THE DECREPIT MANSION! // [S-RANK: Rin and Amagiri]

How was she supposed to get out of the mist when it was literally everywhere?! It wasn't like she had been intentionally trying to hide! What kind of idiot would do that at a time like this?! Sure, she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but she wouldn't be as dense as to play hide and seek during an important mission. "I'm tryinggg! It's kind of hard to do when it's all around us!" Rin grumbled, pouting in frustration at her mentee. Even though she was the one who was supposed to be in charge, it always seemed like he found a way to treat her like a child. Sighing in defeat, she picked up her pace, jogging forward to stand by his side. It was a bit hard to keep up when she had such little legs! "Could you stand to be a little less grouchy? We're probably going to be here for a while, and I don't need your sass!" Judging by the accounts of the nearby townspeople, the place in which they were venturing to was quite dangerous, so who knew when or if they would emerge. Rin didn't want to be stuck with a sour-puss for the rest of eternity!

Deciding to let it slide just this once, the pink haired mage stepped forward, getting a better look at the mansion that stood before them. It looked quite rugged, that was for sure. But aside from the ominous fog and dreary skies, it seemed to be just an ordinary, abandoned house. Nothing too distinct about it, really. "I guess we should go ahead and take a look inside. No use just standing out here!" With a skip in her step, she approached the fence that surrounded the front yard. Reaching a hand outwards, she grasped the handle to the gate, giving it a small tug. But to no avail. It wouldn't budge! "Um... Heheh... Must be uh... Rusted shut! Yeah!" The small girl chuckled, a peach tinted blush swarming across her cheeks. Placing her feet close to the gate, she leaned backwards, putting all of her weight into her effort. Nothing again. Well, this was embarrassing!

"If you wouldn't miiiind. Could you um, open this?"

"H-Hey! Wait a second! Where are you going?!" Rin called after her white haired companion, concern evident on her normally delicate and sweet face. Something was wrong, that was for sure. He didn't even flinch when she shouted at him. Not even a single glance in her direction. What was with this sudden change? "W-Wait for me! Don't just leave me here by myself!" She cried, banging her hands against the steel rods that made the fence. This was bad. Really bad! If he went off by himself, he was surely going to get lost within that creepy mansion. It was almost as if it had consumed him. "I... I have to get in there..." Pacing back and forth, the young mage mumbled to herself, trying to think of some way to get through this damn gate. Unfortunately, she hadn't gotten a good enough look at how he managed to open it himself, so that was out of the question. It looked like her only option would be to climb over it somehow... Shifting her gaze upwards, she took a look at the tall, menacing looking barrier. Sure, it was pretty spooky looking, but nothing her magic couldn't tackle!

Reaching into the bag that hung from her shoulder, she retrieved her tablet, fabricating the pen and beginning to scribble. A tall ladder would do the trick! As she finished the final pen stroke, the ladder began to appear in a rush of pixels. It was a bit taller than she expected it to be, but it would work! Rushing towards it, she hopped upwards, climbing up the rungs with about as much grace as an elephant in a china shop. There was no time to be careful when her friend was in danger! Making it to the top, she looked downwards, gulping anxiously. The idiot hadn't thought of a way to get down. "U-Um..." She winced, having a look at her surroundings. There really was no way out of this. Any normal person would have just climbed back down and found another way, but it would seem that Rin had an unrealized fear of heights. Frozen in place, she was doomed to stare at the mansion as it taunted it. So close, yet so far away.

Just as she had been about to bring her tablet upwards, she felt what seemed to be a gentle push. Almost as delicate as a sudden breeze, but as damning as a full on hurricane. Off the ladder she went, tumbling downwards in a heap. A shrill scream escaped from her lips as she plummeted face first to the ground.

Though, it never came. At least, not as soon nor as harsh as she had expected.

The thick fog that had been surrounding the area engulfed her, swirling around her in what looked like a protective gesture. It was true that it had protected her from the fall, but what it had done was anything but kind. Rose tinted eyes shot open, drinking in their surroundings with haste. She wasn't dead? "I-I'm alive?!" She gasped, relief washing over her. "Ha! Take that you stupid... Man... Sion...?" She had reached her hand forward to point at the looming structure, when she noticed...

