Endgame: Stone against Steel (C Route, Galina, Gear, Jade)

VeraC

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#1

Okuni slowly returned her sword to its sheath, then placed her hand on the handle of the second, longer Katana that was on her waist. It was a blade that hadn’t seen the face of battle for millenia, an ancient blade that remained pure and pristine no matter the era or time. Several talisman seals were wrapped around the scabbard, keeping the blade from being unsheathed.

She closed her eyes, inhaling and then exhaling, her breath condensating as it left her mouth. One might think she had a fever were they to touch her skin, but it was merely the effect of her Ki gates being fully opened. She then opened her eyes, focusing in at the Baron, her gaze lashing out like a dragon at the woman across from her.

“While the Aohara Family certainly has Selene-sama to thank for allowing us to remain in Everglory, we are far from being the ‘subjects’ of the Queen. Though in regards to this, Selene-sama fears us; perhaps she knows better than anyone our true potential, and has limited our strength within Everglory. Perhaps if she came to us as equals alike Ashford-dono, we may have been on your side.”

Okuni stood unflinched as the Baron performed her feat of strength, though she could only remain unimpressed at the bruteness of it all.

“While the first strike is often the most important, the Kusanagi school possesses much more than but a simple Hissatsu.”

She corrected the Baron’s knowledge, but seemingly turned disappointed and grew apathetic at the whole situation after the woman said her next line.

“A duel isn’t something to be taken as lightly as a mere test of one’s technique or name. A duel can only truly be one when both participants are fully willing to put their own life on the line and fight until only one remains standing.”

Perhaps the Baron’s wording was poor, but her spirit seemed like it was in the right place. Despite her sudden turn of disinterest, she prepared herself for what would come next. She lowered her stance, compressing her weight into her legs, and down to the soles of her feet, tension rising within her body and its muscles.

“Such is the meaning of a duel, and such is the meaning of me drawing my sword. Take the first strike; it’d be poor to sully your ‘Doban’ name were you to fall before even being able to do anything.”

While many would take her tone as mere arrogance, or even as mocking the person across from her, Okuni’s words were delivered as genuinely as one possibly could, for this was not the tone of arrogance, but rather that of sheer confidence.

"Now, Koi."
 
Aug 25, 2018
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#2
Doban’s brown gaze met the Samurai’s as she made her declarations. The Baron hadn’t missed the significance of the two swords hanging by the Samurai’s hip, noting wryly that the fighter had swapped her grip to the longer, more ‘forbidding’ of the two. The conversation that followed was nothing short of informative, filling the gaps in the knowledge that the woman had been left.


She fully intends for this to be a deathmatch. What a daring woman; truly an exemplary member of the Samurai clans. As for taking the first strike...what does she take me for?



While Okuni spoke with confidence, the Baron let her gaze drop to the ground. Erina hadn’t received any sort of spiritual or Ki training from the previous Baron. Only two things had been passed down to her from her predecessor, the Baron Doban; their legacy and the Bemidban. Their legacy, the name Doban, was feared for one thing above all else: the Dobans were set in their ways, much like gravity or the flow of time. Even when everyone else moved on or changed, the Dobans remained strong in their tradition. Nothing could shake the unshakable, or break the laws that bound them.


Your Spirit nonsense is nothing but that; Spirit nonsense. Let me show you the only thing I know, Samurai. It will be a surprise unlike any other.




There wasn’t even the tell of a sound, before the space between the Baron and the Samurai vanished. Not the slightest shift in breathing or heartbeat, as the Baron cleared the distance between them in one step as if it was mere inches. The ground where she had started cracked moments after she had vacated it, moments that were lost as the Baron planted her feet directly in front of Okuni. The huge hunk of stone and metal was already hurtling towards the Samurai, flowing into the original movement that had cleared the distance. It was a simple technique; something that could be easily explained by any martial artist or fighter of any skill level.


It was a technique with no rhythm or beat. An action that had no rhyme or reason. But, for all its crude simplicity, it ‘worked’.

Finally the Baron let her breath out, gritting her teeth as she forced her entire body and soul into continuing that swing midway, driving it into and beyond where the Samurai stood, sending dirt and debris spraying dozens of feet away. The piece of stone would shatter and explode outwards from the force, leaving only a metal rod with chunks attached in her hands.


Thanks for the kind gesture. This weapon only had a single use, after all.” The Baron’s tone and smile would be arrogant, but her gaze was cold and the sweat that gleamed across her body would show the shivering nerves that haunted her shadow. There was nothing more dangerous than a cornered Samurai; her Father and his colleagues had said as much in the past. But she couldn’t let her facade drop yet; there was too much riding on this fight.

I have to stop that sword, at least once, in order to win. What's your next move, Okuni Aohara?
 
Jun 28, 2018
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#3
February 8th, OE 102
2:07 PM DST
Throne Room Ruins, Everglory



As the fighters clashed in the shadows of their lieges - the once and the would-be - there was a glimmer in the sky above them. A bolt of shining emerald poofed into being, sailing like a comet toward their location. Even as the curtain of the Orgone Cloud parted, the vehicle within remained lit in an eerie green light. If that weren't peculiar enough, any eyes that managed to notice it and then stare long enough to discern its nearing form would find themselves watching the visage of a conventional battle tank sail through the air. Complete from cannon turret to caterpillar treads, and with two sizable missile pods strapped to the sides to boot.

It was also easily as big as a standard PT. Big enough for the Bemi Doban to lash a chain to and use as a replacement hammer. The Terra Kaiser.

Its course did not avert until it was nearly on top of them. Only at that point did its verdant aura fade, ceding its color to the red and gold and grey of the craft's hull. Thrusters lit, tilting its body to even out its course, and coming to hover in the air above the makeshift arena. Any who hadn't noticed its presence by that point would likely be tipped off by the whoosh of hot air, the din of machinery, and the smell of burning ozone. Slowly, smoothly, it rotated in place, turning the sights of its artillery toward the good Lord Ashford and his retinue.

Within the belly of the tank, Sir Praskowia squinted into her visor scope, while Sir Dalgard gingerly coaxed the controls.

Sir Praskowia: "... found her. Huh. Looks like there's already a volunteer doorstop down there."
Sir Dalgard: "*whistling* He's a big one too. The size of that armor!"
Sir Praskowia: "On foot, hayseed."
Sir Dalgard: "Oh. Uh... by themselves?"

The ginger-haired knight tapped a few controls, zooming in on the melee proceeding below.

Sir Dalgard: "... her? But..."
Sir Grahn: "That is the eminent Baron Doban. You will show her the due respect."
Sir Dalgard: "Right. Right.... guess it figures, big powerful political types making little girls fight their battles for th-"

He was cut off, and have a bit of a yelp, as a tiny hand of undue strength smacked him upside the head. He ventured a glance backward just long enough to meet a gleaming pair of eyes and their terrifying aura. With a gulp, he set himself afresh to his post.

Sir Dalgard: "H-holding steady, you can insert when ready. S... sorry Hana..."

Behind him, the cadence of five pairs of armored boots - Black, White, Grey, Navy, and Violet respectively - echoed through the body of the vessel.
 

