「奥義・忍法・繚乱滅殺陣」!!

— MEMORY PALACE .

this fictmemoria ain't shit !

flower-of-oblivion

At first, the experiment had been going according to plan. At least, so it seemed.

And then, an alarm sounded, and a researcher began frantically screaming about some kind of "memoria overload." Which. Sounded bad.

In all honesty, Acheron finds herself feeling somewhat apathetic about it all. They've had no success retrieving her memories from Nihility; from how she's feeling, all they've succeeded in doing is pulling the shadow a little closer. Nothing irreversible, just in a way that leaves her feeling a little more numb and disconnected than usual.

And a warrior of her skill thrives on their connection to the world, on their sharp focus and deadly concentration. This mental fog is becoming increasingly concerning.

Memoria influx. Distorting perception. Influenced by memetic virus, some part of her mind idly catalogues. The warrior pushes the thought aside. It is not relevant to the situation she's found herself in.

She leaves the now-empty room behind, wandering through the unnaturally-sterile halls with her odachi in hand. Not drawn, not yet, there are no threats that merit the use of her Ultimate Technique - just held at the ready.

A gaggle of white-robed attendants run past, hunting down a brightly-colored individual. But their quarry's skill far exceeds theirs; she leaps from the shadows as they split up, knocking one out with the hilt of her blade. The swordswoman in the shadows finds herself admiring the other's Ninja Technique - truly, a master of the shinobi's arts stands before her.

"Hail, warrior," she calls, stepping into the light. "Fear not. I, Ninja Yomi, mean you no harm. Though...I cannot recall how I came to be in this strange place."

#MEMORY PALACE — thread #((oh lordy i did not realize how late this was. i am so sorry fae))

Rappa nodded in assent. Ah, yes... she knew well the workings of these wicked white-robed witches. They would turn your mind blank and then gleefully record the outcome! This Ninja Yomi has surely been through a lot. She will be a most worthy ally.

"I see... if I may be frank, I, too, have little idea of how I came to be in Lady Heruta's palace. I suspect those wicked white-robed witches may have something to do with it."

Speak of the devil; another gaggle of those witches passed through the narrow Space City streets. Rappa stood up in attention and quickly pressed herself as close to the wall as she could, her bright reds and teals miraculously—ninjaculously—blending into the dark shadow of the alleyway. She held a finger up to her lips, signalling silence to Ninja Yomi. She beckoned her to come closer, to conceal herself within the darkness, too.

The witches stopped in front of their ally's limp body.

"Woah! What happened to Ninja Richard?"

"Ninja Richard?" she prodded with her foot, "Ninja Richard? Damn it. I think the Dazzling Ninja got to him."

One of them sighed. "Bring him to the apothecary. In the meantime, we must keep looking for that Dazzling Ninja."

"What about the other one who escaped? That tall purple ninja?"

A pause. "We'll find her too. But we must prioritize the Dazzling Ninja."

Bending down low, two witches grabbed Ninja Richard by his limbs and carried him off to the Space City's apothecary, while the rest of the group followed. Rappa turned to Ninja Yomi, her movement subtle.

"We should follow them... we must take advantage of our position and ambush them before they ambush us..." she whispered, "Come. Ninja Technique: Shinobi Ashi...!"

Slowly, she crept away from her place in the shadow and came to be softly enveloped by Space City's neon lights. Her hand once more beckoned Ninja Yomi to follow.

— KOUSETSU .

rappa and kazuha take on operation: fragmentum !

As he returned to the ground, he could only watch as they all were defeated in one fell swoop by Rappa’s blade. They smiled, dipping their head as Rappa spoke. He, too, sheathed his blade, looking upon the now monsterless field. Perhaps this would be the view were they to succeed.

“I could say the same about you, trading blades wouldn’t be too bad of an idea after this. Unless you oppose?”

No one was free from learning and growing, even the Archons. He hummed as he looked upon the monsters below, there was only so much left to do now and were they rising? Well, there goes learning more of each other’s techniques.

Just as Kazuha unsheathed his blade, one lunged toward him, ready to strike them down. They were just a second too late in countering, causing their unarmed shoulder to take quite the blow. However, after the initial surprise went away, it was not difficult to defeat it. He grit his teeth, clasping his now injured shoulder. Pink pooled beneath him, not too dissimilar to the burst of morning rays.

