Aftermath... [Open]

[Ongaku Migoto]

Following Taiyou's order, Migoto braced himself to hold Tomo a she made the quick decision to take on the beast that barred down on them head on. Migoto could feel the concern in Avalon's voice as he spoke to him, the tension in the room skyrocketing with the death of one of the Dragon Ilreg’s bestial companion’s death at the merciless hands of Taiyou. Despite Tomo’s magic surrounding the small group and Taiyou’s intense heat still present, Migoto’s heart still fluttered with fear at the sight of the furious Dragon barring down. The small amount of precipitation the managed to get past the wall of heat formed as frost on the Yami-ou’s barrier, and as Migoto clutched the small and now room temperature body of Elizabeth, Migoto looked over to Tomoyo, whose mouth silently mouthed, “My child…” which sounded as loud as could be in the empathetic Djinn’s ears, Tomo’s anguish ever present the absence of her infant son, whose whereabouts were not certain at the moment.

Turning toward the murderous onslaught before them all, Migoto swallowed hard and clenched his teeth, the sadness and pain he with held his whole adult life swollen to the point of eruption as he fought through the barrier of protection. Terrified, uncertain, and angry beyond reproach, Migoto unleashed a terrifying scream, all his rage poured into one word, “ENOUGH!!!” he roared, the sonic screamed formed in a cone of magic in front of Migoto, directed at Ilreg and his remaining companion. As Migoto continued his verbal assault, he could see and hear the Elven princes, going to Yomi rescue, as well as attempting to circumvent Ilreg’s damage.

A jet of violent energies flew from Migoto’s mouth, a flash the only indicator of the air tearing at itself, the scream a potent and explosive form of Sound magic, itself breadth expanding from its center as it cascaded into the air. The ground before the cone tore itself to pieces, the castle floor broken and flying away from the stream of extreme sonic magic, the more unfortunate pieces pulverized completely, creating a cloud of dust the also traveled toward the intended target of Migoto’s focused attack. All of the harshness of Migoto’s magic traveled in the direction of the cone, ensuring that he hurt no one else in a random manner with this terrifying display of his raw magical power.

Expending his energies, Migoto collapsed to his knees, still hold the young girls body, his lungs aflame and hearing slightly off kilter, Migoto stood outside the protective reach of Tomo’s magic, he could feel the heat from Taiyou drying his blue face. He looked down and noticed Elizabeth’s garment being slightly singed and pulled her close, turning to the side to further avoid the heat.

[Ilreg Douisis Ofu'ul]

Crazed tot he point of madness, Ilreg ignored the clear and present danger of the situation at hand, recklessly charging into battle with no coherent plan other than the destruction of Cer-dra's murderer and those near him. Raising his hands to bear down a frigid assault on all those near, Ilreg could see the magical of Sanada's dark and powerful magic that bound him not too long before, shielding all those but the man with the sword, the two Elves appearing Sanada's side along with the severely injured Yomi, as well as a small infant boy that the Yami-ou cradled in her arms, after what seemed to be an eternity apart.

Before Ilreg could begin to raise his hand to commence with his carnage, the man with blue skin and golden hair appeared from within the shield, breaking through to face the angered Dragon, his eyes ablaze with hatred. Ilreg had no time to react, as a cone of sonic energy blasted him, the vibrations of the wave shattering his sword like pane glass, the sheer force lacerating the flesh of his naked chest, his eardrums all but liquid as he was sent flying in the opposite direction, the pain so excruciating he could not even bellow an obscenity.

As he was jettisoned across the room, the vacuum of displaced air carried with the dragon the head of his comrade. Ilreg crashed through the walls of Sanada's castle, being torn all the while as he finally landed outside of the castle walls, buried beneath a pile of debris, unconscious, his body's magic desperately trying to mend the continual amounts of damaged, still slow, but enhanced by the absorption of Cer-dra's Flux. Ilreg had been put down, his fingers moving subconsciously, his heart beat sporadic, surviving off his hatred and blood lust alone, he desperately clung to the very life he had come to loathe. One of his crimson horn's broken, his crown all but shattered by the large rock the broken appendage had halted.

[Faf-ris]

Following behind her master, Faf-ris could only watch in horror as Ilreg was repelled with extreme prejudice, her magic to let and not powerful enough at the moment to stop the onslaught of sonic energy that caused her to cringe, narrowly escaping the blast by falling to the side. She could feel the stream of air blow upon her hide of needle-like fur atop cold, wet scales. Along with her master, the head of her deceased twin soared as well. The loud crash behind her could not keep her from growling menacingly at the cadre of Celestials before her, and she slowly crept forward summoning a wall a water behind her. Barking loudly, the Dragon caused the water to form another Golem of sorts, but before she could act she could feel Ilreg's life force dwindling, causing her ears to stiffen.

Instinctively, she turned and dashed to him, leaping through both the golem and the hole in the wall. Within seconds she found him, following his scent, seeing his hand outstretched underneath a pile of rubble. Rushing over to him, Faf-ris began to dig him out of the pile, the larger stones early displaced by her strength, she summoned as small cloud to rain upon Ilreg, cleansing the dirt and blood from his body. Faf-ris knew she didn't have that long before she was tracked and tried to nudge Ilreg back into consciousness. She could hear his faltering heart beat, and began to whimper at was seemed to be the demise of her comrades, she began pouring her magic into the already enchanted water to jump start Ilreg's healing, his damp body under going the process of healing itself.

[Sanada Tomo]

[Rather than focusing on longer replies, I'd rather begin some regular conversation now since this is winding to a close. I'm going to make an effort to respond no more than two days after each of your replies, at the latest, because I know that you want to be done with this.]

