[IC] World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

[Eviledd1984]

@Lugubrious

Harry Dubois

And

𝒦𝒾𝓂 𝒦𝒾𝓉𝓈𝓊𝓇𝒶𝑔𝒾

Word Count: 561
Level: Lv: 6 EXP: (3/60)
Lv: 4 EXP: (5/40)
Location: Forbidden Kingdom - Esaka’s Middle Tiers

Kim had written down as many notes about the four kings as he could in his notebook. Jotting down detailed descriptions of their personality, appearance, and he could fighting style. When asked, he was told that Heihachi Mishima was an extremely dangerous individual. Kim did give Harry a look of concern when they described M.Bison. He sounded equally unsavoury as Heihachi. Kim didn’t like the feeling that they could be marching towards their own graves by partaking in this tournament. But he knew Harry wanted to do the right thing and go headfirst into a dire situation. He would have to wait for the right moment to have the conversation and try to persuade him to withdraw from the tournament.

Harry was involved in listening to any information on the Four Kings. Asking questions to various people about the Four Kings’ moves and any weakness they noticed that could be used. The thought did occur to him that perhaps he was entering a perilous situation. He wouldn’t have had help from any of his other Seekers, or even Kim. Maybe the people mentioned, called the “World Warriors.” would be able to help him.

The three detectives took a seat on the bench. Harry started to throw pieces of mouldy bread from his pack to feed the birds. Kim was staring up at the sky with his eyes closed, imagining himself back at Revachol. Walking the pot-holed streets, and among the ghostly-looking buildings that seemed to tower above him. The one thing he didn’t miss was the racists and the corporate espionage. But nowhere was perfect, and he had Harry despite his many flaws. Kim felt safe being around Harry, whether it was here or in Revachol.

Harry stopped feeding the birds when he noticed Band and the girl start playing. Slowly, he got up from the bench and began to dance. And soon enough, Kim joined in by whistling along to the tune of their playing, before joining Harry in dancing like a madman. It was a beautiful moment of serenity between the four of them.

“Thanks, guys, that was wonderful.” Harry said with a bow to both Band and the woman. “Hi, ya made a nice chunk of change from your playing.Good job.” Harry peered into the money that seemed to jingle inside the detective’s hat. Big Band felt Harry’s hand gently slap against his metallic shoulder.

“Perhaps we should see if we can reconnect with the others,” Kim suggested while walking alongside them.

[DracoLunaris]

The Lone Omnic

Krat Zoo - Exit Gates

Featuring: Ramattra and Edward.
Word Count: 3788 (+4) (+4 rapport)

Once the stew had long since been enjoyed and invigorated the spirits of the Seekers on White Team, and as the rest of the group began to collect their bearings and prepare the Reindrix for the last leg, the dying embers of the fire that once heated the pot were all that was left as evidence of their stay. Nearly every member had busied themselves, either by completing last-minute errands or by joining others for conversation. Ramattra, still disoriented by his morals in this new world, meditated by himself in the light of the logs that still survived, his staff neatly folded over his lap as the large orb normally suspended in the middle of nanites at the neck was now floating idly over Ramattra’s head, shifting each time he lost concentration.

The ceaseless chatter around the Omnic made it quite challenging for him to focus on clearing his thoughts, and he’d quietly mutter his frustration to himself as the chatter around him slowly became tuned out. Once he reached harmony with his mind, the Omnic’s afloat orb would now slowly rotated itself, reflecting the tranquility he was finally able to obtain. Short bursts of heat would wisp from the Omnic’s mouth area, not too dissimilar to a human breathing. The Omnic had nowhere to go, no army to command, and his perspective on humans was shattered, as this world was not his own. How many other Omnics were out there? Did they still face the same hardships back when Ramattra was commanding Null Sector? Millions of potential thoughts raced through Ramattra’s circuitry, calculating every possible reason as to what had happened. A simple word would be enough to throw his concentration off again…

Right on cue, the man who’d previously introduced himself as Edward Portsmith made a polite but insistent cough.

Upon turning his focus to him, the Omnic would find a man who had once been human, but that now bore the plaid skin, glowing eyes and ashen wings of something beyond that, smiling apologetically at him. His back was to the carriage he would shortly be driving, while his senses were split between a set of burning hounds and hovering drones he’d be commanding while doing so, yet his full focus, for now, was on the one he’d freed from Galeem’s grasp.

”My apologies for interrupting, but we are about to set off, if you’d care to continue to travel with us.” he began by saying, before adding that ”I at the very least owe you an explanation of your new situation, so I would hope you’d do so at least until I can fulfil an obligation, and you can decide if our mission is one you’d partake in”

Ramattra did not seem alarmed by the man throwing off his concentration, and rather, his warning about their imminent departure was appreciated as the Omnic lost time to thought. “Ah, yes. Edward was it?” The Omnic would eye the man’s odd appearance, trying to gauge whether or not he was actually human. This entire place seemed to twist Ramattra’s worldview; his hatred of humans now just felt like a bias from a past life. It was clear by Omnic’s momentary silence that he was distressed in thought, unsure how to proceed with the conversation to get the answers he needed.

He stood, offering to walk with Edward as the Stagecoach began rumbling through the exit ahead. Ramattra’s Orb of Destruction would return to the middle of his staff as he used it as a walking stick, gesturing for Edward to follow alongside the large vehicle. “So… This place.” He used his free hand openly to signal that he was referring to the World of Light. “Where… and what is it exactly?...” Ramattra decided to ask the easiest question first. It’s going to be very hard to explain that he was responsible for an evil robot uprising in his homeworld.

”Likely you will recall a flash of light in the last moment before you awoke here? That would have been the power of a being called ‘Galeem’ being used to take control of many, many, many worlds. It then took these worlds, or parts of them, and stitched them together into a new one, like it was making some patchwork quilt. We are now living in that world, where beings plucked from endless realms are pitted against each other fights endless wars, skirmishes or petty conflicts still, blind to the false reality they live in” Edward explained, before seeming to think for a moment, sighing and adding ”or, to be more exact, copies of those beings”

He paused for a long, unhelpful moment, seemingly trying to think of how to explain that before saying that ”The Ramattra that you recall being is… not strictly speaking you. You are a continuation of them, yes, but the true (original) Ramattra is stored somewhere in a theorised ‘source engine’ which then spits out copies into Galeem’s patchwork world to act as toy soldiers in, or bystanders to, this world’s many conflicts. Over and over and over. There have been endless yous who have lived their lives over an unknown length of time, and each only recalls who they have been before in rare dreams”

The man then looked deeply apologetic as he said that ”I’m sorry if this is a lot to take in, but I think it's better to put all the cards on the table rather than try and feed you breadcrumbs of information over time. We now live in a world made by a cruel and heartless god”

Finally, he stood straighter, with the look of a man who had faced many battles against incredible odds and the steady voice of one who had led others to do the same time and time again ”However! It seems like the foe is an absent god, one content to simply let the gears of its scrap build machine grind and crush those within and continue to roll on on its own accord rather than tinkering too closely with it now that it has been set in motion. Thus we, the Seekers of Light, are able to hack away at its protections without drawing down that same world's shattering power on our heads, and once we have, it will regret its negligence. It is a long and treacherous climb, and one that has claimed all who have attempted it before, yet even still must endeavor to conquer that mountain and slay the false god atop it, for it is the only way for there to ever be peace”

The Omnic stayed quiet for a moment, trying his best to fully digest all of the information that Edward had shared with him. His feet marched through the snow with each metallic crunch ticking away each second as he thought about his response. As Edward addressed it, Ramattra’s memory of how he disappeared into Galeem’s Light resurfaced, replaying how Null Sector forces were seamlessly wiped out by a colorful burst of light. “Galeem.” Was the only word he managed to speak, letting the name soak in the bitterness of his tongue as he enunciated that name like some foul curse. The part about being a copy of himself didn’t particularly phase him

“So then… If this Galeem is idle atop some mountain, what is stopping us from preparing an assault? I used to command an army; if we rally our numbers and free others, we could find some large carrier and-” Ramattra cut himself off. The leader in him was speaking, and rather than being rational, he remembered that the being they were up against could easily wipe out trillions of lifeforms and Frankenstein them all together. They would be sure to meet the same fate if they attacked without preparation. The silence after his speech communicated this realization.

“My homeworld then… My people. I come from a dying race of machines that are treated like filth by human society.” The Omnic looked at Edward with a moment of sincerity as those red sensors glowed with every word. “I will do my best to put my differences aside with humans of this world, but… I have my biases.” He looked at all the human-appearing members across White Team. He had a LOT of differences to put aside. “But what of you? I’m sure you come from quite an interesting background in your world.”

”That people would treat such a wonder so poorly-” he began to say, before sighing in resignation, and saying ”My world or worlds saw much of the same sorts of conflicts power imbalances between different peoples of all shapes and sizes. Human, elf, dwarf, frostling, Draconian and more. I was part of a commonwealth that was meant to stand for all peoples, but failed in that endeavor and became dominated by humanity as well”

It was a failure the man seemed to see as a personal one, though not as much as what followed in his tale ”I had been intending to correct that imbalance after rising in the ranks via ousting a conspiracy fueling the fires of war between us and the Elven Court. That was before the world gates opened, self proclaimed gods invaded, and I the army I was leading was tossed through the astral sea to a farflung world within it… and during the journey the eldritch patron of the conspirators I had thwarted, Urrath, took hold of my mind”

After a moment of thought, he decided to skip over the fine details of his time as a man driven by rage that was not his own, and instead explained ”I am free now after many tribulations and with much blood on my hands, but the chance to atone for my sins, to thwart its seizure of my homeworld, was taken from my by Galeem” before focusing back onto the current moment

”Galeem has protections that need to be taken down, guardians who shield it from harm as long as they live. It also has somewhat less idle… Well, not really lieutenants, it seems, but individuals who are invested in maintaining this world for their own ends. These twenty-six Consuls are this world’s true rulers, unbound as they are by its rules, and are mostly personally invested in holding that power by, in turn, preserving Galeem’s existence. Still, they seem to have been slow on the uptake, and disinterested in major collaboration. If they all came for us, we’d be fighting a losing battle. If we tried to build a full army, they’d bring their own, which they have already prepared. But acting covertly, in small but powerful groups, the seekers have been able to take down seven of thirteen guardians so far”

Ramattra was extremely relieved to hear that there was at least a plan to defeat Galeem, albeit still seemingly in the early stages of the process. One thing that was concerning to the Omnic, however, was the seemingly large number of these Seekers who get recruited and leave. He remembers his responsibility of getting Kit and Celica to safety when Celica was infected by the T-Virus, but he guessed that was just the nature of being in constant conflict.

Since Edward has been kind enough to share details of his past life, it seemed fair that the solitary Omnic do the same. “My people, the Omnics… We were once a servile race to the humans, machines made to bring companionship, help with labor. 30 years ago, a malicious program took control of Omnic production and turned us against our creators, brainwashed against our programming.” The Omnic spoke, enunciating his consciousness of the matter. “Anubis. When it took over the Omnic production, it began creating machines of war, Omnics designed for violence.”

If Ramattra had a human face, it would’ve been cold and distant, the lights on his red sensors dimming. “I was among one of the models in production. I slaughtered hundreds of humans against my will and watched hundreds of my own die for the same reason.” A lingering gaze was aimed at the moon, as if he recalled every moment he fought for Anubis. Ramattra did not talk about his past like it was some traumatic recollection, but rather something that fueled his natural bitterness.

“We gained consciousness when the Omnic anomaly Aurora uploaded her mind to destroy Anubis, granting Omnics free will and thought. Humans didn’t seem to trust us still, even after one of our own sacrificed herself to end the war. They see us as murder machines, killerbots, and ‘able to go rogue again at any moment.’” The hatred in his voice rose as he recollected his backstory. Then he recalled the state he was in when Galeem had brainwashed him. “The Omnic you knew fighting Markiona is not the same one that stands beside you. This ‘Galeem’ apparently thought it was safer to live as an echo of my past. The Ramattra before you is a commander, fighting for Omnic Independence.” He was cautious to share his means of gaining independence through forceful reformation of humanity; the last thing he needed was a potential ally seeing him as a threat. After all, Ramattra doesn’t HATE humans, he hates humanity, “By any means necessary.” He concluded his speech, offering Edward a moment to speak before stopping in his tracks, the Stagecoach progressing ahead as a final question came to mind: “Our allies… They have… unique appearances, almost as if they’ve been altered in some unnatural way. Is that this Galeem’s doing as well?”

”I’d say he is a new third person, but it is an argument mostly academic in nature” Edward replied, greatly sympathizing with the machine man’s situation ”Still, it seems we have both walked a similar path at some points, one at a time dictated by another‘s will, and the consequences of which we are now left to endure and overcome in the wake of escaping it. So I will not judge your path to overcoming that”

”and yes, we have indeed been changed, though that is by our own will not Galeems, even if it is part of the nature of its world that facilitates it” he replied to the question before reaching into a pouch and producing the spirits of the fallen alchemists ”here, I saved these to be used as an example”

”These are spirits of fallen foes, and they have their uses. For one, they can be absorbed into the head, which can grant you their wisdom, talent, or a passive benefit of some kind, while causing a change in hue as a side effect. You may have seen me dodge through portals? That came from a towering demoness but only affected my skin, eyes, and clothes. Meanwhile applying it to the heart warps your body but grants a new more active ability in the process. I did not always have wings, nor the ability to fly, for example”

He then tilted his head and raised a palm apologetically as he also explained that ”There are, however, of course, drawbacks. The first, skills, only come with minor ones, but gaining an ability can be quite taxing. I used that previously mentioned demoness to gain the ability to open portals wherever I could see, but that in turn horrifically warped my body, bones, mental state and caused my muscles to gradually decay. Quite a nasty mix, likely due to a mix of her sheer power and the anatomical differences between us”

After a beat he hastily added that ”By which I mean she had a house sized headless featherless chick for a lower body, and the upper body had three torsos half melded together, not that she was a woman. Though apparently gender change is a thing that can occur as well” which was something he shrugged at before noting casually ”there been no dysphoric reaction to any of this, conveniently”

”Still, unwanted outcomes can happen, but fortunately our home base of the Avenger (a flying invisible ship) has a way to undo these ‘fusions’ with ease, so nothing permanent about this. So feel free to experiment”

Finally, he also explained that ”Two other options also exist: First, strikers, like the ones you saw me summon during the fight, of which two can be equipped before it apparently starts negatively affecting lifespan. We can swap those at the avenger as well. Second, crushing the spirits to make items. We have a hat to make the results of that better” before tapping away at a magic circle to summon a large chest with teeth that was, apparently, wearable as a hat.

”Oh, and remind me to set you up with remote armory access later. We’ve acquired quite a lot of gear a lot of which is quite niche in nature, so there might be something you might already find useful”

That left the spirits he’d kept as examples, which he admitted ”are not perhaps the best ability fusion fuel, but strikers and skills could be on the table, if you are interested in trying things out, otherwise we’ll just itemise them ”

Ramattra gently claimed the spirit of the Alchemist Boxer in the grasp of his large metallic digits, clutching it like a small orb. “If I want to free myself from this world, I think it best I take whatever upgrades are handed to me.” Ramattra took Edward’s mention of spirits warping his being very seriously, and despite how recently he had gained his memory, Ramattra knew the only way was forward, until he was forced to retire or finally returned home. “So I will take any risk required for strength.” With that, his hand clutched tighter, absorbing the spirit into his being, and allowing the changes to take place.

For Ramattra

Spirit consumed: Alchemist Boxer The host is now a cyborg with some organic body parts that interface with his mechanical systems. This includes his upper arms and much of the torso beneath his metal ribcage, both very muscular, and the upper half of a face beneath his white mask, albeit with cybernetic optics. The skin is a pale gray color, with prominent veins tinted a dark turquoise, and a number of small plug ports scattered across the surface. His brown pant legs are also now forest green with vertical dark green stripes. This spirit grants the Ability Pump Up, allowing the host to spike his organic parts with an alchemical cocktail that temporarily increases his physical strength and defense for up to 3 minutes, marked by glowing teal veins. More cocktails will be generated over the course of the next half hour. This spirit also grants the Weakness Breaking Point, giving the host a stun gauge that fills up as he takes damage, especially if he gets parried. Once it's full, receiving a heavy attack will stagger him for several seconds

Ramattra looked at the physical changes of his body, examining the lifeless flesh and protruding containers of Cocktail. It was oddly fitting for Ramattra to gain these large muscles, though their musculature would only be present in his Nemesis Form; his current body was too slender to display them at full mast. He tapped at the little containers on his deltoids, curious about what ability the alchemist had given him. “So… Did I do it right?” Ramattra was unsure of his appearance, preferring to look tidy when he could, but these tattered striped pants and pale arms made him feel… messy.

”Indeed. Quite a bold move too” Edward replied, surprised that the omnic had gone for ability fusion right away. He hoped it would pay off, because the aesthetics were interesting to say the least. He wondered especially how the machine would find the experience of having flesh. Something and him and sandalphon to bond over, perhaps.

Regardless, that did seem to be the only spirit that the (now slightly less) machine man had interest in taking for himself, and so Edward donned the ridiculous (and painful) symbol of avarice and got to crushing.

Items Obtained

Resplendent Ergo Crystal Though small, this ergo is of high quality, and can provide a lot of power for machines that derive their energy from ergo

Pata A paired sword attached to an armored grip that allows it to be wielded like a cestus. It's harder to disarm them than normal swords. They can be used for slashing, but they allow one's full punching power to be channeled into deadly trusts.

Dragon's Fury A homemade flamethrower modified to shoot not a stream of flame, but a single fireball. Each fireball deals low damage on hit, but ignites the target, dealing damage over time for a few seconds. If another fireball hits a target that's already burning, its damage is tripled. It can also release the contents of its canister in airblasts that can redirect projectiles, push away enemies, and extinguish burning allies. Both firing modes consume ammo, and this weapon only takes flamethrower, long gun, or universal pickups

”Fate really does despise the notion of a straightforward sword it seems” Edward said, as he regarded the unorthodox punching swords, before stashing the items in the armory for later use.

By that point, the herd of cats that were the seekers were finally all ready to head out, and perhaps even growing a little impatient. The Omnic would place a metallic hand on his ally’s shoulder, letting his biased dislike towards humans go as he offered this simple gesture of respect. Not yet as friends, maybe, but as two kindred spirits from other worlds. “You have my thanks for your time today, Edward. May our battles together be won honorably.”

The man grinned back at him, before agreeing ”Yes, let them” before swiftly mounting the driver’s seat of the stagecoach and, after giving Ramattra a moment to get onboard as well, got them all on the road again.

[MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]

Geralt of Rivia

Frozen Highlands- The Midnight Walk
Lvl 15 Geralt (207/140) +7 Collab XP +40 Tale Reward XP -> (255/140) 280% OL Charged (Lvl 1)
Word count: 744 words

The promise of food served to stir Geralt’s form far sooner than any other offer might have. He still took a good while to rise, but he did so eventually, recovering mostly by the time they reached the stagecoach. Pulling himself into the carriage, he collapsed into the bench seating with a heavy sigh, leaning against the wall.

He was off his game today. Hunting the Reindrix had gone quite smooth, but after that, he felt as if he’d done very little in the way of productivity. He hunted a few mutated wolves to keep them from ambushing the group from behind, and then he promptly got eaten alive by an oversized lizard. Once that was over, he got his ass handed to him tactically and physically by the self-proclaimed ‘Puppeteer of Death’ (though he’d gotten his own hand up on her).

Nonetheless, he took a healthy (if bordering on greedy) portion of stew from the pot, hungrily chowing down. He thought back on the fights with Tom and Markiona, and each time his undoing had come from rushing in blindly without properly assessing the situation, which was rather unlike him typically. The influence of the Spirits he’d fused with was likely the cause, though it was hard to pinpoint any one. The Orphan made him more prone to fits of rage, while Ishmael helped temper his attitude. Karen Tarvers had likely made him more rigid and perhaps a bit desperate to achieve his goals, so it was a fair guess that it was the cause of at least some of his issues. Flynn and Tartaglia had been absorbed at the same time, so he couldn’t pin any real personality changes to either, but he’d felt more optimistic since then, and more comfortable if reckless in a fight.

As he ate, Sandalphon revealed that her investigation had shown that it was a combination of disease and the elixir that had caused the animals in the zoo to transform. “Hmm. Matches with what Eryk said, at least. He got worse only after consuming the so-called miracle cure. Hopefully he remembers to stay away from the stuff now.” The request to gather everybody’s collected Ergo came as a surprise to the Witcher, and he wasn’t afraid to show it. “Why do you need the Ergo?”

Sandalphon's pupils betrayed nothing. "In Markiona's penthouse laboratory, I found some research material suggesting that ergo has some sort of spiritual power that may be used to enhance our abilities," she answered truthfully. "Thus, I believe it has more worth in its current material state than it has in monetary value." After a brief pause, her pupils became dollar signs. "If you desire recompense, I regret that I cannot compensate you currently, but I will memorize the amount owed so that I can reimburse you as soon as I'm able. If my word is an insufficient guarantor...I understand, and you need not comply with my request."

Geralt nodded, his own pupils staring into Sandalphon’s. She was, when she wanted to be, utterly inscrutable. In some ways, she reminded him of Yennefer. In others, they were polar opposites. “Sure.” He said, rising partially to reach across the stagecoach and hand her the bag he’d been given, replete with Ergo crystals. “Don’t worry too much about paying me back. If we can use that for other purposes, I don’t mind spending on the cause. We’re all better off if we can all benefit from it.” He had no designs on Markiona’s spirit either, so her request for it went quietly unchallenged.

As the stagecoach traveled through the valley, they passed through a standoff between two groups, each seeming to create strange creatures via the use of impossible devices that materialized them from coal. As some of the others went to investigate, Geralt remained within the stagecoach, sitting in meditative silence. He contemplated how they would make use of the mistletoe on Baldur. Would it be as simple as smashing the berries onto his skin? Did they have to force-feed the immortal, which would prove as much a challenge as battle? They could make a tincture and apply it to their weapons akin to his blade oils, hoping to envenomate the Guardian.

He supposed they could try each of the methods, depending on how much they managed to grow in those strange devices that Roxas and Ganondorf had found. When they had the plant in hand they could broach the topic further, as well.

[DracoLunaris]

wordcount: 3,481, (+5)
Location: Forbidden Kingdom - Shinjuku
Bowser Jr: Level 15 EXP: //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////(274/150)
Rika: Level 11 EXP: ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////(219/100)

Once Teevee caught his breath, he picked himself up and cleared the court, though he didn’t follow Malina inside. His color pattern regarded the disguised Koopa Kids and Clover’s parents with curious enthusiasm. “You two actually gonna give ‘em a shot? That water-type beast’s really tough, and their fusion was crazy, but I bet you’d make a great team!”

Before Taion could deflect, the little girl sitting on his shoulders flapped her arms excitedly. “Yeah, yeah! Mommy and daddy are the best team of all! They can beat anyone!”

“Well, I wouldn’ say that, necessarily…” Her father gave an exasperated laugh.

“Wot?” Eunie turned on him, her expression teasing. “You think we couldn’t give these little blighters a proper lickin’? After all we’ve been through, love, you still en’t confident we could win?”

Taion adjusted his glasses indignantly. “Well, of course we could, dear. All I’m saying is that pride comes before the fall...”

Her dad’s declaration seemed to fire Clover up. “Mommy, daddy, c’mon, I wanna see you win!” Her eyes got big and teary as she bent over Taion’s head to stare at him pleadingly. “Pleaaaase?”

Eunie attempted to do the same, making her own eyes as big as they could possibly get. Taion crumbled immediately, relenting with a sigh. “Very well, very well. If our new friends are game, of course.”

The two friends in question were in the middle of picking themselves up and dusting themselves down when the question came, prompting Jr (still wearing Undyne’s form) to glance at Rika (who was still a hopskin) and tilt his head in question. Post fusion he was now aware of his sister’s desire to help the new life that was Clover, but that was all they’d gotten through before the fusion had collapsed. Which left the question/discussion of how they were meant to help her unable to be coordinated.

Not that they were able to talk about it anyway, given they were in hearing distance of people who might take “your kid needs to go live in an airship that’s always on the run” the wrong way.

Which meant fusing again might be their best bet. And also holding it together this time.

”Sure, just let us heal up first” Jr replied after receiving a nod from Rika, after which he also asked ”So you guys know about fusion? It was just a rumor in the place we got the tapes from. We kinda only pulled it off the first time during a, uh, bad time out of luck I think, n’ that was only the second”

The two shared a knowing glance, with Eunie in particular looking especially smug. “Oh yeah, we’re well aware.”

“It’s not exactly unknown, but it requires a special kind of bond,” Taion explained as he put an affectionate hand on Eunie’s shoulder. She turned to lift Clover off her husband’s shoulders and gently set her down on the ground. “Clemence sells rewinds in the cafe, by the way.” He didn’t explain what those were or how to use them, expecting that skilled tape fighters would already know.

They did not. But that wasn’t going to stop Jr from matching back in, realizing he didn’t have a way to get to their money, and thus having to make a trip to the bathroom to avoid un-transforming. A quick change out of and then back into Undyne’s form got the prince his pokemon dufflebag on Undyne’s shoulder which he then fished around for the money to buy the rewinds.

Once he’d done that, he and Rika stared at their purchase for a few moments, and then Jr had to lean in and ask ”Uh, how do these work?” while poking the palm of one hand with the tape rewinder.

“Stick it into the tape reel and turn it back to the beginning,” Clemence supplied helpfully, a friendly smile on her face.

”Oh, so, uh, not a thing you can use while using it then? Um...” Jr replied, before Rika awkwardly slid one into the Hopskin’s pocket and also went for a bathroom break. Followed by Jr also going for one. Which wasn’t suspicious at all.

Still, once they’d finished, they were back outside and into the court, ready to face down their next pair of opponents. Opponents who were probably going to be a lot more coordinated than the last set.

“They’re back!” Clover waved as the siblings approached. Her parents stopped talking strategy to take up their positions on the other side of the court as Clover practically bounced off the walls with excitement. Taion stood calmly with his arms crossed, while Eunie put her hands on her hips with a grin.

Taion stood calmly with his arms crossed. “All healed up? Good. After the performance you gave earlier, we can’t afford to hold back.”

“So don’t blame us if we go overboard!” Eunie grinned put her headset on, carefully working around her headwings. “If we do, I’ll have Taion fix ya up after. Let’s see whatcha got!”

The couple dissolved into static. When Eunie reformed, she had become a punkish chicken dragon with leathery hide and a nose ring in her beak. A sonar ping radiated from her as her Echolocation passive automatically took effect, granting her thirty seconds of Multitarget. Taion, meanwhile, became a battery rabbit with a scrap metal arm that sparked with electric current.

”Bring it on!” Jr replied, twirling Undyne’s spear with bravado even as he internally groaned about there being another electric type in this match (one which was also cool which was doubly unfair). At least maybe the dragon was a fire type or something, and so Jr promptly probed this theory with a light volley of water spears using the Torrent.

Rika also now knew a bit more about how her moves worked, which she demonstrated by lunging towards the bulky looking electric rabbit and trying to pull off a stunning Jump Scare against it before it could move and start multihitting them to death.

Rika’s Jump Scare worked, successfully rendering Taion unable to take action as his Lapacitor form reeled. On the other hand, the water spears seemed to have no particular effectiveness against Eunie’s Rockertrice beast, and after shrugging them off it was she who acted next. She unleashed Stony Look, and an alarming red flash radiated from her eyes. Unfortunately, the first ten seconds of her Multitarget buff went to waste as the Stony Look didn’t seem to take. Whatever the two had meant to try, it had failed, and the ball was back in the kids’ court.

With a mix of worry about not having the type advantage he had hoped for and overconfidence he had time to compensate Jr declared ”Alright. Then let’s pump it up!” Jr declared, raising arms (i.e. his spear) above his head to power it up. Rika meanwhile now tossed out a Peekaboo as a longer term solution to Taion’s incoming electrical devastation, also underestimating the Rockertrice due to its first move failing to have an impact.

