Titanomachy (IC)

[RacingeR]

Adam Baumer & Sarah Vale & Jordan J. Jones
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning

The clash between the A-Bomb and the werewolf was titanic. Both of them charged against each other with their full strength, two superhuman beings moving at insane speeds as they crashed with a thunderous explosion, sending rubble flying everywhere. And the result of the clash was…

Adam has taken 22 damage
Werewolf has taken 9 damage

… a tie. The werewolf was stronger, but Adam had toughness and mass on his side, and tensing both his muscular arms to the limit, he managed to grasp both the arms of the monster and push them aside, avoiding the glistening claws that had rent his sides. However, the werewolf sheer strength was enough to push his body back, perhaps the very first time in Adam’s life it had happened in a clash against an enemy, like this. It was truly strong, not as strong as the fist of the Legion, but it was insanely strong. To be able to hold it back was the kind of feat few humans could ever boast about.

However, it by no means neutered the werewolf. Indeed, it still could keep on attacking with its fierce jaws, and it was clear it intended to chew on the wall of meat in front of it until it could reach the other side. Seeing those teeth closing upon him, Adam felt something like instinct screaming, warning him that in those fangs was hidden a deadly sickness, something that could perhaps even kill him through his body’s formidable defenses. He tried to maneuver the werewolf’s body away from him, to no avail.

But before he could be bitten, “Take this!” a voice interrupted the scene. Using Adam’s body to climb up and jump in the air, Esther increased the weight in her leg as she descended towards the werewolf and launched a magnificent kick that impacted against its cranium. The monster’s eyes rolled up as its head was sent downwards, and strength vanished from its limbs momentarily. Adam used that moment to push forwards and somehow put the werewolf’s head below his arm, holding the struggling monster down with his strength and weight. It wouldn’t last… it wouldn’t last but if it bought enough time…

Suddenly, Sally, propelled forwards by Joardan’s push, appeared seemingly out of nowhere, holding a silver cross necklace in her hand, which she silently shoved with all of her strength on the werewolf’s eye, crushing its eyeball and eliciting a roar of pain unlike anything your had ever heard before. The creature fell to the floor, tearing its face apart with its claws as it futilely tried to remove the cross that had been inserted into its eyesocket.

The rest of the group followed behind, breathing hard, but still capable of going. Finally at the shrine, they were able to see many werewolves scurrying around in the surroundings, trying different routes to get inside. Their bodies, somewhat awkward, were definitely well adapted for running in plains or maneuvering through the forest, not to pursue an enemy in a mountain, but they were still quick and agile… they’d soon find more than one route to get there, in a question of minutes.

“We can’t stay here.” Sally said. “We need to move over there!”

She pointed towards the distance. After the shrine, the demolished buildings that created this artificial mountain chain went down in a gentle slope that ended in the ground some distance ahead. And in front of that… there was a corridor created by massive amounts of rubble that blocked passage except for what seemed like some huge stone church, a cathedral perhaps, that was placed in middle of the corridor. It seemed like this was intentionally placed this way to block access to the corridor from behind, except for the passage through the church. Even at a glance, that building looked very ancient, and no religious symbols could be seen, probably lost a long time ago.

“We’ll have to go through there… hopefully we’ll be able to lose the werewolves on the other side.” Sally said.

[Bloble]

Jordan J. Jones
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning

“We’ll have to go through there… hopefully we’ll be able to lose the werewolves on the other side.”

"Sounds good," said Jordan, but his attention wasn't all there.

The moment he'd gone over the top, his eyes had been drawn to the inside of the shrine. He could see that a great battle had been fought there, many many years ago. So long ago that armour and weaponry had rusted to bits. But that corpse in the middle, somehow preserved, was strange.

The air. The pressure. That place had a feeling of 'stillness', as if nothing had touched it for hundreds of years. If he looked closely, that was true physically as well. Had the nameless defender's will become so strong that it carried forward, even in death?

Jordan wasn't the sentimental type, or so he liked to tell himself. But he couldn't say no to what would normally be a silly idea. Not when a friendly ghost was literally hovering over his shoulder, gleefully conjuring walls of flame to keep the werewolves out. Not when it might save them.

"Go on ahead," Jordan said to the rest of the group. "If you've got Adam with you, I could catch up even with a five minute head start. There's something weird about this place. Maybe the helpful kind of weird. I'll check it out real quick."

