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Post by Gaia on Aug 6, 2017 15:47:54 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
He arrived in a simple purple flame that alighted for but an instant, Vanguard stepping out and the plume vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Vanguard looked out at the simple, blue-tiled Netscape, any structures that were present previously either desolated or entirely erased. The place where the border stood was completely bare, no rubble left behind by the Onyx Overlord, while the security booths and watch towers that were present were left in piles of stone and powder, scattered about all over the ground from the clash between the three Navis. Where the Border Netscape officially gave way to the connecting Networks, Vanguard could only detect the security protocols locking people within the Netopian Network; there were no physical obstructions to prevent them from leaving. Anyone with enough skill could pull those down from the Physical side, or a Navi with enough knowledge on the code that ran their world. It was a strange thing, to think that, even with the actual buff of the border destroyed, the problem that it represented still hung in the air.
Vanguard pushed his thoughts into the back of his mind, and walked towards the expanse where the border once stood, picking over rubble or just moving it out of his way as he walked. As he passed, he studied some of them, gauging what remained of the overall border setup from just what he had, here. Some bits were inconsequential in size; others were like small boulders. Nothing was large enough to use as a tactical advantage in a fight, but, when streamed past his visor, he noted that they could potentially be put back together. The good thing about the data being compromised rather than destroyed entirely was that, with enough of it present, they could reconstruct the buildings.
That wasn't what he was here for, though; he dismissed that task for a later time. Walking past the rubble, he walked up to the small line on the ground that indicated where the border should have been. He remembered his calculations on its location, and could've easily found it without the indication; to be fair, he actually hadn't even noticed the little indication when he was first aiming at it.
Raising a hand, he placed a finger on the side of his visor, the purple data reader already streaming information across his peripheral that he had been ignoring. Spreading it across his entire field of vision, he carefully examined each parameter and target code, numbers and looped commands, anything that could indicate why the border was proving incredibly difficult for the NIA to attempt maintenance on.
Meanwhile, he kept his own guard up, wary of his surroundings and, even despite the data streaming past his vision, kept tabs on everything around him. While it was unlikely Genesis would return to the scene of the 'crime', someone else may come to take advantage of it.
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Post by Zane on Aug 8, 2017 2:47:21 GMT -8
Vanguard would notice it even as he was moving up to the indication. Perhaps even on his way here. But things felt... strange. The 'air' that was around them, the environment that they lived in that so closely mirrored the real world now... everything. And it only got stranger as he started to run his scans in full now. Everything looked normal on the surface at first. But then it strange when he would see just the security protocols in place.
They were already vastly different than even the last time he saw them. The code that was running was a foreign code that hadn't even been seen before, but at least had a traceable connection. It was definitely connecting back to the real world and in such a way that as it stood, even with Vanguard's resources they couldn't do anything about it from the digital side. And the connection to the human side was vague at best. Saying that it was their side that was causing it wasn't concrete either. It just had a connection that could be traced back to a real world location, but what that location did in relation to this was unknown.
And that wasn't getting to the area itself. Vanguard would notice straight away that this might not possibly be the work of Genesis and PlagueMan's combined presence here. Because it was running the same foreign code. And it was quickly expanding all over. In fact, he would even 'feel' it now. Parts of himself also had been altered. But there was nothing that changed its function, rather he felt it wash over him... and then nothing at all. Had nothing happened? And what even was happening here?
But even stranger was that moments after, everything returned to normal. It was back to the standard code that he would have spotted when he first looked here. The security protocols were back to what they should have been, the formatting of the area itself was back to normal. And even the feeling that washed over Vanguard seemed to have disappeared, now all without a trace whatsoever.
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Post by Gaia on Aug 8, 2017 7:10:44 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
As he walked, he realized, more and more, that the very Netscape around him felt . . .wrong. Different, even. Like something permeated the space that shouldn't have been, or perhaps was different from before. Maybe it was the lack of the barrier? That was what he told himself, all the way up until his analytics showed him the real issue.
The source code of the entire Netspace, security protocols and random structures included, was being rewritten, and it was rapidly expanding. Vanguard reached out, suddenly on high alert, and, viewing his hands through his visualizer, attempted to move pieces of code and prevent the changes. None of what was happening made any sort of sense; he had been here not even a full hour ago, and the code had been entirely different. What had caused this severe a change in such little time?
He traced the source, and pinged a location within the real world. While he felt the wave pass over the entire area, like something was attempting to take place, he tried to pinpoint an area by that real world point that was connected to the Net. If they could find an access point, or even just trace it back, they could - his thoughts were interrupted when, as quickly as the alertness overtook him on the situation, it all reverted itself.
"What the . . .?" It was the first thing that came to his mind, his mouth agape. His analytics on a target had never changed so rapidly. One moment, the shifting source code was flying across his field of vision. The very next, the code of the entire Netspace - as well as the code he saw in his own hands - had reverted to what he remembered, from before. He turned his head to look around, realizing that, throughout the entire few moments of rapid activity, the Netspace had never actually changed appearance or function - it was all just with a different code.
