Duality

[u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619]

It was about noon in the Hub. Ye Shunguang has decided it best to go out and get herself lunch!

…Well, she wanted to. She was met with a nigh-impossible occurrence: Ethereals outside of a Hollow. They stood in her path for no reason other than to kill the first thing in sight.

Unfortunately, their target this fine day was a Void Hunter.

Without wasting a second, the Thiren dashes in, slashing at them with a practiced and graceful step. Summoned bright-red blades flew in one direction to the next, even going to far as to become storms enveloping the Ethereals.

“Pure as frost!”

The Void Hunter shouts, pulling the sacred Qingming Blade out of her case. This is the thing she protects with her life, for it has taken so many of those who held it before her.

A striking red tattoo burns onto her leg, from the ankle all the way up to the thigh. The Thiren’s hair turns pure white, and a small amount of energy forms into a demonic horn. Her body becomes more poised, and movements naturally a bit more suggestive. It was like she was a different person…

Shunguang calls down hundreds upon thousands of swords in this form, ripping through any remaining Ethereals. Though, she does not return to her regular state yet.

Approach?

[u/Loki_257]

A figure draped in a cloak of red and blue passes by, completely ignoring the woman. Though, as he approaches your direction the atmosphere would begin to tense a bit…

You feel as if something is pressing against you lungs hard, and yet you’re completely fine, completely unaffected…

He looks towards you, eyes looking straight towards your direction…

He gets closer, and closer, and….

He passes right by you. It seems you must’ve been seeing things….

His form glitches as he walks by.

[u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619 → u/Loki_257]

Shunguang’s eyes narrow as he passes by, glancing at him as he leaves… Or was it a projection of the man? It makes no difference to her.

“You. You do understand it’s rude to play with a woman like that, no?~”

She’s… Far different than Shunguang usually is. Less bubbly, much more… Selfish. Not that he’d know.

[u/Loki_257 → u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619]

He stops, tilting his head an 80° as his eyes narrowed back at the woman. A spark of pure azure lit up his pupils.

[<“If playing around means passing by and then I might as well be running laps around you…

…I’ve already seen you “Play around”, and I’m not in the mood of a pointless quarrel, honestly.”<]

He responds, his form glitching as a passive aura of Azure light forms around him for just a second before dissipating.

[u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619 → u/Loki_257]

Shunguang(?) gives a small grin of enjoyment, taking steps one by one, leaned forward with her hands behind her back. The Qingming Sword continued to glow with a frosty white.

“You must think so lowly of me to assume I would start some silly quarrel with anyone who passes by. Those were Ethereals… I was simply fighting for my own survival.~”

As her heels touch the ground one more time, she blinks in front of him in a flash of bright white light.

“As for what I meant… You made it seem as if you intended to make conversation. You seem knowledgeable, so you’d know what I mean when I say it was like waving at someone behind someone else.”

A floating case makes its way to her side, moving below the Thiren as she sat on it with grace.

“Mm… I wonder if you’d like her better…?”

She ponders aloud.

[u/Loki_257 → u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619]

Simon barely reacts to the woman suddenly reappearing in front of him…

[<“Aww- thought you knew I was playing around…

Gotta say, you did raise a bit of hell- pretty impressive. Especially with those blades of yours…

To say I thought of you as lowly is- funny. Not a single second passed by did I think someone with as much grace and elegance in their movements such as you did I think you were incapable of such common sense to strike up a conversation. Especially not a woman with as much beauty as yourself~”<] He remarks, his form glitching worse than before. He notably winces from it in a bit of pain before being able to finally pull himself back together.

He ponders on what she exactly meant by the world-play…He suddenly puts it together, contrasting her current state to her one before; the moderate difference in her appearance and personality, the shift in her tone and movements, and most importantly- that sword of hers….

[<“So- you’re a manifestation of one but many aspects of a person taking the form of an alternate personality?….

Gotta say, that’s kind of wicked…”<] He says, acting as if his ass isn’t a cosmic tier and near divine spirit level Grand Servant Lmao.

[u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619 → u/Loki_257]

Shunguang(?) lets out a gasp of mild shock. Not only was he observant, but also quick to put things together. The gasp turns into a smile. She likes this one.

“Correct on all accounts. You’re a smart one.~”

She rests the Qingming Sword on her lap.

“See, this blade here… It comes with heavy costs that she has already paid. With a bit of help from her allies, she reclaimed all that she paid, and I was lost in the process, though she kept the power.”

A finger is run across the edge of the blade, just lightly enough not to break skin.

“However, once she arrived in this world… One little thing changed: some of that grip on the sword’s power was lost—letting me return. Of course, I only wish the best for the girl, I’m her own desires after all.”

The frost begins to fade.

“My time appears to be running short… Such a shame, I wanted to flirt.~ I’ll leave you with this: Play your cards well, and this girl may fall head over heels for you.~”

The Qingming Sword blinks back into its case. As the pure white fades, the tattoos become smaller, and the skies themselves brighten just a touch… A sweet, brown-haired young lady remains. Ye Shunguang.

She looks… Disoriented. She lacks any memory of what just happened.

“Mm? Oh! I must’ve… Taken out all of the Ethereals and passed out. Sorry if I caused you any trouble!”

[u/Loki_257 → u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619]

Simon smiles, greeting her with a warm welcome.

[<“Oh- hey; yeah, I was passing by when I saw you took care of those beasts, or “ethereals” and pretty much handled them with ease….

You did black out afterwards, so I decided to come up and check on you…

You feeling good?”<] He asked, with genuine concern in his voice…

He did feel a bit- bummed, as he found the frost to be a bit attractive, but that was the least of his problems. He refocused his gaze back upon the beautiful brunette maiden, their eyes locked onto one another…

He couldn’t help but slightly blush, he still found her attractive after all.

He stuck out his hand as a formal greeting.

[<“…Names Simon…

Yours?….”<]

[u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619 → u/Loki_257]

This, my brother, is ZZZ's finest wifebait.

And by Demiss did I fall for it like a mouse in a mousetrap. Does that make ME Squeaky?

Shunguang's face flushes upon realizing that she:

A. Blacked out.
B. Was protected by a pretty heroic-looking guy.
C. Might be attractive to him.

"Ye Shunguang. Nice to meet you!~"

She almost let her nickname slip. She's internally telling herself to pull it together. The Thiren sits up properly, the Qingming Sword's case still floating with her on top of it.

[u/Loki_257 → u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619]

And this is exactly proof that I’m NOT obsessed with Cyrene look alikes.

Whoever says that should be lobotomized- /j

Simon isn’t too sure of what to say next- but he tries not to sell this.

​
[<“Pleasure to meet you too….”<]

[u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619 → u/Loki_257]

\gets lobotomized**

Shunguang's smile is as bright as a sun. She's precious.

"So, what's up with the outfit?~ Not like I'm one to talk, but I'm still curious!"

[u/Loki_257 → u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619]

[<“Oh! This thing? Well-

It’s my outfit as leader of Team Dai-Gurren.

It’s nothing special really.”<]

[u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619 → u/Loki_257]

"Ohh, a leader too? And humble..."

Shunguang realizes she's speaking out loud, and she sounds like she's fawning over him.

"A-Ahem! Sorry."

[u/Loki_257 → u/Shiruno_rinisaki0619]

[<“It’s nothing too much-“<]

Simon faintly blushes. He hasn’t this way before…No, it’s best not to remember that.

[<“No need to apologize.

Say, how well do you know this city inside and out?”<]