2017-06-24: Gylfaginning

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<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

MERE HOURS AGO

"You did what?!" Riesenlied looks aghast as she stares at her fellow commander, a rather staunch armoured fellow by the name of Gylfi, eponymous to the rather ostentatiously monikered 'Promontory of Gylfi'... not that that's a name that's particularly spread out of this particular camp.

Outside, Metal Demon troops are readying themselves for an assault overlooking a nearby town, with a particularly massive cannon mounted on what appears to be an outcropping. It's blue and menaces with all kinds of spikes, the kind that one can tell is a bit more ostentatious than functional. Still, it's a giant cannon.

"Whatever -is- the issue?" Gylfi answers with a haughty tone. "I missed the initial assault, and I'd love to use my dear Gylfi Cannon on whatever I can lay my hands on! Ho ho!"

"Our orders are to search for the Guardian statues. Unnecessary skirmishes are strategically pointless, a waste of resources and--"

She gasps in pain and shock as a fist collides against her chest, and she's sent flying back to crash against a nearby cabinet.

"That kind of weak talk's why we only were able to get one Golem instead of three. You've been parading your little game around too much, and it's time for a -real- show of force to strike fear into the hearts of these humans!" Gylfi's metallic eyes are filled with glee as he stamps the butt of his spear onto the ground.

"And why the announcement...?" Riesenlied coughs as she slumps to one side, clutching her chest.

"I want a proper battle. A glorious battle! Demons against humans! We'll skewer those pathetic little meatbags on our mighty steel!" Gylfi hollers into laughter, before sweeping on out of the office. "Just watch, you pathetic Tainted, how a real demon does battle!"

NOW, OUTSIDE

Tindus Town has been in an uproar ever since an outrider rode into town carrying a message:

'The Metal Demons shall open fire with our Gylfi Cannon and decimate your precious little populace. Come, to the Promontory 2 repsols northwest, and fight us off if you can!'

It's curious indeed, but it is no bluff -- there is indeed a Metal Demon base northwest of Tindus Town, with an enormous cannon perched on the top of the promontory. Surrounding the cannon are barricades and sandbags, as well as a makeshift wooden structure that leads up towards a guarded command centre that rests against the side of the cliff, likely reused from a prior colliery centre.

Demon footsoldiers are already gathered outside, formed up in... traditional ranks pared into battalions each. They're assisted by Beasts flanking their side, along with a Wyvern perched at the back. But most noteworthy of all is the blue-clad commander riding up to battle on what appears to be a metallic steed, carrying a large steel lance.

"Soon, they'll come! Oh, I absolutely can't wait to taste their blood!" Gylfi haughtily prattles, let's not mince words here.

Riesenlied quietly pulls up from where she's bandaged herself, and takes a seat at the command centre. She slips her throat microphone on and observes the ranks as they filter inward. Despite Gylfi's status of commander, he doesn't appear to be... doing much of it, merely sidling up to his troops and basking into the reverence that they're showering him in. She's... going to have to lend a hand in commanding, if the troops are going to not die needless deaths.

The stage of death is set. Will you fight, to save Tindus Town, or will you flee and leave the town to the mercy of the demons' machinations?

Muted shouting and the sound of violent impact rings out from the office somewhere below the Gylfi Cannon. An argument is cut short. Another fine example of bravado over brains, a problem becoming more and more prevalent among the forces of those loyal to Mother. The commander sweeps from his office with no small spring in his step, and high above him, someone watches. A living shadow stands atop the cannon's barrel holding what looks like a long staff, silhouetted against the sun, watching his prancing form with a growing scowl. Unbeknownst to this particular demon, he is being judged very much from on-high, both figurative and literal. 

                               -=The Present=-

Inside of the outpost's command centre, a curious chill ripples through the air in the wake of Gylfi's haughty prattle. It is as if the ducts themselves have whispered an icy promise down the back of many armoured necks, yet no breeze stirs within the room. There is merely a flicker of inky black--a shadow's flitting across the lights, and then a new presence graces the control room, heard before it is seen.

"Oh? Then, shall I take you to the front lines?"

Such is the disappointed tone of Lady Harken, the Quarter Knight in the raiment of scarlet who has appeared behind the commander as if she had been there all along. Waiting for the perfect time to interject, wearing a look of foul irritation. "Because I had feared you plan to hide in here until your stupid cannon was ready, like some kind of coward."

It seems a surprise inspection is taking place. For whatever terrifying reason, Harken is here to oversee this... plan. Whatever it is it hopes to achieve. And from the look on her face, it seems she does not think it hopes to achieve much.

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

Incidentally, at this point is where Gylfi and friends (and fiends) will catch sight of that yellow-ish half-melted advance scout screeching in alarm as he darts back over the hills, over the rocks, over just about every geographical feature in which it is inconvenient to be a half-melted serpentine slug-bodied thing, waving their arms around in clear attention-grabbing panic. 

That can mean only one thing.
...Oh, correction, that can mean one of two things.

1) His shadow might've been bigger than usual today.
2) There are humans coming to answer the call.

... 

Addendum, 3) Probably both?!

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

The Chevalier of the Ebony Wings - not that anyone knows that title or recognizes it compared to that of 'Demon Knight' - waits at Riesenlied's side, a female figure in striking if rather impractical purple armor and white skirts. While her features aren't visible - disguised behind her full-face helmet - her posture radiates tension, one hand drawing slowly through the sheet of black hair behind her as the other rests upon Riesenlied's shoulder in a quiet show of support.

The anger she's feeling is a rare thing - and for someone who is usually rather cavalier over the welfare of her fellow demons, even Noeline has to admit she's hit a new low when it comes to the survival prospects of their new commander. "This is foolish," she mutters softly, more to herself than anything; thankfully for her, her communicator is off, the comment directed only to the winged woman next to her.

Still, she falls silent after that, knowing it wouldn't do to let any more than that slip out. Either way she cuts it, though, she knows full well that this is a bad idea. Drifters are more powerful than many Demons know - and the pallor that's hung around Old Petra for the last week lays testament to the fact that some of their ranks still aren't ready for another large-scale fight just yet, let alone one that gives the human forces some time to plan and coordinate.

... besides, a giant cannon? That's just /gauche/.

Still-- Noeline has tied her hopes to Riesenlied's, and that at least means protecting the demon rank and file that have been dragged into this fight as abruptly as the humans have. "... incoming," she decides aloud, this time into the comms, as her eyes pick out the slug cresting the hill.

<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.

                          -=Those Mere Hours Ago=-

Muted shouting and the sound of violent impact rings out from the office somewhere below the Gylfi Cannon. An argument is cut short. Another fine example of bravado over brains, a problem becoming more and more prevalent among the forces of those loyal to Mother. The commander sweeps from his office with no small spring in his step, and high above him, someone watches. A living shadow stands atop the cannon's barrel holding what looks like a long staff, silhouetted against the sun, watching his prancing form with a growing scowl. Unbeknownst to this particular demon, he is being judged very much from on-high, both figurative and literal. 

                               -=The Present=-

Outside where the soldiers are gathered before their 'commander', a curious chill ripples through the air in the wake of Gylfi's haughty prattle. It is as if the air-conditioned comfort of the command centre has extended to the battlefield for a moment in time; something whispers an icy promise down the back of many armoured necks. Yet no breeze stirs within the room, there is merely a flicker of inky black--a shadow's flit across the ground, and then a new presence graces them, heard before it is seen.

"Oh? Then, shall we proceed to the front lines together? It would be a shame if you weren't observed proving your mettle today."

Such is the disappointed tone of Lady Harken, the Quarter Knight in the raiment of scarlet who has appeared behind the commander as if she had been there all along. Waiting for the perfect time to interject, wearing a look of foul irritation. "Because I had feared you plan to hide behind your men until this stupid cannon is ready. But, surely not."

It seems a surprise inspection is taking place. For whatever terrifying reason, Harken is here to oversee this... plan. Whatever it is it hopes to achieve. And from the look on her face, it seems she does not think it hopes to achieve much.

That sneer of hers probably magnifies in intensity as a screeching metal slug comes blobbily melt-lurching back over the hills. Poor Yaro. He tries so hard. "I'll be watching." Harken reminds Gylfi, before giving him a gentle(*) shove forwards that he might lead from the front.

(* Not gentle.)

DC: Fei Fong Wong switches forms to Weltall!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has fully healed himself.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

Ida doesn't have a military background, but she /does/ know logistics. It takes a lot of supplies to tend to the kind of army that hit Adlehyde, and unless the Demons are holding some miraculous means of transport in reserve, they must have installations nearby. After Berserk and Vorthuzahl just kind of showed up out of the blue at a dig, killing workers and causing mass destruction. More horrors will certainly follow, and Ida has no means of stopping them if she has no idea what enemy command is doing.

Gylfi just gave her just the in she needs to cut straight to the heart of the matter without spending weeks getting people to do recon. Good job, Gylfi!

The way up to the mountain is rugged, to put it generously, but Ida has managed the climb well so far. She is wearing that same wide-brimmed tan hat and an identical (replacement) cloak, which aren't too bad at camouflaging her against the light-colored stone. "As we discussed," Ida says, her voice a whisper as she addresses the nice young woman she hired as extra muscle. She crouches behind a convenient rock outcropping, observing the Demon units as they get into position. "Goodness," she adds, as Yarobeleedt announces his presence.

She is at the very edge of the entrenchments around the encampment, in a decent position to slip into the command center once the main force is engaged.

Someone might want to do something about that.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

HOURS AGO

Elly, please. Please, stay with us--we're almost through with this. We'll finish Mother yet. Guardians, just...just stay with us!

Fei opens his eyes and stares at his hands. What was that dream? He's been having so many strange ones lately. Was it a vision of the past? The future? Fei curls his hand into a fist. Something was telling him, then, that he had the power to defeat Berserk, to wipe him off the face of the Earth. That didn't happen. He manages to feel relieved for that. Clearly, he must have been hyped up on a few good strikes because---it's impossible right? He was even knocked out. He must have imagined that Berserk took a step backwards.

Still, he can't help but murmur, "Does one really need the power to destroy everything?" He is grateful to Leon. He's certain he would have died without his rescue. Lily helped him recover. He thinks he was a good patient. And yet, he knows, some part of him---

---some part of him is excited to do battle with the Metal Demons once more.

There's a knock on the door. He's informed that the demons have politely asked them to stop them from destroying a town so they're sending him off to politely destroy it.

"Well," He says. "Guess I have no choice."

NOW

Oh and you're taking Lily because you pretty much always want a wizard healer when these things happen. Fei's put a bit more at ease with Lily's presence but is a bit less at ease because Lily's riding Weltall's shoulder and Fei's still a bit uneasy around the Gear.

"I guess the big thing is that we have to take out the cannon. Or at least divert its shots somehow. I figure it's not exactly easy to load up a city destroying cannon though I guess that's assuming a lot about their tech level." Fei says to his companion. He's using the onboard comms to communicate with Lily. He's giving that enormous cannon a large look. The base itself and the demons are really secondary to preventing Tindus from being wiped off the map.

"I can't believe they actually gave a written invitation. I mean, this is a trap right? It's gotta be a trap. I know they're alien in how they think about this sort of thing, but it's not like they wouldn't just inform us of their plan just to try and prove they're stronger than us... I mean, they kind of already proved that..."

<Pose Tracker> June Lim Ze has posed.

Some days You climb Up a rock Some days You fight Metal Demons

It's so real The trial To survive Til the day We see new light...

June Lim Ze has been climbing as well, dressed similarly to Ida and perhaps if anything more comfortable with it. She pops a crouch when Ida does, looking round the corner as she purses her lips, saying meditatively, "Got it. You know what's bothering me, though?"

She speaks in a low murmur that echoes on the wind - or rather, the reverse. The wind and the clanging of weapons and military might veil it. "The way they used decimate. That means one in ten, right? But that cannon's not gonna be precise at all."

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

 Doctor Arleph Ardan, as it would end up to be, was in Tindus Village when the messenger came by. He's been keeping out into the road ever since the attack on the Kingdom, doing what he can to keep alive, keeping something of a low profile. At least, until he had more information. Plenty flooded in. Plenty from counter attacks, rumors, superstitions. At the time the messenger sent the small town into an uproar, the Doctor was doing something very mundane, very simple. Very messy, too, helping some farmer's son broken limbs back into place. It's not glamorous work, but this IS the sort of thing Arleph went into Colonial work for. Somewhere, somewhere, a problem comes up and it's a problem he can fix. 

 And then the town went into an uproar. This annoyed him. On one part, this will force him to leave the delicate work of setting a bone back straight, which can be held off at least for a few hours. On the other, he would rather avoid getting the town blasted off. 

 In the midst of the panic, it is a very surprised master of the General store, about mid-packing, that Arleph came in and wanting some paper, some iron and some acid. 

 The future battlefield is very large, obviously, with the path to the Metal Demon base. He's certain other people are about, he can see several just working their way to sneak in. Or at least, he's pretty sure that's what's going to happen. People here tend to not be very dumb, but very pragmatic. If that's the case... maybe a distraction is in order. 

 Arleph tapes around the rolled piece of hard paper up, in a cone shape, wriggling two fingers into the wires he added to the metal sheets on the sides, the flask of acid at his hips. With a brief murmurs, he taps the side of his improvised megaphone. It wont beat the stuff he's had in the Federation, but this will have to do. 

 <"ATTENTION METAL DEMON FORCES."> Arleph's calm, yet stern southern drawl comes accross the wind of the plains. The improvised apparatus vibrates with the symbological icon inscribled on it's side, amplifing his voice. Gods, he loved doing this. <"I AM ARLEPH ARDAN, SYMBOLOGIST. ALLOW ME TO WELCOME YOU TO FILGAIA. HOWEVER, I AM IN THE OBLIGATION TO SUGGEST TO YOU TO RETURN TO YOUR PLANE OF ORIGINA, SECTOR IN SPACE OR POCKET SUB-DIMENSION THAT YOU COME FROM. IF THIS IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE, BRING DOWN YOUR WEAPONS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO YOUR METAPHYSICAL POINT OF ORIGIN CAN BE PIN-POINTED AND REACHED, FOR OUR AS WELL AS YOUR OWN GOOD. PLEASE CONSIDER MY WORDS."> 

 Arleph lowers his megaphone, wedging it between his arm while he quietly put on his white, runed gloves. Of course they wont listen, but that ought to prod their ego a little, if that works all fine and well.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

One of the many benefits of being invisible is that you can go where you please without being detected, by and large. More people than usual can see Ragnell on Filgaia, but that means she has to actually employ some caution for once. Either way, she's used it to great effect while hanging around Old Petra, as she has for the past couple of weeks, largely to observe the Metal Demons and get to know their kind better after the attack of Adlehyde, but also because of times like these.

Ragnell watches, arms folded, eyes dangerously narrowed, as Riesenlied argues with Gylfi about the upcoming attack on the human town, as Gylfi calls her weak and boasts about his cannon, as he effectively says he wants to squish the puny little humans to prove his superiority. Now, as a general rule, Ragnell is not a fan of humans; however, she's a fan of arrogant pricks who kill just because they can even less.

When Gylfi strides out, Ragnell leaves too. She doesn't say anything, so Riesenlied won't be able to hear her.

However, the Ebony Wings Commander will almost certainly be able to sense her anger.

SOME TIME LATER...

"Well, well, if it isn't the Princess!" Ragnell declares, raising her hat as she peers at Cecilia some short distance away from Tindus Town. "Good timin'--I got some business with you... but that can wait a little longer." She turns and nods towards the promontory where the cannon is being set up to fire upon the town of hapless humans. "I happened to see who's in charge o' this little asshole venture." She turns back to Cecilia, her smile all teeth. "Want me to point 'im out for ya?"

And from there, Ragnell will simply accompany the Princess towards the Metal Demon camp, along with the other Drifters who've come to answer Gylfi's call to battle, to do precisely what she just said.

<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.

Malfi peers over the encampment wall, trying to sort out the situation and see what they are up against.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily has been keeping a careful eye as best she can on all her patients, and she gathered a few as a result of that encounter with Berserk and Vorthuzal. Fei among them... Fei maybe particularly among them. Okay maybe not 'maybe', he's totally someone she hovered over some after the way he collapsed. He was a very good patient.

NOW

Lily rides on Weltall's shoulder, her black hair ruffled back despite the ribbon tying it, her clothes black and largely form-fitting, her stealth gear from Kislev unmistakable to those who know it--and hard to miss as military for those who don't. A rifle slung over her shoulder, a satchel of supplies on her, and gray-black light armor. She stares with golden eyes down, hanging on without much concern for her position this high up.

"That's the mission priority," Lily agrees with Fei. "Their tech level is... significant. We need to be prepared. Even a partial rescue of the town is a success at this point."

She looks to the cannon, too. But his question? "Of course it's a trap," Lily agrees easily, her voice dark and low over the comms. "They want us to come here so they can kill more of us, and maybe kill reasonable combatants." A shake of her head. "They have to keep proving it, I guess. It's why they use such flashy strategies..." Lily thinks of the Ebony Wings. "...Most of these Demons exist only for battle. If you think of it that way, they make sense."

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

The Metal Demons have earned Matilda Whitehead's ire in a big, big way. Something anathema to Filgaia -- something whose mere presence might be destroying the land... that can't be allowed to live. She's been on the lookout for Metal Demon activity -- and this sort of loud, noisy activity catches her attention immediately.

The simple compounder has an uncharacteristically simple plan for dealing with this unfortunate situation. She has taken her own route out of Tindus, though she's ended up unknowingly close to Arleph by sheer chance -- and winces a little when she hears his declaration. Does he /have/ to be so loud? He'll give away her spot!

Her simple plan needs to be put into action /quick/, thus, while she still has at least a thin chance at the element of surprise. Freischütz's small form isn't really suited for this... but Matilda's become a really good shot, lately. She gets herself situated in a prone position and does some quick mental math.

<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.

From her perch Malfi watches assorted Drifters, well, drifting toward the encampment. Most look like normal humans, a few carrying ARMS. Some evidently are sorcerers. And there's one more thing on the field below. Is that a Gear? She's never seen a Gear before.... They're supposed to be a /real/ challenge! She winds down the stairs towards the battlefield, weapon at the ready...

Seraph Ragnell's last pose:

One of the many benefits of being invisible is that you can go where you please without being detected, by and large. More people than usual can see Ragnell on Filgaia, but that means she has to actually employ some caution for once. Either way, she's used it to great effect while hanging around Old Petra, as she has for the past couple of weeks, largely to observe the Metal Demons and get to know their kind better after the attack of Adlehyde, but also because of times like these.

Ragnell watches, arms folded, eyes dangerously narrowed, as Riesenlied argues with Gylfi about the upcoming attack on the human town, as Gylfi calls her weak and boasts about his cannon, as he effectively says he wants to squish the puny little humans to prove his superiority. Now, as a general rule, Ragnell is not a fan of humans; however, she's a fan of arrogant pricks who kill just because they can even less.

When Gylfi strides out, Ragnell leaves too. She doesn't say anything, so Riesenlied won't be able to hear her.

However, the Ebony Wings Commander will almost certainly be able to sense her anger.

SOME TIME LATER...

"Well, well, if it isn't the Princess!" Ragnell declares, raising her hat as she peers at Cecilia some short distance away from Tindus Town. "Good timin'--I got some business with you... but that can wait a little longer." She turns and nods towards the promontory where the cannon is being set up to fire upon the town of hapless humans. "I happened to see who's in charge o' this little asshole venture." She turns back to Cecilia, her smile all teeth. "Want me to point 'im out for ya?"

And from there, Ragnell will simply accompany the Princess towards the Metal Demon camp, along with the other Drifters who've come to answer Gylfi's call to battle, to do precisely what she just said.

