Fox hunt

    The night is dark and full of teror.

     This cold november night is a moonless night. The clouds cover the sky and the shadows cover the ground as if tonight the battle between light and dark is tipping in darkness's favor. Among the endless shadows are four figures, two humandoids and two canine, standing at the treeline watching the Mac Anu wall.

    Setsuna watches his own breathing for a moment before he snickers and makes a joke to his compadres, "If I smoked this is when I would light the cigarette." Looking over at his monsters pal he nods his head, "Yall are right if we are doing this we do this." He gives one last message over his chim to his alliance , "I may be afk for 24 hours, I'll let you know in an hour."

     Stepping forward from the tree line Setsuna becomes a bit more defined before he nods his head and the cerberus and dire wolf howl.

    ARROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

     The howl echos through the night adding to the eerie feel to the scene and then Setsuna adds his own call, "Palace Landers~! Come out and play~!" The bait is set, now to just wait for the monster to come and get it.

The cover of darkness was really the only way to get within the Mac Anu vicinity. You can thank a certain armored lion-man trying to play covert ops for the increases in patrols.

Then again, a couple of howling beasts that are clearly not local inhabitant creatures isn't exactly subtle, either. Unless the lack of subtly is intentional. Some patrol hears it, and not wanting to deal with whatever sort of freaky Yamato nonsense that is just calls it in.

Minutes pass. No one comes.... At least not in immeadiate view...

Branches rustle faintly farther down the treelines. Maybe just a chilly evening breeze picking up. But a necromancer doesn't care about the cold does he? Setsuna might be standing out here for a while...

If it hadn't been for his canine companions, who would quickly pick up the scent of a monster vulpine on the approach, parkouring along the treetops in an attempt to avoid immeadiate notice.

At about the same point that Daiyu gets close enough to see said canines, and curses softly under her breath. Her stealth approach didn't accomidate for monsterous olfactory senses... Not that she's stopping, already commited to investigating.

    Tick, tock, the second hands inside the necromancers brain goes as he waits. After momnets past he turns to his skeleton and asks, "Do you think I was to subtle? No I am not going to go with the molotov cocktail idea, because again like I said before, those walls are not made of wood and I don't know if I could throw it far enough. On top of that the temple of..." The necromancer trails off as he hears his dire wolf growl.

     Drawing his dagger, Setsuna turns slowly looking around and then moments later the cerberus also begins to growl. Well two of the heads begin to, one of them looks asleep still. Finally the canines turn there eyes to the tree line and Setsuna spots the movement. Whether it is an enemy, a monster, or a friend it is to late now.

     A magic circle wraps around Setsuna's hand as he draws the shadows into a ball before launching it ahead of the figure and letting the tree explodes sending splinters of wood everywhere.

Daiyu knew she would be detected as soon as she saw the canine monsters, and as such could at least prepare a counter-move. The branch she lands on audible twangs as it flexes briefly beneath her step, then recoils like a springboard to launch herself into an arc. Over the orb of magic, which explodes into the tree she was just in moments ago.

The Hulijing Were Fang lands on the ground in a crouching skid past the necromancer, gaze narrowing. "Adventurers still foolish enough to snoop around -our- territory I see." Tails lash and then she bursts into motion again. Warfans snap open in her hands as she dashes the Scale Necromancer, one trailing an eerie green glow along the edge as she excutes a series of quick slashing arcs with the weapons. "Tell me, is this bravery, or some manner of death wish?"

    Setsuna can't help respond to the snooping insinuation, "I am pretty sure calling you out and standing here where I can be found doesn't count as snooping. Otherwise I am very bad at it." The attack comes for Setsuna and the Necromancer stands there. A slash appears on his arm , another on his chest, one of across the eye. The red pixelated blood making it look cool and creepy all at the same time and through it all Setsuna just takes it in. Finally when the fan comes at him a final time he grabs the fan and guides it into a chest cavity.

     "I am sorry doctor, I was out just doing my thing and thought I saw a monster, I blew up a tree and suddenly this palace lander fell out of it and started attacking me without provocation. Do you think that will fly?"

     The hand that is holding the fan in his gut begins to glow with magic cursing Daiyu with more darkness as Setsuna smiles, "I do have a death wish. Your's."

    He still doesn't let go of the blade, but the damage has left his grip weak enough that somone could pull away. However until that happens Setsuna is locking eyes with Daiyu as he whistles. From behind claws, dire wolf, cereberus, claws everywhere and not exactly the cleanest claws. Infectious disease is always possible when one gets clawed up after all.

