Oh, hello you! Lucina warmly greets Nia, letting hhis muzzle close and briefly leaning her head against his. I'm glad to see you tend to him still.

As for allies... Nicole seems to have a small network of them going. I might try to see if she has any allies who'd be willing to help us assist, on top of her too, of course. Lucina says. It seems like a nice start. And I'll also see if Beruka and Corrin won't have allies, given what has happened in Nohr.

Still, she didn't seem to think the latter a real possibility. After all, they probably deserved to be at peace in their corner of Hub Centralis, right?

We just need to not be too overt. But that's far from a concern.

Edited by Bolded1 on Apr 29th 2024 at 10:55:20 AM

"Of course. Nia's practically my best friend.", Morgan says, laughing a little when Nia eventually switches to nuzzling his head against his instead. Morgan pets the wyvern on his nose, which it seems to like.

"Heh... Mother once told me to get rid of him after I returned to the castle. I think that's the only time I dared tell her no to her face."

Now that may be surprising for Lucina to hear. Morgan has the ability to disobey Grima after all, even if maybe only under very specific circumstances. However, she wouldn't really get a chance to inquire more about it since Nia starts gently pushing against Morgan's back with his head.

"I think someone's getting hungry.", Morgan says, amused. He then gets up.

"I gotta get to that, and I think I should wash his wings next. It's been a while and he'll have trouble flying if I don't get them clean regularly. The only downside is that it's gonna take a few hours to get done so I'm gonna have to focus on that now. I hope we can talk again soon though, it was very fun!", he says, looking enthusiastic.

"I'd wanna say to tell your friends I said hi, but... uh... I dunno if they'd like that all that much. Especially not Corrin and Beruka. I don't know if they'll ever really be okay with me, and I can't really blame them. ... but, uh, you can still say it to anyone you think wouldn't be angry over it."

Nia gives him another gentle push, getting him to laugh again and pet its nose again.

"Alright, alright. Go on ahead, I'll be right there."

Nia makes a little noise before turning and going on ahead as told. Morgan looks back at Lucina one more time, smiling brightly.

"I'll hopefully see you later, Lucina. Be sure to stay safe, okay?"

With that he re-enters the store so that he can get food, after which he'll make for the stables, which Nia shares with the Death Knight's horse. Somehow, despite all logic and reason, the two animals get along fairly well.

Nohr

It was an old Nohrian tradition, one that had survived through the Blight and the pragmatism it had required Nohrians to adopt towards their customs. When a young Nohrian reached their tenth birthday (in some parts, it had to be the boy), their father would sit with them and have a drink. And while the older man would have a glass of his finest wine or drink, the younger child would be stuck with a glass of water, as a representation of them reaching an important milestone, but not yet being ready to handle a glass of wine.

Of course, some parts of Nohr had the kid drink wine as well, if only to have their strong reaction serve as a further proof that they needed another decade or so, but Gunter, old-fashioned as he was, nonetheless served a glass of water at Corrin, the young boy sitting patiently in his chair as he waited for his dad to be done and over.

He'd expected a cheerier birthday, honestly, but he didn't want to voice his complaints. It wasn't really Nohrian of him to do so. So he instead sat in his chair, bundled in his black clothes, so buttoned up as to be almost incapable of moving under his own power. He stared at his glass of water with only one red eye, the other being hidden behind a falling bang of blue hair. He looked ever so slightly mournful, watching how Gunter poured himself a cup of red wine.

The older man had either threatened his tailor with torture or gifted him his entire inheritance as payment, because he wore clothes that looked absolutely fit for a royal, with a sprawling purple cape with the collar held together by golden chains, said golden chains pinning a black jabot with a golden outline in place. Below, he wore a purple buttoned shirt with golden buttons, another black shirt beneath and black pants with some golden lines running down the length of his legs, reaching up to thin black boots he wore to complement it.

He still had some streaks of black left in his hair, Corrin remembered. A bit less wrinkles. Age was apparent but respectable.

Corrin looked at his own uniform, that looked shoddy on him despite the great care he'd put in putting it on. And as he reached for the glass of water in front of him, he feared getting the slightest drop upon the tissue. And he was already dexterous enough to handle a blade - but with how thick the clothing was, he felt much clumsier than he should be.

Or was it the stress? Either way, he felt uncomfortable. Like the clothing was suffocating him. But he tried not to sweat, lest he ruins it.

You've reached an important milestone of your development, Corrin. In ten years, you'll be a man. Gunter begins, noticing Corrin's uncomfortable attitude with the whole scene. They both sat at the end of a great table, so that limited Gunter's ability to go and assist Corrin with his problems. And in ten years, you'll drink from the very same bottle of wine as I. And perhaps in ten more years, you'll be sitting at my end of the table, with your child in your stead. But in the present, you'll have to stick to this glass of water for now.

Gunter nods, raise his glass, and down his drink in an instant. Corrin does the same, cupping his right hand right below his lips to contain any spill. It's water, so of course he doesn't have any problem downing the liquid. And as they both put their glasses down, Gunter briefly sit, observing Corrin at the other end of his table. Ahhhh the older man exhales.

Corrin stares at him in confused silence, the boy blinking once or twice before he figure out that people tend to exhale after a big sip. eaaaahhhh he repeats, with less conviction, though he smiles when Gunter seems to approve of the gesture.

... Water is what we usually make you drink. But I guess that a cake will do just fine too.

Happy birthday, Corrin! Corrin swivel in his seat, watching in surprise as the doors to the room (strategically located behind him) open up dramatically. Pouring it into the room are Felicia, Flora and Jakob, accompanied by at least two adult retainers. All are holding a silver plate with a big round cake on it, with the children holding it overhead (Jakob insisting to do so one-handed, with his right hand resting against his torso) while the adults actually hold up the plates by the side.

They set the cake in front of Corrin, setting the glass of water aside for the young man. He blush slightly when Felicia jump into the chair next to him, though he still make way for her, wriggling on the other half of the seat, trying to give her room while trying to stay close to her. She doesn't notice either way, clapping her hands in anticipation. Both children are lucky that they sit on a chair meant for a corpulent adult!

Drinking water is hardly a proper way to greet your tenth year of existence, isn't it? You'll need to eat something more substantial if you want to gain some height for yourself! Gunter says, with a slight smile -and a bit of eye-rolling-. Just remember there'll be a bigger cake for tonight when your siblings come over.

Oh, really?! Thanks, dad! Corrin looks up from his cake to Gunter, and focus back on it, preparing to blow on the candles. Something in Gunter is shaken hearing that, and the older man briefly freeze in his seat, quickly moving his fingers over to pinch the bridge of his nose with it. And he'd like to say that he was just glad at being called that, even when he shouldn't, but the ice-cold sensation he feels in his heart doesn't feel very warm to him.

He can't tell if it's sadness or just absence.

Still, after a few seconds, it dissipates, and Gunter feels a warmer feeling return to his chest, although he's left in a position where he has to wipe away his nascent tears before they can become visible to the people in the room. Luckily for him, everyone is busy dealing with a foresen scenario.

Felicia! No!

Nice going, Felicia. You froze the tips of the candles.

N-no! I didn't mean to! I'm so sorry!

Noooooo! You're stupid, Felicia! You ruined my cake!

Gunter groans.

...

Empire Arms Hotel

Corrin thought back of that scene. Even half-lit, the hotel room he and Gunter were in felt warmer and more agreeable than the old fortress where he'd spent... most of his life, actually. It had ironically become a place where he'd spent some of the happiest years of it, actually, meaning that he couldn't really think ill of it even as he tried to.

