Cross Effects 3.0 - June 23, 2016—April 02, 2018

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lorenzo Remei

For the first time, Lorenzo chuckled morbidly.

"Heh, indeed, and I will pay with more than my life if I must. But not today-"

The pirate didn't move out of the way of her strike at all. No, it's more like he couldn't, even if he wanted to. She was fast, impossibly so, but beyond that, he couldn't move. His focus and energy was solely focused on her, you could say that he was at his most vulnerable right now.

He didn't need to, because as soon as she moved for the strike, the flames around her turned bright and incandescent, and before her fist could reach him she exploded into fiery chunks. scattered all across the arena, blasting him backwards but leaving the pirate untouched by the flames and her strike. Sadly for her, things like this tend to happen hen you let a magician walk at his own pace.

Lorenzo sighed and wiped the soot off his hat, noting that he did take a bit of damage from that. He disliked it, but being undead did have some perks. He rose back up with a bit of effort. Since he was technically a ghost and living spell, focusing his magic to such a degree really wasn't good in the long run, but he should be fine. He couldn't say the same for the poor Shinobu though, he hoped he wasn't going overboard. Then again, he was quite infuriated.

"Whelp! I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. We could be doing this all day until you can't regenerate anymore, or i could just go on until you're disintegrated completely and there is nothing left to regenerate. I hear some creatures regenerate through their blood, so I could just cook you until you're as dry as salt beef. But you know, I really dislike violence towards women."

The flames still roared as they greedily kept embracing her body, even as broken as it was. Surely she might even regenerate from that, he had no doubt, but it would likely be an exercise in effort very different from just coming back after being splattered. The wounds were still burning, after all. The running, the acrobatics, the napping, even the speeches, he'd just been stalling to make sure the odds were stacked in his favor. Though nothing was certain, she could still win.

Not with that attitude.

"If you're trying to teach me some sort of important life lesson, I'm afraid it will likely fall on deaf ears." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I would hate to hurt Medaka any more than I've already done, which was why I tried to be reasonable here. Not that I'm complaining, I'll take the victory, sour as it is. There are people right now who believe in me, can't afford to disappoint the crowd now can I?"

[Thedoctor]

Shinobu

Before she could even land the hit she was blown apart in a shower of gore as bits and pieces of her body were thrown across the arena. That was quite something she hadn't been expecting. It appeared he would require some actual effort to be put into place. While the thing he just did was somewhat impressive to her she didn't quite appreciate the gloating he was doing now.


"And what victory would that be?"


A disembodied voice that sounded eerily like Shinobu echoed throughout the arena.

"What you were saying may be true if I actually did regenerate through my blood. Unfortunately for you that isn't the case, this curse of immortality is a truly dreadful thing."

While the disembodied voice was speaking, a dreadful thing was indeed occuring. The scattered and still burning bits and pieces of the presumably dead vampire's body were moving. As if gathered by some greater force, they pulled themselves together. Through the grit and through the flames to form a single mass once more. A familiar blonde humanoid mass.

"Like I was saying, it is time for your punishment."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lorenzo

No way...

Lorenzo Remei had one motto: nothing is impossible. One might see many fantastical wonders and still be surprised, or a plan might not go exactly as intended. You could have it all, and all it takes is a wrong tide for your whole world to crash down on you. He knew that better than nyone, which is why he tried to account for every possibility. Even so, he couldn't look at this and not feel the slightest tinge of awe and fear.

This was beyond mere regeneration, it was something even he couldn't comprehend. But there was only one truth.

"Hah, don't make me laugh! I'm telling you there's no chance in hell i'm going to lose!!"

The spell broken and his resolve unshaken, he found a newborn energy swelling inside him, or perhaps he chose to ignore his own condition in order to raise. Cheap tricks, bluffs, speed, power, fire, steel, nothing seemed to faze her. In that case, he just had to use everything he had at once, even if it meant putting himself at stake. At this point, there was little chance of winning, she was simply too strong.

But if he was going to go down, he would do it in a blaze of glory. Flames brighter and more vivid than ever erupted from his back  and propelled him, increasing his speed beyond the limits of his body. Blade in hand and flames in the other, he braced himself for the final assault.

[yinsukin]

Medaka+Stadium

"Hahaha..... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

The crowd roared, eagerly anticipating the next exchange.  With Shinobu seemingly going on the attack, the atmosphere had picked up dramatically.  The man in the blue T shirt dipped his head, staring at the ground with utter defeat.  "Yup, its over."   The crowd's cheering intensified, drowning out the banter of the two fighters to those in the crowd.

Medaka looked at Shinobu for a moment then spoke into her mike once more.  "It seems Shinobu has gotten serious!  She is finally on the attack!  How will Lorenzo deal with her overwhelming speed?"

