War of Dragons: Amidst The Tower

Amongst the bones and dark, some of the ancient remnants of the undead are shattered beneath the feet of invisible footsteps. A spark of light, the only sign that someone is there. His cloak brushing past nearby objects.

"After all this time..."

Long and slender strides carry the invisible visitor forwards, passing by yet another wall. They quickly glance down at a device they're holding in their hair. The green glow causing the glamour cast over their body to momentarily give away their position amidst the darkness of the catacombs.

"Where did you bury our past, old friend?"

----

The ground beneath Karluin quakes. There's a terrible tremble that shakes the city above. Adventurers are summoned into the depths of the Catacombs, a place where monsters still live... only to watch as far in the distance, a laser-like blue beam cuts across the distance between the many walls, erasing the darkness and the monsters that hide within.

There's a pause, then another flood of light. Whatever this is, it is approaching.

----

Getting closer, perhaps even having laid a trap, they come across what appears to be a woman in simple garb, but with most of her face hidden by a strange helmet. Her blue hair doesn't stand out particularly on its own... but there's something almost doll-like about her. The Her hands, which are exposed, have obvious ball-joint shapes to them, and something about her face suggests subtle grooves and plates that make her almost...

Machine like.

<Tear of Ice> [https://imgur.com/a/d6htfcx]

With the usual Monster iconography. Even as they approach, she moves her hand out, spearing blue light across the ground and towards those who are approaching. A few Adventurers who just happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time are swallowed up immediately by the light. Those who had them in their raid party seeing their HPs rapidly drain to zero, before they shatter!

Somewhere...

Kita is working on some of the supports to one of the out-buildings in Karluin keep, putting to practice some of the sills Arianne has been drilling into her in regards to her woodworking. The Black Mage looks anything but, wearing a button up white shirt and work trousers. The sudden rumble beneath her feet is enough to cause her chisel to catch the wrong way, drawing out a curse from her lips.

"Oh come on, I've been working on that for /hours/." Someone is going to pay for that...

---

By the time they arrive in the Labyrinth, Kita has, at least, gotten her spellbook and looks ever so slightly more like a capable Adventurer. And by that, it means that she has her book out, and a faint glow of a dark mote that is hovering over her shoulder that has been her constant companion as of late. The mote makes angry eyes as it looks down the darkened hallways at the light show. It floats ominously.

"Okay, what the hell is that thing?" She asks, to no one in particular, looking to the party health bar and wincing internally. "Right, don't step in the bad." As if that needed reminding. Apparently, this enemy is particularly deadly and has some pretty intense mechanics.

Rather than diving forward to deal with the problem, Kita hangs back and begins to draw out some music, notes forming from magical energies as if she had stored up notes of her playing various instruments. They overlap one another, but in the dark of the Labyrinth, they don't seem to have as much impact as one might expect.

With all the training she did using the Labyrinth beneath Karluin as a death trap obstacle course Vertina has gotten pretty good at making her way deeper under Karluin. It's not perfect, there's still plenty of twists and turns she didn't explore, but the Salamander makes in throuh with relative hastiness. At least fast enough to be on the tail end of the first arrivals... and fast enough to juke back around a corner as one of those beams rip through. "That explains the light show and the quakes...."

Not one to hesitate for long, Vertina darts from her spot once the beam has died down, kicking up one of her balls of flaming rock as she charges closer to the Monster intruder. Once she's getting in range she lobs the ball into the air, then jumps and rapels off a wall for the extra height and angle to kick the flaming projectile screaming at the ice lady from a downward angle, to ensure her shot doesn't get intercepted by another sweeping energy beam.

    The quake had been the first source of trouble that had came over the wire. Chim links, complaining, someone shouting to get a construction person up there to make sure the entire Karluin city isn't going to collapse. So Setsuna also has decided to come up there and see what the trouble is, partially because all he wants is to find out that Roswall and crew start to complain about noisy upstairs neighbors. Then there is the cut off from reports meaning combat has begun and Setsuna followed by his good three headed puppy Demon run for it. Just in time to see some adventurer die to a monster's blue light. "Watch out for the lights!" With a duck and roll Setsuna scoops up shadow in his hand literally as he unleashes a ball of dark energy at the monster trying to blind her and more importantly the light.

    Seems the new-blooded utility sage isn't all that far behind Vertina, bringing up the rear, providing a bit of light as needed. "Quakes.. and more.. what in the heck -is- that? I don't recognize it!" And seeing as she had spent the last year, mostly away from the guild, to try and learn a lot of in-game spells and mechanics, well, that's saying something. Though that's about the same time as when Vert tears off after the monster out there, and that gets Taiyo following, for a moment at least, before taking up a stance at range. "I don't know what that thing is but have at it!"

