VitaVitaAR

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

The doll's cracked, crumbling frame could not withstand further abuse.

Its torso fracture, shattering, pieces of porcelain and wood scattering to the ground. Kayliss's kick knocking the head clean from its shoulders, its neck joint shattering from the impact.

But even then, it seemed something was happening.

From the base of the head, spiderlike legs unfurled, curling outwards, each tipped with a needle-like blade. Indeed, the construct didn't seem to be quite finished. Its head might have been crackled and fractured, but it could still attack.

Its mouth opened, and-

"No more."

Its damaged structure was no longer so sturdy.

A flash of Starshine's blade split it cleanly down the middle. In an instant, Velvetica's blade cleaved it apart, slipping into the cracks and cutting its structure again and again, leaving nothing but scattered fragments to hit the ground.

The lower half of the doll collapsed to the floor with a faint creaking noise. When it landed, it let out no further sound. What remained of it was entirely still.

The Steel Princess lowered her sword at her side, her sky-blue eyes shifting from the doll's remains to the witch.

"I believe we've passed your test, Witch."

A waste of time. A waste of time that could have been spent searching for the prisoners. Searching for evidence of where they could have gone. While the Witch seemingly had no ill intent in spite of sending killer dolls after them, at the same time Velvetica could not hide her frustration.

And yet there was Tabitha, clapping cheerfully.

"You did, you did~! Congratulations~" she declared, cheerfully, entirely unbothered by the destruction of her constructs, "You deserve a reward~"

Velvetica sighed. On one hand, she wasn't particularly interested in a reward from the Witch, so much as she wanted to find the prisoners. On the other, it could be valuable, and it was possible that the Witch would become annoyed if the prize was rejected.

"First~"

Reaching behind herself, Tabitha produced another doll. This one, however, was not one of the blank automatons they had done battle with thus far.

It was far more like the Witch herself, albeit more appropriately-sized for a doll. She had blue hair of a similar shade to the Witch's, and her bright eyes held a similar sign of life. But she looked far more childish, and wore a black-and white, frilled dress as opposed to the gray outfit adorning Tabitha.

"This little one will be assisting you and your forces," she said, gently pushing the doll's back. The doll anxiously peered over her shoulder, before approaching Velvetica curiously.

"... What... I... why? She's-"

"Questioning a gift from a Witch? Surely you can guess what use she may be, hm?"

Velvetica couldn't help but sigh again, as the doll came to a stop in front of her, peering up at her. She was even smaller than the nem, surely she didn't have any direct combat application. Perhaps Gisela could figure it out.

"And secondly..." the Witch continued, "You'll find the prisoners to the southeast of here. They aren't far~ Ah, and they were purchased by strangers from across the sea."

Strangers from across the sea? This information was far more immediately valuable. Across the sea...? As far as she knew, the Asharaadi did not keep slaves, though she supposed mercenaries of Asharaadi descent could turn away from the law in the same manner as those of Velt could turn away from the Goddess's will.

But that was not the only possibility.

Unfortunately, the Doll Witch didn't seem to be inclined to offer further information. Indeed-

"I'll see you around~ Take good care of the little one~"

-With a fading blue light, she was gone.

@Raineh Daze@AzureKnight@Psyker Landshark@The Otter@VKAllen@Eisenhorn@Crimson Paladin@Conscripts@HereComesTheSnow@Octo@PigeonOfAstora

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

@VizRiel: Going to be honest, there's a lot of problems here.

The biggest ones are the fact that contracted entities are based in mythology and folklore, and the one you went with simply isn't at all.

Aside from that, his backstory has issues too. There's no real randomly-occurring undead, and there's no real explanation for how he was recruited into the DDF and ended up in Japan, just that they discovered he had a contract.

To be honest, it kind of comes across as taking a pre-existing OC and trying to make them fit the RP. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, except this one needed a lot more work for that to make sense.

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Had Aleksiya been in a better position to act, perhaps she would have advised Giselle not to use the whole heart, at least until she was sure it was necessary. But given this was the first pain she'd felt since reviving, it was rather difficult to even begin to move.

As Kordelia's body began its grotesque return to normalcy, the bloody ice incasing the tail shattered, scattering to the ground below. With some remaining on the wound, at the very least the pain was dulled.

Kordelia had returned. In her entirely nude glory, for the moment, but nonetheless she had returned.

"How unbecoming, Kordelia," Aleksiya began as she approached the newly-returned lord, "Leveling insults at your saviors while sitting about in the nude? My my, are you not a fellow lord? Are you not a 'Princess of Beasts'?"

In spite of the throbbing sensation in what remained of the small vampire's left arm, she let a smirk cross her lips.

"Or perhaps not a 'princess' at all~ Just a beast~"

Of course, it wasn't as if this was all she felt at the sight of Kordelia's restoration. The return of her true form, from that beast controlled by those ghastly strings.

To see her again, back to normal... it certainly wasn't a bad thing.

However, there were other matters to attend to.

