[center] [color=f49ac2]Sakura Level 10: 46/100[/color] [color=fff200]Karin Level 7: 22/70[/color] Location: Arabahaki Word Count: 1529 Points Gained: 6! New EXP Balance--- [color=f49ac2]Sakura Level 10: 58/100 [/color] +6 (Still need to level her up, but idk) [color=fff200]Karin Level 7: 34/70[/color] +6 [/center] — Sakura got up from behind Goldlewis as the Consul died, while Karin regarded him with steely orange eyes. Hayato had delivered the final blow of his encounter, avenging Akira in the process. She had no words for the failure of the Consul, an extension of the loathsome Galeem that had thrown the universe into chaos. Whatever motivations he thought he had were of no concern to her. Karin wasn’t bloodthirsty, but she reserved her compassion and even her pity for those who deserved it. Sakura gave Hayato a grateful and sad little wave as he left. Then she exhaled and turned her attention to the matter at hand. The Guardian. This was it! What they had been working towards. This would be her second fight. If- when they won, it would be her second guardian. She was definitely a long way from getting a lift from a nice dragon lady to catch up with the Seekers on their way to Alcamoth. Lumbridge felt like a lifetime ago. Sakura smiled warmly at Giovanna, and gave her a thumbs up. Nothing wrong with sitting out a battle, after all. Sakura just really, really felt like fighting. It’s why she hadn’t stopped, so far. The Seekers pushed ahead. The machine, the Guardian, no doubt, was a malevolent thing. [color=f49ac2]”What the heck is that ugly thing? Galeem sure knows how to pick them.”[/color] She said. Karin narrowed her eyes at the interlopers. So this was that ‘Nox’ figure Happy Chaos had mentioned. And, of course, Happy Chaos himself, arriving in a car. She still didn’t know what to think of Happy Chaos. It sounded like he chose that name himself. He was pretentious and above-it-all despite this being apparently the only thing he thought was worth doing. Whatever ‘this’ was. [color=f49ac2]”Collecting…Wakfu? What? Does that mean-?”[/color] Sakura asked, confused, and dreading the answer. But Goldlewis’ response and Nox’s general demeanor confirmed it for her. [color=fff200]”Indeed. As if we could trust someone as low as that with the power to make the world better. Once again, another fool who would rather do anything than facing the problems of the world head on. It’s all machinations and magic and grand ideologies. And ‘sacrifice.’”[/color] Karin said bitterly. [color=fff200]”It’s all so terribly performative. It makes me sick. All of these self-important ‘woe-is-me’ murderers galavanting about like it’s their own personal hell and not one they’ve made for others. You can’t go two meters without bumping into one in this place.” [/color] She crossed her arms. [color=fff200]”And for what?”[/color] Karin asked rhetorically. [color=fff200]”Nothing. They’ll never succeed.”[/color] [color=f49ac2]”Sam-san?”[/color] Sakura asked, recognizing the swordsman. She looked at Roxas in disbelief. [color=f49ac2]”What are you doing here? Don’t tell me this guy beat you up and now you’re following [i]him[/i] around.”[/color] She indicated Nox. [color=f49ac2]”You seriously need a hobby.”[/color] She was a little frustrated with him, and the fact that they were probably going to have to fight. He was really strong, too, and the last thing they needed was more problems. [color=f49ac2]”If you want to follow someone around whose actually strong, I know a guy who's [i]perfect.[/i]”[/color] Sakura said. A bit dreamily, towards the end there. [color=f49ac2]”Err, I mean, perfect for that. Perfect for following around because he’s strong.”[/color] She cleared her throat. The swordsman gave her an easygoing grin. “Tell you what. If you win, you can introduce us.” [color=f49ac2]”O-okay!”[/color] Sakura got into her fighting stance, focusing up. The time for battle had come. And no sooner than it had started, Goldlewis was dead. He challenged Nox, and died instantly, for Nox had some kind of overwhelmingly powerful time magic. [color=fff200]”Wh-what?!”[/color] Karin exclaimed, outraged. Certainly, she had little intention of using lethal force herself. For Nox to render Goldlewis helpless and then execute him in cold blood was beyond forgiveness. Sakura stopped dead in her tracks and gasped, covering her mouth. [color=f49ac2]”No!!”