    With a lot of full health bars all around, Taiyo takes a moment to call up a fierce chill before sending it the creature's way. "Lets see if I can at least get a debuff in before the real fun starts.."

Schneider was eating supper when the call came that /something/ was going on down below and needed some of the heavy hitters. He comes, too, to see what's going on, looking over the vast underground space as the party proceeds down here pretty quickly to investigate the ground quaking.

Schneider pauses as the more eager fighters get lasered down like they were made of paper, and he makes a mental note to avoid that laser if he can. He chims, on the raid channel, "What the hell's going on, boss?" as he looks around for cover. Though, cover that can withstand that beam seems unlikely.

But when the spells start flying, he guesses that's his answer: It's attacking time. "Brain, Brain dead. Obey your blood oath, come forth from the land of Avalon. Fire of Gehenna, become a fiery blast and burn everything around us!" He concludes with a resounding, "EXODUS!" and fire and flames erupt around him, surrounding him with burning flames, which peel off and fly onto the distant figure in a strange display.

There are far too many mysteries in the tower. /Far/ too many. But one thing that is absolutely not a mystery is how much work a certain doctor has put into building the Scale Emblem's infrastructure in the tower.

Thus, the moment there's a rumor of /something/ tearing up the understories of Karluin, the town he LITERALLY JUST FINISHED PUTTING BACK TOGETHER, the doctor is there with a vengeance.

Of course, when he lays eyes on what is responsible, he's immediately... apprehensive. "Black Rating... Something like that, under Karluin...? Is it another White Whale?" Lightning leaps from his staff, arcing at the strange, oddly mechanical enemy. But she flits out of the way, darting past the leaping lightning with unnatural grace. Prophylaxis clicks his teeth, "I've got no idea! All I know is that we need to stop this thing, no matter what!"

Why is Robert here? Who knows. He certainly doesn't -look- like he should be here. He's managed a getup that looks like he should be off cruising around in a safari somewhere. And he certainly doesn't look like he has any sort of purpose in being here.

On the contrary, he looks to be a bit mistily lost. Puzzlement etches his features, one hand lifts to scratch at his head. Evidently his recent...experiments with the air element may already be having an effect on his personality. At any rate, while the confusion never quite clears up, the orders are, at least, clear. Prophylaxis says something needs to go poof. Robert tilts his head to the side, raises one hand, drops a mouthful of an incantation in triple speed and sends a rather sickly-looking cloud of darkness wafting its not-so-innocent way towards the mechanical being.

Syx was doing his usual thing, which means he was probably doing push-ups or pull-ups or something like that. He really needs to actually build a gym or something one of these days. So he can get around to clangin' and bangin' all day long.

The earthquakes get his attention, though. So he comes running to where Landers are directing folks down into the labrynth. He's expecting to fight his way through a bunch of monsters to get to the problem, but it seems that the giant laser deathtraps have taken care of that.

Once the group has gathered, and several of the folks too close get instantly obliterated, Syx snorts faintly, "Okay cool. Just dodge the lasers and hits the bad lady. Easy enough." Syx then rushes forward, as he's prone to do, taking a moment to get into a better position and get behind the mechanical woman, before moving in to grab her with the intent to haul her through the air and slam her into one of the labrynth walls. Hopefully that'll open her up for attacks from the others.

Getting a better visual of the creature before them, this 'Tear of Ice', they'll notice a rather tell-tale sign of a metalic structure at her throat. However, there's something damaged looking about it. It looks like there's meant to be some kind of 'spherical' object inlaid there. But it's missing.

As Kita begins to draw out her notes, bringing forth magical energies, there's a sudden discordenant screetch. Almost like a voice-box that isn't working correctly as the blue-haired woman opens her mouth and just seems to 'scream'. It's got an almost radio-crackle element to it that seems to get in the way of Kita's attempts at music!

The being, whose eyes can't even be seen due to her facemask, continues to move forward. But she's perfectly capable of seeing it seems, as the moment Vertina comes through the dust and debris of the initial laser-strike, the machine-woman grabs right at the flaming projectile, causing it to screetch to a fierce halt against her hand. Smoldering, ticking down her health just a bit... but not truly reaching her. Its head not even moved from its forward position.

The creature then waves its hand forward, and suddenly flashes and crystals of light spread all throughout the area in a half-moon shape in front of her. The crystals rapidly shine and swell, before detonating in enormous squalls of ice and frost, seeking to halt all movement permanently amongst those it might touch! Setsuna's darkness is torn apart by some of the light coming from this assault, like some kind of side-event.

----

"It seems that monster is still as terrifying as it was all those years ago." A blonde man considers, staring down upon the chaos below. Besides him, a young woman shakes her head; "This is terrifying. Who would create such a weapon?"

