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  1. #4321

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    Quote Originally Posted by Miburo View Post
    The Nevadian found himself transfixed by the sight, for only a moment. He had high expectations for whatever sailed the earthen sea beneath...

    But he had never expected the sheer mass and might of the Leviathan that had emerged. It's crystal carapace was quite study, able to withstand even the might of Held's ki enhanced spear blow, and what more, it seemed to be assimilating some of that energy into it's own form.

    It was bewildering, and terror would have taken hold of a less resolved mind, it's focus scattered to the seven winds.

    For Held, that fear was instantly ground into nothingness by calm, graceful, resolve, a mind only concerned with how to accomplish it's goals.

    Not that the Serpent had any intention of allowing the Nevadian to contemplate such a mystery, as it loosened it's breath of sword and flame.

    Instinct took over, only informing the mind as the Held dashed to meet the attack, spear in hand. Perhaps that was for the best, as the mind would have stopped to consider the variables. The speed of both Serpent and Warrior, the intensity of the attack, the risk of failure---

    As things were, such details were mere background information. The Sight of the Shingan, and a Warrior's Intuition, strengthened over countless life and death encounters made such calculations mere justifications.

    If it took my spear like it was nothing, there's no guarantee any of my other ranged attacks will be more effective, especially if it goes beneath the surface....

    At the moment when a clash between flesh and power seemed inevitable, the Nevadian dropped backwards and down into a baseball slide legs first towards the enemy, his spear tucked beneath him.

    The spear dug it's point into the ground, and the Nevadian pressed it deeper into the earth, propelling himself upwards at a diagonal angle, slightly below the area the Serpents breath targeted.

    Unicorn Knows No Restraints!

    Energy amassed itself around the legs of the Nevadian as he corkscrewed towards the Dragon, or more precisely the spear embedded within the dragons armor. If his throw was insufficient, perhaps the entire mass of the ki enhanced projectile that was his body would be enough to allow the blade to pass through, hitting upon the tip of the shaft like a hammer upon a nail.
    Held's gambit is successful, the corscrewing kick impacts the emebedded shaft and drives it into the Carapace of the Crystal Dragon. It twists inward, spreading shimmering cracks in the plates of of its armor, splitting a fissure into its neck...

    Yet though it bore the shape of a thing that once walked on the surface of this world, and the Shingan perceived its energy coursing through a familiar form, the spirit that animated the admatine glass of this shell did not belong to a thing which lived like any creature of flesh. This, too was a Golem.

    The only warning the Nevadian got was a split-second, a dull glow that coursed from its core as the scales split, fractured, and exploded into energized diamond shrapnel at point-blank range.

  2. #4322
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    Quote Originally Posted by grampagen View Post
    Held's gambit is successful, the corscrewing kick impacts the emebedded shaft and drives it into the Carapace of the Crystal Dragon. It twists inward, spreading shimmering cracks in the plates of of its armor, splitting a fissure into its neck...

    Yet though it bore the shape of a thing that once walked on the surface of this world, and the Shingan perceived its energy coursing through a familiar form, the spirit that animated the admatine glass of this shell did not belong to a thing which lived like any creature of flesh. This, too was a Golem.

    The only warning the Nevadian got was a split-second, a dull glow that coursed from its core as the scales split, fractured, and exploded into energized diamond shrapnel at point-blank range.
    Held smirked in satisfaction as the spear drove deep into the Serpent, shearing and splintering its scales like cheap timber.

    His smirk swiftly vanished as energy began to concentrate from within the center of its being as it prepared a strike of it's own.

    Had the Nevadian been afforded the luxury of time, he would have loosed a curse as his eyes told him these facts. As it were, the moment between seconds was all that stood between his body, and the carnage that the Serpent unleashed nigh instantaneously.

    No sooner had he rebounded from the impact of his attack, that shards of glistening razor sharp diamond erupted from within the stone body of the Golem, a storm of scale and fangs run wild.

    There was no time for clever stratagems, artful attacks, dazzling defense or the ruthless exploration and exploration of weakness. There was simply enough time to try not to die.

    Still in midair, his body tensed as he braced for impact, crossing his arms in an X over his face.

    Shingan: Kiai!

    The scarlet eyes of the Nevadian began to burn brighter as bursts of invisible energy manifested itself in the Nevadians eye line, unleashing a torrent not unlike that of deep rainfall towards the core of the construct, the nucleus of it's attack.

    It would have been far too optimistic for the Nevadian to be able to halt the attack with his own.

    No. He already knew that was unlikely. He had barely managed to manifest this makeshift defense, just as much instinct and desperation as anything else.

    No. He contented himself with the hope that his technique would---If nothing else-- serve as a buffer between the shards and himself, deflecting some, setting others off course. Preferably away from his vital bits, and his fleshy, fleshy face.

    Still....Even that was left up to chance.
    Last edited by Miburo; 01-16-2021 at 06:06 PM.

  3. #4323
    Astonishing Member KingofPie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by grampagen View Post
    Pursuing Blizzar where he had been booted away, the Iron Soldier lift its right shoulder back, its sword braced to swing soon.

    Thus, the Dirty Gamble's strange punch struck the closest target, the Golem's left shoulder.
    "Hmm, got to remember you're far more quick than you appear," Blizzar murmured, laying his punch in further against the Iron Soldier's left shoulder. Physical attacks alone may not be enough to whether down this creature. As such, he'd get an opportunity to test out a technique he'd been meaning to utilize for a while now. Blizzar was not quite known for his usage of ki aside from utilizing it to empower his punches. But he did not lack the knowledge to use it. It was simply his preference not to.

    Partly as a way to condition his opponent for his own benefit. Given the intelligence Damask had shown and the Iron Soldier's own battle aptitude it was not without reason to assume that it too fought strategically to exploit the perceived weakness of it's opponents. And thus...No Foul, No Harm . Tiny spirals of kienzan, like a roll of bladed ki quarters spiralled between Blizzar's fingers. He swiped them across the Iron Golem's hide in an attempt to force it's intricate shifting carapace into motion once more.

  4. #4324

    Default Rising from Ruins

    As the warriors from other worlds clashed with the giants awoken from days of Earth gone by, the other conflict over another legacy echoed on the other side of the cavern.

    Underneath a carved dais, flares of energy illuminated the portrait of a Beast of Many Faces. Surrounding him was the disparate record of warring tribes, those who bore arms hewn from the life and make of different ancestral nations. Perhaps a hint lingered in the shape of the fluted armor, the curve of a blade, the intricate knotted works they garbed themselves with or carved into their skin as chosen warriors.

    Sparks flew, and the sharp trill of metal-on-metal rang out.

    Royal Flush!

