Crippled Flame

Hiroshi was thinking. 'Though she had a blue outline, which according to you means she's innonenct. So if she is a spy, it may be unknowingly or she is forced into it. We know too little information about the situation. Come to think of it, do you know if there anyone in particular 'in charge' far as the Oni goes? I know their dead master but besides that, not sure if there are factions or anything.'

"The Oni Overlord... is not dead.. mearly sealed away..." the Obliterator growls "As for... who leads... the Oni now... it is... usually... the strongest Oni..." he grumbles.

[i]"However... let us... be off... to keep an eye... on Nixa's friend..." he growls.

He had no problem with that, though he wasn't entirely kosher with it he did need to know for both Nixa and Sarah's sake. Only issue was he couldn't stay in the shadows too long so it was going to be..difficult but he'd use it when he could.

It didn't take long to find a place to watch Taki and her friends, Sarah, the Oni.Lara, the American exchange student. And Mitsuki, Taki's childhood friend.

All four were sitting a small table in Taki's room, talking about what happened at school today. Nothing really interesting "Did you hear about Tsogetsu? I heard that he had some king of mental breakdown and had to be put in a hospital." Sarah says.

Taki looked a bit guilty and nods slowly "I heard about it from, uh, someone when I went to get some medicine..." she mumbles.

"Serves that little creep right." Lara says, twirling one of her twin tails "I swear, y'all should have let me kick his tail long ago. That would have set him straight." she says in a huff.

Mitsuki shakes her head "I don't know, he was odd, but I don't he deserves to get beaten for it." she mumbles. She's always been soft spoken, if a bit jumpy at random times.

Nothing so far, but good to know none the less. It seemed he also finally got to see what her others looked like besides Sarah. They seemed human, but he'd have to check.

Sarah had that same burning aura as before, the auea that belonged to the Oni. Lara, the American, had the standard gray aura, she was Human. Mitsuki had an emerald green aura that was almost painful to look at, which meant she wasn't Human, but something else. All four of them had the bluish inner glow to them, which meant, well, who really knew what it meant, but at least they weren't evil.

It seemed like Hiroshi wasn't going to learn anything this round, maybe a bit later if he kept at it. What was interesting was the new aura that was painfully bright, that was new to him. 'Any idea what that color is?'

Though he also wanted to see something, if Taki's friends were blue then what was her color? It give him some insight on some things for future reference.

Since the aura wasn't bright, but rather painful to look at, like a certain combination of colors, the Obliterator 'turned off' the ability to 'See', as he called it "Yes... I know... what that... thing is..." the fact rhat he called Mitsuki a thing, and not a person, meant he didn't care for what she was "It is... best... you keep her... from Nixa... only bad things... will happen otherwise..." and that was all Hiroshi would get from the Obliterator.

"free me..." that thing that had followed Hiroshi was back again "i did... nothing wrong... free me... from this hell..." he begs once more, his presents was getting closer.

Hiroshi was going to respond when he heard that voice again, which annoyed them. 'Them again. We need to boot them if nesscary so they won't bother us when we're doing. You seem to know of them, think we could take them if they're hostile?'

"With little doubt..." the Obliterator snarls, sounding annoyed "That sad... pathetic creature... was once... a Hunter... however... he stuck... his nose... where he... should not have... and paid for it... by being trapped here... by another Hunter..." he explains.

The Individual who was following Hiroshi through the Darkness finally shows himself "Free me... from this hell..." he pleads once more "I did nothing wrong... free me... this place... is killing me...".

Hiroshi wasn't sure what to make of them, especially since his sight wasn't there for other little details. However, he wasn't by no means completely heartless. "I don't know you or anything about you, but I'm not heartless. So before anything else, I'll hear you out. Tell me who you are and why you were put here. I'll know if you're lying." Partially a bluff, but partly not since his guest may be able to tell.

"My name... was Daniel... I was a Hunter once... I was banished here... by another Hunter... named Mad Rad... just for doing my job..." he says "This place... is driving me insane... takes me from this... nightmarish hell... before it kills what little... of my real self... I have left..!" he pleads again.

Hiroshi was silent, mulling it over. He was a believer in second chances, hell even Cedrick did apparently despite her rather infamous reputation they had in the past. Just leaving them there forever sounded too cruel. After a moment he sighed. "All right, I'll free you but Don't make me regret this or we're going to have issues later."

The creature before Hiroshi, who was formerly known as Daniel holds a hand out "Take me from this Hell. I am more than ready to leave.' he says, releaf floods his voice.

Hiroshi didn't answer verbally but he wasn't sure where to drop this altered man off at. He was a former Hunter but it was obvious he had been changed. 'Any suggestions where to drop our 'guest' off at?'

"A dumpster... I would think... fitting... for trash like him..." the Obliterator snarls. It was very clear that the dark creature didn't care for this former Hunter once named Daniel "Where ever it is... keep him away... from the Humans... he is... broken... and needs to... Fix himself... before interacting... with anyone else..." he growls.

