"Добрый вечер! I am Bogatyr!" You look with no small amount of confusion at the woman standing before you. She was a very strange type, with a cheery and cocky grin even in the face of the destruction outside. In fact, she might be the only happy face in the vicinity, with the stony professionalism of your troops and the anxious gravity of the Wild Geese. The leaders of both groups stood with you, Integra, Bogatyr, Miyako, Akuma and Kagutsuchi in the foyer of the manor.
"Ah, thank you, Bogatyr. It is nice to meet you. I'm afraid your superiors didn't exactly grace us with information on your capabilities. Would you like to let us know, so we can best deploy you, or…?" You hazard a response at the beaming monster killer.
"Hahaha, you won't get me so easy with your spy type questions! But I respect your effort, comrade! Just give me to your weakest squad, and I will be the muscle. I am very strong, as you can see." Although the heavy Russian accent felt vaguely threatening, the way the Russian monster hunter flexed to show off was a bit too endearing to really take as such. You relax a little bit.
"Right. Well, I'm sure that we can properly assign you somewhere. In order to facilitate chain of command, I'm going to have to ask you to cede command to one of my agents. I can understand your reluctance to do so, but I feel it'll go smoother." The Russian laughed and clapped you on the back, hard.
"Haha! Of course not! I am here to kill Nazis, and that is all! Give me something to kill and all will be right!" You grin weakly before the Russian's enthusiasm.
"Ah, very well. Alright, here's the plan."
Renko's Group: 87
"Well. This isn't going nearly as badly as I thought it would. I'm happily surprised, actually." The light emitting from your hands slowly dies as you speak, and one of your agents looks over. Carefully, you step over the dead Nazi who you just blew a hole in, with light, and continue to walk through the back alley. Behind you, Crows continue to keep their eyes open and radio in what their status is, with a few flying above the rooftops to keep a lookout for any incoming groups. A couple of swordsmen accompany you, and a sealing squad as well. All in all, a very well rounded team.
"Director, please return to cover. Just because you killed those vampires does not mean more cannot be just around the corner." You heed your subordinate's words and stand against the wall as he scouts around the corner. When he gives the signal for all clear, your group continues to move forward. Walking down a large and empty street, you're struck silent by how deserted it is. Besides a couple of corpses, it feels like the city is abandoned.
"Incoming!" The cry shatters the illusion of quiet, and you jump into cover as vampires jump off of a building across the street howling with diabolical laughter. Already, machine gun fire echoes from both sides, and you blindly shoot a few blasts of sun magic over the hood of the car. The howls of some unfortunate nazis makes you smile. After a few minutes of shooting, and the swordsmen cutting into pieces any vampires stupid enough to try to jump over the parked cars you and your men were using as cover. As it was, there was too much fire for your twenty Crow Flyers to take off without being shot down immediately.
"Director! There are dozens of them, and more incoming!" You curse slightly at that. It wasn't like you had a great concentration of power with you. At this rate, they had probably already radioed their superiors at the show of actual resistance, and it was a miracle they hadn't started throwing grenades just yet. Still, time to leave.
"Alright, let's toss grenades and sprint to the nearest exit. I want us gone from this area as fast as possible. Be prepared to-" As you spoke to the agent in charge, a group of the vampires launched into a full out sprint across the street, probably hoping to weather the bullet storm fast enough to get over your cover and clear the path for the rest. Instead, the swordsmen stepped out to meet them.
Repelling the Push: 96+15(Swordsmen)+5(Renko's Blessing)=116
Overflow Roll:16+2
Almost instantly, the swords had whipped out and de-limbed and disemboweled the group of charging vampires. Naturally, the Millennium machine guns focused in on them, but the swordsmen didn't back down. Instead, they charged forward with swords drawn. Millennium opened fire, but the swordsmen simply lowered their profile and deflected the bullets. Meanwhile, your agents took the shift in focus as a chance to open fire on the distracted Nazis. At least a third of them took bullets to the side directly in the torso and a few in the head, which should at least slow the vampires down.
