Nakushita

Expedition to Isekai

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@AThousandCurses@Erode@Yankee@baraquiel@Vertigo

As the conversation swirled around camp, the frown remained on Oro’s face. They still didn’t all seem to understand what they had to do, what needed to be done. Some still seemed to be in some form of denial about the reality of the situation. Losing a bit of her patience as she spread her arms either side of her, raising her voice as she began to speak again “There is no salvation in sitting around here and waiting to be rescued, no one from the school, our parents, or anyone else is going to come to save us from this place, I doubt they will have any idea about were we all disappeared off too, they can search all they want, but the likelihood that they find us is slim to none, not to mention they would be in the exact same situation as us if they even do make it this far and discover this world, now isn’t the time for foolish dreams, if we want any hope of ever returning back to the world we came from, we will have to rescue ourselves……” Oros quickly countered the suggestion. Great conviction and determination filled her and her voice. Taking this all extremely seriously, as corrections needed to be made and the hard facts needed to be accepted. Finding the idea foolish, knowing that to sit around and wait in the slim hope that rescue would find them was an unproductive use of their time.

They would have a much better chance of rescuing themselves at this point then sitting around waiting and praying for a miracle. Why do that when you can create your own miracle, your own salvation. “We can sit here for two weeks, but what happens when we are still here two weeks later and there hasn’t been any sign of rescue? Do we just give up? Throw a pity party? This place we find ourselves in may look like a paradise right now, but what is keeping it from turning into a nightmare the moment more of the beasts end up here, after all this is a vital source of water, and water attracts living things, so it wouldn’t be out of the question for these beasts to find us here eventually” Oros continued on as she tried to cut away at each suggestion that was made. Finding many of them to be bright eyed and arrogant optimism, not rooted in the reality of the situation that they found themselves in. Oros knew that she would need to chip away at this falsehood until more of her classmates accepted the totality of it all.

The conversation soon turned towards that of an election. Something that Oros could throw her own support behind for once. It would at least give her a way to open their eyes to the truth that she held so dearly. Maybe even allow her to lead them all to the promised land,even if it meant displacing Masato from his leadership role. He was too hesitant, he didn’t have what it took to be a leader outside of school issues as far as Oros was concerned. Despite how good of a class president he was during normal circumstances, this was no longer a purely school issue.

Tilting her head aside as she had to ponder the idea for a moment“An election? So be it, I will submit to such a process if that is what the rest of the camp desires for now, even if I feel that we would be wasting valuable time and days by not acting faster, if this is a means and a way to get what I desire, to help open all of your eyes to the truth, then so be it…” Her sapphire eyes locked onto Masato as she spoke. She had no real ill will towards him, but she knew this had to be done if there was any hope for the truth she held so dearly to be accepted by the others. She wished she could have avoided it entirely, but Masato was a man of conviction, and despite her efforts he had been hesitant and resistant to accepting what Oros had to offer.

Her attention soon turned towards the sound of Asahi and then Shun. A flicker went through her blue eyes as she made eye contact with Shun as she gave a short nod of acknowledgement. Shun had a great point, one that Oros could get behind. But even so, she knew that dealing with Asahi was still something that needed to be handled. “Leaving alone on the journey to the mountain as I said before would be completely foolish…..” Her voice was quiet as she slowly approached Asahi until she stood right there before him. Hands on her hips as she looked up at him with a smug grin plastered across her face, her wild white hair and her intense blue eyes all firmly before him.

“There is something there, that much is without a doubt, but if you go alone, you won’t accomplish what you seek, I have seen it….I have seen the truth A-Sa-Hi……” Leaning in closer as she spoke “Shun may have a great point, you do speak a lot, but I do not always find the true meaning behind what you say…If I were you…I’d wait until things have been decided and we are able to move together as a group….or perhaps you are fearful of what the truth holds for you…. A-Sa-Hi…..” Leaning back as she finished, her voice quiet but filled with great intensity and interest. Oros knew her words would likely have very little effect on Asahi or his decision. It was still her duty to try to get him to accept the truth, even if he so stubbornly refused it and gazed upon Oros as some kind of abomination. Rocking on the heels of her feet, she clasped her hands behind her back before taking a look around at all of her classmates. Knowing that these next few moments, hours and days would shape everything, the future of it all being at stake.

