2024-11-16: The Ringed City
- Log: The Ringed City
- Cast: Michael, Haniel, Claude C. Kenny, Rena Lanford, Timu Guado, Dias Flac, Velvet Crowe, Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna, Gwen Whitlock, Dirk Swordsman, Airi Brooke, Magilou, Misty Kasumi, Jacqueline Barber, Ida Everstead-Rey, Nina Chiyome, Xantia, Citan Uzuki, Grace Harvey, Ethius Hesiod
- Where: Phynal Fortress
- Date: November 16, 2024
- Summary: Time is running short, as Gabriel puts his plan into motion. The second assault on Phynal begins... but at the gates, the remaining Wise Men stand in everyone's way.
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
The first attack on Phynal ended in disaster. The collective forces of Energy Nede and their Visitor allies realized a terrible truth: they didn't have the means to permanently injure the Ten Wise Men reliably, save for having Velvet Crowe, the Lord of Calamity, devour them.
This has changed, now, thanks to the Technical Machine 9999, Antimatter.
In the wake of the attack on Fun City, the timeline for attacking Phynal again was moved up. It is similar in nature to before: a large group of Pokemon League forces and some Symbologists and martial artists from their police forces attacked the exterior of the tower. The difference is their depleted numbers are made up for, today, by some offworld reinforcements.
As the Drifters and Nedian elites charge in, Maria Balthasar's Seibzehn floats above Phynal -- and throws an Iron Moth back against the metallic wall of the tower with a CRACK. Below, Al Bhed are firing their machina rifles at approaching Paradox Pokemon.
Brother, near their head, cries out into their ranks: "Rikku! Tu oui ryja dryd Dressphere fungehk oad?"
A response comes from deeper in the Al Bhed ranks: "Syopa E fuimt ryja ev cusauha ryth'd cbahd DFU FAAGC eh Viridian City dnoehk du kad y Greninja vnus dra Wonder Trade!"
Brother's expression sours. Then, he looks at the Drifters. He looks awkward, then, as he struggles with what is very much not his native language. "You... inside! Hurry!"
The battle around Phynal rages all around. The huge tower of blue steel -- though it looks more purple in the light of Phynal's crimson barrier -- has Paradox Pokemon rushing to and fro. But the main doors are open. A path is being held by the Al Bhed and Lance of the Elite Four, calling orders out to his Dragonite.
The doors lead into a massive circular chamber. It's the same one where other Wise Men were fought before; there are still scars on the metallic walls. And as people rush in, there are two flashes of light.
One resolves into a large, muscled man with pointed ears, spiked red hair, and one eye that is a glowing ember surrounded by metal. Michael wears brown and black robes, with a paneled golden belt about his waist and a large golden collar.
He balls his hand into a fist.
"Haaaaah!" he yells. "Come to try to finish us off, have you? Well--"
He slams his hands together. Flame erupts around him.
"--Today, I'll burn your resolve and EVERYTHING ELSE AWAY!"
<Pose Tracker> Haniel has posed.
The second flash of light fades to reveal a tall man in a thick, navy robes over large, metal limbs. Gleaming fluid travels through tubes at his chest, pulsing with light in place of a heartbeat. Only his head seems to be flesh, if the Ten Wise Men can be said to have it. His face is aged with a grey broom mustache, and his hair begins as a widow's peak before becoming a perfectly level flat-top.
Every digit in his hand hisses as he raises his arm and gently curls his fingers inward.
"Their resolve is merely futile wiggling."
Haniel squeezes his grip with a bright flow of energy through those tubes in his mechanical armor.
"We will have to teach them that they are still nothing more than worms."
DC: Nina Chiyome switches forms to The Yukionna! DC: Gwen Whitlock switches forms to Super Courier!
GS: Michael has adjusted their boss level for 9 opponents!
DC: Velvet Crowe switches forms to The Lord of Calamity - No Really!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude C. Kenny is at the vanguard this time. He won't let himself shy away from the assault on Phynal. He's spoken with his family. He's here with his friends. ...He's prepared.
It is at least nice to see the Al Bhed again. Unlike Lily, Claude doesn't speak their language... but he can kind of guess at what they're saying all the same. "I... can't believe it either!" Claude answers Rena.
Paradox Pokemon rush around and Claude, sword drawn, dashes through the opening made from the others--into the circular chamber with scars on the walls. Michael is there, in his brown and black robes.
Michael. Haniel.
"You won't be burning away anything more," Claude says seriously. "You're done, Wise Man. You just don't know it yet!"
He sprints forward, surging ahead and skidding to a stop as his sword carves through the air to change to his off hand--
He swings a palm forward, glowing with fiery qi energy. "METEOR PALM!"
The blast of energy surges forward for Michael, and Claude takes his sword back up.
GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Michael 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. GS: Michael critically fails to charge Claude C. Kenny's Meteor Palm for 161 hit points! GS: Mighty and Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
The last time they were here, it did not go well. Certainly they had a minor victory, but comparative to the effort expended, it was decidedly pyrrhic.
Claude recently taught her that pyrrhic is a word from ancient Earth history, neat.
Now however, they're armed with more than that, and allies who are present to stop this. All of this.
Rushing towards the entrance amidst the battle between the Al Bhed and Paradox Pokemon, "Laser Beams!" Rena conjures spheres of light, which begin raining lasers down on the Paradox Pokemon as they dance in back and forth patterns.
"Sorry! It's your masters who are bad!"
One Paradox Pokemon has some particularly choice feelings for the laser bath though with a loud elephant cry. "Okay you're a jerk though!" As she asides to Claude on the run, "I can't believe she said that."
Once inside the fortress, it's not entirely unexpected when two flashes of light resolve into two figures, and she skids to a stop, taking a wary stance as she looks from Michael to Haniel.
"Big talk from a guy who thinks terrorizing people who can't fight back is fun." And sliding a Cestus onto each hand, the runes on the crescent moon like blades light up. "We're putting out your flames for good this time."
And indeed, as Claude rushes forward, so too does Ren, her footwork causing her to break in an opposite direction, before leaping, with a hand thrust back. "METEOR PALM!" And in mid-air, she swings her hand forward, the blades becoming waves of burning chi rapidly striking on her way down to battery his body from top to bottom on the opposite side before her feet hit the ground.
It looks exactly like Claude's technique?
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Michael with Meteor Palm! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford's stances have changed from Counter to Avenger and Counter! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: Michael perfectly guards Rena Lanford's Meteor Palm for 36 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Mighty applied to Rena Lanford! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
Everyone's come together to give their all once more, emboldened by the successes of Technical Machine 9999 six times over even after the decisive overturning of the assault the last time.
Timu Guado's one of them, presently leading in with her Chargeray friend as Paradox Pokemon are held at bay to allow her to be part of the forward advance. There's a pause given for the Al Bhed presence, knowing full well what her people did - but they're just as dedicated as they've always been to pushing to doing the right thing no matter what anyone thought. She keeps her Hearth Staff gripped tightly like a lifeline, where the major roadblocks ahead reveal themselves.
It is ironic that a man who aligned with fire could make blood freeze, thinking of how close the Guado Trainer came to seeing her end out in Pewter City. She takes in a breath, opens her eyes, and...
"Chargeray, Fake Out," she calls, firmly without hesitation - declining to engage the taunting as the flying stingray-like Chargeray rams into Michael from an angle nearly out of sight.
There is a quiet tranquility to the way she stands, as if defying Haniel's comment over there likening their movements to a wriggling worm.
We are the ones in power now, she reminds herself.
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
What a difference a bit of antimatter makes.
For those like Dias who eschew training Pokémon, Dr. Mirage had constructed a variety of devices to be attached to weaponry. He'd picked up a Force Sword from Armlock, combined the two--and has made significant strides with it since then. Far from the day when he had privately worried about the position they were all in if only Velvet, acknowledged Lord of Calamity, could actually kill any of the Ten Wise Men, he's managed to deal the killing blow on one of their number himself and avenged Arlia at the same time. Partially. Metatron is gone, but there's still Gabriel left... Still, it won't be much longer now.
He'll put the strength he's gained through the Four Fields and the TM 9999 to good use. Hopefully the rest of his companions will make good use of their own respective strengths as well--but he's more confident of that now than he used to be. That, too, has become a small part of his strength.
He glances over his companions as they all charge into Phynal for the second and, hopefully, last time. There are Paradox Pokémon everywhere, but thanks to the efforts of the Al Bhed, he can ignore them (save for their positioning) to charge with the others through the main doors into the circular chamber within, where Michael and Haniel beam in. Dias narrows his red eyes at both of them, right hand going for the hilt of his sword.
"We'll see about that," he says, effectively to both of them. As Claude and Rena charge in with a double Meteor Fist, though, he focuses in on Michael and draws his sword, quick as a flash.
"Air Slash," he intones, unleashing a straightforward line of aerial energy to rip along the ground towards the master of flames.
(It's not lost on him that just as Claude picked up a technique of his, Rena has picked up a technique of Claude's. Their relationship is progressing and strengthening. It's... good to see. But Dias knows his priorities.)
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Michael with Fake Out! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Velvet Crowe has posed.
She lost Eizen.
And it's all their fault.
She knows. She knows that it was inevitable. She resolved to walk down that road the day Magilou told her Eizen's fate, because she knew, more than anything else -- Eizen wouldn't have wanted to live a life that he wasn't free to live his way. He was caged, cursed. He needed to be saved.
But they forced her hand before she was ready. ... Before she could have time to make her goodbyes, on her terms.
So it doesn't matter that she had decided to take Eizen's life. It doesn't matter that it was the act of a single Wiseman already in revolt against the others. It doesn't matter that that Wiseman is now dead.
"WISE MEN!!!"
She -lost Eizen and it's all their fault-.
The contradiction of logic and emotion fuels the bloody vengeance at the heart of Lunar's first Lord of Calamity like a volatile engine of irrational violence.
Last time they were here, Velvet was calculated. She waited for the others to make an opening for her, and she capitalized on it without so much as a word of apology or gratitude.
This time, the last Therion is there from the start, charging from the front, hell in her gaze and murder in her ravenous claws for anyone or anything that dares to get too close.
Last time, she weighed her options, and picked the one whose arrogance she thought she could exploit the most -- the one she could make the best, bloodiest example out of.
This time, she charges at the first flash of light she sees, her eyes wide with hate.
Last time, she had a few choice words, meant to get under her opponent's skin. This time:
"YOU'RE DEAD!"
She only has two words of promise shouting to visceral pitch as she attacks, not even waiting for the living weapons' glorious preamble to finish: there she is, airborne and furious, as Michael talks of burning their resolve.
He's barely finished by the time she's spinning to SLAM the toes of her right boot into the side of his face, the blade loaded into its sole snapping out of hiding -just- before contact to carve a wrathful path, igniting a trail of flames all her own in its wake.
Things are different now. Eizen is dead. And her world is that much smaller because of them.
But one thing's the same:
"YOU HEAR ME?! DEAD!!"
She has a promise to keep.
GS: Velvet Crowe has attacked Michael with Soaring Dragon! GS: Velvet Crowe has gained 1 Combo! GS: Velvet Crowe's stances have changed from Counter to Avenger and Counter! GS: Velvet Crowe has completed her action. GS: Dias Flac has attacked Michael with Far Air Slash! GS: Dias Flac has gained 1 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: Michael critically fails to guard Timu Guado's Fake Out for 131 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has posed.
Nede had not known war for millennia -- and yet, within the span of several weeks, the Fortress of Phynal had been host to two major battles. The first of which Caoimhe took a more restrained role, holding the line against an uncountable amount of Paradox Pokemon along with the Pokemon League. This time...
She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but the chance of vengeance was sweet and intoxicating. When Camael revealed his shock in his final moments, something stirred in Caoimhe that she thought she'd left dead and buried, much like her kingdom and her people.
Oh, how wrong she was to think that such thirst could be quenched so easily.
The blindfolded Paladin leaps ontop of one Brute Bonnet, a much lesser threat than the one commanded by one of the Wise Men, and springboards off off them to soar through the doors and land in the circular arena. A muted hiss as she lands three-pointed, the massive Holy Sword splayed across her back.
"I am cold..."
Caoimhe feels shivers down her spine. A sense of frisson trembles at her skin. Her blood feels so, so very cold -- echoing the Elurian winters that slumber within her heart. And yet, her opponent this time is a master of flame, to an unbearable degree.
"So for your sake..."
Claude and Rena open the fight with a show of teamwork, launching twinned techniques that showcase how in sync they are with one another. In the wake of their Meteor Palms, and Dias' Air Slash, Caoimhe fills the gap, twisting forward and utilising centrifugal force with her body to simply slam the Holy Sword down in the general direction of Michael, no doubt shattering the ground and splintering rocks in her wake.
"Hope, that your flames will melt the eternal winter that dwells within."
GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna spends 2 Combo on Gatling, loading 2 into Gatling! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has attacked Michael with Somersault Smash! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has gained 1 Combo! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna's stances have changed from Counter to Counter and Hero! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"All that excitement, just t'get to the front door. Looks like not a lot has changed since last time, though! Aside from the welcoming committee."
Gwen walks in, all grins, as she chatters. Instead of opting for that extra nudge of energy, however, this time, Gwen comes in as pure, untainted, 100% Gwen.
Eyeing the first Wise Man, the courier hesitates, and.... stops.
Michael, Gwen remembers. She remembers him, very, very well.
Exhibit A: Observe the brief tic of her eyebrow, the quiver of her right eye, as she recalls his specialty before he even begins to speak. Right, right. Fire. Burning. Pain. Lot's of pain. Nerve damage. Memories. It never truly goes away, does it?
One will have to forgive Gwen if she doesn't throw herself at the Buff Fiery Man a second time immediately.
Which is why, when the second flash of light reveals Haniel, the courier... almost seems *glad*? "Oh, oh oh! You're new! At least to me! Man, y'all are unique. You're a cyborg, right? Amazing!" She claps her gloved hands once and rubs them together. "And, your entire body's mechanical? Well, looks like your head ain't, but I've seen Energy Nede have some real cool masks for Halloween! You guys ever celebrate Halloween?"
The act veers slightly into that bittersweet thought, as she notes, more softly, as she walks forward towards Haniel, ".... you never had a chance to figure out what you actually liked, did you? No matter how different you are. It's... kind of a shame."
"But anyway!" As Velvet announces her revenge, Gwen adopts that grin again. "They're gettin' a headstart at this rate. Shall we begin?"
The redhead's right hand balls into a fist as she unceremoniously launches at the fellow cyborg with a punch.
Gwen Whitlock, super courier, is here to deliver a package, and since she's the sender, she's allowed to open it! (Note: the package is an ass-whooping.)
GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Haniel with Special Delivery! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: Michael critically fails to guard Dias Flac's Far Air Slash for 99 hit points! GS: Cripple applied to Michael!
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
EARLIER.
"You're not going to let this stop you, are you," said Dirk Swordsman's mother. In theory, a question: in practice, she already supposes the answer.
Dirk swigged off the cup of tea he has before him. (The rest of his team have also been given cups of tea, except Ceruledge, who is lurking in the corner. Carefully.)
"No," Dirk says. "But it does cramp my style."
His leg is propped up on the adjacent chair. A brace and wrap around the ankle sit where there should instead be a sick sneaker.
"... The worst is my sword," Dirk says. "I checked the shops, but I guess they sold out... not many people want 'em, but it wasn't like a lot of people bought weapons."
Dirk's mother looks at the table for long moments. Then, a little more lightly, she says: "Wait here for a minute."
Ten minutes later, she returned. "Whew! It had really gotten to the back of the closet..."
A silk-wrapped object is set on the table. "Now... I know it's not your usual style... but I'm going to feel a lot better if you carry this. And as soon as you can go to that Spunar place or whatever it's called and get your own again -- you *have* been saving your money, right?" ("yeah obviously") "-- I want it back. Alright?"
Dirk reached for the silk wrap. "Promise first," his mother warned him.
"I promise."
"Good," said his mother, and kissed his forehead; "I'm proud of you."
NOW
Dirk didn't run in, because right now his best is a sort of hobble. What he *did* do is rig a strap on Cufant... and while he's on Cufant's left side on a sort of stirrup-harness thing, it still definitely counts as riding.
The round little pachyderm rolled forwards with determination. Dirk, entirely on reflex, said, "Woa, language" when he heard Brother talk, before realizing, "Oh, y'all talk different, cool," and continuing forwards.
Forwards... and into the presence of the others.
"Shaddup, you," Dirk says, swinging around the object he had been holding flat against Cufant's back -- and which is revealed to be a slightly corroded *copper-clad war fan* -- to point towards Haniel. "You don't know the FIRST THING 'bout wiggling. If you sacks of jerk sauce had taken TEN FRICKING MINUTES to NOT PLAN WORLD CONQUEST..."
"You'd know about Magikarp."
At this point one of Dirk's Pokeballs automatically opens. Ceruledge pops out, hovering behind the Dirk/Cufant combinada, glaring at the two Wise Men present more-or-less-equally. "What, you got dibs?" Dirk asks Ceruledge, who answers, perhaps predictably, with "..."
"Tch, fine, do what you gotta," Dirk informs Ceruledge, before looking back to Haniel. "Quilladin!" Dirk *actually* deploys a Pokemon this time. The doughty Grass-type lands, holding his fire-sharpened ironwood stick - now honestly a lot nearer to a blade - with both paws.
"Take this guy to school."
Quilladin stares at Haniel for a half-second, taking in the Wise Man. He grins, a little crookedly, and raises up his blade in wordless salute -- perhaps respect for what, trash talk from his trainer or no, is a very formidable opponent, one far greater than he ever expected when he was a little Chespin. And then he lobs out a quartet of high-arcing seeds which aim to land on the Wise Man and dig in sapping roots, especially aiming for those tubes. Those look like they've got juices.
GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Haniel with Quilladin - Leech Seed! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action. GS: Michael mostly guards Velvet Crowe's Soaring Dragon for 62 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Airi Brooke has posed.
Others are helping in the attack outside. Vivace, riding Erikodus, has been prominent, if only because her flying war machine-like a Pokemon tends to both stick out and attract attention from both sides. At the moment she's landed, anchored, and currently in a battle with Paradox Pokemon, helping clear the path for others to enter.
But that's outside. Inside is someone else.
Into the battlefield flies an object. It's shaped like a Pokeball - round, but with the 'button' on the front - except all black and about the size of both a person's fists together. It sits there for about two seconds before the Symbological pyrotechnics burst, sending out a round cloud of white smoke -
And, centered on the front of the cloud, a bright red R.
A figure steps out from behind the smoke as it starts to disperse. It's a young woman; she could be a mature teenager or a young-looking adult, though best guess is about sixteen. She's a little taller than average, with an enormous curly mane of strawberry-blonde hair down to her waist and fanning out wider than her torso; it is probably her most prominent trait unless you count the slightly smirky grin.
Also she's dressed as a Rocket: a loose-fit long-sleeved white shirt with a red R prominently on the front, grey gloves and boots and belt, though she favours black shorts rather than the more typical skirt. She doesn't wear a cap. She's clearly not a grunt, but she doesn't dress like a Rocket executive either.
"Team Rocket sends their regards," Airi says, with that same smirky grin she's known for. "If you're going all in on Phynal - well, we want the Wise Men out of Nede as much as you. For this, we're all on the same side - I don't want the Ten Wise Men, however many there are left, telling me what to do either. That's not the kind of change I hope to leave to Nede."
Airi laces her fingers together and stretches her arms, flexing them backwards and popping several knuckles. Symbological force begins to gather around her as she shakes her arms out, her fingertrips tracing streaks of light in the air that form a faint suggestion of a rune before fading out.
She shoots a glance at Dirk, who she fought before. "You didn't let me look at the TM, but that's fine. I admit it. You guys are putting it to use as well as I could. Truce? I hope you don't mind if I lend a hand. You look like you need it." Who comes to a battlefield injured?
GS: Airi Brooke has attacked Airi Brooke with Gathering Force! GS: Airi Brooke has completed her action. GS: Michael critically fails to guard Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna's Somersault Smash for 196 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna!
<Pose Tracker> Magilou has posed.
Magilou must have already gotten her Dressphere, because she shows up to Phynal Fortress...
... in a pirate outfit. A scandalous pirate outfit, all stripes and a bandana around her pale hair and leggings and boots which looks kind of like stockings, and two guns which are probably, like, secretly books.
(How are they secretly books? That is a secret. The description adequately covered this, come on, guys.)
There are also Pokeballs on her belt, but, well -- Magilou's never cared to bring her damp cat out to fight the Ten Wise Men. Call her an evil witch all you like (because it's true), but she's not going to toss a kitten out to fight the end of all worlds. Her cats just aren't as cool as the various cool guys employed by the coolest kid around, Dirk Swordsman.
She has a girlfriend for that, come on, guys.
Unfortunately, Magilou's alternative costume is not, technically speaking, a Dressphere; being a cool pirate has given her no insight into how to shoot a man. (She probably knows how to shoot a gun, but that's just because she's been alive for over a thousand years at this point.) No: when she swoops into Phynal Fortress, she grasps a shikigami in hand, instead.
"Whoa, there! It's time to cool off, buddy boy!" Magilou grins, as a blue Seraphic circle alights beneath her feet. "Hope this works... Aqua Split!"
A sphere of water (that's still not a dressphere) bursts forth, sacrifice to Michael's flames. It will probably only irritate him, but isn't that Magilou's goal with everything in life?
She spins around, and grins, to Rena. "Oooh! What'd she say?" She asks, all too chipper. "I can speak dog, you know, but my elephant is so rusty..."
She pauses, gesturing to Velvet. "But I can speak Lord of Calamity just fine. Here, let me translate: she's going to punch her hand through his chest, pull out his heart, and take a biiiiig bite. Chomp!" She chomps, demonstratively, with a big grin. "We're terribly upset over Eizen, you see. Well, she is -- I don't feel much of anything." And that's why she's so cheerful, clearly. So forcefully chipper-carefree, as if nothing has ever or will ever touch her. "Remember him? Big guy, full of teeth, nasty breath? Miiiight have been a Fell Dragon, now I think on it," she taps her temple, thoughtfully. "Well, he wasn't always that way. He used to be quite the pirate, himself!" But Magilou's costume? Entirely a shitpost. Don't read into it. "And these guys, well -- they decided to use him for their plans. Sure, something something, civil war, buuut..."
Magilou shrugs, palms to the sky. "Chomp!"
GS: Magilou has attacked Michael with Aqua Split! 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: Haniel mostly guards Gwen Whitlock's Special Delivery for 56 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: CRITICAL! Haniel fails to evade Dirk Swordsman's Quilladin - Leech Seed for 106 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Hyper applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: Dirk Swordsman drains Haniel! Dirk Swordsman gains 50 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.
Misty stares up at Phynal once more, taking a deep breath to steel herself. This time will be different.
This time it has to be different.
It is a fight, again, just to get back to the fortress--Misty calls out both Gyarados and Blastoise, both roaring in tandem as they materialize. "Gyarados, Rain Dance and then use Thunder! Blastoise, get ready to use Hydro Pump!"
Gyarados whips around in the sky, his long, sinewy body forming an intricate pattern as he loops and doubles back on himself in a carefully orchestrated way. Quickly, his movements whip up a mass of dark storm clouds overhead, quickly spreading out. Just as suddenly Gyarados unwraps himself and rears his head back. With a violent jerk downwards of his head, he summons a flurry of lightning strikes in a line to clear the field. Blastoise steps up right when the lightning starts, unleashing a double torrent of terrific water jets that quickly sweep the field to clear a path, their power magnified several times over by the weather. Misty calls to the others, "Let's get going!"
And soon enough, they've breached the fortress again, and are son confronted--again--by two more Wise Men.
Michael says he'll burn their resolve and everything with it. Misty stops, quickly throwing out a pokeball in the same motion. She's wearing her usual Gym Leader garb, with her blue jacket that she wears for extra protection.
Starmie resolves from the pokeball, its core already glowing bright.
"I'm sorry for what our ancestors did to you, but we didn't start this fight! And we won't let you continue the war that they started! But if you aren't going to back down... Then we'll just have to douse those flames, won't we?"
The Key Stone in her hair is already glowing brightly, and the STarmitite on Starmie is shining in time. "Let's go, my beautiful shining gem! Mega Evolve and use Antimatter!"
Starmie starts to spin faster and faster, exploding in a burst of rainbow-colored energy as it taps into the power of the Mega Evolution. The wave of rainbow energy ripples outwards, washing over the other Drifters and Trainers to bestow upon them Antimatter's effect.
And when that settles down, Starmie is shining brightly, rainbow trails of energy drifting off of its raws while a rainbow-colored star has manifested in its core.
Misty points. "Mega Starmie! Water Gun!"
Mega Starmie charges up the attack, releasing a beam of rainbow-colored water right at Michael with every bit of force it can muster.
DC: Misty Kasumi switches forms to Go! My steady! Mega Starmie!!
GS: Misty Kasumi has attacked Michael with Water Gun! GS: Misty Kasumi has gained 3 Combo! GS: Misty Kasumi has completed her action. GS: Access! Misty Kasumi takes 30 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Once again, Phynal finds itself sieged. Last time, Jacqueline Barber had set up on the back lines in order to treat the wounded... this time, however, she's elected to join those taking the fight directly to the Ten Wise Men themselves. Now that the threat they pose is made clear, they may not get a second chance. It has to be now.
Outside, a pirate captain leads her crew in battle against Phynal's defenders, laughing uproariously - they're having the time of their lives. Elsewhere, an aspiring archaeologist directs her team of Pokemon, seven souls fighting as one.
The main doors are open - and Jacqueline surges through, joining the others who meet the the Wise Men guarding Phynal's entrance. She skids to a stop, looking ahead the two who stand guard. Michael and Haniel... She runs through her head everything she knows about them. This will be a difficult fight... but better they face them now than later.
"'Worms', is it... So that's what you think of us?" Jacqueline replies. "Watch, then - and see what happens when you push 'worms' too far. Your fellows can attest to that."
Even she has her limits - and the devastation the Wise Men have wrought has far exceeded hers. In one swift motion, a bottle is drawn from her bags and hurled at Haniel's feet. It erupts into a pleasantly lavender-scented cloud, draining strength and instilling drowsiness into those who linger too long within it.
GS: Gamble: Moderate! Michael mostly evades Magilou's Aqua Split for 28 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Hex applied to Michael! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Haniel with Slumber Solution! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
A sudden flash of light engulfs part of the Wise Men's front line, accompanied by a thunderous BOOM. A moment later, furious metallic trumpeting fills the air, underscored by a dull roar and rumble. Dirt flies up from beneath an Iron Treads, which shakes back and forth, violently, as it careens...
Towards Haniel?
