lucetilogs | We're more than carbon and chemicals

[Fine, go ahead and attack the bone dragon, Sanji. You may have been able to launch it in the air, but Yuber himself knows very well it didn't hurt the creature who is rather strong against physical types of attacks. It will take a long time to bring the creature down like that.

So the demon will let Sanji have his target and he's instead going to teleport over to Noel, blades at ready.] You never did learn how to stay out of the way, did you? [And now he'll be attacking Noel with his swords.

And the azzodess will just be trying to get out of the way of the blasts for now. She may be doing a good job dodging them, but at least the constant blasts has stopped her from attacking for now.]

[Damn it all, Sanji swallows a curse when he notes someone decided to take off early; it's one thing attacking him, and another attacking a lady who's a bit preoccupied. Demon, you are not following the script]

Noel-chan! [It's all he can afford to do, and hope his warning comes quickly enough to give her some time. Because the dragon growls, climbs to its feet again, shakes off some Sanji's latest attack, and the chef realizes this battle might take longer than he wanted.

Fine. If he can't hurt that dragon very well, Sanji's prepared to take the next best thing - continuously pounding it away from Nami. He jumps off the back and to the front, and when he slams his foot against the head, it's obvious this attack's not designed for bone-crushing. Just bone-flying. And it does its job well. The dragon's forced to stagger back away from its prey]

[Noel could sense the warning come from Bolverk. It was as Sanji yelled for her that she stopped shooting at the azzodess and turned her head just in time to see Yuber about to swing down his swords. She immediately reacted to the threat by reflexively leaping into a forward roll. All of this only occurred in a matter of seconds--she quickly gets back on her feet to face the new threat on her hands, waiting on the defense to see what he does next. She still needs to deal with the azzodess in the sky. But it looks like Yuber isn't going to make the task as easy as it seemed.

She's quiet.]

[Yuber frowns when his attempt at killing the annoyance fails.

Fine, he'll just get this over with quickly and then it's down to one and hopefully Nami will be dead soon.

So he'll be using his attack where he splits into three, and without the power cap, it's going to be even more deadly than usual since he'll be moving at such a high speed that it will be hard to see his movement and therefore it will also be a lot harder to dodge him or to hit him while he's doing this.

And then once that is over, the demon will just oddly vanish. The monsters will not since their summoner got sent back to the dorms before sending them back to their realm.]

[ooc: Godmod away on the monsters. The Bone Dragon is very strong against physical attacks and has a high HP in canon, so he'll take some time to take out but it will be doable, but if Noel joins in, it will take less time since he's susceptible to magic, especially wind magic. And I goofed and he's immune to lightning so Nami's attacks didn't actually damage, but surprised it enough to aid her.

The azzodess isn't hard to kill, just a bitch to hit because she has flight abilities. Outside of that, pretty weak overall.]

[ν-13, meanwhile, isn't too surprised to see the attack fail. Noel's reaction does draw the silver-haired Murakumo's attention, though. It's... suspiciously reminiscent of the first time they fought, back when she arrived here in Luceti.

...it's a slight cause for concern, but she's confident that with no power cap, Yuber should be more than capable of handling Noel himself. She does remain focused on the two for now, however. As long as Sanji's occupied with the bone dragon and Nami's still unconscious, Noel is easily the biggest threat, after all.

But she still won't make a move - not until Noel starts to fight back instead of simply dodging.]

[...Or at least, that was how she was planning to handle this until Yuber suddenly disappears after using the Eight Devil Rune.

It's not that hard to guess what just happened.

Goddammit, Malnosso. Couldn't you have waited just a few more minutes before teleporting him back to the dorms?

This... is problematic, to say the least. Time for a change of plan, it seems.]

Unexpected miscalculation... Adjusting priorities. Switching to battle mode.

[Despite her words, she merely distances herself for now. Several of Noel's attacks were close-range, so for now, she'll prioritize staying at a distance.

