“Awaiting sufficient orders from Tactical Unit,” came the shrill and haunting voice of a being that was less human and more machine than anything else. A form, lithe and silent as the grave, swam up beside Endian with remarkable ease and little worry given the built-in propulsion to its frame. Close inspection in the murky waters would reveal him to be none other than Stark Zealot.
It was too good to be true, his very presence a cold reminder to Endian that her actions in the Battle of Dianex had not gone unnoticed by the High Queen. As a result, she had sent her Hunter, Stark Zealot, to not only participate in this battle but to also keep an eye on Endian herself as well. The tactician didn’t need a briefing to understand what his appearance meant for her.
“Awaiting sufficient orders from Tactical Unit,” he said a second time, voice robotic and uncaring for what she thought of him. If she failed to impress, he would end her and turn his sight on the latest Endian model. But as of this moment she need not worry as he would provide back-up to wherever she directed him. She could rest easy knowing that, for now at least, she had control over the merciless killing machine that was Stark Zealot.
But the Battle of Ruthria would hold even more surprises than what was in store, and that didn’t just include the appearance of Stark on the battlefield. The Demons and their victory in the last conflict did well in bolstering not only their confidence, but their ranks as well. For standing atop a mighty demonic beast near the demon’s territory was none other than the Queen’s Prize.
The girl named Bastion crossed her arms and watched the waters all around her boil and bubble with the tell-tale signs of fighting. Gone was the girl who had tried to stop the conflicts; having been stolen away, the vampire known as Victoire had done well in breaking her in body and mind. Now here she was as an elite soldier and ally of the Demonkind. Ready to kill anything that dared to breach the water’s surface in the name of Hell and King Rufus.
"I don't know what those vermin from the other factions are doing, but I'm sure they'll try to use their aces as soon as the battle turn to one of the other parties' favor. Be ready for anything from now on." Victoire told to Henry once the pillar had been tightly secured. Turning her attention away from it, to notice the relative positions of all beings under the scope of her senses, before coming up with a plan. "We need to secure at least another sector before we can fall into defensive tactics. I'll move forward and prepare counter measures on the nearest one, once you arrive, we can capture the pillar and fall back."
Before moving forward, Victoire sent a telepathic message to Sliske. "Since you are already on point moving Go to sector Eta and try to harass the Angel forces there, we need not only to secure our advance as well as hamper those of the rabble we are engaged with. Even if you die, any resistance will be appreciated." Once she was done with it, Victoire moved to the sector she had indicated for Henri (sector Iota).
Noticing that Reinforcements had just arrived, Victoire couldn't help but grin. Her new pet had just found her way to the battlefield and was just about to have her fun. "I should focus best on my tasks..." Victoire thought, after shaking her head to regain her composure. A moment later, a hedge maze of roses began to spring on the Iota sector as well, tinging it's waters red, but leaving the pillar unprotected until Henry could come and help Victoire capture it. By doing so, Victoire was also effectively shielding the sector Alpha, since (barring teleportation) their enemies would obligatorily have to pass through one of her poisoned waters to reach it.
Everything was going just as planned...
- Moved to sector Iota. - Began to set a field of Demon Roses on sector Iota.
As the lumbering titan marched across the depths, he was soon joined by Endian. He was glad that she chose to participate in the battle, even if it does mean leaving the command of the Contender to another. Armchair Warfare did not suit someone of her abilities. Together the two moved onto the Altar at the base of the Pillar uncontested, allowing them to easily capture the Altar for themselves. He suspected that the Leviathan may awaken soon, either here or else where now that the battle has begun. They would need to be quick and take whatever they can before it shows up, and then deal with their enemies after the biggest threat is dealt with.
To Grafdakka's surprise, a stranger arrived. he nearly struck out until he realized it was Stark Zealot, Queen Eos's personal assassin. Despite his status and power, Grafdakka had little respect for him. He was not interested in rumors and tales of one's feats. If Stark was as powerful as others claimed to be, then he should prove his worth in this battle. At least if he was here he could make himself useful, though Grafdakka didn't have any plans for him. He'd let Endian worry about him for now. Turning towards the diminutive commander Graf pointed in the direction of the Delta sector.
Grafdakka's voice crackled over the Machina's communication relay. Grafdakka himself was using a private Commander line, meaning that only himself and Endian would normally have access to it. Oddly, Grafdakka's voice was much smoother and less booming over the comms than if he spoke verbally. "We have captured the Epsilon sector. I suggest we move down into Delta where the angel's have entered the battle. When they discover our presence, we can draw their attention towards us while our other soldiers capture the remaining sectors. I've also had Unit Hibiki and Shizuka sent on a mission to assassinate Victoire the Blood Countess. I have reason to believe she would be key to control the Leviathan when it awakens."
After speaking to Endian, Grafdakka quickly (Or as quickly as he could anyways) started to head to the Delta Sector. Unless Endian had different plans, he felt this would be the best move. Not only would Grafdakka get to square off against the angel's forces, but they could capture one of their sectors as well. Granted, if they both left they would leave the Delta sector unprotected. But Grafdakka was willing to risk it to continue drawing away the Angel's forces, and as long as either he or Endian was in the sector, it wasn't as if the Angel's could simply capture the pillar. With any luck the Angel's forces would come to Grafdakka anyways; he was a relatively slow walker even with his Dredge Line assistance.