That was that. Jordan had made his decision. With an unceremonious parting wave, he made a detour and walked straight into the undisturbed shrine, right into the strange, haunting pressure that mounted with every step, telling him to stay out.

Jordan had walked into that pressure all his life. He wasn't going to back out now.

Also... he was glad he'd split off with the group. This was something he was only brave enough to do alone.

"Yo!" he called out to the empty halls, to the fallen warriors, to the hero's corpse. "S'cuse the intrusion. Is there somebody in there?"

He paused.

"Someone still willing to stand up, even when the world's knocking on their door?"

Jordan stood in the middle of that sacred hall, arms folded, staring straight forward.

"If you are there," he said. "I call upon you. Speak now. Or forever rest in peace."

And so Jordan stood in that hall, cheeks burning with embarrassment, because he'd just said some real flowery-ass shit, and if the the group were there to hear it, they'd be laughing their asses off.

[RacingeR]

Jordan J. Jones
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning

“Not this again…” Sally said, looking like she was ready to womanhandle Jordan and carry him with the rest of the group. However, she sighed, recognizing doing such a thing would just waste more time. “You have three minutes.”

Saying that, she managed the rest of the group into a trot, carrying Eva on her arms. The howling of the werewolves could be still heard as Jordan waved them away, and slowly walked towards the corpse. But not alone. For some reason, Infis and Sarah had remained behind, silent but still looking towards the place Jordan was looking at. When the boy made his embarrassing speech, the ghost giggled, but didn’t emit any mocking words, interested to see if it’d have any effect.

Jordan had advanced till the very limit of the boundary that had remained ‘untouched’, his shoes not touching the dust accumulated during centuries. As he made his speech, there was nothing but silence and stillness. And for a moment afterwards, there was nothing else. Even the howls of the monsters seemed to disappear, even the werewolf pitifully clawing at its own face seemed to have fallen silent.

Then, a vague and unrefined blur appeared over the corpse, as if hanging on the air. There indeed had remained a spirit here, in the halls of the dead warriors, lurking in the skeleton-covered ruins, in the remnants of their dream. It was not a spirit, not even something that could be called a ghost: a vague remnant of thought that had been anchored at the shrine and at the stronghold thanks to the worship the Survivors had dedicated to his remains.

The blurry, nearly undefined form of a blond young man was indeed that of the commander of the force that had held the southern flank of the army that had once raged in these lands eight hundred years ago, fighting the greatest war this world had known, a titanic battle that had rent the earth asunder. And with hope in their hears and roaring voices, this army had marched straight into their doom without ever looking back. And now, only ruins and bones remained; the First Generation had faded off this world so long ago, and now only their specters remained, wandering the earth.

Jordan felt the piercing eyes of the specter… no, of the remnant thought that stood in the very center of the shrine. It didn’t move, it didn’t speak… perhaps it wasn’t even capable of doing so, but they still could feel his will.

It was as if it was telling you to ‘speak’.

[Bloble]

Jordan J. Jones
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning

"There was this guy," Jordan said.

Immediately, he wanted to punch himself. He wasn't exactly a public speaker. His smooth talk was more of an intimate, banter-y kinda deal. It had taken him a good deal of time just to come up with a few flowery words to summon up the spirit in the first place, and now that it was staring him in the face, he could only think of one thing.

Or, more accurately, one person.

"He was, well, our head honcho. Alexander Tanner was his name."

Who was he talking to, exactly? And why was he mentioning this unrelated person? Jordan wasn't sure, so he went with his gut.

"When we got here, the whole world was against us. Wanted us all dead, or worse. And he rallied us, told us to stand tall. We fought back."

Jordan paused, tried to find a better way to say it, and failed.

"And he died. Surrounded by monsters, fighting for and with his friends until there was nothing left... you both died."

It was funny. This vague specter even looked like Alex. Maybe he was just seeing things that weren't there, Jordan mused. Just his memories giving form to some kinda hallucination.

"If I could talk to him now, I'd say: Thanks. Because of you, we're standing right here. Because of you, we haven't lost yet."

Jordan sighed.

"But he's not here, and you are. Because your fight's not over, right? Neither is his. Neither is ours."

The boy extended a hand to the traces of thought.

"We're weak, but it's our fight too. So... please. Let's struggle together."

[Snax]

Sarah Vale
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning
HP: 110 / SP: 133

"You sure like talking, Jordan."

