Plotlogs
Gilded Ruin Sr Takeshi 250225
In the shadowed corners of Kyoto, a dangerous artifact had unleashed a spree of supernatural murders, drawing the attention of Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina, operatives of a clandestine organization tasked with dealing with such otherworldly threats. Behind a facade of tradition and obscurity, they found themselves confronting not just a serial killer, but a possession of demonic proportions, where the killer was but a puppet to an ancient, malevolent spirit trapped within a sword.
The confrontation took place in the eerie quietude of a supposed sanctuary, now tainted with dark rituals and the promise of death. Raina, inexperienced yet determined, grappled with her own fears, while Edith, a being of arcane power and deadly intent, prepared for a battle that transcended mortal constraints. Ritsuka, their leader, stood resolute, a beacon of strength and resolve amidst the spiraling chaos.
As the possessed man descended into the sanctuary, dragging another victim into the dimly lit shrine, the operatives sprung into action. With precision and a keen sense of purpose, they executed a plan that showcased their prowess and unearthly abilities. Edith's mastery over the arcane arts and Ritsuka's skill with the blade were paramount, cutting down the physical form of their foe, yet the true battle was against the spirit ensnared within the blade.
Through a combination of force, cunning, and the sanctifying powers of their deity, Kin'Yoko, the operatives managed to subdue the spirit momentarily. As Edith attempted to banish it, they discovered the resilience of their adversary, a spirit boasting of unimaginable power and malice.
Yet, it was the intervention of Kin'Yoko herself that turned the tide. In a display of divine power, she consumed the spirit, sealing it away, and rendering the sword inert. The aftermath left the operatives with a relic of great power and danger, a silent testament to their ordeal.
Suggested by both Edith and Ritsuka, the blade was to be entrusted to Takeshi, a figure surrounded by controversy yet deemed capable of guarding such a potent weapon. This decision did not come lightly, especially to Raina, who expressed her concerns over entrusting such a malevolent object to an already unpredictable individual.
In gratitude for their intervention, the Hanshin Group, a faction within the complex web of Kyoto's supernatural custodians, extended their thanks, acknowledging the operatives' crucial role in averting a crisis of potentially devastating proportions.
As they prepared to return to their own realm, thoughts lingered on the implications of their encounter. The blade, now silent, still held secrets and power beyond comprehension. Their actions had saved lives and preserved the sanctity of their domain, yet the story of the demonic blade was far from over, its echoes reverberating through the veiled pathways they tread in service to the unseen war against darkness.
(Gilded Ruin(SRTakeshi):SRTakeshi)
[Mon Feb 24 2025]
On Foothold in Kyoto
Tucked away in the winding backstreets of Kyoto, behind an unassuming wooden gate marked only by a single, weathered camellia crest, lies a foothold in Japan. The air is thick with the scent of incense and the cold outside, the silence broken only by the distant chime of temple bells or the occasional murmur of unseen watchers.
Beyond the entrance, the locations fits into the surroundings, traditional sliding doors conceal fortified chambers, and a garden disguises hidden pathways beneath its moss-covered stones. Paper lanterns cast flickering shadows against lacquered wood, their crimson glow reflecting in the eyes of those who may take a moment to watch.
Power flows like an unseen current beneath Kyoto's ancient streets. Only those who walk the path of along the Yokai may ever uncover this current.
It is about 20F(-6C) degrees.
Raina waves at ritsuka and edith
Once more, Ritsuka finds herself in Kyoto, as she leads the way through the path again for those that accompany her - and she had even switched into her kimono before doing so, donning the katana and the vest under it. When she arrives, her augmented, golden eyes glance around the stronghold, walking through a couple of doors to find her own, as well as to check in on the small number of operatives here. There was some news, about the Yakuza, and the threat of entering into a conflict with them in the underworld., and it does not help that their presence, as of right now, was a lot smaller than it should be. Perhaps today, that can be somewhat changed, but there was something else that needed attending first.
As Edith meets with Raina and Ritsuka, they might notice the tell-tell sign of a professional hunter; Consealed weapons are cunningly masked beneath the facade of mundanity, tools and various patrol equipment devised purely for day-to-day access, just in case. Still, the shimmer of arcana lingers around Edith, powerful ritualism and protections layered over what is already an exceptionally dangerous being as Edith glides effortlessly through the night, the world her play thing. Today however, Edith is here to once more support the efforts of Kin'Yoko and Tsubaki No Tetsu, so pathing along with Ritsuka and Raina, there is a job to be done, even if pay is going to be lacking this time: Business is business, after all.
this is Raina second ever mssion, to say she is nervous, is an understatement she may not show it in her face but her heart is beating very fast, though she is somewhat assured that Edith and Ritsuka are here, for she herself she is mostly here as a helping hand of sorts, mostly to help Ritsuka on whatever she needs at the moment, still it has been a while since she is back in japan and the atmosphere, is suitably unfriendly, still she sticks close to Ritsuka afterall the last thing she wants to be is a burden to her superior, at the very least that is her hope for the time being.
Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina each had been given a time and a location. The pathing would take them directly into what looked like a police station interrogation room, though with the door unlocked and cracked open to indicate that this might not be the trap being called to path into a police investigation room might have looked like.
A salt and pepper man stood leaning up against the wall, silent for the time being as he greets each person appearing with a short nod before returning the cigarette he was nursing. The Japanese man stood just under 6ft, wearing a well tailored suit and dragging at a cigarette as he waited for everyone to appear. His tie is pinned with a camellia blossom.
He waits for everyone to appear, glancing a wordless look to Ritsuka as if to confirm this was everyone before he shoulders himself off the wall and casually strolls his way over to the center of the room. He reaches out planting the smoking cigarette into the ash tray on the table at the center of the room and fixes each person in turn a serious look before he starts talking "Thank you for coming." He talks in Japanese, trusting translation to be forth coming from one of the three here if it was needed. "We've got a serial killer. Not our problem, usually, but The Hanshin Group suspects the supernatural is involved." He tells them.
He opens up the lapel of his jacket with one hand and reaches in with the other to retrieve a file that had been tucked in there. The card file cover had the Kanji for [CONFIDENTIAL] stamped on it in red ink and the man holds it up for Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina in turn before placing it down onto the table with a polite bow of his head "I trust I can leave this delicate matter in your hands, to be handled to your discretion" He requests in a formal voice, using formal language as he requests a favor already negotiated for, as was customary in Japanese culture.
He raises his head, staying silent as he allows the group to look over the file, and to answer questions. He was sure there would be plenty.
Ritsuka opens the file, her eyes scan over the contents after a second path - that means needing to wait a couple of minutes, to path again leads them here to this room. At the least this does mean that there is a sufficient amount of discretion to it. "Yoshihisa-san, tell us about what we need to know?" She does provide necessary translations for Edith, part translating word for word, but there is an inflection where she considers for a moment before she translates. Her hand moves through page by page, quickly glossing over and only lingering for information that is important, stopping to where the w-questions might be answered. Who, where, why, what, when and also, of course, how.""
doesn't speak- And has no intention of learning japanese. She's too old for such frivolity and so understands none of what was said. A file though indicates an objective, and so Edith waits for Raina or Ritsuka to provide her a translation, her expression impassive, her poise inhumanly still; No breath, no slight motion, not even the slightest twitch of a muscle. Edith is here to get the task done, and she simply needs the base information so that she can act. There is however factors that would make Edith exceptional in social situations. She is inordinately compelling, even in her alien inhumanity. She is also convincing, even if that demands hypnotism, and when Edith hypnotises, it is a very literal threat of death to resist for anyone unlucky enough to resist. In this case however, this man is an ally, the pin says so, ande as perceptive as Edith is, she leaves Ritsuka and Raina to it: Japanese are not fond of westerners, and Edith is visually evidently that.
"Acceptable." Edith nods in agreement to Ritsuka.
Raina mostly remained quiet, she is currently learning a lot more about the world, such as apparently the yakuza having some involvement in the supernatural, though she can guess how takeshi ended up in the tsubaki in the first place Raina listens intently to Ritsuka and Edith conversation, mostly Ritsuka translating, still the serial killer being supernatural might be quite a hassle to deal with, especially if that serial killer would use things only the supernaturals know of, like the nightmare, but she trusts Ritsuka judgement on things, being her senior in every way in the underworld and the world of the supernatural.
The file seemed to contain information on each of the murders thus far. The mundane police reports would be listed first. Images of corpses stripped naked, tied up by their ankles and their bodies marred with dozens of long, horrible gashes. The causes of death in every situation was the blood loss that came as a result of the wounds.
The more interesting part of the murders was the locations they were done in. Each had been done in a different place of spiritual significance. Shrines, temples, even the altars of some of the western churches in the area. Broken into during the middle of the night so the corpse could be strung up.
After the mundane police reports for each murder would be an additional report, this one watermarked at the corner with The Hanshin Groups logo. It was the reports from the Hanshin Group agents sent to investigate after the police had formed their investigations. Their reports gave perhaps the more interesting information. None of the blood from any of the corpses was missing, the volume found on the ground matched what they'd have expected to be inside each body, and even more interestingly than that ... Each body had strong remnants of a powerful demonic energy coming from it ...
Ritsuka rolls her eyes to a part, as she sort of repeats the words she had said before "Tell me what I need to know, Yoshihisa-san." She looks to the other Japanese man with familiarity. "If I am reading correctly, it was at a different shrine every time? What exactly is the trace that you are expecting us to follow. We are seeing the report, but if there is no trace to a future victim, there is not too much we can do. Kyoto houses more than two million people. We would need to predict the next location and then be able to move quickly." She glances back down to the file. "Have these been consistently done during the night?"
"Do we have a nature as to this supernatural's blood?" Edith asks the japanese man, eyes upon him as she leaves Raina and Ritsuka to translate, should that be needed. A doctor herself, and as a professional in forensic science, Edith reviews the pictures, asking for translations of the med reports, though perceptive, the blond assesses the pictures; She can easily identify direct cause of death, weapon style, blunt force, natural weapons, other methodology, and the angle of the slashes will provide information as to aprox gender/height/weight of the culprit. Forensic evidence would also be able to give an assumed eye color from genetic markers and trace evidence, also, and it is this Edith wants.
Raina took a good look at the files contents and felt revulsion, the desecration of the shrines, the mutilation of the bodies and the high chance their culprit being a supernatural with that particular report, as Raina swallowed her fears and steeled her nerves she looks towards Ritsuka and Edith who asked some more questions, rather important questions that she a used to be ordinary person wouldnt have asked, thinking about it, she does have another question of her own "does the victims have anything to do with the incident or are they random?" Raina asked, since maybe there is a connection to why are these people being attacked and therefore a way to locate the next victim or even the serial killer themselves
In contrast to Raina, Edith seems to be completely impassive towards the murders themselves, the destruction of the shrines or the entire event; It is just another scene- Just another work day for the blond. Still, the more information the group can gather, the easier it will be for Ritsuka to put this to an end.
Similarly to Edith, Ritsuka seems entirely unaffected by it.
SRTakeshi bows his head to Ritsuka and, quite frustratingly, repeats what he'd said from before "We humbly request the honored Tsubaki no Tetsu handle the situation to the best of their discretion". It seemed he'd given them all the information he had already! The Hanshin Group had done just enough investigation only to know that the supernatural was probably involved and had called the Tsubaki to perform the rest of the investigation. Figuring out which trace to follow was, put bluntly, what they were here to try and figure out themselves.
Still, he would do his best to answer the questions being asked. He answer Edith before the translation is given notably, seeming to understand english. Though, the answer would be given to Ritsuka, and in Japanese. "We suspect demon, as that is the nature of the energy that was found on their wounds. All of the victims seem to be mundane humans." He tells Ritsuka.
As Edith takes a look over the pictures, her expertise on the knowledge would confirm a few more details. The first would be that the victims were likely alive when first strung up, evidenced by bruises around the binds on their ankles indicative of a struggle. The second would be that the wounds were all caused by a long slashing weapon, and one that seemed /exceedingly/ sharp. And the third would be that ... The culprit was not the same each time! Despite the MO being the exact same each time, and the weapon being used being the exact same each time, Edith would be able to confirm that the person swinging the weapon had been a different person on each of the incidents. The man glances to Raina as she watches the two far more serious woman work but doesn't say anything. He assumes her to simply be an intern out on shadowing duty.
The Japanese man they were talking to would do that, not SRTakeshi
"just mundane humans, as in they really are random, what about details like profession and their life and such...specifics like that may help on figuring out the next victim..." Raina said, honestly if it is random, then the second best place to look would be the shrines... "have you pin pointed each shrine the demon ransacked...if they attack shrines within a certain radius we can use that as well couldnt we?" Raina asked the man, she is sure there is something they can use to find their culprit, she looks towards Ritsuka and Edith to see if they have anything more to add.
"Same Motis," Edith notes to Ritsuka and Raina, pointing out each point as she sees them. "The angle is different with each attack; The depth of the cuts and the angle suggests different heights. These victims were alive when they were made example of, however- Most disgusting. A nasty way to go." Edith shakes her head slowly, clucking her tongue. "Living most likely." Edith notes and slowly, methodically, the blond begins to pull knives from sheaths, licking the blade of each, the edges coating them in her blood (paralytic toxin) the slit to her tongue healing in seconds. "We know the weapons were razor edged, so an expert each time. Though I only have three bane weapons on my person at this time."
Ritsuka mentions that to Edith before she lets out a bit more of a frustrated sigh. The information is very limited, but it is shrines. Sadly it seems the information is far more random than it should be and they really do not have as much as they need to have to tackle this; the Mo is less important, but what isn't is the nature of those harmed and if it was a different shrine every time. There is yet another sigh. "There is a lot of Shrines in Kyoto. We can't spread out enough to split up, even if we got everyone from Haven-city over to help. The imperial family would only present limited interest into this, relying on the police force to handle it." She does make a few nods to Raina. "With the information we have, I don't think we can do too much unless Edith can track the demonic trail somewhere, if some of the arcane trail remains." She does listen to Edith as well and makes a small thoughtful nod. "Probably a traditional weapon then. A katana, tanto, wakizashi or nodachi. Likely not a naginata."
"A long blade of some kind." Edith agrees with Ritsuka. "Though we can be more exact. If we can identify where these shrines are located on a map, we can triangulate our prey and or preys, and we can theorise which is like to be the next struck. I assume," She addresses to the japanese man, "You have already done this and were waiting to provide the map with dramatic timing." Back to Ritsuka and Raina, she adds, "Arcane traces will have one now, though there may be a scent to trail. Likewise, we can lay in wait and see if our objective will show himself to us."
As for the victims, their similarities seemed to be thus. They were all on the outskirts of life. Vulnerable or uncared for. The homeless, the poor, the unfortunate. It seemed whoever was at the cause of this had no issue with simply going for low hanging fruit to find it's victims and didn't seem to care who it was killing so long as the killing was indeed done.
There had been a single killing every single night for the last month, and by Edith's count about 8 different individuals who were involved in the murders. It was a different shrine each time, seeming to start with the easiest to break into, unmanned shrines in remote areas, wherever they could avoid security cameras or locks too troublesome to deal with.
The man smirks at Ritsuka's assumption and bows his head "I shall provide a map and drawing utensils for your triangulation efforts" He tells her, leaving the room for a brief moment before coming back with an, unfortunately, un marked map, and some pens and measuring equipments.
