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Post by Chaldea-san on Oct 22, 2015 23:19:40 GMT
[Official Mood Song - tindeck.com/listen/zbgl] The lower floors of the concrete tower were, for the most part, rather quiet.
Ascending through the emergency stairway they were faced with the real danger
The sounds of the undead vibrated through the walls
Clumped together and wriggling like maggots in a corpse
Each floor was lit up by red flames in the distance, almost like a sunset...
Written on the metal door, the words "10th FLOOR" burst down at the 6 Agents.
They had reached the true starting point of this battle
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Post by ai on Oct 23, 2015 8:28:25 GMT
Not so long ago Ai arrived Chaldea in place of her deceased father to take the role of an Agent that will help to save the future for humanity. Her contribution to the organization so far has been extraordinary, even above everyone's expectations, herself included. She was now a top tier agent and more likely respected among others. She took this particular mission not trusting her skills but trusting another agent that had already enlisted in, Muramasa.
The entrance of the 10th floor was really intimidating for Ai, not only the dangers that awaited her inside but also not knowing who her team mates were. She moved onto Muramasa's side as in looking for a protective figure to rely on and to feel a bit more safe around them all. Introductions at this point would be probably unnecessary but Ai's manners were kicking in and she couldn't contain herself any longer.
H-hello everyone!... I'm Ai... She then bowed down at her team as a sign of respect... Furahashi Ai... I'm honored to be working here with all of you for this mission... Let's get along okay?
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Post by muramasa on Oct 23, 2015 11:02:52 GMT
Getting up here had been less of a problem than he had first thought. Ghouls came at him in smaller groups, most likely the people who died in here when the cataclysm hit. He had left some souvenirs with them and send them on a rampage one floor at a time ahead of him to clean up. Leaving his swords where they fell when the ghoul themself died as well. Just waiting to be picked up by the next unsuspecting enemy and fall to the bloodlust. All of them radiating a serene madness and brainwashing like heat. Unlike the weapon he held in hand now, a blade so finely crafted it looked like something created mechanically from this century, but it was less metal than curse.
Barely contained into this form, a curse so finely tuned and hundreds of thousands of times reforged, added to it by the hatred of his divine spirit inside of him for a million times, even now becoming more potent. But the man holding it was a picture of sanity and well spoken madness, so unlike the sword in his hand. He had taken this mission not because of someone in it, but rather because he saw new enemies and new targets to test out the weapons at his disposal. Brushing over his clothes to get some of the dust that had accumulated from the white fabric, his crimson eyes focused on the familiar form of Ai. The master he had been with on the last mission that had catapulted her to the first spot on the agent list and even got him there, even though he had rather stayed away from such things and had wanted his swords alone there more. But, nothing he could do about it now and also it meant that he might get requests sometime from now on.
And with Ai on this mission it would at least not be boring or monotone, she was good for some mood swings and interesting developments. Maybe she would once again grow a little and draw out some of these servants true feelings as well. It worked quite well with archer, who Muramasa now saw as kind of a rival swordsmith who knew all too well about his swords and thus just minor interference unless he got others involved as well. Not that he would go and start a fight with chaldea and it´s servants, he had sworn to himself not to interfere in this whole rescue business, but that did not mean he would stop doing what he had always done. Give weapons to those who needed them or test out their affinity with his weapons, still looking for that one in the world who would be able to wield his weapons to the utmost. He himself was not even in his mind as a candidate.
Smiling at Ai, he said: "I see, you seem to be good in getting yourself into dangerous situations, makes me wonder if I should worry or be glad a friend is growing in their own way." Turning to the other servants, he wondered who he would meet today, or was it night? Most of them looking quite proper and regal, making him wonder why so many heroes had to be royal and if he as a simple swordsmith was even comparable to them. But then again, he did not worry, his confidence in himself and the unshakable trust in his weapons not even allowing him to waver in his path. "My name is Muramasa, it is nice to meet you and I am looking forward to working with you." Unlike last time, he doubted anyone had an idea how the mission area would look like, but if the last floors were any indications, there was no room for big attacks unless someone wanted to bring the whole building down on top of them. It was kind of troublesome that so many servants seemed to be so focused on their noble phantasms, which usually wrought destruction on the level of easily leveling such a building...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2015 0:32:31 GMT
Being back in Fuyuki was something that Arturia wishes she could be happy about. With the city in its current state, it could only bring about despair. Though she never saw the destruction of central Fuyuki herself, she learned of it during the following "visit". If this was anything like it, then she could understand Kiritsugu's change of heart. No man could see this kind of carnage and not react. Whether this was the result of the Holy Grail, of becoming a "singularity", or something else she was not sure. What she did know was that she intended to aid Chaldea as best she could to prevent this from becoming a true reality.
