Assassination Contract: Gregor Cassel Haruhi Kanashimi/Kikuchiyo Mifune

Haru had managed to regain some energy while Kiku attacked the last captain. She watched as Kiku scratched at his face, large gouges and bright flames crawled over the small area of skin revealed. The final captain fell to the ground. Haru left the borrowed sword behind her and hurried herself to a smaller swordsman that had been pierced through the shoulder by an ice shard. She walked behind him before being noticed. Almost seeming as slow motion, the man turned his face to be hit in the neck by Haru's crash slap. His head went limp as he toppled to the ground. Haru knew she had to end this quickly. She looked around, there were 5 guards still alive. Haru winced from the wounds she had taken thus far. Haru looked at Kiku and nodded her head. Haru placed both hands on the ground and screamed. "Absolute Deformation!". She pulsed the ground with her magic and created large walls around the knights. They had been separated. Two by themselves, and a small group of three. Haru walked into the way of a single spear wielder. She punched him fiercely in the stomach and kidney, only to receive a viscious strike to the head from the blunt of the spear. She kept her attacks up until the man hit her back against the wall. He readied his spear and threw it at Haru. To manage an escape, Haru threw her head back into the wall, and avoided the stab mere inches. She grabbed a chunk of rubble and lobbed it at the man. He dodged and turned his head back to Haru. Instead of seeing the girl in the dirt, his last sight was his own spear piercing his forehead. Haru stood up and pushed the mans head from the spear with her foot. Haru walked out of the secluded area and looked around her as she soon became surrounded by the group of three guards.

Weak: 6
Normal:2
Strong 3

Kiku strains to move as she limps around the walls Haru created. Three men with spears are facing away from Kiku, and instead have their eyes and edges pointed at Haru. Kiku musters what strength she has and marches towards the men confidantly until the fire on her arms begins to fade. No, not right now. I have to save Haru, I have to save my friend! "Friend?" A deep, ominous voice echoes within Kiku's mind. "What need have you for a friend? I told you to gather strength!" Efreet... I need your power. Haru is an ally "First a friend and now an ally? You do not need companionships you need power! You need strength!" The voice deepens like a dark cavern without end. It fills with anger and hatred. "If you cannot kill those men without my power then I have no need for you any longer!" Kiku shakes her head and focuses. Fine! I can do this without you! Kiku kicks one of the men in the back of the knee, forcing him to the ground. The others are too pre-occupied with Haru to notice. Kiku rips off the man's helmet and punches him in the jaw before he can react. In the midst of throwing a second punch Kiku is hit in the stomach with the man's iron clad fist. She slides back a few feet but manages to stay upright. I need more power, damnit! The man stands ready with his spearhead aimed for Kiku's heart. Kiku reaches out and grabs the blade with her hand. While bleeding perfusely she yanks the spear out of the man's hands. Gripping the spear by the shaft, Kiku swings it and smashes it into the man's head. Kiku walks over to the man, thinking she'd killed him or knocked him unconcious. A swift uppercut catches her off guard and scrambles her senses. When she regains her composure she finds that the man is standing in-front of her with his spear ready. Kiku looks to her hand, and then to her other injuries. I can't win like I am now... I need power...

Haru lifted her head, rolling her eyes at the two spear men that she was about to face. She was exhausted, having used a fair portion of her magic already, she had little will to keep her fighting. She wanted to avoid this fight and escape. Looking past the two men in front of her, Haru saw Kiku take a heavy uppercut to the head. She laid on the ground a moment before meeting a guards spear. Haru had found her reason to fight more. She wanted to help Kiku. Why....why do I care what happens to her? She's just a friend....! Haru had stumped herself. She had never refereed to someone has her friend. "Fine! You want a fight, we can fight! Let's see if you can kill a demon!" Haru leaped at the first guard, spinning past his spear and dealing a large right to the face, forcing him into the ground. She continued her to rain punches into the mans helmet. The crater under his head became larger after each strike. He had stopped moving all together. Without notice, Haru continued her barrage. She only stopped when she was kicked in the side by the other guard, rolling her a few meters away. She looked down when she got to her feet. There was a small knife in her gut. The guard had managed to stab Haru before he died. The other guard lunged at Haru with his blade. Haru managed to dodge several times before being backed into a corner. The guard reared back for one last lunge.
"Deform!" Haru screamed with both hands on the stone wall. Two pillars shot from the wall, smashing the guard between them. Blood spurted from the rocks, and drenched the ground below him. Haru looked down yet again to see he had managed to impale Haru through the stomach, yet again.