He wasn't dressed any better than before - he'd put on a pair of pants and a shirt at best and then sat down, looking nervously back upon the bedroom to ensure he hadn't woken up Beruka. Gunter stood at the other end. And Corrin was unsurprised to find that the bottle of wine was the exact same as the one in the fortress.

I apologize. There's been a slight delay in when this ceremony was supposed to be held. Gunter pours the wine into two glasses, and set the table down before moving his hand over to the glass. Then, the knight's movement is abruptly interrupted as he instead set back down, glancing at one glass intently. With no need for him to move a muscle, the glass proceeds to move to Corrin's side of the table in one smooth motion, stopping a few centimeters short of the edge.

The liquid inside swerves and churns, but doesn't spill out. It's even a bit too still. Garon... wasn't pleased to learn of the ceremony. He wanted to be the one doing it, depsite not even bothering to visit you in the fortress. I was warned not to try that again - it would be Garon's role to do that, once you'd rejoined Nohr.

Corrin doesn't say much, simply huffing in disdain. He knew that. Not because he'd been told, but because he knew that Garon was just like that.

Still, Corrin didn't care that much about the tradition or whatever. It didn't really matter to him that it had to be delayed because he couldn't met Garon until 11 years after that day. It mattered to him that he could at least prove himself a man to his father, and generally bond with someone whom he had sadly not seen in a little while. For he knew that Gunter had retired to a city on the coast of Nohr, where there was far less blight, to enjoy his golden years in peace.

And as for Corrin... he could make the trip, but he thought himself not suitable to meet him in a state like the one he was in.

What Garon want doesn't matter.

Sadly, it did. At least until you slew him. Gunter grab his glass of wine and hold it up. Corrin prepares to argue that it was a collective work, but decide that semantics are semantics and raise his glass, eyeing the liquid inside. He'd never drank wine, would he embarrass himself? To your victory!

Corrin and Gunter down their glasses and set them on the table, Corrin letting the wine roll down his throat. To his surprise, what should have been him getting punched in the chest hard by a flaming fist feels more like a slight nudge. Something extremely minor as to make him wonder if it'd even happened. Huh, he wasn't unhappy at being alchohol-proof, far from it actually, but it is a bit disappointing to see that Gunter's wine had so little of an effect.

Eyeing Gunter, who likewise seem unaffected, Corrin smiles Aaaahhhhhhh he exhales, trying not to make too much of a noise to not wake Beruka up. He giggles in remembrance of the event from more than ten years ago, but Gunter simply stares flatly at him back, mirroring Corrin's confusion back during those days. Then, and only then, does he answer with an aaahhhhhhh of his own, leaning forward on his seat and wagging his finger at Corrin. I was waiting for you to do that! You sound a bit more convincing as an adult, if I must say!

I've had some time to mature my voice.

Corrin and Gunter then sit there, in quiet silence for each. Corrin had expected completing the ceremony to feel triumphant, but perhaps due to how abrupt it was, or due to the context around it. It was hard to feel pride and contentment when they knew they were heading out for a massive battle after all. You know, I always thought you'd go with Felicia. She seemed like a nice girl.

Beruka's fierce and I like that in a woman, Corrin says, flashing a fond smile. Felicia is one of my best friends but she's a bit too meek and... it's a bit hard to stay in love with her not that I know why she was at the fortress too, you know? Corrin says, scratching his right cheek. I hope you're not disapproving because... I'm not giving up on Beruka even at your request.

No, Beruka is a fine Nohrian woman, and a competent warrior. Gunter pour himself a less formal drink. That you won her over is proof that you've grown into a powerful figure yourself! Nevermind your astonishing martial prowesses. You certainly didn't need to go through that silly ceremony to prove your worth to me. Gunter says, getting up from his seat after quickly downing his drink. I am old. The last survivor of my generation that went to Qliphoth. Many of my fellows have died, succumbed to old age worse than I have or have become monsters in need of being put down. And a few days ago, I knew that I was standing alone on the edge of the greatest challenge of my life.

Yet, I am serene. For I know that I am accompanied by one of the finest warriors of any generation. One I had the privilege of seeing grow from a meek boy... into a slayer of blighted kings, fallen heroes, fell dragons, twisted princes and sinister wizards. You. I'm proud of you, my son, tears begin streaming down the length of Gunter's face as he approach Corrin, the prince's lips quivering. And though the old knight stays stoic, his voice breaks slightly as he spreads his arms to the side. I love you, my son. You are my life's greatest pride.

Dad... Corrin sniffs loudly, lips still quivering, and he finally burst into tears as he hugs Gunter, being unable to restrain himself from bawling his eyes out in joy. Gunter pats him in the back slowly, nodding along to Corrin's tears as the young man's grip upon him tighten like steel.

He doesn't notice it, since his head is generally over Gunter's right shoulder, that the old man's face grows cold, his expression a utterly blank face. And he knows he can do it, because Beruka will be waking up at his choosing.

I'm so proud of you my son. Gunter repeat, voice mimicking warmth even as his face remains detached.

DNC, HC, Nohr

Mia said not but shook her head quietly at Medicine’s question, though in the darkness it wasn’t likely that she could even be seen. She noted Kana’s frustration—and her wounds. Thankfully merely red, and not marked with the same blackness that afflicted her sister. She wanted to save her.

Why, Mother? Why not run with us—why stay? The ring, what do we do about the ring? Where is it? You’re the only one who knows, Mother…

She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, lifting a trembling hand to her eye to wipe away the tear. She couldn’t think on it right now, any of it…they needed to leave. Trying to distract herself, she approached Grace and Joy. "I can…help carry him," she offered, voice meek. She’d always heard tales of bloodshed and loss, had always been the more interested in them of the two sisters, but to truly see it, to see her home in flames…

"Stoked, aye…or fearful, perhaps." The old knight responded to Taye. "The dragons of these lands were evil, greedy, and cunning creatures. They have not been sighted in many an era, but there are still those terrified that one day they may terrorize the skies once more. A foolish and unfounded notion if you ask me…though, if there’s one thing that’s proved itself…" Ladwin sighed as he took a torch from the wall and made for the door.

"Nothing’s ever done for good. Everything gets a return."

The door creaked open, and his armor sang a song of rattling and jingling while he moved swiftly down the hall, empty and devoid of life.

The stairs they descended down were old and croaky. The wood bent ever-so-slightly beneath their feet, and at the bottom was a common room mixed with a bar. Tap, tap, tap as a drip of ale from a smashed tankard softly fell to the floor, but that wasn’t the only source of the sound: a man, of the city guard as deigned by his uniform, lay dead against the counter with a bloody blade. His chainmail was slashed and torn, streaks of crimson lining his gold and green clothes. Around him were spread the grotesque corpses of orcs in a wide black puddle that took up nearly half the room, missing arms, legs, heads, anything an orc could possibly miss.

"I knew this one." Ladwin admitted sadly. "Jorhen Smallstreet. He was brave…in death, and in life. May the high ones greet him with open arms." He took the man’s sword and cleaned it of the putrid orcblood, before resting it flat in the corpse’s lap and folding his still-warm hands over it.

The wood door that led out into the night was less open, and more decimated: only a small part remained connected to the hinges, the rest was strewn across the floor in chunks of shattered wood. The battle outside was settling; when they emerged they did not hear those same clashes of steel or warmongering yells they’d heard when they came from the keep, but rather the crackling of fire and the faraway hints of the last few duels in a quickly fading fight. One side was very near to victory; which one couldn’t be said for certain, but deep down, Ladwin knew.

