A slim, ghost-like figure paced down the shifting streets, bobbing their head to the steady beat produced by the unnecessarily decorated black boots they wore. A faint orange gleam colored the world around them as lights began to flicker alive from the cold office buildings towering over.

Sate stood like a wolf among a flock of sheep, the eyes of the people around him brimming with fear as though he would lean down and bite off their heads.

Although he showed no signs of aggression, even making a point of smiling, they gave him looks of fear. He didn't like that reaction too much, but it can't be helped. He did have unusually sharp teeth. Ordinary people couldn't be helped to accept him anyways, he's long come to terms with that fact. As long as they didn't disturbed him, that's all he can ask for. He simply ignored them and the cautious perimeter they created as he continued his merry way.

It was probably better off this way.

A pair of sharp canines showed from the slim gap in his upturned lips as he glanced about happily, taking in the beautiful scene being painted by sunlight all around him. Truly, the period when the night and day exchange places was the most serene times of each day. He wasn't exactly a morning person, nor particularly fond of the sun itself, but getting up to see the sunrise is always refreshing. He felt that vigor well up in his chest as the pair of black eyes jumped with joy, the white dotted pupils catching all they could. Turning a corner, his gaze widened further in awe, the shimmering landscape of the Setsuna Mountains reflecting the falling sunlight opening up before him. This must have been the hundredth time he's encountered the sight, but he hasn't grown tired of it yet.

Sate wanted to stand there and gaze longer, but was pushed on by the relentless foot-traffic. He sighed internally as he picked up his feet, thinking it a shame how the people around him were missing the precious image laying right ahead of them.

They have such short lives, yet they take it for granted...

Sate and his thoughts came to a stop as the sea of people around him came to an abrupt halt before a red traffic light. He thought this a perfect opportunity to glance over at the mountain range again, but suddenly, a strange caw alerted the pale man.

Sate glanced up to see the faint outlines of a few winged youkai perched atop the lights.

His hands were tensed on instinct, but he quickly released them and breathed a sigh of relief. These were just a harmless breed.

The sun was setting and naturally, the outcasts of this world were beginning to stir awake. The boundary between this plane and the other were beginning to intersect.

Normally one wasn't able to see yokai unless they have crossed to the Crimson Sky, but Sate possessed a strange affinity to the realm. It only happened in places where the two planes almost touched. Watching as the slew of black bird-like creatures cocking their heads about while staring down at the crowd, Sate was a little disappointed by the rather typical bird-brained reaction considering the nature of these supernatural entities. However, on the other hand, he was glad it was just this an not something more... dangerous. He was still pretty tired from his last job and the last thing he needed was to work off the clock.

It's been a few few days since he left, but he's finally made it back. The mission that little witch sent him on took much more effort than he expected. If the job didn't pay so well, Sate would think she was trying to get him killed. He didn't mind too much though. At least he was able to visit that old noodle stand over in the 16th district along the way. They serve the best udon with tempura there. Getting to munch on the meat of a rare youkai was only a bonus.

His eyes glanced down to the tooth necklace hanging down his chest, the white pupils landing on the fresh addition, a wicked crooked tooth that had ridges like a serrated blade. Thinking of how he plucked it from the dying body, his lips rose in glee. He thought of taking a picture of such a moment, or record it, but it simply just wasn't the same.

Ah, beef and noodles, what more can a man want? his grin then changed to a concerned frown, But thinking back, it's still missing a little something... hm, hot sauce? No wait, that would be awful...

With the green light now illuminating his path, he continued forth while pondering the possibilities of the perfect meal to himself.

...

Eventually, he stopped before an antique looking shop settled near the heart of the city. He glanced at the familiar old sign before reaching out to the door handle.

He smiled.

A fancy cafe and hotspot for dangerous freaks who kill even more dangerous freaks. What an odd combination. Maybe that's why their coffee tastes so good.

Sate took account the small gathering tonight as he quietly slipped across the store towards the bar counter. Even though it didn't appear like he paid them any heed, he was secretly 'counting faces'. This has been the routine ever since he was recruited by Aria. From what he could glance, there were a few new faces mixed in with the old, and some who were missing. He didn't really talk to the regulars here personally, but seeing familiar faces pleased Sate. He loved to watch people grow up and change. Thinking of the faces he'd never see again, Sate wanted to frown, but kept his face happy. Chasers come and go, that is the cold reality of this profession. It was always best to assume the worst every night.

