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Post by Battler Myrddin on Jul 31, 2015 2:08:10 GMT -5
Battler leaned against a wall in an alleyway in Adonis as he observed his surroundings. Wearing his trademark olive purple suit with a black shirt, he looked out of place yet strangely fitting somehow. His glowing red eyes which stood out in the dark of night was enough to ward off the usual thugs, while the more veteran and hardened bandits that were hanging around couldn't help but be repulsed by the feel that emanated from Battler. Being no longer human, he surely had his way of getting rid of unwanted attention. There was no inn he could stay at, but his mental fortitude was strong enough to last a night without much sleep, and his body was more than prepared to do the task.
Having slept enough on the trip here, Battler was prepared to spend a week without shelter and pickpocketing his daily necessities such as food from others. In the past, he wouldn't have attempted this or even entered Adonis if he had the choice. Yet, having survived in the harshness of an alternate world, it was all but obvious that he was not the same person. Spotting a familiar feeling, he opened up his magic sight and caught the trail of mana from an old acquaintance. Back then, he didn't have the sight to see it, but he could tell that presence from anyone. It was from the person he was closest to back then, after all.
Following the trail, Battler came to a stop outside of Adonis, out of sight of its residence and secluded by the terrain. A place where he would be undisturbed. Whether he was following the person, or going to where the person had previously been, he wasn't sure. Or rather, he didn't very much care. He was doing this on a whim. He goal was to investigate the guild called Phantom Cloak, after all.
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Post by Noire Strife on Jul 31, 2015 6:39:30 GMT -5
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Ever since Reika came back, things had changed. The city was orderly now. The streets were clean-- forced labor, but clean. People could wander around the streets without fear of being attacked every day. The local mafia men guarded every corner. It was actually relatively peaceful. There were no blatant murders or rapes on the sides of the street. It seemed like any other village-- except for the fear that ran rampant through the village. In only a week after she came back, the town had decreased in size by nearly one-forth: anyone who opposed Reika, or even batted an eye at her, was publicly executed.
Today, anyone would have thought that some sort of royalty had come to visit Adonis. People gathered on the sides of the streets in an effort to make a path for one individual. They whispered excitedly to one another, whether in hate or in love. A lone girl made her way through the crowd, looking around with mild curiosity. A red cloak draped over her shoulders, its long cloth obstructing anything she held underneath. A hood lay bunched up at the back of her neck. She was in a relatively good mood, and walked with triumph. This was what her sister could do. This was what Reika could do. She could clean up a city like this with no problems.
A man spit on the ground in front of her. Sakura stopped walking. She looked down at the glob of water, slowly evaporating int he morning sun. She studied it for a while, fumbling beneath her cloak. It was clear, with little bubbles on it. It looked kind of funny there, like some sort of practical joke that someone had pulled. It did not belong there, Sakura decided. It did not deserve to exist there.
Sakura continued walking as the man's head parted from his body and a long black tendril shrunk back into her shadow.
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Post by Battler Myrddin on Jul 31, 2015 7:18:11 GMT -5
What was the time? No idea. Battler, who had spent a night on the outskirts of Adonis, was waking from a light sleep. Where he was sleeping at the moment was in some ruins of what previously would have been a house, or a backyard. He slept out in the open with only his clothes as his blanket. As an improvement, he no longer needed alcohol in his system in order to have a peaceful sleep without bad dreams. In fact, all his bad dreams ended the day he went to the demon world. From then on, every waking moment was a bad dream, and only his sleep was his safe haven.
Standing up from where he was, Battler stretched all of his muscles. Best to be prepared and warmed up when you knew you were reasonably safe from attack, rather than being stiff just as you encounter a battle with no time to warm up. Having had no food, he took about a couple of hours on his early morning to find a wild animal, hunt it, skin it, cook it, then finally eat it. By this time, it was getting close to lunch time, but still considered morning. Walking back to Adonis, Battler started his investigation.
For starters, from what he had seen, Adonis was no longer what it use to be. Improved, that's for sure, but the air was thick with fear. Something he was accustomed to sensing over the last three years. So much life experience he had gained. Taking back alleys until he reached the more open crossroads, he would exit the alleys and stand inconspicuously at an intersection and activate his eyes, checking the traces of magic that lingered. And what he found at one point was that nostalgic one of his, except it had changed from what he knew. That was obvious, but the traces were there.
Checking where the trail was thickest, indicating it being more recent, he saw bloodstains and a body that had been swept into an alley for the meantime. Looking at it for a few seconds in silence, he continued on. That wasn't because he was giving the body prayers, but because he was looking at the remnants of magic on it. At least he was going the right way. The blood was still fresh, so he must be catching up in any case. Just as he thought that, he looked further ahead to see the back of someone he knew. Or rather, the flow of magic he knew.
