Katoka

Returning to floor 29 had put Katoka on edge. The fact that there was no safe area for players to stay was enough to make her consider dropping form the tournament. What were they thinking? She had hoped that they wouldn't draw the attention of any of the lumbering creatures that populated the floor. Once the introduction had been made the samurai turned to Night and bowed, doing her best to not let her anxiety show.

She had fought alongside the woman only a handful of times, but she knew that she was strong. Deep down Kat felt that if she lost to Night, she wouldn't feel so bad. The blonde quickly pushed aside her fears and worries, instead flashing her opponent a grin. "I can't say I'm a fan of the location of our fight, but I am looking forward to it." she turned to their announcer, "Just keep an eye out for any creepy crawlies, I'd rather not get killed in the middle of a fight."

----

Initiative:
ID#: 242585 | LD: 5 | CD: 2

Katoka | HP: 200/200 | EN: 43/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4

PH

----

Main Action: [x8] ST-I : -8 EN -2 EN
Swift Action: None

ID#: 242584 | BD: 2+3-3=2 MISS!

[1, 0] Pollux | HP: 130/200 | EN: 44/53 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 28 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | [STUN]
[0, 0] Koga | HP: 200/200 | EN: 46/58 (58-12) | DMG: 11 | MIT: 28 | ACC: 3 | EVA:2 | BH:7 | HB: 4 | VAMP-D: 22 | FLN: 4 | BRN: 14 | LD: 3

[1, 0] Tricolor Mina | HP: 160/200 | EN: 34/43 | DMG: 11 | MIT:40 | ACC:3 | AA | PHASE | REC: 2 | HLY: 4 | LD:3 | StunImmune: 0/3
[0, 1] Katoka | HP: 120/200 | EN: 41/43 (43-2) | DMG: 11 | MIT: 40 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4 | SUSHI: 0/1

Purchasing:

PH

----

Katoka regains +1 EN
CD 3 (No Rec Proc ID#: 241965)
Katoka regains +6 HP via BH

Main Action: [x8] ST-I : -8 EN -2 EN
Swift Action: None

ID#: 241966 | BD: 6+3-3=6 HIT! [Fallen Proc] | CD: 6 | 12*10=120-18=102 DMG vs Pollux!

Pollux | HP: 0/200 (66-102) | EN: 9/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | CALTROPS: 1/3
Katoka | HP: 54/200 (54+6) | EN: 29/43 (36+1-8) | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4

PH

----

Katoka regains +1 EN
CD 10 (No Rec Proc ID#: 241913) +2 EN
Katoka regains +6 HP via BH

Main Action: [x8] ST-I : -8 EN -2 EN
Swift Action: None

ID#: 241914 | BD: 1 Crit Miss! | CD: 4 | MD: 1 [Purify]

Pollux | HP: 81/200 | EN: 16/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | CALTROPS: 2/3
Katoka | HP: 96/200 (90+6) | EN: 36/43 (35+3-2) | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4 | StunImmune: 2/3

PH

----

Katoka regains +1 EN
CD 2 (No Rec Proc ID#: 241905)
Katoka regains +6 HP via BH

Main Action: [x8] ST-I : -8 EN -2 EN
Swift Action: Using Caltrops -2 EN
When an enemy targets you with an attack they must make a LD roll of 11 or higher. Otherwise taking 15 unmitigatable damage.

ID#: 241906 | BD: 5+3-3=5 MISS! | CD: 9

Caltrops Triggered! ID#: 241907 | LD: 10 Failed! | -15 HP

Pollux | HP: 116/200 | EN: 17/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | CALTROPS: 3/3
Katoka | HP: 90/200 (99+6-15) | EN: 35/43 (36+1-2) | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4 | StunImmune: 1/3

PH

----

Katoka regains +1 EN
CD 4 (No Rec Proc ID#: 241893)
Katoka regains +6 HP via BH

Main Action: None
Swift Action: None

Katoka is Stunned. Stun Fades.

Pollux | HP: 116/200 | EN: 24/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | CALTROPS: 2/3
Katoka | HP: 149/200 (143+6) | EN: 36/43 (35+1) | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4 | STUNNED | StunImmune: 0/3

"You buried mines?!"

