In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
The sparring area of the Green Mantis’ base was something that had not been used in a very long time, at least until Artemis started to actually use the place. There had been a lack of activity within the Green Mantis squad as a whole, and those who were more senior in rank had often come and gone with whatever mission they got. The new recruits of the past had never taken their training seriously, and it showed with how the Green Mantises started to lose face. They were at their lowest point when Artemis had joined the Green Mantises, and with her help, as well as countless of others who had started to reinvigorate the squad, they were much more active now. [break][break]
But was that enough?[break][break]
Artemis would sigh as she finally took the spot she had wanted. It was situated just across from the doors that would lead towards the base itself, where Fuu Wilhelm would ultimately walk out from. The training grounds was quite large, and the field itself was placed far enough from the base that any stray spells would not hit the building. However, this vantage point still gave Artemis a good view of the door itself. [break][break]
She would close her eyes now. This place held some good memories. Good enough, at the very least. Especially since this was the very same training grounds where she had taken her Vice Captain Exam. She was pitted against the Captain, Barron “Hannibal” Castle, and had been pushed to her limits then. The Captain of the Green Mantis still had his sting and bite, while Artemis was barely able to have hit him. Of course, she had been sure that if he had wanted to, he could have done something about it. How could he not have? He was stronger than Artemis, as far as she knew, and was definitely more experienced when it came to combat. While she had been a junior mage then, the man had been off in the battlefields fighting the Clover Kingdom’s enemies. When she had been a senior mage, the man had been leading the fight against the Diamond Kingdom. And in the end, he was one of the few Captains that had come back alive. So, if the man was able to survive a war that had such a devastating effect on the Magic Knights, then the man must have been holding back when he was going against her. Especially since Barron “Hannibal” Castle had actually not been hard to counter. And Artemis had been able to fight him on par. [break][break]
“To be stronger…” Artemis whispered to herself. She needed to be stronger, to be able to gain more power as she started to encroach upon the position of Captain. For that to happen, Artemis needed to be able to beat Barron Castle in a fight, which meant that she either needed to adapt against his fighting style, or she needed to overpower the man. Both options, she felt, could be done easily by her if she had enough time and patience to prepare. [break][break]
For now, however, she was here to test the current members of the Green Mantis squad. To test their mettle in a fight against their Vice Captain.
Fuu was still on her way to the training ground. She wore a big grin on her face, finding it difficult to control her joy. A spar, with the vice captain of all people!? The only thing that could top this is if the captain himself was in the elf's place instead. To be acknowledged by someone so great, someone she has slowly grown to look up to made Fuu feel really good. Other squad members the girl walked by gave Fuu questionable looks, wondering why she looked so happy which even caused some of them to chuckle among themselves. Normally, Fuu would try to knock their lights out which would result in an all out and unnecessary brawl, but the dwarf paid them no mind.
Approaching the doors, Fuu was just about to open it, placing her hand on the doorknob, but she paused. Her grin formed into a wondering expression as her mind went elsewhere. She was starting to have some doubts. She was already aware that she couldn't beat Artemis, and that this won't be an easy task, but she was starting to worry about how well she'll perform. Even back with the three on one spar against Lydia, Fuu felt like she could've done more. This is how she felt when almost doing anything. "...What am I thinking?" the girl muttered to herself, quickly shaking her head to get these intrusive thoughts out. She needed to remain confident...she had to.
The dwarf inhaled and exhaled to calm herself before pushing the door open with both hands. As it swung open, the girl was met with the brightness of the sun and the calm blue sky which she looked up at. The earth mage then lowered her head, the first thing she saw being the water mage herself all the way at the training area. Fuu, clenched her fists and walked all the way over there, not keeping her eyes off the vice captain. Once she made it there, the young noble stood on the opposite end of the field, and quietly stared down her captain while holding a serious demeanor. After a few seconds, her mouth shifted into a smirk as she spread her legs apart a little. "I won't be holding back, ma'am." Was all Fuu said, no trash talk, not boasting. She was aware that this spar will be something that will leave an impression on her superior, whether it's good or bad.
