[V/O/11th] Week ---: Bloodbath Shores

[Shun]

This thread is for Masato and Hisao.​

Death lingered in the air. The last vestiges of the conflict that had taken place not but a few moments ago remained in the collateral damage that the two opposing forces had created, only to make the setting appear even worse than it had before. And then of course, there was the broken and battered blade of the felled assassin who had locked blades with one of his own brethren. He had gone berserk, become a being that was unlike his former self.

She knew it all too well.

Trust was after all a funny concept. Humans had a natural tendency to manipulate others in order to achieve their own selfish desires, a fact that a particular mortal had come to familiarize herself with.

In this desolate wreckage, the only sign of life belonged to a figure standing alone on one of the metal pipes that were scattered about. Adusting her glasses, the pale-brown haired woman stared out calmly at the rushing tides in the vast ocean that stretched out before her, as if she were searching for something in the ship wreck. From her muted expression though, she seemed to show no hint of what exactly she was looking for nor did she reveal any sort of reaction to the peculiar situation that was about to enfold.

She merely gazed at the spot beside her as if there were someone or something tangible there.

[ 237 ]​

 

[Shadowwind]

“I detest ships.” The old man said limping among the husks of battleships. “Too cramped for my taste.” The relic was avoiding the huge source of reiatsu lingering in his sensory range as he lead the General towards it. “This one shall be interesting, though it shouldn’t be that difficult. I can always save you if you get tired Masato.” With a small chuckle the old man returned to silence.

After a few moments the source of the reiatsu came into view. “Neither a shinigami nor one of ours. Raifuku must have invited her, though I do not see a kanji. I would prefer to avoid a fight since we would gain nothing from it.” The relic whispered to his accomplice. “Hello dear, we’re looking for the exit. Do you know where that would be?” Hisao said raising his voice so that the woman could hear him.

[147]

 

[Shun]

The words rang in her ears, but for a moment, Raila Yumasaki appeared to be distracted as if she were talking to somone else. Finally acknowleding the individual that had spoken to her along with his far younger companion, her cheeks briefly flushed from embarassment.

"Why would you want to do that?" she finally argued, her initial sheepishness quickly replaced by a sharp tone, "You'll only get yourself killed if you barge into rooms whenever you please."

Despite her formal business attire that she wore, there was an evidently menacing aura about her. As the waves crashed into the shore, another otherworldly presence that remained undetected seemed to have entered the room.

[ 349 ]​

 

[Several Zombies]

"That's 'Major Fukukawa' to you, half-breed," the Advent scoffed at his indignant companion. "Stay on your guard, we don't know what kind of tricks your boss has waiting for us."

Drawing his firearms slowly, the gunslinger kept a wary eye on the brown-haired girl holed up in the decaying ship. Taking a breath, Masato cleared his consciousness, colour bleeding out of the world around him as numerous strands of fabric appeared from the ether. Keen amber orbs traced a line from the strange girl back to a particular length of material; a off-white filament billowing just out of arms reach. It seemed like that of a normal human's though its hue was slightly off; streaks of pale cobalt dotted the fabric haphazardly. It was tainted somehow. Arching an eyebrow curiously as his technique vanished, the Major cast a glance at his elderly cohort.

"She's an Advent Human, as far as I can tell," the gunslinger whispered, tightening his grip on his weapons. "...A powerful one at that."

Taking a step forward, the agent peered up at the girl, holding one gun over his eyes to shield them from the sun overhead.

"Did you hear him? We're looking for the exit!" he called over the roar of the crashing waves. "Do you know where that is?"

220/220

Whut

Reiraku Takan'd + Reiatsu Noukan'd. FINALLY I GET TO USE THEM.

 

[Shadowwind]

“My acquaintance has no knowledge of politeness.” The relic said rolling his eyes. “However, I see no reason to spill blood as you have nothing we want. We simply would like to leave, so if you could be so kind as to point us to the exit we’ll be on our way.” Turning slightly and dropping his voice to a whisper the old man delivered a response to the human beside him. “Perhaps when you stop calling me a half breed I’ll drum enough concern over your well being to bother to remember your name until then, I’ll call you as I like. Is that ok, Private?”

