((I'm using last names for everyone cept myself right now if you didn't notice.))

Ryouichi's blow to the helpless Yure was slight miscalculation on his part. The physical form of Yure dissipated in to thin air and so, when he stood above it, he lost his footing as it "died". It would have been a fatal mistake but thankfully Sasaki was Weh no Su. Like any other Weh no Su, she was perfectly capable of exorcising Yure in all their forms. Her words were heard and a circle of blue flame erupted around her before spreading out. The total diameter was around several strides, encompassing all of the Yure that were still not defeated around Ryouichi and herself. A bigger one was possible but she had yet to find the confidence to enlarge the circle of banishment. For now, this one sufficed. A ghostly image of the Yure's soul rose up from their bodies, each one trying to burn in to their memories the face of the one who was banishing them. It was with a chilling gaze coupled with a silent snarl that they faded out, leaving only the inert and harmless steel husks of a Yure's physical form.

Kutama's eye caught the fading light of an exorcism on the side of a hill. Exorcists were exactly what he was wishing he had right now. The immediate area was clear of Yure but many still remained in town so he needed someone who could take care of them. Besides, the temple's defence wouldn't buckle if they missed one exorcist out of many. Sheathing Whimsical Hurricane, he arrived before a footsoldier, a guard perhaps, and a young miko. An odd couple but Kutama made it a habit not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"You two, by my authority as Adjutant, I request you accompany me to cleanse the town," he announced a deep authoritative voice.

Adjudicators, and the more junior ones called adjutants, generally fell outside the normal military chain of command but their skills in battle commanded respect if not actual people themselves, which also meant that Kutama really couldn't force the two to follow him if they wished not to. However, as a spiritual warrior serving to mediate disputes regarding matters of religion, he could easily brand them heretics should he see fit, though it is not a great idea at the moment. More often than not, Kutama and men of his rank are sent to oversee Ritual Wars or aid in extermination of physical Yure too dangerous for exorcists to handle alone. The only great difference between a monk or a miko and an adjudicator was generally their readiness for battle and their skill at it.

Li Tsu swore and bolted for the exiting, pulling along one of the waitresses with him who had collapsed in fear. There wasn't time to enjoy the pleasantries of fighting so instead he just ran, bellowing at his previous dinner companion to hurry up. He barged into the back room shoving everyone out of the way, man and beast alike, ignoring the many loud complaints and grabbed his hammer and helmet from a pile near the counter, having no doubt that they would otherwise burn in the inferno to come. He turned briefly to look back but regretted it instantly as a piece of burning debris landed on his arm, scalding him. Ignoring all else and fearful for his life, he ran, reached and opened the back door, free at last.

((Ryouichi not Kyouichi, just saying))

Zanji was about to thrust his naginata downwards when suddenly the innards of the Yure disappeared. He took this as a note to back off and regroup with his anonymous comrade. As he jumped off of the downed body, he noticed the floating blue flames above him. This must have been what caused the vanishing of the Yure's innards. Then it hit him, his comrade is actually a Weh no Su. Zanji let out a sigh of relief now that he has the feeling there is a chance of victory. Just when he was going to greet the mysterious comrade, a mountainous silhouette of a Yure appeared in front of their eyes. Greetings set aside, Zanji got in his battle stance once again.

((Okay my bad. Remind me that your guy does not share a name with a certain EvoIII driver in Initial D if I make any more goofs k? That and wasn't my character talking to you (ie Ryouichi)? I did sort of clear the area for a bit for plot reasons but if you want to take on a mountain of Yure, I can work with that.))

Zhang barged out in to a small street, it was illuminated by the burning establishment behind. It was deserted for now but who knows how long that would last. The waitress that Zhang had taken with him heard the temple's bells and in the lull of the moment, tugged at him, gesturing towards the origin of the sound.

((Wow, I'm blind...))

The sound of a galloping horse approached their current location, mounted by a man who carries a very leader like look on his face. He asked Zanji and the woman a question to aid him in clearing the town of the Yure.

"How many more Yure are we dealing with, so to speak?"

((Posted from my Wii, can't type too much))

Mitsuki watched victoriously while the Yure spirits disappeared into the void, or where ever they were banished. She was pleased by the outcome, a few moments ago she was beginning to think that the army of Yure were surely going to over power her. Thankfully for her, the naginata wielding man arrived to help just as she was surrounded. Perhaps it was fate? From what she glimpsed during their battle she saw that the man was capable of phasing his naginata through his foes like some sort of spirit or ghost. It was an interesting talent that she found rather intriguing and would perhaps ask about later. Mitsuki could tell the night was far from over.

Before she could introduce herself or thank the man, another man approached them. His entire countenance being one of someone who was well acquainted to the military scene. She wasn't at all surprised when he revealed that he was an adjutant. Even if she wanted to she couldn't have said no, there was something about him that made her feel obliged to do what he said, or suffer laps or some other military punishment later.

The other man asked how many Yure there would be, personally she guessed quite a numerous amount. Especially after their battle on the temple hill, which in most cases was safe due to it being holy ground. It still troubled her that the Yure had attempted to reach the very gates of the temple.

"Sasaki Mitsuki" she stated while bowing honourably. "It doesn't matter how many of them there are. What we need to do is purge them from the village as soon as possible."

Li Tsu hesitated for a moment. There was no chance of his friend dying in a fire like that with so few opponents, something was awry. The temple could wait, he was going in.

