Two updates with red titles in a row, yet nary a muscle wizard in sight. Just how glorious would this have been as one? Did we relinquish the chance to become the One
Punch Arm Man along with Relinquishment?
Best to cut to the heart of the problem and remove the wurm-beast. The sheer scale of its battle with the giant was sufficient to cause collateral damage for every minute that it proceeded unnecessarily. He took stock of the implements available to him as he prepared to move.
No need for theorizing about the title when the first paragraph explains it. Missing a charisma boost's unfortunate, but this saves more lives all things considered. We're going to have to do a lot of that if we want to stay in the karmic black. The fridge horror in this quest's the fact that at every moment of every day, the Decimator's Affliction is doing its deadly work in the background.
There was the Blade of the Tyrant's Forebear. It had broken alongside him in the process of delivering his final blow to the its first wielder's progeny. Had that been simple overexertion or evidence of a deeper connection? It hardly mattered now. When he'd abducted the Blade from the Tyrant's catacombs it had bonded to him fully, had leapt to his hand from the crypt, fierce and eager in its willingness to serve, the vigor of a weapon suffering dire neglect...
I'd say that eagerness is suspicious, but it worked out well? For a given value of 'well' that left Hiro (I'm going to call him this until he picks a new name or epithet for himself) a widowed, ruined wreck of a man; some victories are so Pyrrhic they don't deserve the name.
This is an example of his affinity for the forbidden surpassing the Tyrant, who apparently also jacked others' artifacts. But how many data points was he working with, here? Just the one abduction? Maybe the Forebear was simply disappointed in his descendant. Hiro's eye color did change when he stole it, which could be indicative of other alterations.
It had never betrayed him across years of insurgency. In time they had become a single being, their story a single legend, the hero true and Sword That Was Stolen, of disparate origin but as thick as thieves.
What a great name for a weapon. Accretion comes with all the vibes of inspirational legendry that I hoped it would. Harkens back to the days of Magus Quest, when Lancelot faced the Army of the King alone and prevailed. Which in turn reminds me of vali's theory, though Hiro's memory is so fragmented we wouldn't know even if he was Iskander 2.0. Could check for pallor and rust-colored hair, but maybe he got the EMIYA treatment for other aspects of his appearance.
In truth it was inaccurate to think of them as separate entities. The sword was a part of him like his liver or heart, and just as essential to the hero's function. Before his infusion of Accursed power it had slumbered comatose, form and purpose shattered as he had been. All that remained of the bastard sword's blade was a jagged shard about a foot in length, but the Accursed's infusion of power had reached it as it had reached every other part of his self. The broken Blade had quickened once more, its mere presence imparting him with an echo of the Forebear's storied might, the power of Ruin suffusing his every strike.
The Sword That Was Stolen serving as a visible metaphor for Hiro's recovery as a person is one reason why I don't want Unshattered. Fun as it would be, acceptance of and deriving power from his current state's more of a Freedom thing, and I want to see what other Forebear's Blade forms we'll unlock down the road. Concerning that
theft is an integral part of its legend, though, we need to steer it away from that as soon as possible or the Apocryphal Curse is going to run roughshod over us.
But that was not the only artifact touched by the Accursed's spark. There on his hand was the ring Hunger, a band of black mythril surmounted by crimson, the final memento of his journey and the only one stolen from the Tyrant's corpse. Rumor abounded that the ring was the source of the Tyrant's martial gift, but in his hands it had only been a powerless token. Now it had awakened, bound to him by Accursed investiture and fused indestructibly to his index finger.
Slightly concerning to learn the origins of the artifact only after we're locked into it. It's not regrettably, exactly, but in the context of the Accursed's advice the fact that we're two for two on sourcing our artifacts from tyrants isn't a great look. Mythril existing in his previous world's interesting, as is the spelling. But in a realm where Accretion's the primary (and only?) magic, a legendary metal having myth in the name's not so surprising. Is it extracted from the territory of high-Rank masters? If King Arthur rules from his seat at Camelot for long enough, do you start finding veins of the stuff all across England?
It impelled him towards action, towards greatness, the fulfillment of his human potential; prodded him to embrace the joys and sorrows of life fearlessly and without regret. So too was the ability it imparted: the hero's capacity to advance via personal training would be greatly diminished, but any form of conflict or genuine endeavor would grant power tenfold.
Bizarrely wholesome considering its origins. I'm almost afraid what would've happened if we gave it to Gisena, her YOLO rating is too high as-is.
A shame his armor had been stolen from him in the hours leading up to his assassination. But the Forebear's Blade granted resilience enough.
