UNITY FORCE MISSIONS: HORIZON ZERO DAWN

CHAPTER 4: The City of the Sun

ARC I: The Seeker Aloy

DISCLAIMER: All characters in the story are not owned by me, save for my OCs.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This will focus mostly of The City of the Sun, but the two Erend storyline missions including The Field of the Fallen and Into the Borderlands will happen in parallel with The City of the Sun, which means the ending will actually head next to The Sun Shall Fall.

~~~0-0-0~~~

[Way of Broken Stones, Earth-1355]

After fending off a small army of Corrupted Machines, as well as an ancient machine known as a Corruptor in the Carja border fort of Daytower, Aloy, Zoro Roronoa, Maya Tendo, and Trafalgar D. Water Law embarked on a long journey through the only path to Meridian: the Way of Broken Stones, which is infested with Machines not seen in the Nora Sacred Lands, as it is their only way to visit the Carja capital and find the rogue Oseram Olin Delverson for answers regarding the Proving Massacre.

During their trek, however, they faced off against new machines including the longhorn-like Broadheads, the vulture-like Glinthawks, and currently the Tyrannosaurus Rex-like Thunderjaw, a much larger machine that is considered to be a formidable threat to machine hunters, thanks to its size, durability, and its array of weaponry that are enough to obliterate a group of inexperienced hunters without a hitch.

The Thunderjaw is a huge bipedal machine with features akin to those of a Tyrannosaurus Rex: powerful and bulky legs, a long body, and a heavy tail to maintain equilibrium. Its body features symmetrical weaponry: a laser weapon in its mouth, cannons on its jaws, a radar array on its back, and an artillery weapon known as Disc Launchers on its hips.

As that happens, the Unity Force fight off against the Thunderjaw, but they are overwhelmed by its capacity to cause damage, when the giant machine begins firing off what seems to be discs floating up in the air from its Disc Launcher, as it fires guided lasers towards the group, but they quickly dodge it. Then, it proceeds to fire two lasers at once from its head within the group.

"I guess this is what that Derangement thing is all about!" Zoro said, as he jumps at the Thunderjaw, before slicing one of the discs at the air with his Enma.

"Machines getting mad." Aloy added bluntly, as she fires off another barrage of arrows towards the Thunderjaw's right laser from its head completely, causing the component to be destroyed. "Nothing new since the onset of the Derangement, other than this machine itself." She added, before firing off Freeze Arrows from the machine, but the machine slowly becomes more aggressive at time passes by.

"Damn. I'm starting to think that this world of yours has a problem." Trafalgar added, as he uses Radio Knife to amputate one of the Thunderjaw's Disc Launchers, but it did little to damage the machine itself. "Damn it." He cursed, before looking at Maya. "How are you holding up there, Tendo?"

"I'm fine, but this thing won't stop until it sates its appetite to kill us." Maya commented.

Maya, who is at the back of the beastly machine, uses a golden whetstone to her rapier. From there, the Thunderjaw suddenly swipes its tail in a violent manner, but Maya quickly uses her Maverick Parry to parry that said attack, before she follows it up with a sweeping attack, causing its tail to be severed.

Meanwhile, Aloy sees this opportunity, as she slides through the underside of the Thunderjaw, before taking out the Disc Launcher that is lying on the ground.

"Here goes!" Aloy said.

"Jesus!" Zoro exclaimed. "That's some next level of creative that you're doing, Aloy-san." He added, before he slices the Thunderjaw's left laser from its head.

Carrying it with what strength Aloy has, she decides to use the Thunderjaw's Disc Launcher against the machine itself, where she instead uses it as a rocket launcher as it causes discs to be fired in a flat trajectory towards its "heart", devastatingly hitting the machine furthermore, as it staggers.

"Now, that is some real damage in there!" Aloy exclaimed.

"I'll be damned." Zoro commented. "Now, you're just a dumb target!" He declared, before he grips his Enma. "Kaen!" He cried out, as he jumps high up into the air and slashes the machine. After Zoro slashes it, the Thunderjaw later bursts into blue flames, as it caused the machine to be destroyed.

"That settles it..." Trafalgar calmly said.

With the machine now destroyed, Zoro, Aloy, Trafalgar, and Maya quickly leave the area and continue the last of their trek, as they are nearing to the Carja capital city of Meridian, where they can see the giant kingdom from afar, as well as a mysterious-looking tower that does not resemble like the buildings they see.

"What the hell is that thing from afar?" Zoro questioned, as he asks Aloy.

"I don't know, but it doesn't look like any other structure I have seen before." Aloy simply answered.

"Speaking of that, how are Asta-san, Silva-san, and Meliodas-san holding up there in the Sacred Lands?" Maya asked.

"We'll contact them, once we reach Meridian." Zoro added.

