Neighborhood hunt

[wisesage]

Tetsuo would be patrolling With a wooden sword in hand, using the Bright step ability he learned to use to travel around quickly. Watching out for any more of those things, the memories of the event was still fresh in his mind but he remained calm. To succeed in his goal he must have a strong will and focused mind so he cannot let his feels take control of him so easily, Avoiding the prying eyes of the Normal people to avoid having to explain how could he be able to do these things.

[freshstrawberries]

"That's it?  You come out here, traipse through our house and say our son is just gone?!" 

A middle aged salaryman, normal for this area, was shouting into Tsubaki's face as she stood in the middle of what had once been the bedroom of the couple's son.  The wife was standing just behind him, looking shocked but too timid to actually interfere.  Tsubaki just had her arms folded, her unusually long, staff of a gohei slanted in the crook of her elbow. 

"If your son were here, I'd have seen him.  I have felt signs of a spiritual presence but that could be many things, and the spirits of the deceased do not typically hide.  Whatever is haunting you it comes and goes.  Fortunately, I have a simple solution for that."

"Hah, let me guess, one that's going to cost a pretty penny?  You damn mediums are all the same!  Why I ever let my wife talk me into this-"

Tsubaki's eyes drifted to the right as she let the man's words wash over her.  The Kawakatsu Shrine did not charge for its services.  They were supported by donations, from the town they lived in and from those grateful for the work they did.  Her eyes went to the window of the bedroom.  The couple's boy had died two years ago, the room hadn't been touched since then save for some light dusting.  They'd been complaining of being haunted ever since then, at least according to the wife. 

Outside the window was a leering white face, an impossible stretched grin of needle white teeth, with eyes shaped like crosses and a squished in ovular head.  Her eyes widened and, "Get down!"  She tackled the husband, bringing a cry from the man and interrupting his tirade as the window suddenly exploded inwards!  A thick, brutish limb smashing through the window, fist closing over where the husband had been moments before she shoved him down.  Tsubaki rolled off of him and got to her feet, the wife screaming out in panic and the man demanding to know what was going on.  "You two get out of here!  Out of this house and somewhere you feel safe!"  She shouted, as a paper talisman was produced from a sleeve.  The Kanji written upon it were immaculate, painstakingly so as she circled it up towards her head and down.  That fist was withdrawing, the thing was looking at the two people running out of the room.  It looked like it was going to clamber along the wall outside to follow them.

"No you don't."  She thrust her hand out, and the talisman incinerated in an instant, as a ball of intense blue energy shot out, striking the thing in its shoulder as it tried to move.  That mask parted, the needled teeth parting as it let out an angry shriek as it fell backwards, Tsubaki moving up to the window to see.  The thing was big, bigger than a truck, with a squat pair of hind legs, but two pairs of bulky gorilla like arms.  "Demon.  Guess I found the problem, must have showed up just in time."  To anyone passing by with the capacity to see such things, the brutish horror standing in the backyard of the simple two story home was exceedingly obvious.

[wisesage]

It would be hard if he didn't spot it especially with his spiritual awareness awakened his attention was diverted in the direction that this was happening. Quickly he begins bright stepping that way, Arriving not too long and spotting the two that are fighting. The Young girl who seems to be a shrine maiden and a beast, a beast all to familiar to him which makes his decision easy a clear.

With a swift step he comes up behind at high speeds at the Hollow, using his basic ability as he draw the souls from the surroundings and have them form around his wooden sword that he was carrying, this granting it a sharpness above that of a regular one would. He swiftly strikes at one of the arms of the Gorilla shaped hollow giving it a Decent wound and then lands between the two of them. Facing Tsubaki and speaks to her

"Hello there young lady, hope you don't mind some assistance from an Old man such as my self."

He says in a polite tone, even as he faced her he made sure to pay attention to the movements of the hollow as he well aware of the tactics it would choose to employ when others least expect it.

[freshstrawberries]

Tsubaki leaped out of the window as the thing moved to counter attack.  The more property damage she could avoid, the less of a headache she was going to have when that moron husband tried to sue for damages as if this were her fault!  She rolled along the grass, another talisman already in hand as the four armed hollow turned to face her, bellowing at her angrily. 

