Of Monsters and Men (Open)

    Low mist hung over a dim evening in Karakura town. All over the sprawling Tokyo outskirt, its residents retired the evening. Lights flicked out in windows and the city streets grew quiet, still, and empty. All manner of critter, rat, raccoon, and undead began to stir. In this city where the Reishi hangs thick like a cloak, the dead are drawn. Pluses unable to pass to the afterlife of their own accord, are too drawn here by natural necessity they yet scarcely understand. Alone, defenseless, the lingering are simple prey for the furious dead that haunt the darkest folds of the spiritual world.
    For every ten thousand souls, there is one sword to protect them. Mihri Ikeda stood at the top of a long staircase, overlooking a large field. Sparse trees and empty buildings dotted the clearing beneath her. Beyond the field sprawled a dark wood of dancing trees. Behind her, the city-scape murmured with ever dwindling activity. Her ears drank every sound. She heard the distant roar of car tires, the barking of a dog. Nearby two lovers greeted in secret. Along a fence, a black cat padded along in near silence. The loudest sounds of all, were the sounds of struggle, the rasped breathing of her prisoner and his panicked heartbeat. He was tied to a post behind Mihri, making every vain attempt to escape.
    “Thissus’ cruelty! Cut me loose, dammit woman!” He protested, but Mihri payed him no attention. He was a known murderer her father sentenced to death. He showed no such respite to his victims. He was only bait for a particularly slippery hollow.
    As her prisoner continued to struggle against a crackling yellow bind, Mihri’s ears followed new sounds. Breathing, heavy, the stamp of sprinting feet on grass. There was not a whisper of Reiatsu, but she could still hear the panting clearly as the source came to a halt. Mihri’s right ear twitched, and she turned her pale blue gaze to her right. Glowing yellow eyes peered from behind a building in the field. The field was unlit, the moon hung high behind thick clouds. The creature would usually be invisible in the dark, but to Mihri’s eyes it was standing there, clear as day and looking rather foolish. It did not seem know Mihri had detected it. She could see only the white of its mask, a few strands of hair and its glowing eyes. A hollow, obviously, and a cautious one.
    She walked to her prisoner, who still struggled against his binds. Mihri released him and took a firm grip of his arm. She threw him to the ground and gave him a stern kick on his romp, to get him moving. He hadn’t really needed convincing, he started down the stairs with such pace he tripped and fell part of the way down. Mihri heard bounding feet again, heard her bait scream, and knew he had met the gaze of his fate. Screams of fear became screams of agony that quickly faded to the sounds of crunching bone and slurped entrails.
    With a flash-step Mihri descended the stairs. The hollow heard her descend. It turned and lunged, claws forward. Mihri spun to the side and gave the hollow a hard punch to the ribs. It touched ground and turned on its heels, swinging a savage claw at Mihri’s head. She parried the blow and jumped back a meter. Mihri could see its whole body now. It walked on hands with razor-like claws, hunched over like an ape. Its mask was a streak of unmarked white bone with several protruding fangs and long black hair.
    The hollow seized the initiative. It lunged and swung a slow, mid-height attack that Mihri quickly countered with a strong strike to its jaw and a side-step. Gaining its composure, the hollow made the same kind of strike again, and a third time, this time faster and from different directions. Mihri dodged the second strike, and parried the third as she delivered a harsh kick to the monster’s abdomen. The hollow lurched back, and Mihri flash stepped to its side, grabbed its mask, and slammed its head into the pavement. Mihri flash stepped away five meters. The hollow sprung upright, and growled an angry roar at Mihri. The hollow began to circle her slowly, studying its opponent. This was her target, Mihri surmised. It matched the reports. An ape-like hollow with a fanged mask and claws. It is intelligent, an opportunist hunter. According to reports, this hollow will run away first chance. Extra Kan for this one thought Mihri. She needed to act quickly.
    With a swift pull, Mihri drew Mōkin. She held her arms out straight, holding the longsword pointed at ground in a fool’s guard. The hollow took yet another slice of bait and lunged, bearing claws forward. Mihri rotated her longsword so the tip came to her shoulder then dropped the tip behind herself in one smooth motion. Mihri sidestepped wide and swung her sword in an upward arc. Steel met the creature’s flesh at its elbow, severing the arm cleanly. The hollow screamed and fell to the ground in a heap. It scrambled to its feet, slipping at first, but got its footing and legged it. The creature bounded away- however it could in its state- leaving a thick trail of blood behind it. Mōkin flashed and flew from Mihri’s hand. The sword took only seconds to catch the hollow and run its point straight through the beast’s brain. The hollow’s body quickly faded away, its Reishi scattering into the winds of the cool evening.
    Mōkin returned to Mihri’s hand. The shinigami pulled a small cloth from her pocket, and began to wipe the blood from her sword.