The rain poured down. Mud churned violently beneath the stomping boots. The moon barely peeked out from the clouds. Its weak light shone down upon a procession. Trucks driving into what equated to little more than a hole in the ground. Men milled about both the trucks and the hole. A few held various weapons, guns, swords, bows etc. Each soldier was covered by a dark colored cloak with the hood thrown up over their heads. They called out to each other occasionally, the only sound in the silent dark other than the rumble of the truck engines. They had no idea of the figure that watched them from high above.
Katsumi grumbled under her breath as she peered down. Rain had soaked her uniform into her skin. She could feel the water running down her body. This never would've happened in a VRMMO. "Why was I picked for a covert operation? Why couldn't they pick someone that's still in Special Ops?" She groaned, letting her head drop. Maybe this was what she Ghost popped up over her shoulder. The ever moving ball of mechanical parts nudged his creator. She nearly jumped out of the tree. While her heart finally stopped racing, Katsumi glared at her little creation. Perhaps she should be grateful. His limited AI capabilities were growing. He'd been aware enough not to continue on yapping as he usually did.
"Is there something that you need?" She hissed. Ghost looked up at her with his one central eye. "I'm scared, Creator." He mumbled softly. Katsumi's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Ghost didn't have many emotions yet. They were still developing after the freak accident that had helped create him. He'd used that fact against her several times. Faking an emotion to illicit a response from her. Then he'd spend the time mocking her for having emotions. Ungrateful is what she called it. Yui had been the intended recipient of that vessel. It still ground the Rune Knight's gears that Ghost had been born inside it instead.
Finally the swordswoman responded. "I highly doubt that given you've pulled this trick before. We're out in the field now. Its not time for jokes or pranks." Ghost chuckled lightly, his parts spinning around the central eye. "Lighten up, Creator. Its a few goons. You can take them in your sleep." Katsumi raised an eyebrow at him. Leaning back in the tree, she rested her head against the trunk. Her eyes slid closed. "Two longswords, good quality, made of unknown metal, Four machine guns, each fire magic bullets at about 100 rounds per minute if not tweaked or a newer model, one enchanted hand crossbow with unknown capabilities, three without primary weapons, most likely powerful mages with unknown capabilities, and an extendable rocket launcher or grenade on each belt." Ghost bumped into her forehead. "Huh?" Katsumi waved her arm at the soldiers. "Its their loadout. It speaks to training, and I'd bet they've worked as a team before now. Even catching them unawares wouldn't help me. They outnumber me."
Katsumi swung out of the tree, landing neatly at the base. Ghost followed after slowly. She looked at the nimbus of illumination around his frame. That would be a dead giveaway. "Go distract them if you wish, or stay here. You're too visible in dark tunnels." Ghost humphed but flew off into the darkness. Katsumi watched for a moment. If he was going to distract them, she'd make use of that. Suddenly, the mechanical contraption dropped to float above her head. His light got brighter and brighter. "Hey! Hey! Over here! There's a - gurk" Katsumi yanked him out of the air. The damage was already done. the soldiers were moving toward her position. The swordswoman swore as she violently stabbed Ghost's off switch. His light went out and she shoved him in a pocket.
"Baka! Little ingrate! He's getting an 'update' when we get back to HQ" Katsumi said pulled out her sniper rifle. It was a new addition to her creations, tinkered into existence in the last few hours. Waiting a few hours for people to show up was hella boring. The swordswoman sighted down the scope. The mages and the hand crossbow owner were her biggest worry. The cliff was a sheer drop below her, preventing the others from easily reaching her. Her finger squeezed the trigger. The gun bucked back into her arm. A blue shield appeared around her target. "Damn it." Katsumi muttered. She squeezed off a few more shots. Each one pinged off the shield. This wouldn't be an easy fight.
Fire crashed into the hillside next to her. Dirt showered the ground below. A nearby tree would have caught fire if not for the rain. The swordswoman peered around for the responsible party. The had crossbow was being reloaded. Great. An explosion shooting crossbow. Just what she needed right now. The ruffians were advancing on her position rapidly. Katsumi could either get in a shoot out with their ranged units or... do what she did best. She'd been honing her sword styles consistently since exiting GGO. She'd even debated implementing them into her magics. It wouldn't be hard. Her raven hair shook free of its bond. It was time to remind Fiore of the Black Swordswoman - or at least start that legend.
