"JASDF EP-3 is returning to the mainland." "Japanese government is still panicked, but they're listening to us." "The Kremlin is demanding an explanation."
Pritchard stood quietly on the raised stage and carefully monitored the situation presented by his subordinates. Two of the screen still showed the links with the Chaldean Control Room and the Secretary-General. While David and Lord El-Melloi II looked attentive yet calm, Wittwer appeared moments away from biting his nails. One of his advisers offered him another handkerchief, and he gladly took it to wipe his forehead.
"China's standing down." "NORAD has confirmed our successful shoot-down! US Trident remains passive." "The squadron from USS Nimitz has turned back!"
Though alert, there was no cause for the Commander to fear anything just yet. As it currently stood, everything was actually going better than expected. The interceptors were driving off any nation's approaching aircraft while the Vigil Command Center negotiated the situation to their respective governments. Any civilian aircraft had already been diverted, and any bystanders close enough to try and take photos would find their cameras were being disrupted by the command and control aircraft.
"The DMZ is still quiet. SK Government is nervous, but cooperative." He nodded, and hoped it stayed that way.
North Korea was the only real outlier, but they had the primary channels jammed with a repeated message to slow and confuse any coordinated intervention. One of their flights had been scared back to base, and only a few patrols still tried to approach; The Vigil was actually trying to save some of them from outlying, newly frenzied adversaries. As it stood now, the Demilitarized Zone remained peaceful, and Pyongyang wasn't making any other bold moves on the radars. If they did, they already had the counter-artillery assets in place to stop any incoming attack.
Pritchard remained careful and wary. Every moment, any number of things could go wrong, but they had multiple contingencies to prevent the worst-case scenarios. Casualties on both sides would be a given, though they could be contained significantly for what was necessary; It was chess on a grand level.
It's the gamble Pritchard had staked his career on long ago, and so far, it was paying off. His well-trained soldiers were handling their end, and the support staff were diffusing the political powder keg. They were playing a dangerous game with this high stakes poker, but he'd always been a high-roller. Perhaps after handling the ensuing international fallout, he could possibly spend some time at the tables in Vegas.
"The NPA armor unit that came under attack has been saved! One of our MEDEVAC Angels is landing with security personnel! They're cooperating, Commander!"
"And by cooperating I pray you mean not shooting at us... We could use their testimonials later." Of course not all units were going to make their lives easy and listen to the warnings, but at least the two rescued combat units would vouch for the Vigil's good intentions. They'd definitely need those playing cards later to prove they really were targeting a 'terrorist cell.'
Still… Dalton's operation had been absurdly large and devoted. The frenzying troops had been an unwelcome surprise, but the troops responded accordingly. There's no possible way he could have brainwashed all these people by himself, could he? It was very likely the casters helped, or someone else. Hopefully Chaldea could shed light on that post-operation. For now, it was just a matter of keeping everything on the unsteady rails.
"Unless you're that calm, your poker face is remarkable," El-Melloi pointed out, but the Commander merely tipped his hat in thanks.
"I try for my soldiers' sakes. Modern wars have a lifetime's worth of accountability… Not as easy as running up to the other soldier and swinging your sword anymore."
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ φ ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
Chapter 9: Familiar Acquaintences
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ φ ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
The blast doors were hardly on Vigil or Chaldean levels of sophistication. At most, they were just massive slabs of metal on hinges. There were towing latches for nearby vehicles to move them. They still made for a formidable barrier by Da Vinci's calculations, and could probably withstand an indirect nuclear strike. If structurally reinforced by their former Shadow Medea, it could probably survive more.
'…But can it withstand a servant~?' Da Vinci though with a hum as a bright flash of light heralded her mount's arrival.
She turned towards Martha as Rama and Anishka quickly backed away from her. The Vigil soldiers and Clock Tower mages stared in awe at the elephant-sized beast. The armored, six-legged Tarasque resembled a colorful ankylosaur, and grunted with dignity. Muted reds and purples glinted in the sun, and its phantasmal power practically radiated off its hardened scales. It sniffed and huffed with its bearded, dog-like face as its blank, ivory eyes gazed around at its surroundings.
Tarasque was a proud beast of its phantasmal species, and appeared as intimidating as the stories heralded. However, Martha wasn't the least bit fazed as she walked up to her mount's side and gently patted its head. "See that door? I'm going to need your help breaking it open."
The phantasmal beast huffed pridefully as it gazed sideways at her- It suddenly froze. Martha started walking towards its tail, and Da Vinci's eyebrows slowly rose as the beast's former dignity seemed to slip away. The humming, smiling saint was unknowingly stared at by a now concerned and worried Tarasque, which made Da Vinci share an amused glance with Vlad. As she gazed back, Martha stood behind the mighty beast, held her staff in two hands…
…and quickly raised it behind her like a baseball bat with a determined smile. It glowed with a bright, holy light that only made the beast's face pale further in horror. A silent prayer left her lips, "Oh lord… please close your eyes for a while!"
"MARTHA, NO! PLEASE! I CAN JUST TACKLE IT!" the beast quickly cried out in pristine English, stunning many nearby. Da Vinci and her fellow Chaldeans only felt bad.
"TARASQUE!" she cried out mightily and swung her staff with unyielding might. Her staff slammed into its hindquarters, and the beast let out a vicious roar… or, for the Chaldeans, a desperate scream of despair. The beast spun wildly on the ground like a saw blade towards the doors, and impacted like a meteor crashing into the ocean. The doors flashed with the unmistakable lines of reinforcement, but they wouldn't hold; Not against a dragon's might!
Martha's Tarasque whined and howled as the doors folded inwards on their hinges. As they clamored and banged against the inner tunnel walls as they lodged themselves in the cement siding, the phantasmal beast wedged itself into the curving side nearly a hundred meters back. The light poured in like a spotlight, and revealed countless supply crates, support vehicles, and frenzying soldiers. Tarasque merely whimpered as it slowly dematerialized into dust. "Why do you do this to me, Martha…"
"ADVANCE!" Sergei cried out as the shield drones quickly moved up to stop the incoming fire. The Vigil troops surged forward methodically, but Da Vinci and Rama turned to Martha with amused smirks. The saint merely looked back with a blushing, bashful expression and a stuck-out tongue. The Clock Tower mages stared in total disbelief as Vernier quietly looked between the advancing troops, the broken doors, and the embarrassed rider.
She then quickly placed her hands together and smiled. "Oh lord… You may look once more, now."
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ III ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
A loud gunshot rang out, but it missed Brynhildr. A tree was severed from its roots instead, and quickly fell to the ground. It snapped branches and dragged another pine down with it towards the lumbering Darius. The berserker couldn't move out of the way in time, but took the full force of the collapse in stride. He staggered backwards on his massive legs, but did not fall; During the whole struggle, he never faltered to the ground.
He stood on firm, yet weakened legs as blood dripped from several penetrating wounds and lacerations. One of its eyes was shut, yet it still glared with firm determination at the present enemy servant. He continued his slow but steady chase, and it was clear the berserker was running low on magical energy. Hijikata ran by, stared at the lumbering behemoth, and nodded in approval. Low or not, his unyielding fighting spirit made the Chaldean ally smirk.
"Darius is still chasing. He's not going to back down," Hijikata called out, then ran after Brynhildr.
"Then we'll have to end Blackbeard fast. We can't let Darius fall." The Chaldean berserker drew his katana, and they quickly closed the distance with the kiting enemy.
Brynhildr quickly exploded into action. She streaked through the air with her lance primed and ready. The shadow servant appeared briefly through a gap in the tree tops, aimed towards her with his shrouded flintlock pistol, and loosed a round. Her course remained firm as another shot rang out. A quick bullet from Hijikata's own pistol soared through the air and slammed into shadow Blackbeard's round. The bullets deflected into two trees, severed their tops, and sent them into a crackling collapse.
"I'll hang ya' from your livers!" the maddened servant taunted as he landed on a large branch. With a quick kick, the corrupted rider launched himself towards Brynhildr as she thrust forward with her lance. His hook-blade parried her strike, and left her open for a swift kick. She sensed it coming. With a quick twirl, she slammed the butt of her lance into the enemy's shin to halt the strike. He cursed, but used the momentum to fling himself back and away.
Hijikata was quick on the pursuit. He slashed his sword forward and cleanly sliced the tree trunk in his path. With a spin, he then kicked the interfering tree forward, landed on a branch, and followed after it. The shadow servant was forced to break the incoming, makeshift projectile with a heavy backhand, but it left him vulnerable. Hijikata thrust his blade forward, yet the shadow servant had erratic ideas.
He spun to the side, and the katana sliced into the side of his torso. The blade cleanly slid out, but this shadow servant needed far more to be incapacitated. Even with its gushing wound, it slammed its elbow down onto Hijikata's back and sent him spiraling towards the ground. Just in time, the opponent quickly raised his hook-blade to deflect another strike from the charging Brynhildr.
The Chaldean berserker cursed as he braced himself for impa- Darius caught him. His large arms moved to soften the impact, and Hijikata found himself staring at the wounded berserker. It tilted its head slightly and groaned lightly. The Shinsengumi Vice-Commander nodded. "Thanks for the catch."
It roared in recognition… or that's what it sounded like, at least. Hijikata quickly reorientated himself and jumped from the Vigil berserker's arms. Darius then resummoned its blades, but looked up into the canopies with blank eyes. The fighting servants appeared and disappeared within the canopy, making it hard for it to follow. It appeared too wounded and weakened to waste energy jumping, but then it glanced to a nearby, fallen tree. One of its weapons swiftly dematerialized while it reached over, just as the Valkyrie's lance began to sing.
