FATE/CATBOX FICTION
Chapter 4: Journey to Akakor
Clock Tower, 1976
After she was finished with her regular duties as a teacher and adviser for the students, Enforcer 22-S made her way to West Hall, Room #335. Once she was there, she knocked on the door. A moment later, Waver opened it and welcomed her inside. He already had some tea and ladyfingers available, although he seemed to prepare it more out of obligation than for any genuine desire to entertain his guest. The tea's bitter aftertaste lingering on 22-S' tongue spoke volumes of his disinterest in accompanying others, but she opted not to lecture him about it. A lot of other students were like that as well.
"So then," Waver began as he sat on the sofa opposite of her, "do you know why Lord El-Melloi has been absent for the last few days?"
"I spoke with 22-Q about it after she finished her class with you. We did not want to alarm the students by announcing this suddenly, but Lord El-Melloi has passed away."
Waver's eyebrows raised in abject surprise. "Passed away!? What was the cause!?"
"I am not privy to those details. All I know is that he is dead, and that you will have a new teacher assigned to your class."
He sat back on his couch, folded his arms, and exhaled a deep sigh. He deeply pondered as to how his teacher, as healthy and arrogant as all of the other Lords in the Clock Tower, could suddenly die. The whole thing reeked of suspicion, but he didn't appear to show any signs of grief. 22-S tilted her head and asked, "Are you upset by this news?"
"Not really. In fact, I'm kind of relieved."
"Relieved? In what way?"
"Can you believe this? Not only did he tear up the thesis I worked day and night on to perfect, but he humiliated me in front of the entire class. I was starting to think that becoming a student at this school was a huge mistake, but if he's dead, then maybe the Association's politics caught up to him and he got what he deserved. Maybe I still have a shot at making it somewhere in this Mage-centered society."
"I see. So that bitterness is what prompted you to inquire about Lord El-Melloi's passing. If I may be bold to ask, what was your thesis about?"
Waver went through his desk drawer and took out a pile of stapled papers, then dropped them on the table before 22-S and said, "I was doing research into the Akakor Grail War. In particular, I was most interested in the seven Servants who took part in that event. After all, summoning Servants is considered the pinnacle of spiritual evocation, and I hope to obtain one of my own once my studies are finished."
"Is that so? If I'm not mistaken, the identities of six of the Akakor Seven are supposed to be public knowledge by now."
"Sure, it started off as ordinary research into each of the Seven, their True Names and class vessels, their Masters, and what their abilities were. Any idiot worth their salt can find that out quite easily. But then I started thinking that something was a little strange about the last one."
Waver flipped through the pages detailing the first six Servants, then reached a chapter that appeared particularly bulky from the number of pages dedicated to it. 22-S read the chapter title:
"Lancer of Akakor"
Her lips thinned, and her eyes narrowed. She sat back and stared at him in silence for a few moments. She eventually asked, "Why is the Lancer-class Servant so peculiar to you?"
"A few reasons. Yeah, I know she's responsible for the catastrophe 50 years ago. It was her fault that humanity nearly went extinct. Only with the cooperation of the Mages Association, the Family Tree, and Atlas Institute were the last remnants of humanity able to last through those days. At least, that's what my grandmother told me over and over again."
"She was a survivor of the cataclysm, wasn't she?"
"Yeah. But if Lancer is such an infamous tyrant, why is there no information about her True Name? You'd think that a criminal like that would have their name plastered all over in history books, but there's nothing. All that's known is that Lancer was female, that plenty of evidence was found at the scene of the crime pointing to her, and that she was executed."
"That's right," 22-S nodded. "Lancer was a horrible Servant who nearly destroyed humanity in one fell swoop. Haven't you considered the possibility that the Lords would want to prevent someone from emulating such a terrible crime by suppressing her True Name? Not to mention, imagine how disastrous it would be if a Mage summoned her once again. Regardless if they used a catalyst or it was through pure chance, that person's life would be over, all because they summoned the worst possible Servant ever. To prevent such a tragedy from happening, it would be safest to keep all knowledge of Lancer's identity top secret."