He sighed. "If we follow this street we’ll come to a well eventually. It’s a “fake” well of sorts, it leads not to a pool at its bottom but to a tunnel from which we can make our escape. It’s unlikely that we’ll find any foes inside the tunnel, but we must prepare ourselves nonetheless…and, of course, keep a stern eye out for any orcs between here and the well. Do any of you have a way to discreetly scout ahead?"

——

Pallia’s arm came off with a crunching of meat, like a teeth biting into an overcooked steak. He regarded this sudden development with the same amount of concern a man regards a mosquito bite: an annoyance, but no more. Buckets of coagulated blood splurted out from the wound but he paid them no mind, instead deciding to kick Sukuna as the King of Curses fell, intended to get him away. Moving quick, he reached for the mass of charred flesh and grabbed his severed arm by the palm, holding it hand-in-hand as he turned to face Erin.

First came the first step, then the second, and he approached, already halfway to her when she flung her fist to the side. But Pallia did not follow her fist’s trajectory. Though his blood did, exploding from the side of his body in a vaguely humanoid shape before splattering against the street, Pallia’s body itself continued towards her, picking up speed and reaching her almost immediately after her attempted toss. With a hoarse-throated roar, he lifted his severed arm over her and smashed it down at her like a club, with a force that would cause the arm to explode into a mess of gore and burned meat.

Then he turned to Haru.

"It is too late." He croaked. "The Trident has already tasted your blood." With a hand empty of his own arm, he reached out…not at him, but the trident engraved in the pavement.

Lily’s eyes fell upon this very same weapon. Seeing an opportunity to be seized she lunged for the golden weapon as it emerged from the ground and flew at the cultist of Kain, grabbing on tight and coming along for the ride.

"Foolish g—" Pallia’s snarl came to a quick end when the trident reached him with a Lily attached. Her foot smashed across his face but achieved little more than a subtle flinch, but that was alright: it was just an appetizer for what came next. With both feet perilously perched upon the trident, she reared her arms back and unleashed with stunning speed a flurry of punches, each of them packing some spice!

INNATE SKILL: UNLEASH ELEMENT — FIRE

INNATE SKILL: UNLEASH ELEMENT — FIRE

INNATE SKILL: UNLEASH ELEMENT — FIRE

INNATE SKILL: UNLEASH ELEMENT — FIRE

INNATE SKILL: UNLEASH ELEMENT — FIRE

INNATE SKILL: UNLEASH ELEMENT — FIRE

Her fists were coated in flame as they sunk one after another into Pallia’s face, using the fraction of Fuga that she had stored within herself. When she was finished little of his head, but still he stood, though his sixty second had to almost be up. Placing her hand against his burnt chest, she focused her Willpower and closed her eyes.

SIMPLE SKILL: PUSH

Pallia went flying away, speeding in Haru’s direction—not at him, but near enough that he could get a hit off—and Lily remained where he had been, dropping to the ruined pavement with the golden trident under her feet.

…

As Luna fled and the Mutant Child shrunk to a smaller size, the gorepriest was too taken aback by the latter’s swiftness to avoid, finding himself trapped and at the mutant’s mercy.

——

Xander seemed to misunderstand his meaning, but Pucci said nothing of it—some things didn’t need to be spoken, or made obvious.

[[evil:"Unfortunately, I don’t know as much of my allies as I wish I did…though one seemed to be familiar with the god Shar, among some other things…a surprising amount of the situation in general. I distinctly remember her being red…small, too, and frankly a bit stupid. There was another—he seemed quite fond of his firearms. I’m…not sure how familiar you are with those." Pucci recalled Officer Doleetle and the Enclave, but wasn’t certain how much the native Nohrians knew of the weapons they carried beyond “magic crossbows” or anything akin to such an explanation. [[evil:"I recall a man with a gray arm that seemed to shine beneath the light…artificial, perhaps? And…agents of some organization, who asked the strangest of questions, as though they hadn’t been paying attention prior. There were others as well, but I don’t remember anything of them."

   "But in regards to supplies—the elixirs and weaponry you mentioned—yes, I’d be quite grateful for that. They’d be very useful, I think. As for the armor…if the smiths consent, they could always just call this a “test run”. And don’t worry."    Pucci gave a sly smile.    "I’ll tell him try not to break it."   

When Xander came to his realization, Pucci furrowed his brow. He hadn’t been present for it, but he didn’t doubt the King’s memory.    "That’s…concerning,"    to say the least.    "Was it another Xander, perhaps, or…or…who were we speaking with? Who’s with Corrin right now?"    Suddenly alarmed, Enrico leaned back in his seat.    "Some deception is afoot, I have no doubt."   

DNC

The crash had not gone flawlessly for Hange, but thanks to Taye's quick thinking, it had not gone lethally. That was some consolation, at least.

Hange's footsteps were quiet, and did not add to the croaking wooden sound of the ransacked building they had all found themselves within. The dead city guard only briefly catches Hange's attention. Frankly, she's grown too accustomed to the sight of the dead after all these years.

"Scouting is in my skillset," Hange offered, "But my gear has a finite amount of gas, and it isn't silent. I hope someone else can suit this job better."

Swords

"You didn't... chase me?"

William can guess based on that small interaction that either Sam is a cocky bastard or a man of honor, either of which he can probably use to his advantage.

Although, he isn't gonna try and mess around with someone who stole his kill, so he immediately leaps into the air and engages in a Waterfowl Dance, his area of movement in between flurries much smaller than last time to try and overwhelm the cyborg with an unholy amount of slashes.

....

   "That's one hell of a bed time story if I've ever seen one!"   

Donte's strength is outmatched, but at this point, what else does he have that Dante doesn't? He tries to slam down one more time with Rebellion, to clash with the Devil Sword's rising uppercut, but it wasn't enough to stop it. He thought he could cleave right through but his guess in technique was wrong.

He briefly flew into the air and crashes back, a massive gash appeared on his chest — from his shoulder to hip — it begins regenerating but it'll clearly take an impractically long amount of time for it to recover. He's still standing but is down for the count and is very bitter about it.

   "What the fuck... Did you face... That needs THAT!?"   

Edited by BoniniBanana on Apr 29th 2024 at 10:53:24 PM

DNC

Taye had seen many casualties of war before, but she was used to city guards being the opposite of brave or valiant. This here, was a regular man making a last stand even when hopelessly outnumbered. To see a kingdom like Al-Agadd get laid to ruin...

"Time is a circle indeed."

She stayed silent as she patiently watched Ladwin pay respects to the dead. Only after it was done, did she carefully tiptoe around the black puddle & step over the orc corpses to get closer to the wood door. Well, what's left of it.

At the mention of scouting, Taye turned her head to look at Medicine. Or rather, a little bit to the side of her - it seems she's looking for Su-san. Sending a small floating doll just makes sense, right?

Solopost - Charlian Jackson

A clear sky is a curse in Lourent, where the sun unforgivingly scorches the desert and any poor soul within. This includes the Earth Federation Forces, whose footsteps kicked up waves of sand that looked almost indistinguishable from their desert camo paintjob as the sun mercilessly heated their exteriors. Several GM III and Jegans engaged a many more Geara Dogas in a heated battle, the latter group belonging to Neo Zeon forces posted in the Arena.

This is the first time that the Earth Federation has discovered an interdimensional nexus, but a quick investigation allowed them to gain a rough understanding of what it is. They have no idea what the Neo Zeon's goal is for posting here, but it simply cannot be for any good reason. As such, the Federation has decided to send in squadrons of mobile suits in an attempt to drive the Zeon out of the Arena and gain control of its territories instead.