Migoto's show of power was more than Tomoyo was expecting; for a moment, thoughts of her son took the backburner, and the most visible thing to her was the demon's bravery. She had seen the boy before--seen him with the limp girl in his arms. She had seen the sadness there, the depression and the hurt. It resonated with what she felt in her own soul with the loss of her husband--and the loss of any improvements that he could have made to his deteriorating character if he were still alive. This battle, although short by comparison, had been brutal; Dragons were above the capacity of any being in this Realm to fight--they had always been that way. A coveted weapon. And now they had to fight a hostile one at that. A murderous one.

Quite simply, Migoto had seen enough.

But despite echoing his thoughts, the Yami-ou couldn't allow her mind to be consumed by what was happening. She saw the effect that the attack had on the Dragon--a lot more than she had thought Migoto capable. She had to take advantage of it.

Her eyes darted from her Rakeru--nestled in Alfeo's arms--to Taiyou, who still held his place strongly in front of them all. "Tai," she said, using the name that Cielle had called the warrior by, "he's down. Can you get him away from here?" Her eyes darted toward the Golem that had been left behind. The only two people so far still on the open battlefield were Alvar and Yomi. Not good. "Alfeo," she said to the elf beside her. "Be prepared to give me the cihld and go out to aid your brother. He doesn't have much help out there. Yomi's almost as good as dead." Although the King hoped not, Yomi had faced off with Ilreg twice now, and her wounds had most likely reopened. Not good. They would take longer to heal now, and she would be more fatigued whenever they left the premises.

[Uesugi Yomi]

Yomi wasn't sure what to think about the events that just unfolded in front of her. One of the dog servants was dead, and the Dragon had changed into full form. Yomi had began to approach the mood of "all-or-nothing"--she hadn't had very much to give to this battle in the first place, and considering how she had died in her last life, she would rather give her life to a heroic cause in this case than running to preserve a life that was already diminished. She was not near dying yet, but she was finding it difficult not to wince as she poised in a defensive manner, prepared to pull her lot.

But things were happening too quickly. Without warning, the blue man unleashed a power sound attack. Yomi recognized this without fail, as she had gone toe-to-toe with Suka, sparring back in the day. Her Kama were raised, scowling as the remaining demon dog made another being out of water. Oh. Great.

"Nectar," she said quietly, and the sprite formed a weapon identical to one of Yomi's in her hand, throwing it without hesitation at the monster.

She heard a hiss from the elf in front of her. "You idiot!" Alvar said. "You're going to attract it's attention!"

[Kanjin Taiyou]

Taiyou was amazed at the ferocity of the attack unleashed by the blue skinned young demon, fierce enough to send the incoming opponent through the wall, and cause the retreat of his last remaining ally. He then turned his attention to the remaining adversary left in the room, the water golem that the beast's dived through, it stood inert, its physical form wavering as the water that comprised its form began to pool around it, leaking off causing the golem to collapse into a splash of water that evaporated soon after. Taiyou turned his head to listen to Tomoyo's word, she asked as to whether he could manage with the unruly Dragon outside the castle walls. Amid the destruction, he felt compelled to oblige, much blood had been shed this day, and if any was was to bring it to a definitive, end was he.

"Yeah, I'll take care of him... we're square after this Yami-ou, you won't see my face around here, there's nothing here for me." Taiyou said, as Oni's venomous powers coursed through his body, his sentence spoken through gritted teeth as the gnawing of his soul still continued. Slowly but surely Taiyou could feel his neck turning toward Tomo, against his will, he tried to hide his pain, but his face showed an immense amount of stress. His lips quivered an unknown to him his eyes took on a sullen appearance, seemingly blackened with all of the veins.

"Weak bastard, I do have to do everything myself..." Oni said, as she lifted Taiyou's armed hand, Taiyou fighting desperately to quell her influence but the surmounting pain lessening his ability. "Hello Tomo, this took so much longer than I expected it to, but good help is indeed quite toilsome, I'm sure you know this..." Oni forced out of Taiyou's mouth, in a voice most unlike his, a combination of hers, his, and another, a male one, dark and brooding, treachery spilling out with every enunciation. "Did you honestly thing you be bereft of me by forcing me out of your exiguous kingdom, if only The Ishii Shoko were that facile to be rid of!" the voice continued as he Taiyou sword began to smoke, slowing becoming covered in flames, aim directly at the Yami-ou.

[Sanada Tomo]

While a part of herself wished that there was something that she could do to make this scenario up to Taiyou, but there wasn't. Even if she attempted the Deus technique, they would be in different bodies and be different people. death was an experience that changed a person, and they would never forget theirs, especially not if they preished in The Great Purging as Tai had said. And so, Tomo nodded rather than say anything in response to Tai--she had the feeling that whatever came out wouldn't be worth a damn.

...Master... It was Symphony's voice, speaking up in the recesses of her mind. But before the Yami-ou could ask about her interjection, Tai began to turn to their direction.

His face looked pained, as though he was taking on a large strain, Tomo opening her mouth to say something until her eyes, sharp with Symphony's added magic, noticed black streaks beginning to populate his arms. Magic in his veins, Tomo thought, and immediately looked at his face for eye color changes. The Kyrum and the Shedim possessed individuals to do their works, and she all but recognized the signs immediately. However, it was too late to do anything about it--the possession had already taken place, and this was solidified by the dull effect that his eyes were taking, fading to black.

