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.
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Jan 19, 2022 14:04:38 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 1009
total word count 18,214
[attr="class","glentext"] The power of the Archdaemon was something that he couldn't even imagine, his body felt fear, but he didn't know if it was due to the presence of Ashford inside his body that was already familiar with his father's power. Or even his own body that could feel Aamon's power with his own body. Now with Ardere out of the fight as the man had gone to Varisse's they were left alone trying to hold back the titan on their own. It became evident that the daemon wasn't happy with the strongest fighter leaving, as he could sense his magical energy spiked at even higher levels. A part of him wondered if his reserves were endless, as he only grew stronger by the minute. [break][break] Charles watched how Griswold's blade and main form attack shattered in pieces, this caused problems for them. "Incursio!" At that moment, the silver mage placed his hands on the floor as electricity flowed through his entire body and created an armor made out of silver that buffed his speed and protected him from incoming attacks. He was preparing to head towards Aamon after Griswold's blade had been destroyed at that instant. However before he could take a step any further, his armor was struck by Aamon's chains and slowed him down. "Daemon Drive: Silver Key!" This didn't stop him, as a silver aura emerged from his body and broke the restraints that once bound his body. He knew that his spirit dive wouldn't last long, with Ardere attempting to revive Varisse, Griswold having lost his sword, and Cyrus's body undergoing the effects of leaving spirit dive he had to hold him back, even if it was for a few moments. [break][break] Before he continued any further, his attention turned to Aamon that stared at him directly with a grin. It was clear that he was referring to him, or more specifically, Ashford that was inside of him. Since Ashford was inside of him, this also meant he was selling his own soul to Aamon. "How dare you call me your son? You piece of shit? After all, you've done that's all you care about? After murdering the entire population of Quenya and even your own family, you bother to ask such a thing until now. DAMN YOU AAMON, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU DIE EVEN IF IT COSTS MY OWN LIFE! SILVER SHARDS!" Charles shouted with rage as he extended his hand and created shards of silver with sparks of electricity coming from them, directing them towards the daaemon. He was going to use his reserves to hold him back until Ardere returned with his full power. Fully aware that he could not defeat him, not with his current power, but he was going to do what he could. A part of his actions was merely influenced by Ashford that was inside of him, but something Charles himself was willing to do. No more people shall suffer and die from his actions, whether they were human or elves. [break][break] His offensive was just getting started and making use of the power granted by both of his dives. The shards were directed towards Aamon with the intention of further damaging him. He knew, in the long run, it wouldn't do much, but if he could stack his attack maybe he would be able to at least make a small difference. "Silver Barrage!" A barrage of silver spikes rose from the ground below and directly moved towards the Aamon with the intention of impaling him with the spikes. Charles eventually got close enough to him and that was his intention. Although, it wasn't the smartest idea as he knew from the start Aamon was the most physical out of all daemons. For now, it was the best thing he could to hold him back, if he could buy just enough time for Ardere to finish what he was doing. [break][break] "Daemon Drive: Silver Shroud. Charles declared as a power surge of silver energy and electricity came from his body. This increased his physical strength to Grand Rank and proceeded to rush Aamon in an attempt to punch him directly with his first that was covered by his own armor. "Cyrus help keep him restrained if you can, we have to try and hold him back until Ardere returns at full power!" He knew that Cyrus's body was weakened due to the aftereffects of the Spirit Dive, but for now he wanted to hold back to stop him from further targeting Griswold that had been attacked, and buy enough time for Ardere to come back. In the distance, he was able to hear the Captain scream Aamon's name, everything was coming to fruition. He could sense that the man's power had increased, if they could at least hold him back for a few more seconds Ardere could finally wipe the floor with him. That was his wish and his ultimate goal, see the destruction of Aamon. Lives had been lost previously due to his fault, his inability to be powerful enough, right now he at least had enough power to make a difference. It didn't matter to him how big or small it was, as long as it lead to the Archdaemon's defeat that's what it mattered. The people had been killed on Kikka and even the lives he witnessed be lost on Ashford's memories. [break][break] After he punched he made sure to put enough for and use his magically enhanced strength to hold back the titan, even if it wouldn't be enough. Perhaps, with the help of Cyrus restraints, he could keep him for longer, but a part of him believed he was still holding back his power. "I'll secure victory here for Captain Ardere to give you the ass whooping of a lifetime..." Electricity continued to surge out of his entire body as he tried his best to hold him and prepared his relic in an attempt that Aamon attacks him with a mortal strike, he would have to take a calculated risk and use it at the right time.
[break]
POW 090
DUR 141
SEN 010
STA 080
CON 080
[break]
MANA SKIN
HEALTH
MANA REGEN
MANA POOL
archmage
grand
55 IC // 60 OOC
190/220
[break][break]
Combat Summary
[break]TL;DR Magic Knight Mantle, Seer's Fate, Forgotten Heirloom [break][break] Used Grand Defense Spell Incursio, armor has 2x Grand Health, followed up by Silver Barrage and Silver Shards, both deal senior damage. Grand Physical Reinforcement Strength Buff. -10 mana reduction cost on spells.
Name of Spell: Silver Armor: Incursio [break] Elemental Type: Silver (Lightning Oddity) [break] Rank & Spell Type: Grand | Defense Creation & Physical Reinforcement [break] Range & Speed: 150 meters | 85 m/s [break] Mana Cost: 50 | 25 [break] Stats Effected: +30 m/s [break] Applicable Perks: Aegis, Quick Shot, Full Blitz, Elemental Oddity, Description: In order to activate the spell Charles places his hand on the ground and mana begins to surround his entire body. Charles coats his entire body with magical energy, creating an armor made out of silver that defends him from enemy attacks that have Archmage Health (2x Grand) and also give him a +30 m/s speed buff. The armor covers his entire body from top to bottom, it's accompanied by a silver-colored cloak that covers the armor from behind. Upon the creation of the armor, several sparks of lightning will surround the user until its completion.
[break][break]
Name of Spell: Silver Shards [break] Elemental Type: Silver (Lightning Oddity) [break] Rank & Spell Type: Senior | Attack Creation [break] Range & Speed: 80 meters | 45 m/s [break] Mana Cost: 30 [break] Stats Effected: +6 Power [break] Applicable Perks: Wounding Attack, Quick Shot [break] Description: Charles opens his hand creating multiple small sharp silver shards creating a small barrage of shards of 10 cubic meters, the shards create a spark of electricity upon creation and contact, this gives the shards an outline made of lightning. Each shard is roughly 10 cm in size. Additionally, Charles can create more barrages of shards per 30 control following the ammo rules.
[break][break]
Name of Spell: Silver Barrage [break] Elemental Type: Silver [break] Rank & Spell Type: Senior | Attack Creation [break] Range & Speed: 80 meters | 45 m/s [break] Mana Cost: 30 [break] Stats Effected: +6 Power [break] Applicable Perks: Wounding Attack, Quick Shot [break] Description: Charles creates large chunks of silver spikes of 20 cubic meters in size, sending a barrage of silver spikes that rise from the ground and extend all the way towards the target. The spikes are 2 meters thick and 5 meters tall. Additionally, Charles can create more silver barrages per 30 control following the ammo rules.
[attr=class,cyrustext]Cyrus' partial spirit dive time was up; not moments before it ran out did Gris take a brutal hit that his defensive spell took the brunt of, but as the power coursing through him faded so too did any traces of his Grand magic spells. Hama separated from him and panted heavily as she rested on his shoulder, glaring daggers at the archdaemon that had still yet to fall. Until he had time to recover, Cyrus would only be able to cast Intermediate spells, of which he had few. Once upon a time, when he was yet a novice, he had more such spells at his disposal. But ever since the Shatter he had found himself unable to tap into those old magics. Maybe his memories had been altered, he didn't know.
