[IC] Shakugan no Shana -Fragments of Crimson- [On Hiatus]

[ADamnFiddle]

[Outlaw Warehouse
Boston, USA
Lucien Lothringen, Defender of the Light and Seina, The Pontiff of Order]

@RolePlayerRoxas @TheWindel @KoL @Gilgex @Sodium

“I’ll volunteer myself for the farther group,” Lucien simply says, as if it was only the most natural thing. “Gotta say I haven’t really met much people who could keep up with my speed, let alone outpace me in terms of running. Ain’t exactly like the title ‘Defender of the Light’ is for show. That is, if the cute little archer over there would be willing to have me.”

Lucien was in possession of a special weapon; a treasure tool that improved the user’s movement to a speed incomprehensible to most, as if a strike of lightning itself. Though mostly placed in effect through means of spear jabs, it could also alter its purpose to “improved movement speed” as well. Therefore, Lucien knew few others who matched his speed, let alone surpassed it, as he had said. It was the truth. If anything, if someone was faster than himself, then one could imagine that his treasure tool was merely a tool for a fool. But regardless to that, it wasn’t exactly like the spear itself was Lucien’s strongest ‘weapon” in his arsenal.

It was obvious that Lucien would request himself to join up with the group. After all, it was important that this mission did not fail. If Lucien was to fail, his promise of ending this whole chapter in a “favorable fashion” to his fellow Flame Haze. And Lucien was not one to consider backing down on any proclamation. Lucien might be a person who would use his all to win given the circumstances, but even so he wasn’t someone who would go back on a promise made to someone else.

He had promised someone long ago he would see them again, but when he had came home they weren’t to be seen anymore. He would not make another mistake like that again.

“But I’d rather hurry if possible. Longer we wait here dumbfounded, the less effective our mission is gonna be. Though I’d rather take a fight methodically if I can, it ain’t exactly like we have the luxury to do that. We are on a time limit, ain’t we?.”

Lucien was the sort to take any information within the context of a fight and use it to his advantage. After all, it was how goliath was smited, and if anything Flame Haze tend to be tenacious in regards to their quest of extermination. Though their quest was one of good will and protecting the balance of powers, but it wasn't exactly like what they were doing was a thing of beauty.

“Running in again, I see? Can’t say I disapprove of it this time, but you always run in like that .”

“Don’t exactly prescribe to the whole ‘heroes show up late’ thing. If I ain’t there at the start, that isn’t gonna look good when there are people’s lives at stake. Even if I wanna look cool, not about to sacrifice anything for that. I’ll look cool regardless.”

[TheWendil]

Seems things were finally getting underway, the Biter narrowing her eyes with the presence of two Seals looming over them. Farris was right in that these were most likely just bait to set them up, but what choice did they have? At least in this way, they could cover more ground with split teams. So while everyone began to divide themselves, the Biter snapped her fingers.

The entirety of her little bar stand was transformed into a myriad of tannish flames before being sucked into the collar around her neck. So that’s how she was always able to provide quality drinks at the best of times. Treasure Tools were handy in that regard but this situation would require power over convenience.

“We got eight of us, right? Four of you go to the school and two of you follow me and Farris to the airport. Wait up Herald,” the Biter called out, ignoring the sigh of her Crimson Lord. Soon she too was dashing in the stormy weather, using her Flame Haze speed to catch up with Farris.

However, there was already a Flame Haze in pursuit at the farthest Seal’s location, Harvard. Lucien was the fastest so he would be the first to be able to provide backup. Running through the buffeting wind, Kiara Bastion noted the many humans caught frozen in time by the forced Seal.

Was this just another mass feeding ground for the Weaver? Or was there some alternative goal in mind for choosing this location? Certainly it made sense with the potential amount of Torches that could be born from this place. Whatever the case, she hurried by running straight for the heart of the Seal’s placement, within the school’s courtyard.

---

@LaXnyd, @RolePlayerRoxas, @Gilgex, @KoL, @ADamnFiddle, @Sodium

[Owlriel]

At sensing the two seals suddenly appear Isis cursed under her breath. :Now Alastair there is no need to get riled up again… Oh who the heck am I kidding, you’ve stopped listening already.: Alastair was up on his feet his eye glowing pink with his rage, and turned towards the closest portal. :Yep, called it.: His fists balled into fists making the leather gloves creak from the tightness. He then took off jumping through the window of the warehouse. Then proceeded to travel from roof to roof leaving small dents from his landings. He didn’t care about property damage in the slightest. As he was more focused on trying to get to the Airport as fast as possible. Before it was too late to save anyone, because in those airplanes the people helpless. Like canned sardines ready to be cracked open, and put over rice.

He leapt from one of the streets over the airport fences, due to the large gap between the airport and other buildings. Where he landed was the communications tower, and did a roll, and got up to run again this time his body was horizontal to the ground, as he ran around the tower to the airstrips. Then leapt again, and did a surprisingly nimble flip in the air to the center of the seal. When he landed, feet first, the earth under him cracked apart, and he let out a vicious angry roar. He wanted to attract as much attention to himself as possible. Because it just might mean they’d leave the humans alone long enough so he could handle these denizens.

