[IC] Genshin Impact - Eikons [Current Chapter: Geo]

[Letter Bee]

The Fastest Gun in Uvera

Ken carefully sidestepped the burning javelin, shot the left shin of someone who tried to stab him from the side, then took the resulting energy shield crystal from the Geo Generator before the eighteen-year-old noticed a flash of orange in the arena stands and snarled - The Aldugan Spines were there. On the one hand, it meant that there might be a disturbance and a chance of escape. On the other hand, the boy hated those slavers for trading in Uverans (and the occasional Waltonian).

He ducked another flaming Javelin and noticed that his shield/barrier was running out due to him taking a moment to think. In response, he shot close to the ear of the Pyro user, hoping to clip the man's earlobe and bust his eardrum. Then he shot the hand of a man picking up an energy shield crystal and swiped the gem for himself, allowing him more time to spend thinking and strategizing; he was not bad at that and tactics, just admittedly prone to overestimating his capabilities.

Right now, he had to buy time; as more people swooped in on his position, ignoring the evidence that the eighteen-year-old gunslinger was not an easy target, Ken shifted positions, rolling a short distance away before shooting at an opponent's left shoulder, and barely avoiding a knife that barely swooshed past his hair and the energy barrier that covered it.

"Easy pickings," he couldn't help but quip as he stuck close to the Geo Generators, glancing at Takemura and Fiske's fight - Those two seemed to be having a focused duel; best not to bother them. No, rather, Ken should stick to a strategy of shooting, shifting positions, and grabbing energy shields, including from areas where the two duelists had just passed by.

Letting himself be pushed towards the edge of the arena, where hopefully someone threw a rotten fruit pip/seed, the young man's barrier finally ran out even as he picked up what seemed to be a half-eaten plum, which he charged with a surge of power from his vision crystal and threw high in the air as he held his breath; the plum exploded into a spray of sleeping gas, sleeping gas picked up by the desert breeze and scattered all over the area, though the amount was such that those who breathed it in would only feel a little drowsy, enough to slow down their reflexes and reactions, allowing Ken to shoot a few more opponents before the amount of tranquilizing gas lightened to the point where he can breathe again.

By now, he should have thinned out the number of gladiators, even as he sighted something flying in the air, approaching the arena... A bird?

@Teyao, @Renose

[Enkryption]

A wise man once advised his students, "A fighter must see underneath the underneath," - to see what lies between the lines, and furthermore, between those lines.

As Juniper walked her through, John was studying the underside of the cityscape; learning with her crimson eyes, as she kept her glasses perched in her hair. It was risky to maintain her [Amaterasu's Eyes] for extended periods of time, but she'd surely get her hands on a Potion of Regeneration at some point in this place. In the meantime, she followed Juniper as she slipped through the under-cityscape with ease; as if, she were flying over the roads and into side paths, before coming to a stop before a rather open business front.

Lowering her glasses, John massaged her eyes for a moment, as she normalized her sight, and let the Mana Drain do its work. Not to be betrayed by its glitzy facade, the inside lacked the subtlety that was expected of the environment contained - likely, in such a lawless place, they weren't expecting a crackdown any time soon. It was almost disappointing in a way; no risk, no excitement, just an underground gladiatorial arena for the poor fools that needed a quick, private means to make some Mora and ends meets.

It turned her stomach, but nausea was tolerable. As such, she turned the moment into an opportunity, and looked at the clown in the suit with his cane. "I'm just here to earn enough to open a business," she says, "After that, we'll see if we cross paths again. I don't know anything about the seven out of ten over there."

"Above-average," Juniper asks, smirking.

"Three points off for being dressed," John says smoothly. "Now, let's talk about how I'm supposed to enter a match with no money."

"I'll put her up. KO Match, No Weapons, Victory," Juniper says, "I've seen her talent with weapons, I wanna see it raw."

John narrowed her eyes, and reached up to loosen her ponytail. "This stays on me," she says, presenting her Vision.

"That's fine with me. Plenty of Vision users drift through her on hard times. We match them together, and lucky you, we have a few awaiting a match," Juniper says, "So, so, sound kosher, Bossman?"

[Sho Minazuki]

Underhull

@Enkryption

The man swung his cane an arch before holding it in his free hand, giving Juniper a smile. "It's kosher darling, now...", he turned to John again, "you've come at a convenient time for me. One of our favorites had suddenly slipped away from their fight, also a vision user. And visions are oh so rare these days. We were going to delay a little before we could get another vision user to go up against them... But I suppose this can be a great chance at a debut for you", the way he talked about it he seemed delighted, and why wouldn't he be. Still, it seemed John was going to be allowed to make some money here.

"Of course, win your fight, you get money for it. That is nothing to say about betting on yourself too... Or others, if you're so inclined", his smile was a little smarmy, arrogant in a way. He was the showrunner for this place after all, perhaps some form of attachment is what gives him that confidence.

"Ah, perhaps I should introduce myself first. I have a feeling you'll be around awhile. Name's Charles Blanchet. I and the crowd like you enough, perhaps you can ask for special favors... By that I mean of course, fights. Ones worth far more than the one you're about to go into", he seemed eager about being asked about such things though the reasons may not be yet clear.

"Now, Juniper darling, please show him to the backstage and help him get ready", he waved to have John and Juniper head off. The two would find the back stage was full of medical supplies, food, drink, and even weapons, though most of the time it seems competitors would bring their own anyways, so these various firearms and melee weapons would have a thing layer of dust on them. Still, if John wanted to eat or drink up before going in, she was quite free to do so here. Juniper on the other hand, her role would be to brief him on who his opponent was.

[Renose]

"Right moment?" thought the Elf to herself. "No" is her own mental response as she moves through the stadium. She'd quickly arrive in the arena proper where the stands were packed with people. There had only been two guards present in the area where she was at the time, but there were definitely guards looking for her now. No doubt if she simply stayed in one place or stayed in the open they'd converge on her in no time.

Those weren't her thoughts though. Her thoughts were different. She looked around. The eyes of the spectators were glued to the fighters in the arena. The excitement was palpable. The screams, cheers, and jeers formed a collective ocean of sounds that all entered her pointed ears, causing a slight frown to appear on her calm face.

She too saw what was inside. "Training?" Her eyes scanned the crowds, but ultimately she shook her head. "No... coats." There wasn't a single white coat in sight. No clipboards. No papers. No books. This was different, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was oddly familiar.

She continued to move through the throngs of people. Some gave her a barely passing glance as she moved by. A few did a double take as they saw her arms but ultimately turned their attention back to the thrilling bloodshed. The packed stadium allowed her to hide.

