Avatar of Delta44

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4 yrs ago
Current I'm going to try my hand at drawing my gf as a Pokemon trainer with her six favourite Pokemon for valentine's/our anniversary. Wish me luck!
8 likes
4 yrs ago
Got a drawing tablet, time to draw porn
11 likes
4 yrs ago
Seeing actual bushfire footage looks straight out of Hell... It moves so quickly and so powerfully, literally the trees just ignite. You firefighters are absolute legends, but please, don't die.
2 likes
4 yrs ago
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE FUTURE! LOVE, AUSTRALIA
5 likes
4 yrs ago
Today ain't Christmas, it's garbage day!

Bio



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T H E N E R D / T H E L E G E N D
You are the wind at my back and the sword at my side;
D E L T A 4 4
together, my love, we shall build a peaceful world.
F A N B O Y O F F I R E E M B L E M
Just you...
S H I P P E R O F C H R O B I N
and me.


Welcome to my little personal den of Hell! Sorry, sorry, I meant my personal profile. Same thing, right?

I'm a roleplayer, same as any around here. I've been doing it for about five years now, coming up to six in September. Its been quite the time, thinking back. I started out fresh as can be, understanding the basics of writing but never quite knowing how to become better, or become as great as those around me. In the end, I did the only thing I really knew at the time:

Write as much garbage as possible and hope for the best!

As you can see, that particular tactic fucking failed.
Jokes aside, I like to think I've developed a lot over the years, both as a writer and as a person. However, absolutely nothing can dissuade my weeaboo ways and supporting my OTP with all that I can freaking muster! If you haven't already guessed, said OTP is Chrom x Robin (Chrobin) from Fire Emblem: Awakening. Highly recommend the game, there's a reason (other than nintendo's cheapskate attitude) that it hasn't dropped in price, it's honestly the best place to start off in the series. And hey, maybe you'll end up addicted like me and want to buy every game on the 3DS like a fucking loony?

Speaking of loonies, the Fire Emblem Chrobin Comic Dub Project has recently finished, so for those of you who also appreciate the best ship in existence, I highly recommend it. Hell, even if you're not interested in that, I do highly recommend watching it for those into fantasy love stories. The quality improves drastically with each episode, so trust me when I say by the end of it you should be thoroughly impressed. It has helped motivate me in ways I can hardly describe with words, and so I thought the least I could do was put this out there. Maybe it's not for everyone, but I know it was the perfect thing for me.






"Do you think you can tip any of the scales in here?"
"Chrom, for the love of Naga, I'm thinking..."

"So I heard."





"There are better places
to take a nap than
on the ground, you know."















Most Recent Posts

@Archmage MC


But yeah I agree with you completely XD And I don't know about Pokemon, but there is a SMT/FE crossover called "Tokyo Mirage Sessions", which is surprisingly good, but it's on the WiiU >_>

@Old Amsterdam
Right, I misread, so sorry about that!
This. I absolutely love Female Robin and playing her in Smash, but it was going to be too much work to play her right. Meanwhile I've 100% in Borderlands 2 with every character at OP8 and I know them like the back of my hand. It really was an obvious choice to make.

Plus, I really fucking love haiku. Getting to talk in only haiku? Yes please. It's amusing watching other players try to figure out what he means, and trying to make posts from someone that canonically has almost no lore is a lot of fun.

I actually had 3 choices for the immediately obvious character. Zer0, Gaige, and Athena. Given the characters that were already made when I was making that choice, Zer0 seemed like the best option for what the team could use. And, as I said, the most fun.

He was actually my first character on BL2, followed by Gaige then Maya then the Psycho, then Axton, and finally Sal. While in BL:tPS it was Nisha and then Athena then others. But damn, Athena is such a fucking BA.

Robin and the magical attacks with the character would've been a ton of fun, but I don't like to play characters I'm not familiar with. It's a shame, honestly, but it is what it is.

Did somebody say best girl?
Not to worry, if I get the chance I've already called dibs on her dork of a son, so that should be interesting ;) But if you married anyone other than Chrom, then I will have strong urges to smother you with fanart to make you change your heathen ways!

@Lmpkio
Dork son reporting potentially in future, so if someone did get their hands on Robin as a secondary, we can make some nice characterisation c:


@Lugubrious
Let me know if anything needs changing c:


While she was happy Kuuki agreed with her about her plan, she wished the gas girl had more to say. Azuki didn't know much about her companions quirks, so the more they could share the faster a half-decent plan could be made. She took more of a problem with Hiroki's response, though. "My worries aren't yours to concern yourself with. I know my own limitations, I don't need them told to me by-"
The gunshots were an unexpected interruption, causing the girl's heart to beat just that little bit faster, if only for a minute or two. With Turbines rushing off to go find out what caused it, that left Kuuki and Azukina alone to deal with the Lizard. Neither of them were really the people for the job, both for different reasons.
Fun.
"Why does he even bother talking about a break if he's going to run off like that...?" Quizzed Black-n'-White to herself, though easily loud enough to be interpreted by Umeru as a question directed at her. There was too much to focus on; the bus, the Lizard, the fire and music in the distance, her arm, it was just... overwhelming. Being the sporty girl she was, Azuki wasn't shy from stimulation, but something about the scale of what was happening made it hard to think clearly. If that awful screeching by the fires was Kaito then she would happily volunteer for another shot of audio adrenaline. But it would waste too much time getting there and back...

Speaking of the fires, with the adrenaline wearing off, the cold on her arm was becoming increasingly apparent. She was right in saying she could still use her power, but if it reached beyond her arm there would be some serious problems. But... they needed that cold to create some kind of slippery surface. Anything really to make moving the big lug of muscle a little easier.
She would have to use as little power as possible, yet minimise as much traction as she could for the journey.
And that's when it hit her.

It all came at once, a stream of ideas and thoughts collecting like she was some kind of mastermind. She wasn't, far from it, but she felt smart whenever this happened - whenever a plan came together. It got the giddy, excitable 15-year-old inside of her going. "I got it!" No doubt it'd still be a struggle. But her plan had to help somewhat. The road was in a comfortable enough condition, given your definition of 'comfortable'. She just hoped the villain -- that is, the man behind the villain -- would mind so much. "I can't use my quirk to a great degree without heating my arm back up. You could probably do that, but it will take too much time to do so and then freeze the road over. Plus, we won't get any traction on the ground if it's frozen, making it impossible to move him. So instead we do the opposite."

She did her best to gauge whether his front or back would be best, though ultimately she decided on the back, since damaging the area uncovered by scales was an injury she'd rather avoid. "I'll freeze his back enough to reduce the friction between him and the road. That way he should be able to slide easily, making him easier to drag. The bus is closer, so it might just be enough to work and keep it efficient. If you can, I'll need you to make some kind of gas to heat up my arm while I freeze his back. I think we'll need my arm in a mostly working condition because, well, I know I'm not exactly built for strength."
That wasn't to say Yomodachi wasn't fit, far from it! However, her build certainly favoured athletics to raw strength, something which could be useful if she could get a strong enough grip. "If you can't make that kind of gas, it's OK, I can still manage. I'll just have to hope nothing freezes too much. In that case, you might be doing more of the heavy lifting."
She made a pose with her arm to show off her 'muscles', a clear imitation of the great Symbol of Peace. "Lets show these villains that 'We Are Here!', and that we exert the strength of Kings, Umeru!"

And thus, the fangirl was revealed.
@follycle






Well, that was... frustrating. Over the roar of her wind, she could still make out the distinct, deep voice of a male, instructing the young hothead to stop her attack. Almost instinctively Azukina complied, and, to her surprise, the Lizard they had tried so hard to defeat got up. Just fine. Lifting and putting Hiroki and Kūki on the ground with caution, before applauding their efforts and informing them of the next part of their exam. No time for questions, they had to think on their feet, after all, and after his impressive death groan the villain fell unconscious, leaving the trio in silence.

