They were supposed to have reached Falcon's Nest by now. The operative term being supposed. Instead, they'd diverted two days' away from the city upon seeing a Valheimr airship landed near an otherwise unassuming hill. A hill that Selene and Eos had promptly informed Esben that contained a major spiritual presence: most likely another Eidolon.

Skael possessed two Eidolons to its name: the Eidolon of Ice, Saint Shiva. And of Wind, Garuda. And Saint Shiva's sacred ground was widely known to be far south of here, near Solitude. By simple deduction, only one conclusion could be reached.

They'd made double time afterwards, pushing on to the hill. The Kirins were halfway up before the sights and sounds of combat could be heard, gales of wind clashing against gouts of flame. And interspersed between were...bursts of light? Considering what had happened with Ramuh and Leviathan, was Cid already present?

There wasn't any further time to contemplate the matter, however. Two dozen Valheimr blackhelms charged down the hill, having evidently detected the party at last.

"Hold them back!" The apparent officer in command screamed, brandishing a gunblade. "We need more time until the operation is complete!"

Needing no further prompting, Izayoi hunched down for her sword, that unholy gleam returning to her eyes as it always did when faced with men of Valheim.

"Hold," the young swordsman called to the rest of Team Kirin, lowering the visor of his great helm as he stepped forward to the head of their rough line drawn along the hillside. He'd caught the malicious gleam in Izayoi's gaze when the Valheimr infantry had crested the rise, and knew it was doubtless mirrored on at least a couple faces behind him. He didn't have an issue with the sentiment, being so beholden to a charging instinct of his own—

But another pillar of flame rose in the distance, echoed by a howling wind. They were right to tail the airship once they'd spotted it here, even after having already been behind schedule— after the corruption that had befallen Famfrit, as well as the interference with both of Drana Asnaeu's Eidolons, it would be outright lunacy to ignore a flight path that bore straight down onto the holy ground of Garuda. The arctic winds of Skael were harsh and biting enough by half even before the prospect of being turned against the land entered the fray.

His palm closed around the dull, earthen orb that had settled into his materia pouch during their forced march south, and he waited, measuring distance, speed, angle, and step. They didn't have a moment to spare bogged down by this lot, so if he could spend a half-second now...

There.

He could knock off at least half a minute total.

The closest of the blackhelms had to catch himself as the angle of the earth beneath the snowfall changed and his downward momentum slipped out of his hands— the cue Rudolf was waiting for. He flooded the Quake Materia with aether, enough to loosen and jostle the earth beneath the invaders' feet at the front of their line. The men in the lead staggered or fell,¹ and the men behind them suddenly had to fight to not crash into them in one big pileup, stifling their charge at the very least—

Pulling Anders's Greatsword free, the black man-at-arms dropped his weight forward, almost in a sprinter's stance as flecks of tenebrous cinder caught in the icy wind that buffeted at the profaned plate, clearing accumulated rime as they went.² His voice sounded again, releasing the tension waiting had built up like an arrow from a bow.

"Alright, go!"

And then he was off, his and all their charges very much unhindered as they fell upon the Valheimr like wolves.

---

---

• _{1. All that buildup, just for the exact same ideas to manifest. It's like Gravity never left. You're that guy that that always plays a Battlemaster and always picks Trip Attack. It's a "working system", don't get me wrong, but so are taxes, bean counters, subsistence farming, and rules of three.}
• _{2. Not just for the aesthetics of it, this is me contributing a little to upkeep on top of the regular oiling and all that, like good roommates taking out the trash of their own volition before we have to bust out a chore list that half of them are too fundamentally fucking illiterate to adhere to anyway.}

One day she was going to be surprised that the Valheimr troops had beaten them somewhere but… maybe not until they went to Edren? That hadn't fallen yet and wasn't as inherently open as her home. Besides, this was kind of the entire reason that they were down in Skael right now, so…

As Rudolf brought the front lines crashing down, Miina raised the sword-catalyst in her working arm, the first spell already lazily spilling from her lips: "Thundara."

The pain from before had faded to a dull tingle, barely a reminder that she was even doing anything, and with the modifications to the sword it was easier than ever. Tripping over themselves, there was no way they could avoid the lightning crackling across their armour, digging in and shocking them. She could just cast again, and again–

"Th–"

But the small redhead cut herself off, concern running through her, tingling more than the echo of the first spell ever did. Should she, though? Could she let herself get carried away just because their opposition was so obviously weak? Last time she had, and Ellie had been shot in the back for their troubles. Last time, she got so absorbed in healing to the best of her abilities that she wasn't able to step in with the Behemoth until it was too late.

No, no, one would do. And wait. Watch. If she got caught up in the ease and flow of casting, got forced to do something drastic again… what was next? Her other arm? Or would she just burn away from the inside?

Valheim's dogs.

That's really all I need to know.

Of course I can infer what they're doing, given the location. Of course I can guess at their motivation. But ultimately, what matters mot is what follows.

That is, destroying them right here and now.

They're focused on the others, so I can take full advantage of their inattention to me. I haven't moved yet, after all.

I step back. There's no particular cover in this location, but for an Asakura Shinobi that is only a fleeting concern.

They won't see me until it is too late. Of that, I'm completely certain.

One step.

I pick my target. He's on the edge of their formation, raising his weapon at the more obvious attackers. He does not see me. He will never see me.

Two steps.

My fingers curl around my sword's hilt. I must admit, I am thankful to Shilage-san for ensuring my access to the smithy. While my tools did most of the work regardless, there was still further access to equipment that ensured my edge was perfectly keen.

Three steps. My free hand reaches into my pack. Simply killing one target isn't enough, I have to inflict as much damage with my surprise attack as possible. This means disrupting their formation as well as killing or injuring the maximum number of targets I am capable of.

Four steps---

My blade flashes. He turns, but his gaze doesn't find me in time. The silver moonlight in my hands reaches him first.

The last sound that leaves his lips is a sharp, sudden gasp as my sword's tip finds the gap in his armor between shoulder and neck, biting through any material in the way, parting flesh, and piercing clear through to the other side.

I plant one foot on his hip as he stumbles. He's going to fall, but allowing him to just die on his own isn't enough. He's going to become a weapon, now, too.

