A Well Deserved Punishment (Yona&Johann) [Social/Private]

Johann did not forget, nor did he forgive. A day had passed since Yona had "poisoned" the head chef of the West Fiore Trading Company's Headquarters kitchen, Benvolio, in a mischievous "prank" that had brought him to the edge of physical collapse, and the Vice President was fuming. Of course the man was fine now and returned back to his job, thanks to the excellent medical personnel of the Company, unaware of the green haired girls' involvement. In fact, when he reported the incident to his fellow Vice Presidents and the CEO he mentioned Yona with not a single word, describing the incident as a simple and ultimately harmless accident. Still, he knew better. He had caught Yona more or less in the act and it didn't take a professional detective to figure out what had really happened to their guild mate who, for a rather stupid reason one might add, had been in argument with the green haired girl. For some reason, he felt responsible for all of this, and he had decided to take matters into his own hands. It was not something the man would do normally, he respected and adhered to the guilds rules, but he knew that if Ruvel or even Cirven would be the one to punish her there was a good chance she would never recover in one way or another and, if he was honest with himself, where he was normally strict when it came to these things, he wasn't with Yona. He couldn't be, there was something that wouldn't allow him. Maybe he could just empathize with her too much, maybe he felt that her life and experiences were just too close to his own, he didn't know. Looking back at his own past, that day on Amber Island, the flames, the days he had spent on the streets of Minstrel, the beatings he took, the starvation and everything that came with it, he could understand, and he knew that for the girl all of this wasn't a big deal.

He was the same at that age, but he was also the Vice President of probably one of the worlds biggest trading companies now, and he knew he had to stop Yona somehow and that she couldn't keep going unchecked or she would continue her path, slowly but surely getting worse and worse with the things she was doing until one day she would do something severe, something that couldn't be fixed with punishment, and much to Johann's dislike she had gotten fairly close to that point with her most recent escapade. He shook his head and sighed, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling of his office, his arms dangling back and forth lazily, almost as if he was trying to somehow buy himself a little more time before the inevitable. Johann stood up, the chair creaking as it was pushed back, making his way out the door and closing it behind himself, locking it with a serious expression decorating what was normally a friendly smile, and like that the Vice President went through the entrance hall, up a set of stairs, through a few hallways back to his own living quarters to pick up his gloves, his amulet, and the two rapiers, pushing open the large mahogany front doors of the HQ building just a couple of minutes later.

He had no idea where Yona would usually spend her spare time, but he remembered faintly that she had mentioned the beach before, if in that context or not he couldn't remember, but it was his best bet, the old man made his way to the edge of the island, the sheathed rapiers on his sides swinging back and forth a little with every slow, yet confident step he took. Sure enough, after a couple of minutes and a thoughtful walk across Tolgalens beach near the docks, in the distance he could make out her distinct green hues in the distance, calmly but quickly approaching. Untypically for Johann, he left out the bow or the formalities and got straight to the point. "Hisamori. We have to talk" he spoke briefly, looking down on her with shining eyes, the disappointment in his voice clear as the ocean beside them.

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Thread Word Count: 711

Yona was wearing something both usual and unusual. She was in her old clothes, from her vagabond days, carrying them close to her and wearing them often enough so she never forgot herself. With the large brown coat over her shoulders, tattered at the sleeve and tail edges, there were the cropped black halter top and the long tight pants with various dark stains from the years of use. Yona wore also her worn old leather boots, so threadbare in places her feet could be seen through the soft material and she could feel the chill of the breeze coming off the sea nearby. She walked besides the line of wet sand, the mark between tides where the sand was hard but not damp, in an effort to not soak her feet through. Why let go of her old clothes? Why let go of her old life? Someday, when the people in the guild turned on her, when they got sick of her, when they found her too uncouth and reckless, they would throw her out. And these clothes suited her best anyway: ragged, fatigued, but practical and determined not to fall apart.

The day was cloudy and other than a few miscellaneous little boats, most people and most boaters were not around. The docks and harbor area was unusually quiet, anticipating a storm. A storm wasn't always reason to stop business, but rumors of water spouts at sea had the people preparing just in case. The cool air was a comfort to Yona in her coat, the wind lifting her green hair off her shoulders and tossing it from one shoulder to the other every few minutes, every time she stopped and turned around, pacing the length of the short shoreline. As she reached the far edge and turned back around, Yona lifted her head to see Johann approaching, armed and straight backed. She made a face thinking to herself, 'Here it comes'. Yona knew that he knew, and worse, she knew he was angry.

What did she have to fear from him in any case? More grounding? Guild chores? He was a VP, surely guild VPs didn't go around crunching the bones of guild members into dust or some morbid thing. She let out a breath that she hadn't known she was holding as Johann reached her and addressed her, using her last name as usual but without a single air of propriety. She gave him a nod, and rubbed the back of her green haired head. "Yeah, I imagine we do." What was she going to say? He knew everything so well, she didn't have to explain her self, tell him what happened, give a reason for why she did what she did. He didn't want any of that, what he wanted most was to clearly spew out what was on his mind and Yona had no cause to stop him. Plus, she liked him most out of all the people on this island. He was one of the few she would give the time of day to, even if she was clearly in trouble.

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Thread Word Count: 1,229

Johanns eyes were fixed on the green haired girl before him, the crashing of the waves behind them as the wind rushed through his long, grey hair, causing it to wave back and forth gently. To his left, seaward, dark clouds started appearing on the horizon, but the Vice President paid the approaching storm no mind, instead opening his mouth to follow up on what Yona had to say. She had replied with her usual snide, not really showing any remorse or understanding the scope of what she had to her guildmate. If the rest of the West Fiore Trading Company knew she'd be thrown out without a second thought, and if it had been an issue of the other side ... he had to put an end to this.

"What were you even thinking ?! You POISONED a guild mate. He could have died !" Johann momentarily broke out into shouting at her where he was normally calm and collected. If anything it would show the girl that he wasn't up for much joking around as she would find out soon enough. "Do you even KNOW what Cirven would do if he knew ? Hisamori ... Yona, you can't go on like this. If you want to be part of a guild you WILL have to learn to adapt, DO YOU UNDERSTAND", his voice and the occasional shouting only interrupted by the gentle sound of the waves, the wind getting stronger and stronger by the minute. "I thought you wanted this guild to be a home, Yona. I thought you want a place to be, and if you want that then you'll have start following the rules. This trading company isn't the streets of some god forsaken town at the end of the world, we have LAWS. We cannot stand for this ..."

Johann had talked himself into a rage. He felt betrayed where he personally had placed trust in the woman, and responsible to deal with this as the Vice President of the Company. "Look, Yona, I know that you had a personal argument with him, and I know that that was frustrating, but you'll have to understand that  I'll have to administer a punishment. It pains me that I have to do it, but you're leaving me with no other choice"

Before the girl could reply or do something Johann turned on the spot and simply commanded "Follow me" before starting to walk, away from the still azure blue ocean and towards the lush green forests away from the rest of Divide Island. He would, as soon as they were out of sight of the beach, cast his teleportation spell and the turn the two into wind to transport them somewhere far, far away from the HQ, a city or any kind of civilization in Tolgalen, around them only thick, dense jungle. "Looks like no one is going to disturb us here, very well, let us begin" He spoke, ignoring everything else while untying one of his rapiers from his belt and throwing it over to Yona for to catch while drawing his other. "I hope you're prepared, Yona. I, Johann von Weiss, as Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company, challenge you to a duel to punish you for the crimes against Tolgalen. There will be no rules and I won't accept a no. Try not to die." The very instance he had ended his sentence, a wave of pressure exploded from his body when he finally unleashed all the anger he had suppressed during the last 24 hours, the runes on his body lighting up in a dark, crimson red.

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Thread Word Count: 1,835

Despite the couple months that she had been living on Divide Island as part of the guild, Yona still saw herself as extra. She saw herself as not part of the guild and as such, independent, like a contractor who just so happened to have a tattoo. Sure, she enjoyed the company of a few of the members, and sure she had to admit Johann was growing on her much in the same way an older brother might have. Yet, the nineteen year old was anything but trusting, and there was no reason for her to believe that she was going to stay in the guild forever, at least not in her mind. In her deepest heart, Yona longed to be part, and how Johann knew that, Yona couldn't fathom a guess. But Yona did not dare to hope for such a thing, not when her priorities were to avenge her brother first, and live her own life second.

Yona felt Johann's anger and possibly something deeper in the air, something almost like disappointment or betrayal. As if she had personally wronged him in some way. The female kept opening her mouth to argue with him, to defend herself against his sharp candor and admonishments. Yona had to keep closing her mouth as Johann shouted at her, and for the first time since she was a child, recalling her father's angered voice, she was reminded that she did deserve to get yelled at and that she really ought to keep it closed in the first place. Yona was not going to talk herself out of this one it seemed, and flirting, distracting and tricking likely would not work on the man who had seen most of her wiles already. As he shouted, she balked, her face turning into a forced frown. She looked at her feet, doubting her actions and feeling a little bit of guilt.

Had her ambition and drive for power gone too far? Attacking a cook? What had she been thinking, Yona wondered in the privacy of her mind. She hadn't meant to nearly kill the guy, just inconvenience him, just harm him, just get him back for standing in her way the same way that she paid in full any perceived debts out while living out on the rough streets. Standing there in her old wayfarer clothes, Yona felt somewhat dirty in front of Johann now. When she lifted her head again, he had seemed to finish his rant, though his eyes were still intense and lit upon her face. He spoke of doling out a punishment, and of feeling pain at having to do it. She bristled somewhat, the same words used by fathers everywhere. 'It's for your own good'.

