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Post by Jeremy Amari on Jun 10, 2019 2:00:46 GMT
Although the death god’s magical attack decimated the wraiths and demi-humans, one with a more solid constitution rose from the crater left from Vayle’s attack. It lurched closer to her, raising a bundle of lit dynamite to wipe the shinigami from existence, only for a well placed shot to break through the explosives. A huge explosion filled everyone’s hearing for a moment, the spirit ceasing to be and will now be sent to Hell in a thimble. Vayle might see Remilia wave back to her for the save, before raining down shots toward reinforcements attempting to push up behind a cart.
Jeremy was not done with this hollow as it attempt to crawl away back under some rock. The soldier’s shotgun rang out as he kept up the sustain fire, the beast’s tail whipping to and fro to catch him while he closed in to finish the job. A flash bang is flung in front of it, forcing it stand still as it tries to regain it’s baring without stumbling into the pit.
A pointless exercise, as the soldier scattered a few blast charges around the large lizard hollow, dodging it’s blind attacks. With a click of the detonators, the charges pierced the platform around it. The floor creaked under the weight and then the beast was sent falling to its doom.
As Jeremy watched over the hole to see the lizard hollow’s broken body splatter across the stone wall, a bright light like a bonfire raged up from the darkness, and it seemed to speak:
“So, more souls have come to my domain. Powerful souls, and even a death god. Like all before you, you will be taken, and greed will be your muse. You have dug too deep, and now your souls belong to the taskmaster.”
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Post by Vayle Cameo on Jun 11, 2019 0:55:22 GMT
Vayle lurched as a lit bundle of dynamite whipped towards her face. There was no way she was going to be able to guard against this, and while she might have been a powerful shinigami, she wasn't exactly the most durable, either. something like this could take her out and there was no way she was gonna be fast enough-
Only, she didn't need to be. a huge explosion briefly deafened the deaf god, which was probably why Remilia had opted for a silent wave. that, Vayle decided, or it was just her personality.
She looked back and gave a thumbs up at Remilia, before turning to see how the rest of the fighters were doing.
What she wasn't expecting was for the bottom of the mine to light up like the fires of hell.
"This..."
Vayle felt out for the energy that was beneath them. The emanations she got back, though...
The shinigami fell to the ground in shock as the energy rippled up. The death god felt herself shiver a little under the heavy weight, before jumping up to her feet. "...Y'all, uhh... got good life insurance policies, right?" The sweat-covered death god joked, looking to the side at them.
The behemoth Filled her vision instead of the humans, and she got the sight of something that could only be described as a fiend. Giant horns, flaming axe, a body that looked more like plate armor than flesh.
And looking at her with condemning, flaming eyes.
Vayle's eyes widened as she realized this wasn't the time to hold back. "Dazzle, Mahouts-"
A vicious backhand with a flaming axe sent the death god careening into a nearby wall, hard enough To leave a visible crater.
"Watch... your... selves." Vayle managed to mutter.
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Post by Jeremy Amari on Jun 16, 2019 0:11:51 GMT
A mane of flame burned furiously in the dark of the mine, lightning up the lair with its entirety as smoke billowed from the Hollow’s body. It stood above all others in the cave, wings spanning the length of the ravine as it stood upon the platform, staring down at the humans with eyes blazing with a piercing light that rivaled the sun. Each step of it’s hooved feet shook the earth, its presence crushing their will as it’s spiritual pressure did their bodies.
Jeremy stepped back at the sight of it, the beast something that could have come from Hell itself. He morale plummeted as he saw it send the death god careening against the walls of the mine with a mere backhand of its weapon. Even the other spirits cowered in sight of it and shrank away.
“Is this the slag that wishes to defile my world? It is weaker that I first thought,” It spoke. Jeremy gritted his teeth in anger, and he rushed forward with shotgun sending volleys of pellets into its plated bodies. It was to no avail, and it stooped down and let a harrowing roar. It’s breath was like a blast furnace, summerging the soldier in heat and sent him flying back, and he stumbled back over the edge. He manages to grab on, but he felt the fiend’s body of metal and fire stalk closer to him.
A single shot from higher up smashed into the Hollow’s mask, causing it to recoil for a moment. The turrets focused fire on it, forcing it to cover its face with its plated arm. Remila let out shot after shot, hitting where the fiend’s armor seemed thinnest. But the Hollow opened it’s free hand, a flame formed from it, and with a whirl the flame elongate until it took the form of a whip. With stuck back, cleaving the turrets effortlessly and at the point Remilia had barely enough time to dodge before a long gash was rendered across her body.
