"Ibaraki!" Xenthos shouted looking around for his comrade.
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"Xenthos!" Ibaraki shouted getting Xenthos's attention and once he noticed her he saw she had a chain.
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"Ibaraki! Toss it!" Xenthos shouted and she did just that he grabbed one end and she held another end. They pulled each other together, Xenthos wrapped it around them and locked them together by putting one of Ibaraki's arrows through the chains to keep them together. He looked around and saw the creature's head through the clouds laughing and he just hugged her watching as their bodies started to glow.
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"Don't let go..." Ibaraki said, holding him tightly.
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"We're not dead yet." Xenthos held hope onto hope.
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"Like he always said. The easy way out isn't an option." The two grit their teeth and held each other; they were seemingly erased from existence.
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"N-Ngh. Damn." She looked around and saw Xenthos asleep next to her. She wrapped herself in the blanket provided before shaking him and waking him up.
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"Oi..Oi get up." Xenthos groaned and then jumped awake looking around hugging Ibaraki who hugged back. The two just off look knew that this would have to wait, they stood up and slid open their doors to their shared small home.
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"At least someone left fish." Ibaraki added and grabbed one.
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"Hey, don't just eat whatever you see!" Xenthos went to knock it away but he saw Ibaraki's eyes go white meaning her eyes of truth were accidentally activated. This only happens when something tastes absolutely amazing or she's shocked.
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"Th-Thi-This...THIS IS SO GOOD!!!" There were four and Ibaraki took three and began to tear into them. Xenthos watched and grabbed the last one taking a bite and admitting it was good. The two checked the wardrobes and found some clothes to dress themselves in. Xenthos dressed in some clothing which seemed to have some blessed properties to it.
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"Oi. I found something over here." Xenthos walked over to Ibaraki who was holding some kind of letter.
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"From Scientist . Okay then no name." The two read the note.
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"Greetings, Hello, Guten Tag, and other forms of saying hi. I found you two collapsed on the road during one of my explorations, so I graciously carried you this far. You are free to leave. If you do want to hear more, come to my lab. I leave the choice to you." The letter read.
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"A Lab? Guess we'll go there if we figure out its location." Ibaraki took her helmet off, which was just two horn-like pieces.
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"Put the helmet back on Ibaraki." Xenthos looked at Ibaraki who held a sad face.
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"But then I'll miss the wind in my hair." Ibaraki whined and Xenthos ignored it, walking out looking around, Ibaraki followed shortly after and they saw the village they were in.
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"Scout this place out." Xenthos nudged Ibaraki.
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"Oh right right." Ibaraki's eyes went white and she held Xenthos's hand his eyes turning white as well.
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"Where are we..." Xenthos asked.
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"Better question. Why haven't I climbed that Lion face." Ibaraki said with a grin.
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"This is Valentina Village. Also please don't climb the lion head." A man called out to them, walking toward them.
Ibaraki jumped and lost focus, her eyes reverting as the two looked at the man.
"It's pretty obvious that you two aren't from around here. Pardon my asking but where did you come from?" The man politely asked.
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"We came from Ōkoku." Ibaraki answered with a hand on her hip looking at the man.
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"Ōkoku? Then you two must be strong, from Ōkoku to here is a very difficult journey. This is Valentina Village far far to the west of Ōkoku, hopefully nothing too bad happened to you two along the way." The man said.
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"A number of things."
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"Unfortunate. Well I have a little restaurant near your home, a nice place in the village to rest and recover. How about you two take a rest here?" The man offered with a smile.
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"We-We'd love too." Ibaraki stared at the man a bit.
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"Heh I can tell someone is famished. I'm Zaibatsu by the way."
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"Ibaraki and this is Xenthos." Ibaraki introduced them and soon they sat down as Zaibatsu made them both tea and food. Ibaraki took her bite and remembered the flavor and taste of the food.
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"Wa-Wait was that fish in that empty house made by you?" Ibaraki asked.
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"Yes it was. Hopefully it was tasty. I don't make fish all that often." Zaibatsu added as Ibaraki hugged him, he laughed a bit and patted her head as he held up a fan and began to fan himself.
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"You're so nice and a great cook." Ibaraki kept hugging and Zaibatsu let out a pretty flustered laugh.
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"Oh stop it, I'm just a friendly old Death Walker. Comes with the position I guess." He smiled and Ibaraki let go.
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"A what?"
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"I'll explain later down the road, for now enjoy." Zaibatsu smiled as she nodded then sat down and ate.
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"I like him."
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"I can tell." The duo ate for a few more moments before they heard a voice.
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"I see you are getting along." Ibaraki & Xenthos looked over and spotted...a Doll.
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"H-HW-HWH AAAAAAAAH!!!"
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"UWAH!!!" Both Ibaraki and the Doll creature shouted in fear, one because a doll is moving the other because someone is screaming.
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"Eh wh-why'd you scream?" The Doll asked.
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"Yo-You're a moving doll!" Ibaraki screamed.
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"I'm a Human thank you very much!"
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"No you're not!"
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"Yes I Am!"
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"No YOU ARE NOT!"
