Hello, willing readers! A new chapter arrives, and it introduces yet another new character to the story! Rest assured that the amount of characters left to introduce is winding down now, and soon enough, the intensity of the plot will begin soon enough. I just hope you enjoy what's happening so far. I certainly am. :)
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TIME: 9:34 PM
LOCATION: 30 MILES FROM RANDGRIZ, GALLIA
The moon was full tonight, casting its bone white glow all across the Gallian landscape. In the surrounding area, nocturnal creatures of all kinds scurried about, using the cover of the night to help them in their quest for food. On this specific night, Gallia had once again been visited by strangers from another world.
Sitting nimbly on a high tree branch, a prodigy of the sword, Shigure Kosaka, looked up at the starry sky with an indifferent face. She did not know if her comrades were asleep or not, but she certainly wasn't tired. Being one of the five masters of martial arts from the Ryozanpaku Dojo, Shigure was no doubt used to this kind of solitude. As she looked up into the sky with a blank expression and her legs curled up to her chest, Shigure's tiny pet mouse Tochūmaru sat on her right shoulder, nibbling on a piece of rice as its owner just continued to ponder over the current situation before her.
"…strange place…." Shigure said to herself quietly. She wasn't as confused as she was curious. She, along with the other masters, had all been in the familiarity of their dojo only some time ago. This strange situation had began when a mysterious blue light had overcome them. Now they were all together in some strange new place, or as Akisame had described it, a whole new world.
She wouldn't have normally believed it, but if Akisame was the one explaining it to them, then it was most likely credible.
For a moment, Shigure inspected one of her spare kunai in boredom. Her eyes scanned over the metal, and for a brief second, she thought she saw the smiling reflection of Ryozanpaku's newest disciple, Kenichi Shirahama. She almost thought he had been behind her, but a familiar voice easily alerted her that it wasn't Kenichi with her at all.
"Reminiscing a little, Shigure-don?" Ma Kensei asked almost jokingly, which only seemed to aggravate Shigure, despite it not showing on her face. She threw the kunai in her hand backwards with inhuman speed, only to find out that Kensei had easily caught it between his fingers. The Chinese master was smiling wide at Shigure, with one hand holding onto a high tree branch to keep him from falling. He almost looked like some kind of chimpanzee.
Shigure gave him a sort of annoyed look before turning her attention back to the night sky. She didn't want to be bothered right now.
"Don't sneak up on me. I like this quiet the way it is."
Ma Kensei smiled underneath his mustache. He hadn't see Shigure annoyed like this very much, so he couldn't help but feel giddy at the sight. He badly wished for his camera right now.
"You shouldn't try to cut yourself off from us so much. We're just as confused as to what happened to us." the Chinese master said, stroking one side of his mustache with his free hand, Shigure's kunai still in between the fingers.
"Akisame is not confused." Shigure replied, her gaze still on the sky and indifferent as usual.
Ma Kensei grinned, and did a somersault upwards so that he would land with both feet on the tree branch. He positioned himself like some sort of spider monkey, his balance perfect.
"He may not be confused as the rest of us, but he still doesn't know too much either. Trust me when I say that even he can get a little homesick. And judging from how long we might be here for; that could happen very fast."
"I'm not…homesick. I just want to know where here is." Shigure responded quietly, her gaze glued to the starry night sky.
"Fooling me isn't that easy."
Shigure turned back to Kensei again. His face was a little more serious now.
"I'm missing Ken-chan as well. I think just about all of us are. Even Akisame."
Despite the expression showing on her face, Ma Kensei's words had actually reached Shigure. Though the weapons master wanted to keep her attention on the stars more than anything else, she quickly realized that she did in fact miss that boy. Like Kensei and the other masters, Shigure also had developed a fondness for Kenichi Shirahama, despite only knowing him for a limited amount of time. His tenacity and willingness to go through even the most back-breaking training had lit a spark in the hearts of everyone at the Ryozanpaku Dojo, and even Shigure had to admit she was no exception. It was a pity he had only been through a week of training before this incident had occurred.
If anything, Kensei would have loved to know what was going on in Shigure's mind. He was no mind reader like Akisame though, so he knew such a thing wouldn't be possible for him.
And so, although he would have gladly talked to her some more, Ma Kensei could easily tell that Shigure probably wanted some alone time, and he was interrupting that. Putting on another smile, the Chinese master spoke warmly again as he began to grip the tree branch below him.
