Jin Rinhi's Story

Jin found himself awoken by a slight movement in the bed he'd rented just for the night. He woke with a start one arm on the hilt of one of his blades before he could force his eyes to open all the way and chase off the sleep. He relaxed when his gaze fell on two naked women, one with her arms wrapped around the other both sleeping fitfully, makeup smeared across their faces and hair mussed over slightly abnormal features. These girls where guests, he remembered now. Prostitutes he'd picked up at the corner outside of a nearby bar. He sat up pulling his legs off the side of the bed and rubbed his hands over his face as his head throbbed steadily in his scull and his eyes ached as his body worked itself through the toxins ingested the night before. Ever since the demons settled on earth new opportunities had cropped up for him. From his gradual transformation to the active war his skills had been needed in one way or another....but now. Most the fighting had stopped but for a few last ditch attempts to hold a city or town down in that godforsaken country. New drugs have appeared, magic enriched nectars and poisons, weapons....even the mist itself. He'd heard of gangs whose initiation began with a week long hike through the mist now a days and nearly everyone wanted someone dead. That was his specialty. For a warrior he'd found his code of honor had all but dissolved into nothing. Now he fought for pleasure and money, a mere mercenary in a city of sin.

Jin got to his feet and trudged over to his bag, resting on a broken chair. He tugged out a wad of bills and tossed them on the bed, causing the ladies to stir and stretch.

"Get out of here." He mumbled, grumpily. He then left the bedroom area and disappeared into the bathroom. Jin was a Salamander, a rare breed as well with green skin and scales as opposed to red or orange. He looked like a strange swamp variation of his brethren, however he still ran with the heat of his kin. Jin turned the water to a scalding heat and soon steam filled the bathroom enveloping him in a nearly boiling white cloud. A human would scream as their skin reddened and their body trembled but Jin simply stood there eyes closed as water fell onto his face and cascaded down his tall thin form. Once he was good and clean he grabbed one of the towels folded on the rack and wrapped it around his waist, grabbing another for the rest of his body. He emerged from the bathroom to face the now empty room, glad to be alone for the moment. He tossed aside the ugly old curtains from the window and peered outside at the overcast sky and the dreary streets. He could taste it on the air. Blood was going to be spilt today.

Jin's eyes narrowed as his dull, filthy yellow eyes scanned the street below. Nothing was going on today. Not in clear view anyways. He felt......something however, a strange tightness in his chest. He frowned and turned away from the window, casting aside his towel and reaching for his pants and toga. He got dressed and ready quickly and went about attaching his assortment of leather sheathes and holsters. Both SMGs where secured at his thighs thanks to a homemade set of holsters his bag held all the ammunition he would need for one big fight along with food and one or two changes of clothes. He didn't have any food in it at the moment however, that he'd stock up on when he was planning on leaving the city. His primary weapons, a twin pair of short swords with jagged tearing blades and a smooth deadly sharp tip they where on his back beneath his bag laying against his back. He left without much ceremony, slapping his money down at the inn's counter and disappearing outside.

Jin found himself wandering towards a bar nearby, not for the drinks or drugs or prostitutes but for information and perhaps a job. He arrived in the vicinity just in time to see a drunk laid flat by a cloaked stranger. He didn't think much of it. His thick scaled tale flexed and he turned to the bar. It was the second person whom caught his intrigue, the man with the porcelain face. There where alot of bizarre figures in that city. He adjusted one of his guns in it's holster, staring curiously at those glowing eyes then entered the bar, finding no other reason to linger out there.

By the time Jun had turned around, said Masked Man had vanished. There was no sound, the man had literally vanished into thin air. The people nearby seemed to not have even noticed his existence, as they were too busy watching the drunken man wallow in the mud before standing up once again and giving Jun a deathly look. He moved away slowly, muttering under his breath as he pulled out the needle and tossed it to the floor.

