[center][h2][color=BFBFBF]Zenkichi[/color] and [color=crimson]Edelgard[/color][/h2]
The Qliphoth
Lvl 8 Zenkichi (69/80) -> (73/80)
Lvl 4 Edelgard (24/40) -> Level 4 (28/40)
Word count: 811 words (2x2 exp)[/center]


As Edelgard hacked away at the base of the Gravemind, she was quick to react to its transformation, jumping back as the colossal Floodform consolidated its flesh and began to retract. [color=crimson]”Now what is this?!”[/color] She cried out, hefting her shield in preparation for an attack. 

Zenkichi, meanwhile, was busy handling the Flood tank form that had been so kindly dropped in by the Gravemind before its transformation. Each swing of Ragnell launched a blast of energy its way, but the monster was undeterred, barreling ahead with reckless abandon and swinging its trunk like limbs violently. He was forced to dodge the attack or be launched away, but the Tank form was quick to stop and turn once it had gone past him. It roared, turning and slamming its massive arm down with enough force to kick up a small cloud of dust and lingering spores. The light of Ragnell’s energy blasts illuminated it as Zenkichi circled around the tank form, calling out to Edelgard. [color=BFBFBF]”Can you handle this thing? I can at least get some ranged hits out on the big guy!”[/color] While this earned a huff from the Flame Emperor, she nonetheless obliged. 

As he and Edelgard switch targets, Zenkichi rolled to avoid a glob of deadly poison, standing up and pointing his target out for Valjean. [color=BFBFBF]”Agneyastra!”[/color] Of all times, now wasn’t the time to hold back, though he could [i]feel[/i] just that one attack taking a lot of his reserves of energy. Even as he took in a deep breath, the meteors crashed into the main body of the Gravemind, a few hitting some of its heads and dealing solid damage. He didn’t have too many more of those left in him, even as he felt the three protocols of Sandalphon’s covenant healing and reinforcing him. 

Edelgard met the Tank form with a charge, Aymr flashing out with Returning Axe before she even reached the Flood form, already in her hand again by the time the two clashed. The crash of its mighty arm rattled her even through her shield and armor, though the Tank form suffered Doom for its efforts, cursing it to be harmed by a spectral crimson blade a second later. She hadn’t noticed this effect actively until now, given how hectic the battle had been, but Edelgard hummed when she saw it take place, cementing the notion in her mind that taking that boon had been a good idea. 

She took the offensive, crashing into the Tank form shield-first and slamming Aymr’s blade into its shoulder before kicking off and circling around to target its larger arm. While others might go for the weaker side, Edelgard meant to dislodge the limb entirely, thus rendering the Flood nearly powerless. Though her target did not give her an easy job, lashing out violently and trying to run the Flame Emperor down any time she put distance between them for even a moment to breathe. The Gravemind’s new form made this all the more treacherous, as the toxin grenades it launched left fields of toxic gas behind to turn the battlefield into a place where not one inch was safe. 

As Zenkichi hurled blasts of energy from Ragnell at the now mobile Gravemind, he was forced to take a more passive approach than earlier as two of the three heads nearly continuously belched out globs and grenades of spores and toxins. He’d found himself hit a few times by now, and while the stacking defensive buffs from Preservation Protocol and Ragnell’s magical protection had kept him relatively hale, each projectile still did a noticeable amount of damage. Stashing Ragnell for a moment, he drew his revolvers and fired them at the head firing the lingering toxic clouds, quickly replacing them with the holy sword when they clicked empty and running out of the impact zone of another blast. 

As soon as he paused for a moment, he saw the utterly colossal scythe coming his way along the ground in a horizontal sweep, and he hefted Ragnell in time to block the attack, only for the sheer momentum to launch him a few dozen feet away, tumbling head over heels. [color=BFBFBF]”Owww…”[/color] He groaned, body aching as he stood. [color=BFBFBF]”This thing is crazy. Agneyastra looked like it barely budged it. The heads are an obvious weak point, but unless we can knock it down…”[/color] Now, that was an idea. Though he certainly didn’t know how the heck they’d pull [i]that[/i] off. Bringing his finger to his ear, Zenkichi activated the communication glyph Sandalphon had given him. [color=BFBFBF]”Sandalphon, you got any ideas on something we could use to knock this giant thing over? Its heads are the obvious weak point, but half of us can’t even get to them.”[/color] It was a long shot, but if they could pull it off…they could put some serious hurt on the Guardian.