Chapter 2:
A Burning introduction.
While not one to boost, Ritsuka thought of himself as fairly adept at traveling. In the past four years of employment at the Chaldea organization, all frankly insane locals he had bested on foot weren't anything to sneeze at. Even the LostBelts, where the Shadow Border was their primary method of transportation, none of the environments were easy on the feet.
But even with several singularities under their belts, the last Master of Chaldea had to admit that wherever they had found themselves?
It was no joke.
Upon descending from their 'landing pad' upon the Gormott Titan, Mash and Ritsuka cautiously made their way down the outskirts of the beast. Neither knew of what may lay within this colossal creature but when they were met with a dead end, there was no choice but to turn inward.
The pair of Master and Demi-Servant abandoned an easy path of broken trees and ventured inside the Titan.
Surprisingly and maybe not so surprisingly, the inside of the Gormott Titan was both the same and different when compared to its exterior. The green grass remained but the open sky had been replaced by a stony ceiling and plenty of fog. Luckily in place of the sun, the plants themselves provided a fair source of light. Among the very foliage that covered the Titan, there were plants that resembled a cross between a heat lamp and a street light. Warm and illuminating light filled the thick, humid enviroment and gave both Chaldeans a new path to traverse.
However as the pair ventured deeper inside the Titan, they found that they were far from alone on their trek.
"Here comes it's tongue again!"
Mash grit her teeth and raised up her shield, "Understood!"
In a field of wet, damp grass, Mash found herself up against one of locals, who had taken offense to the pair as they tried to pass on by. This mighty creature was a colossal looking frog who had been eating some worms prior to the duo's interruption. But the second it set its sights on them, its dinner plan's changed drastically.
The massive frog snapped its jaws open and out of its sickly jaw came its tongue. Such a slimy appendage snapped at Mash like a rubber band, but the Demi-Servant repelled it with a smack of her shield.
Feeling a sharp pain erupt across its taste buds, the frog then lurched forward and tried to swallow Mash whole. She would have absolutely none of that however.
Mash slid underneath the green amphibian as it dove at her and slammed her shield into its stomach.
With a mighty bit of effort, Mash lifted the frog off the ground and threw it into the air. Then with a surge of mana from her master, she followed the frog upwards. Using her shield as a stepping stone, the Shielder shot at the Wormeater and kicked it square in the center of its flabby gut.
The oversized Frog let out of a cry of pain as it fumbled through the sky and crashed back onto the dirt. From where Mash's boot stuck home, a red bruise now covered the frog's underbelly. For a moment, Ritsuka watched as the beast tried to turn itself over, yet with a garbled groan, it let out a cry and collapsed onto its back.
As the threat was now vanquished, Ritsuka ran over to Mash as she retrieved her shield from the marshy landscape.
"You alright?" he asked, giving the girl a once over.
She nodded, "Perfectly, though I wouldn't mind a shower…"
Without injury but covered in the frog's disgusting mucous, the duo continued on their way through the Titan's interior. The frog hadn't been the first or last creature they encountered. Others included wiggling caterpillars and giant birds that resembled hawks. Thankfully, Mash's skills as a Demi-Servant proved more than capable of dealing with any hungry carnivores that dared make a move.
But as they departed, Ritsuka turned back and gave the defeated frog one last look.
As overly sized and bizarrely powerful as the frog had been, something about it seemed off. Ritsuka wasn't the best Mage in frankly any category. In fact, as many of his colleges would note, he was quite crap. But even he could notice when something seemed out of place. Or in this case, nothing seemed out of place at all.
Nothing outwardly magical, warped, or even twisted seemed to plague the animal. Sure, it was ridiculously sized but that was it. They weren't creatures out of lore, history, or even a combination of the two. At least Ritsuka couldn't recall any mythologies that had frogs the size of a small truck. Given the vast array of Servants back at Chaldea, that was entirely possible.
