VitaVitaAR

Qlippoth Shift: A Supernatural Action RP About Combating Otherworldy Anomalies

"Tch---!"

The left-behind ooze was rising again? It wasn't just that there was seemingly an inexhaustible army ahead of them, but the already-defeated soldiers were reviving from destruction?

Thankfully, it seemed as if they did have a weakness. The ooze they left behind on destruction was being repelled by Agent Mae's efforts, her incense was effective. It interrupted the reformation of any ashigaru that hadn't fully formed, and additionally repelled the ooze and forced it back deeper into the ruined mansion.

But that didn't mean they weren't operating on a much stricter time limit then they'd initially thought.

Arisa knew this meant the current strategy of wiping out each wave simply wasn't sustainable.

They had to reach the source.

"A-188!" she called the shapeshifted anomaly, even as her burning blade crashed down to split another Ashigaru in half down the middle, "Teratoma! Keep going! Tear a path through their formation and head for the mansion's center! We'll follow you!"

With the sohei temporarily dealt with, they had to capitalize on this moment before any more dangerous warriors appeared. If the Ashigaru were forming defenses to prevent them from going deeper, it meant that whatever was spawning them was likely somewhere towards the center of the ruins.

Rather then fighting every wave and relying on Agent Mae's finite number of incense sticks to keep the reanimating soldiers at bay for as long as possible, they'd decapitate this phantom army!

@Raineh Daze@Eisenhorn@Izurich@OwO@Rune_Alchemist

---

If there was one good piece of news for the Agents in the rear team, it was the fact that Agent Yakumo's blind assault had managed to clear a path.

The ambushing shinobi were swift enough to evade the attack, though one was caught by the foot and pulled under and the dissolving form of the mercenary killed by Agent Zhao was smashed apart.

Agent Tachibana's arrows, too, aided in keeping them to the sides, forcing them to break off their ambush and helping to disperse what remained of the defensive line.

In the face of the tentacle assault, the large, katana-wielding figure seemed as if it decided to take a stronger defensive position deeper in the mansion, retreating down the hall while brandishing its long blade at the same time.

Unfortunately, as vision and hearing steadily returned to the Agents, it was evident that luck wasn't entirely in their favor. The bodies of the soldiers they had slain, left behind, were beginning to reform.

Ashigaru picking up their blades and spears, leveling their arquebuses to take aim at the Agents.

At the same time, however, they had a path forward.

If slaying the soldiers wasn't effective, then---

@PKMNB0Y@Psyker Landshark@Raineh Daze

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

It charged.

Boar were typically aggressive, but she hadn't made any sudden movements. It had only threatened for a brief moment before throwing its bulky body towards her.

Maybe it was just that frightened, or maybe it was hungry. It wasn't like boars only ate plants.

Youmu leaned forward, both hands on Roukanken's hilt.

It hadn't run from an unknown threat, and that was what was important. A beast so eager to attack people wasn't safe to allow to rampage. And the blood on its tusks told a story, too.

It wasn't as if Youmu was a particular expert on animals, but she'd hunted a few times for Yuyuko-sama and knew at least enough to do that.

Her legs tensed.

She couldn't move as fast as usual, not with the damage done to her phantom half. But she could certainly move faster then the boar.

The half-phantom sprang forward, a rush of air following her motion, a cloud of dust leaping from the spot she once occupied.

First, the tusks.

Roukanken sliced the air as Youmu moved, meeting no resistance whatsoever.

The boar's tusks sailed through the air, the razor-sharp points hurtling upwards before hitting the ground moments later.

As the boar responded, still trying to toss its head and impale her, Youmu's eyes narrowed and she stepped to the side.

Roukanken glittered as she raised it over her head, the long-bladed katana shimmering as the boar began to thunder past.

And then she brought it down, lunging forward at the same time.

The beast's thick hide would doubtlessly have saved it from all manner of assault by the local hunters. But the youkai-forged edge cut through it and the dense muscle beneath like it didn't even exist.

A shower of blood followed her path as she passed beneath the boar's throat.

Had she come from above, Youmu was confident she could have beheaded the beast. But the deep cut from below was more than enough in this case.

Youmu came to a halt.

Roukanken's edge wasn't even stained.