The sniper rifle was strapped onto her back before Katsumi stepped off the cliff. She drew the Henkan I and elongated it into its sword form. "Arashi Style - Soft Falling Rain" She murmured to herself. Her body responded, flowing into the correct forms. The sword flashed in the pale moonlight. Katsumi landed among the soldiers. Two were whipping around. The rest were shocked by her falling attack. "Kennonai Style - Moonlight Slash" Katsumi didn't halt her attacks. Instead she focused them. The two who'd reacted professionally were the most dangerous. A sword swept by her head. The Rune Knight lashed out with her free foot. The other was bearing all her weight. Now extended, Katsumi was in a perfect position for one of her sword forms. "Arashi Style - Flash Lightning" Her body lifted off the ground, spinning vertically. Her blade pointed outward moving up and down. The soldiers nearest to her were turned to mincemeat.
As Katsumi landed, the soldiers around her fell down or fell back. She'd reduced their number by half with a handful of seconds. A sting permeated her battle focus. Her left arm had been hit. Careless. She still had room for improvement. No time like the present. The swordswoman moved to her left. The highest concentration of the retreating soldiers was there. Two were injured. One was the prepared veteran. He turned his gun on her, yelling at his men. Strangely, Katsumi didn't hear a word. "Kennonai Style - Shooting Star." The muscles coiled in her legs and released. A burst of speed put the Rune Knight next to the shouting man. Her fist sank into his solar plexus. Continuing with her momentum, Katsumi used the body as a center point. She spun around it, her sword whipping out. Two down, three left. "Arashi Style - Storm's Afterimage" Her body exploded into motion. She barely kept track of what was happening.
When the sword form was finished, Katsumi stood shaking in the rain. Perhaps that last had been a bad idea. It strained her body. She still had the four long distance fighters, two soldiers nearby and an untold amount in the motorcade or inside the bunker. The swordswoman groaned, straightening back into fighting form. While she was proud of her sword forms, now might be the time for a little magic. She touched the Henkan II. "System Call. Generate Elements: Luminous, Aerial, Thermal. Unlock Secret Art. Noble Phantasm: Blasted Tree." Her lips buzzed from the speed of her words. The Henkan II cleared her trench coat, transforming as she pointed it at the sky. "Discharge!" Lightning streaked down from the sky to strike her enemies. Most of them fell in smoking heaps. Two unfortunately remained standing. She'd honor their final moments with a duel.
Magic swirled about Katsumi's body. It sank into a fighting stance of its own accord. Katsumi didn't need to think. Hours of training were taking over. Instinct from surviving LAO drove her movements. She couldn't have programmed it better in one of her creations. A sword came down. Hers came up deflecting the strike. It sank into her arm. Her fingers pierced the man's stomach. She whipped her sword down. A diagonal line opened up on his body. Lightning crashed into Katsumi's back. She screamed in pain. Still her body didn't tense. It followed through finishing off the man before her.
Another magic strike hit her back. She grit her teeth against the pain. There was a mission to finish and this was only the front door. Enough screwing around. No time to be honorable. The swordswoman spun around, going to one knee. "System Call. Generate Thermal Element. Form: Bow. Invoke Conflagrant Flame Bow. Release" The spell spilled from her lips. It was a little bastardized but it worked to activate the intended spell. Fire short from the Henkan II. It crashed into her attacker and pierced through. The truck behind him was struck as well. Fire exploded over the hood. The engine failed immediately. Katsumi took stock of the motorcade as her battle focus faded. "Shit."
Only two trucks were left of the motorcade: The one she'd broken and one behind it. Every other one must have gotten into the base. Katsumi scowled up into the rain. "Of course Ghost had to ruin this mission for me. First thing I do gettin' back is dismantling that ass and rebuilding him into something useful." The drivers were climbing down from their cabs. Each was reaching for a weapon. "Stop. I'm here for the lawful execution of Magic Council Orders. If you draw weapons, I will defend-" She started to warn them off. It only seemed to make them draw weapons faster. Once fired a bolt at her before she was finished talking.