The swordsmen jumped into the intersection between cars, decapitating the closest two right off the bat. Both of them start to tear through the vampires like wheat, using the vampires as meatshields against bullets when they can. Between the gunfire from your agents and the close quarter threats of the swords, the vampires attentions are divided as they collapse into a mess. Seeing a line of vampires about to jump off the roof and onto the swordsmen, you sweep your sun laser in a line to send them tumbling down screaming, where they fall upon the waiting blades of the swordsmen.
When the fighting and screaming dies down, the vampires are dead and your swordsmen are drenched in blood. They begin to walk back to you, but fall to their knees in exhaustion half way across. As you order agents to help them up and carry them, you turn back to your head agent.
"I want to get out of here, now. Make sure the Sealing Squad leaves something behind for any reinforcements. Make sure everyone has reloaded and let's move." As the agents hurried to comply, you worried at your lip in frustration. These Millennium fucks were just traipsing around the place, and there wasn't much of anything you could do about it. It was fantastic you hadn't lost anyone yet, and had managed to shepherd some civilians to the manor, but that luck wouldn't hold.
Not to mention, as nice as it felt to slaughter some of the bloodsucking shits, it was a puddle compared to the flood. Fifty some vampires wouldn't compare to two hundred, and your swordsmen were probably too exhausted by that frankly amazing display of martial skill to do something like that again. Integra's prediction that Alucard would be necessary for an acceptable victory was starting to look uncomfortably true.
Maybe you should check with the other groups. It would be nice to know they're having some success.
Bogatyr's Group: 66
"Hahaha! Die, Fascist suka! This is much fun, Japan! I thank you for inviting me! For Mother Russia!" The Russian murder machine that goes by the name of Bogatyr smiled happily as she stomped a nazi's face into paste while firing the vampire's machine gun at an advancing wave. Agent Isei of the Matsuo family and Crow Flyer, silently prayed to the kami. They may be far away from this place, but by Izanagi, he needed all the divine luck he could get right now.
Honestly, it wasn't going terribly. They had saved some civilians and harassed some patrols, but the current situation was still largely uncertain. Isei credited this feeling to the fact that their foreign asset was fucking insane. If she wasn't certified, Isei would be shocked. Not only did she talk like she had been educated by Soviet Era propaganda films made by Reagan himself, but she cackled like a maniac at the slightest provocation, including bloodshed.
At the first sign of the vampires, the Russian had launched herself forward, summoning large spikes of ice to spear the unsuspecting Nazis through the heart. Most engagements with her entailed her crashing down like an icy sledgehammer while the rest of you shot at whatever was left. This would all be fine if she wasn't so… enthusiastic.
"Bogatyr, ma'am! Please regroup, we're going to move from this sector now!" Bogatyr looked back in confusion even as she tossed an empty machine gun to the side. Grabbing a Millennium grenade off the ground, she armed it and threw it to the oncoming vampires. Once it had gotten near them, she took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. A wall of ice erupted from the ground, and the sound of the grenade exploding came from beyond it. Bogatyr jogged back to the group, pouting.
"Ah, must we go so soon, Japan? The fun has barely started!" At the very least, Bogatyr is highly receptive towards orders. While she pouts and complains sometimes, she seems to be having the time of her life, and hasn't been any real trouble to handle so far. If anything could put him off, it was that she didn't seem like an actual… person, if that makes sense. Something about her just unsettled him somewhere in the back of his head. Too many youkai had done the same for him to feel comfortable with this, but she was a help, so he would bear with it.
"While I'm sure you could do more damage, our objective is to harass and draw attention from their attack against the city. So long as we can keep them from targeting civilians and the city itself, our job is going well, and we need to make sure we aren't drowned in their reinforcements. We remain vastly outnumbered." Bogatyr nodded fiercely. From across the group, someone calls out to you.
"Agent Matsuo! We have a problem." Already dreading whatever is coming next, you hurry across to them. There, a Crow is putting pressure on a gut wound while a Crow with a medical kit hovers over him.
"Agent Matsuo, sir! I have received a mortal wound in the line of duty and would like your permission to stay and cover the retreat. I will also have grenades along with the other deceased's supplies, to ensure the vampires cannot defile the bodies! It would be an honor, sir!" You grimace at that. While the idea of the vampires feeding on the bodies of your soldiers was horrifying, if you let him do that, then there was almost no chance that they would get a full burial. And who knows what would happen to their spirits if they died over here in foreign lands without one.