By then, Eunie had recovered enough AP to go for another Stony Look. This time the red flash instantly Petrified both Rika and Junior, encasing them in stone that made it so hard to move that they could effectively only block. It also changed both of them to the earth type, and when Taion as Lapacitor followed up with a simple lightning-type Smack against Junior, it prompted a Vitrified reaction that changed his type again, this time to Glass.

It certainly made it too hard to talk, much as Jr tried to mouth off about this being cheap even as he raised Undyne’s spear and armored gauntlets defensively (and it was a very good defence) despite being able to now see through it due to being glassy. Rika didn’t have the luxury of this durability, and could merely hunker down.

With gleeful relish, Eunie went with a multi-targeted Smack in order to preserve AP. It dealt only minor damage to Junior, but her air type reacted with his newly-added glass type to inflict Resonate. Her partner followed suit with Copper Chop, which despite being metal-type, also added a stack of Resonate.

He wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, but saying it felt bad was an understatement, as Undyne’s armor (now glass) was now vibrating with a bone shaking intensity. The only thing he could think of to fix this was to change tapes to something that wasn’t made of glass, but the one he had left was the Etherial, and given it had been the talk of the town going by public news reports (and Seek’s internet browsing).

Then he remembered, and switched to the other tape he and Rika had, Undyne dissolving into static and being replaced by the toothy jawed bottom half of a Flukemon. A moment later, Rika followed suit, and transformed into the upper half of that same beast.

The quick switch to far more unconventional forms did nullify the Petrified status, but Junior’s Vitrified status remained in effect. Now, though, the Resonance stacks were on a much weaker beast. With only ten seconds left on Vitrified, there was no time to pivot, though. Now without Multi-target, Eunie let loose a Sonic Boom to deal air-type damage to both foes manually. It left Rika’s fluke half with only a little health, but it gave Junior a final stack of Resonance, which instantly shattered his tape and returned the young koopa to his true form.

For his part, Taion seemed to think nothing of it, and moved to try and finish Rika’s beast off with a Smack. Unfortunately, the accuracy debuff from Peekaboo came into effect and he missed. On the other hand, his passive Energy Reserves kicked in to give Eunie a free AP.

Jr tensed up upon his reveal, but upon seemingly not being recognised had scrambled out of the way of the fighting to a spot that he could start making them a quick exit, should the pair have simply been too engaged in the fight to have recognized him as a wanted criminal.

Though Eunie was ready to square up against Rika’s Hopskin, Taion saw Junior run away. Under normal circumstances he might have noticed something was wrong and called the match, but with Galeem’s influence in play he could show no mercy. As Eunie used Incinerate to pelt Rika with multiple fireblasts Taion followed Junior out of the basketball court. Clover’s confusion at Junior’s breach of etiquette turned into concern when Taion went after him. “Daddy? Where are you going?” The Lapacitor gestured at her to stay put, but did not slow his pursuit, and Clover did not listen. “Daddy!” Eunie looked over, certain, despite being bound to Rika by Galeem’s luster.

”Huh, why are you still after me? You won, I'm just, uh, getting clear?” Jr said, unsure as to why he was being followed other than it presumably being Galeem’s fault. Sure he might be backing off a lot, but surely it made sense to not be in the way of the ongoing fight, right?

Still, he might have been saying he had given up the fight, but his tense, defensive posture certainly didn’t echo that sentiment, the boy preparing to magma rush out of the way of whatever move he was planning to use. He did not want to find out if he could also get resonated, that was for sure.

What he didn’t realize, of course, was that if someone still had combat-capable tapes, they weren’t technically beaten. Clover followed along, calling for her dad to come back, but as much as this distressed Taion he couldn’t stop fighting. Lapacitor might be slower than Junior by default, but this beast had one thing the koopa didn’t. Taion uses Zoomies to rush forward with extreme speed, faster than his foe could react, and strike him with a weak beast-type blow.

Still in the court, Rika endured the fireball slinging, and then put her all into winning this now 1 vs 1 with the large stockpile of AP she’d saved up between being frozen and tape switching. She lunged forwards, opening the fluke’s jaws wide to bite Eunie.

The Bite struck true, but even if Rockertrice hadn’t been tanky, this was the first hit it had received. When Eunie struck back with Inflame, it was enough to destroy Rika’s fluke tape and return her to normal in a fizzle of static.

She waved awkwardly, then remembered she could talk again and asked ”are we also…?” before glancing to the side as an ”youch!” resounded from the speed tackled Jr. The boy dashed away from his pursuer, leaving a magma mine in his wake, and then tried to make his way back to his sister with more, non-mine laying dashes.

Eunie paused briefly as the mine burst against Taion’s form, briefly consuming him, but when he fought through the burns to chug along after Junior, she turned back to look to Rika–to Stony Look, specifically. This time she got lucky first try, and for the second time in one fight the abyssal found herself Petrified. Seeing this, Taion abandoned Junior and approached Rika to deliver a lightning-type Smack and inflict her with Vitrified.

”Oh no” Jr began to gasp, before finishing aggressively ”you don’t!” as he formed and hurled spears forward, past Taion, only to have them flip and ram back towards him to slow his progress if nothing else.

His sister meanwhile was once again stuck frozen, and there was no way for her to tape shift like this to escape it. Her gauntlets already would have had trouble switching the tapes before, now it was impossible.

Fortunately, she had ways to fight that didn’t involve moving, summoning her Vespikan Ichor Queen striker. The massive blood red wasp queen towered over everything in the basketball court as it hefted its brutal cleaver and then slammed it down towards Eunie.

Taken by surprise, Eunie received the full brunt of the cleaver, then let out a squawking roar of pain. Taion remained silent, but with several spears embedded in the Lapacitor’s battery-shaped body, he wasn’t faring much better. Still he pushed doggedly on, not to Smack Rika, but to defend Eunie. As the follow-up stinger thrust from the queen came in, Taion caught it in his metallic pincer, then sent a current of electricity through and into the big bug. Unfortunately, that left both of them vulnerable to attack from Junior.

As Rika convulsed from the sympathy damage, Jr used a striker of his own to try and free her one, summing Bodiga’s fist to smash down on top of Taion, while the prince himself raised his paintbrush and cast ”Esuna!” to try and clear the petrification.

The striker’s arm was big enough, and Eunie close enough, that both of them took damage from the gigantic hammerfist. While the metallic impact did give Taion Multi-target, it left him and his wife reeling and winded. When their heads stopped spinning, they found Rika cured, and Eunie’s next attempt at Stony Look missed. Taion snapped his pincer shut on one of the spears in his body so that he could pull it out, throw it down, then use Charge to blitz through Junior and end up behind him.

”Behind!” Rika called in warning in response to this, prompting her brother to backhop straight into Taion with his spiky shell, before forming a blade on his elbow and stabbing that backwards for good measure.

As he did that, Rika lunged in to deliver a one two punch to Eunie, while also summoning her other striker, Maria, to join her in a combo with a one two slash with her swordblades.

The Lapacitor let out a low, pained squeak as the spikes and blades pierced his body. The lightning arcs that levitated his electromagnetic scrap arm faltered for a moment, the pieces of metal almost hitting the ground. His original plan had been to follow up Charge with Battery, but the situation was more dire than he thought. When he spotted Eunie under attack, he changed tactics and used Zoomies to speed away from Junior and bop Rika. The attack did a little damage, but that was circumstances; his real goal was to stretch out his arm toward Eunie, who recognized what he wanted to do and moved to unfurl one wing his way.

Rika lunged forwards to grab Eunie and try to pull her away from her partner. Meanwhile, left in the dust, Jr rambled ”Oh nonononono” while forming knives with chains trailing from them. These blades launch forwards, past Taion , and then shot back again, trying to wrap him up so Jr could drag him back.

They held for just a moment, then the unpracticed technique failed, chains shattering in the face of the couple’s determination to become one. The moment the two touched, their beasts changed into static and melded together, the distortion swelling in size and intensity as it rose into the air. When it resolved the next moment, a powerful fusion loomed over the kid’s heads, bearing the colors and features of both Rockertrice and Lapacitor. This ‘Lapatrice’ did, however, also sport the wounds from both constituents, and their labored breathing indicated that they were still in a bad state.

Lapatrice had plenty of AP to work with, though, and for their first order of business they fired off a Sonic Boom to batter both opponents with a gale-force blast.

Said opponents went flying backwards through the air from the force, screaming with pain and alarm as they did. Both recovered their senses before they hit the ground however. Rika double jumped to slow her momentum before she hit the wall, then used her grappling hook to reel herself back towards the foe, gearing up for a flying punch. Jr meanwhile retracting into his shell and skimming along the ground, bounced off the wall, and then went sailing back towards the ‘Lapatrice’ with basically all the momentum of the knockback preserved.

The speedy turnaround brought both right back to their fused foe before Lapatrice could really recover. Quickly selecting a target, its constituents aimed a Smack at the incoming Rika in order to max out on AP, only for Junior’s shell to strike them in the leg. With a grunt, the Lapatrice fell to one knee, their plug arm hurriedly thrust out and into the ground for support. Rika’s punch then struck their fused face, almost knocking them down. The next moment, though, their metal pincer closed around the abyssal’s midsection, and the air began to churn as Lapatrice prepared to use their Fusion Power.

As her brother bounced away again, Rika half went to try and pry the claw crushing her hull off of her, only to switch her mind at the last moment, extend both palms towards the fusion… and open fire.

Flack shots of burning goop where joined by the ratta tat tat of gunfire as both palm mounted cannons unloaded at point blank range into the heavily wounded at its creation fusion.

The heavy bombardment proved too much for Lapatrice to handle. Their grip failed as they staggered back under the withering power of Rika’s barrage, and after another second, their combined form gave in. The fusion dissolved in a roar of static, and when the hissing pixels faded, Taion and Eunie were separated and back to normal, sore and gasping.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Still standing by the sidelines, Clover ran toward her parents.

“Stay back!” Eunie held up a hand that stopped her daughter in her tracks. “Don’t be scared, sweetie. We’re not done just yet.”

Taion gritted his teeth at the koopa kids. “This isn’t a game anymore. Whatever it is you’re trying to do…!”

The two suddenly deconstructed into light, yellow and blue, that flowed together and became a whirling orange core. Around the core a new form constructed, a black and purple, twelve-foot, techno-organic warrior like a cybernetic alien fairy. Wing-blades unfurled behind them as both voices spoke in harmony. “I won’t let you hurt my family!”

[DracoLunaris]

wordcount: 4712 (+5)
Edward Portsmith: Level 7 (18 cells) ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (38/70)
Location the Midnight Walk
(ft. Heismay)

Edward had indeed spotted and reported back about the seeming stand of between two groups of hybridised creatures and their color coded for their convenience mobile headquarters. He’d wanted to keep observing their temperament before actually approaching however. The least thing they needed was to be dragged into a threeway conflict.

Them coming across a man who was retrieving some sort of sample of a sleeping wolf however offered the opportunity to ask questions without having to get past an army to the humans in charge first..

”I believe I shall stop us here so as to inquire as to the nature of the little standoff we’re coming up on. I have to say, the creature creation contraptions they are using look truly fascinating” Edward informed the riders of the stagecoach, as he slowed their progress and then stopped it.

”If anyone would care to take over, that would be appreciated” he requested as he dismounted and flexed his wings, before glancing back also added ”as would an escort”

He could provide a light one himself, calling the one unit of infernohounds to approach and act as a mobile heatsource if nothing else, but he was well aware that the others represented far more of a force than the ones he could conjure. Plus the company would be pleasant.

“I’ve never handled beasts before, but I would be glad to accompany you on another venture,” Heismay declared as he hopped down from the stagecoach. The deep snow off the beaten path was rather daunting for the diminutive eugief, but he soldiered through, light enough on his feet that he didn’t have to wade too deep.

Once the little party gathered up and approached the huntsman, Edward called out ”Hello there. You wouldn’t happen to be associated with either of the two armies of bests we’re approaching, would you?” alongside a friendly wave.

Having realized just how exposed he was on his little foray into no-man’s-land when the stagecoach first appeared, the hunter could do little but watch the strangers warily as they approached. When Edward hailed him, though, he cracked a cordial smile. “Hello, hello. I’m guessing you’re not with Whitey?” He looked over at the fortified encampment on the other side of the valley.”

Heismay shook his head. “No indeed. Mere passers-through, traversing the Midnight Walk.

The man let out a sigh of relief and allowed himself to relax. ”Glad to hear it. It’s good to see a friendly face out here. But yeah, to answer your question, I’m with Lucy’s crew back there. The name’s Rex Chance.” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the green army. “We’ve been camped out here, building up enough strength to overwhelm Whitey for a while now. Sadly, seems like that overgrown hooligan’s been doing the same. We’re both sitting on fifty units apiece, mostly level five, waiting for the other to make the first move.” He shrugged.

“A stalemate, then,” Heismay remarked. The hermit glanced at Edward. “No doubt both sides are looking for a way to turn the tide.”

”I can only imagine. Desperate for one even” Edward agreed, before adding more cautiously ”which might be a problem” because that meant they were a new factor someone was going to try and take advantage of, one way or the other. Best they get ahead of that, even if it wasn’t for their own advantage.

”You described your foe as a ‘hooligan’ yes? Not the most friendly of sorts I assume?” he asked Rex, offering him a chance to sell the situation to him so that they could come off as less mercenary than he was already planning to be when he got around to making a sales pitch for their aid.

Rex jumped at the chance. “Nah, he’s your stereotypical henchman: a big brute as dumb as he is ugly. Problem is, he’s on the take from Upton Julius, and if that megalomaniac gets his way Sigma Technology will bring the whole world to its knees. So Lucy and I, we’re working our way up the food chain.” He shrugged. “Wouldn’t say no to a helping hand, though. The world would be better off for it.”

At that, Heismay raised his eyebrows at Edward and crossed his wings. “Goodness. It seems that we must keep this ‘Sigma Technology’ out of the wrong hands.”

Edward somewhat doubted it would bring the world to its knees, given even just what he’d seen. Rex’s world maybe, but odds are Galeem had popped them here in this region and they’d not seen much further beyond it (which the lack of any magical beasts among the mix and match critters seemed to confirm, given those could be found just beyond the zoo).

Still, no need to let Rex know that. Well. Maybe the latter might be of use for a little bartering.

”Oh I agree entierly” he instead said, before inquiring ”I heard you have some sort of limiter on your force counts earlier? What might that be? Perhaps we can help increase it? Or getting you creations above this ‘tier 5’ that you mentioned” as a prelude to simply offering to add his own forces to theirs.

“Uh…” Rex scratched his head. “I’m not the expert here, but I feel like if that could happen, Lucy would’ve figured out how to do it already.” He crossed his arms as he looked over, intrigued, at the parked stagecoach. Specifically, the Reindrix catching their breath in front of it. “What are those things? Never seen deer like those before.”

Edward suppressed a smile at how smoothly this was going ”Reindrix” he answered shortly, before explaining that they ”Part of a set of creatures known as ‘Pals’ who have magical properties. See aura on their antlers? Frigid cold, and that’s only the physical aspects, as they can conjure icy projectiles as well”

”There’s a world of creatures out there beyond the mundane wolf you have there. Add them to your mixes, and I expect you can push beyond your current power level” he then said, gesturing at the man’s capture, before adding that ”It would surely be a better idea for you to get your hands on samples of it before this Julius figures out he can go further afield to find them, if he doesn't have his ‘henchmen’ on it already.”

Though clearly interested in the new possibilities that such creatures could offer to his army, Rex was well aware of just how bad things could get if Julius and his cronies got his hands on them first. He looked past the newcomers as Whitey’s henchmen were already on there way over. “Yeah, I probably ought to, huh?” He put on a smile as he crossed his arms. “I’m no fool, though. What do you want in return? Coal? Electricity?”

”Well I have to say I’d be interested in taking a look at the tech you are using. Naturally I'll barter more than just barter one creature for that of course. If you already have your forces, then new samples aren't going to help you without the risk disbanding some of them brings” he pointed out, before gesturing to the inferno hounds keeping them warm, and offering ”so how about I lend you some of mine as well to uneven the odds?”

Rex stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Well…I’m on board, but Lucy always tells me I’m too reckless. We should probably ask her.” He turned to go, waving for his new acquaintances to follow him. “C’mon, this way. If the critters see you with me, they won’t attack.”

“Good to know.” Heismay moved to follow him, as did Edward and his escorting inferno hounds.

A few minutes later, the trio crested the bluff at the edge of the valley and reached Lucy’s base. It sported a variety of structures like lightning rods for power generation, a workshop for unit upgrades, and soundwave towers for defense. Of course, Heismay was most impressed by his up-close-and-personal view of the hybrid beasts. He could see a giant poison dart frog with the back half of a zebra, a camel with the head of an archerfish, a rhinoceros with a snail’s head, and komodo dragons with snowy owl wings, even if he couldn’t name all the various animals involved himself. Perhaps most astonishing were the lobsters as broad as the Seekers’ stagecoach, armed with enormous moose antlers. These beasts stared at the new arrivals, vigilant and restless, but with Rex around they did not show any aggression.

Before Rex, Heismay, and Edward reached the strange locomotive, a brunette in teal stepped out and headed their way. This, Heismay assumed, must be Lucy. When she greeted the newcomers, she spoke in a chipper English accent. “Afternoon, gentlemen. Lucy Willing. If you’ve made it here in one piece, I can only assume you’re friends. Or at the very least not involved in our little squabble.” It took her another moment to notice Heismay, which seemed to pique her interest. “My word…are you a product of Sigma Technology as well? A bat, mixed with a human? I thought that all of Upton’s human experiments had failed…”

“No, ma’am,” Heismay replied, his tone humorless and a bit pointed. “I am of the eugief tribe, born and raised. No technology made me.”

Lucy bobbed her head apologetically. “Ah, in that case, please forgive me.” She looked between the two Seekers. “What can I do for you then? I must warn you that time is short. Mr. Hooten could attack at any moment.”

”Fortunately, that is exactly why we are here” Edward replied, though, he had to admit, having seen the sheer size of some of the beasts, he was less confined his troops could turn the tide overmuch, at least in the numbers he could construct them.

”I was hoping to barter our aid in dealing with this foe of yours for a look at your fascinating technology? Controlling mighty creatures is something I am no stranger too, but this fusion of them together with what looks to be simply coal as power is very intresting” he said, doing his best to somewhat underplay how much this was all about power. Power for a higher purpose, naturally, but still, power none the less.

Speaking off, he had something that could act as a major force multiplier, and it was that which he now offered, extending a hand in which the power to burn and the power to sunder armor glowed ”If you have your creations accept my enchantments, it will give them an edge your foes lack. And that is before we add our martial prowess to your side, be it gun and blade or tooth, claw and eagle eyes.”

“Samples from your magical creatures, too!” Rex reminded them.

As Lucy waved Rex over so that the two could talk, Heismay approached to do the same. He kept his voice low, forcing Edward to stoop to his level to hear him. “I didn’t think we were going to help them fight? If this Whitey’s base and army are comparable to those of Miss Willing, we may be biting off more than we can chew. I don’t know if the others would spring for it, either.”

”Simply enough to turn the tide. If they are as evenly matched as they think, then tipping the scales in this side’s favor should be all they need to seize momentum and win the day. My golems can help the front, we weaken a flank where we can pull out whenever need, while their enchanted beasts do the bulk of the heavy lifting”

”Besides, it will take some time for me to analyze their devices, long enough that the others will be able to pass and be out of the conflict zone, I should think?” Edward replied. He had no interest in committing to the full conflict here, that was for certain, but given the concerns the pair had raised about misuse of this technology, he could not see a world where mere samples would be enough of a barter to get them access.

Heismay looked dubious. “I suppose I should head back and get the stagecoach moving, then.” He furrowed his brow. “Wait, shouldn’t we ask Sandalphon for approval first?”

At that point, though, Rex and Lucy had finished talking. The huntsman hung back as his lady friend approached to give her answer. “Ultimately, our goal is to prevent the proliferation of Sigma Technology. I mean no offense, but we cannot trust you with it even if you were to assist us against Whitey. That being the case, I would not expect any assistance from you, however appreciated it would be.”

The announcement didn’t seem to surprise Heismay. While things looked good at first glance, this Lucy had a level head on her shoulders. Unfortunately that meant that getting the Seekers’ hands on Sigma Technology wouldn’t be simple. He certainly didn’t want to attempt taking it by force, and despite his Archetype’s name, he was no master thief. The eugief looked up at Edward to gauge his reaction to the news.

Edward stood there for a moment frowning. His lips parted slightly as he paused on the cusp of trying to convince her that the technology was not so fearsome in the wild world she now lived in, before shrugging and saying that that was ”Unfortunate”

He wasn’t quite done bartering, offering/suggesting instead that ”I would still be willing to trade the samples for ‘Electricity’ however that might work? We do have some plant growing equipment that needs power."

Lucy seemed to brighten up. “That, I can do. Rex, if you’d be so good as to go collect samples, I can share the Lightning Rod blueprint with our friend here.”

Once the huntsman stepped forward, Heismay turned to lead him back toward the stagecoach and its draft pals. “Follow me.”

After a minute or so, Lucy returned with a rolled-up blueprint from within her lab, which she passed to Edward. “There you are. Despite appearances, it can be made with coal alone. One hundred and fifty fragments, or just fifteen units, to be precise. Simply apply the blueprint to the ground and it will create a lot. From there, a good hammering from any able-bodied fellow should be enough to construct it. Understood?”

”Yes, that is, well, remarkably simple" he said, mentally taking back the idea that he’d been asking for something considered mundane rather than something unique to the world these two were from. It also gave him an idea.

Just one for later.

”A pleasure doing business with you then, Miss Willing" he said, offering a hand to shake, and then saying ”good luck with your war, though I hope you can hold off on running it till we make our way through neutral territory?"

She nodded at him. “Of course. Can’t say the same for Whitey, though he seems about as hesitant to make the first move as we are. Mutually assured destruction is no good for anyone, after all. It will take us some time to produce a new unit using your Reindrix anyway.”

”Well, some argue it is good for peace, but I’ve seen enough places that have been wrong" Edward replied, not elaborating that he meant entire worlds when he said that, before saying ”We can only hope nothing prompts him to make a move before you have your edge."

Which meant he very much needed to get them through the battlelines before trying anything of his own.

Once everything was secure, Edward saddled up and prepared to get them moving again, though not before requesting Sandalphon hear him out on a plan. As Heismay had pointed out (and Edward had acknowledged/conceded after the bartering was done), he wasn’t in charge here, and he should make sure to act like it by running his new plan past the person who was.

Which first involved selling her on the benefit.

”A coal produced army or workforce, deployable anywhere with a bit of hammering, and, assuming we can acquire our own sample library, customisable to almost any situation. Not only that, but they aren’t affected by Galeem, which removes the liability they have" he would explain, pointing at the Reindrix for that last point. Handy though they were, they were not dependable in a fight given that if any of them got hurt, they would try and go after the culprit, rather than stick together and keep moving as he wanted them too.

”It’s an investment, certainly, but one that will let us secure future resources more easily. Especially if we can haggle Whitey into also trading some of his excess stock"

Sandalphon considered the proposal carefully, but from a pragmatic perspective. She could not deny that being able to field a large force so easily would have its advantages. Interfering with this conflict as an outsider was her biggest concern. As easy as it would be to assume that Rex and Lucy were in the right, Whitey could conceivably have painted as convincing a picture if he happened to meet the Seekers first, and for all she knew both sides could be keeping one another in check here by design. Either army could run roughshod over Snowdin, for instance. Still, even if Edward’s acquisition of the lightning rod blueprint was good enough on its own, the importance of the Seekers’ campaign was such that they couldn’t afford to turn down any opportunity.

“I approve of your plan under one condition. Do not attack Whitey’s forces. In essence, leave him no worse or better off than when you arrived. Let him hoist himself by his own petard.” She tilted her head as her pupils became inverted triangles. “Additionally, if he is as unintelligent and low on the ‘totem pole’ as your contacts suggested, you may be able to convince him that you’re here under the orders of Upton Julius. Otherwise, he may see you as an intruder and attack before you even reach his base.”

”We’ll have to pretend they have cracked human hybridization then" Edward noted, lightly readjusting his wings as he did so, but otherwise he was onboard with her variation of the plan. It had its merits after all.

Thus, after some rearrangement of his forces so that they could fit the bill, Edward marched his way towards Whitey’s base with Heismay along to add further credence to the illusion. He chose an approach where he could get to a good vantage point/stage as close to the man as possible without running into his forces first, and then put his oration classes at the academy to good use.

With lungs trained in public speaking and practiced in bellowing orders, he made himself known, two squads of inferno pounds stood just behind him, providing illumination as he spread his wings to cast a shadow across the camp. ”Whitey! Stand down your forces and let me through! Upton Julius sends his regards, and new breakthroughs to support to your warfront against these thorns in his side"

“Oi’m a little teapot, short and…huh!?” A huge, hairless, pale man in a parka had been in the middle of assembling a new anti-air tower, singing quietly to himself as he worked, when Edward made himself known. His platoons of mismatched beasts bristled as the strange man approached, but Whitey held off on an attack order. He didn’t recognize the man headed his way, but those silhouetted wings gave him pause, and the name of Upton Julius held weight. Brows furrowed, he strode toward the perimeter of his base, his amassed forces of aquatic monstrosities parting to admit him. “Wot? Julius ya say?” He yelled back across the snow, his voice exactly what one might picture when asked to think of a stereotypical, oafish British thug. When he stopped, he crossed his arms, a jellephant on either side of him as giant seagulls with electric eel tails flapped overhead. For now, though, none of the creatures attacked. “Oo’re you s’posed t’be then, uh?”

”Voraditius is who I am" Edward replied, picking the name of the commonwealth’s cult of the emperor on a whim. An absolute monster of a man as it turned out, who’d kept the goblin subjects of the region he ruled in virtual slavery before he had been slain. Just one of its many failings of the original commonwealth, but his name suited his purposes here well enough given the persona he was putting on, which he put to good use with another flex of his wings ”The more important question you should have been asking what I am, to which the answer is a scientific marvel."

For some people the act false bravado of the act might have also been an attempt to help resist the intimidation of the hulking monosities flanking Whitey, but Edward had stared down dragons across a negotiating table, and so he didn't even spare them more than a second glance.

“Uh…but I thought…” Whitey grimaced as he scratched his cheek. He stared at Heismay for a couple seconds, who raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, then turned his gaze back to Edward. “Nevermind. You said Julius sentcha? What for? I got my ‘ands busy with this lot ‘ere.” he waved a massive mitt at the valley that separated him from Lucy’s encampment.

”Why to expedite your victory of course. Here, first, this" he said, as he opened a hand which held the same two glowing enchantments, before boldly approaching the jellyfish elephant on one side, and pressing it into the beast’s forehead, causing tusks and tendrils to come alight with his burning and armor sundering enchantments.

”Now bring the rest so I may empower them as well, and while I am doing that, you will bring me supplies so I can set up my own base. There’s a self proclaimed Puppeteer of Death’ and her hordes of walking carcases that need dealing with, and we traveled here lightly and swiftly knowing you could provide"

Getting ordered around by the newcomer seemed to set off Whitey’s short temper. “Oi! I’m the boss around ‘ere. Where d’you fink you get off bossin’ me around?” His lips curled in a snarl, but after a moment he relented and let Edward off with a scoff. “Well, seein’ as you were just born yesterday or somefing, I’ll let it slide. Anyfin’ to get outta this bloody stalemate.” He turned to yell at his henchmen to fetch some coal for Edward, which they brought in buckets by the pair. Electricity could not be transported so easily, but as long as the tactician built nearby, he could draw on Whitey’s power grid.

As this went down Heismay remained silent, his expression stony as he watched the massive creatures around him fuss restlessly. Clearly they were itching for combat.

”See to the rest of our ‘setup’ would you? I have forty nine more creatures to enhance, and the hounds make for terrible coal transporters" Edward asked with a slight tone of condescension as part of the role he was playing, but with a glance of a look that enquired how much Heismay thought he’d be able to get out of the situation on his own now that they’d got a bit of a better picture of Whitey. Hopefully playing good official to his bad official would work wonders for opening the rest of the doors they needed for this plan to work out.

