The Throne Room (2nd floor)

Ikai could be heard mumbling, "You know...they were taking me to a medical person..." The guards were unsure of what to do since they had an unconscious guy on the stretcher and their Empress holding on to the guy's hand. "Empress...can we continue to the medical chambers?" one of the guards stated dull wittedly as the group of guards stood awaiting their Empress' orders.

Kanae looked over to the Empress and was amazed to see the woman had ran from her throne to the stretcher for this man. She looked down and then asked one of the Guards a small set of questions: "Is the tourniquet on him tight enough? How much blood has he lost? Are these gunshots the extent of his total injuries?" she asked, looking from the guard before placing a hand upon the semi-conscious man's forehead. "He...doesn't look so good. I may not look it, but I can help." she says moving her hands to the tourniquet which she gasps. "Who the hell put this on him? Its less than half assed, it's absolutely horrible!" she exclaimed, pulling off the cloth and tossed it aside. She knew what would work better than the ratty cotton cloth he had on, and pulled out a strap of the white silk she had planned to show the Empress, and wrapped it just tightly enough around his wounds. "There, that should keep him from loosing any more blood. Our brand of silk can be used for tourniquets." she states, her hands still a tad bloody from the removal of the original tourniquet and adding the new one. "Do you men need any more assistance?" she asked.

Sango, with tears rolling down her cheeks. She looks up, screaming as if shocked (well she was). "Shot?!" She turned to Ikai's body and stared at the wounds as the woman took off the tourniquet. She didn't want to watch her Master bleed to death, but the silk wrappings seemed to fare him better. She frowns, then hesitantly lets go before grabbing him again. "Make it through this you old goat!" she exclaimed, bringing her head down and kissed Ikai's left cheek, from there she pulled back and looked angry. "If you don't, I'll have your spirit ripped from the realm beyond and kill you myself! You understand?!" She exclaimed before finally pulling away. She still had that furious look in her face; her eyes screamed for blood. She turned to two of the guards. "I want you to find the one who shot him, and have them executed immediately!" she screamed furiously, feeling her anger and sorrow mix into an unhealthy combination of rage. "You understand? Go! Find the perpetrator! I don't care how, but bring them to the dungeon for proper sentencing!" she commanded, swinging her arm out in a defiant manner. No one messed with the Empress or her friends. No one.

Sango Sigara wrote:Sango, with tears rolling down her cheeks. She looks up, screaming as if shocked (well she was). "Shot?!" She turned to Ikai's body and stared at the wounds as the woman took off the tourniquet. She didn't want to watch her Master bleed to death, but the silk wrappings seemed to fare him better. She frowns, then hesitantly lets go before grabbing him again. "Make it through this you old goat!" she exclaimed, bringing her head down and kissed Ikai's left cheek, from there she pulled back and looked angry. "If you don't, I'll have your spirit ripped from the realm beyond and kill you myself! You understand?!" She exclaimed before finally pulling away. She still had that furious look in her face; her eyes screamed for blood. She turned to two of the guards. "I want you to find the one who shot him, and have them executed immediately!" she screamed furiously, feeling her anger and sorrow mix into an unhealthy combination of rage. "You understand? Go! Find the perpetrator! I don't care how, but bring them to the dungeon for proper sentencing!" she commanded, swinging her arm out in a defiant manner. No one messed with the Empress or her friends. No one.  

Kanae looked over to the Empress as the men carried off with the injured man. "Milady, I mean you no disregard; but I think you should calm down. I know that what appears is the worst, but as a leader, I think you should be more level headed and look into how the man was harmed." She paused, then blushed, looking down. "F-forgive me, I must have said too much. However, I would like you to keep what I've said in mind. I have some medical knowledge, and I'm going out on a whim that those men who took him did not look the part of a surgeon." she started to head into their direction when she stopped, and turned back to the Empress. "I shall be back to keep true to my appointment later, right now I would try your best not to worry. I'll do everything in my power to save this man." she says with a small smile, bowing to the Empress before continuing her way to the medical wing.

Sango looked to the woman with mix of hatred and confusion. "Excuse me, but do you know who you're speaking to?!" But before she could blow a stream of fire at the young woman, she frowned and apologized. She listened to her speak of saving Ikai, and she couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved as she heard her speak of medical knowledge. Before she could get a word in edgewise the woman was already gone. "This is perfect timing, the Imperial Doctor is on vacation of all times...I should contact her till then, this woman better be right about her stuff... if not, then there will be two heads that will be rolling instead of just one.." The Empress's mind flashed darkly, she felt her boiling blood begin cooling; her heart feeling icy black. She had not wanted to see someone dead her whole life, even Shinrahomaru wasn't as bad...

