This was it. If there was anything Barsait desired more from DARE themselves, it was a true combination of these men in tandem, teamwork, to shine through.
At least, that's what he wanted to think, spending all those painful days prior to now preparing this little endeavor. Omi, through moments of luck mixed with moments of prowess, was quite wealthy for the mortal spectrum. Powerful, gifted, with a beautiful wife and children, youthful.. so the common consensus was the man was mad. Perhaps, he had to resign to himself, he was a bit. He had enough to contemplate day in and day out to justify madness over.
The first time he beat a man bloody without the intent to kill, in front of a live audience -- it was to make enough money to buy bread. Nothing more, just combating the condition of starvation. Time and years went on, and finding his knack, the baron exploited much as he could to gain mass coin. He was good at it. He knew when to take the dives, when to tear someone apart, when to stop playing games and go after them in their homes. 'Course it never failed to escalate, dipping his toes into warfare, gaining his horrific "art" and having to live with the days he could be merciful, then sleep with the ones he couldn't.
Of course, few too many successes get to a man. Even the most humble can't help it, it's in human nature. That was Barsait's folly: sticking his nose in where it didn't belong one too many times, retracing his roots. And that's when he discovered the notions of "power" & "knowledge" -- words anyone thinks they know until they're shown it in true. He was shown a lack of empathy. He was shown how the world beyond mankind viewed said men. And he was shown stinging, bitter betrayal.
Within him welled up a hatred, a burning ambition that dulled so much of him but sharpened the remainder -- and it was this, that dark will, that curiosity of his, that coerced Omi Barsait to give in to the tournament committee's 'requests' this fine year. What convinced him to initiate a procedure from his body he likely couldn't perform again for years without killing himself on the spot.
He had to know if, infused with enough "knowledge," could a human body transcend. No, more specifically.. he had to know if, past his own paranoia and shortcomings, could the man in red even process the power he felt he needed to reach even a finger towards enlightenment.
But!.. they had swam deeper into the depths of the [Hour] now.
They would learn what he sought.
"HISSHHHHHSSS"
..ten thousand.
Ten thousand serpents, red, exploded from the man's backside and once again snugly entwined themselves around every limb of the vampire KB's body, halting his otherwise praise-worthy rise to glory.
So then how many secured Darren..? Surely a similar number, as "Barsait" - or the human outline of him amidst this saturated scene of deep red, vomited snakes upon his visage, engulfing the very arm he had attempted to savagely beat the lord with.
Claymore! CONSUMED.
The Changeling mid-stride, CONSUMED.
The descending form of the cyborg, Edward - CONSUMED.
For DARE, all the vision one would now have was of writhing, squirming red. It was as though they were consumed in a wave of organic creatures, pushing against them so strongly that it began to flow them down an irreversible river -- hiding the [COIN] as though a needle within its haystack. All sight of the cathedral, beginning to hyper-heat with the conditions at hand, had been devoured.. and then, something most troublesome began to speak into each fighter's ears.
"Excellent~ Sorry sorry if I lost my composure earlier gentlemen, but it would seem I'm more relaxed now." ..something that should not have been.
The vision of the "lord" was projected into every man -- bits of his old armor and clothing torn into that unnatural flesh, still Barsait was far more humanoid now than before, more compact and similar to his original size.. yet, his entire body! It beat like a heart, every ounce of skin bulging with each passing moment - areas where the flesh and bone should have been torn, either revealing such a constant flow of serpent mass that it seemed not unlike a volcano ready to erupt, or bone more like plate metal -- thick and entirely inhuman. That white pearly grin of the man's, stretching ear to ear... accompanied his horrific transformation.
"Still, you all seem preoccupied. Here, I'll give you .. three presents. One, the why of this situation. Two, your mistakes in how you've tried to solve it. And three, a second opportunity."
BEAT. BEAT. BEAT. How many times every second did his entire body pulsate from ghastly head to toe, pumping absurd amounts of now unnatural blood coursing "serpents" of absurd number..? "You see, this is not the first time I had instigated the hour. No.. once, in my mercenary days, I got caught up in a border skirmish between my very own homeland and a little town called Pinberry. I took the, so I believed, downtrodden side - and was subject to a guerrilla war I could scarcely have ever imagined possible."
Faint imagery began to "form" in the infected's minds.
"Yes. I wasn't like any normal man, not anymore; why not put my gift to use, to get coin and better the world? It was easy enough an excuse. Yet, Zine.. proved ever the resourceful. One night, the city I was tasked with helping strike a decisive blow on this border dispute.. fell prey to an attack of opportunity. The trees. There had been men camping in those massive trees, living off rations and remaining more still than corpses, for god knows how long; more, housed beneath the ground in winding tunnel systems. The humorous part. They were all dressed, suited, and adorned like Pinberry's nation [Lanor]'s soldiers. Immediately and at once, they filled our ranks with men.. identical to our advancing force."
How eerie, for the screeching to be overwrote by his words in sound. One could see it - the being Omi grasping one of those massive snake-headed shoulder pauldrons.. on the floor beneath literal tons of serpents, and pointing it at himself. Then, flesh scolding oil struck his skin, sizzling into it. He showed no apparent signs of pain.