She had no fingers...

A pink, fuzzy paw replaced her dainty hand. "WH-WHAT?!" The cry echoed throughout the surrounding area, bouncing back to assault her ears. Why was everything so loud?! This wasn't right! What was going on?! Why was she so short?! Yeah, she was short before, but this was excessive! "Amagiriiiiiiiii!" She whined, running into the house to find her partner. And there he was, standing in the entrance hall of the now beautiful looking abode. But why was he so big?! "What happened to me?! Am I a monster?! Please tell me I'm not a monster! Pleeaaaseeee!" Tears streamed out of the pink hues, running slowly down the little red panda's furry cheeks. Reaching outwards, panda Rin tugged at Amagiri's pants, trying to get his attention.

A little one?! Hmph! How patronizing! It was obviously her! How could he not tell? "Hey! Pay attention! We need to get the hell out of this place and change me baacckkkk!" Panda Rin whined once more, bringing a paw upwards to wipe the tears from her eyes. Of all things, why did she have to turn into something so small and meek? In fact, why did she have to change into anything at all?! What was the deal with this stupid mansion anyways? Opening her little eyes once more, she looked upwards, noticing that something seemed to be wrong with her partner. Why was he freaking out all of a sudden? He was fine a moment ago. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's going on, Amagiri?" She called out to him, but it would seem that he didn't notice her. Could he not hear her speaking? Or perhaps, her words didn't sound like speech to him. That would be a big pain in the butt, now wouldn't it?

She had just been about to reach her claw upwards to address him once more, when she noticed that something wasn't quite right. They weren't alone anymore. Big saucer ears twitched and swiveled, listening for whatever had decided to join them. And there they were. Black hues surveyed them closely as they approached, knives drawn. "Oh shit..." Rin mumbled, retracting her claw and staring at them. This was bad. Now really wasn't a good time to attack them! Amagiri was having some sort of weird crisis, and she was a fucking panda. What could she do?! Panic had begun to set in as they slunk closer and closer. Now wasn't the time to think. If she didn't act now, they were going to hurt her friend!

Jumping forwards, Rin launched herself at one of the beings, a nasty snarl escaping from her chest. It groaned lazily in return before slicing it's knife outwards slowly, trying to get the annoying red panda off of it's chest. "Nngh!" Rin whimpered, feeling the sharp object connect with her left leg. Sticky red liquid seeped slowly from the wound, clumping in droplets within her thick fur. At least she had managed to keep one of the beasts away from Amagiri. She had to warn him about the other one, though! "Amagiri! Look out! It's going to stab you if you don't get out of it's way!" Her cry was full of desperation. But would he hear it?

"Amagiri!" Rin cried out as the cloaked being's knife made contact with the man's skin. It would seem that he wasn't able to react in time... If only she could be more useful... Baring her sharp teeth at the creature she was currently attached to, she lunged forward, sinking them into what felt like flesh. Another eerie groan drifted through the air, indicating that her actions had some effect. Though, perhaps it was an effect that she hadn't anticipated. A screech rang loudly in her ears moments afterwards, causing the little panda to wince in pain. Soon afterwards, the knife that had struck her moments before was raised, moving swiftly towards her in what would look to be the finishing blow.

Fortunately, though, it never came. A blinding light appeared suddenly, startling both Rin and the monster she had latched onto. It was perfect timing! Amagiri had finally come to his senses! A small bit of hope glowed within the young woman's chest once more. They weren't going to be bested by two stupid spirits! They were much stronger than that! Lifting her fuzzy little paw, she had been about to strike the creature that she was still attached to, but she was cut short. Seconds later she could feel herself falling again. What was going on with her luck today?! First she had fallen off a ladder, and now this?! "A-Ah!" The squeak escaped her just before she left gentle hands warp around her. The hard ground she had expected to feel never came, eliciting a sigh of relief from the furry little creature. Black eyes looked upwards to see her white haired companion. He didn't look very good, though. "Th-Thank you! U-Um! Are you okay?!" She blurted, trying her best to get her words across to him. It would seem that it was to no avail, once more. Soon, the ground she had been expecting moments before caught up with her. "O-Oof!" The air was knocked from her lungs as she landed belly first on the cold tile. "W-Wait! No!
Amagiri!" The desperate cry echoed throughout the main hall as she was left alone.

