Koga

Koga fell back down to earth with all the grace of a plane plummeting out of the sky. And hit the ground with about the same amount of fire and debris might expect from such a crash. Miraculously though, the man was relatively unharmed, save for the static still crackling across his form, stray sparks arcing from point to point.

Where Koga fell though, the landscape had changed. The battlefield was a field of ice now, towering walls of blue-white crystal, so thick and covered in frost, Koga couldn't see to the other side and check on the other raid parties. For a moment he was glad Kasumi wasn't here. He'd worry, lose focus. A death sentence for him.

Koga couldn't let his thoughts stray for too long though. With a crack and a crash, a transformed head of Wushen burst through the icy walls, right next to where Koga stood. Only by swift reaction, did his blade lash out, wreathed with an unholy black glow as the man leapt backwards and out of the way.

"I don't know... these feel pretty meh by comparison," Freyd said as he let loose a couple of experimental punches in the air. "Mm, yeah," Koga agree as he gave the katana a spin and flourish, frowning ever so slightly. The balance was off. It lacked that feeling of familiarity he'd grown accustomed to with Tsuki no Hikari. It wasn't just that it was a different weapon, but an inferior weapon. Still. The quest gave these weapons to them for a reason. Who was Koga to defy Cardinal. Again.

As soon as Freyd had mentioned the last of their contenders, the man himself appeared. Koga couldn't help but start laughing with Freyd's comment, earning himself a glare as the villain began his speech. "Oh, just stab him already.  Maybe that will shut him up."
"Oh come on, be polite and let 'im finish," Koga joked, only pausing for the briefest of moments. "Yeah, I'm not a fan of the whole 'villianous monologue' schtick either."

Thwack!

Koga, on the other hand, had completely missed the strange glowing golden weapon, having gone right past the room, confident that NIGHT could check it by herself. In the time that NIGHT had spent ogling the strange weapon, Koga had checked another three rooms before he finally heard NIGHT call out to him.

"What?" he shouted back to her as he made his way towards the room he heard her voice come from, his own echoing down the stone halls, certainly waking up whatever else called this place home. "Oh," he mumbled as he peered into the room and spotted the glowing sword.  Golden and glowy wasn't exactly the edgelord's Koga's style. Nonetheless, shiny loot meant potential shiny coin. And Koga still needed to pay off his debt to NIGHT for helping him buy his house.

Without so much as a second thought towards consequence, Koga walked over, reached down and grasped the handle of the sword before yanking it free. "...Huh...that was it?" Koga muttered, glancing over to NIGHT. "You'd think all the fancy VFX would mean this thing was a little bit...I dunno, cooler?"

Eh, whatever. They had things they needed to kill.

"Who the fuck is Raidou?"

Koga will be there

The world began to swim around Koga, Wushen's presence above, below, within, without, and all around him. The oppressive feeling of dread, danger, imminent doom, which Koga had been able to push aside now encroached upon him, invading the muddy mess of his mind. Infecting it. The swordsman squeezed his eyes shut, and shook his head. The disorienting feeling, the nausea, the vertigo, would not release him from their clutches though. Koga lifted an arm to press to his face. To suppress the urge to vomit? To rub his eyes? Pinch his temples? Instead, he began to scream. Lightning rushed through his body, static sparking off his body until he was left a hunched over statue, smoke rising from his coat.

A hand pulled him from the fray, a familiar face coming into his blurred view as something cool was pressed into his hand. Was that NIGHT? Why were there three of her? Her lips moved, but it was hard to make out the words, those too swimming in a mire of half-illusion. "-se it." Koga squeezed his eyes tightly shut again, willing his mind to clear. They opened again, and NIGHT's face was clear in view. "Now!"

The swordsman looked at the item he held in his palm, the familiar blue-green hue making the man's eyes widen for just a moment. Koga didn't waste a second longer, instead lifting the crystal high into the air as he activated it, a bright washing over himself and his party. The green heal animation played over them all, their health restoring itself as the crystal clattered to the ground and shattered into countless fragments. Much better.

"Thanks," the man said to NIGHT, a renewed confident smile on his face, before his gaze shifted towards the Problem Of The Hour. "Right." Now Koga was annoyed.

The ground beneath Koga's feet erupted in blue flame as the man leapt upwards, rocket like, the fire trailing behind him like a comet's tail. Of course the lung would ignore little old him. He didn't even glance at the trail of fire as it sailed through the air towards him. But he'd have to look now. Koga would make him.

