[center][hr][img]https://i.imgur.com/ud6NRmd.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/lxCQK9s.png[/img][hr][/center][center][hr][hider=Broken Rhythm Vision - Loathe][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCS1Xe9xzyg[/youtube][/hider][hr][/center] Yoko’s grip on the Yokai Killer tightened as the figure before them shifted subtly…. [color=fce420][i]He’s about to attack.[/i][/color] Yoko thought to herself. Before she could shout a warning, the wind fractured. One second, the samurai was meters away, and the next, the world was spinning. Yoko couldn’t even register the impact of the stone kanabo as a loud crack sent the spider they were mounted on flying. Yoko was rolling on the ground as she could hear Turner and Brooks screaming, but she landed on her knee as she activated Focus to find this bastard. It didn’t take her long as she found him far behind him - he didn’t have a breath or heartbeat - weapon poised. Yoko unsheathed the Yokai Killer, which felt oddly heavier in her hands. Yoko’s hand, holding the sheathe, was pointed back at the group as she said, [color=fce420]”[i]Stay back![/i]”[/color] The samurai simply nodded at her. This was no ordinary Yokai. This was something [i]far[/i] worse. And he was here for [i]her.[/i] [color=e77fbf]"I don’t like this!"[/color] Ella wailed unnecessarily, pushing herself to her feet. Her legs started glowing and she spun around, crouching and also trying to Focus on the enemy. [color=DC143C]"[i]Of course not[/i],"[/color] Saskia hissed. Blood coated them in a hard armour, one hand on the ground as a bone spear grew from the back of her other hand. Watching. Waiting. [color=764820]”... [i]Kick his ass![/i]”[/color] Lisa shouted before she jammed an elbow into Saskia’s side and whispered. [color=764820]”... [i]Let’s mob him[/i].”[/color] A swarm of spiders came from the crevices and cracks of the carnival, and five of them were wrapped in glowing white cocoons. [color=DC143C]"Great idea."[/color] Saskia hissed back. Flesh wings shoved through her back, the blood from the wounds moving to form a blade on the hand without a bone spear. [color=DC143C]"As soon as the spiders are ready…"[/color] Ella, on the other hand, wasn’t in on the plan - so she seemed to take the ‘kick his ass’ literally. She sprinted towards the samurai, launching into a rainbow jump kick. Which the mysterious samurai sidestepped and let her whirl past him. [color=fce420]”Disciple!”[/color] Yoko shouted. “[i][b]She’s[/b] your Disciple?[/i]” The Samurai asked in Japanese. “[i]All I see is trash![/i]” He came in, swinging the Kanabo at her. Ella launched herself to the side, managing to roll out of the way of it - just. [color=e77fbf]"I don’t understand what he’s saying but I feel like he’s shit talking me!"[/color] Then she shoved her hands out and blasted him with lightning. It stunned him for a moment before Yoko took the opportunity to use Flash to appear on the other side of him in a blur of motion. She was already sheathing the Yokai Killer by the time she was visible again, which she accomplished with a click - then a rotting wound formed on his chest. “... I am calling you weak!” The Samurai said in English as he lept up into the air, with the Kanabo hoisted over his shoulder. [color=e77fbf]"That’s not very Samurai of you!"[/color] Ella shouted back, rolling across the ground to try avoid him. He landed, the kanabo cracking the ground and squirting blood in all directions. He turned his head towards Ella, ready to strike attack - before five massive spiders armed with the mandible of a Hercules beetle all mobbed him at once. He swung his Kanabo at one of them, shattering it with one swing, but the remaining spiders swelled up with a glowing yellow acid. [color=764820]”[i]Get down![/i]”[/color] Lisa shouted as she hopped behind a booth. Yoko simply activated Block as the acid splashed onto her. Saskia covered themselves with their wings, acid eating through some of them. Ella dropped into a defensive posture - Block activated just a little too late as acid ate through one of her arms. It didn’t seem to deter her. She launched herself at the Samurai, hands coated in electricity shooting to slam into him. He nonchalantly dodged by stepping back before swinging his kanabo upwards at her. Ella’s leg, shining with rainbow light, came up to kick it away. However, Takashi’s strength was too much, and it managed to launch Ella away into the booths. [color=fce420]”Disciple!”[/color] Yoko shouted as she watched Ella get launched… Then she turned towards Saskia and Ella, [color=fce420]”You two, go get her! I’ll hold him off!”