Unfortunately, the hermit possessed neither the experience nor the talent to be a skilled actor or diplomat. When Edward spoke to him, he instinctively gave a sour look, then glanced over at the coal buckets. He could only assume that his teammate meant for him to carry the coal back to the stagecoach, though his small stature and poor physical strength left him ill-suited to this task. It then occurred to him that the ‘setup’ must mean setting themselves up with Sigma Technology. He looked over at Whitey’s lab, then around at all the idle creatures. The prospect of waltzing around under the noses of all these huge, fearsome beasts made him nervous, but he would have to take refuge in audacity.

An idea occurred to him to pick up one bucket of coal to carry with him, lending more credence to the idea he was doing some sort of work. He strode around the base for a little while, steering clear of the hodgepodge monsters, then headed for the lab. Whitey happened to be in there in front of a computer screen with a bird’s-eye view of the area, tapping away as he issued various orders. For him, it seemed, there was no such thing as ‘too many’ soundwave towers. After watching for a moment, Heismay set down his coal bucket and went for the table laden with blueprints.

On the monitors, Edward could be seen doing his rounds with a very put upon looking henchmen acting as animal calmer. As he did so, the dark of the sunless highlands gradually became more and more bright as the beast's natural weapons were wreathed in gold and flame, looking from a distance like a growing stars.

At a certain point Whitey went outside to see the visually impressive upgrades for himself, more and more assured that victory would soon be his. On the way out he failed to notice Heismay hiding behind the table, and the moment the big boss left, Heismay scooped up all the blueprints he could carry before making a break for it. His little feet pitter-pattered across the snow with incredible speed, and any animal that looked his way quickly got left in the dust. Only once he released a safe distance did the eugief finally slow down and actually look at the schematics he’d obtained. Bramble, soundwave tower, research clinic, genetic amplifier, geothermal generator, water chamber…creature chamber! That sounded like what Edward needed. Heismay looked back toward Whitey’s base, then turned to proceed back toward the stagecoach. It would be up to Edward to escape unscathed.

Edward only became aware of this theft once the eugief got within sight of the stagecoach, but had intentionally structured his route among the beasts to have him circle further and future out from the core of the base. Once he spotted his speedy partner in crime, he made for a preplanned spot, a rocky cravass on the edge of Whitey‘s territory. There he ditched the henchman following him about while insisting that it would be faster for him to fly over.

He took wing, fading into the gloom, and then summoned his Reaver striker down below in that crevasse, from which it lunged up and grabbed him. He cried out in pain once, and then fell limp and silent as the beast flew out of there with his body hanging in its jaws.

He sent the two inferno hound packs running after him, then had them confidently run off from his path just before the striker timed out, hopefully leading any other pursuers astray while he made his way back to the stage coach in the dark. Upon arriving, he turned back, and with a snap, snuffed out the sea of stars he’d ignited in Whitey’s territory as disabled his enchantments, leaving both sides in the dark as to what had just happened.

[Archmage MC]

Sectonia

Blazermate

Level 14 Blazermate (Holding 3 level up) - (59/140)
Level 13 Sectonia (holding 3 level up) (52/130)

Location: Krat Zoo
Word Count: less than 750

Progressing through this trail was... well besides being eaten and fighting zombie animals was pretty relaxing when they weren't fighting... for Blazermate at least as the cold didn't bother her at all. Sectonia couldn't say the same thing, but she could use her Antlers and her own mild fire breath to warm herself up and others as they traveled if their cold weather clothing wasn't enough.

As they moved out of the zoo and towards their next destination, rejoining with everyone who had explored the greenhouse and Sandalphon fusing with a couple spirits, they entered a field of lots and lots of coal. With Sectonia's new spirit attuned to the earth, she knew this stuff was useful and using both her antlers and her own powers over the earth, spent quite a bit of time harvesting this coal and using Edward's powers, sending much of it back to the Avenger. Blazermate watched the fighting going on nearby that didn't involve them, considering what was behind them, it was almost quaint in comparison. All in all, besides Sectonia harvesting a treasure trove of Coal which could be used for various things, the two just sat and listened to the other conversations going on. The tale of the 'immortal' Mokou was interesting to Sectonia, but the queen knew a thing or two about immortality and how the 10 year rule here superseded anything like that.

--------------------------------------

Roland

Level 7 Roland (63/70)
Location: Eseka
Word Count: Less than 750

Seeing as Roland needed to make some cash, well, outside of the various tournaments he'd participate in, he fired up his Fixer resume and got to work doing some odd jobs. It didn't take him long to open up an office in the name of an old office he used to work at, "Charles office". He'd rather keep his own name or even monicor a bit on the down low. Granted anyone from his world would recognize the office name right away as it was a fairly big office when it was still around taking on various Star of the City level threats. "Quick and silent, no one needs to know." was one phrase he came up with for it as he didn't have the connections or intelligence gathering yet to offer his preferred office type, an intelligence broker, so he had to rely on what he was good at himself.

Soon one job crossed his 'desk' so to speak fairly shortly after he opened up. It was a simple food delivery. Apparently a worker, or sumo wrestler as he'd come to find, had called out sick last minute and they needed someone nearby who was as quick and possibly descrete to make a delivery. The restaurant seemed to be a more reputable place that served lots of high protein foods called Chanko House Edomo, run by someone named E Honda. When Roland reached the restaurant, he saw sumo wrestlers flying about headbutting the air to travel to various places. An interesting way to travel, but a bit slow.

His job was to fill in for the guy who called out sick, delivering food. Well, he needed a job and fixer work, especially low level fixer work which he'd have to start out with, tended to be the simplest jobs around. At least Roland was very quick and thanks to his wandering the middle tier, had gotten a fair amount of information on where some things were. The stuff he couldn't find or the exact addresses? Well, thats what a map was for. And while doing this job, he could see a few more faces of possible fighters he would be facing later potentially as well as how to navigate around the city. That last part might become very necessary if their plan to take out the four kings came to be. Speaking of... Roland still had to decide which King he'd help take down.

[MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]

Zenkichi Hasegawa

Esaka, The Tiered City
Lvl 9 Zenkichi (72/90) -> Lvl 9 (74/90)
Word count: 767 words

Splitting off from Azuma, Zenkichi began to wander the Mid Tier again, though this time he sought out not rumors or information, but the Banishing Flats motel. It took asking a few locals for directions, but after about three or four people he had his bearings and made his way to the motel. It bordered a park, from which Zenkichi could hear some live music being played. Taking a quick detour, he was bemused to find Big Band and much younger girl playing together, the former with his saxophone and the latter with a viola. He also caught sight of Harry and Kim dancing alongside the pair, flailing about like madman.

Leaving the group with a chuckle and a wave, he made his way into the motel. The moderately-sized waiting area was adorned with a variety of wrestling-themed decor, from obvious replica championship belts to a tacky sign about ”Wrestling Life Lessons” that was mostly just general life advice. At the reception was a robotic fighter that felt vaguely familiar to Zenkichi, and out of the corner of his eye he saw another walk into a door into an employees-only area in the back.

Approaching the reception desk, Zenkichi smiled at the Mecha-Zangief working the desk. ”Good Afternoon, I was just wondering what it would cost for a room for the night?”

The robot stared impassively at the detective before answering. “One night’s stay at the banishing Flats motel is 6,000 Zenny. Will you be staying with us tonight?” Zenkichi blanched at the response, patting his pockets with a sigh.

”Uhhh, I’m gonna need to get back to you on that one. Insufficient funds at the moment.” He sighed, though the Mecha-Zangief seemed nonplussed.

“Understandable. Have an excellent day. We hope to see you at a time when you have sufficient funds to stay at the magnificent banishing Flats. Goodbye.” Without emotion are derision, what would normally have been an embarrassingly acerbic comment slid off Zenkichi like water off a duck’s back. He made his way outside before touching his linkpearl.

”Hey everybody, this is Zenkichi. I just checked out the Banishing Flats. It’s not super expensive, but you’re gonna want to get some cash. It’s about 6,000 Zenny a night. A little much for me right now, so I’m gonna try to sell a couple of things and head back. Good luck, everybody.”

So, it was with a bit more information-gathering and wandering that Zenkichi found himself at the workshop of one Doctor Bosconovitch. The eccentric man was elbow-deep in what looked to be a robotics project when Zenkichi entered, and he waited for the man to find a moment of pause before interrupting. ”Excuse me?”

Doctor Bosconovitch jumped a little, whipping around to see a tall, dark man wearing a tunic in his shop. “Hmm. I don’t recognize you. Not many people come here that I do not know. What is it?” Straight to business, then, Zenkichi thought.

”I had some materials that I was looking to sell, and I heard that you’d be interested in them.” Producing the three machine cores that he’d been holding on to since Midgar, Zenkichi explained. ”These are from the Machines that attacked Midgar. Since you work in robotics, they should be of some use to you.”

Taking the machine cores and beginning a preliminary examination of them, Doctor Bosconovitch quickly became hyper-focused, tapping them with various tools and looking at one under a magnifying glass, making sure to check as many angles as he could. After a few minutes of looking them over, he nodded to himself and quickly shuffled behind a door secured by a biometric lock and a keypad.

Moments later, he came out with a small bag of Zenny, pressing it into Zenkichi’s hands. “Seven thousand and five hundred Zenny. Feel free to count it. I trust that you find this fair compensation? They are not unique materials, but from the Machines of Midgar…yes, I am certain I will find a way to make use of them.” Zenkichi gave the bag a quick look, but didn’t bother to count. It was close enough that a couple hundred Zenny wouldn’t matter. He had what he needed for the night, and then a bit more.

”Thank you.” He said to bid the doctor farewell, receiving a somewhat dismissive wave. Not taking any offense, Zenkichi left the doctor’s workshop and tapped his pearl again. ”Zenkichi again. Got some cash, I’m headed back to banishing Flats now.” And with that, he made his way back to the wrestling-themed motel as the sky began to darken and fill with rainclouds.

[XoXKieroBombXoX]

Level 7 - EXP 7/70
The Frozen Highlands

---

---

Radio Hijinx

Midnight Walk - Endless Woods

Featuring: Tenna, Ganondorf, and the Ace Cadet.
Word Count: 6669 // +7 EXP

After her words of reassurance that none of the group would be afflicted by the infection that ravaged Krat Zoo, Sandaphlon retired to the Stagecoach before they resumed their journey. Resting in the main cabin, she was committed to her regular duties of observation and surveillance for intelligence of the area soon to come on the Midnight Walk. Diligently, her eyes scanned over every surface of her light screens and read every number in deep concentration.

The area ahead was sure to have a new slew of threats, so before the Seekers of White Team made their next march, the idle archangel continued to compile the topography, weather, and landmarks of what to expect. Along with her screens, Sandaphlon was also flipping between different radio channel chatter in an attempt to find a broadcast that might contain useful information. A lot of the wavelengths were dead however, too far from any radio tower to receive a clean signal. There was only one radio station in the surrounding area, and it was the only one that the citizens of Snowdin could listen to as a result, which she had come to discover in her work a couple of hours ago. The issue now, however, was finding that signal again so that she might see what kind of news was being reported.

However, something very odd happened when she finally heard audio from the same broadcast frequency. Rather than relaying any news or playing any tunes from a distant world, an odd distorted-sounding message was all that played on loop. She even tried checking over other wavelengths to make sure this was the only radio station currently active, but only found the odd recording playing over and over, even after looping around empty static; it was the only available message. Regardless of her care for the citizens of Snowdin’s entertainment, the radio station did provide useful information and gossip when it wasn’t playing its music, and not having it available made her work more difficult. She saw it best to have one of the other Seekers run this little errand for her to investigate and return the Stagecoach before it got too far away for the evening.

After asking for volunteers, one of the Seekers who ended up going to check the place out was the Ace Cadet. He wasn't fleet of foot like a few others, but his armor allowed him to easily move through the snow. He was also still in good shape as the morning wore into afternoon, having had an easier time with the last few hostile encounters. Just lucky, he guessed. And though he was interested in how the recently discovered vegetubes worked (especially since Roxas and Ganondorf had apparently found some mistletoe seeds while they were at it), he figured he could learn about them after they were set up, and thus he was glad to go look into the radio situation. It wasn't too far away, apparently (the Seekers' leader wouldn't have suggested investigating if it was completely out of the way), its tower eventually peeking over the pine trees as Ace headed in the direction Sandalphon had indicated the signal was coming from. The area wasn't as thickly forested as the earliest part of the Midnight Walk, so it wasn't long before the hunter spotted what he thought was his destination through the trees.

Heavy footsteps crunched against the snow in the direction that the hunter had come in from. But it was not a Carcass, nor a Puppet. It was the imposing form of Ganondorf, the Gerudo Warlord having elected to follow after the Ace Cadet some minutes after the latter had departed from the stagecoach. Ganondorf had now caught up, having been delayed briefly when he scarfed down a bowl of stew from the pot. Something about the Gravemind’s spirit had greatly increased his appetite. Probably had something to do with regenerating his body’s biomass, he wagered. Thankfully, he suffered little to no damage during the fight against Tom, and that meant he had almost fully recovered from the beating he took from the Elephant Carcass he and Roxas fought in the Hall Of Adventure.

As for why the Gerudo had chosen to follow the monster hunter, that was quite simple really. He’d been wanting to hear a few more details about the members of Moebius that Ace had previously fought against, and about the flame clock he had seen in Edinbourgh. A distraction such as this excursion was as good a time as any to strike up the conversation. ”So this is the source of that… ray-dee-oh that the Archangel listens to?” Ganondorf asked aloud, not looking very impressed by the ruined radio tower.

Similar to the monster hunter (who was just barely familiar with radio, the little experience he had with either limited to the past few weeks in the World of Light), the word ‘radio’ was every bit as foreign to Ganondorf as well. All this time he had just assumed it was some form of magic. But evidently, that was not the case. The warlord grimaced a bit, shrugging off the biting cold by wrapping his heavy cloak more tightly around himself. Nevertheless he picked up his pace until he was finally caught up with the Monster Hunter and grunted a short greeting, then said, ”From little I can gather about this ray-dee-oh thing, it sounds no different than a town crier… only much farther reaching and on a larger scale.”

It was kind of hard not to notice Ganondorf's approach, so the greeting and commentary hadn't caught the hunter by surprise. The red head smiled widely at the warlord's over-annunciation of 'radio.' Maybe two medieval guys weren't the best choices for this particular mission, but on the flip side they might learn a thing or two.

"Yeah, but isn't the thought of that gargwawesome?" Ace replied. If Ganondorf's world still relied on criers, then he was even further behind than Ace, whose home at least had printing presses and newspapers.

Not keen for more casual conversation, Ganondorf glanced sideways at the monster hunter. ”Tell me more about the flame clock you said you saw.” He requested while they walked, ”And the Consul who governed it… L, was it?”

Ace stuffed his gloved hands into his coat's pockets, his weapons having been stored away while they traveled. He didn't know much about Ganondorf, only what he'd seen during the fight in the Dead Zone and the brief team meetings over the last day or so, but he'd picked up that the man was pretty no-nonsense and had more interest in the world's governance than most of the other Seekers - himself included. Ace figured he would be asked about what happened in Edinburgh sooner or later, and he'd already promised to tell all, so when he replied it was with only a little disappointment that they'd jumped right to 'business.'

"She was one of them. The other was N," he said. He tipped his head back slightly, just enough to look at the cloud covered sky as he recalled the encounters with both Consuls. "The clock is in a huge city called Edinburgh Magicapolis, at the top of a tower that's built on a giant bumblepumpkin. Not sure how far it is from here, but believe me you'll know it when you see it."

He went on. "I know that L used it to try and heal herself after Linkle, Albedo and Lucia wore her down. Didn't work since me, Big Band, Mewtwo and Wonder Red made it up there to ambush her. L... she shouldn't be a problem for us anymore."

He didn't sound completely sure, rather the Cadet's tone implied he was hopeful - hopeful that Consul L would uphold her part of the bargain and not endanger her own life or those of the Seekers. With that feeling showing in his voice and on his face, he turned his head to look fully at the gerudo.

"If the Highlands' Consuls are gonna come after us, it's N that we should be on the look out for. Especially because of his power. It was like..." Here Ace trailed off, withdrawing one of his hands to gesture randomly in the air. He moved it back and forth erratically, then stopped completely, then resumed at a slowed, jerking pace, and repeated. "...I don't even know how to describe it! But we couldn't move normally, and we couldn't touch him. It was like he knew what we were going to do before we did it. A real reverse Diablos ex machina."

It was hard to articulate just what N had done to them, as if Ace lacked some context in order to describe it. Perhaps that made it sound less dangerous than he remembered, but he was serious about N being the one to be wary of. He wouldn't be forgetting that battle any time soon, as without the palicos the errant Seekers would have been dead. Hell, after they'd taken the other three if the hunter hadn't had that teleporting bone then he would have been dead.

Ganondorf nodded with a thoughtful hum. ”Sounds like someone capable of glimpsing the future.” He said of Consul N. Such a thing wasn’t too far’fetched. Ganondorf recalled a young man among the ranks of the Smashers who originally stood up to Galeem. He didn’t know the boy too well or even remember his name, but Ganondorf did recall that he too possessed some kind of power of premonition… for all the good it did against Galeem at the time. ”Moebius doesn’t just use the clocks to heal themselves.” The Gerudo explained, ”It also gives them a form of eternal life that lets them live beyond the normal 10 year limit the rest of us are confined to.” He wasn’t sure how up-to-speed the hunter was on all this, so for all Ganondorf knew this could have been information that Ace was already aware of.

He went on, ”And according to S, everyone in a given region is tied to those clocks. The Consuls wage an endless game of war with each other to keep them fueled to maintain themselves. But he also told me that destroying those clocks would theoretically de-story everyone connected to them. Hence my interest in knowing each of their locations. We could de-story large swathes of people from Galeem’s control and cut off Moebius from their main source of eternal life in one blow.”

Besides the last part, it was information that Ace was more or less aware of. He'd had a crash course aboard the Avenger along with the extra group meetings, but a lot of it he honestly wanted to put out of his head if he could. It was a lot, most of it not good, and with any luck they wouldn't have to worry about it too much longer. A couple of more weeks maybe, and the Seekers will have completed their quest. Still, the hunter nodded his head to show he was listening.

"That's a great plan," he said honestly. "It'd make sure we don't get swarmed again like we did in the Metro too. They're pretty damn sturdy though, how do we break them?"

”I asked S about that.” Ganondorf replied, ”And he said the clocks can be damaged by someone who was born outside of the ‘system’. Someone like a Lost Number, potentially. But he also mentioned a power people like us could use that he called ‘Interlink’ to do it as well. He didn’t say what Interlink means, but he did say it requires a great deal of trust between the people using it.”

"Hm." By this time Ace had set his sights back on their current destination, but by no means was he not paying attention. Interlink... had he heard of that before? He wasn't sure. "It's way too dangerous to have one of the Lost Numbers try it, so I guess we'd better figure out this Interlink thing."

A 'great deal' of trust could be anything, though. Ace trusted the other Seekers with a lot of things - could he use this mystery power? Or did it require a team effort? Questions for another time.

As the two got closer to the radio tower, more of the surroundings began to come into his perspective, the large forecast radio tower growing only in size the closer he got. A small opening began to form in the woods, obviously carved out by whoever decided to build a radio station here. The whole perimeter was walled off by a brown-brick barricade topped off by barbed wire, save for a small entrance gate off to the side, where a poorly painted sign was hung over the station’s original namesake, now reading “Mr. (Ant)Tenna’s Marvelous TV Studio”. The gate was metal and latticed, making it impossible to just squeeze through the gate.

The only odd thing was that this was OBVIOUSLY a radio station, and even lifting the poorly made sign revealed a rusted plaque that reads “Galaxy News Radio” with a weathered logo of a radio tower flourished with the letters GNR. Inside the gate, there seemed to be an access booth with a small porthole inside and a pager with three buttons with options “Access”, “Directors Office,” and “EMERGENCY”. The buttons seemed to be in working order. Looking inside the porthole was nearly impossible; only able to see the outline of stockpiled canned goods and a mattress.

After the Seekers traced the outer wall and ended up at the only entrance, Ace gave the gate a tug. It was unsurprisingly stuck, frozen over with ice or actually locked (or possibly both). Ultimately it wouldn't be an obstacle for long; if he couldn't find a sturdy enough pole to vault over the top, it probably wouldn't take much to just break through the hinges. Before that though the hunter glanced at the newly hung sign.

"Must be the guy who took over the signal. Some kind of neopteron man I'd guess?" he said to his companion with a grin. "Because of Ant-tenna?"

With neither of them any more familiar with television it was the sign's message itself that got their attention rather than the swap from radio to TV - and clearly Ace was amused by the pun. His attention then shifted to the small building on the other side of the brick barrier, the only thing in sight on the inside besides the tower itself.

"Aaand that's probably where we'll find him." A well placed strike with the hard pointed edge of his shield cracked the stiff, icy joints of the gate and with a push it fell inward, displacing snow with a poof as it hit the ground. They could head over to the booth now and see who was home.

With the gate now open and the access booth now in open view, Ace and Ganondorf were both free to proceed inside the perimeter. Entering the gate allowed the two to have more visibility inside the area, revealing the actual radio station, which looked very basic in architecture, only being two floors. The main thing that stood out about this building was that nearby, lying out in a pile were large metallic channel letters reading GNR, along with a large metal decal of a radio tower. On the face of the actual radio station, however, now stood LARGER, shinier golden letters now reading TV.

The commotion outside, primarily the destruction of the frozen front gate, seemed to have woken up whoever was inside the access booth, because now an audible rustling could be heard from the nearby porthole. The door that normally would have given employees access to the access booth swung open, and emerging from it was a plain-looking man in a headwrap. He seemed to size up the damage of the gate from where he stood first before speaking to Ganondorf and Ace. “Whoa! You two certainly did a good job on my front gate there! But next time, use the access button, okay, dogs?” The man seemed cheerfully optimistic despite living in what looked to be less than a couple of meters wide. Of course, Three Dog was completely unaware that using a callbox was completely foreign to these two, but it didn’t seem like he was too pressed on the matter.

“I’m assuming y’all are here for Galaxy News, yeah? Best radio station in the Frozen Highlands?” It’s also the ONLY radio station for miles, but the denizens of Snowdin seem to enjoy it enough.” The smile on the man’s face communicated that he was here to help these two, that somehow their goals were aligned. He wanted something from them. “But the thing is here, see… That people are saying Galaxy News isn’t quite what it used to be… Do you get what I’m saying here?”

Given that the stranger was friendly, Ace saw no reason not to return the same energy. He laughed lightly, having the decency to at least look a little awkward about the gate.

"Sorry about that," he started with. "But, yeah, me and the big guy here -I'm Ace, he's Ganondorf- were looking into what's changed with your radio."

Ace clapped Ganondorf on the back good-naturedly as he spoke, then after a brief glance around the area turned back to the stranger. "If you run the Galaxy News... I guess you're dealing with a hostile takeover type of thing going on?"

Ganondorf stood with arms crossed over his muscular chest. Radio. TV. Galaxy News. He didn’t understand what any of that meant. But a hostile takeover? That was something he did understand. ”Let me guess, more Carcasses and Puppets that need to be exterminated?” The warlord said, making what seemed like an obvious guess to him. ”If so, you’re in luck. I happen to be quite effective at doing just that.”

“Whoa whoa, easy there, gentlemen. No hostile takeovers. It’s bad enough that damn cartoon box is still hogging my wavelengths!” Three Dog looked at the second floor of the building, as if there was something of value up there. His attention turned back to Ganondorf and Ace a moment after. “But I’m getting ahead of myself. Name’s Three Dog, and yes, I run this gig. Galaxy News is my baby. It’s uh… a bit of an independent pet project to keep myself from going coo-coo.” Snowdin was a fair distance away, the frozen gate, and given the location of the studio plus his modest mode of transportation, it was fair to assume Three Dog didn’t get too much company.

“But… The other day, I want to say about 5 days ago, some eccentric type came around and pressed on my buzzer, saying he needed my tower for a ‘big announcement’.” He tied it with air quotes and all, emphasizing how adamant the visitor was about using Three Dog’s station. “And as soon as I showed him how to play his announcement on the vinyl player and intercom, he had his cronies grab me by the shoulders and throw me out here! Now, I’m not one to travel without a firearm, so I would’ve been more than happy to deal with him myself.” The man pointed to the sliding glass doors, which were now barricaded by a large number of TV screens displaying various programs. “That asshole closed himself in, and I’m not strong enough to get in. Look, I’d prefer if you could get him out of there without breaking any of my equipment, but do what you gotta do. This radio is my passion and without it, well, I might as well be another waster.”

As he followed Three Dog's attention to where the mystery visitor (who he figured must be the same guy who'd hung the new sign over Galaxy News' old one) was holed up, Ace had to wonder how what was described wasn't a hostile take over. Still, he thought he got the gist of what was going on now. Tossing this Ant-tenna out would help Three Dog get his life back, and in turn would apparently help Sandalphon keep tabs on any news floating around the area.

"We can help you out," the Cadet agreed easily. "One way or another you'll get your radio back."

If they could do that with minimal damage to the building and its equipment remained to be seen though. At the very least they might have to break their way through the barricade of screens if Mr. Tenna proved uncooperative.

"You mentioned he had 'cronies’? Do you remember how many?"

Three Dog contemplated the question, trying to recall the number of oddball backups that Tenna had brought with him. “I want to say it was definitely around 20. Look, I don’t care what you do with anybody in there, just get them out! Ahem- Please.” He corrected himself, making sure his enthusiasm didn’t rub off on The Ace Cadet and The Warrior King as rudeness.

Ace at least didn't look offended in the slightest. He offered Three Dog a grin and a wave of his hand. "Don't worry, it's all Ya-cool, we'll get you back in business in no time!" And Ganondorf? He looked the exact opposite of offended, like a warlord in search of a war to fight.

The first step to that being to get inside the station. Now that they'd been given a run down on what had happened and knew to expect a sizeable group, the two Seekers could come up with an action plan. As he was wont to do, The Cadet trudged through the snow right up to the radio station before anything else with the other two trailing after. He peered in through the ground floor windows to see if he could spot anyone. As he did that, he spoke over his shoulder to Ganondorf and Three Dog.

"I'm thinking we've got two options: see if there's a door on the roof or go in through one of these windows. We could break through the front but then we'd end up smashing all the TVs too." Which would be a shame because as the hunter had very recently learned, TVs were amazing devices. Even now his eyes flickered over to the screens now and then to see what they were showing. "It's not like they'll just let us in, right?"

Ace didn't expect that they'd be getting the drop on this band of radio-station-stealing opportunists in the first place, so as if to prove his words he knocked heavily on the entrance doors a couple times.

Upon knocking on the door, one of the security cameras monitoring the area would turn on Ace, Three Dog, and Ganondorf, before the inside of the building burst with a cacophony of saxophone noises and trills, almost as if a burst of conversation were happening with stock sax sounds. Suddenly, a low rumbling would erupt from the ground, the clear cause being from inside the radio station. The rumbling began to move across the floor as a bulldozer-equipped figure began moving the TVs out of the way of the door, the shadowy man piloting it tipping his hat politely with a muffled saxophone noise greeting the duo, as if trying to speak to them. The odd thing is, no matter how many times Three Dog tried knocking, they never let him in.

Finally, the two could see inside the double window doors, the first floor, which looked like it had been a receptionist area, was now filled to the brim with well over 20 Shadow Guys who each had a different hat or article of clothing to signify their role in this establishment; some with construction hats were making repairs to previously damaged/weathered areas and some with painters smocks were very delicately repainting the whole interior a bright beige, red, and gold, were among many others working. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the large golden statue of a man with a TV head, this would have looked like some revitalization project rather than a hostile takeover. If anything, it looked like Tenna was taking better care of the studio! Three Dog was in complete shock, so much work had been done so quickly, his studio was unrecognizable from before!