"Weak bastard, I do have to do everything myself..." a voice began, one that was definitely not Tai's. There in front of the King of Hell stood a tainted, sullied version of the union she had herself achieved with Symphony. A possession had been the last thing that Tomo expected--and it was one of the few things that were not needed in this situation--and she was taken off guard, her eyes glaring at Tai's newly colored black ones in protest of what was now happening. Precious time was being wasted. What if Ilreg got himself collected during this distraction? Clearly, this being wanted something, and she was not in a position to move--and she would not transport Tai if he was going to endanger everyone else in the party. She glanced at Avalon--he would know what to do. The only question remaining in her mind was whether or not Migoto would choose to leave or stay. The choice would be up to Avalon to make...

The spirit continued to speak, but the surprise didn't register on Tomoyo's face until she heard the word "Shoko". His name was not something she had planned on hearing, and the next time she had anything to do with him was supposed to be when she crushed his skull beneath her heels. Her hatred poured into her magic, Symphony's patented tendrils of darkness rising to curl and thrust outside of the magical sphere, striking the ground and overturning large chunks of the floor with her rage. How dare Shoko send any sort of follower, messenger, peon, whore or servant in HER home?

"Leave now," Tomoyo said, her voice echoing his, an amalgamation of her own and her spirit's, "You only have so much time before I will find you. You can't hide behind your puppets forever! Taiyou is no use to you! Let him go!" She wished badly that someone among her party could purge Oni from the warrior she was inhabiting--but the elves were exhausted and there was no other who practiced spiritual magic before them.

Just knowing that anything associated with Shoko was anywhere near her infuriated her. She felt the magic beginning to take over her body, and she bared her teeth, angry expression a product of raw emotion and raw magic. It was rare that she channeled this much magic from Symphony for this length of time, and it was taking its toll on her. Then there was the issue of Avalon trying to escape, he would need her help if they were going to leave successfully. Hastily, one of the tendrils jutted out before Avalon, slicing into the air. She tried to channel the information that the Elves has given her about transforming her castle, and she concentrated hard on that passage of air. A black rip appeared there, in front of Avalon and a quick glance told him what to do. The rip would allow him to travel into the fifth Realm without having to stop at the border of the Realms. And if the two of them were thinking of the same fountain near Rei's palace things would work as expected. She turned her attention back to Shoko in that's second's time, not able to spare any more to help Avalon.

Without warning, her tendrils formed into one, large appendage which swiftly lunged out at the speaker. The tendril displaced air on its way to Taiyou, and the whoosh echoed off of the walls of the castle as it attacked.

[Uesugi Yomi]

Yomi's Kama was blown into a scatter of Iris petals as Migoto's loud...squawk dispelled the beast that had been about to attack her, water sloshing about and getting all over her clothes. She stared at Alvar, who had insulted her just moments before. "You can't run from all of your battles, weakling," she said in low tones, trying to shake some water off of herself as she made her way toward Tomo.

When the big fire idiot started talking and she heard Shoko's name, she was about ready to put his ass in the ground, possessed or not. If she wasn't so useless at the moment, she would have made a move for it, but as far as she was concerned, the man's target was Tomo, and not herself, so there was no need to stick her nose in it unless Tomo was in danger...from which Yomi probably wouldn't be able to save her, anyway...

But she signaled to Alvar to stay in place. She really wasn't in the mood for any more fighting, and moving toward Tomo would just bring attention to her. That Water Golem, she could have taken. This guy--ooh, if she wasn't injured...

[Avalon Carrister]

Lady Tomoyo's glance at him was the key. It was time for them to go. He had heard Shoko's name, just as everyone else, and he had to fight hard to control the tremors that wracked his body. The Ishii Shoko was a terrible force in the world, someone who had used the Yami-ou for what he could get out of her. Those were the worst kind of people, and he wished that he were strong enough--inside and out--to fight such a despicable man. Closing his eyes, he felt his magic connect with the water left on the ground by the Golem. He forced the magic to remain invisible--he did not want the Ishii to discover what he was doing. The magic was a tingle on the tips of his fingers, and he could feel the sensation of the water as he dragged it around, under those who he was taking with him. It was a gentle pull, like water during the tide, and he kept a straight face.

Alvar. Yomi. Alfeo. Rakeru. Arya.

Finally, himself. His eyes flashed to Migoto. Would the blue-skinned man be traveling with them. The fierce determination in his eyes said no. The girl, deceased, was still there, and Avalon knew that Migoto wouldn't leave her behind. And as badly as Avalon wanted Tomoyo to come with them as well, he couldn't take her. That damned Shoko-minion was there, threatening her, but the safety of all those people involved came first.

His magic now spread, he opened his eyes, and the water began to rise up, dowsing those that it had surrounded before. In his mind's eye, he imagined the location that he was moving them all to: a fountain in the center of the Fifth Layer's Citadel. He pictured the water, rumbling up from the spout, falling like rain into the basin and washing over whomever stepped into the radius...

...and in the same way, his water washed over them, and then they were gone.

[Ongaku Migoto]

The voice that Taiyou spoke with was hollow, empty, and devoid of compassion. It emanating from his mouth, but that was not were it originated from, the manner of possession that afflicted Taiyou purely magical, his body acting as would a microphone for an auditory villain of now known origin. Shoko, Migoto had not been in Tomo's kingdom long, but that name was as infamous as Tomo misunderstood identity of being Lucifer. But Shoko, the Ishii Shoko, was the devil incarnate, and his deceptive and vile methods spared no expense in cruelty, seeming taking over Taiyou at the moment he offered to redeem himself from his previous actions in the castle.

Tomo, bustling with power and now both angered and taken aback by Shoko's sudden reemergence wasted no effort in attempting to remove the current threat, no longer concerned with what may happen to Taiyou. Her tendrils and the castle itself seemed to lash out and attack the possessed Taiyou where he stood, and Migoto stood by her watching as Avalon begin to remove all non combatants from the fray. As the melee between the Yami-ou and Shoko possessed Taiyou began, water filled and withdrew from the room, taking Avalon, Yomi, and the Elves along with it, the teleportation torrent leaving Migoto in his current place holding Elizabeth.