The bomb I drew from my bag ignites in an instant, and as the dying Valheimr gurgles on his own blood I plant it firmly into his armor and push off.

He stumbles, staggers, colliding with another of the butchers as he falls, and---

---

Back in his armor, and business as usual. Galahad hummed as the line of Valheim infantry crossed the ridge to charge at them. Galahad shifted in his armor, unconsciously checking his repaired armor's fit one last time. Despite the man being... well, piss drunk most of the time, the blacksmith actually did decent work, and Galahad's armor was not good as new, but nearly, which was more than he could've hoped for, honestly. He lowered his halberd and pulled the protective cloth off of its blade as he watched the first steps of action. Individually, the Valheim solders were not that much of a threat. But there were two dozen of them charging their number.

"It was very helpful of the officer to let us know some larger operation is happening." Galahad remarked as he took a few steps forward. "Though I gathered that something was happening... needless to say, we ought wrap this up quickly." He said.

Galahad took a few running steps forward before dirt kicked up beneath his feet as he launched himself into the air. Somehow, this felt more familiar- like his days back during the Edren-Osprey war. Doing what he normally did- targeting officers. He leaped clear over the charging line of Valheimr blackhelms, catching himself as he crested in the air. He reared his halberd back and angled his fall directly for the officer, bringing his halberd down as he dropped out of the sky.

---

"Selene, Eos. Any idea what they're trying here? Something like Famfrit, or do we think they're trying to replace Siren a little more directly?"

Valheimer soldiers fell upon each other as Rudolf and Miina unleashed their respective magical attacks, Galahad leaping straight for their leader and Chisato already diving into the middle to execute those who couldn't notice her in time; no doubt, Izayoi was moments away from the same. And in that same moment...

The fairies looked at him helplessly, shrugging their little arms. Predictable. "Éliane, cover me, would you?" he bid the last member of their party to still be standing next to him. "Selene, double time." Without waiting for a response from either, he darted off, veering wide of the melee breaking out directly ahead.

"Got it!" His sprint picked up in speed with Selene and Eos flying next to him, nearly gliding over the half-frozen ground as he bypassed the beleaguered blackhelms that were being dispatched by the other Kirins. Between the two fairies, the extra materia he had gotten, his own weapons and skill, and how quickly the others would likely catch up, he figured he was as safe as he'd ever been while traveling with them. And, if they were supposed to be held back until 'the operation' was complete, rushing up to try and disrupt it seemed as good an attack as any.

Especially when he punctuated his rapid arrival with pistol fire towards whichever Valheimer invader seemed to be in charge of what was happening at the hilltop.

---

The uncontested presence of Valheimian regulars –and especially an airship—felt more like a blow to Éliane than actually getting hit. Intellectually, she knew that the radio silence from Solitude, combined with the betrayal from Loki meant that the command, control, communications and intelligence of her country was deep compromised. Seeing it in the form of her enemies conducting operations like this was nearly too much, especially knowing what they were likely trying to do.

She had her gunblade out within moments, a first shot already cracking out moments after leaving its sheathe to fell an offending Valheimian soldier. Around her, the Kirins were already springing into action. For a frustrating moment, Esben flanked hard around the action by himself, but she quickly understood what he was trying to do.

“I’m following you in!” she announced, firing off another shot before she took an accelerated, bounding leap, courtesy of her replacement wind materia. The pink-haired Skaelan slashed out and kicked aside a man that had put himself between her and her path, blood spraying as her blade found its mark. Another bullet found its way into the back of a soldier that had turned and aimed at her fellow countryman. For good measure, she stabbed that soldier in the back too.

Indeed, it didn’t take long for Éliane to catch up to Esben. As he fired at whatever officer was atop the hill, she immediately scanned the vicinity, clearing out an remaining soldiers in the area with cracks from her gunblade. There weren’t any words needed; as if by sleight of hand, a hand grenade appeared in her free hand even as she joined Esben in firing at the offending foreigner. Without ceremony, she lobbed it at the airship, aiming for maximum disruption. Hopefully it was all enough.

Weeks upon weeks of facing the worst that Valheim, the Blight, and the Eidolons could muster had forged the Kirins into a unit that an ordinary platoon of men stood little chance facing. Their collective efforts decimated the Valheimr ranks, with Izayoi scything through the last few even as their leader fell from gunshots. There wasn't any time to waste. Clearly, Valheim didn't want them near Garuda. With few words spoken afterward, the party pressed on uphill.

At the summit, they beheld a large, humanoid birdlike creature facing off against what appeared to be...Ifrit? If it were bipedal and far more humanlike, at the very least. The impersonator of the Eidolon of Fire had Garuda clenched in its hands and slammed against the ground, choking the life out of the Eidolon of Wind as aether flowed from the latter to the former. If Eve and Siren were any indications beforehand, this pseudo-Ifrit was almost certainly another one of Valheim's mad projects.

And before them stood a man, clad in dark armor, a rich purple cape, and a horned helmet terrifying to behold. A great slab of metal that served as a sword stood planted in the ground next to him as the figure turned, having seemingly been overseeing the battle. Around the edge of the hill and near the airship stood several more Valheimr soldiers, weapons lowered as they beheld the brawl between Eidolons.

"Ah, and you would be Reisa's killers." He turned in full, with little care for Garuda's anguished screams in the background behind him. "Were she my direct subordinate, I would owe you a debt of blood. But as it stands, I can be satisfied with delaying you." One hand thrust his cape out, issuing orders to his men.

"Start the airship, and secure Hellfire aboard once he's finished absorbing Garuda. The enemy won't be adding another Eidolon to the forces they can muster. I will ensure our escape personally." His other hand reached for his massive greatsword, hefting it up easily with one hand.

"Now come, Warriors of Light! I, Garland, will knock you all down!" Earthen aether formed in his free hand as he roared, and the Valheimr general slammed that palm down into the ground, sending a Quake spell cascading towards the Kirins as a group.

There was the catch. Another one of Valheim's commanders, and this one essentially a mirror to Rudolf at that. Of course they couldn't just kill the soldiers and put a stop to it. No, instead there was another obstacle. Not that one man should stand up to seven of them, but...

Being a mirror to Rudolf, he even picked the same trick but the red mage was pleased to see that. Quickly sheathing her sword, Miina dropped down to all three working limbs and rode out the shaking ground. Now, while she was still hidden by the rest of the team and the pile of bodies: "Invis, Silence."