Luckily, the small red-headed succubus barista was heading the front. His smile strengthened upon seeing her.

"Good day, Ellie. It's always nice to see your face after a long day." he muttered, resting his head on a hand, "If it's not too much to ask, a cup of coffee please. Black. Very black."

After his little announcement, Carver was met by silence. A bit disheartening, another night of a solo expedition into the Crimson Sky. It does remove the fun being all alone, plus it's hard to make a sale when there are no customers. Well that was the case until a new arrival showed up. She settled herself in she had coffee and a muffin, nice choice, before asking about the graffiti case. All but flying into the chair opposite the elegant lady, Carver grinned.

“That would be me, Miss. Carver Jazz, master of symbol based magic and seller or all manner of enchanted goods, at your service~” grinning like the Cheshire Cat, Carver took out an ice-cream stick with a symbol drawn on it.

“Here, have a free sample. Break this stick in a direction and a concussion blast of air will be launched for a minimum of ten meters. Beyond that and the pushing capability is diluted. Oh dear, I launched right into the the salesman pitch before my manners. May I ask your name? I feel so awful for not asking till now” not breaking eye contact, Carver tried to get a read on the lady in front of him before giving up. It really wasn’t worth the effort to try and break that well made poker face. There was work to be done.

“Do you have a method of transport for us to arrive at the school? Or shall we take a moonlit stroll? I live relatively close by so why waste fuel in this economy, right? Not to mention the fact no insurance would cover an Oni attack”

---

Vincent would find that as soon as he left the premises of Reiko's house, his communications would be restored, obviously with Ciel chit-chatting over the radio, "Hmm... that was a strange one, Vincent. What do you think, did she looked like a real mage for you?"

After waiting for Vincent's reply Ciel followed through with her conversation, "You know, when I was a kid, I liked things like magic tricks, and believed that mages existed. But, after knowing that the supernatural is real, but never finding on of them I grew to become a disbeliever, but if that woman is a true mage, I would give anything to go there and watch how magic looks like for real. Anywa- What!?"

Suddenly, alert sirens cut Ciel's rambling and the operator shifted tones to an appropriately serious one when she spoke next, "Vincent, the passive scanner detected a powerful presence 2 kilometers away from your current position at your 04:00. Actually, the meters are off the scales, be ready to a tough fight. I've had the Damocles drop down your standard equipment halfway between you and the mark. Good luck and don't kill yourself."

With that said, Ciel went back on standby mode, ready to answers Vincent's inquiries or requests, if he had any.



Orihime observed quietly as Kazuki tried to relay the knowledge she had shared with him to Aria and Alice, only ever speaking when she was sure that she would not interrupt anyone, even if unwillingly, "Hmm... Good evening, you are miss Aria, right? I'm Orihime Tokisada, a descendant of the Dollmasters clan, who lived as an adoptive child to one of the Elders of the Beastmasters clan. I can tell you more about me later, if you will listen, but now I have a message to deliver for you, a message that costed the life of the one I loved the most."

After a brief pause when it looked like Orihime was making her best to hold back her tears, Orihime picked a small doll and retrieved a letter that was sealed inside of it.

---

To Aria, the representative of the Chasers and my old ally.

I, ****, the Beastmaster Overlord, come through this, to deliver a message most foul. If you receive this message by any means other than my own words, consider that I'm dead. Please take care of my beloved Orihime and waste not efforts in trying to rescue me, for I'm already reunited with our Great Fathers.

Now, to what matters.

Dread greater than even that which one feels when staring at the eyes of a swooping Roc, fills my heart when I have to tell this, but corruption befell our brothers and sisters of the Beastmaster clan. In their naivete they were easily seduced by a deathmonger from the villainous Yotsuba Technology Corporation, and sold one of our most precious relics, the Gessui no Kyou, a mirror made from moon silver, that was the source of water to a holy water fall said to guard a cavern that is the entrance to Makai. Needless to say, said cavern is a portal to the place you Chasers call the Crimson Sky, home of many abominations.

