|
|
Rain
Aug 24, 2023 11:48:32 GMT
Post by PhantomBrogade on Aug 24, 2023 11:48:32 GMT
One night.
They had been in Fuyuki for one night.
Already they had amassed reports of supernatural occurrences and clashes across the city. Chaos was beginning to take hold, masters and servants with numerous agendas and unknowable tactics. Tanimura sighed. This hadn't been the start to things he had envisioned when striking the bargain with Nobunaga. He had expected to have a slower start, to be able to approach Masters one by one and convince them to stand down. He had to accelerate his plans now, and that meant meeting with a master and servant he had scouted before arriving. Contacting them had been the easy part, he just had to hope they'd show up.
Masamune for his part was by the door, waiting like a guard, a single sword on his hip. A reminder he was ready to fight, but not looking for one. He looked relaxed compared to his master, his posture unconcerned and his gaze bored. "How long? he asked.
"Soon, it should be soon" Tanimura replied, looking out the window into the night's rain down towards the hotel entrance.
|
|
|
|
Rain
Aug 24, 2023 18:00:21 GMT
Post by Bixir on Aug 24, 2023 18:00:21 GMT
The bell tolled. The sound pierced the night, drowning all other sound around these two men, even in this ramshackle building. It was a savage noise, bringing to mind the concept of ending, complete and unyielding. Though death across cultures took many forms, the toll of a funerary bell was nigh universal, so connected with that which followed. The wind outside stirred, and at once, Kojuro and Date would realize that the sound pertained to a new presence, one that could only be felt gravely. The bell tolled. The presence quickly took form. In addition to the bell, the wind began to howl, followed by the distinct sound of steel being drawn. A second later, that same steel audibly shifted, and the howl became a dull moan, as it seemed to cut through the open air at the other side of the room that they had been waiting in. Ethereal tears became visible in those spaces, and as more sounds of shifting steel came through, those tears quickly became more complete, until they bore the shape of a circle, a brief void in space. The bell tolled. As this sequence continued, the welling of dread in this enclosed space was unmistakable, as was the nature of what was coming. There was no Master, nor the illusion of diplomacy. The presence stepped through the void, dispersing the effect as its form finished manifesting. Its visage was unmistakable: a large, human skull, with two massive horns cresting upwards. Brilliant, blue flames alighted in its sockets, fixated on the men standing opposite, though especially upon Date. There was a distant knowingness to them, though not of any familiarity as most Heroic Spirits had with one another. It was a matter of like souls recognizing each other. The rest of the figure's form was no less imposing. It towered over the two men, to the extent that its horns punctured the ceiling itself. Its bulky form, swathed in a billowing, ebony cloak and glimmering plate underneath, threatened to tear the very dimensions of this room apart. In its hands was a massive, gleaming sword, now pointed at Date's heart. The bell tolled.  "Thy presence weighs upon the divine scales, noble warrior. From the mountain of the abyss I am come to deliver absolution unto thee. Prepare thyself for thy End." |
|
|
|
Rain
Aug 24, 2023 22:26:10 GMT
Post by PhantomBrogade on Aug 24, 2023 22:26:10 GMT
To say the figure's arrival was unnerving would be an understatement, the two men stood motionless and eyes wide, processing what they were seeing. Masamune was the first to act, though it wasn't much; merely raising his scabbard to lightly tap on the blade with the hilt of his own. When it returned a dull clank of metal on metal, he turned his head to give Tanimura a small nod. Tanimura pursed his lips in thought, before turning back to the window and pushing it open, letting the cold and wet night air billow in. A moment passed.
Then another moment passed.
And before yet another could, Tanimura had leapt out the window, ten stories up or no he had just launched himself with no apparent regard for his own safety. Masamune in turned had slammed his own blade down on the floor, the structure immediately buckling under the weight of the blow and sending both he and the figure into a fall.
|
|
|
|
Rain
Aug 25, 2023 0:56:57 GMT
Post by Bixir on Aug 25, 2023 0:56:57 GMT
Tanimura's actions did not pass by the specter's notice. His eyes tracked both of them with increasing intensity. His stature did not budge, even at the Rider's prodding with his sheath. This stance-down continued for a few more seconds, drawn out with bated breath… though, only on Rider’s account. This figure did not seem to breathe. In the same moment, both of them acted. The skull-faced giant seized forward, meaning to impale Rider before the battle could begin.