Once again, not what the latter was meant to do, but that was besides the point. All Miina needed to do was stay undetected long enough to get around their enemy and achieve their real goal while stopping his. She'd leave the fighting to everyone else, and hopefully someone would notice what she was trying and provide a distraction so Garland didn't have time to think hard about the small disappearing figure.

Now – go!

For a moment, he saw it. For a moment, his eyes were not here.

A silhouette, black and terrible, standing against a field of flame the massive sword in hand seemed to drink in greedily. Walking antumbra, a horn-bearing demon, wings of black sheath billowing outward, carried by the roaring inferno. In his ears were waves, waves, waves from some abyss, staring back at him. Two sides of a coin, or perhaps a mirror. It was a folded thing, twisted upon itself, end over beginning over end, until it seemed unbound, unknowable. Dissolution. Pandaemonium. Chaos. Darkness Manifest.¹

The waves rumbled, and with a flinch, Rudolf returned to the place he had not left as Garland bellowed his challenge. The knight's voice carried across the field like rolling thunder, and Rudolf was forced to about face from whatever that was to the immediate concern before them, the man that stood between them and the dueling eidolons, slamming a palm to the frozen g—

Shit, that was Quake!

Rudolf's hand flew towards the materia he had drawn only moments before as he recognized the telltale scent of earth upon the swell of aether in the opposing knight's gauntlet—

Won't work, too strong, too swift. A spike through his mind warned, tingling with an unease that Rudolf had already forced himself to bury. That was right— no glint of materia to explain the surge of aether. That drew a stricken growl from beneath the helm. Of course, naturalborn magic atop all that armor, the sword, and the presence he wore about him that Rudolf could match to that of a dangerous beast, even at this distance! Of course he couldn't leverage his materia to counteract that kind of guy!

The Valheimr troops beneath Garland's command scrambled to start their airship back up— whatever absorption their "Hellfire" gambit was running had to be close at hand, then— they needed to interrupt it as quick as possible. That meant a few things needed to happen in the next handful of seconds, all contingent on one another.

The cracking earth was here, and Rudolf rammed his dagger down to set as good an anchor point for himself as he could muster. He dropped to a knee as the snow split, his footing gave, and stone slammed into him, but it was more stable than being completely bowled over. His other hand had already halfway drawn the materia before he'd realized he couldn't meet Garland's Quake with his own— but in lieu of destructive interference, he could go for the next most important target, and at least even the field a little!²

"You heard the man, sounds like Garuda's the priority!" he shouted to the Kirins, roaring over the rumble of the shaking earth as he drove a Quake of his own down through the Rondel, the stored spell splitting out from the epicenter beneath them. Visibly weaker, it nonetheless surged forth in the wake of Garland's opening strike, aimed not at the Valheimr general... but past him, below the feet of the pseudo-Ifrit. If he could destabilize that thing, she'd have something closer to a fighting chance, enough for Miina and the other Kirins—!

But only if they had a clear shot to help her, first. He had to keep the blackhelm as occupied as he could, for as long as he could.

The materia returned home as it was spent. In its' place the greatsword was drawn again, and an oath to Himstus passed unheard, save by one. Then, the smaller of the black knights grit his teeth, summoned power into his legs, and wrenched himself forward into a lunging slash, low and heavy and damned hard to ignore as it chewed through the space between them.

Even with the recent additions to his arms and armor, he hardly welcomed the prospect of locking himself into an extended melee if it involved the frankly ridiculous butcher's knife Garland had just hoisted without overmuch issue— so he had to keep him on the backfoot as much as possible, overwhelm his reactions, abuse tempo as much as he could! Keep him reacting defensively, minimize his chances to about face and hit the others with that thing!

And when he inevitably swings back on you...³

---

---

• _{1. Wait. What?}
• _{2. Not for nothing, but it's cosmically very funny that you guys are thinking the same right now. That this is just you if you weren't short. So, again, what was that. That wasn't me.}
• _{3. You have an answer for this now. An answer that isn't "go two-on-one and say a prayer. Because that thing is huge.".}

---

Éliane didn’t like anything she saw at the summit, but there was little that she could immediately do about half of it. Especially when it was her country and countrymen these foreigners were messing with. What she could do something about was the barbarian scum that had so graciously offered himself as a target for the Kirins to vent their displeasure at. In such a position, there was little that she found intimidating about the man aside from other obstacle for her to deal with.

“This piece of shit…! Cover me!”

With a roar of anger, she leapt at the man, boosting herself with her materia to accelerate her drive and launch her in the air simultaneously. Serendipitously, it allowed her to avoid the quake spell in its entirety as she imitated a dragoon’s dive at a far shallower angle. Éliane wasted no time in firing at him from above with her gunblade before landing right atop him with her weapon, striking out with a rapid stab first at his hand still on the ground, and then at the perceived weaknesses in his armor.

It was an obvious blitz attempt, and with her lack of substantial armor, she immediately broke contact after that, leaping backwards but not before leaving him a parting gift as she wedged a grenade between the gaps in the metal plates.

---

Eos and Selene both gasped in shock, seeing the mutant Valheimer project trying to crush and siphon the life away from Garuda. For beings so intimately tied to æther as the fairies and other spirits, seeing the twisted creations from overseas attempt to feast on the Eidolons themselves was likely nothing short of existentially terrifying. For a moment, Esben wondered if it was similar to the revulsion he felt seeing physical, mortal life twisted to whatever Valheim could create. Eve was fine, for the most part, likely thanks to the fact that she wasn't some indoctrinated Valheimer servant—but this 'Hellfire' had left whatever their old form was far behind, and a living corpse like Siren was beyond abhorrent.

Whether they could stop these invaders from escaping wasn't the major question in his mind; one team of Kirins, without Eve's megaflare, did not have much to bring against an airship trying to run. If there was one thing that Valheim had proven very good at so far, it was running. Stopping them from managing to absorb Garuda was the current objective. He fell back as Izayoi, Galahad, and Rudolf rushed up, bracing himself against Garland's quake. As it passed, he heard the slight whisper of Miina behind him, casting spells on herself, and whispered back: "Dispelja. Like Isolde and Leviathan, remember? I'll apologize to Garuda later."