"I don't know about that…"
"Oh?"
"It's true that Lancer committed the crime. I won't dispute that fact at all. But…" Waver's voice trailed off. Fury welled within him as he recalled how Kayneth tore up his work and called it foolish. He fought back his hatred and declared, "But you have to remember that Lancer was still a Servant!"
"Yes. Your point being?"
"She was still bound to her Master's Command Spells! What if it's possible that her Master commanded her to do it!? What if it was her Master who actually wanted humanity to die off!? Wouldn't that mean that the history we've been taught has been falsified this whole time!?"
22-S blinked several times after listening to Waver's emphatic outburst. She paused for an uncomfortably long time, then murmured, "Even if that's what you believe, how are you going to prove it? Everything happened 50 years ago. Lancer and her Master are dead. The sentencing was carried out, and the culprit was silenced. I don't think there's any need for you to go further than that."
"You may be right, but I still don't like these glaring gaps in Akakor's history. I want to make my mark in the Association by filling those in with solid information. If I can't find out the whydunit, then I can at least look into the whodunit and discover what their motives were at the time."
"Even at the risk of a Mage potentially summoning another Lancer of Akakor?"
Waver fervently shook his head. "I don't believe that Servants are evil. If everyone sees them as weapons, then by that logic, a weapon is only as good or evil as its wielder. Lancer might have done something terrible, but I don't think she deserves to be completely erased. Her sin is an integral part of our history as well, and I think it would be a huge mistake to just conveniently forget about it. If future generations understood the real circumstances behind the Akakor Grail War, then they would work hard to ensure that a similar disaster doesn't happen again."
"I think you're exaggerating things a little. The Twelve Lords are already working towards preventing another tragedy like that."
"By covering it up with lies and misinformation? I don't think so. A real mystery should not be left dormant for all of eternity. If it does, then it's no longer a mystery, but a tragedy. I want to at least take the first steps towards understanding the Akakor Holy Grail War, and expose what actually happened using cold hard facts and evidence. I just can't seem to get anywhere when everyone laughs and mocks me for being obsessed with what they call 'ancient history'. Don't they understand how important it is to them as well?"
22-S frowned, seeing that her logical arguments weren't going to get through to the bratty teenager. She felt apprehensive about the whole thing, yet his conviction was also impossible to ignore. Waver noticed the stress on her face and yelped, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to whine at you like that."
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you've had your fair share of hardships. Dealing with Mage society can't be easy for someone who doesn't have a strong lineage or great accomplishments to back them up. Still, it's not often that I get to witness a student who displays such fervor for hard work and continuous study. If only many others followed your example, the Mages Association wouldn't harbor such a toxic environment for you. As a member of the faculty, I have to admit that it gets tiring listening to students as they constantly hoist themselves on their own petards."
Waver stared hard at 22-S. He really didn't know how much the teachers had to put up with that kind of arrogance all the time. Now that he found a kindred spirit in her, his frustration towards Kayneth seemed to subside, and he found new hope in his research. He took the papers and returned them to his desk while saying, "Sorry for dumping all of this on your lap. You probably have other duties to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer."
She got up and was about to head out of his room. She paused in mid-step though, then shifted her eyes toward him. He noticed her hesitation and asked, "Is something wrong?"
"… Lancer…"
"Huh?"
"Lancer's True Name is… the Child of Cuchulainn."
Waver's eyes widened into huge saucers, and he let out a small, "What?"
"She's from Celtic mythology. That's all I'll say."
The flustered woman dashed out of the room and through the halls before he could catch up to her. His astonishment never faltered though. He wasn't sure if he heard her right, but did she really divulge the vital clue he had been searching for this whole time? He took a few deep breaths to control his excitement, then rushed to his computer and began searching through the Association's digital archives.
Celtic mythology… The Ulster Cycle… The Hound of Ulster… His child…
Waver spent the entire night delving into Celtic lore and writing many notes for himself.
