Whose Shrine Is It Anyway? (Ryuu)

Kawari didn't have as much spiritual awareness as one might think, him having witnessed the true Shinto gods before. That was part of his culture, after all. And although he wasn't much of a religious man either, he did pay tribute to Susano'o every now and then, in thanks for his blessing. He had in a pack with him some rice and water to offer the deity, as was traditional. The rice was bought from a local farmer's market, which he assumed would be pleasing to Susano'o due to his agricultural influences, and the water was from a fresh spring. He didn't trust any of the bottled stuff, such things struck him as insulting to use for an offering. While it was in a bottle in his bag right then, he had bottled it himself from a fresh water source.

He was being followed by his new loyal companion, Akainu, but Kawari was sensing something... off. He was heading towards the shrine in the middle of the city. But the closer he got to it, the more the bustling Jump City got quieter and quieter. There were no people nearby as he reached its doors. He turned to Akainu. "Stay here." The dog would obey, and Kawari nodded thankfully before walking through. He looked around. He couldn't place what this feeling was. But the shrine seemed to be in a state of disrepair. Kawari normally wasn't a stickler for these things, but he felt like Susano'o would kick him in the ass if he didn't try and do something about it. Hauling his bag over his shoulder, he took a look around. He noticed some enormous cobwebs littering the area. "Even for me, this is disrespectful..." he muttered. He found a broom and began sweeping all the dust and litter off the floor and taking the piles outside, getting them out.

As he went back inside and looked up at the ceiling, there seemed to be a lot more cobwebs than before. He narrowed his eyes. Had he just not noticed this many prior? Or...

He had the feeling he was being watched. A jorōgumo dropped down from the ceiling slowly, and then suddenly striked down at him. He jolted forward onto his hands, and then sprung off of them, launching a kick right into the jaw of the jorōgumo as it sailed across the room on its web from the blow. He grabbed onto the wall and channeled his chakra to his feet, running across it after the jorōgumo at an impressive speed. Before the jorōgumo was able to cut off the web they were on and drop, they were met with Kawari's feet stamping its face into the wall as it cried out.

Kawari dropped to the floor, landing. He only heard a brief shuffle behind him and turned to find a jorōgumo spitting acid at his eyes. He barely managed to put his arms in front of his eyes, growling as the acid burned through his sleeves and his bandages, singeing his arms. "You bastards...! I'm a servant of the Storm! Nobody wants your shit all over the place!" The jorōgumo tried to hit from from both sides as he flipped out of the way, grabbing one of their legs and lifting. "Wrooooooooaaaaaaah!" He ran at the other jorōgumo and started trading blows with them, using the jorōgumo in his hands to smash and beat them both into a pulp. When he was done, he breathed, and went back to cleaning. If the spirits didn't dissipate, he would take care of them eventually. He got all of their webs bundled up. Unless those would disappear too.

It had been a relatively quiet week for young Ryuuzaki now that she had helped settle a certain vampireling and taken care of that “Eternal Mother” business. Not a lot had been happening in Tokyo by way of supervillains, allowing her some much-needed downtime. Not that Rapture liked downtime, however; her way of “relaxing” involved honing her physical abilities through rigorous training. A lack of activity put her off, and the fact that so few spirits had been passing through the Shinto shrine didn’t help to calm her nerves. Something terrible was bound to happen, whether it be a Fasilli or yet another giant skeleton. Sure, Raven had sealed Gashadokuro but that meant little to the yokai priestess. Even Zenith picked up on the unrest and had suggested that her companion go on a spiritual journey in the Japanese mountains. Perhaps she could meet up with some monk friends or find a group of bothersome oni.