102/254

 

[Shun]

It was too late. Whatever chance they had of leaving here unscathed was long gone in the exchange of banter and rebuke that the two supposed allies shared. In that instant, the breeze seemed to carry with it eerie whispers. Whether they were from the dead souls that had suffered from the ship wreck or from something else entirely was yet unknown.

However, Raila seemed to know where it originated from.

"Why would you want to leave?" she asked, her voice low as she hugged herself as if trying to shield herself from something. All of a sudden, her reiatsu seemed to spike as tears welled up in her eyes. "Don't you understand!?"

When all she received were looks of confusion and bewilderment, she shook her head. "Sorry..."

Without waiting for a response, she once more looked at the two strangers. Strangers. She couldn't trust anyone in this cruel world. These strangers could have very well been apart of the scheme that had turned her into what she was today. No amount of consoling or apology could amount to what she had to suffer and endure.

Before she could so much as settle down though, the emotionally unstable experiment fumbled in her pockets and reached for a syringe. Instantly injecting it into herself with one hand as if it had become second nature, she held her other palm outwards towards the two. Without warning, a large burst of fire shot fowards towards the Vizard and his human companion, threatening to engulf them both with its warm embrace.

[ 606 ]​

Item used

-1000 for use of Pyrozac Strain from Cerberus Corporation's Strain Database
Description -
One of the most popular and commonly produced strains, the Pyrozac strain takes the form of a dark red colored liquid which is commonly housed inside a syringe. Once injected, the chemical accelerates the body’s ability to produce heat granting them the limited ability to produce and control fire.
A - Grant Pyromancy - Default Effect
- An enhanced version of the D-rank strain, the user gains the ability to produce larger jets and blasts of flame. Each burst costs 1000 reiatsu. They cannot control reiatsu based fire that they have not already created.

 

[Several Zombies]

Eyes narrowed as the jets of flame streaked towards the pair, accompanied by a flash of arcane light as Masato's post human evolution blinked into being. The seven prismatic cells roared noisily as the flames smashed into their delicate looking forms, quickly squelching the attack and drawing it into themselves.

Slowly but surely, the constructs turned a deep crimson hue, indicating the gunslinger's technique had been successful.

"Cerberus, huh?" Masato spat, turning to face the girl. He knew the sensation all too well; that virulent, disgusting reiatsu that their chemical concoctions threw off. There was no mistaking that this girl was affiliated with the Corporation. "I've got some choice words for Martelli if we get out of this."

Suddenly, the agent's reiatsu spiked, accompanied by a loud snap; the violent displacement of air brought about as he appeared quite suddenly at the girl's side. A loud, shrill chirp echoed eerily through the decrepit ship as the Major brought his weapon to bare, it's bottom edge sparking with electricity. With a flick of his wrist, the gunslinger brought the weapon down on the girl's collar bone, looking to incapacitate her before she could retaliate further.

203/423

Don't taze me, bro

Resonance is still up from fight with Shade. TA is active, used...

Ability: Tamakou - "Bulletproof”
At the cost of up to 10% of the user’s reiatsu, an enemy’s attack entering the field can be held within the plate and released at a later time, providing the attack is equal to or weaker than the amount spent to activate the ability. While an attack is being held within the prism, both sides turn a deep red color.

If the prism is hit while charged, the inbound attack is debuffed by the amount of energy stored in the field. An attack lower than the amount of stored energy will be blocked outright, while an attack of higher value will shatter the prism in its entirety. Any damage the prism takes while charged is deducted from the total stored energy. Once the prisms energy is depleted (or the field breaks), the user must wait one turn before being able to use this ability again.

...to catch your flames. Then used...

[Sori Taryoukyou] Unique Feat
(Warp Prism)

By paying 2% of his reiatsu while Katsu Taryoukyou is active, Masato may pass through the fragments of Yuusou Taryoukyou himself -- allowing him to instantly move to the position of any prism fragment in his vicinity. This ability can only be used once per turn for every 2k in Agility to a maximum of four uses.

...to close the gap between us, followed by...

