Hidden Darkness, Crouching Ninja

Hidden Darkness, Crouching Ninja
Date of Scene:	28 April 2013
Location:	Wutai
Synopsis:	The Dark Knight comes, Jackie Chan(?) gets killed, and Ninjas get pissed.
Cast of Characters:	Tifa Lockhart, Emi Dennou, Kim Possible, Jidro Gerrison, Myla Mason, Souji Murasame, Ramza Beoulve, Leon, Helena Celba, Sydney Losstarot, Minette Odam, The Cloud King, Riku

---

Leon has posed:

Wutai is a nation that has been at war with a corporation known as ShinRa or least so some have heard. Things here are rather traditional with a mix of the new. The art of martial arts runs here and the people are very proud. They don't go down easily without a fight.

Strong Hearts.

Bright Lights.

Perfect.

After Will Sherman's display of fate string touch on the Dark Knight. The Darkness within the heart of the walking armored being hasn't been all to stable. Fluxing, pulsing, and hungry. Very hungry. Yet with an objective to be completed and the armor not in the need to be repaired. The Dark Knight continued on. Continued on as he always does. Watching. Testing.

So within the fine city of Wutai alert for help goes out. Cries for aid and assistance. No heartless walks here, but something on the edge does. The very dark armor figured who's form is almost phased out by the dark mist that swirls off his armor. With each step, a dark pool of mist forms only to fade away when the foot leaves the ground.

Some attack. Some run. Those who attack though find quickly they should run. Kunai fly, piercing into the darkness, some strikes being knocked away with a simple gesture of the hand as if swatting a fly out of the sky. Several people of Wutai run forward with their swords only to find dark tendrils wrapping around them to lift them into the air.

Holding them in the air as the Dark Knight moves in closer. One of them however is thrown to the side through a window, while the other is held in the air, slowly being strangled. "You are brave." His deep voice rumbles as what should be red eyes peering out, are for some reason now orange in color. "Your heart is bright.. pity that you may never know of it."

"Let me go!" The man roars at the Dark Knight.

"Struggle. Fight. It only makes it stronger."

A young girl runs out with a bat in her hand. She swings it and finds the Dark Knight's hand coming around to grab it. "Your turn will come." He says with the coldness known in his voice before tossing her aside.

"Jade!" the man cries, before the he finds himself looking right back at the Dark Knight once more. Yet before he can roar out, he suddenly finds himself frozen in place. The Dark Knights hand phased right through him as it slowly pulls out a crystal heart; much like a heartless. The dark mist around his hand quickly moves around the crystal heart before the glow seems to vanish and the man is dropped to the ground.

As the darkness pulls away, the heart is gone and the body left to be consumed by darkness that was left behind with no heart. Yet the Dark Knight slowly turns toward the girl. His orange eyes glowing brightly with the edges nearly brilliant gold.

The young woman picks up her bat once more and tries to hold her ground before she yells loudly, "You wont win!"

Yet the Dark Knight only approaches her slowly. Methodically. Like a hunter stalking its prey...

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Wutai.

It was a nation that reminded him fondly of the Land of Dragons, with many distinct differences, and several more subtle ones. Artemis had been thrilled, as she loved the teahouses. The rest of the Braves were staying at a nearby inn, as the young heretic leader took a walk on his own down the streets of Wutai. He enjoyed the sights, the cherry blossom trees in full bloom, the culture, the food...

It didn't last, it never did.

When the screams started, he immediately ran in the direction of them, to observe something horrific. The Dark Knight from Fluorgis was here, and had killed a man.

His normally controlled face was now a mask of contempt and rage. In one swift motion he withdrew his Cinqueda, /Grass/ from its sheath, and charged in. Uncaring of the danger or his lack of backup. As he ran, he cast several spells, allowing the power of protective enchantments to thrum through him. "Precious light, be our armor and protect us. Silent light, shield us from bloody iniquity!" And then he focused his Chi on the Chakra gate closest to his heart, opening it. Allowing the heart to quicken, pump faster.

He had to reach her in time.

Running so fast his boots literally skidded on the stonework when he stopped, he interposed himself between the young woman and the menacing figure that sought to take her life. "Get out of here, now!"

And then he raised his blade at a high guard, waiting for the Dark Knight to attack, as he knew he would.

Sydney Losstarot has posed:
Sydney walks out of a local bar, shaking his head irritatedly as he watches the kunai fly across the street. "I am sick and tired of fools like you making me play the hero." He mutters to himself under his breath. He watches curiously as he sees the mans heart stolen before his very eyes...interesting, to say the least. Sydney has to work fast, or else that kid is next on the menu. Sydney disappears with a blue flash.

VWOOOM.

Sydney appears, waggling a finger mockingly. "Beoulve." He says, smiling. How would he have known that? He doesn't say a word to Leon, though. He wraps his arms around the girl, and disappears with another blue flash. Being a short distance porter has its advantages.

"AHEM."

Sydney announces loudly from a nearby rooftop, apparently the destination he ported to as the girl flees. "Only an unskilled hunter would dare to strike against a fawn." He says, with discontent in his voice. He raises his hand above his head, and an enhancing magical Aura.

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
What rotten luck. Seriously. Can she step out of the house for some groceries and supplies ONE DAY without a dark knight trying to tear the place over? Carrying a sort of basket on wheels, she had it filled with drinks for the bar, Wutai has a collection of sake that can't be found anywhere else after all, with its asian style. Not that she would know what asian is, not part of her world.

On that note, Old China is amazing for drinks too.

But anyway, she finds herself leaving the carriage aside as she rushes to get some of the people away, pushing them out of the way of a series of tendrils reaching out for them "Watch out!" This looks like Goug all over again. She shakes a fist "If you're going to attack a city for the fun of it can't you leave the people alone!?" This is so frustrating. She's had enough of losing a village to fire, seeing other places attacked by darkness doesn't please her at all.

Hasn't she seen that dark knight before? She can't remember though, but they all look the same to her ~_~ Grumblegrumblecolorcodingjerks. She looks over to Kim "Guess ew gotta do this again huh?" She shines some of her magic over her frield, sending her off while she handles the last citizens in in the back row.

Souji Murasame has posed:
The attention may be on the ground.

However, there is a rumble in the distance, the air crackling and splitting as stormclouds roll in. There is a breaching of a dark shape within the clouds, the black steel and neon blue of the strange airship becoming visible. Lightning crackles around it, being asborbed into the wide horseshoe-like ring around the side of the ship, where sizzling weapons hang on the end of each side, humming with power. The foredeck is layered, a large energy sail rising from the center of the deck and providing graceful propulsion along with the thrusters on the back of the ship. The rear of the ship provides a way to get down into the ship proper.

The side of the ship provides the name of the alien, graceful craft: AME-NO-TORIFUNE

At the fore of the ship, Souji Murasame stands, looking down from the prow as the wind and lightning whips past him. Behind him is assembled a team of some of his... warriors. Let's just go with that. Warriors. "Wutai is in danger. I can't sell to Heartless." He looks over his shoulder. "Besides... It would do us well to see the capabilities of this... Dark Knight. Deploy and stop him."

Souji leaps from the ship, descending from the air and falling towards the ground in a freefall.

The others can use their own methods of transportation... Or perhaps the aerial loader skiff on the side of the craft.

The Cloud King has posed:
And yet another was amidst the area today, by chance perhaps, or by fate. He didn't know didn't care. The Cloud King was here on his own business and what that business was he most certainly hadn't said.

Even as he walked through the sky above with his wings aloft as if he was having a casual stroll through the area. His left hand was in his pocket while his right was held aloft, up towards his face. A book floated above it and he seemingly read from it, nary a care in the world.
Of course, far below, a small trinket vanished that was left on the bench next to someone who had just started to panic and flee from the Dark Knight who was invading the area.

"Hmmm?" A sound of confusion was made as the book vanishes and is replaced by the plain rope-braided pendant, looking at it before 'meh'ing and tossing it aside like it was refuse. "No, no, this shall not do. Most certainly not, what to do, what to do!"
Even as the dapper-looking fellow with wings and pink hair mumbled to himself, the shouting and screaming from below, the sudden surge of darkness... he verily crinkled his nose as if an unpleasant scent had been passed right beneath it on the wind. "Oh bother indeed. I know what I am after is here, and yet... so is darkness I fear. Whatever shall I do? No time to stay, but I must play, else my quarry will be lost, dear dear..."

Then a man came to play the hero, demanding the evil knight leave.
And to his side soon came another, yet that one seemed off somehow.

Soon enough a few came, and a faint smile crossed the Kings lips as he floated down and wound up with his wings flapping back and forth from above the group like an angel in the sky, petals of roses floating around him as both hands were now out of his pockets and facing the Dark Knight, palms up.

"I do believe you heard them all, none want you here. Shoo, shoo! Begone, you! Nasty thing, you stink like those world-gobbling beasts, and dress yourself like one too!"
The area began to smell faintly of flowers, then a bit more brightly before suddenly there were flower petals everywhere, scattering, distracting, annoying perhaps even if one found such that way. Though the wind seemed to blow all of the petals, eventually, towards the Dark Knight. Some began to form together into ropey vines of 'thorn' petals, whereas others simply scattered into dust, pollen in the wind, attempting to coat and screw with the Knight in hopes he would simply up and be gone.

Oh bother indeed, what a day.

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena stands behind Souji, "Well...I suppose we have enough time." She says, "You do have a meeting in five hours, though." She points out to Souji. "So we will have to finish this fast." she comments, and nods. "Well, then...let us do our best!" she says, with a bit of a perkyness to her step. However before they leave...

She touches Minette on the back of the neck and lower on her back. Her chakram shoots through her, opening up the flow of her chi an...okay, she just gave her a buff.

She leaps off of the ship right behind Souji, and on the way down strikes him with similar effect, before flipping down and hitting the ground with a thud!

"Hello!" she says towards the Dark Knight. "You would do well to surrender now, but I suppose you will not." She says.

Emi Dennou has posed:
Emi Dennou has attached herself towards the back of Souji's aircraft. She is clinging pretty strongly through the use of STATIC SHOCKU. Emi Dennou, being a detective, is someone who firmly believes it's totally okay to pry into other people's business. Sometimes she does this even when she isn't hired to do so, however, so she may take it a little farther than most. Hey, if people's business was so personal, they'd be less interesting! And Souji is nothing if not interesting.
rShe doesn't 'read' his glasses for the moment, however, instead electing to follow their lead.

