Episode 7: The Last Samurai

The group found themselves following behind Leric and Jai as they tried to track their father's aether. Leric and Jai slowed down as they knew they ran too fast for the others to catch up. As the group ran after the brothers they could hear Persephone's voice enter their minds.

"My sugarplums...listen Hades said I couldn't go but what if you guys are bleeding out so guess what I sent you my lovely moon and stars, Menphina!"

Hades sighs, "You didn't give her a choice."

Persephone quickly answered back, "Shut up....anyways capture that sin sweeties."

The group continued to run as a puff of smoke appeared next to Leric and he could see the confusion on Menphina’s face.

"Long time no see,” Jai smiled to the girl.


Anthi blinked a bit as she saw yet another source of blue.

"Hey there! Welcome to the insanity! Therapy is at nine bells and there's beer in the cooler. Enjoy the ride,” Anthi joked.

K'enion nearly fell forward trying to stop, the axe and lance she was carrying was a little heavier than she expected.

"Oh, hey it’s you! Don't mind the lack of armor...we sorta just poped up here,” K’enion smirked.

Yukio ran up to catch up with Leric and Jai, noticing Menphina showing up seemingly out of thin air after hearing Persephone's voice. She stopped next to Menphina and caught her breath, holding her hand up in a passive wave but didn't speak. Trunks reached down clenching part of the thick long soft scarf he has taken to tucking into his trousers and wiped his sweat covered brow. Looking about the landscape and finding little of note he sighs heftily returning his hands into the dark thin caverns that are his pockets.  

"Too much talking, not enough searching." Trunks raised his head a bit giving an almost concerned look to Leric and Jai as he reached into his pouch retrieving a cold bottle of water afterwards dropping it back in.


"Look I forget our own strength," Jai sighed, "It's...just its..I…I just don't feel his aether right now."

Ziero would keep a watchful eye behind rest of the group making sure nobody could attack from the rear. Menphina twitched her ears in irritation as she was just ripped away from her very important duty of keeping the couch warm.

"Hello everyone, it's been a bit since I've stepped out of the house what is going on again?" She looked around to everyone and gave a nod in greeting, double checking she had her cane on her person.

Leric smiled gently at Menphina - "Well I am sure we've kept you busy with Persephone in the infirmary as of late but, today we're rescuing my father and killing Greed."

(1)

"Jai you did run off before I could even slip some armor on,” K’enion sighed, "Take a breath and then try and feel for him again alright?"

K’enion stayed close to her partner as he continued to allow everyone to catch their breath. While the group recovered from running Leric’s eyes seemed to be focused on their surroundings. Standing in defense Leric began to use his magick to look for signs of life.

"Hold on," Leric pointed, "Looks like we have company."


Leric ran towards a bush ready to fight when he heard the scream of a young woman rush out. The girl had black and blue hair and seemed like someone who would live in this region. She looked to the group scared but also taking a look at them all carefully. For a moment the Legacy was left to feel confused as this girl observed them. For a moment she seemed almost excited to see them. The woman looked to The Legacy with tears in her eyes as her thoughts confirmed who they were

"You guys are The Legacy yes," the woman asks nervously, "Please, I mean you no harm...that evil thing…Greed...he possessed Akito...that's my brother...please save him!"

Ziero's ears perked up quickly turning to see what the noises were and listened to the young woman talk looking to the others for information. Trunks ears twitched and red flags with the young woman, so he decided to pry information.

"Who is this Greed and how do you know them,” Trunks asked.

The woman held her hands together and tried to talk calmly, "The woman in Black came to this village...she sensed my brother's weakness and enchanted him...I ran away before she could kill me and some of the others but I heard her say 'You are now the Sin of Greed' and my brother hasn't been the same since...PLEASE you have to save him! YOU ARE THE LEGACY."

Anthi's ears flicked a few times as she looks over to the Au Ra. She studies the woman for a moment and walks up to her. "Do you mind if I look into your past a moment? I personally believe you, but this group has been hurt over time..."

The girl nodded and allowed for Anthi to touch her. As Anthi used the power of the echo she could see two young Au Ra searching the streets of Kugane for food. As the visions continued she would see the young man in the vision work with gangsters and lead them to a village. They would grow crops and make illegal substances just to have money from what seemed to be a Yakuza group. As Anthi opened her eyes she could see the young woman crying more.