Be that as it may though, the animals were simply thus. A natural phenomenon, spawns of a much larger creature.
Ritsuka sighed, "Bet I'm just too used to things with more teeth...and toxic blood trying to eat me."
Demonic Beasts, Magi constructions such as Automatons and Homunculus, and even the wayward skeleton were common in their normal line of work. So fighting something that was less a myth and more of a random spawn of nature supersized was a tad bit odd for the young master. Even Wyverns were far more familiar at this point.
But as long as Mash could hold her own before they could find a means to summon some assistance, Ritsuka wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Master! I think I see a way out!"
"Really?! Let's get out of here then!"
Carefully, Mash led her master through the marshy plains. Thankfully, most of the local inhabitants were more than willing to mind their own business and let the duo walk on by. Some of the more carnivorous creatures spared the two a halfhearted glare but Ritsuka made certain to give them a wide berth in return.
After a few minutes of walking through the admittedly humid landscape, the duo arrived at a large cliff-side. It was covered entirely in thick vines but at the tip top of the cliff, a large hole could be seen with light streaming from the outside world. After giving the cliff a once over and testing the vine's strength to hold them, Master and Servant began to climb.
Thankfully the vines barely even budged underneath their combined weight and allowed the duo an easy climb.
Leaving the humid marsh and its aggravated frogs behind them, the two Chaldeans emerged from the inner cave system and felt a cool rush of air brush past them.
For what felt like the third time that day alone, Ritsuka and Mash were met with a breathtaking sight. Just outside the cavern's exit was a cliff-side outlook, with patches of grass, some average sized trees and a gentle breeze that felt wondrous on their worn and sweat covered skin. Light fluffy clouds floated overhead and a massive set of vines clung to the Titan just to the left of the teens.
But just past the outlook, the pair couldn't help but stop and take in the view.
Beyond the cliff, Mash and Ritsuka overlooked a tremendous looking plain of numerous fields, each interconnected by humongous sized roots. In fact the entire field was practically littered with these roots. Either by burying themselves in the ground or climbing into the sky alongside the Titan itself, the roots were present in every direction. The plain was a grand and vibrant landscape in itself as well. Animals roamed the fields, from ponds of crystal clear water to massive stone walls, with packs of animals that varied from small to gigantic in size.
However, to call the stony walls a mere mountain was a bit of a poor description. In awe, Mash and Ritsuka raised their eyes upward and gazed at the reality of these 'mountains'.
It was no mountain at all, but was in fact, the Titan's head itself.
Earlier, the master could vaguely recall calling the creature something like a giraffe as they fell. While this was a fair guess, it wasn't exactly true either. The massive neck of this colossal beast was covered in stone-like plateaus of land that resembled scales and atop its head were two forward facing horns.
The sheer scale of the creature almost floored the pair, it put basically everything else they had seen to shame. The closest thing either they compare it to in size alone was Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven from Babylonian myth. But even that was a hard comparison. Gugalanna descended from the heavens, while this Titan literally walked the oceans on naught but its legs alone.
As the pair basked in the sheer vibrant landscape in front of them, Mash noticed something off in the distance, far to the right of the massive plain the two were gawking at.
"Master! Look!"
Ritsuka blinked, again broken from his sightseeing, "What is it?"
"A town! There's some sort of town on the other side of the field!"
Indeed, on the far right of the fields sat a village positioned underneath another massive root. It was surrounded by a curved, inclined brick wall and had a dirt road that rounded up toward its entrance. Mash spotted various buildings and shops inside the village while Ritsuka took note of a few piles of lumber stacked up outside. There was even an upward facing windmill near the center of the town, with blades facing toward the sky instead of any of the four cardinal directions.
Something large, metal, and imposing was stationed behind the town but neither Chaldeans could quite make it out. Instead, their eyes were focused on the small dots moving in and out of the town.
"People! There are people living here!" Mash noted with surprise.
