"The Teleportation Circle we have connected to Kanto isn't responding." Yasaka informed me as her Guards were filing into the room. "We tried others one that were set up – the more public ones that our citizens use to move between the East and West, but they're all much the same."
"Enemy action." I breathed out, looking at the retinue that she had gathered.
"Without a doubt. After the first message, I haven't heard from the Old Man, which makes me think they're sealing both communications and any means of movement."
"Probably some sort of spatial scrambling." I clicked my tongue. "The go to method for such things. What of Scáthach and Raikou?"
"Scáthach had left for a mission the other day after you all went to Skyrim. Raikou is watching Kunou right now." Yasaka replied, a clear sense of unease in her voice.
[Raikou.] I sent my message through our connection. [Is Kunou okay?]
[Yes, Master.] Raikou replied. [I have heard from Yasaka, Kunou will not be harmed while I am around.]
I let out a breath, feeling confident on that front. "Chances it's a trap?"
"No idea." Yasaka shook her head. "But I'm making preparations in case it's meant to lure us away. And I doubt they can account for your unique abilities." She finally formed a small smile.
By preparations, she probably put everyone on high alert and was only bringing a small amount of elites. "…..If you want to say.."
"No." Yasaka denied me immediately. "Even if I wanted to stay, I couldn't. I have to personally answer this call for aid from Nurarihyon." She explained. "Besides…." A tail wrapped around my waist. "I'm strong, Wilhelm. Worry not for me but for those who anger me."
Yeah, I guessed I might be getting worried over nothing on that front. She's strong, and even stronger now that she had unlocked her Aura.
"It seems we're ready." Yasaka turned around to see her people lined up, weapons ready, spells cast, Touki enveloped.
I thought for a moment before withdrawing my Staff of Magnus. Yasaka eyed me curiously as I held it up. "Let me give everyone a little boost – Ebony Flesh." I pumped Magical Energy into the spell, chaining the casting over every single one of her Guards that were present, the Staff helping in facilitating the chains to each individual. "A standard strengthening spell, but it operates outside the person it's on. It also absorbs a certain amount of damage before breaking, don't rely on it, but it can save your ass in a pinch." I said loud enough for everyone to hear, though with the silence present, that wasn't too difficult.
"Good." Yasaka relaxed ever so slightly, taking a deep breath as she addressed the crowd. "I won't say much, you all are aware of what's happening. The East is under attack – we don't know from what, only that Nurarihyon has called for help. And you all are aware of his attitude, if he didn't sorely need it, he wouldn't be asking."
She paused letting that sink in. "We're going in with the assumption that we're going to be fighting right out the gate. The good news is that they won't be expecting us since they cut off all communications, the bad news is that we're also completely blind. I trust your judgement, if you see enemies, there will be no mercy. If the entire town is under siege, prioritize the civilians and saving lives."
This lot weren't the strongest, but Scáthach did give them training for quite some time. From what I've remembered, she made sure they were adept at teamwork.
A good team can hit above its weight class.
"Wilhelm." Yasaka turned back around. "Do it."
I nodded to her, taking out Mirage and planted it into the ground. I waved my hands, accessing the Kaleidoscope. "I was right, there are spatial fluctuations that made the coordinates completely chaotic."
"Is there an issue?"
"None whatsoever." Atleast for this level of interference.
It was the standard procedure for stopping tricks like Teleportation or things under that umbrella of magic. However, my method of 'Teleportation', if you call it that, completely bypassed this form of repulsion. It doesn't take into account stepping out of the World-line then reentering at the desired point. It's like blocking off all the roads into a city, but I'm taking a helicopter.
I swiped my hand to the side, creating a Portal that connected where we wanted to go, and immediately hot air splashed across my face.
Fires entered our vision, chaos just from the first glance, but we had no time to dwell on it.
"Lets go!" Yasaka bellowed out as she went through first, with me right behind her.
[***]
There was another wave of heat as I walked through, nearly hitting me right in the face if not for my Aura.
Buildings were set ablaze, and an intense fire was tearing through the city. Smoke rose to the sky from every direction.
The Screams hit my ears immediately as well.
My eyes widened in horror as I saw people being impaled and decapitated by calvary. Individuals wreathed in bones and armor that sat atop flaming horses dragged people away. Others galloping down the road, throwing nets or hooking others.
"GO!" Yasaka shouted upon seeing the scene, and her people moved with a fury.
The majority of the forces she gathered with her today were Tengu, and they were quick.
The intruders, these invaders, were immediately set upon them. It took a moment for the invaders to realize we were there, but it was already too late for the first lot. Spears and Swords bursting through their chests, the Youkai's eyes filled with rage at seeing their kin being treated in such a way.
