Scene #4520: The Cutting Edge

Owner	Pose
Anne Blakely	The town of Milnae is not particularly remarkable. It has a school, a general store, and all that stuff... though it is at least modern, with cars and all the expected amenities of a late 20th/early 21st century town. A large forest that grows incredibly rapidly is nearby, making it easy to export lumber down the railroad tracks... but as mentioned, an 'enchanted forest' is a little to the southwest of this. Someone - and by this, 'someone' means a red-haired lady that is wandering toward the forest at a sedate pace, flanked by two large mechanical dogs - has scrounged up a locomotive and barged in on the train schedule, parking it on the tracks with several flatbeds. One of these held the truck-sized construct that is charging toward the forest at a decent clip, apparently to harvest some enchanted lumber. This is a small town. They have no real way to stop it.
Adele Rozenbach	Someone, who is herself not part of this merry band, has decided to help the red-haired lady by providing her own assistance. In this case, a seven feet tall musclebound vaguely masculine creature, a sturdy figure with leathery red skin, thick sturdy. From his back grows a second rib-cage, this one larger than the primary, with just enough flesh and skin to turn it into a massive basket. Big enough to carry quite a lot of goods within. The added weight of this makes him hunched over, if he weren't it seems likely he may have been as tall as eight feet. From his arms extrude two large bone blades, massive, hefty objects that are clearly intended to serve as axes. Finally, the creature's legs are thick like tree trunks, and what passes for feet is more like giant clumps of leathery skin, with several pieces of bone extruding to dig into soil for additional stability.
Sakura Haruno	Flowers had been sent out because she'd had a notice to send her on anything involving this sort of contraption. She didn't think this was related to why she'd had the alert set up - it didn't really look like Anne's usual work - but she decided to go out of curiousity anyways. Mostly because logging a faerie forest seemed like a terrible idea to her, from most faeries she had met. They mostly ate people, after all. She's going to arrive on the scene unaccompanied directly, and lightly armored. She doesn't really want to directly fight that thing; this is more likely to be an indirect fight, maybe with some information gathering. She's approaching with some caution, at least, as she moves through the woods towards where she can hear the construct.
Emiya Shirou	Disturbing a Fae Forest sounds like a REALLY bad idea. On the assumption that the Fae in there are decent, then who deserves to lose their home? And if they're monstrous and whimsical, having them blame the town for not being able to stop this is equally disastrous. Having quickly reached this conclusion, Shirou swiftly dispatched from Dun Realtai... and emerges from a warpgate some distance away riding on a motorcycle! Nothing too fancy or special, but it handles spectacularly well on the uneven ground... and at terrific speeds! He's heading to cut off the great logging machine and place himself far down in its path... And once he makes it that far, Shirou murmurs something. Anyone who knows him well could easily tell what. "Trace on." Married starmetal swords of Yin and Yang appear in his grasp the moment he hops off his bike. He doesn't raise them, but the message to the marauding logger is clear: 'This is where you stop and we talk.'
Uriel and Qemuel	Two streaks of light flash through the air, ending their path somewhere between the construct and Anne. When the light fades, the two women that appear are... to all appearances, very normal! T-shirts and shorts for the warm weather, sunglasses, and backpacks. They'd look like hikers or something if they were actually winded... and if they hadn't just appeared in a flash of light. "Well," says one. The dark-haired, dark-complected young woman looks at the other. "This time it looks like there won't be trouble. That's something, I guess. I was worried." The other girl, a blonde of fair skin with the exact same body type, peers toward the forest, then back... toward the creature near Anne. "I doubt we'll be needed here. I suppose it would be best to just please Master, though, to hang about just in case." "I wouldn't be so certain," the dark-haired one points out. "There's at least SOME boy who seems intent on a valiant death. Maybe it will at least be worth watching... oooh..." Shirou summoning his blades has at least gotten her interest.
Setsuko Kaminagi	Sakura isn't the only person who's taken a keen interest in the activities of one Anne Blakely. A certain demigod has been watching like a hawk, both metaphorically and literally in some cases. Much like now - it's from high above that her hoverbike comes hurtling down, the swordswoman more than willing to put on the speed for something that might be Anne's work. Even if it's not, it's a machine that stands a chance of upsetting beings with the ability to make their displeasure very forcefully known. It's something she's gotta stop. So down she comes from the clouds, headed straight towards the machine headed into the forest.
