Trystan1295
Elder Member
As soon as they stepped foot into Rocky Reels, a wave of dry, hot air buffeted Kent, Claude, and Mirror-chan. "Geez... how did it get so hot all of a sudden?" asked Kent. He brushed the side of his hand against his brow to wipe away the budding beads of sweat. He turned to his Servant and asked him, "Archer, how far until we reach Shuffled Shrines?"
"Couple minutes tops, assuming we don't run into any interference," he said. Claude pointed in the direction of an urban area far off into the distance. "We just have to keep going straight ahead, and—"
Claude was cut off by the deafening noise of some huge structure being demolished.
"What the!?" Kent exclaimed. His head swiveled to his left, where a massive cloud of dust and debris had been kicked up from the direction of Tilted Towers. "Is that a sandstorm or something?"
A mortified Claude shook his head. "There used to be a building over there."
Kent's jaw dropped. He took a step back and mumbled. Turning to his Servant, he asked Claude, "Shit... you think we should check that out instead?"
Claude rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure," he said. "On one hand, we have those beams of ice coming from Shuffled Shrines and the ominous dark lettering coming from The Joneses, but going north towards a potential enemy whose threat level we have no idea of sounds like a recipe for disaster. Maybe we should lay low for a little longer and assess our condition. I'm not the kind of Servant that can just rush headfirst into a battlefield, after all."
"Yeah, maybe you have a point," said Kent. "But I'm not sure if sitting around and waiting while actual people are out there murdering each other is the right idea." He also rubbed his chin, then turned his head so that it faced east. He wanted to consult the other member of his party. "What do you think, Mirror-chan?"
Mirror-chan was nowhere to be seen.
"Archer..." muttered Kent. In a barely-audible voice that sounded more like a whimper, he asked his Servant, "Where's Mirror-chan?"
"Miss Mirror?" asked Claude. "Come to think of it, I stopped sensing her presence shortly after the explosion just now."
"You don't think..."
Claude nodded. "Its language implied it was a familiar acting under the command of another Servant," he explained. "Its ability to manifest as a tangible being would depend on the prana of the Servant who made a pact with it. So, hypothetically speaking, if Miss Mirror's owner was no longer able to provide the energy necessary to keep Miss Mirror active, Miss Mirror would immediately return to its owner's side in Spirit Form. To us, however, it'd be like it vanished."
Kent's hands balled into tight fists. "So Mirror-chan's owner is dead?"
Claude shook his head. "Her death would have been reported in the HUD immediately after the explosion. I think she's in immediate danger, definitely, but I don't think she's dead."
"Then I'm sure you know where we're headed next."
"Hold on, Kent," said Claude. "This is way more likely to be a trap than anything else. Are you really willing to put your life on the line to save someone who probably won't reciprocate the way you want them to?"
Kent chuckled. "Saw right through me, didn't you?" he asked. "It's true, I'm taking this decision partially because I'm..." He blushed a red that matched his armor. "I've grown fond of Mirror-chan... but I also owe it a favor. It saved my life when Vox Akuma was gonna pump a cartridge in me, so I can't pass up a chance to help it out now that I can."
"Hm..." Claude smiled. "While I don’t exactly agree with your logic, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find your bravery and loyalty inspiring. You reminded me of a certain someone I know for a second there."
"Byleth?"
"No. Edelgard."
With renewed determination, the two changed direction and headed towards Tilted Towers. Little did they know, they'd be getting what they wanted sooner than they expected, as a group of Masters approached on the other end of the horizon...
"I'll be fine," said Ironmouse as Yukari reached out to her. With her right eye half shut and in between labored breaths, she added. "It... happens sometimes. But more importantly, if what that Saber said is true... you have a good heart... and you’re willing to put your own safety at risk to offer help those that need it. That's... way more than a lot of other people would in your situation..." Her chest felt like it was on fire, but she still forced a smile and added, "Of course, you might need to put a little more effort in deciding who you're willing to help, but your heart is for sure in the right place."
She let out a raspy cough and cleared her throat. "Urgh... I should be fine now," she said. "Im fine, right? Im fine!" Her breathing and the pain in her chest settled down as she took a moment to perform breathing exercises while muttering to herself, "Take it easy, Mousey... it was just a little scare."
She turned to Yukari and gave her a cheeky smile. "The most important part is to take everything that comes your way with class and to stand up for what you believe is right. Just like your family and your babysitter... and this death game... there will be circumstances where you feel like the world is stacked against you, but the stronger the pressure, the brighter your star will shine. I'll be real with you, Yukari... assuming nobody puts a stop to this death game before it ends, I'm probably not making it out of this alive. I don't think I can last 72 hours without any of my medicine. However, I can take you to people that can make sure you'll be okay. Haruka, Kson... and Connor... if I told them, they'll have your back."
In the middle of her own conversation, she turned to her Archer and asked him, "By the way, Archer... can you see how things are going on the outside? If the coast is clear, I'm ready to dispel the field."
Kson rubbed her chin. She turned to Lenneth and asked her, "If you can fly, why don’tcha go ahead and get a little birds-eye recon? If you ever run into trouble, just give us a holler, and I'll send Berserker over with his Noble Phantasm." She turned to Majima, who was busy cleaning the wax out of his right ear with his pinky. "You'll do it I ask you to, right?"
"Huh?" asked Majima. "Oh, yeah, sure."
Kson squinted. "Show a little spirit, Majima! You'd never miss a chance to show off your valor and dominant spirit to two charming young ladies, right?"
Majima glanced at Shylily, then turned back to Kson and asked her, "Who's the other one?"
Kson's only answer was to drive her knuckles into Majima's head.