Its optic display reads X_X--the flashbang blinded it. As it nears, it becomes easier to spot the figure clinging to its side: Ida Everstead-Rey, her armored duster billowing out behind her. She pulls on the massive Paradox Pokemon with all her strength, guiding its careening charge as best as she can. Two seconds before impact, she leaps off, tucks, and rolls across the ground. She comes up to a knee, glancing back at the Iron Treads--
"I'm sorry," she says, to the Pokemon, "but these are desperate times." And she's still mad about the Cave of Crimson Crystals.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Haniel with Headlong Charge! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey's stances have changed to Avenger! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Michael fails to charge Misty Kasumi's Water Gun for 124 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Mighty and Quick applied to Misty Kasumi!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina has.. snuck along to help despite the fact that she doesn't really need to. It's just who she is, especially right now. She'll get over it, maybe. Hopefully. She might have been spotted, she might not have been, it doesn't... particularly matter because she couldn't exactly bushwhack anyone when she doesn't have a copy of the TM herself.
And you know, they're pushing through the front door. Only door? She admits this was a mixture of pride and her own inner strangeness.
She does take a moment to look around first, like she's making sure no one's immediately close to her before she shifts from drab, shifty colors to a horned figure with abnormally long arms wearing traditional clothing. She doesn't want to announce it, even if the temperature drop and maleavolence don't make it immediately obvious. She looks uncomfortable either way. She doesn't like bringing that here to Nede, but the Wise Men need to be put down right? What else can you do? Just like herself, a little trouble now for greater return would have to be worth it right?
The taunts from the wise men get her to pause, one hand raised, claws spread like she's considering them. She had been told by Ruth to go wild right? There's too many here. She can't risk it right? They're that kind of danger though. Her thoughts split still, she tilts her head towards Haniel, that hand swinging back before swiping upward, bringing with it a rush of howling wind and snow. Leaning forward as she sprints forward behind the freezing glorified smokescreen.
She does give... a worried look to the familiar faces and one hand does shift, giving her a somewhat lopsided run as she holds the mask in place.
For once, she's not talking or taunting or just being.. herself yet.
She's trying to focus. Trying to stay put together long enough to help..
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Regardless of how terribly things went the last time an assault on Phynal was attempted, and how similar the approach is to that time, there is an entirely different vibe to it this time. Before, there was desperation. Now, there is confidence. And why wouldn't there be? The Wise Men's ranks have thoroughly thinned since the means to defeat them was acquired. The hope that everyone's going into this with is palpable - at least, so it feels to Xantia. It's extra heartening to see the familiar faces of Al Bhed allies and Maria again. There is absolutely no way they're going to lose, not this time.
Even so, this will still be a test of endurance. She shouldn't go all-out right from the get-go here, no pulling out any trump cards just yet. And so Xantia's approach, too, is the same as last time: to send her Pokemon on ahead, helping to clear a path through the Paradox Pokemon, helping to keep them at bay while she charges on through. Having saved her own strength for the battle to come, she seems entirely unimpressed by the Wise Men before her. She remembers the one with the fire, and while a round two is tempting... she instead opts to antagonize the metal man with the moustache, taking umbrage with his words.
"So even after all we've managed already, you're still looking down on us. Well these 'worms' are about to beat you into the ground, won't that be humiliating for you?" Hands on her hips, she makes a show out of just how unconcerned she is about this fight, casually standing there as electricity cascades up and down her body. Raising one hand as if to casually indicate Haniel as nothing to worry about, she concludes, "I have no idea why you're so confident. I mean look at you, you look like you're about to fall apart. How old are you again?"
...That's a new tactic for her. It's got to be a tactic, right? Trying to goad the Wise Man into carelessness? Or did she just spontaneously develop a taste for trash talking?
GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Haniel with Snowblind! GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 1 Combo! GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action. GS: Xantia has attacked Xantia with Maximum Voltage! GS: Xantia has gained 2 Combo! GS: Xantia's stances have changed to Avenger! GS: Xantia gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Xantia accepts Xantia's Maximum Voltage for 0 hit points! GS: Haniel mostly guards Jacqueline Barber's Slumber Solution for 10 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Poison applied to Haniel! GS: Delay and Drowsy blocked! GS: Shield applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Haniel mostly evades Ida Everstead-Rey's Headlong Charge for 38 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Haniel mostly guards Nina Chiyome's Snowblind for 5 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind and Cripple applied to Haniel!
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
There is a saying about moments like these.
If at first you don't succeed, try again. Ideally, with a better plan and an ace up your sleeve if you can manage it, as Drifters might put it. Whether or not someone like the once-Solarian and Element and once-country doctor Citan Uzuki counts as a 'Drifter', precisely, is a determination best left for the experts in the matter, but he's more than willing to agree with the Drifter 'take' in this matter--
Especially since recent alliances (with Shevat and their already-allies of the Al Bhed) have left them pulling out all the stops this time around. It had been a substantial force the previous attempt, but if this isn't sufficient to turn the tide, well, perhaps nothing would be.
By Citan's reckoning, there should be a scant handful of the Wise Men remaining. Judging from the reports, this would include their leader, Michael, and...
"...Haniel," he remarks, gazing over at the man he has not previously set eyes upon. "He who manages the intelligence-gathering coalition of the Ten Wise Men. It was some of your number that were among the defectors, correct?" He smiles thinly while the light around him shifts, brightening by a few degrees. "That is an unfortunate thing to fail to observe..."
This is said before Gwen and Xantia make their own statements of intent to the Wise Men who have come to meet them here in Phynal and Citan has a moment to glance between the two of them. Well, it is not as if he attempting anything different from what they are, when you get right down to it. Assuming a ready stance, he prepares himself for their opening volley.
GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Citan Uzuki with Kouga! GS: Citan Uzuki has gained 3 Combo! GS: Citan Uzuki's stances have changed from Counter to Counter and Stoic! GS: Citan Uzuki gains 26 THP from his Cautious! GS: Citan Uzuki has completed his action. GS: Citan Uzuki accepts Citan Uzuki's Kouga for 0 hit points! GS: Cover and Riposte applied to Citan Uzuki! GS: Airi Brooke accepts Airi Brooke's Gathering Force for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax, Hyper, and Surge applied to Airi Brooke!
DC: Grace Harvey switches forms to Preservation System PD-606 Activated!
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
It had been a little while since Grace had made it to the front row. She'd been either running interference against the many paradox pokemon, running support and just doing what she could. But there was no standing back for Phynal, and she didn't want to.
Something had changed though, this time. For the first time in the long time, for example, a certain large pink backpack/robot is on her back, carrying the supplies she'd taken to carrying. The second one is... less obvious.
This is the first time Grace had ever been in a warzone, though. She wasn't leaving anyone behind, even for their safety. Even if she doesn't pull them into the fight directly- and as they come upon the battlefield Grace grimaces.
The Wise Men can be killed. They can be eaten. They can be torn apart. That's good... even if Grace isn't sure she has it in her to put a killing blow into someone, there are plenty here who do. She just has to make sure they get the chance.
She's faced death so much lately, she's faced her fears, she's faced... frankly a lot lately.
She still hasn't faced the potential outcome of winning here, yet. There's some bridges she's not ready to deal with yet. And as they reach the battlefield, though, she slows for a moment as Rena and Claude charge in in unison-
With the same technique? "...whoa. That's rad." She says, quietly. "Okay Bea, off you get. Don't want you getting too close, okay? You've got all the healing supplies." The little pink robot gives a quick whirr and a trill, before jumping off her back. She hoped the Nedian armouring and shielding she installed would do enough. Probably not against Antimatter, and probably not against the Wise Men but...
She places her hand on her torso, near her stomach. A place where there should be a scar. "Alright. Better show Dias this was worth it..." She says, almost to herself but even in the heat of battle, these things can be heard when it's dramatically appropriate.
"I only get one shot at doing this the first time, so... I gotta make it one to remember!" And there's too many cool people she's got to look cool in front of! With a grin, Grace flares her jacket and reaches for the boxes at her waist. True to her namesake, she spins them across her open palms, flicking them into the air, and crossing her arms in front of her as the boxes catch in the air, suspended by green light as Grace- with a flourish, pulls out her own antimatter augment from seemingly nowhere, embellished with some design work, some little angel wing stickers, and a convenient hook to fit on her belt buckle. "Let's do this! Preservation Device 606- armour engage!"
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGiGQ3wzJU
The two floating boxes explode apart into plates, rapidly expanding beyond the space they *should* take up, and Grace jumps toward them. The plates fall into place on her- first attaching to her feet, calves and thighs as a green hard light runs between them before vanishing. Next, they start forming on her arms, two of the emitters slotting into place on her palms and glove like apparatuses building around them into full, form fitting gauntlets, and small pauldrons on her shoulders before the light shines between them too, filling the space of the armour before vanishing again. A chest plate formed of smaller plates affixes over Grace's torso, a third emitter sitting on her midsection as more plating forms onto her stomach, sides and between her shoulder blades with a fourth emitter- there are still gaps to be filled with the armour of green light, however. The last pieces of armour- and last four emitters, how were there so many in there?- build upon the shoulder pauldrons, extending back a touch and rising upwards.
And then Grace casts her arms out and wings of light- not angelic but more like the thrusters of a gear- emerge, and it becomes clear that Grace hasn't touched the ground through this whole thing. The final three pieces form around Grace's head- one at each temple and a third above her center eye, and a cables launch from the center piece to connect to the other two like a coronet, a helmet of light forming and disappearing- leaving behind a triangular visor made to suit her. The display shines in front of her for a moment, the writing in front of her.
'Preservation system online. Go forth, Pious Daughter.'
That seems to flummox Grace for a second, even if she tries to hide it. It's never done *that* before.
"It's time for a reintroduction, you two thirds of the Wise Men! My name's Grace Harvey- but you can call me Intergalactic Angel Grace! And in the name of all the stars in the sky- your reign of destruction is ending here!" She thursts her hand out, pointing one finger out at Michael and winking with her left and center eye. "It's time for you chumps to get what's coming to you!"
With that, Grace runs her other hand to the antimatter device on her belt, and the green light coming from the wings suddenly turns a cyan- the colour of the Antimatter output. And she's... using it as an armour? Can it do that? Maybe? Maybe not?
"Let's do this! Focuuuuus... beam!"
She she thrusts her hands forward, flying upwards- and a beam of cyan light surges straight for Michael. It's working. She's controlling it- hell, it feels like it's changed to respond better to her. She can do this. She can fight something on this level and she doesn't have to fight her own weapon to use it.
"...man... I really got thank Rena and Mr Broodsalot for this after, don't I?" She says, to herself.
She can probably handle that later, though.
GS: Grace Harvey has attacked Michael with Focus Beam! GS: Grace Harvey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Grace Harvey has completed her action. GS: Access! Grace Harvey takes 30 damage! GS: Michael critically fails to guard Grace Harvey's Focus Beam for 144 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Quick applied to Grace Harvey!
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
"Got that right, Haniel," Michael says, with a glance at his comrade -- then a grin, if split by the way his face has that artificial eye and segment of metal around one eye and cheek.
He looks at Claude with his mismatched eyes -- then he rushes forward. Claude's palm sends off a blast of energy, which slams into him.
"Gh...!" he cries out. "Not bad! But your luck runs out here, pal!"
Then he turns. His eyes narrow -- as Rena rushes for him, crying out, and using the same maneuver--
And this time, he crosses both arms across his chest. The blast shoots over him. "HAH!" he bellows. "You'll need to do better than that! These fires... cannot be quenched!"
He gets slammed into by the chargeray that sweeps in. That knocks him to one side; then Dias's Air Slash flies across the ground and hits him dead-on. "Haa," he grunts. "Got that Antimatter, did you!? Just means I'll need to turn it up the heat!"
He turns his head, when he hears Velvet Crowe call out for him -- for them. It's not lost on him that she doesn't know his name. He doesn't even care; he isn't sure what that says about them.
He can see her charging right for him, promising his death, and coming down. Her foot slams into his forearm, armored as it is, and leaves a gigantic score across it from the blade.
Sparks fly from where she struck, and he looks up at her. "Looks like someone is pissed off," he says.
Then, he turns -- in time to see Caoimhe descending after the litany of attacks on him. The Holy Sword slams down, and he tries to block on his forearm armor -- but it bits into his robes instead.
The blow knocks him backward. "Eternal winter? I'll burn that away, too," he says. "I'll burn it all. For my fallen comrades...!"
Magilou's water spell slams into him, bursting apart -- some of the fiery aura around him is blasted out of existence. It roars to life for a moment, and then he looks back up.
"Something Lucifer did?" he asks. "He was an idiot who decided to rebel. You don't rebel against Gabriel."
Then, he looks back at Misty.
"Yeah, they made us--and I was mad," he says. "But now... now, I am what I am. Powerful. Able to stand against anything. I'm what they made me."
The Mega Starmie's water blast slams into him, and he stands his ground as it bursts apart around him. "...And they did a damn fine job!"
He looks up at the flash of light from Grace Harvey's direction. Mismatched eyes blink, in confusion; then his head tilts at her reintroduction.
The beam shoots into him, slashing through one shoulder. He starts to heal, immediately after.
Then, he nods at her. "Intergalactic Angel Grace," he rumbles seriously. "All right. I'll remember it... BUT I'LL STILL BURN YOU DOWN!"
Michael throws both arms open. Brilliant green and white light explode up around him, giving a sharp aura about him. He closes his eyes.
When he opens them, both glow red.
Flame explodes out from him. It shoots out in a massive shockwave, a roiling torrent that weaves and sweeps amidst all of them. Then, surrounded by flame, he leaps into the air -- and sends the explosion back down, exploding over them again in a massive wave of fire. And over it is Michael's cry:
"SPIIIIIIIIIIICULE!"
GS: Michael has attacked Michael with Haste! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael accepts Michael's Haste for 0 hit points! GS: Quick and Shield applied to Michael! GS: Michael has attacked Michael with Condition Cure! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Recover! Hex removed from Michael! GS: Michael accepts Michael's Condition Cure for 0 hit points! GS: Recover! Cripple removed from Michael! GS: Lock state applied to Michael! GS: Michael spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Rena Lanford with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Timu Guado with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Dias Flac with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Velvet Crowe with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Magilou with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Misty Kasumi with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Grace Harvey with Spicule! GS: Michael has gained 2 Combo! GS: Michael has completed his action. GS: Dias Flac has activated Force Action: Accelerate! GS: Magilou critically fails to guard Michael's Spicule for 339 hit points! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: Dias Flac perfectly evades Michael's Spicule for 0 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Dias Flac has gained 1 Combo! GS: COUNTER! Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna counterattacks Michael with Coruscant Saber! GS: CRITICAL! Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna mostly charges Michael's Spicule for 311 hit points! New Content
GS: COUNTER! Velvet Crowe counterattacks Michael with Arthur's Maxims! GS: CRITICAL! Velvet Crowe mostly charges Michael's Spicule for 351 hit points! GS: Michael fails to charge Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna's Coruscant Saber for 237 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Michael fails to charge Velvet Crowe's Arthur's Maxims for 249 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford marginally evades Michael's Spicule for 351 hit points! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: COUNTER! Claude C. Kenny counterattacks Michael with Mirror Blade! GS: CRITICAL! Claude C. Kenny critically fails to charge Michael's Spicule for 510 hit points! GS: Grace Harvey has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: Grace Harvey critically fails to guard Michael's Spicule for 295 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado critically fails to charge Michael's Spicule for 462 hit points! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Timu Guado receives 104 temporary hit points. GS: Timu Guado enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Michael fails to charge Claude C. Kenny's Mirror Blade for 236 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Claude C. Kenny!
<Pose Tracker> Haniel has posed.
Haniel snorts a breath through his nose with Citan's remarks, but there is a growing red in his face that was not there before. "And what makes you think I did not observe it? Do not speak to me of what you do not know."
"I am a life form far beyond whatever scrap you were put together with," Haniel tells Gwen. "Your mockery means nothing to me."
More tragic, perhaps, is that it isn't mockery at all... and that he cannot recognize that, either. Whatever Haniel might argue about being a cyborg, her fist hitting him feels like one. His arm comes up to block her fist, metal clanging to metal with the rattle of impact. Without moving, a chrome barrel emerges from the side of his arm and turns to point at Gwen with an explosive 'punch' of its own! The punch is a projectile.
Haniel's gaze narrows even as he stares down Dirk's blade. "Pokemon were not my field, but I need not know more about trash than I already do to take it out." He casts his piercing look to Ceruledge, but it's Quilladin that demands his attention. Haniel whips his arms out at breakneck speed to deflect the incoming seeds... which would mean more if the seeds did not burrow in between mechanical parts and sprout from his arms. The glowing liquid visible through his systems begins to dim.
"Anti-Antidote," he commands of Symbology itself, extending his arms as Symbols form and energy begins to pull at the leech seed to wither it -- and that withering extends to Quilladin.
Airi arrives with more help for the Drifters than for words for Haniel, but the Wise Man still shoots her a steely look even in the midst of combat. He whips around to turn his Symbology on her, aiming to sicken her body and health in the same way to try and counteract what she's doing. "You speak as if you are not all the same miserable worms as one another!"
Lavender fills the air as Haniel's engulfed in cloud of Jay's alchemy. Servos whirr as he looks upon her, the pulse of fluid-light flickering. "All you have achieved is culling the weakness from our ranks. For my 'fellows' to fall means they were too pathetic to stand at Lord Gabriel's side." Flames burst at his feet as thrusters activate, and he launches himself toward Jay to strike his metal fist into her!
Haniel's gaze snaps up to see the Iron Treads coming straight for him. "What?!" He is forced to hold out both palms to catch the metal beast, his feet screeching against the ground as the force of its launch shoves him back several feet into the wall. But only a few seconds pass before the Iron Treads is hurled off, Haniel balancing his grip to manage the Pokemon in only one arm before launching it back toward Ida the way it came from. "In the end, this may be the best use of these beasts!"
Nina's howling winds rush over him, the cold temperatures slowing his steel long enough for her to see him pause. But the barrel of a gun emerges from his arm and fires out a white-hot beam to counteract the cold. "Perhaps I should save myself the effort. You'll destroy yourselves in time."
Xantia comes with quips of her own, and the confident disdain on Haniel's face is clear. He opens his mouth and -- did. She just. Imply he was obsolete?! "Silence!" Haniel raises his metal hand toward Xantia, Symbology forming in rings as a sudden pull on her electricity tries to drain it, and the Ether, from her body. The Symbology extends out to Citan, whose previous statement might be stinging just a little bit more...
Afterward, Haniel looks to his metal hand. No. He's definitely far superior to anything they've made since sealing him away.
GS: Haniel has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Haniel has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Gauntlet Cannon Blast! GS: Haniel has gained 2 Combo! GS: Haniel has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Anti-Antidote! GS: Haniel has gained 1 Combo! GS: Haniel has attacked Airi Brooke with Anti-Antidote! GS: Haniel has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Thruster Melee! GS: Haniel has gained 1 Combo! GS: Haniel has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Thruster Melee! GS: Haniel has gained 1 Combo! GS: Haniel has attacked Nina Chiyome with Gauntlet Cannon Beam! GS: Haniel has attacked Xantia with Mental Drain! GS: Haniel has attacked Citan Uzuki with Mental Drain! GS: Haniel has gained 1 Combo! GS: Haniel gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Haniel takes 38 damage from Poison! GS: Haniel has completed its action. GS: CRITICAL! Jacqueline Barber critically fails to guard Haniel's Thruster Melee for 215 hit points! GS: Misery adds Interrupt! GS: Break applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Interrupt blocked! GS: CRITICAL! Airi Brooke perfectly evades Haniel's Anti-Antidote for 0 hit points! GS: Airi Brooke's Mute Ward may block the effect! GS: Misery adds Disrupt! GS: Break, Cripple, Disrupt, Jam, Mute, Reaper, Slow, and Weaken blocked! GS: Airi Brooke has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman mostly charges Haniel's Anti-Antidote for 0 hit points! GS: Dirk Swordsman's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Misery adds Poison! GS: Break, Jam, Mute, Poison, Reaper, Slow, and Weaken applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: Cripple blocked! GS: COUNTER! Citan Uzuki counterattacks Haniel with Mufuu! GS: CRITICAL! Citan Uzuki critically fails to charge Haniel's Mental Drain for 219 hit points! GS: Misery adds Disease! GS: Starve applied to Citan Uzuki! GS: Disease blocked! GS: CRITICAL! Haniel marginally guards Citan Uzuki's Mufuu for 122 hit points! GS: COUNTER! Gwen Whitlock counterattacks Haniel with Voltie Double Tech!!! GS: CRITICAL! Gwen Whitlock critically fails to charge Haniel's Gauntlet Cannon Blast for 233 hit points! GS: Misery adds Slow! GS: Delay and Slow applied to Gwen Whitlock! GS: FP up! Countermeasures! GS: CRITICAL! Xantia mostly guards Haniel's Mental Drain for 102 hit points! GS: Misery adds Disrupt! GS: Disrupt and Starve applied to Xantia! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Haniel critically fails to guard Gwen Whitlock's Voltie Double Tech!! for 122 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Ida Everstead-Rey critically fails to charge Haniel's Thruster Melee for 246 hit points! GS: Misery adds Weaken! GS: Break and Weaken applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: COUNTER! Misty Kasumi counterattacks Michael with Power Gem! GS: Misty Kasumi critically fails to charge Michael's Spicule for 368 hit points! GS: Misty Kasumi enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Michael critically fails to charge Misty Kasumi's Power Gem for 258 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
Even with their back to the wall, Michael seems hardly different from the man who gleefully tried to strike down Pewter City in a ball of fire. (In... many balls of fire. The exact same kind of balls of fire.)
Timu raises a hand to gesture Chargeray back, whom brushes the back of it, ruminating quietly as Michael shows some sort of kinship for those fallen comrades... the oens that stayed loyal.
"...And yet someone did rebel. Someone chose differently." Lucifer should not be praised in any way, shape, or form. Still.. she looks up as Grace makes a grand entrance and dramatic introduction, and there's a flash of a kind of childhood that Spira never really got to have growing up.
"...It's just like what he did at Pewter!" Timu's voice hastens. She knows what's coming, and the shape of the arena provides *no cover whatsoever* unless someone wanted to try hiding behind Haniel. (Haniel is not cover.)
"Chargeray, return!" Timu calls him back in the nick of time, because from there... she re-lives the terror of both Pewter, and of Mauri's attack on Bevelle as she takes the Hearth Staff and channels all the sorcerous strength she can through it. All the lessons of her father's teachings about what was called 'prayer magic,' channeling the frustrations of not quite having been enough to fully save people at her young age when they were dying of burns.
The massive wave of fire washes out, and in the moment Timu loses almost all sense of where she is or what it's like around her, but one may catch the faint sparkling of a warmer, kinder light within the expanding, explosive dome of flame. Something knocks the wind out of her from behind - the wall that catches her - as she slumps to her knees. In the wake of this terrible, destructive flame...
The comfort and warmth of the hearth, as mending sorceries of Althena's Blessing take root in their wake. Not enough to erase or overcome it, but, enough to try and give a set of comfort.
She didn't hear herself say 'Cura' over the roaring flame, but she did.
Hooligre helps himself out of the ball in a hurry, draping himself over her and snarling as he helps her up.
"No." Timu says, meekly but not without steel. "No, you won't."
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Grace Harvey with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Misty Kasumi with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Magilou with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Velvet Crowe with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Rena Lanford with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Dias Flac with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Timu Guado with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has gained 2 Combo! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: Timu Guado heals Timu Guado! She gains 192 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Timu Guado! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna accepts Timu Guado's Cura for 0 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna! GS: Timu Guado heals Rena Lanford! She gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Rena Lanford! GS: Timu Guado heals Velvet Crowe! She gains 199 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Velvet Crowe! GS: Timu Guado heals Claude C. Kenny! He gains 217 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Timu Guado heals Misty Kasumi! She gains 201 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Misty Kasumi! GS: Timu Guado heals Dias Flac! He gains 196 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Dias Flac!
<Pose Tracker> Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has posed.
Something had happened in Eluria, when she was away.
'Eizen,' they call the Fell Dragon. Had the Dragon she hunted finally met their end? And from how the Lord of Calamity and her trusty Confidante, the Witch of a Thousand Years Spoke, it was more complicated than a matter of a mortal enemy they must fell.
"You speak of the Fell Dragon of Eluria, do you not? Were they a companion?" she questions... Magilou, since Velvet is likely too busy. (She's free to answer too, though.)
But, ah, how familiar...
Timu is present too, the nice young Guado she met at the Aquarium -- as is Misty, which she can tell just from the scents, not to mention the familiar, powerful roiling aromas of the waters that Gyarados and Blastoise summon, along with the pungent ozone scent from Chargeray's very presence... and Timu does her best, as she speaks the words of Cura--
And while the White Magic twists and turns around Caoimhe, something within her seems to absorb it... and it does not knit at her wounds.
Michael answers everyone's resolve with flame, as he glows with an awesome power and wreathes the world in red. The first point of contact is with Caoimhe's armour -- optimised and designed to protect against spells and to excel in magic defence first and foremost, made of crystal as they are--
It isn't enough, as he crashes down -- hey, it's Spicule! Ohhhh, it's hot, ohoho....
Indeed... so very hot. A portion of Caoimhe's armour is little more than slag, and the crystals therein are cracked and spent -- and her cloak all but burnt away, having protected her face and hair from the brunt of the assault.
But the Holy Sword, singed as it is, still thirsts.
"You are a shining star... but you can still burn."
Her head lulls to one side, as she sinks her teeth into one of her ribbons -- and yanks upon it. A stone tablet falls into her hand, and she grips it tightly, pressing her lips upon it gently.
"I am one with the cold, but I, too, can answer fire with fire... as is only fitting for a master of flame."
She raises the tablet with her one hand, and a fountain of flame trickles down to wreathe her in a bouquet of crimson, until her form seemingly burns away into nothingness.
"Burn for me. Shine brightly for me. Until we are all but cinders drifting along the ashes..."
There's one, final cold hiss from Caoimhe's lips. Then, she utters the word that should be familiar to many:
"Material."
And with that command, the flames erupt into the Guardian of Fire, Moor Gault, their great and majestic wings spread from translucent feather to feather. Moor Gault lets out a piercing scream that echoes in a heat haze around the very arena, and then swans forward to seemingly drown Michael in the Ley of Fire.
GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has attacked Michael with Baskar Shaman Ribbon - Devastate! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has gained 1 Combo! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has completed her action. GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has canceled their attack on Michael. GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna spends 1 Combo on Gatling, loading 1 into Gatling! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has attacked Michael with Baskar Shaman Ribbon - Vapour Blast! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has gained 2 Combo! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"Wait--" Claude as he moves to the side, sword up, glances out of the corner of his vision to Rena. "Rena, when did you learn to--"
Ah, right. Battle. He glances to Caiomhe springing through others, speaking of the cold and shatering the earth. "...Right!" he calls. "We can do this!"