However, that was going to be a true test of her patience and acceptance. Running into Mordred was one thing, but...the king of heroes, Gilgamesh, was also here. He appeared a little different, but it was undeniably him. However, he did not recognize her as far as she could tell so there was no point in lashing out. The rest did not cause an immediate issue with her, but one of them proceeded to bother her more and more as they ascended. He kept leaving swords in the hands of ghouls, which would then rampage against their own. The swords seemed almost demonic in nature, reminding her of the corrupted Arondight wielded by Lancelot. The sword he himself wielded was equally unsettling, but beyond that he had done nothing to directly hinder their efforts. Between all of them, the ascent to the tenth floor was a trivial task, but she had to wonder what would lie ahead for them.
"I am Arturia Pendragon. It is an honor to fight beside those of you deemed to be Heroic Spirits." Arturia spoke calmly to her allies, giving a bow to the group while holding the golden Excalibur in her right hand. She then turned to face their Master for this mission, "Fear not, Master. I shall be your shield, and I have no doubt that each of us feels the same."
Her small armored form stood out among the group, but she did not pay it any mind. Each of them was a Heroic Spirit, each capable of great feats, and each of them would serve their role in the upcoming battle. What those roles were was up for debate, as she only got a limited understanding of each of their abilities in the climb up to this point. Whether they spoke of their abilities or not was up to them, but it would end up becoming known either way over the course of their climb.
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Post by topiltzin on Oct 24, 2015 1:18:42 GMT
Ce Atl found himself surrounded by truly magnificent presences, the amount of prana exuding from them almost enough to drown out the omnipresent aura of hatred and malevolence the city seemed to breathe in and out of itself. It was clear he was among the highest-rank heroic Spirits, and while he hoped he could keep up with them, he knew that now, more than ever, he was to serve as support for them, rather than be on the front lines, especially since the mission required them to be moving near-constantly. He wouldn’t likely have time to set up a territory, and even if he did, it would merely slow down the huge powerhouses he was working with.
From the short time he’d spent around their Master, he could tell that she was unfortunately out of her depth. She was like him in some ways, seeking to go past the limits of what she was capable of in order to be of service to others, to live up to an obligation set for her. He tosses a smile her way, in an attempt to be reassuring.
While it was his policy to try and love and accept everyone for who they were, the sheer nature of the swords wielded by the demonic Saber made that a difficult task. As they traveled up to this spot, fighting ghouls, it was clear that this person was a truly ominous presence. His divine-gifted talent with the spiritual allowed him to see the enchantments on his swords for what they were, infused with a spirit of bloodlust. Still, his skills were undeniable in spite of it, so he could hardly complain. He would simply watch, and see if further action would need to be taken.
The other Servants were far more acceptable to him. They all had very regal presences, and he accepted them in their different ways. While he admired the smaller woman, the one who identified herself as Arturia Pendragon the most for her bearing, it was clear they were all people that he could consider himself quite honored to stand beside. He hoped he could get along with them, and if not, that he would at least not slow them down as they accomplished their mission.
As a polite round of greetings seemed to begin, he bows deeply, addressing everyone. “My name is Ce Atl. It is my great privilege to meet you all. I hope that we will be able to come together as one strength in order to succeed in our mission.” He laughs softly. “Though, given the incredible strength you all possess, I’m sure that won’t be necessary. Please, forgive this foolish old man for his musings.” With that, he went back to make sure the personal reinforcements he cast were properly completed, as a second check. When a warrior might rely on them in battle, no expense should be spared. While they were not bolstered by his Noble Phantasm as of yet, he intentionally left loopholes to allow such a benefit should the need arise within the spells. It wasn't a particularly difficult task for one with his experience.