[/color] [color=764820]”I mean if she lands on her ass-”[/color] Lisa was cut off by Yoko. [color=fce420]”... [b][i]Go![/i][/b]”[/color] Yoko shouted. Lisa wordlessly ran off, dragging Saskia along as Yoko turned her attention back to the samurai. Yoko barely had time to breathe before the samurai moved again. As he shot forward, the ground cracked beneath him, and his stone kanabo was a motion blur. Yoko raised the Yokai Killer instinctively, blocking the first strike. Even though she had Block applied, the shockwave sent her sliding backward, her feet squishing against the ground. [color=fce420][i]He's too fast.[/i][/color] Before she could react, he vanished again. Yoko's instincts screamed, and she ducked just in time to avoid a horizontal swing aimed at her head. The kanabo missed by inches, slamming into a booth and shattering it. She pivoted, slashing upward with the Yokai Killer, aiming for the samurai’s exposed flank. He sidestepped with unnerving precision, the blade grazing his armor with a sharp [i]clang[/i]. Yoko pressed her attack, launching into a flurry of strikes. Each slash of the Yokai Killer was met with a brutal parry or perfectly timed dodge. [color=fce420]”[b][i]HOLD STILL, DAMN IT![/i][/b]”[/color] Yoko shouted in Japanese, sweat dripping from her brow. Yoko continued the assault with the Yokai Killer; he dodged fluidly and [i]expertly[/i]. His kanabo deflected her next thrust with a bone-jarring [i]clang[/i], sending vibrations up her arms. Yoko’s next attack was met with another sidestep. Before she could recover, the samurai countered. His kanabo swept upward, aiming for her midsection. Yoko barely managed to twist away, but the weapon clipped her side, tearing through her jacket and sending her stumbling back. She grasped her ribs and felt the warm and sticky blood seep through her fingers. The Yokai Killer felt heavier than ever in her other hand… The samurai didn’t let up. He closed the distance in a blink, his kanabo swinging down like a guillotine - but she disappeared in the blink of an eye before it could land. The brutal weapon left a massive crater on the ground as his head went over towards Yoko, standing more down towards the Big Top. She was panting, holding her wound, before her hand went back to the Yokai Killer, and she shouted in Japanese, [color=fce420]”[i]... Come on, you bastard![/i]”[/color] “[i]You got bite, yet…[/i]” The Samurai replied, “... The other Hatanaka I faced down here provided a far better fight.” He laughed and Yoko’s mind spiraled. [color=fce420]”... [i]The[/i] other [i]Hatanaka?[/i]”[/color] Yoko asked, as dread overwhelmed the pain. [color=fce420]”[i]You are lying.[/i]”[/color] “[i]He wielded Murakumo,[/i]” The Samurai replied, “[i]I’d say he almost killed me with it, before he simply fled.[/i]” Yoko froze…. If this samurai was telling the truth, he was still alive here. [color=fce420]”[i]When did you face him, you bastard![/i]”[/color] Yoko hissed. “[i]Time is…[/i]” The Samurai trailed off, “[i][b]Irrelevant[/b] down here. It could have been weeks ago. Days. Months. Years. Yet. I faced him. There was a fire in his soul unlike any other… he was a [b]true[/b] Hatanaka.[/i].” Yoko grit her teeth, [color=fce420]”[i]You don’t get to speak on my family you bastard! Murakumo or not, I will tear your tongue out of your mouth![/i]”[/color] Yoko tightened her grip on the Yokai Killer, glaring at the towering figure before her. The samurai's words fueled a storm of emotions—hope, dread, anger. Goro would still be alive if his statement about her brother were true. [color=fce420]”[i]You are just another broken tool of this hell! You are nothing![/i]”[/color] Yoko then dropped into stance, ready for another Flash attack to ram through this bastard’s chest. [color=fce420]”[i]Tell me where he went, or I’ll kill you![/i]”[/color] Yoko hissed. The samurai laughed, “[i]Bold words for a dying flame…[/i]” He slammed the Kanabo into the ground with a loud crack and squish. "[i]You don’t understand what survival means here, child. Your brother does. He’s tasted the despair of the Pit and learned to wield it. And now? He thrives in it. Unlike you.[/i]" How he spoke of Goro - like he was something other than himself - sent a chill down her spine. [color=fce420]”[i]Bullshit! He would never succumb to this place![/i]”[/color] “[i]Would he not?[/i]” The samurai tilted his head. “[i]The Pit doesn’t bend to willpower or strength. It crushes it. Your brother fought me, yes, but fled not to protect himself…[/i]” He laughed, “... [i]But to escape what he’d become.