[i][u]Gelidus Desert, 1:36 AM[/u][/i] [i]The freezing winds of the desert rushed over the frozen ground as thousands of stars shined across the land, covering the skies as they glittered throughout the chilling night upon Tatakai. Not a sign of life was present within the desert, except...for a lonesome figure, without company and without time to waste. [/i] [i]A thick carbon black coat wrapped around their oddly thin body, the features of the figure were hidden away by a painted white helmet, the glass covering their face tinted a deep olive green and glowing eerily. The figurine's boots and gauntlets were carbon fiber and ceramic plating, while their gloves were empty, hands hanging at the figure's sides. Yet, they did not go into this desert without being armed; the figure brought with them what looked to be a modified .50 caliber firing sniper rifle, a large pouch containing the massive bullets hanging at their waist, while alongside the package was a long, steel and silver rapier, stylish yet stained with red, dried blood. As the figure walked onwards, their pace began slowing, as if they had begun to tire out... [/i] [i]Until, of course, it was detected.[/i] [u][i]"Target Location: Located. Approximately 20 meters away."[/i][/u] [i]A feminine voice suddenly spoke out from the figurine's helmet, like some sort of A.I system within the piece of technology. The figure spoke back, before chuckling calmly.[/i] [u]"Exceptional work, Lucia. You never seem to fail..."[/u] [i]The voice of the figure was muffled and deepened, as if they were actually trying to hide their identity from the public. They spoke in a booming yet kind voice, one that would be associated with a leader.[/i] [i]The figure drew the massive rifle upon their back, before beginning to silently approach a patch of sand to their left. Stopping abruptly, the figure stood completely still, waiting for...for anything, it seemed.[/i] [u]"...The gates just opened yesterday...why not now?"[/u] [i]Suddenly, the very earth began to shake and split open, sand beginning to spill into the depths of what appeared to be a massive tunnel that led into the earth. The figure began backing away, until a loud creaking was heard, and the gates leading into the forgotten tunnel stopped in place. The walls gleamed with a forgotten darkness, a forgotten evil...a sickening deep green, disturbing yet ever so ancient...[/i] [i][u]"Target Location: Accessible. Warning: Several hostiles connected to "BLESSED" approaching friendly location."[/u][/i] [i]"Lucia" spoke once more, while the figurine only responded calmly.[/i] [i]"...Let them come to the Dojo. They'll handle it...they always have."[/i] [i][u]Dojoville, 1:55 AM[/u][/i] [i][u]Anri of Astora[/u][/i] [i][u]Marcia Rosegold[/u][/i] [i][u]Takahashi Kimura[/u][/i] [i][u]Olythran of Eleum Loyce[/u][/i] [i][u]Prologue - Crown of the Blessed One[/u][/i] [i][u]"Tis Only The Beginning Of A Dreadful Tale..."[/u][/i] [i]The sounds of claws skidding across the ground. The slamming and slashing of blades, the screeching of beasts as they clattered to the ground, the snapping of bones and tearing of flesh, the roars and cries of men and woman as they charged into battle to face the oncoming conflict. That was all that was heard in the morning after Thanksgiving, for blood would be spilt at that fateful timing. For the Dojo was under siege, by a new enemy... [/i] [i]The Blessed.[/i] [i]The armada of the enemy charged upon the concrete streets of the Dojo, a multitude of warriors and soldiers among them, from ancient fighters to futuristic marines. Their shown features such as skin and pupils were cracked and a deep grey, a brilliant green light ensuing from the cracks within their bodies, their arbor charred black with tints of deep green. Gunfire raged upon the streets as the Dojo Guard and corrupted soldiers fired upon each other, while a group of four, two men and two women, engaged the enemy forces head-on.[/i] [i]The one leading the group was a seven foot tall samurai, wielding a gleaming steel and iron nodachi katana, the blade proving extremely useful against those without armor. His brass and steel armor plating was covered in the foul red blood of those he had slain, the deep red feather protruding from the back of his head like a plume waving eerily in yen wind as he slashed through those unfortunate enough to be caught in his path. [/i] [i]The second male of the group was a looming figure, standing at six foot eleven and clad in an armor suit consisting of ivory and steel, his helm contorted into the soulless face of a long-lost king. Within the massive armored hands of the knight of Eleum Loyce was a massive greatsword, the blade gleaming with a deep blue power as he swung it as light as a feather from a pigeon into the incoming hordes of Blessed, their blood and guts showering upon his body and pelt cape as their bodies merely fell to the earth that he cast his deep shadow upon.[/i] [i]The third, meanwhile, was a knightess, calm and collected in the face of imminent death. Standing at a height of five foot seven, the warrior clashed through a multitude of the melee Blessed with simply a straight sword, barely blocking hits and attacks with a crest shield decorated with an insignia of old. The visor to her steel helm was stained with blood, alongside the deep blue fabric of her Elite Knight armor, a hole formed from what seemed to have been a .308 round within her left shoulder.[/i] [i]The final member of the four combatants was a blinded mage, clad in a pair of thick white and red robes. A deep blue clouded the girl's eyes completely, although she was still able to pinpoint the location of the incoming enemy armada. Casting a wide variety of spells, from balls of light cyan energy to beams of deep blue, the magic user burnt and incinerated the incoming hordes, although only more and more came.[/i] [i]The four were Takahashi, Olythran, Anri, and Marcia. And they desperately required assistance.[/i] [u]"Pull back!"[/u] [i]The samurai yelled out as a sniper round slammed into his gut, forcing him to retreat. As more and more gunfire and Blessed troops began to approach, the four began falling back to the Dojo, all of them wounded in their own ways. Without assistance, they would surely die. [/i] [i]And yet, in the distance...something was coming. Something that would change the tide of the entire battle..[/i] ((Open to all. A preview of le plot.)