She turned away and began to walk around her palace. She was going to consult with the General about this matter, if he was not already aware.

[from here]

Sango entered the throne room, taking a seat, and stared over to the double doors. She had seen these doors for many years, knew their intricacies and details so well, she could see them with her eyes closed. She had seen many people enter them, allies and enemies... and had nearly died a handful of times in this hall. Now she had to wonder... what this man was to her. Ally? Or enemy?

Edward entered the throneroom, following the guard whom had escorted him inside. He looked about the throneroom with the same wonderment as he did in the outer antechamber, but he quickly refocused his eyes towards the young woman seated on the throne. And for the longest moment, he was reminded of his lost wife Himiko. The only real difference - this Empress Sango lacked Himiko's red hair.

He kept a respectful distance of three meters from the steps leading to the base of the throne, that was what the respectful distance was in Yamatai, China and Japan from his memory. He bowed at the waist before Empress Sango, and when he raised his head again, he spoke. "Greetings and good afternoon, Empress Sango, my name is Edward. Edward Holden" he began.

The empress looked upon the man, reminded slightly of her own father when he was a younger man. "You may rise, Edward Holden." She observed him carefully. He was very tall for a mortal... and from what the guard had told her, he was apparently not. "Welcome to Beijio, to Beijio City... now what may I do for you?" She asked him, taking the kiseru again and raised it to her lips, inhaling the tobacco contained within.

Edgar smiled again slightly, his green eyes gleaming. "Unfortunately, your majesty, I come bearing ill tidings. I am unsure if you are aware of the invasion of the Hell Horde that is currently underway, but I must inform you that those rumors are indeed real. I managed to destroy one of the Hell Spires located in the ravine you know as Guardians Gorge outside of Ithteca. Regretfully, I cannot attack the Spire that has arisen in the Azrond ruin due to some sort of reactor located inside the ruins of the city. I was informed of this by one Yoko Hinomoto, a Gunslinger who was nearby the gorge at the time I fired the attack that destroyed the tower."

Edgar sighed. "Then I went searching for those with knowledge of the reactor. Yoko suggested two people that may know of the cursed thing, Rufus Tenik, and Leland McKelly. I encountered Leland first, out in the Badlands. He was helping the Lamia people there, on his way out to Amaine Forest. Turns out he is seeking something within the Asrond ruins. He never disclosed what he was looking for, but his mood was dark, near fatalistic. I have many vast powers your majesty, including psychic powers and telekinesis. But I do not use them on people I consider good people. That being said, when we got to the edge of Amaine Forest, we encountered a demoness by the name of Felnara Sturm. She is a Demon Realm noble, what I and the Hell Horde have called Sundered Ones. You see, there is a difference between the Demon Realm denizens your world is familiar with, and the Hordes of Hell. The Demon Realm is a shard of a much larger, fouler dimension, called Hell. This shard is one of many shards that were shattered from Hell during an ancient war. That said, as your men no doubt have iunformed you, I am only half human. The other half of me... is not a lineage I have been entirely proud of to say the least. I am the halfbreed son of the Last of the Fallen, the Empress of Hell herself" he said with a slight snarl at the admittance, though not as venomous as it once was.

"I had to make a choice. as I watched Leland and Felnara duel over a clash of ideologies, over lost loved ones... I decided to confront my mother alone. I had to try and stop my mother and her hordes by trying to give them what they wanted. They came here to try and entrap me back home. We managed to seal my home dimension off from direct Hell invasion, but they found a weakness between my home dimension, and this one... specifically located on this planet, that is why they came here. But, What she needed me for.... was something I could never have anticipated. She needed me to broker a peace between Hell.... and Heaven. Being half mortal gave me the means to approach them that she did not have. And she sent me before the gates of Heaven itself. Where I learned of a threat far greater than anything even hell could have imagined... A monster that destroys and consumes all reality. Both sides call it the Void Dragon, a monster they once knew as the firstborn Arch Seraphim Verial. It was a creature they defeated back when the universes were new. But it cost them half of everything that exists, and more than half their numbers, and that was before the fall, and the creation of Hell. Now, neither side has the numbers to battle the beast alone, and it has awakened again, and broken it's shackes. Already, several dimensions have been completely erased from existence, returned to the Void. Once I learned of all of this. The One Above All offered me my mothers former badge of office, her sword." Edward drew the Sword of Justice.



