[h2]Heir to the Konpaku[/h2] [hr] The enormous green fist splits the ground when it slams down, a tombstone crumbling from the impact. It has a misshapen, humanlike form, three arms and an eyeless face with a wide, grinning mouth. My feet alight on its massive fist before it can raise its arm back. It doesn't have a chance. I won't let it. I thrust Roukanken forward and drag it upwards, piercing through the monster's chest and then splitting its upper body in half as it attempts to move, a shower of purple blood spurting into the air and raining down to the earth below, its insides spilling out briefly before fading into nothingness. ---It's disgusting. These things feel absolutely disgusting. Whatever they are, it's something terrible. There's this sickliness to them that I can't describe. As if they're some sort of illness in and of themselves. My feet leave the creature's body as it falls and fades away, carrying myself upwards and into the air. There's plenty of other monsters, but now I think I have a clear path--- There! He's taken out some kind of staff weapon, but I have a clear path right to him! If he's controlling all these creatures, just forcing him to surrender should be the end of it! I reach down into the very core of my being, spreading my spiritual energy from within my center and outwards, drawing it through my limbs as I sheath Hakurouken on my hip. "Human Sign---" The energy throughout my body builds upwards and outwards, surging to its peak--- "---Slash of the Present World!" By reinforcing my body with spiritual energy, I can mitigate the blowback from the injury to my soul, if only for a brief moment. But that's all I need to reach that monk. The entire world is nothing but a blur, the air erupting behind me as I reach the earth and my target in a single instant, raising Roukanken up over my head. This is my true capability, the speeds I can obtain without worry for tearing myself apart. Even if only for this single moment, despite my situation, I can feel my heart rise merely from regaining what shouldn't have slipped away in the first place. The colors cease to blur as the world snaps back into focus. He's there. My grip tenses as I bring Roukanken down, the silvery blade flashing through the air towards the monk. Even if he tries to defend, unless his staff is magically-reinforced there's no doubt in my mind it'll split in half! I'll do whatever it takes to force him to back down and call off these sickly monsters! [@FujiwaraPhoenix][@Raineh Daze] [hr] [h2]The Wandering Cat[/h2] [hr] The drifting butterflies were easily in the thousands in numbers, but the quick efforts of the miko and the witch were able to suppress them. At least, for the moment. Each time they attempted to emerge, now, the mine-like frogs created by Sanae destroyed them. The ones in the air were suppressed, too, by the combination of projectiles thrown ahead. To put it simply, despite how dire the situation may have seemed it did not appear impossible to cut through and reach whatever was causing the curse to occur in the first place. "My, I barely had to lift a finger," commented Qing'e, calmly, her hooded head inclining to one side for a moment, "I really did make the right choice." Despite her previous warning, the woman appeared entirely unconcerned with what was occurring around her even as they advanced. And yet, with the butterflies currently seeming less effective then desired, whatever was causing the curse seemed to be switching tactics. The hallway suddenly appeared to stretch, extending forward further and further until its end appeared at least four times as distant as it originally appeared. "Space distortion?" wondered Qing'e aloud, "It's hard to see through it if it's only an illu-ah." One by one, the lamps lining the walls started to light. One by one, they began to fall, shattering as they landed and splashing oil along the floors and walls, the fire swiftly beginning to set the hall alight... [@FujiwaraPhoenix][@DracoLunaris]