Been a while, huh? Hate to admit it, but the job hunt hasn't been going well - really saps at the motivation to do... much really. Hopefully, I can pump out a little bit more on here and AO3 once I'm not wasting my time looking for jobs, but I can at least give you this much for now. Thanks for reading.
DUEL: GO
MASTER: RITSUKA FUJIMARU
MASHU KYRIELIGHT (SHIELDER)
READY?
FIGHT!
Through the searing pain in his eyes, Ritsuka learned a vital lesson: bright light at point blank is a sadistic way to wake someone up.
Letting out a weak hiss, it took all of Ritsuka's power to rub at his eyes, barely capable of a coherent thought as he tried to force away the flash blindness. It wasn't until the spots finally faded, however, that his mind decided to register the fact that there shouldn't have been any light at all. His brain kicking into full throttle, Ritsuka released an indignant sound as what little light the night offered helped him notice the decidedly foreign presence in his room.
"A… shield?" and not just that, but a girl wielding it too. One clad in black metal, armour which had no place anywhere outside of a cosplay convention. Actually, there were two more girls as well, equally clad in frankly outrageous outfits as they… clashed with the shield? Using genuine weapons? In his bedroom? "Who are-?"
"No time!" was the shield-bearing girl's response, a forceful shove sending her opponents flying back through the door with an ugly boom, only quick reflexes preventing the kunoichi from falling even further (and what a strange thought that was, Ritsuka couldn't help but muse). Her companion, though, wasn't quite as fortunate. Smashing through the railings and landing on the ground floor with a thud, Ritsuka watched in awe as the girl in white stood up with nary a scratch, a fierce jump returning her to the second floor ready for more. "Mashu Kyrielight: Class Shielder, on standby! Your orders, Master!"
"Get out of my house?" Admittedly, it wasn't the politest response to the girl's – Mashu's? - question, but it would frankly be a miracle if anyone's brain was fully functioning in such strange circumstances. The words fell from Ritsuka's lips before he could stop them, his attempt to retract them cut woefully short by a firm nod from the girl.
"Understood! Moving out!"
What she neglected to tell Ritsuka was that she had zero plans of exiting like a normal person. Then again, doing so would've been rather difficult considering how she had a severely oversized chisel trying its resolute best to pierce her shield. The ninja jumping about the place seeking to pulverise her with hands revolving in ways human anatomy shouldn't allow for wasn't exactly making things easy either. Leaping from his bed lest he get demolished by the ivory body that smashed into it, Ritsuka could only be grateful that Mashu was willing to oblige.
Still, did that mean she had to break through his wall to do so? Watching as Mashu charged through the brick-like paper, even with her two opponents acting as a buffer between them, Ritsuka couldn't help but think there were better ways of following his order. At least the bite of the night's breeze managed to wake him up properly, a glance to his desk and the distinct lack of figures on it spurring him into action.
Not that there was much for him to do. While two of the three weren't the most efficient of fighters from what little Ritsuka could make out, their brawl still played out at speeds someone like him could only dream of. If Mashu wanted him to direct her, then she certainly wasn't making it simple. What did, however, was the pair who were doing their best to cling onto a tree that just had the kunoichi thrown through it – a rather troublesome task considering she flew straight through the wood, the entire thing toppled without a care for the couple within it.
"What the hell, Soria? I thought they were meant to be super awesome warriors or something!" one cried out, ripping twigs from her hair before her hands began fumbling at her waist. That she still had the thought to do so drew a weary sigh from her companion.
"Limited mental capacity. Robots, like they said before." Was his reply, Ritsuka tensing slightly when the man chose to nod in his direction. "They also said this was meant to be a stealth mission Mao, which should mean no names, but it looks like that's down the drain as well. Guess it's time to earn our paycheque then. Command Card set! Danzou, rush that Servant down!"
"R-Right. Er, Command Card, set! Galatea, hold her in place for Danzou!"
Were they under different circumstances, Ritsuka would've questioned the sanity of people who thought throwing game cards at someone was a decent response to their current situation. When those two cards sunk into the assailants' bodies though, enrobing the kunoichi in green and the ivory woman in red, it became much harder to do so. The fact that the kunoichi – most likely Danzou – then saw fit to move at even more ridiculous speeds than she had done so before wasn't exactly helping either.