Chaldea, 2017
Klaxon alarms blared all throughout the chamber containing CHALDEAS. Several staff members were already analyzing what SHEBA was detecting and projecting onto CHALDEAS. Connla had warned Roman and Da Vinci about an impending alarm going off, so the doctor had the other staff prepared to run detailed scans when it happened. The three of them were already standing in front of the model of Earth when Ritsuka and Mash rushed in to see what was going on.
"Is something wrong? Are we in any danger?" Mash asked, unsure if she needed to transform into her Servant mode and protect Ritsuka from any potential attack.
"No, everything is fine here," Roman informed her. "We're just picking up an abnormality located somewhere in South America."
"Is it the Seventh Singularity?" Ritsuka gasped and tensed up.
"I highly doubt that. We're detecting it from somewhere in the mid-1970s, and the Seventh is supposed to be so far back in history that SHEBA cannot find it so easily."
Da Vinci faced Connla and grimly said, "It's exactly as you said. The location is even a perfect hit."
"Huh?" The young Mage only just noticed the pensive child Lancer. "What's the matter? How did you know this was going to happen?"
Before Connla could answer, the door slid open. To everyone's collective surprise, the one who entered was Kiritsugu. Roman widened his eyes and blurted, "Well, this is unexpected. What are you doing here, Assassin?"
The Guardian didn't answer. His stony expression hardened even further as he glared at the spot glowing on CHALDEAS' representation of South America. He shifted his eyes toward Connla and murmured, "This must be it."
"Mm. I think so too," she nodded.
"Have preparations been made yet?"
"We're about to discuss that."
Ritsuka put her hand on the little girl's shoulder and asked, "Is there something going on that you haven't told us yet?"
Connla fidgeted her fingers against her hands. "I'm sorry for not saying anything until now. Assassin, Lord Sigurd and I were investigating something in private. We weren't sure if it was going to amount to anything, so we opted not to talk about it until the time was right."
"Sigurd's in on this too?"
"Yeah. I needed his help with my research."
Connla explained everything that had transpired until now, particularly of her meeting with Cliste, along with her and Sigurd confronting Kiritsugu and hearing what he had to say. After listening to her story, Mash's expression turned serious as she said, "I'm not entirely sure what your friend is talking about, but in my opinion, that sounds like a worst-case scenario for her world. To think she's asking Emiya to kill her must speak volumes of something much darker going on that she can't prevent herself."
The Lancer moaned worriedly. "What bothers me the most is that Cliste said she was the source of the abnormality. If she's saying that whatever is locked within South America cannot be let free, yet her presence is what SHEBA is picking up, then maybe…"
Ritsuka rubbed her shoulder, smiled softly, and implored, "It's too early to make any rash judgments. We need to stay calm, Rayshift there, and collect any information we can. Think of it as following proper protocol before deciding what we need to do."
"Y-Yes, of course. You're absolutely right. My apologies. I'm just so shaken up after seeing Cliste act so strange, and of what I learned about Akakor."
"Was she really having some kind of seizure when you saw her?"
"It's kind of hard to explain. I wouldn't call it a normal seizure where one shouts randomly and thrashes about. If I had to equate it to anything, it would be a computer that has totally gone on the fritz and cannot be repaired. I managed to snap her out of it for a bit, but that attack must have completely drained her energy since she passed out so quickly afterward."
"A computer on the fritz, huh?" Da Vinci mumbled to herself. "Since you put it that way, I can't help but think about the comparison between computers and brains. Put in simple terms, both are responsible for the function and intelligence of their respective beings. If you say that Cliste was acting like a broken computer, then it stands to reason that something is seriously wrong with her brain itself."
"Cliste's brain…" Connla murmured, then visibly shuddered. "That's not good…"
"I think you're starting to see where I'm getting at."
"Well I'm not," Roman grumbled. "Care to share with the class?"
The little girl glanced up at him and said, "We already know that Mother had a druid place the Runes on my brain when I was a baby in order to force my intelligence to mature rapidly. That information was then registered to the Throne of Heroes after I became a Heroic Spirit, and Lord Zhuge Liang's research confirmed that any Servant possessing the Child of Cuchulainn's Spirit Origin will possess those cranial Runes. It's because of those Runes that I am able to transmit my consciousness to any one of my other selves in alternate worlds and witness their lives through my dreams, and vice versa. He basically called it a network between me and my other selves."