I plan to block the portal with a landslide. Nevertheless, I will become unable to recover Gessui no Kyou because of my early demise, thus I entrust upon you and the your fellow Chasers, the this task. I know it's too much to ask, but Gessui no Kyou has powers beyond our comprehension, and whatever purpose Yotsuba might have for it, it sure is something we who fight for the just cause can't let happen.

Once again, apologies from yours truly,

****, Beastmaster Overlord.

---

With the knowledge imparted by the letter now in Aria's hands, it was up to the Chasers to decide what to do. Orihime, on the other hand, had just found a place to sit right beside Alice. "Thank you, miss...?" Orihime said, still unsure of Mami's alternate persona's name. A large smile gracing her lips as she tasted on the delicacies brought on by Alice, "You... are so cute, just like a doll. Thank you again." She said with bright eyes practically glued over Alice.



After the Chasers gathered around and Aria finished her paper work and reunited with Alice, Ellie finally came to the storefront, for some reason that only she knew of, the succubus was wearing a completely different outfit from yesterday, in fact, she had even shapeshifted into one of her alternative forms. However, before she could go and meet her beloved Alice-sama, and show her that the only bunny she needed was right before her eyes, a rare sight entered the Dangeki and greeted Ellie rather casually before ordering a coffee.

"Oh, if it's not Sate-kun? It's been some time since your last visit." Ellie replied casually as she set to prepare the order, "Here it's, a cup o' joe as black as darkness itself. Beware, this thing packs quite a punch~" The demoness, now turned bunny girl, joked as she handed the cup of steaming black liquid to Sate.

"So, I get that you are here for more work, right?" Ellie asked, "If that's the case, we have plenty this time, I'm sure at least one might strike your fancy. If I can help you with anything, please don't be shy, sweetie~" Ellie winked to Sate, before turning on her heels and practically teleporting to Alice's side, saying, "Alice-sama~ please, look to me~"

---

"She didn't show me any magic if that's what you're waiting for." Vincent's voice crackled over the radio as he walked through the courtyard. "In fact, I found out very little about the Ifrit. When I get a chance I'll talk to exotic ballistics about something that might be effective against him, but for now, the tactic is literally just 'kill all his guys at once'. Astounding, right?"

He picked up his pace and began to run as he got word of a strong enemy nearby. "Worse news, through. Ciel, I need you to do me a personal favor. If what that girl told me is true, there's been an info leak. That monster got a hold of my personal files, and you know I don't legally exist. Try and pull up a list of whoever has access to my data and cross reference it with everyone who isn't in mission control with you. If she's right, you'll find a trail to someplace called Yotsuba corporation or something. And this goes without saying, but for fuck's sake, don't get caught looking into this. Anyone stealing info on super soldiers can't be up to anything good; they won't hesitate putting you in a hole."

Vincent stopped, in time to see a crate parachuting down in front of him. His care package. Prying it open with his hands, he retrieved a set of basic weapons, an M240L machine gun, a S&W 500, and a specialized bowie knife with a taser system built into the spine of the blade. Granted, if the enemy was half as strong as Ciel suggested, it would necessitate the use of more specialized weapons from the drop system, but it was best to call in a specific one as situation demanded. Besides, this way he could keep it a surprise.

The executioner donned his mask, and quickly dashed to the destination.

Alice took in the information gathered from Aria like some sort of giant supercomputer, and quickly determined the best course of action to be going to the Red Woods. Vincent wasn't a Chaser, after all. The man probably had no idea that a AAA-level threat might very well be present. Alice became a Chaser to save people, and now was the time for her to be a hero. First, however, she had to tend to her new fans

"Oh, how rude of me," Alice replied, flashing Orihime a polite smile, "I am-"

Just then, she was interrupted by a very familiar voice calling out her name as Ellie took a seat next to her. With Orihime admiring her on one side and Ellie admiring her on the other, it became clear to Alice that her fan club was indeed growing, and that she especially seemed to attract girls for some reason or another.

"Kukuku~ yes, I am indeed Alice-sama, as this one calls m-"

Alice looked over to regard Ellie, and suddenly her cheeks became intensely pink. Somehow, that damnable succubus had managed to uncover her one weakness: bunnies. Both Alice and Mami loved bunnies, and bunnygirls were even better. Alice looked away, attempting to reject her profound fascination, and started timidly touching her fingers together.

