Chapter 37: Pier 16 (Part 4)
"Above!"
"Right!"
Smiling with supreme satisfaction as Yumi and Mai worked in perfect tandem to eliminate their current roster of pests - Rin performing backline support - Cayman lounged in the trees, eyeing the whole performance with an approving eye as Cerb and Oct stuck close to his side, Till providing support to the trio of frontliners.
"I can already see this being the start of a beautiful assault squad or some other title for people that beat up other people."
Mai - as the more extensively trained and experienced operative - took the lead, calling out orders or directions for Yumi to follow as the blonde swordswoman did just that, eyes darting every which way as she alternated her attention, Rin mostly keeping to herself as she nonetheless kept within eight to ten meters of the frontliners.
They made for a pretty effective meat grinder, Mai lacing the battlefield with paper explosives and shrapnel bombs - in the shape of porcupines, hilariously enough - while what few enemies that navigated that lethal corridor found themselves facing the Taimanin armed with razor-sharp arm blades or a hail of steel courtesy of Yumi, the blonde getting in close and personal if the white-haired girl was facing too many foes at once.
All the while Rin would fire off a constant stream of Gandr curses if any of the enemies got smart, the normally 'weak' shots doing plenty against their swarming foe as rotating shields of what looked like mystically enhanced emeralds guarded her flanks, Till sticking close to the Magus and keeping a watchful eye on things while acting as bait.
"And on the subject of our enemies…"
"SCREE-GEK?!"
Lazily glancing to the side and finding a squirming, winged creature called a Treetopper - that looked like his favorite lady if she had been hopelessly addicted to meth for a few years with a helping of cocaine just to spice up the evening - Cayman resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the winged Demon raged and spat in his direction, valiantly fighting against Oct's tentacles in a losing battle.
CRACK!
A sharp flex of aforementioned tentacles and the critter stopped its struggles, falling limp as the summon tossed the body into its center of mass where it was seamlessly absorbed, Cerb's tail happily wagging as he chewed and swallowed another of the nasty things that had tried to ambush them.
According to Till Treetoppers loved to capture and either eat or rape Fairies, something about their magical nature tasing like a fine wine. Because of course there were insane creatures like that in the Demon world.
"Yeah, I say that's just about enough time for Mai to have set up."
Standing up from his overwatch position he saw the four advance members of his party began to pull away from the relentless swarm of Treetoppers, the wasp-like nest they had been pushing towards as large as a mansion and beginning to disgorge swarms of the damn things as Mai sent him a brief nod of confirmation.
"Alright, show time."
Right on que several detonations took out the supporting tree trunks that had kept the nest airborne, the entire construct crumbling to the ground as a deafening collection of shrieks and cries filled the terrain, Rin taking offense at the clamor as she chucked a glittering ruby into the thing, setting it aflame with a massive explosion as Cayman raised his spear towards the distant target, murmuring, "[Flame Wheel], [Galeforce]," as a condensed ball of glowing heat formed at the tip of the weapon, shining like a miniature star.
"Bombs away."
A surge of intent launched the ball of compressed magic like a fastball from a major league pitcher, hitting the nest dead on-
-and Rin's attempt at pyromania seemed decidedly second rate in comparison, a wave of crushing heat blowing outwards and wiping out most of the frenzied Treetoppers while the rest found themselves charred by the consuming flames, the Magus in question shooting Cayman a nasty glance that practically screamed, 'if I had a more powerful gem I could do that' as he good naturedly returned the complaint with a smile.
And then formed a second just for good measure, the ensuing barrage finishing off what few stragglers remained and causing the enormous structure of wood, paper and dirt to collapse in on itself, sending a wave of embers skyward.
"And all for the cheap price of 400 MP. Now that's something MasterCard can't buy."
"Are you saying weird things again, Cayman?"
Airily waving a hand as Till flew up to where he was perched the Surveyor replied, "Yup. C'mon, let's douse this before we end up burning down the forest."
A few minutes afterwards were spent as temporary fire crews before Cayman felt confident declaring mission success, the Treetopper nest a smoldering ruin decorated by the carbonized remains of countless skeletons.
"Well, Till's mom should be happy about that."
Cayman Lute, LVL 30
HP: 1550
MP: 6000 + (600)
STA:3000
STR: 165
DEF: 175
AGI: 340
MAG: 515 + (52)
MAG DEF: 660 + (66)
REIGN: 332
EXP: 200/3100
Turning to face his companions as they made to rejoin him he started to congratulate them on a job well done-
-and found himself blinking as he faced down a set of rotating hoops and and a glowing sphere at the center of them, putting the pieces together as he mused, "Ah. So this is the level thirty cap that Hoestia was talking about, wasn't he?"
[Correct.]
"Well, alright then. So what's the deal with all of this, Alaya?"
[You have completed your initial trials and proven worthy of the strength and abilities granted.]
"Not the easiest thing to do with the pittance of information offered, I will admit."