The man's arc carried him up, and up, and up, right between Wushen's great, all-seeing eyes. "Hey, asshole!" Koga shouted as he reached the peak of his arc. "We're not done with you yet!" Koga began to fall, and the man propelled himself forward, a hint of flame sparking from boots again as he craned his neck back.

Boom!

Koga headbutt the dragon as hard as he possibly could, a bloom of blue flame exploding in the dragon's face like a firework. Blood trailed down Koga's face as he entered freefall, giving Wushen the finger all the while. Bitch ass dragon, electrocuting him and his friends.

The markets of Lhasri hummed with activity, its indoor bazaar full of life as people milled about. Some were going about their daily chores, buying ingredient for meals, tools, or other necessities, while others were simply there to enjoy themselves. The stalls lined the walls, and in row, filling up the massive stone encased space with bright colors, the clamor of hawkers and buyers, and the scents of street food.

Koga was here mostly for the food. And NIGHT's company, of course, but besides that the food. He'd never really been to Lhasri before, but after having heard about the bazaar, the man had thought it might be a good place to catch up with his old friend. It'd been too long since they'd spoken. His fault, of course. Koga wasn't exactly known for keeping in touch with people. Nonetheless, he did make the effort every once in a while. It broke up the day to day of his now quiet life.

"So, what's new in the life of NIGHT?" he asked as they walked between the endless rows of stalls, pausing every once in a while to peer at some interesting trinket or another. "DAY still giving you trouble?"

@NIGHT

No time to waste. As much as Koga would've liked to shake the aching feeling from his limbs, they were still in the middle of a fight. And a none too easy one at that. He was going to be all black and blue tomorrow morning, he could feel it. At least he wasn't faring as badly as NIGHT, who seemed to have made quite the friend with the boss' tail. At least until Alkor had provoked the dragon's wrath.

Koga's grip tightened around his katana as he gazed up at the beast, the glowing eyes locked onto the armored form of his friend. Attack, now, while the boss was distracted. The swordsman pushed off the ground, breaking into a run towards the dragon's legs. No flying acrobatics this time, not after that last fall. But before Koga could fully close the distance, the ground began to rumble. Instinct told him to stop, and Koga skidded to a halt as he looked up at the dragon again, who spoke with a booming voice in an indiscernible tongue. Not good. "Incoming!"

Koga would have laughed at Crozeph's joking reply were he not already putting all his strength into launching the man high into the air above the lung's head. There was always something to be said about the man's zany battle cries. Crozeph's blade struck the glassy eye of the dragon, leaving a red gash behind, but so small and thing compared to the boss' massive size, it was a wonder if they'd actually accomplished anything.

Gravity, on the other hand, was about to accomplish quite a feat on Crozeph. "Koooooogaaaa, catch me!" the man shouted as he plummeted past Koga's perch. "Shit!" No, Koga had not thought this through, and yes, he was about to pay for it. Pushing off the lung's body with all his might, Koga freed Tsuki no Hikari from the dragon's scales, launching himself at Crozeph. "I gotcha!" Koga called back as an arm wrapped around (or more likely collided with) Crozeph's waist. Once more, Koga sword plunged back into the dragon's body, but they were moving so fast, there was little it could do to stop them, only slowing them down. The two struck the ground with a heavy thud, sending them both sprawling onto the ground.

"Ow..." the swordsman grumbled as he propped himself onto his hands and knees, the dust from their impact still settling around them. "You good?"

The sounds of Alkor's shouts drew Koga's attention as he stood and dusted off his shoulder. "Oh, you pissed off the big guy. Bad move."

As was the theme of the day, Freyd dispatched the two boatswains the level of care and aplomb of a pirate, as if he were one himself. It was a little uncanny how the pair both seemed to find the perfect position to be crushed by their own cargo. Poetic, really. But no amount of poetry could make the sickening crunch of a person being turned into a pancake any less unpleasant.

"Oof," Koga grimaced. "That...doesn't seem a pleasant way to go," he agreed with Freyd before looking over in the direction the man indicated, towards the now shining weapons. "What d'ya know, so they are," Koga nodded, going over to the shimmering weapons. More fanciful than functional, but Koga's greedy little hands couldn't help but pick up the one that looked half like a katana, and half like a Seven-Branched sword. "Wanna bet we get something cool for using these to finish the quest?" Koga asked with cheeky grin.

Koga equips the Katana's Luck of the Sea

In only a moment, the anxious lull as players and floor boss looked each other in the eyes. It had been like the calm before the storm, but now they were in the midst of the tempest. Koga's face might've blanched when the boss unleashed some kind of energy attack at Nari, gathering a kaleidoscope of colors in its maw before propelling it towards the woman, or when he'd simply dismissed NIGHT with a simple flick of his tail. But it was NIGHT and Nari, and they probably had enough MIT to survive a nuclear explosion. Plus, one of them was Nari and Koga was admittedly still a little miffed at her so...rough her up a little Wushen.