"U-um, thank you, Orihime," she muttered. Opposite Alice was Aria, to her right was Orihime, and to her left was Ellie. She was surrounded on all sides by girls that seemed to like her, but she had to get going! There was a life to save, and nothing could very well get done without the great Alice!

Alice looked across from her to Aria, and gave her a parting smile.

"My apologies, but I must excuse myself again post-haste," she said, filling teacups for Orihime, Ellie, and Kazuki in case they wanted any, "I have people to save."

With that, Alice jumped over the back of her seat and darted out the door at a speed impossible for any normal Human. She would have to consider bunny counter-measures on her trip to the Red Woods. This time, Alice decided, she would follow signs.

~Aria~

---

Aria listened to the same tale told to her by two varying degrees of sources, nodding once to Kazuki and Orihime. Being handed the letter, the Head Magister scanned through it with a serious expression. So another one of their allies had fallen? This was depressing news and the frown on Aria’s face seemed to lower just a tad bit more before she steeled herself.

So the Gessui no Kyou had been stolen by the Yotsuba Corporation…this brought grave implications indeed. She had a sneaking suspicion of who else might be involved with such a rare artifact. Placing the letter down beside, Aria fashioned a genuine smile towards Orihime.

“Thank you for delivering this to me Orihime. Please, feel free to enjoy yourself among the company of the Chasers for as long as you would like. I trust Kazuki will continue to take care of you, yes?” she said, eyes darting to the Chaser currently enjoying Alice’s sweets. A quick confirmation of that and Aria would then turn to Alice.

“It’s quite alright Alice. As a Chaser, I understand it’s your duty to protect others. Just try not to be too hasty in leaving next time, ok? Good luck until then,” she said warmly to wave the other girl off. She was a little concerned for her safety seeing as the SSS-Class Youkai was last sighted in those Red Woods, but Rui-Ling, Vincent, and even Reiko were already there on the move. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Besides, she had more important things to take care of. Frowning still, she got up from her seat and proceeded to walk back to her office. Along the way she noticed Isotta keeping herself distant. Figuring she should give the woman something to do, Aria said, “Oh, Miss Isotta. If you’d like to help out around here, I’ve been contacted by an old associate of mine from the Crimson Sky. Apparently the one causing all that graffiti has been a deep nuisance for the Church for some time now. If it’s anything to you, maybe you should check that mission out.”

With that said and done, Aria entered back into her office. The first person of choice to investigate this matter was Rui-Ling but seeing as he was busy on his mission, she would have to rely on others. The Head Magister mused to herself before transmitting her mind across the city to contact a certain biker and her “forgetful” girlfriend.

Further away in the Red Woods themselves, the anomaly that Ceil had picked up on was moving at a slow pace. It wouldn’t take Vincent too long before he stumbled upon the creature, a towering, hulking…thing. The creature almost looked like an alien though it was a shame Harumi wasn’t here to lampshade on this fact.

Emitting a series of strange sounds, beeps, and whirs, the creature turned around to face Vincent completely. It simply stared him down, waiting for him to make a move. If he didn’t it would simply turn away and continue lumbering about almost-mindlessly.

---

"...The Hell are you?" Vincent asked, shouldering his gun. The executioner had expected something colossal, with tentacles and forty endlessly screaming mouths, not some twink in a mask. Still, it was floating, had crystals encircling its back, and its feet were on fire. Moreover, the fire was green. There was no way it was human.

Still, Ciel had said it was giving off strong energy signatures, so it was best to test the waters. Vincent aimed down the sights, and experimentally shot a single round of 7.62 at the thing's leg.

Interesting. As Rui-Ling faffed about, listening in on what Kazuki and Orihime shared with the owner of the Dangeki Pawn Shop, the immortal began to search his own memories for details about the Beastmaster clan and all that. Nothing came into mind immediately, but, if nothing else, a bunch of demons popping up for Chasers to deal with was good news for the immortal. After all, he was running low on ammo for Claimoh Solais, and demons were one of the few species that he didn’t need to feel bad about when it came to erasing their souls. The SSS-class Youkai in the Red Woods, though, took priority at the moment. If it was that big a problem, Aria would probably have an announcement to make later on tonight.