But the moment anyone makes a move against her? Don't be surprised if she decides to make use of her Drive. Because she can and will do exactly that if need be.

...No, she's not even considering fleeing. The fact Yuber was teleported out is problematic, but ν-13 has no intention of leaving while her initial target is still alive - at least not if she has any say in it.]

[Yuber's dismissal from battle actually escapes Sanji's notice. Much as he wants to keep an eye on his fight with Noel, he's got his own opponent to face. So once he sees the gunner block the first attack, the chef turns his attention back on the growling enemy in front of him.

Noel-chan can handle herself, he's certain of that.

But you... He really doesn't have time to play with you, bastard. Not when there's a young woman lying still on the ground, the pool of blood widening with each second that ticks by... He should've shattered those bones ages ago, and that he hasn't flares to life the heat of his indignation. When the dragon rears its head and snarls at him again, a deep rumble that reaches all the way to Sanji's toes, the pirate just glares back at it through a narrowed gaze.

He won't let Nami die.]

... Tch. Annoying shithead. [And then... his tone switches into a pleasant monotone, professional and smooth] When there's not enough meat to make a proper dish, use the bones for flavor and directly apply the spice. [It's a lost cause, he knows, but pay attention anyway; you might learn something before you die.

Abruptly he drops his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out with enough force that the earth cracks like weak glass underneath his foot, and with a rabid spin, heat climbs up his right leg and stains it hot red.] Diable Jambe. [He doesn't stay idle; the added speed and strength launch him up above the dragon's head with ease. As for what happens next...

Why kick once when you can kick thirty-five times, with enough power behind each one to put a small crater in the earth?]

Venaison Shoot! [Each fiery kick rains down on the dragon's back and head, so quick and precise that only the after-glow from Sanji's leg is visible. And with a roar he slams down the last hit, an axe kick right on the crown of the dragon's head.

... It doesn't move or roar when he lands back on the ground, crumpled in a mess of bone of dirt. And, Sanji thinks with barely concealed ire and satisfaction, it better damn well stay that way.]

Edited 2011-03-18 19:18 (UTC)

[At the power she's at right now, Noel is also rather quick on her feet. This may very well be her blessing in disguise, though it certainly doesn't leave Noel unscathed as her attempts to evade the attack fails. She's been hit a little, but not as critically as she could have been.

Of course, in her current state...?]

[She doesn't really seem to care much.

Seconds later, and she's back on her feet again. Yuber is gone. The Azzodess isn't a primary threat right now. The bone dragon is dead.

Her body moves on her own, turning to face the other Murakumo. Noel's eyes are dull. The reason why she was fighting in the first place... what was it even?

...not again.

With her own weapons controlling her, Noel swoops in and makes a running jump to the girl, aiming to shoot her from above using Chain Revolver.]

[When the bone dragon goes down, ν-13's attention briefly shifts to Sanji and the fallen creature. So it's down to her and the azzodess now, huh? Well then. This is... unfortunate, to say the least.

But no matter. She's just going to have to do what she can to deal with the two. For the time being, however, she's still prioritizing Noel - especially with the other Murakumo finally moving to make a move against her.

...By the way, Noel? Did anyone ever tell you that jumping at someone who can summon and launch swords within a mere moment at various angles really isn't a good idea? Because... it really isn't. It tends to earn you a pair of swords flying at you at a slight angle.

And should that pair connect? She'll follow it up with another pair from a little below and behind Noel, then another from a little below and in front of her, another pair behind Noel in the air, then jump toward her and spin horizontally to slash at her with the eight blades hovering at her back, do the same while spinning vertically, then repeat these two attacks once more and follow it by slamming one of her Drive swords - this one more crescent-like than the others - into Noel to knock her down to the ground. (Or, if that didn't make sense, just watch this for a visual reference, but double the number of swords launched at the same time.)