Katoka had thankfully managed to avoid being hit by Yue Hua's attack, but the explosion that had erupted form the sand had shocked her more than anything. The samurai hopped back a few paces, looking around the sands beneath her for any indication of something explosive. Nearly forgetting her opponent her eyes darted upwards, locking on target before she clicked her tongue in frustration. In a quick motion she dug her heels into the sand and rushed the woman before her. Her feet struggled to find purchase, sliding and slipping in various places, however this didn't stop the samurai from charging her sword art before striking.

With glowing blade and crackling white electricity, Katoka struck Yue Hua with a devastating blow. A shock wave of air and sand blasted into the desert behind them, the attack blowing various debris into the crowd as well. Kat winced as she leapt back, reaching down to remove the caltrops she had managed to step on from the bottoms of her feet. "Nicely played. I must have missed you tossing these down."

----

Main Action: [x8] ST-I : -8 EN
Swift Action: None

ID#: 241759 | BD: 10 CRIT! | CD: 7 | [Holy Proc] 14*8=112-18 MIT = 94 DMG vs Pollux

Caltrops Triggered!

ID#: 241760 | LD: 2 Failed | -15 HP

Pollux | HP: 86/200 (180-94) | EN: 34/38 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | CALTROPS: 1/3
Katoka | HP: 185/200 (200-15) | EN: 35/43 (43-8) | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4

Sand.

Katoka hated fighting in sand.

Looking up with a grimace on her face she quickly shifted her mood when she met eyes with her opponent. Her mouth spread into a warm grin, "Well well well, looks like I get to attempt to get my honor back after last match." The samurai placed her hands on her hips, satisfied with her banter. She was only a bit sour at being taken out so fast previously. It was probably for the best that the doubles match had ended the way it had, otherwise she might have been distracted by Yue Hua's beauty. Clearing her throat to regain her own attention she continued, "It's a pleasure to be able to fight again so soon. I look forward to our match."

Turning to Kindling as her brain caught up to the information that was called out, Kat furrowed her brow, "What the hell did you all do to the sand?" she looked around with disdain at the ground. "Why did it have to be sand."

----

Initiative:
ID#: 241755 | LD: 13

LD Tie - Approved [Here]

Second Initiative Roll:
ID#: 241756 | LD: 7

Katoka | HP: 200/200 | EN: 43/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4

PH

----

ID#: 241334 | LD: 8

Katoka Consumes:
Spaghetti and Meatballs | +1 Base Damage | +10 MIT (Shared with Mina)
Assorted Sushi Platter | Ignore first negative status effect applied this fight

Katoka | HP: 200/200 | EN: 43/43 | DMG: 10 11 | MIT: 30 40 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4

Kat was already running in for a hit when Wulfrin had called to her. She had seen him pull out his crystal of divine light and rhino horn, knowing that he would get hit with a wombo combo if she didn't do her job. In Firm Anima she had been appointed the captain of the Assault Squad. Katoka had often wondered if Raidou had made a mistake, she wasn't captain material after all. But for those that hadn't fought with her on a regular basis could see in moments like this she really did shine.

Appearing behind Wulfrin the Cerulean Storm dodged to the left, whizzing past Freyd's apprentice in a blast of air. She seemed to vanish for a split second before reappearing with a battle cry, thrusting her katana into the head of the creature just as black lighting struck it from the heavens. With a kick she removed her blade and flipped backwards, landing on her feet and sliding to a stop next to Wulfrin.

The monstrosity seemed frozen in place as electricity froze it in place. The thing fell backwards and smashed into a nearby building before shattering into a thousand fractals. "You think insurance will cover that damage or will they consider it one of those acts of god?"

----

Katoka recovers +4 EN
CD 4 (No Rec Proc ID#: 241130)

Post Action | [x23] ST-B (20 EN + 2 Shift EN) = 22 EN - (Rested 1/2; Stamina) = 19 EN
Free Action | N/A

ID#: 241131 | BD:3+5-2=6 HIT! | 23*23=529 DMG vs Hokolesqua!

