After Action Report 20090510
Operation DarkMoon continues to progress as projected. While certain assets are out of play at the moment, opposition has fallen back in line with previously documented operational capacity. The enemy remains disjointed, unfocused though still no less dangerous.
The Demon Summoning program had tentatively resumed operational capacity, allowing for the recruitment of enemy forces at a rate that has helped stave off the friendly forces replacement rate. Request for additional forces has remained unchanged at this time.
Additionally, while enemy force culture has fallen back within predictive models, the terrain, Tartarus has seen a modification in its own behavior. Progression to floor 50 has been achieved without the sudden spawning of the "Shadow" designated as the Reaper.
While investigation into the reason for this change is still ongoing, preliminary investigations point to the increase in the spiritual disease known as Apathy Syndrome. Whether it is correlation or causation is unknown at this time.
Future DITFOR recommendations upon replacement, coordinate the requisition of Demons capable of mid-tier magical ability in order to avoid the pitfalls of high tension operational environment.
…
Tired eyes and almost cramped hands looked over the now 50 page document. Looking it over to make sure it nearly mimicked the two years of prior examples before his hands touched these documents.
Snipe wondered in some way if the officers and Senior Staff members had been built for this because at this moment he could help but feel his soul was being drained out his body. That his brain was leaking out his ears. That his eyes were being boiled by the blue light coming off the monitor, etcetera, etcetera.
"Still writing that paper, Snipe?"
With a sigh, the tired man broke eye contact with the monitor rubbing at the bags his eyes had nearly sunken into. "Yeah, I have been trying to figure out how Officers do this shit: write pages and pages of this nonsense. From start times to statical odd of whatever the fuck to God knows what else. I mean, I know it's all there but holy fucking shit man… It such a fucking pain in the ass." Despite not screaming the words the vitriol Snipe had managed to put into the statement carried the same connotations.
Turning to meet Miller's eyes directly, the now Staff Sergeant had something he needed to ask. "Enough of that. How are the men? I know from the reports that we're getting better but a piece of paper or a report isn't as hands on as eyes on the ground."
With how familiar Miller had become with Snipe he knew his colleague honestly was too tired to process anything he said. It would need further iterating later if he carried on with a full rundown.
"You sure you want to know? I know you've been on top of everything so far. There is only so far you can stretch yourself out before you snap." The brit said in a tone almost approaching chiding.
"Yeah, I know." The interim leader bristles for a moment before reigning himself in. "Literally no one else can replace me at this point. If I disappear, that's it for this unit. It's a black mark on everyone's records, we get disbanded and sent back to wherever we crawled out of and disappear. If we are lucky."
It was no coincidence after all. This was all kept hushed, and there was a reason why Special Forces were the pool they pulled from to put onto the UNDITFOR.
"Besides, this isn't the United States' Marine Corps, the idea of having junior enlisted or in this case not having senior SNCOs handle this is so foreign everyone was surprised that I stepped up to handle this, remember." The mentally beaten man lamented. At first it didn't seem so bad but after he had been given the "business as usual memo" by HIGHCOM he tried to hold out hope that he would be rescued by some officer. No such luck. "Everyone just wants to be the guy with the gun that shoots God in the face. No respect for the Pen that gets them there."
"Yeah, but being the triggerman is the best part." Miller said childishly in an attempt to raise the SSGT' mood enough to banter and take his overworked mind off work.
However these weeks had hardened his mind if not his body to be able to remain single minded in his pursuit to complete the mission (paperwork.) "Don't think I'll let you use this to distract me though, Miller I need to know how these guys are doing…"
"Wouldn't dream of it, sir." The man said with a one finger salute.
"Fuck you, Miller. I was a working man before Big Daddy Nato put me behind this desk." he chuckles out, finally cracking from the antics of the crass servicemen.
"Snipe, you did that to yourself though." The brit replied with all the cheek he could muster.
"You know what I mean. Besides, even if I hold the billet I am still a working man."