Instead, his sword, and his body, met air. For most, even Heroic Spirits, this shift in environment would throw them asunder. The ironclad specter remained nonplussed. Instead, they remained hovering in the air as the room they were in began to tumble down with the rest of the sheared building, for a couple seconds longer than gravity ought to permit. Nearly in the same motion, the Assassin’s eyes flared, and he lurched for Rider’s throat with his other arm, ensconced in a macabre gauntlet of metal.
|
|
|
|
Rain
Aug 25, 2023 7:53:45 GMT
Post by The Green Flame on Aug 25, 2023 7:53:45 GMT
“Sure is pouring tonight…”The sun was long gone and it was replaced with the lights of a city well on its way to a good night’s sleep, street lamps and traffic signs dotting the roads in a sprawling path, rain steadily pelting the nighttime city. A single police cruiser seemingly had the streets all to itself, the buses winding down their routes while others drivers had long since gone home. By now, the only ones roaming Fuyuki were those with an excitable nightlife, those up to no good and those saddled with occupational obligations. Unfortunately for Haruka, her days of the former were obliterated as soon as she went into law enforcement, her uniform a frequent reminder that not only was she obligated to be out at this time but taking care of any troublemakers milling about. She was well-aware of just how her social life would be affected and was quite willing to do what needed to be done but on nights like tonight, she couldn’t help but miss those days. Nights like these were starting to become awfully complicated… “Is something wrong, Master?”“Hm?” The officer glanced at her mirror, its reflection that of a curiously dressed woman in the backseat, otherwise totally silent outside of that one question. She was one of those complications that had wormed their way into Haruka’s daily routine and, despite appearances, Haruka was acting more chauffer than policewoman. “It’s nothing, Assassin. Just some reminiscing on how strange my life is these days…”It happened a few nights ago, some sort of disturbance had happened at the harbor and it was all hands-on deck, even for someone more out of the way like herself. Allegedly it was some sort of gang altercation but the reality of it was rather absurd, one she wouldn’t have believed had she not been somewhat familiar with magus society or, more accurately, had she not stumbled into one of those ‘altercations’ and what was actually involved. The talk of the living dead and all their little derivatives were all the rage and the people were getting quite creative. But the real thing? Those were far more terrifying and, had a half-dead Assassin not come to her rescue, Haruka would almost certainly be one of them. Other highlights of that night were trying to hide the poor woman afterwards (who would believe a swiss-army knife ninja robot was real?), getting said woman to not vanish, a very short version of this superhero free-for-all that she still didn’t quite understand… In her own corner, Assassin had remained silent, thinking back to that same night. Her original Master was gone now, taken by that monster of a bloodsucker and she nearly torn apart as well. Coming to the policewoman’s aid was as much an act of defiance as it was genuinely well-meaning and ultimately it worked out in her favor, both stabilizing the ninja’s existence and putting an end to the short-lived partnership with her first Master. Now it was a matter of ensuring this new partnership lasted far longer than the last and setting a course from there as other developments transpired in the city. That was what led her to tag along in the backseat tonight. If it wasn’t missing persons, it was another gas leak. If it wasn’t another gas leak, it was some absurd freak accident. A good many were closer to the residential districts but one could never be too sure these days so, on Haruka’s suggestion, they were swinging by the more commercial centers of the city. Besides the constant rain, it was totally uneventful and she had a mind that it would simply be a quiet night for them both. But then, Assassin heard the toll of a bell…
|
|
|
|
Rain
Aug 26, 2023 3:56:33 GMT
Post by PhantomBrogade on Aug 26, 2023 3:56:33 GMT
The Assassin's hand met resistance, but probably not with whom it had been aimed at. Where Masamune had been instead was an apparition - bald, chubby, but clad in the armour of a samurai. "For my lord!" it screamed, hacking at the arm that now held it with a wicked looking knife. Date had drawn his sword properly, the Date-shi no chi. More and more apparitions appeared, each laying a hand on his shoulder before pushing themselves upwards past him as he fell - a fall that now smashed through the next floor below. It was clear, this was a fall to the bottom.
