Whilst enjoying the festivities, and watching her people honor her Asuka hears the crackle of thunder and looks to the skies as storm clouds form casting a shadow upon the villagers below. Asuka got a bad feeling and shot a look to Maiden Izumi who immediately rushed to Asuka's side. "Maiden Izumi, that storm seems like it'll be a problem perhaps we should cancel the festival." she whispered to her companion. "Perhaps you are right I will address the people" Maiden Izumi then walks before the crowd of people and raises her hand in order to garner their attention. "People of Sura Village thought our Champion has been enjoying the festivities. Out of concern for the village she has requested that our festivities be postponed indefinitely, please return to your homes and remain safe." Izumi then turns and looks to Asuka. "Hail champion Asuka!" the people too then bow toward her. "Hail champion Asuka!" Afterward, the people begin to disperse Izumi then watches them leave and pack up their belongings, turning back towards Asuka in order to pay her respects with a bow. "It is done Champion." I'll see to it that a group of militiamen keep watch on your palanquin and we make our way back to your home." Asuka smiles. "Thank you, Izumi, I swear you treat me like a queen." she giggles.

"Of cour--" Before Izumi could finish her response an uneasy feeling overcomes her as she feels a tug on the prayer beads she wears around her wrist the jewelry jerking in Asuka's direction her eyes grow suspiscious as she looks to Asuka "Champion, can you feel that?" Asuka realizing something was amiss shuts her eyes in order to hone in the source of the disturbance referenced by her companion "I can actually." Asuka says concurring with the shrine maiden. "The witch has returned..." suddenly she would hear a voice behind penetrate her thoughts. Asuka would then grit her teeth in frustration but then calm herself. "I see you have gotten stronger, but are still nothing more than a coward. Whatever spell you conjure isn't anything I can't handle." Asuka stands from her throne and looks to Izumi realizing that the tug on her prayer beads is causing them to point away from her and towards the throne. "Now show yourself." Asuka holds out an arm in order to keep Izumi safe. Her body swelling with a white Aura of Ki, the champion was ready for anything. 

(412 words.)

Upon watching the dark shadow twist and turn in the ground to eventually form into the visage of Lilith, Asuka crossed her arms. "As I suspected..." seeing the return of the woman who tried so hard to defeat her made her overcome with a quiet rage, Asuka had no tolerance for villainy and locked a gaze with her as the drops of rain began to fall from the sky. "Our people were simply reveling in your defeat all was well before you came along to rain on our parade. I'm assuming the storm was your doing?" Izumi looked out towards the witch the prayer beads on her arm nearly snapping from her wrist. "Wicked witch, leave us be lest ye be struck down by our champion once more!" Izumi proudly proclaimed. However, upon inspection, something was off, while  Lilith's words contained a degree of venom in her tone, why did she not strike Asuka down? Had she not come looking for a fight? 

Either way Asuka proceeded to justify her actions when last they fought not as if she cared what Lilith thought of them either way "I only attempted to kill you, because you dared to bring harm to the shrine of this village--" but before Asuka could finish she noticed Lilith's crude response to her formal wear. Asuka looked down at her attire, somewhat self-conscious. "Uhh..." Izumi then looked to Asuka. "Fret not, Champion the look does your beauty justice." The maiden replies sincerely. Asuka attempted to hide a blush, which is unusual as she is not one to get hung up on appearances and did her best to maintain her composure, even if she was slightly embarrassed that she let Lilith's low-brow comment get to her. Even still, she took the time to thank Izumi for her kind words "Thank you, Izumi." Only to quickly return a gaze of defiance towards her foe.

"Lilith, I don't care why you've come here...but if you do not depart I will be forced to expel you...I will only give you one warning." Izumi who keeps a close eye on the witches movements looks out to Lilith seeing the glimmer of a force field. "Champion...look..." Asuka squints her eyes and notices that the few drops of rain seem to slide down the very spot where Lilith floats as if something was protecting the witch "A barrier...?" She thinks to herself. Asuka begins to suspect trouble suddenly the rain begins to increase even further with Asuka glaring out at her foe. Izumi then began to notice the water levels in the city rising, she steps back towards the Champion."Champion Asuka, what do we do..!?" Asuka then surrounds her body in a white Barrier of Ki and then looks to Izumi. "Izumi get to the shrine, it's the highest point in the village,the Kai will protect you. Warn as many villagers as you can. But don't stop running"

Izumi nods her head, most individuals would be fearful in such a situation but with Asuka's strong leadership her fears were quelled. "Yes Champion." as the rain became fiercer and dirt roads turned to mud, Izumi sprinted away towards the shrine. Asuka then stared down her foe, she then began to speak but instead of inciting provocation she simply asked a question.  "Why hurt them? I'm the one you want...?"  As she finished her words the rain began to land on her face peeling off her makeup, she then disrobed revealing her traditional martial arts gi beneath it and dawned her red headband which she tightly tied on her head Asuka then spoke once more. "Either way, do your worst I'll defend them no matter what."