Despite their earlier suspensions, the detour inside the Titan's innards had put a damper on the pair's thoughts on finding anyone living on this creature's vibrant hide. But here they were, a town nestled at the tail end of a prosperous field, living their lives on the back of a literal moving continent.
Mash looked to her Master hopefully, "Do you think we'll have a better chance to contact the Director there?"
"Maybe," Ritsuka nodded, "Even if we don't, at least we can finally find out a bit more about this place."
How an entire village had been built atop the back of some sort of colossal stone creature was quite the mystery. Where had they come from, where on earth did this creature come from? So many questions and all of it would certainly be of interest to Da Vinci when they got back in touch. But at the moment, Ritsuka was more interested in getting somewhere he and Mash could rest their feet.
Would be nice to spend their first night in an actual bed instead of camping out for once.
Elsewhere: Adrainian Titan Battleship
"How…? A mangy fleabag and a bunch of stinking kids…My triumphant return to Mor Ardain with Aegis…"
His eyes rolling back and a dazed look upon his face, Administrator Dughall fell backwards with a loud thud.
Next to him was his blade, also motionless after a sound beating from Rex and the others.
Azurda chuckled from within Rex's helmet, "Out like a light."
"That's what he gets for trying to execute Nia."
After a trialing trek through the massive Battleship, the group were finally in reach of an exit. Upon entering Rex, Pyra, and the others were forced to deal with one thing after another in their rescue mission. Fighting their way through numerous Adrainian soldiers, climbing through far too many vents for the average day, and Dughall himself had been more than a troublesome speed bump with that oversized Blade of his.
Still, an exit was within their sights. Nia and Dromarch had been freed from their cells (though the latter nearly got scorched in the process) and now the group merely had to get out before more soldiers showed up. Given the sheer size of the Titan Battleship, no matter how many soldiers were defeated, more were certain to follow.
However, there were a few more little issues they had to deal with first.
"What?" Nia sent Rex a Look, "He was trying to take me back to Mor Ardain, Rex! This was a trap!"
He blinked, "Huh? So they weren't going to execute you?"
Nia facepalmed. She had only been locked up for a day or two and these goofs had managed to waltz in, get her out, and never once consider the fact that it was a trap?
"Fou Fooou?"
Ignoring Rex's obliviousness for just a moment, Nia turned and sent Pyra a look. Well, not Pyra technically but Nia focused on the second fur covered bother the group had managed to pick up. Whatever happened to Rex's Titan friend she could accept, even if they had been sparse on the details on what happened. But the new little fuzzball?
"Okay, seriously." she pointed at Fou, "What exactly is that thing? It's been staring at me this whole time and I'm bout ready to bop it on the head."
Rex shrugged, "Oh, that's just Fou."
"And Fou is...what?" Nia pushed, "You starting some sort of fluffy critter collection since I've been away? First ya gramps and now this little squirrely thing?"
The girl's accusations made Pyra look away, her own feet suddenly becoming a bit more interesting than this conversation.
"I sort of found him the other day…" she mumbled, "When we were helping Tora, he found me and decided to...come along when we left to come get you this morning?"
Nia blinked, now shooting Pyra of all people a look, "Oh what now!? You say this was a rescue mission but it seems more like a perfect chance of you lot just picking up strays! I better not be counted among this lot, ya hear!"
Almost on cue, Fou chose this moment to jump off of Pyra's shoulder. The little critter bounced through the air and landed smack dab on Nia's head, right between her ears. With a energized yip, the small creature began patting her forehead with its paw.
Of course with how small he was, the pats barely registered. Nia glared up at the fluffy thing.
"Don't tempt me, fuzzball."
"Fou!"
Amidst the conversation however, Tora bounced over to the group and waved his wings frantically at everyone.
"No time!, Talk about fluffy things later! We should escape!"
Poppi nodded in agreement, "Masterpon is right. Chance of reinforcements very high."
"Let us make haste!" Azurda concurred, "Getting out of town would be a good start!"