GEAR

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Jun 15, 2018
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#4
Queen Selene watched the combatants duel with wide eyes, barely daring to breath - yet the sudden howl of the... flying tank and its engines would have given her pause. She felt hope surge in her chest at the distinctive markings - Bisen Foris! At last, her prayers had been answered. She turned her gaze on Ashford likewise regarding the spectacle above wearily.

"Still feeling confident?" She asked, unable to hide a sneer in her voice as confidence dared to begin creeping back into her soul.

The noble smiled back... But only with his mouth.

"Oh, but of course your Highness."

At the snap of a finger, two of the accompanying insurgents, covered in long, feature-obscuring cloaks, stepped forward to flank him on either side. To the untrained eye they seemed much the same as the other conspirators - but to those who knew how to look, there was something... unnatural about their gait, their posture, the slenderness of their forms that seemed to defy human explanation.

"How delightful of you to join us, noble knights of Bisen Foris!"

The figure to his right handed him something - a small megaphone, made of dark blue metal, that he held up to his mouth, amplifying his words as he spoke to those assembled above in the lumbering monstrosity.

"However, If you're going to interrupt my proposal to the Queen, you leave me no choice. I'm afraid I'm going to have to..."

There was a pause, as he was cognizant of uttering what amounted to the ultimate insult - but eventually, he continued tentatively:

"...ask you to leave."
 

VeraC

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Jun 18, 2018
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#5
Okuni paid no heed to the new invaders in the throne room for the moment, continuing to direct all of her attention to the woman she was to duel with.

Perhaps to the untrained eye, Erina’s movements were quick and straightforward, but to Okuni? There was time aplenty to react. She watched as the woman came in, but in watching, she promptly switched her grip to the former blade she had been using previously, leaving the 'suspicious' one in its sheath. In a manner of moments, Okuni began to match breathing with the woman across from her, moving in sync to Erina. In the same breath Erina had to bridge the gap, Okuni moved diagonally, springing off her legs using the tension having previously built up in them. Moving under the swing of Erina, allowing the concrete block to effectively hide her, Erina would notable see Okuni vanish from sight, before appearing in her blind spot to her side.

「隠滅三歩ー死神の息吹」
Inmetsu Third Step: Reaper's Breath

Within her second breath, Okuni drew her blade, the blade moving soundlessly as it exited the wooden scabbard. Were Erina to turn to the strike, she might think her vision would deceive her, as she would see five simultaneous strikes coming at her at once. One at her forehead, one to her neck, one at her armpit, one at her kidney, and one at her knee.

Which one was the real one? It seemed improbable for one to strike five times within a singular moment. She only saw Okuni swing once, yet there were five visible strikes. Was it an illusion?

But nay, the truth lied in that all five were true strikes; with her body’s strength and agility amplified many times over due to Fuurinkazan, it was possible for Okuni to perform feats beyond that which seemed humanly possible.

Inmetsu Branch’s Third Step: Reaper’s Breath; a deadly technique in which one strikes the multiple fatal points of an opponent in a singular breath, striking with both precision and speed. Perhaps lost to the annals of history, there was another practitioner of the sword who attempted to mimic the Reaper’s Breath, though he could never reach the technique’s full potential, only capable of reaching a maximum of three strikes in one moment.

Though the woman possessed a certainly inhuman amount of strength, but that’s all there was to her. Such unrefined techniques seemed unfitting for one who fancied herself a knight. She was more a barbarian than anything else. Did such a family even exist in Everglory?

Regardless, Okuni took several steps back, resetting her posture and resheathing her sword, waiting to see what would come next from the gorilla woman. Her arms were covered in sweat and her body remained heated while Ki flew through her muscles almost limitlessly. While she felt no pain at the moment, the opening of her gates would definitely take its toll later.

"You clearly didn't think this through, did you?"

Okuni had hoped for a challenging fight, but it seemed her expectations were far higher than what Erina could offer thus far. Regardless, with the duel underway, all Okuni could do was end it as soon as possible.
 
Aug 25, 2018
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#6
Fear


The woman recognized the weight of death, and the locks it placed upon her spirit and body. She didn’t see her attack miss; she knew it ‘had’ to have done something. As the moments shifted to seconds, Erina realized just how deep she had dug her own grave. The massive pressure weighing down on the woman wasn’t the result of her burdensome responsibility; the Samurai was still alive, and preparing to take the Baron’s life in one move. The Baron didn’t hear the step or see the initial movement. All the woman heard was the samurai’s second breath, and her eyes shot to one side as she shifted her weight on the balls of her feet.


If I can just get my hands in front of me, I can-


There was five flashes, as blood splattered the ground between the two. 5 stripes of crimson, drawn in the blood of the Baron, colored the dusty and broken floor, as the woman started to fall forward. Blood was already staining her white top and starting to soak through the thick fabric of her pants.


So...that’s the result of the Aohara Clan’s masterful practice and skill. Thousands of years worth of training, coming to fruition here in this singular monster. I could just fall, and go to sleep. Sleep helps all wounds, right?




Come on, Doban! You can’t be serious! Even if she was a man, you can’t simply hand over your legacy to someone you dragged off the curb!” The old man spoke sincerely to his old companion, who was stoking a cigar. Satisfied with his light, the old warrior turned to his dear friend.


She has more heart than half of these Lunarian bastards. Remember when being a Baron or Duke meant more than having a share in the Orgone industry and a robot with bullshit abilities? Those Knights refused to accept our League of Gentlemen, and managed to thin our numbers down to just the four of us.” Doban took another puff of his cigar, before reaching into his thick jacket. Pulling out a dossier, he tossed it across the table. Two equally aged men stepped forward, flipping open the page. Their looks of disbelief brought a chuckle from Doban.


W-what are these medical records? These kind of numbers should be impossible!


This isn’t a girl, this is a wea-!


HAHAHAHAHA! SHE IS MY SUCCESSOR, THE BARONESS DOBAN!” The old man’s loud voice echoed through the hall, as he slammed his palm into the table for show. His huge smirk wasn’t lost on his companions, as he pushed himself up from his seat. His eyes turned serious, as he spoke to his three companions.


This is our last chance. We are all old men, who will soon close the final pages on our lives. This girl...my daughter, she can learn all of our techniques and secrets. She will be the successor, the one who inherits our mantles. She will carry my name and pilot the Bemidban, but her actions will ensure our legacy is never forgotten. Are you all with me, for one final task?


I thought you’d never ask, old friend.


I wouldn’t miss it for the world.


Let’s remind these Lunarian snobs that there was a classier group of men, who surpassed the knights of old.




Erina’s eyes reopened, as she sighed audibly. Enough messing around. Planting her foot, the woman shot forward, matching the same speed that Okuni had used during her technique. As the Samurai returned her sword to the wooden sheath, an armored boot would slam into the base of the hilt.


Should’ve used the other katana, Okuni; you let me get the length of that blade in our first exchange.” Lunging forward with all of her strength, the Baron would either yank the Samurai off-balance with her foot, or shatter the wooden case and bury the blade halfway into the court beside the Samurai.