It was a gamble, but if Miina could dispel Garuda entirely, then this pseudo-Ifrit would probably react about as well as Eve had when she was caught up in the spell as well. Worse, possibly, if this mutant's alterations were more dependent on the connection to Ifrit than their former companion's purpose-grown body. "Eos, Selene, see if you can mess up Hellfire's supper, please. Maybe make him feel a bit sick? Chisato, go help them with that!"

The fairies rushed off, flying over everybody's heads in much the same way Éliane just had, flinging their spells at Hellfire. Doubtful that they would do much damage themselves, but if it could give Garuda a moment to fight back before Miina could hopefully free her with a quick dispel, or if it could make that dispel hurt all that much more for Hellfire, it would be more than worth it. With that in mind, he turned his attention back to Garland, eyes locking onto the grenade Éliane had wedged into the space between two of his armour plates.

Might as well try a similar trick to what they'd done to Reisa back in Kugane. He raised his pistol, firing at the grenade in hopes of setting it off before the Valheimer general could toss it back or shake it out.

Izayoi grit her teeth as she slammed the tip of her sword into the ground, using it as a crutch to brace herself from the Quake spell destabilizing her. By the time she'd pulled herself together, Miina had already disappeared and Rudolf engaged, the latter lunging forward as swiftly as he could to strike Garland...!

...Only for the dark knight to catch Rudolf's blow on the flat of his enormous blade, the golden glow of his helmet's eyes regarding the young man for a moment before a gauntleted fist lashed out. Garland's free hand smashed into Rudolf's helm, knocking the man to the ground and leaving him concussed.

Eliane's rapid dive and gunfire were met with swift, economical motions of the immense cleaver, Garland using it as a shield against her gunfire before parrying her thrusts. The grenade was left within a gap between his pauldron and arm, and Esben's shot detonated it before the general could react, engulfing him in an explosion that revealed the entire pauldron knocked clean from his body once the smoke cleared, as well as smoking shrapnel sticking out of the side of his helmet. Garland raised his sword and started forward, only to be forced to parry a trio of Izayoi's strikes, smashing the flat of his sword into her stomach and launching her backward the way she came.

"Impressive." He allowed, taking a moment to survey his ruined armor. "I see now how you defeated my Empire's gross misuse of funds, materiel, and research, and Reisa beside." Garland paused, evaluating the Kirins once more. "...There were more of you." A casual swipe of his hand, and a storm of ice rained down upon the space between himself and the grappling Eidolons, clearly intent on catching out any of those that tried to sneak past him. Having rushed in first, Selene and Eos took the brunt of the spell, barely managing to get their casts off before the Blizzaga crashed into them, dissipating their forms for the time being. For their part, Miina and Chisato were faced with the choice between falling back or facing near-certain damage.

As this occurred, Izayoi pushed herself up to her feet, cluching where the blunt strike had impacted her gut with a glower. That exchange and Rudolf's state led her to a single conclusion, in no uncertain terms.

"Have a care!" She ground out, hunching down and preparing an iai strike. "His strength matches my-" The samurai cut herself off before she could say "master". Not anymore. Not in that abominable half-life. "-the encounter from the desert! With sanity intact and magic, to boot!" In that context, it was almost unfair how much natural talent could be placed within one mortal frame. Nevertheless, she surged forward again, yelling as she leapt into the air.

"Lightning in front of my position, now!"

Fall back or be shredded by a storm of ice and push on towards the actual goal. It was a very simple choice when it came down to it: victory was stopping Valheim from getting what they wanted and she wasn't about to lose to the invaders or let them destroy even more than they already had. Such as, say, be siphoning all the aether from an Eidolon and binding it into another construct of theirs.

She'd rather not destabilise magic even further.

–Which meant that her clothes and armour had to hold up against something they weren't really meant for. Sure, she was geared for cold weather, but this was much more than that. It hurt, even if her ruined nerves meant it was only distantly, and a glance down showed blood. Lots of it. Not enough to be incapacitating, though. She ought to be able to heal in a minute, so long as he didn't have free reign to turn around and launch another one of those at her.

Of course, invisibility was less useful when you were leaving a trail of red too, so… she had to push herself the rest of the distance. Now she just had to… well, Miina bad been thinking Dispel. She knew that, could use that, without problem. The area version, though? Like the largest offensive spells, the one she'd just foolishly pushed through, the Mystrel didn't know how to do that properly. She needed more time to work out what separated them from their lower tier counterparts, there ought to be more than just flooding the area with the same pattern of aether repeated again and again…

But she had a catalyst now, didn't she? Oh, it wouldn't make this feasible, it was still going to be almost the limit of her abilities and contribution – but it made it faster, everything flowed smoother. And that's exactly what she needed, it would be fast.

"Dispelja."

Hopefully that would be enough; she couldn't do it again. And fuck, she'd caught herself too, revealing one more-red-than-normal mage sunk to one knee.

Metal rang against metal at the summit, and Rudolf grit his teeth as the twin points of yellow of the Valheimr general's helm crossed paths with enshrouded bronze beneath his visor, holding for a moment's search. Even for all the training he had thrown himself at, the dozens of hard-fought battles he had survived... all that work that had forged Rudolf into what he now was still found itself wanting. It was like striking a steel wall.

That mighty cleaver didn't budge, even with the full force of the lunge he'd taken to deliver the swing. He could feel it through the edge, despite his own straining— he wasn't going to overwhelm this man with brute force. Even now, such was folly— but he didn't need to overpower Garland on his own, either, necessarily. So long as he kept him occupied, and forced more of this stonewall defense out of him, he could close down the opportunities to impede the others from assisting Garuda, the real priority here.

So he just needed to keep the pressure up, and leverage what advantages he did have over the bigger knight. If not strength, then surprise.

Beneath the occluded, almost-noon skies of Sakel, Shadows began to pool at the two combatants' feet, dimming beneath the clash of their blades—¹

A shift in Garland's shoulder, the flash of the tropics screaming through Rudolf's somatic memory a mere instant too late—

—And then, his ears exploded with the sound of a ringing, keening bell of heavy bronze, and the unshaded snow rushed up to meet his visor, filling his field of view with fragmentary white. He was on the ground, pain blossoming in a warm, fuzzy knot between helm and temple, leaking down the side of his face. He could hear the rumble of the voice overhead after a thunderclap, surely in Garland's timbre, but not the words themselves.

