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Multiple Settings Valorous Order - Arc 2. Veiled Flames of the Ashen

VALOROUS ORDER

VALOROUS ORDER

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PROJECT VALOR: STARFORGED STORIES
An expansive, narrative-driven roleplay focused on telling a unique story loosely inspired by various other animes and games.
This is a collaborative project that strictly maintains a small group for the sake of consistency and detail.

For potential invites, please contact Novelight through direct messages.

CURRENT STORY // Arc 2: Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Linked contents
VALOR 2.0 // WORLD VALOR 2.0 // CHARACTERS DIRECTORY Valorous Order - Arc 1. The Paradox Raven Valorous Order - Arc 2. Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Nozarashi Amaterasu
Collbrande of Katsuragi
The Collbrande of Katsuragi, a charismatic and enchanting leader who embodies the true essence of valor and confidence. With unwavering determination and unmatched talent, he ascended to the pinnacle of success, captivating the hearts of the people he governs with his smile and alluring charm. Surprisingly, beneath his flirtatious exterior lies a shrewd statesman, adept at managing the affairs of his domain. These delightful qualities have earned him a cherished place in the annals of Katsuragi's history, making him one of the most adored Collbrandes to have ever graced the land.
Liao Kagura
Blades of Scarharth / Lord Commander
Liao is a person of mixed Zhenran and Katsuragian heritage, which is reflected in his name combining elements from both cultures. He is widely recognized as a highly skilled combatant and is regarded as a strong candidate for inheriting the prestigious Collbrande seat. His exceptional abilities have gained international recognition, transcending the confines of Katsuragi news, to the extent that he was even approached with an offer to become a royal knight. However, he declined the proposal in order to assume a prominent role within the Vanquisher community. Liao remains devoted to his duties with unwavering dedication, demonstrating a profound sense of honor.
Ryuichi Hisekawa
Blades of Scarharth / Ultimate-class
...
Himeka Yamaguchi
Blades of Scarharth / Ultimate-class
...
Yuhara
Hinokami Council / Keeper of the Radiant Treasures
...
Izanami
Group Apocalypse / Blightmother
...
Kagutsuchi
Vanquisher / Messenger
...




End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order - Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Aisuke Ishikawa
Non-Vanquisher / Warrant Officer / Supposed to be on vacation
Oceanside Seafood - Enko, Shingaku, Katsugiri
Aisuke had started off the day well enough. He'd talked to his mother once again, while her health was deteriorating, he was glad to see her spirits were still high. Even if taking care of the woman was laborious and bittersweet, he was glad to see her happy. It had been about a week now since he'd come home. It was almost like nothing had changed around the house, and for the first time in years? He felt sort of... At peace. He had no craving for violence or a fight that had always tugged at his mind, he felt like for once he could really calm down and focus on his family life.

Then, he'd gotten a phone call.

Shinji Okasaru... Why in the world was he calling? One of his military pals, rough around the edges like he was, but much more sly and even a bit sleazy.

He hardly had time to speak before Shinji practically began shouting over the other end of the receiver.

"Aisuke, for god's sake don't go out there. I swear to GOD if I need to go out there and break your legs to stop you I wi-!"

An interruption from Aisuke, disgruntled and annoyed. Finding a nice spot to sit down at out of earshot of his mother.

"Slow down-! Slow tha fuck down! What's goin' on!?! Fuck are you on about!?!"

An awkward silence. Before the voice on the other end of the receiver begins to speak once more.

"You haven't heard? Mist walkers, there's an outbreak near where I remember you telling me you live. Enko, right? I just saw some vanquishers getting ready to move out heard them talking about moving out just to the north-east of it. Some town they didn't know the name of."

This gave Aisuke some pause as Shinji spoke... He... He fucking knew where that was! His HOUSE was no more than twenty miles from that place- It's the only place they COULD be referring to because everything else to the EAST was way more secure than that shithole of a town! He groaned for a few moments, before it rose and rose into a scream!

"Gaaa-aaaaaAAAAAH!"

"AISER I SWEAR TO GOD-!"

Then. The phone was hung up as Aisuke bid his mother goodbye from down stairs. Giving the excuse for his scream as having to deal with a loan he'd taken out while casually retrieving the shotgun he'd kept behind the counter. Getting into his four seater sedan, he sat it lovingly to his side as he began to start the engine. Starting to drive off towards where he knew this was happening!

Because NO-! Five years of service to give his mother money. Five years of kissing ASS and all of the blood, sweat and tears he'd put into that job. He was NOT about to let the fucking MISTWALKERS spread to HIS home and take out HIS mother, who the FUCK did these things think they were!

Needless to say, Aisuke began speeding down the roads at breakneck pace. Swerving in and out through traffic in this civilian vehicle. Stop signs? Disregarded. Traffic lights? They could of been green for all Aisuke knows, because all he saw was RED .

He gravitated towards the sounds of fighting without a second thought. Eyes full of rage, car full of hate as he aimed to ram his car into as many mist walkers as he could. Honking the horn as he did so, HOPING to do some damage to back up the local vanquishers.

"SONS OF BITCHES! I'LL FUCKIN' RIP YA HEADS OFF!"

Honestly. It didn't take a genius to find out that this man here, was not a vanquisher. But he was here now, and it was everybody's problem.

END OF POST
 
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Valorous Order - Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Autumn Ichor
Vanquisher / Trainee
Taiheiyo Forest- Minutes from the uncharted village
“Focused on a singular task, I am calm.
Serene.
Yet I can feel the thoughts behind my eyes.
An annoyance
They scatter like autumn leaves in the breeze.
Impatient.
These thoughts beg for me to focus on them, to lead me elsewhere.
Astray.
Am I good enough? Am I worthy? If only I could rid them from my mind.
Winter
That’s where autumn leads, and I fear the cold recesses of my mind may just cement the ideas in barren tundra.
Anger.
Veiled flames waiting to be unleashed, to burn the leaves to ash.
Ink.
The only way to vent my grievances. They shouldn’t be suppressed.
Break.
I’m writing more and more often to vent these emotions, and I do not wish to snap.
Privileged.
The position I’m in. My only hope is that fate didn’t overestimate me…”​




Came a calm, yet assertive voice. The kind one might imagine a person of power to have, if a little soft. Then, a sigh from the vixen.

Three years she had been training. Autumn felt as if she was making such little progress. It was starting to make her embarrassed if she was honest. Which is why she was on this walk. However, it wasn’t the only one. Liao had told her to head in this direction. The fox assumed that he would meet her somewhere in the forest. However, after roughly half an hour with nothing but her thoughts and the sound of the forest creatures (which Autumn found quite calming,) there came distant noises. So distant, they couldn’t be made out.

The silver light of the moon peered through the canopy above the brunette, turning her hair a lighter brown. It gave her eyes an ethereal look whenever they would catch the silver celestial body within. They would seem to glow a yellow color. Like a fox hellbent on prey.

But the truth wasn’t hellbent bloodlust. The author’s mind was busy taking in the environment and storing it. It could make for a great setting for a scene in one of her stories. Or a good focus for another poem. Autumn quite enjoyed poems. Short and sweet. Subjective and deep. They didn’t require the attention a novel did and more could be expressed, and hidden, within them.

Wind rustled the leaves overhead, causing the trees to be robbed of some leaves that fell all around her. As far as they eye could see on this moonlit night, leaves dislodged slowly descended to the soft forest floor. However, most were still green and healthy, so they were soft and quiet underfoot. They did not assault the ears and announce presence like dead ones did. Autumn, however, enjoyed the leaves closest to her namesake more. Something about the sound was comforting…

While the wind carried leaves and scents afar, it seemed to also have something sinister along for the ride. The echoes of combat. The smell of blood and iron. Was this the training she’d been waiting for? Maybe the aimless wandering and instruction from her master paid off. What was he up to over ther-

A pretty fluttery flute sound from her phone. She pulled it from the puffy pocket known as her tail.

“He’s… sending me straight into the real thing…”

The female muttered to herself. He had more faith in her than she had in herself… Or maybe she was just too hard on herself. After all, gradual change is significantly more difficult to spot than immediate. Liao wouldn’t send her into something she couldn’t handle, right? There would be others there, as it seemed to be an all hands call. So if something were to happen, she would have others with her.

Autumn stopped in place and closed her eyes. Ears twitching and rotating. She found the exact direction of the noises of combat. As well as an engine fast approaching from somewhere close to the combat as well.

Breath in…

She reached across herself into either sleeve.

Breath out.

Autumn retrieved dual fan blades and flicked them open.

Her eyes opened and she pushed off the ground with tremendous speed. Aeromancy was her study of excellence. Each time she pushed off the ground, the air pushed back up against her foot, propelling her forward at great speeds. Pair this with quite the breeze at her back along with her small stature, she was an autumn leaf caught up in a storm. Despite all this, there was a controlled chaos. An elegant way to how she moved.

Of course, being an author, she was one to add some sense of grace to everything she did. This was no different…


END OF POST
 
Valorous Order - Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
HAKURYUU FUKUZAWA
Vanquisher / Low Class
OUTSKIRTS OF TAIHEIYO FOREST - SHINGAKU, KATSURAGI
Mistakes were made. Numerous mistakes, in fact. Hakuryuu swallowed the sigh threatening to bubble from his chest as liquid gold orbs stared at the consequence of his mistake(s). The digital screen of his phone projected an older lady with eyes of citrine gold and long locks of moonlight white twisted into a neat bun. Checking his phone had been his first mistake. However, it was almost impossible to ignore his phone which had been shaking up an earthquake in his pocket for the past fifteen minutes and was beginning to test the young man’s patience. The second mistake was trying to mute his phone instead of ignoring it. The first contact with his device resulted in a misclick causing the line to connect.

“... Hakuryuu dear?”

Hakuryuu’s social battery had been worn thin from the day’s worth of social interactions and dealing with family was the last thing he wanted at that moment (or ever). Should he end the call and blame it on the poor reception of the area? Giving the red button one last forlorn look, Hakuryuu pushed the intrusive thought aside to acknowledge the lady on his screen, “Mother. Is there something of matter?”

“Oh son, it has been so long since I last saw you, I merely missed you and wanted to take a look at you,” the voice crackled from the speaker as the older woman leaned closer, her eyes creasing into a look of worry.

Lies. The voice in his head hissed and the white-haired male could not help but agree.

A dry laugh passed Hakuryuu’s lips, “And that justified the nineteen calls you made in the last fifteen minutes?”

“Hakuryuu, that’s no way to speak to your mother,” The motherly tone was lost as a frown creased the older lady’s face, the displeasure clear even across the screen.

“Is that so?” Hakuryuu chuckled mirthlessly at the irony of the situation, “Then I apologise, our family has never been one for such affectionate gestures. It strikes me as odd that you are suddenly concerned about my whereabouts years after I have left the house.”

