[IC] [TZDL2017] Junction vs Keileon - QuarterFinals

[Mobius]

DUEL LEAGUE

Anubis' Tomb

Information
Time: 12:33PM
Location: ??????
Date June 23rd
Weather: Hot. Clear sky.
Temperature: 77°F inside, 109°F outside
Layout of the entire map can be found here Please be advised it is only a rough estimation of the scene.

Posting format:
After both fighters have posted, the initial poster will be allowed to make the first strike in their second post. The first player to post their introduction gets the position of Player1, the second poster is Player2.

Format of the fight:
Both players will fight to the rules of TZDL2017.

Rules:

• You may not leave the chamber.
• Field Restriction applies to the whole chamber
• You can attempt to collapse parts the ceiling, but the pillars will not guarantee the whole thing coming down. With the removal of the pillars, the whole ceiling might not come down entirely but large pieces may.
• Both characters know they are here to fight.
• No one is allowed to post in the thread outside of both participants and a judge
• You can not attack in your initial post
• Layout of the map is shown here: click me I'm cute
• You are disallowed to edit your post without permission from Mobius and/or acknowledgement from your opponent. Once your opponent has posted, the previous post YOU make shall remain untouched unless authorized. I will immediately disqualify you if you edit post after your opponent post (with some exceptions)

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Anubis' Tomb

Egyptian pyramids are archaeologist’s prized discoveries, an open gateway into an arcane world where pharaohs die with their treasures. Emperors ceaselessly tire their existences for immortality on the back of countless slaves, erecting monolithic tombs excavating profound burial chambers were Inpu escorts fallen kings through a valley of deceased men. Scholars across the world marvel at its structural design. The monumental edifice bound 2 wandering spirits inside, locked inside eroding desert stone stacked like stairs to an ascension to where ancient Gods welcomed dead rulers. A towering square pyramid (square base, for those not familiar with pyramid designs) jetting from sand with a fading bronze tint on resilient limestone, crackling with age beneath a golden radiance of Ra eclipsing a blue-sky. Each rock mounted on one another in a symmetrical square where weight distributed from the zenith decreases, but the Pyramidion decayed to an octagonal formation being chipped to a mangle malformation it dutifully represented.

The pyramid’s battered surface belies a deeper significance having a colossally greater volume than Khufu stone flag resting in Giza’s plateau. Its location obscured by electronic interference that subvert satellite surveillance, and depicts normal mountain ranges where this behemoth of ancient ingenuity slept. This anomaly went undetected by several nations as electromagnetic disturbances were accounted for by sandstorms and terrestrial heat, but few explorers unearthed truths far exceeding humanity’s expectations.. and seldom shared them. The pyramid is wedged in a very deep chasm where a single side is against bedrock for thousands of years, keeping itself camouflaged from marauders and gravediggers alike as a disguised mountain slope. Many that are aware understood the unwitting coincidence of nature, but a minority of the cabal believed it was engineered this way.

Now the interior of this mammoth construct is where a cacophony between two kindred spirits would convene. When one enters from a lavish entrance crusted in gold they would meet a walking path with sandstones carefully fixed on either side of said trail, 3 inch stones placed and 8 feet spaced apart. The floor adjacent contained beautiful stone carvings of mysterious Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and even Cretan inscriptions throughout the floor. The sanctum, with all its diverse pictographs chiseled on the floor, is not without a robust amount of dimension. The room appeared 200' wide by 400' long, its ceiling height far beyond human reach at staggering 500' where square columns can be seen further down. When one continues to traverse this walkway they would notice a slant floor 97' from their entry. It appears at a certain distance, the floor elevation for the entire chamber shifts 6 feet above normal with a 45 degree slope. One could assume as they continue to walk, they will meet another hill-esque floor raise until the last 97' feet is met where an intimidating 25' statue of Osiris standong on top a conquered 30' Inpu.

The ebony canine deity lying beneath a sole sandal of gold resting its position with scepter n hand skewed onto the fallen’s back. He lay motionless on his belly like a serpent, arms spaced as one would expect from a vanquished foe. Osiris was made of silver that seem to age to a proper teal, his helm bronze and define chest bare with scars engraved unto his muscular visage. The silver underworld king knelt before any person that approached, handing out a throne made of the exotic yellow metal. A skeleton seated comfortably in garbs too old to date and jewelry far too expensive to yield. Whomever burial chamber belong to may have left the hint: he falls to the underworld -- killing death.

Throughout the exquisite tapestry of ancient ceramics lining the merigold walls were pillars of vintage Egyptian hieroglyphics etched in navy blue. These posts towered far above human height as they merged with the ceiling, although it appears one scaffolding remained somehow untouched but apparently much more modern than these chambers allowed. These daises were accessible by degenerated pieces of lumber scattered adjacent each pillar, and the area of each column is 20x20' thick of unadulterated stone. Traces of marble faintly gleamed behind stained sand that has accumulated for millenniums, dousing the floor in grain older than most civilizations through small ventilations near the ceiling, but most were congested by debris from broken stone, other statues on upper levels, or harden sand.

Light was provided by several unfathomable sources found throughout and one particular instance was the very ground itself. It produced a significant amount of an apricot luminescence without compromising one’s ability to see, but how this was accomplished remained unseen. Torches grafted on walls and revealing a brown luster from a shimmering red core it radiated, leaving most of the ambiance in a vague blonde luster where light couldn’t reach the upper echelon of the chamber. Then onto Osiris with his snarling complexion brought about a supernatural glow of red from every eye of his scowl, the entire area surrounding him concealed in a faint aura of cherry and honey luminosity that one could identify his defined and timeless features from the doorway. Despite how well lit this exaggerating room was, darkness lurked about the far end pillars, corners, and the entirety of the ceiling was poorly lit. Skeletal remains of what appears to be a deceased dinosaur, wyvern, or a dragon hardly venting its and buffed in a dandelion saturation from years of ambient sand. One of the eastern pillars laid across the 2nd and 3rd floor elevation not far from the slope divide. 2 large portions seemingly fell in a peculiar angel with debris scattered about and neglected. The very columns fissuring the floor beneath in hairlines as its structure only chipped from its descent.

Each fighter appeared on either side of a pharaoh’s mausoleum roughly 110' apart, and they will duel with the intent of burying another king here in the sands of time. They will die here in obscurity. ~Mobius TZDL2017 Quarterfinals

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Notify me of any numerical mistakes, geometry mistakes, or spelling mistakes immediately.

Oh some trivia: The 3 inch blocks make a boarder path that leads to the throne where Inpu and Osiris are. The walkway is smooth and contains no hieroglyphics.

Also: The ceiling does not slope up or down like the floor does as it elevates, so the ceiling maintains the same height (just means the floor is slightly closer to the ceiling. Not by much though)

And: Inpu is 30 feet long laying on the ground, about 3 to 5 feet thick depending on body proportions (shoulder to shoulder is 8 or more give or take.). Same goes for Osiris minus the helm which is longer.

[Keileon]

A striking sense of familiarity unnerves the pair, but with all of their foggy memories it seemed as if it should not be important. And yet somehow it does, impossibly, both of them are stricken with a very definite sense of something known, something familiar, something wrong.

We've been here before.

Neither know how this can be possible and neither know how they know it. But both sense that it is an undeniable fact, as surely as the two of them are alive in that chamber at that very moment. But what of it? Why does this sense that they have trodden the sand in this pyramid before stand out as so important? Memories, at least specific ones, of this place don't bubble up to the surface of cognition, and yet they know in their very cores that this is certainly not their first time being in the chamber. Is the broken pillar evidence of, perhaps, a previous fight they took part in? What of the unmistakable skeleton of a dragon below, which both regard with the strangest sense of grief? Of sorrow, of mourning, of regret?

