anotherguttersnipe
Ryonani Teamster
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2011
Outside Koshi Castle......
With the forces of men now aligned to prevent the ressurrection of Orochi, a mighty army formed by elements of She, Wei, and the clans of Oda and Tokugawa march forth to Koshi castle whilst the rest of humanity defend their domains from Orochi's demons. Enroute to Koshi castle, the army encounters an obstacle. It is an army, not of demons, but of mystics sent from their realm with their own agenda.
Its leader, is none other than Susano'o no Mikoto. The deity of legend who once slayed Orochi singlehandedly.
despite being at a numerical dissadvantage, the mystics rush the human alliance with the strength of an army ten times its size. However, with the likes of Tadakatsu Honda and Xiahou Dun at the forefront, and the strategies of Zhuge Liang at their disposal, the human alliance holds a cautious advantage, knowing that Susano'o himself hasn't taken to the frontlines. In order to prevent this, Ryu Hayabusa, the legendary super ninja of the future, moves away from the main battle to engage Susano'o in single combat. His allies Rachael, Ayane, and Momoji rush down the forest path he took to join the battle.
...
"Momoji, keep up!" Ayane called out.
Momoji stayed a few paces behind Rachael and Ayane, silently containing her growing doubts. Ever since arriving in this strange world, they had won themselves many victories alone, together with Ryu, and alongside the greatest heroes of China's and Japan's history. They had overcome much to have gotten this far, of that there was no doubt. But to take on Susano'o himself, was another matter entirely. As the shrine maiden of the Hayabusa village, Momoji was well-versed in Shinto mythology. She knew better than anyone that Susano'o would be the human alliance's greatest hurdle-perhaps even moreso than Orochi's newest reincarnation could be. On the otherhand, Ryu Hayabusa had proven his strength time and again against hellish deities intent on pillaging mankind. If anyone could defeat Susano'o, it was Ryu. She had to believe it. Or else...........
"Don't worry so much, Momoji." Rachael called back to her. "Knowing our Ryu, he'll have already raced off to Koshi Castle before we even leave this forest."
"I hope not." Ayane replied. "I want him to see how strong I've become!"
"You guys are probably right." Momoji smiled half-heartedly.
All that confidence. Are they even aware of what we could be facing?
Momoji's thoughts were suddenly cut off from the heavy clashing of steel and the distinct crackling of lightning off in the distance. They would soon be approaching Susano'o's command post, and the conclusion of his battle with Ryu.
"Guess you'll be getting your chance, Ayane." Rachael grinned, as the three of them approached the forest clearing.
What they saw immediately diminished Ayane and Rachael's high spirits.
The forest clearing stopped at a cliff overlooking Susano'o's command post-a giant eightsided pagoda raised high above the ground, with pillars fashioned like stormclouds at each corner. The platform was accessable by a large pathway lined with pillars that lead down to the plains, and the main battle below. The floor consisted of black marble, which had been wracked with small craters from the battle that took place. From girls vantage point, they could see a depression of the legendary deity's battle with an eight-headed serpent that decorated the floor. But what shocked was the scene unfolding before them within the pagoda.
They had arrived just intime to see the final blow. Ryu and Susano'o stood back to back. Standing several feet above Ryu, the white haired, azurite skinned god held the Murakumo firmly in his right hand. The dragon sword trembled in Ryu's hands as unearthly lightning snaked over his body, which now featured a large gash over his chest. Ryu coughed up a cloud of blood, but before he could fall onto his knees, Susano'o spun around, swiping the Murakumo across Ryu's neck, causing the headless body to collapse like a ragdoll. The super ninja, was no more.
"Ryu!" Ayane gasped.
"Oh no......" Rachael added.
Shock had robbed Momoji of words as she watched Susano'o silently regard Ryu's corpse with admiration, before turning away to gaze at the moon which cast an eerie blue glow over the scene. In her heart, she imagined that nothing could overcome him. The Vigoor Emperor, Arch-Fiend Gogohn, and many others could attest to that. And yet there he lay. The doubts in her mind had convinced Momoji of the result of this battle, and right now, her mind was telling her to take Ayane and Rachael, and run. Her heart however, wanted vengeance. Without Ryu, her life meant nothing, and if she was fated to die here, or anywhere, she swore that it would be either defending, or avenging Ryu. She glanced at both Rachael and Ayane. Their watery eyes reveiled feelings of sadness and anger. Momoji knew they both felt the same way. She slowly stepped ahead of the other two. Her eyes watching Ryu's killer, who seemed to be in silent contemplation.
"If we fight Susano'o, we will die." Momoji bluntly stated.
"Ryu would've done the same for us." Rachael replied. "If only we were alittle quicker, then maybe......"
