York
Just a newbie...
Siegward's confidence grew when he noticed people going toward the hand in the distance. Greater numbers meant less danger and more victory! However, he told himself that, because there were several powerful allies already moving there, he had no need to join them. Surely, they'd have that area dealt with and he could instead explore the area away from the hand in order to cover more ground!
The knight of Catarina thought nothing of Lucatiel at first; he had thought that she was just another oddball that this group seemed to consist of. However, there was something oddly familiar about her armor.
Could that be a knight of Mirrah?
There was no doubt about it. In this place of unfamiliarities, this person was the only familiarity.
"You look like you could use a drink! Go on, it's yours." Siegward said as he held a tankard of Siegbrau, offering it to his newfound friend.
As Lucatiel and Siegward ventured in the opposite direction of the imposing giant hand, the faces of the cursed continued to haunt their surroundings, as the dark sky began to slowly be obscured by a ceiling that made itself known. From one unearthly sight to another, it seemed. Like most of the rest of the place, the area seemed to be an empty, grand field with nothing to it, though... however, it wasn't too long before something might have caught their eye.
"H-Help! Someone... Please help me!" The voice of an unfamiliar man called out in the distance. If one were to look in the direction from which his voice came from, they'd be able to see him to the side, both his legs trapped underneath the crevices between two of the giant faces that made up the ground. Taking notice of the two, the man waved his arm helplessly at them. "H-Help me, please! I'm... I'm stuck!"
@York @Otto @Away from the Hand
"Rii-san!" Miki gasped in relief as another familiar face made herself known after calming down from Ben's transformation and reforming. It was something that she had trouble comprehending, so she simply didn't fully comprehend it. The hellhole she found herself in was hard enough to accept as it was. Not wanting to make another overly dramatic display like she did upon reuniting with Kurumi, Miki simply nodded toward Yuuri this time around, holding her arm as Ben and Sumia introduced themselves, the former engaging in some small banter with the petulant boy (it felt weird to see an even younger person than herself for once, and yet, he seemed to be one of the more calm people around, if not even mildly vexed by the whole situation).
"..."
She stayed silent as they bickered, letting Sumia simmer them down when Miki herself didn't feel up to standing between the two of them. Indeed, this was far from the time to be fighting amongst each other. Right now, they needed to find Yuki-senpai, and then... Well, they could think about what came after at a later time.
When Sumia then proceeded to suggest searching in the opposite direction of the tower, Miki was reluctant to answer, wondering if moving from their original spot was the best course of action, considering Yuki's... erratic behavior. However, if she was nowhere to be found where they were, then they had no other choice, right?
"U-Uhm... I-If you really think it's a good idea, we can move. Kurumi-chan? Rii-san? What do you two think? Should we take a look somewhere else for Yuki-senpai?" She asked, idly moving to pick up Taromarou in the meantime.
@Crow @Yun Lee @Josh @Krieg @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight
"Hmm? Ufufu... How amusing. What a lively little creature you are. Certainly more than the others down there. It'll be a shame when your time comes," Slan responded to Zoe, seemingly entertained by her pep. Void, on the other hand, was not quite as amused, assuming he even acknowledged Zoe's presence at all, remaining silent and still like a statue as Zoe spoke, the symbol of the mysterious brand continuing to glow in front of his face ominously.
To Arikado, the woman let out yet another sultry chuckle, moving her arms to hug her own body as she turned toward him. "I am God. Just as Void is God. And the others. But you need not worry about myself... child of darkness. You've been branded for sacrifice; you should be honored. My children will certainly enjoy you..." She breathed, partially answering Kokichi's question on the side, as the ground beside everyone slowly began to shift mysteriously, as though like an act of God, per the prayers of Libra. Or... perhaps not so. Slan shuddered lightly, continuing to giggle. "Mmm... 'Tis been a while since a man has looked at me like that. Without fear, without want... but just like that. Like a black swordsman..."
From the ground rose a number of beastly and identical monsters, brutish and demonic, with three eyes, one on each shoulder.