    Bladed flechettes streaked from the end of black katchin blades toward Willa, guarded behind her scythe. The first few slashed against the pauldrons, and then she thrust her war hammer into the ground of her home base.

    Hear now, the Lion's Roar!

    A surge of power took the air and blasted Jack backwards, snuffing out his blasts and slamming him into an already crumbling visage of a faded warrior. As he lay there bleeding, perhaps absently he looked back up the the carving. The Beast wore many faces, its eyes ravenous as it turned its heads to the nations below it, yet they did not see him for what he was, and their weapons were pointed at each other.

    As he spied a shard of ki establishing another field of those damned energy blooms, smoke left his lips as he obscured his position. No matter how many times they'd clashed, Willa had gotten the better of him.

    Each time she shed a piece of her armor, but his attacks never penetrated enough to make a decisive strike, Had he fallen that far behind? The smoke of the Grave Magic filled the cavern as the Colonel's heavy boots stalked after him.

    "The lingering smell of death around you. I suppose you wouldn't be the first one who died with unfinished business," Willa's voice echoed throughout the chamber. "Won't stop fighting either. I suppose it can't be helped, it's in the blood."

    Extending the screen of smoke one way, Jack moved away in the habit Manco showed him. Soft steps, backwards, like he was back in the snow. But this was unfamiliar territory, this Buried Kingdom, where carved stone had been buried and partially fused with the wear of ages inside this recess. The engraved memories of Vermillion, doomed to slowly rot for thousands of years.

    She knew it like the back of her hand.

    "Why're you fighting it? You've never been to this place. Never lift a finger before. You think you know what your fighting for, yet you don't know the half of it. And yet her successor, no...he chose you."

    Her voice was getting nearer.

    You're bluffing.

    She stopped. Slowly, she turned, and raised her warhammer to the swell in smoke.

    "On the contrary," she said, coolly even as she stepped directly into his trap. "You'll soon find we do not have a choice. But you have one to make, right now."

    Blood pooled at Jack's right side where it dripped down his arm. He had one final hand to play...but the risk...

  5. #4325

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    Quote Originally Posted by KingofPie View Post
    "Hmm, got to remember you're far more quick than you appear," Blizzar murmured, laying his punch in further against the Iron Soldier's left shoulder. Physical attacks alone may not be enough to whether down this creature. As such, he'd get an opportunity to test out a technique he'd been meaning to utilize for a while now. Blizzar was not quite known for his usage of ki aside from utilizing it to empower his punches. But he did not lack the knowledge to use it. It was simply his preference not to.

    Partly as a way to condition his opponent for his own benefit. Given the intelligence Damask had shown and the Iron Soldier's own battle aptitude it was not without reason to assume that it too fought strategically to exploit the perceived weakness of it's opponents. And thus...No Foul, No Harm . Tiny spirals of kienzan, like a roll of bladed ki quarters spiralled between Blizzar's fingers. He swiped them across the Iron Golem's hide in an attempt to force it's intricate shifting carapace into motion once more.
    As the Iron Soldier lift up its greatsword, it charged forward, protecting itself behind its left shoulder. However, it had failed to take into account the subtle change in Blizzar's technique, and in the midst of the ancient blade's thrust forward, Blizzar's next gambit beat it to the punch.

    The Kienzan Knuckles raked through the first layer of its armor, and for just a moment it exposed something far too intricate to be called mere clockwork. Overlapping layers of thinly forged metal intersected with flanges in a manner that mirrored the finest contemporary cybernetics, yet the stark absence of circuitry spoke to the skill of the artisan's hands.

    The sword thrust was thrown and smashed through a row of stalactites hanging above. Slowly the mechanical wound began to reform. That was how this creature had countered the last faint strike of its departed brother.

    Quote Originally Posted by Miburo View Post
    Held smirked in satisfaction as the spear drove deep into the Serpent, shearing and splintering its scales like cheap timber.

    His smirk swiftly vanished as energy began to concentrate from within the center of its being as it prepared a strike of it's own.

    Had the Nevadian been afforded the luxury of time, he would have loosed a curse as his eyes told him these facts. As it were, the moment between seconds was all that stood between his body, and the carnage that the Serpent unleashed nigh instantaneously.

    No sooner had he rebounded from the impact of his attack, that shards of glistening razor sharp diamond erupted from within the stone body of the Golem, a storm of scale and fangs run wild.

    There was no time for clever stratagems, artful attacks, dazzling defense or the ruthless exploration and exploration of weakness. There was simply enough time to try not to die.

    Still in midair, his body tensed as he braced for impact, crossing his arms in an X over his face.

    Shingan: Kiai!

    The scarlet eyes of the Nevadian began to burn brighter as bursts of invisible energy manifested itself in the Nevadians eye line, unleashing a torrent not unlike that of deep rainfall towards the core of the construct, the nucleus of it's attack.

    It would have been far too optimistic for the Nevadian to be able to halt the attack with his own.

    No. He already knew that was unlikely. He had barely managed to manifest this makeshift defense, just as much instinct and desperation as anything else.

    No. He contented himself with the hope that his technique would---If nothing else-- serve as a buffer between the shards and himself, deflecting some, setting others off course. Preferably away from his vital bits, and his fleshy, fleshy face.

    Still....Even that was left up to chance.
    The force of the Shingan Kiai proved to be sufficient, if not to nullify the burst of ki and crystal, but to definititvely slow the pace of the sharpnel and allowed Held some leeway to formulate his next move way.

    Furthermore, the sight of his Shingan revealed that the hide of the Crystalline Dragon had charged some sort of strange living energy beneath it. Sourced from the same energy that animated the body his Silver Spear had embedded into the living core, it had effectively trapped the will of the creature within an elemental shell.

    One which it had a level of mastery over, for its very body provided a reactive defense.

    The serpent pulled itself forward, chasing after its prey. As its feet fell, it seemed to cull forth more of the jewelled veinwork of the cavern below it, like raising a path of frost before it, gathering into itself. Slowly, it was accruing more mass.

    And by the burning red gathered near its maw, it was beginning to charge its next attack, and the air began to burn.

  6. #4326
    Astonishing Member KingofPie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by grampagen View Post
    As the Iron Soldier lift up its greatsword, it charged forward, protecting itself behind its left shoulder. However, it had failed to take into account the subtle change in Blizzar's technique, and in the midst of the ancient blade's thrust forward, Blizzar's next gambit beat it to the punch.

    The Kienzan Knuckles raked through the first layer of its armor, and for just a moment it exposed something far too intricate to be called mere clockwork. Overlapping layers of thinly forged metal intersected with flanges in a manner that mirrored the finest contemporary cybernetics, yet the stark absence of circuitry spoke to the skill of the artisan's hands.

