She honestly had done her best to stay uninvolved. Really, she had. She had wanted to leave the defense to the Philippines and their sellswords and volunteers alone, and to be fair, they had been doing a respectable job thus-far. They had managed to inconvenience two of her old colleagues in a significant manner, baited out and defeated Huo Ren in pitched battle quite notably. Under nearly any other circumstance, that would have been the end of it, a glorious underdog victory of the home team. But now...

Blood soaked into the boiling earth. Ash filled the blackening sky. Nightfall was encroaching upon the Lingayen Gulf and the retreating Chinese fleet, but even with Second Lieutenant Noel's power to drive the enemy berserk, it would be useless when the only enemy that presently mattered was alone. To say nothing of the fact that the Snake was quite sure the terrakinetic didn't really consider anyone an ally. She was as liable to go on an even bigger rampage than not.

Aligned with the space between the city of Lingayen proper and the beach, pitch-black anti-air emplacements boiled from a tar-like lake of ooze, cyberpunk “veins” glowing with an internal emerald light and unerringly tracking the incoming artillery of the Chinese fighting retreat. With an ongoing cacophony of thunder, the sky was filled with shrieking molten steel, all of which deftly managed to evade striking the allied Lotus Squadron, even if sometimes by frightening inches. Fireballs erupted across the darkening sky, as missiles and artillery shells alike were stricken midair. Their speed meant nothing to the functional processing power of the world's greatest super-computers working in concert, guiding the prediction algorithm of the defense. Though the gun emplacements themselves were not fast enough to follow the shots alone, with sufficient calculation and magnified sights, the path of those shots was already determined the moment they left the Chinese ships.

Under the conditions of pure logic and physics, the assumption that the fired ammunition would not deviate from their determined paths, it was about the closest thing to precognition that she could manage. All of it through sheer processing power.

Lei Qingshe sighed, leaving the defense automated, a lingering instruction to regain her attention should it falter the last of her concern on that front. She turned her attention to the real problem, a tidal wave of earth, the massive golem leading it and the volcano far beyond them that the first two would be "stalling" for. To be honest, Qingshe quite doubted the volcano was even necessary at this point, but let it never be said that -for all her eccentricities- Tian Fei was not thorough when it came to destroying her enemies and looking good doing it. If she wasn't such a piece of shit, Qingshe might even have been able to genuinely appreciate the showmanship.

However, the enemy had just irrevocably raised the stakes, in both a symbolic and possibly literal threat of extinction. Qingshe wasn't entirely certain how serious Tian Fei was about carrying through with the implied threat, but she had no intention of taking chances. The Chinese, by all rights, should want to capture the Philippines and its resources intact, both in terms of infrastructure and potential labor forces. That was the rational course of action. That's what she should easily be able to expect. It's what she would have expected... before the Downward Descent got involved. Tian Fei wasn't just beholden to the Chinese. This confidence of hers... This overwhelming might. If Qingshe didn't miss her guess, then right now, Tian Fei was either already beholden to an infernal contract... or looking to prove herself worthy of obtaining one.

The genocide of one pesky little enemy nation would be a small price to pay for a second Noble Arm... right?

With her macro-micro terrakinesis, Qingshe had exactly zero doubts that Tian Fei could manufacture effects that would spread even beyond her typical range. If she wanted, the terrakinetic had no functional restriction against creating fault-lines whole cloth and fracturing the island nation into pieces. There was no reason that Tian Fei couldn't, at any time, decide to annihilate what would likely be the majority of this entire island and plunge it into the sea. The only reason she likely wasn't? The woman was an incorrigible sadist. She wanted to take her time, to leisurely pick apart her opposition, to drive true despair into their hearts, to crush their spirits long before she crushed their bodies. Oh, Qingshe knew perfectly well, the only reason the defense had a leg to stand on was that Tian Fei still wasn't taking them seriously. Even with Qingshe there, a fellow A-Rank, the terrakinetic was unerringly confident. Did she have some sort of trump card up her sleeve, something prepared specially for the Snake? Impossible to say.

But that was enough wool-gathering. The time for observing was over.

Now was for action.

"Priority message:," Qingshe broadcasted through the allied Philippine channels, once in English, then again in Filipino. Her Chinese accent was as lilting as ever, but her tone had gained a serious edge over her normally playful voice. Simultaneously, her voice was echoed by the many serpent heads bobbing above her ooze, just in case anyone lacked a functioning communication device. "For those yet unaware, the enemy has deployed a terrakinetic structure in function not dissimilar to a volcano. I do repeat, this is not a drill. Environmental hazards are imminent. Evacuation of non-Arms Masters and wounded is highly recommended."

As she spoke, simple, glossy-smooth archways began to rise from the crackling ooze near anywhere she could find survivors. Although, they were less arches and more blank, tombstone-like structures, tall enough to slightly exceed the height of most adult humans. A layer of ooze glided up either side of the arches. "Stride through the ooze of the provided arches to be furnished with appropriate environmental protection. While it won't save you from a dip in lava outright without the aid of a Noble Arm, at the least, you shouldn't be crushed by suffocation of ash or smothered by the heat alone." As a proof of concept, she "nudged" a few lucky guinea pigs through one side of the arches, and they came stumbling out the other garbed in a suit not unlike what a volcanologist might wear. The normal aluminum-y silver of the suits, however, was replaced with the perhaps by now expected black and green aesthetic of Qingshe's structures, and more notably, all the recipients' gear and weapons were left outside the suit, presumably because they'd be impossible to safely access otherwise.

While that was ongoing, Qingshe's slitted eyes narrowed upon the ruined western lands. Thousands of small but sensitive heat sensors already sprouted from her expanded shadow, earnestly casting their gazes across the lands bathed in unbearable heat for some sign -any hint- of the terrakinetic's true location. It made little sense. Under these conditions, how was the terrakinetic not endangering herself out in that mess? Qingshe knew Tian Fei had no special defense against heat, so how wasn't she burning herself alive? She obviously had a pocket of cold somewhere, but just how was she hiding it? It had to be closer than expected by now. Qingshe was confident. Tian Fei's range was terrifying, but not dauntless. For Tian Fei to attack in the manner she presently was, using a remotely controlled golem vanguard, that would mean she would surely have to be getting physically closer too. The only question was: was Tian Fei muddying the waters? Qingshe might be able to triangulate her, but she didn't yet know the boundaries of Tian Fei's effect, not from her present position. Could she remedy that?

Broadcasting again, Qingshe stated, "I need sharp eyes in the sky and some determination of how far the enemy's direct power extends. With the right angle, the inward flow of the lands should suffice for an approximation." Inhaling slowly and then huffing, she added, "Moreover, as an immediate concern, for all those that can still manage to fight even now, your priority until the terrakinetic is located should be venting that volcano! She is building up pressure, and we need to release it yesterday and in a manner she'd not prefer." Firming her tone, she reluctantly spoke more demandingly, with the air of a commander. "I don't care how you do it, but blow some holes in it! Get that lava flowing out the sides and not the top. And avoid venting it in the direction of the city, or Tian Fei will surely take advantage!"

"As for the golem and the wave..." A smirk quirked up her lips, exposing elongated incisors.

There were shrieks of displaced air, as several flickers trailing flames rocketed from her ooze, pealing through the sky and scattering, the projectiles splitting into dozens upon dozens of smaller projectiles... all of which promptly impacted the earthen wave and the golem with a sound like the world ending. A series of practically simultaneous detonations turned the near horizon into a curtain of billowing flame and sundered earth, the earthen wave reeling back from the missile barrage and the golem staggering back to an upright position, gushing great gouts of black smoke and oozing burning molten earth all over its surroundings. A shockwave of displaced air slammed into the surroundings, rippling out for over a kilometer in every direction.

"Well, feel free to contribute if you like, but I do believe I can hold the line for a while yet~."