He turned back to the border, thinking about the discreet location from the human side. His senses had gone into overdrive faster than they ever had, before, and, now, he had time to slow down and actually think.
Whatever had happened, the situation could all be traced back to that location on the human side. Even if he wasn't able to pinpoint a Net Access point while the connection was still live, Vanguard could still access the backlogs on his analytics - he'd be able to pull up the rapidly shifting source code in its entirety for them to study, and reference back to the location he pinged. While it was obvious that PlagueMan and Genesis' presence were no longer to blame, he felt like he now had more questions than answers.
"Sir, we just logged a massive change to your own code; are you alright?"
Vanguard practically jumped at the sudden intrusion on his own thoughts, glaring to one side of his visor, where the screen with the young man looking at him appeared. "I'm fine, Willis. Please return to doing whatever it was you were doing before you interrupted my work."
The worker on the other side just noted, and the screen disappeared. Vanguard looked about, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. Usually, he could master them without worry; something about this situation, though . . . it rattled him. He had never seen such a rapid change in such a short amount of time.
He pulled up yet another screen in his field of vision, tapping on the most recently cataloged analytics. He titled the incursion [BORDER-CHANGE], directly above the last few entries that included the Border itself, the navis that had been present, and even his own recently changed source code.
Dismissing the screen, he turned in preparation to leave, taking one last look around the Network before he departed. He had to get back to the Labs, and maybe even the NIA, to start going over what exactly he had just seen.
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Post by Zane on Aug 8, 2017 8:41:27 GMT -8
Vanguard's last survey would leave at least one more startling discovery just then: he wasn't alone. As he surveyed the area, he would spot at least two others that were here and perhaps the more startling bit of it. Before he could catch sight of the first they... crossed the border. It was most definitely clear that the connection was cut off from the others and locking them in right now. And yet whoever that first person was that left clearly passed through it and back into Electopia's side.
The second, however, was another reason why he hadn't fully seen them. They had moved, swiftly at that. Faster than anything Vanguard had seen before in an instant as they darted off. It was like a white glint, flickering by and heading further into Netopia. Which managed to lead to even further questions now: were they related to this latest discovery? But the source of it came a location on the real world side, hadn't it? How had one of them passed through to the Electopian Side just now? And what exactly was the other that shot by? And worse yet was that while Vanguard hadn't fully seen them, his analytics had managed to keep up at least to scan what passed by in both cases... and both cases weren't exactly better news to behold too.
When it had caught both figures in it, it had registered nothing at all. With Rosso, his at least were fairly weak and subdued signals. But they were signs that he at least was there for better or worse. In this case, neither one basically 'existed' that had gone in two opposite directions. Two strange navis, a real world connection to whatever changed everything in an instant, and whether or not those changes lingered or not... all one after another now.
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Post by Gaia on Aug 8, 2017 9:43:14 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
Vanguard all but locked eyes with the nondescript Navi as they passed over the border, and only barely saw the other darting across the Netscape. He cursed under his breath; how could they have gotten this close without his noticing? When he glanced at his brief analytics, he noticed something that had only caught his attention once before - nothing. There weren't even faint traces, like that Rosso character; it was like they had no data to reference at all.
He turned about, quick on his decision. There was no time to debate on what needed to be done; the time was for precise, carefully calculated choices. Thankfully, he excelled in that. The flames around his hands ignited to life, before retreating partially back into his body. Leaving only enough flames to make a brief outline for the use of hands, the remaining energy bursted out of the boosters on the underside of his boots, and Vanguard darted after the white spec at full speed. While he wasn't nearly as fast as the other, he could at least keep up, and might even have more endurance in the long run.
Tapping his visor, he connected his comm to the NIA through the use of his Isolator. He was exactly sure who to contact, so, he just reported to whomever picked up the line. "I don't care who's on the other side; inform someone on the Electopia side that an unidentified Navi was witnessed crossing onto their side, even despite the security lock.
"This is Vanguard; there was another unit on scene, and I'm giving chase. Both units seemed capable of bypassing the security measures, and neither returned any discernible information when ran for analytics." He didn't like reporting in to someone else, but, he figured he was now obligated to. While he wasn't much of a team player, he could at least try to play along.
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Post by Zane on Aug 8, 2017 18:35:49 GMT -8
Vanguard was able to get through on the communication, but there was a lot of static after. It was hard to tell if his message had gotten through or if it was just the other end being unable to get their own message through. Through the static at least he could make out a few words. It was confirmation about letting Electopia know about the first major problem there. The other was about sending something to assist, but it was garbled enough through the static that making any discernible words out was difficult to say the least. So the chase continued for a bit before whoever it was that was darting across the netscape stopped and skid into a turn, the first sight visible from the non-descript navi being orange eyes.
"Oh, someone was there?"