As the man rounded the corner, it started. A loud scream rang through the area, causing many people to look further down the street. A young girl sprinted around the corner, panting heavily. She shouted at the top of her lungs. "T-They're eating him! Demons! Demons got through the Gate!". Suddenly, a long, fleshy tendril wrapped itself around her throat and, kicking and screaming, she was dragged back the way she had come as several more screams filled the air.

---

The Barkeep sighed, shaking his head as he polished a glass and then filled it up with beer. He looked up as Jin entered, as did several others, but instead of snickering or being rude like the others, he raised an eyebrow. "Here for a drink or a girl, Salamander?". He was obviously no stranger to battle, and unknown to most bar patrons, he had a shotgun with him at all times. The name 'Shotgun Larry's Bar' fit well, it seemed.

Aaand he was gone. He was kind of expecting that to happen, especially when the guy was so mysterious and unknown. But it was strange that he didn't even notice the male leave, he was quick he'd give him that.
Jun watched as the drunken idiot finally pulled out the needle and throw it to the ground, he usually would take it back but not after it had been in that son of a bitch, he had plenty more and that toxin would stay in the guys body for quite a long time. Not that he cared.
The male watched as he saw a rather interesting person enter the bar casually. The green skin is what stood out the most and also the confidence he gave off as he walked past, he could just tell by looking at him that he had done quite a few things Jun would probably find disturbing. Distracted for a moment as he watched the guy enter the bar, he suddenly heard loud screams.
Alarmed by the sound, he rested his hands at his sides, ready to unsheathe his daggers if necessary.

Suddenly a girl came into clear sight and he became quite ready instantly for what was about to come, Demons again huh? What a pain in the ass. Jun's eyes widened as he saw a long tendril wrap around the girl's throat "look ou-!" But it was too late as she was dragged back from the way she came. Everyone was in a panic now and Demons had entered Stihlholme somehow, this was getting annoying, didn't anyone do their job right around here?
Jun moved at an unnatural speed compared to most Humans, because he was in fact not Human at all. Sure some characteristics of a man once Human were there but he most certainly no longer has the weaknesses of a Human or looked much like one. Swiftly he pulled out his daggers ready to take on the Demon's he'd find ahead.

Jin hesitated at the sound of the scream. His eyes narrowed and he turned to look back towards the door. A smile played at the edge of his lips. "Save a bottle of single malt for my victory old man. I'm going to slay a demon."

He left the bar and ran after Jun towards the source of the commotion. His long thick scaly tale writhed as he leapt, using a building's wall as a step off, onto an overhang. He glanced down at the strange man in the cloak and called out to him. "Unless you have history fighting with demons I suggest you leave this fight to me. You'll only get in the way or loose your life. These creatures don't fight like men and I'm warning you now I'm not in the business of going after lost causes."

Jin drew his short swords which where neither glorious in appearance nor attractive to the eye. The metal was dull gray but sharp and viciously jagged. They where clearly meant for one purpose and one purpose only. To take lives. The light scars and scratches along its length was clear enough evidence that they did just that, repeatedly and with no remorse. It's wielder, the salamander, was the same. He didn't hold many scars on his body that could be seen from there but his eyes told everything. Cold and wild with a slight but clear note of pleasure and excitement. There was a fire in there. He wasn't going to save the life of an innocent girl. He was going to slaughter a demon.

The clearing was carnage. At least twenty bodies, torn apart with blood and limbs and organs and pieces thrown everywhere in the entryway. Several small Imps skittered around the clearing, giggling to themselves and gnawing on the bones of the deceased. Blood coated the ground, and in the very middle of the path sat a massive fleshy ball, bloated with blood and guts it had eaten. Visible through portions of its semi-transparent membrane were people, still-struggling, as they were slowly digested alive and drowned at the same time. One of the blob's tentacles wrapped itself around a half-crushed corpse and yanked it open, pulling the lower half over to a massive hole in the ground and waving it, almost teasingly, above it.

Suddenly, bursting forth from that hole came a giant mouth, snatching the meat from the tentacle and retreating into the hole. A young girl, only around five years old was grabbed by the leg and pulled into the air above the hole, waiting to be eaten. The sounds of the monster chewing could be heard, but who knows when it would come up to eat again?

