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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
6988!
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 Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 12:04 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"They had waited long enough. Several minutes had passed since the battle against Thor and they were all at least able to catch enough wind to move around, to get ready to fight, and even if some recoup time in the infirmary back in Tokyo or Inaba or wherever they might have gone would have done them wonders, they didn't have that luxury right now...not this deep in enemy territory, this high in the Mantra's Tower, and this close to the finish line of the task he had given to himself (and the others had joined him in taking on) when he came to the man-made Island and the massive structure that loomed highest above all therein. Find the Wolf of Ragnarok. That was the mission that he had decided upon when he left Tokyo, that had been related to him by the World Serpent, the one who had told him if anybody knew about his father's weaknesses, knew the details of the Bel as neatly as his father, it would have been the Wolf, Fenrisulfr, and it was with that hope in mind that he had come here. If he could ask him about Obelyn...about his grudge, about his fighting style, about any tips that might allow him to approach the Red Viper with even a shred of a better chance of winning it was worth all of this trouble to come here. And if his secondary goal of finding out any of the weaknesses that the Wolf's father might have came to pass, then it would be something akin to Christmas in the Apocalypse...a real chance to eliminate one of the sides of this War of the Endtimes and bring the conflict between devils on Earth to a close. Those reasons alone were enough of a reason for him to make the climb, to fight...but that wasn't the only reason, either.
This was, after all, the Mantra Tower...formerly the Mist Wall Tower...and at the top resided the leaders of the Reason of Yosuga Faction that promoted Strength above all else. This Darwinian sect which sought to create a world where Survival of the Fittest was more than simply doctrine, but absolute law, had taken over this Tower on the first day and long been amassing power for their then-leader Gozo-Tennoh...only to see their leader brought low by the massive power commanded by the Assembly of Nihilo and their enigmatic leader, Hikawa. But from the ashes of their first great defeat arose their true hope, the power that might yet guide them into the new world on the other side of the Conception. A human woman, capable of founding her own Reason, had bought into their ideals and used the lingering power gathered by the Mantra and taken on the remains of Gozo-Tennoh to make herself worthy to inherit the power of a God. Baal Avatar...patron of the Reason of Yosuga...had possessed this normal girl, Chiaki Tachibana, and now they fought against all others, including Soji's own Restoration Faction, for what they believed in. But that wasn't the whole story...and Soji knew it, knew it from the jump-off point and from the stories he'd heard about the girl before it came to this.
There was humanity in her, damaged and sad, and if he could salvage her spirit and convince those who had pledged themselves to this cruel doctrine to change their minds, to see the strength in compassion and friendship, then that would be another worthy reason to have made the climb up the Tower. One of many...
The 46th Floor loomed before him, and with a solemn nod to his companions he made his way towards the stairs, climbed slowly up with that door just before him...and he pushed it open, ready to make the final push...to the top.Quote: 92 Tokens - 60 Tokens [Fuse Pazuzu + Amaterasu = Skadi (74) + Kin-Ki = Mithra (79) + Black Frost = Raphael (84) + Abaddon = Gabriel (89)] = 32 Tokens
120 Macca
Demons: Trumpeter [76 - Used Evil Melody on Day 7], Gabriel (87), Michael (90), Metatron [98]
Secondary Demons: Futomimi [63 - Avoid death by replacing self with a mannikin - 0/1], Gabriel [89]
Items: Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day), Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 3/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 3/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
765!
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Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 12:24 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"The 46th Floor wasn't a pushover the way that the 41st had been not so very long ago, but it wasn't the challenge that Thor had been. Soji had a sneaking suspicion that nothing shy of the Baal Avatar himself in possession of Chiaki's body would manage to provide them with the level of threat anywhere near what the God of Thunder had provided. That was perfectly fine, however. They didn't need to be challenged right now while they were still convalescing form their battle against the wielder of Mjolnir and the second-in-command of the Mantra, and cutting through the higher level Oni that lined the path now-seemingly gilded towards the endgame meeting with whatever awaited them at the top was a good way to keep fresh without truly threatening themselves en route to that fight. His sword cut through the last of their enemies, a skillful Kin-Ki that found itself quite outmatched against the green-haired Heroine who had reduced him to flailing messily to try and keep up with her before the silverette had mercifully simply cut him down from the back, preventing him from making a mess of the fight any longer. It wouldn't have brought honor to any of them to defeat it at that rate, anyway, and he was sure that Ellie was thankful for the chance to take a deep breath. These were just the lesser of Hojo's experiments in the metaphorical scheme of things, and while they were certainly entertaining to witness at first and gimmicky-dangerous if you weren't rocking a balanced party, the three of them were quite well-rounded...with materia magic and weapon skills and Limit Breaks all force-ground up to a respectable level by their blitzkrieg of the Tower until now. Whatever way these things came at them, they were outmatched by the Heroine, the Wingman, and the Leader...or the Revolutionary, the Badass Bartender, and the ex-SOLDIER, if you were still keeping track of that business.
By the time that they had moved on from the 46th Floor, the mechanical monstrosities of Hojo and Heidegger were standing in their path forward...or maybe it was just some of the more wretched things in service to the Reason of Yosuga trying to stop them from reaching the top. Idly, Soji remembered the battle with the Proud Clod in the city of Midgar when Heidegger and Scarlett had teamed up to try and stop them, and when the rest of the mess was cleared up and a Troll and a Yaksini...not the Troll and Yaksini, but a Troll and Yaksini both showed up together the parallels were downright uncanny. It felt like the last run through Midgar before the battle against the Three Forms of Hojo...did that mean that Baal Avatar was going to have three forms, too?! Were they going to have to fight him? Or was Fenrisulfr both Sephiroth AND Diamond Weapon, dealing with Chiaki as though she were Rufus ShinRa on the wrong end of his proto-energy bombs, and...it was really hard to know until they got there.
Soji stepped back this time as the Troll and Yaksini stepped forward; sometimes, it paid to let your teammates grind their skills as well, and these would make for an interesting challenge for both of them to take on alone. Sure, they'd smash them in a matter of minutes, but at least they might be pushed to use a Limit Break of some sort. He wouldn't even be upset if Shun broke out a Braver again, or a Cross Slash. As for Ellie, well...if anybody had seen what Tifa could do when her level was MAX'd in Final Fantasy VII, they'd know those demons were in for one HELL of a bad time.Quote: 32 Tokens
120 Macca
Demons: Trumpeter [76 - Used Evil Melody on Day 7], Gabriel (87), Michael (90), Metatron [98]
Secondary Demons: Futomimi [63 - Avoid death by replacing self with a mannikin - 0/1], Gabriel [89]
Items: Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day), Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 3/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 4/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
3333!