And when he does, the dark clothing he wore disappeared in a blast of golden flaming energy. What emerged was a golden armored warrior, his eyes lit with green light, not unlike his mother, but much kinder, gentler, yet firm, and unyielding.



"This is the Sword of Justice. My mother laid this sword down when she fell from the High Heavens. It has not been raised, until today. So now, my lineage is split between my mother's fallen blood, and through that, angelic heritage, and being born and raised as a mortal man. From what The One told me, that gives me the widest perspective, and thus allows me to be the aspect of justice with the balance needed to make such an office work." he said before sheathing the sword, and his black clothing returned.

"Thats why I returned to this world. I won't leave people to die for a war that was never theirs. It was not theirs to fight."

The Empress took a moment to digest all this, the pipe in her mouth remained as she listened. She remained silent throughout, maintaining a rather level and neutral face, as expected of a ruler. She blinked when he was finished, and blew out a dark plume of smoke before tapping the ashes into the small cedar box beside her arm rest. "...I see. That is quite the extraordinary state of affairs you so tirelessly conveyed to mine ears..." She spoke eloquently as she could, her mind still trying to grasp at it all. "Well. What is it you expect of me or my people to play in this growing drama, Edward Holden of High Heavens?" She asked, simplifying things. He clearly came here for other reasons besides an update and to show him a sword and magical suit of armor, and a pledge of protection.

Edward's eyes turned to face towards the badlands... and his expression changed considerably.

"Prepare yourselves... Gather your allies, and be ready. The Monster will strike from Mt Risa. Unfortunately, fate has decided that this world will be the battlefield that decides the future of all things... I'm sorry."

With that, Edward began to fade, he had a lot of work to do, and very little time left now to do it. The Void Beast forced everything to move ahead now that it was on the planet.

Edgar Holden wrote:Edward's eyes turned to face towards the badlands... and his expression changed considerably.

"Prepare yourselves... Gather your allies, and be ready. The Monster will strike from Mt Risa. Unfortunately, fate has decided that this world will be the battlefield that decides the future of all things... I'm sorry."

With that, Edward began to fade, he had a lot of work to do, and very little time left now to do it. The Void Beast forced everything to move ahead now that it was on the planet.

There is the sound of rushing footsteps, of Imperial Queens Guard screaming 'HALT!' before they're surprised voices gasp as someone huge rushes past them! They are confused and half terrified, as she breaches through their lines with the ease of a scorching hot knife through butter!

Within moments of these muffled sounds, the large double doors which normally took four people to part open gave way by one, incredibly tall woman:



It was clear she was a woman from the huge pair of swaying pink breasts she possessed, and from her feminine thighs sticking out from her kimono and the long mane of pinkish hair which fell past her thighs. "...hah... hah..." she began, her golden gaze staring through the now fading man towards the Empress who sat upon the throne. "Divine Cousin... hah..." She began, somewhat winded, tipping her metal helmet when the intruder was surrounded by Queens Guard:



"HALT!" they shouted, much to the tall woman's chagrin, who rolled her eyes as the armored plate soldiers surrounded her. Each warrior who surrounded the woman was at least over 6 foot in height, she easily loomed another 10 or so inches over them, being close to 7 foot! "Grrrr!! I have no time for this!! Dammit, back the fuck off!" She roared, swinging her arms as they encroached upon her, knocking the circle of men back ten or so feet! Silvery armored soldiers slid across the polished wooden floors, grunting in pain as their blades easily broke from her arms alone! And soon, it was revealed why as she removed her helmet:

"Divine Cousin of my Master, I Onikage the Onimusha send a request of your immediate aid on behalf of Lady Ayaka Kamisoto-Beijiosaki!"



The woman's upturned horns jutted from either side of her crown, her shark like teeth visible. If her name wasn't enough proof, this tall, powerful woman was an Oni, a Beijionese Ogre and Yokai- a demon. "She requests your aid, I ran here as fast as I could to ask of it, forgive my int-int-...fuck, my interruption....? Intrusion! That one!" She sighed, smiling happily she could remember the word, but then frowned again. "Its of the upmost urgency that you aid your cousin, Empress! She is in grave danger, even more so without my presence at her side!" she continued. She was the Onimusha (Demon Warrior), Onikage, a demon who was a vassal and envoy of the Empress' first cousin, Lady Ayaka Beijiosaki.