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Post by Brynhild on Oct 25, 2015 16:53:33 GMT
Surrounded by rather powerful beings, Brynhild still found herself more preoccupied with their surroundings, rather than the number of powerful presences that was surrounding them. The flames reminded her of her 'residence' just before and after the slumber, yet in a way the destrucive aura they gave off caused her to feel at home. The fire gave comfort, not only in its sheer presence, but also due to the potential uses it could have to her own procedures. The presence of fire always meant that she was in her element, so the sheer threat-level of this area had descreased considerably with every flame added to the inferno.
Carrying the same downcast, yet resignated, expression as ever, Brynhild merel let her gaze wander. Her compatriots were all competent, their way of moving alone indicated as much, with the exception of the dark, apparently young, man named Ce Atl. Likely a Caster, if her senses did not fail her, at least the demeanour and raw aura, combined with his... how to put it... composition, indicated a knowledge of magecraft of some degree or another. Almost the same could be said about the man of blood, that kept causing rage within others. His familiarity was not only based on Gram, yet also his presence, that reminded her a lot of her former peers. In any case, his weapons made no secret of their nature as demonic blades of... well, varying degrees of enchantment. It was inherently a set of fabrications... yet the demonic aura was undeniable.
In the end it did not matter, demonic blades were no different from other weapons, they just emphasized the traits of slaughter, which was inherent to any blade or weapon. Killing knew no degrees of death, so slaughter in itself was absolute, no matter the intention of the sword, nor its wielder. This train of thought lead Brynhild's gaze further, to the King of Knights, who introduced herself as Arturia Pendragon... Mordred's 'father'. There was no way of telling her intentions. Her aura was one of a typical knight, yet betrayal and malice could rest within the best intentions. She had harmed one who had wished for nothing but her glory and success, apparently without batting an eyelash. It did not matter... Sir Mordred had made quite clear that he would bear the weight of his own grudges, as well as their relief. Intruding in this right now, was neither appropriate nor intelligent.
Instead Brynhild presented the woman with a slightly brighter gaze, the silent pain suppressed as much as she could somehow manage, as she replied to her introduction with a weak smile. Arturia was quite beautiful, just as Mordred, alas he or... she... lacked the unbound ferocity of the progenitor, which did detract slightly from the appeal. Regardless, it appeared as if it was her turn... introductions were in order, at least for some of them, the likelihood of the golden man introducing himself felt surprisingly low, if just because he emitted the same air as Loki or Surtr had done in their time. He was powerful, yet that was something they all had in common. He was not the kind of person she could feel immediate agreement for, yet neither could she say that she particularly minded his presence. It was all the same as having a nobleman bickering over spoilt fruit, to her.
With a slight nod of her head, that set her hair into motion, in a manner of moonlight, streaming through glassy sand, before her inhuman features relinquished a gentle smile, as tender as a silken vice, yet lacking all warmth in its almost desperately gentle glow. Her amethyst eyes rested on Arturia, as she introduced herself:"While it appears that I should have introduced myself earlier, which I apologize for having missed out on, I would like to correct this faux pas. My name is Brynhild Sigrdrífa, the Valkyrie. As Sir Arturia, if that is an appropriate title for you, suggested I too feel inclined to protect you, young master. Beyond this I do hope that my presence does not cause discomfort, as I would merely like to fulfill our task as swiftly and effectively as possible." her voice sounding as a carillion of faint, soothing chimes, Brynhild finally let her gaze wander to the floor ahead of them. She could feel her heart, her core, pumping, pounding, sending wave after wave of anticipation through her body, as the undeniable quint-essence of her existence encroached ever closer to her very being.
The slaughter was near... oh the blissful horror...