On the other hand, you couldn't lug the deceased's bodies with you. And based on the look of the Crow treating the wound, he was right about his chances of survival. You just had to balance which method of spiritual abandonment was better. If you burned their bodies somehow, the bones would be scattered with the ash, and that has a bad habit of making evil spirits, with almost no way of recovering them.
"Bah, stupid Japanese! Fear not, Bogatyr shall save you!" Before anyone else can speak, Bogatyr pushes past you and grabs the wounded agent by the wrist. As you watch, frost slowly spreads all over him before the agent goes limp. "There! I froze him! His heartbeat is slow, his blood is slow, he will not get worse for a very long time. Bogatyr medicine, guaranteed! Is funny, no?"
You blink at that. If that was true, then there was no way you could leave him behind. You didn't exactly have time to make a stretcher, but carrying him along was easy enough with how many troops you had left. This could work out.
"Thank you, Bogatyr. I didn't want to have to leave one of my men to die. I don't suppose you could do anything for the deceased? We don't want to leave them here without a proper burial." Bogatyr gave an exasperated sigh, but you could see that she was smiling.
"Ah, if I must do everything myself, I will! I don't know how you Japanese manage without me." Stepping forward, Bogatyr summoned ice once more to wrap around the pair of corpses lying side by side. It was also opaque, blocking the bodies themselves for view. "There. As long as the vampires don't break it on purpose, it should stay until the end of the battle. Is Bogatyr not great?" You can't help but smile a little.
"Yes Bogatyr, you are easily my favorite foreigner. Now, let's get out of here before the vampires get brave enough to scale your ice wall."
"Bah, they would have to be brave enough to face the might of Mother Russia once more! No one is that brave. They may be that foolish though." As the group starts jogging away, you mentally re-evaluate. Although Bogatyr still tugs at something in the back of your head, you can't help but appreciate her. She was a very helpful bloodthirsty Soviet lunatic.
"This is Director Renko, checking in. Report." You raise the radio to respond.
"Director Renko, this is Matsuo Isei with the Bogatyr group. All is going according to plan. Low casualties, no significant obstacles. Will keep you updated."
"This is Renko Akuma, and I may have a problem.
Akuma's Group: 93
Vampires are fodder to you. That's all they ever have been, really. Some of them have special powers or some such nonsense, but it all comes down to the fact that they are faster and stronger than the average human. Luckily for you, you happen to be much faster and much stronger than them. Which leads to situations such as this.
"Gyaaaaa!" With a swipe of your club, the shrieking vampire is torn in half. The fact that this weapon's weight can rip through them like a sword is not lost on you, and you wonder just how much of a monster Shuten dōji must have been to wield it so easily. Luckily, you wouldn't have to learn that for yourself.
As you walk forward, you allow bullets to glance off your armor or your club, before you throw the iron monstrosity crush one vampire's head against the wall. You dash forward and wrench it out, before slamming it back into another vampire probably shattering every bone in its body. One thing you very much can respect about the spellwork on the weapon is how none of the blood sticks to the seals covering it. This is likely so that the blood doesn't disrupt the seal work, but the attention to detail implied was astounding.
Behind you, your men mop up stragglers as you continue along the street. You had encountered a large amount of civilians in a few buildings and had managed to get them to head to the manor, so in that regard you were doing very well. You had only run into small patrols so far, and had lead a larger bulk of their forces on a goose chase, but that meant you had to keep mobile. Luckily, the vampires you had run into were easily taken care of. Already you were on the move again.
"Oy, heretic, slow down for a minute. We'll be wanting a word with you." You turn and see Father Alexander, standing in an alleyway with his bayonets in hand. Your hand tightens on the handle of your club as you remember the insults leveled against your mother. But as far as you aware, Iscariot wasn't even supposed to be here in London. If they were, chances are they're doing something… insidious. If only you spoke English.