    The sword thrust was thrown and smashed through a row of stalactites hanging above. Slowly the mechanical wound began to reform. That was how this creature had countered the last faint strike of its departed brother.
    "What a remarkable machine..." Blizzar noted, offering his opponent a compliment amidst using his telekinesis to launch the stalactites as projectiles into the Iron Soldiers inner workings as they were reforming. "Defense forces the entire Galaxy over would pay at least ten of you for the price of two dozen..." he continued, darting around the golem's body to lay repeated punches to the other side of his hull he had previously damaged, the mini-kienzan's raking against the creatures arm. "Truly a shame that we must do battle. Whatever duty it is you serve, there are means to do so more preferable than this, are there not?"

  7. #4327
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    Quote Originally Posted by grampagen View Post
    As the Iron Soldier lift up its greatsword, it charged forward, protecting itself behind its left shoulder. However, it had failed to take into account the subtle change in Blizzar's technique, and in the midst of the ancient blade's thrust forward, Blizzar's next gambit beat it to the punch.

    The Kienzan Knuckles raked through the first layer of its armor, and for just a moment it exposed something far too intricate to be called mere clockwork. Overlapping layers of thinly forged metal intersected with flanges in a manner that mirrored the finest contemporary cybernetics, yet the stark absence of circuitry spoke to the skill of the artisan's hands.

    The sword thrust was thrown and smashed through a row of stalactites hanging above. Slowly the mechanical wound began to reform. That was how this creature had countered the last faint strike of its departed brother.



    The force of the Shingan Kiai proved to be sufficient, if not to nullify the burst of ki and crystal, but to definititvely slow the pace of the sharpnel and allowed Held some leeway to formulate his next move way.

    Furthermore, the sight of his Shingan revealed that the hide of the Crystalline Dragon had charged some sort of strange living energy beneath it. Sourced from the same energy that animated the body his Silver Spear had embedded into the living core, it had effectively trapped the will of the creature within an elemental shell.

    One which it had a level of mastery over, for its very body provided a reactive defense.

    The serpent pulled itself forward, chasing after its prey. As its feet fell, it seemed to cull forth more of the jewelled veinwork of the cavern below it, like raising a path of frost before it, gathering into itself. Slowly, it was accruing more mass.

    And by the burning red gathered near its maw, it was beginning to charge its next attack, and the air began to burn.
    Disaster was narrowly avoided, the force of Held's Kiai managing to blunt the eruption of energy launched by the serpent enough for the Nevadian to land, skidding backwards before sliding to a stop.

    Never one to admire his own handiwork in the midst of battle, the Nevadian frantically sidestepped, removing himself form the center of the serpents attack.

    This is ridiculous....It's attack and countermeasures are so swift, it's hard for me to do much more than defend at this rate...Even putting aside power...if Damask was half as efficient as this one on the Capsule of the World, I might not have given Basara enough credit.

    An image flashed in his mind of Damask being turned into dust at a moments notice by the uncanny strength of his brothers.

    Unlikely...But then again, perhaps even automata can be caught off guard.

    His train of thought shifted with laser precision as the Shingan displayed the essence of the beast he sought to slay. Raw, visceral energy coursed beneath, surging from a nexus point pinned in place by the Nevadians spear.

    Finally, a path to victory revealed itself.

    However. Something else was revealed as well.

    The Serpent was gluttonous.

    It grew larger, stronger, hungrier with each passing second, gorging upon the earth itself.

    It's cultivating mass?! This is bad....The one Blizzar is dealing with is big enough. With two giants, it'll just be a nightmare....I need to find a way to slow this down...

    The Nevadian turned and ran, the tip of his spear digging into the earth awkwardly, panicked and nigh unreadable scribbles punctuating the haste it's wielder made as he partook in the better part of Nevadian valor.

    He winced as the air singed his skin, his backside communicating through fear of flame what his acute senses already knew.

    .....I'm going to be a cooked unicorn if I'm not careful. I need to get off the X for a second. Regroup.

    "Sorry, Blizzar!" Held exclaimed as he adjusted his course towards the Acrosian and the gigantic Golem. It would have been far too risky to try and defect the attack again---The creatures mechanical mind was disturbing in it's battle tactics. Deflecting the attack with another Kiai would have been quite difficult. Even if Held had displaced the flames in front of him, the surrounding inferno would no doubt incinerate him.

    Gallop!

    The Nevadian stood in place for a moment, before his after image faded into nothingness. The ground was turn asunder with terrible speed as Held made a direct path for the backside of Blizzar's opponent. He shot into the air, hoping to clear the Iron Soldier in a single hop. With any luck, it would serve as a ward against the promise of flame that was to come, and have it's fighting power greatly reduced.

    Acrosian's....Aren't actually weak to flame, are they...?
    Last edited by Miburo; 02-07-2021 at 08:12 PM.

  8. #4328

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    Quote Originally Posted by KingofPie View Post
    "What a remarkable machine..." Blizzar noted, offering his opponent a compliment amidst using his telekinesis to launch the stalactites as projectiles into the Iron Soldiers inner workings as they were reforming. "Defense forces the entire Galaxy over would pay at least ten of you for the price of two dozen..." he continued, darting around the golem's body to lay repeated punches to the other side of his hull he had previously damaged, the mini-kienzan's raking against the creatures arm. "Truly a shame that we must do battle. Whatever duty it is you serve, there are means to do so more preferable than this, are there not?"
    As it had before, the Kienzan Knuckles split the first layer of the Iron Soldier's armour, exposing the layers of living mechanism beneath.

    At this range, Blizzar having worked his way to the inside of its guard would be the one to dictate the pace of the fight. Though none of the damage had yet been decisive, its greatsword was near useless as the pugilist made his rounds, forcing the golem to rely on clamming up behind its limbs to ward off his blows.

    The instant the stalactites flew into the gearwork flesh, mineral deposits mashed into the strips of metal, and its movements began to slow. Only just, however, and as Blizzar threw his next punch, the creatures heaved forward behind its great shoulder, checked the officer out of the air.

    Quote Originally Posted by Miburo View Post
    Disaster was narrowly avoided, the force of Held's Kiai managing to blunt the eruption of energy launched by the serpent enough for the Nevadian to land, skidding backwards before sliding to a stop.

    Never one to admire his own handiwork in the midst of battle, the Nevadian frantically sidestepped, removing himself form the center of the serpents attack.

    This is ridiculous....It's attack and countermeasures are so swift, it's hard for me to do much more than defend at this rate...Even putting aside power...if Damask was half as efficient as this one on the Capsule of the World, I might not have given Basara enough credit.

