Sachihiro

Martial strength and magic are not very good counters for each other. Magic needing an opponent to be further away to be most advantageous to the wielder, the other up close and personal.

The glaive wielder is the only one of the four or more opponents using a physical weapon, his weapon keeping four vampires cautious as they nib away at his. The must be four attackers because Asriel and two others who disappeared are yet to reappear.

My katana breaks apart every attack that comes at me, I'm kept at bay by the arm user deflecting and protecting against the ranged magical attacks.

I've never faced magic of this extent before but I'm learning quickly both by doing and by watching the other's fight. I can feel my yet to be named o-katana heating up in my hand but it's blocking magical attacks, I'm excited to explore what my weapons are capable of. Though the attacks don't get through the energy as heat is permeating through.

Kenzo Suzuki besides me gets through first, bringing his naginata to bear on the arm magic manipulator. Not all the Brave have zanpakutō's but they all have at least one spiritual weapon, Kenzo's being his naginata spear.

[Clank]

Magic stops the naginata, the magician slowed down by Kenzo's parry readjusting as the arm takes on a different shape. The distraction is enough for me to get closes, I sweep in with form 14 slatting magic aside, form 3 stabbing into the spectre extending from the arm, form18 and 6 of the 33 basic kenjutsu combat forms keeping the thing from touching me as it extends into numerous questing snakes forcing Kenzo. I dodge and roll moving in with a slash at the spectral body.

The spectral snake thing dissipates with a screech, my momentum carries me through and my blade cuts clean through the troublesome arm.

The scream he unleashes isn't a sound the human throat is supposed to be capable of. Bursting my eardrums disorienting me saving him as the killing stroke of form 7 leaves a gash on his collar bone instead of ripping him open. I recover quickly with a reverse kick to the chest knocking the air from my opponent sending him flying into the rubble.

I look around myself, no immediate enemy to fight and still slightly off-kilter. I take a knee and watch as the big man with the glaive faces of against the four vampires. Its a beautiful fight, the man is fast enough to keep up with them even with bursts of ultra vampire speed, faster than them even, two of them at least. Keiji seems to be slightly faster.

I can only actually see half the fight, when they slow down enough not to be streaks of air and sparks, its easier to follow the vampires as they fight using methods can predict. This man clearly has more power though and if they weren't wielding spiritual weapons that glaive would have cut their weapons in half long ago.

Here and there the Brave are showing skills and abilities I didn't know they had. Yoshihito Yoshida turns into smoke a few times while dealing with the spectral creatures summoned by at attacker. The front of a katana eventually appears sticking out of the magicians chest before disappearing and his head falls left while his body crumbles right.

A bright but silent explosion of light disintegrates the body, sending Seiji flying from his kill. The rest join the fight with the glaive wielder spewing curses at them, using naginata's to harass him from a distance as the three closest continue fighting with katana's. My zanpakutō is still bound on my back in satin, the hasn't yet been a need to go all out. None of the Brave are going fallout yet either with only Asriel using his soul-weapon.

I am still on one knee and unwound my zanpakuto carefully, I can't miss a chance to blood it, not a blade this moody when it comes to unsheathing. I rush into the fight with my nodachi in hand, a polearm in it's length and still sheathed so still a bludgeoning weapon.

I find a rhythm with the other harassers and we get to work sweeping in and out, deflecting as best we can but we are fighting a monster in human skin. A Mister with unending stamina and skill that I'm sure would stun even Asriel.

He swings the glaive around as though its a part of his body. Dodging, sweeping, attacking, spinning it around his body with keeping his back against the wall so we don't flank. Both the blade and the shaft leave devastating results on the temple as the vampires dodge and deflect. I'm mostly at the back as I'm not as fast yet.

The blade of the glaive is eventually locked down by the three vampires against their own weapons on the floor and I don't hesitate, with perfect iaido my zanpakutō sings as it cuts through air and takes his head. A surprised look plastered on his face.