Jeremy swung to the lower level, a feeling of remorse arcing through him as he heard Remilia’s scream of pain. He looked down at the detonator that would bring down the mine. He reached for it, then clenched his hand to stop.
“Lionel. Get Remilia and Vayle and get out of here. I’ll distract it.” No one else needs to die for this sacrifice.
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Post by Vayle Cameo on Jun 16, 2019 17:29:10 GMT
Fire and death. Heat and crushing terror. The face of a demon and the voice of a god.
It had been a long time since Vayle had truly felt afraid of someone, and so the chilling ache and numbness that spread through her bones. It crushed her with more force than the rocks she'd been impacted into, and Vayle felt a level of dread she hadn't felt since fighting El'gan with Revenant a few weeks ago.
Vayle grimaced. She keenly recalled losing those battles. she wasn't willing to do it again.
She recognized lionel and Remilia in front of her, the youth firing his needle-gun ineffectually into the Hollow's skull-like face and neck, even that vulnerable area seeming to be armored to the teeth.
The Hollow howled, that familiar hollow sound of terror amplified by the cave to encompass the tunnel in it's chilling cry, and Vayle watched feeling helpless as it bent down. The hollow expelled a huge blast of flames, the fire filling half the cavern straight for Lionel and Remilia as the youth tried to jump back. With Remilia in one hand, though, there was no way he could get out in time, and the youth closed his eyes as he hoped the armor would at least save them.
To both's surprise, though, the heat was completely diverted away from the pair.
The golden glow of a rectangular barrier appeared in front of them, cracks appearing on a massive shield the size of a tractor. Panicked incanting could be picked up as babble. "Sudden divinity! The intervention of eternity! Void filled with the light of heaven! Deny the Demon! Unto the midnight tapestry, unleash but slightly the proof of your godhood, and create an absolute truth! Bakudo 81! Danku!"
The barrier that cracked and crumbled as Vayle spoke managed to hold, then, repairing and glowing a bright golden as Vayle fell to her knees in front of the pair, the Kido holding resolutely against the flames.
"Huff..." Vayle managed. "Never once have I managed to do this kido for all my practice... and now I managed to do it with a spoken-after incantation... guess I... really need the motivation..." Vayle breathed as a surprised Remilia and Lionel stared at her. Her reishi was pretty low, now, with the kido eating away at it.
"...What happened to your wounds?" Remilia asked with a sudden stare, seeming more annoyed than grateful for being saved suddenly.
Vayle looked down to her robes and realized Remilia was actually correct. she'd taken a significant amount of damage, and she was sure she should have been covered in cuts and stabbing wounds from where she'd impacted the rocks. instead... she wasn't even bleeding. still... "...No idea. I'll figure that out later." Was Vayle's only reply. "Pull back as support, please. This one is, I think, gonna suck if I have to take him on with no back-up at all." Vayle stammered, before pulling out her Kodachi.
"You've already got the prettiest and strongest support in the first place, though." Mahoutsukai quipped cheerily. And then... "Be careful, Vayle. I don't wanna see you get hurt that bad again."
Vayle nodded slowly. She still remembered how down Mahoutsukai and her had both been after that battle. Holding her Kodachi straight in front of her, Vayle's energy peaked from an all-time low to a sudden high as the blade disappeared.
"Dazzle, Mahoutsukai!"
The hollow looked straight at her with a glare as rainbow light suffused the cavern for a brief moment, and Vayle glared back with her broom in hand and the mini-Hakkero ready.
"...Let me remind you of the difference between a demon and a god, monster!"
The Hollow's response was a low, chuckling laugh. "Puny god."
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Post by Jeremy Amari on Jun 29, 2019 7:23:07 GMT
Terror clutched at Jeremy’s heart like a talon upon prey as he looked up from the catwalk he had moved to and saw Lionel, Remilia, and Vayle under the hateful gaze of the hollow. It leaned back as it prepared for an attack, and with a roar the demon blanketed the three in hellfire. The soldier felt his knees go out as he saw what appeared to be their death, his mind pounding as images of a battle long ago flashed before his eyes.
Then a glow pierced through the fire, a shield protecting them from the beast’s attack. Jeremy held his hand over his heart as he felt in rev down from nearly bursting through his chest. Shots rang out as Remilia fired a few more shots into the winged hollow. It seemed they were disobeying his order.