Cracking his neck and getting off his ass, the immortal stepped out of the shop, revved up his bumblebee Hayabusa, and kicked the stand up. He revved the engine experimentally, enjoying the glorious rumble beneath him, and then zoomed off into the distance.

Or would have, if he didn’t notice within a minute of driving that the dessert-summoning Alice appeared to also be heading in the same direction. Did she take the job as well? Or what? Slowing down, Rui-Ling called out, “Heading to the Red Woods, Alice? Want a ride?”

Regardless of her answer, the immortal would zoom off at max speed towards the outskirts of Sonomachi. It was probably rather fortunate that the police didn’t get on his ass, but Sonomachi was a quiet city, and he had been in it long enough to know the usual patrol routes of traffic officers. Arriving at the entrance to the public parking lot used by hikers wanting to spend a day wandering the Red Woods, Rui-Ling hopped off his bike, locked it, made a prayer to the Gods to prevent any douchebag from slashing his new ride’s tires, and then began to walk in.

The sounds of gunfire, after all, was rather distinct in the silent night.
@Shisa

The meeting between Aria and Orihime was interesting, the latter proving herself to be sincere as she presented a note to the older woman. That was only slightly frustrating, but Isotta figured she would learn about it if it was important to her and to the Church. And if not, she would ask about it later. That should solve the problem easy enough, so far as she was concerned.

Of course, she was more alert as Aria mentioned to her that the graffiti job involved someone who had made trouble for the Church in the past. It still wasn't enough to really deserve her direct attention, but she would handle it nonetheless. "Thank you for the information," she replied with a grateful nod to Aria as she departed for her office, with Isotta turning herself to join the group on that mission. Her superiors would appreciate dealing with this problem, she was sure.

She stepped over to Carver then, noting with some distaste that Black was coming on this mission as well. It had better be worth it then, for the annoyance and how much trouble it would pose to her. "I will join you," she said to the two of them, calm as always. Presumably they had heard what Aria said, so she didn't feel the need to explain why. "However, I do not currently have vehicle transport."

Sheridan



Sheridan nodded at the 'young' immortal. He was half a century younger than herself and sometimes he seemed to irritate her with his familiarity around the other chasers.

"Rui-Ling. I spent some time in Prague helping some Chasers that were in over their heads. Something like this is just to relax with."

A man came over and made a rather straight to the point introduction. She accepted this Carver Jazz's gift and put it into the inside pocket of her jacket.

"Thanks. I am Sheridan Black from near Prague. I am sure that this will come in handy. Don't worry about Insurance, I'll handle it."

She finished her coffee and muffin before pulling out her keys as Isotta arrived. Sheridans smile almost faltered. She did not wish the enmity of the church but this woman did not seem to trust her.

"Unfortunately the rear seat may be a little cramped."

@Flamelord@McFazzer

Alice was fast. Perhaps the fastest Human alive. Even faster than the inferior machine of Japanese make that Rui-Ling was riding, like a modern John Henry except she would never die. But of course, being the gracious lady that she was, Alice decided to humor him and get on the bike, pointing forward.

"Kukuku~ yes, I will grace you with my presence. Now, servant, drive me to my destination post-haste," she ordered with the confidence and bigness of an American CEO who was also a cowboy.

Of course, she arrived quickly and not at all scared from being on a motorcycle, legs trembling and positively jellylike with excitement. She stumbled with Rui-Ling towards the sound of the gunshot, determined not to leave her incapable and incompetent cohort alone lest he find himself in a situation too sticky to get himself out of. What would these other chasers do without her?

While true that the massive, alien-like creature was nothing like the imaginations in Vincent’s mind, it was still a threat to be handled. Or at least that was what Ciel was implying with her warnings. Feeling the spray of bullet fire bounced off of its legs, the creature gave an animal-like snarl before raising a fist high and emitting it further with green flame.

It sounded like an elephant crossed with some other feral creature of the wild and the flames coating its surface seemed to be pulsing, as if each were a heartbeat. Without warning the Golem slammed its fist into the ground and the earth shook and trembled. At once a plume of green fire launched off in a wave towards Vincent.

The reverberations in the ground combined by the massive pillar of green fire that rose to the heavens with each step of the creature would be more than enough to attract the likes of Alice and Rui-Ling. But the Golem didn’t seem to mind the prospect of attracting more potential threats.