After all, if she jumps in too quickly, she might end up in a strange situation she misunderstood.

Omi of course is slinking around as well, no doubt keeping an eye on Ramza relatively out of sight. She also is wearing glasses despite not needing them.

Minette Odam has posed:
Minette is holding a telescope up to her eye, standing off to Souji's left. The confluence of glass between her eye and the village is staggering. "I don't think these people have much more then two gil to rub togather, Mr. Murasame. Not gonna be a good place for outlets, but there's a potential labor force here. Even if there's no good lumber trees in the area. Or mining veins. Or major crossroads. I'm thinking... manufacturing."

Minette's telescope focuses on some crazy person that's falling through the sky. "Ha ha, look at that guy, he's in the sk--oh snickies, that's /the boss/." Minette lowers her telescope, looks around to find Souji, and his absence confirms this. She sighs, leaping out of the airship. On mathamatically assisted leap later and she's on the ground in a mostly painless fashion (hit a haystack) and staggering out into the street. She starts at the Dark Knight; okay, /that/ is terrifying.

"Oh maaaaaaan, /bad guys/. I /totally/ didn't want to fight /bad guys/ today..." Minette glances about, then calls out "Time Out!" As she calculates a Stop across the battlefield. Minette glances about to make sure that she's the only one still moving in this moment of stolen time, then turns around, crouches down, and... starts giving herself a pep talk.

"You can do it, Minette. You can do it, Minette. You can do it, Minette. Aim for the top! Reach for the top! YEAH!" Minette pops up, pumping a fist into the air. "O-K GOOD! Time in!"

And then Helena's buff washes over her, empowering her body, and Minette mistakes this for her pep talk actually working. She draws a yo-yo from her hip holster and spins the toy about over her head like a meteor hammer. "Okay, /bad guy/, surrender and I'll shoot!"

Jidro Gerrison has posed:
At the fore of the ship, Jidro is standing beside Murasame, looking down towards the situation from the sky. As he rides along Ame-No-Torifune, Jidro had been using bits of his magic to keep it stablized in the air. However, he had been tasked out to deploy for combat.

This is for real combat, not the practice ones that they did at the school. Inwardly, Jidro is afraid. Outwardly, he is shaking but he keeps a calm face. That reliable nature of his is perservering for the task.

"Understood, Mr. Murasame."

Jidro opens the codex, then he flips the pages of it. Through a few incanttions, Jidro is engulfed with a sphere with a gust blowing around him. He soon takes a couple of steps forward and he springs off from the ship.

A hand lifts to the sky as he begins uttering incantations. Jidro is already drawing forth the magical forces to bend to his will. Mana, the essence of life, radiates a red light as the gates ripple into existence.

Upon his descent towards the ground, Jidro gazes at the Dark Knight.

. o O ( OH GOD HE IS GOING TO KILL ME WHY AM I NOT RUNNING WHY AM I NOT RUNNING WHY AM I NOT RUNNING?! )

"Everyone has deemed you unwelcomed, Dark Knight."

. O O ( DON'T WANNA DIE DON'T WANNA DIE DON'T WANNA DIE! )

Finally finishing the incantation, Jidro snaps his fingers.

"Fire."

From beneath the soil ripples open the earth; the crimson flames erupt in a plume, seeking to scorch the knight asunder.

Kim Possible has posed:
If you were to ask what Kim Possible thought of Wutai, she'd tell you that it looked like she'd gone to Japan or something. In fact, Kim would think of it as a cool place to come and look around... at least until she learned that ShinRa was operating there, and from what she'd heard about them, ShinRa's totally uncool. Not to mention, Kim wasn't even in the mood for doing things like this. She and Tifa had been out enjoying Wutai and buying the stuff that Tifa wanted to buy. Of course, now that things are starting to go crazy, it's a bit different.

"We can never catch a break, it's totally uncool!" Kim says with a nod to Tifa, not liking this one bit. "We're gonna have to take care of this, and don't worry, we can do anything!" Her grin and her demeanor seems to emit an aura around her and Tifa.

Myla Mason has posed:
Myla Mason had exploring this land some more as she needed to get out what she wasn't expecting was Leon to show up here. She'd been in a good mood trying the local fair. That had basically ended when the chaos had started. She'd just been on her own exploring and now her trip pretty much is over she has notices that Souji and some of his employees are here.

She's already drawing her pistols.

"You again?"

She's already prepareing for the attack as she chants a brief spell of her own.

Riku has posed:
One way or another, Riku has just given into the concept of never knowing where he was going or where the portal would displace him to next. It was no longer exhausting but neither did it completely seem to be random.

Maybe it's like the boat. It takes him where he needs to be, not where he wants to go. Regardless there's always the temptation to try and make it work that one more time. It was such a useful tool, being able to be wherever he needed to go.

Annnnd again.. it dumps him out in the sky somewhere. Riku yelps and thumps down solidly on the roof of a building, sliding down the curve uncontrollably before his feet catch and he slides to a halt. He slowly stands up and is almost immediately knocked flat again by the feeling of immediate darkness. It hits harder than he thought he would and the aura leaves him momentarily breathless. The screams carry up to him as he looks down on the scene with a numbing horror.

He grits his teeth hard, something twinging inside him as the dark knight renches a heart from the body of the man who stood against them. "Hey!" he barks from the rooftop, anger slowly churning to life in his voice and his eyes tinging amber. "What the hell do you think your doing?! You ever thought about eating something lighter? Like.. I don't know.. /waffles/? Those at least don't come with a complete /asskicking/."

He jumps down from the rooftop, advancing through the crowd as he straightens from a crouch.

Leon has posed:

The young girl looks at Ramza before she stares at him. "I am going to avenge my brother! He took him from me and I am not scared of the dead!"

However Sydney portals in and blinks her to a near by roof top. She staggers back a few times before she growls with anger. "Hey! Didn't any of you hear me!" She huffs, then glances around. Before she gets a mischievous look in her face. She suddenly runs across the roof top, to another roof top, before sliding down a pole and then ducking into a store that sold-- fireworks? Right.

The Dark Knight watches his prey be taken away by someone who has a great deal of darkness around them, but within. Deep within, they are a curious individual by heart. Yet he had little time to really break down what he was seeing as suddenly more of the Heroes of light started to emerge.

His eyes darted to each one of them, including even some thinking he was here for 'fun'. He places out his hand with simple ease. The dark mist extends out from his, slowly wisping around in the air before the very Soul Blade seems to be crafted in mid air, or summoned to him from some where else within the Darkness.

So many hearts that face him. Some bright, some dimmer then others, some maybe even on the shade of being dark themselves. Yet his eyes slowly glanced up toward Riku as he yelled about eating 'waffles'. Before he eyes seem to roam over the group before him.

He slowly lowers his sword by his side. No words spoken. None that need to be said. Utter silence from the Dark Knight. The more start to come dropping down from above. Many stating the obvious, that he should not be here. Some readying up while others prepare to attack. Yet the silence continues to stay. No words spoken still.

The Cloud King makes his attention here very clear. The vine whips of thorns come out along with the dust of pollen and sharp petals alike. The Dark Knight swiftly uses the blade to cut the thorns before, 'blinking' in a poof of dark smoking mist out of the way of the petals and seeming to shake his head at the irritation of the pollen.

For the King's efforts, he finds tendrils of darkness sent his way and attempting to pull him to the very ground, if not flinging him into a few crates.

Then suddenly from behind the fires come rushing in. The blazing flames lick up the dark armor. The very dark mist of the armor fighting with the darkness. The two forms fighting with one another as the Dark Knight starts to make his way through the fire. His burning orange eyes almost matching the color of the very fire around him as he stares directly at Jidro. Then motioning his free hand, dark tendrils suddenly fly out for him before giving him the same treatment as the Cloud King.

The Dark Knight then at last looks at them all again and now he at last speaks. "Where there is darkness. There will be light. Where there is light. I will always be. Today. I will have your hearts."

His blade then starts to glow as it channels in the dark energy around him. He seems to blink in a 'puff' of dark smoke up into the air. He places out his free hand as more dark tendrils lash out across from his own form and from the ground below where he just left from. Attempting to pull down everyone into the ground and if not to a center focal point.

"Show me your courage." He says with his voice still remaining calm, before he suddenly spins in the air, the pauldrons on his shoulder almost seeming to morph slightly closer to his armor, the cape becoming more free, and then a massive dark blast of energy is swung down like a blade ripping the very air to strike everyone that had been pulled by the tendrils. Not only breaking them free but also blasting them back as he lands and sends out another.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Sydney saying his name didn't suprise him. After all, his name and face were peppered around on wanted posters and handbills all throughout the land courtesy of the Church. He was completely unconcerned about anyone recognizing him at this point. That the man rescued the girl certainly endeared himself in a way to Ramza. His first concern had always been getting the civilians out of the way.

His second, killing the monster before he took any more innocent lives.

He recognized many of the other individuals around him. Namely Riku, Souji, and many others in his employ. He might have even greeted them affably if the battle were in more light-hearted circumstances. They were not. And he had no intent to hold back on this creature, he knew how powerful it was from their previous battle, and he knew well the consequences of failure.

Dark tendrils lashed at him, but he was already rushing forward at him. Countering his attack with a stabbing motion in the gap of his armor nearest his sword arm, he released the hilt of the blade. His intent had only been to step inside of his guard, after all. And then he swung his fists with a haymaker punch right into his armor over the left side of his breastplate. It may have seemed absurd, to punch the man right into platemail, but with each blow he enhanced his chi. And each blow fell like a sledgehammer, if it connected.

"You seek our hearts? Then it is only fair.." He'd punch repeatedly, angrily, seeking to challenge the armor, testing it to see if it was truly made of dross. Each blow falling faster, and harder. And then.. if cracks opened, he would reel back his fist. "...that I return the favor."

"Bright light..." His reeled back fist began to glow with the energy of the spell, and then he'd throw the fist as hard as he could right into the left side of Leon's chest, just over his heart. "....shine down on bloody impurity!"

The energy of a Holy spell would be released as his fist landed, right over Leon's heart, as bolts of divine energy rose, then surged upwards towards the heavens.