“What is your brother’s name,” K’enion asked.

"His name is Akito...my name is Yumi...he has raised me since our parents were killed by the Garleans...our life has never been easy....he was willing to do so much because the woman in black promised him riches...he got a bit selfish,” the young woman cried more.

"Much as I assume we would love to say we can save him; it is not something that can be guaranteed.  I will not make a promise I cannot be sure I can keep.  The matter is simple.  If the situation is such that the choice is between his life and the end of the threat posed by greed, then I will put him down.  That is all there is to be said.  Dear as a life may be, it cannot be balanced against the sin of letting this thing continue its work.  The blood of a village is already on its hands."

Anthi took in a deep breath as she looks to the others. "she’s telling the truth. I looked into her timeline and saw her and her brother from a long time ago. It was the same man that attacked Yue in the Red Sea."

Leric shut his eyes and sighed, "It seems like it...from the vision Jai and I got...she does look like him."

"The problem here is we don't know how to KILL this sin...it simply continues jumping from body to body like I said. This is a lot more trouble than my expertise can handle...sorry everyone. I don't know how to save him,” Trunks added.

For a moment the group grew silent and began to think; if they were to help this girl and bring back her brother…how would they capture the sin and not kill him.


"It's not a matter of trust, but of risk and justice.  I cannot conscience letting this Greed give us the slip out of pity for a man who may be already beyond help.  And even if he hypothetically could be saved, is mercy worth the price our hesitation may bring if the demon uses the chance to escape,” Valerie explained.

Jai looked around and thought outloud, "Well...If this 'Akito' is possessed by a sin...it could be something like how it was with Leric...we fought him and it escaped...but...we can let it possess someone else."

"And fight it twice,” Valerie pointed out, skeptically.

"Val, you mind if I cal you Val? Val. I looked into her past. I saw what sort of man he is. He may have fallen from grace, but his foundations are pure. He was just trying to make a living for him and his sister here. Simple survival,” Anthi explained.

"I appreciate the fact the victim is innocent, Anthi.  I'm not blind to it, nor unmoved by it.  But the fact remains that to do anything short of destroying this Greed risks more than one innocent life.  I am not so idealistic as to believe every soul we come across can be saved,” Valerie explained.

Yukio took a step back and looked down, putting her hand over her pouch which held a few empty crystals, taking a deep breath and looking at everyone as she spoke.

"I may know what to do, but we need to weaken him.." she turned to the Au'Ra woman and asked, "Please.. tell us where to go."

The woman looked at Yukio with a giant smile, "If you can save him I would be so grateful."

Leric strokes his chin thinking about what Yukio was planning,  "The crystal acts like auracite...didn't you all capture Leviathan in a similar manner? Catch the sin in the Crystal and Hades will know what to do. Well then...do we have an agreement. Try and save Akito?"

"It'd be a waste to get some poor soul's blood on our hands, we should try to save this brother person if Yukio has an idea what to do." Menphina smiled.

Despite her agreement to save the male her actions made her seem anxious with the way she began to fidget with her wide sleeves. Leric looked to Menphina giving her a reassuring look that everything was going to be fine. As the girl began to lead The Legacy to where Greed was Anthi jumped before the group.

"Have fun, everyone! I need to train this body first,” she said disappearing into thin air.

For a moment The Legacy was confused but, this was Anthi they were talking about. She was often doing crazy things but leaving before a battle was new. Leric and Jai knew that this was her knew body so she probably needed time to train and they didn’t want to hold another lifeless body once more. The young woman pointed to an area not too far from the group and told them that it was too risky for her to go any further. The Legacy agreed that it would be best for her to stay away from this point and told her to wait back in the village for now. As the Legacy followed forward they could see Yue and the sin. The sin held his sword towards The Legacy. The Legacy could see that Yue was weak and covered in blood behind the man.


"So you finally have come to face me...welcome Legacy,” Greed taunted.


Yukio looked at the Sin as they came up on him, seeing Yue behind him. Her fists curled; she knew Yue was not one to be taken down so easily. Holding her hand to her side and forming her bow of ice, she glared at the sin beneath her blindfold and muttered under her breath,

"Your soul is mine.." Yukio tried to hold back the bloodlust she felt trying to overcome her.