As entertaining as watching Fou bop Nia on the head was, the trio's advice was something everyone could agree with. They were inside a literal battleship that was docked in a town filled to the brim with soldiers that were looking for them. Torigoth was a nice town but it was about time for them to split.
Nodding amongst themselves, Rex, Pyra and the others went on the move. Nia plucked Fou off her head and handed him off to her Blade, Dromarch. Thankfully, the white tiger didn't seem to mind the company and allowed the small critter to sit atop his head in place of his lady's.
Fou enjoyed it as well, cheerfully yipping as the ground made their way towards the closest set of blast doors.
Elsewhere: Torigoth
Mash excitedly pulled Ritsuka up a wooden path, almost yanking the poor master behind her as they walked.
"Maaash, I get it. We're here, you can stop pulling me now…"
The Demi-Servant shook her head, "Not until we're through the gate Master, then we'll be secure."
Ritsuka rolled his eyes. Sometimes his partner took her Shielder title a bit too seriously.
The trek from Outlook Knoll through the Garanti Plain's had been both exciting, tiring, and all over a tiresome march. Mash took the lead due to the sheer number of animals roaming the plains. There were some close calls, like a pack of tiger-like predators roaming the grasslands or a truly titanic sized ape that glared at the pair the moment the set foot near it. Luckily, Ritsuka's quick use of Predictive Evasion via his Mystic Code made for a quick escape, though not without a tremendous amount of running.
What they envisioned as a fair jog through the fields turned to a frantic marathon toward the gates of the nearby village.
Nevertheless, after nearly an hour of running from the vibrant variety of creatures tailing them, the two finally arrived. Torches lit a curved grassy path toward the village entrance. Making their way up the plank ridden path, the duo crossed into a arch-shaped entrance and their a good look at whatever civilization lived on the back of a massive stone Titan.
Torigoth was an old but bustling town. The buildings were old, put together with age stone and worn out planks of wood. Despite their age though, the structures barely creaked as their owners got the best use out of them. The streets were lined with stone and banners fluttered above the daily crowds thanks to some ropes interconnecting the buildings together.
Even before reaching the village's entrance, Ritsuka and Mash heard crowds of voices echoing from the town. One step through the entrance and the pair were meet with packed streets. Villagers talking among themselves, gathering in front of market stalls, or simply enjoying a walk on a particularly sunny day.
The village was lively, full of people, and a sight for sore eyes.
"Finally, a place to rest." Ritsuka muttered, hands on his knees, "Maybe we can finally get a call to the Director here if we're lucky."
Mash could agree. The communicator was a work in progress but with a bustling town full of people, maybe they could finally get some reception back to Chaldea.
However, as Mash started to rummage through her shield again, she felt Ritsuka nudge her shoulder.
"Um, yes Master?"
Turning toward her master, Mash noticed a particularly odd look on Ritsuka's face. Instead of saying anything, the teen gestured her toward a crowd off in the distance. The residents were off on the opposite side of the street, grouped up into a small crowd. Though barely, the two could hear them discussing something but that wasn't what caught his attention.
"Do you...notice anything different about the people here Mash?
She tilted her head to the side, "Different? Like what?"
"Just take a look at their heads, and tell me if you're seeing this too."
Mash blinked again but did just that. The Demi-Servant narrowed her eyes and focused on the closest member of the crown. They looked normal enough at a first glance. Simple rustic clothing, lightly tan skin, and rather thick bushy hair atop their heads-
"Eh-!? Is that-"
Ritsuka nodded, "Okay good, so it's not just me."
Atop every single person in the crowd was a set of feline ears. Some even had hats on with holes cut in the top to make room for their ears.
This wasn't the first time either had seen this kind of thing of course. One glance at the villagers made the duo think of one of their Servants, Atalanta. A Greek Hero, skilled with a bow and a particular affection toward children also had a pair of cat ears too. Problem was, she was a single Servant, not an entire crowd of people with the same condition!
