My Terrible Rival Saga

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Receiving the invitation, Ahzera, head in hands, thought upon it. "Refusing your first fight? No. It must be done. I have to fight." Voices bounced around in his head, prompting responses. Shaking his head, he stood, and walked over to Kathrine. "I... I apologize. We've been chosen to fight together, and currently, it seems that we are against one another." His voice was sincere, and worlds different from the angry werewolf who had an outburst. "May I sit?" He said, gesturing to the seat next to her.

Ahzera accepted the battle.
 
Yvon stared at the new messages, hesitating as he stared at the sender. Ceridwen's words though undid any doubt he had. You'd say the same thing about me if you could.
He accepted the party invite and rested his left hand in his pocket. "Things have developed quickly…" He mused, quickly finding his place next to his new teammate. "Interesting choice." He looked the fellow up and down "Melee or ranged?" He asked, as if introductions didn't matter. He caught himself jumping the gun. "Yvon Auttenberg, pleasure to be on your party".

Hazard Star lolled her head; she's like the bitch out of some high school drama. Cliché.
"Hazard Star's the name, volatile mage is the game" She suppressed the snicker that threatened to follow. She stayed seated, mulling over the way things were rolling. Rare for Ryobi to team battle… maybe he was scared? Or, bored. Yeah, bored.
 
His enticement was apparent, by the sudden shift in his body language and the swaying he had adopted into his still stance. He rocked on his heels, right hand in his pocket, fingers flexing and uncurling in time. Ryobi regarded his environment, though his eyes were focused on Kathy. There were several opportunities to use Glepinir in a room such as this; several loose chairs, a low-hanging ceiling and, failing the use of his Living Weapon, Ryobi still had all his knives. He produced one from his sleeve, a purely black butterfly knife; etched with silver scars of use along the blade and the top half of the handle. The clasp fell away with a light touch of his finger and with a flip of his left wrist the blade unfurled; blossoming into a bright, black sliver; nearly the same shape as Ryobi's own amused, exposed, crescent of white teeth.

"Ryobi Tsunoda," he offered in way of response, tilting, once more, the brim of an illusory hat, blade still clutched in his palm, to his rather regal new companion, "pleasure to be workin' with ya. I suggest we get this right and over with, since the mongrel has already accepted the battle invitation; once the girl hits it...well, ya know how it goes," he smiled and extended his left arm and let his index finger extend, pointing at Kathy, "I'm gonna enjoy this, girl. Just so ya know. I'm really gonna have some fun ya. And you," his sneer turned on Azhera, "I always enjoy kicking a dog, so you'll get yours soon."

He turned and strolled away from them, waving his free hand forward as he went.

"C'mon, we can't fight in here. Too small."

Soon, he found himself in the courtyard; between two breezeways, awaiting his opponents.
 
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Turning slowly to Ryobi, Ahzera smiled, stood over him, and spoke. "Hey pal, what do you call a mouthbreathing douchebag incestbaby with no talent?" He began to walk away, so Ahzera sat down, and called after him. "You."
 
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"Hey now, a little subtlety to your insults1. If you're going to throw one out there at least think of a clever delivery system. Honestly, I feel that me and Servant her are the only ones capable of it." She looked at the knife her opponent brandished. Good thing she had her Summons to handle that. As well as her Pet. "I apologize for the abrupt naming of a 'mouthbreathing douchebag incestbaby with no talent'. It was too rushed." She turned to Yvon as well. "Just know I have no real conflict or affiliation with either of you. I hope this fight leaves me perfectly neutral in your eyes."
 
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Yvon shook his head "The lady has a point, really. Rushed and no sublety, also too much of a mouthful." His face was deadpan, though he wasn't shocked by the werewolf's language. "You really need to learn some class, and what toothpaste is." He smirked at the abomination before turning his gaze upon the girl. "That is perfectly fine, miss. Anyway, we should get going. Ladies first." He continued to grin as he gestured towards the door, hoping this petit girl had no mind reading powers. I wonder if her ass is bigger than her chest…
 
Ryobi outright rolled his eyes at the werewolf, contemplating stabbing the butterfly knife into the soft flesh of his throat. Instead of reacting with violence, there was an odd moment of his placid persona overwriting the blood thirsty grin of his true self.

