vasavis-blog

[vasavis-blog]

Karna paused for a moment amidst the assault. Recklessly swinging at it would serve little more than to wear themselves out, and in the face of a being that their combined strength couldn’t defeat, that would only prove fatal. They’d need to coordinate their attacks in order to lay the beast low, if that was even possible.

“Saber of Black, we have an opportunity.”

Berserker was doing well to hold his own against the best while Enkidu kept it chained, which left the other two on the ground free to mount some sort of assault while it was occupied. They might not get this sort of chance again so it was best to act quickly.

“We’ll strike it together and see if it still has the strength to stand.”

@drachenheld > @berserkerofgold > @formidablemudball

     Damn, everyone’s attacks were so fancy. There was Enkidu’s Eynooma Delish which transformed their body in to something that was hard to describe for Kintoki– and shot out chains? Totally golden. Then there was Karna and his Brahmaster Gongaga? Something like that. It was beginning to get hard to hear the others and their cries– but the mighty polearm’s explosive effects were just as fancy as Enkidu’s attack. Fancy, and flashy. Now that’s what Kintoki was talking about! Fancy wasn’t his style– but flashy was, for sure! And that power was incredible!

He barely noticed the presence of another Servant, only getting a glimpse of the silver-haired swordsman as he dove right back in to the fray– the heavens trembling once more an explosion of lightning cascaded in to the spot Karna’s Noble Phantasm had just hit.

“GOOOOLDEEEN–”

“SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARK!!!”

     But with the beast restricted, Kintoki could do more– and more he did.

Remaining latched onto the beast, his grip on Golden Eater changed– and it’s chainsaw-like blade activated as electricity surged from both it and Kintoki’s body. He was golden, truly– a bright ball of golden electricity beginning to cut in to the creature’s body, worsening the wound they had already given the beast even further.

“ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA–”

     Kintoki’s shouts began to jumble into one another, forming a continuous battle cry as he viciously continued his onslaught, the titan letting out a groan as it was unable to swat him away.

Truly, this is where he shined as a Berserker. Even as the voices began to cloud his mind, screams filling Kintoki’s ears, he attacked and attacked and attacked.

@formidablemudball· > @vasavis· > @drachenheld·

[vasavis-blog]

“Caster-”

He thought to say something else past his intended initial response, but was cut off by the author. The Caster was abrasive, but that much wasn’t new. Karna was never one to be moved by words alone, and even a master writer would need to do better to hide the tiniest bit of sincerity with just a sharp tongue. He’d simply accepted that this was part of his nature and pride, and was fine with that.

There was however, something that struck him as odd about his words. A single word in fact that stuck out to him that he felt the need to question.

“Certainly you’ve made yourself clear. You have my thanks for erasing any potential misunderstandings.”

“But, Caster, am I mistaken in the belief that you’ve been to this city once before? Is something like being brought back after managing to escape truly possible?”

“Oh? If it isn’t Launcher again. What a happy coincidence.”

     He doesn’t sound happy at all, however– but it’s not as if he’s particularly annoyed to see the white-haired man again. This Servant was, after all, actually rather decent.

But to say he had interacted with Karna back in the Moon Cell would be a lie. They had hardly ever spoken– or if they had, he’s already forgotten. But this man was a quiet one to begin with, wasn’t he? And they had no reason to really talk to one another, anyways.

So you could say that this was their true first meeting.

“Before you respond– of course it isn’t happy, I was being sarcastic.”

“There’s nothing happy about being in this place again. I feel as though this sort of clarification is necessary with you, however. You’re welcome.”

@vasavis

[vasavis-blog]

The strike launched by Enkidu hit the beast straight on, heedless of anything in it’s path. Looking on it, Karna could plainly see the reason why Enkidu was considered a Lancer Class Servant. However, that wasn’t strike that was launched for the purpose of marveling at it. Enkidu’s full might was being used to restrain the beast to give them an opportunity, and Karna refused to waste this chance.

He could read it clearly by looking at the beast. He heard every sound and every word the voices in his mind made as he faced it. Still he wouldn’t be made to falter, after all, there was nothing the voices were saying that he hadn’t heard before. 

