Topic: Tengoku no Owari SI IC: Yuki Is (Not) Fine (Read 223806 times)

Empiricist · « **Reply #3510 on:** September 21, 2019, 03:46:12 pm »

Shef
Taking your paces one thing seems clear to you - you're up against an assassin. Not a member of the Brise de Mer mind you, or even anyone fighting with lethal intent, no it's a matter of style, of combat doctrine.

All this time following Yuki, following you, they were building up resources or constructing rituals, readying to land a single decisive blow. Recent events have thrown a spanner their way, but they seem confident enough to engage now, or at least, more confident in engaging than stalking you now they're certain you're aware.

When you first noticed them, three possibilities crossed your mind, the first that they were waiting for an opportunity, the second that they were observing how their targets fought other squads, the last that they were as they were, assassins. You can rule out the first two now.

This was not much of an opportunity. They had better ones, such as when Yuki and Noriko had only just finished their first fight. If it was the terrain that was more their concern, then there would've been little reason to delay the attack until now, they could've jumped you right after you got off the train. Observation meanwhile, that would not be hampered by your awareness. If they simply wish to hang back and watch, they could Scatter and hang back further, no need to be so rash now.

So they're assassins then, at least one of them anyways. The Mellifluent Skirmisher you rule out quickly, no way they'd risk their trump doing recon on a stranger. That leaves the other three as potential risks.

Still, ten paces, was it really just courtesy, or did they have a trick planned, it could very well be the condition for a ritual. In its execution, or in its breaking as so you intended. Either way, they must have some insurance against that, surely they would. You have the feeling, that if you take the shot it should not be at seven paces nor nine, rather it is should be a different angle completely, just to be safe.

Though... Is there some way you could use this battle too? The puppeteer, the master of these projections, they're nearby somewhere. Not unless they're exceptionally skilled, and at least that rate it's your training will be a bit of a shitshow anyways. They're either cloaked or hiding amongst the crowd. Or they're below you, under the platform, under the water, sensing everything above somehow. Anything else would stand out too much, anything Sakurako will have spotted already. You hope. The cirrculum at the school is notably lacking in terms of such elementary tradecrafts. You could use th bracelet to narrow down their location, past that you'll need some sort of way to force them to reveal themselves. Something preferably that won't get you into too much trouble with the law.

This, is your best opportunity. Sakurako's cover ha been blown. They'll know you've got eyes elsewhere moving forwards.

Yuki
"Yup!"

IamanElfCollaborator · « **Reply #3511 on:** September 21, 2019, 04:06:52 pm »

"I figured that. You think I didn't figure that out? Why do you think I didn't push?"
Don't let him see your hand; that was a thing Minato picked up. Not something Shou had taught him directly, but he figured a conman like him would know.

Of course, Minato's hand was a constantly shifting deck of cards that threw up nothing but low suits and he was holding straight flushes up his sleeves, but Minato was used to fighting on the back foot. He needed to bait the attack out, see how it operated, know what he was up against. He was pulling more tricks out of his sleeves, the longer they fought. Ordinarily, he'd be relying on intel, or someone like Shef or Noriko to see what was going on, but he was alone.

Alright, he could deal. After all, Minato had tricks he hadn't revealed yet too.
Summon Rho Aias and load it into Gandiva. Blast Minato out of the way, fire Rho Aias out of Gandiva to create a shield to catch the charge and the lasers. Get a close look at what the Bodhisattva is doing. Also prep a healing potion.
[[2] 5 4 6 1 [4] 4 5 5 4]

Empiricist · « **Reply #3512 on:** September 21, 2019, 05:21:19 pm »

Minato

Spoiler: Rolls (click to show/hide)

[Now Playing:

Kings

]

You can't cover both options, but you can cover two. That'll have to do for now. Blowing your next forgery you send a fresh Rho Aias down range, seven rings erupting out one by one as it expands into a flying wall to block the beam. Spider cracks race across the the surface as the Bodhisattva readies themselves and-

They're behind you. White-hot pain shears through your body all at once.

