Kyouka once more aims at its head just before it leapt. She fires, then slings her matchlock back to draw her sword as she prepares to dodge if the beast still leaps.
@unisol_gr44 The beast screams in pure hatred as the bullets pierce into its hardened carapace. The group is barely able to dodge out of the way in time, but they're seperated by the bloated body, with Kyouka and Chitsukiko on the one side, and Jian and the ronin on the other. Recognising Kyouka as the one to shoot it first, the beast springs forwards, maw snapping at her.
"Oh, Daito is someone you haven't met, another brother of mine. The big guy is Yoshioka. As for Gracia, yes, she's half Hattori, half nanban. A true beauty."
Jian slung the musket on his back, facing the spider's huge abdomen. He grimaced, not fancying getting hit by the spider's webs. He drew his sword and tried to get at the spider's rear legs, slashing at them.
"Come!" Kyouka yells, drawing her new sword with her right hand, and pushing the matchlock forward with her left. "If you're this close, I don't even need to aim!" She yells, her murderous grin plastered on her face as she pulls the trigger. Aiming at the beasts opened maw, she fires, before dodging toward the spider's underbelly.
“Ah, I see, so the stealthy giant is Yoshioka. I misunderstood, thank you for the clarification.” Midori nodded again. “So, how are the Terada clan's relations with the Yokuboo clan and the other clans? Any clans in particular I should be wary of?” That seemed like the next logical question – a large clan like this was bound to have some enemies.
Yunah goes with The Samurai to The Town. As they walk she asks. "What was Your Name again? Sorry but I'm bad with Names..."
There's another screech as Jian's sword digs into one of the legs, the ronin doing the same, but both are knocked flat on their backs as the creature bucks its legs at them. The blades dug fairly deep, but the creature's natural armour means that it will take more than a single strike to cut them off. The spider rears back as the bullet hits it, clearly hurt as the projectile went through the flesh rather than its tough exoskeleton. As she ducks beneath it, the spider simply drops down, its body weight pinning Kyouka to the ground. It can't hurt her, but her movement is extremely limited. Chitsukiko grabs for Kyouka's hand, but retreats as the arachnid snaps at her.
"Well, we don't have any enmity with a clan, per se..." Kageatsu sighs. "We've become quite friendly with the Minami clan, however, our relationship with the Empress is...less than stellar."
They see the city bustling, but becoming slighly less built up as they approach the walls. "I am too. Azai is my name." Azai gives her a chuckle. "So, you don't mind fighting monsters? Any experience?"
The mention of the Empress caught Midori's attention. “The Emperor's mother? What's the problem with her, if you don't mind me asking?”
Just before she's pinned down, Kyouka would try to point her sharp new blade upwards. Though she wouldn't possess much strength to thrust through its tough outer shell, the redhead hoped its own weight would work against it.
Kageatsu shrugs. "There's not a problem, as such, but one needs to pick sides here in the capital. If we weren't hostile with the Empress, we'd be hostile with Sengoku. Sadly, until one of them wins, or they agree to share power, this state of affairs will continue."
"Well Azai....I have never Fought anything else than People. But with You around we might have a shot to succeed. And it gives Me the opportunity to learn from You."
Jian let out a loud groan, as he landed on his back with the musket to "cushion" his fall. He was already exhausted from fighting the statues and running, but he tried to get up with much effort. With the creature occupied trying to pin Kyouka down, Jian tried to get to its front, swinging his sword at the creature's eyes.
Try as she might, Kyouka can't get the blade into a useful position, but the spider, trying to crush her resistance, does the job for her. It lifts its body up and slams it back down again in an attempt to flatten Kyouka, but as the spider rises, she's able to lift the sword up. The sword, sharp beyond anything the redhead has ever seen, is driven into the spider's abdomen by its own immense weight. With a shriek, it lifts itself up, and Chitsukiko drags Kyouka free. Rushing forwards, Jian manages to hack away, carving into one of the black eyes. The spider backs off, but as it retreats, it sends a leg downwards to try and impale him
Jian tried to dodge out of the way of the spider's leg, though his movements and reactions were hardly as quick and precise as they would be if he was well-rested.
They approach one of the main gates leading into the city, a collossal arch carved into the wall, with massive oaken gates left open. "Well, I thank you for your confidence, though I'm not a teacher." As they exit the city, the guards tell them that if they're not back by nightfall, they'll have to spend the night out of the city, as the gates are closed after sundown.