"Yeah. He dubbed it Imbas Forosnai, right?"
"Correct. Since Cliste is another 'me', that means she has those same Runes. But if her sanity is slipping so badly, what kind of effect are the Runes having on her? Are they the cause of her mind going haywire? Or is there another reason that we don't know yet?"
"Hmm…" the doctor hummed to himself in contemplation. "There's simply too much we don't know. But at least our objective is clear – Rayshift to South America in 1976, investigate what is occurring in that time, and make contact with the alternate Connla as soon as possible."
"So you're going to sanction this as an official mission?" Ritsuka asked.
"Don't have much choice. If SHEBA is reacting to such a serious abnormality, then it's our responsibility to ensure this doesn't become a full-blown Singularity that the King of Mages can take advantage of. Furthermore, I can't shake this uneasy feeling after hearing what Cliste said to Connla about this so-called 'catbox' and what's 'locked inside it'."
"Understood," Mash replied. "I will accompany Master on this mission."
"I must go as well," Kiritsugu finally said. He had remained silent for the entire conversation, but now he felt it was the appropriate time to speak up. "I am a Servant who abides by the contracts I make. I will not be satisfied until I find Cliste and determine what it is she truly wants."
Connla became uncomfortable as he spoke, but didn't want to say anything. Ritsuka patted her head and said, "Of course, I'll be taking her with me. There's a chance that her connection with Cliste will become stronger if she is actually present in her world. If Connla can glean any more information from Cliste, then that'll help us even more. As per usual, if we get into any serious battles, I will summon the other Servants to my side. For now though, Mash, Connla and Emiya will be good enough."
"Right," Roman agreed. "The trouble is that none of us know much about South America itself. Aren't there any Servants in our roster who could help us familiarize with the territory?"
"I'm afraid not. I can't recall summoning anyone who is connected to that continent."
"Lord Sigurd and I did some research about the wildlife, ecology and history, but that's about it," Connla added.
Roman sighed. "Then we'll have to make do with asking the locals for guidance. Perhaps you guys should consider finding appropriate attire so that you don't stand out too much."
"I don't need anything like that," Kiritsugu muttered. "I'll stay in my spirit form and go on solo reconnaissance missions."
Mash nodded in acknowledgement, then said to Ritsuka and Connla, "Let's get ready then. I'll see if Geronimo has any shaman clothes we can borrow."
"I'll get Mini-Cu. Father will most definitely want to come with us," Connla added and hurried out of the chamber. She headed for her room and picked up the doll, but then her eyes panned up to the cork board where she pinned all of her notes and gazed at the familiar hexadecimal code Cliste told her before.
F7D8F9… The code for Cliste's world. To think I'll really be going there in person…
She shook her head and flicked off the lights before leaving her quarters with Mini-Cu tucked under her arm. She quickly returned to the Rayshifting chamber and joined the others inside the coffins. She closed her eyes and thought about her despairing counterpart.
A robotic female voice announced, "Unsummon Program, start. Spiritron Conversion, start."
Hang in there, Cliste.
"Rayshift starting in 3… 2… 1… All procedures clear. Parallel World Order, commencing operation.
I'm coming to see you.
Connla Cliste let out a startled gasp. A strange chill reverberated through her entire body, as if a hammer struck a plate of thin steel. She had never felt this sensation before. Why was this happening? She could tell that something affected her Spirit Origin directly, and the only thing that could do that was a Servant who possessed a Spirit Origin that was identical to hers. If the reaction was so strong, then…
"It can't be," she uttered.
She closed her eyes and achieved a meditative state in a very short time. She needed to reach this condition in order to access the Spirit Origins of all her counterparts scattered across the multiverse. Her mind reacted the most to the particular Connla from Chaldea that she recently befriended. Cliste paled in fear. From her friend's perspective, she was about to Rayshift somewhere. She then heard those words:
"Hang in there, Cliste. I'm coming to see you."
