Wrasslin' With the Devils [C-class mission Closed/Nanashi]

Walking, always walking, the towering Jackal was always on the move, never stationary for long unless absolutely necessary, after all, the world of Man had so many beautiful things to gaze and wonder, there was always something extraordinary about how mortals could achieve with given enough time.

Though mankind wasn't without their flaws, they could be one of the cruelest beings in the world if they were slighted, or if they suddenly became bored with life and decided to become murderers.

For eons he has watched mankind struggle against each other, their problems so capricious in its nature, they always complained about not having enough money, not finding love, they became bitterly jealous of how other humans had it better than them, or when things just didn't go their way. Oh, humans were also one of the most benevolent beings he had the experience to watch, but as a wise Celestial Spirit once said to him. "Cruelty and kindness are but shades of the same color."

For better or for worse in whatever they did with their lives, mankind was a strange phenomenon that the Celestial Spirit hasn't been able to find an answer as of yet. But if pressed for an answer, the only way that the Jackal could try to explain it would be that they were always Everchanging and a Conflicted species as a whole.

In his travels, the Jackal has stumbled upon a quaint little ranch called Diamond Creek Ranch, and midway through his way he was approached by someone that seriously needed help against these "Diamond Devils" that yearly harassed the people and destroyed their crops and livestock. The Rune Knights, as far as he understood it were a military subdivision within the Council, a handful of them have been approached and begged to help the Ranch, but the vast number of Diamond Devils that came each year were too many for the Rune Knights to even have a chance to keep them under control, or so he heard from the whispering of gossiping matrons on his way to the Ranch.

The end of his large staff clicked against the ground as he stood in front of the Tavern on the outskirts of the Ranch, it was here where he was told he'd find his partner to defend the ranch against those damnable creatures. "Humans are so noisy." The Jackal's bass-baritone voiced through amiss the loud sounds of the tavern and the people within having a good old time.

Sighing deeply through his nose the male pushed an arm outward, moving the doors out of his way and padded inside the tavern room, immediately the room quieted slightly when they saw the imposing creature standing at the entrance, he was robed with a strange clothing that you'll only see on the royalty of old, or even from the painting of Gods from the old desert.

Their looks didn't even bothered him, not even when some pointing and whispered among themselves, instead the dark-furred being looked around the room and immediately spotted the descriptions of the ones that were supposed to be his partners in crime for this mission. With quiet steps broken by the soft click of his staff hitting the wooden floor, the Jackal moved forward until he stood looming slightly above the dark-haired male and his furred companion.

"I've been told we will be partners today for this mission." Extended a paw for a handshake, something that he learned was customary for mankind to do when meeting new people, the Jackal introduced himself. "Greetings, my name is of no importance in this mortal realm, but you may call me Nanashi." No-name, it wasn't really his true name, but he had adopted it as so when he realized that he couldn't return back to the stars from whence he came, it seemed suitable considering the events that lead to his stay in the world of man.

A firm handshake, no hesitation, and a nice aura surrounded the dark-haired male and his small companion, though something seemed strange about Ryder, his nostrils widened imperceptively as he scented the male, detecting a strangely draconic scent coming from the male, alongside a strange smell that he couldn't put a finger to it, the most he could calculate was that it felt cold somehow.

Dismissing his finds as unimportant for the time being, he quickly focused on the two individuals. "It is nice to make your acquaintances, Ryder, Dashie." Nodding at both of them in acknowledgment the tall Jackal humanoid took the offered seat, giving an aside glance at the provided bottle of what smelled to be liquor swirling inside the glass. He wasn't one for drinking, even while he was back in the realm of the Celestials, but he knew that many friendships were started with a bottle to drink so he could try this strange earthling ritual just for the heck of it.

As he grabbed the bottle from the human's hand and went for a glass to fill it with, he pushed aside the thought that friendships, family, and marriage were also lost thanks to the alluring and poisoning powers of alcoholic beverages. Once the glass was about half-full he set the bottle of rum on the wooden counter and looked down at the glass filled with a mixture of colors, it was a combination of black, red, and orange all swirling inside the glass filled with two cubes of ice.

His nose wrinkled slightly at the powerful smell his nose picked up floating from the filled glass, and after a bit of hesitation, the Celestial Spirit slowly brought the glass to his lips, drinking the whole thing before slamming the glass against the wooden counter, gasping for breath slightly as the liquid burned down his throat and warmed his whole body with just one shot.

"It feels like I've been walking through Shurima's Desert after drinking this." The Jackal blinked his red eyes at the empty glass before pushing it away. Instead of wondering about mankind's drinks he turned his eyes back to the duo and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "I am yes, you cannot go eons without picking up a thing or two." Feeling like a demonstration was in order, the male focused on the small gourd tied to his hip, he made a motion with his hand and the cap came loose, falling into many particles of loose sand, and with another gesture, the male slowly weaved and slithered a mound of sand out of the gourd.

