User blog:Baluar/Huntress

Ah, good old me. Always getting the horrible stuff to do. Like last time, with the zombie... things.

Why is it that every time something disgusting pops up, only I am there to do it? Like, the other ones that could handle that kind of thing are there all the time, yet when it comes to doing the truly awful stuff suddenly I'm alone, with everyone and their mother suddenly being up to their shoulders in shit and being unable to lend a hand. Even Bal found something he had to do, for crying out loud. He's lazying around all day, but suddenly he had his desk full of missions, or so he claims.

Were it any other person, I wouldn't buy that. But being my twin, I'll give him the benefit of doubt... this one time. He's a trustworthy and skilled warrior on the battlefield, but there's no denying that he's nothing but a lazy bum outside of it.

Not that I'd need a hand for this, of course. There's very little I need a hand for in this world, so long as it relates to murdering. (For the record, even thinking of that phrase was absolutely depressing). But this kind of missions usually makes you feel like, well, like you could use the company to avoid going totally nuts and end up Aragami fodder or God Eater killer... just like the guy who I'm about to go to kill.

Reports go that he and his squad went missing during a routine mission against some Vajra and that a rescue squad was sent to find them and get them back here. The teammates were... found all over the place. And by that, I mean their body parts were found all over the place. A later extermination squad got killed, too. Some asshole even had the gall to say that "at least their God Arcs were found without a scratch on them". Way to be an insensitive jackass, man. You're a clear-cut candidate for the Nobel prize of old. The one for peace or whatever.

After that squad, an extermination squad was sent to dispatch him. They shared the same fate, obviously. Otherwise I wouldn't be here talking about it.

The man was noted to be a fine sword master, and that was evident in how the squads were found. At least I've been told his God Arc has been remotely locked so that it's impossible to access its Oracle reserves, which means I should not worry about getting shot in the back of the head while on the lookout. Still... there's no such thing as being too cautious, and I have to say I'm not really used to fighting opponents my size. Really though, depending on how you look at it, that's actually a good thing.

Well, enough standing around. Better end it as soon as possible.

-Someone out there?!

I realize barging in screaming is probably not the best way to deal with this... but I only do so after shouting out loud and revealing my position. I just barely manage to keep myself from facepalming.

I am greeted by a fire shot to the back. My body holds without much damage, but my favorite shirt is wasted. The whole back part is burnt off.

-Get out. I won't give another warning shot. - I hear a voice echo through the halls. This place has surprisingly good acoustic, for a subway filled with lava.

-Warning shot? I am pretty damn certain that was not a "warning" shot.

-I will not warn you again. Get out.

I thought this guy was a melee expert? Perhaps he saw me coming and thought "oh wow, better bring this one down from afar". Also, I could swear they'd said his ranged parts were locked remotely? Either he figured out how to unlock them, or someone was just bullshiting me. Either way, they're getting a load of bitching when I get back.

-You warn me? Let me warn you instead: give up and I may yet let you live.

-Oh, so you're not like the others, claiming they were here to save me. - I still cannot identify where the voice comes from, though I'm fairly certain it's from my right; he definitely moved after shooting me, but now he's still. - You are honest. Good. I'm tired of hypocrites.

-Says the man who butchered his former teammates.

-Do not mock me. You know not what I saw. We are all doomed. Our struggle is in vain.

... what.

-Breaking news! I knew that. Doesn't mean I'm gonna go batshit and kill everyone.

-You have not seen what I seen. You have not heard what I heard. It's all futile.

-Aaaaand that means you're gonna turn on everyone that trusted you and kill 'em all? That's a really normal and friendly thing to do, nothing weird at all, thank you very much.

A slight clicking sound makes itself heard before a shot aimed for my head comes out of the man's God Arc, but I simply put my own Arc in the way and the shot fizzles out harmlessly.

-I TOLD YOU NOT TO MOCK ME!

-Oh, but you're quite the well adjusted one, aren't ya? You don't draw any attention to yourself, oh noes.

Another shot, another blade block. I really hate what I'm doing, but fighting him in a sniper duel is no good with my Blast gun part.

... did I mention I changed my gun part to a Blast? Because I did. Right now I wish I hadn't, though. They have reduced range compared to Assault parts, and right now I could use some range.

-WHY WON'T YOU SHUT UP?!

Well, I can be sure that my taunts are working. Doesn't make me feel like less of an asshole.

-Wish I could, but I can't help it. It's in the blood. - I can't help but wonder how he'd react to Bal being here. His eardrums would be bleeding, probably. - Alright, time to end this. You know you can't shoot me down, and I've heard you were quite a sword master, so why not come down and fight me? Or are you afraid of a little girl?

Another shot, another miss.

-You are anything but.

Damn him.

-The rest of the statement still stands, though.

He jumps off his location - currently behind me, slightly to my right - then changes his Arc to Blade form. A small-ish blade... for an alleged Long Blade.

-I was running out of OP. Guess I had no choice.

-Scared of a little girl?

-I'd hardly call you either "girl" or "little". Especially the latter.

And he thought I was bad. I thought this guy was insane? Except the bits about murdering people and thinking Aragami are right and... well, to be fair that's a pretty big "except". And that makes it scarier. I don't let fear control me, but this guy... his readings were all correct. He is 100% healthy physically, meaning no Aragami corruption, and his mental health before the event was flawless. So he must be corrupted by Aragami, except (everything says that) he isn't. Otherwise, he should be clinically insane, except (everything says that) he isn't. So what happened to him? And how do we keep that from happening to others?

-What happened to you? - I guess asking is as good means as any of finding out.

-I realized the futility of it all. It's all pointless.

-And you're, what, helping people to their graves? You could've just killed yourself.

-They tried to kill me. What I saw... they're better off dead by my hand. At least their souls would be safe.

Ah, so he is insane. Just as I anticipated. What little I can glean from between lines is that he was attacked by an Aragami that tried to corrupt him, and even though he resisted the corruption himself it drove him feverishly mad.

A clash of blades, a quick dodge on my part, and his blade's in the ground. I kick him in the chin and he is sent backwards, his Arc still embedded in the floor.

-For a master swordsman you sure don't have a good grip on your blade.

It is then and there that he makes a gesture of his hand and his God Arc flies to it.

Custom gadgets. Quaint.

Oh, this is going to be a long fight.

So I might write the second part at some point. I just wanted to write something GE, and I'm currently having a bad case of writer's block with CE: WoD, so this'll do for the time being.