Casually glancing around the area he found that time had seemingly frozen around him, his companions motionless and color slightly leeched from the world as the strange shape of Alaya hovered before him, the representation of Humanity inflectionlessly stating, [In accordance with our agreement you may now ask what questions or clarifications you seek. Would you prefer to know the specifics and general purpose of why you were summoned?]
"Eh, sure, why not? You mentioned in vague terms it was because you wanted us - who had knowledge of these three 'franchises' - to try and solve various world or Human ending scenarios, right?"
[Not an incorrect interpretation. In more specific and familiar terms, you and your predecessors - as well as successors, should you fail - are to act as a reduced force of Counter Guardians.]
"The way you say that suddenly has me worried for my immortal soul."
Cayman's guarded words were promptly responded to with, [You are not a candidate for retention. While your soul was brought to this realm and is tied to our own, it is not native and thus cannot be retained after death.]
Breathing an internal sigh of relief the Surveyor replied, "No offense, but that's a relief."
[Many others with knowledge of the specifics of such a contract feel the same. You are necessary as the act of manifesting the more powerful of our enforcers is prohibitively expensive and difficult, given the range of powers and interests that would seek to stymie them.]
Stroking his chin in thought Cayman asked, "So why us as your B-team of Counter Guardians? As much as I'm not a fan of kicking my younger self when he's down I can't help but acknowledge that people who know the specifics of all three of these universes in particular aren't who I would think of when it comes to warriors meant to fight and safeguard the future of an entire species."
[Thus the systems that resemble games, for your ease of use and understanding.]
The Surveyor frowned, wondering why something as janky and unreliable as his current version of the gamer had been implemented-
-and snapped his fingers, amusedly remarking, "We're not actually using any kind of game-like system after all, are we? That's why those weird magic circuit things could be seen on my body and people assumed I was using magecraft. It's because I was."
[Correct. Human usage of the skill requires both significant research, self-suggestion and implementation of techniques that necessitate much study and practice. The 'game' system is a shorthand for making use of humanities collective strength, a means of interpreting what would otherwise be bewildering skills.]
Cayman nodded, figuring out why numbers and other things about the people he'd looked at had been so wonky and subject to change. He was probably using an aftermarket and poorly misunderstood version of structural analysis, the graphs and stat sheets just a shorthand so he didn't have to deal with the no doubt bewildering and incomprehensible mess that would have arisen from using the skill as it was intended.
"So if I'm channeling your power then that means all my intrinsic knowledge and understanding of how to use spears, summoning and other stuff-"
[Is an amalgamation of all that humanity possesses. And to answer the inevitable question, inundating your mind with countless additional talents would end poorly.]
"Head exploding kind of poorly?"
[Irrecoverable cerebral hemorrhaging.]
"Sheesh. Guess I'll just stick to my current skills then."
Alaya remained silent, the man eventually deciding to start getting some answers to his questions regarding some of his more questionable stats.
"So what's the deal with stamina? It doesn't seem to act as a representation of physical or mental exhaustion but it drained that one time I came in Till. Didn't drop the other times I came but that one time it did."
[It is a representation of your spirit, or what may be termed Ki and its various offshoots. The contract between you and your Fairy were finalized during that moment.]
"Ah. So if I ever learn a spell or skill like Senjutsu or something I'll need to keep track of that."
"Okay, what about Reign? Haven't seen that used or touched even once so far."'
[It is the metric by which Heroic Spirits are judged and measured.]
"...What?"
[It is the metric by which-]
"Yeah yeah I got that part, just caught me off guard is all."
Giving that little reveal the consideration it deserved Cayman asked, "So how exactly do I make use of that? Or is it even a resource that can be expended in the first place?"
[It can be used to draw out the potential of an individual or to exchange in favor of a relic or Noble Phantasm of one who has ascended to the Throne of Heroes.]
"Oh that has SO much potential. And given the universe I'm in I can think of a specific spirit or three that would be downright terrifying. I AM a summoner after all."
"Do my summons have similar milestones that they can reach? Level thirty and all of that?"
[Yes.]
A smug smirk crossed Cayman's lips, fully intending to see just how far he could push the limits of his summons-
[Our time is up. Continue to succeed in your endeavors.]
"Wait I haven't asked about the-"
"-classes yet?"
"Classes? Already thinking of sending Yumi more work when she hasn't even started?"
Rin's arch words snapped Cayman out of his funk, figuring that the rest of his comrades hadn't seen anything otherwise they would have had no shortage of questions.
[Sybaritic Graduate, Intermediate Summoner and Graduate Magic Spearman unlocked!]
Except he was immediately interrupted by a number of popups that promised all sorts of future experimentation and testing, mouth salivating at the bevy of possibilities…possibilities only enhanced by the three new spells he'd gained, [Ether Waltz], [Tantric Rejuvenation] and [Warcry].
"Hmm…gonna have to find some hapless idiot to test these out on. Or willing partner, such as Till."
Shaking his head clear of those meandering thoughts the male instead glanced at his steadily worried companions, doubtlessly wondering why he was zoning in and out.
"Are you all in there or not?"