With surprising agility, the shadow servant managed to duck and weave between every thrust and slash Brynhildr sent his way. They dashed along the tree tops, and the lancer frowned in discontent; Any hit she landed was merely shrugged off by the servant. The maddened state and its unique abilities meant they had to go for an absolutely lethal strike. She jumped back in an attempt to bait it towards her, and it worked.
To try and force an opening for Hijikata, she thrust her lance forwa- Brynhildr quickly jumped back again as a giant tree slammed into Blackbeard and scattered a shower of pine needles in its wake. He was sent sprawling through the canopy as the tree bent its kin and snapped the tops of others. She and Hijikata quickly raced along the swaying, erratic canopy to take advantage of the enemy rider's staggered state while Darius roared from below. They spotted their prey as he fell against a tree trunk, but he quickly tried to correct his orient-
Darius hurled one of his axes and severed the enemy's leg! He yelled in pain, and kicked off the tree with his remaining foot. Sickly, misty blood spewed from the wound as he hurdled through the air, but the instinctual move left him open. As the severed tree fell, Brynhildr jumped on top to get a better angle as Hijikata swung forward with his katana. The enemy rider countered with his hook blade, but he was perfectly open now. Hijikata spotted Brynhildr, then batted the enemy upward with a swing of his rifle.
Spiked into the air, the enemy was helpless as Hijikata fired a shot into his spine. He groaned in pain, and Brynhildr poured fresh-forged prana into her legs. She was a blurry rocket that soared into the enemy. Azure flames coated the tip of her lance. A second later, she impaled him perfectly through the chest, and they fell to the earth with a thunderous crash. The scent of splintered, sizzling pine filled her nose as she glared into the whirlwind of shadowy mist and heavenly flame; The pinned shadow servant could only cough blood within the cratered earth.
Yet he still moved! With trembling arms, he grasped at Brynhildr's lance, but he was too weak. She swiftly ripped her lance out, reaimed, and plunged the reignited tip straight through his neck. The wide angle of its tip sliced clean through the shadow servant, and his legs twitched with the last of its remaining life. Hijikata landed nearby with his rifle drawn and ready, but he held his fire as they watched the shadow servant slowly disappear. Piece by piece like wafting residue from a campfire, the enemy rider's form scattered into the air.
With a sigh, Brynhildr pulled out her lance and took a step back. "One more down."
"We should go help Tomoe," Hijikata asserted as he sheathed his rifle. Darius' thunderous footsteps drew closer, but they could hear splintering pine and clashing steel in the distance. Brynhildr glanced towards the fight, but quietly exhaled.
"We should… but I don't know if she'd want us to."
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ IV ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
There were synchronized blurs among the distant mountainside trees. Vigil soldiers on security couldn't help but glance their way. Tiny flashes of sparkling steel flared among the trees like cameras in a colosseum. Trees wavered and bent, while others fell to the earth along the warpath. Ceaselessly, the two fought.
While she leapt backwards among the branches, Tomoe materialized her bow, drew a reinforced arrow, and sent it through the trees within a split second. Not even a moment later, three more arrows followed it as they soared to her opponent. The shadow servant flicked her wrist, and sliced the first arrow perfectly with her sword. She deflected the second one into a nearby tree, which severed its top. She cleanly cut sliced the third down the middle, and splintered other trees in the act.
The maddened servant then vanished, and reappeared the top of the fourth to use it as a stepping stone. She vanished again before a fifth arrow could land. When the recognizable, shadowy samurai appeared on another branch, Tomoe took quick aim. She held her shot as the familiar opponent vanished, and reappeared on a closer branch. She swiftly turned her bow forward, released the shot, and narrowed her eyes.
As she reappeared, the shadow servant disintegrated the arrow with a mighty slash, then flicked her wrist for-
Clang! Tomoe predicted the move. With her Naginata in hand, she deflected the blade away, jumped back, and thrusted forward. Her shadowy rival followed, parried her blade, and sliced for her neck. Tomoe tumbled in midair to dodge, then swept at her feet. The maddened servant growled, raised her legs swiftly, and landed atop her blade. With a yell, the shadow servant thrusted towar- "(You won't win, Yoshitsune!)"
Her enemy growled in hatred as the Chaldean archer swiftly used her naginata as a catapult. The shadow servant tumbled away, but righted herself to land with both feet against a tree trunk. She rocketed towards her fated rival once again and returned in their tongue, "(FALL, TOMOE!)"
Even slightly wounded and a shadow servant, this form was putting up a hell of a fight. As they danced among the branches, they threatened to clear the area faster than a logging company. Regardless of the collateral, Tomoe's eyes remained focused and tense. Maddened, weakened copy or not, this was still her skilled rival. With every deflection and strike, she proved she was still Ushiwakamaru. Yet she wasn't the Chaldean one… Not the one who tried to save her when the Demon Pillars launched their ambush only days ago…
So Tomoe had no qualms about letting every ounce of lingering animosity flow into this fight. Dare she say, she even savored her task!
With pulsing despair and released frustration, Tomoe let out a yell, replaced her naginata with her katana, and used a slicing draw precisely at the charging shadow rider. Their blades matched and locked, for she unfortunately had to hold back. As much as she wanted to release her fiery anger through her signature, flame-wreathed strikes, she couldn't allow a forest fire to take root. This fight would be waged on even terms.
Both her feet gracefully moved along the branches and maintained perfect harmony; Her enemy mirrored the balance. She blocked a strike to her side, then went for an overhead attack. The enemy Ushiwakamaru twirled past, and their stances reset; She lunged, but Tomoe parried. Steel glinted and sparked as their fluid movements graced their treetop stage. Their struggle echoed with a storied history, as strike for strike was matched perfectly and evenly.
Theirs was not a traditional duel of katanas, but they were far from ordinary. Every strike resounded through the air like the flare of a firing muzzle. Every block, parry, and dodge was like watching ballerinas on ice. Their eyes glared firmly like lions hunting in the dark, and remained keen and focused on their dance partner. It was just them, trading blows in a frustrating stalemate as they poured their energy into every single attempt. The seconds passed like minutes, yet their lethal dance was as ceaseless now as it was then.
In her peripherals, she saw Hijikata and Brynhildr trailing them, yet they kept their distance. She'd have to thank them later for letting her indulge.
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ V ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
The angry roar of a firing flak cannon was silenced. The enemy Lancelot jumped back, yet Li's strike still yielded results. The large gun's barrel bent and snapped from the receiver, leaving the black, corrupted weapon useless. As the severed part flew into the ruined emplacement to rupture the ground, the enemy berserker threw the remnants at Li. With a quick shunt, he blinked out of its path as the metal casing scraped, tumbled, and shrieked against the cratered tarmac.
"They're advancing deeper. Quit dragging this out," the alter growled in annoyance.
Li merely huffed. "I'm not trying to… Tell your crazy knight to cooperate and die."
The maddened knight charged towards the golden-eyed king, but she poured prana into her blade. It hissed with fury, and a shadowy extension of ebony fired from its blade. She slashed it unforgivingly towards the maddened knight, and forced it to evade skywards. It grasped the corrupted Arondight with both hands, but came down short as the alter leapt back. She then burst forward with a deafening release of prana, but her mad knight raised the sword in perfect counter.
Li appeared with his spear, and thrust it straight at the knight's core. He broke away, but grasped the weapon fiercely. The lancer grunted as the tip began to turn into- He quickly dematerialized his weapon! He leapt back, but the opposing berserker was already gunning for his king again. Li growled, and disappeared as the opposing berserker pushed the altered king further along the woodline.
They passed a disabled SAM site, but it was still of use to the mad knight of the lake. After kicking the Vigil saber towards the emplacement, it grasped one of the disabled missiles. Like a plague, red lines spread across its surface as it blacken- Li reappeared! The berserker was forced to dodge back as Li's swift, nearly invisible punches slammed through the air like artillery rounds. The alter quickly rejoined the fight, and a moment later, the nearby SAM site detonated by a vortex of unseen projectiles.
In the concealing shade of the treetops, Tristan stood anxiously, redrew his bow, and waited. The air was still, yet he was anything but calm within. His hand gripped the string of his bow tensely, and his perceptive focus secluded the three dueling servants from anything else. Even the hum of the gunships overhead and the distant sounds of lingering servant conflict were lost in the stillness as the archer waited, tracked, and prepared for the key moment.
There was almost no one that could survive his noble phantasm without interference. The string of his harp-like bow even allowed him to set invisible traps in preparation, and the forest would have been perfect for that. Alas, Berserker Lancelot was too erratic, and always too close to his altered king to act. Even Li's attempts to create an opening consistently fell short. Setting it up should have been much easier, but the maddened servant was simply too hard to pin down and separate from their ally.
Nevertheless, Tristan remained ready for the past few minutes. Li's actions were growing increasingly riskier for his king, but other attempts were failing; They needed to pry him away.
The red lancer appeared in the sky, and rocketed down like a meteor. His king made a sudden burst of prana to clear away, and the enemy Lancelot moved to try and follow. With the hasty telepathic coordination, Arturia Alter was only a hair's length away from Li's fist as she passed under him.