Upon closer inspection, the five cuts had done their damage to the Baron, but not in the same capacity Okuni had hoped. The woman took the cut to the forehead while lowering her head, creating a deep gash across her face. Blood was running down her face, across one eye and dripping down her chin. The cut to her neck had been blocked by her shoulder, cutting through the shirt and deep into the flesh beyond. The strike to her armpit had been blocked her arm, which gained a debilitating wound as a result. Using that injured arm’s, she deflected the strike to her lower abdomen enough that it simply cut through her skin and didn’t pierce her abdomen. And for the strike to the knee; the Baron simply fell forward, using her own position and knowledge of Okuni’s strike to have the blade cut with minimal effect across her upper calf.


All of that damage showed with the blood that splattered the floor with each step, but there was no hesitation or pain in the movements that the Baron showed. As her lunging kick finished, the woman planted her feet and shifted into a single-handed boxer’s stance.


Doban JAB!” The fastest move she had wasn’t a fancy sword technique, a spiritual move that could defy reality, or even a special technique handed down in secrecy. It was a move as old as the sport of boxing, and textbook in its simplicity. But today it would be remembered in reverence by all people watching.


Doban’s arm vanished to anyone watching, and followed by the sound of a crushing impact. It was a simple flicker jab, followed by two more quick jabs from the small woman. But each one had the weight of an uppercut thrown by a world-class heavyweight. Each one was directed at the Samurai’s face, aiming to throw the Samurai off-balance. Darting forward using her footwork, the woman’s gaze wouldn’t leave Okuni’s, already matching her pace and memorizing the ranges.


If Okuni spared the injuries a glance, she would doubtless notice something strange; the blood that had been dripping quite freely before was almost stopped, and the Baron was already flexing her ‘damaged’ arm. The blood dripping off her chin had almost stopped as well, as the Baron attempted to continue her boxing match with the disarmed Samurai.

The Baron was so fixated on her fight with the Samurai and the protection of the Queen, she didn't spare the arriving allies a glance. All the woman knew was, if that new robot went after the Queen...she would answer in kind, using the Bemidban to show them the err of their ways.
 
Jun 28, 2018
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#7
Sir Dalgard: "... huh. Hey guys, he just as-"

Glancing over his shoulder, the tank pilot would find his comrades were already beyond the reach of the bulkheads, doubtless in the midst of disembarking. Which didn't put them out of comms range just yet, but it did present the practical concern that no one else remained in the tank in a capacity to give a reply. No one but him could use the loudspeaker now. Meaning of all the people in the chivalry, he had to actually address the great Lord Ashford. As his head turned back to the controls, he could already feel the sinking sensation in his gut. Somehow his stomach had just orgone-jumped all the way to the Earth surface.

He swallowed the tension welling in his throat. Thought a moment for something witty to say, eyes swiftly scanning their surroundings. And finally tapped the switch to connect his headset to the wired comms line, making it echo around the chamber.

"... blast, am I early? Schedule says 2:30, I figured a minute or two difference wouldn't matter so much, but... damn, I guess I missed the cue from the flash mob. Have to say, you've really gone all out! Opening the roof to set the mood, and the lighting just right... proposing under the glow of a thousand burning souls of the damned, a routine with your backup dancers, live entertainment - you know, good for you."

While their fellow prattled on, the five knights fretted with ease down to the ground, forming a cordon around the Queen. Four bodies form a wall of metal, armor, and shields, while the fifth heaved a sigh just watching the fight across the way. She muttered as she busily tapped at her vambrace's controls.

"Good. For. You! It's wonderful to see that a man of your... uh... age and experience can still find romance in this day and age!"
Sir Praskowia: "I don't know who's dumber - the schlub with the megaphone, the schlub with the loudspeaker, or the schlub who gladly loses that much blood."
Sir Grahn: "Worry not, my Queen. We shall not let harm come to you this day."

At her command, a trio of small winged figures took off from her sled, darting like pixies on their tiny quad wings. They came to hover in the air around the Baron, engaging their scanners to analyze her medical condition, the better that Sir Praskowia could decide on a treatment. Her brow burrowed as she read the results, a long, annoyed breath out issuing from her nostrils. 'Well that's not much point trying to give her a transfusion in this state,' she thought to herself, 'She's like to just lose it all again. And besides...'

She set her jaw, and tapped in another sequence. One of the drones dipped down, hovering as a panel opened, poised like a spring fairy holding a signboard. Except on that board was a paragraph about authorizing treatment, and how the patient could either tap the displayed button to the affirmative or give a vocal signal in the affirmative. In the meantime, Camille turned her attention to the monarch nearby, popping open her other vambrace to conduct a cursory scan of her health.

"But trust me, we're gonna have a great time - limo ride through the city, little moon-shuttle trip around orbit, take in the battle and the latest black holes and edritch monsters by the light of the full Earth."
Sir Praskowia: "Here hold still a minute. Any nausea, discomfort, sudden urges to deck suitors?"
"Then uh... dinner and dancing? Man if she ain't already said yes I'm sure this spectacle will really sweep her off her feet, am I right?"
 
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GEAR

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Jun 15, 2018
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#8
Ashford listened to Dalgard prattle on with the most remarkable restraint any of his pedigree had ever displayed, his features showing little but the standard polite interest in whatever was being said. Terms such as "flash mob", "backup dancers" and "eldritch monsters" registered vaguely to him, but as his tirade wore on, his lips slowly set into a thin line, brow beginning to furrow in genuine irritation.

"Thank you, Sir Grahn."

Selene, for her part, received the attention of Bisen Foris with gratitude - her hand reached out and touched the man on his wrist, looking to him searchingly.

"Is everything alright outside? I sense... A disturbance."

There was a sudden loud clearing of the throat. Ashford had the assembled group fixed in his glare. He gave a long, slow sigh of exasperation.

"I do so abhor violence." He said, almost to himself as his hand dropped to his side, resting on the hilt of his rapier.

"But to interfere with true love, well..."

His eyes narrowed into slits. Bisen Foris or not, he was not going to leave empty handed after so much sacrifice.

"Now that is... unforgivable."

He raised his right hand, and snapped his fingers, causing the figures at his side to stand at attention, backs ramrod straight.

"Porsche, Ferrari." He said;

"Attend."

There was a dull green glow from beneath the hoods, as two pairs of eyes looked up, fixating on the knights gathered about Selene.

"[Yes, My Lord.]"

As he did - the left figure suddenly leapt into action, sprinting at breakneck speed towards the assembled group, causing its cowl to fall back - and for a moment, its visage would be instantly recognizable: the "dolls", the automatons that had greeted them at Ashford's manor. Yet, that facade instantly shattered as its feminine features split apart, extending out on a flexible, metallic spine and disgorging a series of camera-eyes from its interior, giving it an appearance not unlike a dinosaur as it advanced, form seeming to expand as it did so.

One gunmetal-blue arm was raised - and it too split, interior parts extending out to approximately twice its length to form a vaguely smooth, rectangular rim of some kind. The confusion would only have been temporary, as bright green Orgone Crystal protrusions jutted into being about it, whirring to life into a facsimile of a chainsaw as it swung at the closest knight, ripping the blade across their chest as its other hand shot out on a wire, fingers expanding into a grasping claw as it aimed to lash itself about Sir Grahn's leg and drag him away from the Queen.

