2024-07-29: Falling Leaves
- Log: Falling Leaves
- Cast: Lucifer, Zaphkiel, Gwen Whitlock, Misty, Kamui, Chartreuse Spinosa, Velvet Crowe, Xantia, Venetia Vuong, Chase, Rena Lanford, Kaede Akigiri, Ida Everstead-Rey, Claude C. Kenny, Mariel, Magilou, Ethius Hesiod, Dias Flac, Chisato Madison, Grace Harvey
- Where: Marlind - The Great Tree
- Date: July 29, 2024
- Summary: The Ten Wise Men emerge from their fortress to launch an assault on Marlind's Great Tree, intending to take its power--and the Ley power anchored to it--for themselves. This will be a difficult fight, and will be interrupted by a special guest!
<Pose Tracker> Lucifer has posed.
Marlind is the scene of a battle.
And parts of the forest-nestled city are aflame already. Hyland's knights, local watch, and Althena's Guard are rushing to and fro -- doing battle with the strange Paradox Pokemon summoned by the Ten Wise Men. In the distance, near the town's hall, the Dragonmaster can be seen.
He does battle with Michael, an armored and red-haired Wise Man, spells hurtling back and forth.
Two other Wise Men, though, have moved towards the Great Tree of Marlind. It is one of the largest trees on Lunar; one of the largest trees ever, in fact. It towers up several stories, with branches and leaves that almost obscure the sky. The ground around it has been cleared, as a gathering area...
...but right now, it has been emptied out, save for about a dozen corpses of Marlind's watch. They lie broken and scattered, from powerful sorceries. And one of the figures behind that stands in their midst.
Lucifer, the second-in-command of the Ten Wise Men, hasn't been seen since Marduk.
He is a man with pale silver hair, cold blue eyes, and pointed Nedian ears. He wears black robes, lined in red, with a golden collar, belt, and shirt underneath. He is strikingly pretty -- and looks up at the Great Tree with a sneer.
"...Tch," he says. "The most curious little shrubs grow on this filthy dustball. Come, Zaphkiel. Let's be done with this."
DC: Lucifer switches forms to Ultimate Analyst Weapon Lucifer!
<Pose Tracker> Zaphkiel has posed.
"Hmm. As you wish," answers Zaphkiel. He swings that great sword over his shoulder as he turns away from his own battle, abandoning the members of the watch who had been fighting him in vain. Something glistens wetly on the blade's edge.
He is a massive man compared to the people of Marlind. Long grey hair falls over his shoulders and down his back. Like Lucifer -- like the Nedians -- his ears are pointed: but unlike them, his eyes are blank white orbs without trace of pupil or iris.
Across the left part of his chest and down his left arm are bands of orange-red which glows softly as if possessed of its own light. Unlike the defenders of Marlind, he wears no armor -- or anything at all above the waist. One could mistake that for an open target.
Those who have fought against him would know better. One of the seemingly-spared guard breaks and runs once Zaphkiel turns to follow Lucifer. Another falls to their knees, bleeding from the wound they suffered in the struggle. And the third charges at Zaphkiel with their blade. They swing once, catching him across his back.
There is no mark left in the sword's cleaving wake. Zaphkiel does so much as flinch. Rather, he turns to grab the guard one-handed and hurls them upwards into the air.
His own blade cuts but once.
DC: You switch forms to Close Range Suppression Weapon Zaphkiel! DC: Zaphkiel switches forms to Close Range Suppression Weapon Zaphkiel!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
It's a terrible sight, not one Gwen could ever imagine seeing when she first encountered the Wisemen. Fire, violence, mayhem. Nedians' own inventions being used towards ends not intended, and in all that, there's the Wisemen.
"REMATCH!"
That's the courier's cavalier cry coming from behind Zaphkiel as she comes running in like a battering ram, intent on pressing a fist against the bare muscles of his back.
It's a petty thing to yell, when moments before Gwen had been gazing at the scene in open shock, unsure how she could even *do* that much without inviting even more risk.
As usual, distraction is in itself a reward, regardless of whether or not Gwen's first strike even hits. She was too late for the guard that now falls, sliced through from Zaphkiel's blade.
The guard that may be next may get a second to run away, or push forward.
GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Zaphkiel with Special Delivery! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Misty has posed.
So her first trip to Filgaia had been rudely interrupted by the Ten Wise Men attacking a small town. Surely her first trip to Lunar would be less eventful, right?
... right??
Sadly, no. Starmie had detected... something, in the distance, and Misty looked to Chartreuse, who had tagged along with her. "Sarmie's detecting trouble. We should probably check it out. But I don't know what we're going to find there."
A battle, as it turned out. Misty scowled as she watched the ground fly past underneath them, from Gyarados' back. Fires--and more of those Paradox Pokemon. Misty directed Gyarados to douse some of the flames with Water Gun as they flew past, but it seemed like the forest wasn't their main target.
No, it had to be that giant tree. "Gyarados, head for that tree!"
Gyarados roars angrily as he soars over the heads of Zaphkiel and Lucifer, making a flyover and then doubling back low to the ground to let his passengers off. Misty jumps down from his back with practiced ease, standing up to glare hotly at the two. "So, what are you pests after this time, hmm?"
She's dressed in a light blue and yellow crop top, a light blue jacket worn open over it, with denim shorts and red water shoes. Her bright orange hair sticks out sideways in her signature ponytail. Misty looks over to her shoulder at Gyarados. "Do your best to put out the forest fires. Now go!" Gyrados nods and takes off into the sky.
Misty tosses out two blue and white Pokeballs, and out pop Golduck and Bastoise. Golduck, without being prompted, puts up a barrier to protect Misty and any other Trainers present. Blastoise, meanwhile steps forward, stomping a foot down as she gets into a battle ready stance.
"Blastoise, use Waterfall! Whatever it is you want with this tree, we're not gonna let you have it!"
Blastoise snorts, and with surprising speed belying her size, springs forward. She slides on her stomach, careening right for Zaphkiel with the full momentum of her bulk bearing down on him.
GS: COUNTER! Zaphkiel counterattacks Gwen Whitlock with Quickstep! GS: Zaphkiel fails to charge Gwen Whitlock's Special Delivery for 137 hit points! GS: Jam applied to Zaphkiel! GS: Charge!! You gain 40 FP! (That's 25 more than usual!) GS: Misty has attacked Zaphkiel with Waterfall! GS: Misty has gained 2 Combo! GS: Misty's stances have changed from Counter to Counter and Hero! GS: Misty has completed her action. GS: COUNTER! Gwen Whitlock counterattacks Zaphkiel with Stuff Attacking From The Other Side!!! GS: Gwen Whitlock fails to charge Zaphkiel's Quickstep for 194 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Zaphkiel mostly guards Gwen Whitlock's Stuff Attacking From The Other Side!! for 56 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Zaphkiel marginally evades Misty's Waterfall for 41 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Mighty applied to Misty!
<Pose Tracker> Kamui has posed.
Kamui was destroyed at the climax of ARMS' battle against Odessa, onboard the Heimdall Gazzo.
But thanks to the efforts of Xiumei, Asgard, Varius, Avile, Gami and so many others, it wasn't the end of her story. Rescued in the form of a Cyber-Elf, she continued to exist in the form of a data being, largely enjoying life in her own way until now...
But recently, thanks to Ruth, Shevat and many others--
There is a Reploid here today.
"This is not an everyday attack..." the Legendary Reploid murmurs to herself, peering towards the intense battle occurring between the Dragonmaster and Michael. She glances towards the Great Tree, and hurries in that direction.
Unequipped of any mobility upgrades, Kamui finds herself pretty late already -- people have fallen, and two rather evidently powerful adversaries are present, the landscape shattered from the use of overwhelming Symbology. This is a dangerous enough situation to be in for any Drifter...
Let alone one only equipped with basic tools like her.
"So, these are the Ten Wise Men that people mentioned..."
--warning, warning--
Kamui flinches for a moment. "... I'll exercise extreme caution, Delta," she mutters. Experience will have to carry Kamui today.
The Reploid decides to pursue the muscled Nedian with the enormous, land-cleaving blade; just as Gwen speeds in with the full brunt of her strength, and Misty demonstrates the full powers of her Water Pokemon...
battle routine, set...
Kamui pauses again as Delta's whispers echo through her. The Reploid recalls when Acacia would speak such things to her. Things have changed. And yet, things haven't changed. There's a familiar, satisfying comfort to this.
A quiet smirk curls up to her lips, as she proceeds.
"Execute!"
GS: Kamui has attacked Kamui with Command Mission! GS: Kamui has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kamui's stances have changed from Counter to Avenger and Counter! GS: Kamui gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Kamui has completed her action. GS: Kamui heals Kamui! She gains 37 temporary hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Blind, Blitz, Drowsy, and Regen applied to Kamui! GS: Kamui has attacked Kamui with Command Mission! GS: Kamui has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kamui's stances have changed from Counter to Avenger and Counter! GS: Kamui gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Kamui has completed her action. GS: Kamui heals Kamui! She gains 34 temporary hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Blind, Blitz, Drowsy, and Regen applied to Kamui!
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
Chartreuse and Misty had agreed to visit the new worlds together. Safety in numbers - they both are more dangerous than Nede, so best to travel in groups. She couldn't make it when she want to Filgaia, but now that she's visiting Lunar, she has time to join her.
It's unfortunate that it had to go like this.
"Trouble... Alright. Let's check it out." Chartreuse agrees with a nod. She joins Misty on Gyarados's back as they hurry to their destination. And when they arrive... What they can find can only be called a scene out of a horror show. The city is aflame, and its defenders...
Chartreuse's eyes open wide in horror, clasping a hand over her mouth as an ill feeling rises in her stomach as she looks down at the chaos below. Violence has been brought to Nede before, certainly - but this is her first time seeing it so... viscerally. The Ten Wise Men have made no effort to spare their victims.
Every part of her is telling her to flee. She's not cut out for this - she's never been in a real fight. But... the Ten Wise Men pose a threat to everyone. If they don't face them... what'll happen? There may still be something they can do for these people, as well.
Chartreuse leaps down after Misty. Her landing is, comparatively, less cool and practice - still feeling a little woozy and ill, she stumbles a little. But she stands up straight, adjusting her hat. She takes a deep breath, and exhales.
She has to focus. She can do this. She, and her team - because she's not alone. And Misty, too, as well as these Visitors(though, she realises as soon as she thinks that, she would be the Visitor in this case).
"Farfetch'd, get ready." Chartreuse says. She draws a Pokeball from her coat, hurling it ahead. Farfetch'd appears in a flash, leek blade already at the ready. He gets into a combat stance, eyes scanning the area, spotting the bodies before looking right toward Zaphkiel. Farfetch'd focuses, ready for the difficult fight ahead - his blade becoming keener, and sharing this with the rest of Chartreuse's team as well.
"That's right." Chartreuse supplements Misty's defiance a bit lamely. She'll... have to work her way up to that.
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Focus Energy! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa's stances have changed to Hero! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action. GS: Chartreuse Spinosa accepts Chartreuse Spinosa's Focus Energy for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Lock state applied to Chartreuse Spinosa!
<Pose Tracker> Velvet Crowe has posed.
A thousand years changes a lot.
There was no Marlind a thousand years ago. She doesn't even remember anything like the Great Tree existing -- and it'd certainly be something Eizen would have loved to exposit upon at length.
She doesn't know this place. But it's still part of Lunar. It's still land and people that Laphicet gave everything to protect.
"WISE MEN!"
And that means it's a place that Velvet Crowe has to protect, too.
That familiar, angry voice cuts through the clearing surrounding the Great Tree with a blood-boiling intensity. It's a distant thing, but one closing in as fast as the sudden shadow cast over Zaphkiel grows.
It's also the only brief warning he gets before a woman with wild gold eyes and wilder black hair plunges down on him, pointed tip of her wrist-blade first.
She wastes no time with talk; doesn't ask what they're doing here; it's of no interest to her. She hasn't been carving her way through their little minions with Magilou for a -chat-. She just immediately attacks, stabbing -downward- with that blade to carve across the large, sword-wielding man's torso if unblocked. When she lands, she lands in a crouch. Her right foot stretches out, and a blade springs free from its armored sole, gleaming in the fiery light of a village turned battlefield before she -springs- upon into a four furious pairs of graceful but -savage- pirouetting kicks lead with that bladed boot.
She snaps back afterwards, landing in a three-point stance. She levels a wild, wrathful glare on Zaphkiel -- one that flicks, if only briefly, in the direction of Ghaleon and his spellbound battle with Michael.
If anyone asks, Velvet is here for the vengeance she promised, arriving like a force of nature -- like the Lord of Calamity ought to. And it's at least partially true; the vengeance part, specifically. The whole truth is, however, if she hadn't been tailing Althena's Guard, she might not have even known about this attack. It's annoying, being even indirectly indebted, but, well.
"..."
Her gaze refocuses on Zaphkiel.
She can live with the annoyance. Frankly, she's had worse.
GS: Velvet Crowe has attacked Zaphkiel with Heaven's Wrath! GS: Velvet Crowe has gained 2 Combo! GS: Velvet Crowe has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
To say that Xantia has prepared for another confrontation with the Wise Men would be an understatement. Barring certain... personal distractions, most of her time as of late has been spent training for the inevitable next confrontation. Both in ways familiar and new to her - though when the chips are down, she will still opt for what comes more natural, leaving her Pokemon behind in Energy Nede when she travels away from it.
Has she really managed to get any stronger, though...? Truth be told, it hasn't felt as if going through three of the Four Fields empowered her in any direct, quantifiable way. What she's been left with are some colorful rocks, strange and at times traumatic memory flashes, and a whole lot of questions. But... she wants to believe that it's been good for something. That, somehow, in a way that she can't see right now, the experience will allow her to make a greater difference this time.
She was quick to respond when she heard of the crisis in progress, following those she knows well as they move to respond to the latest incursion. She has little idea of what made the Wise Men decide to strike here and now, but it hardly matters. Whatever their objective, it'll be something worth preventing.
It only takes a quick glance at the surroundings to see how correct the assessment is, going by the number of casualties alone. Scowling, her gaze passes over Lucifer, and lands on the more familiar form of Zaphkiel. She extends an accusatory finger in his direction. "Ahh, it's you again! Don't think you're getting off easy this time!" You know, because their previous two fights didn't already involve back and forth physical violence of ludicrous proportions. Be that as it may, it's easier to measure a difference in your performance when fighting someone you've fought before, and with that her choice is made.
Gwen is the quicker to dash into battle (and more succinct in the statement she makes to go with it), but Xantia isn't far behind. Lightning bursts forth from her body, leaving a trail of sparks as she dashes towards the sword-wielding Wise Man at full speed. Sidestepping Gwen's frontal assault, she watches for an opening left during the moment of their clash, taking advantage to come in from the flank with a single, but devastating palm strike, discharging a burst of electricity on impact.
GS: Xantia has attacked Zaphkiel with Elemental Fury! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xantia's stances have changed to Avenger! GS: Xantia gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Xantia has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
Venetia enjoys coming to Lunar, most of the time. She's even gotten local garb, although the only portion of it that has come into play in this - a hasty, almost headlong travel into the realm of the Goddess.
Hastening into the town, Venetia was directed onwards. While there was a little bit here and there along the way - mostly a thrown-up earthworks which surprised everyone and generally helped others avoid getting blasted by a Wise Man, here and there - it was mostly running.
And so as she approaches the Great Tree, Venetia slumps forwards, hands on her knees and pants for breath for several long seconds. She can hear the Wise Men speaking, and no doubt she seems, with her robes and her pointed hat, to be yet another one of the various Guards, but after those few panting breaths for recovery, Venetia makes herself straighten upwards.
Dinoginos, Venetia thinks, panting, I can't even get out a smart remark. What can I do if I can't even--
Venetia turns her head slightly.
You can all but see the indicator lines flash around --
BANG! BANG BANG BANG BANG -- the gunsmoke arm is drawn out, held forwards with a bracing counter-arm, and all five rounds in the cylinder are shot towards Lucifer. Afterwards, Venetia dumps the brass and slaps in one of these new-fangled speed-loading clips, breaking off the thin metal afterwards -- before returning the entire assembly into her pocket.
GS: Venetia Vuong has attacked Lucifer with My Gun Will Stop The Enemy And Their Associates! GS: Venetia Vuong has gained 1 Combo! GS: Venetia Vuong has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
An infernal baying sounds from the distance. Thundering hoof beats of a white horse wrapped in smoke and flame clamor onto the battlefield, Chase leaning forward and clinging on with one hand and quite possibly a prayer at these speeds. The Poke Ball in his other hand nearly vibrates out of his grip before he manages to hurl it into the air.
It bursts open at the height of its arc, light taking a starry shape as his Staryu whips into battle, already crackling with electric energy and a resolute, "HIYAAAH!!"
Joining the star shaped Pokemon is his Pikachu, springing off of Chase's shoulder and letting out an all too cheerful, "PiiiiKA!" as she adds to that electric jolts with her own, striking at what they know is a powerful foe with their combined effort.
Staryu spins around under Pikachu to catch her before she lands.
Ponyta skids to a halt, hooves kicking up a stream of dirt, but continues to stare down the Ten Wise Men with its burning gaze. Chase leans down, placing a palm gently on Ponyta's neck, but this does little to quell the blazing mane and tail of Ponyta's rage -- even if Chase himself (and the tre) remains unscathed by it.
With the determination of his Pokemon, Chase's own gaze settles on Lucifer, unwavering despite the odds against all of them.
GS: Chase has attacked Lucifer with Thunder Wave! GS: Chase has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chase's stances have changed to Sage! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Gamble: Moderate! Lucifer fails to charge Venetia Vuong's My Gun Will Stop The Enemy And Their Associates for 149 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
There came word of a battle, and not a small one. Upon touching Althena's statue, amongst the other messages was word of it.
A question kept going through Rena's mind, over and over. The same one she'd asked Raphael the other day, the same one where their lack of answers disturbed her.
'Why?'
Perhaps it would be easier to simply chalk them up as rapacious Conquerors, but she couldn't get it out of her head. If they wanted to rule the universe, then why murder civilians indiscriminately?
En route, she looks towards Claude, as she murmurs, "Claude... do you think if... if we..." Then she pauses, and smiles, "You know what, nevermind. I'm just getting too deep into my own head. It'll be fine."
It'll be fine, she tells herself again and again, with a look Dias' way, towards Grace, towards Chisato and Ethius. "It's what he said the other day. Power... and courage." She murmurs. It's what she needs to keep them all alive.
The flight there was quick, Lady Brightwing's radiant wings pressed against her body, prismatic contrails of light passing through the sky. It's a sight that some might mistake for a dragon... but...
... as they cross near the forested area of Marlind, there are explosions, yet as they arc around the great tree, Lady Brightwing suddenly pauses...
most dangerous where the battle isn't
that man
his thoughts frighten
have care
we will
"She says we need to go down there rather than - where the rest of the battle is going on! Everyone be careful! This one is- she's scared of him." And abruptly, it's wings flare out, before it then dives sharply, taking them down, down, down, before - "Everyone jump!"
Lady Brightwing doesn't slow down, tilting just slightly to one side, as all of them leap.
Freeze frame for the whole party! PSYNAMIC ENTRY!
Rena lands in a roll due to the momentum, a hand on the ground as she looks upon the pair, "You!" She glares at Zaphkiel, before eyeing Lucifer, "After what the two of you did here - we're not letting either of you off easy today!"
And as Symbological energy gathers, she calls out, "Silence!" As ethereal chains of runes try to form around Lucifer's throat.
GS: CRITICAL! Lucifer mostly evades Chase's Thunder Wave for 4 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disrupt and Hex applied to Lucifer! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Lucifer with Silence! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford's stances have changed from Counter to Counter and Hero! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Kaede Akigiri has posed.
When you're out investigating, you find yourself in the strangest of places. And the culture shock may have gotten to Kaede, but she's honestly just found it all rather fascinating. If she weren't on duty and this weren't even classifiable as backwater, so to speak, she'd actually enjoy herself even.
That she's traveling with someone at least semi-familiar and tolerating her eccentricities means she's actually having a good time, all things ocnisdered. It's why she's here right now! On yet another world. Wondering still how she's supposed to maintain protocols and not run into problems when everything is a mess and.. she out of the blue, just shakes herself out and huffs. Before taking a drink from a bottle of water.
She does shoot Misty a message, <I'm starting to think you or I are cursed.> When the problem rears its ugly head..s...
The fox pokemon riding her shoulder hops off with a nudge from the beastfolk, hopping into a pokeball for now. Kaede not quite sure how to give orders to the zorua yet.
In the same moment, she draws her sword, flicking it to the side. Getting ready to follow the gyarados in.
Though.. as before she splits into duplicates of herself. All moving slightly desynched and the movements themselves obfuscated and moving somewhat strangely.
She hasn't quite made a move against the Wise Man. Keeping up with the dragon..ish pokemon.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
This is hardly the first time Ida has charged through a burning city, desperate to find and stop an enemy. You could even say she's made a habit of it. With both the Guard and the local militia doing their best to buy the civilians time, she makes to try and cut the head off this snake--impenetrable Symbological scales, or no.
