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Post by Jisui on Jun 28, 2013 23:04:10 GMT -5
"..." Continuing to stiffly hold the distressed horse girl in her hands, Ciel sighed as the sniffling, teary-eyed display from her familiar finally seemed to work. Dropping her on the ground, the church woman placed a hand inside her robes, rifling around as if looking for something, before tossing Nanako a rather large carrot. Instantly, the young girl's eyes lit up as if she had gotten the gift she had wanted during Christmas, happily catching it and chomping on it with gusto.
"Thank... you...mas...ter...never...leave you... again..." She muttered between her bites, causing one of the church woman's eyes to twitch. She had heard those words before. Nevertheless, with one problem taken care of, she instead turned her attention back to Zelos' explanation of his abilities. She had seen a few of his tricks in the previous fight, but it seemed as if he were fairly balanced. Someone who fought with both his sword and magic then... interesting. He would fit if partnered with anyone else in the group. Her eyes widened however, seeing the wings of energies sprout from his back. Angelic abilities...? What did that mean? From what she saw, it looked as though the wings were artificial, as if created by these "crystals" through mana. Then it was something that tried to emulate an angel?
...Well, it was another thing that the Church wouldn't have particularly liked. She was almost completely certain now that everyone here would probably killed on the spot if they met the Burial Agency. Sighing, Ciel shook her head, listening only vaguely as Satsuki began explaining her abilities. There wasn't much that could surprise her. She knew of her immense strength and physical attributes. The drinking blood part was common for vampires, and so was the Reality Mar-
...
Suddenly giving an odd, choked sound, the church agent looked intensely at Satsuki, one of her eyes twitching abnormally as if not quite able to believe what she was hearing. A vampire on the level of the Dead Apostles, had a Reality Marble that could drain mana. Had she meant to say something else? Fatality Garble perhaps?
"...Of all the people to have one." Ciel muttered, her mood apparently growing even more disgruntled as they spoke. Feeling everyone's eyes on her, she sighed, figuring that even though Satsuki was essentially her most hated enemy, it wouldn't do for her to accidentally activate her Reality Marble and dry all of their mana during a battle.
"...A Reality Marble is essentially the pinnacle of magecraft." She began to explain, keeping a sharp eye on Satsuki as she did so. "It isn't the illusion of changing the world around you, or shaping the world as you see it. It's the creation of an entire different world, shut off from the plane we're on now. Essentially, one's inner world inside of them is materialized, and then projected into the outer world. It's something that disobeys the law of the World itself. Something inside one's Reality Marble does not need to obey the laws of the world, but the laws of world created by the person." Pausing, Ciel lifted one of her hands, creating a blue spark on one of her fingers that danced around before dissipating into the air. "The downsides are just like that spark of mana I created. The World doesn't take lightly to unnatural things like the creation of another world inside of it, or mana freely roaming the atmosphere, so it attempts to crush it. That's why not very many people have the ability to maintain a Reality Marble, let alone use one."
She paused again from her explanation, eyes furrowed as if thinking about something, before finally shrugging lightly. "As for why you have the ability to use it... I don't know. Maybe you just had insane magical potential to begin with, Yumizuka-san."
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Post by Tokrochiru on Jun 29, 2013 0:22:41 GMT -5
"Alright. That's enough socializing for now. We need to move quickly if we want to catch the defectors before they move on to another world."
Piccolo moved on ahead of the others, expecting them to follow. He took the shortest routes he could to reach them, cutting through alleyways, and making use of all manner of shortcuts.
Now that the group was moving, they had to keep a steady, consistent pace. They had already spent enough time getting to know one another. Now was the time to focus on their actual task.
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Post by Advix on Jun 29, 2013 2:00:33 GMT -5
Oswald had to confess, he was intrigued by this little horse-girl, as well as the conversation between Ciel and Satsuki. When it seemed like there was a pause in the conversation, Oswald half-expected someone to point at him to tell his abilities, but instead Piccolo ordered everyone to follow him and continue the mission. Oswald couldn't help but feel cut off. When everybody else got to explain who they were, and what they could do, Oswald was passed over. On the other hand, he was never very thrilled to talk about himself, though to be actively barred from doing so annoyed him to say the least. He felt as if he was being excluded.
But since when was that new?
Being the sole human in a country of fairies had been the least of his worries growing up after he had been given the Belderiver. After being given the cursed sword, he had been openly despised by his own countrymen, to speak nothing of the neighboring nations. He had expected to get along with the rest of this team as poorly as he did with the knights of Ringford, and so far, he wasn't mistaken. Oswald's attitude hadn't done him any favors, but at the same time, his attitude wasn't something he had ever been taught to refine. Given what he was, why would it have been? Still, if there was one consolation, at least he was here with the only friend he had made since he tumbled through that whole. He briefly looked toward Satsuki as he followed after Piccolo.
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Post by SlvrNight on Jul 1, 2013 9:43:26 GMT -5
Hellboy raised an eyebrow at Piccolo's sudden urgency to get moving and spared a glance at Oswald. Sure, the guy was a colossal dick, but he was still part of their team at this moment. Knowing what he could do would still benefit them.
