Hunt of the Ruby Rose (private for now)

Alone in the forest was a young girl no older then fifteen. Sitting high in the branches of the old trees she kicked her legs out in boredom. He was dressed mainly in black, from her skirt, her top, boots, and stockings all she wore was black. It did have red trim as well that gave her a gothic loli look. She didn’t mind it though since it was her own style with her own sense of flare; that was provided by her red cloak that snapped in the wind that drew attention of any eye watching the forest. It also helped distract from the fact the girl was very well armored with a large rifle, and many clips of ammo. Her skin was a pale white that made her look like a vampire with her choose of clothing. Her eyes on the other hand where pure silver that stared with a calculated vigor. Lastly was her short hair that was a raven black, but had deep red hue that picked through here and there.

Around her the wind swirled in a delegate dance between branches covered in leaves. Oh how she loved the sound of the wind. It didn’t matter where it danced as long as she could feel and hear it everything was all right. She wasn’t the only one, around her sang the songs of birds, the calls of animals, and of course the song of the wind. Sunlight filtered through the leaves leaving the forest floor with tints of light green. This was the main cause for her cape to stick out like a sore thumb. On the forest floor sat the dry remains of past years summer’s leaves. Sprinkled through out the forest where also brambles, and thickets of planets giving the area a wild look about it. Over all it was a beautifully day, and one she intended to enjoy to the fullest.

Everything around her gave a single impression: this is freedom. Freedom such a sweet word with no down falls, a choice, the ability to choose your own path. Doing thing because you wanted to, and not by the orders of others. It was a difference as large as the forest, so green and wild compared to the cold hard walls of her childhood home. Here everything was new and exciting with the chance to go and find out how things feel. It was not like the lab where she could only learn things through a screen. Instead of looking through the little window of the out side, she was now in the outside. It made all the difference to her, something she never wanted to give up for the world.

Her name was Chika Usagi, the Ruby Rose that thrived it the wild, and not some glass case.

Styn went over the facts of the case as he stumbled through the forest. One, a subject code named Ruby Rose, had escaped several months ago from a secure Shadow Fall lab located in Europe. Two, said subject was a valued research specimen, supposedly irreplaceable. Three, one Chika Usagi had been spotted several times within the area of Karakura, the last real bastion of human might in the world. Four, the first successful tail in almost three months had pin pointed her location to this exact section of forest. Five, I hate my life.

Scratch the last. Styn sighed as a large bug landed on the side of his face. With an irritated flick the demon removed it. Despite his hellish origins, the First Circle Knight was far more comfortable in urban environments. Even his home region was mostly an ordered city. Indeed, the barren wastelands of Hueco Mundo was preferred to this cornucopia of life. The human world was just so damn vibrant. The air was thick with the scent of green growing things. A perfectly good day ruined with too much nature. What had started as a potentially entertaining game, was quickly loosing its appeal.

Styn stood not quite six feet tall, taller then average perhaps, but not in a way that stood out. His medium build accentuated his averageness, he wasn't quite slim, but fell short of heavily muscled. Dark green hair only an inch or so in length, could possibly be a dye job. Pale violet eyes, while a questionable fashion choice, were not outside cosmetic modification. Both ears came to slight point at the apex of their arc, something easily overlooked. His teeth might be a bit sharper then normal for a human, but they retained the same basic shape and placement. The demon's nails also came to a point and were thicker then common, but were by no means long talons or claws. All and all - discounting Za Koa which was naturally suppressed in this base form - Styn would go unremarked in most locations. Unchallenged was another story entirely.

The Knight of the First Circle sported a dark green business suit, almost black outside of direct light. The pale violet tie was clearly meant to bring out his eyes, which were somewhat concealed behind a pair of gunmetal gray glasses with translucent bottom rims. Black dress shoes capped out the attire, with especial detail paid so that the combat boot soles didn't look out of place. Still the effect lacked a certain something. First of all, his white button down shirt was not tucked in, which his unbuttoned dark green jacket didn't quite conceal. His tie was loosened at least an inch, and cocked slightly to the left. His pants looked a bit rumpled and his shoes were scuffed. In addition his eyes had heavy dark bags under them and his stare was half lidded, giving him the appearance of someone tired or sick.

Deep in the forests that surrounded Karakura he stood out like a sore thumb. His lack of woodsman lore was easily apparent by the amount of noise he made trudging through the terrain. Earlier in the day, the acting Grand Duchess of his circle had taken him aside to impart upon him instructions for a secret mission. Apparently his recent activity in the region had been noted by some higher ups. He was considered a subject matter expert on the area in question. Styn was sure that Synthia had something to do with those rumors about him. She knew how much he hated the outdoors.

That's how he found himself mucking through woods, hot on a trail that already felt stone cold. Hunting a ghost for all he could tell. It would be one thing if the girl posed some kind of threat to the organization. From Styn's understanding the only real details she had escaped with concerned her own experimentation and the scope of the project in general. One of the many such advancements that Shadow Fall was attempting to make into the understanding of the soul cycle. Heavens, Styn himself was part of another of those secret labs. Dwelling on that now was sure to bring on a headache though.

Deciding he had come far enough the demon stopped in a small clearing. With a deep sigh Styn dug around in his pocket, coming out with a vial of dark red liquid. Supposedly, this was blood from none other then the Red Rose herself. So long as she wasn't too far away, he had been provisioned with a spell that should lock on to her location. It was for the best really, Styn's ability to sense reishi was practically non existent. Fortunately his manipulation of demonic runes and spells was several magnitudes higher.