"ZAPHKIEL!" Ida screams, her voice already raw from mild smoke inhalation, and charged with adrenaline. She's a blur of green, black, and gold as she sprints towards the great tree, looking for all the worlds like she's going to follow Gwen and Xantia in a headlong charge.
It's a feint. A ferocious wind is at Ida's back, trailing motes of green light. She throws a hand forward, and the enchanted gale blows past her, at Zaphkiel himself. It won't even stagger him, but it's not meant to--it's meant to hurl the guard away from him before that blade can strike a mortal blow.
Ida digs in her heels, churning up the dirt; she skids to a violent halt, pain arcing through her calves as she whirls on the rest of the militia. "Get back! Help your comrades!" Venetia has the right idea, Ida thinks, distantly, as she hears familiar gunfire.
Ida whips Devil's Due from its holster, takes aim, and unloads the clip into Zaphkiel's center of mass.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.
"Hold the line!" roars a voice, from near the city gates. A blade of steel slices through the air, meeting and clashing with blades made of unearthly metal. Sparks fly. After a moment, the smaller of the two--one of the Paradox Pokemon, a humanoid figure with green-and-white armor and glowing pink eyes--shoves away from the blade lock. The larger of the two is White Knight Leo. He holds his ground, cape flaring as he shifts his stance.
The Iron Valiant rushes him. Leo meets it mid-charge, his sword blurring through the air. "DEMON FANG!" he bellows, and a flash of energy erupts from his weapon's edge. It catches the wounded Pokemon in the chest, and hurls it back.
A trumpeting roar catches Leo's ear. Treads churn up the earth as a massive, mammoth-like Pokemon charges the White Knight. He stops a heel into the earth, and a wall of stone rushes up to shield him. The Great Tusk plows through it like a sledgehammer through cheap plaster. Leo leaps to the side, tucking and rolling at the last minute. He comes up to a knee, blade drawn, his lips parting in a snarl.
The battle continues.
GS: Kaede Akigiri has attacked Kaede Akigiri with Flickering Phantoms! GS: Kaede Akigiri has gained 4 Combo! GS: Kaede Akigiri's stances have changed to Hero! GS: Kaede Akigiri has completed her action. GS: Kaede Akigiri accepts Kaede Akigiri's Flickering Phantoms for 0 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Kaede Akigiri! GS: Quick applied to Kaede Akigiri! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Zaphkiel with Suppression! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey's stances have changed to Stoic! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
A battle is raging on. Claude heard it, tooo. But he isn't asking 'why' like Rena. ...The 'why' isn'tt important to him today. Just the 'what'. Just the 'how'. ?
"Rena?" Claude wonders. "...All right. But you can tell me if something's on your mind, okay?" he offers her.
Lady Brightwing carries them forward. And then--
"Then we'll be careful," Claude says, and jumps. "Haaaaaah--!"
Claude doesn't immediately draw his sword, instead reaching out with his hand. "Meteor...!" Claude swings that hand forward, palm-out, "PALM!"
A fiery projectile rushes for Lucifer as Claue follows up quickly.
He sees the others already here. Chase with his Pokemon; Venetia with her gun.
"We won't let you do as you like here!" Already, he'scharging, drawing his sword.
GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Lucifer with Meteor Palm! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 1 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny's stances have changed from Counter to Avenger and Counter! GS: Claude C. Kenny gains 5 FP from his Daredevil! GS: Claude C. Kenny has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.
Mariel likes the Great Tree of Marlind.
This is almost certainly a surprise to precisely nobody.
The fact that she visits it whenever she is in the area is probably, if not well known, at least unsurprising once you hear about it. It's comfortable, to her, and reassuring; Lunar isn't Filgaia, and is not her home, but in some ways it reminds her of better days, when Filgaia didn't hurt so much to see and feel.
Is this running away? she has thought to herself. But it isn't, because she never stays too long, and she always goes back. She hasn't been to the Great Tree in a while; she's had more urgent things to do, between Filgaia and Nede and everything else.
But she *is* here today. It took her almost no time to gather her gear, but more to get closer to the tree, because she kept stopping to render what aid she could. Aid to Althena's Guard, to civilians, to anyone who needed it; Mariel will not stint over a mere difference of opinion.
And that's what she's doing when she finally gets closer, too. She's not going to engage the Wise Men directly - not because she's afraid, but because even them, she can't bring herself to hurt - but she knows they need to be stopped. Some people you do have to fight. Mariel just... can't be the one to do it, not here and not now.
But Mariel *does* have a handful full of extremely red flowers, and she raises them, letting the wind catch them while she draws their energy out. Pink sparks of light drift away from the blooms, toward some of the other combatants, and dancing over Mariel's hands as well. It makes them feel energized, as if the breeze picked up just for them.
GS: Lucifer mostly evades Rena Lanford's Silence for 0 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Lucifer's Mute Ward may block the effect! GS: Hex applied to Lucifer! GS: Mute blocked! GS: Mariel has attacked Mariel with Red Verbena! GS: Mariel has attacked Chase with Red Verbena! GS: Mariel has attacked Rena Lanford with Red Verbena! GS: Mariel has attacked Venetia Vuong with Red Verbena! GS: Mariel has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Red Verbena! GS: Mariel has gained 2 Combo! GS: Mariel has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford accepts Mariel's Red Verbena for 0 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Rena Lanford! GS: Chase accepts Mariel's Red Verbena for 0 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Chase! GS: Zaphkiel fails to guard Velvet Crowe's Heaven's Wrath for 122 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Zaphkiel mostly evades Xantia's Elemental Fury for 46 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Hyper and Mighty applied to Xantia! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Venetia Vuong accepts Mariel's Red Verbena for 0 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Venetia Vuong! GS: Zaphkiel mostly guards Ida Everstead-Rey's Suppression for 43 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Countermeasures!
<Pose Tracker> Magilou has posed.
Defenders arrive to protect the Great Tree -- but one of them is already fighting. There are corpses, here, to fertilise the roots... but the tree's not yet fallen.
Part of that comes down to someone who isn't taking their last dirt nap -- not yet.
Magilou Mayvin remembers when the Great Tree was small. She saw it grow, and Marlind around it. She took the slow route here -- so she has more of a connection to this place than Velvet might, living amongst the land she would steward for their sakes.
Not that she'd ever say it were so. If you asked, she'd say, 'I don't really care!'
... so why is she here, now, with the Lord of Calamity, protecting this place?
She is not dressed in pink and blue and purple, now, but stark black and white and red -- the alternate colouration of Super Absorber, an immediate sign that something is deeply wrong. (When Magilou isn't taking it easy, something is always wrong.)
Ghaleon's busy with Michael, and that means Magilou --
"Hey, it's the sword-for-brains we don't like!" Magilou chirps, brightly, as she hops forward behind Velvet's striking entrance. "How's it going, Wisey? Have you heard the latest crack?"
She wags two fingers, holding a paper doll shikigami between them, as a blue Seraphic sigil alights at her feet. "Looks like you're gonna be put on ice... Final Embrace!" And the spell does /exactly that,/ icicles forming at Zaphkiel's feet and threatening to encase him in frost." "Ready, steady, and BLAMMO!! Explode!" And the spell does exactly that, at Zaphkiel's feet.
DC: Magilou switches forms to Scourge of the Self-Righteous ~ Face the Wrath of Magilou Mayvin!!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius is part of the ride on Lady Brightwing. He mostly keeps quiet - there's a lot of questions on the 'why' front, but he's clear on the 'what' and he knows where he stands in regards to that 'what.' By the oaths of his line of work, he can't let the likes of the Ten Wise Men do as they please.
"We're not going in fully blind to the threat," he says to Rena's murmuring. Does that count for 'we have some wisdom here' too? It's a benefit many of them have - most of them have survived contact with the Ten Wise Men at least once, even if a more permanent solution to overcoming their strength is still forthcoming beyond the Four Fields (the fourth of which they have yet to visit).
He keeps his composure and stress through the g-forces involved in such rapid flight.
"Below," he calls to the explosions. "I believe that's... Marlind," he adds, as Rena conveys the feelings and fears of Lady Brightwing, their wild Psynard friend.
Ethius takes the leap and strikes a reasonably cool pose in that freeze frame, quarterstaff in hand as he lands not too far away. It is to his credit as a Symbologist that he actually starts weaving the spell mid-tumble, chanting and gestures and all, about half of the way through it when he comes upright and finishes the whole incantation. (Little is he aware, this is serendipity from Mariel's hastening Red Verbena essence just making it easier to complete.)
"Mirage Haze!" He calls, sweltering, vision-altering heat attempting to settle within Lucifer's field of vision as a means of buying everyone time to land and gather themselves from their PSYNAMIC ENTRY.
"We cannot allow you to do as you please," Ethius adds as he stands upright and plants his quarterstaff's end straight on the ground.
GS: CRITICAL! Ethius Hesiod accepts Mariel's Red Verbena for 0 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Ethius Hesiod! GS: Magilou has attacked Zaphkiel with Final Embrace! GS: Magilou has gained 2 Combo! GS: Magilou's stances have changed from Counter to Avenger and Counter! GS: Magilou gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Magilou has completed her action. GS: Access! Magilou takes 30 damage! GS: Gamble: Highest! Zaphkiel mostly guards Magilou's Final Embrace for 94 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Magilou drains Zaphkiel! Magilou gains 56 temporary hit points! GS: Lucifer marginally evades Claude C. Kenny's Meteor Palm for 88 hit points! GS: Mighty and Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Lucifer with Mirage Haze! GS: Ethius Hesiod has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action. GS: Lucifer critically fails to evade Ethius Hesiod's Mirage Haze for 0 hit points! GS: Blind, Drowsy, Hex, and Jam applied to Lucifer!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
It *is* strange. But not that strange. The Ten Wise Men clearly think themselves as superior beings. When everything else is beneath you and you're of a conquering mindset, then you don't need to respect those lives. You might even snuff them out for fun. Dias doesn't like having an understanding of that mindset, but in his own quest for strength, he's run into people like that time and time and time again.
When Rena looks to Claude and the rest of them, she catches Dias's eye. Power and courage. He gives her a slight nod. He understands what she means. ...It's good that Claude's understanding with her, though. The two of them really should communicate more (Dias thought without a shred of irony).
Lady Brightwing sails them all towards the battlefield. Ethius points out it's the town of Marlind. Dias silently appreciates it; he isn't that familiar with the towns of Lunar. Rena aims them for where there's the *least* amount of fire and chaos. Dias narrows his eyes down at Lucifer as the wind blows through his long hair. When Rena calls for them to jump, Dias is already ready--legs tensed, hand on the hilt of his sword. He *leaps*, and as he falls, he tears a trail of glimmering light through the air that shoots towards the Wise Man known as Lucifer.
"Moonlight Arc!" he calls as he falls, just before he lands in a forward roll and springs up in a defensive combat posture. There are a lot of combatants already here--several he knows, even--but he'll leave the righteous condemnations to the others. Against a Wise Man, this is sure to turn out to be a battle of life and death.
GS: Dias Flac has attacked Lucifer with Moonlight Arc! GS: Dias Flac has gained 4 Combo! GS: Dias Flac's stances have changed to Stoic! GS: Dias Flac gains 24 THP from his Cautious! GS: Dias Flac has completed his action. GS: Lucifer mostly guards Dias Flac's Moonlight Arc for 51 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
Chisato was, as ever, taking notes in that notebook full of her shorthand, presumably from her own Statue messages. But she looked up as Rena spoke. "Well, y'know I'll never miss a scoop," she said, flipping her pen behind her ear and her notebook into her spacious inner pockets. "Front line investigation's all the rage these days, ya know."
AND THEN
Chisato throws her arms wide, practiced at leaping off of high-speed flying pokemon like all simple urban journalists are. A support drone sputters into the air behind her, a simple preparation for better footage and, you know, other purposes.
Chisato flips as she nears the ground, training allowing her to take the whole landing in a wide three-point stance. "Howdy," she says, too cool to look up. "Name's Chisato Madison, with the Nede Times."
Then she smoothly rises to a standing position, leveling a blaster pistol at Lucifer. "I am obliged to inform you we're filming."
Then she pulls the trigger and a crackling jolt of electricity spears towards him.
GS: Chisato Madison has attacked Lucifer with Lightning Gun! GS: Chisato Madison has gained 3 Combo! GS: Chisato Madison has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Lucifer perfectly evades Chisato Madison's Lightning Gun for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Lucifer has gained 1 Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
'Why?' is a really good question to ask, honestly. It might explain a lot- then again, it might just make things worse.
Still Grace was not exactly... eager to be going into battle again. She still wasn't comfortable using her guns again yet, honestly, after what happened. But... Bigger problems than hers exist right now, and for better or worse she's committed to this team. On the upside... at least she gets to fly on Lady Brightwing again? She enjoys that bit.
But that bit comes to an end way quicker than she likes. "...Yeah, I don't think I blame her." Grace says, quietly, pulling the guns into pistol mode. "Let's hope these work as well as they did the first time." She mutters, before looking to the others. She's got to work with them. "I'm gonna cover us until you guys get in close, okay? Then, uh... I'll follow your lead?"
She's not. Entirely sure what following their lead is but she's gonna try.
The moment comes to jump, and Grace leaps diving from the back of Lady Brightwing, pistols forward, arms crossed, firing a series of rapid shots at Lucifer as she drops, before tossing them into the to catch herself on all fours as she lands- there's an 'oof' as she does so but it's quiet. In the air, the pistols combine into their submachine gun form, and Grace moves to snatch them out of the air with one hand.
It was probably really cool and sexy of her, but for once, looking cool and photogenic in her entry ISN'T Grace's priority- this time, it's making sure her friends land safely.
But NOW that's done and Chisato- and Ethius of all people- get to make a cool statement- it's a little on her list of priorities. "Yeah! And she's gonna get our good side while we kick your butt!"
GS: Grace Harvey has attacked Lucifer with Pin-Up Pin Down! GS: Grace Harvey has completed her action. GS: Lucifer marginally evades Grace Harvey's Pin-Up Pin Down for 62 hit points! GS: Slow blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Lucifer has posed.
'WISE MEN!'
"Ah, one of the gnats is that escaped prisoner," Lucifer spits. "Delightful! Zaphkiel! Handle her."
He flicks a hand in Velvet's direction, as if Zaphkiel had any choice. There is a glance, too, at Misty and Chartreuse. And then, finally, at a Staryu, a Pikachu, and their Trainer, squaring off against him. "And Nedians, choosing to interfere," he says. "If only they had the stuff of their ancestors."
His eyes look, coolly, into Chase's. "Or perhaps not. Now, both you and your pets--" The Pokemon-made electricity slams into and crackles across a barrier in front of him, held at bay. "--can DIE for getting in my way!"
Bullets slam into the same barrier, smashing against it;the rounds flatten and fall against it. He looks at Venetia -- then barks out a laugh. "Bullets! Adorable," he says. "Why not come at me with a stick!"
Then, he throws a hand out. Four blades of green-white wind explode through the air -- one for Venetia, another for Chase and one for each of his Pokemon. Then, his eyes shift towards Rena Lanford, landing in a roll and coming up, before he scowls. She casts her spell--
--And Lucifer waves his hand, with a flick, and Symbols appear. The chains slam against them, then shatter into so much light.
"How droll," he spits. Then, he thrusts a hand towards her. Symbols flash in the air before him; then the skies crack, audibly, and a bolt of lightning comes crashing down for Rena's head.
He steps back, a moment later, as Claude comes rushing in -- hand outreached -- and a fiery projection slams forward, smashing into his barrier. It shimmers, now, under all these attacks. He scowls, as Claude charges.
"I already am doing what I like, insect!" he says. A moment later, though, he hisses -- the air before him hazy, murky -- and his eyes narrow through Ethius's spell. "Gh--two Federation dogs, is it!? Well, I suppose I had to start SOMEWHERE!"
Then, he throws both hands out, and a ball of lightning shoots up into the air. It's between Claude and Ethius -- and it sends out huge bolts of lightning. One crashes down for each; then a third comes smashing down for Mariel, just as she looses her herbs.
He turns, then, not a moment later. He sees Dias come crashing down, his blade and the trail of energy after it slamming down. His barrier -- a glimmering, translucent red dome -- shrinks into a smaller, deep red crescent, and meets his blade and technique. Sparks explode and fly off it, before Lucifer thrusts a hand outward.
Two crimson feathers of light form, then explode off his hand and fly straight for Dias's chest. Then, he whips around, looks at Chisato as she fires--
--and the blast of electricity explodes through nothing as he vanishes in a burst of blue light. "Lucifer," he says, "of the Ten Wise Men. I'm obliged to inform you that you're dying."
Then blue-and-white lightning explodes off his outstretched hand and directly for her back. His barrier reforms, shoots over his head, and rotates to catch the shots from Grace as she lands. Bullets flatten and fall to the ground, as Venetia's did, and he turns to look at Grace.
He cranes his neck. "The crickets do so love to chirp, don't they?"
He throws his other hand for her. Two blades of green wind explode off it, hurtling across the ground and straight for Grace. Then, he looks at Zaphkiel, and holds a hand up. Blue light, then white light explodes across him and Zaphkiel both.
GS: Lucifer has attacked Venetia Vuong with Wind Blade! GS: Lucifer has attacked Chase with Wind Blade! GS: Lucifer has attacked Grace Harvey with Wind Blade! GS: Lucifer has gained 1 Combo! GS: Lucifer has attacked Rena Lanford with Thunder Bolt! GS: Lucifer has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Thunder Storm! GS: Lucifer has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Thunder Storm! GS: Lucifer has attacked Mariel with Thunder Storm! GS: Lucifer has attacked Dias Flac with Energy Feather! GS: Lucifer has gained 1 Combo! GS: Lucifer has attacked Chisato Madison with Thunder Bolt! GS: Lucifer has attacked Zaphkiel with Bless! GS: Lucifer has attacked Zaphkiel with Reflection! GS: Lucifer has gained 1 Combo! GS: Lucifer has attacked Lucifer with Bless! GS: Lucifer accepts Lucifer's Bless for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Lucifer! GS: Hyper applied to Lucifer! GS: Lucifer has attacked Lucifer with Reflection! GS: Lucifer has gained 1 Combo! GS: Lucifer gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Lucifer has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Dias Flac mostly evades Lucifer's Energy Feather for 149 hit points! GS: Gamble: High! Venetia Vuong mostly charges Lucifer's Wind Blade for 169 hit points! GS: COUNTER! Rena Lanford counterattacks Lucifer with Light Cross! GS: Rena Lanford fails to charge Lucifer's Thunder Bolt for 177 hit points! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: CRITICAL! Lucifer accepts Lucifer's Reflection for 0 hit points! GS: Quick and Shield applied to Lucifer! GS: Lucifer mostly evades Rena Lanford's Light Cross for 50 hit points! GS: Mariel accepts Mariel's Red Verbena for 0 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Mariel! GS: Mariel mostly guards Lucifer's Thunder Storm for 100 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Lucifer! GS: COUNTER! Claude C. Kenny counterattacks Lucifer with Air Slash! GS: CRITICAL! Claude C. Kenny mostly charges Lucifer's Thunder Storm for 238 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Lucifer! GS: CRITICAL! Ethius Hesiod fails to evade Lucifer's Thunder Storm for 253 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Lucifer! GS: CRITICAL! Zaphkiel accepts Lucifer's Bless for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Zaphkiel! GS: Quick applied to Lucifer! GS: CRITICAL! Zaphkiel accepts Lucifer's Reflection for 0 hit points! GS: Quick and Shield applied to Zaphkiel! GS: Quick applied to Lucifer! GS: CRITICAL! Chisato Madison mostly evades Lucifer's Thunder Bolt for 120 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Lucifer! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: Very High! Grace Harvey fails to evade Lucifer's Wind Blade for 326 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Lucifer! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Zaphkiel has posed.
There is a shout in those few moments before the blade can impact the guard that Zaphkiel has thrown into the air. It does not pull his attention or slow his blade--
But it doesn't need to. A sudden gale miraculously intercedes: the sword cuts nothing but air and the guard impacts instead a nearby cart.
"Hmm," he remarks, considering Ida. "Good reflexes."
She responds by shooting him. The bullet rebounds off his chest. "Excellent reflexes," he corrects, watching for but the moment as Ida sees to the other wounded guard.
However brief, there is an opening, one that Gwen takes advantage of. Her fist collides solidly with Zaphkiel's back. In the next instance, he's simply no longer there, sidestepping his new opponent before meeting them with several feet of sword.
Whatever his blade is made of, it's certainly not steel.
He glances over Gwen the once only in the aftermath of shared violence. "...Ha! So we meet again!" he says to her, baring sharp teeth. "That was clever, attacking me like that. But can you keep it up?" Before he can move to close the distance between them, there surges none other than Misty's Blastoise. Narrowly stepping out of the way of the Pokemon's strike, Zaphkiel turns his head to regard her for the moment. "A long way from home, are you?" he muses aloud. He hefts his massive blade with just the one hand, and with the other, he jabs a finger at Chartreuse. "So, this is who they're sending against us? Let's see if you put up a good fight!" His gaze shifts from her to Kaede, who remains on the periphery, but her illusory arts have not gone unnoticed it would seem.
Ida and Gwen are not the only familiar faces. There is, of course, Xantia.