Seeing Jin and Jun approach, then Imps all turned and cackled, drawing their crude weaponry and laughing like small, gleeful children as they licked their lips and some of them charged.

---

Sitting atop the roof sat the Masked Figure from earlier, watching the scene with interest. "Let's see..."

(sorry, I became impatient. Posting now.)

Jin ran for the carnage leaping from overhang to overhang before jumping into the air above the imps. He spun like a top his blades flashing as he held them in guard across his body. His thick tail formed a spiral around his legs and seemed to be radiating a high amount of heat. The air rippled around him like a mirage atop asphalt in a desert and fine tendrils of steam and smoke wrapped around him like serpents.

He came down with a devastating sweeping strike, shifting his weight and unwinding his tail so that he landed primarily on his left leg. He cut down four imps at once slicing from shoulder to hip and knocking another flat on his face. He spun continuing his momentum, bringing his steaming hot tail around and sending a good dozen flying back towards the tentacles. "YYyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"

An enraged battlecry spewed from Jin's lips as he turned his attention to the demon itself and he charged, tearing through the last of the imps trampling right over them, his boots crushing their fragile bones. Spit flew from Jin's lips as he snarled and bellowed, slicing up through one tentacle spinning around to cut it again from right to left into neat slices. Blood flew everywhere and Jin quickly forgot he was fighting in the middle of Stihlholme. He forgot he was fighting in the middle of a street and forgot there was a girl that needed saving. His only thought was to destroy.

All good, sorry about the late reply guys. Also just realised I posted in Earth, no Stihlholme ;-; ]]

When Jun reached where it was all happening, he cringed with disgust in the vile beings. How dare they he thought. Disgusting things they were, he wanted to destroy them all. Until all of a sudden something went right by him, huh? What was that? It was fast. He then looked on as he watched the green male from earlier taking down the last of the imps and then showing quite a lot of power as he sliced into a tentacle. Holy shit that was random and unexpected, he didn't think there would be many like him in Stihlholme, willing to fight off things that others couldn't.

His attention immediately shifted to the young girl being held above the hole, awaiting her dooming to be eaten alive by that thing. This pissed him off, seeing so many innocent people around him, dead, all of them didn't stand a chance, defenseless and not even safe in this shit hole.

In the blink of an eye, multiple needles would have been shot in various parts of the tentacle creature, some were to paralyse, others carried extremely strong poison that would at least slow down the thing or hinder it enough. Quickly Jun ran towards the tentacle holding the poor child, it was the only thing his mind was set on as without a second thought, he leaped out, dagger ready, attempted to slice off the tendril whilst grabbing a firm hold of the child to finally land on the other side of the hole with her if all went successfully. Jun wasn't what he seemed, on the outside his body looked like that of a Human, but on the inside he was capable of moving at incredible speed that no human eye could keep track of and hand quite amazing endurance. However there were many others out there, mutated, and more powerful than himself, he wasn't the cocky type, just determined to save or help whoever he could, whenever he could.

The tentacle Jun had sliced fell to the ground, writhing and lashing out wildly at anything nearby. The girl, crying loudly, hugging Jun tightly and buried her face into his chest. Another tentacle fell to the ground, cut into ribbons by the Salamander and laying still as the Demon in the center let out a roar and the tentacles flew out once again. Several went for Jin, sharp tips intent on running the Salamander through, although for a warrior like him they'd be a little threat. The real problem was the digestive juices said tentacles were coated in; a mixture that would melt through armour and flesh alike, deadly to any being. Luckily, Jin wouldn't have much trouble with these since the demon was only a weak one.

Several also went for Jun, coated in acid and covered in vicious barbs and hooks designed for catching prey and never letting go. They launched at the half-demon like whips, aiming to grip into his skin and drag him, and his rescued girl, to be devoured.

Beneath the ground came a terrible roar, as the head of the Demon demanded satisfaction from the rest.