Despite that, however, it did make Ritsuka's next move clear. That was all he needed.
"Master!" Mashu called out through gritted teeth, heels digging into the earth as each strike from Galatea now bore another level of strength, a choked sound escaping Mashu as the pressure put on her shield forced her back towards the house, the wall splintering she connected with it. A sharp kick to the head soon had Mashu changing directions, only an instinctual movement with her shield preventing her stomach from having a new hole drilled through it. "Master, your co-!"
"Command Card, set! Brave Chain, open! Mashu, shake Danzou's hand and get ready for a skyward shield!"
MASTER: RITSUKA FUJIMARU
MASHU Q2 + MASHU A3 + MASHU B3 = 8 POWER
BRAVE CHAIN ACTIVATE
8 + CHAIN Q2 = 10 POWER
Suddenly, all worry was kicked from Mashu's mind at her master's call, her aching body shivering as the rush of energy that it craved came in the form of three lights dancing upon her skin. Momentarily intoxicated, Mashu found herself almost caught off guard by the ease with which she blocked Danzou's follow-up strike, the fist aimed for her head halted by a grip Mashu wouldn't have been able to muster usually. The strange wording of her master's order didn't matter a jot; throwing her arm – and Danzou with it – back, she didn't hesitate to put all her force into throwing Danzou away, the kunoichi leaving a trail of shattered tarmac beneath her rolling form before she landed on her feet.
"Hey, wasn't using a chain meant to be a super-huge drain on the master's reserves?" Mao muttered to Soria as Galatea charged in, drawing a grunt from Mashu as she retaliated with a shield bash to meet the incoming fist. Fortunately for Mashu, her increased speed and dexterity meant the assault was just that little bit more tolerable, the predictability of it meaning she could devote more to tracking Danzou's acrobatic attempts to find a blind spot. "He looks fine to me. Let me use a cha-"
"You'll drain yourself in a second. Whoever he is, that kid was trusted to wield the prototype. I wouldn't underestimate his mana." Soria immediately warned, another Command Card in hand. "Doesn't mean we can't push the limits though. Command Card, set! Let's see how fast you can-!"
"Now, Mashu! Skill Card, set! Transient Wall of Snowflakes!"
SKILL CARD: SET
TRANSIENT WALL OF SNOWFLAKES
[CONTINUOUS]
DURING YOUR OPPONENT'S TURN, ALL OF YOUR CONTROLLED SERVANTS GAIN POWER +1
Letting out an indignant squawk, Soria didn't even have a moment to question his decision before Mashu took to the skies. Without an order from her Master, Galatea too needed a second to register the sudden weight on her shoulders, her body acting as the perfect pillar for Mashu to springboard off. By the time Galatea reached up in an effort to grab her leg, however, Mashu was already twisting in the air, the Skill Card thrown by her master imbuing her with a strange mix of navy and gold as she curled into herself.
Danzou, meanwhile, wasn't so inactive. After all, what better time to strike than when your opponent was airborne, limited in their ability to control their position? Twisting as she was, there were more than enough vulnerable areas for the kunoichi to take advantage of, Danzou's debilitating dance rapidly transitioning into a dash that would have one of her blades in Mashu's back.
At least, it would if Mashu's shield didn't fill Danzou's vision, a sharp kick from the girl sending that shield like a bullet in the kunoichi's direction. That lack of aerial mobility Danzou sought to abuse meant that she too had no means of moving out of the way, every ounce of force from Mashu's kick transferred directly into her face. Considering the effect that the Skill Card had, that was no small amount; built more for stealth rather than direct combat, the materials that made up Danzou's flesh couldn't help but crack under the pressure.
Those cracks, however, wouldn't last long. Actually, neither would the rest of Danzou's body. Unable to bear the damage she had sustained, it wasn't long before a strange energy began to emanate from the kunoichi's scars, Danzou's limited intelligence still developed enough to curse her ineffectiveness before it consumed her completely. Covering every inch of her being without hesitation, silence momentarily reigned as the energy did its work, swirling and twisting until it burst with a pop, followed by the sound of a toy hitting the floor.