The man smirks. "It was created to defeat by our enemies, to defeat our enemies."

----

Cold ice swirls around the enemy named Tear of Ice, and the woman just... keeps moving through as if Taiyo's ability never even activated. Previously, they might have had even most typical ice based enemies slow down a little bit. But it's as if it doesn't even affect her.

As if she is Immune to Water abilities.

Fire is another story. A boiling eruption of flame plays out across her body as Schneider's exodus takes hold. It rips away at her body, even though its health is not so quick to draw down. A piece just beneath its right cheek begins to meld, showing a glow of metal there, as the flames try to sink in, only for the being to cast her hand out once more, dispersing the intense and powerful flame as if it were nothing, and with that same move, sends hundreds of icicles Schneider's way!

By her name, it seems there is no corruption going on here. In fact, Prophylaxis might recognize some of the tell-tale signs. This... this is an Machina. But it's not a standard model. It's nothing like what Kita has seen before upon 'that island'.

As the Lightning descends, the being once again echoes a terrifying shattering scream, holding up her hand. Forming what looks like a sudden barrier of light that holds back the descending blow. It's not quite like what Kita or that Priestess can use, but it's clearly a high level defensive ability!

Holding her hand there to intercept the rest of Prophylaxis' attack, she is stopped from interfering when Prophylaxis gets in! The darkness surrounding her, searing at some of her defenses. Syx breaks through! Her foot sweeps, pressing through the black of SpritesHero's assault. It SLAMS into the hip of the Tear of Ice, and a shock of 'pain' rushes through Syx in that moment. It's like she just kicked a solid building! She can tell she made progress, that the health went down. She can tell that the pain-dampening is still perfectly in tact. But her attack still sprains something.

And in that moment of awareness, a hand reaches through the darkness, and the Tear of Ice tries to press her to her chest, with Syx' back turned, trying to practically hold her hostage while bringing one arm around to choke her at the neck!

Schneider acks as the Tear of Ice person/thing/monster flings hundreds of icicles his way, and he hurriedly shouts, "DAMEDO! Magic Shield!," and just in time, a shield appears between him a and the incoming damage. It's almost overwheming, but the barrage ends just a heartbeat before his shield is overwhelmed. But this is looking like a hard fight as he sees how his allies are doing, and he will ramp it up a notch.

He chants, "Kaizard, aruzard, kisk! Hansay Glossik! Unleash total destruction! Sage of Hades use the seven keys to open the gates of Hell!" The dark, malevolent energies gather, and he casts them with a bellowed, "HALLOWEEN!"

If she didn't like the fire from Exodus, she's really going to hate this, Helloween broils and burns with even more intensity, and if she brushes that away as easily as the last spell, well, it's not like he's not using the big guns.

"Get away from the crystals!" At least it seems Taiyo may have seen something similar in the Tear's attack to something else. The problem is that she didn't see the one just a bit behind her to the side. That's the reason when it explodes, along with the rest, the 'frost armor' she had put up just in case doesn't really help. "Ngh, note to self, no more water or ice," she grumps before scanning the field. Ugh. That's a lot of damage. She's going to need a few minutes. "Hold on, I have an idea!"

    After darting in to try and be near the center of, well everyone, a flurry of spell circles start erupting all around the were fang, bright white and complex. After another moment of channeling, Taiyo hits the ground, planting a hand against it, which sets all of the spell circles to the ground similarly, attempting to construct a sort of safety zone for everyone inside of it, "GET INSIDE!"

Kita's attempts at music cut off quite suddenly, as she draws back the magic in response to that sudden, ear-piercing sound fom the strange monster. She winces, but isn't willing to drop her spellbook to try to block out the sound.

"If this thing is anything like others I've seen, stay out of the way of any really powerful beam attacks unless you want to wake up back at your respawn." The Imp advises, her tail lashing as she falls to more defensive tactics. Seeing the ice forming around them, she throws up a powerful shield, causing the impact to knock her back, but leaving relatively little damage.

However, that doesn't mean that her spells are any more effective. For some reason, perhaps the fact that she's been using up her mana on training something that /isn't/ fighting, as she tries to form up her Dark Flames, the spell seems to shudder. "Damnit." She shakes out her hand, the purple flames clinging to her fingers.

Vertina makes a three-point landing after her acrobatic kick, just to see the woman holding her projectile kick at bay in one hand. "Whatever she is, she'd made a good goalie with a block like that." And then the retaliatory attack comes in a crescent wave of ice crystals. "Yeah, it's going to be one of those fights, ain't it..." The Salamander pushes herself off the ground and into a backwards flip, hands reaching the ground again only long enough to propel into another arcing motion. She manages to avoid the shards spreading out, in part because they stop moving.

