Early mornings were nothing new for Nico Makri. All it took was a cup of cold water and a bit of fruit for him to be relatively prepared for the briefing. His foot was mostly healed, he had a rare six hours of sleep, and he successfully nipped whatever Alonso was going for in the bud without any noticeable problems. For once, things are fully looking up. And this mission doesn’t seem all that awful. Nico smiled a bit despite himself, humming a nursery rhyme as the briefing took place.
“Glad I brought a suit...” All he was hoping for was a peaceful day, at least in the beginning. If someone pulled something after that, it would be a problem for everyone, not just himself. The thought brought a bit of surety to him as everyone started piping up. All he could pray for was some sanity from the PRC and Zodiac, even as a pipe dream.
I can’t wait to leave.
Odd thoughts, considering that the ghost known as Aoi Mikoto had only been on Mischief Reef for a few days. But after going through the routine of walking the base, checking the ceilings and walls for any leaks, and getting rearmed, there wasn’t much to do except find a new haunt for the few days before deployment. Despite knowing what would be polite, she made an effort to keep scarce before the briefing. The less people expected her to be present, the more likely she wouldn’t be asked to be seen, and the easier her job became.
An early briefing was welcome, even if it was a little boring. She arrived early and sat in the far back, taking the extra time to grab a mug of scalding tea to let cool off during the wait. As the briefing progressed, Aoi took note of the other members of the Task Force: from the locals, mercenaries like Makri, Lidmann, Rocha and Berto (Note to self, stay aware of Williams and Lidmann, learn some more about Rocha, and keep away from Makri), the other transfers like, Nil, Janssens, and…
There simply no avoiding the strand of thought that led to her. To say that she disliked the Snake was a severe understatement. Aoi tapped her fingers on her lap to calm herself down, listening as Qingshe spoke up about the potential obstacles and pitfalls of the current theater: a diplomacy event in Cambodia. Everything about the mission was almost laughably strange. This group, for security and safety? At least Williams has the right idea; this is absurd.
She was grinning, but there was a glint of seriousness in her eyes. "This is going to be a delicate political situation. It cannot be overstated how important it is to not be seen to 'strike first' should anything... untoward occur. So, dress to impress and bring your best manners, even if Huo Ren himself should stand in front of you. Our actions will reflect on ASEAN and the security of their position at the bargaining table, and if you're feeling trigger happy... Don't. In an ideal world, all we're there for is to look pretty and -at worst- loom with vague menace while the politics happen. Violating a national diplomatic truce would be a disaster for us... Rather, for anyone who is going to be at that table." Shaking her head, she smirked. "Really, this is the sort of thing that shouldn't need to be said, but I realize that not all of you here today may come from backgrounds sufficient to grant you a complete understanding of the stakes at hand... So, I say it anyway."
As the Snake finished, Aoi got up, and cleared her throat to get Noel’s attention, looking him in the eye with a softly haunting gaze. Filipino should work. Only a few people need to understand me anyways. “First Lieutenant, if I may state the obvious, this is a ploy. There are three things we know for certain. First, Downward Descent has been reported in, and allegedly has yet to leave Cambodia. Second…” She pointed a thumb at Qingshe.
“Like she said, China and Downward Descent are clearly connected in some way. So, there is no reason not to assume that the location is already either compromised or being watched by the Downward Descent. And finally, thanks to him…” She motioned to Nico. “We know that there’s no prerogative for either party to be subtle, as the People’s Republic can simply use the Downward Descent as a perfect scapegoat for any events that may transpire.” Her Filipino wasn’t exactly perfect, but her accent hardly showed in her speech.
“A delicate situation such as this cannot be viewed in a vacuum. So, I suggest that you and Rear Admiral Abasolo take my concerns into consideration alongside any potential plans or stratagems that you may have prepared.” And with that, she sat down, her eyes never leaving Noel and Qingshe from view.
“I’ve been called a ghost, a specter with a gun. A loyal soldier, a good friend. And yet, I’m killing people for a paycheck, and that sort of cuts past any kind of goodwill I garner. But I’m fine with that. It’s just the way it is.” Appearance: A fit woman with an otherworldly air to her, her expression almost always at a deadpan. Her hair is a soft periwinkle, tied into a low ponytail with long bangs framing her face. Even it doesn’t seem like she is focused, somehow her azure eyes find anyone who looks her way, meeting them with a haunting gaze. Most of the time, she wears a simple white shirt with a turquoise shawl, as a way to stand out in a crowd without drawing too much attention to herself. Even then, she seems to almost lack any presence until she looks someone’s way, seeming to just appear where she wants, when she wants. Height: 5'7" Weight: 135 lbs. Build: Toned with softer features.