His fist missed the instinctually driven opponent, but he still succeeded. In the tiniest fraction of a second, Li crouched further into his impact, and barely dodged the wild Lancelot's swing. Then the lancer's true attack erupted instantly. The concussive whirlwind of swirling prana exploded from his landing. The ground churned and erupted with the growing red lines of his impact. The opponent was knocked off his feet, and the maddened knight growled angrily as he slashed again.
Li vanished for a split second, the attack missed, and he reappeared behind him. As he practically floated in midair, he threw his fists forward. They moved so fast, they remained hazy blurs, but not the concussive flashes, as they slammed against the hardened armor. In a split second, four near-simultaneous punches collided with and staggered the enemy before he poured his prana into the fifth strike. He waited until gravity tugged him just low enough, then rocketed the fist into his opponent's plate.
The maddened Lancelot was sent flying, and Tristan didn't hesitate. He released his bow, and the first string took flight as the line glowed with a deceivingly welcoming blue aura. Without pause, he pulled the string back again and sent another crippling string towards his opponent. Again and again, he fired his bow with blistering speed as the delicate lines flew towards the tumbling enemy. They fired so quickly, one after the other, they appeared like a storm of radiant cobalt. "Singing of pain… Playing laments..."
As he spun, the berserker swung wildly, and snapped the first string cleanly; But there were too many. Like a needle to cloth, one string pierced through a calve and exited at the other side. Another strung itself through his chest. Yet another wrapped around his neck and pulled taught. For every string he cut, two found their mark. The berserker growled and roared while its violent struggles fell stiffer under the growing constriction. Suspended nearly a dozen meters in the air, the servant hung like a poor fly caught in a spider's glistening, blue web.
Yet, the spider's appetite was far from voracious. "Forgive me, my friend, but I wish not bare this sight any longer."
He pulled back the final shot as the blue prana erupted from his real arrow. It grew immeasurably, and doubled in strength faster than he could blink. Though mournful of what he must do, he would not hold back. He would not hesitate for any moment like his gifted-self did against Arturia in the Jerusalem singularity. This terrible sight would end so it could be forgotten that much faster. "This is my arrow… Failnaught…"
The arrow was loosed, but appeared as a beam of unyielding cerulean energy that consumed the enemy knight completely. The earth halted its path, yet it grew in width as the berserker vanished within its light, helpless against the onslaught. He poured his all into the noble phantasm, yet he did not open his eyes to witness the sight in full. He merely drowned out the dying yells of his maddened companion, and held his bow ready in case it wasn't enough.
Thankfully, it had been. As the roar of his attack subsided, and its blinding light dissipated in a gentle mist, Tristan allowed his eyes to open slightly. He was met with the dispersing cloud of golden, wispy tendrils of a breaking servant. Arondight and the knight's helm fell to the tarmac with loud clangs, but also disappeared soon after; It was the only part of his maddened friend he saw disappear. It was better that way.
He let his breath out slowly, then leapt from the tree to Li. The lancer waited calmly with hands gently folded before him. His sharp and stoic face turned to him as he landed. "Don't think about it at all. He's not our Lancelot."
"I just did what I had to," he told his companion, and himself. It didn't sit well, but he was right. That Lancelot wasn't theirs…
…And this altered king wasn't his, yet he still straightened instinctively as she quickly walked before them. Her strong gaze landed on him, yet he held himself steady. The grip on her blade was calm as she curiously eyed the two, then nodded. "…Well met. A bit too long, but good enough."
As Li nodded and shrugged lightly, a small silence fell. This king seemed very uncaring for what just happened. Lancelot was her most trusted, yet in this altered form, she didn't even bat an extra eyelash at his disappearance. There wasn't even an extra word towards him of their difficult past; Her curious gaze merely lingered a little longer on him, and that was it. He didn't know if he should feel disappointed, frustrated, or incredulous.
The alter turned down the ravaged western runway. "They're moving deeper. Let's not waste any more time here."
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ VI ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
Inside the darkened room, the mist-leaking eyes of soldiers clustered by the two exits. They illuminated the two metal doors, and though they banged on them frantically with all their might, nothing budged. They were just regular soldiers, controlled against their will and acting on a maddened instinct. They groaned and yelled as they flailed against the door-
Bang! With a yell, the larger metal door was sent flying off its hinges by Bazett's mighty punch. The cluster of opposing soldiers behind the massive object were swiftly flattened as the wild bull of a door ran them over. The rest staggered backwards as the magus quickly leapt back out of the doorway; Several cannisters flew into the room as she did. Her magic circuits flared beneath her uniform, but she quickly shielded her eyes.
A bright flash flared through the darkened room beyond like a supernova. The countless stacked barrels and crates within the warehouse were briefly illuminated. The maddened soldiers were easily stunned by the sudden flashes and loud, concussive blasts of the enhanced stun grenades. As they grasped their ears and roared with misty-covered eyes, it made them easy targets for the breaching unit.
The room lit up like a rave as coordinated laser fire heralded the assaulting Vigil operators. There was no stray fire; Every shot taken was towards an identified target. It was quick and efficient, and barely took more than a handful of seconds as the operators swept through the large warehouse with their futuristic night vision arrays activated. It was only when a chorus of confirmation echoed through the room did the magus return with her hand outstretched.
From her hand, small balls of light quickly flew to the walls and ceiling to illuminate the room; They were the same ones that lit up the tunnels outside. She disappeared within to rejoin her squad as Vernier passed by. He turned to the other side of the near-pitch-black tunnel where the same thing happened with a set of Vigil soldiers and an unfamiliar magus. The platoons had entered and split up to make quick, steady work of room clearing; Not even surprise boundary fields stopped them for too long.
They'd met more frenzied troops, but none remained in the tunnels. They'd rushed with such a maddened frenzy that even the usual dead apostles looked fairly tame. It made him wary of the silent darkness of the tunnels ahead, but not fearful. The Vigil operators and soldiers had done most of the work with practiced ease, so much so that he and his fellow mages got to do very little. He actually welcomed the small respite.
"…The Vigil's efficient. I'll give them that much." That mumbling was all these commoners were going to pry out of his prideful and partially intimidated lips.
"It helps they're aware of magecraft and its dangers," Kairi informed quietly as the more advanced unit he was with lined up at a nearby door. Two flashlights quickly turned on to illuminate the larger barricade, which made Kairi hum. "They're hiding something behind this one, Sergei."
"You want to break it down, or shall I?" the Captain responded as he playfully cracked his knuckles. Though he was a… 'normal' person, Vernier wouldn't be surprised if the hulking man could actually rip one of these doors off their hinges. Instead of pondering the errant though, he actually took a step forward and away from his following mages. Da Vinci and the other Chaldeans stared at him before they could speak up.
"I'll take this door." He had some frustration he wanted to let loose, and some pride to reignite. Those surrounding him had shown their metal a lot, and he felt the need to spread his own feathers and strut around a bit; He never liked to appear weak or wanting. He was Pride-Ranked, for crying out loud.
The nearest soldiers took a few extra steps away from the door, and the lead one put away a strange set of electronics. The soldier nodded to him dutifully and respectfully, which he appreciated greatly. "No one on the other side, sir. There's a concentration of magical energy though. Could be a trap."
Without saying a word in response, he placed his hand against the door, triggered his circuits, and felt around lightly. Unless it was a well-made field beyond his expertise, there was nothing… Just the hum of the massive field that still surrounded them. He nodded quietly, took a step back, and let his magic circuits flare.
He lit up with the yellow glow of his humming, high-grade circuits, then formed his hand into a fist. Small lighting-like tendrils of condensed prana danced around his knuckles like a toy plasma globe, yet remained in perfect control. With a firm, focused glare at the door, he inhaled sharply, then slammed the sphere-covered fist towards the obstruction. The door clanged and bellow with the impact, and he felt his bones and teeth rattle… yet he proved stronger.
The larger door swung on its hinges into the room and banged around loudly against the wall; He didn't jump from the doorway. He swiftly raised his other hand, and a small shield of golden electricity formed. It was only good enough to absorb one spell, but it could make the difference between life and death. The Vigil operator had been right, though, and the room beyond was empty, save for one glowing exception.
Vernier walked into the room so his shield could illuminate it like a spotlight. The cube-shaped, concrete room was terribly plain, but served only to house the gigantic, glowing magic circle on the far wall. The intricate pattern, or web, was like nothing he'd ever seen before. It was archaic, and whispered knowledge of a forgotten time as it pulsed the colors of the rainbow in sequence. He dropped his shield in confusion, but turned back as Da Vinci hummed and entered the room.
"That definitely look like one of Medea's…" she noted. A few soldiers and his mages peeked into the room as she stopped beside him. "No wonder the field was powerful."
"Can it be dismantled safely?" Sergei asked from outside the room, and Da Vinci slowly nodded.
"It can… but it would take a while unless she was here. But there are other safe and fast options."
Sergei opened his mouth to talk, but he quickly placed a hand to his headset. After a moment of pause, he nodded to Da Vinci. "Miss Da Vinci, I leave it to you! A platoon had just found civilians. I must go check safety… Cloud! Take command while I look! Clear the halls ahead!"
"Got it!" someone called out quickly. "Two-one! Prep the next room! They have this one!"
The operators rushed past the door, but Vernier and his mages glanced between Da Vinci and the intricate weaving on the wall. He cleared his throat. "So, these options…"
"We'll go with the quickest~!" Da Vinci quickly hummed, then quickly bewildered the magus as she walked to the door. "You might want to step back outside~!"