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena lands, ready to get out of harm's way...but the sudden DRAWING in causes her to lose her footing, and falls back, as tendrils of darkness dig into her. However, dispite that, she manages to flip back to her feet...she looks delicate, but she seems to be tougher than first expected. Slowly, she rubs her wounds, and slowly looking around..

Jidro and Minette were already failing. She sighs, sufferingly, and gets back to her feet, looking to the two of them.

She dives towards them, striking each wound with her 'tender' care...before she dances back, touching them both across the back of the neck again.

The wounds would close, but...the skin wouldn't become normal. It looked yellowish...dead like. It would EVENTUALLY heal...but for now, it looks kinda...

Patchwork.

"Oh boy, a talker. Will you tell us about how you will kill us all? Give me some GOOD monolog! I swear, if you bore me tonight, you will regret it."

Sydney Losstarot has posed:
Sydney frowns, shaking his head disappointedly as the ball of darkness flies towards him. With another VWOOM, and a flash of blue, Sydney is standing on the floor again. "Courage would imply horror. And I'm afraid thats a trait you simply don't command." He says, brandishing his claws menacingly.

Three pale yellow eyes rise forth from Sydneys shadow, quickly gaining corporeal form as...Shadows. The heartlessy ones. They look different from normal ones, each branded with a blood-sin on their back. They simply stand at Sydneys sides for a few moments, gazing hungrily at Leon. "Go forth, Shadows. Consume his heart. Do evil unto evil." He commands, raising a clawed finger towards Leon. The three heartless leap forth, flailing their claws madly in an attempt at eviscerating Leon.

Minette Odam has posed:
Minette does not show the Dark Knight her courage. Instead, she shows him her backside, retreating away from the overwhelming blade of darkness that sweeps over the local area. But this does her little functional good and she's sent flying past Souji's position with a high-pitched cry of 'KYAAAAAH!' or something very much like it.

Standing behind the boss... that sounds... like a /really/ good idea to Minette as she staggers to her feet, the darkness sending coursing lines through her body. She gives Helena a thumbs up, but it really looks like a thumbs down because Minette is upside down when she makes it. "Uguh..." Minette exclaims, eloquently, as she reaches for her weapon. She can't back down, not with the boss just standing there /watching/, and so she turns her eyes to the battlefield. And then she starts to See it. The physical numbers of people's momentum. Their probabilities. And perhaps most importantly... the angles of deflection. She launches her yo-yo forwards, and man oh man is that string longer then you'd think it has any right to be. The mythril head starts bouncing around the battlefield, coming at Leon from several different angles.

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji hits the ground in the middle of the battle, and there is a deep rushing of air. With a massive explosion, the ground surrounding Souji buckles, and sends Leion flying for critical moments. Souji stands, his glasses glittering with faint images as he looks up at the Dark Knight... And the Knight descends back towards him, tendrils of blackness striking for him moments before flames erupt. The blast wave sears towards him....

"Murasame... Let's go." Souji twists, and fraws his weapon: An ornate katana, forged of black steel and deeply etched with runes of hunger and pain, gleaming crimson in anticipation of the slaughter to come.

With a single strike, he turns and cleaves with his blade, the black tendrils shearing away around him and the blast wave carving in half, blasting to either side. It singes his suit, and he squints at the blackening of the edges of his suit and the burning sensations along his flesh, but grits his teeth to prevent himself from crying out. One must have their pride.

"You will not have my heart, Dark Knight of Palamecia." Souji intones. "Come. Show me the power of the Hand of Mateus! The Murasame bends before no man!" He inverts his blade, sweeping it upwards as he strikes in a deadly combination strike, sending out a crackling pressure wave towards Leon, before following it up with a sizzling wave of lightning, sending it out @emit Souji hits the ground in the middle of the battle, and there is a deep rushing of air. With a massive explosion, the ground surrounding Souji buckles, and sends Leion flying for critical moments. Souji stands, his glasses glittering with faint images as he looks up at the Dark Knight... And the Knight descends back towards him, tendrils of blackness striking for him moments before flames erupt. The blast wave sears towards him....

"Murasame... Let's go." Souji twists, and fraws his weapon: An ornate katana, forged of black steel and deeply etched with runes of hunger and pain, gleaming crimson in anticipation of the slaughter to come.

With a single strike, he turns and cleaves with his blade, the black tendrils shearing away around him and the blast wave carving in half, blasting to either side. It singes his suit, and he squints at the blackening of the edges of his suit and the burning sensations along his flesh, but grits his teeth to prevent himself from crying out. One must have their pride.

"You will not have my heart, Dark Knight of Palamecia." Souji intones. "Come. Show me the power of the Hand of Mateus! The Murasame bends before no man!" He inverts his blade, sweeping it upwards as he strikes in a deadly combination strike, sending out a crackling pressure wave towards Leon, before following it up with a sizzling wave of lightning, sending it out, then raising the weapon, a lance of lightning exploding upward into the air and descending in a curling blade of thunder upon the enemy.

He glances over at the mysterious Losstarot as he steps back, recovering from the strike. "At least have some respect for the man. He is fighting alone against difficult odds. Do not underestimate him so much."

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Its definitely the same as last time. Its ExDeath Junior, just great! "Why is it always the same with you guys!? Show me your courage, show me your light, as if we had nothing else to do than kicking your a---ACCCK!" She's cute off, literally and figuratively, by the darkness lashing out at her. She can't dodge everything, and it leaves marks over her skin and leather top, right across her shoulder. She holds her shoulder a bit as she staggers. "Not even able to finish a sentence. She grumbles. At least doesn't have Gilgamesh around this time, one less target to knock out.

She moved the citizens out of the way, pointing them down the road to safety, so she's able to concentrate on the fight. Jade is not really of concern right now, others are closer too, not too worried there. She jumps in to attack, striking up into the armored guy, hoping to dent its defenses at least. Which didn't do much on ExDeath last time. Hitting metal with bare fists is not always a good idea.

The Cloud King has posed:
"Oh dear."

When the darkness comes, the white-suited 'angel' vanishes just as he is hit, bursting into a swarm of petals and reappearing a little away. He looked down at his side as if he was hurt, and indeed there was a scratch in his attire, much like he'd been hit.

"What a bother, now I have to change."

Reaching down to his outfit, the Cloud King gives it a simple tug and flick and it rips clean off him. Another brand new outfit was beneath it, casually tossing aside the old one as if it was nothing.
Oh, wait, it /was/ nothing. It poofed into tiny little pollen sparklies in the air even as the Dark Knight continued to attack, "Go away, no one wants you here! Shoo!" he tried again, hands waving in a little 'shoo shoo' manner like an older woman trying to shoo away a pest at her home. Of course, all he got for it was another strike flying at him. Where he was a moment before he was gone just as soon as the attack touched him and soon he reappeared behind the Dark Knight as if he had been there all along.

"How rude. You have terrible manners, no matter how curt you are and to the point. Begone, heart gobbler!"

That was the Dark Knights new name from the Cloud King. Heart Gobbler. He didn't gobble worlds, simply hearts. Which was even worse! No one wants their heart gobbled right up!

Hands outstretched again, the area seems to swell once more with the scent of flowers, fighting back the 'darkness' only in that it was at least pleasant to smell. A fresh field of flowers would smell like this~ Perhaps this is what Dorothy smelled when she entered the flower fields.

And just as soon he was gone. And reappeared nearby Minette. "Do be careful, or else all those little self-encouraging words are for naught! Gobble gobble!" and he was gone again. Wait, did she even have time to properly see him? Or did he ever truly leave where he was to begin with? Hard to say~
Right about this point the pollen and petals that had begun to form in the air and surround him drop down to the ground and settle before a field of clovers burst forth from the ground. All an illusion, even if they look quite real~ Only for the clovers to scream, "COME CLOVER!" and hands burst out to grab at the Dark Knight, trying to grab at the Dark Knight before trying to throw him into the air, which at that point the thistly thorns had reformed from pollen that shot up from the burst, trying to knock him down, just as soon as a swarm of sharp, cutting leaves flew out like tiny pieces of paper towards the Dark Knight. Hardly anything that could cut the armor proper, but they weren't really designed to hurt. They were paper.
Paper cuts.

Leaf cuts.

Annoying, stinging, hardly dangerous but painful things.

Myla Mason has posed:
Myla Mason seeing the kid is all right he fully turns her attention upon him and she's moving in with her weapons ready. She just shakes her head at him she doen't want to show him her courage she's just sick of people like him. She just moves in she sees teh darkness comming and she's caught by it forced back and is harmed but not too badly, then she opens fire with the magitek pistols.

Kim Possible has posed:
With something like that coming at Kim, you'd think her first instinct would be to get out of the way, right? Well, the thing about Kim is that her philosophy about being able to do anything applies even in the most dire of situations. Which is why as Leon launches his attack, Kim is quite ready for him. She utilizes a series of martial arts style attacks that not only get her out of the way, but also land a counter-attack on Leon as well. How does she do it? That's top secret!

"Whoa, you are so totally beyond uncool! You are a total loser!" Kim says with a scowl, her eyes half-narrowed to emphasise the sarcasm within it. "Looks like we're gonna have to teach you a lesson on how to be a bit cooler!" Kim fires her grappling hook at a nearby object, using it to swing at Leon and strike him, before dropping down and attempting to deliver a swift punch, and then finish it off with a specialized kick. His armor may seem tough, but how do you know Kim's gloves and shoes aren't reinforced?

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji hits the ground in the middle of the battle, and there is a deep rushing of air. With a massive explosion, the ground surrounding Souji buckles, and sends Leion flying for critical moments. Souji stands, his glasses glittering with faint images as he looks up at the Dark Knight... And the Knight descends back towards him, tendrils of blackness striking for him moments before flames erupt. The blast wave sears towards him....

"Murasame... Let's go." Souji twists, and fraws his weapon: An ornate katana, forged of black steel and deeply etched with runes of hunger and pain, gleaming crimson in anticipation of the slaughter to come.

With a single strike, he turns and cleaves with his blade, the black tendrils shearing away around him and the blast wave carving in half, blasting to either side. It singes his suit, and he squints at the blackening of the edges of his suit and the burning sensations along his flesh, but grits his teeth to prevent himself from crying out. One must have their pride.

