Psyker Landshark

Iris Ascendis

Iraleth Kyrios

Iraleth prodded the imp onwards in silence, keeping a watchful vigil on it. One wrong move, and it'd see purification. She knew it, Ciara knew it, everyone involved knew it. The imp's suggestion to Ciara led the half-elf to give it an annoyed prod with the flat of her sword, shoving the little bastard forward just a little.

They walked ever onward until the quartet made it back to campus. Just in time for the ceremony to begin, it seemed. At this point, their tardiness didn't particularly matter to Iraleth. Not in the face of something more important like this. Still, that left the matter of who to go to.

"What now, then? Ought we take our chances interrupting the ceremony? We'd have to head that way at some point, anyway.

@Sifr @Estylwen

SPIRITUM

Kalina Kovalic

"Yes, I said prisoner." Kalina confirmed for the princess's benefit as she continued driving, her foot not leaving the gas pedal. "What did you think was going to happen when a Vangar royal showed up with a dead escort?"

A glance up in the rearview mirror showed no further pursuit, and there was a rest stop ahead. She pulled in, and any option of continuing on was cut off as Valerie lurched out to throw up. Kalina blinked, but left that matter up to Morden and Silje to deal with. No point in her crowding Valerie when the other two had it handled.

Instead, she turned around in her seat back in Gerard and Justice's direction.

"Orders, boss? We've got one of Vangar's princesses and a bunch of robots after us. Should we call it in? Either way, looks like the road trip's cancelled."

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Ranbu no Izayoi

The Dragon King's fascimile roared, and the sky came ablaze as the Proudclad was ripped asunder. Hien forced himself to watch as the wreckage of the ship tore through its crash site, half of it falling atop what he knew to be an inn while the other half impacted into the street. Gods, how he could only hope the inn's inhabitants had fled once the battle had started.

"Etro, Dhinas, Imir, forgive me for mine decisions." He murmured a prayer under his breath, attention turning to Miina as she healed him.

"Aaaagh. Much better..." He sighed in relief, offering the red mage a brief, pained grin. "Thank you. Truly. I might make it out of here under my own power at this rate."

Meanwhile, between Esben's words and Eliane's gunfire, Izayoi charged, intent on dispatching Reisa while she was injured and distracted deflecting the Household Guard's rifle shots. She leapt up and came down on Reisa in a two-handed cleave which the latter somehow managed to parry. One round of blows. Two. Three. They disengaged from each other, both women panting for breath.

"What's wrong, Limbtaker?" Reisa mocked, brandishing her sword. "I thought you had the valor to face me on your lonesome."

Their fight was interrupted by the sound of boots against stone all growing ever closer. Valheimr reinforcements could be seen dashing towards the scene from two angles: the west and south. From the sound Fortunately, it didn't impact their escape plan: the sewer leading towards the hidden exit that ended in their next safehouse was just to the north. There were still a few Valheim soldiers left in that direction, but the majority of Kirin could clear the path without issue at this point.

Unfortunately, Izayoi didn't seem to be following the plan any longer. She sheathed her blade, hunching down into an iai stance.

"Honor is for the deserving. All that you deserve is death, by any means possible. No matter how it happens, all I want is for you to be scourged from this star." The Mystrel had already ran the odds: this was the best opportunity she had to finish things, right here. Reisa was half dead as it was, and she hadn't seen Izayoi's more advanced skills. The strain of performing her greatest would likely kill her, out of shape as she was, and even if it didn't, the Valheimr reinforcements certainly would. But what was her life when vengeance was before her?

"The rest of you, leave. Before this night ends, I will have vengeance. My life is immaterial afterward."

"Are you mad?!" Hien bellowed, his expression thunderous. "I can't- we can't lose you here, not for her!" His gaze swept around, trying to catch the eyes of any member of Kirin it met. "Help me get her out of here! We need to leave, now!"

"I am the storm." She chanted, the glow of materia beginning to surround her. "I am the swell. I am the sword-" Hien dashed forward, holding her up in a full nelson as he tried to drag her back. Even with Miina's healing, however, he was still too injured to exert too much force, and it was obvious that without further aid, he would fail and Izayoi would launch her suicide attack.

All the while, more Valheimr continued to close in...

Iris Ascendis

Will update here in a day or three, I think. Churning through my backlog and I just started work this week

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Renar Hagen

"Sir Fleuri brings up a fair point, but the demon can still only be in one place at a time." Renar stated, taking the new factor into account as he strategized.

"An even split of forces seems best. Conventional thought would have the mage up there place the demon to guard her weakest point, that being the rear approach with the blind spot. Of course, there could be something else in play should she not take that avenue, but we can't sit here and deliberate what-ifs forever."

With that said, he turned to Gerard, something in his words giving Renar pause.

"Look at that bolt she sent down as a warning shot. You think your body can that, even once, much less twice? No, adjust accordingly. If you're going to be on decoy duty, assume any of her blows will kill you. You'll last longer up there that way."

@HereComesTheSnow @Crimson Paladin

Iris Ascendis

Sniped a quick response in before Nanaya moves us on

Iris Ascendis

Iraleth Kyrios

Finally. Finally. The first bit of reason Ciara had shown over the past day. At long last. Iraleth dared to let loose a breath, her body untensing ever so slightly.

Hildegunde's choice of wording was curious. Another body in the woods? Though that could be anything. Especially self-defense. Still something to keep in mind for later, though. The girl's other question was brushed off for the moment. Too much to explain here and now. Back to Ciara.

