Dark Side of the Moon
Cross Effects => Cross Effects => Areas => Topic started by: Kotomine_Rin on April 30, 2021, 04:15:28 AM
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Link down here for the description!
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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tq3b8PjpqVNWmr1L9dyop_1xVOivmd2UEt4cjky9CcA/edit?usp=sharing
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Marc
Legs crossed, Marc was glamorously fanning himself with a pink fan with heart motifs and flamingo feathers - all while sipping on some nice chilled brandy. The two chatted about a great many things, the buildings down below, the people driving through the highways, and whenever they went over a district Marc did his best of giving an unbiased description of it.
Mostly unbiased. It wasn't profitable being too honest.
"Oh la la, it seems we're almost there!" He smiled warmly as they passed by the last Albion isles, flying accross the clouds until a great spire of rock was visible in the distance. An island of sorts, but... different. It was clearly some kind of volcanic body, but it was lit by anything but fire. Shining headlights, the sounds of the crowd cheering, and even faint music could be heard as faintly as the buzzing of a mosquito, even from miles away. Ah, but it was way catchier than a mosquito.
Of course, they had to take a closer look - mhhhh?
"How did you find it? The city's not so bad when you give it a different angle, eh?" He grinned wolfishly at Lu, stretching a little as he started getting ready for the landing.
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Luthien
The elf's ears trembled. They fluttered as the nudist took in the residual heat of the area, soaking it up and converting it into energy. She pranced around with a joyful expression, and gave him a wolfish grin.
"Hey, as long as I get to test my skills, I don't care where we are."
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Marc
"Pwaha!" He laughed deviously and shook his head, hands raised cooly. "Mon dieu, I didn't expect anything less. Now then, I can't just leave ma belle chouette to be crushed under such reasonable expectations. "
Thus, with a dramatic snap of his fingers - the whole plane spun in the air, a barrel roll as sudden as it was unexpected! The sort of move that'd get any poor inexperienced maiden to yelp. However, that was hardly the intention. After all, the hatch just happened to accidentally open, launching the two out of the plane and straight into the skies. 6000 feet above the air, the elf slammed into the poor frenchman's chest, thusly ejecting them.
"Oof!"
And now they could yelp.
"Wahah! The clouds are like cotton-candy today!" And much like he declared, a cloud mustache... or a cloudstache formed on his lips.
This... wasn't really the time for jokes, was it? Probably wasn't.
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Luthien
The elf didn't seem to be perturbed by this chain of events. She gently wrapped her arms around him as they fell, accelerating faster and faster towards the ground.
After all, she was in no danger at all-even if her magic did fail her for some reason, her body would be able to take a hit at terminal velocity.
"Ufu~" She giggled, pressing her large mounds up against her date.
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Marc
D'awwwww. She wasn't even spooked one bit! Oh well, oh well... oh wow. With those guns, she was probably going to make them fall twice as fast. "Sooo, I guess this is the part where you'd whip out the parachutes. You did grab them on the way out, right?"
He spun her - no, the air friction spun them around, as the held onto another and accelerated dangerously down towards the ground.
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Marc
D'awwwww. She wasn't even spooked one bit! Oh well, oh well... oh wow. With those guns, she was probably going to make them fall twice as fast. "Sooo, I guess this is the part where you'd whip out the parachutes. You did grab them on the way out, right?"
He spun her - no, the air friction spun them around, as the held onto another and accelerated dangerously down towards the ground.
Luthien
Luthien cocked her head, ears flicking. "Not sure why I'd need something like that? This sort of thing happened pretty regularly when I was being trained—oh! Is this like, some sort of thing humans need?"
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Marc
The frenchman blinked twice. Wait, her too? He remembered his training too! Yamada would set the students in a straight line in front of a cliff and kick them off one by one. Something about building individuality, mental strength and resilience. Didn't really get it. That was, of course, a joke.
"Oh dear."
And thus they overshot past the clouds, plummeting faster and faster. "Well, it can't be helped. Good luck kid." Only for Marc to suddenly let go and accelerate his fall, diving down like a hawk before curling up into a ball. Did he see something she didn't as they fell? Nah, they were still way too up high. He knew this landing spot though.
And the pool right down below.
"POWERBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMBBBBB!!!!"
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Luthien
Luthien, for her part, made no efforts to redirect her fall or lessen the force with which she landed. She careened down towards the earth far below and the chocolate elf impacted into the ground with intense force.
However, it wasn't hey body that gave way, instead, it was the ground beneath her. Her legs dug a few feet into the ground, unable to stop her descent and created a small crater where she landed.
Then, Luthien climbed out of the pit and dusted herself off, thrusting her chest upwards to soak in the few beams of sunlight that pierced through the clouds.
"Ahh, I can't wait until summer!"
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Marc
And much like a cannonball, Marc shot straight into the depths of the pool, splashing the water out like a geyser with enough force to make it pour back down everywhere like rainfall. Despite all that, he floated back up gracefully.
"Pwaaaah!"
Only for a dozen flashing lights to suddenly assault him.