"Hide in... trees. B...lend?" These words echoed in her mind. She wasn't sure why, but they did and thus she was following their advice. The forest of people in this jungle of bloodlust and stone allowed her to blend in as she made her way to the backs of the stands in an attempt to hide from the guards that were pursuing her.

Eventually, she reached a place where she thought she could hide and watch. Watch just what was making these people so excited. She didn't know why she wanted to watch it, but she did. Even her own heart was beating a bit faster as those screams pounded into her ears. The beating was somewhat accelerated by this chase.

There was a word for this. "Hunt". This word echoed in her mind and was amplified by the beating of her heart. If her hands had been materialized they would be clenched, but right now she had no hands. Just her strange, metallic, horned arms.

Which would no doubt be quite the strange sight as this small girl burst forth from the crowd of people and arrived at the backs, outside of the stands, where she was now face to face with a few strange-looking individuals in one area outside of the huge stands. They all wore various pieces of orange clothing with a strange-looking beast emblazoned on them.

What attracted her attention was the weapons though. So far she had only seen two kinds of people with weapons here. One was those people fighting inside the Arena. The next...

"Guards?" she couldn't help but think to herself as the word flashed into her mind. She had heard that ambitious man's voice use that word a lot. Never towards her though. That voice had always been full of praise for her. It was towards other subjects that she heard that word.

"Guards, bring the subject here."

"Guards, don't let that subject escape!"

"Guards, restrain them!"

These three "guards" with their strange pieces of orange clothing were in her way. Still, she didn't do anything except take a step back as her eyes scanned these "guards" after coming from the crowds of people in the stands.

She didn't speak a word as she looked at them. She was completely calm too, yet quiet. Similar to a deer in the headlights, yet she was anything but that. She was waiting. Watching them. Their hands. Their weapons. Waiting for "the right moment". If these three "guards" tried anything she'd move. For now, she remained still as she looked at them. She had no hands and no shoes, only simple clothes, a sturdy leather pack, and her intricate metallic arms.

[Enkryption]

Charles Blanchet...

A name that John wouldn’t soon forget, as Juniper pulled her away from Tiziana - leaving the Hydro Witch to make her own decisions as to what she would do, and how she would proceed in this palor of pugilism. It would seem that Charles seemed to have some sense of the depth of Tiziana’s pockets; at least, enough to believe that she could put money forward on John’s debut. However, the curious idea that she could bet on herself without collateral - she couldn’t help but wonder what the debts in this place were like.

Juniper wouldn’t give her much time to think about it. "Alright, Alighieri, let’s see what you can do without your toys, eh," she asks, motioning towards a locker, while tossing her a key. "I’ll hang onto the key, while you fight." John rolled her eyes, as she pulled off her knuckle dusters, and then reached behind her to unholster her shotgun. "Oh, ho, crafty girl with the tricks. That explains the coat," Juniper chuckled. "Anything else?"

"You wanna do a full-body search," John asks, raising her arms, "Never can trust a Witch, after all."

Juniper smirked, as she strolled over, and by, "Tempted, tempted, O’ Lord, am I tempted. However, no time for pleasure, only business."

John huffed, "Oh, well. Another day, perhaps."

"Another day, indeed," Juniper says. "So, let’s talk shop about your opponent. There’s a small roster of people, but I’m pinning you against an Uveran with a Cryo Vision; one of our big earners. Odds against you, by default, are 20:1 with his track record," she says, "Add on another 10 for “No Weapons” complication, and another 20 for the “Knockout” condition, and that’s 50:1 against you."

"Doing me no favours by selling a massacre," John says. "Walton sure didn’t stray far from her roots."

"I’ll take that as a compliment from you," Juniper says.

"On with the spiel for this loser," John says, rolling her hand, as she stripped off her gloves with her teeth. "I’ve no plans to lose, but," she reached down, and removed her boots, "information is ammunition."

"Looking to win over the foot lovers," Juniper asks, curious.

"These fucks should be so blessed," John says, bouncing on the balls of her feet, as she shirked off her coat. "I’m just removing all my weapons, so to speak."

Juniper smirked, as she gathered the gloves and boots - noting they were rubbery. "Well, I’ve told you the bulk of what you need to know, really," she says, "All that remains is his name..."

---

“BJORN! BJORN! BJORN!”

John looked at the Uveran that was her opponent; a man with more rippling muscle and might than all of Averton combined. His skin was worn smooth by the erosive abuse of the ring, but his stance and posture was as firm as stone; the +20 Odds on a Knockout made all the more sense up close. His chest and upper arms were decorated in tribalistic tattoos that marked milestones - his body a canvas of accomplishment most men dreamed of; he wore nothing else but blood-stained bandages like gauntlets and fur jeans, upon which his Vision was looped into the front like a buckle.

However, it was his eyes that drew John’s attention - they were cold, hardened by warfare and violence. Beyond that, however, was a deep-seated anger - an intrinsic hatred for Averton, bringing the curse of Walton, to his people. So, John wasn’t surprised when he raised a thick finger to accuse her of:

"Johanna Wattsun... So, you’re the Witch that defiled my sisters, and brought colonial shame to my family!"

"Okay..." John drawled. "Honestly, I didn't see that coming..."

"So, so, if it isn’t the consequences of our own actions," Juniper says, suspiciously amused by this revelation that shouldn’t have leaked out of Averton. Before John could make any formal accusations, Juniper slammed her open palm against the small of her back, and threw John into the den with a buzzing, "Go! Gettem, champ!"

"Bloody hell. I’m guessing a lame apology and some hard drinks won’t salve this wound to your family pride or whatever," John sighed, as Bjorn approached the center to shake on the match.

Bjorn threw his hand forward. "I’m going to break your bones," he growled out, "Starting with the one between your legs..."

"Yeah... didn’t think so..." John grimaced, extending her own; gripping Bjorn monstrous elbow, as he gripped her delicate elbow - committing to the customary exchange of the ancient warrior’s handshake.

-- before John was flipped into the sky on the upward motion of the handshake; shouting obscenities as she flew up towards the ceiling, and descended the same towards a potential death and humiliatingly public castration.

John didn’t know which would be worse, honestly. All she did know was this:

50:1 Odds. This was gunna be a helluva debut fight, and she didn’t come to lose.

