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46

Areas / Re: Nexus Campus Town

« on: August 23, 2021, 07:00:08 PM »

Costin

It's not that he could've seen the shadow looking over him, but the sounds and vibrations in the air were more than enough to warn him. Staring up at the giant hammer, Costin could do nothing but sigh with a laissez-faire expression - his smile now edging between satisfaction and worry.

Good grief...
"Dumnezeule mare..."

And then the impact, sending him down the bottom of the lake with judgment and fury. But even so, Costin accepted it with his arms crossed casually, even if his body looked more like a bloody meat-rag. His sunglasses still perfectly placed, he passed the falling beast girl a curious glance before sinking into the depths.

Oh... I didn't even notice... heh, not bad ladies. Not bad.

It was the first time he finished a fight without his earphones, and yet he didn't feel the horrifying itch and the throb of madness. He felt.. content, for the first time in ages. It's as if their voices and blows were an enthralling melody on their own, just thinking about this fight was enough to pacify the beast. All in all, he had but a single thought, free from all regrets.

"What a wonderful world."

Thats why it was such a shame.



Lawrence

"..." With his one arm left, he wiped the cool sweat-like liquid off his brow. So that was it... it was over. With a satisfied sigh, he helped himself off the lady, limping weakly. It was embarassing being held like this, he disliked the idea of being held at all to begin with.

"Thank you, master. And... I'm sorry. If I were more competent, this could have been avoided."

As sinisterly as he always liked to exaggerate his mannerisms, his grief sounded genuine. For the first time, there was some melancholy when his black eyes looked at her golden hue. Maybe it's because he knew. Or maybe he felt it, deep down, that this was all as it was meant to be. He took a small step away from her. That's when it happened. If he'd have staggered at all, it was after the first five swords pierced his abdomen.

"Kuh...wh...what!?" Horrified, Lawrence vomited a spew of mud. That wretched thing was in the depths, its blood couldn't have shot out of it. There wasn't any way for him to suddenly hack him from there. So how?

The ashen corpse fell down weakly. Bleeding. Dying. He didn't see it, couldn't see it - half of his head was cleanly blown off. It was just... the blood squirrelgirl punched out of the vampire's wounds was still littered about. Was that the difference between the mage and the apostle? While she controlled this external pocket world, that vampire's essence was like a world unto itself.

In an instant, a flurry of weapons had already lodged inside Lawrence like gunshots, faster than he could possibly react. Punching deep inside like curses, with no hope to escape.

"G...raghh...!!"

But enough... to perform one last ditch trick. The grail king burst like a sea of black metal and covered him like a dome, pushing the headmistress away. Its why the sudden explosion was deafened by the tought-metal, cracking from the seams until it slowly began dissipating into smoke. Phenex let out a blood curdling scream as flames bled out of its breaking form. Queen Mab let out an agonizing ring as it cracked and turned inside out - then to nothing.

The burning blood exploded inside the dome, destroying every shred of the man. Not even a page of the book he held remained, nor did the ashen corpse leave any ash to mourn. But there was no mistaking that scream, and the finality of it all. The stakes blew up the ashen man to nothing.

Now, there was nothing.


Costin

Arms still crossed, he bled out while his wounds forcefully closed shut. He couldn't move... in the water at least, not that he'd have in the first place. That's maybe why he looked so bored - even though he managed to crack a sadistic grin in the end.

"Mission accomplished."

47

Areas / Re: Pine Garden

« on: August 21, 2021, 03:51:01 PM »

Lily

"Oh so that's your angle, you wanna stuff me so hard I get fat. And then you'll void the deal by saying I'm not attractive enough. Jokes on you we Succubi only put on where it counts. All of this spicy  mix will go right to my thicc butt and make it even juicier." That was a total lie, no amount of eating could ever hope to replicate her gains.

Of course she was still enthusiastically grinding on his lap, eating more only made her more excited. "But you're right about one thing, the food I make is even spicier tha  this. No one serves food that hot so I had to learn to cook, I guess as your girlfriend as should take the opportunity to cook for you."

Vega

"Oho! Please, you.. mhh... are making me sound... like quite the villain." He dragged a mouthful of spicy food with his chopsticks, playfully going along. "I may not have been born a noble, but as part of the council, I ought to represent my peers with some respect to our creed. The sanctity of a contract is a stronger bond than any faith, I wouldn't besmirch it with such a scheme."

With that said, it was quite the predicament. His body was starting to heat up, and it made him feel feelings most vexing. If he thought he'd want to kiss her that badly, he'd have thought up a different spot. He wanted this moment to continue, to hold her a bit longer, to love and be loved in turn. But he held it back, tormenting himself over the desire he couldn't - mustn't fulfill.

