Round 1:
Attack on Vale
(A full summary of the events leading up to this point can be found in the "recap" section here)
Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock...
That ticking sound seemed to go on forever and ever, droning on in the background of countless conversations and interactions going on in the general area, until suddenly, there was a distinct "click", as the ticking stopped.
Then, there was silence, as both the portal and the pendant Azuma still had on her suddenly shone in unison, before a distinct ringing sounded from up above... Serene... Peacefull, like it was meant to usher in a new era or something.
Finally, Azuma's pendant suddenly
found its way out of her grasp, and floated through the air, headed straight for the strange, circular formation... The "Time Gate", as that message on the billboard had called it, and at long last, the two united, causing the circular formation to expand outward, opening up a mysterious tear through space and time.
In fact, it looked alot like the one that had brought them here... Complete with a mysterious blue electricity crackling around it and everything, except, it appeared to be a bit more benign.
That is... Until it started to pull everyone in the area towards it, and in no time, everybody, along with their belongings and what have to had been
sucked into the portal, tumbling around through an endless expanse of nothingness once more, as they were sent hurtling through the various fabrics of space and time.
...
"Our kingdoms are at the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So, I ask you, when the first shots are fired, who do you think you can trust?"
...
Before the Arrival...
Amity Colloseum, Vale
It was a good way through the Vytal festival now, and the selection process had just begun;on the screens overhead, various pictures of various participants were being cycled through rapidly... Until they settled upon two distinct names.
"Yang Xiao Long and Mercury Black!" Called Peter Port, who juuuust so happened to be one of the announcers.
"Break a leg, sis!" Interjected a faint voice from somewhere in the crowd.
However, anyone who knew that voice, would instantly recognize who it was; Ruby Rose, calling out words of encouragement as her sister, Yang Xiao Long herself went off to join her opponent in the center of the arena.
"Would all other combatants please leave the stage!" Port added over the announcements.
While somewhere in the crowds, a mysterious woman, with orange eyes, and long, flowing black hair stood up from her seat... And while the crowd's attention was focused on Yang and Mercury, stepped through a door out of view... That couldn't be good, could it?
And with that, those who had still been left in the arena began to file out, minus Yang and Mercury of course, who each respectively squared each other down, preparing for the fight ahead...
However, unfortunately, or perhaps... Fortunately, the fight never had the chance to occur, as it was interrupted by a loud rumbling noise, which was soon followed by a rather distinct shaking coming from the stadium...
Ripples seemed to occur in the sky itself, as many began to take notice and look upwards... Just in time to see numerous ginormous creatures, looking humanoid in nature suddenly appearing out of nowhere, plumetting downwards towards the stadium. The only thing preventing them from crashing right into the audience below them were its shields, that were beginning to fluctuate violently under their weight, as creature after creature slammed into them...
A siren began to blare, as these creatures slowly began to get up onto their feet from ontop the stadium, their horrid eyes looking down on the crowd below... With an intense look of hunger in their faces.
Hunger for human flesh...
Panic was already setting in, as the crowds below began to rush to safety, along with the two combatants who had been prepared to fight each other just a few moments ago, as a siren began to blare throughout the stadium, accompanied by some sort of autonomous announcement...
"Alert. Incoming Grimm attack. Threat level: Nine. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner."
Unfortunately, it didn't seem like anyone was heeding it, as they all got up, most attempting to make their way through to any and all exits, while others were scrambling for weapons... Or their scroll devices... As the creatures above them pounded at the shielding above them, and considering the cracks already beginning to form in it... It was only a matter of time before they would break through, and fall into the stadium below.
Yet, as inevitable as it was that the shielding would fall... No-one could have expected what happened next.
An Atlas airship that had been patrolling the skies suddenly flailed out of control, suddenly seeming to have lost control. Though as it drew closer, it became frighteningly obvious why; one of those ginormous creatures had latched itself onto it, and somehow, seemed to have caused the ship to lose power!
Unlike the others, it's skin seemed to be covered in dark, oozing patches, with its devoid of any presense of irises, and even emitting a strange, red... Glow... However, before any other details could have been made out by the crowd below... The ship it had disabled crashed right through the barrier, causing the entire thing to shatter, and as the ship crashed into the center of the stadium, with its uninvited occupant still clinging onto it, as if it was the only thing that mattered to that creature... The others that had been pounding away at the barrier fell through with the ship, down into the stadium below.
...
The Arrival
By the time the group was brought to the floating stadium, by a mysterious blue portal, just like the one that had dumped them into the void earlier, the scene had turned ugly indeed... Like last time, the portal closed before anyone could find their way back to it, and it also seemed that two things were missing.
If Azuma were to check herself, she would discover that
the pendant she had been holding onto had disappeared, and ontop of that,
Togame had never come out of the portal, which likely meant that she had been somehow lost during their transportation from one dimension to another.
Right now though, there was very little time to take in these things, as more pressing matters were at hand; towering beasts were ravaging the general populace... And whatever event might have been going on in this stadium looked to have been interrupted by what was apparently an unexpected incursion from these creatures.
It seemed that it would be a good idea to take action in one way or another, and from a quick look around the area, there were a few ways to do this:
1) Find a safe place amongst the stadium to wait this out, as it seems that
any potential exits as of right now were blocked by both fleeing civilians, and towering creatures.
2) There seemed to be a good number of people
attempting to fight these creatures in order to
protect and evacuate the numerous
civilians that seemed to litter the area. Considering that they were holding a rather wide variety of weapons, freshly retrieved from rocket propelled lockers that they seemed to have called towards them... Perhaps it would be in ones best interest to
join them?
3) Of course... One could always just
try and keep a low profile in order to attempt to avoid these creatures, which were currently focused on either those trying to fight them, or the civilians fleeing... And
investigate points of interest in the area... Perhaps they'd
find something usefull?