Wave of Calamity: 8

The eight Wave of Calamity looms. As the clouds loom over the Holy Empire Westeland, they seem to focus over an Oasis off in the distance, known for a particular undead presence. With only 40 hours on the timer.

> If you attended Floor 8's raid, you are unlikely to be able to travel here in time.

Liminality
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The clouds warp and shift overhead. This is not the first time that the Wave has appeared right over the desert. The last time, there'd been a massive sandworm, cornering enough that even the Hero of the Salamanders had appeared to help with the situation. Even if his help went somewhat unnoticed due to his more... covert mannerisms at the time.

It was also the first sighting of the otherworldy Invader, Glass. And this time, the Wave has come rather soon after the last. Just a bit over two weeks have passed since the last Wave, far faster than the one a month rate that Scale Emblem has been going at so far. Yet, the storm is no less ominous, and the timer has not risen. Only fallen in the time that they have to prepare. Less and less time, time and time again.

The Holy Empire Westelande has however brought some of its leadership today. Though it may not be the Flame Lord himself, Mizufa Trude is no less of a awe-inspiring presence. In fact, it just feels dangerous to stand too close to her. There's this wicked smile on the woman's face, one that makes one think that one is staring death itself in the face.

"Let this battle come! We, the Holy Empire Westelande will resist it alongside the Adventurers. Do not let yourself be shown up by our allies today! I want you all to tally your kills. The squad with the least kills is going to clean the latrines!" She demands, as she sits atop of red Peko, with golden armor, making it look like she's sitting upon a feathered sea of flame.

Along with her, there's this absolute /storm/ of voices that rise up with her, calling out a war-like shout. Just a 'Huuueeeeh!' that thunders across the desert planes and silences and even scares some of the Adventurers. The sheer organization here is something entirely different from what most of the Olympus Alliance and New World Alliance may recognize. It's the kind of organized attitude that even would make the Scale Emblem's most well led team take notes.

The storm continues to coalesce above, as the timer ticks down.

00:00:02
00:00:01
00:00:00

Then, coming down from the skies, is a singular form. Blue cloth lingering around it, with a single yellow ribbon that slowly spins around it as it descends. Only to be followed moments later by these absolutely /units/. Big skeletons who still have some flesh clinging close to their bones descend alongside of it, wearing black helmets, black tattered cloaks, easily twice the size of a person in sheer height, say nothing about their width along with those massive blades they are carrying.

They set down at the edge of the Oasis... and take up an immediate protective detail as the Skeleton in the blue cloth lifts one finger... and immediately causes the skies to turn dark, and lightning to start carving through the region. Green lightning courses around, through...

"CHARGE!" Mizufa Trude doesn't do something like 'wait' for this Lich to finish its spell. The cavalrie storms the Oasis from all sides, right as green lightning hits the water itself...

And a second Lich rises from the waters. One that those who were familiar with the recent Festival would recognize well. Its broken staff raising, not as powerful as it once was. But it still manages to begin raising a skeleton army.

It is to the Adventurers and Landers, the first strike.
Merek
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Merek looks to the battlefield while he takes the time to pull the hood up on his attire, then he nods to people, the beltcape about the waist beginning a light shift in the wind while he begins to draw his sword. With that he watches as the lich comes to the field. He notices that the Landers are beginning their assault, so he begins to lift up his weapon, "Charge! Don't let them get the first strike!" He begins swinging about towards the dancer while he swings along into their skeleton protector.
Baroness Wake
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0



    Baroness Wake has come as swiftly as she could to confront this wave. She hasn't the legions that the Holy Empire can field, of course, but she does not come alone.

    "Well, I do think that is a challenge," she says with a smirk. The Baroness turns her attention to Yuuki, "I've every expectation you'll beat them all when the counting is done."

    Seeing the enemy waste no time, she's delighted that her allies aren't, either. "Thank god, they aren't going to sit around waiting to lose the initiative. Olympus! Let's show them what we're made of!"

    With that, she's charging forward on her peko, though she doesn't stay there long. In moments she's flowing through the shadows, lashing out at the nearest Skeleton Knight.

Kotono
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Dancing skeletons? That's a dance partner Kotono wouldn't like to have (and Miyako probably wouldn't want them as dance partners either, nor would she want them to be recipients of her singing.)

"All right, Miyako, they're counting on us!" With that, the acrobatic assassin twirls her blades as if it's a signature pose thing before nodding to her friend and saying, "Let's do this!"

Zigging, zagging, going left and right swiftly, Kotono approaches one of the dancing skeletons before attempting to strike them with her blades.
Mikage
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The last time that Mikage had been standing in the desert, waiting for a Wave had been a very long time ago. It had been the second Wave of Calamity, and even then, the keen-eyed Ranger had warned them about Glass. Oh, they didn't know her name, then, but Miki had already been aware of her presence, having spotted her prior. Still, it hadn't, technically, been the Outlander's first appearance.

The intensity of the Holy Empire's forces is always a bit surprising for someone who has no experience with the military. Miki flinches a little at the loudness of their calls, and Rama's ears tuck back, the feline looking uncomfortable. He leans into the girl's leg, comforted by a pat on the head. "Stay focused. We don't know what this one will bring."

Soon enough, the sight of a strange Lich the hairs on her neck standing up. "Oh no, not this again." She and Cyrus had barely survived it the first time. "Be careful, everyone. They have the ability to bring back the undead that were defeated around here, and some of them are particularly nasty."

With the call to attack, she draws out Dawnbreaker, the Elemental Machine weapon of hers that unfolds into a bow. Grabbing an arrow from her quiver, Mikage aims it towards the more powerful of the two Liches, summoning up light energy into it, channeling the magic through her relic gemstone. "Let's see how you like some light..."

She fires, hoping that this undead may just be weak to that element in some way.
Giganpor
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


Giganpor had arrived a bit early, and started to wait astride his Nightmare. The sight of the skeletons has him looking skyward. His different, newer armor gleams in dark red along the battlefield as his cloak starts to shine in a calm blue. His hammer-axe spear is in hand before sees the timer go down.

And that form has him staring at it. At least until it raises the Festival skeleton. A snarl is given from him, "That was pesky enough."

He's not got a bit of authority over anyone here. That much he shows and he calls to the others, "Focus on the lich! And watch for life draining attacks! The resurrected one loved doing that during the Festival event!"

Then he charges off, bringing his shield carrying arm up as he prepares to attack. His weapon glows blue as he charges through a summoning circle, "Depths of the oceans, freezing winds! Heed my call! Come forth, Rane!" The serpent-like water elemental seemingly latches on to Giganpor's shoulder as he charges through it, at the same time shifting up to his Were Fang form.

"Rane, call upon the ice rain and let them feel the cold of the grave!" He says towards the elemental. Raising his weapon to point where he wants it, the water elemental spews out the icy rain to pelt the skeletons as Giganpor charges at their boss full speed.
Nami
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Marty McFly, perched upon the shoulder of Nami Seifuku Shu, turns towards the Undine, and in his parrot manner, just starts laughing. It's a bit of a cackle, really, filled with mirth and mockery.

"Shut up, rude bird." says Nami as he draws his twin cutlasses.

He's dressed merely in sailor's fabrics, but he's fleet of feet and ready for action, and, with his mutinous mate clinging to his shoulder, he veritably flies into the fray with alacrity, slicing and slashing this way and that.
Miyako
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Miyako is no more enthused about the dancing skeletons than Kotono is, in fact she finds them downright offensive. "Okay, that's just... wrong," she says, and nods to Kotono as the taller spriggan leaps into combat. "Dancing... mmm, dancing... ah. I have just the thing." And the soundtrack starts playing behind her as she sings and draws her spell-runes.

        "I went upstairs, in the middle of the night
        I tiptoed in, and I turned on the light
        But to my surprise, there was no one in sight
        My uncle Walter goes waltzing at night!

        He goes wa-wa, wa wa-wa wa waltzing with bears
        Raggy bears, baggy bears shaggy bears too!
        There's nothing on Earth uncle Walter won't do
        So he can go waltzing, wa-wa-wa waltzing,
        So he can go waltzing, waltzing with bears!"

    And then the runes gather into a sphere of shadows in her hand, that she hurls into the mob of dancing skeletons, drawing them into its darkness and crushing their bones into powder.

            "DARK BALL!"
Yeowang
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

When the Landers charge, Yeowang charges, too. It's not like she's here to let them do the leavy lifting. And then again, seizing the initiative is an important thing in any fight. Leaping into the fray with her fists and her long blonde hair tied up in a tight bun, she strikes hard, fists practically smoking as she punches and kicks ferociously. Individually, her strikes are small, but they add up. Her technique focuses on speed as much or more than on the power, so while she may not hit as hard as some of the huge monsters in our party, she does comparable damage, taken over time.
Miho
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Miho had given a fair bit of support to Jazz's little project. She'd made it to the nearest hourglass and she had to wait. What would it be this time. She would look to the personel from The empire. She smirks a bit at the motivation for the lander troops. Still, she was glad to have them along they would be a boon to help keep the main assault teams from being mobbed by ads while they fought the primary threats. The timer ticks down after that and away they go.

The landers charge before the lich can finish its spell? Yes, they are on the ball today. With that Miho charges for the Elder Lich and any minions, it might have to make use of her Katana as she goes in a tiny little whirlwind of doom.
Kauchemar
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

"Well she certainly knows how the motivate the troops." Kauchemar turns her attention ahead, trying not to think of what those latrines must be like in the desert heat. And is happily distracted from that thought by seeing familiar boney forms coming into form. "Well well, look who's back. Didn't get your tailbones kicked enough the first time? So be it~" The Nightmare were fang shifts her stride in the direction of the dancing lich and his rising minions. Even as she raises her voice, while gesturing in ways that cause green glow of her own to crackle about her fingers.

And soon several summoned skeletons of her own are rising from the sands, rattling about to her own rhythm opposing the monster's.