And then they explode.

That part Vertina wasn't expecting, which catchs her in mid-flip and slams her against a catacomb wall, freezing her there. "Could of used that a little sooner," she mutters at the warning. But only momentarily stuck, until she uses her flame breath to weaken the ice enough she can break free. "Should of brought anti-frost potions," she mutters to herself. Oh well, she takes a flask of one of her other conflagatory concoctions, and heaves it in the woman's direction even as she's making a bolt for Taiyo's protective ritual. "So anyone figure out where this bitch came from yet?"

    Setsuna does his best to dodge the blades of ice flying through the air and may or may not try to re enact a certain roof top scene and is sliced up pretty bad from it as he falls and winces. "That hurts."

     Getting back up on his feet he gathers the magic to his eye as they glow with magic. It helps to dim the light around the target as he gathers up magical energy into his hands. "This thing is a pain in the ass, the goblins should have just sent her in." Taking another moment he fires offer a barrage of basic magic missile attacks but they are all going to hit so it will still work out.

SpritesHero goes irridescent. Light plays across his surface--or rather, across the thin, membranous film that stretches across his form from head to toe. It is such a thin, such a frail layer. It would be foolish to expect it to hold off against such an assault.

Spoiler: It doesn't. It -almost- seems to, at least for a moment. Shards glance off it at a grazing angle, sliding past the almost-blurring Robert underneath. Until they don't. First one strikes, then another, then a whole swarm of blades strike true, leaving Robert tastefully decorated with enough streaks of crimson that he might double as a Christmas decoration.

They sting too, judging by the grimace that twists his lips and tightens his jaw. Or maybe that's just his natural reaction to being frozen in place. It's certainly not something he appreciates. One eye twitches in annoyance, his muttered spell somewhere between irritated and sulky. Not that he expects to be able to return the favor. Wickedly sharp vines spring from the ground, but rather than being impertinent enough to try and hold the machina in place, they simply aim to gum up her works a bit. Literally. Thorns and vines both stream towards her ball-joints, aiming to work their way inside. And, at least, slow her up. By even a little bit.

Getting too close was apparently a good idea as Syx finds himself suddenly in a ton of pain when he lands his blow. Without warning she's on top of him, trying to choke him to death. But if there's one thing Syx has learned, it's how to break out of a hold like this.

He raises his hands up and brings them down at the elbow joint, intent on breaking the choke and freeing himself. No time to think about the pain he'll probably feel from the blow though, because he needs to get free.

He doesn't really have anything to use at long range, so he'll just have to deal with the consequences of fighting up close. Hopefully one of the healers has his back. Still Syx needs to get some distance between himself and this monster, so he uses the hardest part of his body and headbutts her right in the mask.

"It's... Like that one on the island. But... Intact? What was it doing in the depths of Karluin? The Alvs... What kind of weapons did they leave behind?" Terrible ones. Terrifying ones. Crystals of ice explode nearby, sending shrapnel tearing into the doctor's flank. He grits his teeth and struggles to erect a defense, but fails at the last, red damage effects flashing across his side as he staggers into Taiyo's defensive field.

"Look... That thing around her neck. Some kind of... control device? Is she running rampant because of it? Or is she just incomplete...?" Whatever the case, it's not a good time to be playing defense.

AND she's immune to ice, because of course she is.

But the doctor does not merely wield the powers of ice and cold.

Several of the sundered stones surrounding the party begin to glow with a fiery inner light, gathering together into a glowing globule of smouldering magma at Prophylaxis' palm. With a roar, he slams his fist into the ball, sending it hurtling towards the Ex-Machina. It explodes a split second before impact, rupturing into a blast of flame and molten stone...!

The Tear of Ice continues to move, its grip of Syx fumbling just barely after the slam to the elbow. Which allows the others to continue their attack without any problems! Another pulse and a screetch rears out. The kinetic force of it pushing against everyone around her, disrupting spells! Pushing and pulsing against Kita. In fact, everyone will notice that their /Mana is being drained/.

Halloween! The searing flame erupts against her once more, melting away some more of the 'metal skin' on the Machina. The Machina's head tilts back, and then drops back in an awkward way, as it fans up its Ice abilities. It has to try a bit harder this time, that much is clear, but once again, it shatters the flames!

----

"To think that this one was the weakest of all of them." The man remarks upon. Looking to the young woman at his side.

"There are more?"

"Yes... exactly Four."