Before she could fire off another shot though, someone else intervened.  A cut appeared along one of those thick arms, the hollow recoiling in anger, one arm covering the wound as the other two slammed hard into the ground in fury and..."Uh...what...a Kannushi?"  A type of Shinto Holy Man.  Perhaps given her garb and apparent occupation her assumption that he must be similarly aligned was understandable. 

"Lookout, keep your eyes on the demon!"  The talisman was up to her head, lowered down quickly as she thrust it out, and a shot of spiritual energy went rushing over his head to smash into the hollow with another explosion. The thing was mad, and better prepared.  Her Purifying Shot wasn't going to stop it, only briefly stagger and delay as the thing tried to bring all four arms down in a brutal, groundquaking slam at the old man's location!

[wisesage]

The hollow came fast but thanks to the shrine maiden assistance he was given enough time to get out of there, a circle of light appears below his foot as he gotten out of the way before the beast slammed into the ground forming small crater from the force.

Tetsuo appearing right next to Tsubaki at the end of his bright step, he gave a soft exhale before he speaks once again. "thanks for stopping it's movements for that moment, I'm surprised how quick and resilient this thing is. Got any more of those spells that can weaken it a bit? If I get the opportunity I'm sure I can land a serious blow!"

He exclaims holding his wooden sword, the Tsubaki could see a outline of souls that cloak the edge of it much like how should would draw and channel souls for her magic. Maybe he is a Shinto holy man?

[freshstrawberries]

What the hell was that light?  He just seemed to vanish, before appearing next to her.  The Shrine Maiden gave a start, backing up slightly but, "Anything that can weaken it?  Not much besides what I've been doing.  I've got my Freeze Tags, but I don't think they'll work great on this thing.  I do however, have something that can strengthen you.  I just need you to let me touch that sword of yours."

However, the demon wasn't going to just let them talk.  It seemed frustrated with its miss, staring down at the crater as its needle like teeth parted in a frustrated hiss.  Then its lower hands pressed hard into the ground, to send it leaping up into the air, upper arms raising up over its head to bring them down in another smash towards both of them!  "Guh, get out of the way!"  Tsubaki exclaimed, before making good on her words and dashing to the side...she could run quick, but that was just...sprinting!  She didn't seem to know his little high speed trick, but at least it'd get her out of the way, even if the impact would send her stumbling, shoulder hitting the fence of the property as she tried to make sure she didn't lose her footing.

[wisesage]

Tetsuo uses Bright step once again, actually twice in quick succession. Actually leaping swiftly getting into the range of the hollow as it's still in the air from it's leap and strikes it's face quickly which could blind them momentarily. Then landing Within range of the shrine maiden tossing his wooden sword to her.

"Here ya go then, I think I bought us enough time though I'm not sure if it'll back off even after that strike." He says to her as he moved his veins back at the hollow that has already landed and probably dealing with the pain that came with the second wound.

[freshstrawberries]

How did he do that?  What kind of technique let a person just...teleport around in the air like that?  Tsubaki lost sight of him until he appeared back tossing the sword to her.  She caught it easily enough, while the hollow bellowed in fury.  It backed away from them, one pair of hands over its mask, while the lower pair flailed about and...a fist crashed into the house of the couple, drawing a wince from her.

Gods above but she could already imagine the lawsuit the husband would write up suing the Kawakatsu Shrine for damages.  Still that wasn't as important as the demon literally right in front of them!  From her outfit she produced another talisman, but this wasn't the Purifying Shot tag.  This tag she placed along the flat of the wooden sword, her spirit infusing it, activating the incantation written upon it.  The Blessing of Purification.  Immediately the sword began to glow, a faint blue outline that would rise and expand to a glorious blue-white aura!  "Here we go!  This Blessing will strengthen your weapon, and give it the power to banish demons!" 

Before she could toss it to him though, the hollow's lower fists smashed into the ground, the force causing Tsubaki to stumble back with a cry, nearly dropping the weapon as the hollow squinted towards her, fists flying to try and hit her, going more on sound than sight!

[wisesage]

Tetsuo moves and quickly reached towards Tsubaki to take the wooden sword back before he would prepare for an counter attack. Standing between her and the hollow as this would be the perfect opportunity to get in a killing blow while it's blinded and unable to see him.

