4c.) Altruist

Although Shobatsu would have been pulling, it wouldn't seem as such, as Valeria was just as eager to get out of there as Shobatsu was... she seemed to be overly interested in this one facet... probably because she was lacking in a related department, meaning that she was projecting her own ambitions into another's relationship.

"What a lonely soul," Valeria mutterred, once they were out of earshot, referring to Echo. That was the last she said of the topic of Echo, which she knew needed to quickly be dropped, as it wasn't helping the feeling along... too pushy... "Though its not like I wouldn't want time alone with you..."

This was as far as this sentence had progressed, after they had turned a random corner, when the pair would see something odd in front of them. "Get out!"

A DaCre, a biped leopard, was clenching his face, had fallen, and was writhing in the street. "Get out of my mind... no... I won't... I won't... get out!"

His eyes were glowing a vague red color; a basket full of wheat had fallen, scatterred on the ground... this seemed a sudden, random occurrence...

Shobatsu blinked at the scene presented to him. His hands began to glow faintly as he released Valeria's hand, stepping toward the maddened creature.

"I can see you aren't alright, but perhaps I can help?" he said loudly enough to be heard over his distressed cries. He wasn't actually hoping so much for some clear answer, but was rather trying to elicit any response at all that may hint to the source of the problem.

The DaCre seemed to be suffering form something similar to data corruption by a virus, but without any physical alterations, save the eyes. If the DaCre attacked, he could strike it down and attempt to purge the problem. If it allowed him to help, he would try to remove the problem. Of course it could just keep rolling around on the ground in pain, which would make striking it down or trying to help it rather awkward.

The DaCre managed to get up to his knees, crossing his arms, and shivering, looking over at Shobatsu. "Please... help me..." he begged, looking up at the fox... obviously, something was wrong with this creature, though he had attracted little attention... yet.

Valeria looked over at this DaCre, somewhat surprised that something like this happenned, in somewhere that was supposed to be this safe...

Shobatsu held out his hands toward the leopard's face, the glow now extending up to his shoulder. He focused intently, more light flowing around the DaCre before him, entering his body through his skin and any other opening available.

The DaCre would only feel this as a warm, soothing sensation over his entire body. He focused further as minor wounds on the DaCre's body on the level of cuts and scratches would heal over, letting the light permeate the DaCre's being, sensing out any abnormality in the creature's data to find if this was a virus, simple insanity, or the effects of some malicious DaCre.

~Like shooting fish in a barrel!~

It was unwise for Shobatsu to approach this DaCre, much less try and interact directly with the 'taint', as it was, especially without knowing the nature of it... or without knowing its contageous potential. Of course, Shobatsu, the helpful, selfless kitsune, would have no reason to suspect such a thing, especially when a helpless DaCre was seeking his help, now would he?

As it was, the wolf-shadow-creature lunged straight out of the infected DaCre, at point-blank range, rushing between the healing arms, directly at Shobatsu's unprotected torso, as he would have virtually no time to block or deflect the 'taint' as it shot out at Shobatsu's midsection.

"Shobatsu!" Valeria cried, focusing energy into her three gems...

The light surrounding the arms was, however, not being used for healing the DaCre. The glowing hands were in part useful in focusing on the head, and in focusing his power more directly, but the arms weren't a necessary part of the process. The arms were, in fact, for protection against an attack he had been prepared against.

The nature of the attack was surprising, but not the attack in itself. The light surrounding the arms slammed inward toward the speeding wolf, solidifying in an instant. As this happened, Shobatsu would also be jerking himself back and away, possibly in some amount of surprise.

The physical light would likely stall and injure the wolf to some extent, ruining that particular lunge, and removing the element of surprise. If the light wasn't successful in stopping the wolf's approach, however, then yes, Shobatsu would be hit.

Alex ran into the room, pointing at Shobatsu. " Hey guys! Somethings wrong, Valeria's really freaking out right now. "

Echo busted in, already charging to go to C rank. If it was a false alarm it didn't really matter, she liked being in her C. But if it was trouble, she would proceed to rank up into B.

The taint was indeed stalled for a few moments, as Shobatsu sent the light inward, crashing into the shadow, which acted as a momentary brake: instead of jumping far forward, it landed slightly further than Shobatsu's initial position, before he moved backward. The wolf looked around at the three potential puppets... one of them proved resistant, another seemed distraught, and another seemed ticked.

Thinking quickly, it dove back into the leopard-type, whose eyes glistened red: in an instant, from his previous crouched position, he turned on a pivot, and broke out into a run, taking a quick turn.