Anne Blakely	Anne tsks to herself as she pauses, sensing that some are interfering. She CAN see through the eyes of her constructs, if she has the need and knowledge of their whereabouts... and this seems to be one that she can. "Now who is this one?" She didn't see Shirou because the last time, it had been a 'rogue' one. Glancing at the Gargoyle, she makes a vague gesture, to see if the creature will show her what it has got. Not like the construct is helpless. Sakura, despite her utter lack of stealth, hasn't been noticed yet thanks to the motorcycle. At first, this one looks much like the last one... smaller, but a 'crab' type. Also much newer, with sleeeker lines. As Setsuko streaks toward it, the demigoddess will get a very clear idea of what makes this one different. Shirou will have to deal with a sawblade spitting out toward him in answer to that silent challenge. Ever see Will Smith in Wild Wild West? With that magnetic collar thingee and the spinning flying saw blade? That's you, Shirou. Meanwhile Sakura and Setsuko will see the construct just /flip over/ from one side to the next in a perfect roll, completely inverting itself and its legs, and just scampering right on toward the forest. It is notably more agile than the last.
Adele Rozenbach	The gargoyle lets out a loud roar, the kind of roar one would expect from a predator that's been whipped into a mad frenzy, pain and agony manifesting in anger at the first thing that looks like a viable target to transfer this pain onto. That target is Emiya Shirou, the massive monstrosity starts to lumber towards the swordmage, not even using the axes on his arms yet, just going for an all out body slam as it roars more, and this time, there's vague words audible in that roar, "For the Princess!"
Sakura Haruno	Sakura will stop for a moment, as she spots the construct and what it's doing. Well, she hadn't expected that. She'll break out into a sprint, now, moving to try and get ahead of the thing, but in spite of the warning from Setsuko that they weren't all alone, she'll not really be aware of any of the others besides the gargoyle that's attempting to axe Shirou a question. She's not really great at this stealth thing from either side, ninja or not. But she's pretty good at getting in front of things and hitting them, so she's going to try to do that with the construct, starting with the getting in front of it part. She'd rather not fight within the fae woods, after all. She's bad about collateral damage.
Setsuko Kaminagi	The thing is agile and much more 'modern', if such a thing can be said of Anne's designs. Setsuko's face pulls into a faint frown. It's going to get to that forest before they can stop it if this keeps up; it's already got Shirou distracted. She and Sakura will have to move fast. That means not disembarking the hoverbike just yet. Instead, Setsuko guns it, pushing the bike to its top speed, and at the same time her right hand goes to her left side and takes hold of the sword sheathed there, drawing it and steering with one hand. She intends to dive right down as low as she can, and take a slice at it in passing.
Fate Testarossa	'No hard feelings for trying to murder Anne Blakely'. It's a nice thought. That incident is in the past now, anyway. The punishment was dealt out, and bad behavior corrected. All is well. This isn't true in the least. Not all is well when Setsuko Kaminagi gets to look into the tired, scarlet, eyes of the child suddenly in her path. She was not there a moment ago. And then in the single blink of an eye, Fate Testarossa is in the demi-god's path. Then metal strikes. A resounding clash of the divine blade of war against the indomitable black axe, Bardiche. The dark blade cracks slightly, but a twist of her wrist uses the momentum of her own inhuman approach speed as a backing force to parry the blow aside. The audble CRACK of thunder only follows a split second after it all. Fate is silent for a long moment, face shrouded in a dark shadow, lips set in a grim line as her cloak flutters behind her, thumb brushing along the gleaming steel shaft of her cherished Device, as she lets Setsuko pass, but denies the blow upon Anne's newest machination. The turns, glancing with just one eye over a slender shoulder, as Bardiche snaps the dark axe-shaped blace back. "Scythe form." The Device buzzes, making the intent of his wielder absolutely certain beyond the shadow of a doubt. She is here to defend that monstrous lumber-cutting device. "Leave it." The child says with a surprising firmness. Before her voice softens, tone almost pleading and desperate in spite of the near whisper. "Please."
Uriel and Qemuel	At first, Qemuel is excited! "Ah, this could be fu- oh..." It looks like Shirou is already getting plenty of trouble from others, which makes Qemuel significantly less interested. "Oh, it looks like he's already taken. Bahhhh." She frowns and sighs. About then, her shirt tears as two large, black-feathered wings rip free from her back. So it looks like Sakura will get Qemuel! Uriel hangs back, as she usually does, letting her sister of Battle do the... battle thing. A shower of feathers, hard as steel and sharp as knives, barrage down IN FRONT of Sakura. Qemuel doesn't believe in doing a sneak attack unless she's already met her foe. The dark, fallen angel alights not far from the mednin, a lance manifesting in her hand. "Hello there! I'm here to protect Miss Blakely's investment, so I suppose we'll be doing some fighting!"