@Letter Bee@SkyHresvelg@Sniblet@Senhara@Conscripts@Gerlando@Nimbus@Aisede@Chiro@MagusDream@Creative Chaos@The Man Emperor@Landaus Five-One@The World

Nico had somewhat evaded the air strike, coming out looking a little worse for wear. There were several things that he’d have to get looked at later, mainly bullet scrapes and a stab wound from the Dragon. But that was an issue for future Nico. He was still moving, so he could still be of use. For now, he stayed still for a few precious moments and looked around. Between the new backup, and the setting sun draining him of his raw power, he had nearly nothing to offer. Then he stopped, and almost laughed out of shock.

There was an active volcano that wasn’t there before. And there was a landslide with teeth.

Suddenly, Nico started to believe that his ancestors were onto something, because the things occurring didn’t seem possible, even with Noble Arms. It was like someone opened up Tartarus and let out the most angry thing they could find. He tried to think about what he could do in this situation, but he’d never even thought of anything remotely similar to this happening. Okay. The world is ending. I have a sword. There’s a magic man and a demon next to me. How am I going to survive this? How am I supposed to do anything to a volcano, let alone one with a face?! Nico’s thoughts were a mess as he began trembling, gripping his sword tightly. The Fates were going against him, and probably laughing at his misery. All he had was a blade that barely liked him and his resolve. He took a deep breath, and then another. It didn’t help much, but it set his thoughts straight.

Alright…the world isn’t ending. There is a lava demon in Lingayen. No pressure. Just focus on what you can do. He felt the sun set, and all of the world snapped into focus. His panic started subsiding as he cooled off. He could feel some of his less worrying wounds begin healing, softly heating up like embers. It gave him a moment to adjust to the sudden change of scale. He looked around for any way to be of use while he got his head together. He had to find a way to do something, anything. But then, he got an answer as the comms crackled to life.

"Priority message:," Qingshe broadcasted through the allied Philippine channels, once in English, then again in Filipino. Her Chinese accent was as lilting as ever, but her tone had gained a serious edge over her normally playful voice. Simultaneously, her voice was echoed by the many serpent heads bobbing above her ooze, just in case anyone lacked a functioning communication device. "For those yet unaware, the enemy has deployed a terrakinetic structure in function not dissimilar to a volcano. I do repeat, this is not a drill. Environmental hazards are imminent. Evacuation of non-Arms Masters and wounded is highly recommended."

Nico had never been more thankful for the Snake than now. If anyone had something resembling a clue about how to get through the absolute state of this place, it was Qingshe. But, he’d never been more worried. What fresh hell lets someone make a volcano? It was probably yet another Zodiac, all things considered. But, this time he had directives. So, he used his heightened sight and hearing to guide as many wounded as he could find through the smoggy beach to safety, making sure they were all as safe as could be in a war zone. He stayed by them, listening for more orders when the comms crackled to life again.

Broadcasting again, Qingshe stated, "I need sharp eyes in the sky and some determination of how far the enemy's direct power extends. With the right angle, the inward flow of the lands should suffice for an approximation." Inhaling slowly and then huffing, she added, "Moreover, as an immediate concern, for all those that can still manage to fight even now, your priority until the terrakinetic is located should be venting that volcano! She is building up pressure, and we need to release it yesterday and in a manner she'd not prefer." Firming her tone, she reluctantly spoke more demandingly, with the air of a commander. "I don't care how you do it, but blow some holes in it! Get that lava flowing out the sides and not the top. And avoid venting it in the direction of the city, or Tian Fei will surely take advantage!"

He thought about it. The volcano was, without question, the most dangerous thing in the area. Preventing it from eruption was a top priority. If it was daytime, he could help on that front. Hell, if it was noon, he could bombard the volcano at range until Tian Fei decided to rear her head. But it wasn’t noon, and direct heat from a volcano was not something that he was inclined to experience. The golem was less a priority, likely just a big stick meant to cause havoc and unrest. It was also likely a major threat to any civilians and non Arms Master personnel nearby. But with night approaching, he had a bit of confidence that he could help someone smarter solve both. He took a deep breath, and spoke through the officer channel of his comms.”This is Nico Makri on site at Lingayen Beach. Currently assisting with casualty and non essential personnel evacuation. Requesting to assist Lei Qingshe against the terrakinetic once my current objective is complete.” He said in English, his accent a mixture of Greek and British. “I believe I may have the means to locate this Tian Fei.”

Nico didn’t let it show in his voice, but he had never been more afraid in his life than he was now. But it didn’t matter. He had priorities.

Hannie will remember the next events in flashes, flickers, like a dark and terrible stormy night.

Qingshe, that awful(?) smooth shadowy snake-woman, gave out some kind of warning...
It's in her hand again.
That buzzing senseless textureless sensation of touching the shadow, being covered in it...
Running. Running again and looking back. Fire. The hills are burning. A partial vision of a huge monster, poking out over and between the buildings.
Everything is numb. It isn't scary. She can't be scared. Her heart isn't beating.
There are soldiers around. Most are running, to or fro. Some are staying in place and staring. Some are shouting - at her? She doesn't check. She weaves. She jumps. Farther. Farther. No more soldiers. The buildings get taller. Can she run all the way home?
She will remember realizing, for exactly an instant, that she is tired now.
Not yet, child-

It certainly isn't normal to see a 14-year-old girl in a dark, shimmering-green volcanologist's outfit lying motionless on the empty streets of downtown Lingayen, but there are more important anomalies to attend to today.

Chapter One, Desperation in Lingayen, Part Ten

Lingayen Beach, Municipality of Lingayen, Lingayen Gulf - 9/25/2022, 17:40 UTC+8

The men and women of the Philippine Army and Marines had held on for hours against overwhelming odds, but Tian Fei's terror tactics had broken them - in the face of the avalanching monster, they did not need Qingshe's order to retreat, although it did allow them to save face as they ran for their lives, abandoning weapons, ammunition, and vehicles, but most of them did not leave their wounded comrades behind, but rather carried them on shoulders or stretchers or in their arms rather than treat them like discarded equipment.

But in Lingayen itself, Sergeant Major Cabral had restored order and requested Chaplain Carroman Montenegro to "Provide Emergency Services and heal anyone who is injured and near death; I'll send our last reserves to cover the retreat."

There were a few medics who made no move to leave the remains of the battlefield, stubbornly staying on the beach to stabilize those wounded who couldn’t be moved or couldn’t flee fast enough. One stopped Princess Fuyuko and quickly bandaged up her legs, careful to leave them enough range of movement to run at full tilt. Another stammered quietly as Ari disappeared into Qingshe’s ooze. As the earthen titan bore down, hardly a dozen doctors of war scrambled its path, demonstrating a kind of bravery that some of them might never have dreamed of. One among them briefly glowed, noticed a weapon in his hand that wasn’t there before, and threw it aside to free his hand for his work.

Among the reserves that Sergeant Major Cabral had called for was Marlena Dorn, who was too good for this sinful world, and her bunch of 'Elite German Special Forces' plus their repurposed civilian helicopter. Sergeant Major Cabral sent a message via smartphone to Marlena's band of German Volunteers, asking them to tell the deaf woman through sign language to, "Head for the battlefield and cover the retreat!"

---

Ari had been taken into Qingshe’s mystic shadow to recuperate, but without her, the chances of holding out till nightfall shrank unless she can be given full healing in just a few minutes. Noel Alonso was starting to despair, but ironically, it was Qingshe who had saved him from that by providing a plan. So he shouted into his radio, "Seconded! Each and every one of you, follow Qingshe's plan - Bust holes in that Volcano and do not let the enemy close them up! Not even an A-Rank's energy is unlimited, she'll spread herself thin if she does too much too widely!"

