Snuff

It was a fine day to hunt demons, with the fiery ball of light hanging high in the sky and casting its light and heat upon the lands. Of course, the leaves from the trees provided a comfortable shade across the forests, but these lands were different during than the day than they were night. He would pass by several spirits, most of them lower class and not worth his time, some of them not even being oni and ruling them out from the path of his blade all together. Rather than traveling through the air atop a disc of flame, the oni would kick into leaps, jumping from branch to branch as he practiced on his balance and coordination.
Upon his shoulder was his usual companion, his lover and wife, the rat kami known as Atilla. She'd recently undergone the tragedy of having her race turn their backs to her, but she seemed to have taken it rather well. Still, some fresh air and a hunt was bound to get her in good moods, Shou had figured, with a smirk. Besides, perhaps it was better this way. Now the two of them had become outcasts to their own kinds, finding the greatest comforts with one another. "Hey. Atilla." The fyre demon started, glancing to the rodent. "How about a little boost, eh?" He would request with a grin, looking to move more swiftly through the wood.

"Heh." The oni felt the increase in speed as he began to leap more swiftly, tredding through the forests atop the branches. "That depends on you, don't it, Atilla? You feel like fighting more?" He couldn't help but grow a little excited at the notion that Atilla might been able to aid him in battle other than the usual supports and buffs she readily casted on him. To actually fight alongside her.. "It'd sure be a pleasure though." The demon would comment, a smirk in place.

The woman was ever a pure one, looking out for even those that she would have been forced to do battle with. which was no easy feat to strike against an angel, but he could see the reasoning of her choice. The oni simply nodded, keeping his gaze forward. "We'll see about finding you a weapon to practice with, then, yeah?" He stated, trying to reassure the woman in her own insecurities.
Further and much deeper into the forest, a small human child wriggled and thrashed within the binds of chains. Tears streamed from the boy's eyes and its cries were muffled by some sort of tag. Two male oni stood around a giant cauldron that had been neccessary for their ritual while legs dipped first into smokey and dark, murky waters before it consumed the entire form of the child. The taller, darker haired one of the pair widened his eyes as a smile spread across his lips. "It will be soon.. we need more sacrifices to unleash the power of our master."

The oni rose a brow, not possessing that same smelling ability that the woman seemed to have. "What is it you're smellin?" Shou would ask, noting that the direction she seemed to indicate towards was West. While she had suggested that they should avoid it, it would have defeated the entire purpose of coming out into the forest to pursue this hunt. A grin spreading, Shou's hand whipped out and grabbed at the base of a tree, whirling himself around in direction and throwing himself out to begin heading that way. "Demons, eh? Lets go see what they're up to!"

"Cooking?" The oni questioned before he simply laughed aloud at the concept of oni coming to bake something. "Maybe we'll get something tasty to snack on after we're done with them, then, eh?" Shou remarked, his gaze still forward as he continued to trek across the branches of trees.
The more lighter haired oni paused as he glanced over his shoulder. He was dressed in all black, donning a cloak that fell over his shoulders and passed his waist to fall down around his knees, concealing a small sheath about half the size of a normal blade. The raven-haired companion of his seemed to notice as well. "I do hate interuptions.. we can't have any setbacks. Attend to them, would you?"
The other smiled, more than happy to oblige. He turned and stepped forward a few paces before coming under the shadow of a tree, his form beginning to sink down into it.

The oni touched down onto a tree branch, before it suddenly gave way, much to his surprise. As he glanced down to the severed wood, he noticed a blade passing through it and slashing up still in his direction. "Keh!" With his boost in speeds, he was able to kick off from it and allow himself to drop to the forest floor, looking in the direction to the wielder of that weapon. The man before him descended as well, his black cloak falling back down around him as he landed with a short blade within his grasp. An uncanny smile graced his lips as he looked to the pair. "Good evening." His voice was melodic in greeting as he rose his weapon in the direction to the two of them. "Might I inquire what brings you strolling around these parts of the wood?"
The fyre demon snickered as he rose his hand over the side of his abdomen, flames suddenly shooting forth from his being as the hilt of a blade emerged from his flesh. He pulled it forth from his body, the fire ceasing as he swiped Mabushiiken out before him. "We're killing oni. Like yourself."

