Pages (3): « 1 2 [3]   Last Thread   Next Thread

Post New Thread Post A Reply
Daisuke7777 Posted: 04-24-2003 , 08:43 PM

K' -- KOF

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Ara? Oro? Eh?

quote:
Originally posted by Amethyst
Hey, what's going on over there?

I don't know, but I'm gonna blast it.

Sun Ray!




::Helps and executes a heat drive::

IP: Logged

Daisuke7777 is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Daisuke7777 Click here to Send Daisuke7777 a Private Message Find more posts by Daisuke7777 Add Daisuke7777 to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Dry31 Posted: 04-24-2003 , 08:46 PM

Judge/Jury/Executioner

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

As Shadow Testament heads towards the front lines, he spots a man clad in a more elaborate uniform than any of the rest that he's killed so far. But his uniform is close enough...the Gear knows that he is affiliated with the invaders. Shadow Testament's face twists into a snarl as he rushes, swinging his scythe in an arc that should have killed him...but the man merely smiles, raising his hand and shooting out a ray of white light that hurls Testament back. He laughs...then frowns as he notices a slight trickle of blood coming from his arm. He looks vaguely annoyed, but not especially botherd.

A Vote v. Kashell

IP: Logged

Dry31 is online now Click Here to See the Profile for Dry31 Click here to Send Dry31 a Private Message Find more posts by Dry31 Add Dry31 to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
San_Draco Posted: 04-24-2003 , 08:49 PM

El Bruje Sale

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: The realm between the worlds...

In which Li Mei attacks the boss... And some other people...

After having wandered through the city, Li Mei found exactly what it was looking for. Soul... Strong...

It swung its halberd at the target, but succeeded only in having the attack dodged and countered by the dual scimitars. Kashell laughed. "An undead? You should have known better than that, Daisetsu."

With a wave of his hand, the leader of the Five fired a holy spell, which was promptly sent flying. Shang Tsung felt it, but dismissed the damage. It will recover. All members of the Dragon King's army do...

1 A-vote to Kashell.
1 A-vote to Setsuna
1 A-vote to The Hulk
1 A-vote to Captain Falcon
1 A-vote to Maya Amano

Last edited by San_Draco on 04-24-2003 at 08:52 PM

IP: Logged

San_Draco is offline Click Here to See the Profile for San_Draco Click here to Send San_Draco a Private Message Find more posts by San_Draco Add San_Draco to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Exeter Posted: 04-24-2003 , 08:51 PM

Rock You

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

~Put Out The Fire~
Sol Badguy--Album 4, Track 3

The street erupted in a billowing curtain of flame as the dragon king Bahamut unleashed its deadly breath attack upon the two swordsmen, who dove to separate sides to avoid being incinerated.

Setsuna took a quick slash at Bahamut's side as he fell back, prompting a roar from the dragon as it turned on the white-haired man.

Sol took the opportunity to try to get to Rydia, and too late he saw the dragon turn back.

"Mortal, I shall allow you to do no harm to this child!" Bahamut bellowed, raising a claw to slash at Sol, who dodged to the side just in time.

Shit, this thing could tear me to pieces.

Setsuna, meanwhile, charged at Bahamut angrily, his sword crackling with electricity as he leapt to slash at the beast's midsection.

Gonna get himself killed.

"Hey, Bahamut!" Sol yelled, just avoiding another swipe of Bahamut's claw. "We're on the same side here! We don't want to hurt the girl!"

Me, attempting diplomacy? I mean, bad enough I wanted to help the girl at all...

Bahamut seemed surprised for a moment, then howled as Setsuna's blade buried itself in his side.

Cackling, the white-haired swordsman began a follow-up--

"Dammit, Setsuna, back off!"

Ignoring Sol's protest, the man's second slash tore deeply into Bahamut's hide. The dragon's wings began to flap as it spun around to face Setsuna once more.

Aww, fuck it.

Sol charged the dragon from behind, his blade flaring to life much like the Fireseal did, though the metal had begun to melt from the heat. As the flames erupted around him, he leapt up atop the dragon's back.

Bahamut attempted to throw Sol off with a swing of his massive neck, but the dragon was not Sol's target this time.

Leaping down to the ground, the bounty hunter's blade clashed with Setsuna's, and Bahamut froze.

"I said, back off!" Sol yelled, forcing the man back.

"So, you show your true colors at last, Sol?" Setsuna sneered in reply. "Then die."

Sol braced himself as the man's blade snapped back at an impossible speed and shot forward again, but the blow did not land. Instead, Setsuna gasped as Bahamut's tail sent him rocketing skyward.

A moment later, Sol turned, and Bahamut glanced down at him.

"It seems I misjudged you, young man."

"Heh, I'm no young man, dragon, but thanks all the same," Sol replied with a grin, dropping his sword to the ground. The girl okay?"

Bahamut nodded. "I believe so. I would ask of you, though...watch over her when I am unable."

Reluctantly, Sol nodded. "You trust me just like that?"

"Your heart is clear to me, Sol Badguy. Curious name, that, but I suppose it hides something you do not wish others to see, so I did not look any further."

Sol was silent for a time.

Then, finally, he said, "I'll look out for her. In return, though, you think you could keep the city-toasting to a minimum?"

Bahamut laughed, a deep, rich sound. "Yes, I did get a bit carried away. As you wish, Sol, and good luck."

With that, the dragon was gone.

Slowly, Sol approached the fallen summoner.

After a moment, she stirred, then looked up at him nervously. "Sol...?"

"Yeah, no worries, kid. Come on, let's get out of here."

Before Setsuna comes back and tears me a new one.

Half-carrying the weary girl, Sol headed back down the street toward the building where he'd last seen Shang Tsung.

And Ky Kiske stepped out from around the corner, his eyes wide and dull as he made his way wearily toward some unseen destination. He didn't appear to see them.

"Yo, Kiske! You awake over there?"

The boy looked up slowly.

Shit, he looks beat up.

As he recognized Sol, Ky's face contorted in a painful expression, and he began to turn away. Then, deliberately, he turned back and said, "I killed her."

His voice was hoarse, raspy.

The Fireseal and Thunderseal, as well as a third sword, all hung from his belt.

The Fuuraiken was stained with blood.

Setting Rydia down gently, Sol crossed his arms. "Come on, kid, don't get all mopey on me now."

The former knight quickly regretted his choice of words as the boy's eyes finally focused.

**********

Over to Baka.

A-votes to Hulk and Maya.

Last edited by Exeter on 04-24-2003 at 09:02 PM

IP: Logged

Exeter is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Exeter Click here to Send Exeter a Private Message Find more posts by Exeter Add Exeter to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Just Some Guy Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:11 PM

Superhero Sellout

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: a place where you are not

Falcon A-Votes Kashell.
Falcon will post a bit later.

IP: Logged

Just Some Guy is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Just Some Guy Click here to Send Just Some Guy a Private Message Visit Just Some Guy's homepage! Find more posts by Just Some Guy Add Just Some Guy to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
m121akuma Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:15 PM

t3h 3v1l av: Part 2

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Southfield, MI. Bitches.

A-Vote to Kashell....I got nuthin to write


Southfield Board of Education: Prepared to be Schooled

quote:
Originally posted by Starhammer
SRK.com is the new evercrack. All we need is some Idiot to kill someone and blame SRK.com for it, and its status will be irreversible.

-Starhammer-


---Team Southfield Website---

IP: Logged

m121akuma is offline Click Here to See the Profile for m121akuma Click here to Send m121akuma a Private Message Find more posts by m121akuma Add m121akuma to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Renmazuo Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:22 PM

Cute Widdle Cleric Girl

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Graveyard of Airships

Canto IV + In Medias Res + An Arrow Into Darkness


"Ah, your hair's getting wet."

Elmdor's head turned up, his red eyes blinking when they found Alma's palm there. The light rain fell onto the back of her hand, a cheery if weighted smile on her face. "Often I heard of your silver hair, back when I was a child," she said, her feet tapping against the wet ground. "Believe it or not, you're as popular as Uncle Cid, back where I come from. Especially among the girls I knew, but you could probably guess that, hah!"

The older man cracked a small, but definitely amused smile at that. "Seems the 'beautiful swordsman' mythos is always welcome to the hearts of young girls," he said. "I don't quite understand why it was one people called the Silver Ogre."

Alma shook her head, wiggling her already wet fingers over his crown. "I won't deny there were just as many who disliked you- mostly the older men- but that was because they were afraid. You were a hero, Mar- um, Elmdor! I have no doubt you were fierce in battle..." She bowed her head a bit. "Back in that dojo...our chakra mixed for a moment, and I could tell you were a dangerous man. But, you know...the good that I heard about you- that was much more prevalent. A just judge, a man of faith and courage, a brilliant swordsman, a strong and capable leader..."

"...and I lost all of that when I took the Gemini." Elmdor brought his head back against the wall, hearing it rumble as another blast shook the city. "That day, at the Fuse Plains...I should have died. It was a horrible, painful death, but my men would have seen it as 'honorable.' Yes...I think the history books officially say I 'died honorably.' That I never returned to Limberry, never saw those I cared for, and that my two escorts, Celia and Lede, committed suicide, out of grief. It would have been tragic, yet...yet tragedy is the stuff of beauty, or so the people believe." Elmdor's eyes shaded, recalling those dark memories. "...I didn't want that. When that arrow struck me, and I faced the raining sky, I felt so incomplete. So much was there yet to do, and there I lay, an arrow in my heart. All my dreams cut so short by one damn arrow..."

His boot crushed against the arrow Alma had pulled out, bending the steel with abnormal strength. "But it would have been a better fate than becoming what you see here," Elmdor sighed, his voice wavering in a way that tugged at Alma's heart. "Look at me, Miss Beoulve. Just look. Am I a Marquis? Am I a samurai? Am I the burning patriot, the man of God that your fellow schoolgirls named with giggles? Am I worthy of jealousy anymore? Tch..."

Elmdor turned his head aside. "That's why I ask you to do this...Zalera will rise again. He will tug on you- on Altima, who resides in you. But if he takes control of me, then you...you'd best put me to sleep."

She pulled her hand from above his head, and it wavered above his shoulder. Alma swallowed, the rain on her cheeks tasting salty as they rolled against her mouth. Possibly the one man in this strange, violent tournament that she could say felt closest to home, and he was tainted with the same curse as her. No, tainted beyond even that. Living in cold and bleak misery- she had had the King of Devils within her, and she remained untouch. But this man had the Angel of Death himself within, and was living for a third and far more weary time than before.

Sitting here with him, in the darkness and the rain...it's like that alley in Igros...

Alma sucked in a breath, the cold in her stomach sharpening with it. "Elmdor...Marquis...do you know what the greatest sin a human being can commit is?"

Elmdor only slightly turned his head, his eyes still not facing her.

"To despair." Alma’s voice was tender, but firm enough to drive in her point. "There’s always hope, Marquis Elmdor. I have been where all lights have gone out, and there have been times when I have thought that things couldn’t get any worse...be-believe me, I still taste of that darkness, right now." She swallowed. "But be that as it may...I at least have myself. I know who I am, and I know what I have to do. Whether you want to help me or not, or whether you want to let me help you, I don’t know. But don’t despair. Even if you’ve changed, even if you are...if you carry the same cross as me...you can still hope."

She grasped her staff once, half-turning her own head, but kept her eyes on him. "And, even if you don’t, I have hope for you. I know you're a good man. I know it. Don't try to say you're not...were you a cold, evil man, you would have despaired out of hatred for your enemies, and not love for your friends, on that day in the Fuse Plains."

Zalera should not have been able to touch this man, she thought, her own anger building. Altima...Ajora...you despicable, miserable existence...

Elmdor turned his head a little, until his eyes met Alma's again. It was then that she let her hand fall upon his shoulder- a hard, powerful shoulder, but so cold. She timidly shook it, and Elmdor rocked in a way that he might have felt when Uncle Cid did the same. He snorted a chuckle, fingering a corner of his eye. "It's strange that it should fall on a girl like you to host the Bloody Angel, Miss Beoulve."

"Perhaps." Alma tapped her staff against the ground, looking at the amethyst imbued in its tip. "But within me now also resides Suzaku, the Red Phoenix- the bird of death and rebirth..." She turned her head up to rest against the wall, like his had, but she gave a smile- a smile that seemed to dull the pain in the wounds of all those soldiers laying there. "I wondered why Daisetsu gave him to me, but I feel there is a purpose to it, beyond simply countering the existence that was...is...Ajora. Altima. And maybe..."

She shrugged sidewardly. "Maybe, if I get through this tournament...if I get this 'potential' to become a god, and Zalera doesn't resurface in you- I'll make sure everyone gets their happy endings. Shizumaru, Mint, Vincent, Vice, Mature, Ky Kiske, Yuri...everyone. And especially you. I'll...I'll make it better..." Her eyes softened deeply. "You're all so very brave. None of you deserve to have these demons inside you...none of you deserve despair."

No more Tetas. Never.

beautiful

She thought she heard something off to the side, and her brow furrowed. Still, she kept eye contact with Elmdor, and flashed him her best smile. Alma tapped her fingers to his forehead, his chest, then across his shoulders and chest in a strange symbol she'd learned back at the church. "Blessings to you, Elmdor-sushi! Wacky-whee-mason!"

Elmdor blinked, his lips quivering as though he were holding back some great laughter. "I, uh...wait, I think you mean -sensei and wakarimasu."

"Oh, yes, of course! Zalbag's very into this stuff, so it translates improperly sometimes, haha!" Alma scratched the back of her head with a nervous laugh. "Ahem, yes. Elmdor-sensei, wakarimasu. Cheer up and we'll the both of us get through this." She gave him a wink. "Uncle Cid always told me that the best swordsman can close his eyes in a room full of panthers and still see a way out...and even if you have to fight to do so, do it."

Elmdor twisted his lip in a half smile. "You would have made a fine swordswoman, Miss Beoulve."

She thumbed her chest. "Alma. I could never handle that 'noble' stuff..."

"You're much like Ramza."

"I wish." Alma noticed a glint off light off the sword at Elmdor's side, and just now noticed it. It was a katana, like his others, but the black sheathe and the ornate hilt surprised her- this was a sword that looked more like it belonged in a museum than in battle. It had a certain grace that she'd only seen in the Heaven's Cloud that Deruta wore. Curiously, she brought her hand down to it, and stroked its hilt. "What is that sword...?"

"Hm?" Elmdor brought his hand down to the blade, and patted its pommel fondly. "Ah...I see you know your swords. This is the Masamune, the sword that parts the tempest of strife and conflict...hah, I remember an old legend that Masamune forged it while caught in the eye of a hurricane."

"No wonder..." Alma brushed its handguard shyly, almost expectantly. Elmdor caught the expression on her face- she, too, thirsts for knowledge of that she does not understand. He clasped the handle, and drew the blade out slowly, its gleam matching the beautiful silver of his hair. Alma's eyes widened in calm respect as the Masamune was drawn out for her, and she could not hide a gasp as Elmdor pointed it at the sky.


"Virtus in cordibus tranquillibus floret. Iustitia est mecum. Per animam meam, cave. Cave."

-- Sponsoring Alma Beoulve, Survivor X.

IP: Logged

Renmazuo is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Renmazuo Click here to Send Renmazuo a Private Message Find more posts by Renmazuo Add Renmazuo to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Dry31 Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:22 PM

Judge/Jury/Executioner

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

Final Vote Dump

1 A-Vote to Lord Dorrin.
1 A-Vote to Lord Kalten.
1 A-Vote to Maya.
1 A-Vote to The Hulk.
1 A-Vote to Opera.
1 A-Vote to Shizumaru.
1 A-Vote to Captain Falcon.

Last edited by Dry31 on 04-24-2003 at 10:20 PM

IP: Logged

Dry31 is online now Click Here to See the Profile for Dry31 Click here to Send Dry31 a Private Message Find more posts by Dry31 Add Dry31 to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Renmazuo Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:26 PM

Cute Widdle Cleric Girl

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Graveyard of Airships

Alma shook her head, brushing back her honey blonde locks to get a better look. "How beautiful..."

"Beautiful swords," Elmdor murmured, chuckling again. "Once upon a time...I held one of these swords against two men. Their names were Vincent Valentine and Tachibana Ukyo."

"I see..." The shock of those names was not lost on her- Vincent Valentine, the man who, too, shared a dark demon, the demon that had manifested itself during the last test...and Tachibana Ukyo, the mentor of Shizumaru. Alma regarded Elmdor with even more regard. "'Beautiful swords connect people'...that's what my friend Deruta told me."

Elmdor's eyebrows lifted a fraction- and he banged his head against the dull of the blade, starting to laugh. "You wouldn't believe how true you've just made that saying, Miss...ah, Alma," he said, his eyes closing. "We've brushed paths so many times without actually meeting, it sounds like."