Drawling, Sarah walked up and pulled out her knife, gazing at the werewolf under her. She then re-holsted the knife, instead drawing one of her javelins covered with silver, she impaled the werewolf straight in the torso, straight through where the heart would be. Her expression turned into one of a fierce smile as the blood splattered around her - this was the true feeling of killing one's prey with their own hands, not with just simply a magical extension of oneself. The werewolf struggled in its death throws, but in vain.

"Tch, quite tough, these things."

A snap of fingers, and a small black hole swallowed the entire torso of the werewolf - and disappeared as soon as it came, leaving only some of the werewolf's limbs and its head rolling on the floor. Grabbing the head with her hands and pocketing one of the feet, she walked up to Jordan, trailing werewolf blood behind her.

"Myself, I don't talk too much. I'm more of an action-does-the-speaking-for-me type."

Sidling next to Jordan, she drew up the werewolf head.

"There you have it, Mr. Ghost. I don't know who you are, and I don't really care why you are here, but if you can help, I'm all for taking all the help we can get. After all, a shitton more of these critters are coming our way, and of course, nobody wants to die, right? It's our nature as living beings."

Sarah wasn't quite a public speaker. Neither did she really like people in general other than her hunting comrades or people that directly helped her, one way or another.

Her current group fit that criteria. It was fun, at the very least - and while some of the kids at Zeus would think her crazy for the following thought, even if she had been powerless, she would be doing the same thing she was doing right now anyhow, perhaps with less success, but it was a matter of the mind.

And so, she talked.

"If you can help us against these things, I'd be grateful. And of course, my thanks doesn't come cheap."

Sarah grinned in a rather innocent manner, although it was ruined by the fact that her smile was still the usual sharp, scary grin, and that she was playing with the bloody fur of the werewolf head in her hands.

[RacingeR]

Jordan J. Jones & Sarah Vale
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning

The leftovers of a man silently heard your words. Its gaze wandered from Jordan, to Sarah and the werewolf’s head, then towards Infis. Both ghosts locked gazes for a moment, an unusual thoughtful expression appearing over the ghost girl’s face. She seemed sort of intimidated… but she also looked as if she was trying hard to remember something.

“…” the remnants seemed to say something, but it was mere lip movement, one that was unreadable thanks to his blurred form. He then shrugged, and spread his arms. Something on his gesture seemed to ask… why.

Why should he help you in particular?

He looked like he was expecting to hear something.

[Snax]

Sarah Vale
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning
HP: 110 / SP: 133

"Why, indeed."

Sarah stopped teasing with the werewolf head, placing it under her left arm. It was a trophy, after all - and also something to study later, considering it never hurt to learn more about the prey around these areas.

"Well, I'm pretty sure my reasons for you would be different from Mr. Athlete over here, but I guess I could give you my take on it."

Sarah's eyes glinted.

"What would you achieve here? Sitting around in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to see, nothing to do, merely idling away your existence?"

Sarah raised her right hand - it was bloodstained.

"I live for the thrill of the hunt. Call me crazy or hyperactive, but thats how I've been living my life. Without action, without fun, life isn't just worth it. Lock me away in a hole without anything to do and I'd probably die of boredom."

She tapped the head with her left hand.

"Why, indeed. If you want to feel like you're doing something real, if you want to enjoy what I do, if you want to feel alive again, perhaps coming with me would be an interesting option. After all, as said before, we can use all the help we can get. And it may not come free. If you're interested in thrill and the feel of life again, maybe that I can provide."

She then shrugged as well, copying the specter's movements.

"If that's not what you're looking for, though, perhaps you should listen to Bossman here. I'm sure he'll have more...humanely proper reasons than the impulsive little ol' me."

She chuckled dryly. After all, Sarah was a temperamental person - she didn't have much in terms of ideals or lofty thoughts. Jordan however, was of a different mold - and the little differences everywhere made things more interesting anyway.

[Bloble]

Jordan J. Jones
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning

Nothing, huh? So it wasn't a sentimental ghost, at least.

Jordan couldn't help but be uncomfortable as Sarah tore the wolf to bits before his eyes. The ghost dude didn't seem to mind, though.

"Well, yeah," he admitted, feeling kinda lame. "That's what I was going for. Y'know, us humans gotta stick together and all that. Friendship. Chivalry. That kinda stuff."

Wow, now that he said it, it really was dumb. Even the ghost hadn't bought it.