Name: Aoi Mikoto Age: 20 Nationality: Japanese
Noble Arm Name & Appearance: Perfect Accomplice, a pair of violet armored gauntlets, with a grey gem inlayed on the back of each.
Noble Arm Rank: B
Power: C Speed: B Range: D (S) (Reaper’s Unsigned Cache) Persistence: B Precision: C Potential: B
While her power is only marginally above the norm, the extremely fatal nature of her Noble Arm has made its rank a strange one to properly categorize. On the surface, Perfect Accomplice is little more than a pair of durable, if somewhat ornate, gauntlets. However, its true strength lies not in its use as a weapon, but rather, in its ability to turn almost anything into a lethal weapon, including Aoi.
Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Mid range, death, support type.
Reaper’s Unsigned Cache: Aoi’s most prominent use of her Noble Arm is in its ability to increase the lethality of any object, weapon or not, in her hands. Any damage that a weapon affected by her ability deals takes longer to heal than typical, making even minor injuries more severe in the long term. However, in the case of Arms Masters, its ability becomes far more malevolent, eating away at their enhanced regeneration. Any attempts to heal or regenerate a wound Aoi causes take much longer than the norm, with more effort only slowing the process down even further.
Accelerated Decay: By touching and concentrating on a specific object, Aoi can slowly kill its shape, causing it to lose its durability, and crumble after some time. The time depends on several factors, such as size, complexity, density, material composition and other variables. This ability works at its best while Aoi is relatively still and focused, with any breaks in her concentration halting her progress, but not restarting it entirely.
Animals, including humans are largely immune to this kind of decay, due to their extreme complexity and the various systems at work within them. Atomic and invisible objects are also immune, as Aoi needs to know the scope of what she’s destroying before she can start the process.
Death Count - Evasion: For 24 minutes a day, Aoi can “kill” her presence in its entirety. While she can hear the sounds around her, her own movements, actions and voice are simply nonexistent to any outside observer. So long as she isn’t touching anyone, Aoi becomes completely undetectable by hearing, smell, Noble Arm enhanced perception or artificial detection. Her presence is erased to the point where others would simply overlook her unless staring directly at her. This effect extends to any object Aoi is in physical contact with, for as long as it remains in contact with her.
Critically, Aoi is not invisible, sight being the only sure method of perceiving her while her presence is dead, and being touched immediately “revives” her presence. Aoi can be perceived as soon as she is touched, potentially giving away her location. She can stagger the minutes she has in short moments, but any use under one minute still counts as 1 minute. Any Noble Arms with perception based abilities of a higher caliber can detect her with little trouble, even in this state.
Misc Abilities:
Ghostly Presence: By virtue of being light on her feet and having a general lack of flashiness, her presence in an area is severely diminished at nearly all times. As a result, she has the habit of walking into places unannounced, only drawing attention to herself when needed.
Multilingual: Aoi fluently speaks English, Mandarin, and Filipino, as well as her native Japanese. She took Mandarin as a second language in school, and learned English and Filipino through her time in training as a soldier.
Specialist Soldier: A trained scout, she has undergone standard martial arts training, infiltration training, and small arms training. While moderately skilled in combat, her main focus in skill is finding and removing other Arms Masters. Although, Aoi’s zeal in facing Arms Masters borders closer to obsessive than well versed.
Pseudo-Precognition: Aoi has inhuman awareness, even compared to other Arms Masters, and unseen in mundane soldiers. In combination with her general attentiveness, she can predict the movements of people around her by reading their habits and acting in response to said predictions rather than the present moment, making it look as if she can see into the future.
Personality: Aoi Mikoto has problems. She’s standoffish, doesn’t enjoy company, and has little respect for anyone. She entirely rejects the notion of anything being fair in the world, except for the fact that everyone is treated unfairly in one way or another. Even her Noble Arm reflects her rather jaded attitude towards the world, picking and choosing what to destroy, and to what degree. And while Aoi may initially come off as someone with an uncaring attitude, not helped by a relatively passive expression in public and on camp. However, those who become acquainted with her learn that, while she may be a little blasé during most situations, she drops the act in good company, showing a more expressive side of herself.