"It was a slaughter. The city was a border job, not truly backed in full by its nation just yet. That's when I first felt it.. from whence I gained my art, the urge to control, the temptation to consume. I gave in, and when my eyes opened.. the world was indeed, red." Vision of soldiers farther than the eye could see in silver plate writhing in place from his "field" could be felt. "I was legion. I was many. I was one. Each man there, traitor and comrade, infused into me. I had so much information - modifying my body and tuning my mind. A hidden tunnel carrying food supplies..? I knew of its whereabouts and I burned it. A man promised amnesty by the Zine court, I ripped apart. Who was in disguise, I could see like flags. Who I slaughtered, I felt the hatred enthralling me from Pinberry's townsman, and I felt the lament of the man I cut down; as I slaughtered, I was committing suicide! Killing myself! Slaughtering pieces of myself."
Finally, each DARE fighter calmly felt stone. They had been, gently even, pressed against wall.
"..One man, through initial combat and then through weeding out traitors and executing them with the knowledge in hand, slew over 8,000 in one night. What became of that skirmish was a travesty, but as I recovered from my body's normalization, I began to contemplate what I had. The gravity.. of what I had."
"Become a god? TO WHAT end? To rule and lord over? Meaningless trite I have no interest in. To become king? So long as vile influences called gods, kings, and idols reign free, no good intention of mine with such power could ever achieve the benefits I desire. Then, a dark realization came to me.. what if..
There were no gods?
No kings?
No idols?
What if every emperor and every lord, every god and every patriarch, every seat of power -- were devoured by a being greater than they? Then such a being went into slumber, leaving the world shapeless, allowing it a true fresh slate at long last? COULD I become this Glutton God?
At once, every serpent in the room disappeared at his single signal - save.. a swarm pinning poor Wigi to a western wall of the altar. The rest of the party had been swam back to the Cathedral's iron doors.
And there Barsait was in true sight. A menacing 'human', serpents gushing down from openings in his every limb.
"..honestly, perhaps not. Perhaps that's not even the solution. But I want one so badly.. what would happen if I spread this influence'o mine to more people? Stronger beings yet, more of them? More and more? Would I not be with a power that rivals "gods?" Would I not be capable of feasting on them as well? If I could gain the power to extend this hour to as long as I like, could I not feast on the omega? Absorb the alpha? You kind gentlemen - help me shape my answer."
There, so close yet so far away, was the innocent looking [COIN] again - bopping about in place.
"Ah, and as for a hint~ You can't overwhelm my mind with concurrent thought, it's an exercise in futility. Somewhere in your brains, you flag your true course of action as such, and your falsehoods as such; to one such as I, they can be read with a cursory glance." Inhaling deeply, the man continued on so .. calmly: "The solution is simple. Perform an action so perfect, not even clairvoyance and knowledge of the future could prevent it. I hold in me all of your strengths; pin me then, with your weaknesses, the sums of yourselves combined. All of you in unison."
"And.. actually, you know what? I bet you're all growing bored. Let's test something."
Preempting one of DARE would be getting awful antsy now that they were free, still the mischief in Barsait's voice prior to veins pulsing on his forehead as both his hands rose high, beginning to lift the bound changeling -- bode... ill.
"GOoooOD~BYYYYEE~WiiiGIII~~~!!
Quote:** Wrote:
Adamant Fireball – Basic fireball attack about the size of a soft ball, made of compressed flame energy for a bigger blast, usually medium damage consisting of 1st to 2nd degree burns on a target. Considered "dumb" projectiles. Technically, Ryugi can unleash multiple of these blasts, up to 5, from his hand for a sort of "carpet bombing" or "shotgun" effect. Of course they drain equivalent energy for each additional fireball, and are still "dumb" projectiles. The combined effect of being struck by these multiple blasts is not on par with his more powerful attacks, despite the same energy cost being attributed to them. ((10 Energy Each))
Erupting Dragon Fume - Three streams of flames shoot forth in the shape of dragons with Ryugi guiding them to collide with the designated target. Can be held continuously for more damage if the need arises by using energy for each consecutive turn of use, can be held no longer than three turns Ryugi must be standing still to use and channel this attack. ((20 Energy - 15 Energy each turn afterward to maintain/channel))
Supernova - Sends a massive ball of flames about the size of a 70's Volkswagen Beetle at opponent from high in the air with Ryugi guiding the blast with a powerful punch – Ryugi’s favorite finishing move. The basic force is powerful enough to give 2nd-3rd degree burns to the target, as well as send them flying back roughly 30 feet due to the blunt pressure and explosive force the attack releases. Other damage generally includes shock damage to the target's body. Ryugi incurs a cost of roughly 50 Energy from the attack, as well as shock injuries and damage to his guiding arm from collision with the ground and the attack itself. Due to the limits of Ryugi's body and stamina, this attack can only be used a MAXIMUM of 2 times, and this maximum is ONLY if he uses no other energy based attacks, and sacrifices his right arm's ability to function. The attack is actually a powerful burst of energy that acts more like a powerful wave than an explosion, much like a hose spraying off in all directions when striking the ground, and helps to limit Ryugi's own damage suffered during the attack.
