Murder Game IX: Right Hand of the Crimson Moon

[Gummi Bunnies]

The answers were given and as they chatted among themselves, the cube finally deigned to give some kind of response. Parts of it began to shift around, revealing bits and pieces of the inner layers of the Core. Although it'd stop right before it exposed itself entirely those who had gathered. The same voice from before then began to broadcast itself once more.

"The answer is correct. As for it's easy nature, that is something that cannot be given a sufficient answer. Perhaps the creators simply did not think those that found themselves standing here would be worth the time and effort of a long and drawn out process? It cannot be said for sure. But in any case, you draw closer to the true Core. The next question is as follows. What is the next number in the following set? 21, 18, 16, 15, 15, 16."

"Feel free to take as much time as you need to formulate an answer or shout out all at once. It will then be processed and depending on if you're capable of answering this, you'll find what you came here to see."

@Mari @The Silver Paladin @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles
​

Well now we got a riddle on our hands.

"Umm... Ethel doesn't know the answer..."

"Well then, is it 18? I mean... based on the pattern of the numbers, so..." Karin would try to answer the question.

@Mari @The Silver Paladin @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles​

Annabeth thought for a moment. "18?" she said a bit silently. She wasn't quite sure. "Because if it counts down, and then begins counting up by the same number again?"

@Mari @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles

"So it goes through a general rule of applying numbers through an escalating scale. We're going from -3 to -2, then -1, then 0, and so on... and given with the numbers we have here," Battler also felt unsure about this, seeing that it seemed so simple but too simple to just blurt out the answer. Of course, Erika felt the need to take the spotlight once again from Battler.

"Well, no doubt on what the answer is, just like what Karin and Annabeth said, I'll repeat in the Blue Truth. The answer is 18."

@Mari @Bomb @The Silver Paladin @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Core Crew​

 

[Jeremi]

She just looked in mild bemusement as all that went on. First Ryner seemed up to the task all by himself, and she was just content to sit on the sides and let 'im do it all. But even Max leaped into the scene, striking with a precise metal pipe and Misaka just...did she just PULL that guy out of this chick's chest?? She didn't follow that questioning any further cause like what the fuck. Instead, as Passionlip continued to try and attack, only then did she finally step in.

"You got a fucking strange way of showing love, ya know that?" Ryuko spat out after throwing her scissor blade straight on to hopefully interrupt that strike, finally over her shock and surprise that kept her from posting until now, rather than any laziness on the RPer's end :|. "Speakin' of that though..." Ryuko shot a glance back towards Misaka and Touma. "If you guys can hold off on your lovers' spat until we're outta this crazy situation, that'd be nice. Just sayin." She shrugged, advancing closer to check on Passionlip.

@Jeremi @DapperDogman @Verite @Atomyk @Krieg @CrunchyCHEEZIT @CCC Kouhai​

After all the abuse she had received earlier Ryuko's scissor blade would pierce Passionlip and send her flying.

As Ryuko went to check on her she'd find Passionlip slumped against the wall. "Mother...I'm sorry...I failed you." After uttering those words the body of Passionlip would start to disappear like a file being deleted. Soon enough the only thing lodged in the wall was Ryuko's blade.

"Well that monster was quite a handful, huh?" Kizaru remarked aloud to no one in particular. "And we saved the boy too...that's a good job right there..."

@DapperDogman @Verite @Atomyk @Krieg @CrunchyCHEEZIT @CCC Kouhai @C.T.

 

[Minerva]

"So it goes through a general rule of applying numbers through an escalating scale. We're going from -3 to -2, then -1, then 0, and so on... and given with the numbers we have here," Battler also felt unsure about this, seeing that it seemed so simple but too simple to just blurt out the answer. Of course, Erika felt the need to take the spotlight once again from Battler.

"Well, no doubt on what the answer is, just like what Karin and Annabeth said, I'll repeat in the Blue Truth. The answer is 18."

@Mari @Bomb @The Silver Paladin @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Core Crew​

"Blue Truth? I've never heard of such a thing." Annabeth said raising an eyebrow.

 

[Crimson Spartan]

The answers were given and as they chatted among themselves, the cube finally deigned to give some kind of response. Parts of it began to shift around, revealing bits and pieces of the inner layers of the Core. Although it'd stop right before it exposed itself entirely those who had gathered. The same voice from before then began to broadcast itself once more.