Iron. Iron in his mouth. blood? Probably. He was in a fight, after all. He needed to rise. His body. He needed it to respond. Didn't he have help?

.
.
T̲̬͚͇̫̭̬̻̗͙́͂͗́̅̉͞͝h̷̡̧̗̲̰͈͎͒̀̅̾̓́̒͞i̦̙̼̞̜̗͔̪̻͊̓̂̂̊̍́̒š̢̧̧͈̻͖͔̦̪̦͌̀̌̏ i̢̫͙̜̬̰̳̊̊̆̀̈̀s͈̘̰̿̎̒͑͘͘͢ͅ b̶͉̜̹͚͚̣̯͍̈́̔̓̏̃̊̒̾̀͟͟ã̡̭̯͚̰̖̂͑̉̀͌̈́̐́͠d̶̢̨̡͉̯̳̞̻̽̈̍̃̅͜ͅ.̷̨̯̭̩̰̐̋̄̆́̊̕͢ Ī͖̯̭̙̲͔͒̈̑͒̽͗͞ c̴͙͖̣̜͎̯͉̱̫͗̆̾̄̄̕͜͡a̶̟̣͓͔̹͙͉͔̿̍̒̀̆͋͆̐͛̎n̵̡̡͓̣̫̬̬̟͒̽̋̒́͞ t̵̥͎̠̲̤̫̠̔̋̓̐̂̓ḩ̶̣̺̠̝͕́̌̓̄̈̈͞ͅͅi̡̧̤̙̲̖̠̼̰̥͌̈́̀̐̚̕͝ń̖͎̙̔̀̈̒͐͑̚͢͜ḱ̶̢̻̰͖̙͓̪̐́͒͛͟͟͡ c̷̡̫͈̳̜͙͔͓͂͂̒́̔͗̕͟͢l̛̛̹̪͓̱͎̯̺͆̃̎́̆̊̂̐ẽ͉̖͕͈̣̅̈́͒́̽̇̋̔͌á̵̧̧̱̠͈͙͙̲͓͐̎̾͑̇̊̕͢͝ŗ̷̢̻̠͙͕̯̫̘̌̈̌̇̅͌ļ̶̪̣̬͓̞͙͖̬̅͒͌̆̂̚͢y̨̢̲̭̭͓̥͗́̀͘̚,̶̨̛̫͈̰̰̝̮̝̆̈̒̄̈̑̚ͅ b̨̨̫͍̟̬̦̙̬̈̓͑͟͡͞ū̸̫̣̖̼͇́̄̿́̅͠͠ͅt͔̯̭̖͖̭͚͐̾̄̊͜͝͝ Ȋ̯̝͇̻̔̄͌͜͠ c̘̗͇̙̝̯̖̟̹̠̀̽̍̄͛á̧̠̪̮̖̣̪͔̬̆̆̓̊̓̔͢n̝̹͍̯͍͍͌̃̍͋͢͝͝ͅ'̷̮͓̞̝̘̏̆̓̈́̀͞t̥̮͈̭̹̘̩͕͔͉̃̉͒̉̍̀̕͡͝ s̸͍̲̟͋̽̍̊̚͟͟e̛̪̲̰̮̠͕͓̎̍̓͒̈́ḙ̤̹̼͒̓̓̆̀͟ ő͕͉̯͓̹́̓̀̔̆̀͡͡͠r̢̧̧̤͔̩̠̯͓̔̆͐̃̽͡ f̞̝̹̖̰̹̎͑͂̍̑͢ę̷͓͕͖̦͚̠̘̮̌̓́̏̈́͡͡ě̡̢̖̞̖̜̣̥̼̃̿̈̃͒̋̓͢l̬͓͖̙̗̫̰̪̥̊́͒̾̐͋͐͜͞͠͠ a̷̱̘̖͍͈̺̿̔̽̈́̂n̢̳̞̞̞̫͐̀́̃͛͝͞y̨̠̩̥̘̯̪͙̪͍̍̃͆̇͗̔͑́̊̂ b͚̬̮̞̪̙̩̋̿̀̊̄͗͆̿͞ę̢̳̠̬͙̪̤͎̘̑̌͆͗͆́͒̏͞t̴͍̞̺͖̪̼̮̤̓͗͊͛͗̑͟͝t̫͓͎̝̬̪̻̫̗̉̈̋̋̐̆̐̕͢͞͡ȩ̧͇̯̬͚͗́̂̀̋̊̓̀̇͐͜r̸̻̜̠͚̦͍͇̗̽͒̊̔̓̌̽͊͠͠ t̢̧̘͇̲͍̟̙̣̔̐̒͒̀́̿̕͟ḩ̠̝̦͎̞̱͆́̅͒͌͘͜a̢̘̩̳͉̬̙̓̌̒̒̇̀̈́̀͆ͅͅn̴̦̤̗̝͔̱̎̉͂̽̕͘͘͠͡͠ y̡̫͉͇̞̳͊́͌͂͊͂ớ̭͎̪̳̙͖͂́͒̀̔̿̆͋͜ù̸͚̰̖̺̭̼̯̻̆͛́̅͘̕͝ c̛̱̗̞̥̗̼͆̊̌̓̏̔͊̽a̷̢̰̤̟̣͑̊̄͋̊͆̎͟͡n̴̨̛͉̪̰̻͂̃̊̀͑́͌͝.͍̗̹̺͎̥̠̇̅̔͑́̈́ Ḫ̷̢̘̣̹̠̹͎͔͌͛̿͐̉͊͢͡͞e̵̩̦̠̦̙͛̉́͠͠ g̨͈͓̩͎̼̗̣͖̐̈́̆̋̈͑̾̋͜ǫ̛̛͖͖̬̦̮͐̎̑͊̉̾̔͒͢͟ţ̴̨̮̬̯̟̽̐͂͊̍̾̉̕͘ m̸̧͙̟̺̣̮̭͈̩̑̈́͛̔̈́̎̓͐̕͜͝ë̢̛̪̣̘͎́̔͐̈̍͆̑͋͝ p̡̳͇͎̻͈̤̽̇̐̀̈́̃̄̊̿͢r̷̺͖̲͙̪͇͗͋͐͊̈́̋̌͘͟͠͠ȩ̷̧͉̩̳̪͎̯̯̔̓̃̔̚̚͝t̴̟̘̗͍̾̑́̋̒̓̇̐͗͋͟t̵̫͎̱̤͓̞͚͉͋̓͆͡͞y̼͈͇͍̎͆͌̊̿͢ g̢̧̢̛̻̬̯̺̻͖͇̔̿̓̈́͑o̴͚̬̪͕̹̟͛̇̿̍̔͌̚͟ơ̵͖̲̖̟̥̐͊͒̑̕͜d͕̤̺̝̮̘̈̿͗̀͌̿͘͢͝ͅͅͅ,̸̧̗͚̞̳͙͓̗͒͒̑̍̌̽̓͝͠ͅ b̢͎̤̟̬̝͍̰̫͔͗͑̋̆̀͊͠ų̵̛̠̳̲̜̲̀̊͗̽͟͜͜͢t̨̧̮̬̤̅̑̉̔͌̕͞ y̧̧̨͉̝̤̻̦̣͆̏̄̀̀̂̓́̈͝o̙͍̟̦̘̺̬͌͌̋̿̌͛̓ư̧͉̣̼̝̠̪̫̣͈̆̎͊́̈́̃̚'̯̙̬͚͎͙͊̋̏̐͆̋͛͢d̞͉̫̳̲̰̰̋̑́̂͌̕ͅ ḃ̝̺̰̫̣̾̍̾̾͛̒̀̔͜e̴̡̨̝͍̪͓̙͎̖͋̓̒̕͝t̢̡̳̹͖̖̿̉̈͆͠ţ̧̱̭͈̪̞̓̐̂̏̽̋ͅȩ̛̯͚̜̟͍̩̲̹̳̃͋̑̿r̢̲̤̘̻̣̘̙͓͈̾͊̓̏̚͞͠ ṇ̴̛̗̤̤͈̬͂̽̈́̂ǫ̴̢̛̮̥͈̩̲̼̒͑̀̊̾̽ẗ̴̫̞̯͓̤̖̻́̈́̃͛͆̆̂̕ ď͖͇̠̗̯͔̑̍̄̀̒̑͠i̢̨̙͕̯̫͖͓̫̤͒́̑̀̃̽̔̿͋e̷̡͙̱͈͍̹̾̒̄̓͘̕͜ h̵̨̛̛̯̮̦̜̙̦͌̈̈͂̕͠͡ě̡̢̛̺̪̬̠̭̓̿̃͋̀̚͢ŕ̮̬̩̺̰͈̦̬́̉̍̓̚e̷̟̘̰̩͇͛̃̿̈́͗̈̌̚,̴̡̲̰̩̞̲͇̖̔̄̂̒͒̑ b̵̨͎̬͕̬̮̘́̄̏̽̇̓̑͜͡͝r̸̠̦͎̫̣͒̍͊͆̊́̓̉̀̍ͅą̵̠̣͙͕̪̩̤̾̄͋͐͊͆͛͞͝ṯ̶͈̬̗̞̣̰̥̓͌͑́͒̍͜͠.̡̲̙̳͙̲̾̈́̀͆̿̊͑͑̕ͅ Ú̶̟̰͉̠̯̏̇̏̃̊̿ͅp̸̢̫͚͈̯̘̽͆̃̉̉.̶͕̜̺̙̭͒͋̾̉̀̌̇̍̚͘
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.²

