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Post by ai on Oct 14, 2015 16:06:52 GMT
From filling shelves with supplies to now retrieve samples in a dangerous area, Ai's missions seemed to be escalating quickly. She was maybe too eager to step in for this task but she also felt like she had something to prove to herself... or that's something she wanted to believe. What's done is done and there was no turning back, Ai was nervous, really nervous, her legs were shaking in fear a little bit while she was waiting for her team to show up. She wanted to cry and at some moments she felt like just drop the mission and running away.
M-maybe field missions are really not my thing.... She thought while looking down at the floor. To be fair this was a job for my father... not for me... Her mind already trembling down but somehow, Ai was not running away. For some reason Ai decided to stand there.
Helpless and unaware of her surroundings, Ai started to practice a way to greet her temporal servants. First impressions means a lot for Ai and showing them weakness would put her in a bad position, or at least that's what she believed.
H-hello! My name's Ai and I'll be your leader today!... no... too exagerated... *ehem* Hi! My mane's Ai, it's a pleasure to work with you all!... nonono.... guuu... I'm Ai and I'll be w.... guuuuuu....
And before she noticed, all of the members of the party had already arrived, little did she know what would be in their minds after watching all that scene but of course, someone had to drag her back to reality before that happened.
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Post by emiya on Oct 14, 2015 20:31:58 GMT
It was a sort of homecoming, in more ways than one.
For the obvious part, it was Shirou Emiya’s home. Fuyuki. The town where he grew up, got remade, lived with his father, acquired that dream he had, and eventually left. But any familiarity to his peaceful life before he began his quest for justice was wiped clean, in favor of that one memory he couldn’t shake, that one moment in his life that irrevocably set him on his path.
It was hell. And not just any hell, it was just like the day he was saved. Except this time, there wasn’t a single hint of human life remaining in the burning shell that used to be a shining, happy town.
Those thoughts passed in about a single second. No matter how revolting or familiar the sight of Fuyuki in flames was, he had a job to do. Turning to his Master, his determination is much more affected by just what she’s doing. “Err...it’s good to meet you, Master. Or since you’ve given me your name, I suppose you’d prefer Ai?”
From his experience, it could be deadly to intrude on a woman when they’re doing something embarrassing. It could just be the company he kept, but it was likely they’d either turn violent or become inoperative. Either one could be dangerous for the mission. Still, he had to get her head in the game.
“I’m familiar with the location we need to reach, Ai. The hospital is about one mile to the left, the building with the caved-in roof you can see.” He points in the proper direction. “There’s a drainage river between us and the location. Hopefully the bridge is intact, but we might need to ferry you across. The water is likely filled with dangerous curses.”
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Post by muramasa on Oct 14, 2015 21:43:36 GMT
Brushing over his clothes, Muramasa stood there pretty much unfazed. He was too used to such landscapes, his country in his days had been dyed in colors like this nearly every day and since it was a small country, as he knew now, you could see huge battles from any point of the country. Most of them fought with at least some of his swords. No, he could not say that he was proud about that, it was deeper than that, a feeling of being needed and finding needy people. A cruel person who gave people exactly what they asked for. Weapons that killed and killed and killed until they were cursed at and then used in even more bloodshed. In the end, he did not like the age he had been thrown into, one of the reasons right in front of him. A girl who did not know how to talk with someone, if she had been like that in his day and aaaaa... Wow, he thought, I sound like an old person in my head.
Instead of waking her from her daydreaming exercise, he just smiled amusedly at her until she was disturbed by one of the other team members. Looking out onto the sea of flames and the ruins, he wondered what kind of danger they would face today. It was a more interesting topic to him than the other butting in on the amusing and funny self discussion. At least someone knew where they had to go, Muramasa did not know if they had an infinite lifespan as long as chaldea worked or not, so he had rather not test it out some centuries. Even the one he had lived in his real body had taken an eternity until he finally could fade away. Only to be asked to enter into this hotpot of heroes as someone who should never be anything like them. Not that he was like them even now. Corrupted were his origins and work and now he was akin to what some evil villains were, only bound by the need for fuel and the laziness of himself wanting his weapons to do his work for him. Looking back at the group, he tilted his head at his master, another young girl and nodded.
"I am saber, but my name is muramasa and I would appreciate it to not be called saber. There is enough camouflage in all the lies of the legends to not need to hide my name too much anyway. It is nice to meet you all and I think we will be able to work together well." And how could they not, their goals and enemies were quite clear. In this desolate wasteland, the only thing not to kill was each other and that should be something not too difficult to accomplish.
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Post by genghis on Oct 14, 2015 23:37:55 GMT
Genghis Khan, the warlord, king and emperor who caused much destruction to multiple civilizations. He was miss-remembered by history but he was not one that denied the reputation he gained, in fact it was a reputation he built for his conquest and for his grand lesson to humanity, that ultimately was not heeded.