He got into a fighting position his gloves glowing a radiant pink. ”I'm gonna make you wish you stayed in your dimension you filthy cockroaches.“ Isis burst into laughter at Alistair's unintended pun. :Haaa, I see what you did there. It's funny because when you see one there's more of us. Just like cockroaches, Good one!: Alistair just let out a hrumph as he ignored Isis' commentary.

---

@KoL, @LaXnyd, @RolePlayerRoxas, @TheWindel, @ADamnFiddle, @Sodium.

[KoL]

Logan International Airport - Boston, USA

The situation at the Airport was as chaotic as one would expect of a major airport closed because of bad weather conditions. The Seal, marked by a wall of midnight blue flames, was cast over an area extending from the main terminal to most of the runways catching several hundred, if not a couple thousands within it. Thankfully no plane was at the risk of crashing since all incoming flights were being redirected to New York, where the conditions were much more forgiving.

On the terminal, Shitiri's Rinne were feasting on the frozen humans mercilessly. The Weaver of Dreadful Legends' Rinne were hideous creatures looking like they came straight out of some horror writer's mind. A few of them looked like a mix-and-match combination of men and crows, wearing heavy robes and wielding what looked like crooked scythes, probably the combat types. The other Rinne, which were actively involved in gathering Power of Existence from the humans, but always making sure they didn't completely extinguish anyone, if they could help it, looked like flying masses of tentacles and eyes that grew in size every time they absorbed more Power of Existence.

If that wasn't enough, there was also the presence of a smaller Denizen taking advantage on the chaos provoke by Shitiri. Judging from its presence alone, it was a newborn, or very young Denizen, one that would soon enough find that he was out of its league.

Farris Aran

"It's a pleasure to fight along with you, Bitter of Torturous Wilt. Though, I guess we might end up with more to worry about on the upcoming battle if the Fierce Caretaker does not cool his temper." Farris said as she and the Bitter arrived at the airport, quickly making their way to the main terminal.

"For the time being, let us split to cover more ground, we shall meet at the control tower if anything unexpected happens. Is that alright?" Farris slashed at the nearest tentacle Rinne, killing it before it could finish consuming a whole family that was waiting near the entrance, before turning to wait for the Bitter's reply.

---

@ADamnFiddle, @Gilgex, @TheWindel.

[Scholar]

Wyrmbane
George
On board the ship Anemone, George paced uneasily as he waited for it to dock in Boston Harbor. While he had wanted to take a plane, his contractor detested them and believed them to be far too convenient and not at all worthy steed for a knigh such as himself. Sighing at the wasted time, George started to wander the deck occasionally chatting with the crew and passengers. Spotting a beautiful lady, he smiled and walked up to introduce himself but thought better of it when he felt the simultaneous erection of two seals inland towards the Airport and what he believed to be Harvard. Frowning, he looked down at the rose and asked"Sound of the End, Setsuna did you feel that? Who or what could have possibly erected such massive seals? I know of only a few Flame Hazes who could do it and only a extremely powerful denizen could possibly accomplish it" "George my dear lad, What does it matter who erected it the only thing that matters is are they friend or foe and judging by gut warrior instinct, I say it be foe so what are we waiting for we must charge to do battle against such a magnificent being"
Not having the heart to deny Setsuna his battle and personally wanting to make sure no humans were harmed, George leaps out of the boat heading towards the airport. Along the way, he senses the presence of a group of Flame hazes heading the same way and maneuvers himself to gather with them at the airport. Arriving outside an airport runway, he is struck by the absurdity of his situation and realizes that maybe Setsuna knew this would occur and so maneuvered him to take the Anemone instead. Laughing at the thought of Setsuna's actions being anything more than the silly fantasies they were, he drew his sword from its sheath and leapt over the fence ready to do battle.
Coming upon a many tentacled Rinne preparing to devour a young girl, George slashed at the Rinne and watched with satisfaction as it died. Examining the girl to see if she was wounded, he was relieved to discover that the Rinne had not yet begun the process of making her a torch. Rifling through her purse, he took a stick of gum and entered her number into his contacts. She was another life saved , and he wished to keep track of her. As he prepares to leave, Setsuna tauntingly stated "George aren't you forgetting something George blushes at his forgetfulness and places the suitable recompense for his gum in her purse. In the end, the only American money he could find was a $5 bill and figured it was a suitable amount. Setsuna exclaims "Now that that is over with let us continue in our glorious charge and find a more worthy opponent since we have already saved the damsel in distress" Laughing, George charged towards the control tower determining it to be the tower where the mighty dragon must be.

[TheWendil]

“Sure, whatever you say Herald. Though it looks like Shitiri’s been spending way too much time reading those old novels. I mean, just look at these Denizens! Uglier than the Snake’s face, am I right?” the Biter joked, intent on combating the robed Denizens. With a flick of her hands, tannish flames began to burst out of her palms and coat the scythe-wielding creatures with ease.

The Denizens would find her flames to be highly corrosive to the touch, their figures melting with the impact and ferocity of her attack. How fitting of one who constantly dealt in alcohol. Ignoring the sigh coming from her Crimson Lord, the Biter continued her assault and sought to give Farris backup even as they pressed on the attack.

That’s when she noticed the stray force lingering about on the battlefield. It was so small that she had almost failed to detect it yet there it was. A newborn Denizen? Not only that, but the presence of a new Flame Haze was picked up as well. Well then, the more the merrier.

