CE 3.0 2017-2018

[Aiden]

Gadreel

"Well, I could hardly be so rude as to deny a lady such a reasonable suggestion." That being said, he too was one for keeping such matters discreet. The fallen angel shamelessly scooped the transformed goddess up off the ground and began to carry her out. "Alas, dear fisticuffs enthusiasts, we shall have to meet again another day! For now, farewell!"

The crowd cheered and boo'd in equal measure.

[Aiden]

Shinobu

The pressure on him went away just as swiftly as it had appeared. His nails dug into her skin drawing blood, yet she showed no outward reaction to it. "It is far better that you take your anger out on me, than seek him out and die as a result." Dying was one of the things that was not easy to her, there was no reason to bring that up right now.

"I did warn the both of you that it was likely going to be dangerous and I have no recollection of asking for your help in some sort of takedown. You chose to do that and choices have consequences."

Those nails were proving to cause quite an ache making the blonde vampire grimace from pain for a brief moment. "But you have not accepted your true nature. You see yourself as a human who can transform into a terryfing monster. That is not true, you are not human anymore."

Having said her piece, the blond vampire broke out of his grip and flipped out of the hot spring. "Think about what that truly means." She said in conclusion and then dashed away among the trees.

Ron

... she wasn't wrong. But even if he wasn't human, that didn't mean he was strong either. The werewolf couldn't stop his own futile anger as he lashed out at the water of the hot spring to no purpose, growling in frustration and fury. He couldn't even stop her from going. There was nothing he could do.

Nothing.

In the end he was weak and useless, just like he'd always been. Just like he'd grown up having to accept. But what did acceptance get him now? He'd be spending a long time soaking in that spring seeking an answer.

[YOLF]

Swims-With-Salmons

"Yeah, you're on point. This principle applies especially for a spirit summoning. Respect is important, but the more powerful spirit, the more it will possibly demand and it will be discontent at the summoner if it is called for something trivial, no matter how polite the summoner is. You seem to be well versed about the topic on hand. Have you interacted with the practicioners of the occult a lot?" The werewolf asked the odd butler who seemed to be vaguely familiar with the magic.

Butler

"I picked up quite a bit of theory as an assistant, some years back," he responded, nodding serenely. Of course by that he more meant several decades, but that was a detail. "If you chose to offer that kind of service to my employer, I'm afraid you'd have no competition in your way; though you might have my scrutiny to live up to."

Butler chuckled along that choice of words, light-hearted but significant in their implications.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Liseth

She was about to say something. Really! Something about how he was being rather paranoid and that nothing was happening because Sakura was so dedicated to keeping everything else in check and that she couldn't deal with literally every strange thing that came up.

But she was still sorting that out in her head and got a bit distracted by Sakura getting all weird. There was a worried frown on her face as she looked at her. "Hey, you okay?"


Astarte

Wow. That guy really didn't go quiet, huh? The blood god didn't mind too much. He was busy growing tentacles to shove more flesh spaghetti into his mouth. He looked over at the guy behind the barrier as blood spilled from the wiggling body in his grasp.

"Pretty good night, huh?"


Grigori

At the change in topic the mage began to make her way towards the door. "If you both will excuse me, I'll just be out for a bit. It shouldn't be too long. But I think you could use some time together and I have a little research to pick up." Her circle had already been set up when she weaved the basic runic arrays for this area together. Escape wouldn't be too difficult.

So Grigori took her leave from not only the building but soon the city. Floating on air, weaving a few basic illusions around her, she made her way to scout out the land for less generic confluences of power. Leylines were good to start with, but there were other things that could supplement a mage's power.

And it didn't take her too long to find it, farther out from the city. Elder forests such as these were good places to start, but what she found was interesting. A dead land with wilting trees and hollow ash cast upon the ground. Whatever had been here before was long gone, but it left traces of its power. Such things were not easy to erase.