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

Look at those terrified, beady little googly eyes on the Yarobeleedt. They are so shaky. Unfocused. Were his mind not so addled with fear, he'd remember that he could burrow through the ground with imputiny through this difficult-to-navigate rocky outcrop. As an advance scout - arguably one of the better ones, despite himself, for those exceedingly rare moments where anything resembling praise can be directed towards him - his sight is top notch. (It used to be much better, before Arctica.) 

In the great distance, he sees that glint of the Quarter Knight that shoves the acting commander of the battle, Gylfi. The flash of crimson hair. That intense sneer. So visible, so all-encompassing to his eyes, that all sensory input ceases to register.
Yarobeleedt freezes where he is, gibbering, only part of the way back to the encampment. He dares not come any closer to /her/. Behind him, the oncoming humans. He is so petrified by being between a rock and a Harken place that the idea to just burrow straight downward never occurs to him.
There is shouting. This gets the advance scout's attention, coincidentally turning his head away from where a number of humans are sneaking past - they get themselves an avoidance of the worst possible encounter short of anything mortally terrifying and unfathomably dangerous (not that the Yarobeleedt is, in themselves, completely free of these descriptors, but there are differences in magnitude).
"What? So rowd." How did the copy editor for Dream Chasers' localization miss that mistake? "Alf Aldamn??? What is an Alf Aldamn???" Was that his Japanese name that they forgot to adjust in a consistency check on the editing pass, maybe? Maybe this 'Alf Aldamn' is something weak and easy to pounce and destroy underneath the watchful of eye of... Her. These oncoming humans are... not worthy of his time at all! His great strength is better saved for better!! (totally)
"Does the 'Alf Aldamn' always scream???" Yarobeleedt considers. "All times and days, weaks, months, years? Fufufu. Must be because week. All rowd screaming things are!" An annoying scraping noise comes from his wiry, melty hands wring one another as he slithers closer and closer to the loudly worded request for something that might be surrender or bargaining, words that Yarobeleedt does not know at all ever (for realsies!!! trust us)
He misses the terrible sight of the fearsome Weltall, in favor of investigating a mere distraction.
Before long, from Arleph's vantage point, he might spot the sight of a yellowish metal thing with weird googly eyes, far too big a mouth for the face, and a distinctive blobby bottom half crawl towards him, head shifting every which way - he seems to have caught something!
...Watching one of their forearms reform into a sickle, though, that's as good a hint as any that they might not be here to negotiate.

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

The white-robed Princess Cecilia Lynn Adlehyde - is not in evidence.

A traveler in a blue outfit and pinstripe leggings, though, who happens /to also/ be Cecilia Adlehyde, was well on her way when the announcements came down. A premonition, of sorts; a sense of movement in the Leylines. Or something. She's not sure what these feelings are, anymore, but it's brought her this far out, and--

'Well, well!'

She blinks up at the unexpected presence. She finds herself on guard. Ragnell's allegiances are...hard to parse. She was with Riesenlied, before, but for all she knows she was just rubbernecking at monsters who couldn't see or threaten her. "Seraph Ragnell," she says, honoring the title (this time). "You--" ...a chance to get to the heart of it...

She holds out her hand, and with a flash of flickering light her staff appears in her hand. Her eyes set as she draws in breath. "Yes," she says. "Please bring me to them."

Her look suggests negotiation isn't especially high on her mind.

GS: Malfi has attacked Malfi with Recharge!

GS: Malfi has completed her action.

GS: Riesenlied has fully healed herself. She is now in Boss mode for 2 opponents!

GS: Lady Harken has fully healed herself. She is now in Boss mode for 3 opponents!

DC: Lady Harken switches forms to Demon Executioner Lady Harken!

GS: Lady Harken has fully healed herself. She is now in Boss mode for 3 opponents!

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

INSIDE

Riesenlied stares agog towards the loud announcement with a rub of her head, sighing rather faintly. It was rather a quaint suggestion, but if they could up and leave, perhaps their situation would be rather different... then again, they aren't exactly to know any better. She sensed that anger earlier... was Miss Ragnell here? But try as she did to call out to her, she would not answer...

"That black Gear is here again..." she remarks as she sets her gaze upon Weltall. She thinks back on its presence during Gungnir at the Fairgrounds, and how Gebler appeared to react rather strictly and work around its presence. It was no ordinary Gear, that's for certain.

"Malfi. Epsilon. This is Riese," she presses her throat microphone. "Please work together and repel that Gear -- 'Orca' -- from our camp. I will have 4th Battalion assist you as the skirmish progresses."

She sighs and turns slightly. "Ebon Zero. Please assist as the situation develops, and eliminate any deadlocks. Do not leave any of our brethren trapped."

"1st to 4th -- repel the enemy from our front lines! Establish battle lines and cooperate with your assigned pairs!" What she isn't speaking out loud is that she's got the Ebony Wings en route for pickup -- she isn't expecting the cannon to be anything but a showpiece to be destroyed... and she knows that Lady Harken knows that as well.

OUTSIDE

There's an elicited squeak inbetween the rabble-rousing as Gylfi summarily hop-turns and salutes, a chill definitely running down his spine. "L-Lady Harken! Of course, I shall not... why, if there is anyone here who is not participating, then it's that Tainted demon!" He snarls and stamps his spear again-- before the shove launches him forward.

Demonic workers are busy at work fuelling the cannon and going through schematic preparations and calibrations for the cannon launch... why this was not done ahead of time is a bit of a good question -- but Gylfi would probably have charted it down to 'it's more exciting this way, watching them squirm!'. It'll... be his last mistake.

"My word!" Gylfi grumbles at Arleph. "No one is allowed to be any louder than me! Gylfi! Charge, you cretins, charge!"

Gylfi is certainly a very ... prominent individual on the battlefield.

"Now who might you just be!" He glowers at the blue-dressed Princess Cecilia with the pinstripe leggings, a sneer on his face. He pulls the rein on his mount and charges, all the while ringing with laughter as he swings his spear around and makes a right mess, bowling minions around in his ... somewhat clumsy charge!

"Bleed, bleed, all of you!" Gylfi hollers, the glee imminent in his eyes. 

                               -= MISSION! =-                                 
                                                                              
                               -* DRIFTERS *-                                 
                     * Defeat Gylfi in 5 turns or less!                       
                                                                              
                             -* METAL DEMONS *-                               
                           * Hold out for 5 turns.

GS: Epsilon has fully healed himself.

DC: Attack Hello My Name is Gylfi has been added to slot 9 on Riesenlied's form 4.

GS: Riesenlied has attacked Cecilia Adlehyde with Hello My Name is Gylfi!

DC: Epsilon switches forms to Steel Panther Epsilon!

DC: Attack Wow That Spear Went Places has been added to slot 10 on Riesenlied's form 4.

GS: Riesenlied has attacked Seraph Ragnell with Wow That Spear Went Places!

GS: Riesenlied has completed her action.

GS: CRITICAL! Cecilia Adlehyde takes a solid hit from Riesenlied's Hello My Name is Gylfi for 95 hit points!

GS: Cripple and Jam! Statuses applied to Cecilia Adlehyde!

<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.

Malfi dutifully heads out to battle the Gear, but she seems oddly delighted about it. At last, a chance for glory! Too bad she'll have to share it with Epsilon, but...

She picks her way into Orca's general vicinity and sets her lance, hoping the pilot will be dumb enough to try to run her down.

GS: Seraph Ragnell takes a glancing hit from Riesenlied's Wow That Spear Went Places for 35 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Epsilon has posed.

This is recklessness.

What Gylfi is planning is foolish in its own right, Epsilon is sure. He isn't sure what the demon is planning with that cannon, but it is sure to endanger both his brethren, which makes him narrow his feline-like eyes in disappointment as he joins Malfi in their little meet-up with her opponents. "I kindly advise to have caution around them. One wrong move will spell disaster if we're not careful."

GS: Malfi heals Malfi! She gains 100 temporary hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.

Lady Harken fixes commander Gylfi with the kind of appraising stare that suggests she is imagining his failure in vivid and colourful ways. The smile she wears is in no way reassuring. "Oh? I will be measuring your successes against Riesenlied's. So don't prove yourself to be less than some Tainted." she cautions him, but by then, he is gone. And so too, is the Quarter Knight. Perhaps this is the best outcome that Yarobeleedt could have asked for: by the time he next looks up, Harken has vanished into thin air. Carried away not by whimsy or circumstance, but by a sharp intuition born of a lifetime's immersion in the art of war. But as she warned Gylfi: she'll be watching.

Just...

... not right now.

For the scarlet-clad Knight has emerged from the shadows cast by the command centre with a quickly-cooling smile fading from her face. There is more important work to be done than the derision of some fool with delusions of grandeur (after all, she already has to deal with /Berserk/ every day). Which is why the Lady Harken has followed her nose to the most vulnerable spot in the whole encampment. Just as a couple of would-be heroes in stylish cloaks with a stealthy spring to their step cower around a nearby corner, the hushed voices of June Lim Ze and Ida not /quite/ carrying on the wind to the Demon's sharpened senses.

But perhaps she can sense with something other than eyes, and ears? The towering Demon lady with the folded scythe is pacing slowly towards that corner with what looks like purpose--possibly having sniffed out her own prey. Possibly.

It's impossible to tell because rather than finish the patrol route and stumble anywhere too close to the two sneaky fighters, Harken is instead distracted by the drawling declaration of some goofbag named Arleph Adran, his voice echoing from his incredible stadium sound-system setup. She frowns and turns her back to both June and Ida. "What manner of /fool/..." she seethes to herself.

Chance! She's wide open with that distraction!

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei Fong Wong runs along the battlefield. "Y--yeah," He tells Lily. "It's gotta be a trap." he pauses. "Though... they're made for battle huh..." He frowns. "I guess it's like they're living gears if you think about it that way. It's a pretty sad existence." He considers for a moment, imagining Weltall as a living being. It makes him regret the words he's used to describe it before. "...I guess yelling at machines, is something I'm gonna...try not to do anymore." He shivers from within the cockpit.

He drops down into a crouch and starts charging along. "Hold on Lily!" Fei shouts. "It looks like they're sending a large crew after us! I'll try to hold their attention, do you think you can take out that cannon with your magic?" He's seen Lily's magic do rather impressive things, but it might require some cleverness to take out an entire doom cannon. "Or maybe--" Fei considers. He's not really a battle commander, as evident by his attitude. This is why it's nice ot have Leon around, Fei thinks, or even Bart. They at least wait until after the fight to second guess their decisions.

A demon from the Fourth Batallion rushes in, eager to prove its strength. Fei rears back one of Weltall's fists and slams it into the demon, knocking it hard and back far enough that it flies right back towards Epsilon of all people, threatening to crash into him! He hasn't noticed Malfi yet. To be honest, he might not have noticed Epsilon yet. It's hard to tell with Weltall's head that high up.

TUTORIAL

You can react to Weltall's attacks with +evade Fei or +guard Fei! Evade techniques are high risk high reward whereas the guard technique is more reliable! Try looking at your personal skills to give you an idea of which you should use!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Epsilon with Oh Shit It's Weltall!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.

GS: Epsilon takes a solid hit from Fei Fong Wong's Oh Shit It's Weltall for 108 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.

The way things are going, "Orca" may well run right into Malfi's lance! Lady Harken (Harken) pages Yarobeleedt and Riesenlied: Yeah, no worries! I think it's good to be patient with new players, I mean, they're not making mistakes out of /malice/.

GS: Malfi has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Ready SET!

GS: Malfi has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> June Lim Ze has posed.

The arrival of a Gear is kind of a situation-changer. "Well that's lucky," says June as she adjusts her hat in the wake of the wind kicked up by all of that /commotion/ that follows in the wake of Fei Fong Wong. (Who she has no idea is in that thing. Not yet.) Then she presses back as someone comes nearer...

Her breath stills as that investigating redhaired figure comes nearer. Nearer yet. June suppresses the feeling of tension in her lower torso because sweet Sophia that is freakin' -- freakin' Lady Harken, that redhead who about halfway near destroyed most of Adelhyde and -

-- she's turning away.

Blinking once, June looks at Ida for a moment, and then rises upwards.

She steps with, despite everything, no sound whatever, moving in a low posture but still a distinctly upright and walking one towards the back of Lady Harken.

Inwardly June is already rehearsing her stick-up line because she is extremely confident this is going to work.

But before it can work she does have to do SOMETHING - and that something is to rush up behind the Lady Harken, leap up (which does make a slight scuff sound) and aim to plant her prosthetic knee in the back at the same time she whips an arm round her neck and pulls her backwards. That's for body control!

Her next plan is probably to issue a threat, but we'll see how well that comes to pass.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

Ragnell doesn't bother to offer an explanation for why she was with Riesenlied, either, though in fairness Cecilia has yet to ask. But it's as the Princess muses: it's a chance to get to the heart of the matter. And whatever Ragnell's allegiances are, she's someone who lives true to herself. She nods in approval at Cecilia's response, half-smirking when she even addresses her as 'Seraph.' Heh--sounds like she's starting to believe.

"Then let's get goin'!" she replies, her twin pistols in hand.

It sure is a busy battlefield, though. There's a giant humanoid machine carrying someone in over there, someone on a microphone over *there*, the cannon getting worked on over *there*, and... ah. Yes. Ragnell had a feeling Gylfi wouldn't be hard to spot again.

"Dead ahead, Princess," she says, pointing straight at Gylfi he laughs and charges on his mount. Her eyebrow twitches when he bowls over minions on his way towards Cecilia, then leaps into a side roll as he rolls in on her. That spear sure as hell does go places; the attack is so wild, it snatches a shallow slice on Ragnell on her way away. However, it doesn't impede her ability to move or fight any, and she comes up on both feet, firing off from each pistol at Gylfi's mount. To Gylfi himself, it'll seem like the little bolts of bullet-sized lightning are coming from nowhere at all.

"Y'all right there, Princess?!" she shouts, looking over at Cecilia then. "Looks like he knocked inta ya pretty hard!"

GS: Seraph Ragnell has attacked Riesenlied with Twin Bullet!

GS: Seraph Ragnell has completed her action.

GS: June Lim Ze has attacked Lady Harken with The Basics of Cut Branch Style!

GS: June Lim Ze has completed her action.

GS: Riesenlied guards a hit from Seraph Ragnell's Twin Bullet for 58 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Gylfi's prominence makes him an easy target -- but Matilda doesn't have as many options as she'd like, here, for the kind of shot she'd like to take. She /wants/ to do one of her signature Freischütz ricochets clean into his head, but the downside of the plains is that, well, there's a dearth of good ricochet locations.

She settles for a slightly mediocre shot -- a bullet whizzes out of Freischütz, into a rock, and up toward Gylfi. It's a bad angle and she knows it the instant she takes the shot -- not only does it not get her the clean kind of attack she wants, it /also/ forces her bullet to take a distinctly interceptable path.

At least she's able to scramble for cover in the meanwhile.

GS: Matilda Whitehead has attacked Ebon Zero with Bank Shot!

GS: Matilda Whitehead has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Epsilon has posed.

Epsilon looks up just in time to get knocked back by the gear before he regains his footing, looking at Fei as he notices what she's using as he enters a stance. "It seems we've run into a gear to fight..." With that, the Steel Panther reveals his arm-blades and rushes towards Fei with a slash towards her gear.

GS: Epsilon has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Gear Scratcher!

GS: Epsilon has completed his action.

GS: Fei Fong Wong critically Guards a hit from Epsilon's Gear Scratcher for 39 hit points!

GS: Fei Fong Wong critically Guards a hit from Malfi's Ready SET for 39 hit points!

GS: Ebon Zero guards a hit from Matilda Whitehead's Bank Shot for 42 hit points!

GS: Matilda Whitehead takes Cover! She gains 50 temporary hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.

      • A FEW MINUTES AGO ***

From within the command centre, Ebon Zero glances to Riesenlied for a moment, letting her (covered) gaze meet that of the Ebony Wings Commander. Lady Harken is out there, after all, so it's not as if the Metal Demon forces are likely to /lose/... but Noeline has to privately wonder whether the female Quarter Knight would be particularly worried about the welfare of her troops the same way that she and Riesenlied are - and knows full well that many of the demons on deck definitely won't.

"... of course," she offers after a moment, then, tilting her head in a nod. "I'll make sure that no-one loses their heads. As it were." Whether she meant it figuratively or literally, she doesn't say - just squeezes the other woman's shoulder for a moment, then turns for the door.

      • AAAND RIGHT NOW ***

Literally, it seems. Matilda's bullet strikes home right between Gylfi's eyes - or would, were it not for the way that an enormous slab of white metal ostensibly acting as a sword, one of its edges lined with a bright and sharp light, suddenly places itself in the way. Instead of the expected explosion of blood there's just a vivid --spang-- of metal upon metal, sparks shearing away from the blade as Ebon Zero shifts to take the weight and then hefts the force of the impact away to one side.

"--watch your backs!" she calls out across the camp-wide communications, even as her brain works - there aren't many places for a gunman to hide around here, and there aren't many Drifters she can think of who'd have the skill to pull off something like this. "There are snipers! Stay behind cover where you can!"

The helmet swivels as Noeline scans the horizon, her eyes picking out a likely hillock on the horizon - and the armored figure kicks off towards it with a remarkable burst of speed. Before she even gets close, she's brought up the hulk of metal in her hands with an unnatural strength, twisting before using the momentum of its weight to drag her around in a spinning slash - that extends out from the blade, washing a crescent line of white, searing light across Matilda's hiding space.

Behind her, she feels the presence of Ragnell encroaching on Gylfi, hears the call to the Princess that suggests there's a lot of trouble coming her way - but only allows herself a quiet smirk, figuring a little karma does a world of wonders.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

Ida feels a moment's surprise that June knows the literal meaning of that word, and then feels bad for feeling surprised. It doesn't show on her face. "I imagine he means it in a less literal fashion," Ida remarks. She falls silent, then, trying to replicate the trick she managed last week against Vorthuzahl--she lets out a breath, and her chi flows out with it, briefly illuminating her surroundings like a pulse of radar. As she suspected, someone is /very close/. Ida goes perfectly still as that someone approaches, but unfortunately, the strange sensation of another living being nearby vanished.

That voice.

Ida's blood runs cold. Lady Harken is /right there/, dangerously close. She doesn't dare breathe a word to June for fear that Harken will hear her.

June rises. Ida's mouth falls open, despite herself, and she points down at the floor in a desperate gesture of 'get down!' June does nothing of the sort. Ida takes a half-step forwards just in time to see June try to grab Lady Harken as if this was a common stick-up. Ida's heart nearly skips a beat. Training takes over; she draws and fires, sending a surprisingly-accurate shot towards Harken's left knee. If she's quick enough, she might be able to distract or cripple the Quarter Knight before she cuts June to ribbons.

GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Lady Harken with Revolver Shot!

GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.

GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Matilda Whitehead with Broad Sweep!

GS: Ebon Zero has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

 What Arleph expected to happen basically happens. People are going to flit in, even if he's not sure how much his distraction will be helping on that front. If his hunch is correct, these guys have been here for a while. They have advanced technology. They know radars and what a life detector, they know things are coming. Hopefully, just this little bit can give them something of a sting and make them bad judgement. Now, he can probably reach the base by himself and start blowing something up-- 

 Arleph stops in his path, lowering his improvised megaphone as he hear the strange, slurring voice of some craeture. He looks up, hearing the noise of stone as well as the distant consideration of some creature. He does not miss the Weltall. He does not miss other people that are using this opportunity to get close to the machination of the area to destroy the cannon. Hopefully, people will be able to evacuate in case they screw the pooch on this one. The Symbologist tilt his head to one side, taking in the sight of the yellowish creature, gaze lowering down to the shapeshifting arm into a very shapr cutting implement. 

 Arleph looks back up to stare directly into the googly eyes of the Demon. "A Metal Demon, I presume. Beast, or otherwise. Facinating." Ardan lets out, letting his apparatus drop on the ground for the moment, remembering where he left it. It might become important. "By the way you are making a weapon, I doubt you are here for further conversation. Very well. Allow me to do the same." 

