Yuki

@rezod92 @Restalaan

Watching and listening to both Skarsneek and Kerry, Yuki couldn't help but to have a small frown on her face. Turning to the man quietly once Skarsneek had left. "Stay strong, it may seem like there is no point left in the world to keep going, but there is always a reason to keep on going, live for your family, that is what they would have wanted...this man will never see the light of day again, he will never be free to bring harm to anyone else, I can promise you that much....even if it is not the most reassuring of things, just know that no matter where you go, your family will always be with you in your heart." Yuki quietly told the man as she turned to leave as well to head back to the temple. Adding to what Kerry had told him, thinking it was the best way to approach the situation.

Glancing down at the map quietly as she walked she gave a small nod of her head. "That is true, I will make sure to keep it safe and secure, it may be very important to find this artifact, who knows just what it is, I'm sure someone at the temple may be able to help us figure it out better as well" Yuki responded to Skarsneeks remark. Making sure to keep a firm hold of the scroll as she rolled it up and put it into her pouch making sure that her pouch was closed and that the scroll was nice and snug within.

With that in mind Yuki turned to leave to head back to the temple after completing her first mission for the group. Planning on taking the scroll there to see if she could get any more information on it from someone at the temple. As much as she wished she could have ended the life of the murderer, she knew that wouldn't be right. As Kerry had said, he could be a useful prisoner if kept alive, even if he did not deserve to live after the crimes that he had committed.

The villager said nothing more to the taskforce, even after their parting words with him. He simply broke down crying in front of the bonfire where his family was lost.

The taskforce, meanwhile, made their way back to their homebase with their newest Varjan prisoner still unconscious and would not wake up in the immediate future.

---

"My sister and I will handle these cretins! Luna-chan, please save Sorae-san!!"

Atsuha's flurry of sakura blossoms immediately took down two of the Wako bandits. Meanwhile, the remaining brigands were taken by surprise by the sudden summoning of Hinami's club weapon. This momentary hesitation was all that the Jiangshi needed to close the distance and hit one of the bandits right in the face with the club. The last bandit scrambled for a counterattack, but his movements could not keep up with Hinami's and received a painful heel to his head for his trouble.

Meanwhile, Lunatea dashed for the bandit about to execute Sorae. With a spinning kick backed by the strength of a yokai, the Wako was knocked away and out cold. Sorae was then carried out of the battle by the Wererabbit and was administered some quick, magical first aid. The retreat was not needed, though, as the fight was over with that bandit's defeat.

"...I saw someone peeking at us from that small shack over there..." The paralyzed Sorae mentioned to the yokai. "And quit with the healing magic, rabbit. I'm not gonna die to some paralyzing poison. I'm a Tokinomiya." She scolded Lunatea, simultaenously with a boast.

The person in the shack was a villager woman. She was plain, unremarkable and young. Not that pretty either, especially compared to the yokai. She cowered at the corner of the shack, and will begin crying at whoever would approach her. "Please! Don't hurt me! I don't know anything!"

---

The student warriors watched patiently as Gringor broke through the Varjans surrounding him with an unfortunate Varjan as a bludgeon. The remaining Varjans pulled back, signalling to their Shizuyaman allies that it was their turn on the rampaging High Orc again.

But Gringor took the initiative, he charged at the student warrior seemingly recklessly. He had drawn plans and considered the options he would take regarding the student's actions--

*SLASH*

He was stopped by the technique, but not from the student he was charging, but from another student to Gringor's side. Fortunately, it was still not enough to break skin--

*SLASH*

Then another came, from yet another different student. This time, Gringor felt blood dripping from his body.

*SLASH*

Then another.

*SLASH*

Then another.

With Gringor heavily wounded, the student warrior in front of him now made his move. Confident that whatever scheme the male High Orc had created, it was impossible to put it into action now. The Shizuyaman disappeared... and Gringor felt another powerful slash at his body. One that forced him to go down into the dirt.

The male High Orc witnessed the student warriors calm down, assume relaxed stances. The Varjans, meanwhile, approached him like vultures upon a dead prey. Their weapons bared, ready to finish the job.

Still, Gringor was not of a relatively weak race of monsters. He had strength still, but perhaps it was wiser to use that for an escape.

---

(Currently in collab)

---

"Bandits of Shizuyama, you have been accused of ransacking, looting, murdering, destruction of property, and general misconduct. Turn yourselves in peacefully or I will be forced to use maximum force!"

The barrage of energy bullets from Eula hit virtually none of the bandit Swordsmen looting the homestead, who took cover in the debris while the bolts rained down around them. Still, the sudden and quite flashy assault did scare the wits out of the thugs.

The Swordsmen panicked and screamed and sobbed, immediately attempting to run to the wilderness, and probably back to their hideouts, once the barrage was over. They stumbled from their covers, a couple of them abandoning their swords and not one of them even sparing a glance at their attacker. The battle was over before it even began. Eula's distraction proving more effective as an intimidation tactic.

"Guys! Don't leave me behind! Guys!" One Swordsman bandit lagged behind, the one with the glass sword. He did not abandon the weapon, likely too valuable to simply leave behind. Unfortunately, it seemed to be also heavy which meant he was easy pickings for the duo.

---

While Io and Liliana conversed, other members of the taskforce arrived from their mission. Namely, Kerry, Skarsneek, Yuki and Samael. And with them was an out-cold Varjan Warlock.