Ritsuka gestures to the table and then waits for her contact to get to work, though she gives a look as if she was expecting that it already had to be done. It is night right now in Kyoto, so tonight there would likely be another victim, with the evening already passed.
"preys huh, i havent considered we might be dealing with more than one honestly" Raina said as she looked at Edith, but it would make sense if there is more than one culprit, she also provided some translation this time for Edith "it seem our culprit likes going after easy targets and the same goes with the shrines...he is also going to get maps" Raina said, then he came back in and...brought an unmarked map "well we should get to work quick..." Raina said looking at Ritsuka with a worried face, she genuinely doesnt want anymore of these incidents happening in japan afterall.
"Our objective is to identify the next unobserved isolated shrine." Edith tells Raina and Ritsuka. "I think with your knowledge of the area." Yes, yes Edith does just assume every Japanese knows every japanese city. She was born in the late 1800s and has expectations of the casual racism of the time. It's not deliberate, but is obvious.
Stepping back, Edith reviews the pictures some more, looking for dates on the deaths to see if any of them corispond with any significant arcane or spiritual phases of the moon or rituals.
The man bows his head politely to Ritsuka before reaching for the pens himself. He grabs his sleeve of the writing hand underneath the elbow to pull the sleeve up and off his wrist so it wouldn't touch the map as he draws, and he starts to indicate every shrine inside of the area the killer(s) had been operating in that hadn't yet been hit. There were thirty eight in total. "And these ..." He says as he starts to draw small 'x's next to some of the locations "Are the ones that do no have CCTV on their premises" He informs them, marking twelve of the given shrines as such.
As Edith studies the dates and the locations she would find the only similarity in times of deaths was that it was at midnight every night. Given someone was being killed every single night, it seemed highly unlikely that they were being deliberately lined up with some kind of arcane or spiritual time line.
"These are not spiritual or occult murders, so our objective," Edith tells Ritsuka and Raina, "Is a series of murders for some other reason. Of course, being alive when strung up could suggest someone feeding messily, though it is likely a message, rather than a ritual."
honestly what is this serial killers deal, it seems like they are doing this to grab attention or just wanton violence Raina stares at the map and the amount of places they need to look is also not small even if it has been reduced by a lot "whatever message they are trying to send...it is just messed up" Raina sighs and if it is feeding "also does feeding really need to be...this excessive?" so far her own experiences of feeding have been relatively tame...but... "if it is, does it mean our serial killer is fighting something as well?" she wonders
Ritsuka translates for Edith "The ones with the x do not have cameras, Edith-san." Her eyes do briefly glance to a nearby clock, which states: 21:40. Her eyes draw back to the map, and she again sighs. "I really should not be needing to put in the effort, but sometimes we do what we need to do." It is now her that reaches for one of the pens as she fills out some of the other data. this was her hometown, she had lived here all her life, and so she marks out the areas that are too wealthy, the shrines too frequently visited, outlines the areas that usually contain the homeless and the impoverished to connect to where the likely next shrines could be. Impoverished does include where more of the old live, too. "I could ask Aiko and Yuki to come and help. This is their home-town, too. But I did not bring them and I'd need twenty to thirty minutes to bring them along." She glances to Raina and mentions to her and Edith "I do not believe this is feeding. Secrecy is not being maintained, which is why secrecy often requires us to not run around and murder the people we feed on." She looks back down. "There is probably another group or two also involved and Hanshin has also been involved for that reason. If it looked like it was the same and not a different person, the person may face judgment from Venice, which means execution for it. It's harder to cover up when the bodies are found again and again."
The clock, that Ritsuka looked at by the time of pposting would show 21:45.
"Usually feeding is quiet, though some of us need to gorge ourselves from time to time." Edith explains to Raina. "Though feeding is less likely than a message for someone. There is going to be something obvious that we are missing." Looking at where the shrines have been reduced to twelve, Edith nods to the man and Ritsuka both. "Twelve is not so bad. Now we simply have to identify which of these shrines is the most isolated, which has the worst security, and alternatively-- We should do so in any case, If any systoms are to be modified or are down for repairs."
"In addition, I suspect that this is perhapse a chain, where by one kills the next kills the next to cover their activities." Edith looks to Ritsuka and the man. "The builds of each of the victims that follow resemble the suspected weights and sizes of the wounds on the former victims- So to boil that down to basics, The murderer is the next victim and the process continues."
As Ritsuka's pen slides across the map, she would further reduce the number of potential shrines that could be hit! Assuming the murderer would be avoiding anything that looked too opulent or too secure, the number someone, Raina, and Edith would be left with was ... Four. Four sites that the murder might potentially be at next.
The salt and pepper haired man watches her work with an approving looking to his face, though it was very subtle. He gives Ritsuka a nod as she finishes "Very good, Shimoni-sama." He praises her in traditional subordinate fashion.
Edith's suspicion, upon further investigation of the records in the file would seem to be true. Eight different murderers had been characterized, eight different sets of body types, heights, and eye colors identified through her forensics capabilities. However, each time the profile of the murderer changed, the previous profile would not show up again in any of the subsequent murders. In addition to this, each time the profile of the murderer changed, the victim of that murder would have a body shape, height, and eye color that perfectly matched the profile of the previous murderer's profile!
As Ritsuka's pen slides across the map, she would further reduce the number of potential shrines that could be hit! Assuming the murderer would be avoiding anything that looked too opulent or too secure, the number Ritsuka, Raina, and Edith would be left with was ... Four. Four sites that the murder might potentially be at next.
The salt and pepper haired man watches her work with an approving looking to his face, though it was very subtle. He gives Ritsuka a nod as she finishes "Very good, Shimoni-sama." He praises her in traditional subordinate fashion.
Edith's suspicion, upon further investigation of the records in the file would seem to be true. Eight different murderers had been characterized, eight different sets of body types, heights, and eye colors identified through her forensics capabilities. However, each time the profile of the murderer changed, the previous profile would not show up again in any of the subsequent murders. In addition to this, each time the profile of the murderer changed, the victim of that murder would have a body shape, height, and eye color that perfectly matched the profile of the previous murderer's profile!
Raina nods still a message...is even more excessive considering what they are doing "what message is it they are trying to send by hanging people and cutting them up" all Raina can see is just plain violence and carnage "hmm..." Raina also lived here, though more accurately close by, she herself hasnt been walking around in kyoto to get to know the place as intimately "missing what is missing...if i were a supernatural serial killer why would i do this to be seen..." or more accurately to be unseen, since the killings are done within blind spots "...i am halfway tempted to just gander a chance and wander the streets right now to just get them, since they seem to just attack vulnerable people" Raina said in frustration, she took note of Edith statement, it is still leaves a lot of gaps on who or why the attacks are happening though "hmm, are any of these shrines close to the last murder?" Raina asked, since that might help reduce the amount of shrines more "i was wondering if the killings were close or further away from one another, if it is close by then...."
Looking up from the files she is working through, Edith places the file down. "So, our victim," the blond notes, "Is the previous murderer." Looking at the last file, Edith shares the height, weight and build of the previous murderer as noted statistically. "Now, four is good." she nods to Ritsuka. "That means we have only four to look over for security lapses."
Looking down on the four remaining options, Ritsuka looks to down to the map now and she mentions to Edith, Raina and Yoshihisa "Four is something we can do. We can post a pair of operatives near each of these four shrines. They can send me a photo, and when a person of similar appearance to what Edith estimates appears, we will be able to path in on the scene and handle it from there. We could take post at one of them as well, and add a third to the other locations." She looks up from the map to Raina and makes a brief nod. "I do think we would be best to place ourselves on that one." Though security lapses does have her mention "It would be hard to find out unless we go there, though operatives could go first and take a look and then we can position ourselves at the one closest to the previous ones while they stay with the other ones that lack the security? More people to combat the situation as needed."
Edith nods in agreement with Ritsuka, then shoots Raina a grin. "You make good points." she tells the woman.
Raina scratches the back of her head bashfully at Edith comment "ah...thank you" though she quickly shakes off that feeling since they are very much at the last bit of the investigative portion of this job "well it is now or never then lady ritsuka, the orders are yours" when it comes to making the choice the final say is on Ritsuka and she is correct, that the security of the closest shrine should be checked, if the security there is good, then the serial killer wouldnt go there due to their usual MO.
"We have a number of hours." Edith notes to Raina and Ritsuka. "Nine something, I believe it was. So an hour, then we set ourselves to wait."
The man would look over to Raina as she talks. "The girl does certainly ... Seem like that could be perceived as an easy target." The man says before falling silent once again, letting the experts that had been called to handle the matter handle the matter.
As Ritsuka, Edith and Raina look over the map, inquire public records for information on the locations, and do their best to try and reduce the number of possible locations as best they can, they would eventually come to the conclusion that it simply wasn't possible to reduce the number of possible locations the killer might strike next any lower than four. All four of the locations Ritsuka had marked were equally awful with their security, in districts with lots of homeless and vulnerable people, had easy ways to access the shrines inside the buildings, and hadn't yet been struck.
Whatever plan they made next would have to work around the constraints of not knowing which of the four shrines would be the one that would be struck next ...
The first location is hidden in a narrow alley behind a shopping arcade.
The second location is on the outskirts of a residential district, connected to an old, unused temple. someone
The third is near a quiet riverbank, underneath a bridge which seemed to be a natural gathering place for the homeless
The fourth was in the basement of an old commercial building that has mostly vacant units.
The man would look over to Raina as she talks. "The girl does certainly ... Seem like that could be perceived as an easy target." The man says before falling silent once again, letting the experts that had been called to handle the matter handle the matter.
As Ritsuka, Edith and Raina look over the map, inquire public records for information on the locations, and do their best to try and reduce the number of possible locations as best they can, they would eventually come to the conclusion that it simply wasn't possible to reduce the number of possible locations the killer might strike next any lower than four. All four of the locations Ritsuka had marked were equally awful with their security, in districts with lots of homeless and vulnerable people, had easy ways to access the shrines inside the buildings, and hadn't yet been struck.
Whatever plan they made next would have to work around the constraints of not knowing which of the four shrines would be the one that would be struck next ...
The first location is hidden in a narrow alley behind a shopping arcade.
The second location is on the outskirts of a residential district, connected to an old, unused temple.
The third is near a quiet riverbank, underneath a bridge which seemed to be a natural gathering place for the homeless
The fourth was in the basement of an old commercial building that has mostly vacant units.
"The first is near shops. Too obvious. Possible for onlookers." Edith tells Ritsuka. "The second is residential. Likewise, chances for people to see them. The third being near a bridge is a like place for the homeless to gather- More likely, though still, could be seen. I suspect the fourth is the most likely. As you see, vacencies. Less chances of being seen by anyone passing." There's a grin, "I could be wrong, though if I were going to isolate someone to exsanguinate them in peace, the fourth is what I would choose."
"I'll send operatives to number one and two and three, and we stay at four until we hear of them?" Ritsuka quietly suggests to the other two now. "I'll have a photo of the other three places and make the operatives check in every five minutes, if they suddenly go silent or report to us, I'll path us over?"
Raina, Ritsuka, and Edith would get the feeling which of these places are hit is going to b /completely random/, as if SRTakeshi is simply going to roll a dice to decide which.
Their plan should take into account the possibility that it could be any one of the four locations.
Raina nods to Ritsuka suggestion "that seems reasonable, though hopefully our serial killer should be at the obvious spot to be thwarted" Raina said, even if her gut feeling is as confused as a drunk bee.
Edith nods to Ritsuka. "You shall path then. I shall take the stealthy tact and linger unseen."
To summarize, Ritsuka, Raina, and Edith all at location four. Tsubaki agents at locations one, two, and three? Can I get some information on the agents and their capabilities, please.
Ritsuka points to cult read all:
Tsubaki-no-Shin - "Core of the Camellia" These are the primary operatives of the organization, intended to be trained and able to work for the Iron Camellia. They carry out the bulk of the groups operations.
Tetsubana - "Iron Blossoms" The trusted lieutenants and advisors to its leadership. Tetsubana oversee divisions of the organization and are each named after a flower that reflects their traits. They serve as mentors, strategists, and enforcers of the organization's code.
Points to the equipment sold at the security building which, along with everything on cult read all should be known by every member of the Tsubaki before joining.
It wouldn't take long for Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina to make their way to the fourth location. It would have if they were to walk, but with pathing, it was easy. The commercial building seemed normal enough, though overtly impoverished in it's nature. At this hour it was completely abandoned, not a soul in sight as they make their way through rooms, some full of computers, some full of empty desks and dust, towards the stairwell that would lead them to the basement.
The switch for the basement light next to the door that lead down to the stairwell would turn out to be quite predictably broken and no light would be forthcoming. As they (assumedly) made their way down despite this the wooden paneled walls to either side of them would be lined with faded paper talismans, a faint spiritual power to them sensable to anyone with the capability for such, but it was faded, as if whatever protective power they had once offered was hanging on by a thread.
The basement room was small, the shrine it's self not a proud thing, about hip height with incense burners sitting cold and untouched, ashes laying around them uncleaned and uncared for.
Their radio comms would crackle with reports from the Tsubaki-No-Shin every five minutes, feeding them regular reports of all clears for now as the night begins ...
Following Ritsuka and Raina in, Edith falls into the shadows, becoming an unseen ghost in the night
(repost) Following Ritsuka and Raina in, Edith falls into the shadows, becoming an unseen ghost in the night; A phantom, perfectly at home in the night thanks to Edith's nature. She is attentive, smelling the air, looking around- No light is no issue for Edith in the least, and listening out, senses acute and perceptive.
It looks very habitual when Ritsuka walks over to the shrine to start cleaning the little place. There is enough time to at least do a little bit of maintenance, clean out the ashes, and she can come back later to light some incense. Perhaps some would forget the spirits, but she would not. Those who do not remember the kami, will not be remembered by them, down in twelve years time.
Raina who is at the moment mostly a normal human just watches her surroundings warily, she would join in to help Ritsuka, but she is being very alert to everything at the moment to be calm enough to help and pray, still she is sticking near Ritsuka as she does her cleaning, even if she is the more weaker one here, she isnt letting anything get close to Ritsuka with how highstrung she is at the moment.
As Ritsuka and Raina look on, Edith begins to bleed until she becomes a crimson mist that circles the room, slowly vanishing and leaving something too small to see; Bats, being tiny are invisible to on-lookers when moving.
As Ritsuka and Raina busy themselves cleaning and paying their respects to the shrine, Edith(vampire bat) would hear a noise from upstairs. Foot steps. Slow and lethargic. Weak in a way that any one of the supernaturals here would find simply non threatening. In addition to the steps, she'd hear the familiar scraping of a body being drug across the ground also. The steps would be coming from the front of the building, heading straight for the shrine room the three Tsubaki agents were in. With the speed at which the body is being drug it would be a few minutes still before they had any company, plenty of time to prepare, or perhaps to move out preemptively.
When it eventually reaches Ritsuka, she places a hand on Raina's shoulder and pulls her away with her. If Raina did not bring her own weapons, she offers a wakizashi to her as she goes on to try and hide in the shadows, to the right from the entrance where they were less likely to be seen unless the person entering was to look left and right.
from where Edith(vampire bat) hides, hidden in the darkness, there is a slight peep. The bat hears something and in a very human way, it gestures with a wing in that direction. No one ever looks up, so again, very inhumanly, Edith(vampire bat) finds a spot above the door, ready to shift back and attack from behind.