~~~0-0-0~~~

[Meridian, Earth-1355]

Later on, the Unity Force reach the Carja capital city of Meridian, only to find out that the only entrance to the city has been blocked by a group of Carja artisans who are angry at something that the Unity Force cannot explain.

"Looks like those people are angry at something." Aloy said.

"But why?" Maya asked Aloy.

"We only have one way to find out." Zoro said.

The Unity Force and Aloy then continuously approach the entrance, before they hear the artisans arguing and venting in front of the Carja Guards.

Ignoring the crowd, they are about to reach the entrance, only for the guards to stop them immediately.

"Stop right there!" One of the Carja Guards declared.

"We have to find Olin Delverson and Erend." Maya formally said, but the Carja Guard instantly declined.

"In light of the recent attack, no stranger passes into Meridian without submitting to search!" The Guard refused.

"Recent attack? What are you talking about?" Aloy questioned.

"The murder of Captain Ersa and her Vanguards, of course! Ambushed by Shadow Carja forces in Red Ridge Pass!" The Carja Guard said in a serious manner.

"Wait, what?" Maya questioned.

"Shadow Carja?" Zoro asked.

"Ersa? You mean Erend's sister is dead?" Aloy questioned.

"How would you know his name?" The guard asked.

"We know Erend. Summon him. We need to speak to him." Aloy ordered.

"Erend-san has a sister?" Maya wondered, before looking at Aloy.

"Yes..." Aloy said.

"Ha! I doubt that Erend, the new Captain of the Vanguard, a man in grief, is going to waste hist time on a grimy outlander, as well as a bunch of strange outworlders in Meridian-" The Carja Guard said again in refusal.

"It's urgent." Maya deadpanned. "Now, can you let him come in for us?" She ordered, sounding more annoyed.

All of a sudden, however, Erend appears from the back, who sees the Unity Force and Aloy, as well, but his entire look tells something else completely different.

"Aloy?! Unity Force?!" Erend greeted. "You're alive, Aloy! I thought you were dead! Make way, make way!" He then looks at the Unity Force group. "Zoro! Maya! Trafalgar!"

"Are you... okay?" Maya questioned.

"I'm fine!" Erend said in a rather lying manner. "All the way to Meridian, just to see me?!" He added.

Maya looks at the Oseram warrior in suspicion, whom she knows that something is wrong with Erend, as well as the whole place itself, given the current clamour that is happening.

"We know you left the Unity Force Academy with Aloy-san, Erend-san." Maya rebutted, before she smells alcohol. "Are you drinking?" She asked.

"Smells like Scrappersap." Aloy said. "Why are you smelling like alcohol?" She asked.

But Erend tries to dodge it again.

"Ah, not really. A little. So you're alive! This is – we should celebrate! Drinks on me!" Erend cheered to himself, but the Unity Force are far from pleased.

"Listen here, Erend." Zoro said bluntly. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but you're behaving like something." He added.

"I'm fine, okay?" Erend added.