---

"Aw shit it's angry." Vincent swore, dashing to the side. This thing was bigger than he'd ever expected; how he'd not seen it beforehand was anyone's guess.

In fact, he was going to have a word with whoever was supposed to watch the scanners. This thing was easily above the forest canopy.
"Shit, calling in a Sepulcher drop! Guillotine drop! I need some armor between me and him!" he said, ducking behind a tree. Waves of emerald flame washed around, blackening the bark.
Without a thought in his head, he dropped the heavy machine gun and tore off his shirt and mask. With something like this, he had to call in something to grant the largest boost to his defense and mobility. However, Vincent really didn't like being stabbed in the spine.

Iron meteors slammed beside him. The red hot pod released several coolants with a loud hiss of steam, and quickly opened its hatch. Vincent stepped inside the black metal suit, and automatically it encased him in thick plates of super-durable alloy. The white faceplate masked his human visage, and, contrasted with the black armor, renewed his guise.
Inside, a HUD displayed information.
"Systems on, life support, reactor. Nervous system link..." he grit his teeth, and dozens of needles punctured his spinal column, from the base of his neck to right above his pelvis. "...active. Sepulcher, ready!"

A heavy suit of black metal stepped forth from the safety of the pod. Several thrusters adorned its back and legs. Vincent reached forward, and experimentally wiggled his fingers. The system was linked, and he was in full control of all his digits. The field test was a success. Vincent grabbed the Guillotine sword from the other pod, and mounted it over his shoulder. Just in time, the bark close to him was turning black and crispy.
Vincent was now more mobile and better armored than any tank. Just one thing was left.
"How the Hell do I hurt this thing?"

It took Rui-Ling a few steps before he decided that, hey, maybe he should slow down a bit, because Alice honestly looked so excited about the prospect of seeing a SSS-rank Youkai that she could barely stand. Trembling in excitement, eh? Nice to see that the young ones were so amazingly enthusiastic about their job. As the two of them entered the forest, however, the immortal quickly noticed the hilariously obvious problem before them.

More specifically, he’d have been hardpressed not to notice it, and was surprised that he didn’t see it come from a mile away.

Easily standing above the trees, the alien being was stomping about in the distance, a goliath of nature that was ablaze with emerald flame. Each step resounded loudly, the earth quaking in its wake as waves of flame erupted through the Red Woods. Gunfire could be heard as well, and from the skies, black stars fell, containers that must have held whatever the lone combatant of the goliath needed in order to face his foe. From the distance, Rui-Ling whistled, but was disappointed as well.

After all, if this flashy, oversized being was supposed to be the source of the disappearances in the Red Woods, how the hell did Aria have such little information on it? Hell, Reiko, the Strongest Mage or whatever LIVED in the Red Woods. There was no way she could have missed something as stupidly large as that prancing around in her backyard, huh?

And thus, professionally, Rui-Ling couldn’t really say that he believed that something like that was the SSS-class Youkai causing the disappearances, nor was this particular battle really his problem.

On the other hand though…

“Oh omniscient and omnipotent Lady Alice! As you can see by the giant green flames and the shaking of the earth, an unfortunate Chaser has been beset by a goliath of god-like stature. Alas, my legs are merely human, compared to your divine speed, that which may exceed the hounds of the Artemis! Thus, I ask of you a humble favour: may you deliver this undeserving mortal to the doorsteps of the battlefield, so that he can prove his worth to you?”

Yeah, there was ‘professional’, and then there was ‘fun’.
@TheWindel@Shisa

"Leave it to me, Vincent." Ciel said over the communicator once Vincent Asked her to deal with the supposed information leak, "Also, don't worry, I'll take care. I know of YTC's reputation as worldwide military contractors, but to think that they dabble into this kind of thing as well is... hmm, I don't know, just think that someone might be playing a bit too much Resident Evil. Anyway, we have Nemesis on our side, what can they really do?" Once again the young operator seemed lost in her seriously nerdy tendencies, but only for a minute.

Once Vincent successfully engaged the threat, Ciel said "We are sorry, Vincent, the scanner seems to be buggy, there's too many powerful presences on this forest, probably it's because of that witch. Either way, I'll begin an analysis of the target..." A moment later Ciel's voice came back, "Ok, it seems to have a power core (or should I call it a furnace?), on its chest, to destroy it you'll have to smash the core, you know the drill. The real problem is getting there, since the golem's armor is harder on that part. Maybe... oh, yeah!"