"o/~ The dark carnival is in town, you better be ready
Just follow the parade, of dancing skeletons
Full of ghoulish delights, around every corner
Don't tell your parents you're here, they will soon be mourners. o/~"

That's when Kauchemar stops and turns, whip unfurling in one hand for her to crack loudly, and her own skeleton force charges forward to crash into the lich's.. and grab the other undead, swinging them around in wild dance-like gyrations to slam them together and smash them apart.

"o/~ Welcome to the lower berth... The Greatest Show Unearthed!
We appear without a sound, the darkest show around

We will leave you in a daze... Madness, murder, dismay!
Then will disappear at night... with blood on the concrete o/~"
SpritesHero
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

SpritesHero is disinclined to hesitate in situations such as these. Not that he does anything so blatant as lead a charge. But he's found himself a gung-ho, if small group of Adventurers, to leach off of. Err, support. Right, support. Their advance is not particularly diciplined, nor is it particularly intimidating, but it'll do for his purposes. He starts slowly, steadily picks up speed, and begins invoking his magic. By the time his group has reached full speed, the invocation is finished. Subtle streamers of darkness glide forward from his fingers, effortlessly sliding into the sand underfoot. When they emerge, near the elder skeleton, it is in the form of wickedly barbed vines that grasp at the skeleton's bony ankles, attempting to wind their sneaky way around and between the small bones of its feet.
June
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    June arived already in were form. The iron scaled cowgirl in her barbarian princess finery. She digs a hoof into the the sand. "Skelletons? I'm made for this fight." she says with a bright laugh. She switches up languages to Sindarin "Lets do this Junie, folks are counting on you. But killing undead is what you're best at... aside from languages... and writing... and possibly discourse... it's what your at least third best at." she nods her head and tosses her horns side to side before snorting out green fog and charging. Sure she's only five foot, but it's like being charged by a smol freight train. Iron hooves smashing through the sand, her head lowered and horns to plow into the dancing skeletons. She's coming in like wrecking ball before it was cool...
Kaydon
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Another wave. Kaydon knows they can't do anything to stop these unless they stop the tower, and that's not really a viable option. So instead he joins the gathered group of Adventurers with the intent of stopping whatever comes with this wave. Last time the otherworlders decided to get their hands dirty themselves. Kaydon doesn't expect them again. And he's right.

More fucking undead.

He's pretty much had his fill of undead over the last few days, but these ones are undoubtedly not associated with the queen, so he doesn't have to worry too much about that part. Instead he can focus on the main part, which is where he rushes along with the others towards the group.

Two main forces to attack. He focuses on the larger threat, though he'll have to go through the big guys first. No problem. Dropping a shoulder, he aims to check one in the..Well he can't quite reach its chest because of the size difference, so hip? Shin? Somewhere around there. And then he'll deliver a massive slash with his blade.
Proteus
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

"Eight." Proteus counts to herself. Eight floors. Eight clears. Eight Waves. Eight sins. Eight retaliations.

This world will not be destroyed on Proteus' watch. There is too much at stake. Too much to be gained. Perhaps there might be other motivations that she would not speak of. Each retaliation seems to come quicker, more deadly than the last. Each time, the enemies are given another opportunity to annihilate the world.

Here, she stands at the side of Westelande, here to put her life on the line along with those of the Land, though in a less... literal way. "We will fight together for this land." Proteus says, her mouth splitting into her sharklike grin as she, too, looks to the anticipation of the assault to come. "This World... Is beautiful. And it will be protected." The massive cheer does not frighten Proteus. No. It is another piece of the puzzle. Another part of this World that fits neatly into its place. It dovetails nicely together. They might not be the same as the Adventurers, but they are part of it too. It's electrifying. Invigorating. "Let's go." She hisses, feeling the adrenaline. "It's time to solve the next puzzle."

And the puzzle comes... in the form of an Elder Lich and a contingent of Death Knights. Certainly something that would be a threat to a well-prepared group as it is, but an army...?

Then the second Lich arrives. "Ggh!" She hisses. "TWO? MOVE! We can't give them time to establish their beach head!" She cries, her hands flicking in the air. From the Inventory, a brass cube is brought out, hovering between her hands. She flicks them wide, the gem-inlaid box spinning in her hands before she slams her hands together, her fingers sinking into hidden panels and triggers with a KER-CHAK. The panels separate, revaling tightly-packed series of parts within that unfold. "Unleash... /Paradox/!" She calls out, the weapon taking form and snapping into place, mechanically reinforced limbs and latches clacking and locking into the form of a compound recurve bow, a spherical object inset into the bow next to the nock as a wire is reeled down, attached to the other limb of the bow. "Here we go."

Proteus flicks a hand, a window popping open as she gestures and begins activating an Ability: ) - O There is a whine of energy as Proteus pulls back a beam of light, blasting it towards the Elder Lich and trying to thread the needle between the phalanx to nail the Elder Lich with the projectile, which explodes into a sphere of Holy power!

Unfortunately, the Death Knights tank is fight.
Yuuki
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    Yuuki remembers the last time that there was a wave out in the desert here. It was great. There was a giant worm and everything. And Yuuki got swallowed and ended up inside it and hacking away at it from there. Good times were had.

    And it looks like good times are going to be had today as well, judging by the undead army that has arrived to provide today's entertainment. Yuuki turns her head to look up at Wake beside her, grinning, "Of course!" She draws her sword, turning to look back at the opposing army, eyeing those giant skeleton knights in particular, "They look like fun. So I'm definitely going to go all out!"

    The call to charge is given and Yuuki certainly doesn't let herself get left behind! She's off and running, her fleet feet taking her straight towards the undead front lines.

    And then Yuuki runs past it. Slipping through openings, between the giant skeleton knights. She ignores several of them, before finally choosing one to home in on. She dashes towards it, unleashing a quick slash towards its mid-section, before jumping away and out of range of any potential counterattack.

    Yuuki lands again and swiftly dashes towards the next knight, unleashing another slash. And another towards the next. Yuuki lets the knights around her all have a little bit. Trying to leverage her smaller stature and high speed to keep them off balance and from getting any solid hits in.
Rizadoman
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    Rizadoman was coming up in the rear of the forces for once, he had wanted to make sure that no stupid book holder or scythe wielder showed up and attacked them. However seeing the opponents, it was obvious that he couldn't stay back and wait to see if their was an ambush. So with that said Rizadoman summons forth a scabard of bone and charges to put himself in position to attack soon.
Liminality
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

"She's welcome to try! I entertain a challenge!" Mizufa Trude calls out to Baroness Wake, smirking at her. She clearly has quite good hearing, and overheard her talking to Yuuki. After all, Chimlinks still require one to speak out loud. The woman rushing down with her flaming Peko as Skeletons rise around the Oasis, the beings opening their arms... and then each taking a bone into their hands from their rib came and brandish them as daggers!

After which they begin to rhythmically and ominously approach the front lines. The massive Skeleton Knights move to the front lines with them, forming shields! The first clashes against the Skeleton Knights make little progress, their shields harsh. But some of the Peko Warriors jump over them with rediculous bounding leaps, Mizufa leading them, whipping her flaming whip around, carving a massive gash across the land as her whip spins about! She's off to a quick lead. But her army is not as quick on the damage output as the rest of the Adventurers for this round!

Kotono manages to duck around some of the shields, punching apart one of the skeletons herself, before moving to yet another and shattering its jaw! Baroness Wake uses her own Peko to try and get to the one-and-a-half story tall Skeleton Knights, coming out of the shadows, only for it to turn its body and catch her blow with its blade. Her fist to its blade, slowly chipping away at the metal while a red line forms on her first, slowly damaging her in return. Its beady red eyes staring her down while it makes an ominous wailing sound.

Still, it gives Mikage the chance to fire her Light based bow on the target just behind it, as its shield is down. The arrow flashes past the Skeleton Knight's head, only for the Elder Lich to raise its hand and throw up a dark barrier! The light of her arrow burns away at the black barrier, trying to rip through its defenses, massive shadows casting over the desert as light fights dark!

Some of the Skeletons try to throw themselves forward and in the way to protect the Elder, but Giganpor's ice rain, coming from his personal summon, starts clattering down from above. Slowing their motions. Shattering some of them with sharp piercing ice shards!

Then, the shadows suddenly disappear, as Proteus' light blasts through, supporting Mikage's initial blow and helping just that last bit, shattering the barrier and tearing through its defenses, causing the combined blast to wear away at its significant health bar!

Some of the focus waning on the Elder Lich, the Skeleton Knights seem momentarily distracted. This allows Nami to get in through their defenses, darting alongside Kotono amongst the dancing Skeletons. Their rhythm is hard to get a hold of at first. But in due time, the scallywag can figure out their rhythm!

One of them is about to stab Nami in the back, when Miyako's dark orb falls down from above, crushing it as if gravity just increased ten fold and tearing its body apart, before growing in size and grabbing further skeletons under its influence! This allows Yeowang to get in there, mopping up remainders with quick and well placed punches, ducking and weaving in between the dancing skeletons!

Miho ducks towards the larger Skeleton Knights, joining Baroness Wake at hers, slamming the blade upwards and giving Baroness Wake the chance to punch it in the shins or something. However, suddenly, they are struck in the back! Kauchemar summons her Skeletons, which rush their position, only to suddenly attack Miho and Baroness Wake instead! The Elder Lich staring at Kauchemar with... is that a smile? No, it doesn't have an expression. It's all bones.

SpritesHero's vines rush up to try and grab the Elder Lich as it tries to rise into the air to avoid his attack, pulling it back down the ground! This allows the wrecking ball that is June to come charging in, bowling it over! Only for Kaydon to come up from behind it, checking it in the shoulder, and then slamming it over, causing the Elder Lich to momentarily spin in the air, before it moves both arms out and begins to float into the air, a bit worse for wear!

This is where Yuuki comes in, striking at the various Skeleton Knights that try to halt her, but easily can parkour off of their shields to get over their heads and into the center battlefield right along with the Peko riding Holy Empire soldiers, one of them even temporarily letting her ride the back of the saddle as he rushes behind the Skeleton Knights with her!

Rizadoman tries to get in with his bone daggers, only for his bone daggers to suddenly /lift from his hands/, and start to boomerang around the place like shuriken, trying to sail through the Adventurers and Landers alike! This is when the both Liches come together, partially wounded as they may be, and touch hands around one gem. The green gem starting to shine...