Name: B308 NARUKAMI - 鳴神

Tier: A-Rank (Unique)

Flavour text: A pair of highly advanced prototypes produced by APACHE at the request of Masato Fujikawa following the Initiative’s reintroduction to the United Nations special task force, the B303 Narukami was designed in order to give the user a viable form of defense when fighting in close-quarters. As Orpheus agents are trained to leverage the extensive range of their weapons, having to fight foes who specialize in melee combat puts them at a distinct disadvantage should the enemy get near to them. The Narukami remedies this by providing a broad, electrofied striking edge along the bottom of a firearm. Consisting of a long, cylindrical rod held between two electrodes (one protruding from the end of the weapon, and one near the trigger), this attachment is capable of delivering sizable and sustained electric shocks to any conductive material -- namely blades or exposed flesh -- while also being robust enough to defend against attacks at close ranges. Combined with the Major’s posthuman reflexes and gunplay prowess, the Narukami can also function as an effective offense if Masato is ever deprived of ammo or in a situation where fighting from extreme range is impractical. Each accessory is roughly one foot from end to end and extends the length of the equipped weapon’s barrel considerably. This could be seen as both a benefit and a detriment, as the extra reach would be valuable in close range fighting, but would detract from the firearms stability in the hands of anyone less than an expert, making it unlikely that APACHE will ever mass-produce the prototype.

Effect: Mechanically speaking, the Narukami functions using specially-designed transformers that convert the user’s spiritual energy into electrical potential. It costs Masato roughly 1k reiatsu to charge one of the rods with electricity, and a charge may remain for up to three turns before the weapon’s capacitors are purged to avoid overloading the circuit. Any conductive material that comes in contact with the rods while charged are subject to a high-voltage shock, interfering with voluntary muscle control and causing superficial burns.

...to attempt taze Raila. The ball's in your court, sir.

Resonance: 8571/11,268

 

[Shun]

The gunslinger’s attack was for the most part fruitless however as a construct from the wreck floated in front of her and stood in his way of electrocuting her. Although it appeared as if she had purposefully planned for this, her look of genuine surprise was evident. It was quickly replaced though in favor of familiarity of who had done it.

If there was anything that Deep Steel was grateful for, it was this gift - this unholy power that had been granted to her from the dark secret that the Corporation had kept locked up for so long. No matter how much they tried, they would not hurt her. She was assured of that fact; the victims that sought to capture her and lock her up in those facilities were a testament of her abilities. As long as it existed, there was nothing that could end her.

As the construct seemed like it would break and her hands began to burn from staying close to the incoming threat, it tumbled down to the ground as Raila broke the connection. Jumping back from her two adversaries, she instead concentrated her will on the metal pipes that were scattered about. As the rusted projectiles gave a groan of protest and creaked from the lack of use, Raila finally sent them crashing towards the pair.

"Sorry," she repeated again, as if she were truly self-incriminating about all of this.

[ 846 ]​

Sorry for lateness, was out and about all day today. This should somewhat give you a hint as to what her initial awakening is ; )

 

[Shadowwind]

“Forgive me Major, this will not be pleasant. However it is necessary.” Not waiting to look at the confusion from the gunman, the elder kidouist at once manifested his mask. At once the runic markings on his left arm began to hum a deep grey throughout the sentence at once the true intent of the ability was lead to bare as the hidden incantation finished, “Black Tide.” At once the Orpheus member was forcibly launched away from Hisao but at the same time the momentum of the surrounding pipes also subsided. Leaving the pair relatively unharmed as the rusted metal clanged noisily onto the ground.

“Madam I was attempting to be nice, however it appears you do not respond well without a push to let you know your place. Gaki Rekkou.” Before the old man a deep green prism manifested itself before quickly bursting into a barrage of green bolts pelting the woman’s new location.