No way. You're actually coming to my world? You're going to meet me in person?
Never before had she borne witness to something so outrageous. She knew that Chaldea Connla really was the only counterpart who could physically jump between worlds, but she didn't think she would actually go to Cliste's world in person. No wonder her Spirit Origin had such a powerful reaction – one could equate it to twins who had been separated for years finally reuniting with each other.
Geal…
Cliste covered her eyes in both fear and shame. She didn't want her friend to come here. She expected Kiritsugu to look for her in order to complete his mission. If Connla came with him, she didn't want to imagine how mentally taxing it was going to be for her.
No, stay away! You mustn't see me like this! If I wind up hurting you, I'll never forgive myself! Go back to Chaldea! Let the Guardian finish me off! You don't need to be here!
She fell onto her knees and shivered for what felt like an eternity.
Post-Akakor Holy Grail War – A.D. 1976
Humanity Foundation Value: B+
Third Great Catastrophe: Catbox Fiction
Truth Sealed Inside the Box of Possibilities
Ritsuka, Mash, Kiritsugu, and Connla emerged from the Rayshift. Their feet planted into soft dirt, and they took a good look around them. They were within a dense jungle that ran along a massive river flowing southwest. Various jungle birds cawed and chirped in the distance, providing the forest with a unique sense of life that couldn't be found in European or Asian locales. Usually there would be rainstorms pounding the Amazon rainforest, but luckily today was a dry spell.
"Well, here we are," Ritsuka said.
"Yes. Confirming successful Rayshift," Mash reported. "We have arrived in northwestern Brazil in the year 1976, situated in a world parallel to our own."
"Good work," Da Vinci said from the communicator. "Although monitoring your activities in a parallel world isn't quite the same as verifying your existence in the past, I will handle all observational duties for you guys. As per usual, Roman will monitor Ritsuka's vitals during this mission."
Sigurd likewise appeared on the holographic monitor and said, "I'm here, as Da Vinci requested. I already told Connla, but since we are lacking in Servants from South America, I will act as an intelligence supervisor and provide any knowledge necessary. I also have the additional duty of understanding what the state of this alternate world is like, in case it might pose a threat to Master's health and continued survival there. If Dr. Roman and I believe that Master is in any imminent danger while there, we will issue a withdrawal command as needed. Now then, what are your immediate surroundings like?"
"Hm," Kiritsugu mumbled to himself. "Everything looks normal. There's nothing but tropical rainforest for miles. Even so, something doesn't feel right."
"You sense it too, Assassin?" Connla wondered. "I feel so energized that I could maintain my Spirit Origin without Master's assistance."
"Likewise. There's enough mana in the atmosphere to rival the Age of Gods."
Sigurd widened his eyes in shock. "Are you sure? You're definitely in the year 1976, so those levels of mana should be impossible."
"Maybe there's something generating a great deal of magical energy somewhere?" Mash asked.
Da Vinci ran some scans, then shook her head and replied, "We're not picking up any obvious sources of mana output like a Mage's workshop or a Holy Grail. Whatever this mana you're sensing is, it's probably an aftereffect of some process exclusive to that world that we aren't aware of yet."
"You consider this much an aftereffect of something larger!?" Connla yelped.
"Hey, I'm just going by the numbers I have here. If we want to know more, you guys will have to start checking it out."
"Hmmm… I understand. So where should we go from here, Lord Sigurd?"
The Saber analyzed CHALDEAS to pinpoint where the others were. "You're currently several kilometers away from where the Rio Madeira branches off from the Amazon River, close to where the city of Manaus is supposed to be. I am not seeing any sort of civilized groups near you though, so I assume that Manaus either was moved elsewhere or simply doesn't exist. Akakor is supposed to be situated due southwest from your position, so just keep following the Rio Madeira for a while."
"Then I will go investigate the Manaus region," Kiritsugu said. As he turned to leave, he told the others, "You continue on ahead. I will catch up with you all shortly."