He doesn't know her, but he's glad she eems to me on their side.
...Velvet, too. "You should listen to her," Claude advises. Even as he knows Dias's technique well. He has a more conventional sword--or at least, one that looks more conventional, except for its antimatter-infused edge that gleams cyan blue in the light.
Magilou's exposition fills Claude in on what happened last time. And Gwen's wondering about what they could've been is very... Gwen.
"A Rocket?" Claude wonders of Airi. "...Well, can't be choosy right now."
He feels Mega Starmie's power wash over him, hears Citan's devastating slam, and... watches Grace, from the side of the battlefield. He whistles. "Go Grace!" he calls. "Keep at it!"
Fire comes. The flames and the explosion, the massive wave of sheer heat--Claude is engulfed by it, and he sees there's no time to get out of the way. So he just swings his sword back, "MIRROR BLADE!"
When the flames part, three shockwaves of power rush back for Michael, and Claude is on one knee, badly winded. "Hah... Hah..."
"Everyone!" Claude shouts. "Don't give up! That was--that was barely a 7 out of 10!" But Timu gives more than words there, ,and Claude finds himself able to stand at the roaring armth of Timu's healing. He does feel better. And Hooligre is helping, too.
"Yeah!" he answers Timu.
"And I'm not done yet either!" Claude shouts, and leaps into the air. He swings his blade, and there are suddenly three Claudes, all hacking through at Michael with their swords together and becoming one again on the opposite end in an 'X' slash with himself.
GS: Amplify added to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Claude C. Kenny has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Claude C. Kenny spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Formation! Claude C. Kenny has attacked Michael with Mirror Blade! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 1 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny gains 5 FP from his Daredevil! GS: Claude C. Kenny has completed his action. GS: Michael fails to guard Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna's Baskar Shaman Ribbon - Vapour Blast for 209 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna drains Michael! Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Michael fails to evade Claude C. Kenny's Mirror Blade for 313 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Nina Chiyome mostly evades Haniel's Gauntlet Cannon Beam for 58 hit points! GS: Misery adds Jam! GS: Jam and Shieldbreak applied to Nina Chiyome!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"She called me irrelephant! And something I shouldn't repeat." Rena answers Magilou as if she's terribly scandalized by the Paradox Pokemon's insult.
'Whoa that's rad!'
She can't help but feel happy about that as she backsteps right before Dias' Air Slash slides in to give it more space, "You think I can't?" She retorts to Michael, be prepared
But then she answers Claude. "Oh right! Your mom taught me."
Rena answers, as if it hadn't occurred to her to say before, "I'll explain later."
Even as Velvet Crow comes furiously crashing down and she looks more alarmed by that wrathful rampage. Then that blindfolded warrior joins in, and- there's this puzzled expression.
Then Grace's armor erupts and Rena looks upon it, still low key surprised, before waving at Grace introducing herself to the Wise Men, "Hey Grace! I love the new title, you're doing amazing!" Before she then asides to Caoimhe, "She's a good friend of ours."
When Michael throws both his arms open. The expected word comes soon after, and Rena dives away from the flames, as the shockwave knocks her away further. It doesn't do much against it, as her Symbology runes glow to try and defend against the worst of it.
It hurts, but as she's slammed towards the wall. In that moment Timu's spell washes over her, and suddenly with the pain vanishing, she's able to slide her legs backwards in a flip to strike the wall and from her position noticing where he is. "D-Dias!"
She locks eyes with him for a moment, before suddenly reversing the momentum to bound off the wall, leaping towards Michael again with greater force as both of her fists slam into him at once, "Knuckle... BURST!" And detonate, into a rupturing shockwave on impact intended to slam him backwards.
Towards Dias' waiting blade.
"All that power, enough to do some real good... and it's wasted on a millenia old grudge." Before she says softly, but with dire intent, "They're waiting for you."
His comrades, that is. Because she intends to do far better than a 7/10, as Claude says.
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Michael with Knuckle Burst! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 4 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: Michael mostly guards Rena Lanford's Knuckle Burst for 136 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado heals Grace Harvey! She gains 261 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Grace Harvey!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
A slow frown crosses Jacqueline's face at Haniel's retort. She opens her mouth - but before she can speak Haniel is accelerating straight toward her, fist outstretched. It hits her straight in the stomach and she wheezes, doubling over and stumbling back. Even with a guard underneath her clothes, that still hurt - and it takes a second to catch her breath. But all the while, an uncharacteristic glare crosses her face.
"Is it... that easy... for you to discard them?" Jacqueline replies. She breathes in and out - and then shakes her head. "That's your own weakness."
She takes stock of everyone present - everyone fighting against Haniel. This is where they're different - they're fighting alongside each other, rather than merely being on the same side. That's something she can take pride in.
She begins to move, reaching into her bags as she does so. She draws out several vials at once, clenched between her fingers.
"Feel that weakness for yourself." She throws them all at once, each one detonating at his feet until they form a rainbow of ill effects.
GS: Jacqueline Barber has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Haniel with Bulk Discount! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber has completed her action. GS: Haniel mostly evades Jacqueline Barber's Bulk Discount for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Weaken, Poison, Entangle, Blind, Weaken, and Shieldbreak! GS: Blind, Entangle, Poison, Shieldbreak, and Weaken applied to Haniel!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
'I am a life form far beyond whatever scrap you were put together with.' Gwen hesitates. Did Haniel figure her out that fast?
.... Maybe. If what Citan says is correct, it'd be a logical assumption that the people coming to meet him are either cannon fodder, exactly that dense, or... people who have managed to survive the rest of his kin. And if he is in charge of intelligence-gathering, while she doubts he'd know *who*, he'd know the general layout of what sort of resistance the Wise Men have encountered. Then again, how much would stand out when that list includes entries like 'a very angry Velvet we managed to wake up accidentally'?
Eh. It's not like the guise of the Fool would last longer than a few punches, and if she feints incorrectly, Haniel will quickly discover that, unlike him, Gwen's body *isn't* entirely mechanical.
*CLANG* YEP, HANIEL HAS BEEN CONFIRMED TO BE MADE OF METAL, GWEN HAS ANSWERED THAT QUESTION, OW.
"Owowow," the courier says, as the impact of the projectile forces her back--
--and a lone yellow Pokemon springs up from her head (where did it come from) to land on Haniel's metal arm, delivering a savage blast of electricity before spring its very squishy body away.
Don't worry, Citan. It'll be finnne. Xantia found out his weakness!
And Gwen isn't above changing her tactics. Stumbling backwards, she draws a few throwing knives from her vest, and throws them at close range, attempting to puncture some of Haniel's armor, as Jay attacks. "N' have some more on top of that!"
Gwen does take a second to look behind her, at Jay. ".... Yeeesh. What was in that stuff?"
GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated Force Action: Lock On!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
That's Sir Broodsalot to you, Grace.
But while Dias does overhear her, he opts not to respond. It does look like she's gotten a much better grasp of PD-606 since their battle. She did seem to finally have control by the end of it, but 'having control' and 'being able to fight well' are two very different things. That transformation of hers is flashy, but it does come together well, and the Antimatter seems to be supporting her well--and, more importantly, her movements are quick and fluid.
"Looks like I don't need to worry about you. Much," he remarks wryly. He doesn't know about that whole 'Intergalactic Angel Grace' business.
That Lord of Calamity seems like a much bigger worry by comparison. However, her wrath, however incandescent, is clearly directed straight at the Wise Men. Magilou's explanation is lost on him, but the tragedy of losing a loved one aside, Dias is fine with that. Their business is their business, and if it got another one of the Wise Men killed, so much the better. He knows about their own tragic backstory; he isn't even a little sympathetic.
There's no room for sympathy anyway when Michael leaps up with glowing red eyes, EXPLODES with incandescent heat, and charges back down. Having fought him in Pewter, Dias recognizes the move and knows extremely well how devastating it is. There isn't space enough in this room to evade it--not going horizontally, anyway. In a blur of Godspeed, Dias races to one wall, charges up it, and kicks off to spin overhead, the searing cyan light of his Force Sword and the extreme forward momentum of Godspeed allowing him to cut through the initial wave, then move out of the way above it. It's a devilishly difficult technique to pull off, but considering the immense heat coming down, he took a risk and it paid off.
'D-Dias!' Rean shouts. Dias hears her call from where she leaps off the opposite wall. As his long hair sweeps around him, he turns in midair and uses his momentum to segue into falling like a shooting star, blade-first. The Force Sword shines brilliantly as he speeds down in a cone of rushing air. As the multiple Claudes slash an X over Michael and Rena punches Michael up into the air, Dias sears down as if to cleave him in twain. It won't be so simple against a foe like this, but he'll be feeling a heat of his own.
"Gale Thrust!!"
However well the blow does or doesn't strike, Dias lands in a controlled skid and crouch, the soothing energies of Timu's healing arte wafting up around him and letting his blue hair drift for just a second or two longer as his cloak billows in his wake.
GS: Dias Flac has attacked Michael with Gale Thrust! GS: Dias Flac has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dias Flac gains 21 THP from his Cautious! GS: Dias Flac has completed his action. GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Haniel with Comet Clip! GS: Gwen Whitlock has gained 1 Combo! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: Michael fails to guard Dias Flac's Gale Thrust for 160 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Michael enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Delay! Attack weakened! GS: Haniel fails to charge Gwen Whitlock's Comet Clip for 36 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Jam and Weaken applied to Haniel! GS: FP up! Countermeasures!
<Pose Tracker> Magilou has posed.
Misty sparkles Antimatter over them, and Magilou remarks: "I have got to learn that spell."
You're not a Pokemon, Magilou.
(Wait, then what do you call Mismagius?!)
Rena tells Magilou what she said, though, and Magilou... bursts out laughing, slapping a knee. "Irrelephant! Brilliant! Sorry, Rena, friendship ended. That elephant is my new best friend." Who said they were ever best friends?!
"Nice introduction!" She adds, to Grace. She does the twin finger-guns. She's terrible.
And then -- "A long time ago," Magilou says to Caoimhe, with another of those broad-shoulder shrugs. "He turned a long time ago, too. Guess we were procrastinating, huh?"
Magilou is more sympathetic to the Ten Wise Men's backstory than Dias is, at least. "Being 'made'," she says, tapping her finger to her chin, "is all well and good... for the success stories." The failures? Well, ask Banette what happens to unwanted dolls. "But if they did such a good job, why do you keep expiring as soon as Velvet eats your hearts?"
Most things die when their hearts are eaten, Magilou.
And then -- SPICULE!
Magilou tosses up her shikigami, but it burns to the ground, and she is flung backwards with the force of the spirit escaping. (It's fine; it was a fire spirit.) "Hmph!" Magilou huffs, as she picks herself up. "That's a seven out of ten? More like a dispossession out of ten!"
Beat: "Because he just forced that spirit to stop possessing my paper doll," she explains, helpfully.
"But there's more where that came from," she adds, pulling out another shikigami. "Many more, in fact. Now!" She blows that paper doll towards Michael, "With a single breath, they appear!" And beneath him, several other shikigami rise up, meaning to bounce him up in the air. "Here they come!" She cries, as she spins, with a flourish, to point at them all: "There's no stopping them now! Good Grip!" And where she points, all the shikigami dive upwards, to explode on him at once.
Teamwork!
GS: Timu Guado heals Magilou! She gains 195 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Magilou! GS: Formation! Magilou has attacked Michael with Good Grip! GS: Magilou has gained 1 Combo! GS: Magilou gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Magilou gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Magilou has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
Someone says 'Team Rocket'. Dirk's head lifts up, as does Cufant's - but in this terrible moment, Airi wants a truce. Dirk tch's, but gives her a grudging thumbs-up and a firm, decisive nod. After that, he straightens up, looking back over Cufant's top towards--
It all goes bad pretty fast.
"Qui!" chuffs Quilladin as the mere *backwash* of Spicule washes over him, to his dismay. Did it hurt much? Well, hurt as in pain - yes - but the greater issue comes when Quilladin feels something sick in his stomach and turns his head to look with incomprehension.
Dirk sees it. He sees Quilladin starting to... dry up, to turn... *yellow*, and when he sees edges of brown he quickly brings up the Pokeball and calls out "Return!!" Quilladin reverts and flies within the Pokeball -- whatever that was, Dirk can feel the confidence he'd had coming in fall off his back like ice shattering from the top of a building after an extra-cold winter.
He's Steel/Poison. Dirk gabbles inwardly. His best counter to that is Sirfetch'd. If he sends Sirfetch'd out, though, in the face of that defoliating... whatever-it-was... Cold sweat runs down his back, even as Cufant lets out a blaring "CUFAAA!" of fury at Haniel. "No," Dirk tells Cufant, who shifts from one foot to another with tension.
"I -"
I need a plan, Dirk thinks. But -- and just as he feels himself swaying on a precipice, there is a sudden bloom of heat behind him, a blue streak--
INSERT THEME - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8LHKUmxGD4
Swift steps resolve quickly when the black-armored form of Ceruledge closes the gap and both of his arm blades burn and expand in a sudden searing force, aiming a single slash across the front of Haniel before looking back towards Dirk for a moment. The Pokemon speaks from the heart to his trainer: 'I'll buy you all the time I can.'
Then his head turns back towards Haniel. "Ceruledge," he says, with tones of portent.
CERULEDGE - FIRE/GHOST - .5x DAMAGE FROM POISON - .5x DAMAGE FROM STEEL
The burning Pokemon dives low, moving towards Haniel's left with another slash at his leg followed by a short flurry of stabbing thrusts as he moves to circle round, yielding distance as he moves around the Wise Man's immediate arc of visibility. Maybe he has eyes in the back of his head - but Ceruledge will burn that bridge when he comes to it. A leaping dual-blade slash towards Haniel's back as he somersaults with a surge of blue flame: win, lose, or absolute destruction, in this moment, the battle is all.
"Y'all frickin-- ANTIMAT him!!" Dirk shouts, with questionable grammar but a certain fundamental clarity. A couple of quick deep breaths and he proceeds onwards -- Doublade pops out, not yet in the fray but, as they say, on deck. A moment later, Dirk pops out Oshawott, who may not be the most intuitive choice.
But maybe he *does* have a plan.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida hears a familiar voice, rises, and glances in Airi's direction. "Team Rocket's regard is noted," she says, with a simple nod. A moment later, cold air and familiar Malevolence wash through the chamber. Grace declares her resolve, and initiates an honest-to-God transformation sequence. Ida flashes Nina a quick 'OK' signal, and turns her attention back to Haniel, grappling with the Iron Treads.
The grapple doesn't last long. Ida's eyes widen; she leaps forward, tucking and rolling as she tries to close the distance. The Iron Treads slams into the floor beside her with a catastrophic CRUNCH, staving the metal plate inwards. It rolls over, onto the space where Ida might still be, clearly out cold.
A hand grips the Pokemon's right foreleg, and shoves. It's armored in blue-and-gold biometal, and after it comes an arm, a shoulder, the rest of Ida's body. She's armored from brow to toe in Hyadean exoskeleton, crumpled or malformed in places from the Iron Treads' crushing impact, and she sways a little as she rises. "I would actually feel guilty," Ida says, "if you expressed even the slightest bit of empathy." Armored bootheels clang against the floor as she continues her charge, driving two fingers for Haniel's windpipe--and sucking in a breath to keep from inhaling whatever Jay just doused him with.
Ida's fingers crackle with golden-white light. Should she make contact, it snaps off into Haniel's body, reinforcing the debilitating effects of the chemical concoction.
GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Haniel with Swordsman Style Maneuver! GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman takes 48 damage from Poison! GS: Dirk Swordsman takes 43 damage from Reaper! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action. GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Haniel with Searing Ember Strike! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 4 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey's Avenger stance ends! GS: Cancel Bonus! Gained 5 FP! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Michael critically fails to evade Magilou's Good Grip for 324 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Haniel critically fails to guard Dirk Swordsman's Swordsman Style Maneuver for 165 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Haniel critically fails to charge Ida Everstead-Rey's Searing Ember Strike for 91 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple applied to Haniel! GS: Disease blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Airi Brooke has posed.
Another person Airi's fought arrives, and she looks at Ida as if expecting her to do something. She has to admit, though: that was a cool arrival, and she gives her a slight nod of acknowledgement.
"Can't be choosy, huh?" she shoots back to Claude. "I could say the same. I don't exactly like working with the Pokemon League forces, but we're here, and we're going to fight the Wise Men along with all you strangers." She didn't even recognize half the groups on her way in - she's never seen an Al Bhed before in her life, or heard one.
There's a lot going on. Airi is overwhelmed by it, and she has a moment where she wonders if she should be here at all. But at least they took the truce, and she's not going to back down now that she's actually established herself; she gives Dirk a nod right back before turning to Haniel, taking a step left and then back right to loosen up.
Haniel turns Symbology against her, and Airi's response is immediate. Rather than trying to resist it, to let his Symbology twist the energy she's gathered and turn it against her, or simply have it ripped away from her, she performs a maneuver of her own, a complicated Symbol in the air.
The energy starts to bleed off from her - but a controlled bleed, a steady shift that stops Haniel's power from taking purchase. It's hellaciously complex to do without causing a backlash, and it takes all Airi's focus; sweat beads on her brow, but her smirk returns.
"Wanna try again?" she gets out as she stabilizes the energy flow, little sparks of light orbiting her like an old atomic model as she recirculates it. "You're not the only one who's good with Symbology..." It's effortless for him in a way it isn't for her, but that she can keep up at all...
She feels pretty good about herself, suddenly.
Airi begins to chant, drawing Symbols in front of her with her shining fingertips. She finishes the chant quickly, sweeping her hand upward from low to overhead -
"TRACTOR BEAM!"
As her hand rises, a magic circle draws itself about ten feet above Haniel's head, with several interior patterns - a complex working of sorcery. Rings of energy start to rise from the ground towards it, faster and faster, as force tries to yank him roughly off the ground, dragging him upward toward the circle.
"Sorry, Wise Man. Your day was a long, long time ago. We're looking for something new, not the return of even further back than we usually care about!" Airi sweeps her hand back downwards, palm flat, and the Tractor Beam reverses itself, slamming Haniel back down to the ground if he hadn't gotten free under his own power yet.
GS: Airi Brooke has attacked Haniel with Tractor Beam! GS: Airi Brooke has gained 1 Combo! GS: Airi Brooke has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Haniel marginally charges Airi Brooke's Tractor Beam for 202 hit points! GS: Blind and Slow blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia smiles pleasantly when she catches Citan's glance. So that means she has a plan, right? ...Xantia's plans usually involve punching things really hard instead, but other plans do happen on occasion, it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Be that as it may, following a boast like that, Xantia obviously was prepared to follow it up somehow. Her exact response would have to follow from however Haniel reacted, and the in which he chose to act in return - when it's Symbology he uses, the response is clear. When she feels that pull on her Ether, seeing the strange force of those rings somehow tearing the charge away from her body, she quickly employs her bracers - an anti-magic field forming to forcibly cut the effect short.
While she doesn't say it in so many words, this certainly could be taken as if she's not just implying that Haniel's technology is obsolete. She's bringing to bear a far newer technology against his. While her ARMs are built upon existing principles, they are at most two decades old. As for her magic... the smile on her face says it all.
"I see what you're trying to do. But that won't work, not against me."
She closes her fist, scattering sparks as it begins to glow with a bright light, as if to demonstrate that her Ether flow is still fine. A warm glow radiating from her body, that blinding light is soon joined by blinding speed, Xantia kicking off the ground to leap forward, fist drawn back. "See how you like THIS!"
Neither of Xantia's fists are mechanical, but they clearly don't care about punching metal full force, aiming for a single, powerful strike to Haniel's chest, backed by an explosive outward force... and the knowledge of how push past the Wise Men's defenses, mimicking Antimatter's effects under her own power.
...Really, the most worry she's shown thus far comes when Jay's potions come into play, quickly backing off from those, covering her nose. She doesn't know what's worse, the effects she knows her offensive concoctions can have, or the incredibly strong smell they usually come with.
GS: Xantia spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Xantia has attacked Haniel with Lustrous Aura! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xantia has launched an attack Link! GS: Recover! Disrupt and Starve removed from Xantia! GS: Xantia spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Xantia has attacked Haniel with Exploding Fist! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xantia gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Xantia has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
"I see. So you watched... and did nothing, regardless of the impact it would have on your 'war effort'," Citan says to Haniel, reaching up to readjust his glasses. "Now only three of you remain. Tell me, do you think that is sufficient?"
Was Haniel's response the sort he was seeking? If he had aimed to ruffle feathers and draw some ire his way, Citan has certainly succeeded: Symbology that gathers around Xantia drags on her Ether before leaping in arc his way to deal the same. Gritting his teeth as the force rends at his own reserves of Ether, Citan does what he can.
What that is, specifically, is him pressing on through the dragging draining sensation to sweep his hand before him with enough force to cut air itself. There is no wind: yet, the blow carries across the distance all the same.
He hadn't missed Jacqueline's question, nor Haniel's response. "...So even your allies have no meaning to you. Then, you think your own strength is sufficient?"
Neither had he missed Gwen's attack just now and the precise sort of noise that was made upon impact. A metallic body, is it? But that doesn't mean that an unarmed combatant, such as himself, is precisely at a loss. After all--
He closes on Haniel, moving at speed.
--if an opponent has a superior defense, then the first measure is to undermine that defense. Like so.
One hand moves to crack open-palmed against Haniel's side.
Gaspar and his granddaughter, Yui, are true masters of the Open Palm Style and he has seen first-hand what can be done when the body itself is forged into a weapon. He, himself, is merely a student--
And yet, starting from first principles, the intent remains the same. Direct all force into a single strike, and direct that strike against the point of fracture. All else is merely elaboration.
GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Haniel with Shinrai! GS: Citan Uzuki has gained 1 Combo! GS: Citan Uzuki gains 26 THP from his Cautious! GS: Citan Uzuki gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Citan Uzuki has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Velvet Crowe has posed.
Magilou feigns -- expresses genuinely we mean, of course -- indifference.
Velvet howls her anger until her throat is bloody.
It's a study in contrasts. In contradictory combinations.
Maybe that's why it works.
So as Magilou drapes herself in a pirate's regalia and glibly translates the wrath of the Lord of Calamity,
the Lord of Calamity does her best to just kick her sword straight through Michael's arms and into his skull while shouting raw in the face of his observation,
"You have NO IDEA what 'pissed off' means, Wise Man! BUT YOU WILL!"
Sadly, even Velvet can't just will a blade through cutting edge armor through sheer anger, and so that sparking contact is cut short as she snaps into a backwards flip, foot-blade resheathing seconds before she hits ground in a squealing spin of a three-point stance. Michael, reasonably, dismisses the actions of Lucifer as a feckless rebel.
Molten gold eyes narrow.
"No," Velvet hisses. "You don't get to do that. Just write him off like he wasn't your problem. He wasn't -an- idiot. He was -your- idiot. Everything he did? The onus is on YOU! Every debt he left unsettled?! It's YOURS!"
Sparks drag out along the ground in chaotic hop-skips as Velvet's booted heel scrapes out into a wide stance. Her bandaged hand clenches into a trembling fist.
"You all made your idiot bed--"
And she breaks into a dead sprint, eyes wide.
"NOW IT'S TIME YOU LIE IN IT!"
Grace attacks -- Velvet is too mad at the moment to wonder if Intergalactic Angels are a real thing (frankly she thinks it's a reasonable question because every time she hears about something from space it just gets -crazier and crazier-), or too mad to do -anything- but try to use the intensity of that antimatter ray as cover, sprinting -low- across the ground like the frenzied smear of a bounding animal only to -SURGE- upward into the air as it fades.
Only for gold eyes to widen for wholly different reasons as she sees the glow in Michael's palms.
"Shit--"
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
The foundation of this familiar, circular chamber rocks with the wrath of Michael's flames -- and Velvet Crowe finds herself at the epicenter. There's no time to move. No time to retreat.
So she commits.
Arthur's Third Maxim:
Never waver once your sword is drawn.
The sound of pain from the Lord of Calamity is a pitched and terrifying thing as cosmic flame rushes through every spiritually-empowered fiber of her being as if it could burn its way down to her being. The heat scorches her throat, burns at her hair. But she still howls, until even that is lost within the conflagration.
For a second, there is only fire.
And then--
"... haaaaaaaaaaaaa..."
A spark of bruise in a sea of flame.
"WISE MAAAAAAN!!!"
She emerges, ensconced in a shell of Malevolence, contradicting hues swimming in the bright gold of her gaze as she punches down through the righteous flame of a living weapon in a rabid, downwards arc. Her head draws back.
And she introduces herself directly to Michael the best way she knows how.
C R U N C H
Face-to-face.
The smash of her forehead into Michael's flaming vision isn't exactly a wise play. But Velvet doesn't hesitate for a second over it; the second her headbutt makes contact, she -stabs- the man in the chest with her wrist-blade, now superheated by his own flames, and drags DOWN from chest all the way to opposing hip on her rapid, violent descent.
She RIPS that blade free a second later, stumbling backwards as smoke hisses off her charred, knitting flesh, teeth grit and bared and stare stoked with wild defiance.
She tries to stay standing. She -tries-. But a second later, Velvet is stumbling onto one knee with a dry hack of a cough, wrist blade -stabbing- the ground to keep her propped as that pain wracks through her.
Pain. Pain is nothing. A familiar friend. She can deal with it. She can...
... deal with...
... the warmth?
The curative power of Althena's blessings are known to Velvet. It makes her think of Laphicet. Of all the times he desperately stitched her broken and battered body together when she was on the verge of falling apart. Her eyes widen. A surprised, strangled sound escapes her in a heave as those energies flow freely with the memories.
Laphicet. ... That's right. She isn't just doing this for Eizen. She's doing this for...
"..."
... for the future.
"... Eizen was... a pain in the ass."
Caoihme may not have been asking Velvet specifically - occupied as the Therion was with bloody murder - but she gets an answer from the raven-haired woman all the same as she rises slowly but steadily back to her feet. Healing energy helps the mending process of her burns along that much faster as she wipes that bandaged arm across her mouth, smearing soot across as she speaks.
"Always thought he had to be the smartest one in the room. Always running his mouth about some obscure thing nobody ever asked about. He had the worst luck that always got in the way of our plans. I remember he tried to flip a damn trick coin once and it shattered rather than letting him have the satisfaction of it landing on heads. He..."
Her eyes squeeze shut. Her fists clench.
"... but he never let it get to him. Not even when it meant he couldn't see his sister. Not even when he lost the man he thought of as a brother. Not even... not even when he had to put up with scum like me. Because... he got to choose that life. How he dealt with it. And you people... you -people-..."