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Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 12:51 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"It was useful to have a chance to step back and observe the way that the two more-than-capable companions he'd had for the entire journey up the Tower so far fought both on their own and with one another. It was also a very good reminder of just how powerful and skilled the two of them were, how fortunate he was that they had come to aid him before he took on the challenge of the ShinRa...err...Mist Wall Tower beforehand. To be fair, he had been about 5 floors in, but the challenge hadn't even really begun before the 20th, so it was as though they had come in from the very outset, and that was the important thing! 46 Levels had fallen by the wayside before the absolute typhoon washing through the Mantra that they had proven to be, and now on the 47th they attempted to bar their path with two of the major bosses that had blocked their way before. It was a relatively dirty tactic, but also a kind of lame one...if they hadn't been enough the first time, did they really think that pairing them up after they'd had another 20 Levels to practice was going to make them any more likely to succeed. Hell, Soji had chosen to step back from the fight entirely and simply observe, and all he could see so far was a pair of dimwit devils getting the snot kicked out of them by the Heroine and the Wingman in short order.
Shun was unpredictable, which was a trait he had noted several times already...but it really stuck out when you saw him come up from straight underneath of a Troll's massive downward punch...exactly the place you'd imagine he wouldn't want to be...and by slightly weaving out of its way catch the thing with an upward kick to the jaw that utilized the Troll's own immense force against it and stumbled it backward, leaving it open to a smooth counter attack with dual swords that left rigid gashes right across its chest...deep enough to sting but not deep enough to kill it...and the only reason it was still alive seemed to be that the boy was having a blast in tearing it apart. But as the Troll looked for the element of surprise and leaped into the air to try and crush him, it suddenly felt itself weighed down from the back...when Shun merely leaped high and landed on its back, smiling as they crashed down to the floor of the level together, his swords driving into the spine of the Troll for what would this time prove to be a finishing blow. He was...terrifying, in his own unique way, that one...sometimes you couldn't tell if he didn't really grasp the gravity of the situation or he got it just perfectly and his weirdness was a defense mechanism.
Whatever the case, the Senior liked him. He liked working together with him. And when you paired him together with the earnest strength and goodness of Ellie, well...
Speaking of, he turned and watched as Ellie and Yaksini continued their duel...equally interesting, but much different than the one between Shun and the Troll. But even as they fought, there was on question who was winning...who was stronger.
"Shun, take a minute and relax," Soji told him calmly, tossing him a water bottle to cool down after beating up that Boss so easily just now, "This one will be over soon."
...
His words proved to be prophetic; the Heroine and the devil circled one another smoothly with their weapons drawn, but only one of them was short of breath, only one of them was bleeding from a variety of cuts, and though one might have imagined the human to struggle in keeping up with the demon, it was actually quite the opposite picture before him. Green hair bobbed deftly as Yaksini slashed with twin blades at her head, avoiding the attack only to bring her weapon down on the heel of the sword-wielding demon, rendering its lower left leg completely useless...its other leg hopping lamely as she turned to face the Heroine, who did not seem to enjoy the idea of picking apart an enemy like this but seeing the necessity in bringing her down piece-by-piece to avoid the old trap of the wounded animal. Yaksini cursed and prepared to lunge again in spite of her incapacitated state, but this time Ellie was ready for the finishing blow. Diving with a renewed, almost feral cry at her better in this match, the devil was met with the smooth twirl of a small frame avoiding her with a minimal effort...and a blade to the back of her neck that reduced her to magatsuhi with a surgeon's precision. In one final, clean strike...the fight was over. Soji couldn't help but smirk in appreciation.
"Nice work," he congratulated them a little tiredly, pressing up from the wall once the green-haired Heroine had returned to his and Shun's sides, "We're one step closer to finding out how to finding Fenrisulfr...and learning how we can take down the Red Viper for our Restoration."
...
"And that is the last step you will take," a sultry, definitively feminine voice suddenly sounded from the door to the 48th Floor, an emotional resolve clear in her tone as she stepped out of the shadows and revealed herself...the smooth, caramel skin and thick dark hair, coal black eyes that looked right into the heart of him but though they did not reflect any hate, there was a violent will that reflected within and made it clear she was not here to negotiate, "My Lord Obelyn told me that if anyone would come for him, it would be you and the girl with the tattoos. It seems that he was right about you. Your will, your belief in humanity and your friends, your determination to preserve the world which you love gives you strength beyond even your own imagination. It makes you dangerous, makes you a threat to rise up beyond even the expectations of God and challenge the Devil himself. But that battle, that victory, that right belongs to my Lord!"
He could feel it...the heaviness in the air, the thickness of the feelings behind her words, the weight of a thousand years of preparation all come down to the point of her silver scimitar as she drew it from its curved sheath and spun it at her side, as if testing its weight for the first time in a while...and finding that everything was exactly as she remembered. They had planned for this for so long, the day when Lucifer and Loki would slip...when they would underestimate humanity, underestimate her Lord, when they would put all of their cards on the table and see them burned by that which they disregarded so callously, one-by-one, until their armor of devils was finally cracked...and their hearts, always so well-protected, were finally visible...for the fangs of the Snake to strike! Now, they were on the verge of the vengeance, the justice that they had spent untold lifetimes of patience waiting for...dreaming of...anticipating with their every hushed whisper and bated breath! All that lay between them and the power to make that a reality...was the very alliance, the very tool (though her Lord would never call them that) which they had used to pry open their enemies' armors and bear their beating hearts before them. It was humanity, their final hurdle...and Her Lord's Vengeance was the final hurdle to humanity's confrontation at the End of Days with those responsible for the Fall.
But before they could fight her Lord...before this silver-haired human drawn into the world, the wars, of Devils...could stand before Obelyn Cernunnos...he would damned well have to go through the bodyguard who loved him to do it.
"I'm sorry...I never wanted it to come to this," the senior apologized sadly, drawing his twin blades and stepping out in front of his allies...they had done their part in clearing the stage before, but now, this was a matter of honor...one-on-one...for the right to confront her Lord, to weigh their Will against his Vengeance and see which would come up wanting, "But like Obelyn said...though we may be destined to fight...I believe we were also destined to be friends." He took a stance, twin swords at the ready...and in spite of herself, the Snake's Fang smirked, fiery and proud until the very end.
"Indeed, those sound like his words..." she nodded, but her smirk faded into a severe glance a moment later and she readied her blade, the two standing just across the Tower's level from one another, like samurai moments before the horn for battle sounded, "...Humanity is dangerous. And whatever goodness and potential you possess, whatever potential my Lord sees within you, if you raise your blade in opposition to my Lord...I will show you no mercy!"
Her last words were punctuated by the clashing of steel...the two bodies flashing across what had once been a mostly-open office space...but was now a pitched battlefield for an inevitable conflict between two sides who were not enemies...and yet, whose goals could not be reconciled beyond the tip of a blade. His blades met her strike and they passed by one another smoothly, her swift dash even quicker than his own, allowing her to slyly slip into an appraising stride behind him as he turned...catching her already examining him in anticipation of the next clash between them. She was sharp, powerful, and had centuries of experience behind her...and he was a young man, a few years to his name...but he had the power of humanity behind him, the faith of the friends who had fought with him against Izanami, against Hetero, the faith of her lord and even the friends who had come with him into the highest reaches of this Tower. They were quite a match, regardless...and as the two eyed one another like serpents ready to strike, their blades did not leave a ready position...circling one another slowly...methodically...until at last...