Emiya Shirou	There was a time when Emiya Shirou might've responded to this attack by trying to tackle it head-on, or by just leaping away! But not this time. Seeing a saw blade launched at him he reacts almost instantly, whipping his blades forward and RELEASING THEM?! Yeah. Odd as it might seem, Kanshou and Bakuya make FINE projectiles when hurled in tandem. Spinning end over end, the blades whistle through the air on a path for the incoming saw-blade and SLAM against the offending projectile's spinning edge like a pair of grinding gears. The horrific sound of metal shearing into metal mixed with shattering glass assaults everyone's ears. Kanshou and Bakuya inevitably fail, shatter to bits, and fade away... but their objective was only ever to TURN THE PROJECTILE ASIDE and send it off in any other direction but at him! But no sooner are the blades free of his fingers then, in the same motion... he answers the gargoyle's charge. Silvery light flows from his hands as he draws them upwards and behind his head, now grasping a blade that's still-forming even as he readies it. An insanely long, thin, curved blade. It could be called a nodachi, but even that's a bit inadequate. The blade's longer than Shirou is tall. And there's something decisively WEIRD about the stance Shirou's taken... back almost turned away from the Gargoyle, looking at him sideways, and blade perpendicular to the opponent behind his head, with one palm open near the bottom of the grip... It's a strange stance indeed. It SHOULD be incredibly vulnerable, but instead... Instead, it reeks of doom. "Tsubame Gaeshi!!" Shirou answers the charge with a technique not his own... or rather, a pale imitation of the true technique. His body twists as he steps forward and magical energy reinforces all his limbs even further. In a single breath his arms move with godspeed to execute twin slashes to meet the charge! Well, two if the first one's not stopped. The blade has to loop around, but even this takes only an unreal split-second to accomplish!
Setsuko Kaminagi	"Kh-!" There are few whose speed is such that even Setsuko's eyes have a hard time following it. But iterations of Fate Testarossa are almost always up high on that list, and for one to show that swiftness now of all times... it's the worst possible moment, and in the worst possible way. Fate is treated to a brief instant of shock in those blue eyes. Then the hoverbike goes by, banks around, and Setsuko kicks off it, sending the craft up into the sky on autopilot to wait around. She floats in the sky, a short distance from Fate, and... does not raise the katana in her right hand. Not yet. This may be the first time someone has turned the same sorrowful look on Fate that she generally shows other people she's forced to hurt. It's more muted, more controlled, but... it's there, in the sworswoman's eyes. She knows exactly what's happening here. "...I can't," the demigod replies softly. "That machine... if it takes lumber from the fae, they could be upset. People could be hurt in retaliation. Innocent people, who have no part in this." She's quiet for a second or so, then adds, "Fate. I... I can't fight to disable. Not someone as strong as you. My style is a killing style. If we fight..." It's for keeps. This may be the first time these words ever leave Setsuko Kaminagi's mouth. They're quiet, full of just as much subtle plea as Fate's own. "Please don't make me do this."
Sakura Haruno	Sakura will stumble slightly, but manage to pull herself out of the sprint enough to not go falling onto the feathers or any such thing. Which is for the best, that would be rather messy. It had been quite a long time since Sakura managed to get herself caught up in a fight without others, but as she glances around this is clearly going to be one. "...We could not do that, and her investment could just leave. There are plenty of places where you can get lumber without stirring up angry faeries near a village, after all." Sakura will point out, but she's also looking over the angel to try and see if she can spot a weakness offhand, clearly willing to try to fight to get around Qemuel.
Anne Blakely	Anne ponders. This is going... better than usual. At least in her opinion. She makes a face as the sawblade is countered by the swords, but that's secondary to the device tumbling forward, staggering about almost drunkenly... but a sharp eye can tell that it is actually evasively approaching the trees. As two of the limbs whip out their blades and start to saw at a tree, cutting into the trunk with one and slicing branches with the other, Anne 'pets' one of the mechanical hounds next to her. "Cutting a single tree isn't likely to enrage the forest. Or two or three. It's a risk I am willing to take, but I doubt they would be THAT angry."