He looked at Nemo, the small child who had been brought to war with him, then said, "Nemo, right? I don't know why a kid like you has been thrown into a war like this, but I want you to be brave, not be afraid, and not despair until the battle is over. Right now, we don't have the time to be friends, but promise me that if we survive, we can be."

Then he turned his face towards Tian Fei's volcano, then spoke in a calm, cool voice, "But for now, stay by my side, hold my wrist, and don't let go."

The Second Lieutenant heard the rotors of what could possibly be one last helicopter but disregarded it as he waited for Nemo to hold his wrist. Then the two of them vanished as he activated La Luna's Veil of Night, rendering the two of them invisible to mundane and mystic eyes - It covered Nemo now as long as he and Noel held each other. Soon after that, his voice echoed across all comms, "Bust open the volcano! Blow up the entire range of hills to the west if you have to! Once we burst open Tian Fei's shell, it's a free-for-all for whoever shanks her first!"

@SkyHresvelg@The World@Chiro@Aisede@MagusDream@Lewascan2@Sniblet@Conscripts@Gerlando@Senhara@Creative Chaos@Nimbus@The Man Emperor@KaiserElectric

---

"Priority message:,""For those yet unaware, the enemy has deployed a terrakinetic structure in function not dissimilar to a volcano. I do repeat, this is not a drill. Environmental hazards are imminent. Evacuation of non-Arms Masters and wounded is highly recommended."

That was new. The boy with the moniker of "Nemo" had, even now, not received any communication over his comms channel. He had assumed that this meant he was not being given any special orders, but the talking heads of ooze made new information evident. A volcano? It would be difficult for the boy to fight a volcano. He was mulling over how best to do so when the superior officer near him shouted out. The order was seconded, and Nemo stopped his progress towards the location he had been pointed towards. Truth be told, he had no idea how he was supposed to follow that order. But luckily, Noel spoke directly to him. "Be brave, not afraid, and do not despair." Those were simple enough orders, he supposed. Though he didn't know why the older boy had mentioned "friends." Nemo had never known what that meant, so he simply assumed it was effectively a promotion. Concrete proof of having been of value. Exactly what he needed as the carrot to drive him forwards.

So he followed the command he was given and grabbed hold of Noel's wrist. He wouldn't let go for any reason short of having his arm cut off, he knew. In an instant he lost sight of the commander, but kept his grip as tight as possible on what had been his wrist.

---

Without ever confirming the result of the cannon strafing run, the six planes already banked away from their target once they unloaded their payload. Normally, radar would do the job whether or not he was dead, but this was just a person, so the squadron would have to rely on ground visual reports. And besides, if they ended up not doing much, well tough luck, they would not risk being slammed with some bullshit magic while they are wondering.

And what do you know, they kept throwing more at them.

Giant monster. Yes, a giant monster, or what appeared more like golem made of earthly materials, towered over the soldiers down on the ground, formed and marched. Anyone caught under their initialization were presumed dead. A presumed death that made the airborne squadron breathe reliefs that they chose the sky as their home. But if that wasn't enough, another threat would sprung up after that golem. A volcano. Or one that looked similar to it. A much worse threat than that golem could ever be. Hell, if these were not to be stopped, they would likely threaten the existence of not only Lingayen, but probably the entire Philippines peninsula, maybe even South East Asia.

"Man, they really want to destroy this land huh?" Cuong said, as his plane levelled out, allowing him to survey the battlefield clearly. "Comrades, better get your thermal settings up. This is gonna be hot."

"It's a desperate move. They know they're losing." Nikolay said with a glare down the volcano. If they couldn't have the place, then they destroy it. Literal monsters. It's the same behavior everywhere.

The more important question is: would they be able to do anything about it? The squadron had been defiant in opposing the Chinese NAs, but for A-ranks like these, they're probably out of their leagues. But that was what defined them. Their ability to go toe-to-toe with the Noble Arms user even without those magical weapons themselves weren't without merit, and even without being able to do much, they could still contribute to the battlefield. Especially after the broadcast from that unknown source.

"She really is holding that golem back." The female pilot of the squadron, Thu, looked in awe as the giant golem was held back, singlehandedly too. But the volcano might need more assistance. Not long after, another transmission from a woman named Regina Meitner, requesting support for the assault on the volcano. There will be no retreating now.

"Confirm. This is Senior Lieutenant Hoang Van Cuong of Lotus Squadron. I assume you are on the beach, Mrs Meitner. Then take your comrades to the northern side of the volcano. Let the lava flow to the beach." Cuong spoke back over the intercomm to whoever could hear them. "Along with every able bodied personnel. We will wrap around to the western side to poke over there."

He cut off the transmissions, but his copilot still had words to deliver. "Comrades, be careful of the heat coming out. If you are unable to punch through yourself, let us know." Nikolay said with a rather thick Russian accent.

The rest of Lotus didn't need further orders. They immediately merged with Cuong's plane in a 'V' shaped formation, flying far away from the volcano to the hills before making a sharp turn back towards the volcano. There, the six planes appeared to slow down, and the planes cycled around and reshaped the formation into a circle. They flew as tight as possible, knowing intuitively that their armament might not be enough to pierce through the volcano individually.

"All missiles switched to unguided mode." Nikolay declared. "Do you think they'll feel the pain?"

"We will see. Open fire, avenge this land."

A calm announcement to a furious missile barrage. While it was by no means numerous like the Chinese ground rockets, steady streams of rockets barrelled in from a group of six aircraft, pummeling the ground on the side of the man-made volcano. Each aircraft took only a few seconds interval before another rocket jumped and roared beneath their wings. All of which covering a relatively narrow area on the volcano.

After around twenty seconds of cloud painting and fireworks, the jets all of a sudden roared their afterburners, rapidly approached the volcano, fired a few more missiles as they neared the craters, before climbing straight upward. The first wave of attack had hit, but even then might not be enough. They would hit those craters again close and personal. The azure planes then spreaded out like blooming petals before diving back down, each craft delivering as much payload as they could, with whatever weapons they still had at their disposals, onto the craters. When they were physically impossible to continue firing without plunging their entire plane into the ground would they level out and distance themselves from the volcano.

@MagusDream

Callie forced her mind into gear through the ever-growing weariness; her eyes scanned the battlefield below, searching for anything at all - ripples in the earth, the shape of the terrain, anomalies within either - all while watching for missiles, stray fire, that odd boiling in the ground and any and all other potential threats to the helicopter. As for her voice… “Sir, ma’am, ready to reposition assets on your command. And…” She bowed her head. “If you’ve any healer AMs below, we could use one right now.”

“We do,” CMS Cabral called out over the comms, “an Army Chaplain back in Lingayen, where you’re returning to - his name’s Carroman.”

“Good…” Not yet, while there’s so much earth… Her mind stalled for a moment, not entirely able to comprehend what her sight showed it: a titan, rising from the rubble and glass to stand atop a dais of melting rock.

She’s not in there, her intuition screamed - too obvious, she’s too smart - she’ll expect us thinking that - how can I - how do -

Sound from the radio - first melodic, teasing, then all at once directional and firm. Those tones recentred her, so like her days in the Cadets on a field exercise, listening to one of her teammates adapting a plan on the fly…

She breathed.

Okay.

Callie rapidly flicked at her comms, locating the channel for Qingshe. Would - it’d help see patterns in the earth - any advantage, take. “Alright, someone, I need infra - goggles, headset, anything portable. She needs an eye in the sky, I’m it.” For the briefest of moments, part of her brain cursed not having the custom attachment she’d had for her spyglass back in the US. “For the other, Nil -” Callie flinched, looking over to the girl before glancing with concern at Henri. No time, I hate it but no time…

Nil got to one of the seats of the heli and pretty much just sat there, hands holding her head but looking a lot more calm right now. She was looking around… but not in a very attentive way… and towards the helicopter’s floor; clearly she had no intention of taking a look outside for now.