"Don't do me any favors, then," Yona uttered under her breath glancing away from him, towards the water and the oncoming rain clouds. Distancing herself emotionally would no doubt be seen as rude or a lack of remorse, perhaps even apathy. She didn't want Johann to know that he had struck so close to home with his words, or that she was actually taking them to heart. Her walls were all up, and now they were especially fortified with her resilient--no, stubborn reassurances that he didn't want her in the guild anyway and even that Johann did not think she was worthy of being taught by him any longer.

Her shoulders slumped as she followed Johann, heeding his demand and getting teleported into the middle of some unknown dense jungle. She felt dizzy, almost sick to her stomach, again after being teleported with no warning. But this time, Yona didn't complain. She placed a hand on a nearby tree and closed her eyes, exhaling. The female lifted her head as she heard him untying a rapier, and made a face. So this was it then. He was marooning her in this humid dangerous hellhole, giving her a rapier to survive on as an act of mercy or pity. Yona's frown became an evident scowl as she stood up straighter, willing the lightheadedness away. Screw him then, she was capable of anything. Anything.

She caught the rapier carefully when he tossed it to her, and then her green eyes went wide as he explained the punishment he had in store for her. "D-duel? Crimes against Tolgalen? What?" Had she heard him correctly? Yona held the rapier oddly, the thick jungle around making it more than difficult for quick movement or an easy escape. Johann's body lit up with the dark red runes and Yona's mouth went dry. He wasn't leaving her to survive in this foreign place, he was going to kill her. She saw Johann's ardent rage, she saw the runes on his body, and she was reminded of the pulpy head of the gang leader, Daza, a body with a smashed melon of a cranium when Johann was finished.

She swallowed hard, "No rules, Johann? Johann, we can't just fight like that! It's not fair! Can't I just go on cooking duty, or wash the floors of the whole guild? Make an apology card or something?" For an allergic reaction that was no doubt wrong, Yona was baffled at the punishment. Did they take such a small thing so seriously? When he told her not to die, she bit her lip and tried one other quip. He had said 'if Cirven knew' and 'no body will disturb us here'. This could not have been legal, no. "Where's Cirven, is this even legal?" Yona took a half step back, going into a stance that denoted just how much of a beginner she was.

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The aura of strength around the Vice President flickered for a second before dying down a bit, retreating as he sighed out loud. It's not like he wasn't in the right, it wasn't like what he was doing was illegal, not exactly legal either, though. Here in Tolgalen, due to the nature of the thalassocracy that was the West Fiore Trading Company, the second highest position in this relatively young state was, along with his 2 colleagues, his to hold. "Look, Yona" Johann, for the first time, put his anger with the young girl second to lay out the situation clearly "Let's drop the official routine for this one. I don't want to hurt you. But you can't go around hurting other guild members, too. We can't have one rule for someone and another for the next. I like you, but you fucked up, and a punishment is long overdue ..."

Johann spoke true, and from a place of deep conflict. On one hand he sort of had taken the green haired girl under his wing, in one way or the other, and come to see her as a mentee of sorts. Still, he had, with all the heart and soul he had to offer, sword an oath to someone who was equally important to him. When he had drawn his sword before Ruvel and given him his word, sworn on his name, he had promised that he would protect every member of the company from harm. He would call them his family, and he had sworn, to himself and his fellow Vice President, that he would never ever let his family be hurt again. He had lost everything once before, and even if it meant his own demise, he would fight. Fight with all he could give. Which was exactly what he was planning to do. "So, you can defend yourself, and show me that you have learned something, or run away, run from it all, and never come back" Johann raised his rapier anew, and the red aura of magical energy flared up once more "because if you do, I will treat you as a threat to my guild, to my family. I hope you can understand that", and with calm voice he asked one final question "What will it be, Yona ?". Above, the clouds cracked open with a loud roar, and the first drops started falling around them, slowly at first, gradually intensifying. The storm was upon them.

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Thread Word Count: 3,230

The green eyed female held the rapier tighter in her hands, until his energy seemed to die down. She felt the tension ease up just a small bit as the older man let out a sigh. She was really struggling to read Johann. She had seen him in action, seen his amused side, seen his protective side, seen the way he lost control. But this expression, these words, they felt conflicted and so his emotions and his face were moving between his feelings too quickly to recognize. 'I don't want to hurt you' he said, and then in direct argument with it, he instructed her to defend herself. Her own frustrations were beginning to ease, seeing how uneasy Johann was himself.

If what she had done was really this bad, if it really was a guild like a family and he considered her a part of it... well what would one do if one's family began poisoning each other or fighting in the hallways on a regular basis. Johann's words made a decent point- that was not how family worked and even if they weren't family, guilds were tight knit and depended on each other like one. She had really screwed up her role by believing she was not a part of the guild. It was too hard to accept, internally for herself, but Yona knew she had to better play along with others who accepted her even when she did not realize it.

Yona nodded slowly and lifted the rapier in her hands, holding it as if preparing for a duel against the certain winner of this fight. She saw his red energy flare back up, not even knowing what it was or what it meant, but the intensity was clear. "What will it be Yona?" Johann asked her, his voice calm and almost dry. The woman flipped the rapier over and back and looked around at the dense jungle, feeling the thunder in her bones as it echoed in the sky above them. As the drops fell from above, splashing from leaf to leaf, making the already rough terrain slippery, the green haired mage lifted her chin, giving him the all too familiar stubborn expression she always seemed to wear in a fight.

"All right, captain. You know I ain't afraid of you. I'm not running anywhere." In her eyes was the usual ferocity which the young woman bore as strength, but also a fierce resolve to not win but to prove to Johann that she had learned. She understood what he was saying and she could try to make a change. At the least she could not go about hitting guild members and poisoning the chefs when she didn't get her way. With her right hand holding the weapon, her left stretched outward to her side as she made a better stance for dueling. And then all around her beetles of nearly every size swarmed, coming to her assistance as her body released an odor imperceptible to human nose- chemical signals to call for the plant allies she used in most- a clear sign that Yona was ready as she ever was going to be.

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Thread Word Count: 3,759

For but a few seconds, Johann felt relieved, almost joyous that the girl, despite her flaws, understood his concerns, and seemed to understand her mistake. Still, despite that, the time for her punishment had come, and as Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company, he wouldn't, couldn't relent. The mysterious, red energy around him flared up once again, but this time, he'd be serious, he'd show his true potential, powers that, maybe to his advantage, Yona hadn't previously seen before. And truly, since last she had seen him in action, much had happened, too much even for Johann to truly handle himself, but ultimately, he had become much, much stronger. For instance, he had gained control over his runes, the runes that partially covered the left side of his body, these exact markings now shining in a deep, bloody red, digging across his skin and flesh up his torso, his shoulders, his face, covering every visible area of his body in the scripture, his right eye turning black and red similarly to the other one. His true potential, his true power, he had unlocked, his senses heightening instantly from one second to the other, the familiar burst of new information filling his eyes, nose, ears.

"Very well, Yona ...", seeing, smelling that the girl had already started releasing chemicals and attracted a swarm of insects, he, too, prepared himself for the fight that was about to start "... let us begin", the last word hardly more than a whisper. the blade in his right hand lit up with bright, orange flame, from the weapon bursting forth a surge of intense heat and scorching fire. With one large sweep from left to right, the flame flared up, seemingly possessing a will of its own as it moved, covering their entire surroundings in a blazing firestorm, burning the jungle around them as it engulfed all manners of plant life in it. Johann knew how Yona's magic worked, and he would do his best do prevent her from using it effectively, especially focussing on the bugs and plants. Additionally, he knew that the girl didn't exactly like flame, quite the opposite actually. It was a dirty trick, but well, as far as he knew, Yona would be playing dirty as well, so he wouldn't hesitate and try it all to put the girl with the green hair into her place. In his left hand, a dark, black, swirling wind started rising up from his fingers, covering his hand and ultimately the entire arm before reacting explosively, seemingly erupting as the black and purple streaked wind started soaring with not just wind and air, but flame as well, strings of flame mixed in. The wind of a storm, combined with the primordial might of an entity far beyond the grasp of the regular mage. Johann, the arm covered in a roaring mix of stormwind and flame, burst forward with the familiar, inhuman speed, the sound barrier breaking instantly as he accelerated through the space between Yona and himself in less than the blink of an eye, reappearing before the girl, his left fist raised high, before slamming it down with an extreme force.

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Thread Word Count: 4,289

Yona Hisamori didn't know what to think about this upcoming duel. She was way out of her league, but the woman was determined to not give in and not crumble to pieces in a single hit. As Johann's body glowed with vermilion runes and his eyes transformed to carmine and steel, Yona bit on her lip. Her mind boosted through various options: at the end of it, his physical change indicated to her that although she had seen his power and his enhanced speed, there was even more to Johann than she had previously known or understood. Something to be cautious of, but with a fairly low speed and fairly low protection, Yona didn't know what exactly she could do in ways of being defensive.