Light Manipulation - This technique allows Ryugi to call on light energy to form any number of solid objects for attack or defensive purposes, much like a shadow elemental, but using light energy instead. Stamina is used to manifest objects based on their size and complexity. ((10 Energy for small objects [knives, brass knuckles], 25 Energy for medium objects [shortsword, katana, light shield, longsword etc], 40 Energy for large objects [energy walls, heavy shield, greatsword, greatspear, lance, large ball and chain, tower shield, buster sword etc], varying on overall construction)) If the objects are not destroyed in combat, the energy can be reabsorbed by Ryugi and used to replace some of the Energy / Health lost during their creation (50% energy/health refund). Any Energy/Health refunded is refunded as Energy, and does not add to Ryugi's HP/Stamina.
-Emerald Fire: One of Moonblade's specialties. Due to the unique arcanic makeup, he has the innate ability to manifest emerald flame in virtually any form around most of his techniques. Though this energy takes fire in form, its function is a bit different. While it produces a substantial amount of heat (up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit), the real damage comes from the corrosive properties of the attack, causing fire and heat resistance to be only half as effective against it. For characters with ultra high temperature tolerance (as opposed to percentage-based resistance), Emerald Fire ignores 600 degrees Fahrenheit of the victim's heat resistance. If the target can withstand temperatures above 1400 degrees Fahrenheit, they will still feel as though they have suffered a first degree burn in the affected area for up to a minute, but otherwise take no lasting damage. The burning sensation and wounds are caused by the corrosive energy slowly consuming the target's matter. Damage is caused in the form of 'burns' and charred/destroyed flesh. Emerald Fire does not normally effect materials like metal or stone and, unlike regular flames, will not spread over flammable surfaces. Emerald Fire will not 'ignite' the target, though it is possible for an object to catch fire (regularly) if their combustion threshold is under 800 degrees Fahrenheit. This ability CANNOT be used simultaneously with Emerald Frost.
Wyvern Fang: A cloak of corrosive, chaotic energy envelops Moonblade's weapon as he goes for this attack. When he lands a successful blow, he causes a festering wound in his opponent, dealing additional magic damage over time as it continues to weaken the victim. Wyvern Fang halves the natural 'healing factor' for the wound and is twice as effective against draconic or cold-blooded characters. The additional magic damage is comparable to having a mild-strength acid poured inside the wound, which persists for three posts after the initial strike landed. This leaves damage to the affected area similar to an extremely painful chemical burn. This attack CANNOT be combined with Emerald Fire/Frost or Silver Eclipse.
Cost: 10% initial, plus 5% per active round.
Limiter: This ability is forbidden with 3+ stacks of Arcane Regression.
((*Note: If already active, Wyvern Fang will NOT automatically expire if the limiter is reached. It just cannot be cast again.))
((*Note2: The upkeep cost is only paid while Wyvern Fang is active on the weapon. It does NOT incur a cost from wounds it is currently inflicting.))
-Omega Lance: Using Azurian Magic, Moonblade materializes a powerful six-foot 'lance' of pure energy. Having quasi-physical properties, the lance may be used as a comparable weapon of iron. Upon piercing an enemy's flesh to a significant degree, the entire power of the lance flares up and courses through the opponent's open wound, dealing considerable energy damage to the target in an instant, after which point the spell is completely exhausted. The average human without a resistance to electricity would be stunned for up to three seconds due to the sudden influx of mana, unable to take any physical action.
Alternatively, the Omega Lance may take the form of a thin tendril or whip of cackling energy ten feet in length. When employed in this manner, the Omega Lance has a nasty tendency to latch onto any physical object it comes into contact with, causing searing energy damage in the progress. The energy is discharged in this manner at a slower rate than the piercing version, taking three turns to wear out its energy, but may also be used as an anchor to restrict or move the enemy. Moonblade may also cause the Omega Lance to retract, drawing both Moonblade and the bound target towards one another (depending on strength and weight), though doing so ends the spell's duration.
Omega Lance automatically dissipates four posts after it is formed. The Omega Lance can swap between the whip and lance forms mid combat.
Cost: 30%
Limiter: This ability is unaffected by Arcane Regression.
Barsait.. had hurled Wigi with such horrifying might, the changeling would fly towards his comrades like a ogre-bound missile, twirling in the air so fast that he no doubt would spin 18000 degrees.
Of course.. what enveloped him, and would be swarming towards DARE, was a horrific perversion mismatch of so many special Ryugin & Dare techniques merged together into one monstrosity, it would obviously take highlight. Namely the figure of a massive, glowing, flaming serpent larger than a truck flying at them, enveloped in so many kinds of flame vying for presence -- teeth comprised of OMEGA LANCES, literally destroying errant dust coming into contact with it mid-air.
Wigi was the unfortunate carrier of this ..
...and poor KB was the direct center target, though at this point, all three of Wigi's comrades were in the general path.
sup bitches 