His mother looked seemingly stunned as her rose-red lips parted for no words to form before they were pressed tightly shut once again. The silence hung heavy like a wet blanket between the mother and son, tensions thick enough to slice with the sword that hung by Hakuryuu’s hips. Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, Hakuryuu proposed, “Mother, I am at work right now, let’s leave this for another time, shall we?”

“Ah- about your work, I heard that you have joined the ranks as a Vanquisher?”

Hakuryuu hummed in acknowledgement, “I did.”

“I heard the work is hard, and that you will also have to put yourself in great danger. If you are looking for another job, your father and I can always find you a job at the research-”

“Mother,” Hakuryuu replied curtly, “I chose this job, I am not leaving-”

A voice echoed through the forest, slicing through the peaceful tranquillity like a sharpened blade, catching Hakuryuu’s attention. "This is a formal decree issued by…” Honey gold orbs lifted away from the phone in hand to crane his neck to get a better hold of the message.

“... Vanquishers located near Taiheiyo Forest are hereby obligated to assist the ongoing battle happening within an unnamed village situated at the northeast of the woodlands. The approximate coordinates have been sent to your devices…"

“Mother, work calls, I have to go,” Hakuryuu pushed himself off the tree he was leaning against, dusting off any stray dust that might have gotten onto his uniform. The lack of response prompted the white-haired male to spare a last glance at his mother who looked rather forlorn and almost defeated. Unable to decipher the mess of emotions raging in him, Hakuryuu pushed those emotions aside with a sigh as he offered a quiet line, “Take care, Mother, I will be hanging up now.”

The older lady perked at the softened tone before nodding, “Alright, take care, my son.”

Pocketing his phone, Hakuryuu turned his attention to the coordinates that have been sent to his work communicator. Judging from the urgency of the message, the situation must have been extremely dire for the higher-ups to mobilise vanquishers by proximity rather than by rank, Hakuryuu mused as he keyed the location into his navigator. Fifteen minutes, that was the estimated time given by the device that he would reach the location by foot. If the situation was as dire as he suspected, Hakuryuu should make haste.

END OF POST
 
Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Kenshin Yamaguchi
Vanquisher / High-class
Uncharted Village | Shingaku, Katsuragi - Mainland Agartha

"Impeccable timing," Kenshin remarked as he parried the assault of a nearby Mistwalker, “But I’m afraid you might’ve just signed your death warrant. But if we get out of this alive, I’ll treat you to a meal, Kurogane!” As he deftly evaded and counterattacked another Mistwalker, Kenshin's words betrayed his growing realization that this entire predicament was, in fact, a cunningly laid trap. The unusually sizable congregation of Mistwalkers suggested the intervention of a third-party arcanist, orchestrating their convergence towards a predetermined location. Hence, it became evident that the adversaries they faced were likely under the control of an external entity. Having already entertained the bleakest of possibilities, Kenshin directed his immediate focus towards self-defense, resulting in a gradual depletion of his stamina.

Kenshin's initial confidence preceding the commencement of the battle gradually waned as the situation grew increasingly dire. Over time, it became apparent that the Mistwalkers, perhaps having infiltrated the entire vicinity by that juncture, were converging upon the three Vanquishers with a formidable combination of intensity and celerity, leaving Kenshin and his companions to ponder the possibility of an inexhaustible onslaught. However, providentially, with the passage of time, they observed sporadic influxes of reinforcements emerging from the distant horizon, effectuating their deliverance from impending doom.

Kenshin had to silently admit that the first individual to make an official entrance was someone he had fervently desired to be distanced from the ongoing conflict. A frenzied individual, traversing in a motor vehicle, forcefully thrust himself into the midst of the street, propelling his automobile directly into the swarm of Mistwalkers, which effortlessly deflected off the cars, inflicting negligible harm upon their misty forms. Though the weaker variations of these monsters emitted pained groans, their bodies remained relatively unscathed, allowing them to promptly reemerge. Reluctantly, Kenshin propelled himself forward and adroitly maneuvered atop the man's vehicle, “You’ve got grit, I’ll give you that!” the Vanquisher sarcastically complimented the driver from above, hoping that he could his words amidst the madness. “Work with me, will you? I’ll launch a flaring arrow towards a specific direction, and then you follow the arrow while making as much noise as possible!”

His plan was to divert the Mistwalkers away from Yuho and the others. To remain firmly secured on top of the vehicle, Kenshin focused his incarce into his feet to successfully stick himself to the car, offering greater control of his body as he remained standing above the moving vehicle. From there, he assumed a standing position and directed his aim precisely towards the diametrically opposed coordinates relative to the position of the other Vanquishers, “Let’s ride! I hope this ride has a warranty, because there’s no fucking way it’s leaving this battle unscathed!”

Just as Aisuke was about to comply and maneuver his vehicle towards the designated destination, Kenshin discerned the approach of an additional combatant from afar, eliciting a smile at the prospect of further reinforcements. It was a Phenex, an exceedingly uncommon species inhabiting the realms of Katsuragi, descending with an air of elegance while her fiery wings imparted a comforting radiance to the collective as they graced Yuho with a form of supportive divination. “Kurogane! Yuho!” he shouted for them to hear, “Our objective is to buy time! I’ll divert their attention elsewhere, you find somewhere else with terrain advantage!”

Panther Panther (Ryuuji Kurogane), kafkaesque kafkaesque (Yuho Sasaki), Sharatayn Sharatayn (Shiki Hoshino), rinion rinion (Shinobu Chie), voided voided (Hikari Fukui), November Witch November Witch (Autumn Ichor), Gutsy Gutsy (Aisuke Ishikawa), theatrics theatrics (Hakuryuu Fukuzawa), LegoLad659 LegoLad659 (Masako Fukahara)

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Masako Fukahara
Vanquisher / Middle-class
Minahara Outskirts -> Uncharted Village - Shingaku, Katsuragi

"How long are you planning to make me wait for you?" Masako asked, a grin on her face as she watched her mentor's brow furrow in concentration through her communication device's viewscreen. It wasn't a comment made out of malice or to deride his slow and careful decision-making, in fact she appreciated that he always took his time to consider his moves so thoroughly. It allowed her to soak in her surroundings for longer, as she sat against a tall tree and listened to the sound of leaves rustling in the wind that caressed her just as softly as it did everything else, it was really a very relaxing scene. No, her comment was simply a lighthearted ribbing towards the brown-haired Exhelian, a dynamic she had been slowly developing with him as she began to see him more and more as a peer than a superior.

And, of course, he had started taking to jesting with her in turn as well. "I don't know," he started, pushing his black-rimmed glasses up with his finger, "How long are you planning to stay awake tonight? If you wait much longer, it'll be daybreak before you can get back home." He asked her in turn, before reaching down to the board that was laid within his camera's view so she could see what it contained, and grabbed a piece off of it, moving it to its new position. "Bishop B4." He declared his move to her.

Masako chuckled a bit in response to his question, shrugging her shoulders in a slightly exaggerated fashion. "Oh please, the night is still young, Shin. It's not as if the Mistwalkers will come this close to civilization." She told him - Indeed, while she was currently surrounded by woodland, it was merely a five minute walk from where she was sitting before she would return to the roads on the outskirts of the city, and from there it would be a perfectly safe journey back into the main city center. "I don't believe there is anything to be concerned about here."

"Maybe that's how it'd be usually, but you know there's a place where they've been seen a lot more pretty close to where you are, right?" Shin asked her, leaning back in his seat while his expression betrayed concern for her "Who knows how close they might get? Plus, you know Mistwalkers aren't the only threat to you out there..."

"Well then, that just means there are plenty of other Vanquishers in the area as well." Masako replied, even as her ears perked up at the sound of her communicator beeping at her, indicating that she had an incoming message. "Oh, excuse me for a second..." She told Shin, as she let the message play.

"This is a formal decree issued by Liao Kagura of the Blades of Scarharth." The voice in the message said. Liao Kagura? If someone of his caliber was sending out an alert like this, then it must be something serious... "All Vanquishers located near Taiheiyo Forest are hereby obligated to assist the ongoing battle happening within an unnamed village situated at the northeast of the woodlands. The approximate coordinates have been sent to your devices."

So, it sounded like there was some trouble... Checking her device for the aforementioned coordinates, it looked like it would be a bit of a trek to reach the location, so if she wanted to, she could just ignore it and continue her game... If she could bring herself to just ignore people in need, that was. Which, of course, she couldn't, and both she and Shin knew that. "You're going, aren't you?" He asked her, to which she nodded, as if there was any question of that. "Alright... Good luck out there."

"You say that like there won't be dozens of other Vanquishers flocking to that area already." Masako said, smiling at him through their remote connection. "I'm sure this will be just fine. I'll see you when I return, Shin." She said, pausing for a moment as she realized she almost forgot something. "Oh, and while I'm gone... Move my knight to G3 for me, please." She told him, hanging up the call before he could realize what she had done.

-----

Masako dashed and weaved through the trees of Taiheiyo Forest, holding her device displaying a map in one hand while she used it to keep track of where she was in relation to the location of the incident. As she approached the area, she found herself spotting several Mistwalkers in the forest, all converging on the point... She'll need to prioritize giving the Vanquishers there backup, she decided, so she ignored them and continued on her way into the abandoned village instead. There, she spotted a group of Vanquishers fighting off the Mistwalkers in the village square. Or, what seemed to be what was left of it, anyway.

Several of the Vanquishers there looked quite familiar to her, as she spotted both Yuho and Ryuuji on the ground, together with another who glided in on wings of flame. She also recognized Kenshin, standing atop a vehicle being piloted by a fifth person. None of them were anyone she knew personally, but she'd heard and seen plenty about them in the past. These were some very important people involved in this event, indeed... Masako was quite curious about what they were doing here, as they seemed to be the most likely ones who Liao would have personally sent such a distress call for, but that question would have to come later. For now, she needed to find a way to jump into the fray. Knowing she would be hard pressed to keep up with a speeding vehicle once it got moving, and figuring she wouldn't really be able to do much to help them even if she could climb aboard before they got moving, she opted instead to assist the ones on the ground. With water rising beneath her feet, she pushed herself forward towards them, using the speed she gained to intercept a Mistwalker that was on the attack. Using the water she was generating between her and the ground, she glided across it in a way that almost appeared frictionless as she sped towards the offending Mistwalker. She swung her blade on her way past it, cutting open its exposed back before coming to a halt and thrusting her sword through the wound to finish it off.

As the Mistwalker was defeated, she turned to face the other incoming enemies. "Well, it looks as if this might be a difficult situation. I must say, this was more than I was expecting to see here." She commented, her tone relaxed even as she observed the unusually high number of Mistwalkers concentrated in this area. A shame, it looked like she was going to have to put off the continuation of her match with Shin further than she had hoped...

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Autumn Ichor
Vanquisher in training / Author
Uncharted Village - Shingaku, Katsuragi

Ears laid flat against her head as the wind rushed past her. The girl was closing on the scene at a pace very few could match, and even fewer could keep up with. Endurance and speed. Flexibility and adaptation. These were the fundamentals that Autumn excelled at. When training, these were all but left out, as other areas needed to be brought up to par with them. If all traits could be understood and demonstrated to the level the aforementioned ones could, she would make one hell of a Vanquisher.