If that works, it'll no doubt do some harm, but if Noel manages to block the first pair of swords, it should be possible to avoid (or at the very least, block) the rest of the combo.]

[The heat from Sanji's attack cools down until his pants leg is its usual stark black, and the chef stirs quickly, turning around to see...

Er. Well. A lot of estrogen attacking each other. Yuber, from what he can tell, has completely vanished, and Nu and Noel look to be going at it with the intent of drawing serious blood or summoning death. He catches the very beginning of Nu's attack and feels his heart rate spike back up, legs quaking as he's stuck between rushing off to assist... and staying right where he is.

Because, well, shit. What the hell are you gonna do, chef? Use your body as a pin cushion and hope that distracts Nu long enough for Noel to get a decisive hit in? No, he can't do a damn thing save for getting in the way. And it burns, that familiar helplessness he can't do anything about; so much that it distracts him for a split second, only to be shoved aside when the dawning realization hits --

... If he can't do much in the way of helping, another alternative still stands.

Sanji doesn't dwell on the thought, can't afford to talk himself out of it. Staying quiet, he rushes to where Nami is, and with as much speed and care as he can afford, picks up her prone body into a cradle. He forces himself to ignore how much blood comes with her, or that what he's about to do will leave Noel stranded with two enemies for a while.

Focus on getting to your feet.

And running. As fast as you can. Law's medical tent can't be far, and even if it is, he won't stop until he reaches it. He ignores the sounds of swords slicing the air, ignores a shriek from the sky that tells him his retreat has been witnessed. He ignores his own promise that he'll come back for Noel (and Sayo), because right now he has to focus.

Just keep running.]

Edited 2011-03-18 23:38 (UTC)

[Yeah. Not good.

She gets hit by the blade dead-on. As the second one hits, she thinks of the next best thing to do--barrier burst out of it. It certainly saves her from a lot more damage.

So Nu? As you jump up, Noel's actually going to be falling back down. With you in the air, she'll make Sanji proud and swing a rather high kick that, if connected, will throw you higher into the air, but not the way you wanted. If that happens, Noel will follow it up by jumping into the air after her and performing Spring Raid. As she takes one second to keep some distance between her and the Murakumo in the air, she'll suddenly clash Bolverk together and have the guns transform into a missile launcher, finishing it by firing a... well, a freaking missile at her. Luckily, it's not as big nor powerful as one, (or the same if she was doing the real distortion in her unlimited form) but it's still going to do a hefty amount of damage if Nu has been hit by all this.]

[That barrier burst was definitely a good idea - sure enough, it's going to keep Noel from taking a lot of harm from the onslaught.

She won't just let herself be hit by that kick, though. Rather, she'll activate a barrier just as the attack is about to connect, blocking the majority of the damage it might have caused but still keeping her in the air for the time being. Spring Raid is met with the same treatment, although it's not timed quite as well - that definitely hurt despite the barrier.

The missile's... somewhat more problematic, as by now her barrier is already almost depleted. Trying to use it to block yet again could be a lot more dangerous than using alernate means to deal with the attack. So rather than use the barrier once more, she'll opt for something a little different: namely launching a pair of blades at the missile, cancelling both attacks out when they collide.]

[It's when she finally lands on the ground again that the silver-haired Murakumo hears the azzodess' shriek, and it's not long before Sanji's attempt to flee with Nami registers.

...He's most likely going to try to get her to one of the healers or medics. And she does not approve of that course of action. Not when they'd already nearly dealt with her. But with Noel still on the offense, simply going after Sanji is too dangerous, so rather than do that, she'll try to put a little bit more distance between herself and Noel.

Once that's done with, she's going to raise her arms above her head for a moment. She'll have to finish this quickly... and if this works, it should get the job done.

Noel might recognize what she's trying to do. It's the same thing she attempted back in January last year when the two were fighting, after all.]

[But this time, she won't let anything interrupt her. All it takes is one swift gesture to start the attack - accompanied by two words.]