Unfortunately, this particular EFF squadron is fighting a losing battle. Two G Ms made the mistake of charging too far ahead, only to be led away, pinned down, and eliminated by a beam weapon to the abdomen. The Jegans fired upon the Zeon troops after catching up, and they fought hard and rough despite losing their advantage in numbers and are slowly being cut down by the Neo Zeon troops.

Things are starting to look bad for the EFF, until a blue machine neither side had ever seen dropped from above and knocked down a Doga with a single kick, with a red machine slicing another's legs off with a single swing of its sword. On a closer inspection, the blue one is no mobile suit at all. It has a completely different armor design and entirely different armaments. The red one is even stranger, having not only a human-like face, but also being half as tall as a GM III and twice as talkative.

"A fine kick, friend!" It called out to the blue machine in a jovial voice. "I propose that we name it-"

"Not now, Bravern!" The voice of Charlian Jackson is being broadcasted to the battlefield as the Gespenst Mk-II Type-S swiftly pulled out a Mega Plasma Cutter from its left forearm and cut off the limbs of the Geara Doga he just knocked down. "Save it for later!"

His succinct reply allowed the Federation squad's leader to quickly understand that these strangers are on their side, at least for the moment. The EFF quickly took advantage of the moment and fired upon the Zeon mobile suits as Charlian and Bravern led the charge.

The Gespenst immediately charged towards and engaged a mono-eye in close ranged combat. The latter opened fire with its beam machine gun, but the weapon was swiftly cut in twain with a single, precise swing of the Mega Plasma Cutter. The Zeon pilot immediately protected himself by briefly stepping backwards, bringing the shield forward, and grabbing its beam sword-axe, but Charlian stepped back as well. Two armor panels on the unit's chest opened up, revealing the Mega Blaster Cannon built into the Gespenst's chest cavity.

Before the Geara Doga can switch its weapon again, Charlian fired the cannon and completely melted the mobile suit's shield and limbs away. The Zeon pilot thought that this would be the end of him and was ready to cry out the infamous phrase, but the beam cannon suddenly stopped firing before he could be shot down. Instead, the Gespenst grabbed and crushed the mobile suit's head, severing the pilot's view of what's happening outside and forcing him to remain still.

Another Geara Doga prepared to open fire at Charlian while he's occupied, but found itself intercepted by Bravern, who charged at it with a loud yell and his sword drawn. The Zeon pilot retaliated by swinging its sword-axe, but the attack was easily dodged by the red robot, who changed his charge trajectory by flying downward. The Doga's legs and arms are then swiftly sliced off with three swift sword strikes, making its main body drop to the ground as Federation forces pinned down its pilot, forcing her to surrender.

It didn't take long for the red and blue pair to quickly dispatch the Neo Zeon mobile suits by taking away their limbs and rendering them helpless for the EFF to capture. Charlian and Bravern soon found their allegiance questioned extensively by the Federation forces, but they managed to part on civil terms when it's revealed that the young man took a job that asked him to drive out Neo Zeon forces in the area.

As Charlian exited the Gespenst to get some fresh air and drink some water, he was approached by red Super Robot, a replication of Bravern. "That was a fine battle, my friend! You have shown an amazing amount of control against human enemies, and I must concede that it was a good idea to tweak the Mega Blaster Cannon's output after all!" The red Super Robot let out a boisterous laugh and paused for a moment, before looking down at the young man with a dimmed smile. "While I applause your approach, I must wonder... why did you spare those pilots in that battle? You know full well they are trained soldiers who won't hesitate to kill when given the chance, do you not?"

"I know, but I'd rather not kill humans- and just sapient beings who thinks like us in general- if possible." Charlian replied before taking a sip of water and wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Killing is simple, and it gets easier every time you do it, not to mention how easy it is to fall into the trap of telling ourselves that killing is 'necessary' or 'what has to be done'. I'll beat them black and blue if I need to, but I won't kill or inflict debilitating injury if possible."

"I see." Bravern gave the young man a firm nod with his arms crossed. "Other people may accuse you of being naive or irresolute," His lips quirked into a smile. "but I find your willingness to fight for what you value admirable."

Despite having attained the resolve to get his hands dirty in order to fight for what he values, Charlian still doesn't prefer to kill unless it becomes necessary, and he isn't experienced enough to know what that word means to him yet. "Thanks, I appreciate hearing that." The Replicator gave Bravern an appreciative smile before taking another sip.

"Although, there was something I wanted to address." Bravern's smile faded as he moved closer. The young man feels increasingly more unnerved as the Super Robot's face is starting to get uncomfortably close. "WHERE WAS YOUR PASSION DURING THAT BATTLE, JACKSOOON?!" The voice is loud enough to make the young man feel like his body is being vibrated.

"Jesu- Don't yell at me up close!" Charlian immediately protested against his Replication, but it fell on deaf ears.

"When you activated the Mega Blaster Cannon without a single word, you didn't just blast a hole in the enemy," "I didn't blast a hole-" "but also in my heart, for you did not proudly yell out the attack name like Kai Kitamura would! Ah... I can still faintly feel his powerful voice echoing within my core, long after you showed me that replication of him! I still remember how it goes." Bravern then pulled his elbows back while thrusting his chest forward. "'Take this, MEGA BLASTER CANNOOOOON!'" The robot imitated Kai Kitamura as he called out the attack name. The green symbol on his chest glowed green for a moment, but it didn't actually launch a beam.

"...look, I couldn't really afford to do that in a fight where we can be killed." Charlian explained with a sigh. "You said it yourself, they're here to kill us, I couldn't waste even one second, and yelling out an attack name will require several."

"Nonsense, Jackson! If you can put in the effort to spare people in a war, then you can get better and yell out attack names when you use a special move! We've gone over the benefits of it, have we not?" Bravern argued fervently. "It is also something you can train and incorporate into your fighting style!"

The young man gave Bravern a nod, not simply to placate the latter but also agreeing that it is something that can be trained. "Yeah, it's cool and strikes fear into your enemies, it's just..." He paused for a moment and minced his words. "I feel like being enthusiastic about fighting and yelling out attack names like an anime is too... immature."

The ensuing silence and the expression of shock on the robot's face told Charlian what's about to happen next. "Now, before you-"

"JACKSOOOOON!" Bravern exclaimed, prompting the young man to cover his ears. "How can you say something so hurtful after all the intimate moments we've shared?!" "Bravern please, phrasing-" "I still remember our first time, where we moved with near-perfect synchronization! You were so enthusiastic when you called out 'Brave Zubash!' for the first time and cut down that Geara Doga in our first mission together! Don't you remember how our hearts became one, and we managed to cut through the joints of several more mobile suits in one fell swoop?! Of course, our experiences together would never be as good as the ones I experienced with Isami, BUT STILL-

This would go on for another five minutes. In the meantime, Charlian already buried his face in his knees out of embarrassment and prayed that the EFF forces are long gone so they won't have to hear all this. The young man expected that watching the show he came from and being familiar with his antics would help him get used to this robot phrasing piloting in such a weird way, but that's apparently not that works.

After Bravern finally felt like he got his point across and let out a small sigh of satisfaction to end his weirdly emotional speech, the Replicator spoke up, but only after waiting a few seconds just to be sure that Bravern is done. "Look, I love yelling out attack names in a fight too, but it's just... I can't afford to do it when I promised to use this power for the sake of others. A real battle isn't something I can play around with."