Outside the rain seemed to let up for a moment, as if in time with the bell. For the occupants of the car, it would only lend weight to the unnatural sound. For Tanimura, it spelt his saving grace... for as sudden as the stop in rain had been, it returned with a fury as Tanimura slammed against the hood and windshield of the car alongside a torrent of water - he had caught himself with an airborne pool and let it slow him. A pained laugh escaped his lips - he had half expected it not to work, as weak in the world of magecraft he was. Still, it wasn't a clean getaway; his ribs screamed in agony and he was certain his arm had been fractured. And then there was the possible financial bill... he tilted his head up and groaned as he saw the police lights, unlit of yet. Great, just great. Still, this would make the next bit easier. Turning his head, he grinned weakly at the officer - Haruka - in the driver's seat.
"I don't suppose, you could clear the people out of the lobby there" he pointed at the hotel. "Its about to collapse."
|
|
|
|
Rain
Aug 26, 2023 15:30:31 GMT
Post by Bixir on Aug 26, 2023 15:30:31 GMT
The substitute's blade was met with a bracer, swift and firm. The blade danced off of its armor in a flash of metal upon metal. He would not have another chance to strike again. With one hand, the towering knight briefly thrust his sword into the man, and then withdrew it just as quickly. All of this, as the "room" continued hurdling towards the ground below. When the skeletal warrior turned to face the other thralls of his prey, his sword removed the man's top from his bottom. The blood that was loosed from the blade in the flourish lingered in the air as crimson streaks. Gravity itself seemed to cease functioning, if only for a couple beats. Then, those crimson streaks became aglow with that blue flame from before. That blue flame, at the same time enveloping the warrior's blade, that blue flame burning within his eyes. The warrior blinked, and the blood coagulated, before bursting into explosions of that blue flame. The flames danced about the skeletal assailant as he charged forward, through the explosions. Those detonations intensified the aura around him, going so far as to intensify his acceleration downward. He swung his great blade with relentless strength, carving through the many substitutes that the Heroic Spirit left in his wake. Whether they put up more fight than the first one mattered little. They were all of them hurdling to the bottom for an explosive landing. The bell tolled. |
|
|
|
Rain
Aug 26, 2023 16:43:15 GMT
Post by The Green Flame on Aug 26, 2023 16:43:15 GMT
The first toll rang was distant, far enough that only Assassin visibly reacted, the mechanical doll instinctively tensing up at the unfamiliar and foreign sound that should’ve been masked by rainfall. Had she been human, whatever hairs on the back of Assassin’s neck would’ve been raised to high heaven. Her Master, however, either had an incredible poker face or simply hadn’t registered the occurrence.
That changed with the second toll. Not because it was louder (though it was) but because, for an utterly strange moment, the rain seemed to stall before it crashed down in a torrent. Said torrent also sent someone crashing into the hood of their patrol cruiser and smashing into the windshield, the entire event eliciting a yelp of surprise from Haruka as she slammed on the brakes, nearly swerving into a parked car as her own slid on the slick asphalt. So taken aback by the man falling from the sky, she wasn’t even sure what to say when said man showed himself to still be alive…somehow…
His words seemed to go in one ear and out the other given her slow reaction to his warning, the policewoman idly looking towards the hotel lobby where its occupants seemed on the apprehensive side but little else. But once she eyed the upper floors, squinting through the rain, did she realize that this was truly an emergency. Furious blue flames were erupting from one of the rooms and not long after, so were explosions, the latter raining debris to the streets and sending the lobby’s occupants into a growing panic.