The nonsense syllables that escaped him in a whispered rush were part of an older demon language, one he wasn't particularly fluent in. Still, Synthia had drilled him thoroughly before he had been allowed to leave for the human world. The demoness was certainly skilled, and most likely didn't want his potential failure to reflect poorly on her. The two of them were the last candidates in the Dying Game after all. Styn had taken particular delight in how worn down she had seen by the end of their impromptu training session. At least I'm not the only one having a hard time with the implanted memories.

The demon savored the flow of Za Koa as it surged through his blood. The connection to death's energy never ceased to bring a smile to his lips. Pleasure radiated through is body in waves as the energy peaked at the highest point in the spell. Abruptly Styn remembered the next step. Even the glow of holding infernal power couldn't mask his disdain for the final act of this particular magic. With a grimace, the demon uncapped the vial and took a deep swig. Human blood had never been high on his list of beverages, although he had heard it was an acquired taste.

A faint scream echoed in the clearing, as if the universe itself rebelled against the warping of its structure. There was a sense of resistance that Styn was familiar with from other spells that he had cast on several occasions. He pushed through it and crimson lines spiraled outward, like a spider's web. The deep red lines, almost black, could be mistaken for shadows from a distance. If a person was completely spirit blind perhaps. In seconds the spell had achieved its maximum range, catching much of the surrounding land in its web.

While the range was high, the impact was relatively low. As this was mainly a seeking spell, Styn hoped to remain undetected from the highly concentrated and spiritually aware powerhouse that was Karakura. Mere moments after the spell activated, an awareness pinged in Styn's consciousness. It was similar to the way that Knowledge of Environment functioned after bathing an area in Za Koa's Influence. The visible effects of the spell faded, their function now complete.

Styn found himself almost disappointed. If the spell had found nothing, he could have returned without losing face. Now he was committed. For the next few minutes at least he would know where the target was. The chase was on and Styn had no intention of letting his quarry escape, if only to punish the girl for forcing him into the wild. Quick applications of shadow movement soon had him rushing toward Chika Usagi's location. The demon's form flickered from shadow to shadow. There was no attempt at stealth, but neither was he projecting an outward show of force. Styn simply hoped to end this game as quickly as possible.

Chika was smiling as she sang a little tune she had heard back in town.
“Pon, Pon, set it free. C’mon let the crazy show. Because if you don’t life would be so dull, you know.”
She giggled at the rest of the lyrics of the song. It was so silly, but she couldn’t help but enjoy the song. It was so carefree and telling people to be themselves other wise life wouldn’t be worth living. It fit her so perfectly right now since it match her attitude. She always let her childish side show since she didn’t have to worry about what others thought. She was no longer in the lab she didn’t have to play the part of perfect child, the smart student, or the perfect subject.

Jumping of the branch Chika landed on ground in a fluid motion. A small thumped emitted from the landing causing leaves and dust to stir in the air. The fresh smell of earth filled Chika’s nose as she stood. Clasping her hands behind her back Chika took long strides through the forest floor. Many colors filled the surrounding area if a person just knows where to look. Dark brown, and light greys fill the bark of the trees. Yellows and light greens filled the veins of leaves. Reds and purples with in branches and dead leaves on the ground. More and more color hidden in plain sight for the eyes to find.

“Headphones at full blast. Rhythm’s got me pumped at last. Way, Way, open road. Got to make it on my own.”

She continued to the hum the rest of the song as she walked with her eyes closed. Sudden her smile disappeared as if it was glass that had been shattered. It was as if the air was filled with a foul stench to her nose as she recognized a familiar energy. Za Koa, the spiritual energy used by her most loathed enemies, Demons. They had finally come to try and take her back to Shadow Fall. To return being the good girl that followed the experiments of the scientists there. To be brain washed into a soldier, or worst turned into a hollow for the exploration of the soul evolution. She shuttered at the thought. Then dark feeling creped over her as something popped into her head.

“Why not go back willingly? The thought said in a silky smooth tone. “It is not like before if you head back now. You know things that you didn’t before. You can demand respect, and even a new position that makes you safe from harm. After all you are no ordinary human, you have powers that even some demons dream of. The world could be yours if you tried. What’s the harm in at least trying?”

The dark feeling spread over her as if a shadow of a giant monster was hovering over her. She bit her lip almost tempted to contemplate the idea of going back. The mere thought of thinking about made her sick to her stomach. Trying to break free Chika pulled out her weapon and fired it at where she thought the shadow was. It disappeared as soon as she pulled the trigger releasing a fire gem bullet from the barrel of her weapon.

*BANG*

The sound vibrate through out the surrounding area as the powerful sniper gun fired. The red bullet of a fire gem rushed through the trunks of tress in its path causing huge holes with pattern of scorch marks in them. Blinking a few times Chika lowered her gun trying to comprehend why she did that.

“Shit.” Chika muttered out load as she moved to put the gun away and realized several things. One, she was jumpy at sensing the Za Koa and need to claim down. Two, she just wasted a very expensive bullet shooting at shadows. Three she most likely gave away her position to her tracker.

She needs a plan quick, and her mind compiled by weighing the options. She could run back to Karakura Town, but that wasn’t realistic since her tracker maybe able to keep up with her. Hiding was also out since they could track her this far, so it was most likely that they could find her if she hid. Talking she didn’t even need to considered, so that left fighting. Hopefully she could make enough of a ruckus and hold out long enough for help to arrive. That meant fifteen to thirty minutes of hard fighting. There was still the possibility of also driving off her tracker as well. In all her mind pointed to fighting as the way to go.