Yeah, I was kind of hoping we'd have that? Would've done wonders for our early-game survivability, but so it goes. This also reinforces concerns about the Blade being stolen again. Abduction may be a Forbidden Art, but the mundane practice of separating people from their shit is alive and well.
He bounded forth, greenery whirling by as yards and miles disappeared beneath him, towards the city of white stone in which the colossi fought. The situation became clearer as he approached: the common folk of the city, better dressed and fed than those of the Tyrant's world, were fighting a desperate action against a horde of hyena beasts, which streamed like spilled blood from the dragon-jackal's wounds. The city was pervaded by them, creatures beyond number, and he drew his blade as he reached the walls, propelling himself with a crack of thunder through an open gate and into the fray.
A proper fray, distinct from the Titanic curbstomps of EFB and thermobaric explosions of AST. Nameless executing Taishan had gravitas to it, but it'll be nice to have fight scenes of this sort to dig into again. Also, more insights into the people of this world. Seems like a Gurren Lagann situation where humanity's lost most of its technological base? I'm beginning to see Catherine's relevance more clearly, feeling the first flickers of regret about passing her up. Being from eight hundred years ago might have put her ahead of the curve. That says depressing things about the state of civilization.
Like a falling meteor he struck, the steady tide of beasts become a sea in tumult. The force of his impact rippled outwards, monsters hurled like stray droplets as the fight began in earnest.
There was no time to waste. He scythed though their ranks with brutal efficiency, carving a path to the progenitor dragon. Thirty stories it towered above them, blotting out sky and sun, its reddish-brown carapace mottled with scars. As creatures poured from a wound, the cut itself steadily shrank in size. Troubling.
No panic, just acknowledgment and analysis of the problem. For you, the day the dragon towered over your city was the worst day of your life. For Hiro, it was Tuesday. A
slow Tuesday. Anyway, if it can scar then its regeneration is imperfect, though the implied experience and longevity would be intimidating for someone else. Might be a portal within, supplying biomass that it can use to heal and create hyenas?
Nearly of a height with it was its opponent, a bio-mechanical giant armored in dark grey with accents of red. Hydraulics and ceramic plate spoke to a degree of sophistication that was absent from the city around them, but its overall appearance was disheveled, parts ill-fitting or in disrepair. Its head bore little resemblance to that of a human's; a fierce and angular thing with livid gold eyes, sporting an enormous maw filled with cruel, curving fangs.
Bloody greenskins, you just can't escape them! But seriously, is this a coincidence or did some absolute madman create a hybrid orc EVA? If so, how? The affinity's a little worrying given how, ah, obviously evil it is? But I suppose we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, given how tattered Hiro's own is. They're similar in having been through the wringer if nothing else.
But that was hardly its strangest feature. At the top of each arm where the shoulder would normally lie was another armored head, neckless as if in place of a pauldron, similar in structure down to the fanged maw. These had eyes of green; the rightmost face stared appraising down at him. As he watched, the giant attacked, pulling aside the dragon's arm to bite at its neck, shoulder-face tearing into the flesh of that arm as it came into range.
Devourer's a fitting name. Does it heal by dealing damage or is this the next level of 'drive me closer, I want to hit them with my sword'? Either way, curious construction, could be a synthesis of three beings? If it has advanced weapons systems they're offline. It might have won unaided, but I get the feeling the dragon-jackal would have inflicted further damage on its way out. If this is some kind of last-ditch irreplaceable contingency, like a warstrider in the Age of Sorrows, then it's good to have prevented that.
It was probably this thing that had sparked his feeling of affinity, this devourer with three heads. Indeed he felt no hostility from it, though it hardly seemed overly solicitous.
It has Resting Devourer Face(s), let's not judge it too harshly. Do we not all bear our own Curses on our paths through creation?
He had almost reached the place of their duel, its radius of devastation increasingly apparent, when he was stopped short by a bolt of phantasmal force.
Hello there, Gisena! I'd say it's a pleasure to see you again, but that would be a blatant lie. Please put the nerfbat away, we paid a high(er) price for this power.
"Another outlander! Can you help me evacuate these guys?" An inappropriately cheerful voice accosted him. The interloper was a woman in a finely-tailored dress, its gossamer material streaked with trails of blood and gore, though none of it appeared to be her own. Blue eyes, pale violet hair and distractingly beautiful, inhumanly so. The hackles of his suspicion rose. Some form of Fey? Her ears seemed normal enough, but that could be glamour.