"Rrrrrr..."
Opening their massive maws, they stepped toward the group, their intent hopefully clear.
"Try if you wish to resist your fate. No human could ever hope to fight it in the end though. Resign or resist, it matters not to me. The result will always be the same. That is the will of causality," Slan sighed, all the while Void continued to simply remain still silently, and with that, the monsters roared, before leaping right at the group, ready to bite down and eat!
@Jeremi @Kaykay @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Takumi @Sen @Khan of the Mardu @Alex Azure @Toward the Hand
That President certainly gave Vilgax a run for his money.
"We're all going to be nice, Miss, no need to worry, right guys?" Ben had evident nervousness within the last few words.
"Your President's right. This place is a little too alien to just split up on a whim, especially with our current group size," Ben adds. "But what if we had a bigger group?"
Ben prepares to transform, as evidenced by him dialing his Omnitrix.
"Stand back for a bit, girls, because it's hero time."
And so he did.
"Echo Echo!" It seemed that Ben had transformed into some sort of diminuitive self-replicating being that continued to replicate.
"I'll remain in our current group."
"The rest of us other Echo Echoes..."
"... will scatter."
The more the merrier, or so they say. With more hands on deck and more direction to cover, they were bound to find Yuki in no time.
The Echo Echo remaining in the main team, dubbed Echo Echo #1, says, "don't worry too much, Echo Echo can afford to do that. Best for you guys to stay in the same group, though."
@Crow @Yun Lee @Ver @Krieg @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Josh
One of the other Echo Echoes, Echo Echo #2 as dubbed, had bumped into Lucatiel & Siegward helping a stuck man out.
"That's no Yuki, but I think he needs help!"
Echo Echo #2 began to self-replicate, using literal strength in numbers to attempt to pry open the crevice.
"You two..."
"... gonna..."
"... help?"
"Echo Echo isn't..."
"... much of a..."
"... strength guy."
@Ver @Otto @York
"I just realised..."
"... that I have yet to..."
"... catch your name..."
Echo Echo #2's duplicates were completing each other's sentences as they spoke to Ciel.
"... care to tell..."
"... what it is?"
@Ver @Crow @Otto @York @thatguyinthestore
"E-Eh... Yes, Rii-san," Miki said, her morale admittedly a little undermined, despite Yuuri's best intentions.
She froze in mild shock again when Ben transformed, but she was glad that the so-called "hero" at least gave a warning this time around, even though this new form he took was... different. Miki didn't have much more in her to freak out about it though, and simply stood there with a mildly (but deep down, significantly) distressed expression on her face.
"I guess... We may as well move somewhere, then. I don't feel really safe just standing here in one spot... I feel like we're being watched," the girl sighed, trying her best to keep her voice as calm as she could. Even though this situation she found herself in was way crazier than anything she'd ever been involved in (and she thought at the time that that was saying something), Miki felt... a strange wave of calm enter her, likely a result of at least reuniting with her dear friends, even if Yuki-senpai was still missing in action, but at least with Kurumi and Rii-san, right now it didn't feel completely hopeless. And maybe it was natural for Yuki to be the last one they found, all things considered...
Moving with the others away from the giant hand and catching up with Lutaciel and Siegward, Miki stood back and let the others try to help the pleading man stuck between the giant faces in the ground. The man was oddly silent after he was approached, not responding to any questions about who he was, or even thanking his saviors.
In fact, as he was pulled out... His lips shifted into a twisted grin.
As his body was pulled out, where one might have expected legs, in place of the lower part of his body looked like... the body of a giant slug.
And that was when the ground rumbled, softly at first, and then a loud CRASH as something horrifying made itself known.
A true monster.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! FOOOOLED YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!"
What the group believed to be a helpless human stuck in the ground actually turned out to be bait, attached to the body of a monster with a grotesque appearance, like a giant worm or bird with an evil face and multiple mouths and eyes.