Fate Testarossa	For a long moment, Fate is still. The only hint that the girl is not a statue being the rippling flow of her cloak in the wind. And then she turns. She knows full well what the consequences could be if the trees are harvested; if the fae are angered. But it is not her concern. Her instructions were very clear and very simple. Stay out of Anne Blakely's way. Keep others out of her way. The girl shifts her grip. Setsuko does not raise her blade, but Fate is. A slow shift in stance, holding the scythe in a two-handed grip, low towards the bottom of the shaft, held behind her to one side. Eyes meet. Her heart skips a beat. The rattle in her grip is only momentary; lasting but an imperceptible second, before she regains her grip, the black axe pinging a low, soft, sound of silent support. Fate can really promise nothing better on her end. Her training was rushed. Her mastery in complete. In her hands, the normally nonlethal Mid-Childa style of magic is as deadly as Setsuko's blade. She gulps. The poor girl almost doesn't understand how to react to the demi-god's own sorrow... But there is only one choice for the both of them. "I've made my choice." She answers simply. "To see her smile... I will go to any length... It's fine... It's fine because... I'm strong." One last breath to steel her nerves, and she's off like a gunshot, that blinding inhuman speed launching her straight for Setsuko, scythe brought to bear... And at the last possible instant, she jerks aside. An attack from the front becomes a brutal assault from a blind angle. The girl's eyes squeeze shut tightly as she intends to end the battle in a single, merciless, stroke. And a whisper so quiet it's nearly lost. "... I'm sorry."
Setsuko Kaminagi	An ordinary person would be unable to react. Even Setsuko is far too slow to respond fully when she's taken so completely by surprise. But it's enough. Enough to turn a killing blow into a hasty, last-second deflection that manages to only just deflect the Midchildan magical blade from carving her open. It doesn't stop her from being injured, however - the odd angle, the shift in stance, allows Bardiche's blade to lay open a wound along the woman's tricep, from elbow to shoulder. Setsuko hisses in pain and shifts back, but the damage is done. She's also on alert now. Zanjintou comes up. Both hands settle on the grip. Blue eyes meet red. Even now, there is that look in her eyes, the subtle hint of distaste in the very fact of having to fight. But it doesn't keep her from attacking. From suddenly lunging forward in the air, a 'step' that becomes a strike, a vicious overhead slash that's followed by a second, a third. It's a sudden, ferocious onslaught of strikes, one after another after another. A simple, barrage attack with the weapon, still in katana form. "Taaaaaah!"
Uriel and Qemuel	A weakness? In battle? Qemuel has plenty of weaknesses, but the Angel of Battle has none that are readily seen by a quick glance. Sakura will have to dig a little deeper if she wants something easy to exploit. Of course there are some that are already in effect... though they may not be easy to see. The lance spins about, then levels toward Sakura. "My objective is merely to keep you here. Yours is to stop the device. It should be a relief, hmm? We aren't required to kill one another. I feel for you, I really do. That woman is horrible." She shakes her head. "But... my Master wills it." This time, when the wing flicks forward, a trio of knife-feathers are actually thrown toward Sakura herself.
Sakura Haruno	By ninja standards, Sakura's biggest weakness is and always has been that she's slow. She hurts when she gets there, but it takes a while to get there. She's also unarmed, but the way she's standing makes that seem like she thinks that's less of a flaw against the lance than someone just looking at it might. "Mm. Did you consider telling them no?" She'll ask, before the feathers come out, catching her off-guard. She manages to step out of the way of two of them, but the third will catch her in the arm, embedding itself into her forearm with a wince of pain out of the medic. She won't hesitate, though, aware that she's in a lot of trouble if she tries to keep this at range. She won't stop to remove the feather, instead rushing forward with eyes on the lance, ready to parry it with the force of one of her punches to try and get inside the angel's guard, believing that from that range she's likely to have a much better shot at just overpowering Anne's ally long enough to disable her. Better that than trying to run at the contraption with a flying lance-user at her back.
Fate Testarossa	"Tch..." Fate had hoped. She hoped she could have made it quick and painless for. For both Setsuko and herself. But she should have known better, having seen the demi-god in action before. An ordinary person would have been cut down. Fate is not fighting an ordinary person. Though Bardiche's electrical blade cuts, it is not the decisive blow Fate had been seeking, and in her own attack being denied, the girl is forced to course correct, as her momentum is improperly shifted. She rallies fast and she rallies well. Divine steel meets that voltaic scythe. Again and again and again, Fate's body working on pure reflexes and a surge of adrenaline when Setsuko lunges to meet her. Sparks fly. Bardiche's body forms hairline cracks. Manageable for now, but where Fate has speed, Setsuko has strength. If Setsuko is holding back, it doesn't show, as every parry and stroke forces Fate back, even if she deflects smoothly and with inhuman finesse. But then the blonde jukes. A sidewards twirl that leaves a trail of scarlet flowing horrifyingly in the air as she swerves away from the blade. Before it's revealed to be a tattered shred of her cloak, shown off in the fray as she hooks about, a lashing swipe of her magical blade followed up by an elbow jerk to slam the butt at the demi-god with bone-jarring force. No more words. The time for words is over as the duel in the skies turns into a dance of blades, interspersed with crackling lightning and crashes of thunder, a sudden HEAVE releasing the voltaic blade from the Device like a close range boomerang heave, with an announcement of "Arc Saber," from the stoic axe.