The arriving party was quickly greeted by Ayu. "Welcome back! And it looks like you've brought a friend." She remarked sarcastically about the unconscious Kalaj. "We'll put them with the other prisoners. I admit, their lips are pretty sealed so far so I only have them helping out the temple with odd jobs. But once Lady Kyouko gets here, I'm sure she has some idea on how to get some info from them."

"Judging from these results, I assume things went pretty well?"

---

---

---

_{@PaulHaynek@The Irish Tree}

Homestead

---

Shizuka was about to make a move until he saw the pitiful reaction of the brigands as Eula commenced her attack. Flailing around and crying out in fright, they couldn't even keep their weapon's held as they fleeing in terror. Well, all but one fled - one poor fool couldn't keep up with his compatriots. The ronin thought to himself, it seemed his initial estimation was incorrect. It appeared the glass blade he was holding was so heavy, it slowed his running. He didn't fell sorry for the idiot; he probably would let go of it because it was worth something to him. Doesn't matter, even if it was slowing him down Shizuka wouldn't have let him escape regardless.

There was no hint of movement in the instant Shizuka vanished from his crouching spot and appeared right in front of the bandit. Before the man even had time to register his new obstacle, Shizuka hit him with a sharp crosskick into his abdomen. He made sure to kick hard enough to break a rib as the man was sent flying in the opposite direction, eventually being stopped after hitting a wall and slumping to the floor of the ruined house. Kannazuki began to slowly walk over to the downed marauder, but lucky for the man he didn't have the intent to kill.

"That was well done Eula-san." He said. "Seems we overestimated these gentlemen. Your shots didn't hit their mark, but they were effective all the same. Now, on to our new friend here" Shizuka said with a foreboding tone, now standing directly over the downed man. He drew his blade and brought it straight to the man's throat. He pressed it close enough to where it barely broke the skin, causing a tiny bit of blood to drip down.

"Afternoon, sir. Me and my associate here are simple passerbys, and it recently came to our attention that you and your comrades had slaughtered the family that used to live here and ransacked their home. Unfortunately, it seems your friends rudely ran off before we could question them about the matter. Would you be kind enough to lead us back to your hideout so they can weigh in on the situation?"

While the swordsman's words were cordial, his tone was anything but.

"Also, I'm a bit curious and would much like to learn more about that glass blade you were so dead set on running away with."

---

_{@PaulHaynek@Hammerman}

The Headman - Sawmill

---

Having their strength zapped, the remaining bandits could do little to avoid the onslaught of sakura blossoms as they were felled by Atsuha's magic. Hinami's opponents didn't fare much better, either, as one was taken out by the kanabo and the other by the Jiangshi's foot. Both sisters then turned to see that not only was Luna able to save Sorae, but even took out the final brigand. Luna-chan, you did it! That was amazing!" Hinami cheered, running over to the both of them.

Atsuha soon followed over. "Impressive. It seems our little scholar has adapted quite well to these high combat environments." She mused.

Of course, instead of giving thanks for having her life saved, she instead gripes to the team and reminds them that she doesn't need help from a bunch of monsters. This made the sisters frown a bit, but it didn't surprised them at this point. However, she also gave more information about how she saw someone hiding inside the nearby shack. After making their way inside, they were meet by a cowering young girl.

"Dearie, no one here is going to hurt you." Said the Jorougumo in a kind, reassuring tone. "But, perhaps you could tell us what exactly you're doing here?"

@The Irish Tree

Io's eyes widened ever-so-slightly at Liliana's size trick, subtly betraying her surprise - split evenly between the trick, and the sword's seeming synchronization to the fairy's size. "Very interesting. I suppose that is handy for-" Io cut herself off before she blurted out something inappropriate. It wasn't necessarily because she had a sense of shame, but she figured policing her words might be best with so many people suspicious of mamono already. She briefly stole glances around, as if looking for someone overhearing the conversation. Of course, it didn't seem like anyone was. "Well. Many things." Io somewhat ungracefully ended her sentence, before quickly moving past the topic. "Pink... Yes, it is a good color." She nodded, sharing a brief sense of solidarity with her fellow pink-haired task force member.

She briefly glanced over to another returning party. They, too, had a prisoner. Io wondered if she may have put an unnecessary strain on the group by taking prisoners of her own, umprompted, but... Well, she could take care of that if it became an issue. She kept an eye on them either way, as she wanted to see what they were up to since they finished up another task.

Io remembered something as she watched the other task force members. "Ah. I realize now..." Io retrieved a scroll of hers - this one was a simple scroll of enhancing strength - and held it out to show. "I did consider the potential for giving scrolls to task force members to help them, but... Given your usual size, I may need to reconsider how I made them..." Io didn't want to prod, but she assumed that Liliana didn't have much care to stay the size of human all the time. If anything, Io understood the sentiment. "Creating scrolls with legible, effective runes that are to fairy scale... Now that's an interesting challenge." Io's eyes briefly glimmered with enthusiasm at the thought.

@Crowvette

---

"Oh yeah, turning big is super handy! You'd be surprised how long it takes to get anywhere when you're small. Gives my wings a serious workout just moving from one end of a table to another...noooo thanks. Humans design everything so big, that it just makes sense to be big to navigate, y'know?" Going over to a nearby sliding door, Liliana would demonstrate what she meant by shrinking back down and trying to open it. "See? Totally fairy inaccessible."