He raised an eyebrow curiously… then Martha walked into the room. "Oh lord… I'm sorry, but please avert your eyes once more…"
Vernier didn't need any further enticement to run out like the floor turned to lava.
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ VII ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
The primary monitor was quickly shrouded with dust and debris after Martha's punch slammed into the rune. Destroying it was the easiest way, and the saint had a strong enough Magic Resistance to safeguard her from any possibly feedback. It didn't save her from the laughter and applause that ran through the Chaldean Control Room. Frankenstein giggled in her seat beside Anton. "Oh Martha…"
"She looked a little too eager that time…" David chuckled as he typed at the main console. "Look like the theater got some laughs out of it too."
"Commander Pritchard. We'll have better scans of the facility momentarily." Lord El-Melloi II smirked lightly, then turned to the monitor with the Chaldean scanners. The blurry image quickly began to knit itself with further detail. Like pieces of a puzzle, the fragmented, rotating image quickly filled with new signatures. The caster's smirk grew with satisfaction as David grinned; They could even see down the minute details like regular humans present an-
His smirk fell fast. David's did too as his fingers raced across the keys. "I'm going to rescan that room and run a comparison check!"
"…Is something wrong?" Pritchard asked cautiously as he gazed cautiously to them.
The silence grew, but El-Melloi's focus remained on that glaring, powerful signature. The two servants nearby were smaller compared to it, and he couldn't think of very many opponents that could meet that criteria; One came to mind instantly. Dalton's links… the enemy's knowledge of Chaldea's existence... even the different angle of wanting to end humanity… No. Even if he was warier than ever of jumping to conclusions, this was very likely the case.
That's when the scanners beeped and confirmed. El-Melloi turned to the screen as Tesla and Edison's mouths slowly fell open. His gaze turned sharp and incredulous as David's eyes narrowed with newly clenched, angry fists. The compositional match was just a few increments shy of a guaranteed match, but ninety-four was hardly a debatable percentage.
El-Melloi didn't understand why or how this was possible. The demon pillars had vanished from the singularity with Goetia's defeat… but… They never did get confirmation of every pillar's destruction. They had the recordings of the entire situation, but there was no time to double check with all the current issues… No. This was a safe assumption, and something that absolutely must be brought to light as the likely truth.
"Pritchard. Tell your troops to be on guard." His gaze snapped from his monitor to the controls, but David had already swiftly pressed the relay keys for him. "Da Vinci! We have an emergency situation! We're going to guide you to one of the larger chambers, but you need to move! Now!"
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ VIII ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
Da Vinci's staff projected a sky-blue light around them as they ran, ensuring they didn't run into any vehicle or supply palette in their path; It was more for Anishka and the following Clock Tower mages' sakes than the servants. They ran behind Rama as Da Vinci swiftly led them down the corridor on the new, projected map from her comms device. A bright red line marked the access route, which they quickly followed after El-Melloi revealed the presence of a weakened Demon God Pillar.
"It's matched to Lev!? He's still alive!?" Da Vinci spat out with disbelief as they raced down the dark tunnel.
"The match is nearly a hundred percent. It's him, and he's waiting with two servants." That only served to make Vlad angrier, and even Anishka's eyes furrowed with distaste. "Get the other available servants back to you. Pritchard's pulling the Vigil out of the compound so you can handle it."
Anishka answered swiftly. "Everyone! Please defeat the last servants and get back to us! We've been told there's a demon pillar here! We're moving in to investigate!"
She nodded in approval, but then glanced back briefly. "Vernier. This is going to be way out of your team's league!"
"I'll be the judge of that," he called back resolutely, and she was afraid the prideful magus would say that. "If it's Lev, he's got a lot to answer for! We're coming with you!"
She wasn't going to waste her breath arguing any further. With a shake of her head, she merely focused on the path ahead. After a quick glance at the projected map, she swiftly raised her gauntlet forward, and let it rocket down the corridor ahead. Its boosters illuminated several armored doors where other, corrupted soldiers remained trapped due to the power outage. The gauntlet slammed into the metal blast doors ahead, but accidentally penetrated the crack and failed to break a hole.
Her gauntlet swiftly returned to her hand, and she burst ahead. Her shoes skidded to a halt against the door. She grasped one with her armored gauntlet and pulled. With swift bursts, Vlad appeared to try and open- "I got this!"
They jumped out of the way as Rama swung his sword forward and cannonballed through the doors. They were swiftly knocked off their hinges as Martha followed past. The two paused as Da Vinci took the lead again, and only glanced back momentarily to make sure Anishka and the mages were following safely.
As her feet pummeled the ground as she ran, frustration welled within. A Demon God Pillar… Flauros was detected here, of all possibilities! With Dalton's connection, she had hoped it was just a group of powerful people he manipulated into helping him. Instead, it was the pillar itself. As frighteningly plausible as it could be calculated, she didn't want to believe the scanners were right, but they had to see for themselves.
Because if it was correct, it was then plausible Flauros wasn't the only pillar that escaped alive.
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ IX ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
"Go on ahead! I'll finish this!" Tomoe cried out defiantly as she ducked beneath a lightning-fast slash. The tree behind her was easily cleaved. It slowly creaked and flailed to the ground, bouncing dangerously as the shadow Ushiwakamaru slid beneath. She blocked two swift overhead swings from Tomoe before the severed tree slammed into a nearby pine and ground to a halt.
Loosened needles floated to the ground around them, illuminated by the rising sun's beams that painted themselves across their dusty battlefield. They twirled and fell terribly slow compared to the blurry dance of the two Japanese cranes. Across the dusty field, every one of their powerful clashes sent a light prana gust swirling around them. The needles remained in an endless sprinkle wherever they moved, yet did nothing to halt the intricate ballet of swords.
Sparks flew from Tomoe's katana as it grinded off of the enemy shadow servant's blade. The enemy nicked another piece of her sleeve off, and she shaved a few phantom hairs. They jumped back again, and the Chaldean readied her blade above her head. The shadow servant kept hers poised traditionally, but growled. "(My blade will drink of your blood, Tomoe!)"
"Not before mine draws yours," Tomoe countered as she breathed calmly. This battle wasn't trying, but the enemy's skill and her reluctance to use her flames held them fairly even; She still needed to end this. Her heart desired it as much as the situation. With narrowed eyes, she waited until the opposing rider charged first.
The enemy slashed downward, but she sidestepped gracefully. She brought her katana down, but the shadow servant twirled hastily to slam their blades together with a clang. Tomoe could almost see the anger and frustration behind the veil of shadow, but she heard it as her shadowy rival growled. Tomoe took a step back and freed her blade, then sliced towards her neck.
Shadow Ushiwakamaru flipped backwards, but the archer charged after her. Again and again, their blades clashed and parted with intimate kisses. Her cloth earned more nicks, but the enemy sported some light wounds. Though it didn't show before, every new step and clash made the enemy's left limp more visible. Her right guard was faltering slowly, but this wouldn't be drawn out any more. She'd welcomed the dance, but time was precious.
After knocking back her rival's swing with a heavy slash of her own, her katana dematerialized. She reached out in the tiniest window allowed, grasped the edge of her slimy shadowy hair in her iron grip, and flipped over her. With a growl, she hurled her opponent through the treetops with all her might, and the baseball pitch sent her twirling. The opponent growled as branches crumpled and broke in her wake, but Tomoe was already concentrated again.
Her bow rested in her hands once more, and she drew back a new arrow as she widened her stance. Her eyes opened slowly, and locked onto her opponent as the rider corrected her chaotic flight. Her arrow ignited with vengeful flame, but the shadow servant had already vanished. She remained firm. 'This is it.'
She reappeared again on a tree branch, then on another. With every blink, she was closing the distance as Tomoe readied her deadly arrow, and attempted to follow her movements. Only a few seconds later, her rival was only a scant few meters away.
Yet Tomoe didn't blink. Her bow and arrow swiftly disappeared, and her katana was once more in her grasp as she rocketed forward. The shadow servant gasped in surprise as Tomoe threaded the needle in her desperate charge and slid her blade cleanly through the enemy's torso. She landed perfectly within a spotlight of sunbeams as the shadowy rider crashed among the pine needled bed in two halves.
As Tomoe breathed out slowly, the opponent growled and raged weakly with frustration. Quietly, the archer flicked her blade to remove the sickly blood, then slid her katana back into its sheath slowly. Behind her, the shadow rider's faltering form flaked and disintegrated in the sunlight. The swirling mist of madness personified disappeared with the dying servant, leaving Tomoe standing amongst the tall pines as a gentle breeze caressed her hair.
She quickly turned around and gazed into the tree tops. Brynhildr leapt down from her spot, and they shared a quiet nod. She may have waited for her against her wishes, but she didn't interfere; She didn't need to. This was a shadow servant, and not the real Ushiwakamaru. There was no way Tomoe was going to lose to it. The lancer smiled. "That was a graceful display."
"Thank you," she responded as they turned back to the compound. "I needed that..."
Silently, they rushed off towards the tunnel entrance as the earth trembled.
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ X ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
"One after the other… What is wrong with you servants…? You're called servants! Isn't that enough of an indicator!?"
Carmilla stood her ground and scowled lightly. She said it. She really said it, but she didn't regret a word. Even at the risk of being humiliated like the deceased Mephistopheles, she had outright told both of these vile things she was not going to follow their orders and fight the Chaldeans. To follow the orders of such disgusting wretchedness… her noble mind wouldn't step that low! She'd rather be defiled and burned than agree!