"Haha, now that's the spirit! Let's see what you've learned...!" he exhorts her, and it would seem in the moment that he makes no move to evade her as she advances-- up until the very last moment when he shifts just enough to dampen the electrical burst at the end of her strike. "Not bad. But you aren't fast enough yet!"
There's no shortage of familiar faces, for here is a very familiar witch. "I see you've come back to face me again, too! Then come, magician!" His lips part to expose a wild grin. "Show me what you've learned!"
An explosion detonates at his feet.
He leaps backwards, smoke and embers roaring about him. "Is that it? Try again--"
There is no warning of Velvet's attack. She descends upon him not unlike a beast, her blades cleaving deep lines across his chest, his abdomen, his arms--
Silver-tinged cyan wells up from a half-dozen terrible wounds. Anyone else might have been seriously injured, if not killed. But Zaphkiel is of the Wise Men. And his wounds are already mending as if they had never been.
"...The one from Marduk. From behind the seal?" he asks. He glances once at Lucifer. "Of course. I hadn't thought I would get the chance again!" Light, courtesy of Lucifer, envelopes him in its protective embrace.
He, himself, is a wild beast of a man. He charges for her without hesitation, that massive blade moving with a speed that contradicts its size. He'll cleave at her with it, again and again.
But it is not in her presence that he'll remain. Zaphkiel has many opponents, after all. Twisting away from Velvet, his blade dances across the cobblestones, kicking up sparks as he surges ahead towards Gwen, Chartreuse, Xantia, and Misty's Blastoise; the sword leads the charge, blurring in the air as he swings it about himself with impossible speed.
Breaking from their lines, he stomps the ground but once, sending a roiling shockwave out along the ground before him. With it, he seeks to catch Kamui, Ida, Kaede, and Magilou as they variously engage him directly or simply remain close enough to end up within the attack's area of effect.
Cracking his neck in the wake of such destruction, he lets out a roar like a wild animal. A brilliant aura flares about him and Lucifer alike.
GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Velvet Crowe with Raging Beast! GS: Zaphkiel enters a Counter stance! GS: Zaphkiel has gained 2 Combo! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Spinning Slash! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Misty with Spinning Slash! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Spinning Slash! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Xantia with Spinning Slash! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Kamui with Earthshaker! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Earthshaker! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Kaede Akigiri with Earthshaker! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Magilou with Earthshaker! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Lucifer with War Cry! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Zaphkiel with War Cry! GS: Zaphkiel accepts Zaphkiel's War Cry for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Zaphkiel! GS: COUNTER! Kamui counterattacks Zaphkiel with Nothing Beats! GS: Kamui mostly charges Zaphkiel's Earthshaker for 126 hit points! GS: Disrupt applied to Kamui! GS: Zaphkiel has completed its action. GS: Gwen Whitlock mostly guards Zaphkiel's Spinning Slash for 78 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Gwen Whitlock gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple applied to Gwen Whitlock! GS: Hyper applied to Zaphkiel! GS: CRITICAL! Lucifer critically fails to charge Claude C. Kenny's Air Slash for 215 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Lucifer accepts Zaphkiel's War Cry for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Lucifer! GS: Hyper applied to Zaphkiel! GS: COUNTER! Zaphkiel counterattacks Kamui with Quickstep! GS: Zaphkiel mostly charges Kamui's Nothing Beats for 95 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Charge!! You gain 40 FP! (That's 25 more than usual!) GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: High! Chase mostly evades Lucifer's Wind Blade for 143 hit points! GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Lucifer! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Kaede Akigiri marginally evades Zaphkiel's Earthshaker for 107 hit points! GS: Disrupt applied to Kaede Akigiri! GS: CRITICAL! Ida Everstead-Rey critically fails to evade Zaphkiel's Earthshaker for 180 hit points! GS: Disrupt applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: COUNTER! Velvet Crowe counterattacks Zaphkiel with Arthur's Maxims! GS: CRITICAL! Velvet Crowe fails to charge Zaphkiel's Raging Beast for 211 hit points! GS: Disrupt applied to Velvet Crowe! GS: CRITICAL! Xantia critically fails to evade Zaphkiel's Spinning Slash for 228 hit points! GS: Xantia's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Cripple blocked! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Magilou fails to evade Zaphkiel's Earthshaker for 190 hit points! GS: Disrupt applied to Magilou! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: CRITICAL! Chartreuse Spinosa mostly guards Zaphkiel's Spinning Slash for 98 hit points! GS: Cripple applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Kamui fails to evade Zaphkiel's Quickstep for 187 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Kamui gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Zaphkiel critically fails to guard Velvet Crowe's Arthur's Maxims for 180 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: COUNTER! Misty counterattacks Zaphkiel with Rapid Spin! GS: Misty marginally charges Zaphkiel's Spinning Slash for 132 hit points! GS: Cripple applied to Misty! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Zaphkiel critically fails to guard Misty's Rapid Spin for 94 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius' eyes narrow at the 'insect' words, but also an attempt to keep watch on what it is Lucifer's about to do - the erupting Symbols from various impacts makes occasional clarity difficult for him.
Something's striking about mentioning 'two' Federation dogs, given a recent encounter and discussion, but he doesn't have time to think on it because Ethius feels the faint crackling of lightning bearing down. His idea is to crouch and roll, leaving the staff upright so that it'll catch the lightning bolt (even at cost of the quarterstaff, if it worked - it doesn't).
He's too slow for this, immense electrical force coursing through him and making him black out for two seconds as he is hurled against scorched ground, sprawling and rolling and tumbling.
"Even through the Mirage Haze," Ethius murmurs, sputters, and fights off encroaching numbness to move forward again and take up his quarterstaff as he takes stock of others nearby.
That's Mariel over there, rendering aid where she can.
That's Venetia over there with her gun.
And that's a young Nedian man over there with his Pikachu and Ponyta who does not seem to flinch nor cower before the likese of this.
This isn't just a Federation problem - this is *everyone's* problem.
Precious seconds pass for Ethius to make sure his wits and nerves are still with him after that lightning strike, before taking his weapon and closing into melee range from Dias' flank - he knows Grace is closer over to Claude's direction.
"Far Point!" Ethius calls the name of the technique as he lunges into Lucifer's protective red energies at the utmost reach of his wingspan to try and poke a pinpoint stress area to weaken it.
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Lucifer with Far Point! GS: Ethius Hesiod has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action. GS: Lucifer mostly evades Ethius Hesiod's Far Point for 34 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
The red herbal scent-energies whirl around Venetia as she finishes holstering her gun and reaches for her other, and greater, weapon: the Crest Graph pouch. A stout container of leather for wonder and terror alike.
Venetia's eyes turn towards Mariel for a moment. She doesn't quite smile, but she does nod. And then the bullets smash against the barrier. Venetia stares back at Lucifer as he laughs at the bullets.
Venetia grins at him, with teeth. "You shouldn't disdain these things so," she says, stepping forwards -
And judging the range. Damn it, she thinks, it's not near enough. Her fingers run past an increasingly fond Crest Graph and towards another. "A real expert uses every tool they can," Venetia says, before a whipping wind blade smacks out towards her.
By some rights, it should carve a large gash in Venetia. And it kind of does; but she had already had her hand on a Crest Graph and there is a certain art to countermagic. It's more of a half-formed bulging out of unseeable mystic energy which makes the wind slash break down SOMEWHAT before it smashes into her; but smash, indeed, it does, and she ends up being knocked sprawling, tumbling off to the side.
Twitching for a moment, her eyes turn upwards, from behind the mask.
Ten meters, she thinks. I have to get within ten meters of him.
Her eyes track towards Dias Flac as she pushes heavily up to her feet. "Keep him still if you can! I have to set up!" she calls to him, casting another brief glance back towards her peers before rising heavily.
"I'll help out," she concludes, before drawing out another Crest Graph and raising it. Sorcerous energy flutters out and then, from almost-nothing, crystals of thick and durable selenite salts arc out of the ground, forming
crude and deterministic cage around Lucifer!
Certainly, he can break through them. But perhaps he'll have to break through them. And that's real rock. One hundred percent genuine stone salt. (Someone may want to remove them before the next rainfalls, unless they all die, of course; in which case the point is moot.)
<Pose Tracker> Misty has posed.
They might be cursed. Misty gives Kaede a small sigh. "Yeah. I'm kiiiiiind of hoping this doesn't happen every time I leave Energy Nede."
Misty looks to Chartreuse and puts a quiet hand on her shoulder. She gives her a determined gaze, her blue eyes clear and determined. "You can do this," she says quietly and with absolute conviction. "I'm here to back you up."
She is, honestly, feeling some of that sickness and worry herself--it's revolting, what they're doing to both the people and the forest, but... she was a bit better prepared this time, and part of a Gym Leader's duty is to inspire others.
And so she will.
She sweeps the battlefield to take stock of what's going on. Gwen launches a surprise attack, and Kamui seems to be getting ready. She flinches as she feels Velvet's intensity cut through the clearing--but it goes for Zaphkiel, not any of the rest of them. Okay. She can roll with that. Xantia has seemingly fought them before, it seems. And there's Ida again, with that strange weapon... more questions for later. And Magilou has jokes, but... maybe that's how she copes?
Chase arrives--what is with that Ponyta?? But Pikachu and Staryu seem to be working well together, and that, at least, gives Misty some comfort. (She'll have to remember to introduce Chase and Kaede later; Chase might have some insights on pokemon training he can share, if he's willing, to help Kaede with her new Zorua.)
If only they had the stuff of their ancestors. Misty slides her gaze over to Lucifer. "You mean the ancestors that almost destroyed our world? Energy Nede has changed--we don't need to go back to our old ways. We have to keep moving forward!"
Misty crosses her arms as Zaphkiel indicates she's a long way from home. "That doesn't seem to have stopped you. If our problems are bothering other worlds, then I'll just have to go to other worlds to stop them."
Zaphkiel unleashes a flurry of strikes, but Blastoise is ready. Despite her great bulk the sheer amount of power she has lets her move quickly, and when the initial strike fails she's already drawn her arms and legs into her body and initiated a rapid, whirling spin. The spinning turtle pokemon tilts in the direction of the Wise Man like a top, careening right at him as spin meets counterspin.
Blastoise is still knocked away, and all four amrs and legs come out and slam into the ground, claws digging in as she forces her spinning to an abrupt halt. She's grounded now, and Misty smiles grimly. Perfect firing position, just like they've practiced. "Water Gun!" shouts the trainer.
"Blaaaaaastoise!" Water gathers in both of the pokemon's cannons, and after a brief charge she unleashes twin jet streams of water directly for the swordsman.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Claude tells her she can tell him what's on her mind, and she does manage a smile, "I'll take you up on that sometime." It is nice that he's so understanding isn't it? It's just sometimes she's not even certain where her own head is at, case in point.
They're now in a battle!
Red flower petals flutter down near her, and she feels herself quicken, as she looks at the little dog eared girl in surprise, "Thank you!" Escaped prisoner? Her eyes look at Velvet in her rapid kicking feet, shocked at seeing her again, "Is she here for revenge?" She murmurs, before focusing on casting another spell...
...right as a Thunderbolt comes down on her head, there's a flash crackle, and Rena momentarily vanishes amidst the dust and booming thunder, right before her Symbology spell goes off, and "Light CROSS!" And bursts of radiant light burn around Lucifer's space.
Thoroughly blackened from the spell, she regathers herself despite the pain, "We're not here for your amusement."
As she takes stock of his barrier, Rena considers the matter as Claude and Dias move in, before she then dashes at him rapidly, and perhaps she might take him off guard for the very reason that... she's a Nedian.
And thus, it'd be quite unexpected for a modern Nedian to aim to deck him with that shining Cestus in her hands. "'We're' dying?" That first haymaker is followed up by several flickering jabs, trying to capitalize on the two of them.
"Don't lie on camera, it's not a good look to slander yourself."
Suddenly circling him in a flank to give Ethius and Grace more of an opening, she tries to strike him again. "Wait... two?" She might pull that punch some on accident, "Anyhow..." Before ducking low, and sending one last uppercut towards his jaw. "...Don't call Claude a DOG!"
GS: Misty has attacked Zaphkiel with Water Gun! GS: Misty has gained 3 Combo! GS: Misty gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Misty has completed her action. GS: Venetia Vuong has attacked Lucifer with Selenite Sign ~Cavern of the Crystals~! GS: Venetia Vuong has gained 1 Combo! GS: Venetia Vuong gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Venetia Vuong has completed her action. GS: Rena Lanford spends 1 Combo on Gatling, loading 1 into Gatling! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Lucifer with Pummel! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford's stances have changed from Hero to Avenger! GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: Lucifer mostly evades Venetia Vuong's Selenite Sign ~Cavern of the Crystals~ for 13 hit points! GS: Entangle applied to Lucifer! GS: Cripple blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude would love to communicate better with Rena. ...But today isn't the day to work on it. He smiles at her, whe she says she'll take him up on it sometime. But... Today, they have a battle to deal with.
Can they win?
Chisato informs Lucifer that they're filming, and Claude grins despite himself. "Then we'd better go for a good rating," he says.
Lucifer's already doig as he likes. Claude grimaces--and brings up his sword to defend against the counterattack. Quickly, he judges that he's misjudged, when he feelss the thunder coming, and swings down again. "AIR SLASH!" Claude calls in his counerattack, and then is slammed back off his feet by the sheer force of the storm that hits him.
"Gh--"
Grace takes the wind worse.
Claude rises to his feet again. A Federation dog, is he? Well...
"Woof, woof," Claude counters.
Then he darts over to where Grace is and sets himself in a defensive stance, holding out his sword horizontally, one hand backinig it at near the tip of the blade.
"I've got you," Claude tells Grace, as inner energy surges within him and creates a barrier.
"...Heh. Thanks, Rena. But I'm here for Filgaia and Lunar, too--not just the Federation! You'll see how special this system is!"
GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Grace Harvey with Bodyguard! GS: Claude C. Kenny enters a Counter stance! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 2 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny gains 5 FP from his Daredevil! GS: Claude C. Kenny has completed his action. GS: Grace Harvey accepts Claude C. Kenny's Bodyguard for 0 hit points! GS: Protect and Shield applied to Grace Harvey! GS: Grace Harvey is now being protected by Claude C. Kenny! GS: Lucifer critically fails to charge Rena Lanford's Pummel for 197 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Kamui has posed.
Familiar voices are already present -- and with a BANG BANG BANG, Kamui identifies Venetia, and then Ida in quick fashion. "It is well to see you two again," she announces.
The Reploid doesn't manage to proceed into combat for the first strike, compared to her more adroit companions. Zaphkiel's overwhelming strength breaks the very ground with just a simple, yet powerful stomp of his feet, prompting Kamui to charge forward and tuck her knees up as she draws a round metal shield, bulling through the worst of the earth-shattering blast; in response, however, Zaphkiel's quick reflexes cause her to pay for it, and she's slid back into a three-point kneel.
"Such strength..."
kamui -- the body is...
Errors flash through her visual sensors for a moment. So, this is the limit of punishment this body can take... it's much lesser than her original body.
There's no use complaining about it.
"What is your objective here?" Kamui questions. "This is no random attack. Is it perhaps the power within this Great Tree...?"
Following his enormous and heart-shaking warrior's cry, the Reploid presses her attack. She's armed with only a very ordinary-looking short sword, more fit for a beginning Drifter than a seasoned warrior. She's not even certain this weapon can pierce the barriers of the Wise Men; but, she has to try.
She darts to blindside Zaphkiel while Blastoise's Rapid Spin presses the advantage, utilising the difference between her size and the massive man's; as she weaves in between his legs, she raises her shortsword in knife grip, driving it towards the back of his knee -- and then tearing out in a circular, fading slash afterwards.
GS: Kamui spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Blitz! Kamui has attacked Zaphkiel with Dragon Quarter! GS: Kamui has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kamui has launched an attack Link! GS: Blitz! Kamui has attacked Zaphkiel with Freedom Unite! GS: Kamui enters a Counter stance! GS: Kamui has gained 3 Combo! GS: Kamui gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Kamui gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Kamui gains 37 THP from Regen! GS: Kamui has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Kaede Akigiri has posed.
There's a familiar voice and this is a little distracting. As are a lot of the spells being flung around. Notably though, there's no way it's the same people right? Kaede does... at the last moment get out of the way of the worst of the earthshaker.
She's going to invest in float boots if everyone she tries to intervene against throws earthquakes out...
She... does compose herself quickly enough and waves her free hand a few times trying to get at least Claude's attention. Then she looks back to Misty in exasperation. She points to herself. Waves, then points to Claude. Her hand's full. She's not about to try and text the message a second time even if she's quick and poking people mentally is still not her favorite thing. Even if it would be the smarter play here.
That Ethius is there also gets a scowl. She... doesn't know how she's going to tackle this. That she knows that he might be a threat is one problem, but the Wise Men at the moment are definitely the bigger problem. And... besides all three of them are fighitng on the same side and- That's a later problem.
There's a strange sense of deja vu and she wonders if she needs to sit and talk strategy and get things resolved. That's also a later problem. The tanuki points to Zaphkiel and snaps her finger, creating a little vacuum pocket, trying to strip any supporting magic away with an audible boom.
She hefts her sword up and over her shoulder, keeping the blade slightly tilted away from her head as all three copies of the mute woman dashes forward. Ready to properly engage things! Maybe a little more proactive than last time will result in fewer shots to the head.
She does keep tabs on Misty, she's been traveling, she'll keep the local safe. Even.. if the local in question has better kit than she does in some ways.
She does try to keep an eye elsewhere. Splitting her focus. Notable in that one of her illusions flickers and looks the other way too. Almost synched up. She catches herself though. These two are dangerous and need to be stymied somehow.
GS: Kaede Akigiri spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Kaede Akigiri has attacked Zaphkiel with Cloudburst! GS: Kaede Akigiri has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kaede Akigiri gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Kaede Akigiri has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Of course Gwen's the first of the two to charge in. A speedy delivery is crucial for a courier in this day and age. Gwen has competition now, after all!
Zaphkiel's response is swift, charging into Gwen's attack and forcing Gwen briefly on her heels before she pushes right back. The exchange ends up launching her backwards, which, while painful, does get Gwen neatly out of the way for Xantia, who comes at Zaphkiel's flank at an oppurtune moment.
Can Gwen keep this up? "All I gotta do is keep up with Xantia," the courier says, confidently, as she rolls back onto her feet with a 'heff' sound. "N' these fine Nedian trainers, Ida, uh, is that... Kamui?" She doesn't know Kamui personally well, but the reploid is distinctive enough. "Also, Magilou, which'll be tough, 'cause I don't do magic! N' WHOAH, that's Velvet!" Her left hand rubs her neck, which her right, rubs her nose, on its way towards slipping out a throwing knife hidden in her vest. "Well, I got no chance at all now! Best if I-"
Gwen's inane babbling is cut short, literally, by Zaphkiel's massive blade. "Kh--" The pale redhead keeps herself from being cut in twain by her right arm, which ricochets with a terrible shattering rattle that shoots straight to Gwen's bones. The throwing knife now in Gwen's left hand gets knocked aside in the exchange; Gwen abandons it in the moment to fire a shot from her right palm, trying to take advantage of the angle she has.
Ah, crap, she's bleeding already.
GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Gwen Whitlock spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Zaphkiel with Crackshot! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Red flowers catch onto the wind with pink light, Chase blinks upward, lifting his fingers into the breeze as Ponyta's flames flicker brighter with it. He looks toward Mariel, seeing others along with her -- all of them fighting the Wise Men.
Drifters are never alone. That's another thing Chase has learned. And no one can afford to let the Wise Men continue with their goals.
But as gentle as these winds are, they take a darker turn when Lucifer takes command of them. The emphasis on Lucifer's fatal designs seizes Chase by the heart, but with a sharp pair of whistles, Ponyta dashes in a burst of flame, and Staryu and Pikachu shoot upward. Agile displays each -- but all it takes it being clipped by the edges of a wind blade to knock Staryu and Pikachu out of the sky ("Piiiiika piiiiiiiiikaaaa!" she cries, threatening to fly out of bounds) and send Ponyta crashing into the ground.
Chase smashes down with him, horse and rider helping each other up while Chase fights to wet his lips and whistle again. Based on how Chase struggles to stand, it's clear he's the most fragile member of his own team -- and he wasn't even the one to suffer the brunt of the spell.
At the command, Staryu launches itself back up, colliding with Pikachu like a volley ball spike to send her rocketing down toward Lucifer. She flips through the air, aiming a three-way cross chop of her paws and tail, aiming to strike through his defenses with deceptive power for such a small body.
Chase's heart pounds as he watches and plans, only occasionally letting his gaze flit to the others to keep track of the battlefield. Fight and survive. Lose and die. But that's been true since the Wise Men awakened, hasn't it? His Pokemon trust him to confront the Ten Wise Men, and he has to trust them in turn.
GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Chase spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Chase has attacked Lucifer with Brick Break! GS: Chase has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
"...Right. Thanks." Chartreuse replies with a nod and a weak smile, as Misty encourages her. It helps. Seeing Chase here, too... he's much younger than her, and yet, here he is fighting. As if it isn't his first time, even.
...She's the adult here, even if only by a few years. She needs to act like it - she can't let the kids fight for the fate of the world alone.