Bravern fell into a serious silence and placed his hands on his hips, contemplating what Charlian said before speaking in a less dramatic tone. "Charlian, I understand why you have reached this conclusion. It is very noble of you to use your powers to help other people instead of fulfilling your own selfish desires."

"HOWEVER!" The red robot raised his voice in a stern manner. "Only using your powers for others will sabotage yourself!" "Wait, what do you mean?" "Do you remember the protagonist of that visual novel about heroes of the past? He sought to help everyone he can... until he eventually became a man who would do so at any cost, even his own happiness and the life of those he once cared for."

Bravern looked at his companion intently and in a way that's a far cry from the overdramatic display he puts on in a fight. "I understand and even admire your desire to keep yourself under control, but you shouldn't neglect your own happiness, for that is a sure path to misery... and perhaps even the loss of your humanity." His voice expressed nothing but sincere concern. "You deserve happiness just like anyone else, no matter the kind of power you've been given."

"Besides," The corner of his lips quirked into a smile. "showing your genuine interest and enthusiasm isn't just about being cool and intimidating your enemies, it's a good way to both keep yourself sane and inspire your allies. Smiling and passionately call out your attacks is something that gives them hope, hope that they will be able to fight on and succeed. Playing the hero can be something that helps others too."

"But..." Despite Bravern's encouragement, Charlian still feels unsure of whether he should, or could truly adopt this mindset. "What if I accidentally- or even intentionally- give up control? What if I lose myself in my enthusiasm and make a catastrophic mistake?"

Bravern nodded firmly. "I admit, even though being enthusiastic about subjects you're passionate about isn't immature in and of itself, it's still easy to fall into this trap. It's no simple task balancing your passion and the task at hand, despite the fact that I make it look easy in the anime starring yours truly. I needed some time to figure it out, and I trust that you will be able to do the same with all the time on your hands. You have learned to spare even trained soldiers who are trying to kill you, so I'm sure you can achieve this as well!"

The red robot's words quickly reminded Charlian that he is ultimately talking to a replication of the original, and he can't help but wonder the extent of his power, more specifically how life-like he can make his replications. However, that is something that will have to be explored another day. "...thanks, I'll try." Despite the Bravern's heartfelt encouragement, the young man still looks somewhat unsure, and Bravern didn't push it because this is a matter that Charlian must tackle in a stressful situation and cannot be solved with words alone. Still, the speech certainly helped, and he can think of at least one other way to help...

"Get the Type-S ready, friend. I have something that can help you." At those words, Charlian quickly got back into the cockpit and noticed that his companion has drawn his sword. "Before you head home, we shall practice how to waste no time when you call out your attack, and we shall do it through spars! We won't be leaving until you succeed at least three times!"

"...yes sir, I'll do my best." The Replicator took a deep breath as he wiped some sweat off of his forehead. He's still unsure of whether he can truly achieve the same level of control as the red Super Robot, but he is starting to feel enthusiastic for the first time in a while. "Come at me however you want!"

Bravern's smile twisted into a confident smirk as he took out a large battle axe. "That's my line, Jackson! Brave... Vanish!"

Edited by cyzja922 on Apr 30th 2024 at 9:12:48 AM

DNC

The stench of death wasn't new to Kana, but she consider her option. She isn't very stealthy in her dragon form, and she think that she's best kept close to the group in case they need to fend off an attack or something, nevermind that she was still a bit wounded and reeling from it, hence, her timing might be thrown off, and with it, her ability to sneak up on people.

She was thus glad to see people picking up on her slack, and simply noped to let people know to go ahead. Even with her sight being quite excellent, she feared that she could bungle it... after already bungling it just now!

As for herself, hearing the sound of battle, she position herself where she could best intercept an attack on their rear.

..;

Nohr

Xander's eyes widen in alert. Should he be keeping Pucci there when he had urgent news to deliver? Something wasn't adding up to Gunter's presence here. He almost does not register what Pucci has to say about the others, since he doesn't chide him from calling someone small and stupid which is very mean.

There were three versions of me at the final battle. One from another world, an artificial one summoned from a card and me. But I can assure you that I was the one who saw Garon engulf Gunter and my retainers, of that, I can assure you. Xander says, holding up three digits. Our Corrin was present, but not your Corrin. And he might not have been made aware of this due to the rapid escalation that followed his return to his castle.

You're right. The odds could be that this operation is part of a trap of a sort, which his deception will help in setting up, Xander says, getting up from his seat almost on reflex. We must not be careless in how we deal with this - whatever this person is, they seem to want to keep Corrin for something further down the line. If he cannot be intercepted, then he must be watched. And Corrin as well.

It wasn't his brother in jeopardy, but Xander's heart went out to that Corrin. Why couldn't he be safe and happy? It seemed like the world threw wicked beasts one after the other at him despite the good he'd done in helping slay Garon. Worse still, he couldn't help him. And while leaving Nohr for a minute to kick Gunter's ass was tempting, Xander feared the complications that could ensue from this.

Gunter is important to Corrin. He think of him as his true father. I think that trying to take a violent course of action could work against us, Xander elaborates, pacing around the room. It doesn't seem like the rest of the group that you've described could help "remove" Gunter without causing him harm. Pucci had described some of them in less-than-gushing terms, after all. We will organize what you've asked and see if we can't assist you in uncovering what Gunter might be hiding.

I apologize for focusing on this in particular, Xander says. But it's best we deal with this quickly - I would rather not Corrin endure more suffering.

Mission: Pursue the Giant Monster

Land ho!

A reptilian head emerges from the water, soon followed by the shoulders and back, as Godzilla makes landfall in Hub Centralis.

"oh god he's huge he's so big we're so gonna die"

"Target is approaching civilian settlements! Threat level increasing!"

"Wait!" Malzeno points up at the sky, where something is coming down to meet the Titan.

Shroob's cue

Pica-Verse

Previous

Sora and Altina join the superhero trio in pushing back against the giant monster. Sora additionally casts Reflega to give himself a protective barrier from attacks, which if struck can turn into a barrage of light blasts to deal damage back to attackers.

Makai

Previous

Peppino gets crushed like a Mortal Kombat super move, howling in pain and bouncing off the ground before he finally tumbles to a stop.

...Is he finished?

Edited by KiriK on Apr 30th 2024 at 4:16:36 AM

DNC

Medicine nodded, trusting them to not be pushing themselves too hard or something equally stupid.

Course, Taye's suggestion is even more stupid. The doll girl scowls as Su-san floats next to her.

"As if! I'd sooner throw you in there than endanger Su-san." she says, looking ready to actually physically do that. Although Su-san tugs at Medicine's sleeve and she grumbles something under her breath.

She reaches into her backpack and picks up another doll, a bit bigger than Su-san with a blue dress and a doll-sized lance in hand. She mumbles something to it and it nods back.

"Ugh, but Shanghai says she can go ahead." Medicine grumbles. Almost like she values the dolls more than them. The corpses don't even register to her. They'd probably assume that as a medical professional she might be desensitized to the sight of the dead or injured.

Hub Centralis Skies, earlier

Unbeknownst to Godzilla, a familiar yet unfamiliar face was observing him. Or rather, faces. Grand King Ghidorah◊ was watching him from the skies, his multiple heads all curiously watching this new kaiju swimming below them. His right head snarled though upon sensing the energies of a familiar foe. Mothra.

Monster Zero Suite

His middle head scowled. He knew from past experiences not to underestimate even lowly looking opponents. It cost him his genocide of Earth when he underestimated Mothra's progeny. So rather than risk a repeat of that yet, instead the demonic king of terror flew ahead.