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"YES I AM!" The two went back and forth before Xenthos shut them up.
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"Geez. Anyway my name's Konkitsu. I am a HUMAN and I'm the one who carried you two here to our village, thank me." Konkitsu added.
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"Wait, didn't the note say the Scientist did?" Xenthos looked at Ibaraki.
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"Yeah. It did."
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"She would write that wouldn't she!" Konkitsu appeared agitated and the two quickly began to understand what kind of person this Scientist was.
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"Well she lives in that house up the hill, when you have a moment go talk with her. Just don't let her sink those claws into you." The duo listened and went to her house, it was pretty wacky looking but they still entered. They saw a furnace and a bunch of science materials, inside wasn't as big as the outside made it out to be.
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"Look at these blueprints. Sōzō's Creation?" Ibaraki looked at the prints.
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"It's about that Doll..he really was a human before. Damn now I feel bad. But how?"
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"Sorcery and Witchcraft. Divine Liquid and Fire."
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"Shut up Xenthos it's none of that. It's-"
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"Actually pretty close." The Scientist walked in looking at the duo.
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"Oh it's you two. Don't say anything. Let's get down to it-"
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"Thank You." Xenthos said and got hit on the head. Well she had to jump to hit him.
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"What did I just say?" Xenthos allowed her to hit him even though that did sting.
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"You're The Scientist ?" Ibaraki asked, examining the child-like physique of the Scientist.
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"Who's asking?"
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"Ibaraki."
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"Don't know her." The Scientist 's tongue was as sharp as her wit. Ibaraki could tell she was very cautious. The three sat down around the table in the lab.
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"Now let's get down to this. Who are you two? Where did you come from?" The Scientist questioned the two.
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"I'm Xenthos. The one with me is Ibaraki. We're Fiends and we just want to know how to get to Ōkoku." Xenthos explained. Even though he hated the idea that he was taking so long he wanted to do this carefully so they could go back and save Junsui.
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"Please we have to get back. Our comrades are waiting for us. Zaibatsu said we were far west, how far?" Ibaraki was impatient. Junsui was battling; without them he could die; she wanted to save him she needed too.
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"If you two really are from Ōkoku then you're not getting back anytime soon. Even as the crow flies that's a hell of a distance in its own right. This sounds...complicated. Tell me more." The Scientist leaned in a bit.
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"We don't have "tell you more" kind of time! We-" Xenthos stopped Ibaraki.
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"We were fighting Demons in Ōkoku and next we know we're here in Valentina." Xenthos explained as much as his memory held.
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"That's a pretty strange story. Nothing else for me? Nothing at all."
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"None recallable Sorry."
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"That's a pain. Happens more often than you'd think too. Valentina is located far west of Ōkoku as you probably know. It's close to Buraddogēto. But before we face that hurdle. There's the issue that Ōkoku-"
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"We know how far now let's go Xenthos!" Ibaraki jumped up and got ready to run out.
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"-was abandoned Ten Years Ago."
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"What?" Xenthos said in disbelief.
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"You're kidding!" Ibaraki stopped in her tracks.
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"If only I was. No one lives there anymore. It was during The Revival, ten years ago. It was savaged by the Demons and sank into the Underworld." The Scientist went on and Ibaraki fell to her knees.
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"I-It can't be..."
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"I'm afraid it can..If you were truly fighting in Ōkoku then-"
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"Have you identified our guests?" Konkitsu jogged in.
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"AAAAAHHHH!!!!!!" Ibaraki's hair was coated in flames and burst up as she started crying.
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"H-Huh?! Why the long faces?!" Konkitsu realized the aura of sadness that filled the room. The Scientist & Konkitsu both backed away from her, the flames emitting heat waves. Xenthos emotionlessly walked toward Ibaraki and pulled her to his chest hugging her even though it burned. Her flames died out and she cried into his chest.
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"Ca-Can someone explain?" Konkitsu shakingly asked.
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"Unlike a certain happy-go-lucky fool, some of us have real world issues to worry about." The Scientist barked at Konkitsu.
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"Hey! I get my timing was bad but no need to throw your bad mood at me, okay?" Konkitsu barked back.
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"I'm not in a bad mood. Rather the opposite. But the situation for them isn't as it is for me." The Scientist sighed.
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"Catch me up whenever..Sorry you two." Konkitsu apologized.
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"Don't be...go on." Xenthos held Ibaraki. Suddenly the group heard bells.
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"That bell signals the attack of demons, you've missed out on a lot these past ten years. This entire village is surrounded by the underworld which is where the Demons live, no need to worry though they can't get through while we have the Priestess's power."
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"Didn't Axel's village have one of those?" Ibaraki shakingly asked Xenthos.
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"Axel?" Konkitsu seemed to be a bit quick to react to the name.
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"Yeah but we'll talk later." Xenthos sat Ibaraki down and stood up.
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"Wai-Wait." She wiped her tears.
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"I have hell to pay them back." Her hair flamed up again.
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"We both do. You two stay here, it's too dangerous." Xenthos said to Konkitsu and The Scientist.
