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Nari edged closer and closer, the beast making no move to retreat or attack her. The closer she came to the oxen, the more she realised that it was absolutely exhausted – the fight had taken whatever energy it may have once had, and now it remained stationary, waiting for her to finish what had been started. A wave of pity, sympathy and despair washed over Nari as she realised what she was about to do. It took a few seconds longer before the disgust and fury at Cardinal came, realising the oxen was locked in place and unable to run away due to its nature, but also unable to fight back due to t

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Each of them stood alone in the field now, the oxen’s herd members destroyed and little more than a memory on the wind. Nari’s spear was still levelled, pointed towards the oxen and prepared to meet it should it charge forward. Not that it had made any indication of doing so, thus far. In fact, it appeared more than content simply standing and watching her, waiting to see what she would do in the coming moments. Not that Nari was entirely sure herself; she was used to playing the defensive build, waiting for her targets to come to her and dealing with the brunt of their assaults through pure d

The single remaining oxen seemed to stare at Nari for a few seconds, as if trying to figure out what witch born creature it was facing down in its final moments of life. She would’ve, in another situation perhaps, have felt a small measure of sympathy for the creature. As it was, however, she’d grown tired and incapable of her usual measure of sympathy and empathy for the creations of Cardinal. Bringing her shield and spear up, she repositioned herself to a point where she could easily stab out at the thing once it charged – an action she knew it was going to take, if not for the sudden d

The first one to explode into a collection of shards left the oxen nervous, their herd mate simply disappearing into the air and nothingness. Nari took advantage of the confusion, leaping in and cutting at two others before being pressed backwards, the horns of the wild cattle stopping her from pressing too much of an attack in the quick moment. Still, it was enough to bring shock and confusion among the creatures, and she was determined to use it to her own success and their finality. Shield raised, she stepped back only slightly, deflecting horns and stabbing out with her own spear as things

Slowly the herd came back around, clearly hoping to flank Nari and catch her from behind while she was still repositioning and preparing. Instead, they turned to find her shielded and in place, awaiting their forward charge. Her readiness seemed to give them pause, if only for a few seconds. Unusual, they don’t normally plan this well. I wonder if being in a larger herd allows them to be more confident, more considerate of their situation…or maybe I’ve just finally scared them and Cardinal enough to give them actual fear. She grinned a bit at the thought of scaring the artificial intelligence

They moved as a herd was want to do, a tactic that would normally benefit them against an unknowing, or lesser predator. Nari, however, had come to learn the various movements and behaviours of the oxen. At least, to a degree. She claimed no mastery over the knowledge, but she could at least see the telltale signs that a charge held, and the behaviours that were incorporated in such actions and movements. She used that knowledge to plant herself into a perfect position, knowing she could deflect and redirect most of their momentum off towards her waiting spear, the blade held strong and steady

The trio of oxen were gone, and Nari found herself sighing in relief as the dust settled once more. She glanced at the materials and col gained from the encounter, only to scowl in response. The haul was far less than she had hoped to achieve, and she knew that would mean she would be here much longer than she originally intended. Not that there was much to do about that – she wasn’t designed to haul in large quantities, like some individuals had built themselves towards. Instead, she’d been focused on simply keeping herself alive, so that she could ensure others remained alive. ’Well, I

The two oxen exploded into shards, and Nari turned her full attention to the final one standing before her. It seemed to sway on the spot, as if uncertain if it should remain in place, or look for a hasty retreat. If she didn’t know better, she might have rushed in – might have given chase after a thing that wouldn’t run even if given the chance. Instead, Nari waited, shield held in place and legs spread against any incoming force that might try and push her off balance. She knew that it was only a matter of time before they connected once more, the pair locked into conflict until only one rem

Stomping hooves, slamming horns and grating metal echoed into the air as the trio of oxen attempted to encircle and overpower Nari. She pulled the shield from the ground, moving with the creatures and allowing her spear to strike and lash out, catching two of the oxen once more and knocking them hard enough to pause their engagement in the fight. She turned her attention to the final one as she followed through with the wide swing of the spear, bringing it back before thrusting it fully forward just as it threw its head to the side and slammed into the side of her plating. A movement that Nari

They did exactly as Nari expected, rushing towards her with wild abandon and no consideration of the danger they faced. She shifted the shield ever so slightly, sending the first of the oxen careening off to the side with little effort or impact upon herself. The sudden shift appeared to through off the charge as a whole, the other two pulling up short and snorting as they stomped in place, trying to figure out what had happened. Nari didn’t give them a chance, erupting from behind shield and spinning her spear in a wide arc, letting blade and shaft slam across each of the oxen in a succe

The oxen didn’t notice her approach at first. She was far too distant to be an immediate threat, and the various creatures of Aincrad never took notice until you began to step within their aura of awareness – a term Nari herself had coined, though she didn’t think it had taken root in anyone else’s vocabulary. It was one of the few eerie things, how some creatures simply ignored an individual until they were a specific distance away, suddenly becoming aggressive and combative the moment you stepping into the aura. These oxen seemed to be among those types of creatures, turning the moment