A Warsong of Fire and Ice

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" John cursed, as she hit the ceiling - How nostalgic... - and plummeted to the ground. Fortunately, as she was thrown - this time, God knows about the next - into the ceiling, her fall was more manageable... once she got her wits about her. Luckily, that came before she came face-to-ice-spiked-fist with Bjorn’s thrown punch/attempted-murder-via-icicle. "Dude! It’s not that serious!" John yelped, as she clapped her hands around the concentrated ice, and used it as a springboard to stabilize her descent. "So, I slept with your sisters, cousins, whatever -- "

"You didn’t sleep with them! You defiled them! Burned them! Brought them shame for generations to come!" Bjorn shouted, each punctuation followed by a brutal haymaker with intent to murder via the conical spears of ice that had replaced his forearms. "Okay, okay, when you put it like that, it sounds bad," John admitted, as she deflected the stabs with flaming slaps. "But, I swear, it’s not as bad as you think! They got a little drunk, and came on to me - well, the lower half of me. Okay, just a part of me. But, I mean, it’s a good part of me, like, really good -- SHIT!!!"

A sudden projectile of ice came flying at her head, causing her to duck, and putting her in range of a savage uppercut to follow - if uppercuts came with spears. John meeped, before flooding flames out of her feet, and forcing Bjorn to retreat - his uppercut slicing the tip of John’s nose. "Ow. Fucking ow. Duef, mah noes. Nao, efreefing’s gon’ smell liek blud..." John lamented nasally, before she suddenly seemed to vanish, and Bjorn found a fist driven into his nose. "Tif fer Taf, bish..."

"So, so, the Witch does have tricks to go with her treats," Juniper chittered, amused. "Almost didn’t even see her move."

Bjorn snorted, blowing bloody mucus towards the floor, before his bloody nose froze over, as he rubbed it with his left hand. John placed her left hand on her hip, and rubbed her nose with her right; flames closing the gash, and drying the blood.

"So, so, back to Square One it seems..."

"At the risk of you screaming at me, or whatever it is you savages do when confronted with the outside world, I can, at least, plead my case, no," John asks.

"Do it in ten words or less..." Bjorn snarled.

"Bruh..." John groaned, before holding up ten fingers. "Your. Sisters. Really. Liked. Sucking. My. Dick. And. The. Wax." John looked up with both fist furled, and smirked. "Hell yeah, that was ten on the dot."

"Congratulations..." Bjorn said, before shifting his feet, and launching a cascading of ice at John; upon which, he skated, and closed the battle distance within moments.

John had precious time, and countered by setting fire to her skin, and melting the ice - it did nothing to dull the impact of Bjorn’s targeted kick of big brotherly honour, as it drove into her pelvic floor. John’s eyes widened, as she buckled, and grit her teeth - struggling to hold back from throwing up the banana she had for lunch.

Hundreds of thousands of alarms were going off in her body, as it struggled to maintain composure, and assess the damages downstairs. For a brief moment, her eyes flashed red against the drain of her glasses, and she moved forward just a half-step - driving her fist upwards in retaliation against Bjorn. Even if he wanted to defend, in the heat of battle, things happened in split-seconds without warning; especially, in fight club.

"Well, there are no rules about hitting below the belt..." Juniper snickered.

“Asshole/Bitch!”

John bit back tears - cool and awesome tears, of course, but tears nevertheless - as she slumped onto her ankles, supported by her knees and the balls of her feet. Looking forward, she saw Bjorn in a similar state of concentrated agony. Around them, the crowd was eating it up; laughing their asses off, as they struggled against the abject misery brough by their temporary castration. There were some sympathetic expressions from the women, but they were marred by the mirth in their eyes. Underground fights weren’t the high-brow entertainment of coliseums; they could just devolve into sheer clownery and hilarious bullshit at a moment’s notice, and, as long as a victor was announced and everyone was sufficiently drunk, nobody cared.

It was all a part of the show.

"Feeling better," John asks, once the waves of nausea passed.

"I should kill you..." Bjorn says.

"Wait until I’m rich, at least," John groaned, as she shakily rose to her feet.

"You’re Averton. Rich is how you’re born," Bjorn says, as he gathered himself to stand.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I’m broke as a joke," John says. "Turns out, compensation money is a quick way into debt," she sighed, "Hush money. Travel fees. Bribery. Politics. It’s all costly."

Bjorn tilted his head. "I received a letter from home, baring news of an official from Averton, who had brought my sisters home, whom had a Jotun guard," he says, "He left them with money - more Mora than my village could make in a year’s harvest. But, officials from Walton came, and claimed it from my family as “burial fees,” and said, that my sisters were lucky they weren’t involved beyond sleeping with an Averton," his expression darkened, as he spoke the last bit of the passage, "as even savages deserve scraps at the table. Even if it’s one as messy as Johanna Wattsun’s."

John narrowed her eyes. "So, that’s the angle, huh," she says, as her hands and feet erupted into an uncontrolled flame that licked at her elbows and knees, "I might be inclined to burn down the so-called United Republic of Walton, now..."

"Enough talk," John says, as she drew into a neutral boxing stance, "We have a fight to finish..."

Cracking his neck, Bjorn nodded in silent agreement, as his hands and feet froze over - mirroring John’s own elemental shrouding - before he kept his entire stance relaxed, and his guard looser. "I agree," he says, "Though, it appears we have common ground after all..."

"Seems the preamble is over..." Juniper says, as the air grew stifling and the mounting tension choked the jovial mood out cold. "So, so, who will prevail?"

John moved first; a half-step into full travel, as she threw her right fist forward as a straight jab - an arm of ice blocked the flame, and barely melted under the thermodynamic pressure. Bjorn shifted his body, wrapping his free arm around John’s torso, and lifting her off her feet - only to slam her onto her back. Her lungs evacuated all air, as she hit, but Bjorn would find no purchase, as she threw a harsh left hook at his descending rib cage - disrupting all potential plans, as pain overwrote all thoughts for a brief moment; enough that John could stand.

Bjorn was clearly versed in a throwing form of martial arts; the portal opposite of her rigid, straight-forward boxing style. Approaching him would only result in her getting intimate with the floor more often than not, which would result in him overpowering her inevitably, if she couldn’t land clean hits to his ribs first. Still, standing around wouldn’t do much - as he’d shown, he would close gaps, too. It was all a matter of stamina, and John smirked.

She had plenty of that.

In - close the gap. Jab - put pressure on. Knee - block the grab. Hook - attack the ribs.

Brace - get ready. Block - testing waters. Feint - she’ll block. Turn - she’ll miss.

Distance - closed. Pressure - on. Attack - failed. Counter - reversed?

*CRACK~!* *CRACK~!*

"Interesting..."

John slammed into the wood floor with a violence, but she didn’t go down alone, as she threw her leg out, and took Bjorn’s supporting leg out by melting the ice beneath his feet. Due to the commit, he couldn’t use his arms to catch himself, and while the back of her head cracked into the floor, the front of his had a literal crash course on what wood felt like on your forehead.

