Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 6, 2023 17:08:19 GMT -5
Shortly after the text to the Red Lotus:”The bracers do not impede on your ability to detect reiatsu. You will be able to keep a bead on my location the entire time. I do not expect Virgil to be flaunting his own energy, so it might be hard to detect him. If you sense me suppressing my energy, wait a few minutes, then make your arrival. If you sense me spiking, come directly.”
Present:
Niji continued to put out an impressive amount of reishi; functionally she just wasn’t holding back, but she also wasn’t permitting the spirits to utilize any yet. The basics of the plan were fairly simple, but there was still a significant amount of room for it to go wrong; hell, it already had gone vaguely wrong with Maria showing up. Her taking Vrykola’s role in the plan was a risky proposition, but there wasn’t time to convince her to take a less direct role. Or so she had thought. Niji was prepared for the worst case scenario, where Virgil, with the help of the sixth Zodiac, show up on her position directly. However they had decided to arrive, it was not particularly fast; which was fine, more time to prepare and bring Maria up to speed on what she knew about Virgil’s abilities. Niji was waiting patiently in the basement auditorium, which was ‘under construction’ according to a few signs. Ostensibly her cousin had asked her to wait down there while he brought in an expert on what was happening to her. From there, her ‘uncontrolled’ reiatsu wouldn’t do much more than give minor headaches to people at the gala, but it would provide a lot of cover for other spiritual entities moving around at the function. And wouldn’t you know it; her reiatsu had attracted some other spiritually aware beings that would mean Virgil’s coterie needed to split up. The spiritual static she was throwing out would make it somewhat difficult to track them down, but her inside man was making sure they were distracted chasing them down. Ikazuya told her he’d tell Virgil that she was told he was a Buddhist priest that could help her with what she was going through. She paced in the empty auditorium, lit by some battery powered construction lighting, putting on a show of looking anxious. Not that she’d admit it, but she was anxious, so it wasn’t that difficult. Hibano
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 7, 2023 3:35:53 GMT -5
Maria Tokareva Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive So the signal was going to be Niji's reiatsu. Clear and simple, and it would allow Maria to know when the time was to strike without having to watch the confrontation entirely - of course, she still wanted to spectate somehow, but that could be arranged. The Shinigami nodded, then briefly flashed a thumbs-up while stepping away and said: " Good luck." They were going to need it. Soon, the Shinigami departed, waiting outside of the walls of the auditorium, in what used to be the supply closets before the entire place was put under construction. Through a crack in the door, she watched, though with caution to not reveal her presence too early. If Niji was anxious, then Maria certainly was, and even moreso. She occasionally glanced over to the suppressors on her wrists, then back to the auditorium. A light tap, echoing across the hall, a tense pulse of sorts. Until, finally, the entrance of the auditorium slowly slid open, allowing a middle aged, bearded man to step inside. From the neck to the boots, he was dressed in a dark trench coat, and his long hair reached his shoulders. His complexion was not Japanese, but aside from that, he wouldn't seem that out of place in Tokyo. For a second, he looked down to his palm, a small pendant hanging off his thumb. No change, yet. This might be it. His Reiatsu signature was completely non-existent. " Quite an odd location you chose for the meeting, Hikari Niji." |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 8, 2023 7:12:11 GMT -5
Niji turned at the sound of footsteps; she didn’t sense any notable reiatsu, but she could still make an educated guess that this was the man himself. She shook her head, ”Cousin Ikazuya said what was happening to me was potentially dangerous, so I should be away from people until he could get help."