"Paths so closely knit," Alma said, smiling. She turned her gaze back to the Masamune, and curiously, she reached to it. Elmdor paused, about to warn her to be careful, but her gloved fingers found the flat of the blade easily. She gave it a small tug, bringing it to her face. Elmdor frowned, then blinked in confusion as Alma pressed her pink lips to the flat of the Masamune, then parted in a quick, measured kiss.

Elmdor tilted his head. "What was that?"

Alma felt herself flush. "Tradition, yes? The maiden kisses the knight's blade- and you are an Arch Knight, like my brother Zalbag was." She tucked another strand of wet hair over her ear, scuffing her foot. "I'm no princess, but I guess you could call me a maiden. It sort of fits..." She touched her lips, chuckling. "The Masamune...it feels like..."

Elmdor slid the back of the blade over the catch of his thumb and palm, and sheathed it. "Blood?"

"No," Alma said. "More like...apple."

A cold but gentle breeze fell over both of them. Alma tucked her mantle up a little more, and Elmdor mirrored it with his cape. She smiled at the mirror gesture, and placed her hands back against her staff- paused. The look that crossed Elmdor's face when she spoke that...it seemed haunted. She felt nervous, and turned to him again. "Did I offend you?"

"Far from it." Elmdor reached into the folds of his black kimono, his eyes hooding with a sad purse of his lips. He pulled out something- a little pouch. He looked at her again. "You mentioned a man named Shizumaru...Shizumaru Hisame, was it?"

Alma nodded. "Yes, a man with red hair and a very long katana across his back...why?"

Elmdor looked at the pouch, hesitant, and then took hold of one of Alma's hands. He placed it in her palm- it felt light, but she could tell it was filled with something.

"Give this to him," Elmdor said. "Tell him it's...a connection."

"I...well, of course..." Alma shook the little brown pouch, and slid it into her shirt. "I'll give it to him the next time I see him-"

"Alma!"

She looked up, suddenly, and saw Yuffie standing before her. The ninja girl held her shuriken tightly, panting as though she'd been running for a while. "Haa...Alma, they need our help!" she said. "You're a healer, right? There's this really strong enemy out by the front lines- he's hacking down guys left and right! It's crazy, I'm telling you..."

"By God..." Alma grimaced, then cast a glance to Elmdor. "Are you really all right? I'm sorry, I'm a little tapped out from using so many spells before I got to you..."

Elmdor was already getting to his feet, tucking in his Masamune. "You've done more than I think anyone else would ever have expected," he said, and bowed his head to her. "I will see you again, Alma Beoulve. Take care."

"A- well...yes, you too!" She spat out the words quickly, for he was already walking away (and for a man in his thirties, he was fast). Alma pulled herself up to her feet with her staff, and nodded then to Yuffie. "All right, let's go! I'll bring all the potions I have!"

---

I'll make like Tenk and go for Recommended Listening- Inuyasha and Kagome, from the Inuyasha soundtrack, or if you're lucky enough to have it, Theme of Reflection from Skies of Arcadia. Anything that might fit a touchy-mushy conversation! XD

Shakin' up that random dice thingy for friendly fire votes-

1 A-Vote to The Hulk
1 A-Vote to Daisetsu
1 A-Vote to Setsuna
1 A-Vote to Kalten
1 A-Vote to Captain Falcon

Alma chooses to engage Kashell.


My described A-Vote, and other two A-Votes, coming in the next post. ^^;


"Virtus in cordibus tranquillibus floret. Iustitia est mecum. Per animam meam, cave. Cave."

-- Sponsoring Alma Beoulve, Survivor X.

Last edited by Renmazuo on 04-24-2003 at 09:37 PM

IP: Logged

Renmazuo is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Renmazuo Click here to Send Renmazuo a Private Message Find more posts by Renmazuo Add Renmazuo to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Baka Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:47 PM

Heaven or Hell?

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

Kiske 4:4 - Keep the Faith

"Mopey? You want to see mopey? How the - how the - how the HELL can you talk to me, Sol? I've just killed someone - killed an innocent! And you call me mopey? You hypocrite! You fucking hypocrite! You kill every day of your life, and what am I supposed to do now?" Ky dropped to one knee, swords clattering to the ground, tears falling freely from his eyes by now. The green-haired girl took a step away from Sol, her eyes clouding up as he looked between the two of them - and Sol stared.

He'd never seen this side of Ky before.

Sol knew Ky. He was that kid who got lucky, got in charge of the Order after old man Undersn bought the farm. Good kid, lot of ideals, chip the size of New Orleans. He knew Ky, he was the older kid now, who had a beef with how Sol lived his life. Wanted the sword back, wanted him to come back. Sol knew Ky, but not like this.

This was a completely different Ky Kiske.

Sobs racking his body, the white-garbed knight doubled over, pounding the ground. "Why... why!" he shrieked, before dissolving into sobs again. Rydia took a step back, and looked at Sol's eyes - and froze. Something... different... shone there. "Sol.." Ky raised his head to look at the man. "Tell me why, Sol? Tell me what I can do now? Why did this happen? Why would the Lord let that happen? WHY?"

There was silence for a few minutes, broken only by Kiske's racking sobs, then Sol took a few steps forward, stopping when he was level with Ky. Shooting a glance at Rydia, he sighed slowly, then began to speak, in a low, level voice.

"Kid.. back at the church, you asked why I left the Order?"

Ky sniffed, raising his head slightly, a quizzical look in his eyes.

"You really wanna know? Then listen up. I left that day cause I got some news that threw me. Remember Justice? Course ya do. The big-wig had some big army coming up from the South, one that you folks didn't know about. Whole buncha Gears, whole bunch of the buggers, led by Justice himself.

I figured you knights didn't have a chance, so I wandered down there by myself. Didn't wanna let you all get your butts kicked into next week now, did I? It ain't that I didn't tell ya, Ky, it's that I couldn't. How do you turn round and tell your comrades 'oh, it's ok, there's just a big army down south, I'm gonna go and take it on by myself'."

"B-but.. Sol.. by yourself? Why?" Ky stammered, then fell silent as Sol waved a hand at him. "Don't interrupt me, I might never get in a mood to tell you this shit again. I snuck out - took the Fireseal for a couple of reasons, which I ain't gonna go into right now. Wouldn't mind that back sometime, by the way, I'm kinda fond of it. Yeah, so I went South. Bumped into Justice, and I'm afraid I got my butt royally whupped into the ground. Even I'm not good enough to take down an army - well, I wasn't then. I've been practicing since, reckon I could do it now if I tried."

"Sol! Don't j-joke about that..." Ky whispered, lowering his head again. "War is.. a waste of life. I've always known that, but it was my only recourse. I had to fight.. to save everyone."

"Shuttit, Kiske. I told ya not to interrupt me. I'm pourin' my heart out here, ya know? So I'd left, and I got whupped. Then I heard about what happened to the town. Figured I wouldn't be the best of company, so I headed off on my own. And you know something, Ky? I've had regrets. Once or twice. But when you're in my position, you can't afford those, so I shoved 'em aside. This is war, kid, the kind that ain't just about the fighting. You can't afford to look back on your mistakes, cause that's all they were. Mistakes." Sol paused, and turned to look Ky in the eyes.

"I never told ya that, kid, cause you never grew up. Y'know something? I think you just did."

Looking away again, Sol reached into his pocket and pulled out his last cigarette, throwing the empty box away. Lighting it up, he took a long drag, then exhaled. "Hey summoner, you comin'? Later, Kiske." He began to walk away down the road, and Rydia took one last look at Ky, a pleading look in her eyes, before she followed him, jogging to keep up. Slowly, they left Ky on his own in the road, swords surrounding him.

He looked around, wiping his eyes, and slowly stood up. He bent down to pick up the Fuuenken. Sol wanted that back. He bent down to pick up the sword he found in the temple - Fuusuiken, he was calling it. Not Jinki, but much the same. He wanted to study that more. And then he bent down to pick up the Fuuraiken.

Stained with blood still.

He held it up to the sun for a while, staring at it... before sheathing it. The breeze blew Ky's hair, and he half-smiled.

Tomorrow was a new day.

-----

A-vote to Maya
A-vote to King
A-vote to Hulk


Baka // Black Angel // Salva Nos

"I'm not good- looking enough to be party leader." - Robin Cook

IP: Logged

Baka is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Baka Click here to Send Baka a Private Message Visit Baka's homepage! Find more posts by Baka Add Baka to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Bowling Pin Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:50 PM

The 24 Edit Team Av

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Harker Heights, TX, USA

***

A-Vote! Shang Tsung!
A-Vote! Mint!
A-Vote! Ky Kiske!

***

Cue song: 50 Cent & G-Unit - Heat

Now that we've A-Voted everyone else...we can attack this Kashell joke without having to worry about getting votes ourselves. How about that, guy?!

Kashell flung his opponents left and right without much effort.

...hell no. We get out.

The shit? You're no fun.


Bruce left the action, running into more rampant looting; he soon came along a little building stone building, decorated with the roses which grew on the bushes lined along its walls, full of prestige amongst intellectuals; the Library of the Peaceful War.

That's an oxymoron.

No SHIT, Sherlock.


Bruce walked into it, and found a family robbing some ancient chain mail which once proudly adorned the walls of the grand hall which served as its entrance.

"'scuse me folks. Can any of you suggest some interesting artifacts I could loot?"

"...sure mista'. Try the stairs up thar'." responded a woman, a mother of three, a wife.

"Thank'ee." Bruce ascended the stairs and came along more precious artifacts than the weapons and armor on the first floor; here, there were the arts. Paintings, statues, musical instruments, the works. Bruce advanced towards a glowing object, whose glass had been conveniently smashed; seemed that the items aroung this glowing object had been looted, and no one had thought about grabbing it before they left.

"...is this a trend?" Bruce said aloud to himself. He picked this object up; it had a depression on its bottom, the shape of a ring; and this object was no exotic, ancient treasure; it was a silver MP3 player.

Try putting one of our rings into it; it worked with the music box.

Bruce placed the moonstone ring into the MP3 player; it clicked in, a perfect match.

Cue song: Scarface - No Tears.

"Nice. This is a Scarface joint; it was off the Office Space soundtrack, so even your scrawny white ass probably seen it Bruce." Joe Fixit looked around. "Hey, this is my ring, isn't it? Good, I was afraid my song would be gay."

Gray Hulk faded back into Bruce Banner.

Well, we now know what these rings do. ... But why?

Bruce pocketed the MP3 player, which was comfortable with his music box. He browsed through more of the artifacts, and found a book of poetry.

Thieve this.

Bruce did so, and heard several battle cries coming from downstairs.

The hell?! Looters here? ... Let's roll.

Bruce rushed back downstairs, and the family who had been looting the miniature museum was being assaulted by a new gang of looters; a couple of deserters from the war.

"Peons. I'll lay waste to them with my sword." announced one.

"No, wait; we can take them as workers, the woman of special entertainment. Let's hump."

"Yes, let us hump her."

Motherfuckers are subtle, aren't they?! Let's knock their fucking teeth out.

Bruce entered into the middle of the skirmish, using his yoga stretch punches to knock the soldiers away from several feet away.

"Aiii!" screamed the woman.

"Damn, his punch is strong." mentioned the solder who commenced the humping.

"It does hurt!" said another.

These guys suck. Seriously, they're boring and shit. Tie them up and leave their asses open for a 3rd party's scathing. Or something, I mean Jesus, these guys suck.

Doing so, but bored, Bruce tied them both to a pole outside.

"Oh, how could I ever repay you?" asked the woman who had just been humped.

"...why was your man standing right in front of that shit the whole time? He didn't move a budge. He was sorry."

"Oh, don't mind me." announced her husband, who had not done, or said, a thing during the entire looting process. "I'm the bitch in this relationship."


Jack/Tony/Guile = Edit Team 2003

Sonic Writes Fanfics - Updated? The hell?
The Ansatsuken Kid - Episode 13!
Dan and Skullo - A m121 joint. Rarely updated, but still good.
3rd World Pimp - OGs.

Last edited by Bowling Pin on 04-24-2003 at 09:57 PM

IP: Logged

Bowling Pin is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Bowling Pin Click here to Send Bowling Pin a Private Message Find more posts by Bowling Pin Add Bowling Pin to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Luna Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:50 PM

Tetragene

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Energy Nede

"Things seem a little quiet...." Vincent glanced around, his pale face impassive as ever.

"Yeah, but who knows how long it'll last?" Opera gave their surroundings a rather nervous once-over herself, her finger unconciously tightening on the Kaleidoscope's trigger.

If there's one thing I hate, it's waiting, as I effectively demonstrated to my parents many times during the course of my childhood....and of course to Ern a few times. Ye gods....and this kind of waiting is the worst. This sucks more than a black hole.

Vincent looked around the rooftops, but his expression - or rather, lack thereof - remained unchanged, indicating that he hadn't spotted anything unusual. Or whatever passed for unusual now. "If only I could see them...."

"Stuff like this almost makes me wish my third eye was in the back of my head." Opera chuckled mirthlessly, her gaze darting around the street uneasily.

Vincent's expression changed, reflecting some amusement in his scarlet eyes, and he nodded. "The battle terrain could be worse. I have handled my share of hand-to-hand combat in the streets."

There's where you and I differ. Aside from a certain....incident....in Fun City, I'm not one for street combat. And I'm more the shoot-from-a-distance type anyway, if I can help. Opera shook her head. "I'm fairly new at this myself....I'm more accustomed to ruins, forests, towers, and the like." And that blasted "Field" that was more of a wretched mountain range than anything resembling a field. Ugh....

"I have fought in those too... but this is more of my style. Or at least the one I've fought the most." He paused for a brief moment, then continued. "By far the bloodiest...."

So, this is something new for you, too? "I can't say I've ever seen anything like this either. I've been in the ruins of something that was hit pretty bad, but it was long after the fact, not....during." Opera shuddered slightly. Eluria....I pray I never have to see anything like that, or this either, again....and I can't even imagine what it's like for those on Expel, and the natives of this place....nothing like that has ever happened on Tetragenes....needless to say, I hope it never does.

A slight smile crept onto Vincent's face and he nodded. "They are always easier to handle after they are dead."

....Not going there. "....Wow, that's a little morbid sounding." Opera laughed nervously. Eeee....he's a little creepy. Even moreso than Dias at his worst. Well, not really....they're kind of equal in that respect, from what I've seen. Of course, what I know about the two of them combined couldn't even fill my bra....

"Perhaps...." Vincent simply nodded again, his face expressionless again.

Well, isn't this awkward....gah, what do I say next after a line like THAT?! Opera cleared her throat apprehensively. "Uh....oh wait, hang on!" Trying to hide her relief at having thought of a way to change the subject, Opera bent and opened up her bag. For once, what she had in mind was at the top. She withdrew a yellow-necked violet bottle from her bag and straightened. Uncapping it, she sprayed some of its contents on first herself, then on Vincent, taking the laconic gunslinger by surprise. Didn't know why I didn't think of this before....

"....I hope this isn't pepper mace...." Vincent finally said, looking at her strangely.

"No, no!" Opera exclaimed, laughing. "It's Fairy Cologne....should keep more attackers away." Hopefully....

Vincent nodded almost imperceptibly. "Intelligent idea."

Opera smiled winningly back at him. "Thanks, I hope it's effective enough." Because I am REALLY sick of this shit by now.

Nodding again, Vincent reached into his belt, and produced a couple bottles of what looked to be potions. He held them out to her, and spoke. "In return for Rofacale, and just now."

"Hey, thanks!" Opera gratefully accepted them, and slipped them into her bag. "I appreciate it." Her sharp eyes took note of the various items of food and drink contained in there. "Hey, while it's quiet, you wouldn't happen to be hungry or thirsty, would you?" Poor guy looks like he could use a bite to eat, or something refreshing to drink. Though if he's really similar to Dias, he'll turn down the 'tea', heh.

He shook his head. "Thanks for offering, but no thank you."

"All right. Let me know if you need anything, though."

Vincent nodded his thanks, and surveyed the area again. Opera wiped a bit of sweat off her brow, and glanced back at her bag. Now that she'd mentioned it....

"....I'm a little thirsty myself, now that I think about it." Opera laughed slightly and pulled out a slim white bottle. Uncorking it, she took a long, pleasant gulp, sighing happily as the cool liquid wound its way down her parched throat. "Whew. I needed that." More than usual, believe you me....

Vincent's gaze fastened on the bottle. "What are you drinking?"

"This?" Opera held up the bottle. "Yaegaki 'tea'. Quite good, if an acquired taste." Heh, indeed. Ern can't stand the stuff, but I love it. Not my usual fare, but good every once in a while.

Vincent nodded, seeming to think about something. After a few minutes he spoke. "What was your occupation, back where you were from?"

Wow, way to put me on the spot there, Vin, though you don't know what you're doing! I'm not thrilled about the idea of explaining that I was following my teacher/boyfriend around the galaxy....even if he DID leave without telling me where he was going....ergh, men. Opera fidgeted a bit, looking uncomfortable. "Well....I was a student, but, um...." She coughed slightly. "At the time I was abducted for this tournament, I was on, er....a bit of a break." Technically, that's true....really. I was on break....but not doing what I - in the words of my parents - should have been doing with my break. At least, not at first....what I wound up doing I'd rank above schoolwork in my priorities.

