The Cauldron of Black: The Battle of Principle

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A Battle of Pride
"You think this is the right call?" Asks Jack, the Wallaby, McTavish as he looks out of an opening from the black citadel which housed the entirety of the Black Blood Sect's forces. From there he could see a vast army boxing kilometers worth of dying landscape, with a castle resting atop of a hillside which already had signs of fighting from hsi view. He could even sense many familiars down below, already making his gut twinge with regret.

"This isn't a matter of right or wrong, Wallaby," Kogun Ōkami, the Sword Saint, spoke aloud as he slung over two large scabbard cases of sheathed swords over his shoulders. Withdrawing one sword then the other, he rolled his neck side to side, issuing a number of audible pops from his joints. "It's a battle of principle. They chose the side of current civilization despite her pact with us. Not only that, but it is confirmed the Plague is with them, all the more reason for us to attack now while they're in the open."

"But they're our mates, right? Surely we can call it a day and let them hash it out with the other blokes of the West folk-!"

"That's enough, Jack," Yokujin, the Archer, chided firmly in his normally quiet tone. The upturned collared, black trenchcoat bearing gunslinger glared at the Drunken God with his cat-like eyes, almost on the verge of sneering as his hands pocketed into his coat. "It is happening whether you like it or not. You're here representing the Crimson Knights, not your own selfish desires of friendship or peace. If you get in the way of this operation-"

"I'm not, I swear!" Jack waved his hands insistently, sweat beading down his brow as he looked back and forth between the two stoic men. Gesturing he swallowed hesitantly as he asked once more. "But...this is V-14 we're talking about. They wouldn't fight on their side if not for good reason, right?"

"True, Angelika is has always been a rational head and doesn't do things after considering them calmly," A quiet, serene voice broke the tension between all three Crimson Knights, causing them to look over at Athena Karoi. Unlike her previously seen ceremonial garments of gold and white, she now wore a dull grey suit of chain-link mail that conformed over her body to express her physical aptitude was at its peak. With a buckle of brass holding a pair of swords on either hip, a golden chain holding a white cape that flowed down to her booted heels, and a similarly dark hued helmet with her hair poking out its top and splaying over the prior mentioned cape in a beautiful array of Sun sparkling tresses. Currently held in her right hand was a firearm that had a blunderbust barrel while the left held what looked like a flag bearing the Black Blood Sect's insignia of a red fist bearing black blood over its knuckle bearing side. Staring down at the three, her mesmerising yellow eyes turned a shade darker as a righteous glare turned at them all. "But, siding with the Shadow of Izanagi cannot be forgiven. By all that is good and precious in this world, allying with such a devious bastard cannot be tolerated. This is a preemptive strike disguised as a battle of contracts and alliances, that I will not lie to you. Even still, we should commit our all, no matter the circumstances!"

Leaving them on a click of her metal covered heels, the cape wearing woman had put them all in a damning silence. Only when her voice carried throughout the entire citadel did they raise their heads in attentitveness, "ALL ARMS BE RAISED FOR THE TIME OF BATTLE IS NIGH! THIS MAY BE THE LAST TESTAMENT WRITTEN FOR US BUT WE WILL FIGHT WITH PRIDE AND HONOR OUR WAY OF LIFE AGAINST THOSE WHO HAVE THREATENED IT TIME AND AGAIN! FOR THE SECT AND FOR THE PEOPLE, KILL OUR ENEMIES AND STAIN THE SOIL RED WITH BLOOD!"

A resounding howl of war cries that shook the sky drifted down the enemies and cohorts of the Quincy folk below. Thousands of signatures raised their Reiatsu to the point of creating an elliptical wave of air pressure that turned into a hurricane wind that blasted the members of Aether's Corps. Their strength was felt in full as the castle descended, closer and closer to the Quincy's base, with enemies readying themselves to leap into the fray at any given moment.

"Holy Hell!" Commented Auguste of Cohort 3, raising his gun wielding arm to brace himself against the bristling wind filled with Reiatsu. "What kind of contenders are we dealing with? I thought we were just fighting Quincies, not a bunch of criminals!"

"Firstly, Captain, that's blasphemy to associate Holy with the word Hell," Lieutenant Faendil Kreuger brushed off with a visible twitch of annoyance. Despite the look of anger cast by his superior, he continued with an upraised finger. "Second, when it was confirmed that Tome Kūgun was a part of their ranks it should come as no surprise their allies would come running to his aide. The fact we've come in full force along with nearly all the Paladins is most likely foresignt of our Captain Commanders that something like this could have happened."

"Think you're hot stuff, reprimanding me like I'm your inferior, huh?!" Auguste growled as he reared back a fist to hit his underling.

"W-W-Wait, what are you-UFFF!" Faendil failed to raise his arms to defend, only for the unarmed hand of Auguste's to hit him square in the face, drawing blood from his lips. "What was that for, Captain?!"

"No one likes a smartass," Auguste wiped his hand on his jacket, huffing indignantly as he gripped his gun tightly.

Not too far away, accompanied by her own line of men in her 4th Company, Dalia turned to look at the nearby Paladins standing close to her. Them being Percival, Rosalina, and Simon respectively. "You know, you guys didn't need to stand in a line right next to me. I'm sure William would have preferred your company."

"Would he, Captain?" Edward asked with an upturned brow of blunt curiosity.

"Shut it, I'm asking the questions!" Dalia hissed comically with enlarged eyes. When her Lieutenant just shrugged and turned away, she returned to her initiative to ask the Paladins why they insisted being near her.