Idly waving a hand at Rin's hesitant tone he responded, "I'm fine, just thinking is all. That aside you all did good work, for having not really worked as a whole team before this was a good showing."
Rin predictably went all tsundere as she crossed her arms and huffed in validation while the rest were more muted in their appreciation for his words, the Surveyor stating, "With that said why don't we go greet Till's mom and then head home? After all, I have some experimenting to do."
"You sure you want to see this? You were pretty creeped out the first time around."
"Don't patronize me, this is the closest I'll probably ever get to seeing a genuine summoner at play that isn't going to tell me to go away."
Holding his peace as Rin made her position clear Cayman instead turned to where Cerb and Oct were patiently waiting for him to begin the process, the Surveyor taking a deep breath as Mai, Yumi and Till looked on from the rafters.
He wasn't sure just how this whole affair was going to turn out but if his pair of summons ended up getting hefty boosts to their abilities this was going to be a BIG spike of promising talent and power that he got to play around with.
"Alright, here goes."
Thankfully now knowing what Reign did he could freely make use of it, focusing on pushing that resource into his two summons as an odd, shifting glow seemed to surround them-
-and with a burst of flame around Cerb and a bulging of glowing veins on Oct the pair grew exponentially in size, Cayman grinning wildly as just as abruptly the process had begun it stopped, both monsters standing before him highly altered and empowered.
Cerb now resembled the fully grown Dark Beast he'd been summoned from, his skull standing even with Cayman's when on all fours while a magnificent armor of brown hair clung to sculpted and powerful lupine muscles, an additional mane of midnight strands dotting his back and limbs while rending claws dotted powerful and dexterous limbs.
Oct was even more striking, now resembling a Turritopsis Jellyfish instead of the misshapen blobs of tentacles and flesh that other Injuu tended to look like, elegant and glowing with a vibrant sort of aura as his tentacles waved and supported his body with an imperial majesty.
The stats and skill were nothing to sneeze at either.
Cerb, Hellhound (Summoned Companion), LVL 30
HP: 2500
MP:1400
STA: 1500
STR: 700
DEF: 700
AGI: 900
MAG: 400
MAG DEF: 450
EXP: 0/3100
SKILLS: Odor Tracking, Hell Flames, Mature Breeding, Shapeshifting, Soul Tracking.
Oct, Injuu Prince (Summoned Companion), LVL 30
HP: 1000
MP: 9000
STA: 4000
STR: 200
DEF: 180
AGI: 400
MAG: 500
MAG DEF: 600
EXP: 0/3100
SKILLS: Body Melding, Hypnosis, Breeding, Illusory Magic, Female Seduction.
"Yeah. THOSE are some nice numbers I'm looking at. And those skills are pretty wild, got myself a tracker AND a mind breaker. Maybe. Gonna have to run some trials with that. And I may be down to two Reign but who fucking cares, I can get that back later."
The Surveyor was snapped out of his thoughts by a sudden glow that emanated from his summons, their bodies shrinking and morphing until before him stood two young men perhaps in their late teens, lithe and wild in a ludicrously handsome sort of way. One of them was clearly Cerb, sporting a wild mane of jagged black hair that spilled to the base of his spine and sported sharp teeth locked in a lopsided grin. The other was undoubtedly Oct, looking very much like a younger Kuroi Ryuuji, right down to the skin tone and hair color. But whereas the Incubus King's alias had the sleazy air of a hedonist and loan shark combined Oct seemed more…regal? As if the title 'prince' wasn't merely for show.
"About time, master. Thought I'd be stuck as a little shrimp forever."
"In that regard I count myself lucky that I am merely a few hours old. I had little time to spend as a largely defenseless newborn."
Cayman blinked, continuously surprised by all the new paradigm shifts and changes the pair were throwing at him.
"So not only can you take on humanoid forms you're also capable of speech just like any ol' person?"
Surprise seamlessly turned to glee.
"I knew being a summoner was the way to go."
Cerb let loose a bark of laughter as Oct graciously responded, "I appreciate the compliment, master. But may we perhaps ask for clothes before we continue with any further conversation?"
The Injuu sent a charming smile towards the rest of the room.
"I do believe we are making the rest of your team somewhat awkward."
The Surveyor blinked, glancing at everyone else present and found Mai, Yumi and Till had tactfully averted their gazes while Rin's jaw was soundlessly working, face flushed crimson while her notebook and pen were clenched in a tight grasp.
"...Huh. Didn't notice the two of them are butt naked. I hope they wear my size."
Never one to pass up an opportunity presented Cayman offered one parting shot directed at Rin as he left to grab some spares.
"So? How are your examinations of summoning coming along? It can be quite the rigid and unbending art if one isn't as talented as me."
He wasn't quite fast enough to dodge the notebook flung at his head by a mortified tsundere.
Did you know microwaves and grapes can create what looks a lot like St. Elmo's fire? A few margaritas with me and a my friend's names on it sure did. On an unrelated note, his house now smells like electric bonfires.
He needed a new toaster anyway.