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Alexander Krizak
The Ultimate Lifeform
Posts: 153
(6/12/02 5:25:48 pm)
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Part 3: The Final Showdown
Act Seven, Scene Two: On The Verge of Godhood
He watched in the darkness as the final six contestants threw everything they had at their opponents. As he gazed upon the six monitors that surrounded him, he saw the black mage and the engineer hurl massive elemental attacks at each other. He saw the two gunmen use their bullets to settle their diffeences. He saw the swordman and the adept have one of the most unique and interesting duels he had seen in the entire tournament.
But it was not enough. Not yet, anyway.
The host looked at the crystal display above the six monitors. A hundred numbers and symbols covered the display, showing the vital signs of the contestants, the status of the illusion creation system, and the orbital fluctuations of the construct itself. But there were only two numbers that concerned him now.
Current Essence Level: 97%
Time Remaining: 8 hours
Only a third of a day remaining to collect my remaining godhood. I'm really cutting it close... I suppose I should start the final stage. He placed his hand on a nearby panel and began to control the construct with his mind. In each of the three dueling rooms, the warriors found themselves surrounded by a white light that gripped them tightly, restricting their movement. An opening appeared in each of the three ceilings, and the contestants all floated into another room.
This room, like the ones before it, was made of crystal, and various platforms were suspended in midair. The entire room formed a giant triangle, and as the warriors were set down far away from each other, they saw that all three sides of the room apparently had gravity. In the middle of the room floated a giant spikey crystal. It was this crystal that lit up the room, glowing as it was with all the colours of the rainbow.
As they watched, a rectangular opening appeared in one of the walls, and their host backflipped out of the hole, landing on the wall. "Hello, everyone, and welcome to the final test." He gestured towards the spikey crystal hanging in the centre of the room. "In the last couple of days, you've seen a lot of devices and machines that used crystal as their basis. The Yakumi take pride in their use of crystal to make everything from buildings, to machines, to beings such as myself, and I've had a knack for creating such devices since I was created. This entire space station is my own construct, created from thoughts and energy. But the crystal that lies before you is different, in that I did not make it. You did."
"Throughout this tournament, you have work those bracers upon your wrist; however, their full purpose I never revealed to you. In all living beings, there is an essence. It is more than your lifeforce, more than your soul; it is your very being. As you have fought, the bracers have collected the essence used. Not just yours, either, but those you fought, both fellow contestant and native threat. This crystal is the result. It is pure essence, solidified into a crystalline state, and it is almost enough to make me a god."
The woman in red spoke up then. "All this battling, all this destruction, was just so you could become a god?"
"No, that is not truly my goal. My goal is only to live, but the way I was created, that is only possible by becoming a god." He gestured to the remaining constestants. "And now, I implore you to battle once again, for the last time. It is almost complete, but my time grows short."
"And for what reason shall we fight?" the dark gunman said.
"I don't know... For honour. To prove yourselves. Or perhaps the far more practical reason: if I die, I cannot return you to your homes..." He walked back over to the control room entrance. "I must rest now, but I will be watching. Prove to me that my choices were not ill-made." He floated down into the room, and the crystal reformed behind him.
---
In the third part, you all find yourselves in a room much larger than the ones you've been in previously. It is similar to the rooms before it, but no longer will it hide it's crystalline nature with illusions. In the centre of the room floats the essence crystal, shining all the colours of the rainbow down onto you. The three sides of the room that form a triangle all have gravity, but you'll find that you can jump higher than usual. In the middle, near the essence crystal, there is no gravity.
Once again, Fallen find themselves with three Victory Votes, but in this part, they must cast all of their votes on one team, either the Disciples of Wind or Two on One. Remember, cast your votes on those with the best contributions; do not base it on friendships or rivalries.
 ~ I am you, and you are me ~ This defies reality ~ Whether this is false or true ~ You are me, and I am you
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Baka
Wind Seer
Posts: 167
(6/12/02 5:42:16 pm)
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Act 7, Scene 9 - "Home"
Ivan's vision blurred. He seemed to see... a crystal. Floating before him, like a star, a star in the night sky...
Beautiful...
His good eye flickered open and shut, and he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.
Kaze..
He made it. The Black Wind survived, against all the odds, through a week of hell. And... was that...
Vivi...
The red mage was unmoving - was he dead? No.. his conciousness was still there.
Dragonboy... dragonboy.. talking.
Fight... we have to... again?
No.. not again...
I can't...
"You can, Ivan. And do you know why? Because you're stronger than you think. You, Kaze, Vivi, and the others - Scarlett, Gilder and Ramirez. The six of you are the strongest, the most powerful."
Garet... am I hallucinating? I could almost swear I could see you... and.. is that Mia?
Mia...
"Ivan.. Ivan... you look hurt. Here.. here Ivan. Let me help you."
Soft hands... touching him, touching his face. That was... cool bliss. The ecstasy of relief...