A series of clean, precise slashes, the venomous enchantment fading from one fan as it is transferred to the target. Execute with grace ... Until Setsuna grabs her arm to pull the final blow in deeper, attempting to hold her closer.

Wonderful. It's one of the -crazy- ones.

She snaps the warfan shut, using the decreased profile to pull it free of both his body and to slip her arm from his grasp. "You are far from the first to try." Turns to boot the cerberus in the shoulder to deflect its charge, but not without catching a fang on her ankle all the same. Bother. She's worried more about the larger wolf, and that is why she is abruptly.. gone... Briefly moving too fast to be seen, especially in the nocturnal darkness, a shadow amongst shadows.

Until she comes crashing back into the midst of the ambush party, a dervish of fire and ice alike arcing along with her spinning slash, normally opposing elements slung in near perfect sync.

    Setsuna was not expecting his target to disappear and immediately begins to hide himself in darkness while making illusions of himself. However in the process the fox drops in from above and the vortex of fire and ice blows away not just the illusions but Setsuna himself. He hits a tree and stands up slowly as he does his best to shake it off. A few clicks from his mouth as he gets his feet under him.

     The skeleton knight makes clicking sounds in response to Setsuna's clicking and points it's sword at Daiyu as a pair of skeleton warriors rise from the ground and charge Daiyu. Meanwhile the knight moves itself to defend Setsuna and raises it shield. With more clicks and shrieks at Daiyu, the knight gives Setsuna time to recover.

A frown tugs down the corners of Daiyu's mouth as the undead are drawn from the ground. Necromancer summoner confirmed. Noted, filed away for later.

The vulpine snaps her fans back at her sides, producing a controlled gust of air to lob herself up from her spot, and instead of dealing with the skeletons parkour-steps across their skulls like stepping stones. She springs from the last one, leaping right towards Setsuna against the tree.

Except the undead knight gets into a defensive position first, and she slams up against his shield instead. A growl escapes under her breath, some whispered hex that creates a more foreboading and anxiety-riddled atmosphere for the fight, and then the bonehead manages to shove her off his shield with enough force to send her careening backwards. One fan is collapsed and dug into the ground to keep herself from falling too far away. The other swaps the weapon out to pulls several kunai made of ice from one of her partial sleeves, and fling them at Setsuna and his dark knight protector.

    Setsuna gets up to his feet as a magic symbol appears on his forehead and he manages to avoid the majority of the blades of ice. Almost as if he knew exactly where they are going to end up, however his skeleton knight isn't so lucky and his damage means Setsuna takes damage. The grimace through the shared link would confirm to any monster handler, that most these monsters aren't summons.

     With another whistle the cerberus enters back in to the ring as the knight continues to play defense. The cerberus slashes here and there at the fox, trying to box them in before the dire wolf would come from the side to deliver the real damage.

It's a graceful display of wuxai skill as Daiyu darts and dances around the attempts of the cerberus to catch the wily fox... but the three headed dog does exactly as he's really meant to do, in keeping her attention. Until the much larger and stronger dire wolf can bumrush her from the other side, sending the woman crashing across the ground once more in a flailing cascade of tails and groans. Then rolls back up onto her feet. Dips her head for a moment... sadly for Setsuna it's not in defeat, as she glares at him over the brim of her spectacles. "Foolish bravado aside, your limited use of tactics has pushed my limit..."

It's a telling sign though that she doesn't redeploy her tessen fans. Instead reaching over her shoulder for the parasol slung across her back. "Shall we begin the next chapter?"

She does not retrieve the parasol though, instead grabbing the end and unsheathing the Chinese jian sword from within it's shaft. Grips it in both hands, then rushes into the fight yet again. This time she deftly sidesteps to maneuver past the undead knight, the blade glowing with some enchantment even as she strikes repeatly with the fury of a gale wind.

    Setsuna looks at his opponent as she draws her sword and he readies his dagger, "My name is Setsuna Kibo. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintence." His monsters get ready again as all the challengers regroup. The repeated attacks from the sword and wind get a scratch here or there but for the moment the sword came into Setsuna's range his reactions have greatly increased. Finally he leaps back and throws his dagger at the feet of his opponent.

     "Ever feel like you need to slow down?" The question is asked as Daiyu should be noticing that rare slow status now. Then the clicking of Setsuna's tongue can be heard and more clicking and rattling back. It's time for the skeletons to come marching in. Two more warriors led by the knight charge in as Setsuna watches and prepares for the next part, "Turn the page. I want to see what happens next."

