Help the Wounded [Job w/ Dylan]

ingyi came to a stop in front of the building, her eyes scanning its name. Besides the name that displayed the name was a symbol of a staff and two snakes curling around it. Taking a deep breath, Jingyi walked up the front steps and quickly pushed open the front door.

While she wasn't unfamiliar with the wounded, seeing how it was part of her job description as a soldier to fight the enemies of her militia, it was still odd. This wasn't the first time Jingyi had volunteered to assist nurses with their chores, but it was the second time. Only, this time she was working in an actual building and not a campground of tents. And since her hours at the hospital wouldn't deal with fighting (unless she was asked to put down a pesky rat or help with a rowdy patient), Jingyi was for once, without Windcutter. Though, she could feel the weight of the the quiet reminder of a friend who she has, unfortunately, not seen in quite the while.

After getting through the small entrance hallway, Jingyi entered a cramped lobby area. There was a plain wooden desk, some sitting chairs, and doors leading to other sections. Stationed at the front desk was a plain-looking woman with brown hair and eyes. In her hands were several papers which seemed important.

It took the lobbyist a couple moments to realize that someone had walked into her "office" and over to her desk. Though, that didn't stop her sour facial expression as she pushed her glasses up her nose, peering up at Jingyi.

"Is there something I can help you with?" She inquired in a challenging tone, her eyebrows coming together as she fixed Jingyi with a hard stare. The woman simply smiled back and nodded her head.

"Oh, there is! I heard that you guys were looking for some volunteers, and I have some free time on my hands!" Jingyi exclaimed, blocking the lobbyist's cold exterior with her usual Jingyi Hou smile, known for its jubilance. With a quiet sigh of recognition, the brown-haired woman nodded to herself and sat down her papers. Looking through a different pile, she pulled out a sheet and asked Jingyi to fill it out before she went to the door on the left.

With a cheery thank you, the redhead took the document and crude pencil that was handed to her only to set it down on the side of the table. Grabbing one of the chairs, she lifted it completely so it wouldn't drag and creak along the floor and set it by the table.

If Jingyi realized that the other woman was glaring at her, she simply didn't acknowledge it as she sat down in her new spot. With obviously loud scribbling noises, the soldier went along her merry way filling out the document. One didn't even have to strain their ear to hear her hum a pleasant tune as she did so.

With a heavy punctuation to the paper, Jingyi signed her name and turned it in the now relieved lobbyist. In her eagerness to jump to her feet, the redhead set the chair skittering back, its legs scraping on the ground, which she ignored.

"Thank you, ma'am!" Jingyi cheered as she waved goodbye to the lobbyist, whose glasses has now slipped down her nose as she watched Jingyi with a look of reproach. A look that Jingyi didn't bother to notice as she walked into the left doorway, prepared for a hard day of helping nurses and whatever hospital volunteers did.

ith each step Jingyi took, her red hair, which was tied back by a white ribbon into a loose pony-tail, swayed with each step she took. She has let her hair grow out a little, and while she has left behind her sword she didn't go without her armor. It was an upgrade than from what she started with: going from a tunic and a breastplate to quality gambeson and silver armor. Her climb in the ranks progressed rapidly, and Jingyi expected herself to grow even further.

“Jingyi!?”

The call caused her to come to a quick pause, her eyebrows furrowing together. It's been a long year since she had last seen him, but she doubted that Dylan's voice would ever become unfamiliar to her. He was the one who helped her more than she could ask for. He gave her a push in the right direction, and he was beyond gracious with his gift of the Skeleton Key.

Whirling on her heel, Jingyi lunged towards the man and pulled him into a tight bear hug, no undoubtedly forgetting about the hard armor she was wearing. Her arms squeezed him tightly as Jingyi took in the moment, her shoulders shaking from how happy she was to see the old friend. The embrace lasted for a mere moment, with the redhead quickly releasing him. Her hands slipped down to his elbows, grabbing them as she looked over Dylan. He was dressed out in leather, she wasn't sure where she had seen the outfit before, but she knew that she had seen somewhat important people wearing it.