Uriel and Qemuel	It is pretty weird for Qemuel. That's okay though! She likes creativity and surprises in battle! So when Sakura charges her like that, the punch actually shatters the lance! It disintegrates into flecks of shaddow, the tarnished metal vanishing when the impact manages to do too much damage for the Angel to maintain the physical form. It startles her well enough for Sakura to land a good punch! Qemuel is a lot tougher than a human though. And stronger. "Hah!" She actually grins wildly, attempting a quick hold and takedown herself! But though she's the Angel of Battle, her type of battle relies upon weapons. Her hand to hand skills are mediocre. Maybe Sakura has found her weakness here- Provided the ninja can dodge the sharp edge of the wing that flicks toward her again from the struggling angel.
Setsuko Kaminagi	Again and again weapons clash. Much like Fate, Setsuko is hoping - praying - that she can get through this with as little force as possible, drive the young mage off. And part of her just can't bring herself to swing full power against Fate, knowing what she knows about the girl's situation. And she pays for it. When her blade misses her mark, she pays for it. The first swipe is barely avoided, but the butt of Bardiche's staff slams into her chest, and then Arc Saber hits her directly, drawing a loud hiss and a growl of pain. Setsuko goes ass-over-teakettle in the air, but comes back around, shifting it into a wide banking turn that allows her to swing around and barrel in at Fate from the side, seeking to bring Zanjintou down in a single, vicious horizontal swipe. "SEI!" Even here, though, she can't bring herself to draw out Zanjintou's full power.
Sakura Haruno	The disintegration will throw Sakura off, not having expected quite that give, and so her forceful blow isn't what it could normally be. There's still a lot of force there, of course, but she keeps trying to move in, not wanting to get thrown away from it. She's willing to accept the risk of taking damage to deal some, not wanting to dodge out and get trapped by weapons again. This approach would have worked better if her blow at the base of Qemuel's throat weren't interrupted by a slash of the wing going across her arm and gut. That's going to be a pain to heal later, and she'll start bleeding freely now.
Adele Rozenbach	The lumbering brute doesn't register the incoming slashes until they hit, much less try to block or dodge. He's sturdy, however, and the cuts register but aren't as deep as might be expected, the leather-like skin serving as much like armour as actual leather armour would. It roars in pain, a trickle of some black liquid seeping from the cuts rather than blood. And with surprising speed, but still no elegance to it, it strikes out with both its arms, hammering down from above, with those axe blade trying to ram deep into Emiya's shoulders.
Anne Blakely	It looks like Anne brought the proper number of people to help this time. It's not like she's going by /unmolested/ here, but the resistance she's meeting is token in nature so far. Why? Because she was not stupid, and her construct uses IRON STRUTS. Which means that any fae in the forest are staying well away. The construct appears to be going for three or four trees, tossing them across its back after stripping them of the smaller branches. This will slow it down, at least. If someone can break free of their opponent, they might be able to slow it or perhaps make it harder to return to the train.