"Atilla!" The oni shouted at the woman's move off his shoulder and moving closer towards the other that had all ready been declared an enemy. The man's smile didn't fade as he crouched low to the ground, extending a hand out towards the angel. "Hm, this spirit doesn't feel like an oni.. come here, little angel." He baded in his same melodic and friendly tone. The fyre demon shot forward atop a disc of flame that carried him above the rat, lifting Mabushiiken up high before him as he brought it slashing down towards the other. Before the blade of the katana would connect, though, five shadowy forms shot up from the ground, claws reaching out and slashing against the fyre demon and throwing him off of his path. "Guk!" Shou grunted, gritting his teeth as he was pushed back from his direction, landing near his original position before he had made his charge.
"It's rude to interupt.. don't you know?"

"Husband, hmm?" His eyes regarded the oni with some amusement before he chuckled and stood fully back to his feet. "Well, then. That makes you little interest. An angel tainted can hardly be considered an angel at all." Before him a large shadow rose up to seperate the two of them. It suddenly broke apart, forming countless needles that shot out towards the rat and demon both. Again Shou ran forward, "Atilla!" He yelled once more, a growl of frustration within his voice, as a burst of flame erupted just before the rat, a flamewall that ate away at the needles that came into it. It would extinguish a moment later as Shou charged forward above the rodent once more, Mabushiiken swinging around. A shadow emerged and blocked the oncoming blade, a wave extended out to cover the light-haired demon's side. "A demon of flame, hmm?" The shadow that had blocked the blade exploded into needles as the one before it had, puncturing into the fyre demon's chest to send him back once more.

His shoes touched back down on the ground, growling lightly from the several wounds that littered his body, small and miniscule cuts that individually bled against the fabric of his torn clothes. The other demon lifted slowly off the air, glancing around his surroundings as he seemed to unwillingly levitate. "Oh? Haha.. how delightful." The man said, the smile remaining ever present before looking back towards the pair. "It'll take more, though." Shadows seemed to consume his body and the demon disappeared from his spot. They reappeared just behind the fyre demon, a bulb of shadow energy unblossoming around him as he spun with his blade drawn.
The tip of the blade dug across the man's back, but the next instant had fire suddenly blasting outwards from the sides of each of them, encasing their area with a dome of flames while the oni shot a glare over his shoulder.
"Oho." The dark-clothed demon chuckled, before the flames crashed down on the both of them, Shou remaining standing strong in face of his own magic.

As the flames lifted away from the area, the shadow oni stumbled back before disappearing from his spot once more, though Shou was able to catch sight of the burns on the man. "Don't apologize, Atilla." The fyre demon stated, with a smirk upturning the corner of his lip as his hand gripped down more firmly on the hilt of Mabushiiken. "We'll beat this guy for sure." The oni stated firmly as his opponent reappeared ahead to face them, chuckling lightly even at the light of his new wounds. The red hair of the fyre demon began to rise and spike outwards, trailing all the way down his back in a mane. Growling, his canines sharpened and elongated, transforming into great sabre fangs. As his sword arm trembled with a growing bloodlust, his pupils sharpened into cat eyes.
"Haha.. rushing to that so soon?" The shadow demon taunted, before horns bursted forth from his skull, lifting up into the air. His arms and legs buldged with the sudden arrival of toned muscles, while a silver ring looped beneath his nostrils.