*CLANG!*
Steel on steel! The silverette made a swift strike with his forward blade to test her defenses, but she had swatted it aside with expert precision, almost as if scoffing at the idea that such an easy tactic might work against someone of her caliber.
"I am the Blade of my Lord, Honed Fang of the Red Viper Obelyn Cernunnos," she chided him as they reeled back to a distance...the duel a game of cat and mouse and right now she was decidedly the cat, "If you do not take this more seriously, I will tear you apart." He couldn't help but smirk a little wryly in response, knowing she'd caught in a naive little attempt there, but all the same, he smiled.
"Worth a shot, right?" She clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Famous last words!"
This time the clash between them was far more extended; she attacked with a ferocity that immediately put him off his guard and onto the defensive, a whirling dervish of sliding blows, thrusts, and parries of his attempts to block that made it nearly impossible for him to even find a window to counter attack! She whirled in a flash of cloth and steel and whipped the sharp edge of her blade across his midsection but caught only the fabric of his jacket, but no sooner had he returned fire with a spinning slash of his own from his left-hand blade did she complete her rotation and knock his blade aside like child's play, thrusting on the rebound at his opposite edge of the torso, only for him to twist his body smoothly out of the way...but alas, this time she had merely to retract the blade from beneath his arm and twist it horizontal, the edge ripping a thin slit of red-crimson in his side that leaked only a little, but left a mental scar from the drawing of first blood. He did not show the pain or wince, but he knew that he'd been had. She thrust her blade at his other side to try and take advantage of the surprise of pain, but he caught her wrist this time against his side with his other arm and dropped an elbow on her wrist to try and separate her from her sword. She winced at the first strike, and before the second had landed a cold elbow cracked his jaw from her other arm that sent him stumbling back away from her and allowed her to retreat to a safe distance, blade still safely within her grasp.
He groaned faintly and used the hilt of his right-hand blade to work his jaw, surely feeling the impact of that elbow perhaps even more so than the thin gash on his side. She worked out her sore wrist, surprised at the amount of pain and bruising a single elbow from the boy had inflicted...though it was a weaker spot on a human body, she was still a demon and he a human...obviously one whose power exceeded any of her expectations prior, however. She readied herself for another clash as he finished adjusting his jaw, twin swords looming, ready to match her own.
"I may have underestimated you," she conceded, even though the battle still appeared to be well in her control, "I shall not make that mistake again."
He couldn't help but chuckle a little in spite of himself.
"I was thinking the same thing..."
That hit a nerve.
"Cheeky b*****d...!"
Another single clash between them occurred, as he rushed trio of slashes were parried with expert precision if a little slower-reaction from the silver-haired senior, but as the two passed by one another and continued to circle, they were back in each other's area-of-attack in a second, a whirlwind of steel whistling this way and that through the air, two blades cutting over her head as hers missed his side by mere inches as he whirled at just the right angle to avoid it, and so the similar style of give and take continued...his thrust missing by inches, her counter-thrust missing by less, his slash grazing the fabric of her clothes as hers managed to draw a rivulet of blood from the upper arm on his left side. Finally she could feel the extended clash starting to draw on her opponent's stamina, and she made her move to press the advantage! Twirling, she slipped her second hand onto her blade for an added force and aimed for his neck!
Two blades crashed into her own to stop it, and the equivalent force that the duo put into the attack had them locked in a perfect stalemate...the first to waver or be overpowered likely to suffer for the slip in a way that could tip the balance of the entire match!
"Humanity...should be grateful...for my Lord's mercy!" she ground out, struggling power-for-power against him, "This is...his vengeance...his fight! Not yours!"
He struggled, feeling the weight of her attack and the pain of his several minor wounds starting to compound...but he did not falter, did not give up...
"Obelyn...is the one...who entrusted us with this power!" he fought back, not giving an inch...not hesitating, not even for a moment lest he be overpowered on the spot either physically or righteously, "We wouldn't have come this far...if he didn't believe...in us! That's why...we can't stop fighting now!"
His words rang true...but rather than make her back down, she huffed and reacted in a way he didn't expect. All of the force that she had been putting into their clash suddenly dissipated...and the momentum of his own force carried him past her, but he couldn't stop himself! And she avoided him with a smooth duck-and-turn move that put her in the perfect position to...!
"Enough!" her blade descended, slashing at the smooth flash of his back and drawing a much larger wound than the others, this time...he wouldn't be able to simply shrug it off and pretend as though it hadn't bothered him. This time, she had tipped the balance of their duel in his favor. This move, here and now, was the beginning of the end. For all of his talk about humanity and its potential...this time, she had won. "This is not your fight! And if you cannot defeat me, you are no match for my Lord Obelyn. This merely proves the limits of your potential, so please...do not make me strike you down. Yield, now." She held her blade out towards the silver-haired young man whose left hand loosed its blade and let it clatter to the ground uselessly, the hand in question clutching at the fabric on his back to try and pin it to the gross wound she had left upon him just now. It was bleeding, fairly decently at that. His every movement hurt...walking, stretching, twisting...his looser, two-sword style was completely out the window now. She was right...this was probably the difference between winning and losing. A thousand years of skill...of planning...could humanity really offer a greater challenge to their enemies than all of that?
...
"Come on, Seta-meister! Get back up and show her who's boss!" a friend's voice sounded from nearby, and as he listened, he knew exactly who it was who had spoken...the one and only Wingman in the Tower, behind him at his 6 as always, "Haven't you taken about enough damage to unleash your Limit Break, yet?"
Commitment to the gimmick. You had to love it.
"Seta-kun! Ganbatte!" another clear, friendly voice called out to him, no despair in her tone...but hope, trust...even now, she believed with all of her heart that he would win, "If you win, I'll have Metatron cook you all the burgers you want next time you're in Inaba!"
Now that was an offer worth fighting for. Heaven's finest, right?
...
His lips curled into a small smile as their voices reached him...and the images of all of those precious to him filled his mind. Nanako, Dojima-san, Minori, Genji, Zeo, Rednal, Faust, Yukiko, Yosuke, and all of the others who stood beside him, trusted him, believed in him...and yes, even the face of the Red Viper appeared in his mind...challenging him, daring him to be better, to win this fight and stand face-to-face with him for the final battle! Yeah...he couldn't be defeated just yet. In fact...scratch that. With all of their hopes behind him...all of their strength filling him...he couldn't be defeated!
"...Why? Why do you continue to fight a battle that you cannot win? Why can you not simply leave my Lord to do what is necessary? He brought you this far, do you feel no gratitude?!"
"No...I do," his voice answered low as he stood up to his full height in spite of the pain...both hands settling on the hilt of a single blade now, ashen eyes smoldering with intensity and determination, "...It's because he believed in me...because he brought us this far...that I will stop him! I won't let him lose himself to revenge...and I won't let him face his enemies alone! I believe...that is why he chose us as his allies, why he embraced us as his friends...because he believes...we are the ones who will save him from himself! And I WILL! With all of my friends giving me their strength, I will SAVE HIM! And I will Restore this world once and for all!"