Finally, a proper name. I mean sure, yes, she gets his name just via Inspect but there's a certain elegance in an introduction still, even if it wasn't until the midst of the fight. "Daiyu, the Black Jade Fox of Kallamore," she returns in kind.

Eyes the dagger as it's drawn.. and then thrown at her shadow at her feet. A brief glance down is all she spares, the discerning eye of an Enchanter and the status effect enough context for what the blade really does. Her gaze then returns to Setsuna, narrowing. Glasses gleam, tails flick about. "Very well then." And they start to flick faster. Fast enough to blurr.

Daiyu counteracts the Slow effect by activating several of her own speed boosting Enchantments. Enough that she pulls free of Halting Tip's hold before she can be completely immobilized. The vulpine rushes through the undead, aiming for the skeletal knight. If she can't get past him, she'll simply run her sword right through the undead to get to the necromancer hiding behind it if she must.

    It is as if the shadows themselves are attempting to aid Setsuna, the skeleton is reinforced with dark magic as the blade slides through the rib cage to stab at Setsuna who fades into nothing the moment the blade pierces him. Unfortunately the blade still has a strong poison proc, which infected the skeleton. So Setsuna is feeling that.

     The necromancer steps out from behind a tree as he makes a twittering whistle sound, the dire wolf charging in and trying to sinks it fangs into the fox. In all of this though Setsuna checks his health and frowns, " I should have brought the new guy. I am sure he would have helped."

The Hulijing's form continues to flicker and shimmer as she utters under her breath, activating some of the more defensive enchantments she had prepared, same as a chess expert plans their moves many turns in advance. She pulls her sword free and twists to meet the Dire Wolf, catching his bite on one of her arm protectors. The arcane flicker around her is a clear indication it's the enchantments dampening the bite's power, while a breath of divine resists the bite's side effects. Long enough for her to smack the pommel of her sword hilt against his muzzle to make him let go again.

Immeadiately her attention turns back to Setsuna and his bone and armor protector. "Mayhaps it is time you consider a tactical withdrawl." Feet kick off the ground, propelling her into another speedy charge. "Before you have no pieces left on the board to intercept a checkmate." Elemental energies swirl around the jian sword, honing her attempts to strike with the force of a riptide.

    Setsuna scoffs at the idea of running, in fact he even voices it, "Scoff. As if I would run, I havve you right where I want you. As you said this is the new chapter and I am writing the story now."The elemental energy from th e blade hts him and he cries out before again it fades into nothing. Setsuna is no where to be seen.

     That isn't to say he isn't hurting, those poisoning are hurting and he can't heal the energy back but he just has to up the game some.Setsuna howls into the air, that his monsters seem to match and then Daiyu would feel it. The pressure, that feeling anyone gets when they are being watched. More then being watched, when a predator has there eye on you, Then from the shadows Setsuna dashes out knife in hand as he slashes at the hamstrings of the fox, then at the gut, followed by going for the throat. After his barrage he leaps back , his eyes glowing with golden magical energy. "This is a story about how a fox thought it was hunting a human and found a monster instead."

Vulpine ears splay back as her multiple tails bristle, but Daiyu is not so easily unnerved by such tricks (in part because she uses similar tricks herself). Crowned brow knits into a focused scowl, even as her form starts to vibrate and blur again. Until the very earth beneath her paws seems to rumble with the force to propel her into motion. Darting back from the strike at her leg, and twisting sideways to avoid the jab for her midsection. Her sword comes up at an angle, and the slash at her neck clatters off the blade. Unfortunately she can't get a perfect guard into place in time, and instead of stopping the attack in deflects off her weapon and hard into her shoulder, making her step back and grit her teeth at the flickers of digitalized red 'hit' effect.

But at least it prevented a critical hit to her neck.

Her swift movements don't stop there though as she is quickly back on the offensive. The combination of speed and shifting through the shadows make it harder to see just which angle she's coming from, slashing several times in rapid succesion with her sword, and it starts to look like one of those multi-slash techniques you'd see in some anime fight, which Daiyu herself isn't again clearly visible until she's standing on the opposite side she started from, jian still at the ready.

    That blade is very sharp and the fox is very angry and well Setsuna nopes right out of there as he simply disappaers into the darkness. A mocking laughter echos through the trees as the monsters spread back, its like he is calling them off for this. Now it is time for the monster to do the fighting. " All you guys had to do was stay on your rock. You stay there we stay here."

