Ranger
Chapter 8: Witch
By Wanderer D
o.0.o Two Years Earlier o.0.o
Sunset shifted nervously, watching the many Reapers performing their daily routines in their camp. She was hanging around a bunch of empty cages they had left outside the main tent, and Bradford had told her in no uncertain terms that she was to remain put. And usually, she would have ignored his order, except... it was different here.
There was a sense that any of these people would shoot her without hesitation if she so much as blinked the wrong way. They had an intensity to themselves that was almost wild—and menacing. She knew it would take a long time to feel comfortable here, and she desperately wanted that to not happen.
'Bradford should just finish his stupid meeting and we can get going.' Sunset hadn't missed the looks they have given them both when they walked into camp, escorted by two heavily wrapped humans.
She wasn't sure if it was the glares, the many guns that, while not pointing directly at them, had followed their general trajectory, or the fact that a big, burly man was whistling a tune as he cleaved through the tough hide of a muton. Meat by itself wasn't something that disgusted her… muton meat? No thanks.
She had thought that Skirmishers were tribal, but these people… they took it to a different level. Even though she had gotten somewhat used to death, both from her time with the Skirmishers and by John Effing Central Bradford's general proximity, which was an invitation for just about anything with a pet peeve at… anything, to attack them on account of him being alive, and her being alive next to him. The big X on their armor probably didn't help either.
Apparently XCOM was not welcome in most places for a number of reasons, and after more than a few shootouts together after she had agreed to travel with him and meet this mysterious Dr. Shen, she had finally asked him one night why everyone wanted to shoot them.
His response?
"That's XCOM, Sunset."
He had actually laughed himself to sleep on that one.
"Hey, you new here?"
The voice made Sunset almost jump. She turned to look at a petite brunette, who was smirking at her with something akin to amusement.
"Just visiting," Sunset replied warily. "You guys… have quite the thing going on here."
The woman snorted. "It really is a thing, isn't it?" She looked around, smiling. "Where do you come from? You look pretty clean, are you fresh from one of the cities?"
Sunset raised an eyebrow. By her own reckoning, she was actually sweaty, covered in dirt and could really use a shower. Then again, people here had different standards than ponies.
"No, never been. I'm from New Haven, to the west."
The woman whistled. "All the way from there? And what brings you here? You came in with that old man? Who's that, your dad?"
Sunset rolled her eyes. "He's not my dad."
"Your sugar daddy then?"
"No. What does that even mean?"
"Oh, bless your heart," the woman laughed, extending a hand. "Natter's the name."
Sunset shook her head, but took the woman's hand in hers. "Sunset."
"I guess you're lucky you're not from the ADVENT cities," Natter said, motioning with her head for Sunset to follow. "I've always wondered what their meat tastes like, with all that alien food they eat. Might as well be aliens themselves, am I right?"
Sunset clenched her teeth. "I wouldn't know about that."
They walked to the other side of the camp, where two more Reapers, a man and a woman, were getting ready to leave.
"Hey guys," Natter spoke up. "This here's Sunny, and she's never gone hunting before."
"Well, then we should fix that," the man said, grabbing a nearby rifle and giving it to Sunset. "You know how to sneak, right?"
Sunset looked from the rifle to Natter, who grinned, then back to the rifle, then over her shoulder at the tent in the middle of the camp.
"If you're wondering when your dad is coming out," the other woman spoke up, throwing a dusty coat to Sunset, presumably for her to wear. "It'll take a while. Volk likes to drink too."
Sunset sighed, donning the hooded jacked. "He's not my dad. What are we hunting?"
"Elk," Natter said. "Don't worry, it'll be easy."
o.0.o Present o.0.o
"This is so stupid!" Sunset snarled, blowing a Lost's head off with her shotgun.
"It was your guy that blew our cover," Elena pointed out, leaning to the side of a cardboard box and shooting another Lost in the head. "Good thing it wasn't an elk."
"I said I was sorry!" Shintaro hissed, trying not to move his arm too much and using his gun instead of his automatic rifle. "There are dead bodies that look like Lost, and Lost that look like dead bodies! I wasn't trying to wake it up! I thought it was dead! And what's this about elks?"
