Ironsworn Campaign #2

Chapter 2 - Conflicting Viewpoints

I found the bat fiend robbing two innocent civilians under the threat of violence I was luckily enough able to get the drop on him. however, he takes notice of my transformation into my armored form and takes a hostage in the form of one of the Civilians. The Monster Jeered me as the situation got worst. "Don't try and be a hero, I'll tear you apart with my maw!" he starts to fly away with the hostage! This is looking bad, I don't have any ranged combat options, and the enemy still holding the innocent fox mobian hostage. I can't even throw a rock without putting the hostage in danger. the bastard dropped the hostage as he left the scene, I need to act fast before they hit the ground! I leap up and catch the hostage before they hit the ground though It took some physical strain. Turns out the old man I just saved was an old fox father and the other civilian was his son. "Papa!" The old man couldn't believe he made it as the child runs up and hugs him. the father spoke to me. "Thank you, kind hero," I replied. "No worries sir, I am just sorry I let that thing escape." "Money can be replaced, broken bones not so much." I looked around the street but it was night and am sure by now that thing got away with the money. I pull out my Flux Emerald and open a portal back to the Traveler's Building to tell Yugi the bad news.

When I arrive the staff tells me that Yugi left for a meeting between him and the other Great Heroes in the Kaiba Corp satellite space station. it turns out there was already a much better HQ than this old office building. I thought of the station to redirect the location my emerald would wrap me and opened another portal up and walked through it. to my surprise, I see dozens of staff members from all matters of places and shapes. the place was a futuristic wonderland. large windows showing the space fill with stars in a vast black void. I was awe-struck by this station. I see Yugi who walks up to me and says "Hello again! sorry for not waiting up but Kaiba had only just now pitched in to help the Traveler's Union!" he took one look at me and said, "Is something wrong?" I swallowed and said, "I couldn't defeat that Bat monster you sent me after." "Oh no, were you hurt?" "I strained myself keeping a civilian safe from falling. but otherwise am just fine." "Then he escaped?" "He had wings and I lacked any ranged weapons to fight him with." "Well am sure you'll do better in the future. right now I got to introduce you to the rest of the Traveler's Union." we both walked with Yugi leading the way. I decided now would be a great time to get some answers from this kid. "So your the leader of this union?" "No that would be Kaiba...truth be told I still don't believe it." "He must be important to have his drop so often." "Yeah and he sure acts like that's true but the truth is the rest of us are still arguing over leadership and some people are not happy with Kaiba holding the title." "Is he a good leader?" "He has experience running a major corporation but is worried how he's handling leadership for the Traveler's Union...he can be a bit much sometimes." "How did this group of yours form?" "Legacy suggested we'd start a group to defend the multiverse after the events from three months ago...personally I would have rather just returned to playing Duel Monsters or working on my own board game but I can't just leave Kaiba to handle the role of leader." "He sounds kind of bad." "Well it's Kaiba, he's always a bit harsh. but deep down I know he has good in him." Yugi stops just in front of the door and looks a bit nervous. he says "The others should be just behind this door...hopefully Kaiba didn't get them too angry." That's not a good thing to say before opening a door. he opens the door and to our surprise, no one was talking, let alone screaming at each other. the room was a circular room with people in every chair around a round table. A young man with short brown hair and a wavey jacket stands up from his seat and speaks "Yugi, your late! Explain yourself." Yugi is still shocked the peace has been kept "Kaiba, I see you managed not to antagonize anyone...yet." "You still haven't explained your lateness, Yugi." "Sorry, but I had to explain a few things to someone looking to join our ranks" "Seriously? That's who you think is worthy of both my time and my leadership. they look like they just got into a fight!" Kaiba sits back down and sighs. he spoke once more. "At least tell me he's good in a fight." Yugi immediately replies "Yes, he's a fighter! but the real reason I brought him in was that the Shadow Cult is hunting him down, he's an escaped prisoner who has been turned into a superhuman...plus he can help us track down the cultists causing trouble in our world." Kaiba's frown eases up and he speaks again "Superhuman? he looks normal to me, but if you're suggesting we use him as bait to finally face the cult responsible for the recent attacks on my employees I can make good use of him." bait? well, that's concerning but at least I managed not to get rejected...got to remember to thank Yugi for stepping in for me later. it was at this point I realized that there were only about four people in the meeting room. I spoke up "Where is everybody?" the red dress-wearing young girl with brown hair to the right of the room spoke up. "Busy getting back to their lives, I would be too but Kaiba promised me a fat paycheck if I showed up." A blue anthropomorphic began his own line of dialogue "Figures you'd be here for the money Reimu, didn't you tell me that Gensokyo is in too much trouble to leave unattended?" She pouts and says "Hey your one to talk, don't you have to hunt down those magic gems again, or are you too busy beefing with Kaiba." Kaiba has a short laugh and adds to this conversation. "Yeah Sonic, haven't you given up on stopping me from supplying the public with Flux Emeralds yet?" "No and I never will, you underestimate me, just like you underestimate the powers you're toying with. In fact, I say it's about time you make a choice Kaiba, either you put a stop to the Flux Emeralds or I leave the union." Yugi stands up and tries to reason with the hedgehog. "But we're short on members as is. can't you two just make a compromise?" "Hey, I have no problems with you Yugi, far as am concerned your cool...but those Flux Emeralds are just as dangerous as the real ones and Kaiba is too busy making money off of them to see the problem." Kaiba speaks up at this point "I see no problem other than your terrorist acts against my company's product." "Oh and another thing Kaiba..." Sonic began his side of the argument "My little buddy found something while hacking into your precious files." Sonic pulls out an image showing a flux emerald with Eggman's insignia all over it. Kaiba not fazed in the slightest says "Is that supposed to scare me?" "I was always wondering how your company created those copy emeralds so fast...you took Eggman's research and made it your own!" "I don't see the issue, That fat man would have wasted the potential these Emeralds serve." "Oh spare me the visionary speech! Don't you realize what this means!?" "That a new era of multiverse travel where people are free to travel the multiverse is here and a stubborn rat wants to stand in the way of progress!" Sonic slams the desk and continues his argument "You created mass-produced Chaos Emeralds and sold them to anyone with the cash to buy them! Don't you know how powerful they are!?" "I do and that's why I made them. My Company doesn't make garbage just cause it's safer, I intend to spark a new generation for the whole multiverse!" "You actually convinced by your own insanity! when this blows up in your face I won't be laughing because it'll hurt tons of innocents in the process, you egotistical moron!" Sonic leaves as fast as he can in anger. "Good riddance to that rat." Kaiba turns his chair with the back facing the rest of the room. Kaiba says "So you brought someone looking to become a new member, Yugi?" "Kaiba! don't you think he was joking? we're seen what those emeralds can do, plus we have less than ten members in this union!" "It's called quality control, if that blue pest wants to keep me from creating a new era that's better for everyone then he can stay out of my way! But enough about that rat let's see what this stranger can do." Kaiba turns his chair to face the rest of the room and speaks. "Let's get started."

