Thwarting the Sacrifice

Motor City had struck its name on Lacrima News all over the country with the unreal tendencies of danger that were reported from it. He had only heard little before taking off, but it appeared that something or someone were inside the town causing massive numbers of death to the inhabitants, and many surviving civilians couldn’t explain the abnormalities. It was as if anyone who saw the danger with their own eyes got rid of, but despite such secrecy, the Rune Knights had already barricaded the entire town and attempted to secure the civilians of the non-magical metropolis. See, despite having magical car shops and all, it was a city that devoted itself to not power itself up too much with magic or have any services associated with magic - overall just not be completely dependent on supernatural powers - in huge contrasts to other cities around Fiore that oozed with magic in every corner; this that also meant that if they ever needed assistance from wizards, then they would have to find them outside. And today was one of those days where problems and issues just needed to be solved with supernatural entities.

And he was one of them. The lad and Ace of Fairy Tail had been informed of this catastrophe, and his aid was needed. The paper explained that they needed a unit of a healer and a battlemage to guard two new recruits of the Rune Knights gain entrance into Motor City and gain intel where everyone else has failed up until now. It was… a terrifying thought, honestly. Despite the crisis being new and recent, how many had tried to find out who was behind all the disappearing only to disappear themselves? Mura was overwhelmed with curiosity as well as pity and a need to give out his contribution too.

And so what if he would disappear? Kyuken could bring the word out, unless if the hidden threat could make ghosts disappear as well. It was sort of a self-sacrificial mindset that he had to take before rocketing off the kerb-stone right outside his house and flying off towards Motor City.

As soon as he saw Motor City’s tall, gloomy buildings and neon signs from outside the border, he sought down on the surface. The shaman was accompanied by both spirits this time - Kyuken and Zirconis - and they were finely busy with their talk:

“Whoever is causing all of this is a damn coward to hide themselves… I say we do what all the others haven’t done yet; actually lure the bastard out with a clone of yours, Mura.”
“I feel bad for Motor City. It’s just a town that wants to take care of itself, it doesn’t deserve this… look at all these people.”

There were many people wandering off and towards the city, and the shaman would soon be pulled into the fray. He felt a tugging on his mantle and looked to the side to see a guy around the same height as himself and with a bravesword strapped to his back. The boy was accompanied by a smaller girl with a stupidly big mace on her back.

Once when Mura had turned his face to look at them, the boy’s eyes widened even more. It was as if he just wanted to confirm what he was seeing, and after doing so, the strange boy gasped: “Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! It-It’s you! It’s-It’s actually you, M-M-Mura Kensho!” It appeared that the swords-boy recognized the shaman, and it felt so weird to be recognized like that. The way he called his name was… the same way that Mura once called Ardere’s name. Well, time sure had passed… oh damn, it really had. He was a Wizard Saint, now! He was just like Ardere back then! He had actually become a famous wizard just like he promised his father!

Mura smiled brightly in response, saying what he expected a kind idol like Ardere to say in a situation like this: “T-That’s me… hi there, you two.” He knew that every action of his would be remembered now, so he decided to pat both kids’ heads gently. The boy’s eyes almost glistered in joy, while the girl was more or less confused as to why she was being patted. “I may still be a child… but this behavior of yours doesn’t feel suiting to me. I assume it’s a habit of yours?” “Actually, yeah,” Mura replied with a chuckle, realizing that he used to do things like this often when he met small people… it could bring him in trouble, one day.

He decided to follow them both to the iron gate while the boy who presented himself as Kenta spoke up: “I-I can’t believe it! We’re definitely going to work wonders this time, sister! I bet all my hair that we’ll complete this mission with a Wizard Saint on our side!” Kenta jumped up happily with every word, but his sister took the situation more calmly. “So, you’re the Saint of Spirit? I saw your battle at the Fairy Festival against the God of Strength. You put up a good fight. And you’re a swordsman too, just like my eccentric brother.” “O-OH GOD YES! I knew that we had a swordsman or two among the powerhouses! Damn, I feel so happyyyyyy…!!!” “With that mindset and attitude of yours, I bet you’ll become a prominent wizard yourself, Kenta. Perhaps you’ll become the next Wizard Saint,” Mura simply replied given how taken aback he was by Kenta’s liveliness.

From the center of his eye, he spotted a much more familiar entity at the iron gate. Was that Charlotte? His first thought was to make sure that she was… you know, okay after the last event he had with her. Worry overcame him, and as Kenta looked up at Mura’s saddening face with sparkly eyes, the shaman dashed forward and found himself face to face with the white-haired nymph. He… he just couldn’t help but lay both hands on the top of her head as a way to reality-check of some sort. “C-Charlotte… you look okay. Are you okay? I was so worried when I couldn’t find you at the hospital… I thought you were gone…” As a gulp of anxiety travelled down his throat, Mura swung his arms around Charlotte and pulled her in for a hug. Her fluffy hair pressed up on his face as he whispered: “I’m so glad that you’re not hurt… you looked to be in such pain back then…”

WC: 1087

For quite a long moment, the two wizards just stood there in the middle of the road leading to the gate, embracing each other as if they were distant, long-time relatives having reunited once more. Mura was joyous to see her being well and healthy again; none of that painful anomaly was surrounding her, and no tears were trickling down across her cheeks this time. And this wasn’t any dream or illusion. Maybe it was a brotherly instinct that the shaman had for her, since it wouldn’t be found any stranger than other theories. Perhaps Mura really grew close to her in a way… that mind journey was still embedded in his head, and it wouldn’t leave his memory anytime soon.

