Alicia Rosenkopf
Miyama - Streets
Night Phase
"W-Wait...-!"
The little girl's shout falls on deaf ears. Having already armed yourself, you make use of the opening that your ally has created and move in to strike. It might be because she has been blessed with powers similar to your own that you strangely feel a sense of belonging, one that pushes away your fears and drives you to the eye of the storm, set on showing your new friend what you are capable of. Gripping tightly the two glass-like weapons that have materialized out of thin air, you allow your instincts to take over and leap back into the fray. However, the foe that once stood in the middle of the street -a shadow incapable of showing any gesture or emotion- is nowhere to be seen. It has disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving you in a momentary daze, as your brain tries to work around what it has just seen happen. Unfortunately, there is simply no time for that.
Your vision is painted red as your self-preservation instinct goes haywire in the face of a threat that's several times more dangerous than the strongest human. You, who, moments ago, intended to surprise your enemy are instead surprised in turn as the deadly silhouette materializes right in front of you, having moved from one place to another in the blink of an eye. Showing absolutely no mercy even when the one in front of it appears to be no more than an innocent child, its proficient footwork finds a hole in your stance and immediately fires a quick jab at its prey. Needless to say, no matter how simple the motion looks in practice, it contains enough force to be considered fatal.
Yes, in the first place, this has never been a battle that Alicia Rosenkopf -or any other Magus for that matter- can overcome without some insanely good ace in the hole. As if to emphasize this point, the blow does not only break past your defenses effortlessly, it also sends you flying like a lifeless rag doll against the door of a nearby store. It's only knocking over two or three shelves that your body is finally allowed to touch the floor. It's a miracle that you are still alive after being hit directly by such a beast. That said... It has come at a price. Besides the raging surge of pain that was not there a moment ago, one of your arms hangs lifelessly from your body as a trail of thin trail of blood runs down through it. Your left shoulder is dislocated, and you won't be able to put it back into place without assistance.
Alicia Rosenkopf suffers 30 HP damage.
Critical Hit! Left Arm dislocated.
Regardless of whether you grit your teeth and endure the pain or cry out like wounded prey, the moment you lift your gaze is the moment you meet, once more, face to face with the enemy. Standing outside the store, there is about eight steps between it and you, and by this point it should be clear that a being capable of defying human reason can close that distance in a heartbeat. Having been stripped of your weaponry, wounded and reduced to a more than disfavorable position, your mind does not shy from reaching the conclusion any human would reach if placed on your shoes right now: This is the end, you are done for. Whatever spectacle you were trying to put up for your friend ended up being a big farce, a bridge towards your doom, a childish mistake you could have no way to know you were making until it was too late.
---Heartbeat.
At the edge of life, in the final moments before your body is reduced to a pile of lifeless meat, what is the light that guides your thoughts? Do you accept the fate you have been branded with, willing to welcome the consequences of your actions? Or do you perhaps reject destiny, calling it unfair, undeserved, unbelievable?
Truly, it does not matter.
---Heartbeat.
For the only thing you are granted before the end is to gaze upon the true form of the one who has pushed you this far.
Having gained an image, the swordsman silently draws its weapon, as if to enforce its duty as a grim reaper.
Little has changed. There is no emotion that it can perceive or demonstrate. Nor does it respond to reason.
It even lacks a reason to kill you. Even so, it will do it because it is in its nature.
Ah, though its all pitch-black, she must have really been a beautiful person.
For some reason, your final thoughts are reduced to a pointless appreciation like that.
(BGM Off)
But if the storm unleashed by her sword carries with it a silent promise of death, then the feral claw that rises to oppose it can be no less than a selfless flame that burns brightly to preserve life.
Clang.
For a moment, you are left in awe, staring at the strange figure of your savior. Unlike its foe, who cannot utter a single word, this wolf is not afraid to howl to assert its place in this world.
"__________!!!"
That's the signal.
Before long, what started with a single exchange becomes a never-ending torrent of blows.
Man and beast engage in a death-match as everything around them is left in complete disarray. Though the wolf-like creature seems to be inferior in every way, it somehow manages to push back the swordswoman by allowing its animal instinct to guide its actions. It may only be for a moment, but the path that was once blocked becomes clear.
As your mind struggles between pulling itself together or disconnecting itself right then and there, a familiar voice brings you back to your senses.
"Get up... We need to get out of here now-!"
-------
You run as fast as you can, ignoring your injuries, your fading consciousness and the pain that comes every time your arm moves a certain way you follow the girl through the mist-cloaked streets of Fuyuki and quickly lose sight of the two warriors, the sound behind each clash the only evidence that they are still there, somewhere.
"Geez, you were so reckless back there."
Once the two of you have moved a few blocks away from the scene of the confrontation, the mysterious girl decides to stop for a moment in order to check on you. At first, it sounds like she's going to scold you for being so careless, but it quickly becomes apparent that, whoever she is, her role is that of a kind and compassionate soul. At the same time, within those blue eyes of her one can see a sea of information being reflected. Yes, despite her age and despite her innocence, this girl has dependable written all over her. If there is a problem, then it is likely she knows how to fix it and an injury such as yours is no exception.
"... It looks like your left shoulder is dislocated. I can put it back into place, but I can't do it alone and I have the feeling that we aren't in the clear yet. Those creatures... Just what are they? I've seen my fair share of demonic beasts, but that's not the sort of thing you should run into in a quiet town like this."
The girl takes a deep breath, as if to clear her mind and focus on the important things.
"Right, Can you keep moving...? And sorry if I was rude and didn't introduce myself earlier. I guess I was just... Too terrified to do so."
"My name is Tomomi. Masaki Tomomi. If we can escape this mist and reach the place where my brother and I are staying, then we should be safe."