There were no more words to say...no more rationales to debate. This was a fight that could only be ended one way...by the sword.
Her scimitar readied and she prepared for the final clash...tired, but relatively unscathed...and he...he was ready, but wounded, bleeding, exhausted. It was all written in the stars now...the end was as clear as day. It was so quiet that a pin could drop, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife, and then...
A pane of broken glass fell out of place and shattered. The silence broke. The tension snapped!
Ravenna leaped forward to strike...!
...only Soji was nowhere to be seen!
"What?!"
Her eyes shot upward, towards a hole in the ceiling above them! Suddenly, the ceiling began to rumble...cracks began to form as steel clashed against stone...and she realized, a moment too late, what was going on!
"Meteor Rain!"
Suddenly the ceiling of the 47th Floor, the Floor of the 48th Level, began to shoot down at her like meteors descending from the sky...sent rocketing down towards her by the force of her opponent, a sly and unexpected technique! She fought with her scimitar to slice through the rubble, barely avoiding the worst of the damage but still finding herself pummeled by the rubble! She winced and was pushed back! Another bit of rubble, another strike she couldn't quite avoid, this time taking a heavy blow that sent blood trickling down her forehead! Soon...soon he would make a move! She only had to hold on! To fight a little longer! She only had to...!
..Another hunk of ceiling! The biggest yet! She summoned all of her strength into her scimitar and used it to cleave the thing in two so perfectly that it split right down the middle and fell on either side of it!
...And that was when she saw it...
...
"BRAVER!"
...
The downward slash went completely undefended. Distracted by the hunks of concrete, steel, and Re-bar, she hadn't had the time to raise her blade before his single sword...channeling all of the power and the magatsuhi of their defeated foes and whatever strength he had left...he brought his blade down in a perfect arc across her chest from shoulder to hip that spewed crimson blood and sent her tumbling back onto the floor behind her in a heap...her scimitar sliding out of her hand and across the floor...
And before she could rise again, scramble to her feet to fight, she felt the press of cold steel against her neck...the very tip of his blade, pinning her down at his mercy.
...It was...
"I..." she choked, hesitating to say the words...afraid that it would taste a betrayal of her lord, and yet...she knew the truth. This was how it was meant to be. This...his vengeance against their potential. This was what he wanted...wasn't it? "...yield."
...Soji loomed over her...bleeding, exhausted, victorious...and smiled. His blade dropped from his hand as he felt his knees waver, and in a heap he slowly crumbled down opposite her onto his stomach, not dead but merely contentedly exhausted. Win or lose, the fight had been incredible...just the sort he had been waiting for since he entered the Tower. And the outcome was proof that humanity's Will...would not be broken so easily.
"So...this is the power that my Lord placed his faith in..." she spoke from her back...beaten, bloody, but still very much alive. Soji could have killed her and he hadn't, he had given her the chance to live...to continue to serve her Lord faithfully in spite of her loss...and in doing so saved her from a true disgrace. And again...against all her intentions...she felt her lips curl into a rueful smile, "The Wolf has claimed the top of this Tower as a refuge apart from the War. The girl you seek is no longer here, but seeks to consolidate her power elsewhere and destroy the Reason of Isolation the Northern Stronghold. As for my Lord...He awaits your challenge at day's end. ...Bring the tattooed girl, for she also represents Humanity's potential...and you will need all of it if you wish to stand against Lord Obelyn's mighty Sunspear. ...I tell you this...not because I wish for you to defeat him, for he IS my Lord and Love, the one true thing in this world that I believe in...I tell you only as a courtesy. From the vanquished...to the vanquisher. And in respect for humanity's great..."
...Her voice trailed off suddenly as a light, soft, yet repetitive sound began to fill the air beside her. Turning her head to the side, her coal black eyes took in a sight that damn near took the breath out of her lungs! After she had said all of that important information, shared with him her heart's contents, he was...
Snoring?!
"That...cheeky...bas-!"
A finger on her lips hushed her suddenly, and she was tempted to bite the thing off on the spot before the boy with the shining eyes stepped back and hooked one of Soji's arms over his shoulders, the other going over the Heroine's as they lifted him from the ground and decided it was time to help him up and give him a little breather while they tackled the rest of this Tower before them. Only 3 more levels...well, 2 if you skipped the 48th, which you might as well, since it didn't have a Floor anymore. They could handle this much on their own.
Smiling apologetically towards the fallen Fang, Ellie called out a demon and commanded it to remain by Ravenna's side until she was fit to move again.
"Apologies, Mysterious Snake Lady! But Seta-meister's had a bit of a day...what with you kicking the bejeezus out of him and all," Shun smiled brightly, glancing towards the stairs before nodding Ellie in that direction, "We'll take him from here...you just...do that healy...demony...thing that you all do? Where you do it faster than squishy guys like us? ...Thanks!"
"I'm sorry...we will be sure to tell him everything you said. And my demon will keep you safe until you are ready to go find your Lord," the green-haired girl smiled apologetically, before turning towards the stairs...but as they moved, carrying the silver-haired leader with them, she glanced back over her shoulder one more time to leave a message with the woman who had barred their path, "You know, when all of this is over...if we actually manage to save the world and restore it? ...Maybe there's a place among us for you and your Lord, too? We're not all exactly normal people around here anymore, either. ...I'm sure Seta-kun would say the same thing if he were awake...at least, that's what I think."
She smiled faintly, and then bowed her head respectfully...and with that final salute, the three heroes were off and climbing the tower once more, albeit temporarily a man short. And that left only Ravenna behind on the floor of the 47th Floor of the Mantra Tower, already mending her wounds on the ground...but her mind, the thoughts buzzing about inside of it, would take a lot longer than that to sort out.
"Humans...they're all cheeky bastards, aren't they?" she rolled her eyes and spat, and yet...in spite of her words, her lips curled into an honest...genuinely honest smile, "They are a lot like another man I know...aren't they? ...Lord Obelyn, you had best live through your encounter as well. If you should fail to win...then I would at least like to see the world that they create with their potential together."Quote: 57 Tokens - 25 Tokens [Draw Mot (92) + Gabriel (87) = Beelzebub (fly) - (97)] = 32 Tokens
120 Macca
Demons: Trumpeter [76 - Used Evil Melody on Day 7], Gabriel (87), Michael (90), Metatron [98]
Secondary Demons: Futomimi [63 - Avoid death by replacing self with a mannikin - 0/1], Beelzebub (fly) [97]
Tertiary Demons: Preta [4]
Items: ??? - Ravenna Prize
Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day),
Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 3/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 4/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
6982!