Past Hub Centralis and over the sea on the opposite side relative to Godzilla. The cosmic tyrant then reached his tails forward and ripped one of them off using his middle head, before tossing the limb into the sea. The sea life would be sufficient fuel for what he had planned, his left and right heads opening to fire a barrage of red lightning bolts into the water.

The sea bubbles, not just from boiling due to the lightning but because of something else beginning to emerge from the sea. Bursting forth and flying across its progenitor was another Ghidorah◊, though larger and with a black and red color scheme. Notably it also possesses a more quadrupedal build as well.

Desghidorah... Grand King Ghidorah had sent this progeny to other worlds in the past to prod at their defenses, or simply harvest energy in his place. He's a demonic tyrant after all, he can't be everywhere at once.

With a hiss from his middle head, he issued a command to the lesser Ghidorah to go and slaughter that overgrown reptile. Roaring in reply, Desghidorah began flying off to do just that.

—

Hub Centralis, present

"What the hell?! Something huge is on the aerial radar!" the U-801 crew manages to get out to the others in time for a black shadow to loom in the clouds.

And then Desghidorah drops out of the sky, roaring with all three heads as it seeks to tackle the King of the Monsters to draw first blood by then clawing at him with its front legs.

Albaz - Mission

As Titanklad, Albaz attempts to assist Godzilla by firing a dark draconic breath at Desghidorah's ugly mugs. Although he is trying to pursue Godzilla, he still feels a little camaraderie towards the big lug, as he feels that Godzilla is trying to go on an important journey.

Mountain - Makai

"What is this nonsense," laughs The Mountain as he holds Peppino up like a pizza. "Are you holding back or something?"

Sukuna falls off Pallia's arm still clutching it. Seeing that Pallia is kicking him, he clench his knees together and move them up to his stomach, using his two feet to block Pallia's kick. However, Pallia's strength and Sukuna's awkward position in mid-air cause him to still be overpowered and sent flying, his back scraping itself against the ground and jagged ruins in front of Pallia as he's sent flying.

Sukuna laughs in twisted delight at the sensation, his feet feeling like they've been shoved down his legs. Still, not losing his cool, he points his inde and middle finger forward while seeing Lily's rampage. He could acknowledge that she was making judicious use of his technique, but alas, aiming for the head wasn't judicious : Sukuna wondered how Pallia would have made up for missing legs or arms.

Not like they'd know, heh?

   Like cooked poultry, heh.    Sukuna grab the ground and stop himself from skidding forward.    Scale of the Dragon... Recoil... Twin Meteors... Dismantle.    A crescent-shaped slash appears in front of Sukuna, the air whistling as the attack get closer to Pallia, meaning to cut him in half from the left hip to the right shoulder. Whether or not Dismantle land likely won't do anything to Pallia's timer. But Sukuna's curious to see if both his legs and upper body are going to fight alongside each other, if they'll jump back to reunite or if one of them will carry on the fight at this point.

In the arena, Dismantle is an attack that adapt to what it cut, like a chef sharpening his knife to cut through meat better. Landing Dismantle and Cleave on a target both give Sukuna a better idea of how tough the target is. And by giving Dismantle enough power, it can cut through anything so long as it has a proper idea of how tough it is, and so long as Sukuna has enough of an idea of how tough the target is.

With Cleave and his earlier Dismantle (the second one didn't count as it had hit metal), Sukuna has a pretty good idea. And by backing it up with a chant and gesture, he think he can make it just sharp enough to test his wicked idea out!

Edited by Bolded1 on Apr 30th 2024 at 2:44:51 PM

Pucci (Nohr), Oltura, Dawnguard, Pucci (Hub Centralis), Mech

Pucci considered the things Xander had to say, and couldn’t help but agree.    "Yes, simply telling him not to trust Gunter would do little save alert the latter to our suspicions. But…the woman who’s with him, she didn’t seem particularly fond of Gunter. Maybe she could help.."    The priest pondered.    "I don’t know if this man—whether truly Gunter, somehow returned from the dead, or some imposter—wants to see Corrin harmed in some way, or wants to entangle him in some grander scheme, or what. But I think my best course of action would be to stay close to Gunter during whatever transpires in those crypts."    He spoke his cognitions out loud as he thought them, as though searching for approval or agreement from the king.    "Give him no reason to believe I suspect him, but keep a close watch—yes, I know—and perhaps clue Corrin’s friend in to this…do you think she knows?"   

——

Luin looked off in the dark and smiled. "Growing up, I had three brothers. One was younger than me by a few years—he went off to live with our cousins in a different village." And thank Gog he did, Luin thought. She realized how long it’d been since she last saw him, last saw any of them…but did not dare seek him out until that wretched dragon had been dealt with. It believed her family had been exterminated fully; to allow it to know that she had a brother…Luin didn’t want to place him in harm’s way. Annihilation Nergigante would do anything to hurt her.

"Another was a year older than me. He left the village when we were young…there’s nothing there for a second son, he said. He needed to make his own fortune. I haven’t seen him since. But the third…" She smiled wistfully. "Comet was the oldest by about seven years. The bravest man I ever knew. No matter what, he always made me feel safe."

——

   "No need for a hunt."    Radahn cracked a smile.    "My chosen foe is closeby. Nor do I wish for any of my fellows in the Neo-Shepherds…No, the man I wish to fight…"    He lifted a slow finger, which came to a stop before him and pointed directly at the blade.

   "…Is you."   

   "You will aid Luin, will you not? If I were to give her my time and effort, don’t I have the right to know how capable her other allies are?"   

——

Previous

Pucci nodded in understanding of his instructor’s words. He hopped further back in hopes of putting more distance between himself and the chargers, pondering what Lucas had said.

They must strike first…

As the chargers came near, he opted not to immediately shoot at them with his weapon but rather to swing his cane at those who came near enough to knock them back, before then following up with a quick aim and a squeeze of the trigger.

Gor, clear my mind, still my heart, and guide my hand…

——

"Just a mage," Kado laughed at the voice’s assessment but said no further of the subject. He would waste no time in arguing identity or politics when far, far greater threats than intolerance loomed over their heads.

He glanced at the utterly decimated mech and frowned suddenly. "You know…I’m realizing now that maybe destroying the whole thing probably wasn’t necessary, and one of us probably could have used something like that…but, I’m sure there’s still scrap metal. I’ll call one of my guys to come salvage what he can." He turned to those who remained and looked around for Wilhelm, hoping to find the man and thank him for providing an avenue of escape—he had lost himself in his adrenaline, and likely would’ve been a charred remnant of himself had the man not opened a hole in the mech for him to leap out from.

Hub Centralis Solo Post

Luna runs, her footsteps making small noises as she ran. She pauses to catch her breath and looks behind herself. Noticing the gorepriest, Luna felt like that she should get away, but she senses that she shouldn't. She swiftly hides behind a large shrub. To further hide herself, she tucked in her tail and moves her ears down. She remains perfectly still, waiting until the danger is over.

Hub Centralis - Kaiju

"Fuck."

Croque stands up on her jetski and holds up her hand.

"Transmitter to max. Line secured... I summon thee, Titanslayer!"

The Gas Station, Titanslayer Platform

The whole station flares to life. Croque shells of all sorts are prepping the Titanslayer for action. Within moments, it's ready to launch. And now it does so.

Centralis

Not but a few moments later, a massive mecha comes flying down from orbit. It lands, mostly inactive. Croque fires her inbuilt grapple and speeds towards it, before heading into it and setting herself into the cockpit. She starts rapidly flipping switches and turning handles.