The second machine turned its attention to the Kaiser above, eyes flickering as built-in cameras took stock of the vehicle. Stakes discharged from its ankles, slamming into the pavement as it anchored itself, raising its arms as armor plates shifted in a remarkably different fashion than its sister unit. Gun barrels of all kinds jutted from every opening, telescoping out as its face clicked open, revealing a single oscillating long-range camera. From its back came twin long, rectangular launchers that then immediately lit up, the entire miniature android revealing its nature as an arms platform that spat compact Orgone missiles and bolts of fury into the sky at the hovering tank. Though not quite powerful enough to pierce an Orgone Cloud, it seemed the purpose was more to test the weapon's defenses - and perhaps, the mettle of its pilot.

Ashford, for his part, advanced behind the machine, drawing his sword, a thin, glowing green vein emitting a slow vapor from its surface as it hummed to life in his grip. Not for nothing had he developed the world's smallest Orgone Condensors - and if now wasn't the time to show what they were worth, then there never would be another chance again!
 

VeraC

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Jun 18, 2018
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#9
Perhaps it was slightly unforeseen by Okuni for whatever reason, but in a momentary lapse of observation, Erina has closed the gap and slammed her foot into the handle of the katana she had just sheathed. The weapon pushed through and tore her Obi, letting lose both the katana as well as the second weapon on her waist. In an acrobatic reactive move, Okuni grabbed the relic weapon and let the force of the strike carry her backwards, spinning and sliding her feet on the floor before resetting back into a readied posture, now with the talisman-wrapped blade in her hand. The undoing of her Obi caused her Kimono and Hakama to be undone, the cloth now freely draping down to the floor.

As she regained her bearings, Erina came in with her second flurry of punches, aiming to crush Okuni’s face in. She held the sheathed blade to intersect with the fists, and as the two collided, Erina would find her fist smash through the scabbard, shattering the wood with sheer force; though she would find her fist meeting with the blade of the sword within, yet it would proceed no further than that. At the very worst, her hand would be cut by her own force if she pushed through. Regardless, the force of the blow carried through, sending Okuni flying backwards into the wall of the throne room.

Colliding with the wall, she crashed in, breaking the wall and creating a cloud of dust that surrounded the crater. With no signs of movement from the impact point, a pause overcame the room, an eerie silence that fell upon both the participants and the onlookers within the room. Had Okuni lost? Was the duel over?

“...Onee-san…”

Next to Ashford, Hikari could be heard speaking Okuni’s name softly. Though if to the many the fight seemed to be over, Hikari could sense what was to happen next.




The key of all martial arts was one’s breath. The key to life was one’s breath. Through the oxygen humans intook, they were given life and allowed to flourish throughout history. To a martial artist, one’s breath was their life. The oxygen that filled their lungs, that filled their muscles, allowed them to continue fighting, and allowed them to strengthen themselves beyond that which was normal.

“Fuuuuu….. Haaaaaaa”

To end the silence within the room, a singular breath resonated throughout the atmosphere of the throne room, one that would bring both chills and sweat to all who heard it.

Okuni could feel it. As the oxygen entered her lungs and proliferated throughout her body, she began to feel revitalized, clearing her mind and relaxing her muscles. Her Haki followed the Oxygen, forming in her torso then spreading through her body, enveloping her muscles, strengthening them.

With the scabbard broken, the blade of the weapon was revealed to all. It was a pristine white jade-color, that held no reflection in its construction. The blade was crafted with materials unknown neither Earth, nor the moon for that fact. The golden Tsuka shimmered in the dim light of the throne room, giving the weapon an almost regal or divine look to it.

Okuni looked at the blade, in an almost surprised manner, as it was the first time she had seen the blade herself. She blinked twice then gave herself a nod, returning her focus back to her foe. Holding the blade in her hands, she could feel the weight of it, in more ways than one. She held the blade at the ready and closed her eyes.

“Fuuuuuu….. Haaaaaaaaaa……”

Okuni took another deep breath, taking in the atmosphere. Her body was covered in scratches and bruises, and her clothes were turning into tatters. Her nervous system had completely shut off all sense of pain, the wounds inflicted on her giving no toll to her fighting ability. Her Haki continued to fill her body before entering into the sword, beginning to course through the Jade-like material.

“Had you had been serious from the start, perhaps I would’ve used this sooner.”

It was now that Soul and Sword would become one.

“Relic Weapon: Takamagahara, Release.”

It was then that Haki would burst forth from the blade, enwrapping the blade in vibrant energy, and amplifying it enough to make the energy visible to the normal eye.

“Allow me to fight you seriously now.”

This was the first time in a long time Okuni had the chance to fully go all-out in combat, though in the back of her mind, she knew there was no glory to be won from this fight. While the woman held a superhuman level of strength and could be seen as a worthy adversary, she lacked the skill of combat and the prowess of a true warrior. It was no different than fighting a mere animal in Okuni’s eyes.

The pristine white blade of Takamagahara was covered in in Okuni’s Haki; if one could see the flow of mana within her, the two would be connected in a seamless fashion, almost as if the blade itself was an extension of her body; no, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the blade was a part of her body itself. Though the flow was notably in a single direction.

With two steps, Okuni had vanished from the crater in the wall, a crackle and burst in the stone following where she had been not but a second after. She had moved to within slashing range of Erina, her blade held sideways to perform a horizontal crescent slash. While Doban might’ve expected the swing to come at her as fast as Okuni’s prior strikes, this strike started surprisingly slow, perhaps even catching her off guard, almost as if Okuni was swinging the blade in slow motion. Erina could hear Okuni grunting through the swing, her whole body immensely tensed, Haki building seemingly condensing around the blade. Despite this, the blade screeched like a banshee as it moved through the air; to Erina it would be as if Death was slowly moving towards her.

And nothing would stop it.

One thing Erina would notice was that Okuni’s eyes were closed. rather than relying on her visual sight, using her other senses to ‘reach’ out and feel for where Erina was.

Though, roughly a quarter of the way through the swing, as if time had returned to normal, As Okuni exhaled, releasing the built-up Haki with a crackle and ‘boom’ that ruptured from the air, the blade completed its arc, the weapon slicing with force beyond reckoning, cutting through wind and air itself, blowing away small stones and any other loose materials that were lying about, and even slicing into even a pillar beyond Erina. Were it to strike Erina directly, much less than bisecting the woman, it would be more likely that her body would get blasted to smithereens with the sheer force that laid behind the weapon.

With a forward step, her foot making cracks in the floor as she planted it into ground, Okuni quickly shifted the position of the blade now holding it overhead as she swung downwards. The blade screeched through the air again, before crashing into the floor, creating a crater and kicking up dust and stone. The earth-shattering swing shook the ground creating a further mess of the throne room than what already was.

“Fuuuuuuuu…… Haaaaaa….”

With another breath, Okuni turned her head to the direction of Erina. If she saw through the dust, Erina would see that Okuni’s eyes were shut, and her expression was blankly calm. She began to reset her position and held her blade vertically at the ready, relaxing her body and mind.

Hikari in the meanwhile, perhaps in seeing her cousin continuing to fight, became motivated to fight too, as she pulled out her Katana and moved with the automatons of Ashford, moving to attack the Lunar Knights. She felt a little put off by the words Ashford had said, but he was their charge, and helping him ensure his goals was all they could do.