When called upon Nil turned her head, as if hearing it but the extent of what she understood was uncertain as she didn’t utter a single word.

Shaking herself, focusing, Callie fit thermal vision goggles to her helmet. Benefit of having equipment from here… “Come in, Snake - I have visual on…” She shuddered a touch, brain still not entirely wanting to accept the scale of that going on beneath her. “Visual on seismic activity. Hoping to release some pressure; going to try marking our target too. Seeking confirmation: if provided, can you direct and expand your terrain effect through -”

A sudden shift - cold, bursting through the heat of the volcano, as masses of ice collided with the lava. Great blasts of sublimated steam issued forth and whatever inferences she’d hoped to draw from the flow of the lava vanished into rapidly-shifting convection currents. Situation changing far too fast - not safe up here - “God, God, right channel - ma’am, sending injured AM down now!” And, with a glance through Charter, a moment’s focus, Sophist was in the hands of a medic below and being rushed into the field hospital.

Now the next, the next! And Callie’s mind raced, as the radio screeched with commands and chaos and destruction unfolded below her. Too much… Simple and effective. Pure utility. That’s what’s needed. It’ll hurt… You’ve practised.

Back to Qingshe. If she’s got everyone’s ear, as it sounds… “Scratch that - if we’re levelling the mountainside, relay that I need someone to provide a sight line on Tian Fei from above, even just a few seconds. Get that and I can isolate and expose her to everyone.”

She looked for a moment to Henri; even as her goggles hid her eyes, her voice told the story of a young woman shaken, overtaxed, but determined. “Sergeant, this could go badly. I go down, you’d better help me like I kept you… Well, safe-ish before, okay?” A thin smile to disguise the pang, the murmur amongst the others in her head that said she shouldn’t, wouldn’t need it.

”You can count on me,” Henri promised, although he admitted to himself that he had doubts. For the last few moments, he had felt himself… lacking. Henri knew that he was only a D-class, but it was just now that he truly thought he knew the full implication. No, he wasn’t useless. With the proper strategy, they had already taken down one strong opponent. It was the same with this.

”I’ll keep an eye on you.”

“Good to know,” came the response, accompanied by a slight and momentary smile. “Not just me, mind - see to your men, Sergeant,” Callie added, a little faux-pomposity in her inflection as a part of her carved out even a little relief from the near-total focus of scanning from the heights, awaiting her chance.

”Naturally,” Henri added before leaving Callie in her thoughts to ponder his own strategies.

Meanwhile Nil was still sitting in the back of the chopper, still not getting up and definitely not looking out the chopper, this time not because she couldn’t but because she didn’t want to look at whatever was making everyone so erratic. It couldn’t be good; from her sitting position she saw an impotent Henri and desperate Callie constantly looking out for an opportunity that might or might not come. Even in this desperate moment it seems they were coordinating with someone through the comms, hoping together they had a chance; Nil was sure to have heard that voice before…

Chapter One, Desperation in Lingayen, Part Eleven

Lingayen Beach, Municipality of Lingayen, Lingayen Gulf - 9/25/2022, 18:00 UTC+8

The volcano was pierced through and through, the molten rock and burning gas within it leaking out and causing the artificial structure to fall apart as it was drained of its contents. As it collapsed and its deadly load was poured into the sea, the sunset gave way before the New Moon, but the smoke and steam hid the stars.

Tian Fei was blessed with an Arm's Master's resilience, but the forces she had unleashed were running away from her, becoming too strong for her terrakinesis to control, terrakinesis which required her Noble Arm to touch the ground it controlled. She had survived the onslaught so far by tunneling within the earth, turning the soil and rock and sand into a fortress, not even the defenders' Noble Arms could pierce. But even an Arms Master like her needed air and creating a volcano with her powers had worsened the quality of what she can draw in through tunnels and fissures in her makeshift bunker.

So she did the unthinkable and lifted herself out, lifted herself up from where she had nestled in-between the collapsing volcano to the furthest west and the 'Kaiju' construct she had sent towards the defenders' main knot. As she shook flecks of sand and mud from her glossy black hair, the fallen nun looked at where her golem/construct had fallen and realized that it had formed a dam and a bridge that none of the enemies had dared cross yet.



She laughed out loud, shouting incoherently in Chinese for anyone besides Qingshe to defy her, pulling out her second Noble Arm, a Noble Arm given to her by the Downward Descent, and which needed her to see the target; this meant that it could not be used inside the ground. Being a fallen Buddhist Nun, Tian Fei's second NA took the form of a scroll that embodied the Anti-Sutra; a symbol of base desires and illusions which entrapped the human soul. All she needed to do was find a spot relatively clear from the dust and the smoke and the steam and she can use the Anti-Sutra on her enemies and play with them all the more...

But she didn't notice that -



-------

"She came out," Noel said to Nemo as he picked up the latter kid and began sprinting towards Tian Fei's position, covering both of them in his invisibility field even as he shouted, "Tian Fei has been forced out! Repeat, Tian Fei has been forced out! You can't see me, but I'm headed toward her, repeat, I am headed toward her!"

La Luna's Miraculous Evasion (which increased his speed as well) ought to tide him by as he went towards Tian Fei, the mix of physical enhancement and probability manipulation clearing the way for him and the tiny teenager he held to reach the enemy in the few minutes needed for the steam to clear. And as the steam cleared, he saw her, the depraved fallen Buddhist Nun, lifting up a scroll surrounded with a dark purple aura. Not on my watch, he thought as he rushed towards her, and with surprising strength, threw Nemo at her, saying, "Kill her, now!"

If that didn't work, he'd be slicing through Tian Fei herself; either way, she'd be dead. Either way, the nightmare would be over. Whatever happened, the invasion's thrust into Lingayen would be stalled...

@SkyHresvelg@The World@Chiro@Aisede@MagusDream@Lewascan2@Sniblet@Conscripts@Gerlando@Senhara@Creative Chaos@Nimbus@The Man Emperor@KaiserElectric

"Schieße, is that a volcano?"

"Verdamnt vornehmwaffen, kann es nicht einfach machen, oder?"

The soldiers packed into the battered AW139 laughed, gripping their lifelines as the chopper suddenly dipped beneath the ash cloud, the sky between them and the war-torn beach mercifully clear. Shouldering past his men, a silver-haired captain with his eyes hidden behind tactical goggles leaned into the cockpit, thick with the pungent scent of tobacco and gun oil.

"Didn't think zis death trap would make it," the captain remarked, looking disapprovingly at the warning lights flitting across the console.

"You want a first class flight, go beg the virtues for a private jet," the pilot shot back, stubbing out his cigarette on the dash. "We're a minute from touchdown, you and your Laelaps boys better get yer boots on."

"Ja, ja..." The captain smacked a hand against the empty co-pilot's chair and ducked back into the body. "Achtung, we are coming in at high speed, drop and move up the beach to cover the retreat!"

The soldiers immediately straightened out, going over last minute checks before entering the fray. One soldier casually leaned out to catch a glimpse of the rock golem wreaking havoc before making sure his rifle was loaded with armor piercing, reminding the gunner of the team to do the same. Any other soldier would have been terrified going up against a beachhead like this, but the hardened veterans of Wachturm were of a different cut. The transfers had a reputation among the Laelaps Units for being few in number but punching well above their weight, armed with the best weapons and gear and facing every obstacle with cool heads and confidence. Hell, one of them hadn't even looked up from her book the entire trip.

Sitting on the metal floor, her legs folded to make space for the others in the team, a blonde-haired girl in a combat beret quietly flipped through a pocket-sized book, lips moving slightly as her blue eyes darted back and forth, translating phrases in her head from Quechua to German and back again. Seemingly unaware of the tummult, she was stuck on a troublesome stress when she felt a tap on her knee. Glancing up, a private trying to fasten his helmet with his free hand flailed around a moment before roughly signing.

