Our fading memories

[Anadwen]

Indeed, it was close. Seiki could now discern the type of spirit it could possibly be, although only dimly. And the knowledge unnerved him. The spiritual presence had something darker about itself than the usual spirit...

Yet, he showed no emotions, and led them forwards, further speeding up till he was nothing but a smudged figure, flashing between the trees and over the streams, flowing deep beneath his feet.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen incresed in speed as well to keep up with his cousin, but he just went straight up the hill instead of all the jumping and weaving. The shortest distance between two points was a straight line, and wanted vengeance sooner rather than later.

[Anadwen]

Something flashed between the trees, a dark shape, and Seiki stopped like if he was hit by a lightning. For a moment, all was frozen. That must have been the spirit... Yes, that was definitely it. He knew that. The presence was insanely strong...

A ghastly white figure appeared between two trees. Garbed in white, it flickered, and there was something unearthly about it. A ghost. "Mister, help... Please, mister, help me... There's something in the forest..." she muttered, slowly walking forth.

He, however, quickly figured out something was not right about this. Any normal ghost would have already been eaten by the evil spirit... His hands, hidden in white gloves that covered their backs, clenched into fists. A single step towards the girl...

Something dark flashed towards him, and he moved out of the way just in time. The little girl didn't look as innocent anymore... Especially because there was a dark shape, coming from the middle of her chest, extended all the way to the point where Seiki previously stood. Her mouth opened into a grin, and revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen knew immediately that this was the spirit they were after despite the facade of innocence. In a flash of shining silver Sozen drew his soul-cutter. His visible eye seemed to glow as it fell upon the spirit. Vengeance. Sozen charged the spirit with blinding speed. He would cut it to pieces, and then cut those pieces into pieces, one piece for every day he was forced to endure the loss of his family.

[Anadwen]

In a flash, Blood-red Blossom was drawn. The little spirit moved away from Sozen's katana, just to crash into Seiki's, which sliced its head off straight away. This was too easy...

And the spirit had no mask. This fight wasn't yet over.

The entire figure cracked into shards, and those moved like crawling bugs away into the shadows. Seiki gave Sozen a quick glance, and shifted back.

Just in time. The true shape of the spirit emerged from beyond the trees, showing similar sharp teeth. It wasn't too much bigger than those two, but the pair of sharply hooked horns on its white mask, and scraps of fabric, hanging on the white body, spoke of its identity quite clearly. Some of the most powerful spirits had a humanoid form...

The sword in its hands looked deadly when the head turned, and a pair of amber eyes met Seiki's gaze. The metal screeched as the spirit's claws scratched it.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen shifted his stance and prepared to fight. The spirit looked much more like the terror he had assumed it to be. This wasn't going to be easy, but then again nothing was easy for  an Adachi. That was just how life works.

[Anadwen]

Now, they had to be careful. This spirit wasn't any child's play. It was one of the high-ranking types of spirits... He quickly assessed the figure in his mind, examining his outside looks and spiritual presence to find out what threats it might pose as.

Humanoid shape and a weapon meant that it will be more of a combatant like himself, rather than a beastly prey. The large crack amid its chest was radiating an omnious presence... Maybe it will be even capable of using a similar type of spells like the offensive Kido.

They had to be careful, that was sure.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen circled the spirit counterclockwise so that he stood opposite Seiki with the spirit in between. In this way, the masked half of Sozen's head would be facing the spirit possibly tricking it into believing that Sozen wouldn't be able to see it when in fact he could. The best chance they had was attacking from opposite sides. The spirit may have a weapon, but it is only one weapon. There was no way it would be able to fight off two assaults from two  highly trained warriors coming from opposite directions.

[Anadwen]

Deciding on a simple move to determine the spirit's abilities at first, Seiki bolted forth like a lightning, and crossed the distance with two steps only. His figure was a flash in the air as he slashed his sword at the spirit.

His eyes widened as the blow, which would have immediately pierced the chest of even good combatants due to its speed, connected with the dark sword. "I can see your steps!" the spirit hissed.

How was this possible?

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen observed the strike in order to assess the spirit's abilities. The spirit claimed that it could see Seiki's steps. What if no steps were taken? Sozen crouched and pushed himself off the ground sending him hurtling through the air straight at the spirit, his sword ready to strike.

[Anadwen]

The following strike from Sozen was deflected just as well. His sword crashed against the spirit's, and to Seiki's surprise, one of the spirit's claws clenched around Blood-red Blossom's blade itself. For a moment, his dark eyes went wide in surprise in horror as he looked into the spirit's eyes, burning crimson, but that expression soon changed into one of collected, calm fury - what could contradict itself, but not when you saw Seiki.

He forced his sword out of the claws that were fixed against it. He didn't have the time to play.