The body of the "man" was swallowed up into the monster's lower mouth, leaving nothing as it looked down upon the group. "Mmmm... Looks like you haven't been branded yet, but I say, why ruin fresh meat like that anyway?!" It cackled, all the while Miki fell back again and screamed in horror.
"A-Ahh... AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
With that, the monster made its move, extending its neck impossibly in order to reach Miki, Yuuri, and Kurumi in particular, maw wide open and ready to bite down, taking them for the most vulnerable!
@York @Otto @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Josh @Krieg @Away from the Hand
The monsters died easily enough with the power of the group's combined might, as it seemed speed was an advantage they held over the demons. However, what they lacked in speed or durability, they made up for in numbers, as despite the group's efforts to ward them off, more and more kept rising from the ground to take the deceased's place; it was almost as though killing one gave birth to two more, quickly greatly outnumbering the group as they kept approaching!
In the distance, the black sun in the sky that the giant hand reached out toward suddenly began to turn a darker shade of red, when before it resembled more magenta, and the air slowly began to rumble. One might have assumed this would have been a bad sign, given the ominous and unknown origin of it, but Slan grimaced as soon as the rumbling began, before looking up at the black sun and clicking her tongue in irritation, as though it were something that she did not count on.
"Oh, don't tell me... Him again?"
"It matters not. Their fates have already been sealed, for they have been chosen. It is the will of causality. If he wishes to free them... then so be it. The only thing waiting for them beyond here is misery and suffering. They will beg for death soon enough, as humans ought do..."
Whoever this figure the two were referring to was a mystery, but whoever "he" was, it seemed that there was at least one person out there trying to help the group, but the question was, would he make it in time?
@Alex Azure @Kaykay @Jeremi @thatguyinthestore @Yun Lee @Takumi @Sen @Khan of the Mardu @Minerva @dark @Toward the Hand
Upon the revelation of a trap, one of the Echo Echoes smacked the emblem on its chest as its hue altered to be more blue and metallic. All the other Echo Echoes had turned into disc-like structures.
This new blue form was most fast and agile. Its speeds could be said to be impossible.
"Ultimate Echo Echo," the robot-like form spoke as it stood in the way of the beast's maw and the three girls near instantly. Its voice matched its appearance - very much like a stereotypical robot.
"Hey ugly!" Ultimate Echo Echo taunted as it formed a defensive position, firing high-powered sonic attacks from its arms, right at its mouth, and by extension, face. He also controlled the surrounding discs to circle the beast and do the same.
"Eat this. SONIC DOOM!"
@York @Otto @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Josh @Krieg @Ver
"This is a waste of my time." Ciel said with a deadpan, unphased by the giant slug. Knowing that he stood no chance against the beast, Ciel attempted to walk past it, hoping that the current group would provide a suitable distraction for him to do so
@Ver @Crow @Yun Lee @Otto @York
"Excuse me, but do either of you mind indulging us with the knowledge of whom you're referring to?" Sebastian asked, looking up at the both of them as he continued to nonchalantly throw his kitchen utensils at the demons like it was a game of darts.
@Ver @Yun Lee @Sen @Kaykay @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Khan of the Mardu @Takumi @Lucky @dark @Minerva
"Nonsense! You're never too young for a nice, cold drink!" The burly knight declared, his voice wavering slightly due to the strain.
And there went Siegward's jolly mood. "My... aren't you a humongous beast?" He deadpanned. He reached for his Storm Ruler, and as he did, memories of his duty came back to him, one by one. He had to make it to the Profaned Capital, and this... thing was in his way. Whatever alcohol that was in his body wasn't enough to wash away this simple fact.
This creature had threatened his victory and endangered the lives of his new friends. It had to die.
Noticing two of his dear allies join the fight, he did too.
"I, Siegward of the Knights of Catarina, fight by your sides! May this abomination be slain at once! HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
He charged into the fray, the blade of his Storm Ruler quickly gathering storm. Gusts of air surrounded the knight, and soon there was enough storm to unleash the strike.