"Something not right with him... He's not doing this himself... If Tomo goes to hard, she'll kill him..." Migoto thought to himself. Standing behind him in a semi-translucent form, Hibiki appeared, her spectral face appearing as if she had been weeping for the heartbroken Djinn. Her hands delicately caressing his lean shoulders, her long ebony hair draped over his chest, held in place by her oddly shaped decorative hat.

"I know you want to save him dear, but you can't." Hibiki said in a remorseful yet soothing tone.

"I can't just let him stand there and be massacred... It isn't right, nothing today ha been right..." Migoto said in a surprised voice, taken aback that words escaped his lips so easily. He owed the large and angry nothing for his deeds when he first entered the castle, assaulting him and taken Tomo's youngest child captive. But he anger seemed to have subsided, and proved himself to be a valuable ally, protecting them from the Dragon's rage that had taken his small friends life, and threatened everyone in the castle.

"He made a pact with a spirit, a nasty Void sprite. He's going to have to break this himself hon', there is nothing more that you can do for him..." She said, Migoto's blond locks flowing through her fingers. Her eyes were heavy with with emotion, but she knew she was a slave to Migoto, both in heart and mind, her loyalties remaining intact, desperately trying to have Migoto exit himself from any of the present danger.

"No... I've gotta try. If that Dragon get's back up, were gonna need him." Migoto said, changing his voice so that it directly matched Tomoyo's, speaking in a way that made it seem like he possessed two voices. "Taiyou... listen to me, you have to break free from the sprites control. If you don't, I'll be forced to hurt you, I can't afford to risk you hurting anyone in your current state. Help me Taiyou, your stronger than this, don't let this... this infection hollow you out. Save yourself!" Migoto said, in dual voice, yelling into Taiyou ears, hoping to pierce his very soul to reach him before he was consumed by Shoko's madness.

[Kanjin Taiyou]

Taiyou was not himself, hsi gait was off kilter, speaking with a voice that was not his own, forcefully willed by powers beyond his control to brandish weapons against those he promised not to harm. Before the Black flames could fly from the smoldering edge of his blade, the Yami-ou's solid black tendrils lashed at him, tearing at his vest and flesh, as they were aided it seemed by the very castle itself, the ground beneath his feet a quagmire of magic and stone, trapping him in place as the walls seemed to sprout mandibles of there own, reaching out and bludgeoning him as he was forced to his knees. His movement hindered, the non cognizant Taiyou looked at Sanada, a crooked and evil smile across his lips as black smoke spewed from his mouth, and a vile, viscous tar spilled from his glazed and opaque eyes as he starred at his attacker.

"You still can't do it can you, do the memories of our time together still fester in that jaded, festering wretch of a mold you parade around in, do the walls of that... commode of a keep you still haunt scream the name Ishii Shoko? They will, and when I'm done with you, I'll build my throne from your bones and fashion a chalice from the skull of your son. Look at yourself Sanada, even now you bumble and incompetently handle yourself, does attacking this plebeian do me any harm...? You and I both know the answer to that, you waste your efforts and energies on an android of my design, as the beast outside your doorstep is no doubtingly healing, biding it's time before it lurches forward to devour you. He was just the first, you honestly have no clue how many delights I have in store for you Tomoyo, but you will. Tell me, how many more of your loyal subjects I have ensnared in my thrall?" Taiyou spoke in 3 voices, one his own, but greatly muffled by Oni's and Shoko's own. It was as is Shoko was enamored by the sound of his own voice, and the disgusting ebon fluid continued to fly from Taiyou's mouth as spittle would from the mouth of a raving lunaitic.

"I knew you would let this idiot close enough for me to strike, and even if you do not destroy him, I have gained more than enough adequate information to dispose of you when I see fit. Did you honestly believe I would be idle all this time? You are truly the fool I took you for when I attempted destroy the first time, but the situation has changed. Your kingdom crumbles at your feet, your husband and only link to heaven dead along with your commanders and staunch military advisers. My presence still resides there my dear sweet Tomoyo, my precious beautiful, idiot of a Yami-ou, and when I see fit, you will be no more and I shall hammer away the weakness that exists, and carve my name Across both Heaven and Hell with the sickle of revenge." He continued, his voice still a lurid symphony of insult and defilement. The liquid smelled of blood and internal fluids, along with the sweet smell of burning roses and ink that accompanied Oni's void magic, Taiyou reaching for his weapon to again aim it at Tomoyo.

"Well Sanada, will you destroy this man after having taken everything from him, or will you let him defile you with his appendages, with me controlling everything his manipulation, how I've so longed to rest my hands inside your still warm chest, to rip out your heart and desecrate you in ways unimagined." The deathly suffrage continued on, as inside Taiyou was helpless to stop what continued. Inside he could feel himself being hollowed out by Oni's magic, turning him slowly into a wraith, a wight no longer sentient with no way to curb her. His will, his indomitable will keeping him alive by a thread. Before he could surrender to the cruel circumstances he heard a voice, or a pair of voices by the sound.

They spoke to him, telling to to give in to the darkness the shrouded him, to fight,TO FIGHT, the one thing he had done all his life, for his loyalty, his life, his love of those here and gone. Taiyou dug within himself, deep at the center of his core, he found Oni, kneeling, a form of submission he hadn't thought possible from her. She humbled before a man with long raven hair, a deep blue and black hakuma, sitting there inside his heart upon a black throne. He eyes read of pure loathing and condensation, nothing human, and barely any Celestial that he could recognize. As Taiyou stepped forward, Oni stood between him and the seated man, smiling smugly.