Yeah, it was a cheap shot on the way down, but there was no fighting fair and winning down here. Aching to the very core, John crawled over to Bjorn, and shoved him over, so she could straddle his waist. Her biceps and triceps bulged, as she wrapped her hands around his throat, and set to strangling him unconscious.

Suddenly, hands shot up and wrapped around her throat - Bjorn’s eyes were wide, focused on just her, and her alone, as he followed her lead in this dance for two in their warsong of fire and ice.

As powerfully as it had come on before, the urge to vomit was back, as cortisol and adrenaline surged in overdrive within John. However, unlike before... this time she listened.

There was no warning, as the Avertonian threw up upon the face of the Uveran beneath her, and completely threw off his pressure. Her neck freed, John pushed forward and down; applying the pressure needed to close off Bjorn’s windpipe and jugular vein long enough to render him unconscious.

Juniper watched as John’s chokehold loosen, and she finished throwing up on Bjorn’s chest, before she almost fluttered into the ring. "We have a winner! I know they say, never go to battle on an empty stomach, but I didn’t know you could win a battle by emptying your stomach!" she joked, raising John’s right arm into the air, though the unconscious Witch didn’t follow it. "Awww... isn’t that cute, a victory nap for sneaky sister-in-law! Oi, someone get these chumps outta the ring! And, take ten, you bozos, so we can clean the ring out! Cash your bets in, too! We ain’t paying you to stand around, after all!"

As if, a breath of fresh air, Juniper dispersed the foulness and raised the mood at the expense of, of course, the fighters in the ring. As the brightened crowd wandered off to cash in bets, gossip about the match, and get ready for the match-up - wondering if it could hold up in drama, ballbusting, and that climax.

Medics would retrieve John and Bjorn, and take them off to the recovery room to heal the woman’s burns and the man’s frostbite, as well as the broken bones. Magical healing was an expensive godsend for a business like this.

"You’re free to follow, Tizi-dearie," Juniper chittered, teasingly whispering, "unless you aren’t worried, so, so..." before heading off to Charles for his thoughts.

[AzureKnight]

_{@Sho Minazuki@Enkryption@The Irish Tree}

---

Zweidaya

---

The songstress made a face at John's retorts. She then turned a curious eye toward the other, older woman present. "The pleasure is all yours, Ms. Juniper." She said. "While I don't usually travel to these types of locals, I thought it a good chance of pace to do so." Tiziana wasn't too surprised that this Juniper knew who she was, having done her part in making a name for herself. She imagined that word of mouth could travel even as far as a backwater place like this. Originally, Tiziana came here with establishing a new gig in mind. However, this current string of events may prove to be more interesting. For this reason, she decided to tag along with John and the woman.

Walking up to John's side, she leaned closer in to her fellow witch's ear. "Also, it's nice to finally learn your name, John." Realizing she didn't like being refer to by her 'other' name.

Following behind Juniper, they made their way further down the city streets. Tiziana had to admit, she wasn't a fan of these gritty back alleys, finding them to be unsavory. Couldn't complain too much, though, as she did choose to come along. She felt the magic coming from John's eyes, noticing she used the same spell during their earlier scuffle. She also made note of how it seemed to drain her stamina as time went on. Eventually, the group reached a peculiar looking building, which Tiziana guessed was where Juniper did business. On it was a neon lit sign that read, "Club Spades". Going inside, she put a hand to John's shoulder noticing her nausea. Looking around the establishment, it seemed Juniper made her business by involving herself in underground fighting rings. Fighters of all shapes and sizes were on display, bashing each other's brains out and cheering drunks egging on the carnage. Tiziana didn't care for it one bit.

Juniper then led them into a lounge area, where a strange man dressed in a purple suit with an owl perch on his shoulder that didn't match his aesthetic. As the man leaned in closer, he seemed to allude to the fact that Tiziana was a noble of sorts. "Good Evening, Mr. Charles." She said. "I see that your establishment has no shortage of pugilistic entertainment." Her arms folded, she held her closed fan to the side of her face. "Of which, I'll be taking no part in. I mean, look at me." She used gestures to highlight the feminine curves associated with her body. "Martial arts aren't the arts that I specialize in, as I prefer recreation of a different sort." She looked as Juniper lead John out of the room, likely prepping her for an upcoming match. Tiziana seemed to ponder for a moment, then turned back to Charles. "For now, think of me as John's sponsor." She said. "In addition, I'll also be betting on her to win."

---

Sitting in a VIP section during the sport, Tiziana looked on as the fight between John and this Bjorn went under way. Hearing the crowd chant his name and taking a look at his physique, it was no wonder why he had such a following. Interestingly, Bjorn seemed to know John prior to this confrontation. After actually hearing it, the songstress made a frown which was then followed by a light chuckle. "Goodness, this woman really DOES get into trouble wherever she goes...".

Looking over the fight itself, she at first, wasn't that much interested in it. Just another slogfest of face bashing and sweaty wrestling. However, as the fight grew more and more climatic, Tiziana unconsciously became more drawn to it over time. Oh nice, how'd she counter that? Quick, dodge or you'll be skewered! She silently cheered her fellow witch on. Her eyes widened when Bjorn kicked John square in her pelvis, the sheer shock of the act left her stunned. "You disgusting brute, have you NO honor?!" She exclaimed. Rules be damned, that's still no excuse for treating a lady in such a way!

Both fighters bloodied and battered, the match appeared to be reaching its final stages. The ice and fire elemental mastery was on full display, and Tiziana had to admit that it impressed even her. Charging each other again, Bjorn had gotten John into an strong hold, attempting to use his superior strength to overpower her. However, Tiziana was not prepared for what happened next. John ending up puking right on Bjorn's face in the middle of the match. The sight made Tiziana sick to her stomach herself... Hilariously, this allowed John to gain the upper hand and eventually win the fight via a pressure hold. With Juniper announcing the winner along with the crowd's cheers, John had passed out from exhaustion. Both she and Bjorn were carried out by the medical team to have their wounds treated. Tiziana turned to the odd woman after she made her statement. "Just make sure Charles pays me what I am owed, my fighter did win her match after all." She said. She then departed toward the medical ward, following the team that took away the two fighters.

She had too admit, she felt a little bit more sorry for Bjorn. Losing a match AND having banana puke on your face was enough to crush away one's spirits...

[Sho Minazuki]

Al-Marabar, Sand King Arena

@Renose@Letter Bee

"Right, in position, we're waiting for the sig- Hm...?", the group of orange-garbed men turned to see a strange person, the strangest of people even in a place like Al-Marabar. An elf, on top of that, one that did not have conventional arms by any means. There were three of them here, and a little ways off were a few more who did not notice Kazue. The area they were in was the back of the upper stands, and if one was observant enough, a few Aldugan Spines can be spotted on the very roofs too.