"Vincent, smash its joints, it'll be forced to the ground, just like on Shadow of the Colossus, then you find a way to climb it and kill the beast! Of course you can always try to shoot it, but what's the fun part of it?" Ciel said, slipping again in otaku mode, despite her suggestion actually being one that made sense. What Vincent would do was at his discretion.





Meanwhile on the the entrance of the Red Woods, Rui Ling and Alice would have a much unexpected, and undesired meeting that would begin with a few glinting flashes being hurled toward them and the ground in front of them exploding in a rain of rock and debris all of a sudden. A moment later the heavy barrage of what looked like shaped pieces of metal, which upon further analysis would turn out to be swords, pears and all other manner of weapons, continued for a second or two, none of them ever scoring a direct hit as if they were commanded not to do so. Rui Ling should know that this was exactly the case, in fact.



"We meet again, Spirit Hammer." Said a voice all too known to Rui Ling as its owner came walking out of the shadows under Red Woods' canopy, as pompous and cocky as ever. The very own Cataloger of Sacred Relics had decided to make his coming official. "I came to Sonomachi for another reason, but I guess that sparing a moment to greet an old acquaintance won't be a problem. Say, have you found a way to give me that arm of yours or should I try to get it by force, again?"

"Furthermore, who do we have here? The new bearer of the True Alice's name? Hahahaha! That's marvelous!" The Cataloger said, as he run his fingers over his hair, before striking a pose with both hands outstretched at around waist height and body lightly inclined behind, "Hahaha! You just saved me the trouble of going after you as well. I have the Grimoire of of your predecessor, now I'll be taking that tea set as well, if you don't mind."

With that said, the Cataloguer produced (with an overexaggerate golden flash) a small jewel box, full of what looked like glittering gems, or better, rubies. Picking one, he threw it close to Mami and Ling, uttering a command spell "Aestus!" the ruby ignited in flame, causing an explosion that would envelop the duo of Chasers. What they would do was on their discretion, meanwhile the Cataloger already prepared his next move, withholding the jewels and drawing a bow fitted with arrows made of golden light.

---

@Ashifili@IncredibleBee@TheWindel@Shisa

Grinning as Sheridan introduced herself, and more importantly took the free sample. Following her out, Carver whistled as he saw her car. It was slick and looked like it could move like a bat out of hell when pushed.

“Well, your doing well for yourself. Or are you one of those people who buys a car over buying a house? That doesn’t seem like you. You look like the type of person who enjoys their bed and coffee machine each morning” scratching his head Carver’s ever present smile looked at Sheridan before sliding to the back from the passenger’s side, making room for the church girl Isotta.

“Don’t worry, I’ve had worse and besides, it’s just a trip to school. So ten to fifteen minutes tops. I’m sure we’ll have enough to worry about once we get there so let’s all smile and enjoy the trip~” trying to act as something close to a peace keeper and getting as comfortable as he could, Carver buckled up in the back and tapped his knees in anticipation of the night ahead

@TheFake @Flamelord

Isotta nodded, viewing the waiting car with indifference. She wasn't that affected by ostentatious displays of wealth, if that was the intent, so as long as they got where they were going then she saw no reason to comment on it. Much more concerning was the owner of the car, rather than the car itself.

"It's alright. I will manage," she replied to the comment about the rear seat, a statement echoed in sentiment by Carver at the same time. Certainly there was no reason to argue over it, when she might as well have just walked rather than hitched a ride. This was just more convenient, and for expediently defeating the source of this graffiti it would be best to not waste more time than they had to.

With nothing more to add Isotta slipped into the backseat of the car, taking up a position next to Carver as she secured herself in the process. Hands folded in her lap, she waited for Sheridan to begin driving, She was silent, preparing for the mission ahead while also keeping an eye on the two people beside her. Not that she expected anything to happen here, but better safe than sorry.

For now, she could only wait for them to arrive at their destination.

"...Green flame," muttered Alice incredulously, looking up at the titan towering above the forest and wondering how she had missed such a thing. Her ears perked up, however, as she heard Rui-Ling telling her how awesome she was. Not as if she didn't already know, of course, but it was fun to hear, especially from that cocky guy. It appeared as if he knew his place, and as such, Alice would grace him with the 1337est of buffz.