Flames gathered around his spear, and with a flourish he’d cause them to spread further. Taking a single solid stance, he’d pull back his throwing arm with his spear in hand, preparing a blow meant to lay waste to nations.

“Brahmastra Kundala!” 

Without mercy or hesitation, the spear was thrown carrying the full weight of Karna’s might behind it. It flew and struck the same spot as Enkidu’s initial blow, sending flames in all directions like a ballistics missile. Unfortunately, it would take more than that to subdue the beast. However, strangely enough Karna felt a presence, and for a moment thought he saw a familiar face amidst the flames and wreckage.

“Saber of Black?”

@drachenheld> @berserkerofgold > @formidablemudball

“They make a nice background tune don’t they?” Enkidu laughed. At some point something predatory had entered their voice.It had been far too long since they’d faced a proper opponent with all of their abilities. It was already getting to their head in a way the voices never would.. 

“Thank you both for covering me. Please brace yourselves.” The beast was preparing to retaliate on a larger scale. It had restricted its lasers to the sky for the most part, but their assault had drawn its attention to the ground. 

O’ humans- let us bind the gods above. 

Enuma Elish.

A pillar of clay rocketed past Karna and Kintoki and met the projectiles halfway. The attacks canceled each other out perfectly, dealing no damage to either side… Though the shockwave shattered several nearby windows. Underwhelming, but exhilarating all the same. 

Their body did not bother to return to its ordinary shape before bursting into a tangle of chains that wrapped around the beast’s limbs. (Anchoring there with spikes buried into its skin. Not that it seemed to bother the beast at all.) 

They could prevent it from attacking for a time, leaving the others room to prepare more powerful blows. Hopefully the others would understand their intentions. It was hard to form a functioning mouth when their entire body had turned to chains. 

@vasavis > berserkerofgold

[vasavis-blog]

“A temporary defensive measure. I see. This is part of the measure of the Heroic Spirit of the Shield.”

He could feel a defensive aura about him that differed from the protection of his armor and earring. Something about it was almost warm, and it filled him with a strange confidence. Weapon in hand, he addressed his fellow Lancer before proceeding.

“Mashu Kyrielight is a fellow Servant, only of a different nature. What that entails exactly, I’m not entirely certain, but we have few options worth considering.”

The newer arrival was unfamiliar, but they proved they hadn’t arrived merely to play around. Despite her manner of speaking, Karna could tell she was more than used to a battlefield, and having engaged the beast before, he knew that the more allies they had at their side, the better.

“Mashiro Kuna...I understand. Then, if you will, please cover us while we engage this beast.

“Perhaps a combined attack from us might prove effective, Enkidu.”

That said, the moment the words left his mouth, he leaped once high into the air, and once more off the side of the building propelling himself even higher to reach the beast’s head. He knew that he only had moments before the creature’s lasers blasted him out of the sky, so with the little time he had, he brought his spear down on the beast head in a graceful arc that carried the force of a monster. As the blow ‘connected’ he could already feel it preparing its counterattack.

@formidablemudball > madshiro > castilium > vasavis

Like it’s the end of the world

An unfamiliar presence rocketed towards them at a surprising speed- but it did not appear to be hostile. Enkidu snapped their body back into shape. They did not like making first impressions looking less than human.

“Is she a friend of yours Lancer? She has an interesting presence about her.” They glanced from her bearing to her shield. Not an ordinary Servant, but something of the sort. Regardless, Karna seemed to trust her abilities, and her shield was almost certainly a powerful defensive Noble Phantasm. 

“Could you take care of defense against those lasers? I can shield us all to some extent, but it will take more clay than I’d like to spare if it keeps firing at this rate. Lancer has his armor, but I cannot say the same.Though I am not sure about our other friend…”

@madshiro > @castilium > @vasavis > @formidablemudball 

[vasavis-blog]

“Very well. In that case...!”

The Lancer shot at the beast with the speed of a bullet. Spear in hand, he cleaved through the drones in the way as if they were never there to begin with. There numbers were considerable and near tiresome, but the real threat above made them seem like less than specs of dust in comparison.