Lucifer glances to her and the others. Chartreuse tenses, just a little.
"We're not our ancestors... but we'll learn from their mistakes." Chartreuse replies, trying to keep herself calm. Zaphkiel, meanwhile, jabs a finger her way. "I'll try not to disappoint."
She's faced the trials of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, and come out on the other side. The ancient trials seems to think she's worth it - she'll have to try not to prove them wrong.
Zaphkiel, with his massive blade, lashes out. Surging through everyone - toward her, too. Not her Pokemon, but her. She sees the blade coming, and time seems to slow. Her breath is caught in her throat, and, in a moment, she moves on instinct.
Her shovel is drawn from her backpack, gripped tight in both hands, and raised -
There's a loud CLANG as metal meets metal. She may not look like much, but underneath her heavy traveler's coat, Chartreuse has the strength of a Hiker - a woman who climbs mountains for a living, and regularly breaks the earth for the secrets within. Zaphkiel's sword meets her shovel and it doesn't break, and neither does she, but the sheer force of it sends it her sliding backward, leaving trails in the earth.
Her hands sting something fierce, bones still rattling from the strike, and she's having trouble getting her breathing back under control... but she's alive. She took a hit from one of the Ten Wise Men and she's still alive.
That's a good first step. Baby steps, she supposes.
"...Farfetch'd!" Chartreuse calls out with a cough, finding her voice again. "And...!"
She reaches into her coat, drawing out another Pokeball. League rules are off, here - they'll all need to fight together for a chance of survival. She calls out Natu, and the little round bird settles on her shoulder.
"Air Cutter!" Chartreuse calls out. Heeding her words, Farfetch'd tucks his leek blade under a wing, and then draws it, unsheathing it quickly in a quick draw motion. The force of it sends a blade of wind hurtling right toward Zaphkiel -
And at the last moment, Natu's eyes open wide, glowing blue. A wave of psychic force rushes at Zaphkiel, to hit him from the other direction!
GS: Formation! Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Zaphkiel with Together!! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Dias peers at Chisato when she makes her claim about front line investigating. "Is it? Or are you just itching for a fight?"
The answer doesn't really matter, though. It's not like he was criticizing her. Quite the opposite.
In present moment, once Team RenaClaude leaps down to join from the battle, Lucifer makes it clear his arrogance is not unfounded. He's able to defend and counter against all their attacks fairly easily, while Dias manages to evade a direct assault against those crimson feathers with a swift sidestep, but still feels them sear his body as they pass by with intense, incandescent heat. He grits his teeth in a snarl, red eyes flashing, but he doesn't acknowledge the pain beyond that. Rena will heal it if need be; he trusts her. (Or Mariel could heal it, and probably will, but Dias doesn't know her well enough to have the faith to just assume she will.)
Likewise, when Venetia shouts at him to keep Lucifer still, Dias gives the briefest thought to wondering why she's trusting him, someone she doesn't know, to make that happen for her. Still, that's to everyone's advantage, including his more constant companions', so he focuses his strength on a single point and thrusts not just his blade but his whole body towards Lucifer in a blow so fast that wind whistles by in his wake. "Gale Thrust!!"
His focus is on Lucifer, for the sake of the fight--but Dias does pay attention to what's going on in the rest of the battle. It's just like Claude to rush to someone else's defense. Grace *is* his responsibility, after all. Ethius and Rena are both moving into melee range too, perhaps also to help pin Lucifer down. Chase is as grimly determined as ever with Pikachu, Staryu and Ponyta at his side. Everyone is taking a beating already, but that goes without saying. And...
'Woof woof,' Claude says.
It's not the time or place, but Dias cracks a faint, crooked smile and utters a low 'heh.' He isn't nearly as insecure as he was when they were younger, is he?
GS: Dias Flac has attacked Lucifer with Gale Thrust! GS: Dias Flac has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dias Flac gains 23 THP from his Cautious! GS: Dias Flac has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
"It's true," Chisato agrees with Grace, "I will."
Ah, but sass is poor defense against a god. Her eyes widen as he vanishes, and then she whirls as he appears behind her with her own attack in his hand. "Sh--!" is all she gets out before it comes at her. Speed is her salvation, her movements seeming to blur as she swerves to the side of the blast of electricity, her jacket's own Nedian barrier sparking from the near-miss. Her sneaker hits the pavement, huffing a breath in shock. "I bet you say that to all the girls," she quips, mostly to herself.
As for Claude's answer: "Then I'll pull out my trick cards, too!" Wait, that's not the phrase--
Then she reaches into her pocket and produces a stack of cards. She hollers, "Burning Cards!" before fanning two handfuls of them downrange; they ignite en route and explode on impact, peppering Lucifer's shield.
GS: Lucifer fails to guard Chase's Brick Break for 92 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dispel! Amplify, Burst, Shield, and Surge removed! GS: Lucifer's Mute Ward may block the effect! GS: Misery adds Mute! GS: Interrupt and Mute blocked! GS: Hyper applied to Chase! GS: Lucifer enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Lucifer has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt! GS: Chisato Madison spends 3 Combo on Headshot and Poison! GS: Chisato Madison has attacked Lucifer with Burning Cards! GS: Chisato Madison has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chisato Madison has completed her action. GS: Lucifer mostly evades Dias Flac's Gale Thrust for 37 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Lucifer marginally guards Chisato Madison's Burning Cards for 87 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Poison applied to Lucifer! GS: Quick applied to Chisato Madison! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
"Yesssss!" Grace responds, as Chisato declares she'll get their good side. "I knew it!"
The covering fire gambit does not go... exactly as Grace planned, given the bolts of light are stopped by an invisible shield. Bad news part 1- the guns are not as effective as they were the first time. "Darn it, okay-"
But she is not faster than the wind, and she is caught totally off guard as the wind cuts her- blood sprays the air and Grace goes tumbling with a scream, rolling across the ground. It's an unbelievably sharp cut- and as she rolls it's not hard to see the wound across the center of her torso, her shirt hanging open from the slice. A perfect, thin slice that is bleeding profusely.
It hurts. It hurts so fucking much. She doesn't have time to cry, or be in this much pain, they're in a battle. "Momma..." She whimpers, as she tries to get upright again, pushing herself up with her arms-
And then Claude is between her and Lucifer and...
Oh. Okay. Yeah, she can see where Rena got the Hero of Light stuff from right now.
"Thanks..." She manages, as she pushes herself up and taps the base of her jacket, causing it to 'zip' automatically, covering her. It won't do much for the bleeding but. She'll feel better about fighting with it closed.
She raises the submachine gun mode 'ARM' as she gets up to her knees behind Claude. It's not ideal but it's gonna take her a second to recover. "Incoming!" She shouts, to give Dias and Rena some warning. She pushes her arm out past his side, and *sprays* Lucifer's general direction in bolts of green light, as best as she can. It's clumsy, little better than blindfiring, but it's what she can do right now until she can get upright again. Even if it sucks to use Claude as cover.
"...Hey." She manages to Claude quietly as she does so. "You're pretty cool sometimes, you know that? Like on of those guys out of Megatetra."
She's still feeling kinda woozy after that hit, but... she's gonna go as long as she can.
GS: Zaphkiel mostly guards Misty's Water Gun for 111 hit points! GS: Zaphkiel critically fails to evade Kamui's Dragon Quarter for 326 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Zaphkiel fails to guard Kamui's Freedom Unite for 288 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Zaphkiel's Blind Ward may block the effect! GS: Drowsy applied to Zaphkiel! GS: Blind blocked! GS: Grace Harvey has attacked Lucifer with Blindfire Barrage! GS: Grace Harvey has gained 3 Combo! GS: Grace Harvey's stances have changed from Counter to Counter and Stoic! GS: Grace Harvey gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Grace Harvey has completed her action. GS: Lucifer fails to evade Grace Harvey's Blindfire Barrage for 123 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cover and Hyper applied to Grace Harvey! GS: Zaphkiel fails to evade Kaede Akigiri's Cloudburst for 140 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Dispel! Infect! Amplify, Burst, Hyper, Quick, and Surge removed! GS: Interrupt applied to Zaphkiel! GS: Zaphkiel has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida glances to the side at the stunned guard, then back at Zaphkiel. Rather than reload, she slips Devil's Due back into its holster, and sets her feet. "Thought you should stop punching down," she says, drawing herself up despite the persistent ache in her lower legs. "Don't you want a challenge?"
A familiar, impossible voice catches Ida's ear. She double-takes, eyes widening, mouth opening slightly. "Kamui!?"
But immediately, there's a problem. Ida's dynamic entrance helped save someone's life, but it also set her up on the wrong foot. The earth shudders and leaps beneath her feet, and Ida is thrown backwards. She hits the ground shoulder-first, pain spiking through her arm. She turns the impact into an awkward roll, plants a hand, and pushes herself up with her other arm. Ida takes a moment to reorient, spotting Magilou and Velvet first, and then the ensemble disembarking from the majestic Lady Brightwing. The odds are good. They can do this.
Ida reaches into her pocket, and draws out a palm-sized object. She cradles it in her hand--it's some sort of disk, a geometric shape embossed with a symbol--and then thrusts it down, to the earth below. "The Mountain still stands," Ida intones, with determined fervor. It's not quite a prayer.
A phantasmal shape appears above the battlefield. A giant of stone and steel, with massive arms and a blazing caldera where hair should be. A weight like a mountain rests on his back. The icon of Dinoginos slams both hands into the earth, and it responds, encasing Ida and Gwen and Kamui with an aura of amber light and a sense of indomitibility. The aura spreads out, engulfing Chartreuse and Misty, as well--even their Pokemon, who may be surprised to see this Pokemon(?!) join the battle, and then vanish as quickly as he appeared.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Material - The Mountain Still Stands! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Material - The Mountain Still Stands! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Misty with Material - The Mountain Still Stands! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Kamui with Material - The Mountain Still Stands! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Material - The Mountain Still Stands! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Chartreuse Spinosa accepts Ida Everstead-Rey's Material - The Mountain Still Stands for 0 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Chartreuse Spinosa!
<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.
Bringing herbs - healing or otherwise - always seems to make Mariel a target.
This time she's actually ready for it, unlike the first time she saw one of the Wise Men; a scattered splash of something from a bottle dampens at least some of the electricity, though it crashes around her with enough force and volume to stagger her back anyway.
"Why are you *doing* this?" Mariel never gets an answer she understands, and yet she always asks. Surely they must have a reason. They can't be doing this for... for fun. They act with purpose, even going so far as to pull Filgaia's already-damaged life away from it; she can't imagine why they'd be here, attacking a city, acting like they were going to try to burn the tree...
...is the tree that significant to them?
Mariel's ears flatten down - not in anger this time but in concentration. She reaches out, feeling the flow of life and energy around her, though she doesn't reach for it; she merely makes herself part of the flow. The Ley balances, disturbances smoothing. It's not enough to disrupt any magic but it is enough that anyone who draws on the Ley - sorcerers, Elw, possibly the Wise Men though she doesn't know for sure - can feel it.
She is an Elw. This is what she does. Balance. Maintain. If she can slow them down from hurting the Tree, as well as the rest of them -
Mariel can see that some of the people fighting (most of the people fighting, honestly) are injured. But she's distracted right now with what she is preparing to do that she can do little now except draw on the most basic of healing herbs, scattering them to assist the most injured.
Then she starts moving forward. She's holding her Staff, now - the staff that looks like a living branch from a tree, a length of wood as tall as she is with twisted branches at one end holding an irregularly faceted crystal. It catches the light oddly as she manifests her abilities and begins to focus.
GS: Mariel has attacked Grace Harvey with Healing Herb! GS: Mariel has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Healing Herb! GS: Mariel has gained 2 Combo! GS: Mariel's stances have changed to Stoic! GS: Mariel gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Mariel has completed her action. GS: Misty accepts Ida Everstead-Rey's Material - The Mountain Still Stands for 0 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Misty!
<Pose Tracker> Velvet Crowe has posed.
An outfit shift.
From Magilou, and her typical love of the garish, it's a surefire sign that things are amiss.
If nothing else -- it means that Velvet needs to take this encounter seriously; it's something she was planning on from the very second she realized who was behind this attack. These Wise Men -- disoriented though she was at the time, Velvet remembers fighting Zaphkiel before. Their defenses are absurd. They seem able to heal any damage thrown at them. Functionally unkillable.
She stares up at Zaphkiel from where she lands as he guffaws, as the wounds she just inflicted on him with lethal intent stitch themselves up in a matter of moments along with the damage these people - some she recognizes, most strangers - inflict on him. Bright gold eyes narrow.
This is going to be tricky. But let it not be said that Velvet Crowe backs down from impossible odds. This is far from the stage she'd prefer to confront these Wise Men on - she'd rather -not- be the one reacting, without a plan - but she'll make do. She always has.
It's only when Kamui questions his motives that Velvet briefly pauses. She glances at the Great Tree behind her. A suspicion wells within her. For a moment, she wishes that Laphicet, or even Eizen were here. They'd be able to say for certain whether or not this place was built over an...
Ultimately, she keeps her thoughts to herself; she only spares a glance Magilou's way after the witch's assault, as if to silently question if -she- knows.
Is there an Earthpulse here?
It's a thought that she doesn't get time to chew over before needs demand her attention return to Zaphkiel. Lucifer defers her to the burly, sword-wielding berserker. He exults in the moment.
Velvet's legs tense.
"You better enjoy the moment while you can, then," she warns, that tense voice of hers carried on a flat, dangerous note.
"YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET MUCH MORE OF IT!"
Zaphkiel charges. And Velvet breaks into a sprint. She remembers the last time; how much he loves to fight, to throw himself into the heat of things. But with so many people splitting his attention this time --
She doesn't look for an honorable duel. She doesn't try to make it fair. She just -drives- herself towards the fluid motions of that blade with a reckless abandon; it -cleaves- into dense, Therion flesh, the spiritual bulwark of Malevolence surging within her helping her not to simply get cleaved in half by the assault. Another blow comes, carving through her side in a flush of scarlet blood scattering across the a bulging root beneath her.
"hh--kk--!"
And as that second blow follows through--
-- a pale hand -snaps- forward to ensnare Zaphkiel's sword arm.
"guh -- hah -- Arthur's... Second Maxim...!"
Velvet's left, bandage-wrapped hand fans outward in a wide sweep.
"'Know your foes, and STRIKE WHERE THEY'RE WEAK!'"
And all those wrappings BURST apart, dissolving away to reveal that broiling, massive black-red claw beneath as it -swings- down to RAKE across Zaphkiel's front, capitalizing on his battlelust. Contact with it is familiar in that way that the substance that makes up that claw seems to -CLING- to Zaphkiel, and draw out something within him -- energy, life force, spirit. The soul. Whatever you want to call it, the Claw wants it.
It's trying to -eat- him.
Brief contact. That's all she needs. His energy becomes her energy. His strength becomes her strength. Gold eyes blaze.
And she -leaps- after Zaphkiel as he goes for the other, trying to capitalize on his splitting focus to -shove- that broiling palm right into the dead center of his chest. If it makes contact, it tries to sap -more- of that strength, infecting it with Malevolence as it congeals into a thickened clot of black, scarlet and violets against her palm --
and then EXPLODES outward to KNOCK him back, violently.
"Magilou!" Bloodied and bruised, Velvet ignores her own injuries as gold eyes snap the witch's way. She's not going to say it out loud, but those gold eyes say the question for her once more:
'Are you okay?'
DC: Velvet Crowe switches forms to The Lord of Calamity - I'LL DEVOUR YOU!
GS: Velvet Crowe spends 2 Combo on Gatling, loading 2 into Gatling! GS: Velvet Crowe has attacked Zaphkiel with Hell Claw! GS: Velvet Crowe has gained 1 Combo! GS: Velvet Crowe has completed her action. GS: Access! Velvet Crowe takes 30 damage! GS: Mariel heals Grace Harvey! She gains 115 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.
Bringing herbs - healing or otherwise - always seems to make Mariel a target.
This time she's actually ready for it, unlike the first time she saw one of the Wise Men; a scattered splash of something from a bottle dampens at least some of the electricity, though it crashes around her with enough force and volume to stagger her back anyway.
"Why are you *doing* this?" Mariel never gets an answer she understands, and yet she always asks. Surely they must have a reason. They can't be doing this for... for fun. They act with purpose, even going so far as to pull Filgaia's already-damaged life away from it; she can't imagine why they'd be here, attacking a city, acting like they were going to try to burn the tree...
...do they want to destroy this Ley connection, too? But why? They *steal* from Filgaia; destruction is something completely different.
Mariel's ears flatten down - not in anger this time but in concentration. She reaches out, feeling the flow of life and energy around her, though she doesn't reach for it; she merely makes herself part of the flow. The Ley balances, disturbances smoothing. It's not enough to disrupt any magic but it is enough that anyone who draws on the Ley - sorcerers, Elw, possibly the Wise Men though she doesn't know for sure - can feel it.
She is an Elw. This is what she does. Balance. Maintain. If she can slow them down from hurting the Tree, as well as the rest of them -
Mariel can see that some of the people fighting (most of the people fighting, honestly) are injured. But she's distracted right now with what she is preparing to do that she can do little now except draw on the most basic of healing herbs, scattering them to assist the most injured.
Then she starts moving forward. She's holding her Staff, now - the staff that looks like a living branch from a tree, a length of wood as tall as she is with twisted branches at one end holding an irregularly faceted crystal. It catches the light oddly as she manifests her abilities and begins to focus.
GS: Zaphkiel critically fails to evade Gwen Whitlock's Crackshot for 186 hit points! GS: Zaphkiel's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Interrupt and Jam applied to Zaphkiel! GS: Cripple blocked! GS: FP up! Countermeasures! GS: Zaphkiel has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt! GS: Zaphkiel perfectly guards Chartreuse Spinosa's Together! for 97 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Zaphkiel has gained 1 Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Magilou has posed.
Zaphkiel stomps the ground, and Magilou elongates her shikigami, leaping upon it and surfing --
-- no; she might have surfed away from harm, if not for the sheer force and presence of that shockwave. It builds like a great, town-shattering wave; it knocks her from her paper doll, and she tumbles to the ground, hitting the ground like a marionette with strings cut.
Oh, she's coping, Misty. She's... coping.
"Ugh," Magilou grunts, as she gets her hands under her, and pushes herself upwards again. "I can't believe you got dirt all over my nice new raiments!" Which is to say: she's fine, Velvet. All a-huff, she brushes herself off, still grumbling. "If you want to catch up with me," she adds, to Gwen, "start by getting in his way a little more!"
Once she's straightened herself out, she adds, to Kamui: "Of course it's the Great Tree. Fed by the Earthpulse, it's grown this tall and thick... and this attractive to villains, I suppose. Amateurs! Don't you know you ought to mix your potions in the boughs instead of knocking the whole thing down?!" Wait, did Magilou do that? Questions for later.
(She can't know that she's answered Velvet's question, in expositing for Kamui, but it's certainly useful that she did.)
"Blah blah," she says, as a golden Seraphic glyph alights at her feet, "Lightning Blast!" And the magic which comes for Zaphkiel now ought to have needed much more power to charge -- but she's constantly absorbing power from her environment, right now.
GS: Magilou has attacked Zaphkiel with Lightning Blast! GS: Magilou has gained 3 Combo! GS: Magilou gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Magilou has completed her action. GS: Access! Magilou takes 30 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Unfortunately for Xantia, her strike comes up short. Zaphkiel was ready for her, and the intended power of her strike is reduced to negligible levels. She grits her teeth in frustration. Not fast enough yet? Even now? After all the training she did to prepare herself for this?!
She briefly takes stock of her allies, some known to be reliable, others fairly unknown to her... and then there's that woman who showed up on Marduk, another individual known by the moniker 'Lord of Calamity'. Well, she's not judging anybody, not right now. As long as it's the Wise Men they're fighting, that's all that matters.
Zaphkiel, of course, wastes no time to retaliate. And even with her eyes on him, when she thought she was fully focused and prepared... that blade catches her right across the stomach. With a pained scream, she stumbles back and drops into a crouch, covering a sizable wound, blood flowing freely. It's not fatal, but it clear enough that it would be very bad to keep fighting in such a state. How could she have been so careless?
"...Ha ha... Is that it? After all that, this is the best I can do? This is pathetic...!"
It's unacceptable. Utterly unacceptable. She has to be capable of more than this! ...She is capable of more than this, much more. But that power... does she dare try to tap into it? Would she be able to control it, now that she's more aware of how it works, what it does to her? The last thing she wants is to cause more trouble for her friends... but what's the alternative? She'll be useless like this. Besides, can she just let all that power she knows is slumbering inside go unused, even in the face of threats of this magnitude? If she won't use it at times like this, then when?
Slowly, Xantia rises, hair fallen forward, covering her face. She spreads her arms wide, and mumbles a single word.
"Synchronize."
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Wh_8omnaQ
A thrum akin to a heartbeat reverberates through the battlefield. Then, an explosion of force displaces the air around Xantia, scattering her long red locks every which way. Intricate golden circuit patterns are drawn across her choker, as well as her bracers. An ominous rumable rings out as the electricity dancing around her form increases manifold in its intensity, a veritable thunderstorm gathering where she stands. Her wound, while still present, has stopped bleeding, as if frozen into stasis. Her hands ball into fists, her lips twist into a smirk, and her eyes open... revealing red irises rather than the usual blue. Her words are oddly calm, given the level of intensity at display.
