Somebody wake me from this nightmare (locked to failednamesake)

[papatiger]

[For a brief time there was a break in the wave of demon attacks. Scout reported the strange movement in Orochi's army as they pulled back from front lines and retreated back to Koshi castle. Neither Daji nor Kiyomori could be seen, and while the Hydra didn't disappear it seemed less aggressive, striking only when it was being attacked.

Nobody was fooled; the army was kept vigilant and most of the remaining heroes, those who had yet to fallen prey to the giant snake or enchanted by Kiyomori's spells, were wise enough to take the time to recoup.

Save for a few minor skirmishes, they allied force didn't really lose any more good men and women.]

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[failednamesake]

[While Sun Jian's on the way of becoming Da Ji's newest little toy, Chen Gong's predicament is... much more direct. In the sense that he's not being screwed with mentally. Of course, they're both equally unpleasant in vastly different ways. While Da Ji specializes in hitting someone's sore points and preying on a human's remaining emotional weaknesses, Kiyomori's methods are much more to the point.

When the door is slammed in his face, it takes a while to realize that he... can't move. Chen Gong's eyes flit to the floor, before finding a glowing circles of arcane words even a scholar like him can't understand. A circle he swears wasn't there mere seconds ago, but there's no use saying that, no use howling and screaming when you're so locked in place (by fear and magic) you can't even turn your head around.]

"You're still alive? Ha ha ha!"

[He doesn't say a thing till Kiyomori levitates him right into the air, circle following him as he does. Chen Gong breaks his silence with something of a screech as he's hoisted off his feet, and that only prompts the half-demon to roar in even louder laughter.]

"To think a strategist of the warrior Lu Bu himself would be such a pathetic mortal." [And out of nowhere, his amusement turns to boredom. Chen Gong can see Kiyomori now, while he's up in the air-- he can see Kiyomori flick a wrist and toss him against the wall at the same time, into the chains and cuffs that lies in wait.

Pathetic. Why is he remembered as pathetic? It's a disgrace, to continue being insulted when his time's almost up. A disgrace, everything was such a disgrace--]

And yet, you went through the effort of trying to capture us all. [Their pursuit of Lu Bu (hah) ended in relative failure, but it wasn't too bad, itself-- they identified some people under Kiyomori's sorcery. They saved a few of them, even though that eventually ended in Lu Bu (and Nezha's?) demise at the hands of the demons. They knew they could save people from the mind-control. It's the literal transformation into demons that's going to trip them up in the end.] Why? Why would you end up losing so many soldiers if the opposing strategist was 'pathetic'?

[...Should he have said that?

Well, Kiyomori doesn't seem to care. Instead, the cuff around one of his wrists just become tighter. And tighter. And--]

"Know your place. If it were not for Da Ji, you would be dead long before this. Now, you'll have the honor of joining our army. Treat your gifts with respect, as they all come from me!"

[The cuff on his left isn't just uncomfortable, it's beginning to press again his bones. There's runes running all over the metal now, and the tiny, intricate parts of his wrist that can't ever be fixed begin to fall into themselves and when one of them cracks he finally loses his composure.

Only in expression, though. He bites back against screaming, though it hurts and once one has cracked the rest of them just continue, stabbing into the veings and falling out his skin, but for some reason even though he feel it he can't see any blood, only see his wrist disappearing against the wall as the cuff shrinks--

The runes dance off the cuff and into his left hand, before the cuff suddenly retreats into the wall completely, letting his hand drop.

And making another sprout instantly in its place, its re-arranged bones feeling as though his normal ones have been... wrapped tightly together. Which they just have been, with more breakage and pain. The grey skin of his new, more pointed fingers make Chen Gong almost believe they aren't his, but it doesn't take much effort to move them.

It isn't like shooting commands into the nerves of a new limb, like a newborn child trying to walk. It's already there. Always... has been?

Oh.

That's when he really starts screaming.]

[papatiger]

[Perhaps that's why Daji had taken over Kiyomori's place as Sun Jian's chief tormentor. He could withstand a punch to the gut or a crack at his head, but his children are his everything, more precious than any treasure in the world. Knowing that he's lost one son and dangling the other's safety to shake his resistance...that requires a finer touch than Kiyomori's, but no less cruel. Daji is perfect for the job.

He hears Chen Gong scream and for a split second he wants to demand them to stop, because he's been in the strategist's shoes and he knows how much it hurts to have your humanity being ripped out from your body. But Daji holds up a slim finger and shakes her head.]

"I don't think you should be worried about him right now. We're in the middle of a discussion after all. "

[Sun Jian's eyes narrow, but all he can muster for his suffering comrade is a silent apology. Daji curls her hand near her cheek and grins. ]

"I'm so glad you're finally seeing things my way. So! Back to our deal... [She giggles and clasps her hands gleefully like a young, giddy girl, but her eyes can't conceal the sadistic pleasure she's experiencing right now at Sun Jian's internal anguish over the dilemma she's presented to him.] Do you agree to my terms then? I think I'm already being quite generous! I make sure that not a single hair on your little boy's head is touched, and in return...I want to test my own twist on Kiyomori's spell on you."

[It sounds too good to be true, that all she's asking for is his cooperation with her little experiment. She's not even asking for his allegiance. There has to be something more to this deal. He can't see it, not directly, but there has to be a trick here. Some fine line in the extremely fine print that's dodging his attention.]

"Of course, it might hurt just a teensy little bit more...but I'm sure a big, strong man like yourself can handle a tiny pinch or two. Or three."

[She sees him hesitating though, and her tone shifts to mock disappointment. She's still playing with him though even as she feigns exasperation.]

"Aren't I generous enough? You drive a hard bargain, Sun Jian."

[And then that sly, arrogant smile plays on her lips again as she finally pushes him to an ultimatum.]

"Ah well. I suppose I'll just have to look for another willing assistant then. Maybe one of the new..."volunteers" to Kiyomori's army. They don't object to much. In fact...they don't object at all. Let's see, there's the God of War, Tsao Tsao's supposedly unbreakable shield Tsao Ren, and Nobunaga's pretty boy toy...oh, who else am I missing-"

Enough.

[He knows who is going to be at the end of that list. And he will not let his children be Daji's playthings. If he can no longer protect them...then he will at least spare them the pain of losing their grip on humanity.

Abandoning caution and good sense to the wind, he steels himself and says out loud:]

I'll do it. But if I find out that you went back on your word...I promise you that will be your end.

[His ominous words don't scare her at all. As she beckons him forward to follow her into her portal, he feels himself grow increasingly numb despite knowing some relief that his son will be spared. He will always resist Orochi and the dark forces that threaten to snuff out humanity's flame, but he knows that from now on he has set himself on a path from which there is no return. No matter where he goes from this point on...he has a feeling that Daji's finally secured a victory for herself that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

The Demon may have failed, but the Fox has finally tamed the Tiger.]