But it didn't really matter right now, as he watched Aamon use his own twisted magic to corrupt his spell and reflect it back at him. It fired back far faster than anything Cyrus himself could manage, but he at least had the benefit of a great gap between the two of them. His thoughts were a blur as he readied a minuscule defensive effort. "Treacle arise!" Cyrus called out as he summoned one of his oldest golems; the headless but vaguely humanoid figure of the construct rising from the ground in front of him. Ideally it would act as a wall of sorts between himself and his redirected attack, but he knew not if it would work for sure. At the very least his Hydra Hitching was only a Restraining spell, so unless Aamon's curse had so thoroughly altered its function even such a weak golem should be able to survive the impact.
As he waited to see if his idea would work, he witnessed Ardere's anguish as he complied with Varisse's request, and the rage that followed once he had followed through. He could feel a great power washing over him, but it was no spell or curse; only the searing fury of the Crimson King.
Three more Treacles arose with their brother; had his defensive strategy succeeded, Cyrus would mount one to make up for his own poor mobility a little bit. Aamon had turned away from him, seeming certain that the Rising Dawn was no longer a threat worth considering. He flexed his hand, and a chain dropped down; the Scorpion's Eclipse. Even if he couldn't rely on the magic of his own grimoire for the moment, Cyrus was still the Vice Captain of the Golden Dawn; he wasn't helpless just because his book was missing a few pages. And it wasn't the only weapon he had on him, drawing a blue dagger from his belt and throwing it towards Griswold. "Take this!" He said; while it wasn't the sword Gris had just lost, the Puppeteer of the Current was still a deceptively powerful blade. It was the best he could offer his comrade right now.
He focused his mana into the gauntlet, causing the magic to flow into the crystallized nightshade tip of the weapon. It was a function he had never had need to use until now, and given the strength of their opponent he had doubts that it would even work. But it was his best bet for offense at the moment. The name of this technique imbued into the ancient poison weapon, once wielded by a vicious murderer, echoed through Cyrus' mind.
"Shadowbane." He thought.
With a mighty swing of his arm, Cyrus sent the barbed tip of the weapon hurtling towards Aamon at a speed of 40 m/s as he bid his golems closer to the so called warrior. The damage of this technique was weak initially, only as strong as a Junior attack, but grew with each successive strike. It would also empower his non-spell strikes with the weapon so long as he maintained it, which would keep the weapon's naturally wicked power.
[attr="class,cyrusstats]Stats & Information
WC: 0656 | TWC: 14857
[attr="class,cyrusstats]
Mana Skin
24/24
Health
18/18
Mana
455/455
Movement Speed
01
Damage Taken
00
Healing Recieved
00
Mana Used
58
Mana Regen
75
[attr="class,cyrusstats] Combat Notes PSD ended; first turn of Spirit Drain
Summoned four Treacle golems; one with the intention of intercepting his reflected spell
Tossed Griswold his Puppeteer of the Current weapon
Ordered his Treacles to get closer to Aamon and used the Scorpion's Eclipse ability, Shadowbane, on Aamon.
Items On Hand Magic Knight's Mantle Scorpion's Eclipse Strength of a Nation Puppeteer of the Current
Name of Spell: Treacle Spell Element: Sap Spell Rank: Intermediate Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Type of Golem: Balanced Applicable Perks: Puppet Master, Armament, Reinforced Golems Description: The Treacle is a golem of middling size, formed from a mixture of both viscous sap and durable amber. When summoned by a wizard, Treacle bubbles forth from the ground like a leaking tree. The golem has a vaguely humanoid shape, but with a red, eye-like core of magical energy instead of a head. The amber covers the sap beneath, resembling an armored warrior, with the "armor" on the beast's back forming a standing spot for the summoner. At 6 meters tall, it provides a fair balance of parameters for comparatively low mana expense. As a Intermediate golem, it can carry up to two passengers at a speed of 10 m/s, and grow up to six meters tall. Up to 4 can be summoned at once.
Weapon Ability: Shadowbane
Type & Uses: Flow
Rank & Specialization: Senior|Attack Creation and Hex
Mana Cost: 38 ¦ 19 (Use for 5 turns before overheating for 4 turns for 7 ¦ 6)
Range & Speed: 80m | 40 m/s
Stats Affected: N/A
Description:
Upon pouring their mana into this weapon, its owner activates the crystalized nightshade at the tip of the chain making the whole weapon, and attacks coming from the Scorpion’s Eclipse, to suddenly attain the Poison element. This works only if the attacks and weapons used while the user has this element are held in some way by the user (aka connected to touch by him). All attacks done by fist suddenly dealing grand physical damage additionally upon impact from the crystalized nightshade it starts to do a premeditated kind of poison damage while the Shadowbane spell is active. The damage starts off at [JR] rank, and with each landed hit with the nightshade tip, the rank of damage dealt jumps until it reaches [Senior]. It works like a growing Dot. After the second landed hit (aka the INT damage one) a debuff is applied working with the Hex Power and Control Rules that can completely negate healing. Even though this isn't a traditional attack spell and works more like a dot the poison can still be negated via clashing rules.
Charles talked back to Aamon, or rather…he yelled and informed Aamon that he was not giving into his demand, but still he charged in after negating the debuff spell. He was ready to hold the archdaemon at bay until Ardere could come back into the fold. One thing that was now made known as Charles rushed forward, Cyrus saw the death of Varisse and knew that the time was coming soon where Aamon would be crushed, but this debuff was cutting him off from the rest of his team. He summoned some of his oldest golems before tossing a weapon to Griswold before drawing his own and preparing for an assault. Griswold on the other hand was feeling as broken as his sword was lying on the ground. The chains slowed him, and he knew that this was all due to the fact that Charles stayed behind and had to get caught up in all this bullshit…however he was never the one to give up. A blade was flying to his aid, all he had to do was catch it and fight. Aamon saw that Charles was not going to give in and he sighed, placing a hand up and near his face, the only one that would see the toothy grin would be Griswold in that moment. This…this was all just a fucking ruse.
”I am GLAD you decided against my offer Ashford my son, and Charles…now I can FINALLY have some fun.” He let out a hearty laugh before meeting Charles’s magical spikes with his blade, catching them before they struck his body. The next moment Charles would be upon him and Cyrus’s attack would also be striking his pauldron, piercing through the mana armor in a spectacular fashion, yet the daemon did not look as blood blossomed from the piercing attack. He punched through the golems that Cyrus summoned, taking his attention away from Griswold and Charles for just a split second which allowed Charles the perfect opportunity to strike Aamon in the gut before trying to engage in holding him back for Ardere to join. Aamon prepared to bring the sword of his down on Charles' body as he roared with frustration for the first time this entire battle. The blade Cyrus had thrown passed by Griswold and was heading for the ground, it was close enough for the Solarian Wolf to grasp it and attack. Cyrus, moving slowly and suffering from spiritual drain, was just doing his best in this entire fight, that is all he was able to do and he was the reason the team had been able to survive this entire time. The corpse of the doppelganger was nearby, and a glint would catch Cyrus’ eye. What was being missed.
It was then that Ardere yelled, cursing Aamon with an anguish and anger filled yell!
Ardere:
.The power that filled him now as Varisse’s eyes grew dark and dull was immense…this was something else entirely as the mark of the champion was adorned onto his hand. When he turned and yelled at Aamon…that anger, that anguish, that desire to destroy this evil being in front of him grew as his spirit dive and the new power flipped that switch in his body and Salamander even felt it.
It was the manifestation of pure, raw, absolute power unlike any he had experienced before…and a voice filled his ears…the voice of the elf he had just killed. ”Your desire is to protect your men, to kill Aamon not for your country but for the people in your charge…I will grant you the power to do so for a limited time, and your spirit dive will stay with me, but this will…this will take some life force from you Crimson King, that is the price for power that you do not yet have the means to wield.” The voice would say in his mind before his body would glow white hot, even more so than it was before…then his mana would explode outward, fighting against the mana zone that was used by Aamon…”This is Mana Zone: Hellfire Gauntlet” She would say before his soul would feel a pinch, a pull that should have made him weak, but yet he did not feel the pain other than the feeling.
