VitaVitaAR

Fate/Eternum

Saber - Arturia Pendragon

There was an ugly gurgling sound, as blood spurted from the severed stump of the shadowy dragon's neck. Its visible throat contracted for a few moments, before it fell over sideways. Before its corpse could hit the ground, its body seemed to dissipate, fading into black mist and hovering into the air. But rather then simply vanishing...

Something else happened.

The remainder of the Shadow Servants, too, had perished. Their darkness joined the cloud of black magical energy hovering over the arena, and suddenly it was drawn away, as if sucked through a straw. That wasn't all. The arena felt oddly empty, too, as if the air was distinctly missing something...

"..."

Arturia flicked her sword, the dragon's blood scattering before dissipating into the air. This was wrong. While certainly, the slaughter of the attacking shadows was necessary, and the survival of the majority of the civilians here was ideal, but at the same time...

Something was wrong.

"Has... has all the mana been drained from the air? And the shadows..."

She hesitated for a moment. This did not bode well.

"The Knights of the Round Table triumph again!" declared Gareth, brightly from the stands. With that, she immediately set about checking on anyone who might have lingered in the arena, seemingly missing the fact that the mana had drained from the air... It was streaming to the southwest of the arena, flowing in the direction of a certain park...

At that moment, sirens echoed from outside the arena. It seemed that the reinforcements had arrived.

@RolePlayerRoxas@PKMNB0Y@Raineh Daze@ghastlyInc@Rune_Alchemist

---

Mihama Nanako

Ah... both the shadows were dead.

By now, the pain in her shoulder was less intense. Not that it didn't hurt, not that the pain wasn't extreme... but it was somewhat less severe. Somewhat. Her left hand clutching at her bleeding shoulder, Nanako took deep, gasping breaths as she lay on her back and Meltryllis approached her. In spite of the horrible sensation still searing the hole through her right side, she managed to give the Alter Ego a shaky, wavering smile.

"Th-this..." she stammered, before sharply inhaling, "I endured your virus all n-night, didn't I...? This is nothing..."

Really... even if it hurt, the comparison was impossible. So she could endure this. She had done the right thing.

Nanako didn't have any regrets. Trembling, she managed to sit up, trying to get her legs beneath her.

"... A-are... are you okay, Meltryllis...? Even though you were dodging..." she trailed off, stumbling a little and hitting her knees with a wince. "... I think it was its Noble Phantasm... So I had to do something!"

@PKMNB0Y

---

Saber - Benienma

The remainder of the resistance in the hospital was incapacitated just as easily as the first among them had been. Many of them were normal humans, or magi, but they were acting with little coordination. This allowed Benienma to disable them without causing serious injuries, sharp blows with her sheathed blade were sufficient to knock them flat and often into unconsciousness. It did not take much longer to reach the hospital's exit.

From there...

Both human Kiara and Benienma herself could almost pick up the scent of the trail that the monster that shared the former's face. Her evil nature was boundless. Inhuman and yet human.

The redheaded enma had yet to share the conclusion she made of the nature of this threat. But it was undeniable in her mind at this point.

The other Kiara's ultimate goal was to become something far, far worse then even the most malignant Servant.

At the very least, determining the monster's location was easy. Almost too easy...

It was ironic that the park, a place on the island that was close to nature and represented purity as a result, was the site she had chosen to flee to. But then, that meant it allowed for the best access to the island's knotted mass of leylines, didn't it...?!

And there we was, at the dead center of the park. Grinning. Not even the tiniest shred of regret for the pain and suffering she had caused...

The only judgement that could be given to one such as this was that of the utmost among sinners.

"Masta, Sessyoin-san, stay at range dechi," Benienma stated, quickly, as she took the lead once more, "The amount of room here means you can keep away fro-ah?!"

A barrier?! A bounded field erected in an instant, raising its hazy purple walls around the diminutive Saber! But not only that. In the very same instant, that same bounded field had emerged to surround the entire park...!

Was this something she had planned the entire time?!

"Masta!"

Benienma unsheathed her katana, eyes narrowing as she slammed it against the bounded field surrounding her! Immediately a sharp, stinging sensation traveled up her arms...

"... It's a bounded field that denies spiritual entities..."

In other words, a barrier that denied the entry or escape of Servants, derived from techniques implemented in Buddhism to defend against evil spirits. The mere fact that this beastly entity was using something like this...

It also meant that attempting to break the barrier with her blade was impossible. She had to try another method! She had to get out, to protect her Master and the human Kiara! To stop the monstrous sinner!

"..."

Kiara watched as the grasping hands rose. So she was her doppelganger's goal...? Then that was why she had devoured Mary and used her skin as a disguise. That was why she had come here in the first place. To make herself complete...

"... We share the same face... and even our techniques are similar," the buddhist nun began, "I can't deny it any longer. Somehow, you and I are one and the same. However..."