I knew who these invaders were.
"The Wild Hunt." I uttered the name with absolute disgust.
There were many – many legends and myths regarding them, but none of them were good.
I saw Yasaka clench her fists as she snarled in rage. "I'm going to find Nurarihyon!" She spoke before shooting off.
With Mirage in my hand, I didn't sit still either. I found the closest enemy and I shot forward. I didn't know what type of Fae it was, but it spoke something that not even my Devil Heritage could translate as I sliced through its neck.
Without thinking, I began casting Healing Spells with my Staff on every one of Yasaka's people or any other Youkai I found. I didn't even give them a second glance, if I passed them, they got healing.
With an extra wave of my staff, I cast Runic Circles above my head. My Lightning Circles. While their damage weren't significant, they were versatile in usage and I continued to use them. I also thought they were the most apt magic to use right at this moment, because there were way too many enemies.
On the ground and in the sky.
I didn't notice it at first, but above us, there was a sort of distortion in the world, a connection of space to somewhere else.
I would have to investigate to know more, but a quick guess was probably all I really needed due to the large number of enemies surrounding it.
Hundreds upon hundreds of similar horses and riders wearing similar amor and covered in bone-like decorations.
I focused on the ones in my immediate vicinity first. The ones who were apparently looting and pillaging as they caused wanton destruction.
With a growl, I summoned my other Swords around me. I caught the attention of a group as they shouted something unknowable and charged at me. Their phantasmal steeds alighted with a baleful aura as each step seemed to stain the very ground.
My Swords shot off with a volley of lightning bolts behind them. A good half the group were downed by the first blow, but the others, the others summoned up their own magics, and deflected my some of Swords.
Fae Magics, something I had little to no knowledge about.
And they were apparently able to stave off my Lightning even when intertwined with Divinity.
With a snort, I held my Staff up and cast a real spell. A spell circle forming at the tip as they got closer. "Thunderbolt." I intoned.
I wanted them to hear me, the last word for them.
Because the spell actualized, and Divine Lightning erupted from the focal point and tore through the street and everything in its path – especially the Riders that were covered in the blood of innocent people.
Still, there were way too many to even count running around, not to mention the ones above.
Should I summon Yggdrasil?
Most of my spells were very destructive in nature and I couldn't guarantee no collateral damage if I did so.
I leapt on top of the nearest building that wasn't on fire or utterly destroyed.
"Fucking hell…." I breathed out, looking at the chaos that swept across the city.
As much as I wanted to just fly up and fight with whatever leader was up there, I couldn't in good conscious leave these people to their fates.
The sight of children stabbed to the death…..
I reinforced my eyes, getting a clearer look as I began drawing Runes in the air. Spells actualized and fired off at every one of these Riders I could see. If a Youkai was harmed or in danger, I did my best to cast a spell to help them, be it healing or destruction.
The Staff of Magnus was helping with so many delicate calculations, but it was still mentally draining to do this all on the fly.
Whisper soared around me, part of my attention focused on it to accelerate my castings.
My interference didn't go without new attention.
"ROOOOOAAAR!" I snapped my head to the side to see a massive creature barreling towards me. I wondered how I hadn't noticed it until now. Large and lumbering – greenish pale skin, and an unintelligent look on its face.
Was it a Troll?
It had chains connected to metal hooks in its body, clear scars every which way.
There were more of these Fae leading it towards me.
It lunged through a three story building like it was made of cardboard and came upon me, swinging a club that could be mistaken for a tree.
Different than the Trolls of Skyrim, but I think their regeneration was just as ridiculous.
Regardless.
I sent my Sword of Destruction forward, engulfed in my own Power of Destruction as it collided with the Troll's head and devoured it.
The Troll slumped to the ground without any fanfare, and the ones who had been commanding the creature seemed extremely surprised to the point where they stood there staring for a moment.
I took that opportunity to fly towards them. I grabbed one by the throat while the others were slammed into the nearby walls, my Swords holding them tight.
"Speak, I know you can understand me." I chose this one specifically because he had an adornment on his 'armor' that the others didn't have.
"Shan lor taal—" I didn't understand him, so I squeezed. "S-stop…" He managed to squeak out.
"Why is the Wild Hunt here?" I hissed in anger.
"Princess w-was c-captured." It managed to eek out between my fingers.
Princess was captured. The hell did that mean?
While I was giving that thought, I saw his eyes go up towards the sky and I followed.
I saw Nurarihyon, flanked by Yasaka and the Hyakki Yakō ascended the sky towards the large group above. However, they were heavily outnumbered.
The – what appeared to number in the thousands – horsemen all moved forward, anticipating the attack. And it wasn't just them, there were a wide variety of creatures, a good chunk of which were these large hound-like creatures of pale skin and glowing red eyes.