"We failed him." Ayane added. "I don't know how you guys feel, but this will be my penance. Sorry Hayate. Looks like neither of us will be coming back to you."
With a shared not towards each other, the three of them lept off of the cliff, their superhuman abilities easily allowing them to reach the pagoda. Each of them landed gracefully around Ryu's body, and a fair disance away from Susano'o.
"I will warn you once. And only once." He spoke, as he kept his back turned to them. "Leave this place. Return to your leaders, and warn them to stay out of my way."
"You really think we're just gonna turn and run without leaving our comrade's death unanswered?!" Rachael roared, unslinging her warhammer.
"On your own you could probably outmatch us! But together, we will destroy you!" Ayane added to the show of bravado, as she unsheathed her daggers.
"What foolishness. But then, I have grown to expect it from your kind." Susano'o replied, as he finally turned to regard his new assailants.
A wash of dread fell over Momoji the moment he cast his gaze over her. Against the backdrop of the moon, Susano'o was a fear inspiring silhouette. His irises, glowing bright red gave a hint at the godly power he posessed. The stories and legends that Momoji heard and told of him. None of it did the being that stood before her justice. Susano'o held the Murakumo out infront of him, and ran his fingers across the face of the blade, temporarily setting it alight with an unearthly jaded flame.
"Come then. Face the might of Susano'o, and see just how wrong you are!"
"For Ryu!" Momoji shouted, readying her naginata against both her fears, and the object that projected them.
Without a solid plan, and their hearts and minds clouded with vengeance, the three of them blindly charged towards the Lord of Storms. Susano'o however, calmly strode forth to meet them. With very little effort, he swung his blade outwards, sending a gust of wind powerful enough to knock all three of his assailants off their feet. Before they could regain their bearings, Susano'o had closed the distance, and was bearing down on Rachael. On one knee, she moved her warhammer to intercept the Murakumo. As the two weapons clashed, arcs of lightning travelled through Rachael's warhammer, and through to her body. Her nerves lit up with searing pain as she struggled to hold her ground against Susano'o's attack. Suddenly, Ayane lashed out at his left, slicing a dagger at his neck-only to come to an abrupt halt against his left forearm. Susano'o then slid the Murakumo across rachael's warhammer to cut at Ayane's side. With no time to jump out of the way, she moved her right dagger to slow Murakumo's momentum. The impact sparred her a fatal blow, but couldn't stop Murakumo biting into her right side. She gasped out in pain as she reeled back, and to add to her pain, Susano'o swung his left foot, landing flush with her jaw. The unnatural winds that followed his foot were enough to send her corkscrewing some distance away from the skirmish, landing with a sickening crash. Rachael had barely gotten to her feet before her face met with Susano'o's heel, sending her hurtling back in a similar fashion.
Momoji, having been thrown further back from the initial blast, now continued the engagement. She ran at Susano'o, her Naginata prepared to be plunged into his heart. But as she thrusted it forward, Susano'o swung his sword to intercept, and swatted it out of her hands. Before Momoji could react, her throat was grasped by a large hand. Quickly being robbed of oxygen, Momoji gagged as Susano'o lifted her high into the air, only to slam her down to the ground hard enough to leave yet another scar within the marble floor. The return of air into her lungs brought out a cry of agony, as hard contact caused her back to throbing with unimaginable pain. Which would pale in comparison to what came next.
"METSU!"
Susano'o stamped his foot down on Momoji's stomach. Several ribs cracked upon the impact, and her insides felt as though they had been insta-puree'd. He stamped down hard enough to widen the crater Momoji lay in. With a single cough of blood, Momoji instinctively curled into a ball, but her cracked ribs brought about pain from even this.
Seeing Momoji seemingly incapacitated, Rachael returned to her feet. Fighting off the double vision brought on by Susano'o's heel, she unslung her .50 cal, holding at her left hip.
"Try this!"
The .50 cal sung out its chorus of death at susano'o. Despite firing with one hand from the hip, her accuracy made it seem like she was using the iron-sights. Her eyes widened when she saw Susano'o point the Murakumo at her. From the base of his hand, sharp objects that resembled heavy raindrops shot out to meet her machine gun's volley with an impenetrable shield of horizontal rain. To make matters worse, the raindrops, with their larger arc of fire, began to reach Rachael herself. Against her skin, they left light, but painful cuts across her thighs and arms, and occasionally leaving a tear in her boots and leotard. To her left, she noticed Ayane charging once more at Susano'o. As she closed the distance, the lavender haired Kunoichi multiplied into 3 of herself. Gritting her teeth, Rachael squeezed on the trigger tighter, resolving to endure Susano'o's barrage long enough for Ayane to reach him. Her accuracy began to falter as more raindrops sliced at her alastor skin, when suddenly one penetrated her shoulder, causing her to flinch heavily. Surprised to find herself not riddled with deadly raindrops, she looked on in horror as Susano'o turned his attantion to Ayane.