Despite the nagging feeling that the moment she had gone, something bad would happen, Rapture took Zenith’s advice and traveled. Nearly an entire week had gone by without incident back in Jump City, a miracle to anyone who knew what the city was typically like. On the seventh day, the petite powerhouse had allowed herself some time in the hot springs at the base of Mount Fuji. She had just settled in when her communicator went off. “Of fucking course!” Rapture cursed as she opened a video feed of the cameras just outside the shrine. It showed a white-haired youth… cleaning… the shrine. “Wait as second, I know him!” she realized. “The Japanese speaker from the Snow Serpent.” She hadn’t caught his name but certainly picked up on the language he was using. Cascades of questions entered her mind, at the forefront being why the shrine had allowed another stranger in. The shrine had its own sentience in a way, letting only certain people into its walls. If it had granted access to this kid and even went so far as to not eating him alive as he cleaned it, he must be something special. Or something stupid.

If only he had known that the shrine would magically return to a decrepit state given a day or so. That, or the fact that when Rapture entered it, it would return to a state of cleanliness. Technically, the kid wasn’t doing anything wrong, but that didn’t mean something wrong wouldn’t happen to him. Sighing, Ryuuzaki returned to her estate in Japan and began her ten-hour-long journey back to Jump City. If the kid hadn’t been eaten by then, she would be impressed.

••••

Her flight to Jump City landed right on time. During the flight, she monitored the newcomer and had to admit that she was slightly impressed with his fight against the jorōgumo. It wasn’t surprising to see a demon go after him, but the way he handled it was. Compared to the last fighter to be trapped within its walls, Verdant Gale, this individual seemed to have a natural talent for fighting yokai. When she arrived at the shrine, Rapture went in the back way in order to not alert the white-haired person to her presence. She wanted to see what he would do, at least for a little while longer.

Indeed, the shrine had begun to brim with yokai, just as she had suspected. A few harmless lesser spirits greeted her, relaying the news of a visitor and malevolent forces. She reassured the spirits that everything would be handled accordingly before retrieving her bladed fans and making her way up to the ground-level floors. If the shrine had offered the young man hospitality, she would have to do the same. Finally, she reached the main floor where she spotted the trespasser. She approached without hesitation, her ornate kimono trailing behind her. Hair adorned with traditional Japanese combs and non-traditional spikes, she was the picture of oriental grace. The same could not be said for her words, however.

“Welcome,” she began, speaking in her native tongue. As she spoke, the room began to clean itself, well, what the intruder had not already taken care of. Lamps appeared to light themselves, casting a warm glow on the now sparkling surroundings. “So you’ve defeated a jorōgumo. Big fucking deal. You ready for more?” Just as she said those words, two more jorōgumo dropped down from the ceiling. Four kamaitachi appeared from the far corners of the room, their scythe-laden legs gleaming in the lamplight. Finally, the doors slammed shut and barred themselves. Rapture’s instincts were right all along, and it appeared that she would have help with her ritual cleansing.

At this point, Kawari was hard at work on his hands and feet scrubbing the floors with soap and water. Ten hours had given him a lot of time to catch up on his work. He had fed Akainu with food he had purchased from across the street, and had focused on his restoring of the shrine until Ryuuzaki returned. The shrine was in such a place of disrepair that he couldn't hope to make it pristine. But that being said, there was more than enough to keep him occupied until she returned.

When she did enter the building, and the shrine began fixing itself, he noticed immediately, springing to his feet to see who else decided to show up for his little party. It was then that he saw her. The woman that was so angry when they were dealing with the Snow Serpent. He dropped his stance briefly as she spoke in their native tongue. So he could communicate with someone else.

She asked if he was ready for more after the jorōgumo. He cracked his knuckles. "I'm not here to impress you," he said, looking around as more yokai appeared. Ryuu asked if he was ready for more, and he scoffed, taking a stance for Muay Thai. His bandaged arms on display. "Bring it on. Yokai aren't enough for a servant of the Storm." He looked between the jorōgumo and the kamaitachi, waiting for a good opportunity, and when he saw a kamaitachi begin to move, he kicked the bucket of soap and water at them at high speeds. It reeled back from the impact of the bucket and the water, before Kawari's fist drove it into the floor. He stomped his foot into it and ripped two of its limbs off with his hands, figuring he'd make use of them before they dissipated with it. He turned around and threw the scythe blades at one of the jorōgumo and the other kamaitachi, hoping to give them fatal wounds from the beast's own blades.

