Her soft white hands turned into sharp frozen daggers. She quickly aimed at the beast, with one swipe taking down one of its legs. The Jorugumo screamed in great agony, razor teeth clenching at the pain. She quickly stopped pursuing the two birds, then looked at the attacker straight it the eyes. No one dares to hurt her like that. They will pay.
Red quickly felt guilt surge over his chest when he realized that the Snow Spirit had gave them some time to escape. He, with sheer will to deliver Murasaki safely, tried his best to remember the path back home. He cannot teleport at areas he don't know of. Or else, they might get stuck inside a tree trunk, in a snow slope, or in the mouth of other great predators.
Tired from carrying Murasaki, he transformed back into his reaper form, while Murasaki transforms back to his human form.
He fell, unable to move for a while, cold and hungry from being held capted for half a day.
Murasaki touches his back, as he had landed on it, and felt like he had hurt his spine. His face twisted in pain, while Red looks at him unimpressed.
RED: Sorry, got tired carrying you for a while.
Murasaki sat up, then looks around the misty snow landscape. It seems like they were under the Jorugumo's spell. They can't see a thing other than snow and leafless trees. The wind singing loudly, sending a chill on his bones.
MURASAKI: So that's what took you so long?
RED: If not one of the daughters of winter, I wouldn't have located you.
MURASAKI: I...I don't know how we'd get out alive.
RED: The Jorugumo needs to be weaker to actually stop this...illusion. But unlike before, it's harder to see from all of this.
MURASAKI: I shouldn't have took Gabby out of here.
RED: Hmm. If I leave you here, you might die, cold.
MURASAKI: Okay...that's not what I want to hear.
RED: I need to help the snow siren too.
MURASAKI: But...dude, you saw how terrifying that monster was! What if there's more?
RED: Correct. So if you have any special powers, better reveal it now.
MURASAKI: Huh?
RED: *sigh* Jorugumos are masters of disguise. You might have been taken already before you actually know what they are. When my summon vanished, I felt the rush of a scene in which you detected it right away. How did you do so?
MURASAKI: I don't know.
RED: Is it your mother? Is she a seer?
MURASAKI: What? I...I don't know.
RED: Hm, seems like you only detect them, huh?
MURASAKI: Yeah, and?
RED: No physical powers, however?
MURASAKI: Uh, no?
RED: You're like Gabby in a way. Only that, your senses are stronger. She can see and detect, but not on your level. I wonder why two children of spiritual seeing were supposed to be fated to be together. This is too much of a coincidence.
MURASAKI: Um. You're suddenly poetic.
RED: Oh. Uh, sorry. It's just that...It's kinda weird.
MURASAKI: But dude...you don't feel cold, right? Can I...ha...have your jacket?
RED: Oh. Sure.
Red gives him his jacket then sends a summon.
RED: Guard Murasaki for me.
The shadow summon, a copy of himself nodded silently. Red also gave Murasaki a barrier, though not as strong as his first, it will hold for a while, and can even follow Murasaki as he runs.
RED: I will come back.
MURASAKI: You better dude. Wait...so like...I'm just gonna wait here?
RED: Yeah. It's not like I can protect you out there, can I?
MURASAKI: Yeah. But...
RED: You'll be fine. Heheh. Can't believe Gabby's braver than you.
MURASAKI: Well first of all, that lady is scary as hell, how am I to keep my composure?
Red smiles teasingly. Cinder like objects began covering his body as he slowly vanishes to help the snow spirit and thank her for her help.
Murasaki was left, shivering and looking at Red's copy, standing straightly, guarding him.
MURASAKI: Uh, do you talk? Because I feel like we'll be out here for a while.
The copy looks at him briefly, then narrowed its eyes.
MURASAKI: Rude.
Its eyes glowed white and then looks at him with an intimidating aura.
MURASAKI: Oh come on. Atleast say a word.
The shadow sat, covering his ears in annoyance.
Murasaki smiles as he finds a way to past time.
MURASAKI: Well, I feel like singing today.