"You...don't think they're anything similar to the Yaga...do you, Master?"
The very thought made Ritsuka's gut shrivel.
Yaga. The closest thing the very first LostBelt had to humanity that Chaldea had encountered. They were the result of humans being combined with Magical Beasts to survive the frozen wasteland of their world. It saved their lives but robbed them of much of their human traits, both visually and emotionally. They were gruff, selfish, and more than willing to abandon those who couldn't support themselves.
Like digging up old memories, a name flashed through Ritsuka's head...
In a snow covered landscape, a Yaga was there, holding onto his shirt for dear life. He was covered in blood, half his face was torn and ruined, and he was staring the master dead in the eye.
It had only one eye left, filled with a burning rage...and a deep pain of an unfair truth spitting in their face.
"I'll never forgive you, for as long as I live. You know why?"
"Because thanks to you, I know there's another, happier world out there."
"So stand up, fight for it!"
"...don't you dare go lose to a world like this, a world whose only virtue is strength!"
"Senpai?"
Ritsuka blinked and shook his head, "Huh?"
"You just...you weren't saying anything for a while. Are you alright?"
Had he? Ritsuka couldn't recall. But with the concerned look on Mash's face, he turned his confused look into a smile, "Yeah, just got caught up thinking about something."
"Oh," Mash mumbled, "Okay then, then what should we do about the people here."
Ah, right. That little situation. Ritsuka pushed aside the unsettling thoughts that bubbled up in his gut. These people might have animal ears, but they weren't the Yaga. Obviously. It could be just a trait they had. They might have been Servants but some of their friends had something similar. Heck, a few had tails too! These people likely were as normal as they could be. They had a town, a market, and they weren't verbally tearing themselves down every five seconds.
Or at least, he hoped they didn't.
"Lets just walk up and see how they are," he reasoned, "Can't hurt, can it?"
It could, it certainly could. But then again? What did they have to lose?
"Alright!" she nodded, "Let's go, Senpai!"
The matter settled, the pair pushed toward the town and approached the nearest crowd of people. As they walked, Mash and Ritsuka took a moment to observe the town around them. Each corner the pair passed had several shops, each selling something new. There were toys, books, local goods, and seven sweet smelling foods. It was akin to a local bizarre but on every corner.
They passed by a board as well with numerous notes and flyers, including a pair of bounty posters depicting two intimidating looking men. Oddly, there was space for a third poster too but it looked like something had shredded it for some reason.
"Someone must have been unhappy with that one." Ritsuka noted.
Mash nodded. She wondered though, why did it look like a cat was the one who did it?
As much as they wanted to sample the local culture though, Mash and Ritsuka focused on where they were headed. The former respectfully declined a few offers the merchants showed her way while her master noticed something odd in front of them.
Beyond the group of Gormotti people, there was a squad of men that eerily resembled soldiers. Their armor consisted of a breastplate, shoulder pads, and a metal helmet that somewhat resembled a gas mask in style. They carried rather simple looking firearms and melee weapons as well.
The only notable feature Ritsuka really noticed was the leader of the group, whose helmet was far more tall and cone-like than the others.
As the Chaldeans approached, they could faintly hear someone arguing with the very soldiers in question.
"I'm not going to repeat myself. No one is permitted past this point. It's for your own safety, please disperse!"
One of the locals near the front of the crowd shook his fist, "Are you kidding?! You can't just section off half the street like this! Some of us need to get to work!"
"I apologize but this is not up for debate. This is an Imperial decree from the Special Inquisitor herself. None shall pass this point until the matter has been dealt with."
"Then what IS going on then?" another local cried, "You haven't even said what's happening!"
The soldier stomped his boot down, "Because it's classified! What part of that don't you get?! The Relay Base is currently on lock down and you are not permitted to go within a set distance of it!"