As much as she hated to admit it, Rapture was impressed. The kid’s use of the kamaitachi’s scythes against themselves was a stroke of genius, something she had never thought of before. ‘How did I not think of that?’ she wondered silently as she employed her bladed fans. The jorōgumo he had aimed at blocked the blade with its front arms, successfully stopping it with one while losing one limb in the process. It shrieked, hurling acid from its disfigured face and charging. The kamaitachi was successfully struck and killed, certainly no easy feat seeing that the creature could move at speeds rivaling the swiftest of winds. The second jorōgumo charged at Rapture, preluding its attack with a spray of acid. She ducked, narrowly missing the mess as she slid on her knees, low enough to the ground to get underneath the monster’s bulbous spider belly. The petite powerhouse dug each fan into its underneath, eliciting screams from the beast as cascades of baby spiders encased in spun silk poured from the openings. This, Rapture did not miss, instead falling prey to a bevy of spiderlings making a new home in her spiky hair adornments. Luckily, the stuff managed to miss her long black hair but did little to help the fact that thousands of creepy crawlies now littered the place. After reaching the jorōgumo’s backside, Rapture detached her spider-covered spikes and drove them into its spine. ‘Not going to wear those again,’ she muttered to herself, only missing the decorations for a few moments. She hopped onto the creature’s back, pushing the spikes in further as she thrust her fans into each side of its neck, effectively decapitating it.

Such a messy affair, and only for one creature. There were plenty more to come, she had no doubt of it. And just as she had the thought, a kamaitachi flew toward her, its bladed legs poised for the kill. ‘I will never understand why weasels with scythe limbs were a good idea to whatever deity created them,’ she thought, ducking out of harm’s way for the moment. So, this kid claimed to be a servant of the storm? She wondered if he was referring to a certain deity. If he were of the Shinto faith, which she suspected, Susano’o would be the most likely culprit. A volatile god who was often overlooked in modern worship, he boasted great power and a penchant for disaster. Rapture would like to know more about this boy, who in reality looked no more than three years her younger. She of all people would understand that youth did not belie talent.

“Well, oh great and stormy one,” she began, her unique accent dripping with sarcasm. “Got a name?”

Rapture was no slouch in combat herself. But of course, he had already known that. She handled herself well, and she didn't freak out like an incessant child as most others would expect a woman to do when showered with the tiny spider-spawn of the jorōgumo she split open. But Kawari wasn't going to let her do all of the work. His eyes snapped to the remaining jorōgumo as it came in for an attack, thrusting with its still-remaining front limb. He weaved out of the way of the attack, catching it with his hand. Before he had an opportunity to counter, the second kamaitachi swept right for his neck with a sickle blade. "Tch," Kawari exclaimed in typical shonen fashion, barely ducking the blade and pushing up with his legs. He swept his heel into the kamaitachi and crushed it against the side of the jorōgumo's head, sending them both sailing into the wall behind him. The jorōgumo's arm came away with Kawari.

He made an expression of disgust before striking them with the separated joint of the arm and then, in the same fluid motion, impaling the two of them like a shishkebab into the wall, killing them both instantly. He removed an arm of the kamaitachi once more, and threw it like a whirling shuriken at the remaining kamaitachi as it missed its attack against Ryuuzaki. "I'm not the stormy one. That's the guy that I earned my blessing from. I'm Kawari Yen."