The confrontation for his very soul it seemed was at stake, and Oni looked as if she were willing to do what ever it took to forcefully take possession of his body. As she stepped closer, the man raised his hand, and she burst forward, Taiyou remained steadfast in his solitary position, unmoving as she drew closer, forming an blade made the darkest obsidian. Taiyou's eyes never left the man's own gaze, and then Oni went to stab at Taiyou, hoping to plunge the blade directly into his heart. At that exact moment, as the sharpest point of the black that gleamed of murder could bury itself inside his meaty chest, Taiyou uttered, "I don't need you anymore...", his body moving sharply as it grasped his sword, exactly when it seemed Oni's dagger had found its way to his flesh, moving rapidly toward both Sanada and Migoto, only to stop as suddenly as he started, only feet away from Tomo as his magic covered body slipped through the castle defenses, dissipating them like sand at great expense to his legs, which now bleed profusely.

[Sanada Tomo]

Quickly, Tomo closed the small space that she had created, Shoko's words snapping her into reality. Yes, Taiyou had tried to kill her, but that was no excuse for harming his body. Shoko would feel nothing. It did no good. Indeed, her rage had prevented her from thinking. She hoped that she had not hurt Taiyou too badly. The rest of Shoko's speech had been no different than any of his others. Frustrating more than anything else. Tedious. She had already spoken to Taiyou about her feelings and his misgivings. How dare Shoko have the balls to bring it up as collateral. He had killed a enough of his own, duped enough of his own and shattered enough souls of his own. He had no right to say anything to her.

Taiyou began to make steps forward, as to attack, and Tomo's tendrils had broken apart again, thrashing and waiting, thrusting at the ground, causing it to rumble as the physical manifestations filled with Symphony's magical potency. Just as Taiyou ran to her, the tendrils made a curling motion, circling his body in many spaces at once--arms, legs, chest, shoulders; all in an attempt to immobilize him before he actually got to Tomo. She didn't want, but she was prepared to rip him apart limb from limb if necessary. She found that she liked Taiyou, both when he served her and now. He was the same loyal man, changed by a past that he, as well as thousands of other Fallen, had no deserved. But Hell needed her if they were going to invoke change, and between she and him, it was obvious to her who was more integral to Hell's fate.

She found that such a thing wasn't necessary. Taiyou had stopped, mid attack, before the blade had stretched in her direction. Her tendrils flattened against his skin, melding to the position that he currently held and made it impossible for him to move further, solidifying in a similar way to cement. The fact of the matter was that he couldn't afford for him to move. She didn't want to waste anymore energy on him--Ilreg was still a problem at this point, and she would need her strength to subdue him again. She panted, her chest heaving; she was starting to become physically weak; the strain of all of that magic in her body was wearing her out. But she wasn't gone yet--she had to persevere. She wasn't going to fall to the likes of Ishii Shoko. She would not die here.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do," she said, her voice giving away her fatigue, but not caring much about it. Without a word, Symphony's voice overpowered his own, consuming it completely, and making sound smooth and effortless. She may have just been weakening, but the vessel did not represent the magic with it. And with that voice, she appealed to the thing that she knew that Shoko wanted most.

"Hell," she said, "will never need you. We never needed you before. Even when I pass, the people will not accept you. You rule over nothing, and you will continue to rule over nothing until the end of time. Why did you come to me, as a petty, lowly human Mononoke? Because you were weak, and you will always be weak so long as you have no one to rule over. You did not command the Youkai--you were just a messenger. You had a leadership position with the Humans, but you know that they are worth nothing. You had nothing, and you have nothing now. Back in the Mortal Realm, worthy of only licking the boots of Humans that you forsake with your greed. You killed the new Mononoke--how desperate was that, clinging to the vestige of rule as though you had any. Say what you want, but even now, you continue to use others, and those without the power you seek, no doubt. Could it be that the mighty Ishii Shoko is nothing more than a wraith, chasing after power as a dream with no hope of catching it? Be sure to hear me very clearly, Shoko: ...come back and visit me when you have something to show me. A Kingdom, perhaps? You, who rule nothing, have no business speaking to someone who is above your station. Now if you were wise, you would get yourself back to the world of peons, where you belong. You are just like every one of them. And try as you might, you will never be anything more."

[Kanjin Taiyou]

Inside of Taiyou, deep within the reaches of his soul, the war for possession of his body had been fought and lost, the long black ebony blade in Oni's hands had failed to pierce his chest, turning to flies upon his utterance and dissolution of their pack, as well as the impact upon his chest. Taiyou stared at Oni as she could only back away in fear and revulsion, the man in the chair to her rear no longer present, and it was as if Taiyou could feel that fact that she knew she was abandoned by the mysterious figure. She went to touch her face as she backed away and the worm filled meat fell flat to the ground. Horrified, Oni stumbled back and fell to her back, looking as if the fall had crushed every bone in her faux body.

She writhed as Taiyou began to regain his body back, and as he looked upon her broken and slowly dissolving body, he could only help but feel the smallest amount of pity. She was what she was there was no doubt of this, but she had carried out he task, and been faithful to her master, only to be discarded as if her service meant nothing. So much like himself he thought, and if he hadn't known of her betrayal, it seemed to him like they were destined to have crossed paths. If it were possible, she would have made terrible noise in her death troughs, but even in the silence Taiyou could hear a symphony of agony, and soon Taiyou could see nothing more than a pile of a million hair thin night-crawlers burrow into the ground. "I'll miss your insults..." Taiyou said, forcing a small smile as the change of magic worked it's magic on his body.

