Fearsome Dragon (Open)

An elder came forth eventually. The demon would eye him for a moment with a more pleasant crocodilian smile than her usual aggressive smirk. The Namekian would receive a small curtsy for the time out of his day, a kindness far above the lower bar Usumi usually operated under. Gandigan was there to back up her words without knowing the full truth of the matter. So long as he went with it, she was alright with this arrangement. To the elder's apologizing, she'd only nod.

"That is quite understandable, sir. It serves to be cautious in these times."
It was true, and mortals usually did abide by that nowadays. Like Gandigan before him. And the Elder seemed to follow in that same way, asking for the girl to be properly searched while aid was provided. At least there was confirmation this man knew of the artifacts. Unless he came to be lying for their own safety. Alas, the demon unfurled her hands and spread her arms to the side. Exposing her sides and standing at a T-pose in front of the elder with a shrug soon after.

"I'll tell you now what I am before you grow surprised at your findings. If you were to peer into my essence, my soul, you would find more than one. I am what one of your kind may call Oni. A demon made physical in the mortal realm. The other holder of this body knows the danger ahead if this isn't fixed too, so don't keep us waiting for confirmation too long now."
That was more than what the demon was giving Gandigan and Mollusc beforehand. Something a lot more explicit, unveiling the nature of their dark arts and supernatural strength.

---

Usumi was not usually patient. Watching Gandigan walk past her for a moment, she felt a little miffed some of the others were giving him more of the stink eye that the demon itself. How peculiar. As far as he recalled, the people of this planet didn't take demons too kindly. Regardless, she laughed a little to herself as the Elder pat her and made way for them both to follow. Into one of the big huts and face full of vapors, the demon did not recognize. Recreational stuff? She couldn't be certain, but even at her size the body and mind were far too strong to just submit.

The demon watched the elder fumble around a curtain and chest with key in hand, explaining to her how not simple this was. of course she already figured that but it would be hard to convey that without sounding aggressive. So she instead took a deep breath and crossed har arms.

"Yes, of course... It's not an easy ask, but emergencies are just that. Emergencies. I would not usually beg for help like this."
She was content on just watching him pull whatever it was on out, giving Gandigan the impression that maybe for a second she would be just waiting for this with no harm to be seen. Depending on what this 'one' was, that may hold true.

---

Usumi calmly watched this strange dreamcatcher object get ripped from the chest. Blinking at it from across the room a few times before watching Gandigan go for the exit, casually. Like he wanted some fresh air. But he was stopped. And soon after the elder seemed to move without warning. Thanking the demon for what seemed like nothing before rushing... The Namekian instead? He hadn't really made it well known that he was much else more than a callous nomad, but a cannibal? The demon watched with mild amusement before rolling her neck and sighing.

"This is what you waste my time with? This man, who's been more helpful than the rest of you lot? You assault him?"
Maybe Gandigan brought him to this specific one expecting the demon's help to wipe out aggressors like this. That would be a very conniving play on the mortal's part, she would have to hand it to him. Yet, he didn't seem to make this obvious, even to just her. Curious. Still, this Elder was now beginning to waste her time by not addressing her.

"Hahahah... Maybe you have grown hard of hearing with old age, mortal. When I said this matter needed to be dealt with as soon as possible? I meant it. And now I stand in a village of fools wishing to abuse my good faith by attacking the most useful slug I've met here so far?"
Usumi reached over her shoulder to yank at the air, a sudden small black portal opening and revealing the handle of the ebony sword again. In a quick motion, she'd swipe it out of its little pocket dimension and hold it casually in a hand. Flourishing it once before loading it back over her shoulder.

"The mortal pleasantries are over. You will tell me where the real artifacts are. Not these silly toys I could make in a day. I am much less patient than the curse I may soon spread."
Her warnings were immediate, as she slowly stepped over to hover near Ganidan's paralyzed body. They didn't care if this one was a man eater or not, Usumi's killed for far less.

---

The elder wouldn't even have the chance to reconsider the rash choices he made. For as careful as these guys were they didn't really bother to wonder just how precarious their situation was if they crossed Usumi. Gandigan righted himself after a moment and tore at the elder namekian. Death gripped his arms and took a chunk out of his head. Purple viscera spray the room as the old man went down in a shriek. Some of this namekian blood would splatter onto the demon.

"..."
Usumi started laughing. And the rest of the tiny village started freaking out as the pair stopped holding back their ways. So much for trying to ask any of them where the artifacts were. But perhaps he didn't need them if Gandigan was this well known.

"Alright, alright, I was getting there! There was always a sliver of hope they'd have something for me but mortals hardly ever listen!"
Gandigan might have been afflicted with some wendigo curse, but Usumi was built for bloody war. Reveling in it even in the worst of times. Wasting time just slaughtering villages would only tick the timer down and grow the animosity in her other half. The demon couldn't exactly leave them alone at this point though.