"If that's how you want it." Katsumi muttered under her breath. She was moving, dodging the incoming attacks. A few nicked her. The gamer girl grit her teeth. There was no way to tell how her body was. In a game, that's easy to tell if you were near death. A health bar, or a mana bar, any sort of HUD was what she needed. When she got back to HQ, she'd sure as hell be making one. Katsumi skidded to a halt near the first driver. "Kennonai Style - Crescent Moon" Her foot clipped his chin. He went down, unconscious. The second driver seemed to think better of continuing the fight. Evidence of Katsumi's skills lay evident all around them. She placed her weapon on the ground and knelt, hands behind her head. It was obvious she'd done this before.
Katsumi shackled the woman, pulling out a hacked iLac out. It let her check the woman's identity. A criminal record with several outstanding current warrents appeared on the screen. Katsumi let out a low whistle. Evidence pointed to each of her opponents being hardened criminals. "You want to tell me what you are doing in the base?" The woman turned her head. No help there then. She'd have to figure things out on her own. "Let's see what you were carrying." The swordswoman moved to look into the back of the trucks. There were various mechanical parts, minerals, rare materials stuffed into the trucks. There didn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to it at all. The designer/inventor in her did salivate over the possibilities this haul could mean for some of her research.
The Rune Knight couldn't make any sense of the mish mash of cargo. Perhaps the base itself would hold the answers. What to do with her prisoner though? She couldn't leave her alone. Running with cuffs wasn't difficult. Killing her wasn't an option either. Katsumi's brow furrowed. She felt disturbed that the option had even crossed her mind. "Time for a nap, Oba san." The swordswoman said pulling back her arm. The woman looked up at her in shock. The flat of the blade slammed into her temple and she slumped. Katsumi sighed stowing the Henkans. It was time to descend into the belly of this beast. Her wounds had gone numb from the cold of the rain. If she didn't go now, the adrenaline would fade, her body would warm up and she'd struggle against the pain. Better move.
Katsumi looked around the battlefield. Those that were unconscious would stay that way for now. The dead... they could be dealt with at another time. The materials in the truck could be collected at another time as well. The Rune Knight stepped toward the hole. It really felt like descending into the gullet of a beast.
WC: 2152
Katsumi grumbled under her breath as she peered down. Rain had soaked her uniform into her skin. She could feel the water running down her body. This never would've happened in a VRMMO. "Why was I picked for a covert operation? Why couldn't they pick someone that's still in Special Ops?" She groaned, letting her head drop. Maybe this was what she Ghost popped up over her shoulder. The ever moving ball of mechanical parts nudged his creator. She nearly jumped out of the tree. While her heart finally stopped racing, Katsumi glared at her little creation. Perhaps she should be grateful. His limited AI capabilities were growing. He'd been aware enough not to continue on yapping as he usually did.
"Is there something that you need?" She hissed. Ghost looked up at her with his one central eye. "I'm scared, Creator." He mumbled softly. Katsumi's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Ghost didn't have many emotions yet. They were still developing after the freak accident that had helped create him. He'd used that fact against her several times. Faking an emotion to illicit a response from her. Then he'd spend the time mocking her for having emotions. Ungrateful is what she called it. Yui had been the intended recipient of that vessel. It still ground the Rune Knight's gears that Ghost had been born inside it instead.
Finally the swordswoman responded. "I highly doubt that given you've pulled this trick before. We're out in the field now. Its not time for jokes or pranks." Ghost chuckled lightly, his parts spinning around the central eye. "Lighten up, Creator. Its a few goons. You can take them in your sleep." Katsumi raised an eyebrow at him. Leaning back in the tree, she rested her head against the trunk. Her eyes slid closed. "Two longswords, good quality, made of unknown metal, Four machine guns, each fire magic bullets at about 100 rounds per minute if not tweaked or a newer model, one enchanted hand crossbow with unknown capabilities, three without primary weapons, most likely powerful mages with unknown capabilities, and an extendable rocket launcher or grenade on each belt." Ghost bumped into her forehead. "Huh?" Katsumi waved her arm at the soldiers. "Its their loadout. It speaks to training, and I'd bet they've worked as a team before now. Even catching them unawares wouldn't help me. They outnumber me."
