Private/Closed Bootleg Bros. Ultimate - The Muspell Campaign

[comic]

NIKKI PREZ​

(Auto-perks granted by Mok)​

“DAR!”

The darmanitan dropped the unconscious form to the ground and began to pummel his fists into his chest in triumph as Nikki jumped up and down behind him. “Carbon Carbon, you’re the man! If you can’t do it, no one can!”

Celebrations were short-lived, however, as a sudden boom of lightning made Nikki jump one last time, this one not in victory. “Jeez, no time for victory, bud!” The Alolan surveyed the area, but things weren’t exactly easy to see right now. All that steam from the geysers had created a disparate fog across the battlefield. Wherever Anakin was had been completely obscured by a thick cloud, most of which blanketed a good deal of everywhere else.

At least no more geysers had been erupting, so that was a plus.

“Ugh, I can’t see in this fog...” she muttered, considering her options. She had to help her allies, but who was in the most trouble? What kind of aid could she provide and to whom? She couldn’t think of any really good moves that had weather effects on her team... what would Rosie do...?

Nikki’s eyes lit up as a sudden idea came to her mind. “Rosemarie, you’re so smart for coming up with that!” she exclaimed, despite the fact Rose had not, in fact, been the one to come up with this idea. It had just been Nikki channeling Rose’s strategic energy.

Grabbing one of the pokeballs, Nikki let loose a new friend onto the field. From the red light emerged the unmistakable form of a large whale, and it wailed as it emerged. “It’s okay, Pierogi!” Nikki soothed the rupther, whose tears were already beginning to fall. Perfectly natural for the species. “Spray a Chilling Water around!”

If her guess was right, and Rosemarie’s influence had rubbed off enough, cold water would probably be able to tackle all that hot water out of the air, the lower temperature forcing all those floating water vapors back into a heavier liquid form. It was genius, and Nikki felt her bestie would be particularly proud of such an outstanding move.

The rupther’s big chin wobbled, before he wailed again as he lowered his head. Out of the blowhole a burst of water began to spray, showering over the area in as wide and as far an area as Pierogi could manage. As Nikki had hoped, the freezing water had the intended effect. It cut through the fog with ease, rapidly reducing its girth and spread, bringing about a more rapid response than the surrounding snow could have.

“Alright! That’s my guy!” Nikki began to jump up and down once again, this time stopping when she was finally able to see what was going on around her. “Oh no, we gotta get to Bennett aand Fjorm!”

Carbonara understood the assignment as he tucked his arms around him to make himself as similar to a bowling ball as he could. A really big and really dangerous bowling ball. With his increased speed from the successful Flame Charge earlier, he shot off toward the defense of Bennett and Fjorm, ready to plow into anyone that came close to them before he unfurled and slammed his fists repeatedly into the ground, challenging anyone to come near as he stood before Bennett.

Nikki was next, with Pierogi sniffling along behind her. The trainer reached her unlucky pal’s body as she dropped to her knees and looked him over. “Oh... man...” she put a finger under his nose.

She felt breath.

“What the heck even happened to you...?” Gazpacho still needed more time to heal, so she couldn’t lug this guy on his back. Nikki glanced back at the depressed whale behind her, briefly considering putting Bennett on him for the time being, but... uh... no, he’d just slide off. The rupther probably wouldn’t appreciate that, anyway.

“Whelp!” Nikki shrugged her shoulders. “Alley-oop!”

Hefting the dead weight of Bennett as best as she could, Nikki managed to drape his arms over her shoulders and hauled him up on her back. Better than nothing, she’d just need to get him to a safer location if he didn’t wake up soon. Surely everyone else was doing alright... she’d do what she could once Bennett was out of the way.
​

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Enemy Phase

Anakin's attacks were fierce and aggressive, driving Siegbert back. Despite the intense assault, Siegbert kept his footing. The prince quickly stepped back, blocking Anakin's first attack. He brought up his guard to block Anakin's overhead slash. The powerful attack made Siegbert gasp, but he did not fall. Instead, the prince used a technique that Anakin and his lightsaber could not do. Siegbert reinforced his guard by bracing the flat of his greatsword with his forearm. He angled his sword downward, and sparks flew as Siegbert directed Anakin's slash down his blade. With a grunt, Siegbert attempted to push Anakin's lightsaber aside. There was no time or energy for Siegbert to reply to Anakin's banter, too focused the prince was on the fight at hand. He used the energy of the push to spin on the spot, going into a one-handed thrust with his greatsword and following up with a two-handed slash towards Anakin's head.

Little Crow aimed a slash at the lightning mage's legs, but Rhajat was ready.
"I don't think so!" The Black Magician called out. She uttered another incantation, casting her magic not at the Little Crow, but at the lightning mage instead.

Assist Skill: Rally Attack/Defense

A dark mist appeared around the lightning mage. Little Crow slashed into the mage's leg, but the mist caught his sword. The mage cried out in pain as the blade struck his leg, but thanks to the mist it did not cut flesh. The lightning mage held up their hand, and the air crackled. Another bolt of lightning shot down from the clouds, heading towards the Little Crow!

