EVENT [closed to

[soul_mods]

Characters: The unlucky people who are being attacked by Witches in South America
Location: Areas surrounding San Martín de los Andes, Isla del Sol and San Pedro de Atacama
Rating: PG-13(?)
Time: June 10th to June 12th
Description: In the area surrounding San Martín de los Andes, Isla del Sol and San Pedro de Atacama, there have been reports of large, bird-like creatures attack and consuming humans. A request was sent out to Shibusen to deal with this threat.



San Martín de los Andes

A town famous for its tourism. It gets chilly at night, but during the day it's bright and sunny with plenty of beaches. Incidentally, it's a famous place for birdwatching during the summer. Needless to say, after more than a few bird watchers were seen being carried off there are fewer of them hanging around lately.


Isla del Sol

An island with harsh climate and rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. It is also rich in old ruins and archaeological sites. The views from the top of the mountains, especially at dawn and dusk are said to be breath-taking. Lately though, it's less the view that's taking the tourists breaths away so much as the giant birds (suspected to be Kishin Eggs) swooping down at them and eating them.


San Pedro de Atacama

Another nifty place for eco-tourism where tourists can choose to go on exploration tours in natural landscapes. Lately though, many tourists who go to the Valle de La Luna and the Chaxas Lagoon, haven't been returning. When a couple of survivors finally made it back, they spoke about a monstrous, pink bird devouring their fellow tourists.

Comments

[namelesswitch]

[The spun to block Akiha's attack with her mallet. At the same time, part of the flame split off and hit the giant flamingo. It opened its beak and breathed fire at the Shibusen operative coming at it.

The other part of the fire shot towards the other operative like a whip.]

[computations]

[The clash was, well...painful. The shock rolled up to Akiha before Sion would try to cut it off. This really was what it was like to fight against a witch. She could see why it took so much experience and power to be able to do so.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[The agent wasn't expecting the bird to breathe fire - and neither had Akiha. It made her almost loose her grip on her partner when the witch blocked the strike. She tightened her grip and tried to force the mallet up while lashing out with a kick at the witch. She was prepared to use Soul Bite to steal energy from the witch should she manage to land the attack.

There was a shriek from the agent now on fire and he dropped to the ground, trying to put it out. The other one managed to dodge the whiplike attack... mostly, though there was a nice scorch mark along his arm. Rolling to his feet, the agent attacked again.]

[namelesswitch]

[Flamingos were not, by their nature, very frightening birds. It was a whole other matter when they could breathe fire, however.

Eyes still glowing faintly from the power it received from the witch, it opened its beak to shoot another stream of fire at the burning Shibusen agent.

The Witch didn't bother trying to hold the other Weapon down, instead she let her mallet be pushed up and pivoted to avoid the kick instead. The hit still grazed her though she hadn't really thought much about it. She did notice something strange though when that happened and she raised a brow.]

...what was that?

[On the other hand, the Shibusen operative coming after her wasn't so lucky. The flame whip did not die off when it missed. Instead, it turned, trying to circle around his neck.]

[computations]

Don't let up!

[Or answer the woman's question. A moment's hesitation would put Akiha in the same spot the other agents were in. It was all she could offer beyond their resonation attack, which Sion was prepared to use the second Akiha was.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha sure as hell knew not to answer the witch's question. She spun and aimed a strike for the witch's legs, channeling the energy she'd just stolen into it. She wanted this one to hurt.

Screaming rose as the agent on the ground was lit up again. The burns were enough to take him out of the fight, assuming he even managed to live and put the flames out. The other agent managed to get his weapon up to block the whip, but it melted quickly under the flames. Dropping it, he pulled out a knife and threw it at the witch.]

[namelesswitch]

[The witch, despite giving off a feeling of being a little out of it, was certainly not stupid. She wasn't going to risk being touched a second time after what happened. (If that was indeed what caused it. She couldn't be too certain.)

She jumped, flipping backwards, surprisingly light and agile for someone so tall. Then again, she was a bird witch. That was probably why. Before she even landed she began to chant.]