“Hey Caretaker, mind helping our new friend find that smaller Denizen? It might cause us more trouble later down the line. Besides, me and Herald got this covered,” she called out to Alastair.

Back at Harvard, it would seem the theme of mildly disturbing Denizens had continued onward. Kiara sliced through several that had taken on the form of small canine creatures with the heads of porcelain baby dolls. They crawled much like humans though, their limps splayed out elongated in an unnatural manner. Nothing too off-putting, but seriously, one had to wonder Shitiri’s current mentality right now.

Kiara gritted her teeth, moving in a blur to kill off as many as she could before they pounced upon the frozen students. But as the only Flame Haze here, even she couldn’t save everyone, not by herself. Where the hell was the Defender of Light?

---

@Scholar, @KoL, @Gilgex, @ADamnFiddle

[Scholar]

In his rush to the control tower, George almost failed to notice the minuscule presence blocking his path. Chiding himself for his lack of properly assessing the situation and knowing the most dangerous denizens to ordinary humans were the newborn since they did not yet know the danger of a flame haze and so would devour any power of existence they could find without caution or temperance, George changed his approach to confront the newborn. He did not wish to repeat the mistake of 10 years ago. Sent into remembrances of that time, George began to lose track of himself. He could visualize the burning little village in Wales and could hear the roar of the serpent denizen that consumed the village as it searched for more power of existence."George get a hold of yourself remember your duty is not just to the fallen but to those who are present if you cannot control yourself, that denizen will devour countless people" Shaking the memory out of his mind, George nods his head. Arriving at the denizen's chosen battleground, George draws Ascalon and steels himself for the battle to come.
@Gilgex @TheWindel

[ADamnFiddle]

[retracted]

[KoL]

Logan International Airport

With the arrival of more and more Flame Haze, the situation at the airport seemed to be getting quickly under control though, the extension of the area of the Weaver's attack made it next to impossible to destroy all of the Rinne before they escaped. Unless, of course, the Flame Haze were willing to use more drastic methods that could result in damage to the world.

In the middle of the chaos, a strange phenomenon began to happen inside the Seal which probably didn't had anything to do with Shitiri's powers. The corridors of the terminal slowly began to flood, but it wasn't the water from the rain that was falling outside, instead, if the Flame Haze tried it, they would find out that it was salt water. Maybe it was the work of the mysterious Denizen that was inside the terminal, hunting under the cover of the Weaver's chaos?

Well, whatever it was, one thing was certain, the slow deluge was coming from the departure hall of the terminal which should be choke full of passengers waiting for their delayed flights. Speed seemed to be of the essence, because... who knew what that water was actually for? Obviously, the Flame Haze couldn't the Rinne attacking the rest of the terminal as well, what could they do now?

Farris Aran

"Well, there must be a reason why the Weaver is named in such a way. Nevertheless, I have an idea; it might sound harsh but, please, listen to us for a moment." Farris said to the Flame Haze that were still on the lobby, just as she rebuked the scythe of one of the raven-like Rinne before countering with a beheading strike that felled the abomination.

"We should let some of the Rinne that has already filled itself escape and then follow them. That way we can find the Weaver's hideout much faster." Crokel said with a deep voice. That was harsh idea, but it has worked many times in the past when going against Denizens that hole themselves, like the Weaver seemed to do. "After they have been consumed, a human's existence ceases to be. Our job is to prevent that from happen, not avenging Torches that'll eventually disappear and be forgotten forever once they expire. Thus, we have to destroy the Rinne before they attack, after that, if we can make use of them to find and neutralize their creator, it's our obligation as guardians of the balance to do so."

"Nevertheless, let us get rid of as many as we can, furthermore there's that Denizen we have to deal with. Let us split our forces, I can take care of most of the Rinne on the lobby on my own. Whoever don't stay behind as back up, go after that second foe, before it notices us and escape." After saying so, Farris casted her Unrestricted Spell and summoned some of Crokel's Terracotta Soldiers, to help her sweep the lobby off of Rinne without causing extensive damage to the world around.

Harvard

At Harvard, the situation was dire for Kiara, but reinforcements were near. Maybe, they would arrive in time to change the tide of battle? Regardless of the outcome, the lone Flame Haze would notice an anomaly happening as a presence that looked like it was neither from a Flame Haze, nor from a Denizen was moving somewhere inside the Seal.

It was small, almost imperceptible as if it was a Torch about to flicker off, but even unaware Torches should be frozen inside a Seal (most of the time, at least). So, who was that one? Kiara would do better finding about it soon, because a group of Rinne seemed to have taken this Existence's trail and right now were on the hunt. What could happen, now?

---

@ADamnFiddle, @Gilgex, @Scholar, @TheWindel.

[ADamnFiddle]

[Harvard
Boston, USA
Lucien Lothringen, Defender of the Light and Seina, The Pontiff of Order]

“Gross. Damn these bastards are ugly,” Lucien said with a smirk as he dove headfirst into a few trying to grave a group of people. Though with a smirk on his face, his voice shifting as if from it’s normal playfulness to something that genuinely seemed a bit disgusted.

“Child.”

“Shuddup.”

Having just arrived, Lucien had been separated from his group like a kid lost on a field trip. Except instead of to the Museum or something, Lucien was to kill monsters attacking people for what he believed to be a calling of sorts.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t like getting lost at a field trip. Perhaps it was more like a man getting detached from his squadmates during a battle.