 The man slides a footto the side, a glow coming from his left arm as he tighten his hand into a fist. A circle of energy engulf his entire right arm, covering it with a bright, aqua blue light as he reel his limb back. A long, etherial blue stream whips out, his forearm covered in flowing, living water as he whips it back at yellow beast, cracking in the air with cutting power.

GS: Arleph Ardan has attacked Yarobeleedt with Water Whip!

GS: Arleph Ardan has completed his action.

GS: Yarobeleedt takes a solid hit from Arleph Ardan's Water Whip for 99 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily keeps still, careful with Fei running in the Gear. But it's possible to keep up a conversation. But what Fei says to what she says makes her go quiet for a moment. "...Right," she says, without much feeling. "Sad." How often had she compared herself to them? She shakes her head. "You.. Really?" Lily sighs. "You're really soft, Fei. Yelling at machines..."

The charge starts and Lily hangs on with both hands. "Right!" She looks over to the cannon and to the crew, and clicks her tongue. "I'm not close enough for that! I've never tried that much range!" Maybe. Maybe, maybe. Lily prefers to have a battle commander too. But this is fine.

As Fei attacks, Lily hangs on harder, and then sees along the ground--"Shit!" Lily starts to move, "That looks like Lady Harken. This is where I get off, Fei!" Lily rears back and then charges across the shoulder, using the lowered moment of the Gear to leap off of the Gear into the air...

And slam into the ground. She hits hard and rolls, ignoring the pain of impact to spring upward yards away from Harken with golden eyes narrowed. "Milady," she greets, and raises both hands in what becomes a column of flame from the ground that bursts between her and the Quarter Knight.

GS: Lily Keil has attacked Lady Harken with Hearthblaze!

GS: Lily Keil has completed her action.

DC: MISS! Lady Harken completely evades The Basics of Cut Branch Style from June Lim Ze!

GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Revolver Shot for 91 hit points!

GS: Lady Harken guards a hit from Lily Keil's Hearthblaze for 43 hit points!

GS: Lily Keil takes Cover! She gains 50 temporary hit points!

DC: Attack Just a City Gylf Livin in a Lonely World has been added to slot 11 on Riesenlied's form 4.

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

It might be less about believing and more about, why not? Every /other/ impossible thing she's worried about in the last month has been resolutely true despite all probability, why not magic invisible moon guardians?

Ragnell's warning lets Cecilia actually SEE Gylfi as the Demon prepares to charge. "So you're the one behind this..." she whispers. "I don't suppose asking will cause you to stop this madness?"

Not really; she throws up her staff, a flash of magic erupting between it and the spear, the only protection she gets. It still sends her flying, landing roughly on her back. She wheezes, the wind knocked out of her for a moment. Already she is in pain. So this is true battle...she had avoided the worst of it, even against Berserk, but this...

She shifts her weight, forcing herself upright. "He did," she mutters back to Ragnell. That man...he even bowled over his comrades. What cruelty... "But I will not retire from just this!" She whirls the staff around in her hands, etchings of light appearing in the air, forming into the pentagram of her Crest Sorcery. She focuses her thoughts through the cards about her person, one of them whipping out from around her to embed itself in the heart of the icon, a Crest of Muse and Fray. A bloom of light forms in front of the Crest and then races away, a bolt of raw magic careening toward Gylfi to bowl the mad lancer over. She's feeling winded, but she can still cast! Just, maybe not do so great with her staff for a second.

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde has attacked Riesenlied with Ley Blast!

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde has completed her action.

GS: Matilda Whitehead takes a solid hit from Ebon Zero's Broad Sweep for 110 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Wh--hey, I just--" Fei blusters. This is like the most embarrassing thing in the world to him. "Ugh...I'll just be more careful with my words!" His cheeks burn bright red. He could just die. "Who?" He asks of Lily as she mentions Lady Harken. "Wait I--" He pauses. "Oh." Another pause.

Well then.

speaking of just dying, Weltall does run into Malfi's lance but it sort of just scratches the surface of Weltall's foot. Epsilon's arm swipes rip into the movement actuators. It doesn't actually quite tear them apart but there is a solid clunk as Epsilon hits it. Fei recalls how dangerous the demons he fought before were and realizes he could easily get overwhelmed if he just tries to push past them.

"Ngh." He say, turning his mech around and backing towards the base. Weltall's head looks down towards Epsilon and Malfi.

"Are you really ok," He says. "With destroying a town just to call us out like this? If you just want to fight, can't you just do the tournament?"

He then leaps into the air and tries to land on Epsilon. If he can deal with one of these guys at a time, maybe he'll get through this ok.

TUTORIAL

Attacking and getting attack raise your FP! FP stands for FORCE POINTS. Force points can be used in a variety of different ways! You can spend 25 of them to use a Force Action each of which does something differently based on what you have! Similarly, if you look at your attack list, you might notice that some have a minimum use of FP to use or have a Cost of FP to use...or both! Managing your FP well is key to victory! Just make sure you have enough!

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

"^Metal Beast?!^" Yarobeleedt screeches - Arleph might want to cover his ears, the Metal Demon's screaming can hit notes that are exceptionally unpleasant for a human to have to experience - as the gibbering googly-eyed goward (that's not 'coward' but frankly, the alliteration is fun) sharply turns their head in the direction of the man with the glowing arms. "Fufufu. Not like lowly ^Metal Beast^ Gamma. Yarobeleedt is ^Metal Demon^! Has no time for rude... human..." 

Eyes meet. The sickle arm is raised defensively as the glow envelopes their being. He inches back--
There is another awful scream as the watery whip cuts into his hide from the mostly-intact side down, splashing some kind of nasty-looking ichor that Arleph probably doesn't want on him - or his clothes. (Ask the White Knight Leo about how hard it is to wash any of it out!)
The lowly worm of a Metal Demon leans lower against the ground, stabbing both arms into the dirt as their head pops up, a long tongue slipping out that too-long maw as they size up Arleph and/or beg for mercy (it's kind of hard to tell).
"You! ^Wet Bandit.^ You steal away the Alf Aldamn?! Give rise the Alf Aldamn! It is loud." Uh, what the hell is he saying? Does he realize THAT is the 'Alf Aldamn' right in front of him? "No time or spays for human!! Go a way." Is that a demand, a threat, or pleading? The upturn in octave towards the end of that makes that maddenigly vague as he darts across the ground, waving that sickle arm around leg level as he dashes past the Symbologist.
"Alf Aldamn, Alf Aldamn, where do you go?? Yarobeleedt will take~"

GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Epsilon with Hazen!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.

GS: Yarobeleedt has attacked Arleph Ardan with Sly Sing!

GS: Yarobeleedt has completed its action.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

OUTSIDE, THE GYLFRIENDS

Gylfi certainly can't tell what the heck a Seraph is, and Riesenlied has certainly tried to tell him about invisible enemies--

A long time ago: Gylfi lets out a guttural roar of laughter and waves his hand around. "Invisible seraph men and women? honey that's sooooo /gauche/ ahahahahhahahahahaaaaaa"

--and thus pays for it when Ragnell's lightning bullets sink into his backside in a -- "That was decidedly unfabulous!" hollers Gylfi, as he's nearly knocked off his mount, but the steed stoops low and allows him to recover his balance. Even his metallic horse looks unimpressed at him. Seriously, you could just hear the electronic whinny.

Gylfi doesn't appear to even register that Ebon Zero's just saved him from a bullet between the eyes, laughing and hollering as he continues the pressure on Cecilia.

"Ask? Ask?!" Gylfi's expression looks positively ablaze with glee as he laughs. "Who do you take me for, a filthy Tainted?! We're here for war, girl, for WAR!!"

That laughter catches him off-guard, and he's knocked clean off his feet and off his mount when Cecilia retaliates and sends a blossom of light his way. He crashes against some crates, and stares as his mount just decides 'fugg this, i'm outta here' and just ditches. "You ungrateful beast!" He roars and springs forward, sending another sweeping strike of his lance towards the sorceress shaman!

INSIDE

Weltall's metallic fist sends the Fourth Batallion demon flying with a 'WHYYYYYY--' as he lands against the arm-bladed Epsilon, Riesenlied grimacing just a little bit. "Fourth Battalion, standard Gear tactics, B2! Don't box yourselves up into a cluster -- the enemy's got size and strength! Scatter and keep him pinned down!"

Riesenlied's eyes widen very slowly as she watches the electric bullets whizz on by -- she bites her lip, but she has heard the Trial Knight's heed. That she should not treat Ragnell any differently. She can't see her, still, but she could tell, based on the sensations and the movement based on that shot... "... Fifth Battalion, take aim on my coordinates -- 12.45 by 337.33, error correction 14 -- fire!" and her fingers fly as a duo of demons suddenly let loose with a directed strike that's seemingly aimed at nowhere -- but is in fact beading a trail on Ragnell's escape from her shooting position.

She's silent a moment after. "... I'm sorry, Miss Ragnell."

She can't help but feel bad, still.

ROUND TRACKER

The giant doom cannon begins to whirr ever so loudly, neat neon trailing lines starting to shine up on its side. It's... a slow weapon. Gylfi won't admit it to anyone, but it's a pretty outdated weapon. Just like his tactics.

2 out of 5 rounds!

GS: Riesenlied has attacked Cecilia Adlehyde with Just a City Gylf Livin in a Lonely World!

GS: Epsilon takes a glancing hit from Fei Fong Wong's Hazen for 66 hit points!

GS: Riesenlied has attacked Seraph Ragnell with Direct the Strike!

GS: Riesenlied has completed her action.

GS: Arleph Ardan takes a glancing hit from Yarobeleedt's Sly Sing for 47 hit points!

DC: MISS! Seraph Ragnell completely evades Direct the Strike from Riesenlied!

GS: CRITICAL! Cecilia Adlehyde takes a glancing hit from Riesenlied's Just a City Gylf Livin in a Lonely World for 107 hit points!

GS: Cripple and Jam! Statuses applied to Cecilia Adlehyde!

<Pose Tracker> Agatha Pyrelight has posed.

At the first sounds of battle, one might expect the local wildlife to take a more reasonable stance and find someplace to hide from the loud noises, unexpected gunshots, and general sounds of chaos and destruction.

Which might make it interesting that a few black and grey crows find their way to the battlefield, perching themselves on convenient trees and buildings around the camp. They look down on the fighting with dead black eyes, and then once they seem whom they have come to see, they send a silent, unspoken message to their mistress.

Agatha emerges from the shadows well away from the camp, standing in the shadows of a convenient grove well away from the fighting. Her cloak twists around behind her, and the Pyre Witch sits back to take in the view of the battlefield through the eyes of her servants. There were, after all, quite a few of her projects on the field this day. Some were more incidental than others... but there was no reason to not at least judge their progress. Not to mention K.K. might appreciate a more... birds eye view of what happened inside the Metal Demon encampment.

"Poor Ida, dearest Lily, and the unfortunate Riesenlied... is there anyone else worthy of interest? Well, opportunity can appear in the most unexpected places..."

<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.

Malfi cries out a warning as the Gear tries to leap on top of Epsilon. Maybe he can dodge it in time! The Gear is going to be more of a challenge than she thought. Not that she wasn't looking for a challenge. There is no Youthful Stupid quite like Metal Demon Youthful Stupid. As for the town, she cares nothing for that. She just *happened* to be dropping off some monsters at the base camp. She growls and lunges towards "Orca."

GS: Malfi has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Beyond The Impale!

GS: Malfi has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda's teeth grind as she sees her shot intercepted; she'd calculated the possibility, of course, even made her peace with it before firing -- but it's another thing to actually *see it happen.* Ebon Zero comes in with that blade and Matilda tries to roll away from it -- but moves too late, and it leaves a nasty cut on her coat. The armor takes the worst of the blow, though -- all synthetic cloth and unusual metal plate, and exposed to the air.

"Nnnghhh," she hisses, kipping up to her feet and getting her bearings. This is more the distance Freischütz is suited to, anyway -- or at least it is once she takes a few long strides away and then rounds on Ebon Zero again.

"It isn't enough to poison a dying planet? You -- you shell our settlements and take away the few places we still feel safe, too...?" she asks of Ebon Zero as she reaches down, gloved hands groping around for stray rocks and sand and dirt and pebbles. It's hardly an /elegant/ way of fighting -- but it'd be hard to deny its effectiveness as she shoves what she finds into Freischütz and fires, raining debris on the mysterious Metal Demon.

GS: Matilda Whitehead has attacked Ebon Zero with Automatic Fire - Rocks!

GS: Matilda Whitehead has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Epsilon has posed.

The warrior squints at Fei's words before he takes a bit of damage from the gear's incoming strike. Like before, he regains his composure, raising his arms in a stance as he eyes Fei. "So, you dare to try and use those words of yours to sway us...? A pitiful attempt to stop this conflict." Epsilon then rushes forth again with another slash from his arm-blades.

GS: Epsilon has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Gear Scratcher!

GS: Epsilon has completed his action.

GS: Fei Fong Wong takes a solid hit from Malfi's Beyond The Impale for 163 hit points!

GS: Fei Fong Wong takes a solid hit from Epsilon's Gear Scratcher for 194 hit points!

GS: Ebon Zero critically Guards a hit from Matilda Whitehead's Automatic Fire - Rocks for 22 hit points!

GS: Lady Harken has attacked June Lim Ze with Harken no Jutsu -Ida Throw!!

<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.

What makes June's plan such a good one is that it combines the audacity of confronting the highest-ranking and most powerful enemy with a twin-twist of violence and silence; two great tastes that taste great together. Of the options on the table at the time, it's either that or egress. So while the Quarter Knight's back is turned, her attention kept by the hearty southern twang echoing through the mountains to the south, she fails to respond to a gentle scuffing noise as the martial artist briefly gives gravity the slip.

On the other hand, the crack of Ida's gunshot triggers what we'll call a ! of awareness over Harken's head. The Cut Branch style, in this one movement at least, is not faster than the proverbial speeding bullet. June's prosthetic knee finds (stiff) purchase in the Knight's back and her arm wraps around the Metal Demon's throat, which holds her still enough for that crack shot to land home! But that's about as far as they get. June's attempt to wrangle control of the towering woman with the scarlet hair bears little fruit, it's rather like wrestling with a derailed train. And the bullet ricochets off of those heavy greaves in a spray of sparks, fragmenting into a nearby rock wall.

"An ambush? Clever. Your friend should have waited, though."

Harken chides her assailant gently and, lest June move quickly again, grabs hold of the martial artist by the same arm coiled around her neck and does her the favor of throwing her at Ida at full-force. It's like being manhandled by a transformer. This, however, is arguably better than being cut to ribbons and also saves June from being caught in the conflagration that soon ruptures the earth in a geyser of melted stone and superheaded gases.

There's a brief moment where Harken vanishes inside of Lily Keil's sneaky surprise attack, unseen behind the veil of flames. Unfortunately, it's not permanent, and she emerges from the pyre with a slowly-maddening grin spreading on that pretty face of hers. The Quarter Knight holds in one hand a tremendous scythe, the blade folded downwards at this point in time. "See? Like that. That /stung/."

The scythe's blade swings upwards and locks into place with a satisfying noise. "A familiar face, and two new ones." it's wielder slowly fixes both hands upon the shaft and--

--is suddenly facing away from Lily again, cloak billowing dramatically as the sundered earth between her and the sorcerous special operative is torn apart anew, a billowing blue wave of ethereal force churning towards her. It's kind of like Demon Fang, but on steroids. And performed with iaijutsu. From a scythe.

"I was right to come here after all!"

GS: Lady Harken has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Harken no Jutsu -Ida Throw!!

GS: Lady Harken has attacked Lily Keil with Fast Draw - Speed Fang!

GS: Lady Harken has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

Good enough for Ragnell. Belief in the spiritual and supernatural, and acceptance that dumb things are true no matter how dumb you think they are, aren't too different, after all. One just puts on a nicer face than the other.

Well *that* sure was a bullet out of nowhere. On the bright side, it was aimed for Gylfi; on the minus side, someone in armor intercepts it, and although Ragnell doesn't recognize Ebon Zero by looks, there's something about their presences as they zip past towards the source of that attack... Ragnell twists to watch them go by, eyebrows raised. "Hmmm..."

She turns back to focus on Gylfi himself, as well as Cecilia. It'd be inconvenient for her if Cecilia died now, but being invisible to most Metal Demons, she can't do anything to tank. It's enough to help Cecilia out on the offensive. "You'd better not. Otherwise what would everything you fought for up until now be for?" she calls to Cecilia. She raises one arm, and a glyph appears at her feet, glowing golden; an instant later, she points towards Gylfi, now de-mounted, and calls, "Lightning!"

A literal bolt from the blue arcs down to strike at the Metal Demon. It's not as powerful a spell as it could be, but it's got plenty of snap behind it all the same. She half-turns, frowning, at the sight of the doom cannon as it whirrs and begins to power up. That's not a good sign. There's time enough for now, but--hey, are those Metal Demons aiming at her?

It's a good thing that Ragnell has good reflexes and also that the demons can't actually see what they're shooting at; she dives behind a covering crag just in time to avoid the bullet fire. She peeks up over it, then grins to herself. "Looks like she noticed," she murmurs to herself. "Good, good. Lookin' forward to seein' what you can do against an enemy like me..."

Ragnell doesn't yet notice Agatha's presence, which is probably for the best.

GS: Seraph Ragnell has attacked Riesenlied with Lightning!

GS: Seraph Ragnell has completed her action.

GS: Riesenlied guards a hit from Seraph Ragnell's Lightning for 63 hit points!

DC: MISS! Ida Everstead-Rey completely evades Harken no Jutsu -Ida Throw! from Lady Harken!

GS: Lily Keil guards a hit from Lady Harken's Fast Draw - Speed Fang for 79 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

 Let's make something clear. Arleph is not a stranger to unusual dialects. He's heard quite a few strange ways and turn of phrases natives takes of Galactic as well it's various other changes. Do you have any idea how much of a pain it is to keep your universal translator up to date when you have three Galaxies worth of people just deciding, one day, one generation, that 'Rough' is pronounced like 'Roung'? It's incredible, as far a piece of technology. 

 Unfortunately, Arleph have no such modern convenience at his disposal. The symbologist recoils briefly, gritting his teeth at the sound the creature makes. Well, he attracted the attention of /one/ metal demon, that's a good bonus, at least. Hopefully others will have a better chance at doing something. "Still, it his his experience at handling ... unique local dialect that let him figure out, past the initial confusion, just what this thing is talking about. 

 "I am Arleph Ardan, yes. I am flattered, however, that you think I am Alf Aldamn. He is a wonderful actor." His water whip cracks upward, collecting into the ichor to fliter it away, keeping himself on guard. His eyes does not quite the oggly creature, bouncing on his feet when he makes the strange, maddeing vague wave at him. He rolls off into the stone and ground, a scythe grazing on his upper arm, a slight spray of blood coming. Damnit, that'll take days for his coat to repair itself. 

 Arleph stands back up spinning his hands together. Further circles being to form around his moving hands, lights from both of his hands glowing beneath the fabric while the air distorts around him, the water whip retreating into his hand. It forms into a pool of energy, that unleashes into a wide stream, paper-thin, outward into a large arc in the Metal Demon's general area. "Tell me." He continues, during his casting. "Where do you come from, Metal Demon? You're not from this planet. You don't fit this ecosystem. Then again... I may be wasting my time asking you this sort of question, don't I?"

GS: Arleph Ardan has attacked Yarobeleedt with Water Jet Cutter!

GS: Arleph Ardan has completed his action.

GS: CRITICAL! Yarobeleedt takes a solid hit from Arleph Ardan's Water Jet Cutter for 156 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei Fong Wong isn't so lucky this time. He wasn't expecting much of a response from the demons but it seems hitting them just made them angrier. Malfi tackles Weltall which is still off balance from landing on Epsilon who tries ripping through the leg actuator again, forcing it down as Weltall topples over.