'... Are you... Are you serious?'
Like her turbine-toting teammate, Azukina was very displeased with this outcome. She was expecting something a little more... immersive? Something more legitimate, maybe? Thinking on it awhile it made sense, the teachers had to be able to call it quits when they felt the students had done enough otherwise the exam wouldn't end soon enough, but still...
'Focus, Azuki, focus. Think. Focus. Breathe. In... And out...'
There was enough negativity in that fight alone to last the day. Too many thoughts she regretted, and that one thing she said...
It had Yomodachi groaning on the inside. She knew she needed to apologise, she wanted to, but couldn't. Not with the Lizard on the floor, 'unconscious' and unable to answer. Maybe after the exam was over.

With her mind heading in the right direction, she decided to focus on herself, starting with her arm. Pulling up her sleeve revealed an arm halfway covered with frost, giving it a blue tint. Her fingers were partially frozen, and though she still had energy in the tank, it wouldn't be ideal to use her quirk if she could help it. Not without some sort of way to heat up her arm and remove that frost. But with the massive lump of meat they now had to get to the bus, it would seem her quirk was called for, as an idea began to form in her head as Hiroki spoke.

"I'm fine, not to worry. I like the idea, though I say we try to push him, use our quirks to make the ride quicker. If we can get him to the road I can freeze it over. You can use your quirk to push, and Umeru here could lighten the load with helium, if that's possible."
She cast her eyes on Umeru. Was that possible? Probably not. But if it helped lighten the load, then it would be enough.
Bring Down The BEAST - A collab between @follycle@ShwiggityShwah@ERode@Delta44 | 33,022 Characters (more or less)


Kūki, the Gas Converter


What was the alternative, running? Letting him slip away to hurt others? It was better that someone atleast tough and quick kept him busy.
The croc came in just as quick as before, but this time he didn’t have his back to him. Hiroki was quicker, atleast in the short term, and frankly his brain wasn’t on fighting. Shouting all he could, it was more like he needed to get attention. Hiroki resigned himself that while he might eventually beat this guy, another trap or using the terrain, he didn’t have anything right now save only three marbles he had left from before, which he put in his pocket for later, knowing they weren't effective on this guy either. His only advantage was that that he was closer to the bus. It was going to take too long doing this himself. He wasn't stupid, he remembered the last time he tried to fight against unbeatable odds. He needed help.

Other examinees were probably close by and group or not, they needed the points. And a couple more hands would make this easier, and more importantly faster.

This was just a bad day. Bad luck.

He’d have to make the points up in dummies while the others dragged the defeated villain back to score.

But first he had to get that far. He boosted over the hit, flipping over the mass to land on the beasts back, maybe getting a useless hit with a wind enhanced fist at the cruck of his neck. It was just enough to keep the Beast on him specifically. He was going to fumble with the Beast, keep him in the open, make as loud a ruckus as he could and give anyone else time to assess and plan and ambush. He would ditch his spot as soon as he saw arms or if the tail was flexible enough to thwap him. Defense and dodging. And Yelling. ”I GOT A VILLAIN HERE!” he shouted. Its all he could do.

It was okay if he got hurt. So long as someone else takes him down.

[Hiroki Action= Action: Dodge, Warn, no direction movement from open street position.]

As Hiroki grasped onto the scales of the Beast’s back, he could certainly feel an incredible grittiness from each individual scale, despite their polished appearance. It was like riding on a mount made of sandpaper, and every movement would have rubbed his skin raw if it wasn’t for how much coverage his outfit gave him to begin with. But, like any rough mount, the Beast bucked and tossed, slamming its heavy back against Hiroki whenever there was a gap between rider and beast, yet still remaining away from any walls or obstacles that a less inhibited villain may opt to smash the youth against.

Following alongside Black-N'-White, Kūki made for finding Hiroki. This act in itself meant sacrificing precious time for points, and Hiroki's obvious struggling would probably come off as the perfect opportunity to get a lead on the fastest amongst their peers to some others, but Kūki and Azukina? They were different. Who could claim themselves a hero if they left someone to what would undoubtedly be a horrid fate. Sure, this was all a controlled test, and the staff likely wouldn't let things get too out of hand, but that was all the more reason to believe that this, too, was a test of their resolve. If he was being attacked by a villain, they'd just have to make up the points by absolutely taking them down.

A grin crossed the redhead's face as acknowledgement of Azukina's resolve, signified by the air growing noticeably colder around the girl. An act that, while filling Kūki with confidence, also made her wished she'd worn extra layers had she known she'd be working alongside someone with a quirk like this. She'd only have to bear with it for so long before adrenaline kicked in to warm her body, eyes meeting their target. The thrashing sounds of their bout made it all the easier to find Hiroki, mounted on the back of what Kūki could only refer to as Crocman.

Against someone (or something) like that, there'd be little Kūki could do to aid those endowed with quirks more appropriate for combat. All she could do was try to put something together that would, at the very least, make him easier to fight. "Azu, I'm going to try to create something to wear him down. I'll have to be close to him for it to have any sort of effect though, so I'll have to rely on you to freeze him in place when I'm ready. Can you do that?"

[Kūki's Action: Prepare to generate sleeping gas.]

As it would so happen, Azukina wasn't alone in her idea to follow after Hiroki's ruckus and help him out, which she was incredibly glad for. The civilians they had found were clearly low-priority, and while it would be nice to escort those they found, as well as the ones inside the buildings to safety, it could wait. But a rampaging villain destroying property, potentially causing harm to civialians and, inadvertedly, making it harder for all three to score points? It wouldn't do any of them any good to let him roam freely, and it'd likely take no less than the three of them to deal with him. Monochrome already had an idea in mind of how to make that happen.

The byproduct of her quirk began to chill the air around the duo, and Kūki may have been able to spot the fog stirring around her left arm, as though generating some kind of minor wind effect. In truth it was just something which happened that Yomodachi couldn't control, not completely unlike the particle effects breaking off of the green-haired shota. However, unlike his passive effect, hers came from a different kind of emotion: determination.
Turbines had the Lizard focused on him, which was perfect given her own quirk's ability. She could keep him still as he suffered from the cold and confusion, though she antipated it wouldn't keep him down. Still, if her limited knowledge on reptilians served her right, his quirk probably gave him the downsides of being cold-blooded, though if he could keep active then Lizard may still generate heat. All it came down to was how far she could go before feeling the effects herself.
Kūki's plan, or rather intentions, earned a nod of understanding from her peer. Though, she couldn't say with confidence she'd be able to freeze the Lizard, she could most definitely slow him down. "If we use the fog, I can probably freeze that onto him to keep him still. I'll need either you or Turbines to direct it at him, but even then, this weather gives me an advantage."

And a disadvantage, she knew too well. But now wasn't appropriate for wasting time, she had to act before the Lizard noticed her. With only a simple "Show us what you've got, Red", Azukina rushed forwards, though she didn't have to go far to reach a good range. Muscles tense, mind sharp, her pride and confidence welled within her, as did her quirk's. No point in wasting any time, she was coming at that Lizard full force to show him the true meaning of 'cold blooded'. In a voice she had not used in a very long time, she shouted:
"Turbines, get the Hell out of the way!"

Her body haulted in its tracks, and as she finished her order, the surrounding area was lit up with light and snow. It may have been hard to see with the fog, but a miniture blizzard was heading straight for Hiroki and the Lizard, carrying the full strength of Azukina's quirk behind it. It almost looked like she had thrown the wind at them, though in a more linear, continuous fashion. It was time for her to show all of them why she thought she would be number one.

[Azukina's Action: Move forward a few meters and send her quirk at Hiroki and Crocman]

Relinguishing his position on the monster's back was something he was prepared to do quickly so when he thrashed, bucking like a bull, Hiroki felt the jolt through his body and found no purchase on the creatures back. A hard roll of the creatures shoulder and Hiroki was off, taking to the air again, naturally a place that he showed his element. A quick jet to get himself upright and land just outside of the creatures reach.