The white had faded as the feminine voice skid to a halt. A sign that they were coming from boosters that they possessed similar to Vanguard possibly. She had a fair complexion and a short stature, either barely at five feet or just a bit under it. She had a head of short orange hair, not even to her shoulders and a bit unkempt possibly from the speeding around. Though she was in a suit of white armor from the neck down that fit to her figure with a few things that stood out besides her figure. On her back was some sort of extension, two at that sitting on her back that one could assume were her own boosters that she was using rather than in her feet. And on her left arm was a triangular object, unassuming in nature.
"...But I don't know who he is. Suppose I can gather some intel."
The object on her left arm left off a violent surge of energy as green, purple, and orange light starting to shimmer around it. Even as it was engaged, Vanguard's sensors were the same even as the woman stood stationary. There was no data to reference at all, the female smiling at him now.
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Post by Gaia on Aug 8, 2017 20:05:06 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
The speeding blur of white finally came to a stop, and Vanguard was first met by the feminine figure's startling orange eyes. A sleek, lithe physique with form-fitting white armor, she seemed designed for the speeds that she clocked. Vanguard skidded to a halt, some livelihood returning to the flames consuming his hands as the boosters on his feet died down. The triangle on her arm, obviously a buster, sprang to life with a roiling surge of multicolored energies. Turning to meet her gaze, he prepared for the worst; whatever her intentions were, they weren't friendly.
"I'm going to have to ask you who you are, and how it is you crossed the Netopian border," he said, simply, his tone forceful and stern. "If you're not in the compliant mood, I'd like to know that, too; so that we can go ahead and get to the business," he went on, the roiling flames around his hands increasing to greater intensity.
The garbled words of the NIA response meant that he was going to get some sort of backup, but, this Navi looked like the kind to dart off if they weren't entertained. While he was mildly concerned about the weak connection, he was much more focused on the task at hand. Whatever problems the NIA had without him were their issues - this one, at his border, was his.
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Post by Zane on Aug 9, 2017 9:46:31 GMT -8
Her smile hadn't faded, instead like a sort of glee coming to her eyes instead. This at least was a look that even Vanguard should be familiar with: the look of one who enjoyed combat. One who looked forward to it, to find it, to enact it, and to thrive in it. Those eyes alone, with no words said, would likely be more than enough to confirm what he already knew was fact here. Not only was she not compliant, but she was more than eager to begin a battle with him more than anything else.
"Well to start off, I'm not compliant so we can get down to business. I also have been given the designation of Magnolia."
She had kept up a silvery tone the entire time. But then the multi-colored energy surged forth. And rather than it being a buster, it had formed into a sort of laser sword instead. It was surrounding the triangle and sprouting from it, a blade easily twice as long as she was tall. It had already pierced through the ground with ease, dragging it through the ground in an instant and raising it level to point toward Vanguard. The ground had been carved up easily, and a bit of information Vanguard would possibly recall was that they couldn't repair any of the damage at the border... or the navis terminated there as well. He ran a risky gambit right now.
"Ordinarily I would take the first strike, but I don't know if you're a swordsman or not. So take your best shot, big guy."
Win Conditions: Inflict a set amount of damage to Magnolia or Survive for 3 Turns. - Defeat Conditions: Vanguard falls in battle against Magnolia. - Special Rules Applied: Skills that have limited uses per battle and attacks that are similar are 1x use/turn instead.
Defense Phase:
Unnecessary.
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Support Phase:
Nothing at this time.
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Combat Phase:
Passed.
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End Phase:
Magnolia: HP: 8,500/8,500 Damage @ All: 0
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Post by Gaia on Aug 9, 2017 13:13:34 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
She seemed more inclined towards his presence once it was obvious he intended to fight her. That seemed to be something that drove her; he recognized that feral look. He had it himself, at one time. When he was a different Navi . . .
Curling his lip, he flexed his Darklight hands, and, then, shifted them. The writhing flames warped from the shape of hands into pulsating blades. He eyed how easily her own blade ripped through the ground, remembering what he had just reported back to base - there was no way to repair any data lost here, still.
No way to repair his data should it be rent to pieces. In the pursuit of his mission, it was a risk worth taking.
"I'm not conventionally a sword fighter . . . for this fight, however, I suppose I can make due."
Darting forward, Vanguard feints to one side of the white-clad Navi, suddenly stopping and turning on his heel to spin, aiming a blow at her legs. As his sword swung, Vanguard's reticle locked onto her knee, and, feeling the surge of his darklight core, he poured his excess energy into the strike.
The sword blazed to life and elongated, rippling and surging with power as his darklight hand extended to more than six times its original size, still pinpoint aimed at her knee. In the brief second it took to transform, he swung, aiming to cleave her right then and there, before sliding back a bit to gauge her reaction.
Defensive Phase
[Vanguard HP=5100/5100]
Vanguard has 0 Armor.
