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Emilia returns the curtsey with a bow; the Maiden Warriors carried themselves with more militant conduct, befitting their roles as soldiers and peacekeepers.

"You may stand, Lady Eleshyn. Among Maiden Warriors, there are only equals."

She notes Rhian's glare.

"My companions are worth as much respect. The Maiden Warriors are a sisterhood, after all; we could not weather the war without the help of others."

If she intends any insult, her tone hides it, being as smooth and airy as Emilia's voice normally is. She turns to her brother, a small smile on her face. She bows to him too; the complexities of the hierarchy between her and her brother due to the matriarchy of their homeland, Emilia's status and his status, this was probably the most neutral she could get.

"Brother mine, it is a pleasure to see you again. Please, excuse my companions; they are not as accustomed as I to noble functions. This is Rhian; I have taken her under my wing and begun training her in our ways. I would trust her with my life."

As only two people actually listened to the instructions I had upon reopening recruitment for the last time, Twinwolf and LyfeldLesk are in. Your levels will be rolled shortly.

"It is what it is."
Rosencrantz sighs, rubbing the back of his head.
"....yeah. Feeling like it really is the end of all that, huh? I mean, adventuring, and all."

Siren Team
And the first sign of a counterattack was a hooded Onibi being smote from above, a blade of light cleaving through them from head to toe. The Onibi's mask falls off, shattering, before the Onibi itself screeches and explodes into dark, smoky wisps, swept away in the waters of the Domain.

(Shiro's pride is overwhelming!)
(Shiro's arrogance is overwhelming...)
(Pyrrha's Deep Dive is active!)

Pyrrha initiates!
Hit Rate: 62, hit!
Critical: 10, crit!
Covetous Slasher G takes 36 damage!

Covetous Slasher G is defeated!

The Onibi set their focus on Pyrrha standing within the shadows of the kelp, registering them as a threat.

Andras Team
Reynart darts around, trying to keep within range of Kanade.

"Don't take too long. I'll keep him off your back."

Each pillar falls down with a single strike, thorns breaking through the ice and sending the debris clattering across the ice and sand below.

Reynart attacks the Pillar!
The Pillar is destroyed!

Reynart
Reynart attacks the Pillar!
The Pillar is destroyed!

I am dusting off the recruitment for this, and putting a hard cap on the recruitment on April 10th. If you want in, post again below.

"I would hope you don't mean to finish that sentence the way I think you will, Rork," Emilia replies with a raised eyebrow. "Rhian chose this as much as she chooses her normal attire. That said, that armor could use a good polish."

As the group approaches Jack the Ripper, they see the Ripper pick up one of the Onibi Siren created by the face, his too-long fingers and too-large hand covering the entire face of the creature. It begins convulsing, darkness wrapping around it from the Ripper's fingers, before he drops it back down. The Onibi turns around, no longer resembling a mercreature, but now clad in the same tattered, dark clothing Jack is, with a bone-white mask stuck in a rictus similar to Jack's.

"That's more like it."

Siren's Onibi, seeing this, attempt to dogpile Jack, leaping at him and throwing their bodies at him to slow his advance. In short order, all of them fall prey to the same power he used to corrupt the first Onibi, warping, twitching. Some of them attempt to peel off the darkness from their faces in vain, trying to stave off the influence of the foreign Majin.

Soon, one by one, all of those that approached Jack have become part of his army, and gaze back towards the gathered Kaijin. Jack tilts his head, looking at the amassed group.
"Get Fuu-chan for me. Let nobody stand in our way."

And like a pack of slavering, ravenous beasts, the Ripper's Onibi surge towards the Helper's Club. Some of them are on all fours, others hobbling and limping. Some continue to twitch, clawing at their masks imposed upon them, but to no avail. As Jack advances towards the group, black cracks begin to erupt within the sands, damp muddy cobblestones and broken statues emerging from the ground and imposing themselves upon Siren's Domain. The cracks ripple out towards Siren's position, but stop as suddenly as they arrive, almost as if the true owner of the Domain's influence was keeping them from progressing further.

"No. No. Nonononononono..."
Siren's sobbing intensifies. Riku looks around worriedly, already in Kaijin form  and clutching his tonbo as the massed army of Onibi approach.
"Kasuga, what do we do? Kasuga?!"
.....
Akihiko was silent, his fists clenched, trembling.

Mitsuru Kitakawa.

He was the worst. Someone so invasive, so lecherous, so disgusting. An affront to everything Akihiko stood for. He was here to evade justice, to visit upon someone weaker than him a fate undeserved. What foul plans he had for Yagami (or Futaba, she deserved to be able to sever her name from her past)...Akihiko couldn't abide it.

For weeks, he'd bottled it up. The anger at not being able to stop Saya from becoming a Kaijin, listening to that bastard Andras twist Otoya's earnest desire to save Kanna, watching people around him get targeted. There was whatever Mori was up to, but Akihiko didn't let that distract him.

But this was enough. Enough. The anger boiled in his blood. The desire to fight rose within him.

Your own two hands, Akihiko. You said it yourself. The justice you want to make with your own two hands. As long as you've got that undying thirst to fight, I will always be here.

A voice that was his and yet not his echoed in his head.

If you can't even save one girl from this creep, can you even seek justice for what that bastard did to Saya?

He swore he almost drew blood, glaring at Jack the Ripper. Was it vengeance? Justice? Bloodlust? Did it really matter?

Not in the here, not in the now, it didn't. He would tear the Ripper apart, limb from limb.
....
"...Tadano. Keep Futaba safe."
Akihiko advanced towards the mass of Onibi, cracking his knuckles.
"...Aki-kun?"
"I'm stopping Kitakawa."
With a flat voice, Akihiko - no, Ibaraki-Douji- set off to fight.

Riku turned to Siren, waving his arms at her to signal her.
"D-don't worry, Futaba! We'll protect you! We promise! Just help us help you!"
"..."

Siren appears to notice, but does not say a word in response. However, you sense that the remaining Onibi on her side - those that haven't yet been converted - seem friendlier to you.
"I've managed to detect the weaknesses of the Ripper's Onibi. I'm going to make sure Aki-kun doesn't get himself into trouble!"

---

Scathach and Andras' blades clash once again. She manages to shove him back again, as Onibi approach from the direction Nene was running to. Andras extends a hand and grabs one by the face before it can touch him. From the point of contact, shadows extend across its entire body as it convulses, before it is enshrouded in the same clothes as Andras, shadows where its face was once. He relinquishes his grasp, throwing it aside, as it glares at Mori.

With a grunt, Andras stomps the ground, pale ice expanding from the spot he created, pillars of ice casting massive, unnaturally dark shadows across the Domain. The Onibi caught in the ice undergo the same transformation as the one Andras grabbed. Kanade floats backwards, placing herself between Mori and Andras' Onibi.
"Majin can't create Onibi of their own, but they can corrupt the Onibi of other Domains to try to take them over," she explained. "The Onibi native to a Domain will respond to them like intruders, but a Majin's too powerful for them."

"The Black Princess of Calamity, and the Phantom of Hermelin's Opera. Feathers for the cap. If all goes well, everything I've done today will bring forth my chosen paradise a little faster."

Andras chuckles darkly as he brandishes a knife made of ice.

"I'll deal with Andras. You take care of his goons and give him nowhere to hide."
"Come then. Enjoy a taste of my world. Let me demonstrate the power of demons to those who reject being chosen."

---