From here he prepped for what to do next. Probably another word of warning... When he got a call in response.

A female voice, he knew not nor really cared whom the voice was. The conviction showed that there was atleast a plan in place to get this thing down. And then he felt it. A chill in the air, a chill that felt like it was sucking the heat out of everything. There was a soft blue, a hard white that was quickly approaching. His mind put it together in an instant. An Ice User. And the air itself was freezing. He hoped it was enough to get this guy down. Cold blooded? Right, that effected reptiles, he thought... or atleast heat did. Whatever. Slowing him down would be a start

In typical fashion, Hiroki wasn't going to be following orders, instead he position himself to the croc was silhouetted by the growing cloud of white. His engines turned on and wind and mist behind him was being sucked in. "STRAIGHT AT ME!" he shouted back and aimed his turbines. They roared to life and the cyclone winds pushed back, enough to blow a full blown man away. It looked as if tornados were being directed at him.

It was a combo, Hiroki set it so that while she pushed forward with ice, he pushed back with wind, making the croc be right in the center of an embroiling blizzard. The center of ice and water and wind, ripping all the heat out of singular area and applying two opposing forces to direct it right into an epicenter. More mist would be added to the growing thick icy cloud and completely enwrap the monster in white. Hiroki watched, if his wind was too much, or too little, he needed only back off or get closer, knowing full well how to direct its power. His element.

[Hiroki's Action: Move off croc, position him between himself and Azukina. Hiroki used Air Blast!]

A thundering wall of white rushed through the ten meter distance and drowned the Beast in pure cold almost instantly as Hiroki repositioned himself on the opposing end, braving the full force of the storm as his own turbines roared, jetting the frost blast of Azukina's White back again. For a moment, everything seemed to be working, the scaled figure of the crocodile monster only a non-descript lump within the blankness. Frost climbed up Azukina's body, while Hiroki's own turbines began to stall from condensation forming and freezing within.

But they could mak-

Over the roaring of jets and ice, the distinct crack of asphalt could be heard, before a large piece of pavement burst out from the linear white cannon. It sailed overhead, vespers of cold trailing off it as it travelled up a lazy arc. Then, in that same lazy motion, it fell down, an expansive 30 kilogram block of asphalt falling right towards Azukina.

It had Yomodachi quick to think, and as much as she didn't wish to do so, her blizzard wasn't meant to last. With a giant block of solid tar headed her direction, she had little room for hesitation, much less choose a direction to move in. The snow and frost had piled onto her body given she had stayed static while using her quirk, meaning just trying to move out of the way would be difficult in and of itself. There was always the option of diving out of the way, but that would leave her prone and sluggish, something Azuki would rather avoid.

And she couldn't use her quirk, either.
Getting any closer wouldn't be possible with Hiroki's wind and Kuki right behind her, whereas moving back could lead to more injury if the asphalt cracked or slid. The only real options were left or right, and either way she was taking a shot in the dark. But her body knew before she did that rotation could take far too long; instinct naturally made the most logical choice.
The light from Azukina's palm remained, and the wind pushed a constant breath of winter towards the Lizard. She was quick to move her body to the right, using all the strength she had in her legs to move, be it to run or get dive. Thankfully she hadn't been caught using her quirk all that long, lest her feet be covered in snow rather than her upper body.

Azukina's light shone like a beacon, however this time the blizzard was directed to her side, the monochrome teenager using it as a deterent against Lizardman to help her move out of the way. Mobility helped get the excess material off her body, ironically giving her reason to use her quirk in ways a close quarters fighter would, at least when it came to keeping on her feet. It wasn't precise, but there was no need for it to be, just powerful enough to limit the Lizard from closing the gap, even if she had to tumble and roll to get back on her feet. Anything was better than being unable to do anything, even if it cost her a bit more frost along her hand.
Yet in trying to both dodge and suppress her target, one of those actions had to compensate so she could be successful with the other...

[Azukina's Action: Use quirk to slow Lizard and avoid the asphalt, dodging right, potentially removing excess debris by doing so]

As Azukina broke off her side of the blinding blast, Hiroki's own funneled tornado turned into a headwind instead, the Beast emerging from the winter cage with only a thin layer of ice over its scales. Bounding after the tumbling monochromatic girl, the lizard monster closed the ten meter distance in the breadth of a single second, and swung its massive tail at her. With a heavy 'thwap', the scaled tail pressed beneath her ribs and tossed her in the direction of Kuuki, before the Beast's talons cracked against the asphalt and it charged at the two girls once more.

There was no need to go after the turbine lad, after all, not when it could bait him into coming at it.

Though she'd taken the time the beast was trapped as a chance to form the gas she'd planned on using to knock it out, none of them would be so lucky that he'd simply succumb to an icy prison. The creature's speed was hard to keep up with through sight alone, let alone physically. While Hiroki was the only one that could possibly stand to outspeed the beast, their opponent had clearly shown them that he viewed Black-N'-White more of a threat right now. That, or it was a lure for the one person among them that could keep up.

In an instant, Kūki found herself faced with a hurtled Azukina heading right in her direction. Catch her and lose precious seconds, or dodge and focus on her own attempts at taming the beast — there wasn't even a choice between the two. Bracing herself, legs planted firmly on the ground, Kūki outstretched her arms, acting as a much preferable cushion to the various rubble that littered the field, alongside the buildings. Unfortunately, Kūki leaned more towards being agile than physically strong, and found herself tumbling backwards upon embracing her teammate.

He's definitely going to reach us. The thought crossed her mind, and she knew with every inch of her body that it was the truth. A localized snowstorm did nothing to so much as slow it down, despite being faced with what should be an obvious weakness. Kūki'd question whether that meant the state of him ended before it came to his blood type, but that wouldn't help them any in this instance. Stuck in a situation like this, there was only one option Kūki could see that didn't involve Hiroki rushing to their rescue and no doubt being put out of commission immediately afterwards.

"Hold your breath, Azukina!" Taking in a noticeably deep breath, as though trying to make it apparent, the redhead let out the sleeping gas she'd formulated earlier in as long an exhale as she could manage. It was a gamble that wagered the villain already had knowledge of all their quirks, and that he'd back off if threatened to be downed by such a simple trick. As ferocious as he looked, Kūki knew there was still a "human" under all the scales — a human that, hopefully, lacked the immunity she had.

If she was wrong, or if he chose to attack regardless of the fact, well, she was certain she could take one hit from who she assumed was a faculty member.

[Kūki's Action: Catch Azukina, Exhale Sleeping Gas in attempt to ward off Crocman.]

The problem with a gas-based quirk though, especially one as insidious as Kuuki’s own, was that it didn’t matter how much of a threat it produced if the enemy wasn’t aware of it to begin with. Even as she exhaled plumes of the incapacitating agent stored within her lungs, the Beast plowed through, spending barely an instant within that hazardous area before bodyslamming the two girls away once more. Kuuki barreled onto the ground, bouncing off a fractured incline within the pavement. Azukina slid and struck a stop sign’s pole, and was immediately beset by the scaled monstrosity once more, its foot pressing down on her back. Not enough pressure to hurt, but definitely enough pressure to keep her down as yet another obnoxious roar resounded.

It wasn’t a matter of the effectiveness of Kuuki’s quirk. No, it was the fact that she lacked the ability to meaningful direct it in any particular manner, that they had no method of immobilizing the Beast within her gases for a long enough time to have any of her chemicals take effect.

Getting slammed in the ribs the first time by the Lizard's tail was probably one of the worst tumbles Azuki had ever experienced. The bodyslam which came soon after easily replaced everything before it.