@PKMNB0Y

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

While this beast was particularly enormous, it wasn't an unfamiliar creature to Youmu. Boars weren't exactly the most uncommon sight when it came to ordinary animals living in Gensokyo, after all. Not to mention, there were certainly some that were abnormal in one way or another as well.

This monstrous boar was certainly very large, but nothing that she was unprepared to see.

The blood on its tusks, however---

It didn't mean that it had killed anyone, at least not anyone at the village, but it did mark it as a dangerous animal. Not that there was any reason to believe otherwise. Boars were plenty dangerous.

At least, to regular humans. Even one this large, even while she was injured like this, Youmu had nothing but confidence in herself.

"If it acts aggressive, I'll cut it down," she said, simply, the half-phantom drawing Roukanken smoothly from its sheath as she spoke. The blade of the youkai-forged katana gleamed resplendently in the light of the sun as she fixed her gaze on the enormous creature.

@PKMNB0Y

Qlippoth Shift: A Supernatural Action RP About Combating Otherworldy Anomalies

While Ifrit was a huge and powerful blade, Arisa certainly hadn't expected this sort of resistance to her latest attempt to press her attack. In contrast to the arquebusiers, who were unable to swiftly draw any melee weapons they may have possessed before being cut down, the phantom swordsmen were swifter, able to block her assault together and force her to take a step back before lunging forward for their own.

They didn't have time for this.

Every moment that passed was a moment that added further unpredictability. The presence of the sohei currently clashing with the shapeshifted A-188 was proof of that. It was obvious that not only were the tactics of the phantoms improving, but so were the quality of the enemy soldiers being deployed.

All of this proved that they had to find the source of these phantoms and put a stop to it that much more quickly.

And so, Arisa push that much harder.

Magical energy flowed down her arm, as if it was passing through her veins, down to her fingertips. This time, it wasn't use to simply strengthen her limbs.

This time it flowed from her body, Arisa pushing her mana from her own being and into the enormous blade gripped in both her hands.

The first phantom ashigaru raised his blade---

"Ifrit, Ignite!"

---and flames blazed across Ifrit's edge as Arisa swung it in an outward arc. Armor snapped instantly, the sudden outpouring of heat even enabling her to break the ashigaru's word in two.

With the blazing blade raised over her shoulder, Arisa sprang forward before body even broke apart, using the other phantoms as cover from the arquebusiers as she swung her blade downwards, the burning weapon searing the air and parting the next ashigaru's body from its lower half.

They had to push further!

@Rune_Alchemist@Izurich@Raineh Daze@Eisenhorn@OwO

---

As the arquebusiers fell, others of their number backed up, taking cover around walls as the spear-wielders adjusted their positioning. Still, it was clear that their numbers were dwindling, the combined efforts of the Agents assaulting the rear of the building grinding down this wave of defense.

Unfortunately, this was not to last.

The tall sword-wielding man raised his hand, and at the very moment he did the arquebusiers pulled back around the corners and out into the air.

There was a tapping sound as several round, dark balls were tossed into the hall, ahead of the spear formation.

The fact the remaining ashigaru swiftly averted their eyes made it all too clear what was about to happen.

When the flashbombs went off, particularly swift, lightly-armored phantoms wielding short katana, handcannons, and even in one case a kusarigama would suddenly leap into the hallway, the nearest immediately trying to catch Agent Zhao with a swift thrust of its blade.

@Raineh Daze@PKMNB0Y@Psyker Landshark

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

With a heavy sigh of relief, Fanilly couldn't help but fall onto her rear end.

Sweat was rolling down her brow. She was both hot and flushed.

Training with Lilette was both overwhelming, but everything she hoped it would be. The Gentle Blade's skills were incredible. The Elf Knight was everything she'd heard of in the stories and more.

She hadn't truly fought her during the dream. Each strike was so fast, so clean and precise that she didn't even feel it happening.

Unlike certain other knights, Fanilly's training was far less lethal. But that didn't make it any less grueling.

Regardless, this is what she had to do. She had to pursue every possible avenue of improvement if she wanted to fulfill her position. A part of her had dearly wanted to try training with Saint Elionne herself, but given she wasn't present here in this illusory and strange world she was unable to do so.

After her training session concluded and Fanilly departed from the yard, she cleaned herself up and changed clothes. This place existed outside of the world and outside of the rest of time, didn't it?