Katsumi swung out of the tree, landing neatly at the base. Ghost followed after slowly. She looked at the nimbus of illumination around his frame. That would be a dead giveaway. "Go distract them if you wish, or stay here. You're too visible in dark tunnels." Ghost humphed but flew off into the darkness. Katsumi watched for a moment. If he was going to distract them, she'd make use of that. Suddenly, the mechanical contraption dropped to float above her head. His light got brighter and brighter. "Hey! Hey! Over here! There's a - gurk" Katsumi yanked him out of the air. The damage was already done. the soldiers were moving toward her position. The swordswoman swore as she violently stabbed Ghost's off switch. His light went out and she shoved him in a pocket.
"Baka! Little ingrate! He's getting an 'update' when we get back to HQ" Katsumi said pulled out her sniper rifle. It was a new addition to her creations, tinkered into existence in the last few hours. Waiting a few hours for people to show up was hella boring. The swordswoman sighted down the scope. The mages and the hand crossbow owner were her biggest worry. The cliff was a sheer drop below her, preventing the others from easily reaching her. Her finger squeezed the trigger. The gun bucked back into her arm. A blue shield appeared around her target. "Damn it." Katsumi muttered. She squeezed off a few more shots. Each one pinged off the shield. This wouldn't be an easy fight.
Fire crashed into the hillside next to her. Dirt showered the ground below. A nearby tree would have caught fire if not for the rain. The swordswoman peered around for the responsible party. The had crossbow was being reloaded. Great. An explosion shooting crossbow. Just what she needed right now. The ruffians were advancing on her position rapidly. Katsumi could either get in a shoot out with their ranged units or... do what she did best. She'd been honing her sword styles consistently since exiting GGO. She'd even debated implementing them into her magics. It wouldn't be hard. Her raven hair shook free of its bond. It was time to remind Fiore of the Black Swordswoman - or at least start that legend.
The sniper rifle was strapped onto her back before Katsumi stepped off the cliff. She drew the Henkan I and elongated it into its sword form. "Arashi Style - Soft Falling Rain" She murmured to herself. Her body responded, flowing into the correct forms. The sword flashed in the pale moonlight. Katsumi landed among the soldiers. Two were whipping around. The rest were shocked by her falling attack. "Kennonai Style - Moonlight Slash" Katsumi didn't halt her attacks. Instead she focused them. The two who'd reacted professionally were the most dangerous. A sword swept by her head. The Rune Knight lashed out with her free foot. The other was bearing all her weight. Now extended, Katsumi was in a perfect position for one of her sword forms. "Arashi Style - Flash Lightning" Her body lifted off the ground, spinning vertically. Her blade pointed outward moving up and down. The soldiers nearest to her were turned to mincemeat.
As Katsumi landed, the soldiers around her fell down or fell back. She'd reduced their number by half with a handful of seconds. A sting permeated her battle focus. Her left arm had been hit. Careless. She still had room for improvement. No time like the present. The swordswoman moved to her left. The highest concentration of the retreating soldiers was there. Two were injured. One was the prepared veteran. He turned his gun on her, yelling at his men. Strangely, Katsumi didn't hear a word. "Kennonai Style - Shooting Star." The muscles coiled in her legs and released. A burst of speed put the Rune Knight next to the shouting man. Her fist sank into his solar plexus. Continuing with her momentum, Katsumi used the body as a center point. She spun around it, her sword whipping out. Two down, three left. "Arashi Style - Storm's Afterimage" Her body exploded into motion. She barely kept track of what was happening.
When the sword form was finished, Katsumi stood shaking in the rain. Perhaps that last had been a bad idea. It strained her body. She still had the four long distance fighters, two soldiers nearby and an untold amount in the motorcade or inside the bunker. The swordswoman groaned, straightening back into fighting form. While she was proud of her sword forms, now might be the time for a little magic. She touched the Henkan II. "System Call. Generate Elements: Luminous, Aerial, Thermal. Unlock Secret Art. Noble Phantasm: Blasted Tree." Her lips buzzed from the speed of her words. The Henkan II cleared her trench coat, transforming as she pointed it at the sky. "Discharge!" Lightning streaked down from the sky to strike her enemies. Most of them fell in smoking heaps. Two unfortunately remained standing. She'd honor their final moments with a duel.