After a few moments of pacing and mumbling to herself, Rin finally decided that the best course of action now would be to go after him. He had to be somewhere within this mansion, right? It did seem to be cursed, after all. Perhaps it wanted to keep them here forever, like the people of the nearby village had said. Well that just wasn't going to happen this time! Rin was going to put an end to this if it was the last thing she ever did! No one else would fall victim to this evil! The pitter patter of little paws echoed silently through the halls as she ran up and down them, peeking into any of the doors that she came across. They had all started to look familiar, as if she had been running through an endless maze. Stopping for a moment, she sat herself down, leaning her back against a wall. "This sucks..." She wheezed, slightly out of breath from all of the running. Maybe it was about time she got into better shape...

A shiver jolted up the little red panda's spine as she continued walking down the long, creepy hallway. The sounds of distant voices had almost started to become too much to bear, especially considering her newfound hearing. It was practically deafening when you had to listen to it for so long. At this point all she wanted to do was cover her ears so that it would stop, but there was no time for that right now. She needed to find Amagiri before this horrific mansion got to him. She would never be able to forgive herself if something bad happened to her mentee. "Amagiriii! Amagiriiiii!" Her calls echoed through the corridors, bouncing off the walls with an eerie tone. There was no response. No matter how many times she cried out, nobody would respond.

That was, until she heard a familiar voice.

Theo?

But why was he here in this place? She had mentioned that she was going on a job with Amagiri, but she hadn't told him exactly where she was going. How did he know where to find her? "Th-Theo!" She gasped, running towards him excitedly. He must have heard from someone that she was coming to this village! He was here to save her! "I missed you too! I was so scared! W-We need to find Amagiri though! He disappeared a little while ago. I can't just leave hi-" The pink creature froze in her tracks. There was something wrong... The voice... Those eyes... This... Wasn't Theo... It couldn't be. Taking a few steps backwards she stared at him in disbelief. "Theo... I... I need to g-" Her words were swallowed by a ear piercing scream that pried it's way out of her throat. He was on top of her now, pinning her against the cold, wooden floorboards. Warm tears began to stream from her black hues, staining the fur that grew from her cheeks.

"N-No! Let me go!" The little pink fuzzball cried out, but the beast that impersonated her loving boyfriend showed no signs of ceasing. The wound on her leg throbbed as he pressed against it, causing a whimper to flow from her lips. There was no way she was going to be able to get away from him. He overpowered her in both strength and size. The young woman was completely and utterly trapped. The weapon this being held glistened menacingly as he raised it upwards once more, almost taunting her with it's sharpness. A sinister cackle was all that could be heard just before he plunged it downwards, aiming for Rin's forehead.

CLUNK

"A-Ahhh!"

Just before the knife had made contact with her, Rin turned her head, avoiding the killing blow, but landing herself in another predicament. The knife had pierced through one of her large, pointy ears, pinning her even more effectively to the ground. Crimson red liquid erupted from the wound, pooling around it before dripping and splattering against the flooring below. "P-Please! Stop this please! I'm begging you!" Her voice cracked with pain as she spoke, bottom lip quivering weakly with every word. The monster that claimed to be Theo chuckled before tightening his grip on the knife and tearing it out of her ear. The noise it made was almost sickening. Another scream from the innocent pink creature tore through the corridor, mixing with the other groans and shrieks that surrounded her. Raising the knife for the third time, the demonic being smirked, a glint in his eye.

This time, he didn't plan on missing.