With his red eyes glowing brighter as he found a person of interest, Battler smirked as he continued to follow until the amount of onlookers decreased to none. This way, there was no one to interfere. Looking around as he walked, he confirmed the absence of onlookers and so raised his voice to be audible.
"Excuse me miss, I'm looking for my little sister. Short, long black hair, cat ears, white skin that is close to being pale, and having lost someone three years ago."
Battler's voice was deeper than it was back then, and his tone was more cold and oppressive than the previous lively and nonchalant air about him. Now, his entire being seemed to say not to approach him, and his stoic facial expression linked with his glowing red eyes were intimidating to the uninitiated.
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Post by Noire Strife on Jul 31, 2015 10:54:21 GMT -5
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The crowd thinned as she walked further from Adonis' main street. Her shadow followed haphazardly behind her, seeming to slide across the ground with a life of its own. It bubbled and fizzed, and certainly did not fit to her silhouette. It was an entity of its own. It lived and breathed alongside Sakura.
A voice sounded from behind her. Without turning, she recognized the voice. It was different, but still had the same up and downs as the man she once knew. Once upon a time, she would have been happy to see him, overjoyed to hear that voice after so long. But she had given up on hearing that voice long ago. It was more of a distant voice than a reality. Sakura stopped mid-step and turned to face him. Yes, she knew this man-- or rather, she knew his body. The person inside was different. Sakura could sense it.
"Sorry." she mockingly apologized, "She's long gone now." she turned to face away from him, shadow tendrils rising from her back in irritation. They were clearly visible in the morning light, waving around with annoyance. They reflected her emotions. She continued to walk forward again. She wished he would just leave. There was nothing for him here, not after he disappeared when she needed him most.
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Post by Eternal Mage, Aether. on Jul 31, 2015 18:45:33 GMT -5
ooc: Uh battler, you know you can't be in west and south at the same time, right?
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Post by Battler Myrddin on Jul 31, 2015 20:57:10 GMT -5
"It seems the times have really changed."
Battler spoke with a disinterested voice, though there was a hint of sadness and disappointment. Still, it wouldn't do to show off his true form now, just because he was around someone he knew. Especially when the person he knew wasn't the same one anymore. Seeing the black tendrils moving around, he couldn't help but smirk at it. Like brother like sister? Either that, or it was simply because it reminded him of a demon back in that other world. Interesting to watch, annoying to fight, infuriating to let others fight it.
Taking steps forward, Battler didn't approach directly but instead circled Sakura so that he could try glance at her eyes. It wouldn't do any good to enter the range of those tendrils any further, having seen the blood splatter earlier. It was probably the tendrils that caused it. As Sakura resumed her walk, Battler picked up his pace. As long as he saw her eyes, he could at least confirm some things. Like that saying; Eyes are the doors to the soul. If he could just look into her eyes, he could at least confirm whether the person he knew was truly gone or not. And then move on with his life. After all, he was quite certain that there was only one other person he could trust with his life, and that being his old Guild Master.
Dashing forward ahead of Sakura, Battler stood around ten meters ahead of her on the path so that he could look at her face and peer into her eyes. At the same time as he focused, his red eyes began to glow. He didn't get to look at her eyes too well when she glanced back at him. Just a little longer. Just one more look and he would be satisfied. Seeing it, he confirmed what he suspected. Closing his eyes, he sighed as his skin paled and yet seemed to gain a somewhat luminescence, and his red hair deepened in color and gloss. Opening his eyes, the deep red once again brightened in its glow. With a stoic face betraying none of his emotions, and a voice that reflected only the cold nature of his heart, he spoke once more.
"So it seems the person I'm looking for is no more. All the better. Would have been a pain to inform that person that the one she knew was dead. To think both of them would die."
With that said, Battler sighed as he slowly shook his head a couple of times. With a tinge of killing intent in his voice this time, he spoke once more as his eyes locked on to the person, no, thing in front of him. No longer did he see the one in front of him as a person.
"Tell me; what do you know of Phantom Cloak?"
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Post by Noire Strife on Aug 1, 2015 6:31:36 GMT -5
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Sakura turned away from Battler first with irritation, and then with sadness. As much as she hated to admit it, she still loved him. He was family to her. He was a brother. In fact, he was the only one that really cared about her before she went to Phantom Cloak. So why did he leave? Why did he disappear, and leave her all alone? Tears gathered in Sakura's eyes.
She quickly wiped them away as Battler jogged ahead of her. He turned around, staring intently at her.
