[E3|F10-SP] Yomotsu Hirasaka - <<Wail of the Banshee>>

[NIGHT 0]

Well?

...

It was too. slow.

The horse-faced sentinel was welcome to prepare its strike all it wanted. NIGHT had given it the time of day, too, with a breathtaking Tempest unleashed at a blinding speed. It was unfortunate that her attack hadn't caught the bull-headed counterpart either, but taking out one boss' actions for a spell was fitting enough for her. It was an advantage she had to take.

So exploit the opportunity she did. One foot after another, she forced herself to run, focusing on the single opponent in front of her. As she neared its bovine-like feet, she swung her blade in a clean cut, Dracbane powering through its burning tomato skin, sending a hatched mark of white and red to scar upon its hide. It whined, starting to break free of its momentary pause, as the blade rattled and rumbled in NIGHT's hands, spurring crimson regenerative orbs from its target's hold. And in the same vein, the warden bled, scarlet liquid running down and matting its already-vermilion fur.

A powerful blood lust, this blade. Similarly, its player was hungry to shed virtual stardust, too.

One beat was enough, NIGHT figured, thinking it best not to overstay her welcome. A quick withdrawal of her blade, and the player bounced back to the side, watching the boss swing its blunt weapons forwards and follow up with an attack for where the woman used to be. Too slow, she repeated, a taunt against it in her own head, as she continued to watch its movements, shifting herself in a circle around it.

Outside that room, the bull was looking to play the field. And it'd crushed the only toy it had left to tinker with, its friend busy amusing the other intruder of their lair.

So it thought.

Rising from the floor with a snarl, the blonde pressed a hand onto the metal scrap that sheltered her from the light, form drenched in shade. Summoning a weapon -- this time a one handed blade, the entity chased away the shadows they stood in, a piercing slim luminescence forming in their hands.

"That was a big mistake you just made!"

The gap between them closed in the skip of a beat. A single leap through the air, and DAY set their blade to their side, getting in close to the beast's face for one quick slash upon its eyes. It roared, turning its cheek to negate the damage inflicted, and the doppel took their advances further, reaching out to land upon its shoulder without effort. Two jabs, one after another, her needle sinking into the beastman's neck, and it shook violently, prompting the double to leap off of her target with a flourish. One strike from the heavens upon its back was the final move the demihuman made, before they landed upon the floor, without so much as breaking a metaphorical sweat.

Spoiler

ID: 142123 | BD: 13 (9, +6 -2) | MD: 2 (5, +2 -5)
<<Galaxy Destroyer>> vs Mezu, the Warden.
21 + 1 = 22 DMG | 22 * 13 = 286 DMG | 286 - 50 = 236 DMG
> Dracbane restores life to its user. (+83 HP)
> Mezu, the Warden is bleeding... (-24 HP)
Mezu, the Warden missed!

Mezu, the Warden | HP: 372/750 (-236-24) | ACC: 2 | DMG: 200 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50 | BLEEDING [1/2]

[3] NIGHT | HP: 830 (+29)/830 | EN: 66/80 (+1, -9) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

Ducking, rolling, weaving through attacks. She hadn't tried jumping just yet, had she?

One more swing of the equine warden, and NIGHT attempted to leap onto the surface of its flat blade. She missed the landing, however, as the weapon began to tilt sideways, the player hanging onto one of its embellished edges for safety and hope she could continue to accomplish what she'd set out to do.

As the weapon was retracted, Mezu stalled, looking about its surroundings for any signs of its target player. Its confusion brought a grin to NIGHT's face, the woman clambering up the macahuitl's side. She checked her footing before running along its edge, the spikes that occupied its center down its length barely making room for such an intricate maneuver in the first place. With how the demon was holding onto its blades, it was an uphill battle from here, but NIGHT's determination was fierce, and Dracbane's interest for culling even fiercer still.

Setting her weapon's edge to the side, the blade flared to life with white. Together, they carved out a lengthy cut from its hand up to its shoulder, as the player darted up its arm. One final blow, a single flourish as her finish, she tore her blade from the gash down its trapezius upwards to its neck, the slash radiating an unparalleled glow once again. The beast's head reeled to the side, letting out a gasp and a scream, and NIGHT's balance became unsteady, the player searching for her way off her crazy ride.

At that moment, the remaining side of the door was sliced open, pure brutal power sending it flying open and pushed to the side. NIGHT could spot a small figure bouncing backwards, doing flips in their retreat as a gymnast would. As much as NIGHT had wanted to admire her double's efforts in keeping fashionable in battle, she was much too focused on her own safety to bother with admiration at the moment.