Yet she knew, and so did Dalton and that… thing. They could still control her; The command seals belonged to them.
He stared at the disappointed, well-dressed magus as he stood before her with crossed arms. His mentor had scattered spheres of illumination around the room in leu of the power's absence, and only served to highlight his growing anger. The shadow servant stood ready behind him, and she could feel the shade gazing into her soul hungrily. Even so, Carmilla stood proudly, for a noble never diminishes her pride by shrinking.
No… If they were to try and control her with further command seals, then her path ahead was obvious. "You won't command me. I won't allow it!"
She raised her scepter swiftly, and made Dalton flinch in surprise; It wasn't aimed for him, not his servant or mentor. She twirled the sharp end towards herself, steeled her nerves, and plunged the weapon towa- It stopped a millimeter over her heart! It wouldn't move, but-!
Carmilla gasped and yelled in agony as she fell to her knees. Illuminated by the light in the room, Lev stood in the shadows with a deranged smile as his sickly, crimson eyes glared in the dark towards her. She crumpled to a heap at her feet as her scepter rattled and rolled onto the ground. Dalton glanced between her and his mentor, then let out a breath of relief. She let out a slow hiss as she felt the control over her own body waning painfully. "DeFIaNcE iS futiLe! Do NoT fOrgET yOU BElOng tO ME! I wILl nOt aLlow My toOls To sLIp FrOM my GRASp!"
She was bending to that thing's will before she could even end herself! Stacked with its predecessor, the command seal's influence was urging her to listen carefully to the sickly voice. Her arms wrapped around herself as she felt disgusting impulses crawl beneath her skin. Her body, and slowly her mind, were succumbing to the disgusting mentor's control!
This wasn't how it was supposed to be! When she was summoned to a simple necromancer, she didn't know what to believe. She'd been informed of almost nothing on being summoned, only the vague concept of a servant and master relationship from a sickly voice. Then, as much as she was revolted by it, she was ultimately subservient to the one holding the seals. She couldn't have gotten any luckier than that simple magus who just wanted a partner to help achieve his research goals.
Yet, unintentionally, he asked why she was so interested in literal blood baths, and pointed out how chaotic, filthy, and evil they seemed; He hardly cared, but others would. It picked at a scab… a growing voice in her head that told her what she did was wrong, and all the new guilt that piled onto it over time. She still didn't understand completely why she was evil, but she read the history, and sure enough… Elizabeth Bathory was practically defined as an evil sociopath.
'To think this would be my punishment…' She still didn't understand. No one ever told her she was wrong, and yet now… now she was receiving a delivered punishment she never thought she deserved. But even so, part of her whispered she did. Years of walking this planet, and the guilt and disbelief chewed on her conscious. Only now did it seem she would answer for her deep sins…
Carmilla was a noble, yet even still, she wanted to cry at the ravenous thoughts and controlling whispers in her head. That thing owned her. This megalomaniac owned her. She was a slave to their bidding whether she'd rather die or not, and she couldn't do a thing to stop it. Just like her last moments, her panicked mind tried to reach out for help… to call out, and appear disgustingly weak, for someone to save her…
…Yet her body didn't cooperate. She tried to force her lips to cry out, yet she heard nothing. She only saw Dalton laughing maniacally with every attempt with an open mouth. This was it. She was going to watch, trapped within her mind for the remainder of her existence as they used her as they pleased.
She barely managed to look up as Lev growled demonically towards the blast doors.
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ XI ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
"One… Two…" At the count of three, Hijikata and Rama kicked the last two doors together.
With a loud clang, they parted and slammed open. The large room beyond was lit well enough that their gazes immediately landed on the four within. Vlad practically seethed as his eyes looked for a familiar, green-suited man. The others gazed towards the crumpled Carmilla, and others still at Dalton and his last shadow servant. Vernier and his mages glances at nearly everything, but joined the other stunned expressions as they landed on Lev.
The man walked slowly into the light glow of one of the spheres, but he was anything but angelic. He twitched at least once a second, and his fingers and hands wouldn't stop moving. Just shambling forward looked like it took considerable effort as a mostly regular-looking human. What gave it away most besides the sickly mist that surrounded him, and the patched of blackened skin, were the eyes…
Those angry, crimson eyes mimicked the slimy orbs of his Demon Pillar form. "ChaLdeA…! cHaldEA! EveRy TImE! EVEry TImE yOu RUiN evERythiNg EveRY TiMe!"
"…It's Lev, but… What's wrong with him…?" Anishka practically breathed out as Rama took a cautionary step towards her. Without hesitation, he gripped his sword tightly as the Clock Tower mages stared at the entire scene.
Some glanced at Dalton and began pointing in disbelief, while Vernier only stared forward in horror at Lev. "Fes Leynor? What… what in the…!?"
Da Vinci and Martha gripped their staves readily, but not more than Vlad gripped his unique spear. Rama's eyes narrowed carefully. "Anishka, we might have to get you and the others out of here… His presence. It feels much more chaotic than it should be."
"I'm fINe…! I'M FIne, i'm fINE, i'm Fine aS CAN bE WiTH CHaLDea HeRe…!" Lev growled menacingly, but twitched erratically. "OUr plaNs… yOU'vE dEStroYEd tHeM aLl…! yoU Must perish…! HumaNity mUST periSH…! rID The gUILt! kilL chAlDEA! kIll AlL oF hUManITy!"
"Kill all of humanity…!? Mentor! We were only going to cull the chaff and let the rest serve as my subjects!" Dalton cried out swiftly as his shadow servant crouched down on all fours and hissed at the Chaldeans. "Why else did you help corrupt the grail? You knew I wanted enforcers who wouldn't be stupid enough to question a king's orders to kil-!"
"THOsE serVAnTS wErE fOr My uSE! miNe, MINe, MinE!" Lev's gaze turned to Dalton as Da Vinci glanced at him strangely. Did he not notice something was terribly off about Lev? He was talking to him like he was just another… It rang in her mind. Her eyes slowly widened, but she nodded in understanding. The number of holes in their plan became more and more logical by the second when Lev's current insanity and his subordinate were considered.
"Yours!? For what purpose! You wanted me to rule before you disappeared! That's what you told me just yesterday! You know I had more potential than you!" Dalton scoffed as he finally turned his disbelief on Lev. "We wouldn't have even gotten this far into my plan if it wasn't for me-!"
"SilEncE, IMbEciLe!" Without warning, a set of sickly chains rocketed from the ground and skewered Dalton's limbs.
He screamed in pain as the shadowy servant swiftly sunk her claw into his chest. Desperately, he grasped at the offending limb, but was powerless against the might of even a weakened, maddened servant. She pushed the claw farther though, and he screamed as he fell to his knees. Atop the bloodied, misty claw, an ebony necklace pulsed with a purplish hue; Da Vinci recognized it as another artifact Caster Gilles could use to empower someone's abilities further.
Da Vinci's instincts whispered to do something, but it was already far too late for him... and then there was a Demon God Pillar to worry about.
The servants remained vigilant as Flauros' crazed stare remained locked on them, and paid no attention to his former pupil's plight. As he crumpled weakly to the ground, Dalton's gurgled voice faded in his throat. Slowly, his struggle faded in the chains' grasp, but the shadow servant wasn't through. She tore into his backside with another flared order as Flauros growled loudly towards the Chaldeans.
"bAcKup plAn…! rEAl pLaN…! SaLvAtIOn oF hUMAnItY By gOEtIA AnD oUr COllecTIVe…! WhY DoES iT NOt SuCCeeD…!? Why DoEs iT nEver SuCCeEd!? wHY, wHY, WHY!?" he yelled incredulously as his form hissed, bubbled, and writhed with wild, sickening motions. "oUR MilLEnnIa loNG plAn! oUr CaReFul HiDing ANd pLANniNG SINce THe BEGiNNinG! An OMnIScIenT vIsiOn ThAt wOulDN'T FAiL! RUIneD, rUinEd, RUinED! BecAuse OF CHalDEA…! CHALdea mUST die! dIE chaLdeA! cHAlDea!"
He flashed purple, and his remaining servants were quick to act. The shadow servant glowed with the activated Command Spell like Carmilla, but was the first to throw herself at the enemy; She left the lifeless man behind as his eyes flashed briefly with a sickly, black and purple mist. She was fast, but it was terribly reckless. It was one wounded shadow servant against half a dozen. It could only end one way.
And it did. In the blink of an eye, Li had appeared above her from ambush, and slammed his iron fist right into her back. Red and golden prana flared around the force of his blow like a tornado, and the shadow servant quickly cratered into the cement floor with a scream. As the Clock Tower mages covered their eyes, Vlad was swift to follow up. Practically leaking frustration with every step, he slammed his stake through the servant's head before she could get up.
"Look out for Carmilla!" Martha warned as she and Da Vinci took up a defensive stance in front of the Clock Tower mages.
That's right. It was over in an instant for the shade, but Carmilla was only just moving. Da Vinci stared to her in concern, then renewed sympathy as she saw the look on her face; They really did hear those desperate calls. She really did cry for help. "Stop…! Stop! I don't want to follow your orders! SOMEONE STOP ME!"