Reacting to Caster's last phrases with an almost trance-like voice, Brynhild could not help but let out a smirk, filled with a pretentious, yet inherently benevolent charm, not unlike a mother, calming her child after voicing its fear of the dark:"Do not fret... Ce atl, I would not leave you behind, even were you to become a hindrance. You may feel at ease, even should you be of little use." Neither intentionally cruel, nor defacing, Brynhild's eyes feverishly, yet coldly glanced over Caster for a mere moment, before the sadness crepped into their lilac depth's once more. It was a promise, as good as a human's oath, yet not as absolute as an actual oath. There would be no death in this group of heroes, if she could help it. Even if it meant butchering everything.
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Post by AU-O on Oct 25, 2015 23:56:50 GMT
What a disgusting city.
While the golden hero shared a feeling of disdain for the surrounding environment, it had little to do with it's destroyed state. Truly, Gilgamesh felt he probably would have enjoyed the city even less were it whole. The architecture was thoroughly repulsive, and there were just so many people. Of course, they were all ghouls, spirits and the undead now, but the sheer number of the living dead that now infested the area only spoke to him of how many humans there had been living here. Ridiculous. A sea of mediocrity, in all likelihood.
Speaking of thoroughly mediocre things, the blonde Berserker turned his attention back to his compatriots, whom were rabbling on about some inane thing or another. Pleasantries, introductions, it was all so disgustingly polite and friendly. They spoke to each other as though coworkers or fellow students, not as Heroes and Warriors. Gilgamesh had been hopeful upon his incarnation to meet others whom were considered "Heroes" following in his image, but what he had seen so far was thoroughly dissapointing.
The current servants befouling his presence were not all so bad. One, the one who introduced himself as Muramasa, thoroughly reeked of bloodlust behind his polite exterior. The blades he left on the lower floors were more sentient curses than weapons, and the mere thought of them almost made Gilgamesh want to hurl the pathetic excuse for swordsman out of the building. A smith should learn their place, forging weapons to be wielded by warriors, not attempting to overshadow the warrior with a blade's grudge. Repulsive.
Caster, or Ce Atl as he called himself, seemed similarly useless. Priests were not meant for the battlefield. It was why Gilgamesh himself disdained the Caster class-- In it he was reduced from a "Hero" to a "Priest", deprived of his weapons and physically weakened. Some Casters may have been apt warriors even in their class, but the American servant was too peaceful. He'd have been allowed some modicum of tolerance were he a priest of a true, real God, even one of those that Gilgamesh despised, but his deities were nothing more than the paltry illusions of man.
Then there were the two warriors, who's only handicap seemed to be that they were women. Lancer and Saber, or Arturia and Brynhild, both at least held the manners of warriors. Brisk, Noble, and to the point. There was a certain elegance in their dispositions. And yet still he could not understand their chivalric notions, viewing them like you might an abstract painting. Beautiful in some respects, but in the end utter, pointless nonsense. Of the party he was most fascinated with Saber, although he could not put his finger on why. She hid it well now, but she was off-put by him. Almost shocked and disgusted to be near him, really. Such an attitude would usually find someone on the wrong side of his anger, but his curiosity outweighed his irritable disposition. For now, anyway.
"Get along? How inane."
Brynhild was right about at least one thing; Gilgamesh had no inclination to introduce himself. While there were many differences between this Gilgamesh and the King of Heroes, an unreasonable confidence and arrogance in their own position and identity was something they shared. While Berserker had no intention of attacking anyone whom questioned his identity as a certain golden prick-magnet might have, he also had no desire to socialize with these soldiers. They had not yet earned the respect to be acknowledged as "Heroes", despite what he could clearly tell about the power each possessed just from standing near them, his own arrogance would not allow him to take that alone as proof of their heroism. Should they prove their worth as warriors and heroes he might deign to call them allies, and perhaps friendly acquaintances to a certain extent, they expected too much too soon if they genuinely thought he might care about them in any respect yet.
The only one whom he would even be bothered by dying was their Master, and that was only because this ridiculous system he was now bound to linked his existence to hers. Were she not mandatory to his sustained presence, she would be of even less concern to him than the others; After all, she was not even a heroic spirit, and seemed completely ill-suited to the nature of Heroism, obviously here more out of some shaky sense of duty than any true resolve on her part.