Kiku hears the battle going on between Haru and the two guards but is focused on the man standing in-front of her. I can help after I'm done with him. "Astaroth!" Kiku screamed at the top of her lungs. Shadows blanketed her right arm as she lifted it towards the guard. Vibrato echoed inside of her voice with an ominous tone as she spoke "I have no other choice." Chains sprung forth from her right hand and dashed into the shadows. Three separate chains came out of different shadows all around the guard. One attaches to his  left ankle, another to his right, and the last to his left hand. "Split you disgusting mongrel." The chains contracted and ripped the man apart. Blood and guts littered the ground and showered over Kiku. The darkness around her faded along with the shadows on her arm. This was replaced by a much more sinister darkness. A cloud of shadow now hung over Kiku. She knew what she had done and the consequences. Kiku's voice, now returned to normal, shuttered as she spoke "I know why you're here, but I beg you, let me save my friend first. Please, That's all I want." A voice crackled through the shadows.
"What you want!? You do not have desire anymore, nor do you have free will! You are a minion of the darkness! An eternal servant to shadows! I will consume you and your petty friend! You shall be our play things! For-" A burst of fire came out of Kiku and pushed back the darkness.
"She is not yours to take Astaroth!" The fire grew larger and battled the shadows for control of Kiku. "I gave birth to this hatred! It is mine to do with how I please!" Fire and shadow clashed around Kiku, sparking and bursting with both elements.
"You are no more powerful than I Efreet! This girl signed the contract, and now she has broken it. She is mine!"
"I – AM – WHAT!?!?" The flames exploded around Kiku with enough force to eradicate the shadows completely. For a moment it seemed as if it were day time. And then the fire ceased, and Efreet spoke softly. "You could not overcome such a minuscule enemy. You do not deserve my power. Find power in this friend that you've become so fond of. If your hatred still burns for me, then come. I will face you when you are worthy." Silence filled the air as Kiku fell to her knees, realizing the weight of her actions. Bloodied and bruised she looked to Haru who was stabbed and against a wall.
"Haru!" Kiku yelled out. She got up and limped over to Haru, hoping her efforts were not in vain. With tears and snot running down her face, Kiku strained to speak while she was hyperventilating "Ha-ha-r-r-ru, a-are you a-alr-r-r-right?"

Haru lifted her head. She hadn't witnessed what had happened with Kiku. She looked down to see her friend, bloodied and weeping, next to her. Haru broke the spear away from her and threw it to the ground. Both of the girls fell to their knees.
"Kiku.... we are done here. There is one more...I trapped. We need not find him." Haru was struggling for breath. She was bleeding profusely from her wounds. Haru, walking slowly on her knees, made her way to a small burning plank and held it to her wounds. "Ahhhhhh!" She screamed, cauterizing the wound. Haru picked Kiku up by the shoulder and helped carry her through the rubbish that was once the city center. The girls looked around at what was left of the town. They had completed their mission. Kiku had passed out at this point. Haru carried Kiku to the hole she had made earlier, laying her behind a small tree that rested next to it. "I have to finish this, Kiku."

Haru searched the inner city. There she found the final remaining guard. Concrete had fallen on his legs, trapping him there. Haru walked up next to the man, wrapped her hand around his throat, and spoke. "This is the result of defying us. My ..." Haru tripped on her words. "My..friend, lays outside, not an ounce of strength left. She is beaten beyond compare. I have been pushed past my limits, hardly able to stand. But this..." Haru looked around , "This is what happens. You will live. You will live to spread our word. Tartarus is back. We will always be here. Today you are the lucky man that gets to spread fear. Go home. Hug your children, kiss your wife. I have had enough of this today. But if I ever see one of your men attack Kiku again, I will tear the flesh from your bones." Haru gathered her remaining magic and shattered the rock covering the man. She walked around the corner, and back to Kiku. Lifting her onto her back, Haru walked down the road they came, back toward the Tartarus guild hall.