Orion City...
Karna walked along the stone streets, passing civilians and mercenaries alike engaged with the several shops on each side of the road. Walking casually, fingers his fingers were interlocked behind his head. Karna passed it all by, Leisurely glancing around at the people and business of the city he passed.
"Just one more to go."
He said to himself, reaching down and then lifting the final bounty in front of his eyes. His eyes scanned the rough drawing of a younger him. Having him shirtless, standing handcuffed, his hair falling over his face save for his devilish smirk and an eye peering through the strands of his hair.
"I guess this is her trying to be funny. I guess Miss Goodie Two Shoes didn't calculate me breaking out once they got the reward in their records. Knowing her it's probably according to her plan, even down to me escaping. Heh, I can't lie, her intellect's pretty fuckin sexy though."
Looking at the poster a bit longer, a short memory came to pass in his mind. Envisioning a woman lying beneath him. His hands planted near her bare shoulders, having her own hands pressed against his cheeks as her deeply blushed face smiled joyously at him.
"Don't cry...I don't fault you. Free me...from this awful place."
The woman said before her eyes began rolling to the back of her head, her grin growing into an insane euphoric smile. Yet the feeling coursing through her surpassed her body's limits, smiling ear to ear as her tongue extended out. Her body forcibly shifted beneath Karna, her body's rocking matching each thrust of his against her own, shifting her body back and forth with wave-like motions, to her delight as the woman's back shifted atop fine silk sheets. Her visible euphoric climax came to its peak she continued to smile, her body beginning to violently quiver. Veins visibly pressed against the skin of her neck and face She began to bleed from her eyes and nose, her body began to involuntarily convulse. A tear fell from his eyes onto her cheek which contradicted the present smile of pleasure expressed on his face.
"WANTED CRIMINAL QROW!"
The sudden call from a male voice snapped Karna out of his trance-like state. He placed a hand over his face chuckling at the sudden memory that had come to him.
"Heh. Man...it felt so real just now..."
"No use hiding anymore I know of who you are!"
The voice called out to him, leading Karna to turn slightly and look over his shoulder to see who so eagerly wanted his attention. Seeing a young man near his age standing in knightly armor. It was Alexander, the young merc who was humiliated and injured by Aisellia and Miyaura on the first day in the city.
(Well if he's calling me by that name...)
Karna thought while taking glances at his surroundings. Noticing Alexander had made enough of a scene for those around them, civilians and mercenaries, all turning to see what was happening.
(This is probably about to turn into a fun situation.)
He thought, his smirk portraying his slight excitement at the thought itself. Karna began to chuckle at his thoughts while turning around to face the knight in armor.
(And Remi swears it's me heh heh. I guess it's about time he said something. He's been following them around for a while, I've had to stay away from the inn when he's around. Couldn't put them at risk since you never know what a stalker will do.)
The knight drew his broadsword from his back and pointed its tip directly at Karna.
"So you confirm you are the wanted criminal then."
"I confirm nothin'! You just kept staring at me specifically so I figured you desperately wanted my attention."
Karna said lifting his hands and shrugging his shoulders.
"Your stalking can use some work though."
"Silence! I am Alexander of the honorable Saint Knights Guild! I'm taking your bounty. You're accepted dead or alive."
Karna looked at the man silently for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders again and breaking into a short laughter.
"If I WAS a certain criminal-"
Karna began to say, gradually growing closer to Alexander with every step. A devilish smirk on his face, he continued.
"Then I'd wager I'm a pretty rough catch. What makes you think YOU could capture me?"
"I could enlist help but that would imply capture..."
"Oh?"
Karna questioned, stopping several steps short of standing a mere inch away from the tip of his confronter's broadsword.
"So you think you can kill me then?"
Alexander stood, tightening the grip of his broadsword.
"Hmph. I'm far smarter than a brute like you. Tch, Why would those two women bother with such a flea as you? You must be blackmailing them!"
"Heh heh. They're absolutely stunning, right? But no...there's no blackmail involved. Just some serious luck that I can't even understand myself but I'm definitely not arguing with fate right now."
"You fiend! Such beautiful and...-"
"Well proportioned? Ample? Voluptuous? Curvaceous? Enough to make you start a fight you can't win? They still amaze me and I've been with them for a while now."