<<Hokolesqua - The Beast>> 0/1200 HP | No MIT | 2 EVA | 0 ACC | 200 DMG | 50 Bleed (2 turns) | Attack with Advantage | All attacks are AoE | Cannot be parried/countered | Rend 28 (1/2) | STUNNED (251-529)
<L>[2]<<Wulfrin>> HP: 780/780 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 21 | MIT:78 | ACC:7 | AA  | EVA:3 2 | PARA-IM | BH:23 | REC: 8 | FRB: 40 | FRZ: 64 | LD:4
<L>[1]<<Katoka>> HP: 820/820 | EN: 90/116 (105+4-19) | DMG: 23 | MIT:78 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | BH:45 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16

The little bag of powder had done its job. Kat had bought the thing for just such an occasion, when she needed just a moment to put some distance between herself and her opponent. If worst came to worst she could pop her healing crystal to give herself a bit of a buffer, but that wouldn't help if Kiru hit her with another crit. Watching the woman as she managed to recover from the powder she noted her movements, how she seemed to be a bit rusty with her weapon. Both times that she had been stabbed Kat had left herself embarrassingly open. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

"Sorry Kiru, it's been fun but I'm getting a bit hungry." leaping forward she closed the distance in a flash, her sword nicking her thigh in a vital point. Katoka watched the last sliver of her HP drop, worried for a second that she would shatter like the other mobs in the game. When she didn't the samurai let out a sigh of relief, "No hard feeling I hope. This was a great fight. You hit like a ton of bricks girl."

-----

*Note: I forgot to update my EN on my last post. I should have had 25 not 36

Katoka regains +1 EN
Katoka regains +6 HP via BH

Main Action: [x8] ST-I : -8 EN
Swift Action:

ID#: 240996 | BD: 6+3-3=6 HIT! | [Fallen Proc] 14*8=112-36 MIT = 76 DMG vs Hiru!

Katoka | HP: 54/200 (48+6) | EN: 17/43 (25-8) | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4
Kiru | HP: 0/200 | EN: 19/38 | DMG: 10 | MIT:36 | ACC:2 | EVA:3 (76-6)

With a racing mind Kat attempted to dodge another well placed attack by Kiru. This time her blade dug into the samurai's shoulder, once again sending pain coursing through her. The shock for the attack nearly caused her to drop her weapon unto the arena floor. Her feet shifted as she prepared to retreat once again, her health dipping into the red triggering her flight response. She stopped mid step. There was no threat of death here. She could go all out and there would be no consequences.

Her grimace turned into a grin, "You're not too bad Kiru. If I hadn't come with a few contingency plans you might have beaten me." Katoka swiftly opened her inventory and selected an item, letting it spawn in her left hand that she quickly hid behind herself. "Stay right there, I have a gift for you."

Black electricity once again gathered around her, "Sorry for being a bit of a one trick pony. Fighting people is new territory for me." She disappeared in a blur of speed, slowing down just enough to toss a small black bag on the ground at the woman's feet. A cloud of spices poofed up into Kiru's face as Kat vanished once again only to appear behind her while she was coughing. This time she drove her katana through her back, driving it nearly to the hilt. The clouds above rumbled once again and black energy snapped and cracked from the sword blade sticking out from Kiru's chest.

The small samurai yanked her weapon free and attempted to put some distance between them once again. It was down to the wire, the next person to hit would win the match for sure.

----

Katoka regains +1 EN
CD 3 (NO Rec Proc ID#: 240991)
Katoka regains +6 HP via BH

Main Action: [x11] ST-II: -11 EN
Swift Action: Coughing Powder

ID#: 240992 | BD:8+3-3=8 HIT! | [Fallen Proc] 14*11=154-36 MIT = 118 DMG vs Kiru!

Katoka used Coughing Powder! Stun applied to Kiru!

Katoka | HP: 48/200 | EN: 25/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4
Kiru | HP: 6/200 | EN: 19/38 | DMG: 10 | MIT:36 | ACC:2 | EVA:3 [Stunned] (124-118)

A sharp pain shot through Katoka's chest as Kiru's dagger pierced her sternum. Her eyes widened in shock as time seemed to slow down for her, allowing her to see the blade sink deeper into her torso. After what seemed like a year the samurai flinched back, using her current momentum to jerk the weapon free from her and to put some distance between the two. Reaching up to place a hand over her wound she let out a half chuckle. "Just a little lower and you might have cut what little I have covering my chest here. Let's not give them that kind of show now." she smiled but it was strained. The strike from the dagger had hit a lot harder than she had expected.

With another quick step and rushed forward once again, closing the distance not nearly as quickly as before. The light from Katoka's sword art shone brightly as she let the system complete her actions. But her chest still throbbed, causing her movements to be sluggish. Her attack sailed wide, swishing past Hiru with a burst of air. "Shit."