Before any of the three could get any words out, one of the Shadow Guys, who was wearing a shiny badge with a sun and a cloud on it, would quickly rush out to greet the three, very rapidly shaking their hands as a trill of saxophone buzzed from his mouth to greet each of them. With each handshake, he would plant a very cheaply painted gold “VIP Pass” which looked like the top of a bottlecap, saying VIP on the flat end. As soon as each of the three had acquired their passes, the badged Shadow Guy would begin to usher them in, encouraging them to follow him inside.

The place exploded with colors, music, and eccentric scenery, the floor adorned with a new red carpet that almost felt laid out for the visitors. Three Dog, who had been silent from shock as they followed the lone Shadow Guy, finally spoke, “I swear there were only about twenty of them.” Fighting was definitely off the table now, as any hostile action could result in a swarm of henchmen stampeding the three of them. The trio approached a stanchion labeled “Backstage Access”, which was parallel to another across the room labeled “Audience Seating”. The Shadow Guy would lift the rope for the guests with a bow and another mumble of saxophone noises before leaving. Now, before the three stood a large staircase leading to a rusted metal door, with half of the hallway accompanying it unremodeled. It seems there’s still work to do.

”Twenty or two hundred.” Ganondorf grunted, cracking his neck. ”It makes no difference to me.” He was clearly still confident that he could conquer this place by force if he tried hard enough. But whether he could do it without demolishing half of the facility in the process was another story. So to that end, the Gerudo decided to play ball… for now.

”Seems he wants to talk.” Ganondorf added as they made their way up the stairs. ”So I guess that’s what we’ll do. And rest assured,” he looked toward Three Dog, ”if this goes too poorly, I’m more than able to fight our way back out of here, numbers be damned.”

So far Ace had taken everything in stride, from the surprise welcoming to being guided through the building by the half-featureless men. They all looked pretty chipper, so the hunter had grinned back at all of them even if he couldn't understand what exactly they were trying to say with their musical voices. He fingered the rough edges of the VIP badge that had been pinned to his coat as he climbed to the second floor with the other two.

"He's Ap-serious too," the Cadet tacked on to Ganondorf's words. Preferably it wouldn't come to that though. "But hey, maybe this'll be easier than we thought. So far so good, anyway.

"Maybe the both of you could even work something out, share the building?" he suggested to Three Dog. It looked like a lot of work had been put into it, so maybe it just hadn't been ready to show off just yet and the new tenant was just really, really strict about that kind of thing.

They could only hope for the best since they had the feeling they were about to meet him as they made it to the second floor's landing.

The closer they got to the door, the more the “impending” feeling that they were about to meet some big shot celebrity, the sign above the door, reading “on air,” was off at the current moment. As they entered the door, a TV-headed man, in fact the same likeness as the gold statue in the lobby, boisterously greeted the “VIPs”. ”Visitors! VISITORS!” He struck a cool pose, pointing to the sky as he exclaimed at his excitement. ”You’re just in time for our BIG show!” It was almost as if when he said the word “Big,” his voice exploded, altered by some TV-sounding static.

The room was nearly unaltered from its original appearance, save for a large red curtain that now separated the recording booth and studio. At the other end of this curtain must be where that “audience” door leads to. Tenna would put his gloved hand to his ear, as if listening for something. ”Shhhhhh… and can you hear THAT? The audience is ABSOLUTELY excited.” The silence was deafening; not a single clap, cheer, or even cough could be heard from the other side of the curtain. Tenna would gesture for the three of them to join him to peek at the curtain to gauge the audience turnout. As the four peered into the large auditorium, a construction feat that would have been impossible in 5 days, not a single living face could be seen, other than smiling Shadow Guys who definitely were employees (symbolized by their TV pins), and an assortment of trashy mundane conglomerates who were the actual only bodies in seats.

This guy was nuts.

"Wow, you got a full house here, huh?" Ace joked of the shadow guys and shoddily put together mannequins.

Ganondorf just dead-stared at the bizarre man and his setup. The Gerudo obviously had no concept for what TV was, but even if he did? He probably still wouldn’t understand what all this was. ”I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” the man said dryly, still trying to maintain some modicum of diplomacy despite the sheer oddity of the situation, ”but this building originally belonged to this man here.”

He gestured to Three Dog standing nearby, ”And he’d like it back.” While Ganondorf wasn’t trying to be overtly threatening, his natural tone and imposing figure made it all-but impossible for him to not sound at least a little threatening. One of the many drawbacks of being the infamous King Of Evil, essentially. Still, if he could diplomacize with Lady Riju in Gerudo Town then how hard could this possibly be?

Ace nodded along with Ganondorf's statement (it was the whole reason they'd come here after all), but he couldn't help but also feel sort of bad for the strange looking man. Sure, maybe he'd gone crazy like Three Dog had worried he might have if the disc jockey didn't have his music, but so far he and the shadows that could only be his underlings seemed genuinely excited to put on... whatever it was they were planning to put on.

The Cadet pulled his head back from the curtain. "So if there's anyway we can get your big show on the road...?" he said, though after a moment he couldn't help but ask, "What kind of show, anyway?"

Tenna seemed to take some sort of favoritism towards Ace, since he was really the only person who seemed to show some genuine curiosity, though Ganondorf’s comments about the rightful owner of the place did not go unnoticed. ”I’m glad you asked my private property destroying compatriot! We’ll have game shows, cowboy programs, pirate movies, infomercials!” He’d clutch Ace and Ganondorf’s shoulders, bringing them into a tight whisper ”We gotta get advertisements from SOMETHING.” He joked with the two as he finally stepped back, hitting dramatic poses as he emphasized his words. “And. That’s. NOT. ALL.-”

But before he could speak more, Three Dog interrupted Tenna, which was probably for the best because it sounded like Tenna was going to go on about “The Show.” “I’m gonna stop you there, man.” His voice was somewhat stern compared to his usual enthusiastic radio host persona. He really wanted Tenna’s attention here because he had something to say. “Show host to show host man, you’re robbing me of my gig here!” Three Dog threw his arms up in frustration with the CRT host. He thought of something on the spot that might sway Tenna to leave his studio. “And now you have a REAL chance here to get an actual audience rather than shit from my supply closet!”

“Look, you’ve done a lot of great work here in my studio here, Mr. Tenna, but you’ve made a whole mess of my gig, and now I’m 5 days behind on reporting local news!” Tenna looked around the room as Three Dog made his point. This was no TV Studio, and the CRT wouldn’t get the audience score he wanted here.

”The Fun-o-meter in this place IS pretty… low,,,” Tenna seemed to get emotional slightly. Ganondorf and Three Dog’s words stuck with him; this was not where ANY of the “action” was. It wouldn’t take much more to make the television set mope his way out of the building with its goons.

This whole thing might solve itself sooner than expected, Ace thought. It seemed like all they'd needed to do was get the two opposing media hosts an opportunity to talk - the takeover being not so much malicious as it was eagerness, and misunderstanding. Three Dog could probably sort things out with Tenna himself at this point, but Ace jumped back into the conversation anyway.

"You know, I just saw a movie for the first time yesterday and it was radalos. I'd watch another, and I bet there's a ton more people that wanna see that kind of stuff too! So if you want to put on a show for as many people as possible, you'd be better off in a big city. We were just talking about Edinburgh Magicapolis - that might be the closest one," he mused. He didn't know what a cowboy or an infomercial was, but game shows sounded fun too. He'd have to look into those at some point. "North of here, I'm pretty sure."

It was in fact the same direction the Seekers were traveling on the Midnight Walk in the first place. At this point, Ganondorf was holding his tongue. The bizarre man had clearly taken more of a liking to Ace, so it seemed like the monster hunter was the one who was going to handle the talks for now.

Tenna, who had taken an interest in the implications of a large city north of here, suddenly seemed to perk up. ”You mean… there’s better places I can make my studio?…” The cartoon box thought to himself quietly, considering the pair had travelled here together, maybe there could be a better place to establish his own business. ”Wooooo mama!” He cheered loudly as he waved his wacky hands excitedly in the air. The CRT would walk over to a well-kept vinyl player and remove a disc that said “TV” in large gold font, stopping the ceaseless chatter that Sandaphalon heard a couple of miles from the Studio.

”You have yourself a deal my liege and cadet!” Wait, deal? Does this mean the two were responsible for Tenna now? He took the Gerudo’s hand and shook it very rapidly, following suit with Ace. ”Mr. Radioman, the studio is yours again! Completely refurbished!” Tenna spread his hands out to show the marvel of Three Dog having a clean and bright studio.

The Disk Jockey shrugged, somewhat unbothered. “Sounds good to me, as long as I get my station back”

”And to make up for the trouble, you can keep my hench- I mean, ‘employees’- around to help you!” Again, Three Dog wasn’t too entirely bothered. The Shadow Guys could make for a great maintenance team. ”Besides, they’re technically contracted to you anyways.”

"I didn't mean–" By the time handshakes happened Ace seemed to realize what Tenna intended, and he started to correct the TV-headed man's assumption, but he moved like a whirlwind and was already making moving out plans. Technically the Seekers' work here was done, the radio station was soon to be back with its rightful owner and playing news - it would just mean having to take Tenna along when they returned to the stagecoach. Thankfully, he still didn't seem like a bad guy.

While he spoke with Three Dog, Ace turned to Ganondorf and said in a half-whisper, "This'll be fine, right? I mean we are sort of headed that way..."

Ganondorf exhaled a long breath, rubbing his temples like he could already sense the migraines that were inevitably going to be in his future. He was annoyed, but ultimately grunted a reluctant agreement. ”I don’t even know what ‘TV’ is and even I can already tell how much it apparently rots the mind.” He grumbled, not particularly thrilled about the arrangement but not refusing it outright either.

”Let’s just return to the stagecoach before I change my mind.”

And when Tenna inevitably turned his attention back to them, Ace cleared his throat and thought it best to actually give the flamboyant host a fair warning even if it put them all back at square one. "We are going north, but it will get dangerous if you travel with us. You okay with that?"

”Buddy-” Another friendly clap to Ace’s shoulder. ”DANGER!! is my middle name! (Next to Ant, of course!)” With that, Three Dog would thank Ganondorf and The Ace Cadet in private for finding a peaceful solution to his issue before they left to return to the Stagecoach with Mr. CRT himself. Being around Tenna, despite not knowing what a TV even is, would fill the duo with some unfamiliar feeling of nostalgia. Tenna smiled as he followed Ganondorf with some pop in his step, ready to begin his adventure on the Midnight Walk. His optimism toward this matter was at least relieving, reassuring Ganondorf and Ace that he wouldn’t become their responsibility. Little did they know, this CRT is actually quite the formidable support… ”Oh yeah! And if we see any of my buddies on the way, just know that danger is THEIR middle names too!” Tenna missed the games he, Kris, Susie, and Ralsei played…

[Zoey Boey]

After Tea

Word Count: 5,412
EXP: +5
Yayama, Sakura, Captain Falcon, Amaterasu
@DracoLunaris@Chevaleresse@Double

---

In the end, they’d resolved the situation more or less by just running away. There would be consequences to that, of that the divine wolf was quite certain. Especially because they’d had to actively ditch some of the more persistent belligerents in the process, including the sage’s two machine people.

They’d lost Terry in the process, but hopefully he’d both lost anyone following him, and after that either they or another group would run into him again and be able to explain the situation to him.

Still, they’d pulled off their little escape, and ended up somewhere in the middle tier as a result, in a secluded booth of some sports bar they’d not bothered checking the name of before using it as cover. Given the nature of the town, the only sport being played in this bar was the combat type, with a boxing match between one Balrog and one Lil mac currently being shown on the monitors. One that didn’t really seem fair given the size difference of the two fighters, even if the little slugger was currently giving as good as he got.

Regardless, that wasn’t really why they were here, or what was interesting to the divine wolf right now. Instead it was the diminutive hero who’d helped them out on a whim, a fact which Amaterasu thought gave her a few points towards justifying that title certainly, that had her attention.

Sakura smiled at Yayama, and her response to the nature of being a hero. ”Classic hero stuff. But yeah, I know how you feel. It’s almost embarrassing to think of yourself that way, huh?” She said.

”Adventurer feels more appropriate. But me, I think the perfect word is Seeker. Which is our little group.” She said, and then followed the new adventurer’s eyes off to the distance where Terry had went.

”He’s normally a pretty happy-go-lucky kinda guy.” Sakura mused.

At her mention of Terry, the wolf looked away, embarrassed at how that had turned out. It had been her idea, and her actions, that had freed him, and things had not gone smoothly, she’d admit that much if anyone asked. Not that they would, given she could not answer them with any degree of complexity.

”I’m sure he’s fine.” Falcon interjected at the mention of Terry, trying to offer reassurance. ”He probably just needs some space to clear his head. I imagine he’ll find his way back to Amaterasu and I in time for the KOF to start.” It made sense to the Captain at least. Being flooded with previously absent memories and learning about something as… complicated as Galeem was a lot for anyone to take in.

Sakura nodded and agreement. ”Terry-san’s got a strong, good heart. He reminds me a lot of Ryu-san. The kinda guy who doesn’t really talk about his feelings as much as he…wanders about them. Broods stoically. Like this.” She threw an invisible jacket over her shoulder and strode a few steps away.

“Hard to say in cases like these, but there’s no need to be embarassed. I don’t know what exactly you did back there, but people don’t always respond predictably to big emotional revelations.” Yayama addressed Amaterasu directly, despite responding to Falcon. “Can you talk, by the way? You don’t exactly look or act like an ordinary wolf, and I’ve met auspices before.”

As Yayama talked, Sakura ended up behind her, casual-like. She formed a ‘heart’ looking shape with her fingers, and looked at Falcon and Amaterasu. Then she pointed at the top of Yayama’s head, and made the heart shape again, making a ‘yeah?’ expression with her face. This got a raised eyebrow from the Captain, followed by a small nod of agreement.

The wolf put her paws up on the table, hauled herself up a bit, and then stole a napkin from a little holder of them, before letting it fall onto the table with the word “Yes” written on it in pure black ink, conveniently answering both questions at once.

Sakura gave an emphatic thumbs up towards her two comrades. Yayama noticed the movement behind her - it paid to keep your wits about you in her line of work - but elected not to pay it any mind for the moment. She didn’t have any reason to suspect Sakura of anything untoward. “Ah.” Realizing she was potentially misunderstanding the situation, but proceeding anyways, she pitched her voice lower. “Is there a reason you haven’t done so aloud? Keeping up some kind of appearance or whatnot? On my blade, I won’t spill your secrets if so.”

”I don’t believe she can speak verbally.” Cap said, attempting to clarify the Sun Goddess’ answer. ”She understands us fluently. But to communicate back she either uses her calligraphy power to write notes or barks once for ‘yes’ and twice for ‘no’.” He gave a quick glance toward the white wolf, seeking confirmation that his explanation was accurate so as not to look like he was speaking for her.

The wolf, helpful, gave a bark for yes of confirmation, though it was possibly the least enthusiastic bark possible. She was, after all, not the biggest fan of the communication method. Unbeknownst to her, their diminutive new friend heard the bark as plain language, though she waited patiently to point this out as the Captain moved up to introduce himself.

”Come to think of it,” Falcon then said, ”I don’t believe I introduced myself yet. My name is Captain Falcon. You might have heard of me from the F-Zero Grand Prix.” He said, name-dropping his status as a famous F-Zero Champion though such a thing might not be that well known in a city like Esaka. ”As for our silent furry friend here, her name is Amaterasu.”

Yayama nodded along with the explanations and introductions. “You got my name earlier, of course, but I could add a few more titles if you’d like?” Her tone was dry, but she did wait a moment in case someone did in fact want to hear the appellations in question. “I also happen to be gifted with a particular gift known, at least where I’m from, as the Echo. I bring this up because one of the abilities it grants me is the ability to communicate soul-to-soul, without the intervening barriers of language. I can’t read minds, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she clarified, though even that wasn’t true if taken in the absolute strictest sense, “but what I can do is speak to someone regardless of what tongue they communicate in, so long as they think enough like a human for us to reach a mutual understanding.” She gave Amaterasu an expectant look.

The divine wolf cocked her head at this information, clearly sceptical. She also wasn’t entirely pleased with the idea of having her thoughts read. Then again, given that the woman had had to ask if she had ‘human’ like thoughts then presumably it had some sort of active component? All she needed to do was be the master of her thoughts while whatever it looked or felt like was happening, and she’d be fine, surly. An easy task for one such as her, naturally.

Decision made, she righted her head, and then after a moment's hesitation thought a formal greeting Yayama’s way.

Sakura’s eyes were wide and she was leaning in close near Yayama, like she was trying to pick up some kind of residual message. She waited with bated breath. Being able to talk to animals has to be the number one superpower, right?!

“It’s good to meet you as well, Amaterasu Okami,” the lalafell responded. “I have to say, it’s refreshing to meet a deity that isn’t, in some way, trying to kill or subjugate me.”

The divine wolf thought very poorly of beings such as those, and expressed as much to Yayama, before committing to the goal of dragging her impression of the divine out of the mud, be it via her own positive impact on the world or by putting these abusers of their divine nature in their place.

Sakura clapped her hands together and hopped up and down, enthused. ”That’s amazing!”

”Huh, well I’ll be.” The Captain said with a hum of appreciation, ”Looks like you finally found someone who can fully understand you, Amaterasu.” He mused. ”That could make things much easier on us, actually.”

“Here’s hoping,” Yayama said, replying to both Falcon and Amaterasu. “I try not to assume the worst of people, so I’m not lumping you in with the rest, but the sentiment is still appreciated.” She glanced over her shoulder to Sakura and her increasingly close proximity. “Did you need something, by the way?”

Sakura scampered back a few steps. ”Uh, well-”
Amaterasu informed Yayama of Sakura’s fighting fanatic nature and guessed that she wanted to spar. Privately she was now even more onboard with the heart gesture the streetfighter had made. This was simply far too convenient for her not to endorse.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Yayama replied to the wolf. “I got all riled up to fight that Miqo’te or whatever she was earlier, but it turned out to not be necessary. I could use the practice, too; if I’m going to get anywhere here, I need to get through these tournament brackets.” She turned back to Sakura. “Assuming she’s right?”

Sakura put the context clues together and clenched her fists, nodding in agreement. ”I think it’d be great to have a fight!” Her fight with Falcon was interrupted, and while normally she would just challenge him to a rematch, recruiting Seekers was more important.

”No shady bars and bets needed. Just two fighters, last one standing wins!” Sakura said.

“Alright then,” Yayama said with a grin. “Just don’t complain if you get more than you bargained for from one of the Warriors of Light.” Her boast had a playful note to it; Yayama did genuinely expect to win most fights she got into, but she wasn’t trying to put Sakura down. “Did you have a venue in mind? Pretty sure I saw a couple spots earlier that were intentionally cleared out for this kind of thing.”

She grinned, excited that Yayama was confident. ”Somewhere we can’t get sued for damages.” Sakura said, grabbing her shoulder and rolling it. ”I usually just pick a wide enough street and go for it.”

Amaterasu thought (at Yayama) that maybe they could just ask the bartender where the closest spot was.

Sakura was already on it, though: ”Excuse me, sir. D’you know where me and my friend here could throw down?”

The answer to this question involved the man simply pointing up.

click for music

Grey clouds hung overhead, as the two ladies took to opposite sides of the bar’s roof. Around them a few spectators were found, as it seemed there always could be. The wolf and the falcon naturally had found their own spots, and like sharks smelling blood, or worms drawn to rain, a number of Yokai had already perched themselves around the area as Yayama took up the same fighting stance she had previously.

A few patrons, early drinks or late lunches in hand, were scattered about too, and the odd onlooker took a peek out their window, but with the hour being that awkward middle of the afternoon, and the rain threatening to fall, there weren't actually more than a handful of bystanders interested in the upcoming sparring match.

As such, the first attempt of heckling by some Yokai who’d definitely been at the teahouse of “alright let’s see what you’re actually made of!” got shut down by a growl from Amatarasu, and with that the pair were left in relative peace to their bout.

”Just try to relax.” Captain Falcon advised the heckling Yokai, ”Ms. Kasugano is as tough as they come. She won’t disappoint you.” While his own match against Sakura had been cut short, Falcon had seen enough in that fight to have an idea of how strong the girl could be. Anyone who could take even a glancing blow from his Falcon Punch was someone who had definitely earned the Captain’s respect.

Sakura waved at the Yokai and then at Captain Falcon. She bounced back and forth from one foot to the other then settling into a rhythmic fighting stance.

Yayama began the fight deliberately, taking slow, measured steps toward Sakura and waiting for the other fighter to initiate. Her cheerful expression had fallen away, replaced with one of focus as she prepared for Sakura’s assault.

”Three, two, one…here I come!” Sakura didn’t hesitate for long, running towards Yayama, curving her approach to the right side. She was going to come in hot with a powerful straight punch downward before unleashing a series of quick kicks. As long as she could, Sakura would stick to Yayama, kicking and elbowing her, and if her defense was too strong, tripping her up with martial throws to the ground.

Her guard proved to be sufficient for the series of attacks, using the large flat of her blade to deflect the overhead punch and utilizing her stature and her armor to dodge or harmlessly soak most of the series of following blows. She hadn’t been prepared for the throw, which sent Yayama tumbling over the ground, but she halted her motion by driving her blade into the roof and pulling herself up with it. “My turn.” She held one arm out to the side and a barrier shimmered to life around her. With its protection, she launched her counterattack, leaping a surprising distance into the air and then plunging downward with a gravity-assisted slash. She followed it up with a broad sweep of her blade diagonally upward, positioning it to either return to a neutral position or double down on a successful attack.

When Sakura landed the throw, she took the time to position herself accordingly, right outside her estimated reach of Yayama’s sword. The barrier looked hard to overcome with one of her usual anti-airs, but she was quick on her feet and pulled out a trick. As Yayama surged downward, she used her speed to dip right under her at the last moment, dodging the swing and ending up behind her as she landed. Twisting around, she slammed her fist into the barrier to get a gauge for its strength, before shifting right, bringing her hands back, and blasting it point blank with a blue fireball.

The lalafell simply charged through the fireball, the Blackest Night shattering like glass as the warrior beneath was singed. She swung her blade skyward in a sweeping uppercut, wreathing it in aether to further extend her range. This was immediately followed by another downward slash, falling diagonally as she converted it into a spin in the hopes of catching her faster opponent off guard.

Sakura jerked to the left as she failed to draw her arms back in time after shooting the fireball, and then was brought to her knees by the downward swipe. Both hits resulted in great yellow sparks on impact. There she stayed in a crouch, a little lower than Yayama’s eye level now. ”Gah…more hyper armored opponents for Sakura.” She said with an acknowledging, if slightly annoyed, tilt of her head. At this point she was wondering when she could get her hands on the stuff.

Not one to relent in her assault, Yayama threw herself at Sakura once more. With her blade being somewhat out of position for a clean followup, she went for a body check, driving her shoulder toward Sakura and relying on her defenses to ensure she came out on top of the ensuing impact. She prepared to chase that attack with a pommel jab, followed by swinging her sword horizontally to get it on the correct side of her body relative to her opponent.

Sakura’s knee scraped against the ground, meeting Yayama’s shoulder with her own, raising her arm. The pommel strike bounced off, and she shifted closer to reduce the amount of power available for Yayama to swing and block the swing up close. Then she went to ram her elbow into Yayama’s face with piercing power, prompting a grunt of pain from the lalafell. Then, a noise like gunfire rang out as she went to launch Yayama off the ground with a rising Shouoken uppercut. ”Shouoken!”

The blow dazed the dark knight and sent her flying almost straight up. Yayama managed to maintain her grip on her sword, which trailed behind her as she sailed through the air. Damn, she’s not bad, Yayama thought as she tried to shake off the impact and right herself before she hit the ground.

The blow was strong, able to secure a knockdown on even the toughest fighters where Sakura came from. Sakura landed on her feet first, having launched Yayama fairly far away from herself. Having landed a good hit on her opponent, her spirits soared. While the knight was still falling, she gathered her hands together and charged up a powerful fireball, more than doubling its power. ”Hadoken!”She launched it forward, having it be well on its way towards her opponent before she could get her bearings. It would explode at her feet sending pleasantly warm blue flames everywhere, though the concussive force wasn’t nearly as pleasant. Before the swirling blue flame was even half-clear, the street fighter burst through it on the offense. She looked to grab Yayama by the head and hook her leg behind the knights, before sweeping her onto the floor hard. ”Hup!”

Yayama grunted as she hit the rooftop yet again. Then Sakura crouched, one leg stretching to the side as she brought her fist down hard like a hammer toward the knight’s head. Said knight, however, had different ideas, and intercepted the incoming strike by blocking it with one gauntleted arm. Out of her guard, she threw a straight jab toward Sakura in an attempt to get the latter to back off.

In what the people around Esaka may refer to as a ‘frame trap,’ the hammer blow sunk Yayama’s gauntleted arm with a thudding blue spark, and Sakura beat out the counter jab with one of her own, a stinging jab to the nose. She punched down once more before converting into a close ranged one handed fireball blast that separated the two of them, Sakura bouncing back onto her feet. ”How are you feeling?” She asked. The knight was tough, so Sakura was hoping her meters and gauges would let her start doing some real damage soon. Though even if Yayama was in range of being Friend Hearted, Sakura wanted to see this fight through to the end one way or the other.

She pulled herself back up to her feet, returning to her neutral stance out of habit. “Well, I felt the last couple, so you're doing better than the usual rifraff,” Yayama said with a smirk. “But if that was enough to put me down, I wouldn't have made it this far.” The greatsword swung up onto her shoulders as she switched to a one-handed grip, using her armor to bear the weight while she stayed ready to swing it if needed. Yayama thrust one arm forward, palm up, and roiling energy began to gather above it. “I've got more than just a big sword and a big mouth.”

Sakura shifted her shoulders back and forth, pleased. ”Then I should probably just shut up, huh?” She asked rhetorically. ”Getting back to it!” She gathered some more ki energy between her hands and began lobbing fireballs towards the knight to see how her mobility and tankiness dealt with exploding bombs of varying speed, power, and range. Sakura switched it up to keep it tough to predict.

Yayama responded in kind, as the energy in her hand suddenly compressed, then shot forward at high speed. The Jolt would explode on impact with a, well, jolt of concussive force, while its caster expertly wove through the wall of incoming projectiles. The dark knight used a minimum of motion, standing just on the edge of each blast, then executed the second half of her dualcast during a brief opening in the pattern. The second spell had less overall force, but burst over a much wider area; Yayama attempted to set it off just behind Sakura to disrupt her guard.

Sakura considered turning up the heat on her fireballs, but thought she should save for a more powerful attack later. Feeling the jolt from behind, Sakura stumbled forward but converted into a big jump upwards, like she was going to come down on Yayama. Instead though, she drove her feet downwards like a nail and cut her arc well short, stabbing down into the ground evasively.

Seeing this, and recognizing a pattern from seeing (and fighting) other martial artists of similar talents and styles, Yayama responded to the aborted jump by taking up her two-handed grip once more and launching a full powered, overhead swing, aiming to slam Sakura down as she lands and create an opportunity to dish out what she’d mostly been taking so far.

Sakura was slammed face down onto the roof, flattening like a starfish. ”Oof!” She thought for sure she would be able to pull that trick off at least once, but no dice. But still, pain is a lesson, and she knows that Yayama will go for the big swing if she thinks she can get it. Sakura got her hands underneath her and pushed herself up into a dodge roll to get away from Yayama.

The dark knight followed with another leaping plunge, leaving Sakura with no time to breathe. Predicting that the pugilist would see the strike coming, she pulled the weapon hard to the side, launching a mostly-horizontal rising slash, itself followed with a thrust of her weapon.

”Oops!” Sakura’s eye glinted and from her crouching position she spun, leg outstretched, to knock Yayama off her feet and away from her. This V-Reversal technique spent her 1 bar of V-Meter and did no permanent damage, but had extreme knockback. Sakura decided to frustrate Yayama’s offense before it could get going. Popping up to her feet, with things reset back to neutral, she began to approach, practically gliding along the ground as she put more focus into her footwork.

Yayama decided to be a bit more proactive this time around, not wanting to give Sakura an opportunity to land the throws and knockbacks that had been giving her trouble. Once she skidded to a halt and righted herself, she closed the distance herself, launching an exploratory thrust to try to catch Sakura on her approach.