Soleil managed to bring up her defenses just in time to block Shovel Knight's charging attack, sliding back into one of the fallen trees. While there was a flash of fear and annoyance on her face, it was quickly replaced with a smile at Shovel Knight's pun.
"Man, that was awful!" Soleil said, half-chuckling. "I do mind, I wanted to see Lahel again! So why don't you shove-l off!"
Responding with a bad pun of her own, her blade flashed with a blinding light! She slashed at Shovel Knight, attempting to hit his shovel. If she was able to knock it away, Soleil would follow up with a piercing thrust, attempting to hit Shovel Knight at a point where his armor came together!

Fjorm let out a cry in pain as a jolt from the lightning that struck Bennett struck her as well. She laid on the ground, winded and unable to move. Fjorm could only watch as Nikki and her beast made it to them. Nikki picked up Bennett, carrying him off. Fjorm knew she had to move. After a few moments, slowly, weakly, Fjorm attempted to push herself up. She managed to make it onto her hands and knees, her arms shaking from the effort.

Somehow through the fog, Fjorm saw him.

There was a man standing nearby. Fjorm had no idea how she hadn't noticed him before. The Princess grabbed her lance, and used it to push herself to her feet. She leaned on the weapon, using it like a walking stick once again.
"Who... who are you?" Fjorm called out to Shay. "Friend.... or foe?"

Eirika's frown deepened as she watched the Little Crow defeat the archer. Another soldier down. There was still fighting within the fog, but even there the sounds of combat were slowly dying down one by one. The Manakete had been defeated, and likely only the other Contracted Heroes were left. Besides her, L'Arachel scowled.
"Missed again! What a persistent bird!" L'Arachel said. She began her incantation once more, but Eirika shook her head.

"We're retreating." Eirika said. "Our forces are decimated. We must rejoin General Laevatein-"
"C... Cowardly... wench." In his saddle, Captain Kohle stirred. The sleep poison Shay had shot him with was finally wearing off.
"Captain-"
"I... I don't want to hear it." Captain Kohle said. He straightened, shaking his head as if to shake the sleep from his mind. "I will not allow these weaklings to best me! You will obey-"
"We will not." Eirika said coldly. That seemed to awaken the Captain instantly.

"WHAT?!" The Captain roared.
"You are misinformed, Captain Kohle. L'Arachel and I are bound to General Laevatein, not you." Eirika said. She gestured to the battlefield. "I tried my best to assist you, but you rejected my counsel. This battle is lost, Captain. My contract compels me to return to General Laevatein. I suggest you and your troops retreat. Come on, L'Arachel."

The two women retreated, riding back in the direction of the plumes of smoke.
"Traitors! Cowards! Deserters! I'LL HAVE YOUR HEADS FOR THIS!!!" Captain Kohle roared, shaking his fist. But it was to no avail. He turned his attention back to the battle.
"Those slaves! What do they know?! I am the mighty Captain Kohle! I will not be defeated here!" The Captain said. The Paladin drew his Blessed Lance. The weapon glowed with holy energy, and he dug his spurs into the sides of his horse. The warhorse reared back, letting out a loud whinny before charging down the hill. The armored horse and rider raced towards the Little Crow, and Kohle attempted to spear the bird as he rode past!

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

“Impressive,” Anakin said stoically as his blade was pushed back, and Siegbert spun into another attack that the jedi slammed his lightsaber into, deflecting the jab, allowing Siegbert to redirect into a two-handed slash. Rather than meet it head-on, as a disciplined Djem So user would do.

Anakin was too unorthodox and undisciplined to follow the rules at all times.

Anakin weaved to the side, allowing the blade to come close, but swerving by. He was assuming that, by using both hands, Siegbert was putting more force into this attack. That would make redirecting it trickier and less reliable, leaving the prince open as Anakin slashed upward rapidly with the lightsaber. He aimed to sever the man’s right arm above the elbow.

Unrelenting, Anakin would twirl his blade in his hand, redirecting its momentum to turn into a second rapid slash that was meant to sever the man’s right leg from the knee down and almost entirely incapacitate him.

Anakin didn’t want to outright kill him, not yet. There was one thing he wished to do to gather more intelligence on the Muspell before he would break this hero's contract. In an attempt to guarantee this, Anakin’s left hand channeled the force as he brought it up to try and vice grip the man into a still pose, likely forcing him to comply.​

 

[PaprusTeuton]

Shay Cormac

Someone called to him.

"Who... who are you?" The woman called out to Shay. "Friend.... or foe?" She was equipped with an iron spear, large golden shoulder pauldrons with cyan gems, and a crown with similar construction. Judging by the ice theme, and the fact that Muspell's elemental orientation seemed to be towards fire, she seemed friendly. That wasn't confirmed, however.

"That depends," responded the masked Templar, "on who you fight for." Shay had sheathed his dagger and sword after hiding from the woman who seemed to be in command of the fire creature, and now placed his hands on the hilts of each. While his pistols were an option, he'd rather conserve ammo, given his present lack of connection.

 

[Psymallard]

Little Crow
-Evening, Nifl Plains-
The powerful blade did not cut, caught by black magics. The crow looked back at Rhajat and glared. His scorn was short-lived, as he heard the incantation for the lightning spell once again. A bit risky to have used such a spell in close proximity with the enemy, and, as the Reaper had began to catch on to the timing of the incantation and the attack, he would display why.

