Ryoiki: Return to The Beyond (6)

CHAPTER 15: Breaking through the black.

Danae gently pushed the fake stone wall aside.

"I will always be amazed by your creativity." Corvan said, stepping out into the dungeon of Oanki's castle.

"The idea was Oanki's, not mine, helps his servants get around faster." Danae explained, putting the wall back into place.

Danae and Corvan walked through the empty dungeon, to the only occupied cell.

Ita was sitting in it, looking pathetic.

Their skin was almost fully monochrome, the shades in their hair looked duller, and the white of their right eye had gone completely black.

Corvan opened the cell door with magic.

"Hello Ita." Corvan said, kneeling in front of them.

"Hel...lo...?" Ita replied, their hair falling in front of their face.

"...Poor thing..." Danae mumbled.

"Parkers's spell is quite effective, but I think I'm making progress..." Corvan said, starting to manifest small red symbols around Ita's head.

In Ita's subconscious, they were sitting down near a campfire with Blaze, gently humming.

But when Ita felt Corvan's consciousness brush theirs, they stopped.

"...Did you feel that?" Ita asked.

"Yep. Corvan." Blaze replied.

"Oh, I see..." Ita said, watching as little red symbols began to appear around them...

"What's going on?"

Blaze looked around as well...

"I think...he's trying to undo that one spell..."

Ita smiled.

"Well, I wish him luck."

Orix sat silently, Munin on his shoulder.

They were doing a rooftop stakeout on their next target: A Void Demon named Pheone.

They wanted specifically her essence for the cure, but it would be a challenge to get it.

Orix adjusted his stance and felt his neck.

At his own request, Flenigan had given Orix's sneaking suit a hood to hide his white hair.

"This is boring." Munin commented.

"You don't have the patience of a hunter." Orix countered.

"You've done this kind of thing before?" Munin asked, tilting his head and looking at Orix.

"it's a part of basic hunter training, being able to wait for cycles for prey..."

"Your serious about all this aint ya."

Orix scoffed, right as Pheone left the restaurant Orix and Munin were watching over.

She was in her stunning mortal form.

Long black hair put up into a ponytail, white skin, brown eyes, a nice frame all added under a long black dress and lots of jewelry.

"There she is." Orix said, spreading his arm out.

Munin took flight, hovering above Pheone as she walked down the city streets.

Orix parkoured his way up to a high vantage point...

Pheone had walked to a large home, where a man greeted her at the door and welcomed her inside.

"I'll cover you, head in." Orix said to Munin, pulling the sniper rifle off his back.

"What? Me?" Munin asked, landing on top of the house in his raven form.

"Yeah."

Munin scoffed, and flew around the house, eventually making his way in through an open window.

He arrived in an empty guest bedroom, and switched to his spider form, crawling along the ceiling.

He heard distant talking, chatter between Pheone and the man she had met.

He found them in the kitchen, deep in conversation.

"You have fun tonight already?" The man asked, pouring himself and Pheone a glass of wine.

"Woman's gotta keep herself happy when she's stressed~" Pheone replied.

"I suppose...I just wish I could get you fresh. At least one night."

Pheone chuckled, taking the glass of wine being handed to her.

"Going to have to pay me more~" He said.

"...She's a whore...is that why were going after her?" Munin asked through his mental link.

"No clue. Don't bother thinking about it too hard, just get the guy in sight of a window and get Pheone down." Orix replied.

"Right." Munin replied...before leaping into action.

He let go from the ceiling, quickly morphing into his monster form and brandishing his claws, putting Pheon in a chokehold from behind.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" The man yelled, entering a battle stance.

"Listen man, I don't wanna hurt you. I just need some of the essence from Pheone here-" Munin said aloud, staring to pull Pheone away.

"Put her the fuck down!!!" The man shouted, slowly following Munin.

"You need to back off man." Munin warned, stepping past a window...

The man followed Munin past the window...

There was a sound of shattering glass, and the man dropped dead. Blue blood leaking from a wound in his head.

"...nice shot." Munin said to Orix in his head.

"YOU FUCKS!!!" Pheone shouted, whipping her head around.

Munin didn't think much of it, until a strand of her hair hit his face and a made a gash across it.

Munin winced in pain and stumbled back, letting go of Pheone.

She once again whipped him with her hair, creating another gash on his chest.

Her hands then morphed into claws made of Void, and she leaped at Munin.

Munin held up his own claws to block, which worked, but more strands of Phenoe's hair brushed his face, creating more cuts.

She ducked down and went for a leg swipe, but Munin jumped and kneed her in the jaw.

She fell back, and Munin tried to punish by leaping on top of her and digging his claws into her sides.

"GRAHAHAHA!!!" Pheone screamed in agony.

Her hair moved around wildly, and eventually broke free of the ponytail. And wrapped up Munin, tossing him down the hall and covering him in gashes.

Pheone dashed at the knocked down Munin like a wild animal, pinning him to the wall.

"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!!!" Pheone shouted.

"STAND DOWN!!!" Orix shouted in response, standing behind Phoene, his assault rifle at the ready.

She turned and hissed at Orix.

"Hands up." Orix commanded calmly.

"You...!!!" Pheone growled.

Orix shot the wall next to Pheone as a warning.

She flinched...but immediately pounced at Orix.

Munin shut his eyes as he barely heard the bullets stream out of the AR.

As he opened them, Orix was collecting a syringe of Void essence from a hole littered Pheone.

"...Why couldn't we have gotten MY essence!?" Munin asked.

"Essences are what keeps us alive, Munin. It would kill you." Orix stated, standing up and pulling out the bone charm.

Munin sighed but got up and stood with Orix. Hand on his shoulder as he blew the bone charm.