"The answer is correct. As for it's easy nature, that is something that cannot be given a sufficient answer. Perhaps the creators simply did not think those that found themselves standing here would be worth the time and effort of a long and drawn out process? It cannot be said for sure. But in any case, you draw closer to the true Core. The next question is as follows. What is the next number in the following set? 21, 18, 16, 15, 15, 16."

"Feel free to take as much time as you need to formulate an answer or shout out all at once. It will then be processed and depending on if you're capable of answering this, you'll find what you came here to see."

@Mari @The Silver Paladin @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles
​

".....Clearly 18..."

"Can we be sure this ain't one of them 'trick' questions....?"

"The question itself is a trick by switching from descending to ascending mid problem.."
​

Well now we got a riddle on our hands.

"Umm... Ethel doesn't know the answer..."

"Well then, is it 18? I mean... based on the pattern of the numbers, so..." Karin would try to answer the question.

@Mari @The Silver Paladin @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles​

Annabeth thought for a moment. "18?" she said a bit silently. She wasn't quite sure. "Because if it counts down, and then begins counting up by the same number again?"

@Mari @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles

"So it goes through a general rule of applying numbers through an escalating scale. We're going from -3 to -2, then -1, then 0, and so on... and given with the numbers we have here," Battler also felt unsure about this, seeing that it seemed so simple but too simple to just blurt out the answer. Of course, Erika felt the need to take the spotlight once again from Battler.

"Well, no doubt on what the answer is, just like what Karin and Annabeth said, I'll repeat in the Blue Truth. The answer is 18."

@Mari @Bomb @The Silver Paladin @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Core Crew​

"I think we all agree on the answer."

"I don't know....Somethin' seems fishy 'bout this.....It can't be this easy....."

@Mari @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Wedge Antilles @The Silver Paladin ​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"Of course. Come out once you are finished," the older nun bowed to Robin in response, before leaving, not seeming to show any sign of embarrassment or stuff like that.

On the other hand, the younger red-headed nun's cheeks would be seen flushing a little at Minato's comment, before she would frown and turn around with a "Hmph!," following the older nun out.

"You're quite the catch," Illya commented to Minato half-jokingly, before beginning to leave as well, preparing to go off and change in a different room.

@The Tactician​

Minato shrugged as the girls left, "I guess not all nuns enjoy my jokes. Then again, Ciel does usually smack me for the really stupid ones."

"At least she keeps you in line somewhat..." Robin sighed before both men fell silent as they finished changing. Within a few minutes, both exited the washing room and the tactician waved, "So there was something about tea and crumpets, correct?"​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

"Blue Truth? I've never heard of such a thing." Annabeth said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it's an innate ability that both Battler and I have. There's two types of truths, the Red Truth and the Blue Truth. I only used the Blue Truth to implement a theory or a general possibility to the number sequence we were given. As for the Red Truth, it's more of stating actual facts rather than possibilities, like for example..."

Before Erika would be able to state an example Red Truth, Battler butted in.

"Erika's being a total showoff right about now," Battler definitely didn't regret saying that in the Red at all.

"... do you want to get on my bad side now or later? You choose, Battler-san."
​

".....Clearly 18..."

"Can we be sure this ain't one of them 'trick' questions....?"

"The question itself is a trick by switching from descending to ascending mid problem.."
​

"I think we all agree on the answer."

"I don't know....Somethin' seems fishy 'bout this.....It can't be this easy....."

@Mari @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Wedge Antilles @The Silver Paladin ​

"Then it's all a matter on waiting for the confirmation of our answer. Not like we're going to go through some rough stuff if we all get it wrong..." Battler should've phrased that a bit better than he did there.

@Mari @Bomb @Crimson Spartan @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Wedge Antilles @The Silver Paladin ​

 

[Minerva]

"Well, it's an innate ability that both Battler and I have. There's two types of truths, the Red Truth and the Blue Truth. I only used the Blue Truth to implement a theory or a general possibility to the number sequence we were given. As for the Red Truth, it's more of stating actual facts rather than possibilities, like for example..."

Before Erika would be able to state an example Red Truth, Battler butted in.

"Erika's being a total showoff right about now," Battler definitely didn't regret saying that in the Red at all.

"... do you want to get on my bad side now or later? You choose, Battler-san."
​

"Then it's all a matter on waiting for the confirmation of our answer. Not like we're going to go through some rough stuff if we all get it wrong..." Battler should've phrased that a bit better than he did there.

@Mari @Bomb @Crimson Spartan @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Wedge Antilles @The Silver Paladin ​

Annabeth nodded. It wasn't any weirder than what she had in her world. She just opened a journal with various architectural designs.