How he yearned to show his true self.

"I'd very much like to try it sometime." His smile was as pure as the sun, while his voice was soft and sweet as flowing honey. "And you called me your boyfriend just now, haha! Oh, my dear friend Lily. I thought something so scandalous would upset me, but instead I feel joy. How odd. Would you call me that more?"

48

Areas / Re: Pine Garden

« on: August 21, 2021, 06:27:47 AM »

Luthien

Luthien cocked her head, staring unblinkingly at him with an inscrutable upwards curling of her lip. She reached down and slid a finger into the back of her panties, pulling the fabric out of her crack and readjusting her junk.

Then she giggled. "You're a bit of a dork, aren't you Marc?"

Then, with blinding speed, she made a swipe for the bottle, unwilling to lose to him in anything!

Marc

"Huh? What could possibly put that idea in your coconut?" Marc stood on his toes and loomed over the purplehead, grinning like a kid before tossing the bottle up aloofly. He caught it and moved it away nimbly. "Woah woah, life in the city isn't a race, trying to be numero uno's just going to get your hands full of trouble. If you want my advice, you're best sticking to the flow and enjoy the little things. You never know when they can slip off your hand."

That's when he tossed her the humongous bottle her way.

"Oops."

49

Areas / Re: Nexus Campus Town

« on: August 16, 2021, 06:12:43 PM »

Costin

But the time of words had passed, and as expected, her taunt would only be answered one way. From the dawn of time, there was a manner of exchanging hearts truer than any magic, devoid of any lies or falsehoods.

All you needed was your fist.

"This job is starting to outweigh the paygrade..."

His synapses flashed like searing metal in his flesh, and his bones yielded no feeling anymore. The thrumming of the earth, the shifts in the air, the feeling of Nanako's muscles expanding and contracting - they guided the slight shift of his undying body, and he instantly dodged the arms before they were thrown, raising his fist to counter with a concussive punch to her chin. A terrifying blow that'd make any veteran submit, it wasn't without its price, for his hand exploded instantly, revealing raw exposed bone. And yet he committed to the strike, pushing the blow even further with nothing but his shattered stump. He felt grateful for this feeling. The hunt.

Was that why he smiled even now?

The dome shook with impossible vigor, and all directions reversed as he knew that the dome was hurling straight into the skies. The kick couldn't be avoided regardless, but he went limp to try and soften it. For his trouble, his entire lower half split horrifyingly, connected by nothing but a handful of bone and flesh while the explosion hurled him back - forward, somewhere even he couldn't see. Immediately focused down by a storm of explosions, he was focused down by Phenex's flames, but the tyrant's smile took a handsome quality, or perhaps that quality was easier to see under this violent light.

"Haah..." Or rather, that it was time to end the fight he entertained for fun - and finish his business.

Rammed against the wall, he grabbed onto it and used his mangled arm to strike the cracked dome one more time with his reinforced elbow, exerting his circuits while unleashing a powerful array of curses to weaponize his gushing blood. For a split second, red lines started flashing across the back of the dome. Somehow, its foundations cracked and corroded in a flash, and it cracked like an egg before the mangled apostle ejected, hurled back up the skies.

The setting sun looked down on him, but not a single ray touched his skin.

Even now, his body was shackled by darkness. His black sunglasses, ragged bloodied attire, the torn state of his body, the irony wasn't lost on it.

That's why even now, soaring above the lake, he smiled freely.

Costin's less mutilated arm raised. Was it a curse? An attack?

He closed his fist... and raised his thumb, facing the headmaster's general direction.

And to contrast an ascent... eventually... everyone must fall.

Lawrence

The sorcerer's throat tightened, and his fist clenched tight enough to draw blood. He looked at the headmaster worriedly but ultimately sighed. "How foolish."

50

Areas / Re: Pine Garden

« on: August 14, 2021, 03:13:48 PM »

Vega

His joyful expression mirrored Lily's, this might just be one of the few times he was genuinely happy. After all, he hardly ever got to come to this place as of late, and never really got to share a meal with anyone - let alone his favorite dish. Even if the heat was starting to crawl back up and the grinding was quite scandalous, he didn't mind at all.

"Now now, are you implying what I think you're implying?" He started digging in as well, greedily taking a bite after another from the scalding hot-pot from hell with an elated expression. To those around them, it looked like two demons feasting on some kind of hellish cadaver from the underworld, feasting on its fiery remains.