Thank god you prep'd that potion. You're the barest of margins from first blood here. Yet you still crack a smile. Gotta look confident, gotta look the part, even if they can't see you under that helmet out there. A hero's gotta smile at the end of the day after all. You know how it works now. That trick of theirs, those tricks of Yuki's too. It's an energy form of sorts, a little more advanced than the norm. In a split second their body became something else entirely. A wave in a still sea, an ethereal gust, a thing without form, without coherence, free to spread and reform, free to flow where the world took it. It didn't go around Rho Aias, no, it poured in through the cracks left by the beam, it flowed across your armor, seeping into the joints, cutting down through the gaps. The path of least resistance, a thunderbolt of razors.

It's funny really, you were wondering how they could have taught Yuki, how their powers could even align. Everything they had, everything they had done it was all so clearly Buddhist; Reincarnation, Sun Wukong's eyebeams, Gautama's Five Elements Mountain, Guanyin's lotus of pole star swords. Yuki meanwhile, she well, she never struck you as particularly Buddhist, in character or in powers. But this foe of yours, this mechanical Bodhisattva was armed with more than just Buddhism. No, there was no mistaking it. The power demonstrated just now, the power inherent to Yuki is that of Taoism.

Taoism, the philosophy of following the Way, the one way, the natural way. The philosophy of wind and water and lighting, of yielding, of taking the path of least resistance. You are familiar with its legends as you are with almost every legend, of a butcher whose blade follows the natural through an ox's bone, carving meat off the flesh guided not by thought nor senses but by instinct and instinct alone. Well in this case your foe was that butcher and you were that ox.

Well guess what bitch, oxes aren't armored up and packed with explosives. You are. That trick of theirs is powerful yes, but you can counter it. If you armor yourself with not gaps the damage they can inflict is limited. Better yet if you can surround yourself in an explosion, then the path of least resistance, ain't go be anywhere near that explosion.

Next time they use it anyways. Right now they're sticking to the bread and butter, transforming their sword into a halberd to crash down upon you and readying to blast you with another beam. You inject the healing potion. Okay. You can handle this too. Eye-beams, they're from Sun Wukong right? Well it just so happens the venerable monkey king's eyes were oh so sensitive to smoke and while Gandiva's arrows might not burn with smoke, you're sure this nice jacket of yours will. That ought fuck their targeting right up, you know better than to assume it will take out the rest of their loadout though.

Still, two tools decommissioned, it's a good start. Now you just need to play your part as the hustler, the expert playing the part of the fool casting away the mask at last. Pretend it was all part of the plan, pretend you knew it all from the beginning, pretend all the things you need to pretend, and win this damn fight.

Spoiler: World Lines (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Notes (click to show/hide)

Strider03 · « **Reply #3513 on:** September 21, 2019, 05:55:45 pm »

The man briefly contemplated disengaging. Just turning around, and walking away. They'd attack, but perhaps it could interfere with their plans, and he could draw his original adversary out. But no, it would be too much of a risk to offer this group a first strike on him, in hopes of disrupting some unknown scheme.

Shef remained motionless, gun raised to fire. Not out of any respect for his opponents wishes. He twitched, waiting for the optimal moment, at which their trap might be triggered. He did not take a step, as the portals opened under him, dropping rapidly him into the sky.

When he was at a height of a few stories, Shef let himself oscillate between two portals, bobbing up out of each in turn. Here he fired his initial shots, directed towards the headwear of his enemies.
Launch into the air with Room to Breathe [4]. Fire some of the special rounds at the heads of each of the four enemies.

[6] 6 5 5 5 3 5 6 6 [2+2]

Empiricist · « **Reply #3514 on:** September 22, 2019, 07:02:27 am »

Shef and Yuki
コンバット•スタート!

Spoiler: Rolls (click to show/hide)

The count is at 7 when Shef turns around.

The students still have their backs turned, though the Mellifluent Skirmisher has engaged her Regalia, augmenting her appearance a fair bit. A mechanical assemblage is anchored to the base of her spine, wrapping two halves of futuristic warship's hull around either side of her hips, their centers each holding a set vertical rack of torpedo tubes and in place of deck guns they have speakers built into the deck itself. A black coat has been added to complement her sleeveless shirt, a naval cap rests on one mechanical ear, and her rollerblades have been replaced with strange metallic boots with azure soles and ankle-mounted plates, she seems to skate across the ground just as effortlessly though.