[Vanguard HP=5100/5100]
Support Phase
[Vanguard HP=5100/5100]
[Vigilant Offense] - +5 Constant Charge - Vanguard naturally possesses 1 Attack Slot, referred to as his Natural Attack Slot. - Vanguard's Passive Attack Slots, such as those gained from Version Up, Programs or Skills, are instead converted into stacks of Constant Charge for his Natural Attack Slot. - Attack Slots gained from Active Effects are entirely unaffected, and operate as normal. -- Constant Charge applies a constant multiplier to an Attack's Damage, based on the Optional Charge Multiplier, without requiring actual turns of Charge. -- Turns spent to Optionally Charge an attack stack with Constant Charge when determining final Damage multiplier. --- Any Attack Slot reducing effect afflicting Vanguard instead removes a single stack of Constant Charge per Attack Slot it would have removed. ---- [Passive]
[Crimson Flame of the Shadow Knight] A powerful pendant that drastically increases the user's defensive powers.... ° User has +2000 Max HP ° Glitch: User cannot recover HP by any means. ° After using [0/5] Dark Chips in battle, the Glitch is removed for the rest of that battle
[Seeking] - +250 Damage to 1 Attack/Turn.
Offensive Phase 2 NAS | 5 Constant Charge | 10/10 C Uses | 2 Dark Chip Expansion
1. [Dark Meteors] - [1/2 Charges]
2. [Assault] Fire | Combat [5/5 Constant Charge] Vanguard delivers a carefully calculated, staggering blow. - [185 435] 2,610 Damage [80%] -- Breaks Shields, Cuts Auras, Cannot be Countered
Summary Phase
2,610 Damage @ Magnolia
[Vanguard HP=5100/5100]
[Status] - Fine [Stage] - Null [CoolDown] - -
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Post by Zane on Aug 10, 2017 9:26:24 GMT -8
"That's fair. I just like fighting those with swords more than those without."
Even though they were fighting she was still the same, though her eyes were no longer directed at his own. They had started to focus on his chest instead of anything else and stayed centered there. It gave her sight of his arms, what she was focusing on most right now. And as he moved she stayed her ground, moving her own sword as she swung early rather than wait to see where he was aiming. As she did the sword decreased in size, somewhat closer to a shield instead. But it left a lingering green light in the air with each motion, done so five times in total to complete the set as his blade met the light. And as he moved back her blade extended again as she swung, a bladed wave following it to meet him.
"But if you need to use something else that's fine too, you know?"
She lunged forward as the boosters sparked to life for a single instant, closing the gap between them as she did a swing from his left. But at the same time a blow came from the right. Two at the same time from opposite angles? Four blows came next, two at each leg before it concluded with four more, each aimed at a different part of his chest instead all in the span of an instant.
Defense Phase:
Lunar Eclipse Armor ~ S-Tier A shield formed of the Moonlight, to bloat out all. Effects: Can be activated at will. +555 Armor for the turn when activated. ?
Lunar Clash C-Attack Break Element A blade to meet a blow, to strike it aside. 1,700 DMG, Can be used alongside Lunar Eclipse for free a number of times equal to current attack slots. 1/4th of the damage of this attack is added as additional armor.
x5 Used. +2,125 Armor. 2,680 Total. 0 Damage Taken.
Void Blade Counter Skill ~ S-Tier A blade that returns a strike in an instant. Effects: Counters for 920 Damage whenever an attack hits Magnolia. ?
Void Blade: 920 Damage, Breaks Shields
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Support Phase:
Nothing at this time.
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Combat Phase:
Azure Edge x 10 Used C/S-Attack Blade Element A swipe of the sword that comes with a bladed wave to cut through at the same time. 1,615 DMG, Is used twice when used instead of once. Skills affect this attack at twice the potency.
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End Phase:
Magnolia: HP: 8,500/8,500 Damage @ All: 17,070
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Post by Gaia on Aug 10, 2017 10:42:24 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
His blade struck against a shield that she seemingly sliced into existence, and battered against it without harm. As he slid away and turned back, she had already slashed forward with her own blade, sending forth an array of blasts at his way.
Deciding to stand his ground to judge her strength, he stood as the first struck against his shoulder. Staggering back, he winced, barely preventing himself from crying out, as he glared at her. Was she daunting him? Perhaps it was evident that swordplay wasn't his strong point. . .
He didn't have time to think on that, though. Her thrusters activated again, and, suddenly, she was upon him. Whirling blade strikes and corresponding waves of energy came from all sides, and, judging by the pain still in his left arm, he could only barely afford to let these strike. While he could still rely on that to get him through, he'd rather not risk his chances against someone of this caliber.
He dipped back to avoid her first slash, flaring up his darklight to create a small aura around him that deterred the second. Dipping down to clash his sword against hers, he deflected it away from his legs. By the time they had both raised up and she was aiming at his chest, he raised his one free hand to grasp at her sword arm.