The Guests
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" The ladies inside and outside the pool yelped at the sudden impacts, but they were hardly concerned that this might be an attack or whatnot. The moment the familiar red hair popped out of the waters, they hurried and circled the man, some outside taking pictures while the guests rushed around him.
"Ohmygosh, its Marc!" "Duuuuuude! It's been like, three years man!" "Wowowowowowow, I've gotta get an autograph!" "Ye bloody rascal, ye still owe me dem magazines back mate!"
As chaotic as it was, it looked kind of pleasant. Almost like a family gathering, and the poor Frenchman even looked a bit taken aback for a second.
Marc
"Woah woah! Slow down... hahaha. Guys, guys, I'm still on break. Ah, its so good to see you all. Mwah!" He posed cheekily for the cameras, but tried to defuse it a little. Just a tad. He was obviously enjoying most of it, or a good actor. "Aww, you're as cute as ever, my cherie." He waved his hand with a cheeky smile at the crowd, getting the groupies to butt heads for a bit over which one of them he meant was cutest. Hopping off the heated pool, he helped himself to a towel before walking by the chocolate elf.
"Pheew. That's one way to leave a marc, eh?" As he said that, he gave one of the snow0covered pal trees a friendly tap, and a delicious large fruit popped down like a bowling ball, straight in his hand and offered to the elf. "Coconut? They grow these all year round. They're pretty tasty too..."
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Luthien
The elf just stood there, looking around with a rapt and fearful curiosity—she'd never been around so many people at once, with so many eyes trained on her. She became flushed, and began breathing a bit faster.
It was a lot to take in, and nothing her mother had given her had prepared her mentally for such an event. So she just wordlessly shook her head with slightly widened eyes and trembling earlobes.
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Marc
"No coconut. Oh well." He tossed it up casually behind him, plopping his hands straight into his pockets despite being totally soaked. Sure, the pool and everything around was being kept hot artificially, but even so...
"Atchoo!"
With that, he blushed a little and looked away for a second, before turning to pout at the groupies and fans. "Mais voyons donc, what are you gawking at? Tut tut, another time ladies. I trust there aren't any ongoing matches, right?" He put a hand on his hip sassily like nothing happened, and grinned when a few shook their head. "Parfait! Well then, me and my date will be on our way. Best of luck~ <3 "
And with that, he wrapped his arm around Lu's confidently and strolled away from the group, a big confident smile on his face. He had a few words for the elf though, away from prying ears. "Relax, it's not that bad compared to most spots. If you want to get ahead in the city, you need connections and such. I'm doing this for you too, you know? So c'mon, deep breaths. Breathe iiin, and ooout. Right?"
He winked at her teasingly.
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Luthien
"I'll be fine." She whispered back at him, turning around to stick her tongue out at the other women. "I just need a little bit to gather my thoughts, get into the arena, and see how strong I really am!"
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Marc
"Sure thing hon." He wiped his hair a little like a mop, and led her along the familiar roads and halls. Meanwhile, he'd get a few passing glances - and his companion too. How long had it been since he'd come here?
Not long enough.
The rock that originally formed the volcano had long been replaced with steel, glass and marble. But you couldn't shake off the fact that the surrounding ambience really did feel... grandiose in a way. The sun was beating down the center of the stage, built atop the sleeping belly of a volcanic core. It definitely explained where the heat came from, the way people could enjoy a nice warm bath even in the middle of winter time. And the heart powering all the energy running the stage.
And the one that worked the dry cleaning magic that got him all nice and dry now.
"Well, this should do it. Helloooooooo!" He grinned with his hands on his hips, leaning forward teasingly, and his voice echoed all over the stadium, his face and the two fighters reflected on the dozens of massive monitors. Greater than them all was the holographic display above them, floating high in the sky for all to see. Welp, since the big title match of the day was set to run in the evening, they still had plenty of time to go wild, and there weren't too many people to get in the way right now. Pull a few old strings, and... even a fancy arena like this is a commodity.
"Hehe~ <3 Sooooo, is this the part where we do our reps and stretch a little. How's the decor baby~?"
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Luthien
She thrust her chest upwards, basking in the extreme heat of the sun. Not only was she unbothered by the extreme conditions, she seemed to thrive in the heat of the volcano.
"Mmmmnnnn..." She moaned, yes, moaned. It was sensual, and unbecoming of a newborn. Nevertheless, she did it.
It was her first time in such a wonderful place after all.
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Marc
"Hehe, not now, don't have too much fun. We're just getting started." He tossed his suit with a single swing and undid his tie smoothly. As he rolled up his sleeves, he stretched his arms with a sly grin on his mug. "With that said, take your time. If you feel pressured at any point, just let me know okay honey?"
And with a dashing smile, he offered his hand.
"The left is an invitation to a duel. En garde, my love."
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Luthien
"Fuh. You don't seem like all that much, I'm sorry to say." She began stretching her arms, bouncing around likely on her bare feet before flashing a wink at him. "But I know how to be gentle and loving, don't worry."