He focused himself, Drawing souls around his wooden sword once again to give it it's cutting edge as he takes a classic kendo stance. A deep exhale exists out of his mouth as he soon bright stepped towards the hollow, this is followed by a full powered Cleaving Vertical as Tetsuo's arms were pulled back then swiftly swung down into the hollow. At the end of the bright step he arrives behind the hollow and in resting stance after giving such a powerful blow. With the help of Tsubaki he probably slayed the hollow or wounded it to the point it couldn't escape now, regardless this would signal the two's victory!

[freshstrawberries]

The trick about the Blessing of Purity was that its effect on impact was slightly delayed.  When the coalescing reishi struck a spiritual body, there was a moment before the actual resulting explosion of force.  This meant when Tetsuo struck and brought the blade down, it first bit into the hollow's mask and head, cutting through as that blue glow grew more intense, before the magic activated properly and then detonated inside of the cleaving cut made by his weapon.

In practical terms, this delay was so minute as to be hard to detect without looking in it.  Visually it simply seemed like he cut into the hollow's head, and then that cut spread out tremendously, splitting its skull wide open and even a good ways into its torso.  It was indeed the killing blow he'd hoped it would be, the hollow collapsing backwards onto the lawn, its body already starting to dissolve and dissipate as Tsubaki watched.

"It's...dead?"  She straightened up, moving around it carefully.  "I...thought that'd be harder to fight to be honest...then again I also thought I'd be fighting it alone so..."  She'd turn to face Tetsuo and bow, her gohei slung across her knees as she gave a deep bow.  "Thank you for your assistance.  My name is Yonezawa Tsubaki, Shrine Maiden of the Kawakatsu Shrine of Miyobi Village.  May I ask your name?  Are you part of a temple or shrine yourself?"

[wisesage]

He took a moment to take in, he actually killed one of those things even with the help with the priest girl it wasn't as difficult as he first thought. Maybe because it's simple actions is what made it feel this way.

He would turn and face the girl, exhaling softly as he soon spoke "I'm Nii Tetsuo, current owner of the Nii Dojo. I'm sorry to tell you but I'm not related to any shrine or temple and simply a old man whose skilled with a blade"

He answered calmly, did she think he was a priest? Was it his age? Whatever caused the possible misunderstanding it was better if he cleared it up to avoid further misunderstandings.

[freshstrawberries]

The Nii Dojo?  She hadn't heard of that place.  He didn't seem to recognize her shrine either, so he probably didn't watch much of that paranormal TV junk.  She couldn't blame him, most of it was junk and why she tried to avoid anything to do with it. 

"Ahah, I see.  I suppose then if I'm the wandering priest exorcising evil, you're the traveling samurai slaying youkai.  Does your dojo have a tradition of fighting demons like that?"  She didn't seem able to really understand that he didn't have any kind of history or tradition behind him and was just...doing what he could with what he had. 

[wisesage]

"Hm, while this Dojo has been in my family for many generations but there has never been anything you speak of. No I started training to hunt these things down after the death of my wife, I started my training around 4 months ago." 

That subject about his wife is still a sore spot, especially with what he saw happen. But it's best to be a clear as possible to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings. He was curious about this exorcist priest thing plus with her being able to see these things, there's a chance there are others like him and her. Maybe other things that are worse than these things too...

[freshstrawberries]

Four months ago?  That wasn't long at all...then again he had had her help.  Still that was...impressive, she was visibly taken by surprise at that.  "I...see, that is certainly quite surprising sir.  My shrine attempts to find people like us, that can see the spiritual, and raise them to combat these demons.  I wasn't aware of any other...legitimate groups."  Her eyes went to the busted up window of the house she'd been in.  Oh that was going to be a pain in the rear and she knew it.

"Have you always been able to see these things, ah if my questions don't bother you of course sir.  Ah, but first we should probably go somewhere more pleasant than a random backyard..."

[wisesage]

"Again no, only upon the death of my wife did I gain this ability to see the spiritual as you say. I'm not apart of any group either, completely solo"

He answered, surprised hearing that there are definitely more of them like he and her. Though how many he could only guess, but that's something he doesn't focus on for now

"Ah yeah, shall we head to my family Dojo then. Definitely more pleasant than a partially destroyed back yard, as well as more private!"

He was about to do the bright step thing, but then remembered unlike him she didn't learn that. Probably the organization never even knew they could do it and never tried experiment. He simply holds his hand out to her

"We should get out of here fast, isn't that right Young las?"