There was one at the front, who even form here, I could tell was strong and the crown on his head spoke of many things. He was the first to lead the charge of his own men, and he was the one who met Nurarihyon. A large broadsword was drawn from his back as he slashed down at Nurarihyon who also wielded a sword in hand.
Yasaka began tearing into the enemies, wreathed In her own Touki and Aura, she clawed and decimated dozens all around her.
Even still, they were outnumber a hundred to one it looked like.
I couldn't sit idle.
I was a member as well, and I would be damned if I allowed my woman to fight alone.
Well, this guy was useless. I squeezed my hand, crushing his neck and my other Swords stabbed through his friend's heads.
I held my Staff of Magnus into the Air, drawing the required Runes. The smoke clouds above shimmered and disperse as a light began to peek through, grabbing the attention of many of those in the sky.
My Large Runic Circle came into focus.
"Light of Alfheim." I called down the lesser form of one of my Nine Realms spells. It was a wide area attack, but it only focused on those I counted as enemies. It wasn't inviolable, nor omnipotent, but it was good in this situation.
However, I was surprised at the actions of the one fighting Nurarihyon.
The one with the crown on his head erupted in a green hue as he slashed towards the sky. His energy cut through my spell and destroyed the spell circle, dissipating the remainder of the Magical Energy that was gathered and dispersed it.
If I didn't despise these people, I would be impressed.
His head jerked towards me, and the slits of his helmet seemed to be focused right on my person. He waived his right hand at me as well. I think he might have said something because a chunk of his people broke off and started coming down right at me.
[Brat.] Ddraig spoke up from within. [I don't like these guys. I won't say I haven't caused my own share of destruction in my wake, but not like this. I've never taken pleasure in killing random people like this.]
I put away the Staff of Magnus and my Swords.
I made a mental note to expand my repertoire with less spells that would be harmful to nearby allies or the surroundings.
"There's a lot of them, lets even the playing field, yeah?" I took out an entirely different staff.
A shaft of Orichalcum and Ebony, with veins of Moonstone just like my Mirage. At the tip were Dragon Bones, Runes covered over nearly every inch of surface. They curved and intertwined around a singular jewel, a combination of Dust so condensed and reformed into a solid orb. The Foci that had a singular name carved into it – the name of the spell that was also the name of the staff.
This Staff was only for casting a single spell.
I summoned the Boosted Gear to my hand as I placed it over the top of the staff.
"Ready Ddraig?"
[I've been ready for a long time.]
All of this together still wasn't enough. If it weren't for Durnehviir, I wouldn't have been confident casting this successfully.
I picked up the Staff again, and lifted it towards the oncoming mass.
I began casting the spell.
A large Runic Circle emerged infront of me.
"Ddraig, together." I took a deep breath.
[Together.]
Dragon Words had so much meaning in a single word, it was difficult to put them into a 'mortal' understanding. With Durnehviir's help, we were able to figure out Five 'Words' which would serve our purpose.
Open. Spirit. Legend. Temporary. Deceive.
Forcing the Boosted Gear – the Prison – Open for even a moment.
Pulling out the Spirit of Ddraig.
Recreating the Legend of Níðhöggr.
A Temporary attunement to the state of being.
Deceiving the world.
Each word reinforced every aspect of the spell that was already put together through the staff.
As if in anticipation, a deathly silence fell down upon the city. The flames of war that were raging, seemed to dim in acknowledgement. The clash of steel faded to the background as it became a secondary concern.
Words that bent the very fabric of reality.
"BEX ZII ZOOR FRUL LO." Ddraig and I shouted as one.
The world shuddered.
An invisible ripple of power cascaded out in all directions.
Words of power that caused the fight above to come to a stand still.
There was a weightless feeling that shook my body. A sudden lightheadedness overcame me for a brief moment that had me stumble before I reorientated myself.
I could feel it, Ddraig left my soul, The Boosted Gear was empty.
His spirit flew into the Runic Circle, the magics entangled as they swirled around him.
There was but one more step, to actualize everything together.
The name of the Staff and the name of the spell.
It was Lucretia who named it, and upon a silent world was it declared.
"Disgyniad yr Ymerawdwr!"
Names had power, but so did meanings attached to names.
A Welsh name that connected to Ddraig without outright stating his name.
Descent of the Emperor.
Massive claws tore through the Runic Circle. They pulled the remainder of its body through. Black scales that seemed to absorb all light, a poisonous miasma that seeped out with each breath it took. Fangs and claws that would rend the toughest of steel. Two sets of dreadful wings that arched up across its back, kicking up cyclones with each flap.
It was with his permission that sound returned.
A Dragon roared to life.
[***]
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