He thought to halt its movements by going for it’s many ligaments, starting with it’s legs. Blasting off the ground, he swung his spear with all the force he could muster into the leg of the beast. Flames spilled like a torrent as he hurled a roar that shook his entire body behind the blow. However, it seemed with all of the force that he could muster, there was a similar force pushing back against him. The second his grip lessened, he found himself being flung backwards into the street as the sound of voices echoed in his mind.

“Too shallow? No...It would seem that there’s more to this beast than mere primal savagery.”

“Stay on your guard, Berserker.”

@berserkerofgold > @formidablemudball

Enkidu let up their constant assault of clay Noble Phantasms for a moment- just to stretch for a moment. 

“In that case, I will help too. Please count on me for defense while you two attack. Though I won’t be leaving all the hard work to you of course.” In this world they could not sense their ordinary source of power, but if Servants could operate without a source of mana then surely it would provide. 

Sure enough, flowers began to bloom around them. Their Noble Phantasm was not intended to cause damage (though the shock-wave often did regardless). It was not a powerful final blow or anything like that- but that was precisely what made it a reasonable strategy for this sort of thing. 

“Go.” 

@vasavis > @berserkerofgold

[vasavis-blog]

Wordlessly he drew his spear and stepped forward. Flames danced around him as he eyed his companions. He was well aware that there would be a lack of proper strategy among the three of them given their nature, and without someone to give him orders as was usually the case, his movements were entirely up to his discretion. They just needed to coordinate their efforts, it was far from impossible.

After all, his original target was right in front of him.

“There’s no problem. Between Mount Ashigara’s lightning, Agni’s divine fire, and force the earth itself, we have the means to impede this beast.”

“If we need only create an opening before attempting to land a decisive blow, I believe Berserker and I have the tools.”

He lowered his spear and prepared to strike at the rampaging beast as it towered above them.

@berserkerofgold > @formidablemudball

Enkidu pulled their hair back in and brushed it flat with their free hand. Kintoki seemed eager to help- Karna was a little more difficult to read. 

“Of course I have a plan! We just have to keep hitting it until it goes down, don’t we? You don’t have any objections, do you? I know that both of you were fighting already anyway. If you were in the middle of anything important, I can throw you back if you like, but I’m sure that three Servants of our level could deal some significant damage.” 

@vasavis > @berserkerofgold

[vasavis-blog]

A comrade that had simply fallen from the sky was in many ways better than a fallen comrade. That said, the Lancer couldn’t help but worry for the safety of the young Demi-Servant. To him, it still appeared that she had room for growth and training, so for her to have to deal with such a monumental foe seemed near suicidal.

However, he had no intention of letting her face this threat by herself. Once again he was accompanied by his fellow Lancer, and he helped the girl on her feet before explaining the situation.

“We’re in what remains of Sector One. While I’m uncertain of how you reached here with normal means of transport restricted, It would seem this wasn’t your intended destination.”

“However, as seems to be our fate, where we once again stand is a battleground, and retreating is not an option. Stand and fight, Mashu Kyrielight, know you do so with allies at your side.”

@formidablemudball > @madshiro > @castilium > @vasavis

Like it’s the end of the world

From the sheer scale of the monstrosity which rampaged, Shielder felt it necessary to attack from a new angle and wrangled a ride to Olympia. Upon which she stood in opposition much higher than any others combating the horrific sextuplets.

She’d practiced the move only once before, and at such a long time ago by this point. Slamming the shield’s base into the concrete, she fired herself forward like the bullet of a gun, racing through the air to penetrate and execute the enemy.

Long before she could even make contact with the hostile, lasers were firing off from its enormous form. Only by raising Lord Camelot’s impenetrable defences were they not vaporized.

But the saving grace had knocked her off course and she was ricocheting towards the city. More mana she pooled into the shield’s strength and prayed on the durability of a Servant’s body.

Her eyes had been closed and braced for impact when her body smashed into a block of flats. And when she stirred, it had fallen onto the ground, from where she recognized one of the two on the other side of the shrubbery.

So dazed, she wouldn’t even attempt to get onto her feet just yet. “Lancer-san…? Where approximately is this?”

