"Tch,” Ciro’s hand gripped his assistant shirt, "Remember back in Vancouver? We don’t have a car this time but it is the same thing. Aeternitas!” Instantly, the two researchers were thrown to the Fool’s location, as the entities swapped places. The crimson beam smashed into the puppet, as a stream of pain rippled through the strings and into the cloaked man’s body, as the pain of cero was transferred directly into him.
Chocking on the poisonous fumes, he staggered up once again, attempting to focus on the fight in front of him. His arms were scarred from the remnants of the cero he narrowly dodged. With a struggle, the Italian faced the annoying being.
"Major Arcana the First, The Magician!” another Tarot exited from Ciro’s pocket and floated in front of him. The spectral figure of The Magician crawled of it silently. A golden banner masked its eyes, as the card’s name was etched on it. A long gold staff spun in its hands, as it ran forward at Shackle.
Stopping a few feet away from the hollow, it swung its weapon outwards, ready to smash into Shackle, aiming it towards its partner hollow.
The sudden shift in location was disconcerting. Kumakichi completely lost track of his orbs, and worse still, now found himself immersed in the green haze. Everything from his nasal passages to his lungs burned from the exposure.
While Ciro pressed the attack, the shaggy-haired teenager tried to find his three spheres. The pain made it difficult to focus. He was always vaguely aware of their presence, but the instantaneous change of position threw it off this time. Despite the large amount of thanatoresonance Kumakichi had invested, he had no choice but to abandon the spheres.
Relinquishing his first set of balls to nothingness, the boy summoned up another pair. Kumakichi was not sure exactly how much of his energy he had used, but it felt like he had burned up more than half of it. If this fight lasted much longer, he would be in trouble.
Everything was for naught. His actions were as futile as his ability. All he had managed to do was gather useless information of which none would be relayed to anyone still amongst the living. In a sudden blast of pain that lasted for an eternity of seconds, Darius soon found himself in a flood diversion pipeline six feet under with a hunk of chain hanging out of his chest. The pain was gone, and he felt a lack of any real sustenance to his thantoresonance. There were but tiny traces left within him. Feeling cold, Darius in a rather clean suit slowly trudged off down the storm drain following the flow of water at a loss of what to do.
He was completely clueless of what was occurring on the surface the minutes of his physical death. However while his soul had been removed elements of his body found a way to fight even from the grave. Just as the titan crushed Darius’ heart, the vials of unused drugs accidentally became injected into his body while his power had remained active to the bitter end. The adrenaline released at the onset of death had triggered the drugs into a violent reaction. As all of the fluids in the body of the business man became extremely corrosive, two massive tentacles erupted from the chest driving the blood covered body straight up the knurled leg of the titan causing sprays of blood and other highly acidic fluids to paint the immediate area.
The body itself with the overload of drugs and a lack of a soul and will to attempt to control them began to dissolve in a fashion similar to what happens to a fly’s internals when a spider injects its venom into it. The melting body slowly flowed back to the ground creating an extremely corrosive pool that was slowly eating through the surface of the ground.
And just as the staff came around, Shackles’ body descended, driving like a shrew burrowing into the earth. Where the ghoul once stood, only a hole remained to greet the humans’ sad attempts at overcoming him.
Eerie stillness filled the surrounding air as the ghoul kept his location a mystery. Just as quickly as he withdrew, the sound of drilling was swiftly replaced by unadulterated silence. Perfect silence.
The lethargic breeze barely shifted the particles of dust and debris hazing through the air. The heat trickled on as clear beads of sweat slid across skin. Even the sounds of outside battles were so distant and faraway that no stirring of sound or movement was heard or felt.
Seconds passed slowly.
Five…
Seven…
Nine...
Ten…
Eleven...
Twelve…
Thirteen…
Fourteen…
Fifteen…
Sixteen…
And then a ghastly pale hand excavated up from the earth to latch onto the boy’s leg. Building force and momentum in his arms, the hollow swung downwards with the murderous intent to slam the boy’s skull into the solid ground.