Symphony on High

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@FamishedPants@BrokenPromise@Nyahahameha@The World@TaintedMushroom

Himiko hadn’t been expecting the stone thrower to have quite as much power as he did. Her cover ending up being more of a hindrance to her then a help. Exploding upon the impact of the boulder, sending shattered stone everywhere while sending her flying in the chaos and debris. Roughly hitting the hard ground, stone jabbing into her as she rolled a short distance. The dirt and grim getting all over her nice white coat and her long golden hair. She came to a stop, quickly getting back onto her feet to prepare to defend herself against the onrushing paleguards. "Shit, that actually hurt again, these guys are making this a lot harder then expected...." Himiko bitterly complained through gritted teeth. Only her mask keeping the uncomfortable grimace on her face hidden from view.

Watching as a bolt of lightning struck the rebar thrower's leg, detonating it below the knee. Himko had to take a look at her own revolvers just to make sure that she hadn’t somehow done it herself. She hadn’t been expecting any other espers, Noble Sparks arrival being a blessing. She wasn’t about to complain about getting some free help in a challenging moment.Feeling a sense of relief to have someone by her side. It made her job a lot easier, especially with her rounds not having great effect on the pale-guards.

Glancing over her shoulder at her free help as he introduced himself, she quickly tried to dust herself off as best she could. “Noble Spark? Well whatever your name is, thanks for the help, just call me Sovereign, we can save the pleasantries for later…we have some skulls to crack” Her relief was short-lived as the stone thrower was fast approaching. Requiring her full attention as Noble Spark at least drew away the shopping cart guard. Leaving her only the stone thrower to deal with in the meantime, now that the rebar thrower had been crippled.

She turned the aim of both revolvers onto the stone thrower, this time she changed up her approach. Bringing the barrels of both guns towards the right leg and knee of the stone thrower. Letting loose every single round she had in both revolvers one after another in quick succession. Trying to use all twelve rounds on a single knee to sever it from the body by sheer brute force and mass of lead. Learning that if she spread out her fire power, the rounds would harmlessly pass through the bodies of these guys.

Once she had run out of shots, she quickly dashed towards Noble Spark, putting him between her and the pale-guards while she quickly reloaded both revolvers. She was sure he wouldn't mind her using him as a temporarily form of cover and distraction. Once she had reloaded she took position close behind him and slightly off to the side to keep her field of view and fire open. Guns at the ready for whatever threat that presented itself first.

It was then that she heard the truck's engine beginning to rev up as it picked up speed. Along with the sounds of the cries of the homeless as they got mowed down by the new threat. Himiko knew that the situation had drastically changed from what it had originally been. Something had to be done about the Semi before it was able to escape. Though she wasn't too keen on ditching Noble Spark to handle the pale-guards on his own. She also wasn't thrilled about trying to put herself in front of the semi, or chasing after it. So for now she would have to rely on her fellow espers to handle that side of things. The arrival of the cultists was problematic, what seemed like a easy job to her when she had taken it, turning into much more then she had bargained for.

"We need to take care of these guys as fast as we can, so if you can fry them, we can try to make our way over to help the others and regroup, if they try to run in front of that truck they will get tired, but if they try to chase after it they will get exhausted so our best bet is if they disable it....Just let me know what you need Noble Spark and I'll see what I can do....for a price of course...." Himiko remarked to him with a smile of her own hidden beneath her mask. Greed reflecting in her golden eyes as she knew she had a chance to make profit if she played her cards right. Testing the waters with Noble Spark to gauge if she could extract anything of value. Even amongst the chaos, her thoughts remained on what potential profit there was to be gained.

Footnote

23 | Female | Free Lancer | Golden One
Persuasion and Reason | Handgun, Handgun | Physical | Weapon Special
Heart Of Gold | Deal Maker
Geothermal Release | Fire | Obsidian Of St.Helen
[Slow (4), Damage X (6), Blink (4), Shield(4), Craft (2), AoE (2), Scatter (2), Full Enhance (4), Heal (6), Ignite (4), Fever (2)]
DAMAGE: A | SPEED: D | SENTINEL: C | 750

PHYSICAL:D | ARCANE:D | CHAOS:E | 750

Expedition to Isekai

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@AThousandCurses@Erode@Yankee@baraquiel@Vertigo

Since her return, Ayana kept mostly to herself, skirting the outskirts of camp after they had brought back as much of the resources they could muster from Shun’s efforts. Watching and listening to everything, biding her time for the right moment. It had been quite some time since the majority of the group found itself in the same spot at the same time. Staying just far enough from the bonfire to slink in to grab a bite to eat from time to time before returning to the fringes of the circle.