It’s just a matter of time…

That was what Autumn hoped, at least.

As the fox neared the scene, even through the noise of wind rushing past and her ears laying flat, the sounds of combat could be heard once more. Accompanied by some yelling, squealing tires, and dull thuds. If someone was using a vehicle, they were being quite crude and inefficient in the way they went about dealing with the mistwalkers. It was an incredibly brash way to deal with the situation at hand. It also wouldn’t harm these creatures… Unless some new technology allowed a vehicle to be created as radiant gear.

She hadn’t heard of such a thing though, so she assumed it wasn’t the case.

Closer now, in the distance, buildings could be seen. Which wasn’t far, only as much as the forest would let her peer through. However, this also meant Mistwalkers running, walking, and shambling towards it as well. As much as she would like to deal with the thinned herd outside the village walls, from the sounds of the inside, it sounded chaotic. Maybe she should help there first.

Autumn didn’t exactly need to dodge the small number of mistwalkers outside the village. She was moving fast enough that when they realized she was there, all that was left was a cloud of whirling leaves, twirling to the forest floor. With a large leap, Autumn perched herself on the largest building on her side of the village in order to survey just what exactly was happening.

A trio of which seemed to be holding their own near the village center. Yuho, Ryuuji and Hoshino… Autumn didn’t exactly know them, but she knew of them. She was familiar with basically all the high class Vanquishers, and a good amount of Middle class ones. Being in the business, even just training, many names were spoken of. Though a 4th seemed to join them. A fellow fox with a divination affinity for water. Masako, if she remembered correctly. They could likely hold their own, even if there were a large number of Mistwalkers.

But that damned racket was really starting to get to her. Looking to the street below her and to the left, she saw a car, but not the driver. However, Kenshin could clearly be seen atop the motor vehicle, taking care of the mistwalkers that flew over the hood.

Autumn gave a glance at the mistwalkers around her. None of them seemed to be looking up, so they all walked past the foxen figure atop the building. Seeing she was safe for the time being, she closed her eyes and focused.

Autumn was still in training. She didn’t even have a Vanquisher rank yet. So why risk getting in the way of the professionals (Except the driver of the vehicle. She would refuse to acknowledge whoever that was as a professional) when she could help from afar? She didn’t need to kill mistwalkers in order to help.

She exhaled and focused on her divination.

All the mistwalkers on the road in front of the car were suddenly thrust into the middle of the street so the buffoon using the vehicle as a weapon could hit all of them. Knowing Kenshin, he would be able to follow up once they were knocked airborne by the car.

Her attention turned to the quintuplet in the village square and she again closed her eyes. This would take full concentration. Autumn wasn’t the best with her magic, but she was in the top 5% of aeromancy users for a reason. Autumn coalesced the feeling of wind within her. Free and flowing. Like water, but lighter and more abundant. A whirlpool of emotions was used as the base. Just like her emotions chased one another in an endless loop, so would this column of air.

In the square in front of the four vanquishers, the air began to whirl. It lifted dust and debris into a 30ft column of rotating air. Autumn couldn’t exactly make something the size of a tornado, but she could manifest a dust devil. Significantly smaller and weaker than a tornado. It couldn’t lift anyone, but it could knock over anyone not paying attention.

This brown vortex of violent air would move into the approaching horde, forcing them to focus on their footing or risk being toppled…

It took quite the mental toll and all of her concentration. She could only hope no Mistwalkers would notice her as she focused on her divination.

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Aisuke Ishikawa
NON-VANQUISHER / WARRANT OFFICER / SUPPOSED TO BE ON VACATION
UNCHARTED VILLAGE - THE MIDDLE OF A SHITSHOW, SHINGAKU, KATSURAGI

Aisuke watched the mistwalker's forms disperse around his car, most managing to move out of the way. Clicking his tongue in frustration, he was about to get out and start fighting on foot before he saw a vanquisher hop on top of his car. Listening to the man's plan, he re-set himself into his car and couldn't help but to grin at what he was hearing. HIs original plan was to 'soften up' as many mistwalkers for the vanquishers as possible. He could fight good, but he still knew that a radiant gear was the best way to murder these bastards. But this? This was probably a way better idea. But first, he should meet his sarcasm back in kind.

"HAH-! THANKS ASSHOLE! RIGHT BACK AT YOU."

He paused for a moment to get a good gauge of how many allies were there... One two three... Yeah, about four or five of them. He didn't have the time to memorize any of these goddamned faces. This was a warzone! This was chaos and madness! And among everything somehow HE got here first!?! He'll have to compliment Shinji's information gathering skills sometime... Either that or his method of driving was just that suicidal.

Either way point is. All of them have radiant gear, and some of them even have 'cataracts'. They're fine even if looking a bit tired. Maybe he should of brought some water.

"BUT, YOU GOT IT MAN! LEAD THA FUCKIN' WAY! SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PLAN TA ME!"

He moved his shotgun slightly closer to himself. Knowing he might need it soon. Before he began to peel rubber and start heading towards the flare arrow. Honking his horn all the while as he began to scream. Seeing the mistwalkers being rounded up by the winds just gave him a sickening dose of adrenaline as he aimed to ram his car into them. Hoping the man on top would be able to follow up as best as possible.

"INSURANCE WON'T COVA THIS SHIT! B'SIDES! FUCK'S A CAR AN' SOME MONEY IN EXCHANGE FO' SAVIN' SOME LIVES EH? DO YA PART AN' LET ME KNOW IF YA NEED MY SHOTGUN! I'LL THROW IT UP THERE!"

He shouted almost over his car horn. Ensuring that his car made as much noise as possible and bashed into any mistwalkers that he ran into on his path. His driving was a mixture of reckless yet refined. A controlled violence and madness. Lots of whipping around to avoid obstacles and sudden maneuvering to hit as many mistwalkers as he could. Adrenaline was clearly this man's drug and only bolstered further by some kind of throat ravaging rage.

"BY THA WAY! WE DOIN' A U-TURN WHEN WE GET FAR ENOUGH? OR WE GONNA JUS' START FUCKIN' UP AS MANY AS POSSIBLE? GIVE ME THA DEETS MAN! SAY IT LOUD! REAL FUCKIN' LOUD!"

While vehicular combat wasn't his favorite by any means... Right now? He was kind of enjoying it. He wasn't going to lie. It made his heart race plenty and his mind clock into overdrive.

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01


On the goddamn Car: Novelight Novelight (Kenshin Yamaguchi)
Unfortunate Bystanders: Panther Panther (Ryuuji Kurogane) November Witch November Witch (Autmn Ichor) LegoLad659 LegoLad659 (Masako Fukahara) kafkaesque kafkaesque (Yuho Sasaki) Sharatayn Sharatayn (Shiki Hoshino)
 
Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
HAKURYUU FUKUZAWA
VANQUISHER / LOW CLASS
UNCHARTED VILLAGE - SHINGAKU, KATSURAGI

The scenery raced around him, limbos of branches and long trunks blurring to a whirlwind at the speed they passed by him, the long shadows which lingered by the depths of the forests swallowed by the swimming whirlwind of colours as Hakuryuu raced ahead. Boots kicking against the soft earth sent dirt flying at the speed he propelled himself forward, the symphony of cricket belting out their melodies paled against the booming heart wrecking chaos in the bony confines of its cage, drowned out by the reverberating rush of blood thrumming against his ears and the deep breaths which worked to pump oxygen into his bloodstream. He could feel every fibre within him, a thrumming energy sending his body into overdrive, fuelling the adrenaline circulating in his system, his cheeks cold from the whipping wind, his muscles burning from the exertion. The white-haired male knew he was close when the sound of fighting grew increasingly audible and the woods soon cleared to reveal the said unnamed village marked on his navigator.

Ten minutes. Shorter than the estimated time, perhaps Hakuryuu needed to give more credit to the Exousiarch mark. The young man had once seen the mark as nothing but a brand of his nobility, a symbol of the expectations of his parents and had vehemently avoided anything to do with it. He lived most of his life pretending that the mark did not exist even when questions about his glowing eyes were directed at him, Hakuryuu waved it off as the mere reflection of the light of the sun. Liquid gold hues surveyed the scene before him and needless to say, what he saw was interesting. The swarming numbers of Mistwalkers which brandished varying types of weapons, a car bulldozing through the Mistwalkers like they were nothing but rag dolls and several Vanquishers who had already reached the scene and were neck deep in battle. Several of the Vanquishers seemed rather familiar to the white-haired male, taking, for example, the gentleman clad in silver armour with ocean blue locks and the lady with moonlight silver locks and a trailing mess of darling crawling down her arm. Perhaps he had seen them at one of the many noble gatherings in the past or more likely they were distinguished Vanquishers with impressive contributions.

Catching a blur of a figure lunging at him from the corner of his eyes, the young man reflexively took a step to the side, his hand reaching for the hilt of his Radiant Gear. Curling his hands around the familiar material of leather, Hakuryuu unsheathed the sword, blade swinging sidewards to make contact with the Mistwalker. The first cut was a little shallow, the resistance of flesh against blade was something that grew increasingly familiar to the young man who had begun his journey as a Vanquisher. Clicking his tongue at the shallow wound, Hakuryuu flicked his wrist, the weapon in hand morphed into a whip studded with broken blades, the divinations he had cast channelled dancing ember flames onto the whip. Like a snake going on for its prey, the whip in hand swung out harshly at the surrounding Mistwalkers, slamming into them before curling around its chosen victim. Pulling the Mistwalker closer, Hakuryuu released his hold on the creature, darting forward as he struck down hard at the junction where its neck was supposed to be, a loud shriek of pain accompanied by a stumbling limbo of limbs provided the opening the white-haired male was looking for. he Blades of his whip reassembling into his sword, Hakuryuu tightened his grip on his sword and this time he did not miss. The blade struck deep, tearing through the Mistwalker, like paper under the blades of a pair of scissors. Like a sack of potatoes, the Mistwalker crumpled to the ground, dead.

Letting out a small puff of breath, Hakuryuu pulled out his sword, flicking it the remove any specks of remains which might have gotten onto the blade. 'On wide-open terrain, the force of momentum is equalized, and it is hard to make a challenge, disadvantageous to fight.' The present environment made it hard for the Vanquishers to gain an advantage over the Mistwalkers despite the clear difference in combat abilities, given the ratio of Vanquishers to Mistwalkers being highly skewed. They needed somewhere advantageous, somewhere where there was height, where the Vanquishers could have a clear view of the entire assemblage of Mistwalkers and possibly strike them from above and also on the ground. Somewhere… Hakuryuu frowned as his mind replayed his journey from the edge of the forest to the village. Parrying away the sword swinging down at him, Hakuryuu flickered through the terrain he had passed. The forest would be a nightmare, the grounds were uneven, and there was a mess of trees which would only impede long-ranged attacks. Thrusting his sword, yet another Mistwalker fell to its death by his blade. His mind landed on a particular scene he had seen. The ravine. He didn’t get a good look at the terrain but he was pretty sure that it was a ravine with its steep sides and narrow grounds.