Just as she finished her sentience, her question was answered. Her favorite blond vampire was swallowed by flames.   Her body exploaded, sending her disembodied limbs to the comer of the arena.  Both Medaka and the crowd stood silently, as for but a breif second, it seemed like the pirate had instantly turned the tables, destroying his opponent in one attack.  Even Medaka had never seen her take that much damage before.  Her arms went limp, falling to her sides.

"Shinobu...?"

The man in the blue T shirt stood up, eyes wide as he stared into the arena.  "HA!  I KNEW HE COULD DO IT!  TAKE THAT VAMPIRE GIRL!"  He turned around to his friends.  "LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS WONT BE EATING TONIGHT!"  He said, pointing his finger at them as he flashed a smug grin.  "Dont worry, ill buy you dinner tonight!  Maybe if I fell like it, ill pay your rent too."  The audiance was filled with similar conversations as murmurs filled the arena.

Just then, the elder vampire's sassy voice echoed through the space of the arena.  "What you were saying may be true if I actually did regenerate through my blood. Unfortunately for you that isn't the case, this curse of immortality is a truly dreadful thing."

The man in the blue T sat down as his finger went limp.  "Oh...."  Those in the auidance who were betting on Shinobu cheered loudly.  Since they were the majority, their combined voices blasted through the stadium, as though this group was pooling their voices into a siren.

Meanwhile, Medaka exhaled in a relived sigh.  She moved the mic to her lips once more.  "It seems like no attack can stop Shinobu!  Will Lorenzo finally admit defeat?!"

No it was the opposite.  The pirate charged at his opponent, intending on fighting this enemy despite the odds.  At this point, most of the Shinobu fans in the audiance looked at the arena with a combination of confusion and frustration.

 "Just give up already I want my prize!"  A man shouted.

"You cant kill a girl who can come back from exploding!" A woman shouted.

"Give up godamn it!"

Then, the man in the blue T shirt stood up, placing his hands in a circular formation around his mouth to amplify his voice.  "NO!  Keep going!  If your going to go down take her with you!"  He shouted.

Medaka closed her eyes and smiled with a profound satisfaction.  Then, she took a step forward, as if being drawn into the clash.  "Will this be it!?  Is this the deciding blow?!"

[Thedoctor]

Neptune

Neptune let go of him and landed on her feet once more so she could accept the pudding grudgingly. It looked like she was struggling with something, apparenlty it was bi enough to keep her from eating the pudding.

"Well this is a real pickle. I can't decide whether I should hug you or hit you. You really know how to push my buttons Gaddy. Did ya find some Nep manual lying around here, If that's what's happening I need to burn it. Can't have people know how to get me flustered hehe..."

[Thedoctor]

Shinobu

"Hah, don't make me laugh! I'm telling you there's no chance in hell i'm going to lose!!"

Despite everything he kept going, rushing at her again. This time it looked like he was doing the trick from back on the ship, when he slipped out of her grasp. Seeing it from this direction revealed a weakness to it she had no qualms with exploiting. He wasn't the only one who could slip away. Perhaps she could even shock him once more.

Holding back like she did earlier, gave the advantage to her as he had no idea of what she was capable of besides her regeneration and her speed. So the blonde vampire could easily take advantage of the giant light source from his back and slipped into the huge shadow he was casting.

[Panda]

Emily

As expected, the kiss on the cheek turned into William quickly taking over for a moment before pulling away, leaving Lucy pouting at what he said next. Emily allowed a giggle at what he said, not particularly surprised by the accusation or by Lucy's reply, though the latter did bring a bit of a flush to her face.

"Mm, I can't say that comes as a surprise," Emily noted, a teasing lilt in her voice as she glanced back at Lucy with a bemused little smirk, "And perhaps, though I worry that you might cross even some of my limits."

[SINIB]

Noel Vermillion

"So, uh, do you want to go do something?" Noel asked her new friend. "You know how to fight, right? Do you wanna uh, spar?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lorenzo Remei

Give it up.

You'll never amount to anything.

You should quit while you're behind.

The pirate grit his teeth. Scum, the whole lot of them, they could never understand. Even a pirate crook like him, a heartless reject of society, still had pride. They would look down on him with those laughing faces, so what? He knew he wasn't strong, or smart, or brave, he still strived for it.

Even once, he wanted to taste victory again. And a pirate's thirst can't be denied my friend. His back was against the wall, he had run out of tricks, but he still had something. Even now, he was resolved, so much he could almost feel his heart beat.

"Will this be it!?  Is this the deciding blow?!" Her voice rung and echoed in his skull. Even after all this time, even now, she still looked at him. Even if drowned by the masses, there were still some who dreamt of ships and pirates, of freedom and adventure.

He couldn't let them down, now could he? So despite the roars, despite the mockery, despite the fact he had no chance, he roared with all his might, drowning even the crowd and their ocean of sneers.

"NOT YET!!!"

Clever lass! He'd be surprised if he were thinking too hard about it, but at this point he was just focused in the moment. Though he caught a glimpse of it, so she had such tricks in her sleeve.