----

A sanctuary of light is created, as the Tear of Ice seems to turn on the gathering, bringing one hand forward. But instead of casting ice, it turns. The entire arm opens up, splitting along the palm, down along the length of the arm to her elbow-joint. Splitting open, fingers tilting back a full hundred-eighty-degrees, revealing five 'holes' which quickly start to light up. The forward facing palm forming an orb of light that seems to gather energy from these five outputs!

Flaming ptions splash against her body. The flames erupting over her clothing and latching on as Vertina's items make contact. They flame and burn, seeking to slowly melt away what is keeping her decent. In as far as something that is basically a doll can be considered indecent. Still, for now, the clothing remain! Though Setsuna's magic missile impacts against its body, blasting out many of the flames as it keeps moving forward.

Vines grab at her, pulling, gripping, tearing into the inner workings. Or at least, attempting to. The moment they get too deep into its workings, they seem to freeze - rather literally. It's slowing it down, and perhaps SpritesHero will even be able to jerk that Charging Arm away from firing at the last moment if he focuses!

Syx tries to get his face into things, and slams his head into the mask... which causes a severe headache, and some red glow to seep down his forehead, as the emotionless mask 'stares' back at him. The doll-like lips unmoving in the face of the damage it does to its healthbar. There is a red glow over the mask though, before it tries to grab at his throat in an attempt to lift him up and choke him while turning her body a bit, keeping Syx away from the blast so that his body doesn't attenuate the field.

Then, the ball of flame comes forth. And at the same time, the Incinerator activates. The Machina spells something out, but its voice-box is too destroyed to utter the words accurately. Instead, a beam of blazing light mmeets Prophylaxis' molten stone and flames, before erupting against the powerful light of Sanctuary, seeking to tear through the magics and shatter not just that spell, but the lives of those it protects! The pale blue light getting bolder and bolder, and ice-crystals forming across either side of the Sanctuary. Ice forming over the barrier itself... behind them...

The crackling of ice spikes starting to push up from the ground around that position, trying to tear through and pierce!

    Setsuna blinks trying to avoid the spikes of ice as they erupt up under him but when he comes out of the shadows he has a spike of ice through his leg. there is a growl as he looks at his 3 headed dog, "Demon on my right!" Together the boy and his pup run in to get in close with Syx as his hands glow with dark energy. Without letting up he tries to dash in and touch the machina, just a single touch would begin to eat away at the damn things health..

Under most circumstanes, having a small mana drain wouldn't be a big deal for Kita. However, with much of her time and focus having been on other things than the realm of combat, means that she just has that much less to go around. It hadn't fully regenerated from her non-combat uses of spells prior to the fight. With the drain, it's that much worse.

Her small wings flutter slightly as she tries to hold back one of the ice shards with a shield, but it causes it to shatter and spikes of it to come flying her way. One cuts her across the cheek in distinct anime fashion (as well as other places) and she steps back, shaking her head. "This thing..."

She knows that there is only so much she can muster with her mana being actively drained, so might as well use the 'big guns' while she is still able to do so. Drawing out dark flames from the pages of her spellbook, she starts to draw them into orbs around her. The little mote floating at her shoulder helps to form them into place, flickering amongst them.

Then, with a sweep of her hand, she sends the balls of dark flame towards the strange machine, each one exploding into dark fire where it impacts.

This was not going very well at all.

Vertina considers for a moment, then scowls a bit, and nods to Taiyo. "Good thinking. This bitch is just really packing a wallop." Case in point, as the ice starts to well up around the Sanctuary dome and push through it. "Keep an eye on the back line..." With which the Salamander is on the move before anyone can really say anything.

Ice spikes burst into the protected zone. Vertina ignites a fiery aura around herself, managing to juke to the side of one, back around another, and hurtle herself for the center of the spot their pushing through. At the same time as several spikes form at jagged angles around it. The flames aren't enough to melt them quickly, and when she pushes through the other side Vertina has numerous red 'wound' marks all over her body to show for it.

And seems not to care, as she rolls onto her feet and takes for a fiery sprint in the ice bitch's direction. Seems like Syx had the right idea all along. Or at least one of the better ones. Maybe with her speed she she can get in close while the lady is still focusing on breaking the barrier over there. Worth a shot.

Just to be on the safe side she deviates her motion a bit, so she's off to the side and then back, coming at the icy bitch from an angle opposite the one she's casting at the barrier from and trying to deal with Syx already in her personal space.

The Salamander comes charging in, winding back a fist to ignite in blistering red and orange flames, and putting her momentum into heaving a great fiery haymaker for the ice doll!

Schneider attempts to raise his cape to ward off the flames of the machina's latest attack, but it's not enough, and he curses as his HP bar starts to dive. There's no time now for a self-heal, and no way to trigger it automatically, he'll have to do that later. When he gets a chance. For now, he's got to attack, to try and drive this thing away if we can, it's right under the city we've put so much energy into. His mana drain is real, but he's a hybrid caster, his spells use mana differently, and he doens't often go Out-Of-Mana. Not that he's skimping on the burn.

