Fantasy Turmoil in the Land of Sugar

[Nivi]

Code:

​

“They say even coals may become diamonds with hard work. But gold? Gold will always be gold. Live a pleasant life. A golden life.” - Emperor Futomaru

​

Turmoil in the Land of Sugar
暗殺
​

Legend has it that long ago, the continent of Daitōryō knew peace, and prospered under a unified banner of mutual wealth and benefit. Yet, all available recorded history illustrates only eras of dispute, subterfuge, and warfare. In a world plagued by constant conflict, even legends and tall tales can be of relief for those in poverty. Imagination, to believe in better times, to believe that perhaps one day, things may return to how elders say they were. A time before the Emperors split the continent into a multitude of Feudal lands, a time before each country wasn’t forced into a perpetual military upkeep simply for the sake of deterrence. A time when one was all and all were one, when Daitōryō was really home. However… Tales are just that. Tales. In reality, wealth belongs to those born into it, and peace to those who can afford it.

༺═──────────────═༻​

The Land of Sugar: Long ago, an unnamed emperor divided Daitōryō, then known as “Endem” into several territories which are now known as Feudal Lands. To keep things simple and orderly, each territory was named after its most prominent locality. Known for its abundance in sugar cane and exports in sweets, the Emperor named this small, rainy territory after it. The Land of Sugar is the smallest and poorest of all the lands. Its lack of strong military means it is constantly bullied by neighboring lands for cheap exports, and its conditions gradually dwindle due to constant rain and lack of funds for upkeep. It is a very metallic place, with tall, rusted buildings. What little arable land it has is used for the cultivation of sugarcane. Because of its small size, the land’s military focuses on individual excellence rather than abundant strength, meaning it is home to excellent, disciplined warriors.



The Story so far: Poverty and misery tend to rule the smaller lands. A cycle exists for those in power. Political neglect creates cheap benefits from those in poverty, and cheap benefits mean there is nothing else for victims to do except accept their neglect, or die of starvation. Many if not all Emperors in the line of succession adhere to such principles, to as to keep order and obedience within their continent. They rule in peace and greed from their palace at the center of Daitōryō, located in the Land of Gold. For decades, if not centuries, the Land of Sugar has been a primary victim of such a vicious cycle. The current Feudal Lord of Sugar, Grandmaster Harami, has recently taken up the position once more after his son perished of illness. Many citizens welcome the re-succesion, for Harami’s son was widely considered to be a weak ruler. Harami has received backlash nationally for his rebellious tendencies, which is why he is popularly liked by his citizens. Nevertheless, it is no secret that he is an ageing old man, and the rains of the land are not merciful to the elderly. Thus, many question why he elected to return to the throne with so little time left. You, however, will soon come to know why.(edited)



Two weeks ago, Emperor Futomo of Daitōryō also succumbed to illness. Futomo was a strict and powerful ruler, widely adored by many of the stronger Lands. His younger brother, Futomaru, who happens to be next in line for the Imperial Throne, has followed closely in his footsteps. Many sages estimate Futomaru to be an even greater king than his brother was, surpassing him in both physical power and global appeal. This is grim news for the smaller Lands. In his waning days, Grandmaster Harami has decided that this is his last opportunity to make a change for the better. Where he and his son failed to bring peace to their beloved Land of Sugar, he now has nothing to lose. Fail or succeed, his death will come soon. By order of Feudal Lord of Sugar, Grandmaster Harami, you have been summoned for a maximum tier assignment.

༺═──────────────═༻​

 

[Nivi]

Turmoil in the Land of Sugar

​

楽​

Sharp torrents of rain spattered heavily over the grimy floor. In the mirror, the reflection of a younger looking man manifested itself in a seemingly black background. He appeared to be falling backwards slowly, arms extended as if he had just recoiled from some sort of impact. From behind him, tall skyscrapers of rusted metal slowly manifested too. A thud resonates as his body hits the ground, although it was more of a hefty splash as his back hit the flooded streets, surrounded by buildings and silhouettes of rain and moving figures.

“Harami!”

The voice of a woman shrieked, her footsteps splashing holes into the several inches of water on the ground. She manifested into the visage as well, kneeling before the man. She appeared to have a pained expression as she looked at the man. Tying her hair into whatever bun she could as she stammered, she placed her hands then on the man’s chest which had begun to bleed profusely. “Harami…” she cried in a panic before beginning a healing spell, her hands glowing with golden light. The man on the floor tried to bring his head up, and his arm as well, lifting his finger to point. “No Harami! Save your energy.. You’re going to be all right, do you hear me?” She tried with one of her hands to keep the man down, but he would not relent even as he coughed up blood. “Harami s-stop!” she pleaded but the man did not listen, instead finally garnering the strength to point his finger forward. But by the time the woman looked back at what he pointed at, it was perhaps too late. The figure of a man dressed in a white uniform lunged forward, and everything came into a sense of slow motion as he brought his katana down fiercely, aimed at the woman. A shriek came next, and everything went black.

“Lord Harami?” The voice echoed a bit in his head before he finally came to his senses.

“Huh?” Harami’s eyes stuttered as they snapped back into reality, staring at himself in the mirror. He panicked a bit as he realized what he was looking at was no longer the young man he used to be, but his old, hunched appearance of the present. He lowered his head as he came to his senses, pondering in grief… His back cracked as he turned around, using a wooden cane for support. “Ah, pardon me..” He said in his wispy voice, looking up at the clerk who had called his attention. A middle-aged fellow dressed in a blue yukata with a nice looking mustache. “I’m afraid you caught me in the middle of a flashback, Baron.” Harami began walking forward, and the Baron joined his side. The old man laughed and shook his head. “Memories of a time long since gone.. It’s a peaceful era now-a-days, don’t you think, Baron? No war.. Conflicts.” He nodded passionately at his own words before turning to the Baron, which nodded respectfully. “I suppose so, Lord Harami. Anywho, Captain Waranaki is here to see you. You did request his presence by letter, yes?” Harami glanced up at the large wooden doors before him. “Indeed I did….”

Earlier that day.​

The footsteps of military boots paced at a steady tempo over the wooden floor of the classroom. Dressed in the standard of a black jumpsuit and his grey flak jacket, Captain Waranaki chuckled to himself as he looked over a parchment in his hands. He adjusted the sheath of his katana sashed across his back before looking up to another military man on the other side of the classroom. “It appears all except two of you voted to press the attack,” Norito says as he looks forward to all of the students sat down in front of him, each dressed in the exact same uniform, although some with custom accessories. Most of the students reply with a laugh or chuckle, perhaps finding comedy in the thought that only one of them got the answer wrong. Norito walks up to the chalk board, where a large diagram of a battlefield and a strategy is illustrated. He picks up the chalk and draws two arrows from the Sugarite platoon, pointing them forward at an enemy position. “Hmmrm! So the attack is pressed.” He says and finishes the last arrow before setting the chalk down and turning to face the students, hand behind his back. “Who wants to tell me why?” Immediately, many of the young cadets raise their hand, bustling excitedly to be picked. “You, over there.” Harami points at a young girl who looks to be perhaps 16. Her head is completely bald without a single hair, and her eyes are made up with a stylish eyeliner to compliment her freckles and blue eyes. She stands up to address the captain. “Captain, because the enemy has split up their forces, their position is now weakened and spread out thin. This provides us with a very fortunate opportunity to strike and finish them once and for all.” Norito nods approvingly, circling the enemy position with the chalk. “This is very true. Excellent observation, cadet.” He writes out the phrase “weakened forces” next to the circle, before turning around again. Norito then sighs in disappointment however and shakes his head. “However….” He ticks his tongue and watches as students frown in anticipation of what he’s about to say. “Pressing the attack… Was the incorrect option. You’re all dead! Again!” He barked, and immediately all the cadets groan or laugh in frustration.

“What!!?”

“We had it perfect this time!”

“No way!?”

“Captain this is rigged isn’t it?!”

The students whined and joked, crumpling their papers and raging about.

Norito in the meanwhile held his own gut as he could barely breathe from laughter, pointing his finger at all the failures. “Ahem!” He then called out, picking up the parchment again.

“Mani Yukira. Present yourself.” Norito calls out and looks across the classroom for the name he called out.

In the back of the room, a shy looking girl with terrible stature and seemingly 0 confidence stands up, looking at the floor. “Here, Captain…” She says, and suddenly all eyes peer down at her.

“Cadet Yukira, you voted to remain in position and fortify the camp, which was the other option. Why is this the correct option?”

The cadet hesitated for a second but then lifted her head to speak. “Well.. You see captain..” She began. “Speak up!” Norito interrupted her, and she cleared her throat to continue explaining. “You see Captain… Since the enemy split up their forces, it would be dangerous to move out. They could flank our position when its undefended, or really, many more things could go wrong…” She looked like she had more to say but Norito took over anyway.

“Yes! Yes! Very good Cadet! Excellent.” Norito picked up the chalk again and turned to the board. He drew out some arrows coming from the split pockets of enemy troops, and pointed them all at the Sugarite base as well as some other key locations.

“Attacking the enemy in full force while they are weakened would deliver a finishing blow, yes. That is true, and it is also true that it is a tempting opportunity. But that, cadets, is what the enemy wants you to think. It’s a trap. As soon as you send out an attacking force, you leave your home base undefended, and what’s more, you also leave the enemy an easy opportunity to cut off your supply lines, which they can easily do since they now have troops in multiple locations. This means that even if you were to succesfully attack the targeted location, you’d most likely end up stranded there as the enemy cuts you off completely. It is an ingenious trap, which all of you should have seen through.” Norito grins proudly and crosses out a huge X over the entire schematic, before writing in capital letters above it: “MISSION FAILED”. Behind him all the students groan again, and Mani sits down, staying in her own corner again.

“Anywho! I believe that is all the time I have for today- so..”

The cadets then look forward and stand, each giving a respectful bow before beginning to clap for Captain Waranaki. The military man mentioned earlier stands up too. “Very well class! What do we say to the Captain for taking some time off to teach?”

“Thank you Captain!” The cadets reply in unison, sitting down.

“Oh, no, nonsense.” Norito waves it off and looks to the man. “Please, thank Master Kanato for having me in the first place. It’s been a pleasure to teach.” Norito bows respectfully to the master before turning to leave.

“Wait! Captain! Who was the other person who voted to fortify?” The captain glanced backwards only to laugh. “Well, Master Kanato of course!” He grinned at the sudden burst of laughter from the cadets as he left the classroom, and Master Kanato stood there with a proud smile, beginning to erase the entirety of the chalkboard.

Norito sighs loudly as he walks through the hallways, listening in on all the classroom lectures as he walks since the teachers have to speak particularly loud for all the cadets to listen. He reaches into his pocket to pull out an old sundial, looking over it. “I suppose it’s about time for the summons..” He thinks to himself and heads out.