----

*Note: Adjusted Kiru's EN to match last attack used.

Katoka regains +1 EN
CD 11 (Rec Proc ID#: 240970) +2 EN
Katoka regains +6 HP via BH

Main Action: [x11] ST-II: -11 EN -2 EN
Swift Action: None

ID#: 240971 | BD: 2+3-3=2 MISS!

Katoka | HP: 150/200 (144+6) | EN: 36/43 (35+3-2) | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4
KIRU | HP: 124/200 | EN: 30/38 | DMG: 10 | MIT:36 | ACC:2 | EVA:3

The nod of recognition was all the Katoka needed to know that her opponent was at least here to fight. The old her would have seen it as rude, however after the few floor raids she had now been apart of it was easy to communicate without talking as much. She watched the woman with two toned hair draw her dagger, a wicked looking thing that Kat made a mental note to avoid the pointy end of. She felt her anxiety melt away and a grin pulled at the corners of her mouth. She was feeling excited now.

"I suppose we should give them something to cheer over huh?" she called across the arena. Taking a deep breath she shifted her stance, reaching deep down inside where she knew the consciousness of her cursed blade rested. "It's time." she whispered as she nudged it awake. The electricity that was arcing from her body changed hue, from a blue white into a dark black.

In the blink of an eye she was gone; the only sign that she had moved was the dirt billowing up where her feet were. In the time it took for the contestants to look confused the samurai reappeared in front of Kiru mid swing, her sword art giving off light as it struck the player before her from shoulder to hip. A red gash in the woman's side emitted black energy as the mesh frame of her avatar peaked through the wound. Thunder boomed in the distance in response to the Cerulean Storm's summon. Kat let her feet touch the ground for a moment before she leapt back, taking a defensive stance. Had this been a fight with any other sort of mob in Aincrad then lighting would have done more than grumble up above.

----

Main Action: [x8] ST-I : -8 EN
Swift Action: None

ID#: 240942 | BD: 8+3-3=8 HIT! | [Fallen Proc] 10+4=14*8=112-36 MIT = 76 DMG vs Kiru!

Katoka | HP: 200/200 | EN: 35/43 (43-8) | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4
KIRU | HP: 124/200 | EN: 38/38 | DMG: 10 | MIT:36 | ACC:2 | EVA:3 (200-76)

Stepping into the arena Katoka was struck by just how... shabby the area was. She did her best not to judge since this was technically the first iteration of this tournament, but she had pictured it being in a much nicer amphitheater. Regardless she felt a bit nervous at the whole aspect of a crowd of people watching her fight another person.

The samurai had decided on not watching the other fights, despite wanting to cheer on her friends. She had been far to anxious and didn't want to catch sight of any 'secret plans' or anything like that. Now standing in the arena she had wished that she had after all. Then maybe she could have come up with a better plan than what she had settled on. With a deep inhale she equipped her weapon and let her left hand settle on the its hilt in an attempt to relieve her tension. Her stats were all lowered when she agreed to the dual thus leaving her weaker than she had been in a long time.

Once the announcer had given his introductions Kat grinned at her opponent. "Well ,I guess this is where we whip them out and measure but I think in both of our cases we'd probably scare all the boys away." with a deep breath she shifted her stance and reached around slowly to the hilt of her katana. Electricity snapped and cracked as it began to lash out from her body. "I look forward to fighting with a former frontliner. Hopefully you can show me how it was done."

----

Initiative
ID#: 240652 | LD: 7

Katoka | HP: 200/200 | EN: 43/43 | DMG: 10 | MIT:30 | ACC:3 | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 2 | FLN: 4 | HLY: 4

Add me to the list homie

Things seemed to devolve into chaos in a blink of an eye.

The sounds of battle echoed through the town and when Katoka turned around Wulfrin had disappeared, odd tentacles slithering into the darkness were all that remained. Whipping her head around the samurai was now on her own, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end as wet slapping and gurgling noises filled her ears. "Wulfrin I swear to god you better be alright!"

Taking off in a sprint the blonde leapt onto a pile of rotten crates, springing off of them and grabbing the edge of a nearby roof. The wood that had served as her escape collapsed almost instantly, giving her a small sense of ease. At least whatever was chasing her couldn't jump up with her. "Unless it doesn't need the help to get this high." she shivered as she climbed onto the rooftop. From this vantage point she could see various points of interest, none of which looked appealing to her.