"Highly doubt it." Trafalgar answered.

"We need to talk – alone. And you need to pull it together." Aloy asnswered.

"Over there." Erend pointed. "You shouldn't have come here, Zoro, Maya, and Trafalgar." He refused.

"Not until we know why you come here, and how you disappearing in the Academy drove us into searching you." Maya said.

"Come on, Erend." Zoro replied.

"So you approve?" The Carja Guard asked.

"Of course I approve!" Erend replied apprehensively. "From now on she may come and go from this city as she pleases!" He added. "And let the rest of the Unity Force, as well." He declared.

"As you wish." The Carja Guard said.

"There. Alone, as you asked. What did you want to tell me?" Erend questioned.

"You don't need to be that harsh." Maya answered.

"I'm not being harsh." Erend said in denial.

"Yeah, right." Trafalgar stated.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your sister, Erend-san..." Maya said apologetically.

"But we know that she is special to you." Aloy added.

"This guy's being a belligerent ass." Zoro quietly uttered, as his temper slowly loses, with Trafalgar only nodding.

"Special to me. Heh! Special to everyone! She always knew what to do. Bossed everyone around – she kept me in line. Now I'm supposed to fill her shoes. And Instead, here I am, stumbling around in them." Erend answered. "Oh-ho! I know I was angry earlier, Zoro, Maya, and Trafalgar, but the three of you are welcome here!" He continued.

"We're talking about what goes on, Erend-san." Maya continued. "This is not what a Unity Force hero does." She answered.

"Give yourself some time." Aloy said. "You'll find your footing." She added.

But the conversation goes nowhere, once again, when Erend is only obsessed with his alcoholism, which pisses Zoro and Trafalgar off, and worried Maya more. Then, the conversation continues with Aloy and the Unity Force to Erend about the events of the Proving Massacre, who the killers where, and Olin Delverson. The latter topic, however, suddenly caught Erend's attention, as he is sceptical about Olin's criminal involvement.

"We need to find Olin. We need to know what he knows." Aloy offered.

"This doesn't add up." Erend responded. "Olin's my friend. He doesn't do some kind of crime!"

"We don't think so." Zoro answered in a sceptical manner.

"He's a traitor." Aloy refused. "We don't know who the killers are, or what they want, but I do know that Olin is working with them." She claimed.

"Do you even know where he is?" Trafalgar asked.

"But... I... this..." Erend said, now sounding more nervous.

"What are you trying to hide in front of us?" Zoro questioned in an accusatory manner.

By this point in time Erend starts to lose it.

"We don't need you to understand, Erend." Aloy said, now getting more and more annoyed.

"Just take us to him, and that's it." Zoro said. "Problem solved." He sarcastically muttered.

"The bad news is that he's not here." Erend said. "He went scrounging for scrap and ancient relics, days ago. Could be anywhere." Erend answered.

Aloy then questions about the places that Olin tends to frequent a lot, where they later realise one place: Olin's apartment somewhere in Meridian.

"Fine. We'll go there." Erend answered.

After that much conversation, the Unity Force later follow Erend, as they proceed to head inside.

From there, they enter the capital city themselves, where the U.F. heroes are only warranted with strange looks coming from the citizens of this kingdom, both Carja and Oseram alike, and even compared them to the Old Ones, due to their outfit and everything around them. Some Carja then look at Aloy with slight suspicion.

"What kind of people are those...?" One Carja noble asked.

"Apparently, they're letting people here these days." The other Carja noble said.

"These people are annoying." Zoro grumbled.

While that happens, however, they later see a group of people protesting something, with an Oseram outlander standing at a wooden pedestal in front of the small crowd. Judging from the looks of it, the Oseram outlander then begins what seems to be a vitriolic speech about "Avad" hiding in his own palace, as well as with ranting about having vengeance for Ersa. The speech then continues, before the outlander then angrily claimed about "Avad" sparing those who enslaved, tortured, and butchered, which is closely referring to the Red Raids.