All things considered, Yomodachi had probably the lighter of the two tumbles, Kūki being sent along the pavement and undoubtedly littering her body with bruises, if not worse. Even then, it wasn't like sliding across the street into a stop sign was a nice experience, either. She had to thank herself for the foresight to bring along clothes that covered most of her body. At first it was to keep warm while using her quirk in the fog, but it had its perks, getting ripped up in the place of flesh, sparing her from most of the more bloody injuries she may have suffered otherwise. The wind was knocked right out of her before with Lizard's tail hit, and she couldn't catch her breath right up until she collided with the signpost, leaving the teen in a coughing fit. Even despite all she had gone through, Yomodachi instrinctively tried to pry herself to her feet, though immediately a foot pressed her face to the floor.

Tears were beginning to well in her eyes, though for more reasons than just being frustrated; the pain, for one, was intense. 'This is such a sack of-' She tried to push with her arms and legs, but the Lizard just pressed down with his foot once more, pinning her. Frustration was quickly turning to anger, at her futility and uselessness. How her lack of ability wasn't just costing her potential for passing the exam, but also Kūki and Hiroki, too. It was one thing to let yourself down of your own merit, and another thing entirely to be letting others down of that same merit.
And Azukina hated that.
She hated it so, so much. In fact there was only one thing that she hated more, and that one thing was lying face down against a stop sign with a giant reptilian creature on her back. Her breathing was erratic, her body felt like it wanted to vomit, and her mind couldn't think straight if she tried. What could someone do in that position? What would any wannabe hero do when faced with a situation they couldn't handle?

"Y-you think... you've got me beaten... huh?" Seethed a voice below the beast, filled with some kind of withheld venom and anger. She was still pressing upwards all she could, even if the beast had her firmly rooted. "Who do you... think I am you scalebound, lowlife freak?!"
It was hard to tell if she was directing that at the Lizard personally or as part of some kind of roleplay, but she fully expected it would touch a nerve, and braced herself for getting her body belly-flopped onto the tar beneath her. By now it was obvious he had an interest in making sure Azukina wasn't freezing him, she had picked up on that much. He seemed awfully intent on getting her out of the fight as soon as possible, and she surmised that likely had to do with the fact her cold was doing more than she first thought. Azukina's quirk required extended exposure for noticeable effects to surface. Perhaps the real wounds lay beneath the beast's scales?

Either way, he probably didn't want to let her go soon. Most villains would be forced to stain their hands at this point so they could deal with the others effectively, though this being an exam meant she had some leeway. So long as she wasn't going to get knocked unconscious, then Lizard still had somebody else to worry about. And if she could get free, then maybe they still had a chance?
She kept her head to the side so she could watch him with one eye, fueling her gaze with a fiery determination, despite how utterly crap she felt. In spite of her position, she still tried to maintain her pride - two could play the game of pissing the enemy off, after all.
"I'm... nowehere near d-done... H-hey... Hey! Look me in the eye when I'm s-speaking to you!"
Maybe if she could get him to look her way, she could do something. Her arm wasn't pinned, and she did all she could to make it look like she was trying to get free. If she could just get his face close enough, then she could at least do something.

[Azukina Action: Feigning trying to get up and serve as a distraction so she can use her quirk when he least expects it.]

The Lizard barreled through that again too... "Son of a..."

Hiroki's engines slowed as he needed to give them a break, and the lizard ran off to deal with the new threat. He wasn't even considered the worst among the opponents. That pissed him off too. He ran forward, losing some distance as the beast came at the bicolor girl and that first annoying chick. He saw what they intended, an ice user, some kind of gas, but as per usual, he just powered through it. They had to stop the freak. They had to pin it down.

Hiroki had the same idea as before but he knew the creature must have been too heavy for the trap. He maybe broke the mechanism. But Hiroki wasn't. He fired up his engines again. Enough of a break for another sprinting go. The asphalt was frosted over but his boots found purchase as he went through the fray. The monster had Azukina pinned under its foot, so that was another little complication. This was going to be hard but maybe he'd be quick enough. The girl wasn't getting squished... so maybe the strength behind it was loose.

Hiroki took a marble in his left hand balling it into a fist and leaped, kicking his legs forward and back to the ground. He Punched his engines full blast. He'd need a hell of a timing. Azukina was trying to get his attention, he hoped it would be enough to distract the monster while he pulled this manuver. He was sliding, skating on the asphalt, the frosted layer helping out some with the friction, his jets angled just enough to keep him from grinding against it. He needed to stay low for this to work, between the monsters raised leg and standing one. He was a big boy...

With one hand, he reached out to grab Azukina, unlike catching bits of small debris, his reflex should be able to grab a shoulder, a piece of cloth, enough to use momentum to pull his peer out of harms way.

With his other hand he slammed the marble into the ground, no where near as strong as this stomping fool, but it was enough to lead his hand red from the force of it.

His plan, move fast enough by momentum to get Azukina safely, and maybe now the damn marbles would work and cast this jerk into a hole where he belongs.

[Hiroki Action: Movement to seize Azukina to free her, Action trigger marble trap under the Beast.]


Though the Beast didn’t respond to Azukina’s words with any physical retaliation, it did turn its head down towards her with a low growl, menacing enough to rattled her organs as one of its heavy talons lifted up, tapping very gently at the back of her neck. It wasn’t razor sharp or anything, but the threat was certainly there, no matter how fake it was. But that movement was enough for Azukina to unleash another burst, a torrential blast of cold air bursting from her upturned palm.

Not enough to do anything to stop the monstrosity, but certainly enough to blind it as Hiroki’s jet engines roared with finality. His workboots grinded through the slick frost on the pavement and he very much almost lost control, but through guts and luck, he pushed through, almost tearing Azukina’s shoulder out of its socket as they burst away. The Beast responded in fury, setting its foot down with a vicious crunch, but before it could take a step forward…

It paused, then pitched backwards, as if slipping on a banana peel. A marble wouldn’t have been able to displace it so greatly, but Azukina’s White had caused frost to build up in the area as well, mist forming frost once more.

Had they done it?

Perhaps they had.

But in this situation, not even the Beast could see it.

The fact that Kuuki had thought to approach from behind as well, and who now had a mass of scale and flesh bearing down towards her.

Fortunately, Kūki didn't rush her adversary without caution. Putting someone to sleep came with all sorts of risks, not the least of which is the possibility that they might fall over on top of you. Kūki'd planned on slowing herself to allow herself enough time to back step, in case she either had to dodge a falling body or try to avoid the brunt of an impact.

Unfortunately, Azukina's last ditch contribution to the cause and the marbles scattered would make it impossible for her to stop from slamming into the beast, scales digging unwelcomingly into flesh. No doubt her rush, as well intentioned as it was, would leave her with more than a few bruises and a sore back.

The light acted like a beacon, guiding the hot-headed wind user to her arm, prying her from the beast's grip like a kid stealing a toy from another kid. It felt almost like she'd pop her shoulder, but it managed to keep in place, though the pain and discomfort was more than enough to get a groan out of the teen. Though through her winced expression, Azukina could still make out the red of a familiar face: Kūki.
"Umeru!" She reached out with her free hand, but the distance between them was akin to touching the sky from the ground. Unfortunately for her, Turbines had snatched her by her left arm, so even if she wanted to help there wasn't much that could be done. Even a light layer of snow along the ground was better than the solid pavement, but maneuvering her wrist alone was hardly enough to provide aid. "Damn it, Turbines, slow down! Umeru will be crushed!"

Like Hell was Azuki going to let that happen. Umeru took the brunt of her fall twice now, and she wasn't about to let that sentiment go unpaid in return.

It was just enough to get Azukina out of the Beast's foot, he released and planted his foot already trying to double back and press the advantage. Maybe now it would work. And while the Beast didn't fall into a pit, he lost his footing falling back. The yells of the checkers girl wrung in his ears. He was focused on the task at hand, not so much trying to save Kuki from her fate but trying to finish this once and for all. "Freeze it down!" He shouted before making his gambit.