He opened his eyes - and no-one was there - but he was healed. Standing slowly, he climbed up the Shaman's Rod, looking at the others.
Vivi... Kaze... my friends.
Ramirez, Gilder, Scarlett... the ones I must fight.
Must.. fight.
And we have to fight, or we can never go home.
I'd... I'd like to go home.
Unbidden, Ivan's will began to gather.
I... want to live!
And his Psynergy power burst out, blasting into the crystal, refracting through the room, bathing all six of them in a cool blue light. Their wounds healed, their pain eased. Stressed shoulders un-knotted, and they slowly stood up from their recumbant positions. Even little Vivi's eyes flickered open under the omnipresent hat.
The only way home.. is to fight.
Let's go home...

Baka // Wind Seer // Salva Nos
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Switchblade
RTT- Ryogo Kusama
Posts: 80
(6/12/02 5:54:24 pm)
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Re: Act 7, Scene 9 - "Home"
V-Votes for Part 2:
Kaze
Ivan
Ramirez
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Soujiro Seta
RTT :: Kaze
Posts: 50
(6/12/02 6:06:22 pm)
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- Unlimited -
The Final Advent - I
Kaze stood in a massive room, surrounded both by those the bracer linked him to, and by those who fought alongside Gilder. Once again, his black cape draped his form in shroudlike fashion, golden plate securing the dangling edges right above his heart…or where his heart should have been. But now he felt only disgust. All the fighting, all the destruction…only so another could ascend to godhood. Just like the Count. It wasn’t worth his time; it wasn’t worth anything.
”If I die, I cannot return you to your homes.” the host had said.
It matters not where I live. The place from which I was taken, the Inner World; that is not my home. My home exists only in faded memory that will never return, my place in the grand order of things has long since been lost. There is no home to return to; there is no one waiting with open arms. Wherever I am, I will return to the soil.
There was Vivi, the young mage with the eyes of a child; Ivan, who could see the feelings of others in adversity; Scarlett, the fiery woman who could love and hate with the same kiss; Gilder, against who he’d just tested his skill, and Ramirez, but not as he remembered him. The swordsman’s eyes were filled with cruelty, bloodlust, and potent wrath. If Gilgamesh saw him now…he would mourn, and then carve the man up out of pity. Indeed, he felt as though his Eidolons had touched the lives of others in the tournament far more than he had. He was just the messenger, living without a word, committing random acts of good in the name of vengeance.
The six of them were as different as could be, but all with a unifying thought: they had been played like fools in a game far beyond their control. Their energy had been stolen, they had suffered pain, seen others die like gnats, and all so one creature could become a self-made god.
Would it move? Kaze fixed his gaze on the golden pod that covered his right arm up to his elbow. If ever there were a time, it would be now. But he did not yet grasp the appropriate soil to use; he had not observed the situation in fullness.
The others…they had reasons to fight. Love, pride, angst, caring, wonderment, reformation; most anyone who fought had something to fight for. Even him. But that thing for which he fought had nothing to do with this. There was no motivation.
---
”But the others…they must all return to their places.”
I have no place...nowhere to return to.
”That is the price you pay for the power you now possess."
Shut up. I don’t regret it. I have what I want.
“No; you’ve only forgotten. If you knew what your clouded mind has obscured from you, you would feel as all of the rest do.”
Wherever I go; that is my home. The soil is my strength; I will live until I meet out judgement.
“Those are big words from a small man, Kuroki Kaze…”
My strength is sufficient for everything.
“You mean MY strength is sufficient. You’re possibly the greatest fool that ever called down the gods, you know that. But what I want to know is, what will you do now?”
Nothing.
“Just like the construct being told you; you ensure your own safety and longevity regardless of the cost to the things and people around you... and though you may fail to see it, there really is a hint of ‘objective’ right and wrong here, right under your nose. Once you have seen it, maybe I’ll let you call me. Until then, you can just remain your asinine, indifferent self. Oh, and by the way, get a replacement right lens. That looks really tacky.”
Ass of a dragon…
---
Kaze stood alone as the contestants started to move. He was a constant to them; an unchanging element in the sea of time. He didn’t grow, didn’t learn, and didn’t seem to care either. So much for protecting them all. He slumped down against the wall as the combatants engaged each other for a prize dubious at best. Sleep would feel good, but he could not. For some reason, he could not leave his team in their darkest hour. He watched, for the time of action had not reached its fullness yet. A pupil of aquamarine scanned the battlefield with the efficiency of a computer, absorbing everything. Ideas were beginning to come to him; a few thoughts gleaned from among the many.
But still, it did not move.
------------
Soil! My strength! Edited by: Soujiro Seta at: 6/12/02 6:09:02 pm
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Cirrus Velious
RTT - Link
Posts: 63
(6/12/02 6:29:07 pm)
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Re: - Unlimited -
*wanders in* Heya guys....
