Operation story: 11-15

Operation

Story

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Characters
Doctor Amiya Ascalon Feist Logos Rockrock Shining Closure Clovisia Lt. Colonel Lettou Manfred Mon3tr Sanguinarch of Vampires Confessarius Guard Sarkaz Warrior Self-Salvation Corps Fighter Victorian Mercenary Victorian Soldier Victorian Soldier
Backgrounds
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Before operation

“

At both the pinnacle and base of the command tower, Rhodes Island and the Self-Salvation Corps engage the Sarkaz in a fierce battle, not expecting the Nachzehrer's quick return.

”

<Background 1>
[While the Kazdelian Sarkaz warriors and the Victorian collaborators engage the Eartha partisans...]
Sarkaz Warrior	These filthy rebels! They've been at this since Sudean! Bring out that massive metal thing of yours!
Victorian Soldier	You mean the self-propelled cannon? Sarkaz, there's still lots of our men up ahead!
Sarkaz Warrior	Send them a signal.
Victorian Soldier	Ever heard of danger close? You know how wide its attack range is? They won't get away in time!
Sarkaz Warrior	That's their problem. Our warriors know how to survive on the battlefield.
[A self-propelled cannon barrages the Eartha partisans.]
<Background fades out and in>
Closure	Over there–A movable mechanical Originium cannon!
[The cannon barrage causes strong explosions all around.]
Closure	What... What the hell is this? That's no normal artillery shell! Did Kazdel have some kind of advanced research institute I never heard of? And in such a short time too... How did Manfred manage this?
Doctor	Have you found the control area with your drones yet? / Focus.
Closure	Control area... Control area... Crap, Doctor. These artillery shells've got Arts that jam my drones. Like I said, Londinium's system is easy to crack, but Sarkaz witchcraft is tough!
???	Doctor, we'll take it from here.
Closure	Whoa, Feist!
Feist	Everything's set the way you wanted it. The engineering team will make sure your drones will fly free.
Closure	You've got an idea?
Feist	Miss Closure, these Originium cannons were assembled in our factory.
Closure	So... You aren't planning on taking them apart right here and now, are you?
Feist	Haha, if we were Vampires, we definitely could've given it a shot. Too bad, most of us are just normal craftsmen. But we know what we've made with our own hands. We know how to target their weak points to create an opening for our friends who can actually put up a fight. After all, this is how us engineers can put ourselves to use on the battlefield. Isn't that right?
Closure	The zipline... You're gonna climb onto that?
Feist	Your drones will function as normal if we get the cannon under control, right?
Closure	In theory. That's too risky, though...
Feist	We're working together here. I need you and the Doctor to help us lock onto the safest landing point.
As the cannons echo in the air, Feist focuses on the battlefield before him. He sees not the fierce Sarkaz, but the machinery by the conveyor belts he's the most familiar with. The thunderous sound of the enormous machine's movement is no different from the rhythms he knows so well. He will take back the city that belongs to them, his own way.
Feist	Phew... I've always wanted to see a battle from up above. Isn't this the perfect chance?
<Background fades out and in>
The giant machine ambles down the street. Compared to its colossal form, the men on the battlefield, be they Victorian or Sarkaz, are almost insignificant. Its footsteps cannot be halted. Its gaze can easily melt the blocks. It is practically the ruler of this steel jungle. Yet it suddenly lets out a wail. From a blind spot in its vision, a dozen grappling hooks latch onto the weakest point of its neck. Immediately thereafter, several dozen figures climb onto its back via the zipline.
Feist	Doctor, we've got it under control!
Doctor	Snipers, eliminate nearby hostiles!
Victorian Mercenary	Understood!
[The mercenaries barrage the self-propelled cannon...]
Clovisia	Casters, strike!
Rockrock	On it!
[...while Rockrock and the casters unleashed their Arts at the cannon, destroying it.]
<Background 2>
[Meanwhile, as the Sanguinarch and Logos exchange words...]