Outside his body, it appeared as the confrontation between Tomoyo and Shoko was at it's end, but the Iishii Shoko was never with a parting word. "We'll see... We shall see now won't we Sanada..." Shoko said in a corrupted brogue of Taiyou's voice, the thick black spittle flying from Taiyou's mouth. His body still from the restraint of Tomo's own magic, and Taiyou's will present elsewhere at the moment, making him completely suscetable to both magics at the moment. "You've always treated me a as worm, a mere groveling nusance to you. But remember this my queen of carrion, you and your dead kingdom have festered nothing but parasites and maggots such as myself, and now that you have been hollowed out and I have grown fat from your decaying flesh, your pale bones shall make my chair, your skull my goblet, and your marrow the mortar form my kingdom..." Shoko said as his essence left Taiyou's body.

His back began to spasm as his wings made their presences known, extending atop his shoulder blades, as Taiyou could only mouth an exhausted gasp. His hair had begun to grow from a healthy and robust auburn, to a pale sepia, graying down to the roots, as the haggard lines of age carved themselves upon his face. His wings, upon protruding exhibited a black beauty and powerful presence, began to dull and gray, his feathers losing their luster, shrinking down to size as the folded partially. Kanjin Taiyou, the fierce and proud Archangel warrior, the wielder of power magic, and an even more powerful will and drive to fight, The Harbinger of Flames, Fallen defender of the 7 celestial cities of Heaven, and the Mighty Dragon Slayer of the seven Hells was now nothing more than a chiorless angel, his past glory and might now a memory, as faded as the mane atop his brow and the feathers that covered his back.

[Ongaku Migoto]

Shoko's words were foreboding, and Migoto couldn't help but to since the morbid sincerity in his speech as he addressed the Yami-ou. But his mind couldn't linger on threats yet to surface, as something else began to trouble him. The man that stand before he and Tomoyo, Kanjin Taiyou, their one time would be destroyed, now sworn protector had undergone a dramatic change, he had went from a corrupted pillar of strength, to Chiorless, a pale shadow of former Glory, a fate that lie ahead of of celestials who fall from the grace of a tyrannical Heaven, Migoto only sparred having found comfort from Sanada Tomoyo, a figure powerful enough to not only withold the change, but alter the magic and lives of those around, a being Migoto felt was worth protecting as she offered him a second salvation.

Migoto could hear the errie silence that lie in the castle now, only 3 heartbeats inside it's hollowed walls now, and the faint sound of the two being outside, one growing stronger by the moment. Walking over to her, Migoto laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Tomo, your gonna have to let him go if he's gonna help us. Shoko, and whatever it was that had him is gone now...." Migoto said, his voice quivering with doubt, now that he began to question exactly how effective Taiyou was going to be against the Dragon, no Dragons, as only one of the more beastial ones had been laid to rest.

As he pondered, he felt the weight of the small child in his arms, and wondered how long it would be before he saw her again, not feeling hopeful about there chances. Migoto knelt to the floor and laid her small broken body on the ground, removing the hair that covered her face. Her small face, now growing pale from the cold and mortis that began to set in, Migoto kissed her atop her forehead once more and folded her arms across her chest. She now would sleep forever, and Migoto knew that matter how long her held her, he would have to let her go, as she left him long before he laid her body down.

Standing back to his feet, he went to support Taiyou, who would slump to the floor without his assistance as soon as Tomo released him from her thrall. "Come on big guy, we got one more set to do before the curtain closes and this show is over..." Migoto said, looking in the direction of the hole where expelled the dragon earlier.

[Ilreg Douisis Ofu'ul]

Crushed underneath the debris of Tomo's castle, Ilreg could hear Faf-ris' frantic scratching, working tirelessly to remove some of the heavy stones and mortar that covered his body. The magic in her water magic was soothing, and soon Ilreg felt his strength returning to him, slowly creeping back to consciousness, lying still as to not get in her way. The bright sunlight was light daggers in his swollen eyes, one of his now freed hands rubbing his eyes, touching his broken horn gently, the sharp and broken bone protrusion drawing blood on his finger, freezing rather slowly as a reflection of his current state. As his face became visible, Faf-ris loving licked the wound on his finger, proceeding to apply the same treatment to his face, nuzzling his neck. Respectfully, Ilreg rubbed his nose and sat himself up, now strong enough to remove the stones atop his feet, kicking out his feet without thrashing, it was painful to move his once crushed leg muscles, but he was thankful to be feeling anything at the moment.

As he looked at his legs as they rebuilt themselves from being crushed, the flesh becoming full again, and the form given definition by his bones hardening. The process would be excruciating if Ilreg swelled on the pain, but his mind was elsewhere at the moment, his gaze looked with that of the dead and sunken eyes of Cer-dra severed head. The eyes stared back eerily, as if they were apologizing, apologizing for dying, for not serving their master effectively, and if Ilreg lived by words he would agree and casual discard the remains, but something stirred inside him. Reaching out to grab the head, Ilreg could feel the immense emptiness in the pit of his stomach, Ced-ra's flux long since apart of him now, it was as if he held his own head in his hands, and for the first time, in so very long, Ilreg could feel the sting in his eyes that only tears could bring. He hadn't cried since he was a boy, since the day he lost his mother to his father's cruelty, and upon walking through the wastes of the Umbra on his lonesome, he vowed to never cry again, crying was for the weak, and his mother and father, with their death and malice the cost of weakness. The weak were to trampled upon by those with the power to do so, and Ilreg had done a fair share walking all over others through his lifetime.