"I don't know about these two," Rosalina responded dryly, as she always had, holding her black bow in one hand while her free hand brushed some hair away from her blinded eye. "But I just happen to like the view from here. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You happened to steal a good eagle's eye view, Captain." Percival agreed. He happened to be standing tall, his Seelenbracher blade held like a cane in front of him. Both hands were on the pommel, and the tip of the blade was stuck in the ground. "Or at least, one of the better places to observe the terrain before the engagement begins."

Simon looked over at Dalia, furrowing his eyebrows and giving somewhat of a pouting frown. "That tone of yours is quite... unwelcoming, if I'm correct in assuming so, Dalia." He said. "Is our company so deplorable that you would rather have us ousted from your presence as soon as possible? You wound me deeply..."

"I-I wasn't saying that!" Dalia waved at Simon, her face lighting up with a blush of embarrassment. Coughing to clear her throat, she fixed a pointed glare at her snickering Lieutenant before looking at the Paladin in question. "I'm just saying, you guys are usually loners, right? I thought you'd be a bit more spread out across the battlefield. After all we have over ten kilometers of field distance between us and the enemy. Wouldn't it make sense to have you all cover as much ground as possible?"

"An excellent point, Captain," Rosalina replied on point, rolling her neck side to side as she loosened herself for the coming battle. "But I'm afraid you have it backwards. We aren't strong on our own. The Holy Decimo's greatest strength is in our unity under the leadership of our Paladinus Primus. That is how we've always functioned and will continue to do so until such strategies are tossed into the wind by a new leader."

"Is that so?" Dalia twitched, slightly irritated the other Paladin took precedence to speak on Simon's behalf. Turning to him once more, she asked with crossed arms over her breastplate. "Is there any merit to your comrade's words?"

The white-haired Paladin gave a nod of acknowledgement, a proud smile working his way onto his face. "It is true." He answered, shifting his attention back onto the soon-to-be battlefield. He didn't seem too miffed by the interruption himself. "We may have our own respective powers that identify and carry us through battle. But our true strength comes from all of us acting as one, pieces of a sword and shield unified for our cause. One soldier alone, no matter how powerful he or she may be, cannot carry the weight of war alone. It is through all of us that our true potential and strength can be recognized on the battlefield."

"We may have our differences between us." Percival added. "But such slights do not stop us from completing our objectives, and I for one certainly don't plan on them being a hindrance here in such," The hands that rested on the pommel of his sword tightened a little in subdued anger. "Despicable enemies."

"For once, I can agree with you on that, Percival," Rosalina replied with a half smile that vanished as quickly as it came.

"Well, one way or another, we should be able to pull through this-" Dalia began to say, if not for a sudden deployment of silhouettes coming from the citadel. The shadows moved incredibly fast and were far larger than any fighter they perceived. When they dove closer, the outline of avian shaped metal airships zoomed close to the ground, detaching what looked like a number of tubular metal devices. Recognizing the faint residual Reiryoku within each payload, Dalia's eyes widened as did her mouth upon shouting in warning. "SCATTER!"

As fast as her Cohort was, they couldn't all escape the blast radius. The airships moved with such speed and precision that explosions raining across the entire battlefront could be seen and heard, like infernal thunderclaps of flaming geysers. Dozens of men were killed instantly per explosion while many more were stunned or injured by the shockwave. Durable as they may be, the Knights couldn't withstand Reishi bombs so easily.

"Captain!" Edward cried out, pulling himself out of a pile of soil that had buried him. Stained with soot while a gash over his left eye kept him at half capacity for vision, he rushed over to see Dalia kneeling down, heaving with effort as part of her own armor was torn off at the back. In her arms were three Knights under her command, barely saved by the bombing run that had surprised them all. Reaching down to shake her, Dalia brushed off his hand and pulled out her sword, instantly turning it into a hammer as its released form. With shield in hand, she looked questionably at him with a bleary look in her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"No, but I'll live," She hissed out, looking around for the Paladins. "Did the Paladins survive that?"

"I don't know, but-CAPTAIN!" The Lieutenant cried out, watching another metal bird veer around, firing a rapid succession of Reishi bolts at them from their curved wing mounted guns. While the Captain fended off a few shots with her own shield, the second in command erected a barrier with rapidly woven hand signs. They were dispersed across the field but soon rendered it obsolete. With the shadow of the vehicle looming in, the two's eyes shot up at the sight of the attacker about to make a final shot.

"Verzehren!"

Rosalina called out from behind, firing a shadowy bolt that made contact with the windshield of the airship heading towards them. Abysmal threads spread like wildfire, expanding throughout the rest of the airborne monstrocity. As it bowled over their heads, one could see the metal framework contort and pull in on itself, effectively imploding just shy of impacting the landscape nearby. Seeing that, they could see while scuffed Rosalina herself was unharmed while wielding her dark, rune laced bow.

"Well, that answers that question," Edward breathed out with a sigh. "Now if we could find out where the others are..."

Fortunately, they didn't have to look very far.

As the smoke cleared, there was a rather disturbing sight from where Simon and Percival had stood. Two massive hands large enough to dwarf a humanoid figure were clasped together in a dome-like formation. The hands were clearly constructs, created from what appeared to be a mist-like energy. The shape of each hand could only be described as demonic, with claw-like appendages serving as the fingers. Even before they were made visible, there would be the dark aura of the energy exuding from their presence. It was almost unidentifiable, its corrupted signature making it seem like it was something else entirely. But if one picked it out closely, one could detect the aura of a Hollow.

But it was no Hollow, nor was it the power of a Visored.