Having swallowed a few pieces of magical seaweeds, Dora was going to get ready to dive into the water. She had given her crew their orders: They would patrol the waters and intercept any enemies, both above and below the ocean, and get an idea of what the enemy were doing. Scouts were already coming in and one of them reported that the demons had spread some sort of crimson liquid into the waters of the Beta Sector. No doubt it would harm the demon's enemies if they entered the water, but fortunately all of Dora's boats were well protected against the demon's trickery. Though that would mean that anyone diving in to claim the Altar would have to deal with whatever traps the demons had left down there. Dora also received word that the demons have already captured another sector. Unfortunate but inevitable. Lastly, one of the scouts arrived to follow up on the strange thing the Machina shot into the water. From what the scout reported, it appeared to be a large man, no doubt one of the Machina's mechanical minions.
With all that information in mind, Dora knew that she needed to secure this Altar. She couldn't capture it alone, but as she thought of that Miyu arrived. Dora was always interested in Miyu's strange armor she wore (Her mecha), and Dora would have loved to study it further, but alas the war effort kept the two apart. But maybe now Miyu can see the girl in action. "Ha! Just in time! I was gunna take a lil dip down 'ere an' take this sector. Why don't you and yours come with me?" Without waiting for an answer, Dora hefted her weapon over her shoulders and fell back into the water. The magic from the seaweed worked immediately: instead of drowning, Dora was able to breath easily as if she was in air. That being said, the water around her reminded Dora that she was now in the ocean. Once she was a good thirty feet deep, Dora started to swim downwards. Her muscular arms and powerful legs allowed the woman to easily reach the altar, laying a hand on it.
At the altar, Dora started to ponder: What could she do with it? These altars surely had some great power with it. Sure it wasn't exactly metal, but even stone had it's strength. Maybe... Just Maybe... If she had to, she could use the Altar as a weapon. Shaking those thoughts aside, Dora looked up to see if Miyu was going to come down or not.
Hibiki had just put the finishing touches on her traps. She had laid bombs, both obvious and hidden, around the Altar and in the water. Preparing for demons, her bombs were a mix of explosive and holy. There were sea mines floating obviously through the water, but hidden around the Altar were bombs that exploded not with force or shrapnel, but holy water. When the enemy gets close enough they'd explode and charge the waters around them with holy energies. And considering they were in an ocean, the effects would be wide spread. Temporary, but wide spread. The line of defense that Hibiki laid was one of her Bastion Turrets. That way even if she wasn't here, this Altar wouldn't be left undefended.
But as she activated her turrets, it scanned the area and took aim. Right at Hibiki. She dodged out of the way before it started firing in the direction of the angel's, Hibiki didn't realize were here. Shizuka noticed the gunfire and swam to her sister's defense. They exchanged a look and wordless they both started to swim away. Shizuka took out another bomb from Hibiki's bomb pouch and tossed it into the water. It exploded into a large mass of thick black liquid, completely hiding the two sisters and covered their escape. They couldn't take the Altar now that the enemy was here, but they could at least leave the Bastion Turret here to defend it. In the meantime the sisters swam to the Eta sector. With any luck more demons would be drawn towards Gamma, and give the two sisters a chance to find Victoire and take her out.
As they swam away Shizuka spoke to Hibiki about something she noticed. "I saw some red at Iota. You don't think...?" Hibiki thought about it and nodded. "Without a doubt. It has to be her. Let's get to the border of Gamma and Iota, and let sis take care of it." The two picked up the pace and swam to the intersection of Iota, Gamma, and Eta. They were far from the Altar now, and hopefully far from anyone who'd chase them. They swam to a large rock formation, where Hibiki took out her rifle and used it's long range mode to aim into Iota. Now that she was standing still, the light started to warp around Hibiki and camouflage her in the water, in addition in being hidden among the stones. Shizuka didn't want to blow her sister's position, so she swam a bit away with her own rifle out, watching the parameter of any pursuers.
From the edge of Iota Hibiki looked around the red water forming for Victoire. She had to be nearby, the red water was similar to her acidic fog from the last battle. She wasn't sure if it was the same magic, but Hibiki would put good money that they were the same. It wasn't long before Hibiki was able to spot the vampire, even from this far. Taking a few seconds to calculate the various forces that could affect her shot, Hibiki took aim, did a quick check of her surroundings, and fired an explosive bullet of super heated plasma at Victoire's center.
1. Left some traps at Gama's Altar (Finishing from the last turn) 2. Automatic turret is shooting in Omega's direction 3. HIbiki and Shizuka runs away from Gamma's Altar 4. Hibiki takes a shot at Victoire, using her suit's camouflage ability to hide among rocks while she's still 5. Shizuka used one of Hibiki's bombs to cover their getaway and is watching the perimeter for enemies
"I'm with ya." Miyu nodded, and tilted her mech's center of gravity, faceplanting forward into the water and sinking like a rock made of metal. And then the engines on her boots kicked in and she started going faster. She reached out and touched the alter with her mech's hand, and thanks to the Mantle of Unconquerable Sun, it was as if she herself touched it, and they'd cap the point together.