More pressing though was the fact that Koga hadn't really thought about how he'd get down from up here after he'd initially launched himself at the massive dragon. Now barely hanging onto a horn, the swordsman swung back and forth with every movement. Only a brief look around revealed that Cro was, in fact, in a very similar situation. Perhaps more precarious, considering the idiot was hanging from one of the dragon's whiskers and was actively sawing at it with his sword like it wasn't the only thing keeping him from plummeting to certain death.

Koga let go of the horn, driving his sword as deep into the dragon's thick hide as it would go as he let gravity do it's job, carrying him down along the length of the dragon's jaws (and a little too close to it's teeth for Koga's liking).. Cro's sawing looked like it was doing the job, and perhaps a little too quickly. Koga wasn't certain he'd reach the man before he finished his work. Lines of razor sharp white teeth continued to speed by, and the whisker Cro clung to finally snapped. Koga managed to stop his descent, and with one arm still grasping his sword, the other stretched to its limits, he managed to clasp Cro's arm. "How are you about heights?" Koga asked the man briefly before beginning to swing the man back and forth, gaining momentum only to let go at the arc's apex and send the other man flying high into the air.

@Crozeph

The three raid parties slowly filtered into the boss room, the pitch black hardly broken up by the backlit silhouette's of Koga's companions. The quiet, pre-battle murmuring had ceased as they all tightened their grips on their weapons and steeled themselves for war. The doors squeaked shut behind them, making the dark absolute.

A light, heralding the boss. A long, regal, serpentine form curling high above their heads, rearing back as it looked down at the raiders with contempt. Who dared trespass onto it's domain? The quiet murmuring resumed as the raid members looked up at the dragon...

"Oh, fuck yes!" A small number of the more particularly unhinged players cried out in excitement. Zandra was already trying to work out how to take a selfie with the boss, where as Koga was practically bouncing with excitement, his eyes wide, and sporting a broad grin like a kid in a candy score. "I always wanted to fight a real dragon," the man said flourishing his as he dug his the balls of his feet into the ground. "Not those little brats from the Anthology." The swordsman began to speed forward towards the giant serpent, wild eyed before, with a burst of blue flame, he rocketed towards the dragon's maw. "If I beat you, you can bet your ass I'm riding you all over Aincrad!"