“HEY!” Hakuryuu yelled as he swung his whip to clear the path ahead of him to draw closer to where the other vanquishers were. His voice seemed to drown with the revving engine of the vehicle wreaking havoc on site, but Hakuryuu continued regardless, “I believe there is a ravine close by! Northeast of the village! I saw it while getting here! It might provide us with some support!”

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Ryuuji Kurogane
Vanquisher / Middle Class
Uncharted Village | Shingaku, Katsuragi - Mainland Agartha

Ryuuji heard of Kenshin’s offer as they fought. Ryuuji smirked at him, “Looks like I have to make it out of this alive then. Because I’ll make sure that you stay true to that promise, half-baked or not! And I’m a pretty heavy eater so prepare yourself!” He spends a couple of bullets on an incoming Mistwalker to temporarily stagger it before finishing it off with a clean stab to the heart followed by an upward swing that split the top half of the Mistwalker. Roki was busy scurrying around being a thorn in the Mistwalkers’ sides in attempts to leave openings for either Kenshin, Ryuuji, or Yuho.

Ryuuji tried his best to conserve his stamina for the longer run, seeing as how the frequent arrival of the Mistwalkers to their location suggests to him they’ll be sticking here longer than they should. While it was a trap as he soon realized like Kenshin did, Ryuuji thought they may as well take as many of these Mistwalkers with them as possible, futile as it may be since their numbers easily regenerate. Going out with a bang was much more preferable than simply surrendering to their supposed fates.

But alas, the mind can lie, but the body certainly cannot. Fatigue gnawed on all of them. They knew, but they had no choice but to keep fighting lest they become open to a fatal attack from their misty adversaries. To Ryuuji, Kenshin was a bowman so things were actually easier for him provided he maintained a sufficient distance. He , Roki, and Yuho were doing their best to provide such distance at their expense. But they didn’t mind, it was something that increased their odds of survival and with the aid of their respective arcane proficiencies, this would’ve been made more trivial. However, this was only true in the initial stages of the battle where they weren’t as fatigued yet.

Mistwalker after Mistwalker fell to their blades, arrows, and magic. But they just kept coming, Ryuuji thought for a moment that maybe this was how it was going to end for him. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried to stifle his boredom in this manner. He just said ‘See you folks, later’ to his mother and two younger siblings, confident in his chances of returning to them. And now, those chances were dwindling. He was expecting the reinforcements to come right about now. He wanted them to come. He needed them to come if he was to ever return to his family and his job. And… getting what could be a buffet that’s put in Kenshin’s tab that he wishes to respectfully exploit. He’s definitely going to be so hungry after this, they would be, too.

Then, the sound of a roaring engine neared them and lo and behold, an ordinary car came speeding into the fray with its driver committing what is essentially multiple frustrated vehicular homicides against the Mistwalkers. Ryuuji scoffed and smiled, stopping for a moment as all the attention was on the rascal behind the wheel, Aisuke Ishikawa, an unprofessional and cantankerous cavalier. He couldn’t help but laugh a little at what was going on before him, looking at Yuho and Kenshin as he commented, “Of all reinforcements to arrive, I think this one will take the cake purely because of the sheer willpower and chaos emanating from the bloke, who is clearly not a Vanquisher, driving that car, and also the first to come to our aid! GO GET’EM, KATSURAGI MAN! SHOW THE MISTWALKERS AND THEIR MASTERS THAT THE COMMON PEOPLE ARE NOT AFRAID!” He cheered at the driver, somewhat futile as his efforts may be, but there are certainly benefits to a crazed driver attracting the attention of Mistwalkers. Benefits that Kenshin was quick to exploit by hopping onto the roof of the car and decided to corral it with flare arrows as if the car and its driver were a bull chasing the matador’s red handkerchief.

Then some moments after the coordinated frustrated vehicular homicide began, a Phenex came flying into the fray and landing near them. Her fiery arcane wings burning away all fears and doubts that the three had about their odds just as her flames burned away Yuho’s fatigue. Ryuuji watched the flames around them as all this was happening, turning his head to look at the Phenex, who introduced herself as Shiki Hoshino, while catching his breath. He calls out to her, “Pardon me, Miss Hoshino, but can I get a powerup, too? My everything’s hurting from all the moves.” He chuckles, looking at Kenshin again just in time to hear him order them to find better terrain while he and Aisuke distract them. To which Ryuuji gives a thumbs up to go with his verbal affirmation that is likely drowned out by the engine of Aisuke’s car, “YOU GOT IT!” His eyes start darting around, the rooftops were certainly off-limits as even the Mistwalkers were coming down from most of them. The forest was a death trap so even more of a no-go. He needed time to think, remembering a map of the region that he read earlier on his way here. He uses his memory to discern a good spot to work with, if that wasn’t enough, he took out his mobile communicator to look at an offline copy.

As he does, more help arrives in the form of a Hyzurian hydromancer, Masako Fukahara, and another Hyzurian, Autumn Ichor, an aeromancer. The former gliding into the scene with some style and killing a Mistwalker in the process with her florally-embellished katana that Ryuuji thought looked good upon striking a glance, and the latter situated on a rooftop pushing a group of Mistwalkers into the path of the rumbling automobile before creating a dust devil in an attempt to crowd control the Mistwalkers. Ryuuji thought that this was a person to protect seeing that the magic alone was taking away their focus towards the immediate vicinity. Ryuuji comments with relief and elation nonetheless, “Heh, more cavalry’s here! Would sure love some more! But man, are you people a sight for sore eyes!” He then makes a callout of his own, pointing at Autumn with his index finger, “I need that Hyzurian aeromancer protected! She’ll be integral to covering our movements to a new position!”

Perhaps with all the backup, Ryuuji assumed that moving to a better position was unnecessary if they could simply fight their way out only to be reminded by the ongoing tide of Mistwalkers that they really did have to move. Then he notices another Vanquisher come into play. Hakuryuu Fukuzawa, a rather classy fellow that looks like someone of standing, and probably shouldn’t be here but Ryuuji knew all too well that looks can be very deceiving. He’s seen far too many capable fighters in business attire during his trips to other Provinces to ever dismiss people who dress eloquently regardless of the occasion. Dress to impress, they said. And at the same time, dress to kill. And Hakuryuu can kill alright, Ryuuji saw what he did to that Mistwalker with his blade-whip, a somewhat unique technique exclusive to a unique weapon. He couldn’t exactly give a remark right now as they were in the middle of a fight, and Hakuryuu yelling at them amidst all the racket about a nearby ravine.

Now it hits him. He does recall seeing a ravine on the map he read. He takes out his mobile communicator again to recheck the map and indeed there is a ravine. No better spot to slowly retreat to and face the Mistwalkers from there. He then relays to the others through their communicators, “Guys and girls, we’re retreating to a nearby ravine! I’ve already marked the location on your communicators! Mister Yamaguchi and the driver will keep the Mistwalkers busy, the rest of us will make our way there as a group and cover for each other along the way! If any more help comes, I want them directed to the ravine instead of this village!”

After that, Ryuuji cleared his throat, somewhat strained by all the yelling and talking. He calls his hound, and everyone else he specified for that matter, “Roki! We’re moving! Everyone on me! Classy fella, you’ll be the point man!” He then prepared to retreat, signaling the others to start doing the same and start heading to the ravine.

Novelight Novelight (Kenshin Yamaguchi), kafkaesque kafkaesque (Yuho Sasaki), Sharatayn Sharatayn (Shiki Hoshino), rinion rinion (Shinobu Chie), voided voided (Hikari Fukui), November Witch November Witch (Autumn Ichor), Gutsy Gutsy (Aisuke Ishikawa), theatrics theatrics (Hakuryuu Fukuzawa), LegoLad659 LegoLad659 (Masako Fukahara)

End of Post
 
Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Kenshin Yamaguchi
Vanquisher / High-class
Uncharted Village | Shingaku, Katsuragi - Mainland Agartha

Kenshin had to briefly admire the psychopath below him. Apart from his courage, the psychopath's capacity to collaborate with others in a state of heightened adrenaline was undeniably commendable. As the vehicle approached the designated location of the flaring arrow, Kenshin promptly replied to the man's questions, “As much as I’d love to group up with the others, we’re going to have to continue. You see that house over there with the broken front door?” Kenshin pointed at the building close to the flaring arrow, the structure only visible thanks to the arrow that lightened up the area in bright red, “Park your car there! We’ll be moving on foot from there!”

Thanks to the timely intervention of a nearby Vanquisher, who gathered the scattered Mistwalkers with a powerful aeromantic ability, the car was able to unleash its full force upon them, while Kenshin concluded their demise with meticulously aimed arrow shots. Lacking the luxury of time to express gratitude to the Hyzurian standing at a distance, Kenshin simply raised his hand and conveyed appreciation through a thumbs-up gesture.

With scant moments to spare, Kenshin propelled himself into the air and executed a landing a short distance away from the anticipated parking spot of the car, affording the driver some time to leave his vehicle safely. As the Mistwalkers fell behind, Kenshin deftly dispatched the limited number of enemies in the vicinity before hastening towards the man and grabbed him by the wrists before bringing him into the building, “The name’s Kenshin Yamaguchi!” he spoke abruptly with a hint of exhaustion in his voice, “You want to survive and be of help? Then you follow me until the end, you got that!?”

Having entered the building, which looked like a two-story house, Kenshin immediately scoured for the nearest furniture that could be used to block them off and pushed the nearby bookshelf in front of the entrance. “These are low-class Mistwalkers, taking the form of a humanoid creature no stronger than the average Exhelian. This should at least buy us some time to escape. Sorry, but we won’t be able to play heroes tonight. From the looks of it, they’re relying on a battle of attrition and we’re certainly not winning a war based on which side has more bodies to throw. I’ve already covertly contacted my superior for support, so help should be here in… at least half an hour.”

Carrying his bow slung across his back, he began making way towards the backyard. “Trust me, I hate running from a good challenge. Which is why we’re not going to run and instead buy time for the others to grab a hold of an advantageous terrain. In this complex maze of houses, we’re nothing more than a –”

In an unforeseen turn of events, the floor beneath Kenshin and Aisuke unexpectedly collapsed, resulting in both of them falling onto their backs. The pit descended to a depth of nearly 10 feet, revealing an interconnected network of caves adorned with suspended broken lightbulbs fastened by ropes, extending further into the cave system. Groaning, Kenshin got back his feet after suffering from some damage, “Y’know…” he sighed, “I’ve visited a lot of fucking provinces in my days. And to this day, no provinces have mastered the art of collapsing buildings quite like Katsuragi. Their architectural endurance is truly in a league of its own, or should I say, a league of crumbling rubble!”