"Ah how short sighted I was."
That was the first thought the great Khan had as he was summoned. Of course at the moment he had other concerns and responsibilities, befitting his new existence as an heroic spirit. Though many thought he would oppose the idea of saving mankind given his reputation it was in fact the threat of human extinction the greater motivation for him to join a cause.
Shifting into a ruined past was an enlightening experience for the warlord. The hell he was sent to was not, the red haired servant maintained a placid expression as he examined the burning buildings, the smoke and debris. His initial observations were nothing out of the ordinary, he had seen this vista countless time. In fact he had done worse to settlements. To him Fuyuki looked recklessly destroyed, had he been the one behind this the effect would have been much more visceral. Was he saddened? was there any hint of regret in him? no there wasn't.
He saw his actions and his cruelty as necessary and crucial. His self righteousness gave no room for him to doubt his strategies. But the loving Khan felt shame, shame that even to this day a sight like this could be seen. Moreover though he had caused even more hellish sights on civilization, curses and raw evil never marked the cause of destruction. Genghis had been absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't pay much attention to his team mates, at least until names were exchanged. With a refreshing smile he turned toward the others.
"I see someone else became familiar with the topography of the area, how reassuring to have such a companion." There was praise, but not in a condescending tone. "I am Servant Rider my young master, and I acknowledge you as leader with pleasure." He approached the band, giving a wink. At least for now he would follow whatever his master asked of him, at least until her true worth came into sight. "I am Temujin, no need for bowing I am not here as Khan." He said, in a self-humorous tone.
"Then Muramasa it shall be."
"And with boldness I suggest that I should take a position of vanguard, I am best suited for offense, given my mobility." The warlord said, crossing his arms and shifting his gaze toward the smoked skies.
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Post by ai on Oct 15, 2015 5:14:00 GMT
Before Ai realized it, she got interrupted by one of her team members. A remarkable tan and a white hair were what caught Ai's attention the most, her shock roughly lasted a few seconds before she let a small scream of embarrassment out of herself and to make it worse for her, the other two had already arrived as well. Nothing much to do when you mess up at giving a good first impression and Ai was dying inside, her shyness was one thing but this was a serious mission and it was now or never.
P-please do forgive me and forget what you just saw if you can... I'm Ai... Out of the embarrassment she couldn't face any of the present servants but an impulse of adrenaline got to her as she exclaimed with a high spirit... Thanks for coming with me! I'll do my best!...
Ai's was also bothered by the thought of slowing her team down for this mission, they all seemed strong enough and she, well, she was a master that they required for this mission in case things went wrong. She quickly tried to think of something else to shake off her fears, still. fear was something natural for a rookie but she still tried to look strong and with that, to be able to be worthy of her team.
The whole city around them were in ruins, Ai didn't really realize it at first but after regaining composure she took a chance to take a look around; devastation, destruction, the whole area being desolated like if it was purged down... this caused Ai's spirit to rage inside, Japan was the hometown of her mother and so her love for her parents was equal to her origins, Fuyuki included.
The servant in the red coat and a tan had already took the first step and was giving instructions, he knew a quick way to get to the objective and Ai was not going to object about it.. If you know this place then I'll trust you to guide us all to where we need to go, I'll leave it in your hands!... And as surprising as it seemed, the scared girl that they had met just a moment ago had changed her attitude to that of someone responsible, when Ai wants to get something done, she gives it her all.
Saber in the other hand seemed very familiar for her, be by the traditional clothes and the way he spoke to her, regardless of his look the first impression she got of him was that he was probably a good servant to be around with... Sa---Muramasa-san, if you're okay with it can I give you the task to protect me during this mission?... With him *she pointed at the servant in the red coat* leading the way I'll need someone with me to protect me from anything hostile... So what do you say?... And of course she hadn't forgotten about the last but not least member of her team, Rider whom identity was the great Khan, someone she was very aware of. He went straight to the point after his short introduction and Ai was very content about it, her team was seeming pretty solid and she wanted to review a simple plan before getting on their way.
Uhm.. just to be clear and hopefully you're all okay with this... He *she said as she looked over at the servant with the red coat* will guide us to our destination, Temujin will go next to him to act as our vanguard and in case we encounter anything hostile... As for Muramasa-san, I want you to be by my side and we make this a team of 2, not too separate from each other but to prevent an ambush... I don't want our fate to end like the first team who was sent here before us... Ai's worrying personality was hard to hide but her intentions were clear, it was now up to her team to decide what to do or to agree with her plan.