She is rather self assured, and while she tries her best to hide it, she holds grudges when her skills are questioned or underestimated. On the battlefield, Aoi becomes someone without any sort of pity. Despite her outward calm and deadpan attitude, a quiet rage lives inside of her. While not a temperamental person, she lacks sympathy for anyone she considers an enemy or a threat. Aoi gave up on the idea that people are equal in any sense long ago. In her cynical view of humanity, as long as two people exist, both will find a way to make the other feel inferior in some way. As a result, she deliberately tries to test everyone she comes across with something approaching the proper level of empathy, to protect the kind and ignore the boastful and self righteous.
To say Aoi dislikes the Big Three is rather apt. She views the Downward Descent and their agents as a blight for causing World War III, the Paragons of Science and their work as them stroking their own egos and lining their pockets rather than anything benevolent, and the Seven Virtues as charlatans and hypocrites, claiming to be ascended humans yet still falling into the same category as any mundane cult. But, for the Zodiac, it goes beyond dislike and becomes rage, for every soldier and civilian they’ve killed, every atrocity they’ve committed, for every life that has been made worse by their very existence. Death won’t be enough, but it’s a starting point…
Likes: Fuzzy animals, meditation, solving puzzles, tea, pies of nearly all sorts.
Dislikes: People looking at her too long, wasted time and actions, getting up late, The Zodiac.
Fears: Going blind, being unable to leave a room, not being able to make connections
Born and raised in Kyoto, Aoi had a reputation for being a ghost even as a child. In her youth, she had a habit of simply leaving a room when she was bored. It was harmless until she walked out of a classroom and didn’t come back until the end of the day. And kept doing it intermittently for a month, until the principal saw her walking out of the school. As a child, her parents learned that she had an unusual knack for analysis and learning. So, she rarely studied, simply relying on her memory of the material she was taught. But, despite her skill, she was only ever an average student, with marginally above average grades. Aoi never planned to stand out, never wanted to be seen as someone special. Whether it can be called wasted potential is another matter entirely.
For most intents and purposes, Aoi Mikoto is rather unremarkable. But her lack of presence makes her excel as a scout, and her ability to learn made her notable in some ways. But, even compared to other Arms Masters, something about her makes her seem…inhuman. What few recordings of her there are alongside her fellow officers show her eyes always looking right at the camera, even with it in motion. As a result of her keeping quiet about most of her abilities, there are conflicting details about what her Noble Arm is capable of on the public level.
On a rather dreary day, Aoi was accosted by a thug while she was taking a shortcut through an alleyway. She pulled out a small knife, and they manifested a Noble Arm in response. Out of desperation, she tried to defend herself, knowing the pocket knife wouldn’t be enough…
But it was. Her soul responded to her wish to not be helpless against those with the power of Noble Arms, and granted her the pain of gauntlets that she would later christen as Perfect Accomplice. That dreary day marked her awakening as an Arms Master, and slowly changed the course of her life.
Aoi will never say that she regrets the path that led to being a soldier. Still, there are things that haunt her. A retrieval mission led her to one of Ai Chen’s abandoned prison camps, and the sights she saw lit a fire in her. To see potential innocent casualties, and even some of her people in the condition that they were in was sickening. Most of the pity she held for the opposite side was gone after that, as anyone who allied themselves with that was not worthy of the weight on her conscience.
Most of her life has been spent as some kind of other, whether because of her truancy or the unsettling air about her, only made more apparent after her Noble Arm awakened. But she accepts and embraces this otherness, using her position as a way to embrace her identity. Witnessing the camps of the Rooster motivated Aoi to become more than a nameless ghost, and Ai Chen’s death proved that there was a path she could follow. So the watchful spirit moves to a new haunt, waiting for the chance to get revenge and find peace.
Current Goal: To find some satisfaction in life, and in a connection worth the trouble.
Military or Civilian Rank: Ranger certified Scout and TFO volunteer
“Alright, we can do this. Gonna hurt like every hell in existence, but you’ll be fine.” Just a few hours into their first night on the reef, after the midnight hour, Nico came to the conclusion that he had to address the fact that his leg was essentially useless. Bastard son of a… Superbia got him, and got him good. As he got into his room, he sat in a chair and took off his shoes and sock, cringing from the pain of such a small gesture. His foot was in a sorry state, and in his mind, he knew that it would only get worse from here.