But first of all she cast a net, a thin but wide covering barrier that would alert her to any strangers as she found herself a secluded area. Then she drew upon that lingering strength, smoldering fire and green shoots emerging from flame.

To make life was not outside the bounds of magic. But she didn't want to do that. She wanted to create an intelligent spell. One that could change, alter itself, and pursue its designated purpose with power and flexibility. An orb of fire the size of a man flared up before her. It flared in the air, twisting and turning. But it could be so much more.

In the same way that a bolt of lightning could streak across enemies without incinerating your allies a spell could be fueled by intent to determine an enemy from a friend. The ball of fire dived around, burning holes through trees and releasing bursts of flame to incinerate withered flowers and other such things with pinpoint accuracy. Still too simple. Too reliant on her. The more degrees of separation she could make between her and the magic she wielded the better.

Her brow furrowed in concentration as she made a few more of the orbs. Magic always helped her concentrate. She would figure this out, if not today than another.

[yinsukin]

Joe

As Joe watched the snake pass through his bullets, he let out a terrified gasp.  His entire body tightened and he closed his eyes, awaiting the final blow.  Instead, a sudden boom and a great shockwave sent the man to the floor.  When he opened his eyes, he saw a monster of a man standing over a black puddle.  A killer who killed his killer.

"Uhhh, s-so I c-can't give you any m-money," he said, his eyes darting around his broken bedroom.  Even his bed was destroyed.  Nothing was spared from the blast.  "I-if you don't want m-money, I can do o-other things."

Please tell me you want money.  Its a lot easier that way...

[Kat]

Anastasia

How she would approach this problem. Maybe making a staircase was a better idea. Make the surface rough enough to not slip on it and just walk down, all casually. She really cared not for bystanders' opinion. In her world magical talent was quite rare but on another hand the belief in the occult was widespread. Mundane bystanders often were in awe of magic, but the knowledge of its existence didn't cause communities to erupt into widespread panic. I guess those bystanders below would handle such a display. So she carefully walked down as a staircase of rough ice materialized under her feet.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Blackmore

The orbs and barrier disintegrated into nothing, fading like illusions without leaving a single strand of their pink luster. The giant grinned at the man as if amused and pulled out a cigarette from his coat's pocket, which lit all by itself as soon as he brushed it between his fingers before he took a deep breath of the smoke. Despite his maniacally gleeful smile, the sort that laughs about anything and everything, his words were incredibly composed, like he had done this sort of thing so many times it had grown into a tedious routine.

"You can start with a thank you. We did just save your life."

He exhaled, and the room filled with the aroma of smoke and scented spices. It was a peculiar contrast, but a somewhat pleasant and soothing smell. These sort of cigarettes were once popular among cigarette enthusiasts due to its deep aftertastes and their cheapness. These qualities made the product quite popular some years ago, but production had mysteriously stopped, making these once adored cigarettes near impossible to find in the surface world.

Nowadays, you were more likely to find a bootlegged, inferior product. One most likely spiked with far more nefarious but mundane chemicals that could produce, nowhere close to the original quality, but a passable imitation all the same.

But the reddish-golden luster of the insignia around the cigarette made no mistake. Genuine originals were incredibly difficult to come by nowadays, but there was no mistake the stamp of a serpentine dragon over the product. Some territories did still manage the production of these cigarettes, but they were exclusively controlled and maintained by gangs, and an original produce was considered a luxury item reserved for important or distinguished members of the criminal underworld.

Owning such items was a small but considerable display of power, though it would take more than a few good quality cigarettes to have true influence over such a vast web-like underbelly. Still, it was undeniable that whoever could lay his hands on something like this was anything but small fry.

"Want some?" He asked him casually with that same grin.

[Cherry Lover]

Rider

Rider pondered the question for a moment, before responding.

"Well, I don't really have duties, as such", she replied. "I simply help in whatever way she needs me to. I will do anything she requests, provided it is within my abilities and in her best interests."