<We're hitting the beach, ready?>

<Already?> Marlena Dorn signed, tucking the book into a tactical pouch. <Short flight.>

"Gott verdammt, is she even ready?" the seargant called out, pointing a finger at Marlena as she got to her feet, stretching out her neck. Pushing her tactical shades up the bridge of her nose, she reached out and grabbed the air, producing a sound like thunder and bringing back a glistening blue-handled halberd. The cool mist of the ocean seemed to brush her face as the chopper crossed from the ocean over the retreating soldiers to the sand.

The soldiers followed her lead as Marlena bounded from the chopper, landing a few feet below with a flourish of her polearm, the familiar rain starting to drip down her glasses. Spotting a medic trying to lift a wounded patient onto his shoulders, she broke into a run as a boulder tumbled toward them, and a sillhouette of water shot forward, slicing the stone in half and breaking as it deflected the deadly projectile. The medic looked frightened as he looked up at his savior's towering figure, Marlena giving him a smile and a wave as strode past, moving up to cover more of the retreating soldiers.

Everything happened all at once.

At first, Nico’s general plan was to wait for Tian Fei to start back talking, and hope that his senses would be able to lead him in the general direction of their assailant. He considered grabbing one of the black and green volcanologist suits he saw a few people wearing. If not for his safety, maybe just for the ventilation. Nico had heard what volcanic ash does to tourists who try Mount Etna, and it wasn’t a good thing. Then he snapped back to reality, and saw something that shocked him to his very core. It caught him so off guard he lost his footing, stumbling around on the beach. It didn’t seem like a delusion, but it was the one thing that made him feel genuine terror, through all the adrenaline and pure chaos of the situation.

He groaned, putting his comms in his pocket for safekeeping. “Why is it snakes?!” Out of everything that could happen today, “snakes” were not on the list. He figured Qingshe being the Zodiac’s Snake was just metaphorical, but this was flat out excessive. There were even massive onyx and green snakes being used as megaphones on a dark spire, definitely the work of the A-Rank. He turned and took slow and deep breaths, trying not to panic or hyperventilate. And then a glacier came and hit the volcano, throwing him out of his panicked state.

You know what, I’m not going to ask now. This is yet another issue for future Nico. For now, Nico considered a new plan. If he knew anything about volcanoes, it’s that them being cold made them dormant. And a good-sized chunk of very cold stuff happened to land around where the artificial volcano was. The gears in Nico’s head began turning, as he formulated a new scheme.

Helios Rod can slice through anything like butter. But I never tried it on ice. Maybe I can- He’d ask Qingshe to help him, or maybe the twins, or-. Then Tian Fei came out of her hidden hole, probably to gloat. Nico prepared to go on the when Noel beat him to the punch. Someway, somehow, the stars aligned and they got a clean chance. His new issue became what would happen to that lava, and the literal ton of snakes around him. He ran as far as he could from the volcano, hoping for it to not collapse if or when Noel kills Tian Fei.

“There.”

Most of Callie’s portals were small but with significant impacts. Each was positioned efficiently, as compact as it could be and as simply shaped as possible to minimise energy expenditure and thought. It had a task and it fulfilled it well.

This time, Callie reached for something different, gathering power and focus that she had only sought a very few times even in training. Her efforts now would be complete, overwhelming and devastating. Her opponent demanded it.

“Weapons ready; target soon exposed!” She broadcast her message to as many as could hear it - meaningful enough to provoke alertness but not enough to alert anyone listening in to her plan. A small part of her mind prayed it would be enough. Now - other two. “Nil, strike the north face.” That would be enough of a distraction for the target and aid the general aim of releasing pressure from the volcano (no matter her companion’s state of mind, as another part of her worried after, screaming at her to help, to care; there was a greater priority now). “Sergeant, ready. In case what she was about to do needed to be shut off rapidly, for her own safety.

”Roger that,” Henri confirmed. He kept a close eye on the happenings around him. Leonidas was kept under wraps for now. It needed all the energy Henri could muster.

Hearing she had been called Nil raised her head from her hands, there was something to shoot at, some north face of, what exactly? As Nil wondered what the target was she looked outside to see the massive volcano covering the whole view, yeah that.

Preparing her NA she hoped not to see that chaos again, hoping the earth would not move, but it was fine, even if it did there was no need to look close enough to notice, it was a big target, no need to focus.

And then the first shot was fired, then another in the same spot, and they kept going until lava was pouring out, then she moved to open another hole and another again, soon the volcano side would be riddled with holes like a colander.

All the rest of Callie’s focus narrowed in on her target. She saw her there, an arrogance in her stance, laughter issuing forth. She knew the type, had seen it in a few of the other AMCs - ones who believed that their gifts made them invincible and deserved them power above common humanity. Now, seeing that attitude writ large and exaggerated, bringing about so much death that she failed to stop...

Conscious thought, intuition and emotion married, something darker than mere anger propelling calculation and flow. Just under four seconds to release. Her intent was simple and brutal: a single, ovoid-shaped portal surrounding Tian Fei, encompassing her and placing her hundreds of metres above Lingayen, away from her substance of power and entirely exposed. Such a conjuration would drain her in moments - working in three dimensions always demanded more area, and thus more stamina than untrained people and those with minds unlike hers would expect. If it worked, however, moments would be all she needed; Tian Fei would fall into the sky and the portal could close. Watch the staff - needs to be upright to fit when -

Who?

A child, her mind supplied - a boy, projected towards her target.

Nemo felt a twinge of despair when he realised that he had been thrown so hard that he lost his grip on Noel’s wrist. But then he remembered his order to “do not despair” and the reality of the situation hit him. He had been launched at the enemy. Still though, his Vitae wouldn’t be useful for killing them like he was ordered to. Reverse wasn’t very effective at cutting things. All of this flashed through his mind as he travelled mid-air towards Tian Fei. Ultimately, he didn’t know what to do; he was being useless again. Two seconds had passed. He was stuck on a collision course and had no real recourse to stop it.

No. No! Callie’s willpower redoubled, any lapse of focus vanishing. No more harm - mine to prevent it!

Her forehead beaded with sweat, watching the boy as he flew at Tian Fei, blade in hand - black hair, sharp nose, a dozen emotions written on his face and shining from his golden eyes… It was easiest for her when bridging space to determine an intent, let the power build, slightly correct for any minor change and then release it - it allowed her to consider other things simultaneously. Now, though, there was someone vulnerable at risk - the situation was volatile, and she would not hurt because of it. Even as the moments passed, time like treacle from the vantage of her thought, Callie fought the impulse to codify the power she reached for, instead forcing it to remain undefined, malleable. Nothing was spared in the effort, drawing both from that deep burning darkness and the bright, flaring desire to protect, to help. Her victory would be total and it would be right.

Nemo couldn’t help but feel a little scared, if he were honest with himself. Though this mostly manifested subconsciously, as he put Vitae in front of him as if to block an attack and closed his eyes. The seconds seemed to slow as adrenaline kicked in, but they passed regardless.

A little longer - focus on Charter, read motion, ready to shape power - where is he - closing, closing - she does no further, not to him, not to anyone! Her lips parted, drawing breath to call to any who might answer…

The boy felt his arms shake as his sword slammed into the target he had been thrown at, still sideways in his hands, possibly breaking Tian Fei’s nose. It was unfortunate for his commander that he weren’t holding it forward, he’d realise in retrospect, but for now he was too focused on maintaining his… he supposed it would be called “balance,” despite being mid-air.

Several things, at this point, were true. Firstly: where before the gap between her target and the boy was narrowing, the impact had imparted momentum to the former while the latter steadied himself, and thus it was now growing again. Secondly: the boy had issued her a sharp strike to the head, potentially concussing, likely disorienting and certainly distracting her. Thirdly: as the human body is wont to do on impact, her target had slightly curled in on herself, reducing the area her portal needed to cover. Finally: her Charter’s might was gathered.