Everything... disappear.

[With just that one motion, a portal of sorts appears in front of Nu, in line with Noel, and in just a few moments, will begin to launch a large number of swords toward the blonde Murakumo. Say hi to Legacy Edge, Noel.

But fortunately...]

[...Before the Distortion can fully trigger, ν-13 finds herself teleported back to her own room in the dorms.

Consider yourself lucky, Noel - thanks to this, she'll only have to deal with about half the amount of swords compared to the 25 to 30 that would have been thrown out by the portal normally. It'll still hurt if she doesn't dodge, but it should be a lot easier to avoid taking too much damage.]

[What happened back there is at the back of her mind right now, but it doesn't take an idiot to see that she's in huge trouble once she lands.

Noel is quick to activate her barrier just as her feet touch the surface. The swords crash against the green shield, but all Noel can do for now is to keep it up as long as possible and wait for the attack to subside. It's powerful enough to where she is being pushed back a foot or two.

...She hasn't even noticed that Nu disappeared. Not until the portal is gone.

Noel takes a moment to scan her surroundings; she can't even sense the Murakumo's presence anymore. In fact, no one is around.

Well then.

...]

Edited 2011-03-19 01:19 (UTC)

[...?]

W-What!? [WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED.] Where did-- Where did everyone...?

[She looks around frantically.] Where's Sanji? And Nami? A-And... [...oh no. Nu and Yuber. Noel grimaces, realizing that all that's left behind here is herself and a battle-torn area. She knows there was a fight, and she's holding Bolverk, so then... Noel already knows why she can't remember things very well now.]

This can't be good... I have to find them! [But where? Uhh. Let's go... this way! Which is totally the right direction. /sarcasm]

Edited 2011-03-19 01:26 (UTC)

[That's okay, Noel, because you'll go ahead and run into Sayo's path. She's creating a bit of a little blood drop path from the gash she's gripping on her forearm, but other than that, she's just scared; that stormy cloud... was Nami okay? Did Sanji find her? Or did...

No, she has to find out. If that girl was even still out there, she felt compelled to leave her safety and do something. So the faint figure approaching in the distance...

Unfamiliar, but—but they're not a Third Party member, right?

Still, she can't quite speak yet, so she just stands on place with a stricken look on her face.]

[Run away, Sayo! It's an evil killing machine! Only not really. ~~sort of~~ Noel's frantically searching around for Sanji and Nami when she catches sight of the woman.

...and judging by the look on her face, it looks like something bad may have happened. Hardly looking like a Third Party member, Noel's pretty sure it's someone who also lives in the village, but... well, she should probably check to see what's up. With that decided, Noel runs on over to her.]

E-Excuse me! Are you okay, miss?

[She tenses up, despite now knowing it was just someone from their side of the playing field. The question soars right on over her head and she replaces it with confirmation to ask her own. A beat, and then a nervous voice—]

I-I have to find—have you seen a woman with orange hair...?

... Nami?

[With how close she had been to where Nami had previously been, this couldn't have been a coincidence. ...no, especially not with that glaring wound Noel finally noticed as she closed in.] Wh-- your arm! What happened to it!? [It's a clean cut--like a blade had sliced cleanly across it. Sort of like how Nami was...

...there's no way.] W-Were you...?

[Had Nu attacked her, too!?]

Edited 2011-03-21 11:16 (UTC)

[At that, Sayo clenches her hand more tightly around the bloody wound, white-knuckled. Did she know? Did she know that Nami-san was in danger?]

Please, we were attacked and she'd gone to fight them—

[had she'd known 'them' wasn't actually 'just one girl', then she would find herself in an even bigger panic than now, if that's at all achievable.]

She needs help...!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/...3?

2/3

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/3

2/3

...3/4 8|

no subject

1/2

2/3

no subject

oh heeeey noel

hey sayo hey

no subject

no subject

no subject