k o g a the elder wolf Spoiler notes: none Koga, Lvl 32/57 | HP: 900/900 1035/1035 (+135 Max HP) | EN: 124/124 | DMG: 23 28 (+5) | MIT: 30 50 (+20) | EVA: 3 | ACC: 5 7 (+2)| BH: 49 56 | LD: 3 | BRN: 56 | FLN: 16 | V.D.: 99 113 equipped battle-ready inventory Tsuki no Hikari | Demonic T4 Katana [ CRSD // FALN II // BRN ] Shuku-ro Coat | Demonic T4 Light Armor [ EVA II // VAMP-D. II ] lupine. | Demonic T4 Trinket [ ACC III // EVA ] Teleportation Crystal (1) Blessing of the Wood (1) +250 Shield to Party -infinite EVA until the shield is broken skills Spoiler | UTILITY Gathering: Fishing I | Successfully forage for materials on a LD 14+ | 0/49 EXP  Searching III | +1 LD per rank. +1 to Stealth Detection per rank. | 14 SP Night Vision | Ignores any penalties from low light or darkness. Negates the bonus Stealth Rating from low light or darkness. | 3 SP | COMBAT Combat Shift: Single Target | For the following Sword Arts, +3 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; ST-I, ST-II, ST-B. No other Shifts may be taken. | 10 SP Mastery: Damage III | Gain 1 * Tier Damage per rank | 13 SP Battle Healing V | Recover 5% (rounded down) of your maximum HP at the start of your turn | 30 SP Emergency Recovery | When non-fatal damage would leave you with 25% or less of your maximum HP, recover 10% of your maximum HP after the attack resolves. Effect cannot occur more than once per thread.  When activated if the player has lower than 10 energy remaining, simply reduce the player's energy to 0. | 6 SP EN Cost: 10 Energist | Increase Base Energy by 5 * Tier | 8 SP Charge | Perform a single attack/Sword Art with +5 base damage. Charge attacks have a -1 Accuracy debuff and cannot be affected by any auto-hit effects. | 10 SP Cooldown: 3 Posts Howl | Adds +2 Hate each against up to 4 targets. | 10 SP EN Cost: 2, Cooldown: 2 posts | WEAPON Katana V | +7 DMG when equipped with a Katana | 30 SP Stamina | Reduces the energy of all Katana attacks by 2 EN | 4 SP Precision | Gain +1 ACC. | 2 SP Ferocity | +2 DMG when using Katana Sword Arts | 4 SP | ARMOR Light Armor V | +30 MIT when equipped with Light Armor, -2 Stealth | 30 SP Meticulous | +1 DMG when equipped with Light Armor | 4 SP Resolve | +1 ACC and +10 * Tier HP when equipped with Light Armor | 6 SP | EXTRAS Familiar Master: Rending | You and your familiar attack in tandem, applying Rend [7*tier unmitigatable damage] to the target that lasts for two turns. | 10 SP Cooldown: 5 Turns Survival | Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects. | 0 SP Parry | Apply the energy cost upon proc, not activation. Reduces the final damage of the next successful attack against you by 50% (rounded down) and negates stun/paralysis effects of that attack. If hit by multiple attacks, only apply parry to the first attack against you. Parry lasts for three turns. Cooldown starts when the player activates the Skill. If the player is hit when using Parry, the cooldown is reset to 3 turns. | 10 SP 9 EN, Cooldown: 3 Turns Vengeful Riposte | A successful Parry also returns 50% (rounded down) of the raw damage that would be dealt to you back to your opponent. The reflected damage can be mitigated by the opponent. | 6 SP Cooldown: 4 Turns Justified Riposte | A successful Parry also stuns the target for 1 turn. | 5 SP Cooldown: 4 Turns Frozen Hide | As a free action, apply one slot of Frost Aura and one slot of Frost Thorns equal to your tier to yourself until the start of your next turn. | 0 SP 5 EN, Cooldown: 4 Turns buffs Spoiler | PARAGON REWARDS Lv. 5 | Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to Looting | BUFFS <<Well Rested>> | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. <<Squeaky Clean>> | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). <<Filling>> | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. <<Item Stash>> | +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot <<Tasty>> | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. <<Relaxed>> | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. <<Multipurpose>> | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. <<Practiced Angler>> | +2 Fishing EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to fishing attempts.

Koga was running late. An unusual occurrence but, a worthwhile one this time. Who knew if he'd see Kasumi again after today? Might as well enjoy the time he'd been allotted before it was lost. Nonetheless, after spending a little too much time eating breakfast, the man had set out, Okami at his side as usual, before finally arriving in the boss' antechamber, just in time to witness the great Stoneheart forlornly abandon its post, and the great doors slam open. "Guess I made it just in time, huh?" Koga said as soon as he found his party. Thankfully he knew almost every single person there, save one ( @Zandra ). "Koga," the swordsman offered a hand towards the one unknown. "And this is Okami." The wolf sneezed. Koga sighed at the wolf before nodding at the other in turn. NIGHT, Crozeph, Alkor. More or less permanent fixtures in his life at this point. Maybe they'd be there for the end of it too.

"Thanks," Koga said to NIGHT as he took a decanter of light from her, downing it, and few other pieces of food, stuffing them into his already overfull belly. Oh, he was probably going to regret this later. "We all set to go?" he asked those present.

consumed

• liquor of light., +3 DMG
• mooncake gift box., +2 ACC

consumed + party ( @NIGHT | @Crozeph | @Zandra | @Alkor )

• sou platter., +2 DMG, -40 MIT

consumed by other party members

• peking duck skin platter., +135 Max HP
  • @Crozeph
• peking duck tray., +60 MIT
  • @Crozeph

In the blink of an eye Freyd had suddenly disappeared. And only a moment later, shouts of pain, fear and ultimately death came from above before a red bandana began to float down from on high. Koga's eyes were drawn up towards the lone cloth as it drifted away as he let out a lone sigh. "One day I'm gonna need him to teach me how to do that," the man muttered to himself as a parrot went sailing over the edge, only to find it's wings just moments before striking the water. "Welp, best get to it."

The last two pirates made their appearance on deck, prompting Koga to draw his sword and rush forward. Instead of paying attention to Koga, the two looked skyward, searching for the Whisper. It wasn't until Amir spotted man and pointed his flintlock however, that Koga rushed in. "Hey, over here!" Koga called out as he raised his sword. The first cut caught the Amir on the shoulder, causing him to cry out as he flinched, his pistol going off with a bang, soon followed by the report of Jessamine's gun as well.