The hands separated, revealing a crouched Percival. His Seelenbracher blade's flat edge was facing the sky, his free hand pressed against the side facing the ground. The blade was held over his head - a clear indicator of who had summoned the horrid hands. If that was enough, the brief and yellow glow that could be briefly seen in his eyes would. That glow was quick to fade away, and he slowly allowed himself to rise. "They come." He growled, his voice sharpened and harsher than it was before. The full brunt of his wrath could be heard behind his tone, even within its semblance of composure. "It's time to steady your hand, Captain. A measly bomb like that will be nothing compared to the wave that follows it."

"Such harsh words..." Simon muttered, shaking his head in slight disapproval. He stood up from his own crouched position, his eyes directed towards the sky. His own Seelenbracher was gripped by the hilt in one hand. "But they do carry some merit. Steel yourselves, and let your resolve pave the way from here on out. Hold nothing back!"

"That goes without saying, Simon," Rosalina replied with an even tone, already forming another arrow to take aim at a distant aircraft. Letting it loose with another whisper, a sporadic explosion of scarlet colored tongues came from where it once was before raining ash and fragments onto the masses. Turning to see a winged formation return their way, she reached to pull back a drawstring to her cheek, this time surprised to see Dalia getting in the way of her sight. "Captain!"

"Best stand back this time, Paladin," The Lieutenant told her cautiously, already crouching for the upcoming attack. "Things never end pretty as your marksmanship does when she goes wild."

"I call upon the power imbued within thine soul, Mjölnir, and unleash thy fury upon thou infidels!" Dalia chanted out, raising her hammer above her head, concocting a whirling twister of crackling bolts of electricity. This grew in severity the closer the enemy drew in, soon elapsing to discharge bolts of lightning that sprouted all around her vicinity. Then, with her eyes brimming with an azure hue, she threw the blunt weapon towards the center of the formation with a loud cry. "Othinus Concursores!"

As the airborne vehicles began to evade, the weapon unleashed a wide net of high voltage reishi. Taking the shape of a crow's three pronged talon while webs of lightning spread like wildfire, enveloping everything in the atmosphere in a wrathful current of throttling energy. Not only was the targets rendered into molten metal within seconds of exposure, soon after falling like orange glowing slag onto the earth with hissing vapor escaping the area, but the attack rampaged across the sky. Arcing up it took down several more deployed chariot formations of fighters it bludgeoned through a turret of the imposing far-off citadel hanging in the sky, exploding with a final explosion of violent orange and crimson tongues that rocked the moving fortress.

"She did all of that, with one attack?" The Paladinus Decimus thought with a widened eye, turning to look at the slightly scorched Captain as her hand remained fixed in its thrown posture. Seconds later the weapon rushed back to her grip, her caped back flourishing as she turned to rally her troops with her raised hammer. The result was a resounding howl of battle fervor, one that was spurred on as she stomped quickly across the dying field as many other Cohorts were starting to do.

"I summon thou of ancient stone and jewel, to become thy shield and thy sword, thy fortress and thy resting place. I call upon thou, Ymir!" Edward cried out as he unsheathed his own sword, piercing the earth, causing the formation of minerals and soil to rise up and take shape around him. Raised up with it as one, the weapon dissolved into a hardened shell of glittering gems and forged steel. With a horned helm jutted out from the avatar of the earth, a pair of glowing eyes stared out of the empty slits, its enormous body now the ten meters tall with a gallant well defined composition. Wielding a club of ivory smoothness, studded by jewels encrusted upon its surface, the giant took a swift gallop towards the Quincy and Sect castles.

It was a glorious sight for war, to see the soldiers march across the battlefield.

The two male Paladins were left to stare at astonishment at the devastating attacks to the enemy's air forces, with Simon looking more shocked than Percival. The fourth Paladin was quick to get over his own surprise, his expression hardening under the mask. He turned to the other two Paladins. "We need to be there on the front lines. Even with the large number of support, the enemy's defenses will still be strong. Nothing less is expected from the shields of Aether." He swung his gaze forward, gripping his blade handle in both hands before lowering himself and breaking into a rapid run. "Let's go!"

His movements almost caught Simon off-guard. But he was quick to nod, bringing himself into the same position as Percival and chase after him. "R-right! Lead on!"

"KEEP ADVANCING!!!" Percival bellowed, his voice ringing loud and clear even over the nearby cries of the soldiers that ran beside him. "DRIVE THEM INTO A CORNER AND CRUSH THEM INTO THE DUST!!! NO ENEMY LEAVES THIS BATTLEFIELD ALIVE!!"

Two hidden Quincy were watching from a certain distance away, hidden from sight and from sense. Both of them were crouched low, silently observing the multitude of enemy soldiers advancing to the castle. While one of them was armed with a knife in each hand, another one had what looked like a hand-held cannon in his hands. Although the barrel was aimed at the massive movement, the finger was off of the trigger. After several seconds of observation, the one that held the gun reached a hand up to click to his earpiece. "This is Ramiel to Tabris. Tabris, do you read?" He questioned, emphasizing his words with a militant and professional tone.

"I read you, Ramiel." Was the voice on the other end, lighter yet still holding a semblance of seriousness. "What do you see?"

"I see a massive group of enemy foot mobiles. Units are being spearheaded by Knight Captains and Paladins. At least one construct is reinforcing them."

An entertained chuckle. "Sounds like they're really putting everything into this little assault. I don't think that even what we have here can hold them off without getting overwhelmed."

"Should I soften up their defenses?" Ramiel questioned, taking one hand off of his cannon and balling the newly freed hand up into a fist.

