AThousandCurses

Iris Ascendis

I guess Davil really does have that rizz huh.

Iris Ascendis

The minute Chunji was removed from the chair, a scowl immediately replaced his once blank face. Several thoughts circulated through his heads as he grabbed his the sheath of his sword. While he wasn't exhausted, that didn't mean he was incapable of fighting. His eyes trained throughout the darkness and located the shadow witch that manipulated the shadows. His ethos was still capable of tracking her down. All he needed was one small glimpse of a part of her body and he'd shove his sword through her-

The shadow witch's accomplice, from what he assumed, shook Chunji out of his contempt. Head up on to the stage? Considering the circumstances, Chunji was about to add the accomplice on his list of people to kill. The accomplice was uncompromising as the shadow witch was repulsive. Didn't offer a guarantee to a seat, but only made demands to the people around him. If mother and father were here, they'd praise the owl for taking advantage of the sitaution.

A few moments of pause before Chunji dropped his death glare. No matter how look at it, it'd was best to follow along with the owl boy's demands. If Chunji decided to fight, he'd be fighting at a disadvantage. Walking up onto the stage with his bandaged foot, he stood over the crowd as they crashed into the auditorium like a wave.

Of the many, Chunji recognized a few. Rio and the unconscious elf, Chloe, were there. Considering he had to carry deadweight around, Chunji couldn't say he was surprise to see him all battered up. Espescially with his display at the bridge, the bodyguard painted a target on his back. It was none of Chunji's concern though, it was only natural to observe previous opponents to see how they were doing. On the other hand the girl with the limp was still unscathed and smiling even. Chunji was considering using his ethos to see if the limp was just a ploy.

Then there was one that stood out from all the rest. An arrogant, scarlet hair man. Was he supposed to be notable? Gulliver supposedly came from a line of prestige and he ended devolving into a child throwing a tantrum. Chunji's opinion on 'nobility' had drastically dropped since then. That opinon was made worsened when Valen decided to summon a throne. Yes, it was best not to involve himself with nobility. That was a bridge that couldn't be built.

Something tapped into his mind, like what happened in battle, except it lingered. A web of connections that tied their thoughts together. Chunji in his same monotone attitude decided to add in his thoughts. 'The boy by the window.' That was all Chunji added before falling silent again. Whatever connection Rio had with the elf, it was strong enough for the young man to follow through and protect the elf. That sort of action provoked something within Chunji that he didn't bother naming.

With that out of the way, he noticed Davil faltering in his facade. Chunji didn't know when he had arrived, but it only happened when Gulliver was already out. The owl boy demanded perfection, so Chunji decided to carry that out. 'Casually' grabbing Davil by the shoulder, Chunji pressed his thumb onto one of boy's pressure point. "If you can't remain compose, don't bother becoming a student here." The words spoken in an apathetic were clean, cutting, yet quiet like a blade. "What's a hero who can't even face a crowd?" Not that Chunji would know what a hero actual was.

Letting go of Davil's shoulder, Chunji returned to holding onto his blade. If Davil displayed a trace of weakness, Chunji wasn't going to be lenient a second time.

Expedition to Isekai

The young school girl sat to her formerly-presently-undetermined unconscious friend. After beating her down, Shun had realized that she may had gone a touch overboard. Her fellow students seemed to have the same opinion. At that moment, it seemed reasonable to Shun to try and knock some sense into Ayana. After everything they went through, it wouldn't surprised Shun that Ayana would be possessed by some sort of spirit from this otherworld.

Though Shun jumped when Ayana started to jump. Unfortunately, it seemed that there some screws loose in her head, but Shun didn't opt for violence as an option again. "Hehe, Ayana, are you alright?" The delivery was shaky, but the sincerity behind it was real. Shun stayed silent at the mention of rock paper scissors. Her face went red in embarrassment over that incident.

When Ayana opened her arms for a hug, Shun made sure to only hug with one arm. The reason being that Ayana probably hadn't fully recovered from the beating of a life time. "I'm glad you're back half-Ayana, half-not Ayana." Without delay, Shun took out some food. She had asked Kumi for some food earlier in the case that Ayana woke up. Now that she it was, Shun took it upon herself to be responsible for her recovery. Grabbing a spoonful of the food, she thrusted the utensil inside Ayana's mouth. After all, that's what friends were for right?

At the time, the rock Ayana was carrying around was picked up by Shun. Shun didn't know why Ayana had it, but it must have been important. Stowing it away into some part of her clothes, Shun was going to give it back to Ayana eventually. Since she didn't ask, Shun decided not to give it back. Her friend's health now was more important than an ordinary rock found on a field.

Iris Ascendis

ERODE will do be going for the power move.