Nothing about this was normal. “J-Just stay here alright? Katou, can you-“ Haruka started to say only for the car to be rocked from within and a sudden draft of cold air to hit its driver. In just that short a time, Assassin had kicked the door from its hinges and absconded into the night, hopefully towards whatever was happening up above. “Never mind…” Shaking her head, Haruka flicked on the sirens before doing the same (minus the flare and door breaking of her companion). “Don’t move alright?! I’ll be right back!” With that order given (not that the man may’ve had a choice), she took off for the lobby to do what do what needed to be done.
--
Assassin could’ve been more communicative, she realized, but the bell’s tolling trumped all else. Had anyone seen her, it’d be the unbelievable sight of someone literally running up the side of the building with the odd leap here and there. She had barely left the cruiser when it sounded again, now accompanied by explosions and flames, pushing her to hasten her ascent. With a quick glance down below, she spied her Master sprinting towards the main lobby. Excellent, Master! They were partnered for less than a week and already they were effectively coordinating.
But with her partner occupied with the hotel’s sudden evacuation, that still left her to investigate just what in the world was happening so close to her. Or, rather, just who was involved. It was clear as day that this could be nothing else but a fight between opposing Servants and powerful ones at that. Except, to her at least, one of them seemed too powerful. Less a Servant like herself and more an unrestrained force of nature.
She only prayed it was something she could handle without a repeat of her prior Master…
|
|
|
|
Rain
Sept 17, 2023 11:56:22 GMT
Post by PhantomBrogade on Sept 17, 2023 11:56:22 GMT
More spirits launched themselves at the skeletal assassin, blades flashing as they swung their weapons in defence of their boss. Another floor seemed to explode as Masamune crashed through, but to the swordsman it seemed like paper; inconsequential as he took two more swords from a retainer he passed by. With one, he hoisted it into a reverse grip; its blade arcing energy as he took aim.
The sound of metal shearing filled his ears and he roared. The blade shot out of his hand like a javelin, its form becoming indistinct as it was engulfed by the electricity within. It was aimed at the assassin's head and the moment it was recovering from fending off a retainer.
--
"Don't move, she says" Kojuro muttered weakly, his body screaming at him for doing something so idiotic he still wasn't one hundred percent sure he was dead. Especially given that it seemed he had run into another master, if his guess at what that blur had been that shot out of the car. Still, beggars couldn't be choosers and at this moment, he was a beggar through and through. With a grunt he rolled, landing on the road with a wet thud and a pained moan. Yup, he had definitely broken something. With effort, he dragged himself into the police car and out of the rain. There had to be an emergency medical kit in there somewhere, with at least some painkillers.
|
|
|
|
Rain
Dec 10, 2023 7:05:34 GMT
Post by Bixir on Dec 10, 2023 7:05:34 GMT
Wood, glass and metal splintered in rapid succession as what remained of the original room joined the rest of the building's crumbling architecture. Residual shrapnel covered the night sky, in a way obfuscating the clash of wills within. For anyone daring to observe this battle nearby, the meeting of blades and arms may well appear as strikes of lightning amid the rain. Only the truly inhuman could notice the details of either of the warriors hurdling towards the earth below.
This warrior was massive. He dwarfed all of his opponents in size and strength. His reflexes were quicker than any of them, moving with overwhelming force before most of the swordsmen could even begin to muster against him. In that fleeting window of seeming vulnerability, the massive knight moved like proverbial lightning made manifest. He reached out with an arm, hesitating to reach for where the transfigured sword seemed to be heading. Then, his physical form blinked, fast enough that it may appear that he had actually been struck in the head.
Then, a bright flash illuminated the block, this stranger at its epicenter. A split second afterwards, the sword turned lightning, inexplicably caught in his hand, had been cast elsewhere. Guided by an unconscious will, it shot like a cannonball at an errant doll converging on this battle. In that doll's mind, the bell tolled, louder than the rain, louder than the battle she was heading towards.