"Who's Avad?" Maya asked.

"Probably some kind of king." Trafalgar answered.

"This place is messed up." Zoro said.

Then, the same Oseram outlander then reaches out to Erend, who calls out Erend about him not doing any vengeance to his sister's "murder", and how it was unavenged, before he glared at the Unity Force.

"What is the meaning of this, EREND?!" The Oseram outlander questioned. "You have these strange people with you, but you're only letting your sister's death unavenged?!" He bellowed, before looking at the Unity Force. "This is your fault!"

"These people are unhinged." Zoro said. "Listen, Oseram or whatever you are, I don't know what you're talking about, but don't you put us into this drama that we are not part of." He added. "Or we will do this personally, one way or the other." He threatened.

"Your looks don't intimidate me, outworlder." The Oseram threatened. "Erend's sister Ersa has been murdered, and you have the nerve to talk!" He argued.

Erend later reaches his breaking point, but he maintains his composure, before he confronts the outlander.

"One more word, you scorched-out slag, and I'll throw you in jail myself!" Erend exclaimed angrily, as the crowds look at him, but he non-hesitatingly kicks them out threateningly, before he, Aloy, and the Unity Force leave the crowd alone.

Following Erend, Aloy attempts to inquire about what the Oseram outlander said, only for him to rebuff her, much to the worry of Maya.

"I'm starting to feel more worried about Erend-san." Maya said.

"He's grieving for his sister's murder." Zoro answered. "But something doesn't make sense." He added.

They later reach to the door of Olin's apartment, only for Erend to kick it in a violent manner, and with Olin nowhere to be seen. From there, Aloy begins to investigate Olin's apartment, with Erend, Maya, Zoro, and Trafalgar joining in. The Unity Force listen further about Olin and who Avad is, where they realise from Erend that Avad is the 14th Sun-King of Meridian, and is drastically different than his predecessor: his deceased father Jiran, the Mad Sun-King.

With nothing else to lose, Aloy, Zoro, Maya, and Trafalgar search through the apartment for answers, before they find what appears to be a secret trapdoor hidden underneath the carpet.

"How did that get here?" Erend asked dumbly.

"The question is... How to get through it." Aloy said.

"Without a key, you won't. That's a Vault Hatch of Oseram make! Nothing gets through." Erend said.

"What are you even rambling about?" Zoro said.

"He's saying that there is no key." Aloy replied.

"That's unnecessarily complicated." Trafalgar replied.

Continuing on the search, Aloy and Zoro later head upstairs to find more clues, as they head into the highest floor of the apartment. Erend was surprised to see Zoro jumping high above without even using a ladder.

From there, they see a pallet stack of ingots lying around on its own, which is directly angled towards the trapdoor hatch down below. Aloy and Zoro later kick the pallet down, causing it to violently fall down the trapdoor, breaking it completely, as it surprises Maya, Trafalgar, and Erend down below.

"I was almost killed by it!" Maya exclaimed.

"Jesus, you two." Trafalgar commented. "Who knew how that thing would kill us in an instant."

"I did say not to break anything, did I?" Erend questioned.

"Well, we have no other choice." Zoro said. "Consider it as a Smart Door alternative."

Aloy and Zoro later head down to the first floor.

With the hatch obliterated to pieces, Aloy, Zoro, Maya, and Erend head down into a hidden chamber that even Erend doesn't know. From the looks of it, however, the contents of this place is already telling. One of which is a stone map seen affixed into the wall, with Aloy suspecting something else. Maya then finds a journal at the table, with Erend thinking that Olin tends to read contracts, but not a poet.

"No doubt now. Olin knew I was targeted." Aloy said.

"That doesn't sound right, Aloy-san." Maya said.

"He must be coerced." Zoro deduced.

"Hey, I found something here." Trafalgar said, before she is holding what looked like a strange device.