Malevolence flares. Bandages start to unravel.
"... you PEOPLE tried to TAKE THAT FROM HIM. You want revenge for your comrades? Revenge doesn't belong to arrogant pissants like you, who can't even be bothered account for their comrades' actions! Revenge is for us weaklings who never get to know what it's like soaring as high as you take for granted every day, but still strive to make something! You want revenge!? Don't make me laugh!"
She springs. And as as Magilou's shikigami slam into Michael to try to juggle him airwards, Velvet -launches- after, jumping from doll to doll to doll to soar high up into those heavens.
"All you're going to get--"
Until she LUNGES right for him, bandages EXPLODING into that clawed arm that -shoves- straight for the man's chest in one wild scrape.
"--IS DEVOURED!"
A single swipe. To tear off a single chunk of his existence and gobble it up, Brunhilt's mystical formulae brute-forcing a fusion of Michael's power into Velvet's soul -- to sublimate that burning wrath as her own.
An amuse-bouche of what's coming for him.
GS: Velvet Crowe has attacked Michael with Consuming Claw! GS: Velvet Crowe has gained 1 Combo! GS: Velvet Crowe has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
The flames of Spicule barrage grace, and even through the wall of light she feels the heat. Being higher up doesn't help her, even as she's pushed back. "...come on PD... you can hold up against this right? You got me through stuff as deadly as this before, right? So keep holding out." She's sweating, and reliant on the system even as it burns energy to keep her in the air and unburnt.
But she does, looking back at Michael. "...Got it. We'll see who remembers who." That came out shakier than her big intro, honestly.
Still, the encouragement from her friends- flush hidden by the fact that she was just, you know, surviving the mega fire apocalypse. "You can count on me!" She calls back to Claude and Rena, moving forward. She's got the shield, they don't. She has to keep the big guys attention. Even if he just hit her so hard she could feel it.
And then she feels warmth, instead of heat. Relief from the flames in the form of warmth- but most of the energy spell evaporates into the shield, the projector on her chest glowing as it intakes the magical energy, converting it into battery.
'80 Percent Energy Absortion' runs up one edge of the triangle, while another side reads 'Damage Converter Fully Operable'. It seems that there's no such thing as a safe distance from Michael... There's always gonna be fire. "Thanks! If you can keep us up..." She calls to Timu... "Then we can do this!"
Magilou throws the compliment, and Grace smiles- and finger guns back. "What can I say, I saw an expert at work!" Oh no Magilou is influencing the youths.
You want the title, show me the knighthood Dias. And Nede doesn't exactly have a monarchy, so it's probably more of a key to the city thing when they survive this.
Then the visor presents two overlapping triangles over Michael. A threat ranking.
'Extreme. Preparing response. Protocol: Destroy engaged.'
She feels the power thrumming through the gauntlets. She's felt it before. Against Azoth, among others. When PD-606 took over.
"Hey, hey, remember who's in charge here! If this is what we're doing... we're doing it my way! And we're using a way better name!" Grace flies up, angling above Michael, holding her arms to her sides as spheres of cyan energy form in the palms of her hands. "You ready for this one, big guy? Cause here it comes, my..."
Crud. Name.
Alabaster Nail? Antimatterium Ray? Judgment Barrage Fever? Tetra Gauntlet Sorcery?
"...my Proud Destroyer 606!" She shouts, pushing her arms out in front of he, the two spheres spiralling around each other and growing larger and increasing in speed- until they eventually overlap, and an explosion bursts from them towards Michael, a bit like antimatter and matter colliding-
....Maybe because that's what they are, in a way.
<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.
Magilou wants to learn Antimatter. Misty glances over to her. "I don't know if you can learn it, but talk to me after this, I can get you a device to cast it with."
Misty crosses her arms as she watches Michael. "And what do you want to do with all that power? Use it to conquer? To tear down civilizations? If you've got as much power as you claim, you can choose to do something different! Take a different path than the one they planned for you!"
She's a Gym Leader. It's her job to try and reach out, to motivate, to inspire others to become the best versions of themselves. It's a hard habit to give up.
But she also won't be pushed around, and she didn't become one of the better ranked trainers by going soft when she should be going hard.
Flame comes, and Misty shouts, "Power Gem!" At the same time, one of Misty's pokeballs on her belt bursts open: Golduck appears, He concentrates, "Gooooollll..." and a shimmering barrier of energy appears around Golduck and Misty. Golduck strains, as a shockwave of flames washes over it, tearing forcefully at the barrier as it washes around them. Misty has her eyes on the battlefield, but she puts a hand on Golduck's shoulder in a show of support. He's still panting with the effort, though.
Meanwhile Mega Starmie's core glows a fiercely bright as it rises up to meet the shockwaves. "HYAAAAAAH!" A solid beam of prismatic light erupts, sparkling like a diamond as it bursts forth, cutting through the intense flames to target Michael. But there is still so, so much flame, and the effort Starmie makes to make sure the shot lands means that it cannot avoid the flames in time-- that shockwave of force batters it into the ground, letting out a pained cry from the impact even if it technically has the type advantage. The core dims, momentarily, and the flow of rainbow-energy grows thin and wane.
But in the wake of fire comes Cura, and as the blessings of Althena wash out over the field, they strike Starmie. As the magic settles in (despite its Fire-aspected nature) Mega Starmie's core grows steady, the flow picks up, and it lifts itself off the ground, slowly starming to spin once again.
"Thank you, Timu!" Misty calls to the young girl. Timu is doing her best to face an overwhelming situation. Misty can respect that effort.
Grace has a speech and a pretty dang amazing display as she gets ready for the battle. Despite the grim situation Misty cheers. "Love your style!"
Caoimhe summons some powerful flames--Misty still isn't entirely sure what her deal is, but if the Ten Wise Men were responsible for Eluria... that might be something she investigates, eventually.
"You're doing great, Starmie! Just hang in there a little bit longer, okay?"
Starmie bobs towards her in acknowledgement.
"If all you want to do is destroy, then I'm not having it. We're here to defehnd our way of life! Mega Starmie! Thunder!"
Rainbow-colored sparks start to crawl along Mega Starmie's arms, crawling out in zig-zag patterns from its core until they drift off along with the rainbow trails drifting behind it. Brighter and brighter the core glows, as more and more sparks appear, until arcs of rainbow energy appear--and then in a massive blast of rainbow-colored light explodes outwards, breaking apart into endless fractal branches as it surges right for Michael.
GS: Grace Harvey spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Grace Harvey has attacked Grace Harvey with Extreme Threat Detected...! GS: Grace Harvey has gained 3 Combo! GS: Grace Harvey has launched an attack Link! GS: Misty Kasumi has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Misty Kasumi spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Misty Kasumi enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Misty Kasumi has attacked Michael with Thunder! GS: Misty Kasumi has gained 1 Combo! GS: Misty Kasumi enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Misty Kasumi gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Misty Kasumi has completed her action. GS: Access! Misty Kasumi takes 30 damage! GS: CRITICAL! Grace Harvey accepts Grace Harvey's Extreme Threat Detected... for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify and Hyper applied to Grace Harvey! GS: Grace Harvey spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Grace Harvey has attacked Michael with Proud Destroyer 606! GS: Grace Harvey has completed her action. GS: Access! Grace Harvey takes 30 damage! GS: Haniel mostly charges Xantia's Lustrous Aura for 64 hit points! GS: Cover applied to Xantia! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: CRITICAL! Haniel fails to evade Xantia's Exploding Fist for 199 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Hyper and Shield applied to Xantia! GS: Haniel mostly guards Citan Uzuki's Shinrai for 41 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Haniel's Break Ward may block the effect! GS: Break blocked! GS: Michael mostly guards Velvet Crowe's Consuming Claw for 123 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Velvet Crowe drains Michael! Velvet Crowe gains 61 temporary hit points!
DC: Velvet Crowe switches forms to The Lord of Calamity - I'LL DEVOUR YOU!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina is called out! She thinks. She scowls though, turning her head to stare the Wise Man down. "You're not the first or last to tell me that." She holds her hand up, considering the elongated fingers. The barrel of the gun is raised and she twists one way, ducking down as the shot grazes her. Twisting again and leaping forward as she twists to lash out with an uppercut swing leading with her frostbound claws. Landing nearby, tucked into a roll where she stands again, already lurching forward for the next. Or is she trying to draw attention to herself? She is self-destructive in a number of ways, brazen and overly protective and it's only been twisted with her changes.
She looks to Ida as she does this. And the others immediately after.
She intends to make sure two things happen one way or the other. The threat will be shattered and they'll be fine.
She keeps leaving herself out of this math.
Airi does... get a brief stumble and she tries to play it off, twisting to shift her approach. She.. might have reservations about keeping a rocket safe. Which puts her in just the right spot to see Velvet try to tear a piece off.
She's never met her before and there's something at the back of her mind that scrabbles around. She locks up briefly.
Then she forces her attention forward. Her hair wild, draped around her shoulders, arms held out at the ready and all, but audibly snarling. This needs to end fast.. There's too much going on again and she doesn't want to slip. She can't slip. She didn't prepare and spend so much time isolating herself for nothing.
GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Haniel with Frostbound Dragon! GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 2 Combo! GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action. GS: Haniel marginally charges Nina Chiyome's Frostbound Dragon for 45 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Drowsy applied to Haniel! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Gamble: Very High! Michael marginally guards Grace Harvey's Proud Destroyer 606 for 136 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Michael critically fails to guard Misty Kasumi's Thunder for 316 hit points! GS: Interrupt applied to Michael! GS: Disrupt blocked! GS: Michael has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
Michael lands in the eye of the firestorm. He claps both hands together; the flame around him crackles, and then roars into a bonfire around him.
"GWAHAHAHAAAA!" he laughs. "LET'S GO!"
Then his eyes snap towards Timu. He sees her -- and he cracks a grin. "Then try and stop me!" he bellows at her. He snaps out his arm; a lash of liquid flame forms, and CRACKS like a whip as it snaps across her.
He turns towards Claude, then. Three of him come -- again -- at Michael, their blades slashing through and exploding into three 'X'-shapes.
Michael spins, then shoots towards Claude with an outstretched fist. Flame ignites along him, and he charges at Claude, trying to slam into him and hurl him away. Then, he wheels around.
Rena's shockwave rockets across the ground -- he slams his fist into that ground, and bent and broken metal erupts up, catching the shockwave so most of it shatters around that.
"HWAH!" he shouts. "I'll show you the power of a millennia-old grudge!"
He swings back his massive, armored fist -- and throws a nasty left hook right for Rena's cheek as he lands.
Then, he looks at Magilou, with a wolfish grin. "I'll burn them all away, if I gotta!" he tells her, even as the summoned shikigamis swirl around him. They latch on -- and explode, a blast of energy that propels him upward.
"Anything can break," he shouts down at her. "Eat its heart, cut it in half--doesn't matter! It's how well you do the breaking that matters! EXPLOSION!"
He sends down a ball of flame -- which slams to the steel floor at Magilou's feet, before it explodes apart into a fireball that threatens to engulf her.
Then he turns, again, and looks at Velvet. "Eh?" he asks. "Still up--"
She is still up. She smashes in past his guard, face to face, her forehead smashing into his. (More of his face than it looks is metal; it hurts to headbutt him.) Her blade punches into his chest and he grunts, a wet and raspy sound.
"They lived longer than your miserable rocks had civilization," he spits back at Velvet. "Do you think you understand the depths of our thoughts!? Of our feelings!? When you get as old as we are, you learn a thing or two about--"
Bandages explode apart, and she swipes across his chest. Essence pours off him, into Velvet's arm. "...about how little ANY of it matters. I'm glad they're dead, because it means I can still--"
He flies forward, then; his left eye ignites, the ember there aglow. "GET--"
And then his armored fist IGNITES, flame rolling off it, and he swings it down in a hammer blow for the Lord of Calamity's head. "ANGRY! So yeah, I'll take my revenge, and THANK YOU FOR IT!"
He is cut off by Mega Starmie -- striking again. Lightning crashes down, smashing into him. Sparks explode off him, as he's thrown backward. He turns, looking at Misty. He grits his teeth. "I'll do what I'm made for," he says. "Because it's what I chose! Ain't nothing wrong with that!"
Then he throws a hand out. A bolt of flame explodes off his hand, shooting through their ranks, and hurtles off straight for Mega Starmie.
Michael's face lights up with surprise to see Moor Gault, the Guardian of Fire, take form. He hadn't seen a Guardian before. "What is--GYAH!"
Flame sweeps around, then slams down onto him. It drives him to his knee for a moment. Then, he looks up. Dias descends, long-haired and untouched.
"Shit!" he shouts, as the blade slashes down -- cutting through robes, and biting deep into golden armor underneath. He hisses with pain -- and gives Dias a shove, knocking him backward.
Then he looks up at Grace, grinning. Orange, glowing blood trickles from his mouth; it steams when it hits the floor. "Proud Destroyer?" he ask. "COME ON!"
He crosses his arms. The spheres spiral and collide against him, exploding in prismatic light -- which drives him backward. Sparkles waft and fade away, and he looks up and Grace. "Not bad," he says, breathing heavily.
"But don't think... I'm done yet!" he bellows. "I'll BURN YOUR VERY BONES!" He claps his hands together. Again, flame explodes out from him, a shockwave of fire washing over Caoimhe, Dias, and Grace. Then, Michael leaps high up above.
He crashes down, and the explosion descends with him. It scorches across the floor again -- shooting out for the three of them with a massive, destructive wave.
"SPIIIIIIIIIIICULE!"
GS: Michael has attacked Michael with Spontaneous Combustion! GS: Michael has gained 2 Combo! GS: Interrupt expired! GS: CRITICAL! Michael accepts Michael's Spontaneous Combustion for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Michael! GS: Mighty applied to Michael! GS: Stagger removed from Michael! GS: Michael has attacked Timu Guado with Firewhip! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Blaze Rush! GS: Michael has gained 3 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Rena Lanford with Bosom Blow! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Michael has attacked Magilou with Explosion! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Michael has attacked Velvet Crowe with Pyroclast Punch! GS: Michael has gained 4 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Misty Kasumi with Fire Bolt! GS: Michael spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Dias Flac with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Grace Harvey with Spicule! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Claude C. Kenny marginally guards Michael's Blaze Rush for 175 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Claude C. Kenny gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna critically fails to charge Michael's Spicule for 353 hit points! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: COUNTER! Rena Lanford counterattacks Michael with Laser Beams! GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford critically fails to charge Michael's Bosom Blow for 315 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cover, Mighty, and Riposte applied to Michael!
<Pose Tracker> Haniel has posed.
Clang, clang, clang! But there is a spider. A tiny, yellow, loyal spider that sends a surge through Haniel's arm. He falls to the ground, briefly, punching his fist into it to hold himself up before roaring a yell and punching himself back to his feet. He slams his hand to his chest and breathes in deep as bright green symbology surges into him, and then thrusts his hand out toward Michael as more waves of energy surge to heal him.
"Michael! Let's get this over with!"
Vials exploded around Haniel in a burst of color. The fluid flowing through his mechanics turns a sickly swirl of color even as his posture refuses to sink. "Fool. I feel nothing of weakness! Nothing your ilk creates amounts to anything before me!"
Yet as he continues through the battle, it seems his reactions are a fraction slower, and his body heavier, and this time Gwen's strike clangs and pushes Haniel a might back from the force of it.
"Begone!"
Haniel thrusts his knee into Gwen as he rockets himself with thrusters from his feet. He aims to blast into and then past her on his way to Jay, sweeping his leg overhead in an rocket-propelled axe-kick down.
Steel and poison. That's a strong observation. A man of steel and filled with poison. Dirk Ceruledge strikes with a fiery blade that sinks into Haniel's shoulder. Haniel looks back at the Pokemon, and for a moment, those steely eyes of his are shot open wide. Antimat, as the kids say (as one kid says), is not something Haniel can afford to take lightly.
"Empathy would be a waste of resources," Haniel tells Ida. Her fingers strike his throat, soft enough to be flesh, yet hitting something too hard to be a windpipe. There's a twitch. She's hurt him even before reinforcing the flow of energy debilitating his systems, but not precisely the way her knowledge of anatomy would expect.
Before he can retaliate, Tractor Beam lifts him from the ground. His body becomes weightless just before it isn't, crashing back into the ground as cracks spread through it. Yet the pull on gravity does not relent even as Airi's Symbology lets go of it. Gravity lifts him up again, delicately setting him on his feet -- cyan fluid oozing from his skull -- while threatening to rip Airi, Dirk's Pokemon, and Ida from their feet.
"That's not a Tractor Beam..."
His Symbological rings spread out in violent, pulsing shockwave and then constrict in, reversing gravity much the same way.
"...THIS is a Tractor Beam...!"
Xantia smiles, relentless, and Haniel's face is as red as ever. His lips curl up with tension, showing more of his teeth than they should. He meets her attack with his own metal arms to deflect and defend, but she finds her mark and explodes. A tube of fluid cracks and Haniel's eyes go wild in a fragment of a moment before he steels his gaze.
"Fall!" he commands, but before he takes a swing, Citan makes his strike. "My strength is more than enough to --" Metal cracks and splits as a spray of red fluid that isn't blood shoots upward at high pressure.
It freezes, crystalline, in the air to fall like glittering dust before Nina's claws come down.
Haniel lets out a bellowed battle cry and slams his metal arms together. Plates shift and merge, unfold and expand as several barrels organize themselves into a collective to make a large cannon of a weapon.
"MIND BLAST!" he calls out, firing a massive beam of energy to pierce through Xantia, Citan, and Nina while the light of it floods the chamber.
GS: Haniel has activated a Boss Action! GS: Haniel has attacked Haniel with Wise Heal! GS: Haniel has attacked Michael with Wise Heal! GS: Haniel has gained 4 Combo! GS: Haniel heals Haniel! It gains 199 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Drowsy, Entangle, Jam, and Shieldbreak removed! GS: Haniel has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Thruster Sweep Kick! GS: Haniel has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Thruster Sweep Kick! GS: Haniel has gained 1 Combo! GS: Haniel has attacked Airi Brooke with Tractor Beam! GS: Haniel has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Tractor Beam! GS: Haniel has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Tractor Beam! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Haniel has attacked Xantia with Mind Blast! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Haniel has attacked Citan Uzuki with Mind Blast! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Haniel has attacked Nina Chiyome with Mind Blast! GS: Haniel has gained 2 Combo! GS: Haniel gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Haniel takes 41 damage from Poison! GS: Haniel has completed its action. GS: Michael marginally guards Rena Lanford's Laser Beams for 183 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Haniel heals Michael! He gains 199 temporary hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Jacqueline Barber marginally evades Haniel's Thruster Sweep Kick for 255 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jacqueline Barber gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Grace Harvey marginally evades Michael's Spicule for 310 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Grace Harvey gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman mostly guards Haniel's Tractor Beam for 131 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dirk Swordsman gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Cripple blocked! GS: Hyper applied to Haniel! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: COUNTER! Airi Brooke counterattacks Haniel with Dueling Tractors! GS: Airi Brooke mostly charges Haniel's Tractor Beam for 187 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Airi Brooke gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple applied to Airi Brooke! GS: Timu Guado critically fails to evade Michael's Firewhip for 193 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Timu Guado gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Velvet Crowe fails to charge Michael's Pyroclast Punch for 377 hit points! GS: Velvet Crowe enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Strain! Michael takes 150 damage! GS: CRITICAL! Dias Flac mostly charges Michael's Spicule for 277 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dias Flac gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Dias Flac enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Gwen Whitlock mostly guards Haniel's Thruster Sweep Kick for 140 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Gwen Whitlock gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Xantia mostly evades Haniel's Mind Blast for 117 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xantia gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Old blocked! GS: Citan Uzuki has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Citan Uzuki mostly guards Haniel's Mind Blast for 161 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Citan Uzuki gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Old blocked! GS: CRITICAL! Misty Kasumi marginally evades Michael's Fire Bolt for 148 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Misty Kasumi gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disrupt applied to Misty Kasumi! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey critically fails to guard Haniel's Tractor Beam for 226 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ida Everstead-Rey gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Cripple blocked! GS: Hyper applied to Haniel! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"My MOM taught you!?" Claude wonders in shock. But, it makes perfect sense after a moment, so he just laughs. "Wow. You're a fast learner, Rena!"
He definitely wants that explanation later. SSince--
Knuckle Burst!! Rena knocks Michael towards Dias, and Claude grins. "Guess I'll have to make sure I'm not shown up..."
It's one of those grins, though--the kind from a face singed and scorched, from a guy already on the back foot. One of those 'it's time to keep going' grins.
"...Irrelephant is pretty good," Claude admits of Magilou's statement, but wincess as he rises to his full feet.
The spirit--
"Disposession's not a rank," Claude says flatly to Magilou.
Claude will count on Grace, thanks. ...And he is moved by Velvet's talk of her friend. Of what he lost... and what they tried to take from him.
"That's what you don't get," Claude says to Michael. "...We're not 'worms'. The people you hurt--they're not just insects. ..They have lives, hopes, dreams!"
"And you're standing in the way of all of them!"
But Claude attacks--and his knocked backward by Michael's sheer bulk, sailing through the air and hitting the wall behind. Thanks to Timu's healing, he's still up when he catches his feet. The grudge he mentions...
Glad they're dead. Glad, because--
"...Once," he says. "Maybe, I'd have been like Gwen. Wondering if you ever had a chance. But now..."
"If you can't even view your own comrades--the only ones like you--as more than a source of the feelings you want to keep fighting..."
"You'll never understand why the lives you seek to take matter. You're just a madman who needs to be put down."
Claude extends his arm, his sword with it stretching out to the side as he gathers power.
"Rena! Dias!" Claude calls. "All right. If you've picked up some new tricks--then let's do this together! I'll handle support!"
He hefts his sword in both hands before himself, and then charges. "Haaah--!"
He waits for Rena to be in position, and then strikes alongside Dias, slashing with green afterimagess as he hacks forward--
And then raises his sword over his head. Green light blazes around him, showering on his allies. "VICTORY!"
GS: Claude C. Kenny spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Formation! Claude C. Kenny has attacked Michael with Sword of Life! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 3 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny has launched an attack Link! GS: Claude C. Kenny spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Timu Guado with Victory! GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna with Victory! GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Rena Lanford with Victory! GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Dias Flac with Victory! GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Magilou with Victory! GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Grace Harvey with Victory! GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Misty Kasumi with Victory! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 1 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny gains 5 FP from his Daredevil! GS: Mighty expired! GS: Claude C. Kenny has completed his action. GS: Claude C. Kenny heals Dias Flac! He gains 212 temporary hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Claude C. Kenny heals Misty Kasumi! She gains 214 temporary hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Claude C. Kenny heals Grace Harvey! She gains 234 temporary hit points! GS: Hyper and Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna accepts Claude C. Kenny's Victory for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Claude C. Kenny heals Timu Guado! She gains 214 temporary hit points! GS: Claude C. Kenny heals Rena Lanford! She gains 217 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: CRITICAL! Magilou mostly evades Michael's Explosion for 164 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Magilou gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: Claude C. Kenny heals Magilou! She gains 215 temporary hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Haniel mostly charges Airi Brooke's Dueling Tractors for 73 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has posed.
Rena expresses that Grace is a friend of theirs, and Caoimhe nods. "Even from here," and without sight, "I can tell that you have all cultivated an unbreakable bond, in the way you fight and coordinate together." As Grace well shows, Intergalactic Angel and everything -- charging with wings of light as she strikes with a newly-christened attack that plays once more with the theme of antimatter... and matter.
Magilou speaks of how Eizen was transformed a long time ago, and if they were procrastinating. "... perhaps a little, but the Sorcery Globe was what brought us low."
Velvet shares further the story of Eizen, the Fell Dragon that she had chased for so many days and nights. About the kind of person he was, once upon a time.
"I have fought that Dragon for seven long years, after he descended upon Eluria's remains. Perhaps it was for the best that neither of us ever triumphed over the other, knowing what I know now."
And to that end, Caoimhe relents to let Velvet thrust herself into the heart of the matter, revealing the awe-inspiring and vicious might of her hunger, as Mega Starmie, under Misty's expert direction, brings forth a shattering blast of rainbow-coloured light.
Misty does question Michael on what their ends were, and Caoimhe does share: "My home of Eluria was felled by the Ten Wise Men, Lady Misty. Very few were spared that were not transformed into monsters by the Sorcery Globe. Conquest requires subjects, and they have little appetite to rule, merely to destroy... as you have well seen them do more vividly than I can recount."
That's right. They're destroyers, the lot of them... and as thus...
Michael exposes once more his penchant for that most destructive of spells -- as he rises once more, and crashes down upon them, and move as Caoimhe might, she's unable to find a position to evade the spell outright. No, she has to boldly step into it and meet him head on -- as she's promised to burn for him before.
The explosion washes over her, and once more, her armour is taken to its absolute limit -- a lesser-protected person would've been cinders long ago, despite Caoimhe's lament. The Paladin collapses to one knee, and the Holy Sword reverberates where it shows cracks and chips in turn.
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SJ16_T_6ZM
For a moment, it seems that that was truly it -- Michael has triumphed over the Paladin of Eluria, as she remains in her kneeling position, barely able to clutch onto her sword, wounds struggling to bleed where they haven't dried from the sweltering heat of his flame.
"... Eluria suffered far more than this."
A metallic sound, as her left greave flattens against the solid metal surface of Phynal's platform. Then another, as she slowly rises to her feet, unsteady and off-kilter.
"Under your sickly and strange light, none were spared. Not even the children... all were turned, their minds warped, twisted..."
The knight lifts up against the hilt of the Holy Sword, plunged to the ground. With only one arm to hoist herself up, it is a feat of labour, but one she undertakes with great grit and courage.
"I have no right to falter now. Not while I mantle myself with the restless of Eluria, as I claimed to your colleague, Camael, moments before his demise."
She coughs, once. Blood splatters from her mouth, and slicks against the ice-like, divine surface of the Holy Sword. The Holy Sword seems to thirst ever more, its proverbial throat cracked and dry, desperately seeking sustenance in something it cannot.
Claude shouts a rallying cry, and for a moment, her spirits are buoyed -- even when her heart doesn't want to answer. "Victory, is it?" Still, within that moment, she finds her effort to rise that much easier, and she is standing once more, Holy Sword brandished in one hand.
"Victory it is, then..."
With one gesture, a light erupts around her, spreading in the form of an intricate glyph that pours with the heraldry of Eluria weaved within. The Holy Sword itself seems to shift, as if it were alive for just a moment, transforming away from a solid form into light itself as the knight presses onward, as a knight must.
"Our only destiny is to burn. So let us end this little trifle, this last illusion of ours..."