"You're strong, I'll give you that," he hissed, raising his other arm, his hand still blazing on as a sword. His hand rippled and forsook its current form, shifting and molding into something more solid. He aimed the newly formed cannon barrel at her face, his hand still held onto her sword arm with a vice grip. "And you're right. Swords aren't my cup of tea."
With that, he released his hold, and, pulling an internal trigger, released a powerful shot at point-blank; this shot seemed less empowered by the darklight energy, and more guided to a pinpoint danger zone.
Defensive Phase
[Vanguard HP=5100/5100]
Vanguard has 0 Armor.
[Void Blade] - Taken for 920 Damage! [Azure Edge] - Avoided with [Nat. Barrier]! [Azure Edge] - Avoided with [Darklight Parry]! [Azure Edge] - Avoided with [Darklight Parry]! [Azure Edge] - Avoided with [Darklight Parry]! [Azure Edge] - Avoided with [Darklight Parry]! [Azure Edge] - Avoided with [Darklight Jaunt]! [Azure Edge] - Avoided with [Darklight Jaunt]! [Azure Edge] - Avoided with [Darklight Jaunt]! [Azure Edge] - Avoided with [Darklight Jaunt]! [Azure Edge] - Avoided with [Darklight Jaunt]!
[Darklight Parry] [8/8 Uses] Utilizing his hand as a shield and weapon, Vanguard gains a burst of power that grants him the strength to deflect blows, and then to strike back. - Vanguard Blocks 1 Attack per use. --- [Used x4]
[Darklight Jaunt] [8/8 Uses]] Vanguard breaks down into a form of darklight plasma for enhanced speed to dodge attacks, and strike back. - Vanguard Dodges 1 Attack per use. --- [Used x5
[Vanguard HP=4180/5100]
Support Phase
[Vanguard HP=4180/5100]
[Vigilant Offense] - +5 Constant Charge - Vanguard naturally possesses 1 Attack Slot, referred to as his Natural Attack Slot. - Vanguard's Passive Attack Slots, such as those gained from Version Up, Programs or Skills, are instead converted into stacks of Constant Charge for his Natural Attack Slot. - Attack Slots gained from Active Effects are entirely unaffected, and operate as normal. -- Constant Charge applies a constant multiplier to an Attack's Damage, based on the Optional Charge Multiplier, without requiring actual turns of Charge. -- Turns spent to Optionally Charge an attack stack with Constant Charge when determining final Damage multiplier. --- Any Attack Slot reducing effect afflicting Vanguard instead removes a single stack of Constant Charge per Attack Slot it would have removed. ---- [Passive]
[Crimson Flame of the Shadow Knight] A powerful pendant that drastically increases the user's defensive powers.... ° User has +2000 Max HP ° Glitch: User cannot recover HP by any means. ° After using [0/5] Dark Chips in battle, the Glitch is removed for the rest of that battle
[Seeking] - +250 Damage to 1 Attack/Turn.
Offensive Phase 2 NAS | 5 Constant Charge | 10/10 C Uses | 2 Dark Chip Expansion
1. [Dark Meteors] - [2/2 Charges]
2. Dark Cannon II [515 765 4,590] 13,770 Normal/Dark S-Damage ° Breaks Shields ° If no other attack was used this turn, this chip deals x3 Damage ° Glitch: Locks all C-Attacks
Summary Phase
13,770 Damage @ Magnolia
[Vanguard HP=4180/5100]
[Status] - Fine [Stage] - Null [CoolDown] - - [Natural Barrier] - [0/5]
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Post by Zane on Aug 10, 2017 11:27:40 GMT -8
She blinked as he held her arm, her eyes looking at his hand before glancing over to him. It was definitely a viable tactic given how well he fended off her strikes just then. But the sword retracted, returning back into its origin as she didn't try to break free just yet, instead glancing to his other hand now. She was wondering what to expect, but that cannon certainly spoke for itself. And then it fired... and dispersed. It had moved toward her face and then just disappeared into thin air. He still couldn't feel anything or see anything, no signs or hints of anything that had stopped his shot just then. She hadn't even flinched or budged, eyes going back to him still.
"Thanks. I know I am, but it doesn't hurt to hear others say it. Still, didn't take you for a more ranged sort of guy. I'll be all up in your personal space, so pardon me~."
Her blade returned to life and sent forth another wave aimed at his right shoulder this time before she launched back into the fray. Rather than move them back to back she focused them all around his torso area, starting at the hips before rising all the way up to his face in the myriad of strikes. He managed to get by it once so she figured he should be able to do so again.
Defense Phase:
Primal Armor Unique ~ S-Tier Effects: Creates a barrier with HP = to the creator's HP. The barrier can only be damaged and cut by attacks of ? Elements. Reforms a turn after being broken in the support phase. Does not count as an avoid, but still triggers effects from opponent's If Hits, If Avoided, and Regardless of Success attacks that do not affect the user of this skill. Uses: ?