Edgar Holden wrote:Edward's eyes turned to face towards the badlands... and his expression changed considerably.

"Prepare yourselves... Gather your allies, and be ready. The Monster will strike from Mt Risa. Unfortunately, fate has decided that this world will be the battlefield that decides the future of all things... I'm sorry."

With that, Edward began to fade, he had a lot of work to do, and very little time left now to do it. The Void Beast forced everything to move ahead now that it was on the planet.

Sango watched Edward's eyes glancing behind him, to the wall mural where the Beijionese Badlands and the distant shape of Mount Risa was etched in granite along a sea of gold only barely obscured by the Jade which represented the Amaine woods which separated them in between. She rose a brow to this, raising her pipe to her lips once again when he began to fade... when-

Onimusha Onikage wrote:

There is the sound of rushing footsteps, of Imperial Queens Guard screaming 'HALT!' before they're surprised voices gasp as someone huge rushes past them! They are confused and half terrified, as she breaches through their lines with the ease of a scorching hot knife through butter!

Within moments of these muffled sounds, the large double doors which normally took four people to part open gave way by one, incredibly tall woman:



It was clear she was a woman from the huge pair of swaying pink breasts she possessed, and from her feminine thighs sticking out from her kimono and the long mane of pinkish hair which fell past her thighs. "...hah... hah..." she began, her golden gaze staring through the now fading man towards the Empress who sat upon the throne. "Divine Cousin... hah..." She began, somewhat winded, tipping her metal helmet when the intruder was surrounded by Queens Guard:



"HALT!" they shouted, much to the tall woman's chagrin, who rolled her eyes as the armored plate soldiers surrounded her. Each warrior who surrounded the woman was at least over 6 foot in height, she easily loomed another 10 or so inches over them, being close to 7 foot! "Grrrr!! I have no time for this!! Dammit, back the fuck off!" She roared, swinging her arms as they encroached upon her, knocking the circle of men back ten or so feet! Silvery armored soldiers slid across the polished wooden floors, grunting in pain as their blades easily broke from her arms alone! And soon, it was revealed why as she removed her helmet:

"Divine Cousin of my Master, I Onikage the Onimusha send a request of your immediate aid on behalf of Lady Ayaka Kamisoto-Beijiosaki!"



The woman's upturned horns jutted from either side of her crown, her shark like teeth visible. If her name wasn't enough proof, this tall, powerful woman was an Oni, a Beijionese Ogre and Yokai- a demon. "She requests your aid, I ran here as fast as I could to ask of it, forgive my int-int-...fuck, my interruption....? Intrusion! That one!" She sighed, smiling happily she could remember the word, but then frowned again. "Its of the upmost urgency that you aid your cousin, Empress! She is in grave danger, even more so without my presence at her side!" she continued. She was the Onimusha (Demon Warrior), Onikage, a demon who was a vassal and envoy of the Empress' first cousin, Lady Ayaka Beijiosaki.

For the entire scene, the empress watched with lidded eyes as Onikage made a mockery of her queens guard. She sighed, turning to Ed who... seemed to not be sure if he was leaving or not before nodded to the new arrival. "Edward, if you're not too busy stick around a while longer?" She asked in a regal tone. "This is Onikage the Onimusha, a warrior whom seldom leaves my cousin's side." she introduced, before addressing the said woman herself. "Go on, Onikage, you've repeated your need for my assistance. What ails the White Fox of the Mountains?" She sighed, rubbing her temples. She loved her 'cousin', but she often did things on behalf of the Beijiosaki Clan without her permission which was taxing on her spirit. The girl thinks herself the Shogun herself, ughhh... what a pain... She mentally notes, sighing at the prospect of her cousin getting into some trouble with one of the other local clans... again.

Sango Sigara wrote:Sango watched Edward's eyes glancing behind him, to the wall mural where the Beijionese Badlands and the distant shape of Mount Risa was etched in granite along a sea of gold only barely obscured by the Jade which represented the Amaine woods which separated them in between. She rose a brow to this, raising her pipe to her lips once again when he began to fade... when-

Onimusha Onikage wrote:

There is the sound of rushing footsteps, of Imperial Queens Guard screaming 'HALT!' before they're surprised voices gasp as someone huge rushes past them! They are confused and half terrified, as she breaches through their lines with the ease of a scorching hot knife through butter!

