It seems the princelings and royals and vagabonds and... Well whatever was gathered here, were on their own separate ways. This was indeed a curious turn of events, and he was really only here because his own camp was boring. He seemed to be right, this was far more interesting.
Still, as was expected of him, he should return to his own camp and confirm the situation and report what has occurred here. The paths these parties took was obvious, so catching up, especially alone versus a group, should be easy, should pursuing any of them be necessary, and no one seemed concerned about this swordsman from Tellius either, as much as it hurts to not be seen or recognized, he didn't quite mind as it suited his job nicely if that was the result. Disappearing like a shadow, he was off to check in on the Tellius camp and report to whatever other similar or higher ranking generals were present.
Still if you're going to do that, please put them there sooner. I was going to look up people's characters for referencing while posting but no one was there.
As soon as they arrived to port, Vega out of habit was already marking down 'targets', eyeing individuals, the way they walk, how they handle themselves, where they kept their money, stuff like that, but this was simply out of habit. He knew why he was here, and he wasn't eager to go speak with the Mage Council. He knew some of them already disliked him a fair bit, and as much as he'd like to, going wild here was going to create... Complications. He'd just have to grin and bear it, for now. Adrien piped up on what to do next, yes they could go straight there... But he felt like a more scenic route.
"Right away? Sounds a bit boring don't you think? Take a look around, this is a port town with many merchants and travellers passing through. I'm sure this is a good chance to buy something nice and rare", like something unusual to eat maybe. In his mind though, this may be a good chance to find magical items... He was an avid craftsman himself, these knives he used were made by him alone, maybe he can 'borrow' something useful.
Before the group could protest he was already off, waving later.
"Oh yeah, wouldn't do to get separated. Mage Council in an hour, go eat or whatever you wanna do", and with that he disappeared into the crowd.
For now it seemed they could try and pick something up here, or maybe they could gather info in advance...? Either way, it didn't look like they were going to be going to the Mage Council right away.
Killing Edge - An especially finely crafted curved blade, it cuts especially well, giving it a lethal touch.
Vague Katti - A peerless blade, this particular Vague Katti was owned by a man who founded the country of the Branded. It is now entrusted to Sordan as he is trusted by his homeland to use the sword to protect it.
History:
Sordan is a Branded, one of the many that live in the Grann Desert, now long established as at first, a colony, then a city, and soon it became a country proper, independence established long ago following a great war that people today would scarce believe, if not for the fact that even now they waged wars with gods. Sordan was a young boy living in the Grann Desert, the founder of their country was a renowned swordmaster, and so it was popular for children of this place to practice the sword, he was no different.
As Branded, they held talents well beyond Beorc or Laguz in martial combat, or magical, whichever their affinities leaned, and so he was surrounded constantly by very talented and quick-learning children of his own age. A healthy environment to harness their skills and potentials, pushing one another beyond each other's limits. It was unknown to any of them that one day they ended up doing this to each other on the harsh deserts outside their city too.
As the years went by and they all went their separate ways, the wars waged by the League and other invading forces began to eat at the resources of this arid city. They got by just fine on food and water, but it was hardly anywhere near that of the bountiful countries of say Begnion or Crimea, and so it was they who felt the brunt of the impacts of war first. Soon these friends took to the sands, raiding and stealing and killing from merchant caravans and supply convoys just to get by, but Sordan in his stubborness, remained within the city. He instead chose to become part of the armed forces of the city, unknown to him at the time that his friends were now outlaws.
His distinguished service led him to more dangerous tasks, and it was there he fought his friends once more for the first time in years, except this time it was truly to the death. Compared to his friends who had cut through flesh many times in their career as outlaws, Sordan's blade hesitated, he couldn't just kill another person, let alone the first ones he would have to were his friends. To his fortune they spared him, and it was there he began to form his own resolve in this world.
The reality was, these friends of his were killing people, though it was their way to live, it wasn't right, over the weeks he took to the field again, and again, choosing to hunt smaller and separate outlaw groups, whetting his blade and becoming accustomed to blood on his sword. Soon he was given a special designation as a solo operative, and soon he found only what a once-in-a-thousand-years sword genius would. The ability to turn the land itself into their own blade. Pretty soon among underground circles, the news spread like wildfire. A swordsman who seemed to materialize from the desert at will, striking quickly, before disappearing. It was like providence from the sands itself had simply decided it was time to die.
And soon those rumors caught up to Sordan's friends, and it was to their surprise they saw him come for a rematch. Being from the same dojo, their skills were compatible, matching blow for blow, and it was this meeting that would be their last. He killed them, and as soon as the adrenaline left him, he sunk to his knees and wept for his friends. Their graves with their swords now lay in a small oasis near the dojo they used to practice.
So what did he take from this? Was killing his friends out of duty? Morality? Revenge or he was simply bloodthirsty? No, it was his blade, up until his friends had drawn their last breath, all he could think of was mastering his blade, and he did it in such a way that made him a phantom within his own environment. Though he weeps for them, this is the reality of the paths they had chosen, and they in their last breaths smiled. They did not curse him, for they all knew that this was simply where their paths had led them.
