Blood n' Tricks[Shadow Fall Mission][FINISHED]

Mission Specs:

Styn walked out of a hole in reality examining his surroundings. He found himself standing in a small clearing, most likely the middle of a forest, at minimum some kind of wilderness. It was still cold in this part of the world and his breath came out in puffs, although he felt very little physical discomfort. Snow littered the ground and wouldn't give up its grip of the ground for several more months. This just made it that much more obvious that the area had recently seen a large amount of activity.

In the center of the clearing was one of those wonders of modern technology. Half tent, half trailer, it was a sort of one shot house that a declining outdoors enthusiast population had grown fond of. Sure you couldn't pack it back up and take it with you, but it would be here next time you visited. Styn was sure there were all sorts of rules dealing with when and where you could put one up. Humans were big on needless restrictions, and short on common sense.

Around the structure were hundreds of foot prints, even the storm last night had not been enough to completely obscure the high level of traffic. It would seem then, that he had arrived at the right place. Located at the edge of the clearing near where he had come out was a three foot cubed box, which was outputting a light, almost pleasant sounding mechanical hum. Just on the edge of his perception he could almost detect a high whine, but a shake of his head later, and it was gone.

Amazingly, given its purpose, he could not sense anything on the spiritual spectrum at all. It seemed to be completely a creation of metal and silicon. Still, he couldn't leave it operational if he was to accomplish his goal. Styn poked around the device until he located an access panel of some kind. A moment of concentration grew out the nail of his right index finger. Next, a second of focus shaped the nail into a tool fit to unbolt the fastenings.

The insides were a marvel of human ingenuity, and completely foreign to Styn. Indulging his inner child, he played around with the wires and components. However, it wasn't more then two minutes later that the device gave a sharp static pop, and he found himself suddenly smelling the pungent aroma of burnt electronics. The sound was accompanied by what would most likely have been a severe jolt of electricity. Briefly, a tracery of sigils flared on his hands into the visual spectrum, as his passive Akuma Kyodo dispersed the energy.

"Well it was fun while it lasted," Styn muttered good-naturedly as he stood up from his crouch and examined the trailer. It was completely dark and looked uninhabited. Most of the foot traffic was to and from the centrally fixed doorway. Blinds were drawn and curtains obscured the inside completely. There was a taste to the air that let him know he was going to be lucky this time though.

Approaching the metallic looking door, Styn paused a moment, and with a shrug knocked on the ceramic material. There was an order to these things, and sometimes observing the proper forms could set the tone in ways that charm alone would not. In response there wasn't so much as a sound, as there was a sense of something coming closer. Styn stepped back just in time as a face, poked through the door looking at him with boredom.

After a moment it became clear that they were in fact looking each other in the eye. The young male expression underwent an immediate transformation. "Holy crap! You can see me?"

"Sure can."

"Are you a shinigami?"

Styn looked down at himself in confusion, idly wondering what they were teaching children nowadays. "Do I look like one?"

The teenager's face screwed up in a look that Styn hoped was contemplation and not the onset of some sort of ghost diarrhea. After a second or two the boy sighed in disappointment. "No I suppose not."

"Right then," Styn said nodding toward the door. "You mind if I come in?"

The spirit looked at him with suspicion that shifted into glumness after a instant of thought. "I can't stop you."

Taking that for permission Styn reached out for the handle and with a quick twist, broke the lock and pushed the door open. Closing the door behind himself came as second nature, as did locking the door with the deadbolt to stop it from swinging open. The boy was floating in a room that looked like it had been completely disassembled before being recombined in an almost random manner.

Toward the back the furniture was stacked in a way that made a sort for fort children might construct. A bottom layer of couches and large chairs, with tables and smaller chairs laid on top. Looking right showed him a kitchen with most of the houses electronics laid out as if at a garage sale. A glance to the left showed a hall way with what looked to be open doors leading off into smaller rooms, three to be exact.

The ghost itself was dressed in casual clothes, jeans and a t shirt, no shoes or socks though. Having cleared the doorway to give him room to enter, the spirit's eyes darted toward the only exit, expression flickering with fear. "You're not one of those cops, are you?" The boy practically accused as if he knew the answer already.