And another skeleton rises up.

Crimson eyes. Tattered cloak. And very much leveled up from what it was at the Festival as the both Liches empower it further. It's the Reaper Skeleton. Its gleaming blade across its bone-scythe becomes two gleamining scythes, which it uses in a similar manner to Rizadoman's stolen blades, throwing them through the region and letting them spin and rush for the various Adventurers and Landers!
Baroness Wake
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0



    Wake is still struggling through the sudden appearance of skeletons behind her when the scythes come flying. Though she is good at avoiding most attacks, this one gets through, and it sends her rolling.

    When Wake rises, she has a far more focused expression and her teeth are gritted together as she directs an urgent message through the chimlink.

    Whatever is left of her hit points, she's going right back on the offensive. Thankfully in this fight, pain doesn't hurt. Much.

Mikage
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The fact that the Lich has powerful enough dark magic to simply turn aside her attack is met with a bit of surprise, though it shows in only a lift of Mikage's eyebrows. She lightly lowers the bow, making sure to keep her eyes on their surroundings. Last time, there had been a variety of undead who had returned to the oasis, and there is no telling when something new might take hold on the battle field.

It's a wariness that proves worthwhile when she spots the familiar form of the skeletal Reaper. "Oh no, not you again." She seems to be more wary about other things, though, doing a quick glance as she darts into an area of open sands. As the Reaper swings, she quickly ducks underneath the blow, slidding in the sands with Rama diving after her.

"Rama!" She calls to the cat, who runs to her side. "I'll hold off some of the undead here, try to get closer to the source of the problem and slow it down." She runs a hand along the cat's back, channeling some of her energy into him as the lynx runs off.

Mikage is left to deal with the mooks while Rama plays the hero, the little white lynx racing towards the Lich, trying to latch on to any skeletal part that he can reach with a powerful leap. Where he bites, cold energy starts to freeze the bones in place.
Yeowang
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Yeowang is, surprisingly perhaps, a team player in such events. Someone's got to mop up the trash mobs and remainders before they can cause problems in our backfield. It's not the role she'd choose for herself, but here, at least, she's not a prima dona. In ten years, who can say what will happen? But for now, she performs in a support role, kicking the stuffing out of the dancing skeletons, metaphorically, at least. Trying to keep them from regrouping and counterattacking, fighting them like a whirlwind of death, which she can at least do, kicking them with precise strikes and pinpoint aim, not that it matters much in an MMO. But in a street fight, or in a competition, it'd be important.
Rizadoman
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    Rizadoman is shocked as his bone dagger turning on its wielder and was even more surprised as he sees them turn back on him and its only by a tense arm and tough hide is he able to knock them back before. Then the reaper rises up and the lizardman can hear his comrades cry out in pain over the damage the reaper causes. With a loud roar he looks directly at the reaper who is cleaving through his friends, flames forming within his mouth as he does his best to launch for a fire ball at the reaper.
Giganpor
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


With the success of the ice rain, Giganpor calls to his summon, "Rane, return!"

His shield comes up to take the whirling blades. Then he comments to the Raid link, "I've got the skeleton knights!"

Raising his weapon again, it glows a bright emerald green, "Might of the earth, rise from slumber! Come forth, Granit!"

The summoning circle pops out one of his most faithful as the ape-like elemental bounds up the side of the Nightmare that Giganpor is riding on.

"Go back when you came, fallen!" Giganpor roars. And the horse rears up as Granit gives an answering roar alongside it's master. The trio glow a bright green before the hooves come down on the ground.

At first it seems like a small dust cloud, then there is a WHOOSH as the combination of summoner, summons, and a pet that has an Earth affinity all use the same move at the same time on the Skeleton Knights to make the opening the others need.
Kauchemar
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

*NEEDLE SCRATCH*

No you possible did not imagine that. There's possibly a literal screeching dead stop as the Dancing Lich manages to overtake Kauchemar's attempt at upstaging him and turn her undead summons back upon the defenders. Fortunately they don't last very long, but still, the damage is done.

An unholy glimmer flickers in the Bard's eyes. "So that's how it's going to be, is it?" She retorts, even as the sand shifts beneath her hooves to allow her to leap away from the counterattack. As she skids to a stop she twirls the handle of her whip between her fingers, to hold it like a rocker would a mic. Though when she raises her voice again, what comes forth with the auditory assault is not what would be expected with the defiant posture.

"o/~ This is the song that doesn't end!
Yes it goes on and on my friend.
Some people... started singing it not knowing what it was
And now they'll keep on singing it forever just because... o/~"

Kauchemar took that reversal personal, and now she's counteracting in the best, most terrible way a proper deejay can... the most annoying song possible! She's out to sensory overwhelm and confuse the dancing lich so others can get in and give it the proper beating it deserves.

"o/~ This is the song that doesn't end!
Yes it goes on and on my friend.
Some people... started singing it not knowing what it was
And now they'll keep on singing it forever just because...

o/~ This is the song that doesn't end!
Yes it goes on and on my friend.
Some people... started singing it not knowing what it was
And now they'll keep on singing it forever just because... o/~ "
June
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Having smashed through defenses in one group of skeletons, June slides to a stop. "Oh light of the heavens, spirits of purity, empower this servant with the blazing light of your wrath. Let us bring light unto darkness and crush the minons of darkness under hoof." she growls her eyes flashing as a golden halo of light gathers between her horns. "I refuse to pay for beer tonight." she announces before she charges at the larger skeletons. Perhaps some of these skeletons will find themselves isekai'ed once HolyTruck-kun June is done with them. Her head tossing side to side to smash and scatter bones as she bellows with... is that joy? Sounds like joy the way she's laughing in a slightly unhinged way.
Kotono
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Zig! Zag!

Now you see her, now you don't!

Kotono avoids being hit because she's agile like that.

"Nothing's gonna stop me!" Kotono says as she somersaults around the area, not letting any enemy draw a bead on her. "We're gonna triumph!"

When the time is right, Kotono aims for the dancing skeletons again. "Mind if I 'cut in' with you?" She asks with a smirk as she brings up her blades.
Merek
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Merek looks to the creatures when they begin to strike into the party members. The man lifts up a repelling shield which will shimmer while it takes that strike. He then shifts the weapon of his, the fireball which he cast managed to hit, all the same he needs to keep on fighting. "If we don't keep track of people that are injured, we won't be able to do a lot." The man lifts up the bow which he keeps with him, then he throws a potion at the dancing skeletons.
    Then he shoots an arrow into it to make it explode right into them while he begins to maneuver about the place. "If you're confident in your ability to protect, defend people!"
Kaydon
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Kaydon is surprised the shoulder strike worked, and manages to land the blow with his blade, but soon after is forced to roll away from the attacks that are incoming. He pops back up to his feet in one swift motion, but in doing so has found himself surrounded by several of the dancing skeletons.

He plants one foot on the ground, and then swings his blade in a 360 degree arc. He's going to clear a nice group out of the way and give himself some breathing room all in one go, and that should allow him to re-assess the battlefield and try to figure out his next course of action.
SpritesHero
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

On some level, Robert probably registers what the newest skeleton is doing. After all, just as a scythe whips towards his head his speed suddenly increases. It's a surge of movement, a quick stumble-step. He almost, almost, trips. But he gives no sign of noticing what the scythes are doing behind him. No worried glances offered for either Lander or Adventurer. No sympathy. No grief. Not even a grating of his teeth.

Well, not until Kauchemar starts singing. -That- gets a grinding of teeth for sure, and as his steps carry him closer to the elder skeleton he pours the sentiment into an oozy, gloopy, pulsing ball of corruption. It's positively therapeutic, and his gesture is almost playful as it bats his present towards his target. The lich. Not Kauchemar. Though arguably Kauchemar might -deserve- such a present.
Yuuki
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    As one of the Skeleton Knights swings its massive blade, Yuuki leaps into the air, over the swing. She plants a foot on its shield and launches herself up further, over the knight's head and clearing it. Yuuki lands upon one of the Holy Empire's pekos. Perching on the back of the big bird as it charges through the battlefield, Yuuki gives the rider a thumbs up in thanks, shouting over the chaos of the battlefield, "Hi! I'm Yuuki. Nice to meet you!"

    Yuuki spots another Skeleton Knight up ahead, near to where her current ride is charging. Yuuki points the peko rider towards it, then gives him a grin, "Good luck, don't die!"

    As the peko rushes past the knight, Yuuki leaps off it. Rising into the air, Yuuki reverses her grip on her blade, the weapon starting to glow. Yuuki lets out a battle cry as she falls towards the Skeleton Knight, driving her blade down into its back with a large amount of force, enhanced by her Sword Arte.

    Pulling her weapon free, Yuuki jumps off the dying mob to land on solid ground again, a triumphant grin on her face.

    That quickly vanishes though as some sudden pained cries reach her ears, along with the disturbing sound of something big slicing through people. Yuuki's head snaps around to look, sighting one of those giant scythes carving through the battlefield and spinning straight towards her. Yuuki reacts quickly, leaping into the air and twisting her body horizontal.

    In a brief moment, Yuuki watches the scythe's large blade slice just past her face.

    Yuuki lands once more in a crouch, watching the scythe continuing to spin off. Then she notices some wafts of purplish-black strands of hair floating off on the wind before bursting into tiny clouds of pixels. Yuuki blinks for a moment, before frowning in annoyance towards the offending scythe, "Heeeeey!"
Nami
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

After Nami got hit, the parrot just laughed again, bloodthirsty little avian that he is. The creature *SQUACKS* then taunts the undine, "That looks like it stings, chump!"

And Marty isn't wrong. There's a massive gash of ugly red energy across the better part of Nami's body. The reaper's scythe cut through his frost armor like a hot knife through butter.

But this Undine isn't about to back down. No, he used to be a Captain, and the Captain goes down with the ship.

Or better yet, he makes sure it doesn't come to that.