"Deep Doomsday," he begins chanting. "To the spirits of land and air, bound by the pact, fulfill your obligation now." Concentration, focus, then shouting, "Megadeath!"

His new explosion is even more intense than the last one, though it's close, order of magnitude-wise. Fire burns and broils, swirling around the target, the air itself burned as fuel for the fire as spirits of air and earth tear up the immediate area in fits of rage.

    It's not a very good sign when in the face of everything that this single monster has, that the healer's going whiter than a ghost. Under the blasting and ice from the Tear, and the way health bars are just plummeting, "The hell, that was the strongest thing I had!" Taiyo barks out, frustrated, before the Tear's attack is doing as much to her, despite a really potent shield, being thrown out as a secondary defense. At this point, Taiyo's clock isn't just cleaned, it's been dismantled and been entirely replaced.

    Sorry Vert, taking care of the back line isn't something that is going to happen, now, after -that- onslaught. "This is more than I can handle," she realizes with a sigh before backing right the heck out of what she hopes is range, putting a fair amount of distance between herself and -everything- to try and act as a rendevouz point for anyone else that wants needs to retreat. <<I'm sorry guys, I am -not- leveled enough for this. I'll tend to anyone else that clears out but at the range I'm going to be, there won't be any coming back if you follow after me, just remember that!>>

SpritesHero has been copying Vertina. At least when it comes to getting smacked around, which erupting spikes of ice seem to do quite nicely. Still attached to the doll by his thorned vines, he's sent flying backwards--only to be arrested by his vines going taut. He nearly faceplants, but manages an (almost) respectable landing for all that his chest has a nice bright-red spot, dead-center.

But back to copying others. Indeed, he's rather tempted to once more follow in Vertina's--both literal and metaphorical--footsteps. However, there's one rather difficult-to-solve problem. And that is that the creature only has one back. Between Vertina and Syx, that back looks to be getting a bit on the full side. So he simply grits his teeth, the irises of his eyes going black as he murmurs a single word under his breath. Dark magic streams into his vines, reinforcing them, and he steps away from the main crowd of other adventurers in order to give those vines a good, hard tug. Hopefully it'll make her next attack harder to execute. Or knock her off-balance. Or anything, really, other than piss her off more than she is already.

"Mana drain...!" Prophylaxis spits, hastily erecting a glowing, white barrier to absorb the rippling wave of force surging into him. The barrier cracks, snaps-- but holds, ultimately, long enough for the wave to pass. "Go," he says to Taiyo, as she retreats. "This is getting to be untenable. We may have to call a retreat, but that would mean letting this... /thing/ run rampant in Karluin," Prophylaxis snarls, the thought of it boiling bile in the pit of his stomach. "Think, Doctor. What is this thing doing... Why is it doing it...?"

He has a moment, the others have it occupied. He can spend a second and consider, reading the thing's body language, trying to nail down something-- anything-- that they can use as leverage...!

Setsuna tries to touch the Machina, but it moves. It shifts its body and puts Syx right in between it and Setsuna. Each time that Demon tries to interfere, the Machina steps aside, only to halt Setsuna's attempts until his machine is worn away. Its head then quickly tilts to the side, noticing the approach of someone's magic it had been disrupting this entire time!

Dark Flames erupt across its body, blowing it slightly forward, stepping in and adjusting its balance, as ball after ball of dark flame erupts across its body. It screetches at some of the orbs, shattering the spell in mid-air through superior magic, but others continue to impact upon its form!

Its other arm finally folds back, stopping its former mechanical weapon shape and readies to return to a different combat configuration as Vertina moves in. The Tear of Ice stomps its foot down right where Vertina is about to go only to be overwhelmed by the sheer air-pressure wrapping around Ragnarok's Wisdom. This allows Vertina to get around her and slam the flames right into its head, causing it to finally release Syx and bring its arms out, scrambling back and almost seeming confused for a moment.

Another detonation bears down on it, now that she's clear of its melee assailants. This gives Schneider all the space and energy he needs to go! The doomsday assault lands, eradicating the ground around it. Stone and debris are cascaded out as its entire position is filled with a blinding explosive light, flooding the region, until it finally stops its rage.

And the Ice Tear is still standing there. Further rips across its form. Red light glowing along its form. Notably, none of it really going away. It doesn't heal itself.

----

"How long do you think it will keep them busy?" The woman asks.

"Long enough for the next step of our plan to take fruition. As long as we keep them busy here, forcing them to keep their gaze upon the tower, the Yamato Adventurers are weakened." The man answers her, before turning around. "This battle is almost at an end. Let's go back."