In the days beyond that, he was in mourning for his friends, whom his colleagues in the force had found strange, they were criminals after all, but he didn't care. In the last days of his mourning he was given an invitation, or rather, a recommendation. A chance to become a general? He was a powerful warrior, that was certain, but to become a general? This was an entirely new concept to him. He had commanded people before as a captain, but he undertook a lot of dangerous tasks on his own, as he was given that permission. Would this be similar?
Regardless he took it, it seems his path led him to an entirely new place. Because of this prestigious honor, he was given the city's most valued weapon, owned by the founder himself, the Vague Katti. Reluctantly he took it, with thanks, and went on his way.
He did not immediately become a general of course, to do so would be folly, but he distinguished himself in combat against other generals of Tellius. So it was decided, he would become a general of a small specialized contingent, made up of clandestine agents. It was fitting. He was not a chessmaster general, nor was he the type to command troops in the heat of battle, but when it came down to it, sweeping through small precise areas like a deadly wind, it was his forte.
And so that was his designation. His job when deployed? Quell troublesome factions, such as rebellions, extremists, and other similar such, whether it be beast or man, his job was making sure they didn't cause a ruckus while stability was trying to be achieved.
Personality: A man of focused intent and duty, what makes him a terrifying opponent is how difficult it is to read his movements or intent. Though it was clear that his intent was to kill, which is often the case considering his main job and the type of unit he leads, it's not nearly enough to properly respond to his attacks. Most warriors read other warriors by their expressions and eye movement, but his body moves seemingly on it's own. As one would describe it, "it was like watching a man become the sword itself".
Against less skilled opponents he seems less focused, a little more chatty. He isn't so experienced yet that he can measure a person's skill with the length of a stick, but if someone showed skill well beyond what he was exhibiting he would still be able to respond.
Outside of combat he is a very affable man, deceptively timid, his calm presence is rather off-putting compared to his intense aura in the heat of battle. He is often seen contemplating, whether it be about the next battle or next meal, he often keeps a steady mind at all times. As he would describe it, "so that I wield the blade, rather than it wield me". To many it would seem like superstitious nonsense that a man could be possessed by the fervor of battle in such a literal sense, but how to put it. He feels like his body moves only to wield a sword. As such, he tries to be kinder to others, knowing that with the right moment he can end anyone he so wishes, but that's the thing, he does not wish to kill unnecessarily, though his blade desires it.
When it comes to any cursed blade though, he is incredibly afraid of even touching them. His own honed instincts with a sword already sweep him up in a trance of combat, a cursed weapon would to him, make him unable to stop himself. Somehow placing his hand on the Vague Katti calms him and allows him to maintain his regular attitude in combat while exhibiting the same level of intense skill and ferocity, but even then he's unwilling to use it often out of respect for it's original wielder. Using it only when he wishes for guidance. To him the Vague Katti represents all those at home who have entrusted their will to him, his friends, and his predecessors.
So as one can tell, he is a man who is a great deal respectful to others, letting only this drive him. His job is far from honorable, being an assassin general of sorts, so he does not pretend he is an honorable man, but nor does he let emotions get in the way of his duty, paying respects wherever needed.
Other: I don't actually have a favorite pairing, shocking right? I pair characters up when they have chemistry but I don't have a favorite.
Keeping up with his opponent was child's play with the speed he possessed, but he was most certainly planning something, and that assumption was correct. As soon as the golden wall began to materialize, his eyes flared and so did some of the lights on him as his core began to put out more energy.
Shooting up to 120% output for a short moment, letting him pull his blade out of the golden wall despite the speed at which he executed this plan of his. The added strength and speed allowed him to free his blade by brute force, no level of planning can stop this type of solution to a problem, though it had it's limits it played it's part here. He seemed to retreat as he dashed backwards, his core calming down before disappearing once more, blending into the surroundings. So would he retreat and head for the objective...? Relieving pressure has been successfully achieved, allowing his ally to fight for a bit longer.
Well for now, he was disengaging this target, a defensive warrior of sorts would take too long to slay for a bonus, and so almost expecting him to return to strike, the warrior was left there as Muramasa disappeared into the scenery, heading for the Ravine.
It appears there were two fronts to this fight, a difficult situation regardless of strength. So it seems his priority would be to even the flow of battle first, and then he can think about going after victory conditions. Both fronts led by royalty, it appears that of the two, the fight against the Varjans was expectedly tough, the thick armor made it tricky for his Killing Edge to make a killing stroke, but against their footsoldiers his speed still made up for it, the problem was going to be their leader.
Breaking into a rapid sprint, he made his way to the Varjan leader, most of the soldiers he ran into maybe only saw the wind before being struck down, seeing him only for a mere moment. A few times his strike did not kill immediately, so he had to double up and swing twice, but these beefier Varjan warriors still fell to him from his sheer speed.