Raina didnt bring her own weapon, since the naginata is really hard to conceal, she took up on the offer of the wakizashi from Ritsuka and held it tightly as she waits with bated breath their possible culprit, she is very much prepared to take a life, she has long since resolved herself to do so ever since entering the tsubaki proper.
The door would open with a slam. Flung open by their quarry. The killed starts to descend the stairs, not noticing anyone yet in the room with him. It had been difficult to know what to expect, but such a weak and tired man had likely not been in. Breathing heavy, with shallow panting breaths he, with struggling steps, drags the body behind him into the room, pulling it down the stairs.
His eyes were sunken and his skin was a sickly pale. His veins, a dark black, traced visibly over his skin too sickly to hide them. The veins did not seem naturally placed however. Instead of being organized and clustered around his heart, they instead all seemed to lead to his right shoulder, as if they had been pulled through his body down his arm.
His shirt long ago torn off the half alive man, his right arm was almost entirely black, and in his hand, it's tip trailing along the ground behind him, was a dark blade. The metal of it's blade a pure black with faint crimson veins lacing through it like the fracture lines, red light seeping out of them in soft, gentle pulses like the beat of a heart. The guard is jagged, bringing the image of twisted claws grasping the blade and at the center of it, where the handle turned into blade, was a blood-red jewel which the lines tracing up the blade originated from.
To those capable of sensing such, an immense demonic energy was resonating from the blade, fearsomely powerful but fortunately contained within the blade, limited to what it could by the frail frame of the mortal currently holding it/ Inside the jewel in the blade was what looked like it might have been an iris, dashing about frantically. Though the man holding the blade had no possible way of being able to see the hidden trio in the dark, it wouldn't be long before the iris was latched onto Raina's exact location. A moment later, as if instructed to, the man dragging the body behind him looks lethargically over to the direction in which Raina was hidden, though his eyes squint as if even then he still can't see her ...
the killer*
The door would open with a slam. Flung open by their quarry. The killer starts to descend the stairs, not noticing anyone yet in the room with him. It had been difficult to know what to expect, but such a weak and tired man had likely not been in. Breathing heavy, with shallow panting breaths he, with struggling steps, drags the body behind him into the room, pulling it down the stairs.
His eyes were sunken and his skin was a sickly pale. His veins, a dark black, traced visibly over his skin too sickly to hide them. The veins did not seem naturally placed however. Instead of being organized and clustered around his heart, they instead all seemed to lead to his right shoulder, as if they had been pulled through his body down his arm.
His shirt long ago torn off the half alive man, his right arm was almost entirely black, and in his hand, it's tip trailing along the ground behind him, was a dark blade. The metal of it's blade a pure black with faint crimson veins lacing through it like fracture lines, red light seeping out of them in soft, gentle pulses like the beat of a heart. The guard is jagged, bringing the image of twisted claws grasping the blade and at the center of it, where the handle turned into blade, was a blood-red jewel which the lines tracing up the blade originated from.
To those capable of sensing such, an immense demonic energy was resonating from the blade, fearsomely powerful but fortunately contained within the blade, limited to how it could affect the mortal plane by the frail frame of the mortal currently holding it/ Inside the jewel in the blade was what looked like it might have been an iris, dashing about frantically. Though the man holding the blade had no possible way of being able to see the hidden trio in the dark, it wouldn't be long before the iris was latched onto Raina's exact location. A moment later, as if instructed to, the man dragging the body behind him looks lethargically over to the direction in which Raina was hidden, though his eyes squint as if even then he still can't see her ... (Fixed)
Ah and so it begins, she waits, quiet and silent until the man made his way through. But when the eye latches onto Raina, there is no more room for any gentle resolution to this. If you need to kill a monster... so be it - and that means that Ritsuka suddenly behind him, blade already in the middle of the swing as she looks to simply cut a head off. Blood may flow at this shrine today, but it shall not be to defile it, but to defend it.
Once the man is in the room, Edith transforms once more into that crimson mist. Appearing silently-- hidden, she slips the door closed behind her, and still hidden, she lets Raina be the distraction and waits on Ritsuka, poisoned knife ready to strike, arcana ready to be used.
Raina remained still, she isnt about to just bust out of the shadows sword in hand, but she is about to spring into action if the killer lunges at her, mostly to avoid his attack and counter attack, the safer option rather than countering immediately, though hopefully she doesnt have to actually do that in the first place...honestly she isnt very good at using a sword, so she isnt too confident on even launching an attack in the first place Raina eyes widen as Ritsuka is behind the man mid swing she follows up to basically distract the man by springing from the shadows in a defensive stance.
As Raina moves and Ritsuka does likewise, Edith emerges, blade in hand. It's not a swing that follows though; Edith speaks an arcane word and the man's blood begins to flow.
The man does not see Ritsuka coming in even the slightest, still gaping confusedly into the darkness where Raina and Edith were hidden. He blinks again in confusion as the door is closed, removing the only source of light this room had, other than the dull red glow coming from the jewel of the blade in his hand.
The blade swings at the unaware target, it's course true, no apparent way for the man to react to the attack, the blade homing in on his neck ...
A sickening crunch and then the ring of steel on steel. Ritsuka's blade is stopped as the room falls silent for a moment and then is filled by a bloodcurdling scream of agony. Shattered and splintered bone pierced out through the skin of his shoulder, his arm reaching directly behind him in order to bring his blade to Ritsuka's in a movement that had destroyed his shoulder completely. Despite it not looking like it should be able to even support the weight of it's arm anymore, let alone hold up a blade to stop Ritsuka's own, the arm stayed in the air as the man, seeming to have not even noticed that he'd been attacked, only that his shoulder was now a bloody mess of bone splinters and his blood was boiling inside of his body from Edith's magic, cries in painful agony.
The iris inside of the blade now cross with Ritsuka's locks eyes with her, seeming to shake in rage as she fills the room filling with demonic energy! The blade lifts, the frail body of the man holding it being lurched along behind it as it swings down hard towards Ritsuka, black mist bellowing out from the blade as it swings to draw a dark crescent through the air to mark the path it was following!
Ritsuka and Raina can fight this man. Edith moves in, knife stabbing for a weak point; That paralytic toxin will slow the body even further but more than that, Edith uses it for something more insidious: Edith speaks another word, this one to give the man a heart attack, haemomancy used to kill the body and leave the arm fixed to a lurching corpse with any luck. More disorientated if not.
Raina kicks the mans knees hard from behind as it tries to slash at ritsuka in an attempt to basically make it fall over backwards, even if the sword is demonic the body of the man is still a body that can fall to such follies, she also aimed to just separate the man from the sword with one hard swing to the wrist, hoping to either cut the mans hand off or at the very least break his wrist so he would let go of the sword.
Ritsuka begins to shrine with the rising sun of her nation as she moves to parry the attack - she was capable enough at the least, and the blinding light only makes it harder to properly see her. "You will not defile what is divine any longer, spawn of hell." She says it looking at the enemy, though she evidently means the blade that seems far too happy to be controlling the man. Trying to cut the man's hand at the wrist off, seems to be the option here, a small sacrifice, and at the least the man will live, though with memories forever altered. A work accident likely, with the necessary forms to validate it.
The man just straight is not having a good time right now. As his heart stops the pained cries stop with it, even though his mouth remains open in a now soundless scream. Despite the fact he should be dead right now, something dark and violating was keeping his soul tied to his body, though it was doing nothing to protect it from the onslaught it was receiving. Tears are rolling down his face as he gets lurched towards Ritsuka, pulled by his shattered shoulder, more splinters of bone pushing up out of and tearing up his skin with every movement.
With Raina's kick to his leg he falls down to the ground, making the attack towards Ritsuka fall short. and letting her smack the blade into an over swing with ease. The blade embeds into the wooden wall besides Ritsuka from hers and Raina's combined maneuver and it was the work of a single moment for Ritsuka's blade to slice clean through the wrist of the man that had been holding it!
Grasping his now stub of a wrist as blood spurts out from the wound, the man falls to his back with a thud, his wafer like body starting to slide and roll down the stairs, out of sight and into the darkness ...
He wasn't the important one here, though. It was clear to all watching that the one at fault here was whatever spirit was inside the blade. The iris dashes about, from Ritsuka, to Raina, to Edith as it glares at each in turn. The small dot inside the sword's red gem thrashing about with enough energy to shake the blade, but not enough to shake it out of the wall it was now embedded into. Despite it not longer being a physical threat, dark mist was still seeping out of the blade, and Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina all would start to feel desperate, clawing, demanding urges hitting their minds all at once. If they didn't have the mental capacity to fight such things, they would find themselves walking towards the blade, compelled to pick it up into their own hands ...
The man just straight is not having a good time right now. As his heart stops the pained cries stop with it, even though his mouth remains open in a now soundless scream. Despite the fact he should be dead right now, something dark and violating was keeping his soul tied to his body, though it was doing nothing to protect it from the onslaught it was receiving. Tears are rolling down his face as he gets lurched towards Ritsuka, pulled by his shattered shoulder, more splinters of bone pushing up out of and tearing up his skin with every movement.
With Raina's kick to his leg he falls down to the ground, making the attack towards Ritsuka fall short. and letting her smack the blade into an over swing with ease. The blade embeds into the wooden wall besides Ritsuka from hers and Raina's combined maneuver and it was the work of a single moment for Ritsuka's blade to slice clean through the wrist of the man that had been holding it!
Grasping his now stub of a wrist as blood spurts out from the wound, the man falls to his back with a thud, his wafer like body starting to slide and roll down the stairs, out of sight and into the darkness ...
He wasn't the important one here, though. It was clear to all watching that the one at fault here was whatever spirit was inside the blade. The iris dashes about, from Ritsuka, to Raina, to Edith as it glares at each in turn. The small dot inside the sword's red gem thrashing about with enough energy to shake the blade, but not enough to shake it out of the wall it was now embedded into. Despite it not longer being a physical threat, dark mist was still seeping out of the blade, and Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina all would start to feel desperate, clawing, demanding urges hitting their minds all at once. If they didn't have the mental capacity to fight such things, they would find themselves walking towards the blade, compelled to pick it up into their own hands ... (Fixed)
He is just straight up is not having a good time right now. As his heart stops the pained cries stop with it, even though his mouth remains open in a now soundless scream. Despite the fact he should be dead right now, something dark and violating was keeping his soul tied to his body, though it was doing nothing to protect it from the onslaught it was receiving. Tears are rolling down his face as he gets lurched towards Ritsuka, pulled by his shattered shoulder, more splinters of bone pushing up out of and tearing up his skin with every movement.
With Raina's kick to his leg he falls down to the ground, making the attack towards Ritsuka fall short. and letting her smack the blade into an over swing with ease. The blade embeds into the wooden wall besides Ritsuka from hers and Raina's combined maneuver and it was the work of a single moment for Ritsuka's blade to slice clean through the wrist of the man that had been holding it!
Grasping his now stub of a wrist as blood spurts out from the wound, the man falls to his back with a thud, his wafer like body starting to slide and roll down the stairs, out of sight and into the darkness ...
He wasn't the important one here, though. It was clear to all watching that the one at fault here was whatever spirit was inside the blade. The iris dashes about, from Ritsuka, to Raina, to Edith as it glares at each in turn. The small dot inside the sword's red gem thrashing about with enough energy to shake the blade, but not enough to shake it out of the wall it was now embedded into. Despite it not longer being a physical threat, dark mist was still seeping out of the blade, and Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina all would start to feel desperate, clawing, demanding urges hitting their minds all at once. If they didn't have the mental capacity to fight such things, they would find themselves walking towards the blade, compelled to pick it up into their own hands ... (For some reason the game doesn't seem to like this post, I think it's because I kept starting it with "The man", trying to fix that)
Edith is thankfully dead, and there fore, mental manipulations work very differently against the vampire. As the demands come, she smiles, the man forgotten; Edith is not compassionate. If anything, the loss was the blood bag, not the soul within it that tumbles down the stairs. Ritsuka and Raina's success is of course rewarded with a satisfied nod, and then that iris within the blade gets a smug smirk. Edith doesn't care if it's not able to speak english or not. She tells it, not bothering to advance, "It looks as though you may be struggling to find a hand to wield you. Perhapse I should simply banish you right now."
Raina felt a really odd sense to pick up the blade stuck in the wall, though...only briefly as she just bit her tongue hard as the pain shock makes her think of anything but the sword stuck to the wall, she is standing still as a statue however...she doesnt dare to move in the fear she would actually just go grab the sword without even truly noticing it Raina glances at Ritsuka and Edith and finally at the sword whose iris stare at them with seething hatred "hmn..." Raina doesnt find any sort of enjoyment doing this, but the man is likely dead, she shouldnt think about it anymore than that and just focus on her pain until the sword is safely removed.
Usually, one would never really notice an imprint take hold, but there is a difference for body imprints and Ritsuka realizes when she takes a step towards it. Her head does turn to Edith, as she asks her "Edith-san, can you put the thing to rest? We need to put it to sleep, then it can be sheathed and Kin'Yoko can feed its magical power to consume it, or reward it to someone if She so wishes."
"Very well." Edith agrees. There's a moment as Edith steps forward, arcane words on her tongue and she begins to perform a complex looking ritual that should, in all right take well over an hour. A circle and series of runes are drawn and then- No longer than seven minutes later, the banishment concludes; The advantages of having one of the best arcanists in the world.
During the hour of the ritual, Ritsuka returns to tending to the shrine and lights up a stick of incense that she withdraws from her satchel. It is true, women have far too much in their bags.
Raina is by Ritsuka side and away from the blade she just prays for this to conclude safely and that the victims of this supernatural incident rest in peace, though she has no incense to offer, she can still offer this sincere prayer, that said this would be the second time Raina has to handle a cursed item with a blade and another person doing the decursing of sorts to make the blades problem go away.
A crimson eye snaps to face Edith, turning all around to face her as it glowers at her. It starts to scream in agony as she attempts to banish it, a voice that would be heard in their heads not through their ears. It was hard to tell if the voice was animal something that could speak language like a humans, but there were certainly no words in the voice currently, simply a pain and rage fueled scream that shook the brain to the point of pain.
Edith would discover that whatever the thing was in the blade, that it was exceptionally resistant to banishments. As much pain as it seemed to inflict on the creature, by the time the seven minutes were done, the sword lay were it was. The screams died down as the ritual finished, but the presence was still very clearly there. The dark mist still seeps from the blade, but this time in slow, thin wisps, as if weakened. The three would feel the urge to grab the sword once again, but weakened this time, enough for even Raina to be able to fight without much issue.
"C ... come to me ..." Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina would hear in their heads, the voice pained and weak, but still arrogant and demanding "Slaughter. Kill. Destroy. Death. Rebirth. I will give it all to you. Everything your heart desires ..." It was trying to negotiate now, as if a single minute more not being held in the hand of someone it could posses was bringing it pain, as it had hungered for centuries. "Bring me blood and I will bring you power."