Sakura learnt the range of Yayama’s sword the hard way, taking a stab to the gut for her trouble. After all this, Sakura reckoned she was about half-way to falling over. She stepped back and then shifted right, and looked to dash in again only to stop her momentum to bait out another thrust. Then she would deliver a mighty roundhouse kicked aimed towards the blade itself to knock it aside.

Yayama aborted her second thrust halfway, sensing something was off, but it was too late. Sakura’s gambit was successful, sending the blade spinning away as Yayama decided she’d be better off letting it go than following it off the roof in an effort to halt its flight. Left vulnerable, she cast another Blackest Night, then began channeling a Jolt using the last of her remaining mana.

The street fighter’s eyes gleamed with intensity, her heart pounding. She smoothly transitioned her round house kick into a blurring forward roll, closing the gap between the two of them. She then shot into the air with a knee to slam into the barrier. Turning away from Yayama mid-air, she planted both of her feet on the barrier and moved to break it by kicking away from it and catching herself into a roll that put her back where she started. It all happened at speed some might consider ‘alarming’.

Yayama staggered from the impact, but remained standing. The determination to finish out the fight flared in her eyes. “I can do this all day,” she declared, raising her fists. She sprinted toward Sakura, moving with speed belying her stature, and aimed a wild punch toward her with a shout.

Sakura leaned forward, clenching her fists. She raised her front arm and blocked the punch aimed her way with a deep thud and a bright blue spark of ki. ”Seyah! She shouted back, and engaged in a furious exchange of blows. But when it came to hand to hand combat, Sakura felt confident she had the upper hand.

”Senpu!” In a blink she was outside striking range, slicing at Yayama with a hopping spin kick. ”Senpu! Senpu!” She danced around the roof, her sneakers clattering against wood and shingles.

When the moment was right, and she had forced the opening, Sakura pounced. ”Power and skill!” She shouted, blasting the knight with a dazzling short ranged fireball. ”Hooooah!” She yelled, pushing the knight back with a series of spinning kicks shrouded in sharp ki energy that took her off the ground entirely.

”Sakura no Ame!” With a final shout and a burst of pink and blue light, she struck the knight with a powerful uppercut. When they both landed again, Sakura pumped her fists and let out a breath, looking to see if the knight could or would still fight.

Yayama bounced off the roof and rolled to a halt, but forced herself to spring right back up again as if nothing had happened. “Like I said,” she said, eyes gleaming with Galeem’s influence for those who could see it, “all day.” She made a “come at me” gesture with her left hand, while she stuck her right off to the side. In a burst of shadow, her weapon reappeared, and she brandished it at Sakura once more. Anyone with combat experience, though, could tell that the warrior wasn’t doing as well as she acted. Her blade was unsteady, and there was a tension to her expression that hadn’t been there earlier.

Sakura snapped back into her fighting position, eyeing Yayama up and down. While it was obvious Yayama still had a lot more fight left in her, if this was only a friendly bout or spar this might be the appropriate time to call it in Sakura’s favor to save them both the pain and effort. But that wasn’t the case- Galeem’s curse was at work. Sakura was in Yayama’s place once in her fight against Ryu. Every Seeker had been in some form or another. She spared a glance towards the watching Captain Falcon and Amaterasu. If Sakura lost control of the fight she knew they wouldn’t let Yayama beat the tar out of her, at least. Still, she wanted to win on her own.

Yayama had beckoned Sakura to come forth. The street fighter would always oblige the notion. ”Hiyaah!” She dashed forward to begin round two in earnest. Yayama met her opening charge with another overhead swing, aiming to land a telling blow early to compensate for her own condition.

Sakura sidestepped the overhead swing, and lunged in with a harsh elbow to the face, then battered her from the other side with both of her closed fists interlocked together. With another signature spin kick she smashed into Yayama twice more before kicking her away. This time instead of waiting, she ran right back into the action to not let the tough knight recover any more.

When she came to yet another skidding halt, it took Yayama longer to stand back up. She planted her sword in the ground to lever herself up, the desperate fire of determination that prevented her from giving in - why was she so invested in this spar, anyway? - the only thing keeping her on her feet. A barrier between her and Sakura began to shimmer weakly into existence just as the latter arrived.

Sakura knew why. But it wouldn’t be that way for much longer. She slammed her fist into the barrier, and then with a flash of orange ki energy she blitzed forward instantly to prevent counter attack. She planted her hands on Yayama’s shoulders and then flipped easily behind her, kicking out the back of the shorter woman’s legs. Then she tackled her from behind, trying to pin her. Looking to finish it, she tapped her own chest and produced the Friend Heart, before pushing it into Yayama’s back. ”This should do it!” She exclaimed.

With that, the fire in Yayama’s eyes would once again entirely be her own, and the fog of Galeem’s curse would lift!

Yayama’s eyes went wide as a tide of memories and emotions flooded back into her awareness. Urianger and Y’shtola, Alphinaud and Alisae. Thancred. Hoary and the rest of the ex-Scions. Going on world-saving adventure after world-saving adventure, fighting foes not unlike the being that ruled this eternal world, alongside her most precious of companions.

Petra.

Her power surged, Yayama’s dark side threatening to take the wheel as shadowy aether erupted from her. With all the triumphs came all the struggles along the way, the people she hadn’t been able to save, the people she’d had to put down for the fate of the star. All of this, further soured by the bitter knowledge that in the end, it had all been for naught. A tide of light had swept away her and everything she cared for, bled for, nearly died for. The raw emotion ripped itself free as a wordless shout of anguish and rage sent to the heavens.

The leather wrapping the handle of her sword creaked in her grip as she slowly rose to her feet, using it to lever herself up again. The scream died off into growling breaths through gritted teeth as she went, her chest heaving with the effort of keeping herself under control. A part of her just wanted to hurt something, anything, make anyone pay for the sheer injustice of the situation she now realized she was in.

But Yayama was a hero. These people had done nothing to wrong her; they in fact had suffered just as much as she had, though they’d likely needed less tampering with their minds to keep them from rebelling. So, her breaths smoothed out, her grip loosened, and she closed her eyes. With a final, deep inhale, she gathered up the rest of her rage, and released it on the exhale. “I’m gonna kill him,” she said matter-of-factly. She made no indication of who she meant, but it would be abundantly clear to the Seekers.

After another moment to compose herself, she turned back to Sakura. “Thanks for the fight. It really cleared my head.” It was a bit late to play off what had just happened, but it wouldn’t hurt to go back to acting like normal. After all, killing gods took patience.

Sakura haltingly reached out and set a gentle hand on Yayama’s shoulder. ”N-no problem, Yayama-san. Welcome to the Seekers of Light.”

Having been watching all this from the sidelines, and now somewhat getting why fighting was such a big spectator sport as a result, Amaterasu now padded over to add her own greeting to Sakura’s.

”Ha! What’d I tell you?” Captain Falcon said to the various Yokai, ”I told you Ms. Kasugano was tough as they come, didn’t I?” He asked, referring to his earlier assurances that Sakura wouldn’t disappoint them. Sakura grinned in Captain Falcon’s direction. She used it as inspiration to further brighten the mood.

”Great fight, Yayama-san! You’re really tough, it was like I was punching… I dunno, something really tough!” Sakura said.

“Aetherically enhanced wolfram steel,” Yayama offered for Sakura's sake. “I need to fight people like you more often, I'm getting rusty.” She glanced down at herself, then scowled at what she saw. “And to change. What the hells was I thinking, going out in this. . . ?”

”Well, I’m down for a rematch anytime. Er, in a general sense.” Sakura said. She lowered her voice and leaned in. ”We’re busy right now, mostly. The Four Kings of Esaka are the Guardians here who work for and protect Galeem. The uh, big star thing that took us all here and made the World of Light. We Seekers are gonna take ‘em out.” She said. ”That’s the gist of it. I’m sure you’ll, uh, pick up the rest.”

[Lugubrious]

Esaka’s High Tier / Middle Tier

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (149/150) Level 11 Big Band (49/110)
Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Roland’s @Archmage MC Zenkichi’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Pit’s @Yankee Sakura & Juri’s @Zoey Boey Captain Falcon’s @Double Harry and Kim’s @Eviledd1984 Terry’s @Terry Bogard Yayama’s @Chevaleresse
Word Count: 1417 / 1478

It took a few moments just for Nadia to fully take in the sight. The hall before her wasn’t so much a secret passage as it was a gallery for sneakers, each wall no less than thirty feet high and arrayed with athletic footwear of every style and color conceivable. Luminous chandeliers shone down from above, and eight or so shoe-fitting stools littered the vermillion carpet floor. This collection could have easily been part of a posh department store, but with it hidden away behind a secret door, Nadia could only conclude that this must be the personal horde of a single enthusiast: the ominous man whose image hung behind the desk. There were hundreds of pairs of sneakers in here, and she couldn’t even begin to guess how much they were worth, perhaps made even more valuable by who owned them. Either way, the cat burglar had just hit paydirt. “Jackpot.”

Once she got over her amazement, Nadia worked quickly. She’d worked enough jobs to know that secrets often came part and parcel with surveillance, traps, and silent alarms. Thinking quickly, she turned around and made a beeline for the trash bin under the office desk. It contained only a few scraps of paper, which she dumped in order to pull out the white trash bag and fluff it up to its maximum size. Then she returned to the giant-size shoe closet and began to stuff as many matching pairs as she could inside. She seized the sneakers and packed them in until they began to strain and stretch their plastic membrane. That added up to just twelve pairs of shoes, and as much as Nadia wanted to collect more, even she knew not to get too greedy. “Twelve’s still pretty good,” she muttered. “Besides, he’s got hundreds. If I purr-loined a few, I bet he wouldn’t even miss ‘em!”

With one last, longing look at the sneaker smorgasbord, she ran back out into the office with the trash bag over her shoulder. A quick tap of the hidden button closed off the shoe gallery again, and for the first time Nadia began to consider exactly how she would be getting out of here. “Hmm…” Her bag of stolen goodies wasn’t too unwieldy, but it would complicate any exit, especially if other people were involved. Getting back down with the CAT fighters the same way she came up would be trickier with the extra burden and imbalance of the sneaker sack, but she didn’t need to ascend anymore–just to descend without going splat against the ground. That seemed way better than any options that involved freefall or climbing, so the feral jogged over toward the balcony doors to leave.

At that moment, the doorknob rattled. Nadia froze, her eyes as wide as saucers, and the next second someone kicked through the door with a terrific noise. She turned, aghast, to see the very same man whose portrait hung on the front door to the sneaker collection, that man with slicked-back black hair and a trench coat made from purple alligator hide: Kazuya Mashima. The moment he laid his red glowing eyes on Nadia and her bag of kicks, he bellowed something threatening in a language she didn’t understand -the first instance of this happening that she could recall- and transformed into a purple winged demon. With a yell, he fired red lasers from his eyes that swept across the room and straight toward the intruder’s head.

Of course, Nadia popped her head off to narrowly avoid the beam, then turned and sprinted away from him at max speed. “Hey! I’m not devil-ain here!” Rather than stop to open the balcony door, she plowed straight through it with a tremendous crash. Sirens began to go off as she ran for the edge, Kazuya flapped after her. “Harbor Demon! HURRY THE HELL UP!” Her striker appeared in front of her to deploy some CAT fighters, but it was too late. When Nadia heard a heavy footfall and chanced a look back over her shoulder, Kazuya was already there, his deadly fist on its way. “Wagh!” Instinctively she held up the bag, putting it between herself and her attacker.

“Hm!” Kazuya stopped short with an angry grunt, his terrifying strength halted in an instant as he refused to destroy his sneakers, even to slay their thief. Nadia used that second to fling herself from the balcony, followed by the CAT fighters as the Harbor Demon disappeared. Kazuya returned to normal as he walked to the edge of the balcony and laid his hands on the railing. He watched as the feral took the sack in her mouth and used Charge to zip up to and grab hold of the CAT fighters, then glide away between other buildings. “Hmph.” His face twisted into a nasty smirk as he pulled out his cell phone, then began to dial.

A few minutes later, Nadia touched down in a random Low Tier back alley. Her treasure bag hit the ground as she doubled over with her hands on her knees, exhilarated and breathless. “Whew…holy shoet!” She took a moment to catch her breath, then stretched her arms and flexed her sore fingers. Things had gotten dicey toward the end there, but when it came to heists, a win was a win. It did surprise her that Kazuya hadn’t used those devil wings of his to give chase, but she wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. The next part, selling her stolen goods, would be less fun. Hopefully the folks down here in the Low Tier would be about as unscrupulous as she was, and not call the cops the second they laid their peepers on a sneaker. With a sigh Nadia hefted her bag over her shoulder and headed off to find a buyer.

---

As Big Band prepared to go, he got word from Zenkichi via Linkpearl about Banishing Flats, including the room rate per night. Though he still wasn’t totally used to using the World of Light’s most common currency, Band knew that six thousand zenny wasn’t chump change. He quickly counted up the cash he’d received while playing, and to his relief found that it added up to seven thousand, one hundred and thirteen zenny. It would be enough to last him one night at least, and with how little sustenance his real body (or rather, what was left of it) needed, eleven dollars’ worth would probably actually be enough for dinner.

It took only a few minutes for the detective to track down Banishing Flats, since in a stroke of good fortune, it happened to be right next to the park he’d been playing in. About one step up from a roadside motel, it took the form of a boxy, square building with three floors, but with a theme that became obvious the moment Band saw the giant wrestling belt with the hotel’s logo suspended above the main entrance, and the triple ring ropes in place of both railings and fences. The sight put him in a good mood before he even reached the front door. While seldom able to attend NMO wrestling events in person, he often tuned in to reruns whenever they appeared on TV, and he could appreciate the spirit of the sport. All the action, spectacle, storylines, personas…it was all just good, dumb fun.

How different would things have been, he wondered, if he became a wrestler instead of a cop? If he’d been bound for a big sham either way, at least wrestling would have been fun. He did have a special grab or two in his arsenal, even if he wasn’t a proper grappler, so if nowhere else, maybe he’d fit right in to Banishing Flats.

When Band stepped inside, a miniature wrestling ring bell went off by the door to announce his arrival. Behind the front desk, which was stylized like a sloped commentators’ table, the Mecha Zangief clerk came online. “Privet!” it greeted him in a loud Russian accent, somewhat garbled by a low-quality speaker. It flexed its robotic muscles, performing a few different poses. “What can Unit Two do for you today!?”

A quick look around confirmed no sign of Zenkichi, so Band assumed the other detective must have already left to drum up some dough. He pulled out his newly-gained cash and handed it over in order to pay for a room. Instead of a room key, Band was handed a wrestling belt with the room number emblazoned on the front in what must be fake gold. Since he couldn’t put it on, he grabbed it in a mechanical pincer, then deployed a second in order to bid the Mecha Zangief farewell with a tip of his hat. He left the receptionist to continue flexing and stomped down the right-hand hallway, grateful that his room seemed to be on the first floor and that he wouldn’t have to navigate any stairwells, which he suspected would be neither big nor strong enough for someone like him.

On the way to his room, he passed by a window, and when he peered through it he realized that Banish Flats had a central open-air courtyard that the second and third floors could look down at. It featured a thin, plus-shaped sidewalk in the middle of four genuine wrestling rings, each elevated and outfitted with corner posts and ring ropes. Even though the dark sky heralded imminent rain, there were still a couple wrestlers out there doing their thing. In one ring, a blonde bombshell in studded black leather was grappling with a bombastic, muscular Draph with a red outfit and big horns, while in another, a brawny Frankenstein’s monster was staring up into the sky. When Band followed his gaze, he witnessed an older, tattooed wrestler launch himself from a third-story window and land the mother of all body splashes on his opponent. The slam made an immense racket, and it left both grapplers stunned for a few moments, but after that both managed to pick themselves up and laugh it off. Band shook his head and moved on.

When Band found his room, he held the belt up to the scanner. The light flashed green, and a click signaled that the door was unlocked. He swung it open to reveal a short hall made to resemble the ramp on a wrestling entrance stage, complete with miniature pyrotechnics that went off to welcome him for the first time. On the left lay the bathroom, the right the closet, and straight ahead the bedroom. The four-posted bed actually had corner posts and ring ropes of its own, which he hoped could be detached. Not that he’d have much luck fitting into this place anyway. Band ducked inside, made his way to the bed, unbuckled the ropes on one side, and sat down with a sigh. Thanks to lunch at Pao Pao and his break in the park he hadn’t been on his feet all day, but he still felt pretty tired, and his stay in Esaka would only get more hectic from here.

A few minutes later, Zenkichi contacted everyone again to let them know that he’d gotten his hands on some money and was coming. Band joined in once he finished. “I’m at Banishin’ Flats myself. Just got a room. It’s by a park on the Middle Tier’s northeastern side, overlookin’ the marshes. Look for a big square buildin’, three floors, and a wrestlin’ belt over the door.” He pulled down the blinds with a little mechanical arm to peer out at the park. It was even darker than before, and the winds were picking up. “Better hurry, y’all. It’s gonna be comin’ down in sheets any second now.”

Over the course of the next half hour, his fellow Seekers showed up bit by bit. Nadia arrived toward the end of that period, and by then it was pouring outside in the park. She wasn’t too soaked thanks to the umbrella she ‘found’ on the way, and when she stepped into the lobby she found a number of her allies gathered there at a couple couches around a coffee table. “Heya!” She smiled as she greeted the team, folding up her umbrella. “You know, with how hard it’s comin’ down out there I figured most people would head indoors, but there’s actually tons of guys out there t-rain-ing still. Guess the rain makes fights that much more dramatic!”

She excitedly balled her fists with a big smile on her face, her tail swishing back and forth behind here. “So, you guys know why money’s called ‘dough’, right? ‘Cause everyone kneads it! ‘Specially people lookin’ for a roof over their heads. Lucky for you, this cat’s got the answer to all your purr-ayers. Check this out…” She reached into one of her special pouches and pulled out a huge wad of cash that she plopped down on the table. “Wha-bam! That’s three hundred thousand zenny!” Eyes sparkling, she proceeded to pull out a second stack. “Ba-boom! Six hundred thousand! Enough for ten people to stay ten whole nights! How’s that for makin’ cents?” She crossed her arms and looked smug, as if doing basic math was a feat that everyone should be proud of her for.

Band eyed her suspiciously. “And where exactly, Ms. Fortune, did you come by all this money?”

“So, get this,” Nadia shrugged as she held her palms up, as if she couldn’t believe what she was about to say either. “I was wandering around the High Tier, mindin’ my own business, and I just happened to stumble upon all these sneakers, see? I figured, y’know, nobody wants all these shoes sittin’ around, might as well do my part and help, uh, clean up the city. Y’know? And, and, wouldn’t you know it, these sneakers turned out to be purr-etty rare. Once belonged to some big bad guy named Kazuya. After hearin’ that, I thought sellin’ ‘em would be a ‘capital’ idea. And sure enough, this trader I found just up and bought my whole stock!” She put her hands on her hips, her eyes half-lidded as she smirked. “Guess it’s my lucky day, huh?”

Judging by the detective’s frown, he didn’t believe one word. “Uh huh. Well, you don’t gotta cover me. I’ll be payin’ my own way.”

“Huh? Who said I’d be covering anyone?~” The cat burglar winked. “So, uh, what’s new with you guys?” Nadia breezily looked around at the others. “Got anywhere to go for dinner? Stuff to do afterward?”

The Midnight Walk - 2.2

Lvl 9 Sandalphon (26/90) Level 6 Heismay (29/60)
Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate & Sectonia’s @Archmage MC Geralt’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet’s @Yankee Roxas & Ganondorf’s @Double, Ramattra’s @XoXKieroBombXoX Mokou’s @Goggy
Word Count: 1579

Nameless Stagecoach
𖥞: 8/8 | 🛡️: 7/8 | Equipment: Stewpot/Windchime/Lamps/Vegetubes/(None)/(None) | Companion: Ratshaker Rat

Once the stagecoach got underway, Sandalphon mostly kept to herself, her attention divided between monitoring the outside world through her link with the other Seekers and studying the research material recovered from Markiona’s study. Of course, she happily put the papers away in order to converse with whoever approached her, whether just to answer a question like Geralt’s, to have a more in-depth exchange with someone like Mokou, or just to give an update on her mental map of the Frozen Highlands around them.

The archangel was glad that everyone accommodated her requests, and collected all the ergo everyone gave her -including the new crystal obtained from the alchemist caster spirit Ramattra crushed- into the pouch that Geralt obtained from Eryk. It was a good amount, although to her chagrin there was no way to tell if it would be enough for her purposes. Briefly she considered the logistics of revisiting Krat Zoo to acquire more. White Team’s journey would take long enough without needlessly retracing their steps, but now that Sandalphon had the coordinates, perhaps some of the Seekers’ reserves aboard the Avenger could be dispatched there. After all, despite her stated intent to clear the carcasses out, there was a good chance that Krat Zoo was one of the Consuls’ colonies, with a Flame Clock of its own. As long as that clock burned, carcasses and other foul creatures would continue to appear. In the World of Light, there was rarely such a thing as a permanent solution.

When she had some time to herself, Sandalphon took Markiona’s spirit in order to fuse with it. It was a good thing that she wasn’t interested in the puppeteer’s abilities, since everything suggested about the alchemists and Markiona in particular painted a very bad picture about her character, but a Skill fusion wouldn’t engender any new personality traits. Still, there would be changes, which she could more or less guess at. For a moment she wondered what Zenkichi would think, but she quickly put him out of her mind. She needed this spirit, and hopefully it would be the shortcut to the knowledge she needed to enact her plan. After breathing in, Sandalphon pressed the spirit into her forehead.

For Sandalphon

Rare spirit consumed:
Markiona
The host’s skin now has a slate blue tint, and her hair is more blonde than white. The black part of her eyes is now bright red, and her pants are black and leathery. This spirit confers the Skill Alchemical Mastery, giving the host an in-depth knowledge of and experience with ergo dynamics, the Petrification Disease, experimental procedures, and puppet mechanics. This spirit also confers the Weakness Not in Sync, preventing the host from acting simultaneously with her strikers

New Ability:
Ergo Strings
Modifies Sandalphon’s razor wires to glow blue, deal less damage, and be more freely controllable. They can be attached to mechanical allies in order to forcibly interface with their systems. This can be used to execute a Forced Move in order to pull that ally closer or push him/her farther away. If an ally connected by the Ergo Strings is downed, Sandalphon will automatically launch Repair Mode, turning the strings green and restoring 10% HP per second over the course of 10 seconds, at which point the strings turn blue again

In the wake of the fusion, Sandalphon found herself possessed of all the knowledge she needed and more. Many of the new things she now knew worsened her opinion of Markiona considerably; that woman had been a true pioneer in the field of ethically dubious science. Still, she had what she needed, and she need not use anything more than that. Sandalphon quickly reviewed her papers with a fresh perspective, quickly connecting the dots she hadn’t been able to before. Now her plan was no longer a pipe dream, but it still wouldn’t be easy. That night, she would need to make some calls.

Sandalphon set aside the documents for the time being to try and install the vegetubes. While much more inclined toward software rather than hardware, the archangel thought she could figure these contraptions out. Even if the stagecoach lacked power, she could at least get them ready, since there wouldn’t be any time to lose when it came to preparing the mistletoe for Baldur. She undertook this primarily since there weren’t that many others around to help right now; few of the Seekers remained in or right around the wagon as it traveled, and fewer still once Edward stopped it in a snowy valley between opposing forces.

When Edward brought back the lightning rod schematic and a proposal, she approved his plan, then began following the instructions he provided to construct a lightning rod for the Seekers using coal recovered by Sectonia’s antlers prior to Krat Zoo. Having Geralt and Ramattra around to help made the process less painstaking, particularly when it came to construction via repeated hammer swings. Once the lightning rod had been erected, the three could set about figuring out a way to break it down and attach its functional parts to the stagecoach itself, without giving the black steel an electric current. It took a little trial and error, and a couple electric shocks that Sandalphon dutifully healed, but after a few minutes the lightning rod had been mounted on one of the coach’s four corner spires. It provided just enough power to run one vegetube, but with three more spires, the output could theoretically be quadrupled.

The exertion of building one rod had tired Sandalphon out though. Luckily, before she could reluctantly begin work on another, Heismay arrived in a hurry. He carried with him a half-dozen blueprints filched from Whitey Hooten’s base, including the Creature Chamber that would supposedly allow the Seekers to manufacture hybrid beasts of their own. “Impressive,” Sandalphon told Heismay as he tried to adjust to her new color palette. “Where is Edward now?”

“Still bandying about with Hooten,” Heismay replied. “Edward is empowering his forces, as planned. We should get moving before Hooten makes a move. Edward will catch up to us afterward.”

“Understood.” Sandalphon made her way to the front of the stageclock and climbed up to the driver’s seat. Although she’d never handled animals like this before, she’d seen Edward do it enough by this point that she felt confident she could emulate him, at least on the straightaway that the Seekers would be using to make themselves scarce. Once everyone was aboard, White Team got rolling again, just in time to clear the way for Whitey’s army as his star-bright beasts finally took the initiative against his foes.

After escaping the valley of impossible creatures, the Seekers followed the Midnight Walk across a barren, hilly snowfield. Except for the occasional rocky crag or lake of freezing water, it was wide-open and empty, without the plentiful coal from the previous area. It did have its own share of hardy, cold-adapted wildlife though, which now happened to be of special interest to the Seekers thanks to their acquisition of Sigma Technology. With his natural speed and stealth, Heismay was especially well-suited to acquiring samples. On several subsequent forays he collected samples from a penguin-like kairuku, a walrus-like horker, and a ferret-like chillet, which he brought back to the stagecoach for storage.

Eventually, the Midnight Walk brought White Team into sight of a distant village, with snow-dusted, green-tinted roof tiles and dozens of smoke plumes that spiralled up into the dark, cloudy sky. Between them and the isolated town, though, was a field of especially deep snow, through which the path snaked crazily. To make matters worse, it seemed like they weren’t alone on the road anymore, either. In front of them floated a procession of giant balloons, much too big to steer around, all of which slowly drifted down the Midnight Walk in a giant conga line. It wasn’t long before the frontrunners triggered what appeared to be the town’s defenses, an assortment of eleven turrets, cannons, and well-armed monkeys that stood ready to puncture as many balloons as they could.

Whether or not there were simply too many balloons for the rather inefficient-looking emplacements was anyone’s guess, but Heismay got the sinking feeling that those defenses wouldn’t discriminate between balloons and Seekers. As he steeled himself for yet another fierce battle, a second wind surged within him, a newfound strength forged by the fires of battle against Tom, Markiona, and so forth. The power of kings swelled within him, and the aching of his old bones fell away.

For Heismay

New Ability:
Assassin
An Adept-tier Archetype from the Thief Lineage. It enjoys greater stat boosts than the Thief, particularly to speed and dexterity, which makes it much more threatening in combat. It comes with the skill Lurking Nightblade, which can deal medium physical Dark damage to one enemy and decreases its accuracy/evasion for 30 seconds

Reassured by the heroic resolve housed within him, Heismay stood tall, watching the balloons ahead pop one by one as the stagecoach advanced.

[Double]

Word Count: 2,342
Level 10 Roxas: 75/100
Exp Gained: +3
NEW EXP Balance--- 78/100

Frozen Highland ~ Midnight Walk

Roxas hung around the stagecoach at least for a little while after he and Ganondorf brought back the seeds and vegetubes. Like many of the Seekers, Roxas helped himself to a bowl of stew from the pot that was simmering, grateful for something warm to eat in this cold environment. He released his Pokemon from their respective Poke Balls, as he usually did during downtime such as this. But doing so also gave the Nobody a startling reminder. He didn’t have anything to feed his Pokemon. Well, that simply wasn’t going to do.

”Okay, guys.” Roxas reassured his Pokemon, giving Scamp an affectionate pat on the head. ”Here’s what we’ll do. There’s some wooded areas around so if we go looking, I’m sure we’ll find some berries out there we can gather. Sound good?” His Pokemon all offered eager noises of agreement. ”Okay then, let’s go berry hunting!” So after Roxas finished his bowl of stew he set out on his own into the Midnight Walk with just his beloved Pokemon keeping him company.