-
The violent roar of the disintegrating hollow echoed through the alleys of the Tokyo buildings. Corrosive acid melted away at Deathcap’s skin. His black, leathery hide quickly decayed to crumbles of gray dust deteriorating into the air.
“SHACKLES!!!! Shackles, HELP me!!!!!”
Wildly, the beast flailed. One leg was almost completely gone while the others threw around, whipping everything in their paths. Slashing at cars, ripping down lightpoles, stabbing windows and doors. In pained hysteria, Deathcap hurled around in chaotic pandemonium as the grim, poison-saturated liquid crept all along his body.
It felt like an explosion of agony shredding apart his nerve endings. It worked at medium speed. Fast enough to consume his entire body and prevent its circumscription to one meager spot. Slow enough that he had to live to feel every writhing trill of pain as it ate away, grinding, grinding burning, tormenting in vile, endless torture.
[323/1,973]
Deathcap is going to be on auto-death for the next 2 or 3 turns. If someone wants to deal a killing blow before then, be my guest.
In a gesture he'd later wonder about Zakki let the potentiated energy flow through his hand as it went jamming into the creature's mouth. Three glowing darts of his energy erupted into its body and with a scream it fell back and exploded into a thousand shards of spiritual energy and was no more. There was charred space where the ugly being had once been and the ground was coated in blood that only Zakki and the other advent humans could see. The pale ghost of a youth stood still in the midst of the chaos for a moment and caught his breath. Death and destruction was all around him and he wondered if anyone was in need of his help.
He began to move swiftly around the building searching for anyone in trouble. He went careening around a corner and came face to face with the stoic, cold-eyed Daniel who was facing down a ravening army of Titans. Zakki took a step to stand beside him.
"Looks like you could use a hand with these things, Daniel!"
The words were audible in the Irishman’s mind as he worked to get the servers back up. Glaring at the security guard locked inside the stuffy room he shouted, "Don’t do that again!”
Of course, if the guard had not acted they would both be Titan food at that moment. A black singe mark on the heavy door was all that remained of the Hollow that slipped in through the ceiling, only to be blasted by a bolt of electricity. The unfortunate side effect of the display was the sudden overload of the power to the servers, cutting off all ties to the outside.
In perfect unison the security feeds streamed to the Irishman, the onslaught on their organization crystal clear. Foremost was the lunging mass of titans towards one agent that seemed to have angered the banshee creature. A quick thought was enough to override the system safeties, a second brought the metal security door crafted from reiatsu infused steel onto the heads of the foremost titans, killing them instantly. The remainder was suddenly cut off, stuck on the opposite side of the wall from their prey.
"Hey, are you alright?” He spoke through the loudspeaker above the wounded agent’s head.
The familiar presence of Zakki’s thanatoresonance was almost comforting to Daniel. Having a comrade here with him, despite the sheer magnitude of their enemies, did prove to lift his spirits if only a little bit. The agent nodded in response to his fellow spy’s inquiry, before facing the incoming swarm of monsters that followed the command’s of that witch.
Thrusting his left arm in the direction of the first swarm, and suffering a terrible shockwave of pain as a result, Daniel leased another hellish burst of flames that consumed the monsters as they fell into the range of his attack. The bolder, and perhaps luckier creatures, that slipped through his first assault were promptly slashed to pieces. He ignored the lance of pain that split across his back as a claw raked his flesh and whirled around to silence the beast permanently.
“I don’t know if we can maintain this defense for much longer,” observed the agent as he and Zakki were forced back to back. The pessimism in his statement was well placed as the duo faced the teaming masses of Titans. They were running out of options quickly.
As the flood of hollows ensued, the majestic blonde woman remained in the back and began singing a beauteous melody. The lovely cadences in her soft sonata echoed through the air, instilling sensations of trust and euphoria within the awakened pair. Porcelain skin had fully replaced the burns, and the beauty of Syren was just as illustrious as before.