"No English." You can see Alexander's face fall as he grumbled. You wave over one of your English speaking Crows while he taps the flat of his bayonets against his leg. The Crow startles at the appearance of the giant priest, but collects himself immediately.
"Goddammit, I knew this was a bad idea. Yumie's from their heathen land, isn't she? Should have found her before I tried to talk to savages." The Crow translated him for you, and you bare your teeth lightly. You want to destroy him. He may be some kind of regenerator, but you're sure that if you turn him into paste that he'll have a hard time pulling himself back together. But you needed to know why the hell he was here, and if you attacked now, then you learn nothing.
"What are you doing here? You abandoned London's defense." The Crow translated for you, and Alexander blinked in surprise.
"Ah, good, you heretics do have some brains in ya. To answer that question, Iscariot does not care about London. But a gathering of vile and repulsive sinners such as this is something that we have to intervene in. Now, have you seen a nun with a sword anywhere around here? We seem to have lost her." You stab your club down and into the ground, the street cracking under the weight of it.
"You will leave London, or you will protect it. No other options are available." Alexander grinned at your furious visage, and laughed long and loud.
"No offense lass, but you can't really stop me. I would tear through you with the wrath of God, and none of your witchcraft could stop me." You bare your teeth in a full snarl this time, hefting your club.
"I don't need witchcraft to stop you. I have iron for that." As both of you look ready fight to the death and the translating Crow backs up rapidly, your mother's voice echoes from over the radio. As you respond, another one comes right after.
"Ah, this is Miyako. I'm willing to bet my problem is worse."
Miyako's Group: 74
"Agent. Could you uh, explain this to me."
"Miyako, Ma'am, I'm not sure what I'm looking at myself." The mercenary replied. Before you was a public square. A big and open square absolutely filled with people. There were Nazis, police officers, civilians, and even what looked like a few priests, and they were all just standing there, frozen. You poked one on the outskirts with your foot, and the vampire didn't budge. It's as i they were all statues
"Well, I think we can say what the cause is at least." In the middle of the square was a golden woman, at least ten feet tall. Her face was chipped off just like the other statue creature, and in her hands was a white parasol. Besides that, there were no other outstanding features. She just looked like a normal, if gigantic, woman in Indian garb.
"Ma'am? What should we do?" You turn to the mercenary who had asked the question and looked to the overall group. Around twenty Wild Geese, a trio of swordsmen, ten Rangers and a sealing squad. But this creature was a complete unknown. It could be anything from a pushover to a living god. Then again, there's a lot of people stuck in this square, but not a single out of it. As it stands, you could probably circumnavigate the entire thing no problem. Even if that did leave all these civilians stuck in here.
As everyone checks in, you do the same, and end up describing your problem to your mom. At the very least, you wouldn't have to make the decision.
You, Renko Kochika, grind your palm into your temple as you think on what to do. Naturally it would be your daughters who end up in the more volatile situations. At least neither of them have turned to violence. Yet. And Iscariot's presence was worrying, but it was never off the table. Maybe this can work.
"Renko. This is Kagutsuchi. A vampire burned down the manor and drank my divinity."
Oh for fuck's sake.
What should Akuma do?
[] Take the first strike. Try to kill Anderson.
[] Try to convince him to leave each other alone.
[] Try to convince him to aid in the defense.
[] Write in
What should Miyako do?
[] Engage with the creature
[] Go around it.
[] Try to take potshots from outside the square and see what happens.
[] Write in
Miyako's Group:
20 Wild Geese
Three Swordsmen
10 Rangers
One Sealing Squad
Renko's Group:
20 Crow Flyers
Two Swordsmen
One Sealing Squad
Bogatyr's Group:
20 Crow Flyers
Two Swordsmen
One Sealing Squad
Akuma's Group:
10 Crow Flyers
Two Swordsmen
One Bone Mecha
AN: So, funny story, I actually started writing this back when Sinsystems wrote on my profile. It just took forever. And my little brother drank the rest of my Hawaiian Fruit Punch, the little shit. I bought it, dammit. it should be safe. And then I remembered that you all didn't bring any agents and I had to rewrite about half of it. Fuck it, I guess. Anyway, come at me with any questions.
