Senshi lay at the threshold of death, her body surrendering as her heart began to slow.
The masked woman stood between her and Tamari, shielding her.
She looked down at the dying girl, as if one would like at a defenseless animal. "...pathetic."
With a flick of the wrist, the woman fabricated wrappings around Senshi's stomach and chest. "I am unable to heal you, but I can reinforce your organs to let them heal on their own." She spoke.
Senshi weakly raised herself up, "Who-"
The woman turned away; "As to who I am, is of no concern- But know my aid is not a cause of morality, only self-interest." She replied. "But- address me as "Kowai"."
"..." Senshi stood back as Kowai faced the demonic beast that lay before them; "But it seems we have more pressing matters to "deal" with at the moment..."
Tamari roared, charging at them with his hulking frame; Kowai raised her hand, a blue flame lighting from within her palm; "Hm, quiet down now, would you?"
"Hell Dance: Kitsune-kami no kagayaki!*" (The Fox God's Radiance) *
A massive explosion of fire came from within the hall, destroying much of the genkan, exposing them to the chill of the night air.
Tamari had dodged at the last moment, escaping to the safety of the roof; "Rgh..." he turned his gaze to the blood that lay beneath her.
Kowai noticed ripples in the pooled blood covering the floor, "..."
Hell Dance: Yari no Kanashimi * (Lance of Woe) *
sharpened spears erupted from the blood; "...!?" she quickly summoned up a shield of iron, protecting herself. "Ugh...damn-"
Tamari jumped from the roof; she quickly reacted, creating many large blades from purple fog.
"Hell Dance: Ha no hitan! * (Blades of Grief) *
The blades shot at Tamari, one stabbing into his chest. He immediately ripped it out, using it as a weapon against her- "Wha-!?" he hurled the blade at her; stabbing through her abdomen she screamed, lurching back. "Gah!"
He hit the ground sending up a cloud of debris, blinding her. Then in the confusion he grabbed the tip of the blade, pulling it through, cutting her in half. "AAH!"
The mask cracked, and Kowai faded into a purple fog. Tamari stepped back, scanning the area.
She then appeared on his shoulder, resting her head atop his. "Is this always how you treat women?" She snickered, "Senshi must have her hands full with you."
He attempted to grab hold of her, but she vanished before he could do so. She then appeared before him, "I hope you're not tired already-" she said as purple fog began to cover the area. "Because this "show's" just getting started~!"
Out from the fog copies of herself emerged; Tamari was soon surrounded by thirty masked Kowai.
They raised their hands, "Hell Dance: Kitsune-kami no kagayaki!*" (The Fox God's Radiance) *
"...!?" Tamari quickly shielded himself.
A fiery hell erupted from the mountainside the genkan lay upon, decimating the forest, leaving an ashen wasteland.
Protected by a barrier, Senshi bore witness to the clash of these two monsters; it was like nothing she had ever seen. Despite her protection, sweat dripped from her chin and her heart raced.
Kowai touched down before her, still facing Tamari. "..."
The dust cleared; Tamari was barely standing; the right side of his body had burned away; his legs were charred. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, as his body slowly fell apart, half his face scarred with burn marks.
Kowai chuckled to herself; "Ara ara, you really are a monster, aren't you?" she raised her hand, to finish him.
"Wait-!" Yelled Senshi.
But before she could, she noticed the faint glimmer of lights, rising all around them. "...!?"
The barren land glistened with the glow of hundreds of flickering lights. The Kowai's tails flicked, her sense of danger growing. "...Souls..." she muttered.
Tamari released a low growl, his body tensing up, another hideous maw gaping open on his back.
Senshi flinched, "Wha-!?"
The red rings around Tamari's back stretched out, grabbing hold of the flickering souls, pulling them in. His body began to heal itself, fixing flesh, and regrowing limbs.
"Tch-" the woman scowled.
"What's happening!?" Asked Senshi.
Kowai looked back to her, "...The boy's gorging himself upon the damned souls of this forest." she spoke. "Most likely trapped here because of that "spider"..."
Tamari began to change once again, this time the chains dug further into his body, carving away at his arms and legs; Tamari screamed in pain as his body was torn apart from the inside out. His skin tearing itself open as blood poured from his exposed muscle tissue.
"A demon's form is a reflection of their soul." Kowai stated. "As his yinko grows, Tamari's body will continue to change, eating away at his mind and body. Until the flame of his life is extinguished."
"He'll die-?" the blood fell from Senshi's face. "B-but… Can we... save-"
Kowai's brow furrowed, "I am unsure, but I-"
Before she even knew it Tamari was upon her, slamming her face into the ground, dragging it across the landscape. "Gaaah!" She screamed.
He lifted her up, kicking her into the side of the mountain. / Boom! /
"Ah- ngh…" she slowly rose to her feet, composing herself; but with little time to do so, as Tamari came down like lightning. Slamming her deep into the earth; the mountain side exploded in a fury of rock and debris.
Blades shot up from the earth, Tamari jumped back avoiding the sudden attack. The blades then changed direction, stabbing into him from all sides. He attempted to shake them off, but they only dug deeper in.
Kowai emerged from the newly formed chasm. She waved her hand, sending Tamari crashing through the forest. Moving him as she pleased; the land dug out with his body.
Tamari lashed out, using his chains to dig into the ground, once again anchoring himself.
"Tch..." Kowai clenched her fist, turning the blades a bright red; Tamari roared; causing chains to erupt from the earth. Kowai swiftly dodged the onslaught of metal.
"Hmph, is that all you have to offer?"
She soon noticed the chains no longer chased her. She looked towards the horizon, bearing witness to hundreds of creatures ensnared within them, their life-force devoured before her eyes. "No-"
She quickly turned back to Tamari, as he broke free of her control.
He let out a thick breath of miasmic fog; the atmosphere heavy with his presence.
Kowai shivered; "What…"
Her mind began to stir; her body began to twitch erratically as she felt her sanity start to slip. "Ngh…"
Tamari's shidama seemed to melt away, almost as if merging with the air. The animals began frothing at the mouth, their eyes glossed over as their bodies wriggled in contortion.
They howled at the endless night, a chaotic symphony of madness.
Kowai struggled to maintain her composure; holding herself as she slowly dragged her nails across her skin.
"He's finally reached it…" she gasped. "His soul has finally broken free from the prison of his "shidama"."
Tamari's staggered forward, his limps mangled and torn. "Haaaaaah…"
"The boy has taken hold of his "will" and attained "Shinito"…"