The opponents which Lucien currently fought were enough to make any normal human, assuming they could move within Lucien’s stopped time, quiver at the very sight. Their movements alien, their appearance a coagulation of various entities and normally understood constructs thrown together in a means so different from expectations of normalcy it becomes something only out of nightmares. Eldritch monstrosities which Lucien killed on the daily basis.

At first, he couldn’t say he wasn’t afraid of these creatures. They take the form of what Lucien tended to fear in the past after all; the unknown.

Or perhaps it would have been more apt to state that when he had first seen an opposing Crimson Denizen, but during that time his entire existence was that of a broken man who understood very little of the world besides his work as a mercenary. Perhaps that is why Seina found the boy interesting enough to form a contract. To fight without end until his body was battered and his soul unsalvageable. Until his death, Lucien vowed to fight in the name of his Crimson Lord to his last breath. Maybe before he was simply looking for a way to die, but now after experiencing what he has experienced, Lucien definitely has grown attached to his occupation.

Denizen were powerful existences of another plane, and to Lucien things that shouldn’t have the capacity to coexist with humans within the slightest. Not that Lucien held too great an opinion over humanity itself, but it wasn’t exactly like he believed one race should die so another could thrive, Denizen acting vampiric in nature. So it wasn’t exactly Lucien was without a cause anymore. To protect those he can protect was good enough to him. To ensure that as long as people aren’t removed artificially from the world tree.

That being said, these monsters were still nasty. From a very conceptual existence their leach-like actions were reprehensible to a man whose entire profession prior to becoming a flamehaze was that of killing men for money and fame. At the very least there existed a reason for Lucien’s prior actions. To save himself was to save others.

“Ahhh, I don’t think I’ve had a restful night in ages because of these creatures. Maybe I should look into some freetime. Get out of the office.”

Of course Lucien wasn’t the sort to shrug off any duties. Though he enjoyed fine wine, cute girls, and all the other such things, his commitment to his cause was something unshakable, almost uncharacteristic to someone like that. Almost as if a degree of chivalry existed within Lucien, poor in practice, but flawless in execution. A valiant warrior who would give his all to his liege [Crimson Lord], or perhaps to the entirety of his nation [Humanity].

At the very least, he could use his newfound powers to prevent the loss of meaningless lives who wished not to fight. There existed three types of people in Lucien’s eyes; those who picked up the sword for those who cannot, those who cannot lift a sword for themselves, and those who used the sword against those who cannot protect themselves, and if the continuation of actions against the defenseless were to continue, one could reasonably assume he would continue to protect those who couldn’t.

Though the two clashed a lot, the Crimson Lord known as Seina, the Pontiff of Order, has selected out of all the individuals she could have paired up with, because of these traits. Perhaps there existed a concept known as “fate”. Perhaps it was merely blind luck. But such nuances were of no importance to Lucien. If anything, the only thing that mattered was what occurred during the present. And during the present, if Lucien didn’t commit to fighting against the creatures which overwhelmed the entirety of Harvard.

“Lot’s of these bastards, eh?” Lucien asked towards the group of his teammates, wondering if they had any sort of strategy in regards to fighting these creatures. There were a lot of them, and with a lot of humans in the way it became a bit harder for the use of area of effect abilities in fear it may do more harm than good in this situation. Lucien was the sort to prefer to think of a battle plan before running headstrong into his foes. Thoughtful understanding of a situation can turn losing situations into a winning one at the drop of a hat through a single instance.

“Outnumbered, undermanned, underfunded. It is like I’m a mercenary during the war all over again, ain’t it?”

“Don’t go away expending that life I earned. Our deal isn’t so frivolous to let you die somewhere you would regret.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll get going. If anything, I ain’t exactly about to kill myself for no reason. Man’s pride is fragile if he doesn’t fulfill his goal. And I am not one to break promises. At the very least, I am not about to break a second.”

Well, he currently had to make sure that no more humans were destroyed by the “monsters”. After finding what he had came to find, Lucien sprung into action.

“Perception.’

As if the light itself, Lucien moved at a speed almost incomprehensible to most things. The spear’s blade appeared to dance across the sky, as if the crack of a bell tolled, serene and peaceful in its construction, sweeping aside the nothing in no hurry for the next and that if only man could change another forever if man merged like a flame swirling up for an instant then snuffed out harshly along the phantasmal nothing.

And as quickly as it had began, it has stopped.

“Oi, found you. Been looking all over for ya. Kept you waitin’, huh?”

Lucien had recovered back to the presence of someone he had recognized, one “Kiara”

“Must’ve gotten a bit sidetracked. Glad to see you’re still in one piece. Had my hopes, anyway,” Lucien said with a wry smile plastered upon his face as if he was stifling a laugh from a bad joke or something along those lines.

“Better late than never, I suppose. Ain’t really my style though. The hero isn't the one that comes and saves the day. The hero is the one that is there from the beginning in order to prevent the villains from winning before they can start up.”

Perhaps Lucien was a bit of a broken record in regards to a few of his sayings, like an old man forgetting he had merely moments ago told you the story of his war, but Lucien could, by a lot of standards, be considered an old man in a hardly 20-years-old body.