Apparently not having to give the ritual as much attention as most others, and with the working already established and nearly complete; Edith really is just that good, she looks to Ritsuka and tells her, "As you tend the shrine, you could send your apprentice," meaning Raina, "To go get that man before he bleeds out. Use his blood to sanctify this shrine to your Kin'Yoko, hmm?" There's a flicker of fingers, the circle of runes flare and then- The ritual concludes, the spirit ripped from the blade with a savage tug on the air that draws with it the chill of death. "One spiritually devoid sword banished of its demonic influence." the vampire tells Ritsuka, standing to slip her tools away.
the spirit remains within the sword!
"Excuse me." Edith tells the weakened sword. "Adults are talking."
"sorry but id rather not have power that relies on many...many people being dead..." Raina continues her prayer, at the very least the urge is pathetically weak now, so she just mainly focuses on prayer, she then heard Edith said something about using the currently dying man to sanctify the shrine for kin'yoko in which she looks at Ritsuka for confirmation if that would work, not that she would want it to as it is...really pretty much kicking a dying person some more, a person who is likely innocent in all of this, but she wont object if it is an order...just be conflicted while she does so.
Ritsuka just rolls her eyes, Kin'Yoko would simply subjugate the demonic spirit if not outright consume it, though Edith not managing does make her look a touch confused. There is also plenty of blood here, and she turns around to- Well, yeah, what Edith just said. She does start to do exactly that, and begins to re-dedicate the shrine to Kin'Yoko, as it seems the kami that once housed this shrine has long since vanished. It is not something she wanted to do- to allow the kami to be remembered. On the other hand, it is what she intends to do with the Frostcaller's Shrine. It will be remembered, but it will also not be silent. In memory of the spirit that once was. The sanctifying would take a full hour.
"If you want me to rip the rest of its soul out, I will be eating one of you." Edith points out to Ritsuka and Raina. "Rituals are costly, even at my level of power." The sword now gets a contemptuous look. "Don't make me get my dog to eat you." she tells it- Is it a bluff? Who knows, but Edith ignores the sentient weapon from that point onward. "Ah," she smirks to it as the light of Kin'Yoko shines. "It looks as though the eidolon itself has decided to help. I do suppose you truly are nothing, demonspawn."
It is very much answered with the golden light that ripples over the ceiling and then surrounds the shrine, one that lingers for a couple of moments, with warmth that fills into those present, one that may even be felt by someone here; it was protective, belonging, almost like a parent who would keep a person well. To Ritsuka and Raina, that sense was very normal.
The ripples of golden light pulls itself together, as it spears into the very eye of the demonic spirit in the sword, crushing and consuming it, food for an Eidolon.
It is very much answered with the golden light that ripples over the ceiling and then surrounds the shrine, one that lingers for a couple of moments, with warmth that fills into those present, one that may even be felt by Edith here; it was protective, belonging, almost like a parent who would keep a person well. To Ritsuka and Raina, that sense was very normal.
The ripples of golden light pulls itself together, as it spears into the very eye of the demonic spirit in the sword, crushing and consuming it, food for an Eidolon.
Raina is definitely conflicted, but as Ritsuka has told her before they are not good people, she helps out Ritsuka on the sanctification of the shrine, mostly by painting the symbols of kin'yoko all over the place as she did so with the room, honestly, just think of doing this and close her heart to the currently dying man, at the very least the demonic sword will be fully vanquished and no longer would be a problem for kyoto.
It vibrates with rage towards Edith as she talks down to it, images of slaughter and violence flash into her mind. Quite scary, certainly, if she wasn't so sure the spirit was in no position to enact on any part of it. "Your spirit cannot destroy me." The sword whispers into Ritsuka's mind petulantly "If it wasn't for this sword, I would reek havoc on this mortal plane. I am far more powerful than you can possibly imagine. I am death incarnate. I am the crimson saint. I will see an end to all life that exists in this world." It's voice was getting louder and louder, audible in Edith and Raina's head both now as it rattles their minds with it's desperation drive tantrum.
Edith would be adressed next "You cannot eat me, witch." It cackles at her. "Even if you suppress me now it is only a matter of time before I am discovered again. Wherever you place me, I will draw humans to it. I will be here long after you're gone."
And yet, such a thing would simply be consumed by an Eidolon, eaten, with no spirit left behind. Such is the parasitic nature of the Eidolons, as they eat up magic itself, rather than life force.
SRTakeshi would like to remind people to use the "attempt" command
"You talk too much." Edith tells the sword casually. "You bluster and you show me these things as though rivers have not run red in my passing before." Nodding to the shrine, Edith makes passing respects to the tier six being, a creature as strong as the archdemons of hell in Kin'Yoko, then goes to find what's left of the man who's bleeding out- No point in leaving a perfectly good snack. So saying, once blood enough is collected for the sanctification in that hour, Edith begins to drink... and drink... and drink from the man until he's nothing but an exsanguinated husk before returning his corpse to the other body that he, himself dragged in. Ritsuka and Raina can handle the rest of the problem, Edith's job is done, and the struggle is now between Kin'Yoko and the demon within the sword.
"You know," Edith mentions to Ritsuka and Raina between making a perfect victim of the now useless handless man, "You should give this sword to Takeshi. I think they may be bosom companions."
Seeing that the blade seems to still resist the power of something that would turn itself into an enemy of all that exists, if it was not a spirit, Ritsuka raises up her phone to look at it, scrolling and browsing through it, for the number that links back to Venice. She does takes in a deep breathe, looking at it for a moment. "You know, if it tries to resist a kami, maybe we should just involve Venice. Too dangerous to be out and about, they will find a way to seal this thing away, if not outright destroy it." She does not yet call.
She does glance to Edith "I would think about it, but the two would then just go on mass murder people and I don't have the resources or patience to deal with something that murders someone and defiles a shrine every day."
a reminder to never let a vampire bite you Raina notes to herself as she watches Edith drink a man like caprisun, as for the sword, she is 100/ not letting it near takeshi he is recklessly murder happy already she doesnt need to deal with something that encourages that "no..." Raina answers Edith with a disdainful stare "he is already hard enough to deal with without the murder sword" Raina added/
Ritsuka says "He could have it, and perhaps Kin'Yoko would offer Her power to help protect it from being taken, but we need to silence this demon thing first if not kill it."
It would really seems as if the task in front of them would be more orientated towards trying to figure out how to deal with the fact that there was an angry spirit that seemed entirely resilient to banishment rather than trying to figure out how to banish it.
They would get some clues, however, as Kin'Yoko dives into the blade it would start to glow with light! The spirit screeches once more in agony, even though it seems to survive it's trails, but it's voice becomes faded, significantly weaker.
The light seems to activate some kind of latent function of the fuinjutsu blade that had been created, seemingly, as a method of containing the spirit. The light from Kin'Yoko seems to gather around the sword, forming a sheath as it clatters from the wall to the ground. The black material that formed the guard wrapped around the red gem, seeming to close over it like an eyelid.
The scabbard forming around the sword held a sageo to it, wrapped tightly around the handle and the scabbard in such a way to tie the two together, making the blade completely impossible to draw from it's sheath!
"I ... Still live ..." Would come a voice, just a whisper now "This ... Is only temporary ..."
Self satisfied, there is an image that plays, silent, only visible as the radiant silhouette of a nine-tailed fox sits down atop of the sword. A paw raising to lick it before the lines that make it up, sway away and disappear from here. The warmth lingers, but it is a trail, not the full presence that it was a moment ago.
Raina looks at the currently sealed sword "yeah i am still of the opinion we toss it into the middle of the sea and be done with it" she genuinely dislikes the blade...to a really great extent, but she isnt the one calling the shots Ritsuka is, but still if Raina had her way she would be destroying the blade and the spirit and call it a day "haah...i really do not like it at all" Raina mutters to herself, as she stared at the sealed sword with great contempt "so what do we do with it lady ritsuka, should we have venice handle it or should we take it back to the tsubaki to...do something about it" Raina genuinely doesnt want the latter to happen at all, it feels like a danger.
"Raina-san, can you collect it?" Ritsuka quietly asks, glancing, watching the trails fade away "I think we take it along with us, make a report and then we can head back to Haven-city to find out what we will do with it. Your brother could perhaps handle it, under the kami's guidance. It would very much level to a relic, the same as many other people have it."
"I would rather not involve Venice-" Edith tells Ritsuka. She nodes Raina watching and she gives the woman a small smile. "If I were to bite normally, it would not be obvious to anyone bar me. I usually subsist off of small amounts, so when the chance comes up, I am going to glut myself. This was simply convenient." Yes, the man who is now a corpse is a /this/. Edith is a monster, and one that has hideous potential if given ennough time to grow. "I suggest you have your ritualists mass ritualize this thing, then have it silenced with one of Kin'Yoko's seals. Elsewise, I need to interact with Venic's master, and my Master would get involved, then his Mistress would, and it is all a huge mess. The godlings and the fae lords begin to pay attention. So simply hiding this thing is for the best."
Raina cringes ever so slightly, but relents as she walks up and picks up the sword, she is going to really develop a hatred for these sorts of things "are you sure we should give it to onii...i mean takeshi, he is rather cavalier about violence you know" Raina said as she holds the sword tightly in her hands, fearing it would somehow leap off her hands if she were to be any gentler with it "i agree on miss edith that we should take care of it, silence it if you may" Raina has no mercy for the wicked...maybe.
The sword, for what it was, seemed like a pretty efficient tool for the containment of the spirit. It seemed all the sword would require was regular prayer and spiritual maintenance, working efficiently with just small offerings of spiritual power. It would seem the only reason the murder spree had happened at all was that because whatever old shinto monk had been placed in charge of keeping track of the sword had fell to old age, and without an apprentice or heir to take over his work the sword had eventually lost enough of it's power that it had managed to call a hapless human to it's not abandoned shrine. The results of which had been the mess Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina had been clearing up all night.
All it would need from here on was to not be once more forgotten.
the sword had eventually lost enough of it's power that the spirit inside had managed to call*
"Curious how so many of you young people so often use relics. You would become immortal given enough time." Edith comments to Ritsuka and Raina. "I am closing in on more power without, and all it will cost is the blood of those who are cattle anyway."
"He is to guard it, we will push him to enter into a pact for it that he can't ever escape or leave, one that will give Kin'Yoko absolute power over him, even if he was to leave the cult." Ritsuka quietly tells to Raina, and then adds "In the same way she does over me and Alabaster had aided me. Just a little different. The goal will be to contain it. But let's go on and speak to "Yoshihisa, and to talk to him about what cover-up we are going to use." She looks to what Edith is snacking on and mentions "That was clearly the murderer. He was killed when police arrived to arrest him and he suddenly attacked. By happenstance, he fell over the shrine before he could wound anyone."
Ah and then she glances to Edith, answering her "Edith-san... I am working on it, but most people that do ascend need a century to do so. It is around six to seven months for me to accomplish it.""
Edith nods to Ritsuka. "That makes a lot of sense. I am well over the hundred years."
Consideringly, Edith adds, "You could bind the spirit to the scabbard so it is unable to be drawn. Then the pact made by Takeshi binds it to his safety. Give him the responsibility so that he is forced into making correct choices- Also President Fisher has ammended the terms of his pact. Far more easy for Takeshi and Sam to fulfill. One feeding and he is to imbue an item."
Raina looks at Edith with a great sense of wariness "...i...see" power will always come at price and she is far too soft to even want to pay that price in the first place, she cant say anything to Edith at all and just remained quiet as she listen into what Ritsuka whispered to her "another binding on him...at this point i feel really bad...maybe just give the sword to me if you fear that he will misuse it" Raina suggested, though thinking about it, she will regret saying this like this like she regretted saying something before "maybe not...i genuinely cant use a sword anyways im more of a spear person" Raina said as she is torn on letting takeshi have it and have another binding be place upon him or just let her take care of it, in which case whenever the spirit would start to talk she would just be beyond annoyed.
The Hanshin Group would do what they could to clean everything up. Agents in white overalls and facemasks coming in with mops and buckets and tarps to wrap everything up in. They moved liked they'd done this a thousand times before, which they likely had. The bodies, once exsanguinated by Edith and Ritsuka, would be packed up and carried off. The agents Ritsuka had assigned to the other three locations would be pleased to report an uneventful night, and before long they were outside the building, Raina holding the blade in her arms that felt much less intimidating now the sheath was containing it, and the salt and peppered hair Japanese man was waiting for them. The Hanshin Group members hurried about as he drew from his cigarette calmly. Once the trio leave the building, he would bow his head respectfully "You have the thanks of the Hanshin Group." He tells them politely.
He'd pause a moment before bowing his head to Edith too "You have the thanks of the Hanshin Group" He decides to tell her also, seeming to speak perfect english despite having been speaking Japanese this whole tim!
"Bindings are common place in the supernatural world, Dear." Edith explains to Raina. "It is most common for demons and angels, as the former is the ideal soldier and the latter is the perfect guard. They both have very high potentials and it is best to control them before they grow too powerful. Hence why binding the sword to Takeshi is a good choice. Demon to demon will forge a pact. One will feed the other and the empowerment of the protections will be superior than otherwise. I am certain that Miss Shimomi will have bandings upon her, and I most certainly do. Brandings are used to keep one in the cycle of the world. It is perfectly natural."
"I believe we are mostly resolved then, hmm?" Edith asks Ritsuka and Raina. "Give the sword to Takeshi, have your Iron Camellia protect it and move from that point."
Ritsuka allows for Edith and someone to talk while she leads the way on. She makes a small nod, and then for a moment, takes a glance up to the skies. "It was suggested to me, Raina- That we would use you to financially aid the Tsubaki where I am currently carrying the most of the weight of our financial burdens and responsibilities. But it is the other road you have, to become a guardian, or to become someone who works to serve. Servitude is in your blood and you would be best to serve someone who is worth it, if you can't learn to stand on your own feet and do not wish to become stronger and more powerful. To belong." She does otherwise lead the way back on, and makes a small nod to her contact.
"Of course, Haranobu-san." And then another nod to Edith. "I do still have a gift for you, Edith-san. And perhaps Kin'Yoko will reward you if you linger for a moment, I will path us back to Haven-city when everyone is ready."
Ritsuka allows for Edith and Raina to talk while she leads the way on. She makes a small nod, and then for a moment, takes a glance up to the skies. "It was suggested to me, Raina- That we would use you to financially aid the Tsubaki where I am currently carrying the most of the weight of our financial burdens and responsibilities. But it is the other road you have, to become a guardian, or to become someone who works to serve. Servitude is in your blood and you would be best to serve someone who is worth it, if you can't learn to stand on your own feet and do not wish to become stronger and more powerful. To belong." She does otherwise lead the way back on, and makes a small nod to her contact.
"Of course, Haranobu-san." And then another nod to Edith. "I do still have a gift for you, Edith-san. And perhaps Kin'Yoko will reward you if you linger for a moment, I will path us back to Haven-city when everyone is ready."
"Ah yes." Edith nods to Ritsuka. "I had quite forgotten." A gesture as she moves with Ritsuka and Raina, and she explains to Raina, "Angels find themselves most happy serving gods or more powerful angels- I do not like them personally. You all taste... cuddly." And then another nod to Ritsuka, "I shall remain for Kin'Yoko indeed. I have successfully managed to remain under the sun for longer."