"So far, just parlor tricks that don't matter much at all, but that's because most of what I can do naturally causes collateral damage to the surrounding area." He wasn't even phased by their use of swear words, he knew that mankind used more colorful language when they were angered or to just emphasize their point across.

Though it sometimes made you wonder about their complete vocabulary when they dropped curse words left and right with every sentence...

A pat on the shoulder, if he wasn't wrong the gesture was usually meant to be used when giving sympathy to another person, to offer moral support or when best friends, lovers, or family members were getting ready to take on the challenges ahead of them without hesitation. Based on the male's gesture he'd say that he was sympathizing with him and not ridiculing him in any way. "It certainly packs an oomph to it. Yeah." The Jackal agreed with a nod of his canine head, red-eyes looking back at the bottle of rum for a split second before he focused again on Ryder and Dashie. "I don't see myself ever going for it as my first choice of a drink, perhaps when the cold becomes unbearable." Considering it warmed him straight up like he just came from a stroll through the desert, it seemed like a good option when you were suffering from coldness.

A small laugh of mirth left the male's lips, the sound sounding almost like gravel slightly grinding against each other. "I believe the correct term you're searching for is called Sandstorm. A variation of Sand Manipulation if my knowledge is not incorrect." Which it normally wasn't, but he wasn't all knowing concerning all matters of magic that the world possessed and discovered every day, he could make mistakes and had flaws just like mortal men did. Though he made a good job at trying to hide them from the plain sight of men. "But to answer your question, no, it is something much more powerful than merely gravity manipulation." Nanashi hedged for a bit, should he go ahead and tell them about his abilities? He already had his own suspicions about Ryder's aura and the magic he gave off when he conjured small ice shards around his fist. "I'm a Slayer. A Sand God Slayer to be exact."

There, he had said it, now he hoped that Ryder wouldn't back down or work on a lie about the origins of his powers. But just to be sure he made a passing comment about it. "If my senses aren't playing tricks on me, your aura also feels like that of a Slayer, with something vaguely draconic about it as well." His crimson orbs panned up until he could stare into the Ryder's eyes, a slow arching of his brow was clearly visible for the Ice Wielding male. "It is a bit presumptuous of me to assume that you're an Ice Dragon Slayer?" Absently the male made another motion with his hand, and silently the sand retracted back inside the gourd and with another gesture a hardened cork of sand closed the orifice to seal the sand inside.

"You have got to show me this compendium of yours whenever the chance arises, Dashie," Nanashi said, his eyes locked with the mop of hair that covered the small cat's eyes from view and his body leaned slightly forward in clear interest, it was obvious that his curiosity was piqued with this book of information that Dashie was slowly filling with the finding of magics around Fiore.

He wasn't interested in stealing it or leafing through its pages in search of dangerous and forbidden techniques, but rather he wanted to see how far magic has come since the beginning of time. He had seen much in his life but even a being such as him could miss an interesting tidbit or two about the world when he wasn't looking too deeply into it.

It was true that his sand wasn't of the normal coloration when he used his own magic to bring it forth into existence, but the sand that was sealed inside the small gourd was of normal coloration, if not getting ever so slightly darker with each time he used his brand of magic to make it come to life and do a myriad of things with just a thought.

The reason why he carried it around was personal, dating back to the time when he found himself in the world of man, and not really something he wished to talk about freely without a clear reason. Call him sentimental, but it was nice to have a memento of something that reminded you of better times.

If they were out in the open and with not many witnesses he would have probably made a small show as he brought a large amount of black colored sand to existence out of seemingly nowhere, but as it stood he wasn't really too keen on showing his abilities unless the situation called for it, the only reason he made that small scene just moments ago was to confirm his suspicions about Ryder and to show them that he wasn't all bark and no bite.

Or so the amusing human saying goes.

But then his tall ears caught the mention of black fire and how the assailant fought against Ryder, leaving some nasty healing bruises behind as a result on the dark-haired human's skin, and Nanashi felt his eyes narrow slightly at the implications. So Ryder fought against a Fire God Slayer at some point and came out of that with burns on his shoulder, he wondered who could it be and if he had met them before in his life, but ultimately dismissed the thought. "I see, it must have been a grueling battle, judging by your injuries. Black fire, you say?" Narrowing his eyes slightly, the Celestial Spirit didn't seem worried about the fact that someone was out there hunting for other God Slayers, but the slight tightening of his staff told those that were alert that he was ready for a throw down.