Intending to cut the creature's head off with a slash imbued with highly pressurized air, Siegward moved accordingly and attacked.
Lucatiel of Mirrah
@Otto @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Josh @Krieg @Ver
@AwayFromHand
Lucatiel turned when Siegward spoke to her, the mild look of surprise on her face hidden by her mask. It wasn't really the fact that she had company while exploring the area away from the hand, but moreso the fact that it was a Knight, from Caterina no less. She had thought them long gone, but... Evidently not, at least not here.
Being offered a drink, she hesitated; it's been quite some time since she had anything to eat or drink, after all. Being undead, it didn't seem like she required such things anymore, but... All the same, she could use one. However, she couldn't exactly drink anything as long as she had her mask on, which meant she would have to unveil the fact that she was cursed, something her fellow knights did not take kindly to...
After all, she doubted even a knight of Caterina would treat her any different, given the circumstances.
Fortunately, an seemingly ensnared man served as a distraction from this... And for the time being, she pushed the drink away, opting to help someone in need instead, for whatever it was worth.
"Later." She said simply, attempting to help the man with the others.
However, she seemed to hesitate when the man appeared unresponsive to any questions... And strangely quiet, for someone in peril. Something was wrong about this, but she couldn't quite place what.
Placing her hands on her sword, she backed away, standing firm as a horrendous creature emerged, the humanoid figure in it's mouth evidently having been bait. It mentioned them not being branded yet, which struck Lucatiel as odd; she was branded alright, with the accursed darksign, but... Perhaps there was a different kind of brand that was of interest here.
At any rate, as the beast lunged towards what it deemed to be the most vulnerable of the group, Lucatiel wasted no time drawing her blade, brandishing it defiantly towards the beast they now faced.
"I won't die in this foul place!" She roared.
With that, she lunged forwards, attempting to slash at the creature's neck, believing this to be a weak point on the monster's body, seeming to forget about her surroundings entirely for now. She was a Knight of Mirrah after all, one that found her identity, and strength in battle, and she was not about to back down from this one, as much as the odds may be stacked against her...
@Otto @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Josh @Krieg @Ver
@AwayFromHand
Lucatiel turned when Siegward spoke to her, the mild look of surprise on her face hidden by her mask. It wasn't really the fact that she had company while exploring the area away from the hand, but moreso the fact that it was a Knight, from Caterina no less. She had thought them long gone, but... Evidently not, at least not here.
Being offered a drink, she hesitated; it's been quite some time since she had anything to eat or drink, after all. Being undead, it didn't seem like she required such things anymore, but... All the same, she could use one. However, she couldn't exactly drink anything as long as she had her mask on, which meant she would have to unveil the fact that she was cursed, something her fellow knights did not take kindly to...
After all, she doubted even a knight of Caterina would treat her any different, given the circumstances.
Fortunately, an seemingly ensnared man served as a distraction from this... And for the time being, she pushed the drink away, opting to help someone in need instead, for whatever it was worth.
"Later." She said simply, attempting to help the man with the others.
However, she seemed to hesitate when the man appeared unresponsive to any questions... And strangely quiet, for someone in peril. Something was wrong about this, but she couldn't quite place what.
Placing her hands on her sword, she backed away, standing firm as a horrendous creature emerged, the humanoid figure in it's mouth evidently having been bait. It mentioned them not being branded yet, which struck Lucatiel as odd; she was branded alright, with the accursed darksign, but... Perhaps there was a different kind of brand that was of interest here.
At any rate, as the beast lunged towards what it deemed to be the most vulnerable of the group, Lucatiel wasted no time drawing her blade, brandishing it defiantly towards the beast they now faced.
"I won't die in this foul place!" She roared.
With that, she lunged forwards, attempting to slash at the creature's neck, believing this to be a weak point on the monster's body, seeming to forget about her surroundings entirely for now. She was a Knight of Mirrah after all, one that found her identity, and strength in battle, and she was not about to back down from this one, as much as the odds may be stacked against her...