"Let's try that again, shall we?"
She's on Zaphkiel in the blink of an eye. The many, rapid swipes of her hands that she unleashes upon him are more akin to clawing rather than punching. Even the slightest touch of a fingertip causes an intense burning sensation. And the moment even one strike hits solidly, there is a bizarre, alarming pulling sensation - as if through mere touch, some extension of herself is reaching deep into the Wise Man's body, draining it of its very essence. Not... entirely unlike what Velvet attempts to do, in fact, though whatever this power is, it has nothing to do with Malevolence.
And Xantia... Xantia can only laugh, in that same unhinged manner she was heard laughing when she attacked her allies, her friends - some of which are present here today. At least she's using that power against a mutual enemy this time. That makes it all okay. Right?
DC: Xantia switches forms to WARNING - Full Synchro - Code: Forbidden Fruit!
GS: Xantia has attacked Zaphkiel with Ravenous Conduit! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Access! Xantia takes 30 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Lucifer has posed.
"Why?" Lucifer asks Mariel. "Because this is what I am! What I was made to be!" he says. "To dominate all existence -- to crush, kill, and break, until all is under my thumb. Such is the destiny of the Ten Wise Men!"
He snaps it to her, before he psots glowing red cards flying for his barrier.
"Such tricks won't work against my barrier!" Lucifer shouts as Chisato's cards strike it. The barrier shimmers under the fiery cards, wavering for a moment. And the fire obscures movement until the last second.
He gasps.
Lucifer whirls, as Ethius lunges for his barrier. He strikes it, and there is a crack in it. He starts to whirl it backward, but then a cage of rock and crystal rises up at Venetia's command. His face turns into a sneer, again -- this isn't such a rare expression for him.
"You insolent... WORM!" he spits, furiously. Which is when Rena's haymaker slams into the crack in the barrier that Far Point made. The barrier shatters around her fist, and then she slams several jabs into the Wise Man.
It's still like punching a slab of rock, if not Metatron's slab of titanium. Lucifer grunts, slammed backward. He couldn't quite follow Chase's agile antics with Ponyta through that (his loss), but he does look up as Pikachu -- boosted by Staryu -- comes flying in, and her tiny hit sends him reeling backward.
"Gh--"
Which lets Dias fly in, his blade stabbing out. Lucifer just sidessteps, and it leaves a gash through his robes, and a frustrated hiss from the sorcerer. Then, he takes several of Grace's bolts of green light.
The barrier around him shatters, completely, as Symbols dance over his robes.
Lucifer stumbles back, his barrier broken apart. It hangs as shattered red shards in the air in front of him. He looks at them for a moment, and then back at those fighting him. Then, he holds both arms out, and red lightning crackles over him.
"Tch... so you're determined to be a nuisance, are you? Fine! See what happens when you push me to really bother!" he spits. "WINGS OF APOCALYPSE!"
That crimson lightning explodes across him -- and then energy wings, of red hexagons spaced out, form from his back. He lifts into the air, floating up higher, and his eyes go wide. "Now..."
He throws a hand down. "SUFFER!"
The wind around all of them whips up. Again, and again; pebbles, charred pieces of bark, and clumps of loose dirt and swirled into the sky. Hair and clothing is torn at. It creates the beginnings of a maelstrom, but the air grows dry.
And then flame jets begin to tear through the storm. Fire swirls and whorls around all of them, in a great maelstrom, as Lucifer looks down on them.
"FOHN WIND!"
GS: Lucifer has attacked Lucifer with Wings of Apocalypse! GS: Lucifer has gained 2 Combo! GS: Lucifer accepts Lucifer's Wings of Apocalypse for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Lucifer! GS: Mighty and Riposte applied to Lucifer! GS: Lucifer has attacked Lucifer with Wings of Power! GS: Lucifer has gained 2 Combo! GS: Lucifer accepts Lucifer's Wings of Power for 0 hit points! GS: Lock state applied to Lucifer! GS: Mighty, Quick, and Riposte applied to Lucifer! GS: Lucifer has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Lucifer has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Lucifer has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Fohn Wind! GS: Lucifer has attacked Venetia Vuong with Fohn Wind! GS: Lucifer has attacked Rena Lanford with Fohn Wind! GS: Lucifer has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Fohn Wind! GS: Lucifer has attacked Chase with Fohn Wind! GS: Lucifer has attacked Dias Flac with Fohn Wind! GS: Lucifer has attacked Chisato Madison with Fohn Wind! GS: Lucifer has attacked Grace Harvey with Fohn Wind! GS: Lucifer has attacked Mariel with Fohn Wind! GS: Gamble: Moderate! Rena Lanford mostly evades Lucifer's Fohn Wind for 127 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: Mariel heals Claude C. Kenny! He gains 133 temporary hit points! GS: Gamble: Moderate! Mariel critically fails to charge Lucifer's Fohn Wind for 332 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Mariel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Ethius Hesiod has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: Gamble: Moderate! Ethius Hesiod mostly guards Lucifer's Fohn Wind for 122 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ethius Hesiod gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: Very High! Venetia Vuong critically fails to guard Lucifer's Fohn Wind for 413 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Venetia Vuong gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! SOS Overdrive! GS: Venetia Vuong enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: COUNTER! Claude C. Kenny counterattacks Lucifer with Dragon Roar! GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: Low! Claude C. Kenny critically fails to charge Lucifer's Fohn Wind for 417 hit points! GS: Claude C. Kenny enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: Low! Chisato Madison marginally guards Lucifer's Fohn Wind for 263 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chisato Madison gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Gamble: Moderate! Dias Flac mostly charges Lucifer's Fohn Wind for 204 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dias Flac gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny used Force Action: Mystic on Mariel! FP up! GS: Claude C. Kenny used Force Action: Mystic on Mariel! FP up! GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: High! Grace Harvey mostly evades Lucifer's Fohn Wind for 128 hit points! GS: Protect! Claude C. Kenny takes 32 damage! GS: Gamble: Moderate! Chase mostly evades Lucifer's Fohn Wind for 99 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Zaphkiel mostly guards Velvet Crowe's Hell Claw for 142 hit points! GS: Velvet Crowe drains Zaphkiel! Velvet Crowe gains 76 temporary hit points! GS: Gamble: Very High! Zaphkiel critically fails to evade Magilou's Lightning Blast for 359 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Interrupt! GS: Break and Interrupt applied to Zaphkiel! GS: Zaphkiel fails to guard Xantia's Ravenous Conduit for 296 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dispel! Dynamax removed! GS: Xantia drains Zaphkiel! Xantia gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Kamui accepts Ida Everstead-Rey's Material - The Mountain Still Stands for 0 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Kamui!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
'Woof woof' "Claude!" Rena snickers, she can't help it, low key scandalized, but the fact is she likes dogs.
Rena can feel each impact against Lucifer jar her through her Cestus. Just like the others, it's like his skin is armor. 'Don't let up' she tells herself, as each blow crashes against him. "You've got me beat in raw power." Rena notes, "But I'm not just my magic." She replies to 'insolent worm'.
And as Grace notes that Claude can be cool, "He really can be sometimes." Did she really have to add 'sometimes' as a qualifier?
Yet, he shows he has more than just power, as his wings of crimson lightning spread out, and as she feels the magic swell, Rena's eyes go wide, because she recognizes that spell, "COVER!" And suddenly she leaps into an aerial cartwheel before hitting the ground into a slide behind a gathering of roots, just as the air itself burns into an inferno.
Despite her best efforts, some things can't be fully evaded, setting the atmosphere ablaze is one of those.
And charred, in the wake of that attack, there's just a small light, like a soft glow, that rises from that spot of a charred Rena, with her hands clasped, her face in a grimace.
Because 'SUFFER' is accurate, but...
Power and Courage, they're what they need here.
The will-o-wisp type glow takes form, into a shining effigy of a great Fey, it's wings of feathers flapping, as it then flies in an arc over all of them, feathers drift off her wings - becoming sparkling motes, and where they touch, Lucifer's damage starts to mend with the rapidity of Nedian Symbology, Rena coughs, breathing easier, brushing a hand across her mouth, as her blue eyes stare at him.
"All I've seen you 'Ten Wise Men' do is destroy everything... and murder everyone you come across." Rena tells him with a sort of quiet conviction, "If the only way to make you think twice about the lives you ruin is being a 'bother' - then you bet we're going to be a nuisance. You're going to have to earn every drop of blood you shed, by going through us."
GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Grace Harvey with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Chisato Madison with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Dias Flac with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Venetia Vuong with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Chase with Faerie Light! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 2 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: Rena Lanford heals Ethius Hesiod! He gains 298 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Ethius Hesiod! GS: Rena Lanford heals Chase! He gains 292 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Chase! GS: Rena Lanford heals Claude C. Kenny! He gains 319 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Rena Lanford heals Dias Flac! He gains 299 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Dias Flac! GS: Dias Flac enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford heals Venetia Vuong! She gains 353 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Venetia Vuong! GS: Rena Lanford heals Grace Harvey! She gains 297 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Grace Harvey! GS: Mariel has activated Force Action: Extend! GS: Rena Lanford heals Chisato Madison! She gains 298 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Chisato Madison!
<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.
When Velvet opens up, even at a distance, Mariel feels it like a punch in the face - or perhaps the gut, with the kind of stomach-churning unpleasantness she gets off that kind of aura. She doesn't stagger this time, though -
Instead she plants the butt end of the staff. Which roots itself in place, the length of wood shifting slightly; the twisted branches holding the crystal begin to bud green, the crystal itself shining faintly with the pinkish firefly light that Mariel produces when she's working with the more esoteric energies of plants, and life, and the planet itself.
The summoning of a Guardian helps her focus through it; a familiar shape to the energy that Mariel seizes on, mentally hanging onto.
"I feel sorry for you," Mariel says, quietly. "Not to want to live as part of everything, but something apart; something that you can't do, no matter how much you try. You're part of the world, too - of the universe."
Mariel reaches - reaches *through* the fohn winds even as they burn. She yelps as her sleeve catches on fire, and she hastily beats it out against her side - but the staff doesn't so much as have a leaf scorched as Mariel shifts the energy, again.
Not from her herbs and flowers. But from the Great Tree itself.
The Great Tree is old. It has survived so much - everything from poor seasons to direct attack, and it is still standing, a steady node on the Ley - or Earthpulse, as they call it here; Mariel isn't much worried by differences in terminology. It withstands. It endures, and sustains.
*That* is what Mariel requests from it, and receives; not a demand, not anything as crude or aggressive as the unbalancing of energies Lucifer just did to use his sorcery, or that Velvet is doing while trying to eat with her great arm, or as any number of other abilities and powers in use on both sides.
Using herself as the balance point, the pivot, Mariel gives a gentle tipping to the energy of the area - and practically showers the essence of life on as many people as she can reach, just for a moment. The power to endure, to struggle, to stand strong in the face of disturbance.
To live.
GS: Mariel has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Herbal Miracle! GS: Mariel has attacked Venetia Vuong with Herbal Miracle! GS: Mariel has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Herbal Miracle! GS: Mariel has attacked Chase with Herbal Miracle! GS: Mariel has attacked Dias Flac with Herbal Miracle! GS: Mariel has attacked Chisato Madison with Herbal Miracle! GS: Mariel has attacked Grace Harvey with Herbal Miracle! GS: Mariel has attacked Mariel with Herbal Miracle! GS: Mariel has attacked Rena Lanford with Herbal Miracle! GS: Mariel has gained 2 Combo! GS: Mariel gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Mariel has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Mariel heals Claude C. Kenny! He gains 277 temporary hit points! GS: Pray adds Hyper and Lock State! GS: Hyper, Lock state, and Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Mariel heals Chisato Madison! She gains 205 temporary hit points! GS: Pray adds Burst and Surge! GS: Burst, Shield, and Surge applied to Chisato Madison! GS: Mariel heals Rena Lanford! She gains 145 temporary hit points! GS: Pray adds Burst and Burst! GS: Burst and Shield applied to Rena Lanford! GS: Mariel heals Chase! He gains 142 temporary hit points! GS: Pray adds Quick and Hyper! GS: Hyper, Quick, and Shield applied to Chase! GS: Mariel heals Dias Flac! He gains 145 temporary hit points! GS: Pray adds Blitz and Regen! GS: Blitz, Regen, and Shield applied to Dias Flac! GS: Mariel heals Mariel! She gains 206 temporary hit points! GS: Pray adds Blitz and Burst! GS: Blitz, Burst, and Shield applied to Mariel! GS: Mariel heals Venetia Vuong! She gains 254 temporary hit points! GS: Pray adds Burst and Blitz! GS: Blitz, Burst, and Shield applied to Venetia Vuong!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Pikachu gives Lucifer the same curly cat-like smile she gives the world all of the time as she lands her blow. Pika :3
But at Chase's sharp whistle, she knows not to stay in, vaulting a flip backward and back onto Staryu's spinning body as they rejoin Chase by his side. Everything Chase knows about Symbology comes from Pokemon, but it doesn't take an expert to figure out something dangerous is about to happen as Lucifer rises on red wings.
He tries to whistle, but the moisture is stolen from the air and from his lips. But riding Pokemon is the perfect place to command them from, and in a whirl of Ponyta's own fire, Chase returns Staryu and grabs Pikachu against himself as Ponyta dances with the maelstrom instead of against it. It's a dangerous ploy as they're engulfed in the storm --
-- but an equine silhouette leaps out of it, Ponyta aiming to collide into Lucifer with his fiery body with Chase along for the ride...!
Whatever they do or don't hit, they crash back into the ground, too spent from evading the deadly winds for anything else. Ponyta tumbles one way and Chase with Pikachu the other as he snaps out a Poke Ball to return Ponyta before landing face first. Pikachu gives his shoulder a few nudges.
A familiar sparkle of Symbology falls upon them along with a shower of life essence, and Chase pushes himself back up as Pikachu licks the fading burn marring his cheek. Even his Poke Balls hum, Chase's hand carefully hovering over his belt as he considers his next move.
GS: Chase has attacked Lucifer with Flame Charge! GS: Chase has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase gains 34 THP from Regen! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Lucifer marginally evades Claude C. Kenny's Dragon Roar for 116 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Sneak! The true nature of Chase's attack becomes clear! GS: Lucifer critically fails to evade Chase's Let's Go! Agility! for 184 hit points! GS: Dispel! Lock state removed! GS: Interrupt blocked! GS: Lucifer has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
<Pose Tracker> Zaphkiel has posed.
The smirk that settles on Zaphkiel's face is unpleasant. "If they can't follow through, they have no business challenging me," he tells Ida. "But you'll prove more interesting."
Kamui asks him what their purposes is here. He bares his teeth in a too-wide grin. "Heh... guessed it already?" he says, in the manner of someone who believes he's already won.
"Ha! If your ancestors were more like you, we would have settled this long ago," Zaphkiel tells Chartreuse. His attention turns towards Misty. "Good. I accept your challenge! If you survive today, I'll be expecting you next time!"
They collide in a whirlwind of strikes -- Blastoise meeting his spinning swordstrike with a counterspin of his own. Digging his heels in, he himself kicks up sparks and cobblestones as he quite literally grinds to a halt.
And this is where Kamui strikes, weaving in to close the distance. Silvery-cyan blood dances in the air in a short arc; he turns to face her for that one fleeting moment before she again becomes a blur, before she strikes again, again.
"You," he says, his wounds already healing, already gone. "You're not an organic."
No sooner has Kamui's attack stopped when Misty orders her attack-- his sword rises before him like a shield, but only manages to mostly deflect the oncoming torrent. Even holding his ground, he's forced back a short distance.
For a moment, there is a dull boom; the air becomes rareified. He can feel that some of the protective enchantments are faded. "Tch. Interesting trick," he remarks of Kaede's technique, seemingly unperturbed even so save for the narrowing of his eyes.
One. Two--
On his second swing, her hand seizes his. He is made to bear witness to what it is that hides beneath the Lord of Calamity's bandages: that claw rakes across his body even as he struggles with her. There is no pain. It does not tear his flesh. These are not the things that provoke him to -- fleetingly -- widen those white eyes as something sticks to his very essence as an immortal weapon of war and... pulls part of it away. Using his body as a weapon, he slams into her, leading with his shoulder, but it just means she has that less farther to reach when she slams her hand into his chest.
Skidding back across the cobbles in the wake of that detonation, his flesh has already healed. But she can see it in his eyes: 'what are you'?
Breaking off, he tangles for that brief moment with Gwen, bearing down upon her with his blade. Something escapes her grasp; he doesn't notice more than that and does not appear to be bothered by it, but perhaps such confidence is for the moment his undoing: Gwen cracks off a shot which takes him dead on in the chest. An energy burn spreads for a moment, muddying the colors of that glowing Symbological array engraved on his flesh, and then it is gone.
He has changed targets, himself. That blade comes down hard from overhead only to slam into the shovel that Chartreuse brings to bear. "--Stronger than you look!" Zaphkiel grunts out, before he's forced to break way from their makeshift bladelock by her backwards slide. In this moment her Pokemon intrude, and though he brings that blade before him to parry back Farfetch'd's blow, Farfetch'd is not the only one attacking. A psychic blast catches him from the opposite side.
His strange blood drips on broken cobblestone. He looks for the moment confused. How did that attack...?
In this moment, lightning strikes, a literal bolt from the blue. Sparks dance off Zaphkiel's form as he turns towards Magilou, her spell still dancing its way violently down that massive blade of his. And perhaps, in another universe, this is where he would have tangled with Magilou directly, next.
But Xantia is here for her rematch, and... has just tapped into something deeper. Something that makes even a Wise Man turn his head from the witch and towards her. She meets Zaphkiel in the next moment, closing the distance fast, faster than before. Long cyansilver tears are rent along his flesh as she rips into him, laughing as if this is the funniest thing she's ever seen or done. It forces him back. It forces him on the defensive.
"Ha-- that's... new," he breathes, once he's able. "Now we're getting serious-- I like it!"
There is still electricity gathered in his blade. He slams it into the ground before him, kicking towards Xantia a rolling wave of concussive electrified force.
From across the distance, he swings his blade but the once, cleaving through the air itself to strike at the one who had given him pause before-- Kamui -- before diving into a forward charge for Velvet, seemingly keen to repay her in kind for before. His blade does not stop with her. Bringing it about with both hands, he raises it high the once before cleaving into the space before him.
His blade cuts through the very air itself. For a moment there is silence. Then there is a deafening THOOM as the vacuum caves in upon itself, erupting across the battlefield in a widening wave of destruction.
GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Xantia with Stormcaller! GS: Zaphkiel has gained 1 Combo! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Velvet Crowe with Piercing Fang! GS: Zaphkiel has gained 1 Combo! GS: Interrupt expired! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Kamui with Phantom Slash! GS: Zaphkiel enters a Counter stance! GS: Zaphkiel has gained 2 Combo! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Magilou with Wave of Destruction! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Wave of Destruction! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Kaede Akigiri with Wave of Destruction! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Wave of Destruction! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Wave of Destruction! GS: Zaphkiel has attacked Misty with Wave of Destruction! GS: Zaphkiel has gained 2 Combo! GS: Zaphkiel has completed its action. GS: Gwen Whitlock accepts Ida Everstead-Rey's Material - The Mountain Still Stands for 0 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Gwen Whitlock! GS: Mariel heals Grace Harvey! She gains 141 temporary hit points! GS: Pray adds Amplify and Amplify! GS: Amplify and Shield applied to Grace Harvey! GS: Mariel heals Ethius Hesiod! He gains 143 temporary hit points! GS: Pray adds Regen and Hyper! GS: Hyper, Regen, and Shield applied to Ethius Hesiod! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa mostly evades Zaphkiel's Wave of Destruction for 71 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chartreuse Spinosa gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Gwen Whitlock critically fails to charge Zaphkiel's Wave of Destruction for 319 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Gwen Whitlock gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Gwen Whitlock enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Velvet Crowe critically fails to evade Zaphkiel's Piercing Fang for 376 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Velvet Crowe gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Xantia critically fails to charge Zaphkiel's Stormcaller for 281 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xantia gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Reaper blocked! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"I dunno if I'm that cool," Claude says, turning to look over his shoulder withouut letting Lucifer out of his sight, "But I'm glad you think so." Rena ruins it with 'sometimes', and Claude laughs despite himself. But, Claude doesn't notice Kaede's waving. He does notice Dias's 'heh', but he can't do more than quietly acknowledge a point scored; he'd lose that regard, and rightfully so, if he let it distract him.
...As for cool, he's not as cool as Velvet, on the other side of the battlefield. If anyone can take on the Ten Wise Men, it might be someone like that. It gives him a little more courage.
So does Mariel's magic. His injuries begin to knit. It's not the same as Rena's magic, but it is welcome.
"If we're a nuisance, then you'd better believe we're gonna get REAL annoying!" Claude shouts at Lucifer. But then, the Win comess. The dry maelstrom, the Fohh Wind. Claude rushes back up before Grace, breathing in.
This is going to hurt.
"DRAGON ROAR!" he counters, attempting to disperse some of the Wind that is cominng for them.