"Well, I think I've said enough. Hopefully we can find out more about where we are tomorrow. For now, I think I need some rest. Try not to hurt your brain with all that thinking, Shigure-don." Ma Kensei commented with laughter in his voice, before he pushed off of the tree branch below him, flipping downwards towards the ground below. Only the sound of his robe catching air could be heard, before he disappeared completely from Shigure's view.
Shigure had nothing she could have said to him at the end of their conversation, so the fact he had left so quickly didn't matter to her. She turned her attention back to the stars now. Their brilliant lights in the sky did little to keep her from becoming distressed. In fact, they were somehow reminding her more of Kenichi. On top of that, she was beginning to become very bored, and even sleep did not appeal to this weapons master at a moment like this. She looked at Tochūmaru on her shoulder, before cupping the little animal in her hands, and putting him down behind her on the branch.
"Stay here. I need…air." Shigure said to her tiny companion. The little mouse just nodded up to her, as if he had completely understood just what she said.
Slowly, Shigure leaned over the side of the tree branch, and without warning, she let herself fall down towards the ground. Even as she was free falling, it seemed as if gravity didn't apply to her, and she just nimbly descended down to the ground. Landing on both feet almost perfectly like a cat, Shigure looked from side to side, just to see if any of her fellow masters were still awake. There was a chance Akisame was, but Shigure had assumed he would me more interested in figuring out where they were than sleeping anyway.
Knowing now that the coast was clear, Shigure made a dash to her left, going between two gigantic trees as she went deeper into the forest. She made no noise as she ran, and her movements were so fluid and perfect it was as if nature itself was almost giving way to her approach. Shigure's eyes focused on the darkness ahead, and it was as if her mind had already analyzed this forest from the tallest oak to the tiniest insect.
She ran; slowly taking her mind off of any thoughts regarding Kenichi Shirahama.
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A blast of cold air.
That was what this man felt after the flash. Before it, he hadn't really felt too much. In fact, one could say he didn't even really exist before he was literally pulled out of his own plane of existence.
The man rolled onto the ground unexpectedly, his mind spinning as if he had just been thrown out of a tornado. His vision was blackened, and he did not yet know that he had been expunged from his home universe, and brought to another one entirely. If anything, this man was trying to regain his composure and get his face off the ground of this forest.
He was pissed, spitting dirt out of his mouth upon after recovering from his rough landing. The man was dressed in an armored, red overcoat, and he had brilliant white hair coupled with features suitable on a sculpture. His limbs were long and almost gangly, though his figure was clearly strong and muscled as well.
"Damn novice..."
Slowly, the Servant known as Archer stood up from the ground, and he fully absorbed his new surroundings. Looking from side to side, he could see that he was in a large clearing, surrounded by tall conifer trees. The air was unfamiliar to Archer, and the environment in general wasn't too much to his liking.
He looked behind him, expecting to see none other than the Master who was responsible for summoning him in such an inexperienced manner. Thoughts of insulting this rookie Magus almost immeaditely entered the Servant's mind.
Behind Archer, there was no one to insult. The Master he had expected to see wasn't there at all, causing the Servant to just frown in annoyance. Archer let out a deep sigh.
"Great. I ended up with an imbecile..." Archer said to himself with an annoyed tone of voice. He hated to think that he had gotten a idiot Magus as a Master. With that thought on his mind, Archer's eyes almost instantly got caught up in something directly in front of him. The Servant's expression changed quickly, and his eyes narrowed seriously at the sight in front of him. His brain kicked into a different mindset. He wasn't alone here.
The Servant's thought process quickly shifted with knowledge of a new presence. Archer knew now that the heat of battle was approaching swiftly for him.
He saw a girl. To be specific, a girl dressed in an almost tight-fitting purple kimono and long-black stockings that ended in sandals. She certainly looked like an older girl however, as even Archer couldn't be completely unfazed by her extremely noticeable bust.
Nevertheless, Archer wasn't one to hesitate at a time like this. He knew his purpose. He was but a Servant, used in the Holy Grail War to fight and defeat other Servants. Under the guidance of a Magus, that was his one and only purpose.
With his superior eyesight, Archer could easily see the long metal blades on the girl's back. He could see the tiny details that were the kunai hidden in her black stockings. He could see the kusarigama hanging at her side, and the pointy star shapes of shuriken visible right beside it. The word "Assassin" almost immediately conjured itself up in Archer's mind, putting him into a sudden state of autopilot.
There was no thinking at a moment like this. Archer had already begun using his mana stores, knowing that he would have to make due with his own supply till his Master decided to show up. In less than a second, two curved blades, one predominantly white and one predominately black, materialized in his hands. His Projection magic had been more successful, and with another burst of mana, he used Reinforcement on himself as well. The twin swords Kanshou and Bakuya were now under Archer's will.