V-Votes for part 1:
Vivi
Issac
Kaze
V-Votes for part 2:
Ramirez
Vivi
Glider
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Dareon
Mister Mage Mon
Posts: 72
(6/12/02 6:32:00 pm)
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A winner is you!
Amethyst tossed another jujube at Vivi's screen. "Well, I'd have to say that was the most interesting draw in the history of magical combat!"
Only one was using magic...
Shut up, I had to get the reference in somewhere.
He sobered, and looked at the bracer that still rested, quiescent, on his right arm. These drained our power? A trickle charger, hooked up to thirty-three power sources... How much was drained from our transformations, ryujin? Was this what weakened both of us so much that I came out? Without these, would I still have been... born?
---
Part Two V-votes to
Kaze
Scarlett
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Slipstream
RTT: Gilder
Posts: 85
(6/12/02 6:39:53 pm)
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Musings, aka 'What are we supposed to be doing?'
All of this... all of this pain and suffering... was just so the dragon could make himself a God?
Gilder shook his head angrily, ignoring the construct's reasonings. What kind of idiots would create something that could only live when it had attained power beyond all mortal men, equivalent to the great Gigas of Arcadia? That kind of power was inevitably used only for destruction, as Valua had proved to him when they had begun to seek out the crystals that controlled the ancient war constructs.
The Rains of Destruction, the Gigas, all of it was believed to have been caused by men attempting to surpass themselves with the power of a greater being. Even Valua themselves, pushing their military might and attacking other countries, just for the power they could gain to destroy again.
No, the dragon had another motive for his actions - maybe there was something he wanted to achieve with that power, or something he wanted to destroy or change or interfere with. He'd kidnapped Gilder and many others without their consent and dragged them here, what assurance did they have that they would be returned home when he achieved that 'godliness'?
The others before him were not his enemies. Not Kaze, who he had but moments ago fought to near-death upon that strangely idealic grassland because there was no other choice to make. Not Ramirez, whose eyes and posture spoke of an injury far, far greater than to his body, even though back in their world they would be adverseries in morals and powers.
Not Scarlett, who had warned him away with a glance last round because of some internal pain she didn't want to share, something he could understand. Not even Ivan or Vivi, briefly met friends who the fates had cast against him in the final conflict.
His real fight wasn't with any of them. His fight, here and now, was with the dragon. And Gilder would give whatever it took, if it was at all possible, just to gain a chance to learn his true motivations. To be returned home without the risk of a god being left behind them, and no-one to suffer under the construct's powers once they were gone from this world.
Just a chance.

~~~~~ dance ~~~~~ for ~~~~~ me ~~~~~
Edited by: Slipstream at: 6/12/02 7:38:41 pm
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TenshiKain
RTT :: Ramirez
Posts: 54
(6/12/02 6:50:01 pm)
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Melodies of Madness
"I will kill you."
All eyes turned on Ramirez at the quiet, almost innocent tone of his voice. He stood at the wall of the chamber- or rather, slumped there. He had his back to them, his shirt torn enough to where the bandage that had covered him since the earlier rounds was left bare. There was a dark red spot there, where the wound suffered from the Gilgamesh fight had just slightly reopened. Yet the eyes did not fall there, nor to his head that remained bowed and hidden- it was the seeping red spot on the back of his left shoulder that attracted all visions. And the silver tip of a sword that gleamed through it, and then there were gasps from those collected at the sight of the two sheathes at his side. One had no blade in it.
There was a slow, almost decrepit giggle from Ramirez, a deep and old sound that seemed to echo off the walls. He turned at last, sliding the Ginken out of his self-inflicted cut. The mutilation sent waves of exhiliration through his aching body, his hunched form straightening up as though summoned by the bloody pain. Whipping the blade to the side, he faced each of them with that bloody sword held at his side, a half-grin baring reddened teeth. "All of you," he finished, his eyes trained on the last team that stood before him. The little boy in the pointy hat with glowing eyes that so controlled the elements, Vivi; the gunman, the dark bearer of the ultimate eidolon, Kaze; and the one who had broken him completely, the bleeding mage, Ivan.
He would do it. He would kill them all.
Idly he looked to Gilder once with a blank stare. The man who resembled so much an Air Pirate, with his highrolling attitude and gunslinging skill. The one who might have been a good friend, or a comrade under Galcian, in another time. Then he looked to Scarlett...the one who symbolized everything he feared, and everything he desired to have. The one whose heart belonged to many men, and yet not his. The one who could not care when he did.
He purposefully coughed up more blood. Just for them.
The Muramasa was then in his hand, sheathed out into an offensive safeguard position- a reverse hold of the blade, contrasting the normal grip in which he held the Ginken. Both swords gleamed with the same dark red fluid, dripping onto the crystalline floor. Ramirez did not wince as more of that fluid seeped out of his body; how much blood had he lost? So much that it would kill any lesser man. But the more his aura gleamed, the more the darkness crept into his bloody eyes, the more his heart pumped and rushed. Eventually, it would burst.