Securing her weapon back into place with a sigh, Chika prepared herself for combat. Since her tracker should know about her abilities Chika decided to pull out her card early. Clenching her fists she thought the command of fire. In response the two fire gems in her gloves glowed from the carved runes. Slowly they built up power as she opened her hands. She wasn’t finished just with the gloves. Between her hands she started to focus her own energy. Red petals began to form as she looked up and waited for the approach of her tracker.

If they wanted to take her back they would find this Ruby Rose had thorns.

Styn was making good time toward his destination. At the moment at least Chika was remaining stationary. Whether that was because she didn't know he was coming, or because she was lying in wait was the question though. I wish I had more time to study the target. Between the spell he had had to master and the short notice, it was all he had been able to do to scan the important things. Styn was at least passing familiar with her likely equipment and abilities. However, he had not time to study any video or in depth analysis. Heavens, most of that data is lost anyway, no sense in dwelling on what can't be.

The red flash ahead took the demon completely by surprise. It wasn't like he was unaware of a potential assault, despite his distance. It wasn't even that his thoughts were distracting him. No, it was much more simple then that. The projectile was just moving that fast. The only thing that saved him from being shot was that it wasn't actually in his path. The super heated air around the round was more then enough to set the left shoulder of his suit on fire though.

In response to the danger Styn was already shifting into his true form. There was no real need or reason for secrecy, and if the bullets were already flying, the clock had already started for how long it would take someone to take interest. The only reason he hadn't transformed already was because it took so little time to release his true form that it wasn't even a factor. Besides, it wasn't like his defense got much stronger. Demonic sigils ensured that he was walking the world in full armor at all times.

Thick white smoke seemed to explode from his pores, calcifying into armored gauntlets that wrapped his arms from fingertip to elbow. The look was sleeker then normal, looking more like science fiction exoskeleton armor instead of monstrous paws. Extending out from the elbows, instead of blades, were what almost looked like nightsticks. They were long enough to just pass his shoulder blades if he were to lock his arm out all the way. At the same time his legs up to his knees were sheathed in a similar looking pair of grieves. The color was the same bone white as always. He was out to capture not kill, the orders were very specific as to that.

Finally his third eye opened in the center of his forehead as his glasses dissolved into his face. Abruptly the universe seemed to open up and share with him its secrets. Styn now saw the way that space connected to itself. To his eyes it was if the world was filled with potential portals. It had actually been sometime since he had needed to view the multiverse in this way. The demon was surprised at how quickly the lines of reality seemed to be converging. His new strength and skill seemed to be working well with his innate ability. For the moment things were still unstable, but Styn was sure that it wouldn't take as long to create a battle ready Kage Chokyo-shi as before.

All of this took less time then it would take to exhale. A fraction of a second even. With a quick motion Styn pounded his left shoulder to extinguish the flames, even as he used shadow movement to pull himself behind a nearby tree. It wasn't so much that he expected it to provide cover. The flaming remains of similar trees extending toward and way from the target were a clear testament to the bullets piercing power. No, it was concealment that the demon was after.

Instead of sticking to the ground, his pull put him behind the tree in the upper branches. Digging his fingers into wood like it was butter was no difficult task. A few seconds later was all the time he needed to decide that another attack was not eminent. From what little he knew about Blood Moon's rate of fire, Chika should have had enough time to get off another shot if she was going to do it.

Styn's connection to the target was still in place so he continued on his way. This time he danced from tree top to tree top. Flickering shadow pulls brought him within shouting range. The chances that the girl had detected his arrival were high. "There wouldn't happen to be any chance of you surrendering peacefully now would there Miss Chika Usagi?" Styn said as he dropped down to face her on the other side of a large clearing, shoulder still smoldering from where it had been set on fire. From the look on her face the demon knew he was wasting his breath. Even as a potential attack seemed eminent he couldn't help one last comment though. "Or do you prefer Ruby Rose little miss?"

Chika could feel her teeth gnashing as she heard the voice of the demon. It was like finger nails on a chalk bored to her ears. Although it didn’t really sound like that, she was over reacting to any demons these days. She was childish after all, but that didn’t mean she had no right to bare her fangs at her foes. They were there to take her away after all, something that she could not allow. `

“There wouldn’t happen to be any chance of you surrendering peacefully now would there Miss Chika Usagi?”

‘At least he has the decency to use my real name.’ Chika thought to herself slightly amuse that this demon was polite.

“Or do you prefer Ruby Rose little miss?”

’Ruby Rose…. Little miss….’ Chika could feel her blood pressure rising at those comments. Normally she wouldn’t mind being called little miss, or even Ruby Rose. Most of the time she would become slightly annoyed at being called either of those. However this was a demon that was calling her that. Therefore she skipped being annoyed and went straight for being pissed.

“Name is Chika Usagi,” Chika stated with complete ice in her tone, much like that of a demon. “And don’t you forget that!”

Then Chika started her attack with a little more fury then normal. In her hands the swirling petals shifted before blasting outwards towards her opponent. The attack didn’t look every dangerous at first glance. All a person would see is a burst of swirling red petals flying towards them. However with most attacks with wind you can’t always see the danger. Flying around the petals were the real danger of the attack. Hundreds of fine air currents swirled around in a vortex. They scattered dust into the air as the attack ripped through grass and trees. Anything caught in the vortex would be cut and slashed as the wind blades spun around.