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Marc
"Haha! Is that so..." He looked embarrassed for a second, but his smile was like a fox's - and shame was never something he was good at faking. "Yes yes, I'm hardly the fastest or strongest you'll find in this city. Thanks for the concern though, I do love to be pampered by cute ladies~ <3 "
In response to her bouncing frame, he took a casual raising guard stance. It was as orthodox as it got, without the slightest deviance. After all, he was just a boxer.
"Come!"
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Luthien
The elf slammed a fist into the ground in order to kick up a tremendous cloud of fine dust particulate, slamming her fists repeatedly into the ground at high speeds. The dust began to grow thicker and thicker, obscuring sight, scent, and even confusing sound.
An elf like her would be fine in a situation like this with her finer senses, but would her foe?
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Marc
Nice.
By the time she lowered her knee to deliver the first punch, he already made his first step. The ground was shaking, but with that freakish strength he could tell she was trying to take control of the fight's momentum, and that's why he wouldn't let her move at her pace. His snappy movements betrayed an abrupt dynamism, his weave was dashing straight towards Luthien with few wasted movements. Trying to kick up a dust cloud? No kidding, her head was in the clouds.
"What in the devil are you doing, gorilla lady~ <3 ?"
Without a hint of delay, he threw a bonk to the top of her numbskull playfully, enough to swell a regular lady's coconut before she kept this nonsense. Not that it was particularly harmful to her health, just quick enough that she'd hopefully get the hint.
"Come on, I'm right here."
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Luthien
Haiai! The first thought that came to her mind was his sublime technique and the fluidity of his movements.
But, just skill wouldn't be enough. As he rapped his knuckles on her head, shadows burst out from the space between their legs where their shadows merges, enveloping his ankles and snaking up his legs, constricting and tightening.
She flipped her hair and grinned, before sending a clenched fist at his chin.
"Maybe you shouldn't underestimate my mother's handiwork!"
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Marc
The red blur was already in motion, grinning suavely - even when something suddenly stopped him. Hoh? He noticed something slithering up his ankle, and to his credit few would have kept their cool if their footwork was suddenly stopped short. What a daredevil, tying an innocent man like me up.
But the relaxed moment was short lived, shattered by the elf's fist. The punch rammed straight towards his stubbled mug, causing an impact that reverberated across the arena. Yet even with his feet bound, he nimbly avoided it by shifting his torso, letting the terrifying punch boom past his neck with a deafening crack.
A striker's hardly ever inert, and when she threw that punch he already came up with a counterattack. Adding her own momentum with his body's sudden movement, he stopped her body with a counter blow just as he dodged hers - like a spring bursting with motion straight into her gut.
"Don't think I met her. Is she as cute as you?"
Even with the relaxed cheeky banter, he was sweating already, with eyes as calculative as a machine's. Quickly, the aura on his feet began to flare and rotated like a swirling hurricane - to add even the slightest gap he could use to slip out of the tendril.
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Luthien
As he dodged, he found Luthien's head hurtling towards his own, all while the shadow continued to creep up his legs. The fell being was up to his waist now, and it was steadily restricting his mobility. Even as she grimaced from the fierce blow to her gut, her smirk didn't vanish.
She launched another blow at the side of his head and snapped. A small fire ignited all of the dust and debris in the air, filling the arena in a momentary fierce conflagration.
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Marc Cedan
"Kh!"The skull slammed against his coconut this time, enough to draw a splash of ichor from his forehead. The taste of iron filled his mouth, and for a second his whole field of vision became a blur. He was trying to tear himself off the shadow, but even when he damaged it, it wasn't fast enough. That's... not good. Her gloved fist came rushing for him. It was the sort of punch that could end things here and there.
PURGATORY A LISTER, YUMI HIKARI. 9 Wins, 4 Losses.
"Tch. What's that dumbass doing, getting pushed back by a small-fry like that?" A large brute of a man watched from the stands up high, arms crossed smugly as he snickered at the scene down below. With his massive frame, it was a wonder that you didn't have to look at its face, which looked like it got ripped out and plastered back with shoddy surgery.
The ape-man just chortled at the scene like a deranged drugged maniac, when someone walked by and rested his forearms on the stand, gazing down with a fascinated expression, followed by a couple others.
PURGATORY A LISTER, VEGA. 37 Wins, 29 Losses.
"Woooooah! Marc looks like he's in trouble." He smiled and looked down, avoiding eye contact with the disgusting animal. Urghhh, this freshie's getting on my nerves.
PURGATORY B LISTER, TERASHI. ? ? ? Wins, ? ? ? Losses.
Another tall, but far lankier man walked in quietly, watching with a stiff uncomfortable pose. Outside his jet black onesie, his oni mask completely masked his features. "Is it really going to be okay? I know he's been an A lister once, but this looks out of his pay grade. Should I intervene?"
Vega smiled beautifully and looked back to the man sitting in the back. "Yeah, what's your call, King?"
For a second, all fighters turned their attention to the man behind them, muscular with a perfected body - barely contained by his tank top and military sweatpants. He just sat there menacingly, arms crossed as he manspread without concern for those around him... or the man below. The terrifying presence... sighed peacefully.