[Kotomine_Rin]

RED

The girl's eyes widened. People who'd get too close could hurt her, that information had been ingrained into every fiber of her being. She was nothing more than a weapon, a disposable tool, and yet, and yet-

Several massive clawed hands were now clearly visible, each barely more than an inch from the girl, ready to tear her apart yet still as if time itself had stopped. This was too surreal.

But she didn't want this. She didn't want to be a weapon. Not anymore. She wouldn't hurt anyone, ever again. The guilt of what she had done earlier, and how she had lashed out on those who were so kind to her was too much to bear. All the corpses she piled up, all the sins on her back. They were too much for any child to bear. And yet, she couldn't do anything.

Tears ran down her face, and for a while, she felt warm. Then, she returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry..."

A stream of blood dripped from her lips, and all color left her body. As soon as she did that, she lost consciousness.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Costin

The parts of the tree covering her exploded out of the way as she got back up, smashing the wood all over the place.

"Beats me. Maybe she's a fan or something? Damn paparazzi..." She answered with casual cheer and nonchalance to her puppet companion while scratching the back of her head. Honestly, she had no idea what that picture thing was all about either, and this was getting annoying. As if you'd need a reason to maim, kill and eviscerate. Destruction wasn't supposed to make sense, in fact it's only fun when its senseless!

Suddenly, her body shuddered and convulsed like a bubbling mass that tried to escape her spin, and before anyone could tell, her dress rapidly shifted and protruded thorns and branches of crystallized blood, sharper than a sword and sturdy enough to rival steel. Two large horns sprouting from her shoulders  revealed faces twisting in agony and gaping wide mouths before vomiting blood straight into her open hands, forming about half a dozen of throwing blades resembling boomerangs.

"Hey, be careful bro! It's dangerous if you stand so close!"

She called out to the newcomer as well while she dashed forward with incredible speed, throwing  the bladed weapons  in a twisting, unpredictable cone that zigzagged and shifted directions before focusing on the girl and her surroundings, capable of ripping any normal man apart and anyone who'd stand around said man, making this warning rather pointless.

While her thrown weapons would come flying for her prey, she'd dash forward and use that opening to claw her guts out.


Engetsu

--!

"You idiot!"

The demonic sword dissappeared from the rooftop where he had been left. All of a sudden, there was a streak far beyond anything prior. The walls and ceiling  were split apart like cardboard paper,  and the unimaginable blur came dashing from all directions, practically assaulting the girl from all directions. The floor was crushed with his step, but his hand was clenched to his sword to the point they fused together. That was nothing. The blows, the violence.

NO!


Compared to the black aura seeping from that - thing, cloaking his entire frame and leaving nothing but two hollow blue eyes, the purest essence of a blade that attempted to tear his foe asunder did not matter at all. It was a chi so vile nothing could describe it, no wonder the dragon's machinations did not faze him.

And as another blindingly fast swing came an inch from the girl's temple, he did not resume his barrage. He had already gotten what he needed, while he blurred around blindingly, he grabbed the girl and leapt away. They wouldn't catch him, and most of all, his hollow eyes made one thing particularly clear. The last look that he spared them, that he'd ever spare them, spoke of a single thing. You didn't need to be a master swordsman or a kindred to understand their meaning.

Don't you dare touch her again...

Their exchange barely lasted two seconds, but it ended in a complete loss for that man. However, even if his defeat was bitter, he did not consider himself vanquished. He could not slay her, but he was fast. He'd definetely be fast enough to save him. That would be his victory, for the battlefield he chose.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lorry

"Hehe, alright! Well, just report to the boss, wouldn't want to keep her lonely eh?" He gave the kid a good-natured nudge on the side before chuckling lightly. "I'll just go do my thing. If you need me, just call me or something. I'll leave you my pet so you don't get bored, so just study hard and eat some veggies. Its way past your bedtime anyway."

And so he did, waving at the kid without even looking back.