Abandoning the idea of defense altogether was foolhardy, but in Yona's mind she reconsidered. Johann must suspect that she would move or create a wall of some sort. Johann would not undermine her own abilities and in giving up the false idea that she had a chance to protect herself in this situation might be her best advantage and something that the older man would not expect outright.  Her bugs swarmed full on ahead, wrapping around him, biting and spraying acid, trying to diminish his attention in some way. Yona lifted her hands quickly, weaving her fingers as rapidly as she could through some sort of sign and targeting Johann in an obvious way- the man's body glowing bright green. Any bare skin would turn black as if diseased, lesions puckering over the flesh, and spreading quickly. The itching fungus like spell caused sharp pain and seemed unstoppable.

Johann moved as well, his now flaming weapon swiping through the air. Even from a distance, Yona could feel the intense heat. Fires usually took time to consume living material, but Johann's fire seemed to devour all living plantlife around her for over a hundred meters. It burned up some of Yona's skin, her large precious jacket, and even half of her Juniper-green hair. Her insect swarm, too, had been eliminated. The woman had moved into a tight crouch, defending her major body parts from flame but she lifted her face and took a deep breath through the thick smoke clearing out in the rainy air. The water cooled her skin and prevented her coat and hair from complete destruction, but the young woman was not yet finished being at the receiving end of Johann's unleashed magic.

She coughed and lifted her begrimed face to see a strike of lightning in the sky, the burst of light outlining the blur that was Johann as he moved for her. Her heart was racing like a frightened mouse, pounding and echoing in her ears. It was taking everything inside of her not to cry. She couldn't decide what was more fearsome- the prestige of Johann's fierce fire or allowing her fear of that fire, the return of her mind to her most traumatic memories, to push her into an easy defeat. She screamed loudly, expelling her fear with all of her might, not just fighting Johann and his fire but violently battling the demons in her mind. "I AIN'T AFRAID," Yona let out. She was overwhelmed by the pressure, unable to hold on to the grief and anger that had always plagued her, knowing in an instant that if she let it take her over like it always did, and if she let it drive her actions in this fight, Yona would lose more than just the duel and some hair.

For Yona, this duel was about showing Johann she was worthy and that she could change. It was about proving to herself that her heart ache and trauma would always be carried with her, but she wasn't required to wear it on her sleeve for the whole world to see. She had to be stronger than that. Just as Johann's arm came down, Yona's left arm came up, her wrist flicking back in a sharp strict gesture. Her arm wasn't raised to block Johann's hit, once more allowing him to hit her (what choice did she have in a war of speeds anyway?), it had been to cast a rebuttal spell. In her hand was a magenta flower, and from her lips was a small puff of air. The toxic bloom released its pale pink compounds into the air, close enough for Johann to breathe or get on his skin. As soon as it did so, he would experience immediate heart palpitations and chest pain.

Yona might have to feel to solid blows from Johann, but there would be some cost to him for getting so close to her, she thought to herself. And then his arm, covered in purple-black haze slammed down on her left shoulder, knocking her arm out of the way. Yona cried out loudly, the sound echoing in the burnt up expanse of jungle; the woman wondering if her shoulder had been dislocated by the movement and seriously regretting her lack of defense. She looked up at him, her face stained with mud grime and smoky soot, her green eyes full of pain as her shortened hair whipped around her face in uneven strands.


Spells-
Mortal Oleander- Poisonous cloud deals user rank damage, 1 post burst effect
Blightweave - 5 post duration, 50% user rank damage over time, only magical healing removes the black color from the skin

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Thread Word Count: 5,179

Before Johann could even spread around the soaring flames that sprang from his blade he could feel sharp pain all over his body, the bugs swarming all over doing their best to nibble, to bite, to scratch where they could. A nice try, but it wouldn't do much. Any little bite, any little scratch would close back up instantly as if nothing had happened, restoring skin and flesh back to their original state shortly before everything around them was engulfed in flames and the little beasts would be charred, turned to ash from the blazing storm of fire around them. But there was something else. A sharp, burning sensation began creeping up his left arm, feeling as if it was slowly crawling up the limb as he stared down to his hand, blackened and, in some places, bursting skin covering the extremity. "So she does have a few tricks up her sleeve, huh ? ...", The Vice President sinisterly grinned to himself as the black strings and streaks of air and wind still swirled around his form "But so do I", some of the black wind and air starting to move to his head where around it it formed two long, antler like horns that were bent backwards, a deep purple in colour. Johann's rage, intensified by the pain he was feeling, started clouding his thoughts. Over the years, he had gotten insensitive to it. He had been beaten, burned, cut, over and over, and remembered all of these sensations, but he wouldn't care. There was no pain that could bring him to his knees. Not after what he had been through.

The afflicted skin, upon completion of the sinister crown on his head, simply turned brittle, breaking off and revealing perfectly normal, untainted skin beneath before being covered by the dark wind and fire, Johann bursting forward for his attack. He had aimed for the woman's left side and indeed, slammed his fist down on her shoulder with a force that made him stop in his tracks for a second after he had delivered the blow. Yona cried out in pain, and Johann was immediately overtaken by doubt, worry for the girl, his anger fading into nothing when he looked down at her, his own, onyx eyes meeting hers, and he immediately took a step back. That was when he felt another sharp, sudden, yet short burst of pain in his chest. He retreated a few meters, a feeling as if he had been stabbed with a glowing knife dominating all other senses, yet he still managed to hear his own heartbeat with his extremely heightened senses. Briefly, it had broken it's smooth rhythm and stopped before beginning to go back to it's normal, steady beating, the sharp pain gradually, but not entirely, vanishing from his body. Still, the girl had caused him to retreat a short distance in agony, something he hadn't expected, and he realized that maybe she wouldn't be as much of a pushover as he had guessed, which was good. It was exactly what he wanted to see. He wanted to see that the girl could hold her own. That she would take this serious, and fight for her right to be a part of this guild. He couldn't help but grin to himself as in his free left hand, he started compressing air into 3 long, needle-like, pointy projectiles that hovered over his form for a second before launching off at the girl. Johann wouldn't wait to see if he hit or not, but instead turn around and, with his speed bordering nigh instant teleportation, move out of the fire, out of the glow of the light and the embers, into the darkness of the jungle, the fire slowly fading away in his absence, his warped instincts longing for the thrill of the hunt that only a game of cat and mouse would satisfy. The girl would have to keep her eyes and ears open while Johann moved, literally, through the shadows around as a dark and blurred figure.

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Thread Word Count: 5,854

Labored breathing was nearly the only sound that Yona could hear given the weather and the situation. Johann stood above her, looking down at her face as the rain washed away the soot from the fire, streaking her skin with grey. Still in a crouch she caught her breath, the pain in her shoulder more agonizing than that time she had broken her ankle a few years ago. She tried to move it but had to stop, her face contorting in pain and giving away just how bad it felt. A dark wind surrounded Johann, peeling off the blight from her spell like old paint on an abandoned old hut. As the blight flaked off, enormous dark antlers grew upon Johann's head, giving him the appearance of some vicious monster.

Not a friend, not right now, she thought to herself. He didn't appear to be holding back on her and she could not risk it. Either she run, and ran forever, or she fought for her life and her place in the guild besides Johann. His power was breathtaking and put what she had seen on their job to shame. At last, she saw it: the poison affected him. By his expression and the way Johann moved backwards, her poison had given her a chance to get to her feet. Yona took it with a pained growl deep in her throat, her legs stabilizing and pushing her up to a standing position again. She wet her lips and closed her eyes, feeling the cold rain hitting her all over, and then opened them to see the older man smiling. Not a good sign.

He raised up his left hand and she prepared to move, but away from what, she had no clue. At the last second, just before he vanished into the darkness, she saw the long forms of needles resting over his hand. Some sort of attack, Yona knew. As soon as she saw the needles she kicked off the soggy ground and dashed two meters to the side, avoiding just barely his move. As the flickering flames around them died away, Yona realized she was blinded in this fight, in this storm, and had no choice but to rely on her senses. Yona concentrated her magic and uttered, "Aloe Allay." The pain in her shoulder faded out and she knew some of the damage had been repaired. It would be enough to cast another spell, something to help her.

"So afraid to get hit by me that you need to win from afar?" Yona taunted, turning about in a circle, examining the dark for Johann's motion. In truth, Yona wasn't sure if she preferred him far away or close by, assuming either way he was going to be deadly. She lifted her hands and lowered them, fingers moving in the dark, casting out her Sundew Mire. It was perfectly hidden in the storm: a secret trap to lower speed and put aim of any attacks off kilter by 3m. It would give her a chance to try to get Johann to come back in close enough for Yona's vision to not matter so much.


Spells-
Mortal Oleander- 1/2 cooldown
Blightweave - 1/3 cooldown
Sundew Mire-The dew will slow a target’s speed by 25%. The targets can still see but their aim (be it for moving in a specific direction, or aiming a spell or counter attack) is moved ajar. The skewed vision will place the user’s aim off-kilter by 3m. 3 Post Dur, 5 post Cooldown
Aloe Allay- 1 Dur, 2 Cooldown

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Thread Word Count: 6,416

Johann zapped through the darkness of the jungle, the pair of black, faintly glowing red eyes watching from afar, peering through the curtain of twilight all around them, fixed on the young girl that seemingly had lost track of the Vice President in the chaos of the fight. In truth, the VP was glad he had retreated a bit for the time being. Since they had last stood together in battle not just his powers had grown. "So she's learned a new trick, that much is sure, huh ...", he thought as he stared down at his arm, traces of black, dry skin still showing on the limb. Johann couldn't help but be a little proud. She was faced against overwhelming odds, against an opponent that was stronger, faster, more experienced than her, but she stood, determined to fight for her right to be a part of this family.