"Are there, *munch* spicier foods out there? *gulp* Well then, I wouldn't mind you cooking for me." The rise in temperature wasn't nothing, but he didn't mind at all - still... it was enough to push him to taking those extra shots of sake himself. This only got his own body to grow hotter. He took a spoonful of the broth this time, drinking it avidly. "Uwaah, sho good..."

51

Areas / Re: Pine Garden

« on: August 12, 2021, 06:47:05 PM »

Luthien

"Well, you should be. Just because I wasn't born from my mother's womb doesn't make me any less of a person." She made a hmmphy pout, then flipped her purple hair in an exxagerated manner. It was obvious she was just being a bit of a tsundere, and while she was mad, that she'd accepted his apology. "A homonculus is a tool to be used, while I'm an elven lady with my own autonomy and worth. Confusing the two is a pretty big deal."

"Wine, please. I'll have to enlighten you to traditional elven spirits."

Marc

Marc already had two bottles in each hand, tightly clasped, and squatted down to assert dominance, bottles raised in the air. "AW YEEEEEEAHHH!! LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! WOOOOOOOO!"

He couched discreetly to the side, as excited as a kid on Christmas and barely trying to contain it, only slightly.

"Ahem, I mean, that'd be lovely! Oui oui!"

Wait, no. He had to bring the big guns for this. He quickly darted to the side of the kitchen and came back with something big. Somethign thick. Something humongous.



"I'll let you know I'm a professional alcoholic."

52

Areas / Re: Pine Garden

« on: August 11, 2021, 12:36:15 AM »

Vega

"Ah, my tastes... they're a bit embarrassing actually, it's kind of vexing." He looked away with a tiny blush. "I like to think my tastes are pretty normal for my age though..." He toyed a bit with his hair, grinning like a kid on a date - before gulping down another shot of sake. If she thought he was going to lag behind, she was sorely mistaken, and he'd show her just how serious he was about this whole thing.

And speaking of which, the timing was just perfect. The waitress soon came to the table with the massive platter carried along with a cart, a blood-red concoction practically still boiling with 100 spices, each more intense than the last. Looking at the seafood and vegetables sunken into the deep crimson oils, their fragrance was nearly as striking as its appearance. It was as if they were looking at a bunch of food simmering in a volcano!

Vega's eyes turned all kinds of starry, and he genuinely jumped up in a bit of excitement, holding himself still by the knees.

"Uwaaaaa~! It's the especially spicy deluxe Jiu Gon Ge hot pot! Simmered with a base of specially selected organic spices, grown specifically for their tangy undertones and deep intense spiciness! Even a small local restaurant like this became known in the underworld for creating such a dish, its spicyness is downright brutal!"

It looked and smelled like a fiery death, the murder of 10 000 incinerated young fish. It was lovely.

...He soon composed himself, coughing aloofly before looking away at the opposite direction.

"Um, if you want, you can have the first bite. I'll feel bad if I hog the whole flavor of this legendary dish. I will not be told I am not generous."

He was practically salivating.

53

Areas / Re: Nexus Campus Town

« on: August 09, 2021, 10:15:57 PM »

Lawrence

"That would be most troublesome, master. One's already trouble enough as it is." He bit his nail in frustration. Meanwhile, the flames kept raging in the dome, growing in intensity while the vines and thorns seeped inside to reinforce the magic.

Costin

His cracked bones screamed a bloody curse. His [CROWNING JEWEL STORM OF KILLING THORNS] was a technique that few could unleash unscathed, and even fewer could master. It was a powerful curse that used blood as a medium to rush forth like a sea of stakes. It was folly to simply withstand it.

Nanako withstood it.

His bloody spears gave in to the beast girls raw violence. Sound, feeling, the tremors reverberating through the stakes. The scent of it all sent signals to the apostle's synapses. Even the smallest of barriers can make a difference between fighters, but more importantly... the feeling of his blood being crushed allowed him to read the following blow. In an instant, his face visibly cracked like porcelain and caved in with a bloody smash, a blow like that would kill a man with ease. It was something that should be avoided at all cost. It's why he didn't. After all, he could see she was chasing a feeling.

"...but still... your fist... it lacks something."

And so was he.

His leg dodged her tail before it came, and the moment she broke out was all it took to deliver his own counter. Drawn into the unorthodox shift of his body, her fist slipped off his bloody skull. Her fist caved in a massive shockwave behind Costin, blowing a crevice inside the dome.

It didn't follow, but hit at the same exact time. His shoulder slam that rammed straight into her chest - no, shooting straight for a point beyond her body, using the force of her momentum to increase his own power. Even with such a basic technique, his talent for raw violence was yet to be rivaled.