After returning to people size once more, Liliana would try to alleviate Io's concerns about fairy-sized scrolls. "Oh, no, don't worry about that! Anything I have on me shrinks down with me. Kinda. Can't bring cold-iron-things down with me since fairies are allergic." To demonstrate, Liliana would reach into her bag and pull out a copper coin, then shrink down to show that it scaled down with her. "Super handy for transporting big things. ...Of course once it uh, leaves my person it sorta..." the fairy flipped the coin out of her hand, the thing returning to its original size once it got a few inches away from her. "Embiggens again."


@AzureKnight

---

Eula was...honestly astounded that their plan had actually worked out TOO well. At the barrage of energy bolts, the bandits had simply turned tail and ran before Shizuka even had a chance to pursue any but the glass-swordsman. That was...well, she had to assume this must mean that her visage was truly terrifying to humans. As such, when Shizuka began questioning their new prisoner, Eula went over and crouched before him, right in his face with unblinking focus.

"I would listen to my human friend here. If you cooperate, I can at least guarantee that he will not behead you. But if you take too long..." she started, before ever-so-gently wrapping her hands around his left hand. "He has been known to start from the thumb." Eula was absolutely making shit up, but her deadpan tone and unflinching expression probably made the threat of torture by dismemberment all the more real for the bandit.

Regardless of the bandit's answer, it was likely they'd have to tie him up and come back for him later. His inability to fight back had at least earned him a proper trial back in town, in her eyes.

Luna-chan, you did it! That was amazing!" Hinami cheered, running over to the both of them.

Lunatea flashed a small smile at the jiangshi, feeling happy that she was getting some appreciation at last. Taking note that the two had finished their fight, she returned her attention to the human swordswoman.

"...I saw someone peeking at us from that small shack over there..." The paralyzed Sorae mentioned to the yokai.

"That shack?" Lunatea glanced at the run-down building. "Alright, I'll check it out. But after I heal your poison first."

"And quit with the healing magic, rabbit. I'm not gonna die from some paralyzing poison. I'm a Tokinomiya." She scolded Lunatea, simultaneously with a boast.

"Tch, suit yourself." She clicked her tongue before leaving the woman. Stupid human pride…

The person in the shack was a villager woman. She was plain, unremarkable and young. Not that pretty either, especially compared to the yokai. She cowered at the corner of the shack, and will begin crying at whoever would approach her. "Please! Don't hurt me! I don't know anything!"

"Dearie, no one here is going to hurt you." Said the Jorougumo in a kind, reassuring tone. "But, perhaps you could tell us what exactly you're doing here?"

She watched in silence as the spiderwoman tried to have a conversation with her. Better to give her some space. Clearly, she's terrified of us.

Still, it might be better if I was the one talking to her. I look more like a human than she is after all.

@AzureKnight@PaulHaynek

@The Irish Tree

Io raised an eyebrow at Liliana's display. "I see." In truth, Io was thinking about the potential applications for this development... There were many niche ideas that popped into Io's head. Despite that, it was unlikely that things would go exactly as she was imagining them - plus she wouldn't want to put Liliana in danger, of course. It was a very interesting quirk of the transformation, though. Io would file that bit of trivia away in case there was some sort of plan that needed it.

Io once again cast a glance over at the other task force members. There was at least one last thing she had to ask about. "Have you interacted with the male task force members? It's a sight I thought I'd not see even in all of my years. An unfathomably rare occurrence... To the point that I considered it impossible." Io refrained from waxing more eloquently about the odds. "It's almost intimidating. They may be the only ones I ever encounter." She briskly put her hood back up.

@PaulHaynek @Nakushita @Restalaan (SKA)

The arriving party was quickly greeted by Ayu. "Welcome back! And it looks like you've brought a friend." She remarked sarcastically about the unconscious Kalaj. "We'll put them with the other prisoners. I admit, their lips are pretty sealed so far so I only have them helping out the temple with odd jobs. But once Lady Kyouko gets here, I'm sure she has some idea on how to get some info from them."

"Judging from these results, I assume things went pretty well?"

"It....", Kerry began before giving a resigned sigh. "Let's just say getting there early would've made a world of difference. Also, did I hear you right? Kyouko's coming? Here?"

"Dearie, no one here is going to hurt you. But, perhaps you could tell us what exactly you're doing here?"

The scared woman did not respond, at least not immediately. Her eyes dilated, her gaze fixed directly at Atsuha's arachnid half. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The bloodcurdling scream rang throughout the sawmill, and even into the surrounding forest. So much so that some of the birds were spooked, startling flocks of them into flight. A recovered Sorae immediately came to see what had happened, but her eyes narrowed at the sight of the frightened villager. "Kana. Now what is Sogen's wife doing here?"

The villager woman Kana recoiled as Sorae approached, clearly recognizing the Tokinomiya. "My husband is innocent! The Varjans killed your family!"

"Where is he?"

"I don't know..."

Sorae did not believe the answer. She seized Kana and pinned her against a wall. "You're lying!"

It was obvious that Kana was indeed lying, but perhaps there are better ways to coax the truth out of her.