Oro’s eyes darted towards Asahi as he broke the general murmur of the gathering. She didn’t respond or react to his mention of her in his speech. Oros listened quietly, without a word, without reaction. Her face had an empty expression, as her eyes shifted towards Duncan when he responded back. Oro’s kept silent as she let the conversation drift on until Masato had his say after Duncan had. She had heard this kind of talk before, the disagreements, the desire of one amongst them to venture out solo. It all felt like an endless cycle and it seemed to only cause more trouble amongst every time this cycle came to fruition. She had just dragged Shun back to camp, barely clinging to life after she had done something similar.

Oro’s could sit here and let them argue, go back and forth. But she had had enough of waiting patiently, of letting things unfold as they have. She knew that it would only lead to more deaths, more injuries and more infighting. Oros had grown tired of this cycle, tired of these pointless arguments and disagreements. It made little to no sense for Asahi to venture off alone, or even with a second person. If anyone was going to venture off, it should be as a group effort.

In Oro’s eyes it was as if they had all forgotten the true goal of making it out of this place alive. If only they would open their eyes to the truth she had to share, to embrace it as she had done so. Things could be so much different. She knew the feeling that Asahi felt from the mountains, but she knew that venture needed a group effort. For what resided within those mountains was not something to be so carelessly trifled with.

As soon as Masato had finished, Oros pushed forward into the center of the circle around the bonfire as she was nearly at the point of standing within the blaze itself. The heat radiating against her skin and clothes as she turned her back to it as it outlined her figure. Her wild and messy white hair, her intense blue eyes gazing at each of her classmates. As if she was looking straight into their very souls. She brought out the rock that she had stored within the waistband of her skirt. Having taken back possession of it from Shun while she had been incapacitated.

“Enough!!!! No one is leaving this camp alone, or even as a group of two, just listen to yourselves, you may think of me as the lunatic, but we must not keep repeating the same mistakes over and over, just look at what has happened to Shun, you all need to open your eyes to the truth if you ever wish to see home again, if you stay on this path, it only holds death for many of you….I have seen it all with my Endless Eclipse…if we are to venture to that mountain, we must do so as a group…” Oro’s voice boomed out louder than Ayana had ever mustered up before. Now was the time for her to make her move, to set things down the path that Oros desired.

Her blue gaze falling upon Masato “As for Ma-Sa-To, you may be a great class president, but you are too indecisive, too quiet to be a leader when things do not line up with thought out plans, when they challenge any concept of what we had from our own world, for that reason, I believe I should be the leader of the group, to lead the way into the future, to show that I’m deadly serious, if any of you have any doubts about my leadership, if what I have said is proven false and I lead you down the wrong path and that I’m totally wrong about my claims, you may kill me on the spot without question…now do you want to keep going in circles until we are all eventually dead, or do you want to see the future, the choice is yours, but I can not wait any longer…we can not sit here at this camp however nice and tranquil it may be right now forever....it is time to decide...join me....or kill me and accept your fates” Oro’s vision scanned the group, a fiery intensity behind her gaze. Meaning every word she said, speaking it from her soul. She wasn't sure how they would react, knowing that many of them already saw her as a lunatic, as someone not to be trusted, as a liability. Even so, she knew she had to at least attempt it.

Oros knew this was going to be a challenge, but she also knew that she had no other choice. It was time to break this cycle, it was time to do something different. For them to accept the truth that Oros The Clumsy had been destined to spread. Otherwise they would be doomed, destined to die horrible deaths, one by one as everything fell apart. It was up to her classmates to decide, her gambit was on the table. Her hand outstretched in a gesture of good faith, waiting for any who would take it if they so dared.

Symphony on High

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@FamishedPants@BrokenPromise@Nyahahameha@The World@TaintedMushroom

Catching a glimpse of the results of her shots, Himiko couldn’t believe her eyes or her bad luck. The paleguards kept coming, even with the bullets doing their damage to their torsos and heads. It didn’t take her long to understand that these pale guards were already dead. Her best aimed shots had only slowed them down momentarily. It was only with the other esper from the roof's help,that had allowed her to gain a little bit of ground and space between her and the paleguards. She would have to come up with another strategy to take these three down, she at least didn’t have to worry about holding back.

Just as she thought she was reaching a far enough distance to be safe, her golden eyes caught a short glimpse of the rebar flying through the air as it reached its zenith before it smashed into her back. Grimacing as she let out a startled yelp of unexpected pain, the impact knocked her off balance as she had to take a few awkward steps to keep herself upright as she stumbled forward. She was glad it hadn’t done worse damage, though she knew it cracked a rib at the very least. It was clear she needed to take this far more seriously then she had anticipated when she accepted the operation.