"Come and get it."

54

Areas / Re: Pine Garden

« on: August 07, 2021, 05:06:32 PM »

Marc

"Oh. Sorry maa'm." He looked down like a scolded kid, as far as apologies went it didn't get much more genuine. "The stunt you pulled there was pretty similar to some combat models I faced a few times, so I thought it might have some connection. My bad for assuming, seriously."

He slacked uncomfortably for a bit. "Soooo... vodka, wine, rhum, gin or sake?"

55

Areas / Re: Nexus Campus Town

« on: August 05, 2021, 04:36:25 AM »

Costin Andrei

The flames didn't just burn, they ate away at the life in him. Despite that, his shit eating grin didn't fade.

The beastgirl's body showed no signs of breaking.  Despite that, his shit eating grin didn't fade.

And so the storm of strikes showered the dome's interior. Burning flesh crashed against unyielding flesh, and the apostle's blood swung freely like a weapon. He noticed it all: the way her warm body resisted his strikes, the way his blade failed to sink into her - as if something dulled the mass of bloodied curses. Was it endurance or something else? When his axe-kick to her face was stopped by her savage bite, he already realized it.

Despite that, he kept smiling.

BOOOOOM!!

The follow-up was so fast it could hardly be observed. She struck his chest with explosive power and pulled to tear his leg, but he reacted in the nick of time and detonated the edge of his bladed limb. With a gruesome blast of curses, his leg was set free and his body shot back like a rocket, slamming hard into the debris to the point it visibly cracked. Enough to let him land on his hands and feet. The fact he avoided losing a limb was impressive enough, but there was something more to that. Even behind his sunglasses, his expression was still awake. That instant, the immediate spot he touched grew dozens upon dozens of bloody spears, sprouting up the sky like a murderous tree - reaching for Nanako there and then.

"Heh... la naiba." He coughed a spew of blood, a neat hole now cracked into his chest like a second mouth. And as if perfectly awaiting that impact, the flames that were bouncing around the dome's interior came swirling back, slamming against Costin's hunter attire once more. His bloody clothes bulged and shifted into something else. Something thicker and layered, holding vacuums between the blood fabrics to shield him from the flames.

The curses and weaved spells forming his bloody attire pulsed with hunger, his defensive circuits quickly filled to the brim. All it'd take was a moment, an instant, for the tides to crash once more.

I see... you want to die and be released from your suffering? Damn shame...

Despite all this, his shit eating grin didn't fade.

"Self taught, and not half bad..."

56

Areas / Re: Pine Garden

« on: August 04, 2021, 08:24:25 PM »

Vega

"That I can't say, client privilege and all - though it's cute to see you honest about where you stand." He patted the little demon like the smol bean she was. She admitted she was tiny, she absolutely did, and he'd have no greater pleasure than rub it in.

Buut he raised an eyebrow at the second half. "Though to be honest, hearing good boy coming from you sounds like a threat. You wouldn't be thinking up some nefarious plot, would you?" He took the cup from her tail himself, after all while he liked being pampered, he could drink his own ale - and sipping from someone else's hand was simply unacceptable to him.

57

Areas / Re: Nexus Campus Town

« on: August 04, 2021, 07:55:16 PM »

Lawrence

The grail king stared, the shadowy mouth agape. "... that works too milady."

But Lawrence didn't share that sentiment, directly anyway. Hanging off his lord's shoulder painfully, he still focused his sorceries to the best of his abilities. He couldn't put his safety above that woman, she was too important.

He spoke.

"There's an old legend in my world of origin. Its founder... the Heaven Hunting Vanguard was famed for not creating any kin of his own. In exchange, if he happened to find someone of his liking, he gracefully taught them his martial arts, with utter disregard as to whether they were kinsmen, beast, or members of another origin. And once his pupils reached a satisfactory level of skill, he rewarded them with a Godkilling blade of his own, forged from his own blood, to further rule their own circles."

As he said that, his fingers trailed arrays of old magics. Weakened things that stood the test of time, calling forth the nightmare of the old fae queen. The once cute snake was now a massive serpent drawn from the earth, letting out a shrill cry full of poison, to draw the call of nature. Meanwhile, Phenex's wings fluttered, drawing more hellish incantations so the flames inside the dome may not die.

"The twin fangs and seven claws of the Qliporth. They were the floor administrators that ruled over my homeland's floors. I... knew them well. They were a rigid brotherhood tied not only by blood - but by arts and blade."

