Bequeath Victory [Awakening/Maria/???]

Yomi felt her throat go hoarse as she stopped yelling about the time she heard someone tell her to stop yelling because it would attract attention. Whose attention? Were there other people around? Obviously, aside from the person who had seemingly just arrived, Yomi was skeptical that this space had other signs of living life. Yomi turned to face the person striding towards her. Yomi gulped, this stranger was wearing some oddly noble and regal robes given the area. Upon being told she shouldn't be here right now, Yomiko shook her head and sighed. "It isn't like I wanted to be here, either. I was walking home," Yomiko pointed to a space under what used to be the Sanyo Bridge she knew. "Then I found myself here and I don't know where I am. I don't know who or what you are either, but you seem to know a thing or two about what's going on. Can you help me?" Yomiko asked politely.

She had her bokutou kept in a cylindrical tube slung around her back, so it would be too difficult for her to get it out right now in case the woman in robes suddenly attacked her. In a word, Yomi was essentially defenseless. The woman's eyes filled Yomiko with a sense of fear, for the first time in her life. However, Yomi tried her best not to provoke her. At the moment she couldn't defend herself.

* MARIA NAKAJIMA

Yomi heaved a sigh of relief when the lady didn't seem to have any bad intentions after all. She was very nervous because she had a strong feeling that she couldn't win against that woman in a fight. Anyway, who asked Yomi to live under the bridge? At the end of the day, it would eventually be her own fault for getting into such a position. Since the woman invited her to come along, she had time to unsling her case and procure her wooden sword, especially since she was warned that the space was incredibly dangerous. "It must be my misfortune if this dangerous place happened to appear in my home," Yomi lamented, clearly showing that she didn't intend to get into this space in the first place. "Well, I'm definitely weaker than you are, but even so, I can try to protect myself and avoid getting in your way." Yomi decided to play the weak pig this time around, for some reason Yomi continued to have the strong feeling that she couldn't mess with her.

The feeling of dread and powerlessness continued to well up in Yomi's mind but she tried to compose herself. She was sick of this type of feeling and didn't want to be looked down upon anymore, but this situation was just too bizarre. She didn't know anything yet she wanted to try and triumph over it. It was simply courting death! However, Yomi tried not to let these feelings show on her face too much. Sadly, the eyes were indeed a window to the soul.

The chills and the whisperings in the space got more intense and got more creepy.

"Ma'am, I think those dangerous things are coming close."

* MARIA NAKAJIMA

If the woman in the regal robes couldn't figure it out by now then Yomi would most certainly be speechless, but she made a verbal confirmation anyway. "Yes... by home, I do believe I meant seriously that I live under the bridge," Yomi spoke, trying to mask her fear and sense of dread. Tightly holding the bokutou in her right hand until her knuckles went pale white, she started to keep moving forward along with the helpful stranger. "Hey, what do you mean by that?" Yomi soon realized that she was told there was something she needed to do here and it was also around this time Yomiko realized it might have something to do with that strange premonition in her mind. Before anything else, Yomi soon spotted strange black slime emerge from near the area where her home was.

"Curses... What on earth is that?!" Yomiko cursed out as she hurriedly started to run to her home which was seemingly about to be invaded by the black slime emerging in the vicinity. "I knew something was wrong!" Yomiko continued to move surprisingly fast, adjusting her stance and preparing to swing her wooden sword at the strange entities that had mysteriously grown from the soil.

* MARIA NAKAJIMA

The woman in robes had just mysteriously told her that she would have to see it for herself, as she was dashing towards the slime, a white ball of light had struck one of the slimey creatures, immediately smashing it away into a pool of goop. Yomi stopped in her tracks and turned to look back at the woman who now wielded a wondrous spear. Gulping inwardly, Yomiko was immediately reminded of the mystical and ancient wizards of the Medieval ages, she was stunned. "What a power..." Yomiko gasped as she hurriedly turned her attentions back to the remaining slimes. At the moment, she would seem like a squire attempting to get her first inches of proper battle experience. Yomiko roared out with determination as she struck the slime with her wooden sword. However the slime just absorbed the blow easily, because it was a gloopy substance. Her expression paled as Yomi stepped back to keep her distance.

Unfortunately she tripped backwards on a stray root and was momentarily stunned. "Damn!" Yomi cursed as she struggled to get back up, but the slime had already slipped over to her location. The slime started to encroach up on her legs, causing Yomi's expression to darken as she became unable to move. "Ahh! It's rooting me to the spot!" Yomiko growled. "I won't die like this!" she hoarsely cried out as she took her bokutou while she could still move her arms, and began to strike the slime in an attempt to split it apart or at least separate the goopy substance.

The struggle is meaningless with your weak power.

Yomiko heard the voice but ignored it, she was in a near-death state, because the slime began to feel like acid burning her skin. She cried out in pain as she tried desperately to fight back.

I will give you my crown and authority...

What crown?! What bullshit!

Yomiko was not willing to accept dying like this.

Together, we will conquer.

Conquer?

The darkness in your heart remains unresolved. Let us join forces and ensure a proper conquest. Only victory shall be insured from this moment onwards! Tonight, we ride!

Before Yomiko could do anything, her entire body started glowing white, which caused the slime to immediately move away and retract the slime entrapping her legs. Yomi quickly stood as the glowing subsided and a devilish purple mask covered her face. The transparent figure of a skeleton cloaked in dark robes riding a white horse with many eyes all over its body emerged behind Yomi, who glared at the slime encroaching her territory.

"That's right... I alone possess this authority! Scram!" with a newfound power, Yomi swung her bokutou with a renewed vigor, slicing into the slime as it felt like her swing released a powerful and sharp air current, causing it to split apart.

* MARIA NAKAJIMA

Yomiko was too busy basking in her momentary victory to realize that there was a stronger enemy about to ambush her from behind. Once she turned around and saw a large black mass about to lunge at her. Before Yomiko could do anything, the woman wearing the robes had launched a spell and attacked the damnable thing, causing it to lurch back in seeming pain, though it was still evidently alive. Afterwards, the stranger suddenly unfurled a pair of white wings and did a leaping attack, driving her spear into the monster and causing it to vanish into nothingness, returning to the tainted soil. Looking at the winged woman before looking at the ground, it took a few prolonged moments for Yomi to process what had just happened. She snapped out of her reverie once she was reminded to stay alert, and then all of a sudden being told to get her things.

Blinking, Yomi went over to her place and realized that in the space where she lived, though it was not in exactly the same environment as her old place, there wasn't much of value for her to take. Sighing, she realized that she did owe her life to this mysterious being. Plus, it would be an opportunity to serve in a better environment. Anything was better than living under a bridge. Yomiko quickly returned to the woman in robes.

"Where are you taking me, and just who are you?" Yomiko suddenly asked in a polite, curious tone. She still had the demonic purple mask on, which made the tone of the question seem a bit awkward. "I... just want to know, before I decide I will lay my life for you. If you are indeed a powerful wizard or sorceress, it's really my blessing that someone like you saved me and even are willing to take me with you." Yomiko was able to voice out these thoughts easily and without hesitation. If she could serve as this woman's bodyguard, she could get shelter and at the same time have a powerful backing.

* MARIA NAKAJIMA