Swinging herself around to face them she reached down inside of her jacket and yanked free a couple speed reloaders, jamming them into one revolver then the other and slamming the cylinders shut. Himiko narrowed her eyes through golden hair, she felt the pain radiating outwards through her body from her back.The paleguard having hurt her just enough to piss her off. “That hurt you lifeless bastard, now it's my turn to turn whatever is left of that husk that you call a body into swiss cheese!” Bringing both barrels up towards the rebar thrower.

Shifting her aim from her natural targets of the torso and head right to the knees and legs of her target. She quickly unloaded three rounds from each revolver, her barrels flashing with each bullet that left the barrel. The loud percussion ringing in her ears as her bullets hurtled through the air towards the knees and lower legs of the rebar thrower. Having a grudge to settle with him in particular after his earlier attack.

Quickly shifting her aim towards the stone holder repeating the same method of aiming for the knees and legs. Popping off the last three rounds from each of her golden revolvers.Putting as much lead as she could muster down range and on target. She began to move backwards as she quickly reloaded more rounds, getting another six in each revolver. She knew she had to keep moving and couldn’t stand still for even a moment. Not until she had dealt with the two paleguards currently able to pursue on foot. She figured the third one could be ignored for the time being thanks to the help from the rooftop esper. As she made her way towards some rubble, hurtling over it as she slid down the back side on her rear, pressing her back against it as she took a short few second breather to recollect herself.

Shifting her body to get in a crouch, she braced both revolvers atop the rubble and towards the paleguards hoping her earlier shots had done something to cripple them, if not she had another twelve bullets ready to go. Peering over the top of her makeshift cover to locate the paleguards,she was ready for whatever else they may throw at her. As much as she wanted to help the others, all she could do was focus on her own problems while Marrie and the other esper handled business elsewhere.

Footnote

23 | Female | Free Lancer | Golden One
Persuasion and Reason | Handgun, Handgun | Physical | Weapon Special
Heart Of Gold | Deal Maker
Geothermal Release | Fire | Obsidian Of St.Helen
[Slow (4), Damage X (6), Blink (4), Shield(4), Craft (2), AoE (2), Scatter (2), Full Enhance (4), Heal (6), Ignite (4), Fever (2)]
DAMAGE: A | SPEED: D | SENTINEL: C | 750

PHYSICAL:D | ARCANE:D | CHAOS:E | 750

Expedition to Isekai

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@AThousandCurses@Erode@Yankee

Ayana left Shun’s side for a moment as she began to gather as much of the beast's flesh that she could get her hands on. Planning on bringing as much as she could carry with her as fuel for her journey back to camp. She knew that in Shun’s condition there was no way that she was going to be able to make it back unless Ayana carried her. But thanks to Shun having ripped apart so many of the beasts, it gave her more than enough food to last her long enough to find camp.

In some ways Oros was appreciative of Shun having gone on such a rampage. Of Shun having taken Endless Eclipse along with her. Being reunited with the only classmate that she could even remotely call a friend after her revelation of her true forgotten self. She knew even after Shun had drop kicked her, that she was trustworthy. Her not tossing Endless Eclipse away only further confirmed this fact.

Having gathered as much food as she could, Oros made sure to stuff her face with as much of the extra she could find. Wanting her stomach full of fuel as she made it back to Shun’s side. Crouching down she grabbed a hold of Shun and gently tugged her across her shoulders in a fireman's carry. Bracing her legs as she took on Shun’s added weight, she slowly but surely stood up straight. Making sure to go slow and deliberate for Shun’s sake.

Oros paused with Shun across her shoulders, taking a look around her surroundings. Wanting to get a bearing on her position as she, a glimmer of excitement flashed into her sapphire eyes. “Don’t you worry Shun, we will return back to camp soon enough, even if they aren’t happy to see us, we still have each other, at least until the others begin to open their eyes to the truth….however unwilling they are, we will just have to make them, whether they like it or not….” Brimming from ear to ear as she turned to make her way back through the thick forestry from where she had originally come from.

Tracing her path back to the ravine she had taken a tumble down, she started to scale it. With Shun on her shoulders it made it far harder than it would have been normally. But with her energy replenished it wasn’t as horrible as she had thought it would be.Digging deep within herself to keep pushing, to keep her legs moving even if it was taxing. Her determination and desire to return to camp, to bring Shun to safety drove her onward. Reaching the top of the ravine, Oros kept a cautious and wary look out for the hook-stinger wasps that had chased her to the ravine in the first place.

“Wooooo, that was one hell of a hike, but don’t you worry Shun Shun, it's only a matter of time before we reach a safe place for you to rest and recover, we just need some of Duncan's blood and for Asahi to be a good little healer and you’ll be back punching and kicking like crazy…and if they don’t want to cooperate, I’ll make them….” Oros chuckled as she followed the path of her own clumsy escape.