Present time.​

​

Two large wooden doors open up right on queue, allowing Norito, Harami, and the Baron to meet face to face. Norito appeared to be holding up an umbrella to shield himself from the light drizzle that was currently pouring down on the land, looking inside to the Feudal Embassy of Sugar. Inside was a large, beautiful garden, with man built rivers and ecosystems thriving by themselves. The roof of the embassy appeared to be made of glass to allow sunlight to reach the gardens. Many animals pranced around happily in the large, peaceful environment, like deer and rabbits. In the middle of the garden was a large circular platform with a table on it and a mirror. Many bridges extended from the platform, one leading to the entrance, others leading into other parts of the Embassy like the Council room for example, which were all separated from the garden in individual rooms. The bridges each lead into corridors which led to these rooms.

Norito immediately gives a noble bow. “Grandmaster Toro. I received your message by mail. Is something the matter..?” The captain rose and held his umbrella overhead. Harami smiled at the man and waved for him to come inside. “Ah, Norito. It’s been a while, hmm? When’s the last time I saw you… Oh! Yes, yes.. When I taught you that spell-- hmmm.. Which spell was it? Mmrm, no matter. Come inside, we’ve much to discuss.” Norito stepped inside, setting the umbrella inside a vase near the entrance after shaking it dry. “I don’t suppose I’m early? The letter you sent stated there’d be others for this… What did you call it? Maximum Tier assignment? You haven’t given out an MT since the war, Grandmaster.” Norito joined Harami and the Baron as they walked to the platform in the middle. “I am well aware of what the letter said, Norito. However I specifically requested for you to arrive earlier, because I must discuss it with you beforehand. Do not worry about the others, they will arrive in a matter of minutes. Baron Tielemont will remain at the entrance to receive them.”

Harami and Norito walk inwards towards the platform, and The Baron remains at the entrance in order to receive the others when they arrive. It’s time now. Do or die.

❀

Nivi

❀

Smells

✧

Like

✧

poop

coded by DeerPrince & edited by Dionysus ​

Spoiler: Not Mobile Friendly

Sharp torrents of rain spattered heavily over the grimy floor. In the mirror, the reflection of a younger looking man manifested itself in a seemingly black background. He appeared to be falling backwards slowly, arms extended as if he had just recoiled from some sort of impact. From behind him, tall skyscrapers of rusted metal slowly manifested too. A thud resonates as his body hits the ground, although it was more of a hefty splash as his back hit the flooded streets, surrounded by buildings and silhouettes of rain and moving figures.

“Harami!”


The voice of a woman shrieked, her footsteps splashing holes into the several inches of water on the ground. She manifested into the visage as well, kneeling before the man. She appeared to have a pained expression as she looked at the man. Tying her hair into whatever bun she could as she stammered, she placed her hands then on the man’s chest which had begun to bleed profusely. “Harami…” she cried in a panic before beginning a healing spell, her hands glowing with golden light. The man on the floor tried to bring his head up, and his arm as well, lifting his finger to point. “No Harami! Save your energy.. You’re going to be all right, do you hear me?” She tried with one of her hands to keep the man down, but he would not relent even as he coughed up blood. “Harami s-stop!” she pleaded but the man did not listen, instead finally garnering the strength to point his finger forward. But by the time the woman looked back at what he pointed at, it was perhaps too late. The figure of a man dressed in a white uniform lunged forward, and everything came into a sense of slow motion as he brought his katana down fiercely, aimed at the woman. A shriek came next, and everything went black.


“Lord Harami?” The voice echoed a bit in his head before he finally came to his senses.

“Huh?” Harami’s eyes stuttered as they snapped back into reality, staring at himself in the mirror. He panicked a bit as he realized what he was looking at was no longer the young man he used to be, but his old, hunched appearance of the present. He lowered his head as he came to his senses, pondering in grief… His back cracked as he turned around, using a wooden cane for support. “Ah, pardon me..” He said in his wispy voice, looking up at the clerk who had called his attention. A middle-aged fellow dressed in a blue yukata with a nice looking mustache. “I’m afraid you caught me in the middle of a flashback, Baron.” Harami began walking forward, and the Baron joined his side. The old man laughed and shook his head. “Memories of a time long since gone.. It’s a peaceful era now-a-days, don’t you think, Baron? No war.. Conflicts.” He nodded passionately at his own words before turning to the Baron, which nodded respectfully. “I suppose so, Lord Harami. Anywho, Captain Waranaki is here to see you. You did request his presence by letter, yes?” Harami glanced up at the large wooden doors before him. “Indeed I did….”


Earlier that day.


The footsteps of military boots paced at a steady tempo over the wooden floor of the classroom. Dressed in the standard of a black jumpsuit and his grey flak jacket, Captain Waranaki chuckled to himself as he looked over a parchment in his hands. He adjusted the sheath of his katana sashed across his back before looking up to another military man on the other side of the classroom. “It appears all except two of you voted to press the attack,” Norito says as he looks forward to all of the students sat down in front of him, each dressed in the exact same uniform, although some with custom accessories. Most of the students reply with a laugh or chuckle, perhaps finding comedy in the thought that only one of them got the answer wrong. Norito walks up to the chalk board, where a large diagram of a battlefield and a strategy is illustrated. He picks up the chalk and draws two arrows from the Sugarite platoon, pointing them forward at an enemy position. “Hmmrm! So the attack is pressed.” He says and finishes the last arrow before setting the chalk down and turning to face the students, hand behind his back. “Who wants to tell me why?” Immediately, many of the young cadets raise their hand, bustling excitedly to be picked. “You, over there.” Harami points at a young girl who looks to be perhaps 16. Her head is completely bald without a single hair, and her eyes are made up with a stylish eyeliner to compliment her freckles and blue eyes. She stands up to address the captain. “Captain, because the enemy has split up their forces, their position is now weakened and spread out thin. This provides us with a very fortunate opportunity to strike and finish them once and for all.” Norito nods approvingly, circling the enemy position with the chalk. “This is very true. Excellent observation, cadet.” He writes out the phrase “weakened forces” next to the circle, before turning around again. Norito then sighs in disappointment however and shakes his head. “However….” He ticks his tongue and watches as students frown in anticipation of what he’s about to say. “Pressing the attack… Was the incorrect option. You’re all dead! Again!” He barked, and immediately all the cadets groan or laugh in frustration.

“What!!?”

“We had it perfect this time!”

“No way!?”

“Captain this is rigged isn’t it?!”

The students whined and joked, crumpling their papers and raging about.


Norito in the meanwhile held his own gut as he could barely breathe from laughter, pointing his finger at all the failures. “Ahem!” He then called out, picking up the parchment again.


“Mani Yukira. Present yourself.” Norito calls out and looks across the classroom for the name he called out.

In the back of the room, a shy looking girl with terrible stature and seemingly 0 confidence stands up, looking at the floor. “Here, Captain…” She says, and suddenly all eyes peer down at her.

“Cadet Yukira, you voted to remain in position and fortify the camp, which was the other option. Why is this the correct option?”


The cadet hesitated for a second but then lifted her head to speak. “Well.. You see captain..” She began. “Speak up!” Norito interrupted her, and she cleared her throat to continue explaining. “You see Captain… Since the enemy split up their forces, it would be dangerous to move out. They could flank our position when its undefended, or really, many more things could go wrong…” She looked like she had more to say but Norito took over anyway.


“Yes! Yes! Very good Cadet! Excellent.” Norito picked up the chalk again and turned to the board. He drew out some arrows coming from the split pockets of enemy troops, and pointed them all at the Sugarite base as well as some other key locations.

“Attacking the enemy in full force while they are weakened would deliver a finishing blow, yes. That is true, and it is also true that it is a tempting opportunity. But that, cadets, is what the enemy wants you to think. It’s a trap. As soon as you send out an attacking force, you leave your home base undefended, and what’s more, you also leave the enemy an easy opportunity to cut off your supply lines, which they can easily do since they now have troops in multiple locations. This means that even if you were to succesfully attack the targeted location, you’d most likely end up stranded there as the enemy cuts you off completely. It is an ingenious trap, which all of you should have seen through.” Norito grins proudly and crosses out a huge X over the entire schematic, before writing in capital letters above it: “MISSION FAILED”. Behind him all the students groan again, and Mani sits down, staying in her own corner again.

“Anywho! I believe that is all the time I have for today- so..”

The cadets then look forward and stand, each giving a respectful bow before beginning to clap for Captain Waranaki. The military man mentioned earlier stands up too. “Very well class! What do we say to the Captain for taking some time off to teach?”

“Thank you Captain!” The cadets reply in unison, sitting down.


“Oh, no, nonsense.” Norito waves it off and looks to the man. “Please, thank Master Kanato for having me in the first place. It’s been a pleasure to teach.” Norito bows respectfully to the master before turning to leave.

“Wait! Captain! Who was the other person who voted to fortify?” The captain glanced backwards only to laugh. “Well, Master Kanato of course!” He grinned at the sudden burst of laughter from the cadets as he left the classroom, and Master Kanato stood there with a proud smile, beginning to erase the entirety of the chalkboard.


Norito sighs loudly as he walks through the hallways, listening in on all the classroom lectures as he walks since the teachers have to speak particularly loud for all the cadets to listen. He reaches into his pocket to pull out an old sundial, looking over it. “I suppose it’s about time for the summons..” He thinks to himself and heads out.


Present time.


Two large wooden doors open up right on queue, allowing Norito, Harami, and the Baron to meet face to face. Norito appeared to be holding up an umbrella to shield himself from the light drizzle that was currently pouring down on the land, looking inside to the Feudal Embassy of Sugar. Inside was a large, beautiful garden, with man built rivers and ecosystems thriving by themselves. The roof of the embassy appeared to be made of glass to allow sunlight to reach the gardens. Many animals pranced around happily in the large, peaceful environment, like deer and rabbits. In the middle of the garden was a large circular platform with a table on it and a mirror. Many bridges extended from the platform, one leading to the entrance, others leading into other parts of the Embassy like the Council room for example, which were all separated from the garden in individual rooms. The bridges each lead into corridors which led to these rooms.


Norito immediately gives a noble bow. “Grandmaster Toro. I received your message by mail. Is something the matter..?” The captain rose and held his umbrella overhead. Harami smiled at the man and waved for him to come inside. “Ah, Norito. It’s been a while, hmm? When’s the last time I saw you… Oh! Yes, yes.. When I taught you that spell-- hmmm.. Which spell was it? Mmrm, no matter. Come inside, we’ve much to discuss.” Norito stepped inside, setting the umbrella inside a vase near the entrance after shaking it dry. “I don’t suppose I’m early? The letter you sent stated there’d be others for this… What did you call it? Maximum Tier assignment? You haven’t given out an MT since the war, Grandmaster.” Norito joined Harami and the Baron as they walked to the platform in the middle. “I am well aware of what the letter said, Norito. However I specifically requested for you to arrive earlier, because I must discuss it with you beforehand. Do not worry about the others, they will arrive in a matter of minutes. Baron Tielemont will remain at the entrance to receive them.”