Her struggle was evident, but held little effect. Her body moved somewhat sluggishly, but still swiftly waved her scepter towards them; The regret and frustration on her face told the entire truth. Da Vinci dodged backwards quickly as an Iron maiden appeared from nowhere to trap her. Another raced towards a clock tower magus, but Anishka quickly pushed both of them out of harm's way. A third made an attempt on Martha, but Vlad countered it by catapulting it towards the ceiling.
"JUST KILL ME!" Her scepter glowed a sickly magenta. She swung it underhanded, and a vicious wave of blood surged across the floor. Hijikata swiftly slammed flew towards the incoming wave. As he did, Tristan appeared from spirit form, plucked the string of his bow, and sent an unseen volley into its path. The wave detonated, and showered Hijikata lightly with bloody droplets. It did not stop his wild charge towards the assassin.
The inventor stared in disappointment. Hijikata, with his madness-powered lust for battle, would be gunning to- She stared in surprise as the berserker drew his katana and swung for her scepter. She moved it instinctively to block, but the sheer force of his swing wrenched it from her hand. She instinctively jumped back to dodge, but he followed swiftly. Her scepter reappeared in her hand, but he knocked it away again.
Hijikata's sense of control wasn't too surprising. It wasn't the first time he fought to disarm a clearly reluctant opponent before, but it usually never ended well due to his lack of… finesse due to his resolve. They clearly had an unwilling fighter under the enemy's control, but there was little time to think of options with pressing concerns on hand. Hijikata would likely wind up killing her soon, but since Flauros looked ready to-
After two blinding flashes, the room filled with the overwhelming presence of evil incarnate. The servants were quickest to adjust, and stared angrily towards the newly appeared monstrosity. Its familiar, crimson eyes glared menacingly towards them as its base bubbled and churned. Despite its mighty size, its appearance was far different. It wasn't just its conscious that seems to have suffered from something.
The diamond-like, cross-shaped eyes were cracked in various places. The writhing, moaning bodies that made up its structure seemed duller with their chorus of madness. Even its movements seemed sluggish and terribly weak, but it didn't phase Da Vinci. Weakened or not, this was still Demon God Pillar Flauros.
"What the hell is…!?" she heard Vernier spit out in disbelief, and she cursed lightly.
"Anishka! Please get the mages out of here! This thing is too dangerous to be around!" Da Vinci yelled to break everyone free of sho-
An explosion ripped through the air behind them as one of Carmilla's iron maidens flew into the concrete wall above the entrance. It swiftly collapsed atop the massive doors, and barricaded the only escape; Da Vinci glance back to look and cursed at the sight. A servant would need to clea-
Da Vinci gawked in barely contained surprise as Rama and Medea charged past her. When did she... Her eyes widened. The second flash! She glanced back swiftly to confirm, and even in the dim lightning she saw Anishka's hand. The clever, calm little master fired a command seal and brought her here!
While Tristan took up a defensive stance beside her and Martha, the inventor stared at the newly arrived caster who flew on caped wings of midnight. She didn't follow Vlad, Li, or Rama towards the pillar; She flew towards the battling Hijikata and Carmilla! A purple circle of magical energy appeared beneath the two of them, and the spell activated instantly. Both of them stiffened, groaned, and yelled in shock as she closed the distance swiftly. Da Vinci remained ready in case she could provide ranged support in any way.
With a small sprinkle of magenta butterflies, Medea raised her hand to present her signature, rainbow dagger. She closed the gap instantly. "RULE BREAKER!"
Carmilla shrieked in her captured state when the dagger plunged into her chest. A chaotic, crimson line formed around the penetration point, but it wasn't blood. It grew steadily, then transformed into a rapid release of unchecked, magenta prana. The magic circle beneath the servant released, and Hijikata quickly jumped away from the growing whirlwind with an annoyed grunt. Medea remained steady with her eyes focused on the breathless assassin.
The torrential swirl of prana flared wildly as she focused, but the servant before her only stared at the penetrating dagger in sho- The Demon God Pillar shrieked as Rama impaled one of its eyes with his sword, and another was lacerated by Tristan's symphonious strike. Flauros wailed and screamed. "MEaNiNglesS! MeAniNGLESS! mEANingleSs! whY dOeS EvErYthing TurN Out meANINgleSs!? wHy wERe All efFORtS fOr NaUGht!?"
Da Vinci had to forcefully tear her eyes away from Medea's work as the black pillar's remaining eyes glinted. The ground began to shake again, and she knew exactly what was coming next. It came slower than expected, and weaker than she thought. A cloud of noxious, deadly fog rolled towards them like an avalanche. She glanced back to check the mages, but they were frozen with fear as they gazed at its overwhelming form. "Martha-!"
"I'm here!" Brynhildr announced as she appeared from spirit form. The roiling chaos thundered towards them, but the Valkyrie was wreathed in azure flames. Da Vinci could feel their immense heat as they raged around the maiden's beautiful form, but they merely waved her hair like a gentle breeze as she thrust her hand forward. With a flash, her divine flames released her from their embrace and surged forward.
Wave crashed against wave, but Flauros was weaker than he had been, and they were seasoned hunters of his kind. The wall of purging flame melted the incoming avalanche and surged towards the pillar. Rama and Vlad backed off of the wounded entity as the inferno touched its base. They crawled up its form quickly, and it could do nothing but shriek and howl in anguish. These were the flames of her heartfelt legend, and a burning agony not easily extinguished.
"Thank you, Bryn," Da Vinci offered, and the lancer glanced back to give her a small, welcome smile as Tomoe appeared beside Tristan. The inventor glanced back to the mages, who were still petrified by this whole ordeal; They had been insistent, and so got more than they asked for. But it was too late to run now. At least the guardian Chaldeans could keep them safe.
Not counting the demon hunting expert Rama, there were more than enough present servants to handle an insane, weakened pillar.
Carmilla crumpled to the ground and breathed heavily as Medea retracted her dagger. With wings wide, and staff now in hand, the hooded caster soared towards the top of the massive room. Even under her hood, Da Vinci could see the sheer anger overflowing from her eyes as she turned her gaze onto the demon pillar. With a swing of her staff, and a blur of her lips, an armada of arcane circles formed to unleash her bottled feelings.
Vlad gladly went first. With an aggravated roar, his stake was plunged into the ground. The cement floor shook with torment as the first crimson-wreathed, prana stakes ruptured from the ground. In a split second, a dozen multiplied into a hundred and grew. They skewered endlessly at the shadowy base of the pillar, and sent the pillar into another round of screeching torment. Its large form flailed in the center of the massive room, then sizzled as the first of Medea's beams flared onto its surface like spotlights.
They detonated across its surface, and shattered more sickly eyes. It panicked with growing despair. "No, NO, nO, NO, nO, NO, nO! we werE IMmorTaL! ThIS WaS nOT WHat GOeTiA enVisiONed! cHAldea! ChAlDea HAs DOoMED AlL Of LIFe itsELF!"
"Stop talking and die!" Medea roared as she unleashed another salvo onto the burning, speared demon pillar. Tomoe used the bombardment as a shield to race over to Carmilla's fallen form. She picked her up and returned to the safety of Da Vinci's group. As she landed, the Clock Tower mages stared at the assassin in bewilderment. They fell even more confused when Anishka knelt down and began checking her vitals.
Refusing to surrender, Flauros let out a roar of sheer, tenacious frustration. Spots on the form bubbled and churned with a blackened mist, and heralded the arrival of the sickly, black chains. They shot into the air, and lunged for the closest serva- Li quickly severed the first few with a quick thrust of his spear, wreathed in crimson prana. "Not this again!"
Hijikata scoffed as he swung his Katana through another set, then fired his minie rifle into another pool. The round detonated, sending the chains wildly flailing into the air, but they passed overhead as the two men raced across the floor, slicing any offending chains in their way. Rama joined their actions, but rocketed across the floor like a vicious cheetah with ferocious swings. They didn't reach a few in time, and they rocketed towards the groups of mages hiding behind the entrance.
But Da Vinci had been ready. With a slam of her staff, a surge of molded prana flared from its spinning tip and whizzed erratically towards the chains. The cluster of rainbow orbs detonated along the flight path, incinerating the chains and forcing their remains off course with concussive blasts. Tristan and Tomoe joined her assault, where fiery arrows and melodious lacerations formed a nearly impenetrable wall of defense.
A lone one got through, but a wave of Martha's staff sent a heavenly burst as her shield. It vaporized the demonic attack as Hijikata quickly destroyed the last forming cluster. Da Vinci glanced back to Flauros, but it didn't take a genius to know the battle was over. Its presence dwindled and faded fast.
They were too good at handling pillars now, so the weakened being stood no chance. Under the overwhelming, furious onslaught of Vlad and Medea alone, the beast was physically crumpling and breaking apart. Tomoe released a fiery arrow into its one remaining eye, which popped with a sickly squish as Medea's bombardment momentarily lightened. Vlad used the coordinated window to launch himself at Flauros and impale his stake into its side.
A split second later, stakes surged from the impact point like a tidal surge. Flauros screamed and wailed, but Vlad was forced to break away early as it flailed chaotically in its growing death throes. Medea waved her staff, and a pillar of unyielding fire quickly consumed the dying entity's form. "NO, nO, No! I doN'T wAnt TO diE! I dOn't wANT TO DIe! BRifONs! CROcelL! HaaGeNti! i don'T WANt tO DiE wITH this GUILT!"