Broken branches, trampled shrubbery, it all led her back to where she had encountered the chalk turtle with Masato. Seeing neither the turtle nor Masato anywhere in sight complicated things slightly. However her sapphire eyes caught a glimpse of blood, quickly moving over to it. She crouched down near it and took a finger to touch it and bring it up to her nose to smell. Its stench clearly not of human origin, its wetness giving her some idea of how long it had been there.

“Sooooooo Ma-Sa-To is still alive, what a joyous thing, he still has a role to play after all, if only he would open his eyes….but thanks to him we have a way back to camp…” Her laugh echoing in the emptiness of the woods as she stood back up taking a hand and pointing down the path the blood trail led. Oros had her path back, now it was time to get serious. She had been patient, but that approach didn’t seem to be working. It was time to try something else, Oros would make them open their eyes. But first she had to ensure Shun was properly treated. Oros, with Shun on her shoulders begun the final trek back to camp.

Symphony on High

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@FamishedPants@BrokenPromise@Nyahahameha@The World@TaintedMushroom

Himiko paused briefly as Marrie disappeared without much warning, reappearing right in front of the group of cultist as it left her standing there with a dull expression. “So…I guess there goes any element of surprise? I guess I’ll just have to start blasting, she is far more bold then she first appeared, I’ll give her that.” Giving a quick shake of her head as she had to focus on her own situation. Especially now that Marrie and thrown herself right into the fray, leaving Himiko to handle whatever came her way.

Unfortunately for Himiko, the moment that Marrie made her move, the golden esper was quickly spotted out. “Ahh shit….thats what I get for being a gold lover… I was hoping that would at least go after the two distractions first before they noticed me….” shaking her head at her own stupidity for having such a stand out appearance. Of course they noticed her, how wouldn’t they notice her with how much gold she had on display. In fact if she was honest with herself, she was surprised it took them even this long to spot her.

The speed of the pale guards caught Himiko off guard as they burst from the sleeper cab of the truck. They moved far faster than she had anticipated or expected. She knew that the guy with the red skeletal hand was trouble, but she should have known he would have a surprise up his skeletal sleeve. It was clear that he kept them hidden away in case of an ambush, the leader was smarter then she had given him credit for. “These bastards are faster and stronger than I thought they would be, now I wish Marrie stuck around….” Lamenting her departure as she hadn’t anticipated being singled out right off the bat. Especially not by three of what looked like the most dangerous of the cult.

But she had a more pressing matter to attend to, she knew she should have taken out both revolvers. But the one she already had out would have to make do for now. She didn’t have time to yank the other one out as the pale guards were already nearly on top of her position. A piece of rebar being thrust towards her chest by one of her assailants. Himiko mustered up as much of her speed to try to side step it and get distance from the wall to her right to give herself more room to maneuver.

Bringing her revolver around onto the pale guard in question, the fake gold of her revolver glinted as she swung its barrel onto target. She fired off two shots, one for the man's torso and the other for his head. If he was going to go for a killing blow she wasn’t about to hold back and aim for non lethal.

With little time to spare, she tried to make some distance between herself and the pale guards, firing off two shots towards the one with the shopping cart and two more at the one who threw the haymaker earlier. Yanking her second revolver free, she tried to turn and run, not waiting to see what kind of effects her fire had, nor the effects of what the other Freelancer from the roof was attempting. Figuring it was better to be safe than sorry. Preferring to have some range between her and her enemy whenever possible. The last thing she wanted was to get into a close range melee brawl with these two heavy revolvers. Though if she really had too, they did make for useful clubs as a last resort. "I know I said I didn't mind if we didn't take the more stealth approach, but I think I'm quickly regretting that..." Himiko complaining as she decided to take a glance over her shoulder to finally observe the aftermath.

Footnote

23 | Female | Free Lancer | Golden One
Persuasion and Reason | Handgun, Handgun | Physical | Weapon Special
Heart Of Gold | Deal Maker
Geothermal Release | Fire | Obsidian Of St.Helen
[Slow (4), Damage X (6), Blink (4), Shield(4), Craft (2), AoE (2), Scatter (2), Full Enhance (4), Heal (6)]
DAMAGE: A | SPEED: D | SENTINEL: C | 750

PHYSICAL:D | ARCANE:D | CHAOS:E | 750

Symphony on High

______________________________________________________________________

@FamishedPants@BrokenPromise@Nyahahameha@The World@TaintedMushroom

Himiko’s golden gaze shifted towards the newcomer as she heard her question upon arriving. Her eyes scanned Marrie from head to toe as she sized her up. Not finding her to be the most imposing, but she seemed experienced from a quick glance “Nice bike, how much did it cost you? Name is Sovereign, I assume you are also here for some water, it can be quite sparse around these parts” Picking up that Marrie was a Freelancer by her question. Even if she found the approach unusual, Himiko couldn’t blame Marrie for treading carefully. Taking the extra effort to ensure that who she was speaking to was here for the mission and not by some random chance a cultist, or a vagrant.