"You will not have my heart, Dark Knight!" Souji intones. "Come. Show me your own power! The Murasame bends before no man!" He inverts his blade, sweeping it upwards as he strikes in a deadly combination strike, sending out a crackling pressure wave towards Leon, before following it up with a sizzling wave of lightning, sending it out, sending it out, then raising the weapon, a lance of lightning exploding upward into the air and descending in a curling blade of thunder upon the enemy.

He glances over at the mysterious Losstarot as he steps back, recovering from the strike. "At least have some respect for the man. He is fighting alone against difficult odds. Do not underestimate him so much."

Emi Dennou has posed:
Umi remains out of sight. So judgemental some people are, she thinks, as she listens to Sydney's dialogue. Of course, assuming the Dark Knight doesn't have honor might be a fair assumption but everyone has a story to tell, there may be more than meets the eye. He may be a transformer of some kind.

Ramza seems to have matters handled so far, so she's going to hang back for the moment as she draws out a knife into her hand.

Emi drops down suddenly towards the ground. She lands--apparently--feet first towards Helena's left shoulder and indeed--she does--but she doesn't land with crushing force or anything, indeed--she manages to slow herself down that she lands rather lightly--but firmly--on Helena's shoulder, electricity rippling along her leg as she holds one out to balance herself.

"The Network apologizes, Helena, but will make the most of this awkward positioning--"

And then she springboards off Helena, using the metal in her body to help propel her more quickly towards Leon--

Whom she attempts to clobber with her assault rifle as she flies by, spinning back to unleash a pair of electric bolts for his body as she spins away.

Jidro Gerrison has posed:
As Jidro summons forth the flames, the young mage watches with interest to see how the knight fares. Will be become deterred? Will he brave it? Will he magically dispel the flames? Much worse. He walks through the flames undeterred like a man on a mission. There is a sense of pride falling completely into the earth.

As the dark tendril rises from the earth, Jidro's eyes widen when he becomes ensnared. "Wh---" Before he can even give out a wail of fear, he is flung into a few crates.

"Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeee!!!"

There is the wail. It was just delayed. There is a horrible sound as Jidro is smacked against the crates, laning harhly against the earth.

He is staggering to his feet. He instantly regrets getting back up when the wave of darkness is soaring along his path. They rush along the sky, tearing through the earth to strike him down. The darkness sends Jidro sprawling against the wall and even THROUGH one of the structures of the houses. This leaves the mage a bloody mess. He twitches, coughing up a bit of blood while he tries to remember how to count to three.

Thankfully, Helena comes to the rescue to patch him up. It is a tender care that is given. He looks over towards the yellowish, deadlike material.

....

Jidro screams like a girl.

However, he quickly recovers and he sucks in a breath. "OhLeviathawhy?!" He calms and he offers Helena a faint smile, "Thank you, Ms. Celba." He flips open the pages, trying to thumb through his spells. He even moves down to his pouch to quaff a potion. Ngghh! He chokes at the taste, but he recovers well enough.

Flipping the pages, he starts releasing another incantation before his voice gives out a call, "Thunderaga!"

As the nature commands, a cloud overcasts around Leon. Lightning crackles before a burst of thunder erupts a roar. This follows through with cage-like lightning bolts tearng down towards Leon's form. Should the bolts of lightning erupt, it'll release a burst upward to send him of the ground.

Riku has posed:
Riku dives to one side as the tendril of darkness sears into him, picking him up and slamming him down right in front of the dark knight. The feeling of the darkness is somehow electric and so shocking that it knocks the wind out of him. He's not ready then for the blast of dark energy that comes latter and is knock backwards as he wrenches free and back onto his feet. Red flashes in front of his face and he suddenly can't breathe.

Eventually he regains his footing and closes his eyes, searching in vain for his abilities. It.. it wasn't there. It wasn't where he looked for it. He grits his teeth against the unnatural cold of the dark energy and threw himself forwards, having no regard for the people around him other than at the back of his mind regarding Ramza and nodding to them before lashing out at the dark knight. The Archadian steel is whipped from the sheath and brought down as hard as possible, cutting towards the collarbone of the dark knight and then slashing towards the waist and a final slash downwards aimed at the hip.

They are just muscle power and steel however and no power behind them except that.

Leon has posed:

Ramza's fist impacts into the very darkness. Yet each strike finds the dark mist moving outward, just as quickly as it recollects itself. Each strike not moving any deeper. It is not until he reels back his fist with holy light and then slams it forward does the strike seems to disperse the darkness and his fist nearly breaking into the armor.

The light explodes on the impact, causing the Dark Knight to skid back. Yet for its power, what creates light, creates shadows. What creates shadows, the darkness uses. The mark of impact on the left section of his armor starts to swirl with darkness once more, regenerating itself once more though it take time for that section to full come back to strength.

Helene only gains a slight glance over from the Dark Knight before his attention turns to Sydney as he seems to summon creatures that have the likeness to heartless. Yet if they were heartless they would find nothing within the armored knight. For the heart within was far to locked up by the very one who created him.

Yet what these heartless-like creatures do attack is the very man they were aimed to strike out at. Handling heartless is something the Dark Knight is use to dealing with. After all, the price of taking hearts is what you make. Even if you can not /kill/ them, you can disperse them back into the very darkness they come from.

His Soul Blade swings down, slashing one, then the other, before one of the creatures slashes at the very darkness over his armor. The very darkness that also perhaps it is made of as well, if not something akin too. Those orange eyes turn almost gold as suddenly the darkness flares out, shoving the creature back. It was much like a lion roaring a cat really.

It was enough of a distraction however for the strange yo-yos to suddenly tangle themselves around the Dark Knight, smacking at him and sending him back a few times. Those yellow eyes turning orange once more look directly at the owner of the weapons before he suddenly 'blinks' free and is nearly on top of woman who uses them. His blade slashes at Odam, the very tip of it seeming to take on a ghostly, almost invisible like structure as it moves through her. Attempting to swipe at her inner being.

About the time he turns around to hear Souji's words, his attack blasts into him. The very electrical energy and sheer force knock him flat into the air as he tries to defend against it. The electrical surges roam around his armor. Each time a dark wisp of mist flicks off before trying to reseal itself once more. Yet being up in the air gave him time to see Kim sweeping in, he placed out his hand and used the very darkness within him and bound to him to suddenly pull himself swiftly to the ground.

Though Kim followed him down, her punches are quickly blocked away and her kick comes to impact the heavy arm guard. He stares directly into her eyes for a moment before something catches his attention of another coming in. Emi suddenly rushes in and her assault rifle comes in close, but she meets his Sword on the way by. What really gets him is the sudden electric shots that only combine with what Souji has already done. Almost planting the Dark Knight onto the ground, as he staggers for a moment. Then Jidro only continues to add to this punishment. The massive lightning spell slamming down on the Dark Knight, rendering him down to his knee. His body almost twitching as the electric current runs around and through him. Like a machine almost. Yet no sound of pain. No sound of agony. Yep, just like a machine or a golem.

With his slow recovery as he starts to stand once more, the bar maid suddenly swoops in named Tifa, and slams the Dark Knight back. The Armored figure rolls along the ground before he suddenly corrects himself during the roll. His orange eyes suddenly light up back to life as they were once closed looking directly at her. He then 'blinks' towards Tifa, moving out his blade to strike at her as he goes to move by her. Yet this leads him directly into Myla's attacks and her own bullets seem to slam him around a bit as the darkness flares off. So many had gathered. So many had come. So many would need to fall quickly to just a few.

The Cloud King attempts to toss up the Dark Knight then into the air, before the dark tendrils come from the Dark Knight again, using the Cloud King as the means to get down. Though the leafs and thorns pierce through the darkness scraping across the weakening dark mist of his armor, the Dark Knight lands on the ground once more, before 'blinking' to a new location. This happen to leave him directly into the path of Riku.

Leon has posed:

The sheer force of the impacts of the blade cut into the darkness. Attempting to break through with each blow as they nearly do. Metal though, metal though could be heard impacting metal even though not seen. The Dark Knight gazes at Riku before suddenly slashing his own sword in reply before he 'blinks' to a new location.

Then his eyes glow brightly as his sword that is starting to gleam blue. A very rune forms under the ground which the Dark Knight impales with his blade. The Rune shatters and massive crystal blue swords fall from the sky. Not one for each person, but two. Trying to catch them in a crossing manner. Attempting to encase them within the very crystal structure.

Then the Dark Knight rapidly blinks in puffs of 'smoke' to each of the blades that have captured their host. Each that was attempting to freeze them into cold darkness. Which his glowing blade goes to slash through. Not only shattering the crystal swords to free the host within, but to also take away a part of their very life energy to replenish his own. To speed up the darkness so it may once again defend him as it should.

Sydney Losstarot has posed:
A bored smirk forms across Sydneys face as Souji adresses him. "Perhaps. But this is a battlefield. Only a fool would dare partake in such an idealistic nonsense." He says, his palm against his chin boredly as he watches his Shadows go to work on Leon. Aaaand then he pushed them back. Defeated, the shadows disappear into the only darkness they can inhabit now that they are bonded to Sydney, his shadow. He looks down at them for a few seconds, raising a brow. "Hmph. Perhaps my spot is in the background."

Sydney turns his attention on Ramza, narrowing his eyes into slits. "I have heard good things about you, Beoulve...Do /not/ disappoint me." Sydney lifts a palm, and a blast of magical auras burst forth, attempting to coat Ramza, along with a protective shroud of darkness.

Sydney Losstarot has posed:
A bored smirk forms across Sydneys face as Souji adresses him. "Perhaps. But this is a battlefield. Only a fool would dare partake in such an idealistic nonsense." He says, his palm against his chin boredly as he watches his Shadows go to work on Leon. Aaaand then he pushed them back. Defeated, the shadows disappear into the only darkness they can inhabit now that they are bonded to Sydney, his shadow. He looks down at them for a few seconds, raising a brow. In his distraction, he takes a direct hit from Leon. Rising to his feet, he coughs a little, the Blood-Sin flaring violently with the Dark. "Hmph. Perhaps my spot is in the background." He remarks, making a few paces away from Leon.

Sydney turns his attention on Ramza, narrowing his eyes into slits. "I have heard good things about you, Beoulve...Do /not/ disappoint me." Sydney lifts a palm, and a blast of magical auras burst forth, attempting to coat Ramza, along with a protective shroud of darkness.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
The young man would grasp the hilt of his Cinqueda, wrenching it out of the gap in Leon's armor, as he leapt back.