The flying caster held no mercy in her eyes as she quietly seethed and watched the pillar burn. It wailed and howled into the cavernous room as Vlad stood to the side and watched in equal fury. Hijikata and Li remained ready to act, but its desperation made the situation clear. As Da Vinci watched quietly, she saw Rama slowly turn around and glance to Anishka. The master stared between him, Medea, and Vlad quietly.
"Vlad, Medea… I know how you feel but… please. We should finish this." Had it come from one of the other masters, it might not have held as much impact. They turned to her quietly, but Anishka didn't flinch under their glares; They weren't at her. Da Vinci watched quietly as the two servants turned back to the bonfire, watched Flauros burn a few seconds longer, and nodded towards each other. Anishka stayed by the unconscious Carmilla's side, but slowly glanced to Rama with a hand over her heart. "…Shri Rama."
"Say no more," he replied calmly into the air as he closed his eyes and chose his weapon. With his hand outstretched, he chose a different weapon. The legendary hero had mastered many, and a few even returned to his possession in Chaldea. With a shower of divine light and a flash of lightning, a simple, heavenly, and golden trident was delivered into his grip. The golden trident was simple in design, but bore the weight and prestige of a long-lost era and its celestial wielder.
Rama wasted no time and charged at the writhing pillar with Trishula in both hands. It flared with bright blue prana that sparkled and coursed with endlessly generating lightning. The tip hummed with gathering strength, and Rama hurled himself at his opponent. With all the martial practice he was long renowned for, he dodged through a set of desperate chains and thrust the tip towards the pillar from a distance. "TRISHULA SHAKTI!"
Like a smite from the heavens, the burning Flauros was illuminated in a purest bolt of raging lightning that threatened to spill from the containing ceiling. The room shook, and the ground quaked and groaned as Flauros' cried out in despair. Its pleas and anguished torment were drowned out by the violent hum of Trishula's unyielding release. Vlad and Medea glared with satisfaction as the Demon Pillar's silhouette disintegrated within the overwhelming force of the ancient Indian strike.
Nearly all the Clock Tower mages stared at the force of energy in total horror. The only one who stood his ground without succumbing to his disbelief was Vernier. The Chaldeans merely watched carefully as Rama's powerful strike grew with power; He kept it under control, but he made it absolute. Hopefully this time, they'd seen the last of Flauros as his last pieces of flaking cinders vanished among the overflowing, purging light.
The surging torrent of energy filled the room with blinding light even after Flauros was long destroyed.
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ XII ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
Birds chirped in the pine branches above them as a gentle breeze rolled through the forest. A few Clock Tower mages sat on a fallen log while others stood elsewhere. Some had taken their coats off, but nearly all still wore an expression of contemplative disbelief. Vernier stood in a desolated crater with another mage as he pocketed his phone and sighed. Of all the remaining members of the investigation team, he appeared the least shell-shocked by far.
His mind was, however, likely as much of a convoluted haze as theirs. He'd seen a lot as a combat magus, cleaner, and former enforcer, but what happened in the past hour… It rattled him. They'd gotten many answers which they dutifully reported, but it only raised an army of new inquiries. The remaining lords wanted more, and they'd been tasked to get whatever they could before they did the cover up operations… alone.
It's not like the main branch of the Mage's Association was currently in any state to provide additional assistance, after all.
He let out a deep breath, crossed his arms, and looked over to the compound entrance nearly a hundred meters away. The area still swarmed with Vigil, but the unusual roar of their overhead aircraft had faded away during the past thirty minutes. Many had landed, while others remained on unseen patrol high above. He stared at medics helping take care of civilians, or hostages as they may have been. Others were milling about on unknown tasks.
He briefly eyed Bazett as she walked towards them with a Vigil operator. There was no tension in her walk, from what he could see. She was always a touch stiff, but she appeared as calm as the man beside her, whose rifle remained slung before him; His arms swung lightly at his sides. The other mages turned to them as she came to a stop, then looked to him. "You made contact just fine, or do you need to borrow a phone?"
Though slightly taken back by her offer, he merely nodded. "No problems. I told them everything we gathered... This Task Force, Lev, Dalton, Chaldea… It convinced them to curb any hostilities with the UN, but they want more. A lot more… We're going to need to ask around after we finish cover up tasks."
"That's part of why the Captain sent me over here. You won't need to worry about that. Our mages will handle it," she responded calmly, and the other mages turned to each other. "He said you're more than welcome to assist."
"We probably have to. Most of these mages seem like amateurs… They're taking their sweet time covering anything up," one of the younger mages piped up with a scoff.
"That's because we're not covering everything up," the operator beside Bazett explained, and quickly ripped all attention to him. In his defense, he didn't even flinch. "Commander wants the world to know about what happened here."
"You're going to reveal magecraft to the world!?" another magus piped up. Her fists clenched at her sides, but Bazett and the soldier remained unusually calm. "That's…! We can't allow that! What about that thing down there!? McRemritz! You know very well none of that should-!"
"None of that will surface. That's what we're covering up," the operator responded reassuringly with a calming hand gesture, but it only made the magus more annoyed at this supposed commoner. "We have the same goal as the Mage's Association. Magecraft and magic will remain a secret, but the rest won't."
"The world will only know the Vigil destroyed a terrorist faction from starting a nuclear war," Bazett informed. Vernier quietly glanced to the shallow crater they stood in, then to the damaged compound and the Vigil troops moving about. Even if the Clock Tower were to cover up all of it, they'd have likely gone with a military intervention anyway. Factoring in this new, previously secret group that uses unbelievably high-tech weaponry…
Yes. He started to see how cover up may actually be easier than he first thought. Perhaps they did have a point, and more benefits than he first thought. He slowly exhaled, "Your organization is playing a very risky game, McRemritz. The Mage's Association will definitely be keeping tabs on their activity."
She only nodded in response. "I'm sure the lords have questions about the Vigil they want answered. Kairi and I can help with that to save you some time."
For once, his day was actually looking smoother. As his fellow mages whispered to each other, Vernier presented a small, grateful smile and nodded. "That would be ideal."
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ XIII ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
Sergei's elite operators sat on empty weapons crate by the ruined barracks. He'd given his specialized platoon a minor break after the hard labors of room clearing. It had been more gruelingly repetitive than trying, honestly. He was still helping to coordinate photographing evidence and beginning magecraft cover ups before the convoy of real North Korean troops arrived to join them, but his platoon was given light respite. The diverse group chatted amongst themselves, though one reclined atop a nearby, collapsed wall.
With his blue helmet on the ground beside him, the operator's black, crew-cut hair glistened with slight sweat like his lightly tanned face. Though he rested, his energy weapon remained ready atop his plate carrier with one hand on the grip. He didn't sleep, rather he kept his other hand behind his head and stared aimlessly into the clouds; They floated in the skies of his vibrant turquoise eyes. A few of his buddies looked over, snickered, but did nothing more to bother the man.
Someone else did instead. He recoiled in shock as water gushed onto his face and wet the top of his uniform. He glanced around in disbelief as many of his fellow operators laughed heartily at his misfortune. With a light scowl, he turned towards the offender who stood by his side and offered a hydration bladder. Arturia Alter, now back in her own uniform, merely smirked at him. "Making sure you weren't racking out early. You asked for water, did you not?"
"Preferably not on my face just yet… but thanks," he responded with a groan as he took the hydration bladder she so graciously refilled. He took a quick swig from its hose, then offered it back to the servant. She took it as he sat forward, and quickly placed it back in its compartment on his plate carrier. He took off his glove, then wiped the remaining water off his face.
The remnants of two used command seals rested on the skin on the back of his hand. Its intricate design was faded, yet the third and last crimson design helped complete the likely image of a sword. When he put his glove back on, the alter fastened the Velcro back on the pouch and patted him roughly on the back. In response, he laid back again and stared into the clouds while she plopped down beside him. After she unslung her rifle, she reached into her pouch and pulled out some MRE burger pouches.
"You sure you don't want to mosey on over to the Chaldeans?" he asked as she opened up one of the air-tight packages. She merely began chewing on the food; He knew her far too well, and simply nodded at the answer. "I would have gone over to say hello. Zerker is already there."
"I'm not Berserker," she responded casually between mouthfuls. She was already on her second package, but the Vigil master was unfazed.
"Not even for the one that was your knight?" She actually paused and glanced to him. She blinked, then offered a small shrug before she began eating again. He nodded quietly as he stared up at the clouds again in silence. 'At least she's considering it.'
Maybe it was because of how long he'd been the Vigil Saber's master, but he wasn't as awestruck like the rest of the regular troops. The Chaldeans were interesting and inspiring, without a doubt, but he was honestly more relieved they brought extra firepower. The greater the advantage, the less windows for things to grow wrong. The smoother the better. He carried enough weight to want to add any more, and so he breathed with relief and stared into the clouds calmly.
The Vigil's first major operation had gone remarkably well, and now the world was going to know.
They'd still keep their secrets, like him and Saber. The mages would never be mentioned, and secrecy about the technology would remain. Countless contingencies and safeguards were already in place thanks to their Caster, who defended his advancements with absolute resolve. He and his platoon would be unsung heroes among the new, growing armed forces of the United Nations… but he actually preferred it that way.
"Cloud! I need to borrow you and Saber for a second!" Sergei cried out loudly from the exit, and he groaned lightly with amusement.
"Alright, Saber. You heard top. Finish your burgers and let's see what needs fixing."