He was never one to hesitate. Without any sort of warning, Archer charged forward with blinding speed, his twin swords ready to make short work of Shigure Kosaka.
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For the brief second that it took for Archer to reach Shigure, it was almost as if the forest was silent. The Servant moved like an unrestrained wind, his mind focused on the idea that this enemy would be unable to react to such a sudden attack. With both swords gripped tightly in his hands, Archer knew it would take only one good swing to finish off this new opponent.
Archer swung upwards with Kanshou, almost sure that a blow at this speed would no doubt reach a vital spot. He put all his power into the blade, and waited to hear the satisfying sound of metal hitting partially corporeal flesh.
Instead, there was a clang. Metal hit against metal, but it was clear that one movement was much more precise and controlled than the other. Archer felt his heart skip a beat. Something unexpected had happened.
He looked up, only to see that this girl had in fact blocked his blow. Her kitana was flat-edged against his, and he could feel her pushing back against him, making a move with his other blade a death wish. If he decided to shift his weight now, she could land a slice right through his neck. Not that Archer was afraid of the concept of death at a moment like this. If his supposed Master showed up anytime soon, then he wouldn't have too much to worry about.
Still, he was a little surprised. He hadn't even seen this girl pull out her sword. It was almost as if it had instinctively come out by reflex. The blade had moved so fast that it had evaded Archer's near perfect eyesight. The same eyesight he had increased even more with Reinforcement.
"Slow hit." Shigure said to the Servant in a quiet voice, causing him to just grit his teeth and tense up. He wasn't going to let a simple block like this deter him.
Archer moved back slightly, creating space between himself and Shigure as he regained his stance. With his two swords in hand, he sprinted along her flank, slashing both blades simultaneously with complete killing intent.
Another metal clang followed. The swords had come down very fast, but compared to Shigure's block, they might as well have been cutting through mud. Shigure easily had already put her long kitana between her body and both of Archer's twin swords.
Archer's mind swerved into momentary shock. He was beginning to become confused as well. Was this a Heroic Spirit that even he didn't stand a chance against? In all his days, he had never imagined a sword moving so fast in someone's hands. And even more so, he wondered why the superior metal of both of his blades hadn't broken this girl's weapon yet. He could have been wrong, but it seemed like she was using nothing but an ordinary kitana. The thought of what her Noble Phantasm could be like almost scared him. Nevertheless, he shook off his fear. He wouldn't let it get to him at a time like this.
"I see that your Master ended up with someone powerful, Assassin. You fight with unexpected precision." Archer said with an almost carefree tone of voice. Shigure's face slowly became more surprised at his statement, but the power in her block remained nonetheless.
"…Assassin?"
Shigure had suddenly become curious of the situation before her. This stranger had done nothing less than charging at her with swords in hand, and proceeding to incite a battle with her that he probably couldn't win. Now he was referring to her as some sort of assassin. The truth of the matter was that he had been the one who had attacked her unprovoked.
Watching the situation closely, Archer could see the look on Shigure's face, and he decided to trust his own instincts in the fact that she could be off-guard now. Without hesitation, Archer twisted backwards, bringing one of his swords straight towards Shigure's midsection. The blade cut through the air fast, intent on piercing soft, unprotected flesh. For a second, Shigure had almost been distracted. Her attention to the battle returned quickly however, and her sword cut through the air effortlessly in response to Archer's strike.
Much to Archer's surprise, his sword met nothing but metal, along with a hard and unexpected thrusting force that followed.
The sword Kanshou flew into the air, having been struck right out of Archer's hand from the force that had accompanied Shigure's parry. The weapons master now took the initiative to strike back, and with perfect accuracy, she slashed horizontally along Archer's stomach, cutting cleanly into his armor and slicing across the skin of his gut.
Archer could feel pain shooting up his stomach. The blade had cut almost perfectly, and he had half-expected his guts to come spilling out any minute. However, the wound was only superficial, and although it stung badly, Archer sucked it up and stood up strong. He glared at Shigure, who continued to wear an indifferent expression, her eyes almost staring Archer down.
"Who are you?" she asked casually, her sword at her side and her long black hair moving with the calm forest breeze. Archer contemplated on providing her with an answer, but he changed his mind when he could feel Kanshou instinctively rematerialize in his hand, causing him to decide his next move without much thought.
With his mind focused on the blow, Archer gathered all his strength in his arms as he stabbed forward with both of his twin blades. Both swords sliced through the air with zero resistance, and in that moment, Archer was sure he could break through this opponent's defense.