"What?" she said, irritated again. She did not have time for this. Reika had told her to check on the various trafficking sectors of Adonis, and Sakura was now running late.
"So it seems the person I'm looking for is no more." Battler spoke, and somehow it hit a nerve in Sakura. She did not want to be here. She did not want to be talking to him, not now, not like this. "Tell me; what do you know of Phantom Cloak?"
Sakura hissed at him, baring her sharp canines. Her shadow tendrils vibrated behind her. "What's it to you?" she spat. "If you came here to harm my sister, then you're going to have to get through me first." a low growl rose in her throat.
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Post by Battler Myrddin on Aug 1, 2015 7:04:13 GMT -5
Seeing signs of aggressiveness and hearing what hinted at some of the information he needed, Battler's bloodlust came out in full as the air around him literally seemed to go hazy and dark. His face no longer had an sign of emotion and was simply a cold stare that pierced through the one he was gazing out. With anger and impatience in his heart, he kept his mind in control. The one in front of him had answers he was looking for. But what made him rage was the fact someone he previously considered a friend was the one facing him.
"Negotiation, non-discuss-able. Information withheld, confirmed. Plan? Submission."
With a cold and calculative voice, Battler spoke his mind. Instantly, the mist around him thickened and started stretching towards his target whilst he drew his sword. While it may look plain, its voice of protection would do him good in this battle against an unknown foe. He couldn't expect someone to retain the same skills and tactics after three years.
Walking forward, he raised the power of his miasma to what would be Rank B, and then compressed some of it into a ball in the palm of his left hand. Doing so, he fired that mass at his opponents lower body, enough that missing would still travel a few meters behind them. Perhaps even hit their shadow. At the same time, he brandished his sword in his right hand to his side, parallel to the ground.
Erosion Level | 10/100
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Post by Noire Strife on Aug 1, 2015 13:41:09 GMT -5
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Sakura's lips pulled back in a full snarl. Her mindset was completely changed now. How dare he come to this village? How dare he demand information on Phantom Cloak? How dare he challenge her? Sakura could not stand for this outrage. She let out a scream, flicking her arm out to reveal her magical scythe. The blade made of magical energy radiated from its tip.
Without hesitation, she slammed the end of the staff into the ground, sending out a wave of darkness. It would be harder for Battler to see. Just the way she liked it. Sakura's feline eyes gleamed in the darkness. She could see him. She could see everything. This was easy. She gracefully dodged Battler's attack, jumping to one side to take cover behind a boulder. The miasma flew past her. She took the short respite to observe her surroundings.
Around her lay an open courtyard, clear of any pedestrians or animals. Green grass rolled around her, now invisible in the absence of light. She could still see perfectly clear, even in color in the dark around her. A few ornate rocks dotted the landscape. The whole courtyard was circular, its boundaries marked by uninhabited buildings. There was only one path in and one path out. Sakura was not about to let Battler escape, not after she had not seen her dear brother in so long. She wanted to capture him, not harm or kill him. She wanted to see what was wrong with him. With a cat's silence, she creeped at an angle around Battler.
Go. she commanded her shadow tendrils. They raced towards the red-haired man. If they got to him, they would attempt to restrain him, binding his arms and feet to the ground. A low growl sounded from Sakura's throat.
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Post by Battler Myrddin on Aug 1, 2015 19:49:12 GMT -5
Erosion Level | 10/100
The gears in Battler's head spun in overdrive. With the dodge of his own spell and the increase in darkness surrounding him, he could only frown at the misjudgment of his opponent. Previously, he was a user of light magic and so his light would pierce through this low visibility. But now? He lived three years in utter darkness. He opened his magic eyes to their maximum range and could see the flow of magic in a 15m radius around him. First, the wave of darkness. It layered magic around him to the point it was difficult to see, but the more concentrated masses of magic were still visible. The tendrils could be seen coming from his opponent's mass of magic, so he was well prepared. So all he had to do was counter it. Which may also not be needed. With his miasma still active, the darkness encroaching on him was already weakened as they fought for ground, and the moment the tendrils approached it, it was as if they were being siphoned of energy. Which was exactly what the miasma was doing. He was now a being that fed off magic energy. A parasite, so to speak. With the weakened tendrils entering his range, he didn't even bother dodging as he cut the first one, restrained another in his free hand, kicked out and rotated one leg to wrap it around his leg and then cut the last tendril free before cutting the ones he had restrained. Thanks to his miasma being stronger around his body, it weakened whatever magical energy came close to him, and the quality of his sword wasn't to be underestimated either. "You attempt to shroud me in shadows and limit me. But I've been living in darkness for three years. THREE YEARS, Sakura."Saying those words with his cold voice, Battler let out a bit of anger on the last part as his eyes flared red, giving off a glow in the darkness. Stepping towards her since he knew her location, he let out all of his demonic features. Or rather, the most tell-tale one of them. From his head, a pair of horns grew, his white teeth sharpened into fangs, his nails extended and hardened like a beast's claws, his ears went pointy, and to top it off, when he reached and stopped in front of Sakura, he cut his hand open. From out of his left palm, now with a fresh wound, black blood began dripping as he shoved it in his ex-little sister's face. "Now tell me, what do you know of Phantom Cloak, the ones who destroyed the place I called home."His face was stoic, cold, demonic. His voice was deeper and seemed infused his magic. And his piercing eyes were narrowed to gaze at the one in front of him.