Callie took this all in in a moment, and knew the opportunity.

“FOCUS FIRE, HALF-CLICK ABOVE BEACH WEST!”

Space realigned and snapped into position; she demanded it so. Tian Fei vanished from Nemo’s sight; now about her was now open sky, her position tilted halfway between sideways and down to disorient her further. Momentum carried her past the encompassing portal’s bounds, loosing her in the air above Lingayen’s coastal shallows - far from aid and far from her element.

Callie’s vision swam, even as she closed the portal - the drain not so much as expected, and later she would recognise this as that strange boy’s intervention pushing Tian Fei far more quickly than gravity ever would have, but still taking its toll after so many other demands on her had worn her down. Job to do… Don’t ask others… What would not do yourself…

Blearily, she grasped at her rifle, slotted in Charter as a scope and tried to gather power to manifest a tiny portal to fire through…

And, instead, exhausted, slumped on the helicopter wall.

Next to her Nil had finished with her previous task, the volcano now being riddled with holes. No, Nil was looking for the target Callie had called a few seconds ago. The ex-Buddhist now falling through the sky, there was no doubt, must be her. Nil launched staffs at the small aerial target, if nothing else just to get a taste of vengeance.

Her aim wasn’t the greatest - maybe it was the helicopter moving, maybe it was her still dizzy head, or maybe that she didn’t try to look too closely at the target, so Nil threw many more projectiles at her target, enough to also hide Tian Fei from her sight, deliberately choosing not to look too much at her. Even if she would not hit the Buddhist, surely there were others aiming at her, but getting back at the geomancer did feel good. Forty-four. She was definitely counting this one.

Intermission: The First Arms Master, Part One

Sison Auditorium, Municipality of Lingayen - 9/30/2022, 8:00 UTC+8

The auditorium-turned-barracks had survived the bombardment and Tian Fei's feats of terrakinesis, and it was there that the Volunteers, both Arms Master and Normal, had made their base after Tian Fei's death and the withdrawal of the Chinese Fleet to an alternative landing site in the Ilocos Norte Province, where diehards who refused to believe that their former President was going to traffic them to a devilish cult had seized control of a stretch of coast. The theatre of war had shifted northwards, but it was up to the Volunteers whether to follow the fighting or not because something precious had been found where Tian Fei had made her volcano - Obsidian and Diamonds, both created by the heat and pressure of Tian Fei's terraknesis.

The Mayor of Lingayen had pleaded with the Government of National Salvation to order Noel Alonso - Promoted to First Lieutenant after the death of Tian Fei, to keep as many of the Volunteers in or near the city as possible. Noel responded by offering the Volunteers mining claims on the broken volcano and full ownership of what they can get from said claims in exchange for staying and helping rebuild and refortify. There were also rumors that the Volunteers - all of them - would be formed into a new, elite group, 'Task Force Obsidian', that would be organized by the Armed Forces of the Philippines with support provided by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore (other ASEAN nations were at the frontline).

As for Noel Alonso, he had also made a private request to Imperial Princess Fukuyo of Japan to add her words and prestige to any attempts to persuade the Volunteers to stay, before sending a text to Regil saying, If you have free time right now, why don't we have a bite to eat somewhere? I can't promise five-star accommodation, but, well, I do want to know more about who I'm working with.

At the same time as this was happening, Willard, the newcomer cryokinetic from Britain, received a message saying, "The First Arms Master ever to exist has been spotted in the environs of Lingayen. Do not try and apprehend; just attempt to negotiate."

Then he'd get a file detailing who exactly the 'First Arms Master' was - Alan Turing, the famous pioneer of Computer Science who allegedly committed suicide after being betrayed and wrongfully punished by the Government he served loyally. It turned out he had faked his death and had been spotted various times in the past several decades, often to lend aid to his former nation and its allies. And now he was within reach.

Lei Qingshe was in a position to intercept this message. Regil and Regina Meitner would also have a copy of said message slipped into their phones by 'a friend of their father' who was planning something (if the sender could be trusted, of course). Would any of them inform Noel and the others of the objectives they had received?

As for Callie, Nil, and Henri, they'd receive a message from Alan Turing himself, saying, "Greetings. The First Arms Master requests that you bring the American boy called Nemo, the Greek youth named Niko Makri, and the Australian Girl named Hannie Calvert to where he is waiting in the ruins of the Ruins of the College of the Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. Do not let anyone else intrude, even if you must deceive or misdirect or even teleport them away. The reward? Why, a key to victory against the Chinese Communists, of course... Assuming you trust my word that there is a chance to earn it."

Carroman and Kaitlyn, meanwhile, would find themselves 'coincidentally' bumping into each other as the Chaplain was given orders to heal another batch of injured folk, folk injured not in the battle, but in the scramble to mine precious obsidian and diamonds as well as in projects to clear out the ruined 'Kaiju-construct' that had been used to assault the defenders. Carroman had also been asked to do a funeral service for Alain Lancaster, one of the Arms Masters killed in the battle (as well as funeral services for countless ordinary soldiers who had died in the line of duty).

Marlena Dorn, meanwhile, was tasked with keeping Lingayen safe from Chinese infiltrators or stragglers, a task made easier due to locals armed with machetes and bamboo spears hunting down anyone caught wearing a PLA uniform. However, several Filipino families with Chinese blood, many of whom ran prominent businesses and shops, were suffering misplaced revenge attacks and occasional looting, something which she and several of Corporal Castro (Kaitlyn's friend)'s soldiers shared the duty of preventing.

As for Lotus Squadron, they were assigned to a nearby air base, close enough that some of them can make the trip to the city they had saved while at the same time flying patrols and sorties to guard the newly-valuable obsidian and diamond mine before the new resources ran out. Who will make the trip and how will their involvement affect the various interactions in the City?

@SkyHresvelg@The World@Chiro@Aisede@MagusDream@Lewascan2@Sniblet@Conscripts@Gerlando@Senhara@Creative Chaos@Nimbus@The Man Emperor@KaiserElectric

After the appearance of Tien Fei's volcano, Kaitlyn kind of just... mentally clocked out.

How... How could she possibly do anything about that? How could she contribute?

The short answer? She couldn't. She had done all she could... and now it was time for the real heroes to take the reins. Kaitlyn was a fool for ever hoping she could actually make a change. That one frightened young girl meant anything in the grand scheme of things.

It would have been so nice to just succumb to her despair, there in that tower, out of sight and out of mind, but there were still people she could help. The regular, mortal people-

Like the ones staining the sands, where they'd been consumed by Tien Fei

- Regular people she could... evacuate. Yes. They need to evacuate all of them, or as many as they can. Whatever happens here today, nothing on this beach will be safe by the end.

So, asking to be returned to her squad, she got to work, putting her mind and body to the task.

It was over before she knew it, at once sooner than she expected, and later than she had hoped. She'd saved... Some people. Not enough.

Not enough.

But... There was no but. No excuse. She could have worked harder. Should have worked harder.

She felt dizzy, and light headed, kneeling on the ground. Her squad surrounded her- or those that cared enough to give her time, at least. She assured them she was fine, but was she really?

I'm fine enough. There's still one last person I have to save.

Someone she had already saved, albeit indirectly. Somebody she needed to get back to.

And so, struggling back to her feet, she excused herself- with permission- and made her way back to the Auditorium. She didn't care about obsidian or diamonds in that moment. They could wait.

Please be okay...

---

Being a squadron officially affiliated with the Vietnamese Air Force meant that they did not fall under the category of 'volunteer fighters' and received orders from the Vietnamese instead of the Philippine's Armed Forces, but knowing that they were in Lingayen meant that these brass often communicated between one another, so it's not like they were just acting on their own. But unlike the volunteers, they didn't get to have a break. They headed north to the new Chinese landing sites to help the barely functional air defences there to deal with any bombing attempts by the Chinese Air Force. However, it looked like the PLA went all out with their attack on Lingayen, and promptly lost their precious A-ranks there, thus their attacks on the northern provinces were much more sheepish.