"No need. It may be tempting, but save your power for the ones that deserve to see it."

On the other end of the radio, Tabris stood at the castle's wall balcony. His hands were behind his back, and he was observing the advancing army with intrigue. There was a smirk on his face, his blood racing at the thought of the eventual collision the opposing sides would experience. But he kept his composure. "If the Black Blood Sect are what the Commander claims they are," He continued, his eyes crinkling. "Then I'm sure that they're more than capable in paying our friends a warm welcome."

A singing sound of metal cascading across the air followed by whipping tethers of sort. When Dalia saw the first of the swords slam into the earth, long rings of "Caution" tape seemed to stretch along with the hilt of each earth cemented blade. Reaching a vast fifty meter radius, many of Dalia's Cohort and the rushing Paladins were stopped dead in their tracks as three particular Crimson Knights descended in front of the sword embedded wall. Their Reiatsu concealed, but their disposition made all the veteran Knights of the Corps wary.

Standing tall in between the two was Jack McTavish, already propping back a bottle of Tendan Spill for his throat to slurp noisily in front of the halted army. Kogun Ōkami flicked idly a toothpick within his lips, half of the scabbards that were fitted into each large sword casing, comprising of the wall of weapons behind him. Yokujin had his pockets stuffed with his hands, bright yellow eyes staring intimidatingly at the lot before them.

"Crimson Knights," Dalia spoke out loud with recognition, her eyes narrowing hard at the three impeding their progress. "They're part of the Black Blood Sect's elite!"

"It appears they're confident enough to halt an entire Cohort, in addition to the Paladins who are accompanying us," Edward murmured with a hallowed tone that echoed through the air, his hulking frame looking down at them cautiously. "They must be powerful or incredibly crazy."

"Soldiers of Aether," Kogun rattled out, the dryness in his voice making him almost regret engaging the lot of armored warriors. "I ask that you turn back only once. If your Pride or sense of Duty compels you not to, be prepared for we will share no quarter with your kin. That I promise you."

"You best do as Kogun says," Yokujin quietly murmured out, his eyes scanning across the group of enemies with a mute anticipation. "He's quite cold hearted once he starts swinging his blades, despite his moniker being the Sword Saint."

"What do you think?" Rosalina quietly asked her Paladin brothers, her eyes peeling from a Hollow golden back to a piercing blue. "The swords are filled with a repercussion style Magicka. Anything that tries to force their way or destroy the barrier will be knocked flat on the ground, most likely with the addition of a mangled body. Should we handle these mercenaries?"

"I can practically smell their arrogance."" Percival answered, his eyes boring into both Kogun and Yokujin the moment they finished speaking. He made sure to keep his voice down; the last thing he wanted to do was tip the enemy off to their conversation. But it didn't keep him from tightening the hold he had on his Seelenbracher. "''To think that they would have the stones to tell us to turn back, as if we were little more than ants to be crushed if they wished. Even without the barrier, I would demand their immediate execution." He started to step forward. "He believes himself to be cold-blooded? I'll be glad to warm that heart with the everlasting flames of Hell.''"

"Wait!"

However, he stopped in surprise when he heard Simon's urging voice. He turned his head slightly when he saw the said Paladin step forward. Annoyed eyes met pleading ones. "You can't be serious, Moriarty. Are you really wanting to heed to this ludicrous demand to retreat?"

"You mustn't think of this as a sign of hubris, Fourth." Simon insisted, reaching up to place a hand on Percival's shoulder. This move caused the irritated Paladin to lower his blade in question. "Perhaps it is possible they do not wish for this fight. Their momentary halt of their weapons as well as the decision to halt us instead of attempting to impale us with that sword barrier should speak volumes to you." He shifted his eyes to Kogun and Yokujin, eyebrows furrowing. "Keep your weapons readied if push comes to shove. But allow me to pass a few words onto them, for the sake of ending this battle before it can start."

Percival scoffed, his skepticism made clear. "Such a naiive thought. But, fine. Have your words, but I can guarantee that none of them will listen to you."

After giving a grateful nod to both him and Rosalina, Simon took in a deep breath and stepped forward. He raised his voice over the silent battlefield, loud and clear for the recipients to hear. "Knights of the Crimson Army!" He called out. "I insist that you not regard this as a situation of pride or duty, but a matter of life and death on an existential level. Your actions today are assisting the intentions of Quincy extremists that aim to bring all of life into the age of an apocalypse. If they succeed in this villainous plot, everything you and I hold dear will be lost, no matter what shape or form. Everything you see, hear and feel shall be plunged into fire, brimstone and decadence. Such is the will of the enemy - to release the very fires of Hell from its cage. You may all be involved with the depths of our earthly Underworld, but surely, not all of you can be so truly detached from the possibility of succumbing to such a horrendous fate? To lose everything precious and valuable to the hands of a monster, to plunge headlong into an endless abyss? No one could begin to live that way... not even you."

He shut his eyes and took in a deep breath, hanging his head. "The thread of balance has yet to be cut. The fate of individuality hangs not just on our shoulders, but on yours. You can choose to step aside, allow us to stop their insanity from destroying all of us. You can choose to walk away and allow us passage before any more unnecessary blood can be shed!." Upon his last sentence, he jerked his head up to glare in determination at his two main recipients. "You can choose to end this now!"