@Freyd

@Freyd

The Town of Beginnings faded away, the shimmering image disappearing like a mirage. The tall walls and the roofs of the buildings hiding behind them gave way to a lush forest, the thick canopy of leaves casting deep shadows. Dark, and cool, but not foreboding or ominous. A path wound its way deep into the forest, the dirt being reclaimed by the forest overgrowth. Weeds and bushes encroached on its borders.

Before Koga could even take a step towards the path, to see where it went, a small flame formed above the path. A small orb of blue flame, flickering in Koga's sight. "Will o' the wisp." Stories of phantom lights in forests, marshes, and swamps. None were all too good. None were all to bad either though. But with no other sign as a guide, what choice did Koga have? It seemed they were walking the same path anyways.

The wisp flitted down the path, deep into the dark forest. The cool air was refreshing, and soon the sound of rushing water filled the air. A waterfall, and a small pool. Someone was already there ahead of him though, sitting beneath the waterfall, his legs crossed and hands in his lap. It took no more than a moment to realize who it was, or the wolf sitting at the shore, watching carefully.

The wisp floated directly to Koga's dormant body, before it began to grow, and change shape. "Ya know, you never stopped me from going too far. Why was that, brother?"

Cordon bleu. Well, Koga had to admit that was probably outside of his expertise. He'd never really tried to make that before, either in the real world or in game. And he was a much better cook in game. The rest was pretty manageable though, he thought, even if it wasn't quite the same given Aincrads limits. He'd yet to even attempt replicating cayenne. But then Nari brought up well-done steak, and the man's neck audibly creaked as it haltingly turned towards her, stopping at a degree which no human should feasibly be able to achieve. "You've lost your food privileges," he hissed at her.

"Well, don't get your hopes up too much," Koga said to Jomei as he began to reel in his line and flicked the item away into the abyss of his inventory. "Its just kinda a hobby for me. And, ya know, wanting not to starve to death. Cooks could do better. But-" the man stood and dusted off his pants. "Hopefully you'll still like it. How do steaks and mashed potatoes and some roasted asparagus sound to everyone?"

@Nari-Lanreth @Jomei

After managing to wring out his clothing, Koga took to the oars and, with Freyd's guidance, paddled their little boat all the way to the shore. Koga's boots sank into the wet sand as they stepped out of the boat, and the man rolled his shoulders several times, sure to stifle his groans as Freyd took to examining the area.

Deciding that it was reasonably safe to speak apparently, Freyd mentioned that the Quartermaster had, indeed, spawned at the docks today. Lucky them. "Nice, we won't have to run around looking for him then," Koga said with a grin and a nod before looking over at the different things that Freyd pointed out. First the pile of booty, then to the rope. Freyd slipped the knot free and Koga's eyes began to ping pong back and forth inside his skull as he struggled to track the line as it zipped away.

An angry shout then drew Koga's attention, four men rushing forward only to be promptly knocked out by Freyd as the man beat all the poor fools into unconsciousness. Well, all but one. "...Are you all razzing Widget again?" The poor deckhand was first greeted by Freyd, who grinned widely before pointing at Koga who wore a dastardly smile of his own. Koga lifted a single leg, and then stamped it down on a loose board, the other ending teeter-tottering up and right into the last of the pirate's groan. "Oh!" the man let out a sharp yelp, freezing as he tilted backwards, more and more and more until he fell into the water with a splash.

"Well...alright then. Lead on." Koga gestured for Freyd to continue, since he clearly knew more about this whole affair than Koga did. "The boatswains or the quartermaster gonna be much trouble?" the swordsman asked as they walked. Not that he really expected much of anything to be much trouble at his level, let alone Freyd's.

@Freyd

"Bro, how about I clean the house for the whole week if you pay for my dinner tonight."
"A whole week? For just one dinner? What's the catch?" Koga asked with a skeptical lift of brow.
"You gotta buy Yuki's too."
"And there it is," Koga chuckled, Noct's giggling joining in.
"Yuki could eat enough for all of us, you're gonna have to do better than just a week of cleaning, Tala."
"Hey! I don't eat that much!"
"Yes, you do." Everyone seemed to chime in at once before breaking into laughter.
"Broke again, Yuki?" Koga finally asked, knowing all too well the boy's somehow perpetual lack of funds, and nightly bench-naps.
"Yeah, sorry," the boy chuckled sheepishly.
"Ugh, how about I take care of the Slimes too. You hate cleaning up after them," Tala sweetening the pot.
"Only 'cause the slime sticks to your boots. But alright, fine deal."
"Yes! You're the best, bro!"
"First of all, who are you, and what have you done with my sister. Second, pretty sure it should be Yuki saying that, I always pay for you."
"You're the best, bro!"
"I ran into that one..."