Interactions: Gutsy Gutsy (Aisuke), November Witch November Witch (Autumn)

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Masako Fukahara
Vanquisher / Middle-class
Uncharted Village - Shingaku, Katsuragi

This battlefield was more chaotic than Masako had been used to participating in so far. As she moved to cover the other Vanquishers nearby, slashing down Mistwalkers with her signature flourish as she used her hydromancy to keep mobile, another Hyzurian like her showed up, taking up a position on top of a nearby building while she supported them with aeromancy that scattered and gathered enemies wherever it would benefit them. Mostly gathered them in front of the car as it sped off, she noted with amusement as the Mistwalkers flew through the air upon impact with the vehicle. The driver looked (and sounded, from what she could hear over the noise) like he was having a fun time with it. Perhaps she should give that a try sometime?

It was at this point that Ryuuji began to cheer for their arrival. "Heh, more cavalry's here! Would sure love some more! But man, are you people a sight for sore eyes!"

"Well, I couldn't miss out on an event like this, now could I?" Masako replied, turning to smile at him for a moment before turning back to deflect a swing from a nearby Mistwalker. After her parry, she followed up with a thrust through its stomach, before pulling her sword out and knocking the Mistwalker to the ground with a blast of water, setting her up to deal a finishing blow on its forehead. "I assume you have a plan to get everyone out of here alive?"

"I need that Hyzurian aeromancer protected!" Ryuuji called out, probably not specifically to her, but considering the situation she opted to treat it that way, as either she or the Phenex would be the best fit for such a task with where the Hyzurian was positioned. "She'll be integral to covering our movements to a new position."

"Oh, very well." Masako replied, turning her attention towards the aeromancer and how she would reach her. For a brief moment, she was concerned that leaving behind those on the ground would weaken them, but seeing the arrival of another Vanquisher, wielding some kind of sword-chain-whip weapon she'd never seen before, her concerns were eased a bit. "I'll handle it, then. Just be sure we'll see each other again when this is all over." She told Ryuuji, dashing forward with her water once again, using it to weave in and out of the surrounding Mistwalkers to reach her goal. And, of course, slicing up any she could get a good hit on along the way, while evading the attacks of the others.

As she approached the building that her charge stood atop, water built up more and more under her feet, until she reached her launching point, at which point all the pressure she collected released itself forcefully as she was shot up into the air by the blast. She flipped forward once at her arc's apex before making a three-point landing a short distance away from the aeromancer. That was a move that had taken her quite some time to master, but had proven to be very useful on more than one occasion... She was quite proud of it, honestly.

"Hello there." She greeted the other Hyzurian casually, still all smiles and with a relaxed posture as she stood up straight and strolled over to her. "My name is Masako, and it appears I'll be your guardian for this battle. It's a pleasure to meet you." While she spoke to her, Masako overheard the group talking about their plans to retreat to a ravine, a much more defensible position than out in the open like they were currently. Confident that they would be fine in such a location, she decided that it would probably be best if she remained with this aeromancer, wherever she decided to go after they managed to cover the group's retreat.

Panther Panther (Ryuuji Kurogane), November Witch November Witch (Autumn Ichor)

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Autumn Ichor
Vanquisher in training / Author
Uncharted Village - Shingaku, Katsuragi

“I stand here in the midst of war.
I am not rattled.
In the middle of chaos.
I am calm.
As buildings break and bodies dissipate.
I am collected.
The air shakes with tension.
I sway with the gentle breeze.
My body may be brittle.
My mind is strong.
Focused.
Like air after lightning, I will be heard.
Acknowledged.” ​


Autumn mumbled to herself, eyes closed and engrossed in her concentration. Her mind there on the miniature tornado, rolling towards the mistwalkers who kept pouring into the town. Something of this magnitude was difficult, requiring all of Autumn’s concentration. The poem something to help calm, reassure and spark further determination in herself. With eyes closed, all Autumn could do was listen, and use one’s sixth sense. Hopefully she’d feel if a mistwalker, for whatever reason, climbed onto the roof. Or someone could cover her. Though for now, she was here to support and keep this vortex spinning.

However, her ears caught the sound of something approaching from her front, along with damp air. Autumn stepped back, opening her eyes and ready to strike with her dual fan blades…

But it was simply the Hyzurian she’d seen down below. She breathed a sigh of relief… and slight annoyance.

"Hello there."

“You know, it’s not wise to approach an ally whose eyes are closed.”

Autumn replied, her arms returning to her sides, and her posture relaxing some. Just then the tires of the car screeched to a halt down the street. Looking to her right, Autumn could see the car off in front of a building and the two vanquishers run inside. But the noise they’d been blaring broadcasted their position to most of the approaching Mistwalkers..

“They’re going to get overrun in there.”

Autumn told the other, not bothering with introductions. It could wait until after the battle. She pointed to the building the two had disappeared into. The brunette took a few steps back and started running towards the end of the building. Autumn easily crossed over the buildings without needing her aeromancy. Until she came to a road that separated her from the building the others were in. The Mistwalkers mercilessly assaulted the building’s windows, doors and any other place a weakness could be found.

Autumn turned to make sure the other fox was following her before jumping over the street with the help of her aeromancy. This other building had a skylight that Autumn threw one of her bladed fans into, smashing it. The moonlight illuminated down into the building where a massive hole had just opened up and the two men laid on their backs within. Her fall was slowed significantly, and Autumn landed rather elegantly on the edge of the hole, and she looked down into it.

“Are you two alr-”

That was when something else shattered… Looking behind her, a flood of mistwalkers had broken through a window. There was no time to think. She leaped down into the hole with the others and helped them up if they needed it.

“Run! Now!”

She exclaimed, looking behind her to again see if her fellow fox had followed her further into the hole.


End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Masako Fukahara
Vanquisher / Middle-class
Uncharted Village -> Beneath the Uncharted Village - Shingaku, Katsuragi

"You know, it's not wise to approach an ally whose eyes are closed." My, that was quite rude. Masako thought the girl would be happy to have backup. Masako couldn't see that her eyes were closed until she arrived on the rooftop, and why would she expect her eyes to be closed, when that was a focusing aid for children that people usually grew out of by the time they become adults? And how did she expect Masako to approach? Being a Hyzurian, she had to have heard Ryuuji's shouting order to have her protected, so she should have known someone was coming.

Masako didn't voice any of these thoughts however, understanding that there was probably a reason for all this. Seeing the aeromancer's nervous posture and tone, even sensing a tremble in her stance even as she looked relieved to see an ally. The poor girl looked like she was pretty much brand new to all of this. Perhaps she only just received her Radiant Gear, and this is her first real battle as a proper Vanquisher? Admittedly she seemed like she was even more green than that, but surely they wouldn't ask a trainee to assist in fighting such a massive force of Mistwalkers, would they? Even though it would explain why casting like this took so much of her focus that she had to close her eyes and forcefully block out the sounds around her, the latter of which Masako figured would be the most likely reason she didn't hear Ryuuji's order for someone to protect her.

So, instead, Masako simply replied to the girl's irritated response with a calm, if chiding, one of her own. "It's also not wise to deliberately block out your senses in the middle of a battlefield."

At that point, the hyzurian girl refused to even tell Masako her name, which Masako couldn't help but feel like was out of the girl's irritation against her more than a desire for expediency - After all, they could talk and run to assist Kenshin at the same time. Instead they just made their way together towards the house where Kenshin and his new friend had holed up, the nameless hyzurian expressing her fear that they would be overrun without help. "Probably. Let's go help them out then, shall we?" Masako replied as she followed, using her hydromancy to reach the skylight that the hyzurian broke with one of her fans, the two of them descending into the building's interior through the broken roof window. While the hyzurian used her aeromancy to slow her own fall for a soft landing, Masako was left to figure out her own landing herself. She used her hydromancy to create a sort of reverse waterfall, the stream of water flowing from below to up behind her, allowing her to surf the rising water down until she reached the ground.

When they arrived inside, they found that a large hole had opened up in the building's floor, with Kenshin and the car driver at the bottom. Their weight was probably too much stress on these old, dilapidated structures. It's not something she hadn't seen before, Katsuragian architecture clearly had much to be desired in the way of durability... But what Masako found interesting was where the collapse led to, in the middle of a criscrossing of caves that were lit up artificially, meaning that whoever lived in this village must have used them frequently. But for what? Masako was quite curious...

When Masako heard the glass behind them shatter from the Mistwalkers' attacks, she turned around and drew her sword again, although it didn't last long as she saw how many were coming in. A couple of other people arrived as well, neither of which Masako personally recognized, but they were obviously here to help as they asked Kenshin (Masako felt like she was being ignored again... Though this time it could be brushed off as them deferring to Kenshin's obviously higher authority) if he needed help. Hopping down into the hole to join him, the hyzurian, and the driver, she made an observation of her own as she looked around at the connecting tunnels. "We should probably get moving quickly, it'll be easier to fight the Mistwalkers from inside these enclosed caves."

November Witch November Witch (Nameless Hyzurian), Novelight Novelight (Kenshin Yamaguchi), Gutsy Gutsy (The Driver), voided voided (New Arrival #1), rinion rinion (New Arrival #2)

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Aisuke Ishikawa
NON-VANQUISHER / WARRANT OFFICER / SUPPOSED TO BE ON VACATION
UNCHARTED VILLAGE - A NEW SHITSHOW, SHINGAKU, KATSURAGI


Aisuke damn near crashed into the front of the house. But, managed to pull in very quickly nonetheless, beginning to get out of his car to make his way inside the building. He found himself being grabbed by the hand and practically yanked inside. The man in his pride couldn't help but to protest a bit at the gesture, even if just a little bit.

"I- OI OI! I GOT LEGS DAMN IT-! LET ME WALK!"

Then. They were dragged into the building... Seeing Kenshin begin to barricade the door, he followed as well. Shoving a couch in the way of the door with his foot. He nodded to the other man, and for once. Began to speak without shouting. Taking out his keys, and turning on the alarm on his car to continue routing attention away from the main group.

"Got it. Name's Aisuke, Warrant offic-"

Then. Came the floor collapsing beneath him. One thing after another, it almost seemed like nothing was going well for them after they'd gotten out of the car. Falling down several feet, he kept his guard up as he landed on his back. The cold stone nearly knocking the wind out of the man, before he began to rise... Mother FUCKER- that hurt! Then he heard Kenshin talking shit about the houses in Katsuragi.

"... Man... If ya got tha energy ta bitch bout our houses. Ya got tha energy ta keep fightin'... Hahah."

He took a moment to look around at everything before them... A suspicious tunnel. Yeah, this had a strong smell of something wicked. He made sure his shotgun was loaded, looking to his companion.

"Speakin' of houses... This shit ain't normal. Hand me one of ya arrows. I'm gonna stab mistwalkers with it. Presumin' that's a piece of radiant gear, right? ... This seems like as good a place as any ta get some distance."