Harami and Norito walk inwards towards the platform, and The Baron remains at the entrance in order to receive the others when they arrive. It’s time now. Do or die.

 

[Cruallassar]

Glyserion Mortimire

Three days ago
Master Glyserion Mortimire of the Internal Affairs division stands in front of three cadets. These three were ahead of their peers, marked for a promising career, and fine swordsmen already, which is why he was teaching them now. Glyserion held a wooden katana in one hand, the tip resting on the ground.
"When in battle, at any time, you may either attack, or defend. Up until now, the style of combat you have been used to is that when your enemy attacks, you must defend, and when they leave an opening in their attack, it is your turn. This is not the case. Even when your enemy attacks, the option to attack is still available to you, even at the same time as evading your enemy. The choice to attack or defend is one which you always have when attacked, and if you attack your enemy, you give them the same choice, to either defend themselves or complete their attack against you. That choice, whether your enemy and whether yourself prioritizes attack over defense or otherwise, can be a critical part of combat and analyzing your opponent. Do you understand?”
The three cadets nodded their assent.
“Yes, Master!”
“Excellent. Then we will now practice this. Pick a partner. Mirror Image.”
Glyserion’s image wavered, then split into four. Three of the cloned illusions lined up, pairing off with the cadets, each bringing its sparring blade up to readiness. As the sounds of blades clashing filled the air, the real version of Glyserion stepped over to a corner to watch. These cadets had some fine talent, it would be a pleasure to see where they went with it.
A knock at the door of the training room drew his attention away, though he threw an extra attack into the motions of the mirror images to make sure the cadets’ attention didn’t waver. Stepping to the door, he opened it to see a messenger. He took the offered letter and returned to his watchful corner, noting Harami’s seal as he opened it.
A Max tier assignment?!
From the muted exclamation, he surmised that one of the cadets had scored a hit on his mirror image, and he took note of the excellent opportunism. This letter though...

Present day
​

Master Glyserion steps to the door of the embassy, the light rain pattering steadily on the leather shoulders of his black jacket and running down the uniform grey incorporated into the uniform. Raising a gloved hand, he knocks thrice on the solid wooden doors, before taking a step back and folding his hands behind his back, resting over the wet hilts of his twin daggers. The letter summoning him here was comfortably tucked into a pocket in his jacket, and he had to constantly resist the urge to draw it out and reread it, hoping in total futility that it might contain some detail regarding its reason...but it was an urge that was not sated. He knew exactly what it said, he’d read it four times. He fairly burned with curiosity to find out why he was here.
The door opened to reveal Baron Tielemont.
“Come in, Master Mortimire. Grandmaster Harami will be along shortly.”
Glyserion nods and steps in and over to a wall to wait.

 

[Yennie]

Location: Feudal Embassy of Sugar Tags: Grandmaster Harami & Captain Waranaki Nivi

虎 穴 に 入 ら ず ん ば 虎 子 を 得 ず​

Kotone hummed a gentle tune as her nimble, thin fingers worked to sew a wound closed. Normally she would simply heal the wound with her abilities but this particular cadet was in her office more times than she would like, citing that she could just "heal me whenever I get hurt anyways right?". So that he would understand her abilities were not to be used whenever he stubbed his toe she decided to take the more practical, old school approach and use her medical knowledge to close up his latest cut.

"Ouch! Watch where you're poking that thing!"
"Oh don't fuss, it wouldn't be so bad if you were better at defending yourself with a katana eh?"
She chided the young boy though not unkindly. He could only roll his eyes to which she giggled in response. Moments later she finished off the last stitch and patted the boy on the shoulder.
"There you are Shouto. Hopefully that'll teach you a lesson."

The boy seemed to have gotten the message and expressed his gratitude before giving her a polite bow and leaving. Kotone sighed, lips quirking up in a fond smile as she watched him go. She remembered what it was like at that age, not too long ago for her actually. But a few years of difficult missions and rising to the warrior rank had completely matured her. The woman went to a nearby washing station and cleaned her hands, wiping them on a clean cloth before going over to her desk to jot down notes on the treatments she had given that day. Her department, the Specialist Division, was known for it’s meticulousness and she would be no exception. With that task done she set about cleaning up her office for the day. It was a bit early to be closing up but she had received a summons from the Grandmaster himself and did not dare to keep the man waiting. Besides there were plenty of other healers on duty though none quite as skilled and capable as herself. As she liked to believe.

When finished with her routine, Kotone quickly changed into the standard uniform and grabbed a decorative little parasol before heading out. The building she worked in was not too far from the Feudal Embassy but she did not fancy getting wet along the way, even if it was just a light drizzle. Kotone walked the path, barely paying attention to where she was going as it was second nature for her at this point. Before long she arrived at the proud wooden doors where she was met with the ever serious face of Baron Tielemont. He greeted her kindly before ushering her inside. She shook off the excess water from her parasol and entered the warm, dry building.

"Hello Baron, I believe I’ve been summoned."
“Indeed you have. The Grandmaster is currently speaking with Captain Waranaki, it’ll be just a moment.”
Kotone nodded her head in understanding. Whatever they were discussing was clearly not meant for her and she would simply wait her turn.​

 

[d1uni5ys24si3o]

​

KURA'MA

"Behold an ignorant man, deceived by my jovial Manner! Unaware of my intentions until I pounce, hand and word, incapacitating him!" The crowd joyfully applaud the star of the show. The leading actor had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks. He had tousled dark brown hair, which was thick and lustrous. His eyes were a mesmerising deep ocean blue, flecks of silvery light. His face was sharp and defined, with the most perfect of lips ripe for the kissing. He then lifted his mighty sword and slashed it across the villain who dramatically plunged to the floor, holding on to his fake wound.

"Oh, Jiraiya! You have rescued me!" The damsel in distress exclaimed as she fell in the arms of her saviour. Her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

The crowd roared at the display of affection as the main actors clutched to each other. The public was thrilled, hearts pounding as the adrenaline rush. That was the case for almost every single one of these ticket holders, except one.

That man was in fact very uncomfortable. The wooden benches were uncomfortable, the room smelled of sweat and hormones, the roof was leaking from the thundering storm outside, and most importantly, he was hungry.

"Can we please go now?" he said. That man's voice was coarse like fragmented rocks grinding against each other in a potato sack. He had the face of a young man but the voice of one with accumulated years on him.

"No! We can't! It's the final scene Kurama-Sama!" the young girl whispered as she bounced up and down, anticipating what was to come inevitably.

The kiss.

Kurama squinted his eyes as he looked at what was happening before him. He could feel a twinge in his lower back and a dull throbbing in the pit of his stomach. What was this feeling? He did not know, but it made him uncomfortable. He gulped as he averted his eyes away. Perhaps he shouldn't have caved into the youngsters' requests. He was not exactly a theatre type of person... especially not a romantic.

Time passed, and they could finally exit the cramped basement of some abandoned wooden house in the outskirt.

"Urg... The clouds are weeping again," one of the kids said as they kicked a rock.

"It's always pouring here, you dummy,"

"Hey! Don't call me dummy! I'm allowed to say what I want to say!"

"Now now..."Kurama said. He looked down at his bare feet as he felt moist of the land. He could feel the wet earth squeeze between his toes and tickle him. "Now go before your mother thinks I ate you this time, Shoo!" he waved at them with his hideously pointy nails.

"We're going to go now! Thanks, Kurama for coming with us! It was awesome!" The eldest of the three said. Kurama smiled as he waved goodbye. These kids...always bothering him and quite annoying, but he still caved into their requests.

He was now alone in the rain. The drops of water sliding down his bare skin as he walked past several shops. As usual, he was the only one with no umbrellas. He didn't mind a second. The feeling of the cold raindrops colliding with his skin exalted him. For him, it was like a sudden hush where the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle. Everything suddenly feels fresh and alive, poised for action.

He could feel he was picking up the pace as he walked through the narrow alleys of the poor area. The wordless scream of eager soils as he began running! That feeling overwhelmed him, stretching his lips in a crescent moon as he laughed! To whom? To what? Not even he understood. He jumped on top of a random table in the street and launched himself forward, grabbing on to a metal stick to swing back down. Life...Life was good right now. It felt better. He felt better.

Kurama came to a stop when he saw the Feudal Embassy. He'd been summoned, and it was quite thrilling, to say the least. He loved to go on a mission, to see new things or what has changed. Allowing him to see new specimens was definitely the way to his heart. Hunched back but confident, he stepped foot inside and smiled to all the other warriors around him. He was thoroughly drenched and left a trail of water behind him. The shape of his feet imprinted on the wooden floor.

"Oh look at you so dashing in that uniform Mister," he said to the first man he saw, turned out it was the Baron. "I've been summoned by the Grandmaster himself, can I ask you, where to find him," he asked kindly. From the corner of the eye though, he realized a familiar face was present. He turned his head and stared at Kotone who stood slightly below him. "Ah... it's been a while, Miss. Mizumoto..."

Interactions: Yennie
Entourage: Cruallassar Nivi​

 

[ShadowRogue]

The familiar smell of home filled his nostrils, it's been a long time since he stepped foot in his apartment. Ryuzaki sighed in relief, looking around the rickety, mismatched furniture of his living room contentedly. Home. It had been four months since he was last in his tiny, sparse flat. He was glad it was over, this mission had been tedious and a pain in the ass.


Thinking back on it, it was probably one of the longest ones he’d been in. He had to eliminate one of the Land of Gold’s captains, Shou Naraku as apparently he had been ruthless and was killing innocents needlessly. It took him so long to get the job done because dear Captain Naraku was constantly surrounded by guards, and if not guards, civilians. Ryu had to stalk him and learn his schedule and habits so as to finally find an opportunity to strike, which took him around three months. Unfortunately he was delayed another month because he was spotted while murdering Captain Naraku and he was hunted all over the Land of Gold. However luck was on his side as he had been hiding his face with shadows during the assassination so they had no idea what he looked like. It had actually been kind of fun, deceiving the guards by pretending to be a normal civilian.


Shaking himself out of his musings, he entered his bedroom and set down his pack. He didn’t feel like unpacking at all, so he resolved to do it later. He gazed longingly at his bed. He would kill for a nap in his comfortable, warm bed, with his favourite blanket and pillow. However duty called and instead, he left for the barracks to report his mission’s success.


Ryuzaki left his house, still wearing his travel clothes which consisted of his uniform with a black leather trench coat over it, hood up and casting his face in shadow. It was excellent protection against the neverending torrents of rain, so he didn’t generally need an umbrella.