"Dylan? God! It's been much too long!" She exclaimed shakily, her grip loosening on Dylan as she let go of him. Her words were quickly followed by one of her jubilant chuckles as she blinked happy tears out of her eyes.

It was such a rush to see Dylan after so long- to see him here in front of her. Parts of her wondered if she would ever meet the Magician again, and it would seem that the question was a yes. She wondered how much of him had changed and if he thought that she changed over their absence. But no, that wasn't important at the moment- catching up with Dylan was to be of focus at the moment.

"Oh, how long? Almost a year? Tah, it just matters that it's been too long! How are you? Where have you been? What have you seen? Oh! What kind of new magic have you learned?"

ingyi looked up at Dylan as he laid his arm over her shoulder, her brow pricking upwards as she tilted her head. There was an excited smile on her face despite his somber tone, she just couldn't help but be happy that she finally got to see her friend after such a long time. He was right about getting to the heart of the problem, though hopefully he too thought that the heart of it was defeating Yoshirou and his men. It would be exciting to see him fight once more and to show him how much she had improved since they had last met. At the mentions of the gift he had given her so long ago, Jingyi's face seemed to brighten as she eagerly nodded her head. Like she could ever lose something as important as the Skeleton Key. While Jingyi was strong on her own, and without Magic Weapons, the small dandy-handy key was such a use for her.

"Pshhh, me? Injured? Dylan, I don't think there's a force in the world that can put me in the hospital longer than a couple days," Jingyi taunted, her smile turning more proud as she chuckled and winked at her friend. "You don't have to worry about that~! I'm just here to volunteer. I had some free time, and I want to help the other soldiers, ya know? They're sacrificing a lot to fight for Kou, and it's important that we treat them right!" She continued after her laughter died down, her tone as somber as it can get for a woman like Jingyi. "Though, I probably should've brought Dullahan. He can heal people, which is cool and is one of the few things I can't exactly do. Though, I could always try to help the nurses and stuff!"

ecause goats can't go into hospitals, silly!" Jingyi giggled, stifling back laughter with an amused smile. "Though, I wouldn't expect you to know that Dullahan is a go- well, he's a Ferrum Carpa which is different from regular goats seeing how they produce static and have special saliva that speeds up the healing process or somethin'." She continued, shrugging her shoulders as she looked at Dylan.

She fell quiet as he talked about his newfound career as a priest in the clergy. It didn't really surprise her, seeing how helpful and kind he had been to her so far. Though, it was still an interesting choice to join an organization such as the clergy. But with no doubt about it, Jingyi had to agree that it was nice to see that Dylan has found a path for himself.

As the pair were chatting, a patrol of five soldiers sneaked up on the hospital. If anyone were to spot them, it would be obvious that they had nothing but an assault on their mind. The officer and his troops were assigned with killing some of the doctors, to ensure they didn't save more of Gao's troops, and to finish the job on the soldiers themselves.

Though, fortunately for the hospital and its occupants, they were heading straight towards a back entrance to the hall that Dylan and Jingyi were about to enter. When they reached the door, the officer had one of his men knock it in upon finding out that it was loud. The bang following the soldier kicking it down echoed in the hallway, and with a loud rush of feet, the patrol rushed inside.

The bang was easily heard in the hallway, with Jingyi jumping in her skin and pulling away from Dylan. Her hand reached down and groped for Windcutter, only it came back empty. Muttering under her breath, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the Skeleton Key, light flashing off its metal body.

Jingyi used her hand to push Dylan back, stepping in front of the priest as two of the opposing soldiers peered into the hallway. Their armor was marked my Yoshirou's enigma, and immediately they spotted the redhead and the clerk.