Within moments of these muffled sounds, the large double doors which normally took four people to part open gave way by one, incredibly tall woman:



It was clear she was a woman from the huge pair of swaying pink breasts she possessed, and from her feminine thighs sticking out from her kimono and the long mane of pinkish hair which fell past her thighs. "...hah... hah..." she began, her golden gaze staring through the now fading man towards the Empress who sat upon the throne. "Divine Cousin... hah..." She began, somewhat winded, tipping her metal helmet when the intruder was surrounded by Queens Guard:



"HALT!" they shouted, much to the tall woman's chagrin, who rolled her eyes as the armored plate soldiers surrounded her. Each warrior who surrounded the woman was at least over 6 foot in height, she easily loomed another 10 or so inches over them, being close to 7 foot! "Grrrr!! I have no time for this!! Dammit, back the fuck off!" She roared, swinging her arms as they encroached upon her, knocking the circle of men back ten or so feet! Silvery armored soldiers slid across the polished wooden floors, grunting in pain as their blades easily broke from her arms alone! And soon, it was revealed why as she removed her helmet:

"Divine Cousin of my Master, I Onikage the Onimusha send a request of your immediate aid on behalf of Lady Ayaka Kamisoto-Beijiosaki!"



The woman's upturned horns jutted from either side of her crown, her shark like teeth visible. If her name wasn't enough proof, this tall, powerful woman was an Oni, a Beijionese Ogre and Yokai- a demon. "She requests your aid, I ran here as fast as I could to ask of it, forgive my int-int-...fuck, my interruption....? Intrusion! That one!" She sighed, smiling happily she could remember the word, but then frowned again. "Its of the upmost urgency that you aid your cousin, Empress! She is in grave danger, even more so without my presence at her side!" she continued. She was the Onimusha (Demon Warrior), Onikage, a demon who was a vassal and envoy of the Empress' first cousin, Lady Ayaka Beijiosaki.

For the entire scene, the empress watched with lidded eyes as Onikage made a mockery of her queens guard. She sighed, turning to Ed who... seemed to not be sure if he was leaving or not before nodded to the new arrival. "Edward, if you're not too busy stick around a while longer?" She asked in a regal tone. "This is Onikage the Onimusha, a warrior whom seldom leaves my cousin's side." she introduced, before addressing the said woman herself. "Go on, Onikage, you've repeated your need for my assistance. What ails the White Fox of the Mountains?" She sighed, rubbing her temples. She loved her 'cousin', but she often did things on behalf of the Beijiosaki Clan without her permission which was taxing on her spirit. The girl thinks herself the Shogun herself, ughhh... what a pain... She mentally notes, sighing at the prospect of her cousin getting into some trouble with one of the other local clans... again.

The energies stabilized around Ed, then resolidified around him, making him appear tangible again, and for a few breif seconds, his energies resembled wings and horns made out of holy light, before they faded and vanished.



He nodded his ascent to Empress Sango, before turning to look at the new arrival over his right shoulder. "I see. She appears to be one of the sundered ones." Ed commented, before he smiled "Good afternoon, Ms. Onikage. his armor also returned back to his black clothing as he solidified fully.



Ed then pondered for a moment to himself. 'Hm, Onikage. Demon Shadow in my wife's language. intriguing' he thought.

Onikage turned her head to the fading man again, almost forgetting he was there in her urgency. However, having since reappeared and within a flash, reverting to darker clothing, the Oni blinked her eyes at the taller, human like creature who stood between her and the Empress. Damn.... I didn't realize they made them that big in the mortal realm! She batted her long lashes repeatedly and pulled her eyes and head away from the man's direction, face slightly pink as she nodded to the Empress. "R-right. Formalities can wait a moment longer; Divine Cousin, Lady Beijiosaki is in need of armed troops to support her invasion of the Shogun Otton's palace outside of Hara Village! The Ryunoshi Sisters had given word that the Shogun Otton entertains the prospe...prospect of aligning with the Spire Demons from the Amaine, and wish to conquer Beijio City with their aid!" She paused, allowing this to sink in before she continued:

"As of yet, she is stalling the frog yokai, intent on slaying him to weaken the forces he has accumulated as there have been no evidence of him sending an envoy to Asrond nor Mount Risa. She is only protected by the deceit of your army surrounding the barrier which hides the Floating Palace and a skilled hunter she hired as a sniper." She explained. "We need to hurry, for I fear even with the lord of the palace dead, his forces will not hesitate to assume control themselves and turn their attention on Beijio once they have slain my Master and all of the human prisoners within the Floating Palace's barrier!"