But not before his blades had slid into each of theirs. Ramirez held both blades tightly in his hands, a psychotic glare in his red-hued eyes. It had finally happened, that he had now grown so violent past apathy that his very eyes had drastically changed color. He literally saw only red, and that enticed him, enough to the point where his heart felt that it would burst if he did not have more of the scarlet horror. He wanted blood, he wanted to smear it over his chest and gasp in pleasure. He needed to give his swords more of it to drink.
"Come here, all who hunger," Ramirez purred softly, sweetly, a dreamy smile on his lips as he strode forward. "I have a blade to feed you all..."
Then his eyes intensified to where the irises went crimson, the pupils and corneas went black as night, and he squinted as blood again carved rivulets of death down his pale, stained cheeks, torn from Ivan's nails and teeth. "You can repent your sins through death!" As his ragged legs hobbled forward and his blades came up, he fell into a crouch with either blade held up against his shoulders, his body pulsing as though something were going to burst through his back. "Sword of the eclipse..." he purred, the Ginken and its bloody companion slowly streaming with the smoke of ice.
Silver Tundra.
---------------

Sponsoring Ramirez, Skies of Arcadia, Team Two-On-One. |
Kyo
RTT: Issac
Posts: 61
(6/12/02 6:53:00 pm)
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Saisyu Ketsu...
Isaac stood up from his resting place, watching Ivan expel a tremendous wave of Psyenergy that revived friend and foe immediately.
He had been watching this tightly-strung battle between all of the contestants, but naturally it was his friend that he focused on the most. He had groaned with irritation as the copy of Hammet slowed Ivan down with idle banter, felt momentary shock and fury at the appearance of Garet and Mia, and subconcequent pride when Ivan bested his fears--and them, in a sense.
He had felt a wave of shock run through him when he had learned Ramirez the Silvite was to be his first opponent. He silently, mentally cheered with him as the desperate battle had gone underway, praising him with every strong move made, urging him to be stronger during his times of disadvantage. And when that mental struggle had taken place, he was only able to look on in horror as trace memories of Ramirez's torment touched his mind, as they blasted through Ivan's.
And now he saw the final gauntlet that his friend had to pass through. His final destination and conflict, to expend everything he had to preserve the life of the Host long enough for him to ascend.
So many emotions were running through his head right now that he wanted to lash out at the other Fallen around him irrationally. Anger that he hadn't made it. Regret that Ivan had to endure this. Pride at how he stood through the trial. Sadness that his friend was chosen to make something of a final sacrifice...
He had to help him, but how? He could only be there in spirit, and not even by mind.
But others could. The seven spirits that dwelled within his own body could also lend their strength to Ivan as well, not being restricted by dimensional or planar means.
Flint...
The first Dijinni he had ever accquired materialized in front of him, brimming with golden aether light.
Granite...
Another Venus Dijinni flashed into existence before him, emitting a powerful defensive aura.
Quartz...
And another of his Earth Dijinni teleported into the air around him, radiating a light similar to the others, but with a personal characteristic twist.
Vine...
Another came.
Sap...
And another.
Ground...
And another.
Bane.
As his final Dijinni warped in front of him with an aura of nature's dark venom, he raised his hands up.
"You've lent your strength repeatedly to me in the past. Now, I want you to give as much as you've given me to aid my friend in that battle."
They all wavered, some more out of curiosity, others out of personal attachment. By way of response, Isaac reached in his satchel to pull out several glittering items--the special Psyenergy talismans he and his friend used to manipulate forces usually beyond their control.
"Hey, it's not like I'm leaving you for good or anything. Just for this one battle, go to him and give him your all. And bring these with you."
Flint moved in front of him, and took the talismans. The Venus Dijinni then did a little somersault in midair, and dissappeared. The other Dijinni vanished as well, and Isaac looked resolutely at the screen, watching the battle that had already erupted into motion. Focused on Ramirez already, he realized with his eyes narrowing.
And godspeed.
Edited by: Kyo at: 6/12/02 6:57:10 pm
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Sylphid
RTT - Vivi
Posts: 67
(6/12/02 6:56:51 pm)
Reply
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7-FINAL.1
His consciousness returned to him, and he awoke.
A myriad of colour danced above, below... all around him.... as if he were trapped within a giant prism allowing the sun's brilliant rays to pass through it.
And there they were... five others, all standing before him, gazing at the central core itself.
Two of them he recognized as allies... Ivan, the Wind Adept... an invaluable friend and ally on this trying quest... and Kaze, the Dark Wind... one to be feared, yet Vivi knew that the gunman was on his side.
His allies... his friends...
This final battle... this last effort...
It would go to them!
Vivi leapt to his feet, sword drawn and ready. With unseen confidence, he cheered on his two allies.
"This fight is for you, my friends!"