"A crude jest, stranger, but I the day I take you seriously is the day I ascend to Heaven," he shrugged, rolling the knife between his fingers before gripping it surely, again, in his left hand; the other still conspicuously tucked into his pocket, "because, I mean, really, you can barely control yourself. I can see it in the way you move and speak, there is an unstable restraint about you that belies struggling with a serious mental schism. It would not surprise me if you were incapable of controlling whatever this sickness is and that it happens to form the core of your pedantic, simpering insults."

He turned to Kathy, the cruelness of his smile had faded and there was a genuine grin, there. Yvon had prompted her to go first and it did seem a fair courtesy to indulge this social nicety.

"Nor I any true conflict with you, my lady. In truth, I can hardly recall why we were-"

Ryobi stabbed the knife into a nearby pillar, sinking the blade nearly to its hilt before repeating the motion several times.

"Oh, no, I remembered! Ya called me a punk! I can't stand that kind of thing," his eyes shifted as he pulled the blade free for the last time, to Azhera, "and you, yer hardly above the fetid hairs pulled from a dead hooker's pubic mound; where do you get off even trying to speak to me? Keep yer juvenile, slack-jawed bullshit on the playground."
 
Bowing low, then coming back up in a grin, Ahzera spoke in a sickly sweet tone, "Many apologies, comrade. It seems all of you have larger mouths than I do. I'll learn. Eventually. Anyway, I just can't control myself these days..." Ahzera struck a 'damsel in distress' pose, then continued. "With all these voices in my head, it's hard to tell which ones to let speak."
 
"Oh you are too kind Yvon. I look forward to now you outside of these circumstances." As for Ryobi, he seemed to be slightly angry(?) "Oh quiet Servant. I merely returned the favor. Kathrine walked out of the room. "I am growing weary of this talking. I need to watch a fight unfold."
 
"They have all made personal vows. Whether this is a direct result of their 'collapse' or a subconscious effort to acclimate to fragmented programming is difficult to understand. Through my observations of the malfunctioning and derelict Weaponized Units present in Bridge City I have gathered a small amount of data on the subject, though it has only recently come to the surface.

It would seem that these vows often stem from personal morality, rather than the imperative of their former lives. However, sufficiently advanced programming is nigh indistinguishable from natural thought to the waking mind. A certain kind of disjointed logic is present in each, an uncanny devotion to their personal goals. It has presented to me another kind of 'riddle' concerning the Weaponized Units.

Can they remember what was taken away from them? If they can, is it possible to remember everything before their Weaponization? If not, what small pieces remain to them? Are these shards of memory cherished and potent, or simply those that escaped erasure? Would it be possible to rewrite a conscious mind without Resonance-utilizing equipment and the need for a subject to be a Conduit?

These are the things I have been researching in the defunct Weaponized Units spared by myself and assistant. Of course, they are somewhat special having traversed, no matter how briefly, through realities. It is possible that some of them have contracted Resonance Blight during their travels. Coupling the slow decay of their mental awareness from Resonance Blight and the already fragile composition of their waking mind, it is not surprising that these vows could imply a tenuous or whimsical perception of Corporeal Reality.

I know that I should not be watching them, so closely and, most likely, should not concern myself with their trials and tribulations. To Dies Irae they are broken tools. To me, though, they are broken people. I want to understand them, so I can help them understand themselves. Perhaps, even that is going too far.

My personal experiences throughout the last fifteen years have given me some understanding, but one subject does not provide enough data to come to a concrete conclusion. As such, I have begun to monitor the movements and emotional output of these Weaponized Units. While this places me in a direct risk for discovery, I can not turn away from them. Not now and perhaps not ever.

We all await on the lips of a yawning giant. It is simply a matter of time before we fall in.

Is that the 'collapse'? Is it what follows? Is that when we vow to do something different? When it becomes nothing more but a placative gesture to some non-observant, impartial god-entity? Or is it simply a desire to better yourself in that abyss?

I do not know. I may never know." 0racle.