Karna quickly filled the knight's sentence wearing a grin on his face, raising his right hand in front of his face while performing a squeezing gesture with his hands. Thinking about the girls with every new word he had thrown to describe them.
"Thinking about them...I can still feel the taste. My tongue can almost remember the feeling of sliding across their bodies."
Karna said, extending his tongue against his hand, slowly licking upward until his tongue flicked off the tip of his index finger.
"You heathen! You're blackmailing them to abuse them for your own delights!"
Alexander said. Snapping Karna from his thoughts, his eyes shifted to look over at the knight. Chuckling as he did so.
"Heathen? You knights and Temple guys really love that word huh? Oh, I assure you It's just as much my delight as it is theirs. But seeing as how you want to kill me, thinking it will give you a chance with them, I'd say you're trying pretty hard for a losing battle. Take a hint and go save some damsel or guy In distress or something. Whatever it is you knights do besides put your head up your own ass Heh heh."
"You dare mock me while speaking of your abuse?!"
"Hey! In my defense they enjoy it and in some cases, one actually asks for it. No complaints from me though! They're actually lovely girls." (Hell, even I don't get why they like being around me so much. Well I AM pretty badass)
"Enough! I will be their knight in shining armor. Once you're dead, they won't even know your killer. Five-hundred thousand bounty Qrow!"
Alexander grew a smirk of his own announcing Karna's bounty to the public which Karna himself quickly noticed. He lost his smirk as he could see mercenaries in the area begin turning their attention onto him now. He could hear the mumbling of those around him referencing his bounty, some even beginning to grip their weapons. Momentarily closing his eyes, Karna let out a deep sigh before slowly opening his eyes again wearing a smirk on his face.
(Heh, so that's it. In a city of mercenaries, killing a criminal isn't a crime, even with this many mercs, taking me out is just part of the hunt and law. Well then...)
"I've done a little research. Hmph! Ready yourself criminal!"
Alexander yelled out, getting into a stance with his weapon. Prompting the mercenaries in the area to begin drawing their weapons. Karna stood wearing a smug expression, his grin fading once a visual of Aisellia formed inside his mind. Giving him a stern reminder to avoid trouble that could become problematic for her. Letting out yet another disappointed sigh, Karna visually scanned the area around him. Taking note of just how many mercenaries were truly in the area, witnessing the many gri[[ing tightly onto and drawing their weapons. Their eyes trained on him intensely while the civilian bystanders all looked around concerned, seeing the situation unfold.
(I doubt they could kill me, but I'd lose the deal if this turns into more than just a street fight. If one of them saw me healing it would be bad too, so I should avoid letting them shoot me.)
Karna thought, irritably scratching his head in the face of his deal with Aisellia being complicated by others now.
(Well I think a little city-wide chase might be fun. Aisellia...Miyaura. Thanks to you two, I'm feeling more energized than usual!)
From the sideline of observers, a mercenary stepped forward with his handgun aimed at Karna. His rugged beard and facial hair still easily revealed his grin as he spoke.
'Heh, Step aside shiny boy! This here's a real man's bounty!"
He proclaimed confidently.
On The Battlefield...
From a bird's eye view, the battle could be seen, large masses of bodies that filled the area before, now the remaining beings of both sides were significantly lowered. Large open spaces were sporadically located throughout the complete mass but it was obvious humanity was indeed losing this battle. Leiliana and Miyaura fought valiantly alongside the remaining mercenaries above the common class who had luckily survived the battle thus far, separated in some areas while others managed to group together. Captain Leiliana could be seen still fighting using a mesmerizing display of martial arts talents combined with her spear mastery to fight off multiple enemies simultaneously in rapid succession. Alternating masterfully utilizing her spear to slay the goblins surrounding her and using her limbs to knock back those who slipped inside her spear's range. Elegantly twisting and turning her body, twirling her weapon around the curves of her figure and appendages to strike, slash, and pierce those attacking all sides around her. Due to the size of the goblins, some occasionally managed to close the distance, seeing their opportunity as being too close to be struck by the weapon. As she had been, Leiliana effortlessly switched her tactics to defend herself, knocking each away with every kick to the invaders of her personal space. Giving her a moment to breathe, a break needed from her continuous fighting until now was evident by her rapid pace of breathing as she cleared and watched the area surrounding her with trained eyes.