Everyone:
Aamon registered the new threat and right as he was about to bring the blade down on Charles he stopped and looked up at Ardere…the clashing mana zones now was like being stuck inside of a dark pool as dawn was breaking through. ”NO! THAT WAS MY POWER YOU DAMN APE!” Fear…for once there was a look of fear in Aamon’s eyes.
I am coming for you,[break][break] Champion,[break][break] My Enemy... Aamon..[break][break]
wc: ###
twc: ###
@tagme
[break]
[attr="class","ardereescroll"]Power. It always came at an irreparable cost. The tears that flowed down his cheeks like waterfalls into a sea of flames had now ceased. All that remained was Ardere--The Crimson King. In that small moment with Varisse, he finally laid her to rest. Thank you. I will not forget you. Please..be at rest.. Taking a deep breath, this was it. The culmination of the fight he had dreamt of for so long, the fight he had dreaded was here. I won't let you down. Pale armor had overtaken the dark one donned underneath, white flames enveloping him like a bonfire. In this moment he was not just a Knight, he was the Champion. This pact he forged with Varisse had taken the form of a beautiful form that would make his ancestor's proud. He looked like a Samurai of old, draped in white. There was a sword still affixed to his hip, but he dare not draw it just yet. [break][break] Piercing white flames begun to erupt from the floor as the Tower now rumbled and shook with the force of an earthquake. Mana Zone: Hellfire Gauntlet. As the Captain kicked forward with the strength of a hundred men, his power surged through the battlefield like an army of his own. Titanic swords of white blaze burst forth from underneath their feet, forming an Arena of his own to clash with Aamon. This was his Mana Zone. Dozens of swords broke through the stone on which they stood, reminiscent of his Hinokami's Blessing or Siegfried's Arsenal but on a far grander scale. Swords from the Heavens were tethered to the Earth with chains from Hell, emitting immeasurable power from their Master. Amidst these chains were humanoid forms--representing the fallen from all of Clover. Here they would give Ardere strength and await the death of the Daemon Champion. You get the hell away from my boys now, you son of a bitch! Commanding his Mana Zone to pull the three Knights as far from the battle as possible, he aimed to be quick enough to not allow Aamon's attacks to hit them. They had been unleashing an onslaught of their own but it was time for him to step up and be a damn leader now. You've all done well, better than I probably deserve. But this is our fight now! As he soared through the air encased in an army of flames, his attack was coming. [break][break] Ardere had fought many opponents but very few had ever been able to match his physical prowess and years of martial arts training. Today he fought his ultimate opponent. Rather than merely engulf him in flames, the Lion channeled all of his power through his fists. Aiming for one full powered punch, he knew this was going to be blocked. Pivoting off of his left foot, he dished out a kick to Aamon's right leg in an attempt to cripple him. Combined with a heavy punch from his left arm, the Champion had a flurry of blows to respond to now as the Tower would tremble with strength. [break][break] The Captain's muscles were pulsing with power unlike anything he had felt before. This was the combined efforts of Varisse, Salamander, and his own power. If only he had been this strong the day he lost his father, or Lysander, or Silas. But that didn't matter now. What mattered is he did hold this strength and he could save the three men he took head first into Hell. His past failures would still be failures, but perhaps now he could finally atone for all of that. Maybe now he would finally feel his blazing soul at peace. But to do this he had to accomplish one monolithic feat; kill the big bastard in front of him! Let's finish this, Aamon.[break][break] -Amaterasu and Dive sustained. Mana Zone activated. Strength: Really dumb. Apex Predator, Overpowered, Close Combat Expert active.
Feeling the strain placed upon him by the chain, him tugging at it clearly not working, there wasn’t a whole lot that he’d be able to do unless he were to really let loose. Having the means by which to amplify his mana reserves, which were starting to deplete rather quickly, he witnessed as Cyrus threw a weapon across the battlefield. Likely aiming to supplement the weapon Griswold had just lost, he did his very best to pick the blade up from the air. And had he been slowed any further than he had, that might have become a difficult task to achieve, as he wasn’t much of a juggler, what with the circus life not being his desired direction in life. Grabbing the weapon by the hilt, he only had a moment to look it over before he would need to use it to get back into the fight. Because if he knew one thing, it was that Aamon wasn’t going to be waiting for him to get ready.
Now that his power had achieved a new level, complete with him adorning a suit of armor, a weapon powerful enough to shatter his own blade as if it were made out of glass and affecting his surroundings, the black knight imagined this new weapon was likely going to shatter just as quickly as the former. Still, it gave him a fighting chance against this monster, and that was just about all that he could ask for. Looking over in Cyrus’ direction for a moment and nodding in approval and as thanks, in spite of the restraining spell that bound his full potential, he planned on diving right back into it. That was, until Ardere had seemingly caught his second wind. Truth be told, he hadn’t had the time to see what he had been doing after he temporarily left the fight to him, Cyrus and Charles. Still, whatever he had done, it was clearly working out in their favor.
Noticing that the woman’s remains had disappeared, leaving only what he assumed to be ashes, he heard the words a survivor might give someone that had paid the ultimate and final price. Imagining this might have been where he found the power he wielded, what with it vaguely representing the light he had witnessed when he, trapped in the body of a demon, had fought against a massive glowing golem that fought in the defense of the elves, it went to show that she was hiding something after all. With her seemingly leaving this world as she had not been brought back in the way part of him had wanted her to, even in spite of the people she had murdered in cold blood if only for Charles and Ardere’s sakes, he felt a single tear rolling down his cheek. Once he realized this much, he wiped it away with his glove, knowing that this tear was not one that was born from his own emotions.
Still, he was glad that in her final moments, she had managed to bestow at least one of them with the power that might be needed to, just like the demonic spirit of Ashford had done for Charles. Though it had taken Aamon bringing it up for him to truly realize all of this, the dreamscape he had been in where he lived out his days as Ashford, the demon they had faced down and the woman he had been made to fight against while in that form. Perhaps if he had figured it all out sooner, it might have helped them get through all of this a lot more smoothly. Perhaps they might have been able to go through this without Varisse having to die, or maybe her being her in her original state while everyone else here seemed to have been remade in demonic forms was solely for this purpose. Perhaps fate had kept her here as she was for the sole purpose of dying here and bestowing someone with the power with which to slay the archdaemon.
Or perhaps, it wasn’t fate at all that was bringing all of this about. Perhaps it was Aamon himself, the “man” that had been concocting this entire affair within the battle tower, standing just a few steps behind every threat they had faced as they ascended higher and higher. With the memories some of them had seen, the fights that had been set up in the arena and the space right after exiting the memory trial, even Varisse murdering their fellow knights and bringing in a bunch of familiar faces belonging to magic knights he had personally never met. And with the smirk he had shown just now when Charles, or Ashford, or simply the both of them had refused to surrender and return to the fold, was it possible that the demon had orchestrated all of this with the intention of dying? If Aamon had been related to Ashford and Varisse in the way he believed he had, did the events in the memories he had seen also been caused by him all those years ago?
Maybe he was merely overreaching, and maybe all of this was just him thinking way too far outside of the box, but there was no denying the fact that if Aamon had wanted to kill them, he could have used his resources much, much differently, much more effectively. If he had truly wanted them dead, he could have brought down every single soul in the arena down on them, beating them with sheer numbers alone. He could have had his avatar fight them along with the Oni and the gladiator to just wipe the four of them out, or even better, he could have done all of those things at the same time while spearheading the assault, wiping them across the pavement like a bloody smear with no real way of fighting back. Hell, they could have wiped out the vast majority of the magic knights in one swoop with such a legion, and at that point even if they were beaten, there’d still be two more archdemons that could finish what Aamon started.
Finding that the more he thought about all of this, the less things made sense, he felt a force pulling or rather pushing him away from the battlefield. Likely being caused by Ardere’s newfound powers, backed up by how he claimed that they had done their best, but that they were effectively being removed from the fight, Griswold just looked back at the man with a look of both confusion and anger. After coming this far, he did not just want to be pulled from the fight like some child. Once the force stopped moving him around, he found himself not too far away from where Charles and Cyrus was, which gave him a moment to think. Because for as much as he wanted to dash back into the fight, the amount of factors that were keeping him from actually doing so were greater than those driving him to recklessly charge into the fight again. Even knowing his own endurance was in a league of its own, against something that had shattered his strongest weapon with such easy would likely just break him too.