“C’mon, ain’t exactly gonna gain much dulling my blade here, no? Maybe if I was off the clock, I’d love to have a relaxing chat, but on the clock. And it isn’t a job I can clock out sick or at six. Lives to save, places to see, well, I guess it would only be “place” now, no?

And as quickly as he had arrived, Lucien seemed ready to leave to a new battlefront. He was a traveler. Never settling in a single place for too long, and a free bird never lets himself get chained. Lucien seemed to fail at the “Not getting chained” Thing though, seeing as he holds an “occupation” or sorts. But could it really be called “work” if you enjoy doing it?

[TheWendil]

To say that Kiara was relieved at the sight of backup was a gross understatement. Granted she wanted to cave Lucien's face into a wall at the moment for making her wait this long for an arrival, but she supposed she could let it slip. Assuming the Flame Haze did his duty. Sight of her fellow comrade in arms gave her the determination she needed to press on the attack, ignoring his banter for now if only to keep herself from getting bitten by the rapid dog-like Denizens. So enthralled was she in the heat of the fight that she almost never took notice of the strange form running through the Fuzetsu. The hell?

"Keep them back. I'm going to go check that out," she called out to Lucien, dashing off to this strange new presence. Given his late work, it was the least he could do to get himself back in her favor. Ignoring that for now, Kiara was astonished that neither a Flame Haze, Denizen, or even a Torch walked the battlefield. What was she chasing? Narrowing it down via a process of elimination, she could was left with the possibility that she was pursuing a rare, special kind of Torch. One that allowed them to walk freely through the frozen time fields. A Mystes.

"Huh? What did just happened? Why is the world- Argh!" A girl with long, white hair, who looked to be a foreigner student, walked distraught through the college's grounds, completely oblivious to the world around her as she gazed in awe at the crimson hue of the Seal's sky as well as the distant wall of midnight blue flames that marked its boundaries. Wondering why everyone around her suddenly got frozen as if under the effect of some magic spell.

That is, she did so, until she noticed the monsters, preying on the the frozen people and, at the same moment, they noticed her,causing the girl to panic and begin to run away, seeking shelter inside the nearest building, despite the fact that she couldn't outrun the four-legged creatures. Unavoidably she got stuck in the entrance of the building, trying to hide under a clerk's desk. "What is happening here? Am I having a nightmare? There's no other explanation, but all of this seems way too real... what should -" Luck wasn't on the girl's side, though as it turned out that she had been found in her cover by a creature that looked like a hideous mix of man and raven, armed with a crooked scythe. Doing the best she could do to protect herself, which was merely cross her arms before her face, the girl was ready to face her end.

The Denizen in question gave off a malicious shriek that would have chilled the blood of any human. It hacked away with its scythe in a crude manner, sending apart wooden chips and splinters from the slowly decreasing desk. Soon it would lay its blade into its prey, consuming the girl's existence and giving her a bloodless end. Or so it thought, the monster's actions brought to a lurching halt as a blade was plunged into its chest. It cried out in shock and outrage, swinging its weapon to and fro with a maddening glee before dissolving away into the flames of nothingness.

What was once creature, now stood Kiara who reached a hand out for the girl to take. Her expression was unreadable and more curious than anything else. How had a Mystes entered this domain in the first place? Unless she was a student who had been half-consumed? That didn't explain who or what had placed the Treasure Tool inside this girl, assuming it wasn't the work of the Rinne. So then...just who was this girl? Questions would have to be answered later, Kiara motioning for the girl to hurry it up lest she leave her behind. After all, the other students still needed saving.

"Hmm..." The girl wasn't even sure of what was happening anymore. If this was a dream, it was the most realistic one she ever had, all the feelings were far too acute even the faint moment of relief at having her attacker disappear before her eyes in a plume of fire not unlike the one that burned in the distant sky, only to be substituted by a mysterious girl that didn't even looked older than her, wielding some sort of contrived weapon and gesturing her to follow, without saying a single word.

Despite all these suspicious things, the girl followed Kiara, after all Kiara looked human and had saved her, it was much better than those monsters, any time. After the initial rush fueled by self preservation instincts, the white-haired girl seemed more calm, though and trailed after Kiara without resistance, only ever taking the time to ask "Would you-would you mind to tell me what's happening? This looks like a dream but, everything just feels too real. What are those monsters and why are they attacking us?" After a moment of apprehension, the girl said one last thing, before waiting for Kiara's reply, if it was going to come at all, "I'm sorry for not doing it earlier but, thank you for saving me. I'm Haruka, Haruka Yoritomo, from Japan... can you tell me your name?"

Kiara really, really, really had hoped the girl had kept her mouth shut. Because it was going to take a while to try and explain all of this. That was partially why she had said nothing to begin with and when this Haruka began to ask rapid fire, she winced. Alright, let's see here. What was the abridged version to put some logic into all of this? She wracked her brain, occasionally slicing apart any stray Denizens that got in her way before the bare basics formed in her head. Somewhat.

"Name's Kiara Bastion. As you can probably guess, this stuff usually doesn't happen a lot in America. What I can tell you is that these monsters are called Denizens and if we don't stop them soon they'll consume everyone in the school. They'll be dead...and worse," she said, hoping her tone would register just how serious this is. "Uh...let's see here...you're not in a dream, this is real, take the blue pill, all that fun stuff. The Denizens attack because they're hungry. Don't think about it too much lest you get some certain other ideas about us...oh yeah by the way, I'm what's called a Flame Haze. We hunt Denizens and...that's about it."