"We'll probably make it only a couple of kilometers before having to stop for the night. Please try not to take too long – we don't want to leave you behind," Connla told him.
"Understood."
The Assassin raised his mask over his nose and mouth, then rushed into the jungle without another word.
The little girl sobbed uncontrollably. Once again, she was trapped in the throes of grief and depression. Nothing she did to fight off these horrible feelings worked anymore. The same distractions she once enjoyed were now becoming redundant and repetitive. She couldn't stand it anymore. She had to call out to the darkness again:
"Someone kill me."
At that moment, a new Servant was materializing into the world. As his Spirit Origin was being extracted from the Throne of Heroes, he kept hearing the same words over and over again.
"Someone kill me. Someone kill me. Someone kill me."
Unlike with Kiritsugu though, this man was growing increasingly annoyed with her incessant crying.
"I want to die. I need to die! I have to disappear before Geal can find me!"
As his existence gradually stabilized, his voice eventually came to him. He snarled and snapped, "Agh, shaddup, will ya? All of yer whinin' an' bitchin' is givin' me a headache."
"Ah? I-Is someone there?"
"Yeah, I am. Yer askin' fer someone t'kill ya?"
"Yes, please. I need someone to end my life as quickly as possible. I can't do it myself, so…"
"Say no more."
The man sounded rather pleased with the request. A mirthful sneer crossed his lips as he asked, "Just tell me where you are. I'll come straight over there an' plunge my sword into yer heart. No questions, no strings attached. Just a good ol' fashioned murder, exactly as you want."
"I'm inside Akakor."
"Akakor? Ya mean that underground fortress?"
"Yes, that's the one. You should be close to it."
"I hear ya. You just sit tight an' wait fer me. I dunno what yer name is, but it's now written all over this blade. It ain't gonna be satisfied until it spills yer blood."
"Please hurry. I don't want my dear friend to see me like this."
"Fine, fine. Stop cryin' an' be patient. I can't stand it when little kids keep cryin' like that."
"Mm…" Her sobbing soon stopped. His dark smile softened with satisfaction.
"Good stuff. I'll be there b'fore ya know it."
Several hours later, the late afternoon skies gradually turned to a crisp, cloudless night. The trio decided to camp at the edge of the Rio Madeira for tonight, and they spent some time setting up basic arrangements like a tent, sleeping bags and a bonfire. Connla took care of hunting some game and cooking it for Ritsuka and Mash to eat. It was difficult for her to find any animals she was familiar with since being deep in the Amazon was vastly different to scouring the highlands of Scotland. They made do with alligator sirloin steaks and a hearty stew that they could take with them during the journey.
"Boy, that was delicious," Ritsuka said. "I thought alligator meat would taste nasty, but it turned out all right."
"You're really good at cooking, you know that?" Mash said to Connla. "No wonder Gilgamesh hired you as his personal chef."
The Lancer bashfully muttered, "It's no big deal, really. Since Mother was a very picky eater, I had to learn how to prepare lots of different types of meat. They had to be of high quality too, or else she would… Well… you know…"
"I see."
They didn't want to prolong the discussion any further if it meant bringing Aife up as a topic. Everyone in Chaldea was afraid that talking about her mother would cause unnecessary stress for her, so they avoided it as much as possible. After all, no one wanted Connla to suffer any more than she already had. Thus they stopped chatting for now and continued eating dinner.
Once Connla finished cleaning up, she said, "I'll go on patrol. While it might be safe right now, it's hard to say when any potential enemies could attack. Since we have no information to go on other than Lord Sigurd's advice, I would at least like to familiarize myself with our surroundings."
"Good idea. This terrain isn't exactly the easiest to traverse in. If one of us knows how to get through, it'll make things a lot easier for Senpai," Mash replied.
"I'll leave Mini-Cu with you guys in case an emergency comes up. Father's been sleeping this whole time, but I'm sure he won't mind protecting Master if an enemy attacks."
Connla passed the plush doll to Ritsuka. The Master faced the Lancer and implored, "I know I'm probably repeating myself, but be super careful. You don't have a strong constitution like most of the other Servants do. If anything happens, come straight back."