Chapter 3 - Cultist Chaos

My name is Ryan Roads and today am being used as bait, rather than offer me a safe haven from the cults the leader of the Traveler's Union Seto Kaiba has decided to lure out the cult by hunting me down by setting up a steak out. I was flown out to a desert area within Kaiba and Yugi's home world to wait for the cultists to arrive. While not the ideal situation for me I am tired of running away anyways. I discovered an interesting thing about my powers, I can summon armor for myself from seemingly nowhere and generate electric power when I fight. But recently I've discovered a deck of blank cards and one blue card showing my armored state. when I open my belt buckle I can see a card scanner inside, that's where I found the blue armor card. I also have a deck holder where I found the blank cards. could there be even more to my new body than I already know? Yugi and Kaiba were both talking about the state of the Union. I overheard a bit of it.

"Kaiba we can't afford to lose people in the union." "That blue rat is not a person to me." "You're driving away almost everyone in this team... what's more don't you think this is too dangerous for just the four of us?" "I can handle myself in a fight just fine, Yugi. Besides we still have Reimu." "Am surprised you haven't driven her away too." "As long as I got the money she'll prove loyal to me."

I was too busy listening to their conversation to notice Reimu was right next to me. She pokes my arm and I quickly turn around to see a short brown-haired girl in a red and white dress. "So you're being hunted down by these Shadow Cult guys?" I spoke, "Yeah, at least I think their after me...in truth, I haven't been found by them yet." "Just great, if it turns out they aren't after you anymore this trip would be for nothing...so what's your name?" "Ryan, Ryan Roads" "Am Reimu Hakurei, a shrine maiden from Gensokyo, I've heard you were there before from Yugi." "I don't recall going to a world with a name like that but then again I was likely still depressed over my whole situation to care." "What are those?" "These cards? Your guess is as good as mine...since my whole body has been changed I've been finding stuff I never had before...but if I had to guess these cards are supposed to be part of my powers." "What kind of powers?" "I can summon a suit of armor, like what you'd find on Kamen Rider. "Kamen Rider, is that supposed to be a reference to something?" "Basically a transforming superhero show, I thought you would know it because you came from Japan." "Well, Gensokyo is pretty closed off from the outside world so things most popular things in Japan may never show up in Gensokyo."