PURGATORY A LISTER, LOLONG DONAIRE. 72 Wins, 3 Losses.
"She's strong, there's no doubt about that. That kind of raw power is terrifying for anyone, bridging the gap won't be easy." Lolong didn't so much as move, yet everyone got quiet all of a sudden. Only Yumi looked annoyed as hell. The only terrifying thing is how shitty this performance's getting, jackass.
Lolong stared down.
"But Marc isn't all talk either. When his back's against the wall, his explosive power and dynamism shine through. Once he's put his mind in the game, he won't give up easily."
Even with her disorienting headbutt, Marc didn't let up. He immediately guarded his temple with his forearm, swirling with a blazing red chi that spun madly. If her glove was like a destructive lance, his aura was a full plate of armor, focused on his arms to the point even her blow couldn't pierce it. Sparks shot everywhere, and using her impact's strength, he tore himself off the damaged shadow and immediately reversed his landing to regain his footing. As soon as his foot hit the ground, he used snappy footwork to zigzag back and get to her blind spot - even when the flare blocked off all his sight, he kept his guard up. He was constantly in motion, unwilling to get caught by that thing twice.
While the blood dripped from his forehead, Marc smiled.
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Marc Cedan
"Kh!"The skull slammed against his coconut this time, enough to draw a splash of ichor from his forehead. The taste of iron filled his mouth, and for a second his whole field of vision became a blur. He was trying to tear himself off the shadow, but even when he damaged it, it wasn't fast enough. That's... not good. Her gloved fist came rushing for him. It was the sort of punch that could end things here and there.
PURGATORY A LISTER, YUMI HIKARI. 9 Wins, 4 Losses.
"Tch. What's that dumbass doing, getting pushed back by a small-fry like that?" A large brute of a man watched from the stands up high, arms crossed smugly as he snickered at the scene down below. With his massive frame, it was a wonder that you didn't have to look at its face, which looked like it got ripped out and plastered back with shoddy surgery.
The ape-man just chortled at the scene like a deranged drugged maniac, when someone walked by and rested his forearms on the stand, gazing down with a fascinated expression, followed by a couple others.
PURGATORY A LISTER, VEGA. 37 Wins, 29 Losses.
"Woooooah! Marc looks like he's in trouble." He smiled and looked down, avoiding eye contact with the disgusting animal. Urghhh, this freshie's getting on my nerves.
PURGATORY B LISTER, TERASHI. ? ? ? Wins, ? ? ? Losses.
Another tall, but far lankier man walked in quietly, watching with a stiff uncomfortable pose. Outside his jet black onesie, his oni mask completely masked his features. "Is it really going to be okay? I know he's been an A lister once, but this looks out of his pay grade. Should I intervene?"
Vega smiled beautifully and looked back to the man sitting in the back. "Yeah, what's your call, King?"
For a second, all fighters turned their attention to the man behind them, muscular with a perfected body - barely contained by his tank top and military sweatpants. He just sat there menacingly, arms crossed as he manspread without concern for those around him... or the man below. The terrifying presence... sighed peacefully.
PURGATORY A LISTER, LOLONG DONAIRE. 72 Wins, 3 Losses.
"She's strong, there's no doubt about that. That kind of raw power is terrifying for anyone, bridging the gap won't be easy." Lolong didn't so much as move, yet everyone got quiet all of a sudden. Only Yumi looked annoyed as hell. The only terrifying thing is how shitty this performance's getting, jackass.
Lolong stared down.
"But Marc isn't all talk either. When his back's against the wall, his explosive power and dynamism shine through. Once he's put his mind in the game, he won't give up easily."
Even with her disorienting headbutt, Marc didn't let up. He immediately guarded his temple with his forearm, swirling with a blazing red chi that spun madly. If her glove was like a destructive lance, his aura was a full plate of armor, focused on his arms to the point even her blow couldn't pierce it. Sparks shot everywhere, and using her impact's strength, he tore himself off the damaged shadow and immediately reversed his landing to regain his footing. As soon as his foot hit the ground, he used snappy footwork to zigzag back and get to her blind spot - even when the flare blocked off all his sight, he kept his guard up. He was constantly in motion, unwilling to get caught by that thing twice.
While the blood dripped from his forehead, Marc smiled.
Luthien
The keen observer could see the elf's ears dynamically pivoting in theor sockets, twisting and turning to gather even the smallest of auditory stimuli and process them into combat data for the elf to use.
Luthien turned around to face him and confidently ran a hand though her brilliant purple hair. As she began to speak, a wearth of fire covered her entire body in a glorious ambiance. "You should have treated me seriously from the start, Marc." With a big smirk, her shadow burst forth from the ground, coagulating into a ten foot tall two dimensional blob behind her with ten arms, each as long as Marc was tall. They being loosely was waving in the air, but it was a creation of an intense amount of mana nonetheless.
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Marc
Marc's smile was already kind of worried, but looking at the black mass forming made him sweat in a good way. "I dunno, I'm not all that strong." The man's explosive steps were quick and fickle, but vigorous to the point they'd kick off the rubble and dust with every dart.