 Vivi has returned once again for Rurouni Taikai Tactics. Member of Team ~Disciples of Wind~ Sponsored by Sylphid
Lord Sylphid - Master of Wind Madness takes its toll... please carry exact change.
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Dry31
RTT: Garai
Posts: 116
(6/12/02 7:01:01 pm)
Reply
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Re: Rurouni Taikai Tactics - Final Round
Part 2:
One Victoly Vote to:
Ivan
Ramirez
Gilder
One Engrish Vote to:
Everyone else, for a good effort.
~dry31~
(Pay no attention to any of the above.)
Luna: The PLACE
http://pub88.ezboard.com/bluna83999
---
 Other teams may have snazzy quotes...but actions speak louder than words. *Falls down.* |
Mithrigil
RTT--Scarlett Welles
Posts: 95
(6/12/02 7:03:02 pm)
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Never trust a guy who wants to be a god.
Scarlett glared at the door long after the host had gone through it. She knew he was watching, and that he had't been watching before, when it mattered.
Just taking numbers, amassing his power.
She'd read a book, once. About a group of elderly people dedicated to the pursuit of immortality. They abducted children, forced them to perform death-defying stunts, beat them within an inch of their lives, anything to get their precious adrenaline. The rush before death.
"I'll kill you...all of you..." someone distantly muttered, shocking her tired, angry eyes away from the dragonboy's door. And to the speaker.
Ramirez?
He was as unkempt and bloddied as Scarlett, but that's not what caught her. His eyes were redder than her dress, bloodshot and scabbed over...he was mad.
Her lips involuntarily parted in shock. Rami...mad...the most stable of us...easily...but now--
He muttered an incantation and began to raise the swords over his head, turning toward Ivan in a gibbering, twitching gait. The cut on his chest, was dripping blood, an ugly, reopened scar. The swords--blood and silver, the team's colors--
The team. For the good of the team.
"Repent..your sins..through death!", he began to say, his ordinarily steady hands twitching, the blades quivering in response.
He's going to damn us all!
Without thinking, Scarlett rushed to him, hopping to grap a potion off her anklet and knowing she might be too late. The others stared, powerless against Ramirez's madness--
--she looked him in the eyes.
Calmly.
And slapped him across the face.
-------
Guess who Ms. Sexual Repression USA is playing in RTT?

Isn't the irony lovely?
Some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Mithrigil.
(this links to LT)
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Baka
Wind Seer
Posts: 168
(6/12/02 7:06:00 pm)
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Act 7, Scene 10 - "Fear"
"I will kill all of you."
A shock of fear passed through Ivan's mind. This man.. again. Ramirez had nearly destroyed him... and he wanted more.. wanted him.
Ivan couldn't face him again.
The last time they met, the Silver Nightmare had destroyed him. Utterly. Not a trace had been left of what he was, the morals and codes by which he lived his life.
Most of that had returned now.. but not for Ramirez, it seemed. The swordsman's eyes still burnt with that deep passion, and even the Djinni were scared...
The Djinni...
He ran a mental count - and gaped.
Isaac... you came back for me. Thankyou, friend.

Baka // Wind Seer // Salva Nos
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Bugenhagen
RTT: Billy Lee Black
Posts: 961
(6/12/02 8:05:27 pm)
Reply
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Re: Act 7, Scene 10 - "Fear"
I must be careful... the slightest movement will have this all come falling down... the slightest mistake will destroy everything I have worked so hard to create...
A beer can flew through the house of cards Billy was stacking, causing the cards to collapse. Billy glared at Conker, who gave him a drunken stare.
"What'cho doin'?"
"Waiting for the next round to start. Like you should be doing, instead of getting drunk."
"Aw, shaddap. Hey. Da dragonboy'sh comin' up." Conker fell to his side, passed out.
Billy watched as the man explained what had happened. Billy was listening, trying to figure out what all this was about.
So he wants to become a god? An artificial deity, like DEUS? No; he solely wants to live, but he can only do so by-
He froze. It finally clicked in his mind. The sheer impossibility of it. Why she had followed Billy.
The crystal.
Billy shook his head. No, no! The dragon man said that it took the essence, but not the soul. I've been contacting Emilia's soul. So whatever this is, it's beyond the Dragon.
In fact, I wonder if he even knows about it.
--
I don't know if I can be on again tonight, so I'll have Billy push the V-vote buttons now. And let the best team win.
V-vote to Vivi
V-vote to Ivan
V-vote to Kaze
By the way, last tournament there was an 'Epilogue' for finishing character's stories. We're going to have one of those, right?
Right?
--
Sponsoring Billy Lee Black
Did you notice that the two great angels only have one wing each...?
According to a legend handed down in Nisan...
God could have created humans perfectly...
But then, humans would not have helped each other...
So that is what these great single-winged angels symbolizes...
In order to fly, they are dependent on one another.