The male breathed in the smell of rain and mud with a fond smile. He took in the sights and sounds of the village, glad that he was finally back. Despite the dreary weather and the mud squelching beneath his boots, he loved the place, and he appreciated it even more after his absence. The Land of Gold was quite dry and hot, the air drying his lips and making them crack, and he had been constantly thirsty. It was a huge contrast to where he grew up.


Once he arrived at the barracks, he avoided the other soldiers, not really feeling up to socializing and just wanting to go to bed. He went straight to the office of one of the Internal Affairs’ Captains, Captain Aizen, not taking any detours in his haste to get it over with. He drew back his hood and knocked thrice and waited for a moment, tapping his boot on the wooden floor impatiently, leaving mud trails and a small puddle of water that had dripped from his coat. “Enter”, he finally heard faintly through the door after what seemed to him as ages, though only a couple minutes had passed. He entered, closing the door behind him.


Captain Aizen was sitting at his desk with a pile of paperwork covering the table. Ryu stood stiffly in front of him, ignoring the chair in favour of standing, as he really wanted this meeting to remain short. Aizen did not look up at Ryu at first, instead finishing up on writing something on a piece of parchment with a brush. Ryu fidgeted slightly, shifting from one foot to the other. He really wasn’t in the mood for tests of patience. The Captain finally sprinkled the paper with sand to dry the ink and set it aside. He looked up and regarded Ryu critically.


“You’re late”, he remarked simply, voice cold.


“Apologies Captain. I was delayed”, Ryu answered monotonously.


“Report”

“The mission was a success and the target was neutralized. The reason for my delay….”, Ryu explained to the stern Captain how the mission went and the reasons for what took him so long. The Captain accepted this, acknowledging that waiting had been wise so as to ensure the mission’s success and the prevention of any innocents getting hurt.

“Oh and, Hattori? This is for you.” Aizen handed Ryu a letter with the Grandmaster’s seal and promptly returned to his paperwork, ignoring Ryu’s presence. Ryuzaki shrugged and left the Captain’s office, satisfied that it was over and that he could finally, finally go to bed and just sleep. Outside the office he opened his letter, curiosity winning over his exhaustion and read its contents.


Once finished he was pale. Damn it, would he never get a moment’s rest? Urgent summons? He sighed heavily and slipped the offending piece of parchment into his coat’s pocket and trudged to the Feudal Embassy.

 

[Vanadium9277]

Green, lazy light filtered through a canopy of trees. Adwin felt his arms drop to his sides, the lingering frost in the air the only reminder that magic was cast upon this land. Looking to the other person in the natural clearing, a man wearing civilian clothing, save a reverse-cut katana hanging at his waist. Adwin signaled a rest. He felt his friend’s magic leave him and he became even more fatigued. Trudging to the edge of the clearing, Adwin tripped over a root and fell. The only thing preventing the loss of his straight nose a gentle breeze as air-based magic was used to cushion his fall, he passed out mere seconds later. Awakening, he found himself moved to the edge of the clearing. He was greeted with the image of his friend leaning against a small oak, quietly murmering to himself as he focused light upon a twig. With all focus upon setting the stick ablaze, he did not notice Adwin's return to consciousness for a few short moments.

“You’re really determined, huh?”

“Ha! and you weren’t? I don’t even know why you retired.” Adwin barely had the strength to cough up those few words. After what seemed like hours, Adwin struggled into a sitting position, dirt rolling off his back. “Anyways, thanks again for the anti-fatigue magic. I'll be leaving a bit early today. I recieved an urgent summons, and I need to get some sleep before then." His friend decided to walk with the fatigued man, at least partway, back to where Adwin usually slept. As they reached their splitting point, Adwin gave a few parting words. "I promise, one day I will surpass you without a crutch to hold me up. One day."

"One day." Adwin's friend replied, slightly amused. He watched Adwin walk off, his waist briefly turning for a small wave goodbye. Gene returned it. This man would go far.

Roughly Fourteen Hours Later

The rain broke free from the clouds at a steady pase upon the Land of Sugar. Adwin raised his face to the sky and steadied his nerves. Inhale, exhale, repeat. An urgent summons from Harami must mean something big is going down. The hinting at multiple people didn't help either. He arrived just as Baron Tielemont appeared to be letting another bearer of the summons into the Embassy. Clearing his boots of mud, Adwin stopped at the enterance, water cascading down his body. He needn't worry for water though, if his suspisions were at least somewhat true, water would be the least of his worries.

 

[Kiroshiven]

Kana Miyamoto

Several Days Prior​

Silence consumed all things within the temple grounds as the woman prayed. None ever knew whom the young shrine maiden prayed to. Were they gods? Angels? Demons? The only clue to what the young woman prayed to was the fact that she felt no need to hide her true self. Her natural snow white horns, the shimmering moon colored hair and the third eye that gazed into one's soul. As she knelt before the shrine she heard approaching footsteps. From the sounds of their steps, it was some of the other maidens. Quickly, hiding her inhuman features, Kana turned around to see some of the older maidens looking disturbed. "You interrupted my prayers. If you felt the need to do such a thing, I'd suggest that you explain, in great detail, why."

"Lady Miyamoto, we come bearing a letter. It had gotten mixed together in some of the talismans and charms we were planning on selling." Kana's cold stare caused the woman to falter before shaking herself and continuing. "It has the seal of the Feudal Lord." Kana's eyes showed her irritation before snatching the letter from the old woman. "If you're capable of helping, we would appreciate it. Keeping the temple maintained requires funds." Kana motioned for the women to leave as her eyes skimmed the letter.

"If the old man is summoning me, I have no choice." She sighed before clapping her hands together and getting up from her prayers. "I will return, someday." She muttered while collecting her uniform and the bag that she often carried it in. "If he's calling for my presence then the mythical must be involved." As a captain within the specialist division, Kana was only called on for serious missions involving demonic or angelic forces. Of course, none other than the old man knew why that was. It was the one request she'd made in agreeing to help fight for the Land of Sugar. As she stepped outside, she could feel the rain against her skin, and let it was over her face before she began the walk towards the Feudal Lord's

Present Day​

Kana yawned as she leapt down from the cart of a few helpful strangers. "Thank you for the safe passage." She smiled softly as the farmer started to take his crop towards one of the factories. The rain had only let up once during the trip however, the feeling of the droplets was enough to ease her mind of the upcoming burden. Projecting a small barrier around herself, Kana prepared to get serious and watched as the rain flowed down the invisible wall she'd created. Step by step she climbed up the steps to the Feudal Embassy. As she approached the doors she took note of the others around. Likely summoned here as well. What is Harami plotting? Kana couldn't help but smirk as the thoughts of some crazy mission flittered through her mind.

Passing through the doors, Kana nodded to the man standing by the door. As she opened the doors, she noticed another specialist, the baron and a man she didn't recognize. Nodding to the baron, the white haired woman moved off to one side of the entryway and leaned against one of the supporting pillars. This was her usual action in waiting for the old man. Of course, if there were THIS many people coming along, then it wouldn't be long before Norito would show up, if he wasn't already chatting it up with the old man. You'd think that the captain was the Feudal Lord's son the way the two got along, but as long as only Harami knew of her ability, then she would be fine. After all, she was just a rumored powerful shrine maiden, nothing more.

Mentions: Yennie D d1uni5ys24si3o Cruallassar

 

[Plutoni]

私の言葉は神です。

ISAYO KANEMARU

The Embassy loomed against the clouds.

Hooves splashed rhythmically upon the road, the cobbles now merely islands with heads just held up amongst the streams that flooded between them. The black coat of the horse shone, slick with rain, pouring from the ends of its mane in thin, drizzling streams. The rain had grown in force this past hour. Not that it mattered. A small tug on the reins and it slowed to a halt, ears twitching, breath steaming faintly in the cool air, and in one swift movement two boots swung over and down to land upon the half-drowned street, flicking the rains over its head and into hand and leading the mount into the shelter of the city's stables.

It didn't take long for them to return, walking with unhurried purpose towards the heart of the Land of Sugar, long, black-clothed legs covering the distance with little effort. And soon, there it was - the Feudal Embassy itself. In this empty, drizzling courtyard, they stopped. Yet no rain fell upon their figure; moving slowly upwards, long, black locks of hair were lightly toyed with by the soft, dense currents of air that pooled and shimmered above their head, shielding them from the downpour that ran from the edges. They gazed upwards at the rising silhouette, and Isayo Kanemaru, a master missing for now almost seven years, smiled.

Long time no see.

He took a bite from the apple that he'd appropriated from the stalls and resumed his journey straight past the Embassy and towards the old training halls where he had spent so comparatively little of his time. Still - it had been an age since he had last stepped foot inside the place, and he figured that he was due a little jaunt down memory lane. He knew the command. They'd probably have an aneurysm before they started a meeting without everyone present. He had time.

Isayo has a tricky little habit of appearing like he unquestionably belongs anywhere he goes. He got no suspicious glances as he drifted briefly through the halls, cadets even parting before him to let him past despite never having seen his face. Dragging the uniform back up from somewhere deep in his possessions certainly didn't hurt. He was surprised that he'd kept it, even if it was partially incomplete; he'd managed to.. deface the upper half of the jumpsuit almost the very day he'd left. He probably would've thrown the rest out if he hadn't forgotten.
He almost laughed as he came upon the main corridor; a memory in the form of a poorly plastered strip of the wall concealing what he knew to be a violent gash several metres long, a draft from outside still blowing in through the tiny cracks in the patch-up. Not everything has changed, apparently. He'd just been messing around when he'd put it there - collateral damage from a little game was all he'd called it, though none of his superiors seemed to agree. He trailed his hand across it as he mused, pausing as he came to the end, taking a final bite out his apple before flicking the core away and dusting his hands together. The reminder seemed to have struck a small rekindling of excitement somewhere far back in his mind. But he was finished here - to the Embassy, it seems. Time to find out what that old dog has up his oversized sleeves.

♕
​

Air melting away past his shoulders, he all but waltzed through the doors into the garden.
"Baron," he acknowledged coolly, a vague smile upon his lips, gliding past without a glance in his direction. His eyes skimmed over those present instead, noting each but never lingering, before swiftly moving up to the approaching figures of Harami and Captain Norito. Isayo, perhaps for the first time in his military career, appeared to be on time. His smile widened.

"Come on, Harami," he called towards the platform as he came to stand in the centre of the garden before it, arms folded across his chest, voice glittering with amusement. "You'll have finally died by the time you get over here."


[ MENTIONS: Nivi ]

 

[Nivi]

T I E L E M O N T
Baron of the 1st Refinery

A man of remarkable skin and appearance for his age. The Baron stood patiently at the entrance of the Embassy, tasked with receiving each warrior summoned by Harami Toro himself. The rain, it seemed, would not let up, its drops splashing moist chunklets of gravel onto the clean, dry floors of the embassy since Tielemont was maintaining the door open. They had a carpet for that, at least, so drying off their boots for any newcomer would not be a problem.