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2016 6:17 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"He didn't know how long it had been. He didn't know what had been accomplished since he had lost consciousness. He only vaguely remembered the last words that the Red Viper's Valiant Fang had spoken to him before he drifted away, and the hopes that she placed in him to, should she manage to defeat the Lord that she cherished, at least allow him to escape their encounter alive and make him proud when he stood at the epicenter of the Conception. He looked up at the ceiling above him and saw the shattered light bulb in the broken fixture above, though he didn't know what Floor they were on right now...or even if they were still in the Mantra Tower on their way towards the top where the Wolf of Ragnarok had allegedly gone on ahead of them. He wondered why he was on his side instead of his back, and why his back hurt like Hell and continued to feel little pricks and tugs like somebody was stabbing and then yanking back there...as if it didn't hurt enough already from the fight and the wound he had taken! He wriggled in-place and groaned a little in pain, but as he turned his head and began to reach his arm behind him to fight away the nagging feeling at his back...he saw a pair of sunken black eyes on a painted face, leveled at him solemnly and silently, and with a slow, meaningful shake of its the demon got its message across to him in an instant.
Don't. Move.
...Right, Soji thought, resisting the sweatdrop that threatened to roll down the back of his neck. That gray-skinned thing with all of its black makeup and the hood that shaded its forehead was obviously a demon, but this one at least had a somewhat humanoid form. He searched the memory banks of his mind for personae he'd summoned in the past and the memory of demons he had been told about by the various summoners he had encountered over the last year, and it didn't come to him right away...but eventually, he began to understand exactly who he was dealing with. The stitches at the corner of its mouth with the make-up, the way it was sewing up his back now (as the strong he could spot out of the corner of his eye hinted at, when combined with what he was feeling...indelicate as it was, he couldn't say it felt like it wasn't practiced stitching), and the colors, the hood, it all reminded him of a single devil from the stories. Nebiros...the Black Marquis of Hell. Well...that was certainly a change. Had he summoned it when he was asleep? Did he do it when he was fading just before he passed out? Or had the demon uploaded itself into his Cathedral of Shadows App and...yep, he pulled out his phone and could see that every other Demon he'd possessed was now officially dismissed. This was...not good. He definitely felt like it was not good. But he did not dare to argue while this thing was dealing with his open back.
"Say, have you seen...?" idly he thought about the two companions climbing the Tower with him, but when he began to speak it looked at him with that blank, deadly stare again...and he felt the need to be quiet all over again, "...Never mind." Mend first. Questions second. Then, maybe if he could stand and Nebrios was willing to listen, they could finish their ascent and deal with the Top of the Tower third.Quote: 39 Tokens
120 Macca
Demons: Nebiros, the Black Marquis [2 - SuperMax Demon. Reduce Death Toll by 3 Permanently, Collectible Rolls now yield +2 as the Black Marquis 'Smuggles' some items to its controller. Levels at 1/2 the Rate of the Summoner, Rounded down], Preta [4]
Items: ??? - Ravenna Prize
Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day),
Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 3/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 4/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
520!
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 3:28 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"There was a definite 'going to the dentist' feeling of being sewn up by Nebrios; it wasn't quite the same as getting stitches at the hospital, since the doctors were usually relatively conversational and you were free to respond in-kind when they spoke to you. The dentist, though, required almost absolute silence. You had to sit there motionless for half an hour, an hour, two hours...however long it was going to take to put you right, and a lot of the time they would be dead silence in perfect concentration to ensure that they were focused and didn't end up prodding a nerve or scraping your gums or something else equally gross. It was awkward, it was silent, and you were simply locked down until the person doing the fixing was content that they had done their job. That was dealing with this particular demon, the Black Marquis, as he finished the stitch job on his back. You didn't want to bother him while he was working on the stitches, though it wasn't so much that you were afraid he would somehow screw up your stitches...more like, he might get annoyed and decide to stitch something that wasn't currently wounded? Those little string notches at the corners of his lips were not exactly comforting, after all, and the way that his eyes felt as though they were looking through him was not a feeling that he enjoyed. Still...it was better than bleeding out or having to go to an actual hospital, right?
...He wasn't totally sure, but he supposed he'd just have to deal with it until it was over. Which, mercifully, came not much longer thereafter. With a single snip and a withering glance as if asking why he wasn't up and moving around again already, he knew that it was time to move. Standing swiftly from the floor, the silver-haired senior began to gently move his body, twisting a little, stretching lightly so as not to completely rip the seams...but when Nebrios had finished it was strange...reaching back, he didn't even feel the strings. He didn't feel the wound...all he felt was a scar, as though it had already healed. Was this the power that the Black Marquis truly held at his disposal? Soji smirked, glancing back at the silent demon with a grateful and determined look in his eye. The hooded devil appeared, though it was hard to tell for certain, to be pleased by its new master's determination to move forward. Maybe, in its own way, the Marquis of Hell wanted this war to be over sooner rather than later as well?
"All right...from here on, we work together," Soji spoke as he turned back towards the level before him. A glance at the door and he saw that he was on the 48th Floor, already cleared of enemies which meant that Ellie and Shun had moved on ahead of him. That was probably a good idea, and with Nebrios here to guard him there was little chance of anything overwhelming him while they were gone. If they were done on the 49th Floor by now, that mean that only the Top Level remained. Just the thought made him a little antsy...they had climbed all this way, endured some Hellish battles, but now...now they were at the destination.
He couldn't wait to see what awaited them.Quote: 39 Tokens
120 Macca
Demons: Nebiros, the Black Marquis [2 - SuperMax Demon. Reduce Death Toll by 3 Permanently, Collectible Rolls now yield +2 as the Black Marquis 'Smuggles' some items to its controller. Levels at 1/2 the Rate of the Summoner, Rounded down], Preta [4]
Items: ??? - Ravenna Prize
Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day),
Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 3/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 6/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
4064!
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 10:18 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"He felt remarkably better; he would have complimented the Black Marquis on the job that he had done mending his back if he thought that the silent demon would even care. There was...still something unsettling about him, but the fact that he didn't sense any hostility coming from the being unless he did something that it didn't like was a sign that he took to be a good one. And the faint sense of loyalty that he got from Nebiros was enough to make him think that in a pinch, it wouldn't mind pitching in and fighting for him as well. That gave him a sense of security that he might not have had coming into the 49th Floor otherwise, and for that he was most certainly grateful. Still, he couldn't let his guard down or take his eyes off of the prize this far into their journey through the Mantra Tower. Even if they were in between 'Boss' floors the demons this high on the path were sure to be challenging...or at the very least, capable of dealing a fatal blow if he were to leave an opening for any of them to strike. He would have to make it his job not to leave such an opening. Keeping Nebiros at his 6 would help with that matter, and when he reunited with Ellie and Shun, presuming they hadn't moved on without him by now, would more than do the trick. But they probably wouldn't have moved on by now, would they? They were only just reaching the top of the ShinRa Tower!
...Was that gimmick played out by now? Was the gig up? The game over? He probably...could relate the amount of time he had spend passed out before having his back mended by Nebiros as another allusion to the time that the party spent in the prison cells after the Turks apprehended them. That was starting to become more and more of a stretch as time went on, however. This was the finale. The part where they stood at the top of the Tower and saw the leader, for better or worse, and knew what the score was going to be moving forward.