Sanguinarch of Vampires	Look at you, Banshee. You won't allow even a single drop of blood near you.
Logos	Every drop you control contains your witchcraft.
Sanguinarch of Vampires	Oh ho ho. The curse of the Banshee. Since when have the Banshees been as boring and uninteresting as you? I still remember how they flew through the dark night, blowing their bone-whistles– They mourned those lost to the wastelands with their sharp, sorrowful cries. At the same time, they mercilessly dug their pitch-black fingers into the skulls of those pitiful souls. Banshee, that is what a Banshee is supposed to be. They have always been the hunters that the Vampires admired the most. On the battlefield, we fought alongside one another with fear as our weapon, taking the lives of our feeble enemies. But the Banshees of today have lost their way. Your kind has locked your true selves behind that attire not unlike what the Leithanian Casters wear. Decrepit and pretentious.
Logos	I'm afraid you are the one who's lost your way, Vampire. Time does more than relentlessly erode the lands. It shapes life as well. Why not take a look at yourself? Your form has long since changed, you are no longer as you were.
Sanguinarch of Vampires	Hmph... What significance is the form my flesh takes?
Logos	Your flesh, like my robe, is the true form in which we walk the world. The roots of Royal Court may have rotted away long ago, but Royal Court, as it stands today with its canopy raised up high, remains unwilling to fall to the ground. How pathetic... That which is dead continues to draw nutrients from the barren soil, denying itself the chance to receive new life.
Sanguinarch of Vampires	So this is your true goal?
The smile disappears from the Vampire's face. Next to him, the boiling blood settles into stasis for a brief moment. A faint tremor can be felt beneath the ground, before the floor above it starts to shake as well. Blood. Blood marches forward.
Amiya	Operators, hold!
Manfred	...... The battlefield below us...
He suddenly realizes he has stayed here for too long. Lettou is far from the only weak point in the command tower. While both he and the Vampire had their attention drawn to the "King of Sarkaz" and their old acquaintances, Rhodes Island and the Self-Salvation Corps have very likely been drawing ever closer to the information they need. This was Rhodes Island's plan all along. They stood no chance of quickly defeating him and the Vampire. They simply wanted to buy themselves time.
Manfred	I must...
Ascalon	You're too late.
[Ascalon stood in Manfred's way and strikes him, who narrowly blocked it.]
Manfred	......
Yes, he is. He can sacrifice an arm to escape from Ascalon, but the thing that's truly stopping him is the sea of blood before his eyes. The Sanguinarch has already been angered. They are all trapped on this battlefield.
Sanguinarch of Vampires	...Banshee. You dare to plot the destruction of the Royal Court... the very manifestation of Sarkaz heritage?
<Background black>
An earth-shattering surge of blood envelops the entire command tower. The Rhodes Island Operators and the Defense Force soldiers are all moments away from being submerged. That is, until a shapeless force divides this red sea of blood.
Logos	I do this not for destruction, but for my salvation. Don't let your long memories bind you. Release yourself from your pride, from the olden days, Old Sarkaz King.
[Logos unleshes his oral Arts to counter the Sanguinarch's attack.]
Logos	The Sarkaz have changed. The Sarkaz must change.
Under his bone pen, golden incantations write themselves loop by loop. Heeding its master's rage, the pool of blood rises from the floor, the walls, and his head and charges toward the unapproachable young Banshee, as well as those he is shielding. All because the Lord of Curses has already set the rules upon this high tower in a foreign land.
<Background 1>
[Closure noticed the commotion in the tower.]
Closure	Doctor, the control tower...
Doctor	The situation's intense. / I believe in Amiya, Logos, and Ascalon.
Closure	Phew... Looks like they managed to stall that scary guy... Doctor, the drones have reached the control area. Gonna start hacking now...