"Might as well make my way back to the gate at least, maybe we can all reconvene there." with that she leapt form one roof to another, making sure she didn't alert any enemies to her presence. "Man, Freyd should totally hire me for stealth stuff, I got this in the bag." her foot slipped ever so slightly knocking a shingle off of the roof and crashing down on a fish creatures head. "Ok. Maybe not quite yet."

After a few more leaps she found herself crashing through a ceiling and rolling out into the town square. With an almost elegant roll she managed to land back on her feet, and skid to a stop right next to Wulfrin.

"Long time no seee-aaAAAA! What the hell is that?!" she barely managed to finish as her eyes fell on the thing before them both.

Her battle instincts kicked in as she disappeared in a blur of motion, striking the multi-jointed thing with her blade and leaping back next to her companion.

----

The cave, while well lit, still set Katoka's nerves on edge. Her mind jumped quickly to the wolves that she had dealt with in the Fire Forest and she felt a chill run down her spine. Things would be... Different this time. She had Freyd with her after all. Taking a deep breath the samurai pushed her fear and anxiety aside before consuming a few items. Between mouthfuls she asked, "What's the game plan here? Same as usual I assume or should we be more cautious with the possibility of undying mobs?"

If these people were performing experiments on these creatures, what was their actual goal? Was it just death? Just chaos? Could there be another means to their motives? Kat shook her head, of course there could be. There could be thousands of possibilities, but standing there at the gaping maw of this cave wondering about them all would do nothing to actually finding out what was going on.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

----

Katoka Consumes:

Gungir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Smokin' Hot Honey Bun Tray | ACC 2 | EVA 2 | Feast (5/6) - takes 1 portion [filled, accuracy only]
Draft of Keen Edge | Damage 3 | 218094

Katoka | HP: 780/780 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 42 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8

"Hmmm, Hannah." Katoka crossed her arms as she attempted to remember the woman in question. Her mind rewound itself back to her first few quests, to her awkward conversations with Ruler. "Oh yeah, she was that painter right?" It seemed like it was years ago that she had been fighting alongside the blonde knight.

"Let's see if I can remember how to get back to her." Kat stood and motioned for Freyd to follow, "Let me know if you remember a quicker path."

As the two traversed their way through the city, Katoka was lost in thought. What would posses people to murder people? What would make someone even consider going to the lengths that these people have to make it seem like an accident? "I guess if you don't want to get caught then you'll do anything and everything to do it in a round about way huh?" she thought to herself. It didn't take as long as she thought for the two of them to arrive at their destination. Opening the door to an art studio, Katoka stepped inside to find a woman hard at work on a painting. Looking back at Freyd she shrugged and cleared her throat before speaking up.

"Um, excuse me? Sorry to interrupt your work."

"Oh! Not at all young lady. Please, have you come to join me?" she had turned and given the players a warm smile.

"No, I'm sorry. We were hoping that you could answer a few questions for us about a specific person?"

Hannah tilted her head, "I can certainly try and help."

"Right, um. Her name was Veradine, with white hair and pointed ears?" Katoka gestured points at the tips of her ears.

"Hmmm, an elven woman? I've seen a few of them outside of the forest before, but even fewer have talked to me in person." she held her chin with her thumb and forefinger in thought, smudging a bit of blue paint on herself in the process. "I did speak to one that matches your description, a very long time ago though. I can't say that I've seen her since she helped me."

"I see, thank you for your time Hannah. It was nice seeing you again."

"Likewise, thank you for visiting." she smiled an nodded at them both before returning to her painting.

Kat crossed her arms once again as they both stepped outside and off to a side street. "So she also swung by here but hasn't been back in ages. Do you still think we should check out the cave? I mean if they're using those crystals from it then they probably just go back and harvest them whenever they want right?"

Katoka's head whipped around to face Elora "It's not that I couldn't trust you, I just couldn't bring myself to admit to anyone that things were bad." she shook her head, "I felt like, like if I didn't talk about it out loud to anyone that the problem would just... go away I guess." deep down she knew that wasn't the case at all, however her mind at the time was just trying to cope with everything in a way that she could process.