The redheaded Fullbringer made a show of flexing her hand, the wild outpouring of reiatsu not slowing, ”It does not feel dangerous. I feel…stronger? Better than I ever have, to be honest.”As the man got within range of the construction lights, Niji got a good look at him. The man certainly wasn’t trying to look the part of a Buddhist priest, but that did not raise any flags on its own. Perhaps he merely made his people wear the garb when they were watching the shrine entrance to the headquarters. And she realized with a slight shock, she had met him before; he had been at one of these functions while she was pregnant. She tried to recall their meeting, but the man had managed to avoid giving a name; and, like today, he had hidden his reiatsu signature. In a way, that played into the plan; the man surely was adept at sensing other Fullbringers, so the fact that she had been artificially suppressed probably made their ploy today more convincing. ”We have met before, have we not, oshō-sama?”Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 9, 2023 5:48:56 GMT -5
Virgil Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive The woman's blood was phlegmatic. So, it was better to take a softer touch, rather than an aggressive one. It was unfortunate that he could not bring the Zodiacs he wanted with him, one of them was a Councillor, and she, as a businesswoman, might have gotten more interested by meeting someone from whom she could get material benefits. Everyone had their own buttons to push and levers to pull, from the utterly despicable to the bright-eyed heroes. Hearing Niji's assertion of her feeling of power, Virgil calmly answered: " It is only dangerous if you let it be. That is why I am here," After approaching the businesswoman, he stopped about twenty feet away from her, staring at one another face-to-face. " You are lucky. You were born to a group of people who were gifted with the ability to experience a world that nobody else can see. I've had the chance to help many others like you, and I hope you accept my help, too." Is that.. really him? I was excepting someone a bit more threatening... Maria was thinking to herself while watching the meeting through the crack, carefully, to not bring any attention to herself. After Niji asked on whether they met before, the Director paused for a second. Indeed, he had, and he had studied the businesswoman a bit from afar. " No, I don't think so. Perhaps you saw my face once before, but I don't recall exchanging names before. Call me Virgil." |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 9, 2023 6:36:56 GMT -5
The sales pitch was going about how Niji had expected it to go, perhaps that delay in arriving was the Director spending some time looking her up on the internet. Saying she wasn’t dangerous, and she just needed help with her gift. Note how he has helped many others, appealing to the fact that she was clearly passionate about her own charity and desire to help the less fortunate. It was a strong opener. Nodding faintly, her voice came out barely above a whisper, ”I have sometimes experienced strange things in my life, though I remained quiet about them. It is a relief to hear I am not crazy and it is not all in my head.” She shuddered, looking away from Virgil, ”Though, perhaps it is not a relief, if you are telling me that those dreadful masked apparitions were not just hallucinations resulting from a lack of sleep.”Niji visibly collected herself before looking back at the man with a very slight smile; power still rushing out of her without a care in the world, ”So; if you are Virgil, I suppose that would make me Dante today? You are here to teach me about yomi and how to avoid the bakemono?”Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 9, 2023 12:17:26 GMT -5
Virgil Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive They were making some progress. Yet, there was something he suspected, very faintly, about this encounter - just like he had when he stepped into the room for the first time. For a split second, he glanced down to a small pendant on his palm again. Still, no change." Unfortunately, they are real, and they are but one of many dangers in this world," Virgil answered Niji's displayed concern about witnessing Hollows and understanding their real nature. " It is one of the reasons why I seek to reach out to those like you. It is very easy to get lost and perish without the necessary guidance - and I don't want that to happen to anyone." The man paused, his eyes glancing to the floor. Rather than simply getting distracted, he was focusing on what he was hearing through a telepathic link. Some of it was, if unfortunate, merely a matter of time, and something he assumed that Simone, Caven and the others would be able to handle. Some... not as encouraging. A... third actor?" You are catching on," Virgil responded to Niji's lighthearted comment about creatures of mythology. " Not all the threats you will need to be aware of were predicted by our folklore. Some are rather more... human, though deadly all the same. But I will explain that in time." |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 9, 2023 15:33:10 GMT -5
Shortly after the text to the Red Lotus, continued:Niji led Maria down a flight of stairs, deeper into the building; "Just keep a lock on my reiatsu; I will signal you a few minutes after he has arrived with his allies, my...people need to make sure that anyone he brought is distracted. The Zodiac have many abilities, and a few would prevent the coup de grace if they were able to provide assistance to Virgil."