When he was about to sing something, a hand covered his mouth, as the angry summon looks at him.
"Keep...your mouth...shut...Murasaki..."
It said in a scary tone.
Murasaki, even with the cold, felt his chest burning in fear.
MURASAKI: O...okay.
He stuttered.
He then wonders if Red felt that way and was just resisting to let his anger out. This version of him looks more frightening, and if acted like that the first time they met, he might have lost the gut to actually compete with him over Gabby.
MURASAKI: Damn it, I wish I have cool powers like that.
...
Red teleports back and forth, spliting himself into three to act as a decoy, helping the snow spirit in attacking the Jorugumo.
The lady would trap them with her powerful silk, only for Red to teleport his counterparts, and for the spirit to melt and reassemble herself. When the spider woman's attacks seems useless, she began secreting acidic fluids from her mouth, which proved to hurt the Snow Siren, melting some part of her.
Knowing her weakness, the carnivorous lady smiles and releases some more. She was so hungry she won't reserve to failure now.
After a bit of chasing, the snow spirit managed to trick her into getting close enough, managing to lock eyes and for the spirit to see through her mind. Literally going through her mind as well.
Staring deep into her blue eyes, the Jorugumo had her brain frozen(at least that's how it feels) and after being unable to bear with the pain anymore, dropped to the ground.
She was not moving anymore, almost as if paralyzed, though her expression of pain was still carved on her face. Her spider body returned back to her humanoid features.
Red comes over the spirit, then asks her if the Jorugumo would die.
TANKEN: I'm afraid since I just woke up from my winter slumber I don't have the strength to actually kill her yet. I need to be able to successfully lure a man before recieving my gift from mother.
RED: I see...so we're leaving her like that?
TANKEN: Seems so.
RED: So...are you still...
TANKEN: Coming with you? Certainly.
RED: I don't know how you'd...
TANKEN: I can also change how I look to fit into the world of humans.
RED: Oh, sorry, I forgot.
TANKEN: Hm.
She smiles, then her dagger like hands returned back to normal.
RED: You...you fight great though. I admire that.
TANKEN: I know.
RED: Heh, so like...this is over now?
TANKEN: Yeah, unless you're still into fighting.
RED: Nah, I actually hate it.
TANKEN: Well you see..you fight good as well. For your age.
RED: Well, thank you.
TANKEN: Now where's the human you helped escape?
RED: Oh right, right...follow me then.
TANKEN: That boy though, isn't he your love rival? *softly chuckles*
RED: Okay, so how much more have you seen from me?
TANKEN: Oh come on, not that much.
..
Jinko felt a distress signal coming from the snowy highlands.
He gritted his teeth as he prepares himself for the worst.
If he failed again, what must he do next?
He hopes that it was just a glitch of imagination and anxiety.
When he went to her, both relief and anger rushed to his body like fire.
Relief, for unlike the Aka Manto, she was alive and still breathing, but pissed, because the Reaper was lucky once more to escape him.
JINKO: Just what had gone wrong this time?
JORUGUMO: I was hungry, so I wasn't able to fight at my best.
Jinko lashed out in anger. Scaring even the spider woman.
JINKO: If only I've caught that little girl in the first place I wouldn't have failed this much! It's frustrating!
JORUGUMO: Now calm down.
JINKO: Calm down?!
JORUGUMO: You'll get him next time. But I need to eat first. So get me a few men here and I'll eat it right away. After that, back to business.
JINKO: Are you sure after that you'll get things done?
JORUGUMO: Absolutely. You should have seen the fight. I was almost winning if a snow spirit hasn't helped him.
JINKO: A snow spirit, huh? What kind?
JORUGUMO: A siren.
JINKO: Wait...aren't they those who lure men?
JORUGUMO: Certainly. It's the first time one of them disturbed or even cared to attack me. He must have picked a liking on the Reaper.
JINKO: Well...I think I know what to do next.
JORUGUMO: And that is?
JINKO: You'll see soon enough.
The jinx smiled, a hint of evil present on his eyes.