As the mage would backpedal, the corvid followed, until the last moment, when he dove beneath the mage's robe so that the lightning would be summoned upon Little Crow's position in the exact moment he went between the caster's legs! The bird rolled through the snow to escape the cascade, and ended up on his feet.

In his peripheral, he spotted a cavalier charging him. Behind him, L'Arachel was nowhere to be seen- possibly retreated. The Reaper brought up his Reaper's Greatsword to parry the Blessed Lance. The powerful sword's soul energy flashed upon contact, matching and even overpowering the holy energy of the lance.

...However, the captain wielded much greater leverage, and the blow smashed the small avian into the frozen ground. Not hurt, but a bit disoriented, Little Crow forced himself back to his feet. He clutched his weapon and waited to see what the enemies would do.

HP- 4/6
SP- 4/6

 

[Fraseandchico]

Akira Tadokoro

"Shit-!" Before Akira could reach Crow to assist the reaper, Soleil turned out to have survived, and attempted to attack! For a second, Akira panicked that he'd really messed up this time, until...
"Hope you don't mind if I cut in!"
Shovel Knight arrived, granted with a terrible pun, but arrived and saved Akira from Soleil's assault, forcing her to move away for a moment. "Ghk, thanks for the save."

"So why don't you shove-l off!" Was the end of Soliel's sentence following that, another terrible pun.

"You're both terrible," Akira bluntly stated, deciding to take a second to finally heal himself.
Self-Care
Thankfully, it was a move that could be pulled relatively fast- Energy went through Akira's body, a light heal washing over him. But now, Soleil was attacking Shovel Knight. "Hey! That sword of her's emits a bright light every attack!" The teen tried to warn Shovel Knight, though that only truly provided a second before the flash of light occurred, as Akira had to act as well, rearing a fist back and diving forward whilst Soleil was attempting to strike away the shovel. If he was able to get in close while Soleil was focused on Shovel Knight, he'd aim a punch straight for her face, followed by an elbow to the gut, as if to throw her off so that Shovel Knight could act more easily on offense.

He had to do this fast. His allies were in danger, after all.

 

[Gamingfan]

Shovel Knight

After his attack shoved the sword-wielder away, Shovel Knight hopped off his Mobile Gear and protectively raised his Shovel Blade in front of Akira. At his thanks, the knight nodded in acknowledgement. To his surprise, the joke seemed to amuse his opponent, but sadly not enough to prevent her from attacking. Hearing Akira's warning, Shovel Knight barely had time to shut his eyes and hold his shovel up, the metal blade shining brilliantly as the light reflected off it The Knight's hands, which steadily gripped his blade, were roughly struck back by Soleil's own. Shovel Knight reopened his eyes to see Soleil preparing a thrust, and Akira approaching. The knight went low, and Soleil's weapon just missed her mark, though it left a scratch as it glanced off his armor instead. As Akira went for a slug towards her face, Shovel Knight would follow up with an upward swing of his shovel, which would send her into the air!

 

[Mokko]

Nikki Prez
It took a lot out of her, but Nikki was able to carry Bennett about the distance she wanted- she recalled something she’d read (or something someone else had read and told her about) about how dead weight can feel heavier than live weight due to distribution or something. That sure felt true right about now, but she could handle it- she did a lot of physical training herself, especially back in Johto, being a pretty firm believer that the trainer needed to put in as much effort as the Pokemon.

But her work couldn’t end here, she needed to go back for Miss Fjorm as quickly as possible. Laying Bennett down in the snow (not ideal, but the only option), she popped another Pokeball off of her belt, sending out a third Pokemon to aid her- this one being Semla, the Blosswine, whose Psyshield move she’d utilized just a bit earlier. Nikki turned to Carbon, pointing at him, then at Bennett, before doing the same gesture toward Semla.

“Keep ‘im safe and warm until I get back, crew!” she ordered. This prompted Semla to once again manifest a Psyshield, the curved disc of neon pink-and-blue energy hovering over the unlucky guy’s body. This served to also trap some of the heat radiating off of Carbon, the hulking Pokemon remaining close under his trainer’s order, even though he seemed eager to Solarbeam more dragons.

With the worse-off Bennett in a safe spot, Nikki was hurried in her return to Fjorm, quick to reach Pierogi and gesture for him to follow. The Rupther scooted and flopped through the snow after his trainer as she quickly, defensively stood in front of Fjorm, who seemed to be in communications with someone in the fog.

“Alright, no funny business!” the Alolan shook her fist in the air, holding an arm out in front of the barely-walking Fjorm protectively. “Who’s there, eh?! More Muspell weirdos? I’ll shock ya! I’ll shock ya real good!” she warned, as small bolts of electricity crackled between Pierogi’s jaws, the large, sniffling whale-like Pokemon looming behind Nikki and Fjorm.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Ally Phase​

Fjorm watched Shay carefully. She was still leaning heavily on her lance. Despite her exhaustion, she watched Shay carefully. After a moment's pause, she spoke again.
"You're not of Muspell." It was more of a statement then a question. "Who I fight for... I am fighting against Surtur and his madness. I'm fighting to avenge my parents. I'm fighting to stop Surtur's rampage from spreading to other worlds."