He shrugged off the girl at his arm, not unkindly and told her he'd go later. Without waiting to see her response he walked back in, through the front this time, to get these fiends (assuming they were still alive) with their backs turned. He reached the door at the end of the foyer, the harsh smell of ash and flames already assaulting his nostrils, ducked his head under the door frame, and walked in

((OOC: I'm not sure where Sayo is, but feel free to show me he's dead/everyone inside's dead, I want to go to the temple but my character wouldn't just leave him inside))

((Someone call Panda, please.))

Otomo's staff did little save anger the Yure he had been fighting. It turned around, bringing all of its claws to bear, deciding that playing with its prey was going to be more trouble than it was worth. This time, it moved faster, all claws initiating from different angles.

As Zhang entered, the whole of the establishment he was standing in collapsed in front of him, barring any way to enter further in to the building. With no longer anyway out or in, whoever that was still trapped inside were as good as dead. If he did not leave soon, he may perish in the flames as well.

---

"How many more Yure are we dealing with, so to speak?" the guard asked.

Kutama didn't know how to answer him. It was as if the guard was blind and for all Kutama knew, he could have imagined the adjutant riding on the horse with an army of Yure at his heels. Despite the lack of manners the guard showed, he had to reply honestly.

"I do not know," Kutama answered, "but for them to intervene on a night like this, it would seem something is amiss."

He quickly tore his attention away from the guard and greeted the young miko beside him. She bowed whilst introducing herself. At least someone here still had manners.

"It doesn't matter how many of them there are. What we need to do is purge them from the village as soon as possible," she added.

It was true, the village must be cleansed, and the faster the better. He gestured forward and headed for the main thoroughfare where there were still signs of struggle.

Otomo's attack proved futile as he thought, the Yure now was prepared to immediately kill him, instead of toying around. He dashed past the beast, and placed both his hands on his staff as he went, prepared to spin it against his opponent if the Yure managed to catch him.

((Bleh, sorry, I honestly couldn't think of a response.))

Taro dashed towards the Yure, about to get in its range of reach when he extended his blade into the ground, using it as a pole vault as he kept good balance going over the monsters. His blade unextended mid-air, only to extend again in a flash as a stab at the unwounded one's back. The burning one would likely stay distracted for a while; after all, its back fur was likely on fire, and even if it didn't it would likely be slower.

The man on horseback replied to Zanji's question. It seems the amount of Yure to come is still unknown for sure, but Zanji could already tell there was at least a small army worth of Yure to deal with. The lady also replied with an answer, as well as introducing herself. Sasaki Mitsuki was her name, a powerful exorcist as Zanji could tell from her spells she cast.

"Ryouichi Zanji" he said as he found it polite to introduce himself too both people after Mitsuki just did. "I'm guessing now I don't really have a choice too get rid of these Yure, but since I'm not in much favor of them invading the temple, I guess I'll be helping."

The man on horseback made a gesture signaling to move forward. Zanji followed him in attempt to keep up with the galloping horse.

Mitsuki followed, keeping pace with the Zanji as they headed towards the village, she could see fire in the distance. This made everything all the worse, since it was inevitable that the fire would spring from one wooden building to the next, all of this on top of a Yure infestation, such was life. She shook her wrists to determine how many spell tags she still had, it would be rather tragic if she was about to exorcise Yure only to find she had run out of the tags. If worst came to worst she could always write a spell on the ground with her fans, though that would take time. She looked at both men she was accompanying, they seemed like they would be quite capable if the problem ever occurred, so she mentally exhaled, and prepared her body, mind and soul for the up coming task. "Thank you for helping...back there" said Mitsuki in a rather spur of the moment way "Those Yure would have surely finished me, had you not come along to help. I am at your debt"

((I like how Ryouichi is running away with my joke.))

Kutama almost missed getting the guardsman's name; which was Ryouichi Zhanji.

Taro's quick dispatching of the Yure proved fruitful. However, one still remained with in close distance from him. This one was what Otomo was trying to fight. Dashing past the Yure again, Otomo readied a blow only to be stopped when the Yure turned around as fast as it did the first time and grabbed the staff from both ends, lifting him up by it as it snarled in to his face and raising its remaining two claws to strike. Otomo could barely see over the beasts shoulder but a glint of metal caught his eye before the Yure froze and shrieked in horror. It would have been a clean cut if not for the steel hardness of the Yure's body that prevented the sword from cutting through.

As the beast dissolved, Kutama could see the man that was fighting it, and a little farther back, another man, with a dagger.

"I commend your bravery," he spoke to the man with the staff, "But you will need more than a staff to strike down Yure."

Just then, a girl came running out from one of the side streets. It was the one that lead to one of several eateries, which had caught fire. There were some people escaping from there and they made some semblance of progress. This was strange as there were no Yure to stop their flight. Kutama did not think about it but the girl, after seeing the men with weapons ran up to them and pleaded with them.

"Please there are more or us back in there!"

Li Tsu froze, astonished by this new obstacle. There was no way of finding Lei Fu in the burning rubble and there was really no way of surviving a scorching building fall unhindered on top of him. He slowly walked backwards the last few steps getting himself back outside, emotions raging within him, unseen by the outside onlooker.

Once outside he watched as the building collapsed completely, a buttress here, a pillar there until all within were truly buried. All of the waiters, cooks, patrons, were all dead and buried. A new resolve was barging its way into him, full of purpose. This was no longer about heroism, this was about protecting the world, his remaining friends and his family back at home. He turned and, with new determination, started walking towards the temple. As he walked, a new thought entered his head.

Maybe he'd be dubbed a hero anyway.

Grinning, despite what had just happened, Li Tsu broke into a run.