The volunteer had experience cauterizing his own wounds, as a quick first aid measure. But Nico knew this would be a lot more complicated. So, after putting a bit of his torn shirt in his mouth to keep him from biting his tongue off, he manifested Helios Rod. Once he adjusted to the sensory boost that both Sunsetter and Godspeed Dance gave him, Nice began the slow and painful process of burning through the cancer in his foot, using the edge of his blade as a scalpel. The only thing that kept him from screaming too loud was a mix of biting down on the torn cloth and the morbid courtesy of not wanting to wake anyone up.
Nico knew there were people who deserved the moments of brevity more than he did, and that taking a break in the middle of a war was not a great look, but he didn’t care much. If anything, the volunteer felt like sleeping for a week. Between using well over all of his strength fighting Superbia, the pain in his foot, and the general stress of the last 24 hours, the beach that Task Force Obsidian was staying on felt like a gift from the heavens.
His foot was partially healed, but still complete agony to put his weight on for anything more than a few minutes. When Lieutenant Alonso came to him about having a meal, he had to decline. As much as he didn’t want to be rude or mean to the child, that was the reason he said no. Aside from that, he didn’t quite like desserts anyway. Most were too sweet for his tastes. And try, he was grateful for Henri interrupting the conversation. But that didn’t last.
”I think the people who can do something need some sense. The prison break was proof we need some serious help. Just hoping your homeland’s bigwigs have some sense.” Nico shifted a bit on the ground as he spoke, wincing as some pressure was applied to his bad foot. Even then, he held his tongue, refusing to voice his pain in a disruptive manner, turning to look at Noel
”As for the original questions that you asked me, Lieutenant. First, no more cancer, just waiting for my foot to heal after I burned it out. And for the second, no. Simple as that. He tapped his good foot on the ground, sighing a bit as he looked at the sky. This morning sun felt…like home. Maybe it was the sea breeze or the warmth of Mischief Reef, but it made him just that bit more comfortable.
“I’ve been called a ghost, a specter with a gun. A loyal soldier, a good friend. And yet, I’m killing people for a paycheck, and that sort of cuts past any kind of goodwill I garner. But I’m fine with that. It’s just the way it is.” Appearance: A fit woman with an otherworldly air to her, her expression almost always at a deadpan. Her hair is a soft periwinkle, tied into a low ponytail with long bangs framing her face. Even it doesn’t seem like she is focused, somehow her azure eyes find anyone who looks her way, meeting them with a haunting gaze. Most of the time, she wears a simple white shirt with a turquoise shawl, as a way to stand out in a crowd without drawing too much attention to herself. Even then, she seems to almost lack any presence until she looks someone’s way, seeming to just appear where she wants, when she wants. Height: 5'7" Weight: 135 lbs. Build: Toned with softer features.
Name: Aoi Mikoto Age: 20 Nationality: Japanese
Noble Arm Name & Appearance: Perfect Accomplice, a pair of violet armored gauntlets, with a grey gem inlayed on the back of each.
Noble Arm Rank: B
Power: C Speed: B Range: D (S) (Reaper’s Unsigned Cache) Persistence: B Precision: C Potential: B
While her power is only marginally above the norm, the extremely fatal nature of her Noble Arm has made its rank a strange one to properly categorize. On the surface, Perfect Accomplice is little more than a pair of durable, if somewhat ornate, gauntlets. However, its true strength lies not in its use as a weapon, but rather, in its ability to turn almost anything into a lethal weapon, including Aoi.
Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Mid range, death, support type.
Reaper’s Unsigned Cache: Aoi’s most prominent use of her Noble Arm is in its ability to increase the lethality of any object, weapon or not, in her hands. Any damage that a weapon affected by her ability deals takes longer to heal than typical, making even minor injuries more severe in the long term. However, in the case of Arms Masters, its ability becomes far more malevolent, eating away at their enhanced regeneration. Any attempts to heal or regenerate a wound Aoi causes take much longer than the norm, with more effort only slowing the process down even further.
Accelerated Decay: By touching and concentrating on a specific object, Aoi can slowly kill its shape, causing it to lose its durability, and crumble after some time. The time depends on several factors, such as size, complexity, density, material composition and other variables. This ability works at its best while Aoi is relatively still and focused, with any breaks in her concentration halting her progress, but not restarting it entirely.