In a flash, her hands formed a rapid series of elaborate symbols. The mudras of a practioner of buddhism, ones that warded evil!

"We couldn't be more different! These mudras ward evil, and that is the very essence of your being!"

In a fashion undeniably similar to that of the monstrous Kiara's own techniques, a hazy barrier rose. It, too, denied spiritual beings, in this case denying the very existence of evil spirits to force them away!

@PKMNB0Y@RolePlayerRoxas

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

And I love dropping lore and backstory stuff all over the RP(or just when asked in general) so I enjoy this kind of thing a lot.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

I'll be replying sometime in the next day or so!

The Nameless City — Invite Only!

Yharnam

"A little girl...?"

Another ragged cough. This one sounded rather... wet, as if the speaker had coughed up something rather more precious then he would have hoped. But without being able to see him, there was no way to tell if that was the case or not.

"Ah... I can't be certain if this is the one you're looking for, but another Hunter lives with his family down the main street. They have two daughters, one who sounds quite like the girl you're describing."

He paused for a moment, letting out another flurry of coughs.

"I'm guessing she must be in danger, or something like that, right? If that's the case, head down the main street, pass under the bridge, and keep to your right. I'm sure there will be some beasts in your path... but at least you're the type to be ready for them."

@PKMNB0Y@RolePlayerRoxas@Raineh Daze

---

Konpaku Youmu

The rumbling left Youmu with her hand on Roukanken's hilt, as she swiftly glanced around the area. Nothing here seemed to have changed significantly, but if the half-phantom was correct that sort of sound within a cave could indicate an imminent collapse. As a result, she was certain that they had to take the transformed girl and leave as quickly as they possibly could.

"... If there's a new opponent, I'll cut it down in an instant," she said, even as she glanced around. The small, silvery-haired girl took a deep breath.

"If the doorway into this world was anything like the one I passed through to get here, it should work from both sides. ... I think. The important thing is that we need to get her back to my world quickly."

@KoL@PKMNB0Y

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

"Erk..."

Finally, Lord Velbrance's demeanor seemed to crack, if only a little. His smarmy grin faltered as that grip tightened on his shoulder, and he looked back towards the vampiric knight. After a few moments, he seemed to jerk his head towards other people in the crowd, those that appeared to be his guards of some sort.

This was all too much for Fanilly. Everything Sir Gillian had said... she didn't know what to think. But by this point she knew that Edvard Velbrance's intent was nothing but ill. He wanted to try and cause some kind of incident. He was hoping to disrupt things, hoping to have something he could spread the word about. Even if Fanilly wasn't certain she was worthy of praise, or anything like that...

"... Dame Tyaethe... let him go," she said, finally, "No matter what he's said... Princess Eliabelle arranged this party and invited us to it, I don't want there to be some kind of incident."

She didn't want to do that to the Princess, not when she had been so excited to meet them.

... Besides, the Velbrance's bodyguards probably didn't deserve to be beaten by the vampire paladin.

But then, there was more commotion at the head of the hall...

@Raineh Daze@ghastlyinc

---

The two blonde girls sagged somewhat in disappointment, but the one who as of yet had been unnamed was quick to bounce back.

"I'm sure the both of you shall become famous and well-respected among the order!" she declared, brightly, "You have been nothing but model knights in the presence of three fine young gentleladies!"

She giggled at her self-description, and Angenese shoved at her shoulder lightly.

Violette simply rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh.

"No dragons, and one of them sounds scared to fight one..." she grumbled, "Of all the knights we could talk to it's these two..."

"... Now now, Violette, they've told us about their battles, haven't they?" Angenese attempted to admonish her younger friend.

The black-haired girl was having none of it.

"You never said I had to be enthusiastic about that, did you?"

But then, there was more commotion at the head of the hall...

@HereComesTheSnow@PaulHaynek

---

"Presenting the Young Lady of the Throne and the Heir Apparent, Princess Eliabelle Tanenway Falthaen!"

Princess Eliabelle was known for many things. Her friendly demeanor, her popularity, and her beauty. Her elaborate dress was tailored, it was rumored, by an elven seamstress from beyond distant Lethienvel, although this seemed far too unlikely to be true.

She stopped before the thrones where her parents, occupied with other matters, would usually sit.

"It's wonderful to see you all!" she said, brightly, "But, I must admit, my reason for holding this function was both to grant everyone a pleasant time shared with friends, and to meet the Iron Rose Knights! I would be delighted if they would take some time to speak with me."

She curtsied.

"Thank you!"

@HereComesTheSnow@Asuras@jdh97@Animal@TheFake@Crimson Paladin@PaulHaynek@FlappyTheSpybot@Raineh Daze@ghastlyinc

The Nameless City — Invite Only!