Fuu then extended her arms out forward and spread apart with palms facing upward, head lowered as her smirk vanished, completing her fighting pose. The girl was focused and ready....
wc - 443
Stats: Power (30) Durability (13) Sensory (7) Stamina (17) Control (10) Mana: 50/50 Mana Skin: Senior Health Senior (+ an extra Intermediate's worth)
(If you need help picturing the fighting stance, my signature should help. Apologies if I didn't describe well o~o)
Last Edit: Jul 12, 2020 18:07:27 GMT -5 by Deleted
Artemis would watch the young woman. She had entered into the fray, confidence marring her face, and her demeanor was that of someone who thought they knew what they were doing. There was a seriousness that had not been there previously. If Artemis were to be honest, then she would say that this was a new Fuu. She was far from the Fuu Wilhelm she had met during their first mission where she got to know the so-called trouble girl. But, did that mean that she was stronger? Better yet, did that mean the Wilhelm heiress had turned for a better, and was now more calculating than brash. Artemis would find out. This was the reason for this spar, after all. [break][break]
Bringing up her grimoire, Artemis would call out from her position, “The last time I was here was during my Vice Captain Exam against the Captain.” She would nod, “We almost destroyed this training area.” The fight had been brutal, with both the Captain and her going toe to toe for the most part. However, she knew that the Captain could have done so much more, yet held back. It was something that had bugged her to no end, and therefore led to her to continually train herself. “I was able to make the Captain acknowledge my strength, and now I proudly wear the Vice Captain’s Mantle. You say you aim to be the Captain.” Artemis now stared hard at the Wilhelm, “Then prove it.” [break][break]
Without pause, the Vice Captain of the Green Mantis Magic Knights squad poured mana into her grimoire. She found the spell, and cast it flawlessly. She had used this one so many times beforehand. It had been one of her more favourite spells as a Junior ranked mage. She had not developed her spell repertoire then, but this one had at least kept her alive for a few months as she trained herself to surpass her limits. [break][break]
“Hyacinth.” [break][break]
Water started to coalesce in the air in front of Artemis. Her mana aiding the golems’ creation, five copies of the Hyacinth golem formed. They were small in stature, though were quite fast in their own right. Standing at around two meters, they were more or less blobs of water. [break][break]
“Do what you do best, dear Hyacinth.” [break][break]
Artemis ordered her golems to encircle the earth mage. The Hyacinth golems were quick, and they would be able to form into a semi-circle in front of Fuu, before making their charge towards her. Artemis would stand back and watch just how Fuu Wilhelm would react to having five enemies surround her, essentially backing her into a corner. Artemis herself would have already had another spell in mind to use once this was dealt with by the young woman. She was confident that Fuu would be able to get through it, after all. It was more so wanting to see what her strategy was. Strength in body is nothing without strength in mind. A mindless berserker can only do so much, and Artemis had no place for those kinds of Magic Knights in the Green Mantis she envisioned. Wit beyond measure was man’s greatest treasure, after all, and Artemis wanted every single Green Mantis to be both strong and sly in battle.
Name of Spell: Hyacinth[break] Spell Element: Water[break] Spell Rank: Junior [break] Mana Cost: 10 | 5[break] Type of Golem: Predator[break] Applicable Perks: Reinforced Golem[break] Description: Hyacinth is a water-made golem that is very small in stature. However, while small, Hyacinth is a very quick golem that is able to dart around cause mayhem and damage. They act as both a soldier and a scout for its caster, taking orders through the mana connection that the golem has with its master, since it is sustained with the caster's mana. It can also take short verbal commands that are simple in nature. It is 2 meters tall and attacks by rolling at its opponent/s. Artemis can create more than one golem using golem creation ammo rules.[break]
In response to the vice captain's grimoire emerging, Fuu summoned hers as well which had a faint light brown aura surrounding it. Her head perked up a bit as Artemis mentioned her battle with the captain. Fuu wished she could've seen this battle herself, having heard some of the other squad members who witnessed it speak about how intense it was. The dwarf has only witnessed a small portion of the elf's magic during that one mission they went to together, but has never witnessed any of the captain's abilities. She's only heard stories about his participation in the battle which took the lives of some of the other former Magic Knight captains. But none of that mattered now.
It was now Fuu's time to have her strength acknowledged...To prove that she is a worthy candidate for Captain.