Bell rung, no doubt about it. Now he and Esben were in the same boat— they'd have to mutually agree to never tell Lene about eachothers' respective brain trauma. He grit his teeth, forcing will to flood his limbs and reorder them. The act drove a spike through the side of his head, but he could thank his helm for one thing, at least: It had absorbed the force of the blow well enough that he hadn't suffered the jaw being smashed out of socket. Yay. Improvement from Valon.

With titanic effort, Rudolf stilled his limbs and craned his neck, forcing himself skyward as he took in what he immediately needed of the field. Garland had gotten past him, and in his wake a storm of falling icicles, spearlike fangs, crashing through the gap between them and the eidolons. No go. High above, Izayoi, calling for lightning as Garland would doubtless surge to meet her—

Savvy and strong, too much by half, to allow Raijingeki in a vacuum. Rudolf's mind had reordered enough now, in these precious seconds, that he could manage he blur and sway of his perception enough to act. A silver lining to each time he had suffered a heavy blow like this before.

He had to immobilize Garland. He had to get strength back, and sap away at the interloper's, and above all, burn away that time the black knight would otherwise use to swat her out of the air.

All achievable, thanks to his new recruit.

His dagger was still in hand.

Good. Legs weren't done wobbling. He could feel it.

"Not done with you... YET!"

Planting it into the earth, he used the ad-hoc piton to wrench himself forward in a low, almost skidding surge forward, a sickly red haze of aether shrouding the outstretched hand that swiped aside the regal purple cloak into the wind and clamped itself around the horned knight's greave. As the absorption materia made its presence known, he pulled, and pulled hard, with the muscles of his back— even if he couldn't ground the man here, he could at least make him fight for that next step.

---

---

• _{1. Oh, we had better shadowstep quick, that right hand is—}
• _{2. ...}
• _{3. ...}
• _{4. ...e back? Do I ...ve signa...?}

“... Very well, Malina-san. It will be just a moment.”

If she requires assistance, then I won’t reject her request. She is unable to carry it out herself, after all. Even if I find the rest time requested of me to be frustrating, I can still walk and carry food despite the mild protest of my torso.

I’ve concealed myself as a server before, so it’s not like it’s unfamiliar to me, either.

I quietly shut the door and set about getting dressed.

… Well, okay then. There wasn’t anything that Miina could do except wait for the other girl to be done, just standing and watching the door the entire time. Obviously, she’d normally just go get things herself and not bother, but that wasn’t an option for at least the next few days until she could maybe power through some healing magic.

How did normal people manage when they broke arms or something? She’d always just healed it, that was the entire reason she’d learned how to do this in the first place, but… her first instinct would be to try and use magic to compensate, and ignore anyone who thought that was entirely overkill or morally deficient somehow. But that wasn’t the normal response either.

—Had there been a way to avoid Malina-san’s injuries?

As I dress, I consider the question.