The Midnight Walk itself was pretty much as it had been since the Seekers had begun traveling through it. Occasional pine forests, rocky outcrops, and - of course - the ever present snowfields. Roxas trudged along, and at one point even hitched a ride on Turbo for greater expediency. He decided he needed to focus his searches on the pine forests, figuring that those were the most likely places he would find berries growing. And he did find some occasional shrubberies, one a group of four each containing either 2 Oran Berries or 2 Rawst Berries. That gave him four each right off the bat, which Roxas thought was a pretty good start to his berry hunting side quest.

But the Nobody wasn’t always that fortunate. Other shrubs or berry trees found were in smaller clusters or even just growing individually. At one point Roxas counted 8 Oran Berries and 8 Rawst Berries in total in his Berry Pouch. That was plenty for feeding one or two Pokemon. But Roxas had four to feed, and he was also thinking Geralt might appreciate some Berries being brought back for Tirn as well. ”Guess we’ve just gotta keep foraging.”

But Berries weren’t the only things Roxas was coming across. In his search for Berries that Pokemon liked to eat, he naturally found himself seeing wild Pokemon as well. Mostly Snover and Snorunt, but also the occasional Cubchoo as well. Roxas mostly tried not to agitate the Cubchoo, afraid there might be a Mama or Papa Beartic around that might get aggressive at anyone that threatened their young. But he did allow himself to occasionally battle against the Snover and Snorunt, mostly relying on Scamp’s Fire Fang to make quick work of them. As he did, Roxas noticed they were leaving little bits of them behind after fleeing. Snovers were leaving behind little berries that Roxas assumed was growing within their natural leaves, and Snorunts were leaving behind little tufts of their fur. He wasn’t sure what purpose they served, if any, but something in Roxas’s gut told him they could be of use somewhere down the road.

As such, after defeating 2 of each, Roxas found himself with 4 Snover Berries and 4 tufts of Snorunt Fur that he put in his bag, using the TM Pocket since the Nobody did not possess any Technical Machines at this time. This also made him momentarily distracted from his Berry Hunting, resulting in Roxas only getting 2 Orans and 2 Rawsts that he added to his Berry Pouch. That was 20 total, and so Roxas decided to take a break and split his berries up among his Pokemon.

”Let’s look around a little deeper in the forest before we head back.” Roxas told his Pokemon as they eagerly ate their food. When he explored deeper in the Pine Forest, Roxas started finding pig-like Swinub and snowflake-shaped Cryogonal in addition to the Snovers and Snorunts. The Cubchoos were also a bit more common as well, resulting in Roxas finally deciding to risk battling a few of them. He still let himself rely on Scamp’s Fire Fang but he also called out Turbo to give the Boltund a bit of relief from the battling.

Similarly to the Snorunts, the Swinub and Cubchoo left behind tufts of their hair when they fled and Roxas pocketed 2 of them in his TM Pocket. Meanwhile, the Cryogonal left behind a couple of shavings of their ice. But before Roxas could forage any berries from a nearby pair of trees he was walking toward, he heard rustling and saw a shadow dart around between pine trees. It was moving too fast and differently to be like any of the Pokemon he had encountered already. And whatever it was, it apparently had its sights set on the berries that Roxas was about to forage.

”On your toes, Scamp!” Roxas said sharply as Scamp’s muscles tensed and he growled a bit in anticipation. ”We’ve got company!” And that’s when a black bipedal creature darted from its hiding place and lunged for Scamp. Roxas scrambled for his Rotom Phone to identify the attacker. ”A Sneasel… a Dark and Ice type…” Roxas observed, but the biggest thing he noticed was the lack of glowing red eyes. This Sneasel was not gleaming.

”Dodge and use Nuzzle!” Roxas commanded. Scamp did as ordered and dodged the Sneasel’s claw attack. But when he went to counter with Nuzzle, the dark Pokemon proved too fast and managed to dodge as well. Then it appeared to sharpen its claws, probably a preparation for a future attack. ”Watch those claws, Scamp!”

As predicted, the Sneasel swiped at Scamp again. But this time the attack managed to hit. And it was now that Roxas’s Rotom Phone was able to identify that the moves Sneasel used were Hone Claws followed by Metal Claw. Hone Claws raised both Attack and Accuracy, while Metal Claw carried a small chance to also raise the user’s Attack when it lands. Meaning this could potentially snowball into a disaster if Roxas wasn’t careful. ”Don’t let him scare you, Scamp!” Roxas called, ”Use Nuzzle again!” Roxas couldn’t afford to let this Sneasel take advantage of its Speed. And thankfully, Scamp was also just about equally fast. The Nuzzle managed to connect this time, inflicting Sneasel with Paralysis.

That would certainly help matters. In response, the Sneasel’s eyes glinted and it used Hone Claws yet again. Not it was definitely trying to set itself up for a devastating sweep. Roxas had to nip this at the bud before it was too late. Using Fire Fang would deal a lot of damage, but unfortunately Scamp had used up a lot of his PP for that move battling other Wild Pokemon. Just as well, the Nobody’s goal was to weaken the Sneasel, not defeat it outright. ”Use Bite!” Scamp lunged and snapped his jaws against the Wild Pokemon.

Sneasel, being a Dark type, wasn’t too terribly affected by a Dark type move such as Bite. But Scamp’s Strong Jaw made his biting attacks noticeably more powerful. As such, the Dark/Ice type almost flinched in surprise at how hard the Bite managed to hit it. Static ran along its body to indicate the Paralysis, but Roxas was about to learn that the status ailment wouldn’t necessarily matter. Miraculously, the Sneasel managed to move through its halved speed and still attack with blinding speed. This time it created sharpened shards of Ice that it flung at Scamp like kunai or shuriken. And the attack was too fast for Scamp to dodge, resulting in the Boltund taking yet another hit.

”How is that possible?” Roxas asked, frantically looking to his Rotom Phone for answers. ”Ice Shard?” He learned that the move Ice Shard was fast enough to always attack first, regardless of the Pokemon’s speed. A phenomenon known as “priority moves” according to the Pokedex App. That just meant that Sneasel had a way to overcome being slowed by Paralysis. Still, the status would continue to occasionally prevent it from moving at all, so Roxas wasn’t completely out of luck.

As such, Scamp and the Sneasel traded blows yet again. Sneasel’s Ice Shard hit its mark, but Scamp fought through the hit and countered with another Strong Jaw-powered Bite. Sneasel had to be getting weaker by now, but so was Scamp. If Scamp could just land one more Bite, then maybe that would do it. And this time, Sneasel’s Paralysis got the better of it, keeping it locked in place for this moment. ”Now’s your chance, Scamp! Bite!” Roxas called without hesitation. The Boltund growled and barked as he lunged and snapped his jaws once more. The hit was clean, and Sneasel was finally looking like it was standing on its last legs.

”My turn now.” Roxas said, ”Let’s see how well those Balls we made work.” He chose one of the 4 Great Balls he brought with him and gave it a throw. The blue-and-white ball arced through the air in a curved trajectory before bouncing off of the Sneasel’s body and drawing it into its open maw before snapping back shut. And then, the waiting game happened. One shake. Two shakes. Three. Roxas tensed but his muscles relaxed when he heard the click as the ball’s red light shut itself off. Confirmed capture.

New Pokemon

Species: Sneasel
Gender: Female
Held Item: Razor Claw - increases Critical Hit rate
Lv: 30
Ability: Pickpocket - Allows the user to steal an opponent’s held item when attacked by a move that makes physical contact.
Moveset

• Ice Shard (40 base power, physical attack, Ice-type, attacks with priority +1, allowing it to always go first regardless of the user’s or opponent’s speed)
• Feint Attack (60 base power, physical attack, Dark-type, this bypasses Accuracy buffs and Debuffs and always lands without fail)
• Metal Claw (50 base power, 95 Accuracy, Steel-type, has small chance to increase user’s Attack by 1 stage)
• Hone Claws (N/A base power, status move, Dark-type, increases user’s Attack and Accuracy by 1 stage)

”Great job, Scamp. I knew I could count on you.” Roxas said, petting the Boltund’s head before he went ahead and released Sneasel from her Great Ball. ”Welcome to the team.” Roxas said, then used his Rotom Phone to scan her for details, including the fact that she had been holding an item called a Razor Claw which slightly increased her chance of landing a critical hit. ”You’re a girl, huh? I’m Roxas, and these are my Pokemon. We’re a lot like you, different from other people. You can sense something different about yourself, can’t you? I’m guessing that’s why you were being aggressive.”

The Sneasel looked dismissive at first, as if trying to remain aloof. But Roxas could see the flicker of a falter in her expression. He’d hit the nail on the head, even if the Sneasel didn’t outwardly admit it. ”It’s okay, you’re with friends now. You don’t have to be alone anymore.” Roxas assured the Dark/Ice type. ”You know… the way you fight reminds me of someone I used to know.” That made the Sneasel tilt her head with curiosity. ”She was someone I used to… work with I guess. She wasn’t exactly the nicest person but the way she could move and fight was a lot like you. How would you feel about the name… Larxene?” The Sneasel looked like she was thinking about before eventually nodding her head with approval.

”Alright, then!” Roxas said, offering his fist for a bump, ”Welcome to the team, Larxene.” The Sneasel hesitated only for a moment before bumping her fist against his in return. A new friendship had been forged. Larxene helped Roxas harvest the berries from the tree they had just been battling over. And after giving an Oran Berry to both Larxene and Scamp to help them recover from the battle, Roxas was left with one Oran Berry and 3 Rawst Berries. He and his new Sneasel friend found another tree containing 2 more Oran Berries, and Roxas figured that was all they needed.

”Great job, guys.” Roxas praised his Pokemon, ”Managed to get you all fed up, and with a handful left over we can share with Geralt and Tirn back at the stagecoach.” Between that and the new Pokemon Roxas had made friends with, he’d definitely call this a good haul for a side quest. And now, he decided, it was time to get back with the rest of the Seekers.

Roxas’ Current Haul

Rawst Berry x3 (will be given to Geralt)
Oran Berry x2 (will be given to Geralt)
Snover Berry x4
Snorunt Fur x4
Swinub Hair x2
Cubchoo Fur x2
Cryogonal Ice x2
Sneasel Claw x2
Razor Claw (held by Larxene)

Eventually Roxas made his way back to the stagecoach where he saw it had been outfitted with a lightning rod attachment while he was away, providing some power for at least one of the Vegetubes that he and Ganondorf had scavenged. He also caught a glimpse of the Creature Chamber that Edward had brought back, and wondered if this was something those materials the wild Pokemon dropped could be used for. But for now he decided to table his curiosity because it wasn’t too long before the journey resumed. Thankfully Roxas was able to take a brief moment first to give the Berries he brought back with him to Geralt so he feed them to Tirn later.

And unfortunately, when they reached a field of deep snow, the stagecoach became under attack by monkeys of all things. Surprisingly well-armed monkeys at that. ”Here we go again.” Roxas murmured to himself. Acting fast, Roxas instinctively began casting Tailwind and Aeroga on various Seekers around him. He wasn’t sure he’d have enough time to buff everyone with both, but he did at least try to focus on giving Tailwind to slower allies and Aeroga to some of the more fragile or squishy allies.

[Terry Bogard]

Level 9 Terry Bogard

_{EXP : 58/90 (+8 pts.)
Location : Esaka’s Mid Tier
Word Count : 7,447}




▶︎• ၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌၊|• 3:15
_{Four Thousand Years of Chinese History – Fatal Fury: King of Fighters}

Well, well… Some things never changed…

It was still the same view—the same Chinese architecture with towering walls and bronze dragon sculptures that Terry had been familiar with for the early half of his life. The inside of the Fatal Fury dojo was about as broad as it was from the outside—a barren courtyard stretching farther to the back as a means to accommodate dozens of smaller traditional structures commonly found in Esaka’s Chinatown.

As he strolled further, Terry scanned the familiar vicinity, his vigilant eyes taking a thorough attention to every miniscule detail that gave the dojo its recognizable look. It was mesmerizing. It was nostalgic. Though, he couldn’t help but notice that something was missing—a sight so trivial yet jarring. Where did all the students go? Fatal Fury used to be one of the most attended dojos around the neighborhood, yet why did its long-awaited comeback feel less… glorious? Less festive? As an alumnus, it did bug him how not a single soul was even bothered to check out what the dojo that was meant to be the predecessor of KOF had to offer. He still remembered how the exact arena he stepped into used to be packed from corner to corner by a group of passionate disciples willing to spar or practice or even experiment with new techniques. He was, of course, one of them, alongside his stoic brother Andy. Then, there were Joe and Mai who took the training less seriously, though they were exceptional enough to be vouched for the KOF dojo. His sweetheart Mary, however, was far more intrigued by solving cases than she was practicing her moves. While she wasn’t always present all the time, she always made sure to visit the dojo frequently just so she could spend more time with him.

Nevertheless, the dojo felt far more lively when the brawny blonde was still around, but now? All he could do was just picture his friends practicing by the center of the arena, complete with the imaginary sights of Mai teasing Andy and Joe making fun of other students like a goofball that he was.

Man… I knew it should’ve never been closed. I don’t think the attendance was all that shabby all those years ago. Wonder why they did that to begin with. Hmm…

His reverie was cut short when he caught the sight of a familiar elderly man practicing alone under a swaying tree, sporting a long-sleeved Bajiquan uniform. His movements were gracious, his wrinkled face calm and composed. Despite his age, he seemed to be showing no signs of slowing down. Every flail thrown, every kick swung, they were all performed in a swift succession. If he didn’t know what he was, Terry would’ve mistaken the showcase of techniques for dancing, instead of practicing. From across the man, his strolling boots halted, a name quizzically called.

“Master Tung??”

His astonished voice was audible enough to catch the attention of the practicing elder. With an equally surprised visage, Tung returned his student’s gaze, lowering his guard.

“Terry…”

There was a yearning silence emitted, as the two exchanged glances, albeit briefly. It didn’t take a while until Tung assumed his fighting stance, hands spreading open and knee raising just below his torso. Terry knew where this was going. Normally, he wouldn’t have turned down a sparring match, especially not from somebody as respected as his mentor. Even more so when he was still under Galeem’s influence, but certainly, that was no longer the case. The three-time KOF champion was no longer blinded, but he wasn’t in the best state of mind, either. So much of his energy had been drained following the fateful Teahouse scuffle, and he wasn’t sure if he’d give Tung his best shot.

But it wouldn’t hurt to try, would it?

Hesitantly, Terry raised his gloved fists, keeping them around his golden temples. His face strengthened, the barest hints of smirk playing by his lips.

“As you wished, master…”

He didn’t even bother himself to perform his mandatory taunt. Not like he wanted to taunt the man he respected so dearly, anyway. He just wanted to impress his mentor, but was unsure if he’d fight well. And so, the brawny blonde and the bald elder circled one another, waiting for the right moment to strike. The sounds they made early on were loud enough to catch the attention of other fighters within the dojo, as they scrambled out of their rooms to watch from the top floor of one of the traditional structures.

“Oh, look, a fight!” a rainbow-haired Thai girl shouted in exhilaration, craning her head and readjusting her glasses. “Wait a minute… Is that who I think it is?”

“Who are you talking about, Preecha? The blonde man with a hat?” a young baldheaded man calmly joined, the bridge of his nose bandaged and his face decked with striking crimson tattoos. His eyes narrowed at the distant sight of Terry throwing a light jab beneath, fingers holding his mandible. “Hmm… Yeah… That man does look familiar. I have to admit he’s got an interesting look in his eyes. Do you think he’s one of the dojo’s alumni Master Tung was talking about?”

“Oh, c’mon, guys! You’ve gotta be joking, right!?” a tanned boy sporting a blue headband and a torn denim jacket chimed in annoyance, ten times more exhilarated for the ongoing fight than the other disciples. He hurried towards the wooden railings, stopping his strides right between the two. “That’s Terry Bogard, the three-time KOF champion and Master Tung’s best student! He talked about him a lot, how can you two not know??”

Preecha widened her eyes at the boy, lips parting in a gasp. “Say what!?” she asked, her already high-pitched voice slightly raising. “No way! That’s Terry Bogard? The legendary specimen from South Town?? Dude… I swear to God, my master was in the same team with him every year! I wonder if he knows what’s up with my master lately. Like, seriously, where the heck did he go?”

Meanwhile, Terry didn’t seem to be bothered by what the younglings were chattering about. The fight was what he fixated on the most, even though he made it palpable that he didn’t quite give his all. The jab didn’t even connect, lacking the same strength that he’d normally exert onto his opponents. He couldn’t tell anymore if it had more to do with him not wanting to hurt his Master Tung or the fact that his current state of mind was impeding him.

Just moments after he dodged out of the way, Tung retaliated, thrusting his palms alternately. Terry was, fortunately, quick enough to anticipate the bombarding sequence, hindering the impact with his parrying forearms. Loud colliding thumps were made every time the thrusting palms connected with the forearms. Eventually, Tung managed to break his student’s defense when he propelled a stabbing hand forth, the impact much stronger and louder than the prior rounds of striking palms.

WHACK!

“Gwahhh–!!”

And it pushed Terry aback, his upright form close to faltering. He drew his parting forearms away from his front, now keeping his fists back around both of his temples. Traditionally, he would’ve quipped or said anything throughout a fight, but this time, he sealed his mouth completely. There was nothing to be joked about, after all, especially after seeing what he saw earlier.

Tung didn’t say a thing, either, ever so tranquil and composed. When he saw another chance to attack, the Hakkyokuseiken expert drew his hands back to summon a sizable sphere of energy between his palms, subsequently slamming it upon his student.

WHAM!

And just when he thought the spherical energy connected…

“QUICK BURN!!”

POW!

Terry’s fire-laced left hook had managed to break through the energy sphere, shattering it into tiny translucent bits. He quickly followed it up with a downward right flail, riding his fire-laced fist towards Tung’s wrinkled face.

“And this!”

When Tung was forced down, Terry took hold of the silky fabric of his shirt, shoving his mentor’s midriff against his raised knee. When connected—and the upper half of Tung’s shorter frame bounced back up—the three-time KOF champion released the grasp to swing a clean uppercut against his mandible, instantly launching his mentor back with a small spark of energy.

BAM!

POW!

“Woahh… Cool!” Preecha reacted with a look of awe, her glasses flickering at the distant sparkling impact. “He really is a legendary specimen! Definitely needs to be studied further.”

“Yeah, right, I guess Kain and Grant were right about him,” the baldheaded youngster opined, his keen eyes ever so observing. “Though I’ve seen smoother, swifter fights from KOF, I can’t deny that he’s got the raw strength to hold his ground against Master Tung. Just my observation, though.”

“Gee… I know, right?” the headbanded boy jovially asked, tiptoeing and clasping the railing. He craned himself further towards the distant fray, wishing to get a better view of the two fighters. “He’s my hero—everything I wanted to be…”

Tung reeled back, but quickly maintained a crouching position, his knee glued against the stony tiles. He gingerly stood, but just as he was about to steady himself, he’d already caught the sight of Terry closing the distance with a leaping front boot. Tung, reflexively, swung a kick forth, as he leaped and drew in his student’s direction, only for his wrinkled face to swallow the impact of his sneaker’s jaggy sole.

BAM!

The leaping front boot immediately toppled the Hakkyokuseiken expert on his back, creating an audible thud upon collision with the rugged floor. The three-time KOF champion landed on his feet, halting far enough from and against his mentor’s position. When he turned around and saw that Tung had easily picked himself up, Terry tried to close the distance again, his boots leaving the floor. This time, however, he employed a leaping clothesline, spreading the leading arm outward.

Unfortunately for Terry, before the riding clothesline could connect, Tung had already anticipated it with the ultimate version of the secret technique he passed onto him and his late father: Senpuu Gouken. Concentrating his energy, Tung brought his hands together, activating one gauge stock in his possession. Once a swirling streak of pinkish energy emerged and burst, he spun in circles with both arms striking out, constructing a gigantic projection of his idealized, muscular self. The surprised Terry gasped upon getting ambushed, small crimson drops spewing out of his mouth as the whirling fists pummeled his torso over and over and over again.

POW!

POW!

POW!

THWACK!

And just like that, Tung sent his student flying away, forcing his iconic cap to leave his golden head. He landed back on his feet the moment Terry reeled back across the stony tiles and halted on all fours. The former KOF champion let out a series of small, bloody coughs, shifting into a bending position. As Tung watched, he took out the yellow towel from under his pocket, using it to rub the sweat out of his hairless crown.

“You fought well, Terry,” Tung complimented, then stowed said towel back into his pocket, “but I was expecting better of you.”

When his eyes fell upon the cap perching on the floor, the Hakkyokuseiken expert picked, then handed the gaudy red accessory to his struggling student. Terry, in turn, took the cap and wore it back around his golden head, his wrist wiping the last crimson drop clinging to the corner of his lower lip.

“B– Been a hot minute, Master Tung,” he reciprocated, gluing his palms together and bowing as he managed a standing form. Tung returned the gesture. “It was a pleasant surprise. I thought you didn’t take students anymore.”

Tung snickered, nodding. “I didn’t, but then, the new chairmen were begging me to return. And at last, here I am,” he elaborated, spreading his open hands.

“Oh?” Terry reacted with arching eyebrows, his finger scratching his blonde temple. Strange, he thought. He’d looked around the dojo, but saw no signs of students training. It’s safe to say that he didn’t hear the chattering of the younglings, either, so he was clueless. “So, where’s the students?”

Shortly after, his ears caught the noises of footsteps, the striding echoes becoming more and more evident. Two of the new disciples—the rainbow-haired girl and the baldheaded man—made their entrance, as if to let Terry know that Tung wasn’t just instructing the air and whatnot. The Hakkyokuseiken expert shifted his attention to the arriving disciples, his eyes peering sidelong.

“Ah, there they are!” Tung said, gesturing gaze darting between Terry and the younglings as he introduced. “Terry, this is Preecha and Vox. Preecha, Vox, this is Terry, the dojo’s former champion.”

Preecha smiled and waved a gloved hand, her glasses glimmering sheepishly. “Hi! The Legendary Wolf, aren’t you?”

“Master Tung told us a lot about you,” Vox added, crossing his arms together.

“And here comes Tony!”

Excitedly, the last of the bunch—the headbanded boy with a peculiar fashion sense—hurried towards the scene, halting his swift strides right between Preecha and Tung. He shot a wide, wide smile towards his brawny idol, a sheepish snicker leaving his mouth.

“Remember me?” Tony asked, his voice barely deep for a teenager.

“Oh, right,” Tung realized, slightly surprised by Tony’s arrival, “I forgot to tell you, Terry, but your biggest admirer is now part of the Fatal Fury family.”

“Oh?” Terry widened his eyes, a smile gradually playing by his lips in the presence of an old friend. He couldn’t tell how long it’d been since he last saw his fanboy. Tony was just a small kid when he acted as his support system just days ahead of his second KOF tournament. He’d never forget what he and his mother had done to help him mentally prepare himself against Krauser. He snorted, shaking his golden head. “Man, oh, man… Tony! Sup, bud? Gosh, you’ve grown up, alright,” he greeted with a hearty snicker, gently patting his fanboy’s head. “Still keep the hat I gave you?”

“All the time!” Tony answered with a nod, revealing a plated cap from under his jacket. “It never left me, that’s for sure!”

Terry giggled. “Alright… It must’ve reminded you of me all those times, huh?” he asked jokingly. “So, I see that Master Tung’s been mentoring you, and I bet he’s mentored you well. Ready to make your KOF debut, bud?”

“You bet!” Tony exclaimed, giving Terry a thumbs up. “Told you, when I grow up, I wanna be just as strong as you are. Then, we’ll either face each other or we’re gonna be in the same team. Master Tung told me that I’m ready for the big leagues, right, master?”

Tung snickered, gently caressing his thick, gray beard. “Close is a more appropriate term, perhaps,” he assessed, his calm voice a matter-of-fact. “You still have a long way ahead of you, young man, but I won’t discourage you from entering the KOF tournament this year if that means you’ll learn something from Esaka’s greats.”

“So all these weeks, and it’s just ‘close,’ huh?” Tony responded, confidence faintly dropped as he sheepishly grinned and rubbed the back of his head. “But hey, ’least my techniques aren’t that shabby, amirite? I mean, you said it yourself, Master Tung, that you saw Terry in me.”

“You sure aren’t, Tony boy,” Preecha encouraged, playfully nudging his arm with her gloved knuckles. “It’s why you’ll be with me and Vox as a team. The all-new, all-different Team Fatal Fury, amirite? Well, it doesn’t look like there are any other students outside of the three of us, anyway, so…” She hummed and shrugged nonchalantly.

“Wait, what did you say?” Terry asked, his voice carrying a hint of disbelief. He raised a pair of open hands. “That can’t be right, ain’t it? There’s only three of you around here plus Master Tung?” And he came into the dojo expecting to find his vanishing friends since they used to instruct new students together before the dojo’s initial shutdown, only to learn of a harsh reality revolving around the dojo’s failed comeback. What could go wrong, though? Was his master’s reputation not enough to draw more attention to the Fatal Fury brand?

“Well, um… duh! I know, right?” Preecha asked, sheepishly darting her eyes elsewhere from under her glasses as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I mean, we could’ve had more specimens applying for Master Tung’s dojo, and it would’ve been fun! Heard there used to be over, what, 15 to 19 students, is that it? Gee, I swear there’s just something so sussy about the specimens around here…”

“No, Preecha, none of you seems to understand. There’s more to the failure than meets the eye,” Vox chimed, calmly giving his assessment. “I thought Master Tung had told you. The dojo’s been closed since Rock, Shun’ei, Meitenkun, and other newer faces graduated, but that was ages ago. There’s been more dojos opening in the Middle Tier since, so nobody ever runs out of options. In the end, it all comes down to bad timing. The dojo was reopened about the same time the market was oversaturated. Bottom line. I just never thought it would’ve been so bad that one of the chairmen decided to step down and pull out his funding.”

“So, we’ve always meant to be failures, huh?” Tony asked, his voice dropping and shoulders slumping.

Terry shook his head, bringing himself out of his reverie. “No, no, no… None of you guys are failures, you hear me?” he encouraged, despite trying to cope with the sad, new reality that—regardless of its storied reputation—the exact dojo where he started it all in Esaka had become one of the least attended dojos around the neighborhood. “I used to start it small, too, with my team. You might be small in number, sure, but you’re never too small to start something big. Let’s just make Master Tung proud, alright? Both my team and your team. And it ain’t just for Master Tung, but for many others who should’ve been here with us right now…”

The brawny blonde sighed, being slapped by another harsh reality that most of the other alumni were still missing indefinitely. Tung, noticing his student’s abrupt shift of mood, gave him a gentle pat to the back, trying to calm him down like a father would to a son.

“It’s alright, my students. Whoever said so, they must’ve tried to bring us down like they used to, I’m certain of it,” Tung reassured, as if speaking from experience. While the younger trio was given a glance, his eyes clearly fixated more on his older, seasoned disciple. “Terry, my son, I know it must’ve been difficult for you lately. You look like you need company. Will you stay with us for a little while? I can make you a tea egg if you’re hungry.”

Terry clenched his lips, giving Tung’s offer a consideration. While not wanting to bother his mentor, he knew he couldn’t deny a kind offer from somebody with the wisdom and honor of one Tung Fu Rue, even when he was as gleaming as nearly anyone else in Esaka. His lips parted, words of affirmation slipping out of his tongue.

“I… think so, Master Tung,” he hesitantly accepted, then picked his duffle bag over his shoulder, “but like, I don’t wanna bother you here. You were training, and I’ve already had something to eat. This wolf’s full, alright?”

Tung lightly shook his head. “No, Terry, you will never bother me. I raised and trained you and Andy for years. You’re already like a son to me,” he reassured, then gave the brawny blonde one last pat to the back. “Let’s get inside, shall we? You must be tired.”

And so, Tung guided his disciples to the nearest traditional structure, continuing their conversation there as they savored the tea eggs he’d made earlier.

