Psyker Landshark

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Renar Hagen

"Your time is appreciated." Renar bowed his head to Sir Aglan before stalking off in the direction of the library he was pointed to. Hopefully, this lead would get him somewhere. The son had already been ruled out in terms of actions, lest he be playing at some inane scheme. And 'the butler did it' would just be trite if it were true. To say nothing of the fact that there would be no discernable motive, short of being bribed by outside parties. Best to double check later, but for now, questioning the son would do.

Renar entered the library, quickly pointing out the only person within who could have been the duke's son. He approached, bowing.

"Lord Dannic? Pardon my intrusion. I am Renar Hagen, one of the Knights of the Iron Rose investigating your father's condition. Would you mind terribly if I asked you some questions regarding the matter? Forgive the presumption, but have you gone through any of your father's personal effects at all since this began? Any journals or private documents that could give a hint as to what party could possibly cause this?"

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Ranbu no Izayoi

"Haaah...haaah..." Izayoi's breath was ragged, her aether reserves exhausted by her double-layered materia manipulation. She sunk her sword into the deck board as a crutch to steady herself, glaring up at the airship once it was confirmed that those in the water had been secured.

For his part, Valon clicked his tongue in irritation as he looked down at the scene below.

"Bring Hojo's meat doll, they said. She'd be useful, they said." He murmured disdainfully under his breath, bending his knees. "Brought down in one shot by some nameless mage girl. Gods, why do they even let that idiot have a laboratory?" The renegade dragoon leapt clear out of the airship, a purple streak coming crashing down where the waves were filling the ocean surface back up. Valon shot past Siren on his leap down, feet touching the rising water for but a moment before he leapt off the water itself. He took Leviathan's unconscious vessel in his arms on his way back up, narrowly landing once more on the deck of the airship.

Valon casually threw Siren's unconscious form to the side, her bouncing slightly along the metal deck as he looked back down to the Scurvy Fishman and its occupants.

"Alright, I'll admit it. You've impressed me. Your help is certainly far more impressive than mine, Galahad. As a favor to you and little Rudolf over there, I'll leave you with a breadcrumb: I serve the True King of Edren! Down with the worthless pretender Leonhart, may he rot on his ill-gained throne! Helmsman, take us away-"

Eliane chose then to take out the ship's pilot with a well-placed headshot, leaving Valon burying his face in one palm, his other still clutching his sword.

"Breathe, Valon. Stay calm. These things happen when you're surrounded by idiots." He muttered quietly to himself. Without any further options, he hurled his sword down towards Eliane, the blade flying in the path of her explosive round and being torn apart midair. Another bridge officer quickly took the helm, getting the airship lifted up into the sky and engines fired up to beat a hasty retreat before the Kirins could get lucky and take out an engine or two.

"Yarr, get tae fuck back here!" Bikke raised a fist in impotent rage at the fleeing airship. "Ye left holes in me ship!" After a moment, he exhaled, deflating. "Right, those cunts'll still get us all killed if we don't start patchin' up them holes they left in me ship. C'mon ye louts, grab a bucket, get belowdecks, an' start bailing!"

___

Two days later...

Sun, sand, and surf awaited the Kirins when they disembarked in tropical Costa del Sol, the pier giving a decent view of the famed resort city. Unfortunately, they'd barely made it into the harbor itself when trouble found its way to them once more.

"Halt!" A small squadron of guards accosted them, the hafts of their spears planted in the ground. "One among you matches a description for a person of interest. You will submit yourselves for inspection immediately."

Izayoi grit her teeth in irritation as the guards began comparing each of them to a poster, and that turned into outright grinding her teeth as one among them pointed to Neve.

"That's her! The runaway initate the Grovemasters are up in arms about. Initiate Shadebough, you'll report to Brightlam immediately under our escort. As for your abductors..." It seemed the guard had the wrong idea, starting to raise their spears.

"Hardly." Izayoi physically interjected, an arm raised between the local guards and Neve. "If the girl is to see her teachers, we will accompany her as well."

"You have one chance to release the girl to our custody." Their sergeant looked irritated, glancing back to one of his subordinates. "You, to the mustering post. Send for reinforcements, now."

@Marlowe

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

Salvator Rasch

Between King's quiet advice and Kleo's reaction to the support team's provocation, Salvator tightened his grip on the hacksaw he was taking to his shotgun ever so slightly. First things first, a mental command to his armor's subsystem had a green acknowledgement light winking over his readout on the squad HUD King was patched into. Heard and acknowledged. He knew that much already, of course. But it didn't hurt to be professional, regardless. Too bad no one else wanted to be.

Except for whatever had dope-slapped Husk upside the head. Likely Salvator's own counterpart on the other squad. The voidhanger gave the speaker a brief nod of acknowledgement and thanks, deliberately choosing to gloss over Kleo's response for now.

"Understood." Salvator replied simply before shifting his helmeted gaze ever so minutely in the direction of both Kleo and Husk so that the biomechanical giant would notice. Another mental command had his visor blinking in Morse code for a moment. A simple offer: he'd ignore Husk's outburst if his counterpart ignored Kleo's.