Menphina took a step back in shock at the amount of blood and wounds covered all over Yue's body. She drew her cane cautiously letting the other more battle worn comrades take charge. Before anyone can actually do anything though, a flash of red passed through the eyes of a few people from behind Yue and the Sin. In an instant she appeared behind the Xaela man with her knee in the small of his back.
"EXPLOSIVE ENTRY,” she screamed.

The young woman shot off the man's back and threw both hands down, expelling her aether in a blue concussive blast. The man felt a woman stand behind him and tossed her towards the group knocking her down into the party.

"And who the hell are you,” he shouted.



The young woman flew across the air crashing hard into Menphina. Menphina crumpled like a ragdoll as soon as the young woman’s body slammed into her torso. She let out a rough strained gasp as if felt like the air was blown out of her lungs in one Miqo’te-shaped swoop. She laid on the ground as the new woman sat on top of her body, dazed, and confused.

Before the new person could even land K'enion had leapt into the air, both weapons rising above her head. The man stumbled back from K'enion's attack trying to keep hold of  his weapon.

" Ah the half dragon...the woman in black has told me about you,” Greed laughed.

Menphina came back to her senses after K'enion pursued her attack towards the Sin. She grabbed the miqo’te by her shoulder and mustered all her strength to throw the woman off to the side of her. Staggering to her feet, she picked up her cane and began to attune herself to the Earth around her, she channeled her energy into the fallen stones within the rubble and shot them towards the man. The impact of the stones was weakened though due to the sudden impact bruising Menphina's ribcage, causing her to lose full focus on the spell.

The man saw that the healer was distracted and instead of hurting her so soon he picked her off the ground and held her for a second, "A small miqo'te...interesting...this is who The Legacy has...you don't seem so threatening..."

The sin pushed her back into the party leaving her to stumble and fall back on the miqo'te that crashed into her. Ziero seeing his follow comrades getting hurt an aura of energy would explode from his body clashing with the samurai before them. With Greed knocked down, Yukio took a deep breath and steadied herself, lifting her bow and aiming it directly at Greed's abdomen. While he was distracted, by Menphina and the other miqo'te to the ground, Yukio's arrow charged with both the ice it was made with along with more of her aether to make it pack a bigger punch. Yukio let it loose and pierced her mark in the span of an exhale. It went deep, but not enough to do too much. She was testing how hard she needed to shoot, before glancing behind the Sin at Yue just to make sure he was still there, and she wasn't losing her mind. The arrow struck across the man's cheek, and he turned his focus towards her.

"Ah, yes...the one this man swears to protect...I've been waiting for you," he laughed evilly ready to aim towards her.

With the focus on Yukio, Leric and Jai doved in ready to attack. As the two ran towards Greed, he grabbed them both slamming them with both ends of his sword in their ribcages

"Damnit," Leric mumbled," He's fast."


Valerie shifted across the field and physically puts herself between Greed and Yukio.

"Not before you deal with me, demon," she says, readying herself behind her shield.

The sword clashed with the knight; Greed knocked the helmet of the knight just another to confuse her for just a moment.

"You dare to test me," he growled.

Trunks looks down at his rifle, then at Greed as his eyes widened, “This'll fuckin kill him...shit plan D."
Trunks ran in jumping from behind K’enion; upon reaching Greed he leapt into the air attempting a flying drop kick. The man hit Trunks in the back of the neck pushing him down.

"And the ex of Lunaria...I hear she's been happier since you've been gone,” Greed laughed.


Finally getting herself together the new miqo’te shook her head to tried to get her vision to stop spinning. The woman popped up to her feet and flash stepped back into the fray, this time throwing an elbow at the man's stomach. As she went to attack Greed blocked the attack grabbing her by the ankle tightly.

"Didn't I ask you to stay down,” he said as he tossed her off to the side again.


Menphina was just growing more enraged as she kept getting thrown about like a toy.

"That's it, I've just about had it,” Menphina yelled.