──────── 《 ✪ 》 ────────

The evening was near. It’d been a long day that Terry decided to change, ditching his usual getup for dull, tinted jeans and a dark tank top with the words ‘Fatal Fury’ written all over its shredded front. The same baseball cap, however, was still intact.

As he left the house, Terry strolled back towards the arena, tightly wrapping his hands along the way. They felt a lot stiffer after all the smashing he did throughout the day—even worse after he let out a Power Stream during the Teahouse scuffle. Upon arrival, he’d stumbled upon the view of Tung practicing his moves again, the warm sunset cascading over his smaller frame. He propelled a couple of gracious palms and an elbow strike before initiating a stance, spreading his arms out and raising a tucked knee. The stance remained still for a bit longer before the Hakkyokuseiken expert drew his limbs down, bringing his hands together and letting out a relaxed breath. He twirled his head, giving the upright Terry a glance past his shoulder. Terry, in return, decided to greet his mentor, his voice one of admiration.

“I see, you’re training again, Master Tung,” he initiated. “Don’t you feel like taking a break for a bit?”

“Not yet. I thought you understood it as much as I do, Terry,” Tung answered, eyes back ahead and lower limbs parting, as he performed a series of flails and a subsequent double kick with a single leading leg. “We breathe fighting. We’ve devoted our lives to this. Once you enjoy the craft, you will never feel as if you want to stop.”

Terry could see the truth in his mentor’s words, regardless. Fighting had been the core part of his life since the moment he was born, after all, so with or without Galeem’s influence, he wouldn’t stop craving for competitions, either. It was just sad that Tung and his new disciples were still yet to break out of the mind control, yet to learn the reality that’d dawned on him the moment Amaterasu slapped him with a friend heart.

“Right…” Terry agreed, then clenched his lips, gingerly nodding. “You can never stop fighting. Well, we can never stop fighting. We’re always meant to live this life, anyway. But at the same time, I’ve been thinking…”

Tung halted, then turned around, fully facing his doubtful disciple. “Yes?”

“Welp…” His lips clenched again, tightening. His sky-blue eyes glimmered under the sunset, and his mind raced with possible words that’d made him sound less pathetic in front of his own mentor. “Jeez, why am I feelin’ so blue all of a sudden?” he joked, forcing a snort. “Dunno if you’ve caught up with what I’ve been doin’ lately, but, um… am I a horrible fighter? Am I really that bad? Do you think I’ve been washed since the moment I stepped outta this dojo?”

Tung stifled his mouth, his face pensive. Something about his questions just etched his heart a bit, and he didn’t quite try to hide that sentiment away. “Terry, who told you that?” he asked, his lifted gaze searching for an answer.

“Oh, I dunno,” Terry reciprocated, then rubbed the back of his neck, his voice awkwardly faltering. “I keep hearing that a lotta times lately, especially when I ain’t the KOF champ no more. Sometimes, I even thought of quitting when my regular team ain’t here anymore, but…” He sighed, puffing a cheek. “I dunno, Master Tung. It’s just that it ain’t just me to quit, y’know. Like, whenever I was gonna give up for real, there was this voice in my head telling me that I gotta move on, keep going, and never look back. It felt like father or Lily or Sulia was speaking to me in that moment, and—”

“Terry,” Tung calmly interrupted, grabbing his arms, “the principles of Hakkyokuseiken center around emotions. The energy flows better from within the more one rids themselves of negativity. Perhaps, I’ve been noticing that something has been straining you lately, and it shows. You’re furious. You’re bitter. It’s odd because you tend to control these negative emotions better than your brother could. Remember when I told you to think like a tree, instead of an animal?”

Terry took a moment to ponder, then nodded, albeit hesitantly. “I guess…”

Tung continued. “I thought you’d understood the lesson the moment I taught you the school’s secret technique. After all, I didn’t choose you to inherit it solely because of your fighting prowess. What matters more is the content of your heart,” he elaborated, pointing a finger at the center of his torso. “You and Jeff were worthy because you both chose to live by natural principles. Strong-minded, good-natured, willing to use the gifts for the goodness of others. All those qualities made a true champion, Terry, and I found them all in you. It matters less how many championships you’ve won. What is it to be proud of when one cannot control themselves?”

Terry nodded the second time, then stowed his thumbs under the pockets of his jeans, slowly coming to realization. “Right, there’s nothing to be proud of.”

“Exactly,” Tung affirmed. “And need I remind you, Terry, that people look up to you?”

Terry doubted, arching an eyebrow at Tung. “Err… Do they all?”

“Mostly,” Tung reciprocated with a slow nod. “I told the kids about your stories, all your accomplishments and how you always look after the little ones. They told me that you gave them hope, inspired them to stand for the weak and to give them their all. After all, there are very few fighting champions out there standing up for the less fortunate—who are always present for the little people to assure them that there is a better tomorrow—even though, sometimes, you have to tear every fiber of your being just to keep others safe. Youngsters like Tony need role models like you, Terry. You’ve been like a hero to them, and are you just going to throw that away?”

Terry lightly shook his head. “No, master…”

Tung patted his disciple’s arms, the gesture both reassuring and uplifting. “So, keep on fighting, my son. Don’t let the doubters talk you out of it. And maybe someday, you’ll realize just how much you meant for those around you…”

Then, the striding noises approached from behind, a deep voice resounding.

“I beg to differ.”

Terry shifted his attention away from Tung, facing the source of the voice, only to discover that it was…

“Geese…!?”

“Surprised, surprised… Miss me?”

Sporting his usual Aikido uniform, Geese was accompanied by two of his loyal bodyguards, as he closed the distance between himself and the other Fatal Fury alumnus. He could see the tension all over Terry’s face, and it made him smirk.

“Why so serious, Terry?” he scoffed, arching his brow. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“What are you doing here?” Terry asked back with a frown, quietly stepping forth.

“Oh, didn’t you know?” Geese asked, standing still and crossing his arms. “I’m one of those chairmen they were referring to. The revival was my idea. It’s such a shame that it doesn’t work… quite as expected despite the marketing. It bothers me that we’d be demoted after the next batch of tournaments if we fail to attract new applicants.”

Terry’s eyes went wide at the revelation. “Chairman??” he asked with a raised voice, eyes darting back at his mentor. “Is that true, master?”

Tung hesitantly nodded, his face dropping. “I’m sorry, Terry,” he said, his voice one of defeat. “I have no choice.”

Terry gasped, shocked. To think that the same power-hungry maniac who rotted South Town to the core was now running the Fatal Fury dojo to the ground and forcing his mentor to work for him… This had been too much, he thought. His eyes leaped between Geese and Tung at a swift pace, his mind trying to process the new revelation dawning on him.

“W– What’s going on here??” Terry asked rather spontaneously, face scrunching and disgust evident.

“Oh, just the usual. As a good chairman, I need to check the dojo every now and then, won’t you agree?” Geese asked, taking a step closer. “But let’s not talk about the failed project that is the Fatal Fury dojo, shall we? Let’s talk about you, Terry. You see, I’ve been observing you since the day you kicked me out of the Geese Tower, and suffice to say, I’m surprised that you even still consider joining the next KOF tournament with a bunch of outsiders. It’s clear that you’ve always struggled to keep up with the majority of the roster since the moment you were vouched for the KOF dojo. Outside of your strength, there’s nothing going for you. You’re slow, sloppy even. Your techniques are predictable, and you lack a certain charm that makes names like Kyo and Iori a massive draw. And you have to wonder why Master Tung trusted Shun’ei and Meitenkun to Kyo, instead of you and that stupid brother of yours.”

“Hey!”

As Terry was close to flailing Geese, Tung quickly positioned himself between them, spreading his hands. “Geese, Terry, that’s enough!”

Then, Geese placed a hand over his mentor’s shoulder, pointing a free finger at Terry. “Oh, and need I remind you of just how naive you are? Of how easy it is for you to be manipulated just because you feel like it’s the right thing to do? Because you’re called to ‘save the sinking ship’?” he questioned. “This is why you’re not a true fighter, Terry. Do you think you’re a wolf? Heh. Don’t make me laugh! You’re just a sheep in wolf’s clothing, that’s all it is. Eventually, your kindness leads to your downfall.”

Once again, it was proven difficult for Terry to fully forgive the man responsible for the death of his father. He gnashed his teeth, his fists tightening. “I’m not a failure… My family’s not a failure!” he objected, despite his initial hesitation. “And don’t you dare talk about my brother like that! What makes you think you’re better than any of us, huh, Geese!? Think you’re so smart, so strong, so… tough just because you bet a young lady once to her death??”

Geese arched his brow again, his smirk spreading further. He knew who he was referring to. “A traitor like her rightfully deserved so, Terry, get over it! It’s been years since you dwelled on Lily. Can’t you just move on and man up? I thought I told you to keep her dead body.”

“You bastard…” Terry retorted, his voice trembling. “She was all I had, and you took her away from me! I still remember what you told her that night, and you know what you called her? ‘Ungrateful bitch,’ is that it?”

“She was an ungrateful bitch,” Geese confirmed, not a single remorse shown. “After everything I’d done for her, and this is how she repaid me? Siding with my sworn nemesis? She was like a daughter to me before that night. I should’ve known I didn’t take that slut out of the slums when she was little.”

“Well, yeah, but then, you abandoned your own family. Father of the year right here, folks!” Terry scoffed back, then gestured at Geese with his thumb, trying to catch both Tung’s and the bodyguards’ attention. “And don’t tell me that you only shit on me because you can’t cope with the fact that some sloppy nobody got your ass handed to you not just once, but twice, ain’t that right, buddy!?”

Geese frowned and gnashed his teeth, his pride torn. As much as he refused to admit, he despised it every time somebody brought up all those times Terry managed to defeat a more seasoned competitor in him fair and square, especially when it came from the mouth of his own sworn nemesis. He clicked his tongue.

“Fool, I am not a mere weakling! I’m the mighty Geese Howard, goddammit! Put some respect on my name!” the infamous kingpin objected, his voice deeper and louder than the younger blonde. It didn’t last long, though, as he managed to lower his voice back, trying to keep himself composed. A scoffing smirk was curled. “And besides, unlike you, I have the connection and the wealth to back me up. Also, I can live with the fact that I’m a gaijin living in a Japanese city. While I tried to assimilate, you never even bother yourself to speak proper Japanese. Now, how many of us do you think have seen great success in Esaka, exactly?”

Terry stifled his tongue, his lips clenching. While he rarely and hardly agreed with Geese in most cases, he couldn’t deny that people who shared their appearances often became subjects of ridicule in Esaka. Most of the time, they had to play second fiddle to their native rivals, often overlooked as a bunch of ‘Ken clones’ as they’d put it. Paul, Jacky, Roy, and Robert were some of the fellow Western ‘gaijins’ that fit the mold to perfection. That’s not to say that half-breeds like Ryo, Benimaru, and even Ken himself were safe from the stereotype. Then, there were guys like Alex and Abel who tried to break the mold but failed miserably. So far, only Terry and Sol were considered the true gaijin champions, but even then, Sol looked ambiguous enough, while Terry had to endure the same treatment whenever his performances failed to meet the audience’s expectations.

“Geese, let’s be honest, you only conform to the masses because you’re scared of losing your influence,” Terry argued, stating the obvious. He extended an open hand, as he made his next point. “See, Geese? That right there is exactly what I don’t like about this place. I don’t like it when we’re grouped into tiers or tropes. Everybody deserves the same chance of winnin’ in any tournament. Why can’t we just get along? Oh, and don’t get me started with the whole ‘gatekeeping’ BS. Still we all wonder why there’s barely any tourists around here, while this place’s got everything to make it Japan’s number one attraction.”

Caressing his mandible, Geese considered, actually seeing the truth in Terry’s words. As a cunning businessman, he’d always been about making profits and showing dominance, after all. “Oh, believe me, I can change that,” he claimed.

“No, you ain’t, Geese!” Terry shouted, then pointed a finger, his glaring eyes widening. “You see, maybe there’s a reason why you got dethroned many years back. We all know you’re just gonna run this place to the ground like you did South Town. You don’t get it, do you? My friends and I put our lives on the line everyday just to keep the city safe, and you ruined it! Just face it, Geese, you’re a trash leader. You’re no different than any of the Four Kings hidin’ up there.”

“What the hell are you talking about!?” Geese asked with a frown. “I never ran South Town to the ground. It’s the catastrophe that—”

“No, that’s all lies! Lies, lies, and lies!” Terry interrupted, every fiber of his facial muscles tensing. “If anything, you’re the reason why South Town’s missing from the map. You were about as responsible as Rugal and Big were to all the crap that was happening in South Town.”

“Fool! I don’t—”

Then, realization dawned on Geese, a knowing look and a grin shot. While the kingpin hadn’t a clue of what really went on prior to the merging of the worlds, he wasn’t foolish enough to notice that Terry seemed to possess a piece of valuable information that none of the residents might otherwise know. His insistence and lack of blinking gave him away.

“Ah, it seems that you know something that I didn’t know, yes?” Geese asked, his grinning lips parting further.

Terry shook his head, the movement vigorous. “Of course, I don’t! What are you—” He then halted mid-sentence, hand covering his mouth, realizing that he’d stupidly spilled what he just saw back at the Teahouse.

“It’s fine, Terry. If you don’t wish to share it now…” Geese said, feigning reassurance. “And I’m sorry about your former teammates. You shall find them in the tournament, though. That, if you make it to the top…” His keen eyes peered over the distant sight of Rugal’s tower, gesturing at its peak where the finals took place. “Nightmare awaits…”

“Wait, what do you—” Before Terry could complete his question, a thunderous roar emerged from just above the dojo’s building, the once warm, reddish sky darkening. Geese held out an open hand in his direction, palm inches from Terry’s face, effectively stopping his approaching nemesis in his track. “No time to talk. It’s raining soon,” the kingpin refused before shifting his attention towards his bodyguards. “C’mon, boys, we’re heading back to Geese Tower!” Both Ripper and Hopper bowed, agreeing in unison. “Yes, master…”

Terry could only watch, as Geese and his bodyguards approached the front gate, their figures becoming increasingly distant by each passing moment. He unclenched his fists, soothing the tension in his muscles.

“Terry, I–”

Quickly, the brawny blonde shifted back in his mentor’s direction, both the latter’s concern and remorse noticed. Deep down, working under Geese—even only as a mentor of the dojo that once belonged to him—had always been against his will. He was forced and threatened despite himself, and Terry understood so, with or without the elder man’s elaboration.

“It’s okay, master. Don’t feel bad. I knew you didn’t wanna work for that scum,” he reassured with a soft smile, his expression turning pensive the moment he looked back at the top of Rugal’s tower ahead of the dojo. “But that makes me wonder…”

BZZ!

BZZ!

Just as he mused, he could feel his linkpearl buzzing, the rapid noises sending vibrations into his ear. It had to be one of the Seekers making a call, but who could it be? Hopefully, he didn’t just make them worry about him, seeing that he’d left them hanging after the sparring-match-went-wrong.

“I’m… sorry, Master Tung,” Terry apologized before picking the duffle bag he rested just under the prior tree. “I gotta go.”

“You’re… leaving now?” Tung asked, his deliberate strides following his student’s hurried ones. “But it’s going to rain soon. Don’t you want to stay a little longer?”

“I wish I could,” Terry answered, closing in on the front gate, “but I got a call from my team. I think I’ve kept them waiting for so long.”

Recognizing the urgency in his student’s voice, Tung was left with no choice but to let him go for now. While difficult, he could understand so, and was grateful enough to be given a chance to meet Terry, even just for a day. His wrinkled face softened, a faint smile playing under his thick, gray moustache.

“Very well, I believe I cannot stop you, my son,” Tung accepted, then brought his hands together, giving him one last bow. “May our paths cross again. I wish you and your team all the best for the future tournament, Terry.”

Terry, touched, halted his strides, tipping his cap and returning the bow graciously. It was hard for him, too, since Tung was like a family to him—his second fatherly figure aside from Richard, even. “Thank you, master,” he sincerely said. “I’ll see you around soon. Just let the kids know I’m counting on ’em for the next KOF.”

As the two exchanged farewells, Terry continued striding past the front gate, parting ways with the dojo that helped launch his legendary career in the fighting business. He placed a finger atop the vibrating linkpearl, then held its protruding surface, making sure that he’d made a call for both the caller and the rest of the Seekers.

TAP!

“Hey, uh, it’s Terry,” he initiated the call. “Sup? Yeah, I know, it’s been a long day. Sorry if I’ve been making you guys worry about me. I knew I fucked up. Big time. It wasn’t my intention to ruin the fight like that. I was also disappointed in myself that I didn’t get to fight to the fullest extent, but, um… in case some of y’all dunno, yeah, I see clearly now. I’m no longer blindfolded, thanks to Ammy and the rest. I thought I wanted to learn more about my purpose, of this entire ‘World of Light’ stuff that Sakura was telling me earlier, so I guess maybe we can talk about it somewhere less… crowded?” Then, Zenkichi informed them of Banishing Flats and its cost per night with Band chiming in and saying that he’d rented a room there for himself. Fortunately, the Fatal Fury dojo wasn’t exactly that far from their current position, so he’d be able to get there in time before it started raining. “Banishing Flats? Yeah, I know that place. I’ll see you guys in a minute.”

The entrance was near, the front door decked with wrestling’s big gold approached. Coincidentally, Terry did enter the Flats in about a minute, just moments before it finally rained heavily. He waved a bandaged hand at both his allies and the guarding Mecha-Zangief, quickly bottling up his woeful feelings with a smiling facade.

“Hi! Toldcha, right?” the hat-wearing bruiser greeted, then winked, striking a finger gun at the present Seekers. He approached and sat by one of the couches, settling his duffle bag on the floor right between his parted lower limbs. “Don’t ask, I’m okay. Just feelin’ a bit sore, so I tapped my hands.”

Not long after, Nadia entered with a fancy looking umbrella she’d probably found somewhere along the trip, subsequently revealing bags after bags of money. He was impressed, nodding and taking hold of his mandible, as his narrowing eyes inspected the bags worth close to a million zennies.

“Hmm… Why, that’s amazing, cat!” Terry complimented. “But how did you—”

Then, the kitty revealed how she earned the money, and all of a sudden, his eyes went wide. Not out of fright, surely, but out of surprise and concern. Terry knew fully well what the cold-blooded son of Heihachi was made of. Half-demonic, Kazuya was ten times more dangerous than Geese, with or without the latter’s Nightmare form. We’re talking about the man who’d survived several murder attempts by his own family, after all, and unlike his own arch enemy, he didn’t even need a magical scroll to survive getting thrown off a cliff.

“Wait, what!? Are you nuts!? Did you even know who that guy is?” he asked Nadia. “That Mishima guy you robbed from, he’s a war felon and a devil, cat! Like, literally, a devil. He almost started the third World War with that emo son of his for all I know. But hey, more power to you if you got to hold your own against him. Let’s just pray that he ain’t comin’ after us…”

He sighed and covered his face with a bandaged hand. When a powerful entity was involved, he was actually more concerned about his allies than he was himself. He’d learned it the hard way after he started questioning the KOF dojo’s flawed system, and he’d hate to lose another possible family in the Seekers if the G-Corp did make them their primary target. Though, despite the concern, he knew he shouldn’t soften up. If pointing out Esaka’s corrupted system could bring a positive change, then so be it. Geese was right about him, after all. He just couldn’t shy away from doing what was right, even if it means sacrificing himself for others.

“Ugh, Gosh… Sorry, I didn’t mean to overreact. I just wasn’t sure what to be worried about: the fact that you just stole from a war criminal or you stealing something at all,” Terry apologized, bandaged hands gliding over the crown of his head. He wasn’t even certain why he was so bothered by that, but it most likely had to do with him being such a goody-two shoes. He thought burglary must’ve been part of the habits for Nadia because not even the detectives bothered with her anymore. “But, yeah, anyway, forget it! I see you guys must be hungry now, amirite? Like always, I got a few places to recommend. Kyokugen BBQ is the closest, but also, there’s this rad chanko stew joint somewhere in this side of the city. The choice is yours, though. I just hope we can talk about, y’know, the thing that brought us here and whether or not he has anything to do with Rugal, I guess?”

Terry shrugged, hands opened, his dropping voice carrying a conspiratorial tone. Whatever that was that the other Seekers wanted to do, he still needed to unravel the threads, wishing to be enlightened about the subject.

FIN.

[DracoLunaris]

2,100 444 (+1) (-4 exp) (+7 exp) (+35) (+4) (+5)
Edward Portsmith: Level 6 (16 cells) //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (108/60)
Location Frozen highlands - The Midnight Walk

Edward had a fair bit of trudging to do between his faked death and getting clear of detection, which was especially rotten due to the cold. He soldiered through regardless, and then, once he dismissed the enchantments and inferno hounds and left Whitey in the dark, burst into a run. The flames of Hestia burned around him as he did, giving him just a bit of heat that made it possible to unfurl his wings and take flight again in order to catch up with the stagecoach.

By the time he caught up with the rest of the party, he was cold and tired, and thus very happy to sequester himself away and pour over the blueprints Heismay had retrieved while leaving the driving to Sandalphon. The only brief exception to this secluded restfulness was to greet the strange fellow Tenna who’d joined them.

As such he was inactive for most of the peaceful ride through the hilly snowfield, and recovered enough stamina and warmth wise to step outside into the cold again in-order to observe the strange sight.

Not that the man hadn’t seen monkey-folk before, mind. The many worlds of the astral sea held many types of people. Nor was using darts as a weapon unheard of. But the things they were fighting were just out of this world from his perspective, with their perfectly smooth shells and featureless bodies. Then his brain dug up memories of a halfling jester (who were deceptively dangerous warriors armed with firework launchers) showing off something similar during a party.

Which just made things even stranger.

Still, he agreed with the assessment that the monkey defenders might be less than discerning with their defense, and so sought to check to see if this was the case.

First he sent a pair of inferno hounds he’d formed to go padding through the snow towards the monkey’s defenses at a leisurely pace, which got one thunked with a dart to the flank for their efforts.

”Well, that seems to confirm the danger” he observed. He’d also been observing the monkeys’ and machines’ general attack strategy, and noted that they seemed to have rather limited range. A few meters at most even. Which ment…”Perhaps we can simply go around them?”

That was his hypothesis anyway, one that a quick runabout with the inferno hounds seemed to confirm.

Thus, rather than risk the stagecoach or the triggering of the Reindrix’s galeeming wrath, he proposed they simply take the coach off-road for a little bit. If approved, man started using his two pairs of hounds to start digging/melting through the snow in order to form a route they could take around and outside of the range of the monkey’s defenses. The man himself also joined in, using the comically large spoon from the armory as a snow shovel when he wasn’t shooting it with his Smiting Bishop rifle in order to create patches of snow melting archfire.

[Goggy]

Fujiwara no Mokou

Level 6
51/60 EXP

Location: Frozen Highlands - Krat Zoo
Wordcount: 388 (+1)

As the stagecoach continued on its way, Mokou actually found time to close her eyes and nap. Something she technically didn’t have to do, but it helped pass the time and, sometimes, felt like she was normal again and not just imitating human behavior. But, as with all things, a good nap had to end eventually as Mokou heard some commotion outside the walls of the stagecoach, eliciting a heavy sigh from the white haired girl as she pushed herself off of her seat and out into the cold air once more.

The sight that awaited her outside was… Odd, but one that only got a slight eyebrow raise. A line of various balloons moving with purpose along a path… Which was currently being defended by a group of monkeys with various gadgets. It was certainly a sight, albeit one that seemed more like a hassle than anything that would interest her.


“Ugh… Pain that they’re not keen on letting us pass” Mokou comments upon seeing the inferno hounds return, rubbing the back of her head, “Doubtful that they’d be keen on chatting with us either. I think I’ll take up a vantage point up above, if they try anything funny I’ll see it” Mokou states, kicking her foot idly, “That, or burn some of their fortifications to make them move.”

Without waiting for any input on her plan, a pair of fiery wings emerged from her back, the Phoenix launching herself into the sky within moments. Yet when she got high enough, she simply floated there, hands in her pockets as she scanned the pathway and what lay beyond. If she squinted, she could certainly see a village in the distance, though she couldn’t make out any shapes to say if this belonged to these monkeys or not. Mokou would assume a ‘yes’ on that question, seeing as the monkeys had to be guarding something of value to themselves, but she had learned not to plan for assumptions.

Regardless, even if the monkeys did attack the stagecoach, it would be a while before they got into range of it, thanks to them making their own path. So Mokou decided to scout ahead, lazily floating forward over the monkey’s defenses. From this height, she wasn’t worried about them firing at her: All it would be is a waste of ammunition for them.

[Eviledd1984]

@Lugubrious @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN

Harry Dubois

And

𝒦𝒾𝓂 𝒦𝒾𝓉𝓈𝓊𝓇𝒶𝑔𝒾

Word Count: 582
Level: Lv: 6 EXP: (3/60)
Lv: 4 EXP: (5/40)
Location: Forbidden Kingdom- Banishing Flats

” Cute place.” Harry said finding the hotel to be quite quaint. Perhaps he could see a room here, because he felt bad sleeping at Kim’s place. As Harry came in, he was staring at the muscular robot that had greeted them. Harry struck a pose as well and flexed both of his arms in response to Mecha Gief’s posing. ” Zdravstvuyte, nam nuzhna komnata, u vas yest' komnata?” He said in broken Russian and in a rather stereotypical accent.

” Our friend here would like to book a room at your motel.” Kim chimed in, not responding to Harry’s posing. What he just said would probably make Mecha Zangief raise a mechanical eyebrow.

”Do you have another room by any chance?” Harry asked which confused Kim a little because he thought Harry was going to stay at his place. He did have enough room, so perhaps he didn’t want to feel like a burden. Then asking him if he had enough money for his stay.

” I thought you wanted to stay at my apartment for the time being?Do you have enough money?” Kim asked, but Harry just shook his head.

” Well, I didn’t wanna be a bother. And yeah, I got enough for our stay here. And when I win the tournament, I can stay for as long as I like.” Harry smiled at Kim, who still seemed unsure if Harry could stay here. He quickly turned to surprise when he noticed a nice wad of cash Harry produced from his jacket pocket. As Mecha Gief took the money and gave Harry a similar gold belt. The dirty-looking detective took the belt and the key, then placed them around him before posing again.

Following Band further into the hotel since they shared the same floor. He used his belt to get into the room, where Kim had left to run some errands. Immediately, Harry went to the bar fridge looking for any complementary liquor. Unfortunately, there was none, which greatly disappointed Harry. He took a moment to lie down on the bed and stared at the ceiling for who knows how long. Before being frightened awake when Zenkichi contacted them. He was going to ask him if he was going to stay here with him and Band. It would be nice to have them close to him in case he needs any help.

” Hi Zen, this is a good place to stay. Band and I are going to be sleeping here, if you're interested. It’s pretty cheap too.” Harry said while getting up from the bed and heading over towards the lobby.

Zenkichi's reply came a moment later. "Yeah, it's not too bad, thankfully. Still, I had to run out and sell some stuff to scrape together some cash. I'm planning to stay there tonight, too."

Kim had come back with the other seekers, being among the first to arrive. As Nadia regaled them with her earnings, he narrowed his eyes, not believing her story. Even though he could arrest her for breaking the law, he didn’t feel bad for the person she had stolen from.

” I might go and find Sensei Dan and do some training with him before the tournament.” Harry said while picking his ear.

” I will probably try to find more information about the four kings, perhaps I could learn of some weakness we could use to beat them.” Kim added as he was wiping his glasses with his handkerchief.

[DracoLunaris]

A Random(?) Encounter

wordcount: 2747 (+3)
Location: Forbidden Kingdom - Shinjuku
Bowser Jr: Level 15 EXP: //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////(277/150)
Rika: Level 11 EXP: ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////(213/100)

”Oh come on! They fused tapes again?!” Jr cried out in dismay at the sight of the cybernetic alien fairy.He’d missed its dramatic creation due to needing to stop his mad shell spin around the backlot of the cafe, and had wound up basically at the other end of it as a result..