[WC Total = 1,804]
 

As townspeople notice the change in the weather, and began running for cover Izumi enters the fray “Everyone hurry, there is a flood upon us! Everyone head to the shrine!” Upon hearing her words the townspeople prepare to flock towards Izumi cries as she runs through the streets of the village attempting to ferry everyone towards the shrine. But In the same moment as she says these words her prayer beads begin to rattle in the direction of Dullahan’s steed which is headed right for her brandishing his weapon as if to decapitate her Izumi slowly turns about to match it’s gaze and shrieks as he brings down his blade, but just before the blade could touch the maidens skin Asuka appears in an effort to stop the headless horseman’s advance,  and after successfully managing to shield Izumi she is struck in the shoulder as a result and is left with a grisly wound.

Blood staining Asuka’s clothing as the horsemen violently hacks the blade from her body.As Asuka cries out in pain whilst holding back the beast the townspeople exit from their homes looking in horror as they flock towards Izumi. “Izumi…d-don’t stop running! Go now!” Izumi timidly nods her head frozen with fear, but just seeing the look in Asuka eyes gives her the strength to rally forth she then continues her race towards the Shrine. “Quickly everyone this way!” Izumi scurries away leaving Asuka to deal with Dullahan her weakened body struggling to keep this demon spawn at bay.


But with the headless horsemen momentarily slowed down, Izumi and the villagers begin their ascent up the shrine however Izumi begins to feel her uniform dampening as the water levels rise, making movement slightly more difficult, in order to avoid slowing everyone down Izumi steps aside and allows the villagers to ascend up the stairs first giving each one of the villagers a slight push as they ascend up the shrine in order to encourage them to move faster, and once everyone is safely out of the water Izumi follows behind and leads the ascension from the rear as Asuka continues to bravely hold off Dullahan. 

“Izumi! Hurry!” Asuka cries her grip weakening as the water begins to reach up to the young girls ankles and with the wound she is currently suffering keeping this monstrosity back won’t be able to last much longer. Izumi continues to push the villagers up the steps “Keep moving everyone, we must make haste!” she shouts as they continue their race to the top of the shrine and once everyone has made it up and out of the flood waters Izumi herself then begins to make her ascent leading the charge from the rear.

[WC Total = 2,264]
 

As the water rose and Dullahan rose up upon the surface of the water Asuka lost her grip and was immediately toppled over and trampled it’s hooves practically caving in her chest whilst magnifying the pain by having its flaming horseshoe clip against her injured shoulder. Asuka then felt the water overcome her loosening her headband and causing it to unravel off of her head only for the warrior herself to be swept away into the flood water, her body turning over and her hand outstretching as she looked back with futility. As this transpired, a frightened Izumi watched on in horror as the Champion had been washed away by the storm. Izumi nearly shed a tear but knew she had to be strong as it is what the champion entrusted her to do, and upon seeing the witch land, Izumi held out her arms, in order to create a barrier in front of the shrine in order to stop the witches advance, revealing now her hidden clairvoyant powers as a large white screen that mimicked the appearance of glass appeared from nothing shielding the shrine and the villagers from her approach with Dullahan still making his way up cutting down any of the villagers unfortunate enough to have failed to seek refuge in time and weren’t fast enough to make it up all the way up the steps

Meanwhile, As Asuka continued to float away into the town which whizzed by in shades of greenish-blue as her vision became tinted from the watery depths. Thinking quickly she managed to grab hold of a nearby sign that formerly hung from the building she was now on and now served as a buoy for her to grab hold of which she used to hoist herself up onto the rooftop using what strength she had left in her left arm. When she finally got to safe ground Asuka rolled over on her stomach and did her best to breathe but this proved difficult as her lungs had been punctured after being trampled by Dullahan. Asuka could barely hold herself up on one knee struggling to keep her body upright, and watched helplessly as the shrine burned in the distance as villagers who failed to make it up the hillside were either cut down by Dullahan or dragged down into the flood waters and carried away by the current. Asuka dropped her head defeated as if there was nothing that could be done. But out of the corner of Asuka’s eye, she noticed her headband floating down the stream and reached out with her right arm to grab it and looked to it recalling all of the faces of the villagers and friends she had come to make her last thoughts of Izumi. With her mind now refocused, Asuka fought through the pain and tied her headband on her head and readied herself for the only thing she could think to do. “I’m not finished yet, I’ve got to try there’s only one thing I can do…” Asuka then took her working right hand and did her best to gather energy in her pitiful state.