"Let me see that." Aloy said, before she uses her Focus, revealing a holographic message with two cultists, a boy, and a woman.

The information reads the following:

A Message for Olin

Hologram Message

ERROR: Ident tags missing. Unverified format. Data integrity unknown.

Then, a message plays out.

"Serve, and they live. Disobey, and I will open their throats and leave their corpses prune." The mysterious man said.

Aloy, upon hearing this, finally knows why Olin spied on the Proving.

"They held Olin's family captive. His wife and his child." Aloy added.

"Those people will pay for using someone." Maya declared.

"Who's they?" Erend asked.

"The killers." Aloy responded. "They told him that they will kill his family if he does not obey." She added in worry.

"Aloy-san." Maya said, with Aloy looking away.

Continuing on this madness, Aloy then gives a piece of paper about the meeting, which contains what seems to be a letter about Aloy meeting him, as well as the kill order from an unknown entity.

This, of course, did not bode well for Erend, as he calls Olin a backstabbing cheat. He goes into asking how she read glyphs, where Aloy reveals to him that it is the Focus's job. She then proceeds to tell about Olin's Focus, except she goes into saying to Erend how it can communicate over distances, and how it can see through other "eyes", which is presumed to be the other Focuses the cultists have.

"It's impossible to tell, but they are able to see each other, which is why Olin spied on me." Aloy answered.

After that much revelation, the Unity Force and Aloy attempt to leave Olin's apartment, but they are stopped by Erend, who is only blocking the way for them.

"You're going now?" Erend questioned. "No way."

"Says the guy who leave the Unity Force Academy without telling us." Zoro said. "How about you move? We'll find that bastard, and he will get his taste of his own medicine." He added, but Erend feels undeterred.

"We know where Olin is now, so we should be going there." Aloy added.

"I said, no." Erend refused again.

"Don't make this personal, Erend." Zoro chastised. "Finding that bastard is more important than whatever you're thinking."

"If Aloy's device lets you see the unseen—" Erend refused again, but Zoro suddenly pins the Oseram Vanguard to the wall.

"I said, for the one last time, OUT OF THE WAY, EREND!" Zoro bellowed.

Erend suddenly retaliated, as he shoves Zoro to the wall, causing the rest of the Unity Force to watch at the ensuing argument between the two.

"You just don't get it, Zoro! You just don't!" Erend argued. "I want your help! I want to know who were responsible for killing Ersa!" He argued. "Not just the Shadow Carja army – I know that – but the exact people responsible!"

"Screw you." Zoro cursed, sounding more angry. "You were acting like a drunk piece of shit earlier and disgraced your own sister." He talked back. "If you really want us to help you out, then you should know what you're doing."

"Don't act like this isn't personal! The rest of you came here, look for me, and hunt down Aloy's killers who nearly massacred her people." Erend furiously replied. "Why you only care for yourselves, and not me!" He added.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Zoro rebutted. "If you want justice for your sister's murder, then don't shove this bullshit on our throats." He added. "This is just you unbecoming of a Unity Force Hero, who acts like a sissy, pathetic coward drowning in sorrows, just because someone close to YOU died, instead of us helping you making that goal successful!" He added more, who is finally reaching to a breaking point.

"Please, stop!" Maya immediately intervened, as she breaks the fight between the two. "This isn't helping any favours, so please... Hear him out, Zoro." She added, as she sees Zoro putting down Erend.

"Look..." Erend said. "I'll head for Red Ridge Pass – where Ersa's body was found – and wait for you there." He added. "A few minutes of your Focus is all I need. Don't make me beg." He ended.

"Red Ridge Pass, you said?" Aloy asked. "We'll see what we can do." She added.

Afterwards, Erend leave Olin's apartment, as he goes to the said area.

