Prepping... [Yomi; open to Hellion subjects]

[Sanada Tomo]

"This is the new model I wanted to show you for the soldiers," Tomo said. He was dressed today in a nice black and red chinese style outfit; the very same one that he had worn when Arashi had come over to his castle to 'visit'.

He was on a sandy beach now, one that had been cordoned off for her usage showing the weapon to Yomi. It was a variation of the weapon that he had used to ambush Shoko with when he had launched an attack on this layer. Looking around, Tomo felt proud of himself. He liked being able to credit the new glow of the Layer to himself. Granted, this was Yomi's internal vision for what she had wanted it to look like, but he could feel his own magic, mixed with Arya, the elf who had helped him, even in the ground.

"Vashnya, step forward with the weapon, please."

Despite how many times he had been here before for leisure, he couldn't shake the feeling that this needed to be a completely serious matter. There were sentries posted in case someone from Heaven got a little too curious. Symphony headed the sentries, as she was guaranteed to get two hundred percent better results than her comrades.

The Balseraph that Tomo had called was petit; but that only hid her true strength. She was very good with Heavy weaponry.



"I made it out of an alloy that it very, very light. Something like this feels only a bit heavier than a large sword." Tomo thought for a moment. "I was thinking of making customized weapons for our forces, Suzaku forbidding that we ever have to use them. Which reminds, me..." Tomo trailed off, looking at Yomi. "Why are you so eager to actually have me construct weapons? Can you not do it yourself here? Is it really that urgent? I don't want to fight Heaven, Yomi. I don't."

[Uesugi Yomi]

"I need you to grow some balls--which you should have when you changed forms, by the way--you can't keep continuing with your existence like this War isn't going to happen. Heaven will find a way around it, even if they're fighting you without declaring War." Yomi paused. Tomo had always been too soft, not willing to pull the trigger when it really counted unless it was for the best interest of ALL parties involved. That and when she was being crazy, which wasn't good for everyone. Tomo hadn't been able to kill Chiyo right after the Great Purging--he claimed that Heaven was going to continue peace with Hell aside from that incident only if Chiyo remained in command. To an extent, he had been right; Heaven fell promptly into chaos shortly after Chiyo had been killed.

Tomo was insightful, Yomi knew, and though she would rather choke on her own poisonous concoction than admit it, he usually knew how the people in Heaven felt or thought in terms of incidents. However, Tomo failed to exploit this weakness and destroy his enemy. That was why they would never get along.

"Tomo, the weapon looks fine, and I've seem the damage that a hundred of them can do. Custom weapons should only be offered to those who have proved themselves with the weapons they already possess. I will not have you giving power to the weak or the clumsy."

Yomi smirked, knowing that her place in Hell as Tomo's second-in-command was now almost guaranteed. Things were slowly drifting back to the way that they used to be. Rei was a nice tactician because of her past life as a youkai, but she lack the proficiency in direct combat that Yomi had. Yomi wouldn't be caught sitting on the sidelines while her people were dying. Nope.

"You can't protect both sides anymore. I've been to Heaven, as you know. They're ot plotting for peace, but War. Tsubasa will do anything to achieve her goal and you know it. Personally, I think that you should launch the first attack."

[Admin]

"Tsubasa or no, we have allies in Heaven that need to be consulted before any rash conclusions are reached, Yomi-nee-chan. My brother for one. Most of the Elders, some of the Byakko and Suzaku no Ichizoku. Striking first is all well and good in a war with decisive sides but seeing as how this one doesn't currently have any..." Rei stated, walking out onto the beach with a rather sour expression.

She hated sand. It got into every nook and crany and was impossible to get out of carpet. And worst of all, it reminded her of Jin. The painful jerk of her heart at that thought was enough to turn the expression into a full fledged brooding glare.

She knew neither of her senpai would really give a damn what she thought, especially at the moment, but she felt the need to make her displeasure clear.

"And I really don't think something like this is needed," She said, tilting her chin towards the massive cannon. "What does it run on anyway? Surely it can't be more efficiant than a front-line of offensive mages." She directed the question to Tomo, knowing that Yomi would probably sneer at her and make some rude remark about Rei's amazing lack of knowlege for someone who had acted as Second-in-command for several years.

[Sanada Tomo]

"I can't allow you to make the assumption that this line of weaponry isn't important. You were there when Shoko attacked the sixth of Hell. we needed these to drive him out. While I don't agree with Yomi's emphasis on weapons, I can't rely on just magic. You could stand to learn how to use weaponry decently yourself, Rei-chan, whether it be gun or sword."

