing that shit in this form. Nothing ever fucking sounds right. And of course I can't dragon-up with all the god damn Aurors and shipgirls about-"
Juuchi however, has no response to the dragon's ramblings, and can only stare with pale disbelief. Her knees feel week, and like the world is about to fall out from beneath her.
That... that can't be....
Kyoshu's.... but she's right there....
Looking to the side, she spies the specter of her darkest nightmares, her personal tormentress from her earliest days, gazing around vapidly like a confused imbecile.
"G-Guys... what's going on? And why is there this hole in my shoulder?" The Sword of Faded Memories, once the living embodiment of soulless beauty and evil in the guise of sultry sophistication and high class, now whimpers and looks to the Waterwitch Blade beside her. "Mou... Umitsubame, it kinda hurts....."
Emotions twist and coil in Juuchi's gut and heart. She doesn't know
what to feel.
Dare she
hope... that this
isn't another trick?
"Is.... is this real?"
The mizuchi rolls her eyes, opening her mouth to speak-
- And then a golf cart stickered with Yokosuka Fleet Activities Base markings,
ramps off of a collapsed piece of fence as it tears out of the bushes and comes into view, only to promptly writes itself off with the landing. But not before it's occupant takes a flying leap from the cab at the apex of the jump. Doing a series of flashy acrobatic feats as she flies through the air, in spite of the bags of festival-swag and stall purchases by her side, the purple haired sword spirit then lands in the center of the group, between the already contained Juuchi and Kyoshu.
Striking a pose, the Sword of Corruption smirks smugly as she pushes up her glasses. "Never fear Kyoshu! For Akutoku is here!"
A silence mixed between various degrees of stunned, disbelieving, and outright awkwardness is her only answer. After a few second of delay though, she at least gets a very late reaction from Kyoshu. The Sword of Faded Memories lone clapping is somehow even more awkward than the silence. "Yay! Akutoku!"
The sword spirit in question holds her pose, glancing around uncertainly for a few moments before cursing. "FUCK ME, IS IT ALREADY OVER?!"
"Way to miss the party dipshit!" shouts Norimune. "Even when you
don't do what I tell you to, you fuck it up!"
"Bite me!"
"Eat me!"
"No thanks, but if you want, I can draw it?"
Juuchi watches the byplay between the two as they continue to rile and antagonize each other with a strangely hollow sense of disconnectedness. Something that only worsens as Kyoshu then chips in excitedly, face lighting up, and the last of her haunted, traumatizing thoughts seemingly vanished and forgotten.
"Akutoku! Akutoku! Look!"
Putting her argument with Norimune on hold, the Sword of Corruption spins around to look at the source of so many of Juuchi's traumas, childishly pointing at the ward bound Muramasa who is also still impaled in the draconic-onryo's shoulder.
No.... she then realizes.
Akutoku isn't pointing at her.
She's point at the kami.
"Look! Look! I found the mizuchi! Can I get a prize now?!" Kyoshu then pauses for a moment uncertainly. "Mou....Can it be to fix this hole in my shoulder? I don't know where I got it from... but it really hurts...."
This.... This is too much for Juuchi.
Slowly her eyes roll back up into her head, as the greatest of the Muramasas collapses into a dead faint, avatar vanishing before it even hits the ground.
Seeing what has happened, Jin facepalms. Giving a grunt of annoyance at the sword-spirit not even having the manners to pull out, the ex-kami then grabs the insensate Juuchi's hilt and yanks the blade out of her shoulder. Watching as the wounded flesh turns to water and sludge, then back to her more usual level of scar-crossed scale and skin with a fresher addition to join the rest, the mizuchi then looks to Chisuheri with mild irritation.
"No offence, but the next time you need a Kyoshu-sitter? Let me know so I can make plans to spend the day in a neighboring Prefecture instead."