1. Cap Eta with Dorafraki 2. Have the majority of this post eaten by the Leviathan.
Henry nodded in response to Victoire's orders, following her to Sector Alpha and capping it with her, taking care to not touch the pointy rose vines that would really really hurt. He grinned as they took control of the new sector, already preparing to head to Sector Iota to take further control. He scanned the area for his personal target quickly and suddenly his eyes fell upon a new Demon above the water.
Henry whistled in appreciation and chuckled. Victoire said something to him and he nodded without really listening. "Yeah, no doubt. But listen, about that turret bitch. I don't suppose you'd be willing to sell her to me after the battle Ms. Bordeaux? He would definitely be interested in having his own robot bodyguard and he would be willing to pay almost anything to have her.
Henry proceeded to move to Sector Iota with Victoire, scanning for Miyu while glancing up at Bastion every now and then. "Seriously though, I'm willing to pay for her. Think on it, I have a lot to offer."
Victoire waited until Henry joined her on sector Iota, to capture it, securing the Demons' head on the battle, for... King Ruffles! The vampire was still unaware of the attack aimed at her as she said, "Now that we hold the advantage, all we have to do is defend our territory, the battle will be ours shortly. You can have fun however you like from now on, as long as the enemy doesn't recaptures our positions. Who knows, if you play a dashing enough role, I may consider your offer for my newest pet? I just don't think that I'll be charging in ordinary currency, heh..." Victoire let out a fanged grin as she ran her claws like nails under Henry's chin, teasing him.
"Now, let me finish my job and fall back to sector Alph- GAHHH!" Victoire yelled as about half of her body vanished suddenly in a bloody mist, after Hibiki's shot hit her from behind. It was a gory display that no doubt left Henry covered in Victoire's blood and gore as the vampire clutched her side. Where she alive, Victoire would have perished instantly from the sheer shock of the brutal wound and, were she any other kind of undead, this would be but a simple inconvenience, but vampires cut a fine line between both, which only served to have Victoire enjoy a few more seconds of agonizing pain as the salt water burned her wounds.
In the end, Victoire died, doing her best not to cry from such a pain as this was the first time she had ever been so wounded in her whole life. Instead, the vampire spent her last breath cursing the Nexus and everyone on it, maybe, someone with good ears could even make up the words "... dad, mom..." among Victoire's dying speech. Nevertheless, she managed to gather her thoughts enough to set her roses around the Iota sector pillar, much like she did on the Beta sector.
Once she died for good and disappeared, Henry would notice that on Victoire's place a simple flute made of the carved femur of a siren, was left. The key to control the mighty Leviathan, the Flute of the Sirens...
* * *
At the Eta sector, the group reunited there would notice a slow but raising rumble, as if the ocean itself was shaking with an untold power. Soon enough the waters around the Eta pillar became cold, so cold that one could feel the chill all the way up to their spine and every strand of soaked hair, just before an icy eruption, like a glacial volcano, followed by a roar like that of no other beast made it clear, the Leviathan had been shook from its slumber.
The first action of the berserker beast was to grab one of the arms of Dora's arms between its jaws, with an ease that made clear how powerful the Serpent of the Abyss is. The Leviathan thrashed around wildly, causing tidal waves to reach the surface, trying to tear the warrior to pieces as its fangs kept the Dora firmly locked in a vice like grip.
Now that the Leviathan awoke, the real battle was just about to begin...
Victoire; helped Henry capture the altar at Iota sector.
Victoire; was shot by Hibiki.
Victoire; set her roses around the Iota pillar.
Victoire; died, leaving behind the Flute of the Sirens.
Endian was not expecting the sudden appearance of one whom she knew to be Stark Zealot, a direct Servant of the High Queen herself. Not that Endian let that surprise show, since it wasn't actually that much of a surprise. After her recent failure it was only natural that Eos would want some personal assurances that her commander wouldn't fail in such a disgraceful manner again. She would do her best to meet such expectations, if she could help it.
With the pillar activated thanks to Grafdakka's assistance, she turned to Zealot even as Graf issued his own plan. While it had merit, she herself was not so certain on this plan of action. It would be much more efficient to let the demons and the angels fight it out, and then swoop in on both when they had been weakened from the prolonged conflict.
But there was no stopping Graf, and Endian held back a sigh as she watched him go before turning to Stark Zealot. "I suppose I should go assist him," she noted with an inherent sigh. "Move on Sector Eta, and-"
Before she could go on the battlefield seemed to shake with an unbridled force, and it didn't take long for status updates to come in from other Machina forces. It seemed that the rumors of the Leviathan were a bit more than just rumors, and now the beast had awoken. There was no serious damage done yet, but it would likely only be a matter of time. Somehow she had the feeling that Graf wouldn't be attacking the angels quite so quickly.
Her gaze refocused on Stark Zealot, assuming that he had access to the same information that she did. "Move to Eta Sector, keep the Leviathan from heading into our territory if you can, stall it if you can't," she told him in a snap tone that bode no argument. They would have to move quick now.
As for herself, she turned on her heels and shot away, headed back to Zeta Sector. With a beast such as this she didn't intend to simply fight it in person, and now that their flank was secured there was no point in simply lingering. Speed would be of the essence now, to curb the Demonic advantage while they still had the chance.