He had killed all manner of beings and people, but it never made him feel stronger, after the kill the was always the persisting emptiness, the bloodlust's rush now gone, and a sense of feeling hollow remained. But this time it was different, he wasn't the killer in this case, but indeed the victim, and holding the beasts head in his hands, Ilreg could only remember feeling this way as he thought of his mother as he abandoned her. As he stared at Cer-dra's remains he wondered is this is what is was lie to be left behind, holding a lost companion. A, dare he admit it, a deceased loved one, his stomach tied in a knot from the pain of healing, the loss of energy and spirit, as well as from the death of a friend, and the hypocrisy is made him realize he was swimming in.

Soon, the emptiness found something to fill its void, and slowly it made it's way for anger, anger that began to boil inside him. He felt weak, weak and foolish, feeling these things so unfamiliar to him, the loss of Cer-dra, beast's life he owned that was stolen from him by the large lout with the flaming sword. And Sanada, she stood there, alongside the cerulean weakling who banished him before he could seek his vengeance, his grip on the head tightening to the point where he began to squeeze thick green blood from Cer-dra's eyes. His body now back in a near complete state, Ilreg's rage was only matched by his savage hunger, pains that gnawed at his belly as he looked over to the hole from which he was launched.

"Your death will not be wasted by the winged vermin inside this squalor, may your flesh feed me and give me the strength to crush them.... CRUSH THEM AS THE VERMIN THEY ARE!" Ilreg said, as he savagely bit into Cer-dra's skull, green blood and the beast's gray brain matter covering his mouth. As Ilreg violently feast, Faf-ris sat on her haunches and watched the horrific banquet, as Ilreg's body became swollen with the missing mass, his golden eyes shimmering and his face became more bestial as worked his way through bone and flesh, his serrated teeth ripping and tearing through the dead Dragon's head, Ilreg swallowing chunks whole, not stopping to chew completely through, choking down the meal as the ground around him and Faf-ris began to suddenly freeze over, thick white and gray cloud coverage blanketing the sky above the castle.

[Sanada Tomo]

Tomoyo could not move from her location, but upon seeing Taiyou and Migoto making their way, she knew that they would both need her protection. The Dragon wasn't dead, and therefore still a threat.

Symphony...we will follow them. Tomoyo thought.

At once the physical partitions of darkness that were used to grasp Taiyou's previously possessed body condensed to a single blob, melting and folding itself until it became loosely the form of a woman, a physical silhouette of magic. Tomoyo's eyes closed, but if they had been open veins of black permeating the tissue would have been seen. As her eyes closed, she blinked new ones open on the figure that had appeared behind Migoto and Taiyou, striding in front of them to see what was going on outside.

"I am angry," she said, the black form's face twisting to reveal a mouth from which both Symphony and her own voice poured. It was a simple phrase, said with an eerie calm that could not be audibly masked. Tomoyo was indeed angry, holding on the rage that she'd felt at Shoko's appearance. And she intended to find an outlet for it.

As she made her way outside her eyes were met with the view of Ilreg eating away at the body of his fallen comrade. The shadowy figure didn't blink. The other bitch, the live one, sat watching, and she was sure that once she was noticed she would be attacked. It all meant nothing to her at this point. She had tried to negotiate; she had tried to be a peaceable King. She was met with nothing but a burn on her back, injured allies and a visit from Shoko. She was angry beyond comprehension. Her physical body, back in the remains of the castle, were shaking with wrath. There were no words. And there would be no more to Ilreg. He would simply die.

[Ilreg Douisis Ofu'ul]

Ilreg had devoured all that was left of Cer-dra, his hands covered in all that remained of the beast's mortal coil, his hands covered in green blood, gray and red speckled brains, and black and brown skin covering the small bits of purple flesh in-between his trembling fingers. He sat there in silence momentarily, his heart throbbing, as the slight breeze caused his filthy and soiled hair to waft across his face. He could feel Cer-dra's magic flowing through him, as his body began to slowly ingest the morbid meal, the umbra mixing with his own, he could feel a foreign presence mixing with his own icy magic, another being had appeared on the grounds, interrupting his solace. He could hear Faf-ris' growls directed toward the being.

His strength returned, not all of it but enough he felt to gain retribution for all the slights he suffered returned, Ilreg stood on his feet after what seemed like an eternity and turned toward the shadowy black figure. As it spoke to him, it mouthed the words of anger to a him, Ilreg, a being of rage and contempt, a pale specter, volatile as they get, starred into the solid apparition's face. As he slowly raided his hands to his face, Faf-ris lowered her shoulders and began to growl louder, watery spittle falling from her mouth, freezing on the cold ground, all the beast's malice directed toward what could have only been the magic of Tomo.

It was his jailer, the first to dispense the humiliation he suffered here, and he walked closer to her in the slowly freezing puddle, his hands covering his face, his fingers extended, ruining down the sides of his mouth and jaws after covering his nose and eyes with the remains in his hands. It was a baptism, a baptism of blood and guts, a coronation of carnage, his way of paying his respects to his deceased comrade, his gore acting as war paint. His visage now decorated in the most ghoulish of ways. As he smiled, blood crept into his mouth, its metallic and bitter twinge tasting as sweet as the first pomegranate of the season, his smile there to mock whatever anger the apparition claimed to possess for him. "Again you hide behind these spirits and fools, and profess to damn me with you anger..." He said with laughter in his voice, spitting near the feet of the being Tomo reffered to as Symphony, Ilreg now fully cognazint of whom he was facing.