Their brief conversation soon interrupted by the voice of what likely was the leader of the cultist. At least based on him being the primary speaker and seeming to be the guiding voice. Some of what was said, Himiko could understand the reasoning. But parts of it didn’t make much sense to her. His remark about the dragon catching her attention the most. As did the great response and support that the cultists showed the speaker. It was clear had the the admiration and the belief of his group firmly behind him.

Quickly ruling out this operation going by easily or without some form of violence. It was quite clear that the cultists were fully behind their leader. The chance of them handing over the water willingly at this point seeming rather remote. “I have no clue what the dragon is but it looks like we will have quite the scrap on our hands wouldn’t you say bike gal? They seem really into what that man had to say, I have a feeling that they won’t be happy to see us…” Himiko remarked to Marrie as she turned her golden gaze towards the sound of the semi’s loud engine rumbling to life and the shuffle of footsteps pushing out from behind the MicroMart.

As the Semi and the mob that followed came into their view, Himiko quickly scanned the group with her eyes. Taking in all the information she could as quickly as she could. Observing the poorly armed and dressed mob, she looked for anyone that appeared to be the leader, or a more immediate threat. The ragtag bunch being a sorry sight, but still a threat regardless of appearance. Spotting a man reclined on the hood of the semi. Though he wore less then many of his followers rags, the red cloth around his elbow and his demeanor led Himiko to quickly assume that he was the leader of this group. His left hand and the red bones drawing her attention almost immediately. It was unusual, and gave her reason to tread more carefully as she figured there was much more to that left hand.

Gesturing towards the man with her right hand “You see muscles there on the hood? If I had to make a bet, he is the leader of this rag tag group, the red cloth, the necklace and the silver bracelet, not to mention that left hand, he is likely the one we will have to watch out for.” Himiko quickly remarked to Marrie her opinion. Pointing him out too Marrie if she had not yet spotted the man herself.

But before she could come up with a plan of what to do, she spotted a figure on a rooftop a short distance away. Shouting and dancing as they appeared to be trying to get the attention of the mob. Himiko glanced over at Marrie in slight disbelief “That wouldn’t happen to be a friend of yours? Either way they seem to have quite the death wish, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t take advantage of the distraction” Crossing her arms over in front of herself as she reaches into her long flowing white coat. Pulling free her two golden revolvers “Then again…I’m not one to speak about being the most stealth oriented” Letting out a small hushed laugh before crouching down, she slowly inched her way along what remained of the MicroMarts front wall.

“So, you want to go in guns blazing, or would you prefer a more calculated approach?” Himiko questioned as she brought up one of her revolvers to ready it. “If shit hits the fan, I think I’ll be able to take out a few of the tires, or in the worst case scenario the engine itself…” She figured a few slugs would be more then enough to either cripple the semi or stop it entirely if push came to shove.

Normally Himiko would have already started firing, but with Marrie here, and the figure out on the roof, it changed how she wanted to approach it. With the help, it would make the operation a lot easier and less work, making that money much more sweet. Plus it was free help and nothing could beat free help.

Expedition to Isekai

______________________________________________________________________

@AThousandCurses@Erode

Looking into the sky as unnatural rain poured down upon her, Oros spread her arms out to either side, leaning her head back as she laughed. “Oh, what a mess, what a mess, Pack-A-Punch Shun really went overboard this time….oh my, oh my….who will ever clean this up….” Oro’s soaked it all in. Letting the downpour finish before shifting her gaze towards where Shun had fallen. Staring with great intrigue in her sapphire gaze, a smile plastered across her face.

Slowly and with great purpose, Oros began to make her way through the carnage around her towards the bottom of the tree that Shun resided. Stepping over chunks of flesh and the remains of the great beasts that Shun had torn to shreds. Oros was quite impressed with all that Shun had done all by her lonesome. Grabbing a few chunks of meat from the remains of one of the beasts as she took a hearty bite from it to fill her own belly. Feasting on this free meal as she tried to sate her hunger.