Rapture could get used to fighting with Kawari. He liked his attitude, even if it was a bit self-assured. This kind of spunk felt genuine, and he had the moves to back it up. Now, the two jorōgumo and kamaitachi had all been dealt with. Rapture folded her fans and place them in her cloth belt. She folded her arms, looking in disdain at the corpses that had been left behind. Some of the spiderlings were still writhing and the momentary thought of burning the shrine down crossed the yokai priestess’s mind. She replaced that thought with words.

“Kawari Yen…” she tested the name on her tongue. “Interesting name. I'm Rapture. I’d thank you for your service to this shrine, but I’m afraid I’d be speaking too soon.” She gestured to a growing spiral of shadows appearing where the stairs to the upper levels were. It appeared as if a dark portal from the afterlife had appeared, and with it brought two shrouded figures, their forms floating a bit above the ground. Heads bowed and arms concealed with long sleeves, they appeared to be ghosts of beautiful, regal women. The air got decidedly colder and thinner as the waifish and ethereal beings came into full view. They were clothed in ornate white kimonos that clearly belonged to that of nobility, and their faces were veiled in excess fabric.

Rapture could barely believe her eyes. These were no ordinary spirits. They dripped with malice and lethal intent, casting a gloom within the hearts of the two fighters. Sadness poured from their presences, entrancing and evil. Their auras were pure white, the color of death. Rapture had only heard tales of what she suspected these things to be, but never saw them in person. Itten-Momen. The Flying Bolt women. The sound of mournful cries were made in introduction as each yokai singled out each fighter, moving in a way as to separate the two as much as possible.

In a flash, Rapture was knocked to her feet by a bolt of steel-hardened fabric. She was fast, but not fast enough to dodge it. The other itten-momen attacked Kawari similarly, blackened teeth fashioned in a crude smile. The Flying Bolts were acting like animals playing with their food, taunting them. On the ground, a flash of yellow sparked in Rapture’s eyes as a transformation began to take place.

Kawari dusted his hands off, slowly approaching Rapture as the rest of the yokai seemingly dissipated. The duo made quite short work of them, with barely anything to show for it. As she introduced herself after calling his name interesting, she said that they weren't done yet. He narrowed his eyes and glanced in the direction that she looked.

Kawari was likewise surprised when he saw the itten-momen, but he didn't even know what they were. To him, they were just another yokai. That was when a lightning-fast strike with cloth hit Rapture to the floor. He barely had a moment to react, punching forward at the incoming cloth. "Open!" His fist was engulfed with a red aura before it intercepted the cloth. He was pushed back, but didn't fall.

He quickly used the split second he had to jump up on the cloth and run toward the itten-momen. It was smart, and drew it in much faster than he could run, but the end caught on his foot, flipping him forward towards it. He snapped his kick out with his newly enhanced strength right into the itten-momen's face, sending it backwards with divine might. "Don't get ahead of yourselves...!"

A spark of yellow filled Rapture’s irises as a blanket of electricity covered her entire body, engulfing her in raw energy as she began to transform. Her attire changed to a more streamlined outfit with the addition of spiked pauldrons. Dual chakram appeared in her hands, each one crackling with electricity. Finally, the tattoo of the Golden Scorpion on her right should began to glow with life, the creature’s eyes appearing as if lit up. The yokai priestess had assumed the spirit of the Golden Scorpion, her speed and dexterity increased as a result. She would need it in order to fight the itten-momen.


“They’re vulnerable to fire!” she called. “That’s your best bet!”

While Kawari fought one, she took to the other. It sent a bolt of hardened fabric her way much like the first one did, which she dodged with relative ease this time. Her spirit was on her side. She flipped sideways, slicing each chakram into the fabric, sending a scream from the Flying Bolt. It recoiled quickly, only to shoot another bolt Rapture’s way. This time, the petite powerhouse charged the blades with electricity. While cloth was a poor conductor, the sparks it would create might set it aflame. The perfect conditions had to be in order, and thankfully, they were. The white cloth began to burn, eliciting more screams from the yokai. But the fire was short-lived. The Flying Bolt used its other sleeve to suppress the flame, then struck Rapture again.

