/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>46870080
-Ran-

The last of the Wolf Tengu patrol slumped to the floor, they hadn’t been many, most were probably at Youkai mountain, but those that were left acted as the only significant enemy roadblock for the escapees.

“So cool! So cool!” Chen cheered, jumping up and down as she stood next to Anon, excited at all of the violence and hand-to-hand her guardian had to do in order to defend them.
“Chen…” Ran wanted to object, but it was her own behavior that was causing Chen to act like this, at the very least she wasn’t a rebellious type of teenager. They’d have to have a talk later, she didn’t want to encourage a ruffian-esq personality in her charge.

Ran turned to look at Anon, he had a worried look on his face. While not his friends, and likely to have been among the number of women who abused him while he was trapped in the HSE’s confines. He didn’t like seeing anyone hurt. “They’re okay, right?”

Ran bit her tongue, Anon was a nice man, far too nice, far too willing to extend an olive branch, it was his best and worst quality, and to her own shame had taken advantage of him as well. “Don’t worry Anon, I wouldn’t hurt them too badly.” Ran’s smile was beatific as she spoke.
For a while then they continued venturing outwards from the nucleus of the Hakurei Shrine Experience until they came to an intersection and the world shook.

“Ugh” Chen held her head as the world rearranged itself, before the three of them, the four way intersection had changed into a branch path. Right and left, on the right path __, and on the left path __.

“C’mon, what's with this confusing place.”

“I fear Yukari and Okina’s battle has had more side effects than I was led to believe.” Okina could’ve betrayed them, she could’ve, but did she? What motive would she have? A distraction for Yukari?

Ran terminated that line of thought, she didn’t trust the backdoor god, but they didn’t have any other choice, they had to stick to the plan. They had to either find Goro and Seija, escape of their own, or send our a call of rescue and find somewhere to wait it out.
But if the god did betray them… Ran was beyond human, but she was not beyond rage.

Anon just shook his head, he’d heard a lot of Okina and Ran’s planning, but it also sounded mostly beyond him so he hadn't picked up much.

“Alright.” Ran turned to Anon, her serious tone of voice causing Chen to flinch. “Anon, I need you to trust me about this next part, Yu-”

Suddenly Ran froze, stopping. Ran gulped, taking as large a breath as possible before her body shuddered, and she dropped her Shinki-Talisman to the ground. Ran dropped, almost falling over entirely, but instead, a resolute spirit flamed in Ran’s eyes.

Anon had almost gone to help her before he saw the same change undergo Chen, but instead of managing to stay awake, she shuddered before the light went out in her eyes and she began to fall.

Anon moves before he is able to think, barely scooping Chen up into his embrace before her head can hit the floor.
“A-Anon…” Ran rasps out, taking measured and careful breaths. “My connection to Yukari, c-can you hold Chen for me?”

Ran had expected to have longer until Yukari noticed and for Yukari to resist Ran’s effort to break the connection more. Something was wrong, but in this state being able to hold herself together was a minor miracle. Of course, she'd get more coherent over time, but she was under the impression that Goro and Seija would’ve found them by now.

Distantly Anon could hear the clicking of shoes heels and claws against the hardwood floor, the Yamawaro had appeared in few today and they did not go barefoot. Immediately one word appeared in Anon’s mind, Otters. The Kiketsu had noticed their missing men.
Anon tensed before sharing a quick look with Ran, they needed to move, and now.