Nearl's peaceful sleep was interrupted when someone shook her.
"Mmm…" She groaned. "Shining…I just got back from a mission…"
The sense of weightlessness seized her body and Nearl jerked out of her stupor just as she felt the rough landing. It didn't feel anywhere near close to the steel floor Rhodes Island had. It was hot, rocky, and extremely uncomfortable. The small dose of pain instantly roused her drowsiness away.
"Disarm her."
Nearl opened her eyes to see heavily-bundled eskimos approach her.
This isn't Rhodes Island…
It didn't look anywhere near the dorm she stayed in.
Nearl seized up after realizing the situation she was in. The memories caught up to her. Their infiltration in Chernobog. The hampered escape. Falling from the airship.
If she was alive, then someone had saved her.
"Don't fight then I can guarantee you no harm." A deep voice rumbled behind her.
She did as asked, surrendering herself and allowing the rebels to remove her armor. They started from the extremities, removing her greaves and shoulderguards, working inwards until her chest plate was removed. Nearl shuddered lightly. Without it, she felt exposed. Surrounded on all sides by enemies, with no allies in sight, was demoralizing.
"You are now a prisoner of the Reunion. If you try to cause problems, then expect repercussions." The unknown officer continued. It was the only reasonable assumption judging from how the rebels followed the orders.
Nearl felt the heavy thumping of large footsteps as the man walked in front of her. Her eyes widened upon seeing the officer's identity. Large, imposing, and weathered, the figure of the renowned Patriot entered her sight. The Rhodes Island retrieval team had been debriefed on the possible threats they would meet on the field.
This veteran was on the top of that list.
"Everyone, report status."
A series of updates came from a few other people- which Nearl assumed were either fellow officers or fighters underneath his command.
"Talulah! Is he unharmed?" A hurried voice reached her ears. Nearl perked as the unusual reaction caught her attention.
"The archer is unharmed. FrostNova, I want an explanation later." The Draco demanded.
"Of course. I'm heading over with Faust right now. It will be faster to show you."
"Commanders. Meet at the northern docks once you have secured your objectives." Talulah ordered her officers.
The conversation ended abruptly. The fighters round Nearl helped the exhausted Kuranta to her shaking knees and tied her wrists with rope before tugging her towards the closest prisoner camp.
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Talulah waited as FrostNova lightly removed the balaclava from her conquest. Faust stood off slightly to the side. His presence was required because he was the one to report on the series of events regarding their objective's discovery.
He sucked in his breath once the disguise was removed.
"This is Shirou Emiya?" Talulah reconfirmed.
FrostNova nodded.
"You said he was a doctor."
"He is. We can find others who can confirm his identity."
Talulah studied the older man's features. FrostNova and Faust mentioned that the man was dangerous from their meetings. Hearing reports about the true caliber of his attacks proved them right.
Slowing down the Reunion across the entire city. Bombarding several city blocks to destroy Mephisto's army. Besieging the northern docks alone.
Holding off her barrage.
"Coordinate with Patriot to find a suitable prison to lock him in. But first, have him checked at the hospital." By suitable- she meant the best they could find. Patriot would understand how valuable the Fuyuki doctor was. They had experienced a small dose of his antidote.
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"So?"
"So what?"
Crownslayer narrowed her eyes in annoyance.
"Can you tell anything about his arrows?"
She was asking the question to a certain Sarkaz mercenary known for blowing things out of proportion. An exact opposite to another grenadier she knew.
"Hmmm…they're interesting. That's for sure." Said grey-haired female shot a teasing grin at her before returning to observing the weapons.
Crownslayer rolled her eyes. Her gaze landed on the captured armaments on the table.
A black bow of steel and a set of arrows along with their quiver.
"You sure this guy created a shockwave just from firing his bow?" W questioned again.
"Yes." Crownslayer growled. How could she be uncertain? She watched the insane shot at melee range. Not to mention seeing an entire squad of reinforcements wiped out in an instant hundreds of meters away.