"I am not," Styn confirmed, having taken in all he was going to by glancing around the room. Making his way over to the pile of furniture, he removed a small table and two folding chairs. A moment more had him setting them up in the relatively empty center of the room. Sitting down with a sigh he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. All that remained was waiting.

Right before he closed his eyes however he saw slight fear replaced by confusion on the teenagers face. The silence lasted for a full five minutes before being interrupted. "Are you a reporter then? Come to investigate the murder?"

Styn sighed and opened his eyes. "No, but while we're on that subject, what were you doing out here? You know its not safe outside the cities anymore. You had to know that much."

"We're not stupid," the boy challenged with a huff. "Dad bought the most expensive hollow whistle on the market. We've been out here lots."

Styn's mind flashed to the metal three foot cube outside. He had actually heard as much from the initial survey as well. "No whistle for humans huh?" the demon said simply.

A sad look crossed the boys face, and he gave a defensive half shrug.

"Where are your parents anyway?" Styn asked. This was going to take even longer because of their absence. He had expected a small family, not a single soul.

"Don't know, they weren't here when I," the boy trailed off and a single tear escaped before he furiously scrubbed his face. "The last thing I remember is them shoving me under my bed and telling me to be quiet. I guess he must have found me too. I don't even know what the killer looks like."

"That's pretty normal, souls tend to forget the last moments before death." Styn took a more detailed look at the spirit chain coming from the center of the teenager's chest. The kid was clearly lonely and scared. Another couple days and he'd have probably turned into a hollow. Good thing Styn had reached him before that, it would have been impossible to find him then. Inside the confines of a crude hollow repellant, he might have gone mad. "Your parents just moved on to soul society, most likely they thought that they had saved you. If a person accepts death before it happens then it makes it much more likely that they move on naturally."

A few moments of somber silence fell over the room then, and Styn leaned back again ready to close his eyes once more to wait. An irritated sigh of defeat reached his ears. "I give up, you're not a shinigami, a cop, or a reporter. No one has been by here in days, what are you doing here?"

"Killing time," Styn said without opening his eyes.

"You said it yourself, its not safe out here," the boy accused. "You some kinda sicko or something? Just hanging out at the scene of the crime?" A gasp of shock caused Styn to crack an eyelid. The boy's face had drained of color and he was reaching up a shaking hand to point at him. "You! you killed me didn't you, that's what this is, you're here to collect a trophy. Those cops said it was weird you hadn't taken anything, didn't match the profile or something."

Styn sighed and raised his hands palm outwards to calm the teenager. "No," the demon started.

"Why should I believe you!"

"I didn't kill you and I'm not here for any trophy."

"Liar! No one comes out to the middle of no where to sit in a house where people were killed!"

Styn supposed that was probably true. "I'm a demon," he finally said if just to shut the boy up. This was alot more troublesome then he had initially imagined when he came up with this plan.

"What?" the boy asked in a much quieter voice.

"You remember back in August? When we took over the country? I'm a demon."

"Prove it," the boy said with anger creeping back in his voice.

"You want me to prove I'm a demon?" Styn asked almost disbelievingly. The balls on this kid.

"Yeah," the young punk said, warming to the idea. "Yeah, do something demonic."

"What like kill the president?" Styn said as his own irritation started to rise.

"Don't be silly, why would a demon kill President Mana?"

There was something wrong with this conversation. The boy's face tightened into suspicion as an idea occurred to him. "Wait, if you really are a demon that makes it even more likely that you killed me. That's what demon's do. Everyone is saying that the country won't last a year, my family was going to move to Canada when the demon's finally moved west in force."

"Oh really? So your parents were rebels then?"

"No, most people aren't strong enough to fight back. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well you said it yourself, the last thing you remember was that you got shoved under your bed. I'm a demon, its not that I can't kill humans, its that we don't have time to waste on nobodys out in the middle of nowhere." Styn pointed out with an unapologetic shrug. "Besides you might not remember with your conscious mind, but there is no way you'd fail to recognize your killer with your unconscious mind. You'll just have to trust me on that one. Lastly, you were here when the cops were investigating, I read the report, there were no signs of demonic involvement."

"If you're a demon."