Tielemont locked his fingertips at his waist as he awaited those summoned. The first, it seemed, was the mysterious Glyserion, but he didn't seem like the talkative type. The Baron gave the master a smile that indicated a warm welcome. "Greetings. Come in, Master Mortimire. Grandmaster Harami will be along shortly.” With a gentle nod Tielemont allowed Master Mortimire inside, but not before double checking that the warrior rubbed his boots dry on the welcoming carpet. Glyserion was not a man of bad manners, so that wasn't a problem. Tielemont simply quickly turned to welcome the next summonee, which was none other than the lovely Kotone, a skillful healer known by many for her ability to heal and cleanse. His lips parted to form a smile much warmer than that which he gave Glyserion, opening his arms in a welcome. "Ah, if it isn't the dearest Lady Mizumoto. Welcome." The Baron courteously takes the warrior's parasol, drying it off briefly and sliding it into a reception vase right next to Norito's umbrella. “Indeed you have. The Grandmaster is currently speaking with Captain Waranaki, it’ll be just a moment.” He nods again respectfully.

But his attention was soon drawn by a voice that was not so familiar to him. The voice of an odd looking man with a very sinister aurora to him, but Tielemont did not expect the others around him to be able to discern it, he didn't think the others were a sensory type warrior like himself. It was the one they called Kura Ma, the foreign slayer. Tielemont immediately chuckled as he was pleased by so graceful a compliment. He smiles back. "Correct, the Feudal Lord has requested your presence personally. He will be with us shortly." Tielemont made a short glance behind him to point his chin at the central platform far out inside the embassy where Harami conversed with a tall, dark man which peers could perhaps recognize as Norito Waranaki. However the Baron then pointed his attention elsewhere as Kura Ma began conversation with Kotone. Another arrival.

"Ryuzaki!" Tielemont grinned approvingly at the sight of the man. He had not seen this particular assassin since he last left for a mission several months ago. "Always a pleasure to see you. Did you return recently? The Feudal Lord wishes to see you." The Baron nods at his own words affirmatively. "He'll be with us shortly. Oh, excuse me." He glanced past Ryuzaki's shoulders to find that yet another warrior had arrived.

He looks at the short, tanned man who appeared to be drenched from the rain. "So it would seem that you are the one they call Adwin. The Feudal Lord holds you in high regard, Sir. He has summoned you personally, and will be with us shortly." Tielemont takes a pause to reach inside his Yukata, producing from it a small handkerchief. "Erm.." He places the towellete in Adwin's hand. "Best to keep yourself dry, yes? Don't want anyone slipping." He finishes with a comedic wink and glances over yonder to spot one of the last arrivals.

The Baron gives Kana a simple smile. "Welcome, priestess. Grandmaster Toro will be with us shortly." He allows the maiden inside to converse with the others.

His eyes however instantly freeze at the sight in front of him. It was the shape and face of a figure he had not laid eyes upon in a very long time. This must be an illusion, or some sort of prank. Neither he nor Harami ever fathomed that the man would actually obey the contents of the letter. Even a man so formal as Tielemont could only remain still and speechless as the figure walked by. "Baron.." The man had said, leaving Tielemont frozen and utterly unable to stop the man as he cruised on through against Harami's orders to keep everyone at the entrance for now. Tielemont turned around and reached out with his hand but it was too late as Isayo had already entered and made his way to the platform through the garden bridges.... The Baron's wooden shoes simply clicked on the floor among everyone's chatter as he goes to seal the two mighty wooden doors. As he does so, he spots out of the corner of his eye a terribly fast figure leaping, and then another, most certainly using chakra to super-amplify their movements. He however pays no mind to it, just raising a brow as he closes the door. "Welcome again, everyone." He states, praying internally that no one would comment on the fact that Isayo just defied him entirely.

H A R A M I and N O R I TO
Feudal Lord and Captain of the Land of Sugar

Harami softly butted the tip of his cane into the floor of the stone platform, contemplating something amidst his conversation with Captain Waranaki. "I'm afraid it's final, Captain." He affirms shortly before his gaze is stolen by an incoming figure. At first glance from the corner of his eyes he assumed it'd be Tielemont, but to his astonishment it was someone he never in a million years thought he'd see again- and dressed properly and on time no less. He spoke to the Grandmaster in a way which was somewhat condescending, and Harami was certainly not used to such gestures. Norito stared at the man with an expression more confused than anything else, but a gut feeling told him he'd seen this man somewhere before, when they were both much younger. He couldn't quite identify him though. Harami lets out an amused yet concerned gruff. "So you've finally showed yourself..." He shook his head, but did not bother generating another conversation. "Good. We have much to discuss." Harami waded in those slow turtle steps of his to the end of the forward bridge, and begins a short trod forward to meet the warriors at the entrance lobby half way. A brief wave of his fingertips lets the Baron know that he is to bring the warriors forth finally. Harami walks right past Isayo without another word. In a quick jog Norito joined the Grandmaster's side and did a sideglance towards Isayo. "Friend of yours, Grandmaster?" The captain asked softly but it's not like Isayo couldn't hear it. Harami did not reply as he walked forward.

A bit of distance forward, at the entrance, Tielemont raises his arms to grab everyone's attention. "Alright, it seems we're now to meet the Feudal Lord, everyone. Please move along in an orderly fashion." He states politely and begins to herd the warriors forward towards the bridge like a group of sheep.​

Plutoni Vanadium9277 Cruallassar D d1uni5ys24si3o Yennie Kiroshiven ShadowRogue @

 

[Cruallassar]

Glyserion Mortimire

Master Glyserion watches the other summoned arrive. Certainly an assorted group...that other master, Kura Ma, there was one whom Glyserion didn’t trust. He’d heard of him before, and although he’d gotten himself acquainted with society fairly well...so Glyserion had heard...he’d draw his own conclusions.
Still though, Kura Ma was positively mild next to the last one that arrived. The rest of the assembly was reasonably well-understood, although there was something decidedly off about the shrine maiden-looking girl’s chakra. But the last to arrive...he wasn’t familiar, but he walked in like he owned the place...arrogance, not mere confidence. Glyserion didn’t like him. But he followed nevertheless at Tielemont’s invitation, stepping towards Harami and the Captain at the bridge, stopping just to the right of it. He remained quiet, Harami would explain the summons in due time.

 

[Yennie]

Location: Feudal Embassy of Sugar Interactions: D d1uni5ys24si3o Kiroshiven Mentions: Nivi Vanadium9277 ShadowRogue Cruallassar Plutoni

​

虎 穴 に 入 ら ず ん ば 虎 子 を 得 ず​

Kotone returned the Baron's warm smile and uttered a soft note of thanks as he took her parasol for her. It was also a pleasure to see the man for he had always treated her well.
She moved off to the side to wait as others began to arrive, some familiar faces of rather well known masters such as Glyserion. She didn't know much about him personally, only the rumors and news that was spread about the lands. But there was someone she did know though it was only a recent development. She recognized him by his mere presence even before seeing him, the slight twinge of demonic residue making him known to her. Kotone turned with a smile on her lips as Kurama came into view. They had been assigned to a mission together a few months back and had developed a newfound respect for one another. She had to admit she was very judgmental of him at first- how could one not be? He was known as the mad dog after all. But he had proven some of her preconceived notions about him wrong though the ones about his ferocity and mercilessness in battle remained intact. And she'd also come to learn that he was not truly possessed but something had touched him and left it's mark.

"Hello Kurama!" She greeted him happily, giving a slight bow. "It has been some time- how have you been?" Kotone took the few steps to stand near him, appearing to want to physically reach out to him to greet him in some manner but ultimately deciding to keep her hands to herself after an awkward moment. They weren't that friendly yet and it would do her no good to assume so. She felt her face grow hot with embarrassment but continued on talking as though nothing happened. "To think we're potentially going on another mission together so soon after the first. What are the odds?"
Her attention drifted off from the conversation as she felt an all too familiar sensation. As a skilled exorcist recognizing demonic entities was almost second nature to Kotone but this particular energy signature was puzzling. She knew it wasn't coming from Kurama and this signature was much stronger than the one she felt from him. Perhaps a full on possession? She turned away from Kurama to look at the rest of the arrivals as Baron Tielemont greeted each of them. Ryuzaki, Adwin....names she sort of recognized but she could tell it was neither of them. It was only when he got to Kana that she felt a slight chill. The woman was beautiful in an unnatural way and her priestess garb stirred old feelings within Kotone. She had wanted to become a priestess at one point in time but accepted that it was not meant to be. She recalled everything she had ever heard about Kana, assuming her to be the rumored powerful priestess from the countryside that could only be summoned by Harami himself. There was definitely a demonic presence there and she wondered if she should inform the grandmaster of this. It was highly likely that he knew which begged the question of why was she here? What were his plans? Kotone decided to wait and see if he would answer these questions himself. She found herself staring at the woman and only tearing her gaze away when she feared she might be discovered. Harami seemed more surprised by the appearance of another man than he did by Kana. The man in question moved as if he owned the place, all confidence and swagger that could only come from someone born with it or holding the power to back it up. She didn't doubt that either were true.

There were so many interesting characters here that Kotone was having a hard time determining how exactly she was meant to fit in with them all. Perhaps her own summons had been a mistake? The woman chewed her lip in doubt as they all turned to the bridge and began to move forward.​

​

​

​

 

[Nivi]

An Unresolved Mishap


A mixture of soppy gravel distorted by the constant drizzle flows slowly into the nearest sewer. However the liquid looked darker and thicker than normal flooding. It carried a darkened red tint. Blood. The source of it? A freshly slain carcass lying motionless at the street of a secluded alleyway. From the darkness of the alleyway, the footsteps of three different figures sounded off softly and splashed the wet floor. As they walk forward, slowly they emerged from the darkness. Three military men dressed in the standards of a grey flak jacket and a black jumpsuit. Above that uniform, they each wore a dark raincoat, shielding them from the never ending rain of their land. Two of them wore a certain band around their biceps, which were made of the same black material as the jumpsuit, and bore the sigil of Internal Affairs in white. The third man wore a black overhead bandana that covered the entirety of his head, tied at the back, and it also had the same sigil. The man at the front of the trio looked to be alot older than the other two relatively young fellows and appeared to have multiple scars and a strained expression. The older looking man laid his eyes down on the carcass. Between his cracked lips there was a lit cigarette, puffing casually. There appeared to be some sort of minor barrier or wind type spell shielding its fiery tip from the drizzle. "Assesment." He ordered in a voice that for some reason did not sound very concerned about the dead man in front of him. The two younger men behind him waltzed over to the body, examining it closely. It was another young man, dressed also in the military uniform of the Land of Sugar. They quickly took his pulse and vitals although it was obvious from the wounds and the amount of blood he lost that he had already passed away. One of the young men turned to the older one while the other kept checking the body. "Unidentified casualty, captain. Multiple slash wounds, no ID found on his body. Whoever did this must have taken his military slip." The second man finished his analysis on the body. His eyes looked a bit strained, perhaps he had just used a visual spell. "Judging from the amount of chakra left in his body..." He took a look around. The alleyway they were in was a total mess! There had obviously been a big ruckus here. Hell, even the dead man's sword was all the way across the pathway. "And from how disorderly the place seems, I conclude he died fighting."