Peace approached with slow steps, her eyes seemingly distant as she worked her way through the clutter of oddly arranged chairs and desks. She lowered herself into a vacant seat next to David, being careful to ensure that her blade did not clatter against the chair as she shifted her hips and straightened her back. She forced out a slow sigh that turned into a low, unintended whistle near the end.

"David," she said, almost tenderly, despite the look of annoyance on her face, "I think I know the answer; but I have to ask." She couldn't bear to turn and fully face, him, not yet, so she continued speaking forward, to the backs of those who hadn't yet started to leave the room, "you wouldn't happen to have ten thousand dollars laying around, would you?"

He slowly opened his eyes, breaking out of the strange state he had fallen into while Peace had been gone, sighing with the action as he turned to her.

"No. I don't" His shoulder dropped, having a general idea of where this was leading. "I have an idea why but I'm going to say it anyway, why do you ask?"

How am I supposed to break news like this to someone? 'Hey, I know you don't wanna be here and all, but TOO BAD! You don't have the damn money to opt out of something like this!'

She shifted in her chair, turning to him, finally, to meet his gaze. Peace stared at him for a long moment, countless variations of what she could possibly say running through her mind. Her thumb trailed back to her lips, running along where they were slightly pursed; the habitual action bringing her back to reality, back to focus.

"Yukimura said that there is a ten thousand dollar fee, due to the insurance policies the F.S.N places on registered fighters. If you don't have that kind of money, it seems like you're locked in to this competition."

Peace suspected that he must expect this, by the look on his face. Briefly, she considered reaching over and placing a hand on his shoulder; though it seemed, immediately upon consideration, to be an awkward gesture and one that could, potentially, only serve to increase David's displeasure with the situation.

"I...I don't know what else to tell you, I'm sorry it has to be like this."

He stared off into the shifting mass of students, waiting on confirmation of the suspected. "Did she say how this sort of thing can happen?" He shifted in his seat, a girl walking past causing the buzzing to increase and for a moment, his vision darkened though soon she was somewhere else idly chatting.

"If I lose my first match, do I get kicked out of the tournament?"

"N-no, she wasn't very helpful beyond telling me about the price" it was all she could muster in Yukimura's defense. In truth, the woman hadn't seemed terribly interested in David's plight; but far more concerned with her own removal from these clerical proceedings. Peace felt her face grow hot and her eyes grow watery at the edges, the lights in the room bending unevenly as she forced her eyes closed.

"And, again, no," her free hand drifted to the hilt of her Battlefang with mention of the tournament, "it's not like that until the Summer Tourney. Until then, you get assigned matches straight from the F.S.N."

"Oh." Was all he could muster for a long while, sitting in the noise of the classroom that slowly dispersed as the room was left to just the two of them.

"I don't know what to do…" His voice was soft and stuck in his throat, barely able to make himself speak as the rest of his words croaked. "Every year. Every damn year something fucking happens…" He rested his head in his hands, and just sat.

She didn't know what to say, at that point, and resigned herself to silence beside him. Peace felt a strange kind of kinship with David, then, her thoughts turning back to the distant past of her life before coming to high school. She had uttered similar words, throughout nearly each year. It was always something; because no rose was bereft of thorns. She doubted that it would make sense, said aloud, so stowed the thought away and turned, eyes still closed tight, visions of the past dancing briefly through her mind, toward David.

"E-Excuse me, but do one of your want fight me? I'm want to fight, b-but, I'm a little nervous. W-Would one of you like to face me?"

Peace had been posied to speak, her lips resting on the tip of her thumb as she sought to find the appropriate words to impart some sense of sympathy to David; yet she did not get to speak.

Peace's eyes flew open at the first syllable, still moist about the edges, and her grip on the Battlefang became tight enough that, were it observable, her knuckles turned white. On instinct, she relaxed, though slowly, her shoulders tense and her fingers latched in a death grip on the sword's hilt as she opened her eyes to regard the girl.

"W-what? A fight," Peace seemed to consider the possibility for a moment, offering an enthusiastic nod in response, "I'd love to!" She sorely needed to clear her head and this seemed to be the best way to do it.

He forced his head up, locking eyes with a stuttering girl.