Menphina drew up her cane again and channeled the earth around Greed to engulf his legs up to his knees to hold him in place. Using his own magick...the man used his blade to create water and the earth that encased his leg broke. The shards of water and earth flew towards Menphina.

"That's it...Surely...you want more," he mocked.

Ziero charged in slamming his axe in the cross the sin's body. A devilish smirk formed on his lips. The sin could feel a few wounds open on his shoulder leaving him to stumble for his weapon a moment. With Ziero down Yukio and Valerie tried to go and strike him down but Greed moved left and right taking down the woman harshly. With the woman falling down hard Trunks danced around the field fire shot after shot towards greed strategically hitting him in ways to weaken him. Wanting to fight the group harder Greed began to threaten the others aiming his sword towards Yukio. With Greed threatening Yukio he smiled as he grabbed her arrow from before off the ground tossing it back towards her zooming past her neck creating a small gash. Yue growled at Greed seeing that Yukio was injured a bit and he could not move from the spot he sat upon. The sin squinted and then smiled darkly.

"Ah so hurting her bothers you...interesting...I'll make sure you watch her fall then," Greed laughed.

With Yukio threatened both Leric and Jai saw a chance for the Legacy to strike. Both Leric and Jai snuck behind the sin kicking the sword from his hand and holding him down.

"Go, Strike now," Leric and Jai called out.

Valerie mutters a quiet apology to Yukio and regains her footing.  As Valerie gathered herself  she stepped forward and brought the edge of her shield down hard on the demon's head before backing off to keep a wider view of the situation. The skin splits a bit allowing blood to drip down the face of Greed.

"Alright fair...but can your group withstand what happens next." he says as he tries to gather himself.
Trunks ran over to Menphina pulling his tucked in scarf placing it around her wounds where the sharp earth stabbed her forearm then pulls it out as he wrapped the scarf tightly around the wound to stop the bleeding. He ruffles her hair a bit.

"You'll be alright,” Trunks smiled to the young girl.
Once he knew that Menphina was okay, Trunks sprinted head long at Greed lowering his shoulders full on spearing him into the ground.


The sin smirked taking the blows from Trunks before responding back smartly and he grabbed Trunks and threw him into a pile of rocks instead. Trunks ran as fast as he could from his fall over to A’chara and some of the others. He stood close to Yukio as well thinking of what to do next.

A’Chara and Valerie locked eyes as the two decided to create a diversion on the sin.Valrie catches on quick, and angles her shield against sher shoulder to give the miqo'te a solid surface to spring off of. With a swift move, Valerie went in striking the sin. The skins began to crack more and the blood falls upon the sins face he struggles to move


"Remember, don't kill him..." Leric shouted, "We need to save the body!"

Listening to Jai the group nodded and decided to refocus their thoughts. As Jai spoke, Greed began to go on the move again this time heading to hurt Trunks. With her wound now patched up Menphina knew it was her time to shine and help for once. Menphina channeled the vapor in the air to form a water barrier on Trunk's body, a refreshing feeling would hit him from the feeling of the water covering him.


Also taking a moment to focus on what Jai said, Ziero decided to try and strike the back of the sin’s leg with his axe being careful with the attempted strike however, Greed was focused on the group and saw Ziero coming. Moving quickly to the side Greed took the axe from Ziero pushing him back and sending him flying into the ground tossing him and his axe to the side. Greed then put his focus on K’enion striking her in the legs reaching her to call out to her boyfriend in pain. With Ziero and K’enion down, Yukio was ready to move. She began to move along the side still keeping her hand on her wound from the sin earlier. Greed’s eyes stay focused on her, and he began to move along side with her, his sword scrapping the ground as she moved. Seeing Yukio in danger, Leric rushed over to try and stop the sin, but Greed pushed his blade also into the waist of Leric leaving him to stumble. Jai was already heading towards K'enion to help her from earlier and as he turned to see the sin fly over to him sent him down onto his knee as a small dagger dug into his shoulder.

"Can't any of you fight," Greed laughed.

Valerie knew she was in a compromised position and with Yukio hurt she needed to do something fast. Valerie decided to remain where she was, choosing to continue guarding Yukio. Seeing the knight guarding Yukio, Greed headed shoulder first pushing the knight onto the ground this time his blade cutting deep into the armor of her right arm.