"Oh that's a load of bull-"
Suddenly, amid the shouting match between the locals and the troops keeping them back, an explosion shook the small town. Ritsuka, Mash, and the crowd itself could feel the ground tremble and shake as something went off in the distance. Everyone's attention turned, ignoring the guards and focused down the street instead.
Beyond the quaint and rustic town was a far more industrialized looking area. It had metal walls, red banners affixing nearly every place of note, and docked next to it was some sort of massive ship of some kind. It was massive in size and strangely made up of both metal and stone, like someone had taken a creature similar to the Titan itself and covered it in armor.
The ship wasn't what exploded however. Instead the main gate of this complex was what the pair had found their gazes focused on.
A blazing blue wall of fire completely engulfed the entrance to the militarized compound. It was raging, twisting like an inferno but it was oddly stationary for a wildfire. The flames weren't creeping toward another part of town, they hadn't moved an inch. Instead, the flames were contained, focused entirely on the compound's front gate.
No way in, or maybe...a precaution to make sure there was no way out.
Ritsuka stared at the flame, memories kicking up from the last time he had seen such a tactic. He turned to Mash and shared with her a gaze.
Without hesitation, she met it, and the two began to march forward.
As they pushed their way through the stunned crowd, the head soldier broke out of his own shock and turned to face them, "Hey! You two!"
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Torigoth Relay Base:
The Flames, such intensity…
Rex could barely keep his eyes open once the sheer intensity of the fire slammed him square in the face.
The blue flames surrounding him and the others were so blazingly hot that they made Pyra's seem lukewarm in comparison.
And to think, they had been so close to getting out…
As Poppi had predicted, reinforcements were quick to follow the gang after Dughall got what was coming to him. But as Rex, Pyra, and the others made their way out into the open air, it seemed like they were in the clear. The Relay Base's gate was wide open and all they had to do was make a run for it.
Then, the Flames erupted.
A blue wall of fire completely engulfed the entrance, stopping the group in their tracks. However, the flames were just a precursor to the trouble they were facing now.
Mòrag, the FlameBringer of the Ardainian Empire, walked through the inferno with her Blade in tow. Her Blade was a frankly striking woman with long purple hair that turned blue at the tips, a floor length dress, and actual flames covering both arms and the tips of her hair. She was the same Blade that had assisted in Nia's capture and was practically the opposite to her militarily dressed and professional Driver in all but one factoid.
Neither were planning to allow Rex, Pyra, or anyone else to step one foot beyond the gates of the base.
And after just a few moments of fighting, she made her intent painfully evident.
Mòrag had speed and power in a tight, burning package. She charged at Rex right away and blitzed the boy with her twin Whipswords. Rex tried to match her strikes but each slash were either blocked with one sword or smacked away with another. Mòrag had Rex outmatched two to one with her swords and pushed the Salvager to defend against a barrage of slashes and thrusts.
Nia tried to offer support but the Ardainian solider batted her away before she could get close. One of Mòrag's Whipswords snapped apart and uncoiled from itself, shifting from a longsword to a literal whip of fire. The young Gormotti used her Twin Rings to block it but the force alone knocked her back like a rag-doll.
Dromarch leaped into action and caught his Driver by the her hoodie but neither could get into striking distance thanks to the Inquisitor's whips keeping them at bay.
Even Tora and Poppi had trouble approaching the infernal Imperial. When Nopon or Artificial Blade charged her with Poppi's drill, Mòrag sidestepped the pair and let them charge headfirst into Brighid's flames.
The constant onslaught of flames didn't help matters either. Each of the group had trouble standing up to the intense heat Brighid was dishing out. Even Pyra could just barely handle it herself. Her flames offset a fair amount but when compared to the living geyser that was the Flamebringer? It just wasn't enough.
Nevertheless, Rex continued to rush back into the fight again and again. Even though Mòrag had knocked him aside several times now, he stood back up to charge yet again.
"Aaaah!" he roared, slamming Pyra's sword down onto the Inquisitor.