"Geeze, I hope Lily's taking care of that cannon." Fei murmurs.

Fei rolls back and manages to get Weltall crouching. Huh, he realizes, that demon is actually talking to him.

"Well," He says. "I guess I'm just a country guy and not a famous warrior demon out of legend like you, but talking's actually a totally reasonable way to handle conflicts."

Fei continues. "For example," Fei says. "There was this one time that Bill's pig ran through Mac's yard and caused up a real fuss, tearing up vegetables and caused all sorts of damage, you know? Digging 'em up, eating em, taking dumps everywhere. You know, what pigs do. But it wasn't Mac's fault becaues Dan opened up the latch to his pen because he wanted to see the pig, see, and Barney--that's the pig's name, he was a real cute one, so it's hard to really blame Dan though if he really wanted to sneak a peek I could've lifted him up over the fence real easy. Anyway, there was this huge argument about who to blame and there was nearly a fistfight! But luckily the town elder came by and set things right by talking things out and the truth was revealed and well Dan had to replant the field but Mac helped out anyway because he's actually a nice guy anyway, he just got his hackles up."

Fei pauses. "Anyway." Weltall reaches for Epsilon's leg, intent on flinging him up into the air and SHORYUKENING him as he comes back down.

"My hackles are raised right now but I'm ready to talk it out whenever you want. I mean, where's the honor in killing these people anyway? There isn't any."

TUTORIAL

GLANCING attacks do less damage to you whereas CRITICAL hits do more damage to you! You can also critically guard or dodge an attack! A critical dodge means you take no damage whereas a critical guard means you take very little damage! We don't ask about attacks that both critical and glance someone. It's really best not to think about!!!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Epsilon with Ryuten!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.

The armored figure bulls straight through the wash of rocks and stone, launching through it at speed and seemingly heedless of the damage it causes her - that said, the dress-like armor is obviously tougher than it appears, a faint and uncertain sheen across it suggesting that its protection has more to do with technological means more than it does layers of steel.

Ebon Zero does at least hesitate upon seeing who the sniper actually /is/, the blade wavering ever so slightly for an instant. Matilda was on her short list, after the way she reacted to the Adlehyde attack, but actually facing her is another matter altogether.

By rights, she should keep silent. She knows that. It's what a good spy, a good double-agent would do. As much as she's got a way to disguise her voice embedded in her helmet, Matilda's always struck her as sharp, and even engaging like this is a risk - because how many black-haired, stronger-than-their-height people hang around Riesenlied as a matter of course?

But... she's here, and she made a promise, and that's that. "Even if I disagree... I can't let you hurt them," she intones instead. Striking seems pointless right now - instead, her movements are designed to corral the sniper into a difficult position, pressing in closer as she aims to prevent the enormous rifle from being brought to bear once more.

GS: June Lim Ze takes a glancing hit from Lady Harken's Harken no Jutsu -Ida Throw! for 51 hit points!

GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Matilda Whitehead with Impulse Edge!

GS: Ebon Zero has completed her action.

GS: Epsilon takes a solid hit from Fei Fong Wong's Ryuten for 181 hit points!


<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.

Malfi watches as Orca grabs -- or tries to grab -- Epsilon. This is a good time to attack, while the human is yammering about pigs and conversations. She attacks. There is no fear or hesitation in those amber eyes, only a grim determination (and possibly desperation). /SHE'S/ not being consigned to the Gutters, no no no no.

GS: Malfi has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Off Your Feet!

GS: Malfi has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

Ida, on the other hand, doesn't have the advantage of not knowing what Harken is like in an actual fight. Harken almost killed her twice over, then ensured she almost bled to death while runing to safety. That sort of thing tends to leave an impression.

Harken addresses Ida. She looks at her, and in that moment, the young gunslinger's blood all but freezes. The Quarter Knight just kind of saunters out from that conflagration, a little scuffed but otherwise none the worse for wear. Idiot, Ida thinks, a combination of terror and self-reproach gripping her heart. Did she save June's life, or get them all killed? For a crucial moment, Ida freezes, but this time, she manages to stop the chain reaction before she's completely paralyzed.

"Lady Harken," Ida says, aiming for the Quarter Knight's center of mass. "I do apologize for dropping in unnounced." Keep her attention. She knows what you can do, but not what June and Lily can do. "But I regret to say that your acquaintance left us with little choice in the matter." As she talks, Ida reaches for the revolver's hammer, working it in perfect time with the trigger. Five shots race downrange, and they're surprisingly accurate, considering Ida has been caught flat-footed despite herself.

GS: Matilda Whitehead takes a solid hit from Ebon Zero's Impulse Edge for 0 hit points!

GS: Slow! Statuses applied to Matilda Whitehead!

GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Lady Harken with Fan the Hammer!

GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> June Lim Ze has posed.

The steel isn't a surprise. It's armored. June however can feel, this close, the profound energy coming off of Lady Harken, especially since her hand is in a sense in contact with her. Sweat runs down her brow and the back of her neck before she is picked up, casually slung forwards, and -

Lady Harken explodes behind her! As she flies, June Lim Ze can hear that the Metal Demoness is not destroyed. "Ida!! Take my hand!!" she calls, extending her prosthetic-bearing limb forwards, the black wood of the hand gleaming as she grips Ida's hand, pivots herself around, swings AROUND Ida's head -

What is she doing? Actually she just rebounded off that nearby rock and executed a backflip, June surprising even herself somewhat. As Ida apologizes and drops her hot lead onto Lady Harken, June ends up about three meters up in the air.

I should do something with this, June thinks, before she snaps a hand down and the laces on her left boot fall away. With a kick, so does the boot, which, June realizes with immediate regret, is now falling down the side of a mountain and will probably be stolen by a smelly local child or something. Crap! Either way, too late, spilled milk and all of that:

The foreshortened end of it pivots downwards and June aims to land directly on top of top of the head of the Metal Demon, her flesh leg tucked back. Indeed, June slaps her hand on her opposing ankle, posing almost like a ballerina during the terminal point of descent.

If she hits the crown of Harken's dome, a hot instant later there are a pair of ear-ringing BANGS as the two shotguns fire. Shotguns? Yes. The recoil throws June back up in the air, where she somersaults, probably to try and get into Harken's rear arc.

"You screwed UP coming here! Go back to wherever you came from! We got enough trouble!" June shouts, possibly over guns.

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

It might be outdated but it's sure kicking Cecilia's ass. Lancers are supposed to be strong against Archers, not Casters! But Cecilia's barrier does little once again; the Princess sent tumbling backwards, again losing her feet and this time staggering hard into the side of a tent, toppling into it and bringing it crashing down on top of her.

She lies there for a few seconds while Ragnell attempts to cheer her on, and finally her staff rises up and she forces herself, slowly, horribly, upright, bleerily glaring down the range at Gylfi. This. Was not quite how she expected this to go, all things considered. this is why she tries to bring Tethelle or Jack or Claude or ANYONE WHO LIKES SWORDS.

But here she is now, and she fights with the team she is dealt. She breathes roughly again and forces herself again to her feet, glaring at the crowing demon. "Yes, you are here for a war, aren't you?" she breathes, as her magic swirls again - she sweeps her staff with force, and another Crest Graph pentagram forms in the air, Wing and Wing dancing within. She holds the staff forward, focusing on it.

The wind around Gylfi picks up, ripping, scathing winds clawing at him while Cecilia tries her hardest to slash the demonic lancer with violent winds!

GS: June Lim Ze has attacked Lady Harken with Shotgun Kick!

GS: June Lim Ze has completed her action.

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde has attacked Riesenlied with Vortex!

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde has completed her action.

GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Cecilia Adlehyde's Vortex for 94 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

There are a lot of axes on which Matilda is quite sharp... but matching voices and faces isn't one of them, surprisingly. She listens for tone and bearing first, and actual sound distantly thereafter -- she knows the sound is /familiar/, but the oh-so-serious Ebon Zero just doesn't match the occasionally-frivolous, always-charming Noeline in her head.

Matilda tries to backpedal out of Ebon Zero's reach -- but in so doing is forced to stumble and stop on multiple occasions, and sure enough, can't /quite/ get herself good positioning to aim with her rifle. It'd be nice if she had a holdout weapon for situations like this, she reflects, a little distantly.

Unfortunately, all there is to do about it is keep firing. She just holds the trigger, spraying at Ebon Zero point blank with a look of increasing distress and panic on her face. She can't just tackle and then reposition with that weapon present -- she has to just hope for a break in the situation.

GS: Matilda Whitehead has attacked Ebon Zero with Holding The Trigger!

GS: Matilda Whitehead has completed her action.

DC: Attack Gylfs Just Wanna Have Fun has been added to slot 12 on Riesenlied's form 4.

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

No one would blame Arleph for making mistakes in understanding what Yarobeleedt is talking about. Whoever handled his script in English needs to be fired. (At least he hasn't used any wrong text pointers from NPCs in Mirapulse yet.) 

"What!! Yarobeleedt does not care for Arleph Ardan, ^Wet Bandit^!! Gimme the Alf!" This is probably not something that's going to be resolved within the span of their battle. "Do you think eye is stupid?? You will be dyed! Dye dye dye dye dye--" The gibbering comes to a halt for a blessed six seconds or so, his return rush at Arleph halted by the cutting jet of water that pierces through the upper body of the melted worm-slug-snake-whatever, upper body arching back as the tongue sticks out rigid in pain. A weak vocalization that's kind of a high-pitched squealy 'uuuuuuuu' as the lower body violently pulsates to pump matter towards the grievous internal wounds. It keeps him reasonably stable, as stable as Yarobeleedt's damaged biology ever can be.
He seems to bend in half backwards as his upper body rests against his sluggy butt, a visible break between his abdomen and the rest of the melted mass as though his entire upper body were about to slough off entirely as Arleph goes about asking his questions.
"D-Don't waist my waste~" He squeals, arms spasming back as his alien nervous system starts to reconnect after that traumatic water jet wounding. "C-Close up!" He must mean 'shut up.' "Why tell?! What matter! Silly ^Wet Bandit^!" Strong words, from someone damn near forced back into regenerative torpor just from the waterjet cutting. "Ick, oh system not import!! Planet not for human." Also not for trend, or stoner, or corporate attitude, but moving on. "Plan it for Mother! Mother, Mother, Mother..."
He starts to gibber even more incomprehensibly, as he kinda-sorta rights himself up. The way he is, there probably isn't a good way to say he can 'right himself up,' but here we are anyway. "Not for you, not for tee or vee either...! But this! This double you for!!"
Lurching closer, both arms form into spear tips - they kind of look like needles now. Is he going to inject Arleph with something? Why, yes! 
If those pointy bits gets anywhere into Arleph's flesh as he swings both tips down into him, he'll be injected with a gross fluid that does not play nice with human biology. It might turn his skin a funny color, and also be excruciatingly painful! (On the bright side, it can make for some fun selfies under certain lighting conditions!)

==== <Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed. ====

GYLF WAR: 18 HULLS OF GYLF

Gylfi's eyes widen as he's blasted back again, seemingly out of nowhere -- unlike any kind of reasonable person, who'd assume that there was a cloaked assailant or sorcerous artillery support from some unseen position, Gylfi instead hollers in rage: "HEY! If one of you're trying to stab me in the back, I'm going to go and tan your hides the moment we get back!"

Electric sparks fly off off him as he rises, growling -- and gets caught in the upturn of Cecilia's vortex, clawing winds scratching and tearing away at his armor and flinging him up into the air. For what appears to be a pompous metal commander, the more experienced of the two -- Ragnell -- might note that he's... rather clearly more bark than bite, though with renewed rage, he springs forward to try to just simply -slam- his spear down and unearth the ground Cecilia is standing on, taking her with the large chunk of dirt to the air.

"INDEED I am!" Gylfi roars, getting more and more tunnel-visioned into his little duel. The thrill of battle, the sight of this girl's struggle against his! This is what they lived for! ... was what rang in his head.

RIESENCRAFT

Riesenlied shudders just a moment, trying her best to relax herself.

"Commander, three minutes until we're en route," speaks the static-y voice from Channel 2. "Hang on until then."

"Thank you," she quietly murmurs, closing her eyes. She's seen enough to know that not every enemy can be detected by eyes, or even by radar... there are enemies that she must sense, with a sense beyond sight alone. She exhales, and concentrates a little harder--

"Fifth LMG Unit, Spreadfire A2, coordinates 337.51 to 377. Aim correction 16." A pause. "Fifth Grenadier, Box F3."

Ragnell gets a bit more in the way of heat this time, as the gun-wielding demons are replaced with those with automatics -- they spray a wide area around the invisible Seraph, still with somewhat perplexed looks on their faces, but a surprise comes when four grenades get launched simultaneously to 'trap' the area that she's in! Even if she evades, Riesenlied is clearly making a play for the available space to hedge her out -- perhaps just coax her to step back from the battle...

ROUND TRACKER

3 out of 5 rounds!

GS: Riesenlied enters CONDITION GREEN!!

GS: Riesenlied has attacked Cecilia Adlehyde with Gylfs Just Wanna Have Fun!

GS: Yarobeleedt has attacked Arleph Ardan with Lily River!

GS: Yarobeleedt has completed its action.

GS: Riesenlied has attacked Seraph Ragnell with Direct the Strike!

GS: Riesenlied has completed her action.

GS: CRITICAL! Cecilia Adlehyde takes a solid hit from Riesenlied's Gylfs Just Wanna Have Fun for 81 hit points!

GS: Cripple and Jam! Statuses applied to Cecilia Adlehyde!

GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from June Lim Ze's Shotgun Kick for 107 hit points!

GS: Ebon Zero takes a solid hit from Matilda Whitehead's Holding The Trigger for 113 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Her rifle clatters against her shoulder as Lily rises the rest of the way to a standing position, tilting her head to better see the Quarter Knight as she emerges from her flames. It stung. ...Stung is something that she'll take for a start. The declaration of even minor pain gets her watching. But suddenly--

Two new ones. A sudden movement, faster than Lily's eyes can track. She feels the ground shifting under that ethereal force though, crosses her arms before herself in an 'X' as she conjures a towering shield of ice in a semi-circle before herself that shatters under the force of that power, but slows it even as it chills Lily's breath.

She still ends up driven back a pace by the concussion of the blast, and her shield dissipates a moment later.

"If what you want is pain," Lily calls, "You've called the right woman. I hear you're one of the most powerful of your kind." She glances to Ida next. June after that. There are things she must consider... But she's not a commander, not like Leon. They have themselves handled.

"...That's fine with me." Lily only uses one hand this time, conjuring in an instant a great black-tinged blue lance made of jagged ice and hurling it with magical force to try to punch straight through Harken.

The demons can't sense her strange aura, generally, but those who know Malevolence can.

GS: CRITICAL! Arleph Ardan takes a glancing hit from Yarobeleedt's Lily River for 117 hit points!

GS: Poison and Disease! Statuses applied to Arleph Ardan!

DC: MISS! Lady Harken completely evades Fan the Hammer from Ida Everstead-Rey!

GS: Lily Keil has attacked Lady Harken with Iceflash!

GS: Lily Keil has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Epsilon has posed.

Epsilon doesn't see the next attack coming, as he is flung into the air and then uppercutted on his way down. He falls to the ground before getting back up very slowly. A fierce snarl appears on his face, and he bares his teeth. How could he have once again been so careless...?! This time, he speaks no such words, and he attacks again, this time to poison his target.

GS: Lady Harken guards a hit from Lily Keil's Iceflash for 42 hit points!

GS: Epsilon has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Venom Glow!

GS: Epsilon has completed his action.

GS: Seraph Ragnell takes a glancing hit from Riesenlied's Direct the Strike for 40 hit points!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has activated a Force Action!

GS: Fei Fong Wong guards a hit from Epsilon's Venom Glow for 84 hit points!

GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Fei Fong Wong!

GS: Fei Fong Wong guards a hit from Malfi's Off Your Feet for 82 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Agatha Pyrelight has posed.

The strangely silent crows continue their vigil of the battlefield. Making a sound would probably result in someone being distracted, or at least suspicious. And while there are those who might notice the strange, unnaturally quiet and still fowl among the rocks of the hillside, they are far less likely to attract attention from the immediate battle. 

Agatha on the other hand chortles quietly as she watches the fighting. Ida certainly seemed more confrontational, especially given her condition last time she and Agatha had spoken. And Lily... oh, there was certainly rage and anger there. The sort of emotion that malevolence could take root upon and grow nicely. Of course, this one hand potential as well. Mindless, simple Hellions were a dime a dozen. The rare example of one that maintained its human self and ego in the process... well that was worth working on. 

And of course, poor Riesenlied. Agatha wondered how many sacrifices the dragon girl would be willing to make to protest herself? More and more interesting... in the end, she might also be worth making into a project. If only to see how far towards the edge you could push a Metal Demon... 

The others of course were interesting. The raw aggression and lust for battle from the Quarter Knight had potential, but none of the other Metal Demons were receptive to malevolence. Would this woman respond as had the others...?

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

Riesenlied has called for reinforcements.

She is hoping for her comrades in arms. For her well-disciplined, finely-honed forces to arrive on the wings of dragons.

These have not come.

Yet.

But there is still someone here. Someone else. Someone nobody asked for, and yet someone everyone needs...!

A shadow stands astride the Enormous Doom Cannon. A scarf flutters majestically in the breeze. His arms are crossed, his mossy-green hair stirs as the wind blows on by. He is carrying... Salvation?

No.

That's a paper bag.

"RIESENLIED WHAT THE HELL!?" Zed... Yells. "I go into town for like half a day and a war starts without me!? Bah. Bah, I say!" Zed... Leaps! His hand reaches into that paper bag, and vanishes in a FLURRY OF MOTION. "WHATEVER. HERE, I GOT YOU GUYS SOMETHING!"

Like darts flung through the air, like lightningbolts descending from the sky, they come, wrapped in wax paper. Churros. Churros rain from the sky, some end up sailing towards Riesenlied, others towards the mysterious EBON ZERO, and others still backflip into Zed's gaping mouth. "MMF, THFF'RE S'GFFFFF--"

Zed draws his sword.

He descends... Right on top of Ragnell.

"SRPHR'GN'LL--" Zed pauses, peering at the wiggly lines through the dust. "Hnmmpf, hml'd'nf--" Munch. Munch. Swallow. "Phhah! That stuff is good! SERAPH RAGNELL!" Doom Bringer glimmers in the pale light. Zed smirks. He begins... Spinning!! "I SEE YOU WANT TO DANCE!"

"SO LET'S DAAAANCE!"

(By dance, Zed means 'spin like a top with my sword extended. So in other words, like some kind of terrible Beyblade.)

GS: Zed has fully healed himself.

GS: Zed has attacked Seraph Ragnell with Dark Horse - Supreme Tornado!

GS: Zed has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Gnnn..." Fei grunts. He really thought his story about the pig would get them to stop fighting! Barney was the cutest pig in the world and they just shrugged off the TAIL as if it were too TWISTED for them. Fei pauses and rubs his forehead. What's he even thinking here, really.

He gets distracted, his own head jerking towards Lily. He feels bad mojo in that direction but he doesn't know it's from Lily because Weltall isn't facing her. Malfi knocks Weltall onto its face (easier due to its damaged legs than it really ought to be) and Epsilon uses this opportunity to...uh...poison. The robot.

TUTORIAL

WELTALL IS POISONED! THIS CAN BE CLEARED WITH MYSTIC OR CONDITION GREEN! DAMAGE WILL ACCUMULATE OVER THE INCOMING ROUNDS!

Fei looks down at the screen.

WELLTALL IS POISONED!

Fei rubs his eyes and looks again.

WELLTALL IS POISONED!

"Weltall..." He says thoughtfully, remembering his promise to Lily Keil that he will try not to yell at machines and blame them for his problems. Instead he is as patient as he can be. "How is Weltall 'posioned'?"

TUTORIAL

An animated gif of Chu-Chu waddles across the viewscreen and shrugs its adorable shoulders at Fei Fong Wong.