Hiroshi heeded that advice and decided to drop Daniel off far away in the forest, former Hunter and such he'd survive and by the time he'd come back he should(hopefully) be in a better place. Maybe the nature would do him some good.

Once that was accomplished and he was back into the shadows again he decided to bring something up. 'So I have an absolutely crazy idea and I have no idea if I'm going to do it or it'll even work. But Oni follow the strongest one who challenges the leadership, and they don't have to be Oni themselves right? I remember some creature that wasn't an Oni leading them.'

'So I guess my idea if I challenged and took leadership, I could prevent the Oni from self destructing, keep people and Taki and her family safe all one swoop. Not sure if that's how it works, but if it does do you know anything about the current leader?'

Back in Taki's room, the girls gave off no indication that either knew the other was different "You Really saw it?" Lara asks in a hushed tone. All the girls were blushing, except for Mitsuki. She had on her normal stoic look.

Tank nods slightly "What did it look like? Was it all hairy and veiny and gross looking like in the H manga?" Sara asks in an equally low tone.

"The ones where the character's junk is blury?" Lara asks, inquisitivly.

"Since when do either of you read that kind of stuff?" Mitsuki asks Lara and Sarah, which gets them blushing even more.

Taki shakes her head "No. It was, from what I could see, quite nice looking. Not gross at all... in fact, when I was looking, it made me feel... warm, you know, inside... I, wouldn't mind, seeing it again..." Taki explains, her face was burning red.

Lara points an accusing finger as she jumps up "Hah! Taki's a pervert!" she declares, with a hint of triumph in her words.

"Are you Really one to talk, Lara?" Mitsuki asks, which seems to knock Lara right off her moral high horse as the blonde plops on down again, defeated.

"You know..."Taki says in a low tone "I wouldn't mind, seeing it again..." she mumbles, as her face turns a shade of red.

Lara thinks for a bit "Why not have a sleep over one of these days, yeah?" she suggests "Make it on a day where Hiroshi is here." she says, getting an eye from Sarah and Taki "What? It's not like you're the Only one who wants to see it, right?" she points out.

* *

Back in the shadows, over looking Taki's room "Yes... is the short answer... the strongest... lead the Oni... even if... they are not... Oni themselves..." the Obliterator growls "Let me... put it... like this... if someone... whom you have... never seen before... and is very strong... comes to... your house... and dominates your family... would you... try to oppose them..?" he asks "It Can... be done... but you will likely... encounter resistance... along the way... and after... from those... looking to... replace you... as top dog..."

Hiroshi wasn't sure what to make of the gossip but he wasn't too surprised, at the least it meant Taki most likely wouldn't try to duck him when he tried to talk to them.

Though, the explanation he got in his head wasn't the best it Was what he expected. 'I figured it wouldn't be a good idea but nice to have a second voice confirming it. Scratch that idea then.'

He was thinking of leaving since they were likely not to find anything, the only thing to gain was perhaps follow Sarah home to see if she was indeed a spy. Hiroshi really didn't like doing this but the safety of his loved ones came first.

"No... it is... a solid plan..." the Obliterator growls "For it to work... you need... something... that the Oni... didn't have before..." he snarls "And your key... to victory... is sitting... Right there..." he hisses.

Sarah shivers "Is it cold in here?" she asks.

Lara shakes her head "No and don't think we didn't see that shiver of yours. In America, we refer to that as 'Someone walking over your grave." she explains.

Taki frowns slightly "That's kinda dark, isn't it?" she asks.

Mitsuki shakes her head "It's no different from some of our own sayings, is it?" she asks, as she looks towards Exactly where Hiroshi was.

"We should leave... now..." the Obliterator hisses, sounding slightly uneasy.

Hiroshi wondered where he was getting at and how that avoid of the basic issue others not trusting them to lead. He was basically just a stranger on top of been a young teenager at that. However before he could comment further it looked like something going and they should leave, which he agreed with.

So he left the room going some place else in a alley with no one else around as he walked out. 'That was odd. It looked like that one girl could see us.'

"She probably could..." the Obliterator hisses "Her kind... are True monsters... even by My standards..." he growls "They call themselves... Necromorphs... and they live... their unholy unlife... to fight... kill... and die..." he explains "Their power... is limitless... and they are... everywhere..."

'Let's try to avoid them then. Last thing we need is to pick fights with things like that. Though is her childhood friend so it was obvious she wasn't born that way. Either way let's leave it alone for now.'

In the mean time, Hiroshi decided he was going to get a hot dog from a stand and then head home. Maybe. The day still had plenty of day light in it.

"We should... follow the Oni girl... she may be.. the key... to taking control... of the Oni forces..." the Obliterator growls.

Hiroshi had finished his food by this time they spoke up. 'Not a bad idea, but probably shouldn't go into that room again if they're still at Taki's place. Doesn't hurt to check I guess.'

He made sure to get somewhere private where no one was looking before he went into the shadows again.