Vincent nodded again, looking like he was hiding a chuckle. "I have been on a 'break' too, shall I say."

"How about you? What did you get up to back home?" Opera inquired, attempting to shift the focus of the conversation away from herself.

Vincent hesitated, his expression seeming a bit conflicted, then he answered. "I was an ex-assassin, you could say. I did the dirty work of others...."

....WHOA. This explains a LOT. More than I'd like, really....but eh. Not going to judge the guy. It sounds to me like he's not exactly proud of such a past, and that says to me that he's now a good person, who doesn't deserve to by judged by someone like me, who's experienced so much less of life than he apparently has. Heh, honestly, I'd be actually frightened if he seemed to take pleasure in such a history. Opera's three eyes widened a small bit. "Assassin, eh? Haven't met many of those, heh. Though Dias wasn't that far off from being one, from what Rena said about the guy....and I'm wandering off-topic. Er, if it isn't too personal, what made you change your line of work?" Augh, getting too nosy again, somebody hit me! I wouldn't blame him if he just up and walked away from me right now....

He was silent for several seconds, seeming to be struggling with something internal, before finally speaking. "....I didn't have much of a choice in the matter."

....Yep, too personal. Damn, I need to learn when to NOT ask questions! This isn't one of Ern's classes.... Opera swallowed. "Whoa, that sounds bad. I'll stop asking, in that case." Bout time I did that.

Vincent nodded slightly, and looked around again. "And what about your ex-job?"

"Well, that was my choice." Opera let out an embarrassed laugh, her cheeks pinkening. "See, I was on break, and my....teacher decided to head off for parts unknown, so I followed him. And somehow, what was supposed to be a quick hunt for him turned into a crusade to save the universe. I swear, I don't know how I end up in these situations...." She shook her head in a mixture of amusement and mortification.

"Happened to me too... you never know where you are going to end up...."

"How true....I was trying to get to sleep when I got warped here, and not doing too good a job, seeing as we were set to attack the guys threatening the universe in the morning...." Opera sighed. Yeah, I've REALLY got something great to go back to, don't I? Though I at least have Ern....I don't know what or who he's going back to....but I hope it's something better than this, and that he has someone that cares about him....I don't know him very well, but I think he deserves that, just as anyone does.

"I thought I was having a mind trick when I got here myself," Vincent replied, his expression unreadable.

Opera nodded. "I thought it was a trick of our enemies, but then when that Daigetsu guy or whatever his name is explained everything....I didn't know what to think. Still don't. A large part of it still sounds so unbelievable." Yeah, like I'm going to become a god! Ha! Right! I'm not exactly the poster girl for low self-esteem, but I know better than to let my ego get THAT big!

"....to be back in my world would give me a lot more peace....or struggle...." Vincent sighed, the sound nearly inaudible.

"I wish I didn't have to say this, but....same here." Opera sighed heavily. Like I said....I've REALLY got something GREAT to go back to. Mwah.

Vincent sighed again, a tad louder this time. "There is something in the past that you would do anything to change, am I correct?"

Heck no. I regret nothing, hon, and believe me, it makes life a little bit easier. At the very least, I haven't done anything yet TO regret, in my opinion.... Opera shook her head. "Actually, no. I'd be relieved to get back to my friends, and Ern, but the battle we were facing....I don't know what would, or will, be the outcome." Urgh....NOT going to think about that right now. I do not need to lose focus on what's around me. Not now of all times, in all the places I could be.

Vincent was silent for a second or two, then closed his eyes. "Then let's go on and find out. I do not want to risk staying in one spot for too long."

"Good plan." Hefting her bag over her shoulder, she followed him further into the city.

-----------------------------

Final vote dump.

1 A-Vote to Testament, Shizumaru, and Falcon

Last edited by Luna on 04-24-2003 at 09:52 PM

IP: Logged

Luna is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Luna Click here to Send Luna a Private Message Find more posts by Luna Add Luna to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Bowling Pin Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:58 PM

The 24 Edit Team Av

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Harker Heights, TX, USA

Hey, this shit is ill. Renmazuo's ass is gonna go out almost A-Vote free, while everyone A-Votes everyone else. WTF.


Jack/Tony/Guile = Edit Team 2003

Sonic Writes Fanfics - Updated? The hell?
The Ansatsuken Kid - Episode 13!
Dan and Skullo - A m121 joint. Rarely updated, but still good.
3rd World Pimp - OGs.

IP: Logged

Bowling Pin is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Bowling Pin Click here to Send Bowling Pin a Private Message Find more posts by Bowling Pin Add Bowling Pin to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Curley W Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:59 PM

Basic Lurker

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

Little Vote-Dump, incase I don't finish my next post in time...

1 A-Vote to Hisame Shizumaru(Carly Cheese)!
1 A-Vote to Alma Beoulve(Renmazuo)!
1 A-Vote to Lord Dorrin!

Last edited by Curley W on 04-24-2003 at 10:14 PM

IP: Logged

Curley W is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Curley W Click here to Send Curley W a Private Message Find more posts by Curley W Add Curley W to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
The Damned Posted: 04-24-2003 , 09:59 PM

Hyperion's servant

Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Where you are not.

Damnit. Why the hell did showering, trying to read half these posts, and watching Yu-yu Hakusho take so damn long?

Unforunately, I must now vote dump before the writing my next long section:

A-Vote to Maya Amano.
A-Vote to Opera Vectra.

And as a preview for my next long ass section:

quote:
"Storm! Wind assistance!" King yelled as she ran towards Kashell. The weatherwitch complied, a fierce wind began blowing, pushing King even faster across the cobblestone streets.

His twin-scimtars glimmered as he murmured, "Pitiful wretch." He continued idly watching King's charge, seemingly motionless, until he blurred.

"What?!" King was answered by the slash across her chest, revealing her bra. She slumped over, still being pushed forward by Storm's winds as Kashell's voice emanated from behind her.

"Or perhaps I should say 'wench'?" His rhetorical question drenched in smugginess.

Seeing red, King gathered a sizable amount of ki, before lashing out backwards...


A-Vote to Kashell.

And I was saving my A-Vote for a Required Boss. Therefore:

A-Vote to Required Boss or, in the case of no required Boss, to Setsuna.

EDIT: And before I forget or my computer craps out on like it is doing now. Let me just say that I would appreciate it if no one used the following people:

King (obviously)
Amethyst
Storm
Mint
K'

Feel free to attempt to tell me if you planned on doing so.


If the good die young, then I'm effectively immortal.

Hyperion: "Stop the asteriod, Magneto. Stop the asteriod, or I'll implode your head."

Hyperion: "Give up this garbage and face the inevitable, Magneto. You cannot defeat me."
Magneto: "Everyone has an Achilles heel!"
Hyperion: "Only Achilles had an Achilles heel. I cannot be stopped."

Opposite attract only because men are sluts and women are whores. Thus the equation balances out.

Last edited by The Damned on 04-24-2003 at 10:14 PM

IP: Logged

The Damned is offline Click Here to See the Profile for The Damned Click here to Send The Damned a Private Message Find more posts by The Damned Add The Damned to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
CarlyCheeese Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:01 PM

Scarlet Rain Silence

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Feudal Japan

Just posting the rest of my votes in case I don't finish my post before 2230 hrs:

A-votes to:
Hulk
King
Yuri


a lonely soul ____________________ moonlit skies
speaker of silence ________________ candlelit town
footsteps in the night _____________ eyes cast in gloom
utter reliance ____________________ a saddened frown

sweet serenity __________________ shielded by innocence
waits to be broken _______________ hidden by beauty
its mouth aghast ________________ the demon sleeps within
a demon hath spoken ____________ destroying naievte

~ hisame shizumaru, survivor x - oboeru mo ~

Last edited by CarlyCheeese on 04-24-2003 at 10:04 PM

IP: Logged

CarlyCheeese is offline Click Here to See the Profile for CarlyCheeese Click here to Send CarlyCheeese a Private Message Visit CarlyCheeese's homepage! Find more posts by CarlyCheeese Add CarlyCheeese to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Slipstream Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:08 PM

Maester of Monsters

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Graveyard Within My Mind

Yuri Hyuga II - Bird Brain

The wind whipped through his feathers as Yuri flew over the city, wings beating in synch as the form of the Tornado fusion drifted over the broken city like an overgrown vulture. From above he could see the layout of the grand battle, the districts where troops were pouring through breaches in the city walls, the areas where broken rubble was blocking their attacks and forcing them to see other routes. The information would have been invaluable to those in command of the city, had Yuri any way of passing it on and any inclination to do so.

Now if only those bloody archers would stop shooting at him.

Yuri called to the winds as he dove, a keening raptor cry cutting the air, and moments later his talons met flesh as he raked them through a lightly armoured archer. The man screamed and fell backwards off the building as he regained height, his body smashing into bloody ruin on the ground far below, intestines spreading out over sun-heated stone and their ripe scent wafting appetisingly in the air -

Dammit! I'm in control, you overgrown budgie, I'm not interested in entrails!

More arrows streamed through the air as Yuri regained height, threading between their shots best as he was able, and eventually the arrows lose their strength and fell to earth in dying arcs. Immediately the Harmonixer flipped in the air, coasting the winds and disappearing into a cloud bank that hovered overhead with the dark promise of rain. The men below drew their bows reflexively, then looked around, their aims wild as they scanned a dark cloud for an enemy they could not see.

"Where'd it go? The damned thing was there a minute ago!"

"Are you afraid of a big sparrow, brother? We are men! We will not be slain by merest monsters!"

"Keep tracking! It has to exit the clouds some time, and we will be waiting for it!"

The men continued to search the skies, some loosing shots in tension at birds no larger than their fists. The tension grew momentarily as flickers of blackness within the raincloud took suggestive shapes, taking their attention, wearing them down as they faded again into nothingness. A minute passed, two, as the archers looked into the skies while ignoring the soldiers below that had been their targets, and the men began to relax as the minutes dragged on.

"I think it left us for other prey, Morga-"

The man screamed out as a blade of wind lashed down and cut him almost in two, his body splitting open across the stomach line and flopping backwards while the knees sank to the ground in a different direction. All of the archers, devout believers to a man, swore violently as a raptorial cry of challenge cut the air and the Harmonixer dove again. Trembling arms pulled on ash bows, nocking arrows to the silvered strings, and arrows shot towards the diving Tornado. A lucky shot sank deep into the flesh of one leg -

Ow! That hurt!

- and then the great bird was on them, closed claws smashing another archer in the face and splitting his nose across his face. Immediately it turned and wheeled on the remaining man, nocking as he tried to edge backwards, and his final shot went well wide as a shield of wind around the Fusion's body knocked it aside. The claws hit him in the chest, pushing his screaming body onto the rocks, beak digging at his chest and tearing and ripping and biting-

...no. No, dammit, I am NOT eating people. I don't CARE if you're hungry, thunderbird, you... don't.. control... ME!!

The man's dead body fell to the ground as Yuri stood, reaching his beak down to the arrow sticking out of his leg, wrenching it from the wound with a muffled squark of pain. Taking a moment to regain his balance, Yuri lifted into the air, beating tired wings against the winds. He wasn't going to get to the outskirts of the city - it was too large for him to be able to reach its edges, and in any case he wouldn't have known what to do. Best he continued to strike at archers from above, give the groundbound a fighting chance.

Within two minutes his raptorial eyes saw another group of archers atop a building, attacking not the soldiers below but another man in their midst. He wielded twin swords, glowing with energy, and his body seemed to blur as he drove them into one man after another. The archers around the edges of the rooftop aimed at the man, too far away to kill them before they could drive feathered shafts into his chest -

- and all of them suddenly fell dead, bodies collapsing to the ground, bows falling from their suddenly lifeless hands.

The hell? Is he on our side, attacking those men? Or are there archers on both sides?

Yuri called out as the Tornado coasted over, getting the man's attention, unable to tell who he was from a distance if he was one of the competitors he already knew. Certainly the man didn't seem to be dressed anything like the soldiers on either side, and if he'd just taken out all of those archers he had the same kind of strength the others hauled into this world had -

A bolt of lightning smashed into him, ripping a scream from his beak, driving him down from the clouds and into the lower city.

"Now this I didn't expect," the man laughed as Yuri fell from the sky, almost hit a building, almost hit another building and hauled his body back into flight. "Fighters, yes. Mages, yes. But to be attacked by a half-bird without full control of his own mind - do you jest, Daisetsu, in your choice of potentials?"

Swearing inwardly, Yuri regained height and dove on the man, claws spread for a slashing strike as he called on the winds to add to his speed. The rooftop was coming, closer, closer, closer - now! - and the hurricane wind blasted down on the roofing as he made his strike. Pushed backwards by the intense blast of wind, arms windmilling as he fought to regain balance, the man's attention broken by his expectation of just a physical strike.

Yuri bore down on him with the bloody-minded fury that a direct lightning strike will do to a man. His talons raked over the man's body, glancing off a raised scitimar and trailing blood after contact with the metal edge, cutting a deep groove in one shoulder as he shot overhead. Immediately he wheeled again, rising like Daisetsu's phoenix, turning and slashing with a blade of wind -

This time the man met it coming with a windblade of his own, projecting from a scimitar and colliding in the air with Yuri's own. "You caught me by surprise, I will admit, "the man smirked, pressing the flat of his other blade to the shoulder wound and ceasing its flow of blood, "but do you really think you can do so again?"

The Harmonixer took up his challenge; he dove again, a shield of wind surrounding his body as he skimmed the floor in a low attack, the elemental barrier shoving aside dead bodies as Yuri hurtled himself across the floor. He couldn't move as fast with this attack, but he didn't need to - if he kept up the barrier and hoped the asshole was arrogant enough to try using a physical attack, one that wouldn't penetrate his defense -

The twin slash did break through the defense - twin blades cut through the air barrier as though it wasn't there, lashing into Yuri's wings, breaking the bones that allowed his flights. The Harmonixer smashed into the ground, breaking stone and tiles, and faded back into his human body as he came to a halt at the end of the rooftop.

"Damn you..." Yuri hissed through the pain of cut muscles on both arms, "damn you already..."

The man smirked. "I think not. I am already damned far more than your words could do to me. But I appreciate the try." Then he was gone, afterimage flickering in the light, leaving the wounded man behind and the failure of defeat.

--

A-Vote to Kashell, obviously. A-Votes also to Setsuna, Maya, Amethyst. I'm pretty sure that by this time Kashell'l have taken enough hits to make this one wasted, but what the hell?


People like you. People who plan out every little detail of their lives.

You could never understand me.

IP: Logged

Slipstream is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Slipstream Click here to Send Slipstream a Private Message Find more posts by Slipstream Add Slipstream to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Exeter Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:09 PM

Rock You

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

Using my last two A-votes on King and Shang Tsung. Gotta avoid the burn somehow, guys, sorry!

IP: Logged

Exeter is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Exeter Click here to Send Exeter a Private Message Find more posts by Exeter Add Exeter to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Thirdtwin Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:12 PM

Blade of Vengeance

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: That depends, of course, on where I am

(Several hours earlier...)

In his left hand he gripped a kunai wrapped in some heavy black material—given him by Naruto (that dude was cool enough, I gotta repay him for that shit somehow, even broke as I am…); in his pocket was a simple gold band (don't ask where he got the money for it, please). Both for Jun; the kunai for its functionality, which Jun should respect as a ninja; the ring for...well, he didn’t quite know what it might mean, but he figured she deserved something nice. He figured he'd give them to her as soon as he saw her, but he didn't really have a chance. From the whirlwind of the "test", to the warp to that Pleasure Island Darkke’an place, he hadn't a chance to even see her, much less give her presents.

And now, in the midst of hell, declaring his undying love was the last thing on our ninja's mind.

He crouched behind the large grey gargoyle which hung over the west side of the building, pointing into the heart of the city. It was there that he saw... and seeing, wished he could forget. But seeing wasn't all, no; even ten stories up he could smell the dusky smoke and the tinny smell of blood, could hear the cries of warriors (and citizens) caught in the madness like animals in the slaughtering pen (and, when you came down to it, weren't the narrow streets of this city just perfect for butchery?).

His eyes glanced downward, to a road somewhat underneath the ledge upon which he stood; three Naclos cavalrymen were charging down the street, drunk off the surprising ease at which they were murdering the nation (and doubtless drunk on some freshly-looted alcohol at that). They rode swiftly but almost haphazardly, wildly down the road, almost oblivious of their surroundings.

At least until they saw the girl.

(no)

Upon seeing the child (she really couldn't have been older than 6) they spurred their steeds onward. The child began to run.

(god no)

Faster the beasts charged forth, their iron-shod hooves pounding down the road. Faster the girl tried to run, but so obviously in vain—what chance did such a young girl, apparently undernourished, running in but a single shoe on the cobbled road—what chance could she have against their grain-fed, healthy steeds rushing at her like fate itself?