----

The former vines placed by SpritesHero are gone now. And the man is forced to get to supporting instead. Black streams rushing into those vines, trying to re-align his tactics. The vines tugging and grabbing anew at her, trying to pull her away as she sends ice-shards at Schneider, just barely making her miss!

The Machina continues to move upon the Adventurers, clearing them out. Behind them, a few Skeletons pop up, but the beam claers them out immediately before they even pose a threat. The machine then brings its hand up, and multiple Radial Lights spawn from its arm. Each growing larger as it begins to cast an even heavier spell!

A large circle appears around her, expanding out, and a secondary right above her. Each pulse sends another radial circle into both directions! One descending, one rising, as the air begins to get cold... colder...

Then suddenly, all sound seems to cease, as the world halts.

And the world Becomes Ice in that moment, an Absolute Zero forming between those two rings, reaching out...

Before the other hand extends, bringing forth a blade of light, and seeks to /cut/ through those that remain in one fell swoop. To shatter their ice prisons and annihilate them!

Kita can feel the temperature in the room starting to get colder and colder. Her breath hangs in the air and it is obvious that things are about to get very, very bad. Just as the world is about to become ice, the mote at her side gives 'angry eyes' towards the Tear of Ice and then it floats off into a nearby section of shadows with Kita following.

In that instant, she disappears from view, managing not to be caught in the ice prison. It is only for a brief second, as she re-emerges from a section of shadows close to Setsuna. With him all but frozen in place, she puts herself in harm's way to protect the necromancer. The Imp is forced backwards into the partially frozen Setsuna, the little mote floating at her side angrily.

"We need to get out of here. Now." She blows a brief blip of fire to help thaw Setsuna. "Go. Hurry before we all become permanent ice sculptures down here." The mote circles Setsuna as if it were somehow pressing the point. It zooms off into the darkness.

As she moves to retreat and follow that little mote of darkness that has seemed to become her companion as of late, she casts one last quick spell with the last of her mana. An orb of glass-like wind energy trapped in darkness, which explodes into shards as it gets close to the enemy. Maybe, just maybe it will distract it for long enough for them to get some distance.

An absolute zero.

Which is approximately their chances of defeating this thing here and now.

That wave of killing cold races outward, surging past. Prophylaxis grits his teeth as he absorbs the wave, better suited than the others due to his (abundant) experience resisting a very similar freezing force. A stoneskin effect falls away, dissipating as the Ex-Machina deploys a singular, deadly blade of light...

And Prophylaxis sees, in the corner of his eye, someone whose healthbar is far too low to survive.

Not that his is much better, but-- but this is doctor's duty. To hold life and death in one's hands means always choosing to save as many as he can, no matter what the cost. "Robert!" The Doctor calls, leaping to the other man's defense. His staff slams into the ground, a hastily erected wall of force the only thing standing between the two and the monster about to cut clean through all of them...! "I won't-- just stand by and let this happen!"

Having already seen this thing of a monster take bit hits and keep on trucking back Vertina doesn't bother to wait around and see how effective her blow was, backstepping in the opposite direction as the ice doll recoils from the blow. But at least she finally let go of Syx.

Then she uses one of the other tricks she figured out dodging traps in the ruins. She ignites flames from her hands, releasing a blast that shoots her at a backwards angle like a rocket booster. In a combination of skill and luck she manages the right angle to lob herself between the two rings forming and closing together, avoiding the frosty incapacitation.

Escaping having her movement restricted she's able to use the momentum to hit the ground in a fiery roll and slide that successfuly skims -just barely- under the blade that slices a blinding swath across the battle.

Yeah, even she knows when something has escalated to the point no amount of reckless bravaso is going to help. Once she's back on her feet she kicks it into overdrive, hurtling another flask of flammable chemicals in the ice doll's direction mostly as a diversionary tactic than anything else. And then charging off in the same direction Taiyo did earlier. "This is why I said to watch a back line!" Okay it's not exactly what she meant, but it's close enough. They have an open path to get out at least.

Schneider unable to avoid the incoming attack, and his HP takes another thrashing, plummeting from yellow to red, and he winces. "This thing's attacks are crazy. What's with this game?" But it looks like the rest of his allies are getting the hell out of dodge. There's nothing /we/ can do to stop it, someone will have to come up with a better strategy. Or maybe nuclear weapons.

Turning to run, he takes a parting shot, "Tai-to-ro! Blow this enemy away! Anthem!" But he's facing the wrong way to aim properly, so his shot goes wide, slamming into the ground off to her side. It was a weak attack anyhow, it seems like he'd spent all his big spells, already. He wastes no more time, though, concentrating on getting the hell out.