The reason became abundantly clear when the soul reaper stepped forth and the cave was blinded by light. Jeremy could already feel the soul pressure almost crush him as Vayle stood defiant to the abomination and unlocked something within her. He was shocked. Was this the real power of a death god?
The fight suddenly felt much more even.
“Guess it’s time for round two” Jeremy said aloud as he pulled his trump card: a grenade launcher, a pump action explosive flinger he had tweaked to perfection. He aimed at the body of the hollow as it stood his ground against Vayle, an explosion ripped through it’s armored plates at the shot connected. He fired another, only for it to bring a wing up to defend it. It seems like it wasn’t invincible after all.
“Die, insect!” The hollow stepped forth as it brought the burning axe down on where Jeremy was a moment ago, wood shattered from the hit and splinters filled the air. The fire singed Jeremy’s armor, even a near miss hurt.
“I got a plan. But I need to get close. Distract it, and make it drop that axe.”
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Post by Vayle Cameo on Jul 6, 2019 0:33:01 GMT
Vayle looked up to see Jeremy pull out some sort of explosive launcher - it took only a second for her to recognize that Revenant had once used a similar kind of weapon in his anti-hollow regimen - and smashed the hollow with a very respectable amount of force. She winced in sympathy - even if it was at a monstrous, evil creature, she still remembered all too keenly the feeling of one of those exploding in her face.
Still, it was able to bring up a wing to block the second attack, and struck back with a wicked speed that made Vayle's heart stop as she zipped towards Jeremy without saying a word, ignoring the 'Hey!' she heard from Remilia as she did so.
She wasn't fast enough - but luckily, she didn't need to be. Jeremy managed to jump out of the way just in time to save his life. Thank god. She couldn't handle the idea of a human dying on her patrol...
Standing on her broom like it was the hover skateboard any kid wanted, she was close enough to hear Jeremy's stratagem - the bit he wanted to share, at least.
"Make it drop the axe. Got it." Vayle said. "...If the plan doesn't work... regroup up near the top of the tunnels. I'd be able to buy enough time for you to escape before leaving myself. Humans shouldn't die doing the chores of a death god." Vayle added with a frown.
She was lying, of course. She wasn't going to be able to deny this creature long enough... But she could definitely seal off the tunnel with a master spark, if it came to that.
Death gods protected humans at all cost. even if those humans went looking for trouble.
With that, Vayle disappeared in a burst of speed and re-entered combat, firing bursts of stars at her opponent while darting all around The balrog's face atop the broom.
A flurry of slashes with the impatient demon's axe were matched with increasingly impetuous responses.
"haha!"
"Missed!"
"nuh-uh!"
"Almost!"
"Nopester!"
"Getting warmer!"
the banter caused a steadily louder growl with each missed swipe, before the Balrog glowed bright orange, And Vayle noticed just a second too late.
"with a whimper..." The Balrog hissed, and the area around him was enveloped in choking orange flame.
Vayle leaped out of the air with a singed hakama, as The Demon stood up above her.
It silently lifted it's axe, before slicing down.
"No one ever expects... the broom!" Vayle managed to cough.
Mahoutsukai's wooden broomstick zipped at mach one, firing itself straight for the balrog's eye, and with a groan, the creature swiped with one clawed hand to remove the new splinter.
"Dropped your guard, asshole!"
Vayle held up Mahoutsukai with a smile, and fired a blinding rainbow beam straight for the bastard's arm.
With a cry of anguish, the axe dropped from a completely burnt arm, and Vayle took the opportunity to bring herself up to a sitting position, holding her hand up just in time for mahoutsukai to zip back into her grasp. "Better see your goddamn plan pretty soon here, Jeremy!"