Imprinted on her new coat Shef can see three things: the number 2, an insignia depicting a train drifting on two tracks simultaneously, and the name D.T.S COMET TRACE.

As Yuki turns to follow, to move to engage, she sees the Unflappable Shinobi produce a scroll and unfurling it behind him. Written in large repeating calligraphic text are the characters 城の原則. The scroll vanishes in a puff of smoke revealing him to now be wielding a handful of kunai. Guess he's some kinda ninja?

Portaling into the air above Shef puts a clothing damage round into the back of each foe's head as Yuki makes her advance. All four find their mark.

The Watchful Commandant loses her scarf. The Unflappable Shinobi loses his facemask and beret. The Mellifluent Skirmisher's ears and cap flicker, though they remain firmly in existence for they are her Regalia. The Inimical Attorney, well, for a moment, a moment everyone catches a glimpse of a bald head and a strong jawline, everything else hidden by the glare of the sun reflecting off of said head, and then the bag flickers back into place. Okay, apparently the paperbag is a Regalia.

The squad spins around in reaction, Yuki already bearing down on top of them.

[Now Playing:

Spin and Burst

]

The ground explodes under the girl's feet forcing her backwards as a series of explosions chase her backwards amidst the scintillating shards of her aegis. From above Shef can see the cause - torpedos rising up from the platform, the surface rippling as if it were water. So that was their insurance policy, a torpedo barrage lying in wait beneath the platform itself.

The Unflappable Shinobi and Watchful Commandant follow this up by making a series of hand seals like something out of an anime Yuki may or may not have seen
"<Earth Release - Mud Wall!>" "<Earth Release - Mud Wall!>"
Cement explodes up from the platform in the form of a three walls melding into one, it's not stopping either, the Shinobi repeating the technique as upwards, creating a haphazardly expanding mess of brickwork and masonry that spirals chaotically upwards. Even with Reinforcement magic Shef's RAM Regalia could likely punch through, one of the many advantages of its high caliber, the main complication is that it's obstructing his view and giving his targets plenty of places to hide, including what the hell the Commandant and Attorney are doing now.

Yuki meanwhile lacks such troubles being a melee fighter with absurd speed, the salvo of floor torpedos the Skirmisher fires towards her could prove to be problematic however, especially given that the previous explosions, while failing to deal any actual damage, have succeeded in forcing her off the platform and onto one of the tracks-turned-walkways meaning that she's now got water on both sides.

Spoiler: World Lines (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Notes (click to show/hide)

Strider03 · « **Reply #3515 on:** September 22, 2019, 12:06:49 pm »

The fortress could mean one of two things, Shef believed. Either it was simply to create softening measure between his and Yuki's attacks and their targets, performing the role of most fortifications, or it was a delaying measure, a way to hide their assassin until a trump card could be properly deployed. The latter seemed more likely.

In that case, Shef resolved to do his best to delay them, and, opening a set of portals into the expanding fortress of earth, he began tossing the smoke grenades he'd purchased earlier. Bursters mostly, they would be ideal for disorienting, hindering motion in a small area, and perhaps making breathing a little more difficult. On top of this, he began to bombard the fort with shots, dispersed evenly and randomly throughout. Even if he didn't hit anything, it could serve as a distraction for Yuki to break in if she so wished.

Open holes into the fortress, fill it with smoke grenades. Then use Rapid Fire [4] to saturate the area.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[6] 5 5 5 [3+1] 5 6 6 2 6

Twinwolf · « **Reply #3516 on:** September 23, 2019, 06:24:35 pm »

Yuki didn't really pay attention to the whole "fortress rising out of nowhere" thing - it didn't really change her goal, just the approach. The missiles, well, she would be mostly avoiding them by coincidence as she jumped and tried to get over the water and into the fortress - if she got a wall between her and the missile they'd have to either de-lock or hit their own fort!

Do above. Also don't get into Shef's line of fire.