Even as Snipe eventually got his mind off of work he still couldn't help but wonder why it was he wasn't getting any emails back from the platoon that was last stationed on the peninsula. It was possible that they had been wiped out to the last man, it was common enough when dealing with the supernatural…
But something about it simply didn't sit right with him about it. The reports the preceding unit left behind painted a picture, one of hardship sure but it all but stated in plain language they had a handle on the Demons. Although they couldn't make it past floor 50 due to the unending waves of Reapers, they individually had no problem killing the sudden Flux of higher tier Shadows.
So what was the cause of the sudden silence?
Although Snipe had personally never contacted them, the late Commander Jensen did. At least up to the night he got half the platoon killed. After that night there had been no further word from their counterpart.
Although it wasn't pressing, since it wasn't getting anyone killed, yet, it was a mystery left on the table.
"You don't know what you don't know…" Snipe says the thought having been a Freudian slip.
"What?" The British man asked, completely thrown off.
"Are you still thinking about work? Snipe, you need to relax, c'mon let's get a drink in you. Unwind a little bit. Let the troops see that their fearsome leader is unbowed by the weight of paperwork." the knife toting soldier told him as Snipe was pushed out the door.
Although this was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission Metis couldn't help but think that this had been the single best thing to happen in her life. Herself and Labrys-Onee-sama had been given the chance to prove their worth and so far all they've had to do over the last few days was "lay low and establish a baseline."
While she wasn't too sure what that had meant, at the moment it meant to enjoy the hospitality that Amagi Inn had offered them. Which had been very accommodating thus far.
Everything that she and her sister asked for, locations of interest, tour guides around the place so they were acquainted like natives, introductions to some of the older population.
All of that and more.
The Amagi's were very nice.
"Onee-san, with your upgrades you should be able to enjoy the water. Why don't you hop in?" The younger sister asked as she listlessly floated across the water.
One might not expect it, if they were aware of her true origins but the Kirijo Group had bought the rights to use the patent "Jack Fiber" muscles that the defense contractor General Electric made when they developed the Demonica.
It was commonly what was known to allow their tech to "grow" over time for lack of better phrasing.
Along with being a substance/material straight out of fiction it was surprisingly buoyant when under the right conditions. Conditions that an 8th Generation Anti Shadow Weapon could easily replicate.
For a refurbished unit like Labrys-Onee-Sama it was possible but if it weren't for the fact that her Orgia mode was already an external system she might have issued with the demand it would place on her systems.
But something like this, soaking in the onsen that the Inn offered? It was perfect for relaxation.
"Metis, ya can't just get too relaxed ya'know. Never know when something might pop up and we'll need to get going." Her older sister stated as she looked over one of the vital pieces of intelligence they gathered, a Junes shopping catalog, ever focused on a mission that she was starting to suspect had few parameters; based on what she had been told so far. Or there was so much going on it took experience to know over the latest and greatest hardware mankind had ever seen.
Her sister was honestly incredible if she knew so much to be able to predict so much from so little.
It was a bit odd to judge tried and true methods, so the navy haired girl would definitely endeavor to watch and learn.
"But what are we watching out for? Would you be embarrassed because without your limbs you would be helplessly floating in the water? Ah! Don't worry Onee-sama, I won't let you float away." The younger gynoid said with endearment as she floated into something.
A shadow casted itself over her; the junior sister looked up to see Labrys' annoyed face, long light blue hair tied up in a high bun and with a towel wrapped around her midsection and a sparking hand with electricity. Metis felt a misfire go up her spine and her Papillion engine drop to her stomach.
"Yer gettin real uppity Lil sis." Though her sister said it calmly her Kansai accent came out, Metis realized she must've flubbed.
As soon as she went to respond she was suddenly kicked onto her stomach and blasted with enough electricity to make her floating cut out as her systems rebooted, making her sink beneath the water like a rock.
After resurfacing five minutes later Metis cautiously looked at her more prickly sister, careful to not set her off.