It was a clumsy attempt, trying to get purchase release the girl and double back, hoping boots found purchase and engines would allow him to get the two or so meters to the creatures face. He was aiming for the creatures head, and would throw all of his weight into it. He was aiming to reach for his maw, closing his hands around it to keep his mouth closed and use the weight of his body to help pin him down, he'd try use some leverage once they were on the ground, but right now, that girl with her gas, surely it would have some kind of effect as she tried to do it. Even if she was going to get squished, she was close to him, she could breath it on him while he was down.

With any luck, the force of using his body to go for his head would be enough to knock it off of his fall onto Kuki if just enough to keep her from getting pinned. If he managed to get it down, he'd should, putting everything into keeping his mouth shut. "GAS IT!" It was all he would have time to shout before the creature would be able to recover. The end of its nose, if she could just breath on them before he realizes whats going on.

It didnt even matter if he was so close, that gas was their best shot. It would be worth taking the villain down.

[Hiroki Action]:Body check the Beast's Head whilst falling, and attempt a pin of its mouth.

Kūki'd already resigned to her fate with eyes closed when a sudden shot of pain under her right rib sent her flying to the side. After a bit of tumbling, Kūki's body soon found ground that hadn't been frozen over. The beating she'd taken up to this point was finally starting to settle in. With one hand holding her bruised stomach, and another holding her steady on the ground. Hiroki was launching a last effort offensive against the beast now. All that work, merely to get their enemy to fall over. The fact that even with three of them, this was the most they could manage with the injuries they'd incurred. Feelings of dejection threatened to overwhelm the girl.

No. Not while the others are still trying. If nothing else, this would be their one and only chance to finish this fight. There was no turning back, no running away now. There would be plenty of time for regret once they'd officially failed, but if for nothing but the school that offered them a chance, they had to keep pushing with all they had until they were told it was over. After all, what is a hero's most defining trait, if not their stubbornness in the face of insurmountable odds.

As strong as he was, because of his build, there was no doubt that the beast would find it troublesome to get up, especially with Hiroki doing all he could to keep him down. If he used his jets to propel himself towards the ground once he was on top of the villain... "Use your jets!" One more time. A deep breath, and a painful dash forward, through the stinging feeling in her ribs and the aching of her muscles. Her bet was that the beast's collision with the ground would get rid of the frost that had accumulated around him. As fast as her legs would let her, Kūki made her way to their adversary, where Hiroki and Azukina had afforded her one more chance to prove herself.

If everything went well, the fight would be all over in but one labored breath.

[Kūki's Action: Make her way towards Hiroki and the croc, then breath directly onto his face.]

An air-headed attempt at landing from an airhead wasn't quite the cushioned landing Azukina needed right now, but it got her on the ground and allowed him to leap back into the fray, at the expense of her poor back. Even so, she wouldn't allow herself a proper rest until this exam was over, and as they were only getting started, complaining was out of the question.
In spite of how her shoulder felt, it obeyed her command to face the beast, although blasting him outright was completely idiotic. Sure, she would hit him, but it wasn't as though she failed to understand that she would hit her classmates in the process, either. Aim wasn't exactly Yomodachi's forte, but it wasn't out of the question at this range, either. The real question was where.

"Watch where you step!" Ordered Azukina, mainly to Umeru but also to Hiroki, in case he needed to get up and away.
The entire upper half of the body would be out, if she guessed what they were trying to do. His legs, on the other hand...
With a slight grunt of pain, Azuki let loose from her position, having not even bothered to stand up so not to waste time. Freezing the Lizard's legs was the only safe option to prevent her fellow examinees from getting hurt, and she imagined that could result in a loss of points, a risk she didn't want to take. It also helped that the Lizard would find it harder to move with frosted legs, not to mention the ground freezing over, making movement harder for him than it would for all three of them.
Also giving her would-be classmates hypothermia didn't sound like a good idea, either.

Unwilling to stay prone and get covered in snow, Azuki did her best to get to her feet again, however wouldn't sacrifice her quirk's continued assault just to stand up quicker.
'Come on!' She thought with determination. 'We'll show him just how serious we really are!'

[Azukina Action: Simultaneous with her classmates, Azuki uses her quirk to freeze the croc's legs. While doing so she will try to get up, but will put priority on her attack first, and getting to her feet second.]
Duel for a Future - A collab between Claw2k11 and Delta44 | 27,765 Characters

Illyarion Myriavin
and
Syllia Myriavin


AND

T R A I N I N G H A L L
S O U T H E R N J E W E L
K R O N N E S I S

The marble walls and polished floors did little to conceal the true purpose of the arena, an area so out-of-touch with the rest of the castle it was like stepping into a whole other world. Stands lined the sides of the rectangular room, a faint circle painted over the center to create an impromptu stage, as well as various chests and wall mounts with wooden weaponry, enchanted to feel like those they represented. It was currently empty, however soon it would be filled with the knights of Kron-Nesis who had the day off, so they could watch the coming fight.
A much anticipated fight, between Maryvale Reyes and Syllia Myriavin.

The Dark Knight was already in the room, her blade and armor for practice ready. Her regular armor would do well enough for the duel, though she wouldn't be using Dark Vibrance for the coming fight. Like all the knights of Kron-Nesis, she had her own enchanted wooden blade, aptly titled "Dark Stick", which was a suitable enough counterpart to use. That way there wouldn't be any fatal severing, simply painful beatings and bludgeonings. The enchantments were only made to replicate the original blade's properties, from weight to width, and all things in between. Magic was never really allowed during such duels, and just like today the king has arranged for no exception. A group of mages did their best to enforce magical barriers around the arena, which would help onlookers keep track of the battle, displaying numbers and testing audio signals.
She stood off to the side, close to one of the rows of stands, furthest from the entrance. Her focus was on her sword, simply adjusting to the minute differences in how it felt, though for the most part it was exactly as the original. Proper credit should be given to whoever made these, for if there was ever need of a blade replicator, Maryvale would recommend whoever it was who made her own wooden replica.

And her opponent, the elf Syllia had just moved inside the arena as well with a a similar wodden copy of her two shortswords, her "talons" as it were. Unlike her opponent, she wore no armor save a light gambeson to protect her from the worst parts of what damage a hit from Maryvale could mean for her. Unlike her opponent's calm demeanor, Syllia seemed to have a more confident air to her, perhaps sure that her agility would give her the victory that she desired.

Meanwhile, in the front seat stood another elven figure, fully arrmored save for the helmet. This one, unlike the few knights that were already there and prepared to cheer for either of the two ladies, had a rather displeased look on his face, fully knowing the stakes of the duel for both of the two fighters on the stage.

With the fight's beginning now minutes away, it left the Dark Knight to wonder just who would show up? Surely her liege, Princess Azymn, would do so, and perhaps some other members of the royal family, no doubt. She had promised, and already made arrangements with her father, so she was free from the Kron-Nesian courts for today. Her father, the Grand Marshal, could potentially make it, though it all depended on whether he was still suffering an extensive workload. She had wished to see him, but had been unable to for days, given a number of recent events that kept the two away from one-another. Though it did not distract her, part of her wished to display to her father the fruits of what she had learned; they hadn't sparred in a good while, and he had not witnessed her recent growth.
There was one person, however, who had already made himself present, whose expression drew a glance from the corner of Maryvale's eye.
She couldn't help it, his look was far too displeased for her liking - she had to speak up. "Illyarion," she began, not quite facing him, "you look upset. I take it you're worried about the defeated party?"

She had an awful habit of putting things bluntly, but one had to admit her senses were keen. Even if it was written all over the Elve's face.