[/i]” Yoko bit down hard as she screamed in English, [color=fce420]”[i][b]... BULLSHIT![/b][/i]”[/color] Then Yoko disappeared in a burst of speed that disrupted the dust and debris around this carnival. In the blink of an eye, she had closed the distance and rammed the Yokai Killer through his midsection. As the blade rested in his body, it caused a necrosis that rotted away at the armor and flesh… The samurai stumbled back, gripping the blade-embedded in his torso, yet his laugh echoed louder than ever. “[i]... If you fought like this earlier, I might have been able to take you [b]seriously.[/b][/i]” Yoko twisted the blade in his flesh as she applied Extend to it, and the blade burst out of the other side of his body. [color=fce420]”[i]Die![/i]”[/color] Yoko shouted as she also applied Harden to the blade and brought it downwards. The blade sliced his body in half from the midsection downwards and reverted to its original size. Then Yoko got the blade over her shoulder and swung it with all of her might- The Samurai grabbed her wrist and stared at her for a moment… the wounds he sustained regenerated, and his molten eyes burned brighter. “[i]Impressive child,[/i]” The Samurai said, “[i]But it is not enough.[/i]” He twisted Yoko’s arm, forcing her to drop the Yokai Killer as it clattered to the ground. Yoko winced in pain, trying to pull free, but his grip was unrelenting. He raised her up into the air and slammed her onto the ground. Then grabbed onto the Kanabo and raised it high into the air… Two blades struck the Samurai’s back simultaneously. Blood exploded from the massive wound created by the perfect blow, flooding down like a waterfall onto Yoko… which got in her mouth and she spit it out in disgust as she managed to activate Flash. She appeared some meters away, grasping her wound momentarily before she reached down into her pouch for her metal bo staff, which was merely a rod no longer than the width of her palm. Using Compact, she brought it back to its full size, then angled it so that when she activated Extend, it launched her forward. Her target was clear: the Samurai’s center mass, where the blood from his previous wound still poured. She twisted mid-air, channeling her momentum into a strike connected with a thunderous impact. It forced the Samurai to stagger, yet otherwise barely reacted to the attack. Before Yoko could respond, his grip caught the bo staff halted her next swing midmotion and swung her to his other side into a booth. [color=DC143C]"This bastard’s tough- we even pierced his emotional field,"[/color] Saskia hissed to Lisa. At the same time, she raised a hand, shooting off a weaker-than-normal blood bullet, aiming for the wound on his back. It hit, but the wound quickly closed as he turned towards Saskia. “That is because I am no mere man of flesh,” the samurai said. I am something beyond human, perhaps [i]beneath[/i] human.” He slightly twitched, and Lisa wrapped him in a net of various webs attached to the ground before all five Chitionous spears erupted from the ground and penetrated any openings in his armor, piercing out through the other end with relative ease. [color=764820]”... Um! Maybe a [i]plan’s[/i] in order!”[/color] Lisa said. Yoko climbed out of the wreckage of the booth, and her body was [i]screaming[/i]; the wounds that were left from the wooden scraps were searing hot and oozing red. Bruises up and down her body, yet the adrenaline kept her standing. Yoko looked down and saw that her bo staff was still on the ground. She knelt forward, picked it up, and extended it three times its length. Then, she applied Impact as she swung it in a comprehensive, vicious arc that hit the Samurai and sent him flying into another booth. Yoko panted, [color=fce420]”... Otten, give [i]me[/i] the Orange Stone!”[/color] Yoko stuck her hand out for her to throw it. Saskia didn’t hesitate. They pulled the Orange Stone out, coating the bag it was in with blood to accurately throw it right in Yoko’s hand. Mid-air, the Samurai appeared in the throw’s arc and swung his Kanabo at the Orange Stone. Launching it into the distance, and Yoko’s jaw dropped. [color=764820]”Oh, that’s [i]bullshit![/i]”[/color] Lisa shouted, then flipped off the Samurai. [color=764820]”[i]Fuck you![/i]”[/color] Then the Samurai warped again in another blur of motion, this time at Lisa. When he appeared again, he was right before her and swung the Kanabo horizontally. The sickening sound of bones breaking filled the air as Yoko’s heart sank. [color=fce420]”... [i]Turner![/i]”[/color] Yoko shouted as Lisa was sent rolling. [color=DC143C]"[i]Shit- Lisa![/i]"[/color] Saskia hissed. More blood flowed across her body, forming a tendril on her back, and they went to launch themselves after Lisa. [color=e77fbf]"I’ve got her!"