The sword was held vertically before his face, and he placed one palm onto the blade. Where his skin touched the metal, thin cracks, illuminated with white, sprang, and crawled up the sword. All of a sudden, it exploded in a blast of light, dividing into dozens of shards that shone with light like fallen stars or petals, set on fire with a white flame.

They arose and whirled around the handle for a moment, when Seiki pointed it at the spirit. With several swift motions of his wrist, the razor-sharp shards came at the spirit to slice it up in a few lines, moving with speed that matched the hands that held it. For a moment, the spirit was pushed back.

Then it reappeared, the three lines of crimson across the white of its chest, but it didn't appear even fazed by the injuries.

[Wicked Basket]

Well, so much for that theory. Seiki managed to score a hit with his Kido, but he spirit just appeared mildly agitated. It was almost as if the spirit could see things before they happened, but then Seiki would not have succeeded in his attack if that were true. Or would he have? Perhaps it was unavoidable and the spirit had no choice but to take it even though he had saw it coming. What was he missing?

[Anadwen]

It was one of those spirits that were so incredibly durable that they could take even a hit from Blood-red Blossom when it was released into its true power. The spirit was still standing, and laughing in a beastly manner.

The shining petals were called back towards Seiki, seemingly multiplying in number as they flowed like a wave, embracing his figure, just to be sent flying back to lock the spirit in a whirling circle. He raised his other hand.

"Number fifty-three. Lightning fang, strike." The words sled of his lips like silk, in sharp contrast to the crooked ray of light that sprang from the middle of his palm, blasting straight into the spirit like a lightning.

Could it withstand both high-level Kido and his sword?

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen simpy observed as Seiki worked. He did not wish to interfere. It also gave him plenty of time to formulate an attack of his own. However, if not even Seiki could do any damage to the spirit, the odds of him doing anything were slim.

[Anadwen]

The spirit then attacked its opponent. It threw itself after Seiki in a surprising speed, slashing with the weapon. It was actually avoided only narrowly by Seiki himself, and with a move of his hand, still gripping the handle, he commanded the whirling shards to attack. But even though they cut into the spirit and made it bleed, the attacks were unwavering.

Seiki made his way back, stepping just before Sozen. All around them grew dark, and the shards seemed to disappear, just to arose from the ground like a funeral column of deadly blades. Blood-red Blossom's blade, twice as large and sticking out of the ground twice a thousand times on each side.

[Wicked Basket]

"Have you considered sharing your plan with me or is this it," Sozen asked flatly.

Seriously, all Seiki has been doing was giving the spirit papercuts. He had not communicated with Sozen at all. Did he plan to kill it by himself and take all the glory? If anyone killed this spirit, it should be Sozen, for vengeance. Unless Seiki actually had a plan beside jumping around in circles and leaving tiny cuts everywhere.

[Anadwen]

"If you think you can do anything about it, you are welcome to go forth and try it!" Seiki replied coldly, piercing him with his icy eyes. It was one of the strongest vile spirits they could meet, and he was using extremely powerful attacks on it. Yet, they somehow didn't work, even though by all means the spirit should be already little more than a mash of blood and meat.

Yes, he had a plan. These rows of blades had a single purpose.

They arose from the earth, and following the motion of his hand, they attacked the spirit, whirling around and slashing at him. This seemed to work better, as the white figure was soon soaked in blood...

But the wounds just weren't deep enough to bring it down. How the heck was this even possible?

And why was Sozen blaming him for this? He was protecting him... He attracted the spirit's attention to give him space to attack unexpectedly and keep himself from getting hurt...

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen did not react to Seiki's response. Sozen would have done something if this spirit wasn't so fast and somehow always saw him coming. Sozen took off and circled around the spirit with blinding speed. He ran straight for the spirit and began a series of incredibly fast strikes and slashes with his weapon. Surely the spirit would be too distracted to stop him.

[Anadwen]

The spirit turned to Sozen after his attack, which managed to slice its back, even though just very shallowly, and it reached after him, crashing its sword against Sozen's, when Seiki's swords were whirled at it.

The black weapon was raised, and defended the spirit from the slashing swords, effectively deflecting most of them. Seiki commanded them to return behind him and break into an immense wave of petals like before, only greater in number.

Suddenly, the spirit disappeared. For a moment, it was gone, and then, it was behind his back...

He saw just a flash of black being fired at him. One of the gleaming swords appeared in his hand, to fend off the flash of shadows, and the darkness broke upon touching the light. He stood before Sozen to protect him from the next, larger flash, and sliced it in half, he himself suddenly running towards the spirit.

Hopefully this would work, and his cousin would follow closely to strike the spirit when he had its attention.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen couldn't help but be mildly annoyed that Seiki felt the need to protect him. He was perfectly capable of defending himself. He wasn't that much of a failure. Still, Sozen followed close behind his cousin. Once Seiki would strike, Sozen would slide through both Seiki's and the spirit's legs to attack the spirit from behind.