"But really, we're in a jam, there's a horde of these things attacking us, and we're maybe kinda sorta on the edge here. I'm betting that you were a good guy when you were alive, and you're still a good guy now."

Was that enough? Really? Was that all Jordan had?

"And... well, Sarah's also right. You had something you wanted to do, right? If you helped us, we'd help you."

Actually, hadn't there been a few people back at the school that had played host to some freaky-ass ghosts? Then, maybe this guy's desires were similar.

"I'm... willing to share my body," Jordan said. "You might be bound to this place, but I can run to the end of the horizon. And maybe you could, too."

He didn't want to. He really, really didn't want to. The idea of making space in his soul for something else was anathema to him. But sometimes you had to do things you didn't want, for the good of everyone. That's what Alex had done, and Jordan would be damned if he'd let that guy beat him at that game.

[hero]

Masaki Taichi
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Zeus Approach
Time: Day 3 – Night

"..."

It is kill or be killed.

That is what my younger sister declares, wrapping her heart in a cold ice prison. It's somewhat disturbing, but the logic isn't exactly wrong. We were all hurt, and yet we're lamenting the death of who could have been our executioner? I think Juan Marquez would have liked us to move on. Silently, with my gaze fixated on the ground, I move closer to where the twins are. I am worried about Rumiko, so I lean closer to examine her wounds, urging Jones to do a better job with a stare alone. The truth is, my blood is boiling just from recalling everyone getting injured. It's not Jones' fault, but since she's the only one capable of doing a thing, I am desperately clinging out to her for help.

"... Shit."

I curse under my own breath. This is wrong and I can't just tolerate it. If Tomomi had not decided to speak to the president, I would be there giving her a lecture myself. Sadly, not even my little sister seems to fully grasp what our biggest mistake was: From the very start, this should have been a battle to be avoided. The scenario she proposes is way too hopeful... Even if you walk in with a gun, that you are free of hesitation doesn't mean you or whoever is alongside you will not be hurt. There is no guarantee that you will leave that alley unscratched. Yeah, you should have never been in that alley in the first place, not if you had a chance to take another road home. I could tell from the very start that this guy was trouble, that Juan Marquez was someone we should not involve ourselves with. But the group was curious, and even after he attacked, they were more worried about him reaching the school than they were of their own lives.

And...

Just like there are over a thousand psychopaths on Earth, I bet this place is filled with people whose sanity met its end like Juan Marquez's.

If we keep walking armed into dark alleyways... Sooner or later, we'll find death.

And as it was proven today, and the day before, and the day before that when we arrived at this hellish place...

It might be sooner than later.

"We still have plenty of room for growth. We've just started"

I move closer to where Kaitlin rests and offer her a hand to stand up. I can't just forget the fact that she was injured as well. She received enough things to think about from my sister, so I'll just give that chapter a closure with my own two cents.

"We're a scouting group. Our goal is to travel and explore new territories, and then come back. We can't meddle with all the problems of those who bump in our way. The more fights like the one today we avoid, the less we'll have to worry about who lives and who dies. Let's trust the rest and do our job well."

Tomomi.

You are truly strong.

To coat yourself in ice for the sake of everyone is a truly noble goal, one I would not mind following.

However, as your older brother, I cannot allow you to carry such burden.

Above all, even if it might be selfish, even if it might be too much to ask, I'd like you to be the same gentle girl I've known for so long.

That's why, leaving Kaitlin's side, I move to intercept my sister, who has just taken the book away from Juan Marquez's hand.

"Tomomi, give me the book."

I take it.

Be it out of her own will or against it.

This Grimmoire may contain information regarding this world, or even allow its wielder to cast powerful magic. There is no doubt about it that it is an useful item to have in our inventory. But... The same knowledge was the cause of Juan Marquez's fall to insanity, and I won't let it do the same to my sister. I've been with her for as long as I can remember, and that's why I know her well. She's not greedy like Juan Marquez was, and she can be trusted to use the book with prudence. However, she's also curious, and would never hesitate to delve past the limits of what her 'self' can handle for the sake of someone else. In a dangerous world like this, there is a high chance she'll end up reading and memorizing the contents of this book, for good or bad.

Yeah, she's too good of a vessel for this Grimmoire.

And that's why I have no choice but to destroy it. Otherwise, one way or another, it will find the way to her hands.

Unsheathing my dagger, I coat it with lightning, and incinerate the book with darkness.