"I see, that certainly explains a lot. I think that I can make do with that much for the time being but, why is it that I'm the only normal person not frozen? I think that's not how this types of scenarios should play. At least not according to the common sense." Haruka said as she kept on following Kiara around, trying as best as she could to not get on the Flame Haze's way or endanger herself. "You don't need to tell me now if it's a bother, I know I may not live to see this through, it might as well be words thrown to the wind. Or something like this." By the time Haruka finished speaking, they back at the center of the courtyard, where most Rinne gathered. Also, Chiara and Seere seemed to finally have arrived (or maybe they were here even before that but fighting another battle?) and with theirs and Lucien's help the number of Denizens had been thinned considerably.

There was at least enough time for Chiara to come to Kiara and Haruka, saying "We are sorry for the delay, Unilyst, Seere and I encountered a group of Rinne preying on some humans at a crossroads nearby and had to take care of them. By the way, who's that Torch? Could it be that she's a Mystes? That would be the most unlikely of the surprises of tonight."

For her part, Kiara remained silent as she scanned the battlefield. It was good to see that more Flame Haze had arrived, otherwise this might have turned out more bloodier than expected. Crossing her arms, she nodded curtly to Chiara and Seere while letting them interrogate Haruka. As someone who didn't exactly work or communicate at large with the other Flame Hazes, Kiara was no doubt going to be getting some flack from Chiara. Well she mentally prepared herself for the snark and wit, eye twitching just in preparation alone.

"Huh? Torch... or rather, Mystes? What does this mean?" Haruka asked, wondering the meaning of Chiara's words, just before she was interrupted by a low chuckle coming from the Archer of Aurora, who was looking at Kiara with a very acid gaze... one had to wonder why, though. "Oh? Did I say something wrong, Unilyst? Or is it just because you like-" Before Chiara could finish her snarky remark, she was interrupted by her Crimson Lords, who scolded her "Oh my, Chiara. That's no way to greet an ally. We are sorry, Unilyst, sometimes things like this just happen. It's not like our small Chiara means anything bad... right?"

It was a good thing Chiara's Crimson Lords had spoken when she did because Kiara already had a swift retort planned just for her. Honestly, what was Chiara's deal with her? Sometimes she felt like the other Flame Haze intentionally picked verbal fights. Of course, Kiara was totally not in the blame as well. It wasn't like she gave off quick pot shots as well. Completely unheard of from her. She totally didn't flash Chiara a sly grin as she was scolded by her contracted.

"Well, I think it's more or less like that. I'm sorry." Chiara apologized to Kiara, before turning back to Haruka, "We'll explain everything later. Please, try to keep close to us and nothing will happen to you. I promise."

However, it would not be long before Seere's voice would cut the girls' chatter, right about the same time that a feeling of intense dread would begin to fill the whole courtyard. "Well, Ladies, I know what they say on Japan about three woman gathered in a single place but, I guess this isn't the best time for chit-chat. We seem to have a very unwelcome guest arriving just right now." And, indeed the had, as the cawing of a murder of crows coming out of nowhere would be the first herald of the being that just manifested before the Flame Haze gathered at Harvard.

"Good evening, Flame Haze, I believe that you have just found something that belongs to me. I would appreciate if you could turn the Mystes back, she has a Treasure Tool I have been seeking for centuries." The deep, imperious voice of no one other than the very target they came to hunt, the Weaver of Dreadful Legends, Shitiri, commanded as the Crimson Lord extended her hand to beckon Haruka.

"How intimidating," Kiara finally spoke up, not at all fazed by the form Shitiri had conjured up for them. She, like many others, just had to wonder...what the hell had Shitiri been reading? Seriously, all of her Rinne looked like ripoffs from a certain novel...or two...or few. Regardless of the Weaver's poor taste in monster design, Kiara stepped in front of Haruka protectively with eyes gleaming every slightly. She pointed Volunta at the mass of crows, daring for Shitiri to make a move.

"Didn't you know Weaver? If you keep losing your possessions, I don't think you can consider it yours anymore, right? I found her first, so you can think of it like this. As of this moment, Haruka Yoritomo is under my jurisdiction and mine to do with. Never let it be said a Flame Haze shies from responsibility, right? Unless you want to try and take her away from me?" she challenged with a confident grin.

The feeling of shock at Kiara's sudden words of protection, defying a Denizen that had killed countless of her Flame Haze peers over the spam of the ages, was made almost physical by the look of disbelief that everyone gave to the Unilyst of the Court. Sure, Chiara and Seere weren't going to yield as well, but fighting Shitiri and pretty much goading her to attack were two different things. Even the Weaver seemed surprise, a smirk filled with scorn being the undeniable proof that she wasn't expecting to be lectured like that but a mere Flame Haze... at least not one that wasn't at least as powerful as the Flame Haired Burning Eyed Hunter.

However, above everyone, the most shocked was Haruka, whose face was painted in a light shade of red "What are you saying? I'm yours... to protect?" It seemed that the young Mystes didn't even had the words to express her feeling of confusion. After all that happened just in a few minutes, what else could she do?