(Our numbers are already dwindling far more quickly than theirs. I can't tell how many of us are still alive but none will be if we keep exhausting ourselves at this rate. We can't possibly win a long-term battle.)
Suddenly Leiliana's eyes darted sideways, quickly assessing a large body moving at great speeds in her direction. The large body soared through the air, mowing down the many goblins standing in its way. Crouching down extremely low to a near split, Leiliana took a deep breath and calmly exhaled, leaping up high above the mass to evade the trowe goblin crushing those behind her in its way. Leiliana looked over in the direction it traveled from, seeing Miyaura following through with her punch that delivered the large goblin from where she stood far away.
(Such strength. It's notably greater than the average Deimos...)
Leiliana thought while suspended in the air. Miyaura saw yet another large opponent just before her eyes, quickly launching herself forward and delivering a powerful kick to the beast's chest. Its flesh forcibly warped around her foot before being pushed off. The great force once again lifted the towering 8-foot best off its feet. The five-foot-four woman attacks were not only Knocking them back but also dealing the killing blow in single strikes.
(She's killing them with a few attacks or less? Deimos tend to only have incredible strength depending on which animalistic genetics favored more dominantly. She looks completely human yet there's no doubt of her demon blood.)
Miyaura lightly landed on her toes displaying her strength, spinning on her right foot, and quickly delivering a leaping-spinning kick to a nearby goblin. From the sky, Leiliana could see not only Miyaura but the few allies remaining and enemies in the area. Being more sporadically spread out than when the battle began. Her elevated position allowed her to see Miyaura clearly amongst the bodies that littered the field. Leiliana focused on Miyaura, seeing her kick make contact with the goblin. Witnessing Miyaura's foot releasing a great pressure of force upon contact, deforming the body of the goblin with a killing blow before its body flew into the distance.
(That's it...but demons can't use Artes especially so consistently. She's channeling energy through her body and releasing it upon impact, the amount stored and released. Creating an explosion of power, releasing it on impact for deadly force against these things that easily out-size us.)
With a moment to breathe Miyaura took the chance to catch her breath. Panting slightly she watched her enemies surrounding her for any movement towards her.
(You are an interesting woman Miyaura. To fend off this many is exhausting for even me yet you're still fighting hard in a battle that wasn't even yours. But with demons...it's every living being's battle. Huh? I think I'm understanding a little more. You may already realize that and you aim to use that power of yours to protect Aisellia.)
Leiliana reached the peak of her ascent, now beginning her natural descent towards the ground Leiliana could only slightly smile at her curiosities in Miyaura. Bending over forward, the Demon Hunter Captain positioned the spear near her feet, placing one foot underneath the polearm and the tips of the other foot on top.
(I've met plenty of kind and sincere Deimos in my life, I've also slain many demons since I was a young girl. All this time and there is never a kind demon...)
Leiliana let go of her spear once it was secured with her feet, quickly tossing her hands and torso upward with a twist and kick, flipping the spear upward as her body continuously spun while inverted upside down. The spear rapidly twirled while rising into the air near her.
(You're not fighting for yourself, or just to fight. You're pushing your body to its limits to protect someone dear to you, you're fighting with us in this battle to survive. In a way, everyone is here for their own selfish reasons.)
Ending her rapid spinning, Leiliana could be seen upside down, her eyes narrowed and focused behind Miyaura. She delivered a powerful kick against her pole arm's small circular base with explosive force, propelling it diagonally downward at an incredible velocity. The impact of the launch created a powerful burst of air around Leiliana herself and her weapon.