So as Ardere began fighting the archdemon by himself, Griswold found himself gritting his teeth as he clutched his fingers together so hard that it felt like he might crush the handle of his temporary weapon to pieces. Looking at Cyrus and Charles for a moment before his gaze returned to Ardere and Aamon that were just about to start pummelling one another. He wasn’t done yet. Just because he had been told not to get into the fray again did not mean that he couldn’t help from a distance. And when he thought about it for a second longer, he didn’t believe Charles, Ashford and Cyrus were done yet either.
“I’m not sure about the rest of you lot, but I did not come here to play second fiddle to anyone. So lets make sure that son of a bitch remembers he’s not just fighting one of us, but four of the royal knights picked to fight for the sake of this fucking country.”
Placing the weapon next to Cyrus as he clearly no longer needed it as Ardere kept him from getting into close quarters with the demon yet again, Griswold realized full well that at this point, he was only going to be getting in the way. This was no longer a fight that was fit for mere mortals, as he had neither the power of the Salamander nor the power the ancient elf woman had been packing. With a sudden burst, his mana reservoir burst back to a point where it had been before all of this as the aura around him vanished. Finally letting go of the spell that had been increasing his speed and actively kept him alive along with Cyrus’s protective coating, Griswold’s body began to glow again. This time, not in the form of an aura, but the kind of glow one might see when something was preparing to discharge a large amount of energy all at once. Keeping his eye on the demon, he held out both hands towards him as he let loose all that he could bring.
Sending a beam of solar magic straight towards Aamon, the attack itself was meant to distract or harm whatever armor he had that protected him from harm, though it was also a diversion by itself. Firing two small spheres in the wake of the beam that would erupt and enflame the area and all hostile targets within it, once it exploded, it was going to release a light bright enough that it might very well Blind the demon lord, giving Ardere a chance to land a blow or two before it would even be able to see what was going on. With this being just about the only thing he could do right now, he hoped that it was going to be enough. But even as he released his barrage of spells
TLDR: Caught the blade and pondered on how odd it looked. Preparing to get back into the fight, he began noticing some rather obvious and some less obvious things he had missed at this point, such as the fact that it seemed like Aamon was doing all of this because he wanted to die. Then got pushed aside and away from the fight, returned the weapon to Cyrus before claiming that he wasn’t going to just let things go by without doing a damn thing, firing two spells at the Archdemon in an attempt at injuring or at the very least blinding it so Ardere can get some uncontested hits in.
POWER 175 DURABILITY 3 SENSORY 80 STAMINA 50 CONTROL 150 MANA 180 ( -30 -30 +105 -15 = 165)
Using Burning Will to triple his mana regeneration
Name of Spell: Galactic Nucleus: Blazar Elemental Type: Solar Rank & Spell Type: Senior | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 80 meters | 40 m/s Mana Cost: 30 mp | 15 mp sustain Stats Effected: +6 to Power Applicable Perks: “Overpowered” Description: A more powerful version of the solar flare (lunar swirl) spell, Galactic Nucleus: Blazar is a spell that compresses and fires a massive amount of solar mana from the user into a specific direction, following a straight line. Making the body of the user radiate with light before the beam erupts forward, it is initiated in exactly the same manner as Quasar, allowing for a surprise element towards those that are familiar with his spells. Instead of exploding when coming into contact with a solid surface, it will instead attempt to burn its way through by either punching through almost all non-magical structures with ease or by melting it on contact. Scorching the earth and leaving a trail in its wake, the beam can cause minor third degree burns, break bones and make a direct hit quite lethal. Using the “ammo” rules, the caster is capable of preventing allies of being hit by the beam. During the day, the spell takes on an orange hue, taking on a silver blue hue after dark.
Name of Spell: Variable Star: Parallax Elemental Type: Solar Rank & Spell Type: Senior | Attack Creation & Sensory Range & Speed: 100 meters (40 m AoE) | 50 m/s Mana Cost: 30 mp | 15 mp sustain Stats Effected: +9 Power, Blind Applicable Perks: Overpowered, Quick Shot, Skilled Sniper & Battle Knight (& Area of Triumph) Description: A spell that releases a fast moving ball of solar mana at a target determined upon the moment of creation. Utilizing "homing" rules in order to chase down the target until the projectile is destroyed or the caster runs out of mana, it also uses "ammo" rules to increase the amount of projectiles fired by 1 for every 75 Control the caster has. Initialized by first making himself glow before firing them, in addition, these projectiles flare up from time to time, allowing them to blind those looking at it for one whole post. These "stars" can flare up to blind someone once every two posts in which they're active, making them rather tricky to deal with. Upon hitting a target, they explode to cover a certain radius, knocking targets back 8 meters + 5 meters for every 10 Power the caster possesses. During the day, the spell takes on an orange hue, taking on a silver blue hue after dark.
[attr=class,cyrustext]Aamon had barely even bothered to react to the barbed end of Cyrus' whip connecting, despite the wound being deep enough to make him bleed. The fact that he had bled from the strike, however, was honestly more than the Rising Dawn had expected. He had been prepared to see his attack bounce off harmlessly. Repeated strikes with the weapon would inflict more severe injuries, so ideally the archdaemon would continue to ignore his attacks until they grew stronger. But Cyrus wasn't going to cling to the hope that his strikes would be the ones to lay the daemon low; no, as it had ever been, it seemed that distinction would belong to Ardere as their party's leader activated his mana zone in an attempt to push the rest of them to safety while he handled their foe.
Cyrus, ever the durable sort, was able to withstand the push back a bit more than the others. Gris had managed to free himself from his restraints with the assistance of his dagger, but returned the weapon to the Golden Dawn member. He seemed reluctant to simply stand by and not assist the Captain of the Crimson Lions, but also willing to accept that he had to hang back and fight from a distance. As Cyrus reached to retrieve his weapon, however, he noticed a glint out of the corner of his eye and turned to investigate. It was the body of his twisted doppelganger, still every bit as dead as when it had first been finished off... but he could see something reflecting light from the brilliance of Gris' spell and Ard's flames. Glancing cautiously at Aamon Cyrus made his way over to the corpse and wearily reached under, retrieving... a sword?
Cyrus thought, trying to remember if his copy had been wielding it before his transformation, but so much had happened in such a sort time that he couldn't remember. But, looking at the sword, he realized that it felt familiar. And not only felt, but looked; his eyes widened as the realization dawned on him that it was the very same blade that he had wielded in that strange dream. He looked at the blade, and as he held it in his hand, he felt as though his body became lighter. More responsive. And stronger, too; though his magic was still weak due to the backlash of his Spirit Dive, his body felt stronger than ever as he held the Fang of Ashford (a name that just seemed to echo in his mind as he gazed at the hilt). He gave the weapon an experimental twirl, and the motion felt practiced.
Hama also looked at the blade, feeling its effect on her partner through their connection. She looked up at Cyrus, grinning. "Ready to get in there?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Cyrus closed his eyes for a moment to center himself, before breathing evenly and locking his eyes on the Archdaemon. "Not a lot of magic to work with right now... but I'm not gonna let that make me a burden." He declared with conviction.
He gripped the weapon tightly as he adopted the same stance his dream counterpart had used to hold the sword, before dashing towards Aamon at a speed of 20 m/s. It was far faster than he was used to moving without the aid of his golems, but whatever enchantment blessed the weapon made that no issue.
In his dream, Cyrus... no, Ashford, had failed to slay the mysterious daemon that had attacked his people. He had died fighting it, out of rage and a thirst for vengeance.
But Cyrus was not Ashford. And he fought to protect those who were still to save, and to play his part. As he neared the daemon he would swing the blade, aiming low to strike at the warrior's leg. The sword granted him a Grand strength enhancement, so if his hit connected it would hurt far more than one of his own attacks normally would. He also followed by swinging his chain once more for an additional hit of Grand damage, while also hoping to deal an additional Intermediate spell's worth of damage as the Scorpion's Eclipse's effect strengthened. What's more, on the second successful strike the weapon would place a Hex on its victim that prevented them from healing. It might be able to provide Ard and the others with an opening... hopefully.