She nodded to Shay.
"What of you, sir? Who do you fight for?" Fjorm asked Shay.

Nikki appeared, with another massive monster in tow. Fjorm stared at Nikki in amazement. Just how many creatures did she have at her beck and call?!
"Nikki... I don't think... he's..." Fjorm tried to speak.

Enemy Phase​

Siegbert managed to redirect his slash to parry Anakin's first slash, but that was just enough to break through Siegbert's guard. The prince stumbled back from the attack, totally open to Anakin's second slash. Siegbert's eyes widened as Anakin slashed his leg, but a red aura suddenly appeared around the prince. With the shattering of glass, the red halo around Siegbert's head was destroyed. There was a powerful shockwave that blasted from the contracted hero, knocking back both himself and possibly Anakin. Siegbert landed in the snow with a groan, and slowly faded away. He managed a weak smile towards Anakin.

"Well done. I'm honored to have fought... such a skilled opponent..." Siegbert said. "Thank you... and good luck..."

The lightning mage attempted to backtrack desperately, but the Little Crow slid between their legs! The bolt of lightning struck just in front of the mage, barely avoiding the Muspell soldier. Luckily, Captain Kohle had charged in, distracting the Little Crow from continuing to attack the mage.
"Come on!" Rhajat said, grabbing the arm of the lightning mage. The pair retreated up the hill as Captain Kohle charged through the Little Crow. The Paladin stopped their charge a couple yards away from the Little Crow, turning his horse to face-down Little Crow again. He sneered at the bird, pointing his lance.

"You will be the first to fall, worm. You, and all your friends will be crushed by the might of Muspell!" Captain Kohle yelled. "By the Divine Flame Dragon, it will be so!"

Rhajat and the Lightning Mage stopped their retreat halfway up the hill, turning back to face the battle.
"Now." Rhajat ordered. The two mages unleashed their spells, the lightning mage calling down a blast of lightning towards the Little Crow, and Rhajat summoning a tornado of dark magic! Once the attacks from the pair of mages dissipated, Captain Kohle spurred his horse towards the bird. He charged Little Crow, attempting to spear the bird as he rode past once more!

"Hey! C'mon man, that's cheating- ah!" Soleil staggered back as Akira struck her in the face. She glanced to the teenage thug in surprise, but Shovel Knight was already on the offensive. The pink-haired mercenary raised her sword, trying to block the Shovel Knight's attack. It knocked Soleil's sword out of her hand, sending it flying through the air and embedding itself into a tree several feet away. Disarmed, Soleil was unprepared to evade Akira's follow up attack. Soleil gasped, clutching her stomach and doubling over. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath and shaking. Slowly, she tried to draw the dagger from her waist.

"That was... a low blow..." Soleil wheezed. She looked up at Shovel Knight and Akira, grinned, and dropped her dagger. The red halo around her head shattered, and she began to fade away.
"Tell Lahel, it was nice to meet her..." Soleil said to Akira.

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

—Evening, Nifl Plains—​

Just like that, Siegbert had been defeated. Anakin stared at the spot he’d faded from for a fleeting moment, and let out a sharp sigh. “At least he’s not a sore loser like someone I know,” he muttered. That shouldn’t have defeated his opponent, even that energy had prevented dismemberment, but nevertheless Siegbert had yielded in some regard. Anakin had been wanting to touch the red ring over Siegbert’s head and feel through the force to find... something. A way to break Surtr’s connection? A method to learn more of him? A technique to attack him directly?

Well it’d have to wait for another opportunity. Now, the jedi had allies in need of his support.

...

“You will be the first to fall, worm! You, and all your friends will be crushed by the might of Muspell! By the Divine Flame Dragon, it will be so!”

Captain Kohle charged following the dual-strike upon the Little Crow. The small creature was holding out as best as he could, doing impressively well, but he was at risk of getting overwhelmed. Fortunately, help finally arrived for him. Before Kohle could follow through with his second charge, a blur came upon him.

Anakin flipped through the air over him, a blitz of blue slashing in an attempt to bisect Kohle’s spear before the jedi landed deftly in the snow on the other side of the horse, shifting his body and raising an arm. A force push expelled to throw Kohle and his bovine to the side.

Hang on, was it a bovine or that other thing? He’d been under the impression they were bovines this whole time. Anakin could never remember. Something something domestication... whatever, figure it out later.

“Worm? I thought I was bad at animals but... that’s not a worm. Probably.”

Following his quick quip, Anakin would dart his way toward Rhajat and her last mage, intent not to let them get another opportunity to gang up on his avian ally. Put all their focus on him in one swift move and give the Little Crow one of two things. A moment to breathe, or an opening to strike.

He wouldn’t lead with a direct on Rhajat and the mage, not yet. He’d let them attack first, and he’d respond in kind. His speed and approach was simply to put pressure on them, make them act more impulsively.

Equine! That’s it. Those things are equine. He was REALLY lucky he hadn’t called them bovines out loud, no way would he be allowed to forget it.​

 

[Psymallard]

Crow
The avian was stuck between Kohle and the casters. He wanted to go after the ranged mages like he'd been doing, but it was probably not a great idea to turn his back on the cavalier. Insults fell on deaf ears, but Little Crow noticed a blue laser sword emerging from the fog.

