Once Upon a Shrine...!

[Bean Bandit]

OOC: Carthrat

IC:

"And you're still pointing a gun a Ruripe's head." The boy replied flatly. "I'll stop when you do."

The girl now seemed less concerned with Ritsuko's gun. "I told you not to call me that!" She shrieked, blushing.

[Carthrat]

"A fair request," replies Ritsuko, taking a few steps back from the girl and letting her arm drop.

"You said before that I don't know what's going on," she continues, keeping an eye on the boy- who had *better* stop...

"I wish I had time to enlighten you to what is really happening, but judging by the noises down there, friends of mine are already fighting. I don't know what you represent, but if you seek to do good in this world, side with us, at least for now. Later, I suppose, there will be time enough for you to ask more questions."

[Asrana]

Kikyo...

Tsuruko turned towards the three people she hadn't seen take action yet, trying to keep the rest of her team in her peripheral vision at the same time.

"And what of you three?" she asked curiously, smothering the disturbing grin on her face, and letting her katana stay at her side, but still held ready in her hand. "What exactly is your goal here?"

[Bean Bandit]

The teal haired woman stepped forward addressing Tsuruko in clipped tones. "We're here to deal with something fairly powerful under the shrine." she ground out, narrowing her eyes, but not commenting on the murder she's just witnessed. "We've been told to destroy it, or turn it over to Kikyo-sama to contain it."

[Carthrat]

"Dunno what they're doing," comments Ritsuko, surveying the scene. "But I'm here to rescue a friend. Then I was gonna try my hand at saving the world. Y'know, the usual. What're *you* doing here? Whatsya name? What're *your* names?" she continues, glancing at the girl and the boy.

Ritsuko dully realised she'd switched from a more pointed form of speech to something a bit more crude. Typical, really.

[Asrana]

Keep calm, keep calm, keepcalmkeepcalmkeepcalm Tsuruko's mind raced, her fingers tightening on her katana, and anger beginning to slowly push at her resolve to stay calm.

They want to kill him, they want to kill Them, that can't, but you shouldn't, FUCKING DAMMIT.

"First of all, you've all been decieved. Second of all, if anyone so much as scratches what's under the temple, I'm going to fucking rip your damned corpse to shreds after I send you to Hell," she growled, slowly advancing. "Now, I'd suggest getting out of my way, and leaving the fucking area, before I'm forced to do something."

[Carthrat]

Carthrat's glance wanders from the sword-wielding woman to Kikyo, apprehension clear on her features.

"This Carthrat advises you to look and direct your threats at Kikyo, not him," she comments, dryly. "All of you. Take a look. She's made of clay. She's not human. You *have* been decieved."

To prove his point (and act before anyone else), Carthrat pulls up her sidearm again and fires a shot directly at the miko.

[RyderHakubi]

Ryder blinked...

"What the hell?" was her only verbage, this time in Japanese...

She still waited for a motion from Kikyo, but loosened herself a bit, watching everyone with a close eye.

This is like a Mexican stand off...[/i]

[Bean Bandit]

OOC: No more OOCs. You're all on the same ground, now.

IC:

Flame curled up around the ninja boy's hand a little brighter as he took in both statements, and began regarding -everyone- warily.

The woman who'd spoken to Tsuruko frowned, then glared at Excel's body, as though in thought.

The pink-haired girl simply looked at everyone in puzzlement, not understand what was going on...

And then the shot from Ritsuko's gun cracked through the stillness...and...missed Kikyo entirely, slamming into a wall of the damaged house.

The miko smiled tightly at the assmebled combatants. "No further attacks?" she asked, almost mockingly. "If so, I have a job to do..." So saying, she turned, and headed toward the Shrine's storage shed.

"No!" Came a weak cry from inside the house, and through the shattered wall, those nearby could see a very pretty middle-aged woman with fashonably short hair stumble toward the opening. She looked terrible, though. Several bruises were visible and forming, and there were burns on her arms. "Don't let her tak...Kurum....!" she gasped, and fainted.

Tsuruko, Ritsuko- From your vantage points, you can see the door of the shed is open a crack, and a child is peering out, obviously hiding inside...

[RyderHakubi]

Knowing that thier time to rest and plan was nigh, Ryder, with a little bit of hesitation in her eyes, focused on the forming the Love-Me Chain...

Come on... You can do this...

While she focused on, she screamed out, "Tsuruko, Makoto, stop her!"

[Carthrat]

Carthrat wonders if she needs glasses or something. Dammit. And she was all set to look cool, too.

Her eyes flick back and forth between the girl and the rapidly advancing Kikyo, and clutching the still-unfamiliar handgun between her hands, she lowers the sight slightly and aims at the cursed miko's legs, hoping to slow her down somewhat.

"Kikyo and her allies did that," she adds through gritted teeth, clearly talking about the wounded woman on the side.

[Asrana]

Tsuruko wasn't listening anymore. Furiously, each node of control over her temper was being ripped apart in her mind. It was only instants, but seemed like an eternity  from inside her brain, standing there, helpless to stop Kikyo from attacking Them. The loop began, the images, blood, bodies, the emotions of the moments washed over her; hate, depression, anger, bloodlust. The sight of the child only pushed her farther, until her mind relented to only one demand: Kill.

One step turned into a rush, her mind leaving the world behind to focus on her opponent, what her body did, and her sword. From somewhere inside her, something answered the demand for power, her body moving on its own as she nearly flew in for the attack.

"Rei Mei Ken."

[Bean Bandit]

OOC: Combat rolls! Tsuruko - 6, Ritsuko - 9

IC: With a sudden, blazing leap, Tsuruko took to the air, a sudden tenseness felt by all as static gathered around her was felt. With the grace of a raptor punging for prey, she gave a single, devastating slash with her sword, releasing the static in a massive bolt of lighting!

With an impact that left all present dazed, the lighting struck Kikyo dead on, and for a moment, all was frozen, Tsuruko in mid plunge, sword extended, and Kikyo recoiling from the blow...

And then, as though time decided to abruptly resume, the demonic miko exploded backward, as though fired from a cannon.

And then, at that moment, Ritsuko's gunshot, as though magnetized, slammed into Kikyo's thigh, tipping her off balance as she flew backward. The slender body slammed into the forest trees with the force of a missile, and in an explosion of wood chips, a few of the trees with cracks like thunder began to drop on the shrine courtyards.

Kiyone and Recca screamed in shock....and began to distend....their bodies twisting slightly, Human shapes giving way to something larger...and more sinister.

"Kikyo-sama!" the newly revealed demons screamed, advancing to their fallen mistress quickly, leaving Nuku-nuku staring blankly, puzzled as to the sudden shift in events...

[Asrana]

Tsuruko yanked the shed door open as the clay miko crashed into the trees, slamming it shut behind her. Impatience and adrenaline running high, she simply picked up the little girl with ehr free hand as she noticed the steps, and darted down them as quickly as could be managed, with mild concern towards the child's safety.

[Carthrat]

Ritsuko swore, and fired off another shot towards one of the demons heads, questioning the effect such weapons could have on such creatures.

Well, if a bullet helped take Kikyo out..