The brassy-copper dragon shakes his head as if to dispel the unbidden pain and the thoughts that accompany it. There is no reason he should feel sorrow over a nameless dragon's remains, certainly not when he can't remember any specific or clear faces or names to put to the corpse. And so he resigns himself to casting his emerald gaze about the impossibly-lit tomb, analyzing everything from the lay of the land, to potential cover, to checking to see how high he can get away with flying. A black scarab skitters from the dragon's position and crawls up a broken pillar nearby; the beast seems to pay it no mind, neither a glance nor a snort. For what reason, of course, would a mighty dragon have to grace a mere insect with its attention?

The reality is far from this appearance, however. Opting for stealth, cover, trickery, a shapeshifter's first impulse would normally be to find some mighty beast to lurk and then strike from shadows- a wild cat, perhaps, or a lethally venomous serpent. But no, with the distraction that is his soul-bound partner, best friend, brother in arms, he can afford to hang back, as it were, and enter battle at his leisure. Nobody can have any reason to suspect that anything other than the obvious dragon in front of them is their enemy, a mighty beast of legend that looks perfectly at home in the aesthetics of ancient Egypt: dazzling metallic copper-brass scales matching the bronze and gold coloration normally associated with this place.

Indeed, one who has no experience with the dragon and his master, and their tactics employed, might think the dragon is a guardian, a safeguard against grave-robbers or perhaps just a wandering beast that chose the treasure-laden pyramid as its roost. For dragons have a distinct reputation of being lovers of treasure- gold, jewels, precious statues- perhaps this one thinks to claim the chamber in which it stands as its lair, and will fend off intruders with tooth and flame so that it might keep whatever secrets and hidden glories that the famed civilization chose to bury in their ruins?

In reality Mimring has no such interest in things such as these, and only stands vigil to his master who is lying in wait on the side of a broken pillar. But if this image suits Jason, he will gladly play the role of an Egyptian guardian, and woe be to the enemy who is lulled into false security by the enemy being such an obvious, large target.

A static hum crackles through the air as Mimring's scales bristle in anticipation, their sharp edges making him appear larger, perhaps spiked.

We have come this far. There is no sense in losing our momentum now.

[Juncti0n]

Another day, another battle. Clarence was certainly no stranger to such things but as he found his way inside of the old pyramid he noted just how strange a place this was to do battle. Under ordinary circumstances powers like his are very bad to use indoors and a fragile old pyramid was doubly so. Despite this fact he had followed the compulsion to be here, in this place, to do battle. The sting of it was – Clarence couldn’t think of a single damned reason why he would obey such a compulsion. Of course as far as battlefields went there was some good stuff here: cover, light, and all the usual amenities of warfare. The only real concern that gave him pause was that the venue was indoors. A quick glance at the ceiling made him wonder if it would be possible for him to simply implode the roof and bring it all down on top of his foe.

Luckily for the demise of that bad idea was the fact that Clarence finally saw his opponent. A winged creature that seemed to almost blend in with the ostentatious decorations of the pyramid. The important bit was the wings – crushing something that could fly was essentially pointless. And given its appearance vaguely resembled that of the dragons of lore but for the bits of armor that were visible Clarence was keen to anticipate some type of fire from the beast. Its size was a problem in any case. Clarence doubted getting close to such a beast would produce useful results compared to the risks – but that suited him fine. He preferred keeping his distance as he continued walking towards the position he was compelled to take.

Carried along in his left hand was a large chunk of tungsten plate that resembled the black and bulky armor Clarence was wearing on his torso. That which he carried with him was acid-etched and clearly damaged – a memento of a past battle. Losing none of his stride he brought the plate up towards his face and regarded it one last time before discarding it. As he discarded the plate and let it slip along the floor he regarded his Chrono Staff in his right hand. He seized upon it with his psychokinetic abilities and let it hang in the air besides him while his left hand reached behind him to give form to his second staff. However upon being formed the second Chrono Staff’s tungsten core began falling apart – Clarence choosing to no longer maintain its form and instead allowing it to turn into a fine tungsten dust that had the added visual effect of roiling up his Ember Aura.

Without the second Chrono Staff intact all that remained in Clarence’s left hand was the large psionic energy crystal that formed the weapon. As he assumed his assigned position he spun his remaining staff in the air slowly once, twice, and then a third and final time before it ended up in front of him. Each spin of the staff coincided with the shrinking of the large crystal in his left hand before he reached out to grasp it. When his left hand grasped the Chrono Staff the remaining chronotron energy in the left crystal immediately transferred to his Staff, and through the Staff that energy began to permeate Clarence’s body.

There was nothing exotic to ascribe to his armor’s appearance as the armor was simply black, bulky, and deliberately bereft of ornamentation. However the dust swirling inside his Ember Aura caused the embers to boil around him like a horde of angry fireflies as Clarence pointed his Staff towards his opponent and awaited their opening move.

[Keileon]

Fiery emerald eyes cease scanning ancient Egypt's decor and snap to a silhouetted figure entering this battlefield. A figure that enters without haste, without too much of an appearance of caring that its opponent is a dragon- perhaps they don't care. Mimring tilts his head slightly, armored fans flicking open as he regards his opponent's equipment- bulky armor he can't get much of a read on by sight, appearing perhaps shoddily made or hastily repaired. The man carries something with him, but as it doesn't appear to be a weapon Mimring ignores it for the moment. An outfit that has clearly seen much combat- topped off with a helmet that suggests perhaps direct strikes for vital points won't be as effective.

And then the carried object is allowed to fall, and Mimring narrows his eyes as it is discarded. All he can tell is that it is some sort of metal, perhaps an unimportant component of this man's armor, or some scrap picked up outside. Mimring gives no reaction to it and merely watches warily as his opponent drops the object and continues his approach.

Jason, however, has a different idea.

Paramagnetic, the Shapeshifter offers, sensing it out. I can't tell exactly what it's composed of, but either it's not iron or doesn't contain much of it. Doubt I can move it myself right now, but you should be able to.

Understood, is the dragon's only reply as he immediately goes to work altering the charge of the plate without otherwise moving it. He seems to only have eyes for his opponent, but his attention is instead diverted towards this seemingly random object that he armor-clad man discarded so carelessly. But this is of course no issue- while the dragon focuses on strengthening the plate's ability to be affected by magnetism, Jason watches the pair's adversary alertly through his Familiar's eyes, rapidly noting down quick comments for both to keep in mind.

Still can't get much of a read on the armor, but it's likely made out of the same material as that plate. Jason's mental voice is all business. He can dematerialize his weapons. At least I assume that's a weapon. Probably means he can create them, too, be careful. Also made out of the same material. Whatever metal that is, he seems to like it a lot, because pretty much everything I can sense if made from it, I think. He recites this more quickly for most people to be able to register everything if he were speaking, but the link between Mimring and Jason allows them to save precious seconds of time as the information comes almost faster than the words themselves. There is maybe one second of pause, before he speaks again, mental voice sharper. Look sharp, I think he's almost done approaching.

Indeed, the man has stopped some hundred feet away, just outside of Jason's magnetic range but well within Mimring's. The dragon has already prepared the plate for use as the newcomer slowly spins his remaining staff, a crystal shrinking in size as the staff slowly positions in front of him. Mimring represses a snort of derision at the display and prepares himself for the oncoming fight. The loaded energy marking the atmospheric buzz within stagnant air has to be reigned in, as well- a premature attack could cancel out the preparing Mimring has just done, after all.

Ready? Voice filled with energy and anticipation.

Always.