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Post by emiya on Oct 15, 2015 6:04:35 GMT
Emiya merely stands back and observes as the other Servants gave their introductions. It was formal, as if they were forming the contracts with a Master in a grail war. If that was what these Servants were used to, that was fine, but things were very different. He hadn’t even felt the need to introduce his class. They had a job to do, and they were going to get it done. While he had doubts in Muramasa, it was clear that Temujin was adapting.
“Oh? So you learned the layout of the land here? You did your homework, I just cheated a bit. Still, if you’d be willing to let me lead the way, I know this city like the back of my hand.” While the original memories were hazy and indistinct, the consequence of a middle-length life, his time serving as a Servant in the Fifth Holy Grail War were fresh in his head. Even with the destruction, Fuyuki was his home.
As Ai spells out her plan, Emiya nods. It was well-founded. “I have no objections. And don’t worry about being ambushed. So long as Muramasa can protect you for moments, I will be able to provide immediate support, as should Temujin.” As if to back up his words, he mutters, under his breath, the comforting incantation he carried since he was a child playing at magecraft. “Trace on.”
In his hands, the bow he favors, a sleek, light design with a powerful draw. That should make the nature of his class, as well as having a name to be called available without needing to waste words. The bow was likely the best weapon for this situation, it would allow him to scout ahead and still be able to keep his Master safe, and even if no trouble arose, it would be difficult to join battle in time to adequately support Temujin with his shortswords. “We’ll travel as the crow flies until we reach the bridge. From there, we’ll need to find out whether there is a bridge to cross, and, if not, if it would be safer to continue on that path, or seek an alternative. If that becomes necessary, I have a plan.”
With that, he begins to move. He sets out at a walk: He didn’t know if Muramasa would carry Ai as they travelled, if not, it would be preferable to keep the party together as long as possible at a speed humans could travel. If Temujin wanted to proceed further ahead of him, then he would speed up.
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Post by muramasa on Oct 15, 2015 8:20:14 GMT
So he was going to be babysitter? Sure, he had nothing against it, but humans always had to hide and be protected by something, so he would become her shield, or rather her sword. As for the other two, they seemed to hit it off well enough as well. This archer and the khan, temujin, whom he had heard of before were talking about the lay of the land as if it was a big acquisition when all they had to do was go in a shop or ask Chaldea to get them a map. But, so muramasa thought, let´s leave them to their own designs, after all, there were meatheads who were only interested in strength and there were people like them. He could not say which he liked less. But at least they would be useful while he would go with Ai to their destination.
As for the question of uselessness of his companion, Muramasa would never ask that question a human, since all of them had some kind of fate ahead of them and would struggle to reach it. And he would not make a judgement merely on what she had said so far or how she had acted. Instead he would just see how interesting she was until they were done here. Walking over to Ai, he nodded his head slightly as if in agreement to her plans and then attempted to pat her head gently with a grin. Making him remember how he had been at that stage of inbetween adulthood and childhood. Already forging twenty hours a day, learning and scrounging weapons from the cold hands of the corpses to be resmelted and reused under his name. Material that was not already used was rare and he had not made enough of a name to be anywhere near able to acquire it.
"I look forward to working on you." He said, mostly ignoring the other two 'heroes', his grin widening into a smirk. Seeing as the archer had his bow out, Muramasa decided to pull out his weapon too. Moving his hand from her head, he waved it in front of him and a long katana appeared, looking quite plain and uninteresting. It was the pressure that it emanated that was unsettling to say the least, as if the blade was screaming and whailing for blood and death even if just created. It only was heightened as Muramasa brushed over the blade and the katana changed again. The guard disappeared and it became even longer. The whailing had stopped, but the pressure intensified. As he moved the blade a little whistling sound could be heard as he cut the very air it was gliding through.
"Well then 'master'..." He said with a little bit of mocking in his voice, feeling like teasing her a little. "...let us be off and get this done before we draw too much of an attention. We would not want you torn apart by a writhing mass of ghouls after all, right?" Asked he and chuckled a little, standing beside her and letting his blade cut through the ground as he walked at her pace without any resistance whatsoever. "Since we have a little time, if you do not mind me asking, but how did you end up in chaldea? Every master I had the pleasure working with so far seemed pretty young for such a task in this age."
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Post by genghis on Oct 15, 2015 13:32:27 GMT
Overwhelming power without regard for knowledge was no true power. The great Khan had been to Chaldea's information archive and had studied the layout of Fuyuki before and after the calamity. His companions seemed competent but even without them, this kind of retrieval mission was suited for him. If it was something that required attrition then he would be more limited but given enough time, Khan could also think of one advantage or two to exploit. But that was neither here nor now.
Muramasa became almost volunteered for being the actual escort for their Master and honestly Genghis has no qualms with it. A Saber class servant was better suited for such a heavy duty role. The other servant and Archer or so he assumed would be able to provide assistance from long range to both him and more importantly to their Master as well as Saber. He didn't see much use in the moving in two's but it showed him that this young magi seemed to be concerned with their life, this was a nice thought.