[Erlkonig]

Masaki Tomomi​
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Zeus Approach
Time: Day 3 – Night

"STOP!"

Tomomi did not hesitate to put her own body in harm's way to prevent the destruction of the book. With her mental processing still going in full gear, the shock of her brother's actions don't settle fast enough to paralyze her before she realizes what his intentions are. Though she only has a fraction of a second to react, it's enough.

The lightning-clad blade digs not into the grimoire's folds, but into the skin of her arm.

"AAAAAA-" Tomomi bit down on her scream, even though her arm erupted in pain. She doesn't have enough strength to contest her brother's strength, so all she could do was put her body in harm's way before he could do something they would both regret.

"Stop... Doing this, Onii-chan! STOP JUMPING AT EVERY SINGLE THING THINKING I'LL GET HURT FOR IT!" She screamed into her brother's face, tears dripping from her cheeks both out of pain and anger. "You thinking going on some kind of witch hunt will keep me safe!? We need this world's knowledge to survive!"

"...I don't..." She shielded the book, putting all of her body's weight between the dagger stabbed deep into her arm and the book in her brother's hands. "I need everything I can get my hands on, to get stronger.... I don't..."

Biting back the pain, she yelled in a loud voice.

"I DON'T WANT TO FALL BEHIND AND BECOME A WEIGHT TO YOU FOREVER!"

[hero]

Masaki Taichi​
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Zeus Approach
Time: Day 3 – Night


"..."

The situation takes a drastic turn that is almost impossible to understand. It wasn't hard to expect that Tomomi would be against the destruction of the Grimmoire, but one wouldn't imagine she'd put herself in harm's way just to save it. There were over a hundred ways a smart girl like her would be able to stop a clumsy boy like me, but she chose the most dangerous out of desperation. At first, I don't get what happened, but soon enough my vision sharpens and what's truly important emerges from the bottom of my mind: My sister is hurt. At that moment, I don't blame myself, nor I do I blame her for what has happened, and I truly stop caring about who is holding the book and who isn't. Removing the weapon in a way that won't cause any more harm with a technique that only a master can use, I toss it away and lean closer to examine and treat the injury. Like most other subjects, my knowledge in medicine is poor, but ever since that cold day when Tomomi fainted, I took it upon myself to learn as much as I could so I wouldn't have to face a situation like that again.

"Jones...!"

I yell, in order to break everyone from their trance. Nobody expected something like this to happen, neither did I, and so it's normal that they've been left paralyzed by the shock. Jones is the healer, so I call out to her first, urging her to stop healing whoever it was her turn to heal, and move to cure my sister's self-inflicted wound. When I take a stance, I say what I think and stand firmly to what I believe in, that's the way I have been taught. I am not afraid to make everyone my enemy if it means to continue being myself.

... But if my sister is hurt, then none of that matters.

"Idiot! What are you saying?!" I spell out in frustration. "You've always been the one waiting up ahead. You shouldn't be the one worrying about becoming a burden!"

I simply choose to take distance. Naturally, I want to take the book away from her, but I don't have it in me to do something so cruel to her with things as they are. She's being naive and missing her worth... As if it wasn't enough to be one of the most promising girls in the world we came from, she is also one of the pillars of this team. Offense, defense and even leadership skills, she has them all, but she seemingly can't see it and blames herself for not being strong enough.

That book is not the answer, Tomomi.

That's not what our father has taught us.

"You are so much more strong and important than you realize. You don't need what's in that book to prove it."

With that said, I opt to quietly disengage.

Give everyone space and let the rest of the scene unfold.

There is no point in arguing now.

Better wait until this whole mess calms down.

[RacingeR]

Jordan J. Jones & Sarah Vale
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning

The figure observed you for another long moment. The howl of the werewolves could be heard once again. The moment of stillness was slowly passing.

It… shook its head. Not as if mocking your answers, but as if negating them, as if saying that wasn’t it. Was perhaps moving from this place impossible for it? Was it that nothing of what had been said was what he wished to hear?

The lingering will pointed towards you once again, then moved his arms as if trying to span the whole world. It was asking why you.

Why should he help you out of the whole wide world?

[Bloble]

Jordan J. Jones
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning

"Why me?"

Oh. Was that it?

Jordan grinned.

So it had been that simple, that easy all along?