Cracks began to show on his face. As he spoke this tale, he showed visible disgust... and sorrow.

"But eventually, one of those kinsmen...had died."

And the cry of Lawrence's nightmares reached their apex. A wave of overpowering nature and greenery smoldered the earth, crawling towards the dome with alarming speed. Sinking its poison inside, and spreading vines and roots deep in that shell to fan the hellfire swirling. It would soon turn into an inescapable oven.

"Blade and seat were stolen by an aberration, a vampire who clawed from the bottom rungs of the tower. But that tyrant should've died long ago, it's something that won't stop until it reaches a heaven built atop its corpses. That calamity... was none other than..."

58

Areas / Re: Pine Garden

« on: August 04, 2021, 06:57:00 PM »

Vega

"Oh... I quite like your hands though... they're soft and pretty. For this, I will have vengeance." He pouted as she sat on his lap, looking quite disappointed. Immeasurably so. And despite that, there was some relief - as if he was glad he didn't have to worry so much about keeping face.

"And make no mistake, I am not playing coy. To be honest, the implication makes me upset. My mother taught me a nobleman should present his words as freely as his wealth, for language is a sign of pedigree and pride. But... you have a point, running my mouth all day is quite tiring." Luckily, the sake soon came to parch his tired chords. He downed the first cup surprisingly quickly, with the eagerness of old emperors swallowing their last poison.

Since her hands were apparently off-limits, and the tail was a no-go, he leaned over and enjoyed more of the comfortable warmth.

"Affection, playful words, ambition... who cares really? I simply wish to continue living as myself and follow my desires. Right now, I want to enjoy a scalding meal with a demon princess. Tomorrow, I want to gain more power. After that..."

He shrugged like he wasn't sure himself. Maybe he didn't think about it yet. "I have to wonder though, what do you want? It's hard to believe someone as strong as you would need Elizabeth's services all that much. If the things I've heard are true, you have enough skill to carve your own path, you could easily create your own faction stronger than the great five. So why the servile act?"

59

Areas / Re: Pine Garden

« on: August 03, 2021, 04:52:48 PM »

Marc

"...Yeah, I sure did. Nice find by the way, didn't think I kept it there." He smiled with a small sigh and picked it up - even if just looking at that made him feel kind of old. No, maybe his eyes looked old when put next to that. Didn't people know better than to snoop? Nah, actually, he shouldn't blame her too hard for looking at his embarrassing pictures. If he cared so much, he'd have done a better job putting them somewhere else.

Mission though... hm, well, his hunch was right after all. He put a hand on his hip and pouted casually.

"I figured as much. Well, even if you're a homunculus, it's not like most of the information you'd get here is all that unique. I'm just a washed-up martial artist slash mercenary." He smiled a little when he said that. "But you're pretty cute. I figured even if it's for someone else's sake, I don't mind lending a hand. Besides, I might have an idea of who your mother is now."

He stretched a bit. "So what do you want to know? Humans are a pretty broad subject, I don't think some lecture will cut it."

60

Areas / Re: Pine Garden

« on: August 03, 2021, 01:29:53 AM »

Vega

"Yes, you're quite radiant!" He booped her teasingly with his nose, and if he had a tail, it'd probably be wagging happily too. You didn't even need eyes to tell just how joyful her answer made him. "Ah, but that's not the only reason. Humans are complex little things, our wants and desires are often as free and branched as the rivers. It would make you happy, no? If I were to take you with all my passion here and now? Alas... it would make me happy too. And if I were to blindly chase happiness without enjoying the little things, I wouldn't find joy."

His eyes narrowed when he said that last word, even as he smiled. "The labor we delight in physics pain, a friend told me that. I think... as long as I act in a steadfast manner towards my aims, I can enjoy the little pleasures and skip over the burdens before me." He reached for Lily's hand sincerely.

"See, I want for us to have a long, fruitful friendship. Because I can tell there are things you want too. Should we not help each other? I seek something any man does. Joy, my friend. And the only thing that'll give that to me is victory."

That is why he was here. That was also why she was here.

"I had a feeling if I paid enough, I'd have an audience with a demon of some status. Someone who could look at me with honesty and courage. That's why I feel comfortable being honest in turn. If I were to beg for power, or some unnatural contract, the power wouldn't come for myself... it'd be worthless. But if someone with some form of strength and skill were to aid me... to nurture me... why, I would be quite elated! Haha."

He toyed with his hair coyly.

"Would you know such a person? I figure even a prostitute has her fair share of connections. And if my hunch isn't mistaken, I feel that someone I seek is closer to me than one might think."