Black eyes clenched shut as the sharp object drew ever closer, threatening to end her life here and now. When she imagined dying, she hadn't thought it would be like this. She had hoped she would get the chance to grow old with the man she loved, and hopefully have children along the way. It would be a peaceful death, one that would involve no pain or suffering. Just slipping away into darkness without a second thought. With no regrets or transgressions to fret over. Right now, at this moment, the young woman felt so incomplete. Like there was still many things she had left to do. And to top it all off, she wasn't even in her own body! She was a stupid, fuzzy pin-cushion! How could she die here, like this, to a demonic creature that took on the form of her lover?! It was all just too much to handle!

Just as she had expected to feel the killing blow, the weight that had been crushing her was suddenly lifted, allowing her to take the first deep breath in what seemed like forever. Dark hues snapped open, observing their surroundings with caution. The shadowy Theo was now locked in battle with what looked to be Amagiri. After seeing her lover impersonated so perfectly, it was truly hard to believe that this really was her mentee that had come to save the day. But then again, why would one of the spirits that inhabited this cursed place come to her aid in the first place? Surely, it would have just killed her... Right? Or... Perhaps it was all just a guise to make her believe that it was him. Yes, that seemed to be the most logical reasoning behind this. Scrambling to her feet, the little pink panda prepared herself, muscles taut in case there was a need to pounce. That changed not a moment later, though, when a sudden burst of lightning shattered through the ceiling, creating a blinding flash of light and a startling noise. "Nngh!" Rin grumbled, stumbling backwards as if stunned by the attack that wasn't even meant for her.

As her eyes opened once more, they widened in shock at what she saw. Blood was spattered against the walls and the ceiling, and some had even managed to make it's way into her fur. If this weren't such a tense moment, she was sure that she would have lost the contents of her stomach. The sight was a gruesome one, that was for sure. Something she wasn't quite prepared to see. The fact that such brutality had come from her mentee made it all the more frightening. Amagiri was usually a very peaceful soul, choosing to speak gently and calmly about issues before handling them in a harsh manor. Although it would be difficult to do so in such a trying situation, he would have found a way. For some reason, this managed to convince the pink haired mage even more that this wasn't the man she called her friend. Eyes filling with tears once more, Rin glared at the being that stood menacingly before her. This wasn't Amagiri, but for some reason, the idea of hurting something that even just looked like him tore at her heart-strings.

Instead of standing and fighting, the little creature flipped around, deciding that fleeing would be a much better solution to this situation. Perhaps she could run fast enough that it would lose her. Picking up speed, the panda weaved through the intricate maze of a mansion, turning down random corridors without taking a moment to look back or even think about where she was headed. The only thing that mattered right now was getting away. Getting away from all of this madness. The voices that seemed to scream and cry at every turn. The looming threat of having to harm something that looked so similar to her companion. And probably worst of all, the fact that she might die in a horrible place such as this. Why did this have to happen? Why did this fucking mansion never end? There were no exits... No hope of ever being rescued. Only the madness that seemed to reign over this domain like a twisted mistress.

Rin had been about to lose all hope. Her stamina was quickly depleting. There wasn't much time left now before she would be unable to go on. Fortunately, though, there had been a change in scenery. The pitter patter of tiny paws came to a halt when they reached the end of that final hallway. A heavy sigh ejected from the little panda's lips as she stared in awe at what was before her now. It was the entrance hall in which the two mages had stood not long before. A spark of hope was set alight within the small woman's soul. Perhaps she would be able to escape now!

No!

She had to find Amagiri first! It would be wrong to leave this place without him!

But... It would be wrong not to just... Check to see if the exit was open. Yes, she had to check!

Running forwards, the little creature made a break for the door, a thirst for escape swirling within her irises. But alas, that would be simply too easy, now wouldn't it? A looming figure stood in her path, blocking her vision and causing her to come to a skidding halt. It was too good to be true, after all. The being cloaked in a heavy veil of smoke, masking any features it may or may not have had. The only thing that could be seen was one, misty looking hand. It almost seemed to be beckoning to her, whispering in her ear sweetly in a language she both could and couldn't understand.