Then, a portal appears from out of nowhere, revealing Asta, Noelle Silva, and Meliodas arriving from the portal that leads to the Nora Sacred Lands. What Zoro's team doesn't know, however, is that the trio have made a discovery of a futuristic armour lying around in a bunker.

"Sorry for being late!" Noelle apologised.

"Dude! Why you didn't call us when the rest of you have already been here?" Asta complained in front of Zoro.

"Where's Erend-san?" Meliodas said.

"He's currently in Red Ridge Pass, looking for the killers responsible for his sister's death." Aloy replied.

"No way..." Noelle said. "We need to go." She said.

"I know where it is." Aloy said.

Zoro then begins to plan out splitting the missions altogether: finding Olin in a place known as Rockwreath and rendezvousing with Erend in Red Ridge Pass.

Aloy, Zoro, Maya, and Trafalgar decide to visit Rockwreath and deal with Olin and the killers to find more answers in regards to the former's involvement, as well as Aloy's plight in regards to the mysterious person she saw from the hologram earlier in All-Mother Mountain. Meanwhile, Asta, Noelle, and Meliodas decide to locate Erend in Red Ridge Pass to help him out in locating Ersa's killers.

With that, two groups separate each other as they do their own respective missions.

A few minutes have passed, in fact thirty-five minutes later, Aloy, Zoro, Maya, and Trafalgar have arrived at Rockwreath, the excavation site shown from the map in Olin's apartment, while being away from the peering eyes of the cultists. They hide from a vantage point, as they see Olin, as well as a cultist leader who is in front of a Corruptor, where they watch it being awakened from the ground, and with Olin fully knowing about him getting used.

Olin Delverson appears to be an adult male in his 30s. He has an olive or dark tan complexion with dark brown eyes. Olin is bald, with a beard and sideburns. He wears a Focus on his right ear that has an orange colour. His simple outfit consists of a thin shirt that is opened on the front, a large belt on his waist, and orange patterned pants. He is somewhat short and stocky, though does have a barrel chest.

"What is going on in there?" Maya questioned Aloy.

"It looks like they are awakening a Corruptor." Aloy said. "So much for us catching him alone." He added.

"I'm worried more about Olin-sama being used by those cultists." Maya added.

"It seems that they're using this excavation site for something else." Trafalgar commented.

The quartet watch the cultists intently down below with their heinous plans coming in full circle, but not before they see Aloy in slightly agonising pain, as well as the other cultists and Olin, who were putting their hands into their Focuses, realising that their own Focuses are not working.

"Aloy-san?!" Maya exclaimed in whisper.

"Don't worry us this time!" Zoro added.

"Tell us what is going on." Trafalgar said,

"My Focus... It isn't working..." Aloy answered. "I think it's working again." She ended.

They heard the cultist leader ordering the other cultists to find Zoro, Maya, Trafalgar, and Aloy around the excavation site.

"Search the area!" The cultist leader ordered. "We may have intruders!"

"You have got to be kidding me." Zoro said, before formulating an assault. "Trafalgar. Maya. Aloy. Once I start the signal, we engage those cultists and their machines head-on." He ordered, as he looks at the site.

"Nine cultists and two Corruptors. This should be simple." Aloy added. "And one Olin."

Meanwhile, however, they heard another unknown male voice not from a cultist but from Aloy's Focus herself.

"Forgive this intrusion, Aloy and the Unity Force – you left me no choice." The unknown caller said.

'What the?" Aloy questioned. "Who is this? How do you know about the Unity Force and me?"

"An interested party. Now their Focuses are disabled, but I don't know for how long. The rest is up to you." The unknown caller responded, as he ended the call.

Aloy attempts to ask him again, but to no avail.

"Wait, how did that caller know the Unity Force?" Trafalgar inquired.

"I have no idea, yet." Zoro replied.

From there, the team then immediately attacked the cultists and the two Corruptors from the site.

"You looking for us?" Zoro questioned.

"INTRUDERS!" The cultist leader yelled.