The group continued to walk along, chatting, but Koga just smiled, enjoying something he hadn't realized he missed so much. He'd avoided getting close to people for so long. Every time, they left. Died. Disappeared. The hurt was just too much sometimes. But maybe it was worth it after all.

Koga's gaze drifted over to Noct, who was just as quiet as him. Even though she wasn't real, she looked just like her. Not the twisted mask of a specter wearing her face. This one might as well have been the flesh and blood version. He wanted to reach out and touch her. Just once more.

But instead, Koga stopped dead in his tracks. The group continued walking along, leaving the swordsman behind. "Good-bye." The figures faded away, their fractal forms blown away by a soft breeze. "I'll see you guys again. One day."

"Koga!" The man turned as he heard his name get called by an all too familiar voice. Tala?
"Oi, c'mon! I'm gonna eat all the food if you keep walking so slow!" Another familiar voice joined in, beckoning Koga towards the town.
They were all here. All of them. Noctua. Tala. NIGHT. Yukiro. Lonzo. Nora.
Koga knew by now it was all just an illusion. But nonetheless, he could feel a tug at his heart strings. They'd been his second chance, and still, he'd let it all fall apart. "I'm comin'!" the man shouted back, his lips forming a sad smile as he walked up.
"Is something wrong?" Noctua asked as he'd approached, her pretty French accent lilting with the wind. Koga shook his head. "Everything's fine, c'mon, let's go."

The group walked along, a small huddled mass as they all talked. Koga, for his part, remained a pace behind them all, his eyes wandering over their features. Lonzo, with his prickly stubble, dark eyes and welcoming smile. He'd been the oldest of them all, Koga thought, though he had to admit he'd never found out for certain. He'd simply disappeared without a trace one day.

Nora, and he cascade of dark hair, and her pleasant demeanor. She seemed to fuss over others more than anyone else. But just like Lonzo, she was just gone. Never heard from again, like a whisper on the wind.

NIGHT. But not the one he knew now. He almost laughed to himself as he marked the stark differences. She'd had long hair back then, not the short unkempt mess she kept now. And she wasn't nearly as jaded. None of them were yet. The first time he'd met her, Koga recalled, they'd found themselves in a pinch with giant wasps. NIGHT had screamed and ran around in circles until the giants bugs had killed themselves on her Thorns.

Yukiro. He saw this man every day, and somehow, he looked the exact same as he as this illusion. They were the same, save for a certain brightness in the illusion's eyes. Nowadays, Koga only saw that light when Yuki looked at Tala.

Tala, who he rarely spoke to now, despite living in the same home still. Things had changed between Koga and his sister, and it was still difficult for them to look each other in the eye. But now, when Tala turned around a gave Koga that mischievous smile that told him his wallet was going to be hurting by the end of the day, Koga looked back into her eyes, the familiar crimson hue staring back.

The bloom of light from NIGHT signaled the end of the fight, and as the dust settled, the only figures left standing were the two players. Koga's shoulders sagged and his chest rose and fell as he heaved air into his lungs. A gloved hand wiped the sweat from his brow. "Geez, I'm getting outta shape..." the man muttered to himself.

Both players began to look around themselves, confirming there weren't any other mobs to clear, and to find their next objective. "I doubt it," Koga said as he pushed open one of the aforementioned door with the tip of his boot, it's rusted hinges creaking loudly. The door opened fully, revealing an empty room, the furniture covered in a thick layer of dust. "Better we check anyways though. Don't really feel like backtracking." At least neither of them were hurting for loot. Just a quick peek, and they could move on.

@NIGHT

The smoke dissipated, then collected once more, taking on the shadowy form of the strange specter from before. By this point at least he was getting used to the specter's strange comings and goings. It's white flowing shapes of the phantom's eyes stared at Koga as it cocked it's head to the side, a pleased sensation emanating from its form. Koga wished he could smile at the specter, an acknowledgement of his own gladness of whatever the fuck was going on. Even if it wasn't pleasant, every step forward was progress, he felt. But his chest still ached, and exhaustion gnawed at his bones. Koga made due with a nod. "So? What's next?"