“Inmetsu! Fuurinkazan, Third Gate: Open!”

Haki began to fill her body too, though not quite to the same extent as Okuni. She might not be as great a warrior as her cousin, but she was still a practitioner of the Kusanagi sword style, and wouldn’t lose to any of these knights.

She held her blade at the ready to strike at one of the Knights.
 
Aug 25, 2018
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#10
Erina’s breath came in gasps as the pain started to catch up with her. Her punch had been enough to send the Samurai flying, after disarming her original sword and destroying her attire. But, the powerful strike had left a deep gash in her hand, dripping blood onto the ground. She could hear the shuffling of her allies, as they surrounded the Queen in their armor and shields. Selene was safe, and the Baron could relax her stance. The punch had gone through, though it had been partially blocked by the scabbard of Okuni. Her vision swam, as she forced herself to remain standing upright. Three small robots flew around the woman, scanning her physical state after the intense trade of blows. One hovered in front of her, offering a panel that would let the Baron receive treatment.

Don’t mind if I do…

Smiling softly, the woman reached for the button. That’s when Ashford’s two robot companions reacted to his snap, one darting forward while the other lashed out towards the artillery support hovering overhead. The Baron reacted as well, shouting over the sudden melee.

Doban Authorization! Defend the Baron!” There was a loud roar, as the Bemidban reacted instantly. There was nothing fine or detailed about its next action, as the robot linked to the ‘marker’ it had been programmed to; the jacket that the Queen currently wore. It scanned the knights surrounding the Queen, instantly identifying them as non-hostile. It’s scanner shifted to the Orgone-infused robot and labeled it an attacker. Yanking one huge arm from the rubble, it swung down, slamming the armored fist of the Bemidban onto the Ashford mech. It would ensure it didn’t hit the Knights guarding the 'pilot' as it attempted to judge the state of the enemy.

The small robots wouldn’t get a chance to work their full effects, as a shift in pressure made the injured Baron’s attention shift. Her gaze traveled past the tattered clothes, shattered sheaths, and the abandoned katana, reaching the far end of the throne room. Her eyes widened when she saw the chest of the Samurai moving. The Baron knew she hadn’t killed the opponent, but there was something different in the way that breathing sounded. The strange katana was still clasped in her hands, the white blade exposed for the Baron to see. The Samurai suddenly shifted, looking towards the sword in strange familiarity.

No, you can’t get back up. Not after that hit.

The Samurai fell forward out of the cratered wall, landing in a crouch. The sword was clasped in both of her hands now. Her breathing was still focused, seeming to draw the energy of the room towards the injured woman. There was a strange aura surrounding the woman, as she spoke loud enough for the Baron to hear her words. The weight of the declaration wasn’t lost on the injured Baron, who struggled to ball both of her hands into fists.

You can’t just launch into another insane attack, not after getting struck in the head like that! It’s impossible, science dict-

Her eyes widened as the strange sword began to glow. There was no power supply attached to that sword, which meant one thing: the Samurai had manifested her strange magic into that blade, and was doubtless using it to continue standing now. Erina heard the final remark, about fighting seriously, and tried not to visibly swallow her fears. The Baron struggled to amass strength into her arms, when the Samurai vanished. There was a blur immediately to her front, as Okuni reappeared directly to Erina’s front. The Baron felt the weight of death greater than ever before, as the Samurai released a forced breath of exertion.

The blade cutting towards her held a weight and aura the woman had never encountered before, or witnessed the likes of. All the options she could take were rapidly disappearing, as the woman realized just how outstripped she truly was. Her punches couldn’t stop this Samurai from delivering this strike, which carried all of Okuni’s soul and will. The Baron doubted she could stop it even with the help of the Bemidban. As all of her thoughts ran into overload, those mere moments stretched into an eternity...and the Baron remembered.




What’s the point of learning something this stupid? I just have to shoot the guy first, or smash him with my fists!” The young teenager flicked the edge of the cane sword resting on the table. The gathered men laughed together, before Duke Vern picked up the thin weapon.


There are those in the world capable of infusing their weapons and bodies with an energy forged from their soul. Some call it ‘ki’, while others call it ‘haki’. As for us, we simply dub it ‘spirit’. Any true gentleman should be capable of wielding their spirit as a weapon to protect the things they love and wish to protect. You see that section of armor there?


The teenage girl nodded, crossing her legs as she leaned back in her chair. The old man walked over to the thick plate of steel, before releasing a slow breath. Swinging down with the sword, he split the armor, table, and the reinforced floor beneath in one arcing cut. The girl actually fell backwards out of her chair in shock; she had seen the Duke in boxing matches with the other men, and he wasn’t ‘strong’. Seeing him split something that she couldn’t scratch with a stronger weapon had left the girl shocked.


That’s the ability of spirit, enhancing and infusing an item with your own life force. It’s a far simpler matter to merge spirit with your body. Which is why today’s lesson is being taught by your father.”


Baron Doban rose from his chair, before walking over to his floored daughter. Grinning at the young girl, he declared.


Today you’ll learn two things! How to use Spirit and the greatest defense technique of the Doban bloodline!


The four gentlemen grinned evilly, as the young teenager laughed nervously. The training that day...would be something she had nightmares about for years to follow.








Okuni would be able to sense it as the air shifted around the injured Baron. Her breathing was focused, as she lowered her stance. The Baron didn’t have a choice now; she recognized the destruction and the energy behind that cut; it was such that it could reach and harm the Queen, the reason this entire fight started. Her hands were open as she brought them to her sides, matching the slow weight that Okuni had in her opening slash. The Samurai would see the burning spirit as it ignited within the Baron’s core, shooting out into both of her hands. There was the weight of conviction and necessity embedded into the ‘spirit’ that coated Erina’s hands, as she looked across at the Samurai. As the blade suddenly exploded forward, Erina’s feet shifted and her hands slammed together with a boom that reverberated through the entire throne room.


To those with the ability to watch, the scene would be ridiculous. For the Samurai, it was hypocrisy. For the Baron, it was a small step in the right direction.

TRUE BLADE GRASP!

Her hands would burn with her spirit, while sparks danced between the clashing auras. But, for that instant, both figures would be locked in a standstill. Erina’s gaze darted towards the Queen and her entourage, before her determination surged up. With a roar of rage, she pushed forward...and her spirit exploded. The force of her spirit rejecting the Samurai’s was too much, sending the Baron flying backwards into the hand of the Bemidban after it slammed down. She struck it with enough force to physically bounce off, staggering three steps forward and falling into a crouch. Blood began dripping from her nose and the cuts before, causing her vision to swim from strain. She could feel her entire body attempting to shut down, after the abuse of something internal that couldn’t be simply ignored. She forced her foot under her, before struggling to rise up. She saw Ashford walking towards herself, and smiled weakly. Blood started to drip off her chin, as she forced a simple line through her strained throat.