The Holy Knight bears all her strength, striking with a finality that succumbs the immediate area around Michael into a column of indefatigable, all-revealing light that strips away the very last signs of Phynal's fantasy.
GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has attacked Michael with Terminus Phantasm! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has gained 2 Combo! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has completed her action. GS: Michael critically fails to guard Claude C. Kenny's Sword of Life for 225 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Michael enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Michael perfectly guards Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna's Terminus Phantasm for 188 hit points! GS: Disease blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Strain! Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna takes 50 damage! GS: Nina Chiyome perfectly evades Haniel's Mind Blast for 0 hit points! GS: Old blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 1 Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Gwen gives Jacqueline a surprised response, and she allows herself a brief moment to look pleased.
"Just a few things I had lying around. In this day and age, its important to know how to best make full use of your resources." Jacqueline explains, as casually as if she was discussing a meal recipe.
Haniel boasts that he feels nothing of weakness - but he definitely seems slower.
"Are you certain?" Jacqueline replies. "Then I'll just have to keep trying."
He rockets toward her again - this time, with a sweeping, overhead axe-kick. She dodges to the side, drawing her steel-cloth cloak around her. His kick lands and she breathes in sharply. If it weren't for her cloak, he may very well have dislocated her arm - but it certainly still hurts.
She hears Citan's question to him - and she hears his response to Ida.
"So it would seem..." She notes dryly to them both. She shakes her head.
She makes a gesture with her right hand, invoking a Crest Graph from her gauntlet and the air becomes briefly energized - before suddenly a bolt of lightning crashes down toward him.
GS: Jacqueline Barber spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Haniel with Lightning Strike! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Break expired! GS: Jacqueline Barber has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Magilou has posed.
Velvet has all the emotions, so Magilou doesn't have to have any. That's how this works. "He steered his own ship," Magilou sighs. "Right 'til the end... I doubt he had regrets." It's not how they operate, generally speaking.
"That just makes me want to learn it even more!" She adds, chipper, to Misty.
"Don't feel too bad," she adds, to Caoimhe. "A Fell Dragon isn't just something you defeat."
But Cura bolsters her, just in time for Explosion to set her aflame again. She quick-steps back, but not quite quick enough not to be consumed by the fireball. "HEY!" She protests, stomping a foot to put out a lingering flame on her pointed toe. "Explode is my thing!"
Luckily, Claude has a Symbological answer to being on fire, and Magilou is restored once again. "If that's how it's going to be -- there's another spell on that tier, too!" An icy Seraphic glyph forms beneath her, as Magilou invokes: "Looks like you're gonna be put on ice... Final Embrace!"
And ice erupts around Michael, a silent, shining tomb.
GS: Magilou has attacked Michael with Final Embrace! GS: Magilou has gained 1 Combo! GS: Magilou gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Magilou gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Magilou has completed her action. GS: Gamble: Moderate! Michael fails to guard Magilou's Final Embrace for 281 hit points! GS: Magilou drains Michael! Magilou gains 99 temporary hit points! GS: Haniel fails to guard Jacqueline Barber's Lightning Strike for 204 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"What!? But- we were never."
Rena's cheeks may have puffed up some at Magilou's comment. "Hmph."
Fortunately she didn't get a chance to hear about Broodsalot.
Rena answers Claude with a momentary sweatdrop, "It's not like I'm some prodigy. It's more like your Mom is... a very enthusiastic teacher!" Though she does at least manage a momentary smile despite the chaos when he indicates he'll have to make sure he's not shown up, "But you might have to get to training for that one."
It is thankfully Dias' skill that allows him to follow up on her attack so quickly, despite never having seen her do it, or her giving no further explanation. And as he tells her he'll show her the power, Rena simply says the words "Laser Beams-!" In the same moment that fist makes contact a sphere appears point blank in her hand, showering Michael with lasers up and down his form, even as she's thrown backwards so far that her neck feels like it's going to snap.
As she lands, she gets up on one knee, feeling to make sure all of her teeth are there, with one hand down.
The flare of malevolence from Velvet's clash gives her an alarmed look, before something in her eyes softens, and perhaps she sees her in a new light. Because as strong as Velvet looks...
... she thinks of herself as weak. And even if she's never met this man who the Wise Men killed, there's that solidarity there. It's been hard for her to say it, that some part of her...
... some part of her wants revenge for her Mom. It's something she's always identified with, even if she could never say it aloud, that ugliness of knowing she's fine with someone paying for Cecille's death.
"Maybe I'm weak too." Rena says softly, as if she can finally now finally speak it, to Michael, coming off Claude's words, "But when you see them again, tell them... tell them it was your own fault."
What does she mean by that? And as Claude sets up - Rena sees Dias say she's leaving it to him, and Rena sees him circle to his back, meeting his eyes long enough, to force herself up, to run, to leap landing just upon Claude's shout of 'VICTORY'! as the healing energy surges through her, right as her fist strikes the ground, cracking it instantly in a wide area, as the ground cracks and debris spills out into an explosion of shrapnel outwards towards Michael.
With Dias... fully able to make a shield of his back.
"Your plan is what brought me to Filgaia, and the woman who sent me away to save my life gave us the means to destroy you."
As she lands, and perhaps there's a softness in her eyes as she catches Claude out of the corner of her eyes, "You don't even know our names, do you? Because you could care less about us - we're just little things that don't matter. And yet the ripples of consequence of your own actions..."
Squaring a look at Michael, there's this revulsion in her eyes, "... are what are about to end you."
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Michael with Rock Explosion! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Mighty expired! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
When Michael shoves him away, it's while Dias is already on the descent. That landing thus turns out rougher than anticipated, but he manages to turn it into a forward roll and come up on his feet. However, because of the extra time that he has to spend on regaining his footing, by the time he turns around, Michael's already back up at the ceiling and descending down. With the Spicule that follows much more targeted this time, Dias doesn't have the space to dodge it.
So he doesn't try. With Timu's Cura energizing his body, he takes a different kind of risk and dives directly into the flames, abiding by the philosophy of 'the only way out is through.' The Force Sword cuts through the worst of the incandescent heat, keeping him from getting broiled alive on the spot, but the flames redden his skin and char at his armor as his hair and cloak whip violently in his wake until he crosses the battlefield, ending up back where Claude and Rena are. No longer untouched, but the fact that he managed to go untouched at all for any amount of time against a Wise Man is a feat in and of itself.
He isn't going to try to lecture Michael like the others. Because Dias has no sympathy for him, he feels it's a waste of his time trying to tell him how he's wrong.
Besides, Claude, Velvet and the others have already said so so eloquently. They will have victory.
"I'll leave it to you," he tells Claude with a half-smile. He moves, and Dias moves with him, Force Sword cutting light into the air that climbs two to three times his own height in a massive crescent to impact into Michael alongside Claude's opening strike. But where Claude raises his sword and sends that green energy shimmering into his friends to heal their burn wounds, Dias swiftly circles around to Michael's back and repeats the same maneuver--aiming to catch him off-guard and smash him with the immense force of a second massive crescent wave while Rena continues the assault from the front.
It's astounding. A year ago, he never would've imagined pulling off a coordinated attack with others so well. But then, it *is* Rena and Claude.
GS: Dias Flac enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Dias Flac has attacked Michael with Pale Moonlight! GS: Dias Flac enters a Counter stance! GS: Dias Flac has gained 3 Combo! GS: Dias Flac gains 25 THP from his Cautious! GS: Dias Flac enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Dias Flac has completed his action. GS: Michael mostly guards Rena Lanford's Rock Explosion for 143 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Airi Brooke has posed.
"I can't antimat anything!" Airi yells back at Dirk. "You wouldn't let me look at the TM! I actually study that kind of thing, you know! It's not like I was going to pawn it for chips and games money!"
Maybe she should have just *asked* Dr. Mirage to give her a copy, just for the novelty. What was she going to do, say no? Airi already didn't have it, so it's not like it would make it any worse.
Force twists around Airi in almost the same way she twisted it around Haniel. Turnabout's fair play, but that doesn't mean it's any fun.
She lifts up off the ground, mostly not under her own control at first, though those satellite pinpricks of energy flare out and attempt to stabilize her; they can't stop her from going up, but they can keep her upright. Her hair floofs out further as it's no longer pulled down by gravity, Airi attempting to untwist the knots of force as fast as Haniel can tie her up in them -
Airi ejects herself from the Tractor Beam earlier than Haniel meant for her to, but no more gently. She feels rather like a seed squeezed out from a watermelon as she half-skids, half-glides just above the floor, trying to drag her heels to give herself purchase and stop. Other misdirected force blasts out in sudden jets from the Tractor Beam in random directions, striking the walls, the floor, the ceiling hard enough to make a series of audible thumps and bangs. Haniel might catch one of them, too - Airi's aimed one his way.
As a result, rather than smashing into the ground when Haniel's Tractor Beam strikes her down, Airi tumbles across Phynal's floor, rolling for several yards before managing to catch herself in a half-crouch. Ow ow ow, she thinks, with a wince. One of her hands goes up to her ribs as she rises, though she takes her hand away from it as she regains her feet.
"I won't deny you're strong." Airi gets out. "But you're *old*. You're a remnant. The new Nede doesn't have a place for you, and I can do better!"
Airi cups her hands over a point in space, chanting, and a magic sphere - like a circle with all its internal runes and patterns, but three-dimensional - forms there, a creation of pure Symbology. It shines silver as Airi packs more and more force into it, letting it grow to about the size of a basketball before she opens her hands, steps back, and open-palm slams it.
"Arcane... BOMB!"
The sphere rockets toward Haniel - and on impact with anything, it bursts open, the twisted Symbological force erupting out in a shockwave as the layered Symbols flare up and then vanish. Some of the shockwave catches Jay's energized lightning and draws it in, the arcane surge amplifying it.
GS: Airi Brooke has attacked Haniel with Arcane Bomb! GS: Airi Brooke has gained 1 Combo! GS: Airi Brooke gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Airi Brooke has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
The second verse is the same as the first- and as dangerous if not moreso. Again, the shielding of blue light flickers against the flames, and Grace briefly wonders if this is what getting too close to a sun is like- she's a responsible pilot most of the time, and there's shielding and stuff she doesn't have here. Even as PD-606 converts the damage into something less permanently damaging, Grace can feel the heat on her skin. It can't mitigate everything. "Yeah... feels like you would." Grace admits, shaky again. Facing death is still frightening- why would it ever not be. It's not a fear a person should get used to- and Grace hopes she never does. But it's better to face it on your terms than someone else's, isn't it? "I really don't get people like you. Seems like for all your immortality you're just a kid who likes burning rints with an old welder just cause you can. Hurting people feel that good, old man? Cause it makes me sick to my stomach."
Claude's cry of victory rains over her, and the energy goes back into the shield- but Grace can see the efficiency dropping. 606 is struggling- but is it because of her or the enemy they were fighting? Or both? These are some of the strongest, right? Definitely the strongest left. Even... top of the line gear the federation didn't recognize is still fighting something made by conquerors and survived this long.
Velvet, meanwhile, mourns through rage. That's the lord of calamity with the big ol' bounty? ...They're undercharging, frankly. Her three eyes glance at the embodiment of terror and destruction and grief for just a moment, one of the few she has spare.
Caoimhe speaks of unbreakable bonds and teamwork. "...Yeah, well. Didn't come naturally." Grace calls back. How had they come so far in such a short time? (How will they break apart when this is all over?) Grace shakes her head. No time to think about that right now. "...But... hearing it like that sounds pretty great."
She watches as Rina and Dias rush in, timing perfectly together. Yeah. They've all come pretty far, huh... Even if Grace can't help feel a pang of distance. But... that's expected, right? Those three have been together a long time.
Grace circles in the air, hoping to get behind Michael this time. If everyone else can keep his front occupied, well... she can see if Michael can remember her through that. Backstab is a class skill for thieves, after all. Even reformed ones.
She waves her hands out in front of her, her hands spraying balls of light- all of them heat seeking. Hundreds, maybe a thousand of the tiny things, flying through the air towards Michael. She doesn't shout this time- the light show ought to be enough of a spectacle, as Grace flies acrobatically through the air, letting the photons do their thing.
GS: Grace Harvey spends 1 Combo on Gatling, loading 1 into Gatling! GS: Grace Harvey has attacked Michael with One Thousand Perfect Shots! GS: Grace Harvey has completed her action. GS: Access! Grace Harvey takes 30 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
'Then try and stop me!'
"HOOLIGRE!!" Hooligre snarls as an unsteady but upright Timu finds herself too slow to move, too slow to push her friend away as he ends up taking the brunt of the liquid flame whip for himself. He thrashes against it like it were something he could grab and wring out like a dishrag, as burns start to accumulate along his form.
"Hooligre," Timu mouths out in mild horror. She was able to call back Chargeray before immense harm, but here--
Hooligre's angry thrashing comes to a cease in a ball of light that returns to the Pokeball now held in her hand. Even with the help of her own curative sorceries, she can imagine and feel the sensation of just how much more she would've been burnt up by Spicule.
She's quiet through a lot of the shouting. Of the frightening woman with the enormous arm emanating that strange Malevolence, to look over yonder and see how that comes up off the form of... that's Nina, snarling and thrashing in turn over yonder.
To hear the gentleness of Caoimhe pave way to gritty, bloody resolve following seven years of tragedy in a story given context by that flippant Magilou over there.
Just as she starts to feel overwhelmed... there is a call to 'VICTORY,' and refreshing energies seem to help channel adrenaline, perhaps, as Timu fights back tears and stands up a bit straighter.
She can see Dirk still here, him and his School fighting with all they've got over there too. With that, she throws out her next Pokeball.
"Strooo....!" Hestrol's whale song fills the space. When they first met, Timu was afraid to see her that close, given the vague likeness to the likes of Sin. Hestrol's scared, being out of the periphery of the most recent Spicule blast (but not the wash of heat). Timu rests her hand against her, to calm her.
Hestrol's Fire-type resistance will handle the rest.
"You're just going to keep going because it's how things always were... and you can't imagine anything different," fury starts to build up. "Hestrol, Tackle!"
It's not a complex maneuver, but in the waves of all these complex powers and energies, just a large whale-like Pokemon moving up to throw their body weight against Michael is maybe just the correct size of ask to make of the situation.
GS: CRITICAL! Michael fails to guard Dias Flac's Pale Moonlight for 265 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
BEHIND THE ELEPHANT
"... that's it. You can do this," Dirk says, more to Oshawott than to Doublade. At which point he straightens up for a moment to shout towards Airi, "LOOK it wasn't like PERSONAL we was making the call we had at the TIME!" Then he squats back down, repeating to Oshawott: "You can /do/ this!""
Oshawott trembles. Just a little. Dirk can see it, even if he can't hear any small sounds.
"I know," Dirk tells her, quietly. "This sucks. Nona' this should've happened. We should be doin' forms by the seashore. But this is where we are now. I know you got this. Ten thousand years from now you're gonna be a trivia quiz answer. Generations on generations, but this was Oshawott's finest hour."
Oshawott puffs up slightly. Does she understand what Dirk is saying? No. But she can, at least, get the vibe. But - she puts two hands on her belly, and the scalchop securely set there, before looking up to Dirk again.
"What matters isn't your blade," Dirk says. "It's what you'll use it for."
Haniel screams about a tractor beam.
"No time like the present. I love you guys," Dirk says, quietly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e19hvCeLpeo
CERULEDGE
had been jabbing and leaping and dodging around, a blue-flamed source of heat and, at least, an allied force as others lay upon Haniel. When he calls upon the tractor beam, the Pokemon finds himself floating upwards-- "??" Then the gravity throws him towards the ceiling.
For a few blessed moments, Haniel is free of deranged sword-wielding Pokemon -- something that most people who experience the converse come to relish, if they do not come to a bad end. And yet, sure enough, Doublade comes hurling towards Haniel even as he unleashes that hideous strength in a beam.
Doublade slashes and spins and twists and jabs down from the front. And indeed, from a rather fixed angle of arc. A counterstrike hits one of Doublade's blades, the Pokemon making a warbling metallic hum as that blade stays aloof for a moment.
And behind Haniel, Ceruledge lands in a three-point crouch behind Haniel. The Pokemon of the Fire Blades watches the others. He knows them, he remembers them. He is not who he was - not the small and round figure who barely overcame his fears - but Doublade's evolution did not change that swords' character.
Ceruledge intuits the plan in a moment. Surging forwards, the first thing Ceruledge says is a grunting "RUL" as the burning Pokemon's sword-hands come up...
... down low and underneath the arms of Haniel...
The blades erupt to greatsword-length as Ceruledge throws himself backwards. He is vastly greater than he was, in terms of height and mass, but it has taken him from an imp to something about the size of a human. And yet, Doublade sees it - one half of Doublade smashes downwards to try and pinion Haniel's upraised right arm, on the assumption, perhaps the hope, that it is Haniel's dominant arm.
And the other half of Doublade does a barrel roll. For clinging on Doublade's hilt...
Was Oshawott. With a look past terror in her black-button eyes, the Pokemon reaches for the scalchop at her belly. A scalchop - a naturally occuring detachable organ - made of compressed *keratin* of all things. The same material that makes up hair and bone and hoof and nail. Denser, yes - denser and honed tight. A scalchop is not strong enough to break steel, even if it might be able to parry and catch a steel blade, if wielded adroitly.
But Oshawott does not go for steel. Oshawott goes for something much different - the tubes on Haniel's chest. As she falls Oshawott makes two-handed chopping strikes downwards, her face tight as she tries to strike as much as she can. Is two enough? Is four? Is six, seven - she misses, just, the eighth, before hurling the scalchop up to make it an even number, landing on her back and catching the weapon on the rebound as she wriggles hastily away from Haniel.
Doublade lets out a metallic shriek, and Ceruledge a burst of flame, even as Oshawott rolls onto her belly and gets up to her feet, running towards the parlous safety of Cufant's barrel-shaped form.
"Ceruledge!" shouts the fiery Pokemon even as Doublade wrenches loose and streaks towards the far walls of this darkly-familiar chamber.
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Michael with Tackle! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: Michael mostly guards Grace Harvey's One Thousand Perfect Shots for 120 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Grace Harvey! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Dirk Swordsman has attacked Haniel with Tsurugi Ultimate Beatdown ~First Formation~! GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 3 Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman takes 35 damage from Poison! GS: Dirk Swordsman takes 58 damage from Reaper! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Jay's response brings a laugh to Gwen's lips. "N' that's why I always like gettin' orders from ya, Jay!"
But enough talk (of business).
"GRKT!" Unlike the cyan fluid oozing from Haniel's skill, when Haniel's rocket-propelled knee lands in Gwen's abdomen, the color she coughs is distinctly pink-- spit mixed with blood, that is.
That, compared to the way the courier's fist felt, was much more fleshy, even if she managed to guard against it somewhat.
Falling back, the courier holds onto her stomach, wincing as she wheezes, temporarily stunned as others dive in.
That can't be where she stops, though!
Getting up and wiping her mouth, Gwen clears her throat, waiting as Dirk's squad executes a brilliant maneuver. She steels herself, rubbing her stomach and walking right back into the danger.
"h-Hey now, we're fallin' behind. Better pick up the pace before our friends have to come help us." Gwen manages a grin as she darts in close, attempting to prompt Haniel to look her direction. In the middle of this, she uncurls the fingers of her right hand, revealing a tailored hole in the middle of her palm, precisely where the opening of her own ARM sits. "Say cheese!"
That may be the last thing Haniel sees for a few moments, as a bright flash erupts from Gwen's hand.
It'll hopefully be enough time for the courier to pull her right ARM back, and, charging it up, sling a furious hook of energy straight into that fleshy(?) jaw of his.
GS: Gwen Whitlock spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Haniel with Lucky Break! GS: Gwen Whitlock enters a Counter stance! GS: Gwen Whitlock has gained 3 Combo! GS: Gwen Whitlock has launched an attack Link! GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Claude C. Kenny used Force Action: Mystic on Gwen Whitlock! FP up! GS: Slow removed! GS: Gwen Whitlock spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Haniel with Special Delivery! GS: Delay expired! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
If Xantia wanted Haniel to get riled up, that seems to have been well and truly accomplished. Now she just has to keep pushing - which she also chooses to do verbally, following her explosive punch. "What's wrong, not as invincible as you thought, perhaps? How about now, how confident are you feeling are you feeling now?"
Confident enough to still profess his personal strength, evidently. Given what she regularly preaches, she could hardly fault a 'never give up' mentality... if that's what it was. But, this is different, she's pretty sure. This is simply... not being able to fathom another way to be. The lack of empathy, the rigidity of their ways, it must be all by design. This aspect of the Wise Men gnaws at her still, even though there obviously can be no room for sympathy, given what they've set in motion. More than anything, she feels herself getting more angry by the second.
Xantia's eyes grow wide as Haniel's response this time comes in a form she wasn't quite as prepared for. It doesn't require too much intuition to realize this is going to be a big one, when you're suddenly staring down the barrel of a cannon. Instinctively, she moves at the last second, the beam searing past her thankfully armored back, escaping the lion's share of the damage that could have done. It does cause her to stumble and fall, but only for a short moment, rolling back to her feet in a fluid motion.
"...I see. Getting serious, now. In that case, so will I!"
Clasping her hands together, motes of Light stream upward like a fountain, gathering to form into the shape of a giant blade. Shifting to a one-handed grip on the weightless, ethereal greatsword, she charges once more. Blade extended in front for a impaling strike, with a weapon that has no physical property, but is certainly capable of causing damage as if it were.
Pulling back into a defensive stance right after, she verbalizes her frustrations. "Do you see now, where your callous nature got you? Ready to admit you may have made a mistake in your assessment of us 'worms'? Are any of you EVER going to say ANYTHING that makes you sound like a 'Wise Man'??"
On top of everything, being badly named? That's clearly the real crime here.
GS: Xantia has attacked Haniel with Radiant Blade! GS: Xantia enters a Counter stance! GS: Xantia has gained 2 Combo! GS: Xantia gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Xantia gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Haniel mostly guards Airi Brooke's Arcane Bomb for 85 hit points! GS: Drowsy and Weaken blocked! GS: Haniel critically fails to evade Dirk Swordsman's Tsurugi Ultimate Beatdown ~First Formation~ for 292 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Shieldbreak blocked! GS: Haniel fails to charge Gwen Whitlock's Lucky Break for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Jam applied to Haniel! GS: Blind blocked! GS: Cover applied to Gwen Whitlock! GS: FP up! Countermeasures! GS: Delay! Attack weakened! GS: Haniel mostly guards Gwen Whitlock's Special Delivery for 77 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Blind! GS: Blind blocked! GS: Haniel fails to evade Xantia's Radiant Blade for 181 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Velvet Crowe has posed.
Fire burns through her veins. Blood spills down the split skin of her forehead, intermingling with the soot smudging its way across her sweat-glistened skin.
Everything feels ten times -hotter- now. The temperature within Velvet Crowe surges like a furnace. Like a star.
And so does that tempest of emotions that fuel the would-be Hellion Lord.
It fuels her on to self-destructively reckless degrees. The way she roars at Michael is a spittle-laced, feverish thing that completely disregards the violence he is preparing to inflict upon her. His fist ignires with flames that could melt steel like butter.
Her claw bulges hideously in response as she shoves it forward for him.
"I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO BE ANGRY ABOU--"
CRACK-FOOM
is the sound of that flaming fist hitting Velvet's skull seconds before her claw can reach Michael's face. The blow is so powerful that it stone and metal pulverizes beneath her impact as she is pummeled into the ground; the gasp she lets out is the kind desperately sucking for air without being able to, the reflexive sound someone makes when they're breaking.
The ground craters a shallow indent beneath Velvet Crowe's point of impact. She is prone, face-down in the once-polished serenity of the Wise Men's grand tower. Blood pools in ground puddles of scarlet beneath her as, for a time, she lies motionless.
And yet, the world continues around her. For all the violence and rage Michael brings to the fore in grand flashes of superheated shockwaves that could level armies - that had scoured civilizations - they all still fight on.
You'll never understand why the lives you seek to take matter.
They still suffer on.
"... heh..."
Victory it is, then...
A weak smile trembles at Velvet Crowe's lips.
"You just... don't get it..."
Her fingers twitch out a trembling spasm. Her palms press into the ground to start to push her, shivering, upward.
You don't even know our names, do you? Because you could care less about us - we're just little things that don't matter.
"You think revenge is your right, just because... you're angry?" She laughs a weak, wet laugh, and spits blood onto the ground.
"... That's - pttt - that's not revenge."
Velvet's prone form is gone from that cracked and sundered ground by the next time anyone looks.
Seems like for all your immortality you're just a kid who likes burning rints with an old welder just cause you can.
"It's the last recourse for people who have a hole punched in their heart! A hole that'll never get smaller! What the hell would you know about that?!"
And just as Magilou conjures that icy tomb for Michael, there she is -- the Lord of Calamity, a scarlet smear on the rear peripheries of the Wise Man's vision, red light in her eyes, taloned fingers splayed.
"But don't worry! I'LL SHOW YOU--"
And, pain bursting through every nerve in her Hellionized body, Velvet swipes that clawed hand powerfully upward, dragging a smear of bloody scarlet Malevolence behind her as the blow SHATTERS that icy prison--
--and then all that Malevolence IGNITES in blister-hot flames as roaring hot as Michael's himself as those burning claws seek to dig out another hearty chunk of his spirit to engulf.
"--WHAT REVENGE REALLY MEANS!"
GS: Velvet Crowe enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Velvet Crowe has attacked Michael with Heaven Claw! GS: Velvet Crowe has gained 2 Combo! GS: Velvet Crowe gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Velvet Crowe enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Velvet Crowe has completed her action. GS: Access! Velvet Crowe takes 30 damage! GS: Michael fails to guard Timu Guado's Tackle for 205 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Timu Guado! GS: Michael fails to guard Velvet Crowe's Heaven Claw for 298 hit points! GS: Shieldbreak blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Velvet Crowe drains Michael! Velvet Crowe gains 97 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.
Memo to self. Don't get on Velvet's bad side.
... She can kind of dig what Velvet's putting down, though.
Michael does what he's made for... because that's his choice. Misty can't fault that, if that's what he chooses, but... "If that's your answer, then that's a shame. All that power, and all you can think to do is to destroy." She draws herself up taller. "Well not on my watch!"
A bolt of flame comes for Mega Starmie, and the pokemon surges into action to avoid it. It tracks through the crowd, though, and with a sudden jerk to one side Starmie takes most of the blow, but at an angle. Starmie spins out, rainbow streamers twisting around it, but the star-shaped catches itself before it falls again.
But green light showrs from bove, a gift from Claude to his allies, like Timu's before him. Starmie takes it in, and there's a bit more pep to her movements now, a tiniest bit more verve. "Thank you!" she calls out.
