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The Rift had always set Kamacite’s teeth on edge. The unnatural color of the sky, the otherworldly crystals that jutted from the ground, but most of all the moaning, groaning, tearing, braying, hissing, spitting of youma that prowled the endless abyss.

And yet, it hadn’t taken orders to get him there. Just knowing that Faustite and Aue would be risking their lives was enough for him. That didn’t mean that Kamacite disliked it any less.

He was careful to observe all around them as they approached their target, his arms crossed loosely over his chest, hands tucked into the sleeves that hid how he fidgeted with the fabric. The majority of his black, flowing hair had been left behind, and what was left had been pulled into a ponytail to keep it out of the way.

Would two generals in addition to Faustite be enough to keep the hoards of youma at bay when there were three senshi auras concentrated so closely together? It seemed to be working so far, but once their mission started, there was no telling how things would hold up.

Kamacite nodded to Faustite as he pointed out where they needed to focus. Luring out a youma should prove an easy task with three senshi involved - perhaps why they were included in the mission in the first place. Hands withdrew from his robes as Kamacite stepped forward, glancing from Aue to Ceraskia to see if they had any last minute objections or suggestions.

“Cover your eyes,” he advised his teammates, silently telling his heart to calm as he moved quickly forward. Yes, drawing the attention of their target should be easy enough, but sending a beacon up for other youma to see wasn’t exactly ideal.

“Solar flare,” Kamacite breathed as he held his hands forward once he decided he was close enough, hoping that with a little more effort he may be able to direct the blinding beam. He doubted his magic worked like that.

Quote:

Solar Flare: There is a brilliant flash of light causing temporary but immediate disorientation and blindness that fades into horribly spotty vision; can last upwards of twenty seconds. The attack does not cause physical damage and is intended as a diversion or distraction. Has an effect radius of 8 feet (although the flash can be seen as one would see any flash), and can be used three times.

Where Schorl bid, where her team needed her, so Ceraskia would be. She stood poised and tense to the right of her general as she awaited Faustite's return to them, Drawing courage from the tall, stoic woman beside her. Half their gathered company were new to her. The general she'd met once, briefly, at Stroud's apartment following the meeting that had torn the SpecOps division apart. The other two she had never crossed paths with. Their cropped hair suggested efficiency.

As her teammate returned to the group to deliver his orders the petite corrupted nodded her understanding and stepped forward with other two. They were bait. She'd known they would be, and the idea of that set the girl's nerves on edge, but she stood fearless with Aue and Kamacite near the edge.

Obediently she lifted an arm and turned her head, eyes closing. "If we attract more than the target move behind me." Her magic would set a clamoring horde against itself. "I don't to catch either of you in the crossfire of my magic."

Kamacite called his attack, and Ceraskia pressed her arm against her eyes as the light flared up behind closed lids. She waited, adjusting to let enough light through to know when it had faded, and when it had dimmed enough for it she dropped her arm again, hands loose at her sides and at the ready.

Xenotime had hung back with Schorl, arms crossed and focus split between the rest of their little party and keeping an eye on their surroundings. Even just the presence of the senshi could be enough to draw the attention of roaming youma, and if they did the general didn't want to be caught unawares. But it didn't seem like they'd have any trouble leading up to the one, Kamacite, making a move to draw the attention of the massive beast they were here for, as well as anything else that happened to be around.

After lowering her arm as the light faded she summoned her weapon, plates of metal forming over the lengths of her arms and shoulders, spikes marking the points of her knuckles. She was ready to rush into the fray after the daintiest of the senshi did her bit of magic to break up the swarm.

The ground rumbled, the air filling with the sounds of cries and howls and sounds of hunger or rage as the horde began to move as a whole to charge towards the trio of senshi that stood apart from them. It was going to be quite the party. The general grinned in anticipation.

Teeth and fists clenched tightly as the sounds of agitated and enraged youma reached their ears. Kamacite’s magic did its job in luring out their target. But it also attracted the attention of many others as he’d expected.

As Ceraskia suggested, he took the steps necessary to put himself behind her. If she had magic that would disrupt the horde, then he was more than willing to let her use it without additional interference. Faustite was calling out orders and Kamacite cast a wary glance in Aue’s direction.

Faustite and Ceraskia would take on the masses of youma that circled and swarmed. The exclusion of both himself or Aue meant their target was the gigantic youma that emerged from the dark. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t have to worry about the youma that lunged and dove at them.

“Aue, where should –“ he started asking as he jumped back from the teeth of a small, winged creature, voice raised over the roar of youma buzzing and screeching around them. But his words and thoughts were disrupted with the crashing of giant feet and dust pluming up around them. Kamacite stumbled and quickly tried to regain his footing, arm lifted to press against his mouth and nose as he coughed from the dust he’d breathed in, one eye closed while he squinted through the other.