[attr="class,cyrusstats]Stats & Information
WC: 0740 | TWC: 15597
[attr="class,cyrusstats]
Mana Skin
24/24
Health
18/18
Mana
455/455
Movement Speed
21 m/s
Damage Taken
00
Healing Recieved
00
Mana Used
19
Mana Regen
75
[attr="class,cyrusstats] Combat Notes Aimed to strike Aamon with the Fang of Ashford weapon (+20 m/s movement speed buff and Grand strength)
Attempted second hit with Scorpion's Eclipse for Grand damage and Int. spell damage effect; SE's ability can cancel out healing if successful
Second turn of Spirit Lock
Items On Hand Magic Knight's Mantle Scorpion's Eclipse Strength of a Nation Puppeteer of the Current
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Jan 25, 2022 0:55:36 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 710
total word count 18,924
[attr="class","glentext"] It was hard to believe that he actually bothered to get into a close-quarters battle against the most physical daemon in existence. His desire to ensure the death of Aamon was far stronger than ensuring his own safety that was for sure. He didn't care if he got mortally wounded, as long as he could ensure his defeat by the hands of Captain Ardere. Thanks to Cyrus that managed to keep the daemon entertained in order to properly land the hit on his gut. It even seemed that Griswold was fortunate enough to land a hit on the Aamon. He responded to Aamon's comment about him having fun with amusement, but he was nothing compared to what was coming for the Archdaemon. "I'm just the appetizer, the main meal is coming soon to kick your ass." He chuckled in response to his comment without a single little bit of fear on his face. The enemy was going to strike him down soon, but he could feel Ardere's power increasing by the moment which was only followed by his scream. [break][break] It seemed like even Aamon was frustrated about the sudden increase of Ardere's power. He didn't like it and if that man didn't like it then it was great news for the entire group. At that moment Aamon was distracted screaming to Ardere, as a way to say goodbye to him he attempted to punch him with the remaining of his magical energy before he was pushed away from him by Ardere. "Charles your body is almost close to its limit." Argenti stated, warning him that his body was about to reach its limit and the effects of spirit drain will arrive soon. He was already starting to feel the strain and swiftly took a few steps back even after Ardere had pushed him. After all, he wouldn't want to be close with his body in pain in a battle between those two. The main event was about to go down soon, and he could tell that Aamon's defeat was coming. After all the power Ardere showed was quite impressive and combined with the Fire Spirit Salamander it placed him on a whole new level. [break][break] However, at that entire moment realized that something was missing, Varisse. Something happened to her, but he didn't know what exactly happened to her as he was too busy trying to hold back Aamon. A part of him believed that she had something to do with Ardere's new transformation. "Hehehe... I knew Varisse was the key to the puzzle..." It seemed like the hunch he had at the start was right after all, so his time wasn't a waste after all. At this point, his body started to hurt, on top of having a spirit inside his body he had a daemon. Charles briefly turned his attention to Griswold as he made a comment about saying he wasn't playing second fiddle to anyone. He found his comment amusing, but it held some truth. The silver mage still had some magical energy left, one last attack, so he was going to make use of it. [break][break] "Alright, Ashford... Let's do this one more time... Daemon Drive: Silver Bullet." Charles placed his hand forward and aimed at Aamon that was still fighting Ardere. As a large a dark energy started to emit from his hand, creating a large silver bullet that was shot directly towards the Archdaemon. The attack targetted him directly and with the use of homing, he made sure to target his back, where he would least expect it in order to give Ardere the freedom to finally kill him. It was the last spell he could use and hoped it could be of some use towards the fight. "I think I've done enough... So I'll leave the rest to you guys, I might take a nap..." It was obvious that he wasn't going to take a nap in the middle of this, but a part of him wanted to. He was tired and his body had reached its limit for the time being. Charles was confident that Ardere, Griswold, and Cyrus could handle the rest. There was no need for him anymore, it's not like he could do much for the time being. "Give em' hell." [break][break]
[break]
POW 090
DUR 141
SEN 010
STA 080
CON 080
[break]
MANA SKIN
HEALTH
MANA REGEN
MANA POOL
archmage
grand
55 IC // 60 OOC
170/220
[break][break]
Combat Summary
[break]TL;DR Magic Knight Mantle, Seer's Fate, Forgotten Heirloom [break][break] Grand Defense Spell Incursio sustained. Used Grand Attack Homing Spell Daemonic Drive: Silver Bullet
Name of Spell: Silver Armor: Incursio [break] Elemental Type: Silver (Lightning Oddity) [break] Rank & Spell Type: Grand | Defense Creation & Physical Reinforcement [break] Range & Speed: 150 meters | 85 m/s [break] Mana Cost: 50 | 25 [break] Stats Effected: +30 m/s [break] Applicable Perks: Aegis, Quick Shot, Full Blitz, Elemental Oddity, Description: In order to activate the spell Charles places his hand on the ground and mana begins to surround his entire body. Charles coats his entire body with magical energy, creating an armor made out of silver that defends him from enemy attacks that have Archmage Health (2x Grand) and also give him a +30 m/s speed buff. The armor covers his entire body from top to bottom, it's accompanied by a silver-colored cloak that covers the armor from behind. Upon the creation of the armor, several sparks of lightning will surround the user until its completion.
The time had come for the final confrontation…to bury the hatchet…to finally put this bitch to bed as it were. Aamon was practically flanked from all sides as the four Royal Knights had endured so much, it was like a ritual…a beautiful ritual of death.
Cyrus who had attacked Aamon and gave the group a moment to breathe after attacking with his whip sword. Throwing the dagger to Griswold he turned to see a weapon laying there easy for the taking. Upon picking it up he noticed that some of the symptoms of the spirit drain seemed to ease up and he was renewed with a fighting spirit and charged back in. The Rising Dawn had shown his true colors not only as the nation’s shield…but finally the sword. He was going to use the blade of Ashford to bite into that daemonic heart of Aamon and lay his goddamn existence to rest. His 20 m/s charge would do more than he realized… Ardere finally back in the fight, looking like the very god of fire himself and feeling the part of the Crimson King, he would have but one more moment to be a hero, this was it.
Griswold caught the dagger, giving a slight nod to Cyrus as he felt the anger of his broken prized possession, the tool of justice…the final judgment of the cruel and of those that looked to subjugate the weak. He said his peace as Ardere turned and the heat would be felt even from this far away. He was NOT going to be second fiddle to nobody, and that included his Royal Knight captain himself. This was not bravado…hell it was not even bravery…what this was…this was HIS pride. It was his pride that allowed him to be in the shadow of the strongest being he had ever faced, and yet he still was ready to go the distance even if it resulted in his death. Aamon’s bodily features were still loose and comfortable even in this moment…there had to be more to this than what was being shown…
Charles, filled with the energy of his spirit Argenti and the remaining power of Ashford his body was starting to crack…his body was not tempered with the strength to last this long in a dual state…the possession of Ashford and the dive from Argenti told him that to do anymore would result in the loss of his life…yet he was grinning after realizing that Varisse was the key this entire time. Ardere had become the Crimson King incarnate, flames burning brighter than the morning glory of the sun caught Aamon off guard and he was unable to hit Charles. Meanwhile the Silver Bull turned and let out the last bit of Ashford’s power, seeing his comrades also moving to do their best to strike one last time…one last hurrah before Ardere took over.
Ardere struggled, the pain, the pleasure, the power felt was now his for the time being and he was the exact fucking paragon of fire, a godly being in his own right as his soul crackled and began to catch flame, the rebound was already striking him and as he burned brightly and advanced. Whether it was rage from Varisse…no…it was his own rage and commitment to the team that he called Aamon a bitch and told him to get away from his brothers. He told his team that they had done well, and as the clock struck twelve metaphorically…Ardere had reached a full synchronization with his newfound yet temporary power.