"Because I'm Jordan J. Jones!" he said triumphantly. "I'm the guy that took on Legion, that charmed a Witch, that danced with a demon and juked out a whole team of werewolves at the same time. I'm the head of the Zeus Academy Scouting Legion, and star player of the basketball and football teams. I can do the 50 yard dash in 4 seconds flat!"

Jordan folded his arms and flared his power, exerting pressure to match the ghost's. The air shook.

"Because I've got lives on my back right now."

He sighed, and repeated what he'd yelled into the night earlier. An echo of his dumb, overly proud, hubris-filled rant.

"Because this world's fucked up, and I'm stupid enough to wanna fix it. I can't do it alone. I'm not that strong. What about you?"

[RacingeR]

Masaki Taichi & Masaki Tomomi
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Zeus Approach
Time: Day 3 – Night

“… Tomomi!” Jones finally recovered her will to move with Taichi’s shout, and immediately ran towards her friend, nearly pushing Taichi out of the way. She quickly took hold of her hand and examined it. The stab wasn’t very deep… Taichi had instinctively stopped his hand before it could pierce Tomomi’s hand all the way through, but despite the way he had cleanly removed the blade, it was an ugly, bleeding wound. Lizzie send a stare full of anger towards the boy as she produced a green glow that covered Tomomi’s hand. The wound closed itself a bit, but some surface damage still remained.

“You!” Lizzie turned towards Taichi with anger in her eyes. It was a bit of an unusual anger, as if she was recalling something else. Kaitlin was still shocked, unable to make sense of the situation she had been thrust into, and thus, unable to react. Shinoko was holding Rumiko, who was still grasping her eyes, probably not knowing what had happened. Shinoko’s eyes were turning into circles from confusion. Only Henry had seemed to react, but he wisely had decided to stay out of the siblings’ quarrel. Only Lizzie seemed to be reacting with outright wrath. “Do you never ever think through the consequences of your actions?!”

But before she could say more… an airy female voice no one of you knew resonated through the air. “So you killed him off huh? Well that’s good, that’s good, and here I thought I’d have to get my ass up and do it myself!”

“Zehahahahahaha!” The owner of the unknown voice laughed strangely, sitting on the nearby trunk of a fallen tree. It was a young woman, probably on her very early twenties, with long blonde hair, trendy modern clothes, a backpack on her back, and two eyes like blue sheet metals that weren’t laughing, but coldly staring at the group. She smirked, watching the book and the weapon that had fallen to the ground. “I say, if none of you want it, then ya can just give it to me! I ain’t one that’d look a gift horse in the mouth! Zehahahahaha!”

Besides the strangely laughing girl, another young woman had appeared. Wearing stranger clothing, with a hood covering half her head, the light-haired woman looked more exotic than her partner. Her skin was brown, her hair was strangely colored, and she was wearing a pair of glasses behind which clear green eyes examined the group and their situation. She was also carrying a backpack, and unlike the other girl, what seemed like the sheath for a strangely shaped sword was hanging from her waist, as well as the sheath for what looked like either a long dagger or a short sword.

Upon seeing the strangers, half the group reacted, with Kaitlin suddenly standing up and moving in front of Tomomi and Lizzie, sword pointed at the enemies, Henry cursing out loud and taking a stance as if preparing for a fight, and Shinoko dragging her sister away in a panic.

“I’m sorry for our intrusion.” However, the second woman spoke out, as if unafraid of the party’s sudden hostility. “We’d have waited for your little scene to be solved, but I’m afraid we have our own tasks to carry.” She seemed to be a lot more soft-spoken than her partner, that was laughing on the side as if she found the alert of the group funny. How long had they been observing your struggle?

“Hand over the magician’s Core. That’s the only thing that matters.” The young woman demanded.

[RacingeR]

Jordan J. Jones
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning

The lingering will paid no attention to your bragging. It merely waited patiently for you to finish, for you to work your way through the speech, to sigh, and to pronounce the words he had been waiting for.

Was it fixing the world? Or was merely having the will to try to change something, no matter what it was? Upon hearing that ‘you wanted to make a difference’, the ghost silently nodded, as if saying ‘that is it’.

Then, it pointed towards the broken sword resting near his corpse. The rusted, shattered weapon had remained there for eight hundred years, rotting the dust of aeons. But now, a strange tremor ran over it, and suddenly the shattered pieces, the metallic bits that had composed it… floated in the air and converged. A pale, phantasmagoric shine ran over them, covering them up… and, with a small shine that blinded you momentarily, the sword was restored.