Mòrag crossed her Whipswords together and blocked the Aegis' sword. Rex tried to push on through but the Inquisitor merely stepped forward and delivered a sharp kick to the boy's gut. It staggered the lad but he bit back a grunt of pain and charged again, feverishly swiping back and forth as much as his tiresome arms could manage.
Growing tired of these games, Mòrag parried the boy's swipes and stepped aside. Brighid swiftly took her place and let loose another wave of flames at the Aegis' driver.
Rex shielded himself with Pyra's sword but the sheer force of the flames caused him to slide backwards.
"Damn it…!"
"Fou!"
Mòrag stopped, as did Brighid.
"What. Now." she muttered, turning to spare a glance behind her.
Despite the raging fire surrounding it, standing between the Inquisitor and the gate, was Fou. The tiny creature sat on all fours, its ears perked up, and stared down the Flamebringer and her Blade. Something so small and covered in fur didn't even seem bothered by the fire. Even with heat beating down on all sides, Fou barely even twitched.
As if the sun itself petered out of the sky, the battle came to a abrupt halt the second Fou was in view. Rex, Pyra, and the others were firstly confused as to why the fighting had stopped. Then, they saw Fou. Mòrag had a brow raised, Brighid stood mutely at her Driver's side, and the duo shared a blank stare at the tiny fuzzball.
Rex and Pyra gasped. Nia's eye twitched, Dromarch facepalmed with a paw, and Tora scratched the side of his head.
Oddly, Poppi did nothing. She was just standing there as the others were dumbstruck.
"Nia?!" Rex hissed, "I thought you had him!?"
The girl shot Rex an almost murderous glare, "Been a bit busy here! How did the little bugger even get over there!?"
Last any of the group had seen Fou, he had been sitting on Dromarch's head before Mòrag appeared. Then when the fighting began, the fluffy thing scampered off to a safe distance. They just assumed he was hiding behind a box somewhere, not literally staring down the Imperial Driver that was kicking their arses!
Mòrag ignored the idle banter going on behind her back. She focused her gaze strictly on Fou. The tiny animal sat casually among Brighid's flames, seeming almost comfortable despite the literal inferno. Most who were foolish enough to approach her were often left as a sizzling mess. It was frankly a wonderful method of keeping the troops on their toes and blowhards at bay.
But not this creature, oddly enough. It was almost ridiculous.
"Should I take this as one last desperate attempt to catch your breath?" she called out to the others, not even bothering to turn her head.
Hearing said question, Rex bit out a chuckle and tried not to sound nervous, "Would you believe he has a mind of his own with this sort of thing?"
"Naturally."
Mòrag rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to the Aegis and her Driver, "That aside, shall we continue?"
"Fou!"
Again with the yipping? Mòrag wisely chose to ignore the little creature, regardless of what noise it made. She sent Brighid a nod and the two began to move again on the Aegis.
Rex and co. raised their weapons one more, ready to resume the fight. A second or two to catch their breath had been nice, but it seemed Fou's little distraction had been spent.
"Get ready guys," Rex growled, prepared for the next round, "We can do this! I'm sure of it! We can-"
"S-SPECIAL INQUISITOR-!"
"..wot?"
A loud, frantic cry of fear caused everyone to stop for what seemed to be the third time.
Mòrag stopped, her foot colliding with the ground with a sharp thud. She gripped her swords tightly and felt a rare scowl hit her lips. These interruptions were starting to get unbearably irritating. She had waited at the gate in case she had to deal with the Aegis herself, alone, with no one possibly getting in the way!
So what was it this time!?
The Imperial snapped her head toward the sound of the voice and growled in anger, "What now!?"
What met her question stopped Mòrag, Brighid, and the others dead in their tracks.
Out of the sky, several Imperial soldiers came tumbling over the still burning gate. Ardainian soldiers, posted in Torigoth to keep the peace, were flung over the Relay Base's entrance and some even crashed into it! A few men smashed into nearby storehouses, others bounced off some poorly placed crates.