"… Huh, okay. So I was right, attacking does count as taking a turn." Ritsuka mused to himself, looking down at the cards in his hand with a growing grin. Perhaps less dangerous circumstances would've had him acting more cautiously, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins so soon after waking made for a potent thrill. "You were so focused on your speed and Mashu's defence that you never accounted for her being strong enough to properly counterattack!"
The same couldn't be said for Galatea though, easily proven when Mashu grabbed her shield and stomped down on it. Even diminished as she was, Galatea was no mere statue. She was a bunrei imbued directly with the essence of a goddess. Were it so simple to shatter her body, her creator wouldn't be able to call herself a pantheon member. Such was why Galatea could cross her arms above her head without a worry, unyielding in the face of Mashu's entire weight on top of her shield bearing down on her.
"That doesn't mean a thing if Galatea can tank your attacks and beat your defence!" Mao all but spat as a retort, any attempt at keeping things professional long gone to the chagrin of her partner. So great was her pride that Ritsuka almost missed the slight tremble to her hand as she prepared to throw again. Considering that she was holding two cards instead of one, he wasn't sure whether that tremble was born from a thrill or fear. "It's time to get those Buster Cards back. Skill Cards, set! First, Pygmalion's Affection! Then, sacrifice it as NP to activate Aphrodite's Grace!"
SKILL CARD: SET
PYGMALION'S AFFECTION EX
[CONTINUOUS]
YOU MAY RESOLVE THIS CARD DURING ANY OF YOUR START PHASES (EVEN DURING THIS TURN) AS 1 NP. IF YOU DO SO, REMOVE THIS CARD FROM PLAY AFTER ITS EFFECT IS RESOLVED.
[CONTINUOUS]
WHEN THIS CARD IS REMOVED FROM PLAY, ON THE SAME TURN, YOUR FIRST ARTS CHAIN BONUS BECOMES POWER + 4, OR YOUR BUSTER CHAIN BONUS BECOMES POWER + 4.
&.
APHRODITE'S GRACE EX
[COST: EXHAUST NP 1]
RETURN TWO COMMAND CARDS FROM YOUR TRASH PILE TO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR COMMAND DECK. AFTER, DRAW TWO CARDS.
Though Mashu tried her best to interject, there was little she could do to stop the skills from activating, their cards replaced with crimson counterparts that flew effortlessly into the holder at Mao's waist. Sure, the exchange may have resulted in a sharp pain in her chest, but the three Buster Cards now ready to be used again were more than enough to convince Mao to ignore the irritation. Soria, however, would not be so easily convinced.
"Oi, what do you think you're doing?" he growled, yet his approach was soon scuppered by an elbow to the stomach. Only later would he realise how such a simple action took all of Mao's strength at that moment. Right then, all Soria could do was watch the girl throw her cards, Ritsuka rushing to chuck his own with widening eyes. "Mao, don't! Mao!"
"D-Don't worry, I've g-got this! Sacrificing Pygmalion's A-Affection'll give us the boost we need!" Mao muttered, a glint in her eyes causing Soria to nearly choke. How was it possible for a face smiling so confidently to bear such despair within its gaze? "Command Cards, s-set! Buster Chain, open!"
"Skill Card, set! Obscurant Wall of Chalk!"
MASTER: MAO MAOMAO
GALATEA B4 + GALATEA B3 + GALATEA B4 = 11 POWER
BUSTER CHAIN ACTIVATE
PYGMALION'S AFFECTION EX ACTIVATE
11 + CHAIN (B3 + 1) = 14 POWER
VS.
MASTER: RITSUKA FUJIMARU
SKILL CARD: SET
OBSCURANT WALL OF CHALK
SELECT ONE OF YOUR SERVANTS. ON THE NEXT TURN, IF THE SELECTED SERVANT LOSES A BATTLE, THE SERVANT WILL NOT BE ELIMINATED IF THE POWER DIFFERENCE IS 5 OR LESS.
VICTOR: RITSUKA FUJIMARU
Fourteen versus ten. If Galatea had managed to get two power points more, then Mashu wouldn't have stood a chance. As it was, the brutal blow that Galatea threw still managed to tear through the environment with its shockwave alone, Mashu involuntarily spitting as she found herself thrown in Ritsuka's direction. If the boy didn't chuck himself to the ground, there was no doubt in his mind there wouldn't be much of his body left. Such was the speed at which Mashu smashed through his building.