It was back to this then. "Fine," Styn said. "You don't know anything about demons, but I'll do something that only demons can do." And maybe find a way to shut the kid up in the meantime.

Each and every cell in his body was composed of trace amounts of demonic energy. Normally he wasn't aware of it, but there were ways to increase the synch rate and pull more into his being. Za Koa wasn't all around them, it wasn't a natural part of the multiverse. It was very simply a vast realm of constantly renewable power. Raw and unrefined, it existed sealed off from all but demon kind.

The key to unlocking that seal was built into the blood, bone, and tissue of every demon. It wasn't meditation, or training. It was instinct and biology. Styn needed to be stronger and so he was. Red hot boiling energy suddenly saturated every single cell. It didn't radiate from a single point. There was just suddenly a much larger amount of power where a moment before there had been small concentrations.

Some of this force spilled over into the surrounding space. Not as a visible thing, but an inchy prickling, an almost acidic burn. The boy yelped suddenly and backed away to the far wall, eyes suddenly wide with shock. Styn flashed him a quick grin. "Here now, I haven't even done anything yet." Kneeling down on one knee the demon cleared his mind, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath in, before slowly releasing it and fixing his gaze straight forward.

"In the name of Zoa Koa, I beseech thee to grant my spell," Styn chanted while reaching out a hand and commanding the increased energy to pool there. Now where was a discernible shift in the internal stability. The power sizzled from cell to cell, sending pleasurable tingles throughout his entire body. Styn's eyes narrowed in concentration as he formed a clear image of his intent. He needed a door. In the end it wasn't much more complicated then that. He stood in one room and he needed a way into another.

"In the name of the dark god, open this portal of darkness," Styn continued and in a dark red flash, there before him, stood a twisting door into chaos. It was roughly ten meters in diameter and almost black in color. At the edges, the energy was especially active, and a lighter shade of crimson. It hummed and crackled as it tried to cut the very air. The demon knew from personal experience that the outside of the portal was very dangerous. He had no idea where it would lead at this point however. Perhaps no where, maybe into a place between worlds where he'd be trapped forever, or instantly die.

"I want to be alone, let no one accept my just damnation." This was the longest part of the process. His door was created for all the good it would do him. Now he had to link it with another physical space. In this case, the incantation helped focus his mind. He wanted to be alone, the image of the place in mind was slow in forming, but form it did. A dark forest of silence. The images of a broken castle flickered. A place of quiet and solitude where he could slack off to his hearts content. His emotions soared and a genuine smile tugged the corners of his lips upward.

Almost a full minute passed as he painstakingly and lovingly crafted his own personal hell. A home away from home. No one to tell him what to do, and hours worth of entertainment to indulge in. The dark forest quickly acquired a generator, a television, a gaming console. A shelve filled with all his favorite books, a fridge with the tastiest snacks. All the comforts that made life worth living. There on a table with an ice cream float he added something new, and he was done. "Release the gates and Open the Abyss," Styn commanded with a note of finality.

A light sweat beaded his face as he got to his feet. The portal itself was suddenly a dead black mirror. He could faintly see himself and the contents of the trailer reflected in its crystalline depths. It would stay like this forever as far as he knew. Furthermore, no one would be able to enter it except for him. "Alright just wait here," Styn said with a quick glance at the stunned teenager. The boy had been creeping forward, as the burning sensation was no longer present.

A quick step forward took him through the portal and into his own private paradise.Styn had spent a long time on this place. Years of mental shortcuts had to be created to allow for a very similar environment to be crafted every time. Seizing the ice cream float he drank a deep swig and sighed in utter contentment. Too bad he had things to do. The temptation to remain was strong, however they were at a critical time right now. It couldn't be too much longer now.

Reaching down he grabbed a folded slate board and cloth sack that clinked lightly when lifted. Sitting the tasty beverage down only half finished, Styn turned back toward the portal. It would be gone in the mortal realm by now. If he took it now it would take him right back, he could also attempt to reconnect it to a different physical space. Still the default setting worked well enough for him now.

He took a moment longer to examine the items he was trying to bring back. The rules were weird here. Sometimes he could bring things back with him, sometimes he could not. There was something about the simplicity of the constructions. Less complex things were more likely to make the transition. He'd never brought a weapon back of any kind though. Demon magic could be wacky like that.