Magic swirled about Katsumi's body. It sank into a fighting stance of its own accord. Katsumi didn't need to think. Hours of training were taking over. Instinct from surviving LAO drove her movements. She couldn't have programmed it better in one of her creations. A sword came down. Hers came up deflecting the strike. It sank into her arm. Her fingers pierced the man's stomach. She whipped her sword down. A diagonal line opened up on his body. Lightning crashed into Katsumi's back. She screamed in pain. Still her body didn't tense. It followed through finishing off the man before her.
Another magic strike hit her back. She grit her teeth against the pain. There was a mission to finish and this was only the front door. Enough screwing around. No time to be honorable. The swordswoman spun around, going to one knee. "System Call. Generate Thermal Element. Form: Bow. Invoke Conflagrant Flame Bow. Release" The spell spilled from her lips. It was a little bastardized but it worked to activate the intended spell. Fire short from the Henkan II. It crashed into her attacker and pierced through. The truck behind him was struck as well. Fire exploded over the hood. The engine failed immediately. Katsumi took stock of the motorcade as her battle focus faded. "Shit."
Only two trucks were left of the motorcade: The one she'd broken and one behind it. Every other one must have gotten into the base. Katsumi scowled up into the rain. "Of course Ghost had to ruin this mission for me. First thing I do gettin' back is dismantling that ass and rebuilding him into something useful." The drivers were climbing down from their cabs. Each was reaching for a weapon. "Stop. I'm here for the lawful execution of Magic Council Orders. If you draw weapons, I will defend-" She started to warn them off. It only seemed to make them draw weapons faster. Once fired a bolt at her before she was finished talking.
"If that's how you want it." Katsumi muttered under her breath. She was moving, dodging the incoming attacks. A few nicked her. The gamer girl grit her teeth. There was no way to tell how her body was. In a game, that's easy to tell if you were near death. A health bar, or a mana bar, any sort of HUD was what she needed. When she got back to HQ, she'd sure as hell be making one. Katsumi skidded to a halt near the first driver. "Kennonai Style - Crescent Moon" Her foot clipped his chin. He went down, unconscious. The second driver seemed to think better of continuing the fight. Evidence of Katsumi's skills lay evident all around them. She placed her weapon on the ground and knelt, hands behind her head. It was obvious she'd done this before.
Katsumi shackled the woman, pulling out a hacked iLac out. It let her check the woman's identity. A criminal record with several outstanding current warrents appeared on the screen. Katsumi let out a low whistle. Evidence pointed to each of her opponents being hardened criminals. "You want to tell me what you are doing in the base?" The woman turned her head. No help there then. She'd have to figure things out on her own. "Let's see what you were carrying." The swordswoman moved to look into the back of the trucks. There were various mechanical parts, minerals, rare materials stuffed into the trucks. There didn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to it at all. The designer/inventor in her did salivate over the possibilities this haul could mean for some of her research.
The Rune Knight couldn't make any sense of the mish mash of cargo. Perhaps the base itself would hold the answers. What to do with her prisoner though? She couldn't leave her alone. Running with cuffs wasn't difficult. Killing her wasn't an option either. Katsumi's brow furrowed. She felt disturbed that the option had even crossed her mind. "Time for a nap, Oba san." The swordswoman said pulling back her arm. The woman looked up at her in shock. The flat of the blade slammed into her temple and she slumped. Katsumi sighed stowing the Henkans. It was time to descend into the belly of this beast. Her wounds had gone numb from the cold of the rain. If she didn't go now, the adrenaline would fade, her body would warm up and she'd struggle against the pain. Better move.
Katsumi looked around the battlefield. Those that were unconscious would stay that way for now. The dead... they could be dealt with at another time. The materials in the truck could be collected at another time as well. The Rune Knight stepped toward the hole. It really felt like descending into the gullet of a beast.
WC: 2152