---

The Masked Figure watched still, unmoving as the creature and its attackers fought.
"A Coniungo? Hah".

Jin had only time to flash his mad, blood starved grin before the tentacles came down on him. He had no trouble cutting them down as he split one after another in every which direction, dancing and leaping out of reach being careful not to touch the acid. Jin's attacks where often unpredictable as he switched tactics, stances, and even had bouts of outright primitive hack and slash techniques when he had one in his grasp. Flames flickered on and off along the length of his tail, sparking to life in one moment and fizzling to a smoky trail in the next. Each strike brought him closer to the throbbing sack of digestive fluids and viscera and the hole that the mouth was in. Jin fought until all the tentacles aimed toward him where either severed or mutilated beyond use.

"Let's see what happens when we cut your stomach wide open, beast." Jin snarled. He dragged his blade through the sack's membrane, allowing the vile smelling viscera to spill onto the walk. Half digested torsos tails and limbs both identifiable and not spilled forth in the frothy bloody goo. The mere sight of it only made Jin more eager to fight and destroy the beast and he approached the hole itself.

"DON'T MAKE ME DIVE IN THERE AND YANK YOU OUT WITH MY BARE FISTS AS YOU KNOW WELL THAT I WILL! YOUR LIFE IS MINE!" He bellowed down at the beast. An outright challenge for it to "get back up".

Once Jun had successfully saved the poor girl, he quickly rushed out of the scene, holding the girls face against his chest as he carried her to safety, he also didn't want her to see any more gruesome events including the bloodthirsty green skinned man slicing the Demon to bits. Once he placed her down, where many distant onlookers were, he felt something odd on his back. What was that? Felt like, he was burning. Oh. Oops. A single drop of the Demon's acid and it had already burned through his light armored shirt. He had no choice but to take it off now, and he did just that, emptying it out of any valuables and weapons before then placing them all in his bag and a few in his pockets. He did however leave the girl with a small, simply bladed weapon, a short dagger of sorts, light enough for her to carry but strong enough for her to protect herself a little. Jun then placed his hooded shirt/jacket of sorts over the girls shoulders and the hood naturally fell onto her head. He ruffled her hair before leaving with "be careful."

Unfortunately though, everyone could now see his oddly coloured, light violet skin. He wore another dark, light armored, long sleeved shirt underneath so his arms weren't shown but his face was. A lot of people were giving him odd looks, stupid Humans, as if they hadn't seen someone like him before. Perhaps they weren't expecting him to be like the way he was. It didn't matter though as he quickly rushed back to the green skinned male, as he seemed to be taunting the Demon that had made its feeding ground deep in that damn hole. Wait why was he taunting it? Was he crazy? Although it was the easiest way to kill it, make it come out and show itself, that would be much easier than actually going down into that hole and dying. So he did not question him. He simply stood roughly a few meters behind the man, daggers ready in his hands. Waiting. This guy seemed hungry for a fight, and he just hoped he was ready for what that hole might give him. A lot of people got too cocky and confident which resulted in their doom. Jun felt the need to make sure that didn't happen.
He was going to ask what the plan was but he was pretty sure he'd get something like 'destroy it' as an answer. So he remained silent, looking around from time to time to make sure no other civilians were in the way. This was certainly a disgusting sight, but it was something Jun was used to.

A deep rumbling came from below the ground, loud and angry before the ground of under the two men cracked and groaned as several more tentacles burst suddenly from the surface, writhing and reaching outwards and upwards as if stretching. The rumbling roar grew louder as the ground cracked and, from that hole came the head once again. It opened wide, revealing a huge maw full of gigantic razor-like teeth dripping with that same acid. No eyes or ears were visible, but it could see those who stood before it. Rearing back, it spat at Jin. A thick glob of vicious purple stuff that would burn right through the skin and melt the bone if it hit. Tendrils lashed violently, pulsating a deep red and purple as they swung to and fro at Jun, some grabbing the half-dissolved bodies and tossing them into the mouth of the creature as it roared at Jin yet again, acid pouring from its jaws like drool. It was ready to fight, but were they?