Working together like this... there's no way they can lose.
But Caoimhe explains, and Misty listens, takes that in with all the seriousness it deserves. "I'm sorry, Coaimhe," she says gently. "It seems like our past mistakes keep bringing new tragedies at every turn..."
Misty blinks at Magilou. "Well-- How's your Symbology? I'm sure I can put you in touch with someone..." Misty, you don't need to be that helpful, it's probably fine.
"Timu," calls Misty. "We're with you. Trust in your pokemon to support you."
It might be known to some in this room--though perhaps not among many of the Visitors--that Misty believes every good Trainer should have a policy, or an approach, when it comes to battle.
Hers happens to be an all-out offensive with Water-type pokemon.
But that's not all that she's capable of. She can make a different choice, when it suits her, unlike the Ten Wise Men. And in the spirit of all of this coorperation, and in the spirit of building up her fellow combatants...
"Mega Starmie! Rain Dance! Let's give everybody a little bit of refreshing rain!"
Starmie shoots straight up into the sky, spinning rapidly. Those streamers of energy spiral ever outwards, forming a whirling disc and a thin layer of mist. And from the mist, rainbow drops fall onto Misty's party, infusing them with energy and life in the midst of the dire battle.
GS: Misty Kasumi spends 1 Combo on Reload! GS: Misty Kasumi has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Rain Dance! GS: Misty Kasumi has attacked Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna with Rain Dance! GS: Misty Kasumi has attacked Magilou with Rain Dance! GS: Misty Kasumi has attacked Rena Lanford with Rain Dance! GS: Misty Kasumi has attacked Grace Harvey with Rain Dance! GS: Misty Kasumi has attacked Timu Guado with Rain Dance! GS: Misty Kasumi has attacked Velvet Crowe with Rain Dance! GS: Misty Kasumi has gained 1 Combo! GS: Misty Kasumi gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Misty Kasumi has completed her action. GS: Access! Misty Kasumi takes 30 damage! GS: Misty Kasumi heals Rena Lanford! She gains 106 temporary hit points! GS: FP up! Misty Kasumi's Reload!! GS: Rena Lanford enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Velvet Crowe accepts Misty Kasumi's Rain Dance for 0 hit points! GS: FP up! Misty Kasumi's Reload!! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna accepts Misty Kasumi's Rain Dance for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Misty Kasumi! GS: FP up! Misty Kasumi's Reload!! GS: Misty Kasumi heals Timu Guado! She gains 106 temporary hit points! GS: FP up! Misty Kasumi's Reload!! GS: Misty Kasumi heals Claude C. Kenny! He gains 124 temporary hit points! GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Misty Kasumi! GS: FP up! Misty Kasumi's Reload!! GS: CRITICAL! Misty Kasumi heals Grace Harvey! She gains 145 temporary hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Misty Kasumi! GS: FP up! Misty Kasumi's Reload!! GS: Misty Kasumi heals Magilou! She gains 107 temporary hit points! GS: FP up! Misty Kasumi's Reload!!
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
He strikes true. From that blow, there is instability.
So empathy is a 'waste of resources'. "No one can stand against the entire world on their own," he tells Haniel. "Not even one such as you."
Citan will get his response, after a fashion, soon enough.
There isn't any time to escape from the energy beam as it roars its way forward: whether he likes it or not, Citan is stuck dead-center where Haniel is aiming. Perhaps it's not mere accident that this is the case. With little else that can be done in the moment, Citan widens his stance and brings his arms to bear before him in the few instants of reaction time he's allowed.
To the outside world, it seems that this was somehow enough. As the terrible light fades, Citan remains where he'd been, whole if not entirely hale. Exhaling slowly, he rouses from that defensive stance and grimaces briefly, before turning his gaze over at Xantia. Her ability to manage her Ether has increased, but-- perhaps it is best this fight not drag on, he considers, especially if Azoth is not immediately present.
There's nothing else for it. Drawing upon his own Ether, he rushes at Haniel-- past Haniel. At a glance, it would look, perhaps, that he'd missed him entirely. Yet, Haniel will know the truth of it, however it might go: Citan strikes for him with all the speed of a lunging serpent as he passes, and in that hand, he bears flame's fury. One might be accustomed to the way that wildfires or volcanos might rain down their fury, but flame can make itself known in less bombastic methods than these. Fire is a reaction, after all. In one passing blow, Citan attempts to discharge all forceful heat of hell.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"A waste?" Ida says--hisses, really, through clenched teeth. "Sad." A wash of flame catches her attention; Ceruledge is here, and slashing at Haniel's defenses. Ida gives the Pokemon a quick nod; for better or worse, she's getting better at fighting alongside Pokemon as well as training them.
"I don't know if you never had it, or if Lantis ripped it out of you, in the end, but..." Ida doesn't finish. Haniel seizes her with invisible force, dangles her from nothing. She watches for a sickening moment as Haniel lunges at Gwen. "GWEN!" Ida chokes out. She's coughing blood. Split lip at the absolute best.
Haniel hurls her. Ida flies across the chamber and slams into the wall, leaving a roughly Ida-sized indentation. She half-falls, half-slides downwards, more exoskeleton crumbling from her body as she hits the floor on her side. Dizziness overtakes her for a moment as she rises to her feet. She promised Nina she'd keep an eye on her, but it's hard to keep track of her--much less her Domain--when the Lord of Calamity is right there, venting her rage on Michael.
Something grows warm against Ida's heart. She reaches into her coat and pulls out the Stone Medium. "All right," she whispers. Ida rises to her knees, holds up the Medium in both hands, and lets herself become a conduit.
A second(?) manifestation ignites within the chamber: another great firebird, who soars over the battlefield on golden, flaming wings. Ghostly feathers fall from the edges, landing on both Dirk himself and his Pokemon. Another feather lands atop Gwen, and another lands atop Ida herself. Warmth flows out of them as they burst into sparks of empowering firelight!
GS: Citan Uzuki has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Material - Inner Flame! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Material - Inner Flame! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Material - Inner Flame! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Break and Weaken expired! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Citan Uzuki spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Haniel with Kasei -Goku-! GS: Citan Uzuki has gained 3 Combo! GS: Citan Uzuki's Stoic stance ends! GS: Citan Uzuki gains 20 THP from Cancel! GS: Citan Uzuki gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Cover and Riposte expired! GS: Citan Uzuki has completed his action. GS: Ida Everstead-Rey accepts Ida Everstead-Rey's Material - Inner Flame for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: Mighty and Riposte applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: Dirk Swordsman accepts Ida Everstead-Rey's Material - Inner Flame for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: Mighty and Riposte applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: Haniel mostly guards Citan Uzuki's Kasei -Goku- for 48 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dispel! Hyper removed!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina watches the crystalized blood glitter through the air, some darker part of the hellion fascinated by the sight. She twists once more, unnaturally so. Moving in a way she wouldn't have dared before as the blast completely misses her. Leaving her bent backwards, still faving Haniel. The grin on her face less happy and more predatory as she looks up. Mist trailing from the edges of her mask and claws. Puffing out as she whispers out, "It's ending soon." Like she's trying to unnerve the being far older than her and.. probably still stronger than her. She's always been prone to bravado and taunting though..
A hand raises up as the cold intensifies isolating it into a ball of clinging bitter cold. Painful to the touch, leaving streaks of ice down Nina's robes, briefly making the air sparkle as the moisture all flash freezes. She suddenly whips around, lashing out with claw and spell like she intends to grab the figure through the spell. A creepy laugh escaping just as the spell leaves her fingers while she calls out, "Cold flare!" and jumps away, giving her some kind of breathing room. Her long arms not.. any better at that close a range than Haniel's gun.
Only now giving her the feeling that she's being watched. Eyes blazing blue as she turns to look at Timu, eerie and aggressive, then just as quickly it breaks and she tears her eyes away to focus on Haniel once more. Timu's a friend. She shouldn't let that fear get to her. Some level of.. insight into Ruth suddenly clicking in the younger hellion's mind. Even if just barely.
There's a brief fracture of thought there and she tenses up again. Fingers moving to her mask once more. Tapping against it. She adjusts the extension of her form as Airi talks, "You're just as stuck as everything else had been in this world." Adding on to her speech. Even if she's also looking at Airi's uniform (She doesn't even seem to recognize the person), "I'm done with power hungry remnants." Which... at some point in the future she might realize she's chasing power herself, even if she's sure she could justify it better.
The road to hell.
That she is both trying to protect the others, but not directly putting herself in danger, lost to herself for stretches at a time maybe reinforcing that lack of self-introspection she needs again.
GS: Nina Chiyome spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Nina Chiyome has attacked Haniel with Cold Flare! GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 3 Combo! GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action. GS: Gwen Whitlock accepts Ida Everstead-Rey's Material - Inner Flame for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Gwen Whitlock! GS: Mighty and Riposte applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: CRITICAL! Haniel mostly guards Nina Chiyome's Cold Flare for 181 hit points! GS: Poison removed! GS: Poison blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
Michael lands in the center of the firestorm again. The ground is blackened; ash flakes off under his boots. He slams his hands together; the flames rage and roil all about him.
He looks at Haniel, as waves of green light wreath around him. The wound on his chest begins to vanish. "Got it, Haniel!"
He looks towards Claude, then.
"Lives? Hopes? Dreams?" Michael asks Claude C. Kenny. "Tch... maybe so. But what are those, compared to power? Everyone has those -- and strength is how you make them last!"
Michael is struck, slashed into by Claude. The blow knocks him backward; more orange blood splashes down, steaming on the ground. He looks up at Rena.
"Kid," he says. "You're not weak. You're just not on my level. And... you're never gonna be."
He doesn't know her name.
The ground cracks open -- as he sees the revulsion in her eyes -- and rocks slam into him, smashing him backward. He stumbles, his feet slower to find their footing.
He looks up -- as Starmie sends out that refreshing rain, waters washing over them. The rain drops that get near him steam away.
"Gh... ENOUGH TALK!"
Michael slams his fist into the ground. Flame explodes outward, rushing towards Claude, Rena, and Mega Starmie. Then, the Wise Man leaps into the air. He does a hard twist, and comes down. The flames that rolled outward roll back in; they surround him, as he drops down like a comet. He smashes into the ground, and the fire explodes outwards the three of them.
"SPIIIIIIIIICULE!"
Then, in the fire -- it wafts and churns around him, embers still burning -- he claps his hands together. The flames continue to crackle about him.
It is through those flames that he sees Caoimhe rise with the Holy Sword. Michael thought her defeated; dead, under his previous use of the spell. He turns at her voice -- and his eyes widen sharply.
The Holy Sword bursts forward, striking down at him. Brilliant light erupts around them both--
--and as it fades, Michael has crossed his arms together. The bracers, cracked and broken, hold the blade at bay.
Then, they SHATTER under the Holy Sword's unstoppable might.
His arms, underneath, are scarred with burns; they're crackling, closer to molten lava than flesh. Steam rises off them. Michael hisses in pain as he looks at Caoimhe. Orange blood runs down his face; it hits the ground and it sizzles.
"You..." he spits, to Caoimhe. "We all burn. But not me... not yet! I'm not done here! Even if you're ready to go to hell--"
He slams his arms apart -- and then throws a single, mighty punch for Caoimhe's blindfolded face. Flame explodes off it. "--I won't let you drag me there, paladin!"
Dias is on him, a moment later, following up on Claude -- and the Wise Man turns, his eyes widening again. The crescent blast strikes into him, smashing him backward. "Gh--"
He raises up a foot and SLAMS it onto the ground. Then, the floor cracks -- steel ripping like torn paper -- and shakes violently, as chunks of rock and flame hurl out for Dias. "Earthquake!"
Grace flies at him, a moment later, looking towards her. His eyes narrow. "It's not about the hurting, it's about the battle! The contest! The FURY!"
He turns -- but she gets behind him before he can turn all the way. Orbs of light smash into him, throwing him forward.
"Gh!" he cries out, before he finishes turning. He throws out a bead of light, which hurtles for Grace.
It explodes into a titanic fireball as it gets close, the fiery blast knocking him backward.
Michael staggers, turning his head towards Magilou as she speaks. His head is tilted.
- -1 ARGUMENT OUT OF RANGEwardly, he thinks: 'How the hell did a dragon fit on a boat?'
He doesn't, fortunately, voice this aloud. Instead, she sends ice up around him; it entombs him. Encases him. He shatters through it; it begins to melt from the heat pouring off his body. "Not... gonna die... YET!"
He wasn't expecting a whale Pokemon to slam into him. But yet, Hestrol does tackle him; her body slams him backward, smashing him into the wall. He stumbles, before he glowers.
"Don't..." His voice is raspy. "Don't need anything different, damn it!"
He looks back at Velvet; at the crater smashed into Phynal's floor. He cracks his neck to the side; there is an audible POP.
"A hole torn in your heart?" he asks. "The... the hell does that mean!?"
He swings up his arm again, trying to intercept her massive clawed hand -- and it slams through the remnants of the icy prison and smashes his arm aside. She rips away some of his very essence, as he screams.
He stumbles back. Orange blood drips onto the ground, sizzling and burning.
But he still stands.
Michael throws both arms wide. Another fiery shockwave erupts; this one hurtles out for Timu and her team, for Magilou, and for Velvet. The flame roils over all three, before the explosion draws upward. As, once, again, he shoots up.
He rises up into the air, then does a backflip to cowm down at the ground.
Michael punches it. Flame EXPLODES off his fist, rocketing outward; it smashes out towards Velvet, for Magilou, and even TImu nd her Pokemon. The firestorm erupts again, churning and brilliant like a solar flare.
"SPIIIIIIIIIICULE!"
GS: Michael has attacked Michael with Spontaneous Combustion! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael accepts Michael's Spontaneous Combustion for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Michael! GS: Mighty applied to Michael! GS: Stagger removed from Michael! GS: Michael spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Rena Lanford with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Misty Kasumi with Spicule! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Michael with Spontaneous Combustion! GS: Michael has gained 2 Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Michael accepts Michael's Spontaneous Combustion for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Michael! GS: Mighty applied to Michael! GS: Stagger removed from Michael! GS: Michael spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Michael enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Michael has attacked Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna with Pyroclast Punch! GS: Michael has gained 3 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Dias Flac with Earthquake! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Michael has attacked Grace Harvey with Explosion! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Magilou with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Velvet Crowe with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Timu Guado with Spicule! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford mostly guards Michael's Spicule for 267 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: Velvet Crowe mostly evades Michael's Spicule for 126 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Velvet Crowe gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Magilou marginally guards Michael's Spicule for 223 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Magilou gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Reaction bonus! GS: Magilou enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Claude C. Kenny critically fails to charge Michael's Spicule for 526 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Claude C. Kenny gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado mostly guards Michael's Spicule for 242 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Timu Guado gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Reaction bonus! GS: CRITICAL! Grace Harvey marginally guards Michael's Explosion for 180 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Grace Harvey gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Grace Harvey enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna mostly charges Michael's Pyroclast Punch for 265 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst and Reaction bonus! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Strain! Michael takes 50 damage! GS: Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight! GS: CRITICAL! Misty Kasumi fails to guard Michael's Spicule for 426 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Misty Kasumi gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Haniel has posed.
Lightning Strikes and Arcane Bombs batter into Haniel. He is thrown off of his footing, grunting and slamming his metal legs down to crack the floor and force himself stable. His hair, once perfectly solid in its shape, has been left disheveled. His mustache is stained in cyan that drips from his noise.
"Try! Wiggle! Writhe! It will not avail you!"
Doublade slashes and swings. Haniel seizes hold of one of the cloths from the hilts, without care nor concern for the affect of it, hissing as he uses that to still Doublade long enough for a metallic impact into the flat of a blade. Haniel punches a sword.
"You are nothing. Your pets are nothing!"
And then blades come up behind and under, pulling Haniel's arms back. He jerks his body to reach around, finding his arm pinned and then --
Brave Oshawott.
The tubes are severed, and high pressured red sprays across from Haniel like ninja's blood. He shrieks, pulling his body against Ceruledge to try and grab the smaller otter Pokemon in a metal fist. But his body does not move right, falling without the support of Ceruledge before he can do any such thing.
Haniel punches again into the ground and looks up at the Drifters with disdain in his piercing, yellow eyes.
"YOU! WILL! DIE!" Barrels emergy from his limbs, firing in wild scattershots like a sawed off shotgun -- and this may well be because at this point, some of his inner machinery has been sawed down. Without calling out the sell, Symbology forms and arrows of energy the size of Iron Treads shoot off in wild, erratic directions, exploding where they hit.
Gwen's fist finds his jaw in the madness after her flash blinds him. He tries to slam his arm into her, hand shifting and refolding into a large barrel for a point-black shot. He swings it around to bludgeon Xantia with it, missing by a wide margin. His shot of burning black-white spherical energy launches for Citan while Xantia's ethereal greatsword finds its mark.
"I was made for greatness! What were you made for, if not just to die!"
Citan and Ida note Haniel's feelings on empathy. "Do you require a demonstration?" he demands, venom in his voice, as he fires another scatter shot not toward the fainted Iron Treads. He is about to bark a laugh about that when Citan's heat hits him as if delayed. Nina follows with cold. Two extremes, one after another. Haniel endures the storm of inner fire and outer snow, slamming his hand to his chest. Green Symbology begins to glow and...
The fluids of his tubes spills out through his fingers, splattering to the ground. He coughs up more through his throat, and his movement jerks to an awkward still.
"Stupid... aquatic beastling...!"
GS: Haniel has activated a Boss Action! GS: Haniel has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Haniel has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Gauntlet Cannon Scatterblast! GS: Haniel has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Gauntlet Cannon Scatterblast! GS: Haniel has gained 1 Combo! GS: Haniel has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Thanaton Buster! GS: Haniel has attacked Citan Uzuki with Thanaton Buster! GS: Haniel has gained 2 Combo! GS: Haniel spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Haniel has attacked Nina Chiyome with Energy Arrow! GS: Haniel has attacked Airi Brooke with Energy Arrow! GS: Haniel has attacked Xantia with Energy Arrow! GS: Haniel has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Energy Arrow! GS: Haniel has gained 1 Combo! GS: Haniel gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Haniel has completed its action. GS: CRITICAL! Airi Brooke mostly guards Haniel's Energy Arrow for 203 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Airi Brooke gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Airi Brooke enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Jacqueline Barber mostly guards Haniel's Gauntlet Cannon Scatterblast for 117 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jacqueline Barber gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: COUNTER! Dias Flac counterattacks Michael with Counter Attack! GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: Low! Dias Flac mostly charges Michael's Earthquake for 309 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Rain, prismatic rain falls on Claude, quenching the Michael's flames if only for a little while. Claude feels it; he feels that power, even as he puts his hopes in Gwen acros the battlefield. Misty'd thanked him, but, "We're in this together!" he calls to her.
But Michael asks of him. What are those, compared to power? "Everything," Claude say fervently.
He nods sharply to Grace. And he makes himself ready for what comes next. Claude knows Dias has left it to him, so...
He does what he can.
SPIIIIIIIICULE!
Michael is still standing, when the flame explodes off. And so is Claude. ...But barely; his sword is melted through. His jacket is scorched. And he's grinning.
"Heh..."
Claude grins a little longer. "Strength... You're confusing strength with power. 'Power' can extend the inevitable for a while."
"But 'strength'..."
"...It's what my friends have. It's what we saw in the Fields. And it's why we'll fight for dreams no matter how much 'power' you have."
"For Arlia, we'll..."
He stumbles, then. "...Finish it, guys. I'm..."
"I'm counting... on you..."
Claude thuds down, as his ability to stay conscious wavers out. He'll live--if the battle is won.
But he hasn't lost grip on his sword, melted as it may be.
GS: COUNTER! Xantia counterattacks Haniel with Solar Radiance! GS: Xantia mostly charges Haniel's Energy Arrow for 252 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xantia gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Haniel critically fails to guard Xantia's Solar Radiance for 282 hit points! GS: Dirk Swordsman mostly guards Haniel's Energy Arrow for 144 hit points! GS: Gwen Whitlock mostly guards Haniel's Thanaton Buster for 112 hit points! GS: Ruin! Cover and Dynamax removed! GS: Gwen Whitlock enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: RUIN! All positive status effects and temporary hit points purged from Gwen Whitlock! GS: Stagger removed! GS: Citan Uzuki fails to guard Haniel's Thanaton Buster for 236 hit points! GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Citan Uzuki receives 102 temporary hit points. GS: Citan Uzuki enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Starve expired! GS: RUIN! All positive status effects and temporary hit points purged from Citan Uzuki! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey mostly guards Haniel's Gauntlet Cannon Scatterblast for 88 hit points! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Airi Brooke has activated Force Action: Full Clip!
<Pose Tracker> Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has posed.
Grace speaks of how their teamwork didn't come naturally -- but to hear it like that? It sounds pretty good. Caoimhe can't help but crack a soft smile, as she says, "... I never said it was an easy thing, creating an unbreakable bond. Cherish it, because such bonds..."
... may very well be unbreakably choking.
Caoimhe does not see Hestrol, but she hears her whalesong -- something that resonates deep within her, as Timu fights the good fight in turn. When Velvet speaks of vengeance, she listens. The last recourse for people who have a hole punched in their heart...
...
As the Lord of Calamity punches through Magilou's final embrace, in a splendid display of teamwork once again, of ice and fire, Misty apologises for her people.
"I accept your apology, Lady Misty." Caoimhe doesn't deny it; the Nedians did have a hand in the Sorcery Globe, and Caoimhe indeed acknowledges the grace Misty has in embracing the mistakes of her people -- even if she was born far, far after the fact.
"That you acknowledge the mistakes of your forbearers and have the courage to correct them... that is strength, indeed."
Caoimhe's blow resoundingly connects with Michael's bracers, and she hears them shatter into smithereens. She draws deep the scent of his unnatural, orange blood -- and the way it sizzles even as it touches the blood, so hot as they run.
For her insolence, for her resistance, Michael draws his arm back, now free and unfettered of its shielding -- and slams his fist into her blindfolded face.
The Paladin adjusts -- it's her shoulderplate that he connects with, as she vain twists her body at the last moment with what little pivoting she can. It still connects full-force, and the crystalline shoulderplate EXPLODES in much the same manner as his bracers, and the rest of her is sent flying, crashing firmly against the barrier of the platform, and into an unceremonious and not terribly elegant sounding
thud
(SFX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4shDxiJ3ZQ )...
...
For a moment, the Paladin remains extremely motionless, no different than a corpse. Then, a flicker of light erupts around the Holy Sword; for a moment, if someone were to stare really closely, it's as if the adornments on its hilt are starting to quaver...
Then Caoimhe grips the Holy Sword by the hilt.
"No. Not today."
It takes the finality of the strength she has to roll towards her back. She's not getting up from that. She can't see Michael, but she can sense his depleting life force, the way his blood burns and spills and sizzles --
And at that moment, she feels a moment of trust and belief that the others have victory in hand.
It is the most frightening thing her hole-punched heart has felt in a long, long while.
You'd know, right, Velvet, Magilou?
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Rena slides back away as Grace 'angelically' flies through the air, into the hands spraying that light. "It didn't." Rena confirms to Caoimhe, "A few hiccups but. That's how it's meant to work I think."
Indeed... Velvet shows her what revenge really means too, in the blistering heat of malevolence which rises, to meet Michael's flames.
Hers might run far colder in comparison, but - in this moment she's fine with that.
They don't have to get it. Maybe, it's better that way. Misty has her Mega Starmie bring about a Rain Dance, and Rena finds herself caught in the layers of mist, as it heals over her, and she calls out her, "Appreciated Misty."
She tries not to snicker because Mist... Misty... look it's a Pokemon joke, she thinks it's funny.
But... Michael is hardly finished yet and he proves it, by doing a spell she's heard enough times that the mere invocation is enough to send her heart into panic. Still, she stands still and cries out, "REFLECTION!" And runes flare, as energy bleeds off of her, through a concave field of blue. It doesn't help much before the field shatters, leaving her panting in the wake of it.
What's more important is that... "Claude?" Her eyes look at him in alarm, "Claude don't- don't talk like that, you're scaring me." And then he starts to drop, "CLAUDE-!" -and her eyes grow wide, then close for a moment, as she clenches a hand harder than she ever has.
It would be easy to think this is the day like with her mother - another day where she loses someone without conveying her feelings, but there's one key difference. And she knows what that is. She's always known what that is.
"You're right." Rena says quietly of Michael, but tone suddenly pregnant with menace, "I'm not on your level." Symbological power gathers around her, and she takes a stance as each Cestus in her hands comes alight, brighter and brighter, before dashing forward, becoming a blur that slams into him again and again and again, from this angle and another, criss crossing in random directions trying to keep him guessing, before she kicks off of him, back flipping off of him.
"And I'll NEVER be like you! Star... FLARE!"
And Michael may be confused, because he's expecting the attack... but it's not there. There's no creation of that spell, that expression on the spot, that flare of radiance. It just doesn't appear, because the attack...
... was a feint. You'd have had to look very closely to see the lines appear over Dias' blade. The suddenly roar of flames off of it, as Stars meet the Moon, appear upon his blade, as if she were leaving it to him. And Rena lands by Claude's body, to instead put a hand upon him, as light thrums off of her, appearing in a bright, ethereal blue column off of her, "Raise... DEAD!" And an effigy of a faerie down the light to embrace his form, repairing the harm of his flame, gradually, as the light creeps up over him.
"If you can't understand what Claude was trying to tell you... you're not even in our league."
Claude was counting on her... and now she's counting on Dias, to make this count.
GS: Rena Lanford has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Rena Lanford spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Michael with Star...! GS: Rena Lanford has launched an attack Link!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Dias must admit, Wise Man or not, he would not have expected Michael or anyone to stomp on a steel floor and RIP it apart to send chunks of it flying up in a wave of fiery debris. He manages to deflect some of those chunks with quick swordwork, but some of them inevitably get through his guard and impact him, leaving behind burning impacts on his armored chest and legs. It's thanks to those that he manages to get away with just a grunt as he staggers back a step, but it's a grunt through pained, gritted teeth.
Even when you manage to partially defend yourself, the Wise Men's power is intense.
And that's not all. Michael brings down yet another Spicule--a tactic Dias already knows he uses--but this time, those flames engulf--
"CLAUDE!" he snarls, eyes widening as he sees his companion overcome, his sword melted, his jacket burned. And yet... Claude stays on his feet just long enough to tell Michael that his power is nothing, compared to the strength he has in his friends. Compared to the fight they'll fight to the very end--for Arlia, and for the universe.
It's very Claude. Even to the end, he relies on his friends. Dias hears that fear and agony in Rena's voice, and it only focuses his feelings further when Claude slumps to the floor.