[/color] Ella shouted, finally coming back to - she scrambled after Lisa, a beam of healing light coming from where her channeler was in her arm to hit her injured friend. Saskia turned on the Samurai, grimacing. [color=DC143C]"You [i]bastard.[/i]"[/color] But instead of attacking him they ran towards Yoko, blood tendril propelling them to go faster. They reached forward to grab her hand - and all their blood coating their body flowed across from them onto her. It clotted her wounds and formed a hard protective layer around her. Afterwards they were deathly pale. [color=DC143C]"It’s- not as much- but it’s something."[/color] Yoko sighed as it covered her from head to toe. She was losing her composure, but she couldn’t break here. The Samurai was advancing again, his eyes locked onto her, and that kanabo was dragging along the ground. She placed her feet firmly against the ground and began inhaling deeply. [color=fce420]”[i]Bolster.[/i]”[/color] Yoko’s voice was barely audible as she felt the surge of Orange Lux flow through her. She looked at Saskia, then Ella, and felt regretful that Turner got hurt protecting [i]her[/i]. She sighed, [color=fce420]”Otten, [i]Disciple,[/i]”[/color] Yoko said, [color=fce420]”Take Turner, and go. This Yokai is far above your capabilities.”[/color] [color=e77fbf]"But-"[/color] [color=DC143C]"She’s right,"[/color] Saskia hissed, leaning on one of the booths. [color=DC143C]"Grab Lisa."[/color] Ella looked at Yoko, eyes wide, before nodding. She scooped Lisa up into her arms, still bathing her in a slowly healing light. Saskia pushed themselves off their support, pausing for just a moment to look Yoko dead in the eyes. [color=DC143C]"Don’t die."[/color] [color=fce420]”No promises,”[/color] Yoko said. [color=fce420]”Now [i][b]go![/b][/i] I’m not telling you again!”[/color] The three left, and it was just her. She knew that, possibly, she was going to die here like a dog at the hands of this monster. Yet, she cracked a defiant grin as she clutched the bo-staff. [i][color=fce420]I knew what I was getting into.[/color][/i] Yoko thought to herself. “Now that those weaklings are gone,” The Samurai said, “It’s time to see if you’re any better.” The Samurai outstretched his hand, the kanabo dangling loosely from his grip. With an almost dismissive motion, he let it fall to the ground as it struck the cobblestone, the massive club crumbled to dust, carried away by the winds. Yoko’s brow furrowed. The Samurai’s gaze remained locked on her, cold and unflinching. Then, he shifted his stance, pressing one armored hand to the cobblestones beneath him. The Samurai rose slowly, his hand dragging upward. As he did, the cobblestones beneath him lifted and merged, twisted and fused, reshaping in his grasp. In mere moments, a massive nodachi emerged from the rubble, its blade forged from the very stone of the earth. The Samurai took the weapon in both hands and pointed the tip at Yoko. “Show me,” He continued, pointing the Nodachi at the grounded Yokai Killer, “How good with a sword you are.” The Bo staff compacted in her hands as she put it away. Then, calmly, she walked over to the Yokai Killer and held it in both hands. It felt oddly comforting in her hands. Rain began to fall, soaking her to the bone, but she didn’t flinch. Instead, she stepped forward, her eyes never leaving The Samurai’s. Bolster would fade soon, and she wasn’t sure if she could hold a candle to him without it. This monster was a roadblock, a test of skill. Thus far, Yoko had made easy work of everything the Pit had thrown at her, and now she was uncertain if she would survive this fight. [color=fce420][i]I have to do it for Goro.[/i][/color] Yoko thought to herself, just as that static-y voice popped in her head, speaking oddly clearly. [i]...?...?...?... I was asleep, what did I mis-[b]OH JESUS CHRIST![/b][/i] The voice began. [i]Yoko… you-[/i] Yoko cut off the voice as she activated Flash. She appeared on the other side of the Samurai, and a slash appeared on his armor. Yoko pivoted onto her heel and lunged forward, aiming to capitalize on the opening she’d created. The Yokai Killer glowed faintly with a blue light as she swung it toward the gap in The Samurai’s armor. Her strike was fast and precise, but as the blade connected, it rattled off with a loud echo. The Samurai turned his head slightly, almost as if acknowledging the blow. Then, in a blur of motion, he swung the nodachi in a wide arc. Yoko barely had time to react, ducking just in time to feel the blade whistle past, close enough that the force sent her stumbling back a step. Yoko steadied herself, gripping the Yokai Killer tighter. [color=fce420][i]I can’t outlast him. I’ll have to outmaneuver him.