---

(Currently in collab)

---

"Afternoon, sir. Me and my associate here are simple passerbys, and it recently came to our attention that you and your comrades had slaughtered the family that used to live here and ransacked their home. Unfortunately, it seems your friends rudely ran off before we could question them about the matter. Would you be kind enough to lead us back to your hideout so they can weigh in on the situation? Also, I'm a bit curious and would much like to learn more about that glass blade you were so dead set on running away with."

"I would listen to my human friend here. If you cooperate, I can at least guarantee that he will not behead you. But if you take too long... He has been known to start from the thumb."

The bandit groaned in pain as he was kicked so hard, he was sent flying against the wooden wall of the house he was previously looting. Realizing he was cornered, he attempted to bring up his weighty glass sword but Shizuka already had his sword at his neck. He gulped as the two taskforce members interrogated him regarding his gang.

But instead of answering, his fear and conflicting goals broke the bandit and he recklessly swung his glass sword despite death looming over him. "Ragh!"

The sudden attack caught Eula and Shizuka by surprise and with the Automaton's hands on the bandit's, they were the first... and only targets. The glass blade shattered quite explosively upon contact with Eula's arms, sending shards of it flying everywhere. Some of them blew towards Eula and Shizuka, the former being protected by her metal body while the latter was not so lucky, being stabbed and pricked by a few bits. The bandit was the unluckiest, numerous glass shards hit him and instantly killed him.

But that was not everything, the glass sword had left a deep wound on Eula's arm. Somehow, the magical but unstable blade was able to rend the Automaton's steel skin, exposing circuitry and even cutting a couple. This glass sword was no joke.

With their only lead gone, the taskforce duo were left with nothing. Or were they? The moist soils of the Onrai region meant that it was easy to leave behind footprints. They could follow those, or maybe they would investigate the house more first?

---

"It.... Let's just say getting there early would've made a world of difference. Also, did I hear you right? Kyouko's coming? Here?"

"Err, well not right now." Ayu scratched the back of her head. "I'm fairly sure Lady Kyouko's still readying some stuff back in Otomo Port. And with the Varjan blockade surrounding the island and the major ports occupied, it's gonna be hard for her to come here with her forces. Uhh, sorry for getting your hopes up if I did."

"But she'll definitely come once she gets the opportunity to do so. Not really sure why she's very involved with Shizuyama's affairs, but I trust her." Ayu continued. "Anyway, you all can take a breather first before heading out. I believe we even have some hot springs near here if you wanna take a dip."

---

---

---

@Crowvette

---

"Who, me? Well, I met Shizuka, sure...and that Gringor guy, I guess," Liliana answered, unsure what exactly Io was getting at. Then...it hit her. Wizards were like, super nerds. Had Io never seen men in her life?

Gasping at the idea, Liliana would suddenly take Io's hands, saying: "Have you never seen men before now, Io!? From the way she put her hood up and Io's generally bookish nature, Liliana had to assume that she was concerned about never finding a partner. "Well, I mean uh...me too, honestly. I mean, fairies are usually girls, and men that step too far into our woods get scared off by the giant plants and all. But still! Do you need a wingwoman?"

The absurdity of the moment might not fade away if Io didn't explain what it was she'd never seen before...lest she be forced into Liliana's idea of "how to talk to guys". "When Shizuka gets back, we can practice with him! He's super cool, can make clones of himself, and has a really cool sword! ...I think that's pretty standard for human guys, right?"


@AzureKnight

---

In some part of her mind, Eula had expected this horrible outcome. A human choosing to take their own life through fighting them instead of simply surrendering and begging for forgiveness. Her hands had received the brunt of the slash, with the impacting shards killing the bandit, wounding Shizuka and-

[Error! Internal stability compromised due to puncture wound. Sealing off flow of magical energy to left arm!] Her circuits sparked to life, and then death as Eula painfully convulsed, a brief flow of magical energy set free from its circuits reeking havoc on the inside of her right arm before it went slack. Despite being an automaton, Eula looked...in agony. Shivering a bit, she clutched her limp right arm before remembering Shizuka's wounds, and gently reaching out to him. "Shizu...ka...a-a-a-a-re you injured?" she asked, voice repeating a few syllables and stammering on some due to the damage done to part of her circuits, her body struggling to compensate the flow of energy in her body.

Looking down at the bandit with glassy eyes, Eula would say: "My fault. All my-my-my-my-my fault." She'd slowly reach to her own arm and start pulling out some chunks of the strange glass blade, needing to do so for her circuits to start repairing...but even that might take a week of rest. Automaton healing was slow as hell, and the only way to speed it up was with an engineer aiding her.

"Suspend...mission?" Eula asked, voice back to normal as she looked to Shizuka. "This unit can continue to operate at 70% combat efficiency. But Shizuka, as a human, you are at far greater risk from blood loss and organ damage caused by that glass sword," she said, unaware of how deep his wounds were. However, she would take a piece of the glass sword from the shattered handle and gingerly crush it with a rock, before consuming the powderized form to analyze. "Conducting Analysis of Crystalline Sword."

Skarsneek of the Redhill

@PaulHaynek@Nakushita@Rezod92

“Hmm,” Skarsneek said while rubbing the back of his head in regards to getting information that they don’t already know.

Still, that’s one task down and they headed back to base.

Once there, Ayu welcomed them as Skarsneek unceremoniously dumped Kalaj down the ground.