Present time:Niji shook her head as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing, ”How much of it is correct, oshō-sama? I dove deep into mythology when I started seeing those things. I did not tell anyone that I was seeing ghosts and yōkai, of course.” She laughed nervously, ”Though, it did make father worried I was going to run off and become a miko.”She looked to the side, as if recalling some long forgotten tidbit of information, then turned to look back at Virgil, ”So, are you–am…am I–some form of kunitsukami? Or is Ikazuya worried about one of those things coming after me?”It was a line of thought she had used years ago, in one of her first serious encounters in the spiritual world. When Yael Schwarzwald had happened upon her dealing with hell hounds that had gotten too close to the Hikari Ranches. Obviously she knew more of the truth now, but it seemed a reasonable way to start the conversation. Her people needed some time; and judging by the reiatsu flows through the building, that particular distraction was fully in place yet. She needed to make sure that Virgil wouldn’t have any unexpected backup when Maria engaged him, but also had to keep him in recruitment mode to try and obtain another powerful Fullbringer to his side. Hibano
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 10, 2023 16:12:52 GMT -5
Virgil Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive Virgil was starting to catch on why the confrontation with Niji seemed to unnerve him somewhat. He knew of her from somewhere before. No, not from the shallow, mindless charity events he attended at the behest of Caven, using the man's presence in high society as a cover for his attendance without having to reveal anything about himself. Somewhere... before that. And not as a helpless businesswoman cluelessly unaware of the abilities she held, either. But, for now, he could not put the finger on where. The personality of her blood did not seem to be familiar, yet, without any of his own blood in the air he could only make a cursory scan. " Well... even I do not know everything, but what I can tell, the life after death is a lot more similar to our myths than it is to what, say, the Christians claim," Virgil answered Niji's concern about how much of what she already knew from bedtime stories and mythology books was actually correct, even allowing himself to flash a smile briefly. The Reiatsu signatures of the Fullbringers several blocs away, Morgan and the Zodiacs whom he distracted from the trip here, which were relatively untraceable throughout the entire conversation prior, spiked to life for a fraction of a second before vanishing entirely. No attempt to sense them anywhere in the city could find their presence any longer - Maria, who had been following them at the back of her mind, almost jolted from the surprise. " Well, not quite. You and I are not kami. We are still human," Virgil replied. As if mindlessly, he placed his index finger on the side of his lip, lightly clenching it with his teeth before pulling it back. " But, you and I are touched before we are even born, receiving a gift that allows us to commune with the world of spirits. There are many more of us, and, because we are always under threat, we are always hunted, I try to guide as many of our kind, in a united organization, for each of our protection." An imperceptible drop of blood formed on the tip of his finger after the bite. It did not make it any clearer on where he knew Niji from before - her blood was still as unfamiliar as it used to be. But, it told him something else. There is a sanguine in our vicinity. |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 10, 2023 19:36:42 GMT -5
At the flare up from her cousin and others, Niji flinched away from that direction, suppressing her reiatsu briefly, as if she was instinctively hiding. She let panic enter her voice, ”What was that?”It was, of course, also a sign that Maria could go when she saw an opportunity, but minor details. The flare had gone as quickly as it had come; perhaps Simone had used her ability to teleport them away. It seemed the likely outcome, particularly with so many normal people, and cameras, around for the gala. She hesitated again, her reiatsu slowly picking back up to the flood it had been, ”I…sorry, I thought I felt something weird. I am a little on edge, I guess.”The redheaded fullbringer shook her head, she had noticed the subtle move that many might have even dismissed as a physical tic. But she was watching him closely, and given her awareness of his powers, any move that might have been to draw his own blood might have been exactly that. Why he was doing it now, she wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t really let on her suspicions, so she continued her questions, playing the part of a confused and slightly scared person entering a world she knew nothing about. ”There are a lot of yo–us? There can not be that many, otherwise someone would have figured it out and it would be public knowledge. What sort of things are hunting people like us?”Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 11, 2023 6:36:11 GMT -5
Virgil Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive Maria's thoughts asked herself. Much like the Shinigami, Niji reacted to the sudden disappearance of Morgan and the others, with a brief flare and suppression of her Reiatsu. Did she intend to call the planned reinforcements and begin the battle with that sign? Maria, honestly, wasn't sure. She recalled Niji's words about keeping a tab on her Reiatsu, yet, this didn't seem... natural, as if Niji was genuinely surprised. Or maybe she was such a convincing actor that it confused even her. Slowly, Maria began to draw her Zanpakuto, still paying attention to the conversation, and, just in case, waiting for another signal. " There is a reason for that, but it is to be told in due time. When you are still unfamiliar with the makings of the spiritual world, it will simply not make much sense to you," Virgil answered Niji's apparent confusion about their numbers, then, when she asked about what was hunting after them, briefly paused in silence. That sanguine blood he just noticed was actually familiar, unlike Niji's. He's sensed it before. In the Akai Hasu temple. Two Shinigami. Meeting me... demanding to know about the fate of...