    An image flashed in his mind of Damask being turned into dust at a moments notice by the uncanny strength of his brothers.

    Unlikely...But then again, perhaps even automata can be caught off guard.

    His train of thought shifted with laser precision as the Shingan displayed the essence of the beast he sought to slay. Raw, visceral energy coursed beneath, surging from a nexus point pinned in place by the Nevadians spear.

    Finally, a path to victory revealed itself.

    However. Something else was revealed as well.

    The Serpent was gluttonous.

    It grew larger, stronger, hungrier with each passing second, gorging upon the earth itself.

    It's cultivating mass?! This is bad....The one Blizzar is dealing with is big enough. With two giants, it'll just be a nightmare....I need to find a way to slow this down...

    The Nevadian turned and ran, the tip of his spear digging into the earth awkwardly, panicked and nigh unreadable scribbles punctuating the haste it's wielder made as he partook in the better part of Nevadian valor.

    He winced as the air singed his skin, his backside communicating through fear of flame what his acute senses already knew.

    .....I'm going to be a cooked unicorn if I'm not careful. I need to get off the X for a second. Regroup.

    "Sorry, Blizzar!" Held exclaimed as he adjusted his course towards the Acrosian and the gigantic Golem. It would have been far too risky to try and defect the attack again---The creatures mechanical mind was disturbing in it's battle tactics. Deflecting the attack with another Kiai would have been quite difficult. Even if Held had displaced the flames in front of him, the surrounding inferno would no doubt incinerate him.

    Gallop!

    The Nevadian stood in place for a moment, before his after image faded into nothingness. The ground was turn asunder with terrible speed as Held made a direct path for the backside of Blizzar's opponent. He shot into the air, hoping to clear the Iron Soldier in a single hop. With any luck, it would serve as a ward against the promise of flame that was to come, and have it's fighting power greatly reduced.

    Acrosian's....Aren't actually weak to flame, are they...?
    It was as the Shingan beheld, for at that moment the Crystal Serpent gathered energy before its jaw, a facsimile of the fire-drakes of old. Planting its foreclaws into the ground, more of the energy-reactive crystal seemed to fuse it to the cavern floor, bracing its foundation. Craning its long neck forward, the spear still imbedded in its throat, a gout of fire shot out from the cracks, and as it opened its out, a burning globe danced about its tongue.

    Held's warning would reach Blizzar just and instant before the air ignited, and a great orb of superheated plasma flecked with blackened, broken glass surged in the violent path toward Held and him both.

  9. #4329
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    Quote Originally Posted by grampagen View Post
    As it had before, the Kienzan Knuckles split the first layer of the Iron Soldier's armour, exposing the layers of living mechanism beneath.

    At this range, Blizzar having worked his way to the inside of its guard would be the one to dictate the pace of the fight. Though none of the damage had yet been decisive, its greatsword was near useless as the pugilist made his rounds, forcing the golem to rely on clamming up behind its limbs to ward off his blows.

    The instant the stalactites flew into the gearwork flesh, mineral deposits mashed into the strips of metal, and its movements began to slow. Only just, however, and as Blizzar threw his next punch, the creatures heaved forward behind its great shoulder, checked the officer out of the air.



    It was as the Shingan beheld, for at that moment the Crystal Serpent gathered energy before its jaw, a facsimile of the fire-drakes of old. Planting its foreclaws into the ground, more of the energy-reactive crystal seemed to fuse it to the cavern floor, bracing its foundation. Craning its long neck forward, the spear still imbedded in its throat, a gout of fire shot out from the cracks, and as it opened its out, a burning globe danced about its tongue.

    Held's warning would reach Blizzar just and instant before the air ignited, and a great orb of superheated plasma flecked with blackened, broken glass surged in the violent path toward Held and him both.
    There!

    It went roughly as the Nevadian had expected. The fact that the serpent seemed to feast upon the land itself for strength and sustenance was not a detail that escaped him as the creature made the stone of the cavern into a part of itself.

    It's wounds were few, and it held the advantage. It was clearly part of it's method of operation, how it went about it's task, rather than a desperate gambit to avoid destruction.

    And if it was a habit, it was something that could be exploited, sooner or later.

    Or sooner, as it were.

    He flicked his left hand outwards to the creature---or rather the earth below it.

    Runic Art: Sigil of Immobilization!

    The Nevadian had frantically carved runes into the cavern floor as he made his retreat, hoping to draw the creature into the very center of it's power. He had perhaps expected it to consume the runes, like it had so many miscellaneous bits of dirt and rock before.

    Instead, it became one with the earth, and so, it became one with the runes. A burning white light erupted from the within arcane writing, branching out through the earth like veins, drawn into the Serpent through it's fusion to the floor.

    The beast was far too powerful to be stopped entirely--It was all the Nevadian could hope for to slow it down enough to enact his counterattack, at long last.

    His right hand stretched outwards towards the beast itself...Or rather the object embedded within it

    Runic Art: Transmutation!

    The spear embedded within the core of the Dragon had served as a perfect catalyst for the Nevadian to enact his will upon it. As such, it was more useful in it's current resting place, than it was in his own hands.

    The alteration of matter was a simple task to the Nevadian, although he had never attempted to dominate such a formidable foe, let alone one that was able to alter it's own form willingly--to some extent. However, with it's reaction time being impaired as the essence of it's form was assaulted, it was hardly impossible.

    Energy coursed through the spear, as runes etched into it's being came to life, their energy pouring into the tip of the blade--and thus, into the serpent--like needle injecting serum into it's unwilling patient.

    It would have taken far more time than the Nevadian had at this moment to try and shift it's form into something entirely foreign to the creature--ice, a puddle of water, blood--and he could sense the searing heat of the Dragons attack bearing down upon him, affording him scant moments.

    As things were, he could scarcely suppress his reflex to avoid the promise of blazing and shearing pain barrelling down upon him.

    ....This really is a rough day.

    With a flick of his hand, Held sought to unmake the structure of the beast, shifting it from hard stone and mighty earth, to soft and supple sand. With such an erratic structure, the core of the creature would be vulnerable, and it's new body vulnerable to the immense heat of it's very own attacks.

    Of course, exploiting such weakness would be difficult, if the Nevadian found half his body cauterized and sheared off by the Drakes attack.

    ....Well, good news on one hand is bad on the other, I suppose.
    Last edited by Miburo; 02-23-2021 at 11:19 PM.

  10. #4330

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    Hidden in the grave veil of smoke, Jack's gambit to stay one step ahead was slowly diminishing. Even as he crept without a noise, lifting his big bowie knife to strike the blow that would end Colonel Willa Rautt, every time he came close to a few paces, she'd instantly rose her guard and cast her ki shards.