Would they simply arrive at the real Candaeln as if nothing had happened? If it was anything like that 'dream' that would be the case. And yet, it was clear that this versions of these figures from history retained so many memories and thoughts from their original selves.

Fanilly paused at that thought.

It was important for her to focus. To focus on what would make her actually worthy of her title. To lead the Iron Rose Knights to victory. To become someone who was truly capable of doing so no matter what.

And yet-

Wasn't this an opportunity she never could have imagined? Throughout her studies, learning of military history and figures of the past, Fanilly had found herself wanting to learn more.

Wasn't this an opportunity to do just that?

She'd been hesitant to bother the real Lilette in the 'waking world' with such things, but now, here-

It was selfish, wasn't it?

But it was something she couldn't get out of her mind.

Given she had the ability to speak to the real Lilette in the waking world, it was that which drove her choice to approach another of the Knights instead.

"Sir Cyrus?" she asked, "I, er, I was hoping to speak to you..."

Hopefully he was still around here. She'd made her way near the stables after asking a maid about the enormous man's whereabouts.

Which did make her wonder if the staff, too, were all people who had truly been alive back in this time.

@Raineh Daze

Qlippoth Shift: A Supernatural Action RP About Combating Otherworldy Anomalies

With their spears snapped by Agent Zhao's empowered strikes, the phantom ashigaru had little choice but to step back and attempt to regroup, something they were unable to do due to the arrows loosed by Agent Tachibana. And, indeed, the most immediate threat in the form of the arquebus-wielding ashigaru had already been dealt with.

Unfortunately, this success was not to last.

As the latest victims of the Agents' assault collapsed into black ooze, it seemed as if the next line of defenses was already moving into place.

Arguebus-wielding Ashigaru entered from open spots in the walls, using the damaged mansion's halls as cover as they raised their weapons and took aim.

Joining them were phantoms wielding katanas, sticking near their ranged comrades in a bid to make it more difficult to directly assault them.

Finally, the line of spear-wielding ashigaru blocking off the main hallway had reformed, to prevent any attempt to run past the defense.

But that wasn't all.

Behind the spear line was a taller figure, now, clad in less worn and more maintained armor. A katana was gripped in both of his hands.

Perhaps not a samurai, simply lacking the ostentatious decoration of such warriors' armor, but some form of more capable mercenary? Or rather a phantom evoking such a fighter.

However---

The as the Agents passed further down the hall, the ooze left behind by the slain soldiers was starting to slowly move, stirring...

@PKMNB0Y@Psyker Landshark@Raineh Daze

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

As distant as they were from anywhere Youmu could recognize as home, being immersed in wilderness wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. It wasn't the same as the forest she knew, of course. It didn't closely resemble any of them. But for anyone who participated in Incident Resolution, running or flying through the forest was at least a familiar feeling.

Less familiar was the sight of the trees that had portions of them entirely gouged out, or the other plants that had clearly been trampled. While it wasn't as if the petite half-phantom had never seen anything like this before, it wasn't exactly a common sight even after a particularly ferocious duel.

It didn't quite look like it had been done by humans. No-one harvesting wood would have went at the trees like that.

At least, Youmu hoped they didn't.

"It's as if something big came through here," she commented. It wasn't like she knew much about hunting animals, but it seemed very animal-like. There were some youkai who neither had human-like appearances or sapient minds in Gensokyo, could it be something of that nature?

"Do you have youkai here?" she asked, as she glanced back towards the hunter, Derek.

@PKMNB0Y@Izurich@Drifting Pollen@Lugubrious@EchoWolff

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

While her scenery had changed, her morning routine had not.

Getting up early, despite everything, came naturally to the half-phantom girl. Even if she was harmed on a spiritual level, even if she still didn't understand much about this situation, that didn't change anything.

Youmu was going to train.

No-one else was awake yet, but the rain had stopped. While the town's damaged state was a sorry sight, she was able to find a spot behind the hunter's lodge to perform her exercises.

She could always be faster. She could always push herself that much harder. And that meant never letting up on her exercises, no matter what situation she was in.

To be perfectly frank, as long as she was able to stand and swing her sword, she'd carve out some time for training.

A swing could be faster and more precise. If she didn't think it could be, then she could try anyway, because that was the purpose of training.

Youmu's grandfather had made sure to instill this mindset as deeply into her as possible.

One swing.

Two swings.

Ten.

Twenty.