Animals, including humans are largely immune to this kind of decay, due to their extreme complexity and the various systems at work within them. Atomic and invisible objects are also immune, as Aoi needs to know the scope of what she’s destroying before she can start the process.
Death Count - Evasion: For 24 minutes a day, Aoi can “kill” her presence in its entirety. While she can hear the sounds around her, her own movements, actions and voice are simply nonexistent to any outside observer. So long as she isn’t touching anyone, Aoi becomes completely undetectable by hearing, smell, Noble Arm enhanced perception or artificial detection. Her presence is erased to the point where others would simply overlook her unless staring directly at her. This effect extends to any object Aoi is in physical contact with, for as long as it remains in contact with her.
Critically, Aoi is not invisible, sight being the only sure method of perceiving her while her presence is dead, and being touched immediately “revives” her presence. Aoi can be perceived as soon as she is touched, potentially giving away her location. She can stagger the minutes she has in short moments, but any use under one minute still counts as 1 minute. Any Noble Arms with perception based abilities of a higher caliber can detect her with little trouble, even in this state.
Misc Abilities:
Ghostly Presence: By virtue of being light on her feet and having a general lack of flashiness, her presence in an area is severely diminished at nearly all times. As a result, she has the habit of walking into places unannounced, only drawing attention to herself when needed.
Multilingual: Aoi fluently speaks English, Mandarin, and Filipino, as well as her native Japanese. She took Mandarin as a second language in school, and learned English and Filipino through her time in training as a soldier.
Specialist Soldier: A trained scout, she has undergone standard martial arts training, infiltration training, and small arms training. While moderately skilled in combat, her main focus in skill is finding and removing other Arms Masters. Although, Aoi’s zeal in facing Arms Masters borders closer to obsessive than well versed.
Pseudo-Precognition: Aoi has inhuman awareness, even compared to other Arms Masters, and unseen in mundane soldiers. In combination with her general attentiveness, she can predict the movements of people around her by reading their habits and acting in response to said predictions rather than the present moment, making it look as if she can see into the future.
Personality: Aoi Mikoto has problems. She’s standoffish, doesn’t enjoy company, and has little respect for anyone. She entirely rejects the notion of anything being fair in the world, except for the fact that everyone is treated unfairly in one way or another. Even her Noble Arm reflects her rather jaded attitude towards the world, picking and choosing what to destroy, and to what degree. And while Aoi may initially come off as someone with an uncaring attitude, not helped by a relatively passive expression in public and on camp. However, those who become acquainted with her learn that, while she may be a little blasé during most situations, she drops the act in good company, showing a more expressive side of herself.
She is rather self assured, and while she tries her best to hide it, she holds grudges when her skills are questioned or underestimated. On the battlefield, Aoi becomes someone without any sort of pity. Despite her outward calm and deadpan attitude, a quiet rage lives inside of her. While not a temperamental person, she lacks sympathy for anyone she considers an enemy or a threat. Aoi gave up on the idea that people are equal in any sense long ago. In her cynical view of humanity, as long as two people exist, both will find a way to make the other feel inferior in some way. As a result, she deliberately tries to test everyone she comes across with something approaching the proper level of empathy, to protect the kind and ignore the boastful and self righteous.
To say Aoi dislikes the Big Three is rather apt. She views the Downward Descent and their agents as a blight for causing World War III, the Paragons of Science and their work as them stroking their own egos and lining their pockets rather than anything benevolent, and the Seven Virtues as charlatans and hypocrites, claiming to be ascended humans yet still falling into the same category as any mundane cult. But, for the Zodiac, it goes beyond dislike and becomes rage, for every soldier and civilian they’ve killed, every atrocity they’ve committed, for every life that has been made worse by their very existence. Death won’t be enough, but it’s a starting point…
Likes: Fuzzy animals, meditation, solving puzzles, tea, pies of nearly all sorts.
Dislikes: People looking at her too long, wasted time and actions, getting up late, The Zodiac.
Fears: Going blind, being unable to leave a room, not being able to make connections
Born and raised in Kyoto, Aoi had a reputation for being a ghost even as a child. In her youth, she had a habit of simply leaving a room when she was bored. It was harmless until she walked out of a classroom and didn’t come back until the end of the day. And kept doing it intermittently for a month, until the principal saw her walking out of the school. As a child, her parents learned that she had an unusual knack for analysis and learning. So, she rarely studied, simply relying on her memory of the material she was taught. But, despite her skill, she was only ever an average student, with marginally above average grades. Aoi never planned to stand out, never wanted to be seen as someone special. Whether it can be called wasted potential is another matter entirely.