With a shrug Styn made his way back through the portal. There was no sensation of travel, he was in the demon dimension one moment and then back in the trailer the next. The infusion of demon atmosphere had more then restored his earlier expenditure though. In fact he felt better then he had in days, reminding him that he should probably make more trips to hell when he had time off.

Fortunately his creations had made the trip back with him. A gasp of shock had greeted him upon returning, so the teenager hadn't met an untimely end, or decided to go exploring in his absence. "Believe me now?" Styn taunted.

"I guess I do," the boy said slowly, suddenly uneasy.

With a satisfied nod Styn once more sat himself at the table and unfolded the board. On it were evenly spaced black and white squares covering the surface. The boy's gaze fell on the slick stone surface. There seemed to be a light of recognition which only increased in intensity when the demon spilled out the contents of the bag. "You play chess?" Styn asked.

"Yeah but, I can't touch the pieces," the boy said helplessly.

"Sure you can, this is from the demon world. It touches the spiritual realm, here set your side up. I'll let you be white first." Styn suited actions to words and began to place his own pieces. Looking like he might not quiet believe it the boy grabbed a pawn and laughed in delight. In moments they were playing, time ticking slowly forward.

"Checkmate," the boy said slyly after about twenty minutes of play.

"Guess this isn't my game," Styn replied glumly as he toppled the black king. As the piece clattered against the slate board there was an eruption of sound. It seemed as though they were going to have company.

"What was that?" the boy asked fearfully.

"Probably a hollow."

"A hollow!?"

Another concussion of noise sounded closer. If one listened closely it almost sounded like a scream. The boy's eyes shifted to Styn and then toward a nearby window. "We've got a hollow whistle, it can't get in...can it?"

"That box outside?" Styn asked innocently. "I think its broken, there was a bit of smoke coming out of it when I walked up."

"What do we do!?" The boy wailed.

"Well if I were you, I'd stay close to me and try to stay silent Don't worry I realize how hard that will be for you," Styn teased.

Not bothering to see if the teenager followed, Styn made his way back out into the cold. On the opposite edge of the clearing a large humanoid figured moved out from the foliage. The creature was a dull black in color, with a bone white mask. Two large gorilla like arms and short stunty legs, gave Styn an idea of what kind of combatant it was. The mask was plain, without adornments or devices. The likelihood of a fairly low level hollow was high, although Styn would need physical contact to be sure.

The mask parted in a clicking jerk, completely unnatural appearing. Another roar brought a gasp from the boy who had followed him outside. "Remember," Styn said as he rolled his head, cracking his neck, "silence is golden." Almost as if it was awaiting his words the hollow charged forward, with the smooth gait of a natural predator. The demon moved to intercept it.

The distance between the two was closed in moments, the hollow being almost four meters tall was first to act. A wide sledgehammer blow was leveled at Styn from the left side. The blow was slow enough to avoid with a duck or a jump, but to do so would waste time. Reaching out his left hand, the demon attempted to stop the momentum dead in its tracks. Weight shifted to his right foot to brace himself, Styn made soft contact with the creatures fist and then locked his arm in an attempt to stop the strike in its tracks.

Perhaps if he had moved in closer it might have worked. However the amount of weight and momentum were too much. A flurry of snow and dirt kicked up from his right foot, spraying outward. For a moment he kept his balance, body bending to the right slightly to disperse the impact. Then he lost his balance completely as the punch picked him off his feet and flung him ten meters to smash into a tree on the edge of the clearing.

It wasn't enough to deal any real damage. The impact was all but nullified in a splintering of tree bark as his Akuma Kyodo flared with protective heat. Still the strike had rattled Styn slightly. He had expected the beast to be a complete push over. It seemed that this was going to be more work the he thought.

With a grunt and a quick push with his right arm Styn, once again was standing on the snow covered ground. The demon was surprised to find this recovery uncontested, as his eyes tracked to where the hollow stood. It had moved toward the boy after knocking him to the side. Whether this had been to seek weaker prey, or just because demons didn't taste as good, would be a question for another time. The boy was on the ground looking up at the figure that was now looming over him, not alot of time for analysis remained.