Except, the evidence didn't match. The steel bow was normal by their standards. It wasn't supposed to pack that much power in a shot. Studying the arrows didn't prove much else either. Crownslayer did her own analysis. Outside of the unknown compound which made up the arrows, they weren't anything noteworthy.
"Hmm…then it's definitely arts."
"Arts." Crownslayer repeated.
What a fat load of shit.
Arts didn't range from having the ability to nuke enemies to creating shields. Crownslayer hunted down rebels who saw the combat between Talulah and the archer first-hand. All of them mentioned the beautiful flower shield that stopped the Draco's attacks from reaching Rhodes Island.
"What kind of doctor has arts like this?" Crownslayer's headache was growing from all the contradictions.
"The interesting kind~" W hummed cheerfully while lowering the arrow. "He's the opposite of another doctor I know who doesn't have jack shit for arts."
"Please tell me you found something."
"Nope. Nothing at all."
Crownslayer pinched her nose bridge irritatedly.
"What are we going to tell Talulah then? She asked us to go over his weapons!"
"We can have others take a look at them too, you know. Have several reports along with ours." W pointed out.
"She's going to be convinced that we missed something."
"Sure we did. Except, no one else can figure it out either." W grinned brightly.
Crownslayer's face fell into her hands.
They were so dead. Talulah was going to grill them alive.
The leaders of the retrieval team convened together for the debriefing one day after their return.
Amiya anxiously tapped her feet while watching the monitor. Two others accompanied her in the small meeting room. Ace- who was sipping on a cup of coffee, and Dobermann- who was busy penning something down on her notebook.
"Amiya, what you're suggesting is beyond our current means."
She slammed both her hands on the table.
"Kal'tsit please! I-it was my mistake! Nearl's capture was my fault! Let me organize a rescue mission!" She stuttered desperately. Guilt had been gnawing on the young girl's mind ever since the moment they left Nearl behind.
Rhodes Island had seen the moment Patriot caught Nearl's landing with his own arms. It was too dangerous for them to make an attempt at landing at the time and their pilots flew them back to their landship.
"Amiya…" The green-haired feline sighed. She understood how much Amiya cared for the operators under Rhodes Island. "I can assure you, I am also working on a plan to save her. But right now, there are more pressing matters." Kal'tsit straightened her jacket then gestured on the holographic map she had with her. "For now, we need to focus our efforts on Lungmen. I'm in contact with the city officials and there have been reports of Reunion infiltrators in the city."
"Already? It's been only a day since they captured Chernobog." Dobermann frowned.
"The timetable makes sense for them to have agents in Lungmen long before the Chernobog invasion. The LGD only began looking into them once Chernobog sent out distress signals before it fell. The proximity between the two cities has them on alert."
"So…we're being sent out again?" Ace sipped on his drink. He was no stranger to back-to-back missions. Though he preferred to have a break at least.
"As it stands, yes. Many of our operators are busy on other assignments and we need as much manpower available as possible." Kal'tsit turned to face the young Cautus in the group. "Amiya, I've organized a team to accompany you to Lungmen. Prepare to depart immediately."
Amiya pursed her lips reproachfully as her priority was moved aside for the meantime. Kal'tsit didn't intend to abandon Nearl either, but she didn't know how long it would be before they could return for her.
"...how long?" It didn't need to be said what she wanted to know.
"I don't know. It depends on what the Reunion does next." Kal'tsit admitted. Right now, the majority of the Reunion were in Chernobog. Rescuing Nearl would risk too much.
Amiya fell back into her chair with a grimace. This would've all been avoided if she had been better. Her shortcomings had to be shouldered by Dobermann and Ace, not to mention the unknown archer who helped them.
The guilt weighed in her gut like molten steel, simmering just below the surface.
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"P-please! We have nowhere else to go!"
The man held desperately to the LGD sentry while he was shoved back.
"We told you. Lungmen is not open." The guard coldly repeated. "Apply for immigration with the requirements. Refugees are not welcome."