8,500 HP Primal Armor created. 0 Damage Taken.
Void Blade Counter Skill ~ S-Tier A blade that returns a strike in an instant. Effects: Counters for 920 Damage whenever an attack hits Magnolia. ?
Void Blade: 920 Damage, Breaks Shields
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Support Phase:
Nothing at this time.
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Combat Phase:
Azure Edge x 10 Used C/S-Attack Blade Element A swipe of the sword that comes with a bladed wave to cut through at the same time. 1,615 DMG, Is used twice when used instead of once. Skills affect this attack at twice the potency.
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End Phase:
Magnolia: HP: 8,500/8,500 PA: 8,500/8,500 Damage @ All: 17,070
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Post by Gaia on Aug 10, 2017 13:08:34 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
Vanguard blinked, lowering his cannon. She wrenched herself free of his grip, and was already back on the offensive by the time he had started gathering his thoughts.
What had stopped his shot? It hadn't even been deflected; it just evaporated. His inability to pick up anything on this Navi's data was becoming increasingly problematic, each time with a new ability that he had no way of discerning any form of functionality or counter.
He pushed his worries back, deciding to focus on the here and now. When one tactic didn't work, try another. Instead of dipping about and striking all over, she focused on a single spot - had he had any defensive maneuvers, that sort of tactic would succeed in whittling them down. In his case, all he had were evasive maneuvers, and smarts to guide him through.
The strikes were similar to the last bout, and, if she struck at him with the same level of strength, with the same speed, he wouldn't have been able to avoid them all. Based on the pain still in his shoulder, the assault would push him to his limits . . . better to leave what resources he had left available for more important endeavors.
He allowed the individual strikes to land against him, feeling each individual slice batter and bruise him to the point that it started rending away his form. By the time it was all said and done, Vanguard had taken a knee. Throughout the whole punishment, though, Vanguard didn't let a single utterance escape his mouth, steeling himself against her assault. He saw the smoke curling off of his hand as he raised it, the darklight fire within dwindling and almost burnt out. His life essence . . .
He coughed, shaking. "Heh . . . let's kick it up a notch, then, eh?"
Feeling his power surge, Vanguard's darklight hands sprang to life, bursting into a ferocious blaze that almost consumed his entire forearm. The darklight blaze surged over his body, and, as the flames coursed over his battered form, it mended itself. His body whole and practically surging with power and adrenaline, Vanguard stood back up to full height.
What she might notice about him now, though, was not only was he stronger, he was faster. Much faster. Fading away into little more than a blur, he darted to her backside, crushing a darkchip in his grip. The dark power flowed over his body, towards his core, only to be rejected and projected outwards as additional fire power, his darklight flames growing brighter. A drill encased his arm, whirring up and purring into action, and he attempted to drive the armor-piercing weapon straight through her, hoping it would render her previous defenses useless.
Darting back to the other side of her, Vanguard crushed another chip as it materialized in the air, power surging over him, and the sky gave way to purple fire, raining meteors down on the battlefield below. The storm wracked and threatened the entire net space, but, four meteors in particular targeted Magnolia. He was hoping to tire her out, force her into a corner, and maybe even stretch out her limits. He needed to force a mistake, any mistake, and then focus on it.
He crushed two more darkchips in his grip. The first manifested into a kunai that he palmed before he threw, hoping to aim for her heart, true and resolute. Then, the second, was a chip that hailed back to his old self. Forming in his grip, a saber of pure darkness emerged from the darklight inferno, and he raised it for an instant for her to see . . . before he darted forward, slashing in a flurry of calculated blows in hopes that it would either tire her out, or force her back, aiming at her sword arm, waist and legs in a hope to disrupt her stance. While it wasn't his best form of combat, he could prove to be a competent swordsman when he needed to be.
Defensive Phase
[Vanguard HP=4180/5100]
Vanguard has 0 Armor.
[All Attacks] - Taken!
[Darklight Parry] [4/8 Uses] Utilizing his hand as a shield and weapon, Vanguard gains a burst of power that grants him the strength to deflect blows, and then to strike back. - Vanguard Blocks 1 Attack per use.
[Darklight Jaunt] [3/8 Uses]] Vanguard breaks down into a form of darklight plasma for enhanced speed to dodge attacks, and strike back. - Vanguard Dodges 1 Attack per use.
[GraveKnight] - [Advanced Form] As his failsafes begin to falter, and Vanguard's form begins to fade, his Darksoul alights. With his full ferocity at his disposal, no longer held back by a failsafe, Vanguard fights with greater intensity, for but a season. ° Automatically activates upon reaching 0 HP. Revives Vanguard with 1 HP ° Vanguard is invincible except against Aimed Attacks ° Vanguard has +1 Attack Slot for the duration ° Lasts for [1/2] Turns.