To the three before Ardere makes his push.
Their attacks rung true on Aamon who was now flabbergasted by the appearance of Ardere, he was no longer untouchable and as Griswold stabbed into Aamon’s calf a bloody roar eminated from the demonic beast. Charles’ attack was like Ashford’s final sendoff as he shor Aamon point blank, right at his chest and as it hit, the archdaemon finally took his eyes off of Ardere, but much to his dismay…Cyrus was not pushed back by his peer as his aim was true and he cut into the right side of Aamon, spilling that acrid tasting black blood all over the three Royal Knights…they were now bound to each other…not because of a commitment to their kingdom…but because of this shared final experience as Ardere’s power took hold and even Cyrus was unable to withstand the push as now the final round…Ardere and a wounded and cursed Aamon. He screamed out, enraged by this and he was ready to fight seriously.
Ardere and Aamon…
The two were finally there and the three pushed back Royal Knights saw their captain staring down the being that was either close to death, or reaching a second wind…they did not know but there was a change in his stance as he finally spoke since he became enraged and was engaged by the Royal Knights. ”Finally…worthy opponents to finish my grand plans…come Crimson King…I will treat you to a final duel” The Archdaemon popped his joints and spat blood onto the arena floor, he was hurt for sure and now the job was nearly done…who would fall first…that was the question.
To say that things had started making a turn for the better was an understatement, as Griswold had not imagined that all of this would turn out to be as effective as it was. As the three of them managed to land their blows in an attempt at aiding Ardere from a somewhat safer distance, many of them landed on their marks, leaving the kinds of injuries that would work to Aamon’s detriment for sure. While he was not exactly sure how much more they all had to give before the being would end up going down, he figured that at the end of the day, it was likely that Ardere was going to be the last one standing. With the sheer amount of power he had been given, not to mention the amount of backup he was being provided with, he had what the archdemon did not. And with every passing moment, it seemed that time was moving ever closer to an inevitable victory on their part. But this fight was not over yet, and there was still no telling what kind of price had to be paid for victory.
The fact that everyone had been able to get some of their hits in proved that teamwork was key here, and that it wasn’t all about what one of them might be able to do. Surely one of them had been elevated to greater heights, but that just meant that they had become the tip of the spear, rather than the whole weapon. And while it could be argued that they were more or less the majority of the spear at this point, that did not mean Griswold was going to relent, not yet. Because with the demon lord still standing and looking like he wasn’t even close to giving up yet, the fact that he was bleeding and had received the kinds of injuries that he did were likely a sign that his mental fortitude was even greater than his physical endurance. And as if he were putting out his last words before he’d end up tapping out, they were suddenly down one fighter. With Charles on the verge of collapse, it made him feel like he had to do more.
So do more he would.
Continuing to build up his mana, he was going to keep going at it for as long as it took to bring the archdemon down, even if it meant having to blow through every single sliver of mana he had at his disposal. And luckily for him, the ace up his sleeve was that he still had more mana to dig into. So as his mana built, he held out his hand, firing a barrage of eight small spheres of solar mana at the demon. Not believing they would be what would do him in, he hoped that the barrage and the blinding effect of the eruptions might at the very least do their part. Exerting more and more as he worked in the more advanced version of the spell to fire three slightly larger spheres along with the other eight for a total of eleven projectiles, the fact that they all utilized homing capabilities meant that they weren’t going to be avoided easily once they got close enough.
Once all of the spheres were away, he clapped his hands together, cupping them a bit before holding his right hand out again while using the left to grip himself by the wrist. Aiding himself in aiming, another bolt of solar mana was fired at Aamon, one that would be followed up by seven additional shots for a total of eight that would set the area ablaze on contact. And while he knew that what he was doing right now was comparable to someone using a chisel to remove a cinderblock, the black knight assumed that it was better to keep trying than to just sit there and let Ardere take on the full brunt of what the archdemon had left on his own. And just like that, with another sudden burst of mana that seemingly came out of nowhere, he replenished a great deal of the mana he had at his disposal for a blast similar to the one he had fired before.
Though not having any of the useful little perks like setting his target on fire or blinding them, the spell he was using to finish up his barrage was but a beam of light that simply intended to incinerate whatever it could hit. And with a loud grunt, Griswold fired the beam right at Aamon, hoping that repeatedly injuring him to whatever degree that he might would be able to give Ardere more of an edge. As soon as the beam was under way, it was at that point that he stumbled for a bit, finding that he had forgotten to breathe throughout the entire assault. Panting as heavily as an ox, he took a few deep breaths in an attempt at fixing himself and preparing himself for however many more times he had to keep this up, knowing he likely had about one more of these barrages in him before he’d effectively run out and be forced to leave it up to Ardere and Cyrus.
POWER 175 DURABILITY 3 SENSORY 80 STAMINA 50 CONTROL 150 MANA 165 ( -20 -30 -20 -30 +105 = 170)
Using Burning Will to triple his mana regeneration
Name of Spell: Variable Star: Subdwarf Elemental Type: Solar Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Attack Creation & Sensory Range & Speed: 40 meters (35m AoE) | 20 m/s (AoE does not extend out of Max rank range) Mana Cost: 20 mp | 10 mp sustain Stats Effected: +6 Power Applicable Perks: Overpowered & Battle Knight (& Area of Triumph) Description: A spell that releases a fast moving ball of solar mana at a target determined upon the moment of creation. Utilizing "homing" rules in order to chase down the target until the projectile is destroyed or the caster runs out of mana, it also uses "ammo" rules to increase the amount of projectiles fired by 1 for every 20 Control the caster has. In addition, these projectiles flare up from time to time, allowing them to blind those looking at it for one whole post. These "stars" can flare up to blind someone once every two posts in which they're active, making them rather tricky to deal with. Upon hitting a target, they explode to cover a certain radius, knocking targets back 4 meters + 5 meters for every 10 Power the caster possesses. During the day, the spell takes on an orange hue, taking on a silver blue hue after dark.
Name of Spell: Variable Star: Parallax Elemental Type: Solar Rank & Spell Type: Senior | Attack Creation & Sensory Range & Speed: 100 meters (40 m AoE) | 50 m/s Mana Cost: 30 mp | 15 mp sustain Stats Effected: +9 Power, Blind Applicable Perks: Overpowered, Quick Shot, Skilled Sniper & Battle Knight (& Area of Triumph) Description: A spell that releases a fast moving ball of solar mana at a target determined upon the moment of creation. Utilizing "homing" rules in order to chase down the target until the projectile is destroyed or the caster runs out of mana, it also uses "ammo" rules to increase the amount of projectiles fired by 1 for every 75 Control the caster has. Initialized by first making himself glow before firing them, in addition, these projectiles flare up from time to time, allowing them to blind those looking at it for one whole post. These "stars" can flare up to blind someone once every two posts in which they're active, making them rather tricky to deal with. Upon hitting a target, they explode to cover a certain radius, knocking targets back 8 meters + 5 meters for every 10 Power the caster possesses. During the day, the spell takes on an orange hue, taking on a silver blue hue after dark.
Name of Spell: Galactic Nucleus: Heliosphere Elemental Type: Solar Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 60 meters (35m AoE) | 30 m/s Mana Cost: 20 mp | 10 mp sustain Stats Effected: +6 to Power Applicable Perks: Overpowered, Battle Knight, Area of Triumph, Quick Shot & Skilled Sniper Description: A spell that was not so much designed to be used in one on one combat, but rather to limit the amount of terrain advantages one might have over the user. By compressing and firing a small bolt of solar mana similar in appearance to "Apoheles", this spell either travels its given distance or collides with a solid surface, causing it to erupt in a burst of flame. As it sets flammable terrain, objects and living beings on fire, it can quickly turn a building used by someone to hide or hole up in from a safe haven into a furnace one will want to quickly escape. For every 20 control, the user is capable of firing an additional sphere in the same salvo, thus following the "ammo" rules. During the day, the spell takes on an orange hue, taking on a silver blue hue after dark.