"Get outta here kid... Wait what are...", the one on what appeared to be a radio upon noticing Kazue would comment first.

"Hm? Those arms are... What are those?", after a short pause the other would turn around in curiosity to what had distracted them from their mission.

"That's not important just focus on- jesus what are those arms?", the three all seemed to be more surprised by her mechanical and unwieldy arms than anything else. They... Didn't seem to be attacking her, but they were certainly very distracted from what they were supposed to do, and the signal for it was to happen very soon.

Meanwhile...

Down in the arena, things were looking up for Ken as the crowd began to pay attention to his performance. A dendro user they would murmur, which was a somewhat rare element, even within the Dendro nation. In particular, putting to sleep multiple combatants was the impressive part, while the duel between Fiske and Takemura took a swing in favor of the Oni, as Fiske was knocked far and away from their little zone they had created for themselves. In a few short moments, Ken would find himself facing down Takemura now, seeing as they were the only major threats in the arena.

Just as the two were getting ready to square up though, the first thing they'd notice was the sky becoming dark. The crowd's cheers began to quieten as they noticed it too, and pretty soon the whole arena was looking up, including the Geo Archon Axom. He stood up from his throne, crossed his arms and squinted in suspicion, his gleeful smile at watching the games had stopped as he sensed something far more serious to occur, and in a single instant, all present heard and saw a thunderbolt strike Axom himself, destroying the throne behind him too.

The crowd gasped in shock, but when the light cleared, Axom was standing a ways off from his original position, and where the lightning struck stood a figure in a long, tattered black coat, wearing a near faceless mask, and had red, slicked back hair. He raised his hand towards the Archon, firing a bolt of lightning. Axom though powered right through it as the lightning seemed to bounce off of what appeared to be a shield of Geo energy. He didn't stop though, the mysterious figure fired off additional consecutive blasts, and as soon as the two were but a couple feet apart, with Axom's double blade ready to strike, it hit nothing but a lighting illusion. He'd look up to see the figure now floating in the air. A mirage? Or was it a teleport? It was hard to tell amidst all the commotion, but pretty soon he'd notice there were a lot of a certain faction in the stands right now.

They made their move, the Aldugan Spines began to brandish their weapons and attack the guards of the colosseum, the wardens, all of them. The ones near Kazue who had noticed her were confused who she was, but in the chaos and heat of the situation, they pulled their weapons out against her, though this would prove to be enough to signal to her they were a threat.

"Don't let them escape! All prisoners! If you manage to take this man down, I will immediately grant you your freedom!", it was a drastic request from the Sand King, but even those who were still in cages at this moment who heard it, they were listening. He knew his men could take the Aldugan Spines, but it was this mysterious man he was worried about.... A rather powerful vision user, he would assume based on his display thus far, and an Electro one to boot. He turned his double blades into a bow, and took aim, a golden arrow of energy appearing before drawing it back, ready to fire. Was this a coup he wondered? Was this something else? Axom knew he was no good at thinking that far ahead, and so he decided to focus on the immediate threat.

[Letter Bee]

The Fastest Gun in Uvera

Ken grinned and said, "Well, don't mind if I do!"

Nevertheless, he didn't act immediately. Instead, he sought a piece of dried, half-eaten, or even rotten fruit from the edge of the arena even as he observed the Guards and the Aldugan Spines fighting amongst each other. Then, as the other prisoner-gladiators began charging at the mysterious masked man, the youth went towards Takemura and said, "So, want to form a strategy to take down Mr. Lightning Guy, or would you prefer to be a gladiator forever? No shame if the latter, but I'm taking my chance to get out, get in good with the Sand King,, and make those Aldugan Spines pay..."

The Oni smiled and said, "He's flying; how do we get at him?"

Ken gave it some thought and said, "Toss me at 'Mr. Lighting Guy'." That ought to put me above the heads of the other prisoners, too. And make for a show.

Takemura said, "Will do," before dropping his club, picking up Ken, and then tossing him at the floating foe, pistol in one hand and a piece of half-eaten fruit in the other while his Vision was tied to his rags. If Ken hit, he'd smash the half-eaten fruit onto the masked man's covered face and turn it into a sleeping aerosol that would seep inside the mask - The guy needed to breathe, right?

If that didn't work, well, he still had his gun and was going to shoot him in the side of the head before that guy used lightning on himself to repel his assailant. But just in case he did, Ken, grit his teeth so that he could resist being fried by electricity - Wait, he still had a lingering shield from the Geo Generator; he could survive one shock, maybe two!

If the boy kept a clear head and trusted his luck, maybe freedom would be at hand, and so would access to his old gear. And if he can get a favor from the Sand King, perhaps by foiling the Aldugan Spines' coup, he can obstruct attempts to enslave Uverans (and the occasional Waltonian) and thus remove foreign interference in Greater Walton/Uvera...

@Renose

[Renose]

The bolt of lightning from had been quite loud, yet louder than that was one word. One word shouted that echoed throughout the entire arena.

“Freedom”

All of these sounds entered her pointed ears and made them twitch, yet her eyes still stayed on one thing: the trio of armed individuals in front of her.

She didn’t understand all of those words, yet that was the one she understood the most. She also understood another thing. Weapons extraditing their sheaths right before her eyes.

She understood just enough of the context to know one thing: defeating these enemies would give her her freedom.

These were her enemies.

Wind swirled into existence around her body as two glowing green hands formed. Miniature gales formed around her legs as she suddenly charged forward, attacking first.

The wind around her legs propelled her forward with great as if she was floating along the ground, like an arrow that had been loosened from a bow that had been knocked back for who knows how long.

Rather than use those glowing green claws though, she seemed to punch forward with intense ferocity. Two huge, metal fists several feet tall appeared connected to those odd, mechanical arms.

One fist immediately slammed into the body of one of the orange garbed men, sending him flying backwards into the wall with several sickening cracks and a powerful thud.

The second fist accompanied the first into the body of another man, sending him to accompany his friend. There was no grace of finesse behind these attacks, just cold ferocity as both fists suddenly vanished.

The one two blow was followed up with a powerful, low to the ground pounce right towards the other man as one glowing green claw suddenly slashed at his neck and another ripped at his pelvis. It was like being cut apart by a ferocious beast made of wind as she quickly dispatched the three of them, or so she assumed.

She didn’t bother to check whether this third one was dead as her weapon, Storm Titan, quickly changed modes to allow her to send this bloodied man flying to join his two compatriots.