Needless to say, it was a quick trip back to the Contender, and she didn't waste any time in heading up to the bridge. They needed the firepower that this ship could bring to bear, and she would not let it go to waste. "Set course for Sector Theta," she ordered with a wave of her hand as she looked out over the battlefield. "All hands, prepare for combat."
The ship hummed as it cut through the water, moving further into the battlefield to engage the foes of the Machina. It would be a challenge now that the Leviathan was on the field, but she was determined to not fail.
-Endian moves to Sector Zeta -Endian and Contender move to Sector Theta
With her current companion Tartys dove into the water, the pillar fairly easy to locate as far as these things went. Which was lucky, since it meant it would be that much quicker to get out of the water. But she wasn't so disturbed as to not be sociable, and she smiled to her companion as he introduced himself. "My name is Tartys," she replied with a nod.
But it seemed they would not have time to talk as omega spotted some Machina agents nearby laying down traps, and before she knew it a turret of some kind was shooting at them as the duo beat a hasty retreat from the scene. that was unfortunate, to say the least, but honestly she didn't mind not having to tangle with the Machina. Though it did leave the issue of" that turret....
"Look out!" With a cry of warning she let light gather at the tip of her spear as she thrust it forward, erecting a temporary magical barrier that would serve to negate the shots that came their way, at least to some extent. Her wings swept out and pushed her to the side in turn as it faded so she could get past that barrier that the thing had protecting it, yet it did give her an opening to take a shot.
So she did, muttering under her breath as light concentrated anew, this one flashing out in a burst of energy that would streak across the side of the turret like it was being cut by a torch. Which was all that was needed as it hit something explosive inside, blasting the turret apart under the force of its own munitions going off. Well, at least the Machina made good explosions, for what it was worth, even if they couldn't stand up to the true power of Heaven.
With it done, Tartys let out a sigh as she relaxed, swimming forward to touch the pillar. Yet once she had done so a frown came to her features. "Does it feel like it got colder to you?"
Henry laughed as Victoire considered his offer, then smiled as she ran her nails under his chin. "The battle was assured from the start. As for dashing actions, I was thinking of capturing one of those Machina for myself. Maybe we could recreate them and create our own suits. As for abnormal currency... I can work with that." He wasn't fazed by her teasing, he found it somewhat flattering that she liked him in some twisted way.
"Anyways, I'll be heading off now- WHAT THE FUCK!" Victoire had suddenly exploded all over his shield, the blood quickly washing off due to the sea around them. Henry looked over at where the shot came from and summoned The Gates of Tartarus, placing several thick kite shields in front of him and a thick steel plate he had ripped off of a broken Machina suit behind the kite shields. He closed The Gates and absentmindedly noted that her blood was blending in with the red from her roses.
"Alright then, this fucking blows. Are you dying?" Henry asked Victoire as she cursed everything on the Nexus and muttered something about a mom and dad. She covered the Altar with roses and then faded away, leaving behind a flute carved out of a Siren's femur bone. "I suppose that is a yes. Awesome." He growled at how the situation had quickly gone to fucked.
Suddenly Henry felt it in the distance. The Leviathan had awakened, he could feel the water vibrating from its sheer demonic presence. Henry grabbed the flute and stored it in The Gates of Tartarus quickly, afterwards withdrawing a bottle of ink he usually used for writing. He uncapped the bottle and watched the ink leak into the water, obscuring his position from any snipers and giving him the opportunity to run for Sector Eta.
When he arrived he saw The Leviathan attacking some scantily clad woman associated with the Angels, but more importantly he saw his personal target. He made sure to stay out of their immediate sight and he pulled out the flute. He briefly wondered how it worked, but decided he would figure out as he went along. Henry then put his lips to the flute and began to play a haunting melody. Within the melody he translated his thoughts as best as he could. Kill Dorafraki and then capture or kill Miyu. Either or really.
Took Flute of The Sirens
Moved to Sector Eta
Ordered Leviathan to kill Dorafraki and capture/kill Miyu
The waters of Sector Beta reached their Turn 02 upgrade, non-heavily protected (non-Demon) personnel, or light vehicles, should take care when approaching it.
The waters of Sector Iota reached their Turn 01 upgrade, non protected (non-Demon) personnel, should take care when approaching it.
The Leviathan has reached its Turn 01 upgrade, it's now 33% more powerful than before.
Victoire's respawn count is 03 Turns.
The Leviathan
Upon the command of the dreaded flute of the Sirens, the mighty serpent stopped in its flaying for a moment, recognizing Henry's commands as its ultimate biding. With a heave of its jaws, the Leviathan let Dora arm go, with profound gashes tearing her flesh, now.
The best roared another time and, the waters around it, and over all of the Eta sector burst in a glacial explosion of which only the area right around the Flute of the Sirens was safe. The Dwarven fleet on the surface would suffer heavy damage as many of its vessels got impaled by jagged icicles and thrown into the sky, the same bombardment hitting over anyone else on the sector. Hopefully, it had fulfilled both of Henry's commands in one move, before going to coil around its temporary master, waiting for new orders.
Before Omega could pull the trigger, the pink suited woman jumped out of the way as the turret she set up detected Omega and opened fire. By pure instinct he ducked behind the light barrier Tartys tossed up just as a storm of bullets flew towards them. Wait, bullets? Omega sighed before getting back up out of cover and aiming where the target had been only to see a large black blob and no sign of the enemy. She had escaped, but at least there was no longer any opposition from this pillar.