It only partly works. It hits him full blast. Rena agrees with what he says, and that buoys him, as the wind flenses against him. It's a terrible attack, and in return, a spectral dragon of chi crashes out towards Lucifer.
But Claude hits the ground on one knee a moment later. "Gh--"
Claude feels Rena's healing wash over him, and before he can finish falling, he feels his wounds knit. This is going to be sore later... But he can keep fighting.
And he will.
"Rena!" Claude calls. "We can do this!"
As he stands with Courage, he feels Power; Mariel taps into something very old indeed, and the essence of life whirls around him. "Haaaah--!"
Somersaulting in the air, Claude spins down towards Lucifer, aiming to slash at him from above. "Helmetbreak!" he calls, whirling mid-jump to swinng and slash twice, "DOUBLE SLASH!"
He can fight. He can give this all he has.
GS: Claude C. Kenny has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: COUNTER! Kamui counterattacks Zaphkiel with Nothing Beats! GS: Kamui fails to charge Zaphkiel's Phantom Slash for 235 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Kamui gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Kamui enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Claude C. Kenny spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Lucifer with Helmetbreak! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 1 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny has launched an attack Link! GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Lucifer with Double Slash! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 1 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny gains 5 FP from his Daredevil! GS: Claude C. Kenny gains 35 THP from Regen! GS: Claude C. Kenny has completed his action. GS: Ida Everstead-Rey accepts Ida Everstead-Rey's Material - The Mountain Still Stands for 0 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: CRITICAL! Magilou perfectly guards Zaphkiel's Wave of Destruction for 139 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Magilou gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Magilou has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey critically fails to evade Zaphkiel's Wave of Destruction for 260 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Lucifer marginally evades Claude C. Kenny's Helmetbreak for 143 hit points! GS: Cover, Hyper, and Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Lucifer marginally evades Claude C. Kenny's Double Slash for 142 hit points! GS: Riposte applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Misty mostly evades Zaphkiel's Wave of Destruction for 70 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Misty gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misty enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Dias's eyes narrow at Lucifer's response to Mariel. What he was "made" to be, he says--that all of this is the "destiny" of the Ten Wise Men. That feels important. They're in the middle of a fight, though, so Dias files it away for the moment. Rena has plenty to say about it, and he's all in on the spirit.
First, though, is the matter of those energy wings. Dias dodges to one side to give Grace a clear shot at Lucifer, but when the Wise Man begins his counter-attack, he's still not far enough away to reasonably evade--not something like a spell to send down a choking wind of raging heat.
Dias thus stands his ground, using his sword to partially cut through the Fohn Wind. It's still unbearably hot, whipping through his cloak and long hair and leaving searing burns in their wake, but it's better than getting a direct hit. It's better than getting the breath burned from his lungs. Chase is even bolder, charging on Ponytaback directly at Lucifer; Dias can only hope that the Fire-type can protect him some.
He doesn't need to hope, though. As he trusted, Rena's healing magic soars through the air, soothing his burns; to his surprise, there is an additional energy shift that *doesn't* come from her, but rather from the Tree, to take care of not just him but everyone. He shoots a glance Mariel's way, eyebrows raised. Still, he gives her and Rena both a quick nod of gratitude before he puts that surge of energy to good use.
He doesn't comment on Claude's counter, but Dias fully believes he will get 'real annoying,' real fast. That's why he trusts *him* to launch into an aerial somersault to attack Lucifer from above. As he does, Dias shifts his footing to get in close again with a swift series of slashes, a swing to one side, a swing to the other, and finally a downward cut--that's reflected *beneath* Lucifer as force radiates up from a cut on the ground mirroring Dias's assault.
"Crescent Cross!" he snarls as he moves. As above, so below. Between him and Claude, no matter where the so-called Wise Man goes, he won't be able to escape.
GS: Dias Flac spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Blitz! Dias Flac has attacked Lucifer with Crescent Cross! GS: Dias Flac has gained 2 Combo! GS: Dias Flac gains 29 THP from his Cautious! GS: Dias Flac gains 33 THP from Regen! GS: Dias Flac has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
(The answer to Dias's question is simple, though not rendered: He has a sword and is up in the Wise Man's business. Presumably Venetia wants Lucifer to stay put for a minute.)
Venetia hears a plea from Mariel along with the cries and hues and clashes of battle. In the side of her vision that can see Velvet, she can see fabric -- no, bandages? wrappings? -- burst asunder and SOMETHING be revealed. She thinks, perhaps not unreasonably, of Ida...
But this seems quite different in its manner.
Any further reflections are blown away quite literally when Lucifer speaks a name of portent. Maybe Venetia heard that name, and some part of her thought 'uh oh' and gathered her silent energies again, because once more, she does not perish in Lucifer's hideous firestorm.
But it's fairly close, all things together. The dry and crackling air erupts in flame and force and when things pass on, Venetia can remember vaguely what happened; searing, agonizing heat; a blast; and where is she? She's on the ground, right? Did she hit her head? It stinks of death. But --
Before agony can overwhelm her, or hopelessness (her leg is hurting again and it might be broken) there is a curiously gentle light. Venetia can hear her leg pop loudly; an involuntary flexion of her foot tells her her leg WAS broken but now is NOT broken. But she can still barely push herself up -
And as life itself echoes outwards, at Mariel's command, Venetia realizes two things at once.
One is a sense of solemn, severe duty.
The other -
"It's funny, you say Worm," Venetia answers Lucifer. She raises one hand to point towards him. A defiant speech? She's still laying on the ground. "You see, I've been reading about how things go in that Energy Nede, and it's quite funny. They have this useless bloated goldfish that isn't good for much - base of the foodchain in the fresh water, I'd reckon - except that some of them, by luck or sheer stubbornness, survive for a while. And if they have time to grow, and grow strong..."
"Well, 'Worm' has another meaning," Venetia says. Her hand raises a Crest Graph, as if to show her trump card.
"It means dragon."
- is that Lucifer, at that moment, is about nine and a half meters away from her.
"Stars and heavens attend me!" Venetia intones. "By the blessing of the stars I accept thy legacy, and call upon the visions of the soul. Though the armies of the world stand against me, though every ally be slain or seized by craven heart, I know that ye shall attend me with perfect faith! Even in the face of Revelation, you stand by my side -- destroy the enemy before us!"
The Crest Graph glows. "Simulacrum-- Sign!"
The air above Venetia glitters -- and surges forwards even as it coheres, leading, perhaps with something like relish, with its left fist! The manifested entity, towering in purple stone, smashes forwards before pounding its (her?) fists forwards with pistonlike force. The barrage is horrible, but it's only
"Simulacrum Sign!" Venetia redeclares as she rolls onto her belly.
Going to get worse as it actually seems to accelerate, pushing forwards. The simulacrum is nearly eight feet tall, even if it seems somewhat hunched up and with the advantage of being a magical construction and thus not needing leverage. As such, the blows aim to come from above - not simply to distract, crush, annoy, but also to drive downwards. And yet, every rain of blows must
"Simulacrum... Sign!" Venetia says as she pushes herself into a crouch.
continue onwards as the shape's mouth, which seemed like stone engraving, slowly contorts - pulling back into something like a grin, teeth of amethyst as the strikes begin to twist, the spread of them broadening -- anticipation of something else? But soon enough it
"Simu... lacrum SIGN!" Venetia heaves as she rises to her feet, staggering in pain but not actually falling back down!
just keeps on god damn GOING - the simulacrum jukes a little, having, perhaps, *independently sensed* Claude and Dias Flac -- herding, surrounding. After a few more punches, the *last* punch finally comes - only to be followed by an axe-kick from one leg followed up with a forward punt from the other, concluded with a shouted "HRAH!" from the entity before it suddenly evaporates into violet sparkles, even as Venetia lets out a ragged cackle from her upright position.
GS: Venetia Vuong has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Venetia Vuong has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Blitz! Venetia Vuong has attacked Lucifer with Ally of Justice Sign ~AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH~! GS: Venetia Vuong has gained 1 Combo! GS: Venetia Vuong gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Venetia Vuong gains 31 THP from Regen! GS: Venetia Vuong has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius' expression hardens as Lucifer crows about who he is, what he was made to be - to dominate all of existence under his thumb. Is he their leader, then?
He doesn't know if he'd credit the extra motivation to strike the barrier hard enough to find a crack the defining factor, but there *is* a crack. It can be broken--
Which Rena does, allowing for Chase's friends and Dias to leave a telling blow for Grace to peper.
Ethius' attempt to follow it up is quashed when the Wings of Apocalypse are invoked, and he has no idea what's going to happen. He throws an arm inward to slurred syllables in a defensive posture just as the wind starts to pick up, and this ends up an excellent precaution.
Physical detritus deflects off of him to loud and bright electrical sparks off a Symbological shield invisible to the naked eye, but the force of wind is not one he can physically withstand with his present footing. He gives ground with every gust, every push, as he finds it difficult to breathe while flame jets suck the oxygen out of the air. He coughs and sputters as virtually unparalelled Symbological might saps his strength. Even the 'THOOM' over yonder is popping his ears in an uncomfortable way even when he's not in the way of Zaphkiel's destructive wave.
It might have been enough to lay him low even with the mitigations... but then.
Nedian Symbology sees a great Fey deliver healing motes of light that touch down upon Ethius, sealing lacerations from the wind and burns fromthe flames. The Great Tree of Marlind is beseeched through Mariel to share its quiet endurance with all who stand as part of the universe they live in.
Even the Pokeballs that Ethius carries with him, all five feel a need to come free and share their collective will under their Trainer, as Ethius coughs and sputters one last time to breathe in renwed air to replenish his Power. The Wisdom, to know that they are in a fight they're all uniquely positioned to make a difference. The Courage, time and time again...
To act.
"Regardless of your strength and purpose, perceived justifications or directives," an overly awkwardly-speaking Ethius is a healthy Ethius that can fight, as he starts closing the distance again in a short run. He's coming up Dias' flank again, a raised hand signal to indicate which side he's moving to with the others, before letting it sink into Symbological gestures in movement as he murmurs the incantation to his breath.
When he draws near, he draws his right hand off the grip of his weapon and thrusts that palm inward to the completion of the incantation.
"Short," he calls, as a layered electrical signal threatens to try and simply do exactly as stated - short-out whatever countermeasures have been erected, and exacerbate it off of previous vulnerabilities inflicted.
"You don't belong here - and you will threaten these people no further."
To a certain Threadcutter over yonder, these are curious words.
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Lucifer with Short! GS: Ethius Hesiod has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ethius Hesiod gains 38 THP from Regen! GS: Quick expired! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
Something washes over her and the pain in Grace's chest gets... less bad. Just a little. She looks around momentarily to try and find out who when Rena heals her even more. That big cut on her is mostly mended now, even if the blood has soaked through by now. It doesn't hurt so much now, at least, before Mariel reinforces the protective shield to heal her more. It's... well. She's back at full now. She stands up, feeling a little easier to move.
And then her bolts break THROUGH Lucifer's shield. "Dias, Claude, his shield's down, go for it-"
And then Claude shoves her away and fires a technique into the blast, shielding her from the worst- it hurts, but she's clear of the big damage and able to stand back up quickly. Then she sees the hit Claude takes. "CLAUDE!"
Damnit, against someone like this, someone this strong... it's like all the courage, wisdom and power don't mean much. "How are these guys so darn strong?" She mutters, fumbling in her pockets. Time for plan... F? Probably F.
"Coming from aft, above, fire in the hole!" She yells to the others fighting and out comes-
A lot of tiny spheres with red rings of light around them. They soar through the air, a cluster heading towards Lucifer-
And then Grace fires a bolt at one of them, and starts the cascading explosion early- hopefully before they can get bounced off a new shield or redirected. Her timing is precise, careful- to not get anyone she doesn't want caught in the blast caught in it.
But those explosives- technically illegal in the Federation for the firepower they pack in that small a bundle- sure pack a punch. And she knows already that they can struggle against that technology....
"...okay she is also very cool," Grace mumbles, as Venetia unleashes her simulacrum and a speech to go with it, like some kind of action hero. "Okay are there like... coolness chemicals in the water?"
GS: Grace Harvey spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Grace Harvey has attacked Lucifer with Honestly Way Too Many Grenades! GS: Grace Harvey gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Grace Harvey gains 34 THP from Regen! GS: Grace Harvey has completed her action. GS: Lucifer critically fails to guard Dias Flac's Crescent Cross for 292 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Kaede Akigiri fails to evade Zaphkiel's Wave of Destruction for 235 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Lucifer critically fails to evade Venetia Vuong's Ally of Justice Sign ~AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH~ for 283 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Lucifer's Weaken Ward may block the effect! GS: Misery adds Disease and Drowsy! GS: Break, Disease, Drowsy, and Weaken blocked! GS: Lucifer marginally evades Ethius Hesiod's Short for 180 hit points! GS: Dispel! Mighty, Quick, and Riposte removed! GS: Cripple applied to Lucifer! GS: Jam blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Lucifer enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
"Your barrier's not the only thing I'm working, buddy!" Chisato declares, hands on her hips. "Good followup, Hesiod!" She flips out her phone, preparing...something? She doesn't get it off before she feels the wind turn. "What--" she starts, and then looks down as she senses the flame starts. "Nuts!"
She ducks low, hoping to minimize her profile and maximize the protective strength of her Official Nedian Times Journalist barriers, but freedom of the press is only so good against flaming tornados and a slightly charred Chisato goes sailing through the air soon afterward, landing hard against the dirt by Marlind's tree. "A'right, that didn't go to plan," she mutters, palming the ground to help herself up. Shaggy red hair in her eyes as she scans the field to try and assess her next play. Fortunately, she is soon blessed, by light from Rena and Mariel both. "Yeah," she sighs, relief flowing through her posture. She gropes around for her phone and has to roll to her feet and stumble toward where it flew into the bushes.
"Yeah," she says. "Send it."
As soon as Lucifer touches down, 'it' reveal itself. "GET CLEAR!" is Chisato's only warning.
Amid the biting wind, amid the singed leaves...the ground rumbles. It vibrates harshly, and then...IT arises underneath.
It's no pokemon, that's for sure. It looks like a Gear head, maybe, or something like a gas mask on a skull except half again the size of an entire human person.
It breathes horrible, caustic gas, bitter to the eyes and searing to the lungs. It's fine. Every journalist has a subterranean robot with a pepper spray cannon right?
GS: Chisato Madison has attacked Lucifer with Tear Gas! GS: Chisato Madison gains 37 THP from Regen! GS: Chisato Madison has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
?Magilou is... less than impressed with Gwen's antics. Gwen looks over her shoulder at the witch, giving her a thumbs up and a chipper grin. "Yes, teacher~"
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Magilou is... less than impressed with Gwen's antics. Gwen looks over her shoulder at the witch, giving her a thumbs up and a chipper grin. "Yes, teacher~"
Ida's blessing of protection, courtesy of Dinoginos, further spurs Gwen on towards Zaphkiel; Magilou may have meant it as a joke, but since when has Magilou ever joked about anything?
The wrappings burst from Velvet's arm. Gwen's eyes widen, and she bows out of the way, not wanting to chance a wayward glancing touch.
... Ah, so, this is basically what it's like to be concerned over someone else's 'arm'.
Gwen's aim is a little *too* true; had Zaphkiel been anyone other than a Wiseman, she would have aimed differently. Him healing from that isn't unexpected, but Gwen's dismay manages to bleed through. The lines of her face tense up.
If that was just a crack, the rest of Gwen's playful mask fully breaks as Xantia says that singular word. "Wait, Xantia, I don't know if I could..." The time to clarify *why* Gwen isn't trying to come at Zaphkiel at full strength was a while ago, when Gwen *wasn't* aware of the full danger that was present. Well, at least, Lan and Loren aren't here. Well, maybe that's a problem she can see if she can quickly gather everyone to hold Xantia down and... do something to make her cool off.
Xantia's boost in power has only encouraged Zaphkiel; it may not be the boon they need to shatter his confidence. But what will?
Inspiration strikes, but at the worst of times. Gwen is forced to take on the booming vacuum created by Zaphkiel's blade on the chin as she charges forward, attempting to land another punch against Zaphkiel's exposed flank with her glinting metal hand.
GS: CRITICAL! Lucifer mostly evades Grace Harvey's Honestly Way Too Many Grenades for 129 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Lucifer mostly evades Chisato Madison's Tear Gas for 86 hit points! GS: Cripple blocked! GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated Force Action: Snipe! GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Zaphkiel with Special Delivery! GS: Gwen Whitlock has gained 2 Combo! GS: Cripple expired! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: Zaphkiel fails to guard Kamui's Nothing Beats for 240 hit points! GS: FP up! Countermeasures! GS: Sneak! The true nature of Gwen Whitlock's attack becomes clear! GS: CRITICAL! Zaphkiel critically fails to guard Gwen Whitlock's Blackmail for 273 hit points! GS: Misery adds Disease! GS: Disease applied to Zaphkiel! GS: FP up! Countermeasures! GS: Gwen Whitlock drains Zaphkiel! Gwen Whitlock gains 100 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
"...I'll prove you wrong." Chartreuse replies to Zaphkiel. Zaphkiel notes she's stronger than she looks, as their weapons lock - though she's not in any state to give him a reply.
In the sky, something appears as she recovers. A giant, spectral form. Chartreuse stares upward. That's... what is that? It's no Pokemon she's ever seen - but she becomes immediately aware that it is a friend, from the aura that spreads out from it. It reaches over her, but also Farfetch'd and Natu, too - and even the Pokeballs that she has yet to send out.
"Th-thank you. Uh... I've got a lot of questions, but we can save them for later." Chartreuse says to Ida, hesitantly. That's not even the end of the strangeness, as the fierce, intense woman's arm - explodes? No, transforms, into a horrible, monstrous claw. Chartreuse stares just a little too long, taken aback, but forces herself to tear her eyes away and return her attention to Zaphkiel.
Zaphkiel's blade tears through the air itself. There's silence - and then, a terrible shockwave.
"Farfetch'd, to me! Natu!" Chartreuse calls out. Farfetch'd heeds her words, flying over to her quickly. And, with another flash of Natu's eyes - Chartreuse and her Pokemon blink out of existance for a moment, Teleported backwards. She can't get fully out of the way of the attack, but it's enough that when the wave hits her, they aren't pulverised completely. They are bowled over, blasted off their feet by the terrible wave of destruction. Chartreuse gasps, the wind knocked out of her... but forces herself back onto her feet. That could've been a lot worse... She mentally redoubles her thanks to the mountain Pokemon(?) that reinforced them all.
"Are you two okay...?" Chartreuse asks. Natu, who had taken cover behind her, is fine - but Farfetch'd is looking a little worse for wear. He sounds his readiness, but Chartreuse frowns. "...Take a breather for a bit."
He nods reluctantly as she calls him back, and then Chartreuse reaches into her coat again.
"You're up, Flaaffy." Chartreuse calls out. The pink sheep materializes. She's been watching from inside her Pokeball, and knows how serious the situation is. She looks back at Chartreuse, and offers her a nod. She's ready for this. Chartreuse nods back.
"Thunder!" Chartreuse calls out, pointing Zaphkiel's way. With a cry, Flaaffy stands to her full height, the bulb on the tail beginning to glow like a beacon. Electricity dances across her fleece, raises her little hands to the heavens - and the sky darkens. There's a flash - and then, lightning crashes down from above, rushing straight for Zaphkiel.
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Zaphkiel with Thunder! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action. GS: Zaphkiel perfectly evades Chartreuse Spinosa's Thunder for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Zaphkiel has gained 1 Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Kamui has posed.
"It is Kamui," Kamui answers Gwen and Ida at the same time, simply enough, because Kamui will be Kamui. She's not dressed in any kind of armour, though, merely dressed in a white dress with black leggings and a black cloak. Needless to say, she has much less poise and defence than when she is fully armoured.
Fortunately, Dinogninos' power washes over her as Ida beckons the power of the Guardian of Mountains. "It's good to fight with you again."
The overwhelming manner in which Velvet tears into her opponent's attacks is indeed worrisome, but Magilou catches her attention and confirms: Indeed, there is an Earthpulse underneath here.
"That is clear enough, then..." Kamui remarks, as Zaphkiel seemingly confirms it. "Your capability to transfer Ley energy across a portal... I've rarely seen such capability." Perhaps the Elw, but they didn't have much of a reason to channel so much energy off-world... but she's certain they could have, if they wanted to.
Kamui's strikes find their mark, but as she suspects, where she inflicts damage, his wounds are already healing.
"Subdermal nanocellular reconstruction... purely mechanical or... Symbologic in origin?" Kamui guesses in half-whisper, and Zaphkiel points out that she is not an organic.
"That's right. I'm Kamui, a Reploid."
Zaphkiel doesn't afford her much room to recover, pressing forward with a forward cleave; he can tell that she's very experienced, with the way she angles her metal shield that its surface should deflect and largely redirect the intertia of his sword...
But there is a difference between a simple metal shield, of not even remarkable make, and Zaphkiel's cutting-edge (literal) weapon, and the shield not so much bisects as EXPLODES into several sharp chunks.