Name of Spell: Galactic Nucleus: Blazar Elemental Type: Solar Rank & Spell Type: Senior | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 80 meters | 40 m/s Mana Cost: 30 mp | 15 mp sustain Stats Effected: +6 to Power Applicable Perks: “Overpowered” Description: A more powerful version of the solar flare (lunar swirl) spell, Galactic Nucleus: Blazar is a spell that compresses and fires a massive amount of solar mana from the user into a specific direction, following a straight line. Making the body of the user radiate with light before the beam erupts forward, it is initiated in exactly the same manner as Quasar, allowing for a surprise element towards those that are familiar with his spells. Instead of exploding when coming into contact with a solid surface, it will instead attempt to burn its way through by either punching through almost all non-magical structures with ease or by melting it on contact. Scorching the earth and leaving a trail in its wake, the beam can cause minor third degree burns, break bones and make a direct hit quite lethal. Using the “ammo” rules, the caster is capable of preventing allies of being hit by the beam. During the day, the spell takes on an orange hue, taking on a silver blue hue after dark.
[attr=class,cyrustext]Be it through their skill, their teamwork, a mistake on Aamon's part, or sheer dumb luck, the barrage of attacks from the Royal Knights had struck true at their target; even a daemon as powerful as this one would be hard-pressed to ignore so many wounds. Ardere continued his burning assault on the archdaemon, while Charles seemed to exhaust the last of his power to add to the onslaught before petering out. Griswold assisted as best he could, firing off a salvo of spells at their mutual foe and continuing to stand afterward, clearly ready to do so again once he had the chance.
His fortitude was to be commended.
But as Cyrus was covered in the occult blood of their monstrous enemy, rather than bellow with rage or pain, Aamon seemed glad that their attacks had managed to affect him. Delighted even; Cyrus figured it had been some time since anyone had managed to make him exert so much effort. But as he praised their efforts and repeated his challenge to the Crimson Lion King, Cyrus glared at him, clearing the blood smeared across the Fang of Ashford off on his sleeve. "Worthy opponents?" He repeated, taking steps closer towards the fight raging between the two magical giants without the slightest hint of hesitation or unease. He rose the sword up, pointing at the daemon.
"That you would call us such a thing means nothing! Who are you to measure our worth? You, who measures in nothing but blood and steel?! You insisted that we played your games to prove ourselves. But all this charade has proven is that you are worth NOTHING. No respect. No envy. No fear. All you are is a storm, rampaging across the countryside and sweeping up everything in your wake! And it is high past time that this storm passed!"
In that moment, Cyrus didn't really know what exactly had incensed him so much about the archdaemon's words. Maybe it was his family, always trying to prove their own worth. Or his elders, who always denied that he had any. Maybe it felt like all the times he had questioned his own worth; the space he took up, the food he ate, the position he held.
Even in this moment, Cyrus didn't know what his own worth was... all he knew, was he would be damned before he let some sort of monster tell him!
And with his part said, Cyrus ran in once again as fast as he could, working to make up the space that had once again been put between the two titans and the other Royal Knights. Should he succeed he would aim to slice into the archdaemon's side as he passed, aware that staying that close to the conflict for more than such a moment would be akin to suicide.
He could feel his waning power slowly returning. If this fight lasted a little longer, he could help finish things off.
[attr="class,cyrusstats]Stats & Information
WC: 0493 | TWC: 16090
[attr="class,cyrusstats]
Mana Skin
24/24
Health
18/18
Mana
455/455
Movement Speed
21
Damage Taken
00
Healing Recieved
00
Mana Used
00
Mana Regen
75
[attr="class,cyrusstats] Combat Notes Aimed to cut into Aamon's side with Fang of Ashford
Third turn of Spirit Lock
Items On Hand Magic Knight's Mantle Scorpion's Eclipse Strength of a Nation Puppeteer of the Current
I'll keep my promise[break][break] Just hold on,[break][break] We'll win ths together.[break][break]
wc: ###
twc: ###
@tagme
[break]
[attr="class","ardereescroll"]Flames began to cackle and howl throughout the Coliseum as the Spirits of Clover cheered for the Crimson King. This was his Mana Zone, the Hellfire Gauntlet. White fire purified the corrupt Daemonic mana here and it would take all of Aamon's grandiose power to combat this. The Lion was now on the Offensive while his once dreaded enemy found himself on the Defensive--how the tables had turned. Finally, the fight he had so longed for all this time. [break][break] As blood lay splattered across the ground beneath them, Ardere wasted no time after his opponent's words--he attacked. The onslaught had already begun and no interference would stop him now. His Mana Zone's power continued to surge throughout the Arena in which they all stood, an unnatural disaster in its own right. Aamon! He could feel it now too, the infinite power surging through his veins--it was addicting. Not once in his life had he felt so...unbeatable. Yet here he stood, face to face with an enemy nigh none would dare to engage in battle. As the Daemon's dark mana and his blazing pale mana clashed, it was representative of the battle between Good and Evil commencing here today. In many ways, these two were representatives of their own kind and now they would fight to the death. Even after all of the pain and sorrow, there was no pleasure in a victory here--only an end to suffering. He sought no applause or great reward, only to take these three boys home. In this conviction, he found strength greater than any Mark of a Champion or Spirit Dive could possibly grant him. In this moment it came clear to him now, the reason Lysander and his father were so willing to lay down their lives. And so a smile crept across his maw as the King relentlessly attacked the entity before him, ferocious and committed. [break][break] Ardere spent countless years training his body and honing his skills to the apex of what any man could hope to accomplish. He was not just a Martial Arts Master but a Combat Expert--war and pain had forged him into a weapon. Today he was no one's weapon, no one's Sword of Clover--he was finally a Shield. This "Shield" would not back down as he swept his left leg around for another kick to the Daemon's ribs. Immediately he pivoted to bring his leg down onto the Champion's head with an Axe kick before switching his stance. Utilizing his beyond Archmage strength, he kicked off the ground to deliver a knee into the former Elf's chin. This series of movements all relied on the fact that he was utilizing his Strength in lieu of Speed. While he did not have his impressive speed from before, he could indeed take advantage of his best pivot and launch point; the ground. He did not know what lay in store for him in the form of a counter attack but he was ready--he'd been ready for a long time. It felt like everything before led up to this; his moment. No thoughts of lingering death or regrets in life filled his head, for they did not matter any longer. All that made him were flames--flames to protect. [break][break]-Same Spell Sustained
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Feb 2, 2022 1:39:55 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 385
total word count 19,309
[attr="class","glentext"]
After the spirit dive faded from his body, he started to feel the effects of Spirit Drain and Spirit Lock as his body was strained from the amount of energy he had used. Not only did he have a spirit inside of his body, but also a daemon. As the power faded from him he felt as if Ashford had left him in the last ounce of magical energy he had used to deliver the attack to Aamon. Charles was a bit sad, but he knew that Ashford knew the risks of undergoing such transformation. Ultimately it didn't matter if he had to sacrifice himself to ensure the death of Aamon. After all, there was no way either of the two of them would allow him to continue living after all the damage he had done. Both Ashford and Varisse gave their lives to ensure the death of Aamon and although he could not do much at the moment. He was going to ensure that their sacrifices were not in vain. [break][break] The power from Ardere's flames could be felt even from afar, the power he managed to obtain combined with Salamander. He was confident that the Captain would wipe the floor with the Archdaemon and teach him a lesson. The silver mage couldn't do much for now, as he was unable to move his body properly and because he was under the effects of Spirit Lock he couldn't use any spells that might otherwise be useful against Aamon. At this point, he was better watching from afar and entrusting the rest to his teammates. After all the effort he put into this, he believed that he deserved at least sometimes off to slack off and entertain himself watching the battle from afar. To put this better, watch how his comrades destroyed Aamon as a well-deserved punishment for what he had done. The man was a pain in the ass and he had enough dealing with him, it was to the point that his entire body felt numb from the strain he had placed into his body earlier. A part of him wasn't even sure if he was going to be able to take it, but it did. He crouched and placed his hand on the ground as he continued to watch the battle unfold. [break]
These damn vermin, coming into his domain and further creating a mockery of what was supposed to be an honorable and rugged climb to a final challenge. Yet here he was, the archdaemon of strength, a practical KING amongst his ilk and now reduced to…a punching bag for these…Royal Knights. No…he would not stand for his glorious final act to be downplayed by trash that was beneath him. They worked together as a unit, and now they backed up the Crimson King…THAT man was the true vision of his placed steps towards becoming the being that would transcend the Devils that put him here.