"Ya ought ta be careful, Metis, someday dat mouth of yers is gonna get ya in trouble." Her older sister said as she idly kicked her feet through the water.
…
Resurfacing through water, Metis expelled all the water inside her, not unlike how a human might spit water in a steady stream.
"I agree, sister, thank you for sharing your experience with me." The younger sister nodded her head with a hand to her chin as if she were a detective given a crucial piece of information.
Her sister was very wise after all. She did show that an attack could come from any vector, and her clearly inferior hardware couldn't be blamed for malfunctioning.
To think that she could predict such an incident too.
"Tch!" The older gynoid scoffed as she clearly deliberated on a factor that Metis was still unaware of. Even though her sister was withholding information, her experience still hadn't led her astray.
As expected of Onee-sama!
She really should watch and learn! Her sister provided endless opportunities for learning.
…
Eventually after the sisters finished bathing, they had set to join the family that was hosting them for dinner. Since there hadn't been many guests at the moment the dining arrangements in the house attached to the inn was being used.
As the two girls walked into the living room where the Amagi Patriarch could be seen reading the newspaper.
"Kouta-san, has there been 'nything interesting in the paper lately?" Her sister leads, always sharp to find new potential leads.
Looking up from the paper the stern balding man grunted, "If you wish to know whether it is relevant to your studies, no. The only thing that might interest you is that there is a survey that is going to be held to figure out what the youths prefer in a potential suitor."
A suitor?
"Hmmm," the young girl paused to raise a delicate eyebrow. "I have never given such things a thought before. What about you Onee-sama? Has your experience guided you in the ways of the heart?" Looking to her sister with piercing carmine eyes that sought to bore an answer from the normally implacable Labrys.
"H-huh? W-why do you want ta know, Metis?" The older girl says taken aback by the un(characteristic) aggression her sister (was)n't known for.
"I always want to know about Onee-sama's experience," Metis says, as if it were the obvious conclusion. "Being as experienced in life as she is, Onee-sama must've had hundreds of partners."
After all, Labrys-Onee-sama was the only survivor of the 5th generation, surely she must've crushed a few Papillion engines in her hands before.
"Yes, Labrys-Onee-sama could probably handle 10s of men at a time." Metis concludes with a resolute nod.
"Metis! What are you saying!" Labrys practically screeches, scandalized.
"Hm. I see the more liberal nature of children these days has been undersold." Kouta says, closing his eyes.
"Hm. Kouta-San, you seem interested, perhaps I should solicit Labrys-San for advice tonight. With as many people as she is sure to have entertained she would surely know more than I on the subject…" Though her tone didn't change, the elegant woman's aura had become more intimate in some unknownable way.
"That's not…!" Labrys denied shaking her head vigorously in denial. "Metis what the Hell did ya mean by that! Now ya got'em actin' all weird!"
"Ah Danna-Sama, do you think she…" Whatever the woman means to say is communicated entirely with a glance that leaves Labrys with shivers running down her spine. "It might be hard to compete with that kind of experience."
"I believe in you, beloved, good luck." the man said in his typical grumble, though it caused the normally composed woman to blush all the way from beneath the collar of her kimono to the tips of her ears.
"W-what? What are y'all talkin' 'bout!? Please can we move passed this and blame Metis fer her weird ideas!"
"If the youth these days are this straightforward… perhaps there is no need to worry about population decline." The middle-aged man grumbled to himself, but in no way quiet enough for the thought to be kept quiet. "…But then again they are foreigners even if their Japanese is well accented."
Nodding along to her husband's statement while placing a hand to her face in thought "Even Labrys-san's Kansai accent is rather accurate, but that could also be a part of the trick that they put up. This old lady is wise to your tricks Labrys-san."
Labrys couldn't explain exactly why but this entire conversation made her uncomfortable and mildly nauseous.
"Could we please, move past this?" The currently flustered girl said as she uneasily, holding her left arm at the elbow. "I just wanted to know if the paper was any good today."