[/color] Karin looked at Tycoon and Nox’s crew, trying to strategize. What should they do? They had to be wary of Nox and his ability! Sakura, however, wasn’t going to be paralyzed for long. She rushed ahead, angry. She would fight Nox, or anyone who got in her way. It was all the same to her, now. It ended up being Karen Travers who interposed himself between Sakura and Nox, running to take her head-on. Sakura sprinted ahead and then stopped on a dime, shifting to the left and swinging a kick into his knee. Karin felt obligated to follow after her friend and so she did, running behind her. She aimed to jump over Karen and kick him in the back of the head and then strike him, only a short amount of time after Sakura made her approach. Rather than try to blindside Sakura while she went for Nox, Karen meant to provoke her into attacking him instead, and when the girl rounded on him he reacted defensively. The Septentrion put his momentum into an aggressive parry, striking Sakura’s leg with his palm just before her kick could connect. His skill -and strength- left him at an advantage with his foe off-balance, and Karen didn’t waste the opportunity. He pounded his fists together, activating Pyrokinesis. Flames very much like Hanabi’s engulfed the lower halves of his limbs, and he lashed out with a dizzying backhand toward Sakura’s head before abruptly disappearing with a whirring blip. Sakura brought her leg down quickly, and raised her hands to her head, absorbing some of the force of the blow, given the brief window to defend herself due to Karen activating pyrokinesis. The Street Fighter had only the briefest chance to recall the sound of Luka’s Teleportation before Karen’s elbow flew in toward her back, expelling a concentrated jet of flame. The sound tipped her off, and she turned and took most of the force into her arm instead, the jet of flame sending her skidding backwards. That move put Karen right in Karin’s path. He whirled to face her just as she jumped over him, seemingly giving her a free shot at the back of his head. Instead, knowing the psychological damage an untouched foe could inflict, the Brain Eater showed off Sclerokinesis right away. Karin’s kick connected with a body as solid and impermeable and titanium, and the next moment Karen’s hand closed around her leg to pull her into a fiery downward punch that bounced her off the floor. After switching off Sclerokinesis, another teleport brought Karen right to his foe so that a snap kick could add both insult and injury. [color=fff200][i]”Agh!”[/i][/color] The floor-bounced Karin took the hit in the ribs and flew backwards, tumbling along the ground before pushing herself back to her feet. If she was phased psychologically, she didn’t show it. Karen Travers then deactivated Pyrokinesis to save energy, dispersing the flames by arrogantly dusting himself off. Sakura dashed right back into the fray, tears brimming in her eyes. She zig zagged as she approached. She came from the side and aimed to slam her elbow into his kidney, and then snap her leg out for a light kick against his leg. Non-committal attacks trying to bait out the use of Sclerokinesis or other defensive tactics while keeping herself mobile. Forced to block the attempted kidney blow, Karen gave his opponent a cold look. If she was willing to try and jolt him like that, he could afford to answer in kind. For a brief moment he bided his time, defending himself adeptly. Just long enough for Karin to regain her feet and rejoin the fight. Then he activated Electrokinesis in a burst of sparks, teleported straight upward, and after a second unleashed a lightning shower over a wide area. Sakura reached out to grab his arm and force him off balance with her technique, but all she got was a brief jolt of sparks. Sakura glanced over her shoulder to block his behind the back attack, but all she saw was his shadow. He was above her! The electricity coursed violently through her and she squeezed her eyes shut, her arms flying out to the side as she grit her teeth. [color=f49ac2][i]”Rrrgrgrgrgrgrh!”[/i][/color] She groaned loudly. Karin could see the attack from this distance and back stepped the electric shower. It stopped, and her opponent began to descend while Sakura stumbled forward. Karin dashed forward, an orange and red torpedo. She fired out her grappling hook to stick into his shoulder while he was distracted and then pulled herself forward with high speed and force, looking to slam both her boots into his side and knock him over. The hefty collision knocked her target back, but he managed to salvage his footing by spinning with the force and slide to a stop in a crouching position. Eyes tightened, Karen poured electricity into his right hand and stepped forward with an overhead chop, seemingly much too shallow until a wave of lightning bolts blasted down in quick succession in front of him. Into the storm he charged, and the moment Karin weathered the last of the bolts her guard received a flying double snap that weakened her guard even further. The assault pushed her back, but before Karen could overwhelm her, help was on the way.