---

"Huh... If I didn't have business to attend to, I'd stay for longer". The Masked Man stood up, turning around and dropping down from the roof to vanish into the crowd that had gathered to watch the fight.

---

The door to the Avant-Garde Flower Shop opened as a man stepped in, looking around with a small smile. Stepping further inside, he took a deep breath and sighed contentedly. "Ah, the smell of flowers is awfully calming, is it not?". Moving throughout the shop rather casually, it was odd for Edan to be in such a peaceful place, and he absolutely loved it. Hearing the roaring was getting on his nerves, but he couldn't intervene even if he wanted to.

And honestly, he really did.

'Pacifism is the only way to redeem myself, but... Sometimes, I think it's a stupid idea'. Internal conflict was something Edan was no stranger to, but lately his ability to trust in his decision to become a pacifist had been wavering. 'Was it really the best thing? Of course. if you let go, he might come out again and you know what'll happen then!'. Edan shook his head, silencing the voice in the back of his mind and continuing to look through the Flower Shop.

---

Meanwhile, the girl Jun had saved watched as the beast emerged from the ground. She bit her lip, looking at the purple man as he stood beside the green man who stood in front of the giant green thing. He told her to be careful.

She looked at him again, and blinked.

"Please don't die..."

Jin, slightly taken aback by the tremors he took several hurried steps back from the hole just as the head came bursting forth, nearly tripping over the filth in the streets. Tentacles burst forth around him and the mild shock on his expression turned to a grin. Now was the real fight. "There you are....A beast should die in a real fight not hiding in the ground like a worm. Your death will be a spectacular one."

Jin was suddenly distracted by the small girl that stood next to him. Almost simultaneously the beast spit. Jin grabbed the child with one arm and leapt out of the way, tumbling but protecting her with his body and managing somehow to land upright, skidding and landing on his arse. "Goddammit you... small beast child! Do you WISH to be eaten or destroyed?! Get out of here!"

He set her on her feet and pointed down a street clear of damage and bile. He'd dropped one of his swords in the tumble and it lay several feet closer to the beast. He turned his back to the child and hurried back to claim his sword, his thick green tail lashing in annoyance. He needed a way to counter act the acid if he was ever going to defeat this beast effectively. Hacking at it in random places wasn't going to get him anywhere and it seemed the tentacles had a habit of replacing themselves. He glared up at the beast his stance defensive for the moment. Any tentacles that came at him faced his blades.

Jun was impressed and pleased to see the green skinned male save the little girl from earlier. But the situation had seemed to change quite a lot. Things were much more intense now and he had to be even more careful than ever.
As the ground trembled and the beast finally showed itself, Jun too took quite a few steps back as he studied the quite large Demon in disgust. "Scum." He simply said out loud, directed at the Demon. This vile creature really pissed him off just to look at it.

Jun turned to where the ground had gathered and started making hand movements to shoo them away "get back! Evacuate the area unless you want to be eaten!" He had no idea why people were still watching, they were pretty stupid, hadn't their natural instincts to survive kick in yet? Didn't matter as they were now finally clearing out of the way in a hurried panic, like they had just realised there was the possibility that they could die.

Just as he was about to prepare himself, he noticed the green skinned male's sword was dauntingly close to the creature, that might be a problem, especially with all that acid being shot out more frequently and in larger proportions. That acid was extremely deadly and although he had healthy properties in him, getting hit by that stuff would simply be too lethal even for him. It would burn right through.

A few tentacles were shot his way and his attention immediately returned to the beast before him. He swiftly dodged what ever tentacles he could and firmly sliced the others out of his way with much strength. One tentacle however caught him on his blind spot and just as it was a few centimetres away, he jammed three needles in at once, them jumped back. It was a quick defensive attack so he was unsure which needles were completely toxic and which were only for paralysis. It didn't matter, he was safe and that was close. But he felt like he wasn't getting anywhere, just continuously slicing tentacle after tentacle.

