[center][h3]Knight Sylvestre vs the Cereal Killer – Round Final[/h3][/center] For a few seconds, all was still. Runch dared not breathe during those tense moments of silence. Two possibilities flew through his mind as he stared, fully alert, at the prone body before him. [i]Is he down? Is he out?[/i] His heart raced as he observed, during that brief but electric period, that his fallen adversary did not seem to be breathing, either. Wary of a ploy, the pirate stooped, bringing his head closer. [i]There it is.[/i] Scarcely a whisper, but there nonetheless. That feeble rasp told him his effort went not in vain, and that his zeal did not leave a noble life squandered. Relieved, Runch allowed himself to vent a heavy breath, and for a moment he let his eyes close. The nerves in his body, taught with overuse and seared with the pain of his injuries, relaxed. A hard fight just as he predicted, one of his hardest to date, even though his opponent harbored no special powers nor superhuman attributes. [i]No, no. After what I witnessed, this is no mere man.[/i] [color=turquoise]“Courage, devotion, and ability...all things I admire, sir,”[/color] he told the limp knight, his voice gentle. [color=turquoise]“But you are wrong about one thing. No life is worthless, and for someone with such empowering conviction, I'd say yours is worth a great deal indeed. You're a sour man, Cyril, but I am sure you have friends. Sacrificing yourself for your vision makes for a good story, but what about those who care for you? About your mission's fulfillment? It would be more noble to keep living, and keep fighting, instead of throwing it all away.”[/color] Smiling, the pirate turned the vanguard over onto his back, and reached for the pendant about his neck. [color=turquoise]“When this is all over, I'm sure we'll become good friends. And I'll say all this again, to your face. Omnomnom...!”[/color] A lightning bolt—raw instinct. It surged through Runch and galvanized him into action, throwing himself like a man possessed straight backward. An instant later, a blur slammed into the ground where he stood an instant before, shaking the ground and sending shreds of it flying. Sliding to a halt, Runch righted himself and raised his head to see the interloper standing to her full height. [color=turquoise]“Juniper.”[/color] In a fraction of a moment, the good Captain's warm demeanor froze solid into cold disapproval. The shrine maiden, however, wore a smile. After cracking her neck, she adjusted the hair that her barely-avoided meteor stomp mussed, then quipped, “In the flesh.” Her swagger left Runch with no doubt, though her attempted surprise attack gave him little to begin with. Once again, he tensed himself for battle, though his aching muscles and open wounds gave vehement protest. [i]The journal told me what she can do, but...I've forgotten most of it. In this condition, I may not be able to triumph. What unfairness![/i] With little in the way of hesitation he gave his inner frustrations a voice. [color=turquoise]“Not very honorable of you to jump in on our one-on-one duel, miss.” He nudged his chin at Cyril, who lay behind his ally. “Is this what your friend would have wanted?”[/color] In the background, Erina jabbed an accusatory finger at the other woman. [color=bc8dbf] “Yeah! You're breaking a divine accord!”[/color] Juniper gave a shrug, though with only one arm the gesture looked a touch off. Ignoring Erina, she replied, “Hey, it's still one-on-one. But, seriously now. To be fair, it's not what Cyril would have done, but it [i]is[/i] what he would have wanted. So, it looks like I'll be finishing what he started. Not that it matters in the end.” The bristling eyebrows of the Cereal Killer furrowed. [color=turquoise]“'Not that it matters'? What do you mean?”[/color] A different smirk seemed to possess Juniper. Rather than the churlish grin of the opportunistic brute, often worn to rub foes the wrong way and enforce her image of confidence, this smile spoke of some kind of secret being kept. “Well, once this is over, I'll let you in on what I've figured out, but suffice to say I'm positive we're all being played, the College included. But we have to keep playing along for now, and progress the bracket. Soul's gotta be taken.” Runch didn't believe his ears. It wasn't that the tournament contestants were being manipulated, though his experience a little earlier had convinced him that the College people were the pullers rather more pull-ees, but rather that after saying as much that Juniper insisted on fighting. [color=turquoise]“...What? If we're on the same side, why jump in and take my soul? I don't mean to be presumptuous, but I did win this kerfuffle.”[/color] Pointing a thumb at Cyril, Juniper said, “We need him for what's coming. And if you take his soul, the backlash might kill him.” The feeling that a fight -or more realistically and worryingly, a beatdown- would be inevitable mounted inside Runch. [color=turquoise]“Nonsense,”[/color] he protested, his lopsided mustache drooping. [color=turquoise]“It's just pain, not deadly.”