@Mari @Wedge Antilles

 

[Verite]

Minato shrugged as the girls left, "I guess not all nuns enjoy my jokes. Then again, Ciel does usually smack me for the really stupid ones."

"At least she keeps you in line somewhat..." Robin sighed before both men fell silent as they finished changing. Within a few minutes, both exited the washing room and the tactician waved, "So there was something about tea and crumpets, correct?"​

"Ah, so you're finished. Go on, help yourself. There's plenty to go around," the nun, now without a hood, revealing blonde hair underneath, said, greeting Robin and Minato once they would come out of the laundry room, "They look nice on you. You know... I never did introduce myself. My name is Orsola. Orsola Aquinas. Though most people simply call me Sister. Your names were... Robin and Arisato?"

"No, no, Kanzaki. I said wrenches, not wretches. Don't tell me you ended up visiting a brothel! Do they even still call them those these days?" Cromwell spoke, talking to the woman from earlier on the phone in the meantime.

"Hm. Not bad," Illya would comment in her new clothes, sipping some more of the tea, "Just like how Sella used to make for me... Well, in any case, it looks like I won't be making use of that power for some time," she continued to speak, referring to the "infection" from the Right Hand of the Crimson Moon from before.

@The Tactician​

 

[Atomyk]

Misaka jumped to her feet, ready to let the electricity fly, but Ryuko's comment froze her to the spot.

L-Lover's spat...?

Needless to say, Misaka was too stunned to do much of anything until they got out of there.

that's not a kind of love i'm familiar with. LOVE, maybe.

as electrifying this has been, it's probably time we just chill out a little.

@DapperDogman @Verite @Jeremi @Krieg @CrunchyCHEEZIT @CCC Kouhai @C.T. @Arena​

 

[Kaykay]

The red creature let out something of an inhuman shriek as Gunha ripped apart its tendril, before abruptly letting the Esper go. Evidently, it seemed to be its weak point, judging from not just the shriek, but the sheer amount of a strange black substance almost resembling blood, before the rest of its circular body would crash into the ground, becoming motionless with that.

With the blue creature, as it would dash forward while thrusting its tendrils forward, it would stop itself, drawing its arms back and attempting to protect itself from Cinder's arrows, though the explosions would come off as something of an unexpected surprise that would knock it a few feet back, damaging its body quite a bit, but before it could initiate any retaliation, it would be knocked right into the wall by Kinuhata's attack, its body crashing though the barrier and ceasing to move with that, effectively defeated.

Zelretch would give a mild whistle once the fight was over, looking at what appeared to be a pocketwatch while you were all fighting. "Hmph. Not a bad time," he commented, before pocketing it and continuing to walk forward, "Come, we don't have any time to waste. Don't wanna run into any more of those things."

@Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @york @Gibbons @Academy​

"Alright, let's super go then," Kinuhata replied, patting her legs as if to dust them off before following along.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @york @Verite @Gibbons​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"Ah, so you're finished. Go on, help yourself. There's plenty to go around," the nun, now without a hood, revealing blonde hair underneath, said, greeting Robin and Minato once they would come out of the laundry room, "They look nice on you. You know... I never did introduce myself. My name is Orsola. Orsola Aquinas. Though most people simply call me Sister. Your names were... Robin and Arisato?"

"No, no, Kanzaki. I said wrenches, not wretches. Don't tell me you ended up visiting a brothel! Do they even still call them those these days?" Cromwell spoke, talking to the woman from earlier on the phone in the meantime.

"Hm. Not bad," Illya would comment in her new clothes, sipping some more of the tea, "Just like how Sella used to make for me... Well, in any case, it looks like I won't be making use of that power for some time," she continued to speak, referring to the "infection" from the Right Hand of the Crimson Moon from before.

@The Tactician​

"Thank you, Miss Orsola, and yes, Robin and Arisato, though his first name is Minato," The tactician explained with a grin as he took a seat at the table and reached for a crumpet. As he pulled over the butter and began spreading it on his food, he nodded along as Illya spoke, "Agreed. Hopefully, this won't keep happening before we get finish with our task..." He hated being thrown into stranger and stranger places, especially when it messed with any plans he had made. Mostly because it usually landed him in a Murder Game.