     The source of the voice moves again behind another tree, " We don't care about your shit. We just want to go home. 90 more floors to go. " There is annoyance and frustration in his voice.

     Another tree projects his voice, " Now though you are in my way of home. So one of us has to go." It is as simple as that. From the shadows Setsuna emerges unleashing wave after wave of dark energy to cut into Daiyu.

Daiyu gives the sword one spin in her hand, to reverse it and return it to it's sheath within the parasol. It would be disrespectful to the weapon to simply set it aside for a moment... not to mention there's too many enemy minions around that could try to grab and run off with it.

"You were the ones to trespass upon our 'rock' first," she replies evenly. Once again he's using a technique she also uses, meaning she can plan her moves around it. She holds her arms up across her front, but rather than her fans spreads several of those ice kunai between her fingers. "I sought to protect the Kingdom that was now my home from the reckless and foolish." A gust of wind ripples in her wake as she jukes away from the initial slash, a snap of the arm following to fling several of the frigid blades at the necromancer in return. "An invasion.. was not an initial plan... but it is the course the powers that be have decided upon."

The next few minutes are filled with such exchanges, as the vixen dodges shadowy blows and throws her ice kunai in return. Until Setsuna finally manages to catch up to her faster than she can evade, swiping across her side. But not stopping her from throwing the final daggers in response. "My feelings on the matter are irrelevant."

    Setsuna avoids most the ice, a coat of energy buffing his movement speed as he continues to dance across the field with Daiyu. That finall dagger of ice jabs into his shoulder though and he drops back with a growl as he rips out the ice and throws it on the ground. The necromancer isn't a fool, he knows just by looking at the two of them who is winning and who isn't but he came all this way, it would be a shame to not see it to the end.

     Putting his hand on the wound from the ice he then presses it to the ground as he summons more skeleton warriors to fight on his behalf, his other monsters no longer present on the field. "Sounds to me like you are just as brainless as these two."

"In the greater scheme of things... it truly matters little. War has been made, and will not end without great loss to both sides." The Enchanter's art is really pulling it's weight tonight, as the speed boosts again help Daiyu stay out of harms way, simply by being faster and more agile than the shambling skeletons that are sent to accoust her. That he's only necromanced skeletons and his other monsters seem to have backed off does not go unnoticed. Nor does it stay her intent any. She dodges and weaves gracefully between the two monsters, to line herself up with Setsuna again.

"What will you say to the rain of ash
With nothing left in the blinding flash"

The author in her gets poetic for a moment, reciting as an encantation to summon a powerful blast of divine energy upon the necromancer.

    "So the only thing I need to do now is be faster then light. " Setsuna jokes at seeing the energy approaching him, of course he already has a head start as the energy pierces an illusion. Setsuna can be see though, the light temporarily blowing away his shadows and showing how fast he is moving to stay one step away from it all. It doesn't mean he isn't attacking though, the benefit of strong source of light is that where there is shadow it is a strong shadow and Setsuna seems to be ripping them from the ground and twisting it into another sharp wave of dark energy to send towards the fox. "Any time you are ready to roll over and die I insist for you to embrace that feeling."

Daiyu again calls upon the winds to bolster her movements, propeling herself swiftly into the fight. One hand snaps back over her shoulder to grip and redraw her sword. Even as she does so flames and frost alike sparkle along the blade... Wait, she can do that move with the sword as well? Oh crap...

That's exactly what she does, spinning in a manner that angles to the side of the wave of darkness, using the antipodial arcs of her technique to discharge the dark magic in the other direction. With the winds to both propel and help control her movement the fox continues to spin with the sword, advancing on Setsuna like a tornado as much in appearance as in force.

"You first."

    Setsuna is still moving light lightning, his hit and run tactics seem to be working but his arrogance and stubborness had caused him to play to much, the damage he as sustained is starting to really take it's toll. The fire and ice vortex hit him as it reveals another illusion and as the damn slashes come in he dodges all of them but the last one parrying it as it drives him back. He is breathing hard and sweating.

     Needing a moment Setsuna gathers up the bones of his fallen summoned creatures into a giant skeleton golem. "Go play with the fox, teach her the fox goes ow." Meanwhile Setsuna does his best to catch his breath.

    Setsuna watches at the golem is blown away and he wraps himself in the dark energy he recored from the monster to reinforce himself. Away he runs from the blade and the fire and ice. Keeping barely away from the blade as it continues to chase him. Then he tucks and rolls under another attack scooping up dirt as he goes. However this time he doesn't run away, no this is a different tactic he charges straight towards his opponent and when he gets close enough he throws the dirt, yep its a pocket sand viper attack.