[Vanguard HP=1/5100]
Support Phase
[Vanguard HP=1/5100]
[Vigilant Offense] - +5 Constant Charge - Vanguard naturally possesses 1 Attack Slot, referred to as his Natural Attack Slot. - Vanguard's Passive Attack Slots, such as those gained from Version Up, Programs or Skills, are instead converted into stacks of Constant Charge for his Natural Attack Slot. - Attack Slots gained from Active Effects are entirely unaffected, and operate as normal. -- Constant Charge applies a constant multiplier to an Attack's Damage, based on the Optional Charge Multiplier, without requiring actual turns of Charge. -- Turns spent to Optionally Charge an attack stack with Constant Charge when determining final Damage multiplier. --- Any Attack Slot reducing effect afflicting Vanguard instead removes a single stack of Constant Charge per Attack Slot it would have removed. ---- [Passive]
[Crimson Flame of the Shadow Knight] A powerful pendant that drastically increases the user's defensive powers.... ° User has +2000 Max HP ° Glitch: User cannot recover HP by any means. ° After using [1/5] Dark Chips in battle, the Glitch is removed for the rest of that battle
[Seeking] - +250 Damage to 1 Attack/Turn.
[Adrenaline Boost] [8/8 Uses] Vanguard is capable of increasing his speed in short bursts. - Vanguard gains +1 AS per use. -- [Used x8]
[Garnet Star of Power] A shining star forged of garnet, sparkles with an otherworldly power ° +1 Attack Slot when at or below 75% of your Max HP ° +1 More Attack Slot when at or below 25% of your Max HP
Offensive Phase 2 NAS | 5 Constant Charge | 10/10 C Uses | 2 Dark Chip Expansion | 11 AS
1. Dark Drill 160 Metal/Dark C-Damage * 2 Hits ° Cuts Auras ° This Chip's Damage is divided equally among both hits ° Ignores Armor and Damage Mitigating effects ° If hits, Disables victims Armor and Damage Mitigating effects for the rest of the turn ° Glitch: Upon Use, Disables User's Armor and Damage Mitigating effects for 1 Turn
2. Dark Meteors II [515 765 4590] 2,295 Fire/Dark S-Damage * 4 Hits ° Cuts Auras ° This Chip's Damage is halved, but applied to all hits ° Avoid Separately ° Can be charged for up to 2 Turns to gain +1 Hit per turn charged ° Auto Attacks for 2 Turns after use with full damage and effects ° Glitch: User has -1 Attack Slot while Dark Meteors Auto Strikes
3. Dark Kunai II 260 Shadow/Dark S-Damage ° Unavoidable ° This damage will affect the Victim's Max HP for the rest of battle as well ° Cannot be augmented in any way/shape/form ° Glitch: User's Max and Current HP are reduced by 50% of this Chip's Damage
4. Dark Sword x10 315 Blade/Dark C-Damage ° Breaks Shields ° This chip can be re-used any number of times until the end of the turn ° Each subsequent use still costs an Attack Slot, but does not deduct from the user's total number of Chip Uses per battle ° Glitch: Locks all S-Attacks
Summary Phase
12,910 Damage @ Magnolia
[Vanguard HP=1/5100]
[Status] - Fine [Stage] - Null [CoolDown] - - [Natural Barrier] - [1/5]
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Post by Zane on Aug 10, 2017 20:06:11 GMT -8
Magnolia had halted her attack, as if waiting to see his response. She had tore into him really well just then, but it did appear as though he wasn't done in yet. That was good, as one couldn't exactly gather much information if the person was done in so quickly. It wasn't her intention to cut him down, rather she was curious about him. She didn't have any information on him, so her goal was to gather some intel now instead. She slid her left foot back just a tad, smiling still as he declared he was going to kick it up a notch.
After he began to move she got a general idea of what it was. The cannon he used previously was a bit of a tip in and of itself, but confirmation of this kind was helpful too. She glanced over her shoulder, her vision keeping pace with him even still as the drill came. And yet she didn't move, the weapon slamming and shattering in thin air much like his previous shot had. Then she turned her head back in front of her as he returned to the other side, seeing the next chip that he planned to use that caused her eyes to glance upward. It was here that the sword retracted as it had before, moving her arm as an afterimage of five was left behind that started to expand outward, surging up into the sky and meeting the hail of fire brought about by the storm and decimating it. The storm of flames had been nullified in almost its entirety, some embers falling down to touch the netscape around them.
"Gotta be a bit mindful of collateral damage, no? At least you do, anyway."
As she lowered her head to put her eyes back on him would be when the kunai was supposed to strike. But as before, it dispersed as it approached her. And as he raised his sword her smiled deepened a bit, her own sword flaring back up as she instead moved toward him. She didn't make an effort to avoid the incoming blows as he unleashed them, instead unleashing a blow in tandem with them at him. Each one aimed away from his sword to strike him as he would strike her. Except his strikes would each meet the same unknown force, while hers would be tried and true if he didn't find a way to defend himself as well.