That thing's shaping up... ten arms? Freaky.
That's when Marc entered her range once more. A little known fact about Marc was his wingspan, it was about 5 cm longer than he was tall. But she wasn't most foes either. He was aware, if he was caught by the shadow again, it'd spell the end of their little play session. Relaxed even in this moment, he put his chips in this moment and struck.
No one in the stands even saw what happened.
His normal movements were always fast. This was different. It looked like he'd have moved to strike her neck. Everything from his range to his stance, the way he stepped in, the punch should have come for her throat. But something made the air crack, as if all his relaxed movements suddenly snapped like a whip - shattering sound itself in a completely different direction. A jab made to catch lightning itself, snapping straight into Luthien's ear. No one in Purgatory could even come close to this attack's speed. For what it lacked in raw horsepower was supplaqnted with speed and precision.
The ringing wouldn't stop easily, the impact was hard enough to shatter her eardrum.
His arm was slightly lowered, but his guard was anything but open. He was moving out of her way as soon as he stepped in, throwing more jabs to keep the pressure and make distance.
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Marc
Marc's smile was already kind of worried, but looking at the black mass forming made him sweat in a good way. "I dunno, I'm not all that strong." The man's explosive steps were quick and fickle, but vigorous to the point they'd kick off the rubble and dust with every dart.
That thing's shaping up... ten arms? Freaky.
That's when Marc entered her range once more. A little known fact about Marc was his wingspan, it was about 5 cm longer than he was tall. But she wasn't most foes either. He was aware, if he was caught by the shadow again, it'd spell the end of their little play session. Relaxed even in this moment, he put his chips in this moment and struck.
No one in the stands even saw what happened.
His normal movements were always fast. This was different. It looked like he'd have moved to strike her neck. Everything from his range to his stance, the way he stepped in, the punch should have come for her throat. But something made the air crack, as if all his relaxed movements suddenly snapped like a whip - shattering sound itself in a completely different direction. A jab made to catch lightning itself, snapping straight into Luthien's ear. No one in Purgatory could even come close to this attack's speed. For what it lacked in raw horsepower was supplaqnted with speed and precision.
The ringing wouldn't stop easily, the impact was hard enough to shatter her eardrum.
His arm was slightly lowered, but his guard was anything but open. He was moving out of her way as soon as he stepped in, throwing more jabs to keep the pressure and make distance.
Luthien
The speed of his stroke was blindingly fast, almost godlike. She wondered if her mother would have been able to dodge it? What Christina would have done? She hopped backwards to minimize the force of the blow, basking in the pleasant sunlight which dulled the pain, staunched the bleeding and gave her a pleasant buzzing feeling.
But, the shadow had already finished forming. Four arms came hurtling down towards his body to crush him, while two others came crashing down behind him to block his escape.
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Vega
"Sayyyy, wasn't Marc part of some spec-ops group at one point? After he left that dojo..." The blonde man inquired amusedly, more interested at gazing at his golden watch than the fight below at this point. Or perhaps he was observing it, in his own small way.
Lolong Donaire
The champion sighed, arms crossed menacingly.
"I can't say for sure. Remember, no matter what, we're in the underground. Even professionals like us have ties to different backgrounds. Don't dwell on it too much."
His glare was oppressive enough that Vega just laughed it off.
"..."
Terashi
"U-um, I did invite me to that barbecue last week! We got to hunt some geese, but I didn't really know anything about that stuff. He actually showed me the ropes back then!"
Yumi
"Huh? Who the hell cares? He's just some kid from the backstreet slums, why the hell would you-" The apeman looked disgusted, this close to retching a ball of phlegm at the stadium's general direction.
Vega
"He's a good shot, right?" Vega cut Yumi off with a smile, answering Terashi warmly as ever. "He hired me a few times, but we ended up working together for a few of his jobs. He's pretty scary when he gets in the mood, so I wondered."
He wondered, if he came all the way here... did it mean he was free to visit that woman after all?
Marc Cedan
Marc's back was against the ropes, even when constantly in motion. But even now, he found the cool-headedness to wink at her.
"You're pretty tough! I was hoping you'd pamper me - a little more gently!" Marc bobbed and weaved flexibly, his body's defined form showing through his sweat-ridden business attire. One of the fists grazed his stubbled cheek, while the other almost nicked his ear off in turn. The problem was the two others. Even with his guard up, his flicker jab parried only the third. The last fist was already rushing for his body with tremendous force.
That's when the boom of a whip cracked through the arena once more.
"I'd rather not fight multiple opponents, but it can't be helped. Mobsters being jumped by multiple people isn't uncommon, you know?"
Don't picture it as one, but multiple guns aimed at you. Disorient it, keep constant vigilance. This isn't different than that sniper team 5 years ago.
His kick flickered with the grace of a dancer, parrying the last blow. Blood covered his whole face now, and the smell of sweat stuck on him like perfume.
He'd prefer perfume though.