~Margie, Xenogears |
TenshiKain
RTT :: Ramirez
Posts: 55
(6/12/02 8:07:11 pm)
Reply
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The Lethality of Woman
At her palm's strike, the icy smoke faded.
Ramirez felt silver hair matted to his bloodied cheek as his entire head snapped to the side. The slap was colder than the Silver Tundra itself, sharper than the Ginken's edge. And, to further add to the shock of the blow, it had come from her. His bangs fell like nooses over his eyes, which had gone wide in red and black shades. The blood stopped flowing in tears, caking on his cheeks. Only the unsightly, incomprehensible wound on his chest seeped now, the one spot on his body unable to be touched by mankind anymore.
There was pain under it. His heart was wrenched as though Gilgamesh had suddenly made the wound deeper, enough to cleave it while still keeping him alive. He was rigid, yet he wanted to fall. The truth was so cold...
His mind cleared, enough for him to think. Endless hours of her fawning over Laguna. The azure journalist and the scarlet maiden, while all the while my silver glow cut down so many. Covering tenderness with blood, just as I always have, in the hopes that I might learn not to care.
But I did. In fighting, I built the desire to protect. With each swing of my sword, I had hoped Fina was not watching...but I knew the other was. And she never had to look away. She admired my sword, I had always felt. It gave me strength, and purpose, and order. Always. So I cut down anything that stood in her way, in the hopes that she might learn to care for my bloodlust.
How fitting. It was all for naught...
Ramirez took the Muramasa in his Ginken hand, clutching both swords together to let his hand run over his face. The blood wiped from his face onto the glove as his eyes closed, a weak cough squirting more of the foul red substance upon it. As his hand passed over his face, he let it fall to drip peacefully at his side, and then reopened his eyes beneath the silver bangs that were just now regaining a luster. He straightened up again, and turned his head back to look at the last team he faced.
Which he faced with eyes of green.
"You're in the way," Ramirez whispered without looking to her, his voice again the deep, flat voice of one totally subservient. "Step aside. Let me protect you."
---------------

Sponsoring Ramirez, Skies of Arcadia, Team Two-On-One. |
Baka
Wind Seer
Posts: 169
(6/12/02 8:13:42 pm)
Reply
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Re: The Lethality of Woman
Bugen.
Krizak said vote without prejudice. Without rivalries. Vote for the best story.
While I appreciate the votes, you can't seriously say that my team has done better than their team yet - so how can you justify voting like that?
This may damn me, and I'm sorry if it takes down my team at all, but so far, I know I've not posted anything in this section worth voting for. And given that I've been sitting at this computer for close to 20, maybe more hours now, and it's 3am, I'm falling asleep - I don't think I can reasonably post anything else tonight. Nothing decent, anyway. Nothing on a par with my Ramirez fight (thanks for the great fight, Tenshi).
On that subject, I believe Sylph is being denied the computer fairly soon too. So please wait and see how things turn out before voting. I don't want to win or lose due to a gredge - uh, I mean a grudge.
I'll try and post something more, but if I don't manage it, I apologise to my team for dragging them down.

Baka // Wind Seer // Salva Nos
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Sylphid
RTT - Vivi
Posts: 68
(6/12/02 8:31:26 pm)
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7-FINAL.2
These people... they weren't his foes.
But... if he was forced to fight them... then...
No... the mage thought. He could not fight them. No more. They were not his foes.
Vivi… A voice echoed within his mind over the sounds of the battle…
Vivi… this is it… to save your friends…
…use the power within you…
The mage struggled to his feet, pushing with all his might to lift himself off the crystal floor. Ever so slowly, he rose discretely in the background where he was unnoticed.
“Ivan…” he mumbled weakly, glancing over to his friend. So young, yet so full of wisdom… so full of courage and hope. Just like Vivi, he was cursed with innate magical abilities. Yet he handled them well, and drew seemingly infinite power from them…
“K-Kaze…” he muttered, gazing upon the caped man. Clouded by his past, yet pushing forward with sheer willpower. He was not cold and heartless as his appearance suggested. The mage did not know him as well, yet deep inside himself, he knew the man’s support was genuine.
These two… along with himself… had been brought together under unusual circumstances. Now, they were bound not only physically by the bracers that they bore, but mentally… as friends and allies.
You can do this… Vivi… find the strength within you…
Scarlett… Gilder… even Ramirez… these were not Vivi’s true foes. They were pawns too, in a grand game that was beyond their control… all they could do was fight helplessly amongst each other, hoping that this nightmare would end.
Yes… you see what to do… his mind echoed.
“I… I do,” He replied.
In the depths of the prismatic chamber, the mage stood up. Gazing up at the crystal – the source of the dragon’s power – he saw his objective.
Leaping into the air as high as he could, the mage broke hold of the gravitized floor, slowly drifting up over the chaos of the battle that raged on below him.
But none noticed the young mage above them.