"Quite so." Illayrion answered, as unlike most people, he had grown quite used to her blunt demeanor. "I care about both you quite a bit and you both have quite a lot on the table for this match." He said, his expression relaxing a bit. "To be honest, I didn't think the king was that smart. This way, he wins no matter who wins and who loses this match." A hint of rage appeared on the man's face the more he pondered about the situation.

However, after a few moments of intensity in his expression, he sighed to calm himself down. "However, even so, I expect both of you to fight as hard as you can!" This time, he turned towards Syllia as well. "No underestimating your opponent, understand?"

Syllia nodded wordlessly at her master and turned towards Maryvale, now with a large excited grin on her face. "Ready, Maryvale?" She asked, forming up into her combat stance as the time for the start of the duel drew near. It seemed that she was not nervous at all about the results of the duel, or if she did, she hid it really well.

People started to pour in given a couple more seconds, knights of varying repute, including Konrad, the second strongest knight in the realm. And one of these knights entered the arena, having woodden weaponry on him as well. This selected knight was to be as a sort of referee and to stop the fight should one of the two fighters become a bit too overzealous in their combat. Maryvale could recognize this knight as one of the king's bodyguards, she had never quite caught his name, though she did know that he was a quite skilled swordsman himself.

As he reached the edge of the arena, this knight raised his hand and awaited for a few moments so that both Syllia and Maryvale would have time to enter their favored stance, or just do some last second preparations.

"We're getting this started sooner than expected." Quipped the Dark Knight as she entered a deceivingly defenseless stance, blade at her side rather than holding it in front of her, only wielding it with one hand. It tended to put others off-guard, how easily she could wield her blade, heavy as it was, with only one hand. Two was always better, but if need be, one would suffice. "I am prepared."

She caught the sight of the last entrant, blue cape standing out as much as her marble hair. It was a habit one had to develop as retainer: always know how to locate your liege in a crowd. It made Maryvale smile. "My name is Maryvale Reyes, first daughter of Grand Marshal Lenius Reyes, of the Grand Kingdom of Kron-Nesis. As retainer to Princess Azymn and current occupant of the realm's greatest knight, it is by my honour that I must accept your challenge, Syllia Myriavin. May we battle fair; glory to the victor, and honour to the defeated." With her little speech out of the way, Maryvale awaited either Syllia or the referee to speak next, be it to prove one's honour, or the other to start the duel.

As Maryvale proclaimed her readiness, Syllia's smile twitched slightly before she herself started to speak. "My name is Syllia Myriavin, first daughter of Illayrion Myriavin. As a knight candidate, I am honored that you would accept my challenge and I hope that no matter who the victor will be, we will stay on good terms! " She said, and seeing Maryvale's relaxed stance, she herself relaxed her stance, lowering her swords and she herself seemingly dropping her stance.

She had studied Maryvale's fighting, she had even had a few mock duels with her in the past, she knew not to be fooled by this seemingly defensless stance, so she had to be ready for any sort of movement. She turned towards the referee and simply nodded towards him, signifying her readiness.

He himself gave a quick nod, and raised his arm out in front of him, letting it stay. He looked to his left, then his right, before dropping his arm with force.
"Fight!" The referee shouted from the edge of the arena.
The battle had finally begun.

Where once Syllia might have charged, she just slowly walked towards Maryvale with a confident smile on her face and stopped just outside what she considered to be Maryvale's reach would be, staying there and daring Maryvale to make the first move and if possible, the first mistake.
Her predictions were made easy, for as she approached, the Dark Knight raised her blade in Syllia's direction, so to not let her get too close. She showed no real emotion, no sign of happiness or excitement or sadness or anger; serious as always. Though most knights would consider Maryvale's stance too open and entirely foolish, there were a few who knew that her way of fighting was never so simple. She didn't fight using just her sword, after all.
Not too keen on letting an opportunity pass, she lunged forward, pressing her body into her blade, which was suddenly across her body rather than extended outwards. In what seemed like a second, she had gone from completely relaxed to battle ready, and no lesser knight would have seen the subtle hints to her shift in weight to accomodate for her forward momentum. While her sword was between both their bodies, it looked as though she intended to bodyslam Syllia, her charge filled with force.

Of course, her opponent was no lesser knight. She too remembered the few duels and sparring sessions they had done, though few were actually official. Though there were times where the Elven Knight had beaten her, it wasn't as though she could beat every other knight as Maryvale could, so it was hard to say who would be the victor of this duel. With the stakes as high as they were, it would keep everyone, especially the two in the ring, on their toes.

Thankfully, the duels that the two had been a part of, had shown in part a few of the Dark Knight's moves and as such, Syllia fully expected a charge, though at the speed that Maryyvale had charged almost took the elven fighter by complete surprise, sidestepping from the charge by less than an inch. She dreaded to think what would have happened if she had taken that charge full force, it may have ended the duel moments after it had began.

She did not dwell on it, though, the charge made the Maryvale defenseless and unable to parry an attack. With amazing speed, Syllia quickly threw two quick lunges towards Maryvale, both aimed at the back of her legs, hoping to force her opponent to her knees and perhaps open a few more strikes for her.
It wasn't entirely unexpected that Syllia would dodge and try to make a counterattack. She had faced off against Illyarion enough times to get the gist of how quick and cunning an opponent could be. Thankfully her forward momentum carried her just enough to avoid one blade, though unfortunately not the other, as it sunk into the back of her leg armor. In knocking out one knee and not the other, it caused her to almost stumble forwards, only just able to catch herself with her other leg. The weight of her armor or sword didn't help, but it was far from a death blow.

She quickly pressed off of her forward leg, using it to get some backwards momentum, swinging her sword around in an arc with anticipation. Even if it failed to connect with Syllia, it would lead into whatever she could try to hit Syllia with next. After all, that was Maryvale's fighting style in a nutshell:
Momentum.

Yet, Syllia did not seem to back down from the attack that would be fairly easy to dodge, however, as she did not to lose her momentum she budged not one inch and instead instead, she used one of the two things that defined her fighting style, speed and flexibility. She lowered her torso in order to dodge to attack and at the same time, she fought to keep herself on her feet.
Thankfully, she had been trained by Illayrion for most of her life, so this was not something very difficult to do for her and in the moment the sword passed her by, she steadied herself and charged straight for the now vulnerable Maryvale, striking with both her shortswords towards any human's most vulnerable point, their throat.

As she attacked, a large confident grin could be seen on Syllia's face and if one were to look in to the crowd of knights gathered there, the few that supported her sported the same grin as they knew that a strike to the throat would be severely damaging to the Dark Knight, if not incapacitating, should they properly hit.

Maryvale saw just how close Syllia truly was, and used the opportunity to spin arond full force, so she could land a devastating punch, preferably to the face. However, it would seem she was too aggressive for her own good, as Syllia avoided the attack entirely, and struck directly in the neck with both her blades, seemingly in an instant. It made the Dark Knight freeze in place, caught winded by the surprise move, completely throwing away her previously accumulated momentum. She caught herself on her sword, though it wasn't without a small stumble, forcing her to reaffirm her stance.
'That... hurt...' She thought to herself as the ache of her throat, only barely finding room to breath, immediately put Maryvale in a disavantage. She wasn't out of the fight, but it surely had made its mark, which served only to fuel the fire of Maryvale's rage. 'Not yet... Don't get angry yet...'

Syllia was smarter than many of her opponents, but she fought like Illyarion, which meant she didn't have to worry about being surprised so much. It was a pain that she couldn't just use her magic to corner the little snitch, but, as were the rules of the duel, she was not allowed. She'd have to focus more-so than usual to win, and guide her blade true, rather than use overwhelming force.
Not that she would forsake overwhelming force if she could.