Even as the vortex started blasting forth, Chika wasn’t even done. Placing her hand forward she released the energy of one of her fire gems. Since the gems where charging they had increased their energy to large destruction. The wave of fire they could produce was now on terms of power with a Cero fired by a Hollow. The wave of fire shot forth as the channel of the vortex increased the release speed of the fire. Reaching the end of the vortex the fire shot out like pellets of a shotgun. The storm of fire shot through tearing trees apart and setting them ablaze at the same time. Anything caught in the path of this attack would most defiantly hurt from the shear force and heat it used.

Still Chika hadn’t finished as she lunched herself into the air with Soul Dash. Using the dust kicked up as smoke screen she disappeared going high into the sky. Using her Soul Detection she kept track of the demon’s general location. As soon as he stop moving from his most likely dodge, Chika would release the second fire gem in the form of a ball and hurl it at the demon location. A large explosion was sure to follow from the ball of fire’s impact and the release of energy equal to a Cero.

It didn’t matter if she hit her target. That wasn’t the goal of this demonstration of these attacks. She wanted to set the pace of battle to her tempo and keep her target off balance. A display of firepower well beyond what she was known for would be a good start to that. Even if she had to pay the price of being slightly winded. That was fine; also she hadn’t had a chance to test out her new equipment yet. It would be a good trial run as she fought off her tracker.

After all she had sharp thorns for a Ruby Rose that people thought needed to be behind a glass case.

There were all sorts of fighters. Calm fighters, angry fighters, skilled fighters and clumsy fighters. Styn was a reluctant fighter. He approached battle like a young woman approached killing an insect. He didn't want to do it, he would complain about it, make a spectacle of himself to any who would listen. Then when it was time to get to work, he would dispense an onslaught of overwhelming force so that he could be assured to he would never have to do it again. Until the next bug crawled out at least.

From the onset the demon had expected a fight. From the very beginning Styn had been alert for the start of the brawl. As the gathered petals shot outward, he was already activating counter measures. An instant of will triggered the special sigils on his feet to flood his core with power. The Za Koa he held was pushed into overdrive as each symbol on the demon's body began to glow into the visible spectrum. Even the bone white gauntlets and leggins that appeared in his true form had a spattering of infernal red tattoos. The glow was hardly steady. Instead, it was the wild fluctuation of Shadow Burst, symbols pulsing rapidly. Styn suddenly seemed twice his strength.

Suddenly, he felt like someone had hit the slow button on reality. The scattering of petals had begun to expand, but Styn felt like he had all the time in the world to position himself. Still on the edge of the clearing, the demon connected to a shadow behind his quarry and pulled using shadow movement. The chain of front facing strikes was almost instant. Chika had had more then enough time to get her mind and body ready to launch the strike. In almost any other situation Styn would have been caught in the blast.

As a testament to how fast the girl was reacting, even with enhanced speed, Styn was unable to stop her soul dash into the air. He was however, fortunate enough to perceive the direction of movement. The roar of fire as hundreds of burning balls peppered the area he had just been standing, in addition to much of the forest, was a massive distraction. The new awareness was in danger of putting the demon in sensory overload.

Styn was hardly inactive in his own counter stroke. Instead of Chika, he attacked the environment itself. Using shadow burst in combination with his high degree of talent in Za Koa he flooded the area with his aura. This would be the first time he had ever seriously used Za Koa Influence. The knowledge of how to do so was a gift from the memories implanted over the course of the last few months. The form of energy manipulation felt like an old friend. His mind, which had felt full to the bursting, suddenly seemed to have grown a hole new household of space.

Senses that Styn hadn't realized he had activated, as the power bred in his blood and bone came to life. He had been born to use this power he realized now. The infusion of might from shadow burst pushed his awareness and control over the surrounding area outward at an astounding rate. Once again, standard tactics, by the book mechanics, allowed him to be operating in exactly the right place and time. Chika Usagi was still on the move.

As the lance of fire rushed downward it touched the outer limits of Styn's Knowledge of Environment. The amount of distance that the demon would have to travel to escape the blast would be too far for how much time he had to move. He wasn't sure how she was able to put so much fire power out so quickly. From his understanding of Bloody Moon, it was not capable of such massive destruction. The time to piece together the whys of it were for a safer situation though.

Once again, even with the warning, it was all Styn could do to brace for this attack. All demons were covered in invisible sigils, drawn and branded at birth. These symbols were then fueled by Za Koa a demons entire life. They were a set of biological wiring that became as natural as breathing, as easy as pumping blood. It was an unconscious defense. However, in moments of dire need a demon could call upon even greater levels of protection. Already Styn was illuminated in red pulses. Now the demon activated his ultimate armor.

The visual effect would be almost stomach turning. Almost as if layered on top of the fitful flickers of Shadow Burst, a new color would flare a brilliant blue as Styn called upon his Akuma Kyodo consciously. The glow would fade to a steady blue, even as those same symbols would flash red as he maintained Shadow Burst. The effect was a substantial increase to Styn's defenses. It was almost being like encased in a thin bubble of Za Koa. The armoring effect now almost reactive in its ability to reducing incoming damage by a larger degree.