She wasn’t entirely sure how long she’d settled into the calmness of the valley, but when Nari shifted suddenly and reawakened herself to the world – she hadn’t quite fallen asleep, but her mind had certainly drifted to a point where it wasn’t actively thinking and considering – she noticed the shift in sunlight signifying that time had passed. A quick glance around confirmed that the oxen had moved throughout the valley, but none had approached her small outcropping of peace that sat to the side. ’Come on Mio, let’s get to this. There’s more fights to be had, and hopefully more material

A shiver spread across her at the words, remembering just how deadly the world around her was – permanently so. ’Maybe…it’s not so different from the real world, in a way. You can die at any time there, and from any number of things…and you’re dead, then. No respawning, no returning to life – usually. I mean there’s the odd case, but usually…usually you’re just dead. And I guess you could say most people are trapped, in a way…unless you’re super rich, maybe…’ Her brow furrowed slightly as she considered aloud her train of thoughts. She’d always seen Cardinal as evil for locking them away

She gave a soft sigh as the oxen disappeared from sight, knowing that she’d bought herself a small reprieve from the dangers – for the moment. There was still more to do, but Nari knew better than to press herself in the moment. Instead, she found a nearby tree, settling against it and glancing out into the distance, taking in the environment around her and the creatures that walked through it. The river flowed through the centre of it all, a band of winding waters that flowed peacefully and with little disruption; a calming sound barely audible above the winds and quiet calls of the oxen. The

Standard Recovery +4 EN, Recovery | 254720, CD: 11 (Proc) +8 EN Quick Change CD [3/3] Refreshed, Vanish CD [3/3] Refreshed PH Post Action | [x15] AOE-I (11 - 2 [Stamina] + 2 [Shift] + (2 * 4 Targets = 8) = 19 EN) ID: 254721 | 10 + 3- 1 = 12, CD: 8 {ST-B Unavailable} | Major Crit vs. Cupcake Cretin #9 Dealing 465 - 180 = 285 Damage (not including dots because they are dead) ID: 254722 | 9 + 3 - 1 = 11, Crit vs. Cupcake Cretin #10 Dealing 450 - 180 = 270 Damage (not including dots because they are dead) ID: 254723 | 4 + 3 - 1 = 6, Hit vs. Cupcake Cretin #11 Dealing 435 - 180 =

His blade prickled her skin, and it felt heavy- a strange electricity almost that vibrated from the dark weapon. It almost felt like Juiblex. But Mari wasn't sure if that was just her addled mind loosing sense of what was, and what wasn't. One thing was clear to her though, friend or not...she'd lose her head if she went against him. Well....Shit. Mari lowered her gaze. She hated to admit it...but he was right...if she hadn't offered Addex that same compassion, that same mercy...she'd not have been captured. She'd still have her familiar. She began to question if this was actually Raidou,

Standard Recovery +4 EN, Inspiring [Shiina] +4 EN, Recovery | 254719, CD: 2 (No Proc), Phantasmal Chorus: Cry of the Ancients -4 EN, Press the Attack Fades, Press the Attack CD [2/3] PH Post Action | Inspiring Speech (+1 turn on all active cooldowns for party [excluding self], 8 EN), Inspiring Speech CD [1/3] -> Phantasmal Chorus: Cry of the Ancients effect maintained! Nisahime -> Concentration CD [3/5] Sam -> Quick Change CD [2/3], Vanish CD [2/3] Ruri -> Vanish CD [2/3] Cupcake Cretin #9 is [Stunned], Takes no action, [Stunned] replaced with Stun Immuni

Standard Recovery +4 EN, Inspiring [Shiina] +4 EN PH Free Action {System} | Opening Random Dungeon Map | [231566b] -> {Battle Plans: Raidou} Post Action | [x12] TECH-F (8 - 2 [Stamina] + 3 [Shift] + (2 * 4 Targets = 8) = 17 EN) - Well Rested [3/3] = 16 EN ID: 254715 | 1 + 7 - 1 = 7, CD: 3 {ST-B Unavailable} | Hit vs. Cupcake Cretin #9 Dealing 324 - 60 = 264 Damage, [Stunned] Applied ID: 254716 | 2 + 7 - 1 = 8, Hit vs. Cupcake Cretin #10 Dealing 324 - 60 = 264 Damage, [Stunned] Applied ID: 254717 | 6 + 7 - 1 = 12, Hit vs. Cupcake Cretin #11 Dealing 324 - 60 = 264

Standard Recovery +4 EN, Inspiring [Shiina] +4 EN, Recovery | 254711, CD: 10 (+8 EN), Vanish Refreshed, Moving Shiina to Last for optimal Turn order PH Post Action | [x18] AOE-II (14 - 2 [Stamina] + 2 [Shift] + (2 * 2 Targets = 4) = 18 EN) - Well Rested [3/3] = 17 EN ID: 254709 | 8 [HLY] + 7 - 1 = 15, CD: 7 {ST-B Unavailable} | Hit vs. Gingerbread Terror #3 Dealing 828 - 120 = 708 Damage ID: 254710 | 9 [HLY] + 7 - 1 = 16, Crit+1 vs. Gingerbread Terror #4 Dealing 846 - 120 / 2 = 786 Damage Free Action {Skill} | Vanish | 254712 | LD: 3 + 8 = 11 [Success], Vanish CD [1/3