Now feeling protected from Menphina Trunks was on the move once  more now firing shot after shot on Greed. With Trunks shooting away, the new miqot’e female let out a growl as she charged towards Greed. She quickly dropped to avoid a slash from his blade as she gathered up her aether in her limbs. She quickly performed a simple backwards handspring to kick the man in his jaw and send him skyward before she jumps back up and drives a fist hard into his stomach.

"MORNING RISER,” She screamed.

Yue watched as there was someone in the party that he did not know. As he watched her strike the sin with everything she had he let out a weak smile...his eyes meeting hers almost saying thank you. With the female’s moving K’enion was ready to fight once more; stumbling around a little bit, the pain from her back flared up again but, she knew she needed to move fast. K’enion growled towards him charging forward and slamming her axe into his chest before balling a fist and uppercutting him in the chin.

"How’s that for fighting?" K’enion shot back ripping the axe out of him.


The shoulder now a bit exposed blood fell down the man...he staggered to stand...this time a blue light came from his shoulder...was this the power of Greed?! It would be a matter of time before The Legacy could capture him. With K’enion moving her axe Ziero knew he needed to follow suit. Ziero picked himself off the ground and with a rush, Ziero began to hit the sin with a flurry of punches swinging wildly and beast like. Greed continued to stumble as a blue light began healing the body. The light flickered as it began to sew the wounds The Legacy inflicted...it would be just a few more hits and The Legacy would capture Greed and save Akito.  Desperate to make a move Greed tossed his blade striking Yukio in the waist.

As Greed's sword slashed her waist, Yukio stumbled back again, wincing as she dropped her bow and watched it evaporate as she held both her neck and her side. Her use of echo to see around her flickered the more pain she was inflicted. Yukio let the darkness overcome her vision as she used her ice cold aether to seal both wounds. Panting a bit, she looked up in the direction of Greed and Yue, listening intently since she became blind again. Trying to gather his strength Yue rose onto his knee only to collapse...a small flask sliding down the hill only leaving Yue to slump on a rock; he wanted to protect Yukio but with the amount of blood he has lost for a moment his vision goes dark...to the group they could see Yue falling asleep.


With Yue down Valerie rose to her feet.  Behind the iron face of her helmet, she grimaced.  Yukio was getting hit badly let alone the stinging in her arms from the wounds.  Indignantly, she closed the gap swinging her shield bashing the demon's arms out of the way, then...her blade ignited.  Blue fire trails the blade as she cuts across his legs, severing muscle and searing as it passed.  She then stepped back and took a defensive guard, covering Yukio. Greed struggled to stand and continued to try and fight the blue flames from Valerie, but his body grows weaker with each attack.

"We underestimated...so...much," he said weakly.

Yukio slowly got up, wincing a bit, and holding her side. She let out a long-exhaled sigh before standing fully, reaching one hand up to balance herself against Valerie's shoulder and forming her ice bow once again in her other. After steadying herself, she reached up and pulled down her blindfold, her black and white eyes staring Greed down since she couldn't use the echo anymore for right now. They seemed to glow…an intense amount of her aether forming as cold winds would rush over the party. Knotting an arrow and pulling back the drawstring, taking in a deep breath as a beam of light formed at the tip of her arrow. On exhale, she released, the arrow piercing Greed's wounded shoulder, sending him flying onto his back, and with all the strength she could muster, rushed forward, pulling out an empty crystal from her pouch and jumping on top of the Sin, shoving that crystal into his wound and staring him dead in the eyes.


"You're DONE! Get away from Yue!" She yelled

As the blue lightning would be absorbed into the crystal, now holding Greed's essence and leaving Akito's body. She stuffed the crystal back in her pouch and slowly got off of him, panting slightly as she limped over to Yue and fell into a sit by his side, holding his body up against hers. Valerie relaxed her stance and lifted her visor; however, she didn't put away her sword. Valerie moved over to Akito and stood near his head.  

"Someone confirm that this boy is free of the demon,” Valerie commanded.

The man's body laid on the ground leaving Leric to walk over and check on his vitals.

"He's alive," he smiled, "I know his sister won't be too far."

As the dust settled Jai looked over to the woman who helped assist in battle. She stood around with everyone else observing what had happened, so he knew they needed to thank her.