MK I Titanslayer activating.
Verifying user...
User verified. Welcome, ME78.
CM-Originium Reactor Booting...
|Coolant system: ONLINE
|Main Power Output: 10 GW
|Fuel Systems: ONLINE
|Core System: ONLINE
Reactor: ONLINE
External Sensors Booting...
|External Cameras: ONLINE
|External Microphones: ONLINE
|Multi-Wave Scanning Array: ONLINE
Sensors: ONLINE
Weaponry Booting...
|Laser PD System: ONLINE
|Combat Hydraulic Systems: ONLINE
|ARCHANGEL Overlimit System: ONLINE
|MIRAGE Weapon Storage: ONLINE
Weapons: ONLINE
All Systems Nominal.

The massive mech, now fully upright (and rivaling Godzilla's height) gets into a fighting stance, Croque's voice ringing through the speakers.

"Come at me, I dare you!"

Centralis - Not Kaiju

The blood nearly skims across the street...

...before flowing back towards Erin as she absorbs it. It's automatically purified as she drinks it all in, and she shudders in pleasure before she gets smacked in the arm and a loud CRUNCH sounds out as the impact breaks her shoulder blade and arm. She doesn't even react, simply bringing her other hand up to set her shoulder with a loud cracking sound as the bone fuses back together, bound by blood. She spits what contaminated residue she got from his blood onto the floor.

"That won't work a second time."

Erin seems to wait before stepping back as Lily turns Pallia into a McCrispy, extra crispy.

Then he's sent flying in Haru's direction.

E.G.O. Realization- Twilight

   "So they searched endlessly, looking for a monster that never came."   

Haru's sword grows onto his arm, leaving him with a jagged blade of yellow eyes and black feathers. He starts with a horizontal cut, cleaving all of the nearby buildings (or rubble) in two...

   "Because they were the monster."   

Before finishing off with a huge downward swing, the blade impacting and cratering the earth. After this, Haru reverts back to his previous suit (which is still tattered) with just his gloves again.

"...hah... I forgot how tiring that was."

Confluence of Fates

Tinkaton gets hit with the massive bioenergy blast and is returned to its ball.

Rayne holds up his cannon and projects his shield-

Crack...

"G-gah..!"

Rayne lets out a yell of pain as the flames break his shield and start to burn away at him...

Luuuu... LUCAAAAAR!!

Gronny came out on their own!

It wastes no time in picking up Rayne and dashing away at its full speed while trying to heal Rayne with a Heal Pulse.

"G-Gronny..?"

The Lucario nods at Rayne and sets him down somewhere safer before staring down Soulstealer with a cold fury.

The unbreakable bond between Trainer and Pokemon called out Gronny's power!

Gronny's Attack rose sharply!

Gronny's Defense rose sharply!

Gronny's Special Attack rose sharply!

Gronny's Special Defense rose sharply!

Gronny's Speed rose sharply!

It leaps down from the stone outcrop it set Rayne on, making a Bring It gesture at Soulstealer.

Lourent

Clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack

The harmonious clicking and groaning of wind-powered wood brushed upon Scarab's ears like a song. Soothing. Melodious. Like the lapping of water against rock, or the hollow howling of a sandstorm.

There was nothing for miles except him and his walker. The massive, wind-powered machine he had kept on the entrance to this strange land.

It was a sizable thing, enough to carry him and 5 others. He'd outfitted the walker with a variety of equipment- most of it was stationed on the internal deck, like cargo space and workstations. On the main deck itself was an enclosed fire and a few different turrets, made for fending off walker and hostile nomad alike.

"No civilization for miles... At least the sun doesn't seem nearly as hot here as it did where I was."

The walker trudges across the desert sand without rhythm to its movements. Typical, as one wanted to avoid the chance of subterranean beasts noticing one's movements.

Scarab took a drink from his canteen, letting out a sigh as the water cooled and refreshed his form. It always had this... effect. Like he'd just taken a nice dip in a cool, clear oasis. It was refreshing, to say the least.

His walker continued on, through the desert sands towards nowhere in particular.

Edited by RainbyPlays on Apr 30th 2024 at 11:45:15 AM

Hub Centralis

The Mutant Child breathes deeply, inhaling even more smog, and then he unleashes a strong punch on the Gorepriest.

Near Hub Centralis

Oh no!

After seeing Godzilla about to step on the big city, and the Ghidorahs about to clash against it, the explorers felt fear about what could happen with the city.

What do you suggest to do?

We can't stop them, but we don't want the city to suffer!

I think we should broadcast a signal through Hub Centralis to urge the city to evacuate.

Good idea.

Maxi takes a megaphone, and lowering the balloon at near city level, he starts to talk:

Citizens from Hub Centralis! Please evacuate the city! Two MUTOS are about to clash! This is not a drill!

DNC

Thank you so much.

Grace said this to Mia, grateful for her offer to take Joy with her.

However, his thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the nearby battle.

I could help to scout. I mean, I want to do it as a way to pay for carry Joy.

Pica-Verse

The combined strenght of Sora, Altina and the heroes finally managed to topple the giant lizard, falling limply on an avenue.

Yay! We did it!

But suddenly, a beam of infrared light hits the heroine, reverting her to her civilian being, and plummeting quickly.

Belén, no!

The purple-clad hero attempts to save her, but another beam hits him, causing him the same. And then happens the same with the orange hero.

The three former heroes start to fall quickly.

Carolina casts a bubble of light on the girl, making her fall slower.

Church

I am SO sorry this took forever to type out

Being within Emma's proximity means that Jack's emissions are being siphoned by by the woman as he speaks. While she absorbs it, her limit's finally being approached. The upper ceiling of her power absorption — for now — showing itself, her body melds with the excess he's producing. She's getting a new kind of high with this limit being provoked and tickled.

"I'll bump into you again and share the deets but——"

She begins giggling, a wide grin replaces her deadpan expression and makes her entire body glow a bright light, outshining even the sky itself for a brief moment before she can control the wasted light energy into more raw power.

Emma's Energy Reserve: 99.9999999999999%

It will never reach 100%, to reach such a value would mean her output is absolute. Unbarred by anything — essentially infinite, that's not, nor ever will be, the case

But she can sure try!

"We won't be winning with her around."

Emma crouches down a little, in anticipation of that weird creature she just summoned then immediately charges for Tilra, hoping to slam her at the speed of light or at least, an arbitrarily large number that's meant to be its close approximate. It would release a shockwave that distorts space and makes it correct itself by warping the entire distance the attack travels and pulling everything much closer, it might mess with Arlina but it won't interrupt the move they're charging up.

It's not the speed of light in the sense of a particle moving at a speed of 300,000,000m/s. Rather, it's the speed of light in its very loose abstraction as the speed limit of the universe, or in this case, the speed limit Gor's imposed in this space.

To match or surpass the speed of light in most relativistic mechanics would imply she has infinite energy in that moment when she clearly does not.

Tldr; Emma's punching Tilra with a bootleg Infinite Mass Punch.

"EAT SHIT!"

Emma's Energy Reserve: 99.9%

Floating City

Locke sits on a bench, looking troubled and being deep in thought.

Mission: Pursue the Giant Monster

Two MUTOs, he said? It's not gonna stay at two for long.

Skullgreymon now also bursts out of the water, finally having swum into view. Compared to every other creature here it's rather small, but that doesn't mean that it's not powerful.

   "Looks like the cavalry's showin' up. Perfect time to work on our image by helpin' out a bit, I'd say."   , Etemon grins. Because once Godzilla is weakened enough he'll be throwing a Black Gear straight at it to assume control.