A dark machine fluid starts to leak out of her arm as the shield shreds; Kamui thrusts forth with her shortsword to cover her retreat, her manoeuvre failed.
k-kamui! we can't hold on much longer...
"We have to tough it out a bit longer, Delta," Kamui whispers. Her eyes narrow at Zaphkiel. "Even with the size of your weapon, the gaps in your technique are narrow indeed... I see, so you befit the title of 'Wise Man of Combat Technique', perhaps?"
Kamui is momentarily distracted when Chisato summons an enormous structure with a suspiciously familiar look.
"It can't be... is it a creation of Dr. W...?"
The Reploid shakes her head and refocuses herself.
Tough it out a bit longer, Kamui does; even with her steps faltering, she focuses back onto the techniques of the Crimson Castle for a moment-- and takes a seemingly sublime step inward, sliding in when Gwen creates space at his exposed flank. The Reploid thrusts her arms to the ground and propels herself foot-up first in a moonsault, slashing at Zaphkiel's neck in her upwards motion in one go!
GS: Kamui has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Kamui has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Kamui spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Blitz! Kamui has attacked Zaphkiel with The Lord of Vampire! GS: Kamui has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kamui gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Kamui gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Kamui gains 35 THP from Regen! GS: Disrupt expired! GS: Kamui has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Misty has posed.
Misty is... not terribly versed in non-Pokemon combat, so she's not really in a good place to judge Kamui's equipment--but she seems to take advantage of opportunities to attack readily enough, tag-teaming in after Blastoise's Rapid Spin the way she does.
She's keeping an eye on Kaede, too, and catches the gesturing--she looks over, and blinks. That's... the person from the picture, isn't it? "Can't this wait--" Then again, if it's that important to her... Sigh. "Excuse me!" She shouts to the other side of the battlefield. "Excuse me--you, with the sword--" Crap there's two of them with swords. "--and the short hair! Is your name Claude?"
Misty isn't a kid! Though she is, admittedly, younger than Chartreuse. She smiles, encouragingly. "You're welcome! Don't forget, it's about the bond between you and your pokemon." (She is really grateful that shovel held up, though.)
Ida does--something. Did she summon... a pokemon!? Misty knows not everything that is pokemon-like is, in fact, a pokemon, but it's hard to shake the comparison when Ida summons a creature with magical powers via a small geometric object... Golduck is standing beside her, gem lit up as he maintains a barrier. The blessing of Dinoginos helps, reinforcing the barrier. Blastoise's shell gleams with an extra sheen, too. "Thanks, Ida!"
There's... somethinga bout Velvet that's nagging at the edge of Misty's senses, but she... can't quite figure what it is. But Golduck looks back to her briefly and gives a tiny shake of his head. Misty nods back to him. Later, then. (Now might not be the best time to try and dvelop this 'Resonance' thing Misty has heard about when there's already so much else going on.)
Misty watches Xantia with clear concern. She rises into the air, summons a great power, and then... starts laughing. There's been, well, a lot of new and weird things she's witnessed recently, and she's... pretty sure that one is on the worrying end of the scale. Misty and Golduck share a glance, briefly.
Venetia mentions a goldfish that becomes a worm--or a wyrm, as some might say. Overhead, from the forest Misty's Gyarados reels backwards with a roar, careening awfully close to the battle with Lucifer and Zaphkiel before catching himself. He coils in midair and then surges back into the forest to continue his firefighting (and pokemon fighting) efforts.
Misty's not usually the one issuing challenges--but she can make an exception, in this case. "Don't worry. I'm not the type that backs down easily."
That sword deflects most of Blastoise's Water Gun, but still drives Zaphkiel back, and Misty nods as she watches how the attack is unleashed. "Good."
A blade slices through the air--silence, and then the collapse of the silence with a defeaning roar. Golduck's barrier strains as he pushes against it, but with Ida's reinforcement it holds--that doesn't stop Misty from watching Golduck with concern, though. She places a hand on his shoulder to offer her silent encouragement.
Blastoise, meanwhile, opts for a different tack--when the wave of destruction comes, she opts instead to just--jump. With all four limbs pushing up against the ground she has just enough height to clear the wave, the destructive force gazing against her belly. She lands with a terrific thud, shaking the earth.
"Good work!" calls Misty. "Now, listen up! Because I'm only gonna say this once." She points to Zaphkiel. "The Energy Nede that was isn't coming back. It can't come back. We can't cling to the old ways of doing things that nearly wiped us out all those years ago. We need to preserve what we can of our world--and I won't stand for anything that harms our world or exploits the worlds of others, you got me?"
"Blastoise! Hydro Pump!"
And while she proclaims that, Blastoise is gathering water in her twin cannons. More and more and more, as each cannon begins pumping back and forth to generate force and store up power. Faster and faster they go until in an instant, dual torrents of water blast out--the force of the release causes little shockwaves to erupt from the cannons, and Blastoise actually slides back from the force. Two jets of water fly forward--one reserved for Zaphkiel, and the other for Lucifer.
GS: Misty has activated Force Action: Extend! GS: Misty has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Misty has activated Force Action: Snipe! GS: Misty spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Misty has attacked Zaphkiel with Hydro Pump! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Misty has attacked Lucifer with Hydro Pump! GS: Misty has gained 1 Combo! GS: Misty gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Cripple expired! GS: Misty has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
At the last moment before Gwen makes contact, the glint of her metal hand becomes clear as the fist flattens into a palm. It was no accident that her glove was off, after all.
It's not as certain what Gwen's ARM will find purchase on; be it the lingering energy it sucked in when Gwen charged in, something within Zaphkiel's being that the Mockingbird found compatible enough to drain at, or Gwen's own will attempting to painfully drain away at something she normally wouldn't even try.
Inspiration is not always the best sort of sustenance in battle, but if it could knock the edge of Zaphkiel's confidence.
Gwen notices Kamui over her shoulder, and, locking eyes with her with a nod, ducks away, allowing Kamui to take advantage of it as she doubles back towards Misty to recover and try to guard her, if necessary. "You tell 'im!"
GS: CRITICAL! Lucifer critically fails to guard Misty's Hydro Pump for 395 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lucifer gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Misty! GS: Zaphkiel mostly guards Kamui's The Lord of Vampire for 177 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Slow! GS: Slow blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Zaphkiel enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Break and Jam expired! GS: Kamui drains Zaphkiel! Kamui gains 92 temporary hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Zaphkiel mostly guards Misty's Hydro Pump for 198 hit points! GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Misty!
<Pose Tracker> Velvet Crowe has posed.
Fed by an Earthpulse...
"Tt," hisses from between Velvet Crowe's clenched teeth as Magilou (certainly incidentally and not purposefully) answers her question.
Her memories of that day are hazy - waking up from a thousand year dream has a way of making what's real and what's not murky - but she still knows who was responsible for breaking her seal. The Wise Men. They wanted the power fueling it. And they did it by...
An idea of what the Wise Men are after starts to take shape in Velvet's thoughts, but she maintains her taciturn silence under all the others' questioning of their adversaries. Instead, she turns her attention back Zaphkiel's way once she's confirmed Magilou is alright - transitioning from one to the other, it must be said, with the deadpan roll of her eyes for all Magilou's theatrics - and readies herself.
That enormous claw of hers radiates Malevolence -- untethered now, her aura sweeps the battlefield in an oppressive wave of sickly contradictions. That claw bulges and shrinks with worryingly meaty sounds every now and then, like an uneven, unstable pulse.
'What are you?'
It's an unspoken question that goes unanswered as Xantia comes barreling at Zaphkiel soon after with hands sweeping like claws with such ferocity that it takes -Velvet- aback for a moment. Gold eyes blink in widened and brief alarm. Not necessarily because she doesn't expect the savagery of it all - she doesn't know Xantia, this could just be how she is for all the Lord of Calamity cares to know - but...
... because of how -familiar- it is. And yet, not. She might not be able to sense the Ley like Laphicet was able to, but she -does- know Malevolence -- and that girl isn't radiating a single ounce of it.
Eyes narrow. Brows furrow. A frown twists Velvet's lips.
"... What the hell...?"
She shakes her head. A question for another time. Zaphkiel's busy with the others -- she needs to find her opening and exploit it. Straightening, her attention turns to Magilou.
"Hey," she off-handedly comments, ignoring the pain wracking her for the moment, "if you're done whining, maybe you can give me a hand here. I'll give you an opening... you hammer him with everything you've got." Her eyes narrow. "We can't waste much time with this guy--"
And just like that, Zaphkiel is charging right at her. Her eyes snap wide.
"Magilou, watch out--"
BOOM
The sound of Zaphkiel's charge striking home is a deafeningly violent one. It RUNS through the wide-eyed Velvet, who barely has time to cough up a thick glob of blood at the impact before she is sent -hurtling- backwards, CRASHING into the Great Tree of Marlind with such a ferocious impact that it splinters thick layers of bark beneath the savage strain.
Blood seeps free from the ugly wound in Velvet's abdomen, punched clean through, as she falls to the earth. Her massive claw -slams- into a tremendous tree root, catching her before she can fall completely. For a moment, she just stands there, lurched forward like she was suspended midway towards collapse and recovery, thick scarlet dripping from her red-smeared lips as thick bangs obscure her stare.
She should be dead.
If she weren't a monster, she would be. For a moment, delirious with pain, she thinks of how much nicer life would have been if she were still so frail, so human.
A sardonic smile tugs at bloodied, overshadowed lips.
Simpler. But impossible. This is what she is now.
What she is. What she chooses to be...
'What are you?'
"... I... am..."
Velvet feels the powerful ebb of life flowing through that tree beneath her monstrous palm. She takes strength from it, strength enough to take her first step forward and abandon that root as she stumbles into a forward walk.
"... I am..."
Her head lifts. And those golden eyes glare balefully at Zaphkiel in the distance.
"... I am the Lord of Calamity..."
Staggering stride becomes a more certain stalk. That Therionized claw bulges heinously.
"... and YOU... -YOU- woke me UP."
And that certain stalk becomes a savage sprint as Velvet Crowe TEARS across the battlefield, a scarlet gleam in gold eyes as pupils shriek to frenzied pinpricks.
"SO YOU'RE THE ONES WHO ARE GONNA BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES!!"
And, gauntlet blade SNAPPING out of its hiding place, the brutalized Lord of Calamity looks to IMPALE it through Zaphkiel's chest and -twist- with just enough cruel efficiency to hold it - and him - in place...
... as that clawed arm wings back, gathering up a maelstrom of malevolence coiling like serpents of black and scarlet around it.
"Annihilating..."
Hold him in place -- just long enough to THRUST that wound up claw FORWARD towards him.
"CRASH!!"
And unleash -every ounce- of that pent up Malevolence in a sudden SURGE of double-helixing force, aiming to sweep the Wise Man up off his feet and into the air in its destructive torrent -- and hopefully --
"NOW, MAGILOU!"
Set the Menagerie's ringleader up for a fabulous coup de grace.
GS: Regen added to Velvet Crowe! GS: Velvet Crowe has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Velvet Crowe spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Velvet Crowe has attacked Zaphkiel with Annihilating Crash! GS: Velvet Crowe gains 33 THP from Regen! GS: Velvet Crowe has completed her action. GS: Access! Velvet Crowe takes 30 damage! GS: Zaphkiel mostly guards Velvet Crowe's Annihilating Crash for 149 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Kaede Akigiri has posed.
Kaede's look is somewhat pleased at being complimented for the trick. Sure he's an ancient villain, but there's something to it. Or she's messing around a bit. All three mimicked figures drop a pokeball and a 4th Kaede appears. There's a kick up of dust by one of the copies swinging her arm and then the lot of them have shifted positiions. One lingering behind, looking smug and preparing a spell. The other three dash forward. One darting forward, slashing low, followed by high, followed by a sharp overhead swing.
Her eyes (Three of the four!) turn to first Kamui at the comment, then to Velvet. She's once again got that nagging feeling this is well beyond her paygrade. And... you roll with what you're dealt. Even if you have to cheat.
She might.. keep her distance from Velvet after her trick attack. With her behind her target, having kept the momentum regardless (Theoretically) She's watching the myriad of 'friendlies' warily. The only thing keeping her from evacing immediately, as her brain catches up is both that Misty is fighting on this side. As is Claude, which is a mixed bag at this point with what she's seeing.
She squares up. All three copies nearby at least. The fourth winking out soon enough. A little fox making a pleased sound before darting off. The two aren't sure how much it helps, but it IS good practice for both of them to collaborate right?
She tightens her stance up though. Flicking her blade away briefly, adjusting her grip, then settling into a duelist's pose, ready for what may come next from the enemy. She's made her mind up. The wise men, whether the others might also be a problem, should be put down. They threatened whole... well. Everything. She's pulling a face at Zaphkiel and if he glances back to keep an eye on her, at least one of the clones makes a rude gesture and the other looks more serious, sword at the ready. The third has adapted a more aggressive stance, blade held out at the ready. An open stance if anything.
GS: Kaede Akigiri has attacked Zaphkiel with Distortion! GS: Kaede Akigiri has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kaede Akigiri gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Kaede Akigiri has completed her action. GS: Chartreuse Spinosa used Force Action: Mystic on Ida Everstead-Rey! FP up! GS: Disrupt removed!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Kamui's here. Ida is going to have to get the full story later. "Agreed," she says, to the Reploid, before nodding to Chartreuse. That will have to be later, too. First, they have to make sure there is a later.
'Synchronize.'
The reverberating thrum settles in Ida's bones. Her head whips to face Xantia, eyes wide with alarm. But Xantia isn't the only one cutting loose here. Malevolence rakes across Ida's senses. She recognizes its tenor, if not its raw intensity--the first time she saw Velvet do anything like this, the Therion had just been released from a thousand-year slumber. The Seer grimaces, but only for a moment; she glances sidelong at Velvet, and tries to meet her eyes.
Do what you have to, she says, without saying. It's a dangerous sentiment to offer any Hellion, and it's not like Velvet needs her permission.
Superheated air washes across the battlefield in the wake of Lucifer's spell. Zaphkiel's blade catches that air, and turns it into a terrible, cutting, crushing force. Ida springs upwards, buoyed by a sudden, violent updraft of her own--it saves her from taking that wave right across the chest. Instead, Zaphkiel's strike sweeps her legs out from under her, and sends her skidding back across the rough ground. She lands face-first. It's not at all graceful or painless.
Another pulse of Malevolence breaks through the haze of pain, like a bucket of cold water to the face. "Right," Ida grunts. She plants a hand on the turf, shoves herself violently upright. Her entire front is covered with dirt and grass stains and blood splatters from where she dragged across the earth. Her lip is bleeding; threads of quicksilvery flesh weave themselves across the cut in preparation for a proper seal. More silvery threads bind a (thankfully superficial) cut on her brow. Ida Whips Devil's Due from its holster, and--
Velvet.
A mixture of awe and terror floods Ida's heart as she sees the Lord of Calamity go to work. She takes a deep, pained breath, steadies her grip, and pulls the trigger. There's no ammo in the gun, but she doesn't need any for this.
A searing-hot tongue of Dragonfire leaps across the field, past Velvet's right side, to engulf Zaphkiel. Ida holds down the trigger, raking it back and forth while still watching out for her allies--or their Pokemon--who might be in danger of friendly fire.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey spends 2 Combo on Poison and Gatling, loading 1 into Gatling! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Zaphkiel with Breath Of The Fire Dragon! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Too late, the die has been cast. Not that Xantia would have been very likely to listen to Gwen in her current state of mind. When the choice is between being useless or taking a risk, Xantia will always choose the latter. It's fortunate, at least, that she has a very obvious target to focus on at the moment, and doesn't seem about to turn on her friends right this second. Or perhaps worse: pick a fight with the self-proclaimed Lord of Calamity. Something she'd certainly be considering if not otherwise occupied at the moment.
But no, everything is fine. In fact, things are wonderful! Her attacks are effectively forcing back Zaphkiel, and it's all so much easier than it was before. How could Xantia do anything else but laugh gleefully? This is great! She feels stronger than ever before! And even though she still can't stop that rapid healing capability the Wise Men have, she can at least steal some of it for herself. Indeed, in the wake of her attack, with every successful strike, her stomach wound grows smaller, and smaller, until it's no longer there at all. Just like that, she's fully recovered from what should have been a debilitating injury.
But she sees eye to eye with Zaphkiel on one thing: this wasn't nearly enough. She needs more! To the point where she makes a 'bring it' motion, yelling at him, "Go on, recover quickly! Give me all you've got!"
As one might expect after that, she's not moving from where she stands, planning to take whatever's coming head-on. And when Zaphkiel slams down his blade, she thrusts her arms forward. The wave of electric force sent her way meets its like - turbulent lightning roiling off Xantia in turn. The result is a rather big explosion, momentarily obscuring the point of impact in smoke and dust. But when it clears...
Xantia still stands, not seeming to particularly mind her newly blackened state. She's not about to let show the amount of energy and effort it took to mitigate the damage. The point is to project an image of strength after all - to leave the impression of invincibility. It's not difficult, given the reaction that comes natural to her under these circumstances. She throws back her head... and laughs, uproariously.
"Hahaha... AHAHAHAHA!! So! It's Lightning you want to play at, is it? Well then!"
Throwing out her arms to the side, the tempest surrounding Xantia flows fully to her extremities, gathering in her hands, then extending outward. In an instant, Xantia is now holding two greatswords formed fully out of electricity, each of a size that puts Zaphkiel's blade to shame. Yet formed out of elemental energy as they are, hers don't weigh a thing, easily dual-wielded in spite of their enormity.
With an unhinged grin, she wastes no time in charging forth, striking with those elemental constructs again and again, each hit causing a small explosion of energy. At the end of the combo, she attempts to directly impale the Wise Man (not actually a difficult feat, as the blades are immaterial), and leap back to let the weapons detonate in an explosion of electrical force.
GS: Xantia spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Xantia has attacked Zaphkiel with Expelled From Paradise! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Mighty expired! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Access! Xantia takes 30 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Magilou has posed.
Magilou makes serious statements in the form of jokes all the time, Gwen! It's fine!
Getting in Zaphkiel's way is... probably fine, too.
"It takes rare talent to use the Earthpulse," Magilou points out, "instead of being consumed by it. But you're no ordinary ne'er-do-wells, are you? Even when I'm fighting like this... even when we're all fighting like this." Velvet, and Magilou, and Ghaleon, too...
(Where's Rokurou? Oh, he's around. Don't worry about it.)
But that destructive wave rolls out, and Magilou throws up her shikigami, elongating it into a tower shield to absorb the blow. The spirit within the shikigami trembles, but through her magic, it holds; though the grass to either side of her is blown to oblivion, she's still standing. "Watching!" She chirps, cheerfully, to Velvet, saluting her breezily with a hand as she shrinks her paper doll down again.
"Be afraid!" She adds, to Kaede, seeing her keeping a wide berth from Velvet. "The Lord of Calamity takes no prisoners, and consumes all who stand in her way! Even the Ten Wise Men are naught but a midnight snack for the ancient evil they've awoken...!!" Velvet might have introduced herself with flair, but the jester (the WITCH!) beside her is no less bombastic, apparently.
She doesn't pull out pompoms, which might tell you that this situation is more serious than it looks. She does eye Chartreuse's Flaaffy as if she's thinking about picking it up and using it as a pom-pom, though.
(She's keeping an eye on Xantia, too... but so long as she's pointed towards the Ten Wise Men, that's fine with her. Look -- Magilou just isn't a very nice lady.)
All those considerations, though, fall away when Velvet cries out to her. "All righty!" She chirps, spinning around. "Let's do it, right now -- Tetra Detonator!"
It's the strongest attack in Magilou's arsenal, generally speaking -- and yet she throws it out with no preparation at all, in the wake of Velvet's annihilation. Four spheres follow her Lord's assault, spinning almost lazily around Zaphkiel -- deep as the ocean, red as the blaze, desert-yellow and storm-green. Where they meet, they explode with the white light of a universe's birth, too many elements married together under Althena's blessing.
GS: Magilou has attacked Zaphkiel with Tetra Detonator! GS: Magilou has gained 2 Combo! GS: Magilou gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Magilou has completed her action. GS: Access! Magilou takes 30 damage! GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: High! Zaphkiel critically fails to guard Magilou's Tetra Detonator for 412 hit points! GS: Zaphkiel has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight! GS: COUNTER! Zaphkiel counterattacks Kaede Akigiri with Quickstep! GS: Sneak! The true nature of Kaede Akigiri's attack becomes clear! GS: Zaphkiel mostly charges Kaede Akigiri's Shining Blade for 204 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Zaphkiel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Zaphkiel's Blind Ward may block the effect! GS: Blind blocked! GS: Quick applied to Kaede Akigiri! GS: Charge!! You gain 50 FP! (That's 35 more than usual!) GS: Zaphkiel has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight! GS: Zaphkiel mostly charges Ida Everstead-Rey's Breath Of The Fire Dragon for 176 hit points! GS: Poison blocked! GS: Charge!! You gain 50 FP! (That's 35 more than usual!) GS: FP up! Countermeasures and Reaction bonus! GS: Zaphkiel has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight! GS: CRITICAL! Zaphkiel critically fails to charge Xantia's Expelled From Paradise for 478 hit points! GS: Disease removed! GS: Poison blocked! GS: Hyper applied to Xantia! GS: Charge!! You gain 60 FP! (That's 45 more than usual!) GS: Zaphkiel has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Kaede Akigiri has posed.