Well, except for the turret that was still firing at Omega. Though the bullets were a slight tickle going through him, the other angels would find it flesh ripping. Luckily, while it was still focused on him, Tartys lept into action flanking the turret and hitting it from the side triggering an explosion destroying the last obstacle.
With no threat present, Omega slipped his revolvers back into their holsters and tipped his hat towards Tartys and thanked her.”Thank you kindly. With those varmints out of the way, I think it’s about high time we take this pillar.” Following her to the pillar they claimed it for the angels, but just as they did a faint click was heard. Several bombs exploded around the pillar, but their contents was unexpected by the spirit cowboy.
He let out a short cry of pain as he was enveloped by the holy water. Attempting to get out of the trap he used the pillar to push himself off and swam like the dickens away from the liquid now surrounding the pillar. ”It’s just Holy water.” He informed the angels currently wary of the traps just set off. “Them tricky bastards used our own weapons.” He remarked under his breath still washing the remaining holy water off. While it wouldn’t hurt the true hosts of heaven around him, Omega as a simple spirit was still just as susceptible as any ethereal being.
Tartys then made a remark about the water getting colder. Omega took a moment to let the water rush over him now that he was not longer being burned by the holy variety. ”Now that you mention it, it does feel a tad cooler than before...Awww hell.” A slight shaking in the water told Omega exactly what was going on; the leviathan was awake, and it was nearby. ”Come on, we gotta rally up with our pals at Eta before that snake swallows them like rats in a cage! Lieutenant Sharn,” Omega called over one of the Lieutenants. ”Yer squad is gonna stay here and keep this pillar safe. The rest of us,” Omega drew his revolvers again and held them high, ”Let’s go rope us a sea snake!”
Whatever Grafdakka thought about him was irrelevant to the mission at hand, the assassin Machina not really caring how “worthy” he was in the brute’s eyes. Truly a testament in how much more machine Stark Zealot was to the tin-canned oaf. In any case, Grafdakka left their group to commit to his duties; no sooner did her depart did the entire ocean shake and tremble.
His sensors picked up large activity near the demon-controlled territories and one could easily assume it was the work of the Leviathan. Either the Demons wanted this battle over by releasing their trump card or the one in control of the beast had perished. Whatever the case, the android heeded Endian’s words before jetting off to Eta Sector.
It wasn’t a long swim, the Queen’s Assassin reaching the area in no time. It was from there that he got a good look at the Leviathan; if he was perhaps human, he might have marveled at the creature’s sheer strength of power. But as he was now, the most he could do was pay a silent regard to it before getting into position to attack. For although Angels and Demons were afoot, all were targets in his optical receptors.
He saw two Angels and a Demon to be precise, the Leviathan coiled around Henry as if protecting him from danger. Meanwhile the mighty beast had its jaws full with Dora while Miyu was doing Miyu things. Typical. Finding a good chunk of ice to rest on, Stark Zealot stood upon the floating glacier from the side up, gravity of the water meaning nothing to him.
At once he nocked his bow to reveal three orange arrows of energy and one metal bolt tipped with green. He fired his projectiles, the orange arrows ricocheting off the ice to hit the targets of Miyu, Henry, and Dora; meanwhile, the tipped green one would spiral itself into a drill as it headed right for the Leviathan’s flesh. If it made contact, it would bury itself into the great beast and drill its way towards the heart, never stopping, also spinning.
Meanwhile there were the other arrows to contend with and unless the Angels and Demons could dodge or deflect his attack, they would make their mark. Because the one known as Stark Zealot was never heard to miss his prey. Such was the case of the newly aligned demonic agent above water known as Bastion, who gritted her teeth as something strange passed through her.
“This feeling…grrnn, is Mistress…? Damn them,” she snarled to herself, lost without her orders. Should she dive down below and assist the fight or remain in her position to defend the land up above? She couldn’t make up a decision, but there was one thing Bastion knew for sure. She really, really wanted to murder something.
Back in the oceans below, a voice would be picked up in Endian’s personal transceiver. It was a voice she would know instantly and one she had trusted for several battles and perhaps many more to come. A pitched silence was heard before it said, “Miss Endian, the Leviathan is rampaging near Sector Eta. Permission to reroute our forces there? That way the opposition will be too distracted to stop you from taking Sector Theta. Awaiting orders m’am.”
Henry laughed with delight as Leviathan froze the entire section, destroying a large portion of the Dwarven fleet and hopefully killing both his targets. "Good work Leviathan, very good! I really wish I could keep you. Oh well, I'll make sure you're fed well when I leave." Henry rubbed the Leviathan's scales like he would rub a dog's head, stopping once he heard something strange. His mind flashed back to Victoire's death and his eyes widened.
Henry quickly moved the flute to his lips and blew a single sharp note, letting the Leviathan know to dodge immediately, preferably towards Sector Iota. It was time to go on the defense now, the Demons would win if they could protect their own territory. In the meantime Henry grabbed the fin and took the Cheater's Blade out of The Gates of Tartarus so he could deflect any attacks that may come his way. He then put the flute away in The Gates before closing them.