Coming to a stop a short distance away as she began to clear a few broken branches out of the way, standing over the prone and injured Shun. Oros smiled down at her pathetic form. She crouched down, her inverted face inches from Shun’s own as she reached a hand out to caress her cheek. Wiping away some of the blood from her face, whether it was from the beast or Shuns own at this point would be impossible to determine. “Look at you, what a fine job you have done, but what a terrible mess you have created, both around you and with what you have done to yourself…..was it worth it?” Oros remarked after getting her first full view of Shun. Her devastated body and severe injuries quite obvious to even someone with no medical background like Ayana.

“It was destiny that we have crossed paths once more, wouldn’t you say? After all you have something that belongs to me…it is a shame that you didn’t make use of it, but….” Pausing briefly as she took a look around them before her gaze slowly drifted back to Shun. “Perhaps you aren’t an honored one….one meant to accept and see the truth…though fate is a fickle thing…wouldn’t you say…” Her voice lowered to a quiet murmur. Her eyes shifted away from Shuns face and towards her broken body.

Her hand on Shuns cheek slowly began to trail down towards her neck coming to a rest against her throat. “It is time for me to do what must be done…and to obtain what is rightfully mine….but first we have to take care of you….” A wide beaming grin across her face as she laughed. It had become clear to Ayana, no to Oros, that Shun was in no shape to fight or resist.

Taking a hand full of meat that she had picked up while approaching Shun, she lowered it towards Shun’s mouth. “Oh, you thought I meant something else didn’t you?, even if you took something valuable from me, I have no intentions of killing you…now eat up Shun, your destiny isn’t to end here….no you still have a role to play…” Laughing as she moved her right hand away from Shun’s throat.

Leaning her forehead into Shuns “after all, even if you aren’t honored, you still have seen a bit of the truth…I can see it in your eyes…and there is no way I would let one of my very first friends die if I have a choice…I need you nice and healed, there should be enough meat here for the both of us for as long as we need it…” Closing her eyes as she remained where she was at. Keeping a steady supply of meat nearby, knowing that Shun would need a lot of it to recover from the kinds of injuries she had suffered. At least long enough until she was able to make it back to Duncan and Asahi.

Oros felt relief to be reunited with Shun, even under these circumstances. Shun had treated her with respect and kindness, things that Ayana valued dearly. Even holding on to Endless Eclipse while Ayana was out of commission and not just tossing it away gave Ayana a reason to respect her. After all, since she had remembered her true identity, the others had all mostly seen her as insane. Looking at her with eyes of concern, contempt, and distrust, even as Oros had tried to make them understand. To make them see the truth that was right in front of them.

Much work still had to be done before her mission was accomplished. A mission that Shun still had a part to play in, as far as Oros was concerned. Fate and destiny brought them together for a reason, the future always shifting. Oros and her Endless Eclipse would be ready to tackle this challenge, until her classmates finally opened their eyes.

Symphony on High

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Securing bottled water wasn’t normally something that Himiko considered worth her time or effort. But she would make an exception, the pay was surprisingly good for what seemed to be a straightforward operation. Handling a bunch of cultists appeared to be easy money, far easier than most other jobs that had been offered as of late with shit having hit the fan.

The semi had been easy enough to find and locate, as was the MicroMart. Making the first part of the mission fairly easy, with not much else being around the area. It didn’t seem like she would have to worry about any innocent bystanders. Anyone she would come across being a Freelancer or a cultist which simplified everything nicely. Friend and foe being easily distinguishable with very little need to care about the infrastructure of the MircoMart.

Arriving at the front of the MicroMart in her esper form as planned, Himiko glanced down to check the time on her fake golden Golex. It was a primitive means of keeping time in this day and age, but she liked how flashy it was. There was still some time before others would arrive if they decided to show up at all. Though if some did not show, perhaps she could bargain herself a bigger cut of the money.

She may as well bid her time until the planned start of the operation. If no one else showed up by then, she would just have to handle the cultists on her own.

Leaning her back against the front wall of the MicroMart, she opened up her long white jacket. Reaching in across her body to pull free one of her hefty fake gold plated revolvers from her cross chest holsters. Spinning the cylinder around with the index finger of her left hand, she checked each chamber to ensure it had a round within it. The clicking sound as it spun was always a joy to her ears. Satisfied that it was loaded and ready to go, she spun it in her right hand as she smoothly rammed it back into its holster underneath her white jacket. Repeating the process this time with her second revolver, before resealing her jacket once she knew she was well prepared.

It would be foolish not to double check her weapons before she went into action. She didn’t want to end up as that idiot who got killed because they forgot to load their weapons. Making use of the time she had before the others arrived to ensure everything was ship-shape.