Thankfully Ryder was quick to explain the mess-up, and so Nanashi relaxed his grip and let out a nearly inaudible sigh through his nose. "It is fine, besides, you wouldn't be the first to hunt my kind for one reason or another anyway." He had heard tales of how there were some Mages out there in search of Celestial Spirits to mark them as their property, to use them for very nefarious ends and only to bolster their own coffers and life.

God Slayers, or indeed just those that have the potential to use Slayer Magic, weren't also safe in that category he assumed, they were strong in their own right but all it took was to catch them off guard and they could be slain like any other normal being. Even Ryder agreed with his sentiment even if he didn't voice them aloud. It seemed that no one caught up on their conversation thus far, just thinking that they were merely showing off their tricks against each other, but the Bartender was very close by, perhaps he heard everything they had just said moments ago.

It was insignificant if the Bartender proved to be a threat of some kind he'd retaliate in kind, but for now, the human was nothing but perhaps a loose cannon that needed to be kept an eye on just in case. He watched with an almost nonchalant stare as Ryder and his companion stood up and headed for the upper floors of the room, probably to their room to rest and prepare for the mission tomorrow.

"It was nice meeting you too, Dashie," Nanashi replied back kindly, softly waving towards the small kitten as he followed his partner up the stairs. Ears flickering slightly the male's nose scrunched slightly before he blinked at the male. "You didn't have to, really, but I appreciate your kindness." Standing up the male turned towards the Bartender, giving a nod he padded towards the stairs and soon enough he was inside his room.

The dark-furred Jackal gave the room a brief glance, nothing that it was slightly spartan in nature, and with a nice comfy bed at the end of the room. "This should suffice." The Celestial Spirit slowly approached the bed and after moving for a bit he found a perfect position to meditate with his staff laying across his lap. As he meditated the night away, the humanoid Jackal asked for the protections of the Gods for their mission tomorrow.

---

"It's almost dusk..." Nanashi muttered to himself as he walked towards Ryder, the Diamond Creek Ranch looked eerie with the looming darkness closing near, but the Celestial Spirit didn't let the atmosphere shake his resolve. "It's almost time. Are you ready?" The Jackal gripped his staff firmly in one hand, and if one where to look they would see a bit of black sand slowly drifting upward from the ground where his feet walked on.

The Celestial Spirit sent a deadpan look at Ryder once he was close enough, he had remembered how he had to go and wake them up by knocking firmly on their doors so they wouldn't oversleep, they needed to go and scout the premises after all before they could get up and personal with the mission's objectives. It would be disastrous if they had gone completely blind without knowing the layout of the ranch, it would be like a blind person walking around a stranger's home trying to find the washroom. He had been down and eating his own breakfast, consisting of just two fresh apples and a glass of water, when the two stumbled down the stairs, almost missing a step and crashing head over heels against the floor.

From there it was a race to the Ranch, though the Jackal took his sweet time to get there once they were off, no reason to overexert themselves and become tired when the time rolled around after all. They still made a good time of what they had and now they were getting ready for what was about to come to assault the ranch.

Observing his surroundings as nightfall finally came, the tall Jackal noted the numerous lamps lining the dirt path around the establishment, giving a bit of light to combat against the powerful darkness of the night. It wasn't enough to completely light their way but it would be enough to help them in their endeavors for now.

Turning towards the Ice Slayer, his eyes centered on the small green colored orb made completely of glass that the Slayer held in his hand before his eyes panned back towards the male. "I regret to inform you that I do not possess such a Lacrima." He really did not, he didn't really much need for it until now that is, and he was regretting not getting acquaintances with the different lacrimas that dotted the land of Fiore. He knew that there existed many of such spheres that could do a myriad of things, the question was now how to obtain one and what could it do once he had it.

"Nevertheless. Do not fret, if the situations turn dire, I'll be able to contact you." Making a motion with his hand, the male conjured a small strand of blackened sand and formed it into the shape of a small hardened ball of sand. "If I need assistance, I'll be sure to call you using that hardened orb of sand as a medium." He didn't specify in which way would Ryder know that he needed help when he send the sphere, he figured that the dark-haired fellow will learn soon enough.

"I am ready." He nodded his head once at the two of them, turning towards the lighted path. "You take on one side of the ranch, I'll take the other." Turning his head slightly so he could stare at the two of them from his peripheral vision, he made sure he got their full attention before saying. "Be careful. We don't know what might be lurking in the dark." Warning given the male padded forward towards his part of the ranch to investigate and make sure none of the "Devils" made an appearance tonight.

Red eyes narrowed slightly as the black-furred jackal kept walking across the lighted path, his grip on his staff tightening imperceptively as with every passing second he felt like someone was watching him from the darkness, the wind rustling through the trees nearby sounding like children giggling underneath their breaths, and the shadows dancing out of reach looking like small demons reaching out for him.

