Shogun Haitaka's Palace

The figure still refused to move, let alone answer their command. Not a sound was made. Nothing was revealed.

The figure remained in place until the guard went for the whistle. It was then that two hands snapped out from the folds of the cloak - sending out a handful of steel senbon needles to both aimed with deadly precision for the throat.

The whistle likely wouldn't be silenced before alerting more to the situation. But he would silence these two now before ascending the steps.

Only when the two bodies hit the ground did the cloaked figure continue on, the gloved and guarded hands returning to hide beneath the cloth as the individual ascended the stairs. They would continue, step by step, until they reached the sprawling pavement of the courtyard - where they would stop and remain almost ready for oncoming guard. It would be here, in the moonlight, that the only things to be seen where this nearly 6 foot tall person swathed in a worn, weathered cloak tugged gently in the breeze and a pair of boots planted in a prepared stance before the legs, too, vanished into the shade of the cloak.

Who was this person?

The cloaked figure remained still for only a moment longer, undeterred by the threat of being caught. The hands moved again within the folds of the cloak and one arm would extend slowly to reveal... a dark, stone statuette. It was crafted in the shape of an Oni demon upon a block, bearing the head of a man in one hand and a massive tetsubo in the other. There was a very worn and delicate-looking thread wrapped about the item numerous times, and finally holding a prayer tag over the face of the object.

It was carefully placed on the ground, facing into the palace - the thread still intact and the slip gently hopping just a bit in the night breeze. The figure would back up a single pace and kneel.

And with a free breeze atop the stairs, the cloak was sent flying on the air and billowing over the steps until it finally sprawled empty near the bottom of the stairs. The figure inside... was gone.

Any individuals that understood anything on ritual and prayer and curses would be able to understand that the tag upon the figurine was meant to seal something. Likely within the object. And the thread was fine and thin - likely to break easily...

The moment that the thread was severed, there was a crash of lightning that struck from the skies with no warning - destroying the object and scorching the very pavement of the courtyard and likely sending the closer samurai flying away from the impact point. Dark smoke billowed up and about from the place the statuette had been, tumbling over the broken stones and fading into the air.

There was a deep, terrible, rolling growl to sound from the heart of the smoke. The sound was loud and powerful, from something that was certainly bigger than a man. A beast of a monster, perhaps. There would be a heavy thud to make the very earth quiver, followed slowly by another and another. Something was walking, and with each step there was a clatter of steel. Armor. A wide, splay-toed foot would emerge from the edges of the smoke and slam hard once more to the pavement, rattling armor again. The other foot would reveal, as would the otherworldly armor that was guarding the legs and the billowing, tattered banner of some unknown name. A massive and powerful arm swayed into view, followed by a broad and scarred and powerful chest and then the other shoulder - guarded in a demonic plate that looked more organic than metallic.

The sneering maw filled with terribly rotten, yet horribly sharpened teeth prodded out from the smoke, followed by the wide nose and then monstrous eyes and mane of matted, white hair stained in dirt and blood. The beast towered over every man, standing more than twice as tall as any of them and certainly built with more muscle and mass. And it was armed to the teeth, literally - two massive swords akin to katanas were at the hip, sheaths worn away and revealing more of the heavy, massive, jagged blades that were resting.

Yanagi was free - finally, after many many years. The beast heaved a great breath and held it for a few moments before letting it rush from his lungs. The world smelled and tasted so different now.

Except a familiar bitter-sweet scent that tingled the nose. It was one he would never forget: fear.

The strangest thing was, despite how it reeked off the tiny humans like a Kappa's stink, they weren't running. He hadn't even seen the one take off while his head was turned. What to do now?

A very demanding stomach rumbled in his gut and that answered the question quite effectively. The Oni would reach out for the nearest human within reach and attempt to pluck it up within his large, powerful hand.

The last of the smoke with dissipate to reveal the beast entirely, and an ominous gourd on his belt that was a dark color and scribed with a number of markings over the surface in red ink... or at least it was presumably ink.

The blade pierced the palm easily, though only by an inch or two before he stopped reaching. The hand would pull back and Yanagi would look at his palm for the cut - though it was so small he could not see it. But he had felt it. The piercing red eyes would shift over to the human that had just stabbed him.

The Oni would take a step towards that human with the hand drawing far back, swinging well overhead with palm open and coming down with every intent to crush this stupid, pathetic human with all his might - cracking and breaking the pavement with little effort from the sheer power in this monster's body.

Yanagi lifted his hand to find the broken ground but no dead human. And now they were scurrying away. His eyes trained on the one that had stabbed his hand, and he stormed after it. Now fully awakened and hungry, the Oni was moving quicker with a desire to fill his belly. His hand shot out again, looking to grab this pathetic thing off the ground one more time.

He had one. Finally. And not too soon - he was starving. Yanagi stood up to his imposing height yet again and lifted his arm, bringing the helpless human closer to his face. There was no pause as the beast opened his wide maw and bit down on the man, easily breaking and ripping the puny thing in half. He seemed undeterred by the oncoming two at his legs as he chewed - his first bite to eat in decades. It was just as delicious as he remembered, complete with the spice of terror and fear.