He shook his head, focusing on the fight before them. Though injured, he and Rappa manage to take down quite a number of them just as the sun rose.

“We’ve done quite well for today, let us return in the morning.”

NIGHT THREE

Time was in short supply these days and so, Kazuha found himself with his companion at night once more. They had healed a bit from last night’s wounds but the wounds persisted still. He glanced over at their surroundings, not a monster in sight. They smiled.

“Shall we reclaim the area, Rappa?”

NIGHT THREE

She glanced over the surrounding area. This seemed to be an old encampment, ravaged by monsters and left abandoned by its original inhabitants. She could see the wrecked tent poles still jutting out of the snow, the burnt remains of a campfire long extinguished. Rappa nodded along the Kaede no Samurai's words, a hand clutching her shoulder.

"Yes, this camp could stand to be rebuilt. Have you brought resources from our base of operations? Perhaps we could use those in repairing the area."

It would be a nice change of pace, besides. A ninja hero was not only adept in combat. They must be useful in times of peace as well. Rappa took a step forward and began to rebuild.

It started slowly, as most things did. Her injured shoulder did much to hold her back, but so did the unfamiliarity of these tents. Eventually, she figured out the original position of the poles and the necessary tension to hold them upright, and she began installing them eagerly all throughout the area. There were five in total. She had already set up two, and was in the middle of setting up a third when she spotted something in the snow: a doll buried beneath a collapsed tent, abandoned by its owner. Rappa picked it up and sighed.

"These beasts are truly wicked..." she murmured, mostly to herself, but in part to the samurai, that she may hear his thoughts too, "There is too much wickedness in this world. That is why we must continue to do the work that we do, Kaede no Samurai. For wickedness to soon be extinguished."

— KOUSETSU .

rappa and kazuha take on operation: fragmentum !

Kazuha hummed, looking over the scene. Quite the number of enemies for just he and Rappa, weren’t they? It would be… difficult to finish things as quickly as he’d like. Still, they glanced at the guard, they would need to try.

While Rappa took care of things with the guard, Kazuha took the opportunity to attack the few in front of him. It did not completely bring them to death but it was a start and it bought the guard enough time to flee. He glanced at his now unburdened companion. The guard made no move to be quiet in his escape but if it got him back to the camp, who were they to judge?

This should be quite the story for the Fleet… I hope the Captain will grant be some mercy after this.

“I do, yes,” they nodded, letting the wind clasp his hands, “I can gather them, use any… ninjutsu you may know of when they’re in place.”

A burst of wind launched them in the air, pulling the surrounding monsters toward them as they rose above them. “This should do, let’s continue our attack, Rappa.”

#kousetsu — thread #ghsnowswept2025

The monsters soared high above them, scattering like sakura petals in the wind. Rappa quickly caught them in her blade, felling them in a single, lethal swoop. As their bodies sank into the snow, she grinned.

"Excellent work, Kaede no Samurai!" she cried, sheathing her blade, "you must teach me how to perform such riveting ninjutsu. I could learn a lot from you!"

And knowledge was something she would forever be in pursuit of, for she knew that even with all her power, there would be certain things that were not enough. She must get stronger still.

A few of the beasts began to rise from their place in the snow. Rappa once again prepared to throw herself at them, for there were not as many as there were before. One of them lunged at her with its axe, the blade of which caught on her shoulder. She hissed, then swiftly retaliated with her Petalblade. The monster fell, but the damage was done. Rappa once again found herself bleeding pink all over the snow. It was reminiscent of how the sun burst out of the dark of night, the colors swirling like ink in water. Speaking of—dawn was soon coming. But the fight was far from over.

"Kaede no Samurai, watch out!"

— KOUSETSU .

rappa and kazuha take on operation: fragmentum !

Kazuha nodded, a hand on the hilt of their blade. He glanced over at the two, perhaps he could learn a thing or two about this ninjutsu.

The process was quite quick for what aid it brought to the guard. A storm that broke through a clear sky. They turned around once everything was over and the guard could stand without much aid. A little shaky but mostly alright.