As one of the soldiers squeezed his way into the corridor, Jingyi half-closed her eyes, concentrating her Magoi into the key, the magic circle engraved on its tooth flashing in response. Fit Any Hand activated, causing the Skeleton Key to shimmer before taking the form of a Claymore. Jingyi quickly raised her newfound blade, her stance spreading slightly as her foe Charged towards her.


With what he hoped was an intimidating yell, the soldier rushed at Jingyi, his sword swinging towards the red-haired soldier. But before cold iron could sting her flesh, Jingyi used the claymore to block the attack with her Iron Guard. Metal clashed against metal only for Jingyi to shove back him back. The man stumbled back, though he quickly regained his footing and raised his sword once more in preparation to attack Jingyi. But the girl was faster, lunging forwards and swinging the transformed Skeleton Key, the blade piercing through his armor through ease.

The soldier's sword clanged against the ground as he let go of it, his hands groping at the hole Jingyi left as she pulled the Skeleton Key's blade away. The man quickly dropped down by his own weapon, and while the stab hadn't hit anything important enough to kill him, there was no doubt that he wouldn't resume the battle.

But, there was still another soldier left in the hallway, who after seeing what the redhead did to his comrade, was obviously not too pleased. Unsheathing his blade, he too began to head over to Jingyi and Dylan. Though, unlike his wounded partner, the soldier didn't rush forwards. Instead, he watched the pair through narrow eyes, ready to lunge at them.

ingyi poured more of her Magoi into the Skeleton Key, extending the duration of the Magic Weapon's function as she prepared to attack the soldier. Though, it would have seemed that something else had beaten it to her; Jingyi wasn't quite sure what it was that rushed past her, but she could spot the distortion in the air as something almost transparent knocked into the soldier. The momentum of whatever it was flattened the man against the opposing wall, and in an almost comical way, he fell back down.

Looking back at Dylan, Jingyi rose a brow questionably as she smiled mischievously. It was always somewhat entertaining to watch magic, the redhead thought briefly to herself. Raising her blade, Jingyi pointed the tip of it at the Magician.

"Hey, Dylan, let's make it a challenge to see who beats the most enemies!" She challenged with a chipper voice, chuckling for a moment as she lowered the Skeleton Key again. With a wink that hopefully, Dylan would understand as "I'm not kidding about the match", Jingyi turned on her heel and rushed out of the hall.

There she spotted the remaining soldiers heading towards one hall, a sign marking it as the ICU infantry. Upon realizing that they were planning on attacking the most wounded of the hospital, her speed ramped up from that of an average soldier as she used her Exceptional Speed to charge forwards. One of the enemies heard her footsteps and turned around, eyes widening as he spotted the redhead running at him with easily the speed of a horse.

In an attempt to block her advancements, the grunt raised his sword in preparation to attack her. Only, Jingyi slid to a semi stop and flung out her free hand, her momentum adding even more force to her blow. The soldier cried out as the start of Hitoshirenu Kyoda nearly knocked him off his feet. The next strike, a slash of the Skeleton Key, fell him to the ground. Though, luckily for the man, all he suffered was some frightful wounds that would leave him out for the rest of the battle.

The now remaining two Yoshirou soldiers, a grunt and his officer, came to a halt. To them, it was obvious that if they wanted any chance of succeeding with the task handed to them, they would need to deal with Jingyi. With a flick of his hand, the better-equipped man sent his man rushing forwards who, at his order, began to launch a Lunge Attack at her.

ingyi faced off the incoming man, a devilish grin on her face as she pumped more Magoi into her weapon. The Magic Tool's blade shimmered with energy as she raised it, lights from a nearby lamp flashing off the metal. With nimble feet and the speed of a veteran, Jingyi stepped out of the way with dance-like movement. Turning on her heel, red eyes watched as the man begun to pass her, his momentum keeping him from readjusting his course. With a quick hand, Jingyi quickly grabbed his arm, yanking the poor fellow's arm out of socket before throwing him down. He hit the ground with an audible yelp, his sword laying abandoned beside him as he nursed his broken limb instead.