"Onee-sama, could this be one of those times where you told me it's better to let your presence speak for you rather than your words? Could that be why you're neither confirming or denying whether or not you have scores of bodies behind you?" Metis questioned guilessly, not noticing that with each consecutive question Labrys' expression changed cycling from embarrassment, to lost, before settling on rage.
"Metis, shut up!" Standing in front of her sister the iron maiden places a mechanical hand on the junction between the neck and collarbone of Metis. "The next words that I want to hear coming out yer mouth better only be "Yes, Onee-Sama", "No, Onee-Sama", I will have ya sent home if ya try ta git uppity with me ya little BRAT!" Nearly completely red in the face Labrys said as a small invisible wave of pressure washed over the occupants of the room.
For a moment the air in the living room became stifled as Labrys levied out her discipline. "Ehem, I'm sorry y'all saw that. My sister is a bit naive and has terrible phrasing due to her being so sheltered. So please, forget this conversation happened. It will not happen again, isn't that right, Metis?" The older girl's tone was frigid.
Nodding along in deference but completely missing the point Metis replies "Yes, Onee-Sama."
"To think we robbed Yukiko of this…"
"Ah, Danna-Sama, did you want to try for another? Yuki-chan is off interning as a miko, and one day this house will become more quiet, someday."
"Perhaps we should, but that is a matter for another day. Has dinner been finished?"
"Yes, Danna-Sama. It was what I set out to do before we had this spirited conversation."
"Misaki, you are to tell me if your spirit is overwhelming you after dinner still, I will see to you."
Metis notes at this moment that Kouta hadn't said anything to warrant danger; Misaki's complexion had gained a more vibrant coloring. If only she had her sister's experience…
Who looked away from the couple and shielded her eyes from view. Was there some sort of psycho-kinetic vector of attack that she was unaware of? Or was it a hardware issue that her sister suffered from?
Ah! She should copy her! If there was something to discern her methods then surely starting with the results would be for the best.
…
"Perhaps we should save our passions for a quieter time." The kimono wearing woman muttered.
【Simulation Activated: -50 conflict points.】
Faer found himself in a shed. It wasn't very large, at least when he compared it to the warehouse where Akihiko stored all his workout equipment but that seemed to be rather unfair.
Even without memories to tell himself so, he knew that it could only be a result of having money and political sway.
None of that was important here though, Faer knew that he was here on a mission. Said mission was supposed to be an instructional mission.
He was still trying to figure out the details for it.
The main body of the shed had looked to be cleared out as it saw regular use evident in how the dust was built up around the room. Even if it saw frequent cleaning Faer could tell that whoever used this place didn't quite have the ability to keep it clean themselves.
Separated between the first and second floor Faer slowly explored the first floor carefully, so as to not disturb the blue tarp on the floor where a partially disassembled engine sat gutted on the floor.
Around the shed sat a few boxes that had been sealed for what may have been years given the tape and dust buildup on them. Various drawers that upon opening had more tools than Faer wanted to identify at the moment.
"With how much shit is in here I wonder if this is supposed to be a crash course on makeshift weapons." The boy mused aloud as he looked over everything one more time.
…
Other than the evenly split rocks and the jagged broken pipes in the corner of the room he couldn't detect anything suspect.
Again walking around the shed Faer ran his hands over the various shelves trying to see if there was anything special about anything. Other than dust bunnies, nothing.
It really did seem like there was nothing special about the room. Well besides the motorcycle in the corner, but interesting to note the engine on the ground was not the engine from the bike.
A junior mechanic? What could he be here to learn from a junior mechanic?
"Guess what I am looking for isn't here…" Whatever he was here to learn he clearly wouldn't learn it from just looking around the shop.
Opening the door Faer found himself faced with a fairly sizable yard that was enclosed by walls with indigo clay tiles. Obviously with any yard on a plot of land there is a house but this one wasn't like any the Contractor was familiar with.
It was similar to the fence in that it used indigo clay tiles but it was primarily made of wood. Large was an apt description to begin with and open would be the second word Faer would use to describe it. Honestly it was easier to say that this place looked more like a compound than a house; spread out instead of being compact.