Jun turned to the green skinned male and yelled out to him, shifting between dodging the attacks and avoiding the acid, multitasking was pretty hard when your life was at stake. "Hey! Do you need any help?!" He yelled, referring to the male who wished to retrieve his sword. Although he did not look like the type to want to accept any help at all in any situation, it was worth a shot. If only there was a way to distract this thing. Dodging acid and tentacles couldn't go on forever. He didn't even know if this thing was immune to poisons or paralysis or not, for all he knew throwing his needles at it could be a waste of time and needles. This was frustrating.

Jin looked over at Jun who, honestly seemed like he had his hands full dodging tentacles. Yet he still asked if he needed help. Jin had no idea what to think of the guy. His selfless attitude was more than a little annoying and frankly he was surprised to see Jun could actually handle himself when not racing to save someone. Jin had no desire to accept Jun's help. He knew he could handle the beast on his own without trouble but the guy seemed like he was in on the fight whether Jin wanted him there or not. His desire to save the innocents would force him to stay in the fight. He might as well make use of him, right?

"We need to cut off the head...and I have an idea, will you work with me?"

Jin moved forward in order to retrieve his sword, using the one he had to guard against attacking tentacles as he did so. He made quick work of the retrieval wasting no time to snatch it up.

(I'm going to do a quick post purely because it's something my character would do. Short one, mostly dialogue)

Jin blinked, his sword arms falling to his sides as he looked up at the new beast.....that had just claimed his kill.

"HEY! YOU CAN'T DO THAT YOU........FUCK! THAT WAS MY KILL!" Jin could care less about the child cowering behind him, could care less about the sheer power this new demon seemed to emit. It had taken his kill. His gaze became dark and he spoke again in a low threatning tone. "You're going to pay be back with your own hide, beast."

A young woman with white hair leaped through the mist, landing in a crouch with a large, broken sword in her hand. She surveyed her surroundings with her green eyes, noting a few odd looking places for her own purposes. That demon was nowhere to be found. She stood up and took a small whiff, then her face twisted into a snarl.

"Dammit... fucking demon." she looked at the gates. That thing she had been hunting was inside there! Civilized population. She hissed like an angered cat. This was going to be a difficult one but NO ONE was going to take her prize. She needed that demon. It was hers in the first place. Stupid thing took off when she had it. That thing knew the moment she sliced off several of it's tentacles and devoured them that it didn't want to mess with her. Demons fear her and with good reason. In their tongue, she was 'The Devourer'. She was the hunter and they were her prey.

The woman twirled the shattered greatsword with ease, despite it's size even after being shattered. The demon blood that coated the greatsword splattered against the ground around her as she twirled the greatsword before she settled it on her shoulder. She jumped with great ease and landed light on her feet on a house, looking for her prize.

She saw it... and then it was gone.

"OH NO YOU DID NOT!" she cried out, grasping her greatsword with both hands, charging it with pale, green energy. She jumped down and slammed the sword down as if it was an anvil and her sword was the hammer. The energy radiated around her, causing cracks to form where her greatsword smashed against. She stood up and walked towards the beast.

"HEY! YOU CAN'T DO THAT YOU........FUCK! THAT WAS MY KILL!"

"That was MINE!" she snarled at the large canine beast before her who had destroyed the demon she was after, she then eyed the other, "Don't try anything."

She pointed her shattered greatsword at the creature. "Now... what are you? Demon? Demon-taint?"

"I sure hope it's the latter, because you're going to replace what you just killed."

As the three stood off, none of them seemed to notice the remaining parts of the Coniungo slide away, vanishing under the ground. Moments passed as the trio glared at one another, before a part of the clearing cracked. Crack. Crunch. The ground itself burst into the air as something leaped from the hole and landed on the top of a building nearby. Larger than the Kitsune, the changed Coniungo let out a roar and almost immediately began to spew out more purple acid. Rearing its head, it launched massive globs of the stuff into the air like a mortar, aiming not for the opponents but the area they were in. The massive globs of goo hit the ground and splattered everywhere, eroding the very surface Jin, Jun Maeve and the Kitsune were standing on. Howling again as its body became more canine-like, the Coniungo flexed its claws, waiting for an attack.