If I had taken further harm instead, perhaps some of my allies would have remained less injured. Maybe I could have used myself as a decoy…

There is little point in the consideration beyond evaluating my own performance and adjusting my approach for the future. My allies are crucial to completing this mission, after all.

—And there’s no need for them to be seriously harmed if I can help it.

Having finished dressing, I return to the door and open it.

With Chisato back, Miina snapped out of her thoughts and led the way downstairs, stopping in what she assumed was some sort of communal area or kitchen – not her specialty, she didn’t really care. What was clear was that someone had left food out for them… all local stuff, but importantly things that could be eaten cold. Probably not Izayoi, then? She would still be recovering too, after all.

And then… she stopped, ears and tail twitching slightly. Right, she couldn’t really do much here, if they wanted to take anything upstairs for multiple people it’d need to be some sort of board or platter, and she couldn’t carry – ah, over there, Miina raised her good arm to point it out to Chisato – it. She could put things on it here or there, probably…

—I don’t like this.

Her body’s functionality is failing her already? That arm is probably useless, probably forever.

I had retreated in that battle because I believed it was the best way to launch a surprise attack and assist my allies. Vanishing into the darkness and striking unexpectedly is one of my greatest skills.

But did that lead to her injury?

I silently nod to her and turn, approaching the tray she pointed out and picking it up. Assisting now is all that I can do.

The redhead picked out bits one at a time onto the tray, trying to keep it balanced – this did have to feed four people, after all; she assumed Chisato hadn’t eaten either. Not something that needed talking, but…

The look in the ninja’s eyes was annoying. Almost pitying, and with how inexpressive the other girl was, that could mean a lot. “I c-c-can heal, remember?”

She hadn’t yet, true, but it wasn’t like they had any specialised healers, and given how badly she reacted to magic right now…

—

Had I done something to offend her? It was not my intent.

“---Yes,” I respond, after a moment. I do not like uncertainty if it can be avoided, and at the moment that unpleasant sensation has rooted into my core. What do I say now? There is an acceptable amount of friction between allies, as long as we perform our necessary duties, and I am not certain what that level of friction is in regards to Malina-san.

“But, you are clearly in need of assistance now, therefore…”

I trail off as the words escape me.

Miina made an inarticulate grunt, drumming her fingers against the table. What could she do to get Chisato to stop… moping? Was that what she was doing? It was probably good the resident assassin was feeling guilt or the like but, at the same time, she didn’t want to be pitied.

Even if she needed the help. But that did give her an idea; this other girl was super into duty and doing her job, right?

“Are you g-g-g…” right, that was probably rude anyway, moving on, “D-Do you want to help until I heal?”

“...”

I pause for a moment. Did she somehow pick up on what I was thinking? I did think it was suitable, as one of those who contributed to her current state, to assist as best I could until it was no longer required. I suppose I must have been more obvious then I thought.

“---If you would allow me to. I believe it would be for the best, in order to ensure your recovery.”

“Rrrrright, just… I think th-that’s enough…” The platter seemed plenty full, that would be plenty.

---

It was halfway through undressing that Miina turned back to face Chisato, tilting her head and staring at the ninja with the uncanny unblinking gaze that mystrel alone seemed to possess, tempered somewhat by the redhead’s inability to stop swaying. “You d-d-don’t have to help any m-m-more. It’s not g-g-g-g… it’s perm-an-ent.”

“---I see.”

The damage is permanent? I had never wanted to permanently harm one of my allies. That is not the way an Asakura shinobi is meant to operate. That is not the way I wish to operate. Even without that consideration, it’s permanent damage to the mission by weakening one of those who is carrying it out.

I—

What do I say?

I open my mouth and shut it, slowly.

“... I am sorry,” I settle upon my words after a moment, “Until you are used to it, I will continue to offer my assistance.”

Miina continued to stare, the words rattling around in her head… and then she slumped back onto the bed, unable to go through the effort of standing upright. Or maybe gravity had betrayed her and up was now back? She’d been used to it being side to side. Oh well.

“Why? I d-d-don’t understand.” Chisato didn’t even have Galahad’s level of culpability, so why was she acting like she had any reason to help? Besides – “Even if you did… um… add magic? It was that or d-die. An’ I knew c-c-controlling all that was hard.”

—What doesn’t she understand? She is not only my ally on this mission, but I was still involved with the incident that has caused her permanent harm. What else can I do, but volunteer my assistance until, at the very least, she has become used to her injuries?

If nothing else, it is simply a matter of practicality. I cannot simply overlook this, not with consideration to the duties I have been assigned and my involvement.

“... Even so, it is only right that I offer my assistance.”

The silence that stretched on was even more uncomfortable than before, Miina’s golden eyes boring straight into Chisato’s before the redhead just sighed and turned her gaze back towards the ceiling. ‘Right’ thing to do. What did that mean? The closest that her brother had ever taught her was that the good of the village came before what she wanted to do, and ever since she had found herself with the Kirins, they had been an easy substitution. It was even close enough, Izayoi was her cousin.

But something like this… she didn’t need the help, so what made it right? It wasn’t something they’d ever covered.

Miina hadn’t realised all of this had been spoken aloud.

“...”

—I don’t understand.

Did Malina-san learn anything about how to conduct oneself? No, she must have. She mentioned what they had ‘covered’.

But at the same time, for her to fail to understand the responsibility I now bear to ensure her wellbeing until she has adjusted to her injuries—

It isn’t that she thinks I shouldn’t have to burden myself. She would merely be incorrect in that case.

Rather, she doesn’t comprehend it at all.

Is Malina-san well?

“---Even if you do not understand, that changes little.”

Perhaps she needs more assistance than I realized, though I do not know what sort of assistance would help her best.

Miina’s brow furrowed, the redhead piecing together that she’d been talking more than she thought. That… oh, this was going to cause so much trouble in future… but right now, it didn’t seem like it was affecting Chisato, and there was no point in understanding the ninja, was there? She was determined to do this…

Well, it was still helpful. And she hadn’t been going out of her way to take advantage of the girl, she’d even been trying to get her to stop, so it was fine.

Probably.

“Okay then,” Miina said, giving a sort-of-nod. She didn’t have anything else to say, and she was so sleepy. Enough to fall asleep before Chisato could even formulate a response.

The morning was no less awkward for it.