Hostile intention is registered the moment the man with the fiery aura begins to point his staff at the golden dragon standing sentinel before the statues. Mimring isn't sure whether it is a preparation for an attack, or simply a threatening gesture as the human awaits the dragon's first strike, but in either case he will not have to wait long. The staff barely moves to point in Mimring's direction before the discarded plate suddenly flies off the ground toward the armored man's head- Mimring isn't sure if the speed and size of the flying plate will do any significant damage to a helmet when he can't determine its composition, but hopefully it will at least distract this enemy- and if the two are made of the same material, perhaps do enough damage to the helmet to matter.

After the plate would hit or miss, in that split second of potential distraction, the dragon changes.

A crackling line of lightning, highly reminiscent of the sort of strike one would see in a violent thunderstorm, streaks across the hundred-foot gap from Mimring and aiming for the front of the man's helmet. Hundreds of millions, maybe close to a billion volts of raw energy serves not only as an attack but also to mask the lightning dragon's true tactic in this situation- for who pays attention to a distant enemy when a bright white bolt of lightning is blitzing toward you? The crack resonates through the echoing chamber, shaking the very statues, and hide Mimring's transformation in an explosion of light, heat, noise, and lethal dosages of raw electrical power.

To the close observer, the dragon would at first appear to vanish within his own attack, perhaps even becoming one with it, but this is only halfway correct. Indeed, Mimring has become one with his element, but not in the traditional sense- crackling energy running down a sprite's spine serves to highlight the draconic visage of what might look to an outside observer to being a sentient bolt of electricity, a lightning elemental, some being that embodies the very concept of a thunderstorm floating above the slopes of the internal chamber.

Like his thunderous attack before him, Mimring wastes no time for his adversary to recover from the proverbial and literal shock or to gape in awe at the dragon who has now become the soul of the concept of lightning. He bolts forward like his lightning strike, a river of latent electricity in his wake, but this time leads towards his right, as if to flank or move out of a direct line of sight.

[Juncti0n]

Clarence had not walked into this arena without plans and ambitions of his own. His opponents were right to sense his hostile intent – for within his own mind there was no question that he had intended to throw everything he had at his foe as quickly as he could manage. With Time Alter – Final Black Flash on his side though – Clarence could actually manage the feat pretty darn quickly. As the effects of Time Alter take effect the moment he touches his weapon he was essentially already under the effects of Final Black Flash while the attacks were incoming. Clarence’s own plan had been a straightforward one; beginning with the activation of his Subversion Field as the flames around him began to shift from ardent red to an energetic blue plasma.

That blue, “cold” plasma is where Mimring and Jason’s opening gambit made things interesting. Because plasma is ionized (cold or not), and the plasma field formed a dome around Clarence’s body the initial lightning strike would have been deflected to ground by the Subversion Field acting as a sort of Faraday Cage. And even if by some fluke of speed or raw power the lightning persisted in penetrating the Subversion Field Clarence was already using his pyrokinetic abilities to manipulate some of his cold plasma into a fluid membrane around his body that would act as a second Faraday Cage within the first.

Clarence was momentarily distracted by the incoming chunk of armor; however. Still within the effects of his own Time Alter he could spare the time to break the armor piece down with his pyrokinetic abilities. Once he became aware of it crossing into his Subversion Field – he used it to generate more tungsten and form more of the cold plasma membrane now being fashioned into a counter-attack of his own. Even as his Artic Flames gathered at the tip of his Staff – the membrane around his body began to shift forms into several hundred balls of chronotron-infused cold plasma. The original intent had been to pummel Mimring in a shower of his Magma Blossom Bombs while firing off a quick stream of his Artic Flame.

Then came the dragon’s speedy maneuvering after becoming what looked like a lightning elemental. Clarence didn’t come across such abilities very often and was actually taken aback. But as long as Time Alter remained in effect he could keep a rough track of Mimring’s path and so tried to lead his barrage along his right flank. Each Magma Blossom Bomb was individually weak and tiny for plasma – but their infused chronotrons ensured that whatever they struck would continually burn for several seconds at the thousands of degrees plasma burned at. Including the pillars holding up much of the pyramid. And so Clarence kept his Artic Flame in reserve even as he released Time Alter: Final Black Flash. The moment that he exited Time Alter his Magma Blossom Bombs fired off in all directions like a deadly hailstorm.

Only this hailstorm didn’t evaporate. Everything it touched would burn away eventually under the persistent effects of the Magma Blossom Bombs. Sadly the side-effects of Time Alter became apparent as the left gauntlet of his Cryogenic Combat Armor cracked from the haptic feedback as the flow of normal time reasserted itself. But for the moment Clarence got to watch, bemused, to see how Mimring would react to this barrage.

[Keileon]

Move it!

Weaving in and out of fast-moving attacks is second nature to Mimring in his Photon Dragon state- moving erratically as lightning does, his incredible speed and ability to register things happening almost instantly makes dodging relatively easy, though he still has to be cautious. What does concern him, however, is his master hidden on the side of a pillar which both can tell is in danger. Though he cannot immediately identify the danger of this fiery hailstorm, neither want to take the risk and so the black scarab makes a maneuver to release the pillar. Keeping it between himself and the enemy, Jason both keeps himself hidden for the moment and uses the obstacle as a sort of shield from the attack, taking cover behind it- but from a safe distance so as to not get too close to the attack.

As the scarab skitters back several feet, ready to move again, Mimring refocuses on his own matter. The warning to his master took only an impulse of a thought, after all, something unnoticeable in the heat of combat. Even in the midst of worry for the boy, however, it did not escape his notice that the lightning was drawn and grounded by what seems to be a barrier, forcefield, some energy shield perhaps. As long as that barrier remains, the dragon imagines, it will be difficult for either of them to land a safe strike from a long range. Perhaps physical attacks can do the trick, but close-ranged combat is always a risk and Mimring would rather not take it for the moment, not when the possibility of him spending his energy more efficiently exists.

An emerald-green aura surrounds the draconic lightning streak bolting erratically around a firestorm of plasma. Though taking care to evade whatever remains of the attack, Mimring redirects his course from attempting to flank Retaliation to charging straight towards him, trailing verdant light all the while. While this change of path will only be brief, it is long enough for the dragon to notice- his enemy's armor seems cracked. Perhaps a sign of shoddy craftsmanship, or perhaps it does not agree with one of the attacks being tossed around in this battle. A quick, nonverbal note to Jason marks it as a potential weak point.

But the dragon only streaks towards Retaliation for maybe a second, perhaps less. From the enemy's point of view, it would seem almost as if Mimring explodes, erupting into a violent discharge of raw lightning. In that split instant, the Thunderscale is no longer a sentient bolt of lightning: he is several. Multudinous arcs of electricity, each as deadly in potential as his initial electrical strike, all still carrying the brilliant emerald aura, burst from Mimring's position in what might appear to an observer as a meteor storm made from lightning bolts.

And, even now, as Mimring discharges all of his energy into this blitzkrieg of a gambit, he keeps one last trick. As plasma is essentially a hot soup of charged ions, the Faraday Cage becomes more of a lightningrod- while the Burning Sky Conflux tactic can be generally aimed, but is imprecise, this would normally afford an enemy slightly more of a chance to simply evade. But at a closer range, and with something so strongly conducting electricity to itself, whatever arcs pass near to the forcefield would be drawn to it like iron to a magnet. The emerald blaze surrounding the lightning bolts would eat away at the Subversion Field as surely as the Magma Blossoms eat away at the battlefield they strike. Perhaps not immediately break it, but how long can a single bubble of plasma hold up to a dozen shattering strikes?

Trusting to Mimring's ability to handle matters, Jason changes his physiology just enough to observe his surroundings as clearly as a hawk might. Though Mimring would surely vanish from visibility after his strike, to be replaced by a low buzzing hum in the general atmosphere, Jason senses the battle is not over yet and so must plan accordingly. Keeping to his cover, he sees a pillar somewhat closer to Retaliation- some forty feet away from his hiding spot- once the opportunity arises, surely he can slip by unnoticed and take the more advantageous position...