On the sidelines, Amiya, the Doctor, and the group of Rhodes Island operators watched apprehensively. Two days after Kal'tsit's briefing, the representatives made their way to Lungmen.
Amiya quietly glanced aside. They were here to assist Kal'tsit with her objective. Making a fuss over how Lungmen treated migrants would be the last thing on her mind.
"Amiya…these are…" The Doctor trailed off.
"Yes…they are Chernobog refugees." The young rabbit answered silently.
The Doctor clammed up after that. He didn't know much about Terra's circumstances since being inflicted with amnesia. Though back at the landship, Ace assured him that his memory loss was something he shouldn't worry about.
An elevator access port on the opposite side of the gateway rang to alert a lift's arrival. When it opened, a large team of guards arrived.
"Assist them." A loud order came from the last figure to leave the elevator.
Amiya observed the newcomer. Dark cobalt hair of shoulder length framed over sharp crimson eyes that scanned the scene. Two horns jutted out from her head- combined with the snake-like tail from behind- told Amiya that they were dealing with another Draco.
At least this Draco wasn't hunting them down.
Keen red eyes landed on their group and the older woman swiftly made her way to them.
"Rhodes Island?"
Amiya nodded.
The blue-haired girl looked to be in the middle of her 20s, which was impressive considering how much rank she just exhibited. For someone so young to be in an officer's position meant that they were highly capable. The Draco looked at her watch and hummed approvingly.
"Early. That's good. We can move ahead of schedule then." The woman cleared her throat. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ch'en Huichieh, the Chief Superintendent of the LGD." She held her hand out.
"A-ah!" Amiya reached out to shake her hand. "Amiya, I represent on behalf of Rhodes Island."
Ch'en's eyes darted across each of the members. Confirming their identities to match those that were provided.
Except for one.
"I was not aware there was an extra operator in the delegation."
"This is the Doctor…he's a tactician we brought along to help." Amiya explained.
"Hmm." Ch'en scanned the new individual. The Doctor shivered as he felt her sharp eyes dug into his core. "As long as you vouch for him, then I shall allow it. We have prepared accommodations for your delegation to stay in while we conduct our business. Now come."
The chief officer of the LGD turned around and walked to the elevator, followed by Amiya and the Doctor. Ch'en called down an elevator for them to use and waited until one arrived.
"I officially welcome you to Lung…" She trailed off.
The guard chowing on a cup of noodles looked up at the trio standing at the entrance of the lift. He quickly slurped the scoop on his chopsticks before registering just who he was eating in front of.
He wasn't the only one frozen in dismay.
Ch'en's eye twitched.
"M-madame Ch'en! …umm I'll just go." He quickly scurried past the guests with her and disappeared down the hall hastily.
Ch'en resisted the urge to facepalm after the humiliating scene. He'll be busted sooner or later, personally if she could. Ch'en pushed through and walked into the elevator like nothing happened. Amiya and the Doctor quietly followed, thankfully ignoring the little mishap.
She set the destination to Lungmen's ground level where their transport was located. The elevator whirred silently as the doors closed and the lift started moving.
The group remained silent until they exited the elevator to another section of the Lungmen entrance. This time, it was an organized area. Lines of foreigners queud up to checking booths who scanned over their entry permits. Tourists, merchants, and many others sat on benches awaiting their number to be called on the large screens overhead.
The trio bypassed all of them. As guests of Lungmen, the paperwork was waived and ease of access was given so long as they abided by the rules of the host city. Ch'en led them out the exit and into the city.
"Woah…" Amiya reveled at the picturesque night scene unfolding before her. Tall buildings rose high into the sky, illuminated in a thousand hues. The atmosphere was vibrant despite the night's attempt to silence the world. The Doctor was of the same mind. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the sight. Lungmen was simply another world compared to the chaos of Chernobog and the utilitarian Rhodes Island landship.
This time, Ch'en repeated her reception.