[Sigh]

I wipe the sweat from my brow, then grin as the joy of battle fills me. Joy not just coming from myself but my zanpakutō I'm realising. This is its first kill and I can feel it soaking up some sort of energy, energy like a cool soaking into me like a bucket of cold water poured over my head. I feel it through the blade somehow yet nothing physical is apparent to anyone.

It's several more minutes before Asriel reappears amongst dozens of dead bodies. Most belonging to priests and priestesses of these cults, two belonging to members of the Brave and one clearly to one of the attackers. The two downed vampers get back up crimson eyes shining as they feed on the downed enemy who twicthes before going still in death.

There is something unnerving about seeing them feed but my heart is still pounding with joy and energy.

I grin at Asriel, I killed an Awakened. "I finished before you," I say smugly.

He just snorts, looks at my naked nodachi but ignores me, there isn't even a drop of blood on my blade. Going straight for the now disarmed and much less bright opponent, the last survivor of the assault. As we get to him I notice his arm has reattached itself but has lost most of its shine.

Asriel kneels before him on the floor and places a hand on his forehead, closing his eyes.

"He has a gease on his soul, he cannot reveal anything," he says a few seconds later to Seiji.

"You know him?" Seiji asks suspiciously as the rest look around for survivors and the Brave backup arrive with six more people in tow. All seemingly meek and harmless but their hands are bound behind their backs.

"These six also have soul marked," Toshiyuki Hayashi says leading them forward.

"Can you decipher them?" Seiji asks Toshiyuki who nods that he can.

"But it would take several days. That one on the floor would take even longer," e says as his eyes flare red for a moment. It seems there is still a lot I don't know about vampires.

I'm enjoying having my zanpakutō out. It usually doesn't like being unsheathed but now that it's satiated it seems to be more mild-mannered, at least for now. It is truly an exquisite weapon this nodachi.

Toru Kurihara notices my fascination with it and nods. "Katana's are both functional and beautiful making them both useful tools and prized possessions."

"Yea, I think the Master that forged my zanpakutō said the same thing," I respond sheathing it slowly a bit self-conscious for being caught admiring it. Just like the time Kuyoki caught me flexing my muscles at the mirror.

Sometimes you just want to admire yourself without seeming too vain, besides, we have no mirrors in the Tundra I had to take advantage while I still could.

The dead are burnt, including three dead vampires, resulting in our party now consisting of 14 of us total.

"Can you neutralise the arm user?" Seiji asks Kenzo.

"Yes, I can keep his arm detached and we can watch him," Kenzo responds with confidence.

"And you are sure you can unravel the gease?" He asks looking at Toshiyuki.

"Yes, within a month for all of the slaves definitely but I'm not certain with the arm user."

"Ok, we leave five people here to watch for further attack and question the prisoners after the soul marks are unravelled. Asriel, are you sure we should keep this one alive after? He is a troublesome opponent."

Asriel nods, "I don't know him personally but I recognise an initiate of the Order when I see one, he has a lot to answer for still."

"Very well. What will you do?" Keiji asks the 6 priests and one priestess that remain alive after the ordeal.

"We thank you for the help. We would appropriate help in rebuilding and maybe more open communication with your people." The priestess says solemnly.

"And you are sure you don't know why you were attacked?" Asriel asks again.

"We are sure, though we have heard of such a group in whispered, but nothing more." An old grey hair priest says.

"Alright, we leave the prisoners here and continue with the mission. Hopefully no more surprises along the way. Let's go." Keiji says.

And like that we are on our way at a light sprint down the mountain side and into the woods. Nine of us now heading towards my home, closer than ever. I wonder how the war has been going, I wonder whether or not the tribesmen that followed Asriel's map are already back. If they are I can see Ava, and we can spare, see how much better she's gotten.

I'm sure ma is fine. She's a survivor, its Dee and da that I'm more concerned with. I hope everyone is okay, I can't wait to show off my new skills.