Haa...I’m still good to fight, Ashford. You ready for your turn?”​
 
Jun 28, 2018
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#11
Simultaneous with that snap of Lord Ashford's fingers, those among the cordon might have heard another faint sound echo it. A phantom chirp, almost as if somewhere, softly but sharply, two small blocks of wood had been clapped against each other. As Okuni began to breathe, as Ashford called the names of his maids, as the Baron tapped the Agree button and the drones moved to administer care, there was a glimmer within the group of knights. A slight haze. And the next moment, a flutter of flower petals began to waft across the field.

From his pilot seat, Danilo Dalgard glanced to a window popping up on his screen. One bearing the emergency recall order coming in from Ignis Kaiser. He frowned to himself. It was something they were all hoping to avoid, leaving part of the team behind without support when all hands would be needed to intiate Kaiser's full strength. His attention only lingered a moment before the incoming fire warning. Amid treatment, the Baron gave the order for Bemidban to defend her, and the big bruiser began to move. Sir Dalgard's feet and fingers flew in a speed and precision born of mild terror, noting Sir Kovak's contribution and wryly rounding out his remarks amid them.

"Well-anyway-here's-the-petal-shower-as-promised-I'll-just-go-park BYE!!"

And with that, the Terra Kaiser blinked away, teleporting back to its fellows in a flash of Orgone, leaving the incoming ballistic rounds to pelt across the mighty fist Bemidban was lobbing its way. It was about that point that blades were closing in, the knights setting into their stances to receive them. One by one, they named themselves, and in so doing, the formerly transparent portions of their helmets darkened, hair and eyes vanishing behind their color-coded armor and black polarized visors.

"Grey Knight of Temperance, Chevalier Deux - Sir Mirko Grahn!"
"Violet Knight of Patience, Chevalier Sept - Sir Olga Pritschitsch!"
"Black Knight of Restraint, Chevalier Huit - Sir Raoul Rossilon!"
"*sigh* White Knight of Honesty, Chevalier Neuf, Sir Camille Praskowia."

The blades landed on the last syllables - the chainsaw-wielding maid dragged her blade across Sir Grahn's Kaiser Barricade, the mountain of manhood surprising nimble with a slab of metal that big. Sparks showered as the orgone ground trying to find purchase, biting bit by bit through the super-durable but not infallible material. She... it... was set upon swiftly however by Sir Rossilon and his quarterstaff, his Kaiser Cloak curling unnaturally around him to cover his flank. At the other side, Sir Pritschitsch was receiving Hikari's swing along the sturdy blade shields hitched to her arms like tonfa - the halves of her Kaiser Cross. The resounding crash of the Baron and the Samurai's clash filled the space beyond.

It was now, then, that the fifth figure stepped from the space between the Queen and the rest of the line. A 2.3 meter spire of armor and super-science toting a spear. A crimson devil of war, the seams of its scarlet armor lined in veins of blue. On its helm and elbows, it bore the golden antlers. Across its forehead, shoulders, and belt it bore the golden rokumonsen. From the speakers embedded in her Kaiser Karakuri, her Sanada Maru, the tiny woman's voice rang clear, crisp, and without ornament.

"Navy Knight of Modesty. Chevalier Onze. Sir Hana Kovak."
 
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GEAR

Administrator
Staff member
Jun 15, 2018
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#12
"Lord Ashford."

The leader of the insurrection was watching the madness unfold before him unflinchingly when a voice by his ear made itself known. A hooded co-conspirator, one of the few that remained, spoke hurriedly to him.

"Sir Boucher has fallen. Many of our number have defected to the loyalists-"

In the distance, the gun-toting doll's frame flashed, a miniature Orgone Cloud pulsing into being - but only the petals sparked against its surface, causing it to pause momentarily in its confusion-

Just long enough for the fist of the Bemdiban, descending like a meteorite, to catch it dead on. Gunfire spattering defiantly, it vanished from view as the Bemidban crushed it into the floor like an insect, leaving a bright green stain across the ancient machine's knuckle.

Its twin sister fared little better - it had been programmed with the expectation of encountering some lightly-armed knights, not whatever this was. Rossilon's quarterstaff lashed out - and found purchase among the thinly armored wires about the machine's neck, yanking it forward - where a decisive blow came crashing down on its exposed, lightly-armored skull, shattering it into a thousand pieces. The extended, malevolent looking body took another uncertain step, before giving a grinding, mechanical shudder - and collapsed, crumpling into a heap of steaming metal at the knights' feet.

A cold bead of sweat dripped down the the back of Ashford's neck as he regarded the Kaiser Karakuri. Things, he finally had to admit, were getting out of hand.

But... He wasn't through just yet. Bisen Foris could be reasoned with. They were still bound by the same rules as he. Furthermore-

There was a vibrant hum of energy at Hikari's neck. The Orgone-crystal veined rapier's tip held delicately just below her throat, in such a fashion that indicated that the merest errant flick would be enough to send her head tumbling from her shoulders. Ashford's gaze went sideways, to the doubtlessly-winded Okuni.

"Get up." He instructed, voice now completely devoid of its genetically-engineered charm. He shook his head in disappointment.

"I should have known skill is no substitute for blood." He continued,

"You will win-"

"Enough, Thane."

Queen Selene spoke, placing an appreciative hand on Mirko's armor as she stepped forward. She glared at Ashford, the confidence now entirely returned to her features, every bit the monarch of the Moon - and nobody's pawn.

"Your treachery has failed. Our people need us now more than ever before... and yet here you are: still thinking only of blood. Of purity."

"You would see our heritage, our divine blessing watered down? Made into chattle, no different from the Terran mutts?"

Ashford's expression deepened into a scowl, and the end of the blade noticeably shook with fury in his grip as he spoke through gritted teeth.

"And I am the traitor?"
 

VeraC

Member
Staff member
Jun 18, 2018
314
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#13

Though as she tried to steady herself, her right leg gave out from under her and she fell down to one knee. The blade was stabbed into the ground as she used it as a post to keep herself from collapsing completely. While the extent of the strike wasn’t as quite as ideal and she had hoped, the Baron seemed out of commission for all but her voice, which made the duel her victory…? Not that it seemed anything would be gained from winning the duel, what with the knights making their appearance and all.

Things had gotten quite messed up since the beginning so in all honesty it was beginning to be hard to tell exactly which side held the advantage. Though, perhaps that was just Okuni failing to take in exactly what had happened during her duel. With the arrival of the Lunar knights, the appearance of Ashford’s dolls, among other things, this whole situation had become a complete mess.

“Get up.”

And then Okuni heard Ashford’s words. She opened her eyes and turned to him, who now held Hikari at bladepoint. Perhaps the man’s true colors were beginning to show. Okuni and Hikari had done what the man had told them to do, there hadn’t been an ounce of betrayal in their actions. Such was their code of honor. And yet he would threaten her with the life of her cousin?

Perhaps it was his pragmatism. Was this really the best method he saw to win this battle? Okuni looked to Hikari, who had turned her head to Okuni. The two exchanged a momentary exchange of looks, before Hikari nodded. She was surprisingly calm for one who was in her situation. Perhaps Ashford was underestimating her as she was weaker than Okuni, but even she was miles above Ashford in ability.

Skill is no substitute for blood? Blood can only take one so far in life. Skill though? There was no limit as to how one skilled one could be. Okuni would take a lifetime of skill over being born into the right ‘blood’ any day.