The cynic in Iraleth said Ciara wasn't seeing reason so much as realizing she was outnumbered two to one if she tried to persist, even if Hildegunde was opposed to killing her. But it wasn't as if Iraleth was exactly chomping at the bit to. She just had to have some kind of leverage over the witch at this point. That, or Ciara thought she'd lose regardless. Which begged the question of why she was even bothering with the duel.

Some sort of desperate lifeline to delay the inevitable was Iraleth's best guess. Much like her request to have the imp be judged by the faculty.

"Fine." Iraleth nodded her assent, lowering her sword. It wasn't as if Wingram's professors and headmaster would allow the damned thing to run free, after all. "I accept these terms." She moved back a few steps, walking behind the imp and raising her sword again to point the tip at its back.

"You. Hands up and behind your head. Start walking. We're both aware of what I can do should you try anything stupid, and it has already been a very irritating day. Do not test me."

@Sifr @Estylwen

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Ranbu no Izayoi

"AIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE" Was the scream that came from several of the gunmen as they were electrocuted by Eve's lightning. Their corpses sizzled and smoked as they hit the ground, with one particularly unlucky one falling off the upper railing entirely. Between Rudolf and Esben's efforts, the remaining swordsmen fell in short order, blade and bullet distracting them from focusing entirely on one or the other.

As the last of the Valheimr squad died, Izayoi came up from the rear, still supporting a heavily limping Hien.

"Forward, then. The less we tarry, the less time Ciradyl's fighters must hold out to support us. A few more steps, and we'll emerge out into the streets."

___

"Stubborn bastards!" The sergeant giving orders screamed in frustration as he fired his rifle, his and his men's shots by and large deflected by the combined efforts of Arton and Robin. Thanks to the latter two, the effects of the killbox were lessened, giving Galahad, Ciradyl, and Eliane clear shots at the Einhanders.

The abominations began falling from the sky, but not before their gunfire rent holes in the rooftops, the rounds their attached guns carried a good deal larger than the man-portable ones used by the common soldiers.

"Damn them! Get me a line to the airship!"

The aforementioned comms man dutifully dashed up to the sergeant, handing a device over attached to the bulky contraption on his back.

"Proudclad, Einhanders are down! Requesting support fire, danger clos-AUGH!" His request was cut off by Miina's Blizzara forming above, icicles raining down and impaling both himself and the comms man in the chest, head, and throat. Unfortunately however, it seemed the call still went through, as a few moments later, cannon shots began booming out from the airship. A dozen thirty-pound shots crashed into buildings around the area, smashing through wood and civilians within.

The first barrage didn't seem quite accurate, largely exploding around the Kirins, though a few rounds did get close. Those with working knowledge of artillery knew that situation wouldn't last: the closer the airship drew, the more on target the shots would be.

Even with this reprieve however, the Valheimr lines were still in disarray from Eliane's disruption and the loss of their immediate command. The infiltration team emerged from the side of the prison just in time to see the Valheimr in chaos and the airship firing upon the district.

"Are they insane?!" Hien choked, his expression ashen as he witnessed collapsing buildings and screaming citizens in the rubble. "They'll level the district if they continue!"

Izayoi's expression was similarly grave as she assessed the situation. After a moment, she shared a look with her former student.

"Even should we bring it out of the sky, it will still crash on something within the area." Her tone implied as if she was asking for permission rather than simply ruminating, and Hien grimaced for a moment before nodding begrudgingly.

"I don't know how you can, but do it. At this point, it's preferable to allowing that frigate to keep firing unimpeded."

"Understood." Izayoi turned to the other three Kirins, her expression set in a grim mien.

"Eve. Remember what we discussed?" Megaflare. Her gaze turned towards the airship. "Can you bring it down?"

"Esben, Rudolf. Cut through to Galahad and the others. Lord Hien is secure. We need to regroup and begin our retreat, airship or no." Her eyes looked over to the still-disorganized Valheimr on the ground. "Enjoy yourselves."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Renar Hagen

One challenge complete. Two to go. Renar took the introduction of the second round in stride, already analyzing the ascent up. He took Sir Rolan, Gerard, and Fanilly's words into account, pacing around the hill as he examined every approach up. After he finished, he returned to the others, wrapping his poleaxe up and slinging it over his back.

"Reporting. We have three viable routes up: the ascent we're currently facing, a steep cliff face to our left, and the back climb. Each of these has either cover or angles that anyone up top isn't able to see." He paused as he glanced up, ears picking up the buzzing.

"This all said, the mage up above will know what we're up to the moment we begin dividing into groups. Suffice to say that the group making the first climb up where we are here ought to be small, so as to take better advantage of the boulders and foilage on the path upward. The rear approach ought to be where our most serious effort is placed, given how poor of a sight line the peak has to it."

Renar paused, inclining his head towards Fanilly.

"We await your orders, Captain."

@VitaVitaAR

Iris Ascendis

Iraleth Kyrios

Iraleth snapped. Ciara's last, stupidest possible course of action was just too much for her to tolerate. Her sword came flying back out of its sheathe, and with a wave of her other hand, the blade began to shine with radiant light as Iraleth plunged headlong into the sphere of darkness, illuminating the area and trying to balance out the shadows.

The half-elf interspersed herself between Ciara and the shadowy imp, her sword of light stopping to point at the witch's throat.

"I have given you every. Possible. Chance. To simply be more than what I feared you were. You want me to treat you like an Umbralist so badly? Fine. We can have our duel right here and right now if you persist. But I warn you now: I would have spared you and left your fate to the faculty should I have won officially. Here? If you lose, I will put you down. This is your last opportunity to abandon this madness and walk away."

Her tone turned almost pleading, if it weren't for the undertone of fury still lacing every word.

"Stop making me have to try to kill you. I never wanted this to end in violence, you absolute idiot."

@Sifr @Estylwen