Chapter Text
The girl staggered, trudging through sand as thick as her ankles, barely noticing the burns and scratches on her shins.
Glinting metal danced in her vision, but it was so far away...this desert was bullcrap, and the heat from above was merciless, burning the exposed skin on her neck and arms.
Her throat was dry and flaking. Her face burned. Her legs shook and collapsed, and she fell face-first into the sand, as a wet feeling washed over her back. It felt nice and cool...the fluid dribbled down into her mouth, it tasted metallic but still, it was fucking something.
She thought she could vaguely hear someone yelling, but couldn’t focus on it or reply before passing out.
Next thing she knew, she was lying in a cot of some kind, feeling strange dull stings on her back and neck. Her lips were wet, and her throat felt slightly raw, but nowhere near as harsh as it had been. She tried to think about who could have saved her, but something was making her brain unable to focus.
Where the fuck am I...?
“Oh? You’re finally awake! Thank goodness!”
The voice was strangely clipped, as its speaker moved into view, pressing a damp cloth to her forehead and looking her over. Her vision was still cloudy, but something about the caretaker’s face looked odd...she squinted, trying to get a better view of them, but couldn’t really see much.
“Are you alright? Can you speak? Do you need anything?”
She finally managed to work enough feeling into her jaw to vocalize. “W-who...?”
“Oh dear, one moment!” A pause as the figure disappeared, then returning with a pair of...were those glasses? “I had to remove your contact lenses while you were unconscious, there was far too much risk of them sliding behind your optics. Here you are!”
Gently, they slid the spectacles onto her face, and the world snapped into clarity. And she finally understood what made the caretaker seem so bizarre...her eyes looked like camera lenses, and her mouth was on a literal hinge, barely visible under skin so pale it was translucent, revealing a metallic frame underneath.
The girl suppressed a shiver. “Who...who are you?”
“Oh!” The robot suddenly looked sheepish. “I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself!” She took her patient by the hands, helping her lean against pillows that had previously been underneath her. “I am Eka!”
“Eka...where the fuu-” She quickly stopped herself, that language wasn’t fitting for a lady in polite company. “Where am I?” Her memories were still fuzzy, she couldn’t really parse much. “Why can’t I remember anything?”
Eka flinched. “Oh my...I’m afraid you may be suffering some form of trans-dimensional mental fog. You should just rest for now, until your body recovers-”
The girl didn’t wait for Eka to finish, standing to her feet. “I can’t just sit around. I need to...I don’t belong here. You said this was a different dimension?” Eka nodded and tried to open her mouth again. “Then I have to find a way back as soon as possible!”
“Wait a moment-!” Eka barely caught her as she stumbled, falling to the ground. “Your legs aren’t healed enough to carry your own weight yet, and your stitches are liable to break!” The girl hated to agree, but... “My mission won’t allow me to let you leave until you’re fully recovered! Please just cooperate!”
The girl didn’t sense any danger from the robot’s tone, so she let herself be set back down on the cot. Still, that sudden fall-then-stall did serve to loosen up the fog clouding her brain a bit.
She could remember her name now...but only because it was tied to him.
You must...survive...!
Kirin!
Her eyes squeezed shut, holding back tears. “Fuck.”
Clarent {Pillar Outskirts}
Spiritual tower echoes a forgotten era
Beckoning the priestess forged anew
Heralds salvation in a field of blades
(Several weeks later...)
“So...that’s it, huh? That’s the Grave Pillar?”
Stepping over what was left of a trashed combat robot, she eyed the glittering silver monolith on the horizon. It was about a day’s march away...for most people, at least.
For a trained Battle Priestess like her? Maybe fifteen minutes.
Eka approached from behind, wearing her usual red dress, pale green hair gleaming like wires in the sun. As a robot, she wasn’t even sweating. “Yes. Are you certain you’re fully prepared, Miss Kirin?”
“Never better.” Technically, that was true. The Workers had some amazing medical technology designed solely for humans, despite the lack of them in their society. Apparently, it was part of their programming to have every method prepared to support organics at any and all times.
In terms of body, she felt flawless. Even the sun didn’t bother her much, now that she hadn’t just been hit by several dozen lightning bolts and then flung to another dimension.
In terms of mind, she was still blanking on certain parts. Most of her memories were intact, but the last two months or so were mostly a blur, everything between her infiltration of the Sumeragi Futures Institute and her arrival here was...fuzzy, at best. As a result, Image Pulses were out of the question. Still, it was enough to work with.
“Please be careful. If you need help, don’t hesitate to call for me.”
“Of course I will, Eka.”
With that, she set off towards the tower, newly-upgraded shoes glowing as their electrical field kept her from sinking in the sand. However the Workers had been able to imitate Flashfield, she sure wasn’t complaining.
Machines on the way tried to stop her, mostly non-sentient Laborers, but she cut a path through them easily enough. Her sword had shattered upon arrival in this world, but now it was reforged to be stronger than ever. Wielding it to its fullest extent filled her with dread for some reason, but determination won out over fear.