"Hey...we didn't catch your name...you just kinda...appeared,” Jai laughed.
The woman looked over to Jai and shrugged, "Never threw it, so I'd be worried if you caught it…Anyways... I'm A'chara Rihll. And you people stole my fight!"

Leric looked to A'chara for a moment, "Stole…What do you mean?"

"I'm travelling around the world taking on strong opponents as part of my training. But it has to be a one-on-one fight, or it doesn't count! And then I heard about guys like this, so I set out real fast,” A’chara explained.

Jai listened and turns to A'chara before speaking, "Well...we're currently on the path to take out the world's 8th strongest creatures...if you are willing to follow us that is."

A’chara tilted her head and stares blankly at the man, "Why would I want the eighth strongest? I want the strongest so that I can get my promised fight with the strongest person?"

"To find the strongest...we must take out her 7 guards, with one down...6 remain...help us take them out and you can fight her," Jai smirks.

A’chara taps her chin in thought for a moment. "Only if I get to fight them alone."

The group chuckled for a moment at A’chara’s newfound energy and while they got to know the fighter, Valerie was focused on healing Akito. Valerie bent down to begin treating Akito's injuries with her newfound magic.  As she did it, she nudged his head with her other hand.  

"Wake up, boy.  I've got a question for you,” she commanded.


While the young man took a few moments to awaken, Yukio tried to catch Yue from falling and looked around. She still couldn't see clearly and the fuzziness around her vision was frustrating. She closed her eyes and pulled her blindfold back up over her eyes, using the echo one final time to locate Yue's flask, sensing it over in a small ditch. Gently releasing Yue for just a moment, she went and picked it up, coming back to him as quickly as she could and hands it to him.

"Here.." she said softly.

Yue placed his hand on Yukio's shoulder almost gently so he wouldn't put too much of his weight on her. He drank the small vile and took a deep breath.

"Thank you...all of you for coming...I know what I did wasn't-"

Leric interrupted, "That is the last time you ever do something like that...do you realize what you put all of us through.”
Before Leric could finish he saw the look Yue gave him and quickly shut up.

Yue sighed, "Again. Thank you."

Yukio shook her head and wrapped her arm around Yue's waist to help support him to stand, looking up in his general direction.

"No. Leric is right. Don't you dare do something like that again. You wouldn't need to thank us for coming to your aid if you had just let us stay to help you in the first place,” Yukio spoke firmly to Yue.

For a moment Yue was quiet and squinted at her before closing his eyes.

"Thank you but," Yue looks down at her, "We need to work on your defense."

For a moment those who knew Yue were surprised to see that the man was speechless. He wasn’t use to someone talking back to him and for the moment he listened to her but, Leric and Jai wondered what the outcome of that would be. As the group looked down the young man they fought began to wake up.

“Wha...what happened," he said nervously.

"First, your name.  Speak it,” Valerie says, quietly but firmly.

"My...my name is Akito," the man looked around and saw that everyone had weapons, "L-look if the Yakuza sent you my sister and I are up on our payments okay...where is she...please tell me she is, okay?!"

"Easy, boy.  I'm just checking something," Valerie said, her voice immediately softer, “What matters is that you're awake.  Your sister is waiting for you.  Can you stand on your own?"

"I...I should be fine...Look I really don't want any trouble...I can take it from here,” Akito said nervously.

"It's rather a long story.  You can ask your sister for the details.  All I'll share is that you're lucky she loves you so dearly.  Be sure to repay that love in kind,” Valerie smiled.

Akito looks to the Knight and smiled, "She is my guiding light. Thank you all of you. If you guys wouldn't mind...we have a small home, there...may I please offer you a warm meal before you travel again?"
"We really shouldn't impose.  Our journey is not long, so it would be improper to ask you to feed us all.  Still, your offer is kind, and we are humbled by the offer,” Valerie bowed.

The young man understood, and he wanted to at least lead them to the hot spring where the group could clean up before continuing on their way. The Legacy decided to do that and move ahead as best as they could. For now, Yue was back with them, and one sin was taken away. With the woman in black and the six other sins still out there…it was a matter of time before they would be back on the road to fight again.