The hollow queen smiled as the dizzying effects of her symphony took control. More and more of the children -- gifted with the song of their mother -- pursued the enemies. The humans’ perceptions, their ability to distinguish near from far, were altered. To them, many of the blades, the teeth, the claws would seem to be several feet away when the true distance between them was a matter of mere inches.
[132/2,135]
Note: Guys, I'm gonna be leaving for vacation on Thursday. Please kill the hollows by then. Otherwise, I'll probably just set the hollows on auto-death in concordance with the Mnemosyne.
The disorienting effects of the beautiful creature's siren song were maddening as the crowd of Titans grew closer. The pale waif of a young man couldn't judge their range in order to attack them so he did the next best thing. As his body became translucent he let the shield of energy he had at his disposal surround both him and Daniel in an eerie glow. He didn't want to keep it raised for fear of wasting too much energy but it might buy them some time.
"I've got an idea here! I've still got Pyrozac C in my system so I can burn them out when I drop the shield. I'll try to make us some space so we can both attack the leader at the same time. Ready?"
A powerful sound wave rocketed from The Magician’s mouth as it barreled towards Shackle. The sheer force of the concentrated thanatoresonace, pushed the being, ripping it out of the ground. At the same time the puppet-master moved the right finger of his left arm, pulling The Fool closer again.
Knives gleaming, Ciro pulled the spectral being forward, forcing it to follow the linear path he had set through the fog. Grabbing on to the reiatsu strings in front of him, he curled the ends up in his fists. Using his superhuman strength, he literally picked it up off the ground, before swinging The Fool down on Shackle, ending its huge arc. With its increased velocity, the bladed being smashed down on the hollow.
Panting, the Assistant Director staggered back a few steps. More of the fog filled his lungs, causing him to choke on the noxious gas. Aimlessly walk towards what he hoped was the edge of the fog, he gestured the now freed intern to follow.
[167/1275]
CLICK THIS
Alright people in this thread. So the ninth has used their super-duper anti-hollow bait substance. This means that the hundreds of hollows entering the Real World around this shiny tower should be dropping like flies. I mean literally dropping like flies. Here's a shiny link for information Mnemosyne
Daniel nodded only slightly, turning his gaze to look at the hordes that were swarming around him and Zakki. The barrier would only last for so long. The plan was a little desperate, but they had nothing else up their sleeves. Almost as soon as they were ready, Zakki dropped the translucent barrier and allowed the swarms to come closer.
Something was wrong. The previously voracious bunch of Hollows seemed sluggish. The smallest of the bunch fell where they stood, and their bodies immediately fell to ash. The large ones fought to stay alive against whatever force was attacking them. Without hesitation, Daniel called forth the flames to engulf whatever dared come close. Their leader still proved to be alive and well, however. The beautiful form of the Syren was almost intoxicating; but Daniel knew what she really looked like. He knew what she really was.
“I’m going in,” he muttered to Zakki above the din of monstrous roars. “Keep them at bay.”
With a mighty leap the agent catapulted himself over the creatures to close the distance between the siren and him. From above the battlefield, he could easily see just how many of the creatures were dying from this unknown phenomenon. As he descended over the Syren’s position, he realized his inability to judge distance very well; another one of her songs. Still, he could see her and it was high time for this fight to be over.
A rush of luminous fire erupted from his palm, aimed downwards to blast the Syren who stood amongst the army of Titans. Her subjects fell left and right, and those who remained were blasted by the searing hot flames. As the agent near the ground, he poised himself to strike at any moment.
Zakki just did what he was told in this instance. He wasn't sure what was happening with all of the Titans suddenly charring and evaporating into thin air but whatever it was, he wasn't complaining. He began randomly sending energy darts into the crowds of beasts. He used up the last of his Pyrozac C in a rain of flame and began targeting any creature that got within range of his power. Daniel was right in the fray and all his companion could do was to keep the attackers at bay while the other agent did what was necessary. One of the Titans exploded directly above his head raining down ash that never reached the ground.