Furafura flamingo mingo.

[Flames erupted around her once again, incinerating the knife coming for her. When she landed the flames twisted and gathered at the end of her mallet.

Nearby, the flamingo planted one foot on the head of the agent on the ground, before turning to look at the fight.]

[computations]

Do not try to block that mallet.

[Sion was fairly sure if she got hit by that flaming mallet, it would knock her out of commission. She might be overestimating it but seeing how easily the other agents were being manhandled, she didn't want to test it. This wasn't exactly a low level witch.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

I'll see what I can do. But I'm not interested in a trial of endurance. I need your ability. If we can find an opening with it, I might be able to stun her enough for us to run.

[Akiha rolled away from the flame to the side and up onto her feet. Readying the staff, she calmed her wavelength and synced with Sion's. She needed her partner's ability to predict enemy actions for the few seconds she could. Their lives might depend on it.]

In three, two, one.

[The remaining Shibusen agent was now unarmed and not sure what to do. That hesitation may cost him his life.]

Sorry this is late!

[namelesswitch]

[Indeed the hesitation was going to cost him. Seeing that pause, the witch's familiar opened its beak and shot another stream of flames towards the unarmed agent. This one was less intense than the ones from before, the lingering effects of the witch's spell starting to dissipate. It was still going to burn though if it hit.

The witch raised the mallet and brought it down on an oblique angle, aiming just below Akiha's shoulder instead of her head.]

[computations]

[Akiha had asked her so Sion used her ability. To detect movements ahead of time would grant them a serious advantage. She doubted they had the power to defeat a witch but perhaps they could retreat. The only issue if is the witch herself could attack in a way that would overwhelm Akiha, no matter how well she could dodge. As it was, a simple swipe of the mallet would be easy enough to deal with now that Akiha had saw it coming.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[The aim wasn't to defeat the witch. Akiha knew they weren't ready for that, but they needed to do something so they could get away.

With that strike of mallet transmitted to her just before the witch actually took the swing, Akiha was already moving with it taken into consideration. Dropping her shoulder and lowering herself more the to ground as she surged forward, the flaming mallet just missed her, going over her shoulder. It was close enough some of Akiha's hair sizzled and she could feel the heat. Ignoring that, she brought the heavier falcon end of the staff up in a brutal upward strike aimed right at the witch's jaw with all her considerable strength.

...the Shibusen agent's hesitation was his undoing as he was lit on fire and hit the ground, trying to put the flames out.]

[namelesswitch]

[Ah.

The Witch was clearly surprised if the widening of her eyes right before the strike connected was any indication.

The missed swing caused the witche's body to turn slightly. Even though it through her balance a little off, made it possible for her to tuck her chin in and use her shoulder to block the hit. It sent her stumbling a step and the place where it hit hurt but she was still standing.

Meanwhile, the flamingo familiar, having witnesses his mistress being hurt, squawked indignantly and opened it's beak to breathe fire at the Meister.]

...I've decided. [She brought her mallet up, favouring one arm a little even as her smile turned vicious.] It'll be you two, since you are still standing.

[computations]

Run. We cannot fight so use my data to dodge while you find your way towards a mirror.

[It was the only smart approach. Sion enjoyed experiments but it was never her goal in life to be a part of one.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[There was fear in battle and then there was being terrified. And that smile with Sion's urging had Akiha terrified. Thankfully, she managed to maintain her resonance with her partner as she took the information from Sion about the bird breathing fire to dive under the stream and swing the staff at the bird's vulnerable leg as she rolled up to her feet, putting the flamingo between herself and the witch.

And then she tucked the staff under her arm and ran, sprinting as fast as she could away.]

[namelesswitch]

[The flamingo fell with a pained squawk.

The witch however, just chanted her mantra.]

Furafura flamingo mingo...

[She let go of the mallet with one hand and pointed it at the girl's retreating back. Except that's not her target.

When the chanting was finished, a wall of flames burst from the ground, slowly spreading in a line outwards until it formed a circle around them with a two meter radius.]