Another instant of thought had him increasing his mass as well. It wouldn't do for the demon to be sent flying from the strike. Styn had no desire to be a human pinball, further weakening his position, and opening himself up for another volley of strikes. He could only hope that this explosive opener would not extend indefinitely. After all, although the benefits of his increased response and durability were great, Styn could not maintain the state of being indefinitely.

The fire gem's flare smote the earth around the demon. The heat was staggering, the core burning with an almost plasma level heat. The area well into the surrounding woods was instantly reduced to ash. The flash of fire was so immediate and powerful that it actually ran out of fuel, burning itself out in seconds. The ground below the ash was like glass, as surface soil melted and fused together.

Although he called the outer realm of Hell his home, there were no places the young demon had ever visited which such intense heat. It wasn't a matter of adapting to it so much as it was just surviving it. Large patches of his suit burned through to the fair skin beneath. His tie was nonexistent. His entire body was red as if from sun burn, where it had not outright started to peel in second degree burns. Fortunately his eyes were well shielded, but he did loose about half a light green eyebrow.

Pain was quickly a problem, but only for a moment. An instant of thought disengaged his brain's submission of those particularly troublesome signals. Yes he was in pain, yes he was aware of it, further cries from his body were unnecessary. Styn made a mental note of possible compromised defense points and moved on to the next stage of the battle. Through the entire inferno, another part of his mind had been focused on continuing to push Za Koa into his surroundings. As the red wave cleared it would reveal the ash strewn landscape below, tinted in a rust colored hue. The very air shivered with the influx of Za Koa.

Ruby Rose would hold the priority of battle. The next actions taken would remain under her discretion, but Styn was about as ready as he ever would be to begin a counter strike. Oddly enough the demon remained calm. Oh sure he wanted to throw the irksome girl into a cage and shake it, but it was hardly a killing frenzy. He still had a job to do and discounting a few unexpected surprises, things were still going according to script. Besides the penalty for giving into any baser instincts at this point would be far worse then he was currently experiencing.

Things were off to a good start in this battle. Chika had started off setting her opponent by hitting heavy, although she wouldn’t be able to use those scales of attack for a while. Using attacks that could flatten the forest felt awesome however it was not like she could spam those attacks. Not matter how she wished that she could somethings were not that easy. Barring in mind that today was just one of those days that she didn’t get what she wished for. Admittedly things where not that easy for her: Being raised in a lab for most of her life even to the long trek across the world. All the awhile avoid demons, and hollows that roamed those parts of the lands. It was like that for a month until she was able to reach a human city, and from there it was easy going to Karakura. Once here she thought she would be safe, well there was still a high chance of people coming after her, but still it was better here then other places.

Falling towards the ground Chika noticed something. Air around her opponent was becoming thick with Za koa and that was not something she liked. She felt that it was something bad and would not make things easy in the long run. However no matter what she felt about it, the Za Koa was nothing more then another part of the battle. That was what one part of her brain was telling her while another part was annoyed. The flashing of the symbols was driving her nuts. As annoying as it was there was a great advantage to Chika because of it. Through the dust cloud she was able to the rough outline of her opponent. She was still far enough from the Za Koa, but not knowing what it does was a real problem to her. Although it was not like her to go running away when things got tough. No, she stuck them out and charged head long into them.

Now it was time for her next attack faze as she pulled out Bloody Moon and released it into the scythe mode. Chika used the massive recoil of her weapon to her advantage Chika as she was sent flying at her opponent. The red bullet shot out into the sky leaving behind a trail much like a tracer does. A pull of the bolt and a change of the scythe direction when firing the next bullet caused Chika to change direction. She was now heading towards her opponent spinning around like a top, if a top could spin on it’s side. The blade hummed an angry red as Chika energy channeled into the weapon. As she passed through the Za Koa drenched air her scythe blade sizzled against the death energy.

As Chika spun towards her opponent she used the full length of the weapon to her advantage. She would use the reach to keep her opponent farther away. If they dodged and countered attacked she would have time to try to block or avoid it. Another advantage to the full length is that Chika would use gravity to increase the cutting action. The way she choose to spin would bring down what little weight the weapon had and add it to the blade that was channeled with energy. Any luck the attack would catch her opponent around the shoulders.

As soon as Chika passed her opponent she would shift and turn her body to face her him.  At the same time she would fold her scythe into its rifle mode and line up shot that would be aimed at her opponent and send her fly away. The topspin attack was more of a diversion to force her opponent to dodge. Then not even a second later she would follow up with another attack of a fast moving bullet. It was a good system to keep her opponents focusing on reacting. The more they reacted the easier it was for her to start gain the upper hand. It also served the purpose of to allow her easy escapes. By firing the bullet at her opponent she would then be sent away by the recoil while in air. She didn’t want to touch the ground where the Za Koa had been infesting. This way she could still attack with an unexpected move set and retreat quickly. Thankfully for her the angle of her shot would allow her to clear the area. However even with her enhanced perceptions the shot would most likely be a graze.

Moving away from the Za Koa field Chika land on the base of a large tree slightly scorched from her attacks earlier. She really didn’t want to touch the ground with red energy moving around it. She didn’t know what it was or what it could do. Even with her masterful use of Soul Dash, she couldn’t keep from touching the ground. She only knew one way to avoid the ground at this point. Reaching deep inside herself Chika pulled on something hidden. Once Chika described what it felt like when she reached for Stage one of Soul State Evolution. She said it was like a group of petals laying on the ground. Then using a light breeze she flips them over. The petals on the ground that were once red had turned black in her mind. This familiar thought brushed past her mind as she activated her Soul State.