"Too slow."
After her monotone statement, Shigure's kitana came fast and without hesitation. She had already figured out that this person wasn't planning on answering her question. She had figured out his blows were all aiming towards her death. Knowing this, Shigure knew she had little choice beyond incapacitating her new opponent.
With astouding prescision and skill, Shigure Kosaka's kitana had managed to simeoultaneously parry both Kanshou and Bakuya, knocking both blades out of Archer's hands at nearly the same time. As her kitana cut through the air, a swift counter from it followed. About a second after being disarmed of both his weapons, Archer could feel a sudden cold pain in his shoulder.
He looked to towards the source of the terrible sensation, and he only got a glimpse of the kitana sliding itself out of his cut shoulder. The wound was deep and fresh, as the blade had cut perfectly through, puncturing his axillary artery. Blood rapidly flowed from the wound, and Archer could feel a newfound dizziness overtaking him.
The world rocked unnaturally in front of him, and for the few seconds before falling backwards, Archer couldn't help but watch Shigure as she returned her kitana. He was almost amazed at a moment like this. He had fought many Servants in the past, but he had been thoroughly surprised by this one. The movements coming from her blade were both so beautiful and deadly at the same time.
"You win. How unexpected..." Archer said weakly, and he laughed once before he fully lost consciousness from rapid blood loss. The Servant's entire body fell backwards, and he hit the ground below him with a thud, the wound on his shoulder slowly seeping fresh blood into the Gallian soil. As quickly as they had come, both Kanshou and Bakuya disappated into the air, leaving their master weaponless and beaten.
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Shigure was looking down now. She was staring almost absent-mindedly at the body of this stranger, and she watched as he lost more and more blood at an extremely fast rate. In less than a minute, he'd be dead.
Shigure considered leaving him here, going back to where the other masters slept, and forgetting all about this short conflict. She would have no real blood on her hands; not that the concept was really new to her anyway. He was some stranger who had attempted to kill her anyway. Why would the thought of saving a would-be assasin even cross her mind?
Yet, as Shigure looked down at Archer, she felt almost compelled to do something about his condition. She hadn't been serious at all in their brief battle, but even still, Shigure had easily sensed the power and intent in this stranger's blows. She had sensed precision that would have overcome someone else in a heart beat. He had still lost to her though. While he was skilled, she had sensed a degree of arrogance in his blows. He had much to learn when it came to sword fighting.
Shigure looked down again. This man continued to bleed to death. A strange idea crossed her mind. She acted on it without second thought. The fact was that even she didn't know what she was thinking.
Shigure proceeded to crouch down, and slowly, she picked up Archer in her arms. With unnatural speed, she reached into one of her stockings, and pulled out a single kunai. By stabbing the metal projectile into the wound, blood stopped coming from it in an instant, as Shigure had effectively blocked off the tiny slit which had opened up the artery in the first place. It still needed to heal fully, but at least Shigure knew he'd last for now.
Looking down at her defeated foe with indifferent eyes, Shigure dashed back into the darkness of the forest, an unconscious and dimensionally-displaced Archer cradled in her arms. This was a strange new experience for her.
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It was as if a haze had overcome him for the longest time. Archer was confused, but at the same time, he was trying his best to accept his fate. When Shigure had pulled out her kitana from his shoulder, he knew that the battle was lost. In fact, Archer knew the battle was lost from the beginning. He had just tried to ignore the idea. If he had just figured out the skill level of his enemy from the first blow, he could have escaped to live and fight another day. Whoever the identity of this Servant was, Archer knew by now that she had fit the role of Assasin quite well. He hadn't seen such skill with a sword beyond the likes of Saber.
But now, all Archer could see was darkness and feel wind passing through his hair. He was moving with the help of something, but he had no idea what.
If Archer could sigh, he would. The world just felt hazy to him now, as if he was trapped in a fog. He had lost because of carelessness once again. There was nothing for him to do now.
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TIME: 8:14 AM
LOCATION: 30 MILES FROM RANDGRIZ, GALLIA
"He was armed, you say? I must admit he looks like an interesting person. However, I have a strange feeling he might not be from this place either."
"He…fights well. Not very good at dodging though."
"Do you expect just anyone to dodge your strikes? Hell, sometimes I don't even think I could dodge them!"
"Apachai thinks this guy is lucky. He could have been dead! But you saved him, Shigure. You really are a good person!"
"I can't help but be a little bit interested in all this, Shigure-don. Why did you find the heart to save this fellow? I know I've rarely seen that side of you often."