Quietly congratulating herself Hibiki took aim at another Demon. She noticed something floating towards him after Victoire was killed, but before Hibiki could have taken another shot the demon created some sort of barrier that blocked Hibiki. "Tch. Oh well, we took out Victoire. C'mon Shizuka lets-" Suddenly there was violent shaking throughout the ocean. It was as if a massive explosion just happened barely a mile away, and Shizuka could feel Ascalon grow warmer. Even without the holy blade Hibiki could see what the commotion was; the Leviathan had awaken. The demons moved quickly to control the Leviathan, as did the sisters. However when ice began to shoot out from the ocean, Hibiki and Shizuka had to take shelter among some rocks. The Leviathan's power was no joke; it wasn't even at it's full power and it had thoroughly wrecked the angel's fleet nearby.
Shizuka drew her sword and wanted to charge. She knew that if the Leviathan retreated into demon-controlled territory, they won't be able to fight it well. Victoire's blood roses would make short work of the sisters, and potentially lose Ascalon in the process. Hibiki knew her sister's intent but also knew that despite her fury, Shizuka couldn't take the Leviathan head on. They needed to weaken it somehow, or at the very least get it out of the demon's control. Hibiki guessed that the demon who was with Victoire now had the tool to control the Leviathan. He would be their new target, but even if Hibiki could take a shot at him from here it'd just get the attention of the Leviathan. Wracking her brain for a plan Hibiki tried to think... And then she realized something. The sisters don't have to fight the Leviathan alone.
Looking into Eta sector, Hibiki and Shizuka could see a figure sinking into the ocean. "Shizuka! Come with me!" Hibiki's armor began to shift. Her legs became a single tail fin, which allowed her to explode forward in a burst of speed. Shizuka followed behind her sister, Ascalon still in hand. She wasn't sure what Hibiki was doing until she saw her sister go and save someone, someone who Shizuka didn't recognize. But Hibiki knew that this person must have been one of the Angel's commanders. The only proof Hibiki had about this was because this person had a huge hammer, and generally speaking the biggest weapon went to the leaders. Catching the sinking, injured Angel, Hibiki spoke gently and clearly despite the chaos around them and being underwater.
"I am Hibiki Meido, and this is my sister Shizuka Meido. I want to discuss a temporary ceasefire between the forces of the Machina and Angels so we can defeat the Leviathan together!"
Meanwhile back at sector Gamma, the angel's who drove away Shizuka and Hibiki went to claim the Altar. However while they managed to destroy the Bastion turret, they failed to consider the various traps Hibiki laid for them. And the traps didn't activate until Omega and Tartys were deep inside the blast radius. The first bomb that went off was a sonar bomb; it created a sonic boom so loud that it could be heard from the neighboring sectors, and anyone who was unfortunate enough to be near it would have been stunned at best, or have their eardrums literally exploded at worse. But that wasn't the only thing that happened: Various anti-demon bombs went off as well. While most were just bombs that spread holy water around, there were a few that created a blinding flash. Against demons it would weaken them considerably and make them easy pickings, if only for a little while, but against the angels it just blinded them. Finally, various sea mines placed around the Altar exploded and sent powerful concussive forces around them shooting shrapnel through the water as well as crushing anyone within the blast with it's explosive power.
1. Both sisters moved from Gamma to Eta. 2. Hibiki saves Dorafraki and proposes a temporary alliance between the Angel's and Machina. 3. Various bombs went off at the Altar in this order: Bombs that deafen, bombs that blind, and then bombs that crush people through sheer force.
From the bridge of the Contender, Endian's head snapped to the side as she heard the message from her assistant Erin, offering her own suggestion and asking for permission to act in her stead for commanding the battle. "Permission granted," she replied with a nod of her head. "Get it done." She had faith that her orders would be carried out quickly and succinctly.
At the same time she kept up with a bevy of status reports, following the field of battle as well as the Leviathan. It seemed that the demons were in the lead for the moment, a very unfortunate state of circumstances that would have to be changed sooner or later. Preferably sooner, before the demonic advantage in control became too great to surpass.
Her eyes narrowed though at news from the Leviathan, which apparently was on the move back into Demonic territory. While she had been planning to cap this sector, it was obvious that they were shifting into a more defensive posture. That could not be allowed, and demonic territory had to be reduced as rapidly as possible. She trusted Erin to understand that, but she had her own part to play as well.
"All weapons stations, lock on to the Leviathan, fire at will."
Weapons emplacements swiveled and locked on, hardly difficult due to the size of the thing. A minute or so would pass before they fired, torpedoes launching from the underside of the ship and racing towards the Leviathan in a flock of concentrated firepower. It might not be enough to kill it, but it would at least make things difficult. And in that difficulty it might open up the ability for someone else to take the thing down.
"Target is moving into Sector Iota," she radioed, letting all forces know before commanding the Contender. "Set course for Sector Iota. Prepare icebreaking equipment." With the engines running at full pace the ship turned and headed off, ready to confront the Leviathan and end this fight, if they could.
-Endian has Contender fire at Leviathan -Contender moves to Sector Iota
Tartys nodded as Omega confirmed what she had expected, definitely not good. If that was the Leviathan, then they would be in for a lot of trouble. Especially since they didn't quite have weaponry that would be especially effective against it. From what she understood, that had unfortunately ended up in the Machina's possession, somehow.