   "Now go and give 'em a Dark Shot attack!"   

Skullgreymon roars and launches the organic missile on its back towards Godzilla. Just like Desghidorah, it doesn't waste a second before going on the offensive.

—

Meanwhile the kid in the helicopter (the one sent by Black Hole) seems intrigued by everything that's beginning to happen. Though it's Croque's massive mech that gets the most of the boy's attention. Makes sense, he's much more familiar with war machines than with giant monsters.

Confluence of Fates

Terapagos isn't gonna be interfering considering its dazed state. But getting hit by the attack and the unusual way it deals damage snaps it back out of it... after nearly knocking it over despite the attack being flames. Hey, it's not exactly powerful in this state.

Once it does, it notices Rayne being hurt and the human's Lucario gaining an insane boost of power in response. It clicks with Terapagos now that the boy's Pokemon cares for it and isn't serving it just 'cause it got caught. Did these intruders really come here with malevolent intent? That's the thought process Terapagos went with when it was woken up by those creepy sounds. But maybe it was... wrong?

Terapagos transforms back into it's battle form, then floats over to Gronny for a moment. It nods to him, as if telling Gronny it has his back and will defend Rayne while Gronny goes in for combat. And it's truth, as right after it floats up to the stone outcrop and turns to face the battle. If Soulstealer gets close or starts overwhelming Gronny and Reyna, it'll intervene.

Edited by DevilPsyco on May 1st 2024 at 11:15:50 AM

Floating City

Locke might just notice the Asgardians taking a stroll nearby, conversing amongst themselves as they trek through the Floating City.

"For all of Linda's passion for handling the dirty business G.E.M.'s regular operatives won't touch, I always thought she was at least pragmatic," Loki muses, a hand raised to his chin. "She had to have known how stupid and detrimental betraying G.E.M.'s closest allies would be, yet it seems as though she never so much as questioned 'Seth''s orders. Perhaps she wanted an excuse to finally be the villain and jumped at this opportunity."

"Does it really matter, Loki? She's unfailingly loyal to the usurper, willingly carrying out his wishes, and forcing Claus and Lucas to do his bidding by threatening the lives of everyone they hold dear," Thor says darkly, his voice like crushed ice. "Clearly, Linda deserves no mercy. If she tries getting in my way, I will do what Set should have done..."

As if to emphasize his point, he squeezes the ale bottle in his now-sparking hand tightly enough for it to shatter into broken shards of glass. The two half-Jotuns merely blink in response to his admittedly restrained outburst.

"Just let me worry about Linda, Thor. You have a much bigger monster to bring down," Sylvie◊ chimes in, tinkering with the damaged TemPad that had brought her to the Arena. "If I can get this thing up and running again, maybe I could dump her in a timeline where she'll be overwhelmed by a horde of killer robots."

Floating City

He notices them indeed. Thinking about talking about the G.E.M. matter a bit with them, especially with some of the things he has on his mind, he gets up and starts walking towards them. He catches that they're talking about the same thing as he gets near and before they can notice him in return. He plans to wait to speak up until they notice him approaching as to not startle them, but when he hears what Sylvie says...

"That idea is a short solution to a problem that may leave long-lasting consequences.", he says as he continues to approach.

"Pardon me interrupting you as you're talking, but before we start making rash plans to deal with this ongoing issue, there may be some things I'll have to tell you first."

He glances around for a moment. There's a cafe nearby.

"Would you be alright with discussing the matter over some drinks? My treat."

Seeing as Locke had addressed her suggestion first, Sylvie turns to meet his gaze with an arched eyebrow.

"What? She's the only one who knows what's really going on with this new boss, and she's helping the arsehole tear G.E.M. apart from the inside with no brainwashing attached," she points out. "Ishizu can always have her replaced once she's back in charge."

Thor and Loki proceed to look in Locke's direction as well.

"Fine. Have you learned anything regarding this usurper?" the former inquires.

"I beg your pardon, rash? Come now, Locke, I thought we had left the antagonism between us behind long ago," Loki remarks.

The Asgardians make their way into the cafe, presumably with Locke not too far behind.

"Antagonism? I didn't say that to accuse or offend, I only want to make it clear that there are details at play that may make such a plan a bad one to go with. But let's continue once we're inside.", he says to Loki.

Locke follows them, sitting down at a table and inviting them to do the same.

"I don't know anything more than you do about the situation with Seth. But going with what I remember of it all, I'm not 100% sure if Linda is aware that this Seth in question may be someone else, whether that someone else is a spirit or demon, or Mara's influence affecting him, especially since she's always given me the vibe that G.E.M. is the one thing that truly matters to her aside from herself. I cannot really see her choosing a path that would lead to its destruction.", he says, answering both Thor and Sylvie at the same time. He clasps his fingers together, not in an evil way, but in a professional way, as if to say this is important.

"What I'm about to tell you is something I have not made privy before now, but it's something I'm certain you'll have caught onto by now, especially with Ishizu having recognized me. The world I come from is the same world as the world G.E.M. is located in. The world where Areui and his Gems of Power came from. The world that those Navitus artifacts came from. The relevant events surrounding myself, the ones you all already know of, happen over a century after the current events plaguing G.E.M., though as I said, I don't know about all of the details. In fact, I don't know if what's happening now even originally happened with G.E.M. in my world. Back then I sometimes visited G.E.M. as part of my political duties, as it's one of the biggest economical superpowers in the world, but I was never privy to the inner workings a few decades later, when..."

A small pause.

"I should stay on topic. What I want to make clear is that, as dire as I ended up making the future in my foolishness, time is not something that should be messed with. As much of a problem as Linda can be, especially if we'll have to end up confronting G.E.M. to get to the bottom of this, getting rid of her may have serious ramifications on the future of their world. She's still meant to do important things. Some... horrible things as well, unfortunately. But other things that are equally necessary. Killing her in the Arena if that proves necessary should be fine, but dropping her into a different world where her death would permanently remove her from our world's history is not an option."

"I was only joking about the antagonism, by the way."

Once they've all been seated at the table of Locke's choosing, the Asgardians listen intently as they hear the former Emperor out. As soon as he's finished, Thor is the first member of the trio to respond.

"Locke, she put a gun to the heads of everyone in Claus and Lucas' bloody hometown to force their cooperation with her new master," he says, electricity crackling from his clenched fist. "I'd say that's a pretty glaring sign Linda knows damn well what she's doing and who the wretched usurper she now serves is."

Loki takes a moment to order some drinks before staring at Locke as if he'd just uttered completely random gibberish.

"So apparently, backstabbing two of G.E.M.'s greatest allies for seemingly no reason and not even questioning such an ill-advised command means she cares about the organization," he remarks. "I have no idea how I could've possibly gotten that so twisted."

Sylvie stifles a frustrated groan as she places her TemPad upon the table.

"Oh, Hel, do not tell me her entire existence is one big... canon event."

Edited by IchigoMontoya on May 1st 2024 at 4:07:27 AM

"Possible, but it's not confirmed. All I'm saying is that we should not settle on assumptions unless we're 100% sure. Regardless, I agree that she is a threat who has to be stopped for the sakes of everyone on that island. I only disagree with the notion of doing this in a way that will alter my world's history.", Locke says to Thor. "As much as I would like to change things myself, especially the things I've ended up doing, time is not something that should be messed with."

He then looks at Loki.

"I can only surmise it's a case of loyalty over logic."

And then at Sylvie, looking confused.

"A... what?"