"Ngghh--" Fei says, performing what looks like a giant robot doing capoeira in order to spin kick Epsilon away (the leg passes right over Malfi's head) "I don't have time for this...!" He shouts. "I have to stop that cannon!" Weltall swings its hands back in a strange gesture. Nothing seems to immediately happen and there's no visible lasers there.

GS: Seraph Ragnell takes a glancing hit from Zed's Dark Horse - Supreme Tornado for 47 hit points!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Epsilon with Hazen!

GS: Fei Fong Wong takes 8 damage from Poison!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.

GS: Epsilon takes a solid hit from Fei Fong Wong's Hazen for 133 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.

The advance of the armored demon is stymied, at least, as one shot impacts with a rounded pauldron - the shape directs a lot of the force behind the bullet up and away, but does at least jerk the figure backwards, before another clips her ankle and sends her stumbling back a few paces.

It gives her time, as she digs her plank-like blade into the ground, to assess the look on the Drifter's face - and that seems to make her hesitate all over again. Noeline likes humans, damn it, and likes Matilda for that matter, and-- and driving people to fear isn't going to help the Ebony Wings' cause any more than Berserk using their name to suddenly join their number.

A sudden field of energy blossoms out as part of the blade's internal systems activate, the aura around the figure's armor strengthening. For just an instant, her communications cut - purposefully, but at the same time nothing new in such a chaotic melee as this one."

"I don't want to hurt you," the figure promises quietly while they're down. "But I can't let you keep firing." Her blade flicks up a moment later, held one-handed towards Matilda - but with ample space to allow the girl to run. Or, y'know, fire. If that's your thing.

GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Ebon Zero with Tech Training!

GS: Ebon Zero has completed her action.

GS: Ebon Zero takes a solid hit from Ebon Zero's Tech Training for 0 hit points!

GS: Shield! Statuses applied to Ebon Zero!

<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.

Malfi draws deeply on her internal batteries, charging her lance with electricity. Maybe Orca is more vulnerable in this position! She aims for any reachable spot that looks like it includes a circuit board, and the control panel if she can spot it. Maybe she can short the whole thing out!

GS: Malfi has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Power Surge!

GS: Malfi has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Epsilon has posed.

The poison seems to have been successfully inflicted upon Fei and his gear, but the kick swiftly comes towards the demon and he is knocked on the ground again before he slowly gets up again...a bit slower than last time. Epsilon is almost done for, and the pain he feels assures him of the fact. As he struggles to stand on his feet, the Steel Panther's eyes start flashing as he sets his sight on Weltall to lower his defenses.

And Zed has just arrived... That careless lunatic...

GS: Epsilon has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Panther Gaze!

GS: Epsilon has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

 Did you ever get indigestions by tasting an alien water? Probably not. Nobody here's actually been on an alien planet. Trust me. It's painful. 

 This is something similar that Arleph si feeling when the barbs bites into his fragile, mortal human flesh. The ichor digs into his bloostream, making the mage stumble back with a low grunt at his sides. Right, near his stomach. By the sensation of it, Arleph, thinks, he should be fine in a few moments, or if he could cast himself a spell to make it go away. Unfortunately... this thing does not leave him a choice to do that. Besides, there is the weapon to think about. Maybe he can do something about both? 

 For the record, yes, Arleph turns into a paler shade of his metis, tanned skin, 

 Besides, the Yellow Monster's rambling does gives some insight, even if it makes little sense. A Mother is involved. They think the Planet's not for Humans. Fine. Maybe it's not. The way he repeats Mother and Mother that... Hm. Ants. A plan forms in his mind. Maybe he CAN do something about both with his ressources at his disposal. 

 "You... remind me of a first generation of an ant queen's progeny." Arleph mutters, a white gloved hand stained with his blood, pooling his willpower, ignoring the cramp in his body, trying to resist the pain. "Malnurished, not quite well-formed and forced to gather out food for the second generation, which will be far better off. Then, ripped apart for scraps for the fully formed ants." Arleph's hands weaves, his fingers smearing his blood over his fingers. He can use this. He can use this fine. One hand spins into a demi-circle, going upward, while the second one does the same, mirrored, with one edge touching one another, creating a sort of half-infinity symbol in mid-air. He wedges one finger between the curves, snapping them off. The emptiness of the curve fills up with a large blade, stained by the red of his blood. 

 Both are then unceremoniusly flung at Yaro. It is to be noted, one will be severly off target, spinning out behind them and soaring into the air and, if everything goes well, soars up in the sky in the direction of the base... and stay up there, floating, with a faint string of energy connecting it to Arleph. 

 Growing, stretching out as power is diverted into it. 

 As for the other blade... Well, that's entierly up to the Metal Demon to avoid the nasty human's sorcery.

GS: Fei Fong Wong has activated a Force Action!

GS: Fei Fong Wong guards a hit from Malfi's Power Surge for 112 hit points!

GS: Malfi takes Cover! She gains 50 temporary hit points!

GS: Malfi drains Fei Fong Wong! Malfi gains 162 temporary hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.

Harken, damn her eyes, has the villainously graceful stance down to a science as she stands with one foot in front of the other and her scythe held behind her, perpendicular to her back. That perfect kind of taking-your-turn stance a boss is meant to stand in while the party scramble for elixirs and combo spells. In this moment, it's possible that she's actually listening to the radio chatter in the background and ruminating on the present commander's failures. It's possible that she's leaving him to wallow in his own mess as an example of what success does not, in fact, look like.

It's also possible that Harken is paying it no mind whatsoever, having found her battle for the day. Her fight. A chance to clash with Filgaia's defenders--nevermind the problematic assumption of All Humans = One Group, okay. "You're wasting your breath on apologies," she cuts Ida off with a forceful rebuttal, though hardly an angry one. "If it's my approval you want, continue to prove yourself to me. You've survived once already--more than most of your kind can boast."

Demon-forged steel flickers through the air in a ghostly arc of brilliance before Ida's first gunshot. "But you're hesitating." Harken sounds bitterly disappointed. The bullet strikes the great and terrible blade of her weapon, deflected with a stroke of movement too quick to follow. "Pathetic!" The scythe makes a hollow, horrible noise somewhere between a ghostly wail and a helicopter's rotor whenever it's swung, Gods, it's unnerving.

Multiple assailants converge on the Quarter Knight, in the wake of the first shot. Harken fixes Lily with her frigid blue gaze, not even looking at the second and third bullets as she deflects them with her improbable weapon. "You should keep an open mind about your enemies, you fool. Worse things than I are waiting for you Humans yet." By now, the polearm in the Knight's hand is whirling about with terrifying celerity. She steps /forward/ into the jagged blast of magical ice, meeting it with her scythe just as she did the bullets from Ida's ARM. It's not as clean a deflection: the attack shatters and showers the Demon with a thousand-odd fragmented shards of razor-sharp magical ice, but it definitely beats being impaled cleanly. "But I'll entertain your notion for a little while longer."

The last bullet from Ida's weapon whips past Harken at a hell of a speed, the Demon having given it the ultimate insult of stepping out of the way. In similar, forlorn fashion, June's boot tumbles out of frame. But it's not a sacrifice made in vain: the Cut Branch style's ultimate weapon on the 2D plane (today, at least) is unveiled. The Dive Kick.

June's unusual angle of approach and hidden prosthetic shotgun serves her well. The Demon raises her off-hand to block the attack, at the very last second, but only to block the kick. The resulting shotgun blast, in stereo, /and/ in combination with everyone else's efforts, staggers the Quarter Knight insofar as she has to take a step backwards and shield herself with her cloak, a defeaning *CLANG* ringing out as hundreds of pellets slap into metal plate.

June even springs free and lands behind Harken. It's a full success! Except that the Quarter Knight's form becomes slightly blurry and indistinct as she winds back with her scythe, as if preparing for a homerun-hit.

"Good! Amuse me for just a little longer, show me what this damnable planet means to you! Show me a real battle!"

It's not so much a request, as it is a command. Riddled with pellets, magical ice and bullets as she is, the blurry form of Harken seems to split into three distinct ghostly images and each one leaps for Ida, June, and Lily with scythe raised high to strike! Which one is real!? 

                         Trick question: all three.

GS: Fei Fong Wong guards a hit from Epsilon's Panther Gaze for 0 hit points!

GS: Break and Shieldbreak! Statuses applied to Fei Fong Wong!

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

What do you mean, 'attempts' to cheer on Cecilia? Ragnell is /damn/ good at cheering squishy dumb humans on, she'll have you know! "Man, why aren't you here with your bodyguard from before, anyway?" she complains. She shoots another frown towards the slowly charging cannon. "You'll need to turn up the heat at this rate, Princess! Let me give you a hand there!"

Again, the glyph of a Seraphic arte surges up around at Ragnell's feet; however, rather than raining lightning down upon Gylfi's head, it sends an energizing thunderbolt crawling up Cecilia, healing her wounds, and strengthening her attacks. "Life Surge!" she calls as the arte completes.

And from there, Ragnell would proceed onto the attack, except now she has not just one but *two* Metal Demons on her tail... metaphorically speaking. She has to duck down again for cover, though this time she isn't fast enough to avoid getting clipped by a few bullets, as the demons start spraying the area around her. /Damn, Riesenlied isn't kiddin' around, is she?/ she thinks, eyes narrowed, as the grenades get thrown her way. And then, from above... Zed descends, sword-first. Ragnell manages to evade *that* strike, but she's still hedged in by the explosions, blinking wide at Zed's sudden churro-ful appearance. And then she... laughs, dancing and evading as best she can as he starts spinning at her blade-first.

"Well hell, Zed, I *did* wanna dance!" she crows as that blade nonetheless slashes her on a few passes. Once she has a bit more space to work with, she'll go on the offensive--and the moment the grenade explosions die down, she'll be retreating into the dust cloud for cover, even as she calls, "And better you than Commander Dipshit over there!! BOY is he a boring asshole!! Why d'you people even let losers like him take charge?!"

GS: Seraph Ragnell has attacked Cecilia Adlehyde with Life Surge!

GS: Seraph Ragnell has completed her action.

GS: Lady Harken has attacked Lily Keil with Azrael - Reaper Slice!

GS: Lady Harken has attacked June Lim Ze with Azrael - Reaper Slice!

GS: Lady Harken has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Azrael - Reaper Slice!

GS: Lady Harken has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

That... actually does give Matilda pause, if only for a moment. She hadn't expected a Metal Demon to be so -- kind? Insistent /on/ kindness? Something, at any rate. She takes a breath, looking Ebon Zero over, trying to assess the monster(?) that stands before her.

"... Is that so?" She cants her head just slightly to one side, wondering if she can take this offered chance to escape seriously. "You know, of course, that I would love to believe you... and that I'd like nothing more than to leave with my body intact. But..."

Freischütz comes up, and Matilda begins loading it, painstakingly, with individual bullets. Her expression is only sad for an instant -- most of what's there, in the end, is cold steel. "... I can't allow you to fire, either," she notes, gesturing oh-so-slightly toward the enormous cannon with her weapon.

She takes slow, even steps back, firing one bullet with each step as she hopes to gain separation. "... I would like, some day," she says, over the din of gunfire, "to live in a world where mutually exclusive desires did not end only in bloodshed. Perhaps Filgaia will never be that world after all..."

GS: Matilda Whitehead has attacked Ebon Zero with Seven Bullets!

GS: Matilda Whitehead has completed her action.

GS: Lily Keil guards a hit from Lady Harken's Azrael - Reaper Slice for 88 hit points!

GS: Arleph Ardan has attacked Yarobeleedt with Bloodstained Aqua Cutters!

GS: Arleph Ardan takes 7 damage from Poison!

GS: Arleph Ardan has completed his action.

GS: Yarobeleedt has activated a Force Action!

GS: Yarobeleedt critically Guards a hit from Arleph Ardan's Bloodstained Aqua Cutters for 17 hit points!

GS: June Lim Ze takes a glancing hit from Lady Harken's Azrael - Reaper Slice for 72 hit points!

DC: MISS! Ida Everstead-Rey completely evades Azrael - Reaper Slice from Lady Harken!

GS: Ebon Zero takes a solid hit from Matilda Whitehead's Seven Bullets for 148 hit points!

GS: Hyper! Statuses applied to Cecilia Adlehyde!

GS: Seraph Ragnell heals Cecilia Adlehyde! She gains 100 temporary hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

"Yarobeleedt is not a bug!!! That bugs me!" So says the naga-slug-whatever-the-hell you want to call Yarobeleedt, angrily gnasing his... teeth?... at Arleph's dress-down of his psychology. "Best generation! Better than ^Tainted^!! Better than ^Metal Beast^!! Better than ^Silly Greenhead^!! Better than ^Wet Bandit^!!" He waves about those weapon arms in a threatening manner. 

This stops when Arleph starts casting again, and his behavior makes for a complete and total one-eighty as those arms half-form into poorly-shaped sharp edges as though aborting their transformation into any remarkable weapons as he starts to hide his face. "So blight!! So shine. Make dim. No no no. Nononono. Do not wetten--!"
MEANWHILE! Zed stylishly tosses about churros for everyone of his kin. Even for Yarobeleedt, far removed from the primary focus of battle... that is how much he cares (and how much of a cool dude he is, look at that sick spin and angle!).
BACK TO ARLEPH AND A YELLOW-BELLIED CREATURE! Yarobeleedt screeches as he backs away from the Symbologist, slithering backwards to put distance between himself and the calm, analytical professor of Symbology. A churro casts an ominous shadow as it approaches, descending like the dropping of a bird in flight...!
It bounces off of Yarobeleedt's cracked dome top, spiraling and spinning into the air as its cinnamony goodness glistens underneath the sky like a heaven-sent goodie, spinning and flying towards Arleph's grasp...!
Looks like Arleph just got a free power-up, inadverdently courtesy of Zed, if he can catch it fast enough before it hits the ground. (Unless Arleph believes in the five second rule, in which he can take all the time he needs to pick it up.)
Yarobeleedt, back turned, shakes and quakes and quivers and shivers with both of his arms having formed wide, board-like paddles over himself while one of the water cutters noisily splatters against said forearms, spraying water /everywhere/.
Arleph can easily sneak in that snack to fuel his secondary water blade effort a ways away! (His body might make him throw it up as it tries to purge the ickiness running through his circulatory system but that just means he gets to taste it twice, which is awesome!!!)

GS: Yarobeleedt has attacked Arleph Ardan with Inadverdent Churro Power-Up!!

GS: Yarobeleedt has completed its action.

GS: Arleph Ardan takes a solid hit from Yarobeleedt's Inadverdent Churro Power-Up! for 0 hit points!

GS: Reload! Arleph Ardan gains 15 extra FP from Yarobeleedt!

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

Ida's clearly going to have to work on the whole 'sarcasm' thing, especially doing it while under pressure.

June yells at her to grab her hand, and Ida does as she's told--she reaches out, letting the other martial artist use her as a pivot point. Their eyes meet for a moment, and Ida's look is unmistakable. She's impressed. Harken is quick to remind her what's at stake, though, and a mixture of fear and frustration grip Ida's heart. As Agatha will note, she's more confrontational--but she knows she's outmatched, and she's scared.

Ida dives to the side, rolls, and comes up on a knee behind a pile of sandbags, her heart hammering against her ribs. She reaches down, pulls her speedloader out of its case, and slams six bullets home in a single, swift motion. The loader goes back into its pouch, and Ida pops back out, mostly to see if June and Lily are still alive. A quick glance up in the cannon's direction reveals work crews still moving around it. Damnation, Ida thinks.

"I suppose polite conversation is out of the question, then," Ida says. She sounds a lot calmer than she feels. Holstering her revolver for later, she darts out from behind her cover just as Harken makes her move. Ida's seen exactly what that guillotine blade can do. For a heartbeat, she stops in her tracks, Harken looming over her--the scythe about to fall on her. Ida's hand vanishes in a flicker of motion.

Then, quite suddenly, she's holding a gun--a certain gun that Harken has seen before, the one with the demonbone barrel. She fires a single shot at Azrael's blade, and in that same motion, leaps to the side. First, give Harken something she needs to brace against, then dodge. That's the theory.

Somehow, it works. Harken's scythe cuts a long gash in the back of Ida's poncho, and she can /feel/ the malice radiating off the blade as it passes by. There's another moment there as Ida's eyes meet Harken's, and somehow, Ida manages to be the picture of calm, sophisticated menace. "Very well. I'm new to this whole uncivilized threat business, but perhaps I could threaten to strip you for parts? Would that work?" She levels the gun at Harken's chest and fires again, sending a slug racing at center-mass. Then... she takes off running, sprinting towards the unfolding battle. Harken's going to have to chase her if she wants to continue this.

GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Lady Harken with Devil's Draw!

GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.

At the very least, Ebon Zero seems to allow Matilda to fire at /her/, bracing behind her blade as she practically offers Matilda the free space to. Is it fine, so long as she's the one under attack? It seems a rather inefficient way to go about it - but perhaps that's how Noeline prefers it, stripping away all the awkward questions about which demons she does and doesn't want to protect and restricting any consequences to her and her alone.

Most of the bullets ricochet off her sword, twisted so as to intercept their path - but the last shot punctures the armor at her shoulder, making the figure let out an irritated hiss of actual pain. The demon jerks back as silvery blood leaks from her limb, wrenching the sword out of the ground as she apparently decides enough is enough.

"You're the one drawing blood here," she mutters - though the helmet does turn towards the cannon, with a deeply disapproving 'tch' of noise. Moral ambiguities aside, it's a damn good point and Noeline knows it. God damn it, Gylfi.

Her sword wrenches from the ground all of a sudden, as she apparently decides enough is enough - and seeks to close the distance all over again, intent on at least crowding the sniper out of any business around the cannon, harrying her towards the edges of the battlefield. A sudden dash draws her in closer, before that hunk of metal comes crashing down - aimed at the barrel of the Freischutz more than at Matilda.

GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Matilda Whitehead with Tricolor Order!

GS: Ebon Zero has completed her action.

GS: Matilda Whitehead takes a solid hit from Ebon Zero's Tricolor Order for 144 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> June Lim Ze has posed.

She's so fast, June thinks as that scythe moves. Her eyes widen as she is barely landed before that incoming attack and the commanding word comes to her. The image technique she's using --

Why are Metal Demons also martial artists!?

June has no good answer to this. She is faced with larger problems. She twists around and throws herself forwards, underneath the incoming scythe strike - which does in fact hit, running a hot bloody streak along her upper arm, which is fortunately(?) the one that's already messed up, making a strap go POP which is going to be a problem later -

But it's with her other hand that June twists and aims a plate-twisting grasp at the back of Harken's armor! As she hoists herself up, she says, "So what gives you the right to demand people prove themselves, huh!? Just cause you're strong?!"

Then she aims a full-force punch at the back of Lady Harken's head and at the same time leaps back - off her back, in fact. After landing from that, she sees Ida is running - curses - and pursues! This may baffle Lady Harken, or perhaps not.

GS: June Lim Ze has attacked Lady Harken with One Fang or Two Sting!

GS: June Lim Ze has completed her action.

GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Devil's Draw for 148 hit points!

GS: Lady Harken enters CONDITION GREEN!!

GS: Lady Harken guards a hit from June Lim Ze's One Fang or Two Sting for 61 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

Churros rain down from heaven. This is something out of some kind of scripture somewhere in Filgaia. Something about a mystical bird, or perhaps a bee, of delicious foods distributing its bounty across the land. That is not today. Today, Zed is the distributor of churro. He is also the distributor of advice. And swordage.

"Ahahahaha! Good!" Zed roars with laughter as his sword slices through empty air, but succeeds in forcing Ragnell back into places that are probably not too pleasant to be in right just now. "I have much experience dancing, you know. More than most of my fellows! More than Epsilon and more than Sieg, but MAYBE NOT more than Riesenlied and definitely not more than Noeline. BUT I HAVE SOME!" Zed darts forward. Then back. Then performs some kind of rolling forward strong p--

Oh. No. Wait. That's a hadouken.