Erosion Level | 15/100 Spell/s Spell Name: Erebea Miasma
Type: Magic Erebea
Level: B
Range: 10m
Description: Leaking out from the body, Erebea energy is released and mixes with the air, reducing the effectiveness of any spells used against them, and converting some of the surrounding magic into demonic energy at a slow rate. Lowers the power of a spell by one level.
Drawback: While active, user's movement speed is halved otherwise the aura cannot keep up. Additionally, the more spread out it is, the less effective it is, similar to watered down bitters. OOC: Hope I didn't powerplay much with the tendrils. Miasma weakens and can reduce the rank of an incoming spell by one (in regards to how powerful they are) so he monopolized on it, as they were both activated at the same rank.
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Post by Noire Strife on Aug 1, 2015 21:40:57 GMT -5
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In the darkness, Sakura could see horns grow out of Battler's head. She narrowed her eyes. Of course. That was why he smelled funny. She twitched her nose. "I see. So you are no longer human." a small pang of sadness remained in her voice, but it quickly disappeared with determination. This was not the Battler she once knew. This was not the person she once loved. There was no reason to hold back.
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The small girl hissed at Battler's words. "You say you were in darkness for three years, and somehow assume that I was not also?" she scoffed. "As for your precious Griffin Wing." she spat out the name, making sure he had her full attention. "...I destroyed it! It was me! Yes, you're once precious sister destroyed your guild!" Of course, this was entirely untrue, but Battler did not need to know that. She only wanted to spite him.
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Post by Battler Myrddin on Aug 2, 2015 6:38:09 GMT -5
There was no reason to listen. At the moment, there was no reason to believe that anything that was said was true. After all, the person in front of him hadn't experienced pain and fear to the point they would tell the truth. And until then, everything was a lie, but information was still being withheld. With his miasma dispersing, Battler stood just in front of Sakura as she spoke her words in what happened to Griffin Wing. The moment the words had left her mouth, his hand was around her throat, lifting her light body off the ground.
"There is no reason to believe a single thing that comes out of your mouth. Because you haven't shown reason to tell the truth. However..."
Pulling their faces closer together until their noses were almost touching, Battler narrowed his eyesight as his glowing red eyes stared into a person he thought he knew. His grip was tight, almost to the point of suffocation. If the one in front of him truly did the things she said...
"... If what you say is true, then your death will not be quick."
Saying that with a deep, cold and oppressive voice, Battler thrust his fist into her solar plexus to knock her out.
Erosion Level | 14/100
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Post by Noire Strife on Aug 2, 2015 8:07:14 GMT -5
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Sakura gazed at him uninterestedly. Battler was not the man she knew. This was the hardest thing to cope with now that he had come back. Not he fighting, not the horns, and certainly not his new magic. Battler was gone. And now this new man stood in front of her. This new man did not care about her. He did not laugh and hug her like the old Battler. It almost hurt to remember.
She did not even flinch when he grabbed her by her throat. Sakura was far too used to it. Memories of Ender filled her mind. That guy had changed too. Why did everyone have to change? The only person that seemed constant was Reika. Yes, Reika was the only one she could rely on. She was unchanging. She was stable, and she was strong. Reika had been there from the day she was born. Reika, then, was the only one she could depend on.
But Reika never treated her like Battler had treated her. While she never hurt Sakura, she certainly never showed her love or affection. Reika was more of a mediator. Battler was one person that truly made Sakura happy. A small smile climbed to her face as black spots dotted her vision. It did not matter if this was not the Battler she knew. After all the great times that she spent with him, it seemed fitting that she would die at his hands. Maybe it was better this way. Yes, it was better this way. At least she would die at the hands of someone she loved.
"You were...." She managed to sputter. "my only friend."
Her body fell limp in Battler's grip.
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