Tomo paused. "And I will not launch the first attack. I refuse to."

[Admin]

"I didn't say it was unimportant, I just don't think it's necessary for the purposes of this war. Something like this...." Rei turned to examine the machine again with a critical eye, before turning back to the Maha-ou, her glare for entirely different reasons. "It's the power of this weapon that I dispute, nor the capablities that it has in battle. My concern is it's fallibility. I'm more than a little suspicious of anything that looks fairly divine in origin and this...It reeks of something Tsubasa would do. We've defended hell for centuried relying on the magic that we posses. We've face things harder more difficult than Tsubasa or the rebels. We're a more cohesive army than heaven has seen in at least a millenia. I don't use any weaponry than what has been granted to me by my linage and my pact. I'm a mage, through and through, you knew that when you scouted me. You should have also known that I've never relied on handmade weapons in my life. Not as a Youkai and certainly not as a celestial. In the event that my magic, however I use it, fails to save my life at a crucial moment then I deserve whatever fate befalls me. I know that neither my spirit or Byakkurai will let me falter in that."

There were few things that Rei felt she could get truly passionate about anymore and was truly shocked by the forceful reply to an offhand comment. Maybe it was a sign of the times? She was damned tired of being fucked around with by the fear of Tsubasa that she was ready to get serious about sending her back to whatever literal hell she had been in, but she would be damned (truly) if she was going to sink to that bitches level.

[Uesugi Yomi]

"That's just the answer I expect from a spineless little twit like you. Nothing but cowardice. There are things in life that are not certain and reliable yes; but do you really think that your magic is any more reliable than our weapons? What will your magic do when someone is coming at you with a sword, right in your face? Magic takes time and energy. This takes a mere second. And by the way, toots, just because you're good at magic doesn't mean that the entire congregation of Hell has to use it. We need variety. You might be capable with your magic--which I think is a debatable fact, but, assuming that it's correct--but that doesn't mean that the rest of Hell has to go by the same standard. We weren't all born into great families that spoiled us into being proficient. Some of us have to work hard for the skills that we have, not just sit back and inherit them because we're descendants of Byakko.

"Just because you have bad memories of Heaven doesn't mean that we should shun what they use. We need to adapt. To take their ideas and make them better. Then use it against them. It's not as though our warriors don't have any other skills--unless you've been so careless as to foolishly teach your subjects to only use magic..."

Yomi was not about to let Rei's sob stories rule this argument. Times had changed and a little more than magic was needed to keep the upper hand.

[Admin]

Rei raised an eyebrow at the derogatory remarks from Yomi. She was frankley tired of being put in the position of defending herself and her ideals.

"My armies are as well-rounded as Tsubasa made them. They all come from heaven. They all know how to use those things. It just so happens that a great many of them have opinions similar to my own on the matter. I don't deny that times change, verstility is needed and all that. You have the use of any of my people that you wish, whether you want it or not. I don't seek approval of you for what I know to be true. I trust magic more than machines. That's the simple matter of it. You can question me all you like but whos the one who got herself killed for being a ridiculous twat?" She turned to Tomo "If you had your mind made up about this, why did you call me down here? If you don't want my opinions and are going to take Yomi's over mine then why bother?"

[Sanada Tomo]

Tomoyo sighed. "I never said that I was taking anyone's opinon over anyone else's. Just chill out, Rei. You've been on edge recently, and I don't know what's bothering you, but you don't have to fight with Yomi about this. I think that you are both right in your own way. I called you here to allow you to see what I'm working on. We're a team, remember? I will not create military tactics and not tell them to the authority over the majority of my armies about it.

"I wanted you to know about this so that you aren't caught off guard if and when we go into the battlefield. I need you to know as much about what I'm doing as possible so that you can make possible adjustments to your fighting strategy. You may not trust machines, Rei, but you will have to work with them, and you will have to know when it would be most convenient to use them and when it will not. I do not want to have my soldiers thrown away by a commander unfamiliar witih the weapons and what sort of damage they do. It is because I value your opinions and your judgment that I have you here."

Turning to Yomi, Tomoyo pouted. "Yomi, I know that you've been having some difficulty readjusting to your Kingship and all, but we are not all brute force, either, like we used to be. We required moer subtle tactics. Albeit, this is not subtle, but my point it that we all need to work together. Questioning each other will only cause unrest, and Hell is in a good place now. We have Kings in all layers but one, and the citizens are prospering..."