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"Hold it where are you- Right. You're Fiends. Should've said sooner but so are we. Still it's reckless to fight unarmed. I threw away your old gear. The state it was in it wouldn't have done you any good. Before you go take a new device I made. A nice creation of my own intellect and a bit of a thank you to the creator of it. Other words an invention. I'll fix up a weapon for you two afterwards." The Scientist strapped the devices to them.
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"....You're using us."
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"Shut up Konkitsu, I'm not."
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"You're using us, I know you are!" Konkitsu shouted.
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"Hold still, you're messing me up." Once done The Scientist smiles.
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"Looks good on you all, I call it The Right Hand Of Sōzō. Now let's go run some field tests, we'll be using it to defeat the incoming demons." The Scientist smiled at the two.
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"Uh cool, we do get an instruction manual for this right?" Ibaraki asked.
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"I knew it! This was just for one of your crazy experiments!" Konkitsu shouted.
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"Well I'm not participating, not this time! I'm going to rip this thing off right now a-"
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"Try to forcefully remove it and it'll blow up." The Scientist said coldly.
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"YOU STRAPPED A BOMB TO US?!!!" Konkitsu and Ibaraki shouted in complete shock. The Scientist laughed and then opened a door as they walked in scared, they saw weapons lining a table. Xenthos walked over to a pair of gauntlets and slid his arms in locking them.
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"Don't feel as good as my old ones but they work."
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"They'd better, but don't worry. Tachibana is making special ones." Ibaraki grabbed a bow and looked at it, sighing.
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"Yo." Konkitsu tossed a sword to her which she caught and passed right back.
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"Thanks but no thanks, nothing can or will ever be able to replace Crimson Queen." She said to him, he nodded as the group finished preparing. They left and arrived at the front of the village, Xenthos leaped into the air and landed on the began to walk out as they headed toward the exit of the Village.
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"Oh hello again, may the spirits of fallen warriors give you strength." Zaibatsu said as he waved them off.
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"We're about to kick some demon ass hehe!" Ibaraki cheerfully exclaimed, The Scientist jumped up onto the tiled roof and everyone began to follow except for Ibaraki who...climbed the Lion Head.
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"Hehehe told you I'd climb the Lion head." Ibaraki smirked and then glared at the Demons as they hit the barrier, everyone looked at their devices as The Scientist raised hers and said.
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"Let's slay some Demons." With that the group leaped into the fray. Once they landed they were instantly greeted by a swarm of Imps all growling and snarling at them.
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"This shouldn't be too hard." Xenthos rushed at the Imps and leaped in the air slamming his gauntlets down crushing some to death before he went in swinging at the rest, after the attack he looked at his gauntlets which were now oozing a black smog.
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"Not like my old ones. But they work." More imps arrived and Xenthos rushed them, however he heard loud shots rang out and saw arrows fly.
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"What the hell?! Those were mine!" Xenthos complained.
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"Whoops, it sucks to be close ranged!" Ibaraki teased and laughed a little. An Imp hiding in the trees leaped out at Xenthos but ended up with half its body buried in the ground killing it, Xenthos groaned as he began a ritual of purity. He punched his fist into the ground, he began to slowly rise and let out a fierce war cry which blanketed the ground in a small shockwave which caused the dead Imps to rise up slowly and glow before their bodies vanished as glowing white lights rose to the skies.
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"Good work you two. Seems your talk of Ōkoku has some evidence to it but don't forget the experiment, use Sōzō's hand! Think of something and manifest it!" The Scientist shouted. Ibaraki trusted the Scientist and thought as she did a...slice of cake appeared.
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"AWESOME!!!!!" A smile spread across Ibaraki's face as she quickly stuffed her face with everyone staring.
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"Wh- oh come on I was hungry." Ibaraki licks her lips before her eyes begin to change white, she then proceeds to try again as suddenly her arm begins to glow with a white glow before it hardens around her arm.
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"Uhm..Whoa WEEEEE!!" She extended her arm at a tree and a manifested arm launched out grabbing the tree, she was launched into the air doing flips.
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"Hehehehehehehe! This is the best!"
"More incoming! They're bringing a big one!" The Scientist shouted as a large Oni sent imps in and slammed its massive club down.
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"Just great, I hate these guys!" Konkitsu shouted.
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"Good THEN STAY OUT OF THE WAY!" Xenthos rushed at the Oni.
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"Wait!!" The Scientist shouted as Xenthos punched it back causing it to slide back and then launch away. He caved a hole in its chest and exposed its life force, he turned laughing.
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"Nice! Still got it!" Ibaraki stares in shock.
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"Xenthos Move!" The Oni recovered and rushed Xenthos slamming its club into him, he barely blocked with his gauntlets and was sent flying through a tree. Xenthos laid on his chest as he got up and coughed blood, blood quickly began to pour from his gauntlets..the metal now wedged into his flesh.
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"What the hell was that? None of them ever survived one hit from me." Xenthos appeared agitated and the pain seemed null and void to him.
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"You idiot, you're ten years in the future things, aren't like they were! Demons have grown stronger plus this whole village is surrounded by the underworld!"
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