"Are you not Heroes? Cease this prattle and let's be done with this. Or continue to chatter among yourselves like gossiping peasants, it makes no difference to me. I suppose then at least you might have some use in keeping the girl out of the way, so that her neck does not snap from the faintest wind."
A single golden blade manifested in Gilgamesh's hand. Brushing past the crowd of his "allies", the Berserker kicked the massive metal door down, sending it flying backwards off it's hinges in a rather brutish display of strength, sending it's shattered remnants careening into the air in the opposite direction.
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Post by ai on Oct 27, 2015 10:35:46 GMT
Ai seemed content as every servant introduced themselves, her confidence was building up until Gilgamesh spoke. His harsh, yet realistic words shocked Ai but didn't wave her from her status as a master and a leader. This being her 3rd mission and already going through danger she was not as scared as before, in fact, being around many capable heroes boosted her confidence a lot. Her tactics in battle so far hasn't been bad, maybe not the best but certainly not bad, she really wanted to get along with Gilgamesh or at least enough to know his name and so by taking a deep breath, she spoke out her feelings hoping everyone would agree to it.
“Enough talk! Y-You are right and I'm not as capable as I wish I would be... but... Hear me this time and try to work together!” There was really not much time left as Gilgamesh teared the door apart, making enough noise for whatever threat awaited them inside.
“You!” she pointed at Gilgamesh, then switched her gaze towards Muramasa “And you, Muramasa-san!, Take the vanguard and kill everything you find in the front line... You don't need to work together but please make sure to do your work!”
Judging Gilgamesh's personality by his words and attitude, Ai was more than sure that he wouldn't really care about her words but the idea of going first and annihilating whatever crossed his path at will wouldn't be something that he could simply deny, giving the fact that he seemed eager to start.
“Arturia!” She then looked at the blonde Saber, although being ready to act as her shield she thought she'd be more useful on the rears “Please take the right side After they rush in and protect us from there !” And as quick as the order was given, she looked over Lancer “Brynhild! I'm counting on you for the left side please!”
There was only one person left and that was Caster. Unlike the rest he seemed to be taking things more calmly and a hero like him was the best option to stay near Ai. “Ce Atl, we'll step in after everyone gets on their way... I'll be right behind you so I hope you don't mind taking care of me... Let's be everyone's reinforcement in case things turn bad... So... Let's work together okay?!” And with a smile on her face, that was the last order given by Ai to her team.
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Post by muramasa on Oct 27, 2015 14:06:08 GMT
Seems like this time he would not serve as a mere bodyguard or having to challenge a fellow heroic spirit to something to get enjoyment out of the battle and see the bloodlust of others and feel his own. As for the ones around him, so far he imagined he could get along the best truely with the golden one or the hesitant Brynhild. Arturia seemed like she wanted to imply something with her words of those who were deemed heroes and he had never liked priests much, although he would look forward to see more magic. Sure, they themself were magic, but he had never seen or done anything he had perceived as magic before his new existence here.
As for the golden one, he had the right idea, if only a somewhat bad execution of it. Maybe it was the trader in him that made him always be polite when meeting someone new or when acting in a group with others, while that man abbreviated such things to nothingness and even if he had given a name would still be called Goldie or something along the lines by others by the sheer amount of that color on him, even if unconsciously. Not many could call upon such a feature, but it made it that much easier to separate him from the others and Muramasa liked an open arrogance more than a hidden lie. As for Brynhild, she seemed quite conscious of her surroundings and yet hesitant about anything, going so far as to excuse her lack of introductions and apparently she thought of herself as having a discomforting aura, asking for others to ignore it. A bit pityful in Muramasa´s opinion that she had to, but then again maybe she would come to terms with it as Muramasa himself had done. He did not need ask for anyone to ignore it since they would misunderstand anyway.
Nothing about him being demonic and the spirit inside of him divine, even if the notion of bloodlust was perceived as evil. But what else was it but righteous slaughter he provided with his swords? None the less. He had to smile a little as he heard Ai speak and do as usual as Muramasa had thought she would do. Pair him with Goldie and send them to the frontlines, less of a mission and more of a release of their leashes, enabling them to go wild. His smile only widened into a grin at his notice of being the only one who was talked to with a honorific between all these legendary beings around him.