His aim was to make it to the Varjan leader quickly, before he can realize someone was coming, and immediately obtain an advantage in any ensuing duel by landing the first strike.
As soon as he was a few blades within reach, his sprint turned into a dash as he went to sweep past, trying to strike his wrists or arm in order to make it more difficult for him to fight. A Varjan warrior was no concern to him as far as running and evading went, but their blows were nothing to scoff at.
"Here it is...", before him was an altar of sorts, though it's design heralded Christianity, none of the surrounding symbolism suggested it. Yes, this was an artifact that predated traditional notions of religion. Sevrin drew the Yamato, throwing the sheath aside as he raised the blade, swinging once, causing a crack to occur, and as soon as it did, he felt power course through him... Yes, this power, this was some of his power that was sealed in the demon world... His theory may be correct, these seals were tied to his own seal somehow... Though there was a question of who broke the first one, it didn't matter to him at present, what mattered was getting his power back.
As soon as he went to swing a second time to try and seal the deal, he felt the blade violently wrested from him by a blue aetherial arm. It was Nero,
="Alright, now that I have my sword back, time to dish out your punishment", as confident as he sounded, it didn't seem to phase Sevrin, there was a difference in his aura since entering... His eyes now glowed and his presence alone seemed to command a great deal of power.
"That's if you can boy, come on, let's see you deal with me now".
Sevrin clicked his fingers, causing his Devil Trigger to activate, but being near the broken altar like this as supernatural energies seeped out, he was basically being continually supplied with power. Nero charged in with his Red Queen first, a flaming slash cascaded along the ground and into the air as Sevrin followed, a flurry of silver flashes as he controlled the force with multiple strikes before kicking him mid-air. While travelling backwards in the air Nero pelted his arm forward, an aetherial arm reaching out for Sevrin, but his own jaw chain came flying out. The two grapples flung past each other heading for the user, but neither would find their mark as both their free hands wielded another weapon, warding it off as they landed back onto the ground.
Nero being the more aggressive type immediately went right back into charging with the Red Queen in one hand and the Yamato in the other. As soon as he reached Sevrin, he seemed to disappear into countless crows before he seemed to appear to his side. Nero's dual-wielding allowed him to easily catch it, but he found himself needing to catch several more of what he now realizes are after-images, before he would break free from this pressure with a swirling vortex of blue flashes and flame. At the slightest disturbance he whipped out the Blue Rose and fired, and it was a good guess of his instinct, the shot found itself striking Sevrin in the chest.
Turning to see his damage done, he watched as the bullet just drooped out of the hole it made in him, flesh being replaced by a purple-black phantasm, before it returned to being flesh.
"What... Are you?", this wasn't normal possession... The body of one possessed wouldn't heal like that of a demon's, but as the power began to well up in Sevrin...
"Heheheha, you like it? I'm getting some of my power back. All those years of torment... Yes I can see it... But this is still not enough, moreover, it seems this body is nearing the end of it's usefulness", he stated, raising his hand. The skin was continually flaying and healing like earlier... The raw power he had obtained seemed to be far more than a human body can handle.
"But I don't need it anymore, with this much power, I'll be able to maintain a form on this realm for quite some time", he boasted. In moments the body of Sevrin fell forward, heaping onto the ground.
"Alive or dead, doesn't matter to me", what stood in front of Nero was a phantasmal being, slowly the black and purple swirled and achieved a form, it looked a lot like Sevrin, but the long hooded seemingly formless coat...
"Ah, yeah this form does look like him doesn't it? But I'd long forgotten what I look like so I used what was convenient, but like this... I don't need that damn sword anymore to break these accursed seals!", he exclaimed. Before Nero could strike to stop him, a spectral wave shot up from Sevrin kicking his feet up, completely enveloping the seal, the black wave clearing after some moments, giving way to showing the seal just begin crumbling. The new being that emerged began to run off,
"I don't think calling me 'Sevrin' would be right from now on, after all the one there is 'Sevrin', for now I suppose... Call me Vega, but soon you will learn my true name", and with that, he was gone, his new and more corporeal form letting him move more quickly as he rapidly deformed and reformed as he sped past any obstacle, disappearing as the seal's destruction signalled imminent collapse.
Nero quickly retrieved the formerly possessed Sevrin and began to evacuate, the whole area began to shake, and everyone present knew what that meant.
I do commissions, specializing in character design. Ask me for prices, or make an order on my Ko-fi.
https://www.artstation.com/sq5
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I also play FF14 and PSO2 so yeah.
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I do commissions, specializing in character design. Ask me for prices, or make an order on my Ko-fi.<br><br><a href="https://www.artstation.com/sq5" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">artstation.com/sq5</a><br><a href="https://ko-fi.com/sq505x" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">ko-fi.com/sq505x</a><br><br>I also play FF14 and PSO2 so yeah.</div>
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