He asked. Holding his hand out as he saw people begin to flood in as backup. Clicking his tongue, let's see here... Two Female Hyzurians... Dog? Yeah. That looked dog- like. Two Exhelians, cataracs included on one. He decided sheer brutality was the best way to command these people, even if he was weak. He knew how to speak and not be argued with.

"What she said! Fall in an' haul ass! Introductions lata. Mistwalkers comin'! This cave looks suspicious, but we can atleast funnel em in a narrow line like this! Any objections can wait till we get a good distance away!"

He began to beckon them to come into the hole. Letting out a few shots with his shotgun to the mistwalkers who got too close through the windows. Aiming for the legs as he began his retreat further into the tunnel. Leaving them to be crippled for the others to finish off. Before starting to sprint as fast as he could further in. He wasn't supernaturally fast but. It was clear he was reasonably quick.

2 Shots remain.

Cave adventures: Novelight Novelight (Kenshin Yamaguchi) November Witch November Witch (Autmn Ichor) voided voided (Hikari Fukui) rinion rinion (Shinobu Chie) LegoLad659 LegoLad659 (Masako Fukuhara)

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
HAKURYUU FUKUZAWA
VANQUISHER / LOW CLASS
RAVINE NEAR UNCHARTED VILLAGE - SHINGAKU, KATSURAGI


“...Classy fella, you’ll be the point man! ”

Classy fella.

Hakuryuu blinked at the words of the Vanquisher with short jet-black hair. Was that referring to him? He gave the nearby Vanquishers a quick once over before looking down at his outfit — a simple, crisp black suit, the material was comfortable, resistant against crease or stain and it didn’t impede his movements as one might assume, so it was the ideal outfit for the job. That nickname was definitely referring to him, the white-haired male decided.

“Received,” Hakuryuu replied, gesturing an okay sign with his hand should his voice not make it past the commotion onsite. Meeting the offending blade which slashed down wildly with the blade of his own, the white-haired male parried the blade, before knocking the weapon off the hand of the Mistwalker. Wasting no time as he swung his blade down to cut through the Mistwalker, Hakuryuu turned his attention to the beeping notification on his communication device, the location marked on his navigator was indeed northeast of where they were currently at.

Catching sight of the vehicle driving deeper into the village with the two Hyzurians tailing closely after the said vehicle, it didn’t take much to figure that they were splitting up. Although seeing that the village appeared to be the source of where the Mistwalkers poured relentlessly from, the decision to dive head first into the said source felt rather suicidal. If allowed a comparison, Hakuryuu would say it was almost akin to protagonists of horror movies who walked themselves straight into danger. However, perhaps they had a plan that Hakuryuu failed to see. Besides, priorities were given to the orders given to him, he couldn’t spare more time to ponder over these meaningless questions.

Although the swarm of Mistwalkers were quite an annoyance as there was barely any space for the group to break free. “We need to clear a path,” Hakuryuu called out to the remaining Vanquishers as the Radiant Gear in hand switched back into a whip. The black whip arched as he swung, meeting the nearby Mistwalkers to push them back momentarily, the wide range whip attack was not enough to harm or damage the Mistwalkers but it was enough to create a moment of confusion for the Mistwalkers who were stumbling to recover their footing. It was the sliver of an opening Hakuryuu was looking for in the middle of the onslaught of attacks raining on them, and Hakuryuu took it without hesitation, signalling to the rest, “We should go now!”

Racing ahead to where the ravine lay, Hakuryuu turned back to check on the rest of the Vanquishers only to be greeted by the eyesore of a swarm of Mistwalkers hot at their heels. Thirty? Forty? Fifty? Hakuryuu didn’t know and wasn’t remotely interested in trying to get an accurate number since from the black mass following them, there was more than just a small handful of Mistwalkers chasing after them and they would need to deal with that mass of Mistwalkers soon or later.

"We are nearing the ravine,” Hakuryuu called out as caught sight of the majestic landscape ahead. Like a hill being split down in the middle, the sides of the ravine were tall and steep, providing a high vantage point that could be used to their advantage to take out the Mistwalkers from above. The path of the ravine was narrow, barely wide enough for four people to stand shoulder to shoulder in a line, the bottleneck opening could slow the hoard of Mistwalkers should they aim to escape. The terrain was advantageous if they played the right cards but it could be their downfall should a poor decision be made. Hakuryuu could easily foresee a miscalculation of their own capabilities resulting in them getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of Mistwalkers in the narrow ravine with little space to break free and escape. While Hakuryuu was a man who took risks, he preferred them to be calculated risks where he was confident of his decisions and had justified reasons for his actions. In this case, there were too many variables and considerations up in the air, and Hakuryuu had to admit, he lacked the experience as a Vanquisher to make any decisions.

"So,” Hakuryuu spared another glance at the Vanquishers around him, which he assumed were more experienced than himself and perhaps had a better insight to this situation, "What’s the plan? Are we aiming for a full retreat or are we planning to get rid of those things behind us?”


Hakuryuu's speech text hex code: #FFD700


End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Ryuuji Kurogane
Vanquisher / Middle Class
Uncharted Village | Shingaku, Katsuragi - Mainland Agartha

Ryuuji would get a good look at the situation in the town before he, Yuho, Hakuryuu, and Shiki retreated to the ravine that Hakuryuu pointed out. What he saw was bewildering to say the least. The group had split up with most of them going Kenshin’s way to some house, even a new arrival that also came in a car went to Kenshin’s aid. He couldn’t get a better look as the distance between them and the house that they holed up in surrounded by Mistwalkers grew. All he could do now was just keep retreating to the ravine with those that did choose to actually follow Kenshin’s earlier orders.

He has faith in the group that stayed behind, after all, they were a larger group with a solid Vanquisher lineup including a very tenacious local that Ryuuji thought probably deserved a place among the Vanquishers at this point. No one just gets in their car and goes on a destructive joyride against a bunch of Mistwalkers and actually live through it yelling like a madman.

Ryuuji jumped into the air for a bit before a slab of rock popped out from the ground under him, sliding across the ground with the aid of his magic. He landed on it and balanced himself as he glided by. As if the slab was a surfboard and the earth the waves. Occasionally, Ryuuji would manipulate the earth underneath some trees in their path, uprooting them and sending them falling on the path behind them to serve as obstacles for the Mistwalkers. Maybe even luckily crushing one under its weight and disabling it from pursuing them for a short while.

As their retreat persisted, Hakuryuu notified the group that they were nearing the ravine. And upon seeing it, Ryuuji had an idea. Immediately barking orders to the group, he gestured at Yuho and Hakuryuu, “You two, get up one side of the ravine and go out the other side!” Then he gestures at Shiki, “Miss Hoshino, I need you to fly to the ravine ahead of us and cause a rockslide by blowing up the side of the ravine that those two won’t be on! I’ll lead the Mistwalkers down the chokepoint for you and come out from the other side! We can’t beat all of those Mistwalkers so the best course of action is just putting a lot of distance between us and them! Once that’s done, we’ll circle around and quickly make our way back to the village to help the others!”

kafkaesque kafkaesque (Yuho Sasaki), Sharatayn Sharatayn (Shiki Hoshino), theatrics theatrics (Hakuryuu Fukuzawa)

End of Post
 
Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Yuho Sasaki
Vanquisher / High-class
UNCHARTED VILLAGE | SHINGAKU, KATSURAGI - MAINLAND AGARTHA

"I'm really not looking forward to it, if I'm being brutally honest," Yuho snapped back at Kenshin, speaking with annoyance and a sense of urgency, acutely aware of the perils lurking in her immediate surroundings. With each passing moment in the battle, Yuho's acclimatization grew, a steady cadence of mastery taking root. During the chaos, she maintained her stance with poise, as an arrival of another Vanquisher accompanied by a resounding introduction made entrance. But within her, irritation stirred, a gentle blow to her pride, though she possessed the wisdom to conceal it, knowing better than to allow her ego to cloud her judgment.

An unexpected reunion, Kenshin emerged as the first of many, an old "acquaintance" that Yuho had consciously veered away from for private reasons too delicate to utter. The second figure materialized, a Vanquisher whose charm eclipsed her own. A charm she yearned for but could not possess. And as the forest surrounding the village rumbled, more Vanquishers emerged, summoned by the call of Lord Kagura. Curiosity mingled with a tinge of self-reproach as Yuho pondered the influx, silently questioning the motives that lay concealed. An unspoken pang of inadequacy weighed upon her, etching a hint of bitterness upon her countenance. Yet, wordlessly, she persisted in her valiant struggle, casting aside the burden of introspection, a warrior undeterred by the trappings of vulnerability.

Expressing her gratitude, she gracefully acknowledged the arrival of the Vanquisher, "I am grateful," she responded, her words resonating with elegance. "However, I am capable of standing on my own. It would be more prudent for you to aid those who are currently struggling. Rest assured, I'll watch your back in return for your assistance." With these words, Yuho swiftly surged forward, her movements akin to the crackling of lightning, as she swiftly dispatched numerous Mistwalkers. Eventually, her attention shifted to the lunatic perched atop the car, prompting her to emit a brief, amused chuckle. With a mere nod, she affirmed, "Never change, you."

As the winds of fortune began to favor their cause, Yuho discerned the wisdom in the group's strategic maneuver to seek a more propitious battleground. Initially contemplating the utilization of rooftops as a vantage point, she found solace in the notion of engaging near the adjacent hills, overlooking a ravine. This decision was motivated by the realization that such terrain possessed an inherent resilience, impervious to destruction, unlike the dilapidated village houses which appeared feeble, unable to withstand the weight and ferocity of the ensuing conflict.

"Lord Kurogane," she called for Ryuuji's attention after his hurried directive, "perhaps you have already realized the uncanny nature of the Mistwalkers, but I believe we are currently being watched by a greater force." Yuho pointed at the direction where Kenshin headed, "I believe Kenshin has a plan to disrupt the force that is organizing these Mistwalkers together. I sense the anomaly on the other side of that village border, but even I cannot be certain as of currently. Should we end this before fatigue wears us down, our best chance is to locate the source and dismantle it."

Nodding to Kurogane's response to her comment, Yuho made haste towards the objective with the doctor, "Yuho Sasaki of House Amaterasu. Your name would be appreciated."