The three slowly backed away, taking sure shots at the approaching zombies and moving towards their destination.
"You shut up about the damned elk!" Sunset snapped. "Natter promised she wouldn't tell!"
"Well, she lied," Elena retorted.
"Next time we do the smart thing and tell Firebrand to just pick up the contact and fly us the hell over to the next site. Whose great idea was it to do this anyway?" Sunset asked, hooking up her shotgun to its harness and sliding out her machete. She raised her arm and shot her grappling hook straight through the torso of a Lost that was about to tackle Shintaro.
With an efficiency that surprised the other two, she used the hook to yank the creature back towards her, and as soon as it was in range, used the momentum to step in and with a swift cut, lopped its head off. The body collapsed onto its knees before crumbling onto the floor, unmoving.
That seemed to be the last one, and the three held their breaths, releasing them slowly in relief when there were no more groans or shouts from the undead creatures.
"Come on, we are about to reach our meeting point," Elena whispered after a moment, she took action to words and moved quickly from cover to cover.
"How's your arm?" Sunset asked Shintaro as they ran.
"Feels broken," Shintaro muttered. "I'm sorry, I should have been more careful."
"It happens," Sunset said, keeping her senses alert. Blood vision didn't work that well with the Lost. More than a solid source of light, they were shadows moving in the mist. She wasn't sure how any of her spells would affect them, but when it came to the zombies, she was as blind as the others.
"Where… where did you learn to do that?" Shintaro asked as they neared the last block to the meeting coordinates. "I've never seen anyone do something like that."
"I have," Elena said, a slight edge to her voice. She didn't look back at them, but Sunset could feel a bit of anger directed her way. "I've seen some Skirmishers do something similar."
Sunset didn't say anything.
"I knew something rubbed me the wrong way about you since I saw you that time in camp," Elena continued. "It wasn't just your armor either… you seemed… different. It just never clicked now that you were a skirmisher." She snorted. "You don't look like one."
"I'm not," Sunset said as they stopped to survey the area. "I stayed with them for a while when Mox saved me when I was younger. They dropped me off at a human colony when they had the chance."
Elena turned to look at her. "But not before training you."
"Hey now," Sunset smirked. "Would you really pass on getting one of these?"
Elena snorted, glancing at the grappling hook. "I suppose not."
"I'm glad we're all friends again," Shintaro muttered.
"That's too strong a word."
"Don't push it, mister."
"Right, right, sorry," he said raising his hands to appease the two women. "Look, the others are here."
Sunset looked up. It was true; Jane and Paula were both warily flanking a thoroughly amused Pratal Mox. His armor was a lot different, and he seemed even bigger now, if possible.
The trio climbed up to the rail tracks where the meeting would take place.
"It seems like the life of a Skirmisher suits you well," Sunset said as they walked into sight. The other two stayed behind as she walked almost all the way to where Mox waited. He looked over, seemingly surprised at seeing her. Apparently Bradford hadn't shared any of their identities when confirming the mission.
Soon enough though, he marched over to Sunset and bumped grappling hooks with her. "By the Elder's fetid breath, if it isn't Sunset Shimmer. I knew you'd fend well on your own, but I had not expected to see you with XCOM."
"So, ADVENT's most vicious captain now wants to redeem himself," Elena sneered, walking down the tracks to stand in the middle of it, facing them.
Mox patted Sunset's shoulder and walked past her, facing the Reaper. "I am no longer that being. I have been freed."
"Taking your helmet off doesn't change who you are!" Elena retorted, pointing her rifle straight at him.
Mox braced himself, ripjack at the ready,
"The way I see it," Bradford called out over the comms, "is that we all want the same thing: to take ADVENT down. We can either kill each other and do their work for them, or we can work together. The choice is yours."
Mox grunted and stood down.
Sunset almost didn't see it, so unexpected it was. One moment Elena was lowering her gun, and then, just as she glimpsed the tell-tale bloodwork light of a tall being landing behind Mox, the Reaper was taking a shot at the barely visible figure.
Sunset had thought she had good reactions, but Elena had been as fast as a striking cobra. The shot, however, failed to hit as the monstrous humanoid that appeared behind Mox dodged the bullet and back flipped, batting away Mox's follow up grappling hook with a wicked-looking sword.