When he was defending against Ardere, the Black Bull used his solar mana while the Golden Dawn mage mocked him for his choice in words then called him a passing storm…oh if he were an orator his speech would wound the beast of a daemon…but alas he was mortal, and mortals could do NOTHING in the face of true power. ”I am ABSOLUTE!” He said as he swept his hand, that large hand of a mad titan as his daemonic presence filled the cracks of space that were not occupied by Ardere, the look in his eyes was like those of the dreams of Ashford when confronted by the daemons there. Mocking, and filled with a bloodlust that could not be satiated with just the lives here. ”IF I AM TO BE A STORM, FINE! I WILL BE THE STORM THAT WILL SWALLOW THE WORLD!” He would roar out before waving his hand, just the aura coming from the swing, the pressure behind it was that of just a being with the strongest control over one’s actions. The attack was pure and swung at a speed of 50 m/s and would carry archmage damage as it was meant to destroy the attacks of Griswold and push the talkative one away. Charles…the one that was falling to the spirit drain would be left wide open…should this attack hit, it would certainly spell disaster for the young mage.
With the swipe, his attention would still momentarily waiver, but with the burst of strength the archdaemon swung his mighty blade in an attempt to strike Ardere. With the swing there was also four separate sword images that were created along with it, the trajectory of which all covered possible escapes of the Crimson King while also looking to deliver archmage damage at a speed of 70 m/s. ”I WILL TAKE WHAT IS MINE!” He would say, yet if Ardere were to look in his eyes, there was a hint of sorrow. This was something that was truly going to give off a mixed signal, but what could it mean?
Quickly finding that many of his blows were being held off by some kind of auric attack, continuing to fire away at it felt like it was a waste of mana and effort, effort that could be sent elsewhere instead. Because no matter how one looked at it, the archdemon was taking a severe beating whereas Ardere wasn’t letting up. Combined with Cyrus’ taunts aimed at the lord of the battle tower, his own cluster bombardment and the assault of the Salamander mage, Aamon appeared to be infuriated in spite of what his words brought up. Claiming that he would be the storm that would swallow the whole world, Griswold was beginning to have his doubts about this much, as there were still a lot of other mages left in the country that could pick up where they left off if they were to fall. So in that sense, they at least managed something.
But they weren’t done just yet.
When the auric strike moved towards them however, it was clear to see that it was an attempt of Aamon’s to take out the incapacitated Charles. Likely still quite upset he and Ashford had decided to keep defying him, it was his best shot at taking the guy out while everyone was busy. Being close enough to Charles and Cyrus to activate a spell that would push his speed enough to cross that distance in under a second, a solar light began emitting from his body as he rushed over the few meters that needed to be crossed. Sweeping low with his arm, he used his strength to quite literally try to scoop the guy up and toss him as far to the side as he could. Possessing above average strength, he believed it was something he could do with ease, though getting out of the attack’s range was a different story.
Believing himself to be the most durable guy among them all, what with him having already tanked a suicidal attack from one of the demons as they moved up the tower. Bracing himself for impact, Griswold was wholely prepared to tank the hit for all that it was worth, believing it to be yet another price he had to pay for the sake of victory, just as he had to lose his weapon for the sake of buying time. But there was no doubt in his mind that when people told the story of what had happened here, they wouldn’t just tell the story of how Ardere had been the one to defeat the archdemon, but also of the three rascals that had aided him in making it happen. Besides, given the amount of threats this country faced, the fight against Aamon was not where his legend was ending.
TLDR: Increased his speed to cross the short distance between him and Charles to effectively scoop him up and throw the guy outside of the attack’s range while attempting to tank it himself.
POWER 175 DURABILITY 3 SENSORY 80 STAMINA 50 CONTROL 150 MANA 170 ( -30 +35 = 175)
Name of Spell: Celestial Body: Alpha Cygni Elemental Type: Solar Rank & Spell Type: Senior | Physical Reinforcement & Healing Range & Speed: Self | 50 m/s Mana Cost: 30 mp | 15 mp sustain Stats Effected: +20 m/s Applicable Perks: Full Blitz & Quick Shot Description: By making himself glow while focusing his solar mana tightly around and inside himself and keeping it there, rather than allowing it to be released in an explosive manner, the caster can push off of air and water molecules, thus allowing them to essentially run through the air and on water for the duration of the spell. More than that, by channeling their mana in this manner, they also increase the speed at which they move by +10 m/s and enable themselves to use fractions of it to restore their own body or restore their mana skin. Can heal Senior damage, regrow digits in two posts, and regrow limbs and minor/smaller non-vital organs in four posts. For every turn that it is active, it will also aim to remove any debuffs if present following the "cleaning" rules. During the day, the aura around the caster takes on an orange hue, taking on a silver blue hue after dark.
[attr=class,cyrustext]As strikes and shouts alike found their mark on the archdaemon, Aamon roared in response to Cyrus' insult, denoting just what sort of storm he would be. But even as he continued his brutal rampage, it was difficult for Cyrus to really see him in such a light. Even the greatest fighter among the archdaemons could not simply shrug off or ignore all the damage he had taken, which was made even more clear when he desperately aimed to attack Charles while the silver mage was vulnerable, also likely trying to catch he and Griswold up in the move as well.
Cyrus, even with his speed enhanced by the magical sword in hand, knew that he could not hope to avoid it. And so, once he saw Gris move to protect their weakened comrade he did not try to; rather, he defiantly stood his ground. Gritting his teeth he buried the blade of his weapon in the ground as the sheer pressure of Aamon's attack washed over him, protected by the power of his honed mana skin. It was like standing in the midst of a hurricane (an apt comparison, given his remark to the daemon just moments ago), but the Rising Dawn was not something that could be stopped by wind and force alone. He grinned an uncharacteristically savage grin; rather than the rage that had so consumed him so much today, it was pure adrenaline that painted the expression on his face.
"You'll take what's yours alright!" He agreed as he walked towards the daemon, even as he readied his attack against the Crimson Lion King. Cyrus drew the dagger he had loaned Gris for a moment, and it glowed as he called upon its healing magic to patch up his defenses a bit, restoring a Senior spell's worth of damage. "A HOLE IN THE GROUND WITH NOTHING TO FILL IT!!"
He swung the Scorpion's Eclipse once more, the magically extending chain of the weapon seeking out Aamon once more to inflict Grand damage and an additional Senior damage effect as a part of its Hex.
[attr="class,cyrusstats]Stats & Information
WC: 0348 | TWC: 16438
[attr="class,cyrusstats]
Mana Skin
12/24
Health
18/18
Mana
455/455
Movement Speed
05
Damage Taken
16
Healing Recieved
04
Mana Used
57
Mana Regen
75
[attr="class,cyrusstats] Combat Notes Took Archmage damage to mana skin Healed Senior damage with Puppeteer of the Current's Backwash ability Sustained Scorpion's Eclipse's attack
Items On Hand Magic Knight's Mantle Scorpion's Eclipse Strength of a Nation Puppeteer of the Current
Mana Cost: 38 ¦ 19 (Use for 5 turns before overheating for 4 turns for 7 ¦ 6)
Range & Speed: 80m | 40 m/s
Stats Affected: N/A
Description:
As dangerous as the two-bladed dagger looks, the Current is ever flowing, ever-changing and runs both warm and cold, blending with the mana of the user once they decide to use it. They can create a water current with their mana and have it run over the skin of a wounded ally, healing them for [Senior] rank health and mana skin while also cleansing curses and debuffs (based on the healing rules), washing them away. It is a beautiful swirl of clean water that looks like liquid glass.