The spear tore through the air from the great force of its launching. Quickly finding its way toward Miyaura who quickly and shockingly gazed upward, only reacting quick enough to witness the spear passing closely by her face. The girl's eyes could only shift to the side enough to see the pole of the weapon pass closely by her, already missing the blade. Miyaura quickly twisted around, suddenly hearing the painful groans of a demon. Her facial expression displayed her shock and surprise, at seeing a trowe goblin severely bent over backward with its head forcibly pinned to the ground by the very weapon Leiliana had used. Taking a second to visually process what had just happened, Miyaura saw the large demon's visually broken spine, and under its head were the crushed smaller goblins that were also pierced by the spear protruding from the large one's face. Leiliana smirked in the confidence of hitting her mark before something else caught her attention on her descent down towards the ground. Looking beyond the crowd surrounding Miyaura, a massive demon made its way from the north end of the battle yet this demon was notably different physically. Roughly a foot taller than a trowe yet the demon's mass consisted of large muscle compared to the fat that gave a trowe its great weight. The demon's skin bore a red tone, tearing through both humans and goblins that stood in its path using its mighty claws paired with the bull-like horns on its head. Leiliana looked back towards Miyaura who had been already looking off in that direction as if she were looking past those still around her.
(She can sense it from that distance?)
Immediately Miyaura looked at Leiliana with a concerned look in her eyes.
(So even with your power you can tell you can't take it down alone. You're a great fighter Miyaura. You're aware of your own lack of training. Very well.)
With their eyes meeting, both simultaneously delivered a nod of confirmation to one another prompting Leiliana to look down to where she was landing, seeing a group of goblins gathered under her. Miyaura, with a clear visual path to where Leiliana was landing, could see the gathered creatures, prompting her to look back over her shoulder to see the pinned trowe goblin. Miyaura jumped backward, performing a backflip and stomping her feet into its gut, snapping its spine the opposite way as its back was forcibly pushed into the ground with enough force to shatter the ground under the bodies. This action forced the spear from the beast and twirled mid-air until it landed in Miyaura's grasp. She quickly began running off the corpse and started her sprint through the gaps between enemies to make her way toward Leiliana.
The Demon Hunter captain looked towards the red beast, seeing it begin to change course and heading more towards the center of battle where the girls were.
(It changed its route...and it's quickly moving this way.)
Her eyes looked over to see Miyaura sprinting in her direction then back to the red demon.
(Is it following her? No, it's going for her, Killing allies and foes alike to seek her out, it must be able to sense her power as she could it. It's a pride demon...subconsciously seeking to destroy those whose power challenges its pride as the strongest being here. It must have felt the energy she was exerting. Tch. I have no time to think of how it got here in a horde of goblins.)
She finished thinking and returned her attention to below herself. Miyaura, having made it past her enemies, entered a large clearing of space. Planting a foot strongly onto the ground and throwing the spear with great force, leaning forward at its release from her grasp. Just as Leiliana touched the ground she calculated her position from where the spear was thrown but it proved useless as she could hear the pain of the demons and the destruction left in its path, piercing clear through the bodies of the goblins. Opening her eyes wide, Leiliana could see the tip of her spear exiting the back of a trowe as if in slow motion. Reaching for her weapon, the captain allowed the blade to pass her by before grabbing the pole's very base. Using the momentum from the throw, she simultaneously lowered her stance and performed a wide circular swing, spinning her body with the attack wounding and killing creatures around her. Immediately clearing the circular area. Leiliana brought the spear back under her control letting the weapon finally rest on her shoulders behind her neck.
Now with a cleared path between them, the two women could easily see one another from the distance. From behind Miyaura, the red demon broke through the crowd, sending blood and many bodies into the air from the massive swing of its claws. In one hand was one large club the goblins had been using, having found a tool to clear the crowd, and now making a full sprint towards Miyaura who rested with her hands on her knees breathing heavily, being visibly fatigued.
(It caught up that quickly?! Shit!)
Miyaura thought, looking behind her after hearing the roar of blood lust coming from the red demon. Turning around Miyaura clenched her fist, using her twisting momentum to throw a heavy punch at the red demon who had quickly entered the girl's close range. Her fist connected with the beast's abdomen possessing mighty force behind it, releasing a shock wave upon impact. The red demon stood its ground as the shock wave from her attack flung her backward, soon landing on her feet, coming to a gradual sliding stop.
"Run to me! Its muscle is too dense!"
Leiliana called out while making a full sprint in Miyaura's direction. The demon girl began to turn towards her ally yet she quickly stopped, her nose starting to twitch as a smell entered her nose.