[/color] Juniper cocked her head, her expression somewhere between amused and annoyed. “As someone who speaks from experience, unlike you, let me tell you that the shock alone might do it. Not everyone's made of iron like you, cereal boy. You know, it's impressive that an ordinary human like him managed to give a demon like a hard time. Let's see how you like fighting someone more on your level, eh?” [color=turquoise]“It's true that he did well. But shouldn't that tell you something?”[/color] Unmoving, Juniper bore a face of steel. “Hmm?” Runch crossed his arms, trying not to give away his heavy breathing as he recuperated. “Well, far be it from me to boast, but since there's no limit to how much cereal I can make, I could have simply kept out of his range and blasted him with explosive cannonballs until he fell over.” He watched Juniper's eyebrow twitch, and stifled a chuckle. [color=turquoise]“Omnom. I wanted to give him a fairer and more interesting fight, especially because he agreed to an honorable duel. So, I held back some.”[/color] Wearing a cheery expression, he leveled his spoonsaber at his new opponent. [color=turquoise]“I'm sorry, lassy, but if you insist on trying to cheat me, I won't be extending you the same courtesy.”[/color] Again Juniper's face broke out into a smile, though one stained by anger. “Tough guy, huh? For your sake, you better not hold back.” Her dark brown eyes gleamed in the setting sun's orange light, and they beheld Runch's lips moving ever-so-softly. “Let's go.” Springing her tense muscles, she leaped upward a moment before the pirate's lightning-quick cereal lance pierced the air. Beneath her, the surprise spear exploded, but she kept her eyes on her target. Palm directed at her, the pirate muttered something once again, and from his hand a continuous volley of cereal spikes burst out. Having expected such an attack, Juniper conjured a car door in front of her to act as a shield, taking each starchy stiletto while allowing her to see her foe. One after another the spikes exploded, threatening to knock Juniper off course, but the next moment she landed right on front of Runch and tried to ram him with the shield. Moving with deft precision despite his wounds, he hopped back out of harm's way, only for Juniper to pop the magic barrier and trigger the spikes to burst right in front of him. With momentum on her side, the martial artist lashed out with an armored roundhouse kick that carried her into the air, then a turn kick before she landed. A haymaker flew out next, but Runch disappeared beneath a shell of bluish cereal, and when Juniper struck it her blow bounced off with enough force to send her reeling. In an instant the Cereal Killer burst his shell, showering Juniper with blueberry globules, and before his adversary could recover he pulled the trigger of his flintlock to send an iron-hard pellet into the shoulder of Juniper's remaining arm. Stars blossomed in her vision from the pain, but years' worth of built-up endurance allowed her to act. She flipped backward and landed a few feet away, bringing her head up in time to see a giant marshmellow sailing her way. Calling upon her magic, she conjured a cocoon around herself just like her enemy's, and at just the right time released it to reflect the marshmellow back at him. Taken by surprise, Runch swerved to the right, but he could not get his pistol out of the way in time. [i]Shlorp![/i] The gooey mass nabbed the gun and yanked it from his hand as it flew by to plop against the cobblestones a couple meters back. The pirate's attention snapped to Juniper. [color=turquoise]“That's right. You can learn others' moves.”[/color] “Who toldja?” The shrine maiden demanded as she ran forward. Runch coated his spoonsaber with cereal as he swung it, increase its range and weight, but instead of attacking Juniper jumped into the air, spinning as she flipped over him. At the three-fourths point on her arc she twisted around and delivered a thrust kick to Runch's head. He stumbled forward, turning and murmuring as he did, and launched a stream of honeyed oats at her. Juniper dropped out of the way of the beam, but her enemy did not cease it, forcing her to sprint around him in a circle to avoid the Bori Bori Firehouse. As she ran, a blue orb manifested on her silvery greave, and once it fully formed she paused a moment to spin about and kick it the pirate's way. With an expert hand, however, he batted it away with his cereal-covered spoonblade, though the weight and jolt made him lose his grip on it and the weapon span away with the bomb. A second later Juniper's mistimed detonation went off, the blast throwing the spoonblade back in Runch's general direction, but rather than pause to pick it up he kept his Firehose going. After another couple seconds Runch brought his other hand up, uttered