Despite this bloody spectacle the elf was calm, yet a gale was beginning to form within her eyes as she charged towards the next group of orange clothed men.

If she defeated them, she’d get her freedom!

Her heart was beginning to beat faster as she picked up the pace. She was going to Hunt for her freedom and, unfortunately…

These orange clothed men were her prey!

[Sho Minazuki]

Al-Marabar, Sand King Arena

@Renose@Letter Bee

The entire arena was erupting into chaos as the orange-clad Aldugan Spines began to attack the people. In a typical scenario like this, the armed force would have the upper hand immediately, and the crowd would be taken hostage, however, this was Al-Marabar, a land composed almost entirely of scoundrels and dishonest men. Almost immediately as the pirates brandished their weapons, so too did members of the crowd, eager for a fight themselves, and as much of an upset this appeared to be, the immediacy of the Aldugan Spines' attack reveals they had anticipated resistance, almost welcoming it as the entirety of the stands erupted into fighting.

Kazue over on one side had garnered the attention of not just additional pirates, but people from the crowd in her side noticing the extravagant display of power and speed, and began to cheer her on as she was being approached by several more pirates coming in from the outside, also wearing orange in some form, with weapons pointed at her. An approaching group holding rifles took a position down the hall from her and began to fire a volley in her direction. They did not seem to be afraid to seriously injure anyone in this entire attack it seems.

The center of the arena though held a more pressing concern, the powerful vision user that had appeared. Ken and Takemura's concerted attempts to strike at him seemed at first to be quite sound, but as soon as bullets were fired at him, lightning struck in a concentrated area around him, intercepting his attacks. First the fruit turned to ash in an instant, and while the bullet had gotten close, it too was struck down. It seemed there was a level of speed and focus required for this move, yet still he was untouchable. The Geo Archon himself noticing the attempts joined in immediately as an arrow joined in immediately after the gunshot, managing to force the electro user to move a little out of the way.

"Well well, looks like there's a limit to your defenses. You two down there keep trying! It shouldn't be too hard to overwhelm him with me here too", the Archon raised his bow again, a golden, glowing arrow forming as his back muscles undulated as he pulled it back, ready to fire again. Just as easily however, an arrow of arrows would appear along the ground around him, growing out of it in synchronization with his actions. He intended to fire a much larger barrage at the mysterious attacker.

[Letter Bee]

The Fastest Gun in Uvera

Ken's shield had faded and he dropped down to the ground, but he was having fun, and turning to Takemura again, he grinned and said to the Oni, "Well, it seems our Sand King has joined the fight. Let's follow his advice; he seems like a chill guy as much as a slaving warlord can be chilll."

And with that, he began shooting once more at the Mysterious Electro User, trying to take out the latter's knees and shins, hoping against hope that the Sand King's earth arrows distracted the man from his own shots. At the same time, Takemura began tossing what seemed to be fireballs at the foe, even as Ken himself almost tripped over yet another half-eaten fruit which he tossed at the Mysterious Electro User - If that wasn't electrified, it would explode into yet another spray of sleeping gas.

Either way, he was hoping for a quick victory against whoever this intruder was; he might even thank him for accelerating his plans and allowing this battle to be somewhat entertaining to him as well due to how - And this was purely his thoughts - Freedom was around the corner.

@Renose@Sho Minazuki

[Rezod92]

@Sho Minazuki @Renose @Letter Bee

Anarchy had descended upon the arena as the Aldugan Spines engaged the crowd, all while a mysterious Electro intruder fought against the Sand King himself. There was chaos everywhere you looked as everyone fought for their lives, some for their freedom...

....which meant that hardly anyone was paying attention as large, hooded figure entered the upper stands of the arena. Anyone who did noticed instantly turned their attention elsewhere, as they had enough to deal with fighting in an apparent coup attempt than fight whatever the hell that thing was.

For the hooded figure, Garrick paid them no mind as he watched the main fight below, the Electro interloper sending blasts of lightning at the Sand King while defending against two opponents: A yokai and a gunslinging young man. Even Axom, the Geo Archon, had joined to fight off this newcomer.

Hearing a shout off to the side, Garrick turned to see another peculiar: An young elf girl with arms unlike anything he has seen in his years fighting several Aldugan Spines members by herself, ready to engage three of them before her.

Coming to a decision, Garrick grabbed a nearby barrel, lifted it over his head and threw it at the trio, immediately running after it. The barrel struck one man on the side of his temple, cracking his skull as he fell to the ground. Before his two comrades could react to what happened, Garrick was already on them, sending another man to the floor via a savage hook to the jaw before the grabbing the final man by the neck, completely lifting him off the ground. The Spines member, scared witless at how fast this turned out, stared at Garrick with eyes full of fear as he saw half of a reptilian face, the other half hidden within the darkness of the hood except for the hazel slitted eyes that glared back at him. Garrick held the poor man for a second longer before tossing him over the railing, the man screaming as he fell to the lower stands. The cloaked cryptid then turned his attention to the elf.

"Peace, young one. I am not your enemy.", Garrick spoke, his voice raspy yet noble. "But more approach."

As more Aldugan Spines fighters closed in on the pair, Garrick reached over his shoulder, causing his cloak to part and reveal his form as he gripped the hilt of Azure Vein and drew the blade out, now taking part in the fighting alongside the young elf.

[Renose]

The elf’s ears twitched as she heard the movement of the wind. Bullets whistled through the air, multiple, but she didn’t care. She continued charging right at her prey as metallic tings bounded off from the massive metallic fist she held in front of herself to protect herself.

Yet they couldn’t block every shot and these spines were no slouches. A shot got right past the massive fist and hit her in the side, but she still didn’t care even.

Right as she was about to be on top of these spines as the small gales surrounding her legs grew a bit more intense, her prey was dispatched!

Her ears twitched and she immediately turned and saw it. A beast. A beast armed with a blade.

His voice entered her ears but she gave no reply and only stared at him. In those calm emerald tones there seemed to be nothing, not even as blood stained both her arms, metallic fists, and the side where she got shot. It was only a graze, but enough to make her bleed.

Choosing not to continue to stare, she promptly turned her attention to the approaching enemies and blasted forward once again like an arrow towards another group.

Bullets were fired her way, but to the growing fear in the orange garbed mens’ eyes she did not care. They either bounced off the large metallic fists she used as an improvised shield or missed her entirely.

The group she charged at, comprised of a few gunners and close range fighters, were more prepared this time. This elf was a menace. One they needed to put down or else be destroyed.

She reared her fist back as she bounded forward once she got close enough.

BANG

Another shot rang out from one of the spines in this group. The bullet hit true, slamming her right in the stomach. Blood came out of the girl’s mouth but she didn’t care.