(Huh? This scent...Aaaah!!!)
She screamed out suddenly considering what was behind her once again, forcing herself to begin running and closing the distance between the two women. Leiliana who dashed at incredible speeds twirled the polearm within her hand into a reverse grip of the weapon.
(Miyaura attacks seem similar to Artes. The guild trains recruits for a year to grasp the concept of increasing their physical ability for a few seconds. We use the very energy inside us all, the energy of the human spirit. The original demon slayers learned and restrictively taught others how to channel one's spirit, creating a single energy. Techniques using this energy are called an Arte but it is not without physical drawbacks. If this girl uses her apparent large reserves of demon energy to channel and release consistently in every attack. With her lack of combat experience, even her durable body must be screaming right now.)
Miyaura could be seen running at full speed with the red demon close behind her, its mouth opened revealing its dagger-like teeth. The red demon would interchangeably swing left and right attempting to mutilate and swipe Miyaura with its large clawed hand and club. With each attempt, she quickly yet barely evaded each attack. Miyaura glanced over her shoulder only to see the demon with one of its clawed hands swinging down above her head.
(Miyaura channels large amounts of energy to a point and unleashes it all in an explosive release. By that logic...)
Leiliana began to lean forward in her sprint, her feet running increasingly more rapidly along the ground before the captain threw her body forward. Her body performed a front flip moving forward through the air close to the ground until her rotation led her feet to touch the ground once again. The captain's feet planted onto the ground, tightening her back muscles and flinging her torso forward. In her fluid motion, Leiliana aimed and launched her weapon like a javelin. Her body was almost horizontal to the ground, throwing herself even more forward to increase the momentum behind her throw. The spear left the captain's hand with a spiral snapping release, Miyaura planted her stepping foot and threw herself forward attempting to escape the beast's claw just barely missing the back of her head and swiping down her back. Its sharp claws hooked into the back of her sash. Leiliana's spear pierced the air, its spiral rotation visibly twisting the air around the tip of its blade before crashing into the red demon's abdomen, the force of the spear causing the beast to dig its heels into to ground as the blade sparked aggressively against its iron-like skin. The red demon's claws snatched Miyaura's sash off her just before its feet tore the ground apart on its path backward and let out a horrific roar as the drilling blade pierced its skin impaling the beast and leaving both ends of the polearm exposed front and back as the beast resisted, leaned forward and gradually slowing down its path backward. Just as it came to a stop, Leiliana appeared to phase into sight just in front of the demon as if her body had flickered into visual sight, quickly closing the great distance between them. The Hunter Captain stood in a stance of her martial arts form with one palm held out in front of her and the other drawn back prepared to strike.
(Enlightening Palm: Rejecting Grace.)
Leiliana would thrust her retracted palm forward, swiftly yet gracefully touching her palm to the circular base of the weapon. For a moment it seemed as if the two froze in time, a gentle breeze passing over the two frozen combatants frozen still in time. Suddenly a burst of wind exploded from between them. The pole of her weapon began to splinter and break before quickly shattering in its entirety in an explosive shock wave from its center, not only destroying her weapon, the explosive shock wave also blowing a large hole in the creature's torso, leaving its upper body barely hanging on from its sides while fell backward in contrast to its lower body standing firm from its feet planted into the ground itself. Leiliana quickly took a short hop away from the demon before collapsing down onto her knees panting from a sudden exhaustion, planting her hands firmly onto the ground to hold her upper body, sweat dripping down her face.
(Damn, focusing and releasing that much energy took too much out of me. At full strength it would be nothing for a short while yet she's been doing it the entire battle.)
Suddenly Leiliana lifted her head, looking at the red demon's body. Seeing its flesh beginning to stretch and mend where the hole in its torso was, motionless but stopping its fall backward as it apparently began healing. It's flesh rapidly reforming its nervous system.
(I should have guessed! It's no basic demon. A high-classed greater demon, above standard strength for their class. If there's an abnormal then...Tch, my body is too exhausted to take it out, not to mention my spear is gone.)
Leiliana's head quickly perked up, hearing the sound of a roaring engine.
(The sounds of demons and battle must have been drowning out the noise.)
She thought to herself.