Dragon Butterfly Squad

* Organization: Association of Exorcists, Wood Division
* Jurisdiction: Wood
* Team-building activities: Hiking, BBQ, Singing
* Squad slogan:
	1. Dragon spirit arrives, butterfly spirit awakens (External use)
	2. Barbecue after fights is the best! (Internal use)

After being reunited with Kagura two years after the fact, these were the first words out of Yu Zhong's mouth.

"But my application was already approved! Shisho, please reconsider!"

A slyly apologetic smile crept across Kagura's face as she bowed. She spoke with an unshakeable resolve.

This was not the first time the two had met. In fact, Kagura owed her life to Yu Zhong. During a hellacious blizzard two years prior, Yu Zhong had rescued her from the clutches of Soul Eaters at a remote shrine near the outskirts of Wood and brought her back to the Association of Exorcists. Since then, the 14-year-old girl started her exorcist training while Yu Zhong continued his search for Soul Eaters as a lone wolf.

Yu Zhong never thought their paths would cross again, and yet here he was, two years later, listening to Kagura as she laid out the plans of the Association: Being a newly recruited exorcist, Kagura was to become Yu Zhong's pupil, and the two of them would form an Exorcist Squad. Yu Zhong operated alone, and vehemently opposed this arrangement. Despite the fact that Kagura had experienced much of the same personal tragedy (her family had also been massacred by Soul Eaters), Yu Zhong was unmoved. In the wake of his family's demise and being betrayed by those closest to him, Yu Zhong's life had long been deprived of any meaning or aspiration. In its place, there was only hatred, inexhaustible and unending.

A burnt and tattered copy of Yu Zhong's family tree hung at the headboard of his bed. Every name except for "Yu Zhong" and "Qi" had been scratched out in red. It was Yu Zhong's way of reminding himself never to forget. Revenge was the only thing keeping him alive. He had to do something, or else the darkness growing inside him would slowly devour him. For Yu Zhong, the inexperienced Kagura would only hold him back.

Time and time again he walked out of his house, he would see Kagura waiting patiently outside the door, but he paid her no mind. He refused to acknowledge this new "student" of his who had seemingly fallen from the sky.

One day, an ear-piercing alarm rang throughout the building. The psionic detection team was picking up abnormal activity, and Yu Zhong and Kagura were send to the 7th Ward to investigate.

Arriving at the scene, they saw that the Purification Curtain (the protective barrier between the two worlds) had been opened, creating a sort of light mask. Although it was difficult to make out, everything was serene outside the mask. Inside, however, an insidious-looking mist whirled.

Yu Zhong remained indifferent. This wasn't his first rodeo, after all, and he had become accustomed to sights such as this. Being that it was Kagura's first mission, she wore a contrasting expression of grave earnestness. The moment she stepped past the curtain, she would be putting herself in harm's way and would have to face the Soul Eaters.

"Looks like this is just a code yellow. Nothing a novice shouldn't be able to handle on their own. Let's consider this a trial run and see how you do."

"If you pull if off, I might consider taking you on as my student. If you can't hack it, you might end up as their food. If you're not up to it, now's the time to let me know."

This was the most Yu Zhong had spoken to Kagura since they had been lumped together. He spoke in a dispassionate monotone as if he was going over some humdrum detail.

Without hesitation, Kagura took out her badge and strode forward without saying a word, leaving Yu Zhong behind her.

The exorcist emblem began to shake violently; a warning that the demonic threat level was increasing. Yu Zhong glanced into the deeper recesses of the boundary...

Kagura quickly located the Soul Eater that was possessing a human body. In an attempt to obtain a fresh soul, it was trying to tear the spiritual membrane which covered the dormant humans. Kagura unfurled her umbrella, Reicho Kasa, and took aim at the charging demon.

The fight did not last long. Using the power of the umbrella, Kagura eradicated the Soul Eater. Her mission complete, Kagura felt a great sense of pride wash over her. Finally, she would win Yu Zhong's approval. Just then, in this moment of complacency, her exorcist emblem began to quiver.

Before Kagura had any time to react, a contorted figure appeared behind her and dealt a heavy blow. It was a Soul Eater that could conceal its presence, and was far more powerful than the other creatures Kagura has just dispatched. During the previous fight, it had remained hidden and had been watching from a distance, waiting for the moment when Kagura let her guard down so that it could strike.

Kagura gritted her teeth as she struggled to her feet. The previous fight had exhausted all of her energy; she was in no state to face the creature that stood before her. Despite this, she nevertheless adopted a fighting stance, refusing to bow down to this foul creature. She knew that if she backed down, the creature would go on to harm more innocent people.