Yharnam

As soon as someone knocked on the window, there was, at last, a considerably less angry response. At least after a flurry of coughs.

"Ah... must be a hunter?"

The voice paused for a moment. It was a man's, rather ragged and strained from all the coughing, but clear enough to understand.

"It's funny, you don't have the scent... but I guess my senses aren't what they used to be from all this. I don't know how much this means to you, but I'm willing to help if I can."

He let out another string of ragged coughs.

"... Not that I'll be able to do much, I don't think I can stand anymore. But if I can do anything, let me know. This town is cursed, so whatever you're here for you'd best be finding and getting on your way."

This was the first helpful person that they had located since arriving here, and so it was likely the only good lead they could find. This area in general looked similar to the area the little girl's home was found in, and therefore it wasn't impossible that the speaker would know something.

@Raineh Daze@RolePlayerRoxas@PKMNB0Y

The Nameless City — Invite Only!

Claiming the horn had been a simple enough matter.

What came next was, at least in Youmu's mind, more important.

"... Takamachi-san, we will have to take the transformed girl back through the door, and to the passage to my world," she began," turning to face the younger girl as she spoke, "From there, er... I'll speak to Yuyuko-sama about contacting Yakumo-sama."

She paused for a moment. Ah, she hadn't explained just who Yakumo-sama was...

"Yakumo-sama is the one who can reverse the terrible thing that's been done to her. At least... I hope this is the case," she paused for a moment once more, shifting slightly where she stood. This ship, in spite of being cleared of its skeletal crew, did still feel quite uneasy, and her unease was reflected by the shifting of her phantom half as it drifted silently beside her.

@PKMNB0Y@KoL

Fate/Eternum

Saber - Benienma

"Of course dechi!"

It had already been Benienma's intention. The other Kiara, that thing that had the form of the kindly nun... she was undeniably an existence of almost pure evil. This was something far beyond those judged as sinful. It was almost like a scent permeating the air, and aura of pure and unrelenting malignancy. It was as if she was some sort of hole in the world, something that ran directly counter towards the very nature of humanity and yet was inexorably connected to it. It was as if the other Kiara was an opponent of humanity, yet born from humanity.

Pure Evil and yet something like a human.

An Evil of Humanity.

"As a judge of hell, I cannot allow someone whose nature is made of nothing but sin to escape," she continued, one hand on the hilt of her katana as she matched her pace with her Master, "Masta, I too am able to detect the path of her escape dechi!"

There were patients, doctors... they had been somehow turned into pawns. Did the other Kiara's evil know no limits? Claiming innocent people and twisting them into soldiers to attempt to stop them, to use as a wall of flesh to prevent their pursuit...

It was completely despicable.

The other Kiara's sins ran through her very existence.

An Evil of Humanity.

A nurse sprang from a doorway, clawing for the good Kiara. In a smooth motion, Benienma leaped from the ground, twisting her body before the nurse could even react and unsheathing her sword. With a dull thud, she brought the bottom of the katana's hilt to the back of the woman's skull, knocking her senseless in an instant!

She toppled to the ground, and the tiny Servant waited for only a moment to ensure that the others passed safely before moving to follow them, effortlessly keeping pace.

@RolePlayerRoxas@PKMNB0Y

---

Saber - Arturia Pendragon

One of the Servants from the stands had joined her, one she had noticed joining the fray before. Even as the Saber-class Servant ran and listened to her plan, however, she shook her head.

"The amount of power required to slay that dragon, even if it is merely a shadow, in a single blow would require invoking my blade's name. That would cause far too much collateral damage and risk killing untold numbers of innocent people!" she insisted. Indeed, there was no doubt in Arturia's mind that a single blast from Excalibur at its full invocation would utterly vaporize the shadow dragon and leave not a single trace. It could do the same to many a true phantasmal beast. But in doing so, she would destroy much of what was standing behind the blackened monstrosity, potentially killing hundreds.

That was not a risk that she could take!

The dragon's great head reared, but as it did... Lancelot! Her faithful knight had sprang onto its back, using Arondight to hack through the monster's wing in a single blow! It had not been completely severed, but the weight of the enormous limb was serving to rip it free from its body!

Arturia put on another burst of speed, light erupting from Excalibur's blade as she sent herself hurtling onward, fragmenting the earth beneath her feet as she came up parallel to the great shadowy beast! Driving her blade into its flank, Arturia sprinted along the beast's side, opening a lengthy, deep wound along its body as Excalibur's edge cleaved through scales and flesh, spilling a tremendous amount of dark blood onto the floor. The enormous creature roared, a gout of flame emerging from its massive jaws. Twisting her body, the blonde knight wrenched her weapon free from the shadow dragon's flank, another spurt of blood splattering on the ground. It most certainly was not dead, but it had lost a wing and suffered severe injury along its side. Even as some sort of shadow, there was no denying the harm this would cause the monster! If she could, her next move would be to hamstring the beast to limit its movement, severing the ankle of one of its back legs...! Cleaving cleanly through flesh and bone, there was a sizzling sound as the magical energy flowing across her blade severed not just one, but both of the dragon's ankles!