three words beneath his breath, and from a colossal blast of cereal erected a Bori Bori Wall directly in Juniper's path. The woman did not slow down, instead launching into a jump kick to smash through the obstruction. When her technological foot made contact, however, it sunk into the squishy, crumbly cereal, and the rest of her followed suit. An instant later the honey stream washed over her, inundating her with inexorable stickiness. She could only watch, teeth clenched and humming with energy, as Runch began to construct a massive, burning cannonball. Knowing full well what she had to do, Juniper allowed her seals to dissolve, and with a haunting cry the God Hand was unleashed. An explosion of light radiated out from her, annihilating the cereal and honey that bound her. From the spray of chaos Juniper emerged at a sprint, her right arm aglow with a fierce radiance. Runch attacked, but not as quickly as his enemy. A flurry of blows smashed into him, targeting the joints all across his body. He regained his footing just in time to holler, [color=turquoise]“Bori Bori Jet!”[/color] and blast off out of the way of a right hook that might have ended the bout then and there. Looking down as he shot skyward, he watched Juniper tense up, then launch herself after him in an incredible jump. Runch rained down a series of heavy oat clusters, but one after another they shattered against Juniper's head. Before the pirate could come up with something else Juniper caught up with him, grabbed him by the foot, then yanked him down with unprecedented strength. As he plummeted, faster than terminal velocity, Runch managed to right himself and shoot off sideways a moment before hitting the ground. Juniper crashed down where he would have hit, her shining fist making a crater in the ground. As the dust cleared, the heavenly light faded, and Runch saw his chance. [i]That empowerment seems to make her invulnerable, but she's open now.[/i] Circling her in the air, he did not bother to hide his move, and barked, [color=turquoise]“Bori Bori Cannon: Cracklepop Recipe!”[/color] Out flew several explosive payloads in a spread formation. Juniper grit her teeth and ran, completely forced on the defensive by the new attack's sheer area of effect. [i]BABABABABANG[/i] went the blasts, the first causing a speedy chain reaction from the rest, and Juniper did not escape unburnt. No action could be taken before another volley obliged her to take flight once again. [i]BABABABABANG![/i] Scattered flames licked her clothes, setting them ablaze. Stifling a cry, the shrine maiden hurried to extinguish them, almost losing sight of the cereal-streaming blur that circled above her like a bomber. Already, another assault hurled her way. Something needed to be done—and this time, Juniper had a risky idea. Standing still, but ready to move, she waited for the explosives to come. The volatile deluge fell upon her, but at the last moment, she leaped into the air with a backflip. Not a split second to spare, the blasts went off beneath her. They propelled her upward a touch, but her true goal lay elsewhere. Around her neck, the rosary flared to life with an arcane purple glow, and the next moment a fusillade of magic bolts screamed toward Runch. Though surprised he kept his head and changed course to avoid them, but the bolts followed him, homing in with uncanny precision. In midair a dazzling purple explosion bloomed, leaving behind a dazed yet still airborne pirate when it dissipated into sorcerous vapors a second later. Juniper saw her opportunity, and seized it. She reached out with her hand; projected magic loops formed from the ether, creating a chain tipped with a simple metal jaw that clamped shut around Runch's arm. From there, all she needed to do was pull, and with every ounce of her strength, she did. The intrepid captain hit the ground back-first, and everything went black. [center]-=-=-[/center] A murky, unknowable amount of time passed before the Cereal Killer came to. He felt pain before anything else, but after a few moments, his blurry vision began to pick up shapes and colors, and the murmur of voices met his ears. Decorated wooden walls surrounded him; beneath him, a mattress and blankets. Turning his head was laborious, but when he did, he realized by the furnishings that he appeared to be in a bar. He spotted three women—Juniper, Erina, and an ordinary-looking lady he did not know. A short distance away, he also saw Cyril, stripped both of armor and most of his clothing, and still unconscious. In fact, Runch realized that he, too, was wearing only his pants, though his torso maintained some covering thanks to all the bandages and wrappings. “You're awake. Good! Thought you'd wake up before him.” Juniper commented. She motioned behind the counter at which she sat. “We've got some stuff to talk about once Cyril comes to. Want anything to drink?” [center][h3]Inari[/h3] Location: Deadbeat Sky [@Kapuchu][/center] Shaking