"As said earlier…welcome to Lungmen." She was calm on the outside, but her insides were different. A silent pride for her city existed within. Ch'en led them to a parking lot where their transport awaited.
Unnoticed by the trio, a pair of beady eyes tracked their movements from atop a streetlight. The sound of flapping wings followed as their car embarked towards their destination.
"That stupid idiot did it again…"
Rin growled as she glared at the transport terminal's bay. Her burning glare was all that was needed to part the wave of arrivals once they entered Lungmen's port.
"Nee-san, we already know how senpai is…" Sakura tried to placate Rin. "The magical code isn't broken so it should prove that Shirou's fine." The mystic code was a simple spell devised to inform the involved parties about the current status of each one. They'd know if Shirou was dead.
If he was, their situations would be reversed. Rin would be the one desperately holding back Sakura from surrendering to All The World's Evil and rampaging across Terra to find Shirou's body and summoning his soul back.
That was if Rin didn't do it first.
"Haaa…I know! We can never trust him when he's alone!" Rin seethed. Sakura sweatdropped at the comical sight of Rin gritting her teeth together audibly. "Once he's back, we're banning him from the kitchen for the next 6 months!"
Now that- Sakura would call it cruel but fair. Shirou needed to learn that his actions had consequences. Depriving him of his kitchen rights was basically damning the man to hell temporarily.
"That's a good idea." Sakura nodded along. Her agreement was enough to pull Rin back from tipping over the edge and cursing the innocent bystanders watching the girl rage. "Even better, we can also stop him from doing chores."
"I'm not letting that idiot slack off and leave all the work on you."
Sakura smiled knowingly. Rin would never let her do that. Sure, it would punish Shirou heavily- but it would mean leaving the two of them to handle all the housework. Though, the temporary apartment they bought in Lungmen wasn't that large.
"Let's go back. We should scry him in the apartment." Rin grabbed Sakura and dragged her along. They were supposed to meet Shirou at the designated Lungmen transport terminal one week after. If Shirou extended over the deadline, then he was meant to send them an update through the mystic code.
Except he hadn't. Shirou didn't send any messages. Rin and Sakura sent their own but didn't receive any replies.
Once they were back at their apartment, the two sisters set up the spell and gazed at their target's location. Rin and Sakura critically analyzed every detail they could find.
The first detail that came to mind was the utilitarian feature of the place. It was clean, but the dull grey walls paired with the rusted bars already clued them in at where Shirou was at.
"Guards and a prisoner on the opposite side…" Rin noted. "Shirou must've exhausted himself if he hasn't awakened yet." The signs of magical exhaustion were there. Shirou looked every bit as healthy as he was, which meant the problem was his system.
"Senpai must've thought that the sacrifice was necessary…" Sakura murmured.
"We already knew that our resistance against Originium is zero compared to everyone else in this world. They've had generations to adapt to the irregularity whereas we haven't." The trio already confirmed this with extensive testing. People with extensive contact with Originium have died of Oripathy. But fortunately for the trio, their magical systems
"Nee-san, her badge…" Sakura pointed out once the girl turned around. Blonde, wearing slightly damaged clothes, but nonetheless unharmed. Though, the expression on her face was anything but relaxed.
"...I'll go talk to her." Rin narrowed her eyes.
What were they doing there?
Rin had looked into the background of Rhodes Island after their little visit. Though information was severely hampered due to how fractured Terra's connections were, she was able to cobble general information of the pharmaceutical organization.
"Shirou assured us they had left Chernobog. If they were present at the invasion, then they were after something else."
Movement caught their eye. The guards shuffled slightly as they greeted the newcomers. A dark-haired boy carrying a crossbow on his back along with a white-cloaked girl with bangs walked into the picture, followed by a person in doctor's apparel.
The pair of sisters exchanged silent glances as they took the opportunity to gain some information.