The Princess, who had found her own purchase besides Illyarion, was analyzing the fight to pick up any useful information about the two fighters. In spite of the stakes involved she couldn't help herself, wanting to know just what kind of skills each of them had in store for the other. In her mind, it was natural for Syllia to target points of weakness that Maryvale had, such as the legs or the throat, and would likely go for the head multiple times, as the Dark Knight wasn't wearing a helmet. Her retainer, on the other hand, seemed more likely to go for the dualist's body, being the easiest part to hit and also the best way to knock her opponent down in as few strikes as possible. While her gaze never shifted from the fight, her words were clearly meant for the Elven man who sat beside her.
"The stakes for this battle are high, are they not...?" She had a somber tone in her voice as she spoke. Almost grim. "In the end, no matter who wins, the other will be forced out of the palace at best, and out of the city at worst. As much as I would like to be excited for this fight, I can't shake this sense of unease..."

Her shuddered sigh was a typical sign of Azymn beginning to tear up, though she didn't look as though she would just this very second. Still, she was undoubtedly sad, for no matter how this fight turned out, the princess would lose a friend; a lose-lose scenario. "But... I'm glad you're here, to make sure she won't back down, for my sake. I would not forgive myself if I simply let Syllia go and leave, just so Maryvale could stay. This is how it should be... It's... the fair way of doing things. Even if I'd rather it not happen in the first place..."

Illayrion, who was not even looking at the princess, placed a hand on her shoulder as she spoke. He knew how close she and Maryvale were and he knew how heartbroken she would be were the Dark Knight lose her title as the strongest knight and forced to leave.
"I would be happy as well, my lady since I have been a teacher to both, but the stakes make me sick to my stomach when I think of the consequences and angry when I think of the one who caused this." Illayrion would have said more, he would have complained more about the king, he would have cursed the king even more, but the respect he had for the princess prevented him from doing this, instead he sighed and kept his hand on her shoulder to try his best to reassure her.

"Just know, that whoever loses will enter my Ravenguard and they won't be lost to you forever." He said and quickly realized that this was a poor way of consoling the princess, as the Ravenguard was allowed to enter the capital only once a year and not stay for more than a month.

Instead of saying anything more, Illayrion just kept his hand on her shoulder and spoke no more, for a little fear of saying something even worse.
"That... makes me happy."
She turned to face him now, an honest look of gratitude on her face.
"Thank you, Sir Myriavin. That would make me very happy, to even be able to see them at all. I can live knowing I'd be able to see one of them again, as they are in your capable hands."
The princess turned her attention back to the fight, and fell silent as the battle continued.

Meanwhile, Syllia, who was woefully unaware of the consequences the duel had, decided to press her advantage and launched another flurry of blows, directed at her legs and aimed to knock the Dark Knight off her legs and end this duel once and for all.
But, if there was one mistake Syllia could make, it was thinking anything would be easy when fighting Maryvale.
In her haste to end the duel as quickly as possible, it would become incredibly apparent that haste was not something to take when fighting the Dark Knight. As she rushed forwards to strike her, Maryvale spun around, her force overwhelming in spite of the heavy armour she wore, sword tearing through the air like some massive club. It came from below, where she was attacking from, and though Syllia was able to land one blade, the other was sent hurtling across the arena and into a wall right by one of the knight's heads in the top row stands. Maryvale's blade had made direct contact with the shortsword, and if Syllia hadn't let go when she did, her arm would at minimum be dislocated.

Either way, with Syllia so close it wouldn't do to have her getting in a free slash, so kicking with her foot was the most effective way at trying to shoe off her attacker. If she didn't move then she'd get a kick to the face, most likely, though she could probably back away in time to avoid the hit. Though it was starting to annoy Maryvale that she still hadn't gotten a single hit in yet...

In a swift attack, Syllia was reminded that Maryvale was not just some random brute and realized that not only had she had just lost her initiative, but any advantage she may have had over the Dark Knight.
However, the fact that she had just lost one of her weapons did not make Syllia any confident in her chances of winning, it had just made her a bit more cautious with her attacks. She jumped back, avoiding Maryvale's kick and any potential damage that might have done to her. Now realizing that her regular stance would not work with just one sword, she entered a duelists stance, placing her free hand at her back at holding the shortsword forward.

Though the stance itself was more effective with a rapier or a sword with a longer reach, it was the only thing she could do at the moment until she would be able to either disarm Maryvale as well, or perhaps even incapacitate her, though she struggled to think how she would be able to do that. Now, Syllia was focused on her defense, ready to dodge any attack that the Dark Knight might have against her and hopefully be able to exploit that opening enough for her to finally claim victory.

But was Maryvale inclined to give her that opening?
No.
And she sure as all Hell wasn't about to let Syllia rest for even a moment, either. With a small amount of her esteem reinvigorated, the knight let her blade fall into both her hands, now targeting with precision as opposed to raw power. Her opponent was undoubtedly skilled at avoiding attacks from larger foes, so she had one of two options avaliable to her, and frankly, Maryvale disliked that second option, what with her recent luck.
Her eyes narrowed on approach, looking to go for an arcing slash from above. However, within the last moment or two she let go of the blade with one hand, using it to counter her previous attack - a feint attack. Her real attack, another body-centered attack, had the full force of her best arm and a spin behind it, as well as Maryvale's ambition to get just one goddamn hit in!

For a moment, Syllia's mind imagined what the hit would do as she often tended to do. It kept her on edge enough for her not to become too complacent with her skills again. Thankfully, Syllia's luck had come back as fast as it had disappeared and she was able to sidestep Maryvale's charge at the last moment and leaving the Dark Knight open to attack once more.
And attack she did.
With Maryvale behind her at the moment and unable to block the strike in time, using all of her strength and all of her knowledge of the human body, Syllia swung her shortsword with all of her force at the back of the head of the Dark Knight hoping to knock her out for good this time.

So confident in her own feint attack she was, Maryvale didn't expect Syllia to dodge out of the way, let alone counter. In a rush faster than she could have anticipated, her opponent landed a devastating blow to the back of her head, causing her to tumble forwards. Nausea was creeping up on her, a roaring headache rippling through her head, not only from the attack itself, but from the sheer rage that she felt towards her opponent.
"I'll... kill you..." She muttered with searing venom in her tone, now staggering to keep upright. She was breathing heavily, eyes half-lidded, like some kind of reanimated undead. Her sword kept her upright, though soon enough she got to her own two feet, eyes reengaging with her opponent. She was absolutely enraged, ready to jump into a frenzy at any moment.

But she wasn't mad at Syllia. She wasn't enraged at her opponent.
No. Maryvale was angry at herself.

The arena seemingly caught its breath as the Dark Knight, the strongest knight in the realm, collapsed onto the dirty floor in a heap. She had been knocked unconscious. Syllia Myriavin was the victor. Though the princess rushed forward to her friend's aid, little could be done about her conscious state, as she felt herself fade into the darkness...

Meanwhile, the rest of the arena held their breath, thinking that Maryvale would jump back up and fight once more, but that moment never came. Even the referee raised his hand, but waited for a few moments as well to see if the Dark Knight would get back up to her feet, but once more to no avail.
"The victor is Syllia Myriavin and as per the conditions of this duel, not only has she become a knight, but she has taken the title of Strongest Knight in Kron-nesis at the same time!"

Syllia felt a flush coming to her cheeks and her smile turning into a grin just from the sheer wave of emotions that the victory had caused. Soon, the crowd of knights began to cheer, though some did still keep quiet for their own reasons, either because they had supported Maryvale, or that they simply did not like elves. She looked through the crowd, searching for the smile of the only person she really cared about, her own father, Illayion.

However, it seemed that her expectations were shattered as Illayrion entered the arena itself. He didn't have a smile, he was not happy for her, he was sad, frowning that Maryvale had lost instead of being happy that she had won. He did not even come to congratulate her first, he joined the princess over the Dark Knight's unconscious body.
Rage boiled within her and she wanted to catch her fathers attention, had the referee not continued speaking, nearly having to shout to cover some of the still ongoing cheers of the knights in the stands.