“The village itself is open, secured, and empty of Varjans.” He curtly said and planted a foot on Kalaj's breastplate. Grinding it as he resisted the urge to do the same to the head. “Get it back running, spread out the refugees, get food, space and clean water.”

“And also I think the survivor needs some company.” He added, sure, Skarsneek get being alone and needing that space but having some people that is undergoing the same circumstances helps. “Yea, there’s only one person that made it out. His family didn’t. Watch out for that.”

Thank god that Ayu is most likely far better in this, Skarsneek didn’t have much experience leading beyond just imitating others and what his parents do when they run their inn.

“I don’t think it’s worth but if Kyouko thinks so, then well, all the best.” He said in regards to Ayu, heartening news on more reinforcement and the lady herself coming. "She brought more backup?"

“Speaking of which, where did Atsuha and Hinami went?”

Once he got his answer, he’ll try to catch up before noticing a new presence. Prompting him to stop for a moment as he looked at the pair. The lich, he saw before but the fairy was new.

@The Irish Tree@Crowvette

So without a word and them noticing, he made his way quietly towards them out of habit. Quiet enough as the two were engrossed in their talk that they didn’t realize he was right there until he spoke out.

Though from their perspective, Skarsneek might as well have appeared out of thin air.

“Hmm, a fairy?” Skarsneek tilted his head to look at the large…small fairy?

“I didn’t know we had a fairy queen joining us. That’s great, at least we got an army. Small as they are.” He leaned forward to meet the child-like size fairy, and for once, being the bigger one. Not realizing that Liliana was simply a fairy and not the queen.

He's also hoping the two wouldn't notice that he was a male goblin, since he was completely dressed in the traditional female goblin clothes, regardless of how few there are.

—

Gringor of the Ironhide Tribe

The strike came but not from what he expected, in fact, multiple ones came as he felt his body pinball itself from the multiple strikes.

Throughout it all, Gringor kept his eyes open as he fell to the ground at the last strike.

He smelled blood, their strikes finally breaking through his skin but it was still shallow. Most of the damage came from the impact, and he was certain he’ll be feeling it the next day. Getting up to his knees and standing up, teeth gritted hard.

Looking at the situation, Gringor felt his blood boil. His eyes went bloodshot and adrenaline pumped through his body enough that the wound stopped bleeding itself.

Shifting slowly on his foot, he gripped his weapon and got ready again.

This time, preparing himself for a charge and heading off in a blur. It changed in how it was executed as all the Shizuyaman warriors noticed.

Unrefined, nothing but brute strength, barely even worth a novice standard.

But it was there, their foot technique.

In that brief moment of shock and anger of this sacrilege, Gringor already moved ahead. Fast enough to charge off a cliff.

Gringor's legs swung outward as he kicked off from the small crevices from the drop, allowing him to maintain speed and daring move as he arrived to the bottom in an instant.

Taking one last look behind, Gringor swore as he remember all of their scents.

He’ll definitely come back for another round.

With that, Gringor left the scene.

—

Returning to the village, Gringor had washed his wound and it stopped bleeding but it was still obvious to everyone to see with the discolored skin since he barely wore anything but his pants anyway.

Reaching into the temple and ignoring the look, he scouted around for Takeshi or Shizuka. Ignoring the rest as he wanted to find the other two for a clue.

_{@PaulHaynek@The Irish Tree}

Homestead

---

The bandit made a gulp as the reality of his situation set in, his friends had abandoned him and he was cornered by the taskforce duo with no way out. As Shizuka was about to further press him for answers, the bandit gave into the multitude of emotions welling up inside and put up a last attempt of resistance by swinging his glass blade at them. Shizuka's eyes widen for the brief moment before the blow was struck, not being able to move himself and Eula out of harm's way in time.

The sound of slashing flesh and shattering glass filled the vicinity. Shards were scattered everywhere, glistening in the afternoon sunlight. Looking back at the scene, Shizuka was fine for the most part. He was fast enough to ensure the shards didn't hit any of his vital areas, though some of them broke into the skin of his chest and abdomen. Thankfully the wounds weren't too deep, which unfortunately couldn't be said for his companion and the brigand.

The bandit was dead, the light completely faded from his eyes as blood ran down from his corpse and spread along the ground before them. Numerous glass shards had stuck there way all over his face and neck, some even got into his right eye. It seemed that in the end, he wasn't willing to sell out his comrades. At the current point, however, Shizuka was much more worried about Eula. Her arm is what took the crux of the blow, despite being made from a special material the blade tore through it with little difficulty. He saw the wound was deep enough to expose the circuity that made up her frame, along with chunks of glass sticking out of it.

"Eula-san, your arm! We need to-" He was quickly cut off as he witnessed her bodily reaction to the injury. Her body began convulsing profusely while what he thought was her chi was forcibly expelled from her injured arm. "Eula-san!" He exclaimed, quickly grabbing her shoulders to see if he could ease the convulsions. He honestly wasn't sure of how to help her, her biology being so different than what he's seen before. Thankfully, after her right arm goes limp, the convulsions stop. In a stuttering tone, she asks if he is alright. She blamed herself for what happened as she took out the glass chunks out of her wound. She tells him that she is still able to fight at around 70% of the pick of her strength, but asks if it would be best to suspend the mission.