(god don't let them find me)

At this particular moment, Chipp's subconscious undertook to remind him of the particular instance that had made him into an orphan.

(please oh god they're coming closer don't let them see me)

It was rather astounding how quickly the Gears had moved against the city, and how destructively. Everything, from skyscrapers to humble churches, destroyed in maybe a day or two.

(don't let them see don't let them hear don't let them smell me please)

The scourge, of course, had had no reason to rest, no reason to halt in their inexorable march through the earth. They followed the will of Justice, and judgment had been passed. The nations of the earth were falling, and the works of man were being lain to waste.

(please no don't let them please)

In some years, the Holy Order would finally rise, pushing down the tide of destruction that the Gears had brought. They would halt the unstoppable Justice and seal him away, ending a war that would ravage Earth for a hundred and one years. But how could a kid--just a young kid, hiding under the dead bodies of his parents, his face streaked with their blood--how could such a kid know that the Gears could be stopped? When he saw the waves of them lurching down the street, stopping to hurl their magic at the buildings and people who still dared to stand against them?

(please don't let them see me please god no DON'T--)

And in that moment, huddled under the cooling flesh of mother and father, their blood comingling with his sweat and tears, the thunder of the Gears’ power echoing in his ears, willing the demons to leave, begging God to make them disappear, he saw--

--he saw one looking right at him.

And even totally hidden from its sight (although he couldn't have known this at the time, either), he could peer back. He could see the blind, blunt, almost secondhand hatred in its eyes. Hatred not of itself; hatred granted by the hand of Justice. And mixed with that, perverse delight that danced impishly, like the undying flames....

Chipp wouldn't be surprised if those Naclos bastards were wearing the same look on their faces. Hating because they were ordered to, taking joy in the hunt, in the killing, in the rape....

He tucked the cloth holding the dagger into his belt.

Wait for me, Jun. I’ll win you this damn war.

Rage draped over him like a cloak.

He leapt.

***

The fighting having lulled a bit in this quarter of the city, he three cavalrymen had slowed their mounts, talking themselves up while they looked for something to (loot, wreck, steal, destroy, kill... pick your verb).

"Yeah, man, we trampled this shit!"

"What, this is all the mighty An'ven have to offer us?"

"If this is what the rest of the war'll be like, then shee~it, we got this in the bag!"

"Damn, we could prolly even take down the mighty Mithrik'en ninja at this rate!"

There was a slight whistle through the air. One of the men jerked suddenly, stricken.

"Yo Mike, you okay?"

No response. Well, unless you count the bloody cough that flew from behind his lips, as he slid off his steed and landed on the cobblestone road like a sack of potatoes.

At this point, the two survivors, noting the variety of daggers poking through the vulnerable spots in Michael's armor, stopped.

Their mistake.

"What the hell? WHO THE HELL DID THAT?"
"It's gotta be a ninja!"
"Shit, I didn't think they'd be here! We're so fu--"

"alpha brade...."

"...Did you... hear something?
"I don't think I--yeaaaaAAHHH--"

(I expect you'll excuse him for screaming--I'm betting you would too if you suddenly saw your friend and fellow soldier's head slide off his shoulders and into your lap.)

He dismounted in a flash, drawing his large blade with a shaky hand. He called out to the air, "Who's there???", his voice even shakier.

“Guess who…”

The soldier jerked his head to the right, certain he’d seen something… but no.

“Come on, if you can’t find me—“ to his right. He jerked his head—nothing.

“—then you sure aren’t looking hard enough.” Above him—nothing. He jerked his head in all directions frantically—

a “whoosh” of displaced air in front of him--

“Surprise.”

All of the color seemed to drain out of the young man's world. Only red filled his vision. A red scarf. The red tips of a belt. Red blood dripping off a blade.

He stumbled backward, his voice

"Great Buddha A’mighty, lookit yourself... why so shook? After all, you're in the middle of a war here.”

Who was this man? Who could he be, appearing like a demon out of hell (or maybe an angel delivering God’s wrath)? This man who killed his two buds before he could blink? WHO WAS HE?

“And in war, death is a constant. I'm betting you really didn't expect to die here, did you?"

The man fell to his knees, blubbering hysterically. Chipp smirked under his scarf.

"Yep, just as I expected. You just saw it as a game--ride up with your boys, cause a little havoc and mayhem, come home heroes, right?"

Lighting flashed. Chipp took a step forth. The soldier fell on his ass.

"Well, guess what? I don't think you're gonna make hero this time, chump. Looks like the best you can hope for is 'martyr'."

He never saw it coming.
***

As you may tell from this post, Chipp has been "on the warpath" for the past several hours. What this means is that, in the midst of this hell, Chipp has gone rather nuts. In case I don’t get to post the follow-up, he’ll have cooled down a bit by the time of the fight with Kashell, but he’s still ready, willing and able to fight--fully serious at this point, and totally skewed toward stopping the Naclos advance.

(if you call this a placeholder post, I won't deny it )

Oh yeah, and Votes are as follows:

A-Votes to Kashell, Kalten and Setsuna.
Chipp R4 Status: Fallen
All votes exhausted.
Chipp has a Kunai and a Gold Ring, both meant for Jun.
See you again...


TT

Last edited by Thirdtwin on 04-24-2003 at 10:17 PM

IP: Logged

Thirdtwin is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Thirdtwin Click here to Send Thirdtwin a Private Message Find more posts by Thirdtwin Add Thirdtwin to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
S-Chicken Boner Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:21 PM

Martian Successor

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

Exclamation

I don't have teh drive today so I'm just gonna A-Vote.

SHIZUMARU
SETSUNA
DORRIN


"So that's how you fooled them!" - Aeris Gainsborough, Final Fantasy VII

IP: Logged

S-Chicken Boner is offline Click Here to See the Profile for S-Chicken Boner Click here to Send S-Chicken Boner a Private Message Find more posts by S-Chicken Boner Add S-Chicken Boner to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Renmazuo Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:21 PM

Cute Widdle Cleric Girl

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Graveyard of Airships

Canto IV + In Medias Res + Benevolence


The rain was coming down heavily now. Alma's clothes were soaked, her body drenched as she ran after Yuffie into one of the places where the magnificent city had been hardest hit. The buildings there were all rubble, the smell of smoke and blood heavy in the air. The clearing before her was littered with stone and debris, and the civilians moved through the rubble, their gazes flat and shocked and blank. Alma struggled to keep up, but the rubble, as well as the people, kept her back behind Yuffie.

She bit her teeth, trying to focus. Numbly she would ask a passing boy "are you all right" only to receive an expressionless stare. A concerned touch on a woman's shoulder received only a recoil, a worried step to a little girl a quicker walk. Alma walked past them all, making sure each was all right before moving on. So confusing...I feel like I'm losing my grip on reality, almost.

"Alma! This way!"

Alma looked up, spotting Yuffie behind one of the buildings. She nodded, waving to the ninja girl, and stepped over another piece of rubble-

-stopped. Most of the other citizens were moving quickly, trying to get out of the debris field as fast as they could. But the one she saw sitting down in the rubble before her wasn't.

He was an older man, his gray hair balding and his beard grizzled and half-matted with blood. His common clothes were torn where cuts and bruises fell over his flesh, and a ragged gash was torn over his cheek. He didn't seem to mind. The old man crouched in the rubble, looking down at what he held in his hand. It was a child's doll, covered in dust and missing an arm. The old man held it there, his eyes shut tight and his jaw clenched. He clutched his face and wept brokenly, squeezing the toy with its dead smile in his hand.

Alma was quiet as she watched him. She turned her head up to the clouds, glad the wet honey-blonde shocks of hair hid her eyes. "Hff...hff..." she panted, her hand tightening until it turned as white as the staff she held.

Be still. Be calm. You know what uncontrolled anger leads to.

I'm seeing uncontrolled foolishness right now. Alma waved her staff, powering up her chakra with a quiet "hmm!" It did not dry the tears carving angry rivulets down her hot cheeks, but it helped calm her a bit, and she felt some more power stem into her magic supply. She let it pass onto the old man, then turned, rushing after Yuffie. These men- these 'Naclos' forces- were going to pay. She was not going to let them leave this city ignorant of what they had done.

good girl

Alma, stay your hand.

Alma frowned, the words coming out like hums in the back of her mind. She felt some little cold running through her belly again, from womb to stomach. Perhaps I'm getting sick...I've been in the rain so long. But others are hurt, possibly dying...stay there! Mature, Vice, Shizumaru, Vincent, Chipp- everyone...I'm coming! I'm coming!

---

1 A-Vote to Shang the man Tsung
1 A-Vote to King
1 A-Vote to Kashell


Getting those last votes out- next post is a little bit of fighting. ^^ And yeah, I just know you read that last line wrong. Perverts, all of you! Perverts!

...said the doujinshi author to the peeping toms, but...


"Virtus in cordibus tranquillibus floret. Iustitia est mecum. Per animam meam, cave. Cave."

-- Sponsoring Alma Beoulve, Survivor X.

IP: Logged

Renmazuo is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Renmazuo Click here to Send Renmazuo a Private Message Find more posts by Renmazuo Add Renmazuo to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Wayne Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:21 PM

The Night Beckons...

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

In this entry....

-Mal'Ganis [finally] tracks down Kalten.
-Sparks fly! ...among other things.

---

The sounds of battle grew ever nearer. Setsuna had disengaged before Mal'Ganis could drain more than a pittance of spiritual energy from him; but it was enough to keep him going. He strode briskly through the city, evading, jumping, gliding as necessary to dodge the seemingly endless stream of Naclos soldiers. From behind him now the sounds of battle grew closer, and the Dreadlord knew that his "allies" and the An'ven were turning the tide, at least for now.

The Nathrezim finally approached the wrecked gates of the city, where a battalion of familiar Templar of guards were posted. All snapped to attention, drawing or, for the pikemen; raising their weapons, but Mal'Ganis shook his head.

"I am not here to fight with you. I have an offer for your leaders." His voice, normally full of menace; was now polite and even, and the highest-ranking knight, so indicated by a pair of epillets and cape, and gold engravings on his armor; raised his visor.

"Who are you? And what do you have to offer us? You're no An'ven." His tone was commanding and confident; betraying no sense of doubt despite this newcomer's demonic appearance.

And Mal'Ganis could respect that in a mortal. "I am Anetheron the Destroyer. Take me to your commander here." And mentally, Mal'Ganis commanded, You will obey.

"I will obey..." the warrior replied dully, before his voice returned to normal. "Lord Kashell has decided to personally repel the counterattack and is in the city. Would you like one of us to send a runner for him?"

The Dreadlord nodded. "Yes. Tell him I will bring a present for him. And if he is gracious, I will even gift-wrap it."

The Knight stared. "Ah... what do you mean? He's not really--"

His eyes flared. Are you so foolish? I will deliver Kalten of the Wind into his hands.

The mortal's eyes widened. "...Kalten? Surely you jest. We've--"

The Dreadlord's visage spoke alone, stating that Mal'Ganis was deadly serious. "Kalten." he replied, voice low. "I will need as many warriors as you can spare."

The knight glanced around, then nodded. "Very well. Fifty men. Anetheron, you had best not be--"

If I thought so little of you as to lie to you, you would be dead now. If I can speak directly into your mind, what more do you suppose I could do with it?

The human paled. "I understand. Kristoff! Erich! Take your units and follow Anetheron! Do not return unless you bring Kalten the An'ven back-- gift-wrapped!"

---

Mal'Ganis led the Naclos soldiers unerringly to where he knew Kalten to be. The An'ven was fast, almost impossibly so; but no mortal was faster than a demon's thought; and once locked-on, psychic resistance alone could save oneself. Resisting was futile.

"Anetheron" led the way, having ordered the Naclos to stay back. His keen eyes found Kalten perhaps a hundred yards from the gates, his back to Mal'Ganis, bow already nocked. The demon could ascertain from the stormclouds so low to the ground that the Lord had been busy, and no doubt there were piles of Naclos dead whenever a few were so bold as to make sweeps for him, or to call in any more reinforcements.

...he is here, Mal'Ganis whispered to the human Captain, Erich. Split your group into two semicircles, each coming around the sides. I will cover the alternate approaches.

Wordlessly-- the Dreadlord had demanded complete silence, lest Kalten hear them-- the soldiers obeyed, slowly fanning out, as quietly as possible, down the hill around Kalten. Mal'Ganis's sharp eyes could see him fidget nervously, preparing another arrow; and he kept turning his head this way and that, listening.

A tense minute passed, and finally Mal'Ganis rose, striding down the hill he had hidden behind toward Kalten. The Archer noticed him instantly, spinning around, arrow pointed toward the demon. He paused, possibly relaxing; but his muscles in his arms were so tight simply releasing the bowstring would sent the arrow straight toward the offending Nathrezim.

"What the hell do you want?" Kalten demanded. "I-- stay back." he snarled, as Mal'Ganis had taken a step closer to him. "You have five seconds to explain yourself, then I'm going to see just how lucky you are."

The demon's eyes narrowed. I am just a few meters too far to directly enter his mind to put him to Sleep... and I could barely reach him with a Swarm. However--

"Three." Kalten stated icily; continuing his countdown.

"Jun sent me to look for you." Mal'Ganis stated, which was in fact true. "She was worried that you might need some assistance, when you had run off on your own."

Kalten did relax then-- perhaps a millimeter. "That's nice of her. But I'm fine, and I don't like you. So just turn around and--" his eyes narrowed. "...were you followed?"

The game is up. Mal'Ganis raised both his hands, a sinister green light beginning to ripple in between them.

Kalten drew back his bowstring. "B------!" he swore, aiming. "Of all the--"

Now! Mal'Ganis yelled psychically, mentally completing the last few words of the Infernal's incantation.

Everything happened at once. Kalten released the first arrow, drawing another and fitting it with blinding speed. Mal'Ganis, who had been tapping Kalten's thoughts, barely managed to evade in time... in fact, the shockwave of screaming vacuum from the missile's trail nearly bowled him over. The Naclos soldiers yelled their warcry-- "Deus le wult! God wills it!"-- and stampeded up the hill, surrounding Kalten to both left and right.

The Infernal shot downward, blasting through layer after layer of black stormclouds, impacting where Kalten had been... the mortal had done the impossible; he had actually dodged the impact of the hellspawned meteor....

...no, hah, no he hadn't. So close, though, so close....

The stone smashed mere feet from Kalten, the concussion still knocking him to the ground. In seconds it reformed to the familiar, hideous form of the fiery golem... but in those seconds Kalten had stood back up, drew another arrow, and slew two of the approaching Naclos with the same shot.

"Give it up, Kalten!" Mal'Ganis shouted, hands glowing with green energy as he prepared another spell. "There is nowhere for you to run!"

The Wind Archer snorted in reply and shot backward with blinding speed-- but even as his legs began to blur the Infernal, which had formed behind him, sealing off the North, lowered its massive palm, and Kalten collided with it with a sickening smack, and fell face-forward to the ground.

He rose once more, however, spinning around with such speed the Infernal's flames on his back were snuffed out. "How..." he panted, "...the hell did it do that?!"

Mal'Ganis only shook his head. "Infernals are completely immune to magic, and illusions. Your link with Seiryu gives you remarkable powers over wind, as does your 'aura'... but none of that matters to an automaton like this. Infernals are made of even tougher stuff than you are, 'Lord' Kalten."

The Archer this time leapt straight up, covering a remarkable distance, and fired another pair of shots at Mal'Ganis... but again the Dreadlord saw them coming with his mind's eye, and barely-- less than an inch each time-- tore himself out of the way.

Then the Naclos were upon him. Mal'Ganis, refusing to risk another shot, was finally close enough. With one wave of his hand Kalten staggered to his knees, fighting off the psychic Sleep the Dreadlord had suddenly induced. Before he had even hit the ground the Naclos and the Infernal were on him, pounding away, battering the unconscious legend with their boots, staves, and the blunt ends of their spears and warhammers.

Mal'Ganis slowly circled around the grisly sight, nodding, as warrior after warrior sought revenge for the casualties Kalten had inflicted. The Infernal had reached him now, and relentlessly pounded away at the An'ven, stomping him strength enough to split stone; but Kalten, to Mal'Ganis's incredulity, got up once more, tossing aside with a stunning burst of strength a half-dozen soldiers to his right. He fit one last arrow to his bow, drawing it back with speed only he could; electric energy from his Aura crackling all around him.

"M...mal... why...?" Kalten asked as he fell, eyes slowly closing from the wound Kristoff had dealt with his warhammer, smashing into the back of the great man's head.

"I believe," the Dreadlord replied coldly, "...that you know why."

"Take him!" commanded Erich, and the knights obeyed, binding Kalten firmly with ropes. Mal'Ganis, sneering, conjuring a light-blue ribbon and wove it into the entangling bonds.

And one last thing... Mal'Ganis thought to himself, putting his hands to Kalten's swollen face. With a flick of a psychic scalpel he removed Kalten's recollection of just what had happened... he would only remember being surrounded by the zealous, merciless faces of his religious enemies.