[Juncti0n]

Clarence’s earlier shock concerning the lightning powers of his apparent foe was not just a matter of rarity. It was a matter of self-destruction for his opponent. The moment Mimring chose to wield his lightning over his fire or even his claws he handed Clarence an edge he wouldn’t otherwise have had. And perhaps distracted by the need to protect his Master - Mimring apparently never considered that his own plan could work against him too.

You see the chronitons wrapped around the Magma Blossom Bombs were attracted to ionized plasma. The moment Mimring chose to weave through the Bombs instead of backing away from them (or doing anything else really) - he became the very ionized plasma the chronitons were designed to be attracted to. Mimring would thus draw chronitons away from the Bombs which would destabilize them - making them, yanno, explode.

And while yes each Magma Blossom Bomb was small and compact Mimring was weaving through several and causing a chain detonation as he went that drew in more nearby Bombs. The compressed plasma in each Bomb would expand rapidly as their chroniton shell collapsed - one after another in a boiling cloud of scarlett. It was a brilliant show that Clarence had hoped not to reveal except to one man… but sadly he had little choice now.

The moment he saw that first Blossom go up he focused his mind and broke down another of his crystals. Whether or not Mimring survived the plasma blasts Clarence tightened his grip on his staff while the Arctic Flame he had previously gathered at its tip rolled about in the air before it. Consuming that Crystal once more imbued Clarence’s body with chronitons and allowed him slip back into Time Alter: Triple Black Flash just in case the dragon lived. By weaving through the Blossom Bombs and inadvertently drawing them towards himself; Mimring caused the explosions to charge the air between the two foes.

The very phenomenon he had hoped to exploit against Clarence was now spread across the air between them for several seconds.

[Keileon]

One after another, Clarence's fiery hail explodes, blasting outward in a burst of violent plasma many times hotter than natural flame. With Mimring's positioning before blitzing straight toward his opponent, the plasma might end up tearing into the nearby pillar, scaffolding, and the broken chunk of support lying near Clarence's foothold, possibly damaging ancient structures even more, sending debris scattering across the battlefield. Surely, one would think, the lightning dragon could not survive such a spectacle, such an explosive eruption of power? Would Clarence see the corpse of yet another dragon join the bones of its fellow, or perhaps a weakly sparking wyrm on the ground? It takes a moment to retrieve an answer between Mimring's flash of raw lightning and the explosion of the Magma Blossoms, and an uninvolved observer might lean into the dangerous light show, eager to see what has become of the brass-scaled beast.

But the dragon is no longer there.

Of course, with the speed at which Mimring streaked towards Clarence, he may have only just outpaced the Magma Blossoms were there not so many of them. A searing sensation of pain caught his trail, dangerous plasma nipping at the lightning dragon as he streaked towards Clarence. In this form, such things can still harm him, and he was painfully reminded of this fact- but it does not deter him from his detonation of Burning Sky Conflux. Perhaps a last-ditch effort to deal damage, or even a protective measure to save him from completely shorting out; it is, after all, an almost complete change of state from coalesced lightning to static in the air. Even with damage dealt, it is best if he reforms on his own terms, with less pressure on him, than be forced to dodge any more than he has to.

The electrical power, still carrying the emerald aura of before, would still strike at the plasma shield unopposed- perhaps even conduct along any plasma in the air that might be in the immediate vicinity- but the primary arcs of lightning travel at a speed and power that smaller forces would have a negligible effect on them. No, the nearest and strongest source of magnetic charge to attract the unadulterated strength of lightning would be the shield itself, even if a few bolts might burst off in completely irrelevant directions and tear into the pillars even more before dissipating into the air- if the Magma Blossoms did not cause debris, the lightning certainly would. If successful, the electricity would crackle along the barrier, conducting along it for the moment and yet simultaneously eating away at its protective qualities. Any sparks that flicker away from Clarence would seem to fade into nothing but a faint buzz in the air.

Interesting.

Safe behind his cover, Jason watches the spectacle from his hiding spot. For all the unknowing observer would think, Mimring is just gone, perhaps destroyed in the blast, the buzzing air and verdant crackling simply a residue of his explosion. No trace of the dragon himself remains visible to the naked eye, no blood, no scales, nothing but the dormant atmospheric energy in the air and the lines of power streaking across Clarence's shield. To that observer who would not know better, it would seem as if Clarence has won, for his opponent no longer appears to exist.

Jason, however, does know better.

[Are you okay? He has to be certain, at least.

I should be.]

Hold off on the reformation for now, Jason remarks to a resulting affirmation. An idea is already forming in the shapeshifter's mind. Taking advantage of the brief relative quiet, the scarab skitters from his hiding place and takes cover behind the one piece of crumbled pillar that wouldn't have been destroyed by either the Magma Blossoms or Burning Sky Conflux. He senses out the magnetic capabilities of the debris- they don't seem receptive- and so he goes to work on making them receptive, even going so far as to charge them with his Familiar's latent atmospheric power. Thin, weak sparks run across the surface of the debris, perhaps looking simply like more residual energy from the violence of seconds before.

The charge is weak, for now, not seeming to have any outward effect, but that can change at the drop of a hat in a battle like this. Creeping closer to the westernmost edge of the chamber, but still remaining behind the protection of a fallen pillar, Jason examines the areas visible to him in consideration. Something tells him that, whether or not Clarence falls for the illusion of victory, the remainder of the battle will be difficult- forcing Jason out of hiding, most likely, forcing Mimring to take more care in evasion certainly.

It's almost a wonderful feeling. Some part of him is having fun in the strategy of battle, even if he himself hasn't been directly taking part he is still the one calling the shots and supporting his ally from the shadows. If their lives weren't on the line he'd probably not be taking it seriously. But for now his attention is on the man in the plasma bubble, and his reactions to what just happened.

So, what will you do now?

[Mobius]

Ruling

• The activation of Time Alter, Subversion Field, and Ember Aura is legitimate from the initial post when Clarence touched his staves and began to manipulate them
• The damage stated by the Magma Blossom Bombs is legitimate in the attack; however, there is a caveat to this later.
• The Chronotons in Clarence's profile sheet do not specifically state any homing effects nor additional behaviors outside of time flow and anti-defensive measures.
• The explosive detonation of the Magma Blossom Bombs are also not stated in the profile sheet especially with removal of the chronotons. This is assuming the Chronotons ARE attracted to plasma. We determined they aren't.
• Clarence unleashed "several-hundred" Magma Blossom Bombs. We can deduce by the definition of "several" that roughly 300 were created and unleashed.
• The Blossom bombs Clarence initiated had 2 targets as stated by his attack: The first Mimring's trajectory during the flanking maneuver in Mimring's "Photon Dragon" transformation. The other target was undisclosed or "all directions" which technically means there is no "target."
• The speed of the Magma Blossom Plasma was not described.
• Junction typed specific wording on how he aimed the target of his omnidirectional attack: "But as long as Time Alter remained in effect he could keep a rough track of Mimring’s path and so tried to lead his barrage along his right flank."
• The above means that Clarence led¹ his shot on an interception course to Mimring's path. This would incur a dangerous threat to Mimring.
• Since we can determine the targets of Clarence's Magma Blossom Bombs then we can determine that a unspecified majority of his omnidirectional attack is aimed at Mimring. This implies that a tighter spread of such an attack is possible the more numerous projectiles appear.
• Mimring's course as a large 50 foot dragon will be in a collision course with Clarance attack.
• Keileon made the following excerpt in her evasion to Junction's attack: Weaving in and out of fast-moving attacks is second nature to Mimring in his Photon Dragon state- moving erratically as lightning does, his incredible speed and ability to register things happening almost instantly makes dodging relatively easy
• The following above denotes special abilities in Photon Dragon mode not otherwise stated in the profile sheet. Photon Dragon does not have its own special Fast Reaction Time passive or active to support such a clause despite Mimring only having baseline FRT abilities. Thus, we cannot accurately justify Keileon's exposition.
• Chronotons, because of the Magma Blossom Bombs, stick to the target which the latter burns. The chronotons degrade "wide area effects" and barriers for 2 turns. The 2nd turn describes a shutting down or complete degradation of the Wide Area Effect or Barrier.
• Mimring's Photon Dragon is a transformation and a requisite to active Burning Sky Conflux.
• Burning Sky Conflux is an ability that turns Mimring into an attack or specifically a Wide-Area of Effect or Area of Effect ability since this ability removes Mimring from the field as an NPC due to the lack of presence it will consciously have. Meaning: Mimring is not an NPC with this ability.