Instead she just let the blood flow, still not letting out a sound. She was silent as the grave as she as she completed her charge and slammed her fist right into the man who shot her as she charged into the group like an arrow.

The man was sent flying out in a broken heap.

Swords descended upon her.

She grabbed the one of the blades with her glowing green hand as the giant fists disappeared, pulled forward and like a spear thrust her hand right into the man’s stomach, mimicking the wound she just received.

The other two descending swords had cut down at her at this time, each slicing across her back, but not too deep as she had moved forward just in time and her natural armor from Storm Titan imbedded into her flesh deflected part of the blows.

It was still more than enough to leave two bloody lines across her back. She didn’t flinch and instead used her other claw to pierce the stabbed man’s heart in a brutal, bloody fashion, energy seeming to flow from his body into hers through her claws. This seemed to be the case for any opponent she stabbed with those claws of hers.

Once he was dropped she turned around. She was bit bloodied but she did not care. She didn’t even seem to account for having many others fighting around her or the being that came to her direct aid.

Her eyes were on her prey and her prey alone as she crouched low like a beast, preparing to pounce forth at the enemies once again.

[Sho Minazuki]

Al-Marabar, Sand King Arena

@Renose@Letter Bee

The battle in and around the arena continued, even pirates loyal to the Sand King from other crews began to move in, and additional Aldugan Spines arrived to assist their allies as the commotion continued. The Spines did not seem to be concerned with achieving any particular goal however, attacking whoever they could, even if it was someone who was armed and would certainly give them resistance.

The battle within the arena was heating up a bit as the Electro attacker began to amp up the pressure. Balls of lightning would orbit them now that automatically struck anything that got close, seeing that they needed to shore up their defenses, especially with the incoming storm of stone arrows, courtesy of the Sand King. Before preparing a single, more powerful shot, aimed directly at the center of the cloaked man's defenses.

"Now!", he yelled, as soon as the large, golden arrow began to grind against a lightning barrier that now had to be reinforced by the lightning orbs.

Meanwhile in and around the arena, the appearance of Garrick had come as a shock to some of the Aldugan Spines, as they stammered and staggered, even one of them yelling "monster!" Garrick's monstrous appearance thinning out the crowd as he came to assist Kazue who had sustained wounds, the weak-willed among these orange-clad pirates running off and abandoning this particular confrontation. And even then, among those who stayed, some of them seemed rattled, between Kazue's seemingly insane and brutal way of fighting, and Garrick's imposing presence, they certainly felt more than intimidated.

[Letter Bee]

The Fastest Gun in Uvera

Ken was known as 'The Fastest Gun in Uvera' for a reason. He was a consumnate professional despite his youth, and although gimped by his lack of access to his old equipment, he knew enough to shoot straight, shoot fast, and shoot well. So while the lightning orbs would be an obstacle to someone with worse reflexes and aim, Ken was able to shoot past them, hitting the spot that the Sand King had told him to hit, even as Takemura was trying to burn the orbs directly with more fireballs. The Geo Pistol's unlimited shots were a boon in that regard too, as Ken was able to shoot additional percieved weak spots on the Mysterious Electro User's shield.

Focus on victory, focus on keeping up the pressure on the enemy, Ken had very little to say and think besides that.

@Renose@Sho Minazuki@Rezod92

[Rezod92]

@Sho Minazuki @Renose @Letter Bee

"What the hell is th-GACK!"

"No! No, please! Don't come any clo-UGH!"

"Just what the hell are yo-AAAAAAAAH!"

If the enemy Spines were looking for a response for the towering cryptid, Garrick had none to give as a strong swipe of his tail sent an unfortunate pair over the railing and down to the lower stands. Quickly scanning his surroundings, Garrick found his elf companion already in the thick of another fight, shredding and pulverizing any poor soul that got close to her, even at the expense of her own body being harmed. It was clear that the girl was all-in on offense, with zero regard for personal defense.

If it wasn't for the fact that the girl was decimating her opponents, Garrick would've been more concerned than he was right now.

A sharp pain erupting from the back of his right shoulder caused the lizard man to grunt in discomfort. With a glance, he saw an arrow sticking out from his shoulder, fired from a Spine member standing on a higher level in the stands. Responding in kind, Garrick whipped around and threw his sword, the blade flipping in the air before impaling the Spine archer deep in the chest, causing him to fall over dead. Enemy taken care of, Garrick then reached over his shoulder and, with another grunt of discomfort, pulled the arrow out of his wound, which was already in process of healing.

A flash of lightning drew Garrick's attention back toward the center of the arena, where the Electro intruder was still fighting the Sand King, even with the Geo Archon's intervention. The cryptid's slit hazel eyes narrowed. Something needs to be done about that interloper and soon.

A Spine swordsman attempted to attack the elf from behind, but was thwarted as Garrick came in with a shoulder charge and slammed the would-be ambusher into the wall, the sound of bones breaking audible as the poor man slid to the ground.

"There, little one!", Garrick exclaimed to the elf as he pointed toward the arena's center, at the Electro fighter. "That one stands between you and your goal!"

[Renose]

Unfortunately for Garrick, trying to direct the elf was the same as trying to aim an explosion. Those words seemed to elicit no response from the elf who didn’t even give the battle happening in the arena proper a glance.

No, instead her emerald eyes reflected the figures of the Spines that were escaping. The pain of the wounds they inflicted upon her. The taste of blood in her mouth.

Her prey escaping. Her prey. “Prey…”

Those words of the Sand King from earlier played in her mind, or more specifically three words did.

“Freedom”

“Take Down”

Her freedom was escaping.

“GRAAAH”

A vicious snarl escaped her lips as the wind surrounding her legs exploded in a mighty gale as she pounced forward now like a cannon ball, moving far faster than before.

*BOOM!*

A powerful slam of metal on stone. Screams. The elf rushed right first into a group of Spines that attempted to intercept her to protect their escaping comrades and continue the fight.

A powerful metal fist smashed him down from above, crushing his body into the concrete floor of the stands, creating several large cracks that went out from the fist shaped point of impact.

The moment that fist slammed a destructive gale blasted out, slamming into the other Spines that were unfortunately in the blast zone.

Green claws slashed savagely through the air at the wind blasted Spines like blades of wind, quickly slashing them apart. The small tornado began to pick up the blood and gore that the girl’s claws and fists had created as she pounded and clawed at the at the remainder of the group.

They certainly left their marks on the elf, but rather than letting out sounds of pain she did one thing.

“HAAAHAHA, PREY, FREEDOM! TAK…E DOUWNE!” She screamed out in vicious laughter, not caring about the arrow that was now sticking out from her side or the sword that left a long gash on the side of her face.