For a while, the mage had wanted to practice his skills. His combat magic hadn't rusted, but this time, he had a hunch to try something different. His birds had scouted the city, and he had managed to find a nice spot where he'd have a good affinity. This way, h'ed both recover quicker and get to have a good practice at once. Though it was weird to see such a consumed forest, he couldn't recall having ever stumbled around this spot...

Oh! He suddenly noticed someone unfamiliar. It wasn't a bad sight at all, but he didn't think he'd be beaten to it so quickly. He watched her for a bit, and noted that her craft was anything but sloppy. He never got to meet someone with the same talent in the pyre's craft as him, so this was kinda new, and probably fun!

"Woah, nice work there.  Are ya here to practice too?" He walked up to the girl and held his hand up to salute her.

[yinsukin]

Medaka

In a blink of an eye, the bleeding in her body had stopped.  The holes scattered around her body began to close.  The pain surged through her body like an intense electrical shock.  However, neither the girl, nor the man listened.  Meanwhile, a man descended from the sky and commanded they continue fighting.  It was as if he came just to punish her peaceful intentions.

His general vibe reminded her of the dark man from before, albeit a lot less imposing.  The blade in particular caught her eye, which seemed to dwarf his own pressure with its strange aura.  However, he was no concern of hers right now and even if he was, it was best to handle one problem at a time.

With her eyes still locked on the dangerous woman, it was child's play to see the attack coming.  However dodging the attack would be an issue.  The blades twisted and zigzagged, flying in strange patterns.  Rather than worrying about countering the blades, she bolted to the approaching man, stopping just in front of him.  Hopefully, this would make the woman chose between moving around her companion or simply striking through him.  In the meantime, she locked eyes with the blades , constantly calculating the patterns and waiting for them to come down and attack.  With a swift flurry of strikes, she  smashed the blades with a lightning fast parry from her forearms.

If the woman decides to change course and attack her from the side, she would have time to counter attack.  If not, there would likely be little time to dodge.  In any case, there was too much stimulation going on.  If her past experience had taught her anything, a lot of people could get hurt.  Hopefully, it would only be her. 

[Umbra of Chaos]

Grigori

Hmm. Something triggered her barriers. Grigori made sure to keep enough mana on hand to instantly smother in ash whatever appeared threatening. Her brow only raised a bit at the sight of the skeleton. It appears there were a few of decent skill in this land.

"Greetings." The orbs gathered back around her. "I do hope you aren't under the control of some mage. I hate being talked to through puppets. But yes, I am."


Suzuko

Well, this girl seemed mundane enough? She was, well Suzuko did not like to use the word boring for people, but it fit in this case. Although... A hand slipped under her desk, curling up into a tight fist for but a moment.

No, no. She could wait. The doctor seemed reputable enough regardless. Jin would be safe. "I see. Thank you for your time. And seeing as we don't have too much to discuss right now could you please let the other woman in?"

[yinsukin]

Ruler

The priest paused before scrunching up his lip, as if he were hesitant about something.  "It sounds like the role of a guardian," he said.  His voice was deep, but warm, like a grandfather talking to his family next to a fire.  Comfortable but loud, as if he needed others to hear him but still coated with a layer of empathy.  However, it was simply that a pope needed to be loud and he wasn't always the best at controlling his voice.

"I imagine that a master in the aftermath of a holy grail war is a trial to take care of.  I would hope her requests are not too unreasonable."  While he spoke, he tilted his head upward, watching tentatively as his master descended from the roof.  So far, it appeared Anastasia was quite adept at magic, a prodigy even.  It seems he had chosen a powerful master.

[yinsukin]

Joe

Oh... he's friendly? he wondered.  Then why does he look so creepy?  He tilted his head to the side so he could get a better view of the kid.  The image of him gargling on what looked like another snake monster caused him to cringe in disgust.  Thus, he returned his attention to the creepy smiling man.

"Uhh thanks," he said, taking the man's advice.  "But no thanks, I shouldn't be smoking."