Fortunately for him, he made it out of the way just in time, as the Dark Knight is then battered from eleven different directions at once.

Feeling the power of his darkness gather, and anticipating what was coming, he'd raise a hand to the air, directing his purple crystalline shields upwards and shoring them up, to intercept the falling crystalline swords. The blades would impact, and shatter, showering him with razor sharp shards of glass-like crystal which still briefly held him in place, but not long enough. When he blinked to him, he skidded backwards, ensuring that the Dark Knight's cut went was shallow.

And then assessing the situation with the Dark Knight, he'd triage all of the participants of the battle. Riku he recognized to be more wounded than the rest, and so he'd take position nearby him, clasping a hand upon his shoulder. "Precious Light, be our armor and protect us! Silent Light, shield us from iniquity! Life's Refreshing Breeze, blow with power!"

Immediately, purplish crystalline barriers would spring into existence around Riku, before fading into translucence. Then a breeze of holy magic would flow through him, refreshing him, and closing his wounds."

And then he'd nod to Sydney in thanks. Though he didn't particularly care if he disappointed anyone or not. All he cared is that everyone made it out of this battle /alive/.

With that in mind, he'd cut the peaceknot of his Saya, and unsheathe a Katana from it, holding it in his left hand at at high guard, while he kept the Cinqueda in a relaxed position at his right.

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena is a quick thing.

Emi bounces off of her, and she squeeks surprised!

"Oh that's okay! But next time warn meeee....and maybe buy me dinner first."

Blades are easy to dodge, she rolls back and forth, the first blade being deflected by arm, as she rolls passed the blade and PUNCHES upwards for the second. Her fist colliding with the crystal blade and her eyes glow, darkness washes over her hand, and SHATTERS the blade.

"No." She says towards The Dark Knight. Minette seems pretty hurt...but she can get to her in a minute, Jidro manages to BE A MAN, and she nods once to him. "I am impressed." She says, "Keep it up!~"

However, she stomps the ground and looks towards the Dark Knight, she runs right at him. Her hands suddenly bristling with darkness, and flips over him, and then back around him. Her fists suddenly POUNDING into him.

Her strikes do not strike just at his armor, but there is some strange...strikes to them. She aims at specific points, pouring her own dark energy into him...

Until she flips back around, aiming a single finger for his forehead...aiming to LITTERALLY poke him in the brain.

What happens next, if she hits, is her strike DREDGES up the darkest and most painful memories or experiences...dragging them to the surface, and aiming to torture him with them, while she DRAINS spiritual energy, and she jumps back.

"Mmmm..."

Kim Possible has posed:
Unfortunately, there are times where even Kim Possible can't always get out of the way. Despite using her laser that's disguised as a lipstick container to show Leon she means business, Kim still manages to get caught by Leon's attack, and she goes flying across the area, although she manages to land on her hands and skid to a stop on her feet. Unfortunately, Kim's really peeved now. "That's it, this has gone beyond uncool! I'm totally going to teach you a lesson!"

Kim launches into a cartwheel at Leon, attempting to strike him with her feet, then deliver a swift uppercut... but not off the ground. Instead, she's going to use that as a precursor to a flurry of punches that Kim saves for when she's really angry!

Minette Odam has posed:
People start saying things to Minette, but she can't hear them over the sound of her getting her ass kicked. There are giant swords, and darkness, and explosions, and oh my gods it hurts like everything. Minette goes flying backwards, her body bouncing along the ground once, twice, three times before skidding to a stop nearby Souji. She looks up unsteady, then gives her boss a thumbs up. Her hand shakes. But still she gets up, because if she can stay standing for long enough then she can justify going to Alma for healing instead of Helena.

That'd be... great.

"Oh... okay... I'M GOING ALL OU--woah, no, everyone else is already doing that." Minette weighs discretion against charging into the fray while everyone's raining death on the dark knight and she'll just be plum darned if discretion doesn't win out. Quickly. Minette hangs back, then, as everyone unleashes. "Only going to get one shot at this... oh!"

Minette sees the math of it; she throws. The yo-yo travels in a sinusidal wave outwards; this is in defiance of what typically happens in nature, but she isn't using magic to 'steer' the yo-yo. No, she calculated the back-blasts of Jidro's magical explosions and is letting the physics of the changes in the air pressure guide her weapon to the target.

Jidro Gerrison has posed:
Sucking in a breath, Jidro is gathering himself, not wanting to waste anymore time after releasing the bolt of lightning. Gathering the essence of magic around him, he is already flipping through the pages of his book. He codex begins glowing with a bright aura.

As the Dark Knight draws forth the Dark Sword arts, Jidro will counter this matter.

"Rumbling earth, I call you to lend me your aid! Quake!"

The soil around Jidro shudders completely, then they erupt beside him. They start roaring to life to surround the mage. It's almost like a shield, given that they are acting as a buffer against the descending crystal blades. The crystal ice manages encase the manipulted earth with the ice, but the spell diminishes.

Sucking in a breath, Jidro is moving up towards Minette to support her. He is already channeling his magic, needing the time to prepare himself. "You can do it, Jidro... you can do this..."

...

"You can do it, Cid."

Nik would believe in him. In something of this adversary, Niklas would believe in him to do what needs to be done. Mustering up his bravery, the young mage is opening the book to access the further pages in the back. Magic is roaring to life around him.

The Cloud King has posed:
Of course, when the Cloud King gets caught, and forced to take a heavy hit? He knows it's time to leave. In something mighty close to a whoopwhoopwhoop exit, the Cloud King is knocked backwards when the crystal that caught him is shattered, and lands with a skid before crumpling up like a wilting flower under a foot. Slowly he stands, then announces quite simply, "And with that, I leave it up to you. Toodles~" And swoosh, the Cloud King flies /straight up into the air/, away from those here. Seemingly fleeing the scene.

Tactical GTFO.

Myla Mason has posed:
Myla Mason says "You come for hearts, you behave like your just some sort of drone I built in my lab to prototype swimmer."

She breks into a run holsteirnt her pistols and pulls the cutlass she's prone to using at times, she's got an intent to make use of it.

Then comes Leon's assault she's come to expect the darkness to tear at her body and she knows there's not much she can do other than try to endure it or dodge. She ends up doing the former keeping her weapon in hand she darts in lashing out with it, on each strike it would let out a burst of magic to add to the foce of the blow but can she keep close long enough to make any good of said creation? Or would it even effect leon.

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Even the flying swords of doom, yeah this is definitely all similar to Exdeath. but this time she saw it coming, and flipped out of the way as the swords try to latch on her vital energies. A jump, a bounce off a bench, a roll off the rooftop of the nearby building, and she's back in action. She clanks her fists together, both of them glowing with the energies that he couldn't take away from her "Let's see how you like this!"

Launching herself forward, evading the rest of the blades coming her way, she opens up his defense with a solid, upward kick, pushing that weapon away from her, and moves into the opening. One of the glowing fists move straight for the head, the other for the stomach, double hammer style as she wrecks Leon up with a double explosion that doesn't seem to affect her at all, save for blowing her hair behind her wildly.

Souji Murasame has posed:
"Hah. So you subscribe to the inevitable brutality of war. So be it." Souji replies, smiling himself. But at what? A moment later, Souji looks up to see the hissing crystal swords clash downwards. He throws up an arm, a crackling field of lightning rising to try to divert the blades, but they slam through the barrier, engulfing him. Encapsulating him in the darkness... That is then shattered by the blade of the Dark Knight, stealing his power and forcing him to stagger in pain from the severity of the wound. "You... You are not all talk, that is for sure." He brings the Murasame Blade back up and smiles through the pain. "/Good/."

He lunges forward... And then pauses. "Wait. Something is wrong here."

He looks left, he looks right. "Wait. We never did properly introduce ourselves, did we?" Souji says, looking to Leon. "My apologies." He gives a bow to the man. "My name is..."

<================================> - ~*~ - <=================================>

- A FORCE OF CAPITALISM HAS ARRIVED -

- SOUJI MURASAME -
- AND HIS HORDE OF MIDBOSSES... ER... VALUED EMPLOYEES -

- PREPARE FOR BATTLE -

<================================> - ~*~ - <=================================>

Souji snaps. "Much better. The forms must be obeyed." He brings his weapon around, and then narrows his eyes. "You are not the only one with such power, Dark Knight. Blade that hungers eternal, consume!" He brings his palm up and runs it along the weapon's edge, a ghostly flame erupting along the weapon. "MURASAME! COME FORTH!" He turns, slashing forward and driving Leon back with an explosion of force, cleaving with a horrific tearing sound as the air around Leon rips.... And black and crimson claws lash out, gripping for Leon to try to draw blood, feasting upon his life force for several horrible seconds, before the sword's spirit goes dormant once more.

Emi Dennou has posed:
Emi is caught by the sword and stumbles away from the mysterious Dark Knight, she goes down in a heap, a gash carved in her back. She grunts and presses her handds against the ground, struggling to stand herself up. This, naturally, troubles Omi who tsks through her teeth. She uses her knife as a focus, rather than flinging itself as a weapon, channeling electricity through it--before unleashing a larger blast that crackles for the Dark Knight's frame in a concentrated form.

She can appreciate the silence of an enemy agent. Talking too much is just annoying in battle anyway. She gives Souji a small nod, however, out of respect for his ... glasses.

Riku has posed:
Dark magic and Holy magic do not mix well. Riku retreats from the slashing blade and rolling back onto his feet. He grits his teeth and blows air out of his mouth as he prepares himself.

But he's simply too slow as he flips backwards away from the gleaming crystal and it catches him. The crossing swords pin his leg for just long enough and then SLAM together. Everything is lost in a burning dark crystalline prison. Paralyzed and unable to move, unable to scream, Riku is only able to wait for the inevitable shattering strike.

So cold.

And then pain and darkness as the blade shatters the dark crystal and Riku goes flying limply to the ground. It's Ramza that comes to his aid but the holy magic enfolding him almost makes him scream for a moment, burning fiercely in the wake of so much darkness.

It's only after that second of pain does the magic heal and restore and he shakily gets back onto his feet again. The teenager looked lost and bewildered, trying to gather himself together and get his thoughts in order as his eyes roved the battlefield for the dark knight. He raises a hand to Ramza. "Thanks!" he calls out hoarsely, skin still burning and inner self roiling and in tatters from the lifeforce brutually wrenched away. Weak and almost shaking, Riku grits his teeth in confusion and anger.