    His profile was suppressed, his motions flawless. His killing intent, however, compounded by the rage of his subtle addiction, had made his technique utterly useless!

    Perhaps it was the sounds of battle racking through he cavern, the shouts of Held and Blizzar as they struggled against the Ancient Guardians of Vermilion, but each drop of blood that wept from his now-useless left arm stoked his awareness of his limitation. She was right there. With just a single puncture he could end it all.

    "Found you."

    The silhouette shrouded in the smoke suddenly flooded red as Willa moved in on him.

    "-! Dead Man's Ha-"

    He struck out his right arm, swinging wide with an underhand grip, when suddenly he felt his balance give underneath him. With more shock than pain he collapsed to the ground as the Red Colonel's warhammer came down on the outside of his knee.

    Staggered gasps left Jack as his concentration was thrown asunder, and the life energy gathered at his fingertips faded away.

    "Foolish man." Her footsteps were closing in, and the smoke was parting. Picking up his knife, Jack spat to the ground and lift it, only to scream in agony as Willa's heel ground into his already shattered leg.

    "Impressive, little cousin. You still choose to fight."

    "Call it...a family resemblance. What, are you surprised?"

    "Only at your inability to do what is necessary. Why don't you call upon it? Our birthright?"

    "You can want it all you like," he seethed, "I ain't giving it up to you~!"

    The sounds of battle shook the cavern, light from the incandescent flame cast from the Crystal Serpent flooding the bejewled rock-veins. As Jack Knave stared hatefully into the eyes of Willa Rautt, he was unaware of the hollow-domed roof they stood beneath. Carved into the ceiling ages ago, the chronicle of the calamity that fell from the stars and the King who united the clans against him. Buried beneath the wear of ages, a headless effigy in the shape of a man stood, his sword blunted. Only by the light outside of the cloister had its shadow cast a phantom of its previous shape.

    "Pity. You could have ended this at any time."

    The Iron Soldier's blade sang, the Serpent's maw a bellows of fire.

    "And you know it. If their deaths will be on you, then so be it."

    Quote Originally Posted by Miburo View Post
    There!

    It went roughly as the Nevadian had expected. The fact that the serpent seemed to feast upon the land itself for strength and sustenance was not a detail that escaped him as the creature made the stone of the cavern into a part of itself.

    It's wounds were few, and it held the advantage. It was clearly part of it's method of operation, how it went about it's task, rather than a desperate gambit to avoid destruction.

    And if it was a habit, it was something that could be exploited, sooner or later.

    Or sooner, as it were.

    He flicked his left hand outwards to the creature---or rather the earth below it.

    Runic Art: Sigil of Immobilization!

    The Nevadian had frantically carved runes into the cavern floor as he made his retreat, hoping to draw the creature into the very center of it's power. He had perhaps expected it to consume the runes, like it had so many miscellaneous bits of dirt and rock before.

    Instead, it became one with the earth, and so, it became one with the runes. A burning white light erupted from the within arcane writing, branching out through the earth like veins, drawn into the Serpent through it's fusion to the floor.

    The beast was far too powerful to be stopped entirely--It was all the Nevadian could hope for to slow it down enough to enact his counterattack, at long last.

    His right hand stretched outwards towards the beast itself...Or rather the object embedded within it

    Runic Art: Transmutation!

    The spear embedded within the core of the Dragon had served as a perfect catalyst for the Nevadian to enact his will upon it. As such, it was more useful in it's current resting place, than it was in his own hands.

    The alteration of matter was a simple task to the Nevadian, although he had never attempted to dominate such a formidable foe, let alone one that was able to alter it's own form willingly--to some extent. However, with it's reaction time being impaired as the essence of it's form was assaulted, it was hardly impossible.

    Energy coursed through the spear, as runes etched into it's being came to life, their energy pouring into the tip of the blade--and thus, into the serpent--like needle injecting serum into it's unwilling patient.

    It would have taken far more time than the Nevadian had at this moment to try and shift it's form into something entirely foreign to the creature--ice, a puddle of water, blood--and he could sense the searing heat of the Dragons attack bearing down upon him, affording him scant moments.

    As things were, he could scarcely suppress his reflex to avoid the promise of blazing and shearing pain barrelling down upon him.

    ....This really is a rough day.

    With a flick of his hand, Held sought to unmake the structure of the beast, shifting it from hard stone and mighty earth, to soft and supple sand. With such an erratic structure, the core of the creature would be vulnerable, and it's new body vulnerable to the immense heat of it's very own attacks.

    Of course, exploiting such weakness would be difficult, if the Nevadian found half his body cauterized and sheared off by the Drakes attack.

    ....Well, good news on one hand is bad on the other, I suppose.
    The white light shone and cast its glow. Held's trap of hundreds of letters carved into the substance of the Crystal Serpent had been swallowed, unseen as it crept towards its catalyst that anchored the living presence within its shifting body. It was enough to arrest the frame as it seized its motion! Slowly its form wore down, silicate dust dissolving the form of the beast.

    Suddenly, the Iron Soldier, under assault from Blizzar, broke its defensive posture. Even as the Officer's Kienzan knuckles raked its body, the elder golem took a great stride foward, its great sword held aloft in both hands as it threw the gargantuan blade across the room at its brother. The blade cut the Serpent's head off at the neck and sent it shifting upward to the ceiling, where it seized upon the subterranean crystal work embedded there and began to rebuild itself! And just as suddenly its powers began to swell once more!

    __

    "You can't run away to play their this time. What's it going to be, Jack?"

    Willa leaned her weight upon his broken limb, a stabbing pain shocking Jack to consciousness as he grit his teeth.

    "D...damn...it..."

    Dropping the knife from his right hand, he raised it.

    "...come to me...Excalibur-!!!"

    ___

    Before Blizzar, Held and Ochazuke, a green light expanded and quaked the air, as if the entire island around this sunken kingdom had lurched.

    And when the light died down, both the Iron Soldier and the Crystal Serpent stood inert.

  11. #4331

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    The shock of power and the green light had died down, and when it had receded, the head of the Crystal Serpent had fused with the ceiling of the cavern, its transparent shape frozen like ice as the animating flame within it had ceased, its great burning maw stilled over the great blade now imbedded in the ancient mosaic wall. The hand of its Iron brother fell in the ground, suspended upon a knee imbedded in the ground stone beneath it, clockwork limbs stilled as it seemed to lean prostrate before Blizzar and Held.

    Ochazuke emerged and confirmed the condition of the battle. "It's over, they've fallen dormant once more."

