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Ayane was struggling to keep herself awake, but nothing seemed to help. It was an odd sensation, moving like she was. She really might die.


(Word Count 25+4475=4500)

Although the sudden explosion in the streets and the unexpected robbery were actually rather normal occurrences within Satan City, what came next was something completely new and unexpected. A shining silver net seemed to launch from a crowd of onlookers and soon crash onto one of the robbers that had caused the explosion. As soon as the net had taken hold, it appeared to begin tightening onto the frame of the male. Ripping into their skin and causing their agonizing screams to sound out into the air. The soft tapping of metal upon the ground would be heard, almost as if eight blades were being tapped along the ground in a slow rhythm. Soon whatever was making this odd sound came to appear from the crowd. The large metallic spider that was the size of a small child, slowly moved it's way towards the screaming robber. Stopping just before them, as it rose and extended a single leg forwards, it's leg suddenly elongating and impaling directly into the trapped man's chest, ending their screams with a spluttering gasp of shock and then a spurt of blood from their mouth. A slight clicking sound would be heard, as the spider's head shakes slightly and then turns all eight of it's glowing red eyes onto the male who had just turned to look at the robbery in progress. The odd silver net seeming to evaporate into thin air as this odd Demon Spider then began making it's way towards Maeyo. That same clicking sound would be heard, the spider's jaws connecting and disconnecting, which could be assumed to be a sort of laughter by this odd mechanical beast. As it rounded it's way forwards at a slow and steady pace, the air around it would grow darker for a moment and then multiple spears of steel would be forming themselves directly above the spider with the use of the Magic Materialization technique. These spears launching themselves forward as soon as they are completely formed, in an attempt to pierce Maeyo through.The odd mechanical spider stopping a few feet away, and allowing it's attack to go under way without an issue. This was an odd and random attack, there was nothing really to go by it, this spider thing had killed one man, and then targeted the next one it could find, and that happened to be Maeyo.
[396]

It seemed through the small act of killing two of the robbers and advancing upon Maeyo, this Demon Spider had drawn on more then it expected to. A second figure had made it's way into the area and began demanding what it was, though the spider had no real communication system built into it, it easily began to modify and advance it's functionality in order to grant itself a temporary communication system in order to converse with these fleshy beings which were around him."I..I am a spider.." It said as the Robotic Spider shifted and tapped a couple of its legs onto the ground. The spears it had created falling to the ground around it without an issue. It would give the two that had come to confront it time to register the situation and determine how they planned to continue forward before they may walk into their own deaths. After all it would not be a good game, if it went and killed every more capable fighter off right off the bat, instead of playing with them a little. "I.. Have come to.. Kill.." The odd computerized voice that did not fit the over all appearance of this spider would then say, as it shifted once again and leaped up onto one of the spears it had now implanted into the ground, climbing up the spear with ease, all of it's bladed limbs pushing smoothly into the sides of the spear. It's over all movement and abilities appearing to be exactly like a normal spider's would be.

[260+396=656]

Despite the fact it had made it's over all intent rather clear, this being was created to kill and that was all it was. For the moment there was no real intent to kill coming from it's form, but since it's new opponent had drawn their hand and started an attack, the Spider would have nothing more then to need to move forwards with it's initial creation programming setting up the over all reaction aspect of this devilish creation, the demon spider casually remained where it was as the odd beams of ki would slice through the first two legs on it's right side, despite it's strength in defense this defense was not centered around the legs, and yet there was a more interesting ability that was already in use which would make this loss of legs even more successful for the Demon Spider in the long run. As it's body struck the ground, the legs dropping to the ground just beside it's torso, a slight shimmer would move around it's body as the body appears to be recreating it's legs once again. At the same time, the other legs appeared to be creating a new body until there were two metallic spiders standing side by side. Soon the new of the two spiders would begin moving forwards towards the opponent, using the cover of what debris, dust and smoke that was in the air, before leaping outwards and thrusting all eight legs in the direction of the man's chest, throat and face. This lunge aiming to pierce through the man's body and end it right then and there. Or at least to grapple onto their body, and cause a decent deal of damage.
[284+656=940]

Hedoro's vision began to clear, almost as if it had been a foggy day, and the sun was rising. Color soon returned to what she saw, and what she saw appalled her. Comprehension came slowly, though as it did, she began to despair more and more. She could feel she had given in, she could feel that her hunger, and that voice, had gotten the best of her. But more than that? She didn't know. She looked around, and only then noticed the body still at her feet. She nearly sagged with relief. She hadn't done it! She hadn't fully given in! She felt a small hope begin to grow, though no sooner had she felt it's gentle light than the voice returned, mocking her inside of her own head. Fool. We would have eaten that fleshbag, were it not for an interruption...