The was no answer, just a straightening of the phantom's neck before the world began to shift, blooming outward from the phantom's feet. The grey sidewalk suddenly became green, the buildings and walls around them gave way to clear blue sky. Koga began to look around himself, the distant walls of a familiar town shining in the distance. 'The Town of Beginnings.'
"Hey, why here?" Koga asked her turned around, only to find empty air behind him. "Gone again..."

k o g a the elder wolf Spoiler  notes: koga's been around so if you think you would've randomly seen him, feel free to mention that, or say hi   Koga, Lvl 32/56 | HP: 900 | EN: 124 | DMG: 23 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | ACC: 5 | LD: 3 | BRN: 56 | FALN: 16 | VD: 99 | B.HEALING: 49/99 equipped battle-ready inventory Tsuki no Hikari | Demonic T4 Katana [ CRSD // FALN II // BRN ] Shuku-ro Coat | Demonic T4 Light Armor [ EVA II // VAMP-D. II ] lupine. | Demonic T4 Trinket [ ACC III // EVA ] none skills Spoiler | UTILITY Gathering: Fishing I | Successfully forage for materials on a LD 14+ | 0/49 EXP  Searching III | +1 LD per rank. +1 to Stealth Detection per rank. | 14 SP Night Vision | Ignores any penalties from low light or darkness. Negates the bonus Stealth Rating from low light or darkness. | 3 SP | COMBAT Combat Shift: Single Target | For the following Sword Arts, +3 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; ST-I, ST-II, ST-B. No other Shifts may be taken. | 10 SP Mastery: Damage III | Gain 1 * Tier Damage per rank | 13 SP Battle Healing V | Recover 5% (rounded down) of your maximum HP at the start of your turn | 30 SP Emergency Recovery | When non-fatal damage would leave you with 25% or less of your maximum HP, recover 10% of your maximum HP after the attack resolves. Effect cannot occur more than once per thread.  When activated if the player has lower than 10 energy remaining, simply reduce the player's energy to 0. | 6 SP EN Cost: 10 Energist | Increase Base Energy by 5 * Tier | 8 SP Charge | Perform a single attack/Sword Art with +5 base damage. Charge attacks have a -1 Accuracy debuff and cannot be affected by any auto-hit effects. | 10 SP Cooldown: 3 Posts Howl | Adds +2 Hate each against up to 4 targets. | 10 SP EN Cost: 2, Cooldown: 2 posts | WEAPON Katana V | +7 DMG when equipped with a Katana | 30 SP Stamina | Reduces the energy of all Katana attacks by 2 EN | 4 SP Precision | Gain +1 ACC. | 2 SP Ferocity | +2 DMG when using Katana Sword Arts | 4 SP | ARMOR Light Armor V | +30 MIT when equipped with Light Armor, -2 Stealth | 30 SP Meticulous | +1 DMG when equipped with Light Armor | 4 SP Resolve | +1 ACC and +10 * Tier HP when equipped with Light Armor | 6 SP | EXTRAS Familiar Master: Rending | You and your familiar attack in tandem, applying Rend [7*tier unmitigatable damage] to the target that lasts for two turns. | 10 SP Cooldown: 5 Turns Survival | Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects. | 0 SP Parry | Apply the energy cost upon proc, not activation. Reduces the final damage of the next successful attack against you by 50% (rounded down) and negates stun/paralysis effects of that attack. If hit by multiple attacks, only apply parry to the first attack against you. Parry lasts for three turns. Cooldown starts when the player activates the Skill. If the player is hit when using Parry, the cooldown is reset to 3 turns. | 10 SP 9 EN, Cooldown: 3 Turns Vengeful Riposte | A successful Parry also returns 50% (rounded down) of the raw damage that would be dealt to you back to your opponent. The reflected damage can be mitigated by the opponent. | 6 SP Cooldown: 4 Turns Justified Riposte | A successful Parry also stuns the target for 1 turn. | 5 SP Cooldown: 4 Turns Frozen Hide | As a free action, apply one slot of Frost Aura and one slot of Frost Thorns equal to your tier to yourself until the start of your next turn. | 0 SP 5 EN, Cooldown: 4 Turns buffs Spoiler | PARAGON REWARDS Lv. 5 | Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to Looting | BUFFS <<Well Rested>> | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. <<Squeaky Clean>> | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). <<Filling>> | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. <<Item Stash>> | +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot <<Tasty>> | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. <<Relaxed>> | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. <<Advanced Training>> | +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post. (Last Use: Apr. 4) <<Multipurpose>> | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. <<Practiced Angler>> | +2 Fishing EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to fishing attempts.

Koga had slipped into the familiar shop quietly, careful to shut the door with as little sound as possible. The meeting was already well underway by now, and were it not for Okami's insistence on chasing after some wild geese on their way there, the Elder Wolf would've maintained his unblemished timeliness record. Alas, that damned wolf was determined to make Koga's life difficult, of that the man was sure.