And a zealot is the most dangerous type of warrior, the Nathrezim mused as the Naclos carried their prize away. They will do whatever they wish... and it will always be 'right.'

"Anetheron the Destroyer" took his leave of the Templar, heading back into the city... to deliver the 'horrible news' to Lady Jun.

---

The anti-regicide police strike! Sponsors who voted all three Lords get voted on in return. If you didn't vote Jun you get a pass. Whee!

A-vote to Captain Falcon. (Ouch. :/)
A-vote to Kalten. (Big ouch. )

A-vote to Sol Badguy.
A-vote to Amethyst.
A-vote to Yuri.
A-vote to Maya.


In a sense it's "nothing personal" since I just voted the six (including Setsuna and Ky from earlier) in order who evidently confused SX with some Age of Kings Regicide game. :P Of course, in a sense it is personal 'cause I'm kinda on a crusade here, and I'd be lying if I tried to vote 'randomly.'

That is all. ...except, of course, for Kyo; who is the final arbiter of this post and is free to demand I edit things herein that he may not like. Of course.


"As you can see, your people are now mine. I will now turn this city, household by household, until the flame of Life has been snuffed out... forever." - Mal'Ganis

IP: Logged

Wayne is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Wayne Click here to Send Wayne a Private Message Find more posts by Wayne Add Wayne to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Krizak Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:24 PM

The World Shall Be Mine!

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: East Heaven Kingdom Goal: WORLD DOMINATION!!!

A vote dump, because I suck so badly at writing...

1 A-Vote against Opera
1 A-Vote against Hulk
1 A-Vote against Testament
1 A-Vote against Setsuna

(Revenge, best served cold...)

1 A-Vote against Daisetsu
1 A-Vote against Kalten
1 A-Vote against Jun

(Defend Dorrin! HAHHH!)

1 A-Vote against King
(Purely strategic, no hard feelings...)

Mint - 8 A-Votes
Battling Under The Lord Dorrin

IP: Logged

Krizak is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Krizak Click here to Send Krizak a Private Message Find more posts by Krizak Add Krizak to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
DarkBlade77 Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:30 PM

Ratio 4 Vanessa Abuser

Registered: May 2001
Location: Secret Boss Stage #1

Voting has ended.

IP: Logged

DarkBlade77 is offline Click Here to See the Profile for DarkBlade77 Click here to Send DarkBlade77 a Private Message Visit DarkBlade77's homepage! Find more posts by DarkBlade77 Add DarkBlade77 to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
CarlyCheeese Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:36 PM

Scarlet Rain Silence

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Feudal Japan

Hisame Shizumaru - 4:2

Pain.

Pain beyond anything that he could've possibly imagined.

Shizumaru's body immediately seized up, and he screamed out in the agony that had consumed his body from within. Every single cell was on fire, his thoughts were aflame, his blood was boiling - and he was completely overtaken by the torture. His eyes had rolled back into his head, seized by tears of hurt, and his shrieks continued to ring out. Unlike when he had been captured by the demonic Mitochondria Eve - there was no one waiting on the other side to rescue him. No Mint, Alma, Rimururu, Haohmaru, Ukyo -

M-m-masaka!!! He cried out in his mind. This cannot be happening - !!

"And yet, it is," Shang Tsung laughed wickedly. "Do not fear this pain - it is only yourself that awakes! Resistance... is futile!"

The only response Shizumaru was able to give was a piercing scream.

I - I mustn't give in, I - I can't - iie!!

He fell to the ground, sobbing pitifully. Shang Tsung laughed to himself once again, looking down at the young man, who's entire body was quaking before his feet. "Didn't I already tell you that you shouldn't resist? It will be much, much less painful - and this looks like it particularly hurts! If you do not want this pain - then I suggest you simply give up!"

His hand outstretched forward once more, and he clenched his fingers into a tight fist. He smiled at the effect it had on the young man before him; another heart-wrenching cry, and his body looked as if it was having a deadly seizure. Still, though, nothing in particular seemed to be happening - on the exterior, anyway. The sorceror could only laugh at the thought of what could've been going on in Shizumaru's mind at the moment. Smirking, he gave a little flick of the wrist, and was pleased to see Shizumaru shriek and drop to all fours; his body convulsing madly. "Are you still trying to resist?

Of course I am - I cannot let the demon awaken!!

If so, then I can only say your attempts are wildly in vain..."

Shang Tsung let his hand drop, offering the young man a small window of relief - and it amused him to see Shizumaru grasp it so hastily.

"Onegai nasai!! Please, I beg of you - hanaseru!!" Shizumaru sobbed. "This - please don't do this to me!" He hung his head, and his body shook again from the tears and the aftershock of the pain. "I can't take it anymore; yamete..." he moaned pitifully.

"You want me to *stop*?" Shang Tsung raised his eyebrows sarcastically. "Boy, you are denying the very fiber of your existence. This is your preordained fate, and I feel rather honored that I get to be the one to birth and witness such an event..." he laughed to himself softly. "You deny yourself..." Again, Shang Tsung held out his hand, palm up - and he curled his forefinger, as if beckoning an animal to him. Shizumaru gasped and collapsed, having felt some sort of invisible tug on his neck.

Groaning, he struggled to hold himself up with his hands, but his stomach retched, and he ended up coughing up blood and vomit at the same time. If he hadn't felt sick before, then now he would've been doubly so, feeling incredibly weak and helpless. He could not stagnate the rush of tears that fell from his eyes - but compared to the suffering his body was going through, he could've cared less - in fact, it seemed almost a minor miracle that he was still able to cry.

"... masaka," his voice shuddered.

Shang Tsung said nothing for a moment, but then lifted up his hand once more -

"DAME YO!!" Shizumaru screamed out. "I beg you, don't - don't do this to me!!" Even with his entire body feeling as if it had been set on fire, the young man lifted up his head to look at the sorceror with pleading eyes, wet and shining, only to writhe in pain once more on the ground, caused by the mere twitch of a finger.

"I told you, boy," Shang Tsung smirked, "you only deny yourself..."

A smile lit up the sorceror's face, and Shizumaru felt a sickening feeling in his stomach again; that of foreboding. He bit his lip, and looked at Shang Tsung, pleading with his eyes to stop the pain, the agony, if only for one moment more...

The sorceror lifted up his outstretched palm directly at Shizumaru's face, and he stared at it with a gaze of fascination and sickening horror. The crash of the waves of fear enveloped him once again, and he backed up against the wall, begging for somebody to save him, anybody - but nobody was going to come, not with all of the fighting going on...

All he could do was sit hopelessly in anticipation of what was due to come.

Shang Tsung's face lit up with another smile and a chuckle, and he looked down at Shizumaru, maliciously. "Now, then - do not resist temptation! Give into the demon that lives within your being and give yourself the life you have never known!!"

The sorceror's hand clenched slowly, and Shizumaru felt absolutely sick at what he looked down to see.

The glow he had seen inside his chest at San'tor was now consuming his whole body, giving him an eerily blue glow - but wherever his skin lit up, it doubly so gave him the feeling that he was on fire. He screamed under the pain, but it only seemed to further the ambitions of Shang Tsung, who's grin seemed nearly manaiacal.

"So it begins, boy. Your pain shall be over soon, we hope," he smiled, and twisted his wrist quickly.

Shizumaru nearly fainted from the pain - his head felt like it had just been torn apart, and his vision was suddenly red with blood. Horrified, he lifted one of his glowing hands to his head, and seized up at what he felt - horns. And his ears had become elongated, and pointed - which resulted in the skin breaking and bleeding there, as well.

Quickly, he dabbed at the skin around the horns, and screamed in horror at the sheer amount of blood that dripped off them. He started to feel light-headed and dizzy even moreso - and the fear returned when he saw the color of his own hair - once a luscious, blood-red, it was now stark white.

Shang Tsung twisted his wrist again, sending Shizumaru's body into another blast of pain, and he shrieked, feeling his body convulse horribly. He looked at his hands; the nails had shot out to nearly an inch in length, akin to claws - and his skin was a sickly pale yellow, instead of the fair ivory. Suddenly, his cheeks and arms began to flash with intense, searing pain - the skin was blackening all on its own into stripes.

"... yamete..." Shizumaru croaked out, feebly; his throat gurgling with blood and vomit once again.

Shang Tsung said nothing, merely twisted his wrist again.

At first, Shizumaru felt no new burst of pain, just a general soreness all over his body. Then - he felt something tugging on his back strongly, as if it was trying to pull something out of him. He could barely bring his thoughts together, much less think, but he tried to remember the details of the demon that had so long haunted his dreams - what could possibly have been next?

He gasped in horror, and quickly slid his arms out of his tunic, leaving his back completely bare - for he could feel what was going to happen next. The skin on his shoulder blades had not been being tugged at - rather, the skin was being pushed up from the inside...

In a matter of seconds, raw bone burst through the skin, gradually unfolding into a wingspan with pure white feathers - except, of course, the feathers were stained with blood. Shizumaru's eyes rolled back in his head, and his body started to shake violently again under the control of Tsung. The sorceror seemed content with his work, and with a smile, he snapped his fingers, proclaiming his job done.

With another cough of bloody vomit, Shizumaru's body collapsed. For a few moments, it twitched. But after that, no more movement was seen from the body, covered in blood and vomit. The glow from his skin faded away, and all that was left was an idle feather, blowing away.

Shang Tsung had succeeded.

The demon of Hisame Shizumaru had awaken.

--

http://www.geocities.com/carlycheeese/ameki.jpeg

Check it out. The one on the right is Shizumaru's demon, Ameki.


a lonely soul ____________________ moonlit skies
speaker of silence ________________ candlelit town
footsteps in the night _____________ eyes cast in gloom
utter reliance ____________________ a saddened frown

sweet serenity __________________ shielded by innocence
waits to be broken _______________ hidden by beauty
its mouth aghast ________________ the demon sleeps within
a demon hath spoken ____________ destroying naievte

~ hisame shizumaru, survivor x - oboeru mo ~

IP: Logged

CarlyCheeese is offline Click Here to See the Profile for CarlyCheeese Click here to Send CarlyCheeese a Private Message Visit CarlyCheeese's homepage! Find more posts by CarlyCheeese Add CarlyCheeese to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Lantis Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:37 PM

Death roams next door

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Between hell and a world filled with grief. Take your pick

Bye bye me.


Want to take me on another time? Sorry, life is too short to wait for your brain to assimilate your stupidity.

*First Champion of SRK Survivor Tournament - Character: Rock Howard
*6th place in SRK Survivor Tournament II - Character: Kibagami Genjuro
*6th place in SRK Character Battle Poll - Character: Flik

She once believed in every story he had to tell.
One day she differed, took the other side.
Empty stares from each corner of a shared prison cell.
One just escaped, one is left in side the rails.
He who forgets will be destined to remember.

IP: Logged

Lantis is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Lantis Click here to Send Lantis a Private Message Find more posts by Lantis Add Lantis to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Amethyst Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:43 PM

Jellomancer

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

The explosions and yells from the quarter of the city Amethyst had noticed before continued.

That's not right... Things should have settled down there by now. The offensive on the rest of the city seems to have died down a little, though.

He turned to Maya. "I'm worried about the people fighting over there. There seems to be a lot going on." Creating an interesting punctuation to his statement, a building collapsed, spreading a cloud of dust and debris.

Maya frowned, and Amethyst reflected it seemed to be quite an alien expression for her. "Yeah... but we couldn't make it there very fast..."

At that, Amethyst smiled. "Maya, we could get there instantly." He closed his eyes for a moment...

"What? It's not gonna..."

GATE

"...hurt... is... it?"

"Nah, just tickle a little." They stood in the middle of a small cleared area, dust filling the air. Flashes and screams burst from the cloud off to their left, and Amethyst shook out the sleeves of his robes. "Cover me."

IP: Logged

Amethyst is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Amethyst Click here to Send Amethyst a Private Message Find more posts by Amethyst Add Amethyst to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Exeter Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:43 PM

Rock You

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

~It's Late~
Sol Badguy--Album 4, Track 4

There was darkness.

And...a light?

Slowly, he reached out to it.

Frederick gasped as though he'd been holding his breath for minutes as he came to, the lights of the laboratory piercing his sight painfully as he looked furiously around the room, his memory failing him as he desperately sought a familiar face, anything...

"Frederick! Snap out of it!"

The voice was distant, alien...

A pair of hands secured themselves around his shoulders as his body convulsed, and...

Infernoflameburning

He felt like his entire being had ignited. Faintly, he heard another voice cry out.

"Guards! We have to restrain him!"

Not really aware of his own existence, Frederick pushed away the hands forcing him down and stood. His vision was blurred, his balance distorted, but he knew one thing.

He had to get away.

An arm grabbed him from behind, and the next thing he knew, he'd spun around and lashed out--

The smell of burned flesh filled the air.

"Frederick, what have you done?"

At his feet lay the still form of Lydia Robertson, assistant technician to the Gear Project.

Memory flooded back, and with it awareness of what he'd done.

The room filled with armed men immediately.

"So...it seems the Project was more successful than we could have hoped," a man said from behind him.

He whirled around and--


Sol frowned.

I keep thinking I've run out of cigs, and then *presto*, there's another one. This trip ain't so bad after all.

Inhaling deeply, Sol glanced back at Rydia as she cocked her head, listening to the fighting in the distance. She gasped a little as a particularly loud scream sounded above the clash of metal, then frowned.

Noticing Sol's glance, she said, "Battles...they're just...."

The bounty hunter cracked a smile. "Yeah. That they are."

Smiling a little, Rydia hurried her pace until she strode side-by-side with her new guardian.

They walked in silence for a time, and Sol's mind wandered.

Why the hell'd I tell Kiske all that, anyway? Must be getting soft in my old age.

Taking another puff of his smoke, Sol said, "So, kid, having fun on this little vacation?"

Rydia seemed a bit offended at the question. "I'm sorry? You think this is--"

Sol shook his head. "Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood. Seems we're stuck here, so..."

The girl nodded reluctantly. "You're right, sorry."

Silence. Then:

"Sol...you're not used to helping people, are you?"

The bounty hunter was unable to hide his wince at the girl's words.

"...No, I guess not."

Rydia smiled.

"You're not too bad at it, you know."

Heh, that and a dime...

Sol cracked his knuckles and spat the cigarette out, squashing the butt with his bootheel.

"So, summoner, you feel like getting back in there and busting some heads? Our guys might still need some...help."

Rydia nodded, and the two turned back toward the battle.

IP: Logged

Exeter is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Exeter Click here to Send Exeter a Private Message Find more posts by Exeter Add Exeter to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Velious Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:44 PM

Mukki

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Wherever there are hot and sweaty men...

Well, I'm tired, and have no real will to actually post...so...

A-Vote to Shang Tsung


Hast thou lain the Jabberwonk?

IP: Logged

Velious is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Velious Click here to Send Velious a Private Message Find more posts by Velious Add Velious to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
The Damned Posted: 04-24-2003 , 10:59 PM

Hyperion's servant

Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Where you are not.

Damnit. Post coming in just a few minutes.


If the good die young, then I'm effectively immortal.

Hyperion: "Stop the asteriod, Magneto. Stop the asteriod, or I'll implode your head."

Hyperion: "Give up this garbage and face the inevitable, Magneto. You cannot defeat me."
Magneto: "Everyone has an Achilles heel!"
Hyperion: "Only Achilles had an Achilles heel. I cannot be stopped."

Opposite attract only because men are sluts and women are whores. Thus the equation balances out.

IP: Logged

The Damned is offline Click Here to See the Profile for The Damned Click here to Send The Damned a Private Message Find more posts by The Damned Add The Damned to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Renmazuo Posted: 04-24-2003 , 11:02 PM

Cute Widdle Cleric Girl

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Graveyard of Airships

Canto IV + In Medias Res + Holy Angels


"Huh! I come expecting to snuff a candle, but I get a bonfire...very nice."

Kashell's double scimitars crossed again as he faced his opponents, and many of them there were. The scythe-wielder, the blonde fistfighter, the taloned dark man, and the ninja with the blade. Strong fighters they were- perhaps even his double-scimitar style was being pushed beyond the basics. Skilled as they were, though, they'd be dying all the same.

"I see Daisetsu and his rabble know their players well," Kashell said, stepping slowly to his opponents. "But this is as far as you go. I open the Six Wings..." He struck his scimitars against the ground, white light surging up at their tips. He swung them forth against the ground, the energy welling up, and then he performed a perfect cross-slash. The ground ripped up as twin blades of white energy rocketed from the ground, joining in a wide helix midair and pulsing with holy power. They came forward, directed at Testament, Chipp, and King and Yuri-

He stopped, suddenly, and weaved down low as a shuriken whirred over his head. When he lifted his head up, the shuriken was flying back to its owner- a langly female ninja who'd charged from behind. But his attention was more reserved for the unmistakable light wrapping around the gathered warriors. His helix slammed upon the energy wall suddenly appearing before them, a great flash blinding him momentarily, and only then did the echo reach his ears.