VerdictIt is not possible for Mimring to weave through the Magma Blossom Bomb volley. The numerous amounts of projectiles being released in its spontaneous matter will be too close to adequately maneuver through, because Mimring does not have any supporting FRT abilities in Photon Dragon that Keileon attempted to activate; however, the Bombs themselves will not make contact with Mimring par the reasons Junction explained. The chronotons have a haptic feedback ability, but we do not currently know what that implies or means.

The chronotons are only referenced in Retaliation's build for his FRT/Speed increases of Time Alter, his staves, and his Magma Blossom Bombs. They have no other ability but to disable defenses and increase/decrease speeds and such their behavior to be attracted to plasma is not supported. Junction's character, during the use of Time Alter Black Flash led his omnidirectional projectile attack mainly at Mimring's trajectory to intercept. Mimring's speed+minus supporting FRT for Photon Dragon+Magma Blossom Bombs means that some of the plasma balls make contact. This initiates their Chronoton effect of disabling any perceived "defense" if any. This is critical later.

The damage Mimring will suffer is up to debate in the judge channel because of how numerous and small these plasma balls are. Cold Plasma, in the case of Magma Blossom, is not literal cold like the Arctic Flame described to be an actual temperature negative. It is then theorized the plasma, being an electromagnetic object, will interfere with Mimring's own electromagnetic field as Photon Dragon is almost electricity. This is also true of Mimring's own mass which is "almost" pure electricity at this point. The damage Mimring suffers from the balls effects him on a physical level should he revert. Plasma making contact with electricity, presumably out of phase, can cause the electricity to short like miniature EMP pulses. The explosions are not of design but an outcome of two electromagnetic phenomenon in the terms of energy make contact. Mimring, stated by the profile sheet, still takes damage from energy based attacks. Since the attack is still omnidirectional then it is hard to determine if a majority of 300+ plasma balls hit, but we can safely assume a fraction of a majority hit since Mimring did attempt to evade it and not all are targeting the dragon. The electricity from the plasma balls causes shorts that explode and voltage increases before parts of Mimring are missing. This is important damage for Keileon to consider, but a more ominous possibility is in the next paragraph.

The chronotons are capable of sticking to an object specifically Areas of Effects and "Barriers". Mimring transformed into Buring Sky Conflux during the middle to end of the 3rd turn and phased out in the beginning of the 4th turn; however, that would mean time elapsed from the contact of the chronotons after Retailation's first attack. This implies that after the evasion move (3rd turn) the chronoton effect activates but does not target until Sky Burning Conflux is activated in the same turn. The next turn is when maximum degeneration occurs. Since Sky Burning Conflux constitutes as an ability that is an Area of Effect it is no longer Mimring the NPC and thus is effected by the Chronotons' deadly effects of the 2nd turn lapse (the 4th turn). This means the chronotons degenerated pieces of Mimring's electrical form in Sky Burning Conflux on top of being shorted by plasma balls exploding on his electromagnetic stabilization. To simplify the hazard: The plasma balls short and explode Mimring or at least the ones that were able to touch him, but the chronotons stick to him and since he turned into an AOE (which is what the chronotons target upon activation) it means the already reduced electricity of Mimring is not degenerated by the chronotons on the 2nd turn. To convert this dangerous and grim outcome into something tangible: if Mimring reverted back he'll look like swiss cheese with holes throughout his body. We cannot say for certain Mimring takes the full blunt of all spheres or even a majority, but enough permanently damages Mimring possibly critically. The other issue is that Mimring cannot "heal" in SBF since Chronotons don't replace what was misplaced: so unlike a barrier which is given energy upon resuming its properties, Mimring is a living creature.

The last possibility is how close a proximity these spheres are upon ignition. It is possible because of the tight spread with focus to Mimring's direction that the plasma ball's own detonation might create a chain reaction of having some of the local ones also explode. We cannot safely assume the release of Chronotons over a wide distance but can ensure these explosions can add upon the punishment Mimring will suffer throughout his form even if a few spheres connect.

Since the fight has proceeded with established actions between both parties: We are going to issue an Edit On Demand (EOD) on Keileon to adjust for the changes. The actions in between the attack and this ruling will still carry through for having occurred before our investigation (we don't want a constant EOD backtrack of retros). So Junction must still deal with the emerald lightning attack and Mimring's maneuver, but Keileon must now acknowledge Mimring's battered and extremely wounded form from here on. Keileon please highlight the changes to your latest post by highlighting the portions that were changed in a color (Dias put blue for his text you can pick any color). Junction, you may post once Keileon is finished with her EOD. This fight continues.

You guys may notify us or speak to us in the disputes room if you have questions.

[Juncti0n]

Clarence of course may not be able to see Mimring – but in the wake of the emerald lightning washing across the surface of his cold plasma membrane Clarence suspected the dragon was alive and well. As for the effectiveness of the attack on his person the reality of the current situation was that Clarence's defense was multi-layered. The heat of the flames were nowhere near hot enough to avoid conversion by his Ember Aura – intensifying the accumulation of the cold plasma that Clarence had been engaged in for some time now. The emerald bolts scattered in random directions here and there but once they found their mark they would find themselves smacking into the remaining membrane of cold plasma from which Clarence had generated his earlier Magma Blossom Bombs. As this membrane surrounded Clarence the number of bolts and their direction of attack made no difference in terms of what they hit.

Curiously this meant that two anti-defense magics clashed while the heat of the plasma attacks ultimately amounted to nothing more then a weakening of the cold plasma membrane Clarence had generated around himself. The membrane would sag under the effects of Mimring's emerald flames but the majority of it would hold up. The Subversion Field itself however would remain unaffected since the emerald lightning would never have reached it. That then leads back to the clearing of Clarence's vision and the fact that there was no Mimring. Perhaps had there been a body Clarence might have suspected he had finished off his foe – but he had never intended to kill Mimring outright with the Magma Blossom Bombs. Even if somehow Mimring proved fatally weak to it – there should still be a body. Yet no matter where he looked there was no sign of the dragon.

That fact was by itself enough to make Clarence suspect Mimring was alive and hiding. His overconfidence in his understanding of his own powers lent him towards believing Mimring yet lived simply because the Bombs shouldn't have caused complete disintegration. The only question in his mind was what, exactly, he intended to do about it. Unlike before Clarence had no idea where Mimring was so attempting a second Blossom Bomb barrage seemed futile. Yet Clarence did not desire to let this fight drag out any longer then it already had. Thus – there really was only one solution to this dilemma. That answer came partly in the form of the Arctic Flame circulating around his body. The other part came in the form of Time Alter: Black Flash.

Clarence could telekentically manipulate any object under a ton in weight. Such manipulation took time and focus – both of which Time Alter afforded him. Could Clarence lever the fallen pillar? Truthfully he didn't know. But he was for damn sure about to find out. Leaving the pillar aside he also spared the time to focus on as much of the loose debris on the ground as he could – intending to shove everything he could up into the air and away towards the walls. At the same time the significant accumulation of Arctic Flames pooled into a ring around his feet. Thus his intent seemed plain enough – lift and turn any possible cover Mimring was hiding behind into a hazard while at the same time unleashing Arctic Flame as a wide-area AoE attack to either hurt or flush out Mimring.