"You...seem to be alright. I'm relieved, you had me scared there for a moment. Don't blame yourself for the situation, he can't really account for someone who's pushed to the brink." His expression and tone now calmed, he still looked at her wound with a bit of concern. He looked with perplexity as she grinded the glass fragments into a fine powder, being quite surprised as she began stuffing the powder in her mouth. She then said something about analyzing the material the glass sword was made of. "Uhh...you're able to tell what something is made of by...eating it...?" He was naturally confused, but he ultimately allowed her to continue her analysis. He also possessed special abilities after all.

After pulling the bits of glass that stuck him, he made a deep inhale then exhale and afterwards made a sign with his right hand. He held it to his chest as he began channeling his chi. The cuts in his skin began healing immediately, thankfully because they weren't too extraneous. With this wounds healed, he turned back to Eula.

"Eula-san, you needn't worry about me. Such situations just come with the job for me. We should go after them, lest they claim more victims. They shouldn't have gotten too far and their trail should still be fresh." He said, being able to see some of their tracks in the mud.

"However, we should be cautious of the fact that they may have more of those weapons back at their hideout. Not to mention there could be more of them."

---

_{@PaulHaynek@Hammerman}

The Headman - Sawmill

---

The moment Atsuha approached the young woman and tried to console her, she let out a scream so long that the nearby birds took flight out of shock. While it didn't surprise her, it still hurt her a little bit.

Sorae entered the scene, and in her typical fashion began roughly pressing her for questions. It was also revealed that she was none other then Sogen's wife. It was doubtful she would reveal anything damning about her husband, let alone to a revenged-filled warrior along with a bunch of monsters. Atsuha folded her arms and made an annoyed sigh. "This is getting us nowhere. Sorae-san, I doubt you'd get anything out of the poor woman with such force. Nee-chan, Luna-chan, perhaps the two of you could better help the situation?"

"Oh, umm, I suppose we could. After all, I'm able to pass as a normal human in most circumstances and Luna-chan's a cute bunny girl! People usually like rabbits more than spiders right?" She quietly said to Luna. Atsuha was able to hear it, though, and made a face at the last part of her sister's statement.

Yuki

@rezod92 @Restalaan

Yuki considered what Ayu had said and gave a nod of her head thinking it would be a good idea to take a little bit of a breather after the ordeal they had all recently gone through. Besides, with Lady Kyouko eventually coming, maybe they would be able to learn something more about the map that the man had given to them.

"A little bit of a breather wouldn't hurt, it was a pretty long trip there and back and I'm sure everyone is a bit worn out after what happened while we were there.....besides it gives us more time to study this map and see if we can find out more about it before we try to use it and see if what the man said was true about what it leads too" Yuki shrugged as she patted the pouch she carried the scroll in, still safe and secure on her person.

"Though I'm a bit curious to why Lady Kyouko is coming, I'm not complaining or anything, and it may even help us out a bit, but I agree with Skarsneek. It may not be worth it, though I guess if she is coming, she must have a reason to do so, so I guess we will just have to have faith in her and wait and see until she arrives" Yuki responded to Ayu and the others. "In the mean time, I think I'll take you up on that offer for the hot springs, I've not had the chance to use one in quite some time so it should be a nice time of relaxation" Smiling at Ayu, taking them up on their suggestion without much hesitation.

@The Irish Tree @Restalaan

The conversation had once again taken a strange turn - one that Io couldn't have figured would happen. "No, I meant- Clones? -Never mind, I mean..." Io didn't have time to clear up the misunderstanding before Liliana started saying one thing after another. While it was true that Io wouldn't mind something like that while she was on this remote island... Liliana was way off in interpreting what Io had said. Plus, Io had plenty of magic to deal with that issue. She was far beyond needing such frivolous things like courtship... Probably.

Another person interrupted their conversation, only further convoluting the topic of the conversation. Io would let Liliana correct the goblin on what type of fairy she was. "An army... Would be nice." She could do it with enough time, but obviously that wouldn't be pretty. She figured it wouldn't happen. Gesturing over to where they had dropped off prisoners, Io spoke up to the goblin, "I see more Varjans have been captured by the task force. Perhaps we rival an army already." Io had perhaps given a weird impression to Liliana, but she could at least try to appear more cool and reserved to this goblin girl task force member. Of course, this change in topic was also an attempt to deflect Lilians's talk of wingwomanship. A lich was never without a plan.

@AzureKnight@PaulHaynek

The scared woman did not respond, at least not immediately. Her eyes dilated, her gaze fixed directly at Atsuha's arachnid half. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The bloodcurdling scream rang throughout the sawmill, and even into the surrounding forest. So much so that some of the birds were spooked, startling flocks of them into flight.

Oh dear, it seems she doesn't take well to her appearance at all…

Before she could walk over and calm the woman down, however, Sorae came in, nearly knocking her off her feet as she rushed to where the woman was.

"Kana. Now what is Sogen's wife doing here?"

…Oh no, she's Sogen's wife?

The villager woman Kana recoiled as Sorae approached, clearly recognizing the Tokinomiya. "My husband is innocent! The Varjans killed your family!"

"Where is he?"

"I don't know..."

Sorae did not believe the answer. She seized Kana and pinned her against a wall. "You're lying!"

It was obvious that Kana was indeed lying, but perhaps there are better ways to coax the truth out of her.

She shook her head with a disapproving sigh. Is this how humans interrogate their prisoners? How barbaric and ineffective. Everyone knows all you need to coax the truth from humans is by seducing them.