"Per animam meam, dira te rectus volutare!"

Holy magic! A mage...

"Enough!" He heard her voice shout again, and between the ninja and the one called Yuri, he saw a little teenage girl stumble forward. Her white staff was alight with the same energy he'd seen before, her amethyst sparkling with the Holy magic. He would have grinned if he weren't so taken by her appearance. She was obviously beautiful, and her damp clothes only raised his brows higher. Distraction- a key to victory.

"I will not allow this anymore!" the mage said, lifting up her staff. "This war is senseless- the pain is senseless! Why do you do this?"

His distaste suddenly grew. Kashell sighed- anyone stupid enough to ask those maddening, cliche questions didn't belong on the battlefield. Still, the mage had spirit- he'd give her that, before his blades claimed her life.

The scythe-man- Testament- rocketed forward, and Kashell knew he was one of those protected under a Holy spell. Kashell turned to him, but the two ninjas- Chipp and the other one, the female- came from the other side. And the two fistfighters coming from the front...

The mage is in the back, clearly.

"Holy magic against Holy magic, then!" Kashell twirled his scimitars like pistols, then crossed them in an X. "The ire of the crimson queen of death- Threefold Crimson Gale!"

"Nightmare Circular!"

"Stay back, Alma-san! Alpha Brade!"

"Bolt3!"

The skills of Testament, Chipp, and the female ninja struck him first, and hard. Kashell's movement only slightly decreased as the flaming skull, the bolt of lightning, and the cold hiss of a blade cut into his body. He stumbled down as the vile liquid coarsed with lightning and blood over his back- and then grinned. Before Yuri and King could reach him, he fell into a blur, his scimitars carving the ground again. There was nothing to stop him from reaching the white mage- Alma- before him. Kashell fell into his wide sweeping slice, a tornadic missile rocketing with the clangs of twin blades as his body lifted from the ground in a perfect imitation of his Helix spell. He shot towards Alma's heart, a Nightmare Circular again carving its way behind him-

"Unda temporis, pone me in tua flumen!"

Haste. The time spell swarmed over Alma, binding to her already drenched body. Kashell growled as she swayed to the side, her mantle only aiding her sudden speed. But he had an ace up his sleeve left- he suddenly swung his legs forward, stopping the technique for a moment. He hovered in midair, but now he was lined with her, and he pinned one scimitar against the ground-

-and carved an angry cut over her side with his other one.

"Aaah!" Alma screamed, and not even the burning pain of the Nightmare Circular could quell the pleasure from that sound. Kashell stumbled again, his flesh burning with the delicious pain of Testament's skill, and he brought up his blades again. He whipped forward to the stumbling Alma, curving one blade for an over-the-shoulder stab as his other snaked under his other arm in a body-check stab. Both blades swung towards her exposed, cut stomach, singing a death song-

venite magna fulmina

Kashell's eyes went wide. A voice-

"NNNGHH!!!"

Kashell went flying back, suddenly, as a torrent of lightning slammed into him from behind, killing his momentum and sending him skidding across the floor. He pinned his scimitars to the ground, coughing as the lightning surged over his body. He landed on his knees, but turned quickly, eager to find what that voice was, and how he hadn't been able to sense it.

Instead, he saw one little white mage, staring at her hands in shock.

"I...n-no," Alma breathed, gazing in horror at hands that were soaked in blood- in the blood of her wound- in her blood. "You...you said you'd go away..."

Kashell narrowed his eyes, coughing saliva with a bit of red in it. Go away? Is she delirious?

Alma dropped her staff, her fingers coursing with the dark blue lightning that likewise had washed over Kashell's body. The mage hugged them to her stomach, shivering as though cold, and stared blankly at the ground before her. "No...no, please...it can't be..."

She was still like that, muttering in horror, when Testament, King, Yuri, Yuffie, and Chipp fell into battle again with Kashell.


"Virtus in cordibus tranquillibus floret. Iustitia est mecum. Per animam meam, cave. Cave."

-- Sponsoring Alma Beoulve, Survivor X.

IP: Logged

Renmazuo is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Renmazuo Click here to Send Renmazuo a Private Message Find more posts by Renmazuo Add Renmazuo to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
The Damned Posted: 04-24-2003 , 11:16 PM

Hyperion's servant

Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Where you are not.

Red face

Needless to say, this was greatly rushed:

King
Chapter 4: Death's Eterne Patience
Section 2


Soulis'en, Fallen Capital of Wind

King had difficult time following K’ through the stony streets of Soulis’en as half of her time was spent dodging arrows – whether whole or fragmented - that K’’s artificial Kusanagi aura did not wholly incinerate. And almost all of the other half of was spent barreling through heavy-armored knights, not caring whether any or all of the techniques they used were lethal or not. The pair blurred down the street, both ignoring the lightening storm in the night sky – courtesy of Storm, no doubt – that had yet yield any rain, though the Naclos archers more than made up for that. As King thought where Storm was, especially since this storm had lasted practically ever since they arrived, King’s thoughts were interrupted by a cry above them, echoing downwards in a familiar voice.

“By the Bright Lady!”

K’’s hand stopped erupting in the flames of Kusanagi just long for both of them to see the weatherwitch plummeting towards them, her strange uniform full of holes and tears that had doubtless been caused by arrows. Reacting quickly, King bounded of the wall of yet another of Soulis’en many skyscraping, but this time, she targeted her pseudo-attack upwards, toward Storm’s body.

Have to make this count. King thought as she leapt towards Storm, who was seemed perfectly calm and had not uttered a word beyond that initial phrase; King’s bound took her right under Storm.

“I have y--” King began, just before blown away by one of Storm’s rouge winds. She spiraled downwards as Storm effortlessly righted herself mid-air.

“Ahh!!!” King screamed as she fell back towards the ground, gravity’s manacles reminding her that she did not have the luxury of flight as Storm; Storm looked finally realized as King, a look of anxiety washing over her face as she swooped to save King.

“By the Goddess!” Storm uttered, barely catching King before she became as smear on the cobblestone. “Sorry about that!”

“No problem,” King said half-heartedly, the paleness slowly exiting her face.

As Storm flew back up into the air, flying like a speeding bullet on a gale winds, while carrying King in her arms and managing to call down what King could only assume to be, being no meteorologist, ball lightening, a sudden thought overtook King.

Where’s K’?
***

Meanwhile…

“Heat Drive!”

The yell barely preceded the blinding body of the man behind it, the pure explosive and searing force in his hands rushing forth as he barreled through another unlucky Naclos squad, this one devoid of archers. He turned around, looking down at the smoldering bodies of the armored forced littering the cobblestone road, admiring his handy work. And though he can’t immediately distinguish whether the blow caused anything fatal, it would not be realistic to doubt that the burning white attack failed to cook at least one man within his metal prison.

“Lazy bums,” K’ sardonically chided to himself as sudden sense of pleasure overwhelmed him. He put his hands his pockets leisurely as he twirled around to trot off and instead… turned to stare in the end of a scimitar pointed directly at his face.

“So you’re one of the pests that have been buzzing around our forces ears all day?” Kashell asked rhetorically.

“And if I am?” K’ in turn inquired, though he himself was disinterested.

“Then you die,” Kashell coldly answered before blur from sight.

***
Moments before…

Where could he be?

King was still looking high and low – well, only low in actuality – as Storm still cradled King in her arms, both soaring high above the decimated city of Soulis’en, the former equally decimating Naclos forces with random lightening strikes and typhoons. King had been looking for K’ for what felt like hours, probably from the nausea of flying, but again in actuality had only been a few minutes.

“Aha!” She cried out, spotting the black-clad figure with white hair.

“Found him, King?” Storm asked without looking down.

“I think so, set us dow—” King paused as she watched the figure smacked through a building by an invisible assailant. “Storm quickly!”

Complying, Storm quickly descended to the ground, King breaking free of her embrace halfway down. She hit the cobblestone with a thud, though her ki absorbed a bunch of the impact. She saw K’’s limp body lying still in the hole that it had made in the side of the brick and concrete building.

“K’!” She could not help but cry his name out, fearing he might be…

“So that was this despicable creature’s name?” The sinister voice comes behind her, making her skin crawl. She turns around to see Kashell, his blue hair flapping furiously in the wind of the weatherwitch, just a Storm lands behind her. “Why, that’s even more moronic than his attempts to fend me off.”

“You!” King shouts, enraged once again. “You did this?!”

No reply comes from Kashell.

"Storm! Wind assistance!" King yelled as she ran towards Kashell. The weatherwitch complied, a fierce wind began blowing, pushing King even faster across the cobblestone streets.

His twin-scimtars glimmered as he murmured, "Pitiful wretch." He continued idly watching King's charge, seemingly motionless, until he blurred.

"What?!" King was answered by the slash across her chest, revealing her bra. She slumped over, still being pushed forward by Storm's winds as Kashell's voice emanated from behind her.

"Or perhaps I should say 'wench'?" His rhetorical question drenched in smugginess.

Seeing red, King gathered a sizable amount of ki, before lashing out backwards with her right arm… only for it to be caught effortlessly by Kashell’s left hand.

“Poor creature, I can see you are much pain,” he pauses to rise his weapon. “Most of which will be caused by me!” As his weapon his courses downward for King’s skull, it barely stops short as he struck in the back by one of Storm’s lightening balls. He flung forward, releasing King from his grip, but land on his feet after flipping mid-air, landing seemingly unfazed.

“Why did I bother wasting my time with such foolish children?” He taunts before disappearing another blur.

“Bastard! Coward!” King’s attempts to provoke him to get to reappear, but he does not. Realizing her failure through her blind hate, she and Storm walk over to K’’s bloody, unconscious form.


If the good die young, then I'm effectively immortal.

Hyperion: "Stop the asteriod, Magneto. Stop the asteriod, or I'll implode your head."

Hyperion: "Give up this garbage and face the inevitable, Magneto. You cannot defeat me."
Magneto: "Everyone has an Achilles heel!"
Hyperion: "Only Achilles had an Achilles heel. I cannot be stopped."

Opposite attract only because men are sluts and women are whores. Thus the equation balances out.

IP: Logged

The Damned is offline Click Here to See the Profile for The Damned Click here to Send The Damned a Private Message Find more posts by The Damned Add The Damned to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
San_Draco Posted: 04-24-2003 , 11:34 PM

El Bruje Sale

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: The realm between the worlds...

In which Shang Tsung garners power...

Shang Tsung laughed, and motioned to the new demon. "Come with me. It is time to gain true power... the firstborn of battle..."

With this, Shang Tsung walked down the empty streets, finding a yet-standing tower. It was white, apparently of marble, and it seemed to stretch to the sky...

The sorcerer entered the tower, and made his way up the long flights of stairs. Around and around the staircase went, and never once did Shang Tsung look back.

Finally, the stairs led him to the pinnacle of the tower, where the entire town could be seen... what was left of it. Smoke and fire rose from the numerous destroyed buildings, and the sky was littered with numerous flights of arrows.

But the most important part was that unseen to the normal eye. The skies were stained a sickly, greenish glow, thick with the souls of the fallen. Shang Tsung laughed, and laughed again. "This is it... This is the power I have sought after during all of this tournament!"

Suddenly, a clanking sound echoed through the tower, and the skeleton of Li Mei stumbled in. Its armor was riddled with holes and pocked with small craters, and the glow of its eyes had dimmed greatly. But it still offered the exaggerated bow that it always did, even though its leg was badly damaged.

But Shang Tsung ignored it, and opened his hand to the sky of souls. "Come to me... Be consumed, and make me stronger. Give me the strength of ages! The power that you have wasted in life, relinquish to me in death."

The nearest souls began approaching him, and he consumed them greedily. Then the next ones, and the ones after that. Then the ones after that. Soon, most of the souls were bending their courses to the sorcerer, and he steadily grew stronger, feeding himself on the invisible stream of strength...
---

[OOC]Yeah, I just have to have an explanation handy for increased strength, and what better than the souls of an entire battlefield? Anyway, I need to be going to bed now, so I'll see you all tomorrow!

IP: Logged

San_Draco is offline Click Here to See the Profile for San_Draco Click here to Send San_Draco a Private Message Find more posts by San_Draco Add San_Draco to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
DarkBlade77 Posted: 04-24-2003 , 11:38 PM

Ratio 4 Vanessa Abuser

Registered: May 2001
Location: Secret Boss Stage #1

(Yes, all Lords were KO'ed this round, and damage is doubled. I'm not going to show either of those effects, however. Why? Because it doesn't matter! Nasty trick, isn't it? )

Master List

Daisetsu --- The Red Phoenix (147 EXP - Level 2)

Sponsors
|||||||||||||Bowling Pin - The Hulk(Marvel Super Heroes)(24)+5
xDry31 - Testament(Guilty Gear)(19)+8
|||Slipstream - Yuri Hyuga(Shadow Hearts)(25)+8
|||Exeter - Sol Badguy(Guilty Gear)(26)+8
||||||||||||Lantis - Setsuna(Gekka no Kenshi 2)(18)+8

Sidekicks
m121akuma - Dan Hibiki(Street Fighter Alpha)
Ryudo - Ryudo(Grandia II)
Anoat - Scorpion(Mortal Kombat)

Fallen
colguile - Allen Sanyder (Street Fighter EX)
Switchblade - Vice and Mature(The King of Fighters)(26)
ShinkuuR - Rydia of Mist(Final Fantasy IV)(15)

Kalten --- The Blue Dragon (129 EXP - Level 2)

Sponsors
||||||Luna - Opera Vectra(Star Ocean: The Second Story)(9)+8
||Baka - Ky Kiske(Guilty Gear)(28)+8
||||San Draco - Shang Tsung w/ Li Mei's skeleton(Mortal Kombat)(35)+8
|||||||||||||||||||||Just Some Guy - Captain Falcon(Super Smash Bros.)(11)

Sidekicks
Magus - Blanka(Street Fighter)
Samus Aran - Samus Aran(Super Smash Bros.)

Fallen
Curley W - Jason Soe w/ Vader(9)
Zen Master - Kyosuke(Rival Schools)
Daisuke7777 - K'(The King of Fighters)(16)
S-Chicken Boner - Adol Christian(Y's)(12)

Jun --- The Green Dragon (104 EXP - Level 2)

Sponsors
||||||||The Damned - King(The King of Fighters)(25)+8
|Wayne - Mal'Ganis(WarCraft III)(22)+8


Sidekicks
Psycho Power J-Yuffie-RPG-Jun-sidekick
Soujiro Seta-Mesdoram Elmdor/Zalera-RPG-Jun-sidekick

Fallen
Nif - Kite(.hack//infection)(1)
Simplistic Hero - Kuma(Tekken)
Larrok - Max (Tales of Destiny II)(14)
Thirdtwin - Chipp Zanuff(Guilty Gear)(33)
Kellios - Vincent Valentine(Final Fantasy VII)(4)
eyesaw - Storm(X-Men: Children of the Atom)(20)

Dorrin --- The White Tiger (125 EXP - Level 2)

Sponsors
|||||||Amethyst - Blue/Rouge/Amethyst(SaGa Frontier)(11)+5
||Renmazuo - Alma Beoulve(Final Fantasy Tactics)(30)+8
||CarlyCheeese - Hisame Shizumaru(Samurai Shodown)(23)+8
||||||||MageusBlack - Maya Amano(Persona)(23)+8
||Krizak - Mint(Threads of Fate)(26)+8

Fallen
pirate360 - AirMan(Rockman: The Power Battles)
Adam*Warlock - Rogue(X-Men V.S. Street Fighter)
Bugenhagen - Tingle(Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker)(17)

I'm sure many of you noticed that Dry has an R-Vote!!! How can that be? Well, he was the first to answer my trivia questions correctly. Answers were:

1. Light.
2. Chimera, Human in Hyper form with Beast Form's moves added.
3. A giant axe.

Being first, Dry got 4 R-Votes. Carly was second, so she got 2. There was no 3rd place.

Captain Falcon, Maya, King, Setsuna, Bruce Banner, and Amethyst all fought like champions, but the toll of war was too much for them. Although fallen, they will continue to be integral to the final Survivor chosen...

Since tomorrow is the first day where I am finally able to stay at home, this round's storyline will end tomorrow morning. I do have a story post lined up for tonight, however, so look out.

IP: Logged

DarkBlade77 is offline Click Here to See the Profile for DarkBlade77 Click here to Send DarkBlade77 a Private Message Visit DarkBlade77's homepage! Find more posts by DarkBlade77 Add DarkBlade77 to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Dry31 Posted: 04-25-2003 , 12:15 AM

Judge/Jury/Executioner

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

The battle raged on. It was clear that Kashell wasn't really going all out; judging from the man's air of confidence, he wasn't even trying. And there was something else...just as around the Lords, he could sense a strange aura of some strange power, this man too seemed to have some awesome power that he was holding back. Yes, it was clear that this man was playing with them, testing them...it was equally clear that he was playing for keeps. Again and again he summoned Nightmare Circular, but the man blocked both the toxic and psionic components of the wave with seemingly no effort. Neither Gravedigger, Nightmare Circular, nor Phantom Soul seemed to be able to touch the man, and not even the power of the Shadow Mode seemed to be helping. Testament snarled, lunging forward once more with a fast horizontal scythe slash. The man Kashell smiles arrogantly, flicking his left hand scimitar up into a blocking position almost too fast for the eye to follow...but Testament was ready. A spiral circle of reddish light emanated from him, and suddenly, his stance shifted ever so slightly...