"Hey, green guy, wait a second. Shouldn't as ask the death knight guy what he can do as well? I mean, I know he's a jerk and all, but we still should know what he can do. He might go well with someone else's skills after all."
The red demon looked at Oswald as the group was walking.
"So yeah. What can you do?"
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Post by Advix on Jul 1, 2013 21:39:55 GMT -5
Oswald couldn't help but be a little surprised that someone spoke up for him. "W-well, as you've seen, I can transform by calling upon the power of my sword. When I do so, I feel no pain. Only a blow that can knock me to the ground can halt my shadow form. I also know some alchemy, as well as a few spells. I can summon a focused but violent cyclone, I can become temporarily invisible and intangible, and... I can expel some of the souls my sword has absorbed in an explosive blast." Oswald hung on his words after speaking them, unsure of how others would take them. He turned his gaze to the sword he held in his hand. If ever there was a time to talk about it, it was now.
"...My sword, the Belderiver, is a type of weapon known as a "Psypher". The jewel used to make the blade is a crystal harvested from the depths of Endelphia, my netherworld. There, the souls of the dead wither away before congregating into crystal-like structures, which then draw souls and life energy to them and grow larger and stronger in the process. This sword absorbs the souls of those it's slain and those who are slain in its presence, and with every bit of life energy it absorbs, it grows steadily stronger. I've wielded this sword for a fair amount of time now, and with it I've bested kings, felled dragons, and laid waste to armies. It was a terrible weapon before I received it, but now, after all of the battles and bloodbaths I've participated in... I can say without sentiment that it is the most powerful weapon in my world."
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Post by Greed on Jul 1, 2013 23:14:40 GMT -5
-Zelos-
The chosen of Tethe'alla let out a long, drawn out whistle.
"Daaaaayum, that is some serious firepower. I mean, compared to that, my Last Fencer is like a toothpick. A sharp and tough to break toothpick but still, wow. But uh, going back to what Hellbro was saying too..." Zelos was getting ideas now that he knew everyone's abilities, "At some point, we could practice some unison attacks."
"Unison... attacks?" Satsuki tilted her head to the side as she walked, "I guess you mean... team attacks, right?"
"Yeah, that's just what we called them, but yeah, combined attacks. Watching a couple of you has given me some ideas... but... hey, we'll see what comes from them. I have a few nice ideas though. Blame my friends, made me a real team player. But man... got some nice possibilities to work with." As an afterthought, Zelos glanced up and down Ciel and Satsuki's bodies.
"... definitely possibilities. And after that blonde dynamo back there... damn, I think I'm starting to love this job~"
"Someone shut him up." Satsuki stated flatly.
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Post by Jisui on Jul 2, 2013 16:02:57 GMT -5
"...Your sword absorbs souls?" Ciel asked with some irritation in her voice, looking at Oswald with a cold glance. It was not just her occupation as a woman of the church, that found Oswald's practice distasteful. Obviously any religious person would be offended by someone who did not allow the dead to rest in the afterlife. But more than that, Ciel understood, perhaps better than anyone else, the pain of not being able to die in peace. Once, her greatest mission in life had not been to hunt the undead, but to find a way to kill herself. Immortality might have been something that others casually dreamed of, but nobody truly understood the pain of living while the one's you cared for perished.
But, she didn't push the issue, as much as she wanted to. In any other circumstance, she would have immediately killed him under the decree of heresy, but after barely squeezing by those two demon hunters... even she couldn't deny that they would need all the firepower they could get to confront the rogue group.
...And then her eye twitched as she felt lecherous eyes roam her form, and the church agent casually dropped two Black Keys on Zelos' shadow as they were walking. That damn sorceress... what kind of group did she put her in? Regardless, the red-head had a point. Some pre-planned attack maneuvers between the group wasn't a bad idea... if she could swallow her irritation over half the group long enough to cooperate with them.
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Post by Advix on Jul 2, 2013 17:34:14 GMT -5
Oswald nodded toward Ciel as she asked with the irritation of blasphemy gnawing at her. "You're free to hate me for it. Few people don't."
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Post by SlvrNight on Jul 2, 2013 19:25:35 GMT -5
Hellboy noticed Ciel's hostility towards Oswald and instantly regretted having the man explain his abilities. The information was useful as hell, but it apparently only succeeded in increasing the church woman's dislike for him. He'd be lying if he said the fact that the death knight's sword absorbed souls wasn't a little discomforting though. It must've been an absolute hell to be stuck in something and be completely unable to pass on.
"Well..." The demon grimaced. "At least we got one of the strongest weapons in a world with us."
Hellboy listened as Zelos talked about how he and his friends did "Unison Attacks" back in his world. Honestly, the name made it sound pretty childish, but he couldn't say such plans wouldn't be useful. After all, he and Ciel only defeated Trish by combining their skills accordingly.
The demon took another drag of his cigar. "If we can avoid giving those attacks a kiddy name like 'Unison Attacks', then I don't really mind. After all, me and the church woman beat that female demon hunter only because we actually worked together like that."