"A fight?" He questioned, hearing Peace's enthusiasm answering and shattering him further. "Fuck no." He continued to lean in his chair, elbows on his knees. Taking a deep breath, some part of him said to say something more enthusiasm. "Uh. Have fun, Peace…" It was somewhat encouraging though, his face showed his true feelings toward the event.
 
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"T-Thanks!" Aether said. She opened her menu to the fight request page, "Peace, was it?," she said as she scrolled the menu, " There you are. It's sent." Aether glanced at David. " You don't want to fight either, huh? That's two people today..." Aether looked back at Peace and motioned to the arena. "Well, see you at the arena when your ready." She walked out of the door. I can't wait to set that chick on fire. Aether thought to herself.
 
Yvon found himself stepping back, removing himself from Ryobi's presence as the man slowly broke down…

Maybe, Ceridwen was right. This wasn't a good idea. Hopefully, this wouldn't turn ugly, at least on him. It was decided, then, as Azhera fell back into a comedic rant that they were all nuts perhaps save Katherine. Though, in due time her true personality would be revealed.

He nodded to the woman in question, "As would I." He followed her, perhaps walking too briskly as he passed his new partner though before exciting through the door he caught the eyes of his sister, giving a meek smile.

Walking to the courtyard he brought up his chat menu, selecting the number one contact. He wrote, quickly, a rather apologetic letter.

"It seems, sister, you were right about my new partner. While not a snake, he… he's not quite there. I'll be fine though, don't worry! I'm sorry. I'll see you soon. – Yvon"

He closed the window as he entered the courtyard, taking in the makeshift battle field and the few students who had come to watch. Yvon stood next to his unstable partner, giving a node Ryobi's way. "You've got an interesting class." He turned his attention to his opponents.

"Triad aegis: non omnis moriar" He lifted his wrist in front of his chest, the watch's dials spinning of their own accord across the star chart that slowly spread outward, expanding to its true form. Its surface was like that of frosted glass, white and somewhat transparent but it was obviously not glass to any observer. The white energy buzzed inside its frame, keeping a constant state. The shield was thin, not even half an inch thick, and the weight for it was near nonexistent. However, Yvon's shield was not in its true form, merely alive and awaiting further orders.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Ryobi" He turned, gazing at the mad man. His right hand sat, fingers curled around the cold steel of his rapier.
 
Ceridwen Auttenberg had not lasted long, once her brother had left the room. She made no noise as she walked, slipping among her peers that were engaged in small combat within the confines of the classroom and darting between those who were beginning to make their way outside.She had become irate and bored all in one instant, shoving the bible away and standing with a forced grace and made her way out the room and into the courtyard.

On her way, she checked the new message beeping at her wrist.

"It seems, sister, you were right about my new partner. While not a snake, he… he's not quite there. I'll be fine though, don't worry! I'm sorry. I'll see you soon. – Yvon"

"Brother," she entered in response, delicate fingers firing out a response on the ethereal keyboard, a small smile on her face, "I know that I am correct about Ryobi Tsunoda. Regardless of your instruction to not worry, I can not abide the thought of my brother fighting alongside such a character of ill repute. I can only suggest you watch your back around him, I am coming outside to ensure that there are no mishaps for you during this battle and will be standing near the door. So, yes, you will see me soon. Just don't look back before the battle is over!

Love,
Ceridwen."

Yvon was activating his Triad Aegis as she let the door fall closed behind her and this brought a slight pout to the girl's face. She wouldn't distract him, not, yet, but she would watch carefully.

Ryobi nodded his agreeance, flipping the blade again in his hands; enjoying the sharp whistle of the small blade as it made mad gyrations and metal clicked furiously before their sudden cessation. His eyes were locked onto Kathy, again, the smile gone from his face completely; a placid mask in its place.

"I expect we will begin as soon as we are able. It seems Kathy," he drew out the sound of her name before contiuing, "has yet to gather the appropriate motivation to engage us in combat."
 
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Tokaia

"It seems we are being left behind. We shall speak more later. For now the only words between us should be our blades crossing." Tokaia left the room to the courtyard(?) and found a place more secluded than where the other four gathered. "Prepare yourself." He pulled his sword from its sheath, and faced his sparring partner.