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Post by Jeremy Amari on Jul 22, 2019 7:21:07 GMT
Jeremy scrambled across the mine’s various paths as Vayle deftly avoided the hollow’s attacks as she zipped around it, annoying it into a flurry of attacks while the soldier scrambled for the last part of his plan. He scoured some of the fallen demi-hollows, and found it in one particular pile left away from the main fight. “It seems like our godly friend is the self sacrificial type. That seems so familiar, doesn’t it?” Remilia asks as she attempts to help with a few well placed shots at the demonic taskmaster, her rounds still failing to pierce it’s thick hide as it desperately covered the crater Jeremy put in it earlier. “I didn’t ask for running commentary,” Jeremy spat as he ran back to the central platform, then gasped as he saw the area around the hollow erupt in flames. Vayle is thankfully able to save herself, if only with quick thinking and a well placed broom. “Lionel, get the man catcher ready!” “Jeremy, at the temperature this hollow is emanating, it’ll just melt through the net. How-” “Trust me on this!” Jeremy exclaims as he jumps across gap, nearing the beast as it recovered from it’s arm singed by star magic. He raised one hand with his pistol aimed at the dropped axe, and a few expert shots sent in flying off the catwall and into the pit below. That definitely got the monster’s attention. “Hey, Godzilla breath! Catch!” he yelled to it as he held his other hand up, a bundle of dynamite clutched in it with the fuze lit from one of the scattered embers nearby, and he flung the explosive straight at the hollow in anticipation for it to each the forge like temperature that surrounded it and cause it to explode. Even if it tried to dodge, it’s own flames would set it off early. But the demon merely smirked as it held back it’s own fire, casting the mine back into darkness, and it caught the bundle easily in its empty hand. With a little dexterity, it grabbed the fuse between two fingers and snuffed the spark out. “Is this how you thought you would rival me? With the tools I work with?” It stared at him with its good eye, fury rising in its leveled voice. “When I have made this mine your tomb, you will not have the honor to work as my slaves as your friends will. You I will grind the soul of, and from the alloy smelted I will cast more weapons. Your fate as a wretch will be to end as fuel for my war!” “Not happening.” Jeremy states before he fires another shot from his execution pistol and the behemoth predictably protected itself with its wing. The final piece in place, he shouts to his companion “Now!” An arm raising from Lionel’s back fires its payload, a bundled net that spreads once fired, unraveling large enough to cover over the hollow’s torso. Blinded by its own wing and Vayle cheapshot, the net wraps around it, hooks on the end digging in and retracting as the steel net tightens around the Hollow. “Such simple creatures” The hollow seems unconcerned. “This restrain will relent to my- to my-” It stops, its good eye grew wide as it realized the trap it was in. For still in its hand, the bundle of TNT laid, pinned between the demon’s wing and chest. “Do you know why this happened?” Jeremy walked forward as he loaded shells into his shotgun, the hollow watched him in terror. “You were too prideful to just dodge the throw. Everything you’ve done was in a belief that you could control everyone and everything. You underestimate your enemy, and let your hubris be your downfall.” He racked the first shot as the hollow stood tall against him. “I only need one hand to crush you!” It bellows, and summons another flame in its other hand. “And you’re too stupid to think I wouldn’t have a second detonator!” Jeremy adds, holding out a switch. With a click, the bundle in the hollow’s hand exploded and it took the full force. Its wings left in tatters, its arm ruined to a mere stump, and most importantly the armor that seemed invincible reduced to fragments scattered across the floor as they dropped from its exposed body. “Light it up!” Jeremy yelled, and the members of Team Blue gave it all they had. Vayle Cameo
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Post by Vayle Cameo on Aug 17, 2019 1:35:52 GMT
Vayle chuckled to herself as she watched jeremy's plan unfold. Not bad for someone a century her junior. Most shinigami didn't even bother developing their improvisational skills- most relying simply on their skills in the arts - but still, she couldn't help but feel like the soul society's finest seemed a little... plain, in comparison to the teamwork and thought put into the Order of the Silver Sword's combat tactics. As someone who prided herself on learning different ways to handle opponents in combat, the shinigami couldn't help but approve.
As the Demon's armor fell to pieces, however, the Shinigami's surprise grew as the beast let out a feral roar. "Y-you gotta be... shittin' me..."
A loud crackle and snap of flame reared out as the hollow stood up, despite the damage it was taking.
"Everything began... in fire. In fire... everything ends." The voice lumbered. "If my kingdom must fall here, then you shall burn with it!"
Vayle's eyes widened at what came next. The hollows... the demon's form burned up before her eyes, the hollow's flesh disappearing into nothingness, before re-establishing itself - not as flesh and blood, but as purest burning fire, cackling with a mad laugh.
The demon lumbered forward, blindingly fast, as the order pulled itself back. It was not difficult to see what the Demon was focused on, it's flaming skull turned directly for the man responsible for obliterating it's armor.
"Run, Jeremy!" Vayle screamed, trying to push herself back up onto her feet... before falling back over, hearing the disconcerting sound of bone piercing flesh. "my rib... shit!"