Emiya Shirou	Aaaand there goes Anne, thoroughly ignoring Emiya Shirou and cutting down the trees. He only has a split-second to regard the goings-on of the moment... because his opponent somehow manages to tank the Swallow Reversal while barely slowing down! Monohoshi Zao shatters halfway through the cut, but instead of staying embedded it erodes into mana... leaving Shirou in a bit of a panic! Power again flows from his palms and BOTH his hands come up. Enough magic flows through his limbs this time that a strange circuit pattern glows through his skin and into his weapons! Both of which come up to protect him and catch the axe... It's like trying to stop a bullet train by placing a cardboard box in its path, going by looks. The thunderous impact kicks up a plume of dust and dirt, scatters pebbles as the GROUND shatters. Shirou's agonized yell echoes loud and clear through the event... but... Shirou's EJECTED from the dust cloud and goes skidding lopsidedly over the ground, arms and one shoulder bloodied... but he's still intact. It's pretty obvious the axe failed to CHOP HIS ARM OFF like it should have, and instead drew a nasty cut along his flesh and into muscle, nicked bone. Shirou's clinging to the shattered grips of his favored weapons... and they erode in his hand. "Ughah! What's the deal with you?! Swings like that could kill someone!" The Magus rises solidly. As much as he'd like to combat Anne and her crazy machine... The opponent before him is all he can afford to tackle. He'll DIE if he splits his attention. "My body is made of swords." The boy declares solidly, more a chant than speaking to the creature before him... even though he faces the beast with fierce determination burning in his amber eyes. "A shell of steel... with fire for blood!" Shirou raises an arm, fingers curled and flexing. Bolts of magical energy fly into the air and fill invisible molds in a few heartbeats... ...THE AIR IS FILLED WITH SWORDS. Viking swords. Egyptian swords. Fanciful swords. Simple swords. Swords as big as he is. Zweihanders and shortswords. And with a single gesture towards the creature, ALL OF THEM rocket its way. A wall of flying swords... Only in the Multiverse, seriously.
Uriel and Qemuel	Qemuel isn't bleeding... but despite being tougher than a human, she's still flesh and blood. The wing slash may have helped, but when Sakura punches, it HURTS! A loud CRACK is heard, and she staggers back in startlement. A shimmering summons an axe to help her, but it's a little late. She's already off-balance and whipping her wing back. "Heh... you've been through some battles. I like this." A thin smile. "If you can get past me, you deserve to stop the witch. I admit I wouldn't mind if you did. She's an evil... woman." It sounds like the Fallen Angel was about to use a much stronger word there! The problem is that Sakura still has to get past her. That could be difficult, since she's armed now. At least she doesn't seem intent on killing Sakura, just blocking her advance. A quick step forward and a whip of the axe downward splits a fissure in the ground, attempting to use the impact to hurl Sakura backward.
Adele Rozenbach	"For the Princess!" The creature repeats in an agonized yell as he rushes forward, trying to beat away some of the incoming swords, but he can't deflect them all, and they dig into his skin, some deeper than others, but most of them end up cutting deep enough to draw that same seeping black liquid. And then, despite being pincushioned, he's back up next to Shirou, and he roars, in anger, in agony, in anticipation of death, going for a rampaging beatdown with those two bone axeblades, alternating in a selfless fervor, each arm withdrawing just to give the other a clean shot.
Fate Testarossa	Much as Setsuko struggles to keep from going full force, Fate throws herself into the fight full tilt. Putting every ounce of that intense speed to use, even the slighest motion is like a bullet going off. Difficult to predict. In that instant that the Arc Saber spell lands its mark, rather than detonate it, she presses her assault. But. But. Fate's heart is simply not in the fight. And this is what causes her to misstep. What begins as another attempt at a quick and finishing stroke is shifted with a gasp. Bardiche's course is altered, both hands hoisting the scythe upwards in a horizontal block. "Defenser!" The Device announces, dutifully casting the autodefense spell and raising a ward of golden light between itself and Zanjintou. The spell shatteres like sugar glass. The blade meets scythe again, biting into the 'metal' of Fate's mana projected into pseudophysical form. It clashes with a flare of sparks. And for a long beat, Fate is pinned, holding Zanjintou at bay with only naked Bardiche between her and that deadly edge. Her hands shake. Gauntlets clink in an audible rattle as willowy arms try to hold off the inhuman power of a budding god of war. Eyes meet again, scarlet pupils dilated as she stares dead on. For Fate, time seems to move like molasses, flow and dragging; watching the hairline cracks on her faithful Device expand dangerously; and feeling her arms threaten to go out. The blade bites deep, every millisecond threatening to cut clean through Bardiche before Fate's reflexes kick in once again. A sharp breath and blur of black-gold, and the girl launches herself backwards, pausing only to catch her breath and stare wide-eyed, and panting. She gulps... And whispers again. "I'm sorry..." The thing about Arc Saber is, when the crescent blade of golden energy is flung, it acts exactly like a boomerang in principle. It goes one direction for a distance, before hooking back around. And that is precisely whant Fate's spell does, whirring through the air like a buzzsaw of light, before Bardiche takes his revenge and acts in defense of his cherished master. "Saber Explode." Stated solemnly as the arcing energy blade erupts in a violent concussive explosion.