There was no time to process the maneuver, nor the pain that had surged through his arm when he had taken it in hand. The electricity from the blade rippled across the surface of his armor. His body recoiled, unable to hide the power that had acted upon him in the brief moment he had wielded his opponent's weapon. The pain was strange. Invigorating. The master had forgotten the taste of struggle. He launched himself forward, propelled by a burst of those blue flames shooting behind him like a rocket. Maintaining his grim countenance, the Assassin readied his blade, and swung broadly. Woe betide anyone who dared meet it.
|
|
|
|
Rain
Jan 30, 2024 23:24:13 GMT
Post by The Green Flame on Jan 30, 2024 23:24:13 GMT
“Please proceed in a calm and orderly fashion, do not panic! Get as far away from the building as you can!”
Easier said than done, was the silent thought through her head. The soft noise of steady rain had given way to a turbulent mess, the hotel lobby rumbling from claps of thunder that seemed to only grow louder and closer the as time went on. It was a small miracle that those fleeing hadn’t simply bulldozed over her in a panic or that, whatever was happening up above, hadn’t yet crashed down while people were still present. Or, God forbid, those unlucky enough to have shared a floor (or even a room) with whatever madness was happening up above. Actually verifying just what this was all about was another matter entirely. Both because getting everyone as far from the hotel as possible took precedent and, well, that was what Katou was for. She just wished she hadn’t forgotten her radio in the car with a person-sized crater in it… -- The higher the doll climbed, the louder and more ferocious the sounds of combat became. The claps of thunder were only accentuated by the shattering and splintering of the building’s structure and the colliding and scraping of metal on metal. Assassin kicked off the building’s surface to a higher perch, one that would give a perfect view of the two combatants and what she would likely be diving into if things spiraled out of control. And events were certainly rushing right in that direction she quickly realized, even at first glance. There were two…no, it was more than that. There were at least five fighters involved and, from what she could gleam through the whirlwind of clashes and rain, they were all against one opponent. The many were passingly familiar to her, if only for the clear, Japanese-style armor they were wearing but more than that, they weren’t the ones that filled her with a growing sense of dread. That honor belonged to the…thing they were up against. It was humanoid, of that much she was certain, but the warriors fighting against it might as well be children, the height disparity plain as day. And forget about its strength, its speed bordered on the absurd as it dominated the brawl. Just how did-
Ah.
There it was again, that bell. Too loud. It was just too loud. So loud that she felt like it was directly in her head. But through the toll, she saw the slightest twitch from the figure and with it, her survival instincts kicked into overdrive. Even with her Servant presence suppressed, this place was the furthest thing from safe. Contorting her body in a way only possible for a doll such as herself or one with extensive body-modifications, Assassin launched herself away from the ledge as sword (at least she thinks it was a sword) obliterated her hiding place with ease, sending rubble down to the streets below. That’s when it finally clicked into place. Death. That’s what it was, she realized. Indiscriminate and unyielding death to any unfortunate to stand against it and that bell was its harbinger. She was quite sure that none had been aware of her arrival and yet, the giant had nearly shattered her spirit core all the same and as an afterthought at that. A terrifying opponent that couldn’t be allowed to encounter her master, let alone live. Assassin launched fist out to grab the railing of a nearby balcony, quickly reeling herself in for a fast landing before she could be spotted flailing through the air. It was one of the few remaining with a decent enough view of the battle, a result of the combatants tearing down numerous walls with their battle. But silent as she had been, Assassin was about to put a spotlight on herself and draw the giant’s ire. She was sure her Master would understand. Steeling herself, Assassin slipped into a combat stance and began forming symbols with her hands, foreign ones to those unfamiliar with the Buddhist faith but as simple as breathing (figuratively) for her. Mudra, ritualistic gestures that were equal parts symbolic as they were spiritual and versatile. As the mana gathered, she mused that it would be the only one she could manage unopposed but if nothing else, the warriors would be able to take advantage. “Ten-Chi, Raiton!”
The sky rumbled violently, louder than the fighting and even the bell tolling in Assassin’s ears, and with it, a singular bolt of lightning cracked the sky open and came thundering down. But this wasn’t mere weather phenomena like those before it, no, it was charged with the mana of a Servant. And it was directed solely at the skull-faced giant, entirely ignorant of those it was locked in combat with, as if it knew what the real threat was.
|
|
