"Alone, I lay here-
Forsaken by those I loved-
Curse this blood of mine-"
The night everlasting stood quietly still; the air was dry and thin as the clouds slowly rolled along the horizon- the light of the moon casting shadows upon the earth.
Kowai stood battered and bruised; her body covered in severe lacerations. Her breath was short and quick, she was reaching her limit.
Tamari, a mere fifty meters from her, resembled more of a corpse than a body. His body had begun to eat away at itself. His arms hung like lifeless branches on a dead tree. His skin flaked away like dead leaves; his vision blurred; he shakily fought to keep himself standing.
Yet... despite his deteriorating physical condition his Yinko blazed with an intense madness, seeping into the very environment around him.
Kowai struggled to keep her composure as her mind stirred and spun in a spiral of insanity.
"With his Shidama gone, his "will" is oozing out amongst the forest." Her eyes sockets began to bleed as the pressure building from within her felt as if she was going to explode. "How-!? How can he have achieved Shinito in only a half-state!?"
Kowai began coughing up blood; she watched as the forest creatures perished one after the other. "Damnit, in my current state I'll join them soon..." she reached into her Tomesode; but before she could react, she was bombarded with a barrage of chains. "Gaaaaaah!"
Sending her flying back into the mountainside. His wounds began to heal themselves as Tamari staggered forward, stuck in an endless cycle of degradation and regeneration.
He mindlessly raised his hand. Hell Dance: Yari no Kanashimi * (Lance of Woe) *
Kowai let out an agonizing scream as she was skewered from the inside out.
Her black Tomesode now saturated in a crimson red, sagged, revealing a large scar on her stomach; it spread out across her chest in a disgusting star shape as if she had been "torn" open.
She slowly got to her feet; her mask fragmented, falling to the ground. Revealing an icy cold glare as she pulled out a knife from within her clothing.
"Hah- hah..."
Tamari felt an intense sense of terror, as if he stared into the oncoming wave of a tsunami.
The knife was stained with a red rust that covered the blade; the hilt was wrapped in a tattered black cloth. It looked to be an ordinary kitchen knife; but held an immense feeling of guilt and regret.
Kowai raised the knife to her stomach; "Despair..."
She plunged the blade into her, releasing a thick black miasma that covered her body.
As she stared into the sky, her sakura eyes were stained a deep red, while her slit pupils turned a radiant gold.
The miasma seeped into her skin, changing her crimson hair and fur into an unending black.
The tuffs of her ears turned crimson while the tips of her tails did as well; her tails began to change as a tenth tail soon emerged.
Sparks began to fly, as they were lit aflame with a white-hot fire, incinerating the miasma around her.
A small gust of wind seemed to blow by as dust scattered out from beneath her.
Her black Shidama melted, dispersing into the air. She sighed a deep breath as a single tear fell from her face.
"Misute Yako Hanko no Inari"* (Forsaken fox in defiance of God) *
Tamari felt nothing from her, barely even registering her presence; it's almost as if her very existence vanished.
"I despise using this power, as it brings back such horrible memories..." She sighed, "Feel blessed boy, as you are the second to ever witness me in this form." She mocked, pointing her finger at him.
"Rgh..." He ignored her, launching a multitude of chains-
"Hm..." She scoffed.
The chains seemed to stop in mid-air right before her; Kowai gently rode her hand along the cold metal; a curious smile across her face.
"Rgh...!" Tamari thrashed and roared trying to break free. But it was as if they were glued in place.
Kowai frowned, taking the chains in her hand; "I believe it's time to put you on a leash, child." She tightened her grip, and with a single word she spoke- "Knell."
Tamari immediately fell to the ground, the weight of the ocean bearing down on him. "Rgh!?"
His body seemed to crush itself under its own weight; he howled in pain as Kowai watched in delight. "Hahaha~" She laughed, "You're simply all bark and no bite-"
She raised her hand, "Allow me to finally put you down."
"Rgh..." With all his strength Tamari lifted himself off the blood-soaked earth. "Rooooooar!!"
Ripping his own arms off in the process.
"Oh my~ That looked like it hurt..." She taunted.
The blood began to circulate around Tamari, forming a protective shield. He then lunged at Kowai with all the ferocity of a cornered animal.
"Hah..." She sighed, looking down upon him with pity. "Are you truly eager to die that quickly Tamari?"
She breathed a deep breath and with a wave of her hand, the scenery seemed to change around them, turning to that of a dark winter forest and a house on fire.
Hell Dance: Moeru soulkutsu no yuitsu kitsune* (Burning den of the lone fox) *
She cocked her head, "Welcome to "my" world dear child..." She sneered, "Please, make yourself at home~"
------
Two miles away Senshi crawled her way to the top of the mountain where Tamari and Kowai fought.
"Tamari... Ngh! I-I'm coming!" She coughed up a pool of blood as she clutched her side. "Hah...haah..." Tears fell from her eyes, as she slammed the ground.
"Damnit! How can I still do nothing!?" She cried. "I'm supposed to be there for him, and yet I... I can't do anything."
She looked toward the sky, a tear in her eye; "Maybe "they" were right..."
She then heard a voice call up the mountain from behind her; "Senshi? Tamari? Where are you??!"
It was Ko, and with him a small search party of townsfolk.
"Ko! I'm over here!" She called out.
"Senshi!?" He made his way over to her- "Jeez! What happened to you!?" He shouted.
She struggled to lift herself up. "There's no time to explain- Tamari's up there, he needs me!"
But her arms gave out- "Ah!"
Ko quickly caught her, "I'll go- you need to stay here."
She looked up at him, her face full of tears; "But-"
He smiled, "Don't worry, he's my friend too. I promise, I'll bring him back to us."
The townsfolk soon found them, lifting her up on one of the men's shoulders. She looked at Ko with a look of trust, "Please, he means the world to me..."
Ko nodded; he then turned away toward the top of the mountain.