Liara

"Oh man what is this? I have to see this! Douches battling it out for supreme douchery. Who will be crowned Lord of all Douches? One way to find out!" Liara was perhaps too excited about the quarrel of the two rushed out to follow.
 
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Aether walked in the hallway, hands in pockets and shoulders slouched. Aether read Peace's profile on her walk. It would be bad if Peace was able to get a clean hit on her, but that was true for any melee fighter. Aether saw that she was faster than Peace, however. She would use that to her advantage. Aether closed her menu as she neared the door. With one push, she was outside of the school and ready to fight.

Peace nodded, after Aether delivered her brief speech, watching the girl make her way from the room and outside. She had taken, perhaps two steps from the chair she had been occupying before turning back to David. Her thumb trailed to her lips, again, and she bit down on it, for the first time today, in earnest.

"You can come with me, if you'd like. W...I would like that." she turned on her heels and made her way to the door, pressing it open with the extended tips of her fingers and walking into the hall; from there, she moved toward the hallway that opened into a large double door, the southeastern exit of Bridge City high. That, too, she pushed open with ease. Summoning her modded HUD was relatively easy, as well, the normal translucent box appearing; instead as a small band across her vision as a see-through visor, of sorts that was alight scrolling with acidic green characters.

After a brief moment of looking through her messages, she paused on Aether's battle challenge. With a deep breath, she accepted the battle; immediately initiating her transformation sequence. Her school uniform dropped away in an instant, obscured by a cloud of prismatic data-flow that restructured its self into a more combat-ready form. A t-shirt and tie, gloves and then, her favorite part; the Dense Battlefang was no longer on her hip, but across the small of her back.

Her fingers were wrapped around the hilt as she stared at Aether. Judging by her brief view of the girl's stats screen, it would seem that Peace wouldn't have time to close the gap between them without first suffering an attack.

She grinned and slipped the blade from its sheath.

He swallowed and stood, slowly trudging behind the girl as she made her way outside. He watched her HUD, taking note of the acid green characters, and a pang of jealous overcame him. The Nobody shoved the petty emotion away, and let a rather more shameful one in as Peace's uniform dropped from her form.

What.

The mist that came with it wasn't doing much, from David's standpoint, turning his redden face away for a brief moment, though eyes still glued to the scene.
As she removed her sword, he finally found a voice. "Good luck!"

Aether summoned her staff from her weapon menu. It was a slender, brown, wooden staff, with a cresent carved on the top. She spun it around a couple times. A wild grin opened across her face. Her pupils dilated. "Heheheheheheheh. Do you like fire, Peace? I love it, personally."

Aether took a deep breath and faced Peace. As she exhaled, black and green flames formed around her breath forming a river a flame. The flame hurled toward Peace like the spread of chaos, errant flames licking the air as the air erupted in shimmering waves; framing her head in a corona of blazing distortion. "Burn, Peace!" Aether yelled.

No, she had immediately wanted to say, but the chuckle and unprecedented swell of flames that swept over her cast her mind into a completely different kind of shattered lucidity. Peace could hear Aether taunting her through the crackling of the flames. Strangely she did not scream or panic, lifting her sword in defiance; slicing through the inferno and appearing on the other side; stained with soot, with small flames clinging to her clothing.

Alright, I didn't expect that, outwardly, she merely seemed to be panting, the Dense Battlefang clutched in her slightly quivering hands, but things like this can be overcome. She's cocky and more vicious than we expected.

Peace smiled, though it was a grim gesture as she gauged the abilities of her opponent; although it lasted for only a brief instant.

Smoke and heat lingered in the air as she darted forward, sword slicing the air behind her as she brought it in for a direct, if simple, melee slash down the girl's abdomen. Though part of her wanted to say something back, something clever and cleaving; Peace preferred to let her blade be the scathing retort she relied on most.
Peace's blade went straight for Aether. "You're telegraphing your moves, Peace." Aether said as she jumped backwards. The blade only cut thin air. "My turn again." Aether said. She swung the staff around her, conjuring a ball of flame. She launched it at Peace, the smoldering sphere singeing even Aether's hair.