"Not that you aren't strong, but as is I have more than enough time to wrap a fight up with you before it can be an issue. So not a problem in the long run it appears..."
Rather than wait she kicked back and away from him, her boosters flaring to life. She had another appointment to keep and this was a nice way to spend some of the time before heading there. Besides, one of those machines were active now. Still wasn't entirely a problem, but... better to keep it under wraps for now. So she bolted off into the air before shooting off into the distance, back to whatever her original objective was.
Defense Phase:
Lunar Eclipse Armor ~ S-Tier A shield formed of the Moonlight, to bloat out all. Effects: Can be activated at will. +555 Armor for the turn when activated. ?
Lunar Clash C-Attack Break Element A blade to meet a blow, to strike it aside. 1,700 DMG, Can be used alongside Lunar Eclipse for free a number of times equal to current attack slots. 1/4th of the damage of this attack is added as additional armor.
x5 Used. +2,125 Armor. 2,680 Total.
Dark Drill: Primal Armor, no effect. Dark Meteors: 0 Damage Taken. Dark Kunai: Primal Armor, no effect. Dark Sword: Primal Armor, no effect.
Blade Works Counter Boost ~ S-Tier A terrifying blade that rends through existence. Effects: Counters Cut Undershirts and Darksouls.
Void Blade Counter Skill ~ S-Tier A blade that returns a strike in an instant. Effects: Counters for 920 Damage whenever an attack hits Magnolia. ?
Void Blade: 920 Blade Element x 13 Damage, Undodgeable, Cuts Undershirt, Cuts Darksoul
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Support Phase:
Nothing at this time.
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Combat Phase:
Nothing at this time.
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End Phase:
Magnolia: HP: 8,500/8,500 PA: 8,500/8,500 Damage @ All: 11,960
Battle Rewards: Claimed after dealing with the last round.
Vanguard 100 Exp 2,000 Zenny 1 BMD 1 Lunar Fragment
Lunar Fragment A sundered remnant of what once was. If enough are gathered together, something could possibly be forged as a result.
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Post by Gaia on Aug 10, 2017 20:46:42 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
She didn't even bother to flinch away from the drill as it came at her, and, just as his cannon fire had strangely dispersed, his drill all but shattered around his hand as it approached her.
All throughout his flurry of assaults and strikes, he watched, anticipating, studying, to see whatever indication he could find. As his meteors fell from the sky, red flames warped by his darklight blaze, rather than letting whatever field she carried rend them to pieces as she did his cannon fire and drills, she raised her sword to create another shield of light.
He quickly thought back to the first time she raised the shield, as opposed to simply allowing his attack to dissipate. Challenged by his darklight flames, she was forced to raise a real defense . . .
As he moved on the offensive, she was countering back. Knowing the speed of her strikes and the force of her blade, he first prepped a dark chip. The pendant around his neck no longer sung with power against his skin, and he knew that its hunger was sated. Crushing the chip in his hand, he felt its surging darkness roil over him, restoring him and bringing back constitution to his form far beyond what any baser chip could do.
Then, he was back at her, dipping this way and that, parrying her own strikes in tandem with her own counters, the two of them a flurry of purple and white. As he struck her blade to the side one last time, at the end of his ropes, Vanguard jumped backwards.
Raising a fist, he surged all of his excess darklight fire into his grip, his hand flaring up to an extreme inferno. Smashing the purple flames into the ground beneath him, the powerful darklight blaze within his grasp expands and intensifies many times over, until Vanguard was practically hidden within the density of the prominence. The final strikes of her blade struck against the large prominence of his life essence, never seeping through to harm him, each strike tearing further and further into his final measure.
By the time her last wave hit, and Vanguard's defenses fell, Magnolia had already rushed off to wherever it was that she had first intended to be. He watched her run off, still panting, his fist still planted in the ground, realizing that, with her last words, he had been just a plaything for her.
He huffed one last time, practically collapsing, supporting his arm on his raised knee as he rested his other leg right there on the floor. He had never fought an opponent more exhilarating . . . nor more infuriating. Why couldn't he get a reading on her? And what exactly was it that she exuded, destroying his offense before it even touched her? Not even the Dark Kunai was enough . . .
. . . But, he had accomplished a mission. Through it all, he had gotten one thing out of her. He had been hoping to force a mistake, any mistake, and she had given him one. A single weakness: Fire. Whether it was specifically his darklight flames or truly any blaze was hardly of any import; he knew that he could get to her, and how to punish her, should they meet, again.
He looked up, back towards where he had started from to dart over here, remembering that he still had to get back to the NIA to report what had happened. Vanguard huffed, staggering himself up to stand, before he tapped his visor to activate the transporter.
Taking one last look around the Network, just for good measure before he went, Vanguard allowed his natural healing to kick in, and he slowly felt his strength returning to him. Not many had ever pushed him to his limits like that, before . . . he couldn't honestly say he didn't look forward to doing it, again.
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