his head, Carreau scratched his chin with a talon. “Not exactly. Vague enchantments aren't really our thing, and if we employed measures like force fields, you would not have been able to enter.” His golden eyes slid over to Verrine, who straightened up at attention. The owl man extended an entreating hand toward her. “Verrine, would you be so good as to hurry over to the main entrance and inquire with the guards? The object we're talking about is a metal contraption with spinning blades, about the size of a tortoise.” “Yessir!” Brimming with enthusiasm, the rosy-red slime took off running. After a few steps she began to melt into a gelatinous tide, and began to pick up speed. With an odd slapping noise the mass slammed into the dining-room doors, pushed them open, and rushed out into the atrium. Carreau exhaled sharply through his beak nose, evidently amused by his subordinate's gusto. His attention visited Brucie for just a moment, Carreau noting with a smile made difficult to perceive by his bizarre mouth that the shark appeared to be feeding the dog, then returned to Lily. Judging by the telltale swivel of her ears, hers had never left him. In a situation like this, caution was warranted, but by now his understanding came tinged by a few drops of impatience. The kitsune's attitude, well disguised but not invisible, spoke not just of paranoia but a severe problem with authority. Carreau felt slighted; he did not expect much of Lily, and in fact needed nothing from her other than to follow through with her end of the bargain, but anything more than empty courtesy would have been nice. He followed along as she brought up the phylacteries again, and nodded his compliance to her advice. “Of course. Wind can be leveraged as damage when condensed, but it is most excellent at control, and ordinary blasts of air take the form of nonlethal impacts. You'll have nothing to fear from me.” His guest then applied the same proposal to Brucie, who deviated from his intense yet heart-warming spectatorship of Mouse to give his assent. For some reason, Carreau expected that Lily was done, but another question was on her tongue. While he had given some consideration to who in Air Rave would be accompanying Lily, he offered her a different answer first. “Considering the array of talents to pick from, I think it most prudent that you select two or three who you think would best suit your fighting style. If you have no preference, however, I do have a few suggestions. First, Margot is both strong and hardy. She would be able to take the brunt of your foes' attention, leaving you opportunities to strike. Plus, though this is just a guess, I feel as if the two of you might have a sort of affinity. Second, Egon Baratta would compliment your magic with his own. As a Cinderghast, he wields extremely powerful pyromancy. His manipulation of ash and smoke can also debilitate enemies. Third...hmm.” He paused to consider. “To be fair, there are quite a few of us. It would depend on what you're looking for in terms of teammates. Supporters, to empower or heal you? Frontliners to soak up the damage and control the battlefield? Fighters of magical or martial mastery? If you like, I could rally the troops, and you could pick from among them.” He made a tent with his talons, elbows on the table. The next moment the doors burst open again, and from the reddish sludge that raced in Verrine reformed. Her chest heaved from exhaustion, but her smile was bright. “Boss!” She exclaimed. “The machine you described was there! One of the guards spotted it coming in a half-minute after you all came in, and whacked it with his halberd. It's...uh, not wrecked or anything, but it doesn't seem to be moving, either.” Cocking his head, Carreau asked, “So what do we do with it?” Verrine blanched. “H-huh? You're asking me?” “Of course.” Carreau brought his hands closer to his mouth, hiding his lower face in a vaguely sinister fashion. “Our guest needs it to find her next opponent. As one of my faithful lieutenants, you can figure it out, right?” With a nervous laugh, Verrine balled up her hands into fists and held them close in a rather theatrical show of concentration. “Y-yes, certainly! Uh...if it's not working, that means it needs to be...fixed? But I can't do it. So...I need to find someone who can. Er.” She scrunched her eyes closed and shook her head. “It's made of metal. Complicated parts. Oedin's a sciency kind of guy, but...oh! Serval! I'll take it to Serval!” She looked to Carreau with wide eyes, waiting to hear his pronouncement. It was with some effort that Carreau kept himself from beaming. “Very good,” he told her. “But don't rush over there yourself, you've already worn yourself out. Just summon an Umbra in the Atrium and give it a message to repeat to the guards.” Quite overjoyed with her success and Carreau's praise, Verrine nodded and bounced off toward the door again. Carreau looked back at Lily. “We were saying?”