Daiyu doesn't wait to see what is being thrown at her, the abrupt change in Setsuna's tactics is enough for her to duck and roll to the side reflexively, some of the flames she had been using sweeping out threatening in her wake. But the maneuver is more than evasive, as it also brings her back into close quarters with her opponent. In a position that she can come out of it with a quick but vicious upward swipe with the tip of her sword. Which leads into an equally vicious combo of darkness infused slashes.

"Masters sealing their fate as to leave us for dead; those that care but for power stain their palms with our red."

    Setsuna shakes his head as he feels that poisoned blade scratch him and the poison burns in his skin. It is enough to spur him on to keep him out of the range of the blade of attack but that poison it is eating at him. He goes so far to try to suck the poison out of the wound but can't reach which is probably an interesting sight to see. As the final blade comes up Setsuna panic reacts as he brings up a skeleton warrior into the way to catch the blade and sighs relief. "Well you are getting closer to being able to hit me. " Another skeleton warrior rises up behind Daiyu and tries for a sneak attack while they are chatting. Setsuna meanwhile looks at the forest and is having to debate things.

Daiyu sucks in a deep breath, her chest heaving with the action. As much as she can keep her composure up it is impossible to completely hide that the fight is starting to really drain her reserves. But there is still a gleam in her eye, the chessmaster still at work devising what moves to make next. Chances are taken, but only when they reward the odds. There is no reckless desperation in any action, just calculated risks.

Water ripples, combining with the flames she previously drew upon. The result is the splash of water left in her wake being scalding hot, enough to burn as she leaps away from the attempted ambush. "And your bravado fails to conceal how much you struggle." The sheen of ice crackles as it forms along her blade. "Have you spent so long amongst monsters you've forgotten how a -real- entity fights?" Then the jian in swung in a cutting motion, the ice fragmenting off to hurtle frigid shrapnel at her opponent.:sucks in a deep breath, her chest heaving with the action. As much as she can keep her composure up it is impossible to completely hide that the fight is starting to really drain her reserves. But there is still a gleam in her eye, the chessmaster still at work devising what moves to make next. Chances are taken, but only when they reward the odds. There is no reckless desperation in any action, just calculated risks.

Water ripples, combining with the flames she previously drew upon. The result is the splash of water left in her wake being scalding hot, enough to burn as she leaps away from the attempted ambush. "And your bravado fails to conceal how much you struggle." The sheen of ice crackles as it forms along her blade. "Have you spent so long amongst monsters you've forgotten how a -real- entity fights?" Then the jian in swung in a cutting motion, the ice fragmenting off to hurtle frigid shrapnel at her opponent.

Daiyu sucks in a deep breath, her chest heaving with the action. As much as she can keep her composure up it is impossible to completely hide that the fight is starting to really drain her reserves. But there is still a gleam in her eye, the chessmaster still at work devising what moves to make next. Chances are taken, but only when they reward the odds. There is no reckless desperation in any action, just calculated risks.

Water ripples, combining with the flames she previously drew upon. The result is the splash of water left in her wake being scalding hot, enough to burn as she leaps away from the attempted ambush. "And your bravado fails to conceal how much you struggle." The sheen of ice crackles as it forms along her blade. "Have you spent so long amongst monsters you've forgotten how a -real- entity fights?" Then the jian in swung in a cutting motion, the ice fragmenting off to hurtle frigid shrapnel at her opponent.

    Setsuna growls as Daiyu's words do more damage then the shards of ice she throws out. In fact for those he summons a shield of bones around him to protect him, causing most to bounce off as if it is rain. His bone shield protects him from the external, but the poison. He can't seem to stop the damage it is wrecking internally. Then the words as well as he looks at the tree line and growls. "I am gonna get myself a fox pelt one day damn it. " Setsuna burns whatever magic evasion skills that are off cool down he can and maks a break for it. The shadows being his friend will be the only way he can likely get away from Daiyu but he will one way or the other.

That and while successful in the fight the Hulijing is too wore down from the effort it took to give chase. Eyes narrow, watching him go... and its not until she's certain it's truly over that she draws the parasol from her back, sheaths the sword in it, and rests it upon her shoulder after opening the actual parasol. Utterly unneeded at night. But it's a clear flag for victory as Daiyu turns and marches back into Mac Anu proper.