The alien was female, and taller than Mox himself, although a lot thinner. She was dressed in blood-red armor, only decorated by a ruby or gemstone in the center of her chest armor, which looked almost lightweight as to not impede her movements. She sported two pigtails with purple and blue highlights, their volume at odds with her abnormally thin body. Her blue face split with a smile full of serrated teeth, like a shark as she leered at the gathered group. "That has never happened before," she hissed. "And never will again!"
The creature faded away, just as Mox, Jane, and the others formed a circle, trying to see where she had gone.
"What the hell was that?" Bradford asked.
Mox hissed. "Elder assassin, she hunts my kind. Immortal punishment from the Elders."
"We have another like her, hunting us," Elena added as the pair walked carefully to where the assassin had disappeared.
Sunset concentrated, spending a bit more power on her spell. The assassin's invisibility was very thorough… but it was not magical. Whipping to her left, Sunset opened fire, startling the others as the assassin splashed out of her invisibility field, arms crossed in front and orange blood dripping.
"How!?" She growled, but Sunset didn't give her enough time to gather herself. The assassin batted Sunset's own grappling hook with her sword and twisted to dodge out of Mox's ripjack, kicking him in the stomach and giving herself enough space to duck under another shot from Elena.
The assassin hissed, running in between shots from Jane and Shintaro before jumping off the side to the street below.
"Menace, you need to get out of there," Bradford ordered, just as a dull sound echoed through the area, like an old church bell being rung in the middle of the city.
"We are detecting a large biomass approaching your coordinates," Tygan added, and several shrill shouts of the Lost echoed in response as if responding to his assessment.
"This is firebrand, your immediate area is too hot, sending you pick-up coordinates."
"You heard her," Bradford said. "Get going."
The group started running, trying to outpace the Lost when suddenly, Sunset saw the assassin closing the distance. "Paula! Duck!"
Her teammate followed the order without hesitation, just as Sunset's gunshot went off. The assassin emerged from her invisibility, tracing a finger on a wound on her exposed arm before charging straight at Sunset.
She was interrupted by a punch from Mox, which made her head whip around, but she recuperated, moving with the impact and slamming her elbow to the back of his head, knocking him down.
The assassin tried to move, but Sunset had had enough, she focused her energy on the wound and projected it through her stretched hand at the assassin.
"What?!" the assassin hissed as her body seemed to stop. She looked around wildly as the others got closer to her, readying to shoot their weapons. She took a hasty shot from Shintaro on the shoulder just as her eyes settled on Sunset and narrowed.
"Gah!" A blast of psionic energy threw the others back, knocking them to the ground, and Sunset managed to catch a glimpse of blood-red energy the moment her magic failed. A second later the assassin was right in front of her.
"Well, well, well…" The assassin hissed, twisting her sword.
Sunset spat blood, eyes unable to move away from the assassin's own. She could feel the blade twisting her flesh, warm blood spilling down her legs to splash on the floor below. She needed to.. she needed...
"A blood mage," the assassin continued, holding Sunset up from her shoulder, to prevent her from collapsing, and making her shoulder pads crack with the pressure. "On Earth of all places… you've managed to give yourself some time, little one… or perhaps not." The assassin's mouth widened in a sneer.
Sunset could hear distant shouts and the assassin shook as it was hit with several weapons. Just as it started to disintegrate, she leaned in to whisper in Sunset's ear. "We'll meet again… if you live."
The assassin burst into fragments of light… and Sunset was falling.
o.0.o End Chapter 8 o.0.o
Oh shit! The Chosen knows about Blood Magic, but how? Unless Sunset isn’t the first pony/Equestrian that the elders have come across.... I could be mistaken but did the armor have a gemstone/ruby in them? Hint at the Dazzlings, perhaps?
Was that Aria fucking Blaze?!
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Considering the Assassin never had pigtails... Almost certainly.
Now the question is, which is the Hunter, and which the Warlock? Personally, I see Sonata as the Hunter. Or would it be Huntress? Either way, the Hunter seemed the most playful/willing to banter when encountered, and Sonata would definitely be like that.
