OC Spotlight: Asuka Arc

Asuka Arc

"God dammit Asuka, I told you you are not allowed to handle my China glassware! They are very special antiques passed on from my grandmother and look what you did!" Standing in a checkboard-tiled kitchen littered with white glass fragments are two females: an elderly woman in her fifties and a young girl, around twelve years old, with short neck-length brown hair with bangs covering her entire forehead. She wears a white eyepatch with a pink heart in the center, and only wears a black hoodie that extends past her waist. A large smile appears on her face despite her grandmother's scolding.

"I'm sorry, Gramma!" the young girl named Asuka cheers in her childish voice.

"No, you are not sorry. Words do not seem to enter that thick skull of yours, but I know what will make you understand the seriousness of this situation you are in." The elderly woman gently taps a wooden paddle held in the right hand on her left hand. Asuka watches in awe as her grandmother raises the paddle. "Now die!" She swings the paddle down towards Asuka's head.

"Release me now, you imbecile!" a voice in Asuka's head yells.

"Okie, Mr. Simon sir!" Asuka's eyepatch leaks darkness as she reaches for it. She quickly removes it, revealing her left eye: a black void. Right before the paddle cracks Asuka's skull open, an arm formed of pure darkness emerges from Asuka's non-existent left eye, grabbing the grandmother's arm upon awakening. Asuka's grandmother gasps at the appearance of the arm as well as the two black demon horns now emerging from Asuka's skull.

"Y-You're a demon child! If there was an exorcist nearby, I would call them. Instead, I suppose I'll call the Army!"

"My apologies, old hag, but despite my hatred for this Human vessel of mine, I cannot allow you to hurt her!" a male voice coming from the arm says. Asuka's grandmother reaches for the landline conveniently placed in the kitchen. She dials the Army's number and talks to the operator. After her phone call, she continues to play Tug-of-War with the shadow arm in conflict over her wooden paddle. Minutes pass until Army personnel storm the premises. Three muscular men wearing Army greens break down the front door. They wield black M16 assault and point their weapons in random directions, pivoting like machines as they do so. They approach the grandmother and her grandchild. The leading soldier mutters into the microphone attached to his helmet "We have a Code Seven. Reinforcements may be required." The soldiers creep slowly towards the conflicting duo. As soon as they come into arm-reach, Asuka's shadow arm pushes her grandmother away. It switches its targets to the trio of soldiers, whacking them all with a single punch, knocking them all unconscious in an instant.

"Need...backup...now..." the lead soldier says as his consciousness fades.

"Wow Simon, you supa stronk!" Asuka cheers.

"I don't need praise from your, you damn brat!" the shadow arm named Simon snaps. The arm cracks its knuckles before clenching its fist. "Alright, now we wait for more victims."

Shiro's group arrives at a small house located in the outskirts of Englewood. The small house accompanies only one story, with a triangular blue-tiled roof and white-painted sides. The squad walks up to the front door, which is wide open.

"Looks like we better get inside" Shiro comments. His female companions nod in agreement. Once inside, Liliana gasps at the scene of the crime. Four unconscious bodies lie against the kitchen's walls. The perpetrator, a young brown-haired girl waves with glee at the newcomers. A shadowy arm extends from her left eye.

"Heya friends! We're having a party!" the young girl named Asuka exclaims.

"Ugh, is this girl a Demon?" Emi wonders. "She has the horns and I can feel the darkness emanating from her body."

Emi steps forward.

"Let me deal with this" she says. Liliana and Shiro look at her in shock.

"You're going to help us, Emi?" Shiro asks. Emi nods.

"Yes. I am able to summon my Legendary Artifact with this thing on, right?" she wonders. Both Liliana and Shiro shrug. "Whatever." Emi hovers her hand over her right hip. Appearing by her right side is a long, thin golden sheath. Liliana watches in awe.

'She can summon a sheath!? Even I can't do that yet! It's not too important, but it allows us Wielders to keep our Legendary Artifacts out for extended periods of time without draining our energy.'

Emi pulls on the intricate golden hilt not covered by the sheath to reveal a long, thin silver blade. She holds the rapier in her left hand, pointing the blade towards the little girl. The remaining trio gasps.

"Whoa, you're left-handed?" Shiro wonders.

"Yes I am, idiot" Emi replies.

"Emi, please don't hurt her" Liliana pleas. Emi nods in acknowledgement.

"I wouldn't dare hurt a child." Emi closes her eyes.

"What does this clown think she's going to do to me with that flimsy little weapon?" the voice from Asuka's arm says. Squad One's members besides Emi look around in disarray.

"Who said that?" Shiro wonders. Liliana shrugs.

"Tenshi, heed my call. Fill with light to banish all evil." Emi's eyes snap open. "Light Imbue!" From Emi's words, the blade of her rapier glows brightly. "I'll cleanse that evil thing from her!" Emi slowly approaches Asuka. She watches the glowing blade in amazement, but the arm coming out of her eye squirms.

"You idiot! Move those legs of yours! I'm in danger!" the arm shouts anxiously.

"Simon danger? I dunno?" Asuka wonders.

"Grr, dumbass. I guess I have no choice," the shadowy arm named Simon states. He lunges towards Emi. "Die!" Emi smirks.

"You're the dumbass, you stupid gross hand!" Emi thrusts her glowing rapier, Tenshi, straight into the arm. The arm squirms frantically upon contact. What appears to be smoke appears from the contact location.

"Ahhhh!!! Dammit..." The arm quickly shrinks while it returns to Asuka's left eye socket like a wound-up string.

"Oh, it's Simon's bedtime! Okay!" Asuka restores her eyepatch so that it covers her left eye. "Sleepy, sleepy, Simon!"

"That was a lot easier than I thought it would be" Emi comments. Shiro stares at her in awe.

"Wow Emi, you're so cool!" he compliments. Emi looks away.

"There's nothing cool about this." She turns her attention to Asuka. "Child, tell us your name."

"Ooh, my name is Asuka. Nice meetcha!" the girl replies. Emi smile weakly.

"Good." She swings her rapier at Asuka. Liliana's eyes grow wide.

"Emi stop!" she yells. Emi's blade ends up gently tapping Asuka's head. "Oh."

"It's sleepy time..." Asuka says as her eyes slowly close. Emi quickly drops her rapier to catch Asuka as her body goes limp. Emi notices Asuka's unconscious grandmother lying against the kitchen's bounds.

"Is it really okay for us to just take this girl from her family like this?" Emi wonders. Both Shiro and Liliana look away.

"It's our orders, Emi. We don't have a choice in the matter" Liliana tells her. Emi hesitates before sighing.

"So be it." Emi motions Shiro to come closer. He complies. "You're the man of this group, right? You can hold her back to the base."

"Umm, alright." Emi hands Asuka over to Shiro. "I guess we should head back now."