Like, literally a hadouken, coming out of his sword.

"It was a sultry night in the forest!" Zed yells over the din of the fight as his PURPLE SHOCKWAVE blasts downrange. "There was a PHENOMENALLY BUSTY WITCH. It was terrifying! But this time I have my sword, and it's a fight, so I am WAY MORE COMFORTABLE."

"I CONSENT ENTIRELY TO THIS DANCE, SERAPH RAGNELL."

Beat.

Epsilon feels Zed's dread gaze upon him.

"EPSILON," Zed roars. "YOU WANT TO DODGE THE ROBOT'S FEET WHEN IT KICKS."

Thanks Zed

GS: Zed has attacked Seraph Ragnell with ZEDDER SHOCKWAVE!

GS: Zed has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Rage and anger are there, bubbling beneath the surface morso than Lily expected. She's put in mind of the battlefields of Adlehyde proper as they all move. Again her gaze flickers between Ida and Harken as she watches movements too fast for her to see. But her own magic moves.

"Good," Lily answers Harken's warning, though her heart seizes as at least part of her remembers fear against this incredible opponent. Her ice gets through... But only partially.

"I need to practice killing things like that," she says, setting her jaw as she watches June strike next. It's quite the movement, a technique she doesn't know yet. But Harken talks about amusement. Harken moves--

"Tch--" The images rush, and one for her slashes downward. A black aura pulses around the sorceress to sap some of the force and sharpness of the blow, but even so Lily stumbles back bloody, red gashed down her white blouse and pain almost delayed as she moves. "...Did you expect polite conversation?" Lily snaps over at Ida. But they're all working, all working...

Ida's running? "What?" June runs after her. Lily's eyes flicker around and upward and she spots--Ah. The cannon, in that direction.

"I'd offer you information... But you /are/ the enemy. So instead," Lily snaps out her arm and in violet, crackling light bursts into being a huge sword made entirely of darkness that hurts to look at. She charges straight for Harken, seeking to duck under the scythe and /hack/ at her horizontally with her greatsword.

She doesn't bother finishing her sentence except to say, "From the Black Wolves!" Instead, she takes off running after the others.

GS: Lily Keil has attacked Lady Harken with Black Wolf's Claw!

GS: Lily Keil has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Let's see, now how did Crest Sorcery practice go?

'Remember, ladies! WHATEVER you do, don't allow an overstuffed, aggressive pig of a man put his stick in you!'

Oh, right.

Well, this time it's not the stick, at least, though Cecilia continues to not move much in response. The earth upturns and sends her flying ass over teakettle, slamming hard into the ground on her back. She lies there, winded. Everything hurts. This is not how this is supposed to go. She was picturing....heroic lines of battle. People struggling together to defend this town from a horrible weapon! Not...this!

Ragnell is in fact better at this than Cecilia is giving her credit for. "Jack had a prior engagement," she mutters. 'Prior Engagement' being a euphemism for 'hared off to some hellhole and she couldn't find him.' Or anyone, actually, which is not really a great way to start out her adventuring career. Still...she can feel the air. The energy...it's so close...

She looks up at Gylfi, and...what is there more for her to say? She sucks in a breath, her flesh knitting some with Ragnell's offer, her power growing. Maybe she can just about do this. She throws her staff forward again, and another crest reveals itself, Muse and Wing emblems fusing together and releasing a blast of lightning that scathes agross Gylfi's form. All she can really try to do is daze him for now, but...

Just a little bit more...!

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde has attacked Riesenlied with Inspire!

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda is pushed back, back, back -- and in all her backpedaling, she eventually stumbles. Freischütz's barrel is clipped just the littlest bit; it sparks in a way that would be unnatural for a typical ARM. If there were ever any doubt of its truly ancient origin, what's happening now would put it to rest. Of course, Matilda's stumble means that some of that slash gets her, too -- and unlike the first, this one bites /through/ armor and draws blood.

"Attempting to prevent me from engaging your commander or his cannon is, in the long run, just as much about drawing blood as if you were to burn their fields and salt the earth yourself," Matilda hisses from the ground, scrambling away. "This hesitation of yours... it's not something weak people like us are allowed to have!"

Hastily shoving rocks, glass, and shards of her damaged armor into Freischütz -- whatever she can get her hands on, really -- she redoubles her efforts, though she doesn't have enough actual bullets on hand to open up on Noeline in quite the same way again -- nor is she certain she'd want to risk it with a slighty damaged ARM. She can sure spray random garbage from Freischütz's clipped barrel and pray, though.

GS: Matilda Whitehead has activated a Force Action!

GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Cecilia Adlehyde's Inspire for 95 hit points!

GS: Matilda Whitehead has attacked Ebon Zero with Holding The Trigger!

GS: Matilda Whitehead has completed her action.

DC: MISS! Seraph Ragnell completely evades ZEDDER SHOCKWAVE from Zed!

<Pose Tracker> Agatha Pyrelight has posed.

In the distance, Agatha quirks her lip slightly. And she makes a note that she should probably set Zed on fire at some point, juts because his reaction to THAT would also be extremely amusing. Their 'dance' certainly seemed to have left a lasting impression, and next time she'd have to make sure that he was more than just uncomfortable afterwards. 

Nearby to where Zed and Ragnell are facing off, a raven caws in an uproarious manner. It's hard to say, because it is just a bird and all, but... is it laughing at him? Or with him? 

Still the major of Agatha's attention is elsewhere, as she watches this lovely little swirling melee with Lady Harken and some of her objects of interest. Ida seemed to be pushing herself to be calm - it would be interesting to see if that were a facade, and the panic and fear were simply hidden... or if her emotions were being nibbled away bit by bit, and this calm in the face of such danger was truth rather than mere pretense. 

And Lily... "Come now, sweet Lily. Just fill her with fire. I know you want to - imagine what it would be like to see her burn before you..."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied winces as she hears Zed's yelling, placing a hand to her head for a moment. She presses her hand closer to her throat mic. "Zed, I don't have time to explain right now. We'll have a pick-up in two minutes. Please--"

Her eyes widen as an object comes whizzing out at her, -smashing- through the window of her office and landing square on her lap. It's Odjn, who's looking extra-fat and content and carrying what should've been her share of the churros. But instead, the box is empty, and Odjn's face is guiltily smeared with cinnamon sugar. Burrrrrrp.

"--hang tight until then." She sighs and sets the dragon aside for now. She -- was really looking forward to that cinnamon and apple churro, actually.

She stares towards the emerging source of power hanging in the air, and whatever senses have been honed in Ragnell's wake point her in the direction of Arleph. "Fifth Battalion..." she speaks out by instinct, before-- pausing and staring a bit further at it. No, actually... this will do just fine.

There's a chill in her spine as she realises what she's doing.

Then she hesitates, and opens the channel regardless. "Commander Gylfi, I recommend that we commence tactical retreat. We--"

The shout from the other side of the line is angry indeed. Cecilia can hear him, as he's shouting at the top of his lungs. "SCREW you and your retreat, Riesenlied! You know what it's like to be out here? Revelling in the joy of combat! The glory of war and violence! You'll never understand it, you filthy, third-class pathetic excuse for a--"

-~Kzappppp~-

"You-- you little... you little...!!" Gylfi's eyes are bloodshot -- as bloodshot as a Metal Demon's could be, as he charges headlong at her, as much as a Metal Demon possibly could. There's a furious, defiant roar, and he just about throws herself forward as he attempts to gouge her in a manner none too subtle.

ROUND TRACKER

The shadows of dragons loom from over the mountain range.

Yet, the cannon begins to take on an ominous shine as the depths of its barrel begins to seep ambient motes of light!

4 out of 5 rounds!

DC: Attack Gylfs Gone Wild has been added to slot 13 on Riesenlied's form 4.

GS: Riesenlied has attacked Cecilia Adlehyde with Gylfs Gone Wild!

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde takes a solid hit from Riesenlied's Gylfs Gone Wild for 37 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

TUTORIAL

Don't be mean to Zed, he tries his best.

Fei raps on the tutorial screen a few times with his fists because it's clearly acting wonky. "Doesn't ask me if I'm sure I want to blow up the city, but tells me my robot got poisoned." Fei mutters as energy ripples into Weltall's hands. Weltall doesn't have open circuits for Malfi to jam electricity into but, well, she can just electrocute it fine by putting a current through its armor. The electricity ripples through Weltall and Fei screams in pain as it also transfer into HIM. But the electricity doesn't just transfer into Fei. It also transfers into the power systems of the Gear, effectively overcharging it and it's weapon systems! Meanwhile, Epsilon gives Weltall doe-eyes. A dark curtain weighs on Weltall as its defenses are lowered. DID YOU KNOW that Bart smiling in that cocky way of his lowers Weltall's accuracy as well? Weltall is one of the deadliest gears you could find, a military prototype and all, but it's hardly perfect. It has no defense against the charms of Epsilon and Bart Fatima.

The energy rapidly coalesces into Weltall's hands. It comes not just from Weltall, but from something deep within Fei. He has no more time. He can see the damn thing lighting up to fire. If nothing happens, soon he'll see another town destroyed. How many people call this town home? How many people will lose everything? How much of that dark malevolence will remain from the ash that it leaves? This battle was never really about the demons on the field, it's about one demon. One demon and his overcompensating cannon which as youF might note has three major flaws.

1) It's a huge target. 2) It takes a long time to fire. 3) It is also susceptible to Bart Fatima's charming smile.

Fei swings both arms forward and unleashes a wave of chi energy out from body. Epsilon happens to be in the way, but the energy doesn't really stop with Epsilon. It sloughs past him, not made of solid matter at all but something else entirely--and it erupts forward right towards the deadly but hardly agile super weapon.

TUTORIAL

And remember! The most important rule is to have fun and help everyone else have fun too! The combat system is just a tool to enhance not control roleplay except as a neutral arbiter for how violence shakes out! Don't let it get in the way of a good time and try to respect your opponents because today's opponents might be tommorow's pals...if you aren't pals already! I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! We'll leave you with this message as you learn the intricacies of the combat system and roleplay!

~^.^~ http://imgur.com/lxSd0Ua ~^.^~ GS: Fei Fong Wong has activated a Force Action!

GS: Ebon Zero has activated a Force Action!

GS: Ebon Zero guards a hit from Matilda Whitehead's Holding The Trigger for 55 hit points!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has activated a Force Action!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Epsilon with Guided Shot!

GS: Fei Fong Wong takes 9 damage from Poison!

GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.

DC: MISS! Epsilon completely evades Guided Shot from Fei Fong Wong!

<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.

Malfi is a bit shocked -- no pun intended -- that her attack was so effective. She doesn't know what chi is, and manages to duck as it slams past her. She disengages and goes to check on Epsilon. A Gear can do /that/ kind of damage to a Metal Demon? It's not like Epsilon is Tainted. Once again she draws on her batteries, but this time for /bio/electrical energy, Metal Demon life force. She diverts some right into Epsilon, strengthening him. "You've done enough: get to a medic!" she snaps.

GS: Malfi has attacked Epsilon with Recharge!

GS: Malfi has completed her action.

GS: Malfi heals Epsilon! He gains 100 temporary hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Addendum:

Riesenlied does -- grant herself just a little bit of worry, however, as she turns towards Noeline -- Ebon Zero, and whispers through the radio, "That's enough... Ebon Zero. Please make preparations to return--" her advice is cut off as her eyes widen at the stream of power that's just emerged on through her monitors.

GS: Riesenlied used Mystic on Ebon Zero! 100 Temporary HP gained! All statuses cleared!

GS: Riesenlied has activated a Force Action!

GS: Lady Harken critically Guards a hit from Lily Keil's Black Wolf's Claw for 17 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

 Arleph will have to admit, either it's the haze of what he just got shoved into his bloodstream, or is this monster just is cowering before his own attacks? That's a good idea, honestly. He's not too sure. Whatever. It's getting hard to think clearly, when he's focused on two spells at once. 

 "You /look/ like a bug." Arleph snaps, grunting while his freed hand from the splashed, squashed water does basically nothing against the cowering Metal demon. Fortunately, this little bit of fortune seems to favour him, as this let the other tendril of energy unnoticed. 

 In the sky, floating high, is a small ball of blue light that is condensing up, making a slow, parabolic arc over to the Metal Demon base. It's very easy to notice, if you stare up. IF you stare up. 

 "Not that there's anything wrong with that. I've known some insectoids back in school. Very nice people, with a /rich/ culture." Arleph rambles off, the fever ramping up in his forhead, beads of sweat and basically hanging on to his train of words to not just faint from the pain... and then the churro comes. 

 The Symbologist gives it wide, hungry eyes, uncertain about where that came from with his senses kind of focused on fueling a desperate attempt at stopping a massive cannon. A churro. Churro means sugar. Sugar means energy. Energy means more fuel for this. More fuel for this means bigger boom. Bigger boom means... well. It means a bigger boom. The chain ends there. 

 Arleph rolls down to grab the churro while Yarobeleedt has his back turned and quivers against his spells, shoving the foodstuff into his mouth. The five second rule is hardly a thing when you spent some time on Filgaia. he chews it down, feeling the chugar(get it) rush pushing down. His stomach is going to make him regret it later, sure, but that's a problem for Future Arleph. 

 While the Metal Demon is distracted, he stands back up, his free hand pooling into his other hand. A burst of wind kicks up below him, making his coat billowing as a circle forms into the ground, intricate, circuit-like lines forming by his feet. The lifeline to the spell in the skies grows, doubling, then tripling in size. Arleph's mouth speaks into a deep series of buzzing, quasi-words that echoes, each syllables making another twitch in the air, his clothes snapping in the arcane wind. 

 In the sky, the blob of water triples in size, easily the size of a small, economic car that makes an accelerated crash at the cannon over the wall. Hopefully, he calculated well. Now, for the finishing touch. 

 "YOU SHOULD RETURN TO YOUR OWN BEFORE THEY WONDER WHERE YOU WENT AFTER THIS, METAL DEMON!" Arleph shouts, squeezing his hands around lifeline, shooting one large pulse before shattering it. "AQUARE FRIGORE!" 

 The words means nothing. It's just words. It's just something to focus the follow effect. 

 The ball of water is let loss in the sky, plummeting torward the cannon proper to make a gigantic splash out of everything, making thousands of little bubbles that sneaks into every openings, crevices or circuitry. Then, each little bit of water suddenly expands outward, their center flash freezing then explodes into a shower of horrificaly cold shards, with massive concussive force, like fireworks of ice and water.

GS: Arleph Ardan has attacked Riesenlied with Aqua Frigore!

GS: Arleph Ardan has been weakened by Disease! They take 0 hit points of damage, and burn off their temporary hit points!

GS: Arleph Ardan takes 6 damage from Poison!

GS: Arleph Ardan has completed his action.

GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Arleph Ardan's Aqua Frigore for 175 hit points!

GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Riesenlied!

<Pose Tracker> Epsilon has posed.

Zed's obnoxious shouting doesn't help matters. Epsilon can't really be bothered to shout back at him, though, because he has more important things to worry about.

Once the energy wave comes forth, Epsilon immediately moves to evade Fei's attack, letting it go past him. As Malfi heals him and orders him to get medical attention immediately, the warrior glances back at Fei's gear and retracts his arm-blades before making a move. Not to attack, but to evacuate.

It pains him to flee, but things have become more dire. Besides, he has experienced firsthand the power of a gear. He won't be forgetting the encounter anytime soon...

<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.

Malfi plants herself between Epsilon and Orca, just in case the Gear isn't as disabled as it looks. She watches Orca carefully and tries to monitor Epsilon's progress at the same time. Ida Everstead-Rey (Ida) pages Riesenlied and Lady Harken: harken is, and i do quote, 'chasing (us) into Riesenlied's perv dungeon'

Ida Everstead-Rey (Ida) pages Riesenlied and Lady Harken: 'R--Riesenlied, what are these fuzzy handcuffs for??'

<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.

Most of the makeshift flechette rebounds off the demon's sword, again thrust into the ground as a barrier. "... 'weak'?" mumbles Ebon Zero from around it, as if it were a surprise - and dramatic timing dictates that this is the moment where the sky lights up with the energy from Fei's and his unusual Gear, the light behind her flaring up to encompass the cannon. That isn't all - even Noeline, neophyte as she is, can pick up the buildup of a Guardian's energy, the sensation of a dim voice prickling at the back of her senses.

Duras Drum is a jerk, though, and it's probably just a constant stream of derisive laughter.

Still, the demon stumbles, kind of taken by surprise as Orca displays new capabilities and probably earns itself another checkmark on the file in the Metal Demon's databanks. She turns for a moment, leaving Matilda in the dirt and dust, to watch the impact - and sucks in a slow breath, shaking her head.

Her hand goes to her ear for a moment, closing her eyes as she takes some solace in Riesenlied's voice - then she looks back at the figure on the ground. "... the Ebony Wings want the same," she declares quietly, and only then does she flick her comms back on, turning away.

"Acknowledged. On my way." she reports, bunching before pushing against the ground in a sudden run back towards the camp. After all, she's reasonably confident that Freischutz isn't going to be doing any long-range shooting for a while.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei sees Epsilon fleeing. One of the back armor plates creaks and falls off but Fei has Weltall quickly hold it in place so he still looks intimidating.

Fei sweats profusely as he slowly walks backwards.

TUTORIAL

Oh! Hold L and R to retreat!

"Later..." Fei hisses.

<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.

Despite her lust for battle and the eagerness with which the Quarter Knight toys with her prey, it would be remiss to assume she has in some way lost control to some kind of rage. No, it isn't with a heart full of anger that Harken fights, but with some perverse glee to be embroiled in such a pure experience. To fight is to dance, after all, and with so many partners at once, it demands much from the Demon. And that pleases her. Just... don't think about the dizzying logistics of the three flickering Harken-images recombining back into one whole, just know that it happens, and move on.

"Threaten me with your actions, and not your words." the scarlet-haired warrior with the least functional weapon on the entire battlefield (achievement unlocked!) cautions Ida, perhaps even--lectures her? That tone is not nearly upset enough, honestly. To Ida's credit, too, she appears to take Harken's lesson to heart and draws the accursed weapon that drew the Knight's ire atop the roof of Adlehyde Castle the last time they met. The taunt is ineffective, but the gunshot...

... strikes Lady Harken in the midsection with a noise like a truck being thrown into an industrial shredder. It's really hard to tell if it actually managed to penetrate her armour or if she's just stalled by the force of the bullet's impact, but the calm smile on her face that spreads is telling. "And so you rely on a demon to kill a demon, once again... but that's good. You're serious about it." the quizzically bemused warrior quips, righting herself from the blow just as June takes advantage of the moment's hesitation to let fly with a F,D,DF+HP at the stunned Quarter Knight's skull. Is it one of June's prosthetics, or is it flesh and bone that strikes home? Because while it is a good blow, it is not nearly as lethal as it ought to be. It feels like the woman's neck and skull are made of something harder than steel!

"Because you /must/ prove yourselves strong," the scarlet-clad executioner corrects June, not even sounding concussed. This is a little disingenuous: her vision swims a little, and she feels elation at withstanding such a blow. But she has a reputation to uphold, as a psychopath who loves violence. "Your cities fall, your heroes and kings die. You must become stronger, or perish in battle."

Now /Lily/, on the other hand, has been busy in the meantime. As Ida and June make for the hills, the Black Wolf herself has been preparing something special. And Harken can sniff that out, eyes of cold cobalt fixing quickly upon the other woman as she whirls to face her in a storm of cloak and steel. "Now /you/," she addresses Lily with a voice rich with amusement. Maybe even a little respect. "Understand me completely. Show me your blade, human, and tell me your name!"

