Dear Readers,
This is a plot development to show the world doesn't revolve around one person. It is a world filled with people that would step up when there is a disaster is unfolding and resolve without our main boy.
I hope you enjoy it!
ShirouKuroEmiya
"The Tohsaka clan gaining a Reality Marble maybe the reason why many consider their raise from a rank of Viscount to Count before Rin Tohsaka's reign as Clan Leader, but there. less well known fact to the Tohsaka clan's raise. It had do to with another pillar of the clan…" – History of the Tohsaka Clan
Chapter Three "Defense of Fuyuki"
A lifeless Shirou Emiya, whose mana had been drained, laid on the bed as his soul started to come out from his mouth.
The flushed Rin quickly channeled mana into her hands and shoved the leaking soul of her lover back into his body. She also cast a spell on Shirou to prevent a repeat of his soul potentially leaving the body. After her work was complete, she kissed his forehead then jumped up energetically.
Rin shuddered as she recalled the pleasure from the last hour. It had more so good that… She shook her head and slapped her cheeks to banish all her distracting thoughts. The Tohsaka heiress to be absorbed in her thoughts. Many people were relying on her.
"Thanks, Shirou." Rin whispered into her lover's ears. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain."
She got out of bed and as she walked for the door, light shrouded her body. The glow gave way for soft underlayer made of aramid and carbon fiber then various sizes of metal that covered the most crucial areas while leaving room to allow the wearing great freedom of movement. A mix of traditional Japanese and modern advancement to keep ever edge humanity could get over Gaia's creations.
Rin tapped on her medallion and connected to her highest-ranked subordinate.
"What is the situation, Taiga?" Rin asked.
"Rin-sama, the first layer is holding strong for now. Casualties are below estimated levels," Taiga replied calmly. "What are your orders?"
"Start evacuating the first layer of defenses when we reach the acceptable casualty rates," said Rin collected manner expected of seasoned military officer. "How prepared are the other layers?"
"Most of the second layer is prepared to repel any attacks, and our reserves have been placed on high alert at the third layer."
"What are our analysts saying regarding the monster's strength and unit composition?"
"We are facing 10,000 strong attacking force mostly consisting of infantry and a few armored and aerial analogues."
"Basically, the usual." Rin muttered as part of her mind's processing was split, thanks to the Memory Parition spell, between reaching the battlefield and looking at the information regarding the battle.
After running through hallways and several short-range teleportation station, Rin reached the command center with her mind had been well warmed up and filled with necessary information to make informed decisions.
The command center was not the tallest tower overlooking the battlefield. That honor belonged to the many defensive towers, sporting the most powerful artillery that the Tohsaka clan could afford. What the command fortress could claim was being the most well protected area as it acted as the brains of the Fuyuki defense.
Rin walked into the command center like she has been born to lead the defense of Fuyuki City. Something that wasn't far from the truth as while she had been trained in many aspects of ruling a city of three million inhabitants, military matters was one of the most heavily emphasized part of her noble upbringing.
The moment her presence was known, everyone stopped what they were doing for a moment and saluting to her.
Rin returned the salute. "I will assume strategic command, but operational command will remain with Colonel Fujimaru." Rin announced to the command center. "That is all. Return to your duties."
Immediately, everyone returned to their task as every second was a precious moment that determined the fates of many defenders manning Fuyuki's fortified city walls.
The Tohsaka heiress stood silently observing the flurry of activity around her. It was something that had been drilled into her. She was to leave most matters to those that had years, or decades, of real-life military experience and speaking only when she truly had no other choice.
"Just you wait. I'm going to one day have enough experience to call most of the shots," Rin grumbled as she watched on.
Information and commands flowed throughout the command center.
The never-ending news of human losses and requests made the stoic demeanor that Rin bore to start cracking. Many amongst the nobility might not care about the injuries and deaths of their subordinates just because they were "commoners" and expendable resources that could easily be replaced. This was not the case for Rin. She thought differently to many of her noble peers. Her status as nobility, and the heiress of the Tohsaka clan leadership, might afford her wealth and influence that commoners could imagine, but she had grown up intermingling with "lowly" commoners so she knew each person had their own lives and dear ones that would miss them if they were to die.
Rin's expression darkened and she bit her lips. She watched the three dimensional holographic projection, which representing the real-time situation of the battlefield, in the middle of the command center in with fury and deep sadness. Each dot green on the map didn't represent a single human life but multiple human lives from the smallest military unit of a ten men squad.
There were so many times when Rin saw a green dot flicking different shades of green to show that a particular military unit was taking causalities or screams and pleading on the radio for reinforcements. Each time she wanted command a retreat or dispatching reinforcements to a particular section of the battlefield, her mind brought up past instances where her orders had resulted in near collapse of formations.
She shed tears when she recalled one particular event where during her first stint in command where hearing one emotionally distressed individual, Rin had dispatched a hundred-strong company as reinforcements only to lead the utter annihilation of the reinforcements and the breaching of defense line that the dispatched company should have been protecting and hundreds in their section of the breached defense line.