The demon snorted through what seemed to be larger nostrils, before he chuckled lightly. "I have to say, I'm having quite a deal of fun.." His tone was no longer melodic nor soft, a roughness that represented the animal he was. "I'll tell you my name, fire demon.. Aidan." He bent at the knees around the time Shou felt the increase in power from Atilla, ever grateful for the woman's blessings. Through her, he could feel the strength of Bleaus filling him as he gripped the hilt of Mabushiiken ever tighter. "Aidan Vacon!" The fyre demon thought to move forward and strike with his new speeds, but he might have blinked his set of crimson orbs once before the other had bursted to come just before him. His short sword swung around, but Mabushiiken caught and intercepted it. "Oho.. you've gotten faster, eh?" The bull would comment, while the lion pressed down onto the blade, a grin drawing fast on his face. "Better, faster, stronger!"
He swiped the blade forward, pushing the short sword and the owner back through the air. Aidan was caught by surprise of the sudden brawn that was backed in the swing, finding himself vulnerable in the air. The next instant that he knew brought that same katana plunging into his stomach, his eyes widening at the weapon's entrance into his body. The second instant had him dissipitating into shadows once more, re-appearing some distance aways as he clutched at his stomach. "Ugh!" He suddenly coughed up blood as a foot slammed into the same point of entry, the fyre demon's attacks coming quick and unrelenting as his body flew through the air and his back smashed against a tree, falling to the ground.

Shou was on the slumping form of the man in an instant, his free hand snatching outwards to grip the other's neck within his hold, having him pinned against the tree still dazed. Though Mabushiiken remained in his grip, it didn't slow the onslaught of punches that brought the fyre demon's knuckles bashing into the face of the other, drawing blood on the first, bringing forth a loud crack of the bull's nose on the second, and damage only increased severely worse as a third, fourth, and fifth followed. There fast became no need to count how many times he punched, for they came on swiftly and with full force, eventually the bull's head breaking through the bark of the tree and sending the structure crashing down onto the forest floor.
The oni then whirled his body around, thrusting and releasing the bull oni into the air, his movement not halting even as he smashed through a set of branches and came out atop the forest's trees. Five blades of fire suddenly surrounded the man's position after forming and molding into their scimitar forms, moving forward as they stabbed him from every angle. His eyes widened, the first movement he made from the daze he had been put in, the burn of the flame fast bringing him alert once more.
The demon, Aidan, disappeared under a veil of shadows once more, coming again on the ground within Shou's sight. "Another time.." The bull demon managed to grunt weakly, seeing his defeat clearly. Before the hunter could move, he spotted the other dipping into the shadow of a tree and disappearing from the area all together. "Tch..!"

"I think so." The oni growled, still grasped within his transformation as a grin drew from the corner of his lips. Shou turned his attention in the original direction they had been heading, shooting forward in a dash as he manuevered his way through the trees, avoiding each one. He came upon what looked as a campsite in the woods, an area that appeared as if fire had been burnt and some rope tossed on the ground.
"Heh, damn." Shou remarked, disappointed as his transformation lifted from his body, returning to his original state. He stroked Atilla gently atop her head with warmed fingers, gesturing that she could release her spells of enchantment. For now, this battle appeared to be won.

"Seems like it." The oni noted, her reasoning seeming just. She had stated that she smelt something cooking and surely something had been. "That demon, Aidan. You think he was just a distraction?" Shou swung his katana and brought it stabbing down into himself, flames consuming the metal as it welcomed it in, allowing it to bond with his spirit once more.

"Heh. My kind isn't all that dull." The oni replied, thinking the angel's comment had been one of disbelief to the notion. Shou crouched down in front of the burnt out pieces of wood, sniffing lightly at the air, noting that it couldn't have been long since there was a flame here. His crimson orbs then scanned the ground for tracks that might have been left behind, his hunter instincts guiding him as he wouldn't have minded pursuing in chase. He picked up on nothing, though, figuring these spirits must have taken flight, or used a transportation akin to the bull demon's. The oni sighed, standing back up to his full height. He had won a fight, but he would have surely lost it without Atilla's blessings. Not to mention that the demon hadn't even been killed, still out at large with time to recover. His own weaknesses were clearly present to him. "Tch.. thats annoying." Shou grumbled, kicking over the logs of the campfire.