"The activities of the Chinese Air Force appeared to have diminished greatly since our sortie the previous night. It should be easily handled by the local air defences." The captain, who had been grounded the last couple of days waiting for repairs, said to a room full of pilots in their dull green flight uniform.

"Looks like we scarred them for life." One pilot gave an amused smirk.

"Feels like they're restructuring how they actually conduct their sorties, because otherwise they'd just be food." Thu said, crossing her arms. "I doubt they'd have issues resupplying planes from the mainland."

"Our presence is a pretty effective deterrence." Tuan signed off his projector as it powered down. "In any case, we will have some breathing room for probably a couple of days."

Everybody's ears perked up at that.

"Oh? Can we chill now?" The Russian-blooded pilot said.

Tuan sighed amusingly before returning Nikolay's question, and likely what everybody had on their mind. "Yeah, good work."

"Alright!" The room burst into celebration, for finally they had been able to enjoy the fruits of their hard labour for the last couple of days.

"Make sure to rest up well and don't celebrate too hard. I don't want to hear this ace squadron being brought out by some cafe bar in an alleyway at 10 PM." The captain reminded, glancing at Nikolay, whom in turn smirked proudly.

"Oh yeah, Thu, Van, you both got your fifth kills today right?" Cuong asked, who's been sitting calmly in his chair for the entirety of the debriefing.

"Seventh. But yeah we're all aces now." Thu replied, and her co-pilot simply nodded along.

"Oh awesome." Nikolay stepped up and put a hand on his co-pilot's shoulder as he looked over to the two ladies. "Wanna head into the city for some celebratory meal?"

"Oh, if you're going to the city, carry sidearms with you." The captain overheard the discussion. "The locals would probably welcome you with open arms, but there might be some dumb pigs who think we're Chinese. I heard they're looting and beating up Chinese-lookalikes."

The individuals in the room glanced at one another at that, but ultimately shrugged, once they were reminded of how stupid people could be in a crowd. They had first-hand experience with that as well, but hopefully they would not have to deal with that.

Down the streets of Lingayen, it was rather bustling with activities, though it was in no way festive. In fact a common sight some of the pilots who decided to venture into the city saw would be soldiers, mostly Filipinos, but they did notice some weird uniforms here and there, probably belonging to those volunteers that helped at the Lingayen initial battle. To the citizens, they'd notice a couple of dull green combat uniforms strolling down the road, looking around the local businesses and going windows shopping. Unless in closer inspections, people who were unaware would assume they were in the Philippine Armed Forces, and would likely ignore them for the better.

Collab between @Sniblet, @Aisede, and @Letter Bee

Flashback, Sison Auditorium Barracks, September 26 2022

Noel woke up to a bad day, having had only a few hours of sleep. They had won, and the Government of National Salvation had given him a rank up, but the latter were currently trying to hold back Chinese attacks on the Philippines' meager and shoddy infrastructure; it didn't help that China had owned a lot of the Philippines' power plants, enough to shut down access to electricity for a couple of months remotely. Nevertheless, in his improvised office once reserved for the auditorium's manager, the sixteen-year old was willing to see whoever insisted on a private meeting with him.

Okay, Kaitlyn, you can do this. He's your superior, he's obligated to hear you out.

Technically, Corporal Castro is her superior officer, who answers to the Sargeant, who answers to the lieutenant... But he'd entertained her request for a meeting, and that's all that matters.

Accepting his invitation, she entered the office, giving it a cursory look over before directing her attention to... A child.

A god damned child.

She stared at him for several seconds before remembering herself and standing a little straighter.

"Private Kaitlyn Price, sir! I... I have a request."``

Noel looked at her, bags in his eyes evident, and said in fluent English, "Second - No, First Lieutenant Noel Alonso here; what is the request, Private?"

She hesitated.

"... I would like to request the immidiate military discharge of Hannie Cavalet, sir. please."

Noel blinked and said, "Not my call; the Australians 'volunteered' her. But I can get her assigned to a noncombat role in the rear lines or find a way to exempt her from future missions or delay her participation in them. Would that be enough?"

Don't appear to be too eager to help. You do want to help, but remember, these are your subordinates and we're in a war; we need everyone we can get.

He then sighed and said, "I'll just work harder to fill the shortfall; I know what it's like to be a kid who fights. There's this other kid, Nemo, even younger, sent by the Americans or some rogue branch of their 'CIA'. I don't want him hurt either, but here's the thing; both of them have useful powers so I can only do what I offered to do just now. But point is, she's not the only one who's gone through horrors, not today, not before."

She paused at this, a pained expression flashing across her face.

He's right. If I do this, how many lives will be lost that she could have saved?

No! You can't save them all. And this is a war, people are going to die. What matters is helping Hannie. You can figure the rest out later.

"Thank you, sir," she says in a measured tone. She thumbs the needle in her air, soldering on. That's her thing, after all. "I'm sure she could be of some use in the rear lines...

What... What exactly does that entail? What would she be doing as a noncombatant?"

She needed to know, before she signed Hannie up for a horror of a different kind.

Noel sighs again and says, "Helping the medics by carrying small or small-ish items, sewing uniforms, helping the mechanics by carrying small items, oh, and refrigerating food and other supplies with her Noble Arm. Do any of those sound traumatic?"

"No sir." That all sounds rather tame, actually. "Thank you, sir."

Okay, so how do I excuse myself now?

"Um... That was all... Sir."

Noel nods, "One more thing. If you care about Hannie, you should know that the Australians - Or rather, their own rogue branch of their Government - have forwarded me a dossier. Said dossier reveals that Hannie came into their custody when her Noble Arm manifested and there was an accident which killed her father and crippled her mother."

He then looked directly at her and said, "They can reveal that to her mother at any time; you get the picture? So be ready for anything. Now, Private, you are dismissed; sorry."

So they have... Blackmail material on her?

Frowning, she excused herself, and made her way back to Hannie.

She'd have been excited to give her the good news if it wasn't for that last part.

Will they threaten to release that information if Hannie doesn't fight?

They had volunteered her, after all, but do they even know what she's doing down here? Do they actually know if she's fighting or not? Maybe it doesn't matter...

So lost in thought was she, in fact, that she barely noticed she'd completed her trip until... Well... She was there.

"Haaanie ~"

She slipped on a smile as she saw her little Hannie, right where she left her in the waiting room.

"I have good news for you!"

Wow, she wasn't gone very long. Hannie didn't even have time to get bored. She looks up at Kaitlyn's face, and realizes that it must be very good news.

"Mm?" she says. "What'd you do?"

Her smile widened, and she knelt down In front of her.

"I went and talked with First Lieutenant Noel, and you've been reassigned to a noncombat role in the rear lines!"

She wasn't sure if Hannie actually understood enough of that, so she followed up with a clarification.

"It means you don't have to fight anymore. You'll just be helping out the medics and carrying some stuff around... Does that sound good, Hannie?"
Hannie's reaction is immediate. It starts as a small exhale at "don't have to fight anymore," and her eyes quickly well up.

"Wha... what? Really? Not at all?"

A hissing voice in a deep part of her tries to insist that this is a bad thing, that she is giving in to weakness... or something... but she's not in a position to listen.

"Nope!" She's flat out beaming now, and can't help embracing the little girl in a giddy hug.

She hasn't been this excited since she signed up for the army.

"Not at all ~ it's over."

@Letter Bee@Creative Chaos Collab RP

The gray haired Arms Master was training in the woods, mostly to focus his attention away from the past few days. It had been utter chaos after Tian Fei was…annihilated. Honestly, Nico was more surprised by the fact the volcano had diamonds than the fact they won. He wasn’t usually one to care for money or shiny things, but he grabbed a few small chunks, if only for insurance.