Novelight Novelight (Kenshin), Panther Panther (Ryuuji Kurogane), Sharatayn Sharatayn (Shiki Hoshino), theatrics theatrics (Hakuryuu Fukuzawa)

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
HAKURYUU FUKUZAWA
VANQUISHER / LOW CLASS
RAVINE NEAR UNCHARTED VILLAGE - SHINGAKU, KATSURAGI


The young lady who adorned the wings of a rising phoenix moved through the air with grace and ease, casting divination after divination, making the journey to the ravine almost seamless. Falling debris whizzed away even before it could get remotely close to the group, the uneven surfaces were spotlighted before anyone on the ground made a poor mistake of where to put their foot, stray Mistwalkers which teetered too close to the group flung away like rag dolls. Having grown up among mages who specialised in perfecting their craft in divination casting, Hakuryuu could tell who used their affinities like an extension of their arm and who didn’t. The young lady’s proficiency in both fire and wind awed the doctor and served as a quiet reminder to the doctor of his novice use of his affinity, limited to what the five years of education in divination casting had given him and nothing more. Silencing the beginning of the stream of useless thoughts before they could take form, Hakuryuu turned his attention back to the orders being thrown out to the group by the other gentleman on the team.

“Command received,” Hakuryuu responded with a nod, the plan laid out by the dark-haired young man was sound and not foolhardy. While sturdy, the ravine still possessed faults which could be targetted as weak points to cause the intended rockfall, as how earthquakes, excessive rainfall, and anything that exerted large amounts of pressure on these fault lines could trigger the same phenomena. The young lady whom he had learned her name — Lady Hoshino, seemed to have the same idea as she chirped out a breezy reply to the commands given before sweeping over to one side of the ravine to imbue concentrated embers of fire along the fault lines of the ravine.

“Getting to the problem at its root will be ideal,” Hakuryuu concurred with the point highlighted by the quiet enigmatic presence who had spoken up for the first time, “Although I believe we should not be hasty, we may be biting off more than what we can chew, seeing how none of us have much information on the source.”

Keeping pace with the young lady with moonlight white hair streaked with lilac highlights, the duo had followed the orders of Sir Kurogane, taking the side of the ravine free from the embers of explosive power ready to go off upon Sir Kurogane’s signal. Not expecting to be spoken to, Hakuryuu turned his attention to the young lady who had offered a simple introduction of herself before prompting him to do the same. It was upon her introduction did Hakuryuu realised why he had found her so familiar. The heir to the most powerful family ruling this region, he had seen her in past noble functions he had attended when he was younger. There was no noble who did not know of the Amateratsu clan. There were nobles who envied, nobles who admired, and nobles who feared this family for the power they held in Katsuragi. Hakuryuu wasn’t sure where his family stood on this matter but neither did he care. He had detached himself from the noble life and never looked back. “My name’s Fukuzawa Hakuryuu,” The white-haired young man stated plainly, a hand over his chest as he greeted the female with a slight bow, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Sasaki.”

“I believe this position will suffice,” Hakuryuu added as the duo neared the opposite end of the ravine which gave them a clear view of both Lady Hoshino who was hovering in the air and Sir Kurogane who was at the opposite end of the ravine. Raising a hand to signal to the other two, Hakuryuu called out “Sir Kurogane, Lady Hoshino, we are in position.”


Hakuryuu's speech text hex code: #FFD700

Interactions: Sharatayn Sharatayn (Shiki) ; kafkaesque kafkaesque (Yuho) ; Panther Panther (Ryuuji)


End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Ryuuji Kurogane
Vanquisher / Middle Class
Ravine Near Uncharted Village | Shingaku, Katsuragi - Mainland Agartha

Ryuuji scoffed at seeing Shiki go off. It seems she had the same idea which made him chuckle before being interrupted by the sounds of the Mistwalkers behind him as he surfed on his slab of rock. He calls out to his hound, “Roki! Recall!” Roki then ran back to him and dissipated into some form of crystalline dust, condensing into a single crystal that the Vanquisher would take and put in a secure pocket.

Then he watched the three all leave him alone to his potentially foolish devices. He sighed, surfing on the slab still before getting a whistle from his pocket. Something that’s mandatory for disaster preparedness so one was easy to find if buried in rubble after say, an earthquake. He then blows into the whistle as best as he can to make the loudest noise possible so the Mistwalkers will focus on him, and him only. Once he went through the ravine, his whistling became somewhat louder due to the terrain.

Ryuuji finally stops whistling, looking behind him to see that he gathered quite the company party. Content with his handiwork, it was now Shiki’s turn. Ryuuji looks up, yelling, “NOW!” He immediately began to surf through the ravine faster like his life depended on it, which it did. Since one wrong move or going too slow will leave him crushed by heavy rocks that not even his geomancy can do anything about as it currently stood.

With his signal, all Hell would’ve broken loose. He hears at least one explosion and the rocking of the earth before he saw the avalanche of rocks bearing down on him and the pursuing Mistwalkers. His eyes widening at the sight, he still had the time to whistle in awe, “Yeah no… I got to get out of here. FAST!” He puts his back into surfing on a slab of rock, putting in more of his incarce to propel him faster just as his heart was beating faster with all the adrenaline. The man was quintessentially on a land-based jetski as he went, a ride for his life.

Mistwalker after Mistwalker would get crushed by the oncoming rocks, their vision obscured by the large cloud of dust that came in the rockslide’s wake. This would repeat itself for as long as the ravine stretched, part of the rockslide even barely missed Ryuuji. And then after all that, silence… and a cloud of dust.

Ryuuji came surfing out of the cloud, coughing as he skid his slab to a halt in such a way that the slab turns around, allowing him to see the consequences of his actions. He was very satisfied by what he saw, putting his hands on his waist, “I am so not doing that again… actually… I think I want to do that again.” He dusted himself off with a chuckle, “Hoho man… that was something.” He took out the condensed crystal from his pocket, dropping it into the ground and in a glow of arcane energies, Roki would come forth, rejoining his master.

He ordered his hound, “Roki, scout the area. And go trailblaze for us, too. We need a way back to Mister Yamaguchi and the others.” With that, his hound raced off into the woods. Since the hound is magically linked to him, he can see what the hound sees while he waits for the others to rejoin him as he tidied himself up.

As if by fate, however, Ryuuji sees something rather interesting through Roki’s eyes a few minutes into the latter’s efforts to scout a way back for them. It was an old lumber mill and connected to it is a warehouse that presumably stored its raw materials and finished products. The building looked like it had age to it, but was likely well-used until some years ago. Ryuuji took out a water bottle from his pack after dusting off, taking a drink. Looking at the others around him, Ryuuji says, pulling out his communicator while doing so, “My familiar found an abandoned lumber mill on a route back to the village. Not on the map anymore, and this is the latest one. Hmph, even if a structure’s abandoned, a record of its location should still be put on all versions of the regional map if it still stands. What say we check this place out on our way back? Could also be a good hidey-hole for anything undesirable, but I hope I’m wrong.” He shrugged, looking at the three to see what they thought of it.

kafkaesque kafkaesque (Yuho Sasaki), Sharatayn Sharatayn (Shiki Hoshino), theatrics theatrics (Hakuryuu Fukuzawa)

End of Post
 
Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Kenshin Yamaguchi
Vanquisher / High-class
Uncharted Village | Shingaku, Katsuragi - Mainland Agartha

Kenshin was quick to respond to Aisuke’s demand for his arrows, “No way. You know how much these arrows cost per unit? Besides, the arrows don’t have any of the materials needed to properly exorcise a Mistwalker. They’re just coated with a specific type of poison to paralyze the target. You included, by the way.” He chuckled lightly, recovering from his disastrous fall. While a certain degree of discomfort resonated in his lower back, presumably a consequence of his unpreparedness during the fall, he remained resolute in concealing any signs of pain. Instead, he redirected his focus to the unfolding circumstances before him. The situation grew increasingly surreal as two additional Vanquishers materialized seemingly out of thin air, descending gracefully from the sky like feathers drifting down.

“You sure you girls want to be here?” His remark would be overshadowed as an influx of Mistwalkers surged into the upper area, prompting the group to resume their movements. Kenshin promptly trailed behind the brunette Hyzurian, adroitly carrying his compound bow upon his back to optimize his agility. Clearing his throat, he addressed the gathering, projecting his voice, "Listen up, everyone! We can postpone the formal introductions for a more opportune moment when our lives are not being chased by death itself. Henceforth, I implore your unwavering cooperation. As I am arguably the highest-ranking Vanquisher within this unit, heed my instructions, and I shall endeavor to navigate us to safety. Regrettably, plummeting into this cavern was not part of our strategic plan, but we shall adapt to the circumstances for the time being!" He changed his tone and word usage to build charm in his newly established leadership, whether it worked or not was none of his concern, as at this point he was too mentally occupied to care about his initial image.

Within the cave's depths, darkness captured the atmosphere, its chilling tendrils reaching out. However, aided by the glow emanating from the illumined bulbs that lit the path, the way forward was not entirely obscured. Kenshin astutely observed this faint illumination before embarking on his sprint in that particular direction. The passage predominantly unfurled as a singular pathway, devoid of alternative routes, facilitating the seamless herding of the group. Alas, an eventual conclusion awaited, only to unveil a fresh enigma, intensifying the coming challenges. Before them lay an underground corridor, housing intricately carved chambers, their dimensions confined, while an unsettling odor pervaded the air, signifying an inexplicable wretchedness. No remnants of prior habitation manifested, save for this perplexing olfactory anomaly.

"God, the stench is nearly insufferable," Kenshin commented, his hand instinctively covering his nose in an attempt to shield himself from the noxious smell emanating from these chambers. As the scent assailed their senses, he became aware that the sounds of the Mistwalkers had abruptly ceased upon their arrival in these corridors. "My intuition was correct. This location holds significant importance. There must be a reason why they refuse to venture into this area. Either they are afraid of what’s down here, or they’re claustrophobic."

Upon conducting a more thorough exploration, one would discern that these expansive caverns once served a specific purpose, possibly as a facility or, more disconcertingly, a prison. Progressing deeper into the cave, the inquisitive individuals would stumble upon rooms that diverged from the rest, replete with peculiar apparatus and materials. These discoveries further reinforced the conclusion that this place had been utilized to confine and subdue certain individuals.

“Looks like this isn’t something we should dig into. Let’s look into getting us out of here.”

Interactions: Gutsy Gutsy (Aisuke), November Witch November Witch (Autumn), LegoLad659 LegoLad659 (Masako)

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Aisuke Ishikawa
NON-VANQUISHER / WARRANT OFFICER / SUPPOSED TO BE ON VACATION
UNCHARTED VILLAGE - A DANK HORRID CAVE(?), SHINGAKU, Katsuragi

Aisuke clicked his tongue a bit at the response for his request for arrows. Damn- And here he thought he had a good idea... He guessed whatever mechanism in that bow was efficient enough to warrant not needing to waste fancy parts with each arrow... Whatever, he could still make due with what he had, even if his plan otherwise had been to stab mistwalkers with an arrow to death.

He took reassurance in the bizarre situation involving the reinforcements. It meant that a god, some god had their eyes on him. Whatever it was that guided fate had taken it's time to send a few other unfortunate souls to accompany them into the depths of this cavern, making steady progress away from the mistwalkers... Then... Came the tunnels, the man taking in the scent and pausing as they investigated room after room.

One thing, and one thing alone came to mind. Rot. Rotting bodies. Rotting corpses. Somewhere in here or... Formally in here. He knew it from the whiff of dead animals in his early life. Which didn't bode well given the situation.