I see." Well, you have already mentioned the bakemono, but, frankly, with the power you hold, all but the most powerful of them won't be able to threaten you personally, as long as you accept my training," the Director continued. " The shinigami, on the other hand... a far more cunning and insidious threat - unlike the bakemono, they are motivated by fear, rather than simple mindless desire. Fear of you and me, and of humanity at large - they will stop at nothing to destroy us both. But..." Virgil flashed a faint smile. " Someone as special as you could save not just yourself, but many others from such a fate. Of course, if you accept that role." |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 11, 2023 20:51:17 GMT -5
Of course, now was when it got a little hairy; she had signaled Maria, but it was the signal that told the woman to use her discretion and look for an opportunity. Perhaps that was a bad idea, discretion wasn't exactly a hallmark of the Torakeva family. Niji frowned at Virgil’s smile, ”Training?”She started pacing, as if her mind was working overdrive, ”Is an ofuda or gofu not an option to ward them away?" Realization appeared to dawn on her face, and she glanced towards the man as she continued pacing, ”Ah, of course. You are not really a priest, are you? I suppose that is just some sort of cover you use for your organization? And while mythology may provide some answers, it is not going to provide solutions.”She gestured towards the gala, slight frustration entering her voice, ”I do not have time to uproot my life, I do not get enough sleep as it is with Tomoi; and I still have to find time to organize things like this. Kibo no Hikari helps a lot of people, and I do not know what you know about me, but it is not some sham tax write off slush fund, we are doing real good in the world already. We are finally making some inroads with the governments of–”Niji stopped herself, as if recognizing this man held no particular interest in what she was saying about her charity. She waved a hand, dismissing the line of thought; she shook her head as if to clear her mind, she hesitantly asked, ”How long--what are you asking me to do?”Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 12, 2023 15:15:02 GMT -5
Virgil Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive " I am an ordained priest, but I've understood that the spiritual world is different enough from what I am used to that... different measures are necessary to handle it. You are correct in that mythology does not provide all of the answers." I see now... Valentina's sister is here, and while I was making my way here, the other Zodiacs were distracted away and then attacked by that traitor - this woman's cousin, according to her - who was infatuated with Valentina. They are working in unison, and I was brought here... because they want revenge.Niji, then, must be bait. A cousin of Morgan whom he and Maria must have pulled into the conspiracy, knowingly or not, perhaps simply told to wait for Virgil to come here and keep him busy until the rest of the plan springs into place. If he was not hiding any of his emotions away from Niji to the best of his ability, he might even applaud them for a job well done. It caught him honestly unprepared. " That is understandable, and I don't want you to think that we will whisk you away from the life you have. There are many among our membership who hold jobs and raise families, and while it obviously means they need to keep a lot more people safe, we don't see anything wrong with that. For now, what you will need to do is arrive at my temple, Akai Hasu, it is not far from the city - at a time that fits for you. We will be able to go in depth and teach you the first lessons in how to control your newfound powers." Suddenly, he raised his finger and his eyebrows, giving the impression of just having thought of something else. " Ah, I think I have a clue where we might know each other from..." His eyes turned to stare at Niji's own, directly. " Do you happen to know anything about one... Valentina Tokareva?" |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 12, 2023 22:22:58 GMT -5
Why was he asking about Valentina? Had she given something away? Mentally, Niji swore; not because the surprise showed in any outward expression, but she had felt her pulse quicken slightly at the question. She didn’t exactly know what this man’s control over blood consisted of, but given her cousin’s warnings, he was probably acutely aware of hers. While she had been practicing controlling it, there was only so much you could do about autonomous bodily functions. So she put on a look of fear, hoping it would provide an excuse for the quickening of her heart rate. ”Valentina? Is that someone that might be after me? Are there other organizations that are–wait…no, that name sounds familiar.” She paused for a moment, pretending to sort through her memories, ”Yes, I remember Ikazuya talking about her some time ago. I think he said she was killed a few years back? Did a Shinigami get her?”Niji hesitated , as if something new had just occurred to her, ”Wait, Ikazuya is like us too, right? That must be how he knew you.”Where the fuck was Maria? Surely the woman would have leapt in at Virgil mentioning her sister, or at the very least Niji asking about a Shinigami. The woman would have loved making a dramatic entrance. Unless, of course, the woman had managed to