With the slash from the left, the illusion drops briefly. Her blade's edge glows, swinging up high, then down low. The two copies briefly blinking out of reality as she focuses on the quick, vicious strike. Following it up with a sharp step forward and a second downward swing. Using momentum the whole time to carry her past. Whether this is the safest option remains to be seen.
<Pose Tracker> Lucifer has posed.
"Careful what you insist on, girl! You Nedians have forgotten how to fight a war -- and you wouldn't to make me angry," Lucifer snaps at Rena.
"Why would I want to be a part of something so insignificant?" Lucifer asks Mariel, barking out a harsh laugh. "The only worth this world has is what we do with it!"
Which is when Chase, on his Ponyta, slams into Lucifer. That smashes him backward -- and upward, as his wings roll with the blow and lift him high -- and leaves him looking down at Chase. "You... filthy BUG!"
Then Claude rushes in -- closes the distance -- and slams his sword down, which Lucifer just catches with a hand aglow with a barrier. "Gh--" And then, the slashes strike him, breaking through his defenses, and send him flying backward.
"How!? Stronger, already...!"
Dias flies in from below. Several slashes fly at him -- he manages to duck away from most, but others strike into him; while his Symbology-reinforced body keeps him from being cut open, they still impact and smash him backward.
"I assure you," he spits to Venetia, "you're far more Magikarp than Gyrardos!"
The simulacrum at Venetia's command capitalizes on his distraction -- blows raining down, smashing him backward. He finally flies up and away, only just evading the blast of electricity that Ethius fires at him. It shoots up high, but arcs strike him.
He grunts, thrown to the side. "You do not command me, Hesiod!" he spits down at Ethius, before he sees the grenades that Grace threw -- and the bolt hurtling for them. He can't dodge them all up here; he settles for throwing out a wave of Symbological force, a blast of wind to blow the worst of the explosions back.
The force of it still blows him backward. He looks down -- and makes quite the face, as another face bursts from the earth at Chisato's command. Gas pours up over him, and he breathes in--
--and teleports away, hacking a few times as he reappears nearby. "Damnation...!"
Which is when Blastoise's twin cannons fire. Huge blasts of water shoot up -- smashing into Lucifer, and they drive him back into the Great Tree's trunk. He bounces off -- then flies ahead. "Gh..!"
Then he looks at Zaphkiel -- and the attacks his fellow Wise Man is suffering. His eyes narrow, further. "Gabriel... your schemes better prove worthwhile," he mutters to himself.
Lucifer hovers in the air. His robes are tattered; there are cuts, gashes, and tears all over them. His energy wings flicker, with the effort, and Symbols that offer defensive wards flicker across his body. He flies higher.
Then he sends a massive shockwave out around him -- forcing those nearby backward, as wind and lightning a lot explode outward.
It is less to harm; more to keep atbay.
He focuses, for a moment. His energy wings flare brightly; from behind him, several large Symbols appear, as if carved into the air, and then his eyes flash with brilliant light.
"Enough!" he says. "You insects... this world is something we have need of! You can claim your rights to it, but you don't care for the leasing rights of cockroaches -- and I care nothing for yours!"
Blue light explodes from his hand. It shoots out in a beam, which strikes the tree. Then, that beam shoots into the air -- and into a rift that tears open in the sky. Just beyond it, Phynal is visible; a view of the great fortress on Energy Nede, with its Symbological barrier and towers of steel. The beam into Phynal grows, and grows, and GROWS.
It is draining the land of life, pulling the energy from the Earthpulse.
The Great Tree begins to turn a solid, stark white. It spreads through the branches; it shoots down the trunk; it begins to spread over the grass. A wounded watchman, face shocked, also turns white -- and then realization sets in. People, plants, and the land are turning into salt.
Save for Lucifer, the other Wise Men, and the Paradox Pokemon. And a patch of still-green grass, underneath a barrier hastily erected by Magilou. The expansion of saltlands explodes outward. Marlind's buildings are frozen in it; Marlind's people are struck, mid-flight. It extends out further than the eye can see.
"Futile!" Lucifer laughs. "Futile indeed! Witness our power... the power to command GALAXIES!" Then his head throws back, and he roars with laughter.
It's the last they see of him, as Magilou's barrier CRACKS.
But before the life-draining effect can reach them, there are lines of golden light that shoot up around each of them. A circle of gold light shines underneath everyone's feet, precisely targeted. And then a brilliant, gold-white flash...
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5kcBxL7-qI
...and they are elsewhere.
TO BE CONTINUED...
<Pose Tracker> Magilou has posed.
"The leasing rights of cockroaches... huh."
A beehive barrier of light meets that beam, where it would plunge the Drifters into an eternity of salt. Not for the first time, judging by the weariness in her voice... and not for the last. Magilou's barrier of light -- white magic, for those keeping track at home -- protects those around her, even as everything around them becomes stark, lifeless white.
An eternity of white, surrounding them, protected by that white shining barrier.
"I've heard it before."
Magilou thrusts out a hand, as she maintains her barrier.
"You're looking down on us... scoffing at our foolishness. Heh... just like my old man," she grins, as it lifts only half her face. "I'll tell you what I told him -- our unwavering wills are proof we're alive."
Velvet might remember the story a little differently.
She didn't say 'us', back then, a thousand years ago.
"Let the biting bugs go ahead and eat what they wanna eat... let the weeds grow where they wanna grow. Something like that, right?" She asks Velvet, without looking to her. She can't; her focus is too keen. "It's amazing... I can just use the same lines on this kind of guy... over and over. Ha ha..."
Her smile cracks, and her barrier does, too.
The only hint of the strain is the way her skin trembles. And then -- light.
<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.
This time, Mariel doesn't bother to respond to the Wise Man - even though she privately considers Lucifer something other than wise, she absolutely cannot deny his power.
She is far too busy. Holding the Ley like this is challenging even for her; to maintain the flow just so, to neither harm the Ley nor anything else, to maintain. If the Tree wasn't here she wouldn't be trying to tap quite this directly, but channeled through something she understands intimately, and then through her Staff, she thinks she can do it.
The explosion of wind and lightning rocks her. Mariel clings to the planted staff for support as it washes over her, pulling herself up a moment later as she shifts her balance, mentally as well as physically -
Before the beam strikes the tree, ripping open the Ley.
"No...!"
This, more than anything, is what Mariel fears. Death; Filgaia's death, in hyperspeed. She loses her grip on the Tree as what Lucifer does yanks it away from her so hard that she feels her head burn - but not her grip on her Staff. "You can't ... !"
This is what she's practiced for for so long. To try to help Filgaia. Can she do it - can she do anything? She knows she can't save everything, but to keep something alive -
Mariel *pushes*, harder than she ever has before, through the Living Staff. She cannot protect the Tree and so she doesn't even try, though her heart hurts to do it; she can't protect all the people, but she may be able to save some of them.
The area around Mariel becomes, in feel, a little island - an area that feels, against all expectation, like 'home' - like Filgaia. She shudders as she holds it, grassy green and glowing pink and ocean blue swirling around her as she holds what she can, a little bubble in the white.
It's not much, and even doing it hurts Mariel - it would be easier to do it as Magilou did, but barriers like that aren't in Mariel's field, while this act of Preservation is. The sand scours at the inside of her mind, instead of the outside of the field she's created, green stretching away from her and covering sufficient area for people to hide inside.
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
Venetia answers Lucifer with a grin that lacks mirth, before the simulacrum assails him. But then it does; afterwards, she is merely a woman, perhaps tougher than the average but not granted such powerful innate abilities.
Not yet, anyway. Someone looks at her -
"Yes!!" Venetia answers Grace, with a slightly bloody grin. "Come to my college - in just four years of studies, you can learn to be as I am!!"
Is this on the curriculum?
It becomes clear to Venetia, however, that despite her best efforts, as well as that of Claude (whom Venetia remembers, from past adventures) and Dias Flac (who is at least living up to Venetia's hopes for a swordsman), have not sufficed to, say, separate Lucifer's head from his body, or bisect his torso, or otherwise provide injuries incompatible with life.
He begins to speak. Venetia has time enough to put her Crest Graph away on reflex and to riffle through them, towards another, before SOMETHING begins being drawn out. "No - damn you! No --" The whiteness spreads, though she has stood near enough to Mariel to escape it. At least for a moment. She sucks in a breath, reaching for the Amethyst Sign -- if she's going to go down, let it be with her own thesis work --
But then there is a sudden golden gleam, before she can speak, or act, or think.
<Pose Tracker> Zaphkiel has posed.
"Behold, the technology of Old Nede... and Energy Nede," he replies to Kamui with a lopsided grin. "There is little we cannot do!" With certain establishments in Energy Nede already in the hands of the Wise Men, it would seem that they have wasted no time in availing themselves.
He doesn't answer her question about the origin of the technology empowering his feat of recovery. But he meets her gaze. His markings glow that much brighter. "A Reploid-- is that what you call it? Things like you were weapons of war in the old days -- our weapons."
But speaking of the Energy Nede of old...
"Hahaha! Did you have that one practiced? I admire your spirit!" he tells Misty, shaking with laughter for that one instant. "You misunderstand me. I don't want it back! It's a shame your people aren't who they used to be, but we don't want it back." His lips split in a grin. "When we're done here, we'll have the whole universe!"
But Misty has one last thing to say to him, and that's 'Hydro Pump'.
Though he braces himself -- though he brings that great blade of his before him to bear as if it were shield -- Zaphkiel is forced back inexorably.
Once the torrent finally ends, he's faced with Gwen. Gwen's fist cracks into his side and there peels off some measure of his lifeforce, actually evoking a low grunt from Zaphkiel. "Not a bad... blow," he tells her, "that--"
Kamui glides in to take advantage of the opening that Gwen has handily carved, and thus carves a gash into Zaphkiel's neck. In a human, this would have almost certainly been a mortal wound, a quick death. Zaphkiel bleeds and bleeds as expected but, in an eyeblink
"That hurt," he tells her. He bares his teeth in a grin.
The wound has sealed itself. The wound is gone -- it never had been.
Yet, still, his gaze turns to the heavens, as if called hence by some preternatural sense that he possesses. He takes one step backwards. And just then, just like that-- a bolt tears down from the skies above to cleave a great gash upon the city street, right where he'd been standing. "Hm... to think the Pokemon of Energy Nede can possess such a power," he remarks to Chartreuse.
Though he bears his blade before him again as if it were more shield than sword -- and to an extent, in such circumstances the great blade might well be -- Kaede presses past the gaps such a defense naturally brings about, drawing cleaving cuts into flesh that is, alas, all-too-willing to heal over.
But it's an opening as good as any. Ida, cottoning to what Velvet is thinking of attempting, turns Devil's Due upon him. And there burns a great flame: even a Wise Man possessed of such sanctity of the body as Zaphkiel would stagger when pressed by such an overwhelming attack. But even aflame, he proceeds towards her as unshakeable as death itself.
Were it not for Velvet, perhaps Ida would be in a poor situation now.
Were it not for Ida, Velvet would not have an opportunity afforded to her such as this.
And were Velvet anyone else, she might already be dead. But, as she tells Zaphkiel, rising to her feet awash in a terrible power, she is the Lord of Calamity.
And they are the ones who woke her up.
She's upon him like the proverbial bat out of hell, the terrible force of the Malevolence rising like a tide within her sufficient to overtake Zaphkiel. He drops his sword, he seizes her, trying to wrestle her back, away. Her blade slams into his chest, though his chest and still he fights like a beast himself. His teeth are bared by the time she slams her claw into him.
And by the time that spell unwinds beneath him in high speed. Behold, now, the four elemental keystones of the universe! Behold light, behold the beginning!
And still he stands, dripping cyansilver blood, even in the wake of such an awesome display.
But he stands in spite of the tempest that is rising now to take him. Tearing himself from Velvet's grasp, he rounds towards Xantia, who now weilds such terrible power. In each hand, a blade to rival his own-- but ah, he is empty-handed.
Even so, he grins. He shakes with laughter -- roars with it. And he lunges forward as Xantia sets herself upon him, clapping a hand to catch one of those blades barehanded.
Of course she still has the other. Of course this one burns even his flesh, regenerating and burning over and over again.
And all he can do is laugh as the Great Tree goes white. The pale spreads rapidly from there.
Shaking, he takes at last a step back, away from Xantia. His abandoned blade vanishes to reappear in his hands and he slams it into the spreading salt at his feet. "It's too late! You've already lost--"
But there is a golden light.
And then they are gone from this place.
<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.
This time, Mariel doesn't bother to respond to the Wise Man - even though she privately considers Lucifer something other than wise, she absolutely cannot deny his power.
She is far too busy. Holding the Ley like this is challenging even for her; to maintain the flow just so, to neither harm the Ley nor anything else, to maintain. If the Tree wasn't here she wouldn't be trying to tap quite this directly, but channeled through something she understands intimately, and then through her Staff, she thinks she can do it.
The explosion of wind and lightning rocks her. Mariel clings to the planted staff for support as it washes over her, pulling herself up a moment later as she shifts her balance, mentally as well as physically -
Before the beam strikes the tree, ripping open the Ley.
"No...!"
This, more than anything, is what Mariel fears. Death; Filgaia's death, in hyperspeed. She loses her grip on the Tree as what Lucifer does yanks it away from her so hard that she feels her head burn - but not her grip on her Staff. "You can't ... !"
This is what she's practiced for for so long. To try to help Filgaia. Can she do it - can she do anything? She knows she can't save everything, but to keep something alive -
Mariel *pushes*, harder than she ever has before, through the Living Staff. She cannot protect the Tree and so she doesn't even try, though her heart hurts to do it; she can't protect all the people, but she may be able to save some of them.
The area around Mariel becomes, in feel, a little island - an area that feels, against all expectation, like 'home' - like Filgaia. She shudders as she holds it, grassy green and glowing pink and ocean blue swirling around her as she holds what she can, a little bubble in the white.
It's not much, and even doing it hurts Mariel. And it doesn't last; the edge of it starts to erode almost immediately, burning away as fast as she can push it outwards. The sand and salt scours at the inside of her mind, and she staggers to one knee, hunkering down and using the edge of Magilou's barrier to protect the tiny, tiny oasis she's made. It's everything she can give and it isn't enough...!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Chase may have arguments to make about bugs being associated with something Lucifer clearly has so much vitriol for, but there's no denying how small he feels under that gaze high above him on Symbology wings. But Pikachu is small too, and that's never stopped her. Her cheeks spark as she's held in Chase's arms, defiance in her beady eyes.
She makes to leap back into battle from them, only for a shockwave to slam her right back against Chase and for him to reflexively catch on.
They both look up, eyes wide in unison, as they watch the Great Tree go white.
The white spreads, all devouring, and Chase can only back away in a few stumbling steps before forcibly returning his Pikachu back into her Poke Ball.
Not for the first time, she refuses. But for the first time, he returns her again.
Her ball shakes furiously, and Chase tries to clamp it shut in both hands, pressing tight and unable to pry his eyes from the encroaching salt. Electricity lashes from the ball's seam, and his hand snaps back on reflex with the static shock.
Boy and Pokemon latch onto each other, and all that is certain is that they will face whatever is about to happen together.
...And a gold flash of light determines that it will be something away from here.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius works up the beginnings of a smile at the spitting of his surname. Of all the names memorable to the Ten Wise Men... well, there's a reason he's kept it, all these years.
The attempt to short out Lucifer's defenses don't quite go to plan, but with most everyone else combining their methods and approaches - all unique and differing in ways that ultimately defeated Demetrioi when the typical methods of the spacefaring populace would not have - he holds his place as he gauges Lucifer's next move.
The brilliant eye flash causes him to flinch, he still has eyes to blind.
"You're-- the tree." Ethius' voice is subdued, as if incredulous before everything happens. The rift, the fortress of Phynal, and no small amount of energy being--
He is only tangentially aware by instinct of what kind of thing is happening, for all the doomsday scenarios and weapons he's had to become familiarized with, and knows teh odds of survival are slim. He crosses his arms, dropping his weapon as he enters a more heavily defensive Symbological spellcasting posture for the best defense he can put up, but even he knows it's not going to overtake a blast like this.
Magilou, like before with most of the Demetrioi situation at Mount Liverfeast, exudes her strength - and Mariel herself her own gifts and will. What he can offer isn't much more, compared to them, if any, as that barrier on Magilou's end cracks.
...
Gold light shines underneath him. A fear runs through him, memories of a traumatic time when the sky lit on fire filled with patterns of things that didn't belong. It should be more comforting, in the moment, what it is and what it represents.
Not even this many years removed could he ever forget that sensation.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida steps back, breathing hard. Zaphkiel might be way, way too close for comfort, but Lucifer has torn her gaze off her foe. What's he doing, Ida thinks, dread settling in her gut like a lead weight. The tree. An Earthpulse. They--
"No," Ida breathes, as Lucifer's spell takes hold. "No--!" She recognizes that bleached-white, horrid gleam a moment later. It hasn't just drained of color, or turned to stone. That's salt. That's salt, like the salt she and Avril and Dean and the others dug through in the saltlands. "RUN!" Ida screams, to the handful of stragglers watching from behind.
It's too late. The wave of white washes outwards, and Ida watches them crystallize where they stand, frozen in place--distant statues that were once people. A heartbeat passes. Why isn't /she--
Ida looks forwards, and sees Magilou, and her barrier. This, too, burns into her mind.
"MAGILOU!" There is raw fear in Ida's voice, and desperation. If that barrier falls, they're dead. Worse than dead. As it cracks, Ida's hands stray down to the Medium at her belt, and voices the start of a prayer.
"O Timeless Mountain," she begins.
The golden light sweeps across the field, and they're gone.
<Pose Tracker> Misty has posed.
The whole universe. Misty glares daggers at him all the while Blastoise unleashes all of her might. It's not a clean hit, striking the blade as it does, but it's still enough to forceZaphkiel back yet again.
An all-out offensive with Water-type pokemon. That's her specialty, after all.
Lucifer, perhaps, wasn't quite as ready--understandable, considering Misty had been focusing her efforts thus far--and the strike there is much cleaner. Misty takes at least some grim satisfaction in that.
But Lucifer rebukes them all, claims that he doesn't care for their boarding rights, like those of insects. Misty opens her mouth to retort, but then she sees it: the portal into Phynal. "Is... is that..."
Then the beam of energy flows into it, she follows it down to the tree... and gasps in shock. "No..." she whispers. Through the tree... into the ground... and into the grass. Into the people.
She recoils. "What in Arceus's name--"
Magilou has a protective spell up (she does not know the difference between White and Black magic, the distinction and the significance is lost on her). Their tiny patch of grass is safe, for the moment, but.
... How long? What will happen when it gives out?
What will become of her pokemon? Will the Pokeballs protect them?
These are questions she does not want to have to find the answers to. She turns, regardless, and calls back Golduck and Blastoise. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she calls back Gyarados. He might be able to fly free, but against multiple Wise Men, an army of Paradox Pokemon...
She can't let him go through that alone.
She watches the creeping of white across the landscape with a matching despair flooding her heart. Eyes wet, her hand goes to a pouch, her fingers close around something. Maybe, if even for just a little bit longer...
Then everything turns gold, and the world fades away.
<Pose Tracker> Kaede Akigiri has posed.
Spotting the encroaching darkness, Kaede quickly recalls the little Zorua. She had trusted her to travel, she's going to do her best to protect her. She doesn't have a lot of practice in stopping doomsday weapons though and as she swings her sword around, a shield protects all of them.
She doesn't have the ability to help here though. Not really. Wind and illusion only go so far.
She can't even suggest running, the blastwave is too fast. That's what she's thinking of it at least. Washing past all of them. There's a guilty look backt to Misty, she should have kept the locals out of this. (You're the intruder here.)
She looks to the familiar face, offering one last wave. There's no smile this time. And then a look to Ethius. That look is more conflicted. She's figured out why he hasn't reported in by now. She might even have an idea that the other target wasn't here. Or something happened to it. She's not sure though and now, she never will know.
With the barrier starting to crack, she whinces and wishes she'd left something behind for her sister to recover, but faces forward, ready for it as best she could be.
The flash of light at her feet gets a startled jump from her, but golden light's a far better alternative.
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
Chisato makes Lucifer mad at her by gassing him. That's useful, but it doesn't resolve things as fully as she hoped. "Get back down here!!" she yells up at him, shaking a fist. This is bad...for all the lip she's giving him, it's not like making him mad is going to stop this. Before, they've never been afraid to strike decisively. What's going to happen...!
She finds the answer. "That's a rift!? He's pulling something out of--!"
She fumbles for her phone, quickly, and her eyes widen in horror at the whitening that spreads across the tree, the leaves, the trunk, and the people. She's fortunate enough to be under that aegis, but how long is that going to hold? "Damn..." she curses out, finally getting her phone into her shaking hands. "Really starting to feel that no symbology thing...!"
She jams in a number. She can feel her partner nearby; Inteleon has taken shelter with her. Then, teeth grit and eyes on the gate, she yells into her phone, "Defense Force, you copy!? This is Madison! The Wise Men are--!"
And then a flash of light renders her silence.