Terashi
"D-DID MARC JUST! DID HE- NO WAY! THAT WAS A KICK!" The giant masked man squeed like a fangirl, and raised up his hand-made Marc Cedan plushie to cheer him up. "Go buddy! Kick her butt!"
Yumi
Yeah, people can kick dumbass. What's so hype about that, jackass?"
Vega
A veteran, in more ways than one. How quaint.
"My my, things sure are heating up huh. I didn't think our boxer would use that card so soon. I guess she's really tough."
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Vega
"Sayyyy, wasn't Marc part of some spec-ops group at one point? After he left that dojo..." The blonde man inquired amusedly, more interested at gazing at his golden watch than the fight below at this point. Or perhaps he was observing it, in his own small way.
Lolong Donaire
The champion sighed, arms crossed menacingly.
"I can't say for sure. Remember, no matter what, we're in the underground. Even professionals like us have ties to different backgrounds. Don't dwell on it too much."
His glare was oppressive enough that Vega just laughed it off.
"..."
Terashi
"U-um, I did invite me to that barbecue last week! We got to hunt some geese, but I didn't really know anything about that stuff. He actually showed me the ropes back then!"
Yumi
"Huh? Who the hell cares? He's just some kid from the backstreet slums, why the hell would you-" The apeman looked disgusted, this close to retching a ball of phlegm at the stadium's general direction.
Vega
"He's a good shot, right?" Vega cut Yumi off with a smile, answering Terashi warmly as ever. "He hired me a few times, but we ended up working together for a few of his jobs. He's pretty scary when he gets in the mood, so I wondered."
He wondered, if he came all the way here... did it mean he was free to visit that woman after all?
Marc Cedan
Marc's back was against the ropes, even when constantly in motion. But even now, he found the cool-headedness to wink at her.
"You're pretty tough! I was hoping you'd pamper me - a little more gently!" Marc bobbed and weaved flexibly, his body's defined form showing through his sweat-ridden business attire. One of the fists grazed his stubbled cheek, while the other almost nicked his ear off in turn. The problem was the two others. Even with his guard up, his flicker jab parried only the third. The last fist was already rushing for his body with tremendous force.
That's when the boom of a whip cracked through the arena once more.
"I'd rather not fight multiple opponents, but it can't be helped. Mobsters being jumped by multiple people isn't uncommon, you know?"
Don't picture it as one, but multiple guns aimed at you. Disorient it, keep constant vigilance. This isn't different than that sniper team 5 years ago.
His kick flickered with the grace of a dancer, parrying the last blow. Blood covered his whole face now, and the smell of sweat stuck on him like perfume.
He'd prefer perfume though.
Terashi
"D-DID MARC JUST! DID HE- NO WAY! THAT WAS A KICK!" The giant masked man squeed like a fangirl, and raised up his hand-made Marc Cedan plushie to cheer him up. "Go buddy! Kick her butt!"
Yumi
Yeah, people can kick dumbass. What's so hype about that, jackass?"
Vega
A veteran, in more ways than one. How quaint.
"My my, things sure are heating up huh. I didn't think our boxer would use that card so soon. I guess she's really tough."
Luthien
Despite his impressive moves, he'd fallen right into her trap! How wonderful and clever I am! She felt as if she were on the top of the world as the final two limbs slammed down to complete the circle. As the four arms attacking him increased their speed and randomness, the limbs which had surrounded him began growing. She pumped more and more mana into them, with a dome forming around him which threatened to crush him!
"Come now!" Luthien danced around gracefully as she taunted him. "The best way to show respect to an opponent is to go all out and crush them with everything you've got!"
He'd need to break out, but how?
-
Marc
"Wo-oah! ~ <3" Everything was like a blur. The shadow's limbs trashed about even more violently, slashing and smashing their way across Marc's body more and more. It was a terrifying living weapon, for this dance he'd have to keep his steps just as lively. "I just like... to keep it casual!"
His sweat drops flowed out only to be cut down by the rushing exchange - faster than they could reach the ground. He was avoiding direct hits with expert finesse, but the more it went on the more he looked pressured. The blows started to graze him more than he'd like. Scratches on his skin, cuts across his clothes, blood trickling ever so slightly over his moon-white shirt. As good as he was, he couldn't do this forever. A hunted fox will slip eventually. He wasn't stubborn enough to try.
"Hoh!"
When the blow came, he didn't kick it. He stepped on it. Before anyone could gasp, he was running atop the limb like a bullet, ready to move and hop to a different one any moment. He was just taking the leap and biting down with a daredevil's smile. Was he a mad gambler, or did gauge his ability for this very moment? Whether its trust in the roll of fate's die or in your own ability, you can't get ahead without some kind of faith. And his faith took him up a roofless horizon - and the freedom outstretched beyond it.
"Woooohoooooooo!"
-
Luthien
But then, as he ran along it, something terrible happened.
The shadow expanded, bulging out grotesquely like a balloon, and exploded. The explosion shook the arena, even being felt by the spectators in the stands...
Could he have survived?