The older man took the cigarette from his lips and tossed it onto the floor, letting the rains take it into the gutter. "Hypothesis?" The other two came forth and stood at attention, nodding to each other as they both seemed to have a similar idea of what was going on. "This was the last known location of the assailants we are looking for. It is likely the assailants were spotted by this man, leading to his fate. No trace of them now." The older man nodded, looking down at the floor. His hands in his pocket, he spit a black blob of tobacco onto the muddy floor. "Good. Now we know the assailants are armed and well versed in combat. They are also fast, and clearly mean business. They must be trying to avoid being caught, but didn't have time to hide the body. Taking his ID means we don't know where he was posted. For all we know, he could've followed them all the way from anywhere. They're clever." The two younger ones nodded. "Captain, this means we can now approach the targets appropriately, right?" The older man nodded again. "That is correct. Now that we know what we are dealing with, we can properly deal with the situation. Assessment is the most important part of any Search and Destroy operation, boys. Assess, then act. To charge in blindly into a situation almost always means certain failure. Nevertheless, we can no longer afford to waste time. Whoever has infiltrated the land is here for bloody business. We must put a stop to this as soon as possible." The other two still seemed a bit puzzled however. "Do you think they're assassins from another Land, Captain?" The older man took his hands from his pocket and put one over his hip. "Assassins, clearly." He said and nodded at the dead body. "Do I think they're here to actually kill someone, though? Unlikely. Any proper hitman would've been in and out clean. I fear whoever is here is potentially up to something far more sinister. The fact that they are traveling in a group is already grim news."

On a nearby rooftop, another figure dressed in a black raincoat with the standard uniform under it hopped from roof to roof, able to leap and land large distances very quickly using her chakra. She landed on a metal sheet somewhere above the alleyway, taking a knee. Her dark skin shaded itself well with her black attire, but the colorful beads in her dreadlocks were not that successful at camouflage. "Captain." She called out, pulling her hood over her head to cover herself from the rain. There was an internal affairs band on her wrist. "Tower confirms seven infiltrators spotted in Sector 3." She glanced down at the dead body. This was their last known location, so it only took her a second to put the pieces together. "Damn... Were you able to confirm correlation?" The captain looked up at the hooded woman. "Negative. They didn't leave any evidence, but.. We still believe it was them. Who else could it have been? Get an update to HQ. Infiltrators are armed and have engaged local forces. Tell them I recommend immediately launching pursuit teams to intercept and eliminate. And tell them the Analyst team believes they're not here for a single target. Possible terrorism OP or large-scale robbery." The woman stood properly and nodded. "Acknowledged, Captain. Should we alert the Embassy?" The man shook his head. "Tell HQ I recommend we withhold on that for now. If our intervention is quelled, get a message to the Embassy immediately." In the blink of an eye, she vanished into the rains.

The older man turned around and jutted his chin at the body. "Let's bag the body. Need to get an autopsy from the Specialists immediately. They'll be able to tell us if these are soldiers from another Land by analyzing the depth and caliber of the blade used to slay him."


Vanadium9277 Cruallassar ShadowRogue Plutoni D d1uni5ys24si3o Yennie Kiroshiven ​

 

[d1uni5ys24si3o]

​

KURA'MA

"Considering how little we are in numbers it does not surprise me at all Miss. Mizumoto," Kurama remarked quite bluntly with a puzzled look evident in his eyes. It was hard to believe such a smart woman would fail so miserably to calculate the probability of them working together once more after being so successful in their last mission.

Maybe I should offer some mathematical classes... I think she needs it... he thought.

While in the middle of his thought, the baron answered his initial question. Kurama tilted his head towards him, averting his gaze to meet that of the rich fella. Did he not know Kurama tried to make a joke? He knew Harami summoned him, it was written in his summoning invitation! Kurama saw no point in replying back to the baron, especially since he already moved on to welcoming other notable figures, all of which had a strong presence.

Kurama rolled his head and licked his lips. This was taking too long. He had better things to do than wait around at the entrance of the mansion. Could they move on? This was always the most painful part of being summoned, the wait. "Come on Tielemont...I'm sure Harami is already done," he mumbled with a nervous chuckle to himself as he started digging one of his pointy nails into his forearm, his eyes rolling to the left and right as he bite his inner cheek.

Oh Gods above, just as he was about to lose his patience and walk up to Harami disregarding what the Baron said, Isayo did just that. Kurama shrugged and immediately followed suit, arms to his side with every step making him more impatient to know why he was summoned. He bypassed everyone without much care for who they were. What he wanted to know is why they were all here in the first place.

 

[ShadowRogue]

Ryuzaki paused and looked around. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one summoned, seeing as some of the best warriors in the land were presently entering the Embassy. He watched as whom he recognized as being Mizumoto stopped and talked to that strange guy, Kura Ma after a few more people had walked in. The Baron, Tielmont, was greeting everyone as they came in. Ryuzaki approached the Baron, his gait slightly slumped and clumsy, in contrast to his usually fluid movements. He nodded in response to the Baron’s greeting and managed a small smile. Tielmont was a nice guy he supposed. “Good to see you Tielmont. I’ve actually just arrived. Duty calls though I guess”, he intoned quietly.


He moved on, seeing as the Baron’s attention was diverted already and simply leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. He was utterly exhausted and couldn’t wait to get this meeting over with. All he wanted was a flat surface to lie on at that point. In his struggle to keep awake, he took a proper look around the place, and the warriors occupying the space around him. He recognised all of them of course, even if distantly. The land’s small size ensured that everyone at least knew of eachother. He wasn’t close to anyone assembled in the room really. No surprises there given his aversion to forming friendships. A small pang of loneliness filled his being for a moment before he quickly pushed it away and scowled, annoyed at the turn his thoughts were taking. Why did he always have to overthink stuff when he was tired? He sighed and tapped his boot on the floor, feeling impatient for stuff to proceed.

As soon as everyone arrived, including a guy who swaggered around like he owned the place, Ryu heard Tielmont try to usher everyone to the bridge, so he pushed himself off the wall and started walking along with the group, stifling a yawn along the way. Finally.. Hopefully this will take less time than he thought, though despite his exhaustion, he really was curious about what Harami wanted with them all.

Location: Feudal Embassy, Land of Sugar
Interactions: Nivi
Mentions: D d1uni5ys24si3o , Yennie , Plutoni

 

[Vanadium9277]

Adwin stepped into the Embassy, and once again checked to make sure that he wouldn’t track any soil into the building. The Baron offered him a small towel to dry off. Adwin thanked him. Trying, and failing to dry himself beyond his exposed skin, Adwin returned the towel and whispered a few words. Almost instantly the rain on his body evaporated and floated up. He stepped fully inside, overhearing the arrival of a priestess behind him. Adwin walked over to the other summoned, and sort of just started lurking, not joining in on the conversing while still paying attention. Turning back to the enterance, he witnessed Tielemont struggling with an unfamiliar man. The man glided past without so much as a glance in the Baron's direction, and then proceeded to read those who had already arrived like books. It unnerved Adwin, who silently watched the man glide over to the figures of Grandmaster Harami and Captain Waranaki. The air of confidence around him was almost enough to drown someone, and he looked like he could back up that confidence as well.

Adwin faintly registered a few words spoken by the Baron before everyone started moving towards the bridge. The Grandmaster and Captain also started walking across the bridge, most likely intending to meet them all halfway. Adwin exhaled once more, and walked forward.

Mentioned
Nivi
Plutoni
Kiroshiven

 

[Nivi]

The scene before each warrior was one of unrivaled beauty, a paradise found nowhere else on the continent. A massive microcosm in and of itself, the physical manifestation of the beauty in fauna and flora. A discord in the parallels of this universe, shining in stark contrast from the utter monstrosity that was the Land of Sugar outside. If anything, the finest gift Harami could ever give to this Land, the stepping stones towards eventually revamping the entirety of the Feudal territory into something as beautiful as this.

Lush rivers ran across the gardens from each direction, all conglomerating into a circular pond right at the center, covered by a lovely wooden platform. On that platform stood Harami, Norito, and Isayo, beckoning for the others to come forth. Bright, pink leaves of Sakura appeared to float around endlessly as if the trees that discharged them could never run out of leaves in the first place. Stone edges surrounded the borders of the rivers, keeping the water from overflowing onto the rest of the heavenly embassy, covered luxuriously in bright grasses, bushes, and roads which led into other chambers of the Embassy. Scores of fauna, ranging from rabbits and deer to pigeons, roamed the gardens at their own leisure, confirming the place to be a thriving habitat of its own.

However, there was little time for the warriors present there to mingle among each other or enjoy the views the place had to offer. With little time to waste, Baron Tielemont began to usher the party forward down the main road which led to the wooden platform in the center. Many of the animals present came forth to greet these brave warriors, but were quickly shoed off by Tielemont as they could spare little time to play with critters. Glyserion in particular had a bit of trouble with a pair of pigeons who thought his hair would make a suitable nest, but he managed to shoe them off as well. The group followed the beautiful road down onto the platform, linking up with the other trio. Norito Waranaki stood patiently next to Harami, but his expression did not seem as jolly as it usually was. Harami in particular looked a bit troubled as well, and Isayo seemed just a tiny bit annoyed that Harami was ignoring him to the best of his ability.

The platform ahead creaked just slightly as each warrior present made their way on. Its coat appeared to be freshly painted, and it floated heavily over the pond.
"Thank you all for coming in such short notice." Harami greeted everyone loudly, bowing his head in respects. There was a cane in his hand, his other hand holding his lower back, hunching himself to alleviate some of his back pains. "I trust you must all have a million questions. As I explain what is truly occurring here, I hope to answer your doubts without you even having to ask them. Please, let us have a seat." The Feudal Lord turned around, where a large rectangular table lay empty. The Baron ushered everyone into a proper seat, which's coat also matched that of the wooden deck. Harami took the seat at the very front of the table, and as everyone found themselves seated appropriately, Tielemont took his rightful place at Harami's side, simply standing with his hands hidden in the sleeves of his yukata. Empty tea cups were sitting still in front of every seat, but there didn't seem to be a tea kettle around. That's when suddenly, the bark of a nearby tree began to croak and warp abruptly. From its trunk, a female spriggan sprouted, floating towards the table. Her core shone brightly in a yellow-green hue, dropping sparkles of chakra energy from her legs as she levitated. Her limbs appeared to be underdeveloped, as they were simply long stalks with no actual hands or feet yet, except for a hand on her left arm. She chirped joyfully, floating in between each seat with her right arm pointed towards the table. A small opening was bored into the tip of her arm, which began to pour what looked and smelled like piping hot tea into each and every cup.