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Post by Greed on Jul 5, 2013 22:01:09 GMT -5
-Zelos-
"Heh, it wasn't me that came up with the name, if that's what you're suggesting." Zelos shrugged, walking until Ciel suddenly threw black keys at him... no wait. His shadow. And suddenly, he was stuck in place. She'd done the same shadow trick that she'd done to Hellboy... but thankfully, it didn't have quite the same effect since he wasn't a demon.
"That is a kinky little trick there..." Zelos muttered with a grin on his face, pulling himself far enough so that his shadow was no long in the black key's range, "But if you're done being a tease, hun, can we get this show on the road?"
"Zelos..." Satsuki walked beside him, "You... shouldn't tease Ciel-senpai right now. Please?" Zelos was a little taken aback. How similar this situation was to when Sheena had lost Corrine, who sacrificed himself to save the Mizuho ninja from the summon spirit Volt's wrath. How his own attempts to cheer her up had fallen short. Ah, but this situation was a little different, now wasn't it.
"Alright kid, I'll tiptoe on eggshells for now, but you should just keep in mind that nothing gets better this way..." Satsuki looked down quietly, and Zelos couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her. This vampire acted far more human than the ice queen up there. Then again, it was probably justified. After all...
He was a perfect example of not being able to tell a book by its cover.
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Post by Jisui on Jul 6, 2013 20:36:57 GMT -5
"You... shouldn't tease Ciel-senpai right now. Please?"
As if barely even paying attention to the two, the church agent silently walked forward with an emotionless look in her eyes, her previous anger lost and replaced with a cold mask of ice. As if lost in some distant memory once again, her eyes were glazed over, focused on something that none of them could see.
"Hey, Arcueid... you shouldn't tease Ciel-senpai too much, you know?"
Without realizing it, she had slowed down a little. Like a phantom, his voice rang out in the dead of the night, audible to her, and only her...
"S-Sorry, senpai. I'll make it up to you later, I promise."
She had stopped completely. Fragmented bits of his voice echoed in the street, laid-back and relaxed, casual yet kind. Was it a curse, or a blessing...? That his memory, and his voice belonged to her, and her alone...
"..." Shaking her head after a slight pause, Ciel began moving again, avoiding eye-contact with most of her group. Specifically, Satsuki. She would not accept pity from any of them, nor her of all people. And the answer to her last question was obvious.
It was a blessing. Any remnant or scrap that belonged to him, was something that she wouldn't let go.
And with that in her mind, the church agent continued to silently move forward in the night, only the thoughts of the mission on her mind.
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Post by BloodValkyrie on Jul 7, 2013 14:14:17 GMT -5
A doorway of swirling black and purple energy appeared several yards in front of the group, further down the street. A tall masculine figured, covered in a black coat, stepped forward. The hood surrounded his face in shadow, completely shrouding his identity. Despite being unable to see his face, the group should have still been able to tell he was looking directly at them.
He folded his arms behind his back and began walking towards them.
"You are all obviously not part of this world." His tone was stern and he spoke properly. "I am assuming you are the group sent after the others? The other intruders to this world?"
The cloaked man showed no signs of hostility and stopped walking once he was several feet from the group.
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Post by Advix on Jul 7, 2013 22:38:52 GMT -5
Oswald stopped in his tracks as soon as the cloaked figure appeared. It would have been one thing if he had stepped out of a shadow, but for him to approach them from out of a portal of darkness was much too forward and deliberate. Though the darkness that emanated from the figure was of a different nature than Oswald's, it was darkness through and through. Granted, not all users of darkness are evil, but in Oswald's experience those exceptions were too few and far between. And his words... Oswald didn't like the fact that this stranger knew exactly what they were doing. Whether he had a hostile posture or not, he was far too suspicious to trust.
Oswald placed his hand out to his side and in front of Satsuki as if to tell her to stay put as he took a few steps forward and planted his feet in preparation.
"What's it to you?" he called out to the cloaked figure. "Somehow you don't strike me as another 'friendly native'."
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Post by Tokrochiru on Jul 8, 2013 5:39:55 GMT -5
For once, Piccolo agreed with Oswald's actions. It was sensible to treat this man with suspicion. As if the hood wasn't ominous enough, the portal he came out of implied he had some sort of magic power. This newcomer, whatever his intent, wasn't setting himself up for a warm welcome.
"If you've got something to tell us, do it. Otherwise, we'll be on our way."
Piccolo assumed a defensive fighting stance, just in case things took a turn for the worse. He awaited the shadowy figure's reply.
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Post by SlvrNight on Jul 8, 2013 10:47:05 GMT -5
Hellboy narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he watched the cloaked man approach them. Was this guy trying to be creepy and mysterious? Walking out of a portal of darkness, wearing a black cloak, then ominously talking to them? No, the demon had dealt with this kind of crap before. He did find it odd that the man already knew about them, though. Obviously, he wasn't from this world either. Or, if he was, he dealt with enough otherworldly people to figure out what was going on.
Hellboy sighed and took another drag of his cigar.
"Got no idea who the hell you are, but you ain't exactly gonna win any friends with the mysterious getup. We got nothing to do with you, so just stand aside and leave us to our business."
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