Lifting another arm up the black smoke around his form once again started spinning, twisting in place, twirling and intertwining before more and more smoke engulfed his form, his body covered entirely in the dark ebony and deep lavender hues, the smoke crystallizing explosively just a moment later. Around the Vice Presidents' form a cocoon of obsidian material had formed, and inside the inklike mist still moved, the only thing shining through the darkness a pair of two sanguine eyes that slowly changed their colour from a bloodshot crimson to a menacing amaranthine amethyst. The crystalline structure slowly cracked before, in a sudden burst of energy, exploding outward with a loud, forceful shattering sound, filling the area around with thousands upon thousands of sharp shrapnel shards. It would certainly be difficult to even attempt to evade, and Johann was highly intrigued to see what the barrage of projectiles had done to the girl, but resisted the urge to get closer, knowing that Yona probably had a multitude more spells he hadn't seen before. It would be dangerous, and so he decided to stay back for the time being and let the girl with the malachite hair try and figure out what approach to take.

In honesty, Johann prefered a more physical approach, but he wouldn't take too many risks as it was now. Staying a good distance away he circled around her position, his speed causing his form to blur before finally, he came to a stop behind her, spreading his arms, crouched down with one knee on the ground, a gigantic, 100m wide, permanent ice blue magic circle appearing beneath on the ground, lifting his hands to unleash the deadly spell. The temperature in the affected area dropped drastically, a cold of such intensity filling the air that it caused frostburn, the raindrops touching the edge of the spell turning into little, fluffy snowflakes. If they hadn't committed to a bloody, merciless fight it certainly would've been a beautiful, unusual sight to behold. For now though, the Vice President was satisfied with the two attacks and took a step back, his heavy breathing causing little clouds to form from his mouth, before retreating back into the shadows of the jungle, waiting for Yona's next move to react with one of his own.

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Thread Word Count: 6,948

With the sheen of the Sundew Mire hidden by the storm raining around her, Yona knew she had a clever secret weapon in place. She rotated slowly and then caught sight of red glowing eyes, shifting into a green color. She had no idea that Johann could do that. In fact, there was so much she did not understand about him now. The crazed look in his eye, the enormous antlers, and the way her blight spell seemed to just flake off his skin in sheaths, doing no real harm. She knew he was fast, smart, and strong enough to collapse the skull of a man inward on himself. But this was a different Johann she was seeing here. She squinted and took a step forward, towards the eyes, hearing a sound of shattering. She could hear the sound of of shattering loud and clear and with wide eyes enacted her magical Guren Okami.

The Guren Okami was a tattoo on her lower back , one she scarcely need to use and never defaulted to. Enormous vines, leaves, and vermillion lotus petals appeared around her form to create a shield from every angle. Yona was inside of a lotus-like flower bud protected just in time. The crystal shards ripped through the petal, bit by bit and Yona stared in horror. What had the power to destroy her best protection in such little time? Using the tattoo's stored energy, Yona further healed herself, while she still had protection in the first place. When the crystal shards finally ended, Yona's magical lotus barrier was in tatters, withered and broken around her unharmed form. She breathed hard and shouted out, "I thought you weren't going to try to kill me?" To be fair, silence wasn't needed in this fight where she knew Johann could locate her faster than she could locate him regardless of sound.

Johann's eyes vanish in a blur and again Yona loses track of him. "Being fast isn't all you can do I see," She uttered, "Though you still rely on it like it is." She turned in a circle quickly lifting her hands, readying a spell in her mind. The green haired woman heard a sound from behind her and swiftly rotated on her heel, uttering under her breath, "Scopolia." It seemed as if it were not fast enough. Her emerald eyes took in the sight of Johann on one knee and a radiant magical circle. It was enormous; so large that Yona could not physically run or magically teleport herself out of the range in time, that was made clear. Her eyes fixed on Johann's face, listening to his heavy breath as a piercing cold wracked through the air. His spell was taking its toll on her, forcing her to remain still.

The rain froze into immaculate snow crystals, tiny flakes swirling around in a mesmerizing dance. Her chest pinched as she tried to inhale the icy air, her hands shaking at first until she could no longer feel them. Yona relied fully on her spell taking effect before Johann ran off again, which she knew he was likely to do. "Stop your spell now and heal me." The command was through the full force of her Scopolia spell, but she had no idea if it would even work on someone as strong as Johann. If he was not mentally prepared, if he was tiring in the slightest, she supposed she had a chance with it. Maybe the whole command would be followed, or maybe only part of it, or at worst none of it. Still, Yona believed it had been her best chance in the given situation. She shivered, her entire body stinging with the pain of the cold. More than a minute in this, she thought, and I'm going to have hypothermia and freeze to death.

Spells-
Sundew Mire- 2/3 Post Dur, 5 post Cooldown
Scopolia- 4 Duration, 5 Cooldown

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Thread Word Count: 7,598

"Oh, it's only gonna take this much to kill you ?" Johann taunted as the darkness around him was suddenly lit up by a deeply ice blue glow, his still amethyst coloured eyes changing from the sharp contrast to the same cold, arctic hue, the breath leaving him forming a small cloud as a smile lifted up one of the corners of his mouth, seeing the girl's shield being ripped apart in mere moments. "It's not wrong to exploit an advantage you have over others if you want to survive" Johann lifted his hands as the icy rune took effect and the magic circle appeared beneath "something I learned on the streets of Minstrel", the old man standing up from his kneel, tiny snowflakes falling to the ground all around him before hitting the iced over surface below. Johann was about to start another attack when something stopped him in his tracks, his legs unable to move as if he had been frozen in place, a subtle influence creeping up the back of his mind before a command was spoken. His eyes widened. "Stop the spell ? Heal you ? Oh, what a wonderful idea", the Vice President responded with a quiet voice. The magic circle, slowly but surely, shrinked down, the intensity of its glow dying down before ultimately vanishing entirely into nothingness, the temperature around explosively increasing back to its normal levels, the thin layer of snow on the ground around disappearing as the rain returned. Johann was smiling to himself, a friendly expression on his face, about to start walking towards Yona when another feeling pulsed through his body, the smile vanishing from his face entirely as another, stronger, brutal influence violently ripped apart the subtle one from before, flooding Johann's mind with darkness, the shadow accompanied by a deep, sinister, yet familiar voice "Tsssehehe ... that really wasn't the bessst of ideas, old maaan. Here, let me help yoouuu. I will lend you jussst a little bit of my poweeeer"

Like glass hitting the ground the influence over the VPs mind was shattered, but as quick as one had disappeared, lost its grip on Johann's senses, another took its place, his eyes widening anew as streaks of black smoke rose up from all over his form, some of it coalescing at his lower back to, slowly, form a long, silver skeletal tail, the expression on the old man's face suddenly shifting into a wide grin that revealed two enlarged canines in the corners of his mouth. "Yeeees, just like that, Johann, more. MORE. Give me mooore controool !". Around Johann's hands, long, silver claws slowly covered his fingers as he, with calm steps, got closer to Yona, sparks of blue electricity bursting and sizzling all over his body before he, with speed even greater than before, bordering instant teleportation, zapped through the space between the two and appeared behind her. A grin still on his face he extended his right hand with such velocity he was sure the girl wouldn't even be able to react, the extremity covered in swirling wind before he placed, calmly, his hand on her shoulder, very careful and intent on not hurting her. The healing would take effect immediately as the wind would swirl to Yona's wounds, repairing a good deal of damage Johann had dealt to her before, closing cuts, healing bruises and maybe even fix her shoulder, he wasn't too certain, but in his current state, he cared not anyway.Taking his hand off her shoulder he leaned in closer towards her, just close enough to whisper in her ear, Johann's voice, alongside a deeper, darker one coming from his lips simultaneously "Next time, just tryyy asking nicely, little girl. You know, sometimes you're not the only one whooo wants the fun to continueee ... tsssshehehehe ...", the cackling still echoing in the air when the VPs form vanished from the vicinity of Yona, back into the dark of the jungle, leaving behind nothing but a trail of black and blue sparks and an aura of deep, unsettling cold.

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Thread Word Count: 8,295

Yona shivered for a moment, taking in Johann's words. It sounded like it had worked, her spell somehow had entered his mind and was successful. She exhaled, as his quiet voice agreed with her command and the magical circle began to shrink in size. She closed her eyes and shivered once more and then the spell was gone, the pain from her hands just a bad memory. She flexed her fingers to try to regain feeling in them and looked up at Johann to see a dark smoke seeping and crawling over his entire body. What in the world was he doing this time? He was supposed to be healing her! She observed his expression shift into a large grin, his canines sharper and larger than she recalled before, long silver claws pushing out of his phalanges.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, "Heal me, I said!" Yona took a step back, and then another, keeping her green eyes on him as she tried to come up with a rebuttal spell. With easy steps and blue sparks about his body, Johann started moving towards her. She lifted her hands up readying for... something, but then he was gone. She felt the sharp claws on her shoulder, resting in a way that was utterly frightening but caused no harm. A swirling wind around his hand appeared, and she felt intense healing throughout her body. She felt her shoulder relocate in a way that was not painful, only satisfying, and the frost burn and bruises over her entire body faded away. Yona felt sore, but nearly completely healed.