Doctor	Give me an ETA. / How long will that take?
Closure	Half an hour... No, twenty minutes. Doctor, I know Amiya and the Corps guys are having a tough time right now... Trust me, I wish I had a couple more pairs of hands too!
The gigantic machine lets out another growl. The previously silent cannon begins to rev up again.
Clovisia	What just happened?
Rockrock	The men on the cannon are under attack!
Self-Salvation Corps Fighter	There are hostiles in the distance...
[The Eartha partisan is struck by an Arts attack...]
Self-Salvation Corps Fighter	Gah!
[...that kills him.]
Rockrock	It's the Sarkaz!
[Several Confessarius Guards show up.]
Confessarius Guard	–
Self-Salvation Corps Fighter	No idea what kind of Arts those Sarkaz are using! All of a sudden... I just couldn't breathe... I...
Clovisia	Confessarius witchcraft... These Sarkaz are their guards. When one has one's life depleted by this witchcraft so quickly, not even medical Arts can save them. Have Feist evacuate the cannon surroundings with our fighters.
Rockrock	But then the weapon will go out of control again.
Clovisia	Our men's lives are precious. I... will destroy the berserk weapon.
[Clovisia uses her Arts to heal the Eartha partisan.]
Self-Salvation Corps Fighter	*pant*... *pant*... Commander, I'm feeling much better...
Clovisia	......
Rockrock	Commander, are these... your Arts?
Clovisia	...No. This light... is mobile. Compared to mine... yes, it's much warmer.
Self-Salvation Corps Fighter	L-Look! Someone just appeared behind those Confessarius guards! Who's that? White horns, black robe... Is that... a Confessarius? The Confessarius... She's fighting the other Sarkaz!
Closure	Doctor! That's–That's Shining! Did you ask her to come here?
Doctor	Kal'tsit has kept in touch with her. / She's doing this of her own accord.
Closure	I knew how badass Shining could get, but this is my first time seeing her fight for real. How do I put it? I... I... I'm starting to understand why she avoids fighting so much.
[As Shining confronts the Confessarius Guards...]
Shining	......
Confessarius Guard	Madam Confessarius... You came to the fight after all. Once again, you went against our leader's will.
Shining	If my actions are under his control, wouldn't that make my departure hardly meaningful?
Confessarius Guard	Do you really despise our leader so much?
Shining	...... No. I've never despised him. I've only ever despised myself.
[Shining strikes at one of the Guards.]
The guard's mask splits, allowing his final expression before he succumbs to be reflected in the sheath of the Confessarius's sword. Shining gazes at her opponent. Her eyes are both calm and sorrowful. Once again, the final flicker of a living flame has been burned onto her blade forever.
<Background 2>
The mist of blood is rapidly evaporating under the power of the witchcraft. Countless beams of black energy are shot through the fissures torn open by the witchery. The tides of blood that shroud the command tower have receded a little.
Sanguinarch of Vampires	Hah. Your swordsmanship... Not bad.
Manfred	Your Highness, we must finish this quickly.
Sanguinarch of Vampires	Don't disturb me.
The blood's roar forces Manfred to take a few steps back. Ascalon's armblade follows him closely. He knows she won't let him get away easily.
Manfred	......
A red bolt of lightning flashes across the clouds above the command tower.
Ascalon	This... The Teekazwurtzen.
Manfred	Of course you'd know. Just as I know your armblade.
Ascalon	A signal... You're contacting him. Amiya, we don't have much time.
Amiya	Right, as long as we bring Lettou with us...
[The Sanguinarch's blood attack almost hits Amiya.]
Amiya	Nngh–!
Logos	Watch your defenses. The Vampire's power is far greater than this.
Sanguinarch of Vampires	Hm... What a waste of blood.
The battle before was far from enough to satisfy the Vampire. He turns his attention to the Victorian soldiers hiding nearby.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	What...! You... You can't...
Sanguinarch of Vampires	It'll be fine, Lettou. Soon enough, I shan't even need to keep you alive.
Victorian Soldier	Lt. Colonel... Lt. Colonel! Ngah–!