Unfortunately, we don't really have a succubus or incubus in our midst to do such a thing to her. I certainly am terrible at it to be sure… which is why I have to resort to wearing these lecherous panties and underwear-exposing dress instead…

"Oh, umm, I suppose we could. After all, I'm able to pass as a normal human in most circumstances and Luna-chan's a cute bunny girl! People usually like rabbits more than spiders right?" She quietly said to Luna. Atsuha was able to hear it, though, and made a face at the last part of her sister's statement.

She sighed, walking forward to where the woman was.

"Miss Sorae, please, let me handle this."

She then knelt down in front of the human woman, who now looked like she could drop dead at any second from fear.

"Miss, please, do not fear. We have to intention to harm you or your husband. We simply wish to have a chat with him."

It was a blatant lie, of course, but she didn't need to know that.

She then grabbed her hands and looked her straight in the eye without flinching.

@PaulHaynek @Nakushita @Restalaan

"I'm fairly sure Lady Kyouko's still readying some stuff back in Otomo Port. And with the Varjan blockade surrounding the island and the major ports occupied, it's gonna be hard for her to come here with her forces. Uhh, sorry for getting your hopes up if I did."

"Eh. Whatever she needs for this to go more smoothly, let her take her time. Seems like we're in this for the long haul, anyway", Kerry replied with a shrug.

"Anyway, you all can take a breather first before heading out. I believe we even have some hot springs near here if you wanna take a dip."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer for the hot springs, I've not had the chance to use one in quite some time so it should be a nice time of relaxation"

"Count me in, Yuki. A dip in the hot springs sounds absolutely divine right now."

Before the girls could make their way however, Gringor had returned from his quest.....looking quite worse for wear.

"G-Gringor!?, the hornet exclaimed, looking bewildered at the high orc's battle-worn appearance. "Dude, you look like you lost a fight to a tornado full of rocks and knives! The hell happened out there!?"

"Miss, please, do not fear. We have to intention to harm you or your husband. We simply wish to have a chat with him."

Sorae released Kana from her grip and allowed Lunatea to try her hand at extracting information. Alas, even the Wererabbit's unflinching gaze and soft touch were not enough to open the wife's secrets. "I-I really don't know. I don't know what I can do or say to convince you of that."

"We can't take too long here. Reinforcements, or Varjans, might come." Sorae interrupted the interrogation. With a sigh, she gave her orders. "Take her to Terauchi Temple, where it's safe, and continue questioning her there. I'll stay here and look around some more. Don't worry, I'll be long gone before anyone else gets here."

"I'm entrusting her safety to you, yokai. Don't disappoint.."

And with that, this mission was over. The trio should probably escort Kana back to the temple, and take measures to make sure she does not escape. Or, the taskforce could go somewhere else if they want. They will just need to keep an eye on Kana in the meanwhile.

---

(Currently in collab)

---

Shizuka had spotted the tracks of the bandits that fled the scene and suggested to chase them at once, but Eula might have other ideas for now. Perhaps even take a moment to enlighten the azure swordsman about the powerful weapon wielded by a lowly bandit.

Or maybe it was a good idea to simply take a breather first. The footprints weren't going anywhere, after all.

---

Yuki and Kerry opted to take a break by soaking in the warm waters in the nearby hot springs. After their talk with Gringor, they would find the warm pool in a secluded area just outside Terauchi Temple. They passed by two villager women on the way, however:

"If I was his son, I'd let him rot with the Varjans."
"Mei Mei! How could you?!"
"Think about it, the only thing in the way of Lord Takeshi becoming Lord of the island is his father!"
"And the Varjans..."
"All Lord Takeshi has to do is stay alive long enough for the other islands to come help Shizuyama repel the Varjans."
"You're too cynical."
"That's how they think! They're not like us, they want to conquer the heavens and make the earth tremble."
"I just want my family to live through this..."

---

Meanwhile, the other taskforce members continued to converse with one another.

---

---

---

@PaulHaynek

"I-I really don't know. I don't know what I can do or say to convince you of that."

Lunatea sighed. I knew this wasn't going to work! I just don't have the persuasive skills and charms necessary to pull it off!

"We can't take too long here. Reinforcements, or Varjans, might come." Sorae interrupted the interrogation. With a sigh, she gave her orders. "Take her to Terauchi Temple, where it's safe, and continue questioning her there. I'll stay here and look around some more. Don't worry, I'll be long gone before anyone else gets here."

"I'm entrusting her safety to you, yokai. Don't disappoint.."

"Don't worry," she replied to the human. "I'll keep her safe. No, we'll keep her safe," she added, glancing at her other two companions. "Come, human." She looked back at the frightened woman. "Let's move."

@Crowvette,@Restalaan

---

To Io's luck, someone had come just in time to distract the fairy in her entirety. See, to fairies, the queen was the greatest amongst all of them. The absolute best, prettiest, most amazingest fairy there was. And being mistaken for one was like calling that fairy a super amazing pretty bestest fairy. Liliana was pinker than her hair at the innocent statement, the fairy hurriedly shrinking down to her smaller size.