"Also, as per the conditions set, Maryvale Reyes having lost the title of Strongest Knight, is no longer fit to be the bodyguard of Princess Azmyn and as such, she shall relinquinsh the position to the current holder of the title, Syllia Myriavin!" The referee shouted, followed by another wave of cheers from the crowded knights.
However, she could not be happy right now, she finally realized that she had just separated two lifelong friends. She fought only for the attention of her father, for she did not care for the knighthood itself or the city that much. She would be sad that she would not be able to see Azmyn anymore, but it wouldn't have been the end of the world, she could always go back to Illayrion's castle near the mountains. Meanwhile, Maryvale had fought with her entire livelyhood at stake... and lost.

Syllia turned towards Maryvale and the princess and fell to her knees next to the two, placing a hand on the princess' shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that..." Was all Syllia could muster to say. Her mouth was still open, yet, no words were coming out of it, all of them were stuck in the back of her throat at the realization of what she had done.
And yet, the princess shook her head, wrapping her arms around Syllia and pulling her close.
"According to the rules of someone omnipotent, this is how it must be. It's OK, Syllia. I'm glad to see you didn't back down, and throw away your own life for my sake." Undoubtedly the princess was upset, but she was doing her best to keep herself together. She couldn't help herself. If Maryvale was gone, then...
"I-it's... OK. I might be losing a friend v-very soon, but it's a chance to become closer with another. We haven't known each other very long, Syllia, b-but I hope... we can be close friends."

Syllia had handled demons torturing her and doing all sorts of things to her without shedding a tear, yet, she could not handle the princess' kindness at all. She wrapped her arms around Azmyn as well and simply started to cry her eyes out like she had not done in a long time.

Though the display itself was fairly touching, the duel had concluded and many of the knights present there slowly started to exit the arena itself, speaking to each other about the parts of the fight they loved, or that they hated, should they have been Maryvale's supporters. In through the crowds snuck through someone, not a knight, but a messenger here for Maryvale and Azmyn, not knowing what had just happened in the arena.


There hadn't been any need to even consider the cat's presence before Azukina had bolted off, though the sound of sarcasm dripping in the distance put something of a smile on Yomodachi's face. It was the redhead, Kūki, who had her attention. Wasn't she one of those that spoke out against her in the beginning? Why was she even tagging along?
Her pace slowed somewhat to help the other student conserve stamina, even if her boost wouldn't make it much longer. A solo boost that enhanced physical ability wasn't going to help her much anyway, and it made more sense to just let it go if she had a plus one. Given her drive wasn't solely focused on gunning it to the nearest villain, it gave her some vital time to think and reconsider herself, and how to best approach the redhead. She had introduced herself, it was completely disrespectful to not provide the same.

"Yomodachi. Azukina Yomodachi. My quirk allows me to release a snowstorm from the palm of my left hand, which is useful to keep people from moving around. If you ever need to find me in a confrontation, follow the cold."
She did her best to flash the redhead a smile, though it looked more cocky than friendly, however unintentional. Even so, she wasn't arguing with Kūki, which was the third time today she had gotten along well enough with someone to talk without getting heated. "As for civilians, so long as no villains are around, I am with you completely. However, I feel it should be our perogative to deal with a threat before it can cause more harm; if we can deal with both at once, all the better."

The running took the pair to an area not entirely unlike their starting position, however as they drew nearer the cries of the dummies grew louder and louder, each one unique, both in voice lines and how they were positioned. Seeing how everything was laid out firsthand, it made Yomodachi call into question how she had previously viewed the exam. How had she been so stupid? To compare a hero course's exam to the standards of typical academics, it was totally foolish. Thankfully, even without her boost to mental clarity, the sight before her gave her a new perspective that could just help her and her teammate get through the challenges ahead of them.
"... I think I understand this exam a little more now." Began Black-n-White with a watchful eye, making out some of the dummies in the open. "There isn't going to be a standard when it comes to how many points you earn per dummy. That is to say, each dummy will likely give a different amount of points, depending on how they are trapped and how they are handled."
She had to speak quickly to avoid wasting time, but didn't have much else to say. "The villains will probably be the same: different points depending on scenario or skill. We should clear out the civilians in this area, as we are so close to the safezone, provided we don't get attacked. I suggest I take the ones in the open, while you search the buildings, though if you'd like to stick together till we verify the area as 'safe' I understand."

If Gas Girl's quirk meant she could avoid the dangers of harmful gases, then her working indoors, where leaking gas pipes may have ruptured, sounded like the best course of action. Meanwhile, Azuki's own quirk worked best when there was a lot of space provided, so in her mind it made sense for her to stick to the outside. But she wanted Kūki's thoughts before they went ahead.

Kūki, the Gas Converter

Despite how misleading the girl's actions from earlier may have been, earning her a rather premature label as someone who thought teamwork a bonus rather than a priority, talking with her one on one revealed a different truth. Though they'd been on somewhat opposing sides early on, they both had relatively the same goal in all of this, as Kūki imagined most of them here probably did. Kūki was grateful the girl decided to slow her pace, knowing full well that with the boost she received, she could've just as easily ignored the strawberry, prioritizing points over working together. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all...

After having made acquaintances, Kūki followed the monochrome girl to an area much like that they'd started in. The gas girl didn't find it that surprising, as they hadn't yet traveled very far. There was no telling how drastic a change the environment might go through right around the bend, but for now, the 'civilians' at hand needed tending to. Listening to Yomodachi's conclusion in regards to the exam, Kūki couldn't help but agree. It would make the most sense for them to grant points based on how skillfully a rescue is performed, while also factoring in its base difficulty. A sigh escaped her, relieved that she was working with someone so astute. Those without this knowledge might haphazardly just try to gather as many dummies as possible, as recklessly as possible and, ultimately, only end up hurting their point total.

All around them could the cries and whimpers of the injured be heard. Kūki herself could tell that many were within the buildings, though one seemed to be placed in such a manner so as to make itself more pronounced, having gotten itself stuck inside a wall. It's larger size and the loud grunts made its presence most noticeable, and Kūki couldn't help but wonder if there was a reason for that. Nearby was a smaller dummy, legs fastened tightly in a sewer. In this situation, Kūki believed they were testing whether or not a student would prioritize a child or an adult. If she had to pick, it would clearly be the child.

"If it's alright, I think we should tend to the ones we can see right now, before splitting off prematurely. We don't know where villains could be hiding, after all, and if they were to catch one of us by ourselves while either of us is in the middle of a rescue..."

Kūki's voice trailed off under the sharp sound of a sudden roar. From the sound of it, the redhead had to guess it came from Zone 4, where Hiroki supposedly was. Before the pair knew it, yet another branch had been added to their tree of decisions: rescue the dummies here, or see to Hiroki's safety?


The roar was familiar, Azuki felt, similar to the one they had heard at the beginning of the exam. She watched the direction of the sound with intensity, though after several seconds in relative silence, she visibly relaxed. "You're right, we should work on saving those we can before running off alone. And while these two don't appear in immediate danger, if we can find a way to help them, that would do us well. I'll try to work on the larger dummy - you try and help the small one in the sewer."

With a light jog, Azukina made her way to the distressed grunts of a dummy half stuck inside a wall. It seemed like he was positioned as thoough trying to fit through a gap of collapsed or broken wall, but couldn't quite make it. Some leverage would help, or something to push him through. Even something as simple as lubrication. As it happened, Azuki only had one of those abilities, yet even then it probably wouldn't be enough. Although, there was one option, if only a little foolhardy. Yet as she thought it over, the distraction that was the roar was an awful lot closer than before, and this time, she could hear Turbine's voice, too...

If Kuki hadn't heard it then she likely would soon, maybe even feel a chill in the air, as Yomodachi left the lodged dummy to seek out the source of the roaring. Most pressingly, she had to find Hiroki.

[Action: Locate source of roaring/Hiroki's yelling]
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