-
Marc
Marc raced along the shade, shining like a red star. If he noticed the shadow expanding, he didn't pay mind to it. He didn't have the time or luxury to... and perhaps that was his mistake. If he did, would things have turned out differently? No, he must have noticed it at the end too, the way the shadow distorted and ballooned. Whatever the result was, it was obscured with a brilliant flash of light.
Whatever the result was, it was only visible when the light and dust cleared, revealing it to the shock of everyone watching. A crater of molten rock, the whole area like the impact of a terrifying explosive - like it got carpet bombed in that very center.
And in said center, Marc's body laid face-first, utterly still and lifeless surrounded in a pool of his own blood. Whatever red light he had must've been washed away by the explosion too, leaving only a chilling body behind.
Yumi
"Hey, hey... what the fuck man..." For fuck's sake, for all their talk about professionalism, even a pro'd have to be ready for shit like this eh? Bah! If I were there, I wouldn't have given the bitch my time, sayonara jackasses! Even the boisterous brute was visibly shaken by the upset, sweating with a nervous violent smile while Terashi shook behind his mask, his skin pale and blue all of a sudden.
Only Vega smiled.
Vega
"My, my." He put his hand to his mouth like a graceful nobleman, and shook his head in quaint amusement. "It seems I did well to come this way. For a sportsman's match, this was quite the sight." His eyes suddenly sharpened like a viper's as he gazed at the woman below.
"She has promise, that one."
Terashi
Does he even... The giant clenched his fist, and was one foot over the stand's fence - ready to jump down that very moment. However, an unassailable pressure suddenly stopped him in his tracks.
Lolong moved.
Lolong Donaire
"Enough." Lolong didn't so much as get up from his chair. He only raised his hand. However, this stopped Terashi in his tracks in that very moment. For none dared to oppose The Demon King of Purgatory.
"That woman is an anomaly, but this match wasn't officially bound by our rules. We can't act recklessly. Remember Terashi, when we act, we do it under Purgatory's name - not our own."
And yet, his glare on the arena downwards was anything but oppressive.
"..."
-
Luthien
"Wait. That's illegal." Luthien was dumbfounded—he wasn't supposed to have died, after all, right? He was stronger than that, there was just no way!
The young woman walked over slowly, before creating a stick with a shadow and poking him. Her ears were drooping with sadness and confusion, leaving her lost for words or a reaction beyond mute disbelief.
-
Marc
*poke* *poke*
The stick poked at the body, budging it slightly. But it felt stiff, the sort of stiffness you'd expect a corpse. But that by itself wasn't the shocking bit. No, it's the fact the corpse moved, as fast as a red bullet - dashing back up with a ketchup packet on his hand and a big grin on his mug.
SLAM!
Pumping back all he had with swift instantaneity, he placed his bet on the following uppercut. It's do or die! Her guard was down and the shadow beast gone. He placed this gambit on one thing and one thing only - his experience and the green way she carried herself.
Please fucking work.
-
Marc
*poke* *poke*
The stick poked at the body, budging it slightly. But it felt stiff, the sort of stiffness you'd expect a corpse. But that by itself wasn't the shocking bit. No, it's the fact the corpse moved, as fast as a red bullet - dashing back up with a ketchup packet on his hand and a big grin on his mug.
SLAM!
Pumping back all he had with swift instantaneity, he placed his bet on the following uppercut. It's do or die! Her guard was down and the shadow beast gone. He placed this gambit on one thing and one thing only - his experience and the green way she carried herself.
Please fucking work.
Luthien
She reacted by pure instinct ingrained into her body by powers beyond her own. It was not Luthien who reacted, but the decades old experienced fighter who dwelt within her subconscious. She stepped forward and to the side with a gentle step that left room for no failure. And she looked as surprised and shocked as he was through tear-filled eyes as her fist came hurtling down onto the back of his neck.
-
Terashi
"!!!!!!"
Despite his expression being hidden by a mask, the tall man's body language (https://preview.redd.it/puswursxna551.png?auto=webp&s=20798a031785cdd8fa8594b73789fc2c70a60943) told you everything you needed to know about his internal thought process.
In case it needed to be summarized, it'd probably sound something like this.
H-he she asdgshghfhbagghdjjfhah...!!!
Vega
"Oh my my oh my~ <3 The girl is good." Vega looked a little amused, but his eyes told a different story. Its almost as if he were disappointed that no one actually ended up dying yet. Ah, so much for being professionals enforcing safe non-lethal bloodsports.
Yumi
"Kch! What a shitter! Gehahahahah!" The boisterous creepy giant laughed aloud, grinning ear to ear with a maddened rictus, arms crossed as if holding back the wild muscles on his body. "The fuck's he doing, getting cooked by small-fry like that?"
PURGATORY A LISTER, "KING" LOLONG DONAIRE. 72 Wins, 3 Losses.
"Shut up, Yumigahama."
It was the only thing he bothered uttering, sitting crossed in the same position as ever. And it got Yumi riled up even more than before, like a wild faceless monkey. "Huh?" The air got real cold and quiet for a second. "Did you just tell me to shut up? Why don't you..."