@vasavis → @formidablemudball → @madshiro ↪ @castilium​

[vasavis-blog]

The beast clawed it’s way through the city in its rampage, however the only things standing in between the Lancer’s spear and the beast’s body were the near innumerable drones littered across the city. They posed little threat on their own, but their presence kept him occupied by protecting those who could not fight themselves.

One glance at the area showed how much he needed left to do, and he only needed one swipe of his spear to accomplish that. As one of the mechanical horrors lunged at him, he flourished his spear once and sent the street awash with roaring flames. However, before he could ponder his next move, something strange had wrapped itself around his wrist and pulled. There was no time to ponder the nature of the strange object, but he knew that it wasn’t hostile. At least, not entirely.

He soared through the air, closer and closer to the towering figure, and while he still had many questions the familiar green ahead of him made things clear.

“Have you forgotten about your cellphone, Enkidu? Though this is certainly a faster method of transport, I assume this means that you also don’t have a plan in mind.”

Which was to be expected considering his fellow Lancer’s nature. He wasn’t expecting much in the way of strategy from their other comrade, but he was reassured by their strength in numbers if nothing else.

@berserkerofgold >> @formidablemudball

Broken weapons littered the ground, but the beast had yet to flinch. The drones were dead, that was true, but the monster itself seemed all but invincible.

This was not the first time that Enkidu had fought an ‘invincible’ opponent, but they’d never faced one alone. Gilgamesh was somewhere out there, but given the result of their last joint battle, they thought it best to skip him for now.

They kept one hand pressed to the ground, and the other out ahead to create shields against incoming attacks. With a third, newly twisted from the clay of their robes, they plucked their phone from their pocket. It took almost a full minute for them to find their contacts. Another minute to remember how to scroll. Half a second to notice that there were no pictures to identify their countless contacts, and less than that to toss the phone aside.

Those two were nearby. Two pillars of immeasurable strength. Hah- to think their friends were so powerful! Could that be considered a personal skill?

Two threads of clay spun from their hair and stretched out behind them, each with a different destination. One for the Berserker clad in gold, and one for the Lancer cloaked in sunlight. Each strand twisted and turned around buildings and trees, pulling additional clay from the ground as needed. When they reached their targets, they wrapped around their wrists and gave a gentle tug. 

@vasavis >> @berserkerofgold

[vasavis-blog]

“Simply one small bit of madness after the other. However, if I am being called to fight for those that cannot, I see no reason to refuse.”

[vasavis-blog]

His brow arched slightly at the finger placed upon him, but no more than that and even then, only for an instant. A single blink was all that was offered in response initially as he pulled himself back from the Assassin.

“My apologies. I didn’t intend to overstep my bounds.”

If he were captivated by anything at the time, barring the sake of course, then it was her voice. As absurd as it was, he drew a faint connection to someone who might have as far removed from Shuten-douji as possible. Inclined to mull over even the smallest detail as he was, he felt it might be for the best to ignore any possible comparisons he might draw.

“Earning favor with a fellow Heroic Spirit sounds wise, though I may not be fit for such a task.”

“A certain master of mine was fond of telling me that I had issues communicating things properly, however if my voice is enough then I suppose all I need do is speak.”

     “Mm, good, good… Drink to your fill, relax, won’t you…”

     – He gets close so suddenly, she almost instinctively moves away if not for those eyes pulling her back in. Two brightly contrasting colors that stood out against blanched cheeks, set upon a flat yet mysterious expression.

     She never stops smiling, staring intensely without any intention to break their gaze or even blink.

     "Oh? Getting bold, are you? You’ve barely had a few sips…“ A finger raises to interuppt the space between them, pressing forward to lightly touch upon the Lancer’s lips. "If you want a kiss, you have to earn it. Though with that voice… it’s tempting…”

[vasavis-blog]

“I see...”

Without thinking, he slipped into a more sullen tone and face. Without a doubt, her concern and her current mood was his fault entirely. Though it was partly due to the influence of the scientists, it was his mental world that trapped her in that battlefield, and his recklessness that caused her to think the worst. Had he instead fled with her instead of recklessly chasing after the shadow of a ghost, there’d be no reason for her to speculate about his demise.

“Perhaps I should have made a greater effort to see you out of that place myself.”