"It…doesn't matter, Kensei. He's waking up."
The first things that Archer could hear were the voices. As he slowly came to, a menagerie of voices, each sounding very different from the next, resonated in his ears. One was familiar however. If his memory was correct, it sounded like one of the voices belonged to the blank-faced kitana-wielding girl who had beaten him. The Servant Assasin.
His vision was still blurry, but it became clearer as his body restarted. The sound of birds chirping nearby could be heard, and as Archer fully opened his eyes, he could feel strong sunlight burning into them. He tried to block the sun with his right hand, but a horrible stinging pain in his shoulder stopped him from doing so. He tried not to wince.
"Don't move. The injury is still healing." Shigure said to Archer, looking down on him. He was leaning on a large tree for support, surrounded by the five masters of the Ryozanpaku Dojo. Shigure had personally brought Archer back to their camp the night before, and it was only this morning that the masters had been told of this stranger's arrival.
Archer tried to see through the bright sunlight. He could see five silhouettes surrounding him. Though he was still weak and a bit dazed, an aura of great power emanated from all five of these people. Despite his current state, Archer spoke as normally as he could.
"Who…who are all of you?"
Kensei looked up at Apachai, and even Sakaki knew that there was no point in even trying to answer the stranger. Shigure remained completely silent, and as all had expected, Akisame was the first to speak.
"A better question would be who exactly you are. But to answer your question, I am Akisame Koetsuji." the jujitsu master said politey. Archer was beginning to become slightly confused. If he was truly still alive, his supposed Magus should have arrived by now. Could it be one of these people his Master? Archer thought about it, but nearly hit himself for thinking so stupidly. He would have definitely known by now if such a thing was so.
"My name is Ma Kensei. The large fellow here is Apachai Hopachai." Kensei said with a smile, his hands covered underneath his robes in a polite fashion. Apachai waved down happily at Archer.
"I'm Apachai! Nice to meet you!" he exclaimed excitedly.
A sharp crack could be heard, and Sakaki sighed as he let the broken pieces of his last beer bottle fall down onto the ground.
"Sakaki Shio." He said, his tone of voice making it sound like he couldn't care less about an introduction. Archer looked all around as these masters introduced themselves to him. A short Chinese man, a huge kick boxer, a disgruntled guy with a scar above his nose, and a gi-wearing man whose voice sounded very imposing. They all had this imposing aura of power that bothered Archer just a little.
And there was one person who had yet to introduce herself. When Archer set his gaze on her, he could feel the same presence that he felt when just looking at all the other masters. The girl who had beaten him before; she had the exact same aura of power. If Archer didn't know better, he might have said that these five people had the intimidation value of an entire army. By now, he was beginning to beleive that she was no Servant. Still, Archer couldn't help but wonder something. If she was just a human being, then just how was she so skilled with that blade before?
"Shigure…Kosaka." The weapons master slowly said in response to Archer's look. The Servant had an unsure look on his face. Things were beginning to fall into place. This was the same woman who had almost ended his life. His mind went back to Akisame's question. If these people saved him, he might as well find the courtesy to introduce himself to him.
"Archer…just call me that. I guess I should thank you all for saving my skin." The Servant said with a hint of poison at the end of his words. He really didn't like having to actually thank anyone for saving his life, now that he thought about it.
Ma Kensei perked up all of a sudden, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"We are not responsible for saving you. She is! Although I did provide a little help..." the Chinese master responded, pointing directly at Shigure, a couple of acupuncture needles visible between his fingers. The weapons master's face remained indifferent.
Archer tried his best to give a grateful smile. His ego was trying its best to hold him back however.
"...Thank you. I mistook you for...someone else."
Sakaki laughed at the comment, and Shigure's expression remained the same. Archer almost felt like an idiot right now. The girl was no Servant, and these people probably didn't believe in magic at all.
"Hmph! Everyone always has an excuse for starting a fight these days..." the karate master stated, his arms crossed as he leaned against a tree.
"You are…skilled. Too slow with two swords though." Shigure said quietly, while Akisame rubbed his chin in curiosity. Meanwhile, Archer bit his lip, trying his best not to feel insulted at what Shigure had just told him. To the weapons master in question, her comment was just simply pointing out the obvious. Once again, Sakaki laughed, though under his breath.
"I must say that this is all very intriguing. Where exactly are you from, Archer?" Akisame asked, while the Servant in question was busy trying to stand up. His shoulder still hurt like hell, but he managed to get himself upright again, so that he could face these five masters without feeling as if he was being looked down upon.