Looking to his left Faer also saw another building, but unlike the compound, it didn't exactly highlight what its use was.
Walking around to the front Faer decided that he would prefer to move quickly, if there was no one in here he definitely wanted to know sooner rather than later…
Placin- "Erm, excuse me. Who are you?"
A voice, pre-pubescent. Androgynous…
Turning on his heel Faer looked to the voice's origin. It was ***** ***** a short teen with red borderline orange hair with amber eyes. But there was something about him that seemed… familiar. Dressed in a blue and white shirt that hung a bit loosely on his frame. The boy seemed a bit tired, though part of that may be because his chest seemed to be wrapped up from some kind of injury which left his breath labored. The harness that he wore beneath his shirt didn't make the effort any easier.
He seemed like he was going through the motions. Faer got that.
"Faer Jaecar. I'm looking for my teacher." he introduced, it would make a bad first impression on the first simulation training that was more orientated towards learning rather than strictly combat.
"Teacher..? I guess you aren't talking about Fuji-nee and that smell…" his nose scrunched up in a way that vaguely reminded of Faer of a dog. "You smell like… Conflict? Contending— that's a smell? Er I don't know if there is a lot I can teach you? After all, I can barely create a single magic circuit…"
And Faer had no idea what a magic circuit was, so there was probably plenty for him to know.
"That's more than what I can create. If I had to guess my magic just kinda comes from a pool, but it's not very big? I'm not sure how to describe it? I think if the average person has like 1 as a magic score I have 10."
"That doesn't really help me… that could mean anything, from you being like a Magic genius to being just barely qualifying to be a magus…"
A magus? Is that what it was called here? Or were all Demon Summoners Magus'. Well it shouldn't matter, it's a simulation.
"Well, maybe this doesn't matter that much, this is a simulation, ya'know."
Which begged the question of why they were injured, none of this was real, right?
"Right. Well, I guess we'll go into the dojo like you were getting ready to." Shirou explains awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
"A dojo?"
"Yeah, my old man got it with the place and there was never really a reason to take it down."
Well in that case, there was a place for them to fight in case this whole teaching route didn't work out.
"Before we do anything, I would like a quick spar if that's alright with you, first opponent to hit their back against the ground?"
"If you're sure it'll help…" the scion of the compound reluctantly agrees as he walks into the building first.
"It's just because I get this thing, from doing things that cause… abnormalities, for a lack of a better term, stirring up trouble, getting into fights, having or causing conversations that wouldn't normally happen." The senior explains as he follows his temporary teacher's example and removes his shoes in the foyer of the building.
"Despite being so earnest, you seem like a typical delinquent when you put it like that." It was decidedly sharp of the boy, Faer decided.
Grabbing two practice swords, the amber eyed host threw his guest one while he pulled himself into a careful, calculated guard.
Easily grabbing it out of the air by its hilt, Faer flourished the blade, bleeding off the momentum. "Yeah, I guess I kinda do… Sorry about that uhh…"
"... Emiya Shirou." Shirou introduced as he came to a resting position
"Right, Shirou…"
As the pre battle banter finished up, Faer decided he wanted to take his time with Shirou, there was something about the way he looked at him and held his blade in front of him.
It was as if Shirou had seen through him even though Faer was going to let his instinct guide him through this.
Launching at speeds that honestly Faer wouldn't have found impressive, even on his first night, the Contractor pivoted his body slightly and raised his foot giving the impression of a kick. But it was closer to being a speed bump.
In effect though: Shirou had folded himself over Faer's foot.
Pulling his foot out of the younger boy's gut, the hazel eyed boy took a few steps back as Shirou struggled to stay standing. "Er, slow it down a little bit, do whatever it is that you do then come at me… I don't really like being a bully despite what you might've gathered from our conversation earlier…"
It took only a second for the evidently less seasoned boy to compose himself before Faer found himself on the receiving side of an offensive.