Sephiroth...Fenrisulfr...Rufus...Chiaki...he stepped into the 49th Floor knowing that it would be the last obstacle between he and the answers that he sought regarding all of them. Drawing his blade again, the familiar weight within his fingers was comforting...and when he saw the hooded demon following him step up beside him and summon a small flame into the palm of its hand, he smirked confidently. Together, there wasn't a devil in this Tower that was going to stop them from reaching the end of this game. From here until the end of Midgar...Quote: 44 Tokens
120 Macca
Demons: Nebiros, the Black Marquis [2 - SuperMax Demon. Reduce Death Toll by 3 Permanently, Collectible Rolls now yield +2 as the Black Marquis 'Smuggles' some items to its controller. Levels at 1/2 the Rate of the Summoner, Rounded down], Preta [4]
Items: ??? - Ravenna Prize
Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day),
Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 3/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 6/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
9320!
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 10:38 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy""Nebiros!"
His voice called out across the room and despite the blank look the hooded devil gave him from across the way, it took his unspoken order and erased a couple of powerful Oni from the path as they closed in on the silver-haired summoner who commanded it. Turning away from those attackers confident that his demon would do exactly what it did, he swiped a sword slash away from his head with his own right blade and carved that devil up the middle with his left. The duel with Ravenna had been an excellent referendum of just how far he had come with his ability to fight with his blades, but even if he was particularly strong with them, there was always somebody out there who could push you and make you better. He could feel the ways that the fight had gotten away from him when he thought about it carefully, and remembering how she had gotten the better of him allowed him to make adjustments that would allow him to avoid those same mistakes in fights in the future. And he was already putting some new moves into practice now; the way that he shifted his body when he lunged into an attack was a little less overly aggressive, the recoil on his strikes was reduced slightly when he realized she was taking advantage of his putting too much impact into each blow. You had to trust your own momentum and your opponent's when you struck, you needed to believe that your timing was perfect enough that your strike would get the job done. What did they say? The harder you tried to hit sometimes, the lesser the blow?
He twisted away from a clubbing blow from a larger devil foe and thrust his blade backward, sticking it into the midsection of the devil before pulling it back, turning, and carving its head off in one smooth motion. Magatsuhi raised up into the sky just as fire flashed over his shoulder, melting several demons entering the room from the staircase before they could even choose a target between them. His lips curled into a smirk...he hadn't been wrong about just how powerful Nebiros was, and it seemed as though every battle they fought only made him stronger, sharper. Their teamwork would only grow as well the longer they fought together. He wasn't sure why the Black Marquis had been willing to side with him, as much of that summoning had been a complete blur, but he was glad that he had managed to convince him. The 49th Floor was still swarming with demons that tried to enter and overwhelm him before he could catch up with the others and find out what waited atop the Tower, but they were mere fodder, a stalling tactic before they stood before the real challenge at the end...if it was to be a challenge at all.
Once they were finished and this last floor was behind them, only then would they know for sure how this ended. Whether it was the 3 Stages of Hojo, the Proud Clod, or Chiaki finally being willing to listen to reason...there was only one way to know for sure.Quote: 54 Tokens
130 Macca
Demons: Nebiros, the Black Marquis [2 - SuperMax Demon. Reduce Death Toll by 3 Permanently, Collectible Rolls now yield +2 as the Black Marquis 'Smuggles' some items to its controller. Levels at 1/2 the Rate of the Summoner, Rounded down], Preta [4]
Items: ??? - Ravenna Prize
Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day),
Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 3/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 6/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
8387!
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 10:59 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"They were already dead, they just didn't know it yet. Demon after demon attacked after jumping out of the door to the 50th Floor, but they were cut down in short order by the combination of masterful swordplay by the silver-haired senior and the brutal and merciless fire magic of the Black Marquis of Hell. Already they were starting to work with a sort of harmony, one attacking when the other took a moment to regroup, but then, it didn't take a lifetime of cooperation to learn how to attack in turns, to strike and cover. It only took a basic understanding of combat and especially combat between teammates. Soji, in particular, had plenty of experience fighting in a team with allies during his time inside of the TV. And Nebiros, for all of his intimidating demonic presence, was a legendary third of a trio of demons who for whatever reason found friendship and alliance in one another. He knew the story from the Compendium that Margaret kept...about the lost little girl Alice, her companions and protectors the Red Baron of Hell, Belial, and the Black Marquis of Hell, Nebiros. He wondered if anybody else out there had managed to team up with the other two members of the trio, and if they met one another, if their demons would recognize one another. But that was something to discover in a natural order...he couldn't afford to take the time out of his mission to find out. He had to stay focused on his mission; he had to do what he came here to do.
First, he needed to find out what was going on at the top of the Tower...whether the leader of the Mantra or the Wolf of Ragnarok or both or something entirely different at this point, he needed to discover just what was hindering him from reaching the end of this climb. He needed to find whatever answers he could or else this entire journey might have been...in vain. Or close to it. He couldn't forget what he had achieved by simply defeating the Red Viper's bodyguard, but that was only one step in what promised to be a very long day. 50 Floors long, and counting, to be precise. He needed to find the Wolf...to ask about the Viper's weaknesses and strengths...and he needed to find Chiaki to try and convince her to lay down her arms and abandon the Reason of Yosuga. That was why he had come...that was what he was fighting for. He let his blade pass through the stomach of a demon...and finally, nothing came out from behind it when he did so. It was clear...the 49th Level of the Tower of Mantra had been finished. Only the final level remained...only the answer to the question he had been seeking the solution for all this time.
He twirled his blade over his shoulder and sheathed it, nodding at Nebiros as the two of them slowly moved towards the staircase up and the door marked '50'.
It was time to put this long, arduous search to its end.Quote: 64 Tokens
130 Macca
Demons: Nebiros, the Black Marquis [2 - SuperMax Demon. Reduce Death Toll by 3 Permanently, Collectible Rolls now yield +2 as the Black Marquis 'Smuggles' some items to its controller. Levels at 1/2 the Rate of the Summoner, Rounded down], Preta [4]
Items: ??? - Ravenna Prize
Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day),
Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 5/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 6/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
6697!
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 11:15 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"The 50th Level. The very top level currently available to those who were climbing the Mist Wall Tower. There were actually a few levels above it, but ever since the Mist Wall Incident not so long ago with the SEES-2 members and the Shadow Ops that he had heard about, those were destroyed and completely inaccessible even now...being rebuilt at the time that the world had gone to Hell. So the 50th Floor was the highest that anybody could go for now, the precipice of the Tower that he Mantra had claimed for their own, and it was here that any of the answers that he sought were likely to find their answer. Before the door he had checked with Nebiros to be sure that he was ready for the chaos that might certainly well come the moment they passed through into that level. His silent companion hadn't even bothered to nod, simply look at him with those withering, coal-black eyes as if to tell him to just get on with it. The answers that he sought weren't going to uncover themselves...and really, Nebiros was right about that. They had to move forward, they had to know...so without any hesitation beyond those last few moments, he pressed the door open with his fingertips and stepped through, the office of President ShinRa awaiting them just beyond...or something like that.