Leon has posed:

Attacks come in many forms and many types. Each of them striking back. Each of them flicking of the darkness that is trying to rebuild itself. Some even move to help others and get ready once more for another go into battle.

Heroes of many kinds gathered. Heroes and some, some far darker then others.

The problem with attempting to drown someone in darkness, who is darkness. Is that it doesn't always work the way you hope. Instead the Dark Knight allows them, seeming to almost siphon it away, before he uses Helena's own darkness to catch her attack. He hand comes close. Very close, before he able to once more move it aside with a quick side step to go along with it.

His golden orange eyes looking directly at Helena, before he responds to her with a very stillness in his voice, "No.". His eyes do narrow slightly as there is a low rumble that emits from him.

Then as he blinks back, he quickly has to raise up his defenses as suddenly Kim and Tifa both explode at him. Each one of them starting to slam away at the darkness he brings forth to take on the very damage they bring forth. The combination of both of them together, and their final blows knock him right back and nearly right over.

This leads him right into getting slammed hard by the Yo-yo from Minette and then leaves him open for Myla's open impacting strikes, the darkness splaying out before it tries to move right back in once more, seeming now to pour out from under his armor, instead of from around it. His eyes slowly going orange to an almost gold color now, glowing brightly in the darkness that hides any features that could ever be seen.

He lashes out the glowing sword at Myla attempting to strip away her life force once more to replenish his own.

Then Souji makes himself known and the Dark Knight turns to face them. Only catching the Cloud King running away into the sky. He would leave him be. He was not here to kill cowards. Their hearts were never bright enough for what he needs.

Souji bows and though the Dark Knight readies himself, he returns it with a simple nod of his head, before speaking with precision to his words. "A pleasure Souji Murasame. I will remember this for the future."

"Come." The Dark Knight states as he waits for Souji's attack. The massive rush of energy moves for him and the Dark Knight unleashes his own. The two forces impact one another, the two energies colliding, as one wraps around the other. The Darkness wave breaking free at last, while the other energy slams around the Dark Knight, his cape bellowing out from the sheer force. Yet what seals the deal is the massive crimson claws that suddenly slashes out, ripping away at darkness and scrapping into the metal, along with through some of the leather.

The force of it causing him to slide back, almost falling to his knee. Any blood that escapes, is quickly taken back by the darkness. Masking it, yet a few droplets of blood make it to the ground, before the darkness seems to absorb those as well.

As he struggles up to his feet. His eyes were starting to glow gold. His body almost limp, before it almost forces himself to straighten up in a nearly, almost inhuman fashion.

"Let me return the favor.. Souji Murasame.." The Dark Knight says calmly with a cold sound to his voice. The darkness around him flaring out as if in anger. "Let me hear your screams." The words coming out far to methodical. By now he should be in agony. In pain. He should be running. But he was not allowed to do these things. He was not created to do these things.

A servant to darkness. A servant to his master. A servant trapped.

Emi then makes a quick sneak attack while the Dark Knight isn't ready for it. Her electric knife cutting against the dark steel, as he returns to favor with a quick slash of his Soul Blade.

Yet the darkness continues to fling outward, before it blasts out over the area in a thick cloud. The young Girl, Jade comes out with some fireworks only to see the darkness of fog move over. She blinks and slinks right back in. Maybe her idea wasn't such a /good/ one now.

The darkness roams before the Dark Knight seems to vanish from where he stood. There was no sound. No whispers in the dark. Silence. Sheer silence. Only the sound of those breathing and hearts beating (unless your undead).

Then soon a blue light could be seen from up high as a massive red rune form on the ground, which only pours out more darkness. The Dark Knight slams his sword into it, the seal breaking. Then with a thundering roar in the sky, crimson blades of crystal, much like the crystal ones before, come raining down. Like before, the attempt to trap those, but this time, this time they get the pleasure of feeling it all. Feeling the darkness attempt to feast on them if they are coat, ripping at their essence into dark electricity which jumps to the raised blade of the Dark Knight.

Once complete, those caged would find themselves freed by the Dark Knight sweeping his sword to not only break the link, letting the crimson blades shatter to fine, red wisps of light, but pulling the darkness back to him.

Yet the Dark Knight almost goes down onto his knee. His eyes closing for a moment to only open glowing a orange hue again, yet so close to becoming gold once more. Something was /very/ wrong with the Dark Knight.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
The red rune would form over him, and trap him, and then crystalline swords would fall, scathing his soul, staggering him. But he did not relent in his course.

Ramza would close his eyes briefly, focusing, as a blue aura would lim his body. A moment later, that aura would be drawn into the blade, in the form of blue wisps of smoke. And then the Katana would burst into life. Ghastly blue flames would encircle it, dancing and twisting in the winds of Wutai.

And then he'd attack, the two swords weaving a practiced dance, one he'd now done many times in his training with Artemis. Slash, parry, anticipate the next move. In his mind, it was almost like a game of chess, trying to anticipate how to react, and counter, while still taking stock of the battlefield around him. Each time he struck the Dark Knight's armor, or even his blade, the ghastly blue flames would spread, the man's darkness finding them difficult to quench, given exactly what they were infused with. A sacrifice of his self.. As he continued to batter, and strike at the Dark Knight, he remembered his Father's words. Ours is the Soul of the Knight.

"Flame-Devouring Blade..." He held up the blade right in front of the man. Anticipating the man raising his defenses.. One moment, Ramza was there, and the next, he was behind the Dark Knight. At point blank range. Thank you Artemis.

"...consume all iniquity. CHIRIJIRADEN!"

The blade's flames would be devoured internally, and then it would reach critical mass, bursting forth to cover the creature with an explosion of a billowing cloud of fire. Everything touched by it, would continue to burn, like the flames of hell itself. Or the burning drive within the man's soul.

Knight takes Knight.

Sydney Losstarot has posed:
Sydney disappears in a flash of blue when the cage falls, an ethereal laugh echoing. After a splitsecond of wait, Sydney reappears within close range of Leon. Sydney raises his palm, and the weight of malevolent darkness grows heavy in the air. Elemental Darkness begins to fall from the sky like snow, drifting slowly along. It begins to float slowly, adopting a circular pattern as it drifts gently around Leon. They begin to burst, interacting with the very particles in the air that make up life. In a splitsecond, they condense rapidly into a singular ball, condensing so small that it cannot be seen. There's a deafening crack in the air as the ball expands, creating a blind flash in what can only be described as a dark-elemental, nuclear-powered Ultima spell.

Sydney laughs, narrowing his eyes at Leon for a few seconds as he attempts to read his mind. "Your mind will hold no secrets from me, fiend." He says, holding up his palm once more. Sydney reaches within Leons mind, and...shudders. "...That thing...whatever it is, it isn't /human/ anymore. At least not in its mind. Kill it. Kill it before it consumes us." He says, taking a brief moment to take a knee.

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena's hands caught by her own darkness...how is that even..

She pulled the hand away quickly, surprised and embarrased she was made to look like a fool. Helena does not LIKE to look like a fool, and it BURNS her cheaks with the color of crimson to be embarrased infront of Souji.

Then the devouring night came, Darknes cleaing through her body, even as she tried to evade, finding the right spot and TEARING into her body. She doesn't scream burning with indignation as her darkness starts pouring out of her...she clutches her wounds, and darkness pours into them slowly sealing them.

Her hands come from each side, and she stands and glares at the Dark Knight.

"You have made a mistake."

Jidro Gerrison has posed:
Jidro had gathered himself and his magic. He tried to position himself to aid Minette should she need it. However, he should be saving himself here. But no, he is one of the students that is often looked up to by some. He has to remain reliable. He will never abandon his friends.

He will remain strong.

That test of his strength will come in the form of impending doom as a blue light radiates from the sky. The crimson blades of crystal begin raining down. Caught by the crystals without the earth to defend him, Jidro releases a scream of pain, yet he holds onto the book to try to project a barrier to deflect some of the shards.

No, they fail to do so as the dark electrical matter consumes and corrodes him. "Haaaarggghhhhhhhhhh!!!" His screams of pain escape befor ehe falls on both knees. He grits his teeth, slowly getting up.

"...Second Gods... hear my call. I need your aid for this battle. As we struggle in this obstacle, we shall surmount it. If your Will be done... I call upon you!" Jidro opens the pages of the book as he begins his incantation. Something ripples above him...

"From the Other World, I call upon the Second God!"

From the gates of time and space is a figure that emerges through. It's presence is one of unfamiliarity, mystery, and intrigue.

It is the beginning of all Eidolon.
It could be the basis that all Eidolon start of as...
...It is...
... wait what?

Rolling from the dimensional planes is a small creture. This tiny white creature similar to a doll. It has a red swirl on each cheek and with black, beady eyes. A red bowtie adorns its neck.

tAnd it has red smile.

Why so serious?

Meet Whyt.

Both hands move to its mouth and it giggles.

"Uhhh..." Jidro stares dumbfoundedly, until Whyt moves beside Jidro to -hipcheck- him into a pocketspace temporarily. "AIIIIIEEEEEE!"

It gives an ominous smile at Leon.

Why so serious?

- MINI-GAME TIME -

- CHOCOBO DAMACY -

Whyt manages to bring in Fat Chocobo. And it starts rolling, rolling... and it is rolling that Fat Chocobo.

...It is going to roll right towards Leon.

But soon, Whyt is fading... which will leave Jidro emerging back with a dazed look.

"...The Seconds are toying with me, it seems."

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Tifa Lockhart isn't enjoying this at all! She couldn't get away in time after her attack, and the cage is siphonning at her in a bad way. She urks, clutching her sides as the pain is quite real, and strong too, leaving her panting on all fours on the grass when it dissipates.

And then... giant chocobo rolls in.

o_o

o_o;;;;;;

She looks over to the black mage, her face just screaming of 'what the hell did I just see?' She gets the feeling that she got into some sort of bizarro world. Yes, it must be an hallucination from the dark cage or something. This never happened. A white creature rolling a fat chocobo into leon. Nope, never. At least it distracted her from the pain, as she bounecs back up to her feet. And Leon isn't in sight anymore. Was that just an hallucination too? She scratches her head.