The soldiers can no longer speak. They fumble their way to the Vampire, as blood sprays out of their spines, one stream after another, heeding his orders in their arms and legs, marching forward rapidly. They have received the Sanguinarch's blessing.
Ascalon	......
[The Victorian soldiers are forcibly turned into leech-ridden beings through the Sanguinarch's so-called "blessing".]
Sanguinarch of Vampires	Do it. To your heart's content. Blood doesn't dry simply because of death. It will only flow faster, thanks to your futile actions.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	......
His soldiers no longer follow his commands. He watches them advance and advance... until they reach the edge of the rooftop. The Sarkaz's fight will soon destroy this place. Their eyes do not even see these normal soldiers who are in flux between life and death. Most of the soldiers are Victorian. They are of entirely different upbringings than him. They remain oblivious to his objective and the deal he made with the Sarkaz to this very moment. They simply followed him here... to the edge.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	*sigh*...
He knows he shouldn't have moved. The Vampire and Manfred would have been in no hurry to kill him as long as he hid in the far back. But he still wanted to catch those soldiers about to fall to the depths below.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	Ugh...
[Amiya unleashes her Arts against the "blessed" soldiers...]
Lt. Colonel Lettou	Black... energy beams... hah...
[...before approaching Lt. Col. Lettou.]
Amiya	Lt. Colonel Lettou. I can feel pain... in your eyes. You think of yourself a Gaulish man. You revere a massive phantom of the past. You want to take hold of it and bring it back. But... Do you really believe the Sarkaz's word? Do you really believe... that your dream to rebuild Gaul is possible?
Lt. Colonel Lettou	......
Amiya	You are afraid, sir. You pretend you still have control... because you don't want to face the coward in you who wants to flee the war. You force yourself to believe that all the sacrifices you're making are for Gaul. But... you can't forget the eyes of those men you've deceived, who you called to their deaths.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	You... You are the young Lord of Fiends... they spoke of.
Amiya	...I am.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	And I am your enemy.
Amiya	Yes.
Lt. Colonel Lettou
Amiya	........ Nngh–!
An intense pain suddenly seizes her. This isn't the doing of the Liberi before her, nor is it the Originium Arts of the Vampire or Manfred. After all, this isn't an attack. Amiya, oh Amiya. A voice calls out to her. A voice as soft as a snow-white feather quilt that has been set out to dry in the sun. Amiya lifts her head. The sky above her comes smashing down. The thick dark clouds surge towards her, engulfing her from top to bottom. ...Like a tight, suffocating embrace.
<Background 1>
Feist	Doctor, Commander, we've taken back control of the cannon!
Closure	Ten minutes... Gimme just ten more minutes, and I'll take care of them all. Phew... Doctor, for the first time these past few days, I think we just might be able to win this.
Feist	Miss Closure...
Closure	What's up?
Feist	I really wish you hadn't said that.
Closure	You're thinking I must've jinxed... it... Holy shit, Doctor, what the hell's... My surveillance drones' alarms all started blaring at once!
Doctor	......
Closure	Come on, say something. Going all quiet like that is really freaking me out! Wait, that's–
[Suddenly Mon3tr shows up.]
Mon3tr	(Growls in warning)
Doctor	Kal'tsit. / Kal'tsit is back.
Feist	......
Closure	She isn't buying us time... Uh... Doctor, you aren't trying to tell me... the Nachzehrer came back early, are you? ......
Their advance must have been silent. Otherwise, someone was sure to have noticed that they had broken through the walls and crossed half the city. These footsteps are nothing but a signal that penetrates the hearts of all those on the battlefield through the trembling ground. Every street their eyes can reach is filled with Sarkaz warriors. The shadows cast by the dark clouds above cannot engulf them. After all, they are the dark shadows themselves. They are the ones who engulf the land.