An Unspeakable Ambush

Life, Supernatural

Within the caverns below the arena of Shimonoseki, two warriors sparred. Both sought greater strength for challenges yet unconquered, but one obviously had the advantage. This was Matsumoto Ooawagaeri, although he was currently in disguise as "Fubuki." The Black Blade's partner, Ankokuji Ekei was doing his utmost. As Fubuki adopted an uncharacteristically reserved strategy, Ekei in turn opposed his nature by striking aggressively. Even when Fubuki took off her* armor to even the odds, however, it seemed that Ekei was simply no match for the occultic warrior's greater skills.   A crowd had gathered around them as the pair's battle stretched on. Each of the many oni in the cave wore a Hannya Vizard obscuring their features. It seemed to be a requirement for entry to this place. Except, there was a single oni nearby whose face was fully uncovered. Small, pale, and unassuming for her race, she had paused in sparring with one of the training golems to watch Fubuki's fight with icy blue eyes.

Even when it seemed that Ankokuji Ekei would land a solid hit with his staff, Fubuki's thick oni hide would absorb the damage without a single sign of injury. The Black Blade, for her* part, did not attack. It would not be hard to imagine that she* could end the battle in a single stroke if she* did. Fubuki was so concentrated on the battle and their frosty observer, however, that she* did not see a new threat emerge from a disregarded corner of the room. By the time multicolored vapors twisted through the air around the pair, it was too late.   A screeching, flailing force out of time crashed into Fubuki's back. Although the Black Blade turned to meet the assault, her* aggressor had seized the element of surprise and struck with terrible speed. As the Hound of Tindalos' barbed tongue plunged deep into Fubuki's side, she* realized with growing horror that she* had taken off her armor for the sparring match with Ekei. As the creature's tongue retracted, the wound it left was deep but not life-threatening. Its wicked barb took something else with it, however.   Fubuki's current body was immortal. As a magical construct, it would not grow old. That did not mean, however, that it could not age. The skin around Fubuki's wound withered and faded grey as four decades of life were drawn away by the Hound's greedy tongue. A portion of the Black Blade's vitality went with it. Wounded and weakened, Fubuki was far from defeated. Nor was she* alone.   Before the cold-eyed oni could answer with an attack of her* own, Ankokuji Ekei had circled around the Hound and was striking at its back with his staff. Fubuki might have called out, might have warned the earnest monk about the futility of striking at a monster which existed only partially in their physicality. Strangely, however, that did not seem to apply this time. Ekei was missing with his strikes, but that was because the Hound was dodging them. His staff did not distort nor did the creature show the same flippancy toward Ekei's assault as it had Maxim's in their previous encounter.   Regarding the creature with renewed focus, Fubuki indeed beheld a difference. Through the eyes of the Hannya Vizard, that twisting uncertainty in the air around the Hound seemed to be absent. Perhaps her* attacks could reach it in such a state. As Fubuki watched, the monster shot its tongue out in a vengeful lash at Ekei. The horrid extremity thudded against something heavy beneath the monk's robes. Had Ekei been wearing armor this entire time, even when Fubuki took hers* off? Regardless, the hidden gear did not fully protect Ekei from the Hound's claws. He was left with a painful set of gashes down one arm that would no doubt hinder his ability to fight.   Now that Fubuki fully understood the situation, however, it was over for the Hound. Two skillful slashes of Susuki Masamune were all that was required to convert a terrible predator out of time into a quivering pile of blue-ichored goop on the floor. The thing was dead, helpless against Fubuki's masterful assault without it extradimensional protections.   As the Black Blade turned to aid Ekei, however, something worrying began to occur. The Hound of Tindalos was dissolving, quickly and efficiently, into a pale multicolored mist that vanished before Fubuki's very eyes. Soon, it would be gone and any secrets the corpse might have held with it. This time, it was a stranger who came to the Black Blade's aid. The frosty, pale oni girl Fubuki had seen before approached at a brisk pace. It seemed as though she was preparing to join the fight at any time, held back only by Fubuki's swift dispatching of the enemy.   Now, the bare-faced oni arrived at the monster's dissolving corpse and lightly dropped her katana, point-first, into its viscous form. Rather than slicing into liquefied flesh, the blade instead fell through the body and the floor beneath with a sound like a single droplet striking water. Immediately, a great shard of ice burst from the ground and encased what remained of the Hound in its icy clutches. That seemed to have halted its decomposition. Although in an unspeakable state, the corpse was now at Fubuki's disposal.   Such an act was not without its price, however. The oni, whose name was Watsurara-donyō, demanded that Fubuki replace the weapon that she'd just used to entrap the foe. Indeed, the katana she'd dropped into the ground didn't seem to be resurfacing; no doubt consumed by the technique. Ekei seemed to be wounded but vital, so Fubuki turned her* attention to this new accuser. A new katana could be forged to her* specifications, should Watsurara not mind waiting. As for now, however...   The oni had been very helpful, and didn't seem keen on waiting, so Fubuki handed over Susuki Masamune for the moment. It was a sacrifice, to be sure, but the hanging bundle of timothy grass on the katana's hilt meant that Fubuki could find it again should that become necessary. Watsurara took it, examined the blade, and must have come to the conclusion that it was at least twice as fine as the one she'd just destroyed. With a sudden smile, the pale oni's icy demeanor seemed to melt. Suddenly, Watsurara was warm and friendly in her manner. She passed the sword back to Fubuki with thanks for the gesture, but an admonition that she couldn't take a weapon so fine. There were other ways of obtaining a weapon, and Watsurara had enough connections to manage it, so Fubuki need not worry about the replacement. That generous gesture of offering Susuki Masamune had been enough.   As much as the other's sudden change in disposition had left Fubuki nonplussed, it did make things easier. She* made a mental commitment to forge a fine weapon for the strange Watsurara in thanks, then turned her* attention back to Ekei. The monk had already bound his wounds. He was understandably curious, however, about what manner of unholy monster had just attacked them. Fubuki explained in vague terms that they were hunting her* for some deed in the past. Ekei, to his credit, did not seem inclined to pry. He thanked Fubuki for the sparring, but offered that he should retire now to nurse his wounds. In the interim, she* could continue to spar here with the golems, or perhaps even Watsurara if both of them so wished.   For her part, Watsurara-dōnyo seemed amenable to the idea. At least, she would be if she hadn't just destroyed her only weapon. Now that Fubuki's attention was less divided, she* could at least do something about that. A medley of complex spells followed. First, Fubuki conjured a roiling glob of liquid metal in the air. Then, shaping it with deft occult gestures, she forged it into a katana before allowing the creation to harden. The resultant katana was not quite so fine as the one Watsurara had lost, but it would more than suffice for sparring. A suitably impressed expression graced the pale oni's face as she took the weapon and tested its balance. Watsurara's icy demeanor seemed to freeze back into place as the two began to prepare for a mock battle.