Ritsuka mentions to Raina "You can serve me, if you need someone, Raina. I will treat you well."
Raina seemed to have gotten far too excited with everything going on to respond and it seemed this would likely need to be a conversation had another day, for now, the adventure had come to a close!
The confrontation took place in the eerie quietude of a supposed sanctuary, now tainted with dark rituals and the promise of death. Raina, inexperienced yet determined, grappled with her own fears, while Edith, a being of arcane power and deadly intent, prepared for a battle that transcended mortal constraints. Ritsuka, their leader, stood resolute, a beacon of strength and resolve amidst the spiraling chaos.
As the possessed man descended into the sanctuary, dragging another victim into the dimly lit shrine, the operatives sprung into action. With precision and a keen sense of purpose, they executed a plan that showcased their prowess and unearthly abilities. Edith's mastery over the arcane arts and Ritsuka's skill with the blade were paramount, cutting down the physical form of their foe, yet the true battle was against the spirit ensnared within the blade.
Through a combination of force, cunning, and the sanctifying powers of their deity, Kin'Yoko, the operatives managed to subdue the spirit momentarily. As Edith attempted to banish it, they discovered the resilience of their adversary, a spirit boasting of unimaginable power and malice.
Yet, it was the intervention of Kin'Yoko herself that turned the tide. In a display of divine power, she consumed the spirit, sealing it away, and rendering the sword inert. The aftermath left the operatives with a relic of great power and danger, a silent testament to their ordeal.
Suggested by both Edith and Ritsuka, the blade was to be entrusted to Takeshi, a figure surrounded by controversy yet deemed capable of guarding such a potent weapon. This decision did not come lightly, especially to Raina, who expressed her concerns over entrusting such a malevolent object to an already unpredictable individual.
In gratitude for their intervention, the Hanshin Group, a faction within the complex web of Kyoto's supernatural custodians, extended their thanks, acknowledging the operatives' crucial role in averting a crisis of potentially devastating proportions.
As they prepared to return to their own realm, thoughts lingered on the implications of their encounter. The blade, now silent, still held secrets and power beyond comprehension. Their actions had saved lives and preserved the sanctity of their domain, yet the story of the demonic blade was far from over, its echoes reverberating through the veiled pathways they tread in service to the unseen war against darkness.
(Gilded Ruin(SRTakeshi):SRTakeshi)
[Mon Feb 24 2025]
On Foothold in Kyoto
Tucked away in the winding backstreets of Kyoto, behind an unassuming wooden gate marked only by a single, weathered camellia crest, lies a foothold in Japan. The air is thick with the scent of incense and the cold outside, the silence broken only by the distant chime of temple bells or the occasional murmur of unseen watchers.
Beyond the entrance, the locations fits into the surroundings, traditional sliding doors conceal fortified chambers, and a garden disguises hidden pathways beneath its moss-covered stones. Paper lanterns cast flickering shadows against lacquered wood, their crimson glow reflecting in the eyes of those who may take a moment to watch.
Power flows like an unseen current beneath Kyoto's ancient streets. Only those who walk the path of along the Yokai may ever uncover this current.
It is about 20F(-6C) degrees.
Raina waves at ritsuka and edith
Once more, Ritsuka finds herself in Kyoto, as she leads the way through the path again for those that accompany her - and she had even switched into her kimono before doing so, donning the katana and the vest under it. When she arrives, her augmented, golden eyes glance around the stronghold, walking through a couple of doors to find her own, as well as to check in on the small number of operatives here. There was some news, about the Yakuza, and the threat of entering into a conflict with them in the underworld., and it does not help that their presence, as of right now, was a lot smaller than it should be. Perhaps today, that can be somewhat changed, but there was something else that needed attending first.
As Edith meets with Raina and Ritsuka, they might notice the tell-tell sign of a professional hunter; Consealed weapons are cunningly masked beneath the facade of mundanity, tools and various patrol equipment devised purely for day-to-day access, just in case. Still, the shimmer of arcana lingers around Edith, powerful ritualism and protections layered over what is already an exceptionally dangerous being as Edith glides effortlessly through the night, the world her play thing. Today however, Edith is here to once more support the efforts of Kin'Yoko and Tsubaki No Tetsu, so pathing along with Ritsuka and Raina, there is a job to be done, even if pay is going to be lacking this time: Business is business, after all.
this is Raina second ever mssion, to say she is nervous, is an understatement she may not show it in her face but her heart is beating very fast, though she is somewhat assured that Edith and Ritsuka are here, for she herself she is mostly here as a helping hand of sorts, mostly to help Ritsuka on whatever she needs at the moment, still it has been a while since she is back in japan and the atmosphere, is suitably unfriendly, still she sticks close to Ritsuka afterall the last thing she wants to be is a burden to her superior, at the very least that is her hope for the time being.
Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina each had been given a time and a location. The pathing would take them directly into what looked like a police station interrogation room, though with the door unlocked and cracked open to indicate that this might not be the trap being called to path into a police investigation room might have looked like.
A salt and pepper man stood leaning up against the wall, silent for the time being as he greets each person appearing with a short nod before returning the cigarette he was nursing. The Japanese man stood just under 6ft, wearing a well tailored suit and dragging at a cigarette as he waited for everyone to appear. His tie is pinned with a camellia blossom.
He waits for everyone to appear, glancing a wordless look to Ritsuka as if to confirm this was everyone before he shoulders himself off the wall and casually strolls his way over to the center of the room. He reaches out planting the smoking cigarette into the ash tray on the table at the center of the room and fixes each person in turn a serious look before he starts talking "Thank you for coming." He talks in Japanese, trusting translation to be forth coming from one of the three here if it was needed. "We've got a serial killer. Not our problem, usually, but The Hanshin Group suspects the supernatural is involved." He tells them.
He opens up the lapel of his jacket with one hand and reaches in with the other to retrieve a file that had been tucked in there. The card file cover had the Kanji for [CONFIDENTIAL] stamped on it in red ink and the man holds it up for Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina in turn before placing it down onto the table with a polite bow of his head "I trust I can leave this delicate matter in your hands, to be handled to your discretion" He requests in a formal voice, using formal language as he requests a favor already negotiated for, as was customary in Japanese culture.
He raises his head, staying silent as he allows the group to look over the file, and to answer questions. He was sure there would be plenty.
Ritsuka opens the file, her eyes scan over the contents after a second path - that means needing to wait a couple of minutes, to path again leads them here to this room. At the least this does mean that there is a sufficient amount of discretion to it. "Yoshihisa-san, tell us about what we need to know?" She does provide necessary translations for Edith, part translating word for word, but there is an inflection where she considers for a moment before she translates. Her hand moves through page by page, quickly glossing over and only lingering for information that is important, stopping to where the w-questions might be answered. Who, where, why, what, when and also, of course, how.""
doesn't speak- And has no intention of learning japanese. She's too old for such frivolity and so understands none of what was said. A file though indicates an objective, and so Edith waits for Raina or Ritsuka to provide her a translation, her expression impassive, her poise inhumanly still; No breath, no slight motion, not even the slightest twitch of a muscle. Edith is here to get the task done, and she simply needs the base information so that she can act. There is however factors that would make Edith exceptional in social situations. She is inordinately compelling, even in her alien inhumanity. She is also convincing, even if that demands hypnotism, and when Edith hypnotises, it is a very literal threat of death to resist for anyone unlucky enough to resist. In this case however, this man is an ally, the pin says so, ande as perceptive as Edith is, she leaves Ritsuka and Raina to it: Japanese are not fond of westerners, and Edith is visually evidently that.
"Acceptable." Edith nods in agreement to Ritsuka.
Raina mostly remained quiet, she is currently learning a lot more about the world, such as apparently the yakuza having some involvement in the supernatural, though she can guess how takeshi ended up in the tsubaki in the first place Raina listens intently to Ritsuka and Edith conversation, mostly Ritsuka translating, still the serial killer being supernatural might be quite a hassle to deal with, especially if that serial killer would use things only the supernaturals know of, like the nightmare, but she trusts Ritsuka judgement on things, being her senior in every way in the underworld and the world of the supernatural.
The file seemed to contain information on each of the murders thus far. The mundane police reports would be listed first. Images of corpses stripped naked, tied up by their ankles and their bodies marred with dozens of long, horrible gashes. The causes of death in every situation was the blood loss that came as a result of the wounds.
The more interesting part of the murders was the locations they were done in. Each had been done in a different place of spiritual significance. Shrines, temples, even the altars of some of the western churches in the area. Broken into during the middle of the night so the corpse could be strung up.
After the mundane police reports for each murder would be an additional report, this one watermarked at the corner with The Hanshin Groups logo. It was the reports from the Hanshin Group agents sent to investigate after the police had formed their investigations. Their reports gave perhaps the more interesting information. None of the blood from any of the corpses was missing, the volume found on the ground matched what they'd have expected to be inside each body, and even more interestingly than that ... Each body had strong remnants of a powerful demonic energy coming from it ...
Ritsuka rolls her eyes to a part, as she sort of repeats the words she had said before "Tell me what I need to know, Yoshihisa-san." She looks to the other Japanese man with familiarity. "If I am reading correctly, it was at a different shrine every time? What exactly is the trace that you are expecting us to follow. We are seeing the report, but if there is no trace to a future victim, there is not too much we can do. Kyoto houses more than two million people. We would need to predict the next location and then be able to move quickly." She glances back down to the file. "Have these been consistently done during the night?"
"Do we have a nature as to this supernatural's blood?" Edith asks the japanese man, eyes upon him as she leaves Raina and Ritsuka to translate, should that be needed. A doctor herself, and as a professional in forensic science, Edith reviews the pictures, asking for translations of the med reports, though perceptive, the blond assesses the pictures; She can easily identify direct cause of death, weapon style, blunt force, natural weapons, other methodology, and the angle of the slashes will provide information as to aprox gender/height/weight of the culprit. Forensic evidence would also be able to give an assumed eye color from genetic markers and trace evidence, also, and it is this Edith wants.
Raina took a good look at the files contents and felt revulsion, the desecration of the shrines, the mutilation of the bodies and the high chance their culprit being a supernatural with that particular report, as Raina swallowed her fears and steeled her nerves she looks towards Ritsuka and Edith who asked some more questions, rather important questions that she a used to be ordinary person wouldnt have asked, thinking about it, she does have another question of her own "does the victims have anything to do with the incident or are they random?" Raina asked, since maybe there is a connection to why are these people being attacked and therefore a way to locate the next victim or even the serial killer themselves
In contrast to Raina, Edith seems to be completely impassive towards the murders themselves, the destruction of the shrines or the entire event; It is just another scene- Just another work day for the blond. Still, the more information the group can gather, the easier it will be for Ritsuka to put this to an end.
Similarly to Edith, Ritsuka seems entirely unaffected by it.
SRTakeshi bows his head to Ritsuka and, quite frustratingly, repeats what he'd said from before "We humbly request the honored Tsubaki no Tetsu handle the situation to the best of their discretion". It seemed he'd given them all the information he had already! The Hanshin Group had done just enough investigation only to know that the supernatural was probably involved and had called the Tsubaki to perform the rest of the investigation. Figuring out which trace to follow was, put bluntly, what they were here to try and figure out themselves.
Still, he would do his best to answer the questions being asked. He answer Edith before the translation is given notably, seeming to understand english. Though, the answer would be given to Ritsuka, and in Japanese. "We suspect demon, as that is the nature of the energy that was found on their wounds. All of the victims seem to be mundane humans." He tells Ritsuka.
As Edith takes a look over the pictures, her expertise on the knowledge would confirm a few more details. The first would be that the victims were likely alive when first strung up, evidenced by bruises around the binds on their ankles indicative of a struggle. The second would be that the wounds were all caused by a long slashing weapon, and one that seemed /exceedingly/ sharp. And the third would be that ... The culprit was not the same each time! Despite the MO being the exact same each time, and the weapon being used being the exact same each time, Edith would be able to confirm that the person swinging the weapon had been a different person on each of the incidents. The man glances to Raina as she watches the two far more serious woman work but doesn't say anything. He assumes her to simply be an intern out on shadowing duty.
The Japanese man they were talking to would do that, not SRTakeshi
"just mundane humans, as in they really are random, what about details like profession and their life and such...specifics like that may help on figuring out the next victim..." Raina said, honestly if it is random, then the second best place to look would be the shrines... "have you pin pointed each shrine the demon ransacked...if they attack shrines within a certain radius we can use that as well couldnt we?" Raina asked the man, she is sure there is something they can use to find their culprit, she looks towards Ritsuka and Edith to see if they have anything more to add.
"Same Motis," Edith notes to Ritsuka and Raina, pointing out each point as she sees them. "The angle is different with each attack; The depth of the cuts and the angle suggests different heights. These victims were alive when they were made example of, however- Most disgusting. A nasty way to go." Edith shakes her head slowly, clucking her tongue. "Living most likely." Edith notes and slowly, methodically, the blond begins to pull knives from sheaths, licking the blade of each, the edges coating them in her blood (paralytic toxin) the slit to her tongue healing in seconds. "We know the weapons were razor edged, so an expert each time. Though I only have three bane weapons on my person at this time."
Ritsuka mentions that to Edith before she lets out a bit more of a frustrated sigh. The information is very limited, but it is shrines. Sadly it seems the information is far more random than it should be and they really do not have as much as they need to have to tackle this; the Mo is less important, but what isn't is the nature of those harmed and if it was a different shrine every time. There is yet another sigh. "There is a lot of Shrines in Kyoto. We can't spread out enough to split up, even if we got everyone from Haven-city over to help. The imperial family would only present limited interest into this, relying on the police force to handle it." She does make a few nods to Raina. "With the information we have, I don't think we can do too much unless Edith can track the demonic trail somewhere, if some of the arcane trail remains." She does listen to Edith as well and makes a small thoughtful nod. "Probably a traditional weapon then. A katana, tanto, wakizashi or nodachi. Likely not a naginata."
"A long blade of some kind." Edith agrees with Ritsuka. "Though we can be more exact. If we can identify where these shrines are located on a map, we can triangulate our prey and or preys, and we can theorise which is like to be the next struck. I assume," She addresses to the japanese man, "You have already done this and were waiting to provide the map with dramatic timing." Back to Ritsuka and Raina, she adds, "Arcane traces will have one now, though there may be a scent to trail. Likewise, we can lay in wait and see if our objective will show himself to us."
As for the victims, their similarities seemed to be thus. They were all on the outskirts of life. Vulnerable or uncared for. The homeless, the poor, the unfortunate. It seemed whoever was at the cause of this had no issue with simply going for low hanging fruit to find it's victims and didn't seem to care who it was killing so long as the killing was indeed done.
There had been a single killing every single night for the last month, and by Edith's count about 8 different individuals who were involved in the murders. It was a different shrine each time, seeming to start with the easiest to break into, unmanned shrines in remote areas, wherever they could avoid security cameras or locks too troublesome to deal with.
The man smirks at Ritsuka's assumption and bows his head "I shall provide a map and drawing utensils for your triangulation efforts" He tells her, leaving the room for a brief moment before coming back with an, unfortunately, un marked map, and some pens and measuring equipments.
Ritsuka gestures to the table and then waits for her contact to get to work, though she gives a look as if she was expecting that it already had to be done. It is night right now in Kyoto, so tonight there would likely be another victim, with the evening already passed.