"This is bad..." Valeria said. "It's moving into a more populated area... worse, its using innocent DaCre as shields... it wants to work up to the most powerful potential post here... whoever that may be in this underground..."

The light surrounding and inside the leopard refused to move, however. It wouldn't harm the leopard, not being completely solid in substance, but the DaCre would appear to be moving in slow motion as it tried to flee.

The wolf would be best suited simply breaking out of any host and fleeing to find a less conspicuous one. As it was, the light around the leopard began to condense, which meant the longer the wolf waited the less able it would be to escape...

Echo in C rank, began to do a slight glide foward as she ran. " If that leapord is D rank I got a clear shot for my Scream to knock it, and hopefully that thing inside it out. "

Alex, behind her, shook his head. " We're underground, you could kill us all with that scream. You're gonna have to use your claws to trap it. "

The taint, however, was able to use the leopard's abilities as well as its body, as shown by how the light surrounding the leopard was pushed back through the leopard's own ability to change pressure around it, for its rather ice-based moveset. It also had a physical-enhancement technique, which, on all fours, made it quite able to escape.

"This is going to get really bad, really fast... it is going to start taking hostages, threats... if we don't catch up and stop it... not only will we lose one of our strongest, but there's a chance that some of us will be destroyed..." Valeria said, still focusing energy into her gems.

Shobatsu leaped forward, lowering down onto all fours, bounding after the leopard. Simple fireflies and unfocused light trailed from his speeding form, and rushed after him. It seemed this would become a test of speed and endurance, and Shobatsu definitely had the edge on endurance.

"Stop this! Rael!"

As Shobatsu would break into the next open area, he would see that something drastic had already taken place: the leopard, apparently originally named Rael, had pinned another DaCre against the cavern wall, who was being held up by the brunt force of his arm. This second DaCre, however, was one that the three following would at least vaguely know: Lily.

Sensing Shobatsu approaching from behind, he brought his other arm forward, and grabbed her by the neck. "Another step closer, and I'll anihilate this rabbit!" he barked back at Shobatsu, Valeria, and Echo.

Whispering back to the others, Echo, experienced with sound, said them so that only their ears would pick up the sound waves.

" I got a clear shot but the shadow would just jump into Lily's body. We can't hold this thing down while it's in a body, well, I can but he'd just hop into me. We need to get him out of the body, possible use the bait of a stronger body, then we can trap the shadow with your light. "

Shobatsu froze, taking in the scene. He slowly drew up to stand on two legs, tails twitching slightly.

"And then what, may I ask?" said Shobatsu, hands tightening into fists as he focused, a hint of indignant anger forming in his mind.

"What do you stand to gain from killing her? Will you fulfill some inner need for blood? Are you really that shallow a creature?"

"Make no mistake," the shadow within Rael spoke, tensing his grip. "If you do not follow my instructions... this rabbit will die... stay back..."

The shadow wasn't so easily fooled, actually: the reason for taking the hostage, instead of simply killing her there, was obvious: he held something important to this city, and to the trio, in his right hand, and was threatening to get rid of it if his orders weren't followed.

Lily was grabbing at Rael's hand, trying to remove it from her neck. ~This feeling... felt through this hand... he'll truly kill me...~ Lily thought. Her expression of fear embodied this feeling, unable to act or react.

Shobatsu considered what could happen in the future thoroughly. He could give in to the demands of the being, and cause harm, refuse, and cause harm, or... improvise and risk harming himself. The decision seemed obvious.

"Don't bother," said Shobatsu, holding his arms straight away from his body, leaving his torso vulnerable.

"Leave her alone. You want a stronger host, don't you? Take me and leave this city unharmed."

He stepped forward, eyes closed, the glow around his body winking out.

"Don't do it, Shobatsu! Not for me..." Lily protested, for as long as she could, which really wasn't long... as soon as he dropped the base weight of the arm, supporting her to the wall solely by the neck, she stopped, as Shobatsu strode towards Rael, undefended.

"Shobatsu! Don't do this!" Valeria begged, watching as Shobatsu walked his 'noble' path. "He only wants to use you!"

It was beside the point, as Shobatsu stood before Rael. They made tense eye contact, the phantom and Shobatsu... in an instant, while he was certain Shobatsu couldn't defend at the range he walked in, the shadow lunged into the fox biped, whose eyes turned red. Rael released his grip, and fell to the floor, both him and Lily unconscious.