She licked her lips, a bit surprised that he healed her, that her mind spell had worked. He whispered, his voice barely audible even in her ear, and she had to focus to hear him. "Next time, just try asking nicely, little girl. You know, sometimes you're not the only one who wants the fun to continue.." Her green eyes widened and she spun sharply on her heel, aiming a punch for his jaw. Sure, it was a cheap shot, but she knew it was likely that Johann would spur on into the darkness again and leave her alone and stuck trying to plan without knowing what was next. What in mercy's name was that voice? Johann was trying too hard to freak her out and it was almost working. She steeled herself and said to him, "Little girl? How about you stop running away from me unless you're afraid of me, old man!" She reached a hand up and pulled a petal out of the thin air and put it on her lips. She concentrated hard and wherever he was, if he was within her range his lips would suddenly feel intensely painful and swollen. It would make speaking very challenging and could even prevent any verbal spellcasting.

While she held the petal upon her lips, Yona started up a second spell, one for her own reassurances. She braced her feet in a good balanced position and then hundreds of fibrous roots moved from the legs of the mage into the ground to charge up, rendering her unable to move. She had to charge up the spell to get it to work, and it was a bit risky, but one risky move for a few moments of better health and magic power was worth it. In this fight with Johann she was giving it her all. She felt a weakness inside her growing, her magic power dimming after all these spells she was doing. This coming spell was her biggest hope for replenishing that power.

Spells-
Sundew Mire- 3/3 Post Dur, 5 post Cooldown
Scopolia- 1/5 Cooldown
Racine Drain- Reduce physical damage, Gain mp, 5 Post Dur, 6 Post Cooldown
Philodendron Pout- 2 Post dur, 3 Post cooldown

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Thread Word Count: 8,915

"Why don't you try and catch meee for a change ? heh ... hahaha", a deep voice echoed from the dark depths of the lush plantwork around the circle of scarred, burned remains of a formerly green jungle as Johann, his two glowing eyes still locked on Yona, came to a halt in the top of a huge tree, squatting on a large branch as the body of the Vice President, possessed by this unnatural, enigmatic voice, stretched its arms, standing up before seemingly testing its hosts physical abilities. "Gotta admit, ooold man, for your age you're quite speeeedy. Ah, it feels GREAT to have a body agaiiin ... this girl was really useful. Maybe I should play with her some more while I still can ... tssehehe", Johann launching himself of the branch with a powerful jump, spinning through the air with arms still stretched out before landing on the ground, gracefully almost, with the nimbleness of an animal, the voice coming from Johann's mouth barely able to conceal its satisfaction "This is AMAZING", inspecting the glowing runes all over the Vice President's body. "You really are something, geezer, have to give you that, keeping me locked away for this long ... but now, on to that little girl, oh I'm gonna have so much fun playing with her ... tsehe".

Johann's eyes found their way back to Yona who still stood where she did before, her feet slowly being covered in hundreds of small roots that made their way up the extremities, seemingly immobilizing her. It wasn't just that though. The currently possessed Johann felt a sharp, stinging pain around his mouth, his lips seemingly starting to swell up before the pain died down and the swelling disappeared completely just a moment later "OUCH- OUCH- AHHHH, AHHHHH, THE PAIN !" Johann raising an arm to his mouth and throwing himself back comedically, the deep, echoing voice screaming out loudly, the act of pain quickly shifting into a cackling laughter "Tssseeheheheee, just kidding, didn't even huuurt", the entity lifting Johann's hand from his mouth to reveal an amused grin beneath, not a trace of swelling to be seen. "Now you gotta give meee my turn, little girl" the cackling and growling voice exclaiming from Johann's mouth once more before the blue sparks around his form started flaring up again, Johann's form zapping through the air to reappear right before Yona with extreme velocity, one hand coated in a deeply ice blue aura of extreme, unparalleled cold, the other surrounded by a faintly grey glow, wind slowly spinning around over it.

Bringing his left hand down on the seemingly completely immobile Yona, his claws dug into her shoulder, the aura of extreme cold, nearly absolute zero, would take effect immediately. A broad, toothy grin of unfiltered joy and amusement would spread on Johann's face at the display of pain from the green haired girl. Maintaining a tight, icy grip on her shoulder he swung wide, aiming for her gut area with the other hand, activating the spell that would, if it hit her, deliver a kinetic force so great it would launch her off her feet and back probably a good 50 meters, no doubt causing great injury and pain. The thought alone excited Johann, cackling "See you later, uhhhhh ... what was your name again ?" shrugging before, with that, throwing the fist at the girl.

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Thread Word Count: 9,491

Yona stood there unable to move, but twitchy like a forest sparrow. She looked through the rain and saw only darkness all around. A burned scarred clearing, jungle in the distance, and there she knew her Sundew Mire was fading out. No more protection, not that it had done anything to help her. The petal fell from her lips as she heard the sound of a scream, turning her head to the side to see Johann laughing at his own antics. He faked the pain, and then laughed like a mad mad. What the hell was wrong with him? It was past bizarre, it was past enraged. This was a Johann unlike any part of him she had seen or spoken to. Who was this man? Yona breathed steadily, her eyes flicking around, trying to come up with something, anything to outmatch his speed. Her magical tattoo had been drained of power and her body as well. She felt the fibrous roots clinging to her legs and holding her in place. "Come on, come on," She whispered trying to hurry along the roots and her spell.

When Johann declared it was his turn, and called her a little girl again, her fear turned into anger. She shouted at him rapidly, even as he vanished into a blur of blue sparks. "This is serious; I am proving to you that I belong in this guild and I want to stay your student." His laughing was pissing her off, he was usually incredibly austere, and in this moment she expected that far more than his joking side. Did he find her actions a game? Did she need to find a way to raise her level to impress him? "I'm not a little girl! Johann, I swear, I will come up with a worse name for you if you don't quit messing around---eeeeaahhhh!" Yona let out a piercing scream.

She barely felt the claws sink into her right shoulder, the cold was so intense; it was the pain of the ice inside her shoulder that had caused her to scream. Like a thousand knives stabbing into her shoulder all at once, and a tortuous numbness in the surrounding area, it felt as if the very cells of her shoulder, her collar bone, and her upper arm were freezing solid. To her dismay, when she clenched her fists up in agony, she found that she had no idea what was going on, retaining movement in her hand, albeit slow after all. She lifted her left hand and drove it, nails first for Johann's right eye. She wasn't thinking about how to not hurt her teacher, how to prove to him she was worthy, she was only thinking of how to get out of his icy grip. The rest of her body she found was still immobilized between her spell and his clawed hand.

When his other hand sailed downward with a fist, Yona flinched, readying for the hit. It was going to knock the wind out of her, that she was sure of. Instead, it drove into her gut with a force that instantly made her dizzy and nauseated. She opened her mouth to breathe but it was as if there was no air around. She felt like she was suffocating, and then she felt like she was flying. She heard Johann's voice, still eery and strange, almost as if it was a monster speaking- no, asking for her name. She flew through the air of the burned clearing, and into the dark jungle. Her body crashed through a branch, and then another. Yona couldn't even tell if she was screaming or not, her body was in so much shock, driving through a third and a fourth branch. She hit a thick tree branch with her legs, tangling her up so she began to fall downward, vines wrapping and catching her arms, scratching them to pieces. She felt her stomach roil and she nearly got sick mid fall. And then, Yona finally stopped, like a marionette dangling from the vines in an unnatural contorted position just a foot above the jungle ground.

She groaned, the torment and the ache so extreme that she didn't really know where she was or what part of her body was working. Yona released the energy stored in her lotus tattoo and restored some of her health. She wasn't about to lose consciousness, thankfully, and her burst of healing repaired both her shoulder and any internal injuries sustained by the punch. Luckily, her spell had taken place before the hit and some of the damage actually gave her magical power instead. She wasn't in a physical place to counter him or even get herself down yet. Yona just caught her breath, choking and gasping from the woody vines holding her up. This was far beyond Johann. Johann might beat her, Johann might fight her, but narrowly killing her? Even when he was angry with her, Yona could not believe her teacher would do this. And yet, it was Johann's face she had seen and it was Johann's brutal fist she had felt. She lifted her head slightly, looking for him.

Spells-
Sundew Mire- 1/5 post Cooldown
Scopolia- 2/5 Cooldown
Racine Drain- Reduce physical damage, Gain mp, 1/5 Post Dur, 6 Post Cooldown
Philodendron Pout- 1/3 Post cooldown
Guren Okami- 2/3 cooldown
Photoexcitation- 0/4 cooldown

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Thread Word Count: 10,352

Johann, or rather, the thing possessing his body pressed its right hand into the man's eye, taking it away to look at the small stream of blood running down the fingers. "That little bitch", a groaning voice whispering to itself "That really kinda hurt ... tse", opening the eye to reveal a cut driven about an inch deep into the actual eyeball, deeply crimson blood oozing from the wound that, at its edges, already began closing back up before ultimately sealing itself shut, restoring the eye to its previous, perfect condition. "Johann" shook himself a bit, wiping away the blood from the eye before turning his attention back to Yona who went flying into the dark jungle, now presumably immobilized by the sheer, overwhelming force of the impact infused with the strength of an otherworldly creature. "Ohhhh, I'm gonna make her paaay for that", the amused, almost playfully grinning expression returning to the Vice Presidents face, although visibly distorted by a vengeful anger.