Instead of attacking, Nami begins chanting in a sonorous, sing-song voice. The music carries, amplified, as a white glow begins to envelop the sailor. He then intones, "BLESSING OF BITH, I CALL UPON YOU. GRANT MY ALLIES SUCCOR. REPELLING SHIELD!!!"

A massive explosion of light erupts from Nami, who floats slightly above the ground, and then everyone... /everyone/ Landers and Adventurers alike, is covered in a radiant shield of protective energy. He then falls to the ground, landing on one knee, spent for a brief moment as so much raw power flows through him.
Miho
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Miho scores a hit or two on one of the Skeleton Knights. More undead had left the small smith in more of a bad mood than she'd be otherwise she will call out to the Baroness

"Keep going we have to get past them and to the Lich!"

She'll keep fighting this time she'll do two things, one her blade burst into flame and then she takes a deep breath letting out a gout of fire then chares up after hacking and slashing as she goes trying to get through the Skelton knights to the Elder Lich.

In the back of her mind she wonders? What would Grandfather think of her? Knowing their crafts were being used for what they once were used for? She had to wonder but she would likely never know. Either way, she could still honour him and her family by using them here.

"I'm not just some artisan for show..."

She mutters as she keeps fighting her way towards the Lich.

"YOU HAVE NO PLACE IN THIS WORLD BACK TO YOUR GRAVE!"
Proteus
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The initial assault is inconclusive and it results in something horrible. The eruption of the massive, deadly Oasis Reaper causes Proteus to skid back along the sand, grimacing as the hell-winds roar in the aftermath of that scythe strike. Proteus launches forward, trying to lunge in, but she makes a terrible mistake. The Reaper is not going to fall for something so simple. The Scythe comes down for her, and Proteus raises a hand. She's caught literally dead to rights. She's about to die...

There is a flurry of movement as a Peko crashes into the way, a Westlande soldier bellowing defiance in the face of annihilation as steel clash. There is a sizzling moment as sparks fly and Proteus lurches inches to one side, falling over... And as she does so, the scythe cleaves straight through the Lander and the Peko, both shattering before her eyes in a single blow. A moment later, there is a seething pain across her body...

Proteus falls, grimacing at the scythe strike across her body, dulled pain erupting across her body as her HP meter plummets precipitously. She is left collapsed on a dune, gasping and breathing rapidly as she stares into the sand. "...Mgh..nn... h... Not... again... /not again/..." She hisses, her hand clutched across that glowing line across her body. This time... She does not bisect... But that Lander did. They sacrificed themselves for her. Her fists clench.

Her breathing stabilizes, as does her heartbeat, as she looks up into the face of death. "Why are these things so powerful? What's the meaning of this...?" She asks... But she clenches her teeth. "This World..." She staggers back to her feet, her cloak draping around her as she sways on her feet. "Is a riddle, looking for answers." She should be running. Fear makes her hand shake. Another strike like that, and she'll be dead.

What are you willing to pay?

What are you willing to risk?

The shaking hand traces more lines. Simple lines. ) X "I... will not run...! THIS WORLD BELONGS TO US!" She hisses... And she leaps forward, crashing through the chaos, slashing past the Oasis Reaper as the bladed arm of the bow cleaves forward. The spectral horror is being brought forth by the combined powers of the Liches... And she sees the focus. That green gem. "Sometimes the answer... IS TO CLEAVE THROUGH!" She cries, slashing in a wide iridescent arc with the bladed bow as she hurls herself past.
Miyako
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Miyako nods to herself, satisfied with the destruction wrought by her spell as it sucks in the skeletons and her friends and allies crunch and smash them. Her eyes follow Kotono for a moment, but the sounds of battle attract her gaze to where the Landers have engaged their own share of the foes.

        "We gave uncle Walter a new coat to wear
        But when he came home, it was covered with hair
        Lately I've noticed several new tears
        I'm sure Uncle Walter goes waltzing with bears!"

    And as she continues to sing the ridiculous song, she continues casting, this time sending a sphere of light flying towards the front lines of the Lander forces to explode into a shining wall of force, surrounding them protectively while letting their own strikes through.
Liminality
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Rama, being as small as it is, manages to get in between the skeletons! Yeowang manages to step in to block a skeleton that'd noticed the feline moments into the dash, and the cat uses Yuuki as she gets close enough to leap up, then goes *poing* off of Yuuki's head to get to the Elder Lich's leg and bites down like a dog to a bone! Ice starting to grow, greater and greater, pulling down the Elder Lich as its weight increases, its health and defenses falling!

Below Rama, Yeowang continues her hard-fought battle. The dancing skeletons keep trying to surround her. But each strike is precisely placed, and keeps up her strategic advantage, zoning the skeletons and keeping her free to roam. Crushing their numbers one Skeleton at a time.

Right after its hit on Baroness Wake, a blast of flame burns over the reaper, licking at its robes. Its red eyes slowly turning towards Rizadoman! The Reaper clearly looking to retaliate, its smoldering cloth still burning away, and catches one of its Scythes with one hand, coming swooping down towards him... raising its arm. Rizadoman suddenly grabbed by one of the skeletons...

When there's this loud sound of a whip lashing, binding the Scythe mid-swing. Mizufa holding the attack at bay with literally one hand, while she grabs a spear from a satchel on the side of her Peko, and throws it right through five Skeletons as if it were nothing! "FOR THE FALLEEEEEN!" She calls out. For no doubt, some of the Adventurers would have caught on that a few of the landers were not so lucky. Not just the Landers, but a few of the Pekos got picked off by the almost impossible to avoid Scythes! At least one of them had gotten in the way of Proteus, trying to protect her from the strike, but it'd gone straight through.

The Landers shout out loud, another War Cry, picking things up. Their weapons lighting on flame as they begin to glow. And moments later, there are Sword Artes /cutting/ en masse through the Skeletons. Skirmishing throughout the Skeleton numbers.

One of the Skeleton Knights lifts their blade at that moment, aiming to come down on Mizufa Trude, only for Giganpor to get in the way of the blade. Bringing Granit to bear to hold the blade at bay, and giving Mizufa the moment she needs to back off. "Thank you, warrior." She remarks to Giganpor - as Kauchemar tries to change the Rhythm. The Lich grabbing at its head as she /changes the tune/ that the Skeletons are dancing at. And with her singing it out loud, it means that the Landers and Adventurers know how to Adjust!

June crashes through the Skeleton Knight's leg, shattering it as it comes down, giving the team a better chance at breaking through! Kotono flying through one of the 'holes' in the Skeleton Knight and coming down upon the now more predictibly dancing Skeletons, stepping in with their steps and shattering bone after bone!

A blast soon trembles the desert, as Merek's potion shatters over the Skeletons, and the detonation of magic washes over the various skeletons below - damaging the reaper partially! Kaydon jumps into the mess left behind, and swings his blade around. But it comes down not just on the Skeletons, but ends up meeting the second Scythe, blocking it from returning to the reaper. Kaydon has to put in every bit of strength they can to ensure they keep it at bay!

Behind him, SpritesHero's orb of goop and arcane corruption slams against the other Lich, seperating it from the Elder Lich and causing their resurrective abilities to pause for just a moment. This gives Rama a chance to come down and return to its master if it so will!

Back on the ground, Yuuki is given an awkward hand-pat to her hand as she thumb-ups at the Holy Empire Westelande Soldier... who thinks she wants a fistbump. It's super awkward. But effective. After her jump, she lands on the back of another Skeleton Knight, bringing her glowing blades down, cutting into it like a hot knife through butter. Tearing into the cloth on its back and ripping through skin and bones! And then watches as that reaper's Scythe which had given her a haircut finally returns from Kaydon's position to the Reaper!

Light ripples out from Nami's position a moment later, creating a shield of light around the Landers and Adventurers. Though notably, it is repelled from Mizufa Trude's body the moment they cast it. It seems to flicker against her for a moment, before immediately 'shattering' off of her body. The woman barely seems to notice it. What she does notice is Miho storming through the skeletons, smashing them with her techniques alongside Kotono - the skeletons splashing and detonating into light!

Proteus speeds past, getting some aid from Mizufa Trude. The woman spotting Proteus rushing forward with all that anger! "Show them your anger, little Imp!" She demands of her, offering her a hand and /throwing/ Proteus towards the Lich! The bladed bow coming down towards the Gem!

CRASH!
Liminality
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The gem shatters, and for a moment, time seems to pause just for Proteus. This familiar... sense.

This familiar... song that echoes in their mind. A green light lifting from the necrotic gem... small tendrils of green reaching across her bow, spiralling towards her hand. THAT hand, as that unsettling music plays in her mind.

< Ma num ra tictim yorr wis kneet hueaf van yorr zaffur >

Time returns, and as she falls past the Lich, her arm feels stiffer. She can feel that substance that covered her has grown just slightly. Changing, ever so subtly. As if an artisan just put the finishing touches on a statue they'd been working on for its entire life. This sudden incantation entering her mind once more.

PROTEUS_FEHU_MORRIGAN_FEHU_MORRIGAN.

----

Time goes on for everyone once more. None have noticed any change but the fact that the necrotic gem just got shattered by Proteus! And the moment Proteus lands on the ground, Miyako is standing over her - sending a bright orb of light up into the Reaper's face, before it expands to form a protective wall around her allies! They need to move!

Right as the Reaper's scythes begin to glow red with the sign of a Sword Art, and the Liches are blasted away from eachother above her from the detonation of their spell collapsing. The Liches then turn simultaneously, and bring their hands down. A massive green 'fog' of a spell coming down, which starts to leech away at everyone's health down on the ground! Slowly sucking away that little bit of HP some of them still have left!
Yeowang
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Yeowang dances circles around the skeletons, evading their clumsy strikes with economical motions. As long as she keeps her head in the game, she'll be OK. Her concentration has been good so far, though. Keeping only a bit of attention on the greater battle, she's focused on DPS-ing the skeletons back into dust, and she's taking them one by one. Joint-locks pin them into place, then a snap kick crunches home for a good chunk of HP, then a massive haymaker drills another in the jaw, and that's it for another one.