Frustration. Frustration. Frustration.

It was the only word in her mind as the blade passed by her foe, striking empty air in a singing arc of silver. Mayhaps she was telegraphing her moves, this was, after all, the first real fight she'd ever been in; and it wasn't going particularly well. As Aether spoke, she recovered her footing and whispered to herself, simply disappearing from her foe's view. Though it would go unseen by most, there was a distinct disruption in the air; pulsing and stretching outward in a blossom of Resonance displacement.

"Frustration!"

She had appeared again, behind her foe, in time to see the fireball streaking into space. Peace forced herself not to sigh and drew the blade up for another attack; praying that this one would successfully land. She switched her grip on the massive blade and brought it at her foe's back in another arcing slice.


This time, the strike was more eloquent; more unexpected. It bit into Aether's lower back, spilling a pristine line of crimson from her before the blade found empty air again. Peace shifted on her heels, bringing the blade to bear; gripped above her head, glimmering in the sunlight, bouncing up and down.

"How do you like steel?"

Aether winnced in pain. The wound was good, but not to deep. "Too cold, much too cold for my taste." This is exactly what I feared... Aether thought. eh, it's just for fun any way. She created another fireball, spun around, and aimed it at Peace's center. "I always liked the heat better."


The ball hit Peace square in the chest. Aether smiled. "Finally hit you for once!" she snickered. Aether taunted Peace. "I think the next will be vital. Try not to miss."

For a moment, she thought she was flying; her face turned skyward as it was. Then came the brutal realization that she was merely laying on her back; sprawled out from the impact of a rather potent fireball. Aether was no joke, she distantly acknowledged; pulling herself up with a certain nauseous feeling creeping up the back of her throat. It was difficult to breathe and small flames licked at her fresh wounds. Her vision blurred, for a moment, and she swayed precariously on her feet; barely holding onto the grip of her Battlefang.

This is it, all or nothing! We have to do this! Right now! Go!

She dashed forward, dragging the sword along behind her as she fought against a terrible instinct to run in the other direction; running toward Aether even as she taunted her. It was what she wanted, but Peace was more than willing to oblige her. She brought the sword to bear again, shifting her stance as she closed the distance; spinning into a slash angled at the girl's abdomen.


"Getting better!," Aether yelled, "But, still not enough!" She missed the blade by the skin of her teeth. Aether jumped back again. Aether said, "It's time to end this!" I hope, she thought. She concentrated her strength and breathed another massive flame.


"You talk too much, just shut up! You're driving us crazy!"

Peace was ready for it, this time and moved fluidly; but not entirely aware of her tic surfacing, otherwise she may have fought it down. With the intake of Aether's breath, she slipped to the side; easily escaping the gout of flame as it spewed from her lips. She was close enough to do something drastic and just wounded enough to consider it a good idea. Placing her entire weight behind the blade, and angling it to the ground, she rushed at the magical girl; intending to bowl her over with a slicing charge.


It was too much, too fast, even for Peace to immediately comprehend. She had switched her stance, bringing the blade upward and opting to throw a punch at the girl instead; all of her charging weight behind it. Her fist connected with Aether's jaw, squarely and Peace staggered with the follow through before hopping back a few steps and readying the blade. Though she was stained with soot and ash and her chest heaved with the labor of her breathing; she smiled at Aether.

"That's good. I set you on fire, got beat up...I'm good for today if you are, Peace." Aether said, panting. "You're pretty good, Peace." Aether waved good bye and walked off.

All she could manage was to nod and sheathe her sword, her HUD displaying the quick flash of a message indicating the battle was over. Slowly, her shoulders slumped and all the tension seemed to drain from her. So, too, as the tension faded, did her clothing switch again; in the same prismatic flash as earlier. She stood, now clean, though still frayed and singed about the edges of her countenance and hands; with an earnest smile and a look of relief plain on her face. She laughed, after a moment.

"Yeah, it was fun," she rubbed absently at her stomach, where the fireball had impacted, watching Aether walk away, "except for the whole getting burned thing," she called after her, leaning on her sword as though it were a cane, "We should do it again, some time!"

ENDING HP:
Aether [3]
Peace [5]
 
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