With heavy steps and surrounded by a menacing aura of blue sparks of electricity, the Vice President's body began moving, taking step after step forward into the jungle, towards where Yona would be. And indeed, perhaps a short sprint or, say, a burst of incredible speed away, tangled up in some vines just above the jungle ground was the emerald haired girl. Johann couldn't help but let loose a cry of amusement at the sight, "Fuhahaha, the look on your faceee is priiiceless" circling the girl by taking a few steps right "... but you're doing reaaally well, little girl ... guess youuu really are hanging in there ... tssssehehehe"

"But, uhhhhhh, Rona ? No ... wait, don't tell, I'm almooost there ... hmmmm. Oh, Oh, Yona ! Your nameee is Yona ! See, and I figured that out almooost on my own, only had to tap into the old maaan's memory a little", "Johann" cackled out loud to himself, visibly enjoying himself as he held his stomach, giggling fanatically "So, Yona. Need any help getting dooown there ? As much as I looove hanging out with you, do we wanna continue or are youuu done yet , tseeeheee". He didn't bother listening for any kind of answer, instead preparing one of the most powerful spells at the old man's disposal, surrounding himself in an aura of swirling wind and extremely pressurized air, moving through the space between the two mages in what seemed like an instant to reappear beside Yona, the sudden and extreme shift causing a deafening explosion of kinetic force and icy cold right where he reappeared, flattening most of the plantwork around, all manners of shrubbery, branches, vines and trees sent flying away. Probably wouldn't be enjoyable at all, but what would he care.

This was the moment where the demonic instincts of the parasitic entity inside Johann took over completely, releasing the anger formerly hidden under its playful attitude, its eerie, dark voice echoing, a distorted scream almost "So YOU really think you can taaake MEEEE ? You had a goood run, little girl, but it's about tiiime we end this, I'm growiiing tired of this gaaame", the air around this new clearing starting vibrate with energy before starting to spin, and spin with ever increasing rapidity, pressurizing more and more before finally, with a bone chilling sound, crystallizing, forming an inescapable dome with a radius of about 50 meters all around them, the air within the dome getting heavier and heavier with each passing second, all light, along with the rain, completely gone from the area. Yona would find her speed reduced drastically while the Vice Presidents speed was increased even further. Now there was no escape. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

"The reeeaaal massacre begins NOW", Johann's form moving to the edge of the dome with incredible velocity before drawing the rapier and pointing it at Yona "Yessss, this is a weapon worthy of a looord" swinging and spinning it around playfully before, with one large, terrifying swing, sending out a wave of enormous, extreme and obliterating pressure at Yona, the sudden burst, the wave of pure energy, streaks of flame and fire embedded within, woven into the magical attack, filling the entire space before himself until finally hitting the side of the dome, dispersing with an enormous crash, Johann sheathing the rapier again. "So, is thaaat it ? Are you dead yet ? Hellooooo ?"

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Thread Word Count: 11,125

Yona saw the figure of her mentor approaching, blue sparks and all. She writhed a bit, trying too loosen up the vines that had caught her up. Everything seemed to hurt, all over her body. But she had to find the strength, somewhere. Yona was not defenseless, never this pathetic. Hell, she was C rank now and had made significant steps. She had a fire setting murderer to get revenge on, she had that book Key had lent her to finish, and she had a full lively future to prove that life was worth living. That is what Sato would want her to do. Sato.. why had she thought of him? Was she so physically devastated that her little brother came to mind? That the thought of her death brought his memory to the forefront of her thoughts?

Yona frowned and pulled on a leg, then let out a howl-- the sound and the pain blowing up any irrational or rational thought. She looked down and saw the bruises and swelling, a piece of pearly white bone poking throught her left calf. Her spine felt in tact, and thanks to her own quick healing so did her insides. Yet, her left leg was thoroughly broken and she could see her poor tibia pressing through the damaged flesh with a sickened flip of her stomach. How had she the consciousness to even be nauseated was miraculous! As Johann approached, the strange voice taunted her about hanging in there, asking her if she was done yet. She set her jaw hard and tried to lift her other leg in defiant response.

Whoever was talking to her through Johann's body, he had admitted at least that he was not himself Johann. Yona felt a knife of pain launch through her right side and stopped trying to move her right leg. With grim reluctance, she looked back down and saw that her right leg too, had been broken. Nothing appeared to break through the skin, but the awkward shape bulging beneath her knee informed her plenty. Apparently, flying through all those branches and having her legs stop the momentum that one last time took a serious toll. Her mouth felt dry as she tried to answer him, but before she could look up again, she felt the sting of an icy wind and gasped.

Pressurized air surrounded the short female's body, squeezing her hard, forcing her legs downward, and obliterating the trees and vines around her. Yona hit the ground much harder than natural, only being a foot away. His intense spell left her trying to hang on to even just the air inside of her lungs for support. "P-please," She started to say, trying to ask him to stop. The words were so slow to reach her lips that Yona had no choice but to enact another spell in hopes of survival. She whispered, "Aloe Allay," and between her prior spell and this one, she felt a boost of healing and a boost of magical power. Still, with two broken legs and some vile monster in Johann's body, Yona didn't think she stood a chance with all the magical power in the world.

"Please," She began again, hearing Johann's distorted and cruel voice ring out- Do you think you can take me? Little girl, I am growing tired of this game... She grabbed a vine nearby and pulled hard, crawling forward as she enacted another spell. The teleport carried her 15m away and she groaned audibly from the forest floor. It was clear to her now, very clear that this was no game and it was not a lesson. It was not a test. It was the closest she had been to real danger and real death since she had lost her family in the fire. The air buzzed, vibrating loudly and the pressure became so great that Yona simply lay on the forest floor, hiding in the flattened jungle plants, still 15m away. She could see nothing, and hear nothing, and she felt nothing, not even the rain, besides the flashes of pain in her body.

With all of her strength, she attempted to enact a spell. Usually she needed to see her target, but the green haired mage could hear him and could feel his presence. She knew where he was and she had to hope it was enough. She reached out with her Cerebral Implant, drawing forth memories of Johann and Yona's time together, from the way they first met, from her respect towards him on the job, to the way she had always grinned up at him before doing something mischievous, the lectures he was always giving her, and to his most recent memory of her telling him that she would fight for her place in this guild. She coughed hard and shouted, "Damn it Johann, remember me! Remember who you are! Stop this before you--"

Yona didn't get a chance to find out if her spell worked, if Johann or whatever was inside of him was able to recall all their memories with perfect clarity or not. His gnarled tone calling out, the threat of death dripping off his words like venom from a snake's fangs- the massacre begins now! She saw a quick glint in the darkness and then a blaze of flame heading her way. The extreme cut of the pressure through the air could not be seen, but certainly felt. Yona pounded her fists on the ground, drawing up her Aegis Brier and then everything went dark before her eyes. The blade's attack had cut through her weak thorny shield and the fire had encompassed her. The heat and the bright of the flame had filled Yona with terror, as if she was living in her own nightmares. She heard Sato's voice cry out in an odd scream, an echo rattling the inside of her mind, "No, sister! No! Get up!"

But she could not. The willow haired woman was too tired. Her coat was burned to tatters and then to ashes. Her body was enveloped in burns and the intense pressure had cut through her torso from the side, leaving a gash that trailed from her upper shoulder to her hips, going around her back. Yona smiled in her unconscious world, hearing her brother. Sato, finally she was with him. Finally she was able to see him again. She reached up a tenuous and bloody hand, calling out for him, but no words came. Somehow, this dream world dissipated into a black void. Yona had been so close, so so close. She heard, "Are you dead yet? Hello?" but for the first time, this brazen woman made no move and gave no response, lying there with eyes closed as her heart pumped valuable life blood hastily through her veins and out the vicious wound on her back.

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Thread Word Count: 12,268

Two amethyst orbs were the only thing piercing the deep darkness within the dome of crystal, searching, scanning the area quickly before coming to a stop on Yona's motionless body, a wide grin, although unseen, spreading across Johann's face "There you aaare ! Found you, tse", the possessed body of Johann von Weiss walking gleefully, almost jumping with amusement, made its way over to the young, green haired girl on the ground. The dome above cracked with a loud shattering sound, little bits of crystal falling to the ground all around as it disintegrated, glowing and sparkling as the moonlight was reflected from them before ultimate dissolving into that which they had come from, the fresh night air of Tolgalen. "Sooo, uh, are you dead already ? No ... still alive. Youuu are a tough one, aren't youuu ?" the strangely grinning Vice President bent over the gravely injured girl. "Well, not like I didn't haaave fun playing with youuu, but all things cooome to an end, sooo ...", the entity controlling the old man's body drawing the rapier in nothing more than the blink of an eye, one extremely swift motion of the hand. "... guess I'll see you on the other side, Yona", holding the hilt of the rapier with both hands as the blade slowly moved, the tip pointed directly at the young woman's chest.

Bringing the blade up, the grin intensified, the two enlarged canines clearly visible, before the Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company, controlled by the demon sealed within him, thrust it forward, hoping to deliver a blow that would take Yona's life.