This is it… do this… for everyone!
Vivi’s voice whispered quietly, unheard by all. “This is for you, my friends…”
And slowly, he began to chant one last time, as the light surrounding the crystal and illuminating the room began to draw towards him.
Precious life… Destroyer of evil…
One by one, the warriors below began to slacken… all casting their gaze above to the mage… How had he gotten up there?
The chamber grew darker and darker as the magical energy abundant to the room began to gather around Vivi.
Forbidden power… come to us in our time of need…!
But deep within… each of them… they knew something was coming… they felt its presence within him.
Mighty torrent… Blessed with the power of wind…!
The ultimate power… destroy the evil that is our bane!!
“Get down!” someone shouted, sensing the power that was about to be released as one final word pierced the silence and darkness.
“ULTIMA!!”
The spherical energy exploded outward well before the deafening howl of it could be heard. Beams of pure light radiated out of the mage’s body, penetrating every atom within the vicinity of him. The air within the chamber whipped about and around, tearing furiously at anything and everything in its way. Fragments of the chamber flaked and broke away, spiraling madly about in the tempest of the mighty spell as its power increased and accelerated in velocity, giving off a deafening howl that was all that could be heard.
Arcs of lightning blasted out from the mage’s levitating body, striking every wall with incredible force. A jolt of electricity very nearly struck Scarlett, missing only to the side by mere inches. Other blasts ruptured into different sections of the chamber, knocking crystalline debris onto the five contestants who had been literally blown away by the magnitude of the sudden storm.
The mage screamed in pain. Blasts of lightning, beams of pure holy energy, and tempests reaching velocities unheard of buffeted him about, draining his life force as he focused his magical energies in one final hurrah. Holding his arms above his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he endured the pain, the power radiated outward still.
Ramirez tried to rise, but his effort was futile. The torrential gusts took hold of him and propelled him away, forcing him into another section of the chamber where he slammed into the crystalline wall and slumped down to the ground, weakened even further.
Ivan shouted over the screaming winds, but none could hear his cry. Gilder and Kaze simply hung on for dear life.
His mana running out, and his physical body exhausted, the mage began to falter. The winds slowly grew weaker. The beams of radiance began to fade out, and the lightning began to dissipate.
But he wasn’t about to give up yet.
“No… I’m not done yet…!”
He would finish his task if it cost him his life.
He charged up his magic for one final assault… targeting the crystal above him… he screamed in power.
“Yaaaaaaaa~~~!!!”
A final surge of holy energy pierced through the floor below, passing straight through Vivi, and the crystal as well. Beams of radiant lightning targeted it as well, as a hurricane formed around it.
And suddenly, it all ended with a final explosion of power…
The radiance was gone. The winds had stopped. Silence enveloped them all.
Slowly, as the five remaining contestants rose, the red mage fell from the center of the chamber, accelerating towards the ground…
…and collided with a sickening sound.
He did not move any more…
…but the crystal above now bore a rather noticeable crack in its side.
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And so ends Vivi’s part. The rest, I shall leave up to you.
 Vivi has returned once again for Rurouni Taikai Tactics. Member of Team ~Disciples of Wind~ Sponsored by Sylphid
Lord Sylphid - Master of Wind Madness takes its toll... please carry exact change.
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Mithrigil
RTT--Scarlett Welles
Posts: 96
(6/12/02 9:01:55 pm)
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On the floor again...
Perhaps he was right, about not being controlled...no creator would let him do that.
She'd seen Vivi like that all too recently. Drained, slumped forward, out cold. She'd felt the brunt of it too--ironically she wondered if that was how the host would have felt if he'd touched the makeup bottle when he came for her.
He was watching.
And yet...he hadn't made a move against the crystal.
The gears in her mind started turning triple-time. Had the mage been right...
...or ALMOST right?
"Ramirez." She demanded his name, and he came to her, still winded from the little mage's attack on the crystal.
He breathed in reply.
She smirked, the idea almost fully formed in her mind. "I've got someone in mind to launch our attack on."
...
In the control room, the host smiled. He knew he could depend on her, of all of them, to get things started, to get the crystal to function. It took a scientist to know these things.
"Who, Scarlett?" he found himself muttering. "One of Kaze's summons? Or Ivan?"
...
Ramirez glared at the two still-standing members of The Disciples of Wind, waiting for Scarlett's request. "Which?"
Scarlett grinned demonically, and gestured. "The one behind that door."
...
The host's pale skin went even whiter.
...
Everyone's eyes turned suddenly on Scarlett. The Fallen in the audience--those who'd helped her, those who'd opposed her, those who'd felt the brunt of her wrath--her teammates and adversaries in the Construct, and the host himself.
"I TOLD you she was a fucking loony!" Conker spat drunkenly, clapping Bowzer right on a spike and yelping when his hand hit.
Bowzer growled slightly. "I don't know..."