"Die now," Dias snarls, rounding on Michael with a fury that seems almost to rise in flames around him. It's not entirely an impression; qi energy flares around him in a blaze that follows as he grips his sword and sears in towards the Wise Man behind Rena's salvo-feint. When her spell seems to not come at all, he is swinging his blade in a huge circle above and around, forming a line of bright cyan in its wake, and a deep, deep darkness within. He shifts and bends that sword, on which the Star Flare collides, joining its heat with the cold of his--
"FULL MOON SLASH!!"
As Rena lands and tends to Claude, Dias fulfills his end of their unspoken agreement to follow through. The deep darkness within the center of that maneuver pulls in the Star Flare and adds it to its crushing power, just before Dias unleashes them both on Michael.
Where there is light...
there is darkness.
<Pose Tracker> Airi Brooke has posed.
"Well make a better call next time!" is Airi's response to Dirk.
Haniel is on his last legs and it's mostly not Airi's fault, but she's perfectly willing to take credit for it. Still, actually working with the others is a novelty. Even if at least two of them she's fought before, and one of them appears to be a monster; judging by the uncertain way she looks back at Nina, she doesn't recognize her either and doesn't want to.
An energy arrow slams close enough to Airi to shower her with debris and break her aura of cool with a yelp as she staggers back, one of the chunks having hit her already-sore rib from where she rammed into the floor earlier. It's hard for her to catch her breath afterwards; she has to stop to breathe while Haniel does the Wise Man equivalent of flailing about.
This is a spell Airi has done maybe twice in her life before. She starts to build it up near Haniel, layer after layer, ring after ring of complex Symbology that spin around like a multi-axis gyroscope and describe the shape of a sphere in three-dimensional space. Seven layered rings, all spinning and rotating on a slightly different axis.
"What was I made for?"
Airi grins, that same cocky, half-smirking grin, made slightly less intense by her bruises and pain. "I don't care what I was 'made to' do. Because I find my own path. I make myself, Airi Brooke, how I want to be, every day. I'll probably die some day, but it's not now."
"If you've been stuck with what you were 'made to do' for however many thousand years, I feel kinda sorry for you."
Airi does something complex with her hands - and the rings of the gyroscopic spell all line up, click-click-click, until it's no longer a sphere but simply one big seven-layered ring, each one bigger than the last. And in the middle of the rings -
A point. A single point that pulls Haniel toward it, irresistably, yanking him inside the center of the rings, where they respin outward, hiding him from view. And from his point of view, he's no longer in reality at all, but -
What? It's not space, precisely - a non-space filled with Symbological forces that rip into him, tearing apart sorcery and matter, breaking it down into raw energy. It feels both empty and full, white-hot and searing cold - a place where space isn't the same as it is anywhere else.
On the outside, the rings spin faster and faster, a streaming blur of shining light that looks like a bubble. Five seconds or so later, the entire complex array of the spell cracks - and then detonates, dropping Haniel right back where he started, if slightly more shredded than he was when he went in.
GS: Dias Flac has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Dias Flac has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Airi Brooke spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Airi Brooke has attacked Haniel with Vanishing Point! GS: Airi Brooke has gained 2 Combo! GS: Airi Brooke gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Cripple expired! GS: Airi Brooke has completed her action. GS: Dias Flac spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Dias Flac has attacked Michael with Full Moon Slash! GS: Dias Flac has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dias Flac gains 26 THP from his Cautious! GS: Dias Flac has completed his action. GS: Rena Lanford spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Michael with ...FLARE! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: Nina Chiyome mostly evades Haniel's Energy Arrow for 113 hit points! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: Michael fails to guard Dias Flac's Counter Attack for 256 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Michael critically fails to guard Rena Lanford's Star... for 297 hit points! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: CRITICAL! Haniel critically fails to evade Airi Brooke's Vanishing Point for 393 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Mute blocked! GS: Quick applied to Airi Brooke! GS: Michael critically fails to guard Dias Flac's Full Moon Slash for 303 hit points! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Michael critically fails to guard Rena Lanford's ...FLARE for 311 hit points! GS: Michael enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Magilou has posed.
SPICULE!
Magilou throws up one of her barriers, this time, instead of a shikigami -- and it, at least, holds better. The beehive-sections of light crack and splinter, but she isn't, at the very least, cooked alive. Certainly her blood is set aflame maintaining it -- but that's another matter entirely.
"Drip... drip... drip. Blood leaking from a heart, as it pumps it through only to spill its contents into the world... what a tragedy to find something so tattered! I will write your tragedy, Michael," Magilou offers, blithely, "as I have a hundred thousand dead men."
She might not even be exaggerating.
"I?" She adds, looking to Misty, perhaps belated. "I am the most powerful Sorceress of Lunar, blessed not only to exploit every element under Althena's domain, but to join them together like a monster made piecemeal. I have no need of Symbology when my soul is pure as driven snow!"
Surely she's exaggerating there. Surely...?
"For instance, did you know -- no one can escape the Lord of Calamity when I'm around? It's true! Let me show you... you're all about to get a lot closer!" Her boast becomes invocation, as an inky, dark Seraphic glyph erupts beneath her feet. "Gravity Mine--!"
Rena and Dias are all very concerned for her friend -- and Magilou doesn't lift a finger to help, as she instead sets a trap for the next time Michael stomps his foot. It begins as a node of Shadow energy, but where it is triggered, it will suck him down against his own debris to trap him where he stands.
GS: Magilou has attacked Michael with Gravity Mine! GS: Magilou has gained 2 Combo! GS: Magilou gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Magilou gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Magilou has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
'Timu.' Even surrounded by chaos, screaming, and destruction, somehow the Cerulean Gym Leader's voice manages to carry through. 'We're with you. Trust in your pokemon to support you.'
A gentle rain washes down, soothing hurts and dampening the strength of Fire-type moves - or in a more practical sense, Michael's preferred manner of dealing with his problems.
"Good job, Hestrol," Timu murmurs softly as her friend rounds the way back from her tackling, to hear Michael's rasping about not needing anything different.
Michael's about to go for it again, and Timu looks up there with the quiet acknowledgement nothing can stop him from doing that--
"...Stroooo!"
Hestrol sings again as she hurls her entire bulk into the explosive wave of flames. Even under the benefits of the rain *and* the type advantage, Michael's might is matched by few and surpassed by even fewer.
"Hestrol!" Timu shouts as she still catches much of the blistering backwash of heat. She can see Claude and Caoimhe struggling to stay up, which is its own panic when she realizes just how willing Hestrol might be to come to harm - just like Hooligre - knowing how close she came by the hands of less kindly Visitors.
"...StrooooOooooOooo~!"
Somehow, Hestrol holds and deosn't get flung back. (This is good. This could have crushed someone.)
...
There is no 'somehow.'
"...No, I understand," Timu whispers. "You... you do need something else. You do!" She shouts to Michael, as she draws another Pokeball. "Fuecoco!"
She tosses it atop Hestrol, as the small Fire Croc Pokemon hops out and - to his Bold nature - is already ready and raring to go as Hestrol tries to look up on top of her.
"...And we can finally give it to you." Timu compartmentalizes it in the moment. There is a comparison to those who should have been consigned to history, lingering far beyond. "You needed..."
"To stop!" She holds her staff, pointing it forward. "So... we're returning you to the past we're moving forward from." Just like Spira.
"Fuecoco! Use Return! Hestrol, give him a boost!"
"...Stroo..."
"Fuecoco!" Fuecoco nods, as Hestrol hoists her weight upward to flick Fuecoco up as a Symbological representation of heightened emotions encompasses him in pink-ish energy as he descends towards Michael. In a way, it's cold and dark, having somehow mapped the expression to a Symbological 'Move.'
But the feelings are real, as is the force of a small Fire Croc Pokemon descending upon Michael like a tiny mockery of the feared Spicule they are all surviving.
Have survived. There will be no more of those.
GS: Timu Guado has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Timu Guado spends 4 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 2 into Gatling! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Michael with Return!! GS: Timu Guado has gained 1 Combo! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: ROU|LET|TE: Severe! Michael critically fails to guard Magilou's Gravity Mine for 178 hit points! GS: Cripple and Entangle applied to Michael! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Michael critically fails to guard Timu Guado's Return! for 294 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Timu Guado! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
Oshawott scurries and scampers. It is not dignified. She doesn't lose her Scalchop or get pounded into otter sauce - and that's that. She belly-slides the last few yards, under Cufant, whose head turns to glare at Haniel - but she's some distance away, her coppery hide having taken some stray shrapnel but she seems to be bearing herself.
Dirk scoops Oshawott up and cradles her against his chest. "Knew ya could," he tells her, before staggering the handful of steps out from behind cover. This is probably stupid. Especially since as he does it, he lets out a 'tch' at Airi and hollers towards her, "Y'all got a TM DUPLICATOR in your secret base?? Now we got like twelve of 'em kickin' around! It worked out!!"
During this aside, Ceruledge takes a massive energy blast to his torso as he is preparing to make another attack run. The swift-moving blaze is thrown backwards far and hard enough to smack against the wall, sliding downwards in an ugly streak of charred surface material and clearly dazed. But despite it, his mouth pulls back into a smirk.
HOW COME?
"I guess y'all just don't listen because it ain't like we hide it," Dirk informs Haniel. The Spicule explosion makes him flinch, suddenly, curling partway around Oshawott, who wails in surprise, but soon enough quiets down as Dirk passes the tessen to his other, non-otter-holding arm and raises it up to point.
"They're not pets. They're friends."
"Sirfetch'd, send this clown back to the circus," Dirk concludes, pivoting his hand to pop the Pokeball he'd copped off his belt open. Another flash of light and Sirfetch'd manifests, his countenance stormy. Though his eyes turn upwards for a moment at the manifestation of another bird - a spiritual one. The feathers fall downwards.
Sirfetch'd snorts with determination. And then he stomps his way forwards, even as Dirk calls out. "And you're asking what I'm made to be? I'm gonna be the best I can be. Every day, just a little better. Gonna do it til I can't -"
Sirfetch'd quacks grimly under his breath. The exact sound, of course, you know. But there is intent beneath it, subvocalization. (For those we couldn't save. For those we yet can. For Galar and for the lands that yet remain, honor compels me --)
"Alongside all of 'em!!"
Sirfetch'd hadn't really been charging, although he had watched carefully as other strikes came in. He timed his stride, tensing muscles, preparing himself. Something is swelling powerfully within him, and he can intuit it was that other strange bird, that the human lady with the iron arm called forth. How or why? He does not, perhaps cannot, know. But it is enough. He watches Airi's Symbological gate form...
And when Haniel is on his way back out, Sirfetch'd smashes his sword into the ground, throwing himself forwards and into a somersault in the air as he cries out "SIR!" and makes one enormous aerial slash with his leek-blade!
("WHAT THE HECC WAS THAT??? IS THAT SOME KIND OF TEAM ROCKET GUN???" cries Dirk, who also saw the magic, but has a much less determined attention span.)
DC: Dirk Swordsman switches forms to The Last Knight of Galar -- SIRFETCH'D!
GS: Dirk Swordsman spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Haniel with FIRST IMPRESSION! GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman takes 42 damage from Poison! GS: Dirk Swordsman takes 52 damage from Reaper! GS: Break, Jam, Mute, Poison, Reaper, and Slow expired! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action. GS: Haniel critically fails to guard Dirk Swordsman's FIRST IMPRESSION for 140 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple blocked! GS: Hyper applied to Dirk Swordsman!
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
Grace tries to brace for the incoming magic- but she misjudges it. The explosion overwhelms PD-606 for a moment, and drives Grace fully to the ground, smashing against it with a impact that rings out. That one hurt. She can go longer, still, but...
'Systems critical.'
"That's not..." And then she hears a voice over her shoulder. She turns and looks. Claude is...
"C-Claude...?" It's amazing how much one's will can falter when someone you see as incredible and kind of unstoppable... stops. She looks desperately at her visor- but the only life signs she sees are her own. Heart rate increasing rapidly, breath shallow. This happened before, right? Before she was with them? Claude nearly died and Rena...
It turns out fine every other time, right?
But there's the voice in her head there, screaming. 'What if it doesn't' drowning out Dias and Rena's own cries of despair and anger. The brother and sister move for their revenge with a coldness that Grace doesn't have.
She remembers what she like after the crash. The all encompassing fear of loss, even if it turned out alright. And...
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vup0FSZH4W8
A mechanical voice speaks from the chestplate. "...Threat level overwhelming. Risk unacceptable. Invoking PAAC programming."
She feels her arms move without her permission, rigid and not like the flowing movements of Grace before. The rest of her body rises as all the projectors turn outwards. She's a prisoner of PD-606 again, and it's acting on it's own. "PAAC!? What is-"
Preserve At All Costs
Grace stares, as all the power that is normally in her shields disappears, going to the emitters as they shift into a dispersal mode, forward and back. "...No." There's fear in Grace's voice. Fear... but not panic.
"...I'm not letting you do that!" Grace yells. "They're counting on us, you... you mechanical jerk! If you wanna preserve me, you're preserving them too, whoever the heck you are!"
'Control Lockout Initiated' comes the display. 'Charging 40%...'
It's rising quickly. Damnit... the whole point of using this was she could control it now, that was why she risked dying against Dias. She wasn't supposed to be a liability anymore.
...No. She'd *decided* she wasn't going to be a liability anymore. That means it was on her not to be. PD-606 was just a weapon- a powerful one, and hard to control- but just a weapon. It's a machine, but it's just a machine. That means it has rules, too. It's preserving her, right...?
"First of all!" Grace yells as she uses her strength to pull one arm in front of her. "I'm calling the shots here, not you! You stay out of this, you over-engineered nanny machine!"
She swings her other arm in front of her, grabbing her outstretched hand, and with the strength of both she pulls them inwards. Her palms and their emitters turned to press to the plating on her chest, crossed arms covering the emitter on her midsection.
'Charging 80%'
"So let's see how your programming handles this!" She can see it, briefly, calculations being re run as Grace- using all the force one foot can provide' pirouettes so her back is facing the Wise Men. Where all five emitters are free to fire. She's praying she can pull this off- aiming behind her back with who knows how many combatants are in the way with an uncooperative targeting visor is a hell of a trick even for a Tetrageniot.
"...Hey. Michael." She uses his name. He had the courtesy to remember hers, if no one else's. "...Where do you think that fury you're looking for comes from?" She looks over the shoulder, three eyes seeking to make contact with the Wise Man's two.
"Sadness... Anger... they all come from pain, big guy. So look me in the eyes and tell me again that it's not about the hurting."
hThe five emitters on the back start glowing. 'Charge 98%...'
"Let me know if the guy I'm remembering really believed it."
'100'
And the cyan light bursts from her back in those five, very specific directions- hoping, desperately, she only encompasses the two wise men. She has no words for Haniel. She should cast an eye on him too- but all three of those eyes are locked on Michael's face, as if aiming to preserve his reaction. Possibly his last moments, as the PD-606 aims to reduce every threat in that zone to little more than mist.
GS: Burst added to Grace Harvey! GS: Grace Harvey has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Grace Harvey has attacked Michael with Preserve At All Costs! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Grace Harvey has attacked Haniel with Preserve At All Costs! GS: Grace Harvey has completed her action. GS: Access! Grace Harvey takes 30 damage! GS: Haniel critically fails to evade Grace Harvey's Preserve At All Costs for 312 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Countermeasures! GS: Grace Harvey drains Haniel! Grace Harvey gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Strain! Grace Harvey takes 50 damage! GS: Michael critically fails to guard Grace Harvey's Preserve At All Costs for 303 hit points! GS: Grace Harvey drains Michael! Grace Harvey gains 99 temporary hit points! GS: Strain! Grace Harvey takes 50 damage! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Haniel, to put it crudely but accurately, seems to be losing his shit.
Ida slips her Medium back into her coat, and sways upright as Haniel struggles with Dirk's Pokemon. Ceruledge pinning him means he can't swing at her, a fact for which she is extremely grateful.
"Was that nothing?" Ida says, and her lips twist in a grim, satisfied smile. Haniel sinks to the ground, but he doesn't stay down for long. Ida can hear Michael screaming out more horrid incantations, but she can't take her eyes off the foe in front of her.
'I was made for greatness! What were you made for, if not just to die!'
"I wasn't made for anything," Ida says. "And I'd rather that than the sad fate you were made for." Does she require a demonstration? Ida sees Haniel look at her--past her?--and hears the faint rumbling of the Iron Treads stirring behind her. Haniel isn't aiming at the Pokemon, but he's not being careful, either, and Ida would rather not give him the luxury of making an example. She throws herself forward, sets her feet, and soaks the cannonfire with shields that spread out from the exoskeleton on her arms. Fragments of biometal splinter off from the barrage, but Ida stands firm. Not a shot breaks past her to hit the Pokemon she's protecting.
Airi's Gate opens. It's the opening Ida was waiting for. She clenches her right hand into a tight fist, and feels Moor Gault's flame building within and around it. Armor flows from her skin to patch up the countless wounds Haniel hasn torn in her exoskeleton. She takes a deep, pained breath, and the moment Haniel emerges, Ida falls on him, alongside Farfetch'd. Her arm drives forward in a catastrophic punch--powerful enough to shake the air, powerful enough to rip through flesh. The Antimatter Misty unleashed earlier lends the flame around her an uncanny glow.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Haniel with Unbroken Lotus Fist! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
Force finds him though he does his utmost to outpace it: it is relentless and whatever his skill, Citan is but flesh and blood. In the end all he can do is prepare himself for the inevitable and even then it feels as if the burst of force rips its way through him. It takes him a good moment to recover from that: he slouches forward and takes a short series of deeper breaths. But he does rise again.
What was he himself made for?
"A fair... philosophical question," Citan tells him, straightening properly and rolling one shoulder then the next. "There have been very many arguments about what, precisely, humans were made for. Or why, individually, we are such weak and helpless creatures. However, there is one argument which I favor-- allow me to demonstrate!"
One might well expect such a statement to be followed by some devastating attack, or some catastrophic show of force. Instead, all that Citan does is shift his stance ever so slightly, and that's apparently all it takes for a spiraling stream of earthen Ether to peel its way up from the ground underneath several of those standing against Haniel now. It settles upon them all for a fleeting moment and, once deposited, there vanishes to become absorbed into their bodies.
GS: Citan Uzuki has activated Force Action: Extend! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Gensoseii! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Gensoseii! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Xantia with Gensoseii! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Nina Chiyome with Gensoseii! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Airi Brooke with Gensoseii! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Gensoseii! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Gensoseii! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Citan Uzuki with Gensoseii! GS: Citan Uzuki has gained 1 Combo! GS: Citan Uzuki has completed his action. GS: Citan Uzuki heals Jacqueline Barber! She gains 192 temporary hit points! GS: Surge applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Citan Uzuki heals Citan Uzuki! He gains 197 temporary hit points! GS: Surge applied to Citan Uzuki! GS: Citan Uzuki heals Xantia! She gains 195 temporary hit points! GS: Surge applied to Xantia! GS: Citan Uzuki heals Airi Brooke! She gains 196 temporary hit points! GS: Surge applied to Airi Brooke! GS: Citan Uzuki heals Gwen Whitlock! She gains 197 temporary hit points! GS: Surge applied to Gwen Whitlock! GS: Citan Uzuki heals Ida Everstead-Rey! She gains 214 temporary hit points! GS: Surge applied to Ida Everstead-Rey!
<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.
They're in this together, Claude says. "Right!" And to Rena she nods, "Welcome!"
She's heard a million of 'em, Rena. Just don't sk her why she doesn't have a flower name like her sisters.
But Caoimhe accepts her apology, and Misty offers her a small smile. "Thank you." It's strength, and Misty nods to that, too. "We almost lost everything, once... we can't afford to repeat those mistakes, no matter what."
Magilou makes some very grandiose claims that Misty is... well she's not doubting them she just doesn't understand the full significance. "... Okay!. But our TMs are all made with Symbology, sooo if you want to learn Antimatter..."
Power is how you make those things last, Michael claims. "There's more to power--to strength--than just dominating others. All Ancient Nede wanted to do was to conquer everything--to bring everything to heel! What we've done since is to build a new world! One that's opening up, and starting to share its gifts with others, and learning from others in turn."
Flames explode outwards, return, and explode anew. Starmie drops down in front of Misty, its core shining brighter. The flames clash and roil against a prismatic wall of force, the swil of reds, yellows, and oranges clashing horribly against the bright reds, oranges, yellows, blues, greens, and purples of Mega Starmie's might. Starmie shines brighter and brighter as the insistent conflaguration starts to drive her back, centimeter by centimeter. But Mega Starmie is struggling to hold her positioning, and with a final burst it repels the flames, dropping to the ground with a hard thud.
Mega Starmie's core is pulsing in a way that suggests a tired, wounded pokemon struggilng to regather itself.
"Mega Starmie!" calls Misty, with an undercurrent of worry beneath her confident exterior. She closes her eyes, concentrating. "Hang in there, Starmie. I know you're tired, but I believe in you. We can do this together."
There is a relieved smile when Starmie calls out "HYAH!" and starts to rise, even though it dips dangerously to one side for a moment. The corruscating star manifested in the middle of its core is flickering, but tenacious. Fresh pulses of light flow from its core outwards as it recovers.
Misty opens her eyes, staring Michael down. "We have a different kind of strength now, Michael. We form bonds with our pokemon, we work to build each other up. And now, after so many years, we're finally startig to reach out to other worlds. Visitors are learning our ways, making friends with pokemon, and helping us clean up the mistakes of our past."
"And together, with them, we'll build an even stronger Nede. And if you don't want to build that future with us... then we'll do it without you."
Misty takes a deep breath. "Mega Starmie, Hydro Pump."
Mega Starmie flies up, both of its stars spinning a ball of rainbow-collored water starts to form in front of it. Faster and faster Starmie spins, and the more and more it grows. It is implausibly condensed, held together by powrful Symbological forces, as the ball of water grows brighter and brighter as it swells far more slowly than it should. It turns a bright white and then--
With an exploding shockwave of energy the ball EXPLODES outwards into a single piercing jet. Several more shockwaves of rainbow energy erupt along its length as it flies for Michael, everything tinged with the glow of Antimatter as it drives home in a single, hyper-condensed stream.
GS: Misty Kasumi has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Misty Kasumi has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Misty Kasumi spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Misty Kasumi has attacked Michael with Hydro Pump! GS: Misty Kasumi has gained 1 Combo! GS: Misty Kasumi gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Mighty and Shield expired! GS: Misty Kasumi has completed her action. GS: Access! Misty Kasumi takes 30 damage! GS: Michael critically fails to guard Misty Kasumi's Hydro Pump for 312 hit points! GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Misty Kasumi! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Citan Uzuki heals Dirk Swordsman! He gains 201 temporary hit points! GS: Surge applied to Dirk Swordsman!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia most definitely did not get the kind of answer she wanted to hear. Some sign, even a small one, that these living weapons could be more than they were made to be. Shame on her for trying to see something of which there'd been absolutely no sign previously, she supposes. Not like it would've made a difference, in the end. Why did she even bother? Why did it still feel so important that she at least try? Well... at least it'll make what follows entirely uncomplicated.
"Ugh! You're irredeemable!"
In response, Xantia charges right through the hail of energy arrows, her aura of light battered by Symbology. While she couldn't claim it was painless or effortless, it doesn't actually stop her. She won't let it stop her. With a roar of anger, Xantia lets her sword cross the rest of the distance, the blade of light exploding into a bright flare when it impacts its target.
Burns visible on armor and skin alike and breathing heavily, the fiery-haired fist fighter yet stands, defiantly staring down Haniel with undisguised disdain. With Citan's answer to the Wise Man's question, she can feel strength returning to her, and with that, she's ready to give her own answer. An answer that she wouldn't have had for the longest time, but in more recent times, has become abundantly clear to her.
"...I'm here to protect the world you're trying to ruin. Filgaia struggles to survive as it is, yet you harmed it even further! You ask why I was made?!" Xantia throws her arms out to the side, red energy blades materializing to punctuate her following words.
"TO BE YOUR EXECUTIONER!"
Xantia descends on Haniel as a blur of red, using her ARMs to strike with stab after stab, slash after slash, twisting and turning to try and stay one step ahead of any attempt to intercept her. All emotion drained from her expression, she will not stop the onslaught for any reason - that is, any reason that isn't Haniel being definitively, decisively taken out of the picture. It is all that matters now.
GS: Xantia has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Xantia spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Xantia has attacked Haniel with Vermilion Sundering! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xantia gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Xantia gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Cover expired! GS: Xantia has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"It's always a pleasure doing business." Jacqueline replies to Gwen with a small laugh of her own, but soon enough, her attention returns to the fight. He declares their deaths, that he was made for greatness - and then he fires scattershots from his limbs. With a gesture of her left hand, Jacqueline raises a pillar of earth in front of her. The blast slams against her cover, taking the brunt of the impact and sparing herself the worst of it.
"...That's the folly of the strong." Jacqueline comments. "You live by, define yourself by your strength, your power-" A quick correction, hearing Claude's words. "So much that that's all you are. But what happens when you come across something stronger? When the pillar of your being collapses, what's left for you?"
She shakes her head.
"...I wasn't, we weren't, made for anything in particular. We're free to do whatever we please. I decided to make a living selling goods, and preparing potions to treat the sick and wounded. I decided to set out on the road, to see new sights and spend time with my loved ones... I've lived a full life, I've seen and bartered in three different worlds, and I still have a lot of potential left ahead of me to discover. These were all things I decided for myself, and became possible because of the choices I made. But you?"
She backpedals away from her ruined cover, drawing four Crest Graphs from her gauntlets. She can feel Citan's earthen Ether as it raises from her earth. It invigorates her, sharpens her mind.
"...This is all you are, and you can't even feel a thing for what you've lost. We weren't made for anything, but you... in the end, you have nothing. I'm not sure that you had the option of anything else." With two Crest Graphs in each hand, one each of Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire, the building blocks of Crest Sorcery, she casts her spell. Wells of power are brought into existence, and she gestures, drawing power from them, guiding it, and directing it toward Haniel like a conductor. Fire burns, water crashes, earth stampedes, and wind buffets...
I pity you, Haniel... but pity is all I have left for you." She concludes. ...And then, finally, she draws the energies to her, focusing them into a single point and uniting them as one - which is then unleashed toward Haniel as a beam of pure elemental power.
GS: Jacqueline Barber spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Formation! Jacqueline Barber has attacked Haniel with Elemental Symphony! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 2 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Jacqueline Barber has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Velvet Crowe has posed.
Michael screams. It echoes in the deepest recesses of Velvet Crowe's soul before the vestiges of the Wise Man break down into unadulterated power to fuel her.