[/i][/color] Her mind raced, analyzing his movements, searching for any sign of weakness. She darted to the side, using Flash again to close the gap, her blade slicing downward with surgical precision. Another mark appeared on his armor, but it was still superficial. The Samurai pivoted, swinging his massive sword downward in a crushing motion. Yoko leaped to the side, the ground where she’d been standing exploding in a spray of shattered cobblestones and blood. She rolled, coming up on her feet in one fluid motion, the Yokai Killer humming in her hands. Yoko felt the last dregs of bolster surge through her limbs as she swung the Yokai Killer at the Samurai, applying Sharpen mid-swing. The Samurai countered with a slash of his blade, but the Yokai Killer sliced right through it and cut his torso, embedding itself into a gap in his armor. She kept a death grip on the Yokai Killer as she applied Extend to the weapon, and it burst out through the other side. He grabbed the Yokai Killer to pry it free, but the weapon's blade retracted into its hilt in the blink of an eye, and she swung it again. She managed to cut his hand off, and it dropped to the ground. Yoko grinned. The Samurai took a step back, his severed hand lying on the ground, steam rising from the wound as rain hissed against the exposed flesh. Despite the grievous injury, he showed no signs of pain. His remaining hand tightened around the nodachi, which began to regenerate, fragments of stone rising from the ground to reforge the shattered blade. Yoko’s grin widened, but it was more from adrenaline than confidence. Her breathing was ragged, and Bolster had left her body, her only advantage. Yoko lunged forward, her feet barely touching the ground as she activated Flash-Storm. The world around her blurred, and time seemed to dilate as golden light exploded from her body. She vanished from view, only to reappear a split second later at the Samurai’s side, her blade cutting into his armor. Before he could react, she was gone again - another slash landed on his back, then his shoulder, then his legs. A storm of strikes surrounded the Samurai, each faster and more precise than the last. Sparks flew as the Yokai Killer met his armor, relentlessly carving into the stone and molten metal. Yoko’s movements were a whirlwind of light and sound, the rain sizzling as it evaporated in contact with the heat radiating from their clash. The Samurai swung his nodachi wide, trying to catch her, but his attacks struck only air. Every time he turned, she was gone, her next strike coming from an unpredictable angle. Yoko could feel her energy waning, but she pushed forward, chaining the final Flash movements with all the precision she could muster. [color=fce420][i]Almost there. Just one more.[/i][/color] As the storm of attacks reached its crescendo, Yoko suddenly stopped. The world seemed to hold its breath as she gripped the Yokai Killer tightly. Then she locked eyes with the Samurai, his expression unreadable. With a scream, she dove forward. The final strike cleaved through him, the force of the blow creating a shockwave that rippled through the rain-soaked battlefield. The Samurai’s nodachi shattered. Yoko landed several feet away, her knees buckling as she collapsed to the ground, clutching the Yokai Killer for support. She looked up, panting heavily, as the Samurai stood motionless. Finally, with a crash, his massive frame crumbled to the ground, the remnants of his armor dissolving into dust. Yoko let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. But she had done it. He was defeated. Yoko laughed. [color=fce420]”[i]That’ll show you… you bastard…[/i]”[/color] Yoko said, laughing. [color=fce420]”[i]I am the greatest Hatanaka… I will find my brother. I will help those three get their second chance. I will return to the surface world and kill that bastard who murdered my friend! Cut the world in half if I have to![/i]”[/color] Using the Yokai Killer as a brace, she forced herself to her feet - stumbling for a second and having to use the Yokai Killer to prevent herself from falling forward. She sighed as she limped towards the direction Ella took Lisa and Saskia… The voice spoke in her head, [i]...?...?...?... I’m proud of you, Yoko. I knew you could do it…[/i] Yoko didn’t even react as she kept forward. [i]...?...?... I love you...[/i] Yoko’s grip tightened on the Yokai Killer. [color=fce420]”Love me all you want. Just let me get through this.”