It was a windy day out, and Nico was doing his usual practice with Helios Rod. Between swordplay and unarmed combat, he trusted his hands far more than his blade. That was an issue in his eyes. “My sword can cut steel like air, why can’t I just use it? Wait…that’s exactly why I’m careful.”

“Merde.” His punches sounded more like artillery fire, their impact increased by his Noble Arm, which was balanced on a rock to keep from burning the ground.

He could hear someone approaching him, not even bothering to hide the sounds of his movement. The blond man wore only a tank top, trousers, and combat boots; he had no pistol or other mundane arms. He then muttered once in hearing range, "So this is the person the First Arms Master is seeking; doesn't seem like much, to me..."



This man then called out, "Oi! As one volunteer to another, wanna spar?"

A test of the man's ability to tell friend from neutral or foe.

Nico stopped mid-swing to look at the newcomer, giving a short wave. He picked up his sword from the rock it was on and lazily pointed it at the stranger.“I’m going to need a reason for you to know me.”

The man introduced himself, "I am Diligence, shard of Industria of the Seven Virtues."

He then stretched out his right arm and hand, and a golden hammer appeared.



"This is the Hammer of Creation, the twin of the Hammer of Masters, and I don't mean the destroyed organization," he named his weapon. "I am here to test your resolve, and if your resolve is found wanting, I will make sure that The First Arms Master cannot have his hands on you for his unknown goals."

He then grinned, "So, want a scrap?"

“Huh.” He squinted at the newcomer, Diligence. “Great. I actually ran into a Seven Virtues goon.” At best, Nico actively tolerated the organization. He agreed with the message, but not the methods or reasoning. But what the blonde said about the first Arms Master made Nico think a bit, then burst out laughing.

“Are you joking? You’re saying the first Arms Master is after me. Me. I mean, I’m always up for a scrap, but at least come up with a better lie than that.” His Greek and English accent was thin but noticeable.

"The fact that you don't feel any pride from what I've said proves you're worthy of a scrap," Diligence said as he held out his hammer, gripped it with both hands, and said, "But no, I'm not lying, including about testing your resolve."

And with that, he swung his hammer down onto the ground, and as the hammer's head hit the floor, a bright flash of light sparked and from the ground burrowed out a giant spider, twice as large as a full-grown man and just as tall.

"As said, Hammer of Creation," Diligence said before gesturing for the spider to rush at Nico, it’s maw dripping with venom.

“Hey!” Nico hopped to the side and moved around the spider, taking a moment to catch his balance before taking up a fencer’s stance while looking straight at Diligence, the Helios Rod pointed right at him.

“Did you get donated that hammer by those Seven Virtues pricks?” His gaze was hardened , but his stance was a little wider than the typical fencer, keeping Helios Rod’s edge far away from his body. “At least it isn’t a snake.”

“Also, why a giant spider?”

"The Hammer can be donated to those who sign up for our cause," Diligence said, "But no; a Noble Arm as important as this must be wielded by a fragment of one of the Virtues. And by that, my main body is in a more exalted plane of existence; this form is merely a fraction of the power of Industria."

He then chuckled as he swing sideways in the air, and several snakes were hurled at Nico.

"You don't understand what I'm talking about, do you? As for spiders and snakes... To test your resolve, you have to confront petty fears."

Yes, he had been stalked.

“But there aren’t any-Oh no!” He froze at the sight of flying snakes, the fear in his eyes obvious. He shivered a bit at the sight, but swung wide in an attempt to burn as many of them to ash as possible. He squirmed and stabbed the ground to kill any snakes that he might have missed.

He turned to the giant spider and stabbed it behind the head, twisting Helios Rod a bit to make sure the arachnid stayed dead. He stabbed it again, just to be safe about it before turning to Diligence, any trace of respect gone from his voice. “Okay, none of that! I don’t care about you being a fragment of Industry or whoever! Why do you know me? Be truthful about it, you bellend. If you know me so well, you should know what my sword can do.”

The man sighed and said, "The Seven Virtues have slots filled for Charity, Kindness, Patience, Chastity, Temperance and yes, Industria, also known as Diligence in English. However, they don't have someone to fill the 'slot' for Humility/Humilitas, making them only six. Get what I am trying to say?"

Nico let go of Helios Rod, the sword vanishing before it hit the ground.“You want me to work for you? What are the perks?”

"Umm, no; we want you to become our leader," Diligence said a little testily. "Basically, you get to transcend your physcial existence - That means losing your body and becoming energy - but you can send pieces of yourself back to this world with powerful Noble Arms instead!"

Then the man continued, "However, in order to become our leader, you have to keep yourself humble despite the temptation to not be humble."

Diligence hid the fact that Nico would have to give up his name, his worldly status, and his possessions, hoping that the man would not catch on.

Nico walked up to Diligence, looking him right in the eye. He took a deep breath, actively trying to calm down, but his eyes still showed his inner anger. “You want me to turn into energy, lose my life, and become your leader? Really? What a boring existence that must be.”

"Truly humble people are hard to find," Diligence said back, his tone firm, "And the Seven Virtues' goals are to find out if there is an Afterlife, Gods, or a God and coexist with all three peacefully if there are, and if there isn't an Afterlife, to create one. Either way, it's actually good that you don't want to be our leader; this means you're even more qualified."

“I want to know something.” Nico stepped back and turned away, putting his hands behind his head. “If I actually do decide to be your leader and become energy, then what? Do I get to head back to Athens and see my family? Can I go back on my journey? Can I still save people?”

"Well, as our leader, you can rewrite the rules we live under, just don't change the theme we go by and our goals," Diligence explained as best as he can. "So yes, you can send an avatar of yourself to see your family, go on your journey, and save people all at the same time, with seperate avatars."

“But I’d be energy in some random place. It wouldn’t be me, just an imitation.” Nico turned around, looking up at the sun. “Regardless of the likeness, an avatar of me wouldn’t be me. It’s like playing a video game and saying that I did everything the player character did.”

He looked to Diligence. “Why does the first Arms Master want me?”

Diligence muses, "Two reasons; one, he wants a 'control sample', aka a normal Arms Master to serve as an example of what normal Arms Masters who don't have abnormal psychologies or Noble Arms are. You see, he is interested in that girl's sapient Noble Arm and that small boy's mental 'reprogramming'. As for the second reason, once he has... examined those two, he plans to test your resistance to temptation to see if you are really humble..."

“So you’re saying all this to just me even though there are actual children at risk? Why didn’t you warn Sison about it?” Nico clenched his hand but took a deep breath. “Alright, alright.”

“If I go with you, can I keep my lucky button?”

"You're accepting that quickly?" Diligence wondered. Then he stretched out his hand, saying, "Sure, take my hand."

“No, I asked if I could keep my lucky charm. I just got a couple diamonds and I’m looking to keep them as a nest egg. Can I keep my stuff if I go with you?” He didn’t move to shake Diligence’s hand.

"Sure," was the answer. "You're not doing this because of pride, and you're not supposed to be Charity/Caritas, so sure."

“Alright, here’s my answer.” Nico manifested Helios Rod, pointing it at Diligence’s forehead. “I’m sure you can find someone who is more worthy than me. I’ve got priorities to take care of.”

Diligence smiled and said, "You really are humble. This makes you more worthy than ever to be our leader, but if you must refuse, then you must refuse."

He then swung his hammer again, and the snakes and giant spider vanished. His next words were, "Until next time; there will come a moment where you'll have to accept."

Then he just faded into thin air.

“And don’t come back, you prick!” Nico let Helios Rod disappear before heading back to the barracks. “Alright, a lot of shit happened. No more waiting for future me to solve my problems. I have to do this.” He shook his head and started to wrap his knuckles.

END