A blast of psionic energy threw the others back, knowing them to the ground
1. I think you meant Mowing. Probably.
Well, it was worth a stab at it for Sunset to try her spell. Probably. Least we all know everyone there has Moxie.
Okay I really want to know what happened during that elk hunt.
Anyway ouch, getting impale in the guts has got to be a horrible experience for Sunset if she hadn't gotten badly wounded before. Well they must have some good healing technology, though wonder in the end how scared Sunset will end up during the end of this story.
knocking
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that could be possible..
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If it was, this will make the story Very interesting
you took my advice on the dazzlings or you planed it originally. Either way, very cool to see. Let’s see what the others will make of sunset being outed as a mage.
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You do know there is a Reaper Faction Order that makes it so any X-com shot counts as a headshot, aka instant kill. VERY useful when paired with a sniper pistol.
He gets it.
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OH SHIT! I did not see that bit about the pig tails! YEP that's definitely Aria. Aww, kinda hoped they wouldn't be a part of Advent, but since RR never happened, it makes sense that they would be. My guess is that Sonata is the Hunter and Adagio is the warlock, given their personalities and cinematic bits. They're probably gonna target every mission with Sunset in it. Try to catch her and the commander.
That's XCOM, apparently.
img00.deviantart.net/f029/i/2015/058/3/9/aria_blaze_vector_by_nadiponyartist-d8jr95i.png
You don't say... Interesting.
So Sunset has a Skirmisher's grappling hook, a Reaper's night vision tracking, magic to replicate Templar psionics and a Ranger's shotgun and sword.
I think you missed a few. Are you sure you don't want to give her a sniper rifle, psi amp, Spark, grenade launcher and Gremlin? Or are we waiting for her to prestige into those classes?
Sunset really needs a psi(magic) amp. Her blood m is strong, but not strong enough to hold sirens enhanced by Ethereals.
8715739 thanks, those are nice ideas, but I think Sunset becoming too badass is a bad idea. Although now that I think of it, maybe she can do that already inSNo1A?
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SNo1A?
8715996 Sparkle's No. 1 Assistant has Sunset doing some guest appearances in the later chapters.
before, capitalize proper noun
Oh man. I want to see Siren/Assassin Aria in image form so bad.
Capitalize callsign
I take it Sonata will be the Hunter and Adagio the Warlock.
Well that escalated quickly... I did find how those three bosses worked to smell a tad too much like bullshit for my tastes, but it seems they are even meaner here.
Well, if the portal leads here, then logic dictates that the sirens ended up here. Now it's a question of what Sunset makes of this... and how quickly she goes stir-crazy as she recovers.
Yo, Aria would know about magic since she's technically from Equestria, isn't it?
Looking forward to future chapters, it seems you got this well written in given the frequency of updates, but I really look forward to more!
How close will Sunset get to :
Blood Component (Su): A blood magus can substitute a drop of his own blood for a spell’s material components, if any, and in so doing increase the spell’s power. The pinprick or minor knife cut to draw the requisite blood is a free action (just like using material components) that becomes a normal part of casting the spell. Using this ability deals 1 point of damage to the blood magus but raises the spell’s caster level by 1. Damage reduction, if the character has any, doesn’t apply to this damage. If a spell has a costly material component (greater than 1 gp), the component must still be provided. If a spell has no material component, a blood magus can still use this ability to enhance a spell if he desires.
Durable Casting (Ex): A blood magus has a knack for being able to concentrate on casting spells and maintaining them despite taking damage while doing so. For the purpose of making a Concentration check to cast, concentrate on, or direct a spell when he might be distracted by damage, a blood magus subtracts his level from any hit point damage dealt to him by an attack that strikes him during the action (or whenever he is subject to a source of continuous damage, such as Melf’s acid arrow). A blood magus still takes all the damage dealt to him, but the damage is less likely to affect his ability to cast, concentrate on, or direct spells successfully. For example, a 1st-level blood magus can “ignore” 1 point of damage from each source that damages him while casting a spell for the purpose of determining the DC of his Concentration check to cast successfully. If struck for 5 points of damage while casting a spell, he must make a Concentration check to successfully cast, but the DC is only 10 + 4 (damage dealt minus 1) + the spell’s level. A 5th-level blood magus could ignore up to 5 points of damage dealt from each source that damages him during casting (and thus wouldn’t have to make a Concentration check if struck for 5 points of damage or less). Because of this ability, damage a blood magus takes from using his blood component and bloodseeking spell special abilities never requires him to make a Concentration check to fi nish the spell he is casting.