"GRAVEDIGGER!"

Testament's horizontal slash suddenly shifted, becoming his trademark vertical circular slash with a bloody wave trailing behind the scythe blade. Kashell's eyes widen, as he starts to shift his scimitar again; but it's not quite fast enough. The blade doesn't QUITE absorb the force of the Gravedigger...a rather ugly looking cut is left on Kashell's left forearm. Testament's feet touch the ground for an instant...

"...that hurt. Go away."

The man slashes, and from his blades emanates a wave of light. It smashes into Testament, sending the Gear flying...he hit the ground a short distance away, coming to his feet a few seconds later. And then he turned his attention to the girl.

"Ah, what's this? It would seem the lovely young cleric's mind has snapped. Hm...so sad."

He shifted stances slightly...and for Testament, everything seemed to slow down. He saw the blades starting to move, oh so slowly, in a pair of shining arcs that looked as though they might end the girl's life. Suddenly, the scene seemed to shift. It wasn't the girl he had seen earlier that was sitting there, sobbing to herself; in his mind, it was Dizzy.

No...NO...

He couldn't get there in time...he knew that. He also knew that he had to.

I won't let you HURT HER!!

And then he moved. He didn't THINK...he just moved, as though his body was moving independently; his mind was focused only on protecting her. And somehow, he made it. He wasn't conscious of the golden light that was shining from his eyes, his body; he was only aware that he had done it. The attack hit Testament's scythe, bouncing off...Kashell paused, looking puzzled, and stepped back.

"Hm...interesting."

Testament spoke, his voice even more distorted than usual.

"Someone...get her out of here!"

"Ah, how noble. Playing the protector..."

Testament's only response was to rush forward, trying to drive the man with the scimitars away from the girl...

Last edited by Dry31 on 04-25-2003 at 10:56 AM

IP: Logged

Dry31 is online now Click Here to See the Profile for Dry31 Click here to Send Dry31 a Private Message Find more posts by Dry31 Add Dry31 to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Curley W Posted: 04-25-2003 , 01:04 AM

Basic Lurker

Registered: Feb 2003
Location:

Talking In which Santa get's what's coming to him.

"Gaaaaargh!" Jason screamed as he was knocked away by another blast. The Barrier formula was the only thing keeping him alive as Santa's bombs became more accurate. Vader was nowhere in sight, but Jason thought of this as a saving grace, feeling that he would have heard or seen his canine friend dead by now. "He must have stepped away from me to avoid the bombings. Can't say that I blame him, but I gotta put a stop to this soon. My alchemy can't bypass the shield, neither do any of my long range weapons."

Another volley of bombs fell. Jason erected another Force Field as the bomb's hit, a wave of fire washed over a now terrified Jason. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever. "Okay, if long range attack's won't connect, I'll have to go short range. I have to get up there somehow.... Wait! That formula should do the trick...But what were the ingredients......" Jason's mind scrambled, trying to think back to the time when he was testing a new formula, and the next thing he knew, his head was sticking out of the roof, marking his 30th trip to Podunk Community Hospital.

As Santa loaded his next batch of explosives, the formula's ingredients rushed back to his mind. He quickly drew from his P.E.R.C., two mud peppers and two wads of wax. "Rocket Spring!" The ground seemingly vanished below him as the formula propelled him skyward, an explosion below him signalling that he had found the ingredients just in time. "I've already passed the sleigh's altitude, now all I gotta do is wait till Santa comes for his next pass. He'll be looking for me on the ground so I should get the drop on... drop on...eep."

Mounted in the center of the sleigh, was a very nasty looking anti-aircraft gun.

"Crap! If he spot's me now, I'm dead! I gotta think of some fast... a disguise!" Putting his hands together, he focused on his new genjutsu skill. "Sexy~ No Jutsu!"

"What the?!" Santa shouted, looking up at the sound of the voice.

*ONNNG~!*

"Ho ho HO! A flying ho! Just my luck!" the fat man proclaimed, seeing a curvaceous young woman plummting through the sky, wearing absolutely nothing. He quickly motioned his reindeer to fly directly under the falling 'girl', who landed in the sleigh atop a very cushioned back seat. Kringle looked at his new passenger with but one thought on his mind. "Hey baby, you wanna see Big Daddy Nicky's 'yule log'?"

Jason simply smiled, and jumped over to the very front of the sleigh. 'She' smiled, and pulled out a sword from thin air. Breaking the illusion, the alchemist flashed an evi lgrin at the evil gift giver. "Sorry, I'm not here to flock your tree!" And with those words, he slashed loosed the binds that connected the sleigh to the eight reindeer. "So long, Saint Nick!" He then jumped off the front of the sleigh as it began it's own descent to the ground.

With one hand in his P.E.R.C., Jason straightened out his body to hasten his descent. "Force Field!" As the temporary barrier formed around him, Jason turned in mid-air to watch his enemy's fall. "And that's that."

*THUD!*

"Ow,,,,," Jason groaned as he picked himself up off the ground. His previous formula had been cast to help him survive the impact of hitting the street. "Dang. Even with Force Field up, that hurt!"
----
"Uh..... My head." Santa groaned. Looking around, he saw that he had been crash landed in a deserted building. As soon as his baerings were straight, he began to brood.

Twice now had a mere boy made him look like a fool. Him, Jolly old Saint Nick, the man from which over a thousand crappy made-for-tv-movies had been born, who took over the North Pole, and enslaved the native pygmy elves into building his maniacal toys. "One day..... I will decorate my chimney with stockings and Jason Guy Soe's bones!"

"Hey!... Did I hear someone mention 'head'?"

"Huh?..... That voice...." Santa spun around quickly, only to see the mustached face of Mukki, a man who had been on Santa's 'Horrifically Naughty List' for years. "Ahhhhhh! Keep away!"

"Nuh-uh~!" Mukki replied. "I don't normally wonk with people as old as you, but I owe it to Jason after he saved me from that evil skull!"

"No! Stop! I-I beg of you!" Kris Kringle screamed as the speedo-clad man took firm grip of his belt.

"Sorry, my new tubby bubbi, but now I'm gonna roast your chestnuts!"

AAAAAAAUUUURRRRRGGGGHHHH~~~!!!!!

___________________________________________

I decided to keep Santa alive for now, only to save his death for a future tournament. I've punished him enough anyway(for now...).

Jason has revealed another new formula! Rocket Spring! This formula propel's it's caster hundreds of feet into the air. This formula is best used outdoors, for obvious reasons. Ingredients needed: Two mud peppers and two parts wax.

And just what was Mukki talking about when he said Jason rescued him from an evil skull? Click here for the explanation.

Last edited by Curley W on 04-25-2003 at 01:11 AM

IP: Logged

Curley W is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Curley W Click here to Send Curley W a Private Message Find more posts by Curley W Add Curley W to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Soujiro Seta Posted: 04-25-2003 , 02:21 AM

The Silver Ogre

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Beyond Death

Act IV – The Memory and the Burden – III

Faster…faster…this twisted ki…it comes…I must hurry, faster, faster…

Elmdor tore down the broken streets, running past friends, foes, and fallen. In the center of town, something bad was happening. Something very bad, he guessed. It wouldn’t take too much longer to find out for sure, as his strong legs pumped, propelling him forward.

The scene shocked him as he beheld it in all its glory; a single man, wielding twin scimitars, decimated a group of the ‘summoned’ as if he were swatting a fly. His power…it was unreal. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Or was it?

An extreme power, strong enough to control mens’ destinies…

“How noble…trying to play the protector.” He laughed, waving his swords as if they were but light foils.

He saw a tall man, clad in robes of gold, tearing through the clearing at the enemy warrior. In his hands was a great scythe, curved as the talon of a vicious raptor and descending with a furious might.

“Haaaaaaaaa!” The man in gold slammed his scythe into the cross-block of the enemy, gritting his teeth as he bared down. “Humans….all the same! Fight, kill! Get what you desire! After that, defecate, waste, and throw it all away!” His eyes were livid, and they burned with a scarlet not unlike Elmdor’s own unique irises.

“Testament!” A tomboyish voice called out, and Elmdor saw a blonde man in a purple vest rush up behind the golden scythe-wielder. “You’re not kickin’ this guy’s ass without me, are ya?” She flipped high above him, slamming her foot down on the shoulder of the enemy.

“Gate of light, open the storehouses of pain! Ixus Wave!” Kashell called out in a voice as booming as the thunder. He spread his arms wide, and gigantic bolts of crackling white lightning seemed to arc from the ground, whipping with a heavenly fury as King and Testament were thrown back by the electric tendrils.

“Never! Never in a thousand years, Kashell!” Testament’s tinny, hollow voice rang out with rage. Whipping his golden scythe before him like the harvester, he seemed to cut the lightning itself. His body poured steam, as if he were a heated pot of tea, and he stood in front of the blond fistfighter, the ground before them charred black and ripped asunder.

“Then how about today!?” Kashell seemed to warp forward – that, or time had slowed around everyone else – bringing the scimitar in his left hand up for a finishing blow. The sword came down fast, and as Testament was about to grab King, he saw a man, running low to the ground, forward with great speed.

Kashell’s sword rung loud against the blade of the Masamune, as Elmdor grasped the shaking blade – the strength of both his arms was all but keeping the casual strike at bay. With an irate glare, Kashell whipped forward with his other sword, sending Elmdor tumbling back.

“Hmmm…another one of Daisetsu’s coffin-fillers? He’ll fill up the whole earth with the bodies of his ‘army’ before he triumphs over me!” His shout of rage hung in the air like a burning sky, and at that moment, three charged.

Chipp Zanuff sped forward, blurring to the normal human sight, readying the curved blade on his arm for a clitical strike. Elmdor had brought his katana up to the Horizon Stab stance and charged, his eye ever watchful of the enemy. And from the center, a radiant Testament – perhaps the New Testament – seemed to float forward on the wings of a storm, his scythe once again ready to reave an unjust human soul.

“Insolence” was all Kashell could say, his eyes burning with holy light. “Be swarmed by the riches of Paradise! Zeninage!” The seraphic swordsman swept his hand before the rush and coins of light seemed to fly into the air like the spray of a waterfall. “Invoke Light!” At his command, the holy currency seemed to swarm into a geodesic formation, circling the whole clearing. In a flash, each of the myriad radiated a beam of intense holy light. Chipp scrambled to dodge as a web of holy beams crisscrossed his path, scarring the ground below him.

Elmdor sheathed the Masamune and fell into his battou-stance, still tearing toward Kashell and now dodging holy beams of light. “Sword of fury,” he shouted above the din, “inject power! MASAMUNE!” He swept the blade through the air in a lightning-fast arc, his mind clearer now than in had been since he was first reawakened. A green mist of ki enveloped he, Testament, and the ninja Chipp.

And in that instant, their speed surpassed limits.

What does it take…to be brave?

---

1 A-Vote against Kashell

Battle against a seraphic swordsman? I’m SO in this mess. The draw-out of the Masamune has cast the spells Haste and Regen on Elmdor, Gold Testament, Chipp, and presumably King, Yuffie, and Alma as well, since they’re still there.

Last edited by Soujiro Seta on 04-25-2003 at 10:31 AM

IP: Logged

Soujiro Seta is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Soujiro Seta Click here to Send Soujiro Seta a Private Message Find more posts by Soujiro Seta Add Soujiro Seta to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Renmazuo Posted: 04-25-2003 , 04:21 AM

Cute Widdle Cleric Girl

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Graveyard of Airships

Arr, Kyo! If I screw up in this post, you tell me first thing in the morning, and I'll edit it, kay? ^^; Here's another bit of duel.

Canto IV + In Medias Res + Fighting At The Bottom of Hell


My stomach...the pain in my stomach is so great...as though my womb has been pierced by a devil's fang...

The sounds of fierce fighting were upon her again. Alma leaned heavily on her staff, green mists smelling of roses clinging to her face. She felt Yuffie's hands on her shoulders, keeping her straight, and yet she felt as though the ninja's light hands were anvils. The pain in her stomach was intense, and though the deep gash was healing quickly from the Regen spell, the blood still stained her shirt. She wiped her parched lips against the back of her palm, feeling as though a fever were inducing itself upon her...

It's not a fever, is it? It's you...

"Raaah!" Kashell's double scimitars clashed viciously against both scythe and katana as Testament and Elmdor- Elmdor, he's here- attempted a cross-cut from both sides. The man of two swords whirled after his block, one blade raising up to hammer the golden edge of Testament's scythe while another met the legendary steel of the Masamune. He locked with them, his powerful muscles flexing beneath his swordsman's attire, and then he whirled in a swooping motion. Suddenly, he was behind them both, his back to their overbalanced frames.

Kashell twirled his scimitars until he gripped them in a dual underhanded motion, and he swiped them back in a double stab. Elmdor's cape and Testament's robes fluttered, and the two of them seemed to dance away from the blades, coming around in spinning cuts. Testament yelled a wordless scream of hate, while Elmdor clapped his free hand on the dull edge of his Masamune to power his wind-up cut. Kashell's scimitars, however, continued in their scything motions- and then he switched swords in either hand behind his back, and powered his arms back up. His swords stretched out and blocked again, stopping the Masamune and the huge scythe Testament bore, before his leg swept out to kick viciously against Chipp Zanuff's chin. Kashell used the momentum to backflip, his blades sparking against Elmdor's and Testament's.

"Yes! Reaper, fighter, ninja, mage, samurai- gathered for the blackest harvest of all!" Kashell formed a cross form, this time a vertical-vs-horizontal one, and sniped at the gathered fighters between them. "Daisetsu...heh! He had to go to all four corners of the earth to best me, it seems!"

A dark shape seemed to materialize behind him. Kashell spun quickly as Yuri Hyuga's double-punch rocketed by his side, and immediately his scimitar came up. A dazzling blow meant to cleave the face in two, but it was stopped by the pinky talon that inched out from Yuri's hand. The dark-eyed man's other claws wrapped around the blade, and he winked once, a dangerous gesture.

"A holy swordsman like you," he said, "ought to shut up and fight."

Kashell's gaze turned deadly- and then lit up in a smile. Testament and Elmdor charged him again, and this time King was there, too. Abruptly, Kashell's second sword came around- and slammed against the other scimitar, sandwiching Yuri's talons between them. The seraphic swordsman tugged with incredible strength, and rocked his hips in a quick sway, sending Yuri somersaulting forward. Yuri landed on his feet- but was tugged to an abrupt halt, as Kashell still did not release him. Kashell twisted his scimitars as Elmdor and Testament swooped around either side of Yuri, blades singing for the kill-

"End your faith in your blood! Apostasy!"

-and Kashell suddenly jerked his scimitars away in a cross-swipe, as though having to pry them apart. A dull clang fell into a bright charge, and a scissoring white beam of light cleaved up Yuri's arm. Yuri grunted as the skill sent him skidding back, blood and light coarsing over the torn sleeve of his jacket. The same light caught Elmdor and King, serving to momentarily blind them. Kashell let his scimitars dangle over his palms for a moment, then instantly snatched them in another switch of his hands, a quick upright cross blow-

-ramming into an oncoming scythe.

"This is painted in your blood!" Testament's seeping red eyes- eyes that would not be blinded by a simple trick of the light- seethed with bloodlust. As Kashell's swords rang with the block, Testament whipped his immense scythe over his head, appearing to spin it without actually touching it. An eerie, grim parody of a sensual dance- its blade swam around in midair, and carved a dark path for Kashell's head. The holy swordsman brought his left scimitar up to meet it, then swung around to the back, a wind-up slash with his right scimitar aiming to cleave Testament in two as Kashell cackled, "too slow!"

The golden Gear's arm came down to give it a powerful slam with the back of his fist. The scimitar sank into the knuckles and tasted blood, but proceeded no further. Kashell's eyes sharpened- Testament had blocked the blow with his own bones?!

"Too weak!" Testament powered his fist out, the blade ripping away from his knuckles. He tugged his other arm and the scythe viciously yanked free of the other sword, and then he swung the great blade between his hands. "I give you your death! Nightmare Circulaa!"

Testament's arms danced around his scythe again, his frame tilting forward as some unearthly energy welled up. Words could not describe the horror of a huge flaming skull blasting out of nothingness, summoned from an abyss the mind would not grasp. Yet as it seared over the building in a torrent of heat, Kashell was no longer there. The swordsman was in the air, his body like a crescent within it, and he held the scimitars at an angle once again.