"Now, given this is your fault," Aleksiya continued, stepping closer to the other lord without pause as she gestured to her left shoulder, "You are going to find my arm and help me reattach it, and you are going to do it now. Or I really will refer to you as nothing more than a beast."

@Click This@Rune_Alchemist

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

The remains of the beast-class demons that had been slaughtered broke down, dissolving into a smoky haze that slowly rose from the spot the corpse had fallen and disappeared. All that was left behind as a faintly glowing, spherical red shape. But a demon soul of this low-class didn't need any further interaction, passively absorbed into the body of the the one who slew it.

While Kaeru had suffered a blow hard enough to knock the currently-female operative into a nearby wall, her quick response took down the Beast-class that was responsible, tearing through it like a bolt of lightning.

Needless to say, the extermination was going well.

Unfortunately, the unnatural, echoing growls from deeper in the tunnel heralded more of the canid-human demons, their fiery eyes glowing in the darkness.

This time they weren't along.

"Hah, contractors?!"

The cocky tone was just as unnatural-sounding as the growls of the dogs.

"Me and my hunting hounds will tear you to pieces!"

The figure that emerged from the darkness was tall, With lengthy arms. Its form was masculine, angular, and while little detail could be seen of its dark form, there appeared to be the clear shape of defined muscles. While it was largely humanoid, its somewhat elongated neck ended in a skull-like, fanged head, its three eyes glowing orange and two horns curling once and then pointing sharply upwards on either side of its head.

"I'm sure all your souls will taste just delicious!" it howled, pointing and sending the Beast-class demons charging once more.

"Signature lock," came Shiro's monotone voice, "Commencing analysis... Analysis complete. Target is a Monster-Class Demon of high grade. Use caution, but do not fear engaging the enemy."

@Raineh Daze@Rune_Alchemist@RolePlayerRoxas@Quartz@Emeth@LuckyBlackCat

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP Interest Check

@VizRiel: The OOC was posted already and the IC's gone up as well, so yes. ^^;

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

A... shard of Angroron...?

For a few moments, Fanilly was entirely taken aback by the news. Certainly, the description of the pitch black, glasslike relic fit, but did such things even exist anymore in this world?

It was no use dismissing it as a simple myth, of course. As sure as the gods existed, so to did Black Blade Angroron. The Empty Sword, wielded by the successor to the vile Hidroroth, Orodrunn. The fortress once inhabited by the fallen divine spirit still existed in a ruined state, to the North.

There was no reason to doubt its existence, but the fact that it could be present here? How? Why?

The mere thought was like some kind of nightmare.

Fanilly didn't want to believe in such things, but at the same time she couldn't think of anything else that could adequately explain the fate of the fortress's inhabitants. Especially given the description of the object in question.

"You're kidding, right?"

Alette's red eyes widened as she spoke.

"That's... ugh, it does sound like it but..." she trailed off for a few moments, pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand, "No wonder we were paid so much. No wonder we were told not to touch it. Damn it!"

She glanced towards Clarice, as if hoping that the parasol-wielding mage would offer some sort of assistance, but she simply shrugged.

"It would explain why this place didn't feel like a curse, even if it does still feel awful," Clarice commented, drawing a sigh out from the pigtailed mercenary.

"Ah, Alette in distress is lovely, too..." came a comment from Abigail.

"You hush," Alette addressed her for only a moment before her attention returned to the knights.

Fanilly took a deep breath.

"If it truly is a shard of Angroron, regardless of how it found its way here we must recover it," the Knight-Captain insisted, "If it devastated the soldiers in this fort by driving them to madness, there's no telling what else it could be used for."

She had to remain calm and composed.

"This entire fort must be searched. Sir Fionn, since you volunteered to search the captain's quarters I shall leave that to you and Sir Fleuri. For the rest of you, it's probably best to start with the barracks and move outward from there. If it was taken here with the intent of handing it off to Alette's company, then it was probably in the possession of someone posing as a soldier."

She paused for a moment, glancing towards Alette.

"You won't get an argument from me," the mercenary captain responded with a heavy sigh, glancing towards the knight who had asked her about the Boars, "Sir Fleuri, I think? We've only found this one so far, and he was dead when we go here. Lying sprawled out in the dining hall."

She gestured to the dead Golden Boar.

"If we can find any others, it's not impossible we'll find out who hired these shitheads. Anyway, Abigail."

She turned towards the pallid, knife-wielding woman.

"You go with those knights to check out the captain's quarters. Got it?"

"Of course, Alette!"

As if overjoyed even to be ordered by her captain, Abigail quickly hurried to accompany Sir Fionn and Sir Fleuri.

"Clarice, I know you're not just good at curses, set up a scrying circle and see if you can get anything from that."

The finely-dressed mage let out a despairing sight at the idea of remaining in the fort for any longer, but appeared to head for a cleaner spot before beginning to get out her tools.

It was only now it became clear that her feet hadn't been touching the ground the entire time.