"preys huh, i havent considered we might be dealing with more than one honestly" Raina said as she looked at Edith, but it would make sense if there is more than one culprit, she also provided some translation this time for Edith "it seem our culprit likes going after easy targets and the same goes with the shrines...he is also going to get maps" Raina said, then he came back in and...brought an unmarked map "well we should get to work quick..." Raina said looking at Ritsuka with a worried face, she genuinely doesnt want anymore of these incidents happening in japan afterall.
"Our objective is to identify the next unobserved isolated shrine." Edith tells Raina and Ritsuka. "I think with your knowledge of the area." Yes, yes Edith does just assume every Japanese knows every japanese city. She was born in the late 1800s and has expectations of the casual racism of the time. It's not deliberate, but is obvious.
Stepping back, Edith reviews the pictures some more, looking for dates on the deaths to see if any of them corispond with any significant arcane or spiritual phases of the moon or rituals.
The man bows his head politely to Ritsuka before reaching for the pens himself. He grabs his sleeve of the writing hand underneath the elbow to pull the sleeve up and off his wrist so it wouldn't touch the map as he draws, and he starts to indicate every shrine inside of the area the killer(s) had been operating in that hadn't yet been hit. There were thirty eight in total. "And these ..." He says as he starts to draw small 'x's next to some of the locations "Are the ones that do no have CCTV on their premises" He informs them, marking twelve of the given shrines as such.
As Edith studies the dates and the locations she would find the only similarity in times of deaths was that it was at midnight every night. Given someone was being killed every single night, it seemed highly unlikely that they were being deliberately lined up with some kind of arcane or spiritual time line.
"These are not spiritual or occult murders, so our objective," Edith tells Ritsuka and Raina, "Is a series of murders for some other reason. Of course, being alive when strung up could suggest someone feeding messily, though it is likely a message, rather than a ritual."
honestly what is this serial killers deal, it seems like they are doing this to grab attention or just wanton violence Raina stares at the map and the amount of places they need to look is also not small even if it has been reduced by a lot "whatever message they are trying to send...it is just messed up" Raina sighs and if it is feeding "also does feeding really need to be...this excessive?" so far her own experiences of feeding have been relatively tame...but... "if it is, does it mean our serial killer is fighting something as well?" she wonders
Ritsuka translates for Edith "The ones with the x do not have cameras, Edith-san." Her eyes do briefly glance to a nearby clock, which states: 21:40. Her eyes draw back to the map, and she again sighs. "I really should not be needing to put in the effort, but sometimes we do what we need to do." It is now her that reaches for one of the pens as she fills out some of the other data. this was her hometown, she had lived here all her life, and so she marks out the areas that are too wealthy, the shrines too frequently visited, outlines the areas that usually contain the homeless and the impoverished to connect to where the likely next shrines could be. Impoverished does include where more of the old live, too. "I could ask Aiko and Yuki to come and help. This is their home-town, too. But I did not bring them and I'd need twenty to thirty minutes to bring them along." She glances to Raina and mentions to her and Edith "I do not believe this is feeding. Secrecy is not being maintained, which is why secrecy often requires us to not run around and murder the people we feed on." She looks back down. "There is probably another group or two also involved and Hanshin has also been involved for that reason. If it looked like it was the same and not a different person, the person may face judgment from Venice, which means execution for it. It's harder to cover up when the bodies are found again and again."
The clock, that Ritsuka looked at by the time of pposting would show 21:45.
"Usually feeding is quiet, though some of us need to gorge ourselves from time to time." Edith explains to Raina. "Though feeding is less likely than a message for someone. There is going to be something obvious that we are missing." Looking at where the shrines have been reduced to twelve, Edith nods to the man and Ritsuka both. "Twelve is not so bad. Now we simply have to identify which of these shrines is the most isolated, which has the worst security, and alternatively-- We should do so in any case, If any systoms are to be modified or are down for repairs."
"In addition, I suspect that this is perhapse a chain, where by one kills the next kills the next to cover their activities." Edith looks to Ritsuka and the man. "The builds of each of the victims that follow resemble the suspected weights and sizes of the wounds on the former victims- So to boil that down to basics, The murderer is the next victim and the process continues."
As Ritsuka's pen slides across the map, she would further reduce the number of potential shrines that could be hit! Assuming the murderer would be avoiding anything that looked too opulent or too secure, the number someone, Raina, and Edith would be left with was ... Four. Four sites that the murder might potentially be at next.
The salt and pepper haired man watches her work with an approving looking to his face, though it was very subtle. He gives Ritsuka a nod as she finishes "Very good, Shimoni-sama." He praises her in traditional subordinate fashion.
Edith's suspicion, upon further investigation of the records in the file would seem to be true. Eight different murderers had been characterized, eight different sets of body types, heights, and eye colors identified through her forensics capabilities. However, each time the profile of the murderer changed, the previous profile would not show up again in any of the subsequent murders. In addition to this, each time the profile of the murderer changed, the victim of that murder would have a body shape, height, and eye color that perfectly matched the profile of the previous murderer's profile!
As Ritsuka's pen slides across the map, she would further reduce the number of potential shrines that could be hit! Assuming the murderer would be avoiding anything that looked too opulent or too secure, the number Ritsuka, Raina, and Edith would be left with was ... Four. Four sites that the murder might potentially be at next.
The salt and pepper haired man watches her work with an approving looking to his face, though it was very subtle. He gives Ritsuka a nod as she finishes "Very good, Shimoni-sama." He praises her in traditional subordinate fashion.
Edith's suspicion, upon further investigation of the records in the file would seem to be true. Eight different murderers had been characterized, eight different sets of body types, heights, and eye colors identified through her forensics capabilities. However, each time the profile of the murderer changed, the previous profile would not show up again in any of the subsequent murders. In addition to this, each time the profile of the murderer changed, the victim of that murder would have a body shape, height, and eye color that perfectly matched the profile of the previous murderer's profile!
Raina nods still a message...is even more excessive considering what they are doing "what message is it they are trying to send by hanging people and cutting them up" all Raina can see is just plain violence and carnage "hmm..." Raina also lived here, though more accurately close by, she herself hasnt been walking around in kyoto to get to know the place as intimately "missing what is missing...if i were a supernatural serial killer why would i do this to be seen..." or more accurately to be unseen, since the killings are done within blind spots "...i am halfway tempted to just gander a chance and wander the streets right now to just get them, since they seem to just attack vulnerable people" Raina said in frustration, she took note of Edith statement, it is still leaves a lot of gaps on who or why the attacks are happening though "hmm, are any of these shrines close to the last murder?" Raina asked, since that might help reduce the amount of shrines more "i was wondering if the killings were close or further away from one another, if it is close by then...."
Looking up from the files she is working through, Edith places the file down. "So, our victim," the blond notes, "Is the previous murderer." Looking at the last file, Edith shares the height, weight and build of the previous murderer as noted statistically. "Now, four is good." she nods to Ritsuka. "That means we have only four to look over for security lapses."
Looking down on the four remaining options, Ritsuka looks to down to the map now and she mentions to Edith, Raina and Yoshihisa "Four is something we can do. We can post a pair of operatives near each of these four shrines. They can send me a photo, and when a person of similar appearance to what Edith estimates appears, we will be able to path in on the scene and handle it from there. We could take post at one of them as well, and add a third to the other locations." She looks up from the map to Raina and makes a brief nod. "I do think we would be best to place ourselves on that one." Though security lapses does have her mention "It would be hard to find out unless we go there, though operatives could go first and take a look and then we can position ourselves at the one closest to the previous ones while they stay with the other ones that lack the security? More people to combat the situation as needed."
Edith nods in agreement with Ritsuka, then shoots Raina a grin. "You make good points." she tells the woman.
Raina scratches the back of her head bashfully at Edith comment "ah...thank you" though she quickly shakes off that feeling since they are very much at the last bit of the investigative portion of this job "well it is now or never then lady ritsuka, the orders are yours" when it comes to making the choice the final say is on Ritsuka and she is correct, that the security of the closest shrine should be checked, if the security there is good, then the serial killer wouldnt go there due to their usual MO.
"We have a number of hours." Edith notes to Raina and Ritsuka. "Nine something, I believe it was. So an hour, then we set ourselves to wait."
The man would look over to Raina as she talks. "The girl does certainly ... Seem like that could be perceived as an easy target." The man says before falling silent once again, letting the experts that had been called to handle the matter handle the matter.
As Ritsuka, Edith and Raina look over the map, inquire public records for information on the locations, and do their best to try and reduce the number of possible locations as best they can, they would eventually come to the conclusion that it simply wasn't possible to reduce the number of possible locations the killer might strike next any lower than four. All four of the locations Ritsuka had marked were equally awful with their security, in districts with lots of homeless and vulnerable people, had easy ways to access the shrines inside the buildings, and hadn't yet been struck.
Whatever plan they made next would have to work around the constraints of not knowing which of the four shrines would be the one that would be struck next ...
The first location is hidden in a narrow alley behind a shopping arcade.
The second location is on the outskirts of a residential district, connected to an old, unused temple. someone
The third is near a quiet riverbank, underneath a bridge which seemed to be a natural gathering place for the homeless
The fourth was in the basement of an old commercial building that has mostly vacant units.
The man would look over to Raina as she talks. "The girl does certainly ... Seem like that could be perceived as an easy target." The man says before falling silent once again, letting the experts that had been called to handle the matter handle the matter.
As Ritsuka, Edith and Raina look over the map, inquire public records for information on the locations, and do their best to try and reduce the number of possible locations as best they can, they would eventually come to the conclusion that it simply wasn't possible to reduce the number of possible locations the killer might strike next any lower than four. All four of the locations Ritsuka had marked were equally awful with their security, in districts with lots of homeless and vulnerable people, had easy ways to access the shrines inside the buildings, and hadn't yet been struck.
Whatever plan they made next would have to work around the constraints of not knowing which of the four shrines would be the one that would be struck next ...
The first location is hidden in a narrow alley behind a shopping arcade.
The second location is on the outskirts of a residential district, connected to an old, unused temple.
The third is near a quiet riverbank, underneath a bridge which seemed to be a natural gathering place for the homeless
The fourth was in the basement of an old commercial building that has mostly vacant units.
"The first is near shops. Too obvious. Possible for onlookers." Edith tells Ritsuka. "The second is residential. Likewise, chances for people to see them. The third being near a bridge is a like place for the homeless to gather- More likely, though still, could be seen. I suspect the fourth is the most likely. As you see, vacencies. Less chances of being seen by anyone passing." There's a grin, "I could be wrong, though if I were going to isolate someone to exsanguinate them in peace, the fourth is what I would choose."
"I'll send operatives to number one and two and three, and we stay at four until we hear of them?" Ritsuka quietly suggests to the other two now. "I'll have a photo of the other three places and make the operatives check in every five minutes, if they suddenly go silent or report to us, I'll path us over?"
Raina, Ritsuka, and Edith would get the feeling which of these places are hit is going to b /completely random/, as if SRTakeshi is simply going to roll a dice to decide which.
Their plan should take into account the possibility that it could be any one of the four locations.
Raina nods to Ritsuka suggestion "that seems reasonable, though hopefully our serial killer should be at the obvious spot to be thwarted" Raina said, even if her gut feeling is as confused as a drunk bee.
Edith nods to Ritsuka. "You shall path then. I shall take the stealthy tact and linger unseen."
To summarize, Ritsuka, Raina, and Edith all at location four. Tsubaki agents at locations one, two, and three? Can I get some information on the agents and their capabilities, please.
Ritsuka points to cult read all:
Tsubaki-no-Shin - "Core of the Camellia" These are the primary operatives of the organization, intended to be trained and able to work for the Iron Camellia. They carry out the bulk of the groups operations.
Tetsubana - "Iron Blossoms" The trusted lieutenants and advisors to its leadership. Tetsubana oversee divisions of the organization and are each named after a flower that reflects their traits. They serve as mentors, strategists, and enforcers of the organization's code.
Points to the equipment sold at the security building which, along with everything on cult read all should be known by every member of the Tsubaki before joining.
It wouldn't take long for Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina to make their way to the fourth location. It would have if they were to walk, but with pathing, it was easy. The commercial building seemed normal enough, though overtly impoverished in it's nature. At this hour it was completely abandoned, not a soul in sight as they make their way through rooms, some full of computers, some full of empty desks and dust, towards the stairwell that would lead them to the basement.
The switch for the basement light next to the door that lead down to the stairwell would turn out to be quite predictably broken and no light would be forthcoming. As they (assumedly) made their way down despite this the wooden paneled walls to either side of them would be lined with faded paper talismans, a faint spiritual power to them sensable to anyone with the capability for such, but it was faded, as if whatever protective power they had once offered was hanging on by a thread.
The basement room was small, the shrine it's self not a proud thing, about hip height with incense burners sitting cold and untouched, ashes laying around them uncleaned and uncared for.
Their radio comms would crackle with reports from the Tsubaki-No-Shin every five minutes, feeding them regular reports of all clears for now as the night begins ...
Following Ritsuka and Raina in, Edith falls into the shadows, becoming an unseen ghost in the night
(repost) Following Ritsuka and Raina in, Edith falls into the shadows, becoming an unseen ghost in the night; A phantom, perfectly at home in the night thanks to Edith's nature. She is attentive, smelling the air, looking around- No light is no issue for Edith in the least, and listening out, senses acute and perceptive.
It looks very habitual when Ritsuka walks over to the shrine to start cleaning the little place. There is enough time to at least do a little bit of maintenance, clean out the ashes, and she can come back later to light some incense. Perhaps some would forget the spirits, but she would not. Those who do not remember the kami, will not be remembered by them, down in twelve years time.
Raina who is at the moment mostly a normal human just watches her surroundings warily, she would join in to help Ritsuka, but she is being very alert to everything at the moment to be calm enough to help and pray, still she is sticking near Ritsuka as she does her cleaning, even if she is the more weaker one here, she isnt letting anything get close to Ritsuka with how highstrung she is at the moment.
As Ritsuka and Raina look on, Edith begins to bleed until she becomes a crimson mist that circles the room, slowly vanishing and leaving something too small to see; Bats, being tiny are invisible to on-lookers when moving.
As Ritsuka and Raina busy themselves cleaning and paying their respects to the shrine, Edith(vampire bat) would hear a noise from upstairs. Foot steps. Slow and lethargic. Weak in a way that any one of the supernaturals here would find simply non threatening. In addition to the steps, she'd hear the familiar scraping of a body being drug across the ground also. The steps would be coming from the front of the building, heading straight for the shrine room the three Tsubaki agents were in. With the speed at which the body is being drug it would be a few minutes still before they had any company, plenty of time to prepare, or perhaps to move out preemptively.
When it eventually reaches Ritsuka, she places a hand on Raina's shoulder and pulls her away with her. If Raina did not bring her own weapons, she offers a wakizashi to her as she goes on to try and hide in the shadows, to the right from the entrance where they were less likely to be seen unless the person entering was to look left and right.
from where Edith(vampire bat) hides, hidden in the darkness, there is a slight peep. The bat hears something and in a very human way, it gestures with a wing in that direction. No one ever looks up, so again, very inhumanly, Edith(vampire bat) finds a spot above the door, ready to shift back and attack from behind.