Some immediately apparent differences when compared with Gisena 1.0. Blue eyes, awareness of our outlander status, etc. Might be her Graces of Nullity let her perceive the Affliction, as it's loosely comparable to the Orcwaste if you squint, but her social tactics imply knowledge of the outlines of the Tyrant's Doom. Don't know what to make of this, but good god am I glad that Hiro's first instinct is suspicion. Also, Fey sound terrifying if your primary magic system's mythological.
She was leading a large convoy of civilians out from the epicenter, so likely not an enemy. Her bolts seemed to stun and disorient those beasts they struck. It could be a ruse, improbable as it seemed. He'd allow it, at least until the civilians crossed the boulevard, but would stay on guard.
Her personality may be trash, but at least she's saving people. Credit where it's due for that. Without meatshields in the form of Duty-driven knights or Witch-Slayers she's not too effective alone. It's surprising that the hyenas are susceptible to Nullity? Seems like they're just dragon-drones, and that this world's operating on some combination of magic and technology. Tabling my Spherical theories until we get more information.
"Fine," he assented. "Stay out of my way."
"So grumpy," she huffed, arriving at his side. "Wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?"
With a backstory like Hiro's, there is no right side of the bed to wake up on. There's no respite to be found in it either, not when the faces of dead friends pursue him through his dreams. Constant, sharp pain pervades every hour of every day, and if his grief wavers for even an instant an upwelling of guilt will surely take its place. Joy is a betrayal of their memory, happiness a child's lie that like youth itself inevitably fades. That's loss. It's not a meme, it's an affliction as crippling as any Curse.
This works too, plenty of time to deploy the edge later.
She laughed airily. "A handsome knight like you? I don't believe it!"
Initial reaction was that Gisena's engaging in disingenuous flattery, but if Accretion Rank comes with physiological changes maybe she can derive his features pre-maiming. As a Sorceress she's familiar with cosmetic augmentation, the source is even somewhat similar.
He sighed. "Is now the time for this?"
A rhetorical question, but I just know she's going to answer it.
"When better? We could die at any moment, you know. What, afraid you can't keep up?"
Maybe you could, Gisena, but Hiro's not as squishy as you are. Beneath this battered mien there is more than flesh. There is an idea... and ideas are bulletproof.
"Yes. So focus on the battle."
"Liar. You're even faster than me! So, where are you headed next? Going to attack that dragon? I could help..."
Finally the civilians were through. Tides of translucent force emanated from her, sweeping through the hyena-beasts emerging from the dragon. Where that magic passed, the creatures swayed and sat as if in a stupor.
A magical mechanism of control that she can disrupt? Strange interaction, I'd expect Null-bolts to dispel them based on the corpses eventually dissolving. No natives trying to coordinate the evacuation's also not a great sign, are they just stuck fighting the drones with medieval weaponry? Not a great situation.
She seemed capable enough. "Yes. Come if you like."
"How forward! I knew you liked me after all."
"...Circle around to the far side. I'll hit it from the front."
With every line of banter and bait he ignores, I like him a bit more.
"As if you'd get rid of me that easily! If you get me to the head, I can bypass its healing. Then you finish it off?"
He grunted in assent. "Can you survive a fall? I could throw you into range, then sprint up the tail."
"A delicate flower like me? I'm not so acrobatic. Carry me?" She batted her eyelashes.
"Fine. Climb on."
Persistence is not always a virtue, Gisena. But tactical necessity overwhelms annoyance and concerns about decency, as it should. The dialogue here does remind me of Ulyssian interacting with Nilul, which isn't a bad thing. How long has she been in this world? If this is immediately post-Jotarun, she bounced back from his Stranger aura rapidly.
"I'd prefer a princess carry, but this is fine too." She kipped up and hugged his neck, crossing slender legs against his stomach. He did his best to ignore the prominent sensation of her chest against his back. Her skin was milk-pale, no sun exposure, hands free of callous. Likely a life spent indoors, with servants for menial work.
Hey, Hiro's incapable of a princess carry even if his waifu wasn't dead! This is what we get for taking Hunger with Gisena. A predictable consequence of the combination, one reason she was excluded from the TSM build. At least he's analyzing rather than admiring. Even with the Tyrant's Doom you can see echoes of his ideals, which is interesting.
Can he still advocate for democracy in the abstract, just with baked-in exceptionalism where he's concerned?
Obviously he's above such populist nonsense, but in his absence it wouldn't be the worst way to organize a society? Maybe that's optimistic and we'll need mitigation to get there. Since you mentioned it, I'm curious how a young Porcelain would've navigated this situation, she's supposed to be pleasant to interact with and this
is an externally imposed psychological blind spot.