The fight was practically over before it even began. Kagura used every last ounce of strength she had left in her, but it was not enough to subdue the creature, and she found herself slowly being overcome by it. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, she saw a hulking figure appear in front of her, just like the one that she'd seen in that blizzard two years before...

When she came to, the black mist had been dispelled. She had been propped against a street bench. Around her, people came and went as if nothing had happened. Besides her, Yu Zhong sat watching the crowds.

As Kagura straightened up, her head slumped down. She said nothing. She had failed.
"I'm sure I don't have to tell you that you didn't pass."

He stood up, facing Kagura, "You better start training hard. I don't want my student holding me back."

"Wait, what...?" Kagura couldn't believe her ears.

"Come on, let's have some barbecue. I'm buying."

Without any further explanation, Yu Zhong turned and headed towards the throng of pedestrians.

Staring at Yu Zhong's back, Kagura remained frozen in place. After a moment, she snapped out of it, and scurried after Yu Zhong, hollering, "I want lots of cumin!"

After catching up to Yu Zhong, she excitedly rattled off the various names she thought would be best for their squad.

In the glow of the setting sun, their long shadows were stretched upon the sidewalk.

Yu Zhong maintained his flinty stare as Kagura's eyes brimmed with glee.

## In-story information

### Abilities

* Ability to control Exorcist's Umbrella
* Summon the Umbrella Spirit

### Website

 * Legends of Dawn hero page
* Dragon Butterfly Squad Mastery Code

## Personal profile

### Likes

Reading, watching TV series, learning new things

#### Story - Dream

Kagura had that dream again. Once more, she ran alone into the mountain forests. Gloomy trees block her sight and make her heart beat fast, but she doesn't come to a halt.

"Kagura..." A familiar voice comes from ahead. Kagura looks towards the sound and sees her big sister Tokoyo standing under a tree, robed in a ray of moonlight.

"Sis!" Kagura shouts in her heart and runs towards her sister, but to her surprise, she misses her step and falls into a bottomless hole...

"No!" Kagura wakes from the nightmare and sits up on the bed. She breathes heavily for a while and then looks at the photo frame on the table beside the bed. In the yellowed photograph, she and her sister are holding hands, smiling. That year, Kagura was 6, while Tokoyo was 14.

Interrupted by a nightmare, Kagura was now wide awake. She pulled down her long hair and sat with her back against the wall, holding her curled legs in her arms.

15 years ago, Kagura was born into the Mitama Clan. In the bloodline test after birth, she echoed with the family's relic — the Exorcism Umbrella. This made her a focus of her clan as no one could wield this powerful umbrella for centuries. From that day on, the umbrella stayed with Kagura at all times and witnessed every trouble she made and all her joys and sorrows.

The clan placed great hopes on Kagura, but her family didn't push her too much. Instead, her family members gave her so much love, especially her sister Tokoyo.

Tokoyo was the young genius of the Mitama Clan. Before Kagura was born, the elders looked highly upon her and were expecting that it would be her who would command the Exorcism Umbrella. Tokoyo worked very hard to live up to the expectations and started practicing exorcism at the age of 5.

Tokoyo was revealed to be a talented exorcist very soon and became the youngest exorcist in the clan, but she wasn't satisfied with this. She tried many times to interact with the Exorcism Umbrella, but none of it worked. And then, Kagura was born...

Kagura's connection with the Exorcism Umbrella made her the top candidate for the next clan leader in the elders' eyes. It took away a lot of the attention that would have been focused on Tokoyo, but this was actually a relief for her. She never felt annoyed as she didn't want to bear the burden of the clan's expectations.

Tokoyo acted indifferent to others but was very soft and caring to her sister. To protect her younger sister, she worked even harder in training. Under the care of her sister and family, Kagura was getting stronger every day. Although she could interact with the Exorcism Umbrella, she still couldn't command it as she wanted.

On Kagura's 14th birthday, her clan members held a ceremony as was their custom, and that was the day when Qi led an army of Soul Eaters into the clan in an attempt to break the seal node here. The clan members fought resolutely with the invaders while Tokoyo protected Kagura who had no fighting experience.

The clan members, outnumbered and outmatched, couldn't repel the Soul Eaters and were killed one by one...

After killing everyone who stood in his way, Qi found out that the Exorcism Umbrella in Kagura's arms was just the core of the magic barrier. In Qi's eyes, Kagura and Tokoyo were just another two rats to kill. He had only one target — the umbrella. Kagura hid behind Tokoyo, grabbing her sister's sleeve in despair.

But Tokoyo only smiled at her little sister and said: "Don't be afraid, Kagura, you have your whole life ahead of you!"

After saying these last words, Tokoyo put her hands together and summoned an ancient enchantment.