    The Gate of Zxu'ro stood at the end of the end of the chamber, ten seals alight. Standing before it, the once Martial Apostate had found himself before the road towards the legacy of the Master of Masters, and the path down which the one he'd lost had thrown herself upon.

    "The trail is faint, for Kenshiko possesses knowledge of three orders I do not," he said, "but there is something more fundamental, older than technique about this place that will see our path through."

    Standing there, he summoned the energy from a different path. The fallen Golem Damask's efforts to get them to this place made it clear that there was something innate about it that made the Vermillion Isle displaced from the eye of Grinthorn. A subtle thing there that was greater than any one lone technique. Slowly, the wall began to dissolve and fade as Ochazuke captured the remnants of energy and steered it toward the destination.

    Suddenly the stillness of this moment of discovery was broken by the sound of a rough landing.

    It was Jack. His arms and legs were broken, the pulse of life just barely holding on as he lay there face-down on the ancient stone. The crystal of the chamber reacted to his presence; barely alive, so they flickered.

    "A stupid boy, but what can I say, he's blood."

    Much of her red armour had been rend and maimed, pauldrons and part of the right side chipped away by katchin knives in the combat. Her old warhammer stood in her right hand, a black bladed longsword in the left holding a mysterious energy.

    Brandishing the Sword of Arthur, the First Guardian of Earth, Vermilion's Crownless Heir stood before them. Willa Rautt.

    "You, on the other hand, I'll have no compunctions about killing-"

    In an instant a Dodonpa shot across the distance. Her left hand shot up, and Ochazuke threw up his guard as he was thrown back. The ropes on his right hand burst as blood shot from a fresh wound.

    "You dare to strike me?!"

    Ochazuke held a hand over the cut. Despite the pressure, the blood continued to flow freely.

    "Blizzar and Held have helped save this world time and again. Even against That Man they have stood beside me, knowing what he represents. What he truly is."

    "So what's your plan? Change one dictator from beyond the stars to sell the world to other watchmen, what, for our own good? You'd roll over and accept their peace?"

    He considered Willa's words as she stepped over Jack Knave's broken body.

    "From you who would go through your own and call it revolution, what makes you any different?"

    The black blade of Excalibur in Willa's hand began to crackle, a dark purple miasma surrounding the Colonel of the Red Raiders.

    "One hand already grips this world, erased its borders with the blood of the thousands of forgotten dead in the guise of unity. You know what it's like to lose a legacy, a history," Willa said.

    "I hold my birthright in my hand. My Captain, she shall soon claim hers. And then the enemies of the Earth, they shall know fear."

  12. #4332
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    Quote Originally Posted by grampagen View Post
    The shock of power and the green light had died down, and when it had receded, the head of the Crystal Serpent had fused with the ceiling of the cavern, its transparent shape frozen like ice as the animating flame within it had ceased, its great burning maw stilled over the great blade now imbedded in the ancient mosaic wall. The hand of its Iron brother fell in the ground, suspended upon a knee imbedded in the ground stone beneath it, clockwork limbs stilled as it seemed to lean prostrate before Blizzar and Held.

    Ochazuke emerged and confirmed the condition of the battle. "It's over, they've fallen dormant once more."
    "Good Riddance." Held replied with a sigh of relief, wiping his brow as he removed his spear from the earth where the beast once stood. "Thing's were.... heating up pretty quickly."

    Held paused for a moment, hoping someone--he gazed at Blizzar-- would appreciate his pun, for even in the heat of battle, joy could be found.


    The Gate of Zxu'ro stood at the end of the end of the chamber, ten seals alight. Standing before it, the once Martial Apostate had found himself before the road towards the legacy of the Master of Masters, and the path down which the one he'd lost had thrown herself upon.

    "The trail is faint, for Kenshiko possesses knowledge of three orders I do not," he said, "but there is something more fundamental, older than technique about this place that will see our path through."

    Standing there, he summoned the energy from a different path. The fallen Golem Damask's efforts to get them to this place made it clear that there was something innate about it that made the Vermillion Isle displaced from the eye of Grinthorn. A subtle thing there that was greater than any one lone technique. Slowly, the wall began to dissolve and fade as Ochazuke captured the remnants of energy and steered it toward the destination.

    Suddenly the stillness of this moment of discovery was broken by the sound of a rough landing.

    It was Jack. His arms and legs were broken, the pulse of life just barely holding on as he lay there face-down on the ancient stone. The crystal of the chamber reacted to his presence; barely alive, so they flickered.

    "A stupid boy, but what can I say, he's blood."

    Much of her red armour had been rend and maimed, pauldrons and part of the right side chipped away by katchin knives in the combat. Her old warhammer stood in her right hand, a black bladed longsword in the left holding a mysterious energy.

    Brandishing the Sword of Arthur, the First Guardian of Earth, Vermilion's Crownless Heir stood before them. Willa Rautt.

    "You, on the other hand, I'll have no compunctions about killing-"
    The eyes of the Nevadian darted back and forth as Willa made her presence felt on the battlefield once more.

    Jack lay on the ground yard away, broken but breathing. The Shingan registered each wound, each fracture, each marginal pumping of the rouge's heart in exquisite detail.

    ....Willa really has improved, hasn't she? We didn't take that long and Jack's already out of commission...


    Tactical considerations ran in the background as his gaze fell upon Willa, her ebon blade pointed in their direction.

    In an instant a Dodonpa shot across the distance. Her left hand shot up, and Ochazuke threw up his guard as he was thrown back. The ropes on his right hand burst as blood shot from a fresh wound.

    "You dare to strike me?!"

    Ochazuke held a hand over the cut. Despite the pressure, the blood continued to flow freely.

    "Blizzar and Held have helped save this world time and again. Even against That Man they have stood beside me, knowing what he represents. What he truly is."

    "So what's your plan? Change one dictator from beyond the stars to sell the world to other watchmen, what, for our own good? You'd roll over and accept their peace?"

    He considered Willa's words as she stepped over Jack Knave's broken body.

    "From you who would go through your own and call it revolution, what makes you any different?"

    The black blade of Excalibur in Willa's hand began to crackle, a dark purple miasma surrounding the Colonel of the Red Raiders.

    "One hand already grips this world, erased its borders with the blood of the thousands of forgotten dead in the guise of unity. You know what it's like to lose a legacy, a history," Willa said.

    "I hold my birthright in my hand. My Captain, she shall soon claim hers. And then the enemies of the Earth, they shall know fear."
    Held was silent for a moment, as the exchange of words and blows flew through the air. It was an odd position to be in. The dynamics of the argument were clear and difficult to refute.

    It was just as much a matter of principle, as it was of freedom and self-determination. It was easy to see how the inhabitants of Earth might have taken the presence of so many other extraterrestrial life forms on the planet poorly.