Fifty.

One-hundred.

She was nearing eight-hundred when she heard commotion from the front of the Hunter's lodge.

Sheathing her blades, the half-phantom proceeded back inside swiftly enough to catch what was being discussed.

"If there's something dangerous in the forest, then it's probably for the best to stop it from hurting anyone," she commented. While it wasn't strictly her duty back in Gensokyo, if she was in the position to stop something bad from happening it was likely she would provided it didn't interfere with her duty to Yuyuko-sama.

Besides, this could be viewed as an extension of her training.

@PKMNB0Y

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

A dragon.

They had to face a dragon.

It wasn't just any dragon, either. That alone would have been a daunting task beyond anything Fanilly had prepared herself for.

Even if it was a facsimile, it was undeniably Thrinax. A replica of the legendary dragon said to be the friend of Prince Erion. And as had been abundantly proven, the replicated people of this world created by a Witch were accurate to exacting detail.

All those years ago, Saint Elionne had slain the Red Dragon Volkstraad. The monstrous and wicked beast had terrorized Thaln, devouring hundreds and laying waste to villages on a whim.

The Starlit Sword took his head, having decapitated the monstrous dragon in a burst of divine light.

His last words were a curse upon Thaln and all its people. Even in his dying moments, the Red Dragon was wicked to the end.

But Thrinax had never been slain. The companion of Prince Erion was a dragon who, as far as Fanilly or anyone else knew, was still alive at this very moment.

Even in the guise of training, could they manage something like that?

Doubt clutched at Fanilly's heart. The young Knight-Captain was struggling to even imagine such an outcome as victory against a legend like Thrinax.

But she couldn't let that show. Even here, in this strange constructed world, she was still Knight-Captain.

And so, she was trying to take advantage of what was offered by the Witch.

That meant training as much as she could. And with the memory of her dream square in her mind, that meant there was only one real choice.

Fanilly took a deep breath.

Training with the Gentle Blade was her best possible choice going forward.

Qlippoth Shift: A Supernatural Action RP About Combating Otherworldy Anomalies

As the first wave of phantom Ashigaru crumbled, Arisa took stock of what had occurred as quickly as she could. While the ashigaru certainly weren't human, or any properly-living entities as far as she could discern, 'ghost' too appeared to be inaccurate. Even non-magical formsof damage had been able to harm them.

But that wasn't all. The black, tar-like substance stretched across the floor, all that was left behind by the ashigaru that had been destroyed.

That most certainly wasn't typical of most ghosts, either.

But there wasn't very much time to analyze what she was seeing, not when the second wave of defense had already arrived.

There looked to be more of them, now. And their position was certainly more difficult. The arquebus-wielding ashigaru had arranged themselves more carefully, and there were more of them. While A-188's aggressive assault had smashed through the main formation once again, it didn't account for every opponent that had now entered combat.

As Agent Amano moved up on their left flank, Arisa took the right, pouring magical energy through her legs, across the fibers of her muscles to put on an additional burst of speed as she exited into one of the gardens.

Bracing one hand against the flat of Ifrit's blade, she turned the enormous sword sideways, hearing shots impact on its surface only to be sent skittering off into the darkness uselessly.

While a barrier spell would have been more reliable, it was harder to cast and maintain while she was moving.

As she reached her first target, the fire mage twisted her wrist, retaking Ifrit's hilt in both hands and swinging it in as harp arc that swiftly tore through the arquebus-wielding ashigaru's armor and split its body in half. Her swing continued, immediately striking the second nearest of the phantom soldiers and cutting it apart in the same motion.

But that wasn't her only goal.

She'd cut through the crumbling wall.

Now she'd make her way around the Ashigaru's formation, and attack from the other side---!

Agent Mae's efforts produced a curious result.

While the 'living' phantom ashigaru simply reacted, stepping back and swinging at the incense as it was tossed, or moving to avoid it wordlessly, the piles of ooze had a considerably different response.

There was a faint, but noticeable hissing sound, as if something was burning from the initial contact. And then, suddenly, the piles of ooze were moving, as if pulled by some other force, dragged into the darkness to be moved away from potential source of damage.

Almost as if something else was aware of what was occurring. But why attempt to conserve ashigaru that had already been destroyed?

Unless---

@Rune_Alchemist@Eisenhorn@Izurich@OwO@Raineh Daze