Pulling out her smartphone to scroll through Shimir, it was clear that three other Freelancers seemed like they had interest in showing up. She wasn’t too familiar with any of them, at least through Shimir so she didn’t know who or what to quite expect. Bringing a hand up to the side of her hand as she brushed away some of her golden locks.

“Well, this should be interesting…I doubt those cultists will even know what hit them with this many Freelancers on the job, seems a bit overkill if you ask me…” Muttering to herself, her lips and mouth hidden away by her mask. Sliding her smartphone back into a secure pocket of her jacket, she crossed her arms and kept her golden gaze searching the general area around her. Both as a means of self-defense and to spot the arrival of any Freelancer that had come for the operation.

Expedition to Isekai

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@AThousandCurses@Erode

Taking a moment to get her bearings back, she took a quick hard look around her surrounding area. Her stomach growled as she felt an intense hunger in the pit of her stomach. It had been quite a while since she had gotten the chance to eat anything. What food she had in the morning, having only held her over for the short time she hadn’t had to exert all of her energy. It was clear that she would need to find food, and find food soon if she was going to be able to make her way back to camp in a reasonable amount of time.

She found herself alone, without a single soul in sight. Wherever Masato ended up, it clearly wasn’t here. Doubting that he would even bother to try to search for her at this point. It would make for a convenient excuse for ditching her in the middle of nowhere. She knew that for most of those remaining in camp, if Ayana didn’t return, they wouldn’t see that as such a bad thing. But, even so, she would return, her mission was not complete, no one had truly opened their hearts and minds to the truth of which she held.

Though she at least had the benefit of the wasps having given up their chase and allowing her time to recoup before deciding on her next move. She wasn’t the most equipped to be a survivalist, despite living out in the middle of nowhere. In fact she only had gotten by before in the past by sheer luck and clumsiness. Even so, she had watched enough shows and had heard enough words of wisdom during her lifetime to know some basic things.

Water was the most important thing if she was going to make it back, followed secondly by food. You could go a lot longer without food then you could water. Even Ayana knew that much, but how to find water and locate it was an entirely different challenge. The moist soul did give her some bit of an idea at the very least. There had to be water present, even if it was beneath the soil.

Taking a moment she got on her knees digging both hands into the moist soil as she began to scoop big clumps of dirt with her hands. Taking advantage of the moistness of the soil to bury her hands as deep as she could get them. She knew eventually if she dug deep enough, water would start to form in the hole she had dug, even if it was dirty, it was still better than nothing.

Once she had a deep enough hole, and the first little bit of water began to pool itself, she planted her hands on either side of the hole. Leaning forward and burying her face down low to sip away at what water she could muster from her self made pit. Taking occasional breaks to further deepen her hole to try to get a bit more water from it until she felt satisfied for the time being.

Her cheeks and mouth were dirty from the muddy earth as she tried to wipe it away. Only for a new but now familiar scent to drift in and hit her nostrils. Slowly turning her head to the side as her sapphire eyes stared off into the distant greenery of the forest. Blood, and fresh at that. It could only be a few possibilities, she doubted it had anything to do with Masato. Crossing off that quickly from her mind, plus she knew everyone else had stayed back at camp. Meaning that the most likely explanation for it was Shun had to be nearby.

Whether she was the source of the blood herself, or it came from the monsters themselves. Ayana wouldn’t be sure until she laid her own eyes on the source. Her eyes brightened, her focus and mind quickly honing in on what needed to be done. Getting back up to her feet as she placed her hands on her hips as a smile spread across her dirty face. “It seems I’ve been blessed once again…if it is Shun nearby, then that means…it is also near…my Endless Eclipse….”

With that she bounded off in the direction of the scent of fresh blood. No hesitation, or fear within her clumsy body about what she might find or stumble upon. She began her journey to the source of the fresh blood, hoping to discover the cause. “It’s time for what is rightfully mine to return to me….Pack-A-Punch Shun….I’m on my way….” her laughter now filled the empty air of the forest around her as she made her way through it.

After some time, she burst forth into the den and quickly found herself stepping into a pool of blood, beasts flesh and bodies nearby torn to shreds from the carnage of battle. Ayana could only smile, feeling thrilled and overjoyed by her arrival at such a grisly scene. Her gaze shifting towards the chaos, as the adrenaline was kicking in. She had arrived at the source of the blood, at the source of what she desired. "My, My....what a mess....what a mess...it seems I have a little bit of clean up to perform...." A little laugh escaping from her lips. The end of what looked like a titanic battle, its results still undecided, the fates still undetermined. Though Oros knew, she knew deep down how all of this would end, even without Endless Eclipse. The one truth of Oros still persisted, it still held true in the eyes of Oros The Clumsy.