[/color] She muttered, her voice almost lost under the rain. Then, a sound froze her mid-step - a resounding, resonant clang. Yoko stopped and slowly turned, her blood running cold. Yoko saw the Samurai rising to his feet. A series of unnatural cracks echoed as he regenerated, his body forcing itself back together, including his armor. He stood tall, his molten eyes fixed on Yoko. “[i]... Do you think it was truly over?[/i]” He asked, voice almost sounding amused. Yoko’s knees threatened to give out as she tightened her grip on the Yokai Killer. She stared at the Samurai, with her jaw-dropping. [color=fce420]”[i]That should have killed you![/i]”[/color] Yoko shouted. The Samurai stepped forward before coming to a robotic stop. He reached down as his fingers dug into the cobblestone. “[i]... I told you I was something beyond human,[/i]” he began. “[i]Why are you surprised?[/i]” He pulled a thin blade from the ground—a tanto—and inspected the weapon as he continued. “[i]To me, death is not an end, but a [b]continuation[/b],[/i].” He tilted his head downwards at Yoko, “[i]I've died thousands of times now. I have known death in every shape, every form. And yet, I rise again. And again. And again...[/i]” Yoko felt the weight of his words, yet she couldn’t breathe or move. She stared at him as the rain drenched her from head to toe, [color=fce420]”... [i][b]What are you?[/b][/i]”[/color] “[i]If I had to be honest, I could not tell you,[/i]” The Samurai replied, “[i]I was once a man… a great man. A wise man. A famous man. A [b]powerful[/b] man….[/i]” He trailed off… “[i]... [b]Takashi Hatanaka,[/b] master weaponsmith, protector, and hero of the people.[/i]” He said, Yoko couldn’t move as the reveal nearly broke her heart. “[i]I fought to create, to protect, to give [b]meaning[/b] to my life.[/i]” Yoko felt the world around her collapse. The rain couldn’t cleanse the revelation that hung heavy in the air. The figure before her was no mere apparition. The name “Takashi Hatanaka” echoed in her mind, but it felt wrong, hollow, a cruel mockery of the man she had admired from afar, the hero whose deeds had shaped history. The very essence of the Hatanaka legacy. This thing standing before her wasn’t him, could never be him, no matter how much it parroted his memories. Yoko bared teeth, [color=fce420]”... [i]You are not him,[/i]”[/color] Yoko hissed. "[i]No, I am not him.[/i]" Takashi’s voice was robotic,. "[i]I am the spirit born from the remnants of his life. His choices, regrets, legacy... and now, [b]failures[/b].[/i]" Yoko’s knees wobbled, but she refused to let herself fall. "[i]He fought to create, to protect, to give [b]meaning[/b] to his life,[/i]" the Samurai continued, almost to himself, it seemed like. "[i]But in the end... all that remains is me. The hollow reflection of a man who once lived to give meaning to the world... only to be forgotten, lost in the void of his destruction.[/i]" Yoko’s grip on the Yokai Killer tightened. She couldn’t let herself get lost in the tragedy of it all. No matter how much this [i]being[/i] sounded like the man she had heard about, no matter how much he seemed to carry the weight of his actions... he was [i]not[/i] Takashi Hatanaka. Yoko weakly raised the Yokai Killer at him as she said, [color=fce420]”... [i]You are not my ancestor. You are a perversion of him, born from whatever The Hound didn’t bother to take![/i]”[/color] Yoko’s words rang out like a challenge The Apparition before her was no longer just a cruel imitation of the man she had read about in books, heard stories about, and even dreamed of one day becoming like. No, this was something far darker - a twisted echo of a hero long gone. “[i]You are mistaken,[/i]” Takashi spoke, his voice laced with amusement. "[i]I am not a perversion. I am his legacy, his final, eternal form. A reflection of the purpose he tried to forge, the power he sought. What is a hero but an idea, after all? And I… I am the culmination of that idea.[/i]" Takashi tilted his head at her, as if it was studying her. "[i]Tell me, Yoko...[/i]" His voice was almost condescending, "[i]Do you even understand what it means to embrace the Hatanaka name? To be one of the last to carry its true legacy? You and Goro are the only ones left who still embrace your magical heritage, aren’t you? The rest of your family? They’ve long forgotten what it means to be Hatanaka. They hide behind their wealth and influence, burying the legacy in business deals and power plays.