Rather than wait for Lily to meet her and parry like a sane person, Harken laughs merrily and surges forward towards the Black Wolf with an equally suicidal charge. The scythe, Azrael, glimmers with a crimson hunger that suggests a similarly dark and horrible nature to the crackling black energies of Lily's own magics. It leaves bloody trails of light in the air as it moves, and the two warriors clash midair with a great and furious shower of sparks, as Harken forces the issue on Lily. For a moment in time, they hang there, face-to-face, locked in a dramatic struggle, wreathed in black flames and crimson arcs of power. "Very good."

They do, eventually, flash past each other--after all, Lily must give chase to Ida and June. And Harken must give chase, eager to see how long her prey can last. How far can she push these humans? What are they capable of? Can they dodge the literal arcs of weaponized fighting force that rip through the air after them in glowing grescent gales of blue and black? Will Claude C. Kenny file a DMCA takedown for someone spamming Air Slash, which is his only strategy?

GS: Lady Harken has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Fast Draw - Speed Fang!

GS: Lady Harken has attacked June Lim Ze with Fast Draw - Speed Fang!

GS: Lady Harken has attacked Lily Keil with Azrael - Guillotine!

GS: Lady Harken has completed her action.

GS: June Lim Ze takes a solid hit from Lady Harken's Fast Draw - Speed Fang for 122 hit points!

GS: CRITICAL! Lily Keil takes a solid hit from Lady Harken's Azrael - Guillotine for 267 hit points!

GS: Poison and Cripple! Statuses applied to Lily Keil!

<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.

Malfi watches the Gear slowly retreat. She does not pursue. She waits, hoping it's not equipped with ARMS, lasers, or other distance weapons. Once it's retreated enough to satisfy her, she capers after Epsilon, just in case he needs assistance. She can carry him if necessary! Of course, she'll retract the spikes on her "armor" first... She's going to be insufferable for the next week or so, boasting about how she single-handedly defeated a Gear...yeah, Epsilon helped a little, you know?

DC: MISS! Ida Everstead-Rey completely evades Fast Draw - Speed Fang from Lady Harken!

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

"You sound like a, a, a squished! Squishy squish!!" That's an awful comeback from a Metal Demon who looks more like a Metal Lemon just waiting to be squeezed into Metal Lemonade, as one arm starts to swat at the remains of the cutter that's been trying to carve away at him, allowing one of those googly eyes to peek back out at the Symbologist. 

"Wealthy bacteria is nothing before Metal Demon!!!" That is absolutely not what Arleph was talking about, but, that could just be another thing lost to the Agetec translation job... as he sees Arleph munch up the churro. "What? What is in mouth? See garlic?! But not smoke? Chew???"
He seems flabbergasted. Where did that come from? However, there comes a new concern as the lights and symbols intensify under the sorcerous craftsmanship of one of the better Symbologists of their era, Arleph putting his schooling and experience to devastating work as he barks out a challenge, a great huge blob of water dripping above Yarobeleedt ominously.
He looks up.
He looks down. Up! Down. Up! Down. Left? Up! Behind. Down. Up. Down.
"A care of fry gore?! No no no no no no!!" Intimidated, the bugging-out bug of a snake thing slithers with a speed that - were he coming /at/ Arleph - might be cause for concern. Boy, that Yarobeleedt is fast! He gibbers more incoherent syllables as one arm waves uselessly in the air for any stray bubbles and liquids that, by and large, don't actually come at him.
And so, Yarobeleedt undulates off to parts unimportant, his... tail between his... tail? That turn of phrase really doesn't work with him, but, the sentiment should be clear enough.
Inwardly, he clamors for all sorts of awful things he can and will and should and is about to do to Arleph, but it is through only the lens of hindsight and regret as the Metal Demon equivalent of adrenaline triggers that flight or supersonic mach flight reflex so deeply ingrained in him.
He's not running away from a human! He's repositioning for a better strike! ...Far away! From very far away! That... that he'll rush back towards when he sees an opening... some other time... much later!
Way later!!
Arleph could conceivably follow, as there's this thin slimy trail behind him, but it eventually terminates into a collapsed tunnel.


<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

"Noeline?" Ragnell echoes, raising an eyebrow. Wasn't she a Crimson Noble? Riesenlied as much as said so--is Zed counting her as an honorary 'fellow'? Though she sure would have more dancing experience than Zed, Ragnell's sure. She arcs to one side, light on her feet, laughing--even when a blast of energy erupts from Zed's blade in a concussive wave. Ragnell *leaps* up, evading it entirely, and lands a respectable distance away, grinning. "ZED, I'M GLAD YOU'RE COMFORTABLE AN' ALL, BUT YOU INITIATED THE DANCE, SO I SHOULD DAMN WELL HOPE YOU CONSENT TO SOMETHIN' YOU STARTED!"

Though in fact there is such a thing as continuous consent and it's entirely possible to withdraw consent partway through an encounter even if you're the one who initiated it, but baby steps. Ragnell has a feeling that if she tried to explain that now, his head would overheat.

Though there's something more important than that right now. Ragnell glances again towards the cannon as it seems almost near completion in charging--right before Arleph sends a massive globe of water to consume and pierce through it, and Fei sends a rockets its way. The Seraph smirks, relaxing a little bit, and focuses back on Zed. Well, hey; the last time they met, she *did* say she wanted to fight him. She lifts up an arm again as she concentrates, and golden light shimmers up at her feet, another Seraphic arte glyph materializing and knitting together the elemental forces that Ragnell embodies into a real and very powerful attack. "Blade of heaven's will, pierce mine enemies!" A glyph then appears beneath Zed's feet and over his head, and if he's not quick enough to evade it, it begins to rain down bolts of lightning in a circle around him-- "DIVINE SABER!" --before finalizing in several large bolts striking repeatedly from the center.

"Hope you got enough oomph to take care o' things, Princess," she mutters under her breath, success or failure.

GS: Seraph Ragnell has attacked Zed with Divine Saber!

GS: Seraph Ragnell has completed her action.

GS: Yarobeleedt has attacked Yarobeleedt with Run Away!!

GS: Yarobeleedt has completed its action.

GS: Yarobeleedt takes a solid hit from Yarobeleedt's Run Away! for 0 hit points!

GS: Zed takes a glancing hit from Seraph Ragnell's Divine Saber for 80 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Riesenlied, Cecilia thinks. That name again. He's screaming it - ranged communication, somehow? Doesn't the Meria Boule army have something like that--

Oh. Oh he's real mad now. She shrills as he comes at her, hoping her barrier will defend her - but no such luck, as the demon lance stops only barely short of her, her magic shield conveying the energy to her, sending her tumbling back once again. But this one isn't quite as bad; more erratic, less controlled, energy dispersed more easily. Somehow...she remembers the way Riesenlied carries herself. The look on Noeline's face. She holds no special fondness for either, not really, but...

The way this demon screams at Riesenlied, at his own kind, abuses the very people who serve him, sets her blood afire. Muse energy, slowly pulled into the area by Cecilia, starts to sparkle in the air. She opens her eyes and stares at him. "One woman can't give you a war," she says, quietly, and holds forth her staff. "But I can push you out of this place. I'll ruin you, your wretched camp and your horrid cannon! I will wash you away!"

She closes her eyes, drawing in air that seems fresher somehow. And from somewhere on her person, a stone tablet floats of its own accord; floating around her like a ship at sea, drifting upward like an inverse whirlpool, rising up until it hangs above her in the air, pulsing with Muse energy. "Guardian of the Waters," she breathes, in prayer. "Before me is one who defiles your rivers and darkens your seas. Come before me, and show him the power of your waves!"

Her eyes flash open. The Medium begins to brighten, a light internal but not its own. "MATERIAL!" 

                              "ASSAULT TIDE!"

The Aqua Wisp Medium explodes in light, and Cecilia seems to flicker and vanish - but a moment later a titan emerges; a massive tortoise the size of two homes, standing on four legs. It shrieks, but it is the sound of roaring waterfalls, as the ground around them suddenly and entirely floods - and then rises up. Like tsunami waves they rise, crashing against Gylfi, crashing against his followers, even splashing over to Zed and crashing against Gyfri's cannon. Magic water, washing away the enemy like a divine flood. Which is, in the end, precisely what it is.

Soon, Schturdark releases a final scream like roaring rapids, and slowly fades away; and there remains Cecilia, huffing from exertion. The Medium falls from the air. ...She scrambles to catch it.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Ebon Zero starts to retreat, and Matilda... lets her. She's very tempted to try to put the mystery demon down with more finality -- but by the time she's reloaded, the Demon is just a little too far gone for her to be confident in a snapshot, especially with the bright light of Weltall.

She brings an arm up to shield her eyes, using the other to hold Freischütz at her side and move hastily to one side. Once she's gotten herself to a comparatively stable position, she sets the gun in front of her, looking the damage over. It's... honestly worse than she'd expected -- she knows it'll still fire, but the accuracy is shot, and she'll have to find a top-quality ARMsmeister to take a peek sooner than later.

She's momentarily at a loss for how to react. She settles for scowling and hoping that the assembled forces of Filgaia can turn the tide of battle.

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde has activated a Force Action!

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde has attacked Riesenlied with Material - Assault Tide!

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde has attacked Zed with Material - Assault Tide!

GS: Cecilia Adlehyde has completed her action.

GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Cecilia Adlehyde's Material - Assault Tide for 180 hit points!

GS: Riesenlied has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!

GS: Zed takes a glancing hit from Cecilia Adlehyde's Material - Assault Tide for 86 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Fei's Guided Shot races through the atmosphere -- for a moment, all is silent, but then the enormous beam of chi rips on through with a point of indefatigable light and lances thorugh the cannon. The energy shreds on through and splits the barrel in two, and the technicians flee as they scream, the internal power generator overloading as it begins to catch fire. And if that weren't enough, Arleph's lance of water finishes the job, turning metal into no more than scrap, washed away by a torrent of hydro-pressure.

"No-- no! How could these feeble humans--" He hears the sudden transmission cut in.

"Commander Gylfi." "Riesenlied! -You- collaborated with these humans, didn't you?! You filthy human sympathiser...!!" "I would not have needed to. You underestimate their power. I am sorry it turned out this way. Farewell, Commander Gylfi." "Farewell?! What do you--"

The Commander does indeed turn his head up, and his eyes widen as he stares towards the looming shadow of Guardian Schturdark. The turtle's maw opens, his jaws ready to devour, yet he does not do so -- no, what he does is much worse, and in a flash, the Metal Demon is off his feet with a scream as the almighty power of those that sustain the world consume him. The flood of water that consumes him, consumes his followers, was mighty indeed.

Strangely, a moment after, a single ray bursts from his chest, then three, and seven, and the screen rumbles for a moment as he turns into technicolor ash. Do... villains have a contractual obligation to die that way? The mind wonders.

Riesenlied lets out a trembling breath as she watches, privy to the spectacle of the Material summon once more. "Guardian Schturdark... why..." she bites at her lip, staring towards the turtle as Cecilia manifests him. She couldn't... speak to them? But she could summon them, for so little a time...

Riesenlied opens the channel to all Metal Demons.

"First to Fifth Battalions -- All Hands! Commence covered retreat to rendezvous points B1 to B3. 

Leave no wounded behind and ensure that you are not flanked!"

The emergence of the Ebony Wings' dragons are as clear as day -- elemental dragons, one wreathed in flame and the other frost. They rear their heads back, and launch twin streams of both flame and ice towards the battlefield. The billowing wreath of dancing flame acts as a curtain, buying the Metal Demons time as they retreat further up the hill towards where three other dragons have descended, each of them armed with large carrier boxes that can fit a few dozen comfortably.

It'll be hard to get at the dragons and chase the fleeing demons, but one thing is clear: Tindus Town is saved, and the Metal Demon menace is saved. 

                       C O N G R A T U L A T I O N !!                         
                          This Mission Is Complete!

<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.

Pushing through the camp, the figure of Ebon Zero races through the devastation, her head down and her blade unsummoned as she makes for the command post. Around her, demons wail and surge away from the Guardian's power

<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.

Pushing through the camp, the figure of Ebon Zero races through the devastation, her head down and her blade unsummoned as she makes for the command post. Around her, demons wail and surge away from the Guardian's power - she does her best to carry those that have lost their footing, at least for long enough to haul them back up to their feet and get them moving towards the evacuation point.

The focus is on effort, not on style - though she's quite obviously making for the command centre, doing her best to get back to Riesenlied's side before the counterattack can reach the Ebony Wings commander in earnest.

Somehow, she seems-- less affected by the churning waters, as if they could simply slough off her armor without as much of a care. Certainly, she doesn't seem to hold the same feeling of anathema, not quite - and though the back of her mind screams at her, sending pinpricks through her head, she'd rather deal with that than succumb immediately to Schturdark's power as many of her peers seem wont to do.

She would never admit to it openly, but relief floods her features as she hears the orders come through. "--go!" she calls to those near her, shoving them forwards - not unsympathetically - and up in the direction of the dragons landing on the hill nearby.

<Pose Tracker> June Lim Ze has posed.

The fact that another person has joined the battle occurs to June. Well, it's more that Lily has moved from the sort of non-verbal situational awareness that shows itself when June occasionally swerves out of a stray piece of shrapnel to the awareness of PERSONALITY.

"All of you are real chatty," she tells Ida. "Is this just to blow off steam? 'cause my sifu told me if you try to think of what's the perfect thing to say you're gonna get your guts torn out and eaten. He meant it, too."

And then a screaming arc of force comes towards her. June throws herself to the side even as she witnesses, out of the corner of her eyes, the flight of dragons - plaguing giants - god! but she doesn't have time to linger on it. She's getting out of the way of that blow, which nonetheless hits her in her left leg. Fortunately that leg is a tough and well engineered prosthetic. There is nonetheless a CRACK and part of the casing loosens, to say nothing of her toppling in the air -

And she lands on someone in there. Someone relatively soft. "Scuse me," she says on reflex as she reaches up, pulls her kneecap off (!!) and leans her head back, looking out the gap in the tent that she has just ducked inside. Watching, and --

THOOM!

Her knee discharges. On a high plunging parabolic arc flies a 40mm shell, which rips casually through tenting fabric on its way up, a helpful time fuze meaning it doesn't activate itself until it reaches the parabolic point, at which point, perhaps, there is a ring on the ground for a moment.

A second later the shell falls down, hitting something (Lady Harken? the dirt?) and suddenly and emphatically exploding, leaving the acrid tang of tight-packed explosives in the air.

"Sorry!" And then June starts to kick off of who she landed on. Who was it? Hm, who could it be. Someone soft and fluffy perhaps...

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

"WELL YOU KNOW I STARTED THAT LAST DANCE TOO AND IT DEFINITELY ENDED WITH SOMETHING I DON'T THINK I CAN SAY I CONSENTED TO," Zed yells back as the battlefield continues to erupt into chaos and THAT DAMN CROW starts laughing at him. WHAT THE HELL, CROW. You got some kind of problem? You want some trouble, do you, crow!? I'll murderlize you, and then murderlize the murder of you, and then--

Well. A squared murder of crows is kind of a lot of crows.

Good thing Ragnell's here, because as everyone knows, electricity beats birds every* time.

(*Unless the bird is a flying scorpion)

Zed licks his upper lip as the storm unfolds. Doom Bringer glints defiantly in the downpouring light. "Come on, then," Zed murmurs as he lunges forward and everything goes monochromatic. "I'll take you all on...!!" Zed... starts turning into speedlines....!!!!

And then there's a flood.

Just, all the water.

"Blrbhl!?" Zed blurbls as a giant turtle unleashes an equally giant cascade of water. Lightning bombards the flood, and as everyone knows, electricity always beats water** and everything in that water.

(**Unless what's in the water is some kind of mudskipper, or an anglerfish)

Zed is no exception.

He screams as BLESSED WATER and SACRED LIGHTNING surge against his essence in tandem. The very forces that are anathema to his essential being blast into him. It's a terrible feeling. An awful sensation. One made even worse by the utter devastation that flood has left in its wake, but...

But the one thing the Guardians and Seraphs cannot expect...

Is that Zed never skips leg day.

And thus, he is a SURPRISINGLY GOOD SWIMMER

"HWAAAH," Zed gasps as he quickly begins BUTTERFLYING upstream and vaguely in the direction of Riesen's retreat. "WE'LL CONTINUE OUR DANCE NEXT TIME, RAGNELL! AND YOU, GUARDIAAAAAAN!!!"

Beat.

"I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW. STOP BEING SUCH A JERK, YOU STUPID TURTLY JERKFACE!"

And with that, surrounded by lightningbolts and terrifying floodwaters, Zed... Amscrays...!!

GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from June Lim Ze's Knee Mortar for 145 hit points!

GS: Lady Harken enters CONDITION GREEN!!

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

Ida skids to a halt in front of a sandbag barricade as God Damn Weltall opens fire ahead of her--the light is blinding, and she clamps her eyes shut and shields them with her free arm. When she dares look again, she is suddenly face-to-face with a torrential, all-consuming flood--and s o m e t h i n g appears in the midst of it. Ida's jaw falls open as Cecilia calls forth her patron Guardian, but then realizes running is probably a wise idea. Water sloshes up around her ankles, and she makes a sharp right turn, racing up a path deeper into the encampment. Harken is still hot on her heels, and Ida chances a look over her shoulder, seeing the Quarter Knight ready to plunge her scythe into the ground. Ida knows what's coming next. She has one chance to avoid it. Ida sees a door or nook or something in the wall, and without breaking stride, she throws herself into it. Gold sparkles around her heels--she pours everything she has into the leap, and /barely/ makes it. The energy wave clips the right side of her poncho, blowing it upwards and momentarily blocking Ida's vision. She tucks and rolls, and--

Riesenlied is going to get a surprise in the form of a blinded, beponchoed Ida flying out of nowhere, quite possibly into her. To her credit, she gets back on her feet quickly, though she doesn't seem to have noticed Riesenlied is there. She takes aim with Devil's Due again, having already had the gun in hand, and as Harken appears in the doorway, Ida smiles a defiant smile. "When faced with devils, it is no disgrace to use even a devil's ARMs," Ida says. "First precept, Five Precepts Chained Devil." She pulls the trigger. The Dragonbreath igniter in the weapon fires, the tongue of flame erupting from its muzzle. It takes on a shape--a fanged maw, horns, eyes glowing. The light casts Ida's face in a brilliant glow. The Dragon-flame apparition rushes Harken, roaring as it seeks to consume her, utterly.

GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Riesenlied with Dragon's Breath!

GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.

GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Dragon's Breath for 173 hit points!

GS: Poison and Break! Statuses applied to Riesenlied!

GS: Riesenlied has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

 It's not that Arleph is ignoring Yaro. In fact, he's pretty sure that's a very bad idea. It's just he can't spare much of a glance back while he finish off concentration on his spell he just delivered. In tandem with the Mecha-Scale Aura Blast fired by the Weltall, he can her, he can /feel/ the power. More importantly, is the ... other power present that washed accross the base. It's a power he's not sure what to think about. Deep. Eternal. Flourishing. /Ancient/. 

 Arleph falls to a knee, panting a bit from the effort, only in time to look up and watch the Metal Demon babble incoherently while he tries to flee and run away from a spell he thought, he can only imagine, was destined at im. Gods. He really is kind of a bug, is he? The Symbologist watches Yarobeleedt run away, breaking the sound barrier in doing so. Even if he wanted, he's not sure he could cast a spell that would catch him that easily, not after that debilitating cramp he got. 

 ...Which seems to be clearing up. Huh. 

 "That was excessive..." Arleph mutters, grunting himself as he pushes himself to his feet, holding his sides for a moment, still feeling the wounds there. He looks out to the Metal Demon base, hearing that the retreat have been sounded. "And troubling." He continues to himself, climbing up to a taller position to have a better look at what's going on. 

 A mess, that's what's going on. But at least, the town will be saved, which is what matters. The Symbologist watches Yaro flee further, before concentrating his power over to his wound. It shimmers, a spread of bubbling sound welling up with bit of foam spreading between his hands. Arleph winces, before pulling his hand away, where his casting left a bubbling cover of foam. That should staunch it until he can have an actuall look at it before things get worse. 