For awhile, all was quiet with the exception of the grotesque swallows that had slowed down to a snail's pace by Jack. Kogun looked solemnly at the Paladin whose words rang true and even hopeful. Looking to Yokujin, the Archer shook his head with a grimace on his own visage. Sighing the Sword Saint reached for his sword and began to unsheathe it, "You make a valid point, Paladin, something I never thought I'd hear myself saying. But, at the end of the day, I'm not doing this for a cause. This fight is a matter of principle and your side has always been on the winning side. This time we're going to be the ones on top, in this world or the next."

At hearing this, Rosalina felt almost disappointed. In a way she had hoped she could move onto the more prime targets of the Sect or even put the enemy ranks into disarray. Regardless of the outcome, she reached for her Seelenbracher, prepared to leap into the fight even as the second quieter one piped up.

"You plead well, but ultimately your cries fall on deaf ears," Yokujin quietly remarks, his hand unpocketing from his coat, now flexing digits with aimed anticipation. "We're mercenaries, not Knights. We don't fight for the honor of fighting for lords, lands, or kingdom under God. We fight for Pride and there is little that can be changed about that-"

"How much?" Dalia quickly interrupted.

Blinking curiously, Yokujin looked to Kogun whom simply shrugged dryly before the prior asked her with a steeled stare, "Pardon?"

"How much do you need to swear your allegiance to the Corps -nay- under my name, Dalia of the Ironblood Nobility?" She asked with a straight face, with no hint of sarcasm or even coyness. The uncanny way she brought this up so smoothly and with prime diplomatic skill baffled the two more sane Crimson Knights.

"You...want to buy us?" Yokujin sputtered out, pointing to his chin as if to reference to hearing the words right.

"This must be a joke!" Kogun growled, his sword clenched tightly in his right hand. "You think we'd pull out of this battle and fight not only our fellow brothers in arms but the Sect itself? You must be too sure of yourself or just plain insane..."

"Actually, she is quite serious," Edward brought up, speaking far too lightheartedly for someone of such huge mass. "That's actually a problem of hers. She's often too much of a stick in the mud for us to enjoy any true downtime-"

"QUIET, YOU-!" The Captain began to hiss with wide, comically enlarged eyes at her subordinate.

That was, until the sound of lips popping from an empty bottle, and the sound of slurred speech caught her ears.

"H-H-Hic...eerrr...h-how merch?" Jack McTavish asked, his eyes looking quite glazed as his whole body's skin seemed to turn a bright red. With a stumbling sway that disconcerted both Kogun and Yokujin, he continued to ask the question. "H-H-Howzzzz mach yousssss goin' ta pay...llllllaaaaaasie, hehehehe?"

Despite her brief grimacing cringe her face portrayed, she cleared her throat and tried to gamble. Any advantage they could take while in the middle of a damned battle was better than none. As the sounds of war echoed around them, shaking the earth and flashing the sky, Dalia gestured pointedly to The Wallaby, "I'll give you two hundred kilos of fine Aethian gems and coins, thrown in with a year's supply of Aethian Whispering Whiskey. Does that sound to your liking?"

At the sound of such a rich bounty, along with the promise of alcohol, made Jack stand up straight as a ruler. Raising a shaking arm to salute towards the Knight Captain. With a wide, dopey grin he slurred out, "R-R-Reportin'...fer...duuuuuuty...laaaaaasssssss...uhhhh..."

Falling straight onto his back with his legs flipping up, the man began to appear to snore loudly. As he lied down Dalia's face broke into one of abject frustration, to which the large golem avatar of Edward's simply facepalmed his faux face. Rosalina tilted her head to the side with perplexion while Yokujin blew out a sigh, with Kogun plugging his nose with his free hand, waving his sword arm towards him.

"Spirits, what a stench," The Sword Saint complained as he tried to wave visible fumes that came from profuse liquor ingrained sweat. "Did he have to reach for that brand of drink? I swear he has no control when he's intoxicated."

"To think, he almost joined up with them," Yokujin murmured, looking over curiously at Jack's downed figure before looking at Dalia's now steeled expression. "Was he really that desparate to not join us in this fight?"

"You got it, Mate."

The sound of a coherent sentence being uttered caused both Crimson Knights to open eyes wide and their complexion pale. A sudden inclining of Reiatsu could be felt, coming from his body, following with a visible wave of blue mist steaming up from his red-hot body. Blank eyes opened as his stance assumed a familiar form they knew too well; The Drunken God.

Before either could properly react, Kogun felt the force of an elbow drive into his side, sending him flying across the expanse of his sword christened fence. When Yokujin reached for his firearm, he saw Jack move at an unpredictable trajectory and speed. A spinning kick was barely deflected by his weapon's triangular shaped barrel, making him skid across the earth.

"If I fight for the wrong reasons again," Jack explained, somehow completely conscious while assuming his intoxicated state. "I could never look my family in the eyes again. This isn't betrayal. This is about fighting for the survival of my kin!"

"You fool," Kogun whispered, appearing in mid-leap just above the drunken comrade of his. "Do you realize what you've done?!"

Swinging down a single sword, instead of being met by muscle or flesh it was impacting into a shield. Watching the Magicka influenced metal deflect his strike while also giving Jack the opportunity to leap out of the way of the earth smashing barrier, he looked to his side and saw Dalia already swinging her electrically infused hammer. Turning just narrowly out of reach, with his hairs visibly rising out of static exposure, he kicked at Dalia's breastplate sending her skidding back.

Yokujin, at the same time took aim at Jack and the Captain but found himself hearing the sound of a bow twining. Looking over he saw Rosalina, opting for her Magicka bow, already firing a well placed projectile at him. Twisting around he dodged just in time to fire a few shots at her, to which she evaded with nifty footwork while firing off two more arrows simultaneously. As the battle heated up, the Archer decided to take aim at all nearby hostiles. When the soldiers were staying away from their superiors' battle, he fired at them inexplicably, including the offputting Paladins nearby.