"Not from wherever here is." Archer replied his voice not as weak as before. He was breathing slowly, and it was clear that his shoulder was still in the process healing up. These people had no idea of the fact that he wasn't human. Archer planned on keeping it that way.
"I wonder…did you happen hear some sort of ringing noise just before you ended up in this forest?" Akisame asked, hoping he would get a response from Archer that could clarify earlier suspicions. It would helping greatly in deciphering this crisis.
Archer's eyes widened in surprise at Akisame's question. He felt a little awkward at the utter coincidence of it.
"If you're talking about a terrible ringing noise, then yes."
Something about this situation was beginning to become unfamiliar to Archer. He should have been healing faster than this. His mana stores didn't seem to be reacting to his mental commands as quickly as he had thought. He began to wonder just what kind of place was this, before he heard Akisame speak again.
"Terrible? It just sounded like a telephone ringing to me. Still…your situation is clearly similar to ours. You've been taken somewhere else; to this world, like we have."
Archer's curiousity perked up again. Had he heard Akisame right?
"Wait…what are you talking about? What did you mean about some other world?"
"Apachai knows the answer! Akisame said that the stars are wrong here, and that we're on some other Earth!" the Muay Thai master piped in with child-like energy in his voice. Archer could feel himself beginning to worry on the inside. By this time, he had given up on his supposed Magus. In fact, if these people were saying the truth, he might not even have a Master at all.
"No Master…" Archer whispered to himself quietly. He could have only imagined a time like this. A time where he was given the gift of free will. It was almost too good to be true.
"You know, I still don't get why we're just standing around here and talking about this! If we're somewhere else, and we don't know how the hell to get back, then we should be doing something to keep ourselves busy until we figure things out! Nothing passes the time like hard training! I believe something along the lines of building a temporary dojo is in order!" Sakaki suggested, and the notion seemed to brighten Akisame and Apachai up the most. Ma Kensei didn't necessarily like the idea from the look on his face, and Shigure didn't seem to care.
"You're right! That is certainly a good way to pass the time until we can find a nearby settlement of some sort. We should get started immediately!" Akisame commanded with a powerful and imposing glint in both of his eyes. Archer raised a questioning eyebrow, unable to understand why they were talking about building an entire dojo like it was a game of chess or something.
"It's unfortunate you won't be able to assist us because of your injury." Akisame said to Archer, who honestly was glad that he wouldn't have to be a part of the madness these people were proposing. Just how did they plan on building an entire dojo as a way to pass the time?
Though he was feeling slightly relieved, an unexpected hand proceeded to rest on Archer's shoulder, nearly scaring him half to death. He turned, hiding his fear, only to see Shigure now right behind him, her face emotionless and she spoke in a monotone voice. Tochūmaru was on her left shoulder, crossing his arms and staring Archer down with tiny eyes.
"I'll watch him. He still needs to rest."
Ma Kensei had moved right beside Shigure in an instant. He had a fake smile on his face, as he tried his best to get out of manual labor.
"I think I should stay with Shigure-don here. She might need some assistance in helping out our new friend here…"
A powerful hand picked up Kensei by the back of his robe. The smiling face of Apachai looked down on him.
"There's no getting out of work, Kensei! Apachai thinks it will be fun!"
Despite Apachai's good mood, Ma Kensei didn't look happy at all, and Sakaki was just grinning and cracking his knuckles as he and Akisame lead the way towards fresh, tall trees ahead.
Looking back behind him, Archer couldn't help but feel intimidated by Shigure's stare. It was almost as if she was some sort of taskmaster watching over him. The fact that she was deadly in combat didn't help much either. Leaning back against the tree, Archer watched as the other four masters disappeared into the forest.
"Don't worry. I'll…watch you."
Archer listened to Shigure's slow statement, and as he heard what sounded like wood violently splintering apart nearby, he wondered just what kind of botched spell had thrown him into this strange place, with these strange people.
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TIME: 2:40 PM
LOCATION: 12 MILES FROM RANDGRIZ, GALLIA
I need a damn vacation. Isn't there ever an end to the suffering, Haruhi?
Kyon felt terrible right now. Everything, from his joints to his neck to his back, ached in terrible pain.
Being forced to march along this dirt road for about an hour so far hadn't helped his pain much either. With his rifle slung over his shoulder, and his uniform feeling sticky from sweat due to this sunny Gallian day, Kyon wished for a qiuck death more than anything else.
This morning had been bad enough. Basic training had been pure hell, from the obstacle course to the shooting range, Kyon had been exhausted of most of his available energy stores for the day. Memories of the dreaded obstacle course were still swimming around Kyon's mind even now...