"Fuck your anger, and fuck you, you misrable bitch, my cock aches for your anger. You should have killed me when you had me groveling in your pits of torture, I was in your thrall, helpless and you tortured me as a kindness!" Ilreg said, now visible anger, his grip on his sanity slipping once again, his hatred consuming him. Regaining himself, he sent a surge of energy toward the ground, flash freezing the water and raising the icy spike toward his opponent, his signature rapier forming in his hand. Deftly he sliced through the ice like it was nothing and sent the blades of frozen water aimed squarely at his opponent, erupting into motion afterward. "ALL THE ANGER IN THE BOWELS OF THIS REALM WILL BE CULLED BEFORE MY WRATH, AND I SHALL MAKE THE SKIN OF YOUR FACE INTO SMALLCLOTHES FOR MY LOINS." Ilreg roared as Faf-ris surrounded them both with water, the magic fluid freezing under Ilreg with every step he took toward Symphony, water pooling at the apparitions back forming into tendrils and whips flailing at her. And with one fell stroke, Ilreg sliced horizontally at her amist the chaos of ice and water, hoping to part her waist from her legs. "YOU DIE TODAY TOMO, YOU AND ALL THE WINGED CRETINS WILL PROVIDE ME WITH A FEAST TO CELEBRATE MY VICTORY!" Ilreg continued on, bloodlust consumed him whole.

[Sanada Tomo]

Tomo's brow twitched. Unfortunately the hacking and slashing of Ice on her figure's back made no difference to her. The dark form's texture was like sludge, coming apart as a thick molasses, sticking to the tendrils are her back, to Ilreg as his blow landed quite clearly. The slice could be seen as pieces of the dark form fell to the ground. The figure still said nothing. There was nothing to be said. The legs on the figure still stood upright, even as the upper torso and face lost its shape on the ground, the glob stretching up, formless now, and clinging to Ilreg's body, setting in with the needles that had "tortured him as a kindness". The legs took a step forward, standing in Ilreg's shadow, soaking it in, taking it unto itself, and while the Dragon was being assaulted by the figure's severed other half, it made a new one, once again a full person. However, this time, its right arm formed a blade, poised, waiting for an opportune change to use it.

[Kanjin Taiyou]

Taiyou slowly regained his consciousness, feeling the weigh of his body in the arms of the blue skinned celestial he assaulted earlier, only to come to his and Tomoyo's rescue after he regained his clarity and purpose. But that acquisition had cost him everything, his strength faded, his power a pale shadow of its former self, Taiyou's body clenched as he struggled to regain his composure. Gaining a shore foot, Taiyou leaned onto his sword, placing his arm on to Migoto shoulder to gain the momentum to stand on his own.

"Thanks for the assistance kid..." Taiyou said, looking at his once strong hands trembling. That hair that fell before his eyes much lighter than before, if he were a human if seemed that he would grayed in a matter of seconds, but in the end it was very little compared to the hollowness that he felt within himself. Breathing, Taiyou stood as tall as he could ever hope to stand, the emptiness tantamount to severing inches from his height, and mass from his muscles, despite all this he was still a gaint compared to the cerulean and lithe Migoto. It was then he realized that both Tomo and the Dragon were no longer present, and Taiyou placed a hand on his head, covering part of his face to calm the storm inside his skull, nausea persisting almost as much Oni's biting and harsh commentary would be toward his actions, a luxury and burden he would no longer know.

Turning to Migoto, Taiyou holstered the sword onto a metal clip and his waist, the loud and sharp clang resonating in the empty hall, its pangs bouncing off the walls as Taiyou cleared his throat to talk to Migoto. "Has Tomo gone off to fight that damned Dragon...?" Taiyou asked in a manner that bequeathed that he was aware of part of the answer to his query, making it partly rhetorical. "Damn her, she can't do this, can't or won't knowing her." Taiyou said both to himself and Migoto. Taiyou was aware of the volatile nature of the power of a Dragon, both in scale and brutality. Taiyou's past was written blood, and the Dragon's that allied with Heaven made up several length chapters, the conflicts earning the title of "Dragonslayer."

"You can't fight those thing into submission, you have to kill em', they don't believe in surrendering, and the bastards can heal from damn near any wound, outside of the ones that count... Kid, you want your shot at revenge, do you want that girl's death to count for something? Then help me, help me help her..." Taiyou said pointing in the direction of the hole in the wall leading to the outside of the castle, "... Kill this goddamn dragon!" Taiyou roared, grasping Migoto's shoulder, careful to not be too forceful if any of his former might still resided inside him.

[Ongaku Migoto]

Migoto was relieved to see that Taiyou could not only stand on his own again, but was regaining both his strength to fight and his resolve. He looked weary, and sullen, but his voice, the voice of a warrior, it commanded Migoto's attention, and whatever strength fled from her seemed to return in some form. Migoto could hear the ensuing conflict outside, before Taiyou even mouthed the words he spoke to himself. Migoto let him finished, not sure if he heard him try to rouse his spirits as he fell into his care, but affirmed and ready to stand alongside him.

"Then what are we standing around here for then, the lady needs our help as you said big man... Lead the way." Migoto said, trying to sound his bravest, but troubled by Taiyou's thoughts on Dragons and Tomoyo. He'd seen the Dragon's power and cruelty, as well as Tomoyo's kindness, and he felt conflicted as both he and Taiyou rushed to provide aid to Tomo. His doubt caused him tread carefully behind Tomoyo, finding the resolve to fight possibly to the death, as well as how to go about such actions, never having even been in a fist fight, how could he possibly hoped to fight the man beast Ilreg, who proved to be a match for even the most seasoned Hellion King, and even the Yami-ou herself. It would proved to be the hardest thing he would face in his seemingly short life, but he rather fight and die to protect those he loved, then to run and cower, to die a disgracing the memories of the people he encountered. He ran once from his problems, this time he would choose fight back, for those that fought for him.