The girl's eyebrows rose as the water mage was already on the offensive! Before she could react, Fuu was nearly surrounded by five blobs of water, causing her to look around at each of them. This was definitely something she hadn't seen Artemis cast before. Upon the blonde's spoken command, they all rushed at Fuu at speeds faster than the girl's own naturally. Fortunately for the dwarf, she still had enough reaction time to cast "Nature's Speed" on herself, surrounding the girl's body in an aura that rose her speed and used it to just barely back flip out of the way of the incoming golems in hopes that they would all roll into each other instead!
"Heh." With a small grin, Fuu's open grimoire started to glow more as a similar aura surrounded her, and as this happened, the girl conjured two stones, roughly rectangular in shape and the same size as the earth mage's head. The stones floated idly over the girl's shoulders while her physical strength grew. The battle ready earth mage would then jump towards the golems, and lower herself while using one of her hands for support to perform a full leg sweep with her enhanced strength in an attempt to strike each of the golems that were in her way! If she had managed to take care of them, Fuu would once again have her eyes on Artemis, a smirk on her face as she gestured one of her arms forward to send one of the floating stones flying, aiming it at the water mage's face!
With her grimoire flipped to the right page, a light brown aura surrounds herself, boosting her physical strength while conjuring a piece of stone (can create an additional piece per ten control gained), no bigger than Fuu's head and roughly rectangular in shape. The stone floats idly around Fuu for the duration of the spell, but can be used as a projectile, sending it flying with a gesture of her hand until it reaches its maximum range or comes into physical contact with something/someone with enough force to deal blunt damage and knock them back two meters (an additional five meters per ten power gained) before breaking apart. If the target's face is unprotected and struck by this spell, it will break apart and blind the target(s) for one post.
Description: With her grimoire flipped to the right page, Fuu begins to draw on the mana of the earth around her, merging it with her mana to increase her speed. With this spell active, Fuu is capable of moving +2 m/s on top of being able to ignore the extra effects of damaging spells (courtesy of her Tenacious Body perk once every five posts).
Last Edit: Jul 13, 2020 13:43:36 GMT -5 by Deleted
Artemis would watch the young Wilhelm heiress take a stance, and start to use her spells. She was fast, though not fast enough currently to outrun her golems. While the Hyancinth golems themselves were considered a low tier spell, they were once Artemis’ most used one, and she knew them and their capabilities the most out of her golems. [break][break]
“Disperse.” [break][break]
The command was quick, with Artemis making sure that her golems did not collide with one another. The Hyacinth golems responded in kind, and they all separated as Fuu backed up after casting her spell. A physical reinforcement of some kind from the looks of it, giving her more speed than what she had previously. [break][break]
Two of the five Hyacinth were taken care of by a swift kick, and Artemis found herself the target of the woman’s earth based spells. Artemis would track the spell sent towards her with her Ki senses, not bothering at all to cast a spell to block it. Instead at the very last second, Artemis dodged time the left. [break][break]
The speed of the speed would not match her own reaction speed. Artemis’ own was twice as fast. [break][break]
“Is that it, Fuu?” She would taunt the young woman, “I would’ve thought you could do better than some cheap parlor tricks.” Artemis sent the three Hyacinth golems back towards the woman, this time with all of them coming in from three different angles.
Name of Spell: Hyacinth[break] Spell Element: Water[break] Spell Rank: Junior [break] Mana Cost: 10 | 5[break] Type of Golem: Predator[break] Applicable Perks: Reinforced Golem[break] Description: Hyacinth is a water-made golem that is very small in stature. However, while small, Hyacinth is a very quick golem that is able to dart around cause mayhem and damage. They act as both a soldier and a scout for its caster, taking orders through the mana connection that the golem has with its master, since it is sustained with the caster's mana. It can also take short verbal commands that are simple in nature. It is 2 meters tall and attacks by rolling at its opponent/s. Artemis can create more than one golem using golem creation ammo rules.[break]
Fuu's initial leg sweep was able to take care of two of those golems, but three still remained. The dwarf wasn't too bothered about them at the moment and instead focused on the source, being the water mage herself.
"Tch..." the earth mage looked a bit upset from her spell missing, but it was to be expected. Artemis was on a whole other league even while still holding back so landing attacks weren't going to be easy. Plus Fuu wasn't much of a fan of using ranged attacks as she preferred to get up close and personal which is what she wanted to do now, but before she could attempt that...she needed to deal with those annoying golems!