Minette Odam has posed:
Minette stands there, awestruck by Souji's epic cut-in. One of her hands finds it's way over her heart. It's... inspiring it. It's almost... actually, it gives Minette an idea. A plan rapidly forms inside of her brain. The bars of darkness start flowing off of Leon as he seeks to entrap everyone. The bars rush forwards and Minette... stands there. She places the back of her hand against her forehead, (badly) fakes a swoon, and THEN...

The plan is perfect.
The plan is flawless.
The plan...

Minette loudly announces, "Only DRAGOON MAN can save me now!"

Nothing.

"Only... DRAGOON /MAN/ can save me now?"
"ONLY DRAGOON MAN CAN SAVE ME NOW PLEASE?"

The bars get closer.

"AAAAAAH, HE'S NOT COMING!" Minette declares as she starts flipping and spinning and dodging around shafts of encroaching darkness, running at Leon and flailing away at him with her wheedly little girly arms. "AAAAAAAH! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIIIIIIIIIIS!" Minette slashes her arm through the air. A slash mark appears next to Leon. A moment later, a zero appears next to the Dark Knight.

Divide By Zero.

Then an explosion.

Kim Possible has posed:
Tifa's finding herself getting more and more uncool with this. Even though the attack barely hit her, it's still really irking her. Kim tries to go after Leon, but finds that she's starting to run low on steam. Then she sees that Leon seems to have been hit hard enough to take him down. Kim drops to one knee to catch her breath.

Kim Possible has posed:
Kim's finding herself getting more and more uncool with this. Even though the attack barely hit her, it's still really irking her. Kim tries to go after Leon, but finds that she's starting to run low on steam. Then she sees that Leon seems to have been hit hard enough to take him down. Kim drops to one knee to catch her breath.

Myla Mason has posed:
Myla Mason has been busy tinkering and intending and that's where it pays off some times, he manges to get a hit or two in but it's not enough to stop him. She seems ready for his counter attack however. She shift parrying the strike and forcing it away with everything she has she lowers the blade and is chanting again the waters are called once more she's intending to attempt to wash away the darkness here once again. Its not madness to her in the end the shore always breaks eventually to the never ending flow of the tide.

Emi Dennou has posed:
The darkness slams into Omi and Emi both, pain rippling across the two nodes severely, they try to counterattack but their efforts are cut short by more dark pain. Even Omi can't seem to catch a break long enough to--that is, at least, until Leon actually gets pummeled enough the assault breaks off. Panting for breath, Emi struggles up and jogs towards Omi, intending to help her up.

"Ughh..." She groans. "Is it over yet?, The Network notices it is not The Network's 'day'."

Souji Murasame has posed:
The blood and lifeforce stolen by the Murasame travels back in a cloud, sinking into the blade. For now, it seems... quiescent, the hunger of the weapon satiated.

For now.

The blackness comes. The Darkness rips at him, and Souji stands there, blade outstretched as he closes his eyes. The beat of the heart. The metronome of life and death. Balance along the blade's edge...

"AND STRIKE!" Souji yells, suddenly twisting, a galeforce wind exploding upwards and catching the crystalline blades in the air, before Souji cleaves once, shearing through and past the falling weapons.

Suddenly, they explode in a dozen arcs of black and crimson as the blade's path makes itself apparent, and the air is showered with crystalline bits. Souji descends, hitting the ground. "I don't do requests, Dark Knight." Souji responds. "You are, however, a valiant foe." He salutes with the Murasame, before turning away and sheathing the weapon. "A valiant attempt."

In the meantime, Souji smiles at his companions, those who strike out to finish the job. Helena shows that she will not be trifled with... And then Jidro.

Souji eyerolls, sighing as he facepalms, Fat Chocobo rolling past before him. He turns, hearing something.

Dragoon Man? DRAGOON MAN? "ODAM!" Souji yells. "STOP RELYING ON A SILLY-COSTUMED DRAGOON AND-" Divide By Zero. Souji dustssome dirt off of his suit as the terrifying power of the Calculator is made apparent. Souji only hires the /best/ accountants. "Much better." Souji says, smirking.

Minette Odam has posed:
"Yes, sir." Minette replies sulkily, scuffing a toe into the ground woefully. "Even if he /is/ awesome. And sexy."

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji just stands there. You might hear something creaking in the background. It might be something in his head as he tries to comprehend this.

Helena Celba has posed:
"He is quite attractive." Helena says, "I mean, in that hero kinda way." she says, rolling her shoulders a bit.

Minette Odam has posed:
"And he's a friend to all the children!" Minette says, perking up abruptly.

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji facepalms. "I'm surrounded by idiots." He says.

Minette might just have to deal with some lawyer fees later.

Riku has posed:
Riku looks up slowly at the sky as a roar splits the sky. He gasps in pain, almost dropping the blade as the massive rune forms on the ground from which darkness just pours. The rune /shatters/ and a wave of pain nearly knocks the teenager unconscious.

Blades of crimson descend on him and the others and he doesn't have any time to think anything except a moment of terrifying fear.

The arrogance and certainty has vanished. His powers had abandoned them. Not just in an amusing dislocation but now, truely when he had needed them. Needed them to protect himself and others from being scooped up and eaten like popcorn picked up from a street vendor. Without it, he wasn't strong enough. Without the darkness.. she was right. He was nothing.

Riku nearly succumbs to that thought, closing his eyes as he gives in to the inevitable. But another thought occurs to him as the crimson blade reaches out for him, so painfully close the darkness seemed to cut at him even before impact. He had never really /needed/ strength. It was something he had hoarded and pushed and collected and never really filled the aching void.

..that wasn't there anymore. He had never noticed, never understood.. and Riku brings up the blade to defend himself, reaching down.. and down.. and grasping, for an instant, the flash of twilight that surges across his closed eyes as he realizes the void was gone.

The crimson blade /explodes/ as Riku lashes out at it. It crashes into a barrier of dusk colored energy. It doesn't just explode. It just evaporates in streamers of red.

Riku slowly opens his eyes, calmly looking around, then his eyes lock on the dark knight. The Archadian Steel glimmers with that dusk colored aura as he slams the sword down through the air. A spear of twilight SEARS across the ground towards the dark knight, taking with it all of the energy. The teenager collapses on his hands and knees after it, sword clattering to the ground.

Leon has posed:

So, yes, that girl that ran back in comes out with a /cart/ of Fire Works! Some really big ones that she has tapped together and a match in her hand. She starts to try to light it, yet every time she does wind blows it out. "Oh come on!"

Meantime..

Jidgro summons A massive Chocobo, which rolls for the Dark Knight. The Dark Knight waits before he impacts the Chocobo with a wall of darkness. Yet his boots starts to slide across the ground. It also was enough of a distraction that when Minetta's attack comes in, it explodes him to the side and he gets knocked back further by the fat Chocobo.

The Riku spears him with Twilight energy. The Dark Knight just looks at this with his nearly becoming gold eyes. Confusion was obvious with that tilt of his head as he tries to get back up. How-- odd. SLAM! The Dark Knight impacts into the side of a building. Staggering forward.

One attack after the next then flies in. Each of them blasting, moving, and slamming the Dark Knight. Yet the darkness keeps trying to rebuild. It keeps trying to mend. The Dark Knight continues to try and fight, claw, his way back to strength again. Including a massive blast from Sydney that slams him hard into the ground just as he was starting to get back up again.

"..Maiden.." He whispers out... His gold eyes glowing brightly as they snap open. "..Light..."

Back over to Jade...

The Young Girl continues to try and light the fireworks. She glances past the cart while on her knees to see all the mayhem being caused she yells out loudly, "KEEP GOING!!" And the gives a cheer. Oh yes. She was going to get into some of this action too. She had a debt to make that creepy armored boogie man pay.

It was going to be /colorful/!

Over to the Battle...

The Dark Knight nearly on his hands and knees. His clawed finger tips digging into the ground. The Metal screeching across the very stone ground he was actually cutting into. The Darkness pouring, flaring, hungry. Hungry and denied. Souji's words fall almost on deaf ears, the Dark Knight looking carefully over at the man, those gold eyes. Gold eyes like a hungry wild animal, like a big cat who had been denied their meal for /far/ to long.

Then he slowly rises up, as if to try once more. To try once more to gain someone's heart, Ramza comes in suddenly close and slams the blade of hell fire right at the Dark Knight. The very flames encase the Dark Knight sheering at the darkness, causing the dark armor to sizzle from the heat.

Yet in that pain staking moment, fighting. Those clawed fingers try to reach out for Ramza. They try to reach out for him. Until someone yells, "GET DOWN!" Yep Jade let loose the fireworks.

Suddenly scream right past Ramza who was holding the Dark Knight with his attack, the massive Fire works slam into the Dark Knight and blast him right into the very sky.

Looks like Darkness was rocketing off this time!

Jidro Gerrison has posed:
As Tifa looks over at him in askance regarding the sight of the Second God rolling in a Fat Chocobo, Jidro just gives her a helpless shrug. He doesn't know how to explain it. To be honest, he doesn't even know /IF/ he can explain what just happened.

He just scratches his head, grimacing. "...I wish I knew if I was dreaming." Oh, right. The pain he is feeling.

However, between the interactions of his comrades and the battle still at hand, Jidro is opening the pages to the last one.

"Forbidden art..."

...No.

He shakes his head. No, he will not use it.

It is then when the Dark Knight continues to fight and those clawed fingers are reaching for the teenager. "Ramza!" Jidro is going to do it. He'll use Flare.

Before he can start on the incantation, however, the fireworks rockets through and it slams into the Dark Knight.

....And up he goes.

Jidro has a hand over his head, watching for where that rocket's trajectory rises. "...I wonder how high it will go."

Sydney Losstarot has posed:
Sydney sighs. "By allowing that /thing/ to escape, we've committed an unforgivable offense today." He says with a frown. He buries his forehead into his palm tiredly, still remaining on a single knee. "...Though perhaps it can't be helped. There is naught left to do, but continue this little game until he feels the icy hands of death grasp him." Ultra-frown.

He turns his attention to his teammates, surveying each of them one by one. What an odd little group. ...Especially those two from the other day. Turning to address Souji, he smiles unsettlingly. "It matters naught how high a bird flies when it falls to the earth." He says, using his claws to scratch away at some dried blood.

"Do we have any wounded?"