---

@ADamnFiddle

[ADamnFiddle]

[Harvard
Boston, USA
Lucien Lothringen, Defender of the Light and Seina, The Pontiff of Order]

"Tch. When did you start giving the orders?" Lucien chuckled to himself, as the young flame haze girl left to attend to another matter

Whatever the girl had left to accomplish, it was most likely important. A Flame Haze who ran away during battle would be branded as a coward and traitor, and that was a life that would not likely be what. In the event that she was a deserter, it would be obvious that even within Lucien’s mindset of enjoying cute girls, he couldn’t ignore orders and the like. But Kiara had given him a single order, and as if a dog performing for his master he was not the sort to back down from these sorts of commands.

"I guess it doesn't matter in the end. Ain't really my style to butt into another's dance. I have my own matters to attend to.”

“Completely false. You constantly are within the confines of another's problems. Even if it is to detriment of yourself, you’ll still inject your rights and wrongs right into any given situation.”

“Whatever. I have a job to do, and I am going to continue on this. After all, once a mercenary takes a job, it is bad for business to get bought off by another.”

Even after all this time, Lucien was still someone who remembered what he had done before becoming a member of the Flame Haze. A condottieri known as the 100 man slayer who was known for both being noble, as well as his brutality. As if the sides of a coin, Lucien was someone who would never go back on his word, but would give no respite for an enemy, even if that enemy had once been a friend.

After all, Lucien was not the sort to think that a life was worth much in regards to those who take up the sword. They had understood what they were getting into the moment they chose to fight, and if they were ignorant of this then it was merely their own fault rather than his own.

Kill them all, let “God” sort them out.

Simply put, he was acting in a way that would not allow the Rinne to pass an imaginary line. This line would move based on the confines of the battle, but to say the least Lucien would not let them get close to the girl. She was doing something important. Whatever it was, she had trusted Lucien to accomplish something, and he was not the sort to disappoint.

Even if it was impossible to hold the “line”, he would try his hardest to hold it for as long as he could, hopefully buying Kaira some time.

The air itself stagnated, as if anticipating a great calamity before the storm. As if the world itself began to slow down to a snail’s pace. But this fleeting moment only lasted hardly a second before the calm ceased and the storm arrived.

As if a torrent of lightning and movement, Lucien sprung into action against his oppressors. At the very least, he could clear his desired path and ensure that the “Line of division” currently laid within his head isn’t crossed. He would constantly fight against these monsters until the order to retreat is given or until they had completed their objective.

Lucien’s ability allowed him to direct and control electricity throughout his body, as if both the conductor of currents and and creator of the electricity. In addition to this, his treasure tool allowed him to be the “fastest”. At least in terms of maximum output. And because of this, his strengths were always hit-and-run type tactics. After all, one could easily dodge and strike with these sorts of traits. One either wants to kill a target in a single hit, or constantly whittle them down through tactical strikes in the event their “health pool” was higher than what his output damage could compensate for.

However, since his kit could be considered attuned for speedy hit-and-runs, holding a line could be considered something beyond his expertise. Still, he wasn’t about to back down now. After all, how could someone pass the line in the event they are dead? Dead men tell no tales, and they are not usually the types to move past lines. Usually.

The endless hoards seemed, well, endless. And not only that, Lucien also felt a painful miasma of strength where the young Flame Haze, Kaira, had went to.

Lucien wanted to go to where she was currently, but he had been given a mission by Kaira to prevent anyone from reaching her destination from this direction. Even if he wanted to help her, he had to trust his ally in order to fulfill any sort of goal. Even if she was the most green member or the most seasoned, it mattered not. If someone states they wish to accomplish an objective within the confines of the mission, that was their directive to do so. If Kaira needed assistance, she could call Lucien and he would be there within the second, overriding the former directive.

But that didn’t mean that Lucien wasn’t curious as to what was occurring in that area. Merely that he had something else to occupy his time.

“Better not die on me.”

A wish of sorts that Lucien believed. Not to say he was particularly heartless, but considering his situation, he didn’t wish to see another Flame Haze buried. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Boundaries shift, new players step in; but power always finds a place to rest its head. But it wasn’t exactly like he enjoyed seeing his fellow comrades in arms killed.

[Owlriel]

Alistair wasn’t listening to the bitter he was an enraged monster then. They’d have better luck trying to stop the denizens from eating people in the first place. Than getting Alistair to stop ripping the Denizens apart with his hands. Though when he heard about another denizen elsewhere causing far more trouble he stopped. Then turned to look at Bitter, and nodded grinning with an almost snarl. ”Yeah alright, I’ll help find the other denizen so I can rip him apart.“ ”Alright, let’s go find that other denizen.“ He turned to the newcomer. He didn’t know who she was, but listened to her.
"After they have been consumed, a human's existence ceases to be. Our job is to prevent that from happen, not avenging Torches that'll eventually disappear and be forgotten forever once they expire. Thus, we have to destroy the Rinne before they attack, after that, if we can make use of them to find and neutralize their creator, it's our obligation as guardians of the balance to do so."
Alistair looked at Farris like he’d tear her throat out. She’d dare say that infront of him? Those torches were people even if they were just the remnants they still deserved respect. But, instead of saying anything he just shoved Farris out of his way as he headed towards the terminal. Any Rinne that was stupid enough to get in his way quickly regretted it. As he’d grab them with both hands, and tore them in half. Seeing the water flooding the corridors he heard Isis. :Salt water… looks like someone was trying to have a beach party. Lets go ruin it Alistair..: Isis cackled, and Alistair sighed out a meditative breath, ”Yes madam.“ He then took off after the Rinne in the terminal using some very impressive hand to hand combat to take out any in his path. Isis was telling him the flow of water, and was following it towards the source. He threw open the doors to the Departure hall.