"ZAN!"
He sliced across at Ayane and her clones, leaving a streak of black where he'd swung. As the three figures fell backwards, the two left and right Ayanes literally shattered like glass. From the real one however, a geyser of blood erupted from her abdomen. There wasn't even a yelp of pain, as the blow had seemingly killed her intantly. The force of the blow was enough to send of over the rails of the pagoda. If by some miracle she did survive that attack, the plunge to the bottom would surely remedy that.
"AYANE! NO!!!"
Gripping her warhammer tightly, Rachael charged once more at Susano'o. Sneering violently, her eyes began to glow pink, as the madness that once consumed her sister threatened to take her down the same path. She leapt at him at the last few paces, her warhammer held above her, ready to crush the demigod in the name of vengeance.
"DIE-ACK?!"
Both her cry, and her rage was cut short with a debilitating left fist into her gut mid swing. The impact caused her to lose the grip on her warhammer, as she instinctively wrapped her arms around her abdomen. Before her warhammer could clatter on the ground, Susano'o caught the grip with his left hand. Rachael's eyes widened in fear as Susano'o swung her own weapon at her. With only one hand, he swung with the same strength as she could with two. Her warhammer made a sickening impact with the rest of her body, breaking just about every bone within it. Despite every physical feeling in her body being replaced by pure pain, her last coherent thought was in the irony of being killed with her own weapon before hard contact with a pillar ended that thought, along with her life.
Momoji could only wince as she watched Rachael's body collide against the pillar with a sickening impact. Momoji was in a bad way herself. Her cracked ribs made even the simple act of drawing breath difficult. Her Naginata had been discarded somewhere to her right, but in her current state, it would do her little good. And healing herself required minutes she didn't have, although even at full strength, she was sure the outcome wouldn't be much different. She had one other option.
Her bow. She could summon every ounce on energy into one last shot. If nothing else, it would be her final act of defiance. With her weary mind made up, she drew her bow, notched an arrow, and took aim. In response, Susano'o stopped, as he tossed Rachael's warhammer to one side.
"Your allies are broken. And you are near death. Stand down, shrine maiden. And you may yet live through this." The demigod offered.
His words fell on deaf ears. With her eyes closed, she uttered holy words and syllables, as the arrow began to glow with a golden light. As she uttered more and more words, more of her energy channeled into her arrow. Sweat began to pour from her brow, as her strength left her body.
"So be it then!"
Her arrow now hummed lightly, illuminating the pagoda against the light cast by the moon. When Momoji heard Susano'o step forward, she released the arrow. Its divine power intended to show the Lord of Storms humanity's strength. It had contained every ounce of power Momoji could possibly squeeze out of herself. And yet Susano'o simply swatted it out the way as if it were a mere rock. The deflected arrow hurtled off to parts unknown. Its golden energy dissappearing into the night sky. Momoji could only watch helplessly as Susano'o held the Murakumo above him two hand. Its steel now bathed in bright blue flames. With a mighty roar, he swung down, sending a giant wave of blue energy bound for Momoji. The marble floor began to rip up beneath the projectile, as the Shrine maiden of the Hayabusa village prepared for the inevitable.
The sound of the impact was loud enough to burst the eardrums of ordinary men, and the light produced at point blank range blinded Momoji's eyes. But it did little to distract from the burning sensation that cut deep into her body. She let out a blood curdling cry, as every sense in her body was over taken with searing agony. She was unsure whether she was still on her feet-or even intact for that matter. The moment lasted a few seconds, but to Momoji, it might have been an eternity. When the ordeal was over, she found herself to be barely conscious, but not much else. She ended up sprawled on her stomach, hiding a large, deep cut across the entirety of her body. She felt a cold, liquid sensation beneath her, and even in her semi-conscious state, she recognised it as blood. Her blood, and lots of it. The attack had left her mortally wounded.
With her life fading from her rapidly, all she could do was contemplate her actions. Ryu himself seemingly stood little chance against the Lord of Storms, and by all reasoning, her, Ayane, and Rachael all together stood even less of a chance. Yet honour and vengeance overtook reasoning for the three women, so they challenged Susano'o for the sake of both. Though they fought valiantly, he made short work of all three of them. Yet despite this, Momoji felt a strange sense of contentment. Up to this point, she had lived and fought well. And her end would be a warrior's death at the hands of a pure being. In her last moments, she began to contemplate if there really was someone within the human alliance strong enough to fight him, or if despite all their best efforts, Susano'o would be left truly unassailable. But it didn't matter to her anymore. She was going to see Ryu again........