«•••=[ΞΞΞ[ XIV ]ΞΞΞ]=•••»
Da Vinci hummed lightly to herself as she glanced at one of the Vigil's nearby Angels. Pritchard promised them one of these armed, hypersonic transporters would bring them back to Antarctica, but she and the other Chaldeans were content to stick around in case anything else happened. Even with two gifted golden apples for the Vigil's present servants, the appearance of an old adversary had rattled them into renewed caution. It was certainly something to investigate further.
For now, though, she happily basked in their success. There was nothing quite like the relief after a well-earned victory, and she could think of nothing better than to celebrate it in her own way: Quietly and eagerly picking apart the high-tech Vigil aircraft with her eyes. She could always cheat and ask the Vigil's Edison for some hints, but where was the fun in that? After working so hard for years to improve technology, he'd certainly love to boast, but she was a genius too. She could figure this stuff out just fine!
As she hummed and stared at the nearby, landed aircraft, the other servants relaxed in their own ways nearby. Tomoe, Martha, and Brynhildr sat in quiet conversation under one of the relatively unscathed pine trees; Li reclined at an adjacent one and snoozed lightly. Tristan and Rama talked quietly by another tree as Anishka kept a dutiful watch over the unconscious Carmila beside them. A calmer Vlad and Medea stood a little further away and discussed the last of their frustrations.
Da Vinci glanced behind her as a servant groaned again. At the edge of an impact crater, Hijikata sat with Darius and nodded. "Aye… They've got heart."
Darius rumbled again and looked at Hijikata, who merely let out a small chuckle. "Ah, so your master's like that? That's quite lucky. Nothing compares to honest fidelity."
She blinked. "Hijikata. You understand him…?"
"Yea." The Chaldean just shrugged calmly as Darius rumbled again. The hardened man nodded to him, then turned back to the inventor. "…You don't?"
She didn't answer. She merely tried to solve the algorithm in her head for how so much information can be gleamed by just reading a different tone of grunt. It even annoyed her a bit because she should be able to as well; She was a genius! She quietly pouted and looked back at the exposed aircraft engines. She missed Tomoe, Martha, and Brynhildr chuckling at her upon spotting the expression. Hijikata and Darius merely looked at each other and shrugged.
The smile soon returned to her lips as she visually dissected the- Anishka quickly spoke up. "I think she's waking up!"
'Maybe later~…' she hummed with slight disappointment as she quickly strolled over to the pine tree. Hijikata bid Darius a quiet goodbye, and the larger berserker actually waved as the Chaldean got up to leave. Da Vinci glanced to Vlad and Medea as they approached too, then at Li who didn't even budge from his nap. She was glad the three girls remained seated, since she didn't want Carmilla to feel too uncomfortable.
Some anxiety was expected as she quickly sat up and glanced around. Da Vinci only grew a little warier when her scepter appeared in her hand and she stared incredulously at Anishka beside her. Still, she seemed hesitant and uncertain. She grew unnerved, yet confused, when she turned to see the inventor's calm, smiling approach. It only grew when Rama offered a friendly wave, even if he took a protective step closer to Anishka.
"How are you feeling? Are you alright?" Anishka serenely asked with a tiny smile, and Carmilla turned back to her in outright disbelief. With her masquerade mask off, it was much easier to read her distress on her beautiful face. Her golden, pale eyes glanced around again, but hardened quickly.
"Where am I!? Why am I still alive!?" She tried to sound prideful and demanding, yet the uncertainty chipped at the foundation like hungry termites.
"Still alive, still in North Korea~... You did cry out for someone to save you," Da Vinci pointed out, and the assassin looked to the brunette silently. Had she not realized it in all the chaos? The inventor certainly heard it when they were about to break the door down, and then showed outright reluctance when ordered to fight them. "Annie here did just that… Well, Medea did to be more precise~!"
"The dagger...?" she questioned quietly as she stared at her perfectly intact chest. She moved her free hand their quietly before she gazed around yet again. She seemed to contemplate her state, then stared towards the blue-haired caster who looked back blankly. Carmilla's eyes moved back down at her chest as she quietly allowed her forced composure to slip. "My energy… I'm not fading…?"
In response, Medea quickly removed one of her gloves, and made Carmilla's eyes narrow in frustration at the present command seals. Da Vinci could see the forming emotions roiling through her eyes, and the deep contemplation that they carried along. She clearly wasn't taking kindly to the idea she had a new master, yet she could see the small glimmer of relief as she glanced at her body again. She looked herself over quietly. "…So I'm to serve Chaldea now. You are Chaldea, are you not?"
"I don't care if you join us or not. I just answered Anishka's request," Medea tossed easily, and earned an incredulous stare from Carmilla. The caster only gestured to the master beside her, who offered another small smile and a wave. "What you do from here on is your choice. I have nothing to do with it."
Carmilla looked very unconvinced. "You hold three command seals on me."
"I've been a master before. I don't wish to babysit an assassin again," Medea practically huffed out. "I'd gladly remove the contract, but then you'd just disappear."
"Then get it over with," Carmilla responded back firmly. The regal edge to her tone they've heard several times before had returned. "Why keep me alive? I'm a threat and liability. I tried to kill many of you!"
"Because you asked for someone to save you. Are you not listening?" Hijikata reiterated flatly with a raised eyebrow. Da Vinci looked to him, but caught the curious, interested look in his usually firm eyes. "So you're alive. Now it's your choice what you want to do about it. Just disappear, or do something else."
Carmilla chuckled dryly. "What else is there for someone like me?"
Da Vinci hummed lightly, shrugged to catch her attention, and smiled. "We can't answer that for you. But you can answer it for yourself if you want to come to Chaldea~."
"I tried to kill you," she pointed out again as she stared with dripping skepticism. "What makes you think I wouldn't try it again? That I won't backstab you when I get the chance?"
"In your defense, it looked like you were being controlled by command seals," Rama offered as he stood confidently at Anishka's side.
"And if you tried anything, there's more than enough of us to kill you," Li spoke up from his distant tree with his signature chuckle. Da Vinci wished he hadn't been paying attention, because that certainly wasn't the kindest way to point something out. "We know who you are, Carmilla. We've handled bigger threats."
Though she glared cautiously towards Li as he stared back with a single lazy eye open, she said nothing. Da Vinci watched as she glanced around at the many Chaldeans again, and how relaxed all of them were despite Li's warning. Da Vinci still offered her smile like Anishka and Rama did, but the other expressions remained rather blank… Except Tristan. Tristan might have actually fallen asleep standing for all she could tell.
"You know who I am but…" she quietly murmured as she gazed around at all of them. It was only when she raised her hand to her head to rub it in confusion did her eyes widen slightly; She just realized her mask was gone? Quietly, she gazed around again in confusion as the seconds passed. Her gaze hardened, and her regal composure tried to take root again. "What's in it for you…? I'm just another servant. You could have many who are better than me in every way."
"That's not the point! We always keep the door open for anyone who wishes to come," Anishka quickly reassured with her ever sincere and respectful smile. "The offer applies to you too. You're more than welcome to come if you want."
"As for what we get out of it, well~…" Da Vinci hummed innocently, and drew the assassin's concerned gaze. "There's still some confusion about what happened here… and there aren't that many witnesses, sooo… Maybe you could fill us in on a few things~?"
Her eyes hardened further with concern. She may have even curled her hands into fists if her nails weren't so long. "…So you're going to interrogate me."
"I was thinking more like talking over a hot cup of tea at the resort, or maybe at the Salon once Marie gets it running again~!" Da Vinci quickly reassured with a wink, and some of the servants laughed around Carmilla, much to her confusion. "So, what do you say~? Consider it a free trial? Maybe a vacation~? Then decide if you'd like to stick around longer?"
The girls finally moved over to join them, but Tomoe quickly nudged Li to get him up. Carmilla watched him grumble lazily, but remained in quiet contemplation. A Vigil Interceptor tore loudly through the skies overhead, and some soldiers cheered and hollered in the distance. Finally, she gazed back to Anishka, then to Da Vinci and sighed. "…I suppose I can see what Chaldea has to offer me... It's not like I have any other options."
Vlad offered a small, warm smile, but Medea remained stoic. "Whether you stay or not, I'll get rid of the seals when you decide. Just tell me when I can discard them…"
Unlike what Da Vinci gleamed from overhearing Emiya, Arturia, and some others, Medea didn't seem too interested in control anymore. As Vlad gave her a sympathetic glance, the caster remained well-composed to reveal nothing. Yet Da Vinci knew, as they all did. The seals meant nothing to her, and the frustration let out against Flauros was only a minor relief at best. All she cared about was her comatose best friend who'd help make all the difference in her summoning.
"Oh! She'll need a tour guide! Will you give it Annie?" Rama quickly piped up beside their master, and she giggled.
Before she could answer, Hijikata surprised many by raising his hand. "I'd like to come along for that. She'd be more comfortable with someone she's familiar with."
Carmilla's eyes narrowed at him incredulously. "We were at each other's throats."
"We're not now, are we?" Hijikata didn't even hesitate with that plain response. As Carmilla fell into further confusion, Li laughed heartily.
Da Vinci glanced back to the bewildered assassin, who may or may not be joining them permanently; That all depended on what kind of reception she continued to get. Still, by how she acted and her cooperation, she had a feeling she'd be taking permanent residence soon enough. It would just be a matter of her finding her own reason to stay since she was brought to Earth under different circumstances. But Chaldea was Chaldea, and there was little doubt she could find something for herself.
With only a few minor potholes in the road ahead, the following peace should ensure that.