“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to assume that I would have fallen in the same place a second time. Such a foolish oversight on my part is shameful to anyone who bears the title of ‘Heroic Spirit’.”

It was embarrassing fail so miserably at containing herself, and shameful - in front of a Servant whom she admired so much. Her hands lifted themselves, fingers pressed against her eyes to drag away the tears and their remnants. In order to make herself more presentable in the midst of the festival and before him.

“I- I understand… I w- was… worried a- a lot.

Death is nothing new for Servants, and it would be foolish to forget that. H- Here, the rules of expiration are different; I feel as though the reality of his existences can be put aside.

So my guard fell. And I feared losing you there. I… thought you might become trapped, and never return to us”.

His tenacity, however, she would give him credit for - it might have been written in stone that the site be the location of his final stand, but he’d resisted, fought tooth and nail rather than lie down and accept events as they were. He never gave up.

[vasavis-blog]

“I was bound to wake up at some point. It was not your singing, but my own carelessness that lead me to this point. You need not worry.”

He sat with his usual stiff composure and his typical serious face despite claiming to be relaxed. It was simply how he naturally carried himself, he wasn’t even aware of it. The song hardly bothered him at all, if anything he rather enjoyed it. Whether or not it woke him up was irrelevant since, in his mind at least, he shouldn’t have fallen asleep in the first place

“It’s not unusual to become nostalgic in times of stress. Though it may only be a small comfort.”

     Hive City was home to all types, it seemed, and among its people were those that preferred to sleep in the open atmosphere of the park as opposed to the confines of their assigned spaces. Fair enough. Azura always had trouble sleeping, and tonight was no exception. In that way, she, too, found it much more desirable.

     Truly believing the man on the bench to be deeply asleep, she sang quietly to herself as she meandered down the brick path. Stopping in her tracks as a voice rang out behind her, she pursed her lips in remorse at her mistake.

“I hope that I did not wake you,”

“Truth be told, it’s a song my mother taught me long ago. It brings me comfort in these times, so I..” trailing off, Azura turned tentatively on her heel to face him. Hopefully he wasn’t too miffed regarding such a disturbance..

[vasavis-blog]

“Though I believe my constitution is of little note, I accept your praise Assassin.”

His initial assessment of her having been rather carefree hadn’t changed much, however if he had to make another note, is that there seemed to be this constant hint of appraisal in her eyes. It was almost as if she were constantly seeking something amusing. For now he’d have to make do with the fact that he measured up to some degree.

He could only guess what a famous maneating demon would do when truly bored.

“It’s quite good. Strong, but I’d expect nothing less from a legendary oni. However if that was meant to be a challenge then...”

He stopped mid-sentence to face the oni, drink in hand. Without much warning he leaned closer to the other Servant’s face and stayed there for a moment. The lingering feeling that had been nagging at him continued to persist, and he was starting to believe it was....her voice?

     If one were to compare their conversation to a sort of dance, it would appear Karna was standing completely still while Shuten would consistently attempt to engage him.

     Though, she didn’t seem to mind. Rather, his acquiescent nature was kind of fascinating. More than that, there was something.. something intriguing, something familiar, she couldn’t put her finger on it.

     “Stop, I’ll blush~” She waves a hand dismissively, though it’s clear she was beaming from the praise.

     “Don’t put yourself down so quickly, boy. Hmm… a little leaner than I typically like them, but you’re quite good, you know. An earnest man is preferable, above all… Well, what do you think? Can you handle the taste of this sake…? Have some more~” Inviting herself to pour more into his cup, whether it be empty or not, Shuten does so with a smile.

[vasavis-blog]

“Tenacious as you are, I have no doubts that a pragmatist like yourself would know that I have no intention of serving you again. Should I find that our paths cross when the time comes, I may offer my aid, but that is the most I will guarantee.”

There was little suspicion in Karna’s eyes. He had already spent long enough in the boy’s company to gauge his true character. This line of thinking of his was hardly a change of heart, it fell directly in line with his usual M.O. only on a much smaller scale. Still, simply because he had a noble goal from a broad view, didn’t change the fact that it was difficult to reconcile with his methods after having been one of his chess pieces already.