She could feel the hood move over her face concealing it in shadows. The wind nipped at her cape causing it to turn tattered at the edges. In her hand, the Bloody Moon glowed red as her power coursed through the weapon freely without any thought. Around her she could feel the wind at her beck and call. It was a loyal hound ready to tear at its master’s enemies. It was an exhilarating experience every time she released this state. The only thing she hates was that her body is always surrounded by a blinding red light every time. What was she some kind of magical girl? Last time someone commented on it had found them-self locked out of a locker room with not clothes on.

She was the Ruby Rose, elegant as she was deadly.

Fights were often determined by what one did with one's time. Chika wasted no time at all in closing the distance between the two of them. If one of Styn's metaphysical hands could be said to be pushing as much Za Koa into the surroundings as possible, then his other was lying in wait. After a few brief moments, the rocketing descent put the human within his Influence.

Za Koa's Influence was a very complex ability. Because of the way it interacted with matter, physical and dense structures would often look a darker red. In reality, by this time, with the help of Shadow Burst, Styn had infused almost three hundred yards in all directions. This of course included up. He'd take the entire forest if he had to. The human seemed to lack a way to prevent this infusion other then attacking.

To be sure, Styn treated the slashing strike with the respect it deserved. However, with Shadow Burst still making life look like it was in slow motion, and Za Koa's Influence ramping up his abilities by another level of magnitude, he felt transcendent. His reaction speed and mental processing ability at the moment allowed him to easily perceive the movement of his opponent. Combined with his innate ability with spacial relationships it was a matter of simple speculation to guess the angle and speed of attack.

He'd have to adjust for the force of bullets being fired, one of Chika's favorite tricks to change direction mid air, but nothing at this point seemed beyond his calculations. Forearmed with this assurance, he felt little strain as that second metaphysical hand reached out to seize the invader into his newly established kingdom, however temporary it might be. The very air that she loved would now be chains to bind her. Styn closed his mind around the human.

Being powerful was all well and good, but this particular display was about skill and finesse. Now that the stage had been set, Styn could leverage his Influence to actually drain his opponent's Reiatsu. Adrenaline was a wonderful thing, but not feeling something wasn't the same as it not being there. Each spark and flash of energy would be that much harder to channel as the crushing weight of demonic oppression closed like a vice.

Styn, having been subjected to a powerful Reiatsu drain in one of the implanted memories, knew that it would be similar to hundreds of lashing snakes biting away at ones very existence. Unfortunately these bites wouldn't deliver pain or even venom. There would be almost no particular feeling at all, except perhaps exhaustion. Furthermore, the demon was still very much under the effects of Shadow Burst. The increase to his already substantial talent with this particular ability would be boosted still further.

At the moment Chika was relying on the physics of her terminal velocity, the mass of her weapon, and the torque of her spin, to deliver a punishing strike. All while being well inside Styn's net and drawing closer by the micro second. If the only thing he did the entire pass was continue suppressing and consuming her aura it would have been bad enough. The demon's level of skill allowed for one further indignity though. The energy seized in such a manner was actually being combined with Styn's own.

By the moment, the human would potentially be growing weaker. That stolen life force would be making Styn ever stronger, ever more in command of the battle. An almost impossible movement dodged the Scythe by the smallest of centimeters, as the demon relied completely upon his earlier assessment of where the spinning strike would land. Styn raised his right arm as the human rushed past, a moment of thought transforming his gauntlet. The back of the glove expanded three feet in all directions until the demon was wearing a shield on his hand. This mobile wall was quickly moved to intercept Chika's next attack.

It wasn't a perfect solution, but it wasn't like the weapon fired bullets that moved according to a living will. With dumb fire, it was just a matter of watching the barrel of the weapon and adjusting accordingly. The demon stayed on guard as the momentum from the shot pushed his opponent out of the ash covered field, into the distant tree line. His own increased mass buried the force of the shot to a mere backward slide. It was finally time to do something tangible in this battle. He needed to keep the human's mind off of the feeling of weakness she might be experiencing.

Running out of range of Styn's Za Koa might no longer be an option at this point. By the time she managed to put that much distance between the two of them, Styn would have seized even more of his surroundings. Still, putting some more pawns on the field always made for a great distraction.

Styn's mind calmly he sought out a familiar shape. His favored go to summoning was that of a modified soldier demon. It was a structure he saw and dealt with on a regular basis. It would just need a few modifications that life had not provided. "Awaken the shadow within me, mend them new flesh and unleash them upon the world, Za Koa!" Styn shouted. Power spiked and then left the demon in a rush. His shadow seemed to take life, splintering off in all directions. Fifteen whip-like tendrils moved to fifteen different locations. These shadows were the new vessels for the flood of Za Koa. Where once there was nothing, there was suddenly an undeniable sense of solidity.

The creatures were squat and ugly beasts, barely four feet long, with pale yellow hide. They were hairy things, with black coarse bristles poking out of their heads, across their naked chests, and on dog-like limbs. Long pointed ears sloped backward against their wrinkled faces. The minions had sharp teeth and their noses were little more then reptile slits. Their eyes were likewise short gashes, and shone with infernal red glimmers. All along their backs were short tentacles, twenty in all on every hound, ten on each side spaced evenly.

The bulk of the shadow hounds were deployed several yards beyond Chika, so that she would be between wedged between them and Styn. Eight hounds were devoted to this task. Two more each would go to the left and right flanks, mainly as a delaying effort to keep her boxed in. This left Styn with three of the beasts to work with. One of course was behind the demon, in the tree line, in case his foe tried to rush past him. Styn for his own part would of course be attempting to intercept in that case.