"What gives?" Kaiba says walking toward me and Reimu "I thought you were being hunted down...so where are the cultists?" "I have no idea, am just as confused as you about this. I was supposed to be their living weapon so I don't see how they could-" suddenly the sky goes dark. "What happened to the sun?" Reimu asked then I exclaimed"This darkness, I know what this means. The Cult is here!" Kaiba Laughs and says "Ha! finally we can put an end to their spree of interloping" Yugi grabs Kaiba by the collar and says "Take this seriously, we're likely dealing with a large number of enemies here Kaiba, Do you even have a plan!?" the sound of a helicopter could be heard as it lands next to both Yugi and Kaiba. "I always have a plan, get on before I decide to leave you behind."

Reimu begins to fly high into the sky to try and scan the surrounding area. she notices a portal starting to form from the north of the desert. and what came out was the Bat Kaijin from before as well as a small group of Cultists! I muttered "That Bad Bastard!" I shouted "Transform!" but nothing happened, I was confused but then I realized I had taken the blue card out of my buckle so I opened and inserted the blue card into the buckle and closed it, and tried again. "Transform!" this time my armor appeared and constructed itself from thin air as I ready myself for a fight. The flying bat monster man flies toward Reimu in preparation for an aerial clash. Meanwhile, the cultists dressed in robes and wielding daggers, whips, and maces attack me on the spot. I parry most of the incoming attacks with my armor but I was bound by the whips leaving me open for attack. I try and break free but I am overwhelmed by the crowd. My armor thankfully protects me from the onslaught. I break free of the whips and leap out from the crowd and into an open area but the cultists are still on me. Meanwhile, Reimu faces off against the bat Kaijin throwing Ofuda and needles at the winged monster and she is managing to deal damage against the monster. Back to the fight against the cult members, I clash with them once more with melee combat. I perform a sweeping kick and knock the majority of the cultists down on the sand. The rest flee back into their portal as the Bat Kaijin continues his attack against Reimu. But I still lack the range to attack the monster, then I noticed the fallen needles and paper talismans Reimu threw earlier and an Idea clicked! I quickly began collecting both the needles and the talismans so I can throw them at the enemy. I was so focused on getting the weapons that I didn't notice the bat creature was setting its sights on me and as it was flying it grabbed me by the back of my head and flew me high in the sky as it continues to dodge Reimu's attacks. The bastard laughs as it flew and began to mock both our efforts "Ha ha ha, You're such easy prey. That reward I was promised will be mine soon enough!" I struggled to fight against this foe but I felt a surge of electric energy flow through my body! I unleash a shock on the bat Kaijin and force it to let go of my head, I was free but falling at least until the Helicopter Kaiba and Yugi was on flew just in time to catch me. I nearly fell again as Yugi pulls me inside the copter. Yugi asks me if am alright only to get a light shock as the electric energy is still flowing through me. This gave me an idea. "Kaiba, can we get a little closer to the monster?" He looks at me like am crazy until he simply states "Only if you have a plan." and so the copter flies around the target, I form a gun with my right hand and point my two index fingers at the bat monster as I try and tap into the electric energy until it explodes a bolt of lightning at the beast! BOOM goes the bolt and while I hit a target it wasn't the one I wanted...Reimu took the bolt dead on and began to fall back to the ground. Kaiba was pissed "Haven't you heard of friendly fire!?" "S-Sorry it's my first day using that power!" "idiot! hit the damn bat, not our only other member!" I tried again to land a shot on the monster, thankfully without Reimu in the way I can get a clear shot. I fire a bolt of lightning and it's a hit though it made the beast fly away from us. Kaiba gives orders to the pilot. "Follow that bat!" as I charge up another bolt of lightning to fire I track the target then BOOM direct hit on the body of the bat monster and it's starting to fall to the ground and is actively retreating to the portal still open from the cultists I charge another bolt of lightning and take a deep breath fire one final volley of lightning and blasted the bat monster as it falls to the ground. it dissolves into dust after landing.

After landing the copter we check on Reimu and miraculously she was unharmed by both the bolt of lightning and the fall. She was still pissed at me for shocking her in the first place thought shouting "You idiot that could have killed me!" but now comes phase two of the plan Kaiba had. he has us tie up the unconscious cultists so that we can interrogate them we could only carry so many so we have narrowed down our suspects to three people.