Spoiler

ID: 142124 | BD: 8 (4, +6 -2) | MD: 3 (6, +2 -5)
<<Galaxy Destroyer>> vs Mezu, the Warden.
21 * 13 = 273 DMG | 273 - 50 = 223 DMG
Mezu, the Warden missed!

Mezu, the Warden | HP: 149/750 (-223-24) | ACC: 2 | DMG: 200 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50 | BLEEDING [2/2]

[4] NIGHT | HP: 830/830 | EN: 57/80 (+1, -10) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

DAY, on the other hand, had no qualms with taking time out of their invigorating combat to look away from their target. They shot NIGHT a gleeful smirk, pretending to be placating an audience in suspense. Then, in a rush, they took off running towards the red creature, abandoning its bull-headed friend in the meantime.

But the blue demon wasn't going to let its target go just as easily. It swiped twice, one for each blade, before lunging forward when DAY got out of its range, the duple dashing underneath Mezu itself. The equine warden was busy patting itself on its shoulder, trying to rid its frame of the black pest, while the latter danced with panic around its fingers, running down its arm and holding onto its muscles, doing her best in trying to find a better way onto the ground.

In its frenzy, Mezu only had time to counter its blue accomplice's advances with a single weapon, their two blades locked in a forced hold. In their momentary clash, NIGHT took her way out -- kicking off the arm she held onto, she threw herself at Gozu's outstretched arm, sinking Dracbane's edge into the minotaur's fur. Rather reasonable, then, when the bull beastman broke their lock first, pacing backwards with a grunt from the sudden unseen attack.

It would be lovely if NIGHT could swing herself up from her current state. She was suspended in the air, only her blade stuck in Gozu's arm to keep her aloft. And, she thought, she felt Dracbane's hold beginning to slip.

Well this has frankly been an awful time--!

When she fell, NIGHT recounted how she used to set herself back onto the ground. But flailing about wouldn't help. How did Straight work again?

dammit dammit dammit dammit--

She shut her eyes, setting her knees together. Arms out? Or arms locked? There was no rush of light -- or yes, yes there was, and so she waited, praying for a miracle, and then suddenly--

--Something took hold of her, and NIGHT felt the wind get knocked out of her lungs. When she opened them...

Oh, great. NIGHT inhaled, then swore under her extremely limited breath. Her one and only saviour, again.

Their body robed in white, like a knight in shining armor arriving to save their princess, DAY held the player in their arms bridal style, only stopping their run once the light of the previous room had surrounded them both. The Gemini shot their counterpart a fearsome grin, dripping with gratification of their own prowess, as NIGHT held their breath, trying to seek her way out of this one.

"Well? C'mon, there's no need to be shy about it! I'm waiting!"

Before NIGHT could be set down, she rolled herself out of DAY's arms, almost collapsing onto the floor in an unceremonious manner. With a growl, she pushed herself off the ground, using her blade as a support as she did her best to rise. She pressed herself to keep her back turned, biting hard on her tongue as she struggled to find the words, gathering her courage to reply.

"T-Thanks, traitor."

"What was that?"

"I said--" NIGHT whipped her head around, flaring up and seeing red. "Your interference was welcome, so put a cork in it, interloper!"

Spoiler

ID: 142125 | BD: 5 (1, +6 -2) | MD: 1 (4, +2 -5)
NIGHT missed!
Mezu, the Warden missed!

Mezu, the Warden | HP: 149/750 | ACC: 2 | DMG: 200 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50

[4] NIGHT | HP: 830/830 | EN: 56/80 (+1, -2) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

One more bust through the door way, as Gozu slid into the room. Tailing beside it was Mezu, its teeth bared and weapons to its side at the ready. The duo turned to gaze upon their targets, locking eyes with their respective fighter, and time seemed to halt for the four figures in the room.

NIGHT moved first.

It wasn't because the initiation would lend her an advantage in her attacks. Rather, there were two reasons why she'd fled from DAY's side. The first was to take their eyes off her finally scarlet, genuinely obvious burning cheeks that she'd been trying to hide the entire time. The second came as a follow up to that equation -- she needed to let off some steam, and fighting had always been the best way to do it. Highlight, underline, photocopy and string that along the walls; it especially applied to NIGHT when she was trapped in this hellscape, psychological torment of an iron-clad fortress ever locked in a digital sky. Curse be upon DAY, curse be upon Aincrad, and curse be upon the developers that made and forged this game with their very own souls, blood sweat and tears, and then locked their generous audience into a creation of their own.