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The prison gate rolled screeched to the side, a result of the low maintenance the old management kept. It was supposed to be one of the better ones that survived the invasion and the Catastrophe, but even the quality was questionable. The Reunion cleaned it as soon as possible once Talulah secured their two prisoners.
"Check on him." Her fellow commander ordered the Chernobog doctor they brought with them. The doctor lowered the tray of food and quickly moved forward to perform diagnostics on the patient.
So far, every doctor they brought had the same answer. The Chernobog Archer- recently discovered as Shirou- was healthy. Not a single injury on him. At first, they used the hospital equipment to diagnose him, but moved him after the chosen prison was cleaned.
If anything, his Oripathy was the only information they found.
"He's…there is nothing wrong with him." The doctor gulped after a few moments. "There is too much we don't know to make a definite answer…" News spread through the captured hospital staff about the Reunion's insistence for doctors to determine the status of Shirou. A fair few were quick to recognize the member of the Fuyuki Clinic.
"Are you sure? Check again." FrostNova pressed. Her glare pushed the doctor to redo the entire process.
"I-I can't find anything wrong aside from his coma…it could be anything." He broke out into a sweat from the commander's pressure.
Faust grabbed the doctor's attention by jerking his head in the tray's direction. The doctor obeyed and picked up the food. He busied himself slowly feeding the meal to the unconscious patient while the two commanders talked with the guards.
"Has anything happened?" FrostNova inquired the Yeti Squadron guards.
"Nothing new." The head of the current team answered.
"How about the Rhodes Island operator?" Faust eyed the blonde in the other cell. Nearl quietly observed the interaction from her position on the cell's bed.
"She's been quiet as well."
FrostNova moved across the corridor and stopped in front of Nearl's cell.
"Shirou was with Rhodes before meeting Talulah. If there's anything you can share, then we would appreciate it." She asked the older girl.
Nearl's eyes widened.
Could it be?!
Archer- whose name was apparently Shirou if the Cautus commander could be trusted- looked unsteady after healing the children. Nearl left it alone at the time after being falsely reassured, but it could be something connected to his current situation.
"What are you planning to do with him?" Nearl wouldn't just give the answer. She needed to find out more.
"We want him to continue treating Oripathy." The white-haired rabbit answered her openly.
The Kuranta blinked.
"Treat…Oripathy?"
"He was one of the doctors of a clinic that could cure Oripathy up to a degree." This time, it was the teen beside the Cautus that answered. "We came to him for treatment."
This…was huge. It also matched what Nearl had seen him do. Now it made sense why they were handling him carefully despite all he's done.
The more she learned about the man, the more questions she had.
That day, Nearl personally experienced three miracles. Two of which came from one person.
The Land of Paradise.
Nearl could still remember the words he chanted like it was yesterday. The aria that activated what she originally thought was his Originium Arts. That was until she remembered the second art he casted during the fight with Talulah.
The ethereal flower that protected Rhodes Island.
Two different arts. Two different results. That wasn't how Originium Arts worked. Arts was locked to one effect. It didn't make sense.
"Well?"
Nearl withdrew from her thoughts as the Cautus commander in front of her frowned.
"We didn't know anything about him being a doctor. He introduced himself as an archer. We assumed the explosives were his arts." She sidestepped the question by giving an honest answer unrelated to it. Nearl knew more than she let on, but it was all too complicated.
FrostNova narrowed her eyes. The Rhodes Island operator definitely knew something. She was inexperienced at hiding her reaction.
"If you insist on hiding information that could help him recover, then you're making a grave mistake." The famed Yeti Princess showed her displeasure.
Nearl pressed her lips together firmly. She wasn't sure how to proceed. Was it right to tell them? At the same time, withholding the information might guarantee her survival for a little longer if the Reunion had plans for her.
"Yes…we're leaving now." The boy replied on his radio from behind FrostNova. Nearl glanced at him when he nudged the Cautus in the side. "Talulah's calling us for another meeting." He informed the girl.