[155/409]

[Akutai] - ‘Abusive Language’

Hisao’s skill with Kidou is nearly unparalleled in both the human world or Soul Society. In the depths of his extensive study of the demon arts, the vizard has learned how to get around normal kidou incantations. Hisao is able to substitute an incantation for section of speech of equal length and still count it as though he fully incanted the spell. To accomplish this, the relic’s left arm now bares a number of intricate runic designs the basis of which is the remnant of his tenth division mitsutome. When incanted in this way, his arm glows in a slight grey hue and if analyzed closely the runes will repeat the kanji of the name and school of the kidou being used. However, this script is often so small unless actively looking very close to the old man’s hand they are indistinguishable.

 

[Shun]

Like an air raid, the beams bombarded everything that was around her. There was smoke and debris raining everywhere as the ancient kidou specialist and his ally wondered what had been produced from their efforts to incapacitate her. A loud cry pierced through, seemingly come from Raila. As the smoke cleared up and they gazed at where she had once stood, there was no longer a human standing there before them nor any traces of where the beams had gone. In fact, there seemed to be an abomination, but the truth finally settled in. The thing that stood before them was indeed none other than Raila Yumasaki, dubbed Deep Steel by Cerberus.

"Sorry," she mumbled to her counterpart. "I just want them to stay here with me."

Blood pooled down from her arm. Where there should have been an appendage, a ghoul covered in durable plating from various trinkets and disassembled pieces of the wreckage seemed to have sprouted from her left arm. With each passing second, it seemed to spread along her body and wrap itself around her as if it were possessing her slowly but surely. To any ordinary onlooker, it would have appeared as if the thing itself were a hollow, but it was much more than that.

"No," the other part of her replied, almost whining in a very child-like manner, "We have to kill them."

Without waiting for a response, her other half opened its mouth. From its gaping maw, the same green beams from Gaki Rekkou shot forward back at its caster.

At last, the reason why Masato's initial observation about her tainted spiritual thread had been answered.

[ 1122 ]​

Raila's true form + True Awakening

I'll probably write something more formal later, but her TA allows her other half to absorb energy based attacks and redirect them back at their caster, ie which is why it used gaki rekkou.

 

[Shadowwind]

“I have served as vice-captain to the Soutaichou himself, my knowledge of kidou is unparalleled.” The old man hissed, his eyes refusing to break contact with the beast on the woman’s arm. “I am the Imperator of the Army of Masks. I have lived for centuries perfecting the arcane craft, and a whelp believes it can use a kidou against me? One of my own?” The bolts of energy bared down on the old man who made no attempt to dodge them. At the last possible instant, the returned blow disappeared. Its heat rushing like a wave over the greyed vizard.

“Well then beast, let us see if you or I are better with the arcane, shall we?” The full force of the relic’s malice was brought to bare. His reiatsu seemed less a pressure and more a living breathing force, the primal hunger of his inner hollow given some presence in the world. Without warning, the relic’s arms both burst into black flame. “Haien, Kokuryuha.’ Both of Hisao’s arms flew forward and with it came an inferno. A dragon made of flame swirling in a chaotic maelstrom of more fire. Within the hellfire came another gift, interspersed with the flames were the same green bolts of energy that had just seconds before threatened the old man. The very same ones he had originally used against the woman. “I will make you regret with every fiber of your being meeting me and insulting my craft.”

[244/655]

[Jubaku Kuugeki (Spell Void)] - Through becoming more aware of his abilities as a vizard Hisao has learned how to shift a kidou’s direction after casting. By paying 1% of his reiatsu and generating 3% rage, he can create a Garganta void around any spell that he casts. This void can then be opened anywhere within 10m of its original position at which time the spell will reappear as though nothing happened. The void can remain unopened for one additional turn before the spell inside is broken down. In addition this ability cannot be used two consecutive turns in a row.

 

[Shun]

"I think he’s angry," she stated idly as if she weren’t in the midst of battle. No matter who it was they were exactly dealing with and what fancy titles he may have held, there was no stopping the pair although it was evident that they had definitely gotten the old man to step away from his kind shell. From here on out, it would certainly be a challenge getting through this old man, who seemed to control and bend kidou with impunity as if it were second nature and as if he knew the incantations for every spell that ever existed.