She didn't want to believe it, but she knew the voice was speaking the truth. Whatever that interruption had been, it had saved her from making a horrible mistake! She couldn't remember what it had been, or rather, who it had been, but she owed them a debt of gratitude. Even as she thought that, she felt something shift inside of her, and memories began spilling into her. Was the voice sharing what had happened? She silently recalled the images and sounds, and stood in silent witness of the futile charge of the would-be hero. She watched their struggle, and she watched their failure. She flinched when Reaver had stepped forward and decimated her, then mocked her over and over. She hadn't given up, but the ending was a foregone conclusion. All she could have hoped for was a quick and painless death, and absorption at the hands of the android. But something changed. Perhaps her spirit had interested him, or perhaps there was another purpose at work? Either way, she seemed to have been spared, though whether that was a kindness or a cruelty, no one would be able to say with any certainty.

With what she saw being only in her memory, she had no way to look away, when Reaver stabbed her through the chest with her own sword, in the same place she had already been injured. It was obvious she had been crippled, but even then, she had fought back, doing more damage to herself than to Reaver. She had managed to wound him in their first exchange, but he had simply drained the life from an innocent bystander, and recovered. Her inner voice seemed to delight in that memory, and forced her to dwell on it until she could practically taste that same life energy in her mouth. She shook her head helplessly, the voice never gave up, never gave her a reprieve! How could she hope to endure, when the enemy was herself?

She watched those memories over and over, reliving what the other her had watched with visceral delight, her own feelings the complete opposite. Yet, she could feel her hunger stirring at the gore, and her vision began to gray out once more. She tried to fight it, but there was no handy interruption this time. Her gaze soon returned to the barely alive man Reaver had struck down earlier, her expression shifting into one of anticipation as she slipped into her predatory mindset. She stalked closer, drawing nearer with every step. The man was still conscious, but only just, and completely unaware of his surroundings. They would both soon discover if he could still feel pain, or fear.

Hedoro returned to herself a long moment later. Even before her vision had refocused, she knew what had happened. She could feel it. Her hunger was quiescent, satisfied. She sank to her knees, a clenched fist striking the ground weakly. She had done it. After all her fighting, she had lost. She wanted to feel sickened by what she had done, by the great evil she had committed, but it was no use. With her hunger satisfied, any attempt at feeling sick would end in failure. She shook her head, not knowing what to do. Was this all she could do? Give in when her hunger became too great, and take another life? When would it end? Her parents had given her advice, but still... She didn't know if she could live with herself if it meant living like this!

After she had had a moment to think of what she had done, her mind tried to rationalize it. Even though it galled her, some of what Reaver had said seemed true. After all, the man would have died anyway, why not eat him, put him out of his misery? there had been chaos in the streets at the time, there wouldn't have been any chance of medical aid arriving in time. Had she done him a mercy instead of an act of savage cruelty? If she thought of it that way, perhaps she could move on without sinking into abject despair?

She still hated what she had done, but for now, she could continue. she staggered to her feet, and looked around. Only to realize that things had been moving very fast since she had sunk into her own little world. From out of nowhere, what looked like a mechanical spider had emerged, and begun to battle another stranger. When she saw the spider, she felt a moment of worry. It was almost certainly an Android of some kind. That was just what she needed, another one of them. Would this one find her and try to corrupt her, too? She would have to stay well back, she didn't want to get dragged into any further troubles. Not now, not while she felt so vulnerable. She shrank back, putting a little more distance between her and the two who were fighting. She looked around, wondering if it was a better idea to remain here, join the small crowd that had formed out of morbid curiosity to watch the proceedings, or if she might not attract too much attention by making a break for it. She could feel her voice urging her to stay, to watch the battle, to fill he senses with the phantasmagoria of blood and pain. She didn't want to, but the voice was like a siren's song, almost irresistible as it spoke of how the sight might allay her hunger, how it might let her have a moment of peace. She knew that she couldn't trust the voice, but even so, the promises it made sounded so inviting... She remained in place, her gaze stretching out to take in the sight of the battle between the mechanical spider and the other, who seemed to be a Makyan.
(1139 plus 3454 is 4593 out of 6000 words)

Maeyo was taken aback. Why wasn't this thing scrap metal? This was becoming very frustrating. Then, the spider spoke something. He could not believe it. Suddenly, deadly spikes made from earth sprouted out of the ground.