The Monster growled, and it spoke.

"Feast".

Jin, still irritated at the rude interruption watched the goings on, swords sheathed and arms crossed. That is until the walk seemed to erupt, spitting out the giant beast that had once been the acid spitting demon. A smile snapped back to Jin's face. "You're mine now, beast! I'm going to sell your scull to be ground into hell powder!"

Jin reached over his shoulder into his pack and pulled out an ornate looking bottle of whiskey. He opened it and took a deep swig then spilled the alcoholic beverage over the blades of his sword. He lashed his tail fires igniting up his body. Both blades of his swords became a blaze and he twirled them through the air. Heat and toxic yellow flames whooshed and danced making his skin seem darker, almost a hellish black. Jin charged for the Coniungo, one blade guarding his front while the other trailed in a loose but solid grip in his left hand. He leapt up flipping head over heels. He turned momentarily into a burning comet before a flaming blade came forth at lightning speed at a downward angle in an attempt to sever the beast's left arm.

(This fight was co-written by RoyalBurden who played Jin, obviously =3
Yeah, this Coniungo is very different from the others, as you'll see later on~)

Jin's now-flaming blade found purchase in the beasts left arm alright, but the scales suddenly gave in and Jin would feel his blade slide straight through without any effort. On closer inspection, however, the Coniungo leaped away, leaving only a small charred pieces of still-writhing worms near Jin. Speaking again, the Coniungo turned from its new perch atop the bar and fired a few more rounds of purple acid. "You use fire, but wrong way". Jin smirked, spinning his swords casually as he watched the beasts movements closely, dodging the cascading globs of acid with no effort. "At least I've made way of marking your skin, you haven't even touched me yet". Jin coughed, gagged and agitated his stomach, biting his tongue as streams of smoke and the foul smell of bile and cooked blood trickled from his lips. "Come and fight beast if you have the stones to do so. Face me square and ready". Leaping faster than any animal of its size should be able to, the Coniungo landed millimeters from where Jin stood and spun, its spiked tail crashing into his chest painfully and sending him flying into a nearby street. Jin did not expect the spiked tail. In pure reflex he attempted a block but the tail did manage to slash his chest and send him tumbling back. Jin didn't miss a step however and used the momentum to get to his feet at once, launching forward with several quick slashes with both flaming swords. Upward slash from the lower right for his throat or chin followed quickly by a swipe from the upward angle aimed for the beast's shoulder. He promptly spat in the beast's face if it hadn't dodged out by now hoping to blind him with the blood and burning bile he'd been cooking in his hot throat.

The beast took the blows, worms falling to the ground as Jin cut at it. However, the beast opened its mouth again and, with a great rushing sound like that of a gust of wind, the entire body of the beast flew at Jin in a haze of spear-like worms. Catching the Salamander, the entity crashed into the acid-stained street and vanished momentarily. "Haaaaaugh!". Jin again was caught off guard, not expecting the beast to charge after his hits. The bile seemed to have no effect as well. Jin flinched, raising his swords against the spear-like worms, cutting a good handful away from his chest and face. Several pierced his shoulders and sides, cutting through his soft flesh with ease. Moments later Jin was on the ground. He looked around, thoroughly pissed with how that ended up. He growled, annoyed, and yanked on a spear pulling it from his upper leg. "Coward! Come and try to finish me off you vile beast! I'll have your head!!!".

That's when a heavy claw slammed into Jins back, pinning him to the ground as sharp, needle-like claws stabbed into the Salamander. Hot breath could be felt on his back and neck as the Coniungo leaned down...
And chuckled, before pulling its claw away and moving around Jin, laughing.