For most intents and purposes, Aoi Mikoto is rather unremarkable. But her lack of presence makes her excel as a scout, and her ability to learn made her notable in some ways. But, even compared to other Arms Masters, something about her makes her seem…inhuman. What few recordings of her there are alongside her fellow officers show her eyes always looking right at the camera, even with it in motion. As a result of her keeping quiet about most of her abilities, there are conflicting details about what her Noble Arm is capable of on the public level.
On a rather dreary day, Aoi was accosted by a thug while she was taking a shortcut through an alleyway. She pulled out a small knife, and they manifested a Noble Arm in response. Out of desperation, she tried to defend herself, knowing the pocket knife wouldn’t be enough…
But it was. Her soul responded to her wish to not be helpless against those with the power of Noble Arms, and granted her the pain of gauntlets that she would later christen as Perfect Accomplice. That dreary day marked her awakening as an Arms Master, and slowly changed the course of her life.
Aoi will never say that she regrets the path that led to being a soldier. Still, there are things that haunt her. A retrieval mission led her to one of Ai Chen’s abandoned prison camps, and the sights she saw lit a fire in her. To see potential innocent casualties, and even some of her people in the condition that they were in was sickening. Most of the pity she held for the opposite side was gone after that, as anyone who allied themselves with that was not worthy of the weight on her conscience.
Most of her life has been spent as some kind of other, whether because of her truancy or the unsettling air about her, only made more apparent after her Noble Arm awakened. But she accepts and embraces this otherness, using her position as a way to embrace her identity. Witnessing the camps of the Rooster motivated Aoi to become more than a nameless ghost, and Ai Chen’s death proved that there was a path she could follow. So the watchful spirit moves to a new haunt, waiting for the chance to get revenge and find peace.
Current Goal: To find some satisfaction in life, and in a connection worth the trouble.
Military or Civilian Rank: Ranger certified Scout and TFO volunteer
Between what could be described as two demigods clashing, the biblical storm pouring down, and the swallowing of the false sun that had granted him strength beyond his station, what truly bothered Nico Makri was two things: the massive snake that had appeared, and his foot. Both could be solved later, but for now, he stayed on the beach, letting the rain cool him off as he pointed POWs to the evacuation point.
His fatigue slowly began to set in as he milled about, listening to radio chatter. The battle was over, and they had won. Somehow, Nico survived a brawl with the leader of Downward Descent, even if it was a mere avatar. No one seemed too injured, and casualties were at a minimum. He kept a slight smile on his face as he sat on the beach and looked at the prisoners leaving, trying his best to cool off after using Sun Stoke beyond its usual limits. Not bad, not bad at all. Still got all my fingers and toes, and my head’s on my shoulders.
He turned on his radio’s microphone, speaking up in roughly accented English. “Makri here. First, I’m still alive, and mostly everyone else seems that way too. Second, for record-keeping, I think this is the third terrorist organization that has an issue with me. He chuckled a bit, sighing. “Gonna ask about the sun eating snake later. For now, I’ll be on the beach cooling down until I can actually move again.” He then turned off his mic, dispelling Helios Rod and looking up at the now stormy sky,
Gotta talk to the Snake later. To figure out what just happened.
As soon as the explosion from the primitive bomb came, he teleported back to his marked location, returning to a fighting stance. He took a few steps toward to prepare himself, staying a reasonable length away from Han Rui. But the moment the artificial sun came up, Nico exploded in a flash of light.
Or, at least, that is what it looked like from the view of Myron and the bomber. His Radiant Burst chose enemies based on his subconscious thoughts, not convenience. Well ain’t this a kick in the head. Why am I not burning? His body began to heat up rapidly, the immunity to his flames from Sunsetter amplifying his ability to use Sun Stoke at a capacity beyond what he usually can pull off.
Nico heard the gunshot from Henri, and walked to the spearman instead; although his walking speed was much closer to a full sprint in this state. He lunged at Wei Rui, preemptively swinging his sword to swipe at the newly awakened Arm Master’s side. However, Helios Rod had a trail of fire streaking from the edge of its blade, the sign of one of Nico’s trump cards: the Wildfire Dance. The mercenary simply went along with it, launching a wave of scorching flame while preparing a follow-up attack with his now superheated sword.