There was a sense of change and something unexplained in the air. Zakki was sure that the tide of this battle was about to be turned by a force that was impossible for him to understand.
Kumakichi's head throbbed violently. The world seemed to spin around him for a moment. As his vision cleared, the boy registered a few changes. First, the titan had gone missing. Second, the green cloud appeared thinner. The third alteration Kumakichi noticed was the vanishing act his spheres had pulled. The teenager found himself disarmed once again.
He generated a single orb. Kumakichi could not be certain how much of his thanatoresonance remained. It was a choice between saving his strength, and maintaining his defenses.
The teenaged agent looked around. Spotting Ciro a short distance away, he trotted over to the man. Kumakichi could feel the presence of many titans in the area, and felt much safer in the vicinity of the Assistant Director.
[123/863]
OOG
Sorry for the delay. My head just wasn't in the game last night.
The crushing blow was enough to paralyze the ghoulish hollow. Shackles lay there motionless as he felt his body begin to scatter into billions of particles of energy and light. Around him, he heard the dying cries of the hollow massacre rupture throughout the skies. Bodies upon bodies fell beside him while humans simply ran gallantly and free. The numbers of hollow murders swelled. Deaths of his kind ubiquitously spread over the Earth. The end of the feeding spree was drawing to a nasty, disastrous close.
As grim and dour as their fate would be, Shackles couldn’t help but smile. It seemed so ironic. Only seconds ago, they were winning. More specifically, the humans he faced off against were so weak and pathetic. That boy with the metal orbs and those two ridiculously-dressed dolls that seemed as rough and thin as sandpaper – they were supposed to be the easy ones while Deathcap battled his way against the stronger businessman. Indeed, that very businessman whose body was now dry and corroded on the streets.
And yet... here he, Shackles – the human-shaped hollow – lay... the pathetic corpse of a dying beast. He had tried for years to be more than another hollow. He was fortunate enough to be born a humanoid, shaped like a Vasto Lorde, the kings of the hollow universe. And so, for decades, he had carried himself like one – controlled, decent, civilized. But no Vasto Lorde would lay here like this, a pathetic mound easily defeated by a human’s single blow. He was merely born in a shell that hid the truth of his pitiable weaknesses. Desperately, he hoped that his act would manifest into reality. But no. Such a fraud.
Slowly, Shackles’ eyeballs rocked upwards, and he saw Deathcap disintegrate more and more. The slippery hollowed creature screeched and roared for him, but despite Shackles’ wish to help, he knew this was their end – the unavoidable coming for two insignificant fiends in a world of greater powers.
---
Pangs... Pangs... Constant pangs of hunger that came in a drumming more sonorous than any of her hymns. Despite her children falling all around her, despite the endless waves of death, all Syren could notice was the breathtaking synchronies of Mnemosyne at work. Falling bodies collapsed in perfectly-timed half-notes, where the mass and speed of their descent produced various harmonics that coalesced into a strange and eerie song of longing. The rum-pum-pum in her stomach, the hunger, was bouncing in a hurried rhythm that led the way to an ultimate crescendo in booming forte.
None of this, their mindless battle, mattered. That boy who had burned her face. That skinny-looking intruder. None of it mattered.
There was a song to be heard. An orchestra of glorious music that beckoned for her to draw nearer... nearer... nearer to the sublimity of perfect musical nirvana. It resounded so idyllically. It smelled so delicious. It tasted... She licked her lips... like ecstasy.
Eyes closed, lost beyond rapture, Syren moved toward the tower and little by little, her body disintegrated and died by the harrowing strength of the Gotei’s Mnemosyne.
This is the siren of the Gods.
---
The greenish haze instantly disappeared, as fresh air took his place. Slowly, the massive horde was diminishing, due to something... Ciro looked around frantically, puzzled why everything suddenly began to change rapidly. Was it some human ability at work? Or was it something else?