"The Nora girl...? Outworlders...?" Olin added, before he attacks one of the Corruptors. "Don't attack me!"

Zoro sarcastically exclaimed in front of Olin. "We know, we know. But you'll be having an earful later on!" He later proceeds to take out his Wado Ichimonji.

"Kill them and the Oseram!" The cultist leader declared angrily.

Aloy dispatches the three cultists that are stationed in their own vantage points above the excavation site, before she fights off one of the Corruptors with a barrage of Fire Arrows, exposing its cooling rods, before she destroys them. This causes the machine to completely stagger.

Trafalgar then takes out his Kikoku and unleashes Radio Knife towards three cultists at once. They later scream in agony, causing them to be electrocuted, as well as their own body parts getting cleanly amputated, killing them in an instant.

The Corruptor fires off what looked like a barrage of reddish spikes towards Maya, but she quickly takes cover at a rock, before she unleashes a retaliatory forward stab towards the Corruptor with the rapier, with Zoro joining in, as he unleashes Yakkodori towards the machine, destroying it completely.

Zoro then attacks the rest of the cultists, one by one, with Yakkodori, once again, causing them to be thrown into the cliff walls.

"Damn it!" The cultist leader cursed. "We're being thinned out by these intruders!" He continued, as he takes out what looks like a machine gun that is nothing like any weapon that Aloy has. "Now that you've done it." He declared, before he starts firing his machine gun towards the Unity Force group, forcing the quartet to hide.

"Shit!" Trafalgar exclaimed.

"This is ridiculous! I've heard of them excavating machines, but not them wielding an M60 machine gun in this tribal world of yours!" Maya added.

"That's the same weapon that killed Vala and Bast during the Proving Massacre." Aloy revealed, as she fired a Shock Arrow towards the cultist group from her War Bow.

"Your corpses will be pruned to the sun upon your death, if you don't surrender." The cultist leader warned.

Zoro then quickly leaves from the hiding spot, as he proceeds to dodge the cultist's bullets. The cultist leader later suddenly realises that he runs out of bullets, as he proceeds to take out his makeshift sword to kill Zoro.

However, the cultist leader is completely too late, when Zoro instantaneously dashes towards him, causing his head to be severed, and with Zoro sheathing his sword.

After that rather fierce battle, Zoro, Aloy, Maya, and Trafalgar later confront Olin, who seems to be injured, and with Aloy having several questions regarding his involvement in the Proving Massacre.

"Tell us what you know, Olin." Aloy said.

"Please! I promise I will tell what we know to the rest of you!" Olin exclaimed.

"You better will." Zoro said, as she points her rapier to Olin's neck. "So don't make us slit your throat."

"Don't waste our time. We may be heroes, but we are not forgiving, when it comes to evil-doers like you." Maya added, as she also points her rapier to Olin's head.

"Who are those killers in the Proving? Who are they?" Aloy asked.

"The Eclipse." Olin said. "Some kind of holy warriors – a cult – or the Shadow Carja." He added.

"What is this Eclipse? Tell us more." Zoro interrogated.

"They're not like any Carja I've known. They don't pray to the Sun. They worship some kind of devil." Olin revealed.

"What kind of bullshit is that?" Trafalgar cursed.

"Listen, we're not interested in their superstitions-" Aloy said.

"Except their devil is real. It has a name, a voice – the most terrible voice. And they do its bidding." Olin added.

"Who is that 'devil' you are mentioning?" Maya asked.

"What's its name?" Aloy asked, as well.

"Hades." Olin answered, earning him sceptical looks from Zoro, Maya, and Trafalgar, whom they knew that this "Hades" is from the vanilla Greek mythology.