Sakura Haruno	Sakura gives a grim smile of satisfaction as she at least manages to drive back the angel, absently stitching up her own wounds to at least stim the bleeding. Hardly a permanent fix, but it'll do until she can get out of here. She's still a little weakened by the exchange, though, and all the more certain that she can't just try and charge past the angel without distracting her first. She'll slip backwards, mostly managing to avoid any injury from the impact, though it is getting her to go further away. And so she'll decide to try to cheat, like a good ninja. Drawing a seal tag out of her bag, she'll fling it at Qemuel. It's not explosive, really - just lights up brilliantly, and makes a very loud noise, trying to distract the angel while Sakura tries to make a break for the construct. She's not certain if this will work, but the angel seems to not want to kill her, so she has to at least try to take advantage of that to stop the 'evil woman'
Setsuko Kaminagi	Press. Press. Push forward, drive her back, force Fate to leave, to get out of here, so that she won't have to do something drastic to finish this and get after the logging machine. No matter how it hurts to look into those crimson eyes. Fate breaks out of the lock, and Setsuko gathers herself to push forward again- Arc Saber explodes squarely on Setsuko's back. Down the swordswoman goes, blasted out of the air and tumbling across the ground until she skids to a stop. When she rises again, her back is bleeding, as are several spots along her front and arms. She stands up slowly, but smoothly - hurt, but not enough to take her out of the fight. Just enough to injure both her body and her mind. Blue eyes turn up to Fate. Then to the fleeing machine, and the forest it's already damaged. The worst is done. She'll have to stay behind to potentially defend the town. Innocents might be hurt, or die. Because she hesitated. "...no, Fate Testarossa. I'm sorry." Both hands rest on Zanjintou again. "You deserve better. You deserve someone who can fight without killing. Someone who can reach a hand out while defending themselves and what they treasure. But there's no one like that here. There's only a killer with a killer's blade in her hand. And I only have one way to protect anything." SNAP. With a rush of air and streamers of blue, Zanjintou's full-sized blade appears. The massive true form of the weapon whips around Setsuko once. And then she is simply in the air, hurtling towards Fate at full speed. The hesitation is gone from her eyes, and when that immense sword swings, it does so in just such a way as to cut off Fate's most likely angle of escape, with an edge that covers a /lot/ of territory.
Emiya Shirou	Recognizing instantly the danger he's in, deep within his bones, Shirou's lips peel tightly back, he inhales with a hiss, and steels himself. He can't MATCH that creature in brute strength even with Reinforcement... But that's fine. That's totally fine. "No clue what Princess you're talking about, but go back home now or you'll die! You don't even gain anything from this fight!" So really, what's the point of throwing your life away? Well, Shirou's not that arrogant... but he can see it. He can see a path to victory here, because this creature is a brutal, stupid berserker. And the creature's still charging. It's kill or be killed here. And even then, this one shot he has will end with serious injury... it's risky. But it's his only shot. "Spirit and technique, flawless and firm." Power flares in his palms, and once again Kanshou and Bakuya are in his hands. "Our strength rips the mountains," he continues, HURLING both of the weapons at his charging opponent. Sparks fly as they meet the beast's wild axe swings, and both weapons zoom off in wide arcs... but remain airborne! "Our swords split the water," Again, the shortswords of Yin and Yang materialize in Shirou's hands as the beast is nearly upon him... but he hurls them to his left and right! What kind of stupid manuever is that? It's about now that anyone watching might get a feel for what's up. The four airborne swords are changing directions and angling back, drawn towards a center point. "Our names reach the imperial villa," This time, just as the creature's upon him, magical bolts arc dangerously from Shirou's hands and form into MUCH LARGER versions of the blades. They're as long as straightswords but considerably thicker, and covered in feather-like splinters! Kanshou and Bakuya, Overedge. He lunges... straight forward. With uncanny footwork far beyond his years he weaves past the first and second strikes, but there's where his luck ends. An axe buries itself in his side with a horrific spray of blood and a metallic CLANG! Wait, a metallic clang? He's not wearing armor right now! Where's the clang coming from?! Shirou staggers with a wet yell as the axe nearly takes out half of his stomach... but he's not downed by it. Oh no, he gathers his strength even as his body screams in protest... and brings those massive swords down in a cross-slash for the thing's guts! But they're not the only weapons it has to worry about. The four swirling blades arrive just in time, flying at the creature's sides... and the back of its neck. A faint whistling noise is the only warning it gets that they're even coming... "The two of us cannot hold the heavens together!"
