The Continued Hunt (Mod)

[Shirako Tachibana]

With the samurai gone, the woman had strolled forward, homing in on the source of the energy fluctuation. Numerous emotions tried to well up and break free, as they always did when the clock began ticking on these meetings, but she kept them all in check. Some stray Shadow would appear, likely drawn by the energy, and get in the way. They were immediately cut down, of course. It didn't make them any less annoying, though. The woman knew what she was there for. It wasn't the insignificant feral Shadows. No, it was a sentient Shadow, and one of her students.

So why couldn't the annoying small fries stay out of the way?

[ChromaticTruthsayer]

A pack of Shadows appeared!

Ice Cream Musha

• Bufudyne
• Brave Blade
• Rainy Death

Absorb: Repel: Null: Rs: Wk: Fire
Ice Cream Gigas

• Bufudyne
• Gigantic Fist
• Power Charge

Absorb: Repel: Null: Rs: Wk: Fire

[Shirako Tachibana]

More Shadows got in the way. Why did everything have to occur when she finally found her mark? Either way, Shirako sent in Yaksa first. Brave Blade cut into the first samurai. The woman filtered in behind her Persona, cutting further into the enemy. The Shadows tried to replicate the tactic with no success, as both the woman and her Persona still had Sukukaja. The following cross-slash did the first Shadow in. The second tried to slash her. It succeeded, but did nothing. She took the blow simply because it would leave her opponent vulnerable. Following that, she unleashed an upward slash to re-enter her preparatory stance. Yaksa followed up with a Brave Blade. The one-two was immediately followed up with a second, however, as the woman slammed her blade down onto the Shadow, only for another Brave Blade to cut into it and slay it.

Clicking her tongue, the woman turned her attention elsewhere. That phantom was close. She was one step closer to ending this clean-up. She tightened her grip on the handle of her blade before pressing onward. She wouldn't lose- wouldn't die. There were still two more after this one. She couldn't expire until after she finished that chapter of her life.

[ChromaticTruthsayer]

Success!

You defeated the enemy!
You also found: Medical Powder

[Shirako Tachibana]

An hour had passed since the time that the woman had fought off the samurai. Between the end of that battle and the present, the woman had encountered one of the remaining ties to her duty, addressed it, and severed it before leaving the scene. The scene was less than admirable. It was hardly awe-inspiring. Her clothes were in near-perfect condition, as was her body. It obviously was not a physical issue. Her mind was still sharp enough to engage in battle, if need be, so it was not a mental issue. No, physically and mentally, she was fine. Those were not the causes of slow pace the woman had taken. They were not the reason that her eyes were bloodshot. They certainly had nothing to do with her drawn and tired expression. No, her physical and mental state had nothing to do with her pathetic appearance at the present.

Shirako was emotionally drained. There was one less of the phantoms of her students in the world now, but, even so, they had those faces. Even if they were lies, even if they were nothing but fakes- fabrications built of all the negativity those children repressed- they still shared the same faces of those kids. Sure, they were a little older. Sure, they looked a tiny bit bigger. But, at the root of things? All the woman saw was a future that was ruined by her ineptitude- a future ended twice over by her own hands. That was all she saw.

Her steps were slow as she made her way out of the hospital. Slow, and tired.