Kirin would find her way home. She owed her partner that much.
(still, she kept it sheathed, whacking foes with only the blunt scabbard...no need to overtax her mental state just yet)
The debris blowing across the sand deflected harmlessly against her new Flashfield. Shots from the patrolling Workers were easily avoided before she bashed the rifles out of their grips, leaving them harmless. Laborers were torn to shreds from the sheer strength of her blows.
For the first time in almost a month, her blood was pumping, her spirits were high, and she felt alive again.
Climbing through a decripit building on the verge of collapse, she thought she saw someone she might’ve known, a trace of white and cyan, but the moment she looked again, the unusual color vanished. Probably just a trick of the light.
Still, she was compelled to follow where it had led, not that she knew why. Kicking an overturned metal crate aside, she found the source: a glowing wisp of cyan, softly emitting sparks. Slowly reaching out her hand, she felt its cool glow envelop her, melting its way into her skin...triggering a familiar feeling as static buzzed through her veins, clearing her mind as a new face came into focus...no, an old face-!
Learned Lightning Assault!
Remembered Lumen!
Kirin’s breath caught as those thoughts snapped back into focus. “Wh-the fuck?!” Curiously, she tried to summon the Muse’s Image Pulse...and it worked! The butterfly-winged woman suddenly materialized in front of her, radiantly glowing with her usual teasing smile.
But...that was it. She didn’t talk. She didn’t wink or laugh or sing. Just reached out a gentle hand to Septimally heal a few scratches Kirin had suffered on the way here, and then vanished.
The priestess’ face fell. “Oh...I guess our bond isn’t strong enough for that...” She’d been hoping for Lumen to be like before, but...Lumen was Gunvolt’s Muse, not hers.
Still, she could feel her body pulsating with electricity, and the next Laborers she ran into got a nasty surprise when she Prevaded through their attacks and blitzed through them with a chain of lightning-infused dashes.
Oh yeah. She was back.
Skidding to a halt, Kirin looked up at the Grave Pillar standing before her. It hadn’t been obvious until now just how massive this tower was. Even from a distance it had been impressive, but...
“This thing must seriously defy the laws of physics to still be standing...especially with how old it’s gotta be by now.” The grip on her sword tightened. “There must be something special going on in there!”
Her eye flicked to a gouge cut into the oversized entrance, more than large enough for a person to comfortably fit through. “Looks like I’m not the only one who decided to barge in uninvited...”
Another glint of blue and white caught her eye, and she turned to face it, expecting to find one of those wisps again...
...only to find a sword pressed against her throat instead.
“Fuck-!”
Standing opposite the priestess was...Kirin? Sort of?
This one looked a few years older, her robes a bit more tattered and colored a vivid cobalt-blue, her hair singed in spots and bleached white on the ends instead of dyed pink. And she’d definitely never had eyes that red or brimming with that much malice.
Kirin quickly jumped away from her imitation, on guard as she drew her own blade, stamping down any trepidation she felt. Now was not the time for that! “Who are you? Why do you look like me?”
The copy didn’t respond, instead charging in with its weapon raised. Kirin moved to parry the slash...only for them to phase through the attempt, forcing Kirin to do the same to avoid getting her head sliced off. They can use Prevasion too?!
Fortunately, the false Kirin seemed to be similarly confused by their shared Prevasion, opting to observe as the priestess turned to face them. No words were spoken before the copy moved in to attack again...but that time gave Kirin the chance she needed to focus. Time seemed to slow around her, an unfamiliar incantation forming on her lips as instinct took over.
Lightning roars in rage
As a gale cuts through the depths
Of the priestess’ heart
88th Rite: Pale Mist
Kirin’s blade flashed in the desert sun, dashing past the fake and leaving a streak of silver in her wake, fiercely enough to cause the copy to flinch. Then she pivoted on her heel, dashing through them again, and again, and again, forming intertwined crosses of light, and finally sheathed her sword. Radiant edges of electric-blue traced along the path she'd taken, cutting through the copy with furious speed.
[SKILL FINISH: +500]
The fake priestess didn’t say a word...and simply vanished into thin air.
Kirin’s eyes widened, reaching out. “Hey, wait-!” But they didn’t. They were gone. “Shit!”
“Miss Kirin! Are you alright?” Eka (who had somehow caught up) ran to Kirin, setting a hand on both shoulders and forcing the girl to look at her. “Hm, you appear to be well physically, but you look like you just witnessed a ghost!”
“It...it’s nothing, Eka. You just surprised me, that’s all.” Which was true, but not to a major extent.
The Worker bowed her head. “Oh! My deepest apologies, Miss Kirin, in the future I will try to be less sudden with my sudden arrivals!” She spun the two of them towards the Grave Pillar. “Now let’s proceed! I’m sure we’ll find answers inside!”
Kirin followed Eka to the doorway, specifically to the gouge carved into it, but mostly tuned out the robot’s history lecture (most of it was recap anyway), too focused on her own thoughts.
Maybe I actually did just witness a ghost...
...but why the fuck would they look like me?