"Not so fast, dumbass!" Chipp Zanuff was in the air, his lithe and agile figure leaping quickly at Kashell. He tucked his right arm in and swung his blade forward in a deadly horizontal slice, only a breath from Kashell when he performed the technique. "You shouldn't rip off moves from cyborgs, you-"

His blade passed through nothing.

"Nani- eeeeagh!"

Another blast of light came from where Kashell's figure had once been, and Chipp fell to the floor, clawing at his eyes. Illusion! Where's the real guy-

Two scimitars tore a ragged cut down soft flesh. King gasped, her right leg seeming to rip at the calf and thigh in a cross-shaped cut. She went down on one knee, gritting her teeth as she bit back a curse. Then he was there- Kashell, appearing in a blur, his clothes rippling with unfelt wind. His scimitars spun, then hooked forward in a double blow that King just barely ducked under, her blonde hair almost parted by the blades. Kashell kept one hand there, gripping his scimitar tightly, but the other came back in a crescent cut-

-that swept past King and slammed instead into the blade behind his back.

"Illusionary tricks? Cross-slashes, twirling your blades?" Elmdor said, his Masamune steadily locked with one scimitar. "Is that all you know? You remind me of myself...were I but a clown."

Kashell smirked, already in motion. His dual blade suddenly twisting in another 'twirl' that brought the scimitar's edge up at Elmdor's chin. "You seek to challenge me, kenshi?"

It, predictably, hit nothing. Elmdor weaved back, but drove a savage kick to Kashell's twisted elbow as he backflipped. It connected, but the seraphic swordsman seemed unaffected. He likewise somersaulted forward, past the weaving King, and crossed his blades again. Kashell gave a wild glance as Testament, Chipp, Yuri and King again reared up to him, but Elmdor's cry froze them all.

"If you value your lives, move not!" Elmdor's Masamune glinted in the light, and he tucked his sword in low. "Relinquish your soul, even unto death..."

Kashell's eyebrows lifted a fraction- he seemed to understand. He tucked his head in low, and this time he took a position with one scimitar over his head, pointing behind him, and one scimitar at his side, pointing ahead of him. "I give your dreams, dim and whimsical, the twin kiss of death..."

"Kenki Bakuhatsu Nami Ryu ichiban-kata no Ougi- Nine Silver Wind Oni Flash!"

"Seventh sign, seventh circle, seventh Hell! Heaven's Bloody Tears!"

They were there one second- and then, disappeared, in blurs that seemed to hang on the wind.


"Virtus in cordibus tranquillibus floret. Iustitia est mecum. Per animam meam, cave. Cave."

-- Sponsoring Alma Beoulve, Survivor X.

Last edited by Renmazuo on 04-25-2003 at 04:24 AM

IP: Logged

Renmazuo is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Renmazuo Click here to Send Renmazuo a Private Message Find more posts by Renmazuo Add Renmazuo to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Renmazuo Posted: 04-25-2003 , 04:25 AM

Cute Widdle Cleric Girl

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Graveyard of Airships

Silence reigned for a moment. Alma was the first to move, though barely- she fixed her eyes on the ground where Elmdor had been, choking back blood. "What in...where'd they go-"

The clangor came next. The sounds of blades clashing in the air at repeated, dangerous intervals sang out, but then it went out of control. Deep slashes hammered their way into the pavement at random spots. A gash ripped in the ground next to Yuri's foot, then five paces from King's spot. Testament saw two X's rip in the ground before him, his scythe coming up- and then something clanged on it at high speed, only to disappear again. A ferocious rip struck the ground in front of Alma, and something whizzed by, slicing a light cut over her cheek. Back and forth the sounds of clashing swords went, and occasionally a snapshot of cape or robe would appear.

Then blood flew. Elmdor materialized in midair, his Masamune swung out and his eyes fierce. As he landed, however, Elmdor hit the ground and grunted as blood splurted from two thin but deep cuts over his thighs.

Then Kashell hit the ground behind him, twin cuts ripping from his collarbone, down his left breast and off to the side. He wheezed, digging his blades in and turning to face his enemies. The rage on his face surpassed all form of expression, the hatred twisting his eyes into unrecognizable dark orbs. "You...insolent pieces of human filth..." he rasped, blood forming on his lower lip. "I'm sparing you my full strength, and you- what!?"

Yuri was there, his first kick slamming into Kashell's upraised forearm, and his second swiping up, using the balance gained from the first kick to bring his other leg slamming into the shoulder of the same arm. Kashell grimaced as his muscles in that arm stiffened, but he had no time to counter- King was there, her fists coming in sharp hooks to his side. Again he took them, his muscles hard and firm against the blows, but it was clear he was growing angry. Kashell's holy aura flared, the force of its release sending King and Yuri toppling to their backs from the shock. Some of his torn flesh patched up, and red mist seemed to pump from his nostrils.

"Oraaa!" Chipp's arm-blade swiped in from the side next. This time Kashell could not evade, the wound slowing him down. He blocked the blow with the scimitar in his good arm, and then his eyes flared as Chipp's leg swept in to drive the toe of his boot against the wound. Blood dropped onto the ground- and in that moment, Kashell's eyes flashed.

"DIE."

The light that came next was no mere illusion. It was, indeed, a Holy spell- it tore a ragged wind of light against Chipp's form, sending the ninja crashing back to the ground and driving him in. He cursed, but the spell had not yet completed. The pillar of light encased Kashell's rage, and then turned a deep crimson. It was the color of blood, shrouding his face; the winds sent Yuri and King rolling again, and knocked Elmdor back to one knee. Even Testament had to brace himself, for the spell's power was growing by the second.

Kashell stood there, holding his bloodied scimitars, the aura like a deep, dark veil of red death over him. His vesture was calm, but his eyes belied the murderous rage held within him now.

"I've let you have your fun long enough," he whispered, yet all of them heard it. "But this is it. You will be cursing Daisetsu's black name in Hell for the rest of eternity..."

Testament's snort was all that answered him- not quite the fearful glances he was expecting. "You believe this is Hell? A fancy little red glow like this?" He smirked. "I'm not impressed."

"You will be." Kashell tightened his hands around his scimitars, fixing his gaze first on the little mage. "I've prepared a convenient sacri..."

He stopped. The 'little mage' was not there.

"...what the devil?" Kashell's gaze narrowed, calm shock suddenly setting in. Where the hell was she? Hadn't she and the ninja been there a moment ago?

"Rex flammarum, cepe inimicos-"

All eyes turned to the voice from above- to where Yuffie suddenly appeared, her arms holding tight the frame of Alma, who in turn held her staff out. They were in the air, high above Kashell, the ninja coming down with the cleric in tow from what could have only been a bounding leap.

But from where!? Kashell's mind raced- it just seemed impossible, and why were they coming down so fast? It was like the girl had this little glowing feather on her cheek, ignited as though by hellfire-

"-venite Phoenix!"

Elmdor was the only one to recognize it, a slight smile carving up his lips. "Suzaku."

Golden light poured up from beneath Kashell's crimson aura. The swordsman knew what was coming, his eyes going wide. "Daisetsu...a trap, a filthy trap!" He yelled a curse at the name, and leapt up into the air, drawing his scimitars around his body again for his most powerful cross cut. "Daisetsu...your magic...won't work on ME!"

A red-white pillar of light seemed to encase both him and the descending girls, blazing flames swimming around it in the air. The light grew brighter and brighter, Kashell drew nearer and nearer, and Alma brought down her staff as the transparent effigy of an enormous Phoenix suddenly sprang from behind her, its figure ablaze and bearing down with a mighty flap of its wings. It was gold and bronze and ruby and amber and sapphire and every precious thing placed all into one, a bird of beauty and might-

-and they passed each other as Suzaku tore against Kashell's form, blasting into his flesh with searing light. Kashell's swords whipped out and Alma bled, her blood streaming up into the pillar of light. The charge lit up the entire area for miles around as the power expanded, and Kashell and Alma joined in screams of pain. The combatants below all shielded their eyes, yet even then it was too great a flame to shut out.

The light passed soon after, and then Suzaku was gone as he had come. Yuffie hit the ground with Alma. The ninja cushioned her friend's fall, a slight gasp of pain breaking her own lips. Yet her first act was to check on the fallen cleric, and she held Alma in her arms, propping her against her knee. Alma's hand was buried against her chest, blood streaming from a raking cut below her collarbone. Yuffie panicked at first, but calmed as she touched it. Not too deep...

Kashell hit the ground a moment later, his scimitars clattering on the ground. He looked shocked as he sagged upon one knee, his face streaked with fiery marks. He looked shocked, and he gazed at the scimitars to find they were red-hot- as though set upon by devil's fire...

"...heh," Kashell rose slowly, deliberately, and faced his combatants again, his gaze now registering some respect. "Well...how many more are there? Did Jun choose you?" He looked at Elmdor, then to Testament. "Did that fool Dorrin or Kalten pick you? How many more devils lie lurking within your tainted bodies?"

Yuri flicked a claw idly against his cheek, speaking for everyone in perhaps his strongest suit. "That," he said, smirking, "seems to be the question of the whole damn week."


"Virtus in cordibus tranquillibus floret. Iustitia est mecum. Per animam meam, cave. Cave."

-- Sponsoring Alma Beoulve, Survivor X.

IP: Logged

Renmazuo is offline Click Here to See the Profile for Renmazuo Click here to Send Renmazuo a Private Message Find more posts by Renmazuo Add Renmazuo to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
DarkBlade77 Posted: 04-25-2003 , 11:18 AM

Ratio 4 Vanessa Abuser

Registered: May 2001
Location: Secret Boss Stage #1

Act Four, Scene Two - Comprehension

Kashell finished wiping the blood from his mouth and stood, leaving his still-burning scimitars embedded in the ground. His eyes raked over this group who actually was successful in besting him, making him bleed, destroying his attire. Fery few had ever accomplished even that fact, and he displayed it in the begrudging respect in his eyes. "I've underestimated Daiset--no, I've underestimated your strength. I did not even expect to be faced with a challenge when I entered this city; instead, you give me a fight I haven't gotten into so much save for one year ago, against Daisetsu himself. Our conclusion draws near, and the time where the fate of him and his race will be decided by the Archbishop of Naclos also nears. Will he take you, I wonder..." a small smile flitted across his expression, to disappear within the same instant, "to stop us? Is that what the purpose of the Chosen Wanderer is?"

Chipp made a obscene gesture with his right hand. "Go Home!"

A few moments later after everyone had regained their composure, Kashell actually gave an open smile. "He didn't make a bad choice at that... I sensed your presence when he first brought you into this world--amazingly pitiful. I hardly gave any thought to his botched plans until today, in this city. It's apparent to me that you all have the potential to fufill that requirement... but how many of you will fall until that lone survivor takes the claim and pushes for godhood? And will he or she succeed?" He drew his scimitars up from the ground, and they vanished into thin air. His right hand crackled with Holy power, and he traced an elaborate symbol in mid-air.

"Aquae Benedicta."

A rushing sound filled all the candidates ears... and they snapped back into consciousness, realizing that all their wounds from the battle had been healed. Kashell's swords reappeared, and he sheathed them without a second thought. "I honestly look forward to our next meeting. Oh, and tell Daisetsu that my forces know where Kalten is." His mirthful smile turned a bit bitter as he blazed out of sight in a column of Holy energy.

***********

"Kalten..." Jun paled when Mal'Ganis informed her and Daisetsu of the news.

"I'm suprised that he actually got caught," Daisetsu murmured. "There were only humans in the advance force..."

Malganis looked behind the pondering guerilla captain and saw the plains at the north entrance where the Naclos troops had come, all alight with gold-red fire. There were no screams of the dead coming from that direction. Merely silence.

"There were more than humans," Dorrin rumbled, coming up with the candidates. "It seems that the leader of the Five paid our candidates a visit."

Daisetsu's eyes widened, and he spat out a very rough-sounding curse in his native language. "He won't stop until one of us bests the other... Fine. I'll satisfy his request. We can't do this without Kalten, and I'm not going to let him die. Besides, if we wait too long Naclos forces will reach other two countries."

"Wait a moment." It was Yuri. "Seeing as we near the end of this journey, I believe you owe us an explanation. For all this--the reason of this war, the reason why you need us to fight for you--seeing as you just wiped out an army single-handedly--, and what the Church's intentions are."

Daisetsu looked at him for a moment, and then nodded. "I owe all of you at least that much for enduring this for so long. I will send the answer into your minds to save time."

"Wha--" Yuffie began, then paused as the words were sent into her mind.

All members of the An'ven possess a base potential at psychic and magical abilities even from a young age. Humans could rarely manipulate special force of any kind, and even if the possibility existed, intense training was required to use it properly. For this reason, the An'ven race was shunned and persecuted by humans, although there were no physical differences. The capital of the human world, Nantos, turned to its radical, clergical-dominated government to deal with An'ven in the country, and as a result many An'ven fled from the country to excape being killed outright in the name of the priest's God.

The An'ven grouped together with those who shared similar abilities and settled in the formerly-unchartered lands of Kaintor'en, Mithrik'en, and Soujo'en--Earth, Water, and Wind ability-An'ven took those places respectively. The ones who wielded flame, however, were outcast even from the other An'ven members, having been blamed for the Nantos uprising since they were closest to humans. They took to the deserts of Kyoun'en, and led a collective nomad life as self-punishment.

Several years passed after that, and some ancient texts that described the An'ven existence were discovered. They predicted the An'ven exodus from a large human capital, and that they would migrate to four seperate lands, growing much stronger until they were able to purge Nantos of the forced anti-alien sentiment the government maintained. However, the Fire-users had not gone to the isle of Aise'an as the text had predicted, and to the deserts instead. This had mainly been because of the pressure from the other 3 leaders of the elements to seek repentance. The four lands were said to be the true origins of each element, thus they all were An'ven homelands, in a sense. By the time the nomad An'ven of fire had learned of this, the Church had sealed off the route to Aise'an, which geographically lay directly behind Nantos--the human capital blocked off the mountain range that led to the only beach from where the island could be accessed. Thus, the Church concluded that they had defeated the prophecy by making the island inaccessable and left all 4 nations to their own devices.

I am a highly ranked member of Kyoun'en's military, as you know, and I obtained 3 sacred relics so that I could fufill part of the prophecy--an alternate path that mandated a direct attack upon Nantos itself. I knew that my own nation lacked the power to stage something like this... but the Church had become increasingly aggressive as of late, randomly attacking An'ven parties within or near the borders of their nation; killing any An'ven on sight in the Holy City. It was rumored that they had kidnapped 3 young women from the the three established nations who were of esteemed political value, stretching relations between it and the An'ven further. If I was able to get ahold of all 3 relics, I could "accomplish something that will put Kyoun'en on equal footing with the other nations in terms of power." This is why I and a few of my closest allies dared sneak into the Holy City, to obtain the second relic--the Hakkushu Necklace. I already possessed the Sword of Kusanagi, an family heirloom of mine which I use actively in battle. The third one belonged to the Wind Nation, who had consented to its use -- the Yata Mirror.

The prophecy said that use of the 3 relics with a heavy summoning ritual would produce 'wanderers of the universe' with immense spiritual potential that would just keep growing over time, but only one would be able to peak out at the level required to become a deity. The need for this singular entity is essential to the rest of the prophecy, which has been more or less accurate in every situation we have applied it to. It seems that when we battle 'the shadow of humanity', the Archbishop--a god will be 'reborn', and it will temporarily be under his control--it only takes a mere thought to change the universe when one's power rests in the divine. We don't know what the Archbishop will do with this power, except the texts say 'return one to none and unleash the catastrophe of ages'. I'm relying on all of you to help me, but the one who becomes a god has to be there to counter the Archbishop's wishes when that moment arrives. Otherwise, you may not only doom my race, but the fate of the universe as well...


Daisetsu opened his eyes. "That was a mindful, wasn't it?" He looked off into the distance.

"Nantos is the capital of Naclos. It's our next destination, and where the fate of everything will be determined. The army has completely left the city, according to my sources, and is marching on the other two nations as we speak. This is now or never--especially since we have to reach there before the ones linked to Kalten suffer."

Gambling everything on the strength of one... But at times like this, faith is all you can give.

"Here we go..."

The Kusanagi blade flashed once, and the 'wanderers of the universe' vanished.

Last edited by DarkBlade77 on 04-25-2003 at 01:57 PM

IP: Logged

DarkBlade77 is offline Click Here to See the Profile for DarkBlade77 Click here to Send DarkBlade77 a Private Message Visit DarkBlade77's homepage! Find more posts by DarkBlade77 Add DarkBlade77 to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
All times are GMT -6 hours. The time now is 10:28 PM. Post New Thread    Post A Reply
Pages (3): « 1 2 [3]   Last Thread   Next Thread
Show Printable Version | Email this Page | Subscribe to this Thread

Forum Jump:
Rate This Thread:

Forum Rules:
You may post new threads
You may post replies
You may post attachments
You may edit your posts
HTML code is OFF
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is OFF
Admin Options:

Powered by: vBulletin Version 2.2.9
Copyright ©2000, 2001, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited.
.