The man...no monster hung there for but a moment, before the trees themselves unwrapped their branches around him and placed him gently on the ground. He looked fine. Clothes a bit rough up, a lone tear exposing unblemished flush but other than that, there was no sign of the damage that should've occurred from their two pronged attack...Maybe that wasn't entirely true. As that 'film' over the Heavenly Demon's face now appeared to be just barely fighting to cover his appearance before it faded away in a poof of smoke.
And...and what was beneath shook Ikuse to his very core. This old man didn't even look that much older than him! With bland and delicate features that made him appear somewhat otherworldly, black locks waving ominously in an unseen breeze. Large, blue eyes like spinning and clashing galaxies swirled from within those orbs. Taking in the entirety of this meager reality and finding it wanting.
"It seems basic channeling techniques won't work on you. So be it." Iori didn't fall into a martial stance, but all of a sudden, reality 'warped' around him. Inhaling air and exhaling a localized tornado. That once powerful but restrained aura bloomed, going from what felt like a boulder rumbling his way to something as vast as a mountain. Words slipped from his lips, shattering the silence between them. Holding so much history, like the Earth itself remembered them. Dreaded them in fact but was utterly powerless to do anything about. "One Breath, Earthly Understandings."
Energy flowed in ways Ikuse really didn't like and without a second thought, he dashed in close. Eating the distance up in a single breath, shadowy scythe held aloft ready to come down with the full might of his Balance Breaker to bare. Jin, already ahead of him as he slipped out of a nearby shadow and enlarged to the size of a semi-truck, massive paws coming up to try and hold the man steady. Razor sharp claws popping out to and dig into flesh, and bone.
So what if he allowed them to power up? Who cared about playing things fair when lives were on the line? Only the victors could dictate what happened here. Dishonor or underhanded tactics didn't really matter. Whatever defensive item, spell or technique used to block their first attack, it must've at least had a cool-down. No way something that strong wouldn't be balanced in some other way, and now they just needed to test out the limits and then and only then would they be able to cut that head from his body.
Instead of sitting back or being restricted by their high speed movement, the Heavenly Demon 'slid' out of the way. Not stepping but more like the ground itself had grown legs and moved his body out of harms way. Ducking under the pair of swatting paws, inching a hair out of the way of an incoming scythe, Ikuse could feel him just barely brush past him without throwing even a single punch.
Maybe he expected the pair of the to crash into each other, becoming nothing more than a pile of fur, claws and fangs. But if so, he would've greatly disappointed. As the two 'crashed' together, the smaller more humanoid hound dove into the mass of shadows without even a second thought. Allowing for the massive wolf to continue charging forward with not a single millisecond wasted.
Coming out from the other side, Ikuse slid along the ground. A multitude of shadows whipping to dig deep furrows into the loamy surface to dragging himself around, becoming more akin to a ice skater. Taking this mere fraction of a second, he lurked just beyond the fight. Circling the pair as he looked for an opening to end this fight once and for all.
The Heavenly Demon dodged out of the way of yet another pair of swiping claws, ducking under snapping jaws and sliding along just edges of the hound's range of movement. Dancing and weaving between those tree trunk sized legs, he made it simple impossible to actually get a clean hit off. Frankly, it was like watching a fallen leaf in the breeze. And through their bond, Ikuse could practically feel the frustration oozing from his partner.
'I got you Jin!'
There were some obvious downsides to his Balance Breaker, one in particular involved Jin losing the ability to manipulate shadows and form them into blades. Something that the hound was far, far more experienced with than anything else. But it was a price to pay for the sheer size, strength and speed increase the manifestation received.
But just because his partner had lost a very reliable ability, that didn't mean he was completely out of luck. From the either side, shadows the size of cars came stabbing in. Piercing clean through the massive hound without a single ripple or reaction, only to come out to strike at the still moving 'human'.
Just from how quickly he conjured up those blades, he already knew they didn't have enough stopping power to do any real damage but that wasn't what mattered. At their speed, every bit of movement matters. Complete awareness of the surroundings was a must. A single slip was all it took to completely leave you helpless to your opponents, he should know after all.
He should've stumbled, should've paused or at least it should've disrupted his rhythm. Instead, in a barely perceptible blur, a lone pale hand came snapping through the air. Gripping onto the blade in question for barely a nanosecond and 'yanked'.
Ikuse could feel it then, a powerful force pulling on something ethereal of himself. Like some hidden muscle had just been discovered and now it was getting put right through the ring. His feet, well paws, left the ground just then. Not in a leap or even a step, but in a way not of his own accord. Flailing, another blade came slicing through the air between, cutting off his thread of control. Sweat pooled down his brow, a sense of horror filling him.
'Is that how everyone else feels with me?!'
He'd been told multiple times that having him cut through magic was a very off putting experience. Like something he'd once thought was sacred was suddenly revealed to be well and truly on the table to be used against him. But it honestly didn't matter anymore, his job was done here.
A flash of gleaming white jaws opened and prepared to snap close around the man's entire upper torso. It was over.
Especially if the way that inky black particles oozed off every fang, like watching a star fizzle out of existence, was anything to go by. They would tear through any defense, magical, physical or even divine in nature. Even if it didn't kill their foe, it should at least force him to flee.
Iori's head suddenly swiveled in that frozen instance, not in the direction of the maw of death closing in around him but no, instead his gaze locked directly with Ikuse's. Danger tickled at his senses, his demise looming just seconds in the future and without a second thought, he slid out of the way. Powerful muscles working in tandem as he prepared to charge in as well to help finish off the Heavenly Demon.
But a gurgling cry caused him to freeze in place, slowly turning, he locked gazes with a pair of frighteningly wide eyes. That elder, clutching handful of paper charms in a tightly close fist, laid crouched over on all fours. A bloody hole where his throat should've been. He was just a few feet away from that strange distortion in the fabric of reality, his goal forever out of reach. Mission left unfulfilled.
"Now that the bugs are gone, let's really cut loose."