Yet her speed and precision were above the level of ordinary humans. A product of her magic alone, rather than experience? No. She was composed in battle, suggesting some level of familiarity. Perhaps that selfsame magic reverted any changes to her form.
Hiro's sharp, guessing at the nature of the Maidengrace from her appearance alone.
Once she was secure, he sprang forward, leaping up to land on the dragon's tail. From what he could recall, he'd never actually slain a dragon before. That would have been a memory worth saving.
Hate to say it, man, but you still won't have once this update's concluded. Capital-D Dragons aren't so easily dispatched, though the Monarch's Shadow had a spawning breath vaguely reminiscent of this thing's fodder creation. This injects some humor into Hiro's priorities, though. Who wouldn't want to remember such a story?
Plunging his blade into its side, he ran up its length, too quick for it to toss. Had its attention not been diverted by a renewed assault from its chief opponent, perhaps it could have dealt with him, but not in its current sorry state. Where his blade passed, flesh parted cleanly and sloughed to the side, up and across the whole of its spine until it came apart as if unzipped. The sorceress followed up with another wave of her magic, nullifying its regeneration.
This is some Shadow of the Colossus shit, a feat usually reserved for the Exalted.
This is what I wanted out of Accretion. I absolutely love that we're a one-armed dude with a broken sword fighting something that humans have no business engaging without artillery support. Guts would be proud. The culture shock's going to be glorious once we start interacting with people.
He attacked with savagery as they reached the head, blade-force projected into great thrusts and cleaving arcs to carve away at the dragon's skull. The sorceress shifted, holding her left arm against his collarbone to fire away with her outstretched right. Before long they had reached the brain. Crossed slashes cut it into quarters; a volley of bolts and it trembled, falling still.
A bit of an anticlimax, honestly? What a disappointing dance parter, no stamina at all! It didn't score a hit on us, or try to explode, or really turn out to have any nasty surprises. Still, a satisfying victory on the whole. Without Gisena and the Devourer, this could've been a tremendous pain to deal with. Maybe it did have a trump card up its sleeve and died without a chance to display it because of Nullity?
The ring Hunger pulsed on his finger, a warm flood of power radiating outwards into his body, and through him the Forebear's Blade. The spoils of victory, progression so rapid it felt unfair. He would have to get used to that.
If he thinks this is unfair, just wait until Hiro sees what the world's got in store for him. He shouldn't rest too comfortably on his laurels. If the dragon's death didn't disable the hyena-beasts, hunting down as many as possible to assist with the cleanup would be productive. Never squander a fight while wearing Hunger.
"I hope this thing doesn't dissolve beneath us," he grumbled.
"It won't. The flesh itself is nonmagical, it was only infused with magic. Mostly its nervous system, which distributed the power as it was needed." She leapt down to inspect its wounds. "What an interesting specimen! It's a shame biology's not my forte."
Yeah, the Elixir Sorceress might've been able to do something with this. Or maybe Emerald, if she stopped grinding her teeth at anything technological. It's possible future Graces might grant Gisena scientific knowledge? Already exceptional attributes benefit most and it wouldn't be too thematically dissonant for her. It's an open question how active a role the Maiden takes in choosing Graces, but there's typically a common thread. Sometimes literally, in the case of Morgiana or the Crimson! Also convenient that the dragon's corpse is staying around, maybe this is how the Devourer was originally built.
Right, investment in the sciences was one of his goals for reform. You can hear him updating his assessment of her usefulness.
"The very best!" She exclaimed, standing up to face him with a lecturing finger. "Lady Gisena Allria, Sorceress of Nullity and genius technologist, at your service!"
What well-chosen words, deftly avoiding a Doom proc. To think Jeanne claimed she was as bad a liar as Seram. Does Clarity just have very high standards, or did we luck out and get a categorically superior version? Who am I kidding, it's Jeanne. Her standards are stratospheric.
"What do you think about that?" He pointed his chin at the humanoid abomination, which stared at them unblinkingly. Steam hissed out from a set of cylinders in its neck, a pillar of smoke to join the countless coiling upwards into the sky.
More Evangelion vibes, with the control rods protruding from the neck, but venting steam makes me think nuclear. I'd love to take a peek under the hood of this bad boy.
The sense of affinity had grown with proximity, almost sharp now like an ache. He was certain. It was this thing - the monster itself, not any pilot or creature that resided within - that held that affinity to him, aligned across some inexpressible valence.
Get in the robot, Hiro. You know you want to. Ignore the fact that it's apparently called 'the Devourer'. The power of Progression encompasses all domains, piloting included!
2040 words to extricate us from XP debt.