You noticed the intricate runes covering it, the strong magical power emanating from it in waves as it floated towards you. As it fell at your side with a clang, the moment of stillness ended.

A howl that was filled with absolute power suddenly resounded, coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It was a howl charged with eldritch energy, with pure rage and power, not the howl of a werewolf, but the howl of something else, a being much more powerful, residing in an higher order.

The remnants, still floating as if hanging on the air, slowly mouthed a word, that reached your ears faintly: “Lycao.”

Was it a warning? Or merely a comment? You’ll never know, because at that moment, the shape faded away, leaving behind the blade it had bestowed upon you.

Infis floated around, looking confused, but at the moment you both noticed that the werewolves had nearly made their way to the shrine. It was time to jet.

[Erlkonig]

Masaki Tomomi
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Zeus Approach
Time: Day 3 – Night

"Haa... Haa... You're... Wrong..." Taking a deep breath to calm herself down as Elizabeth rushed out to grab her wounded arm, Tomomi blinked away the tears on her eyes. "The reason we're alive... Is just because we got lucky-!"

The fact that they had superpowers, that they had developed strange abilities, was the only reason they had managed to get to this point.

Without such things, there was no doubt that most of them would have been useless. That was how Tomomi had felt all this time, after what she had experienced. Ever since she had seen the use of magic, she had wondered if it wasn't a force she could make use of- If it wasn't something she could master to strengthen the oh so volatile grip that they had on this world.

That she didn't need what was in the book? Maybe in the near, immediate future that was the truth. But what about the long term? For how long could they stand to rely on these powers the world had given them, when one considered its merciless nature? Would they be enough?

No way.

There was no way such a thing would be true.

Because of that... They needed to get stronger. Evolve so that their power would not just be something external, but a strength they had seized with their own hands. Only with that kind of real power would they be able to admit that they truly did their best to survive.

However...

Before she could utter any of those worries, their conversation was cut short.

Two newcomers, bursting into the scene without a care for how they might have reacted. ...No, that was wrong. For them to intrude so brazenly, when the group was in such a chaotic state, they weren't fools that were trusting them not to attack them for revealing themselves. What the two before them had subconsciously attempted to show with their entrance, was a simple statement.

'If we had wanted to, we perfectly could've ambushed you while you were fooling around.'

A chill crawled down Tomomi's spine.

"I'll be alright, Lizzie. Let me go for a second." Tomomi pried herself away from her friend, before approaching Kaitlin and softly touching her shoulder. "It's alright, Kaitlin. I don't think they're enemies... For now." She pushed down at the girl's hands, as if saying 'put the sword down'.

After that...

With a cool, composed stare, she turned towards the two interlopers.

Allowing logic to take over, letting reason kill her emotions, she looked at the two without the haze of her conflicting feelings guiding her, and simply looked at them as if assessing the threat they could become and what they could do against them.

Eventually, Tomomi sighed.

"I have a hunch we can't really oppose you, and we're not really in any shape to fight, but I'll ask anyways." Tomomi lifted her head, looking at the two of them coolly. "Is that a threat, or a request?"

She looked down at the body of Juan Marquez.

"...To be honest, I don't even know what you're talking about when you mention a 'core'. All of us are new here... Not even a week into this hell yet. But the monster that thing became almost killed us while you watched. So you could understand why I'd be a bit pissed off if you suddenly came and threatened us after that experience. If it's that important to you, though..."

She looked at the duo, aware that while the 'safest' choice would be to simply agree with their demands, maybe they could get out of this with something else.

"How about it? We'll trade. We brought down the monster he became with our own hands and laid him to rest, so we've got a claim. We'll give you the core as you ask... But in exchange, would you mind answering a few questions?"

She tilted her head, asking politely.

The girl seemed reasonable, but she also seemed rushed for time. Tomomi couldn't predict whether from how she'd worded the request or the behavior she'd displayed so far if they would simply ignore her words and go about their job, or if the woman would be kind enough to assauge their worries. To be honest, this was the first apparent humans they had met in this world that weren't insane... So Tomomi herself was unsure of how to treat them.

[Bloble]

Jordan J. Jones
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (The Stronghold of Defiance)
Time: Day 5 – Morning

"Thanks."