But the air turning cold wasn't due to Yumi. The King didn't look like his calm self - he looked angry, even if he didn't budge an inch.
"Why don't I what? Go on Yumigahama."
That was enough to get Yimi to turn back. "Tch." He spat before leaving the stands.
Lolong's eyes never left the arena once, focused like an iron hammer. But they narrowed on that moment. She's strong...
Marc Cedan
Even if he was relaxed, even if he was smiling handsomely, it didn't stop Marc from sweating. And the moment he felt his fist miss, he understood why. It was the first time the girl's movements didn't match her. The surprise caused a delay to his reaction.
The fist that struck true was hers, blowing him back to the ground with an earth-shattering force.
And yet-
"...argh...mon dieu... wait, are you crying for real?" One knee dug on the ground, the dust revealed he was still fine, even if his clothes got ruined and his arm was bruised. He couldn't dodge it in time, but he raised his arm then, to put up an imperfect guard. He managed to shield most of his neck in the nick of time. But the quality of that blow was different from anything else, and he looked like it actually got him reeling a bit.
Maybe because he was the closest to seeing what actually happened, he looked legitimately unsettled.
-
Luthien
The young elf's body continued to move with the fluidity of a master, not missing a heartbeat as her blow knocked him to the ground. Her knee careened down towards his neck in an attempt to pin him to the floor.
"Of course I am you big idiot! That wasn't nice at all! I thought that I'd killed you! Hic!" Her arm moved to grab his wrist and pin his arm against his back.
-
Marc
Even with a knee on the ground, he was sharp enough to dodge the knee by moving back. But just as he was about to jump out of the way- her hand caught his wrist, pinning his arm behind his back in a submission hold. "Ow ow ow ow... hey hey, that kind of stings! That move was super strong, I couldn't help it if I blacked out for a moment there. Ow ow! Hey, um, can I keep my arm attached puh-leease?"
Sweating, he glanced around like a helpless puppy.
"I can buy you some ice cream to make up for it! Um, I can't feel my arm anymore... come ooon, pretty pleeeease?"
-
Marc
Even with a knee on the ground, he was sharp enough to dodge the knee by moving back. But just as he was about to jump out of the way- her hand caught his wrist, pinning his arm behind his back in a submission hold. "Ow ow ow ow... hey hey, that kind of stings! That move was super strong, I couldn't help it if I blacked out for a moment there. Ow ow! Hey, um, can I keep my arm attached puh-leease?"
Sweating, he glanced around like a helpless puppy.
"I can buy you some ice cream to make up for it! Um, I can't feel my arm anymore... come ooon, pretty pleeeease?"
Luthien
And then, the knee came down on his back. Shadows wrapped around his legs, and he found himself rather immobilized. "I wasn't trying to kill you! Or permanently harm you! I thought I'd gone way overboard and actually killed you!" She collapsed down on top of him, pressing his head between her soft breasts. "You made me really really worried!"
Luthien let go and pulled him into a hug-one which inhibited his abilities to break out and claim the final victory.
-
Marc
"Mpfhghfhffhfhfhhh." Whatever he said, no one would never know - not even he would. But all in all, he was pretty swell with the outcome. This was the best case scenario.
Terashi
"..."
Yumi
"..."
Vega
"..."
Lolong Donaire
"..."
The silence got increasingly awkward. In fact, Terashi especially looked like he was about to turn red. And eventually, someone broke it. It was none other than Vega. "How droll, but I guess it can't be helped." A shame too, he was hoping this 'fight' would be different than their 'sport' without killing. She certainly seemed strong enough to try. Meanwhile, Lolong sighed.
"Indeed. Its his nature that decided the outcome."
This did get Terashi to stop blushing. "His nature? What do you mean?" Vega suddenly grinned teasingly. "Ooooh? Didn't you notice? Marc must've made the conscious choice to use that move. He could've just drawn it out longer, or pressed the advantage. He was pretty unscathed from that blast." He closed his eyes in disappointment at the last statement. Terashi, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. "But why would he consciously choose a less optimal move?"
And that is when Lolong spoke once more. "Indeed. That kind of choice is unthinkable for fighters like us. But remember, Marc has a different background. A martial artist puts victory as his prime objective, we take risks in orther to win. But a Marcenary's top priority is survival. The risks they take are calculated to live another day, above anything else."
Terashi... pondered, for a second. "So you're saying he chose to lose instead of risking a career ending injury? That's still pretty cowardly." But Vega grinned and shook his head. "Of course he's a coward. He must've been pretty worried against that shadow, even if he made it by the skin of his teeth. Who knows what else the girl had on her sleeve. The moment she whipped out an explosion, he probably figured it'd be better to cut his losses and end it quickly than escalate further."
They all nodded, agreeing on the final outcome. Only Yumi seemed legitimately bothered.
Did he just say Marcenary?
-
Luthien
The soft heavenly pillows enveloped him, giving way to his head to better allow him access to Luthien's forbidden valley. She smelled sweet, like a mixture of roses and her own sweat, and it was a chest which was only comperable to the succubi at the tower.
She held him tightly, until he decided to push his way out.