The youma was large enough to crush them with a single step. The distractions from both the concern of being stepped on and the small youma biting at his heels meant Kamacite noticed just a little too late how quickly the giant youma could move its head.

Kamacite hastily ducked, throwing his arm over his head to protect it. Teeth like knives ripped easily through the fabric of his sleeve and sunk into his left forearm. He let out a shout of pain and panic as the youma’s head rose and Kamacite’s feet left the ground.

“Solar maximum! he cried and shoved his free hand up and within mere feet of the youma’s giant, and probably very light sensitive, eyes. The pained shriek was deafening, but the flash was enough to convince the youma to release its hold on his arm, and Kamacite dropped back to the ground.

Light and pain were simple problems with simple solution to the Gargantuan. Light which would blind initially, but blindness wouldn’t matter if their location didn’t change. When teeth had proved too risky, wheeling it’s head back further, it’s bulk shifted up and up into the chasm. Already traded hits, already time-

“Barbary drag!”


That bulk was hefting, and of two senshi the great foreleg planned to paste. Schörl blinked from the quiet reserves to a run beside Kamacite and Aue. The big man was grabbed round his waist; Barbary held on to the General with feet and snagged at the blinding senshi’s thigh with lion jaws to haul him along with Mistress’ momentum. Along the horizontal.

Debris of rock dust flung at them as the foot came down behind them. Schörl didn’t stop, no more than the angry beast in hot pursuit.

Blood already. His youma bloomed its tentacles outward, diving downward to follow the scent. Faustite jerked his hand toward the roiling mob of youma and Perkele rerouted to cover its leading pair. How much remained to address —

"Aue, get on its back before we lead it from the ravine. I'll follow you," Faustite rasped into the communicator. Lacking walls to brush against meant lacking means of dislodging them. But that covered only part of its defenses — the swarms around them spoke of symbiosis that Ceraskia and Xenotime only now addressed.

Kamacite, already bloodied, already scenting the air with sharp and copper and the ozone of spent energy, would've been the more nimble. Would've been if their quarry hadn't already wounded him. Aue would be the replacement to vault over its crystalline back, cross neck and start immobilizing it. "Schörl, use Kamacite to lead it. Xenotime and Ceraskia, run those youma underfoot."

Down and around and up and up, atop rock juts, slate outcroppings, and onward with only the very zenith of his jump just high enough to meet its crystal range. Black hands grabbed heavy at polished, slippery prisms. Just as he hoisted himself atop its back a shadow passed over them and he stood atop carapace. Thick and rocky it was, but discernibly carapace. Boot kicks to its back dislodged nothing now. Another impasse.

Faustite's gaze crawled its pack to the rocky pinpoints jutting from its neck to the back of its head. What choices. "Blind it. It'll trip on its friends and dust them in a fall. I'll handle whatever's left." Xenotime would have the reaction time and speed to take Ceraskia to safety, he trusted.

Running to survive had been the aim, but the smell of pipe tobacco and a strong arm around his waist removed that particular burden from his shoulders. Schörl had swept in to keep he and his packmate from becoming so much human pancake under the beast's massive foot, a move that spoke of solid planning and the sort of situational awareness he'd long given up on seeing in his own general. Aue had a moment to admire the other's handiwork before his communicator crackled to life.

New orders to be swiftly obeyed. Kamacite had been injured well, his own attack adding, but Aue said nothing to his packmate though his frown deepened; they didn't have time now. Kamacite could triage his own wounds well enough, he was ordered elsewhere. "Understood."

Aue did not have Kamacite's speed, he was not built for it, but he would follow his orders - if a bit slower. Scaling the great beast was made easier by it's nature and his, the corrupt felt a little like he was playing Shadow of the Colossus getting up onto its back. The casting of the blinding spell left him hiding his face in his arm, halfway up the saurid's neck, but at least he still had use of his eyes - whether or not Faustite and the others did was anyone's guess. He could only trust in the team and follow orders.

Up and up the crystalline 'ladder' to the quarry's head, reeking of citrus already, to the second eye needing knife thrust deep. A precarious position to be in, leaning out over a great height with only crystal outcroppings to hold fast to, but orders were orders and Aue held no hesitation. Puuko plunged down, piercing past the cornea and past the lens into the vitreous fluid. He felt it once more, the soft 'crunch', like when you bend a milk jug ring too far...the gush of warm and wet.

Blind it. Faustite wanted it blinded, he would do a thorough job. Aue banished the knife and spread his fingers, calling his magic as before "Petal Storm--" a maelstrom right into the eye. Right around the already damaged head - and his own wounds. It stung like a ********, but was a small price to pay to help get the damn thing down - all he had to do was not fall underfoot.