Iris Ascendis

Iraleth Kyrios

She glowered beneath her conjured helm. Heresy. A relic of the past that should have stayed buried. Iraleth's ire grew as the man continued to spout blasphemy before reflecting her very own attack back at her. Grandiose displays of Essence weren't going to decide this battle, it seemed. Then she was just going to stab him instead. Just as well. She was approaching rebound as it was. Melee combat would be far more efficient in terms of stamina.

"Handle the reinforcements!" Iraleth shouted back in Chunji's direction before spreading her wings and surging forward. Her blade swung out, absorbing the reflected power back into it. This time, Iraleth kept the accumulated Essence in her sword as she charged, screaming.

"You claim Kazaar's might to be greater, yet he is not the one that stood victorious in the end! Justify your butchery all you like, Umbralist! You will fall this day, as you should have with the rest of your misbegotten cult!"

The Inheritor closed into melee and made to swing, but feinted and pulled her blow back at the last minute, instead slamming her shield towards the Umbralist's head before dashing to his side and striking out with her flaming blade at his flank.

Iris Ascendis

Getting it down in writing that I'll have something up tonight.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Ranbu no Izayoi

Everything became so much clearer at once. Of course Valheim hadn't stopped at just Bahamut. And now they were facing a demi-Leviathan within its greatest domain. Short of the ship capsizing, this was one of the worst possible situations for the Kirins to be in. Izayoi grit her teeth and raised her sword as one thalassic serpent came crashing down towards her and Galahad.

The samurai clutched her uchigatana with both hands, prepared to meet the watery construct when Rudolf came crashing down upon it, clad in the same shadowy darkness that Izayoi had vaguely remembered saving her life back in the desert. His dagger and darkness plunged into the skull, breaking the spell apart into water at the same time Robin savaged the one assaulting her with the opposing element.

Galahad took the opportunity to launch Izayoi into the air, and she adjusted quickly, taking in the view of the battlefield as she rose. Two serpents down. One had retreated into the water with Eve and Esben in tow. Deeply concerning. Miina's lightning assaulted that one in particular, and so Izayoi shifted targets towards the final sea snake, plunging down in its direction as her Wind materia infused itself into her blade, Ciradyl's performance ringing in her ears.

Blessed with the advantage of falling momentum and Ciradyl breaking the limits of what one could usually do with aether, Izayoi crashed through the final snake with a downward slash meant to cleave skulls. The Eidolon's projection dissipated into ordinary water much the same as its compatriots, and the Mystrel landed on deck as Neve's Medica began to mend the wounds of those still on board.

Meanwhile, Esben's rifle toss and Eliane's return fire began to scythe down what pseudo-Dragoons were left until only three remained, frantically boosting and weaving out of the way of the Household Guard's shots. Thankfully for them, Eliane's chaingun clicked empty, having run out of its limited ammunition supply. Even so, Valon frowned as he picked himself up from where Galahad had nearly kicked him off the ship's deck, now bereft of a spear in his hands. He drew his side sword and leapt up atop the ship's mast, surveying the situation. An intake of breath.

"Right." The turncoat decided to himself before raising his voice. "Anyone still alive, we're pulling out! I'm calling in the gunship!" His free hand sent a small burst of Fire magic up into the air with the aid of a materia orb embedded into his armor, serving as a flare to call his air support in. The Valheimr airship drew close to the ocean surface, and Valon leapt straight onto it as his remaining subordinates joined him.

"Siren, fall back! You have our package, get it on board! And Galahad," He shot his former friend a mocking grin. "I'll be wanting my spear back, next time! Don't go losing it before we meet again!"

"You've not attained victory yet!" Izayoi roared up towards the gunship before leaping up to the edge of the ship. "We must retrieve Eve and Esben!" She stared down into the sea where Miina's electricity had surged down towards, raising her katana with both hands.

At her peak, Izayoi would have had no doubts in her ability to split the sea. As she was now...? Wind surged around her blade. It didn't matter whether or not she could. Only that she must.

"I will provide an opening! Cover me, then capitalize upon it!"

The winds around her sword strengthened, beginning to rotate. Izayoi's Time materia gleamed as she invoked it next, speeding the gale's rotation with Haste, the hurricane-like blade beginning to intensify.

"Are you idiots going to gawk, or shoot her? I'm not the one holding a gun!" Valon barked at the trio of assault troops left, who promptly raised their rifle-axes and began to draw a bead on Izayoi, opening fire.

Izayoi leapt from side to side while still charging the attack, trying to evade the incoming gunfire as best as she was able. This was why she never used this technique in actual battle: it simply took too long to prepare outside of an opening gambit! Trying to maintain both of her materia at the same time was providing enough of a strain as it was, slowing her pace to the point where she'd need the aid of her comrades if she didn't want a bullet or five in her back.

After a few more moments, the winds around her sword sped to an acceptable level, and Izayoi halted in place.

"I can guarantee you but a few seconds! Save them!" She yelled towards the rest of the Kirins before bringing her sword down to release the gathered winds. The ensuing wave of air pressure tore a trench straight through the top layer of the ocean, passing next to Siren, Eve, and Esben and stripping the former of the comfort and protection of water around her. The three started to fall, but nature already began to reassert itself, the sea walls already crashing back down to fill the void of ocean that had been displaced. If any among the Kirins were going to make a move, it had to be now.