So deep in her concentration, she's tuned out the singing and shouting, the rallying cries and the cries of pain. One of the side-effects of fighting dispassionately as she does, it's almost impossible to get psyched up for a fight. On the other hand, she's impossible to demoralize, and her determination is a partial substitute for fighting passion, aiding her attacks with her ferocious, if dispassionate, will to win. These skeletons are going to go down, not because she wants it so badly, but because she WILL make it happen. Determination you can wrap a steel bar around radiates, metaphorically, as she pummels the dancers one by one into pixels and nothing.
Mikage
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Rama drops back down to the ground, using the opportunity between attacks to get just out of range of the Lich. He dodges between the undead, using his small size and quick feet to avoid multiple attacks that come his way.

"Good job, buddy." Mikage slams unto one of the smaller skeletons with her sword, giving herself some space and allowing her animal companion to take his usual place at her side as she tries to focus on the fight around her. It isn't an easy task, figuring that there seems to be enemy forces closing in.

"Stay close. I'm going to see if I can get a shot off..." Rama growls at a nearby skeleton, even as Mikage aims an arrow towards the more powerful Lich. When she fires, though, it doesn't even make it all the way to the target. Instead, the arrow sinks into one of the skeleton knights, who pulls the projectile out, watching as the storm energy around it flickers and then dies out.

"That... did not go as planned." She looks down at Rama, "Maybe we should go on the defensive." The feline bobs his head as if in response. "Right, smart idea."
Kotono
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Unfortunately, Kotono's luck can't last forever, and she gets hit hard.

She looks a bit weakened, but she refuses to give up.

"Not gonna go down so easily." She says as she rubs her body a little, trying to get the pain to go away, before she attempts to use a flying kick style attack on the skeletons.
Merek
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Merek looks to the battlfield, while he will even note that at least all are here by choice. Unlike the 7th Wave. The man begins to lift up the bow with him, while he takes a moment to begin placing an arrow of light within it. He then aims at the sky while he tries to use a blessing, although it doesn't manage to do a lot at the moment.
Baroness Wake
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0



    The Baroness may be hurt, but that wouldn't impact her thinking in the real world and it sure as hell doesn't here. It just draws her focus and makes her angry. When Wake is angry in battle she gets creative with resources. It's a blast from the way back when past as her voice explodes in a roar!

    "YUUKI! JUNE! DELTA STRIKE!"

    She snares hold of a riderless Peko and spurs it into motion, racing towards Yuuki. Wake grabs the smaller Sleeping Knight by the hand and with a growl of pure effort throws Yuuki forward, right at June.

    Checking her steed and suddenly changing directions, Wake lashes out at the nearest Lich. Unfortunately, the attention of one of the knights leaves her cut off from an effective strike.

Giganpor
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


A nod is given to Mizuda as Giganpor shields her from the skeleton warrior, "Not a problem! Let me see if I can at least separate these two larger ones!" He moves forward, then glances at his shoulder, "Granit, hang on tight." The small earth elemental growls before moving to hang on tighter to it's summoner.

The hypnotic-like pattern of his cloak starts to shine brightly before he brings his weapon up, "Hey, big ugly!" He says towards the Elder Lich.

"Listen to the Heaven's Roar!" At the command, his armor suddenly seems to shake before what sounds like a roar comes out of it. A beastial roar that many in New World might recognize as the rumble that he's been experimenting with. A roar that sounds uncannily like a previous Wave's boss. One that caused hearing damage and very much one of their most dangerous foes. The roar reverberates from the armor as he raises his weapon to the air, trying to taunt the Lich it looks like as his cloak shines brightly into the air, a cascade of hypnotic colors.

Giganpor narrows his eyes as he glares at the Elder Lich.
Kaydon
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

This is getting dangerous, the longer it goes. Kaydon knows the group needs to finish this off sooner rather than later. He manages to use his damascus blade in order to deflect an attack coming his way, and then turns his attention back towards the Elder Lich.

Carving his way through towards the Lich itself, he comes in with a big upwards slash with the Damascus Blade, aiming to try to cleave the Lich in two, or perhaps at least cut off a limb or two with the strike. Anything to bring this to an end faster.
June
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    June dips and dodges, running through the various skeletons. Her iron hooves pounding through the sand as she jukes and jives.

    Then there's a shout from Wake, June lifts her head at the shout out then pivots from what was lining up to be another massive tackle, only reflex kicks in. Raids past and raids to come, some shouted commands are just followed.

    The iron bull woman cups her hands waiting and when Yuuki's feet impact she lets out a burst of effort. Strength that a werefang godhand can call on at need to loft the little champ in a high arc.
SpritesHero
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Strikes and stomping feet and scythes are things that Robert can handle. Kinda. Sorta. There's a certain wonderful economy of movement as he sidesteps blows, ducks around flying scythes, and generally avoids getting trampled.

But gas clouds, especially of the poisonous variety, are another matter entirely. As the first puff of green wafts into existance, Robert is so, so out of there. He bravely backs off to a safe(ish) distance, where he valiantly and resolutely...chips away at the Elder Lich's defenses with a battery of curses and debuffs. Rar. Take that.
Kauchemar
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The Bad News: The two Liches decide to flood the battlefield with life leeching necrotic mists. Ick. Nasty.

The Good News: Kauchemar has to stop singing in order to avoid inhaling any of that nasty nonsense.

Psychedelic lavander eyes flicker briefly, and then with the thoom of rushing air she takes off at such tremendous speed she is a blurr, even for something as naturally fast as an equine. One of her favorite tricks is to move so fast she becomes a flicker on the edge of awareness, which is also great for circumnavigating the wreched mist as well.

Which brings her to a stop in one of her favorite places -- behind the enemy lines. Her eyes flicker again, this time an icy blue. "I think it's time for some payback for all the suffering you've caused this land.. from the land itself." She draws on her elemental attunement as she executes a specific movement betwen Artes and dancing.

"With moons above, dark waters rise
You cannot slow the changing tides
From depthe below that never yields
A watery grave -- Drowning Fields!"

Water streams swirl around her as Kauchemar thrusts her arm overhead... and a similar surge of conjured water erupts upward from the oasis as it is filled with the energies of an Elemental. It arcs over the Bardic Summer like a great tsunami, passing over her and crashing down a powerful wave of water upon the Dancing Lich and his remaining forces. Sure, undead can't literally be drowned, but the same pressure will slam them down with the crushing choking force.
Nami
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Nami doesn't stay down on one knee long, partially in thanks to Marty McFly flapping about his head, tugging on his ponytail, *SQUACK* "Get up ye landlubber!"

The undine groans and looks around, seeing still too many undead. Reaching a hand towards the oasis he makes a fist and begins chanting, pulling upwards. The entire oasis begins to form into a pillar of water, rising up.. up... up.......

*SPLOOOSH* And then down. Ineffectual, as Nami shakes with the exertion, despite his failure.
Rizadoman
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    Rizadoman rushes torwards the Reaper as he tries to actively meet the attack head on to block the majority of the damage as he is shoved backwards and ends up taking a knee for a brief moment. Rising up slowly his eyes fall on the elder lich as he begins to start to create anoher bone dagger before he stops remembering the last time. Instead he rushes towards the Lich, claws out and does his best to plan them in the chest of the undead creature, obviosuly if this thing had guts, the lizardman would be ripping them out.
Miho
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Miho is storming through the skeleton to get to the lich and the tiny little terror is not stopping. Her Katana is still burning with fire she makes note of Mizufa and Namai fo the moment even as Proteus makes her move. Miho now runs using her tail to keep her balance as she leaps over, bouncing over one Skelton as she now lunges for the laih.

"FORGE'S FURY!"

The flame about her blade gets even larger as she leaps for the Elder Lich with an attempt to clave them in two if she can pull it off!
Yuuki
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    Poor Lander. Thumbs ups are not for patting!

    A fog begins to descend upon the battlefield. A very unhealthy looking fog. That can't be good. But how do you evade a fog? Out run it? Yuuki certainly tries!

    The fast Imp is off and running! She weaves her way through the battlefield, finding pockets of space where the fog hasn't quite descended yet, keeping ahead of it and avoid any immediate leeching. But she can only outrun it for so long and soon enough it descends on Yuuki, beginning to eat away at her HP.

    The Imp slows to a stop, reaching behind her back and pulling a potion out of her inventory. She chugs it, to keep the HP leech and bay for a short while.

    Yuuki's pointed ears then perk up as she hears Wake's call amongst the sounds of battle. Yuuki grins, turning to face that large Reaper... With its scythe glowing red. She chuckles as she taps her foot against the ground, waiting for Wake to make it over to her, "You're in for it now, big boy!"

    Wake comes galloping up on a peko, Yuuki stretching out her hand to her fellow Sleeping Knight. Caught in the grip, Yuuki is lifted up and then yeeted in the direction of June. Yuuki flips herself in the air to land her feet against June's hands.

    Combining her jump with June's heave, Yuuki is launched upwards in a high arc, towards the Reaper. More specifically, Yuuki aimed herself towards its large weapon. A dark wind rushes up around Yuuki as she closes in on it, her Sword Arte activating to boost her attack speed.

    But there is another effect... Her blade, the Absolute Sword, is glowing. And not with the usual glow of a Sword Arte. It's more than that.

    As Yuuki reaches the Reaper, she unleashes a rapid series of blows, before letting out a battle cry and spinning around for one rather powerful strike against the scythe before she begins to fall back towards the ground... Eyes watching intently to see if she succeeded...
Proteus
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Mizufa Trude encourages Proteus and offers a hand. It's a hand Proteus gladly accepts, taking it and letting her strength add to her incoming force as she crashes forward, crashes through the gem...

Time slows. The words call out. The energy of the gem, the essence of it, flows across her arm and into her right hand. Just like before, something about this thing is part of it. Part of her. Part of who she is becoming. The name is a mystery. Another puzzle, as something subtly changes within her. Something becomes more complete. More functional. More... of what it was always meant to be.