“Tetsu…” she said as a small ball of energy began to form, she then honed in on the ghastly headless specter that neared the peak of the shrine. “Ha…” Soon the blast would reach the largest peak it could with amount of energy she had left. Just then the image of Izumi flashed in her mind and that of all the villagers that she still needed to protect giving Asuka enough strength to muster up the energy she needed to even from a knelt position launch the massive blast directly at Dullahan with enough ferocity to tear the beast asunder. “KOGEKI!” she shouted to herself the blast whistling as it made it’s way towards the shrine, setting Dullahan ablaze and the flames tearing the beast apart leaving a burning husk as it toppled down the steps and into the floodwaters below as the residual flames from the impact of the blast crashed against the barrier in front of the shrine. Izumi whimpered as a tear fell from her eye. “Asuka…?” seeing this display gave Izumi hope “The Champion lives!”  Izumi shouts as she caught a glimpse of Asuka kneeling out in the distance.  Seeing Asuka's courage on display  gave Izumi an idea as she then quickly turned about and pushed her way through the crowd of people and out of site from the witch, rushing towards a hidden armory that contained a sacred bow but no arrows, Izumi placed it against her back and then walked forward however just then she notices a basket of mushrooms that cause her prayer beads to tug out in said direction.

Izumi examines them but is uncertain of their origin she then looks to the witch and concludes that this must be what she is after. Curious, Izumi picks up the basket and walks to the front of the shrine with them and sets them down in front of Lilith, however, keeping them out of her reach she then points her bow towards them as a white arrow of light is aimed right at them. "If you wish to have your precious, fungus purify yourself witch. Cease this storm and purify yourself!" Izumi nods to the small fountain beside the shrine, "Place your hands in the fountain, wash your hands, face and rinse your mouth out, once you have concluded, ring the bell three times and only three times." Izumi nods to the bell above the Witch's head. "Also, take these and hold them in your hand, as you ring the bell you will then ask the Kai's to purify you of your magic." Izumi tosses her prayer beads to Lilith.  "Hand them back to me once you are finished, Do as I say or I will destroy this fungus." the villagers had never seen Izumi with such conviction, and all stood in silence as she dared to stand up to the diabolical woman who had caused so much destruction. Asuka who was bearing witness to this from a distance noticed, Izumi, holding a bow and was uncertain of what to make of the situation "Hey...what's Izumi doing?" Asuka remarked as she faded from consciousness due to her injuries leaving behind a bloody heap on the rooftop where she lays.

[WC = 1,066] 

[WC Total = 3,300]

Izumi saw the beads vanish before her very eyes and now the tables have turned her heart sank as her gambit failed, and now she was the one being given the ultimatum but with such a display of treachery how could she be certain that she could trust her. On the rooftop in the distance, Asuka’s body lies broken and she was losing a good amount of blood from her injury on the verge of certain death. With their shrine ablaze and their village halfway under water. Izumi stands before the venomous witch and is given a choice; sacrifice Asuka or hand over the ingredients. Izumi had never faced such pressure and was uncertain of what to do “Let her die! If she were a true champion she could’ve saved us!” cried a villager, this sudden change of heart appalled Izumi “We cannot just let her die, she saved us from that beast.” Izumi retorted “Why not aim for the witch, the true menace!” barked another villager, as this goes on Izumi who could barely believe what she was hearing and whispered to herself. “Gods help us…”


Izumi then turns to the witch and is still uncertain as to what choice to make but after some moments of deliberation and being left with no other choice Izumi drops the barrier which silences the people, she drops her weapon which clunks to the floor and reluctantly hands the witch her basket a great deal of shame on her face. “I surrender…” With the barrier now down, Lilith is now free to take her ingredients and depart. The villagers were stunned by this display of cowardice “Izumi why?” cried out a villager who lashed out at Izumi’s surrender. “We can no longer fight, and should we try who’s to say she will not only destroy the champion but us as well!?” Izumi snaps at the villagers. However, her voice returns to one of calm as she looks to the witch. “The risk is too great…it's best to just give her what she wants.” She says. The villagers seeing her logic go silent with all that can be heard is the sound of the rain. Izumi raises her eyes to Lilith. “Now please, take your ingredients and leave us and…Asuka…in peace.” Izumi places the basket in front of her and takes a step back, holding up the barrier once more, lightning crackling in the background as the waves crash behind her. 

[WC = 415]

[WC Total= 3,715]