Jin coughed and grimaced as the claws delved into his back freeing blood to surface and dribble over his skin. Jin burst into tall wild flames his entire body engulfed and leaped at the demon, leaving his swords behind to wrestle the beast with his bare hands. He yanked the beast's tail holding it tight under his arms, wrapped securely around the beast's neck as the flames raged against its skin. With a heaving sigh, the creature melted within Jins arms, thousands of worms slithering right out of his grasp and once again reforming nearby as the Coniungo, again chuckling darkly, let its tongue drop out of its slowly reforming body. "You say have toughs and strength, yet are outcast of own people. We see. We know that". Rearing up on its hind legs, the Coniungo roared once again before pointing its left arm at Jin and firing more spear-like worms at him. Jin managed to dodge its spears and drew one of his SMGs. He sprayed an array of bullets at the beast as he walked around towards his dropped swords. "Outcast?!" Jin laughed. "What strength could be gained lingering with the weak and pitiful! I am a slayer of man and devil!" He re-lit one of his blades and threw it with as much strength as he could muster, aiming for the beast's forehead, right between the eyes.

The Creature's face moved, almost as if it were smiling.
It caught the blade with its claw, eyes glowing brightly as it spoke again.
"Yet cannot kill me, despite efforts. Some slayer of man and devil you be".

At that, Jin hesitated. And for that second he doubted his own strength and fear froze his mind. Fear turned to fury in a wave that was completely visibly in his eyes and posture as he clenched his fist and furrowed his brow. "I WILL kill you demon! I will flay your skin and mount your scull and DRINK your very blood!" He bellowed almost maniacally. He was but a pillar of toxic yellow, slightly green tinted flames his body but a silhouette in the blazing light. "YOU ARE DEAD!". Jin then charged, his aim to strike the demon dead then and there. This strike would sever his head. The Demon waited. It waited and waited for Jin to get closer. And when he did, when he got close enough that he couldn't back out, he would notice the beasts mouth was open.

And a spray of purple acid hit the flaming Salamander dead on.

Jin reeled back as the acid hit him square in the chest and face. He cried out with the scream of a dying man bringing chills to the spines of all who heard and the heart dropping feeling that someone was dying right then and there. Jin tore at his chest, the foul smell of acid and destroyed flesh flowing through the air like a toxic cloud. Jin screamed and screamed and screamed until his vocal cords wore and his screams became whimpers as he lay half curled up on the ground. The Coniungo nodded. "Will survive. Learn. Was kind this time. Will meet again". With that and a look over its shoulder at Maeve and Jun, it charged at the side of Stihlholme's defensive wall, leaping clear of it and vanishing into the wasteland outside of the town.

---

Having vanished suddenly like that, the threat to Stihlholme was apparently finished, and Maeve was cheated of her prize. Pushing through the crowd, the young girl Jin and Jun had saved earlier stumbled into the clearing, carrying a bucket that was full of, quite oddly, milk. Staggering slightly, she slowly made her way over to the wounded Salamander before dropping the bucket and panting lightly. Her eyes shone as she poked his shoulder softly. "Milk heals the wounds. I brought you some, Mister Green". Her eyes were wide, but she didn't seem scared of Jin at all. She lifted her head, and looked over at Jun. "Hey, Mister Purple! Can you help me get Mister Green to a better place?". Her eyes went over to Maeve, and her jaw dropped. In the eyes of the girl, she was amazing as well. "M-Miss, can you help as well? I can't lift him...".

---

Edan, when Anna looked to the window, sighed. "I'm the usual, Anna. How're you?". Edan turned back to the Girl, smiling. The screams had stopped a while ago, and he could almost feel the battle that was taking place as he spoke to the girl. At the mention of her being lonely, though, he gave her a simple pet on the shoulder. "I always happen to pop up when people get lonely. It's a magic trick of mine~". He grinned goofily, scratching the back of his head. "I heard about those Demons out the front. Nobody got hurt or anything, right? Do they know who killed them?". If Anna had looked closely, she might've been able to catch the momentary darkening of her conversational partners features, but only for the barest of moments. "I'm glad you're alright. How's the Sis?".

(I'm torn between Edan using Red or Gold text for when he speaks T-T)