Empiricist · « **Reply #3517 on:** September 24, 2019, 03:13:03 am »

Shef and Yuki

Spoiler: Rolls (click to show/hide)

[Now Playing:

Spin and Burst

]

Ground frothing in their wake the torpedo barrage streams towards Yuki as she charges forwards and just fucking lunges. Reacting to her movements the torpedos leap up from the ground detonating in mid-air. They're fast. Yuki's faster. The barrage explodes behind her and she just rides the shockwave propelling her further, faster, chainsaw roaring like thunder as it cleaves the fortress open.

Smoke grenades portal in behind her, filling the air with white smoke, gunfire soon saturates the air. The Inimical Attorney and the Watchful Commandant press themselves low as fifty cal rounds rip through the fort. The smoke obscures Yuki's vision. It will obscure her adversary's vision too, and in this choking haze no one will see her black arrows. Strangely despite it all, she doesn't find herself blinking too much from eye irritation or anything, looks like her powers protect her from that as well.

The Attorney moves, somewhere, it's hard to tell, the Commandant crouches low adjusting her stance to face the intruder.
"<Covering fire on my position! I'll hold her off!>"
The mirrors tear open with crimson eye piercing mind with a burning gaze. The Commandant's gaze does the same, like a white hot lance through the skull. They're readying some kind of psychic attack, best stop it somehow, yet as she observes this Yuki feels a strange sense, a sense of uncertain menace. There's something else at play. A trap or countermeasure. The Commandant has some kind of trick up her sleeve, she does know the trick or the trigger, only that it exists.

Torpedos drop from the ceiling and sink into the ground surrounding the Commandant.

Outside Shef can see the a tower rising from the wounded fortress, rising to rival his height. Suddenly kunai begin tearing through the walls! The Unflappable Shinobi's running and gunning inside cover sending precise bursts of kunai streaking towards him like gunfire. Seems like they're phasing through the walls themselves. Shef can peer inside with portals, still there will be a latency and the Shinobi could always change direction in reaction. Course he could always place the portals aiming up or down and shoot through the confines of the tower itself, increase his odds of hitting.

...There's something behind him.

"<In flagrante delicto>"

The Inimical Attorney is right behind him with a flying kick, the attack propelling not only himself, but also the torpedo he brought with him, the torpedo his foot is now driving towards the frenchman. Motherfucker, he's pulling a Yuki!

The briefcase handcuffed to his wrist shines with menacing light and the promise of doom.

Spoiler: World Lines (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Notes (click to show/hide)

Strider03 · « **Reply #3518 on:** September 24, 2019, 08:19:09 am »

Shef briefly considered taking the kunai, almost forgetting the first blood conditions of this fight. But even if he hadn't kept those in mind, he probably would have opted not to. They probably weren't just plain knives after all.

It did not take much for Shef to determine how to deal with the baghead man's attack. His cached portals flickered into existence, a tunnel forming from the air in front of the man's foot, down deep to the bottom of the artificial lake stretching out beneath the platforms.

Use as many cached portals as necessary to open a hole to the bottom of the lake in front of baghead. Hope he likes fifteen to thirty thousand liters of reinforced water traveling at vehicle speeds crashing into him.

Drop down with portals to avoid the opening salvos of kunai. Fire a few shots towards his general vicinity, not too targetted since the kunai come out after he's left a spot most likely

[5] 5 5 5 6 6 2 6 5 2

Twinwolf · « **Reply #3519 on:** September 24, 2019, 07:06:11 pm »

Send out an arrow towards the nearest target, then charge at the fucking dude - there's a trap, but well, she wasn't one to worry about that. Also, apply chain lightning via furthest appropriate number.

Chevaleresse · « **Reply #3520 on:** September 24, 2019, 09:00:48 pm »

Noriko sighed. She already felt ridiculous all the time, but now she was flying through the sky with someone who was effectively a stranger to her and about to vomit her life story at her. After going on a date with her. ". . . You're not allowed to tell anyone about all this, okay? I deal with enough shit back home, I don't need any. . . well, any MORE rumors in an entirely different world running around about me." She sighed again. "I'm sorry, that sounded meaner than it was supposed to."

Empiricist · « **Reply #3521 on:** September 24, 2019, 09:12:35 pm »

Noriko
"Of course, my lips are sealed. As are my modem, bluetooth, airgap, and psicom."