Time resumes, and Proteus gasps, collapsing to the ground as she suddenly clenches her gloved hand, her body trembling once again for an entirely different reason. Miyako spares her from being cloven by the Reaper, but the Liches begin dropping a deadly fog on them in response. "Gggh... What...!?" She hisses... But there is no time to figure out what just happened or how. All she can do is what she knows. Another power is called up: ^ S O

The Aero spell whirls around her, the roar of wind sucking up the gas-borne spell and forming a protective shell for the moment as she levels the bow once more. Something is odd. Something is different. Her hand twitches, as she calls up another quick Ability, unable to focus on much else at the moment: ( U

Purple bolts of Dark energy form in the bow as she launches them towards the lesser of the Liches, Proteus wavering on her feet as she tries to come to terms with what's happening to her... And what it means.
Liminality
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The Dancers continue to fall one by one to the meticulous effort of Yeowang doling out punishment. It may be a slow process, but she is not leaving any Dancing Skeletons behind in her wake. Each punch counts. Each strike shatters bone and cracks jaws! Clearing the way for her allies to step in and creating gainways for them to push through! Kotono stepping in to fight back - to - back with her. A flying kick from Kotono shatters a skull, a quick few punches from Yeowang prepares the next skeleton for a whirlwind kick from Kotono, which shatters the arm of another one nearby, at which point Yeowang can rapid-punch at its chest to shatter that one! Then Miyako joins up with her Naginata, cutting through a few and making it a three-point defense, protecting the other two using her long reach, and 'filtering' the Skeletons that are allowed to get that close to her allies!

At the front of the battle, one of Mikage's arrows is attempted to be deflected by the Skeleton Knights. The fierce wind force may disappate at first as it pulls it out of its body, but the wind magic remains as an enhancement in the area around it. Subtle eddies flowing around at its feet. Merek's blow then shatters into the Skeleton Knight's body, blasting apart across its shield, further empowering the eddies! The light enhancing the winds below, turning them into small tornadoes around it! Rizadoman comes in at that time, blocked by the Skeleton Knight, but he suddenly feels a surge of wind and light energy coarsing through him and his claws - Merek and Mikage's spells taking effect through him, and his claws come RENDING down its shield, carving it apart, before a second carving motion shreds the Skeleton Knight to an end! Shattering it!

Behind it, Kauchemar's water rips across the world like a wave, bubbles popping up throughout the region and grabbing at the Lich as it tries to float away. But with the ice still weighing it down from Rama's attack earlier, it can't get away in time and is finally caught, grabbed amidst water! Other Skeletons helplessly floating up around the earlier trio of Yeowang, Kotono and Miyako! Nami may not be able to make the Oasis spit up water, but she can enhance the spells already going on - Kauchemar's water spell enhanced with Nami's help, writhing and starting to spin within, turning into larger bubbles!

In the meantime, Baroness uses a Peko to throw June and Yuuki towards the Reaper, before attempting to jump in herself. Only to have to touch her hand to the massive blade that comes her way, avoiding getting cut down and able to run up its blade to lay her fist into its helmetted face instead!

June and Yuuki for a moment look like they're going to get intercepted by the Elder Lich, but Giganpor's loud shout below causes it to momentarily be entranced by the demand of that item he wields! The bright lights shining and creating a backdrop behind June and Yuuki! Behind it, Kaydon takes Baroness' place in the trio-attack. Stabbing into the back of the Reaper after jumping off another Lander's Peko! The Damascus blade bites into bone, slowly shredding it!

June makes contact! Her fist SMASHING into the Reaper's head, causing its head to splinter and crack satisfyingly under her fist's force, while SpritesHero from a distance ensures its defenses remain low enough that all these blows are having an even more extreme effect! Miho comes from below, smashing its staff apart with her own blow, and Yuuki joins in with Miho's strike coming in from above as Miho's blow starts to shatter its bones from below while Yuuki's blades sail down!

It tries to halt Yuuki's blade with the Scythe that comes spinning around to protect the Reaper, grabbing it... only for her to cut /through/ the blade! Down, through its body, further and further, until her blades hit Miho's weapon, and the shockwave from the two making simultaneous impact shatters the Reaper.

To her side, she watches as the Landers jump up from their own Pekos! Lances diving into the Elder Lich! Tearing into its body, until a massive and broad Gnome launches up with the help of two shieldbearers to come crashing down on top of its head. With it held in place by Giganpor's Shiny Swarm, even just for a moment, they had the time they needed to get in range and slam it to the ground, crushing its head!

To the other side of the battleground, the attack on the normal Lich continues as it quickly turns, trying to summon its magic and aims it at the Elder Lich, and starts trying to resurrect it! Only to be blasted with various purple blasts of arcane energy. But its health is not dropping fast enough... for a moment, it looks like the Resurrect is going to go through where...

There is this intense light at the center of the battlefield. Two whips wielded, carving through Skeletons, as Mizufa Trude rises into the air and spreads the whips out like a Phoenix. The entire air warping around her as the tips of the whips convulse and coalesce into avatars of flame, and are sent down. Like a Bellmont striking a skeleton with their holy whip, they come down towards the Lich as it stares in confusion at the incoming blows.

The first shatters its head apart, and the second utterly /eradicates/ the Lich in this pillar of exploding light that cascades up into the air and shatters /glass/ up from the ground through the remainder of the Lich' body, shattering it apart...

Before the woman lands on her Peko and continues to carve through the remaining Skeletons. But that leaves a single Skeleton Knight... staring around. Having losts the ones that brought it here. So it suddenly plunges its claw into its chest... and pulls out some kind of green crystal, and raises it into the air... trying to detonate the region before anyone can get away!
Merek
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Merek looks to that crystal which is pulled away from the skeleton knight, while he begins to lift up the bow with him. The man places an arrow of light in it, then he shoots that into it, "Put everything into that crystal! We can't let it explode! We need to bring its durability to 0!"
Yeowang
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Yeowang, Kotono, and Miyako have teamed up, on an ad hoc basis, to pound the hell out of the skeletons, and she looks pleased when there are none left that need pounding. But what's going on over there? She looks out around the battlefield, and some skeleton's doing something .... very bad. She's not immediately sure what, but going by body language and everyone else's reactions, she'd better move quickly. She does, of course, sprinting across and launching a flying kick at the skeleton, boot connecting solidly as she hits it with all her momentum. She then plants her feet and commences a savage beatdown, fists and feet mainly, each tiny chunk of HP one step closer to not dying horribly.
Mikage
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The fact that her attack does anything at all is enough for Mikage as she starts to fall back, giving some space between herself and the various undead enemies. Being someone who is strongest with ranged attacks, it gives her time to adapt and adjust to whatever might be thrown at them while still able to be a threat.

It means that she can see that strange green crystal when the Skeleton Knight pulls it out. Recent events have taught her that anything with a strangely green aura is probably something to be avoided at all costs. It tends to spell bad things.

Since her bow has already been lowered, she grabs for her sword, slashing it quickly through the air in a series of strikes that seem to be aimed at nothing. However, she seems to rip gashes of wind into the air, which are then sent as projectiles, hurtling towards the Skeleton and the crystal.

"Rama, get down!" She warns the cat, perhaps more concerned about him than about her own safety.
Giganpor
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


Giganpor's display dies down. He whistles a bit at what the Gnomes did. "Nice one, brothers!" He salutes them, then looks around before he spots it. A skeleton doing something stupid.

Twisting around, he calls to the Gnomes, "Scatter! Get away!" His Nightmare sinks back into his shadow, "Granit, return!" He pulls out something that he rarely uses. Pulling a coin from inside his shield, he takes aim and sends it flying like it was a missile at the crystal bearing skeleton. Seriously, that thing needs to die quickly!

And he takes off after it as well, right behind his missile as he brings his hammer back, trying to reach it before it can explode. Or even to cover the darn thing with himself if he has to!
Baroness Wake
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0



    The Baroness was quite pleased to see how things were going. The big bads were dead, she wasn't, all was looking so marvelous. But then that damn skeleton had to be there, trying to blow them up. Yet the first thing she can shout is..

    "Yuuki! Get it! You take that one down and you win the tally!!"

    Sleeping Knights are Sleeping Knights, after all.

    Sure, Wake does try to do something about it herself, but in the rush to close the distance, and her greater interest in Yuuki winning this bet, she doesn't manage to contribute very much.

Nami
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

"Aw. Hell no..." and Nami's off like a canonball, complete with enough speed to break the sound barrier! Twin cutlasses in hand the sailor leaps into the air, then comes down at an angle as he spins, swords slashing like helicopter blades at the crystal in the skeleton's hand.
Rizadoman
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    Rizadoman looks at the carnage about him as he sees the liches fall and many of the minions now piles of bones turning in to pixels. He begins to prep his victory cry when he spots the lone skeleton knight raise up a green gem that is pulsing and Rizadoman can feel the horrible magic coming from it. "Ancestors, rise up and help me protect my fellow warriors. " Quickly Rizadoman begins to run towards the knight with two lizardman skeletons still midforming as they run. Rizadoman was doing his best to grab the crystal, it wouldn't exactly be the first time that he took the explosion for others. If only the priestess was here, is all he can think as he runs towards danger.
Kotono
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Taking the time to share a hug with Miyako, Kotono tenses herself up and grasps her blades tightly. "We're not going to lose!" She yells as she takes to the air again, this time aiming her blades like a ninja-style assassin from a movie or anime or something like that.

Then again it is a VRMMO so that makes sense, right?

PROTIP: Try not to think about whether it makes sense or not.
June
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    June slams into the sand with a spray of particles, and there's a shout of winning the tally? "MINE!" She shouts as holy light gathers around her and she sprints towards the skeleton with the crystal. She's down for winning, winning is what the Sleeping Knights do after all... also she doesn't really consider the implications of runing TOWARDS a dark magic bomb while trying to embody the light of the universe in a physical tackle... but that is what June does after all.
Kauchemar
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


The Nightmare's eyes flash in a 'warning of impending doom' way, and she turns her gaze from her previous fight to look directly at the Skeleton Knight as it rips its crystal core out to engage some manner of undead kill switch to detonate itself. "No. I don't think so." She half turns, enough to draw on darker forces as she outstretchs one arm towards the remaining skeleton, palm out and fingers spread.