Stanch (Ex): A blood magus automatically becomes stable when his hit points drop below 0. He still dies if he reaches –10 hit points or lower.
Scarification (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a blood magus can inscribe spells on his own skin for later use. This process involves deeply scratching the skin (which deals no damage but often leaves scars). The scratches remain fresh until the inscribed spell is cast, at which time the wound heals normally. Effectively, a blood magus gains the Scribe Scroll feat (see page 99 of the Player’s Handbook) using an alternative medium. All rules, XP costs, and expenses that apply to Scribe Scroll also apply to this ability. Likewise, “reading” a scar follows the same rules as reading a scroll, but only a blood magus can decipher his own scars. One’s own skin leaves a limited amount of room to easily inscribe and “read” magical scars. Thus, a blood magus can have only six of these scars at any one time.
Death Knell (Sp): At 3rd level and higher, a blood magus has the ability to use death knell as the spell once per day.
Blood Draught (Ex): At 4th level, a blood magus learns how to store spells of up to 3rd level in his own blood. Effectively, he gains the Brew Potion feat (see page 89 of the Player’s Handbook) using an alternative medium. All rules, XP costs, and expenses that apply to Brew Potion also apply to this ability, with the following exceptions. Once “brewed,” a blood draught remains in circulation within a magus’s body. The maximum number of draughts he can store at one time is equal to his blood magus level + his Con score, but if he is ever slain, they are all immediately ruined—even if he is subsequently returned to life. Blood draughts are never accidentally lost through major blood loss or by a blood-draining attack. To consume a draught, a blood magus pricks his skin, automatically bringing forth the desired effect. This is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, like drinking a potion. Another individual can partake of a blood draught (if he or she has a strong stomach) by drinking 1 ounce of the blood magus’s blood as a full-round action. The blood magus must have an open wound to share the effects of a blood draught with another creature; if he lacks one, the creature can infl ict a wound that deals 1 point of damage to the blood magus as part of the action to consume the draught. A blood magus cannot store his blood in a container to share at a later time. The blood draught must be drawn fresh from his body, or it loses potency within 1 round.
Homunculus (Su): From 5th level on, a blood magus can use his blood to give life to a new companion creature—a homunculus (see page 154 of the Monster Manual). A blood magus need not meet any of the given prerequisites to create the homunculus; however, a blood magus must permanently sacrifice 1 hit point as part of the creation process. The process requires 1 hour. A blood magus enjoys a stronger than normal link with his homunculus. By touching the homunculus, a blood magus can transfer his wounds to the creature (up to 1 hp per level with each touch). This is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Each time a blood magus gains a class level, his homunculus advances 1 Hit Die, as described on page 290 of the Monster Manual, and it gains all the normal benefits of its increased Hit Dice (increased base attack bonus, saves, and so on). The homunculus advances to a maximum of 6 Hit Dice when the blood magus reaches 9th level. If his homunculus is destroyed, a blood magus takes 2d10 points of damage, as noted in the Monster Manual. A blood magus’s death results in the death of his homunculus. A blood magus can have only one homunculus at any given time.
Bloodseeking Spell (Su): Beginning at 6th level, a blood magus can imbue his spells with the ability to draw blood from their targets. To use this ability, a blood magus must inflict a wound on himself; this is a free action that deals 3 points of damage to the blood magus and becomes a normal part of casting the spell. Damage reduction, if a blood magus has any, doesn’t apply to this damage. A bloodseeking spell deals an extra 1d6 points of damage to each target that takes damage from the spell. This extra damage applies only to spells that deal hit point damage, not to spells that deal ability damage, ability drain, or other kinds of damage. Constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, undead, and any creatures without blood or a similar substance within their bodies are immune to this effect.