There was no sign of resistance, Shobatsu having willingly taken in this taint, to prevent against the city from being destroyed. Looking down at his hand, Shobatsu's voice came: "Yes... this power will do..."

With that, oddly following the fox's request, he turned towards the exit of this city, walking calmly.

Luxor watched the scene with vague amusement, leaning onto one hand while calmly hovering mostly out of sight and out of immediate range of any badly aimed attacks; and was most dissapointed when the 'conflict' didn't come down to even that.

But with Shobatsu stepping out and getting himself possessed, he now saw adequete reason to get involved.

"Bah... offering yourself up like a sacrificial lamb. Pathetic on your part kitsune. But at least it makes you interesting."

Luxor calmly strolled after Shobatsu, showing no hostile intent but instead speaking in a dull "what now" voice that would likely surprise the phantom and other DaCre... though the general populace, who had likely last seen him as a Lord, would likely think it more fitting.

"So where are we off to?"

"My free ticket out of here..." the phantom replied. "Strong as this form is, taking a whole guard's worth of attacks isn't my thing... I got what I came for, and I'm going to take this fox up on his word, even if its only for my own survival."

He replied casually, recognizing Luxor but not looking his way immediately. "Do you intend to fight me here, or just when I'm surrounded by sand?"

Luxor smiled in a knowing fashion.

"You misunderstand my little ghosty. As things are I have no reason to engage you. You've actually done me a service. You see, with your own power mixed with that of Iko, you might have actually been a serious threat to both me and the rest of the world. I had originally intended to get you out of him and eat you."

It had to be assumed that Luxor meant absorb his data... but he said it in an admittedly strange fashion.

"But by leaving Iko and taking this new host you've both eliminated Shobatsu's ability to assist the wolf, limiting his future strength, and also any chance of Shobatsu taking independant action that might be detrimental towards me. furthermore you've taken away your own strength from Iko's own, furthering the advantage. So congratulations, you've just gained a purpose."

Luxor didn't seem frightened of the kitsune or the rest of the town attacking him. Afterall the entire area was under a mass of sand that he could use to crush them into pulp at any moment at no harm to himself; and he knew everyone familiar with his ability also knew this fact.

"So, you consider me an ally now?" Shobatsu's voice questioned Luxor, rather oddly. "I don't see the difference... this is practically a doppelganger frame, compared to the one you called Iko... the only difference is in the times it would be wise for me to attack."

He paused his speech for a moment, still walking, before looking back at Luxor. "What is it, exactly, you hope to accomplish that is related to this?"

Luxor wagged his finger in a "tsk tsk tsk" fashion.

"I said nothing of allies. You're an object of interest is all, and at the moment a resource worth keeping my eye on. As for being a doppleganger, you are at the very least much less of a threat to me personally than the wolf, and I could quite care less about anyone else's standards."

Luxor clasped his hands behind his back as he walked, in a very military-like fashion. His symbols returned into his body as his short-lived C-rank time expired and his fur dulled in color.

"And telling you any of my goals would be like taking to a ferris wheel. Sure it's providing you with fun, but actually explaining things to it would be incredibly redundant. Now if you're finished with this pointless drivel my first question remaisn unanswered."

"That would truly be pointless. Of what benefit do I have to tell you where I'm going?" the phantom replied, with emphasis on the 'I' in that statement.

He hadn't broken stride yet, but rather kept moving. "I lost my chance at the other one... but this will do for now..."

"Will it, Tridara?"

A figure stood between Shobatsu and the exit, seemingly 'appearing', having moved there without being detected. This figure was Alan, though the bandage had been removed from his torso, leaving him with a spare change of rare human clothes: jeans that were slightly too big, as well as a black hoody. It looked over at Shobatsu, then at Luxor, seemingly recognizing them both... a device was held in his right hand...

Shobatsu stopped, looking at this figure, stunned by this development, somehow...

"You're right. There's little purpose, seeing as I'll follow you anyway."

Luxor looked at Alan but addressed Tridara-Shobatsu. "I can reach two conclusions. Either this is actually your tamer or, judging by his lack of a DaCre at his side to defend him, you were the one that killed it."

Luxor didn't stop walking, unafraid of anything the human could do to him.

"Well? Do I kill him or give him a cookie?" He pointed to the device in Alan's hand. "Or do I just grab that and see what happens from there?"

A tendril of sand was snaking up quietly behind Alan and, while it would grab the device if not avoided, it was ready to take other actions if the situation took a negative turn.