And the last but fortunately not least, was Captain Padraig, who's voice began this spectacle was literally about to collide face first with the metal frame of a military gate.
Which he did. Padraig collided face first, bounced off the front gate, and soared overhead like a rather beaten up bouncy ball.
Everyone, including the stoic Mòrag and Brighid were flabbergasted at what they just witnessed. Words nearly failed them.
"What...the bloody hell...just happened?"
Save for Nia.
Then, as the last soldier barely cleared the top of the Relay Base's defensive walls, another force struck the Ardainian compound. A figure, shrouded in Brighid's flames, bulldozed their way through the main entrance. Whether they saw the flaming barricade, didn't know what it was, or hadn't noticed the intense heat of it, no one could tell.
Instead, both sides of the battle witnessed as a single figure rushed into the Flamebringer's flames and pushed on through. They didn't stagger upon contact with the flames. Didn't halt when the heat poured over their skin. Nor did they cry out in pain once their entire body was swarmed by the vicious inferno.
Rex, Mòrag, and the others starred in awe as someone breached Brighid's wall of fire and land just a few yards sparse from their battle.
But as the flames flickered away, the group didn't see a person or a Blade standing there.
It was a shield, in the shape of a massive, heavily armored cross.
"Fou Foou Fou!"
The moment his little eyes potted the intimidating lump of steel, Fou wasted no time and jumped at it. Before anyone could stop him, the animal bounced around one side of the shield and vanished from sight. Just a moment after he disappeared however, a soft voice gasped from behind the imposing piece of metal. Slowly, the shield turned sideways and revealed its owner to the group.
A girl, with lilac hair, armor covering her body, and Fou currently cuddling up against her left cheek.
"Ah, Fou! So this is where you went!" she giggled at the little creature, "You had me and Senpai worried to death! Don't go running off like that again, okay?"
"Fou! Fo-Fou Fou!"
Mòrag narrowed her eyes, unamused at the sight before her. Slowly, she stepped forward and flicked the flames off her blades.
The Special Inquisitor readied a stern glare at the new arrival while Brighid carefully followed tow. Before Dughall had gotten himself mollywhopped by the Aegis and her driver, Mòrag was certain to get as informed on the Aegis and her Driver as she could. Their allies, associates, and likely course of action once the rumor of the execution was unfurled to the village.
All that preparation, and she hadn't once been informed of another combatant wielding a shield.
"And you would be?"
The cold stern voice broke Mash from her happy reunion with Chaldea's local mascot. She turned, narrowed her eyes, and gestured Fou back. The furry familiar heeded her advice and leaped from her shoulder. It bounced off the ground and made a quick dash back through the base's gate. Unbeknownst to the others, the little critter was met with a relieved looking Ritsuka, slowly approaching the Relay Base himself.
With shield in hand, Mash turned to face the Inquisitor and her visor clamped down over her eyes.
"Mash Kyrielight, Shielder! Operating Parameters set! Engaging in Combat!"
AN:
-Welcome back friends! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I've got quite a few chapters already prepared at the moment, so I'm gonna try to get one new chapter out per week for the time being, then we'll see how things go when I catch up with my current stock. Still, if you guys have any questions, go ahead and post them, I'll do my best to get back to them when I can!.
-Next chapter we'll get into some actual combat, so we'll see how I can really depict these two franchises clashing. Though it'll be mostly a Demi-Servant, so for those waiting for a full on Servant brawl, that'll be a bit longer of a wait. Its coming, I promise, just give me your thoughts next time before we get to that.
-Oh, and if anyone is wondering about the...interesting and unique side content of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 getting skipped, don't worry. This story will have moments looking at the more...insane aspects of both franchises, so expect things like Unique monsters from XBC2 getting covered, as well as Events in Fate/Grand Order getting referenced. It'll be bonkers, I swear.
-Anyway, thanks for your time, tell me what you think, and see you guys next time!