Curse them, curse them, curse goddamn everything--!

With an agonized holler, NIGHT darted towards the horse beastman with such a ferocious intensity that the boss barely had time to react to her advances after all. It swung, backpedaled and slashed again, only to catch air, as the player leapt towards its abdomen with a searing, burning rage in her steps, before taking a heavy-handed strike against her opponent, her blade seething white as her face matched its flare in red. A single strike, one attack fair and square was all she needed, Galaxy Destroyer obeying her commands and absolutely tearing apart the red warden, ripping its form to shreds in the dastardly hit. When NIGHT landed, she was still glowing, a discombobulated mess as she sunk to the floor, burying her face from anyone's sight.

With that, the baton was passed to DAY to finish the fight. As NIGHT squared in on her own opponent, so did Gozu, brushing past its partner in crime and honing in onto the blonde, who found themselves bright and cheery as ever. In fact, the latter was more so, grinning from ear to ear at how they'd found their double's reactions intriguing, a satisfaction they were too busy humoring themselves with when the minotaur came rushing into range.

Oh, right. They'd cast away their weapon in the midst of the fight just to rescue their other half. Barely giving their opponent a glance, they'd drummed up a starlit shield as the blue warden raised both their weapons in one hardy attack, its blades meeting a white edge as all the duple merely did was raise their defenses in return.

Still holding a smile, they unleashed their blade with their other hand.

One knock backwards of the shield glowing white. The bull stumbled backwards, taking its swings from the sides, as DAY simply danced their way closer towards their target, turning to defend the beastman's slashing attacks with a careful block and a gentle shove. nudging its strikes away from where they stood. And when the Gemini got close enough, the warden delivered its final cross-slash, the blow diminishing DAY's shield to completion, a scatter of ash left hanging in the air.

Back onto offense then. They tossed their arm to the side with a grin, before jumping forward in glee, allowing their blade to work its magic, untangling the creature from the strings that would hold it to life. Three cuts; two diagonal on each side of its chest, and one right above its clavicles, and the beast fell apart, collapsing forward as it began to come undone.

With the monsters' forms fading and a sea of stardust filling the room, all that was left between the two entities in kin was distance.

Spoiler

ID: 142126 | BD: 12 (8, +6 -2) | MD: 4 (7, +2 -5)
<<Galaxy Destroyer>> vs Mezu, the Warden.
21 * 13 = 273 DMG | 273 - 50 = 223 DMG
Mezu, the Warden has been defeated!

Mezu, the Warden | HP: -74/750 (-223) | ACC: 2 | DMG: 200 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50

[5] NIGHT | HP: 830/830 | EN: 47/80 (+1, -10) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

Loot:
-- [ Col Stash | +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests. ]

ID: 142126 | LD: 10 (7 + 3) | CD: 1
+ 6,615col, Tier 1 Materials (2), [T1E1] Unidentified Uncommon Consumable (1), Easter Egg (2)

[NIGHT 0]

Thread Summary

Quote

[Total]
+ 8SP
+ 15,585col
+ Tier 1 Materials (9)
+ Easter Eggs (8)
+ [T1E1] Unidentified Uncommon Consumable (2)
+ [T1E2] Unidentified Rare Weapon (1)
+ [T1E3] Unidentified Perfect Armor (1)
+ [T1E3] Unidentified Perfect Consumable (2)

Spoiler

[Quest Rewards]
+ 2SP
+ Bottled Banshee Scream

[Dungeon Loot]
+ 1SP
+ 170col
+ Tier 1 Materials (3)

[Thread Progression]
+ 1SP
+ 400col

[Combat Loot]
+ ID: 142094 | Combat | 4,200col, Tier 1 Materials (2), [T1E2] Unidentified Rare Weapon (1), [T1E2] Unidentified Uncommon Consumable (1), Easter Eggs (3) | >>
+ ID: 142098 | Combat | 4,200col, Tier 1 Materials (2), [T1E3] Unidentified Perfect Armor (1), [T1E3] Unidentified Perfect Consumable (2), Easter Eggs (3) | >>
+ ID: 142126 | Combat | 6,615col, Tier 1 Materials (2), [T1E1] Unidentified Uncommon Consumable (1), Easter Egg (2) | >>

[Misc]
Quarantine SP Bonus!
+ 1SP
Yui's Grace
+ 1SP
Mega Slime Farm
+ 2SP