"I understand. If you're ever worried, you can use a Command Spell to summon me back to your side."
"Right."
With that, Connla turned and hopped into the dark jungles with a single powerful leap. She bounded from tree to tree to make further progress, startling some nesting birds away as she passed by. She wasn't sure if the ground was stable enough for her to run on, but if she traveled through the air, she was sure she would be fine. She wasn't accustomed to the local wildlife either, and it certainly wouldn't do her any good to be attacked by a ravenous animal while in the deep darkness of an unfamiliar terrain. She didn't want to use her Runes to produce any light, fearing that would just make her a nice target for any potential animals following her.
About 15 minutes later, Connla vaulted onto a low branch like a gymnast and crouched there for a bit to examine her surroundings. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. It was just miles upon miles of jungle running along the Rio Madeira. The moonlight shimmered on the lightly flowing river. Everything looked peaceful.
Maybe… a little too peaceful.
The Lancer grew suspicious. She remembered what Cliste told her about this being a potential Singularity. Whenever the members of Chaldea journeyed to one of the Grand Orders, or to any other incident for that matter, they always had to contend with monsters that would spawn due to the fluctuations in history. Here though, everything seemed strangely stable. Could it have something to do with the irregular amount of mana lingering in the atmosphere? Sure, it was bad to have to face a ridiculous horde of beasts and enemy Servants right at the onset. Yet it was equally as worrying to not face any resistance whatsoever. In such a situation, Connla equated it to walking blindly into a trap. She absolutely didn't want that to happen to Ritsuka and Mash, so she remained on high alert despite the tranquil scenery.
As she stared ahead at the moon's reflection on the river, that was when something large and silhouetted suddenly leapt directly in front of her. It took her a moment to process what was going on. It looked humanoid by the way the newcomer's arms were raised and their knees bent. She realized that they had jumped straight up from the ground without her noticing. She caught a brilliant glimmer shining from a thin metal object that the figure gripped in their hands. She then noticed that the object was actually a sword, and its blade was pointed towards her head. A single eye glowed bright gold on the attacker's face, indicating clear malicious intent.
"GAH!?"
Without thinking, Connla shot backwards an instant before the sword carved into the branch she previously was on, slicing it clean off the tree and sending it clattering to the ground. If she hadn't jumped, she would have been violently bifurcated as well. She flipped backwards, but landed clumsily and stumbled on her heels. Her attacker landed in front of her and swung his sword multiple times. She barely inched her head beneath one particular strike, which caused her bangs to be slightly shorn off.
"Kya ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" the assailant laughed maniacally. It belonged to a male, and he was clearly enjoying the advantage he had over her.
She angrily clenched her teeth and got in low to avoid being sliced by a horizontal slash. She jammed her elbow into his solar plexus as hard as she could, and he exhaled a winded cough. While he was stunned, she flipped backwards and ran around to try and confuse him. While she couldn't see him clearly, she wasn't really afraid. She could use a series of basic Ken Runes to conjure a light breeze within her surroundings. Then all she had to do was detect any disturbances in the wind and catch it before it could strike her down. She could tell that this enemy lacked any hesitation in his steps – once he caught sight of her, he barged in and thrust his sword at her midsection. She raised her spear to parry it, then performed an elegant bunny hop to leap in an arc over his head. Connla landed and got down on one knee to prepare herself for battle.
Now that the moonlight provided enough illumination in the clearing, she could get a better look at her opponent's appearance. He was a young man in his mid-20s who kept his scruffy black hair tied in a low ponytail. He was definitely a samurai due to his black kimono and hakama, and he kept a brown scarf wrapped around his shoulders. He wielded a katana, keeping the scabbard affixed to his waist. Although one of his eyes was completely covered by his thick bangs, she could see pure bloodlust emanating from the fierce glare in his other eye.
"Yer not gettin' away from me, kid," the man threatened. He then pointed the tip of his katana at her and declared, "I'm the Man Slayer Izo! Just like you asked, I'm gonna slaughter ya!"