Maeyo braced himself by wrapping his arms around his torso. He hardened the ki around him to form a barrier to protect himself from the deadly spikes. While he stood still, he became aware of three potential threats entering the planet's atmosphere. It was official. Today was not his day.

"Alright, monster. I'll be back to finish this later!" He dropped the barrier and suddenly flew off. Destination: Central City.

Words: 106

Hedoro continued to watch the fight as long as she could stand. Not actually very long at all, the hunger within her seemed to grow with each passing moment. She could feel it now, a deep abyss in the center of her being that urged her to go forth and take lives, sate herself on their death cries and gorge herself on the pain and sorrow they would give off until they went silent. She shook her head, unable to take it. Turning, she made a break for it, running away from the scene of the battle, not knowing or caring where she was going.

After she broke through the crowd of people watching the fight, the streets quickly grew deserted. It seemed beyond the crowd watching the battle, everyone else had the good sense to go inside and hide behind locked and barred doors. She ran down empty streets, her feet hammering out a soft staccato beat as she pushed herself to move even faster. Suddenly, she stopped, almost screeching to a halt, her eyestalk bobbing frantically. What was that? She could have swore that she had heard someone following her. Was it one of the two who had been fighting? No, the footsteps sounded almost... familiar? That was impossible! In addition to hearing voices, now she was hearing footsteps, too? That was nonsense! Looking around, she didn't see anyone. It must have just been an echo. After all, the city's buildings stretched up high on either side of her, there were bound to be more echoes when she ran down streets like these all by herself.

She hesitated a moment, before her worry got the best of her, and she set off once more. Almost immediately, she could hear the footsteps following her. They sounded closer now. She forced her eyestalk to twist around and peer behind her. (Not forced because of being painful, forced because she was that afraid of what she might see. Or not see.) But sure enough, there was nothing and no one behind her, no source for those hollow echoing footsteps trailing her with every step she took. She sped up, trying to put some distance between her and her unseen follower, but it was no use. When she sped up, the footsteps sped up even more. She kept risking looks behind her, but each time they came up with nothing. She knew that the footsteps weren't just echoes, they were too uniform for that, considering the scenery around her was shifting. The buildings were growing shorter and further apart, now that she was nearing the edge of the city.

She felt a blinding pain in the center of her back and cried out, tumbling to a halt, rolling a few times before landing in the gutter. She staggered to her feet, before her eyestalk twisted back to see what had hit her. Nothing? There was no sign of any attack. Majin could heal at will, but they were always aware of what they healed. For there to be no mark, and she hadn't willed a healing... She hadn't actually been hit? Then what was it? The pain came again, stronger this time. She fell back onto the ground, writhing as she tried to smash whatever was attacking her back. She must have looked like nothing so much as a transparent turtle stuck on it's back, but there was nothing funny about what she was feeling. The pain lit up her mind like holiday lighting, set fires in her mind, and her senses were abuzz with frantic signals and misrouted connections.

The pain seemed to grow even greater, causing Hedoro to cry out once more. But it was more of a gurgle than an actual scream. It felt like her back was being ripped into pieces, and for a moment, she swore it actually was. It was almost like a pair of powerful hands had grabbed hold of her shoulders and began twisting and pulling, trying to rip them apart. Normally, if such a thing happened to a Majin, it wouldn't hurt. Not like this. This was something much worse than anything she had felt before. Was this what dying felt like? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad once it was over, maybe her hunger would finally go away if she was dead?

The pain suddenly spiked, and she couldn't even cry out. She watched with horror as her back suddenly bulged, before it actually ripped apart, the raised mass falling to the ground next to her. She panted, the pain finally gone, leaving her feel curiously empty for a moment. She looked at the sphere, watched nervously as it shifted and shimmered, before it began growing into a familiar form. Very familiar, it was her. Though not quite, her expression was twisted, demented even. She stared at herself in stunned silence for a moment, unsure of what just happened. The other her, Koutai for ease of mind, stared back at her, and as she did, Hedoro began to feel nervous.

Her premonition was absolutely correct, for only a moment later, she watched as Koutai's fist drew back before rushing forward, striking her square in the face. She felt her face collapse in on itself for a moment, Koutai's fist lodged inside. The arm pulled back, and Hedoro felt momentum build as she was shaken loose with enough force to send her flying. She had already reached the edge of the city, there was nothing to stop her path through the air for several dozen yards. Nothing except a good-sized tree. She struck it solidly, leaves falling en masse as she splintered the side of the tree. She landed in a heap on the ground, stunned by the sudden attack. Why was she doing this? Was that her? But she was here, she couldn't be in two places at once, not like this!