Nico’s amplified senses gave a bit of time to think in the moments before results occurred. Why does this feel…natural? Day and night as one. A sun that brings forth day and night. Hyperion… It was the only word he could think to explain the state he was in. Nico, at least in this moment, felt something he rarely felt: genuine confidence. In this moment, even with the artificial sun above him, he felt like he could take on anything.
His fatigue was burning away, and those around him would see a wide grin across his face. For the time being, this was his day, and he was damn sure going to make use of it.
The moment he came out the gateway, Nico’s confident steps rapidly became more urgent, before turning into a full blown sprint. The mercenary would never raise his voice to admit it, but using the Snake’s shadow as a safe place to acclimate to his enhanced senses was a smart thing. Everything was that much clearer, the world around him sharpening into focus without the usual dizziness and migraines.
He chose to keep Helios Rod’s edge as a normal blade rather than its superheated state. Two fresh Arms Masters weren’t exactly worth the smell of burnt flesh, especially when gruesome killing could be avoided. Even if he was a soldier, the quicker he got the job done, the sooner it could leave his conscience, and the sooner he could find a moment to compose himself.
At seeing the prison guard Arms Masters using their weapons, he immediately shifted his focus to the bomber and Myron. At seeing the state Myron was in, Nico came to a few conclusions. The first: he couldn’t be killed by the bomb itself, considering the state of Myron’s clothing and gun despite the greaser being perfectly fine. The second: he was not dodging a bomb. So, a plan rapidly formed as he got within a few meters.
Feint, let him throw, vanish, and counter. Easy enough. As he got closer and closer, he tapped his sword against the ground to mark a place to return to with his Vanishing Step. And with a grunt of effort, he closed the distance with a long stride, attempting to stab Han Rui in the face. If it worked, excellent. If not, vanish and retry with the element of surprise.
“Why am I here? I can understand the question, and now I can answer. I am not the strongest, the fastest, extremely persuasive or even that clever. So, I put my soul at the edge of my blade, and my resolve into my craft. My dedication against the ones called ‘prodigies’. I need not hope to prevail.” Appearance: A lanky man with a tense air to him, his eyes wandering unless in conversation or actively focusing on something. His hair was black before, but his Noble Arm’s toll caused him extreme stress in the past, to a point where his hair began graying. His hands are unusually big, and covered with rough calluses as a result of constant training with his NA. Height: 6’3” Weight: 190 lbs Build: Fit and lanky
Name: Nico Makri
Age: 24
Nationality: Greek
Noble Arm Name & Appearance: Helios Rod, an ornate golden and white saber.
Noble Arm Rank: B
Power: B-A (S) (Sun Stoked) Speed: C-B (S) (Sun Stoked) Range: E-D+ (Wildfire Dance) Persistence: D-C (S) (Sunsetter) Precision: C-B (Sunsetter) Potential: C
Helios Rod slowly grows and changes as Nico practices with and understands how to use the sword. However, this growth is held back by a combination of Nico’s lack of experience and Helios Rod’s volatile nature.
Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Support/Melee, Sun and Fire, close-to-mid-range
Noble Arm Abilities:
Burning Edge: Nico can coat his sword’s edge in flames, making the sword akin to a plasma cutter, melting through most mundane metals with ease. When the edge makes contact with Moon- or Dark-themed NAs, Helios Rod flares up in an attempt to burn away the darkness. Nico isn’t immune to this ability, so if Helios Rod touches him, it will burn. (Sun Stoke makes the edge burn white hot, turning almost anything mundane touched into ashes)
Inner Sun: Helios Rod gives Nico slight pyrokinesis, granting his unarmed strikes an explosive effect. The force of the explosion is equal to double the force of the original attack. Nico has to worry about the recoil from these strikes, as too many consecutive blows can cause damage to his joints. (Sunsetter delays the explosive force for a few moments, giving the strikes an element of surprise and mitigating the recoil of the strikes.)
Sun Stoke: As day approaches, Nico’s speed and power are increased a rank higher than his usual, trading defense and subtlety for raw, overwhelming power. Helios Rod burns brighter and responds faster, and Nico’s reflexes and strength rise to match. This makes him seem like a living comet, rushing through the battlefield to get into close range combat. However, this isn’t without costs. The more Nico uses his enhanced power, the more he heats up, running the risk of hyperthermia as a battle drags on.