Her explosive attacks weren’t just making the Spines scream out. Unfortunately the blasts let out from those huge metallic fists swept away anyone from the audience that hadn’t fled the scene of the elf’s brutal carnage.

After an entire year, the bloody storm had returned to the world.

And it swept by all in its path as she charged at the escaping Spines after her interceptors were swiftly dealt with, screams and cries of terror as more powerful booms and howling gales echoed wherever the elf went as the winds swept up the blood and sand, creating a swirling storm of death with claws that reached out like scythes and huge, metallic fists that crashed down like lightning and resounded like thunder.

This was a storm that spared no one. Meaning there were many smart bystanders who were fleeing this particular part of the arena, multiple of which had been wounded by the errant shockwave given off by one of those powerful punches or the slicing wind given off by those claws.

There were many words said in response to this storm from both Spine and bystander alike.

But the elf couldn’t understand them. They were just noise lost to the wind.

A wind that seemed like it was going to chase down these Spines until none were left, as they were its prey.

And the hunt… was on!

[Renose]

(Whoops, Double Post)

[Sho Minazuki]

Al-Marabar, Sand King Arena

@Letter Bee

The combined attack effort would be successful. The few shots fired by Ken would at first be repelled, before the last shot slipped through the cracks. The Geo Pistol's golden shots would draw a straight line right for the electro user's mask, briefly chipping it as it exposed one of the assailant's eyes. The sudden shock would cause him to double back and stop, avoiding the clash and attacks before taking a hand to it, trying to cover up the now exposed eye. For a brief moment, one could see a burning purple eye peeking out, having a rather unnatural quality to it.

"Uurgghh...", the attacker vocalized for the first time. As much of a victory as they had obtained by doing some sort of damage to him, it felt short lived as a massive electro orb gathered around them. It began to rip and fray at their cloak, albeit only very slightly, and is perhaps the reason for their tattered appearance.

Axom took a stance, readying himself for what might come next, and yet... They just stopped, just as soon as they seemed as if they were beginning to show their true power. They looked up, towards the tower that made up the capital city's control tower. Axom for a moment looked in slight confusion, before his eyes widened as he realized what was happening.

At that very moment, an explosion occurred somewhere within the tower, and a single figure came flying out of the smoke and debris. The cape that followed them fanning out into wings as they took flight. A small, golden speck in their hands could be visible, even from down there. At the very same time, the city stopped moving across the sandy sea, and a lot of facilities within it were shut down.

"You were a diversion!", he yelled in what appeared to be in immense distaste, grabbing his bow and aiming it at the flying figure, only to be intercepted by the electro attacker, preventing him from attacking at this opportune moment. As soon as he turned back, they were also gone, teleporting away from the arena in bursts. They were not uncontested however, as the Geo Archon fired arrows in pursuit, but such a fast fighter was hard to strike, particularly due to their teleportation. And after but a few moments, they were gone, disappearing beyond the arena.

"Damnit! Capture those Spines. And you! Take a cruiser see if you can tail that flying asshole!" he barked to some of his pirate crew. Most ran off to do as he said, to take care of the Aldugan Spines that were at this moment, beginning to run away, seeing as the earlier incident was their signal to escape. A few others though ran in a different direction towards the hangar bays, likely to use a vehicle to try and tail the flying one that ran.

"And as for you two down there...", he walked forward, looking down upon the two who helped him out.

"We shall talk soon. Just stay put...", he was a little ticked it seems though... It made it hard if he had gratitude or contempt for them at the moment, but for the time being it may be best for them to sit tight.

@Renose@Rezod92

Kazue's path of carnage was truly a sight to behold, some bystanders who were still stuck in the stands witnessing it were in awe, and some even saying they wanted to see her in the arena too. The Spines themselves though were on the other end of that, most running in fear, and those who were unlucky screaming in terror. However, the rampage would be stopped rather quickly, as a Shaitan man landed on Kazue's back, and pushed her into the floor. Before the young and unusual elf could do much more, he placed his hand upon her head, and told her to calm herself. The powers of suggestion by the Shaitan varied in strength, though this one had horns. Kazue would find herself calming down almost immediately. His goal seemed to be to restrain her it seemed.

"You, lizard man, you are not one of those Spines too correct? Please, for the time being, calm yourself, while me and my men get this under control", the garb he wore was white, accompanied by a gold and brown design with a logo that looked a lot like the flags that flew around the Sand King's building. One could make an educated guess that he was a part of the Sand King's crew. His skin was a vehemently dark brown, which contrasted very well with his gold eyes. His horns were rather small, but visible and would poke out from his white cloth headband, the straps of which would hang off the side. He had golden markings around his eyes, and as he spoke, small fangs could be visible. As far as Shaitan go, he was perhaps the one closest to what people thought Shaitan were. Devilish looking people with horns. Yet his tone and manner was both mild and polite, very much unlike the stories.

"As for this one, I would restrain her, until this situation has passed. Some of my men will be watching you both", he produced some rope and tied them tightly around, keeping Kazue's strange weapons constrained, and then seated her by a pillar. In a couple moments a few more in garbs similar to his would show up, and he'd give them the expected commands to just keep an eye on these two until further notice.

[Rezod92]

@Sho Minazuki @Renose @Letter Bee

Garrick steadied himself against a wall as the elf unleashed her Anemo powers in full, becoming a violent tempest of fury and destruction with only one thing in mind:

Kill anything that gets near her.

Her winds were so violent that, even though he standing off to the sides and not even in her field of vision, those winds were cutting into his scales. If she didn't calm down soon, it wouldn't just be the Electro fighter that's the main problem.

Thankfully, fate seemed to agree with that sentiment as, from out of nowhere, a Shaitan warrior dropped on the elf's back and managed to quiet her furious storm.

"You, lizard man, you are not one of those Spines too correct? Please, for the time being, calm yourself, while me and my men get this under control"

Sure enough, as Garrick looked around, more men in white began to appear in the arena. It would seem the chaotic fighting had died down to manageable levels.

"As for this one, I would restrain her, until this situation has passed. Some of my men will be watching you both"

Garrick gave an understood grunt in response, acknowledging the man as the cryptid reached out to the stands with his hand. A moment later, Azure Vein withdrew itself from the corpse of the Spine archer and flew back into his hand, giving it a hard shake to get the blood off before stashing the weapon on his back. The cryptid then went over the pillar where the elf girl was sitting and leaned against it, crossing his arms.

Whatever happened here, Garrick was sure the Sand King and the Geo Archon would have questions for everyone that was involved.....as well as demanding answers.