As the remaining agents continued to fight off the stragglers, Ciro turned to face Kumakichi. "What... the hell?” he said, breaking from his usual formal tone of voice. Though, considering the situation around him it was to be expected. Most people would be relieved that the massive enemy force was leaving, but for him curiosity only took its place.
"Let us go back to the main base and communicate an order of retreat,” explained the cloaked man, "At the current rate that they are disappearing, combined with the force we are using, it should not take long before they leave.” With that, Ciro turned, heading back for the main building, leaving the catastrophic scene behind.
Mango Final [534/2669] Hiren Final [159/1434]
From Mango
Let’s wrap it up, guys! Yay!
From Hiren
Mango sent me her turn to post since she's not here. This thread is closing this week. If you want post your final posts about retreating and what not.
Zakki stood as the world was seemingly dissolving around him. He watched the shockingly beautiful Titan in front of him evaporate into nothingness on the song that went sweeping through him on a level deeper than any he'd felt before. All around him Titans were falling to some force that made the thanatoresonance inside of him quiver and tremble with intense and pulsating energy. He turned first to Daniel and spoke quietly to him.
"Well, This looks like the end of the fight. I don't understand this but somehow I get the feeling I'm not supposed to."
The tall, razor-thin youth spun on his heel and began moving back across the battlefield as the waves of power swept over him and drove the Titans into oblivion. The tower was looming before him in its eminence and elegance and he strode rapidly towards it. There were still many questions boiling in his mind. Instead of an assault from Orpheus, there had been this mysterious attack of Titans and now some other inscrutable force had erased them utterly and in one moment of deadly power. The young man gave a sigh and thought to himself: Will I ever understand this strange world beyond what most others see?
Pain lanced through his body as he plopped down heavily to the scarred street. The Syren had fallen away, just like all the rest, in pieces of ash and dust. The agent heaved a heavy, painful sigh as he looked on at the last remnants of the dissolving creatures. Despite the fact that they had won – through some miracle or another – the magnitude of the destruction and death was enough to make the situation amount to a loss.
He turned, casting a green-eyed gaze across the makeshift battlefield; the streets were ravaged, and blood and debris littered every corner of his vision to some extent. Blinking, he turned his head away from the carnage.
The agent lumbered back to the tower, wincing as each step shifted his innumerable wounds in an uncomfortable manner. He would survive, unlike many of his faceless comrades. His expression fell into a deep frown as he watched members of the Medical Branch run to and fro to offer what medical assistance that they could. One in particular caught his attention; a black-haired boy with a patch of green dyed into the front.
Content with just having a moment of peace, Daniel plopped down near the entrance to the tower. He closed his eyes, letting the euphoria of solitude overcome his many stinging wounds.
Kumakichi nodded and followed the man. He still felt woozy from the effects of the head trauma and gas. So the exhausted teenager soon found himself in the hands of the Cerberus medical staff. He wished he could say they were happy to see him. It would be nice to have the nurses and doctors receive him with a smile and patch up his wounds. In reality, Kumakichi’s reception was a bit closer to ‘not you again.’
As the staff shone bright lights in the boy’s eyes and confirmed that indeed, he was mildly concussed, the teenager pondered the events of the day.
First they were attacked by the largest group of titans Kumakichi had ever seen, then, just as Cerberus began to turn the tide, the monsters began to die off. It was an amazing stroke of luck.
Well, maybe not ‘amazing.’ After all, we managed to defeat some really powerful titans before it happened. Still, any day you walk away from is a good day.
“If you don’t stop grinning, we’re going to have you committed.”
Colin breathed in the first breath of fresh air he had had during the ordeal. What ever that energy wave was fried some of the computer systems worse than Kong’s lightning. Outside the security door that had jarred loose the floor was strewn with rubble that prevented it from opening any further.
"Since we’ll be stuck here a while longer help me clean this stuff up,” the Irishman motioned to the guard. The shockwave had cut off his communication to the outside; all Colin could do was hope that the others had made it through the Titan’s attack.