His assault was the thing needed to snap both Simon and Percival out of their own surprise. It was enough to wipe the conflicting feelings of confusion and simmering rage that had just begun to settle onto Simon's face. But most importantly, it was enough to cause Percival himself to spring into action. His eyes narrowed, the color returning to a Hollow's yellow. He took a hand off of his Seelenbracher and pulled it back when he saw the first flash of the bullets unleashed. Then, he opened his fingers and thrust the palm forward. Once again, that demonic apparition of a construct would come forth, a devil's hand summoned to protect his fellow man. Not only did that monstrous entity act as an affective shield for the majority of the bullets, it aimed to serve an offensive purpose by hurling itself at Yokujin.

Despite the gargantuan size, it carried enough speed to close the distance between caster and target in a heartbeat. It halted itself when it smashed into Yokujin full-force, sending the young man rocketing away. The sensation of collision would be excruciating; not only would Yokujin be subject from the tremendous pressure of the strike, but he would also feel as if the very entirety of his soul had been run through. On top of that, the very presence of the hand seemed to exude a feeling akin to his very designation - death. The final nail in the coffin would be Percival's voice, cold and biting as Pluto's landscape.

"You should've just stood down, boy."

The construct dissipated, allowing breath to be free once more. But he would allow himself to go on the offensive. His free hand grasped the hilt of his weapon once again, and with a Flash Step, he was in front of his sailing opponent. He raised his blade over his head, bringing it down with a mighty stroke. Within his attack came the cry of his personal attack.

"Saigo no Iki!"

The blade of his Seelenbracher glowed a corrupted black before it was swung down, releasing a torrent of what could only be described as the epitome of corruption. It expanded like a tsunami, catching the ground and whatever else that happened to get caught in a corrosive effect. Dirt and grass dissolved into nothingness within seconds, and what was indirectly hit experienced signs of severe decay. Such objects were withering and dying at a frightfully fast rate, transforming the already barren landscape into a true No Man's Land. But fortunately for Simon and the R.A.C. forces, it would not be enough to get them caught within his crossfire. As ruthless as he was, Percival was also being considerate here.

His action was enough to spur Simon on. Gripping his own sword in two hands, he fixed a glare onto Kogun. As Dalia was sent flying away, he used a Flash Step to get close. His form could briefly be seen ducking under Dalia's unwillingly retreating one before vanishing again, appearing close to Kogun. His blade slammed into his opponent's in an aggressive lock, allowing him to regard the other man close-up with a deadly glare. "So be it." He growled. "If you're so content to allow your selfishness to drive you, then I have no choice but to purge you. Prepare yourself, Sword Saint!"

With that being said, he broke the lock and delivered a strong parry to shove his opponent back, then threw himself to begin his own onslaught.

Kogun silently engaged his opponent in close quarters, feeling the weight of his enemy's strength pushing him back a couple meters with just brute force. When he regained his footing he easily matched his enemy blow for blow, his weapon of choice cracking with enough pressure to emit lightning from their weapons. Like thunder this created a perpetual storm of swords between the Paladin and the Mercenary, their Reiatsu being a mere afterthought when it came to their focus on driving each other to a breaking point to get an opening.

The Sword Saint was far too fixated on his given opponent to realize Dalia and her Lieutenant was circling around to attack him from opposing flanks. By the time he realized the two were on either of his sides, he knew that countering was easier than dodging. When Edward swung his gargantuan fist towards his vicinity, he switched hands to draw a sword from his large right hip scabbard and blocked the fist invertedly, creating a concussive backlash that shattered the earth between them and was enough to deflect the golem bodied Knight. When Dalia discharged a bolt of lightning from her hammer, he flipped his free-hand sword to catch the electricity in midair, forking it on all sides from the Paladin and his own flanks.

Using that opportunity to kick the solar plexus of his enemy, he pulled back the weapon till its blunt back touched his cheek. With a guttural yell he unleashed a severing swing that cut a rift through the air and sent the slicing long-range attack to connect with his Paladin. Whether it did any real damage or not was irrelevant as it bought him time to analyze his opponents and gain his bearings once more. Seeing the desolation occur not too far away, he was able to see that Jack narrowly leaped above the corruptive energies while Yokujin seemingly was unable to avoid it at all.

"Yes...the pain is truly excruciating...almost no ordinary soul or mortal could bear it," Yokujin murmured as he wavered in his stance, his breath coming out as gaseous exhales of black mist rather than vapor an ordinary person would emit. The ever-present yellow eyes seemed to contract even narrower, and his face looked even paler as beads of sweat crawled down his scalp. But a rare carnal smile spread across his visage, betraying the calm tone he normally spoke with. "Too bad for you...we have more in common than our thirst for blood...and our impeccable sense of Pride!"

Thrusting out his left palm, a shredding force came in the appearance of a deep yellow sphere, shrieking in its wake as it carved a waft through the malfested air and earth that Percival created. Aimed to explode at a high velocity when it came into contact with him, Yokujin quickly dove forward to avoid Jack's downward ax kick that eviscerated the ground he stood upon. Turning around he deftly fired a condensed shot that the Drunken God used one arm to block but would feel an enormous explosion in its wake that sent him crashing into the defensive barrier like a ball to a stone wall. Falling to the ground with a grunt and a roll, he panted heavily as steam ebbed off his burned arm and the offended back that hit the field.