He trusted the human to cover his back, especially since he had recognized the glow of magic in his wide peripheral vision. Of course, the timing was predictable, and without worrying about the captain, the Reaper was easily able to leap to the side and dodge the magical attack. He moved up, closing in on the casters, but his weapon had disappeared. In its stead, the yellow harpoon of the Hookshot spell.

However, Little Crow did not fire at the casters, but a nearby object in the snow. With a tug, he reeled in a book... nay, a tome, having been dropped by a previously fallen mage. The Reaper planted his feet, and opened the book. It was not of his world, and was not the same sort of magic that he was used to. However, there seemed to be a magic within the tome itself, one that seemed to naturally respond to his own magical energy.

With a flourish, the bird parroted what he had seen the previous mage did, and attempted to hurl a green blade of wind at the weakened lightning mage!

 

[PaprusTeuton]

Shay C.

Fjorm correctly identified that Shay wasn't of Muspell. Judging by this, and her saying that she was fighting to to stop Surtr, Shay knew that she was an ally.
"What of you, sir? Who do you fight for?" she asked.
"I fight for..." he was about to say the Templar Order, but they likely didn't have a presence here, and if the word Templar meant something else, that would be an issue.
"I fight for justice, for order, and fo-"

“Alright, no funny business!” cried a voice. A woman, in casual-looking (yet strange) attire, with a large creature behind her. “Who’s there, eh?! More Muspell weirdos? I’ll shock ya! I’ll shock ya real good!”

"No, I'm not Muspell!" Shay stepped back a little, startled by the unezpected cry.
"Nikki... I don't think... he's..." Fjorm tried to speak. She was obviously injured.
"I'm fighting against them myself. We have to get her," he gestured to Fjorm, who was struggling to even stand, "to safety. That... that creature behind you, can you control it? because it could probably carry her."

 

[Mokko]

Nikki Prez
“Not Muspell, huh…?” Nikki mumbled under her fogged breath, thoroughly analyzing the situation. Yup, if these two were to be believed, then she’d made a mistake here. Oh well- that was for the best, it meant Miss Fjorm wasn’t in any danger right now, as long as Nikki could get her back over to where she had Bennett shielded. “Okay, my fault, OT! No harm no foul though, yeah?!” she grinned, looking behind her at Pierogi, who had stopped crackling his lightning-filled jaws once it became clear there wasn’t an immediate threat at the moment. Now he was just back to sniffling, the large Pokemon clearly an emotional one.

“In that case, Miss Fjorm- I have Bennett set up just over that way,” she gestured off in the direction where she knew Semla and Carbon were watching over the unlucky guy. “Come on, I’ll have Pierogi float us over, it’ll be safe as apple pie!” she glanced over at the stranger as she scaled the Pokemon’s back and then, once on top, leaned over the side to extend an arm down to Fjorm. The alternative was riding in Pierogi’s mouth of course, but Nikki was certain nobody would want to do that, even if the only risk was maaaybe a little bit of electrocution.

“You should come too, Not-Muspell!” she called out to the person in the fog. “We can get all acquainted and whathaveyou once she’s secure… or like, after these Muspell ultra-dolts get cleared out, that’d work too!” she offered as the Rupther beneath her swished its tail through the air and letting out a babylike hiccup, ready to start levitating.

 

[Fraseandchico]

Akira Tadokoro

Soleil was defeated, it seemed - Much to Akira's surprise. That was tough...
But he didn't exactly give Soleil's last request a response, beyond a small nod. Instead, he turned his head back to Shovel Knight, letting out a small puff of air.
"That was way too close for me." The teen esper noted, before setting his eyes and ears forward. Seems like the leader had come out to play, fighting the Crow and Anakin, who was just joining. "But let's wrap this fight up."

Beginning to dash forward, though not exactly the quickest, Akira would arrive to see the situation more directly.

...This leader guy didn't give off the same sort of vibes as those contracted heroes, but looked important. An actual bonifide captain or commander or whatever under Muspell?
"Got no reason to feel sorry for this asshole," Anakin and Crow were moving to handle the dangerous magic users, though not before the Jedi attempted to shove Kohle and his mount to the side with that weird psychic stuff from the first battle. The Psychic decided to follow that up, and a little closer. Once he was within range, Akira began to charge some energy. And after a few seconds...

"I know what you're afraid of..."
The Devil's Due

Four images split out from Akira, in each cardinal direction, before turning into a volley of dark spheres that spun around Akira at a high speed - Trying to strike Captain Kohle or any unlucky Muspell soldier that wandered into it. And if the attack was successful? Kohle would face a horrific view - Death and Doom within every shadow, every patch of darkness, paranoia at it's extreme. Even if only for a short time, only a minute or so, it was still a rather horrific move and Akira knew well enough why not to use it on the likes of the contracted heroes; It was cruel.

 

[Gamingfan]

Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight silently watched Soleil fade away, though he did nod at her request.

"That was way too close for me." The teen esper said. "But let's wrap this fight up."

"Indeed" Shovel knight agreed, and the two dashed towards the final fight. Akira got there first, using strange magic to create projections of himself, which turned into dark spheres spun round the teen. Shovel knight was briefly reminded of the Enchantress's own magic, but pushed his trepidations aside and jumped up. Using his signature Shovel Drop, the knight bounced off Akira's own technique, and pulled out his Propeller dagger! In a burst of movement, the weapon's spinning handle propelled Shovel Knight towards Rajat, blade first!