Radiant Burst: A wave of light extends in a 20 foot radius centered on Nico, accelerating the healing process of himself and any allies in the AoE, closing up most moderate injuries (ie. slashes, burns, and small caliber gunshots). It also blinds any enemies caught within the radius, similar to a flash grenade. This ability shifts targets depending on who Nico considers an ally or enemy at the time, so even those fighting beside Nico may be blinded if he doesn’t trust them.
Wildfire Dance: During the hours of 11AM to 1PM, Nico’s strikes release waves of fire. These strikes can hit targets up to 100 feet away with the force of a missile. These attacks pass through allies harmlessly, following the rules set by Radiant Burst.
Sunsetter: As night approaches, Helios Rod’s abilities alter. It increases Nico’s persistence and precision by a rank, giving his strikes more finesse in trade for less raw power. This gives him immunity to his own flames and boosts his regeneration to a level where most superficial wounds heal instantly (ie. scrapes and glancing blows). Sunsetter also hones Nico’s mind, making his senses 4 times more acute than the average person.
Vanishing Step: Nico disappearing from one point for an instant and reappearing in a different point. This is a result of him using Helios Rod to mark a location, Nico maneuvering the opponent into having that spot outside their field of view, and returning to it in order to launch a surprise attack. He must stay within 30 feet of the mark, otherwise it dissipates.
Godspeed Dance: During the hours of 12AM to 2AM, Nico’s precision reaches a point that rivals even well trained Noble Arms Masters. He can act and react to the world around him in mere milliseconds without stumbling or pausing to reposition. However, this godlike precision is costly. It severely wears down on his stamina, so he prefers using it in short bursts, making rapid movements and evasive action.
Misc Abilities:
Alertness: Nico barely needs sleep, being able to get a good night’s rest in 3-4 hours. He’s constantly assessing the environment, taking note of strange objects and people alike.
Multilingual: Nico knows English and French, along with his native Greek. He learned French and English as electives in school and kept studying until he was able to hold conversation with tourists and the like.
Compass: Nico’s internal compass is better than the average citizen. He can ignore the sun’s glare and the darkness of night to find his way back to wherever he slept before.
Unyielding Resolve: Whether a passive ability of Helios Rod, Nico's years of training, or a combination of the two, he has a frankly absurd level of mental fortitude, in no small part thanks to his humble mindset. It has reached a point to where even mind- and body-controlling Noble Arms have some difficulty affecting him, with Helios Rod having the potential to render them less effective.
Personality: As a newbie to the war business, Nico attempts to not let his doubts get in the way, burying them under a veil of pride. He's not arrogant and enjoys connecting with other people, wanting to learn more about the lives of those outside of Athens. For Nico, powers are something given to those who earn it. As such he tends to take training very seriously, being annoyed at lazy Arms Masters, particularly the strong ones, who for him are choosing to waste the strength they were given. At the same time, he wishes that the weak be allowed to grow on their own and walk newer paths, a gift granted to him that he wishes to help spread to everyone. Nico is out here to prove his resolve to the world, his pride is at stake. As for the Big Three, Nico tolerates Seven Virtues, thinking of them as a bunch of pricks with the right idea and bad execution, but sees Downward Descent as psychos and nihilists, viewing their ideals as complete insanity.
*Likes: Spicy food, sour drinks, cheese, parties, all nighters
Bio: Nico always had a fascination with knights and heroes of legends, having grown up in a country where some of the most famous myths came from. He was born in Athens at exactly high noon, a good omen. His family ran a small hotel near Athens Airport, so there was always some new person to meet, and a new story to hear. His mother and father encouraged his curiosity as a kid, letting him help around the hotel and talk to the guests. Once Nico left for university, he kept a hotel key with him as a memento.
Helios Rod appeared a month or so after Nico graduated from uni, at exactly high noon. Awakening his Noble Arm led him to take up swordplay just in case something ever happened. As he got better with the sword and his form improved, he realized that wanting to help people didn’t mean much if there weren’t many people in need of help. In lieu of the Greek Debt Crisis, he became a freelance mercenary for some form of steady income. Working with ASEAN gave Nico a chance to put his abilities to the test, to forge his will in fire.
*Current Goal: Protect those behind and beside him, and give others a chance to walk their path.
Military or Civilian Rank: Freelance Mercenary Nico’s Theme
The Otter
Gerlando
Danyel
Izurich
Carlyle
Nallore
BrokenPromise
TaintedMushroom
Majoraa