However, the demon had made it's plans without Johann, the trembling blade stopping just before reaching the girl. "Really ? Your timing couldn't be wooorse, old man. Go back to sleep, I got business to finish heeere, tsehehee" "NO", both Johann's and the demon's voice coming from his mouth simultaneously once again. "You have no choice, old m-" "I. SAID. NO", the two hands that firmly grasped the rapiers hilt lifting it up before, with a sickening sound, ramming into the Vice President's side. "FOOL ! WHAT ARE YOU-" , the voice coming from Johann's mouth cracking as he coughed out blood before stumbling back clumsily, taking the hilt of the rapier and twisting the blade around "HNNNGGG", a fountain of blood spurting from the horrible wound all the way through Johann's side. "OUT OF MY HEAD YOU VILE ABOMINATION !", a terrible, pain filled shout along with a distorted, demonic scream echoing from his lips as Johann regained control of his body, banishing the other entity back into the depths of his subconsciousness before pulling out the bloodstained weapon, leaving a deep, crimson carving beneath soaked clothing that closed instantly, the Vice President dropping to his knees, the rapier hitting the ground beside him with a metallic ring as he let go of it.

His eyes going wide he realised the situation he was in, his head lowering slowly as his eyes fell on Yona, all colour fading from his face as the memories of their fight overwhelmed him. "... no ... nonononono", Johann hastily scrambling to try and get back on his feet, tripping over some destroyed plantwork as he fell to his knees beside the motionless girl "Yona ! Please ... What have I done !?" tears filling up his eyes as he tried to assess the damage as much as he could, and even to a medically untrained eye like his, it wasn't looking good. At all. Johann hastily conjured up all spells that could be of help in this situation, using up nearly all of his left over magical power to cast healing spell after healing spell, a magical bandage, the healing bubbles, and even transferring the crown of life over to the girl, the black, swirling wind floating around her form elegantly before rushing to her head to form two short, antler like horns, closing up all wounds, fixing the broken bones, healing most of the damage she had sustained. He just hoped it would come in time and that it would be enough. "Please, Yona, please ... I am so sorry ... please wake up" the tears falling down his face. He begged, prayed to the gods that he could keep his promise. He had lost enough people already, and he was sure he wouldn't be able to bear the loss of another member of his family that Yona, with determination and ferocity, most certainly had proven to be part of.

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The devil had been in the jungle-like area of Tolgalen doing his usual training with Zinnath when he caught the scent of others he was familiar with. He could feel something was different in the air. It was as if something bad was going to happen or that he needed to go and witness something. He did not know what he should have done next at first as usually when he felt this way he had little to no control over the outcome. He had heard rumors of someone poisoning one of the chefs they had and heard that same chef had an altercation with Yona not too long before being poisoned but he did not follow up on anything yet. "Maybe this has something to do with her being caught by him? Maybe she is not exactly who we think she is...?" He mumbled to himself and then turned to Zinnath. "Zinny, I'll be back. Try not to eat too much without me." He grinned and then jumped into the shadows near him. He took the shadows through the area and followed through it all until he found both the mentor and the mentee fighting. He stayed in the shadows of the trees around them as they went attack after attack, preferring to watch over joining in and possibly ruining the fight by being a distraction. He also made sure to stay a good distance away so that he did not get into the way of any possible attacks. The fight intensified more and more the longer it went on until suddenly Johann changed. The CEO could feel that something in his VP became different. He could feel a dark presence around him but he was too far away to react to it. He moved quickly to help as the man continued to sound different and fought against his mentee. The new personality was something that reminded Cirven of himself when he lost himself in his devilish rage or power but he had faith that this was all just Johann tapping into some stronger power to teach Yona some sort of lesson even though he was trying to stop it. He knew if he showed himself too soon before getting in closer that it could make the scene even more dangerous so he waited for when he was closer. He would arrive just when Johann came out of the personality and tried to help the woman he had beaten near death while tears fell from his eyes.

"Old man." Cirven materialized from a shadow next to Johann and Yona. "What did you do? What was that form you were in?" The devil was on his guard against his own chosen VP and made sure not to move any closer to possibly provoke the man. "I trusted that this whole thing was some sort of disciplinary act or training but it was different towards the end wasn't it?" He waited for a response before asking any further questions. He could hear that Yona was breathing lighter now that she was healed but that did not change the fact of everything that had happened.

Yona's eyes were open just enough to see blurred images, then clear ones, blurred images, and then clear. Her hearing was much the same, words came in and out. The pain was extensive and her face was pale from blood loss. And there it was, a shattering of crystals as light came in. She could feel a soft gentle patter of rain striking her on the face, on the back. As the ground soaked up the ends of the rainstorm, Yona's green eyes took in a callous sight. Her teacher standing over her, his weapon pointed down on her chest, and a smile filled with glee on his face. Her spell had done nothing to bring Johann back out and so the rest would be silence.

The woman's eyes flicked closed in exhaustion, her blood spilling still and staining the ground a dark wine color. She shifted out of consciousness, the world going dark. Yona didn't hear her teacher fight the demon inside of him. She didn't hear his pleading with her to wake up. She didn't feel the ground shake as he fell to his knees beside her limp form. And like a whisper in the night, the ghostly beckons of her brother returned to her. There was Sato, by her side, holding her hand. "Get up sister, get up. It's not your time." Yona held his hand tightly, unsure if she hoped he was right or hoped he was wrong. Sato placed his hands on her head and she felt a warm and tingling sensation. She felt restored, cured, lifted up out of brokenness. When the young woman blinked open her eyes, it was Johann. Teary-eyed and healing her with every spell he seemed to possess. The antlers on her head and the bubbles she remembered from once before were both present.

Her wound closed up, her broken legs moved back into place, and the skin surrounding the place where the bones had jutted out was also sealed. Covered in bruises and suffering from extensive blood loss were Yona's only issues now and it would probably take a few days for her body to restore the lost blood to her system. Fortunately for her, she was free of disease and major injury and above all, she was still alive. The overlying weakness and the memory of incredibly pain haunted her into closing her green eyes once more as her chest rose and fell to the steady beat of her tired heart. The iron smell of blood was in the air and she wondered in this conscious form if it was her's or if it was Johann's. Yona opened her mouth a gap and let the rain fall in, bringing some relief to the dryness and soreness inside. It was strange to her that she barely had more energy than that required to merely blink her eyes open and closed.

"Shihan," She uttered softly and opened her eyes. Johann was still there, the real Johann. In a passing moment of insanity, the woman thought she saw and heard the voice of Cirven. There was no way her guild leader was actually there. Likely, in her desperate and painful situation, her mind was seeking out the face of someone she trusted and someone powerful enough to bring aid. Yona gave a crooked half smile, thankful to at least see that Johann was himself again and then she passed out.

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Johann stared down at his bloodstained hands, his eyes still wide with horror as he wondered if it was his own or the girls, tears continuing to fall, his expression locked in shock, continuing to cast, unleash every healing spell at his disposal to try and stabilize Yona. "What have I- ... what have I done ..." That was, of course, until the sudden shift in pressure nearby alerted him to a magical presence. Turning his head very slowly, the Vice President's entire consciousness still dominated by a feeling of shock, overwhelmed by disbelief and a struggle to keep up with the events that had unfolded just moments before, his eyes staring into those of the CEO of the West Fiore Trading Company. "C-cirven ? How ... Why ... ?" his senses trying to comprehend the sudden appearance of his guild master, simply staring as he passively took in the devil's words, only realizing the man was talking to him a few passing moments later.

"Huh ? F-form ? ... Y-yes, disciplinary ..., I- I lost control ... I think ? Wait, no, it was something ... different there ... controlling me ... Why, How ... I don't ... please, help me Cirven, please, help us !", Johann's dual coloured eyes briefly flashing with purple glow, one bloody hand rushing up to grasp the side of his head, a sharp pain filling it as he felt that, once more, the influence of the dark entity within tried to make its way back to the surface in these moments of confusion and perplexity by force. Johann had trouble keeping his eyes open as the world around him blurred, all energy seemingly leaving his body, the Vice President having trouble to keep himself conscious when a soft voice reached his ears, the clarity suddenly returning to him as he turned hastily, still on his knees, to see Yona's eyes open, the girl smiling at him before seemingly passing back out. It was as if a cover of clouds had finally broke open, the sun shining through to cast away the shadows, his hopes immediately going back up in a brief moment of relief. She was alive, she was stable. As soon as the moment had come it slipped away though as concern replaced relief, and Johann once again turned his attention back to his guild master. "Cirven ! We have to get her back to the HQ for treatment, NOW! I'll explain the rest to you later ..."

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"No." Cirven replied to and moved his eight knives off of his body and towards Johann. The knives moved quickly towards the older man but stopped just before hitting him as a pair of hands came from two dopplgangers of the CEO from the nearby shadows. The dopplegangers moved the knives they held close to the neck and other areas of the body that would be dealt major damage if cut while the other knives floated near them just in case. "I don't trust you at all right now so I will save her myself. Back away from her." With his dopplegangers there to keep an eye on Johann just in case anything happens, the devil moved to the unconscious woman's side. "I have been working on new spells and you will be the first to witness one of them." He spoke out while not breaking his view from Yona. A small dome of blue flame encircled Yona. The flame would look dangerous but anyone who was close to it would be able to feel that its warmth was soothing to be around which could only make those outside of it assume those who were inside of it were feeling great. "My new trump card is the flames my mother used to use but with my own twist. Perks of being able to absorb magic, I guess." He said as he turned to Johann with both of his dopplegangers still holding the four knives near the older man's body. "I saw everything that happened here but I want to make sure what you were feeling, What you were thinking and anything else going on before I feel as though I can trust you again. I know she is a hassle but she has the drive to do good. We just need to help her with that." He spoke from experience after going on a job with her where they saved fairies in the forest near his old home. He had found a unique way to test her resolve to help others and she passed with flying colors through it. He knew she could be rough around the edges but when you got passed that she was kind and caring.