Even so, Mashu didn't falter. Watching her cough out a similar light that Danzou did before her defeat, it would be a lie for Ritsuka to say she was far from it, but that didn't change the fact that she was still standing. Regardless of how much damage Mashu had taken, that meant they weren't out of the fight yet.
"…Eh…? Wait… This is…?"
Unfortunately, Mao couldn't say the same.
Staring at shaking hands dyed crimson, Mao barely registered the blood flowing from her mouth, thoughts paralysed by the pain coursing through her. It was as if every vein and artery within her burned with a hellish flame, the girl left unsure whether her flesh pulsing with a sickly colour was a hallucination or not. Frankly, with every nerve thrown into overdrive, it was hard to register much, each instinctive flinch sparking a new wave of torturous sensations.
"Seriously…?" was all she managed to utter before her body gave out, Soria disturbed by the deathly chill that permeated her skin. He could only thank the heavens that the lightest of pulses persisted beneath her twitches, his face warping into some strange combination of fear and reassurance as he glanced in Ritsuka's direction.
Galatea, meanwhile, was far more reserved in her reaction. In fact, there wasn't much of a reaction at all. How could there be, when there was no more energy left to sustain her Saint Graph? Thanks to the high power demands of a Berserker only worsened by the usage of a Buster Chain, there was less than a second between Mao's fainting and the bright surge that signalled Galatea's return to an inanimate form. It was just a shame that Soria's hands were too full of Mao to catch her toy before it hit the ground with a dull thud.
"Of all the – you've got to be kidding me," Soria muttered, turning to a panting Ritsuka with what should've probably been an unsuitable level of serenity. "Sorry Kiddo, looks like that's our cue to leave. See you again some time - if you survive whatever the Director throws at you next, anyway."
"Hey, wait!" Ritsuka yelled, only for his open mouth to be filled with an acrid smoke that left him coughing like mad. Distracted by the burning sensation, he didn't notice Mashu charging into the cloud without a second thought, only acknowledging her once the smoke dissipated without a single trace left of the ones who made it. "W-Wait! You c-could at least… explain something…?"
"Master, it appears as if that smoke bomb was designed to erase their magical signatures. It is unlikely that we'll be able to find them." Stated Mashu, eyes remaining vigilant even while her stance relaxed. Seeing such caution, it was no wonder Ritsuka found it hard to still his beating heart. "However, they may still be – no. The bounded field is falling. Retreat confirmed. Returning to spiritual form."
Were he not so preoccupied with trying to avoid suffocation, Ritsuka might have questioned what Mashu meant by her words. Still unable to breathe, however, the boy was forced to instead turn his eyes away from the lavender light that filled his vision, the sound of something shattering filling his ears. By the time Ritsuka properly recovered, all that was left was a figure with a familiar face.
"…So, even you won't tell me anything? Then again after tonight's craziness, you did earn yourself a nap." he couldn't help but mutter, tired eyes meeting plastic ones before they suddenly widened with returning rationality. "Hold up, Gudako!"
"Shh. Wouldn't want to wake her up now, would you?" Ritsuka could recognise that voice anywhere. such was why he couldn't help but turn to look behind, taking in the annoyance on Kiritsugu's face with the utmost confusion. "Try not to lose your head now. With that Bounded Field down, everything should be back to normal. That means people will notice if a kid starts screaming his head off in the middle of the night."
"Normal? All This?" Frankly, that sounded even more insane to Ritsuka than some of the stuff that had happened before his eyes that night. No wonder Ritsuka's first reaction was to deny Kiritsugu's statement, ready to gesture to the mess that had been his house. The distinct lack of debris that greeted him, however? That was a little hard to ignore. "… Okay, I think I'm going insane. Please tell me I'm not going insane."
"Don't worry about understanding things now. Go check on Gudako and get some more sleep if you can. I'll explain things in the morning." Kiritsugu answered with unnerving serenity, a quick pat on Ritsuka's shoulder being the only reassurance he got before the man carried on down the road. "Oh, and when Gudako wakes up, tell her not to try bending the rules so much. It'll save her a lot of trouble in the future."