"I can. Ah, t-thank you, volunteers. Your medical aid saved my life. H-how can I ever repay you?"

Kazuha bowed as well, smiling as he rose. “As my companion says, there is nothing to thank us for. Taking care of community is important in times like these, wouldn’t you agree?”

As Rappa was aiding the guard, Kazuha treaded lightly as they led the way to the base camp. It might have been because of his lacking ninjutsu or because there were more people to notice in this snowy land, but it did not take long for them to lock eyes with another monster. He unsheathed their blade, glancing over to their companions as they did so.

“Understood. Let’s finish this quickly.”

As quickly as they could, anyway, for it was growing evidently clear that they were getting swarmed. Rappa had yet to see such a large group of monsters—suppose this is what the Blonde Silver Samurai had said about the beasts taking over. She clenched her teeth and readied to fight, though not without turning to their injured companion and saying: "Run and save yourself. The Kaede no Samurai and I will take care of this."

"A-are you sure—?" he began to ask, though soon fell silent after he saw the fiery resolve in her eyes—the burning of her Ninja Soul! He nodded, "Okay, I'll go. Thank you again!"

He ran. Without proper technique, Rappa noted, but not everyone could be quite as fleet-footed as her. She watched him disappear into the dark distance, the only evidence of him being the small droplets of pink that occasionally speckled the snow. Rappa huffed, then returned her attention to the battle before her. Her blade could not surely slice through them all in a timely manner. Did she have any ningu she could deploy? Or perhaps... she turned to her companion.

"We must find a way to group them up... Kaede no Samurai, do you have any ideas?"

— KOUSETSU .

rappa and kazuha take on operation: fragmentum !

Kazuha followed Rappa’s lead, perhaps a bit clumsily but they too soon found their footing with the esteemed Shinobu Ashi. Of course, his use of the technique was nothing compared to Rappa’s, a lifetime of mastery would always beat out a moment’s understanding. Well, so long as the monsters before him fell, he did not care.

For now, at least. After this, I must ask her to teach me more.

Though her voice was quieter, it didn’t take much for the samurai to hear her with perfect clarity. Thus, he could hear perfectly her surprise. He followed her gaze to… they narrowed their eyes, was that a… guard? Or was this just the snow obscuring their view?

“I do as well, I believe them to be one of the guards of Belobog. Let’s go check up on them.”

Kazuha, once more, followed her lead. His steps were not so light but they were, at the very least, not so loud either. The guard looked to have barely survived whatever encounter caused such injuries.

“Are you… v-volunteers?”

They fell by their feet but before he could hit the snowy floor, Kazuha caught them. His blood stained Kazuha’s clothes but he did not move yet.

“P-please help me. I need… healing…”

Kazuha placed the guard down lightly, ensuring no new injuries blossomed. Resources… he nodded along to Rappa’s words. To be a ninja was to have quite the varied skillset, it seemed and he was grateful for it.

“Of course, it’s no trouble. I brought with us some first aid equipment after last night’s endeavour. Take of it what you need, I will cover you two if any monsters should approach us now.”

#ghsnowswept2025 #KOUSETSU — thread

"Thank you, Kaede no Samurai. I shall perform the ninjutsu."

Rappa took the supplies with both hands—various healing implements like bandages, poultices, and salves, and turned to her patient-to-be. He clutched a gaping wound across his stomach, his gloves turning carmine. He was whimpering. Rappa frowned.

"Hush, Silver Samurai. The pain will not last long. Though it storms, if you wait, fine weather will arrive on the sea routes."

She knelt above him, using the cloth of the bandages to clean his wound with the salve. To his credit, the Silver Samurai kept his mouth shut, biting on his lip hard enough that it began to pale. His body quivered, though Rappa continued working diligently and in silence. Eventually, she tied off the ends of the cloth, and nodded to the samurai.

"It is done. Can you stand?"

Rappa took him by the underarm and hoisted him upward, netting a low groan from him. But he was stable, and he stood, and he bowed.

"I can. Ah, t-thank you, o great ninja heroes. Your medical ninjutsu saved my life. H-how can I ever repay you?"

Rappa shook her head. "There is no need for such things. Us ninja heroes lend our aid freely. Now, let us guide you back to the base camp."