Uriel and Qemuel	Sakura is fortunate that Qemuel, though she herself loves a straight battle, is the sort of person who appreciates clever tactics. Backstabbing? Not so much. But clever use of abilities is what war is all about! The pop of that tag would have had little effect on her sister, who is still standing around leaning against a wall, but it does matter to Qemuel... and sunglasses, though she wears them, can only do so much. "AH!" The flare makes her axe swing wide, then makes her blink several times. The fallen angel's vision is spotty, but she can guess where Sakura is headed. Flapping wings carries her up high, and then a swooping dive soars for the mednin. Sakura still might get a shot in at the construct before the feathered blades start forming a barrier.
Sakura Haruno	Sakura's not exactly hard to spot - just take a look for the pink - but she doesn't really need multiple shots if she can get going. She'll lunge forward as Qemuel tries to catch up, foot lashing out towards the construct as it works on those trees, trying to blast it with one mighty kick as hard as she can before the angel can stop her. It's taking a lot out of her, of course, so she's going to be somewhat open to a reprisal, if Qemuel tries to take it. But her might in that one blow is hard to deny, and she may just have gotten through clean enough to punt the logging device into non-functionality.
Fate Testarossa	Breathless and panting, Fate quickly regains her stamina, while waiting for the dust to settle from the aerial explosion, watching with tired, sad, eyes as Setsuko is felled from the air. She watches as the demi-god bounces... Tumbles... And... slows, skidding a trail in the ground. Only to rise. The girl's jaw goes slack. She watches in rapt horror as Zanjintou changes, becoming a collossal blade from which she cannot escape... Her pupils were dilated before, but now, they're little more than twin black specks in the center of horrified scarlet. Fate can only keep her cool for so long, and with her emotions in a turmoil of confusion, that veil of control is cast aside. Setsuko rose. Setsuko is coming right at her. "Move sir!" Bardiche advises, before that glowing ward of golden light forms at the damaged Device's head with a sputtering cry of "Defenser!" In a last ditch attempt to do all in his power for his Master. It is at the last second that Fate regains control of her faculties, a sharp gasp given as the only hint that her reflexes have kicked in. She jerks her body sidewards. The edge of that collosal blade misses only barely, the girl turning her head away from the flat of the blade in passing, the divine steel travelling close enough to leave a friction burn on her cheek, before she's slammed aside. The edge catches on a piece of light armor, her body jerks, slamming into the flat of the blade with the force of a car and she goes spiraling down a fair distance. Before she arrests her motion. Breath rasping, heart hammering in her chest, she clutches her left arm, hanging limp at her side, numb, injured, and useless. Setsuko's words turn over and over in her mind for a few thundering beats. "I... I don't..." Stammered at first as she backs away. "... I don't deserve that. That would be selfish. ... I was always very selfish. And that's why. I have to... I have to do anything. Even if it hurts." The girl whispers. She can no longer contend with Setsuko. She has done what she can. There's nothing more she can do for the woodcutting machine. And that's why a golden sigil of light flares out from under her feet. She's gone in a clap of thunder and flash of gold.
Anne Blakely	It's a good hit. A solid hit. Sakura has managed to slip one in on the 'logger bot' that is making its way toward the train now. It cripples a leg, nearly shearing it off... but this one is more redundant than the other, and it compensates. Not without some trouble, though! Two of the four trees tumble off with a crash to the ground, before the third is caught and held. The machine hobbles forward at a still-swift pace, while the mechanical dogs take up an escort position. Anne whistles loudly, "We can't stay here, this will just make us lose it all! We're withdrawing. This will have to do. Master will simply need to be satisfied with this much!"
Adele Rozenbach	Under the onslaught of Emiya Shirou, the tortured, mutilated monstrosity falls. And with it comes the release of death, long denied to him by his Princess, and as he stumbles back and looks up at the sky, his last word is spoken in relief and peace, a serene smile on his inhuman face, "I'm free." And then he stirs no more.
Emiya Shirou	Emiya Shirou's all but undone with those two simple words. The simplicity, the humanity, the gratitude... for death. A shudder passes through him and it's as though a knife twists at his heart. WHAT did that creature just say? He's jarred out of his momentary question of horror by a pang of horrific, gut-splitting (literally) pain shooting through his body. He stumbles back, dislodging himself from the axe.. and drops backwards against the ground. He's lost a lot of blood... but oddly enough, not enough to be really lethal. The wound closes over as he just focuses on breathing... while his mind and heart BURN with questions and an aching sense of disgust and horror. And a single question. Could he have saved that person? And what was he saving him from?