Moving just a hair too slowly, she received a long cut on her cheek. Nothing serious, but enough to be annoying. She would have to get in closer if she wanted the fire to really take effect. Then, Rapture saw Kawari jump on top of the fabric and run across it. Good idea. When the yokai struck next, she jumped atop it and ran for the body. She was fast enough in this form to reach the itten-momen’s torso, which she set to work starting another fire. A matter of seconds had gone by as the creature went up in flames, a hideous wailing emanating from it as it met its fiery doom. Satisfied, Rapture dispelled its black soul and gathered the souls of the yokai that had preceded it. She trusted Kawari to hold his own.

Kawari landed from his kick as he heard Rapture shout that fire was their weakness. He scoffed lightly. It wasn't like he had fire powers or anything. He didn't have anything that could make a spark, either. Fortunately, he had a solution that would work just as well:

Beat the fucking shit out of it.

And while his next actions weren't quite so literal, no one would argue that what happened next was anything short of that plan. The itten-momen rose up, and in that moment, it had decided that it actually did not like getting kicked in the face. It was fragile and physically weak. It lashed out both bolts for his arms, and Kawari simply turned his side to the beast, reducing his size in its view. He grabbed both bolts of cloth and pulled immensely, rocketing the itten-momen back to him. He grabbed one of the bolts of cloth about five feet out from the itten-momen, before kicking it again with his immense strength. He felt something snap- or maybe quite a few somethings- but it would get quite a case of whiplash as it reached five feet out, with his hand still clenching the fabric.

He would yank the cloth again at the moment it snapped taut, and carried out a quick sequence of using the itten-momen like a child's yo-yo, kicking or striking it with immense strength and then snapping it back, until all that laid at his feet was a bloody pulp. He let go of the cloth, exhaling and inhaling, before tightening the bandages around his knuckles and fingers. He didn't know whether the blood covering it was the itten-momen's or his own. He turned to Rapture, seeing that she had defeated her itten-momen as well, and gave her a nod, before looking around for more yokai.

Rapture watched with morbid curiosity as Kawari Yen took the itten-momen to school and back. He had done it in without exploiting its primary weakness, too. Certainly skilled for someone who appeared to be at least a few years younger than she, although she of all people knew that age did not equate to skill level. Still, he was impressive, and she could see that his potential was limitless. He would have made a good ally back in Japan. Perhaps he’d make an even better one here in Jump. She’d have to have him back, for sure. Rapture was about to compliment him when she was rudely interrupted by a certain smell. Nothing offensive, in actuality quite nice. It did not fit in an indoor setting though, and that made her second-guess it. ‘Petrichor,’ she realized, golden eyes widening. The smell just before a rainstorm, so unique and beloved by many. This scent, however, eluded to a foreboding thought. Sure enough, the sound of thunder booming overhead, so far yet very close, proceeded the smell of rain, and the flashing of lightning could be seen through the windows.

At one moment, Kawari and Ryuuzaki were standing in the Shinto shrine, walled in from the elements and surrounded by strong wood and brick. But soon, the ceiling gave way to a bruised and cloudy sky, pouring rain, while the walls and floor became an open field. The shrine itself seemed to disappear in favor for a stunning landscape. At the center of it all stood a tall, gnarly tree, and at the foot of the tree sat the stuff of nightmares. “Fuck!” Rapture cursed, eyes glued to the hulking figure. “Fuck! Kawari, we’re fucked. It’s a goddam Mezuki. One of the creatures who guards the gate to Hell. Fuck. I hate these things!”