Heaving, she let his arm drape over her shoulder as she began to walk—still lightly, of course—toward the direction from whence they came. As she did, she remained careful to not alert any beasts. Surely they would wish to finish him off! And so her vigilance kept her steps faint and fleeting. Alas, there could only be so much quietude one could employ against a horde of beasts. The inevitability of one spotting her finally came to be, and Rappa broke her silence by yelling out.

"Kaede no Samurai!" she bellowed, bringing out her Petalblade. The injured Silver Samurai still dangled from her side, and she was careful in letting him go to return to a fighting stance, now faced with a small icy beast, "I request your aid. You must come here now!"

— KOUSETSU .

rappa and kazuha take on operation: fragmentum !

The snow beneath their feet softened the sounds of their footsteps, allowing their getaway to occur without much issue. Though they were used to running in the wild, he was thankful for the chance to catch his breath. This night highlighted a truth he’d need to keep in mind when returning to the Fleet.

Training… I may need to increase it.

They stood guard as Rappa knelt to the side. Though the blood of his hand dripped below, reddening the pale ground below. He sighed, glancing over at the other.

Ah, how kind of her. He smiled, accepting the cloth. “Thank you.” He tied it around his hand, watching the white bleed red. It would do for now. Few monsters stood here which likely meant they were safe for now. Not that they should lower their guards just yet.

The light of the moon above served just well enough to allow him vision around. They sighed, crouching down to search as well. Time flowed ever forward yet there was nothing in terms of results. Still, it was good to check. He looked up at the other, nodding.

They got up, glancing at the area around them. He closed his eyes, listening to the winds billowing. Alright, perhaps we can find our way back here with… somewhat ease.

NIGHT TWO

The sun only rose for so long and Kazuha found himself back to where the night had ended for them and his companion. However, unlike yesterday, there were many a monster in front of them. A hand over his hilt, he glanced at Rappa. Hopefully, her wounds no longer bothered her.

Ah, so that was what Shinobu Ashi entailed. “Understood, after you, Rappa.”

#kousetsu — thread #ghsnowswept2025

Rappa swiftly took the lead, falling into a bended stance. Her steps as they pattered across the snow were light, enough so that they left no trace. This was the Ninja Technique: Shinobi Ashi that she had mastered so long ago, and it allowed her to break into enemy lines with ease. She snuck up behind them, cloaked by the thick snow and her own silence.

"Kaede no Samurai," she said, her normally-boisterous voice now barely above a whisper. She pointed to a distant beast, "we will begin with that one. Then we will use the surprise of our attack to continue the assault—huh?"

Rappa's eyes narrowed. It was far and foggy, but she could see it—the figure of a man, limping across the snow. It was different from the shades they had fought before, for it wielded no weapon and moved with a palpable humanity. She put a hand on the samurai's shoulder.

"Hold off on the plans, esteemed warrior. I spy a victim of evil in the distance."

Continuing her light steppage, Rappa tiptoed toward that figure until at last it grew clear. What stood (or staggered) before them was no monster of the snow wastes, but rather, a member of the Silver Samurai. He was keeled over and bleeding, the snow around him turning pink from injury.

"Are you... n-ninja heros?" He asked in a daze, limping toward them before ultimately falling by their feet. Rappa stared at him, something like a dagger twisting inside her stomach, "P-please help me. I need... healing..."

His voice was worringly faint. Rappa turned to her samurai compatriot.

"Kaede no Samurai, we must help this man. Could I trouble you to search for some rations or leftover supplies? Anything will do—I am adept at deploying medical ninjutsu."

— KOUSETSU .

rappa and kazuha take on operation: fragmentum !

That… was not the most comforting answer but it would have to do for now. Later on, he could check up on her. They nodded, slightly unsure of what this ninja technique was but he’d figure it out soon enough.

Just as the axe hit the other, the frosty chill of a blade reached Kazuha. The snowy outlands made it difficult to see from where and a slash to their non-dominant hand was made. They jumped out of the way, glancing at the bleeding wound. Not ideal. They glanced up to see another attack heading their way, they readied his blade for it yet…

“Ninja Technique: Inpou!”

They blinked and their world was now filled with colourful clouds. Quite the ninja technique… he’d have to ask for tips later. They winced slightly at the contact but nodded, running alongside her.