With the three blobs of water once again trying to attack Fuu, the earth mage stomped her foot forward while crossing her arms in an outward motion. As she did this, two pillars of stone rose up right under two of the golems, and if they were hit by it, the two would be most likely destroyed from the impact, or sent flying at the least. The third one would manage to strike Fuu...but it would do nothing to the girl thanks to her surprisingly durable body! Taking advantage of this moment, Fuu attempted to lift the blob up with both hands and attempt to kick it at Artemis, dealing junior damage in the process.
Now it was Fuu's turn to rush...
"I'm just getting started!" The noble ran at her vice captain and once she was close enough, she'd slide against the ground like a baseball player trying to make it to home base. Her attempt with this maneuver was to try and kick one of the elf's ankles in to bring her down, but whether it worked or not, Fuu would try to fire the second floating stone up at Artemis from the ground, hoping that being this close will make it harder for her to dodge!
With her grimoire flipped to the desired page, Fuu stomps her foot onto a solid surface while crossing her arms together, causing a pillar of of stone that is five feet in width to shoot up from the ground up to ten feet high within a twenty-five meter radius around her. If the target is struck with this, it will inflict blunt junior ranked damage as well as potentially send them flying two meters back (an additional 5 meters added every ten power gained) unless it rams them into a surface. Fuu is capable of forming an additional pillar per ten control gained.
All of her golems had been defeated. That was, at least, somewhat of a given from the young woman. Artemis would have been very shocked if Fuu had not been able to deal with her golems at all. However much her favourites, they were also her weakest, and something that would align with testing Fuu. One day, she might start pushing Artemis to her limits. For now, however, it was the other way around. Artemis would push the young WIlhelm heiress to her limits. [break][break]
“Good.” She would whisper, before watching as the young woman went on the offensive. A good strategy, taking the fight to the opponent when you know that being at range was a disadvantage for you. A simple tactic that most Magic Knights would not have thought of in their rush to try and beat the golems. Artemis was a stationary target, so why not target her?[break][break]
Artemis, however, leaped backwards and away from the young woman. Granted, Artemis was a good hand to hand fighter, she wanted to put the earth mage into a position of weakness. It was only then that true strength truly came out, after all. [break][break]
“Try again.” She would shake her head, before her grimoire was alight with mana. Blue in colour, it would remind someone of the deep blue sea, her element. “But, what happens when you’re caught by something you cannot fight with your fists alone?”[break][break]
The pages turning, it finally landed on the spell she wanted to utilize. It was her first illusion spell.[break][break]
“Thousand Needles.”[break][break]
The spell would turn the battlefield into the Vice Captain’s favour. Fourty meters in diameter, it would envelope a huge portion of the training ground, and in it, will catch the young Wilhelm heiress. It was an illusion spell that not only assaulted the senses of those caught in it, but also deal an equivalent damage. Needles would be what they would see, and they would be assaulted with it, not only with a visual illusion, but also physically with the water that floated in the area turning into sharp pin pricks.
[break][break]
COMBAT SUMMARY
[attr="class","polluxscroll2"]
TL;DR
Ki Senses is being used. Artemis' base speed is 20m/s.
Name of Spell: Thousand Needle[break] Elemental Type: Water[break] Rank & Spell Type: Junior | Attack Creation & Sensory (Illusion)[break] Range & Speed: 40 meters[break] Mana Cost: 10 | 5[break] Stats Effected: Power +4, -4 Sensory[break] Applicable Perks: Master Illusionist, Area of Triumph, Battle Knight, Apex Predator[break] Description: Artemis uses her magic in manipulating the water particles in the air surrounding her opponent, but also invigorating her and buffing her power. It creates a visual illusion of the opponent being stabbed by thousands of needles. The water particles that was used to create the illusion also become very sharp and starts stabbing the opponent at the same time as the illusion starts. While channeling, Artemis is able to keep her allies safe within her area of effect, through the use of sensory and ability to pinpoint enemies from allies. Having her spell avoid allies coincides with ammo rules. Opponents hit have their sensory debuffed as well, based on debuff rules.[break][break]
Fuu ran at the vice captain, not taking her determined pale eyes off of her! She intended to bring the fight to the water mage since at a range, the earth mage wasn't much of a threat...even though she wasn't a threat regardless to someone of Artemis' strength.