Apparently, the horse-headed creature hated them, too. It stood on hind legs, massive and imposing. In its giant hand it carried a serrated club that was the size of an adult man. Huge. Bright orange and red horns erupted from its head, and its eyes glowed red. It brayed, emitting long and angry streaks of lightning from its maw. Rapture had only seen a Mezuki in an ancient scroll and had that very day vowed she’d never run into one. Now, the shrine had taken the liberties of transporting them to an ethereal battleground with a temperamental guardian. Sometimes, the shrine would transport Rapture to such places if they were in dire need of cleansing. This place certainly fit the bill, but the petite powerhouse was surprised that Kawari had been brought along. Perhaps it sensed good in him, perhaps it was just chance. Whatever it was, Rapture did not believe in fate. This was a raw deal with dire consequences. Pursing her lips, the girl threw down the chakram and cracked her knuckles. A new transformation took place.


Now in the form of the Mother Tiger, Rapture brandished her gauntlets. She was stronger in this form, but not as quick. She figured she would be more effective. If what she read on these things was correct, she would still be faster than the Mezuki. But she’d also have to get close in order to hit it. She hoped Kawari was thinking of strategy, too, and didn’t doubt it. The pounding rain would not be on their side. “Strong but slow,” she informed. “Breathes lightning. Really mean. Be careful.” A flash of worry crossed her face. She really didn’t want Kawari to get killed. A colleague… no, a friend had already died on her watch. Never again.

As he looked around, he noticed the scent of an oncoming storm. A similar scent appeared whenever his deity was around, but this was undoubtedly different. He noticed that they were now being taken to another place. He looked at Rapture in confusion. Just what kind of shrine was this to be infested with so many yokai? It was then that he noticed their surroundings and turned to see the large figure. It had the... head of a horse? Well, that was an oddity. Kawari had never beheld a Mezuki, drawings or not. But the image of the figure seemed to send Rapture into a bit of a panic. It was alarming to him, Rapture had shown herself to be a very calm person under pressure, and this was a worry to her?

Kawari cracked his knuckles. Perhaps this should be taken with some caution. So he would show a bit of solidarity with Rapture, maybe it would reassure her. He stepped forward as the beast began to rise, and brayed a mighty roar, streaks of lightning arcing from its mouth. Kawari scoffed, and crossed his arms, staring the Mezuki down as he gathered chakra. "What the hell are you looking at? You trying to pick a fight or something, bastard?"

He broke the second seal as he spoke, and turned to see Rapture as she transformed. So she had other powers as well. As the second seal opened, the chakra emanating from his hands increased in intensity, and changed from red to the color of molten gold in a crucible. Rapture gave him some tips about the creature, telling him it was strong but slow, and that it breathed lightning. He could sense... hesitation. "Alright. I can take the lead." And with that, he started running for the Mezuki, moving much faster than he could before.

Kawari Yen didn’t seem to be to savvy when it came to knowing what the Mezuki was, so perhaps ignorance was bliss after all. Either way, he offered to take the lead which instinctively made Rapture’s toes curl. This was her world, and as a fiercely independent and somewhat narcissistic person, she had her reservations. But the creature did not care for her petty inhibitions as it brayed a second time, emitting more streaks of lightning from its muzzle, now directed at the intruders. As another clap of thunder scattered across the swollen sky, the hulking thing took its time making its way to the uncanny duo, trailing its bulky weapon across the wet grass. As the petite powerhouse saw it get closer, she noticed through the heavy rain that it was crushing small grave markers under its powerful hooves. If it weren’t a crazy scene enough, they were having to deal with sacred grounds turned evil by its very presence.

"You’ve got to be kidding me…” Rapture balked as she saw a classic horror movie scene play out: decrepit hands were beginning to poke out of shallow graves and earth began to split as those hands became arms, then the arms became torsos until fully formed kyonshī. Indeed, if dealing with a horse-headed demon weren’t enough, zombies had come into play. They moved very slowly and didn’t appear to hold any intelligence. One had its spine stepped on by the Mezuki, leaving the lower half to quiver while the upper tried to scuttle away using only its arms.