Stopping in the middle of the path, Nanashi heaved a slow sigh before his deep voice sounded across the plains. "I can sense you're out there." Blackened sand slowly swirled around his foot paws and reached up across his calves. "Come out, now." Nothing answered him for a few moments, but he didn't have to wait for long before the darkness replied.

Lips peeling back to show rows of sharpened teeth, Nanashi quickly lifted his staff and blocked a myriad of small pepper balls of fire being thrown at him, the staff was durable enough to withstand the elements, and the black sand that responded to his call easily snuffed out the flames before they could cause an inferno should they had hit the grass. "Do not take me for a fool, those fireballs didn't even have enough power to be considered threatening at all. Now, I won't ask again, show yourself!"

"Well isn't this guy really boring." A high-pitched voice said before three small beings appeared, one to his left, another to his right and one right in the center. They looked like the descriptions that the owner of the ranch and the locals gave them, and he wasn't surprised that they could use elemental magic considering even the Rune Knights had troubled with this hellspawn.

"What, you came here to stop our fun?" The one on the front said, summoning a small ball of fire to float on his hand.

"Think again you old geezer." The one on his left said scoffed, his eyes flickering with the flames he wanted to summon to the surface.

"Yeah, you cannot stop us, so you better just scram." The one on his right said with a bored tone, even going as far to roll his eyes heavenward.

"It's time that someone taught you lot some manners." Nanashi ignored their laughter as he slowly fell into a battle ready stance, though at the back of his mind he couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension descend upon him, they didn't look at all that dangerous, these little critters couldn't possibly be the reason why even the Rune Knights had trouble with them.

Something was wrong here.

Silence fell upon them all for a while, Nanashi's eyes looking at each devil in term as he thought of a strategy to deal with them as fast as he could, but it seemed that the red devils wouldn't give him that luxury as they suddenly lunged forward to attack him, their claws shining brightly and ready to tear him apart.

"First rule of battling an opponent." Nanashi intoned as he twisted his staff sharply, black sand suddenly slithering up and about as it slapped and whipped the small devils with harsh strikes, driving them to the floor with small shrieks of pain. "Never underestimate them, it could be your downfall."

The one that seemed to be the leader of the trio snarled in outrage before bellowing, "Get him!" Though his voice was slurred like he was suddenly drunk with dizziness, and the others didn't seem to be fairing any better.

And just like that, the battle has begun.

---

NAME: Sand God’s Barrage.

RANK: D-Rank.

TYPE: Attack.

MAGIC: Sand God Slayer.

MODS: AoE/Ailment (Dizziness).

DESCRIPTION: Nanashi manipulates the sand for a myriad of techniques; this time to attack multiple enemies simultaneously with harsh strikes of hardened sand, the blows strong enough to make them dizzy for three turns.

MP COST: 1.

Magic Points: 4/5

"Bada-boom!" Nanashi snarled as a hot blast of fire seared his fur slightly, and he had to duck and summon a wall of sand to protect himself from multiple pepper blast of fire from almost burning his fur blacker than what it already was. "Begone. Sand's God Fury!" The black sand converged around the devil's feet and with a swipe of his hand the twister of sand burst inward and then outward with a sharp boom.

With a deafening cry of pain, the little rowdy demons were quickly deal with, and the God Slayer let out a sigh of relief. "That takes care of them, now for--" Enhanced senses suddenly blaring in alarm, the God Slayer quickly brought forth a wall of sand, and gritted his teeth when a blazingly hot ball of fire thundered against the shield and turned most of the black sand into darkened glass shards.

"Nice of you to deal with those little fuckers." A voice sounded from the other side of the sand wall, and cautiously peeking over the sand mount to see who it was revealed to Nanashi his new assailant's appearance.
It was slightly taller than the first three gremlins, with highlighted cracks running up and down his frame, like instead of blood he had lava for veins, finishing with a pair of bat demonic wings on his back, all and all he looked much more powerful and meaner that they could have ever been. "Now you've got me to deal with." The new adversary grinned darkly at Nanashi, who released a frustrated growl as his enhanced hearing caught Ryder and Dashie's voices in the distance and by the look of things they needed help and pronto.

"Out of my way, I don't have time to deal with you!" With renewed vigor the Beastman attacked the Pyro Demon with sharp strikes of hardened black sands while avoiding reciprocating strikes from the Pyro Demon's fireballs and whips of fire.

---

NAME: Sand God's Fury.

RANK: C-Rank.

TYPE: Attack.

MAGIC: Sand God Slayer.

MODS: --

DESCRIPTION: Nanashi manipulates the sand to revolve around the target then he swipes his hand to make it explode with the target inside it.

MP COST: 1.

MP: 3/5