The redheaded soldier returned her attention to her two adversaries, her eyes widening as she realized that the commander had used his underling as a distraction. Jingyi's eyes narrowed as she dug her heels into the floors, the muscles in her legs tensing as she prepared to use Power Step. The man's steel-tempered sword swung through the air, his aim to maim her flesh with a Twin Swallow Strike. Using her ability, she lunged away from the attack, the blade singing over her hair. The two were deadlocked in a match between each other as the final enemy snuck away to deal with Dylan.

The young commander gritted his teeth as he sloppily swung his sword only for Jingyi to raise the Skeleton Key and block it in return. The two backed away for a heartbeat before diving back at each other, their swords clashing to meet in another standstill. Jingyi pushed against the commander, her ruby-red eyes narrowing in concentration as her knuckles turned white against the hilt of her weapon.

Soldier to soldier, they shoved their foe away before circling for a moment. Jingyi sized up the man, her grin still in place as the commander studied her likewise. Like a dance, sprung at each other again, Jingyi's sword swinging only to be blocked by his katana. Jingyi quickly pulled away and readjusted her stance, the commander taking a deep breath before throwing himself back at Jingyi. He thrust his blade at Jingyi only for the redhead to jump out of the attack's range, her own sword jabbing back at him. The commander swiftly parried and knocked Jingyi away, but it was futile because of her perfect balance.

The two continued to battle against each other, each attack futile for it was met by a block or parry. Pushed back once more by the commander, Jingyi lowered her head and almost growled. But suddenly, the girl then paused before she widened her stance. Jingyi could feel the judging stare of the commander bore holes into her skin as she made a sheathing movement with the Skeleton Key. He raised his sword warily, black eyes scanning her form as Jingyi altered her grip on the handle of her blade.

Then, Jingyi lunged forwards, her hands quickly swinging the sword. The blade nipped the commander, his own weapon raising in preparation for the next attack. But the redhead didn't give him a chance, her foot stomping down before she swiveled around. The Skeleton Key swung out, hitting the man and knocking him back by a hair. The attack was followed by another step, Jingyi once more pivoting again on her leg. Her foot extended outwards, kicking the commander's blade straight out of his hand. It was sent cartwheeling through the air before clattering against the ground. The commander had, unfortunately, fell victim to Jingyi Style... Whirlwind of Fury!

Stepping back onto two feet, Jingyi found her balance within seconds before crouching down. Her opponent was now defenseless without his blade, she thought as she lunged forwards. The Skeleton Key was thrust forwards, piercing through the enemy soldier's armor and knocking him to the ground. Jingyi drew her sword away, and for good measure aimed a kick at the man's face, knocking him out while breaking his nose.

With one less pest settled, Jingyi turned her attention upon the final foe. Her eyes widened in worry as she saw that while she was preoccupied, the final Lackey had attacked Dylan. Earlier, during the spar between his superior and Jingyi, the man had disappeared from view only to launch a surprise attack at Dylan. While the Magician's golden Borg had protected him from the initial blow, a strike from the man's blade had shattered it cleanly. Now, he edged closer in preparation to deal a killing blow against his target.

Jingyi extended a leg backward before lunging herself forwards, charging at the man and tackling him down. In their fall down, both of their weapons were sent skidding away along the floor. The Skeleton Key returned to its original lock-opening form upon Jingyi accidentally releasing the Magic Weapon. Before the man beneath her could grapple her off, Jingyi straddled him down and pulled down her hand. With the force of a veteran Fanalis, Jingyi socked the soldier in the jaw, breaking it and putting him to sleep.

The redhead remained seated in her place for a moment as she finally calmed down, the adrenaline of the battle beginning to ebb away. Raising her palm, Jingyi first wiped the sweat off her forehead and then rose to her feet. Taking a deep breath, she wandered first over to Dylan, her brows furrowed together in concern for the Magician.

"Are you alright?"