Styn willed as much Za Koa into his frame as could be contained by this form. He currently found himself in the shadow of the tree he had just peeled off of. His own shadow was there, mixed into the ground with the tree's own. Another timeless instant of will gathered the energy pouring from every cell into his legs. Shadow movement was less about acceleration and more about pulling. Za Koa molded and shaped natural shadows like magnets, that a demon would then launch toward at impossible speeds.

In that regard, it wasn't a noisy movement. Styn held in his mind the destination point and in a rush of motion he was there, feet not breaking the snow till the momentum had played out. A wave of wind accompanied the movement, but not with any more force that that of a rogue gust. This was the speed for creatures of the night, beings who would and could reach out of darkness to quietly slay their prey. Creatures made up in part, by the nightmares of humankind.

Too late the hollow turned to deal with what it might have assumed was a threat already dealt with. Styn was well within striking range, but did not lash out with a closed fist. Instead he simply rested his hand on a black muscular leg, and sent a rush of Za Koa into the creature. The hollow staggered as the curse hit home, attacking its spiritual structure. The beast had mass and strength for sure, however its sense of self and reserve of power were a significant amount below Styn's own.

The demon kept up his assault pouring more and more Za Koa into the hollow. The leg jerked out of his reach as the creature spun, disoriented by the molten lava that seemed to be surging through its veins. Halfway through the enemies pivot, Styn darted in and once again slapped a hand calmly onto a nearby appendage. This time his target was the anchoring leg of the hollow's high speed turn. Another pulse of demonic energy pierced to the creature's core, causing a howl of what Styn hoped was pain.

A smooth jump forward and upwards, brought the demon's hands to push against a black solor plexus. The area right below a circular opening on the hollow's chest was its center of gravity. A sense of balance the beast no longer possessed failed to keep it on its feet, as strength drained out of its legs. Styn's forward momentum soon had him straddling the hollow, both hands sending yet another shock of Za Koa, further disrupting any flow of spiritual force.

The hollow's muscles spasmed, as its head rolled weakly back and forth on the snowy ground. It was making a hell of a snow angel, but was no where near getting to its feet. Calling out to the invested energy, Styn connected his consciousness to the imbedded Zo Koa and locked the curse in place. With a satisfied smirk, the demon reached up and knocked on the white bone mask mockingly. "There there big guy, no sense fighting it now, just take a nap and enjoy the burn."

"Shouldn't you, um, kill it or something?" A young voice piped from behind.

Styn hopped off the hollow, easily avoiding its feeble attempt to snare his leg and faced the teenager. "I need this guy alive or he won't do his job properly. Let me tell you a secret kid, hollow's are cannibals."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well this one must have been close by to pick up on your weak reiatsu. Sure, you might have made a good snack, but if a hollow wants to grow up big and strong, he eats other hollows." Styn tapped a nearby arm with his foot and the creature twitched, tossing its head back and roaring. "That's not a sound of hunger anymore, listen closely, its desperation. A much more yummy noise."

"Wait, you mean you want more of them here?" The boy asked.

"Sure do, another nine or so should do it."

A nearby shuffle caught Styn's gaze causing him to smile slightly. "Alright it looks like its time to get back to work. The sooner I'm done the sooner I can stop," the demon said while squaring off against another basic humanoid hollow. Such was the life of a low level flunky in Shadow Fall.

Styn wiped sweat off his brow as he dragged the eighth hollow and pushed it on top of the pile. The creatures on the top of the stack screamed in defiance, the ones near the bottom were barely conscious now though. After the first two it had been fairly steady. It must sound like a feeding frenzy to young cautious hollows, with how fast they had started coming after that. There shouldn't be much more then three or four in the area. He had selected this location with that in mind, wouldn't do to get overwhelmed and botch the entire thing.

The boy had a nonstop running commentation on the whole thing. Styn could have been happier if one of the beats had silenced the kid, to spare him the yapping. The plus spirit did make for a good distraction at times though, for the hollows. The demon was in a fairly disheveled state. Bits of dirt and snow clung to different areas of his already untidy suit. Reaching up he pulled a twig out of his hair. A particularly strong exhale sent a white cloud of steam to drift before his features.