"All the better! I will not and absolutely refuse to die here!" her partner growled, as it absorbed both kidou spells in the same manner. In that fleeting instant however, a pained expression seemed to wash over Raila’s face, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed. The demon arts were as the name suggested arcane spells that each had their own unique abilities. They were not meant to be deflected back especially not more than one at once; in fact, defying the nature of the spells themselves was perhaps expediting or asking for a death wish. At any given moment, the caster could just as easily become the victim to his or her own spell, and that was something that she was not about to let herself succumb to.

Wincing from the pain and burns that had come from making contact with the ravenous dragon summoned forth from hadou seventy and from the use of her awakened abilities, Raila watched as both the Kokuryuha spell and Gaki Rekkou were launched back at the former vice-captain. At this point, pain was the last thing crossing her mind. All of the trials and experiments that she had seen in her lifespan were much more cruel and inhumane than what was taking place here. As her psyche began to contort and completely split into two separate warring entities, one kept a levelheaded attitude of the potential danger while the other more rebellious side was beginning to outweigh it.

In moments, the battle had shifted to a back and forth exchange between her and the Imperator, each waiting for the other to give in from the strain that it took to redirect the demon arts.

[ 1508 ]​

 

[Several Zombies]

I'm about to go shock and awe on your ass >:[




"Heh," the Major scoffed, a devilish grin snaking its way across his face. "Don't count me out just yet."

A static hum began to build. At first it was nothing more than a whisper to the three combatants, but it quickly built to a loud, almost deafening roar as the extent of the gunslinger's spiritual power was released -- a fiery torrent of reiatsu surrounding him as he took a step towards the girl. If there was one thing Masato hated more than anything, it was being underestimated.

In a flash of arcane energy, the agent appeared between the elderly Imperator and Raila. The seven prismatic cells of his post-human evolution thrummed with power as he raised his weapon; its barrel glowing a deep orange as he chambered a lone incendiary round.

Taking aim, the Major fired.

The heat seemed to appear before the flames, an ethereal curtain of scorching gas blasting outward from the otherworldly construct. In less than a heartbeat, the air in front of the major seemed to combust -- a massive, roaring conflagration burning with all the ferocity of the fires of hell themselves -- devouring the girl's feeble attack and pushing onward in its attempt to reduce her to ashes.

207/630

Marcellus Wallace

Ability: Juuhou - "Heavy Artillery” - 50% Resonance

At the cost of between 1 to 15% of the user’s reiatsu, any attacks attacks fired though the prismatic plate's orange side are boosted by an equal amount. In addition, the prism also boosts the magnitude of the ability, physically increasing the area covered by an attack. For example, if one were to fire 'Byakurai' into the prism, the spells blast radius would be expanded to the diameter of the prism (small attack goes in, big attack comes out). The prism also has a unique effect on Orpheus' ammunition. If, for example, a Pyre round was fired through the prism, the outgoing attack would be manifested as a pillar of fire instead of a simple bullet.



Unique Ammo Effects:
Standard: Fires one massive bullet which explodes on impact.
Fire: Outgoing attack manifests as a large pillar of fire.
Ice: Outgoing attack manifests as a wave of ice.
Lightning: Outgoing attack manifests as massive bolt of electricity.
Disrupt: Multiplies the round by three, spreading disruption targets over its area of impact.

[Covering Fire]

While every agent of the Initiative is a stalwart combatant in their own right, Orpheus’ modus operandi focuses heavily on teamwork and cohesion as a unit. Owing itself to the Initiative’s paramilitary nature, fire-teams of Orpheus agents are trained to foster this concurrence and work towards strength as a whole. Covering Fire is the ultimate expression of this notion. In the event that the user or an ally finds themselves pinned down by an attack or ability, the practitioner of this technique may intercept the ability with an attack of their own -- expending ammunition (and thus, reiatsu) up to the cost of the offending ability in order to nullify it. This ability can only be activated once every other turn.