The dwarf slid on the ground, attempting to strike the water mage's legs, but missed as her target jumped back. Now with a hint of frustration on the girl's face as Artemis spoke, Fuu was just about ready to bounce back up on her feet until she saw with widened eyes, particles of water surrounding the girl from above, each forming into needles! Not seeing anyway to get out of this in time, and preparing for the worst, Fuu's grimoire flipped to another page and glowed its brown color which caused the aura that was already around the noble to from her power boost to flare up more with the mana coming from the earth around her. She had activated another reinforcement spell, targeting her durability!
But the moment the needles started to descend upon the dwarf, Fuu was bombarded by the pain of a thousand needles, her spell seemingly not working! Fuu gritted her teeth in pain, slamming her eyes shut with arms covering her face as they rained. Little did she know that this was but an illusion which is why her spell didn't work! The true water needles that fell afterwards didn't do anything to the girl, but she hadn't noticed from the phantom pain of the illusions.
With the bombardment seemingly not coming to an end, Fuu started to breathe heavily and struggled to get back up to get back up, now on one leg with her hand on her knee. Wincing, she looked down at her hand, and body. There were definitely holes all over he clothing...but no blood? Not even signs of bruises. There was also something different about the girl. She appeared to have grown a foot taller, appearing a little more slim as well. Her mana which was beginning to deplete had risen a little as well! This was all from the stress the earth mage was putting herself through both with her body and mana...a trait common to dwarves. It also took a second for Fuu to realize why she wasn't showing any signs of damage, despite the pain she was feeling...yet was still unsure about how the holes got there. "C-cheap trick!" the girl yelled out, a hint of pain in her tone before struggling up to her feet, and running at Artemis again, enduring the pain from these endless needles. The girl was struggling, and finding it hard to keep up with her sprint, but still she tried to make this fight a little more up close and personal again, and fortunately, the young noble didn't need to travel as far this time which would hopefully give Artemis little time to react, but given her strength and speed...it might still be enough for her. "You...ngh...think I'm afraid of a bunch of...stupid needles!?" Unfortunately, the girl had no other strat to get out of this, nor could she fully focus with all the pain being taken, but still, she decided to push forward and hope for the best.
If she managed to make it towards Artemis, Fuu would attempt to slam a fist into the water mage's stomach and follow up with a knee to her chest with an attempted grip to the elf's shoulders with her hands!
Description: With her grimoire flipped to the right page, Fuu begins to draw on the mana of the earth around her, merging it with her own mana to strengthen her body to be as tough as stone itself. With this active, Fuu is able to ignore the damage of a single spell or attack of Junior or lower rank per post as well as ignoring the extra effects of damaging spells in general (courtesy of her Tenacious Body perk) once every five posts. If the attacker has +20 power to Fuu's durability then it will only half the spell's rank in damage, but if they have +30 then she will not be able to ignore the spell at all. (Tenacious Body will remain in effect however.)
Sustained Spell Earth Magic: Gaia's Emergence
Last Edit: Jul 15, 2020 14:41:24 GMT -5 by Deleted
Artemis would watch the young woman suffer under her illusion, laced with an attack spell. It was meant to be as such. Of course, when Artemis had first used it, it had not been this strong. The spell itself had been one of her original spells, a favourite of her to use when confronted by multiple enemies during her first few missions. It had proven useful, and had been one of her keys to uncovering as to how her magic worked. Artemis was sure that without her first few spells, she would not have been able to build the repertoire that she had now, today. [break][break]
“Too slow.” [break][break]
She watched Fuu try to get to her position. Yet, the young woman was too slow. Artemis’ Ki senses tracked the young woman and every single movement she made. It was as clear as day, and Artemis found herself sighing. [break][break]
“If it did not work before, why do you think it will work this time?” She would ask, before backflipping and putting more range between her and the young woman.