“The city can very well benefit with the combined efforts of two Ruler Class Servants. You may be able to save more lives than most.”

“As for your investigation....I have little reason to be wary of you if you’re being watched by the other Ruler.”

     Normally, one would probably register Karna’s words there as a joke. But… 

This was Karna. So he would clarify, regardless.

“It’s not like that. She’s been here much longer than I– and we share the same goal. We’re ‘teammates’, simply put. I bear her no ill will, either.”

“I’m glad you understand, however.”

     Though the Hero of Charity may not have liked Shirou, he was glad that the Lancer-class spirit believed in his words. He really couldn’t lie around him, anyways. … Surely, it was possible that Karna couldn’t detect the truth behind words here, but… he wouldn’t risk it.

There was no real reason for him to lie about his goals, anyways.

“Rallying the other Servants could prove beneficiary, but it’s not something that will happen anytime soon. Though, to know that we would have support in the future certainly would help. … But it’ll be a while before that happens.”

     Noting the other’s actions, with a tentative hand, he grabs a single ring.

“… Really, though. My intention here wasn’t to find you and ask for your help. I simply felt the presence of a spirit and decided to investigate.”

[vasavis-blog]

“It would seem, I’m due for another summoning in the future. Very well, so long as there is a battle to be fought.”

[vasavis-blog]

❝ Looking back on my life, I guess my biggest regret is trying to fight that alligator 5 minutes ago. ❞

“I fail to understand.”

“Do you regret the attempt or do you regret the outcome? The outcome was a result of your will versus that of the alligator. There’s hardly cause for regret.”

[vasavis-blog]

CITTA SUNDAY: VOLUME I

Time for some questions about our lovely setting! Remember your reblog karma and send some questions to those who you reblog from so everyone can get in on this meme action! Links have been provided to some of the more obscure districts for your reading pleasure. In addition, thank you to Ink, Kevin and Prof for helping me think of questions!

OAK – What’s your muse’s favorite/least favorite sector and why? MAPLE – What’s your muse’s favorite/least favorite district and why? BIRCH – Is there a particular store your muse likes to hang out in? WILLOW – Tell us about an interesting run in your muse has had with an NPC! WALNUT – How does your muse get around the city, for the most part? Taxi? Train? Their own automobile? HAWTHORN – Which underground district does your muse find the most terrifying? ELM – If your muse could add a completely new sector/district to the city, what would it be like? PINE – How difficult is it for your muse to navigate Sector 001? CHESTNUT – Would your muse ever participate in a sector 002 protest/riot? HICKORY – Does your muse consider Sector 003 dangerous? Why or why not! BEECH – What stores/places has your muse found within Sector 004 that are unique to their homeworld? ASPEN – Tell us about an interesting trinket you’ve picked up in Sector 005 lately. ASH – Is Sector 006 a safe haven or a disaster magnet, in your muse’s opinion? HORNBEAM – Has your muse ever had a run in with the District Alpha pariahs? How did they/would they react to them? SASSAFRAS – Would your muse venture into the core of District Beta to gain super mutant powers if they could? What kind of powers do you think they would get? MAGNOLIA – Does your muse think there are ghosts haunting District Gamma, and would they ever try to summon one? DOGWOOD – What does your muse think the glyphs in District Delta are from? What kind of story do they think the glyphs tell? SYCAMORE – If your muse could find any piece of literature in District Epsilon, what would they seek to find? REDBUD – How sentient are the plants in District Zeta, in your muse’s opinion? CHERRY – What does your muse think the “something strong and deadly” rumored to lurk in District Lambda is? FIR – There are several subdistricts in the outlands of Vario. Which one would/does your muse frequent most? COTTONWOOD – You cannot enter Mu with metal on your person. Would your muse fight to keep their metal belongings? How angry do you think the vine gate would get at them? BUTTERNUT – On a scale of 1 to 10, how attractive does your muse find the mutated NPCs of District Theta? BASSWOOD – Would your muse ever attempt to climb the tower in district Iota? How successful do you think they would be? CEDAR – How would your muse spend a day in Olympia? CYPRESS – Make a mini based off one of the outlying districts!