Wrapping her arms around her knees as she pulled her legs up to herself, Kat let out a half sob half laugh, "It's absolute horseshit that thousands of children and gamers are trapped in a place that they thought they could use as an escape from the real world, and now we're expected to act as soldiers." she rested her forehead on her knees and let out a sigh. "I know that fighting for our lives isn't for everyone. I don't expect every person in the game to be out here doing their part, but as I am now, I can't be that kind of person."

The blonde turned to her friend and gave her a tear soaked grin, "If I had just hid in a room then I wouldn't have met you or Freyd, two of the most important people in my life." she reached out with a closed fist and lightly tapped the elven woman on the arm, "I'm sorry for dumping all of this on you and being a blubbering awkward mess."

The walk up the steps to the next floor had been a quiet one. Nothing but the sound of echoing footsteps filled Katoka's ears as the frontliners ascended to the location that they had fought so hard to open up to everyone, only to find themselves in a desolate and eerie town. The lot of them seemed to spread out, ready to inspect the storefronts and find a local NPC to converse with, but there was nothing. The only people there were the lot of them.

Kat felt the hair on the pack of neck stand up as she saw an odd shape move into a local alleyway out of sight. She turned to the others and noticed that there was in fact no safe zone notification. "No way, surly there has to be one somewhere, right? Like this can't be the only town." she chuckled awkwardly. The samurai made a point to stick close to other people, they would all need to be cautious of what this floor had to offer. She had wanted to step over and exchange a few words with Freyd. To make sure that he was alright or if he needed anything. Whatever had happened back with Callisto had shaken all of them to their core in one way or another.

Instead the blonde stepped over to Mina, lightly bumping into her with her own shoulder to get her attention. "Hey, how you holding up?" she asked softly. She gave her a soft smile as Kat peered into the broken window of a long abandoned shop. "Man someone really let this place go huh?"

A flash of lighting illuminated the sky and drew the short woman's attention up, her hand instantly gripped the saya at her side tighter. "Holy hell. What did we get ourselves into."

----

Katoka | HP: 820/820 | EN: 116/116 | DMG: 23 | MIT:78 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | BH:45 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16

The end was in sight.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Katoka's mouth as she readied her blade, the cool steal beginning to glow with the light of her sword art. She sprinted through the muck and the mire, using whatever footholds she could find in order to prevent slipping and face planting into the disgusting ground beneath her. The blonde promised herself a nice long bath once this was done so she could wash away the dirt that seemed to have gathered in places she didn't know it could get.

As she approached the bear she nearly stopped in her tracks she she swore she could hear the whispers of voices. Her blade stuck true, gouging a hunk of bone and muscle free and sending it flying into the muddy abyss nearby. Kat shook her head as she retreated, attempting to shake the sounds from her ears. She wasn't going to let whatever this status effect was get the better of her.

As she passed Koga on the battlefield she grabbed him by the collar of his armor, dragging him with her through the slop. "Let's go buddy, we're not loosing anyone to this rotten pile of meat." Reaching their group Katoka let her party member go, letting him plop into the mud. "Up and at 'em soldier." She turned to Astralin as she felt the healing she had provided to the group. "Thanks Hun, try to shake it off though. It's just a status from Callisto trying to mess with you."

----
 

The roar of battle all but faded from Katoka's ears as a fury induced tinnitus set in. There was no longer a sounds of shouts, weapons striking flesh and bone, bellows of hatred, even the sound of her own voice was drowned out. There was only the long and unending whine of silence.

Then it caught her eye.

The various lights and pieces that had once been Freyd gathers, swirling, reforming into the shape of her friend, albeit with a new hairdo. She froze as she wretched her weapon free from the rotten flesh of her foe. Was she seeing things? Surly it would take a lot more for her mind to break that bad. Sound seemed return to her all at once as her focus shifted out of her rage, the sudden change staggering her slightly.

Whipping her head around she could see that the others were looking at him too. So it wasn't a hallucination after all. Quickly turning back to Callisto, the samurai shifted her stance and felt the hum of her charging sword art. She could find out what happened later, now there was still an enemy that needed to be taken care of. Electricity crackled and buzzed around her, this time a blight and glowing white. She felt different, more at ease with this strength.

Two craters appeared in the side of the bear followed by the sound of thunder rumbling up above. "Now is not the time to falter! We've got this in the bag!"

----