The cliffs melted away to grass. In the distance, a great mountain loomed. It was almost poetic, how the peeks seemed to melt into darkness and the clouds gathered like a looming ring of misfortune. The sun felt warm, but as they walked, it steadily melted into the cold and wet.
In some ways, that he was moving again made Shinji feel better. After all, it helped settle his nerves at the job ahead, that they were marching into the den of a gang of oni. They were demonic creatures, creatures that had long been the antithesis to humans in Japan since time immemorial, and even so, they were creatures that without any real question, Shinji needed their help.
"I can see where they live." Sheba noted drily, her hands wrapped together behind her back as she walked. Her eyes in some ways seemed to be on fire, yet Shinji wasn't entirely sure why.
"They? The oni?"
"What else?" Sheba's voice was gentle, regardless, as she shook her head, as if to clear away some cobwebs. "There's a lot of them, too."
"That isn't surprising. Ibaraki tends to bring her gang wherever she goes." Mizukume noted. "Don't pay too much attention to Shuten. She will act like a leader, but the real leader is Ibaraki. Shuten is simply a voice in the conversation."
"Right." Shinji muttered. "And… uh… is there a way we should be asking for their help?"
"Sorry?" The human deva simply stared for a long moment, her head leaning to the side ever so slightly. "Asking for help? Oh, the army. There's no right way, if that's what your asking. Oni respect only strength, the strength to impose your will."
"… This isn't going to go well, is it?"
"Depends. How fond of smacking someone in the face are you?" Mizukume noted. "If they try to get a rise out of you, answering with a punch to the face is probably the correct answer."
"What." Sheba and Shinji's answer was dry and flat. Mizukume just giggled to herself.
"Maybe you will have to take that role, Saber." She mused. "After all, you are a gallant knight, aren't you? Happy to defend a pretty maiden?"
Astolfo could only sigh at that.
"I would rather it didn't come to that." He muttered. "I don't think I can beat an entire gang of oni on my own."
"I'm not chopped liver." Sheba grumbled briefly, before letting out a long breath. "Well, I suppose if it does go south, we could just beat on them until they agree to help us."
"You could." Mizukume noted. "Or I suppose we could offer one of you as a treasure."
"Not happening." Sheba's voice was almost acidic as she walked. "Shinji is my responsibility. I'm not letting him stay behind."
Shinji refrained from answering to the other outcome Mizukume noted. The idea of leaving Sheba behind with the oni did not sound appealing in the slightest.
"Can we beat them? How strong are regular oni?" Shinji spoke up. Mizukume shook her head with a small smile.
"No, we can't." She answered. "But they won't fight like that. You are an exotic treasure. They don't have an interest in ganging up on you." The maiden simply checked her things, making sure her sword was secured at her side. "Just make sure you get to the point. Don't try to dance around it, or they will lose patience. Ibaraki is not patient and Shuten is even less so."
It was sound advice. Shinji couldn't think of anything else to say. All that ran through his head was the possibilities of what might happen. It did nothing to help his nerves. It was as if a pit had opened in his stomach.
He wished Shirou was here. Shirou was a well of confidence that could be relied on to do the right thing. Shinji, he had no such faith in himself. All he really knew how to do was socialise with people.
"… Hey, Sheba..." His voice felt soft. Small. It was like he was about to impose on something personal. "I met him last night." There was not any doubt as to who Shinji was referring to. Sheba did not appear to be surprised, quite the opposite, her mouth thinned into a hard line.
"I know." Her answer was matter of fact. "I only get drawn into that world consciously when you're there. If you aren't, I just dream." She glanced briefly at Astolfo. "You didn't… see anything, did you?"
"Just Shirou." Shinji answered. "You and Saber weren't there." Shinji neglected to mention the desert. Even so, Sheba was able to see well beyond sight. It was entirely possible she already knew that he had seen it. Maybe it had been a test, or maybe it was not. Shinji simply didn't know, and there wasn't really any way to know.
"Good." she sniffed, just once. It was clear how she wanted that to stay, at least for now. Shinji got the distinct impression that she did not necessarily trust him, not with something that personal at least.
"He mentioned something curious." Shinji continued. Perhaps he was about to step on a mine, but he didn't care. His nerves were simply too frayed. "He said you might be able to help me."
"Let me guess, he said you needed a foundation from which to use magecraft in order to utilise his abilities properly." Sheba's voice was gentle, precise, and to the point, like a feather wielded with expert precision. "Of course he did. Your friends grasp of magic is not as stable as you, or he, thinks it is."
"It doesn't work?" Shinji raised an eyebrow. Sheba just smiled, lowering her head bashfully.
"Well, I didn't actually say that." She admitted. "But its not something we can do here."
"So you can do it?"
"Shinji, you are messing with something you don't understand." Her voice sounded almost snarky, as she began to skip ahead, just a little bit. "A foundation is made of belief. You and I are just two people. Our belief won't make something true."
"So… uh… You're confusing me."
"You are thinking too much about it." Sheba muttered. "We can't do it from here."
"But you can do it?"
"Oh you are insufferable." Sheba rolled her eyes. "Technically, we can rig up something similar from outside time, but we'd need to anchor it to a singularity to make it work. This isn't something I can do alone, even if I thought it'd work."
"Can't you just tack it on to something else?"
"And are you a Christian? Or a Taoist? Or, well, anything?"
"Uh..."