"I believed that you would come here. Though I anticipated that you would reach me much sooner than you did," a formal voice spoke from the edge of the Tower, the sliding glass doors open and overlooking the city much as the Nekata siblings had done the day before when they finally reached their own destination here, atop the Mist Wall, "You have come a long way to hear what I have to tell you about my father and the last of the Bel, but I warn you, you may leave in disappointment. The knowledge that I have to share with you about either may not be enough for you to overcome the challenges before you. But that will not dissuade you, nor any of your friends from pursuing what you believe to be the right path. ...I need not even ask if that is the truth, for you and your blonde-haired 'sister' have demonstrated as much to me already. Therefore...I will reward your efforts and tell you all that I know. But in return, I will ask a favor of you. Do you agree?"
The Wolf did not state what his terms would be beyond that there would be terms; it could have been anything that he requested to know, but at this point, what good would holding out on his demands do any of them? He had the resolve to come this far...he would not allow his resolve to be shaken now by a simple request from someone with whom he was making a bargain that might well mean the survival of humanity. He had no choice...not at all, really. But Fenrisulfr left it to him to choose. That reminded him of someone very familiar...someone close to him over the last 7 days. Perhaps...they had managed to get through to the Wolf of Ragnarok after all?
"That's fine. I'll do what you want...so tell me what I need to know to win."Quote: 71 Tokens
130 Macca
Demons: Nebiros, the Black Marquis [3 - SuperMax Demon. Reduce Death Toll by 3 Permanently, Collectible Rolls now yield +2 as the Black Marquis 'Smuggles' some items to its controller. Levels at 1/2 the Rate of the Summoner, Rounded down], Preta [4], Datsue-Ba [7]
Items: ??? - Ravenna Prize
Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day),
Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 5/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 6/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
5002!
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 12:59 pm
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy""...Do you understand?"
...He nodded his head firmly. Across the Tower's uppermost floor, the Wolf of Ragnarok took that nod for assent and turned towards the window, looking out across the city once again with an impassive expression that made it difficult to tell just what was going on behind those eyes. Still, he had said more than enough...details about his father, about all the information that his father's forces had about the Red Viper and gathered on his family over the centuries after Hel had orchestrated the takeover of his family's realm in the Underworld...it was so much more than he had known before, and at the same time, it was so little. He wanted to know more, but the way that Fenrisulfr had wrapped up his exposition had made it clear that their conversation on that topic had come to an end. He would have to make do with what he had been told, move forward and take what he had been given...to find a way to win. It would be more than enough...it had to be. His lips curled into a small smirk as the Wolf seemed satisfied that he had done more than enough to earn his payment. Now, Soji understood why Fenrisulfr had asked him to do what he had asked in return...
"Thank you," he spoke after a few quiet moments, glancing towards the staircase that they had climbed to get there...wondering if there was anything else to discuss, anything else to do before making his way back down the path they had come, "We won't let this go to waste. I will win...you have my word." His words made the Wolf's eyes shift in his direction, and there was a small hint of acceptance in his eyes...but then he turned back to the window again a moment later, letting out a small breath. "Nanako misses you..." Soji added before he could take leave and disappear again, and those words finally managed to make the Wolf flinch, but only for a moment, "She and Dojima-san are waiting for you at the station." A moment of silence passed. And then another...
The Wolf turned away after a beat, his eyes on the horizon.
"...Do not let all that you have done until now go to waste," he told Soji simply, to which the latter nodded confidently...and the former let that be the last gesture between them, before he stepped up onto the edge of the Tower and allowed himself to fall. Soji moved quickly to the edge of the Tower and looked over the edge, a momentary panic filling him...but as he looked, he noticed that the Wolf was not still falling...had not hit the ground below. Instead, he was simply gone with the blowing of the wind.
"...I won't let you down..."Quote: 76 Tokens
130 Macca
Demons: Nebiros, the Black Marquis [3 - SuperMax Demon. Reduce Death Toll by 3 Permanently, Collectible Rolls now yield +2 as the Black Marquis 'Smuggles' some items to its controller. Levels at 1/2 the Rate of the Summoner, Rounded down], Preta [4], Datsue-Ba [7]
Items: ??? - Ravenna Prize
Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day),
Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX], Genji [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 5/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 6/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
9467!
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:01 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"The Wolf was gone; the Tower was beneath him. Standing atop the conquered remnants of what had once been the base of the Mantra, now the silver-haired senior stood triumphant against the hordes that had pledged themselves to the Baal Avatar and its host Chiaki Tachibana and who had defended their Tower against intruders. Sure, there were members of the Reason of Yosuga who were still out fighting, still in this and other cities, but this central locale that they had claimed for their own? Used to try and lord over the city of Iwatodai? All that remained of their leader there was the ruined body of Gozo Tennoh, drained of the lifeforce which had allowed it to cut such an imposing figure before the Assembly of Nihilo had gotten to it first. He hadn't managed to confront Chiaki herself, and that was something he was still planning to look into if he could manage it, but for now...together with the Tifa to his Cloud Ellie and the Barrett to his Avalanche in Shun, they scaled 50 Floors of trials, including some that hadn't been expected and some that certainly had, and they came out the better for it. He felt the relief wash over him as he looked out across the city as dusk was creeping ever-closer, the sun dipping on the horizon across the city in the West, and in that moment, just for a moment, he let himself feel as though he was really making progress.
"...Ellie, Shun, I know I said it before, but thank you," he glanced back over his shoulder at the duo, taking stock on all they had accomplished...like the party in Final Fantasy VII at the end of the road on the edge of Midgar just before they set out onto the World Map and all that lay beyond, they had a moment to breathe, "From the sound of it, Chiaki has a grudge against the Reason of Musubi and might be heading to the city of Oshu and Iwadate in order to grind that axe. I may not have a better chance to confront both of them at once and try to reason with them...or if nothing else works, to defeat them. You can come if you want...but you've been away from Inaba and your friends for a while...you might want to check in on them. I know that eventually, I'm going to have to confront the Red Viper, but if running into Ravenna has confirmed anything for me, it's that he's keeping tabs on us. When he's ready to fight...I have a feeling he will contact us." His lips curled into a smile at that, somehow, in spite of the sad battle that still lay ahead of them...at the end of everything, even on opposing sides of a battle, he was confident he knew how Obelyn thought, how he would act. He would challenge them...to one final fight. That was what he believed.
Turning around to face the others, he twirled his blade like the Buster Sword one more time and let it rest on his back, smiling confidently at his two companions throughout this long ordeal in Iwatodai.
"And when he does...we'll be ready."Quote: 86 Tokens
140 Macca
Demons: Nebiros, the Black Marquis [3 - SuperMax Demon. Reduce Death Toll by 3 Permanently, Collectible Rolls now yield +2 as the Black Marquis 'Smuggles' some items to its controller. Levels at 1/2 the Rate of the Summoner, Rounded down], Preta [4], Datsue-Ba [7]
Items: ??? - Ravenna Prize
Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day),
Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX], Genji [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 5/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 6/5 Talismans
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Arena Emperor generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
4717!