Raina didnt bring her own weapon, since the naginata is really hard to conceal, she took up on the offer of the wakizashi from Ritsuka and held it tightly as she waits with bated breath their possible culprit, she is very much prepared to take a life, she has long since resolved herself to do so ever since entering the tsubaki proper.
The door would open with a slam. Flung open by their quarry. The killed starts to descend the stairs, not noticing anyone yet in the room with him. It had been difficult to know what to expect, but such a weak and tired man had likely not been in. Breathing heavy, with shallow panting breaths he, with struggling steps, drags the body behind him into the room, pulling it down the stairs.
His eyes were sunken and his skin was a sickly pale. His veins, a dark black, traced visibly over his skin too sickly to hide them. The veins did not seem naturally placed however. Instead of being organized and clustered around his heart, they instead all seemed to lead to his right shoulder, as if they had been pulled through his body down his arm.
His shirt long ago torn off the half alive man, his right arm was almost entirely black, and in his hand, it's tip trailing along the ground behind him, was a dark blade. The metal of it's blade a pure black with faint crimson veins lacing through it like the fracture lines, red light seeping out of them in soft, gentle pulses like the beat of a heart. The guard is jagged, bringing the image of twisted claws grasping the blade and at the center of it, where the handle turned into blade, was a blood-red jewel which the lines tracing up the blade originated from.
To those capable of sensing such, an immense demonic energy was resonating from the blade, fearsomely powerful but fortunately contained within the blade, limited to what it could by the frail frame of the mortal currently holding it/ Inside the jewel in the blade was what looked like it might have been an iris, dashing about frantically. Though the man holding the blade had no possible way of being able to see the hidden trio in the dark, it wouldn't be long before the iris was latched onto Raina's exact location. A moment later, as if instructed to, the man dragging the body behind him looks lethargically over to the direction in which Raina was hidden, though his eyes squint as if even then he still can't see her ...
the killer*
The door would open with a slam. Flung open by their quarry. The killer starts to descend the stairs, not noticing anyone yet in the room with him. It had been difficult to know what to expect, but such a weak and tired man had likely not been in. Breathing heavy, with shallow panting breaths he, with struggling steps, drags the body behind him into the room, pulling it down the stairs.
His eyes were sunken and his skin was a sickly pale. His veins, a dark black, traced visibly over his skin too sickly to hide them. The veins did not seem naturally placed however. Instead of being organized and clustered around his heart, they instead all seemed to lead to his right shoulder, as if they had been pulled through his body down his arm.
His shirt long ago torn off the half alive man, his right arm was almost entirely black, and in his hand, it's tip trailing along the ground behind him, was a dark blade. The metal of it's blade a pure black with faint crimson veins lacing through it like fracture lines, red light seeping out of them in soft, gentle pulses like the beat of a heart. The guard is jagged, bringing the image of twisted claws grasping the blade and at the center of it, where the handle turned into blade, was a blood-red jewel which the lines tracing up the blade originated from.
To those capable of sensing such, an immense demonic energy was resonating from the blade, fearsomely powerful but fortunately contained within the blade, limited to how it could affect the mortal plane by the frail frame of the mortal currently holding it/ Inside the jewel in the blade was what looked like it might have been an iris, dashing about frantically. Though the man holding the blade had no possible way of being able to see the hidden trio in the dark, it wouldn't be long before the iris was latched onto Raina's exact location. A moment later, as if instructed to, the man dragging the body behind him looks lethargically over to the direction in which Raina was hidden, though his eyes squint as if even then he still can't see her ... (Fixed)
Ah and so it begins, she waits, quiet and silent until the man made his way through. But when the eye latches onto Raina, there is no more room for any gentle resolution to this. If you need to kill a monster... so be it - and that means that Ritsuka suddenly behind him, blade already in the middle of the swing as she looks to simply cut a head off. Blood may flow at this shrine today, but it shall not be to defile it, but to defend it.
Once the man is in the room, Edith transforms once more into that crimson mist. Appearing silently-- hidden, she slips the door closed behind her, and still hidden, she lets Raina be the distraction and waits on Ritsuka, poisoned knife ready to strike, arcana ready to be used.
Raina remained still, she isnt about to just bust out of the shadows sword in hand, but she is about to spring into action if the killer lunges at her, mostly to avoid his attack and counter attack, the safer option rather than countering immediately, though hopefully she doesnt have to actually do that in the first place...honestly she isnt very good at using a sword, so she isnt too confident on even launching an attack in the first place Raina eyes widen as Ritsuka is behind the man mid swing she follows up to basically distract the man by springing from the shadows in a defensive stance.
As Raina moves and Ritsuka does likewise, Edith emerges, blade in hand. It's not a swing that follows though; Edith speaks an arcane word and the man's blood begins to flow.
The man does not see Ritsuka coming in even the slightest, still gaping confusedly into the darkness where Raina and Edith were hidden. He blinks again in confusion as the door is closed, removing the only source of light this room had, other than the dull red glow coming from the jewel of the blade in his hand.
The blade swings at the unaware target, it's course true, no apparent way for the man to react to the attack, the blade homing in on his neck ...
A sickening crunch and then the ring of steel on steel. Ritsuka's blade is stopped as the room falls silent for a moment and then is filled by a bloodcurdling scream of agony. Shattered and splintered bone pierced out through the skin of his shoulder, his arm reaching directly behind him in order to bring his blade to Ritsuka's in a movement that had destroyed his shoulder completely. Despite it not looking like it should be able to even support the weight of it's arm anymore, let alone hold up a blade to stop Ritsuka's own, the arm stayed in the air as the man, seeming to have not even noticed that he'd been attacked, only that his shoulder was now a bloody mess of bone splinters and his blood was boiling inside of his body from Edith's magic, cries in painful agony.
The iris inside of the blade now cross with Ritsuka's locks eyes with her, seeming to shake in rage as she fills the room filling with demonic energy! The blade lifts, the frail body of the man holding it being lurched along behind it as it swings down hard towards Ritsuka, black mist bellowing out from the blade as it swings to draw a dark crescent through the air to mark the path it was following!
Ritsuka and Raina can fight this man. Edith moves in, knife stabbing for a weak point; That paralytic toxin will slow the body even further but more than that, Edith uses it for something more insidious: Edith speaks another word, this one to give the man a heart attack, haemomancy used to kill the body and leave the arm fixed to a lurching corpse with any luck. More disorientated if not.
Raina kicks the mans knees hard from behind as it tries to slash at ritsuka in an attempt to basically make it fall over backwards, even if the sword is demonic the body of the man is still a body that can fall to such follies, she also aimed to just separate the man from the sword with one hard swing to the wrist, hoping to either cut the mans hand off or at the very least break his wrist so he would let go of the sword.
Ritsuka begins to shrine with the rising sun of her nation as she moves to parry the attack - she was capable enough at the least, and the blinding light only makes it harder to properly see her. "You will not defile what is divine any longer, spawn of hell." She says it looking at the enemy, though she evidently means the blade that seems far too happy to be controlling the man. Trying to cut the man's hand at the wrist off, seems to be the option here, a small sacrifice, and at the least the man will live, though with memories forever altered. A work accident likely, with the necessary forms to validate it.
The man just straight is not having a good time right now. As his heart stops the pained cries stop with it, even though his mouth remains open in a now soundless scream. Despite the fact he should be dead right now, something dark and violating was keeping his soul tied to his body, though it was doing nothing to protect it from the onslaught it was receiving. Tears are rolling down his face as he gets lurched towards Ritsuka, pulled by his shattered shoulder, more splinters of bone pushing up out of and tearing up his skin with every movement.
With Raina's kick to his leg he falls down to the ground, making the attack towards Ritsuka fall short. and letting her smack the blade into an over swing with ease. The blade embeds into the wooden wall besides Ritsuka from hers and Raina's combined maneuver and it was the work of a single moment for Ritsuka's blade to slice clean through the wrist of the man that had been holding it!
Grasping his now stub of a wrist as blood spurts out from the wound, the man falls to his back with a thud, his wafer like body starting to slide and roll down the stairs, out of sight and into the darkness ...
He wasn't the important one here, though. It was clear to all watching that the one at fault here was whatever spirit was inside the blade. The iris dashes about, from Ritsuka, to Raina, to Edith as it glares at each in turn. The small dot inside the sword's red gem thrashing about with enough energy to shake the blade, but not enough to shake it out of the wall it was now embedded into. Despite it not longer being a physical threat, dark mist was still seeping out of the blade, and Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina all would start to feel desperate, clawing, demanding urges hitting their minds all at once. If they didn't have the mental capacity to fight such things, they would find themselves walking towards the blade, compelled to pick it up into their own hands ...
The man just straight is not having a good time right now. As his heart stops the pained cries stop with it, even though his mouth remains open in a now soundless scream. Despite the fact he should be dead right now, something dark and violating was keeping his soul tied to his body, though it was doing nothing to protect it from the onslaught it was receiving. Tears are rolling down his face as he gets lurched towards Ritsuka, pulled by his shattered shoulder, more splinters of bone pushing up out of and tearing up his skin with every movement.
With Raina's kick to his leg he falls down to the ground, making the attack towards Ritsuka fall short. and letting her smack the blade into an over swing with ease. The blade embeds into the wooden wall besides Ritsuka from hers and Raina's combined maneuver and it was the work of a single moment for Ritsuka's blade to slice clean through the wrist of the man that had been holding it!
Grasping his now stub of a wrist as blood spurts out from the wound, the man falls to his back with a thud, his wafer like body starting to slide and roll down the stairs, out of sight and into the darkness ...
He wasn't the important one here, though. It was clear to all watching that the one at fault here was whatever spirit was inside the blade. The iris dashes about, from Ritsuka, to Raina, to Edith as it glares at each in turn. The small dot inside the sword's red gem thrashing about with enough energy to shake the blade, but not enough to shake it out of the wall it was now embedded into. Despite it not longer being a physical threat, dark mist was still seeping out of the blade, and Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina all would start to feel desperate, clawing, demanding urges hitting their minds all at once. If they didn't have the mental capacity to fight such things, they would find themselves walking towards the blade, compelled to pick it up into their own hands ... (Fixed)
He is just straight up is not having a good time right now. As his heart stops the pained cries stop with it, even though his mouth remains open in a now soundless scream. Despite the fact he should be dead right now, something dark and violating was keeping his soul tied to his body, though it was doing nothing to protect it from the onslaught it was receiving. Tears are rolling down his face as he gets lurched towards Ritsuka, pulled by his shattered shoulder, more splinters of bone pushing up out of and tearing up his skin with every movement.
With Raina's kick to his leg he falls down to the ground, making the attack towards Ritsuka fall short. and letting her smack the blade into an over swing with ease. The blade embeds into the wooden wall besides Ritsuka from hers and Raina's combined maneuver and it was the work of a single moment for Ritsuka's blade to slice clean through the wrist of the man that had been holding it!
Grasping his now stub of a wrist as blood spurts out from the wound, the man falls to his back with a thud, his wafer like body starting to slide and roll down the stairs, out of sight and into the darkness ...
He wasn't the important one here, though. It was clear to all watching that the one at fault here was whatever spirit was inside the blade. The iris dashes about, from Ritsuka, to Raina, to Edith as it glares at each in turn. The small dot inside the sword's red gem thrashing about with enough energy to shake the blade, but not enough to shake it out of the wall it was now embedded into. Despite it not longer being a physical threat, dark mist was still seeping out of the blade, and Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina all would start to feel desperate, clawing, demanding urges hitting their minds all at once. If they didn't have the mental capacity to fight such things, they would find themselves walking towards the blade, compelled to pick it up into their own hands ... (For some reason the game doesn't seem to like this post, I think it's because I kept starting it with "The man", trying to fix that)
Edith is thankfully dead, and there fore, mental manipulations work very differently against the vampire. As the demands come, she smiles, the man forgotten; Edith is not compassionate. If anything, the loss was the blood bag, not the soul within it that tumbles down the stairs. Ritsuka and Raina's success is of course rewarded with a satisfied nod, and then that iris within the blade gets a smug smirk. Edith doesn't care if it's not able to speak english or not. She tells it, not bothering to advance, "It looks as though you may be struggling to find a hand to wield you. Perhapse I should simply banish you right now."
Raina felt a really odd sense to pick up the blade stuck in the wall, though...only briefly as she just bit her tongue hard as the pain shock makes her think of anything but the sword stuck to the wall, she is standing still as a statue however...she doesnt dare to move in the fear she would actually just go grab the sword without even truly noticing it Raina glances at Ritsuka and Edith and finally at the sword whose iris stare at them with seething hatred "hmn..." Raina doesnt find any sort of enjoyment doing this, but the man is likely dead, she shouldnt think about it anymore than that and just focus on her pain until the sword is safely removed.
Usually, one would never really notice an imprint take hold, but there is a difference for body imprints and Ritsuka realizes when she takes a step towards it. Her head does turn to Edith, as she asks her "Edith-san, can you put the thing to rest? We need to put it to sleep, then it can be sheathed and Kin'Yoko can feed its magical power to consume it, or reward it to someone if She so wishes."
"Very well." Edith agrees. There's a moment as Edith steps forward, arcane words on her tongue and she begins to perform a complex looking ritual that should, in all right take well over an hour. A circle and series of runes are drawn and then- No longer than seven minutes later, the banishment concludes; The advantages of having one of the best arcanists in the world.
During the hour of the ritual, Ritsuka returns to tending to the shrine and lights up a stick of incense that she withdraws from her satchel. It is true, women have far too much in their bags.
Raina is by Ritsuka side and away from the blade she just prays for this to conclude safely and that the victims of this supernatural incident rest in peace, though she has no incense to offer, she can still offer this sincere prayer, that said this would be the second time Raina has to handle a cursed item with a blade and another person doing the decursing of sorts to make the blades problem go away.
A crimson eye snaps to face Edith, turning all around to face her as it glowers at her. It starts to scream in agony as she attempts to banish it, a voice that would be heard in their heads not through their ears. It was hard to tell if the voice was animal something that could speak language like a humans, but there were certainly no words in the voice currently, simply a pain and rage fueled scream that shook the brain to the point of pain.
Edith would discover that whatever the thing was in the blade, that it was exceptionally resistant to banishments. As much pain as it seemed to inflict on the creature, by the time the seven minutes were done, the sword lay were it was. The screams died down as the ritual finished, but the presence was still very clearly there. The dark mist still seeps from the blade, but this time in slow, thin wisps, as if weakened. The three would feel the urge to grab the sword once again, but weakened this time, enough for even Raina to be able to fight without much issue.
"C ... come to me ..." Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina would hear in their heads, the voice pained and weak, but still arrogant and demanding "Slaughter. Kill. Destroy. Death. Rebirth. I will give it all to you. Everything your heart desires ..." It was trying to negotiate now, as if a single minute more not being held in the hand of someone it could posses was bringing it pain, as it had hungered for centuries. "Bring me blood and I will bring you power."
Apparently not having to give the ritual as much attention as most others, and with the working already established and nearly complete; Edith really is just that good, she looks to Ritsuka and tells her, "As you tend the shrine, you could send your apprentice," meaning Raina, "To go get that man before he bleeds out. Use his blood to sanctify this shrine to your Kin'Yoko, hmm?" There's a flicker of fingers, the circle of runes flare and then- The ritual concludes, the spirit ripped from the blade with a savage tug on the air that draws with it the chill of death. "One spiritually devoid sword banished of its demonic influence." the vampire tells Ritsuka, standing to slip her tools away.
the spirit remains within the sword!