"I'm beat," Styn said faintly. Sending a hand into the inside of his suit he pulled out a small cylindrical object and pushed the top down. There was a sharp click and a steady, repeating beep, and with a sigh the demon tossed it into the mass of hollows.

"What was that?" the boy questioned.

"My ride home, I'm too tired to make a portal big enough to get these guys to the village."

"You're leaving?"

"Sure am."

"B...but," the teenager interjected, only to be cut off by an explosive motion at the edge of the clearing. Styn turned in surprise, as a powerful blow sent him hurtling into the nearby trailer. The walls, while suited to warding off the cold, were ill prepared for a person moving at his assisted speed. The demon found himself sent through the entire structure, with very little resistance, to land about twenty meters on the other side. Given how sore his body was, it was likely he had hit several heavy belonging, most likely that damn furniture.

"Damn that actually hurt," Styn said as he clambered to his feet. He examined his immediate area and didn't notice any enemies nearby. Raising his voice the demon called out. "Hey you still alive?"

"Y...yeah, its gone," the boy called out fearfully.

"Great," Styn muttered as he jogged around the trailer. It was probably testing his durability, which meant it had intellect of some kind. The clearing on the other side of the trailer was much as he left it, and other then the bruises which were no doubt forming, the demon found himself intact. His Akuma Kyodo was strongest up to elbows and knees, so it would have helped to actually block the attack. Instead his ribs had absorbed the bulk of the blow, and damn did it sting. Styn was aware that a dangerous level of damage had been leveled against him.

Styn glanced at the pile, it would be several minutes before someone in shadow fall village connected a Kage Chokyo-shi. Now wasn't the time to lower his guard enough to create one of his own either. Not for the first time the demon cursed his lack of external spiritual awareness. Higher level demon's could make up the racial deficiency by surrounding themselves in Za Koa, but it was a feat outside of Styn's abilities for now.

"What now?" the boy whispered.

Styn raised a hand, and gloriously the boy remained silent, perhaps sensing that now wasn't the time to push. The demon spun in a slow circle, trying not to expose his back to any stretch of space for longer then a few seconds. What he'd really like to do is summon some shadows and have them scout out that three line. Sadly, nearly an hour of Za Koa expenditure hadn't left him with very much left to spend. What he did possess was wild and unfocused, blasting through his blood and bones in fluctuations. He had a few tricks up his sleeve, but he would need at least a moment of warning.

"Watch out!" The teenager screamed.

Immediately Styn crouched down to keep his balance and traced every invisible sigil on his body with a line of Za Koa. The red hot energy poured into the symbols in an instant, causing them all to flare into the visible spectrum and stay lit, with an infernal red glow. Given his currently clothed status, these sigils were only visible on the backs of his hands and face. The results of their enhancement was readily perceived. This time the blow that rushed out of his blind spot struck what must have seemed a brick wall. With feet spread shoulder width apart and weight shifted slightly forward, Styn barely noticed the strike this time, body rocking with the attack.

Pivoting smoothly, Styn lashed out with an open palm as the dark fist began to retreat, missing. Oddly enough, it was just a first and an arm. An extremely long arm that extended into the edge of the clearing, where its core was hidden from view by the tree cover. The demon connected with a shadow near the point of origin and pulled himself so that he would be on the other side of the largest, most likely cover.

The arm was retracting at a high level of speed, but few things were as fast as shadow movement. A three meter hollow was standing, right arm supported with a much smaller left like it had just fired a rifle. On the right shoulder of the creature was a bone white plate, that was spinning and hissing lightly. It reminded Styn of a clockwork toy. The mask which was pointed forward, turned almost in slow motion, yellow orbs on its face widening in obvious shock.

"Fool me once," Styn said lightly as he rushed into motion. In the same breath, the hollow's arm seemed to lock back into place and wasting no time the creature leaped backwards and away, arching high into the air. With a frown of concentration, the demon connected to a shadow behind the demon and pulled himself to a thick branch. It wasn't a moment too soon, as the area he once stood was a shower of wood and snow from another rocket punch.

