★ 039 gusts; with Umi

[willofthewinds]

[Voice;]

--please, listen to us! We don't have to fight each other. [That's Fuu's voice amid the hustle and bustle of fighters in the plaza. But, of course, she's not alone in her plea.]

That's right! It's just a curse, everyone!! DON'T DO THIS. You hear me?? We don't have to play this nasty game!

[There were more noises, the murmurs and

Comments

action; 1/2

[soulofocean]

[At first Umi couldn't believe this. It was... just like how Kazuo had described it, or at least horribly similar. Now the whole if it has finally sunk in she only knows one thing for certain: she's not playing along. She's not about to kill people just for some stupid, curse-induced game!

Having found Fuu was both a relief and a concern. Umi's going to do her best to stick beside her best friend to get them both out of here!]

They BETTER listen...!

action; 2/2

[soulofocean]

[But suddenly all these thoughts lose importance.]

---Fuu, watch out!

[Umi turns around just in time to see the other Knight being attacked by some random player.]

action;

[willofthewinds]

[The warning was too late because alleged random player instantly swung his sword at her. Fuu was still quick, though, because instead of her back getting slashed, the attacker just managed to hit her arm.]

action;

[soulofocean]

[Umi's own reaction was quick enough as well. Knowing that she'd never reach the stranger in time for stopping the slash, she simply drew her rapier making a fast thrust for the guy's sword arm. It hit home and he recoiled.

She gritted her teeth just as Fuu was injured, feeling the rage building up inside her.]

...HOW DARE YOU HURT HER?!

action;

[willofthewinds]

[Fuu immediately clutches on to her bleeding arm, knowing it wasn't such a deep wound, anyway. But Umi's anger worried her more...]

Umi-san...

action;

[soulofocean]

Fuu, are you alright??

[Umi for one isn't about to stop to consider the gravity of the wounds. Fuu was hurt. That's all that matters to her.

Using the hilt of her sword to knock their opponent hard on the side of his head gains her time as he falls back to turn to her best friend.]

Heal yourself, I'm dealing with this one!

action;

[willofthewinds]

[She hurries to heal herself with her magic. Concentration is not that hard when it comes to Fuu anyway. But once she sees that their enemy was pulling out a gun, she loses all focus.]

Umi-san, watch out!

action;

[soulofocean]

[A gun...? No. This isn't fair...! Or anything she was ready for...

...Stupid thoughts that cruise through Umi's brain as the man takes aim, and fires. Horribly enough she's not the immediate target. It seems the stranger was frightened by the display of Fuu's magic and all the shots are aimed at the Wind Knight instead.

Some bullet hits Umi's arm, but that's hardly what concerns her most.]

FUU!!

action;

[willofthewinds]

[The immediate surprise had Fuu speechless for a bit that some bullets manage to graze her already wounded arm and her other arm too. She lets out gasps of pain, but she's more resourceful than that.

In a wave of her still able hand, she yells out a spell.]

Mamori no Kaze! [And those other bullets will just be meeting her shield now.]

action;

[soulofocean]

[Umi just about misses anything that happens after the bullets meet their target. Instincts tell her Fuu is safe, but the rest of her awareness isn't paying attention. All she knows is that this man... this MONSTER... is out to kill her best friend in cold blood. It hits too close to the nightmares both she and Fuu suffered together. And those that have been haunting Umi lately don't really help.

Something snaps inside her, and a tidal wave of magic that has until then been slumbering within her erupts, forced awake by the rage. The waves are ice-cold and far more violent than Umi has ever felt her magic to be.

They engulf the man in a question of seconds and he vanishes from sight, only gurgles of pain reaching the two Knights from within the dark swirl of water.]

action;

[willofthewinds]

[The darkness and the anger, Fuu can feel it. The fact that the wind can sense something violent in the air made her fleetingly think the other Umi was present. But when Umi's long-absent magic began to resurface, Fuu was both shocked and worried.

Is that how her magic looks like now?] Umi-san! You're---

action; 1/2

[soulofocean]

[...It may be the result of hearing Fuu's voice, or perhaps just that its grim work is done. But suddenly the column of water is dispersed away into shards of ice that fly everywhere. The man is nowhere to be found: it could be he melted within the water. Only the larger pieces of ice contain the bloody evidence of what happened.

But Umi is yet to realize it. She's just... standing there, the remants of her aura fading slowly and coldly around her.]

action; 2/2

[soulofocean]

[Then she blinks, unable to believe what just happened.]

I--! ...It's... It's back...?

action;

[willofthewinds]

It... it is. Although... [How can she tell her that her magic seems angrier as opposed to the usual nature it had? Is it because of her temper that her magic seemed darker? Fuu is more worried of that than her injuries, really.]

action;

[soulofocean]

How did it...? Where is he.

[It's probably a good thing that Umi doesn't stop to find out, as the reality of how things are standing finally catches up with her. She rushes to Fuu's side immediately.]

---Fuu! Are you okay?? Did he miss? Did I stop him in time??

action;

[willofthewinds]

[Once Umi's by her side, Fuu still can't believe what just happened. Never mind that her injuries still hurt since she still hasn't completely healed them, but.]

Umi-san, you... [Long pause, trying to find her voice.] You... killed him.