The final two hounds would materialize at Styn's side. A less observant person might even think that those were the only two that had formed. The beasts would not seek to bite with their teeth, or rend with their catlike front paws. Instead the creatures would dash toward their human prey and lash out with the tentacles along their back. They would only attack with two at a time. This was because they lacked any regenerative ability, and Chika happened to be quite skilled with her edged weapon.

Using Shadow Burst, Styn was able to craft all of them at a mere two tiers lower then his own respectable power level. These particular creations were geared toward speed and durability as their primary attributes. When striking with the tentacles they would extend even farther out the back, to a full range of twenty feet. In addition, they would receive the benefit from attacking from within Za Koa's Influence, granting them even greater speed and precision.

Even with reddened fire scorched features, Styn found it in himself to smile and offer a few words. "Ready to cry Uncle?" The demon taunted, unsure if she'd even get the reference. "C'mon Miss Chika, make this easy on yourself, it won't be so bad. We've got a better dental plan now."

If the girl attempted to engage the two charging hounds directly then Styn would send three of the eight to back them up. Those initial two would follow her until subdued completely, resorting to leaping shoulder tackles if unable to strike with tentacles. The rest would only attack if the girl tried to move past. Their ultimate goal would be to bind Chika's limbs so that Styn could deliver the coupe de grace. Attempts to flee in any of the cardinal directions from where the demon himself stood, would result in the hounds located at those points attempting to cut her off.

Metaphysical hands once more freed, Styn focused again on extending his Influence and draining his foe's vitality. Every second within his substantial range would exact its own tole. A price that would only grow larger as the battle drug on.

‘Ah, so that’s the game.’ Chika thought to her self as the light disappeared around her. Over all she could applaud the use of tactics that her opponent was using. If she wasn’t a specialized fighter it would definitely have won the battle, but Chika was a specialized fighter. She would have been taken off guard if it weren’t for a few things that she had up her sleeve. First Chika was able to identify what the Za Koa field was, and not by pure luck. Chika was very skilled with information uptake for it was important part of her ability specialization. Adding on, with fast information updating and that, she keeps an eye on her spiritual energy levels she noticed a drop in energy. It was small something most people would not notice in the heat of battle. However not noticing small things could be the death of her. The second reason she noticed it was because the way it drained her. In the air she noticed very small amounts of her own energy when she expelled none.

In a instant she new the bases of her opponent’s attack and from their away to avoid it. From there she knew of only two ways to out fight this type of opponent. First was to have overwhelming power on your side. With that amount of power a person could force their opponent into focusing on other matters. That was something she didn’t have readily available. Since power was out that left speed as the next option. Using speed someone could out run the influx of spreading Za Koa. If her hunch was correct then all someone needed to do was keep away until they ran out of energy.

Now that Chika figured out her opponents attack style it would be easy to avoid it. Now all she needed to do was put her plan into action and get past the wolves around her. The only question Chika could think of was why couldn’t thing ever be easy. The realism of her thought was true since everything around her wanted her to capture her. Something she wasn’t about to let happen.

All she needed to do now was get past her opponent and his flock of raggedy mutts. The question was which way would she go. Straight past her opponent and only three of his flock? Through the flanks that only had a few mutts guarding it? Nope she was going straight through the damn middle of the formation with the largest of the group.

Rushing through the group of wolf spawns would have been extremely hard in her normal state. However Chika was not in her normal state, but her stage one Soul Evolution State. By going into each evolution state she continues to enhance her over all Soul Evolution powers. This means that things like her agility, hand eye coordination, and other enhanced ability increase at a slight amount. It also helps that in this form she didn’t need to use her weapon to gain burst of speed for quick maneuvers anymore. Now she could use her wind for that.

Ignoring her opponent’s comment Chika was charging the hounds using her Soul Dash. In her wake left black rose petals and a trail of red light. Less then a second she came to the first of the hounds trying to block her path. Immediately she saw a pair of tentacles shot out to attack her. The attack might have been fast to the normal eye, but right now it was slow. Everything has been slow in Chika’s eyes even when she was in her normal form. Her information uptake was extremely useful most of the time. However it got boring when nothing was going on and her mind had nothing to maul over. Right now she was slightly faster with her information uptake so it was easy to push herself with a burst of wind. The tentacles sailed past her as she moved away from them. Then another pair of tentacles tried to reach and again she moved out of the way with a burst of wind. Every time they tried to catch her, she would move out of the way while still speeding away from her opponent.

She knew the pack of hounds would give chase, and that was what she was hoping for. She wanted to be out of the Za Koa field before acting on her next move. In the short amount of the time the battle began it had reached the length of two football fields, and that was something she could run through in her sleep. Passing the field she took a glance at the trees in front of her. She analyzed a pattern in the tree grow before changing her scythe into it’s rifle mode. The red glow of the weapon indicated it that it was being passively charged instead of her needing to focus on it. This meant the fire gem bullets would also have a charge to them when fired. Taking aim Chika fired at groups of the pursing hounds and used the recoil to guide her through the trees.

In the time it takes to drink a small glass of water, five red flashes light up the area. Five slightly charged fire bullets speed through the air tearing through trees in their path, and setting fire to those near by. Five bullets seeking their targets with a humming roar. By either hitting the ground or the target would cause the bullet to explode in a rupture of fire.