Ward narrowed his eyes, but more in scrutiny than distaste.
Navi babbled, flying above Link's head. "OK, what's going on in her mind?"
Link bit his lip. "I wish I knew. I'd probably need to know for the future."
Aeris, next to Link, closed her eyes. She wondered why she hadn't thought of it first.
Delita knew where this was going, for he had been there.
...
In the construct, Scarlett ended her pause. "It's our energy, our adrenaline, our near-death rush that he's been taking to power his crystal. He's been having us fight, like his puppets, for something we wouldn't ordinarily think to care about."
...
Ryogo's eyes reflected a twinge of new admiration. Apparently the bimbo had a brain.
Lise had started to guess where Scarlett was taking this, and had begun to assume it couldn't go wrong.
Cinder's flames flared up around his eyes for a moment, then subsided.
Agrias took note of the woman who had once assaulted her, unconsciously drawing a hand to her own chest. Whether it was about the scar or not, she wasn't quite sure.
Golbez saw a flash of righteousness.
Strago put down his bottle.
Billy had begun to understand.
...
"He's left us alone in his little universes to bleed, burn, brood, and bullshit, caring only about the numbers. The percentage on his crystal. He's used us selfishly, put us through 6 days of absolute hell."
...
Amethyst blinked.
Ryo tapped his heel on the floor.
Yoshi twitched.
Isaac leaned forward in his seat.
Mog perked up his ears.
Falco cocked his head sideward to better his view.
Dath raised his eyebrows.
Garai smiled.
...
"I am flat-out SICK of fighting. I was never meant to do it, however much I wanted the feeling of it."
...
Laguna, for a brief moment, considered unlocking his heart.
...
"And if dragonboy wants my energy, he'd better be ready to take it himself."
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Guess who Ms. Sexual Repression USA is playing in RTT?

Isn't the irony lovely?
Some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Mithrigil.
(this links to LT)
...Edited by: Mithrigil at: 6/12/02 9:07:45 pm
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Dareon
Mister Mage Mon
Posts: 74
(6/12/02 9:18:01 pm)
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Re: On the floor again...
Amethyst looked over at Conker. "In the last round, I overheard you mention a 'script.' Is this," He gestured at the unfolding drama on the screens, "in the script?"
Conker blinked. "Damned if I know."
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Baka
Wind Seer
Posts: 170
(6/12/02 9:22:09 pm)
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Act 7, Scene 11 - "Tick"
Taking it... himself?
And yet, she had a point. None of them - with the possible exception of Ramirez - wanted to fight here.
And the crystal's energies would be powered up by fighting.
Any fighting.
Chaos. The construct functioned on chaos, and adversity. Action and battle.
Heh..
Well Ivan had enough chaos in him now. Twenty-eight magical beings riding in his body, lending him their powers - but the elemental Djinni were never meant to mix. Ivan was riding on an intoxicating high of power and conciousness. He could feel the life force of everyone else in the room - their hearts beating as one, to an unseen rhythm.
An unseen rhythm?
He'd seen that a few times before. The rhythm of the universe, a ticking clock cutting the minutes into second-sized pieces, and the seconds into moments, and the moments into instants.
Tick.
A fragment of Ramirez' emotions still played in his mind. 'Kill' they shouted. 'Kill', 'Hurt', but also 'sadness' and 'misery. The young adept closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Tick.
He'd come a long way, from his village, to Master Hammett's wagon, to Isaac, Garet and Mia, to the lighthouses, and the prophecy, and now to here, to a tournament so fantastic that no-one could ever believe it existed. But he would know. And Isaac would know. And if they both survived, they would share it in their hearts forever.
Tick.
An instant of resolution, passing in the flick of an eyelid. He would survive this. He would go home to see his friends again.
Tick.
He looked down at his hands, where he was gripping the Shaman's Rod tightly - his knuckles whitening. A dried stain of blood - his blood - formed a darker line running down the staff.
Look at it. A plain oak staff, curved at one end. And in this lies the destiny of a world.
It was his duty - no, his obligation to return.
Tick.
And the power bubbled over. A red corona of flame burst from his right hand, running up his arm, encasing it in a miasma of flame. His left arm grew instantly cold as the arctic wastes, and a sheet of ice formed over it. Beneath his feet, the stone rippled and cracked, faint lines in the rock growing as the earth power leaked out - and his hair began to move in wind that sprang from nowhere.
Tick.
He looked up at the crystal, and began to speak in a low voice, that, nonetheless, echoed throughout the chamber.
"And how do we know you'd be a decent god?"
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
"Prove yourself, host. Prove you are worthy of godhood, and not just some petty puppeteer, controlling the lives and destinies of innocents for your own amusement."
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And due to the lateness, that's about all I can pull off tonight. Sorry I can't do more, but time conspires. *looks at clock* 4:10 am. Oi...
Go for it folks. Make me proud.

Baka // Wind Seer // Salva Nos
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