Minette Odam has posed:
"OH!" Minette exclaims, watching the dark knight sail upwards. "For a brick... he flew pretty good. Up high, Cid!" Minette holds up a hand for a high five. It doesn't matter if Jidro gives out high fives or not. Most people usually leave Minette hanging. She's used to it.

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Tifa Lockhart raises a hand at Sydney's question "Nothing a night's sleep can't fix though." She's had much worse than a few lashes of darkness before. Like things sticking out of her side, front and back. Yeah that wasn't pleasant either.

She tries to forget the whole fat chocobo episode, watching up as Leon gets blasted off "... fireworks are pleasant this time of year, aren't they?" She waits for it to explode.

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena places a hand on Cid's shoulder.

"Lets save that for emergancie-" And then fireworks.

"Ooo..." she says, "Not bad. At least three hundred feet I think."

Kim Possible has posed:
Kim looks to Tifa and nods a little. "We did great, Tifa." She grins and leans over to fistbump her BFF, before collapsing down again. "I agree, a good night's sleep would help..." She frowns. "Assuming my brothers leave me alone."

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji reaches a hand for the Murasame Blade again as he notes that the Dark Knight has not been defeated entirely. He is going to be a target. And then...

Fireworks. Souji blinks. "Festive." He comments, and then turns to face Sydney. "Who are you to make such judgements?" Souji asks the mysterious tattooed man. "Are you one of those people who enjoys being needlessly cryptic?"

Helena Celba has posed:
"All signs point to yes, Mister Murasame." Helena says with a grin towards Souji.

Emi Dennou has posed:
Emi looks over to Sydney. "We know very little about 'that thing', and to refer to a person as such is troubling. We should not make assumptions."

Tattoos are cool, she supposes, but she wouldn't want to get one herself, because then she'd have to get the rest of her sisters to also get tattoos.

"Thank you for your help, Helena, The Network adds."

Myla Mason has posed:
Myla Mason lowers her head a little bit and doesn't even pay much mind to the cryptic man. She just looks at him for a moment She shakes her head downs a potion and starts to wander off maybe she can find a new place to eat?

Jidro Gerrison has posed:
"...You're right." Jidro should not use the Forbidden Art. No. Not now. His heart, while ernst, was preparing to enter a world of the darkness. However, Helena stops him. Jidro offers her a faint smile, "Thank you, Miss Celba."

But upon victory, he glances over at Minette with a sweatdrop.

Oh what the heck, why not? Perhaps it is Nik's influences, but Jidro actually lifts his hand up to highfive. However, there is a cost. Jidro offers a frown before he looks over towards the fallen, the man who tried to fight off the Dark Knight but lost his heart.

"...Excuse me for a moment."

Jidro is moving towards the fallen body, likely where the young girl may be.

Minette Odam has posed:
Minette wacks the hell out of Jidro's hand, exclaiming "All right!" in complete and total obliviousness of the actual gravity of the current state of affairs. And then she shakes her hand in pain, because "Owwww, that hurt."

Sydney Losstarot has posed:
Sydney smiles. "Oh, but only a fool can't see how obvious it was. He is /a thing/, and nothing more. He lives only to consume the light. He lives only to /kill/. If you lack the gaul to give him the empty-soul a reprieve in death, then at least capturing it would be preferable. But no...he has escaped. And he will live to kill another day." He says with a frown, shaking his head. "A creature with no thoughts is a creature with no life. Perhaps I spoke too soon...he is no thing. He is a puppet."

Sydney narrows his eyes at the sky, watching the fireworks continue/ending, depending on the amount of fireworks used, and frowns. Turning his head to Souji, he smiles. "Oh, but riddles are a good thing. If one is not willing to think about what is heard, then why waste your words? Something I see no reason in continuing." He says with a bit of a condescending tone. "Come. We must hunt that monster." He says, to no one in particular...and then the source of the voice makes itself clear. The three sets of yellow eyes, rising up to look about once more as Sydney walks away.

Riku has posed:
Riku barely even notices the festive fireworks, which is a shame because they are quite pretty to look at. He slowly picks himself up and sheathes the blade in his hand.

The teenager looks around at the collection of adventurers, mercenaries, corporate suits with quirky miniboss squads and just shakes his head side to side, his expression completely dazed.

He looks towards Ramza for a moment and moves over to them. "..You alright?" he asks wearily, rubbing his aching head and blinking as if all of this (Including a fat rolling chocobo) might be a bad dream of some sort.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
The Dark Knight reached for him, his clawed hands seeking out his heart. For a moment, he even thought it might be the end. And he whispered something to himself. "My apologies Alma, I failed you.."

And then Jade lets loose a rocket, slamming into the Dark Knight and carrying him far out of reach, too far away to continue with his deadly gesture.

And then he'd give Riku and Jidro a sheepish look, waving with a gesture to indicate he's just fine. "Thank you for your concern, both of you.."

And then he'd will the Katana to quench its flames, sheathing it back within its Saya safely. He gave them all a disquieting look. "He's right on one account, Emi. Whether that is a man, or beast.. in the end, what it did is monstrous. I pray that our efforts at least slowed it down for a time."

And then Ramza is looking towards the body of the man who died. "..The Dark Knight's escape might exact a heavy toll, elsewhere.."

He met Jidro at the same time, at the fallen body of the man. "While its small comfort, he died bravely, he deserves better than this.." And then he looked to the girl, his expression steeped in sorrow. "Your name was Jade, wasn't it? Thank you, I do believe that I owe you my life. What would you have us do? I know naught of the customs of this land."

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena stares oddly towards Sydney. Then she turns to important matters, as she looks at the fallen man...

"He...still lives." She says, "But...I sense that he has his soul missing?" She wonders... "The body is physically alive, but the soul is...not there." Her eyes looking at the body. "...I am not sure what to make of this."

Souji Murasame has posed:
"You love the sound of your voice too much." Souji replies to Losstarot. "Killing him solves nothing. Pay attention to who is holding the strings. You called him a puppet, after all."

Souji shrugs, folding his arms. "Couching your speech in riddles just makes people misunderstand you. Taking pleasure in such things is a sign of an exceptionally petty soul."

Leon has posed:

The young girl cheers and dances around for the fact the Dark knight was launched into the air. The fire works go high off in the sky with beautiful colors. Yet-- no silhouette of the Dark Knight could be seen in the air. As if he had simple vanished.

Jade gives a few several hugs and then walks over to her brother's body. She stares down but quickly backs away. Others may see it too. The man's body starts to become dark, slowly at first but the darkness continues to grow. Slowly it seems to animate a bit, almost like a puppet with missing strings. The dark aura makes it hard to make out any details.

Suddenly it blinks around, very unstable like, before it seems to vanish into just as of unstable dark corridor of darkness. Seeming to disappear into the darkness beyond.

Jade blinks her eyes a few times. "...What... what did he do... to..." She almost seems to cry, before those tears turn to anger. Suddenly Jade runs off and seems to leap over a crate and vanish off into an alley.

Jidro Gerrison has posed:
Jidro watches the interaction between the young girl and the fallen man. However, it is then that the body is becoming dark. When the darkness consumes te body and it rises like a puppet.. It vanishes.

"..Wh---.."

Jidro is staring with gaped jaw, looking horrified. Already, he is grasping against the codex. "Nngghh... Damnit." Jidro shakes his head.

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena watches this too...

"Did you get any readings from it, Jidro?" She says, her Necromancer sight not providing any insight.

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Tifa Lockhart looks qutie... bothered by the disapearance too "What happened..." She's a bit creeped out now "... Did he... somehow used his body or something?" This is eevn worse. She looks over to Sydney "Maybe you're right... the sin isthat he ran away...

Riku has posed:
Riku slowly takes a look around at the strange surroundings and shakes his head. He smiles sheepishly at Ramza, nodding to them and then slowly turning to watch this last drama play out.

The teenager staggers away, chasing after the little girl down the alleyway (as well as one really can chase at a stiff hobble) and disappears.

Sydney Losstarot has posed:
Sydney pauses for a second in his walk. He doesn't respond to Souji, instead speaking to his heartless. "Follow the girl. Remain hidden, and make sure that fiend does not come back for her." And then, Sydney continues to walk away, taking a few more steps, a silent Plink noise being made with every footstep before he finally disappears in a blue flash. He's not as gone as he might look, though...good luck finding a shapeshifter.

Jidro Gerrison has posed:
"I..." Jidro's eye twiches, "...I did not get any readings, I'm afraid. Not enough time to appraise what happened." Jidro grits his teeth, then he looks at the direction that the child went. "...I'll try to speak to her." There is a faint smile. In a way, there is a bit of empathy for the girl. ... He is the eldest sibling, after all.

Minette Odam has posed:
"I... didn't see anything?" Minette offers. She's a mage too. Technically. Ignore the red ink on her report card, that card has no basis on the realities of the job market nor does it garuntee after-education placement.

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji doesn't bother looking after Losstarot. He figures the guy will mysteriously show up when it suits him again sometime.

In the meantime, some other things have happened. The body on the ground darkening catches his eye, and he watches as it becomes black... And vanishes. "Interesting." Is his response...

And then his eyes shift over as he looks to Ramza Beoluve. "You there." He says, approaching. "You mentioned an Alma. You know her?" He asks.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza Beoulve would give Souji a bewildered look, then his eyes would suddenly look hopeful, his voice enthusiastic.

"Have you seen my sister? Her name is Alma, and she fell into darkness shortly before my world fell."

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji looks at Ramza, tilting his head slightly. Is he looking for something? "Her name is Alma Hyral. I don't know if that means anything to you or not."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
He'd give Souji a dumbfounded look.

"But that's not... Ser, is this some sort of sick jape? Delita Heiral is a friend of mine. What you're saying indicates that the two have wed."

Souji Murasame has posed:
"I am not joking, Ser." Souji replies, an offended expression crossing his face. "She did not mention a husband. I could, however, be mistaken, as she just recently joined my company. Nevertheless, if you wish to see her, I can arrange it. "

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
"If it is as you say, Ser. Then I'll be forever in your debt. My apologies for mistrusting you." He'd actually manage an affable smile.

"Then by all means, may I see her?"

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji smiles faintly, turning away. "You with to meet with her? Very well. Come with me. You can see her for yourself and make your own judgement." At that, Souji turns and begins walking away, allowing Ramza to follow however he wishes.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
And so he does follow after Souji, first sending a message over his linkpearl to his associates.