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BingellyThe sadistic smirk on Gil's face turned into a cry of outrage as his opponent counterattacked, easily sending the Emperor off to the side and introducing his face to the unforgiving metal of a shield. Dropping his guard, he cried out, “What!? I had the perfect technique, you son of AUGH!”[/color] Gil's indignation and complaint coalesced into a single wordless utterance of pain when James sword raked across his torso, splashing blood onto the cobblestones. Staggered and disoriented, Gil nevertheless managed to spot Artemis preparing to fire. “Oh, no you don't, cheapshot!” He raised his scimitar to block the incoming arrow, seemingly forgetting to move it away from his head, and the force of the magical arrow knocked his sword's pommel straight into his own forehead. In a manner most undignified the Emperor dropped to the ground, dazed and bleeding, moaning excuses.
Sadie, meanwhile, pouted to see that Cody had been able to keep her gambit from paying off. Her good mood surged back in like a flood, however, when Levi charged out from his comrade's protective shield to attack. “Fool!” she sang, extending a hand toward her charger attacker. “You've hoisted yourself by your own petard, and will now become my next plaything.” Unfortunately, as Levi approached, he remained decidedly human and dangerous in form, and Sadie's confidence ebbed from her like water from a squashed sponge. “Uh...this...usually works...” Her hex had yet to operate, however, when Levi's corrupted arm crashed into her and threw her, agonized and screaming, several yards backward. A few flaps of her wings righted her orientation, but only for a moment; in her path lay Gil, still indignant and indisposed, over whom she tripped and fell backward. Head met cobblestone with a loud crack of carapace, and as she slipped partly into unconsciousness the Empress berated her partner, “Gil, you nonce! You tripped me...such a prick...”
Sighing, the object of her criticism attempted to rise, but could only wince. “Stuck-up snob. Coulda taken this chump if you watched...my back.” He opened one eye to view the Phoenix Wing mages clustered around them. “Ah, don't interrogate me. We were just...having fun. Don't...take us to your master...pretty please?”
If either Lockheart or Lakota took any notice of the warning signs circling Mark and Luna like portentous crows, they did not betray it. With a smirk the Sun raised a feathered fist and brought it down like a jackhammer into the pavement, cracking the cobblestone in a foot-wide radius and pulverizing that at the epicenter into an ashy powder. Meanwhile, Wheel of Fortune found herself overcome but a brief fit of laughter, short but strong enough to squeeze a tear from her eyes. When she wiped them away, a spray of orange lightning sparked around her fingers, crackling deeply on contact with the air. “Oh, ho, ho, you misunderstand! We're not with the law—at least, not human law. We serve what you might call a higher authority. I'm rather convinced you will be coming with us, Mark. Cooperation is not optional.”
The next instant, Lakota sprang toward the Maker wizard with both claws extended. Through madly grinning teeth she bellowed, “Show me what you've got, little man!” Her partner, meanwhile, lashed her tentacles to throw a flood of carrot-colored electricity Luna's way.
The arrival of a seriously pissed Zodiac summoner and the subsequent manifestation of his dragon brought an annoyed look from the Lovers and a psychopathic chortle from the Hanged Man. “Well, if it ain't the runt what beat me at the Akane Resort! Where yer friends? Without 'em, yer good fer nothin'! Ya woulda been another corpse aboard me ship! This time, I'm gonna carve ya bloody gut up t'feed me crew!” He spotted Thor as well, given away by her wing manifestation. “Ah, another ole friend! How's about we catch up on ol' times?” A ghostly green luminescence danced across his armored suit and carapace, its ethereal glimmer flickering heartily despite the direct glare of the sun. With a menacing deliberation, Proteus floated a few inches off the ground, and drew his blade across his own throat to demonstrate what awaited Gabriel. Seawater spilled from the grisly gash onto the ground, where the grass withered and died.
A hand fell onto the Hanged Man's barnacle-encrusted shoulder. He whirled halfway around to see the Lovers with morose expressions on their faced. “Proteus. Would you go and start the blaze? I...never learned how to make a fire. It's just sad, I know, so very sad.” Grumbling, the specter turned to leave, only to be met by Thor, furious and alive with electricity. Cackling, Proteus held up his claw to block the electric impacts, his ghostly essence forming into spiral barrier. When Thor attempted to hit the Hanged Man with electric wings, the specter banished the shield in a flash of green light, and a flurry of ropes exploded from beneath his claw's shell to catch Thor off guard. As she struggled with the ropes, Proteus flew forward, pushing the Lightning wizard few hundred feet backward. “I don't think yer ready t'face me, pipsqueak! Lemme take a good look at yer face, so I can turn it inta fish food!”