Thicker Than Water (Su): At 7th level and higher, a blood magus’s vital fluids are partially under his control. When a blood magus is injured, his blood withdraws from the wound, avoiding some damage that he would otherwise take. This ability gives the blood magus damage reduction 1/bludgeoning.
Awaken Blood (Su): At 8th level and higher, a blood magus can bestow momentary consciousness on an opponent’s blood. If he hits a foe with a melee touch attack, the opponent’s blood tries to get free of its confinement—all at once. The pressure disrupts the victim’s tissues, dealing 10d10 points of damage. This ability is usable only once per day, but a blood magus can try to use it again later in the day if his previous attempt failed. The effect is instantaneous. Constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, undead, and any creatures without blood or a similar substance within their bodies are immune to this effect.
Infusion (Ex): Upon reaching 9th level, a blood magus prepares a special one-time distillation of his own blood. After partaking of the infusion, he gains a 2-point increase to his Constitution score.
Bloodwalk (Su): At 10th level, a blood magus becomes perfectly attuned to the song of blood. He gains the supernatural ability to transport himself great distances via the blood of living creatures. Once per day as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, he can seamlessly enter any living creature (except an elemental, ooze, plant, undead, or other creature without blood or a similar fl uid) whose size equals or exceeds his own and pass any distance to another living creature on the same plane in a single round, regardless of the distance separating the two. A blood magus merely designates a direction and distance (“a living creature twenty miles due west of here”), and the bloodwalk ability transports him to a destination creature as close as possible to the desired location. He can’t specify a named individual as the endpoint unless he has previously obtained a sample of that creature’s blood and has it preserved in a vial that he carries. The entry and destination creatures need not be familiar to the blood magus. A blood magus cannot use himself as an entry creature. If an intended entry creature is unwilling, he must make a successful melee touch attack to enter. (A missed touch attack does not use up the ability for that day.) When exiting a creature, a blood magus chooses an adjacent square in which to appear. Entering and exiting a creature is painless unless a blood magus wishes otherwise (see below). In most cases, though, the destination creature finds being the endpoint of a magical portal surprising and quite unsettling. If he desires, a blood magus can attempt to make a bloody exit from the destination creature. He bursts forth explosively from the creature’s body, dealing 10d6 points of damage unless the creature makes a Fortitude save (DC 10 + blood magus’s class level + blood magus’s Con modifier). When he makes a bloody exit, a blood magus must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round from the shock of his expulsion.
Really want to see her do a Bloodwalk on something.
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If the Sirens are working for the Elders then the Elders also know about Equestria. This makes me wonder about where this story is heading, that Diary has connection to Equestia and it could be traced, not to mention the actual portal itself.
Sunset is best xcom class!
Oooh!
Remember to follow Councilor Troi....oh sorry, Elena
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Hee! Well guessed, lawabidingpony!
Still hoping for more EqG characters, but I'm loving the characterisation of Sunset: ambitious, never took a rainbow to the face, but obviously still wouldn't join ADVENT... This rocks so hard. I'm loving this story.
Shiet. They do have big friggin' X's on their armor, don't they?
Starting to see how the time-jumps are working to benefit the story.
And the protagonist is dead. Whelp, t'was fun while it lasted.
So the Dazzlings actually are the chosen ... just to make sure I get that right, that was Aria, correct?
had
I suggest replacing that first 'when' with 'after'. Cuts out the repetition and makes the times clearer
I'd totally use that X on the armor to my advantage and make the armor there extra thick. Just to mess with every sniper stupid enough to aim for that ...
Now why and how did the Chosen Assassin know Twilight was using blood magic and that she's a blood mage? More questions to arise; I also like how the story isn't fully following how the game goes, good on the change of story plot
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First, Sunset, not Twilight this time .
Second,the Xcom2 Chosen and the MLP EQ Dazzlings (Sirens) are now one and the same.
Fun little story twist. A good counter to Sunsets uncounterable magic.
Third, well I guess she's dead now. Story's over. I suppose the other 100+ chapters are just going to be filler.
Well, she's fucked.
so is this when sunset started to change?
They know about magic? How?
Well damn... Sunset need better armor...
My focus is on Communication and Armor, the is to get resistance assistance and the Black Market, the other for exactly that reason, dead soldiers are wasted experience and strength in soldiers numbers.