[Danger Close]

Though heavier ordinance are available in the Armory, more often than not agents will be equipped with some kind of sidearm or carbine. Fast, effective and rugged, these weapons are generally the most suitable choice for any member of Orpheus working in the field. However, the functionality of this form factor comes at the cost of stopping power; something already at a premium when squaring off against Hollows and other spiritual foes. Still, never let it be said that Orpheus agents are lacking in ingenuity. While ammunition used by the Initiative already draw on the users reiatsu to enhance their potency, practitioners of Danger Close have devised a way to utilize the actual firearms unique composition as a medium for transferring spiritual energy into their shots. In layman's terms, this technique allows an agent to overload their bullets with reiatsu, causing them to fracture and explode on impact, like a hollow-point round crossed with a hand-grenade -- flinging shrapnel over a small radius (about one meter). These detonations retain any special properties of the initial round. Each use of Danger Close costs the agent 1% of their reiatsu.

The total attack is around 4,800 Rei. Reducing your costs for Covering Fire leaves it at around 2,500 :3

Resonance - 13371/11268

Overdrive, engage.

 

[Shun]

In an absurdly alarming rate, Raila was reminded of her other opponent, who had just moments ago tried to taze her. Yet again, another miscalculation. How could she have not foreseen this? From what she remembered about Orpheus, their armory should not have been capable of such a feat. However, times had indeed changed. Like the Ceberus Corporation, they too held secrets of their own.

She quickly jumped forward, her free arm turning into a weapon that resembled a sword crafted from the very same material around the wreckage. As the fiery conflagration approached her, Raila attempted to cut right through it in order to disperse the flames; however, her attempt while somewhat successful caused even more burns across the length of her already charred body.

As the waves crashed in once more, a heavy breeze swept up, carrying with it what almost seemed like nonexistent cries of anguish. Like a cacophony, they seemed to compile to the point where it soon became defeaning to even hear the tides coming in. Projections of her past and the torment that she had endured seemed to replay themselves in front of her adversaries. As blood profusely gushed foward, Deep Steel launched herself recklessly at the gunslinger in one final attempt, lunging forward with her swordarm in the hopes of piercing right through the Orpheus agent's heart.

[ 1732 ]​

 

[Shadowwind]

There was no pomp, no joyous gloating in what the relic did next. With the precision of a scholar trained for hundreds of years in the art of killing, the old man performed one lightning fast phrase. “Kongoubaku.” The searing blast of energy and molten metal rained down on the poor woman’s final vain attempt at retribution. “I do not recall asking for your help Major, next time kindly mind your own business as I had my own reasons for that fight and your ‘help’ simply negated three attacks I could have used to murder her sooner.”


The old man took a few steps in silence before turning back to the gunman, “She is dead and poses no more threat to us. I suggest we keep going, and next time keep in mind that I do not always need your help human. I have seen far more wars than you could even begin to dream of.” With no further words the old man continued walk towards the next room not waiting for the gunslinger’s reply.

[175/830]

 

[Shun]

Whether or not Masato would offer a rebuttal to his partner's comments didn't matter at this point.

It was over.

One moment it seemed like her suicidal ploy would work, and she would at least be able to take out the Orpheus agent with her, and then the next, her plans were ruined. In mere moments, another unfortunate being was felled in this very same room. Like the Master Assassin earlier, she could feel her that her time was up. As she staggered back, Raila stared weakly at her counterpart who seemed to still stubbornly fight against the pain that seared throughout its host's entire body. Despite its attempts, it was futile. The material that she had attached to her body began to chip away. All of the metal and shrapnel that she used crumbled away to reveal a very fragile-looking body and a very mutilated one at that.

As her vision began to blur, a strange sense of euphoria overcame her.

Death was something that she was accustomed to. After all, the Corporation had her become an assassin since they had dubbed her Deep Steel, one of several experiments that had gone wrong. In all those times she had seen her victims die, she had never once considered the fact that just maybe it wasn't so bad. Did death always feel so peaceful and serene? In all her life's misery and torment, for once, she finally felt free, as if she had been relieved from a burden.

As she fell back and sunk deep into the water where no one could retrieve her corpse, two words seemed to slip out.

"I'm sorry."

[ 2000 Final ]​

lock thread please

Can I get a mod or in this case mods to lock this thread and label it appropriately according to the week it ended, xD just my luck to be in a thread with two mods who have the power to do so haha