"You look cute, Miss Illya," Minato praised before sipping at a cup of tea he had poured. For a few moments, he listened as Cromwell seemed to be angrier and angrier at the person on the other side of the phone before speaking up, "Looks like we're not getting those tools anytime soon. Perverts who enjoy brothels usually take awhile to finish up at one." At least if they were anything like the monk the teen had been friends with in Tatsumi Port Island. I wonder if his family reunion went well...​

 

[Mari]

Annabeth nodded. It wasn't any weirder than what she had in her world. She just opened a journal with various architectural designs.

@Mari @Wedge Antilles

"I believe the correct answer is given", Mari said, having analyzed the sequence herself and she came to the same conclusion as the others who already gave out the answer.

".....Clearly 18..."

"Can we be sure this ain't one of them 'trick' questions....?"

"The question itself is a trick by switching from descending to ascending mid problem.."
​

"I think we all agree on the answer."

"I don't know....Somethin' seems fishy 'bout this.....It can't be this easy....."

@Mari @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Wedge Antilles @The Silver Paladin ​

To this, Mari responded, "not everything needs to be difficult in order to represent something significant. If it is a trick of some kind, can we really anticipate it and guess along with the trick? I do not think so."

@The Silver Paladin @Crimson Spartan @Bomb @Wedge Antilles @Gummi Bunnies @TheSpringwoodSlasher

 

[Verite]

"Alright, let's super go then," Kinuhata replied, patting her legs as if to dust them off before following along.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @york @Verite @Gibbons​

With help from the guides that you would find throughout the Academy, it wasn't too hard to locate the Library nearby. Once you would reach the place, you would be greeted to the tranquil, seemingly pristine room. Shelves and bookcases filled up the room, full of countless books and whatnot, ranging from fiction to reference and everything in between.

"Hmm... quite small for a library if you ask me..." The old man mumbled as he looked around.

What he was looking for wasn't any book though. He was looking for an answer.

Approaching the computer, he'd turn it on, poking the button with his walking stick. As the machine would boot up, text would materialize on the otherwise black screen.

This world is made up of data. In every sense, it is comprised of data. It runs on it, is fueled by it, uses it. In this Artificial Moon Cell, the speculative and imaginative nature of magecraft has become outdated. It has become banal and irrelevant. Overshadowed by the more practical workings of science. Mathematics. Things that every world can run on.

This is the world of the Seraph Phantasm.

To discover the secret of this pocket world, give me some data I can process.

3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 21

Which number is missing from the set?

@york @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Kaykay @Gibbons @Academy​

 

[C.T.]

Misaka jumped to her feet, ready to let the electricity fly, but Ryuko's comment froze her to the spot.

L-Lover's spat...?

Needless to say, Misaka was too stunned to do much of anything until they got out of there.

that's not a kind of love i'm familiar with. LOVE, maybe.

as electrifying this has been, it's probably time we just chill out a little.

@DapperDogman @Verite @Jeremi @Krieg @CrunchyCHEEZIT @CCC Kouhai @C.T. @Arena​

"Yeah. I'd drink to that one. Chilling out would be nice. After getting ambushed by soldiers at a dinner table, offered hot dogs by you of all people, investigating a haunted house that turned out to be some foreign screaming dude running it all, and a fucking grown guy getting swallowed up whole into somebody's goddamn chest, I think we can all use a little break from the weird shit." Such things reminded her of Honnoji.

Or well, perhaps even crazier the more she thought about it. At least on the same level, regardless. Ryuko just fell backwards onto the ground, content to just lay there for a while. Perhaps if she went to sleep and woke up a little while later, there'd be less strange stuff.

@Jeremi @DapperDogman @Verite @Atomyk @Krieg @CrunchyCHEEZIT @CCC Kouhai​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

".....Clearly 18..."

"Can we be sure this ain't one of them 'trick' questions....?"

"The question itself is a trick by switching from descending to ascending mid problem.."
​

"I think we all agree on the answer."

"I don't know....Somethin' seems fishy 'bout this.....It can't be this easy....."

@Mari @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Wedge Antilles @The Silver Paladin ​

"You seem smart so it'll just be brushed aside that you seem to look for mysteries where there are none. Why the creators designed the questions to be as easy as they are, it's been mentioned before that the reasoning for such is not known to this one. Though, that being said you and your companions have answered the question needed to reveal the entirety of the CORE. What you do with it afterwards? That's not up to this one though the likelihood is strong that you'll figure out something." With that the voice finished speaking and the glowing CORE was finally revealed to the group.

Stubbs had been kicking back and letting the others do the answering because he doubted he'd be understood by whatever the heck had been speaking to them. But as the core finally showed itself, Stubbs rubbed the back of his head.