"Thought so." Sheba answered drily. "Leave it, Shinji. There's nothing I can do from here."
"Oh..." Shinji felt his hopes dash just a little. "Okay. I'll ask again later." Sheba just chuckled to herself.
"You are being silly. Humans are special. Stop trying to throw that away so quickly." She mused. "After all, there's a reason why Leonardo didn't immediately jump on the idea."
"Why?"
"We were worried your body couldn't handle it." She answered. "You don't have much in the way of magical ability. It could end with you little more then a burned out husk in short order." That shut Shinji up very quickly. Sheba just snickered at his silence.
"Uh..."
"Master, you should leave it alone." Astolfo noted. "After all, you need to be patient sometimes to get what you want." He nodded to himself briefly, his lips twisting just a little. "… Is it just me, or is the air getting heavy?"
"That would be the feeling of ominous will." Sheba answered. "The will of those bearing a strong grudge. The Oni are the kind of people who would bear that sort of aura. It means we're getting closer."
Indeed, as they climber the mountain, it felt like the terrain melted away from pleasant grass to something resembling a waste. Shinji could feel his body begin to shiver. It made him wish that he had a jacket or three.
"Here we are." Mizukume hummed. "Well, are you ready?"
Shinji wasn't sure how to answer that. After all, he was pretty sure he wasn't actually ready, but at the same time, there was nothing to do but press forward. His breath came out as hot mist, as he took a step forward.
"Never gonna be better." Came his answer. His eyes adjusted quickly as he walked. There were fires, there were figures steadily looking at him from the sidelines. The cave was full of creatures who were perfectly happy to pick a fight and rip things apart.
They were oni. It was obvious from a glance. The horns on their heads were obvious, and they looked at them with naked want.
Shinji wasn't sure if they wanted him, or Sheba, more though. Sheba didn't seem all that bothered, as she marched through the cave.
The central cavern was more like a party then anything else. Drinks and food were passed around without regard, and a pair of oni were wrestling in the centre of the room. Yet Shinji's eyes were drawn to the far end of the room, where a blond girl lazed about, horns sticking up and her hands steadily tossing fruit in her mouth. Standing proud and distinct behind her was a large sword laid in bone.
Shinji felt his mouth dry out. She did not seem pleasant, and he suspected the rest of the oni would be no more pleasant. Even so, they were here to obtain help.
And they would have to obtain it somehow.
The shiver faded away from his body, as a pair of hands snuck onto the small of his back. Sheba and Astolfo. Shinji could only feel grateful for their silent show of support. He was the master, though. He was Chaldea's actual representative, for whatever little that actually meant. More importantly, this was his idea.
He would have to take the first step. So he did it the only way he could think of, given that he was dealing with a gang of man killing creatures.
"Oi! Where's your leader!? I want words with them!"
It was the most blunt, guttural and intimidating voice Shinji could manage. Everything stopped dead still. A long, very long moment passed.
Then Mizukume burst out laughing.
"Well, that's one way to do it." She noted. "Oh Shuten, come oooout!"
Shinji could hear the whispers. He could feel the tension. Everyone stared in his direction, like a slab of exotic meat to be won. He hated the feeling.
Yet somewhere in the depths of his soul, he wasn't afraid, for he knew he had one trump card if everything went absolutely wrong.
"Child of the Mountain of Darkness! I call you out here! We wish to talk!" Shinji continued, his voice beginning to boom. "Come forth!"
"And who are you to presume to order me?" A shadow moved from the back of the cavern. The form was practically tiny, maybe a few inches shorter then Sheba, draped in a barely tied robe and drinking from a bottle of alcohol directly. She looked almost irritable, baring her fangs, yet as her eyes drank in the appearance of those before her, he lips fell open. "Oh… Uh… I wasn't expecting you to actually appear."
Mizukume's face looked positively predatory.
"Oh, didn't you, Shuten?" She asked. "But you must already know the situation outside by now. Unless… oh no, you made a mistake didn't you?" Her words were like flowing venom. "I present to you, the Master who will face down those in Kyoto. The saviour of human history."
Shinji just grit his teeth.
"Hey there." It came out strained. "I am Matou Shinji. I need an army. You are it."
Perhaps that was too blunt. Everyone stared for a long moment, before the blond at the back of the room sighed, drawing her sword as she languished over.
"Not another one. Give me a mome-"
"Ibaraki. Sit down."
Shuten's voice made both Mizukume and Ibaraki jump. Shinji got the distinct impression any sort of script they'd been working to had just gone flying out of the window, for he could feel the grudge of something dark, see the shadow of what looked like a giant dragon behind Shuten. His hands shook, and his teeth began to chatter.
Sheba simply moved in front of him, her hand raising, a ring lighting up on her index finger.
"Back down. I won't hesitate to turn you to ash." Sheba growled. It felt like something was beginning to burn behind her. Yet in the battle of wills between them, Shuten's lips twisted ever so slightly.
"You wouldn't dare." She grinned. "You need us. It's time to discuss terms, human. After all, you are quite interesting."
"Shuten-"
"Quiet, Ibaraki. After last time, I will handle this." Shuten snarled. "I want one of you. You look interesting. You can go back afterwards, of course, once I've had my fun."
[ ] "We can't do that."
-[ ] Attempt to negotiate.
[ ] Refuse. You would not accept these terms.
[ ] "Saber. Start tooting."
[ ] "Sheba. Burn them."