    While Held himself had hardly come here by choice, he certainly didn't consider stopping at the nearest embassy to file for residency. In the less benign cases, the Saiyan Empire and the Galactic Police placing the planet under it's protection could be seen as something straddling the line between and insult or an unofficial annexing at worse.

    At that very worst case, That Man had managed to take power at the very zenith of the world government, and there was little anyone could do to easily topple it. His motives were foreign to the humans, to be sure....No, they were no doubt foreign to any of the races that had visited this world. How could they determine the machination of something so old and clever?

    Even the motives of the Galaxy Police and the Saiyan Empire were subject to flux. Sarada was unlikely to do anything uncouth, but the future was difficult to see past that. The concerns of a vassal world did cross his mind....

    "I don't think it's fair to consider me an enemy of humanity." Held replied, choosing his words carefully, "I don't even know if another Nevadian has even stepped foot on this planet in the years I've lived here, and we certainly didn't stake out a claim. I won't claim it as altruism, but it certainly wasn't pure profit."

    ....I wonder if I'm going to get chewed out for that one day, come to think of it. I imagine someone is going to be fairly annoyed I spent years here before the Saiyans arrived, and didn't bother to mark out a location they found important enough to make a protectorate...

    "...But that's ancient history. I can understand the circumstances you find yourself in are....Uhh..."

    He pursed his lips for a moment.

    "Unenviable. But I think you're putting the cart before the horse. The dangers that lay on this planet are from other worlds, for the most part, so I won't bother to argue if your point has merit, but..."

    He sighed, looking at the unwavering resolve and anger in the face of the Colonel as violet miasma emanated from her. He felt that the time for reason had passed, but, as was his nature, he would try it once more.

    "Do you really think that the solution to your problem is to take on all the stars in heaven, when the threats that effect this planet effect us all? I'm not speaking in prose when I say the threats that are coming are simply beyond the scope of your planet to handle as it is now...I'm not even fully convinced that any planet is."

    He expected such words would annoy her, but the truth was often unpleasant.

    "Believe it or not, this planet is not garnering such interest because the Saiyans wanted to build a new coliseum, or what have you...This planet attracts a frightening amount of trouble, more vicious and potent than I've ever seen....And even worse, it's of the type that, pose a threat to the universe at large..."

    Even now, the Threshlings prepared their conquest of this side of the universe, hoping to run roughshod through the Saiyan Empire, The Nevadian Federation, and anything in between. And even that had begin in earnest with Jagam and Auroc on this planet.

    "With that man being at the top of the list. I like my summer home a bit too much to let it be ruined by him, or anything else....So in that sense, our interests are aligned....And since everyone in the room agrees that breaking the earth is bad for one reason or another, we must be able to come to terms...."

    What a troublesome conversation. We agree on the generals--mostly--but the details are such that I don't know if I'm just talking to the wind....After all, If Ochazuke couldn't reach them, she likely failed to hear me the moment I registered to her mind as an outworlder.

    "We should focus on that guy first, and not wrecking your planet."

    He kept the head of his spear golden spear lowered, but at the ready.

    "I can understand wanting to rid oneself of pests making a mess of your home, and I can't say I wouldn't feel the same way, but your order of operations....You're going to set your own house on fire in an attempt to drive out the most troublesome beast, who doesn't burn."
    Last edited by Miburo; 03-28-2021 at 05:01 PM.

  13. #4333

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    The head of Held's spear lowered, and instantly Willa raised her guard. With every minute shift of Excalibur's edge, a delicate ripple rushed through the air as the small motion cutting into the air itself.

    "It's our fight now, am I hearing you correctly, Held Debon?" She uttered his name directly, cold and filled with grudging. "What saccharine nonsense."

    "Tell me, Offworlder, where was your allyship during the erasure of Anvil City and Turtle Island? Or the arrival of the sorceress and her Saiyan warrior? Or for what fell upon Capital City? When each incident funneled more and more power directly into his hands?"

    The purple flame seemed to stretch inside of the shadows of the cavern, imbuing her every word with a quaking menace. "I was there and I saw you that day. We were this close to having the Dragon's wish and you wasted it on covetous garbage and left this world to rot!"

    It was at this point that Willa turned her view to Blizzar.

    "And don't think I've forgotten about you. In the name of securing the Earth, you knowingly sold the President a loaded gun he pointed straight down at us from space. He could already be many places when you only spoke his name, and you handed him the means to be everywhere at once!"

    "And all for the sake of Jinzi Pantaloon. WG stooge. I've seen enough of what the stars of Heaven bring and as far as I'm concerned-"

    Whatever was hidden within the sword clearly had augmented her, because she was upon them in an instant. Brandishing the Sword of the King, sheathed in a harrowing combination of The Lion's Roar and The Shatterlock technique, Ochazuke could only barely augment everybody's durability for a moment with Ishiki Toei, reinforcing each of them to take the hit. In an instant the veiled aura was shattered and the four of them were thrown into the confines of Zxu'ro's Gate.



    It was disorienting immediately, like falling through the darkness as they were dragged through the Leyline route to Vermilion the first time. When they emerged in this strange inverted realm, strangely there seemed to be some continuity with the columns and carved chamber outside. Through the grounded, twisted path, everything seemed to lead to a peak in the distance...and ahead of them was another presence Ochazuke briefly lift his gaze towards.

    "Kenshiko."

    Binding the wound upon his arm tight, he stood, and it suddenly became apparent that gravity had tightened its hold here, and flight seemed to be stifled.

    But for she who held Excalibur, who hovered slowly forward surrounded by a glowing cloud of Rose Shards.

    "I don't know if that's your face or mask," she said to Blizzar, "I've a mind to cut the whole thing off."

    Ochazuke looked to his comrades, then to the peak in the distance, gritting his teeth and mindful of the length of time.

    "If Kenshiko gets her hands on the Legacy, then everything's over..."

    For the moment, however, he would stand with the comrades that had allowed him to come so far, and fired a pair of Dodonpa, eliciting a series of explosions from Willa's area-of-effect defense.

    Unfortunately, it was at this point where she crossed the distance and planted the flat of the warhammer across Blizzar's face.

  14. #4334
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    Quote Originally Posted by grampagen View Post

    It was at this point that Willa turned her view to Blizzar.

    "And don't think I've forgotten about you. In the name of securing the Earth, you knowingly sold the President a loaded gun he pointed straight down at us from space. He could already be many places when you only spoke his name, and you handed him the means to be everywhere at once!"