---

It was clear that Garland was no simple foe- his strength and durability alone made him enough of a match for several of the Kirins at once. The quake itself had been easy enough for Galahad to dodge, a quick jump into the air and he was off the ground and far enough away for any of Quake's effects to harm him. Garland however was seemingly more than capable of multitasking- both keeping them at bay while stopping their smaller, sneakier comrades from getting past him with a wave of ice. He needed to be defeated, or at the very least wounded enough that he had to focus on those in front of him rather than those trying to get past.

In the thick of the fighting, Galahad could see Izayoi's preparing her iai strike from the corner of his peripherals. In an effort to keep Garland's attention rather than outright harm him- though he wouldn't complain if any of his blows got through, Galahad rained blows down toward's Garland's head with his halberd. A heavy cleave directly downwards, a pull with the axe blade, a flurry of stabs with the spearpoint. Garland's blade gave him almost if not just as much reach as Galahad's halberd, and his armor was considerably heavier, so staying in a prolonged melee with him was not Galahad's idea of a good time- but if he, along with Rudolf could keep him in place for a bit longer...

At the very last moment, as Galahad heard the sounds of Izayoi's feet scattering across the ground, he broke off his attack and jumped into the air, up and out, clearing the space for Izayoi. He heard her call for lightning, and twisted his halberd in his hands and pointed it back down. His lightning materia glowed and energy coursed through his halberd before exiting the speartip. A bolt of lightning shot out, not nearly as potent as a summoned spirit, but lightning nonetheless, launched right in front of Izayoi's position.

---

Éliane grinned viciously as her trick found its mark, aided by Esben’s own shot. Of course, she had hardly expected it to end the battle in one single explosion, and it didn’t, but seeing the damage brought her a moment of satisfaction regardless as the rest of the Kirins followed in to dogpile the barbarian officer.

Unfortunately, they didn’t prove enough of a distraction for him not to notice Miina and Chisato trying to get past him. Time was ticking.
“My time to support!”

Reloading after she disengaged, the pink-haired Skaelan immediately moved back in to support Izayoi as she made to strike. Éliane didn’t have any lightning aspected attacks or materia, but she could certainly keep Garland occupied for the rest of them to complete the combo, so she simply unloaded right into him again, paced in a way that forced him to block her attacks again instead of advancing again. With retort after retort, each shot went off as she continued to move, zigzagging to avoid any potential spells if her timing was poor.

---Malina-san, Shilage-san.

Both of them are hurt.

Could I have prevented it if I remained closer rather than disengaging to reposition myself?

There's no point in thinking about that now. From here, it would take just as long to return to their side. The best thing I can do to protect them and further our goal is the same objective as I began with.

I don't understand why Shilage-san extended me those kindnesses when I did not treat him that way in return. I don't know why Malina-san doesn't understand my obligation to ensure her safety. But that doesn't change the fact that it is my duty to complete this mission, and that I must ensure that they survive.

I won't allow this Valheim dog to to sew any more pain. I won't allow them to complete their objective.

I won't allow anyone to die here.

The clunky shape is a hindrance, so I normally avoid keeping it directly on my person. It's nearly the size of my torso, so it might not be appropriate to refer to it as something meant to be wielded by hand.

But I haven't shown it to them yet, have I?

The bulky, cylindrical shape is a far cry from some of the other weaponry using this same construction. It's not suitable for anything at close range, nor is it capable of being fired quickly. I had no choice but to make distance between myself and my target.

If I'd seen what had happened to the others first---

No. There's no point in considering that.

This is the best way to help them, now.

I have to brace it against the ground, and my body. Even then, the recoil is sure to knock me flat.

But he won't see it coming, will he?

The ammunition is rough, and heavy. It's completely unrefined, but that's not what matters.

I will only have one shot with which to keep them alive, and to hurt the Valheim dog as much as I can.

---But that's fine.

I align the barrel with the center of his body. I press my finger to the trigger.

The crack of thunder that rings out is louder than the most powerful of the bombs I use, ringing through my ears and leaving the world around me dulled. The flash of fire as the match is struck is easy to forget compared to the explosion from the barrel, stars stabbing through my eyes.

I can feel the air leaving my lungs, my world blurring as the recoil knocks me backwards. I can't even see the aftermath of my shot, but there's no time to stop and breathe.

I have to make it back down to them as soon as possible. Malina-san is bleeding considerably, and Shilage-san isn't much better. I do not have time to simply catch my breath, my fingertips wrapping around my sword as I force my legs to move.

---

Esben winced as Garland turned and blasted Eos and Selene back into free æther. The fairies would be fine, and it was far better than getting himself caught in that spell unprepared, but the rebound as his summons were forcibly removed was enough to set his head to throbbing like when Izayoi's former master had shattered his nose and sent him rolling across the sand. Rudolf looked to be in a similar state, enough that Esben nearly took a step forward to pull him away from further harm—but between his helmet, the climate, and a childhood likely full of similar hits, he was handling it far better, trying to return the offensive in an instant.

Chisato rerouted herself, focusing back on Garland. Miina, trailing blood from her bad arm—he'd have to check on that later—got close enough to release her dispel. Thanks to the small surprise of Eos and Selene's attacks pulling his attention away from Garuda for a moment, Hellfire seemed entirely unprepared for Miina's spell, recoiling like he'd just been sucker-punched. His hands came off Garuda, the purely ætherial Eidolon looking far more impacted by the spell.

Not as hard-hitting as Isolde's, certainly, with Hellfire not being completely disabled like Eve or Garuda turned to mist like Leviathan...but it would have to be enough. He pulled out the time materia Halvor had given him, the little gem warming slightly as he hasted himself with it. The others around him slowed like they were swimming through honey, and he sprinted across the distance between himself and Hellfire. He swung his sword at the back of Hellfire's mutant leg as he passed, a simple hacking cut to try and sever the monstrosity's hamstring, before coming to a stop near where Garuda had started to roll away, looking like she was only barely remaining present in their physical reality.

The materia was immedately replaced with the book that he had the summoning contracts for the fairies and the other two Eidolons, flipped open to the page immediately after Ramuh's if the half-avian Eidolon felt like leaving her own sign. "Quickly, Garuda, or just get out of here—we've got this handled, even if they don't just run from us as soon as you're gone."