[break][break] Artemis would have her grimoire open once more. Instead of finding a spell of a lower caliber, she would look for the spell that might jar the young woman. At this point, Artemis had seen enough of Fuu’s capability and fighting style, and at the same time, found her weakness. It was not magic wise, but rather, an internal flaw that only the young woman can change. It was, after all, her own habit. [break][break]
“Kraken.” [break][break]
A water golem, massive in size and fearsome to look at, appeared in front of Artemis and roared loudly. It would protectively place itself directly against the Earth mage, ready for its summoner to order it to either attack or defend. [break][break]
“What now?, Fuu?”
[break][break]
COMBAT SUMMARY
[attr="class","polluxscroll2"]
TL;DR
Ki Senses is being used. Artemis' base speed is 20m/s.
Name of Spell: Kraken[break] Spell Element: Water[break] Spell Rank: Grand [break] Mana Cost: 50 | 25[break] Type of Golem: Guardian[break] Applicable Perks: Reinforced Golem[break] Description: The Kraken is a beast thought to live within the depths of the oceans, which inspired Artemis to name this specific golem in honour of it. The Kraken is never summoned singularly, but always in a group which corresponds to the ammo rule for golems at Grand rank. Draconic in size and features, but with tentacles, it uses its appendages to do untold damage. It takes orders through the mana tether that it has with its caster, which sustains its existence. It can also take verbal commands though it has to be simple. The Kraken also have the ability of flight, with it's wing appendage usually folded for protection, and can be used as transportation which can carry 5 people at the speed of 12m/s. It is 16 meters in size and one of Artemis' most destructive golems.[break]
Once again Fuu was too slow to reach her target. The girl stopped in her tracks with obvious frustration and anger in her expression. What little focus she had earlier was gone now, her temper once again taking over. The dwarf growled lightly, holes all over her clothing with dirt on her face from the times she's landed on the ground. Right now, the earth mage was like a raging bull, ready to charge again despite how futile it's been.
Again, the teen attempted to charge the water mage once more, but as said mage uttered another spell, Fuu stopped herself and looked up in awe at the watery construct that was taking shape into a massive creature sporting tentacles. The strength of its roar caused the earth mage's hair to blow back as she shielded her eyes with her arms. Once it finished, the Wilhelm girl lowered her arm and once again stared down the golem in disbelief. Her vice captain was just chalk full of surprises and interesting spells....which unfortunately Fuu could not say the same about herself which only added to her frustration.
The girl's body was fidgeting now from a combination of anger, and distress.
Artemis goaded the young dwarf again, causing the girl to bite her lower lip. "Ya think you're soooo good huh!?" the outburst Fuu was poorly trying to contain had started to come out. "Just jumping away and hiding behind your damn lackeys! Hell, Titaniya even fought me head on!" Fuu continued, her first time mentioning the vice captain's sister in front of her. To a lot of people, Fuu's words would sound like an attempt to provoke her vice captain, but it was just Fuu's own temper blinding her, one of the girl's many weaknesses and something she really needed to fix.
With a scowl on her face, the dwarf's grimoire flipped a few pages and as it landed on the right one, it started to glow again! Fuu stomped on the ground, causing the soil in front of her to rise up from the ground, molding together. She then started to make rapid punching gestures at the ball of dirt and part of it broke into five smaller pieces which all molded into fists and were now sent flying at the massive krakken! "You think I'm some kinda joke, dontcha!? I'll be the one laughing by the end of this!!" Fuu added as the remaining lump of soil formed into five fists as well with Fuu this time trying to aim it more towards the vice captain by firing it at the side of the golem!