Shef and Yuki

Spoiler: Rolls (click to show/hide)

[Now Playing:

Spin and Burst

]

Shef, you see that motherfucker coming and you just fucking NOPE. You sure as shit don't want a torpedo to the face, though you do have other uses for one... three cached portals fuse and spring open as you reinforce the surface of the water neath the platform, simultaneously dismissing the portal beneath you.

"<CANAN!>"

A burst of kunai fire whistles past your head as you crash down into a roll and a plume of water explodes out of the portal above. If anyone was below the platform, it would've been like a hammer blow to the chest. They'd probably be forced to resurface soon. Course it ain't all sunshine and rainbows, the Inimical Attorney sails through the air, arms crossed over his chest. Hmm, you see. He leapt off at the last moment and his ally detonated the torpedo early, propelling his away. You put another few bullet holes into the fortress. You need something meatier, need to blast the damn place wide open or collapse the structure on top of them. Think you got something for it, a little new tool. Else well, the Shinobi seems to know where you are but you can't figure out their location save in retrospect.

You hear a voice right behind you.

"<Dual sovereignty.>"

Oh great. The Attorney ain't done yet, he's right in your blind spot again. Blue flames ring the single eyehole in his bag and a crushing fist races for your spine.The briefcase glints once again with promised doom. You can feel the Shinobi's eyes on you. He can see you through the fort somehow and he's got his bead right on you, he's just waiting now. Seeing if you dodge, seeing if you portal away the Attorney, soon as you do, he'll be firing.

Yuki, it burns. It burns. Those horrific red eyes, that piercing gaze. Something flashes into your mind. A glimpse, hazy and insubstantial, and then, it's gone. No matter. You charge straight forwards and the ring of torpedo detonates blowing you straight out the fortress. In the next instant you're upon the Commandant, chainsaw-turned-lighting roaring through her body. It was the arrow. You set it right before you charged. Soon as the torpedos went off it rushed for the Commandant teleporting you right back into striking range. She's hurt, real badly hurt, clothes all cut up, battered and scratched. Amazingly she hasn't gotten a proper injury just yet. It was those eyes, burning against you, burning as you struck, they stopped you, just enough, just enough to keep her in the fight.

Except...

Except, she doesn't seem to care anymore. She's, embracing you? She cries and she sobs holding you tight. Whatever composure she had before is gone now replaced with sniffles and wails "<That's too horrible! I can't- to think- oh Miss Instructor!>" Uh what? She hugs you tighter.

She's crying but she crying for... you?

"<It's okay... it's okay I understand, I understand... come on, let's get you some ice cream. Y-you don't have to be alone in this anymore! We'll help you! Promise!>"
Apparently you're going out of ice cream now? She's kinda dragging you out the back of the fortress and really determined about it too.

<Er boss? Is everything okay down there?>

Spoiler: World Lines (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Notes (click to show/hide)

Strider03 · « **Reply #3522 on:** September 25, 2019, 06:57:19 am »

That should account for one, possibly two of the locations the projectonist could be hiding. There didn't seem to be any evidence of the projectionist in the water spray on the platforms. He'd deal with the other hiding option momentarily.

For now it was time to see what baghead had in the way of defenses, and to deal with the fort, a little.

Two cached portals, one to catch baghead, the other to block kunai. Shoot bageahd a few times with normal shots, some to center of mass, some to eyehole.

Then try out the new knockback round on the fort.

[5] 5 5 6 6 6 6 5 2 [3]

Twinwolf · « **Reply #3523 on:** September 25, 2019, 02:34:02 pm »

Yuki didn't do much to stop it as she was glomped, a bit too surprised to resist. "...Excuse me what?" she said, pretty thoroughly confused.

Empiricist · « **Reply #3524 on:** September 25, 2019, 04:33:15 pm »

Yuki
((Assuming that was in English.))
"<Your father leaving you, your mother breaking down, it's way too cruel!>"
Oh. Fuck. She knows.

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Author Topic: Tengoku no Owari SI IC: Yuki Is (Not) Fine (Read 223806 times)

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