 Now, to see if others might need the /same treatment/.

GS: Arleph Ardan has attacked Arleph Ardan with Multilayered Foam!

GS: Arleph Ardan takes 6 damage from Poison!

GS: Arleph Ardan has completed his action.

GS: Arleph Ardan heals Arleph Ardan! He gains 200 temporary hit points!

GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Lady Harken with Dragon's Breath!

GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.

GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Dragon's Breath for 168 hit points!

GS: Poison and Break! Statuses applied to Lady Harken!

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

They must become stronger. Harken doesn't say it to Lily, but Lily watches her as she says it all the same. People die all the time. People...

Maybe Lily's been watching in part because of murderous intent so much as interest in what she was saying. Regardless, her magic crackles in the face of what she has planned, what she has prepared. Screaming black Ether pulses in her hand as she narrows her golden eyes at her opponent.

"I am Lily Keil!" She shouts it at the Quarter Knight. "First Lieutenant!" Her garb is certainly human military, though bloody. Any hints that her top was white were mistaken even before the bloodstains. That scythe can easily get through her armor. But she earned that rank.

And she charges. Harken meets her, and her charge may be suicidal but she doesn't need the strength in her arms to swing this blade. The scythe's hunger gets a glance briefly as Lily focuses her will on the hate in this weapon, hanging before Harken face-to-face. "Heh," she says when Harken calls it good. Harken doesn't have any way of knowing how rarely Lily laughs. She presses harder, as best she can--

"Ah--" she hits the ground running, her sword stabbing into the groun to launch her back upward and dissipating in a cloud of black. Blood coats her entire front, her left arm hanging uselessly at her side dripping just as much crimson down from her fingers, a long gash in her sleeve as she stumbles running. She's coughing the whole time as it becomes clear just how /bad/ that wound was, her back too beginning to see read, the ugly meat of flesh mostly covered over by same.

"Heh," she laughs again, and starts laughing softly, breathily, as she runs. She should stop to heal, but she can't. So she keeps moving, instead, even as she hears the rushing of water, feels a deep power and magic. The water starts rushing. She can't quite think of it. The pain gets her, and some... other feeling, until--ah, the water starts to sweep at her feet, though it doesn't hurt.

She tips, and tumbles into a tent after the others, hitting her knee and not noticing at first the presence of someone within as she catches her feet, stepping forward--

She's stepping on, "Riesenlied," Lily greets with some surprise, bleeding all over the Metal Demon. "I apologize for the intrusion." Beat, "Heh." She takes off and lifts her good hand, a magic circle bursting into being before her. "Lady Harken!" she calls, and yanks with her hand. That hurts. A column of flame bursts down from the heavens to engulf her foe.

"Do you burn when you're wet?"

The bleeding doesn't help. Every motion makes Lily's consciousness swim. Talking hurts.

GS: Lily Keil has attacked Lady Harken with Conflagration!

GS: Lily Keil takes 7 damage from Poison!

GS: Lily Keil has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

"OH DID YOU? MY BAD--I GUESS WE'LL NEED THAT LESSON ON CONTINUOUS CONSENT AFTER ALL--" Ragnell shouts back. She's not exactly sure why she's shouting? Shouting just because a thing you do when you're around Zed. But then the cawing of those crows draws her attention, and she turns to look over at them. Her eyes narrow when she sees them, but there's no time for them right now, and anyway, what would she really do?

Thankfully, Cecilia does in fact have things well in hand. Better than in hand, really, when she summons what (based on Zed's comments) is a Guardian, who summons a maelstrom of water to wash away not just the remains of the cannons, not just Gylfi, but the Dark Hero Zed as well...!

Except not. Because, as he once told Ragnell back when they first met, Zed never skips leg day. So while Zed does get flooded away, he doesn't get murderlized either. Ragnell tips her hat up as she peers at him swimming away. "Works for me," she says, tone normal. She grins and chuckles. "Next time, it better be better than this."

A pause. Then, she turns and jogs on over to Cecilia, occasionally glancing over at the fleeing Metal Demons. "Nice work!" she tells her. "Thought you couldn't commune with the Guardians anymore, though? Did you find a new trick to it or somethin'?" Her eyes move towards the Medium as Cecilia scrambles to catch it. A special-seeming device... Could that be it? Or...?

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied could've been gone. She could've boarded Salamandra or Icedrake the moment they arrived -- but no, she's stubborn, and she's got to stay behind until she's sure that everyone under her charge -- as best as she can -- is evacuated. Which... turns out to be all the worse when June just --

-- squish, lands on her and Odjn, with the latter going 'bwehh?'

Then she's stepped /off/ with a launch as she rolls over with a pained groan, rubbing at the wound that Gylfi's already dealt to her...

... and then Ida goes /straight/ into her again, yelping as she barely gets enough time to catch her on her way up. Her head starts to throb in a familiar ringing manner as Ida's ARM shimmers in synchronisation once more, dragonfire taking to the doorway as she opens fire on Harken. She hadn't seen her before until now, but the echoing was even more painful than ever--

This-- this sensation... this /voice/... what are you telling me...?!

Yet here comes another, as Lily barges in and tips over her and -- bleeds all over her, her eyes widening as she's suddenly found holding up Ida /and/ Lily in front of Lady Harken. It's not a great look.

"Miss Lily... Miss Ida...!" Riesenlied coughs through the smoke and the flame and the painful draconic reverb, before staring towards Lady Harken and gesturing weakly with her hand. "Lady Harken, there is no more reason to fight. This position is strategically meaningless," she implores. She-- hesitates, but sweeps to interpose herself between her boss and her enemies as she looks towards the two, once the flame has died down.

"Let us retreat for now. There are more battles to come." For once, she stares towards her boss with a fervent manner that soft belies the concern and softness that often carries in her tone, her eyes.

GS: CRITICAL! Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Lily Keil's Conflagration for 213 hit points!

GS: Lady Harken has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei Fong Wong does not hear Gylfi prove that sometimes being an asshole will bite you in the asshole but this is why he tries very hard to be kind and respectful. He doesn't always succeed but he's a teenager, you know? And Filgaia is basically a teenage wasteland, a teenage wasteland. Fei doesn't cry, he doesn't raise his eye, its only Filgaian Wasteland.

He pulls on Weltall's controls and it groans in response. Those two demons really did a number on it.

"come on..." He murmurs. "Come on, buddy... we gotta help Lily."

He turns Weltall around and faces the field. He sees her tremendous control over magic, getting a real good view of her offensive power for the first time.

"Hold on, Lily!" He shouts as he struggles with the controls. "I'll be right there...! I'll help you defeat..."

He looks at Lady Harken.

ONE THOUSAND YEARS AGO

Fei draws a total blank.

NOW

"...I have no idea who that is!"

<Pose Tracker> Agatha Pyrelight has posed.

Closer and closer to the edger - fighting strong enemies tended to produce strong emotions, and sensing victory slipping away was all the more likely to result in her little projects sliding deeper down the rabbit hole. 

It was a pity that she couldn't really nudge them yet, but they both seemed to be coming along well enough on their own. The witch watches as Zed is ejected from the field, and then as Ida and Lily continue to dig deep to try and defeat their opponent. And then... 

...oh and then... 

Riesenlied is left holding up Ida and Lily, and confronting her superior as the three of them are continuing to fight. It seems like Riesenlied is going to have to make a CHOICE. To decide between her (alleged) friends and her (possibly) implacable commander. 

Agatha leans forward, urging the crows to move closer so she can hear every delicious detail... 

...and then Lily smashes Harken with flames, following Ida's own assault. 

"...oh fie, just when it was getting interesting," the witch comments, leaning back slightly. "I guess the hour of reckoning will just have to wait a while longer."

<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.

Noeline spots the battle still raging amidst the waters - it takes some effort, her faceplate stained and blurred almost as badly as her senses in the midst of the aftershocks of the Guardian's power - but she can at least get the gist of it. Three human figures facing down Riesenlied and Lady Harken - and the unthinkable sight of Lady Harken's figure, battered and bloody from the repeated assault, bending under the attack.

Well-- well, then, she thinks to herself. She'd rather think of herself as the Ebony Wing's Chevalier, rather than that of the Quarter Knights - but knows full well that Riesenlied would never forgive her for thinking that way. Besides, as she's fond of saying - she's got a little more pride than that.

So she kicks, summoning a little more strength into her muscles to suddenly interspose herself in the intersposition, her blade up as she does her best to cover both Riesenlied and the Lady Harken.

She doesn't exactly look in the best of shape, battered and bruised with a number of bulletholes piercing parts of her armor and silver blood trailing down the bared arm between pauldron and gauntlet - but an effort of will forces her to keep her grip steady as she faces down the human trio.


<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Cecilia, for her part, is winded, and just fought a battle - not entirely alone, but in some ways it felt like it with that demon's eyes solely on her.

She finds a wall to lean against and just breathes for a few minutes, feeling the energy in and around her exhausted from invoking the Guardian. The battle is won; the demons are in retreat and the town is saved. Please let her sleep. Or at least put a big plate of noodles in front of her.....

<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant Lily Keil," Harken has a pleased timbre to her tone that sounds more dangerous than any amount of ire or bile. "You are /very/ interesting to me." it's half-warning, and half-declaration spoken in the cherry-blossom blowing moment in their little private Samurai Flick moment. The piercing wound on Lily's form, and the blood staining her uniform, though, is telling of who won the exchange.

But in the aftermath, there's something odd about the sight of Harken giving chase to June, and Ida, and Lily. Though it may be hard to discern, as they speed through the valley after one another at breakneck pace, her form is a little indistinct again. Blurred around the edges. A bad photoshop filter given life, a ghostly hound bearing down on Ida's heels, racing straight on past as the poncho'd gunslinger nips into an alleyway for comfort and also a sneaky surprise attack. The blurry image of Harken simply--stops, with that, smirking coldly. "I think we'll meet again. I'm looking forward to it. Riesenlied," the Quarter Knight turns around to address the Tainted Demon, looking completely calm despite the imminent impact of a 40mm care package, a literal dragon-flame from Ida's gun, and a pillar of fire from the Heavens courtesy of Lily's cold fury. "Handle things from here."

Snubbed by Fei Fong Wong, with the memory of a thousand years of studying How To Draw Manga textbooks, Harken looks /kind of/ obliterated by the nexus of different explosions that converge on her position. Uhhh--is that bad?

BUT ELSEWHERE... Lady Harken--the real one--perches atop the very pinnacle of the mountain with her feet angled such that clearly, only the use of Graceful Crane Stance is keeping her there. She watches with arms folded, as she has this entire time, a knowing smile on her face. She smiles at the sight of a lumbering hulk down below appearing from a great burst of light, a monstrous tortoise summoning great and raging floods that sweep through the battlefield and, largely, put an end to things.

Such is the power of the Guardians, those that keep Mother chained to her torpor.

The Quarter Knight begins to laugh as she observes, listening to the desperate wails of the foolish commander as his form dissolves. Her laughter is a rumbling peal of mirth, having just witnessed a /very/ funny ending to an otherwise entertaining and worthwhile performance. Harken begins to applaud, where no-one can hear it.

"A blade of tainted metal can be deadlier in wise hands than the strongest alloy wielded by a dullard, Commander Gylfi... but you learned that too late." the words are spoken slowly, savored. Mmm, it's so damn good, and it isn't every day Harken gets to witness such a beautiful buffet of martial prowess as well as see natural selection weed out some of the less... worthy of her brethren. She finally puts a finger to her throat, not having used her radio this entire damn time, and begins to speak... 

 COME ON ARE YOU PULLING THE 'THAT WAS JUST MY SHADOW THIS WHOLE TIME' THING  
                                   REALLY                                     
                                     GOD

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

 Something strikes Arleph. He did have something to say, didn't he? 

 After dully looking over the situation for a few moment, feeling conflagrations of explosions happening off, the Symbologist search for his improvised megaphone for a few moments, kicking up some dust, before tapping it to the side and dust it off. Good. It still works. Fine. 

 He speaks into it. 

<"METAL DEMONS. THIS IS ARLEPH ARDAN AGAIN."> Arleph shouts, his voice blasting out like before, if with far less bravardo than the first time.  <"MY OFFER STILL STANDS. THINK ON IT."> 

 He pauses, frowning.  <"FOR BOTH YOUR SAKE AND OURS.">

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

Ragnell eyes Cecilia. Well, after a display like that, it's not surprising that she'd be too exhausted to answer her question. With a shake of her head and a slight smile, Ragnell pats her shoulder.

"Let's get you back to town, hon," she says. "Now that this all's over, it's time for that business I mentioned--though maybe after you've had a spot t' rest."

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

Riesenlied, Ida realizes. She is surprised. She is mortified. She is scared. She is more than a little irritated. She allows herself to show surprise, backing off a step or two as the mysterious Ebon Zero shows up.

And then--

Ida's eyes widen. Did she really...? She stares at the space occupied by Lady Harken seconds ago, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. There is no conceivable way she's dead. What she does from here could be damning if Riesenlied's commanders hear of it. She turns to Riesenlied, allowing anger to bubble to the surface. "Go," she says, to Riesenlied. She looks back at Ebon Zero, regarding the Chevalier with the same dangerous look. This is not the Ida that Noeline and Riesenlied have seen, but the Quarter Knights might not know that. She is probably going to apologize to Riesenlied later, when they have reasonable privacy.

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Cecilia tilts up to look at Ragnell; her tracking is a little less good than it used to be, before when she had the Teardrop. Well, she's also exhausted...it takes her a second to actually find the Seraph, even with the contact on her arm to frame her reference. She chuckles, tired. "Y, yes, let's...go. I suppose we do have some things to discuss." ... "but yes I need to eat first. Or sleep. Both. Both sounds great..."


<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied's face just kind of -- falls -- as the image of Harken, who she in hindsight should have sensed better to just be an image, dissipates and leaves the rest up to her. There's an almost cringed, pained look that... passes, as she remains firm and looks back towards Ida, Lily and June.

"Enough of this! I--" Riesenlied insists. In a way, her bargaining position definitely did just get easier with Harken now /gone/, but she wasn't arguing out of a sense of protecting them, necessarily. She argued out of an insistence that this battle was over.

But Ida abruptly cuts her off, her eyes widening just a little, and she nods as she gestures to the Chevalier. "Escort me, please." She begins to slip away, towards the Dragons where her compatriots are waiting. She gazes out onto the battlefield, with a pensive look on her face. One foolishness has brought about another... and shown just how powerful the tools at their disposal -- and not just the Metal Demons' hands -- truly were. Was... this world truly doomed for what it is...?

It keeps her up at night, sometimes.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily doesn't mind danger. She lifts an eyebrow in their long moment at the question of whether she's interested, but has no more time to speak. ...And she knows full well without looking at her opponent who won that clash.

She keeps moving as best she can. It works well enough, until she manages to land on Riesenlied, who... Notices her.

"Heh," she repeats back, at the talk of stopping the fight, wavinger further on her feet. Harken says they'll meet again. "Count... On it," Lily answers, preparing her magic.

It works, with the others. She stares, as there is no more Harken all of a sudden. "...What?" She looks around, "Where...?" She starts to step out into view. She can see Weltall. Waving, she loses her balance and collapses, hitting the ground and whatever of Riese's things are in her way hard.

"..." Riesenlied has said enough. She seems to be leaving.

"...Take care, Riesenlied," Lily says, dragging herself back to her feet. She flicks her hand upward and sends up a little burst of flames, hoping that's enough to get Fei's attention. She... Doesn't really feel like moving for a while. "Damn," she murmurs, hunched over, starting to move anyway, as she falls over again.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

Ida allows herself to meet Riesenlied's eyes with something other than anger for a fraction of a second. Hopefully it will be enough. Lily pretty much collapses, and Ida rushes to her side, stowing Devil's Due now that it's no longer needed. "Miss Kiel," she says, fishing out a small glass bottle from her coat pocket. It's full of reddish fluid, and the label reads Old Man Ettlesbury's Olde-Fashioned Heal Berry Liqueur. She uncorks it, and offers it. "Shh. Drink." She pauses, and gives a furtive glance around the room, perhaps for a mysterious hidden Harken. "I'm sure they'll be fine," she whispers.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Finally!" Fei gets his mech moving and he trots towards Lily only to see that...whomever Lily was fighting is gone.

"Nobody could've survived that." Fei mutters to himself as he manages to crouch Weltall down by Lily, opening up the cockpit once more.

"Thank god you're alright." He says. "Let me get you in the cockpit so you can rest. It won't be a pleasant walk but it shouldn't reopen any wounds." He pauses for a few moments before adding, "Is that really Riesenlied? I drew her dragon once. Man, you don't think her dragon turns into a dragon do--"

Fei pauses for a moment.

"Nevermind." He'll move to help get Lily inside.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

If Riesenlied's dragon could turn into a (bigger) dragon, she's definitely not indicating such, overstuffed with churros as she is at present.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

For her part, Ebon Zero steps backwards, covering Riesenlied's retreat - though as Harken's figure vanishes behind them and the dragons show themselves ahead, she allows herself a relieved sigh and a hand on the winged woman's arm. The motion is perhaps a little too close, crossing the line from business-like protector to confidant and 'friend' - but Noeline doesn't have it in her to care about hiding her tics right now, worried as she is.

Ultimately, if that motion is enough for someone on the battlefield to identify her, then so be it. It's more important to make the gesture itself, right now. "... let's go," she offers quietly and privately, with a nod of encouragement - and then a quiet breath as she reminds: "There'll be other chances."


<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily still hasn't drawn her rifle, not since the battle started. The strap tangles about her shoulder as she tries to get her feet. The brief close-range confrontation did a number on her. ...The whole fight did a number on her.

Hearing her name, Lily doesn't glance over; she just takes the bottle when it's offered. Does she bother to look at what the label says? Also no. Maybe it's alcoholic. "Thank you," she murmurs, and takes a swig, which serves to slow her bleeding over the next few moments. That whisper happens, and Lily finally peers over at Ida. "...Maybe," she says, still dazed, and shakes her head. "It'd be simpler for both sides if she died." She murmurs it back and returns the bottle.

Only then does she look up to Fei. "Ah, there you are," she says. "Thought I... Might've missed you." A beat, "You think God likes me that much...? That's a nice thought." She waits through the babble for a few moments and looks at him blankly. "...Yes it's her," she answers. She leans on Fei very heavily until she's deposited inside, shifting her things to be in front of her rather than at her back. "Ugh..."

She lost a lot of blood. It hasn't done great things for her head. But even so...

"Mission accomplished," she murmurs, and lets her head tilt against the cockpit wall.


<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Oh geeze." Fei gave art to somebody who then set fire to city and she probably wants to kill him because he uses a gear. He still doesn't know the nickname the metal demons gave it which is probably for the best. He pauses at Lily's quip, and thinks for a moment, "Well you just saved a town, that's gotta count for something."

But once Lily's set up in the cockpit, he takes one look over and reflects. 'Black Wolves'. He's been called a wolf before. Guess it's better to be part of a pack than to hunt alone.

He evacuates with her. They saved a town, he thinks to himself. It's more real when Lily says 'mission accomplished'. They actually saved a town. Weltall's power didn't kill everybody. He smiles. "Yeah." He agrees.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

Ida's lips tighten, ever-so-slightly, at Lily's statement. Her fingers brush against the side of her hand as she takes the bottle back--

And quite suddenly, Ida's gaze goes unfocused, and she sucks in a breath. The spot where her hand brushed Lily's feels strange, almost as if there's something greasy and cloying clinging to it. It feels /wrong/. Weltall's landing might prove to be cover for this, though, and Ida looks up at Fei, then his Gear. Looking at the strange, frightening machine gives her a moment to process what she just felt. Was that...?

"I'm going to take a look around," Ida says, to Fei and Lily. This is the enemy command center, after all, and something tells her Gylfi wasn't terribly good at security.

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