"My haunting voice the last thing you hear
As shadows coil a binding shell
Even corpses still can fear
As I cast they back to Hell.
Shatter bone like hammer and spear....
"

Deep miasmas start to rise and swirl around the Skeleton Knight. There's a brief pause as her eyes glow, her mane flits around her as curls her fingers and clamps her hand shut.

"Crushing Darkness..." The shadowy forces consolidate, squeezing down upon the Knight to contain it's wrath and hopefully hold it down for the onslaught of counterstrikes sure to come. "NIGHTMARE SPHERE!"
SpritesHero
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Oh. That's....interesting. Robert's eye squints in suspicion, and he takes a nice, long moment to chew on his lip. What? It's just a trash mob. He can take a few moments to ponder cosmic thoughts. Do skeletons commit suicide? -Can- skeletons commit suicide? Is it still a mortal sin when one is presumably immortal?

But then it becomes rather clear that this is not some version of what passes for honor in the Skeleton Squad. It is not death before dishonor. Crystals shouldn't be appearing. Green crystals, specifically, shouldn't be appearing. And they definitely shouldn't be glowing. With a hiss under his breath that...just might border on being a profanity, Robert twitches his fingers. Too far away to tackle, so spell-casting it is. Fuzzy frost, laced through with small cracklings of electricity, drift downwards towards that solitary remaining skeleton.
Yuuki
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    Yuuki succeeds in more than cutting her way through the Reaper's weapon! Landing once more admist the fading light of the exploded Reaper, Yuuki takes in a deep breath. It looks like they've succeeded. The undead army has been driven off! Woo!

    But before there's time to do any real celebration, Yuuki can hear some shouting. Turning to look and see who is disturbing this moment of victory, she sees what the fuss is about...

    The last remaining Skeleton Knight appears to be self-destructing, trying to take everyone else with it...

    And that's just RUDE! Talk about a sore loser.

    No. Yuuki isn't going to have that! The speedy Imp lowers herself and starts dashing towards the remaining skeleton. She finds herself zigging, zagging, leaping over tired Landers and sliding beneath the large round bodies of peko mounts as she rushes towards that Skeleton's position.

    As Yuuki gets closer, she whips her sword out to the side, an aura of flames bursting up around it. Finally Yuuki reaches it, crying out as she leaps towards it, blade coming up to slice towards the skeleton.
Miyako
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Miyako cuts down skeletons with ease as she covers Kotono and Yeowang. Finally, the last of them fallen, she turns to wrap an arm around Kotono for a quick embrace. "Good work," she says, "I think that's got it."

    Moments later comes a shout of warning, and her attention follows her friend's to the danger. Her eyes narrow as she charts her course and charges forward, chanting the spell under her breath, her naginata's blade crackling with energy as she runs.

        "The thunders bellow and clamor
        The harm that they mean to do
        There goes Thor's own hammer
        Cracking the dark in two!"


    And then, as she gets closer, the crowd of attackers gathering around it... she stops. Not a dead stop, just putting everything into hurling that spear-sword directly at the crystal.

    The projectile flies true, guided by the spell, and as it slams into its target the blade SHATTERS as it discharges the over-charged spell into the creature and its talisman!
Miho
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Miho works in tandem with Yuuki for a moment and things go pretty well between everyone else's efforts Lander and Adventurer alike. It seems o be over or is it wait something isn't right there is still something left in the plan something isn't she states for a moment at the last Skeleton, the wait is it pulling a Musashi? Oh gods it is! There's no time for her to close to melee. She draws her bow levels it draws, aims and fires aiming for the monster. Hopefully, it can be taken down before this goes off.

"THE MONSTERS GOING TO BLOW!"

Why does this world have to know what Getter Robo is?!
Kaydon
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

An instant death mechanic?! Kaydon was not expecting something like that. With the crystal being displayed and running the risk of killing the majority of the gathered group, he springs into action.

The Marine in him wants to grab it and jump on it like a grenade. But that wouldn't work, not in this instance. So instead he moves in with his blade on fire, trying to strike at the crystal with several quick blows. Gotta drain it to zero before everyone around him dies.

He won't lose people again. Not like this.
Proteus
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The Liches have been defeated. The land is at peace. This is... good. Everything seems to be sorting itself out. Proteus collapses to one knee once more, exhausted and wavering for a moment from HP loss and everything that's happened so far.

But there's still a problem. Everyone starts pointing and shouting, and she looks up to see the horrible creature, the last skeleton standing, bring out a glowing object in an attempt to what seems to immolate itself for the sake of causing mass casualties.

"... No." She hisses. "No, no NO!"

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJfIFzAKR7k
Persona 1 - Awakening


There's no time. There's no way. She rushes forward as the creature is blasted into pieces. If there was only /something/... "Damn it! NOT LIKE THIS!" She dives, charging into the face of destruction as she scoops up the fallen, activated bomb.

THUMP.

Her hand rises, the leather glove scorching and immolating as she grasps the incandescent explosive to reveal what lies beneath.

The hand isn't flesh at all. It's made of a black substance, marble-like. The fingers and hand are lined with jointwork, the black material shot through with silver lines in a pattern reminiscent of electronics. running up the arm and down along the back of her hand along each finger.

THUMP.

The fingers splay out, then clamp down on the thing. Her will becomes a singular point, threading its way forward through the device as she cries out, "STOP!" If only it was something else. Anything else...

As if making that demand would change anything, no matter how much she wished for it... right?
Liminality
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

There's a call from Mizufa Trude, demanding her troops pull back the moment she sees the Crystal begin to glow. Though it's strange. Instead of acting, she keeps her whips at back, watching the Adventurers. Watching them, observing them. Almost like she trusts that they can see this through without her interference.

Merek's arrow blasts into the crystal at first, right as the Skeleton Knight tries to place its shield in front of it, diffusing the light based blow, its health trickling down! It moves its hand away, protecting the crystal as Yeowang comes sailing in, carving her body across its shoulder and tearing off a whole bone!

Wind carves forth, tearing into the raised shield! Tearing its metal apart, ripping against the plates and tearing a hole in it, preventing proper use from then-on! In fact, Giganpor uses the tear to literally punch his hammer and body through the hole in the shield, slamming his hammer against the jawbone of the Skeleton Knight and causing its helmet to spin, blocking its eyesight!

Baroness Wake hears an immediate complaint from Mizufa Trude saying; "It only counts as one!" Ignoring the fact no doubt that the Elder Lich and normal Lich were technically last-hit by her forces.

Nami tries to get in towards the creature's hand, and he is given one. One hand. It has to raise its left hand up to halt his blades from cutting the right hand, and he cleanly chops it apart, causing the entire shield to fall along with it. The sword already on the ground!

Rizadoman jumps alongside his skeleton warriors. With the Liches down, they can no longer control his summons, and he manages to get up against it, manipulating its arm as it begins to rise and the green light begins to shine brighter and brighter! The Skeleton Lizards cut into its toes, folowed by June bodychecking one of them, crashing into it and shattering bone, causing the entire Skeleton Warrior to fall to its knees!

Kotono comes down on its head, but doesn't make it past its helmet. Instead, her blades skate across its spine, and slashes it apart, cutting off its head - which goes spinning and toppling down to the ground!

Kauchemar's orb comes down, forcing the Skeleton further down, its spine cracking, and the entire Knight comes down, still with its claw gripping tight around the crystal as it begins to shine a tense light, starting to screetch like the viscous magical bomb it is! Frost creeps up its art as Sprites Hero aids Rizadoman in keeping it in place, giving the others a clean shot!

Fire bursts! Yuuki coming to the rescue as fast as she can. Blades singing with light through the air, slicing up along the Skeleton's back, erasing the remainder of its health, shattering it further and further... light lifting from it!

A spear sword flies right for the crystal, smashing against the gem and chipping it, causing a spear of light to come from it, which almost manages to flashburn Miho as she approaches, ripping apart part of her armor with a sheer taste of its power! Miho's bow fires, stabbing into the hole and creating a weak point. More light filtering out, threatening to harm Kaydon's approach! He has to roll out of the way to avoid getting severely hurt, bringing his flaming blade down against it. He feels the contact, he feels the gem cracking. But its integrity is not quite falling fast enough!

Just...

Barely...

Not fast enough.

Proteus' strange alien looking marble hand grabs around the crystal. One of the piercing lights tearing at the stone, trying to rip away her finger. Her health rapidly falling that last little bit! Rippling. Warping. Trembling in her arm. The sand around it turning to glass, slowly expanding outwards...

Green light overlaps green light. Then, this intense sensation like the Law of Alba is being broken by those around Proteus. Then suddenly, a detonation. The shard explodes. Proteus, the group, everyone is thrown back as the crystal detonates. There's this sudden rush of health dropping down. For people like Baroness Wake, Nami, Kotono and Proteus, a frightening prospect. Rushing towards zero...

Before suddenly, the wave seems to invert, and with equal expediency, their health suddenly rushes and rises up! A pulse of healing spreading over the battlefield, even as it leaves glassed sand in its wake!

And then... silence, as the Clouds above drift and fade... and the twin moons shine through. Green and red. Shining down upon them all.
Nami
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Marty McFly says, "What the fuck was that?"

"I do not know bird." replies Nami. "I do not know." The undine just stares at Prospect, mouth slightly agape.
Baroness Wake
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0



    "Well... that's... scuffed."

    The Baroness is known for her way with words. She looks down at herself, then up again, and finally shoots a most pointed look at Proteus that says, quite clearly, that there is a conversation to be had after the dust settles.

    "So.. just checking. I'm not dead, right? This isn't what happens with the 24 hour timer. You can hear me and see me?"

    She's never died since the change, so it's worth asking, right? Just being thorough before she celebrates the being alive thing.

Kotono
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Dropping to one knee as shee catches her breath, Kotono looks around a little as she tries to survey the area, before something within her mind twinges.

"Something's definitely not right here..." Kotono says after a moment of pondering. "There's something wrong here. Someone or something has broken the Law in some way." She narrows her eyes. "I don't know why or how, but there's something illegal going on here." She moves towards Miyako, although it's more like a protective gesture than trying to protect herself.
Mikage
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Not fast enough.