wc - 442 twc - 2,228
Mana - 18/50 (+10 Mana from Dwarf trait) (20 + 10 - 8 - 4)
Description: Once the grimoire flips to the desired page of the spell, Fuu with her mana flaring up stomps on the ground, causing a boulder or sizable amount of soil/dirt to lift from the ground (If there is none around, then the spell will manifest its own) Fuu will then make rapid punching gestures towards the rock/soil causing it to break up into about five durable smaller pieces of earth, each molding into fists that are sent flying forward, inflicting minor cuts and bruises to its target while causing minor cracks to structures or breaking through flimsy ones. (An additional fist is formed every 10 control)
“My sister.” Artemis would start, as she dodge the intended attack that was sent towards her. “Is a good Magic Knight. However, she is not in the same league as I am.” The Vice Captain would point towards the young woman now, the grimoire was still ready to be used, yet she would not cast a spell just yet. The Kraken, still in front of Artemis, would shield its mistress to the best of its abilities. However, instead of hiding behind the golem, she would use its appendages to leap up and stand on top of the creature.[break][break]
“If I fought you head on, you would be dead by now.” Artemis announced from atop her golem. “While my sister is good, she still has a lot to catch up on when it comes to trying to be on par with her elder sister.” She would pause now, taking into consideration the young woman’s relentless attacks. One of the things that Artemis knew about her spells was that they were stronger than any Junior ranked Magic Knights’ own. This was taken into consideration when she had fought the young woman. Her spells would have cut through the woman’s defenses, and even through her attacks. It was a non-match, and would have been something that did not help her assess the young woman’s capabilities, and in turn, her weaknesses.[break][break]
“You keep rushing head on. That is your weakness.” She would announce now. “It can be a strength if you could press on your opponent enough to not let them be able to respond in kind. However, you are faced against an opponent that is stronger than you, Faster than you.” Artemis made sure to harden her voice at each end of the sentences. “Sometimes, understanding that you are outclassed is a good thing. You must learn as you fight, and be able to adapt to the situation. Trying the same tactic over and over again will yield you the same result.”[break][break]
Artemis would slowly nod now, trying to find the right words to finish her lesson. “In missions as a Magic Knight, you will sometimes find yourself in a situation whereby you are outnumbered and outgunned.” She paused, before continuing, “The most important lesson I can teach you as a Magic Knight of the Green Mantis is that your life is more precious than a mere mission. If you retreat and live, you can grow stronger and repay your debts. If you die, you become a useless corpse.” There was merit in her words, yet it was incomplete. “However, if it concerns the citizens of the Clover Kingdom, then you must always do your duty. Your life is more precious unless it concerns the Clover Kingdom’s safety and security. At that point, our lives are forfeit for the citizens whom we made a vow to protect; a duty we are bound until we hang up our mantles.”
[break][break]
COMBAT SUMMARY
[attr="class","polluxscroll2"]
TL;DR
Ki Senses is being used. Artemis' base speed is 20m/s.
Name of Spell: Kraken[break] Spell Element: Water[break] Spell Rank: Grand [break] Mana Cost: 50 | 25[break] Type of Golem: Guardian[break] Applicable Perks: Reinforced Golem[break] Description: The Kraken is a beast thought to live within the depths of the oceans, which inspired Artemis to name this specific golem in honour of it. The Kraken is never summoned singularly, but always in a group which corresponds to the ammo rule for golems at Grand rank. Draconic in size and features, but with tentacles, it uses its appendages to do untold damage. It takes orders through the mana tether that it has with its caster, which sustains its existence. It can also take verbal commands though it has to be simple. The Kraken also have the ability of flight, with it's wing appendage usually folded for protection, and can be used as transportation which can carry 5 people at the speed of 12m/s. It is 16 meters in size and one of Artemis' most destructive golems.[break]
The more Fuu's spells missed, the more she wanted to scream. She was beginning to curse herself in her head, wondering why this was so difficult despite the answer being very obvious. The last time Fuu was frustrated over losing a fight was with Titaniya who she mentioned earlier which all started because of the dwarf's dislike towards the Black Bulls. But this here was a spar to test what Fuu is capable of. Still she managed to blow this out of proportion for herself.
Fuu watched angrily as her vice captain hopped to the top of her monster. With fists clenched and shaking, Fuu's grimoire glowed, preparing another spell. "Get down here, and face m-" The teen paused after hearing the elf's very truthful claim. Those words...how she stood so confidently and strong a top of that beast, they were enough to remind the dwarf the she wasn't fighting someone on her level or lower...This was the person Baron himself chose to be the second in command of this squad, someone who has proven herself in both strength and mind, things Fuu herself was severely lacking in comparison. It was enough to quell the earth mage's anger, but she still appeared bothered.