“Understood. Let’s go.”

And so they ran. Far enough away from the shades and the frostspawns that they were only distant blue blurs in the night's horizon. Rappa huffed and puffed, and clutched her would all the while. Eventually, she stopped by a large bank of snow, and knelt beside the large pile.

She ripped the hem off her shirt and began to wrap her wound. Then, tearing more fabric away from it, she offered one to the Kaede no Samurai.

"Here. For your injury. It would not do well to get it infected."

Her breathing slowed, and she finally took a moment to look around. The silverlight of the moon descended upon them like a mandate from heaven, lighting up the stained snow around them as if it were crystal dust. It would have been beautiful if not for the circumstance. Rappa thinks this could have been a good place to meditate.

But as it stood, there was nothing this spot could offer them. Rappa attempted to dig through the snow, perhaps to find some leftover supplied buried by the maelstrom, but there was nothing. Nothing bu silver and blue and the pink of their bleeding. She pouted.

"Perhaps it is best we return to the camp. The sun is soon to rise, besides." She rose from her place within the snow, and nodded to the samurai, "Doumo, Kaede no Samurai. Let us return here tomorrow."

NIGHT TWO .

Tomorrow came sooner than Rappa realized. Daytime went by quickly when one knew what the night held. It did not take long for them to return to their spot in the snow, and for the Dazzling Ninja to promptly find her hiding place within it. This time, the monsters seemed to move ever closer toward them. Now there were several beasts pacing about the snow, as though eager to kill. Rappa turned to her companion, who she hoped had healed by now.

"Do you recall the technique I discussed yesternight? Shinobi ashi involves fleet-footed movement. If we can employ that here, our foes will surely not see us coming."

— KOUSETSU .

rappa and kazuha take on operation: fragmentum !

"The Ninja Inscriptions are not to be taken so literally. They offer wisdom beyond our normal comprehension. Do not worry about it so much. Hyagh!"

Rappa surged forward to parry a lunge made by one of those icy beasts. She scoffed as its body disintegrated into the snow, then turned to face the incoming swarm of monsters. They flooded the area like a swelling sea, and whatever tsunami would come next, Rappa knew they would struggle to defend against. Part of being a ninja was knowing when best to step back, so that they may make a magnificent leap forward.

The Dazzling Ninja once again attempted to parry a blow, but found her Petalblade striking a few inches short. The beast that had gone for her quickly threw itself onto her, the sharp edges of its body sinking into her skin. A few drops of pink stained the snow beneath them. Rappa grit her teeth.

"Kaede no Samurai, how familiar are you with the art of shinobi ashi?" She asked, a hand gripping her gash, "I feel it would be useful for us to hide then ambush our foes."

So they weren’t. Kazuha hummed, nodding, their gaze turning to the foes lurking in the snow. “I see, what is your interpretation of its teachings then?”

These monsters seemed to grow in… well, maybe not skill but numbers, certainly. Quite a number of them remained and some seemed to be entering the vicinity as well. He grit his teeth, Anemo launching him into the air as they struck their foes. However, it could only do so much in the face of all in front of him.

It didn’t help that Kazuha barely understood these lands while the monsters seemed quite familiar with them. Annoyingly familiar. He prepared to strike another but the monster moved faster, landing a hit on them. They hissed in pain, glad for the extra layers but the wound was sure to bleed.

He glanced at their companion, she had similarly been struck, her wound leaving its mark upon these lands.

Did he know Shinobi Ashi? Nope. Would he ever? Maybe if the two of them got a moment to breathe.

“That sounds best, how is your wound? Is it dire?”

#kousetsu — thread #ghsnowswept2025 #((mobile since my laptop is ded rn............))#((i will trim + fix it once it has charged tho!))

"It will heal," she said in lieu of a proper answer, "so pay it no mind. It is not the time to worry over this. We must employ our ninja technique now."

Now and not a moment later, for the cold air between them suddenly split in twain, a frozen axe cleaving through space. Its blade hit the Dazzling Ninja's forearm, and she grit her teeth. It was not painful, but she could feel the bluntness of its impact against her bones. It was not pleasant, though battle never was. She fumbled with her Petalblade, making a meager attempt to retaliate. Alas, her body succumbed to its injury, and all she could do was shakily lift and swing it across her foe's body. This would not do. As the blue beast readied another swing of its ace, Rappa took a canister from her belt and yelled.