It was funny enough that the swirling bloodlust inside of him got confused by the sheer hilarity of the comment and he felt like a single person for a second again. "No need for apologizing for simply speaking out aloud Ce Atl, each of us has a role to fulfill, such things are only useful if you do something wrong. And I do hope you are not planning on doing nothing? I will look forward more to you displeasing our enemies through your means than being taken aback by whatever you meant, Brynhild. Since I at least found nothing wrong so far with you. Very well, I will be on my way then, Ai." A nod toward her, he wished her luck.
Having given Goldie a little time to move. He did not want to follow him after all, Muramasa instead cut out an entrance for himself with a few fast slashes. If he had used the entranceway that had been created it would have felt as if he agreed with him after all and there was no fibre of his being that did. Kicking away the last few fragments, he hurried in, slashing once at a ghoul moving up to him, sending it´s head flying while grabbing it by the throat and throwing it into another group. Quickly cutting them apart as well, looking that the way would be clear on both his and Goldies way for the next group of the most enemies. He had no time for stragglers, trusting Arturia and Brynhild to take care of them and obviously enjoyed making his way through too much, so that stopping felt like a waste.
Cutting new doors or opening unused ones from time to time so that they would have always two paths at least to choose from. Leaving a few ghouls behind with blades stuck in them to rampage against their own kind until they were spent and send their energy his way. It all felt so much better than having to stay behind or having some other person interfere with his battles with weapons not of his making. The red in his eyes swirling as he slowly relaxed the grip just a little bit on the throat of the spirit that had fused with him.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2015 1:46:30 GMT
Arturia welcomed the support and good nature of the Caster in their group. He was a pleasant man and saw to it that his allies were prepared for the coming trials. She could feel the magecraft in use on her, but she felt no need to fight it. It was some kind of strengthening magic that improved her body even further. She had no doubt that, unlike a certain adviser, this man would be someone she could trust her back to and rely on him in the future. She silently nodded to his introduction, feeling no need to add onto it at all. Their presence here as allies was enough, and even if he were not a knight, their desire for good and justice was easy enough to tell.
The valkyrie, Brynhild, was a surprise but there was certainly no need to worry about her ability to defend herself. Running into the Servant that Mordred mentioned was unexpected as well. It was not something worth bringing up during a mission, as it would distract them both from the objective at hand, but if they ran into each other at Chaldea it may be worth discussing. For now though, it was just an interesting side note to be shoved into the back of her mind. Right now, there was more important work to be done.
And Gilgamesh. While he seemed a bit more...tempered compared to when they met in Fuyuki before, the ego was still very much present. Yet he still didn't seem to recognize her, and that was the confusing part of it all. His attire differed, but that was a minor detail. She had run into him in several different outfits before, so this could just be another new one. He was similar enough to put her on guard, but there was just enough different to make it surreal. However, him and the swordsmith seemed to be sent to the front lines, so for now she would just let him be in his own little world and avoid contact to potentially reignite the fifth war.
"Yes, Master!" Arturia cleared her thoughts when the order was given, darting to the right in the wake of the other two. Though the initial clearing was potent...ignoring the rampaging demonic swords, there were still plenty of ghouls left behind. Prana coursed through her body as she swung Excalibur, cleaving a ghoul cleanly in half. Her expression was a calm ferocity, collected but ruthless to these foes. A group of Ghouls emerged, but were promptly felled in a few swift motions. The golden sword shone bright even in the dark and grime interior of the building.
"They fall easily. Let us quickly move upwards." she commented, continuing to clear out the ghouls with ease. Though, for those watching, there was something motivating about her figure. A grace that could inspire something within those that knew she was on their side. Though it had not truly been relevant before as a Servant, the strength of her Charisma skill could show itself here. Her raw charismatic might and her gallant self on the battlefield could inspire those that she fought alongside. It was a contributing force to the success of her armies in life, and it could no doubt prove useful here.
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