”No, it’s something else!” Rika replied, practically face to face with the fusion. She was really, really regretting not just wearing all her gear under the ‘disguise’ tape now. No armor. No drones. No spear. No rigging. Just her and her gauntlets against whatever this beautiful nightmare was.

The unknown being shifted their weapon into a staff grip as their voices harmonized, backed by an ethereal resonance. Of the two, though, Eunie’s voice sounded slightly stronger. “This is our Interlink–our bond as Ouroboros made manifest. Been a while since we had to pull this out, but don’t think we’ve gotten rusty.” They thrust their off-hand out as their blade-wings unfolded to extend pink light pinions. ”If you threaten our family, we’ll show you no mercy!”

“Get ready for this!” The Interlink threw themselves forward in a wild tornado lariat, lashing with not just their wing-blades but the light wings within. Their graceful yet vicious art covered enough ground to threaten both koopa kids while evading their attacks, and on hit would debuff their accuracy. ”Raptor Raid!”

”We didn’t even do that ahhh!” Jr cried out as he magma rushed to the side, leaving a mine for them to run into. He peppered her with iron spikes as he did, but the spinning blades deflected those where they didn’t simply shatter the crude metal.

Rika meanwhile had simply not had the space to evade, the ship girl being battered by blades and only blocking some with her gauntlets as she was thrown aside by the whirlwind attack. She tumbled to the concrete ground of the lot, but tough girl that she was she was pushing herself back up to her feet a moment later, summoning Maria to charge up an attack she’d unleash later as she did so.

After passing harmlessly through the magma mine and the flechette spray, the Interlink fluttered up into the air, flanked by the disjointed wing-blades that hung beside their body as if physically attached. They moved away from the buildings nearby, leaving the basketball court itself to hover over the adjacent parking lot. Their blade-wings closed, then oriented themselves to become floating cannons that fired pinions down like nails as they drifted back toward the ground.

Jr kept on dashing to and fro, zig zagging back and forth across the basketball court and making himself an erratic target, even if it was one moving in straight lines. As he did this, the kid held his paintbrush to the ground, slicing lines of burning ink across the ground, gradually transforming the battlefield into one where they’d have a terrain advantage.

Rika Meanwhile was left to leap and slide out of the way of the shots. Neither returned fire while doing this, aware that what goes up must come down, and not at all interested in hitting random bystanders out past the carpark.

Even beyond a mild inclination to not kill random strangers, this was Galeem’s world, and who knew what legendary power some random person on the street might bring into the fight if they survived falling stray bullets.

Instead, when the interlink got close to the ground the pair both rushed them. Rika bullet jumped forwards while Jr dashed in, and when both got close they unleashed burning ink, with Rika firing her grizco blaster (the short range flack cannon nature of its shots mitigating the accuracy debuff she had) and Jr whipping his brush up to send a splash of it forwards.

Though the Interlink’s feet didn’t quite touch the ground as they continued to hover, they were well within their opponents’ range. They held their staff vertically as the blade-wings came together like a shield, albeit a rather ineffective one that blocked only a small portion of the incoming damage. ”Tch!” While on the defensive they instinctively glanced over at Clover, who’d already backed further away, hiding behind one of the parked cars. The sight seemed to sharpen their resolve, and the Interlink whirled around as their blades became wings once more. Ethereal feathers spread wide as the air churned. ”Typhoon Field!” A miniature cyclone went off over an area around them, and while the airburst dealt only middling damage, it also healed the Interlink back to full. ”You won’t outlast us!”

”No fair! Only we’re allowed to do that!” Jr shouted at them as they were buffeted back, before casting ”Afflatus Rapture” using one of the lilies on his healing gage that had been charging up all fight. The resulting insta-cast pulse healed him to full and partially healed Rika, who then promptly re-summoned Maria to heal her the rest, the striker delivering a bloody slam that stole the interlink’s vitality.

”All the ink types!” Rika then requested, as she switched to the basic poisonous goop and tried to coat her in that as well. As she did, she proceeded All Out Assault, resulting in an even faster fire rate and triple shot for 5 subsequent shots. Jr joined in, splashing her with electric goop as well, adding to the burning they’d already applied.

“Hngh!” When struck by the striker, the Interlink returned fire with light arrows, but when the All Out Assault kicked off they knew better than to stuck around. They took flight, soaring away into the air to try and outpace the bombardment as they worked toward a more manageable range. For a few moments they floated through the air above the rooftops, intermittent shots raining down on the goopy basketball court. Still, while they’d escaped, the element-infused barrage they’d received was nothing to sneeze at. They would need to make the most of this range advantage while they still could. As they raised their staff like a sniper rifle, their blade-wings adhered to it, then fanned out. Arcs of plasma sparkled around it. ”Lightning Arrow!” A bolt blasted down at Junior specifically, unblockable and knockback-inducing.

The kid promptly went flying backwards, smacked into a parked pickup and set off its car alarm, his paintbrush flying off and clattering to the ground away from him. His shell at least took a bunch of the impact to the vehicle, but he also got semi stuck in it thanks to the spikes, and had to scramble to try and pull himself out.

At that point Rika was halfway through wall-jumping up the building, and so she kept going to try and prevent any follow up shots. She landed on the roof, high jumped off of it, double jumped for more height, feather fall rune jumped for even more, and then released a charged up vaultbreaker punch to clear the rest of the distance to the flying foe.

Careening through the target, launching them up in the process, she then aim-glided in the air in order to turn her other gauntlet around so she could fire the grappling hook back at the Interlink. It whizzed across the gap, latching on, and then as it reeled her in she charged that same gauntlet as she did so that right after the weaker grappling punch hit, she could immediately slam another vaultbreaker punch into them for a third hit, completing her denting blows combo to deal an extra 3 punches worth of damage and knocking 20% of their armor off. On top of the 18% she was already ignoring due to the 3 dots on the interlink.

Then, both gauntlets shorting out due to magic usage, she’d fall back down to the world below.

Thanks in part to the car alarm, which seemed to distract and unnerve the Interlink somewhat, Rika managed to ascend through a rain of pinions and land a few hefty blows against the Interlink that they definitely felt. Though much tougher than the sum of their parts, this fused form wasn’t specialized for defense or evasion. While their face remained static, showing no emotion, they gave voice to an irritated grunt as Rika descended. ”Not good. These mudders are tough…” They glanced back at Junior and the caterwauling pickup truck. That shrill racket would draw attention like moths to a flame, and not just from the owner. ”We’re running out of time. Let’s switch things up.”

The Interlink deconstructed around their core, then reformed into a new shape, an almost priestly-looking being clad in ghostly white garb. Immediately, this body split into seven identical copies, and when the doppelgangers cast their arms out, swarms of paper dolls streamed forth like shoals of fish to strike their opponents again and again.

”Oh come on!”

Rika raised her hand to the heavens, the switch having given her gauntlets enough time to recover from the magic overload, and started firing burning goop, using the rapid fire close range cannon to burn paper dolls coming at her. After 8 of these shots, namely no time at all, all out assault triggered again, forming an all out wall of ink blasts right up until the gun’s tank ran dry.

Jr meanwhile tried to dodge, but the swarm was able to nick him three times… and then started slamming into an invulnerability shield as his Stygian Turtle Shell boon proceeded and gave him 3 seconds of invulnerability. He used these to insta cast ”Afflatus Solace!” on both him and Rika, expending the other two lilies in the healing gauge and blooming the blood lily on his arm in the process.

He immediately expanded this to launch a cast of ”Afflatus Misery!”, causing a bloody red bolt trailing petals to slam into one of the doppelgangers and unleash a 5 yard blast that did half the primary damage to any others caught in the blast. Unfortunately, they’d spread out enough that no others were.

After both of these defensive moves, the pair were left to dodge again, both heading for cover behind the alarmed car as they did so.

”Think people’ll notice?” Rika asked as they regrouped.

Several illusory Interlinks had been destroyed by Rika’s saturation fire, but more had appeared. Now four floated a few feet off the ground, two in the basketball court and two in the parking lot. Toward the end of the barrage, one plowed straight through the onslaught, automatically evading attacks as they used their art. ”Atomize!” Paper dolls flew up and detonated like low-altitude fireworks, their explosions of white and orange confetti able to inflict Blowdown and Blaze. As they followed up with continuous flurries of dolls, the Interlink kept in mind what they’d calculated to be the cooldown of Junior’s healing.

”Oww” Jr complained from the floor, before hissing ”Probably” through the pain of the flames. ”So we gotta make this quick”

While Rika rolled onto her back and tried to gun down the one that had just blown them up, Jr used his brush to push himself to his feet, forming iron knives as he did so. Once up, he launched them in a shotgun spray at the next closest copy, with instructions for any that missed to pivot in the air and blast towards the third closest.

The gunk from Rika’s blaster splattered against the Interlink’s sleeve as they held it up as a shield, backpedaling as fast as possible. Two illusions appeared atop them, then fanned out as they tried to make room, but only the one on the left bore the splotches Rika inflicted. Using that cue, Junior made sure his knives hit the mark. Lightly damaged, the Interlink grumbled in annoyance as they shook the sludge off. ”My thoughts exactly.” Now Taion’s voice sounded stronger. ”Let’s bring this farce to a close.”

They held their palms up, and paper dolls streamed in from all directions. They clumped up, forming into huge boulders that the Interlink then cast forward. Held up by paper dolls, the great stones floated over the koopa kids’ heads, ready to fall. In the moment that their foes’ attention was divided, the one Interlink became six, scattered above the parking lot. In the distance, the combatants could begin to hear police sirens. The sound seemed to frighten Clover, which in turn provoked a quick, almost unnoticeable glance from the nearest Interlink.

About half way though this Jr had called out ”Team up!” as he ran towards Rika as she was getting up. She, in turn, had paused in a crouch and given him the time needed to hop on her shoulders. The boy raised his paintbrush high and holy power cascaded down from it into Rika’s gauntlets as she squared up to unleash a flurry of blows to all the copies. At that tell, however, she focused in, lunging forwards to deliver a right hook to the air out of which a radiant shockwave blasted, enveloping the true interlink. Then as quick as could be she delivered a left hook, then another right, left, right, left, right, each one unleashing another concussing blast. The final left hook did not have such a blast. Instead she tapped her chest with a finger and then punched forward a friend-heart towards the pair of parents to free them from this Galeem inflicted madness.

With well more than double their constituents’ collective vitality, the Interlink weathered the storm of blows as best they could. Paper dolls surged in the background as they gathered the strength they’d need to turn the tables. ”Eightfold-!”

Rika’s friend heart, delivered a fraction below the requisite seventy-five percent threshold, cut through the noise and stripped the Interlink’s will to fight. ”No…” They sounded horrified as they stared up into the sky. ”It can’t be…not again!” The priestly being collapsed like wet laundry, deconstructing into light as Taion and Eunie took form again.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Clover ran forward, stumbling onto her knees next to her parents as she grabbed their shoulders. Tears ran down her face as she scowled at the koopas. “G-go away! I-I won’t-!”

“I-It’s alright, love,” Eunie scooped up her daughter with one arm as she rose, shakily, to her feet, the car behind her used as support. In the tumult of conflicting emotions that threatened to subsume her, her smile was one of reassuring pride. “Attagirl…”

Taion was breathing heavily, his eyes wide. “We…we have to go.” He glanced at his former opponents, unsure about their intentions, then took his wife’s hand and led her away in a hurry. A moment later and the family was gone, without even bothering to pick up the broken cassette tapes they left behind.

”Hey wait! We need to tell you stuff!” Rika called out, but they weren't coming back, prompting her brother to add ”koopakid64!” before they vanished from sight.

”What is that?” Rika asked, as she ducked down to loot the tapes, before sailing over the inky mess they’d made of the backlot to grab Jr’s duffle bag and stuffing them into it.

”It’s the username for the internet stuff” Her brother replied, as he accepted the bag from her, before insisting ”now let’s get out of here!” as the sirens got closer and closer.

”Mmm hmmm” she agreed, before starting to walljump up onto the building with Jr still on her shoulders so they could parkour away from trouble.

[Archmage MC]

Sectonia

Blazermate

Level 14 Blazermate (Holding 3 level up) - (60/140)
Level 13 Sectonia (holding 3 level up) (53/130)

Location: The Trail
Word Count: less than 750

Thanks to Sectonia harvesting materials, it was possible to make an upgrade for the stage coach in the form of a lightning rod. Maybe it'd come in useful later, but for now it just seemed to be an upgrade for upgrade's sake. Would they run into a lightning field or something? Well, guess time would tell. Its been nice to relax along the way regardless. Blazermate was having fun looking at the various animals and such they passed along the way that weren't monsters of horrific proportions.

Such a time to relax wouldn't last long though as they progressed along the trail and got stuck behind some... balloons? Balloons getting shot at by some.... monkeys? Ok the towers made sense, but not the monkeys. And from the looks of it, they didn't seem to regard anything friendly. Another trial or something? Well, Blazermate had something for this and charged up her projectile shield by healing and overhealing her team mates so she could activate it to protect the stagecoach and the Raindrix pulling it if or when the monkeys started to target them. Assuming they couldn't find an alternate path through the super high snow.

[DracoLunaris]

Peer to Peer Communication

Word Count: 1430
EXP: +3 (+3 rapport)
Yayama, Amaterasu

Amaterasu took the time during their walk to meet up with the others to project some relevant information to their newest member.

She did not, in this, pull any punches, starting off with the news that they weren't who they remembered being, not really, but rather reincarnations that had been popped into existence in arbitrary places and in arbitrary circumstances without being able to notice that was the case. Not only that, but they had 10 years to live since the moment they got put into this world. And that was them. Everyone else also had to contend with the fact that they could only live if others died to fuel flame-clocks that kept all the people linked to them from simply evaporating before their time. The only exceptions were the lost numbers, people born into this world who had their own unique existence rather than just being copies of ones stolen from other worlds.

“Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with not being the only version of myself.” Yayama’s tone was light, confident, but internally she was deeply unsettled. Her now-unlocked memories flickered back to the memory of a discarded possibility, a dying world and a conversation with her own shade. Looks like I’ll have to do my best to take my own advice.

Amaterasu then explained what they had to contend with. First off, the remaining six of 13 guardians prevented them from getting at Galeem, the Four Kings collectively being one of these. There were also the 26 alphabet letter-named consuls who more or less ruled the world from the shadows, who were not bound by the limited lifetimes of all the rest, and who also fed off of the flame-clocks whenever they pleased to fuel their continued eternal existence. She also noted that maybe not all the consuls were bad. At least one had apparently surrendered to captivity by the Seekers, and another had been a Seeker before she claimed the title. (It was only here where she mentioned that the consuls could simply refill their numbers.)

Also, apparently there was a big floating hand that liked to issue challenges before they got to a guardian, but didn’t seem to want to get involved itself. This, of course, immediately caught Yayama’s attention, but she decided to hold her questions until later.

Some of this rang familiar to the somewhat self-proclaimed Warrior of Darkness. Eternals that manipulated and parasitized mortals to further their aeons-long plans, largely unknown to the population of the star. They even numbered thirteen, as the Convocation once had, and had evidently greatly decreased in number in the time between their formation and the current day.

Finally, Amatarasu filled Yayama in on what they had on their side: a flying invisible ship called the Avenger, another team who were off trying to take down another guardian, and the manipulation of spirits. Pressed to the heart for abilities at the cost of physical and mental changes, to the head for skills and only color changes, spoken with to turn into summonable strikers, or crushed to be turned into items. Apparently there was a hat that made the results of the last better, and also some sort of magically accessible armory where all the spare stuff went that she’d need to get someone with fingers to show her how it worked. Plus, some items that made fusion less chaotic on the Avenger, and one that made it only affect individual bodyparts.

This was, she would agree, a lot to take in, but she offered any more aid or information she had in her head.

Yayama shook her head in response. “I have a lot of questions about more or less everything you just said, but I need time to think. My head still hurts from trying to catch up to ten years of fighting all being dumped into it at once, much less contending with a brand-new existential crisis and. . .” She trailed off, suddenly breathing heavily. The thought of what had happened to Petra filled her with rage that strained her ability to contain it. “And other things related to that matter,” Yayama finished after a moment.

The wolf inclined her head in understanding, before adding that she fortunately had time, as they were doing the tournament in order to fight the four kings, and so the action, such that it was, wouldn’t be starting till the next day. She then also inquired if Yayama had entered one of those while under Galeem’s influence.

The knight nodded. “I joined the Mortal Kombat tourney hoping to investigate and, hopefully, bring an end to the practice of executing losers. I know it’ll probably make some people here angry, but I can’t abide the senseless loss of life.” She tried not to think about how much of that she’d been proxy to herself, good cause or no. “I don’t think I’ll be dropping, either, unless I’m urgently needed elsewhere.”

Amaterasu informed her that Pit, their elected leader, and Miss Fortune, the cat lady who’s fallen to pieces, were also taking part in that one, and that they might want to try and coordinate on how they were going to go about that one. She also noted the unfortunate reality that that tournament’s deaths might be what was keeping everyone else alive.

“That isn’t making me want to hit something any less,” Yayama grumbled. “I thought it was only a few people that got that horrible little ‘privilege.’ Are you saying that the people around here would die even faster if they weren’t regularly sacrificing people in the guise of a normal tournament?”

Amaterasu explained how, if the flame clocks were not filled, the entire town would simply cease to live. In other places there were monsters that would kill or be killed, or wars, but here it seemed like it was the tournament that was fueling the clock. Unless, she supposed, there was something else going on in secret.

Galeem’s world, in her opinion, was a nightmare of graves built upon tombs cemented with blood, and this more than anything else was why it needed to die.

“I couldn’t agree more.” The full horror of what she faced, and what she ultimately was, had begun to sink in, but with it came a resolve to bring it to an end, one way or another. “I regret to say that I’ve done my part in keeping the clock ticking, though I had hoped, at least, that it would lead to less death overall.” She shook her head. “To be quite frank it’s taking all I have to not explode in a berserk rage right now, given I’m learning that my entire existence is a falsehood and I’ve done naught but perpetuate this accursed world for however long I’ve been in it. I don’t even know how long I have until I’m replaced with yet another shade with no idea she’s championing something so vile, to boot.”

Yayama paused and took a deep breath. “But calmer heads must prevail in the face of something like this. Is there a place to meet up with those two? I’d like to channel this energy toward something productive.” She glanced down and grimaced. “After I change into something less. . . shiny. Though the fact that I’m wearing it means that some part of me knew something was wrong.”

The wolf moved close, fur brushing against the little woman, in a sympathetic gesture, before informing her about the link pearl chat that had been going on while they’d been conversing. Namely that it existed, that a lady named Primrose had the way to distribute them, and that they were going to meet up at the Banishin’ Flats as it seemed to be a good place to stay overnight. Perhaps, she thought, Yayama was familiar if she’d been in town for a bit?

“You guys have linkpearls?” It hadn’t taken her long to sort out that the vast bulk of what she saw around here wasn’t anything she was familiar with, and that this was because the World of Light was some kind of mishmash of a thousand different realities, so to hear a familiar term was almost a surprise. “But yeah, I have the general idea of where that’s at. I’ll be heading that way. Unless you had other business you needed some assistance with first?”

The divine wolf replied that she did not, and that she’d be more than happy for the guidance and company.

[MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]

Geralt of Rivia

Frozen Highlands- The Midnight Walk
Lvl 15 Geralt (255/140) -> (258/140) 280% OL Charged (Lvl 1)
Word count: 1,252 words

As the stagecoach trundled on, Geralt’s stamina recovered remarkably well. It wasn’t long before he was just about fully recovered from his exhaustion from the fight with Markiona. “Going to go on a hunt, stretch my legs, if we’re lucky, find some meat.” He told the others as he hopped down from their transport.

Confirming that his equipment was all in good shape, he took note of the stagecoach’s trajectory and committed it to memory, turning about forty-five degrees from its path of travel and setting off at a decent jog that, to a normal human, would be a dead sprint. After a few minutes he slowed his pace, content that he’d be ahead of the stagecoach by a good distance, and started searching for signs of wildlife that he could hunt, or have Tirn fight. The latter would require a solo subject of likely lesser power, though he could always heal his Shieldon if things started to get hairy, or intervene himself.

After passing a few groups of animals and Pals, he encountered a lone Chillet, skulking through the field in search of food. He took a good look around to make sure it was truly alone, and once he was confident it was, he drew his hand crossbow and fired a bolt, striking the Pal and sending it into a Gleaming fury. As it turned to charge him, Geralt withdrew Tirn’s ball and sent out the Shieldon. “Tirn, iron defense!” The Shieldon took a sturdy stance, its body gleaming like a polished blade as the Chillet began to gather strength and launched itself forward to attack. It slammed into Tirn, but between the Pokemon’s steel typing and its defensive buffs, the attack did little.

“Now, take down!” Without a moment’s hesitation, the Shieldon threw itself forward and crashed into the frozen ferret, knocking it back with a visible look of pain. Undeterred and unable to retreat, it fired back with a blast of draconic energy, which crashed into Tirn before he could react. The special attack avoided both the Shieldon’s enhanced defense as well as its buff, but the Pokemon’s typing still protected it from the worst of the damage. “Alright, try a swagger, confuse it!” Geralt called, and Tirn chirped in response.

Doing a mocking little dance and taunting the Chillet, Tirn succeeded in enraging the creature, which promptly attempted to attack and failed, harming itself greatly in the process. The Chillet was starting to look a little worn down, so Geralt had Tirn attack again with Take Down, getting close to the Pal himself and drawing his knife. As the Shieldon struck its target, Geralt joined in, slicing a few tufts of fur from its body as the Pal wobbled and collapsed, defeated. After a moment, it began dissolving into ash, leaving behind its Spirit which Geralt collected.

Taking a moment to heal Tirn and check on the Pokemon, Geralt gave him a scratch on the top of its plated head, earning a happy chirping from the Shieldon. “Alright, let’s get going.” He told his companion, leaving Tirn out of its ball so he could also stretch his legs. They crept along through the field, using rocks and snowdrifts as cover from potential prey.

The next target that Geralt chose was a strange one, covered in wrinkled skin with coarse whiskers around its face, which had a trio of great tusks protruding outward from it. Its body was squat but long, much like a four-legged animal, though its limbs were clearly meant for traversing the water. “Think they said you don’t want to be hit by water. Sorry, Tirn.” Geralt consoled his Pokemon, returning the Shieldon to his ball.

Finding a clear vantage point and drawing Oddysseus’s Bow, Geralt carefully studied the beast, trying to map its body with what he knew of both sea and land life. If a creature so obviously adapted for the water could also walk upon the land, albeit awkwardly with its fins and tail, it stood to reason that its internal organs would have to support breathing air. Whether its lungs, or whatever equivalent it might have, would be located in the same area was another matter entirely, but he only had so much to go on.

Waiting a few minutes while the horker shuffled around and found a good spot to bask, Geralt nocked an arrow and lined his shot up, aiming for near the ‘armpit’ of the walrus-like creature. He could tell that it had rather thick skin, but hoped that the bow would manage to pierce through it nonetheless. Loosing the arrow, Geralt bit back a curse as the horker began bellowing and turned to where the arrow had come from, rushing forward in a surprising display of speed.

Stowing the bow, he drew his steel sword and ran forward to meet the beast head-on, casting Quen on himself. Those tusks looked nasty, though he was certain he could handle it. As the pair came upon one another, the horker lunged forwards to gore Geralt with its tusks, who sidestepped and pivoted, carving a deep furrow into its neck with his sword before launching a step kick into its head, earning another bellow of pain.

It lunged again, swinging its head side to side, and Geralt wasted no time in taking advantage of the opening. His sword sliced across the thrashing face, using its own momentum against it to carve even deeper into its flesh. From there, he quickly hopped towards the back of the creature, cutting into it and weakening the horker enough that it collapsed, defeated and dying. It roared at him in pain, Glaeem’s curse finally broken and allowing it to control itself once more, any ability to fight, or even move, removed as it bled out on the ice. Sighing, Geralt drew his hand crossbow and put the poor creature out of its misery, taking its Spirit and heading back to the stagecoach, his mood rather spoiled by the bloody and unpleasant kill.

He never took pleasure from hunting aside from satisfaction at a job done well, but that was simply a miserable experience. Following the trajectory he recalled, he was able to return around the time the stagecoach was changing course to evade the Bloons and Monkeys, which earned a confused look before he shrugged and climbed back aboard. “Didn’t get too much before I figured I’d need to get back, but I did take down a few creatures.”

He took the offered berries from Roxas, thanking the Nobody but deciding to wait until they were well and truly clear from the Bloons battlefield to bring the Shieldon out and feed him. After Tirn was fed and happy, he pulled out the two Spirits he’d collected and crushed them.

Items Obtained

Ice Organ x2
Material obtainable from Ice Pals. Usable in various technologies, structures, and equipments that require a source of cold or ice energy

Horker Meat x4
Heavy, dense, fatty meat. Can be cookled into Horker Loaf using salt, Horker Stew using lavendar, garlic, and tomato, or Horker and Yam Stew using garlic and yam

The strange, condensed orb of ice energy was entirely foreign to him, and he showed it to the others to see if they had any ideas for how they could use it, whereas the meat was much more obviously useful. “Could definitely make that stew a lot heartier for a couple days. Could send some back to the Avenger, as well, help them out, though it’s not too much.”

[MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]

Zenkichi Hasegawa

Esaka, The Tiered City
Lvl 9 Zenkichi (74/90) -> Lvl 9 (75/90)
Word count: 608 words

Stepping back into Banished Flats after having heard from Harry on his way back, Zenkichi was a little surprised to see that a few more Seekers had already shown up, including Band. He was one of the last to arrive, though it seemed that Nadia was keen to take that crown for herself. A little wet, he approached the counter to pay for a room for himself, receiving and jokingly hefting his own championship belt/room key as if he’d won a great tournament. Just practice for when he did win, he told himself reassuringly.

Joining the others, he sat down and tried not to get too much water everywhere. When Nadia did arrive, and promptly showed off her frankly ludicrous amount of cash (for a single day’s “work”, no less) and explained where it was from, he was immediately put off. Terry, though, was the one to respond and air the thoughts that he was sure a few of them had. Though, the more specific knowledge of the victim, for some reason, made a part of Zenkichi relax at the fact that Nadia had basically Robin Hood’d a literal devil-man.

Well, one of those Spirits he fused with was basically, if not literally, an angel, so that actually made sense. ”So, looks like we’ll have a mini-boss to deal with at some point, too then…” he sighed. He hoped the guy wouldn’t be too huge a pain in the ass to deal with. Terry went on to give a couple of food recommendations and then ask about whether they could discuss the elephant in the room. When he brought that up, Zenkichi addressed him, his voice dropping.

”So, if you’ve noticed other people’s eyes looking a lot more red than usual, that means they’re still under Galeem-the big bad guy-’s curse. It also means they can’t stop a fight till they’re beaten, one way or another. Knockouts work, but it means starting a fight now is a lot riskier that you know the risks. It also means that if we start talking about the more specific parts of Galeem and what we’re calling the World of Light, they kinda…gloss over it mentally. You’ll sound like you’re talking about some technobabble or some kind of intricate thing they can’t wrap their head around. The only problem is if you go blabbing too much, you might catch the attention of our enemies, who are in the know, and immune to the whole system anyway.”

He paused to take a breath and wipe off a little water from his outfit. ”Mobius. An organization made up of twenty-six incredibly powerful people, watch with a unique power that can turn the tide of a battle in an instant.” Thinking back to the fight with the Gravemind and what happened to Midna and Goldlewis, he pushed on even as his mood dropped noticeably. ”The good news is, we’ve beaten a few of them before. The bad news is, two of them are supposed to guard each of the Guardians, and with seven of those Guardians already defeated…we’re in trouble already. Last time we ran into them, three had joined up and killed two of our own. We got two of them in return, but the third just took off after we took out the Guardian. They typically wear very distinctive armor, so as long as you’re with one of us, we’ll probably be able to tell. Me, Band, Nadia, Sakura, Pit, Captain Falcon, Junior, Juri, Rika, Therion and Primrose have all fought a Consul before, so we should be able to recognize the armor. Basically everybody except Amaterasu, now that I think about it.”