He stopped suddenly and the fire around him circled him before dissipating like an illusion. Rapier in one hand, he lowered his stance while stretching his leg to the side to make an angle, he looked around frantically  to make sure she would not catch him unawares.

Suddenly, he opened the palm of his hands and molded a ball from the fire submerging it, carefully shaping the flames. The fire hungered, it breathed, it lived, and split into three bird-like creatures  that hovered over him, observing his blind spots. She would strike him eventually, for now all he needed was to focus his breathing.

Come on, Shinobu, show yourself!

[yinsukin]

Medaka+Stadium crowd

If only for a second, the crowd was temporarily silenced by his cry.  Several people stood up , leaning over the edge of their seats as they wondered what just happened.  Meanwhile, Medaka stood back a few inches, making sure she was in a good spot to dodge if the arena were to be engulfed in flames.  "Oh! Do my eyes deceive me!?  Did she just jump into his shadow!?  Lorenzo must be reaching the pinicle of anxiety right now.  Speaking from experience, this technique is easily the most comforting, or the most dangerous depending on her whims and I would not want to be Lorenzo right now!"

Mummers could be heard across the stadium.  "What? So she's in his shadow?"

"That doesnt make any sense, shadows dont have form!"

"Its probably magic you dunce!"

Meanwhile, the man in the blue T shirt cluched his wallet, practically squeezing the form out of it.  "Damn it"  He looked at his two freinds.  Their faces were covered with big stupid grins, as if they already won.  The chatter slowly died down as the rest of the stadium followed suit.

[Thedoctor]

Shinobu

Ah the wonders of having your own hidey hole. Now how to manage her attack. She could either wait here a long time to make him lower his guard or she could try to trick him. Waiting didn't seem an option, as they might call the match if she took too long. So that left the other alternative. Hmm.. what to do?

Ah right, throwing something out would surely confuse him. She would have to time this in a good way. Maybe throw it out and then appear on the other side? Yes that seemed like the best course of action.

Right on cue a pink throne came flying out of the shadow behind Lorenzo. A split second the blond vampire emerged on the opposite side ready to sucker punch the skeleton.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lorenzo Remei

The throne and the girl came flying at him from opposite reactions. Too fast, even he couldn't dodge in time, but two of the birds he created were in the way. With a scorching blast, the two intercepted the opponents, taking the impact and exploding outwards violently while the third gave Lorenzo a signal. In the blink of an eye, he turned towards the regenerating Shinobu and swung his blade, raining a flurry of strikes trying to pierce her all over.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Meti

Meti was just a bit limp in Vanguard's hold. She was only human after all, and even she could get tired. Well, she wasn't really human, but the sentiment was still there. "No. That sword wasn't anything. That's why it was strong. Everything that exists can be defined, but something that doesn't is unbound and can do anything."

But that was enough philosophy. She had a question to answer. "If you remember the point of being human than you already know the answer, and I don't like answering meaningless questions. If you don't know then try finding out. Maybe that will help you."


Erica

Part of the girl was hesitant at the thought, but she reassured herself. Noel was strong, and she would never do anything that would hurt the blonde too much even if she could land a hit. "This body was designed for battle. I am combat ready. It is an accepta- uhh... Yes! I would be glad to spar with you!

[Kotomine_Rin]

Dadguard

Vanguard's hand rose up gravely towards the girl's face. To someone like her, a mistaken girl like her, he only had one thing to say.

"Fool!"

A finger was mercilessly flicked on her chin, slamming her with the force of a grown horse and blowing her head back. Well, not that strong, it would be painful, but it was a ridiculously strong finger flick of pure. Utter. Disappointment.

"The empty sword is you and that skull of yours. Had you heeded my advice, you would have eaten something and you might not have lost so utterly. Without proper nutrition, your body won't be able to sustain itself and fight to its fullest. Beans and rice? What are you, a milk drinking infant? To think I would meet a fool so foolish she would fight a war on an empty stomach."

Then, he lifted her by the collar with his giant strength, and the sort of casual carelessness you'd expect from someone lifting a purse. Then, he turned to Michael and spoke sternly.

"Michael, I entrust you with a very important mission. You are to ensure the safety and well being of this miscreant here, make sure she has at least three balanced meals a day, with two snacks and adequate hydration in between. If she didn't kill herself out of some suicidal drive to prove herself, that would be wonderful."

[Aiden]

Ron

He clenched his hands a bit, imagining them as paws and not being able to move as fast. Being weighed down by it all. It wasn't a comfortable thought. "I eat what I want anyway. And Anne isn't much of a pamper-er, if we're looking at my situation right now."

Sakura Matou

"I see. That's too bad, then." She said simply. "Being pampered is wonderful. I think it's a travesty she doesn't pamper you."

Ron

Ron glanced out the window of Sakura's car with a frown. He wasn't sure what to think of that. He'd never really been pampered before. There was never really a lot of room for pampering growing up working class in this city. "A travesty, huh? That's a pretty strong word for it."