Despite his words though, this was a precarious position for Okuni. She was honorbound to Ashford to carry out her duty of somehow winning this for him, yet at the same time, he only saw them as disposable lackeys. Mulling it over in her mind for a moment, she began to formulate her plan.

“Fuuuuuuu….. Haaaa…….”

With another breath, Okuni forced herself up onto her feet, and wiped the blood leaking from her mouth with her arm. Scanning the room for who was left, the ten people in the room all registered in Okuni’s eyes. She especially took note of the miniature armor, which she couldn’t help but make an embarrassed laugh internally. What was this? Knights roleplaying as Samurai? A joke is what it was.

Okuni closed her eyes and leaned back in a stance as she began to regulate her breathing. Haki began to circulate around her, forming and condensing into arks of lightning that began to crackle and whip around her. She held Takamagahara at her side and readied it to strike, the blade igniting with Haki once more. Her mind sorted through everyone in the room and she began to clear out those who weren’t her target. She finally settled on a singular individual.

It would all be decided in this last technique.

「天下第三歩 - 武御雷」
"Tenka Third Step - Takemikazuchi!"

With another crackle and boom that blew wind throughout the entire room, Okuni vanished from sight, a gust of wind residing where she once was. She moved with the sound of thunder, that shook the entire room and brought a great flash of light as she appeared once more, now right behind Ashford. At the same moment, as if in sync, Hikari rotated and shifted her body, bringing her own blade up and guarding her neck as she slipped out from Ashford’s sword-point. And out of the way of what was to come.

“Haaaaaaaaah!!!”

With an upward strike, the blade scraping on the ground, sparks flying as Okuni swung the blade, the ear-piercing shriek once gain rang in the ears of all present, before Okuni released her tension and send the blade swinging upwards in an arc, aimed to bisect Ashford in his entirety, from bottom to top. As the blade reached the apex of its arc, a bolt of lightning shot up into the ceiling, causing the room to shake once more and debris to fall from above. The force of the swing pressured the wind around the blade, that would likely also send the man’s body flying into the air, as one would send a ragdoll flying. The aftermath would likely result in a shower of bloody rain around Okuni, the man’s remnants eventually falling down to the ground.

Okuni looked to the ground at what remained and spoke solemnly.

“We had put our trust in you that you saw us as equals. I may be a fool for breaking our pact, but you were even a greater fool for thinking we were but your lap dogs.”

It was then that her legs both buckled from underneath her once more, as she collapsed to the ground, perhaps finally reaching her limit. Her breathing grew heavy as the battlefield stress began to catch up to her. It would take some time for Fuurinkazan to fully wear off, but the pain would definitely make itself known soon enough.

Hikari rushed to Okuni’s side and held her by the shoulders. Perhaps Okuni hid it well with how she acted, but close up, one could fully realize the extent of damage the woman had taken. There was scant a place on her body that didn’t have an injury of some kind, and her clothes had more or less become rags. Part in due to the Baron, but part due to simply how she moved.

“Ane-ue…”

Hikari looked on at her cousin with both concern and admiration, before turning to Selene and the Knights of Luna. And it was like this that this coup would end as quickly as it began, with the death of Ashford, the nobles had lost their rallying point, and would likely crumble and fold soon enough.
 
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Aug 25, 2018
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#14





The Baron finished her struggle, bringing both of her fists up in front of her. Blood dripped onto the ground from her injuries, but her gaze had cleared up. She surveyed the room, finally noticing the strangely armored figures surrounding the Queen. The green fluid flowing from under the Bemidban’s fist was what remained of one of Ashford’s mechanical contraptions; the other was in pieces at the armored heroes’ feet. She kept her gaze on Ashford, sizing up his rapier. Erina gauged her options; she could possibly dart in and punch him once, without taking too much damage. That changed when the man shifted his aim, thrusting the blade under the Samurai’s sisters throat.


You bastard!” The Baron started to charge forward, when she heard the words the man spat. They weren’t directed at her or the Knights surrounding the Queen; it was directed at her opponent, the Samurai who had fought so fiercely. The Baron turned her gaze towards Okuni, as the traitorous knight shifted his focus to the Queen. The conversation followed as Erina watched Aohara’s movement. Erina could tell by the shift in the Samurai's movement and the woman’s step that she was preparing for one more strike. But the stance wasn't in the Baron's direction.


You reap what you sow, you poor man. You dug your grave, now die in it.

Not bothering to watch the carnage that would surely follow, the Baron turned towards the armored knights. Snapping her fingers audibly, the Bemidban returned to its standing position, returning the armored fist to its side. Walking past the armed guards, the woman knelt in front of the Queen, lowering her gaze in deference.


My apologies for the poor performance, Queen Selene. My arrogance led to my disheveled appearance; I have no excuses.” A soft smile crossed Erina’s face, as she looked up towards the Queen. “Hopefully the jacket kept you warm, my Queen.

Hopefully that impressed you, you old fogeys. We reminded all of Lunaria that the Doban lineage still exists.
 
Jun 28, 2018
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#15
And with that it was over - the blow connected with the back of the head, and the clockwork maid crumpled. Sir Rossilon blinked once or twice at its ease, while Sir Grahn silently released his held breath in relief. Sir Praskowia and Sir Pritschitsch had no such moment of respite, however, as the former busily operated her medical drones to tend to the Baron's injuries from the relative safety of the cordon. The latter reaffirmed her stance as she and Hikari's blades inevitably parted, attack vectors and possible strategies unfolding in her mind. Should her opponent take up a prana technique like the other one, she'd need to dock her Kaiser Cross blades back into their shield form, but to do that she'd need an opening.

Perhaps she could dump them, use the moment to fire off a few rounds from her bracer, and in the distraction pivot to - wait what was Lord Ashford doing?

A scowl crossed her lips as she found herself facing the hostage situation. Of all the possible moves, this was the absolute lowest. She could scarcely move lest he injure the girl, and former foe or not, it was against her morals to see that happen. It was to be expected though - a treasonous dog turning on his own to get what he wanted. Was that not the entire reason he was here? To her side, Sir Grahn's lips started to part to say Sir Kovak's name, to bid her to action only she could do. He barely got the first syllable before he noticed the phantom petal drift across the top of the shield.

As the traitor cast aspersion on skill, the ninja was already moving.


The beauty of a karakuri was ever in its automation. While there was space for the tiny woman to pilot the titan of steel, she had yet to actually board it. Anticipating a need to counter the samurai's flashy moves and blindingly fast attacks, she had been setting herself up to use Sanada Maru as a decoy. In that plan, the stalwart would have taken the swordswoman's ire across its sturdy hull, leaving her flank open for Sir Kovak to intervene, perhaps even restrain her. To that end, she had been keeping to the shadow of the cordon, her visage blocked by Sir Grahn's shield primarily. Inside her helmet, she could see the karakuri's perspective on part of her HUD - and the rapidly deteriorating situation.

It was a small matter then, to turn. To launch into her most difficult and most trusted of moves. To utilize the ancestral secret without flare or fanfare, the only hint of her passing the stray flecks of prana falling like cherry blossoms in her wake. Shirasagi no Hana - White Heron Flower. Her tiny body flew at inhuman speed - faster than most eyes could track, and wrapped in a mirage that would thwart those who could.