"Don't let your emotions led to more deaths," Rin repeated to herself that her father and military veterans had harshly rebuked Rin for her mistakes. "Let the professionals handle it."
Rin returned to observing and time passed by.
The battle slowly started to tip in favor of the attacking monsters despite the Fuyuki defenders' best efforts. This shifting of the battlefield made Rin think back to the Gate expedition led by her father to the Reverse Side. She believed the battlefield situation would likely have been different if the core of the Tohsaka clan's military force was around and not the token force of Tohsaka clansmen that was left behind and currently fighting.
Conscripts even in incredibly high numbers couldn't win a battle if their morale was shattered by the sight of their fellow conscripts being slaughtered, and when professional solders that served as pillars of confidence were killed.
"Rin-sama," said Taiga in bitter tone. "Most of the first layer has been penetrated and it is only a matter time before the remaining first layer become surrounded. Please order the general retreat to the second layer."
"You have my permission." Rin nodded.
Taiga saluted and quickly relayed Rin's decision then she started to bark out commands to organize the general retreat.
The Tohsaka heiress looked grimly at the holographic screen projected by her medallion. At the start of the battle, some twenty thousand conscripts and thousand professional volunteer soldiers had manned Fuyuki's walls. By the time the retreat to second layer of fortifications was complete then Rin estimated that twenty percent of the defenders would be lost.
"Kami, please bless the brave men and women fighting to protect Fuyuki. At least allow their soulstones to survive intact." Rin prayed to any gods that might be listening.
Many humans might loss their bodies, but they were not truly dead until their souls had been destroyed. A soulstone ensured that as long as they were still intact and were not damaged beyond a certain point that the former wearer of the soulstones would have their souls drawn in after their bodies stopped functioning.
Rin cursed that her clan couldn't afford more soulstones. If the Tohsaka clan had more money and connections then every Fuyuki defender would have been equipped with a soulstone, greatly increasing their survival rate even if their bodies were destroyed. Sadly, her father had decided only Circuit Building stage Protectors and Tohsaka clan private soldiers were worthy of a soulstone.
The ever-growing casualty count, updated in real-time, displayed on her medallion's holographic screen eventually reached a point that she couldn't bear any longer.
"I'm taking to the field! Our defenders lack the Organ Fortification and above stage people to hold the second layer." Rin decisively shouted. The command center was quickly flooded with protests, but Rin ignored them. "If I don't go then my third and final defense layer will be at risk. I cannot risk the possibility of the third layer being breached and the citzens of Fuyuki city being left at the mercy of the monsters!"
The protests started becoming increasingly louder until Taiga screamed, "Enough! Rin-sama is the one in charge with Tohsaka-sama and my father are absent." She angrily glared at her subordinates before turning to Rin. "Please proceed without any concern. I will take command while you are busy."
Rin nodded her head gratefully. She closed her eyes and focused.
The Tohsaka Magic Crest stirred to life as they lit up from underneath Rin's chest, where it had been implanted around her heart. Three Magic Cores made up from centuries of previous Tohsaka clan leaders and clansmen donating their Magic Circuits started to produce a trickle of mana that quickly climb exponential until Rin was flooded with mana. Ganglia, cluster of neurons, often called sub-brains, connected to Rin's mind to greatly enhancing her mental processing that imitated what the Mind Splitting stage.
27 Magic Circuits that she had "borrowed" created the mighty power known as a Reality Marble, which no Tohsaka had ever gotten the chance to use. These borrowed magic circuits might be inferior in how much mana they could produce or store to Rin's own magic circuits or those within the Tohsaka Magic Crest, but their weakness was easily covered by Rin's own magic circuits and the Tohsaka Magic Crest.
An aura of a Demigod spread out over the Fuyuki City.
The clouds in the sky trembled and collapsed in the face of an aura that commanded ultimate respect!
Much of the ground sank down, as if the ground itself were bowing its head!
Whether it was human defenders or the varying species of the attacking monsters, all were shaken to the core. It was an instinct built into their very being, a veneration that came from the depths of their soul. They trembled uncontrollably, and a profound feeling of terror filled them. It was something they couldn't resist or avoid. They could only yield to that terror that weighed down on them from above. It was as if this being commanded the might of an emperor that all living beings would immediately kowtow to. It was as if this being commanded imperial majesty that all species would bow and pray to. It was immeasurably domineering!
From above the Fuyuki command center, a small figure formed. The figure became more distinct to take the appearance of Rin Tohsaka before the figure started to grow. The image of the Rin Tohsaka grew even clearer as it continued to enlarge until it covered Fuyuki.
The figure pulsed with even more power that exerted a suffocating pressure that outright killed by causing hearts to freeze and brains stop functioning. Those that survived were left dazed. This effect only affected the monsters as Rin made meticulous manipulation of her aura to prevent it from negatively influencing the human defenders.
