Heir to the Konpaku
She had no real idea of her opponent's capabilities. So, when that brilliant rainbow trail lead Miyamoto Musashi directly towards her, Youmu had little choice but to break her assault and put up a defense.
Steel met steel, ringing out across the lightly-damaged street and echoing across the buildings. Her muti-pronged assault had failed entirely.
But it was only a brief setback. When it came to dueling, all she had to do was adjust the manner in which she slashed at her opponent and try again.
She analyzed her position as quickly as she could. Her opponent could close the gap faster then she expected, but at the same time Youmu firmly believed her agility was still superior. She'd simply been taken by surprise.
Just as swiftly as they'd flashed, Youmu stepped back and disengaged, alleviating the resistance against Miyamoto Musashi's blades as she did. She only needed a little bit of distance---
Pink light, the same shade as cherry blossoms, spread over Roukanken's blade, coating the edge as she channeled spiritual energy down through her limbs. A high-pressure technique that would allow her to push her opponent into a corner was what she needed.
The flashing light grew brighter, engulfing Roukanken's blade entirely, and---
"Cherry Blossom Sword - Flashing Scattered Flowers!"
Roukanken moved, as Youmu leaned forward and sprang forth to re-engage. Her flashing blade sliced the air, but not directly targeting her opponent.
Rather, with Roukanken's movement, a flurry of slashes of pink light spawned around her target and moved inwards, attacking from multiple angles simultaneously.
@FujiwaraPhoenix@Raineh Daze
The Bookstore
"Ah, thank you," Qing'e replied with a friendly smile, flashing her blue nails as she did, "I'm afraid it'll be somewhat difficult to obtain the polish for yourself, however, as it comes from my homeland."
She paused for a moment, inclining her head towards the book and scanning the passages for a few moments alongside Sanae.
"Honestly, though, the mages of this city are so close-minded. Hording knowledge for themselves. I'm certain they may have better historical texts then this shop, but they wouldn't allow me to peruse their library and reject the petitions of many others as well. Rejecting a scholar's desire to expand her knowledge---it's the height of rudeness, if I must be frank."
The hooded woman let out a heavy sigh.
But then, she tapped a finger to her chin, leaning back against the shelves for a moment.
"Ah, another matter you may be interested in," she began, addressing Sanae now, "You are a priestess, aren't you? Not of this land, of course, but your clothing stands out to me. Given I offered my assistance, would you consider offering yours in turn?"
Without waiting for a reply, she continued.
"A strange condition seems to have struck some of this city's people," she said with an idle gesture, "I'm not talking about an illness, in this case. It appears to be a more spiritual affliction. A curse."
Her shoulder slumped, slightly.
"It's not as if I want to bother you with it, but if you're able to help then I figured it might be worth asking."
@DracoLunaris@FujiwaraPhoenix