But then there was suddenly something else to worry about as a device went off, lighting the area with a blinding flash of light. "Gah!" Her arms rose in a protective gesture as explosives went off, barraging the both of them with noise and then actual weaponry. It was mostly oriented around hurting demons, but that merely spared them some pain and suffering. Almost on reflex she lashed out with her magic, trying to create a barrier, a wall, a dome of some sort to protect the both of them from what they were caught in.
She did her best, but it wasn't enough to save them from all the Machina's traps. If it had been made to deal with angels it would have been a lot worse, but even still Tartys found herself being peppered with shrapnel and stunned from the noise and light, forced to recover before she could do anything. A hiss escaped as she looked down, determining if it was worth it to heal her wounds, but with the circumstances she eventually decided not to. They could do it when they were finished with their current threat.
"Y-Yes, let's go," she agreed with a hesitant nod before swimming towards Sector Eta to join Omega in this fight. Hopefully they weren't too late to make a difference.
-Tartys defends from boobytraps for minor damage -Tatys moves to Sector Eta
Leaving the throne room, Endian was focused on the mission at hand. Data was compiled of what they knew about the ruins, lists drawn up of supplies they would need for offensive operations and to supply the troops, as well as tentative strategies laid down. She would need to see the battlefield itself to get a better idea of what would work, but that didn't mean that she could not plan ahead.
Yet she had not made it to her next destination when she heard herself addressed, stopping in her tracks to look back and see Hibiki approaching her. She wasn't sure why, but presumably it was related to their upcoming mission. That would be the most pressing matter they had to deal with at the moment after all.
"Yes?" The Commander turned back to face the speaker, hands at her sides as she switched her primary focus from planning to the girl in front of her. Not that she had entirely stopped, but divided attention meant she could focus on both without really suffering in either. So for now, she waited to hear what Hibiki had to say.
First, Hibiki bowed her head towards Endian. As her commander, it was simply curtisy for her to show respect. Once the formality was out of the way Hibiki spoke. "I just wanted to say that it was not your fault. I cannot say that I know what you're thinking, but what happened in the previous battle was chaotic and we were blindsided. While you may think that we're suppose to be better then that, it does not change the fact that you managed to make the most of an otherwise horrible position. Without your command, the Eliticor could have been completely wiped out from the combined powers of the Angels and Demons. So... I promise that in our next battle, I will do my best to fight at your level!" Shizuka walked up but stayed quiet, giving Endian a bow and smile. She let her sister do all the talking.
Endian accepted the bow and as quickly dismissed it, a military formality that she paid little heed to in her desire to get to the message. This was hardly an official audience so there was no need to be bound in protocol or what have you.
She was more surprised by what Hibiki had to say, having not expected this from the girl. Not that she did not appreciate the gesture, she had just assumed that it would not occur. There was no reason for it after all, not when those involved in the event in question would have understandably been busy with their own work. And even then Hibiki did not have the same sort of view that Endian had had for the fight, making it even more dubious that this sort of thing would have happened.
Once Hibiki was finished though Endian wasted no time in answering, her own thoughts calculated beforehand. "Though I had not intended to dwell upon the events of the previous battle, thank you for your support. However, I would not say that I am entirely faultless in what had happened. There were warning signs of the demonic corruption that I had ignored, allowing for relative autonomy to go about fulfilling assigned tasks, and only realized when it was too late." Amongst other things, though she would not lay out a list of what she had done wrong in this fight.
Letting a soft smile grace her features, she looked between Hibiki and Shizua with a smooth gaze. "The two of you did well in battle. A Commander is only as good as effective as the soldiers under her command after all, so I'm going to hold you to that promise." Indeed, they had had one of the few successes to be pulled from that disaster. But that was for the future, when right now they had a new fight to prepare for.
"Thank you, Commander. Mistakes happen, but my sister and I shall do everything within and beyond our power to ensure no mistakes in our next battle!" Hibiki bowed again, this time with Shizuka. Once she had spoken, Shizuka chose this time to say her peice. "It would be nice to fight alongside you, Commander. I think if you were there, you would have been able to take more control over the battle." Hibiki didn't turn towards her sister, but she did close her eyes so she could hide a fearful look. Hibiki meant to raise Endian's spirits, not critque her.
While Endian finished up the conversation with Hibiki, she had not, again, been expecting Shizuka's comment. To be fair that had hit upon a point she had been thinking about for some time now, though she had yet to decide how she would go about this. But she wasn't about to chastise them for it, when it had been nothing but a simple observation.
"There are certain aspects that would be improved by taking to the field," she agreed with a nod. "Being able to have a more direct hand in combat is one of them. But it does have some downsides as well, such as the potential elimination of a commander." Among other things, but she wouldn't go on with that. It was a fair point, and she wondered if Shizuka had considered all the potential implications when she had made her suggestion.
"If you ever entered the battle, you should call upon Hibiki and I. We will come to your aid and protect you. There are also others you could command, such as Marquis and Grafdakka. You do not need to fight alone." Hibiki stepped next to her sister and bowed her head, elbowing her sister to do the same. "I applogize. We did not mean to use up you time with our trivialities. I'm sure there are much you need to do Commander. My sister and I will be in the city for a short while and we will return to the Eliticor to prepare out things for transfer. If we have your leave..." Hibiki and Shizuka waited for a few seconds to see if Endian had anything else to ask them before they would go.