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TIME: 11:45 AM
LOCATION: RANDGRIZ, GALLIA
"Ha! They think this will stop the Brigade Chief! Onward, Kyon!" Haruhi had exlcaimed loudly and triumphantly, as she leaped over the five-foot tall wooden fence ahead. Kyon was some feet away, breathing heavily as he watched Haruhi do all of this like it was child's play.
This...is...madness...
He tried his best to walk faster, but by this time, Kyon's legs already felt like they were going to fall apart. The long stretch of tires that they had run through just before had tired him out much faster than he had expected, and having to crawl a whole two hundred feet had killed his arms as well.
As Kyon tried to keep himself in a light jog, he could hear someone behind him approaching. Powerful feet padded against the dirt ground, and by the time Kyon had glanced behind him, the person is question was already up in his face.
"You're in my way!" Seiji Sawamura said as he sprinted forward, nearly knocking Kyon aside as he ran past. In Seiji's left sleeve, he caught a glimpse of that tiny girl, Midori. She was waving a flag with his face on it, and she sounded exhilarated.
"Go, go, go Seiji-kun!"
Seiji's mind was mainly focused on finishing this obstacle course as quickly as possible and not showing a hint of exhaustion. He refused to be looked down on upon by anyone, despite this being a new world where he could still be feared by those around him.
There is nothing for me to say. He can be in as much of rush as he wants to for all I care...
Kyon sighed to himself, before jogging towards the wall ahead. It was tall and imposing, but even from this distance, Kyon could see two girls climbing up it fast. They were none other than Haruhi and Alicia, who looked like they were almost trying to push each other off as they sturggled to reach the top.
"Give up now! No one beats the Brigade Chief!" Haruhi stated as she grabbed onto the next wall grip, a victorious smile already forming on her face.
"No way! I'm going to show you your place if it's the last thing I do, Haruhi!" Alicia replied with equal vigor, her body at the same height as Haruhi's. Both girls were neck and neck, and even their superiors watching, Welkin included, were in awe at their pure will to do all this.
"I said it's Brigade Chief to you!"
"Whatever!"
"You're going to regret those words!"
"You're just all talk!"
Watching this unfold, Kyon sighed deeply again. Still confused as to how they had arrived at Gallia in the first place, he was beginning to seriously miss Itsuki Koizumi, Yuki Nagato and Mikuru Asahina. Kyon would give anything to hear their voices again.
This isn't supposed to be happening to me...
___
TIME: 2:41 PM
LOCATION: 12 MILES FROM RANDGRIZ, GALLIA
Coming back to reality, Kyon kept his gaze up ahead, and tried to just focus on the situation at hand.
The mission was simple. Welkin had mentioned that some strange machine had been sighted somewhere in this vicinity, and it had single-handedly defeated an entire Imperial tank battalion on its own. Now, it was both Squad 1 and Squad 7's job to investigate just what this thing was.
It sounded simple, but Kyon didn't honestly think it would be.
"Look alive, Kyon! We've got a mission to complete!" Haruhi said to her subordinate, patting him on the back hard. She had the same exact victorious expression that Kyon had seen back during basic training. Kyon certainly wasn't nearly excited as her.
Sure...it sounds like a blast, Haruhi.
"Stupid girl..." Alicia mumbled to herself, holding her rifle out of caution as the rest of Squad 7 and Squad 1 continued along with this march. If they didn't find anything in the next couple hours, Welkin would order for a withdrawal, and they'd be back in the academy, having wasted their time here.
However, Alicia still didn't like Haruhi. She didn't like her one bit. Her eyes were so focused on the girl that she didn't notice Welkin walk up right beside her.
"It's nice that we have such willing troops, don't you think, Alicia?" Welkin said with happiness in his voice. Alicia just gave him an annoyed look. Her own bad mood was something that she didn't like to have contrasted by something like Welkin's good mood.
"I guess so..." Alicia said, turning her gaze away from Welkin. Was it his job to annoy her like this?
"Isn't this cool, Seiji-kun? Look at all these new people! We've got a lot of new friends to make now!" Midori chimed to the boy she was attatched to, Seiji Sawamura. All this time, Midori had been trying her best to remain in a cheerful mood, despite their situation. She had been trying her best to cope with the idea that they were no longer anywhere near Seiji's home, and that they were in some completely new place, with a whole meangrie of new people.