Before Kagura realized what she was doing, Tokoyo launched the "Soul Sacrifice" spell. Her body exploded and turned into a golden light that shined in mid-air. When the light fell on Qi, it severely corroded the villain and drove him away.

Tokoyo's soul merged with the golden light, circling Kagura once and then disappearing into the Exorcism Umbrella. Kagura's face was bathed in tears, she felt her connection with the umbrella had grown stronger. She knew clearly Tokoyo was existing in the umbrella in another form and she would protect her as always.

Tracking the Soul Eaters, Yu Zhong, an Exorcist from The Association of Exorcists, showed up and saved Kagura from the remaining monsters. Kagura was taken back to the Association of Exorcists, and later, she became a trainee. Kagura renamed the Exorcism Umbrella "Reicho Kasa" and took it with her every day. She no longer ran away from her training as she used to do, because she knew that she needed to be stronger to avenge her clan and her beloved sister.

Kagura lay back in bed, waiting for the morning to come. She stayed awake... She didn't want to dream again.

It was always the same one.

## In-story information

### Abilities

* Ability to transform into Drgonoid Form

### Website

 * Legends of Dawn hero page
* Dragon Butterfly Squad Mastery Code

## Personal profile

#### Story - Power

Association of Exorcists, Wood Division

Medical Department

Although it's the busiest area of the Association of Exorcists, a quiet spot can still be found.

In a private ward on the third floor of the hospital, a young man sits on the bed and stares out the window in fascination.

Beautiful scenery is not what he wants. He is just curious about what's outside the window.

To his disappointment, he sees nothing but the white clouds and blue sky.

The sky is just like the young man's heart — it looks vast and clear, but feels empty and deserted. So is the young man himself. Two days ago, he lost all his loved ones.

As a genius of the Psychic Clan, Qi was among the top 3 psychics in the Association of Exorcists. When Qi was very young, his Psychic Eye awakened and he gained the ability to turn into a dragon. Yu Zhong has idolized Qi since he was a child. At age 7, Yu Zhong got his Psychic Eye and the Black Dragon's Power, making him the most talented member of the Psychic Clan. Qi treasured this talented subordinate very much and taught Yu Zhong all his battle skills personally.

Under Qi's guidance, Yu Zhong became stronger every day, passing the test of the Association of Exorcists and becoming an Exorcist at only 12.

Qi and Yu Zhong went on missions together and were the strongest master-and-apprentice duo in the Association of Exorcists. Yu Zhong was very happy to be Qi's apprentice, but as time went by, he found that his mentor was becoming more and more solitary. From his master's usually calm face, he sensed something unfamiliar — loneliness.

This year, Yu Zhong welcomed his 18th birthday, but at the clan's annual ceremony, all his happiness was gone.

When the ceremony started, massive Soul Eaters breached the magic barrier and slaughtered the clan. At Qi's order, Yu Zhong left the battlefield to meet and guide the approaching reinforcements from the Association of Exorcists.

When Yu Zhong led the Exorcists back to the ceremony site, it was a hellish scene.

Qi stood among the dead bodies of his clan members with the Soul Eaters, smiling madly at Yu Zhong and the Exorcists who were too late.

Yu Zhong still remembers clearly how scared and painful he felt that night. The scene of his clan folks and family members lying in a pool of blood all over the place is something he could never forget.

Yu Zhong rushed to Qi in desperation, he wanted to see if the man was still his beloved mentor or not, but all he got were relentless strikes that warned him he was completely outmatched. When he lay on the ground, Qi's voice came to his ears.

"I have no stomach for waiting any longer, Yu Zhong."

"One day, you will walk the same path as me."

"Live, Yu Zhong, and hate me. Come to me when you have more power than me!"

The Exorcists worked together to fight Qi and the Soul Eaters while Yu Zhong could only lie on the ground and watch. Luckily enough, they forced the enemies to run away from the clan's territory and found out that the sealed barrier protected by the clan was not really destroyed.

Later, Yu Zhong was brought back to the Association of Exorcists. He was severely wounded by Qi in that night's battle, and had still yet to recover. The Association of Exorcists suggested that Yu Zhong recuperate and arranged a private ward for him.

Yu Zhong sobbed silently on the bed. He didn't want to recall the miserable night all the time, but he fears more about forgetting the blood feud he is bound to bear. Forgetting is not acceptable for him, not even a bit.

"Wait for me, Qi. I will find you and destroy you for the clan, even if that means I will fall into hell as well."

After the tragedy, the once optimistic young man forgot how to laugh. Hatred pushed him to acquire more power and become stronger. He knows that one day, Qi will appear to him again and he needs to be powerful enough to avenge his loved ones.

And he is longing for that day to come.