    "And all for the sake of Jinzi Pantaloon. WG stooge. I've seen enough of what the stars of Heaven bring and as far as I'm concerned-"

    Whatever was hidden within the sword clearly had augmented her, because she was upon them in an instant. Brandishing the Sword of the King, sheathed in a harrowing combination of The Lion's Roar and The Shatterlock technique, Ochazuke could only barely augment everybody's durability for a moment with Ishiki Toei, reinforcing each of them to take the hit. In an instant the veiled aura was shattered and the four of them were thrown into the confines of Zxu'ro's Gate.



    It was disorienting immediately, like falling through the darkness as they were dragged through the Leyline route to Vermilion the first time. When they emerged in this strange inverted realm, strangely there seemed to be some continuity with the columns and carved chamber outside. Through the grounded, twisted path, everything seemed to lead to a peak in the distance...and ahead of them was another presence Ochazuke briefly lift his gaze towards.

    "Kenshiko."

    Binding the wound upon his arm tight, he stood, and it suddenly became apparent that gravity had tightened its hold here, and flight seemed to be stifled.

    But for she who held Excalibur, who hovered slowly forward surrounded by a glowing cloud of Rose Shards.

    "I don't know if that's your face or mask," she said to Blizzar, "I've a mind to cut the whole thing off."

    Ochazuke looked to his comrades, then to the peak in the distance, gritting his teeth and mindful of the length of time.

    "If Kenshiko gets her hands on the Legacy, then everything's over..."

    For the moment, however, he would stand with the comrades that had allowed him to come so far, and fired a pair of Dodonpa, eliciting a series of explosions from Willa's area-of-effect defense.

    Unfortunately, it was at this point where she crossed the distance and planted the flat of the warhammer across Blizzar's face.
    Before Blizzar could fully process much of Kenshiko's heated barbs towards him or the sudden shift into another realm entirely, he was struck and sent flying through the steps of the odd maze of stairs behind him. Funnily enough, his 'mask' , as it were, was able to protect anything in his face from breaking once he was struck. Even so, it hurt to talk. Of course, Blizzar would do so anyway.

    "Dear woman, you couldn't be anymore wrong..." Blizzar retorted, peeling himself out of the crater he had made. "OR to be more concise short-sighted and self-righteous. You think these dealings an easy decision made? Done without a care for your world or entirely for my own profit?" Alas, had he actually been paid substantially for the deal, the combat-discourse would perhaps take a different tone, entirely, but ignoring that what if scenario...

    "On the contrary, had I known what that lizard was from the very beginning, I wouldn't have wasted the effort," Blizzar pointed out, lifting up his fists in a fighting stance and beginning to attempt to encircle Willa as fast as he could with the heavy burden of this realm's enhanced gravity weighing him down. A difference in standard gravity was not something entirely unencountered for a seasoned explorer of space, but to have it so suddenly drop upon him was....disorientating. Soemthing none of them really had time to be at the moment. "Mistakes were made, undoubtedly. Mistakes that my associates and I work tirelessly to fix. Just as tirelessly as you but I daresay quite a bit less pig-headed."

    Unable to fly, Blizzar's normal movements felt stifled, but he had something of an idea as his circle around Willa began to grow ever smaller. "But while I came here hoping you would see reason, it's all the more clear to me now that the heavy toll placed on you is far too much for you to handle. The world stopped making sense to you long ago, so of course any attempt all attempts at logic will remain futile."

    "And thus, it falls to other means to force you to see our logic...a re-aligning of neurons perhaps?" Blizzar stated, suddenly speeding forward as fast as he could towards the wielder of Excalibur and releasing a barrage of his Meteor Jab punches directly at the right half of her face.

  15. #4335

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    Quote Originally Posted by KingofPie View Post
    Before Blizzar could fully process much of Kenshiko's heated barbs towards him or the sudden shift into another realm entirely, he was struck and sent flying through the steps of the odd maze of stairs behind him. Funnily enough, his 'mask' , as it were, was able to protect anything in his face from breaking once he was struck. Even so, it hurt to talk. Of course, Blizzar would do so anyway.

    "Dear woman, you couldn't be anymore wrong..." Blizzar retorted, peeling himself out of the crater he had made. "OR to be more concise short-sighted and self-righteous. You think these dealings an easy decision made? Done without a care for your world or entirely for my own profit?" Alas, had he actually been paid substantially for the deal, the combat-discourse would perhaps take a different tone, entirely, but ignoring that what if scenario...

    "On the contrary, had I known what that lizard was from the very beginning, I wouldn't have wasted the effort," Blizzar pointed out, lifting up his fists in a fighting stance and beginning to attempt to encircle Willa as fast as he could with the heavy burden of this realm's enhanced gravity weighing him down. A difference in standard gravity was not something entirely unencountered for a seasoned explorer of space, but to have it so suddenly drop upon him was....disorientating. Soemthing none of them really had time to be at the moment. "Mistakes were made, undoubtedly. Mistakes that my associates and I work tirelessly to fix. Just as tirelessly as you but I daresay quite a bit less pig-headed."

    Unable to fly, Blizzar's normal movements felt stifled, but he had something of an idea as his circle around Willa began to grow ever smaller. "But while I came here hoping you would see reason, it's all the more clear to me now that the heavy toll placed on you is far too much for you to handle. The world stopped making sense to you long ago, so of course any attempt all attempts at logic will remain futile."

    "And thus, it falls to other means to force you to see our logic...a re-aligning of neurons perhaps?" Blizzar stated, suddenly speeding forward as fast as he could towards the wielder of Excalibur and releasing a barrage of his Meteor Jab punches directly at the right half of her face.
    Willa's eyes widened as she watched Blizzar move, for a moment astonished at how swiftly he went on the attack for somebody his size. As his pugilist's circle quickened and narrowed, an opening for the Officer soon manifested.

    Yet as the flurry fell, the first jab that fell into her blind spot appeared to land clean, yet the way the series landed felt as increasingly strange. At first it was as if they were glancing off course, but something was beginning to impede his Meteor Jabs.

    Arthur's descendant, the crownless royal, Willa had girded herself in the trappings of another would-be king. The Lion's Mane granted her a subtle barrier, its layered defense of ki tendrils arresting Blizzar's recovery, until she hit his lancing armwith a counter-riposte with her blade. Cut deep into the chitinous cuffs and armour shrouded on his torso, the blade sang and the slash carried through and cut into the mason stone a considerable length behind him.

    Flying downward towards him at a close-up distance, bracing Excalibur behind her Warhammer Willa shift her weight, and slowly began to overpower him. The barrier seemed to well and focus in tying up his arms and keeping the officer pinned to this position.

    Using a half-swording technique, centring her efforts around the ancient blade's handle, the near point of her crossguard now came dangerously close to putting out one of the Arcosian's helmed lenses.

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