The shadow beast's thrashing tail slammed into the empty stands, crushing and battering them as it snarled, unleashing another gout of angry flames down onto the arena ahead of it!

But even as the injured dragon thrashed, the number of shadow Servants was being depleted. Gareth was capable of understanding this with each thrust. They had seemed endless before, but now it was as if they were fading away at a faster rate...

Slamming one of the creatures to the floor, she drove her lance down to obliterate its chest. Something didn't feel right... Gareth was hardly an expert, but a strange emptiness was beginning to fall across the arena. As if something was being drained away... The energy that had filled the air with the death of countless shadows was disappearing faster and faster.

@RolePlayerRoxas@PKMNB0Y@Raineh Daze@ghastlyInc@Rune_Alchemist

---

Mihama Nanako

Meltryllis had called her an idiot.

That was fine... it really was. As long as she was okay. As long as she wasn't dead. The Alter Ego who had been trying to subtly protect Nanako as much as she could was Nanako's chief concern now.

Ah... it was hard to even watch what happened next. Her body felt both hot and cold, somehow... was this shock? Her shoulder... it was so painful. But... but Meltryllis's virus prepared her for this. She could endure it. She could withstand it. Even as her blood leaked onto the concrete and she gulped air in deeply... gasping, shivering... Nanako was doing her best not to even make a sound.

She could feel the body of one of the shadows land beside her. She turned in time to see Meltryllis brutally finish it with a rapid-fire series of violent stomps. Ah... that was the Archer, wasn't it? That was good... now it couldn't hurt Meltryllis anymore.

Some part of her acknowledged the sheer brutality of the finisher, but it was hard. Nanako never been injured like this before, her face was pale and she was sweating...

The other shadow let out a tremendous roar, its great axe raised high over its head. It swung it down, unleashing a wave of dark magical energy towards the Alter Ego!

@PKMNB0Y

---

HECATE's Chamber

"A Caster from the Age of Gods?" questioned the administrator, hands on her slender hips as she gave a thoughtful look, "Curious, there are certainly no shortage of them across the island. We've benefited greatly from their presence, in fact!"

She gave a brief smile, displaying her strangely-sharp, almost predatory teeth. But a more serious expression soon returned.

"For one to interfere with the system of command seals itself, however... wouldn't that be a relatively narrow area of expertise?" she mused, "Relating to the specific mechanics of summoning... As a magus myself, my curiosity on this matter is boundless, but we must locate the one responsible and put a stop to it as soon as possible."

"Yes, Administrator," agreed HECATE, "Additionally, the information provided by Alkyrieaze von Einzbern has greatly assisted in my data analysis. Initiating scan of spirit origin database. Cross-referencing Servant signatures."

The AI paused for a moment, brushing her hair back as she did.

"Scan complete. Beginning location protocol. Accessing observatory satelli-wh-what?"

HECATE's eyes widened.

"Administrator, something is wrong! There's... sector forty-three, the arena is... I can't detect any mana or spirit origins there!"

@PKMNB0Y@DocRock@Raineh Daze

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

And there's the update. Fanilly's side of things will get updated when @ghastlyinc posts again.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

With the story being told, the elder two girls practically swooned, wrapping their arms around one another from sheer excitement. The black-clad girl seemed decidedly unimpressed by the whole affair.

"Such a monstrous man... vanquished by the noble Iron Rose Knights, with sorcery and steel!" Angenese practically squealed, squeezing her friend tightly for a moment before letting go, "Even if he wasn't a fallen divine, he sounds so terrifying! But now he can never harm another person ever again, thanks to the bravery of the Iron Roses! It's amazing!"

The black-haired girl simply sighed again, then jumped slightly when the other blonde wrapped her arms around her from behind, a slightly teasing smile on her face.

"Come now," began the drill-haired blonde, "Surely it was a little exciting, wasn't it, Violette?"

"I'm not sure what's so thrilling about a bandit subjugation, it's not exactly a legendary quest," responded the younger girl with a rather sour look on her face. She didn't appear to like being hugged from behind so suddenly at all, "Perhaps if it was slaying some manner of wicked sorcerer, or even a dragon..."

"Ah!"

That note appeared to awaken something in both the elder girls, though Angenese spoke first.

"Good sir knights, have either of you ever seen a dragon?!"

There seemed to be some kind of preparations occurring at the far end of the hall, on the large balcony overlooking the party, but for the moment nothing much seemed to have changed.

@HereComesTheSnow@PaulHaynek