There was not much more to be said. Jordan knelt down and almost reverently picked up the sword. It felt strange in his hands. Someone like Taichi or Kaitlin would likely be much more comfortable wielding a weapon. Jordan could barely point a knife the right way, much less something this scary.

But that was fine. He'd get used to it.

As the howl pierced through his ear drums and the specter disappeared, Jordan nodded.

"Lycao, eh?"

His hand tightened around the hilt. Somehow, he knew. That voice was the leader. The head of the wolves, the Alpha driving them forward.

"We'll get 'em," he promised. "But first... no man left behind. Let's go, guys."

With one last look at Infis, Jordan was off.

[Katie]

Rosary Flowers
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Field of Ruins (Skeletal Skyscrapers)
Time: Day 4 – Afternoon
Obelisk Blues
Turn 4

It’s increasingly clear to me that nobody in this group, including myself, has a lick of competence. How we managed to get all the way over here without being eaten by the local wildlife is beyond me, but look where we’re at, in shitville because some idiots could not refrain from touching shit without me. And wow, color me impressed, our new vampire “friend” is also entirely unhelpful at dealing with this unfortunate series of events!

I’m so pissed and scared I might just have an aneurysm. Might even be a more dignified death than sticking around with these morons, Jesus Christ.

Ah, wait. Did I hear that Joaquin has a plan? Involving Johnny Justice?

Ah, kill me now, bury me under the rubble. It’d be like being a Hurricane Katrina victim, except the natural disaster that killed me was the combined, boundless, endless stupidity of this group.

But you know, I really don’t want any part of it. I’ll just make myself intangible and not end up like Cyrus, beaten raw by some suits of armor. Lord have mercy, I do not want to be eating that.

Keep my distance. Look around for something useful, but you know, not fight. Wasn’t ever good at that anyway.

[hero]

Masaki Taichi​
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Zeus Approach
Time: Day 3 – Night


Talk about bumping into psychopaths at night.

At this point, there was hardly anything to be done other than comply with their demands. Everyone is injured and out of breath, and after a near-death encounter with just one 'human horror', I don't want to know what it means to fight two at once. Kind enough not to kill us on the spot, they ask for the fallen Magus' core. Since they've been observing us and they know very well what they are after, I wouldn't be surprised if they already know I am the one carrying it. I mean, it's just a wild guess, but I doubt the core is with Juan Marquez's remains. It has to be that stone he gave me moments before passing away. It feels dishonorable to just hand it away so early, but I won't hesitate if it is for the sake of the group.

"..."

It's frustrating. If we had not involved ourselves with Juan Marquez, we would have saved ourselves a lot of trouble. We wouldn't have been hurt as much, and these two girls would have take care of him in our stead. Sadly, this is not the place nor the time to be lamenting about the past. We have no guarantee it will succeed, but we have to appeal to their 'kindness' if we want to survive. Way too courageous for her young age, it's Tomomi the one who takes the initiative and decides to act as our mediator. Since I have the bad habit of killing negotiations before they even start, I choose to stay silent and trust her skills.

"..."

Because it's not just our superpowers that have kept us alive. Without everyone's collected effort, we would have never gotten past Zeus' front doors. And... without Tomomi by my side, I know I would have never made it this far. Powers or not, the idea of walking into a world that could take my sister away from me at any moment terrifies me, because what she represents is way more than a tool for killing and survival. It's because of that that I am so fixated on protecting her, to the point where I too make reckless decisions for her own sake.

"..."

Silently joining the group once more, and standing besides my sister, I put our differences aside for a moment and face forward. The support I can provide in situations like this is most likely non-existent, but whether things work out or go badly I want to be there, alongside her. As soon as the signal is given, I'll surrender the precious item I've hidden in my right pocket.

[RacingeR]

Masaki Taichi & Masaki Tomomi
Location: Sea of UNKNOWN – Zeus Approach
Time: Day 3 – Night

The woman with the glasses examined Tomomi with attention, her eyes going from her to the book, then to Juan’s remains. The moment the girl had confessed not knowing what a core was, perhaps the thought had passed through her head that she could end this issue without a confrontation or even a negotiation. But there was still a risk the group would grab the core…

After what seemed like a few tense minutes, the dark-skinned woman nodded, and signaled her partner to wait there. Then, she advanced a few steps, intentionally leaving a bigger distance between themselves, and remaining about ten steps away from where Kaitlin and Tomomi were standing.

“Ask away. I’ll try to answer to the best of my ability.”