"Well then, that settles it." The Khan, extended his hand to the side and flowed prana through it. "Come foul beast of war thou services are required." Immediately the atmosphere darkened even more than it was and a horse of deep red pelt was summoned. One thing was absolutely clear when looking at the animal was that it was as "wrong" or "evil" as the very curses that plagued the city. Another thing became clearer, something about Genghis changed. Though his appearance remained the same, his kind gaze remained the unchanged there was something about him now that screamed danger, it was a primal feeling like him and his ride signified something that humans shouldn't ever have to meet or come into contact with.
He mounted the red steed and a small curved bow formed in his hand. "It might not have as much range as yours Archer but I should be able to support everyone as I open a path." He smiled warmly, though something about what he said and how he looked made it all sound more fiendish even if he had no such feelings.
"Now then, I will clear any threats on the way and draw as many ghouls as I can. The stragglers shouldn't pose a problem for you Muramasa."
With that the Khan rode off, he took a left and just as expected of the debrief he already came into contact with a band of roughly ten ghouls. With each stride he picked one off cleanly with an arrow to the head, even in movement and on horseback he was a deadly shot. By the time he reached the group only four remained and they were trampled by the fiendish horse. Genghis moved on, taking shots at the ruined houses and destroyed windows picking off any Ghoul that came into view, even the ones hidden that came out as he passed by. Of course there was bound to be survivors but they would be more concerned with chasing the Khan than paying attention to those behind.
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Post by ai on Oct 15, 2015 19:39:49 GMT
Her team seemed to be in synchronization after the plan was deployed. The great Khan took the lead as expected by clearing the path in front of us. Archer, whose identity was still unclear to Ai was still standing close to them.
Um.. Archer, Temujin took the lead so mind if we change plans a bit? Knowing you're from the Archer class is a relief for me so I got a special mission for you now that things changed slightly... go ahead of Temujin and check if the bridge is in good conditions for us to cross it!... If you encounter enemies deal with them as best as you can but if you find yourself in troubles retreat back to Temujin for help.
Maybe a job best suited for Archer was to work alone than in pairs anyways, he seemed to be prepared for scouting so might as well not hold him further. The great Khan also seemed to be enjoying himself on his own so better not get in the path of neither of them. As for saber, even though he was treating Ai as a child it was understandable and she felt comfortable with it. He accepted the task of protecting her and didn't even mind going at her own pace.. though... his sword out was a bit scary for Ai it also made her feel safer as they would be now walking on their own.
Muramasa, as for you and me, I guess we'll be the only ones in a team until we arrive to the bridge... Although I'm the leader I'll follow you from behind and assist you in the best way I can!
Her brave words would be quickly interrupted by Muramasa's question.
From fear, to braveness, to sadness, such was the expression on Ai's face before answering the question.
It's because of my father, my family died in an accident and later on I received an invitation from Chaldea to join them... I don't want anyone else to die... I was unable to save them and I don't want to see anyone die in front of my eyes again...
Her face now filled with tears that ran down her cheeks, trying her best to cry quietly at least and not to bother Saber in any way.
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Post by emiya on Oct 15, 2015 20:21:09 GMT
Ai’s suggestion was simple and made sense. He proceeded at a faster speed without a word. The Khan’s warpath made it clear he had no intention of remaining behind, so Archer began to move as fast as he could. He didn’t stand any chance of keeping pace with Temujin, so he simply took the time to scan the path with his clairvoyance, making sure to snipe out ghouls that the Rider missed.
The ranks of ghouls thinned out considerably, though, and there was a point where he could simply walk without even considering looking for more targets. Unfortunately, that simply gave more chances for him to equate the ruined hellscape with the Fuyuki of his memories. Look to the left, there was the water park he enjoyed many a summer day at. Look to the right, and there was the ruined, blackened husk of a park. It was so disgusting, if he wasn’t so used to seeing such cursed hellscapes he might have vomited.
It was fortunate nothing required complete concentration, or his reverie might have gotten him killed. A ghoul digs itself up from the ground and makes to attack him, but even as he was lost, he was able to put an arrow between it’s eyes. His attention is further diverted from a feeling of pain that comes over the Master-Servant link, but as he looks back, he sees nothing but the sight of the Saber and his Master together, though he could see she was crying.
He turns away, and keeps heading towards his objective. That wasn’t something he could help with, and they had a job they needed to do. As it was, he could see the cursed water slightly, but there were still obstructions in the way. He briefly considered climbing one of the buildings, but that was both unnecessary and wasteful. It would likely take longer than simply going around. It wouldn’t be much longer until he could make a judgment about the next step they should take.
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