Combined with how this place was made... The boogeymen of Katsuragi came to mind. A cult. So close to his goddamned home!?! So close to his goddamned family!?! This could havebeen his house! This could have been where his mother was! He could imagine it. Her, hooked up to all of these strange devices and apparatus, designed to contain or likely torture.

Then, came their leader's advice. Aisuke's brow raising at them, and turning. He had a habit of questioning authority, and that wasn't about to stop here.

"... Oi. Call me insubordinate sir but..."

He gestured around the room, a continual frown on his face at the entire situation. His resting 'bitch face' still residing as eternally angry, yet more so in this current moment. Clearly not liking a single thing that he saw in this portion of the cave.

"This seems like cult shit. This seems like tha kinda thing that vanquishers gotta deal with, right? Mafakas carve out a hidin' place. We get guided ta it... Shouldn't we detain any would be worshippers that might be deepa down befo' they scramble out ta safety of whateva hole they climbed outta?"

"No disrespect. You got mo' experience than me. High rankin' an' all that. Only one outta us with 'cataracts' too. Jus' thinkin' leavin' this place lie without a thorough sweep would be bad... Lotta people also went missin' from this place. Who tha hell knows if any are still breathin' deepa down."

Willing to plunge headfirst into danger to prevent a situation. It was almost as if Aisuke had not quite realized how dangerous the situation was. But then. With an almost defeated sigh he admitted.

"But if you got a reason, with ya experience an' all. I'll trust ya judgment... Ranks ain't gotten ovanight. Jus' wanna know why. If it's a matta of manpowa that's fine. We ain't got a lotta cataracs 'ere... Not like we'd be able ta handle nothin' big by ourselves."

He gave a small shrug. But his eyes seemed almost locked onto the corridors. Only occasionally glancing around at all that was around him. Expecting an ambush at any second. His hair standing on edge the longer they stayed here. A primal fear he couldn't describe. But one he continued to face without hesitation. After all, that was his duty, right?

Cave(?) adventures: Novelight Novelight (Kenshin Yamaguchi), November Witch November Witch (Autumn), LegoLad659 LegoLad659 (Masako)

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Masako Fukahara
Vanquisher / Middle-class
Underneath the Uncharted Village -> In a horrible place - Shingaku, Katsuragi

“You sure you girls want to be here?” Well, personally Masako believed that Kenshin was perfectly able to handle himself, but Masako was just following Ryuuji's orders in protecting the other Hyzurian. "Ryuuji asked me to back her up." Masako explained to him, gesturing over to the aeromancer with her. "She was worried you might need help over here, so here we are. I hope we're not intruding on anything." She said with a small chuckle.

Since Kenshin had a point that he was the most senior person in the area, outclassing Ryuuji as well, she took to his order to escape into the caverns just fine. Besides, that's what she and the other guy were talking about doing anyway. So everyone made their way into the cavern, and Masako volunteered herself to take up the rear, as she was the only one out of them with a sword, which she used to cover their escape along with blasts of water to push the Mistwalkers back.

She noticed that the tunnel didn't interconnect with others like she originally thought it did. "I was under the impression this would be like a spiderweb of tunnel networks, but it seems like it's more just a straight line through the ground... I wonder where it leads?" She commented, as she threw another wave of water to keep the Mistwalkers from piling too heavily onto her.

Then it hit her.

That unmistakable, powerful scent. For her and the Hyzurian it was probably way worse than the rest due to their heightened senses, but either way she was still quite familiar with that smell. People had died here, and many of them. What kind of place was at the end of this long pathway...?

She didn't have to wonder for long, and really if she had known, she would've insisted on staying out of the cave and finding a different way to regroup with the others... Because the location they emerged into was an equally familiar chamber in the cavern that Masako would recognize anywhere. Of course it was... Why'd it have to be this kind of place? Maybe this wasn't directly Mirako's doing... But it was certainly the same thing they had on that island, beneath the head's house. These were likely people who shared their beliefs, as Masako had been discovering there were quite a lot of on her travels. Why'd they have to find this place now...?

As they walked through the underground structure together, Masako recognized practically everything they examined on their way through. Devices that were used to interrogate, or even just sadistically torture outsiders for fun. Contraptions that, even though their purpose would be unclear to any unfamiliar with it, Masako knew they were for ritual executions either meant for a specific purpose or because they believed their 'gods' demanded that sacrifices be made in such a way. Further down she even spotted racks of implements that, while she didn't know what all of them were for, she had been taught about how to use some of them, and none of them were pleasant for the recipient.

Kenshin had been speaking, and while she knew the answer to his musings on what kind of importance this place had, she didn't speak up about it. How could she? Then she would have to explain how she knew, and that wouldn't be a very good first impression to make on a high-class Vanquisher. As much good as she's done since then, she was still deeply ashamed of that part of her past... So, she kept quiet. And hoped that Kenshin didn't already know about it and ask her. He didn't seem to know who she was, so it was unlikely, but still she was worried that he would.

“Looks like this isn’t something we should dig into. Let’s look into getting us out of here.” He suggested, and Masako couldn't agree more. From the moment they entered this place, Masako's cheerful expression had melted away into one of dread that she couldn't hide no matter how much she tried. Usually she tried to keep up her upbeat outlook at all times, since it was a personality that people who knew her had gotten used to and even come to rely on at times, and in a way she even depended on it to keep herself focused as well. But now, she just couldn't keep it up. She never could, when it came to matters related to her old clan - It was always the one thing that could break her composure every single time...

The other man with them started to talk, giving his opinion on what they should do. Intellectually, Masako knew he was right, that they should do what they can to investigate this place... But emotionally, she couldn't stop herself from agreeing with Kenshin, she just wanted to get out of here as fast as she could, in fact the only reason she was even still here was because leaving now would mean abandoning her fellow Vanquishers, and as much as she wanted to leave she couldn't do that either. She always avoided any assignments that involved the cults on Katsuragi, for this exact reason. She didn't like to be reminded of her life with Mirako. Of course, she didn't blame anyone here for not knowing that, and for the reason above she wasn't keen on bringing it up...

So, unlike how she had been thus far, Masako remained deathly silent from the moment they entered the area, as she let Kenshin take full charge of their group's actions, refusing to make even a single comment on their circumstances like she usually did. She just listened to their conversation while she kept her eyes and ears out for any sign of other people here, sword at the ready in case someone tried to ambush them... Because she realized that this would be a good opportunity for Mirako to try and strike if they knew she was here, isolated and in such a confined space, not to mention how familiar a location it would be to them. So she kept her guard up, even with the Mistwalkers getting further and further behind them.

Novelight Novelight (Kenshin), Gutsy Gutsy (The Guy), November Witch November Witch (The Hyzurian)

End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
Valorous Order // Arc 2 - Veiled Flames of the Ashen
Autumn Ichor
Vanquisher in training / Author
Uncharted Village - Shingaku, Katsuragi

As they finally started to enter the tunnels, Autumn wasn’t exactly sure how wise the decision was. It could simply mean more people trapped down here. More possible friendly fire incidents. Yes, places like this could be useful, they had just as many drawbacks. Like how her aeromancy would be hampered by the lack of free circulation. She could theoretically use her divination to blow the mistwalkers back, but it would draw air from further in the cave, meaning it would push them back towards the mistwalkers just as hard. It wasn’t her environment, but she could just leave the two down here alone. It might have been easier for them to fight in the tunnels. But not her.

She simply nodded in response to Kenshin’s words. She was only a trainee. Autumn would be implored to listen to what anyone here told her to do… almost. But she knew of Kenshin and she would follow his commands to a T with no questions asked. So that’s what she would do.

Autumn took up the position just in front of Masako and continued further into the tunnels with those around her. She wished she could do more in this moment, but using her divination in this tunnel was a no go. Even without it aiding her speed, she was easily able to keep up with those in front. All that filled her ears was the huffing as everyone ran. Shows against dirt, and the occasional swish of water from behind as Masako made sure the mistwalkers kept their distance.

However, as she was running through the situation in her head, she almost gagged as the smell of death and decay hit her. More than just one person. It had to be. No way was this amount of rank and rancid air from one body. Autumn began to mouth breathe in order to deal with the stench. For her Hyzurian nose, it was nearly unbearable. She had to consciously focus on keeping her stomach contents inside as the walls turned from dirt to stone. As they entered a place Autumn could have only described in her books… It was quite the shock to see, no, experience this place in person.

Autumn stayed quiet, letting the Vanquishers decide their next move. As the group moved, Autumn would stray, but not far, to study objects of interest. She kept up with the group, but would look more closely at the items around them. Curious about the place and inquisitive as to where the scent was coming from. Surely a stench that was this intense wasn’t something that could have clung to an object. It had to be emanating from a corpse itself. However, it didn’t seem like there were any around… So where…

Autumn did slightly agree with the idiot who had been driving the car earlier… Unfortunately. She felt as if looking around may give them more information on the situation at hand. However, she was also acutely aware that time was of the essence. Maybe the mistwalkers were only held back temporarily. Maybe they were waiting to trap them here or setting up a flank. It would be wise to be fast. However, as Kenshin was a Vanquisher, and at the rank he held, she held her tongue, putting her trust in him and those around her. She’d give her opinion if asked.

She turned around, looking back and that was when she caught Masako’s expression… She was as white as a sheet, as if she had seen a ghost. The different emotions on her face were ones Autumn often placed upon the characters in her novels. It was easy for her to read expressions, moreso than most.

Fear, and anxiety were quite prevalent. There were more, but Autumn couldn’t quite be sure what they were. Paranoia? Recognition? Her eyes were distant too, as if lost deep in thought. Whatever the case, the others didn’t seem as spooked. Maybe it was the smell getting to her? They were both Hyzurian after all. It was much worse for them than the others. Could it have been the cult or the situation they were in perhaps? But she seemed so calm earlier.

Whatever the case, Autumn pushed it aside for now, taking a few steps towards the girl with distant eyes. It looked like her pace had slowed ever since they entered. Like she really didn’t want to be here or go further inside. But as Autumn got close, it seemed as if Masako came to life, almost flinching as Autumn closed in. She all of a sudden looked jumpy. On alert. Moreso than everyone else by a large margin.

“I don’t know what’s up with you, but we need to keep moving. You look like you’re on the edge of panicking.”

She said quietly, so the two in front wouldn’t hear. She didn’t want to bring unneeded attention to Masako’s state if she was just scared.

“Take a deep breath, hold onto me, and we’ll get out of here together.”

And with that, Autumn grabbed the girl’s wrist and gently pulled her along. The pair was roughly ten feet behind the men who were leading the way. The only sounds being the whistle of the air within the cave and the footfalls of everyone around. It was quite eerie… Autumn took mental notes of the atmosphere and studied every bit of it she could.

She could use it in a book…


End of Post // Continuation of Chapter 01
 
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