Or she was about to, before the two were beset by swords and pomaceous product. Suddenly, a man stepped out of the shadows and began talking at them. He didn't say anything interesting until he addressed Alice, of course, but even then the only thing that caught her interest was 'grimoire'. He didn't even compliment her on how pretty she was or anything! Anyways, by his interest in her tea set and that other guy's arm, Alice had a good idea who he was.

"Kukuku~ you must be 'The Brochure'," announced Alice confidently before he tossed a ruby betwixt them. At first Alice thought he was bribing her with jewelry, but the magic word he shouted made it somewhat obvious that this was not the case. Using her enhanced speed and strength, Alice dove out of the way and covered herself with her invincible tea tray. Given her lack of traction on the forest floor, the explosion sent her rocketing into a nearby tree, which would have knocked her unconscious if not for her enhanced properties. As it was, she just had a headache.

Alice didn't have time for this guy. Rui-Ling was immortal or something, so he could take care of himself. Vincent, on the other hand, was fighting something from Shadow of the Colossus (which, though it was not Western in make, was Western enough in style for Mami to have enjoyed it. Like Metal Wolf Chaos, one of the greatest games ever made). Therefore, helping Vincent out was more important for now because he could actually die. Of course, Alice would come back for Rui-Ling and the grimoire later.

Standing up, Alice propped the tea tray on her back and ran at inhuman speeds towards the giant. As she left, however, she gave The Cataloguer a parting gift. Snapping her fingers, the heavily-armored man found himself covered completely in a mountain of bread, which would hopefully blind him long enough for Alice to make a clean getaway and for Rui-Ling to land a strong surprise attack.

She frowned as both of her passengers climbed into the back seat. Carver was turning out to be pleseant company but Isotta was making Sheridan wish that she had decided to tag along with Rui-Ling. At least there would have been no animosity in that situation.

"Miss Isotta, Aria mentioned that the one causing this graffiti was known to the church. Do you have any more details to share? I dislike running blindly into situations."

Sheridan pulled smoothly away from the curb and sped smoothly through the streets. If she were alone her pace might have been a bit more reckless but there was no sense in endangering her mortal passengers. The drive was mercifully short and after arriving she got out and opened the trunk to retrieve a gun bag that was a little bit on the short side and her sword.

"As both of you are human and might be affected I suggest that I take the lead."

---

The Golem gave off another alien screech, a variation of various beeps and whirs before launching yet more waves of green flame at Vincent. When the man emerged this time he was coated in a heavy suit of blackened armor. For a brief moment this gave the Golem some pause in its movements. Where had the human gone? It took it little more than yet another moment to realize Vincent had armored himself before charging forward.

For something of this size and caliber, it was surprising to find it also be so fast. Before long, the Golem was facing down Vincent, one fist reared back to strike. Unaware of Ciel on the opposite end of the line relaying information to Vincent, the massive creature snarled before launching one fist, two fists, and then one fist again.

It seemed hellbent on not giving Vincent any window of opportunity to counterattack, moving with rapid speed through solid punches. All around them the forest began to blaze with a green coating of fire and flame that licked at everything in its path. As the two combatants went at it, something else deep within the forest stirred.

The sound of soft leaves crunching became heavy, as if someone was heading in Vincent’s direction. Who the hell was walking towards the danger? Whatever the case, Vincent now had to decide whether defeating the Golem was worth it or getting the other traveler away without incident.

The impacts of the Golem could be felt all around, even reaching Carver’s group. Not that it was any of their concern for the moment since they had their own mission to take care of. Soon enough, the three Chasers had arrived at their first location: a middle school located in the far off corners of the city. One glance could show that they would have their work cut out for them.

Aria had been right in her instincts because almost all of the building’s walls had been coated with layers upon layers of fresh, orange paint. All of them were connected in some way; while some had very drawn out and elaborate paintings of trash cans on them, others had the words “Trash” and “Super Trash” painted out with great detail.

And judging by the sound of a soft hissing, the culprit at hand was still nearby. Humming to herself, a very interesting girl with interesting clothes on stood by painting some very interesting things.

Was this the legendary Super Trash?

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