In the meantime, Yokujin rushed forward and fired a few more of the same high yielding explosive shots from his gun, aiming to overwhelm Percival's defenses. Once he got within striking range he'd leap to the side, rolling around as he coalesced another wave of Hollow based energy into a free hand. Standing up in a half crawl he clawed at the air and launched what looked like a massive wide blast like a Cero, orange in hue but in the shape of a giant cat's paw that poised claws to burrow into retreating enemies while burning them shortly before exploding.

It was something that caused Percival to pause.

Naturally, that was not the normal reaction to getting hit with such a blast. The mist-like energy should've been enough to do heavy damage upon connection. A direct hit had not been established, judging from the fact that his target was still able to maintain his form. But he was unable to see just how much damage he actually inflicted, albeit that could've been simply from the distance they were at. From the words that were spoken and the way he carried himself, it obviously wasn't enough to stagger him. His choice of words confused him even more, even as he narrowed his eyes and prepared himself to continue the fight. Outside of those two qualities, there was nothing he could count as similar to his adversary.

But then, the yellow eyes became noticeable - especially when Yokujin began his counter-attack.

He took his sword to one hand, swiftly avoiding the sphere with a Flash Step. He threw himself forward as Jack did, attempting to use his "partner's" attack as cover. His hands gripped the Seelenbracher tightly as he neared, his eyes narrowing when he saw Jack get knocked aside. It was here that he made the mental note not to block those kinds of shots from a close range, lest he wanted to suffer the same fate as Wallaby. When those shots were launched at him, he twisted and turned his body in order to evade them. They were so quick that he could feel the wind scraping against his clothes when they passed by. But he didn't stop to pay attention to it, closing in on his target. A swing of the Seelenbracher, but Yokujin had dodged just in time to unleash a counter-attack of his own - one that made Percival's eyes widen in surprise.

"A Cero?!"

Reflexes kicked in, and he swung his blade in order to meet his opponent's attack with little more than physical force.

Likewise, Simon was as equally ready to counter his foe.

Although the foot that crashed into his solar plexus was enough to both wind him and send him skidding away, it wasn't enough to stop him from fighting back. He let out a pained grunt as he dug his feet in, clenching his teeth and glaring at Kogun as he readied his own sword. He let loose his own roar in response to his enemy's, swinging his own blade and releasing a fissure of muscle-generated power. It was potent enough to rip through the ground as it was released, colliding with the opposing blast in a struggle for dominance. This violent release of energy ran in parallel with Percival's counter to Yokujin. It was clear that these particular members of the R.A.C. had found their own obstacles to deal with before assisting the castle assault.

They could only pray that victory wasn't too far and defeat wasn't too close.

No Turning Back
"Huh," Tome muttered out as he looked at the gathering of V-14 who simply stood there, not attempting to attack himself or the lovely Armisael whom he was convinced was the perfect woman for him. Not only that, but the battles waged outside of the castle could be felt as a cacophony of explosions, flashes and screams could be heard from the vast distance established in the fields beyond. The immense structure looming over their heads that was the Sect's flying fortress blotted their view of the sky, issuing out new airships to reinforcements that took to the air or leapt for quite a distance. The seemingly endless volumes of forces that joined the fray uncaringly with the Quincy was quite large.

And yet, no one within had made a move yet.

"Is it just me, or are none of these guys wanting to fight?" The Crimson Knight Guild Master asked no one in particular as he idly scratched his chin with his now gloved hand, his dark cloak flourishing around him now that he was fully clothed into his new affects. When he saw Hiroi step up next to him, he rolled his eyes, feeling an answer being mustered up already.

"These are...were our comrades in arms, Tome," The lavender haired man explained morosely, causing Tome's expression to soften and even look a tinge regretful. The swordsman turned to look at Mōka, her eyes fixated upon a distant figure that seemed to be directing the majority of the mercenaries. He could feel her Reiatsu from here, and it took little guessing whom she was distressed by.

''Athena. ''

The others seemed to just warily acknowledge the danger the Archangels possessed. Thanks to the abilities they demonstrated no one seemed eager to continue the fight. Not in the way that they were being controlled like before, thanks to the now returned Kenja whom seemed to stick close to Yūyo protectively. Yajū squatted down, seeming to be unnaturally patient for the new enemies to come to them while Zaii paced with a grimace on his visage. Shinshin fidgeted with his undrawn second sword while his main weapon hand loosely held his weapon, just as Shadō lurked in Hyōryū's shadow of Anton, Shou, Genesis while Kaitlyn seemed to stride next to Rika and Yusuke. Shito stuck close to Shinji while Yashin and his entourage seemed to hang tight, expecting the enemy to warp in their vicinity at any given moment.

"What now, ladies?" Yashin asked with a pointed shrug, looking over at Asuka, the Dominator and Angelika equally. "Should we continue our fight with those present in the castle, given there is little resistance left in the form of their subordinates? Or shall we wait for our guests to pay us a long earned visit?"

"I think fighting in such an enclosed space as of now would be a mistake. We'll need to see who else comes our way before deciding how we shall deal with the task at hand," Mōka concurred, looking over at Asuka and Angelika for confirmation. "Good call, or should we really wipe out resistance still here?"

"We can wait." Angelika answered, fishing out a cigarette and a lighter. She ignited the flame end and took in a breath, idly blowing out the smoke. "The resistance that remains don't seem to be so willing to attack us now as they were before, and I believe that could be courtesy of their commanders. They're aware that they're the only ones that stand a chance against all of us, aside from their reinforcements. If they want to save their meat shields, that's fine by me." Her eyes narrowed, and she folded her arms across her chest as she stared up at Athena. "I'm more interested in the heads than the arms and limbs of this war machine, anyway..."