"Excuse me." Edith tells the weakened sword. "Adults are talking."
"sorry but id rather not have power that relies on many...many people being dead..." Raina continues her prayer, at the very least the urge is pathetically weak now, so she just mainly focuses on prayer, she then heard Edith said something about using the currently dying man to sanctify the shrine for kin'yoko in which she looks at Ritsuka for confirmation if that would work, not that she would want it to as it is...really pretty much kicking a dying person some more, a person who is likely innocent in all of this, but she wont object if it is an order...just be conflicted while she does so.
Ritsuka just rolls her eyes, Kin'Yoko would simply subjugate the demonic spirit if not outright consume it, though Edith not managing does make her look a touch confused. There is also plenty of blood here, and she turns around to- Well, yeah, what Edith just said. She does start to do exactly that, and begins to re-dedicate the shrine to Kin'Yoko, as it seems the kami that once housed this shrine has long since vanished. It is not something she wanted to do- to allow the kami to be remembered. On the other hand, it is what she intends to do with the Frostcaller's Shrine. It will be remembered, but it will also not be silent. In memory of the spirit that once was. The sanctifying would take a full hour.
"If you want me to rip the rest of its soul out, I will be eating one of you." Edith points out to Ritsuka and Raina. "Rituals are costly, even at my level of power." The sword now gets a contemptuous look. "Don't make me get my dog to eat you." she tells it- Is it a bluff? Who knows, but Edith ignores the sentient weapon from that point onward. "Ah," she smirks to it as the light of Kin'Yoko shines. "It looks as though the eidolon itself has decided to help. I do suppose you truly are nothing, demonspawn."
It is very much answered with the golden light that ripples over the ceiling and then surrounds the shrine, one that lingers for a couple of moments, with warmth that fills into those present, one that may even be felt by someone here; it was protective, belonging, almost like a parent who would keep a person well. To Ritsuka and Raina, that sense was very normal.
The ripples of golden light pulls itself together, as it spears into the very eye of the demonic spirit in the sword, crushing and consuming it, food for an Eidolon.
It is very much answered with the golden light that ripples over the ceiling and then surrounds the shrine, one that lingers for a couple of moments, with warmth that fills into those present, one that may even be felt by Edith here; it was protective, belonging, almost like a parent who would keep a person well. To Ritsuka and Raina, that sense was very normal.
The ripples of golden light pulls itself together, as it spears into the very eye of the demonic spirit in the sword, crushing and consuming it, food for an Eidolon.
Raina is definitely conflicted, but as Ritsuka has told her before they are not good people, she helps out Ritsuka on the sanctification of the shrine, mostly by painting the symbols of kin'yoko all over the place as she did so with the room, honestly, just think of doing this and close her heart to the currently dying man, at the very least the demonic sword will be fully vanquished and no longer would be a problem for kyoto.
It vibrates with rage towards Edith as she talks down to it, images of slaughter and violence flash into her mind. Quite scary, certainly, if she wasn't so sure the spirit was in no position to enact on any part of it. "Your spirit cannot destroy me." The sword whispers into Ritsuka's mind petulantly "If it wasn't for this sword, I would reek havoc on this mortal plane. I am far more powerful than you can possibly imagine. I am death incarnate. I am the crimson saint. I will see an end to all life that exists in this world." It's voice was getting louder and louder, audible in Edith and Raina's head both now as it rattles their minds with it's desperation drive tantrum.
Edith would be adressed next "You cannot eat me, witch." It cackles at her. "Even if you suppress me now it is only a matter of time before I am discovered again. Wherever you place me, I will draw humans to it. I will be here long after you're gone."
And yet, such a thing would simply be consumed by an Eidolon, eaten, with no spirit left behind. Such is the parasitic nature of the Eidolons, as they eat up magic itself, rather than life force.
SRTakeshi would like to remind people to use the "attempt" command
"You talk too much." Edith tells the sword casually. "You bluster and you show me these things as though rivers have not run red in my passing before." Nodding to the shrine, Edith makes passing respects to the tier six being, a creature as strong as the archdemons of hell in Kin'Yoko, then goes to find what's left of the man who's bleeding out- No point in leaving a perfectly good snack. So saying, once blood enough is collected for the sanctification in that hour, Edith begins to drink... and drink... and drink from the man until he's nothing but an exsanguinated husk before returning his corpse to the other body that he, himself dragged in. Ritsuka and Raina can handle the rest of the problem, Edith's job is done, and the struggle is now between Kin'Yoko and the demon within the sword.
"You know," Edith mentions to Ritsuka and Raina between making a perfect victim of the now useless handless man, "You should give this sword to Takeshi. I think they may be bosom companions."
Seeing that the blade seems to still resist the power of something that would turn itself into an enemy of all that exists, if it was not a spirit, Ritsuka raises up her phone to look at it, scrolling and browsing through it, for the number that links back to Venice. She does takes in a deep breathe, looking at it for a moment. "You know, if it tries to resist a kami, maybe we should just involve Venice. Too dangerous to be out and about, they will find a way to seal this thing away, if not outright destroy it." She does not yet call.
She does glance to Edith "I would think about it, but the two would then just go on mass murder people and I don't have the resources or patience to deal with something that murders someone and defiles a shrine every day."
a reminder to never let a vampire bite you Raina notes to herself as she watches Edith drink a man like caprisun, as for the sword, she is 100/ not letting it near takeshi he is recklessly murder happy already she doesnt need to deal with something that encourages that "no..." Raina answers Edith with a disdainful stare "he is already hard enough to deal with without the murder sword" Raina added/
Ritsuka says "He could have it, and perhaps Kin'Yoko would offer Her power to help protect it from being taken, but we need to silence this demon thing first if not kill it."
It would really seems as if the task in front of them would be more orientated towards trying to figure out how to deal with the fact that there was an angry spirit that seemed entirely resilient to banishment rather than trying to figure out how to banish it.
They would get some clues, however, as Kin'Yoko dives into the blade it would start to glow with light! The spirit screeches once more in agony, even though it seems to survive it's trails, but it's voice becomes faded, significantly weaker.
The light seems to activate some kind of latent function of the fuinjutsu blade that had been created, seemingly, as a method of containing the spirit. The light from Kin'Yoko seems to gather around the sword, forming a sheath as it clatters from the wall to the ground. The black material that formed the guard wrapped around the red gem, seeming to close over it like an eyelid.
The scabbard forming around the sword held a sageo to it, wrapped tightly around the handle and the scabbard in such a way to tie the two together, making the blade completely impossible to draw from it's sheath!
"I ... Still live ..." Would come a voice, just a whisper now "This ... Is only temporary ..."
Self satisfied, there is an image that plays, silent, only visible as the radiant silhouette of a nine-tailed fox sits down atop of the sword. A paw raising to lick it before the lines that make it up, sway away and disappear from here. The warmth lingers, but it is a trail, not the full presence that it was a moment ago.
Raina looks at the currently sealed sword "yeah i am still of the opinion we toss it into the middle of the sea and be done with it" she genuinely dislikes the blade...to a really great extent, but she isnt the one calling the shots Ritsuka is, but still if Raina had her way she would be destroying the blade and the spirit and call it a day "haah...i really do not like it at all" Raina mutters to herself, as she stared at the sealed sword with great contempt "so what do we do with it lady ritsuka, should we have venice handle it or should we take it back to the tsubaki to...do something about it" Raina genuinely doesnt want the latter to happen at all, it feels like a danger.
"Raina-san, can you collect it?" Ritsuka quietly asks, glancing, watching the trails fade away "I think we take it along with us, make a report and then we can head back to Haven-city to find out what we will do with it. Your brother could perhaps handle it, under the kami's guidance. It would very much level to a relic, the same as many other people have it."
"I would rather not involve Venice-" Edith tells Ritsuka. She nodes Raina watching and she gives the woman a small smile. "If I were to bite normally, it would not be obvious to anyone bar me. I usually subsist off of small amounts, so when the chance comes up, I am going to glut myself. This was simply convenient." Yes, the man who is now a corpse is a /this/. Edith is a monster, and one that has hideous potential if given ennough time to grow. "I suggest you have your ritualists mass ritualize this thing, then have it silenced with one of Kin'Yoko's seals. Elsewise, I need to interact with Venic's master, and my Master would get involved, then his Mistress would, and it is all a huge mess. The godlings and the fae lords begin to pay attention. So simply hiding this thing is for the best."
Raina cringes ever so slightly, but relents as she walks up and picks up the sword, she is going to really develop a hatred for these sorts of things "are you sure we should give it to onii...i mean takeshi, he is rather cavalier about violence you know" Raina said as she holds the sword tightly in her hands, fearing it would somehow leap off her hands if she were to be any gentler with it "i agree on miss edith that we should take care of it, silence it if you may" Raina has no mercy for the wicked...maybe.
The sword, for what it was, seemed like a pretty efficient tool for the containment of the spirit. It seemed all the sword would require was regular prayer and spiritual maintenance, working efficiently with just small offerings of spiritual power. It would seem the only reason the murder spree had happened at all was that because whatever old shinto monk had been placed in charge of keeping track of the sword had fell to old age, and without an apprentice or heir to take over his work the sword had eventually lost enough of it's power that it had managed to call a hapless human to it's not abandoned shrine. The results of which had been the mess Ritsuka, Edith, and Raina had been clearing up all night.
All it would need from here on was to not be once more forgotten.
the sword had eventually lost enough of it's power that the spirit inside had managed to call*
"Curious how so many of you young people so often use relics. You would become immortal given enough time." Edith comments to Ritsuka and Raina. "I am closing in on more power without, and all it will cost is the blood of those who are cattle anyway."
"He is to guard it, we will push him to enter into a pact for it that he can't ever escape or leave, one that will give Kin'Yoko absolute power over him, even if he was to leave the cult." Ritsuka quietly tells to Raina, and then adds "In the same way she does over me and Alabaster had aided me. Just a little different. The goal will be to contain it. But let's go on and speak to "Yoshihisa, and to talk to him about what cover-up we are going to use." She looks to what Edith is snacking on and mentions "That was clearly the murderer. He was killed when police arrived to arrest him and he suddenly attacked. By happenstance, he fell over the shrine before he could wound anyone."
Ah and then she glances to Edith, answering her "Edith-san... I am working on it, but most people that do ascend need a century to do so. It is around six to seven months for me to accomplish it.""
Edith nods to Ritsuka. "That makes a lot of sense. I am well over the hundred years."
Consideringly, Edith adds, "You could bind the spirit to the scabbard so it is unable to be drawn. Then the pact made by Takeshi binds it to his safety. Give him the responsibility so that he is forced into making correct choices- Also President Fisher has ammended the terms of his pact. Far more easy for Takeshi and Sam to fulfill. One feeding and he is to imbue an item."
Raina looks at Edith with a great sense of wariness "...i...see" power will always come at price and she is far too soft to even want to pay that price in the first place, she cant say anything to Edith at all and just remained quiet as she listen into what Ritsuka whispered to her "another binding on him...at this point i feel really bad...maybe just give the sword to me if you fear that he will misuse it" Raina suggested, though thinking about it, she will regret saying this like this like she regretted saying something before "maybe not...i genuinely cant use a sword anyways im more of a spear person" Raina said as she is torn on letting takeshi have it and have another binding be place upon him or just let her take care of it, in which case whenever the spirit would start to talk she would just be beyond annoyed.
The Hanshin Group would do what they could to clean everything up. Agents in white overalls and facemasks coming in with mops and buckets and tarps to wrap everything up in. They moved liked they'd done this a thousand times before, which they likely had. The bodies, once exsanguinated by Edith and Ritsuka, would be packed up and carried off. The agents Ritsuka had assigned to the other three locations would be pleased to report an uneventful night, and before long they were outside the building, Raina holding the blade in her arms that felt much less intimidating now the sheath was containing it, and the salt and peppered hair Japanese man was waiting for them. The Hanshin Group members hurried about as he drew from his cigarette calmly. Once the trio leave the building, he would bow his head respectfully "You have the thanks of the Hanshin Group." He tells them politely.
He'd pause a moment before bowing his head to Edith too "You have the thanks of the Hanshin Group" He decides to tell her also, seeming to speak perfect english despite having been speaking Japanese this whole tim!
"Bindings are common place in the supernatural world, Dear." Edith explains to Raina. "It is most common for demons and angels, as the former is the ideal soldier and the latter is the perfect guard. They both have very high potentials and it is best to control them before they grow too powerful. Hence why binding the sword to Takeshi is a good choice. Demon to demon will forge a pact. One will feed the other and the empowerment of the protections will be superior than otherwise. I am certain that Miss Shimomi will have bandings upon her, and I most certainly do. Brandings are used to keep one in the cycle of the world. It is perfectly natural."
"I believe we are mostly resolved then, hmm?" Edith asks Ritsuka and Raina. "Give the sword to Takeshi, have your Iron Camellia protect it and move from that point."
Ritsuka allows for Edith and someone to talk while she leads the way on. She makes a small nod, and then for a moment, takes a glance up to the skies. "It was suggested to me, Raina- That we would use you to financially aid the Tsubaki where I am currently carrying the most of the weight of our financial burdens and responsibilities. But it is the other road you have, to become a guardian, or to become someone who works to serve. Servitude is in your blood and you would be best to serve someone who is worth it, if you can't learn to stand on your own feet and do not wish to become stronger and more powerful. To belong." She does otherwise lead the way back on, and makes a small nod to her contact.
"Of course, Haranobu-san." And then another nod to Edith. "I do still have a gift for you, Edith-san. And perhaps Kin'Yoko will reward you if you linger for a moment, I will path us back to Haven-city when everyone is ready."
Ritsuka allows for Edith and Raina to talk while she leads the way on. She makes a small nod, and then for a moment, takes a glance up to the skies. "It was suggested to me, Raina- That we would use you to financially aid the Tsubaki where I am currently carrying the most of the weight of our financial burdens and responsibilities. But it is the other road you have, to become a guardian, or to become someone who works to serve. Servitude is in your blood and you would be best to serve someone who is worth it, if you can't learn to stand on your own feet and do not wish to become stronger and more powerful. To belong." She does otherwise lead the way back on, and makes a small nod to her contact.
"Of course, Haranobu-san." And then another nod to Edith. "I do still have a gift for you, Edith-san. And perhaps Kin'Yoko will reward you if you linger for a moment, I will path us back to Haven-city when everyone is ready."
"Ah yes." Edith nods to Ritsuka. "I had quite forgotten." A gesture as she moves with Ritsuka and Raina, and she explains to Raina, "Angels find themselves most happy serving gods or more powerful angels- I do not like them personally. You all taste... cuddly." And then another nod to Ritsuka, "I shall remain for Kin'Yoko indeed. I have successfully managed to remain under the sun for longer."
Ritsuka mentions to Raina "You can serve me, if you need someone, Raina. I will treat you well."
Raina seemed to have gotten far too excited with everything going on to respond and it seemed this would likely need to be a conversation had another day, for now, the adventure had come to a close!