"Bors, I think you'll understand why I ask you to keep watch?"

"Of course, Lady Alette."

"Great. And if the Boars show up..."

The Shark's razor grin returned as her eyes drifted towards Sir Fionn.

"I'll only play as much as they deserve."

@Rune_Alchemist@HereComesTheSnow@Raineh Daze@ERode@PigeonOfAstora@Conscripts@Crimson Paladin@Creative Chaos@The Otter@Krayzikk@Psyker Landshark@6slyboy6

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Kayliss's efforts bore fruit, and one of the doll's newly-acquired weapons was torn off the arm it was attached to at its base, far less durable then the larger doll itself had proven to be. And yet, it raised its arm and threw the one it was wielding down sharply, in a bid to hit the assassin with it.

Urden was of course able to block one of the thrusting limbs, but the other was swift to swing in from the side, in a bit to skewer the mercenary through his torso.

Sir Roger's timely intervention was key, clashing with the razor-edged blade and sending it off-course, the doll recoiling and shifting back with its two remaining weapons in order to resume its frantic thrusting, attempting to re-arm itself with another pilfered limb from a nearby doll.

Starshine blazed bright once more.

"Thank you, Sir Istvan," Velvetica responded, her blue eyes narrowing at the construct, "I shall indeed."

Her opening was in this very instant. With the remaining dolls distracted, and the monstrous one temporarily in retreat, she had only an instant to make her attack.

She would ensure the doll would be finished.

The blonde girl took one step forward, her cape fluttering as she moved, raising Starshine parallel to her head, the hilt in both hands. An opening, on the side where she removed one of its limbs, its arms lunging for Sir Roger and Urden.

The girl erupted forward. Strike swiftly. Strike truly. Pierce.

The light built, brighter now, along Starshine's blade, glowing more intensely by the moment, illuminating the chamber, the broken forms of the fallen dolls.

She reached the doll's undefended flank in an instant.

"Shatter!"

With Velvetica's command, Starshine's light grew brighter, casting the entire room in its glow, and with a flash it erupted forward. A chunk of the doll's waist was suddenly gone, evaporated in a single blow, the construct teetering, unable to hold up much longer as further cracks ran through its frame.

It was still a threat, but now its crumbling body had been sent off-course, its limbs flailing. A sold blow to the upper torso would finish it...!

"Finish it now!"

@Raineh Daze@Rin@AzureKnight@Psyker Landshark@The Otter@VKAllen@Eisenhorn@Crimson Paladin@Conscripts@HereComesTheSnow@Octo@PigeonOfAstora

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

Ayako didn't enter the construction site with the rest of the operatives. Naturally, she hadn't been cleared to do so, and to be perfectly frank she was certain that the operatives wouldn't require her assistance anyway.

If they couldn't handle this, they had bigger problems.

From within the transport, Shiro was monitoring the situation to the best of her ability. The various readouts in the control station for the vehicle were linked directly to her psychic capabilities, but such things could not always be relied on.

At times, Shiro would be forced to exist the vehicle in order to provide proper support. Even enter the Denial Field.

Thankfully, especially given their new recruits, this was not one of those times.

---

In sharp contrast to the crowd outside, just beyond the perimeter established by the disaster response workers, the Construction Site itself was entirely empty. On one hand, this meant that evacuation procedures had gone smoothly.

On the other, it meant that the demons still hadn't been sighted.

Beast-class demons were effectively just animals in mentality, befitting their name. That made it unlikely they would hold out for very long.

Unless the stronger demon was somehow controlling them.

The construction site itself seemed to be a large building early on in its development. Half-finished concrete pillars marked the supports, and various tools were strewn about from the swift evacuation. There were some walls and temporary structures in place, tarps draping over the freshest portions of the construction in order to protect them.

"Emergence Gate location is within twenty meters."

Shiro's soft, monotone voice came to life in their communications systems. Ahead, there seemed to be some sort of partially-constructed hallway, leading deeper into the most complete portions of the building.

No sooner then Shiro spoke, did it a low growl emanate from the hall. It sounded not unlike that of an angry dog, but with a strange echo, a reverberating undertone that made it sound unnatural.

And the creature it belonged to was no dog.

It was the height of a groan man at its shoulder, bulky, muscular frame bent and hunched to allow it to walk on its hands, a long tail trailing behind it. Its head appeared partially armored, upper jaw covered in what almost looked like a smooth metal structure terminating in a part of horns at the back, sharp teeth lining its maw. Four bright orange, burning eyes, two on either side of its skull, glared at them as its fanged jaws hung open.

It was not alone, six of the Beast-class demons emerging from the hall in total.

With a snarl, they came charging forward!

@Raineh Daze@Rune_Alchemist@RolePlayerRoxas@Quartz@Emeth@LuckyBlackCat

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

@LuckyBlackCat: Accepted.

Shadow Contract: A Demon-Slaying Action RP

@LuckyBlackCat: Alrighty! Looking forward to it.