Thrusts were pivoted around, slashes summarily sidestepped. At the skill level Shirou Emiya operated on, he could spend an eternity at this pace and never land a decisive blow, Faer concluded.
He was too slow, so what was it he was supposed to learn from this kid?
Placing the blade up for a guard Faer decided he would end this now. Going for a classic guard Faer intended to knock the blade to the ground before batting his opponents' wrists.
It must've been the moment Shirou was waiting for. The moment Faer launched his counter even with his inhuman strength or perhaps because of it when he crossed blades with the smaller boy, his sword split over the younger boy's as he made to swipe towards his face.
Still, with Shirou's speed, he was too slow to see, let alone stop the lead leg sweep Faer sent his way.
"Ah!" The scream was likely more in surprise than pain since it didn't have any of the curdling aspects one would associate with broken bone.
…
"Hm, okay. I can see it, you made some kind of buff to your weapon. Mine completely broke over it."
"Ah, I didn't mean to break it like that…" Shirou muttered simply as he looked over his own practice sword which had a lattice effect that resembled a circuit board.
"Neither did I, probably shouldn't have used too much strength… Remember that same scale I used for magic? My strength is like that too, like 10 average humans lined up. I didn't expect that buff if I knew I probably would've tried to just avoid the blade… then again I told you to do that…" Faer rambled.
Which was… odd, normally he didn't talk so
much. Or maybe he did and just didn't realize it.
"Well, now that we are done with that I suppose we should get to the teaching part." Shirou said uncomfortably as he pulled himself to his feet. "I think it'll be a bit easier for me to show you how to create a circuit since the one I just made hasn't failed yet…"
Damn, magic circuits must be a high level concept if they're this hard to maintain…
…
Sitting down in front of the boy, Faer reduced himself to his base state. After all even if he knew two "spells" they weren't quite internalized like he had been told a magic circuit might work.
He also didn't have any natural passages for magic to flow through his body… he just kinda pulled it from somewhere and according to Shirou if what he did was dangerous, then what Faer was doing was riding a bike in a lightning storm with no pedals.
Self hypnosis was the first step, let his breath even out and his mind become empty.
"..."
To allow his body to create the line he had to concentrate and unify his body for this task.
From the base of his brainstem to every nerve ending.
"-a-h!"
Shirou under sold what was happening, he likened creating a circuit to shoving a molten rod down his spine. That wasn't what the Contractor was feeling, at all.
Fire, lava, brimstone and blistering ash consumed his consciousness. Leaving Faer in a state of being light headed.
The brain had the consistency of soft serve ice cream, he didn't know how he knew that but he did. Faer knew that right now in that moment his brain was boiling and electrifying itself and frying all at once.
If this wasn't a simulation Faer might even worry for his life.
Forcing this energy he felt to connect to his nerves along his body was a dubious askance at this time but somehow through the agony the student had managed it.
Learning this type of Magic Faer decided, was the hardest thing he had ever done. Even getting mind fucked by Shiki had compared, as that was a disruption and rearrangement of his senses. This was grounded within him, there was nowhere to turn to escape the agony.
It was push through or falter.
Turning the ambient magic within the atmosphere into something he could use was an act of self destruction, at least that was what the boiling young man thought his Master was trying to say.
…
He couldn't remember.
But self-destruction and improvement were things that Faer had a basis for. And he had no common sense since he had no identity.
After what felt to be three hours of agony something clicked into place…
【Nerve Circuit Creation: Lvl 1: allows for the creation of 1 Nerve Circuit, Stores 1 MP. Cost: 3 MP】
"Haaaah, ha, haa."
The Contractor was covered in drying sweat as if he had run a marathon in the desert and his sweat had evaporated too quickly to effectively cool him.
Hell, his own eyes couldn't even see the hands he was trying to put in front of him, with only a sickly green covering his vision webbing out like shattered glass…
"..! …. ….."
He was vaguely aware of someone shaking him gently but with how much energy he expended, it was no use…
【Simulation Complete】