She had barely managed to get her feet under her when Koutai was there in front of her. a savage punch to her gut had Hedoro bent over, and the following rising knee threw her back against the tree. She tried to scrabble up the trunk to get away, but a hand caught her by the scruff of the neck and pulled her down, her arms stretching as her hands refused to let go of the tree's branches. A pair of thin beams of bluish Ki, and the branches were shattered, her hands falling back to her sides as she was pulled back. She tried to break free, but it was no use, the other her was stronger than she was.

She felt herself turned over, to stare herself in the face once more. Now, there was no smile, only a sad look of, was that pity? She watched as Koutai shook her head, before leaning in closer. Her mouth widened, and teeth seemed to form, even though such a thing was hardly needed for how Majin ate. The mouth grew even wider, and she had a sinking feeling she knew what was about to happen. Just as the mouth grew large enough to swallow her whole, and had begun to engulf her-

She sat up. Looking around, she blinked in confusion. Where was she? She didn't seem to be devoured, was it all just a dream? It seemed she was still in Satan City, she had only gotten about halfway. As she sat up, she felt something fall from behind her. Her eyestalk swung around, and spotted a rock. She must have been laying on it, that could almost explain the pain in her back in the dream. But what had caused her to fall asleep in the first place? Was it more of the voice's machinations? Was it something else entirely?

She didn't know, but what she did know, was it annoyed her. More than that, she was mad! She remembered hearing an odd announcement during the battle between that Spider Android and the Makyan. Something about how several unknown someones had come to Earth to destroy it, enslaving and killing everyone they encountered. Her hunger had already been stirred up by the battle she had been watching, and those words had done little to help bring it under control. She knew she would have to feed again, and much sooner than she had wanted to consider. Desperate for any bright sign under that grim bit of news, she realized something. If she had to feed, to devour a living being, why not these invaders? They had announced their intentions, they wanted to kill or enslave everyone on the planet! Surely they deserved a fate such as what she would do? Surely they were more worthy of being devoured than innocent bystanders?

With this decision, she felt at least a little better. Even if it meant giving in to her hunger, if she could direct it toward those worthy of being devoured, then maybe it wasn't completely evil to give in? Maybe she could actually make the world a better place, protect it from others worse than her? She felt capable. Even if she wasn't all that skilled in combat, she felt she could perhaps give a decent showing of herself against these invaders. They were surely strong, but she was nothing if not durable. If she could just get close enough, then perhaps she could take one of them with her, devour at least one of the evil ones threatening the planet?

She could feel her Ki rise eagerly at her will, and held it at bay. Her stores were far from infinite, not like her progenitor. She had to be sparing with her reserves when possible. While flying to where those invaders were would save time, it also might exhaust her before the battle had even begun. So she would have to proceed on foot. On the bright side, she was still pretty fast. It took her a moment to determine which way the announcement had said the attackers had landed in, to remember her geography enough to figure out which way that city was, but then she was off! The voice was even quiet, perhaps pleased that she was going willingly toward a place where she might sate her hunger on the living. She was just grateful for the quiet.

There was only one small problem, even if she didn't yet realize it. Her sense of direction wasn't always accurate, she might very well get lost on the way, or end up in another location entirely. If that happened, she would not only lose valuable time, but also get even hungrier. Not to mention, she was sure that others would be fighting those invaders, what if they were already bested and sent home before she got there? If that happened... She didn't know what she would do.

She had already left the city, and this time it was no dream, and there was no sudden shooting pain in her back as her dark side manifested to eat her and take over. There was no being beaten into a puddle and smacked into a tree. There was just her, the ground beneath her feet, and the wind blowing past. With the voice silent, the running achieved a strangely trancelike effect upon her. She began to feel a deeper sense of calm, something she hadn't truly felt for many months now. She relished it, and almost wished she could slow down, to feel it for just that much longer. But no, she had to keep running, as fast as she dared, to get to where she felt she was needed as soon as possible. She didn't know if she would really make a difference in the battle, but if she might, then she had to go for it. Plus, the real reason, she might get to sate her ever-present hunger. She didn't want to admit it, even to herself, but that was the real reason she was moving with such haste. She was still so hungry! But she just had to wait a little longer. Once she reached her destination food would be there. No, not food, the invaders. No, they were food! She felt the voice stir to lend it's opinion to her internal argument and sighed. Just when she had really started to enjoy the peace and quiet... She gave a shake of her head and tried to press on, setting aside the question of if her prey was food or not, until she actually managed to find them. She had a long way to go, and if she had already started arguing with herself again, it would not be a pleasant journey.
(2135 plus 4593 is 6728 out of 6000 words?)