Iris Ascendis

Iraleth Kyrios

Iraleth smashed through the bulkheads, taking care to not bowl over any guards in the way. As she flew through, however, her Adapa pinged. She read.

Northwest, on the third floor. At least she hadn't burned through that much Essence on nothing, then. Iraleth was already in the northwestern quadrant of the Iris Record, by her reckoning. The ceilings weren't as reinforced as the bulkheads were. And this talk of a magical darkness that wasn't Ciara's? What, did she have a collaborator-

The imp.

Her eyes narrowed beneath her Ethos's helm. Damn it all, every single one of Iraleth's mistakes was just coming back to haunt her today, weren't they? She raised her shield above her head, stretched her wings of light out, and took off straight upwards, smashing through the ceiling once, and then again.

The Inheritor emerged directly in the midst of the fight, light Essence already forming on the tips of her wings as she took a second to survey the situation. And it was one of the longest of her life.

Davil, half dead and with a crossbow pointed at him. Chunji, with Ciara in tow. Ciara, fleeing from the other source of darkness, trying to rescue Davil. And the shrouded figure itself...

Memories of that one night a decade ago came back unbidden. Ciara's magics had tipped Iraleth's suspicions. But this...? This was Umbralism. In an instant, Iraleth shifted her aim from Ciara to the mystery man. Magic bolts surged forth from the tips of her wings of light, aiming to scythe through the shadowy lizards as Iraleth raised her sword and shield.

"Keep moving!" She barked down towards Ciara. "We'll settle our affairs later!" Iraleth charged full bore towards the Umbralist, brimming with radiance.

Was this a mistake? Should she have finished Ciara off when she'd had the chance? Maybe. But the darkness in front of her couldn't be ignored or set aside for even a moment. This was what she'd trained over half her life for. Light surged around her sword.

"Ignite! Intensify! Purge!"

The light surged into radiant flame, and she swung, sending the shockwave out horizontally in an attempt to catch both the Umbralist and his remaining shadow lizards in the same arc.

Iris Ascendis

Working on it tonight, actually

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Renar Hagen

Alone? How curious. The good duke managed to slip away from the crowd at his very own gathering? Poor manners from a host, really. This sort of social gaffe was something Renar wouldn't expect from the man. Either he'd had some sort of particularly important business going on, or he'd already been ensorcelled at this point. Just more subtly.

"Your time is appreciated." Renar nodded to the servant before turning with a swish of his cloak and stalking back into the main hall.

"Sir Aglan," He stalked forward towards the knight in question, keeping his voice low. "Whom would you believe to have the most knowledge of the duke's dealings among the manor staff? Has anyone gone through his personal records yet to search for a cause behind all of this? His son, perhaps?"

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Ranbu no Izayoi

To Izayoi, the only thing worthwhile about the byplay between Galahad and the traitor dragoon was that the former seemed to truly have no idea about the latter’s betrayal. As the two Edreni separated, the samurai took her opportunity to intervene and leapt forward, barreling straight into Valon from the side before he could reengage with Galahad.

”Ergh!” He grit his teeth, hurriedly bringing the haft of his spear up to try to ward off Izayoi’s series of strikes. ”Fast…but…!” With the barest hint of an opening, Valon used his superior strength to shove Izayoi away from his position, quickly catching his breath from having to fend off two warriors in quick succession.

”...Not fast enough.” He concluded with a chortle, twirling his weapon around once more. ”You know, I didn’t believe the handlers when they said you’d gone to the dogs. By the stories, I should be dead by now, even with the bit of help I’ve gotten. And speaking of, you’re feeling it, aren’t you?” Valon chuckled as Izayoi narrowed her eyes, her movements ever so slightly slowed by the Siren’s call. His laugh didn’t last long, overshadowed as it was by Ciradyl’s song in response. One by one, his men started falling, over half of the dozen pseudo-dragoons he’d brought dying in quick succession before he had to hurriedly make a long vault away from Eliane’s field of fire as the first few bullets pinged against his plate, grazes drawing blood.

”Oh for the love of-” He sighed, raising his free hand to his mouth to let out a loud whistle. ”Can’t even last long enough for me to have my fun. Assault unit, regroup! Form up and fire from range, take out their cannoneers so we can bring the airship in closer!” His remaining five men did as he bid, keeping well above the fray as they aimed down, a fusilade of fire bringing down several of Bikke’s men manning the guns. Their escort airship began to close in as the assault dragoons shifted their fire to both Eve’s wings and Ciradyl, aiming to literally clip their primary target’s wings while subduing the most annoying supporter on the field. All the while, Izayoi scowled, looking to Galahad.

”They are out of my range, even with magic. And where is the boy-” Valon’s voice cut her off, shouting across the field to the point where he could be heard down below.

”Right, Siren? If you’d care to help at any point in time? Mare Imperatrix, release your restraints! Tides unending!”

Rumbling began to come from the ocean, shaking all those on board…