Quietly, Fuu listened. She slowly lowered her head and looked at the ground while Artemis spoke of the earth mage's weakness. She felt disappointed in herself. Artemis was right, all Fuu has been doing was stubbornly try to rush at the water mage over and over, thinking that she'll eventually break through but it's not always that simple...It mostly never is. Fuu has always been someone who prefers raw strength over tactic and never saw anything wrong with it because it has been working for her thus far...until today. To be more accurate, Fuu's confrontation with Titaniya was the first time the earth mage's brainless tactics didn't work, but to have someone actually tell her off on these flaws was enough for her to begin recognizing them. A part of her was still fighting it however, trying to convince herself that Artemis was wrong and this was just some fluke. "Y-You're wrong..." she muttered which would've been most likely hard to hear while still refusing to make eye contact.
These doubting thoughts would get pushed to the side as Artemis started to speak more about being a Magic Knight and its duties. Fuu found herself slowly looking back up as Artemis mentioned that her life came first before the mission. "H-huh?" She then spoke of how they must lay their lives for the people of this kingdom instead, quickly reminding Fuu of what she told Artemis back at her office. She wanted to help others, be a pillar that others could lean on for support. Even though her attitude and way of using magic is unlike most Wilhelms, Fuu still held onto the idea of defending others.
Once again, the earth girl bit her lower lip. Her grimoire closed and descended back into her satchel. "I..." Fuu didn't know what to say, Her tone was hesitant, unsure. She sat on the ground with her arms crossed on her knees and chin on top of them, now looking absentmindedly at the krakken. "Right...I'll....I'll do better, Vice Captain." she claimed with a tone that felt more distant and disappointing.
Artemis would watch the young woman carefully. The truth sometimes hurt. Scratch that. The truth hurts, period. There was no sugarcoating something as important as this. Artemis, for her part, had really no intention of sugarcoating anything. In fact, the woman most likely did not know how to sugarcoat her words; being very blunt at the best and worst times. But, the truth of the matter was that these were the realities of a Magic Knight. Fuu Wilhelm needed to hear them, to understand them, before she even took any more of her time into progressing through the ranks. The Magic Knights’ Mantle held harsh realities that were easily forgotten, easily overlooked, and easily shoved aside in favour of an ounce of glory. [break][break]
“Understanding,” She would start, letting her Kraken golem go as it dissipated into the light breeze. She would slowly descend, hitting the floor of the training area gentle as she looked towards Fuu. “That is the first step. To be the solid foundation, the rock that people can lean on, it will take time, effort, a little bit of luck, and a lot of dedication.” She shook her head, “Those who think it is easy to achieve what the Vice Captains, the Captains, and even the Wizard King has achieved are farcical.” [break][break]
“You have potential. Do not waste it.” Artemis would turn now, heading back towards her office as she contemplated on the matters at hand. “When you are ready, come speak to me. I can give you a more detailed assessment of your weaknesses, and how you might be able to counteract them.” Artemis was unsure whether the young woman would take her offer. However, she knew that Fuu learned something today, at the very least. Will it affect her? Only time would tell.
[break][break]
[EXIT]
COMBAT SUMMARY
[attr="class","polluxscroll2"]
TL;DR
Ki Senses is being used. Artemis' base speed is 20m/s.
Her temper now burnt out, Fuu just sat there and stared absentmindedly at the krakken until it started to disappear. The earth mage slowly looked back up with a thoughtful and distant look on her face, her eyes following the vice captain's descent onto the ground. The water mage mentioning how absurd it is to think that one could just easily gain one of those three great positions quickly reminded Fuu of her comment towards Valo back at the Vice Captain celebration.
She claimed that swiping the captain position would be just as easy a pick pocketing. Thinking about this now made Fuu feel like a fool, her eyes faltering a bit as a response. She needed to get it in her head that none of this was simple, and that she couldn't continue to act too careless.
As Artemis started to walk off, Fuu started to get back on her feet, but her eyes were still facing downward. After all that stubborn behavior...the vice captain still believes in Fuu's potential. It felt nice knowing that someone hadn't given up on her when most others would've seen the earth mage as a lost cause at this point. A light smile was on her face. Some of the words were harsh, but Fuu was still a tough girl after all. This was something she needed to hear, and deep down the dwarf knew this very much. "Alright, vice cap."
"...Thank you." she muttered with her back still toward the leaving woman. Fuu still has a lot of work to do, but she is willing to see it through, not just for her squad or the kingdom...but for her noble bloodline and especially her parents.