Mikage dives for Rama the moment that the explosion seems inevitable, curling herself around her animal companion even as the two get thrown backwards by the force. What happens next, however, has her staring at where her healthbar normally would be, as if watching it with some sense of confusion.

Then, she hazards a look over in Proteus' direction. There were many things in this world that made no sense, and more and more of them seemed to appear as time goes on. Now, it seems, Proteus may be the source of one of those strange occurances. Merek had used unknown items before to do similar things, but Miki... well she's left without much understanding of what happened.

"You okay?" She asks Rama, softly. The feline crawls out, giving himself a shake. Then, as she gets to her feet, her eyes scan up to the clear night sky. "At least it's over."

She casts a look towards Wake, though, "Not dead."
Giganpor
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


Managing to slam his hammer into the Skeleton Knight didn't seem to be enough. And Giganpor was immediately going to reach for the ground to get the necessary protection to go for the crystal. Only to end up being blown away. Flattened and actually digging a small trench and path. Seeing his HP drop so quickly is also worrying.

Then the boom comes and he lays there for a moment or two.

Twitching, he finally moves to sit up and look around. "What the hell? And why did I feel like something... happened there?"

He moves to grab his weapon and starts looking around, using his keener senses scanning for dead, dieing, or otherwise injured among the Landers mostly. Now that the fighting is over, he can at least try to heal them. Try being the key word.

"Someone explain what happened while we get the Landers what help we can!" He calls to the others, "And look for any sign of invaders besides those Liches!" He starts to move following what he just said, calling out his healing elemental, the light bird Auris.
Merek
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Merek looks to the healing wave that comes upon that change to the crystal that Proteus provides. The man places a palm up to his face with a nod along and looks about. The man seems to feel that sense that the Law was broken. He never really was able to before, until that Data Drain that generally was about to come his way. The man lowers that bow while he takes a look to the skies. "Wave's over, we are safe, and so are the people that are still about."
    The man takes a look along to Proteus, while he nods a little bit that way, "Was that... Hacking?" he asks. "I have used it before, that's a Power Path, and it's breaking the Law of Alba."
Miyako
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Miyako drops to one knee, leaning towards Kotono and sliding an arm around her. "Something is breaking... the law? Which law?" She shakes her head, at least happy that it seems most of the people here are going to live.

    "You'll have to explain that to me later, Ko-chan.. say, over drinks?"
Rizadoman
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    Rizadoman stands from the sudden burst of energy before he feels his injuries healing and looks around the battlefield. At the question of death the lizardman looks in Wake's direction, " No death comes with a blackness of ending, and then your ancestors welcome you or send you back depending on your will to fight. We are still very much alive. How though, that is another question...." Turning he heeeds Giganpor's words and begins to help the landers as best as he can.
Yeowang
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Yeowang keeps fighting, even as the countdown ticks, fighting harder as the moments slice thinner and thinner. The wave flashes over her, dropping her HP preceptitiously as she's sent tumbling ass over teakettle, but then somehow it begins climbing again. "What the hell was that?" she asks, shocked. "Whatever it was, it wasn't normal. Something /wrong/ with the game. It felt ... wrong." She looks around, but seems unable to describe it better, but she's not sure whats what. It looks like we won, though? So that's good? She looks around for anyone that might need help?
Kaydon
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Kaydon tries to push his blade deeper into the crystal, to break it, but it fails.

Thankfully he's not alone, and it seems that the group has...Managed to win. Even if he has no idea what the /hell/ just happened.

"That was not a normal mechanic.." He muses, though if anyone can hear him or not, that depends who's around, "I sure hope someone can figure out what the hell that was about."
SpritesHero
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

SpritesHero just sort of stands there with a bit of an odd expression on his face. It's the evening wind that rouses him from his stupor. He bites down on his lip. Registers the minor pain. Lifts his eyes to regard the clear heavens. Drops his eyes to gaze at the red-and-green glassed sand surface. There's a long, shuddering sigh, and he drops to one knee, staring out towards the edge of the explosion surface, his fingers lightly brushing over the smoothed glass at his feet. He keeps his silence, though his head tilts to the side attentively. Processing something, no doubt.
Yuuki
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    Yuuki skids to a halt after her slash, spinning around to view the fate of the Skeleton Knight.

    It... It wasn't enough!?

    Yuuki darts forward again for a follow up attack, but it's too late. There's an explosion! The Imp is thrown backwards! She can see her HP bar dropping significantly...

    ... And then it rises up again?

    Yuuki lands on her feet after being blasted away, looking around in confusion at the glassed blast site. And yet, no one seems hurt...

    Yuuki's eyes go a little wide, her mouth dropping open just a touch in surprise as she looks at Proteus. Then she says, "Wow! That was freaking AWESOME! Nice job!" She gives Proteus a thumbs up.
Nami
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

"Rum. Definitely rum. Breg Epona has rum, right?" Nami inquires. "There has to be a barrel, somewhere, of rum that needs tapping, and I'll sell the bird if I have to, to buy it."

The parrot in question squacks excitedly, "Yo ho ho and a bottle of... HEY! Filthy pirate!" and begins pecking at the piercings in Nami's ears, tugging on them.

"Gerrof you filth bird!"

After finally fending off his avian ally, Nami stands and walks slowly to Proteus, looking her over curiously. "Hey.. um... are /you/ okay?" he pats himself. "I think I'm okay, and not sure why." He glances to where 'things' just happened. "What... was that about?"
Kauchemar
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

There's some things not even Kauchemar can evade. Partially because casting Nightmare Sphere has drained the energy she would of used for her NOPE NOPE NOPE technique.
Partially because she's not about to ditch on her allies, and Proteus and Wake in particular. She's not that kind of a jerk.

She snarls, dropping to a knee and vainly holding an arm up to shield her face as her mane and tail are kicked wildly in the air by the shockwave of the blast, eating away at the health that had until now been unscathed.

And then it reverses.

"Whoa." After a moment she gets off her knee and stands. "Even I didn't see that coming..." She flicks a hand through her now even more wild than usual mane to try and tuck some of it out of her face. "I hope not, Wake, I wouldn't want to have to live that dying moment over and over for 24 hours."
June
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    June pulls herself up from the pile of bones at the end of her glowing tackle. Only to watch Proteus. "That... isn't suppose to happen." she says to Proteus. "Do not break the laws that way." she says quietly, the metalic bovine woman shaking her head and shifting so that it is just June, the frumpy middle aged librarian in barbarian finery.
Rizadoman
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0


    Rizadoman stares at the bone of the knight he found and stares at it for a moment before taking a deep breath. The text of the item fills his mind as he lets out a growl. "Ainz Ooal Gown." It is all he says as he stores the bone and then returns to helping the landers. For now he would do his best to focus on the task at hand.
Proteus
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The bomb cracks and explodes, Proteus' HP bar quickly beginning to plummet towards zero. Perhaps some wishes aren't to be granted after all...

But then her pain ends. And not in the nothingness of death, but the refreshing rush of healing. Proteus blinks, slowly picking herself up as she looks around in the aftermath of the wave. The clouds of Calamity dissipate, showing that they are, in fact... intact. It's over. And everyone is /very/ confused. Proteus looks down at herself, and then... at the others. Many of them are looking directly at her... Or more specifically, at her hand. Proteus looks down, realizing it's uncovered, and grimaces, tucking the hand away inside her cloak out of sight...

As if that would really be enough to hide it considering the attention. She shrugs to Wake, and then sort of... edges away from Kotono as there is a mention that the Law has been broken. Merek asks her if that was Hacking, and Proteus shrugs. "I don't know what it was, precisely. And if the Law of Alba is going to keep me from saving people..." She shrugs. "Then just consider me a lawbreaker." June admonishes her to not break the laws, and she scowls. "I suppose you'd rather everyone died then? I'll deal with the problem myself."

There is a congratulatory call from Yuuki, and she looks away for a moment at the exuberance, her blue skin tinging red slightly in embarassment as she lowers her hood, trying to hide her face. "... Don't worry about it..." She replies, fidgeting.

Nami approaches, and asks her if /she/ is okay. There is a pause as Proteus looks up to Nami. "I'm all right. I don't feel any..."

There is a pause, her eyes widening suddenly, as if something just occurred to her, her voice going quiet for several seconds. "... I have to go. Now." She says suddenly, turning, and quickly beginning to pace out across the sands, beelining away from the Landers, the other Adventurers... Everyone. She moves quickly...

As if something was right behind her.
Kauchemar
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Kauchemar was going to say something, but ends up just staring a moment as Proteus abruptly turns heel and runs away with surprising speed.

"... Well, that was abrupt."
Baroness Wake
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0



    "Proteus! Wait..."

    Wake pauses, her mind immediately catching on.

    "Nine hells. Is he coming after you!?"

    The Baroness looks about for a peko, but by the time she finds one and mounts up, Proteus is quite well on her way. The failure draws a low growl of annoyance from Wake.

    "Damned virtual body... I wasn't fast enough!"

Miho
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

The thing's going to blow it doens't seem to be enough it's going to get off the blast before it dies thus taking them all with it. Then something happens with Proteus and the Salamander is left staing at the imp. The thing explodes but while she's thrown back her hp is going down oh gods is she going to die. She's sent flying and hit the ground but she does not die her HP goes up as the green pluse spread over the battlefield what hte heck juist happened. She slowly gets up.

"What ... what happened..."
Nami
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Sheathing himself in a coat of energy that verily causes the air around him to part, Nami takes off across the sand after Proteus... and actually seems to be gaining on the imp.
Miyako
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

    Miyako looks up as Proteus speaks to Kotono, and before she can say anything else the other is heading away at speed. She sighs and looks back to her friend. "You all set, Ko-chan? Let's go see if the Landers need any medical help, shall we?"
Kotono
Yamato - -42 - 0 - 0

Nodding to Miyako, Kotono says, "Yeah, let's do that definitely." She's genuinely concerned about the laws being broken, but she doesn't want to think too much about it right now. She needs time to think things over.