"Thank you, Ari." Said the grandmaster as the spriggan filled his own cup, which he quickly took in a hand and brought it to his lips. After a brief silence and a lengthy gulp, the sound of a teacup being placed on the table was finally followed by Harami's voice.

"The letter that summoned you here... Did not lie. I have brought each and every one of you here today for a specific task, one which I have been contemplating for more time than I truthfully should have. You are not here from mere circumstance, nor from random drafting. I have handpicked each of you because of your unique and individual abilities, as well as what you can bring to the table when it comes to this sort of mission. What I have planned out for all of you is not simple, and I do not expect all of you to agree. Even so, I have made my decision, and I will not be denied this opportunity." The Feudal Lord remarked on that last point very firmly, glancing out to each warrior right in the eye. "All of you here are aware that my days as ruler of this Land are all but waning. There is not much time for me left. There is not much time left to make things right. I have decided that this Land has suffered for far too long. We will either fix things once and for all... Or simply die trying. As you all may already know, Futomaru of the Land of Gold has recently ascended to the throne and taken the title of Emperor. Much like his brother, the Council surmises Futomaru will continue to punish and drain the smaller lands for as long as he is in power. We are.. No. You, all of you, are going to do something about this. You've been summoned for a Top Tier mission, and you should expect no less. Your mission: Kill Futomaru by any means necessary."

He silences himself for a second to allow the magnitude of the mission to sink in. Norito, who had only recently been informed about this, lowers his head to look down at the table. He breathed out solemnly, using his fingertips to push his black goggle glasses up to his forehead.

"Once Futomaru is dispatched, Feudal Law immediately places his sister, Kanna, next in line for the throne. Kanna has publically advocated for fair treatment to all Feudal Lands as well as more progressive policies, which is.. Well, it's why she lost to her brother by a landslide. But with him out of the picture, her lineage to become Empress will stand uncontested." Harami takes another sip of tea. "Over the course of the past few months, I have ordered several assassinations which should facilitate the outcome of this mission. I've had a handful of agents operating in and out of the Land of Gold, trimming down important security personnel for the Emperor-- Ryuzaki being one such agent." He nods respectfully at Ryuzaki. "What I mean to say is that this is not a decision I've made lightly. I have been preparing for this moment for months, and have been discussing your roles with the council very carefully. And tonight, it will come to life. You will head to the armory, stock up on supplies, and immediately leave for the Northern Gate. The plan? Put simply, I've arranged for a smuggler to carry you all as stow-aways into the Land of Gold. I've sent a courier to inform the mercantile guilds in every Land between here and there of my smuggler's dates and destinations. Obviously, they don't know he's a smuggler-- I've dubbed the entire thing as a simple shipment. As long as you all remain quiet, you should make it to the Land of Gold safely. Now, if only things were so simple, that'd be about it. But, decades in this role have seasoned me and prepared me for the unexpected. And as an experienced warrior I can assure you all that something will definitely go wrong. You will most likely not make it to the Empire by wagon, and will most likely have to finish the journey by foot. Which is why I have also drafted an agent to serve as a guide for this team. You will rendezvous with him at the Northern Gate as soon as you arrive there. He will lead you all onto the wagon, and you'll be off. Th--”

As Harami attempted to finish his explanation, he was rudely interrupted by what sounded like a sniff. Sniffing.

“Is something the matter, Baron?” Harami asked Tielemont, who was looking up at the glass ceiling, stories above the group, his nostrils flaring as he takes deep sniffs. His eyes looked keen and observative, trying to pick up on a key detail, it seemed. This is when Harami noticed the tension on the Baron’s face, and that some of the warriors present seemed a little concerned, particularly Glyserion, who was still wary about the presence he briefly felt outside. Tielemont’s eyes zig-zagged from side to side, following rain drops as they softly landed on the glass dome covering the Embassy. He noticed something peculiar about the rainfall. There was this one portion of the glass where a rain drop would land on the exact same spot as a previous one just did. It was as if it was the same rain drop landing over and over. And then, to his dismay, he noticed that each and every rain drop shared the same property. Every rain drop was landing right where the previous one below it was landing. There was no spread. It was a pattern which, scientifically, was not possible in nature. Every drop just landed on the exact same landing spot as the one below it all throughout the dome with seemingly no intention in changing. Rainfall was supposed to be scattered and random, but this one was clearly different.. Artificial, perhaps?

Slowly and hesitantly, the Baron began to raise his hand, and formed a seal with two fingertips. He began to channel chakra, as if about to cast a spell. “Baron?” Harami asked, but no reply from the man in blue.

“Release.” The spell came cleanly out of Tielemont’s lips, and in an instant, the entire scene before everyone changed drastically. Above the glass dome, the rain which previously seemed like a passive drizzle was actually cascading down onto the dome in thick droplets, the nation actually in the middle of a storm. And, to everyone’s surprise, there were people standing on top of the glass dome. No doubt, these were the ones casting the Illusion Spell which was clouding reality from everyone inside the Embassy. It only took a quick look to notice what in the actual hell was going on. The men on top of the dome were dressed in the uniform of the Land of Gold. Even with the stormy rainfall, there appeared to be smoke coming from various points across the Land, and, ringing all throughout it was the Emergency Bell, signaling that the nation was under attack. An incursion from the Land of Gold. And, from the looks of it, it had already been going on for a while. Whoever was casting the Illusion over the party must have been a Master at Illusion, but alas, the spell was easy to break.

“What…” Harami’s lips mumbled softly, taking a step back in disbelief. They’d been deceived. Immediately, the warriors within stood and readied themselves for combat, glaring down the soldiers over the glass stories above.

​

Outside of the Embassy, chaos ensued. Streets were littered with floodwater, blood, corpses, and debris. A stray wagon charges onwards down a particularly unaffected neighborhood, its horses doing their best to remain calm as they sprint. Its chauffeur is a young man who appears to be in a panic, but he knows his duty. A man sitting next to him looks like he’s in an even greater panic. “Please! Listen to me! They’re going to catch us! We need to abandon this and hide!” The man that was driving groaned in anger. “No! If the enemy gets their hands on these barrels, our economy will never recover! We have to reach the warehouse!”

“You don’t understand! They’re going to catch us! It’s just oil! We’re going to die for oil!”

“Without this oil, we can’t operate the refine--” Abruptly, a large ball of fire violently crashed into the moving wagon. On the rooftops, a small squad of Land of Gold soldiers could be seen moving out. Presumably they were the ones who casted that fire ball, and now they were most likely on the hunt for the rest of the barrels. In the debris of the now flaming wagon, the piloting man scrambles under a pile of wood, bleeding heavily. “H-help!” He tries to yell out, the horses whining in pain. From nearby houses, a couple of civilians come scrambling out. They make a big run for the wagon, but they are completely confused by what was going on. They had been told to stay inside, unaware of what was happening.

“What the hell is going on?!” They yelled as they reached the wagon. “This shit is going to explode! We need to get him out!” Under huge rainfall, three men began to lift the piles of wood to try to get the driver out. “What?!” One of them sniffed profusely! “It’s oil! It’s going to blow!” Even under the heavy rainfall, some of the oil had already caught fire, and it would cause a big explosion if it reached the rest of the barrel. They began to slowly pull the pained man out. A young woman stood in the back, shielding herself from the rain, not sure how to help. “What’s going on! Why’s the bell ringing? Are we under attack?” They yelled in a panic as they looked at their surroundings, where quick flashes of clashing blades flashed all across the rooftops and the sounds of dying men and women echoed everywhere. Suddenly a soldier of Gold flicked a barrage of Kunai down at the civilian’s way. An older man with a huge potbelly did his best to react in time, he drew a small warblade from his wool coat, attempting to use his previous skills to deflect the kunais. He struggled to do so, managing to parry some of them before one struck him in the gut, sending him down in a cry of pain. “Gahh!” He yells as he sits, pulling the kunai out. “W-where is the military! We’re under attack!” The young woman ducks and tries her best to seal the old veteran’s wound, applying pressure. Finally, two young soldiers, cadets, drop down to aid the civilians. One of them poses valiantly with his katana, protecting the group from incoming kunai knives, deflecting each with ease. The other cadet helps pull the driver out from the fire, and readies himself to extinguish the wagon.

“Ebony prison..” He takes a knee and summons a black box over the wagon, allowing the inside of it to extinguish now that there was no oxygen to combust. For now, the oil was safe in the box. “C-come one! We need to get inside!” The cadets do their best to rally the civilians, trying to get them to safety.

But even with everyone giving it their all, the battle was hardly over. The Land of Sugar was outnumbered 5 to 1. They hardly had the manpower to cover all of the sectors at once, and casualties were getting high. Dressed in pitch black raincoats with a red cross on the back, medics from the Specialist division scoured the alleyways in search of casualties to take care of. Emergency triages had to be set up everywhere, because there was no time, space, or way to get everyone to the hospital. Under a huge, secluded tent made of black fabric, a large group of medics worked hard to stabilize their wounded. It was a scrappy triage setting, but it had to work. In the middle of it, there was a makeshift surgery table with an injured man on top of it. They didn’t have any sedatives for him, so the surgery had to be conducted with him awake. The doctors couldn’t put him to sleep using magic, for fear that it may be too strong and his body might shut down during surgery.

The man operating on him was a huge fellow. He was not wearing a raincoat, just his armor. His massive belly didn’t fit inside his flak jacket, spilling out from below. On his head was a scrub cap covering his red locks with the logo of the Land of Sugar.
For a doctor of his caliber, even a surgery like this should’ve been easy. The problem was, every medic inside the tent was working while simultaneously being under attack. The enemy had found the triage and was sending in waves of units to take it out.

“Specialists!” The large man yelled as he conducted his surgery. In front of him was a young girl, who had just graduated from the academy and joined the specialists. She was wearing a black raincoat as well, her braid wet and soppy. She had one hand inside the screaming man in front of her, holding down a bleed. Her other hand held a kunai knife, desperately deflecting incoming attackers as she worked.

“Specialists! One of you heals, one of you defends! Work in pairs! Prioritize the wounded!” He yelled as both of his hands worked quickly to heal the man in front of him as he screamed in pain. “Chief!” The girl in front of him screams. “What’s happening to him! Why can’t you resect the intestine?!” The large man groaned, burying his hand under the man’s intestine. “We need to cull this infection before it spreads! Whoever attacked him was using poisoned blades, and we don’t have the antidote for this right-- Get down!” The chief yelled, and instantly the girl in front of him ducked, narrowly avoiding an enemy from behind who had swiped his sword at her.