FrostNova narrowed her eyes and turned on her heel, but not before shooting one last look at the capture operator. The duo left, followed along by the doctor carrying the empty tray of food.
Nearl leaned back to the wall and released a sigh of relief. Her thoughts were rumbling after new discoveries- enough that the tray of food in her cell remained untouched for the next hour.
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Rin and Sakura were quiet after watching the scene for a few minutes.
"Sakura…send one of your familiars to her. We need more information." Rin closed her eyes while deep in thought. Sakura silently rerouted one of her avian patrols towards Chernobog. She gave it instructions to search for Shirou and the unknown operator.
"Nee-san, she's meeting with the Lungmen's Chief Executive again." She informed her sister of the latest update from another familiar of hers, a conveniently placed summon watching the office of Lungmen's leader. I was part of their precaution, Sakura created familiars once they stepped foot in the city. The Matou family magic quickly spread through the city and Sakura kept an eye out for interesting developments.
Rin grabbed a piece of paper on the desk and began penning out a letter.
"Sakura, can your familiar send this message to her?"
She had a meeting to organize.
A small breeze blew through the empty field.
What once was a barren land, now stood flourishing with budding flora. The sky remained the same as ever since his entry, an everdistant twilight from the sun somewhere over the distant horizon.
The scene would've been peaceful, if not for the rest.
Swords. Small, large, demonic, holy, in numbers inconceivable, far far beyond his imagination interspersed the land. Many thrumming with unknown power. Others existing silently and peacefully.
The atmosphere was also much the same. If the land vibrated with power, the air manifested an indomitable will that slowly seemed to be contaminating his thoughts.
Kaschey didn't know what to make of it.
He had entered the man's psyche to gain an understanding of his intentions. Instead, he was weighing the pros and cons of gaining such a resource. It was a powerful mind, manipulating it would be the most difficult challenge he's faced. On the other hand, such power would give him the means to guarantee Ursus domination on the continent.
Nations would fall. Only Ursus would remain.
"What are you…?" He quietly mumbled at the only other individual in the silent world.
Shirou kept his stalwart gaze locked on the interloper that managed to make his way into Unlimited Blade Works. The strange presence had snuck into his soul when it exploited his collapse in the real world. Unfortunately for them, Shirou took the opportunity to lay a trap while it examined his soul.
Just as Kaschey studied the world in front of him, Shirou studied the parasitic fragment that was briefly attached to him.
"I could say the same for you. How did you enter this place…?" Shirou replied with his own inquiry. He was no expert in soul magic. So this man was quickly moved to the top of threats Shirou needed to deal with in the near future.
It was the first true threat Shirou faced in Terra.
"I…am but a steadfast loyalist to his nation." Kaschey spoke.
"...a faker."
It was Shirou's roundabout way of telling the truth while keeping his intentions hidden. Though his soul was pretty much exposing a large part of his identity to this man.
"It seems that we both are."
Shirou narrowed his eyes. His instincts labeled the man an enemy.
"Forgive me, it seems I have overstayed my welcome. I hope we can continue our conversation another day."
The figure slowly disintegrated into black smoke, disappearing from his world entirely.
…
The next moment he blinked, he was back in Terra.
…
The concrete ceiling above him did little to hide the growing blush on the grey-haired Cautus above him.
Something was in his mouth.
Not to mention the suspicious spoon being held in her hands.
"...FrostNova?"
The prison cell erupted with ice.
Author's Note
Fuck me. Chapter 10 was overcooked and the reviewers roasted me. At least I'm getting an idea how many readers want the story to progress.
As for everyone talking about Shirou and the Reunion's future…well leaking it won't be any fun as compared to seeing how it develops in the next arc. Don't worry I don't have any outrageous plans like turning him into a rebel.
I hope this rushed chapter makes up a little of how crappy the previous one is. I'd losely consider this the 3rd arc after the Intro and the Chernobog Invasion.
P.s. If anyone watched the anime, they'll know I toyed around with the intro to Lungmen. Hehehehe