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Ally Phase​

It was clear to Fjorm that this mysterious man was no agent of Muspell. Both Nikki and the mystery man urged her to get to safety, and Fjorm agreed. She allowed Nikki to pull her onto the back of her electro-land whale beast, and leaned on the Pokemon trainer for support. The sounds of battle were fading into the distance. As much as she wanted to help, there was nothing she could do in her current state.

"Bennett..." Fjorm said. "Is he okay? I think... he was struck by lightning..."

Enemy Phase​

The Mashers made their moves. Anakin slashed at Captain Kohle, and the Paladin quickly blocked the attack. The lightsaber didn't cut through the lance, the holy magic of the lance preventing the damage. Anakin's telekinetic shove struck Captain Kohle and his steed. The Paladin stood strong, bracing in his saddle. The horse braced against the attack as well, sliding across the snow but maintaining its footing. Both rider and horse snorted angrily.
"My troops! Where are those worthless slaves?!" Kohle roared.

The Captain was about to ride after Anakin and the Little Crow when he noticed Akira emerging from the fog. Akira raised his hands, casting a powerful magical attack at the Paladin. Kohle raised his shield, blocking the magic attacks. Even so, they were enough to force back Kohle and his horse even further back.
"Keh. Not good enough." Kohle barked. He urged his horse forward, and charged towards Akira! The Captain would attempt to trample Akira under his horse's hooves as they rode past, and if Akira got out of the way, he would attempt to pierce Akira with his lance as they rode past!

Meanwhile, the mage tried their best to defend against the Little Crow's Wind spell. They spoke an incantation, trying to create a magical barrier to stop the attack, but were just too slow. The razor blade of air slashed the mage across the chest, spattering blood across the slush and snow. The mage cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground.

Rhajat continued backing up the hill as Anakin charged towards her. However, she paused, staring in surprise at the form of Shovel Knight seemingly flying over the battle. The Black Magician dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding Shovel Knight's attack and conjuring dark magic around her. The red halo around her head grew brighter.
"I really despise this..." She growled through gritted teeth.

Rhajat screamed an incantation, raising both hands into the air. Instead of a single whirlwind of black magic, a massive swarm of whirlwinds burst from the ground! The attack covered a massive swath of ground, with whirlwinds attempting to hit Shovel Knight, Anakin, and Little Crow!

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

The jedi knight watched as a mage fell. He passed over it, casually slashing his lightsaber through the body as he moved, confirming the kill without losing a step in his approach. However, the shovelrous knight came in from overhead to strike at the woman, who seemed to rapidly be growing desperate as the odds mounted against her.

“Where are those worthless slaves?!”

The shout from his right drew Anakin’s attention, his fist reflexively tightening on his lightsaber grit, his molars grinding together. The jedi turned his gaze away to focus on Kohle as the captain went for an attack against Akira, who’d joined in as well.

As whirlwinds suddenly erupted upward, Anakin was faster to leap above them, rising high into the air with a backwards flip, carrying himself out of their range to land just behind the captain as he was taking off, snow splashing away from the impact before Anakin thrust his arm out, grasping at the air.

The sound of air being sucked out of the world was evident as a force choke, more aggressive than usual, attempted to violently rip Kohle off of his horse and throw him into the snow. The choke wouldn’t relent there however, as the force would work to keep the man pinned into the snow as his throat was restricted while Anakin approached, the tip of his saber dragging through the snow, leaving a vaporized trail in its wake.

He offered no wisecrack or one-liner, his aggression focused on the captain.

“I will come back and free you, mom,” a child’s voice whispered in the back of his mind, another reverberating memory. “I promise.”

Anakin continued to exert mounting pressure on the man, both attempting to crush his windpipe and his bones with an invisible force, his face a focused fury.​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

But wait, where's Bennett?


"Auuuuugh..."

Groggily sitting up from his snow pocket, the adventure finally regained consciousness. Rubbing his eyes and shaking his head, he came to - locking eyes with a large red ape like creature. It seemed to give off a heated aura, not too different than his pyro vision. Being met with the large ape made Bennett jump a bit.

"Woah! Uh hi there big guy...?"

The Darmanitan didn't appear outwardly hostile, in fact, they appeared to be almost...protecting him? Helping him somehow? But why? A few moments of critical thinking later, Bennett put the dots together.

"Oh! Your was a friend of Nikki's! I get it now!" He pounded his fist into his palm. "Nice to meet you! Oh and you too!"

He directed it towards the Blosswine that was manifesting a barrier a little bit further from the Darmanitan. They were protecting him, most definitely. But from what? Was the battle still going? Turning around, he saw magical attacks, shovels, and slashes still visibly in combat with one another. How long had he been out?

"Crap."

 

[Psymallard]

Caw
-Evening, Nifl Plains-
The Reaper had nailed the lightning mage. That just left Kohle and Rhajat, each being targeted by his allies as well. Now, even though the occultist seemed to be reveling in her job, she was still a victim of Muspell's control. He turned to look back at the cavalier- a vain man, and one that wielded dangerous power.