"Venit in tenebris latere, parvulus."

Almost immediately after these few words were spoken, an intense pain began to shatter through Rin's skull, tearing an ear piercing scream from the woman's throat. There were so many voices in her head. They wouldn't stop speaking. Yelling. Screaming. Crying out.

And then it was silent once more.

"Oh, my dear Rin. I wish you wouldn't hide me so. I've done nothing but help you throughout our journey together."

Rin knew that voice all too well. It was her own, after all. But the twisted tone was anything but pleasant. Why was it that Zulu was here now? The side of herself that she attempted to hide so well had shown itself, battling within her head for control.

"Just let me handle this, my dear! Then it will all be over! We can get out of here and return home to loverboy! You could use a good lay after all of this, am I right?"

The voice only seemed to get louder and more shrill as it spoke, causing Rin to clasp her paws against the sides of her face. Tears streamed rhythmically down her cheeks, staining the peachy colored fur that they traveled through. She had had enough. Her mind and body were too weak to resist any longer. It was time to give in now. Give in to the beast that lived within her own heart.

Eyes that had once been black now revealed themselves to be a bright, menacing red. A sickening smirk plastered itself against the panda's face, showing off sharp, white teeth. The creature that had once been Rin now turned, facing the hallway from which she came once more. Now wasn't the time to run like a coward. If she wanted to survive, she would need to stand and fight, no matter who or what she was fighting against. The killing machine that hid within Rin's small, fragile frame wasn't one to back down from something like this. She hadn't once before, and she wasn't about to now.

"Alright then... Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

Rin was gone now, and Zulu was here to stay.

The only way to save his friend? What was this being even talking about? Perhaps it was speaking about one of the other spirits within this cursed place? Either way, it would seem that the impostor planned to harm her. Lightning crackled menacingly against his arms, threatening to strike at her at any moment. And so they did. Within a flash, bolts had begun to bombard her, striking down closer and closer until they were practically inches away. Taking action, the small creature propelled herself to the side, narrowly avoiding one of the strikes as it descended. It would seem that her options were severely limited here. Her hands had been replaced with paws, so using either of her magics was out of the question. Wielding a weapon with her mouth would be nearly impossible. Sure, she had learned how to be a master in all types of combat, but that would just be ridiculous.

Scrambling to her feet once more, Rin looked up, observing the situation with haste. The only way she would be able to fight is if she were close enough to use her teeth or claws. Even then, it would be quite difficult to deal a killing blow that way. She was going to have to be fast... Running forward, the little one locked onto her target, preparing to pounce forward and land on his chest.

This pounce would be interrupted, though.

The lightning was simply too fast for her to avoid. It struck her suddenly, rippling through her body intensely. There was no pain, though. Thankfully, because she happened to be in her other form, she couldn't feel a thing, but the impact did send her spiraling backwards. With a crash, she made impact with the large doorway, breaking through it and landing on the grassy ground. Almost as soon as she made contact, though, there was a bright flash of light. It was truly blinding. As it faded, it revealed a womanly frame. The curse the mansion had bestowed upon the young woman had been lifted, and she was now back to her normal self. A small groan rumbled within Rin's throat as her rose tinted eyes opened once more. The pain had begun to pulse throughout her body finally. It would seem that because she was no longer in the mansion, Zulu no longer had control. It was bittersweet, really. Sweet because that wench no longer had control, but bitter because DAMN THAT LIGHTNING FUCKING HURT.

The woman had been about to stagger to her feet in order to protect herself once more, when she noticed that something was... Off.

Why was it so damn cold?

Looking down at herself, her face erupted into a bright shade of red. Where had her clothes gone?! This stupid mansion and it's perverted tricks! It couldn't have had the decency to return her to her normal self, WITH the clothes. No! That would be much too kind! A small shriek escaped the pink haired maiden's lips, and her arms wrapped around her body in an attempt to preserve her dignity. "Hey! You! Impostor Amagiri! You b-b-better not look! That's right! Look away!" She sneered with uncertainty. "T-Time out for just one second, a-alright?!" Stuttering like an idiot, Rin decided to hide herself behind what was left of the doorway she had busted through. The bag with her tablet had to be somewhere nearby! If she could just grab it, she would be able to fabricate herself some clothes.