Seiji, on the other hand, didn't like the idea having been forced into the Gallian Militia. He didn't really like these people so much in the first place, especially that idiot squad commander Welkin Gunther. If Seiji ever got the chance, he almost felt like he needed to repay Welkin for all the problems he had caused him by conscripting him like this.
"This all temporary, Midori. Don't get used to it too much..." Seiji said. He was already uncomfortable enough. Everyone knew about the girl on his right hand now. He really didn't like being looked at like some sort of science experiment all the time.
But as Seiji glanced to his side, spotting those three girls from before, he thought about the idea that perhaps not everyone was looking at him in that way. A tiny smile formed on his face as he realized this, much to Midori's dismay. The fact he was looking at them just brightened Edy up the most.
"See? He's checking you out again!" Edy Nelson said just a little too loudly, much to Susie's embarassment. As usual, Marina didn't find the need to say anything, content on listening rathering than adding her input.
"I think he's looking at you, Edy-san..." Susie replied, a very obvious blush on her face. Edy smiled devilishly, and spoke quietly in Susie's ear. Edy was no doubt enjoying this very much.
"Think of it this way, Susie. He probably likes your hair, your face, your body, or all three!"
At the sound of Edy's comment, Susie's face went bright red, a sight which made Seiji very content. Marina just listened silently, though she was interested at this entire display.
Seiji was just greatly enjoying this kind of attention more than anything else. Midori, however, couldn't help but feel a strange sensation in her little heart. She couldn't help but feel a spark of jealousy from all the attention Seiji was receiving from these other girls. She sighed quietly, hoping he'd just forget about it all soon.
Meanwhile, Welkin was trying his best to be in good spirits. If they pulled off this mission succesfully, and were able to subdue the mysterious machine that could be a danger to Randgriz itself, then Welkin knew for a fact that his squad would finally fully trust him. He wasn't completely oblivious, and he knew very well that some of his squad members, specifically Rosie and Largo, weren't really fans of his yet.
Welkin kept the smile on his face, and glanced at Alicia for a moment. He couldn't help but admire something about this girl. Welkin hadn't thought about it, but he had to admit that Alicia was actually quite attractive, at least in his opinion. Noticing Welkin staring like this for a couple seconds, Alicia felt very awkward all of a sudden.
"What is it?"
Welkin could feel his face go hot, and he shook his head back and forth, expelling his previous thoughts. He gave Alicia a nervous smile, his hand on the back of his head out of pure embarassment.
"Nothing. Nothing at all."
___
Yoko narrowed her eyes, focusing the scope on her rifle as she put the target in her sights.
She couldn't have hesitation at a time like this. She wasn't stupid. Yoko knew that those soldiers could be coming for them. Kamina and Simon had taken care of the enemy tanks before, and Yoko had guessed that these soldiers on the road were just forces sent out to take them down after their previous failure. It was bad enough that they still had no idea where they had ended up. Yoko steadied her rifle.
She was laying down on the top of a partially concealed hill, her scantily-clad body and long metal rifle barely visible under the sparse foliage. She felt like a lion stalking its prey. The rifle scope was focused on a target now. With a push of the trigger, a powerful shell would come bursting right out of the gun barrel, and proceed to explode in blue energy when it made contact with its target.
Not knowing one bit that he was in danger, Welkin was the one Yoko had caught in her scope. Faldio was standing next to him, and the two were talking happily, as if they didn't have a care in the world. The Edelweiss tank, Isara inside, was driving along slowly behind them, and Yoko knew that she would no doubt have to take that out in her third and second shot. This force was small, made up of mostly infantry and only one tank, but she wasn't taking any chances. She wouldn't even give them the chance to fire this time.
Yoko put a finger over the trigger. She focused her eyes again on the target. For a brief moment, she thought about the idea of actually killing someone like this. She hadn't questioned it, but judging from the difference in uniforms, this force might not even be affilated with the one from before. She could be provoking them with this first shot. She could be killing someone out of cold blood.
But what if that wasn't the case? She didn't have the heart to take that chance right now, especially after that previous attack. In all honesty, Yoko was a little scared. Scared about their entire situation, and about the idea of losing Kamina and Simon.
Yoko shook her head, and just focused on Welkin through her sights again. She breathed deeply and readied her trigger finger again.
"No hesitation. No hesitation..."
___
For those wondering, yes, quite a few questions need to still be answered. This story is going to be long, so all will come in due time. Also, I hope you didn't hate the one-sidedness of the battle between Shigure and Archer. For those familiar with History's Strongest Disiciple Kenichi, it's natural for Shigure to win pretty much most sword-fights. Still, I hope you enjoyed it.