[TheWendil]

“Sounds like a plan, though I think you’ve got this taken care of with those soldiers of yours Herald,” the Biter responded, marveling just a little at how many her fellow Flame Haze could summon at a time. Surely she could handle this area alone while the rest went after that lurking Denizen. Lives might be lost, yes, but it was a price to pay for protecting the greater objective.

Then she saw her current partner Alastair near flay Farris while giving her a deathly look. She was about to intervene but was thankful that she need not to, the other Flame Haze calming himself down and focusing back on the mission. That kind of thinking was dangerous because they needed to be fighting Denizens, not each other.

Narrowing her eyes and giving an apologetic nod to the Herald, she rushed after Alastair. Apparently he had found the source of the water, ripping the barrier open without so much as a second thought. As a result, water flowed down heavily all around them. It wasn’t enough to flood them but it did cause a massive wave to rock them to and fro.

Back at Harvard, the situation was wrapping up to the point where the Denizens near Lucien were being destroyed one by one. Either they were just giving up or something new had appeared on the battlefield. Something bigger and that something was none other than the Weaver herself, being confronted by Kiara.

There was nothing keeping Lucien back from going to her and meeting up with the other Flame Haze. At least that way a joint effort could be made to fight back. Despite her status as a Crimson Lord, even this many Flame Haze in one room had to make her sweat.

---

@Gilgex, @ADamnFiddle, @KoL, @Scholar

[Demous]

Sayuri sighs as she gazed out over the city from her perch on one of the numerous skyscrapers in the city. She was keeling with arms rested on her legs swaying with the strong winds that buffeted her and the building. From here she could easily see both Fuzetsu covering both the college and airport. She just sits there silently observing what was going on by sensing what was happening from her location. She waits for several minutes before Irene speaks up, "What are you doing Sayuri? Are you going to go down there and help the other Flame Haze out or not? I know we were just passing through but if you're going to stop why not help?"

It's another minute before Sayuri responds, "I would but from here it feels like they have things pretty well taken care of. Besides I'm not in the mood for any unnecessary trouble that might arise due to my arrival. Unless something happens that we need to worry about or there is a sudden terrible shift in the battle I'm going to just stay up here and watch. Not like it's our territory anyways..."

Irene Hums at the response but doesn't say anything. Sayuri stands up and stretches her arms above her head before a sudden feeling hits both Sayuri and Irene coming from the college, "This feeling... Who is it?"

"Shitiri... Her appearance never means anything good. Sayuri go down there right now as fast as you can. We must know what she's up too. looks like we may need to be staying here awhile."

Sayuri nods, "If you say so Irene. Let's go," stepping forward she drops off the building and activates the seal on her back causing two large dragon wings to sprout from her back. Using them she catches the wind and begins gliding off toward the college at incredible speeds. When she enters the fuzetsu she slows down enough to determine where the Flame Haze and Shitiri were before swooping down and landing in a the courtyard a safe distance away, "So that's this Shitiri you were talking about Irene? She doesn't look remarkable from here."

[KoL]

Farris Aran

"Indeed, leave this area for me. The others will need more assistance." Farris said to the Biter, as she and the Terracotta Soldiers worked to dispatch the Rinne taht remained, leaving at least a few full ones to tag after, once the matter was dealt with. "And try to keep the Caretaker away from the full Rinne, finding the Weaver is our priority, not taking care of Torches. Actually, with this many around, the most sensate thing to do would be destroy some of them before the world's balance is disrupted. If only someone like the Chanter of Elegies were here, doing that would be so much easier."

At the Departure Hall, a deluge of salt water came form the doors that Alister had just carelessly pushed, threatening to drag him in the torrent, if he couldn't get a hold of something. At that same time, a voice said "Fool, you fell right on my trap, the one set by me, Ahab, the Jaws of the Depths!" A Denizen, yelled as he dashed right past Alistair, surfing the tidal wave with ease. On his way out, the Denizen tried to chomp at Alister, and pretty much barreled through the Biter, if nothing was done it would reach the Bay soon enough and probably be impossible to track again.

Back on Harvard, the Weaver lifted an eyebrow at Kiara's defiance (the arrival of yet another Flame Haze, this time Sayuri, didn't even fazed her), just as her Rinne began to retreat, disappearing in plumes of midnight blue flame, leaving Lucien to gaze at a stark emptiness. "You have a very sharp tongue for such feeble being, my dear Flame Hazes. I wonder if you'll remain as defiant after gazing at the abyss of your own fears." The Weaver produced a ball of flames on her hand and threw it at Kiara and Sayuri, a simple Unrestricted spell to have the target's hidden fears take physical form however, there was something strange, the amount of power Shitiri used no, her very presence was too weak for such a dreaded Crimson Lord. What kind of trick did the Weaver of Dreadful Legends had up her sleeve?

---

@Demous, @ADamnFiddle, @Gilgex, @Scholar, @TheWindel.
*: Sorry again for the delay.