Thankfully, he'd caught enough of the conversation, and managed to find a stray handout, to put the situation together. Or, rather, the parts that he didn't know clicked into place. "You did most of the work there," Koga said with a chuckle as NIGHT mentioned his assistance with the Divide. "In any case, I'm not sure any speculation about the settlements involvement will lead us anywhere. We do know that there resistances, and therefore weaknesses. Even if we don't have all the answers right now, we should definitely be prepared to swap weapons, until we figure out something that works." Nothing that Koga had said was particularly new or groundbreaking. In fact, he'd only repeated what had been said before, but something seemed to itch at him for a moment before he opened his mouth again. "And we should be prepared for those weaknesses and resistances to switch between stages as well. There's no reason to believe that will be the case, but no reason to believe it won't be either." There was a good chance that Koga was just being overly cautious, but being prepared was half the battle.

"Sorry 'bout that," Koga quietly chuckled an apology to Morningstar, the first to apparently notice the little bloat of players they'd had. "I hadn't planned on being here originally, but...Here I am. I'll go wherever you guys need me though, just point me at the guy that needs stabbing."
"I'll tank for the third party," NIGHT piped up, adding in that she was going to be doing something 'unorthodox'. The swordsman lifted a brow in her direction, before looking around the room slowly. No one seemed to be jumping at the opportunity. Koga shrugged. "I'll DPS for ya if you don't mind putting up with me some more," the man said. Koga had put his life in NIGHT's hands time and time again. Why stop now?

"...kinda feels like only one of us is pulling their weight here..."
Koga shot Nari a glare as soon as the words had left her mouth. "I'm a duelist. Ya know, one on one fights, that's where I excel." The man lunged forward, his weapon cleaving through the air, alight with black flame again as it tore the Revenant that Nari had targeted into two. "If you want AoE, go ask NIGHT instead." Not that he was certain that was a good idea, but that was the woman's expertise at least.

Again, the godforsaken sound of another construct booting up. "I swear to fucking God, Nari, if we die here, I'm gonna kill you," the man muttered as he dodged and weaved his way through a short series of blows from their enemies, a bronze blade clipping the man's cheek and leaving a savage gash behind.

Koga sucked air in through his teeth as he assessed the battle. "Might be smarter to walk away right now," he advised.

Koga seemed to be staring off into space as he watched his bob in the water, lost in his own thoughts, even as he made mental commentary about Jomei and Nari's converation. Speed, agility, just as good as raw damage. Had it's own benefits. When Nari mentioned that she wasn't that much help in the kitchen, Koga waved the woman off absently. "Don't worry about it, I can manage." He cooked for himself and Yuki daily. The boy would be eating ash if Koga wasn't around.

With Jomei trying to escape though, Koga shook his head. "Naw, it'd be no trouble. As long as you don't have anything to be or something. Or mind a quick groceries trip." Koga frowned as he tugged on his line softly. "'Cause I still got nothing." And chances were that that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

"What do you guys like anyways?" the man asked, trying to think of something all three would enjoy.

> 211504, CD nat6, +4Exp

NIGHT responded to Koga's callout with a flash of sparks and steel, the clanging sound ringing like a bell in the courtyard as she rounded onto the last of the surprisingly nimble shamblers. Unfortunately for them both, her blade went wide, cleanly cutting the air instead of bisecting the corpse.

"I said no promises."

Koga couldn't do anything but roll his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know," the man grumbled before he went in for his own hit and tactic. A few quick steps forward had the man leaping into the air, only to descend upon the Revenant, his blade catching between the undead's ribs as he drove his weapon through its body and into the dirt like a stake. "What about now?" the man queried as he leapt away from the thing's flailing arms and weapon, only having to duck beneath one of the robot's own blows, which happened to catch NIGHT square in the face. "Oof, sorry!"

The hammer fell.

Thunk!

The hammer fought against Koga's outstretched hand, stopping it dead in it's track. "You're right, Hikaru." Fingers clutched at the hammer's head, thin cracks spiderwebbing across the engraved stone. "I do need to forgive myself." The hammer crumbled away like dust, particles of fine sand clinging to his fingertips as the man stood. "It just won't be today."

That process takes time." The years were short, and too few had allowed Yugam the time to heal, but it was not too late. Not yet at least. "It will happen," Masato promised. The glint of steel shone across their skin as he lifted his sword. "You don't need to worry about me."

The sound of the Tsuki no Hikari splitting the air whistled sharply. But Masato felt no resistance. His blade cut through the phantasmal form of Hikaru effortlessly, as if he were smoke. "Rest now, old friend."