‘Who need a tanks this century when you could just use powers to gain the same effect?’ Chikai thought to herself with a sly grin.

Come fire, and come wind, the red petals of this Ruby Rose would dance either way.

Styn cursed as Chika sprinted away from him at full speed. The demon was quick to stop further attempts at expanding his Za Koa range, but using awareness of the area that was his kingdom, he attempted to maintain the vice like crush of Reiatsu Drain. The girl was undoubtedly faster, but every burst would be a much higher drain on her resources then she would be accustomed to. Another second of thought sent new commands to the beasts. The three farthest from the girl would not attempt to close at all, but rather rush as fast as possible to a much farther point.

Styn took up the chase, blurring from shadow to shadow with quickly executed Shadow Movement. He had started out only a single step behind, as his first pull was able to take him to where Chika had been previously standing. After that it was just a matter of trying to close the distance. The forest didn't allow for optimal movement or maneuverability. In addition his hounds were doing their job of slowing her down, if utterly failing at their mission of capture at the moment. Using his knowledge of all that occurred within his domain Styn could easily put his summons at optimal distance from each other.

The problem was that the woman was so fast. Even getting the boost from the Za Koa influence, his beasts were not able to keep up. Every turn, every dodge, and every well placed shot, was one that Styn himself did not have to make though. Raising his hand after the girl finally broke through the mob, the demon gathered a surge of Za Koa from the chaos well within him. Every moment was a fight that brought out a deep and primal pleasure. Tingles of excitement raced through every cell as demonic might pooled withing Styn's right palm. "Oh, Touketsu, unleash the lost souls upon this fool!," Styn shouted.

Golden light gathered in a blob of shadow substance. This amorphous looking swirl of Za Koa launched from Styn's hand like a shot from a railgun. After traveling several inches the shape resolved into that of a bone white skull with demon horns. Empty eye sockets were lit with a flare that surrounded the Psycho Skull in a yellow blaze. An instant after the first skull cleared the demon's hand a second one followed. The skulls continued to appear one after another, firing after every pulling Shadow Movement.

For her five shots, Styn countered with five of his own. Like her bullets, his skulls also contained the ability to explode on contact or in proximity. The difference was that a wide miss was just another chance for his creations to strike. After all, he wasn't launching bullets, but rather self guided suicide bombers. With Shadow Burst enhancement, the projectiles would be able to move with Shadow Movement speed in the straightaways, or when going in for the kill. The blast itself was a five meter explosion of numbing electrical current, specifically designed to stun.

Chika's five shots were deadly effective. The first hound took it straight to the face, there wasn't enough left of that one to fill a small paper bag. The other four were somewhat less effective as Styn finally caught up enough to send last minute warnings by watching the barrel of Bloody Moon. Glancing blows were still enough to blow all the legs off of one hound and a single leg off of another. The other two were able to tuck their legs into their bodies but both lost their tentacles from the searing flames.

That left three who were in good position to cut her off. And three with Styn who were still in close pursuit. The rear guard hound kept up, but remained at about a fifty meter distance, as before, just in case she was able to break right through Styn. The last four kept to the flanks, even as the definition of what constituted a flank constantly changed with Chika's dips and dashes.

At the edge of Za Koa's Influence the last remaining uninjured hounds from the initial eight, whose job had been to stop the breakaway run, moved once more to hamper their target. The time for caution had passed and sixty thrusting tentacles would attempt to snare the Ruby Rose.

They were not alone in their attempt. Using the last flickers of Shadow Burst Styn would move about seventy five meters into the air. The combination of tentacles and pycho skulls were a great start, but he'd need something even more extreme if he expected to finish this before this before his enhancements wore off. Except when firing off the earlier spell, the bulk of his attention had been on keeping Reiatsu Drain going on the fleeing human. While within his kingdom it hadn't been difficult to do so. Now he directed his full focus to the massive amount of Za Koa he was channeling.

The black twisting blaze of chaos snapped into existence between both hands. Every last extra boost of Shadow Burst went into its creation. Styn was considered an advanced user of most racial abilities directly linked to the blood of Touketsu that flowed through his veins. It was one of the reasons why his Influence spread so fast, it was one of the reasons he was able to accurately attack the reiatsu of a fleeing form, it was also one of the reasons why he was able to make such a large Black Inferno Blast.

The attack was history repeating itself. A distracted opponent on would be ground zero from an areal bombardment from which escape would be difficult. Bending both hands - shield hand having been restored to gauntlet shape - over his head Styn threw the mass of Za Koa downward. He knew it would obliterate at least three of his summonings. Those hounds closest to the target. They would not however do much against the ones he had waiting outside the effective blast radius of his strike, which was pretty much the rest of his horde.

The demon had his orders to be sure. Even a direct hit was unlikely to deal permanent damage. Black Inferno Blast just didn't burn like real fire. No, the effects of this particular blast were far more sinister. The fire was in fact an elemental parasite. Since Chika was about as strong as him, she'd survive the blast without problems. It was what came after that would prove debilitating. Once exposed to these flames, the target would find their spiritual structure under immediate and direct assault. The elemental parasite would attempt to literally eat Chika, one painful bite at a time.

He had tried gentle suppression, the target was too skilled for such measures. As the red sigils faded back into dull blue glimmers, the fire seared Styn hoped that he wasn't overestimating the girl. There was no calling that strike back now. Touketsu watch over you Chika Usagi.