This was a bad time to reconsider his target, however, as the field erupted with storms of black magic. Startled, Little Crow nevertheless reacted quickly as he dove away... only to be swept up by another black hurricane. Evil energies bombarded the avian for a moment before he was flung into the trees, unable to recover.

HP- 3/6
SP- 4/6

 

[PaprusTeuton]

Not Muspell

The good news was that the woman was convinced relatively easily that Shay wasn't a member of Muspell. The bad news was that she was exclusively referring to him as "Not Muspell." It was worth it. Fjorm was leaning on her while riding on some kind of... electric whale? Apparently it was named "Pie-" Wait, Fjorm was speaking. "Bennett..." Fjorm said. "Is he okay? I think... he was struck by lightning..."

Shay wasn't too surprised that lightning magic was a thing, but it was worrying. They were heading there regardless, so Shay got onto the whale. "We should move swiftly. If he was struck by lightning, we may have little time."

 

[Mokko]

Nikki Prez
“Yeah, it’s no problem! I just left ‘im right over this way, I’ve got Semla and Carby looking after ‘im, he’s safer than a Pikipek in a bug-catching contest!” Nikki informed the other passengers of the big thunder-whale that they rode on the back of, leaning forward to command the beast in the direction of Bennett. “Let’s go, Pierogi! Chop chop!” she ordered.

And go, he did- Pierogi displayed a surprising amount of speed, considering his size, the sound of static crackling behind him as he zipped off the way Nikki had gestured to him. All the while, the Rupther continued to hiccup and sniffle as Nikki gently caressed the top of his head with her hand.

“Not that I’m not concerned or anything, but I’ll bet Bennett gets struck by lightning all the time,” she admitted as Pierogi continued to speed up, clicking her tongue as she leaned backward. “If anyone’s gonna be able to eat something like that, it’s gotta be him!”

And her suspicion was proven correct when they neared him. Bennett, unlike how Nikki had left him, was upright and completely awake. It was impossible to tell if he was still feeling the effects of the lightning just from seeing him, but hey, he was sure as heck alive!

“Bennett! Hope the doctors have been kind to ya!” Nikki said as Pierogi landed beside the unlucky guy and the two Pokemon protecting him. Carbon the Darmanitan let out a puff of smoke from his mouth, unintentionally getting it right in Bennett’s face, while Semla the Blosswine seemed a lot more paranoid and focused on the surrounding conflict, adjusting the position of her Psyshield to block any sudden attacks.

 

[Gamingfan]

Shovel Knight
The mage narrowly sidestepped Shovel Knight's dagger, leaving the knight to stab into the floor. Rhajat raised their hands as Shovel Knight pulled the dagger up, screaming an incantation. The knight jumped towards her, but was too late to interrupt her magic. Severe winds, black as night burst from the mage, harshly striking Shovel Knight's armor and blowing him back.
Shovel Knight flipped around and stabbed his Shovel Blade into the floor, slowing his momentum. The Blue Burrower pulled out a new relic: The Throwing Anchor and, with a grunt of exertion, would heave it upward. The heavy anchor soared for a moment, before falling over Rahjat, tearing through her magic wind to deliver a powerful blow!
But if she moved, the mage would likely be surprised by the reveal that Shovel Knight had held onto the large anchor, using it to shield him through the winds. If Rahajat dodged the anchor, Shovel Knight would jump to her and strike!

 

[Fraseandchico]

Akira Tadokoro

"Slaves...?" Akira couldn't help himself from getting angry hearing how Kohle talked, likely about the contracted heroes. The esper hated this kind of person. Someone who, without a hint of remorse or care, sought to remove the responsibility of someone's actions from them for his own sake. Kohle launched his own attack soon after, charging at Akira. Getting trampled seemed like a death sentence, so Akira made to dodge out the way- Only for Kohle to counteract this dodge with a pierce from his Spear. In that moment, Akira was suddenly VERY glad he had actually picked up that armor under Fjorm's advice, even if he hadn't liked it at the time, since it prevented it from going straight through Akira...though it still got in and wounded him, earning a yell of pain. By the time Akira was able to pull back and roll to the side, coughing up a little blood, he was quite pissed.
Guardian Angel
Appearing to avenge Akira's new wound, his Guardian Angel reappeared-whatever compassion spared for the likes of Soleil absent against the Captain-and swung at Kohle, trying to either take him down or at least distract for that moment...

But before Akira could launch into his anger, talk against Kohle and call him out - Someone else had already acted in their own anger - Anakin Skywalker. And by god, he was acting on anger. It even gave Akira mild pause, though he wouldn't disapprove per say.

"...Yeah, I get the feeling this is personal for you - He's all yours." Akira admitted, not really knowing if Anakin would even hear this encouragement as he looked past the Jedi to the battle with Rhajat - Just in time to see the Avian get knocked into the trees by whirlwinds. Muttering curses under his breath, Akira chose to move off into those same trees, coming to the side of the Little Crow.
"Stay still."
Healing Touch
Using the chance, Akira kept his hand on his ally, and pushed thoughts into his head to heal him up.

"Shit, that hurts..."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Bennett


He began to move to investigate the ongoing conflict when an electric pokemon flew overhead, carrying it's cargo of passengers on board. Nikki who was up front was the first to greet him. Pleased to see her well and good, Bennett chuckled, waving back at her.