"Ninja Technique: Inpou!"

She bit into it, her teeth ripping out a chunk of the thin metal, then she threw it onto the ground. A collage of colors burst out from it, rainbow clouds pouring forth like smoke from a bonfire. Her stained hand grabbed the samurai's.

"Run, while the ningu is deployed!"

— KOUSETSU .

rappa and kazuha take on operation: fragmentum !

The snow here remained fierce, encasing all in a blanket of white. Icy coldness prickled against their skin as they headed further along, perhaps if their Vision was Cryo this would be less… arduous of a task. Even so, there was a great need for aid, too great to let this stop them. Since he could not see with his eyes, he allowed themself to view the world in other means. Though the snow was billowing against him, it still held a message, one he would be wise to listen to.

They glanced over at his companion, she seemed more rambunctious than most. Her energy was much needed at times like these. He smiled at the (she called herself a ninja, right?) ninja beside him. There seemed to be some apprehension from her, perhaps because this was their first meeting?

Kazuha blinked, unsheathing his sword as the foe launched themself at the two. However, before he could strike, Rappa took care of the situation. She stood in front of him and warned of the enemy. It left no room for Kazuha to so much as move forward. They could not blame their companion for her speed nor her wish to… protect him? What a strange occurrence. Yet it left him…

He nodded, glancing at his blade then at their partner. “… Seems like they do, we would do best to keep our wits about us,” they replied, he listened to the sounds of nature, letting them guide him rather than their eyes, “does it mention anything of our weapons? Or only our helmets?”

"The Ninja Inscriptions are not to be taken so literally. They offer wisdom beyond our normal comprehension. Do not worry about it so much. Hyagh!"

Rappa surged forward to parry a lunge made by one of those icy beasts. She scoffed as its body disintegrated into the snow, then turned to face the incoming swarm of monsters. They flooded the area like a swelling sea, and whatever tsunami would come next, Rappa knew they would struggle to defend against. Part of being a ninja was knowing when best to step back, so that they may make a magnificent leap forward.

The Dazzling Ninja once again attempted to parry a blow, but found her Petalblade striking a few inches short. The beast that had gone for her quickly threw itself onto her, the sharp edges of its body sinking into her skin. A few drops of pink stained the snow beneath them. Rappa grit her teeth.

"Kaede no Samurai, how familiar are you with the art of shinobi ashi?" She asked, a hand gripping her gash, "I feel it would be useful for us to hide then ambush our foes."

— KOUSETSU .

rappa and kazuha take on operation: fragmentum !

#ghsnowswept2025 #kousetsu — thread

The walk from their base into the deeper depths of wickedness was not a long one, but it felt rather treacherous. Whatever cold they felt back at the snow country's capital seemed to double, perhaps even triple in this icy wasteland. Rappa was resilient to pain, but even she could not deny the merciless bite of the frigid night.

It made her worry over her companion, the Kaede no Samurai. He seemed, to her, to be built with an elegant composition—far more delicately crafted than a Ninja Hero like her. He carried himself with a grace that Rappa knew was not present in people like her. Not in the same way it was with him, anyway. His grace was one for people who did not deserve to get hurt. His grace was one for people who needed her blade.

The next few moments cemented this for her. As they continued on through the endless night, a sudden flash of blue lunged toward them. Rappa's eyes widened, and she moved to place herself in between it and her partner.

"Watch out, Kaede no Samurai!!"

Her Petalblade swept over the icy beast, knocking it to the ground. A quick jab dealt the finishing blow, and her foe sunk into the snow, melting into the whiteness like dust onto dust. She huffed, then turned to the Kaede no Samurai.

"Are you alright? These wicked beasts play dirty. They are unafraid of striking in darkness." She glanced around, gaze turning sharp, "There are more of them here. As it is said in the Ninja Inscriptions: even after victory, you must tighten your helmet."

— HUNT AND/OR BE HUNTED .

AKA: the misunderstanding of a lifetime feat. rappa & aino