“Trap senbon!” With a wooden creek the jaw of the Chief suddenly opened up like a marionette, and a small metal tricannon comes out from his mouth. Three needles spew out, swiftly taking out the attacker. His jaw closes back, and he begins to draw incisions over the intestine. “Get up! I need you to clamp this bleed.”

From the entrance of the tent, where some of the specialists were doing their best to hold the line, two new stretchers carrying wounded soldiers are carried in by more specialists. “Chief Werdner! We’ve got one impaled and one with a jugular perforation!” The stretchers hurry inside. “Fuu, rotate!”
“On your mark, chief!” The woman named Fuu replies. “Somebody cover her! Go!” As the medics scramble to stabilize everybody, a group of enemy soldiers manages to bust the weak front line and begin to siege all the medics.

“Incoming! We’re outnumbered!”

The Chief groans, as he begins to stitch his patient closed as quickly as he could. “We need more hands! Torumaru, you need to find Mizumoto and Vivi right NOW!”

“We couldn’t find them, Chief! They must be on the frontline somewhere!”
“Damnit, we need something! We’re about to topple!” The Chief yells as he bashes an enemy’s face in with his elbow.

Torumaru takes his rainhood off, placing his hands together. “Give me some cover!” As two other specialists rally to defend him, he begins to cast a spell.
“Moonchaser Boon!” With a small keynote, suddenly a small purple wave emanates throughout the tent, empowering all allies inside with increased senses, speed, and strength. It wasn’t something that could turn the tide entirely, but it was definitely an edge since they were outnumbered.

“I’m bringing some help in!” A young graduate yelled, beginning to cast a spell too. Placing his hands together he began to cast. “Summoning; Shibasaki’s Scarecrow!” He yelled, but was immediately intercepted by an enemy. Jukeing from side to side, he panics, unable to finalize his summoning without proper balance as he repeatedly dodges the enemy’s sword. In the nick of time, another ally steps in- a very old and wrinkly man with his raincoat hood over him, the red cross over it extremely faded from age. He wore an eyepatch, his one healthy eye a piercing blue color. He thrusts his katana in, parrying the enemy and briefly stunning him. “Now or never!” He yells wispily, giving the younger man a chance to summon. Yelling, he plants both palms on the enemy’s chest, and suddenly a big, evil screech fills the room. From inside that enemy, a monster grew, literally tearing him up from the inside out. Shredding the man apart, a large abomination spawned from the corpse. It was monstrous, pitch black in color, its head somewhat resembling a sea urchin. Over its torso was a grey flak jacket from the Land of Sugar. With four arms, it began to carve into several enemies at once, leveling the playing field for both armies.

Chief Werdner watched patiently as he finalized with his patient, beginning to think to himself. ‘I don’t get this… If these people wanted this triage gone, they would have simply taken care of it with a big spell. But they’re just sending in troops to die in waves. Either they’re very stupid, or this is a distraction. They’re trying to hold us out, bleed out our resources. If my instincts are correct, they’re planning a bigger attack. Perhaps the Embassy? Or.. The refineries. Damn it all… To think we’ve had peace for so many years. Most of these specialists were not ready for this. Not a war like this.' Outside of the tent, another squad of Gold warriors tries to pummel in through the front entrace of it. A very thin girl, her black hair styled into two wet twin braids, parries the enemies as she is pushed back into the tent. But with the aid of the Boon, she is able to fire back in full strength, beginning to carve through the squad. Her black raincoat floats elegantly behind her, flashing the red cross. She screams at the top of her lungs as she slices back one of the last enemies, kicking his body out through the front entrance. Her blade was stained red with the blood of many. She let out another war cry and sprinted out of the entrance in search of more foes to cut down.
All around, the battle flamed on.

The Embassy remained the only place untouched, until now.
….



“Captain. We’ve been compromised.” The illusion caster says, standing from his knees and dispelling the illusion.
“Proceed with the secondary stage. On me!”
With a single stomp, the Captain over the glass shattered the entire glass dome over the Embassy, showering the inhabitants below with sharp glass, heavy rainfall, and a full party of enemies! Together, the soldiers from the Land of Gold dove down. They numbered about two dozen or so, and they made a nose dive for the Sugar Warriors below. “Damn! R-ready yourselves!” Harami yelled, still shell shocked from what was going on.
Suddenly, a sharp screeching was heard. Furious, the brave Spriggan Ari began to ascend upwards to challenge the invaders. “Ari! No!” Harami tried to stop her, but his pleas were in vain. She floated upwards and attempted to strike one of the falling men with her arm, but was almost instantly sliced in half. Her remains showered the people below with hot tea, quickly mixing in with the oncoming rainfall.

Before anybody had proper time to react, the soldiers from above were practically already on top of them. Tielemont drew a hidden blade from his yukata, he tried to parry an incoming attacker. Yet the soldier was much too fast for the Baron, sinking his blade into the Embassy’s usher. “Grk!” The baron choked, spitting up some blood before falling limp on the ground.
In an immediate swarm, some of the soldiers attempted to surround Harami and try to take him out first. Unarmed, the Grandmaster could only move quickly and do his best to dodge as a storm of blades reigned down on him.
Catching a small break, he found a chance to weave a quick spell.
“Jidunn’s hands!” He spoke quickly, and suddenly as an enemy sword came forward, it abruptly collided with a metallic clang on Harami’s hands, his skin unphased. Instantly he flicked the blade to the side and proceeded to fell the man in front of him in a series of quick and lethal jabs, and delivering a mighty kick to the face of the next one.

As he busied himself parrying his opponents, Harami looks out to Norito. “Norito! Get to the armory! You all have to leave now! I will take care of this, you will only waste precious time trying to defend this place. If you don’t strike now, we might never get a clearer opportunity! Leave now, while their military is weakened!”

Harami was right. The party could stay and defend their Land, but this conflict could last several days. Once the Land of Gold is deflected, they’d simply fortify themselves at home, and it’d be incredibly hard to get to the emperor. If the warriors take a head start now, it’d make things a lot easier. They’d have the advantage.

As more warriors from the Land of Sugar began to pour in to the Embassy to defend it, Norit and co. were faced with a big decision to make.

“Grandmaster!” A voice called out as three warriors from the Land of Sugar dove into the Embassy from above, no glass dome there to stop them now.
“Damnit, we were too late!” They scramble to assemble a small defense around Harami, each wearing the sigil of Internal Affairs. “Horus!” Harami shouted in the midst of battle. “Tag out, you must get to the Archives! The scribes won’t be able to defend themselves alone! Mitzumi, Garo, we will do our best to drive the enemy back! Our main priority should be to find a window for Captain Waranaki and his squadron to get to the armory.”

It was hard to listen, the sounds of blades colliding and heavy rainfall was very loud. But still, the soldiers dutifully followed orders. In an instant, one of the three split off and sprinted past one of the Embassy’s bridges, heading right into the Archives. Now, the real battle began. Outside, the Land of Sugar was in Turmoil.
...
Make your decisions wisely, because they will matter greatly. And do not waste time, because the more you do, the greater this conflict becomes!

Yennie Vanadium9277 ShadowRogue D d1uni5ys24si3o Cruallassar Parzivol Plutoni Kiroshiven
​

 

[Cruallassar]

Glyserion Mortimire

Forwarned previously, Master Glyserion had slammed his hand down on the table as the hostile soldiers appeared, and as they jumped into the embassy, he drew his long nodachi Sanctiris straight out of the table in a cloud of mist. As one of the enemy swordsmen dropped towards him, hoping to kill him quickly as one had the baron, Glyserion swung the six-foot blade in a lightning blur of steel, the edge sweeping under the soldier’s guard, through the man’s throat, and down, dumping the corpse over the chair beside the master.
“Captain Norito, I will clear the way to the gate and secure our guide. Waste no time retrieving what supplies you deem necessary, then follow quickly. The Armory is likely to be a high value target for the enemy.”
Taking a last moment to flick his blade in a powerful strike at the enemy who’d been addressed as “captain”, the black-clad swordmaster bent his knees slightly, then launched himself upwards, through the broken glass ceiling, and alighted gently on the roof. Wasting no time on anyone there, he propelled himself forwards, towards the North Gate. As he did, he took a moment to channel his energy.
“Passive shades.”
The spell takes effect, a passive spell that combines his illusory shadows with his chakra sensing...one which creates an illusion of himself, ever so briefly, along with a shadow blade, just long enough to perform a single random strike against anyone he recognizes as an enemy within a 100 meter radius, once per second. A somewhat predictable attack against a skilled foe who expects it, but lethal against enemies caught off guard. As Glyserion jumps from rooftop to rooftop, he looks around and reaches out with his chakra sense, trying to determine targets as he moves, his sword in hand and ready in case anyone tries to engage him.

 

[Parzivol]

Just making note of the fact that I'm a participant so that my account isn't purged.

 

[Vanadium9277]

Adwin drew in a sharp breath of suprise as a loud crack split the air around the Embassy. He dodged to the side as a rather large piece of glass found a nice home where he was prevously, with it came the wild downpour that only the Land of Sugar knows. Multiple enemies rained down on the shocked party, and quickly dispatched the Baron. Adwin had no time to react to this news before a silver blur whisked past his face. His attacker landed in a superhero pose, the blade of his spear-sword dug into the ground. Scrambling away, Adwin scooped up some shattered glass and threw it at the face of his recovered enemy. While the stinging shards made themselves useful, Adwin lunged, hands out to grasp the spear-sword and prevent his enemy from using it blindly. They struggled for a few seconds before Adwin changed his stance and tripped the man. Crashing to the ground, the spear-sword still beween them, Adwin noticed a hilt on the man's leg. "Ice, incase." It was a simple spell, but it was very effective in this situation. With a hiss, a block of ice incased his hand, giving him more leverage over the weapon and allowing him to slip his other hand around the hilt. Drawing it from the scabbard, Adwin quickly tore his opponent's neck open.

The ice desintegrated, and Adwin sprang up. Confident the others would be able to handle themselves, Adwin jumped to the aid of the surrounded Grand Master. As he pounced on a Gold soldier, shoving his stolen xiphos through a chink in his armour, Adwin saw several warriors from the Internal Affairs set up a defense around Harami. While the main group of Gold soldiers focused on the small party they had surrounded, a few stragglers attempted to take on the summoned. One-on-one, the Gold soldiers had no chance. Adwin ran towards a hole in the side of the Embassy, which was roughly in the direction of the Armoury.

Mentioned:
Nivi
In the Area:
Yennie
ShadowRogue
D d1uni5ys24si3o
Plutoni
Kiroshiven
Flying:
Cruallassar