D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

--- Kat ---

Kat felt her breath catching as she tried to calm down. Hunter was setting up a target in the centre of the circle to aim for, ensuring the bullet exploded when it made contact… and Kat couldn't help but feel she wasn't ready. This was a fight that everyone was going to be involved in. This was a fight Bower didn't necessarily expect to survive.

This was a fight Lily was going to actively participate in, alongside Kamiko.

Hunter could take care of herself… but it was perhaps even more important that she didn't go down. If Hunter couldn't attack anymore, then it would be down to the rest of the group to deal damage to this drake… and Kat was fairly certain they simply wouldn't be able to measure up. Bower, perhaps, if he had some really fancy bolts hidden away but otherwise? It would be even more of a slog.

One that Kat wasn't sure they could complete. If Hunter went down they seemed doomed to run out of energy before the drake did.

Which meant really, Kat had to ensure that everyone walked away healthy. That the drake could NOT be allowed to get to any of them. It was a lot of pressure and the build-up was really starting to get to her. The fact that she could feel similar worries from Lily, perhaps magnified by her own concern, was not helping matters. Kat let out a shuddering breath as she once more failed to keep calm.

*Perhaps it would be best to temporally close the link. We aren't really helping each other like this.*

[Don't you dare. I bet you'd just get worse if I wasn't around to 'hear' it. I'm worried as well Kat. This is a big deal, perhaps the very biggest deal… but I trust that you'll pull yourself together once the fight starts.]

*I expect so…. But that really doesn't mean I'm fine now. I almost want to start using my calming aura to try and help but I might need that in the actual fight so I can't risk using it now. It's just really grinding on my nerves. The fact that Hunter is fiddling with that target is NOT helping matters.*

[She was very clear that the position of it mattered. She's trying to sense where the space is weakest. Do you want to deal with more spatial sheers then absolutely necessary because I really don't?]

*I'm not saying I don't understand Lily… I get it. I don't want to rush her, it's why I'm staying silent and only complaining to you now you've spoken up… but damn is the fact that she's spent five minutes subtly adjusting the target getting to me.*

[Did you ever think that perhaps it's getting to Hunter a bit as well? She might have a number of hunts under her belt, and she's implied heavily that she's done stuff on this scale before… but I get the feeling before now she was in larger teams and the missions were more formally sanctioned.]

[If I had to guess? She probably feels like she's the team lead on this one. She probably IS the team lead for that matter. She's got the experience and the know-how… and if we don't take it out then the world ends. Oh sure they'll bring in some wringers to prevent that… but Hunter would've failed. Doomed a world to end… and I bet she's just as worried as we are.]

*Hmmm…* Contrary to Kat and Lily's combined worries, and Hunter's speculated ones… Kamiko looked cool as a cucumber. Despite her usual shy demeanour and hesitant words, she looked ready to battle. Kamiko had changed out of her usual outfit and now wore something that looked vaguely like a spandex suit.

It hugged her body quite tightly, flatting out most of her features but clearly giving a good range of motion.

Kamiko was going over some stretches with a serious look on her face. Eyes seemingly glowing just a touch as she went through her routine. She looked focused, locked in, and ready. Before this moment Kat could hardly imagine this sort of look on Kamiko. Even when they were fighting off monster waves on the road she didn't look like this. If anything?

It looked like Kamiko was gearing up to take on the drake herself and win.

*Maybe she has the right idea…* Kat let out a sigh and set Lily down on the ground nearby before taking out her fans. Kat spun them around a few times in her hand before starting her own set of katas. She didn't feel the need to stretch, but perhaps this would give her a similar feeling of peace to the one Kamiko was projecting.

Lily decided to dance around Kat's feet, ensuring that she remained just close enough to touch, but avoiding anything more than glancing brushes even as Kat started to speed up. The pair lost themselves to this activity, letting some of their worry flow out of them until finally Hunter was ready.

Kamiko and Kat stopped what they were doing and got into their own ready positions. "Now remember, do NOT charge forward until I give the signal. Even if the crack in space starts to close. If we need to use both bullets to get inside, so be it. I suspect it will be fine, but we may be tight on time. So be ready to move, but do not rush in needlessly," stated Hunter as she steadied her aim.

Hearing no words of complaint Hunter took in a deep breath and fired. There was a crack, the space the bullet occupied during its travel warping slightly to the eye almost as if there was a heat haze about it.

Kat didn't have time to take that in, because the moment the bullet impacted the target there was a loud screech, like a combination of nails on a chalkboard and the tortured souls of the damned crying out together all at once.

The world itself seemed to scream in pain as a… a crack opened up just where Hunter expected it to. To describe it was nearly impossible, for it did not have a colour and shape, so much as it itched at the eyes and impressed upon you the very idea of being broken. Lily seemed to be handling it better, the brief snippets Kat was getting through the link seemed to be understanding for some reason.

"NOW!" shouted Hunter as she charged forward.

Kat didn't wait. She couldn't really tell what was different, why it was safe now and not before but she wasn't going to hesitate at the point. Even as her brain tried to tell her the rift was closing, and her eyes refused to come to an agreement on the matter, Kat let her feet pound against the ground as they covered the distance.

It seemed to stretch on longer then it should, but with space so warped perhaps that was understandable.

Even with the time Hunter had allotted, Kat still felt herself gaining cuts. She didn't know why, or how, they just seemed to appear on her arms. So Kat folded her wings over her front, brought Lily in closer to her chest, and hoped that they'd all walk through fine. A glance to her left and right revealed nothing but warped and unclear figures.

Kat didn't know where she was in relation to anything anymore, or how the others were doing. Even with her truesight everything around her was a mess.

Kat nearly stumbled when she turned to face forward again, as a wave of nausea hit her. Kat just pushed it down and closed her eyes. She didn't need to see to run forward. She just needed to move, to keep going. Her destination was somewhere ahead, she was sure.

Screaming. Kat wasn't sure who was screaming, or even what. Did the sound come from her mouth or was it still the world crying out? Kat felt tears in her eyes but she didn't dare check with her hands to confirm. Then, between one step and the next, suddenly she was tumbling. Kat didn't know if she should flare her wings, try and catch herself, or keep them around Lily to protect her.

The two instincts warred with equal strength until, across the link Lily shouted.

[OPEN YOUR WINGS!]

Kat would listen to that voice no matter the request. Her wings instantly exploded open and Kat felt the world stabilise just a moment later. She was above an empty field with a single other occupant in the distance. It was surrounded by broken bits of the ground and looked to have been mid-claw, aiming to scratch the silvery mist that surrounded the area… but as soon as Kat appeared it turned.

It was the drake. And it was nothing like they were promised. Instead of a bulking monstrosity, or even a winged menace, it looked almost delicate. Kat's expectations were shattered, for they faced what could only be described as an eastern dragon, and Kat couldn't help but think…

They hadn't planned for this.