She hadn't lost feeling in her legs yet, but she had no doubt if she tried to move right now, all she'd succeed in doing is paralyzing herself, without accomplishing a damn thing. she hadn't been cautious enough, and now a human might be forced to pay the price for her.
The demon marched forward, first walking, then slowly building momentum into a full run, going from slow and ponderous to moving faster than Vayle's eyes could track as it raised a sword.
"Follow me to the netherworld, Nameless soldier!"
The being's energy levels were off the chart, and Vayle suppressed her own fear as the creature rushed forward. At this rate, the creature would reach him in an instant...
The creature stopped short, though. just two inches away from his mortal nemesis, the creature suddenly stopped.
For a moment, it simply stood like some ethereal statue of flame. an awkward silence, pierced only by the sound of quiet flame.
It took a few seconds, and suddenly, darkness filled the cavern. The demon was scattered by some unseen gust that doused it's flames, leaving nothing left.
The silence that followed left every fighter there to ponder what they'd just heard, though. the demon did not disappear with the noise one associates with a wildfire suddenly doused, nor did it disappear in silence.
Just the simple sound of a solitary voice, blowing out a candle.
So ended the lord of the mines.
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Post by Jeremy Amari on Aug 21, 2019 23:01:57 GMT
As the towering monster burst into a pure inferno, Jeremy stepped back. The heat was immense and the spiritual power that blasted from the hollow overwhelmed the soldier. It left him barely able to stand between the crushing pressure and the grevious wounds from the battle before. The demon gained momentum, towering over the Silver Sword as it bellowed its dying words to embrace him in a mutual fiery death.
But Jeremy stood his ground. Practically, he had no chance to outrun the creature. It was doubtful the other’s weapons could harm it’s incorporeal form, and Vayle was too wounded. However, he would not sit there and pray for salvation. His clawed hand was raised, his stance leaned forward to attack. He had more than this brief moment of live to be concerned. Should he back down here, how could he live on if he did survive. How could he face that which haunted his memories. Dying was likely, but he vows not to do so with his back turned.
“I can’t die yet,” Jeremy spoke in a defiant tone, weapons in hand, “I have too much to do before then!” And he stepped forward.
He felt the heat lick across his body, flames threatened to consume him. Yet as the Hollow reached him, it stopped in its tracks. Its form began to meld into the flame around it and left a pillar of fire that stood before the soldier. So even that withers, flickered, and died, until only the embers of the burned wood is last stood was left. Easily snuffed out as Jeremy smothered them with his boot.
The group was left in darkness, the only sounds were the enslaved souls far down below as they made a bellow at the end of their leaders.
“That sounds like a lot of them left,” Lionel said through his comms, weapon weakly aimed towards one of the mine shafts.
“And we’re in no condition to be fighting them,” Jeremy reported back as he held his hand over the material of his suit, caked in ash and burned through in much of the front, leaving red spots on his skin. His ammo was light, and his body was sore as his adrenaline sapped away. “We’re leaving. Get Vayle, I’m calling this mission over.”
Vayle was hoisted up by Remilia and Lionel, the two holding up each other as much as they were holding the soul reaper. They find Jeremy at the mouth of the mine, scraping off the explosives left to collapse the mine. Thankfully, it wasn’t needed. He limps behind the other three as they make their way out, finally reach the light of the sun again.
“So,” Jeremy looks over to the shinigami, his helmet now under his armpit, as the group headed back to the “I think that was a success.”
Left clustered around and on a couch in the farm house, the heroes of the mine have been put through elementary first aid and were now given the chance to rest and heal their wounds. Unfortunately, they can’t hold their heads high for their actions. Not because what they did wasn’t to be proud of, but because none of them could quite look straight into they disapproving look of the fourth member of Blue Team, Alex Andronicus. He had found them harmed, equipment spent, and disheveled from combat, and the large man had no qualms chiding them as he bandaged them up.
“What you did was reckless. You could have gotten yourself killed.” He laid into them as he wrapped up a head wound on Remilia.
“Yes sir,” Jeremy, Remilia, and Lionel responded dispondedly.
“You know full well how much time and money is put into you and your equipment. Losing three agents because a Soul Reaper showed up could have disastrous. For all you know she could have abandoned you the second trouble showed up.” Points out, then looks to Vayle. “No offense.”
“Yes sir.”
“And third, stop making me the team mom,” Alex seemed much more annoyed about this that the other two.
“But you do it so well,” Remilia pointed out, before having her mouth quickly wrapped over his bandages.
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