I don't remember saying you could run.

[There it was once again that absent-minded quality to her voice as she stepped around her familiar who was struggling to get up.]

[computations]

[This kind of sucked. The witch could just wait them out here. But if she stopped, she could hop in at any time.

...Sion waited for Akiha's order, knowing that she had a better purview of the situation.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha pulled up short when the flame erupted before her and cast a quick glance back behind her at the witch. Seeing more flame and feeling panic starting to rise inside of her, Akiha didn't even think before she took her next action.

And that was to dive through the fire in a continued attempt to escape. Instinctively, she brought the staff up before her to shield her eyes from the flame as she went through it without regard for her partner. At least Sion wouldn't catch on fire being in Weapon form.

The meister wasn't prepared for the level of pain. She'd been beaten, bitten, knocked off roofs and burned by acid before, but she'd never been burned by a fire other than small things like a candle. The wave of pain that hit her, the end of her skirt and hair catching in fire, shocked her. Completely disrupting her resonance with Sion, she lost her grip on the staff when it got too heavy and she hit the ground. She tumbled along the ground a bit before coming to rest on her hands and knees, panting, eyes searching wildly for her partner.]

Sion!

[namelesswitch]

[Well, that was...unexpected. The Witch blinked then flicked her wrist, the fire wall lowered itself before springing up and away from the ground towards the Witch. Some of it joined the bit already there at the head of her mallet. The rest of it coiled and danced around her in streams, almost as if it were alive.

She walked towards Akiha with a sniff at her burns.]

How unsightly,

[computations]

[Sion changed back on the ground and hurriedly scrambled to her feet. All she wanted to do was keep herself between the witch and Akiha.]

Stay back!

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Still on the ground, Akiha panted and looked up at the approaching witch. Her view was blocked by her partner then, causing her to try to get to her feet, one hand grabbing the back of Sion's shirt to aid her.]

I can still...

[No, she couldn't. She couldn't calm herself enough to resonate. They were so screwed.]

[namelesswitch]

[As the fire spiraled around her, the Witch couldn't help but want to burn both of them until there was nothing left but ash.

The fire around her shifted and moved outwards move around all of them. A lot of it danced close to the two girls, but not touching.

The Sway of Magic called to her so sweetly that she almost couldn't help herself.

But Hachi would be angry and the fact that these girls hadn't come alone meant that it's about time for her to beat a retreat. Hachi had said so.

She let out a huff, bringing the mallet above her head.]

Really. She's going to owe me for this. [And that was all she has to say before she brings the mallet down on the girl (the Weapon, was it?) with enough force to hopefully knock her out.

The flames, she left there though she tamped them down a little to avoid doing too much unnecessary damage.]

[computations]

[Sion raised her arm and partially transformed it in hopes of blocking the blow. Unfortunately, alone, it was a pointless maneuver, the power behind it blasting through her guard and nailing her solidly. By the way she was laid out on the ground, it was pretty obvious that she was out cold.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

Sion!

[No, no, no, no, NO! A rush of anger and determination ran through Akiha at the sight of her partner laying there. She couldn't, wouldn't, leave her there and save herself. If this was it for them, she was damn well going to make the witch pay for defeating them.

Unlike most meisters, Akiha was far from defenseless without her partner. She had Soul Bite and Soul Menace. Sure, she was still working on Soul Menace, but for some reason it always seemed to work better for her when she was angry. With adrenaline and the anger pushing her past the pain, Akiha went at the witch, trying to land a two0hit combination with the first hit using Soul Bite to drain and the second with Soul Menace to bitch-slap the witch's soul.

...and then she knew it would be over. This was all she had left.]

[namelesswitch]

[The smell of burnt clothing and the sound of the girl she just knocked out hitting the ground were wonderful and they distracted her long enough for Akiha's attack to take her by surprise. The first hit landed, but the Witch just managed to dodge the second hit, before swinging the mallet at the back of Akiha's head.

Soul Menace...Shibusen really was teaching these "Guests" some pretty nasty tricks.]