"Brains..? Brains"(Well, I guess that's a good job for you guys right? Only question is now what the hell to do with this thing. Destroy it and maybe we'll get out of wherever the hell this place is or just stand around with our thumbs in our pockets.")

@Mari @The Silver Paladin @Bomb @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles ​

 

[DapperDogman]

After all the abuse she had received earlier Ryuko's scissor blade would pierce Passionlip and send her flying.

As Ryuko went to check on her she'd find Passionlip slumped against the wall. "Mother...I'm sorry...I failed you." After uttering those words the body of Passionlip would start to disappear like a file being deleted. Soon enough the only thing lodged in the wall was Ryuko's blade.

"Well that monster was quite a handful, huh?" Kizaru remarked aloud to no one in particular. "And we saved the boy too...that's a good job right there..."

@DapperDogman @Verite @Atomyk @Krieg @CrunchyCHEEZIT @CCC Kouhai @C.T.

Ryner's eyes moved from the slowly disappearing body of the woman, fixating on the others as a palm moved up slowly, energy building in the centre, as if he meant to erase them all in an instant

"I create nothing. Spare nothing. You are all mine to erase into nothingness...Die"

After a moment, a beam would shoot from his palm, slicing through matter like a knife through butter, leaving nothing behind

Better dodge this, else you might meet a similar fate to those Magic Knights who killed Ryner's squad...

Kizaru might wanna do that thing right about now, too

@CCC Kouhai @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Atomyk @Verite @Jeremi @C.T. @Arena peeps​

 

[Jeremi]

Ryner's eyes moved from the slowly disappearing body of the woman, fixating on the others as a palm moved up slowly, energy building in the centre, as if he meant to erase them all in an instant

"I create nothing. Spare nothing. You are all mine to erase into nothingness...Die"

After a moment, a beam would shoot from his palm, slicing through matter like a knife through butter, leaving nothing behind

Better dodge this, else you might meet a similar fate to those Magic Knights who killed Ryner's squad...

Kizaru might wanna do that thing right about now, too

@CCC Kouhai @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Atomyk @Verite @Jeremi @C.T. @Arena peeps​

Kizaru would disappear only to emerge behind Ryner and swiftly kicked him in the head to stop any further destruction. "Man...what a chore this turned out to be..."

@CCC Kouhai @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Atomyk @Verite @DapperDogman @C.T. @Arena peeps

 

[Atomyk]

Sans seemed pretty content with Kizaru's actions.

thanks, i didn't wanna have to get up.

@DapperDogman @Verite @Jeremi @Krieg @CrunchyCHEEZIT @CCC Kouhai @C.T. @Arena​

 

[C.T.]

That would have been her reaction, were she not Ryuko Matoi. Besides, Kizaru already had the situation well in hand as Ryuko almost casually sped around, sidling around the direction of the energy beam when it came close. "Yeah, thanks. Appreciated." She remarked simply. "But really, what the fuck was that about???"

@Jeremi @DapperDogman @Verite @Atomyk @Krieg @CrunchyCHEEZIT @CCC Kouhai​

 

[Crimson Spartan]

"You seem smart so it'll just be brushed aside that you seem to look for mysteries where there are none. Why the creators designed the questions to be as easy as they are, it's been mentioned before that the reasoning for such is not known to this one. Though, that being said you and your companions have answered the question needed to reveal the entirety of the CORE. What you do with it afterwards? That's not up to this one though the likelihood is strong that you'll figure out something." With that the voice finished speaking and the glowing CORE was finally revealed to the group.

Stubbs had been kicking back and letting the others do the answering because he doubted he'd be understood by whatever the heck had been speaking to them. But as the core finally showed itself, Stubbs rubbed the back of his head.

"Brains..? Brains"(Well, I guess that's a good job for you guys right? Only question is now what the hell to do with this thing. Destroy it and maybe we'll get out of wherever the hell this place is or just stand around with our thumbs in our pockets.")

@Mari @The Silver Paladin @Bomb @Crimson Spartan @Wedge Antilles ​

"Maybe this 'core' has something we need....Like vital information to this situation..."

"Was it really all that bad be to be suspicious of the situation? I mean back home when a solution seemed simple it really wasn't."

"Then again Donny... Most of those situations were in war..... War is never simple no matter how you look at it." Lon'qu points out before he backed away slightly from the group. So many females and he wasn't sure if Saber was still around or not.

@Mari @The Silver Paladin @Gummi Bunnies @Bomb @Wedge Antilles @TheSpringwoodSlasher​