Iris Ascendis

New second objective: Survive

Iris Ascendis

A veil of darkness swept through the auditorium. Chunji instinctively jumped back as the mannequin in front of him had suddenly disappeared into the mass of shadow. With his opponent now gone, Chunji tried to observe his surroundings once more. All he could see was the darkness and its appendages. It was clear to him that the one responsible for the shadowplay was the girl above him, though that didn't matter at the moment. From what he could make out, Gulliver was experiencing a breakdown to his psyche. Perhaps it was a contribution of stress and mana deficiency. Regardless, the other students were handling the situation, so he didn't pay it too much mind.

From what he could see, the auditorium's decorations had be more or less been destroyed by the fights. Splinters of wood, debris of stone, and shattered glass was all that remained. It was to be expected. The Knight's reckless charge made sure that at least the center row of the auditorum was completely destroyed. Dusting himself off, Chunji went off to search and sit down at any chairs that remained partially unscathed from the fight. That was after all their objective. Defeating Gulliver was optional.

Though despite that, Chunji didn't let down his guard. With Gulliver in the process of being subjudgated by the Knight the mannequins spread through the academy would fall limp. Students would storm into the auditorium and there were not enough chairs for them all, so a fight was bound to happen. Regardless, a respite from the fighting was much needed in currently. Retrieving his medical kit, Chunji began to treat his wounds.

Aside from the accumulating exhaustion, the wounds were rather moderate at the worst. If anything stepping on the wood chips on the floor was probably the most severe injury. Quickly disinfecting and bandaging that, the only fight that happened with him in the auditorium was the chef mannequin and even then he managed to avoid the worst of it. The owl boy, the shadow witch, the knight, and the marskwoman did their part for most part. And he did his.

Chunji took a deep breath and relaxed. The calm after the storm.

Iris Ascendis

Something pricked his mind, but Chunji didn't pay it any mind. The Knight had pulled out the replica of Gulliver from the Foreteller and all things broke loose. The light and darkness seemed to wage war on each other has a flash of light and a curtain of darkness kept contesting the area. It was disorientating with lights and shadow, but Chunji adapted to the situation. With everything said and done, his role seemed to be over for the time being. That was until a faint crush of wood crashed right beside him.

Another mannequin, but this was seemed much more powerful than the rest. Immediately, Chunji responded to it by blocking its kick with his blade. That was all he could do as the mannequin was a lot more agile, it's movements were a lot more odd. The constant fights, healing, and ethos usage were wearing down on the foreign student. However, with all things, this wouldn't be enough to stop him. With his eyes on the mannequin, his ethos peered inside the mannequin.

It had the same structure of the average mannequin, perhaps its core was slightly bigger, but that wasn't the purpose. Chunji studied the mannequin's movements. There was a pattern to every fighting style and this was no different. Unlike a human, a mannequin couldn't make observations on its opponent, only react to their actions. That was when Chunji made his move. He swung his blade at the mannequin but it only blocked it. He swung it again and it was blocked. Again and it was blocked.

Dodging the bull punches and striking in a state of repetition. Each strike hit the exact same place on the mannequin. His eyes told him that with every blow the wood began to weaken under the force of steel. Chunji raised his blade and the mannequin raised to block it. This time it was different. After all, Chunji put the full weight of his strength behind this strike. In one movement, Chunji shifted his stance. Ducking under the mannequin's next blow, he swung at the mannequin's weakened limb. Now behind the mannequin Chunji, without giving the mannequin a chance, swung his sword into its core. This was the end.

Iris Ascendis

So that was the core of the Foreteller. An exact replica of the summoner within the machination. The shortblade wouldn't be enough to pierce the thick metal to reach it. If he wanted to finish off the automaton, then he'd need everyone to strip off the armor plating before attempting to strike it. Though that was unnecessary as he didn't need to deliver the final blow. If anything his usefulness in dealing with automaton was made clear with his phantom blade being ineffective against the clockwork.

There were two options left. He could summon the Serpent Spirit. As he was a descendent of the Serpent Spirit, he was capable of summoning the spirit that was closest to the Dragon. Though every time he did, so always felt wrong. Chunji couldn't place it, but every time he performed the summoning something felt missing. Although the Serpent Spirit heeded his call, an unknown part of him screamed out. He didn't know why, but it felt wrong. Though that didn't matter now. Even if did summon the Serpent Spirit, it'd drain him of the rest of his essence and he'd have to work to control the spirit so it didn't run rampant.

Looking to assess the situation, the knight seemed to deal significant damage to the Foreteller, it started to regenerate itself with parts of the mannequins to restore itself. In the corner of his eye, he recognized a female destroying mannequins with ease. In the other corner, a boy with animalistic features was helping his friend. Chunji couldn't tell what was going on over there as he focus was drawn eleswhere. As another mannequin went down by his blade, cleared his throat.