SpritesHero's eyes flash a warning to Prophylaxis. Slowed as he is by the steadily chilling air, he can't do much to prevent the doctor's approach. For a moment the air fills with static.

But then the other man is too close for a warning bolt, and so Robert is forced to adopt a rather kinder approach. Which is to say that the earth surges suddenly beneath Prophylaxis's feet and, if all goes according to plan, will pinball the Doctor on his merry way to (relative) safety.

But then everything goes frozen. And try as he might to break free, every muscle in his form straining against that icy prison, nothing he does can prevent the blade of light from scything through him and dispersing him into a cloud of pixels.

At least this thing finally let him go. Syx is struggling in close range, and he'll buy Vertina a beer (probably from her own bar) when he gets a chance. With everyone having to retreat, he can't do anything to help Robert. He rains down dozens of burning blows, but it doesn't seem to be working, at least not as well as he would like.

He channels every bit of flame he can muster into one punch, the force behind it enough to shatter steel, he has been trying to learn to put the pressure behind the driver into a single point.

Regardless of if this impact works or not, he's going to fall back. He can't help anybody else if he ends up dead.

    Plenty of pings will guide the retreating forces toward Taiyo, which is also right on the way to the exit. With Vertina coming up into view first, the Salamander would get a pontent dose of out of combat healing as soon as she's in range. "I didn't have much choice near that thing! Between the mana drain and the anti-healing status and EVERYTHING ELSE I didn't have a lot of options!" Frustrated? Very.

    "DAMNIT." Robert's HP bar empties out and then? Gone. "God.... damnit all," she continues, preparing more spells as more of members of SEA arrive. "I'm sorry everyone, I just ... had zero options."

    Setsuna watches as he becomes frozen and then that crescent moon light , it is the reaper's scythe coming to take him. There is a bit of fear but he realizes what is coming and then it doesn't. Kita is instead taking the blow and is knocked into him. Moments later he is free and able to start moving again. Just in time to watch Robert get cleaved by the beam. Suddenly Setsuna is on the chim and talking, there is even a little fear in his voice, it's a lot of back and forth about needing to retreat before finally he says. "I am using whatever authority I may have gained in these last two years. Everyone retreat NOW! That means you too doctor." With a deep breath he begins to gather up all the shadows and fire around mixing it together into one giant ball of black fire. Enough heat is radiating from it that the ice created by the monster should at least start to melt before he launches the ball of fire at it's target. He doesn't even wait to see what happens before he grabs the cerberus fireman style and takes off running in Taiyo's direction doing his best to withdraw from combat.

The blade approaches. At the very least, he can do this. His shield braces against the incoming attack, but someone else has other ideas. The doctor's eyes go wide as the earth abruptly twists underfoot. "You--" With a yelp, he's hurled wide, flung out of the way as the Ex-Machina's sword carves into Robert...

And leaves nothing behind.

Nothing, but a pit of rage boiling in the doctor's gut.

"..." His eyes darken, gaze seething with hatred and regret. Flames surge around his body, but...

Fade, as he shakes his head and turns to retreat as well.

Damn this thing. Damn it all. They're going to need... a much bigger weapon.

Even as Kita re-emerges, the cutting sensation of cold hasn't gone away. The blip of flame that helps Setsuna out is just enough. Luckily, the last spill she manages to work up manages to push through the Extreme Zero that has formed in the area. There's a wind in the area, as the hot air is rushing into the cold, colliding. There's literally clouds forming within the Catacombs right now, as cold and hot slam against one-another!

Amidst this, her own wind energy enhances the darkness further, shards scattering across the Tear of Ice as it is forced on its back foot! This allows the Flask of chemicals to shatter across its body - Vertina giving her last farewell to the Machina! Schneider then manages to combine with that flake to erupt the alchemical flakes, making them burn brighter! Bright enough that it pierces through the cold and creates a steam-cloud that makes it harder for the Tear of Ice to spot them as they retreat! Beams of light following after them! A few more lances of light cutting through the remains of SpritesHero's body, tearing Robert's form apart before he truly shatters.

Another dark flame erupts over it, another steam explosion, as Setsuna keeps up on assault! Their blows causing a continuous curtain that is allowing for their retreat. And amidst the steam, Syx comes through, and punches the Tear of Ice right in the guts, shattering a bit of its carapace and finally sending it back into a wall, slowing it down further!

Behind them, as they retreat, they hear another screetch. And for a moment, they could have sworn they caught a glimpse of more forms moving away. A glisten of something in the distance!

As the steam is blown away, and the Tear of Ice turns upon one of the local monsters and eradicates it with a quick spear of ice it sends from its hand.