"It seems like Athena is a bit preoccupied with directing the Sect forces." Asuka observed, her arms folded across her chest and a thoughtful look on her face. "I was hoping we would have the chance to speak again to one another after so long, but I guess I really will have to wait." She looked at Angelika. "If we're confronted?"

"If they strike, we strike back." Angelika replied. "If they want to talk first, I'm willing to oblige. I'm not feeling very picky on my decisions right now."

It was like fate decided to knock upon Angelika's worded suggestion.

A number of infamous Sect members seemed to appear simultaneously in a rush of fast speed movement near the mercenary group.

Alastair, flanked by a number of burly men armed to the teeth, was right beside the main armed compliment. His cool eyes observed them all without a weapon in hand, though his own subordinates seemed to wield phalanx pikes while keeping automatic weapons holstered over their backs. Upon appearing the Black Moon Organization's rapid approach of surrounding V-14's biggest armed collaborative, another dropped down to take them by the other flank.

Silently, Van Kessler dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, belying his sturdy disposition in comparison to the rest. A sword already in hand but held down close to his boot, the fur laced cloaked man smiled as his red eyes scanned the numbers of former comrades standing before him. A familiar hunger of battle was drawn out of him, one that Shinshin could feel ripe in the air without him even exerting his power. His men were nowhere to be seen, presumably on the battlefield launching an attack on the RAC forces marching towards the castle.

"Good thing we can make the decision for you, Frau Hartmann," A sudden voice manifested beside Angelika, arming his drawn side arm as he seemed to phase into view directly behind her. It was none other than Victor Fürst, Head of the Silver Eye organization. A similar number of agents came up from the earth, having burrowed underneath while wearing Reiatsu dampening suits that left their faces masked by red lens gas masks, giving them all a menacing appearance. They bore various firearms and blunt weapons, looking no more impressive in build and armanents than the SKM's Soldats but were threatening on a different level.

If that wasn't enough, Kaitylyn, Yusuke and Rika were to feel the presence of the white coated woman, Senmei Tōketsu as she presented twin small hand-guns that easily slid out of her sleeves. Her eyes steeled towards them and her head shook to discourage retaliation. Only the lack of words confirmed that they all came without any real intent to be hospitable.

"So much for alliances among blood," Kenja murmured, his hands squeezing his sword as he kept near Yūyo's diminutive frame. "Here I thought being part of the Sect meant something."

"It would be, if it wasn't for bad blood itself murking the waters," Yashin replied candidly, fidgeting with his scythe as his attention hardly diverted from looking at the surprised Tome and the expectant Hiroi as well as the laidback Armisael. "Being Legal, as you are, would definitely be a betrayal in of itself to those of the Underworld. Not to mention my unfortunate presence would definitely irk the Keeper and his First, Athena. I'm sure he's still sore about me pilfering his library in order to reunite my two halves so I might evolve and progress past my old self."

"That does raise the question," Hyōryū whispered to no one and everyone in particular, her armed hands itching to start shooting. "Where is that old man?"

"I think Angelika would rather have a few words before the fighting renews in earnest," Mōka suggested with a grin, her body already starting to spark, like a living piece of kindling ready to ignite into a personalized furnace. "I'm not good with words so maybe you can coerce them to not fight us? If not, maybe you can spook them off with your power? Or we can just not use tact and just slaughter them? I'm pretty open to negotiation here."

"I'll allow a few words," Victor spoke solemnly out loud, his eye never leaving his sight of the woman's hair covered head as his weapon kept trained on her skull just a mere few inches away. "But that's the extent of my mercy to traitors to the Sect."

A steel barrel of death was leveled at the back of her head, but she never moved from her position. Her gaze was forward, with only her eyes moving to sweep her field of vision. Although she couldn't see it, she could feel a few of her other subordinates stir at the sight of her being held at gunpoint. But they were smart enough to hold themselves, lest they wanted to start the battle off earlier than intended. Even her most loyal of underlings knew when to hold their tongue.

She allowed a dark smile to cross her face, her teeth seeming to flash in comparison to her face. "You know, I never thought for a second that it would end up this way." She commented casually. "Before, I was pointing a gun at someone who had defied the Sect. But now, I am in the very same position that he was. Irony at its finest, really. But at the very least, my reasons for doing it aren't petty. I'm sure you've all come to realize that much long before you decided to challenge us. So I know for a fact that somewhere within that head of yours, this is one of the most foolish decisions the Sect could've ever made."

She lifted the cigarette to her lips and took in another puff, casually exhaling once she removed the stick. The smile slowly faded away from her face as she continued to speak. "Once you forgo the contracts, the terms and ideas of legality and the personal grudges for the grand scheme of things, there are only two sides to this battle - the side that is attempting to activate the kill switch for all of existence, and the side that is attempting to preserve it. If the former wins, contracts won't matter. There won't be any more sides or factions. We will all be the same; blind rats dancing and writhing in the flames of Hell for however long Ultharon sees fit. Are you really ready to lose your very mind and soul for the sake of this moment? I'm not. My subordinates aren't. The Alliance isn't."

"Such a lightweight."

"Shut up, Annie."

Ignoring the brief exchange between Armisael and Tabris, Angelika continued to speak to the Sect. "And if that means we have to fight you, then so be it." Her eyes narrowed, and she flicked the cigarette from her fingers. "I would rather die a traitor than a pawn any day. Wouldn't you?"