Endian appreciated the concern that the sisters were showing for her, both in terms of conduct on the battlefield as well as their own perceived offense by having this conversation with her. It was a nice reminder, and one that she would not do to waste. They were all on the same side after all, so anything that could help her was to be taken, no matter how painful it might seem to those giving said advice.
"Don't worry about it," she replied with a shake of her head as she looked between the two of them. "I have plenty of time for conversations such as these. The two of you should be careful as well when the next battle comes. I have a feeling the demons may be looking for their chance at revenge." They were petty like that, weren't they?
A nod then, to wrap things up. "I look forward to seeing both of you on the Contender them," she said before stepping away so they could go about their business, much as she would go about hers. They had plenty to do, and probably shouldn't delay.
"Hell, here goes nothing." Miyu charged as the Leviathan awoken, ramming the Leviathan with the full weight of her mech, targeting a joint in the scales with her skill for the hyperedge blade to pierce... And achieving about a foot of penetration, entirely inconsequential to the beast. And then for good measure getting stuck when its muscled pulled taught around the blade. "Well.... This is du..." And then she was frozen. And then people started shooting at her. And then she was dragged out of some of the ice, and towards another sector. Her sword would have surely snapped from the pressure of dragging her mech around if it wasn't reinforced with the Mantle spell.
"At least I can do something about the projectile. Shields." Miyu shielded her mech against the lone projectile, able to manually babysit the shield settings to ensure deflection given it was only one projectile.
If the Leviathan eventually stopped, Miyu would finally be flung off, and Henry would be treated to a vision of the mech had wanted to capture slowly arcing towards the bottom encased partially in ice a few meters away from him.
1. Attack ineffectually at Leviathan. 2. Get dragged to where-ever Leviathan is going, Sector Iota if it follows Henry's commands. 3. Defend self from Stark's arrow.
I'm taking getting attacked by Stark's arrow as evidence that the ice attack didn't destroy Miyu, but instead immobilized her.
The titan of the depths marched ever forward into Delta, seeking to destroy the fleet there and secure the altar until reinforcements can come to claim it. But before he got that far, the ocean shook and ice formed in the neighboring sector of Eta. "SO IT AWAKENS." Graf's voice boomed from the ocean floor. He proceeded towards Sector Eta, his Dredge Line pulling him closer and closer with each toss. It wasn't long before he managed to reach the sector were ice was forming from within the ocean, only to explode out and destroy things around it. The Angel's ships above were getting thrashed, but Graf didn't care for them. He did not even care that this sector had been taken by the angels. No, there was only one thing that truly mattered.
Here was the Leviathan. And Graf was going to kill it.
Ice began to form around Grafdakka, slowing him down slightly. Slightly, because before any chucks could grow big enough to really stop him Grafdakka smashed the ice and continued onward. In the distance he saw another mech try to take on the Leviathan, failing, and getting struck by one of Stark's arrows. Grafdakka didn't really concern himself about why Stark was shooting this mech or who this mech really was. There were literally bigger things to worry about. When it appeared that the Leviathan was starting to get away, Grafdakka becang to swing his anchor above his head. Around and around it went, cutting through the water like a blade through mist. And with a mighty swing, Grafdakka's anchor flew through the ocean, all the way towards the Leviathan. Grafdakka knew he was too far to truly do any harm to the creature. But he could at least get his anchor around the monster's tail, and be dragged along with it. Once his anchor was pulled taut, fastly secured around the Leviathan's fin, Grafdakka had the chain retract back into his body and pulling himself towards the Leviathan at deadly speeds. Anyone in his path was in for a rude awakening as a 20 ton titan of steel was sent in the direction of an even larger and deadlier monster than itself.
Sector Gamma isn't rigged with Hibiki's traps, anymore;
The waters of Sector Beta reached their Turn 03 upgrade, any non-Demon target, should take care when approaching it.
The waters of Sector Iota reached their Turn 02 upgrade, non heavily armored (non-Demon) targets, should take care when approaching it.
The Leviathan has reached its Turn 02 upgrade, it's now 67% more powerful than before.
Victoire's respawn count is - Turns. Never mind, characters who die won't be coming back to the battle for the time being.
The Leviathan
Following Henry's bidding, the beast retreated in the poisonous tides of Sector Iota, shrugging off most attacks set against it with more or less ease, but still living through it all. Blades and arrows stuck to its scales and muscles, weights from beings and loads that clung to it, seemed to be like cotton balls for the great serpent. The Leviathan was hurt but it still could put up a fight with its ever growing rage.
However... Henry would not realize the implication of his acts, until it was too late. By stowing away the Flute of the Sirens, the full rage of the Leviathan was once again unchained and it turned its eyes tot he most imposing prey within his currently occupied sector, that being, the Contender. With a mighty roar the Serpent of the Abyss surfaced, showing he full extent of its power and size as the water burst into a torrential explosion, raining corrosive hell over the weaker parts of the Contender, just before the Leviathan itself coiled around the ship, one, two... at least three full revolutions and the monster still had an appreciable part of it, free to bite of a nearest gun emplacement, throwing it to the bottom of the sea at the same time as its body began to pressure the Contender's beam slowly, if nothing was done to stop the Leviathan's rampage.