But where WAS it?!

When she transformed earlier, it must have been dropped in this yard somewhere. Pink hues scanned the surrounding area, desperately searching for any signs of this stupid pouch.

"Aha!" She cried out moments later, spotting the lump of fabric that laid haphazardly on the floor. Luckily, it was even within reach! It would seem that lady Fortune took pity on her now. Reaching outwards awkwardly, she grabbed the tablet, leaving the bag lonely on the grass. Right hand moving furiously, she drew her clothes, silently praying that they would be the right size for her. And they were! With a flash of light, they appeared beside her, folded neatly and without a crease. "Perfect!" She cooed excitedly, reaching for them swiftly.

Once she was dressed, Rin stepped out of her hiding spot, revealing herself once more. "S-Sorry about that! I wasn't expecting to be so, well, indecent!" Pausing for a moment, she placed a hand on her forehead, shaking her head in disappointment. "Why am I even talking to you? You're just one of those stupid spirits that's trying to kill Amagiri and I anyways... Not like you would even care!" A small chuckle escaped from her lips as she looked upwards once more. "Alright... Let's get this over with, then! Requip!" As soon as the final word was spoken, a flash of light tore through the darkness once more, revealing the candy encrusted pistol the pink haired mage cherished so dearly. Hand reaching upwards, she retrieved it, before pointing it directly at her target.

"Any last words?"

Rin had been about to lower her weapon when a sudden figure appeared, interrupting the moment of reconciliation the two mages were having. Adjusting her grip on her sugary pistol once more, she took aim, this time at the ghostly girl who had fabricated before them. Just before she could pull the trigger, though, the companions were assaulted by balls of fire that rained down on them like an unrelenting storm. Rose tinted hues widened as they approached, and the young woman's reflexes began to kick in. In an attempt to avoid the missile-like fireballs, she dove to the side, landing on the ground with a harsh thud. She hadn't managed to avoid all of them, though. One of the flames made direct contact with her leg, searing it brutally and leaving behind a fresh burn. "A-Ah!" The cry left her lips once the smoldering sensation had kicked in. Unfortunately, though, there would be no time to dwell on the fresh wound she had procured. No, they had company now.

Pinkish brown eyes swiveled upwards, observing their surroundings carefully and with tact. This was really bad. Not only did they have to deal with this ghost-like child, but now she had called in her minions to assist her. Looking down once more, Rin scrambled to find her weapon, which had been lost when she had collided with the floor. It had slid a little ways away from her current position, lingering dangerously close to one of the beasts that had just been summoned. She was going to have to be quick. Rising shakily to her feet, a wince wracked her body as she placed pressure on her freshly wounded leg. This was going to be painful, but there was no choice but to work through it. Taking a deep breath she lunged forward, grabbing her weapon and aiming it in one swift movement. The nearest creature turned, hissing menacingly, before slowly approaching.

BANG

The gunshot rang throughout the room, an almost deafening sound. The creature that had been about to approach now lay lifeless on the ground. It slowly began to dissolve into a puff of smoke, before disappearing entirely. Looking up frantically, the young mage noticed that the noise she had made had grabbed the attention of all of the ghostly beings that were around them. They all approached now, murderous intent evident on their faded faces. "A-Amagiri! I'm going to need some help!" She barked, raising her weapon once more.

The clashing of fire and lightning was almost blinding, causing the pink haired woman to turn away. Sure, it would be a beautiful sight to behold, if it weren't so damn bright! As the light began to fade, there came a scream, jarring Rin to her senses once more. Now wasn't the time to be distracted! There was still a horde of beasts that were coming her way. Since Amagiri seemed to be busy handling the girl who had conjured all of these monsters, she would have to handle them on her own. That wouldn't be a problem! A small smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth as she raised her right hand. "Requip!" She called, waiting patiently for her other weapon to appear. And so it did. With a bright flash, her second candy gun appeared, landing smoothly in her open hand. This was the first time she had attempted using two of her weapons at once, but so far it seemed that it was working nicely.