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:49 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"With the Tower cleared and the journey back down something he planned to skip with a jump into the Amala Network, the time to take stock of what he had done, gathered, and what still lay ahead of him in his quest to find and take down the Red Viper for the sake of the Restoration was upon him. Even if it was just that few moments, a well-deserved break was in the cards, and seeing as Nebiros didn't appear to be in any hurry to move as well, the silver-haired Senior opened up his pockets and began to rifle through some of the loot that he had grabbed on the way up the Tower. There was, of course, his demons...that he was now traveling with the Black Marquis of Hell, a couple of lower-level demons for the clean-up work, and of course, the one that he had planned to call out only a few moments earlier...well, it was a vast change from the silver-skinned angel, the mannikin, and the otherwise motley crew that had managed to help him survive through the first six days of the Conception. But as the sun changed in the waning hours of the day into the gentle light of the moon, so too did his party need to change from the devils who had gotten him this far to the devils to those who would be with him throughout the long night. Even if the two low-level devils were somewhat scrubs, it didn't mean that they wouldn't have their uses. Nebiros had already proven his use by mending the vicious wound on his back, and his final devil? Well...that one was his secret weapon.
But more had changed than simply his companions from the Cathedral of Shadows, and his pockets were lined with more Mannikin Talismans than he could properly carry, several digits for a number he couldn't quite place, the Power Nodes that he'd picked up from members of the Mantra during some of the battles he'd had against humans on the way. All of these were items he didn't know the exact use for, but if his enemies were dropping them en masse then he knew that there must be something to use them for. He'd collect a handful of each, then pass the rest on to some of his friends out there. Minori and Genji back in Inaba were likely in need of some souvenirs, right? He smirked, thinking that if he could confirm they weren't dangerous he'd send something to Nanako, too. That might take a while, though. For now, he needed to move on...to follow the trail of breadcrumbs that continued to lead him to his destination. This leg was a gift from the Wolf of Ragnarok, and he had paid a price for the information.
There, it was likely that the leader of the Mantra and the leader of the Reason of Musubi were going to meet...and most likely fight. If he could intervene he might manage to save them both. If...but it was a long trip and a difficult proposition. But Soji had never before backed from a challenge. He wouldn't now, either.
His hand called for the Candelabrum as at last, the time had come for them to be on their way. Letting the light flicker and the path into the Network open beneath him, he offered one last nod to the friends who had climbed the Tower with him...before the sensation of falling engulfed him and he found himself whisked away to the Northern Stronghold of Oshu City.Quote: 91 Tokens
140 Macca
Demons: Nebiros, the Black Marquis [3 - SuperMax Demon. Reduce Death Toll by 3 Permanently, Collectible Rolls now yield +2 as the Black Marquis 'Smuggles' some items to its controller. Levels at 1/2 the Rate of the Summoner, Rounded down], Preta [4], Datsue-Ba [7]
Items: ??? - Ravenna Prize
Candelabrum of Eternity [Can move freely through the Amala Network, Give/Gain +2 with each Fate Link and MAX Fate with anyone, any day (May also give MAX Fate any day),
Passion Fruit (Eaten on Day 7).
Fate Links: Shun [MAX], Minori [MAX], Youmu Konpaku [MAX], Obelyn Cernunnos [MAX], Fenrisulfr [MAX], Kisa [MAX], Nekura Myonmu [MAX], Jormungandr [MAX], Ellie [MAX], Dante [MAX], Hikawa [MAX], Genji [MAX]
Assembly of Nihilo Code: 8/5 Digits (Purchased from Ovan)
Mantra Power Nodes: 5/5 Nodes
Shards of Aradia's Mask: 1/5 Shards
Mannikin Talismans: 6/5 Talismans
Soji has taken the Amala Network from Iwatodai to Oshu City/Iwadate!
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Necromonium generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
3414!
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Hopeful Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 11:33 am
 Shun FujomakiThey had done it....
They had gone from the bottom of this tower, all the way to the top...And, with the help of his two pals, Shun and the others were able to conquer it!
"Awesomesauce! We even took care of Obelyn's gal...Mysterious snake lady." he mused, before glancing down. "But now....We must go."
He stomped his feet to the ground...before vanishing down into the Amala network...heading back home.
Quote: Demons: Metatron. [98] Angel [12]+1 Blob [16] Pyro Jack [19]+2 Tokens: 68 Obeyln Macca: 40 Mantra Power Node: [1/5] Assembly of Nihilo Digits: [1/5] Fate Links: Soji Seta [MAX] Chiaki [MAX] Youmu Konpaku. [MAX] Obelyn [MAX] Kisa [MAX] Amala Network is a go! Shun is returning to Inaba!
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Necromonium generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
8418!
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 11:42 am
 Ellie Troit"Phew...That was really, really awesome!"
Ellie waved to Soji and Shun as they left....stretching herself out after the ordeal they had overcome.
Fifty floors....Fifty floors of battles...
They had overcome it all! Together!
"Heheh...I should probably get back to the store now." she called, starting to head down..and taking the Amala Network herself.
"Hope Amora isn't too tired." she called quietly, beating down some remnants of Mantra that tried to stop her...Descending down the Network, after grasping a shard of a core.
Quote: Demons: The Harlot [69] Nyx [70] Aciel [77] Micheal [90] Metatron [98] High Pixie. [10]+2+2 Aeros. [12: +1 level to the result of a fusion with this demon] Lilim. [8] Aquans: [17: +1 level to the result of a fusion with this demon] Flameis: [22]+2+2 Tokens: 181 Passion Fruit Active! Matador's cape! [-2 to Revival costs] Obeyln Macca: 70 Saves: Deaths: Fate: Isamu Nitta. [MAX] Obeyln Cernunnos [MAX] Dante. [MAX] Nekura [MAX] Chiaki Hayasaka. [MAX] Youmu. [MAX] Hitomi. [MAX] Hikawa [MAX] Amorabundus Necromonium [MAX] Soji Seta [MAX] Aradia Mask. [Bought from Ovan] [+1] Nihilo Digits: 5/5 [+1] Mannakin Talismans: 5/5 Mantra Power node: 4/5 Ellie is also going to Inaba
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Hopeful Conversationalist
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Sreze generated a random number between
1 and 10000 ...
9387!
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 11:00 pm
Arimina Wolfgang Arimina had been faffing about long enough, and had finally decided to actually follow the advice of the messages on her phone. Summoning her demon, she eyed it up and down "You are ugly as sin, you know that?"As she said that, a message came through on her phone for a bounty, which she read, sighed, and then quickly headed off to complete. Not five minutes into actually using this thing and they were making her work. Typical. Quote: Demons: Preta (4) Tokens: 10 Macca: 10 Fate Links: None Deaths: 0
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