miss her signal. She began to pace again, perhaps she’d have to be less subtle; but still not give away the game. Niji begin speaking quickly, ”Yes…that makes sense. He did not want to talk in detail about this Valentina woman, even when I prodded. If she was killed by one of these mythological threats, obviously he would not want me to think he was crazy. I never indicated to him that I was seeing these creatures, for the same reason.”Looking at Virgil, she continued, becoming more animated, the flood of reiatsu slowly building as her own emotions apparently grew, ”Of course! And he is part of your secret organization; that explains so much! The seemingly random schedule, the flimsy excuses he made when he dropped the ball, or the obvious lies he gave me for not being able to make a meeting. He was a hard worker when he was around, so I put up with it. But he was unreliable; but that is because he was off saving people with you!”She laughed, throwing her arms up in amusement, ”I think I may owe my cousin an apolo–”Niji tripped over a piece of construction debris, and her reiatsu flared up as she fell, creating a faint golden nimbus of light around her. Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 13, 2023 5:58:48 GMT -5
Virgil Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive Maria's hand clutched tightly onto the grip of her Zanpakuto, and she activated her Shikai without a single word, the weapon suddenly growing into an enormous cleaver as long as the woman herself. This couldn't not be the sign to strike. Not only did Niji make another flare with the pressure of her Reiatsu, but this man dared to invoke her sister's name in front of them both. The twist of the knife was a spark of fury, and a sign that they weren't going to be able to keep the pretence up for much longer. Better attack now, while they still have the advantage of surprise... Yet, no such attack came. Nobody stormed through the door into the auditorium, taking the weight off Niji's shoulders while she was weaving a story about hearing Valentina's name once and then using this to "guess" that her cousin was actually a member of the Red Lotus. Virgil listened throughout. For a fraction of a second, he made a glimpse to his pendant. I will die in three seconds.So, it was showtime. After the glance to the hand, he briefly shifted his eyes to the side, towards the piled up construction material and doors to the supply closets. The warning told him by the absorbed Shinigami soul suddenly vanished. " Really?" Virgil spoke, in an exasperated voice that, unexpectedly, betrayed an ounce of sarcasm, after Niji fell. He wasn't moved by her tripping at all - instead, he simply slowly moved his hands into the pockets of his coat, looking down on the ginger-haired Fullbringer. " That's interesting, Hikari Niji, but I think you are withholding something from me. It doesn't answer one question that's still on my mind. Why did you, Morgan, and Valentina's sister plot together to kill me here?" Behind the wall, Maria suddenly clutched to her throat, gasping for air. No... No..! The sudden paralysis, the coldness, the instant debilitating migraine were unmistakeable - all of her blood suddenly rushed to her head. Her Zanpakuto fell from her hands, reverting back to its normal state. |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 13, 2023 7:58:08 GMT -5
She put her hands out to catch her fall, and the flare of reiatsu diffused itself into the ground. Something had gone wrong; Maria should have attacked by now. There was no way she didn’t catch that signal, and Virgil’s words as she ‘recovered’ from her fall would have brought her in anyway. Had she gotten distracted and run off to join the other fight? No, that seemed unlikely; but the fact seemed to be that Maria wasn't going to live up to her part of the plan. But, the man had figured out she was here somehow, and the jig was up. She should have been more forceful about sending the woman away; for whatever reason, she had failed in her role. She pushed herself into a sitting position. All of her research on this man was that he was extremely perceptive, if he had decided this was a trap, she was not a good enough liar to convince him she wasn't involved. Niji looked at Virgil and shook her head, letting out a light laugh that did little to cover a brief grinding. ”Believe it or not, I did not wish to involve the Shinigami girl. Our views on the Gotei 13 are actually fairly similar, Director; assuming you were not lying about your thoughts on them earlier. She forcibly inserted herself at the last minute, less than an hour before you got here. I had a bloodless Fullbringer ready to kill you himself, but a direct assault was the only role the Tokareva girl would accept.”Of course, if Maria was still alive, maybe Virgil had someone with a spiritual knife to the woman’s throat. Hoping to use her as leverage in case the situation was worse than he assumed. Probably better to make him think that wasn’t an option, the Fullbringer’s voice became cold, ”Clearly, she was not ready for that.”As she spoke, reiatsu continued to rush out of her, but it did not go much further than the walls of the room. Niji had opened the spiritual floodgates, and in this particular situation, the pressure was accompanied by the feeling of a rapidly accelerating elevator going straight down. Hibano |
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