"Yeah! All-" he spoke, getting interrupted by a sudden puff of smoke by the red primate m front of him. "Urk...ack! A-All good, yeah! Thank goodness you guys are okay!"

Behind Nikki was Fjorm, who was thankfully doing well since they last remembered and...someone new? They didn't look familiar unless someone here could shapeshift.

"Oh? Who's that? We got a new adventure team member??"

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Ally Phase​

The tension between Nikki and the masked man disappated, with Nikki quick to accept the mysterious man as an ally against Muspell. He climbed onto the back of the Pokemon with the pair of girls. Fjorm held Nikki tighter as the Rupther galloped back into the woods. Nikki spoke, and so did someone else, but Fjorm was having a difficult time hearing. She could tell the battle was coming to an end in the favor of the heroes, with the Muspell forces either defeated or in retreat. Still, Fjorm was trying her best to stay concious as the world swayed around her. Her eyes were half-lidded, and she seemed to fall into some sort of daze once more.

Enemy Phase​

Lahle appeared, slashing at Kohle with her sword, but the Paladin was ready for the attack. Once more he raised his shield, tanking the blow from the angel's sword as he rode by. Kohle's horse slowed as it ended its charge, with the Paladin twirling his lance. He chuckled to himself. A solid hit against the enemy. But he had no time to relish in his small victory. Anakin's Force Choke took the captain by surprise, tearing him off his warhorse violently. The horse reared back, screaming in surprise. Kohle clutched his throat as the pressure grew more and more, gagging and choking in the snow.

As Anakin approached, the air around Kohle smelled of smoke and brimstone. There was a burst of hot air from around the commander, and Anakin would find his hold on Kohle's throat abruptly released. Kohle suddenly jumped to his feet, his Blessed Lance in hand. The air around him shimmered from the heat he was exuding, and he grinned.
"An underhanded trick, wizard. But I have the Divine Dragon's protection! Something that is more than you can say!" Captain Kohle taunted. He lunged towards Anakin, unleashing a flurry of jab attacks with his holy lance!

To Rhajat's surprise, Shovel Knight was able to withstand her attack. The Black Magician dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the falling anchor. However, the witch was totally caught off guard by Shovel Knight's true use of the attack. She stared at the blue knight in shock, unable to raise any defense against his shovel strike! It knocked Rhajat back through the snow, and with the sound of shattering glass, the red halo around her head disappeared. She slowly looked up at the Shovel Knight, before simply groaning and laying back in the snow. In a matter of moments, she had faded away completely.

ENEMIES REMAINING: 1​

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

—Day 1 Evening, Nifl Plains—​

How had...

Anakin’s hard-etched gaze seemed to only grow more intense as he lowered his hand, his force grip broken. That was new. That was... uncomfortable.

Kohle charged forward with a flurry of jabs, but it was nothing the jedi hadn’t seen before. A different martial style, unsurprisingly, since the man was clearly not trained in lightsaber combat. The general’s blue blade was a blur as he skillfully swung directly into each blow aggressively. It wasn’t defensive blocking, instead focused more on meeting Kohle wherever he swung.

for each jab, they met a swing. Anakin stepped around Kohle, batting at each rapid jab as his eyes stayed focused on his opponent, the jedi carrying his weapon with a single hand. It was a psychological tactic, to emit a sense of power and unbreakability, to instill uncertainty and desperation in the opponent.

“It doesn’t mean anything. I don’t need it, and you do,” Anakin claimed, and now he started to pour his focus on the force into his swings. His swipes grew immensely in their power, not to mention their speed easily tripled in just a few seconds, and rather than waiting for each jab to counter, Anakin now began to release blows of his own. First, he started obvious, winding into the strike following each counter. Then there’d be a twirl, Anakin would swing the hilt of the saber in his hand, the blade humming through the air in an arc, its light giving the impression of an attack one way, before Anakin swung upward, pivoted, and slashed downward.

His assault continued, the aggression growing with intensity. Rather than make Anakin more obvious or less efficient, it had quite the opposite effect. His strikes became more fluid, more precise, and more focused.

“Divinity won’t spare you from me.”​

 

[Psymallard]

The Reaper
-Evening, Nifl Plains-
The crow could be found upside-down with his upper half lodged in the snow. That was how Akira had found him, but as the bird heard footsteps, he quickly kicked out of the powder. To his relief, it was an ally, one which brought the power of healing. As the Crow was rejuvenated for the second time now, he thought to give the psychic something in return. With a grateful squawk, he conjured a Life Seed- a bud that glowed a soft green light. He knew it had little use in frozen soil, but there had to be some warmer soil in their future eventually. The crow offered it up and then turned his head back to the battle.

Conjuring his Bow Spell, he aimed it at the last remaining enemy. A so-called leader that was vain and quick to anger- an evil man that sought to subjugate and destroy in his own name. Given enough time, this man could turn into a Large Soul back in his realms- but the Reaper had sensed long ago that this place had its own rules for life and death. Even still, such a man as Kohle would receive as much mercy as he deserved.

The arrow was fully charged, but the Reaper waited a moment more to be sure of his aim. Then, he fired.

HP- 5/6
SP- 2/6