Gabriel and his dragon were alone with the Lovers, two against two. Jann stepped forward tentatively, his two-sided serpent coiling around his waist. “You look sad too...terribly sad. Let us set you free, free of sorrow, responsibility, morality, and pain...” With no warning the voice changed. It was two voices in one, male and female, both talking in a whisper but unnaturally loud. “Forever.”
He advanced toward Gabriel, his face a mask of pity.
With Hunter ready to brawl, Imani first jumped backward out of immediate melee range. Moving in a ceremonial fashion, she traced the outline of a large circle with the palms of her hands, though no trace of magic appeared, before crossing her arms. Her lion face remained still now, eyes wide and observant, and no sound came from within her.
Hunter, however, would begin to feel a burning sensation all around him, flowing from the air into his skin through his pores and filling his veins with fire. Even while Imani stood still and at ease, with no sign whatsoever of a spell or curse, Hunter was assailed by a searing, vital energy coursing through him. Relaxed for the time being, those golden, glittering eyes of Justice fixated on Hunter, waiting to see what course of action he would take against this invisible, unidentifiable assault.
Fleo Plector – Phoenix Wing Stands
Fleo flew to her feet and cheered. ”Yeah! Another win for Phoenix Wing! No one can stop us!” Overjoyed at her guild's victory despite her general distaste for Karn's methods, she bounced around the stands sharing in the hype and scattering a good deal of dust here and there. Some of her enthusiasm, doubtlessly, came from the fact that the day was over; no more sitting around and waiting for this dusty woman! After a few minutes of celebration, Fleo suggested to nobody in particular, ”Anyone up for drinks?
In the spacious and comforting confines of his head, Nero mulled over Trinity's suggestions. When thinking of his guild idea and pulling the silly but catchy name 'Miracle Eye' from somewhere too lewd to mention in good company, he hadn't been completely serious. The more he thought about it, however, in tandem with the notions posited by the Phoenix Wing sorceress, the more he liked the idea. An independent union, made of troubled mages overcoming their problems to do great deeds for potentially extravagant fees...or perhaps completely for free. ”A very nice sound, yeah. Though I think guilds get more benefits and attention. That might be a good way to head after all. Never liked the sound of 'master', though. Whaddya think of 'Emperor Nero'? Heh, I kid, I kid. Or do I adult? Haven't the foggiest, hee hee.”
Once inside, he attempted to take stock of his surroundings but found himself distracted yet again by the hypnotic undulations of Eve's doughy midsection. Shaking himself out of it, he focused on her words instead. ”No problem, I forget yer magic isn't really suited to a range. If ya want to try a weapon I'll try and a-range it for ya, but watchin's just as well.” He turned his everpresent, jovial grin on Trinity. ”That's right, toots! Now performin', one day only, Nero and the Actual Attack! Step right up and take a look, we're just about to get heated up!” When the group arrived at the well-protected magic zone of the range, the Genie stepped up to the gallery first, setting his sights on the bullseye. Putting his hands together, he created a double finger-pistol using both index and middle fingers. Closing one eye and sticking his tongue sideways, he took careful aim. ”Hold onto your hats, ladies and lady, it's time for a....Genie Slayer Secret Art: Annihilating Skyfall Blackneedle!”
With as much drama as he could, he slammed down his 'triggers', smacking the thumbs into the barrel of his finger-pistol. From the tips of his fingernails a tiny magic circle formed, shot out a dark blur, and disappeared. The blur sped toward the target, too fast to properly make out, and with a donk buried itself halfway in the target about halfway. When its quivering stopped, it could be recognized as nothing more than a black needle. A few moments passed while a resounding nothing occurred; Nero then turned back to grin at his friends. ”Whaddya think? The actual spell is just 'blackneedle'; anything I say before than is meaningless! Towering Ascension Blackneedle, Hurricane Lightning Sword Art: Blackneedle...all are exactly the same thing! I learned this spell after realizing that everyone always calls out their attacks, and the longer it is, the stronger it is. It's a grand act of deception! Aren't I a stinker?” Despite the unimpressive effect of the blackneedle, it would be clear to any observer that this was a spell designed not only to deceive, but to permanently eliminate the deceived.