Cirven reached his arm out towards Johann. "I don't know if this hurts at all or not. I haven't used it all that much on allies to know if it does but at this point I don't care if it does after what you just did. I'm just hoping I find what I want to find and not what I think I'll find." After his words Cirven used his spell to dig into the memories of Johann and searching for what just happened. He was aiming to find his emotions at the time and what could have caused the situation to develop in such a way.

Yona Hisamori lay there as her body started recuperating on its own. She was fully healed, at least on the outside, but her blood cells were still working to replicate at swift pace. The woman's face and body, covered in burns had been restored, though still appeared paler than normal. Her expression was more relaxed than any had ever seen her and though her clothes were in tatters, she was physically looking well. Her face lacked all color, but her heart was beating evenly and she felt no more pain. Her hair had suffered damage, through the flames twice over it had been blazed short, the long luxurious green locks nowhere to be found. Instead, the young woman had short moss colored hair, frazzled and dirty, charred at the ends.

When a dome of blue flames surrounded her, her healing was intensified. Her form regaining its lost color, her muscles relaxing as if she had done no work at all today. And that beautiful unique hair of her's, though still left short, appeared to look shiny and de-frizzed. Yona's mind still swarmed with the fast blur of memories that was the barely finished fight with Johann and his inner monster, still wracked with the images of Johann's terrifying grin, his blade, and that whispering voice in her ear; like nails on a chalkboard, her mind flinched from the recollection keeping her under just a few moments more. The mage felt dizzy and somewhat confused when she was able to blink her eyes open and with shaky limbs sit up. It was as if her body remembered all of the pain despite being unhindered. It was tentative, her motions slow and cautious, as if her body was still afraid she was injured when she was not.

Through blue flames, Yona could tell that the thunderstorm which had cracked open the sky at the start of Johann's intended lesson had begun to push away. The rain had stopped and the sky went from dark to light grey in shade. She saw Cirven outstretch his hand before her and she opened her eyes wide as she heard his voice. "I don't know if this hurts at all or not. I haven't used it all that much on allies to know if it does but at this point I don't care if it does after what you just did. I'm just hoping I find what I want to find and not what I think I'll find.." There was little to no context and the look on his face kind of scared her; Cirven looked deadly serious in his stance whereas Johann looked wan and weak, his face streaked with tears. She wanted to ask if he was okay, and to find some way to repair what had been done. Typically the vivacious plant mage would put on an air of indifference, mock or taunt, try to show someone up in some way as a facade to hide her true feelings of fear and uncertainty. But with a weak body, a weak mind, having seen Sato and looked her life in death directly in the face- Yona did not have the strength to pretend or falsify. "Johann," She whispered, feeling confused. What was Cirven doing? Yona might have seemed like a haughty and even belligerent woman but the truth was that she was capable of profound compassion, especially for those she had felt a connection to. "Johann? Cirven?" She said again as Cirven's spell was enacted. Her mouth opened wide, her soft voice empty.

Yona was still frightened of Johann, in a small way, in a 'I don't trust that thing inside of you' kind of way. But she didn't want Cirven to hurt him... or by the look in his eyes... kill him. She tried to stand up, but once in a crouch she fell back over. Her whole body felt unsteady and weak. The mud splashed up around her, coating her arms and torso. This was all her fault after all, she had tried to get her way with Chef Benvolio and she had started fights with other guild members. Did she deserve what she got? Yona did not think so, but it was the intention behind it. And Yona had intended to set off an allergic reaction in the chef. Johann had not chosen to nearly kill her, the thing inside of him had some how done that. "Wait, it's not his fault!" She called out to Cirven, "Don't hurt him, Cirven, it was me! I betrayed the guild, I hurt someone." Her voice was quiet and twitchy, like tiny mouse. Yona had owned up to her huge misdeed without any prying or beseeching, without any mind games. Through the fight with Johann, she had realized that the situation with the Chef was a big step over the line. She glanced around at the blue flames and then set her green eyes on Cirven, unable to look at Johann. Had he heard her?

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Johann was, admittedly, startled by the sudden shift in Cirven's behaviour, but followed his guildmasters orders, understanding that he probably wouldn't be trusting at all, rightfully so, stepping away from Yona before the girl was engulfed in blue, mysterious flame. Johann twitched, one of his hands weakly reaching out at the sight of the fire, but it didn't seem hot at all, figuring that it probably wasn't meant to harm, quite the opposite, seemingly. Turning his attention back to Cirven he saw the knives floating towards him, all his instincts telling him to dodge, accelerate, to run, but he was locked in place, unmoving, sure that the CEO had some sort of plan, as he always did. He wouldn't really try to kill him, would he ? With considerable speed, from the shadows around rose two exact copies of the other man, grabbing the knives and holding them in place, the blades hovering just above the Vice President's skin, Johann still not moving even an inch. He trusted the CEO blindly where he didn't trust Johann at this moment, understandably so after what had occured here. To be honest with himself, the old man didn't trust himself right now. Not one bit, not after what he had done. He knew it wouldn't be worth wasting the breath to try and justify or explain himself before Cirven, however. The CEO explained that he would find it all out himself anyway, regardless of what the VP would do, thus he was intent on accepting his fate, whatever Cirven had planned for him. "Very well Cirven, do it, see for yourself. I will not fight back ...", lowering his head, a feeling of overwhelming guilt locking his expression in a stoic frown, about to completely surrender himself to the spell when he heard Yona's voice calling out from the side, although weakened and somewhat quiet.

He wondered if the girl could even clearly see or hear him through the influence of Cirven's flame spell, but he did it regardless, shaking his head and giving back with equally weak, sad voice, though uttered through a weak smile "It's okay, Yona, I screwed up, and now I pay the price ... I'm so sorry", the world around him going dark as he lost consciousness.

Johann felt as if he had just been launched out of his own body, locked in place by an overwhelming force, flashes of light all around as brief images flashed past, his old home on Amber Island, training with his father, the blazing inferno that swallowed his family and friends whole, the thundering, echoing crack of gunpowder and then silence. The images blurred, a deep seated feeling of hate and anger filling Johann at their sight, shifting to a dirty boy sitting in a dark corner in some alleyway, dressed in rags, staring at a wall with blank expression. Johann remembered his time in Minstrel. Minstrel was a magnificent place, filled to the brim with magnificent sights, exquisite culture and joy. For the rich, that was. If you were poor in Minstrel, well, that could have unpleasant social consequences. To take if one step further, those without possessions, those without homes, without families, as far as Minstrel was concerned, were worth less than the dirt on the ground, and they were treated horribly, inhumane, like the lowest forms of life out there. Images of Johann being beaten, over and over flashing past, the feeling of increasingly strong frustration filling his heart. He remembered doing every odd job he could, wherever he could, saving up enough money to make his way to Midi where he had his first ever blade forged, before finding his way to Bellum where he worked as a mercenary.

Year after year flashed by, showing his path around Earthland, the fights he had fought, the pain he had endured before finally, somehow, manifesting his magic, and as if by fate, ending up on a ship to Tolgalen, meeting a short, sickly youth along the way. "Ruvel", Johann called out, but the image kept shifting, showing the moment where he had sworn his loyalty to him, to the West Fiore Trading Company, to what would later become his friends, his family, his home, his purpose. All he lived for was them, and the feeling of happiness and joy overwhelmed him, tears once more rolling down his face. Quickly phasing through the jobs he had done with both the West Fiore and Onyx Moon they shifted to the day before, "Yona !", he called out as the next image appeared, when Johann found out what the girl had done to the chef, and once again he remembered his anger with his mentee for hurting another member of his family, the VP dead set on teaching her a little lesson, scaring her a bit to make her understand what she did wasn't okay, a feeling of disappointment filling his chest, the images quickly flashing to the fight between the two. Johann had the clear upper hand, but used only low powered spells, and practically jumped around playfully, barely tapping into his full potential when the images suddenly stopped just as Yona used one of her spells. It was only now through Cirven's spell that the full turn of events returned to the Vice President, clear as day, as a deep, dark shadow from within him took over his body, Johann's consciousness locked inside his own head like a prisoner in a cage, forced to watch as his body was moving, controlled by someone, something else, his screams, his pleas to stop, his sorrow as he watched falling on deaf ears, a deep sense of sadness and guilt flooding his head, drowning out all other feelings. The entity that had taken control of him was filled to the brim with a deep, raging, unending anger and hate that burned like fire, simply sweeping away Johann's attempts to regain control of himself, the images moving to the moment where the demonic Johann stood over Yona, blade drawn, about to deliver the final blow when Johann's defiance soared, his body refusing to do as much as move even a muscle, no matter what the demon commanded, before slamming the rapier into his own side, all images disappearing this very moment, leaving the Vice President floating in a vast nothingness, consciousness once more slipping from his grasp, everything around him turning black before he opened his eyes, the moonlight bathing the clearing in the jungle in subtle twilight, still standing in the same spot as before, feeling Cirven's glare on him. He took in a deep breath, hoping that the devil had gotten the answers he wanted.

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