So in a clean swipe, one of these namekian's heads went off as they tried exiting the hut. Usumi would follow soon behind and take a quick glance at what remained. Very quickly these guys just started running out in a scattered formation around the village. Not too big of a problem, but he looked back to the beast that was Gandigan and smirked. Waving her arms out to gesture at all of the villagers running.

"You better know where other villages are! And next time, let me see what they have first before pulling that."
She warns him before quickly teleporting towards the fleeing bunches around them. Picking them off one by one. They were far too weak to keep up with Gandigan, or better yet her. It was kind of embarrassing how quickly they started falling.

---

The demon made even quicker work of those on the outer edges, stabbing one through the chest and cleaving the rest away. Striking another with her offhand claw and yanking an arm off. Others were far cleaner, but the display did leave her blade soaked and hand dripping with the strange blood. A wide smile was the sign of how much this girl was into it till the very end, where her laughing ceased and a grimace came over her. Usumi could feel Griselda's presence stir until she was practically yelling at him through their connected thought.

'WHAT... What are you doing!?'

'...'
Gandigan was taking this all worse though. Trying to eat and puking up most of what didn't stay down. It wasn't a predatory sustenance thing, no. Whatever this affliction he had made him crave meat without being able to really keep it down. It was a bizarre sight, but not unheard of. Demons were cruel beings much of the time. That sounded just like a classic Usumi heard one of them pull before. Usumi stepped back over and took one single look at the chest now spilled on the ground of its contents before raising a foot onto it and staring him down.

"Wow, you really are bent out of shape. Someone got you real good. You want my opinion on it? That sounds like some vile demon put a spell on you. That or witches. Someone using my kin's powers could do much the same work."
None of this junk was what he sought. Usumi eventually just kicked the chest aside again and looked him over. Shaking his head.

"Clean yourself up. We're going to a bigger village. These toys will not do even for your affliction. The best they had was a binding trinket? Please."
Little did he know her 'curse' was something a little more insidious than just eating people...

---

Normally they'd think to punish a mortal who demanded things of them. But this one at least had a bit of humor to him. Usumi would feign offence with a gasp and claw going palm-open over her chest. Giving him a pout.

"Hahaha. What, little old me? Why I wouldn't hurt a fly. Why on Earth would I curse a mortal?"
As she lifted her hand, she noticed she'd stained part of the dress with purple blood. Whoops, she'd clean it later. She just looked down at it and shook her hand free of latent blood. Gandigan was more than disgusted with the fact he was consuming though. He wanted answers, more than she'd be giving anyone. Mortal or otherwise. Well, at least it was only a part of the whole she had to answer.

"Are you suggesting you're withholding information on the whereabouts of Artifacts? Because it sounds like to me you have some familiarity picking out places where they keep certain artifacts. Need I remind you where you stand between us."
She hoists the sword over her shoulder casually again and squints up at him. Letting her smirk die down to a more unsettling neutral glare that the demon didn't actually give all that often. A serious look, one usually followed with a death not dealt for fun. In this case, however, it was more for tone.

"It was Eons ago, and I do not possess all of my memories of my younger years. Being a possessive demon, I was once trapped for a long time. Creates a fog in your memory, being alone in your thoughts. What I do know is that they are spherical. They hold some significance to the Namekian's culture, able to grant any one desire. There's more than one of them too. With it, anything is possible."

---

For a scatterbrain with apparent amnesia, Gandigan sure was giving the demon more information than any of these fools, here or on Earth, gave. honestly, it was impressive what a little bit of listening and cooperation got you. If only more mortals were like this, afflicted with a curse that made you so desperate. She could only grin, bringing the sword back down only to stick its tip in the ground and us the handled as a makeshift standing cane. leaning against it with her wait as she watched the man explain.

"Grand Elder Village..."
Either it used to be called something else or Usumi flat didn't know this one, cause it didn't ring the same Deja Vu centers in her mind. She repeated it a few times as she furrowed her brow, but kept quiet otherwise until he was finished. Not bothering to straighten herself up even after all that. She was a demon of war, of COURSE she wasn't about to do all this head-on without a plan.

"I do not doubt it. My memory of fights here remains some of the best Mortals put up. If nothing, Namek is consistent in its ways. I could take armies head-on, but planets? A stretch in today's climate. It would be advantageous to claim a few strong, disaffected souls from the surrounding area to join in. Even if only as a temporary alliance. We need not crush the entire planet anyways for me to claim this, only break them so they stop resisting so that I - No, we can claim prize."
This was perhaps one of the first times he spoke so openly about actual strategy when it came to combat around a mortal man. Breathing and speaking of it so casually like he was born to spread flames and wars. Funny that. She laughs and looks down at the bodies around them, then thinks of Mollusc who she only knocked out.

"What I suggest is we gather information then. Information on the village. We should also scout for aspiring allies who care not for their order. We don't need friends, but manpower."

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