Having spared himself the necessary time Clarence raised his staff even as its body cracked under the strain of Time Alter's feedback. In step with that movement the debris began to move – hopefully catching Mimring by surprise. But even if it didn't Clarence unleashed his Arctic Flames in all directions – and as these “flames” were in fact freezing everything they touched at temperatures below absolute zero it was safe to say they were extremely dangerous even under partial contact. As they moved in the same manner as traditional flames even if Clarence failed to completely move the fallen pillar the flames would still flow around it and the standing pillars around the battlefield. And even dodging the attack here would prove hazardous given Clarence was throwing around much of the available debris.

The battlefield would be encased in ice – a frozen tomb suitable to bury one of the combatants in.

Once that was done Clarence took a moment to strengthen the membrane surrounding his body again. After all – if Mimring was still alive that bastard was pretty damn fast. The entire membrane would glow as it was enveloped in chronotons while it turned into one giant Magma Blossom Bomb. Clarence wasn't taking any more chances. If he had to burn this entire pyramid to the ground to ensure his victory then that is exactly what he was going to do.

[Keileon]

Jason's cover begins to move, sending his borrowed insect's instincts into enough of a panic that he finds his elytra opening up to allow his wings to carry him into the air. For a second he matches the height of the levitating pillar, but soon opts to move back behind the standing structure so as not to risk the dangers that would inherently come from hiding behind something that is moving. The scarab touches briefly on the top part of the far side of the pillar from Clarence, but takes notice of the frozen flames now licking the battlefield. If those flames reach his height he can of course simply fly off, but even then he feels that perhaps it is best to stay airborne and so begins flight again, staying in a somewhat static hover out of Clarence's sight and away from the hazardous cold flame.

Looks like Clarence didn't fall for the trick after all.

Sensing his master's thoughts, Mimring gives a questioning mental prod, but seems appeased by Jason's somewhat confident wordless response. The prey did not fall for part of the ambush; that doesn't mean the situation is not salvageable. What debris Jason can see from his vantage point is being tossed around like pebbles- or perhaps Clarence is trying to, in the case of the fallen pillar- no doubt in an effort to flush out an enemy that simply is no longer there. What conclusion Clarence will draw is yet to be seen, perhaps he will continue to think a 50-foot-long dragon is still somehow hiding or perhaps he will think that he actually has finished off his enemy. In either case, both scenarios can be used to Jason's advantage.

In fact...

The magnetic charge on the debris Mimring's Burning Sky Conflux had knocked loose intensifies. Whether Clarence had moved it or not, Jason can make use of it all the same. At first nothing seems to happen, but then the smallest pieces seem to jolt from their positions and fly toward Clarence. Then the slightly larger pieces. Then larger. To the observer it would seem as if some invisible force is flinging the chunks of debris from the pile toward Clarence, at projectile speeds easily high enough velocity to cause serious damage upon impact. The largest chunk of debris, however, doesn't move- acting as a sort of reverse anchor, a standard for the objects to repel from.

Jason doesn't wait to see if the attack makes much of a mark before testing the charge of the debris Clarence has been flinging around. There doesn't seem to be one; clearly, Clarence's movement of objects does not operate on the same principles as the duo's. All this means is that Jason has to adjust the charge himself, and gets to work on it while keeping his senses on his enemy. Of course, any illusion that Mimring isn't there now falls to pieces; not that the stranger seemed to have fallen for it regardless. While he adjusts and strengthens the other debris' ability to hold a charge, the shapeshifter plans his possible next action- or rather, a collection of possible actions- but waits for the moment before acting to prepare any of them.

[Juncti0n]

Clarence was of course not truly expecting the very debris kicked up by their battle to suddenly uproot themselves and fly at him. For all of his suspicions about Mimring's survival that was all they were – suspicions. Up until now all he had been trying to do was find out for certain if the dragon yet lived. And as the first piece of debris started flying under a power not his own the answer to his question was revealed. However Clarence was already behind a large membrane of his cold plasma and the method he planned to employ to destroy the temple was oddly enough not the worst thing to defend against random flying debris. Namely that as the membrane grew in size Clarence had reshaped its mass into a dozen or so large tentacle-like appendages and several dozen smaller ones.

The smallest pieces of debris were of no concern – they simply burned away against the plasma membrane. But against the larger pieces whose sheer mass did not lend to such quick disposal Clarence countered by lashing out with tendrils of condensed Magma Blossom Bombs in all directions. This turned his cold plasma membrane into what was essentially a plasma flail that lashed the larger sections of debris repeatedly while rotating. That rotation was quick and only increased in tempo as the debris assault continued – each lash leaving behind a burning ball of plasma that helped break down the larger pieces of debris. As each strike also left behind said burning balls of plasma for a few seconds afterwards the continued assault ultimately aided in Clarence's defense.

Undaunted, what pieces of debris got past his cold plasma defense would run afoul of his Subversion Field and the Arctic Flames Clarence was once again gathering behind the veil of plasma which surrounded him. The flail itself continued on its original mission – striking and destroying much of the temple floor, supports, and roof that Clarence could reach. Behind that flail however Clarence had kneeled slightly as he tapped the ground with his staff. The Arctic Flames were gathering in such quantities that it would seem to the outside observer as if he intended to encase himself behind a wall of azure flames. Clarence was still not sure where exactly Mimring was but now that he understood the dragon was still out there he was more determined than ever to kill and dissect it.

Slipping back into Time Alter: FBF to gather as much of his Arctic Flames to himself as was possible – Clarence waited for Mimring's next trick.

[Keileon]

Jason almost expected the defensive response from Clarence, the debris burning away with the sizzle of disintegrating rock. He never expected Clarence to get hit, of course, but this was a prime chance to see what the man is capable of when dealing with the unexpected. He's good, at least, better than some opponents Jason has done battle with.

Don't reform yet, Jason idly comments to his Familiar, who gives a patient affirmative in response. They both need to wait for the best opportunity for the dragon to re-materialize or there will have been no point to the last few exchanges. The issue, at its core, lies in the fact that neither of the combatants can close in- Clarence has no idea where his enemy is, and Jason is aware enough to realize attacking Clarence directly may well be suicidal. He doesn't know how injured Mimring is, after all, and won't until the dragon reforms. And that reformation would best happen at the correct time and in the correct circumstances.

So what to do?

What a pain, the dragon complains, to which Jason internally grins.

More worrying than the sizzling sounds of Jason's attack failing, a quick glance at Clarence tells the Shapeshifter that the man is surrounding himself with azure fire. The very same as the flames licking the battlefield around him, it seems. If the general room temperature and Mimring's own blue flames are anything to go by, Jason would hazard a guess that the fire burns cold, but this is something he cannot be sure of and isn't exactly willing to test out firsthand. At least not when his own fire in his dragon form burns blue and incredibly hot.

The other thing Jason notices is Clarence's actions in these last few seconds. Rather than try to attack an unseen enemy, he seems to be... attacking whatever structures are in reach? The Shapeshifter isn't certain if this is a further effort to uncover Mimring's nonexistent hiding place or an attempt to intimidate in a display of power, but an idea pokes at the back of his mind regardless. How much abuse can this chamber take? Did ancient Egypt account for a battle to the death occurring here between creatures of great power? And so a plan forms in the Shapeshifter's mind, and as uncertain of its outcome as he is it's worth trying regardless.

I have an idea.