"Trace On," Rin instinctively chanted.
Light blanketed the sky until the only thing that humans and monsters alike could see where flashing blue light. The blinding blue light started to fade and weapons of all types, varying designs and origins filled the sky. The weakest weapons was only worthy of being wielded by elites and the most powerful rightfully belonged to powerhouses that only a small percentage of humans and monsters will ever reach in their lifetimes.
Monsters could only watch in horror as the weapons rained down from the sky. The weakest weapons inflicted serious injuries to the strongest weapons leaving only craters that showed where their targets had once existed.
If the battlefield hadn't been hell before then it turned into a hell only worthy of monsters.
The exhausted human defenders watched as something akin to divine intervention destroyed the more powerful and numerous monsters that they had been fighting furiously with blood and sweat for hours to be annihilated as if they were ants being stamped on by a human foot.
It might have seemed like brief moment, but in reality several minutes past as the divine intervention destroyed the monsters. No monster was able to retreat as none had been able to survive.
"Kami bless you, Rin-sama!"
"Thank you!"
"Banzai!" "Banzai!" "Banzai!"
Rin's semi-omniscience that only a demigod normally possessed started to fade as the accumulated physical, magical and mental strain finally hit her as there were no more monsters to threaten the people that she had sworn to protect. She collapsed and Taiga was there to catch her.
"You did well, Rin-sama." Taiga smiled to her liege. "You can rest, I will handle the rest."
The Tohsaka heiress wanted nothing more to rest, but her conscience and duty demanded that she couldn't relax. There were her subjects that needed her help. Whether it was because of injuries and locating the missing. She would only stop when the blood and sweat stopped!
"There is nothing you can do, not in your current state," said Taiga with a tired smile. "Don't worry. The conscripts and soldiers might be exhausted and unable to do much, but don't forget about the support personnel and civilians that are eager to pitch in wherever they can."
This reminder put Rin at ease and she was about to allow the darkness of sleep take her when–
"Rin-dono, Taiga-sama!" shouted one senior communications officer. "We are detecting more monsters and this force is ten times larger and filled with many powerful monsters at the Core Creation level and above!"
Rin's didn't notice Taiga dropping her onto the ground. She was so distracted by the shocking news that she didn't even feel it. Her eyes flickered and body trembled in fear.
A force of one hundred thousand monsters with creatures at or surpassing the Core Creation level was something that the current Fuyuki defenders could never stop! This was an army that could only be repelled under two conditions: her clan's full military being present and the captured city walls remaining under the defenders' control.
"Taiga! I want every health, mana and mental recovery potions, powders, pills and gas inhalants as possible! The more the better." Rin shouted frantically.
"Rin-sama," said Taiga in a despairing tone while bearing a unwillingly expression. "It's over. Not amount of recovery items will allow you to recuperate for you to use the divine might you displayed before."
"You don't know that!" The Tohsaka heiress cried. "There is still hope, and I don't care if the Tohsaka magic crest is destroyed or I die! It is my duty and the honor of my ancestors demand I try."
Taiga refused to meet Rin's gaze, and the same applied to the rest of the command center.
Her anger and despair only grew as the map showed the hundred thousand strong monsters slowly surround and march towards Fuyuki. She could easily how easy it would be for the monsters to overcome the exhausted defenders and badly damaged fortifications. Rom didn't want to imagine it, but only a bloodbath awaited as the last defenders were annihilated then the civilians slaughtered like lifestock.
"Honour and Duty! I, Tokiomi Tohsaka, the 32rd Clan Leader, call upon my ancestors! Please protect our subjects and the Anchor Point. Enemies of the Tohsaka clan take this, Muramasa Tohsaka!"
Rin's eyes widened in disbelief as she heard a sound for sore ears. Her heart thumped in excitement and quickened with raising hope. She was not disappointed when from the heavens samurai and mages using different weapons and armors of different era came raining down from the heavens.
The sight that unfolded was different from the divine might she had previously called upon. The rain of weapons might have been pure destruction, but the figures landing on the ground and dispatching the hundred thousand strong monster army were graceful and efficient. There was no fancy movements or wasteful magic spells.
She witnessed her ancestors, who were venerated on every occasion demanded by tradition, display the power that had laid the foundation and glory that the Tohsaka clan enjoyed and hoped to imitate.
Rin didn't know how much time had passed, but she attempted despite her exhausted state to etch everything she had witnessed her ancestors do into her mind. This was opportunity that rarely came once a lifetime. When an unknown amount of time passed, there were only blood corpses left by the monsters.
"My daughter, it must have been hard on you," said a familiar voice as Rin snapped out of marveling her ancestors' mighty display. "Your father is back. If the sky was to fall then I will hold it up."
"Tou-sama!" Rin cried as she leapt towards the Tohsaka clan leader and wrapped her arms around his body. "I missed you!"
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Thank you for reading!