"Alright! Here we go!" Taking aim, Rin began to rapidly fire both of the guns, sending out bullets in every direction. Groans mixed with the shrill sound of gunfire, resulting in an eerie sounding jumble. Within seconds, all that was left of Silica's minions was a cloak of mist. "Oh! Well that was a lot easier than I had expected!" The young mage chirped, twirling one of her candy pistols around her finger. It was tragic how easily they fell to her bullets. It only took one or two of them to take them down! Perhaps getting out of here wouldn't be as difficult as she had originally anticipated. All there was left to do was deal with the little brat who started this in the first place.

Turning around, Rin observed the situation. The child was on the ground, but there was a sinister fire in her eyes that portrayed that she was nowhere near being done with them. No, it looked like this fight had only just begun. Limping forward, the young mage aimed both of her weapons at the child-like being. "It doesn't have to be this way, you know. If you would just let us go, and stop terrorizing the village, we wouldn't be forced to kill you like this." Rin attempted to reason with the being, but in her heart she knew that it wasn't going to work. There was going to be a fight whether she liked it or not.

Rose tinted hues widened in shock as the large beam of magical fire headed straight for her. It was almost as if she was frozen in place, not only because of the sheer power it exuded, but also because the words that the small girl had spoken to her had struck her in a way she hadn't expected them to. Was she truly being over optimistic? Perhaps it wasn't her place to tell her how she should feel... Especially after all she had been through. Just because she was different. A magic user, like herself. It would seem that she had almost forgotten the fact that the people of this village hated them. Her and her friend had been forced to sneak in for that very reason. Maybe it wasn't all this spirit's fault. There must have been two sides. Granted, it was never okay to enslave people and trap them in this horrible place, but even so, Rin was beginning to see why it had happened.

Life almost seemed to move in slow motion, before flashing back into normal time as Amagiri was thrown upwards, having absorbed the entirety of that menacing attack Silica had prepared. A shriek left Rin's lips as she watched him land harshly on a balcony above. He had protected her from such a nasty force... That could have been her... It should have been her. Tears full of anger and grief began to pool within her eyes, threatening to spill over the edge and trickle down her pale cheeks. But now wasn't the time for that. Turning towards the ghostly girl once more, the young woman clenched her teeth, determined to put on a brave face. Lifting her weapons, she pointed them shakily at the spirit, doubt evident in her stance. She had to do this. If she was going to protect Amagiri and this village, she was going to have to do this.

Right?

Killing this spirit was obviously the only choice... That would be the only way to save all of the people in this nearby village. It would be the only way to guarantee her mentee's safety.

But was it what she really wanted to do? Was it the right thing to do?

Jaw relaxing, her grip of her weapons loosened, and her elbows began to bend, lowering the guns she held ever so slightly. This wasn't right. She saw far too much of herself within this young spirit, that she just couldn't bring herself to do this. In one swift movement, Rin threw each gun in down, watching idly as they slid in opposite directions. There was a brief pause, and silence. The flames that Silica had been charging up looked as if they were going to be directed towards her at any moment. But Rin didn't waver. Not for a second. Pink gaze moving upwards, she stared at the girl once more, a friendlier look gracing her expression.

Her mouth had just been about to open in order to speak, when the flames were released, beaming towards her with a sinister glow. Reacting quickly, she managed to jump out of the way, dodging the flames and the shrapnel they had caused when they made contact with the nearby wall. Recovering quickly, she leapt forward, her arms open wide. As she made contact with the young girl, she wrapped her arms around her tightly. This was her final shot. If she was going to get through to her, it would have to be now.

"Listen to me! I know that it must have been hard for you! What they did was not okay, but what you're doing to them is just as bad. Be better than them! Don't stoop down to their level! You're better than that!"