An already-prepared magnetic charge intensifies, the rubble Clarence had been throwing around reacting to this new impulse. The charge trickles into the floor beneath them, magnetizing patches of ground to Jason's will. The Shapeshifter takes but a few seconds to prepare before taking his idea into action- the floor's charge polarizes to match the rubble, and the debris flings itself from the ground once more. This time, however, they are not directed at Clarence- seeming to avoid him entirely, in fact, and instead aim for the pillar closest to him and the ceiling above him. Impact would severely damage both projectile and structure, and with Clarence's own efforts may cause the pillar, at least, to crumble, if not even crack the ceiling above.

Jason may not know what Clarence is planning, but he knows how to adapt and adjust it to his advantage.

[Juncti0n]

Ultimately Clarence understood that attempting to bring down the house around them was going to take a while to accomplish. But curiously more debris began shifting course to attack a nearby pillar as Clarence exited from the effects of Time Alter. Maintaining the plasma flail around himself to both continue attacking nearby structures and defend himself against the fallout from the nearby collapsing pillar – Clarence proceeded with his own plans. In the end if Mimring had hoped to collapse the pillar on top of him... well... he already had a defense in place for that. If the collapse of the pillar was meant to distract him from another attack then that was a different story. Nevertheless; Clarence didn't feel any distinct pressure from that attack.

Focusing on how he intended to attack Clarence reached out with his mind towards the molecules in the air. Already his previous use of Arctic Flame had left an extensive sheet of ice across the battlefield, having been cast at extremely cold temperatures. However that attack had a short duration and wasn't active long enough to really take advantage of the threat absolute zero temperatures posed to, well, everything. This time Clarence intended to make his Arctic Flames last much longer by focusing on the individual air molecules around him with his pyrokinetic powers. Each molecule he froze would in fact be heated up by its neighbors. Normally the laws of thermodynamics would prevent anything from reaching absolute zero temperatures for that reason.

But as his Arctic Flames spread each molecule that they came into contact with would remain frozen. As such nearby molecules would simply bleed away their own heat in a futile attempt to impose the will of entropy upon Clarence's ambitions. His power lied in the fact that he could manipulate the laws of thermodynamics to suit his will and that was exactly what Clarence was doing now. His flames would sweep across the battlefield again – only this time the difference was that they would turn the air itself into a weapon. Granted – Mimring was a dragon and could certainly heat up the air to avoid becoming a popsicle.

If such a thing happened Clarence would see it and this cat-and-mouse game would end. If such a thing didn't happen then Mimring would freeze to death eventually and be crushed when the temple came down. Either outcome suited Clarence's agenda perfectly. Even better there was the hope the dragon would just stop hiding... however unlikely recent events made that seem. Clarence could only wait and see what followed.

[Keileon]

The air was starting to become brittle, cold, dangerous. Perhaps a few minutes could go by at these temperatures and Jason would be fine, but a scarab's body is not equipped for frigid temperatures and Jason knows this almost instinctively. Not just that, but he isn't sure that his opponent will be changing location any time soon- he seems to have the run of the entire chamber, as far as range goes, but the Shapeshifter could always be wrong. At the end of the day, though, Jason's intended strategy of waiting out his opponent to relieve some of the tense pressure clearly isn't panning out.

This isn't working.

But he knows what he wants to do. He can't guarantee that it'll help in the end, but the boy can certainly make the attempt. If he doesn't, both dragon and master will likely die anyway- this surprising enemy doesn't look like he'll be leaving until one side or the other has perished. At least this way, Jason is reasonably certain that both can make an escape attempt and succeed if the new plan doesn't work: an open chamber and the damage inflicted to the ceiling may prove vital.

The scarab's body begins to change, obscured from view by the broken pillar Jason claimed as his hiding place. The air is reaching sharp temperatures and with it comes a spike in Mimring's worry over his master- but Jason knows that he'll be fine in the end, at least as far as the temperature goes. He flies backward from the pillar, his form bulking up and shell becoming metallic rather than shiny. Instants pass and the transition appears almost as if someone was taking a timelapse and speeding it up- where once a beetle hovered cautiously in the air, black scaled wings sprout from an increasingly reptilian body.

Whether Clarence happens to look in Jason's direction randomly or is still focused on finding Mimring, from his viewpoint a massive black dragon would seem to materialize out of nowhere, hovering near the back of the chamber, and challenge the man with a feral roar- the sound echoing and resonating throughout the chamber and causing the more-damaged structures to shake. The Darkwing Firedrake's presence, while not as befitting of the locale as Mimring's, is certainly more imposing- perhaps not longer but bulkier- a stark black creature who seems to make the broken remnants of a civilization long past tremble in awe at the very sound of his challenge.

The roar serves more purpose than simple intimidation, however. The moment Jason reveals himself with all of a dragon's vicious fanfare is the moment that an unspoken command shoots across the link- and suddenly a lightning bolt is streaking away from Clarence, trailing sparks that vanish into nothingness before either dragon can act upon them. Mimring shoots away from his adversary as quickly as he can possibly go, aiming for the back of the chamber but leaning to Jason's right, as if in an attempt to gain both distance and a favorable position near his master.

Jason can't see the lightning dragon very well at the speeds Mimring is bolting at, but something immediately seems... off. Though focused on escape, the other dragon's mind is frazzled by something akin to pain and those sparks trailing from him seem to be more like shreds of something torn up than a simple trail of energy. He is quickly gathering his bearings, but those moments of disarray worries both of them.

There's no time to act on it, though. Jason opens his maw and a stream of blazing heat pours out, blue flames visually similar to Clarence's but at temperatures equal to- higher than, even- what one would expect from fire. No cold flames, these, but dangerously hot and more than enough to warm up the immediate area. While this is a welcome development it's not exactly the fire's only purpose; the flames would obscure Jason from sight, distract further from Mimring's flight, and possibly deter approach... though, knowing how this battle has gone, that last part may not even be relevant.

[Juncti0n]

Clarence was naturally focused on the search for Mimring since he had no way of knowing Jason existed until he revealed himself. When that moment came and a blackened dragon began to grow before him it naturally drew Clarence's eye – and his ire. Clarence did not enjoy cat-and-mouse games such as they had been engaged in. As glad as he was that his prey presented himself and proved he wasn't simply going paranoid – the moment Clarence saw a dragon appear he immediately attacked. He converted nearly all of the heat within his Subversion Field into a fresh batch of Arctic Flames and pointed his staff in Jason's direction before slipping into Time Alter again.

While all this was occurring Jason was roaring – the powerful roar might have failed to intimidate Clarence - but it did shatter much of brittle surfaces surrounding Jason currently under the effects of Arctic Flame. This created a beautiful shower of ice and crystal particles in the air for a moment sparkling in the blue highlights of Clarence's magic as the Arctic Flames gathered at the tip of his staff while Jason roared. A quick thrust of said staff as Time Alter's effects came to an end propelled the Arctic Flame forwards quickly and unerringly towards the target before Jason even had a chance to issue forth his flames.

Even should Arctic Flame fail to reach Jason before his flames emerged; with the effects of the previous round of Arctic Flame still persisting it was unlikely that Jason's flames would be sufficient to block or even deflect the renewed attack on his person. The lightning bolt which streaked away from Clarence was noted but for the moment disregarded as Clarence focused on amassing a new and intense batch of flames surrounding himself in preparation for his next move if it became necessary.

The Blossom flail was aided greatly in its task of destroying the temple by Jason's roar. The sounds of cracking in the ceiling began to grumble as the roof supports sustained damage past their midpoints. Clarence made no effort to stop this slow decimation of the battlefield.

[Keileon]

How dare you!