"Shame on you," Styn continued as he launched himself at the still mid air hollow. The beast turned, shoulder gear twirling even faster now as it tired to reset its attack. The three meter monstrosity met the slim suit covered demon just as its arm finished retracting completely. Styn found himself well within range now and pushed both hands into the hollow's chest, letting loose a shock of Za Koa. Muscles seized up under the demon's hands as he used his momentum to push the creature into the ground.

"Fool me twice," the demon grunted as another cloud of snow exploded upward at the point of impact. Reaching toward one of the dappled shadows on the group, Styn accelerated again, body now completely soaked in sweat. The red glowing sigils flickered, but remained lit, he still had a bit more time left. Peering into the cloud he noticed a large shadow getting to its feet and had barely time to raise his hands as the rocket punch rushed to meet his face.

It was just embarrassing to have less spiritual awareness then a hollow. Fortunately his back was to a tree and the pulsing sigils were still in their heightened state, absorbing most of the impact again. Styn dashed forward following the arm as it cranked backwards, arriving again just as it retracted in full. Once again the demon found himself inside its guard. The fact that he hadn't needed shadow movement to close the distance showed that his curse was working to weaken the creature.

Now to seal its movement. Styn dipped down and slapped a leg, pulsing Za Koa into the appendage. It shook under the strain of supporting a three meter frame. The hollow stumbled backwards, as it was unable to leap away this time. Following through with his momentum, the demon trust out his left hand, connected with the beast's stomach. A final blast of Za Koa caused it's eyes to roll up into the back of its head as it lost complete motor control. "Shame on me," Styn fished with satisfaction.

It was the work of a few moments to drag the hollow back to the pile. It was actually a bit smaller then others had been. Despite the size difference between him and the beast, Styn was actually quite strong and had little difficulty tossing the creature on top of the others. Damn, he was really tired now though. The boy, silent ever since the shouted warning now poured out an incomprehensible deluge of words.

Styn ignored the teenager, sitting down in the snow and breathing heavily. Now it was just a matter of waiting, it seemed that it was always a matter of waiting.

A clear chime of electronic origin brought Styn to full wakefulness with a snap of adrenaline. The first thing to appear before his face was the worried stare of the plus soul teenager who loomed over him. The first sensation was of a wet mouth chewing weakly on his right hand. A glance down showed one of the hollows munching away, yet lacking the strength to overcome his Akuma Kyodo in its weakened state.

"You, all right?" the boy asked, unable to hide his concern.

"Yeah," Styn started with a self depreciating laugh. "I can't believe I fell asleep. How are you going to let a hollow chomp on me?" The demon demanded with feigned indignation, as he removed his hand, flicking bits of saliva off the digit with a very real grimace. With a quick rap he smacked his knuckles against the creature's mask in warning.

The boy's face split into a wide grin. "It didn't seem to be hurting you."

Styn supposed not and decided to let the matter slide. As if in response to his resolution a Kage Chokyo-shi opened behind him. It was larger then an average portal, set flat against the ground, under the bottom hollow. The demon got to his feet and watched as the creatures slowly sunk into its red murky depths. Once the very top of the pile passed through the gate Styn turned toward the teenager and flashed as smile. "Well I can't say it was fun, but it looks like my job is done here."

"You're going?" the boy asked with more then a hint of sadness. The soul chain that extended from his chest almost seemed to shiver in sympathy.

"Yep, I got what I came here for," Styn said blandly.

"How...how can you just leave me like this!" The teenager shouted, clearly getting more upset by the moment.

Styn frowned in confusion, replaying their interactions over the last couple of hours. Abruptly the demon realized where the misunderstanding had occurred. It was as simple matter to fix. With a easy going grin Styn placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and leaned in, voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. "I forgot to mention this before," he said to the unsuspecting man child. "I'm actually the bad guy in this story."

The teenager's face barely had time to register his bewilderment before a piercing pulse of Za Koa blasted through his spiritual structure. His entire existence seemed to shiver as his eyes rolled up into the back of his head. Styn hefted the slim weight and with a slight chuckle stepped into the gateway to Shadow Fall Village. The demon wasn't sure what kind of use the organization would have for the young plus soul, but he did know one thing for sure, the kid had finally shut up.