[/i]" Takashi stepped forward, "[i]What is it like, Yoko? To carry that burden - the expectations of a legacy long forgotten by your kin? The relentless pressure to prove that the Hatanaka name still means something beyond luxury and status? A name that has been reduced to a title. A name once synonymous with power and honor… now nothing more than a relic of a bygone age. How does it feel to be the last of something that has already been forgotten?[/i]" Yoko sighed, [color=fce420]”[i]Shut up… just shut up...[/i]”[/color] She hissed, [color=fce420]”[i]... The world… the [b]other[/b] Hatanakas may have forgotten. But [b]I[/b] haven’t. And I’ll ensure that the people who come from me don’t forget either.[/i]”[/color] She shook her head, looking at the ground. "[i]You think you can preserve what is left of the Hatanaka legacy? You, nothing more than a [b]pitiful scion?[/b][/i]" Takashi scoffed. "[i]It’s already too late. The name has lost its meaning. All you have left are memories. [b]Echoes.[/b].[/i]" Yoko raised her head, [color=fce420]”[i]... You think I do what I do for power, fame, or even recognition? You claim to have his memories, yet you have zero idea that the Hatanakas [b]truly[/b] stood for justice, wisdom, and a positive change in the world. It doesn’t matter what the world thinks, or if they even remember us, as long as someone is fighting for a just cause, [b]Yokai[/b].[/i]”[/color] Yoko hissed out the last word like an insult. "[i]Justice?[/i]" He repeated, his voice dripping with amusement. "[i]That’s what you think this is about? You’re clinging to the faded image of what your bloodline once stood for, but you’ve lost touch with reality, Yoko. You’re the last of the Hatanakas, and you’ve forgotten that power is the only thing that matters. Without it, all you have is a name.[/i]" [color=fce420]”[i]The Mother Will has corrupted you,[/i]”[/color] Yoko seethed, [color=fce420]”[i]You cannot understand that justice isn’t about power for the sake of it. But fighting for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. I didn’t understand that ten years ago, but now I embrace it with open arms...[/i]”[/color] Yoko weakly stepped forward, her stance trembling as she raised the Yokai Killer up at the Apparition. [color=fce420]”... [i]Let’s finish this, you bastard![/i]”[/color] “... [i]If you insist,[/i]” Takashi said before he disappeared in a flash of motion. Yoko barely managed to dodge, the tip of the blade grazing her side, leaving a deep cut. Yoko stumbled back, her legs giving way momentarily, but she regained her balance with sheer willpower. She lifted the Yokai Killer above her head, her body shaking from its weight, and brought it down towards Takashi - who just sidestepped it, holding the pose momentarily before Yoko swung the Yokai Killer horizontally and stumbled forward onto her hands and knees. Takashi put his foot on her head as he continued to mock her. “[i]... You are pathetic, and above all else, [b]unworthy,[/b][/i]” Takashi said as the tanto fell to pieces in his hands. “[i]... And you are not even worthy of dying by my hand. I’ll let the Autoknights or one of the other Denizens of this place finish you off, [b]Hatanaka.[/b][/i]” He paused. “[i]... We’re done here.[/i]” With that, Takashi disappeared in a blur of motion that even Yoko couldn’t even track. Yoko’s head spun, her vision barely holding together as Takashi’s words echoed in her ears. His mocking voice, his cold dismissal…. She was still on the ground, blood dripping from her side, breath shallow and ragged. But even as her body screamed in protest, something burned within her. She couldn’t stay down, not like this. Takashi’s mocking declaration still rang in her mind, but the sting of his words was quickly replaced by the sharp pang of something more profound. [i]The Disciple, Otten, and Turner.[/i] They were still fighting, still in danger. With a strained breath, Yoko pushed herself up, her hands shaking. She could barely keep her balance as she reached for the Yokai Killer, still gripped tightly in her hands, the weapon a dead weight that mirrored her own body. The thought of Takashi and how he'd quickly dismissed her seethed within her. But her friends - her family - were louder, more urgent. [color=fce420]“[i]I’m not done.[/i]”[/color] Yoko’s voice was a growl that barely broke through the rain. Her body burned with every movement, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t care. There was too much at stake. Her legs gave out once, and she collapsed to one knee, but she pushed herself back up, gritting her teeth. Through the pain and blood, through the fog of exhaustion and fading strength, Yoko pushed forward. For [i]them.[/i]