It's almost too much to handle, that heat -- the way it acts as ludicrous accelerant to her already outsized emotions. Her entire, clawed arm is ignited in Malevolent flame like a sick echo to Michael's flaming fist by the time she reels backwards; she grips the spindly, conflagrant limb with her human hand as she comes to a stop -- as it attempting to brace the broiling heat and power that pulses through her.
Molten gold eyes burn as hues of stellar orange burn towards the forefront of that angry glare. The next puff of her ragged breath comes out in a thick plume of steam.
Droplets of blood hit ground and sizzle like the Wise Man's.
So much.
It's so much.
But...
Burning eyes turn to stare as if uncomprehending as Claude falls. He's someone who has been at the peripheries of Velvet's awareness throughout all of this -- like Rena, and Dias, and all the others. People she would feign indifference about and claim as allies of convenience for her wicked schemes.
But they've been there, at her side, fighting. Perhaps fighting more, fighting harder, than even she has.
"..."
Caoimhe falls soon after Claude. She feels Michael's heat buffet and roar against her own as he unleashes his wrath on the others. But her stare remains affixed on the fallen. On the blindfolded woman. On the savior from the stars.
Her sizzling gaze hoods.
It's so much. Every fiber in her being says to let go. To relinquish all that heat.
But how could she possibly do that, when those two fought to the bitter end?
No. This pain is hers.
She isn't giving it up.
She realizes, in that moment, that she doesn't know their names. Any of their names. CLAUDE calls out Rena and Dias, and that hooded gaze drifts back to the fallen hero from afar.
"... Claude, huh," she mumbles, half to herself, as if committing that name to memory. Despite herself, a rueful smile crosses her lips; she shakes her head and takes that first, sizzling step forward.
"... You're a piece of work, Velvet..." she mutters under her breath, even as she feels the roar of Michael's mounting flames. They blister across her, but she doesn't avoid it save to lift that massive claw like a barrier between her and the Wise Man's beloved prologue to annihilation.
Another step. Metal melts beneath her feet. Slag drips off her heels with every step.
And as Michael rises, she offers a brief glance Caoimhe's way.
She isn't sure if the blindfolded woman can see her smile, but that doesn't matter. It'd be better for her if she didn't, frankly.
"... It's okay."
She'd know that, right?
... Yes.
She knows it better than most.
That terrifying first step towards opening your scarred self up to others again.
But this Velvet? This Velvet doesn't flinch from the energizing mist that Misty's Starmie blankets her with; droplets hit her skin and sizzle out into prismatic steam off her baking flesh. It can't heal her... but she accepts the intention behind it, finds strength in that.
And this Velvet... this Velvet looks up with clear eyes as Michael shoots up, and then drives down, smashing a star against his knuckles.
SPIIIIIIIIIICULE!
Smoldering eyes narrow.
And she LEAPS, magma splattering in her wake.
Fire and fury gushes downward from the point of impact with a Wise Man's fist against a sun in miniature. It almost blinds her to stare at the birth of a flare. But she doesn't flinch.
The Lord of Calamity just thrusts forward her blazing claw and meets the inferno head on with a blood-curdling cry to violence.
She hits the epicenter of that supernova. And it consumes her, envelopes her. It -hurts-. Burns away to degrees even the Lord of Calamity can't just shrug off. But...
-But-...
Suddenly, a hole is PUNCHED through the center of Michael's beloved Spicule.
"I'M FINISHING IT!!"
And from the eye of the firestorm roars Velvet, her clawed hand literally SUCKING as much of that flame into her palm as possible as she shoots through the air towards Michael. There is no way she can get it all. No way she can prevent it from burning away at her flesh.
But she gets -enough-.
Enough that, as gravity seizes upon Michael courtesy of one whimsical witch who clearly cares not for their stubborn struggles --
-SHUNK-
Velvet is there to meet Michael's violently downward descend, the tip of her now-flaming sword first.
She seeks to drive it into his chest, with every ounce of her might. To LODGE it there. To hold him like a grub pinioned on a shrike's fatal branch.
"'The hell does that mean,'" Velvet echoes the burning Wise Man's words back at him, her voice raspy, steam spewing from her lips with every syllable. Her clawed hand draws backward.
"Here! Let me show you!"
And then it SLAMS forward, palm first, to SHOVE into and then THROUGH the dead center of the Wise Man's chest. To curl talons burning with his own stolen fire around all that is the tactical weapon, Michael.
And hold -fast- to it as she seeks to blast the rest of him away from the fiery spark of his own life in a blazing spiral of igniting Malevolence, her voice a scouring wildfire of emotions.
"THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS!"
GS: Velvet Crowe has activated Force Action: Snipe! GS: Velvet Crowe spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Velvet Crowe has attacked Michael with Annihilating Crash! GS: Velvet Crowe gains 5 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Velvet Crowe has completed her action. GS: Access! Velvet Crowe takes 30 damage! GS: CRITICAL! Michael critically fails to guard Velvet Crowe's Annihilating Crash for 405 hit points! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Haniel critically fails to evade Ida Everstead-Rey's Unbroken Lotus Fist for 311 hit points! GS: Haniel critically fails to evade Xantia's Vermilion Sundering for 321 hit points! GS: FP up! Countermeasures! GS: Haniel has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight! GS: Haniel critically fails to guard Jacqueline Barber's Elemental Symphony for 272 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Delay and Poison blocked! GS: Haniel has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina continues watching Haniel, eyes focused entirely on him, she can tell he's growing weaker. Inching closer, she can feel it. She stretches her clawed fingers out, working them a few times. Leaning into that predatory instinct. She doesn't seem to have anyone else in mind at this point.
She works her fingers a few times, then lunges forward with both hands outreached like she's little more than a beast, trying to leap on the figure that's so close to defeat. The thing that drove her for the past few months. That left her where she is. It's within reach. Does that resolve anything? She doesn't know. That's not even on her mind right now. She knows it's almost over. She knows that's what she has to do. She knows that there's no going back anyway right?
She tries to bury her claws deep, intending to tear and gouge, swinging wildly.
She's still in control, but just barely. And she's not sure if that's a bad thing. She's enjoying this.
And somewhere in the back of her head, she's trying to twist back the other way. Catching up a few swings in, whether she was even successful or not, she pulls her hands away and starts to look at them, then tries to scramble away from Haniel, living or not at this point. Trying to get away from those thoughts just as quickly as she'd succumbed to them. Did she keep it reigned in on time? Some of the friendly faces around her look hazy and she can't bring herself to look at them. Was that real or not?
She slips and twists, hand half raised as she tries to focus and get her thoughts in order.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Ida's concern is met with a glance and exclamation from Gwen herself, as she sees Ida being hauled up and thrown like a dusty bag of potatoes across a room. As Ida recovers and sits up, the courier gives her a quiet thumbs up, as she inwardly stifles another cough. (It's okay, Citan's here, an ordinary country doctor.)
That assurance becomes gratitude, as Ida turns that concern into action, leaving a warm feather to grace Gwen's curly head.
There's little time to bask in it, though, as the blast from Haniel's own hand is hard to shield away at such a close range. This was the risk Gwen took in coming this close to someone that resembled the more complete idea of the 'cyborg': a completely inorganic frame, efficient and calculated, hiding nothing of the raw power underneath. So much unlike Gwen herself, who hides under the guise(?) of a simple amiable courier, incapable of being anything worse than a nuisance in a fight.
And, even as she stands now, the blast scorching the fabric and revealing some of the glowing flesh over her mechanical heart, Gwen acts like she isn't as mortal as any of her companions (save a few present). However, the smear of blood and spit on her face takes the story her cyborg parts try to deny: she still human, and prone to making so many mistakes with her body and her heart.
'...Finish it, guys. I'm...'
Gwen sees a sight she'd never think she'd see, anytime soon: Claude, falling down to the ground. Surely, there's been other times she's seen this happen before, right? She's known him for a while now.
This time, it feels different. Is it because of the weight of his trust? Is it because she knows the thing he's had to conceal from them, all these years? He's still one of them, though. It didn't matter where he was born. He's woven inside the fabric all of them share, and grown up alongside them.
"CLAUDE!" He's still alive, but won't be if they drag this on. With Rena and Citan, not to mention Jay's potions and who knows what else, he'll be fine.
He's counting on them. Could she really hear that and screw around?
"HANIEL!" The casual tone and demeanor drops; Gwen looks at Haniel with the same intensity many of her fellow companions are. "Take a look at me, at who I AM!" She unbuttons a part of her shirt to better reveal what Haniel's blast had begun to unmask. "I'm a poor excuse for a cyborg, compared to you. All of this, was *chance*. Nothing was constructed to make me a better fighter; only to *survive*. But this cold heart beats and feels with a thousand times more warmth and love than YOURS _EVER CAN_."
The ebb and flow of that pulsing 'heart' in Gwen's chest begins to speed as her right hand begins to clasp inward, filling with a brilliant, glowing energy, helped along by Citan's earth ether.
"I'm *glad* I'm not like you. Otherwise, people make the mistake having a mechanical heart as the same as not having one at all!!" The swirling energy is cast outwards towards the Wise Man like a spinning circular blade.
"And that.... makes you a POOR EXAMPLE!!"
GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated Force Action: Snipe! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Gwen Whitlock has attacked Haniel with Ringshine! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Haniel critically fails to evade Gwen Whitlock's Ringshine for 360 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Haniel gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Countermeasures! GS: Haniel has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
This time, when Michael touches down in the midst of the firestorm, his flames are duller. A few sparks rise from him. But he doesn't manage to get his hands together, again.
He watches Claude, then Caoimhe topple over. He looks between the two; then, to the others, as if expectant they will do the same. His expression is distant -- confused, for a moment.
And he looks up -- confusion registering on his face at Rena's spell.
The flames of which just don't seem to reach him.
"What do you--"
Dias comes through the radiance that Rena creates. Michael is blinded, so his blade slashes down -- collides with Star Flare's energies -- and both spell and sword technique slam Michael backward.
He is pitched, bodily, into the wall. And he starts to stand, when--
When the shadow grows, at Magilou's command. His feet stick to the floor. "What in the hell is this!?"
He looks up at Magilou, expression furious.
"Returning me to the past?" Michael repeats back at Timu, looking at her. "I'm not going back there! I'll burn--GAH!"
Fuecoco is flung at him, pink light around her.She slams into Michael, knocking him backward -- and bouncing away, just before Mega Starmie fires that massive blast of water, which smashes into him. He's torn free of Magilou's gravty.
"G-Gh... that's... that's not... what real strength..." He tries to counter Misty, but his words die on his lips. His flames extinguished by Mega Starmie's waters, he is pulled back down by the Gravity Mine.
Velvet's sword rips through his chest -- and he lets out a furious 'hrk!' Then, Velvet's talons tear into him. Flame is drawn into her; Malevolence ignites, blazing bright, and then it EXPLODES. He's blasted backward, into doors leading from this room.
He is a bloodied, ruined wreck. He looks up; one eye is swollen shut, and the other is that inhuman ember. "So... so this is how it goes..."
Grace's beams of cyan light explode from her, hurtling towards him. They strike, ripping through him, as he looks at her. His other eye opens, though a river of orange blood runs over it.
Both of his eyes are wide; one a normal, if crimson, eye, and the other a burning ember. "What--"
There's a look of confusion, as he realizes. "I... I never had what you did," he says. "I grasped for it, without... without realizing what I was reaching for..."
The beams of light rip through him. Crimson malevolence and blue light explode outward. Flame erupts -- and then a thousand motes of blue light, as the Wise Man is destroyed in an instant.
<Pose Tracker> Haniel has posed.
Haniel had disparaged Airi's spellcraft before, but it still made him bleed. Now she tries again, better as promised. Every symbology ring clicks into place, he is yanked in, and if there are screams, no one can hear them where he goes. The light from Grace's attack is sucked inside.
One is left to imagine what creativity this adds to the assault within.
A different power flows from Citan as he responds to Haniel's question in his own way. It was meant to be rhetorical, but he is getting his answer, whether he likes it or not.
To protect Filgaia, to support those they care for, or to maintain that they have no purpose and will not be ruled...
Haniel is spat back out from the vanishing point Airi banished him to, not to crash into the floor, but to be met instantly by Sirfetch'd noble blade. The decisive slash locks Haniel in the air as Ida's fist, guided by Guardian flame, strikes Haniel and ripples the air with warmth.
"No --!" He barely cries out before Xantia's blades begin ripping through his flesh and steel alike. The elements all gather at Jay's command and converge, dancing with each strike of the blade in a storm of defiance against those who would demand conquest. Every blow and burn, every strike and splash, every buffet and blade rips off a streak of light from Haniel's form. Nina's claws join in, deep as she can.
Again and again and again until all of him is dark, red light that threatens to break his form apart.
Gwen commands his attention in that fina moment before her energy swirls out for him, his eyes most certainly fixated on a 'heart' less advanced than his own, and yet far more advanced than he was ever created to have.
Or if he was ever given the chance to have it, he would have certainly demeaned it worthless... her heart, and all of theirs that struggle against a threat to every place they call home.
What is left of Haniel when he defines himself by strength, and has now provoked those who come together to be even stronger for purposes they define for themselves?
Motes of light scatter like dust from a suddenly open window.
They fade into nothing.
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Everyone's blows fall, and Michael and Haniel are reduced to mote of light, Michael seemingly confused, Haniel with a word of denial. Dias sheathes his sword as he glowers at their remains, floating away through a suddenly open window until they're gone.
"Good riddance," he mutters.
He looks around at his allies, having all brought all their strength to this encounter. That blindfolded woman also fell to Michael's last attack, but she seemed to have a rapport with the Lord of Calamity and her follower; not knowing the nature of that rapport, he'll leave them to their own. Velvet and Magilou seem like they have their own emotional wounds to tend to anyway.
As he looks around, his gaze settles over his shoulder on Grace. It seems she's gotten the 606 fully under control after all--she's gotten some excellent results too. He gives her a curt nod. "Good work," he says.
He doesn't think she'll be happy about it, but maybe it'll take off some of the sting.
He also looks at Timu next. "Thanks for the healing earlier," he tells her--he hadn't had the time to say it at the time. Then he strides quickly over to Rena where she pours her healing magic into Claude. There's a certain tension in his handsome face that doesn't abate as he approaches. When he's close enough for it, he murmurs, "How is he?"
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
IN THE AFTERMATH
It wasn't a sure bet, but with everyone working together, Ethius was able to help lead some of the deeper infiltration into Phynal while the vanguard was dealt with.
That he can be seen beyond the sparkling, fading bodies of two of the three last Ten Wise Men... he has his Arcmene and Miliza out by him. Miliza is pacing. Arcmene is staring.
"Confirmed kills, then," he says, "good. We've been able to take back control of some of Phynal's faculties. Specifically, the elevators." He looks over his shoulder.
"There yet remains armies of Paradox Pokemon. The Pokemon League's doing their best to hold them back as I speak." Beat. "Standard protocol, we're to move as small strike teams and ascend without delay."
(Going to a save point doesn't count as delay, you're good.)
"This is the final assault. There's no going back after this point," he says, as the gathered prepare to fight for the future of that great ocean of stars against the terrible debris that the hubris of ancient history has dredged up.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Through all of their efforts, Haniel scatters as motes of light. That, too, was something he lacked. Jacqueline exhales and shuts her eyes for a moment as a form of silent send-off... and then opens them as Ethius arrives with a report.
"Is that so? Excellent." She replies with a nod. She takes a moment to assess everyone.
"...Then... let's take a moment to gather our strength and tend to our wounds. We don't want to be too hasty. If this is our last chance... then let's make the best of it." Jacqueline says.
For her part, she'll make herself available to help patch up anyone that needs it.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
When all is said and done, Xantia gives Haniel not a moment of attention more than she needs to be sure he won't be coming back. Energy blades vanish into red motes in short order, and she turns to face those who directly aided in that particularly Wise Man's demise. It's difficult to read anything in her expression, since there is none. There might be a tense moment, where one would have to wonder if there's remaining cause for concern. After all, Xantia can be rather... unpredictable, following incidents such as this. Her unreadable eyes slowly move across those assembled, until...
Xantia blinks, a confused expression on her face. "...Gwen, you're wearing your clothes all weird."
Yeah okay it's probably fine, she's talking normally again, by Xantia standards.
<Pose Tracker> Grace Harvey has posed.
For better or worse, Grace looks. She watches Michael. She can hear him, but even if she couldn't, there's no way she couldn't read his lips, even over the brilliant light of antimatter and the crackling malevolence. But Michael meets her eyes, as best as he can with what's left.
'... I never had what you did,'
Grace's own eyes are wide- terrified- but she refuses to look away. She doesn't owe him anything. But she owes it to herself to memorize this.
'I grasped for it, without... without realizing what I was reaching for...'
"...I'm sorry." She says, her voice a whisper. "I can't imagine living without it."
Her gaze doesn't leave the spot where Michael was for several minutes, her three eyes fixed on it. The armour starts to fold back, shifting into ludicrously thin plates and emitters- until it is just two metal boxes on Grace's hips again. No more armour of light.
When Dias thanks her, Grace seems to startle aware. Good work... Grace just nods, a little numbly. "Is... Claude's gonna be okay, right?"
She could just run over and check but... her legs don't want to move yet. She knows they're light on time. She knows there's one more to go but...
She has to remember this feeling, of what it is to kill someone- and all the crushing weight that comes with it.
...no wonder it's so easy to be a criminal. Doing the right thing doesn't always leave you feeling good. Crime does.
...that's as good a reason as any to be glad she changed her ways, isn't it?
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
From the come-down of the battle, Timu holds both her Pokemon friends close. Fuecoco is watching all the sparkles fly off with open eyes, somewhat solemn and thoughtful, while Hestrol settles where she float-swims (don't think too hard about it).
"Thank you," she says to the general room space. She's sucking in some breath as the adrenaline begins to fade, and the collective hurts and strains start to register. Quietly, she takes her Hearth Staff in hand and moves forward, waiting for directions to those who need healing in the very short amount of time anyone has to catch their breath.
Once more, an ascent to a place that would determine whether a people will have a future beyond a cycle of death and destruction.
<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.
Michael creases to be, confused about what he was grasping for. Misty takes a deep breath and lets it go, waiting to be sure the threat has passed from both Wise Men before she lets her guard down.
Maybe they deserved better than how they ended up, but... there's too much at risk for that.
"Starmie, you did great, take it easy!" She and Golduck go over to check on Starmie as it lands with a heavy thud on the ground, releasing the Mega-Evolution. Misty places a hand on her oldest pokemon partner. "You did great. I'm proud of you. Rest for a bit, okay?"
Golduck looks after STarmie as Misty rushes towards Claude. "Claude! Rena, do you need help--"
'Raise DEAD!'
"What in Arceus' name--" Misty is taken aback for a moment, but shakes her head. Question that later. She turns to Caoimhe, who... appears to be up, after all. Thaat... is an even bigger question. "Caoimhe... glad you're back with us."
Okay. That's the two biggest crises seemingly dealt with.
And Ethius has news. They've got control of the elevators. "Thanks, Ethius. Great work. In that case..."
Misty slips her red backpack off, and starts pulling out supplies. "If anybody needs their pokemon treated, I've got extra supplies. If you need your own injuries seen to, see any of the healers."
She offers everyone a bright smile, but it's also one that's set with determination. "You're all doing great. Just a little bit longer, and this will all be over."
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida watches Haniel die. The way the Wise Men die is less... visceral than the way most others tend to, but it's still the ending of an intelligent lift. Ida told Haniel that she would feel guilty if he expressed empathy--and he did not. That doesn't mean she doesn't feel a twinge of discomfort edging on sorrow. Lantis did this to his creations. The warmongers and imperialists of ancient Nede used and abused Lantis. At the very least, there are people on Nede in the here and now who want to break the cycle.
Ida lets out a breath, and looks over to Dirk, flashing a weary but approving smile. Ethius' voice catches her ear. Ida nods. "Be with you as soon as I can," she says. She needs to drink a Heal Berry cordial, spray herself down with a Potion, and cuddle her Pokemon. She knows better than to take moments like this for granted.
"Dirk," Ida says. "Does Ceruledge need healing? What about Oshawott?"
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
It takes Gwen a while to settle down, like she was unclenching her fingers away from a gun.
"Let's... get the wounded stablized. Claude'll be alright, right?" She clears her throat. ".... think I bit my lip or somethin'...."
As Xantia makes her well-meaning comment, Gwen immediately blushes, and begins to button her blouse back up. "Shit... it wasn't like I was tryin' t'flash em or anything." She pauses. "... You doin' okay Xantia? That was a hell of a welcome party."
With that settled, Gwen grumbles as she works around the burnt hole, then throws up her hands with an exasperated sigh. "It ain't like most of you guys don't know anyway. For you newer people, I'm actually a cyborg! Not completely, though; just my heart n' right arm. Sorry t'keep it a secret. Force of habit, kinda?" She's waving like she's introducing herself as a transfer student on the first day of class, if that transfer student also had somehow exposed a hole in the upper part of her blouse and was holding it closed with her other hand. "Happens all the time. I'll likely be usin' my entire roster of energy for the final battle, and.... I'll likely not care about how I look when I'm doin' that! So. That's my story, how y'all doin', let's get healin' everybody! I can be on first aid duty!"
<Pose Tracker> Airi Brooke has posed.
Airi lets out a breath.
She isn't sure what she expected from seeing two of the Wise Men die - from being a part of it. Right now she feels only relief. And soreness, but she's pretty sure that would happen anyway. She doesn't feel guilty, at all - and she's not sure if she likes that, even if they needed to be defeated. Not just for Team Rocket, but for all of Nede.
Airi shoves her hands in her pockets for a moment until she realizes that she alone is representing Team Rocket in front of all these Drifters and Visitors and everyone else; she straightens up, ignoring the twinge in her side as she does.
She gives Ethius a nod. "Well," Airi says, "looks like you're stuck with me for a while, huh?" Fortunately, she has no plans to start any shit, though if the Wise Men have left any TMs around she can't guarantee they won't end up in her bag.
> Airi has joined the party! ...without asking first!
"Hey," she calls a moment later, to one particular Drifter. A moment later, and Airi flings her entire long coat at Gwen - a trench-style coat sized for someone about Gwen's height, as Airi's only a little shorter. "I want that back later," she says, slouching just a little now that she's without it herself, in the Rocket-style uniform. "Try not to burn any holes in it, huh?"
Honestly, Airi has been meaning to get a better jacket anyway. She won't be *that* disappointed if it doesn't come back.
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
Dirk, in the aftermath, is breathing heavily. He watched the Wise Man go. Oshawott is doing similarly.
Then suddenly!! Ida!! "Huh!? Oh! Oshawott, how you doing?" Dirk asks Oshawott, on automatic pilot, possibly.
"Wot!" Oshawott seems only morally battered - thanks to the intervention of her seniors.
"I guess we did it. Are doing it. Ah geez, we still ain't done, after all of this," Dirk laments. Then: "Ceruledge, where you at!"
"..." Ceruledge is walking back from where he was thrown. He remains upright and steady, but Sirfetch'd is walking alongside him, at a respectful distance (because of the fire) but not too far (because he will accept burnt feathers, if it saves his brother).
Ceruledge looks at Ida. "... Ceruledge." (Target terminated. Mission complete.)
"He definitely do," Dirk tells Ida. "I gotta sit down for like, two minutes, hold on." He puts Oshawott on Cufant's back and immediately sits down.
Cufant announces proudly to Ida, "Cufant!" She helped!
<Pose Tracker> Airi Brooke has posed.
Airi lets out a breath.
She isn't sure what she expected from seeing two of the Wise Men die - from being a part of it. Right now she feels only relief. And soreness, but she's pretty sure that would happen anyway. She doesn't feel guilty, at all - and she's not sure if she likes that, even if they needed to be defeated. Not just for Team Rocket, but for all of Nede.
Airi shoves her hands in her pockets for a moment until she realizes that she alone is representing Team Rocket in front of all these Drifters and Visitors and everyone else; she straightens up, ignoring the twinge in her side as she does.
She gives Ethius a nod. "Well," Airi says, "looks like you're stuck with me for a while, huh?" Fortunately, she has no plans to start any shit, though if the Wise Men have left any TMs around she can't guarantee they won't end up in her bag.
> Airi has joined the party! ...without asking first!
"Hey," she calls a moment later, to one particular Drifter. A moment later, and Airi flings her entire long coat at Gwen - a trench-style coat sized for someone about Gwen's height, as Airi's only a little shorter. "I want that back later," she says, slouching just a little now that she's without it herself, in the Rocket-style uniform. "Try not to burn any holes in it, huh?"
Honestly, Airi has been meaning to get a better jacket anyway. She won't be *that* disappointed if it doesn't come back.
<Pose Tracker> Caoimhe ni Maoilgrahna has posed.
Caoime is, indeed, conscious, as Misty discovers.
She isn't able to witness battle through her eyes, but she scarce needs to -- she understands well the final exchanges that Michael goes through. A moment of sudden, final realisation -- that confusion filtering into his voice. To grasp for it without realising what he was reaching for...
It's an understatement to say the Wise Man scorched her. If it weren't for the crystal armour, there'd be nothing left right now. And yet, right now, within her heart...
It is cold..
The amiable exchange between Claude, Dias, Rena and Grace -- a forged bond built up through trial and hardship, indeed. Velvet and Magilou's timeless bond, tested through so much separation and time. Misty's bond with Starmie and Blastoise, amongst her other Pokemon -- and Timu and Fuecoco, and Hestrol, and the others. Others yet still that she scarce knows or has never met.
The bonds these Drifters have...
...
"... so very cold."
Michael could not provide the warmth she was seeking, after all. Once more, the cold, crisp promise of night... sings to her.
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina looks quietly at her hands for a moment as Haniel disappears into sparkles. She seems fixated. Isolating herself from the outside world for at least.. the immediate time being. She slowly tilts her head, looking closely. Not sure if she's been there a few seconds or a few minutes. Eventually she flicks her hand away, scattering whatever might remain behind her. She hadn't been in control with the other Hellions. This time she was.. at least conscious of what she was doing on a higher level and she's not entirely sure how she feels at this point.
She looks at the others, pausing long enough to make sure no one's at risk, then when she thinks she can get away with it, she kicks up a storm of snow around herself and makes her escape. Returning to a normal Nedian form once she's a short distance away so she can sneak out without being caught. Hopefully.
She has some thinking to do.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Gwen resumes her grumbling and fussing after her speech; when Airi's coat falls on her head, Gwen flails back, nabbing onto it to keep it from falling to the floor.
Slipping it on and buttoning it over her chest, Gwen starts, "Huh, nice fit--"
She looks over at Airi, her blue grey eyes blinking once, twice, and then, she nods, in a certain understanding. "I'll remember to take it off if I do anything drastic. You got my word." She grins, softly. "Thank you."