Olin then goes into saying to the group about Hades's origins and how it is being worshipped by the Eclipse, before he reveals that it says three words: "System threat detected". Suspicious, the quartet continued interrogating Olin furthermore about who the Eclipse are, before he reveals that they have planned to take over Meridian through the usage of ancient war machines, ranging from the Corruptors then to something else: another ancient machine known as Deathbringer. Olin then reveals to the Unity Force and Aloy the leader of the Eclipse: Helis, the champion of Jiran, and telling them his ferocity and his brutality to an extent that it cannot be measured. Olin told Aloy that it was the same person who nearly killed her during the Proving Massacre, and to another extent, the same person whom he was coerced to side with the Eclipse.

After hearing that revealing peace of information, Aloy then goes into asking Olin who the "mystery woman" is.

"No way..." Maya said.

"Like I said, they're mostly raising an army." Trafalgar added.

"If we don't know what the Eclipse and this Helis person are planning furthermore, then that's going to be an unstoppable threat." Zoro answered.

"Who is this mysterious woman, who was twice my age, has short hair, and why the Eclipse were sent to kill me, just because I looked like her?" Aloy interrogated.

"I don't know." Olin exclaimed.

"Just tell us what you know." Maya said.

"My Focus found her image once – in the ruins at Maker's End. Maybe you can find her there." Olin replied.

"You found her image? How?" Aloy questioned.

"There was a door, and beside it, a kind of ancient device that... contained the woman's image. My Focus recorded the location." Olin responded. "You do look like her? Is she your mother?"

"Why are you asking her? That's what she wants to know." Maya questioned.

"So, where is this Maker's End place or something?" Zoro asked.

"North-Northwest of Meridian." Olin answered.

After an intense interrogation session, the Unity Force later proceed to decide Olin's fate. Instead of opting for the more convincing approach of killing him, they instead spared his fate, until they reveal the reason why: Olin's family is held captive at a farmstead that has been taken over by the Eclipse, which was the same place shown in the hologram message earlier. And with that, Aloy and Maya convinces Olin to forge a new path with his family, away from the lives that he took during the Proving Massacre.

Olin then leaves the site, before the rest of the group begin discussing the next of their plans: to visit Maker's End.

"Looks like we have to go to Maker's End, if we have the time." Aloy said.

Zoro then receives a call from Asta.

"Hey, Zoro-san." Asta said. "So you found something?" He asked,

"What is it? We just found out from Olin-san about him being coerced by this Eclipse cult and its leader known as Helis." Zoro said.

"Damn. That's real bad news. Anything more?" Asta asked.

"We have to go to this Maker's End place to find out more about this 'mysterious woman' Aloy has been wondering for weeks." Zoro said.

"I'm afraid that might be postponed for now." Noelle suddenly added.

"Why is it?" Zoro asked.

"Some crazy freak named Dervahl is planning to destroy Meridian with barrels of bombs, and he's the same person responsible for killing Erend-san's sister." Meliodas added, as his tone grew serious.

"What?" Aloy suspiciously questioned. "Listen, we have to go back to Meridian, now!" Aloy added.

"Damn it!" Zoro exclaimed.

"We'll teleport back there, immediately." Maya said. "There is no telling what this Dervahl might do, and the damage he can cause."

"We're here at the walkway close to the throne of their own Sun-King." Noelle replied.

With that. Aloy, Zoro, Trafalgar, and Maya later enter through the portal that leads to Meridian to rendezvous with Asta, Noelle, and Meliodas and stop what Dervahl is planning, before it will be too late.

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The characters that appear in this chapter (in order):

Olin Delverson from Horizon Zero Dawn

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A/N: This story is inspired by the ideas of someoneStupED and XP4Universe.

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On the next chapter of UF Missions: Horizon Zero Dawn: After hearing of Ersa's apparent "murder", while Aloy, Zoro, Maya, and Trafalgar have located Olin in Rockwreath; earlier, the Unity Force group consisting of Asta, Noelle, and Meliodas later help Erend to track down the killers, but in doing so uncovered something much more different and sinister, one of which forces Erend and the trio to track down an old enemy...