As the samurai was rising, as the queen was chiding, as the wannabe king was beginning to rant, her figure was suspended in the air above and slightly behind him. Before aught else could happen, a kunai would glance over each of his wrists, curling a length of wire around securely around each. A small foot then collided with his back, between the shoulders, just below the neck. The lithe arms jerking back to tug his arms forcefully behind, freeing Hikari from his blade. This made it all the easier for the girl to then turn in time with her cousin indeed.

What had escaped immediate notice in this, however, was the samurai's abrupt change in target.

Trusting her fellows and her Sanada Maru to sustain the blow, Sir Kovak - Hana, by her true name - used the combination of momentum and adrenaline to launch into a secondary technique. The downward force of her landing and the upward force of her pulling presented an axis around which to pivot, but by herself it wouldn't necessarily be enough to do it in time. Her senses expanded, her prana erupting from her back as she exerted force over her weight, over his weight, over the very air around them. In the briefest of moments, any who could have noticed the flicker would have beheld four enormous flower petals on her back like fairy wings - the origin of the motion's nickname, Spring Breeze Fairy.

The effect was both she and Lord Ashford now flew, rotating backward into a flip about the central axis of her foot on his spine. In the briefest of moments, she spun him high in the air, riding him aloft in turn. And then sent him face down into the earth again, the samurai's blade passing within the emptied space just beneath his airborne heels. The pair having rotated in the air above the samurai's head, Hana found herself staring at the woman's back as they descended. The nearness of it surprised her - the mere fact of samurai's presence did. The thought had occurred to her that the samurai might turn on her lord, as such insurgencies were wont to do. But given the previous displays, she had chosen to err on the woman's continued loyalty, even at sword point.

She didn't have time to truly dwell on it though. The next moment, they landed, hard, with a dull thud. Her weight slammed into his back, pinning his tangled arms behind him, her knee atop his head. Lightning hit the ground before them, still close enough for the edges to tickle Ashford's nose or make his hair stand on end. He had avoided death by only the slightest of margins, and it was entirely due to the intervention of a woman pinning him for arrest.

It was now the exhausted samurai woman spoke, her groundward gaze falling on the proud lord, his face firmly pressed in the detritus and rubble of his own making. Came then her final words:
"We had put our trust in you that you saw us as equals. I may be a fool for breaking our pact, but you were even a greater fool for thinking we were but your lap dogs.”
As the woman subsequently collapsed into her cousin's support, Hana found it her turn to speak.

Sir Kovak: "Lord Ashford. By the authority of The Order of Bisen Foris, I am arresting you for high treason against the crown, inciting rebellion, hostage taking, and the many other crimes you have committed this day. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."


In the meantime, in the space the Terra Kaiser had previously occupied above them, a new shape blinked into existence. This one was a sprawling large aircraft in the shape of a bird. Its hull was as yet unpainted, leaving it a naked shade of gunmetal grey. Its translucent panes were untinted, internals visible through the crystal clarity. Its external Orgone circuits were yet to be tuned, leaving them pulsing with a default red. But even in its unfinished state, the so-called Kaiser Unit 05 made a commanding presence.

Gingerly it eased as low as it could comfortably afford, the better for the knights (and any passengers) to climb aboard her when they were ready...

 
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GEAR

Administrator
Staff member
Jun 15, 2018
1,165
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#16
Ashford, face now pressed to the floor below could only stare wildly. The past few moments had been nothing more than a blur to him, but the ice-cold realization as Okuni had somehow still had the strength to fight had been a shock, even to him. And then... the world had blurred into motion, leaving him with the wind knocked out of his chest as he gasped, trying to swallow breaths of air as one of the Bisen Foris knights held him tight. In the background, he was vaguely aware that the remaining co-conspirators had fled in the chaos, hurriedly filing out of the room - leaving him well and truly alone.

He could even smell the faint scent of flame, the edges of his hair singed black by Okuni's Haki.

Selene watched the Knights work with solemnity, her arms folded close to her chest. As the Baron approached however, she gave a grateful, demure nod. Her hand reached out to the Baron's shoulder, as well as that of Sir Praskowia.

"Baron Doban... Bisen Foris. The crown... No. All of Luna... is in your debt." She said, the firm, authoritative timbre they were perhaps used to hearing softened somewhat, as she fought to find words of sufficient gravity to convey the emotions fighting within her breast.

"I must ask to rely on your strength... For just a little while longer."

The Queen then walked towards Okuni... and knelt by the wounded warrior. Her harsh words earlier for the woman, for the moment, seemed forgotten. She reached to her sleeve, and tore free a strip of ribbon-like silk. Its value was incalculable, and it shimmered under the light much the same as the regal robe it had been shorn from.

Wordlessly, delicately, her pale fingers brushed against Okuni's sword arm, and gently tied the strip about her wound. The makeshift bandage did not seem to be so much out of practicality - the medical drones of Bisen Foris would be far more efficient than such a crude binding - but the meaning of the gesture was clear.

"Thane." She said, without looking away from her work.

"Was it worth it?'

The Nobleman's face contorted as he strained to hear, turning his head against the floor to look in her direction.

"What?"

"For all your talk of precious blood, you were quick to spill it when it suited your ends." She said, quietly.

The sash was tied tight, closely bound to the wound. Not even the blood beneath seemed willing to trickle through its royal surface, as Selene gave a small smile of satisfaction.

"If you truly care for what you say you do, and not merely your ego... Then reflect on your deeds. Justice will be administered in due time."

The noble, for his part... Said nothing further, simply allowing his head to dip to the floor. Part of him hoped that one of them would be merciful, and cleave his exposed neck in twain - better to die, he thought, than to live with this humiliation! But... the deathblow refused to come. His end, it seemed, would not be so swift and final as to be worthy of a man of his stature - but perhaps, he thought, to rot in a cell for the rest of his extended life.

Selene returned to her feet... and exhaled, slowly. The immediate crisis had been dealt with. Her supporters had rallied, and Ashford was now in custody... but, precious time had been lost. Time that she was needed leading her people, standing and fighting alongside them. Granted, she was far from her formal appearance - her clothes were torn, her nails chipped, her makeup smudged and dusted... and yet now, she knew, she was needed more than ever before. It stirred... a curious feeling in the pit of her stomach.

All her life she'd led out of duty. Out of necessity. It had been her lot in life, and she had no choice but to accept it. James... had rejected her way of thinking. He had fled, with no direction in mind, and Gerart before him, rather than submit themselves to what they doubtlessly saw as her fatalistic vision. Yet, part of her now felt somehow... unshackled. As if everything else had faded into background noise, and she were stepping out of a clearing into full view of the sun for the very first time.

"We shall survive this onslaught. As surely as the sun will rise, Everglory shall be reborn anew."

She turned to the assembled group, one hand clenched into a fight fist against her chest. Surrounded by ruin as they were, she silently vowed that it would not become their tomb. Homes could be rebuilt. A palace was nothing more than decoration. But the lives of her people, as Ashford had forgotten, could not be replaced. There, among the loyal Knights of the Moon, she felt something that she hadn't for a long, long time.

Hope.

"This, on my life itself... I swear to you all."