However, as the silver maiden Charlotte let go of him, she uttered words that threw him off to the side a little. For a moment, he assumed that she was joking, but Charlotte hadn’t appeared to be the joking type previously… and she kept going on how she didn’t remember what happened to her. At last, however, his name was spoken out. Despite having just repeated Kenta’s words, it did relieve him a little, but the next moments would prove that Charlotte might have been through more than he knew of. She reminded him that they did things together and all, but she couldn’t remember a single detail about what or where they were… did she suffer from amnesia? Was the library inside her head injured, in some way?

Upon listening to her explanation, including a mention of the disappeared guild Black Rose and its ties to her, he had to conclude that whatever they went through, or perhaps any other future event after that one midday, had hit her head a bit too hard and rendered many of her memories absent… or perhaps it was a failsafe? A mechanism that stepped in when she literally went into the place where they were. And about that place; Mura himself couldn’t put his tongue on its exact description, because he had little to think through and lots to take in. All the ideas and thoughts in the shaman’s head circulated, creating vortexes of confusion in his skull. And the two kids, Kenta and Yuka, stood and watched in oblivious lack of what was going on.

“I… I think that they know each other,” Kenta whispered to his sister who held herself back from doing the obvious, situationally called eye-rolling. “They’re friends, Kenta. Friends hug each other, albeit mostly if they’re very close… is she your sister? Or are you just very emotional with things, sir Mura?” she kindly asked the Onmyōji. While they were talking, the contrast and differences between the two young Rune Knight recruits were apparent in large scales; Kenta’s voice was rough and bratty with lots of confidence and spirit in his actions, while Yuka was delicate and sharp with scents of wit and even cunningness in hers. “She’s my friend, you two. And yeah,” Mura explained whilst patting Charlotte’s silver-haired head, “I was sent to support these two recruits of the Rune Knights. This is Kenta, and this is Yuka.” He pointed to each respective wielder of those names for Charlotte to learn them. “Hey there!” Kenta started with a towering wave. “Greetings,” his sister, Yuka, followed up.

“Now that we’re all here, we should enter the city… but Charlotte,” Mura spoke out, until his voice cracked into a worrisome tone, “Are you… like, are you okay? Everything good? You haven’t hurt yourself or anything, right?”

“Hehe, she’s not your child… that does frighten me, the thought that is,” Yuka remarked, a small pearl of sweat falling off her face.

WC: 614
TWC: 1087 + 614 = 1701

Huh. Charlotte showed few to no signs of trouble now. It was as if the entire memory thing never happened… but if she truly felt much better, then that was more important for Mura than finding out what happened after he woke up at the hospital in Magnolia. Safety first. Besides, they had a pretty big deal to take care of right now, since Motor City was at the brink of extermination by the unknown danger that lured around and fed on genocide. Mura trusted in Charlotte and watched the two smaller wizards as they entered Motor City in all its machinery and…

It was almost unbearable to watch. The usually lively Motor City was surrounded in dread, and the term ‘missing’ was all around the shaman, since everybody was missing. The passers-by, the civilians, there was not a single soul to find here. Where were everybody? Even Kenta and Yuki were getting up on their toes in worry, but they were determined to prove their worth with the Rune Knights, and since Charlotte herself was a Rune Knight, they had the best opportunity to show her that they had material that the organization could gain great use of. Their dream was on the line, and bravery was needed. That was why Mura would do his best to protect them and let their dream come to fruition.

Charlotte began to stutter as she tried her best to explain. Maybe the atmosphere was too much for her… in this world, the atmosphere alone held a huge factor in people’s capabilities, moods and ambitions. The very atmosphere could change the fate of Motor City. He shouldn’t let it get to him, but he made sure to walk up beside Charlotte so that she didn’t feel too burdened. This was a group’s duty.

He suddenly felt his vision blur. It was shocking, for Mura’s senses were strong and sharpened by years of training and experience. This was clearly the work of an exterior, sentient force. “Kyuken. Zirconis,” he called upon his ghostly buddies, “Be my eyes.”

“Roger.”
“Four eyes are better than none.”

He wouldn’t let this stop him from looking for any survivors and/or enemies. If this was some spell’s play, then he wouldn’t waver or break. He knew that he was stronger than this, and he still had to watch out for the two kids and Charlotte. They had their own challenges up ahead.

His feet began to grow limb as if he couldn’t feel his shoes. This limb feeling crawled up his legs and up to his abdomen, passing by his torso until his entire body felt tired and disturbed. “T-This feeling…” he spoke up, “D-Do you guys feel it too? Watch out… maybe we’re very close to the source of this evil…”

WC: 463
TWC: 1701 + 463 = 2164