Mimring's thought shoots through Jason's mind in an indignant surge of warmth, not directed at his master but at his enemy. A proud dragon's wrath at their enemy so much at aiming his staff at Jason, a clear marker of hostile intent drawing the dragon's ire. Without prompting he adjusts course to shoot straight for the night-colored drake. The fact that the duo made the first hostile actions doesn't matter- the very action of this enemy even threatening to attack Jason is enough to send Mimring into protective indignation. This insurgent will regret the moment he so much as pointed his staff at Mimring's master, when his blood drains into the Nile and turns the river red--

Before Mimring even reaches Jason his form seems to burst once again, surging with a bright aura of heat as if in an attack, but it becomes clear this is not the case. Instead of lightning shooting wildly into the surrounding air, the electricity seems aimed more directly towards Jason, encircling and embracing him defensively. In an instant the draconic lightning streak becomes brilliantly pristine golden armor that covers the Darkwing Firedrake almost completely-- almost. At a glance it's impossible to tell if this is only a partial suit of armor or if pieces are missing, but most notably sections of the tail, limbs, and face lack armor, an open-faced helm crowning the top of his skull and cascading into aureate plates that protect his neck, main body, and joints. This armor continues down his spine until his first tail ring, not even sparing his dorsal membrane which lies pressed between his back and the armor itself.

The armor exudes a bright orange-red aura even before it fully forms, raising the surrounding temperatures considerably despite Jason only just releasing his own torrent of azure fire. Even the frigid and brittle air would be at least delayed, combating against a constantly-produced layer of fire's heat. The sudden movement and action from Mimring sends off an instinctive danger alarm over their shared minds, and Jason reactively beats his wings hard to gain height, potentially carrying him out of Clarence's initial targeting line. Shining armor not inhibiting his movements, the Darkwing's flames continue to blast forth from his maw even as the two seek out a more strategic location.

The two take precious instants to collect themselves even while watching their enemy like a hawk. The harsh air is going to be a problem sooner or later, even with the both of them being warmed by the Spectrum Aura. And the man is gathering more cold-fire to likely attack once more, to see if one or the other can power through an attack on opposite ends of the heat spectrum and overtake the enemy. Is this a risk Jason is willing to take, though?

Mimring's attention is drawn slightly away by the rumbling of the chamber itself.

Perhaps it's time to break the ancient resting place of these silent spirits of the sand open and ascend into the sky.

[Juncti0n]

Of course it is interesting that Mimring was apparently unaware of the great danger he faced in trying to fuse with Jason under these conditions. Arctic Flame had been and still was sucking the heat out of the arena at an atomic level – a persistent effect Mimring was now racing towards the heart of. In its static or lightning forms Mimring would nonetheless be extremely vulnerable to the effects of such rapid cooling since neither form could generate enough heat to stave off the effect for a safe merger to occur. Instead of safely merging with Jason as intended Mimring would have simply been frozen in place suspended in mid-air while trying to reach his partner.

Even if the freezing effects of many seconds of Arctic Flame casting somehow failed to have the cumulative effect necessary to stop Mimring in its place Clarence was already planning out his next move against Jason.

First though he had to do something about those pesky wings of his. To that end while the dragons attempted to merge Clarence carried out his original plan: a two-pronged assault as he shifted his Magma Blossom Flail to target Jason and fired off his next burst of Arctic Flame. The Blossom Flail now spread out around and above Jason, taking on the form of a dozen long hooks clearly intended to grapple Jason and push the great beast back towards the ground. The very same ground where the Arctic Flame now swept up even as Jason took to the air. The Arctic Flame literally left a column of ice in their path as they traveled vertically, seeking to entomb the dragons forever.

Whatever Jason and Mimring did next, Clarence had hoped to sufficiently distract Jason from what came next as he lifted his staff slightly to adjust for Jason's movements into the air. Once he was certain his next shot would be properly led to connect with his target he slipped into Time Alter – Final Black Flash as a searing dot of plasma began growing on the tip of his staff. Instead of a new series of Arctic Flames this time Clarence would use his Phoenix Blade ability – greatly extending its range through his Subversion Field. More importantly for Clarence at such high temperatures his Phoenix Blade would be visually indistinct from his Arctic Flames and thus even if Jason or Mimring saw it coming they should believe it to be just one more Arctic Flame.

Taking full advantage of the speed increase Time Alter afforded any attack originating from his person, Clarence knew this spear of burning plasma would reach Jason in less than a second. Aimed for the great dragon's head it was Clarence's intention to cut Jason in two with or without his armor. The Phoenix Blade was kept small and intensely hot so as to burn through whatever it touched as quickly as possible. Once he was ready it was all Clarence could do but watch as the Phoenix Blade arced through the air – seeking Jason's armored hide.

[Keileon]

Context, please read

I am formally withdrawing from TZDL 2017.

I normally hate quitting a fight prematurely, but there's simply too much happening lately and too many health concerns going on in real life right now, and the added stress of the tournament isn't helping. My availability is suffering because of it and I'd rather not hold up my bracket just because I can't post on time.

This should not be taken as a reflection of my views on the tournament, current match, or opponent. I fully intend to join TZRP and later TZDL runs, but currently can't keep the pace up with everything else happening. I've been mulling over this since my previous post and have no desire to slow things down when the tournament's already suffered delays.

It was a great fight, Junction. Maybe we can have a rematch at some point and finish it properly.

Tch.

This needs to end. Now.

The dragons take little heed of the fire and ice as Jason shoots higher, chased by the icy flames and doing his best to evade the plasma hooks. Driven by a settling panic and sheer protectiveness, Mimring pursues his master heedless of what pain or frigid cold he might be in. The orange aura even intensifies until he reaches the Shapeshifter, as if a last ditch effort to make it to the other dragon before being frozen solid--

Thuri!

-- and reach him he does, the bright electricity surging with a heated aura taking a slightly different form than expected. The instants before their merging, an idea- an impulse- ran from master to dragon and they knew precisely in those moments what needed to be done. Rather than an incomplete suit of armor spread across Jason's body, the brilliant gold is focused almost purely on Jason's head, neck, and shoulders, the helm thicker than the rest even atop the Darkwing's dense crown of bone. From snout to forelegs, the only openings in the armor are the eyes and nostrils, even holding the great beast's neck in position.

Jason continues to fly upwards, not even so much as slowed down by the armor that has turned his front into a battering ram. Angling out of the magma blossom snare trap, the dragon makes a straight, swift course for... the ceiling. Hot and cold nip at his extremities simply by proximity- the ice and the plasma are both right on his tail and he needs to act now. Orange becomes a verdant green once more- if it helps, it helps, and perhaps they can break through some tactic of their adversary to stop this last-ditch attempt in its tracks.

Something slices past Jason, grazing the armor just behind his jaw and leaving a sizeable laceration but missing its intended mark of Jason himself. Despite the lack of injury, it was far too close for comfort, they need to move--

Break through!

This thought runs across the link even as the airborne battering ram crashes into the shaking ceiling. For a split second both are concerned that this won't work- but the cracked, damage stone gives way. The full force and momentum of a fleeing dragon bursts from the frigid, hazardous chamber into the intense midday heat of the desert, its light and radiance spilling into the pyramid like a wound. The heat is almost a relief after the dangeous, near-fatal cold inside the pyramid and as soon as he has broken into the sky Jason angles downward to both hide his location from his enemy and create a barrier to stave off pursuing attacks.

But the dragons do not intend to stick around and see how their would-be killer will deal with this new development. The angled dive simply increases Jason's momentum, and when he feels he has picked up enough speed he sharply pulls up to escape into the Egypt sky, allowing the hot updrafts of air to do the work for him in gaining enough altitude that pursuit, and by extention combat, would be nearly impossible.

We're not dying today.

[Mobius]

Ruling

• Keileon has officially withdrawn.

Verdict
Junction advances. Keileon. I am sorry to hear about your personal issues and hope you overcome them eventually. I know this was a very tough match for you and thanks for giving it everything even with nothing left to give and your irl stress. I appreciate everything you have done.