Rapture barely dodged a bolt of lightning, sidestepping to avoid it. She rammed her gauntlets together and crushed a kyonshī’s head in. The thought of saying something cool and tough crossed her mind, but she was honestly not feeling it. She was tired, the rain sucked, and so did Mezuki. Speaking of, the yokai roared something in a language that even Ryuuzaki could not understand. Some sort of hellspeak perhaps, but she couldn’t imagine it was pretty. She got the impression it was a taunt, but couldn’t be sure. The yokai priestess would wait to see how Kawari fared while focusing on killing the zombies for a second time.

Kawari ran forward to meet the giant Mezuki in combat, dodging out of the way of a few lightning strikes from its maw. Of course, if those had been actual lightning strikes, he likely would not have been able to avoid damage at this speed, but nevertheless. His battlefield awareness paid a favor as he heard Rapture make a statement in incredulity. He looked around, and then to the ground, to see that the undead were rising. Was it because of the large creature? We'll see when I knock its head around.

He kicked off his shoes and bolted forward, leaping and using the zombies that were rising to greet the Mezuki, jumping onto their shoulders and stepping on their heads at some points to make a zigzagging, chaotic approach. As he drew in close, the Mezuki swept its gnarled hand in a backhand blow for Kawari's face, which he danced back from. This is what the beast was hoping for, because in the same movement he had hefted the spiked club and brought it smashing down upon Kawari. Kawari grunted and punched it in the side as it came down, parrying the attack in a way, and in the same movement would bring a heel blessed with ten tons of divine might into the midsection of the creature. "Shut up."

Rapture watched with mild enthusiasm as Kawari maneuvered atop the zombies. The guy was really very… shōnen, now that the petite powerhouse thought of it. Someone straight out of a fighter anime she had watched as a kid. Okay, not just as a kid. Just the other day, Ryuuzaki had been rewatching Samurai Champloo. Her fellow countryman may not be at the level of shōnen as main characters Mugen and Jin, but she had only really just met him. Before her eyes, the crazy kid punched the Mezuki’s spiked club to parry it, then kicked the beast with an apparently powered-up move. It brayed in pain as the kick connected and was flung back-first into the mighty tree, cracking the trunk at its base. All this, in such a short amount of time. And did… ’did he just tell it to shut up?’ Rapture gawked, punching a kyonshī back into its grave. ’He did. Motherfucker.’

Not to be outshone, the yokai priestess followed a similar path, stepping atop headstones in lieu of heads for a bit of a sturdier approach. When reaching the Mezuki, Rapture capitalized on its unsteadiness and busted a kneecap with one of her gauntlets. The yokai fiend cried out in pain and anger, emitting more lightning as it fell to one of its knees, its spiked club clattering to the ground. Thunder rumbled overhead as if the elements themselves felt the creature’s agony. Breathing heavily now, it did not yield. It clumsily picked up and swung its weapon at the short superhero, but did not connect. Rapture decked the hand holding the club, forcing it to release the cruel thing yet again.

Rapture thought of saying something cool, but didn’t want to force the moment. For now, she’d be the strong, silent type. More Jin than Mugen. For now.

When Rapture moved in after him, he nodded, glad that Rapture had picked up on the cue and followed him into combat with the Mezuki. It was never his intention to treat her as a damsel in distress, but to simply spur her into action. The Mezuki was indeed a powerful beast from what he could tell, but gawking at it would do no good. She delivered some powerful blows herself, and Kawari would work in tendem with her, punching it very hard in its throat to try and prevent it from making any desperate lightning breath attacks, and would then rotate, bringing the point of his elbow with his enhanced strength straight into its chest where its heart would be. If it was a human, at least.

If it wasn't wary enough to respond to the assault by the two of them, he would continue working in tandem with her to deliver a series of devastating strikes to it as they worked to incapacitate it. But Kawari would keep his eyes on the Mezuki in case it tried to surprise them with anything sudden.