"I-Its not like that! I'm not a queen, I'm not! The queen's a lot taller, and um...way prettier! Basically perfect in every way!" she insisted, holding her hands out before the goblin before her. "N-No army, just me...but I'm a royal knight! So, I'm sort of a one-fairy army! B-But the Queen is like, SIX armies! She can make the trees throw rocks at people! And make the sky cry! And um...hm...what else..." the fairy was clearly searching for more examples to deify her Queen, before raising her sword aloft. "Oh, and she married a bona fide hero! He climbed the World Tree just because she asked!"

With her points proven that absolutely nobody had asked for or cared about, Liliana would return to her big size, face a little less flushed. "A-Anyways, um...sorry to disappoint. I'm Liliana, Sixth of the Thirteen Bladeflowers, the many swords of the Queen of Fairies Titania. I don't know if you've already met Io, but she's a super strong wizard. Her book divorces people! What's your name Ms.?" Liliana thought about it for a moment before realizing: "Hey wait, when did you get here anyways?"


@AzureKnight

---

Eula seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before she opened her eyes, having absorbed the information from the sword, as well as heard Shizuka's warnings. "Analysis complete. The sword was a composite of steel and glass created using arcane magic, to create a weapon capable of instantaneously rending enemy armor apart. Possesses inherent risks to the user including: Self-dismemberment, Self-exsanguination, Self-annihilation, blindness, infertility, and acute pain. Shatters after a single swing. Warning: Product is banned in numerous monster territories including-"

Once it started becoming superfluous information, Eula tugged her own cheek with her working arm. "Irrelevant. Those swords are dangerous. Avoid further combat with them, and if possible, shatter them with ranged attacks." She would then go over to the interior of the building, finding a cotton cloth that was likely the remains of a futon before draping it over her injured arm. "In order to perform adequately in combat, psychological damage cannot be ignored. They must think I am not damaged, Eula said before tying the cloth around her neck, making it into something akin to a cape. "In addition, this will serve to shield this unit's exposed circuits from dirt. Ready to resume pursuit."

Eula would stoop down to the ground to examine the footprints, before nodding to Shizuka. "In this mud, they'll be easy to track. Its remarkable how good your automatic repair function is. Mine works much more slowly...and I can only hope it can repair my arm fully," the android said, beginning to walk forward. She was honestly glad that Shizuka had stopped his bleeding so quickly. ...If someone she asked for help died because of her...she didn't know how she'd be able to handle it. Even an Automaton could feel sadness.

@The Irish Tree@Crowvette

Skarsneek of the Red Hills

They didn't notice! Inwardly, he giggled to himself as he leaned forward and relaxed himself.

Looking at the rapidly shrinking fairy, then quick babbling had him raise an eyebrow but he kept a clear head and nodded at each of her statements.

Seems like she wasn't a queen but a knight, well, that's new for him. He always thought there was only a queen and that alone.

Then again, I suppose a queen needs bodyguards. Eyes looked to the sides before returning his attention to the fairy Liliana.

"Hmm, only one of the thirteenth? I wager we warrant more." He teased before turning to Io and at Liliana's claims of divorcing people. That got his attention completely.

"Divorce? Sheesh, that's brutal. I mean, I know Liches are brilliant and all but that's a bit too far." Skarsneek said with a raised eyebrow and leaned away from Io dramatically. "The Fallen God and Church isn't going to like that spell if they knew about it, that's sacrilege."

"In fact, I think it's we better we stay away and pray for her." Skarsneek whispered loudly to Liliana, ignoring that Liliana could see and hear him perfectly despite the hand that covered his mouth. "I heard Fallen Churches send fallen Valkyries to hunt down heretics. You know, like her."

Thinking that's about enough teasing, he dusted his hands before clearing his throat. "But as to your earlier question, Io. We only captured four to five, compared to the Varjans who covered the ocean's horizon in ships."

"How fitting, that it's a fair fight now!" He boasted to lift the spirits at least before moving to Liliana. "And as to when I got here, I was here the whole time. You didn't notice!"

That's when he caught sight of someone familiar, right at the corner of his eyes.

Hmm? Oh, there goes my good mood... Skarsneek rolled his eyes, weighing if he should go and take a look.

Eh, he'll do it later.

"By the way, you saw where my wif-I mean, Atsuha and Hinami went? You know, monster-girl with spider legs and a walking talking undead?" He asked the two.

---

@Rezod92@PaulHaynek@Nakushita

Gringor of the Ironhide Tribe

"Where's Shizuka or underboss Takeshi?" Gringor asked again as he approached Kerry and Ayu, though he stopped and addressed one part she got wrong.

"Also, I didn't lose," He pointed out with such confidence and statement, that it might've convinced her barring the shallow cut that was obvious from what it came from. In fact, if Kerry paid attention, she'll notice the bruises follow the same lines around his body.

"I simply...got something else to do. It was getting boring anyways." Gringor brushed it off but inwardly, he was fuming.

Him, being beaten? Not a chance, if he was, he'll rather die.

"Can't figure it. If only I can figure it." He mumbled to himself and touch his bruises. Feeling particularly frustrated as he was so close, so close to finding out the timing. So far, only Shizuka had similar movements so perhaps the latter could allow him to grasp the timing.

Still, with that, Gringor would go on ahead to clean himself and the wounds. Waiting for Shizuka or Takeshi to come back, though in the meantime, he dropped by the temple to see Nobutada. Seeing the large monk in person, he approached the latter and didn't bother to mask his presence in his tromping footstep.

"Still sitting? Why not go out and fight? Plenty of head to be bashed in." Gringor asked.