That left Chunji was left one option. There were rare times that Chunji ever rose his voice, so he wasn't use to speaking loudly before. However, what came next boomed over the sounds of warfare. "Upon closer inspection, the Foreteller has its summoner, Gulliver Bronstel, inside the center of its being. Reasons are unknown. Suggestion, destroy the center of the Foreteller and attack the summoner that rests in its 'core.'" With that Chunji started to leave from his hiding place. There was no doubt that the attention would be placed on to him after revealing that vital information.

Stabbing through another mannequin, he grabbed it and used as a shield himself from another mannequin's attack. Then that mannequin was quickly as fell as it strike, arm stuck in its wooden peer's body. He needed to keep moving or else, the full attention of Gulliver would slam into him.

Iris Ascendis

Chunji watched the knight and soon after the markswoman entered the auditorium after she had gave him a strategy to go by. That's all he did at that minute, watch the two enter by themselves. Soon after more people had come in from the other side. As a mere bystander, Chunji watched it all unfold. The theatrics from the now known Gulliver Bronsteel to the onslaught of mannequins that came to confront them. It didn't seem like he needed to interfere until a giant clock giant appeared in the center in a beam of light.

The Foreteller, as it was called, seemed a little bit more troublesome to deal than the rest. It was an Ethos summon just like the martial artist from before. If Chunji would had to make a guess, the ethos summon had a speciality. Just like the martial artist's ethos summon that could dash to allies and repel enemy attacks, it must be the same case here. "Foreteller..." A being that is able to scry into the future. Similar to that of a shaman or oracle.

He pondered about its meaning as the mannequins came up to attack him. As more animate as they were, it didn't take long Chunji to pierce their cores with his sword. The few that attacked him crumbled to the ground. "What is inside also reflects the outside," Chunji muttered to himself. It was a quote that his father often recited to him. To know your opponent's character, you can understand what action they'll take. Chunji didn't get it.

"透过现象看本质." Activating the his Ethos a second time, Chunji peered into the Foreteller. He wasn't familiar with machines espescially ethos summons. Ducking behind cover as sharpnel passed by over his head, analyzed the foreteller. Biting his thumb, his mouth filled with droplets of blood. "蛇血呕吐幻象." Drawing out his hand from his mouth emerged a dagger. With a flick of his wrist, he threw it at the clock work giant's shoulder.

It was one of the basic curses, Chunji had been taught when he was younger. A phantom blade that'd strike through armor and sink into flesh. The spell's attack was mostly a mental one. It betrayed the mind's senses and cause the body to feel pain as if it were a real dagger. Would be effective on the Foreteller? Chunji didn't know, but he was willing to try anything.

Iris Ascendis

With the knight accepting his offer of partnership, Chunji didn't waste any time walking over and climbing onto her back. By the time he wrapped his arms around her clavicle, the knight had offered another girl a ride as well. Given the rifle she was holding, that girl was the one making all the gunfire. If Chunji was displeased with this arrangement, then it was hard to tell since he didn't seem care about either. "Head down the right walkway to reach the town square, then take a left. Upon reaching the first door, we've reached out destination." As it was his newly made partner's choice, Chunji felt that his input was not necessary in the matter.

"Additionally they're over a hundred mannequins and a singular male that seems to be parroting off words and gestures in the auditorium. Evidence suggests he may be the one controlling the mannequins." An impressive feat considering how many puppets the boy controlled. Even if they varied by quality and automated, it was no doubt that it required massive amounts of skill to do so. Even so, that did not deter from Chunji from progressing.

There were many ways to proceed with this situation. Chunji didn't care as long as they got into the auditorium, but the way there could be made more easier with the right steps. "Suggestion. We can help students along the way, so they'll be able to deal with the mannequin problem for us. Or, we could head straight there and deal with ourselves." The knight's firepower seemed be trustworthy enough. Judging by how she smited the elf, from what he assumed, and trampled down the mannequins like a tornado through a town, they might be able to do it by themselves.

The girl could also additionally hide herself and try to snipe the golemancer from afar while they distracted him. Her aim was immpecable in a situation like this. Though this had the general risk of the person tanking the bullets to face like that martial artist from before. Though it may still disrupt his focus with manually controlling the puppets.

Forming a few hand symbols, he placed his palm onto the knight. "梦的循环抚慰羊群," Immediately when he casted the spell, Chunji realized the spell had an unattended effect. Chunji felt his energy slightly drained away as it disappeared into the spell. A frown appeared on his lips as it did so. He recited the incantation correctly, but it had a different outcome. How frustrating, further study was required. The unattended benefit of this however was that not only was Iraleth's strength replenished, she was also strengthened as well.